Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“Ah, holy fucking shit. Never heard of them, but sounds like something I’d listen to. Tell me more?” He smirked.

I couldn’t speak for a moment. Get yourself together Layla, for the love of God. Billie Joe is like one of your favorite people ever, do not fuck this up because you’re star struck. Play it cool, please fucking play it cool.

“Oh yeah, they’re great!” I play along. “Have you heard their hit single? It’s called “Just Walked into my Role Model”. Check em’ out sometime.”

You know that moment of utter embarrassment when you hear yourself tell a dad joke OUTLOUD—especially to a father?! The attempt to connect on such an unreachable plane is cringe worthy in itself.

Billie actually giggled in response to my lame joke.

“Oh definitely. I’ll make sure to remember,” he winks. “What’s your name, Sweetie?”

“Layla.” I blush like crazy and immediately realize how noticeable it is. Please stop smiling.

“I don’t usually compliment strangers, so things don’t get out of whack, but, I really want you to know you have a really pretty smile.”

Okay, stop. Tell me how this made any sense. How is he here? How am I here? How are we both here at the same time? This is the kinda situation I’ve only dreamed about. How could this possibly be reality?

“Oh my God, thank you so much. Honestly I’m so surprised that you are here! Why are you in Boston? I mean, I’m totally happy that you are, but…never mind. Your music is amazing, Billie! Your talent shocks me every time I hear one of your songs. Mike, Tre, Jason and you…you work like magic. I can’t even believe—“

“Boston! That’s where we are!”

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Well, yah know, I knew we were somewhere on the east coast, it definitely shows, yah know. Hah, but I wasn’t sure which city, yah know?”

I hesitated to respond.

“How could you not know that you’re in Boston?” I got a little nervous.

He started to ponder the thought.

“Not sure, must have been drinking or something, yah know.” He laughed a bit and ran his hand through his jet black hair. “To be completely honest, I don’t know where my family is. I’m pretty sure they’re back at the hotel taking a nap or something. Are yah from around here?”

“I’m right outside the city, but I come here like all the time.”

“Good, so do you mind showing me around a bit? I’m all alone in this shit hole.”

I laughed at his statement.

“Of course, follow me.”

We found ourselves at a restaurant about twenty minutes later.

“Billie, can I be completely honest?” I decide to bring up as we wait for our food.

“Why not?” He asks while taking a swish of his beer.

“Hah, well, I’m not sure how I’m actually sitting in your presence and not freaking out. It feels quite natural spending time with you.”

“I’m glad you think so. It’s always a bit roughing trying to jive with the type that can’t even respond to me. I appreciate everyone but, when you can’t even fucking talk to me, that’s when I start to realize they’re a little crazy in the head. I’m just a fucking person, just like everyone else. I’m a person with a passion, and I would do anything to keep it strong.”

“You speak like a poet, minus the occasional swear,” I chuckle.

“Oh fuck yeah I’m the best motherfucking shitty poet in this fucking crazy ass country,” he jokes.

“I take back the occasional part.”

He winks in response.

“I truly do appreciate your music though. I never thought I’d like a band like yours.”

He looks up in confusion.

“Why’s that, princess?”

I blushed like crazy from the princess part.

“I’ve really only ever liked classic rock. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who…I took this class in college that actually introduced me to your music. It took a few months for it to really set in, and then upon hearing 21 guns in this bar, I completely became obsesse….I mean, intrigued by your music.”

Never use the word obsessed around a band that you’re obsessed about. Avoid trying to scare away your lovers.

“Wow, how old are you miss?”

“19, why?” I giggled.

“Hanging around at bars, listening to classics…woulda swore you were at least mid twenties, yah know?”

“That would be nice, but nah, I’m a youngin’.”

He smiled. “I remember being 19, if you try hard enough, nothing can fucking stop you.”

I looked straight into his green eyes as a way to almost connect with his soul. We just met but I already felt some sort of strand holding us together. He was 43 and still looked like a champ.

“I can tell, because in this case, we see the rest of the picture.”

Something about the way I phrased that made him blush a little and look down at the table.

“So you already know a fuck ton about me, let’s hear about you, Layla.”

He really does love the word fuck.

“Me? What could you possibly want to know about me?”

“Well, yah know, what are your hobbies? Passions? Do you go to college or work? Just, tell me about you. I’ve got all day and somehow it seems like besides you, no one even knows I’m here.”

“What?” I question. “What do you mean by that?”

“Ever since I’ve gotten here, I’ve had no contact with anyone but you. I was starting to get worried, yah know? As cheesy as that fucking sounds.”

“Well, how long have you been here for?”

“I..um, honestly don’t know.”

Did someone take a rock and pound his head a few times? He looked fine, but he was saying the weirdest shit. Was he on drugs again? I wanted to ask but it didn’t seem right. It made me kind of nervous to talk to him like this. He was beautiful and was in no way in disguise. How could not even one person realize it was Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day?

“That doesn’t make a lot of sense if you ask me. You’re fucking Billie Joe Armstrong! Someone must have called you out.”

He nodded his head no.

“Not a single person.” It was quiet for about twenty seconds until his laughing broke the silence. “Must be the fucking city. If it were New York or something I’d be scared, but Boston people…well, Massachusetts people are crazy, no offense or anything.”

“If anything I agree with you. We always seem to be minding our own business, trying to serve no one but ourselves. Drives me a bit nuts, but it eats you up.”

“Cali can be the same way sometimes. Probably exactly the same if wasn’t for the fact I was born there. I’m sure you would all go crazy if your beloved Tom Brady walks down the street.”

I laugh in hysterics.

“Nailed it! And why not? He is our man!”

“Well excuse me,” he sassily retorts.

“You’re our man too,” I try to make up for it.

“Your city has failed to prove it!”

“Well, you’re my man,” I add.

Billie Joe gave me this embarrassed look and I could almost feel my body get ten degrees hotter. I looked down nervously at the table. By the time I looked back up he was eyeing the floor.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I’m sorry. I couldn’t lie and say I don’t love you, you’re one of my favorite musicians and may I add, extremely handsome? But uh…that last statement was rather just me trying to prove a point?”

He looked back up at me and I could tell by the look on his face I made things worse.

“I’m so sorry, I fucked up. I probably just freaked you out a bit, I promise I’m not a crazy stalker fan or anything…I’m, oh fuck. I’m screwing it up. I’ll go now,” I quickly stand up in embarrassment preparing to leave, but instantly my hand was grabbed on to.

I looked down to see him reaching out and grabbing my hand.

“No, please stay. I enjoy talking with you,” he grins innocently.

My heart seemed to have melted inside. I was overwhelmed with this warm feeling of happiness and agreed to take a seat.

“I know what it’s like to be a little misspoken when placed next to your favorite musician or whatever. It’s happened to me on multiple occasions and no matter how hard I try I look like a fucking idiot every time. But the embarrassment is worth the honor, yah know?”

“Yeah, I know,” I smile.

After all the fucking interviews, concerts, or whatever shit I’ve come across, I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone reply to Billie’s habituated “yah knows?” with a “Yes, I do know.” I felt like that was a well needed reply. And by the glimmer in his eye, I could see it truly was.

“So tell me Layla, about you.”

“Alright, phew! Well, I’m 19, as we already cleared up. I’m going into my sophomore year of college, studying communications. I’m a…okay, don’t laugh, but I’m a DJ at our college radio station…”

“Why would I laugh?”

“Someone kill the DJ?” I trail off.

“No, only kill the lame party DJ’s. We need radio DJ’s. And you’re especially guaranteed a few extra years of life if you play our shit on the air.”

“Well just call me Ms. Fountain of Youth, I play your music like crazy.”

“That’s good to hear, Layla.” His green eyes sparkle like stereotypical diamonds in the sea and oh my God I sound so cheesy but everything was actually perfect. No one to interrupt us. No one to bother us. Just me, Billie Joe, his green eyes, rosy lips, black ruffled hair, grey skinny jeans, black chucks, and black skulled shirt to make everything a dream come true.

“Tell me more,” he finally adds.

“Well, I love to write.”

“What do you write?”

“Stories, songs, some poetry…you name It, I probably write it.”

“You write songs?” His eyes grew wide. Shoot me now.

“Yeah, well, mostly lyrics. I know how the songs are supposed to sound, but since I only really play drums and bass, I can’t really write the guitar chords for it.”

“You play drums and bass?! Layla, that’s so fucking awesome!” He grew really excited.

“Of course, music is my life. I couldn’t live without it if I tried. It takes over my mind 24/7…I can’t not be doing something with music.”

The shimmer in his eyes promised me that this would not be the last day I would see him. He seemed too interested in me, as egotistical as that sounds. I felt some sort of connection that I had never really experienced with anyone else. I didn’t want to leave. I was falling in love with him more and more by the second. I should resist and get out of this place before I screw it all up for my mind. I’m more than aware at how hard I fall for people, but this was something I could not resist. Not even if I tried.

“I can’t understand how people can’t be obsessed with music,” Billie admits. “I mean, how can you not listen to it every waking moment, yah know? How could you be so in love with a thing that doesn’t take a physical form? Oh but it does, it comes in the form of a beautiful instrument. And being someone so in love with music, how could some people not try to learn how to play, yah know?”

“That’s what I’m saying! I have lots of friends who claim they love music, but how could you truly love it and not try to create some for yourself? I don’t know, it never made sense to me.”

“I like the way you think, sweetheart.”

Please stop calling me that I will cry from happiness in front of you.

“So if you couldn’t guess,” I continue. “Music is my life. I also like hiking and going for runs and stuff. I love nature.”

“That’s good,” he acknowledges while making room for the waitress to put the food down. “Especially in this modern society, people need to get out as much as possible. That’s what I tell my son. I try to always remind him of how important it is to be outside and take advantage of being young. He’s in a band, yah know? He’s right around your age. I think you two should meet, you have a lot in common and you’re really pretty.”

Definitely throw me off a building because I cannot handle all this flattering.

“Oh no, you speak of me too highly.”

“All I said was that you were pretty, is that a problem?”

No it’s not a problem, but if you think I’m pretty, can you marry me like right now because I’m kind of in love with you.

“How’s Adrienne these days?” I change the subject.

He takes a bite of his sandwich.

“Great,” he mumbles with a full mouth. “She’s doing great.”

“How does she like the city?” I ask while attempting to swirl some spaghetti onto my fork.

Billie puts his food down and stares into the distance for a while. He scratches the side of his head and then shakes it condescendingly. He chuckles nervously.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what you’re laughing at?”

“No, I don’t know if she likes the city.”

“Really? I mean…I didn’t mean to turn this into an SAT open ended question or anything, I just kinda expected a yes or no…”

“No Layla, I don’t know. I don’t know because I don’t fucking remember the last time I’ve seen her.”