Mass Hysteria

3

Mike stops the van and jumps out to open its doors.

Once the vans doors were open, Christian and Gloria step out. Their boots crunching the gravel beneath them. Kaitlynn smelled the scents of pine trees.

She looked at what she could find, which wasn't a lot. Just the same things she saw in the van from Mikes window.

But then, she saw the entire thing. It was just hiding behind a cluster of pine trees.

There was a row of cabins, flanking each other on my left and right.

It was a summer camp, but it was a punk summer camp. Everywhere my eyes spied there was short haircuts and mohawks. Leather jackets and combat boots galore. Everybody's hair had green streaks in them. I looked at Gloria's hair, it has red streaks.

I nudged Mike. He looked at me and I pointed to Gloria's hair.

"The boss will explain." He whispers.

"Whose the boss?" I ask, worried that it's some other legendary Green Day character from a song.

"Well.." Mike sighs. "Its Jesus."

I become quiet. Jesus? And if its the Jesus that I think it is, it's going to be a great honor to meet him.

Christian and Gloria enter one of the cabins to my left. Mike puts his hands on my shoulders and makes me walk straight ahead.

"Oh.. He's this way?"

"Yep."

Mike and I come into a presence of a used cabin that's more worn than the others. Its tin roof shingles are spray painted a neon green.

Green for Green Day, I realize.

Mike gets in front of me and opens the door.

"Honey, I'm home!" Mike announces.

"Shut up, you shit bag." The voice laughs.

The cabin is filled with both TVs and guitars. A used desk sits amid the rooms scattered papers. I look at the person who sits behind it. His unbrushed, ratty black hair sticks up in many ways, his eyeliner is smudged for his signature look. His green eyes stare at me.

"You're Billie Joe Armstrong." I gasp.

Billie Joe gasps too, looking completely surprised at me. "You're a newbie!" His face turns to a glare thrown at Mike. "Why did you bring me a newbie? I told you send them to AIS where Chris and Gloria train them. Jeez, Mike, you should know this by now!

"AIS?" I ask.

His glare turns to me briefly, "It means American Idiot Squadron, where you should be." Then goes back to Mike.

He sputters for the words. "I-I have news Billie."

"And what news could that be that is sooo important?" Billie Joe leans back in his chair, putting his feet up on his desk. He too, wears combat boots.

Mike pushes me foreward.

"She knows." He pokes me. "Tell him what happened."

"Um.." I murmur. Billie looks at me questioningly. I start again. "My family was attacked."

Billie still looks doubtful. "By who?"

"We-I-didn't see who it was, besides the guns they held to our faces." I explain, now re-feeling the anger that I felt a few hours ago.

Billie looks at Mike. "They said they weren't going to strike, they said it wasn't a threat.. They--"

Just then, a VCR TV came to life with static. It didn't seem to bother Billie Joe, as if he was used to it.

But Mike and I covered our ears. Mike ducked but I stayed up. I looked at the TV amid the static. I saw.. A symbol of a sort. It was black and looked like a guns aiming target, with a shape of a man, being struck by lighting.

Billie Joe just glared at the screen. "It's them."

I looked at him now. The static getting louder, so loud I cowered now. "It's who? It's who?"

He removed his glare from the TV and donned a peaceful look. He knew who he was talking about, he knew them very well. In fact, Billie Joe was the person that created them-er, him.

"The Breakdowns."