Mass Hysteria

4

"The what?" I ask, then feeling very shamed that I do ask because Billie Joe nearly explodes.

It seems like Billie has moodswings of a teenage girl.

"Will somebody explain to this insignificant teenager who our opponent is!" Billie gets up and starts pacing.

Mike sighs and says, "21st Century Breakdown, right?"

I nod.

"St. Jimmy."

"I thought he was from American Idiot? I thought he was dead. In Homecoming-- he should have died."

"No." Billie now addresses me. "Once you create something, it always lives forever." Then he continues after a brief pause. "St. Jimmy is my alter ego, he just popped up one day and started posing as me. I didn't take notice of him, I only thought he was a figment of my imagination."

I let the information sink in. "Do the other band members..?"

Billie shakes his head and crosses his arms. "No, or we'd all be going out of our minds."

"Oh." I say.

"Oh? Is that all you have to say? Oh!" Billie rages again.

"What do you mean, Oh?" I yell back. I put my hands on his desk, scrunching up papers and throwing them. "I'm here aren't I?"

"Who asked you!" He acting like he's a spoiled child not getting what he wants. He kicks around the papers that I threw onto the ground. "We didn't ask you to sacrifice yourself and your time, and far as I know I don't even want you here!"

I look at him, feeling more angry than I did before. My step-father said always keep your cool around military leaders, or anybody really but this was not the time for that.

"Like it or not I'm staying." I stomp out of Billies cabin and head to the one that Christian and Gloria are in.

I throw open the door and demand, "Train me to fight like one of your vigilante girls."

Christian looks at Gloria. She smiles.

"Welcome to the squadron, compadre." And she clasps me on the back.