The Day Billie Joe Armstrong Died

Chapter 26 - Of Mice & Men

Small chapter for you guys, since this is going fast! It's chapter 26 all ready! Wow, everything is closing in now! 

I woke up to an empty room. The room felt cold and empty without everyone around. I gazed around the room, squinting my eyes. Where are they?

I looked at the clock, ten past eleven. They’ve let me sleep.

I hoisted myself up in my bed, grabbed my Blink 182 shirt Adie had gotten for me at the airport. It was a white singlet with their logo on it, with the blue and white pill. I got my clothes on and noticed a note on Adie’s bed. ‘’Out grocery shopping. We’ll be back when you wake up J’’ I put down the note and sighted, guess not.

I walked over to my bed again and gazed out the window, the weather was nice. Maybe I should take a walk, I can’t sit in this room forever. I slid my phone down my pocket and realised I’d still got the money I had gotten from Adrienne. 150 dollars… Shopping time.

There wasn’t that many people around at this time of the day. I was in Times Square again, since I didn’t really know where else to go. And this was the closest, so I didn’t need to get a cab.

I gazed around searching for a shop. My eyes stopped at a familiar shop, ‘Hot Topic’

Yees! I applauded in my head and headed towards the shop. It was quite big as well, double yes!

I got inside of the shop and got surprised, the where almost no people there. I could only spot five guys. I started my quest to find some cool band shirts.

There where so much cool clothes and merch here! I could have bought the whole store if I had money for it.

However, I landed on a Star Wars shirt, Avenged Sevenfold Shirt, Black and red skinny jeans, Doctor Who shirt (I didn’t even know they had Doctor Who stuff there!) Nirvana shirt and an Iron Man shirt. I was just about to go and pay when I noticed a really cool Of Mice & Men shirt. It reminded me of Austin, I felt really bad over what I had done to him.

I walked over and grabbed the shirt, and noticed a really cool bracelet which had their logo on it… Maybe I could use it as a peace offering.

I almost had to close my eyes on my way to the cashier, ‘cause I kept finding new stuff I wanted. But finally I had paid and gotten out of the store.

For some odd reason I felt really exhausted, even though I had just been there for like half and hour or so. I should probably get home before Adie and them.

I started walking when I heard a voice shouting my name. I instantly turned around and the sight that met me was not good. I could spot Doctor Whaley, ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ and some other people around them. They where waving at me and walking towards me. This was not fucking good. I turned on my heals and started running as fast I could towards the hotel. However, it was around a 30 minutes walk from here. If I ran I could be there in 20 minutes.

I heard them screaming my name, they’ve probably started running as well.

I felt my heart beating its way up in my throat, I was so tired. I couldn’t run now! I tried to find somewhere I could hide, a store or an alley or something. Luckily there where more people around now, so I could manage to run into the Starbucks I was closing into now. I managed to dodge a lot of people and earned a few fuck off’s. But I didn’t care, I ran into the coffee shop and hid behind a few people that where inside. Since there where huge windows, they could spot me easily.

I saw them all running past the shop and out of my sight. I sighted in relief, my shoulders relaxed and I felt better. It wasn’t fucking easy running with these bags from Hot Topic in my hands!

I waited around five or ten minutes before I walked outside the shop. I gazed around trying to see if they where still there, but I couldn’t see them.

I started walking towards the hotel again, scared as shit. What did they want from me? Kidnap me as well? What kind of world are we living in…

I walked for about ten minutes when I felt someone grabbed my shoulder tightly. I froze, ‘’We called for you, but you didn’t answer’’ his voice sent shivers down my spine. I slowly turned around and met my angry ‘dad’s’ face. I gulped. He talked through gritted teeth. ‘’It’s time to give up, Alex. You’ll never win this, we’ve done this for so many years, do you really think you’re the only one who’s been trying to stop us?’’ He spat at me. I felt cold, there have been others? He chuckled over my expression. ‘’That’s right there’ve been others, and you know why you don’t know that?’’ He smirked, I shook my head slowly. ‘’ ‘Cause they’ve all ended up dead. And I won’t hesitate about pulling the trigger on people who want to expose our secret, Alex.’’ He was scaring the hell out of me. For the first time I didn’t see ‘dad’ in his eyes. I saw a killer. A mad, hateful and revengeful killer. I believed his words, he wouldn’t hesitate about killing me. The secret meant more to him. Money was all he ever loved, and all he’ll ever love.

I felt the urge to cry, but I won’t let this man see me cry. Instead I gave him a smirk, ‘’we wouldn’t hesitate either, and do you really think we’re not armed?’’ I spat back at him. He tried to hide his surprised expression, but I saw it. He shook his head, ‘’you’re coming with us, never the less’’ He started pulling my shoulder and dragging me after him. There where a couple of people who had been watching us, all I needed was to scream. And scream I did. ‘’HEELP! HELP ME! LET ME GO!’’ I shouted as loud as I could. Two huge men came running towards us, along with some other people. ‘’Let the girl go’’ one of them spat at ‘dad’.

He brushed off his comment and just smiled, ‘’it’s okay, she’s just a little dramatic! She’s my daughter for crying out loud!’’ He was indeed a really good actor. The man who had spoken to him, looked at me. I gave him a look to signalize that he was lying. ‘’Then let go of her arm, if she’s your daughter she’ll walk fine with you without you holding her’’ the man said to ‘dad’. He looked nervous and smiled, he let go of my arm and I ran towards the man who had helped me. ‘’Thank you! So much!’’ I whispered to him, he smiled and nodded. I ran as fast as I could the last meters towards the hotel.

I barged into our hotel room and slammed the door shut. I leant my body towards the door and breathed heavily.

‘’Alex? What’s wrong?’’ I slowly opened my eyes and saw Jakob, Joey, Adie, Trè and Mike. Fuck they where back.

I got myself together and gave them a fake smile. ‘’Nothing, was just running on my way back’’ I lied and walked towards my bed, I put my bags under it and seated myself on the soft bed. Adie looked confused, but nodded. ‘’Hungry? Thirsty?’’ She asked, they where still packing out food from their shopping trip and putting it into a little refrigerator. I nodded, ‘’thirsty’’

Mike threw over a coke to me, and I thanked him. ‘’Sure nothing’s wrong?’’ Joey asked, he looked worried. It’s nice how much they care about me, just after knowing each other in one day. The Armstrong family keeps surprising me. 

I simply nodded, ‘’fine’’

‘’That’s good ‘cause… we’ve been sued and we’re going to court on Monday’’ Adie silently mumbled, like she was too scared to say it.

My jaw dropped, even though I was expecting it. We all expected this to come. We where counting on it too, but when it happened it just felt… weird. We’re going in court, and the whole world will be watching. 

‘’Are you ready for that, Alex? ‘Cause we’ll need you the most’’ Mike asked softly. I just nodded, again. ‘’I can do it’’

Now or never, time to get this out for the world to see. Let’s hope the world will believe us.