Victim of the Symptom(billie joe armstrong x reader)

The Other Side of Fame

Days later, Lila got another text from Billie Joe. Next thing she knew, she was at the epicenter of dumb.

The apartment was nothing like Lila had imagined. When she thought of rock stars, she'd pictured something extravagant—some penthouse suite overlooking the city, or a sprawling mansion hidden away from the world. Instead, Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre lived in a surprisingly small place, tucked away in a corner of Oakland, its walls covered with band posters and the lingering smell of smoke and alcohol. It wasn't glamorous, but it had a certain charm, in that chaotic, disheveled way.

The door swung open, and Lila stepped inside, feeling the tension from the previous night still weighing on her. Mike had texted her earlier, insisting she come by to hang out, that Billie had promised to behave, though Lila wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Mike was always the one trying to keep things together, the glue that held them in place—especially Billie. But even Mike couldn't stop the spiral that was so clearly happening.

"Welcome to the zoo," Mike said with a smirk as she walked in, gesturing to the mess. Empty beer bottles lined the coffee table, and the TV blared some nonsense in the background. Billie was already sprawled out on the couch, looking hungover as hell, but his face brightened the second he saw her.

"Lila!" Billie shouted, lifting a half-empty bottle of whiskey in a toast. "Thought you weren't gonna show up."

"I wasn't sure I would," she admitted, eyeing the bottle in his hand. "But... I'm here now."

"Yeah, yeah, come sit," Billie said, scooting over and patting the space next to him. "Let's get this party started."

Lila hesitated for a second, glancing at Mike, who gave her a reassuring nod. She sat down, feeling awkward and out of place in their world. Billie leaned in, closer than necessary, and she

could smell the alcohol on his breath, mixing with the familiar scent of cigarettes.

"Glad you came," he murmured, his eyes glazed but focused on her. "Mike said you might bail."

"Well, I didn't." She forced a smile, trying to keep the mood light. "So... what's the plan tonight?"

Before Billie could answer, the door to the bathroom swung open with a bang, and Tre Cool stumbled out, shirtless and wearing nothing but pajama pants that were several sizes too big. His wild hair stuck up in every direction, and his eyes were wide with mischief.

"Yo!" Tre yelled, clearly already in his own world. "You know what we need? Mushrooms. Fuckin' mushrooms, man!"

Lila blinked, startled by the sudden outburst. Tre was a force of nature, and she wasn't sure she could keep up with his level of energy—or his chaotic train of thought.

"Uh, mushrooms?" she asked, a little confused. "Like, to eat?"

"Not those fuckin' mushrooms!" Tre cackled, grabbing a half-empty bag from the kitchen counter and waving it in her face. "Magic mushrooms, girl! Time to get weird!"

"Jesus, Tre," Mike groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're already high as hell. Chill out for two seconds."

"Never!" Tre declared dramatically, jumping onto the couch and striking a ridiculous pose. "Chaos reigns, baby! Let's ride this fuckin' wave."

Billie laughed, clearly amused by Tre's antics, while Mike shot Lila an apologetic look. "This is... pretty standard," Mike said, sighing. "Welcome to our circus."

Lila couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. As overwhelming as the situation was, there was something infectious about their energy. It was reckless, sure, but in a way that made her want to let go of her own inhibitions for once. She'd spent so long trying to be the responsible one, the level-headed journalist, that maybe a night of chaos was exactly what she needed.