The Jesus of Suburbia

Welcome to Suburbia

The car ride continued in silence except for the music. Every so often Billie would glance over, but he never said anything.

Eventually the silence became really awkward and I found myself looking down at my knees, picking at the loose threads in my ripped up jeans.

"So Billie, who'll be at your house when we get there?"

There was no way I'd be calling him dad, despite the way his face fell. I didn't need another dad.

He tapped his fingers against the finger wheel, counting off.

"Adrienne, Joey, Mike and Tré if they can get there. You're a bit of a surprise to the rest of the band."

I scoffed. "Yeah, I've always been a great surprise."

I was born as the result of faulty birth control or a broken condom. Something like that.

He must have seen my expression. "Yeah, I was too."

This caused yet another silence between us. I really need to work on my poker face.

"Joey is thirteen." Billie said after a couple minutes. "His room will be across the hallway from yours."

I nod and watch as we pull up to the house. It's not what I expected it to be.

I'd thought it would be extremely big and superfluous.

Apparently he was more down to earth then I thought.

It was a nice house, much better then my little apartment in Brooklyn.

He stopped the car and got out, closing the door behind him. After a moment I followed and grabbed one of my suitcases from the trunk. We stepped inside the house and a wave of reality washed over me.

I'd still been trying to grasp that this was real and now I was standing inside Billie Joe Armstrong's house. The adoption wasn't even final yet, it'd been finished in a week or so.

Once we'd entered the front hall Billie set down a suitcase and yelled upstairs. "Adri! Joey! We're here!"

A thundering pound of footsteps came down the stairs, which I assumed to be Joey.

He stopped before the last step and looked at me as if taken aback.

Joey was like a smaller version of Billie. Well, obviously. He was.

A woman came down behind him and looked at me with equal surprise.

I self consciously tugged at my band tee and ran a hand through my hair.

Adrienne recovered quickly and came down the rest of the stairs. I noticed her push Joey a bit and he stepped forward too.

"James-" She began, getting way to close for comfort. Her hand headed towards my shoulder and I flinched back a little, not exactly meaning to.

"I think it's Red." Joey said in a small voice.

How would he know?

I give him a look that may have seemed harsh and he glanced down before saying, "I saw your Facebook page. It said that you preferred Red and you'd uh-- seriously mess up anyone who called you James."

With a small smile, thanking him for sugar coating it, I shrug.

"Yeah, it's Red."

I shake Adrienne's still-extended hand and she gives me a smile as an attempt to be motherly. Not that I needed another mom. The entire atmosphere is strained except for Billie who seems completely at ease behind my right shoulder.

"Its uh.. Nice to meet you?" I say half heartedly, looking between the two in front of me.

Joey nods and continues staring at me. I'm not sure if that expression is awe or disgust, but I don't like it.

"Do you want to show him to his room, Joey?" Asks Billie.

The boy nods and starts to head up the stairs, expecting me to follow. After grabbing my small second suitcase I do.

Behind me I hear a quiet male murmur of, "Things are worse then I thought." and a female response of, "He reminds me of you."

My fist clenches around the bags handle but I say nothing.

We walk up the stairs and Joey leads me to a closed door at the end of the hallway. He opens it and steps inside.

It's pretty big with a double bed in the center. It has a red bedspread and a few pillows on it. The sheets are black which I admire.

The walls are white and a pile of rolled up paper is in a heap on the floor. I set down my stuff and step over to the pile, lifting one.

It was an MCR poster for their 2004 album 'Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.'

I grin and look back at Joey. "How'd you guys know?"

"Facebook. We can put them up later." A smile comes across his lips and he comes over as well, unrolling another one. It was a Weezer poster.

Weezer had always been a bit idiotic, but I liked them.

The next was Nirvana, then Led Zeppelin, then Blink 182 (signed, might I add.) I was literally in band heaven.

My mom had never been able to afford band merchandise back in NYC.

Mom.

My face fell and my shoulders tensed up, but I turn away from Joey and continue going through the posters. Even if he noticed the change, he didn't speak about it. Eventually all the posters had been looked over and lay on the bed.

To the side of the bed was a nightstand, a normal black one. A closet was in the corner and it was empty as I expected it to be.

I'd started putting my things away with Joey to help me. We started small talk. I learned that he played the drums and was thinking about starting a band with his friends. We talked about music, he had good taste.

Who wouldn't with Billie Joe as a father?

I told him about how I played guitar and skateboarded, I told him about my city and after his inquiry I told him about my piercings. He said they were 'pretty awesome' and that his mother probably wouldn't let them get any. I was really beginning to like this guy.

Just as we'd settled into comfortable conversation a knock came at the door. Without waiting for an answer, the intruders came in.