And the Stars up Above - Chapter 13

January 8th, 1987
Mike

Mike arrived to Jason’s house long before Billie Joe did. Mike’s legs were much longer, which meant Mike was faster than Billie. Usually Mike waited for Billie to even things out, but today he didn’t. He wanted to show Billie Joe that he wasn’t as great as Billie thought he was, and he couldn’t think of a better way. At least not right now.

He rang the doorbell and took a few deep breaths so he would be able to speak when Jason opened. He was still panting from running. He heard steps from the inside but no one came to open. He frowned and rang the bell again, longer this time. After a few seconds he heard a man’s voice shouting something from inside, but he couldn’t make out the words. Then he heard quick steps approaching the front door. Mike took a step backwards to make room for the door to swing open. He heard someone grab the handle from the other side, and then the someone opened the door and revealed himself to be Jason. Jason looked surprised to see Mike.

“Hi there buddy. Care to join me and Billie for school?” Mike said.
“Yeah sure. Where is Billie?” Jason said searching with his eyes for Billie.
“Oh he’s coming, we had a competition and…well… besides, he doesn’t really know the way to your house. But he’ll be here eventually. Let’s go inside and wait.” Mike said and took a step towards the door to go inside. From out of no where Jason’s arm came to stop him.
“My dad is home. He’s not… he’s not very good with people.” Jason said and pushed Mike backwards. Jason stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
“What do you mean ‘not good with people’? I want to meet him! You know, it’s pretty weird that we’ve been friends for like, almost a year now and I still haven’t met your father!” Mike said while stepping towards the door again, stretching out his arm to grab the handle. Jason slapped Mike’s arm away and shook his head.
“You’re lucky you haven’t. Trust me Mike, you don’t want to meet him.” Jason said, grabbed Mike by his hand and dragged him off of the porch.
“Come on, let’s go find Billie.” Jason said and continued to drag Mike by the hand. Mike pulled his hand back.
“I can walk on my own, you know.” He said. “And what’s so bad about your father?”
“Nothing.” Jason said. Mike was just about to continue questioning Jason when Billie showed up. When he saw Jason and Mike standing outside Jason’s house he stopped, bent over and put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
“Your such a…” pant. “good friend, you know” pant. “Mike.” pant. “Leaving me…” pant. “like that…” pant. “when you know…” Billie finally caught his breath. “that I don’t know the way to Jason’s house. What if I had got lost? Huh? Did you think of that?” Billie stared at Mike, who didn’t answer, he just stared back.
“Fucking moron…” Billie muttered under his breath and walked the last steps to where Mike and Jason were.
“Are we going to school or what?” he snapped “or were you planning on standing here all day?” he said and crossed his arms. He was not looking at Jason, he was staring straight into Mike’s eyes and Mike got a feeling that this was going to be one of those days when Billie Joe ignored Jason. Billie Joe did that sometimes, when he felt that he was left out in some way. Mike sighed.“Yeah, let’s go. Come on, Jason.”

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 12

January 8th, 1987
Mike

Mike left his house long before he had to. His stepfather, Steve, was having breakfast and Mike didn’t feel like talking to him. Therefore Mike had left about an hour before he had to. He decided to go on a walk. He stuck his hand deep down the pockets of his only pair of jeans. He quickly left the house behind him, walking towards a playground he used to play at as a kid. He shivered from the cold and regretted only putting on a t-shirt. Mike needed to think, and he needed to think alone. He knew he was a burden to his stepfather and he didn’t want to bother him, seeing as he actually wasn’t his kid. But he hadn’t been able do much but stay with him when his mum had left, and Steve couldn’t just leave Mike. They did get along nowadays though, they hadn’t when his mum was still in the picture. But they were pretty much forced to get along now, since they only had each other. Mike had had to admit that Steve wasn’t as bad as he had thought. Mike hadn’t been much more than a kid when his mum left, even though it wasn’t much more than two years ago. Mike wasn’t a kid anymore. He might not be an adult, but he was definitely not a kid and he knew he could take care of himself.

Mike arrived to the playground as he stated this. He slowly walked over to the swings and sat down on the one to the left. Mike always sat on this swing, and Billie always sat on the right one. This was their playground. When they occasionally did do something else but play their music they went here. They didn’t speak much when they were here; they just sat and enjoyed the silence. This was also Mike’s thinking place. He liked the silence and the four trees that never seemed to care if there was no wind; they were always swaying. Kids didn’t come here often, Mike didn’t know why. He remembered that he had loved playing here as a kid. Maybe it was because there weren’t many families with kids in this area anymore.

Mike was staring at the ground, thinking about his problem when he heard steps behind him. He knew who they belonged to without having to look up. The steps came closer until they were right next to him. Mike avoided looking at the person, who sat down on the right swing.

“Hi Bill.” Mike said, still not looking at the person.
“Hi.” Billie Joe’s voice answered. “What are you doing here this early?” he continued.
“I needed to think.” Mike said and raised his head to meet Billie Joe’s gaze.
“About what?” Billie said and turned his head away and set his swing swinging.
“I’m gonna move out.” Billie stopped his swing and turned to Mike again. “It’s not fair that Steve has to pay for me. I can take care of myself now, so I figured…” He didn’t finish the sentence; he knew that Billie would get what he meant. Billie didn’t answer at once; he seemed to be thinking things over.
“Where are you going to live?” he asked.
“I… I don’t know. Yet. But I’ll think of something soon enough, don’t worry about it.” Mike said with confidence. Billie shook his head with a smile.
“You’re not moving before you know where you’re going to live, I hope?” he said, still smiling.
“Of course not! I’m not that stupid you know.” Mike said and slapped the side of Billie’s head. Mike returned Billie’s smile and then they went silent for a couple of minutes, until Billie Joe broke the silence again.
“How are you going to… survive? You know, what are you gonna live by? Are you going to get a job or something?”
“I guess… There’s not much else to do, is there?” Mike said with a shrug. Billie Joe sighted.
“What?” Mike said and frowned.
“No, I just… You know, sometimes I just wish I was more like you.” Billie Joe said. Mike rolled his eyes.
“Billie, you don’t want to be me. Trust me.” Billie shook his head and stared at Mike in disbelief.
“No, but you’re always kind, like now for instance, you think about your stepfather instead of yourself. You know that you will have a hard time living by yourself, having to earn your own money, but still you want to do it, because you want to help another person.” Mike opened his mouth to answer but Billie cut him off.
“No, I’m not finished yet! So, you’re self-sacrificing, and on top of that, you’re smart! You could get great grades in school if you wanted to; I never could no matter how hard I try. And-“ Mike cut him off.
“That’s not true.”
“See, you’re humble as well!” Billie Joe blurted out.
“Oh come on, cut it out already!” Mike said and rose from his swing, taking a few steps away from Billie. “Let’s go and get Jason, then we can go to school.” Billie sighed and rose from his swing as well and walked over to Mike.
“Besides…” Mike said “you only said those things so I’ll like you.” He said, hit Billie’s shoulder and started running.
“Last one to Jason’s house is a dead chicken!” he shouted.
“No, Mike! You cheated! Hey, wait up!” Billie said and rushed after him.“Wait up you fucking cheating moron!”

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 11

September 12th, 1986
Mike

“Yo, Jason!” Mike said and punched Jason’s shoulder a bit harder than he had intended to.
“Ow! What the fuck Mike? That fucking hurt!” Jason said, rubbing his shoulder. Mike shrugged.
“Whatever man, you’ve got two of ‘em. Anyways, Billie and I have got a name for the band now!” Mike said and leaned against Jason’s locker, shutting it while doing so.
“Oh well that’s just fantastic, now get the fuck away from my locker, will you? You see, some of us can’t be rock stars and therefore have to go to school, to get a good education and become lying lawyers.” Jason said in his most sarcastic voice. Mike raised an eyebrow, Jason didn’t seem too happy today. Mike studied him, trying to make out what was wrong. A bruise on his arm and a small cut right above his left eyebrow caught his sight. Jason often had bruises and small cuts; he had had several the first time they met too. Mike had assumed that they were the doing of John, and he had never realised that the bruises and cuts hadn’t stopped appearing after John started to leave Jason alone.
“Hey, what’s up with the cut?” Mike nodded towards it. “I thought John had stopped bugging you?” Jason’s hand rose and gently touched it.
“Oh, he has. This is from… I walked into a door.” Jason said and looked straight into Mike’s eyes as if to challenge him to believe him or not. Mike did believe him; somehow picturing Jason walking into a door wasn’t very hard. It wasn’t even hard to picture him walking into several doors. Or walking straight into the same door several times. Mike smiled; Jason walking into a door several times was a pretty hilarious thought.
“What’s so great about it? You try walking into a door and you’ll see how much fun it is!” Jason snarled. Somehow, Mike thought the idea of both of them walking into the same door several times was even funnier; he started to laugh.
“What the fuck is wrong with you man!?” Jason shouted. Apparently he couldn’t see the funny side of it.
“No… but it’s… just…” Mike said gasping for air. “you know… like, a door… and we…” Mike bent over and held his stomach. Jason pushed him aside, causing Mike to fall since he didn’t see it coming.
“Whatever man.” Jason said and grabbed the books that he needed from his locker which he had pushed Mike away from. He closed it, shot another glare at the laughing Mike on the floor, locked his locker and started walking towards the classroom, muttering how stupid Mike was.

September 12th, 1986
Billie Joe

Mike had gone to tell Jason about the new band name and Billie Joe had gone to be on time for the first class for once. But when he was outside the classroom door he didn’t feel like being on time anymore, and he decided to join Jason and Mike in the joy they must be feeling over the band name. Or at least the joy Mike must be feeling, for some reason Jason didn’t really seem all that interested in their band.

Billie Joe came around the corner into the hallway in which Jason’s locker was located only to find Mike lying on the floor, doing something that Billie Joe didn’t really know if he wanted to know what it was. Jason was nowhere to be found. Billie Joe walked over to the shaking Mike and poked him with his foot.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Billie asked. Mike looked up at him and now Billie could see that he was laughing.
“Jason… the door, and he…I…” Mike gasped. Billie didn’t understand a thing.
“Okay, just pull yourself together man. Jason walked through a door, or what are you saying?” At ‘through’ Mike started laughing even more. Billie sighed.
“I’m waiting” he said. Mike sat up, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again he was completely calm.
“Jason said that he had walked into a door and I saw before me how he walked into a door over and over. And then he said that I should try walking into a door, and then I saw us walking into the door together.” Mike said.
“Well that is pretty hilarious” Billie said, with a smile. Mike nodded with an even bigger smile.
“It is, isn’t it? But Jason didn’t think so; I think he’s pretty mad at me right now. But it’ll pass, there’s nothing to worry about.” Mike said and rose.
“What do you say about us walking into a door- I mean go to our class?” Mike said and nudged Billie. Billie laughed.
“Sure man, let’s go.”

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 10

September 9th, 1986
Billie Joe

“Here” Billie Joe said, handing Mike a paper. “I’ve written a new song.” Mike took the paper without a word and started reading. They were sitting on the floor in Billie Joe’s room with their instruments, like they always did when they had band practise. And like they always did when they just hung out; hanging out and band practise were the same thing to Mike and Billie.
Mike’s eyes were fixed on one spot on the paper and he seemed to be far off in thoughts.
“Yeah… that’s good. That’s really good…” He mumbled
“Really? You think? I didn’t think it was anything special.” Billie Joe said, genuinely surprised. Mike seemed to have forgotten that Billie was still there and jumped at the sound of his voice.
“Wha..? Oh, not the song, or I mean the song’s fine but nothing special, just like you said. What I was talking about was this.” He said and pointed at the title. Sweet Children it said. Billie still didn’t understand what he meant.
“What’s so great about it, you know, those words are in the chorus.”
“No… I mean yes, they are! But…” Okay, now Billie was confused.
“What the fuck are you on man?”
“It’s not good as a title… or it is! I mean, it’s fine, but what I was thinking of was a name. You know… like a name for a band?” Mike said, finally getting to the point. “Don’t you think it’s pretty good?” Billie Joe took the paper and studied the title. He said ‘Sweet Children’ out loud a few times, to try how it would sound.
“We don’t have a name for our band, so, what do you think?” Mike said, scribbling down the words on a paper next to him, to see how they would look. Billie Joe nodded.“I think that our band has got a name!” he said, getting excited. He raised his hand into a high five.

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 9

April 11th, 1986
Billie Joe

They hadn’t said as much as ‘hi’ to each other since their fight. Today was the last day before the weekend. Billie knew that they wouldn’t see each other then. He also knew that Jason and Mike would. And he knew that he would be spending his weekend in his room, alone with his guitar.

Right now he was considering skipping lunch since he knew that both Mike and Jason had lunch at the same time as he did. But his stomach was screaming, and it’s hard to say no to food when you’re hungry. Billie sighed and started walking towards the canteen. Hopefully he wouldn’t see them.

Billie Joe did see them.

Billie was pushed over.
“Watch were the fuck you’re going, moron!” Billie shouted.
“Watch it yourself!” Billie Joe heard Mike’s voice say. All the sudden Billie felt very cold. He looked up, expecting Mike’s blue eyes. They weren’t there; Mike had already started walking away with Jason beside him. Billie watched them leave, Jason watched Billie Joe stand there. Jason walked straight into a lamp post. Billie Joe laughed. Mike looked at Billie angrily and pulled Jason to his feet. Jason held his head. Mike told Jason that he was stupid, Jason agreed. Billie Joe continued to laugh. Mike told him to shut the fuck up. Billie continued laughing, just to annoy Mike. Mike started walking again, Jason did not. He stood between them, looking from Billie Joe to Mike, then back to Billie and so on. Mike realised that Jason wasn’t with him.
“Are you coming or what? Or would you rather stand there all day and watch that monkey?” Mike said, with a nod towards Billie.
“I don’t know…” Jason said, looking very unsure. Mike sighed loudly.
“You know what? No, I’m not.” Jason said, looking very sure all the sudden. Mike looked gob smacked.
“What?” he said, staring at Jason.
“I’m not leaving until the two of you are friends again. I know that you’re both pretending to hate each other right now, but I also know that what you really do is miss each other. Mike,” he said and turned his back on Billie Joe, to face Mike “you haven’t been yourself since whenever that happened, you barely laugh, you barely speak and you barely eat. And Billie…” he now turned to Billie Joe “you’ve been all alone, although you do have other friends than Mike. Why, I’ve asked myself. And now I know. It’s because nothing’s really fun without Mike, is it?” Billie Joe looked across the yard towards Mike and a pair of blue eyes met a pair of green. “I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t happy that you weren’t friends, because I was at one point. But you know what? I’m not anymore, not at all. Both of you are unhappy, so why don’t you both just swallow your pride and apologise?” Jason finished and took a deep breath; he had spoken without any breaks, probably because he was afraid that somebody would interrupt him.

Magical, blue eyes were looking straight into Billie Joe’s green, and Billie knew that nothing needed to be said.

Billie Joe could not hate Jason anymore.

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 8

April 8th, 1986
Billie Joe

Billie Joe was sitting by his and Mike’s usual table, alone. Mike wasn’t there yet, and Billie was starting to get worried; where was he? The teacher had started to check who was there and who wasn’t, and he was almost were Mike’s name was. Billie was fidgeting and couldn’t get his eyes of the door.
“Mr. Pritchard?” the teacher asked, and Billie’s heart missed a beat.
“Mr. Pritchard?” the teacher said again, this time a bit louder.
“Mr. Armstrong, where’s Pritchard?” the teacher asked Billie Joe.
“He’s not here.” Billie Joe said, not taking his eyes of the door.
“Yes, well I can see that. But where is he then?” The teacher seemed to be taking for granted that Billie Joe always knew exactly where Mike were; this annoyed Billie. Not that he blamed him though; most people did take this for granted.
“You know, I don’t know sir, I’m sorry.” Billie Joe said, forgetting to be impolite. Being rude wouldn’t be as much fun without Mike anyways. The teacher muttered something and continued calling out names. Billie Joe felt his heart sink. Mike wasn’t going to come.

During that class Billie didn’t do anything but scribbling down various lines of things that could become songs, if he wanted them to. He didn’t want them to. He didn’t want to write songs if Mike wasn’t there to read them. Afterwards he slowly walked towards the school canteen, wondering whether or not to go there. When he finally got there he stood outside, staring at the doors, trying to figure out what to do. All the sudden somebody pushed him.
“Get out of the way moron!” a guy Billie didn’t know said and walked past him. Billie then realised that he was standing right in front of the doors, blocking the way for others. He quickly made his way into the canteen. He got his food which looked grosser than ever and walked around the entire room, scanning it. He did not see anybody that could possibly be Mike. He knew that Mike wasn’t there but he walked another lap around the room anyway; still no Mike. He sat down by their usual table, slamming down his plate. Not much food was left on the plate after that but Billie didn’t give a damn.
Billie Joe ate his lunch alone.

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 7

April 8th, 1986
Mike

Jason looked gob smacked. His mouth was open and he was staring at something an inch or two above Mike’s right shoulder that Mike was quite sure that nobody else could see. At least Mike had no idea what could possibly be so amazing about the spot one or two inches above his right shoulder. Slowly Jason’s expression started to change; his mouth closed, his eyes got a bit less distant and it seemed like he was coming to a conclusion of some sort. Mike waited, he had begun to get used to Jason’s sudden moments of thinking. Moments when nothing could seem to reach to him. Jason’s thinking expression was now completely gone and was instead replaced with a smile and relief. Mike couldn’t help but to smile himself.
“What now?” he said, nudging him.
“Sorry, what? I was kind of spaced out.” Jason said, still not really focusing on Mike.
“Yes, I kind of noticed. Are you done thinking now?”
“Yes, I think I am.” Jason said, looking very proud of himself. Mike rolled his eyes.
“You know what? Let’s skip the first class! I don’t feel like having French at all. No! NO! I’ve got an even better idea! Let’s skip the whole day!” Jason said almost jumping with excitement and joy.
“Okay, now this is scary. Who are you and what the fuck have you done to Jason?” Mike asked with a playful smile. Mike knew that Jason never would skip a class, or even be late for one and he actually thought it was hilarious that Jason had lied about the detention thing the first time they met.“Oh, nothing. I’ve just realised that it doesn’t matter what I do so, let’s go!” Jason grabbed Mike by the hand and ran, and Mike had no other choices but to run along or be dragged behind. Mike chose to run.