Wild Side || N.S.

★ thirty five ★

     I was out and about on the streets of Berkeley, California, walking around aimlessly at this point, not really sure where to go. Just anywhere as far away from that lying piece of shit was good enough for me. 

I tried my best not to trip over my own feet and stumbled across an interesting looking building. It looked grungy, a little run down, and had a lot of kids with kickass hair cuts; in leather jackets, combat boots, as well as fishnets hanging around. This seemed like my kind of place.

The security, if you could even call them that, let me in without a word. Although they did give me some odd looks. Fuck it.

The further I walked into the building, the more I noticed it resembled a dive bar... minus the bar part. There was words scribbled everywhere about how 'straight edge' this place was. 

'Maybe that's for the best and I should have some water instead of more booze.' 

Slinking my way over to the "bar", I took a seat and ordered a bottle of water. The man behind the counter did a double take when he saw me but still walked off to grab my drink. I'll be honest, sometimes it feels pretty cool to get recognized by people. But with the state and mood I am in, this is not one of those times. 

I heard someone next to me let out a cough. I tried not to roll my eyes at the sound cause I really didn't want to deal with anyone right now. Ain't that hypocritical? I'm literally hanging out at an underground club or whatever the hell you could even call this place. 

Reluctantly, I looked over my shoulder to see a guy standing there. He looked like he was only a teenager. He had incredibly voluminous hair that I could only seem to view as "poofy". His green eyes were really pretty and rather bright. They almost reminded me of Nikki's. 

Fuck sake, why am I thinking of that douche bag right now?

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Uhm, h-hi. Sorry to bother you I just wanted to uh, y'know, say hi" the boy spoke. 

I couldn't help but smile at his awkwardness. "Well hi" 

"H-hi" he stammered out, looking like he was fighting off a blush.

"You said that already" I couldn't help but giggle. The worker had come back with my water and I thanked him, turning my attention back to the stuttering teenage boy. 

"Sorry it's just that uhm. I really like your band. And you. Well obviously. Sorry I'm really bad at the whole words thing" he chuckled slightly. 

"Nah, you're doing just fine man. Come on, take a seat." I gestured to the seat next to me. He looked at me curiously but complied immediately. 

"So, what is this place exactly?" I asked.

"Uhm, we call it Gilman. It's kind of like a safe haven for us misfits." the boy spoke up making me nod my approval. 

"That's really cool. The vibe in this place is great too. I've never been here before but I feel right at home. Does that make any sense?" I asked, sipping my water. 

He smiled at me. Like a real, genuine, toothy smile. He had dimples too. What a little cutie! "That makes perfect sense. That's how I felt when I first discovered this place. It's the feeling that keeps me coming back for more." The more this boy talked about what he knew, the more relaxed he became. He broke out of that little shy shell in a matter of minutes. 

"So, you know who I am. But I don't really know who you are. What's your name?" I asked as we kept the conversation going. 

"Oh, sorry. Uhm, my name is Billie Joe Armstrong. And I don't know why I just told you my full name," he chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "I'm in a band, we actually played earlier tonight. I'm hoping we can play to bigger crowds some day though"

"Well hello Billie Joe Armstrong," I shook his hand, making him laugh. "and dude, it's possible. The way you talk alone to me shows me the passion you have about the things you love. And if you love your music, you can change the game man." 

"You really think so?" he asked. 

"I know so, kid" I winked, making him smile wide. We talked more for a while until I saw a familiar mess of hair walking over to me.

"Duff? What are you doing here?" I asked. 

"I could ask you the same thing. We've all been out and about looking for ya. I just thought I'd make a pit stop in here. For old time sake" Duff admitted with a grin.

"Oh. Well I guess we'll get going in a bit. But first, Duff, this is my new friend; Billie Joe." I introduced the guys to each other. 

"Oh hey man, I've seen you play before. You're in that band, Sweet Children right?" Duff asked. And in that moment, I thought I was about to witness this kid faint. 

"Y-yeah, thanks for checking us out." Billie smiled, making Duff smile right back. 

We all talked a little while longer before I agreed to leave with Duff to get back to the rest of the guys.

"It was really cool meeting you, Billie. Can't wait to see you playing at Madison Square Garden one day" I winked making him laugh. 

"Yeah, yeah. Like that will ever happen." he rolled his eyes playfully. 

"It will! And you better play that song you write about me" I joked making him and Duff laugh.

"Absolutely, Maria" he smiled and waved us goodbye as Duff and I walked away from Gilman, down the street in pursuit of the tour buses. 

"So, you all right?" Duff asked, throwing his arm around my shoulder. 

"Not completely but I feel a lot better than I did a couple of hours ago" I admitted, letting out a sigh. 

"Well that's good to hear. Now let's go get shit-faced and you can tell me everything" Duff winked making me laugh rather loudly. 

Fuck you Nikki Sixx, you ain't ruining my night. 

. . .

A/N: well, that was something I guess. 

Sorry I had an episode the other day and am still getting over it :( But I really wanted to update and write because writing makes me feel better. 

Oh, and did anyone like that little surprise cameo by Billie Joe Armstrong? He's my fave and I thought fuck it, let's throw him in a chapter. 

Keep the feedback coming loves and thank you SO much for all the reads. This shit is overwhelming and I love you all! ~