-I've decided, and I'm very sorry about this, to not finish London Calling. I really have no idea where it's going, and right now all I want to do is write some one-shots while I form a plot for my next full blown story. This is a song fic to my favorite Green Day song, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life). Obviously I don't own the song.-
Another turning point
A fork stuck in the road
Freddy Jones sat in his chair, fidgeting. The weird hat was making him itchy and driving him crazy, and all the while he couldn't stop looking at the door. He hoped against hope that at any minute a record producer would burst in, telling them that they were going to record an album.
"Freddy Jones."
Freddy sighed with disappointment, realizing that the dream was finally over. He stood up and walked across the stage, shaking hands with the principal and receiving his diploma. He walked around and back to his seat, and watched as the rest of the class received their diplomas. Tomika walked across the stage last, and once she had returned into her seat, the principal announced, "Ladies and gentleman, the class of 2010."
The crowd burst into applause. Freddy could see his parents in the very front row, all smiles. And farther back, in the very far corner, Dewey. He had a small smile on his face, a sad smile. He knew that it was over too. Music came on and the class of 2010 marched out.
After leaving the auditorium, the class started to talk. Most of them were talking sadly about how it was all over. Freddy wandered over to speak to Zack, but then his parents came out and whisked him away. They showered him with praises and talked excitedly about how proud they were. Meanwhile, Freddy just sat glumly.
When he got home he changed out of his graduation clothes and put on his favorite jeans and a Led Zeppelin shirt. Freddy bounded down the stairs and yelled to his parents that he was going out. He grabbed his drumsticks and car keys and walked out the front door.
Katie looked sadly at a picture of the class in fifth grade, right after Battle of the Bands. They all looked so young. She changed into jeans and a Who shirt, then left the house.
Freddy pulled up at the tiny club and saw that everyone was already there. In fact, they were ready to go onstage. Normally, Summer would've started screaming at him, but tonight she just nodded at him, and the entire band took the stage, including the roadies and security, plus Summer.
Summer walked up to the mike and turned to face the small crowd.
Time grabs you by the wrist
Directs you where to go
"Hey everyone. I'm sad to say that tonight will be the last ever performance by School of Rock. All of us band members agreed a long time ago that we would go separate ways if we hadn't gotten a record deal by the time we graduated high school. And today, all of us graduated. Time has caught up with us, taking our hand and dragging us along. Most of us are headed off for college in the fall. Our roadies and security are going to skip college and open a computer store together. We ask you to please check it out. School of Rock never hit it big, but most of you in the crowd have been our loyal fans since our first performance at Battle of the Bands. We want to say thanks to everyone who ever supported us. Enjoy the show."
With that, Summer, the roadies, and the security left the stage. Dewey approached the microphone and played the opening chords to School of Rock. The crowd cheered and whistled as the band went through a set list of original songs and covers of songs by The Who, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and more. After nearly one and a half hours, Summer and the crew appeared again for the final song.
So make the best of this test
And don't ask why
It's not a question
But a lesson learned in time
"We've learned so much about everything in the past seven years, and we just want to thank you," Freddy said, "And for our final song ever, we're going to play Good Riddance by Green Day. It's a song that means a lot to us right now, so we hope you like it." No one saw, but he wiped a tiny tear from his eye, and then they started the song. But it wasn't just Dewey and the backup singers singing. Everyone had a mike, and everyone was singing.
For the girls, tears streamed freely, and for the guys, they tried to be more subdued, but couldn't help shedding a tear or two. "I hope you had the time of your life," they finished. The band took a small, humble bow and then left the stage.
The band gave their instruments to Dewey, who loaded them into his car for the final time. He would take them home and they would probably sit there for the rest of eternity. Everyone seemed to know that and watched sadly as the van that they had come to know so well pulled out of the parking lot and out of their lives forever.
"Party at my house," Zack said half heartedly. Everyone nodded, got in their cars, and drove to Zack's house.
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
Once the party was rearing, people started talking. They had no idea what the future held for them, or how they were going to fare without the band and their instruments. "It's the right thing to do," Summer noted quietly, "But we shouldn't be moping around talking about what bad stuff is gonna happen. Think about the positives! I mean, Lawrence will be off to Yale, I'm going to Princeton, Freddy's going to Furman-" At this point Freddy started screaming "FU! FU! FU!"
The whole evening was brightened by Freddy's antics, and everyone almost forgot that the next day most of them would be off to beach houses and summer homes, while the rest would get full time jobs.
So take the photographs
And still frames in your mind
Katie was walking around threatening people that if they didn't send her tons of pictures and letters then she would bite their heads off. Everyone promised they would, knowing that Katie wouldn't really bite their heads off, but she'd do something evil to them.
Hang it on a shelf of
Good health and good time
As the evening progressed, everyone ended up in a circle, talking about the best times in the band.
"Remember when we all snuck out for our first club gig?"
"Or what about the time we got lost on the New York subway?"
"It was so cool when Katie was in Rolling Stone! Remember? Cuz she was in the front row at a concert and they took a picture and she was in the background!"
"And remember when Dewey-"
Everyone started laughing because almost everything that happened started with the phrase, Dewey was doing something totally stupid, and then...
Tattoos of memories
And dead skin on trial
Freddy showed off his two tattoos, and they reminisced on how angry his parents had been. Freddy had been banned from the band for a month, but that didn't stop him. He still managed to come to every practice and gig.
Zack displayed the flying V guitar tattoo that was on his back, between his shoulder blades. His dad still didn't know about it.
For what it's worth
It was worth all the while
Later the circle disintegrated, and small groups were formed. Freddy was sitting with Summer when out of the blue he asked her, "If you could change things, would you stop Dewey from being our sub on that day? Would you stop us from wasting seven years of our life on something that never even made the big time?"
Summer thought for a minute. "No. It was worth every minute of it, all of it."
"I was thinking the same thing."
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
"Are you scared about going to college?"
"Yeah, I'm sure Furman will be cool and all, but it's so weird that I won't have a schedule of: go to school, go to band practice, go home. I'm just afraid of something I'm not familiar with, I guess."
Summer nodded, then got up and went to start telling people good bye. She had to get up early the next morning, so she was getting ready to leave, and it looked like most people were doing the same thing. After nearly squeezing everyone to death, she walked to the door and opened it. She looked back, smiled and waved, then left. After a few seconds, it him them like a dead weight: Summer was gone forever.
Next it was Laurence, then Katie, walking out of their lives.
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
The people left rapidly after that, until it was just Zack and Freddy left.
"College, man," Freddy said.
"Yeah. College."
"Well, I guess this is it. Bye." Freddy stuck out his hand, and Zack was putting his out too, when Freddy grabbed his back. "That doesn't feel right," he said. He grabbed Zack in a hug (a/n no, they're not gay, they're hugging) and Zack hugged him back. When they were both facing one another again, tears were flowing down their faces.
"I'm gonna miss you man," Freddy said, "You're my best friend in the whole fuckin world." With that he grabbed his keys and walked out the door.
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
-Please review, tell me if it was good or bad, I personally thought it was pretty good, but I don't know. So just review!-