Tommy walked into the office thirty minutes before the beginning of school, "hey Mr. Pangborn."
"Pickles," Pangborn said, 'glad you came, so today is your first day on the job and I don't want you to be causing any messes."
"Why would I cause them, then I'd have to clean them."
"Well…alright, so you will be cleaning up the choir rooms, the band hall, the cafeteria, and hallway 300."
Tommy cringed a little; Pangborn had just assigned him the messiest rooms in the entire school, "are you sure?"
"Positive." Pangborn said with a smirk.
Tommy sighed, 'where's the supply closet?"
"Down the hall to the right." Pangborn said.
Tommy walked down the hall and to the small janitorial closet, he opened it up and looked around, the cleaning supplies were neatly organized and two carts were already ready to go out, he pulled one out and walked towards the cafeteria, this is going to suck, Tommy thought.
I was right, Tommy thought angrily to himself, the entire day had been complete hell, first in the cafeteria the kids made it a point to wreck everything they could and make as much of a mess as they could, then in hallway 300 Tommy had to clean up an assortment of spit, piss in the bathrooms and blood, and every time he finished cleaning up, someone had to come along and mess it up. Now tommy was going to the joint band/choir hall he pushed open the door and turned on the light, it dimly came on, he looked around, "holy shit." he muttered, it looked like no one had come in this room for a while, the ground was coated with a thick layer of dust, the windows were covered in cobwebs, dirt, and grime, the walls had graffiti written on them, and one of the trashcans had charred wood in it the light fixtures were covered in plastic which made the light coming from them dimmer.
"Kinda bad isn't it?" someone asked, "this is the first year we're actually using this room, considering the one Pangborn gave us is now too small for our choir."
Tommy turned around and came face to face with a woman around his age, she was dressed more or less like a teenager, a black veil bride T-shirt, Skinny jeans, and black boots, her brown hair was flowing down her back naturally, and one of her bangs were dyed red, "are you a student?" she asked.
"uh no, I'm the janitor," he said, "you know, clean floors, wash windows, wipe blood off the ground after a fight."
"Oh... cool," she said, "I'm Lil Deville, students call me Ms. Deville, I'm the music teacher."
"I woulda thought you were a student." He said, "Based on your clothes."
"Don't judge a book by its cover," she said, walking into the room, as she walked Tommy couldn't help but look at her figure, "damn…" he muttered.
"Excuse me?" she asked turning around, "did you say something?"
"Uh nothing," he said, 'I was just wondering how I was going to get this clean before the end of the day."
"Do you need some help? I'm not doing anything right now and Choir class doesn't start for another three hours.
'Yeah sure," Tommy said, he pulled two brooms out and handed her one, the two started cleaning up.
'So what's your name?" she asked.
"Tommy Pickles." Tommy said.
"Your name sounds familiar…were you ever in a band?"
"Yeah…once, we were named Birdsong."
She looked at him disbelievingly, "I loved that band!" she said, "I went to see your first performance! I even remember the members! There was Kimi Finster, Z, you of course, a guy named Po and a girl named Rachel, you guy's were awesome."
Tommy smiled sadly, "yeah…too bad good times don't always last, I haven't played with the band for a while, they called me up last week and asked if I could play this week."
"Why don't you do it?" she asked, "come on, reminiscing about the old days, playing a few of your songs, it sounds fun!"
"Yeah, I am going, but that leaves me with a problem,"
"What's the problem?'
"I have a daughter, and I don't want to leave her alone, and my brother and mother are busy that night."
She thought about it, "I know! I'll go to your gig and she can sit with me, that way you can go, your daughter's taken care of and I get to listen to the band.'
"That's a pretty good idea," he said, looking at her, 'you really are a teacher huh?'
Lil laughed a little, she saw something around Tommy's neck that pulled her curiosity, "what's that?" she asked.
"What's what?"
"That necklace around your neck."
Instantly tommy's hand went up to it, tucking it into his shirt, "It's nothing…" he muttered, "Nothing at all."
"Oh…okay…" Lil said, and they finished sweeping in silence, "so…what's your daughters name?" Lil asked after they put the brooms up.
"Elizabeth," Tommy said, "she's in kindergarten."
"Elizabeth…I've heard about her!"
"What?'
"My brother's girlfriend is her teacher," Lil said, "she says that Elizabeth got into a fight not to long ago."
"Yeah," Tommy said, "she won it too, got her fighting skills from her dad."
"But she got busted."
"She got her lying skills from her mother."
Lil smiled, "so who is the lucky girl that bagged the lead guitarist?"
Tommy let his head fall a little, his good mood gone, 'I gotta go," he muttered, "see you tonight." He turned and started walking.
"Tommy…" Lil started, but he was already gone.
Tommy stood back stage getting ready, he had found his Les Paul in his old room and was now tuning it.
"Hey Tom!" Z said walking over, Tommy turned to his old friend, he looked about the same, the only thing was That Z was paler then before, and a lot more skinny, "how's it been man?"
"It's been good Z,' Tommy said, "what about you? I heard that you got locked up."
"Yeah, it was some chump in a blue suit, he wouldn't lay off of me so I punched him."
"That man in a blue suit was a cop," Kimi said walking over, "and he was just telling you to check the break light."
Z shrugged, "so Tommy, heard you're a Janitor now," he said, "how's that payin?"
"Not much," Tommy said, "That's why I'm here."
"Oh…" Z muttered, "well your with friends now."
Tommy nodded, "hey Kimi, how's Chuckie, haven't seen that guy in forever."
"Yeah, he's good, still an idiot, and he's in his last year of law school.
'How is he an idiot and still in law school."
"Actually that makes sense," Z said, making everyone laugh.
"Hey," someone said walking over, "you guy's are almost up.'
Tommy turned around and saw a broad shouldered man with a high and tight haircut, his brown eyes were lively and mischievous, and he was grinning from ear to ear, "who's this?" the man asked, looking at tommy.
"He's our lead guitarist, Phil Deville, Tommy Pickles."
"Nice to meet you," Phil said, shaking Tommy's hand.
"Same here." Tommy said.
"Alright guy's you ready?" Z asked.
Tommy nodded and picked up his guitar.
"Good luck guy's," Phil said and walked out.
Tommy took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.
Lil sat with Elizabeth in a booth, Elizabeth was coloring in a bird on the back of the kids menu, "look!" Elizabeth said with glee, showing Lil her colorful bird.
Lil smiled, "that's great!" Lil said, "it's so colorful.'
Elizabeth nodded, "It's a rainbow eagle, after it rains it fly's across the town and makes the rainbows!"
"I never saw it like that." Lil said thoughtfully.
Elizabeth went back to coloring, "are you an angel?" she asked.
Lil looked at her, taken back, "what?" she asked.
"Are you an angel?" she asked again.
"No, I don't think so."
"Well I think you are."
"Why do you think I am?"
"Because angels are nice, and beautiful, Grandma told me that."
Lil looked down at the little girl, who was smiling up at her, Lil gave a small smile, "are you hungry?" she asked.
"No, not yet." She said.
"Good afternoon!" someone said over the mike, Lil looked up, seeing Tommy standing at the mike, "we are the band called Birdsong, and we will be your entertainment today.'
"Daddy!" Elizabeth shouted, standing up on the seat and waving.
Tommy smiled, "hey baby! Are you being good!"
"Yes!" Elizabeth said sitting down as a few people chuckled at her.
Tommy smiled and then nodded to Lil, and then turned to Z, and Z started up the song.
Lil listened to the song, 'I know this song!" she said, "it's called 'we embrace the darkness' I love this song." She started bobbing her head up and down with the beat.
"It sounds pretty." Elizabeth said.
Lil smiled and looked up at Tommy, who stepped up playing the guitar solo.
"Hey Lil!" Phil said walking over, "didn't know you were coming by…who's this?"
"This is Elizabeth Pickles, Tommy Pickles daughter." Lil said.
"Hi!" Elizabeth said happily.
"Hey…why are you sitting here?'
"Because Daddy told me too," she said, like it was obvious.
"But…why aren't you sitting with your mother?"
Elizabeth looked down, "I don't know where mommy is…" she whispered.
Lil glared at Phil, hitting his arm.
"Ow…" he said, rubbing his arm, "hey, do you want some Ice cream."
"D-do you have chocolate?" she asked.
"Yes, that's my specialty." He said, talking in a very fancy voice, "would the lady like a bowl of the finest chocolate ice cream I have?"
Elizabeth giggled and nodded.
Phil walked away and Lil gave him a thumb up.
After a few more Songs, Tommy walked over, his Les Paul slung over his shoulder. "Hey," he said, 'how's it going?"
"Good," Elizabeth said, eating the ice-cream in front of her.
"She's been an angel," Lil said, "she's been nothing but polite."
"Good," Tommy said smiling, "you ready to go home?"
"Yes," Elizabeth said standing up, putting her hand in Tummy's.
"Thanks for watching her Lil," tommy said.
"Any time." She said, 'it was fun."
Tommy nodded, "I'll uh…see you later…" he said and he and Elizabeth left.
"they make an odd pair," Phil said, walking over to Lil, "I mean Elizabeth's in a white dress and looks so innocent and sweet, and then her dad looks like he would kill you."
"that what makes them unique." Lil said, watching tommy walk, and it's what makes tommy look sad…
"Earth to Lillian." Phil said, waving his hand in front of her face.
Tommy sat in his room looking at the necklace's around his neck, one was a chain with a small charms with the initials RA on it, the other was a simple leather strip with a metal circle on it, engraved on it was a number.
4 years…4 years since I've stopped… Tommy sighed and let the necklace's fall, bouncing back onto his chest.
"Daddy…"
Tommy looked up and Elizabeth walked in, she was dressed for bed, in the oversized T-shirt that she always wearing when at home, 'what is it baby?"
"What happened to Mommy?"
Tommy felt his blood run cold, "come here.' Tommy said. Elizabeth climbed onto his bed and curled up on his lap, "you're mother...she was beautiful." Tommy said, "she was kind, and smart, and talented, she was the love of my life.'
"Then why did she leave?" Elizabeth asked, tears coming to her eyes, "did she not like me?"
"Baby she loved you…but she had no choice in leaving." Tommy said, "god called her up to be an angel."
"Mommy's an angel?"
"Yes she is, right now she's looking down at you and smiling," tommy said, he took the chain necklace off his neck, "this was hers," he said showing her the necklace, "I gave it to her on our first date."
"Wow…" she whispered, touching it.
Tommy put it over her head and let it lie on his daughter's shoulders, "and now it's yours."
Elizabeth looked at it, "do you mean it?" she asked with wide eyes.
"Cross my heart." Tommy said, holding his hand up.
Elizabeth smiled and hugged her father, 'Thank you daddy!"
Tommy smiled, "of course…anything for you baby."