Sequel: Hold On ›
Life As It Is
The Birthday Party
"Friday afternoons are usually packed. But wait till the weekend!" A waitress named Jenny Cooper told Ella the next day at work.
Today would mark 3 weeks since Ella and Billie Joe became a couple. Their way of celebrating was of course; making out.
Ella nodded at Jenny. People had been giving her work advice all afternoon. Payday was today and she was wondering if she was going to get paid even though it was just the second day of work for her. At the end of her shift Ella learned she'd be getting her paycheck the following week. There was no way in hell she would get Billie Joe the guitar by the time it was his birthday. Last time she checked, the price was $150. The only thing she could get him was a box of crappy chocolates since Valentine's Day was 3 days before his birthday.
"I could lend you some money." Mike said to Ella when Billie Joe wasn't around.
"It's ok... I don't want you to waste your money. Besides, how could it seem personal if his best friend chipped in?" Ella sighed and closed her eyes.
"Billie's not gonna be a prick about it. There were a lot of Christmases and birthdays where he didn't get anything." Mike said convincingly.
"Ok, ok. You got me. You can chip in. I couldn't get that much money in so little time even if I was someone's prostitute."
"Just don't say that around Tre. He'll want you to do that for him." Mike winked and got out his money.
* * *
It was finally Valentine's Day the following week. Billie Joe and Ella grinned at one another giving themselves crappy chocolates.
To Billie Joe, it seemed like everything was happening so quickly. But in a good way of course. About a month ago he wasn't a guy who really committed to a girl more than a few weeks. It was different with Ella though.
"Someone's in loooove." Tre said teasing his fellow friend the following day.
"I am not." Billie Joe protested, pretending to be interesting at the couch he was sitting on.
"Yes you are. Since you and El have been together, you've had all this stupid grins on your face." Mike said.
"Oh shut up you guys. I'll know when I'm in love."
It was at last, Billie Joe Armstrong's 17th birthday. His mother always made it a tradition to invite all of his siblings (all 5 of them). Then he would head out with his friends and get piss-ass drunk.
Billie Joe grumbled to himself after receiving 9 birthday punches in all from his friends and family. He walked up to the door and opened it. There stood Ella.
She was smiling as usual. He took a look at her for a second. Her natural light brown hair was shining and she was wearing jeans that had a little rip as well as a blue short sleeved shirt.
"Hey birthday boy." Ella smiled again and kissed him passionately.
Sometimes she just made him feel like he was the only person in the room.
"Well what the fuckâmy birthday punches stopped hurting." He said softly.
Billie Joe grabbed Ella's hand and led her to the living room. He introduced her to all of her siblings as his girlfriend and still holding her hand as casual as possible.
When cake and gift time rolled around, the birthday boy was more than pleased. Billie Joe wasn't one to get greedy over gifts. He was happy with what he had. After opening the last gift from his mother, he noticed the sheepish grins on his friends and girlfriend.
He raised his eyebrow at them. Mike motioned for everyone to head outside where Al's beat up car was. When they all had arrived, Mike opened the trunk of the car but made Billie Joe turn around. After hearing the car trunk being slammed shut, an amplifier appeared in front of him.
"Happy birthday Bill. The amplifier you have now is shit so I decided to buy ya a new one. It's from me, Tre, and Al."
"Wow. Thanks you guys!" Billie Joe said.
Ella gave the guys a look and they all fake yawned.
"Well... umm... what a long fucking day. We better get going!" Tre said and ran with Mike and Al. Billie Joe and Ella laughed to each other.
"Ready for your birthday present?" Ella said to her boyfriend.
He nodded, curiously wondering what his girlfriend got for him. Ella walked over to the car trunk again and opened it, leaving it as it was for Billie Joe to see.
As soon as he saw the guitar in the car, his jaw literally dropped.
"Holy shit... " He said slowly. "I-I can't believe you got it for me... "
"Well Mike kinda chipped in but I just saw you drooling over it and you just really deserve it Billie."
Billie Joe grabbed Ella by the waist and kissed her.
"Thanks." He murmured.
"Anytime." She said. "But I have to get going."
Billie Joe gave his girlfriend puppy dog eyes.
"Billie, don't give me those eyes. You know I can't resist 'em. Come on... go, have fun. Drink, get stoned, play your new guitar, all of the above." She grinned and kissed him again.
He gave her a look.
"I'll be okay." Ella smiled and took off.
But something told Billie Joe she wasn't.
Today would mark 3 weeks since Ella and Billie Joe became a couple. Their way of celebrating was of course; making out.
Ella nodded at Jenny. People had been giving her work advice all afternoon. Payday was today and she was wondering if she was going to get paid even though it was just the second day of work for her. At the end of her shift Ella learned she'd be getting her paycheck the following week. There was no way in hell she would get Billie Joe the guitar by the time it was his birthday. Last time she checked, the price was $150. The only thing she could get him was a box of crappy chocolates since Valentine's Day was 3 days before his birthday.
"I could lend you some money." Mike said to Ella when Billie Joe wasn't around.
"It's ok... I don't want you to waste your money. Besides, how could it seem personal if his best friend chipped in?" Ella sighed and closed her eyes.
"Billie's not gonna be a prick about it. There were a lot of Christmases and birthdays where he didn't get anything." Mike said convincingly.
"Ok, ok. You got me. You can chip in. I couldn't get that much money in so little time even if I was someone's prostitute."
"Just don't say that around Tre. He'll want you to do that for him." Mike winked and got out his money.
* * *
It was finally Valentine's Day the following week. Billie Joe and Ella grinned at one another giving themselves crappy chocolates.
To Billie Joe, it seemed like everything was happening so quickly. But in a good way of course. About a month ago he wasn't a guy who really committed to a girl more than a few weeks. It was different with Ella though.
"Someone's in loooove." Tre said teasing his fellow friend the following day.
"I am not." Billie Joe protested, pretending to be interesting at the couch he was sitting on.
"Yes you are. Since you and El have been together, you've had all this stupid grins on your face." Mike said.
"Oh shut up you guys. I'll know when I'm in love."
It was at last, Billie Joe Armstrong's 17th birthday. His mother always made it a tradition to invite all of his siblings (all 5 of them). Then he would head out with his friends and get piss-ass drunk.
Billie Joe grumbled to himself after receiving 9 birthday punches in all from his friends and family. He walked up to the door and opened it. There stood Ella.
She was smiling as usual. He took a look at her for a second. Her natural light brown hair was shining and she was wearing jeans that had a little rip as well as a blue short sleeved shirt.
"Hey birthday boy." Ella smiled again and kissed him passionately.
Sometimes she just made him feel like he was the only person in the room.
"Well what the fuckâmy birthday punches stopped hurting." He said softly.
Billie Joe grabbed Ella's hand and led her to the living room. He introduced her to all of her siblings as his girlfriend and still holding her hand as casual as possible.
When cake and gift time rolled around, the birthday boy was more than pleased. Billie Joe wasn't one to get greedy over gifts. He was happy with what he had. After opening the last gift from his mother, he noticed the sheepish grins on his friends and girlfriend.
He raised his eyebrow at them. Mike motioned for everyone to head outside where Al's beat up car was. When they all had arrived, Mike opened the trunk of the car but made Billie Joe turn around. After hearing the car trunk being slammed shut, an amplifier appeared in front of him.
"Happy birthday Bill. The amplifier you have now is shit so I decided to buy ya a new one. It's from me, Tre, and Al."
"Wow. Thanks you guys!" Billie Joe said.
Ella gave the guys a look and they all fake yawned.
"Well... umm... what a long fucking day. We better get going!" Tre said and ran with Mike and Al. Billie Joe and Ella laughed to each other.
"Ready for your birthday present?" Ella said to her boyfriend.
He nodded, curiously wondering what his girlfriend got for him. Ella walked over to the car trunk again and opened it, leaving it as it was for Billie Joe to see.
As soon as he saw the guitar in the car, his jaw literally dropped.
"Holy shit... " He said slowly. "I-I can't believe you got it for me... "
"Well Mike kinda chipped in but I just saw you drooling over it and you just really deserve it Billie."
Billie Joe grabbed Ella by the waist and kissed her.
"Thanks." He murmured.
"Anytime." She said. "But I have to get going."
Billie Joe gave his girlfriend puppy dog eyes.
"Billie, don't give me those eyes. You know I can't resist 'em. Come on... go, have fun. Drink, get stoned, play your new guitar, all of the above." She grinned and kissed him again.
He gave her a look.
"I'll be okay." Ella smiled and took off.
But something told Billie Joe she wasn't.