Life As It Is

Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre gave each other a look. Something was obviously going on. More yelling, more crashes. Without even thinking, Billie Joe jumped out of the car.
"Bill what are you doing?" Mike shrieked.

"Get out of the car, break down the door and help me get the fuck inside there," he said. Mike looked at Tre, who gave him a shrug and a nod. The two guys got out of the car as well.

Tre went towards the door, with the two band mates of Sweet Children. He tried to push the door down enough to get inside. In some kind of miraculous way, he succeeded. When they entered the door, Ella was on the floor. She looked helpless and beaten again.

"Who are you?" Ella's father's voice boomed at the three.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Billie Joe was pissed and hurting just seeing Ella unconscious.

"I'm her father you little jackass. Get the hell out of my house." Ella's mother stood by his side nodding along.

Without even thinking, Billie Joe went up against his girlfriend's father. He punched him right in the face, starting a fight. He then pinned Ella's father to the floor. Mike and Tre nodded at each other as if they had a secret language. Mike rushed to call 911 before Ella's mother could do anything. Tre stopped in her path.

"Hey did you know I can suck my own?" He grinned like an idiot, then successfully pinned her to the ground as well. Tre could tell she was drunk because her breath gave it out.

It wasn't too long until the police and the paramedics came. As Billie Joe pinned Ella's father, he couldn't help but look over at his girlfriend. He tried waking her up, but she had blacked out. He sort of felt a tear running down his cheek. The police had finally arrived with the paramedics. They successfully arrested the two parents while the paramedics took Ella to the hospital to make sure she was ok. Billie Joe hopped into the ambulance car, squeezing her hand.

* * *

Billie Joe impatiently waited in the waiting room. He was staring down at his hands, listening to the sound of chatter throughout the room. He called his mother because he was too worried about his girlfriend. Ollie arrived, her cheeks flushed as if she had run all the way to the hospital. When Billie Joe looked up to see her, she hugged him. "She'll be ok, I promise you." A doctor came out of the room to face Billie Joe and Ollie.

"Ms. Montgomery is ok. She had a slight concussion and will recover from the bruises and all. She's feeling a little dizzy so she can stay here overnight and you can go inside now," he said professionally and walked off.

The mother and son walked into the room Ella was in. She was lying in the hospital looking at the two while they walked in.

"I'll leave you two alone," Ollie said as she left.

"Hey," Billie Joe said softly.

"Hey..." Ella said. "Listen, I'm sorry. I should've listened to you. I thought they would've changed but I guess not." Tears were coming to her eyes.

"No it's ok. I mean you know, I think I would've been the same way." He wiped some of her tears away.

"So umm what's gonna happen?" Ella was aware that by now her parents were arrested.

"I think maybe my mom will let you stay over. She really likes you; I think she's sick of me not being a chick and shit," Billie Joe laughed a little. Ella smiled. Everything was a mess right now but somehow in some shape or form, she knew everything would be alright. "I'll let you rest and stuff."

"Ok, I'll talk to you soon."

"And Ella..." Billie Joe said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"I love you," he said bravely. Ella froze. She suddenly had a big grin on her face.

"I love you too," she bravely said back as he kissed her longingly and left. When he closed the door to her hospital room, she laid back and happily closed her eyes.

* * *

The next day, Ella got out of the hospital with tons of more energy. It was all planned. She was going to stay at Billie Joe's. She was turning 18 soon anyway and most of her family members hadn't come in contact with her parents in a while. But word about Ella and her parents spread like wildfire throughout the community.

Her guidance counsellor wanted to see her and see if she wanted to talk, but Ella already was recovering. She didn't need anyone to talk to, she had her boyfriend and his best friend. That's all she could ask for.

Ella walked into her now empty house which was eventually going to be sold. She slowly walked up the stairs to her room, packing what she needed into some duffel bags. She wasn't going to miss her old house at all, it was time she grew up and moved on. As she went outside with her bags, Billie Joe helped her put her stuff into his car.

"How much crap did you pack?" he said as he started the engine.

"Ahem, it's not crap. It's my stuff," she playfully punched him.

"Any good tapes or something in any of your 'stuff'?" He made air quotes at the word stuff.

"No I'm learning from the master right now," she winked at him.

The two drove off to Billie Joe's house, as he blasted Operation Ivy in his car. "All I know is that I don't knowww...all I know is that I don't know nothing," Billie Joe sang along. Ella grinned. The two finally reached Billie Joe's house, where they both were taking things out of the car to one of the empty rooms in the Armstrong home. When they were done, Ella and Billie Joe lay down together on Ella's new bed. They were both holding hands as well.

"Enjoying yourself?" Billie Joe said looking over at Ella.

"Definitely." She was relaxed.

"Everything's gonna be alright," Billie Joe said.

"I know it will," Ella said with much confidence.