Sequel: Hold On ›
Life As It Is
Happy Times and Bad News
Three months later, the month of December arrived. December of course; was the Christmas season. People were still bloated after Thanksgiving and were now in the rush to buy their loved ones gifts.
Which of course, was pretty much the same case for Billie Joe and Ella.
Both of them weren't really big on the Christmas season because it hadn't been much of a big deal with family at a certain point in their lives, but this Christmas would be different. Especially for Ella.
After spending countless Christmases not doing much, she decided that she'd spend her money wisely on Billie Joe, Mike, Al, Ollie, and Tre.
The same would go for Billie Joe.
"You know," He said one day, "You don't have to get me something really expensive."
"I know," Ella said, "But it has to matter to you, doesn't it?"
Two days before Christmas, Ollie surprised Ella by giving her present early.
"I wanted to give you this so Billie Joe doesn't notice," She said grinning, and handed her a record.
Ella took a look at it. At the top in capitals "LOOK FOR LOVE" was written on it. Then there was a picture of what seemed to have been Billie Joe at the age of four or five. The last two lines written were ""Billie Joe"" and ""Recorded by "Billie Joe" on Fiat Records"".
She grinned.
"It has a song he recorded and an interview he did." Ollie said proudly.
"Oh, thank you Ollie!" Ella said and hugged her boyfriend's mother.
"The record player is somewhere upstairs."
Later in the afternoon, she had grown bored and decided to listen to the record. After searching around the upstairs bedrooms, Ella got a hold of the record player. She carefully put it in place and it began to player.
Downstairs, Billie Joe was coming home from yet another band practice. He suddenly heard familiar music.
Uh-oh. It was that song. The one he had recorded a long time ago. It still brought him humiliation to this day. But who was playing it?
He slowly followed the music and found Ella in her room, grinning goofily. His eyes were widened.
"How... who... what... the fuck?" Billie Joe managed to get out. His girlfriend still gave a goofy grin as the song ended. She stopped it before anything else continued.
"Your mom gave it to me for Christmas," She explained as she giggled a little.
"Shit, shit, shit!" He yelled in frustration. She laughed.
"You were such a cute singer!" She gushed as she planted a kiss on his lips.
* * *
Christmas finally arrived two days later. The small group of teenagers had exchanged meaningful but things they could afford to one another while Ella had also given Ollie fancy accessories.
For the couple that was now together for about eleven months, got one another gifts they would definitely need. Billie Joe had gotten Ella all kinds of photography equipment for her class, while Ella got him guitar equipment like guitar strings.
It was a great Christmas.
Then came on the New Year's season. A party was being held in someone's backyard, where of course Green Day had reluctantly decided to perform.
"Will you stop obsessing? You look fucking sexy!" Billie Joe grinned and told his girlfriend as she played around with her hair. She grinned at him and bit her lip.
"So do you!" She exclaimed as he started doing what she had been doing less than a minute before.
The two headed downstairs with Billie Joe's equipment downstairs and both wished a tired Ollie a Happy New Year.
Both of them had been one of the early people there including the other two members of Green Day and Tre. Soon enough, there were many teenagers in a big open backyard. What a party. The whole time, Billie Joe kept his girlfriend at his side, not wanting to let her go.
When the band finished their set, he went to go find Ella before the countdown. But someone had come at him from behind.
"You guys were kick ass," Ella said as she laughed. She had scared her boyfriend shitless.
"Shit you scared me," He gave a grin; "I know... we fucking rocked."
Someone then yelled that they were about twenty seconds from the New Year. The couple made sure they were near their friends before getting in place.
"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!" Billie Joe and Ella screamed together as they kissed. They were officially in the year 1990.
A year ago, Ella would've never believed so much could happen. That she would fall in love and meet the best people she'd ever meet. Things had definitely looked up from 1989.
Billie Joe never thought he'd be one of those guys again who'd fall for a girl since he usually had a shitty love life. See what a year can do to someone?
* * *
A few weeks into the New Year, and the couple happily celebrated their first anniversary. Although they had been busy, they compromised their time for one another.
"Sorry I couldn't take you somewhere fancy but this is way better... and cheaper." Billie Joe laughed as he walked with his girlfriend to his house's backyard.
"If you apologize one more time Billie, I'm gonna kick your ass," Ella laughed, "This is much nicer than a fancy ass restaurant."
They both set out a blanket and sat down, holding wine and mediocre food.
"True... we don't have to eat something like Le Snails and shit." Billie Joe laughed.
That night was just another romantic night.
The end of January had rolled around. And things were a little hectic due to schedules and stuff. The main problem was with Green Day's drummer, Al Sobrante. He had started feeling distant lately. Without another word, Mike stopped Billie Joe before he started any major shit between him and Al.
On one particular day, Ella propped herself on the couch next to Mike while flipping through the channels. She turned her head to see what her boyfriend's best friend was doing since she had become a little engrossed in finding out what was on TV. She was surprised to find a weird look on his face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked curiously.
He sighed, "Promise you won't tell Bill?"
Ella knew she could keep a secret. Even if it was from someone like Billie Joe.
"Yeah, sure."
"Lately... Al's been talking about going to college and stuff. I was passing by the counselor's office and well he's thinking about going places nowhere near Berkeley. And I have this bad feeling... that if Al goes somewhere out of Berkeley, he'll leave Green Day."
"That's gonna kill Billie." Ella knew this for sure. His music meant everything to him. Without music, he was nothing.
"I know. And I can't say shit. I'm about ready to fucking hurt Al. He's started so much shit with Billie Joe this whole time."
The two friends both sat in frustration.
"He's gonna find out sooner or later." Ella said after a long silence.
"Yeah... hopefully he breaks it to him."
If there was one thing Ella learned in the previous year, it would be that there was no such thing as perfect.
Which of course, was pretty much the same case for Billie Joe and Ella.
Both of them weren't really big on the Christmas season because it hadn't been much of a big deal with family at a certain point in their lives, but this Christmas would be different. Especially for Ella.
After spending countless Christmases not doing much, she decided that she'd spend her money wisely on Billie Joe, Mike, Al, Ollie, and Tre.
The same would go for Billie Joe.
"You know," He said one day, "You don't have to get me something really expensive."
"I know," Ella said, "But it has to matter to you, doesn't it?"
Two days before Christmas, Ollie surprised Ella by giving her present early.
"I wanted to give you this so Billie Joe doesn't notice," She said grinning, and handed her a record.
Ella took a look at it. At the top in capitals "LOOK FOR LOVE" was written on it. Then there was a picture of what seemed to have been Billie Joe at the age of four or five. The last two lines written were ""Billie Joe"" and ""Recorded by "Billie Joe" on Fiat Records"".
She grinned.
"It has a song he recorded and an interview he did." Ollie said proudly.
"Oh, thank you Ollie!" Ella said and hugged her boyfriend's mother.
"The record player is somewhere upstairs."
Later in the afternoon, she had grown bored and decided to listen to the record. After searching around the upstairs bedrooms, Ella got a hold of the record player. She carefully put it in place and it began to player.
Downstairs, Billie Joe was coming home from yet another band practice. He suddenly heard familiar music.
Uh-oh. It was that song. The one he had recorded a long time ago. It still brought him humiliation to this day. But who was playing it?
He slowly followed the music and found Ella in her room, grinning goofily. His eyes were widened.
"How... who... what... the fuck?" Billie Joe managed to get out. His girlfriend still gave a goofy grin as the song ended. She stopped it before anything else continued.
"Your mom gave it to me for Christmas," She explained as she giggled a little.
"Shit, shit, shit!" He yelled in frustration. She laughed.
"You were such a cute singer!" She gushed as she planted a kiss on his lips.
* * *
Christmas finally arrived two days later. The small group of teenagers had exchanged meaningful but things they could afford to one another while Ella had also given Ollie fancy accessories.
For the couple that was now together for about eleven months, got one another gifts they would definitely need. Billie Joe had gotten Ella all kinds of photography equipment for her class, while Ella got him guitar equipment like guitar strings.
It was a great Christmas.
Then came on the New Year's season. A party was being held in someone's backyard, where of course Green Day had reluctantly decided to perform.
"Will you stop obsessing? You look fucking sexy!" Billie Joe grinned and told his girlfriend as she played around with her hair. She grinned at him and bit her lip.
"So do you!" She exclaimed as he started doing what she had been doing less than a minute before.
The two headed downstairs with Billie Joe's equipment downstairs and both wished a tired Ollie a Happy New Year.
Both of them had been one of the early people there including the other two members of Green Day and Tre. Soon enough, there were many teenagers in a big open backyard. What a party. The whole time, Billie Joe kept his girlfriend at his side, not wanting to let her go.
When the band finished their set, he went to go find Ella before the countdown. But someone had come at him from behind.
"You guys were kick ass," Ella said as she laughed. She had scared her boyfriend shitless.
"Shit you scared me," He gave a grin; "I know... we fucking rocked."
Someone then yelled that they were about twenty seconds from the New Year. The couple made sure they were near their friends before getting in place.
"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!" Billie Joe and Ella screamed together as they kissed. They were officially in the year 1990.
A year ago, Ella would've never believed so much could happen. That she would fall in love and meet the best people she'd ever meet. Things had definitely looked up from 1989.
Billie Joe never thought he'd be one of those guys again who'd fall for a girl since he usually had a shitty love life. See what a year can do to someone?
* * *
A few weeks into the New Year, and the couple happily celebrated their first anniversary. Although they had been busy, they compromised their time for one another.
"Sorry I couldn't take you somewhere fancy but this is way better... and cheaper." Billie Joe laughed as he walked with his girlfriend to his house's backyard.
"If you apologize one more time Billie, I'm gonna kick your ass," Ella laughed, "This is much nicer than a fancy ass restaurant."
They both set out a blanket and sat down, holding wine and mediocre food.
"True... we don't have to eat something like Le Snails and shit." Billie Joe laughed.
That night was just another romantic night.
The end of January had rolled around. And things were a little hectic due to schedules and stuff. The main problem was with Green Day's drummer, Al Sobrante. He had started feeling distant lately. Without another word, Mike stopped Billie Joe before he started any major shit between him and Al.
On one particular day, Ella propped herself on the couch next to Mike while flipping through the channels. She turned her head to see what her boyfriend's best friend was doing since she had become a little engrossed in finding out what was on TV. She was surprised to find a weird look on his face.
"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked curiously.
He sighed, "Promise you won't tell Bill?"
Ella knew she could keep a secret. Even if it was from someone like Billie Joe.
"Yeah, sure."
"Lately... Al's been talking about going to college and stuff. I was passing by the counselor's office and well he's thinking about going places nowhere near Berkeley. And I have this bad feeling... that if Al goes somewhere out of Berkeley, he'll leave Green Day."
"That's gonna kill Billie." Ella knew this for sure. His music meant everything to him. Without music, he was nothing.
"I know. And I can't say shit. I'm about ready to fucking hurt Al. He's started so much shit with Billie Joe this whole time."
The two friends both sat in frustration.
"He's gonna find out sooner or later." Ella said after a long silence.
"Yeah... hopefully he breaks it to him."
If there was one thing Ella learned in the previous year, it would be that there was no such thing as perfect.