Life As It Is

Betrayal always came in different shapes and forms. It varied from someone like an enemy of yours, or even to the drummer of your own band. To Billie Joe, this definitely had been classified as betrayal from Al.

He called up Mike and they were both starting to talk. In return to Al not telling Billie Joe about leaving the band, he in return would not let him know that he'd be replaced. For now, the two band mates would wait until he started college to begin to freak out about literally replacing Al Sobrante.

Meanwhile, Ella was trying hard to not fall behind at school and actually having a social life. Since the night after she was released from the hospital, she didn't really want to attend college parties a lot. She would rather be at the parties where she was familiar with the people and the atmosphere.

Now, she sat outside of one of her professor's office, awaiting him to speak to her.

"Eleanor?" he called out as another student exited.

"Call me Ella," she said, still irritating her real name.

Her professor nodded and told her to come in. She clutched her book bag and went inside.

"I must say, I'm really amazed by your photography," her professor said, getting straight to the point.

"Thank you," Ella said smiling. Getting complimented for her work by someone who knew a lot was definitely an honor. One of the things that she and her boyfriend loved to get was praise from people who knew a lot about their fields of interest.

"I think you have what it takes in the real world."

"Thank you a lot sir—I was actually thinking about being more into photojournalism."

"Actually, I was about to talk to you about getting more into that,"
the professor took out some of the pictures she had given in of Green
Day performing to see what he would think.

"You can just see from the angles and the way their eyes look," he continued on, now talking about Billie Joe and Mike, "That they live for music."

"Which was exactly what I was trying to prove."

"A picture's always worth a thousand words." Ella smiled as she said it.

"Exactly. Anyway, my point of bringing you here would be to talk to you about possibly transferring to more of a private college that focuses on photojournalism and journalism in general as well."

"Really? Where?"

"New York."

"Did he just say what I thought he said? New York? New York fucking City? He was kidding, right?" Ella thought to herself.

"You don't have to decide right now, it's just an offer. It would best that you go. Just think about it," he said.

"Ok." She nodded slowly.

"Anyway, I have another appointment with another student. So like I said, think about it a lot," her professor said as she exited out.

* * *

Ella came home, still stunned about what had just happened in her professor's office. She was overwhelmed and panicky at the same time. Was there even such a feeling?

She sat on the couch and mindlessly flipped through the channels, notexactly sure of what she was looking for.

"Heyy!" said a familiar voice that startled her, she turned around to see none other than Billie Joe.

"Ahh shit—you scared me!" she said as he was laughing at her. "You need a bell around your neck so I can hear when you're coming." They were both laughing now and she pulled him in for a nice, long kiss that always made her weak in the knees.

"Soo...how was your day?" he asked as he sat next to her on the couch.

"Overwhelming..."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really..."

"Are you gonna tell me what happened or am I gonna sit here and start guessing?" Ella playfully hit him.

"Maybe...maybe not," she gave her boyfriend a sly grin.

Billie Joe gave her a look.

"Oh fine I'll tell you," she laughed and told him the complete story.

"That's fucking awesome!" Billie Joe said and pulled his girlfriend in a tight hug.

"You are gonna go right?"

Ella thought for a second, her face now getting a little serious.

"I don't know..."

"Why not? El, if it were me, I'd be on the next plane to New York."

"Because... I finally got settled here in Berkeley and well I have my whole life here," Ella said quietly.

"I get it," Billie Joe said. "You don't wanna leave me."

Ella nodded and was on the verge of tears.

Billie Joe grabbed her and pulled his girlfriend into a tight hug, then kissed her hair, "Just sleep on it, 'kay?"

* * *

Green Day's first ever album release happened following days later. The band celebrated at of course, Gilman Street with all of their pals.

"Hey guys, can I get your autographs?" a young punk asked the band members.

"Sure," they all said, getting a sharpie marker to sign their new release. The young punk grinned and was off into the Gilman Street crowd.

"Ahh...don't you guys feel like rock stars?" Ella said to the trio.

"Yeah of course we do," Billie Joe winked at his girlfriend.

The days following Ella's possible relocation to New York had been weird. All she was really doing was contemplating this decision.

While Billie Joe planned a 45 city state tour for Green Day.

"It is gonna fucking kick ass!" he said excitedly.

It wasn't until sometime in June that Ella came up with a decision with transferring to a New York private college.

"I'm gonna go," she said to her boyfriend one night sitting on her bed.

"That's great!" he said, very excited for her.

"But I don't know where that leaves us..." Ella said.

"Listen Ella, I want you to go no matter where it leaves us. It would kill me to see you not do something you really enjoy because of me."

She bit her lip and nodded, "I know, I know."

They sat in silence. Not in the awkward kind of way, but the kind of silence when two people kind of sit there, thinking about whatever is eating at them.

"M-maybe we should umm..." Billie Joe couldn't get the words out, but Ella knew him well and knew what he was going to say.

"Break up?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah," He said quietly in return.

They were now both on the verge of tears.

"I can't hold you back with a long-distance relationship..." Billie Joe began.

"Me neither..."

"But we're gonna be together until the day after Mike's graduation since that's when you and me are both leaving."

"Yep..."

"I can't believe we're doing this," they both said, laughing at how they said it at the same time.

They both sat together, side by side on the bed.

* * *

The day before Mike and Al were to graduate, a going away party was thrown for Ella since the following night would be dedicated to the celebration of Mike and Al's graduation.

One by one, she said her goodbyes to each of them although they'd still be seeing one another until the day after tomorrow.

The first person she talked to was Mike.

"I can't believe this...like a month ago we were partying and horsing around together," Mike said as if he still couldn't believe what was going to happen.

"I know, I know. And you've been such a good friend to me. I should thank you for always being there as a friend." She smiled at her friend.

"And I should thank you for being there for me when my step-dad died last year," Mike winced a little at the mention of his step-father,

"I'm gonna miss you a lot."

"Same here."

They both hugged.

"But I can't believe you and Billie are gonna be over..." Mike said as the two parted.

"I know," Ella sighed, "But we both agreed it'd be for the best."

"I've never seen Billie obsess over a girl that much like he did for you. And you're the only girlfriend of his so far I've actually spent time with." He laughed and she smiled again.

"Aww thanks Mike. You always know what to say, huh?"

The next person up was Al. Ella didn't have much to say to him but just said the typical 'thanks' and 'I'll miss you'.

Now, it was up to Tre, who was drunk, stoned, and wearing a dress.

"I'm gonna fucking miss youuu!" he said a little too loud as he pulled Ella into a tight bear hug.

"I'm gonna miss you too—but Tre you're fucking crushing me," She said loud enough for him to get the message.

"Sorry... " He said like a little boy.

"It's ok, I'm going to miss ya a lot Tre Cool," Ella grinned at her friend.

"I'll miss you too hot stuff," Tre said and jumped around.

Last but not least was Billie Joe, but the couple had agreed they'd say their goodbyes at a later time.

"I never realized how much of a handful your friends are... " Ella said as they both sat on Billie Joe's bed.

"Come to think of it—me neither." He laughed.

* * *

The next day would've been Billie Joe's graduation had he not have dropped out four months prior. But today, Mike and Al would be graduating. And to even Ella's surprise, she found out Green Day's current drummer was in his twenties.

The soon to be broken up couple had been getting ready in Billie Joe's room for the graduation party.

"El, anyone there?" Billie Joe asked, trying to get his girlfriend's attention.

"Hmm?" She asked, obvious that she was distant today.

"What's wrong?"

"You know what's wrong..."

He paused for a second.

"Yeah, I do. Fuck I'm an idiot."

Ella went back to putting on her shoes and then fixed her hair. She sighed, trying to stop the tears from forming in her eyes. Tonight would be Mike and Al's night.

"Ready?" She asked her boyfriend.

He nodded and went towards the door. He groaned and kept trying to open it.

"What's wrong Bill?"

"The door won't fucking open." He grunted and kept trying to open the door until he ran out of breath.

"Let me try."

After a few tries, she couldn't open it either.

"Shit...we're stuck..."