Life As It Is

The following week was definitely considered an obstacle course. It had all started off with Billie Joe and Adrienne finally telling their two sons about a big change that would affect them all.

Jakob—the younger and the last Armstrong boy seemed to have been a bit confused but had taken it somewhat well. Joey—the older and firstborn to Green Day's lead singer, took it harshly, refusing to speak to neither of his parents. He was nine years old, not stupid.

After both of them explaining their best that mom and dad couldn't be together anymore, the boy left the room immediately, pretending everything that was being said wasn't actually true.

Adrienne looked over at her soon to be ex-husband and gave a worried look. Just because she was going to divorce him didn't mean she didn't still count on him in some sort of way. They both followed Joey to his room, knocking on his door.

"Joey, come on you have to get out sometime soon." Billie Joe said after endless knocks and no answer whatsoever.

No sound.

The two banged on the door again.

"Joseph Marciano Armstrong, you open this door right now!" Adrienne said trying to give somewhat of a motherly demand.

Nothing at all.

The two sighed.

"He's in denial... " The thirty-two year old father said after a long silence.

"I know."

"Maybe we should leave him alone for a while."

"Yeah."

* * *
"So... is this your sorry gift for knocking me up?" Ella joked with Billie Joe the following day after taking her to the doctor's office for an appointment as well as buy her ice cream.

"Hmm... yes."

"Don't worry, I'll keep it on the down-low to about ten million girls who'd do anything to fuck you," She said and laughed a little.

Billie Joe looked over at her as the two walked down a street.

"Please, no girls are going to go crazy over me by the time the American Idiot tour will be over."

You can say that again.

"Riight Mr. I-Now-Wear-Eyeliner. I used to tell you all the time that you'd end up famous. And here we are fifteen years later, you—a big shot rock star and me—a thirty-three year old photojournalist who used to constantly depend on a paycheck to pay for everything and now is sleeping in Mike Dirnt's house." She continued to lick her chocolate ice cream.

When the thirty-two year old guitarist and lead singer saw her, all he wanted to do was kiss her. He had to snap out of it. Ella caught him staring at her.

"Heeyy, quit the staring. I know what you're thinking."

You don't know the half of it.

She playfully hit him. "Perv."

He laughed nervously mentally kicking himself for his stupidity.

They then passed by a jewelry store and it had caught Ella's attention. She stared at a silver necklace in the front display that was sort of locket shaped.

"That's an awesome necklace," She breathed and then looked at the price which was around five hundred dollars. "But too expensive."

Billie Joe took one last look at it before the two continued walking again.

* * *
The Christmas season finally crept onto Ella and the rest of the 'group'—as they called it.

The lights on the street, the traditional colors, the Christmas trees being sold, and even the Santa Clauses on the street who were trying to make money for some sort of good cause had somehow gotten Ella into Christmas.

Her last couple of years at home of course had been rough and had scarred Ella from really spending a really good Christmas. She knew this would be her last year of Christmas with just herself and that by that time next year she'd have a son or daughter to share it with.

Holly knew the exact same thing.

Christmas morning was of course a big celebration. This year they'd have it at Billie Joe's house.

Since Adrienne had recently gotten a house close to his after refusing to live in their old home, he was more than glad to have people come over instead of either being alone or having the boys run around all day. It'd also mark the first year that his soon to be ex-wife would be spending Christmas in Minnesota.

Having already given his sons their presents so they can open it while they were in another state—he still was not done handing out presents to his friends.

The celebration was small and a bit loud with the younger kids running around which of course the adults didn't seem to really mind about, they were all once wild themselves.

After the Mike and Tre's children opened their presents, it was time for everyone else to open theirs.

First off, Holly opened her first gift from Mike.

"A baby book?" She turned to look at her boyfriend.

After mustering up her courage, she had finally told him a few weeks later and was satisfied with his happy reaction. It was more than obvious she was pregnant because of how much she had been glowing lately.

"Yeah... " He said, hoping she'd like it.

"Thanks sweetie but I could always borrow El's baby book."

The bassist grinned at her.

"I got you two presents—relax."

She smiled back at him, feeling Billie Joe, Ella, and Tre's happy eyes on the happy couple.

She opened the next small present wrapped with a Christmas tree design for a gift wrap and grinned like a fool in love.

"Diamond earrings," She said as she looked up at him. "They're beautiful." Then, she kissed him in front of all of her friends.

After that, she gave him her gift and then the process seemed to go on and on until finally Ella and Billie Joe were to exchange gifts.

It was Billie Joe who had given Ella her gift first. She smiled at him by turning around since he had just decided to sit next to her—not that she had a problem with it. She tore off the gift wrap and opened the present giddily.

The minute she looked at what he had gotten her, her mouth was hanging open.

"B-Billie, holy crap... I can't believe you bought this!" She exclaimed.

It was the necklace. The necklace she had seen a few weeks ago and knew it was way too expensive for her to ever buy.

He gave a nervous smile, feeling everyone's eyes on him.

"Well, you really liked it... " He began.

She smiled, feeling happy tears stinging her eyes a little.

"You didn't have to, it was expensive."

"It was nothing." He shrugged.

"Thank you soo much," She said and pulled him in for a hug, both of them feeling the warmth of one another but pretending to really not.

She pulled out her gift to him and watched him rip it open like an excited little boy.

"Oh shit, a Ramones vinyl."

Ella shrugged; glad he definitely liked it.

"I saw you eyeing through my collection again last week and I decided that you should have it."

"El this is like, worth more then what I got you and this is the one you told me you spent months looking for," He said in shock, still knowing everyone was listening to pretending to talk to one another.

"Bill, it's okay. I really want you to have it."

He grinned at her.

"You're awesome."

She suddenly felt her cheeks redden. It reminded her of the time she had hung out at his house once upon a time and how she'd start blushing every time his knee would brush against hers.

* * *
After things were dying down and the three members of Green Day and their good friend and backup guitarist Jason White showed up, Ella and Holly were finally alone.

"El," Holly said breathlessly as she looked at the necklace for maybe the millionth time.

"I can't believe he got you this."

"I know," She said back. Her heart was aching, wishing she could have just grabbed him, kissed him passionately—

"You don't think he still—y'know, have feelings for you?"

She shrugged.

"Because if he does, then, what would you do?"

Ella sighed.

"Be with him if it were that easy."

"How could it not be?"

"I really don't know."

Holly looked at her best friend with hopeful eyes.

"I just wanna see you happy, El."

* * *
The four men sat around the living room in a huddle like complete idiots. But they wanted to keep quiet.

"Dude, what the hell was up with that gift you gave Ella?" Mike asked, getting straight to the point as usual.

He shrugged.

"It was an impulse buy; I just wanted to see her face light up."

"I think someone still likes someone else... " Jason said as he put down his drink. He knew the story and what was going on.

"Billie has a cruuush, Billie has a cruuuush!" Tre joked and then got whacked in the head by Mike and Jason.

"Okay you guys... maybe I do. But I can't help it." He knew of course everyone would eventually found out. Especially the guys he was supposed to spend all of his time with during tour.

"I don't know man; I don't think you should do anything yet. You're just about to get out of a long time marriage and the whole fucking world is about to find out." Mike shrugged. "But it's your choice."

"I know that," Billie Joe paused for a second, thinking he might have heard footsteps but didn't.

"And I'm still hurting after having to have just filed for divorce."

"Welcome to the club." Mike and Tre both said.

"Shit, you guys." Billie Joe rested his elbows on his thighs and put his hands on his face.

"I'm so fucking confused right now and I'm definitely messed up."

The guys sat there for a long silent time before Jason cut it short.

"You've had worse times Billie. And you have good things going for you too. You're a goddamn successful rock star."

The thirty-two year old rock star sighed.

"Yeah, who's starting to fall for his ex-girlfriend again."

* * *
Ella lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. It seemed like such a long day. When she opened her eyes again, she heard the door closing and it was Billie Joe. He looked like some sort of shy little boy who was scared to death of talking to her. Which she found so incredibly cute.

"Hey," She said softly as she was now sitting on her bed.

"Hey." He walked towards her and sat down on the bed next to her. She could already feel some sort of tension.

"What's wrong?" She looked at him worriedly.

You idiot. He's about to get divorced. EVERYTHING seems wrong to him right now.

"Everything." He muttered.

If there was one other thing Ella was an expert on, it was feelings you get during a divorce.

"Anything more specific?"

"Mainly just upset about not being with Adrienne anymore and having mixed feelings."

"Yeah well Bill you can't just dwell on the past and still hope you can get back together."

"I know that. But there's someone else who I'm having mixed feelings about."

She gave him a confused look.

"Who?"

He looked right into her eyes and said, "You."

Her heart almost leaped out. She couldn't believe it.

He suddenly eased her close to him and kissed her the best way she could. She returned just as tenderly and hungrily. He slowly and gracefully threw her on the bed to continue to flutter her with kisses until the two finally—

RING. RING. RING.

Ella suddenly awoke groaning and grumbling. The dream was so real; she wished it really had been. Her cell phone continued to ring its ring tone and she finally found it. The screen told her it was a call from the one and only Billie Joe.

"Hello?" She said groggily into the phone.

"Hey sleepyhead!" Billie Joe said as if he had just had fifteen cups of coffee, she looked over at her clock and realized it was one o'clock in the afternoon. Had she really slept that long?

"Holy shit, it's the afternoon."

"Yep. You slept like there was no tomorrow."

She laughed a little.

"So what's up?"

"Well I was just wondering—since I forgot to mention it to you yesterday if you're going to come with everyone to New York for the MTV thing we're doing on New Year's."

"You bet I will. It's not like I have a zillion friends out here to ring in the New Year with."

"Good. Because I already told everyone you'd be coming anyway."

"Nice going." She laughed again. "You're lucky I'm coming."

"Ha, I really am."

I'd be more luckier if we were back together. Billie Joe thought to himself.

"You seem really—hyper today."

"I was hung over from the eggnog and the beer last night so I ended up getting a weird hyper feeling."

"Greeaat."

"Listen, I'll talk to you later. I have to go run some errands."

"Billie Joe the errand runner. I never thought I'd hear that!"

"Mock all you want Ms. Montgomery, it's still true."

"Sadly," She said jokingly.

They said their good-byes and hung up the phone.

Ella realized she'd be ringing in the New Year with everyone in New York. But who would she kiss at midnight? She started to think it'd be nobody and suddenly didn't really care. But she was in for a happy surprise.