Life As It Is

A few days before it was set for Green Day to head off for the next leg of their tour, Ella awoke only to find a saddened Holly staring at the TV blankly. Things were still rough with her. After finding out that her boyfriend had cheated on her with his best friend's soon to be ex-wife. That was a lot to take in.

The week went by quietly. With Billie Joe not talking to his best friend and Tre conflicted about what to say or do. It seemed like both Ella and Tre were in the middle of the nasty conflict going on between everyone.

"What are you watching?" Ella asked Holly, plopping herself down on the couch next to her.

"It doesn't matter," she mumbled.

She sighed. Her best friend was a mess and was definitely distanced than anyone else in the house. She just didn't know what to say to her anymore, she was tired of saying the same old things. They obviously hadn't gone through Holly's head.

Her best friend's cell phone suddenly rang where it was on the coffee table. Ella reached out to see who it was, but was stopped by the distant thirty-three year old.

"Don't pick it up," she said. "It's him again."

Being the person who he was, Mike called his girlfriend, or "ex-girlfriend" countless times a day hoping that she'd answer. But it was useless. She refused to speak to him or see him.

Not knowing what else to say or do, Ella got up and headed back to her and Billie Joe's bedroom. When she got there, she lay down next to her boyfriend, letting out an inaudible sigh and closed her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Billie Joe asked her, surprising her because she had thought he was still asleep.

"How'd you know something was wrong?" she asked, opening her eyes only to find two green eyes looking directly at her.

"You came in here and let out this sigh that you think I can't hear but I can because I'm cool like that."

She let out a soft laugh.

"I probably know you better than anyone that has ever met you."

Ella gave him smile that almost made her want to blush a little.

"Oh, really. Prove it," she said, challenging him of course.

"Okay. Well when you get nervous or shy, you bite your lip. When you're trying to figure something out, you pinch your eyebrows like a dork even though it's really cute. And when you wanna avoid talking about something you usually look away from people's eyes."

He gave her a grin, as she widened her eyes.

"Damn," she breathed. "You really know me."

"I know all my bitches well."

"What?" Ella laughed.

"Nothing. I've been watching too much shitty television."

"Anyway...since you apparently know so much about me, what makes you think I don't know so much about you?"

"Pfft. I never said that." Billie Joe was still grinning at her as she blushed a little, not feeling at her age at that moment, but much younger.

"Well, I know that every time I put on Green Day or Pinhead Gunpowder, you'll cringe and DEMAND to turn it off because you can't stand to hear your voice. When you want to make me laugh or smile you'll start grinning at me and when you don't know something, you'll fumble around, pretending to act cool. And when you try to avoid talking about something, you'll start drumming your fingers against something, only concentrating on that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know me."

She grinned at him as her lips met with his, sharing a long kiss.

"So what's bothering you?" he asked her as they parted.

"Oh, the fact that Holly is rotting away on the couch ignoring contact with Mike." The minute his name slipped out of her mouth, she regretted it.

"El, don't get that look on your face that saying Mike's name will immediately get me pissed. Because it won't."

"Well...oh. Anyway, I'm worried about her, she's pregnant too. I feel like I'm not doing enough." Her chocolate brown eyes watered up a bit as Billie Joe inched closer to her.

"El, you're doing just enough," he said, giving her complete eye contact. "You gave her a place to stay and you're trying to be the best friend you can be when she's going through so much."

"I know. But I feel like I should be doing more."

"If I knew what else you could do, babe, I'd tell you to go for it. But what you're doing now is great even if she doesn't realize it."

A small smile came upon her face. "So what's up with you and well...you know..."

He sighed, playing with her hair a little.

"Nothing. I think Mike is trying to purposely bump into me before we go back on tour. But it just hurts too much, El. To think of him as someone who slept with Adie. I don't know what's gonna happen once we hit the road again." Billie Joe rested his head on Ella's shoulder, closing his eyes.

She rubbed his back a little. "This is all so hard. But I don't know, do you think you'll ever forgive Mike?"

"Honestly, I have no idea if I ever can. How would you feel if Holly slept with Dave?"

Ella paused, suddenly remembering her ex-husband. So much had changed since then.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring him up it's just that—"

"No, it's okay sweetie. I get why you said it, I'm way over him. But if she slept with him, maybe on some level it would really hurt me because she's always hated that jackass but...whatever."

Billie Joe nodded and picked up his head, opening his eyes and looking back at his girlfriend.

"On the bright side...you're carrying my child."

"How does that—you know what, never mind," she said giving a soft chuckle.

He grinned as he left her shirt up a little and kissed her stomach.

"Hey, kiddo. Please don't be a handful," he said to his unborn daughter. "I already have two crazy sons."

Ella laughed at his absolute dorky comment. "Nice way of talking to your daughter."

"Thanks. I'm preventing her from becoming a crazy little girl who runs around day and night."

"I think that's going to happen regardless of what you said. Have you met you?"

He scrunched his nose up and squinted his eyes at her, making Ella look at him strangely.

"I was this close to tackling you but I'm afraid I'd hurt the baby somehow..."

The thirty-three year old pregnant woman gave him a stupid grin and pulled him closer to her, his stomach against her growing stomach and kissed him. He returned, surprisingly returning a hungry kiss.

He opened his eyes and took a look at the digital clock on Ella's side of the bed.

"Shit," he said in between kisses.

"What's wrong?" she asked, clearly confused.

"I have to go pick up the boys at...Adie's."

"Nooo...the one time I want to stay in bed, you have to go!"

"Aww don't worry. We'll finish off where we...sort of picked up from." He winked at her like a dork.

She giggled like a little teenage schoolgirl. Obviously she was feeling the same way she had so many years ago when they had first started going out.

"Oh shit. If the boys come over, then we need to seriously get Holly off the couch."

"And how are we gonna do that?"

Ella thought for a moment. "Well she does have a doctor's appointment today; I can get her to go earlier or something." She shrugged.

"Good because we still sort of haven't told the boys yet that Adrienne's...pregnant."

"Why not?"

"Mainly because every time we do she darts out of the room to throw up," he said, desperately trying not to let himself smile.

"Aww...well I'm sure you guys will find the right time."

"Hopefully." Billie Joe slowly got up and quickly changed into something comfortable as Ella jokingly whistled as he changed.

"Okay, I'm off. I'll be back in a little bit," He said, reaching down to give both his girlfriend and daughter a quick kiss. "Just be a total bitch to Hol' and she'll get off the couch."

She nodded as he exited his way out of the bedroom and out of the house.

* * *

"Okay Hol' time to get off the couch," Ella said, sighing as her best friend mindlessly watched television.

No answer.

She sighed again. "Listen. You can't just sit on that fucking couch all day watching your life pass by you. Okay, so Mike really hurt you. He was something big in your life. I understand that. But you're about to become a mother, Holly. A mom with responsibilities. You can't sit here and expect everything is going to go away. Because it's not. The Holly I know would not be sitting here staring at that TV mindlessly even if the world seems to be crashing down in her eyes. Now get dressed and we're going to your doctor's appointment."

Her pregnant best friend turned around and looked at her, nodding her head.

"You're right," she said quietly. "Let's go."

For the first time in a while, Holly got up and headed upstairs. And Ella felt good for finally getting through to her.

After coming home from the doctor's appointment, Ella and Holly came home only to find Joey and Jakob there with their father. To her surprise, both Joey and Jakob went to greet their father's girlfriend with a hug, which of course surprised their father as well. The two younger boys did the same to Holly and then headed outside to play catch.

"Hey," Billie Joe said, giving his girlfriend a kiss as Holly rolled her eyes and headed upstairs.

"Hey," she said in return. "Did you tell them?"

He looked down and nodded.

"It was tough and confusing but they both took it well. I think they've been through enough already."

"AHHH!" Holly screamed from upstairs.

The couple gave a confused look to each other and headed up the stairs. They opened the door only to find Holly, Tre, and some mysterious woman.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Billie Joe screamed, and then realized his kids might have heard him swearing. "I thought you were only letting her go to the bathroom."

"Uhh...uhh..." Tre stammered, making the woman giggle as she put on her shoes.

"Why were you two having sex in the room I'm staying in?" Holly crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the drummer.

"Umm...it all happened fast?" Tre made a shifty face.

The woman finished putting her shoes on and stood up next to Tre.

"Hi," Ella said. "I don't think we've had a proper introduction. I'm Ella, and you are..."

"Laura," she said, blushing a little. "Sorry about umm...you know."

"Don't worry about it," Billie Joe grumbled. "I blame Tre."

The thirty-two year old dropped his jaw, acting dramatic. "She's evil!" He pointed to Laura, who chuckled.

"Hi I'm Holly," the three month pregnant woman said, extending her hand.

"Okay Tre I think we've caused enough trouble, let's go." Laura walked off, dragging Tre.

"Oh now you act all polite right, three minutes ago you were all like—"

"Say one more thing Tre and I'll beat the daylights out of you."

"Someone needs to get laid," Tre snickered and walked off.

"ASSHOLE."

Ella and Holly stood next to one another, giggling at the front man as he grumbled to himself.

Billie Joe's girlfriend then noticed him looking at Laura's backside. She went up to him and smacked him on the head.

"What?"

"You were checking Laura out."

"So I checked out Holly too..." he grinned, making Holly give him a strange look. This of course made her hit him again."

"OWW. Damn. I shouldn't have said that."

She crossed her arms at him, making a face at him while he grinned back at her.

"Could Holly and Laura—" She grabbed him and whispered something in his ear, making his grin wider.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he pleaded, kissing her immediately.

"Damn, you must've said something really dirty to catch his attention."

Holly chuckled, grabbing all of the bed sheets and throwing them on the floor with a big sigh. "As if I didn't have enough problems these days..." she muttered to herself as Billie Joe and Ella decided to both head outside to where the boys were.

* * *

Billie Joe caught his breath, finally packing the last bag he'd take with him on tour with the band. He sat down next to his girlfriend who had one hand over her stomach, biting her lip.

"What's wrong, babe?"

She looked over at him with a semi-sad expression on her face and sighed, putting her right hand that had just been on her growing stomach onto the armrest of the chair.

"Holly. She refuses to go back on tour. But I don't blame her." Her brown eyes drooped down to the floor.

He sighed and nodded. "Yeah...can she really stay here alone?"

"Well, she knows people around here and she can help get the mail and all but... I don't know. I just really want her to work things out with Mike just like I want you to do the same with him."

"We both have to give it time, El. Right now I think I'm never going to forgive Mike for what he did."

"Yeah," she said quietly.

The thirty-three year old man looked at his watch and got up.

"The van's coming in a few minutes, we should head out."

On cue, Holly walked down the stairs with casual clothing. She noticed the couple was ready to head off.

"You guys are leaving?"

The two nodded. The thirty-three year old woman went over and hugged her best friend and hugged her boyfriend as well, patting his back.

"Have a good trip. I'll walk with you guys out; I'm heading over to one of my friend's house around this block."

The three adults walked outside. To her surprise, Holly's eyes seem to have met Mike's. He looked at her and she looked at him with a blank expression on her face and headed off without a word.

Mike sighed and looked forward, not wanting to look at his best friend who was throwing the luggage into the van as Ella made her way inside.

"Holly's not coming?" he asked her.

"Nope." She shook her head.

"Oh," he said with disappointment.

"Tre, where's your...whatever she is?" Ella asked the Green Day drummer.

"Pfft. She's coming out soon. I know you likey Laura." He grinned as she laughed.

"What's the deal with her anyway?"

"We met a few days ago at some club and we hit it off..." He gave another grin.

"That's great. She seems really nice." Billie Joe finally got into the van, making no eye contact with anyone except for Ella, sliding into a seat next to her.

"You know that thing you told me not too long ago when we found Tre with Laura?"

Billie Joe leaned into his girlfriend, making her giggle.

"Oh don't worry. It'll happen soon." She turned around and winked at him, making him grin.

"WHAT'D SHE SAY?" Tre yelled, butting in.

"None of your business, Tre," Billie Joe said. "You have a girlfriend now, relax."

The thirty-two year old drummer pouted. "That doesn't mean I don't like me some graphic material."

He had been standing over the couple in the seat behind them. Ella reached over and pushed him down, making him fall right back into his seat.

"You'd make a great dominatrix!"

Ella turned around, giving him a weird look, biting her lip, trying not to laugh and then turned back around, resting her head on Billie Joe's chest.

Things were still complicated for everyone, whether they admitted it or not. It would only be a matter of time until everything was as normal as it could be for everyone involved in this tangled web.