In the End

My mouth dropped open, and Mike was the first to speak.

"Wait, hold on Bill...She was just sayin thank you-"

"Oh, she was?!" Billie Joe snapped, "Pretty fuckin nice way of sayin thank you! What is it? That's TWO guys I've caught you kissing" He said, pointing at me, "2 years ago it was Jason...and now Mike. I guess you like my friends, huh?"

"Billie-"

"Nah, don't worry about it. At this point I don't give a shit anymore. I mean, I told you last night to go run away so you could be with Mike. I got slapped, of course. But hey! It fucking worked out for you two!"

"Don't go blaming everything on her" Mike snarled, "You go and make her fucking cry, you bastard, and then you get fucking pissed off when she-"

"Don't give me that crap, Mike! If you'd be smart enough to get your own girl you wouldn't have to help mine cheat!"

"Billie..." I whispered, "Can...we talk?"

Billie Joe looked at me, his eyes narrowed.

"Isn't that what we're doing? Talking about how you need to go and shove your tongue down someone else's throat"

"I didn't make out with her!" Mike snapped, "It was a-"

"A little kiss, yeah yea, I know...she used that excuse on me last time" Billie Joe spat

Honestly? Billie Joe was scaring me. I don't think I've ever been so scared of the man I loved.

Loved.

That's the thing. I love Billie Joe. I had a crush on Mike...Mike, who had been standing up for me, to the man I loved, and for the moment...feared.

"At least she's fucking honest, then" Mike spat, "Instead of being an asshole who needs to blame shit on other people"

"Oh come on, really!" Billie Joe groaned, "That's fucking pathetic!"

I winced at every word he said, and felt the knot in my throat becoming bigger, trying not to cry. Billie Joe looked at me, and for once he noticed how scared I had been at that moment. How afraid of himself he made me. His face softened almost immediately, and he just looked at me.

"You wanna talk?" He asked me, not yelling, "Then we'll talk"

Billie Joe grabbed my arm, and pulled me out of Mike and Tre's suit, and into the hallway. He let me go, and folded his arms, facing me.

"I don't know if you think this is some kind of joke" He hissed, "But going and kissing my best fucking friend, isn't something I'm going to play at"

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, looking down

Billie Joe shook his head, "No"

"What?" I asked, confused

"You're only sorry because I caught you"

"No..."

"Yes!" He snapped

"No...Billie Joe, you don't understand. I ran out of the fucking hotel last night, CRYING because of YOU. And you know what?! MIKE helped me last night. MIKE brought me into his suit, and helped me stop crying. MIKE was there for me...MIKE is my friend"

Billie Joe looked at me, his arms still crossed.

"You weren't the only one heart broken last night. I waited up, half the night waiting for you to come to bed. So I could talk to you, smooth everything out...be happy again. I thought we could sort everything out, and then of course you slapped me...and that almost ended one of the worst fuckin days. You know how many fuckin tears I cried last night!? Thinking about all the shit that's been happening?!"

"None.." I muttered

"No" He said, looking down, "Probably as much as you. This is shit what we're going through. Complete Shit!"

"I know!" I cried, not being able to hold back to tears anymore, "Don't you think I fucking know, Billie Joe?! I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid! All we've been doing is fighting! I want to stop fighting! I hadn't planned on coming to New York City to fight! I planned to come here, and be happy! But I can't!! Because ALL we do is fight!"

"I know..." He whispered, looking down, "I wanted to have a really good time...with you. But nothing is going good"

I slid back against the wall, and put my head in my hands, crying. Billie Joe looked at me, and kneeled down, becoming eye level with me.

"Don't cry..." He whispered, putting his hand on my shoulder, "Please..."

Billie Joe hesitated, before pulling me into a hug, rocking us back and forth gently.

"I don't want this to happen, Billie Joe...I want us to be okay..."

"Heh...kissing other guys isn't going to help"

I smiled weakly, and looked up at Billie Joe. The fire in his eyes was gone... And he was trying to get me to smile, now.

"Come on," He said, helping me up, "Let's just get out of this fuckin hotel. Get away from the people in here" He said, "Maybe it would help us..."

I nodded, and stood up, letting Billie Joe continue to hold me. I loved that feeling...being in his arms.

"I'll be right back..." I said to Billie Joe, heading toward Mike and Tre's suit, "I need to get your jacket..."

Billie Joe smiled weakly, and nodded.

I walked into Tre and Mike's suit, to find Mike laying down, and even Tre being silent. I walked to the bed I had stayed in the night before, and grabbed Billie Joe's jacket. Mike jumped up, and started to ask me questions.

"Are you okay? Where's Billie Joe? What-"

"We're going out for a while...we're gonna try to clear everything up..."

Mike nodded, and smiled "Awesome"

I smiled, and looked down.

"Thanks for everything, Mikey...you really helped me last night"

Mike smiled, "Any time"

I hugged Mike quickly, before walking out of the suit with Billie Joe's jacket, to find him not there. I looked around, before going down the stairs to see Billie Joe outside smoking a cigarette.

I walked out the door, and walked up to him. He looked up at me after taking a drag of his cigarette, and smiled weakly.

"Sorry," He mumbled, "I just came down here to have a cigarette...then I was going to back up"

I smiled, "No problem"

I sat down on the step next to him, and looked down at the feet of people walking by. Occasionally some people would stop, and look at Billie Joe and me, as we sat there in silence.

Billie Joe finished his cigarette, and flicked it onto the ground before looking up at me.

"You ready?"

I nodded, "Mhm"

Billie Joe stood up, and helped me up.

"I'm hungry..." Billie Joe said, after a couple minutes

"Mhm..me too"

"Know anywhere where we could go, city girl?"

"City girl?" I smirked

"Well, I figured since you snuck down here so much when you were 18, like the time you showed me on your cell phone a couple days ago"

"Aah...Now I remember. Yes, I use to sneak down here a lot"

Billie Joe smiled, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "Exactly, city girl"

I smiled, and looked around.

"Oh! I know where we could go! I went there last night...and met a girl there, she was really nice...gave me some advice"

Billie Joe smiled, "All right, then let's go"

We both walked down to the place I had gone the night before, and spilled out my emotions there. As soon as I opened the door, I saw the girl.

"Hey! It's you!" She yelled, not seeing Billie Joe behind me

I smiled and walked in, Billie Joe close behind me.

"Yeah, it's me" I said, smiling

"So how'd everything go?" she asked, leaning on the counter, still not noticing Billie Joe.

"It's a long story...really long..." I said, and then remembered Billie Joe, "Oh yeah. Billie Joe, this is..erm..Oh my god...I never caught your name" I said, looking at her

The lady smiled, and looked at Billie Joe, and then to me.

"Emily, but everyone calls me Emmy"

I smiled, and turned to Billie Joe.

"Okay...Billie Joe, this is Emmy, the one who had to listen to me last night, and Emmy, this is Billie Joe, the one you had to listen about last night"

Billie Joe smiled, and looked down sheepishly. Emmy smiled at him, and shook his hand, before turning back to me, and whispering to me

"See...I told you everything would work out"

I smiled, and looked back at Billie Joe who was looking around the place.

"We're...trying...really hard" I said back to her, "This morning...I sorta...kissed his best friend..."

Emmy looked at me, her eyes wide.

"Why?!"

"Because last night...we got into another fight...and then I ran out...because I hit him....and Mike helped...it's a long story"

"Mike helped you hit Billie Joe?!"

"What?! No! Like I said...it's a long story"

"Oh..."

I looked back at Billie Joe, who was looking at some pictures on the walls of the place.

"But I regret every bit of it..." I added, after a moment

"Hmm?"

"I regret kissing Mike, and I regret hitting him...and you know why"

"Cuz' your in l-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever" I muttered, looking down

Billie Joe walked over to where me and Emmy were, and looked back at the wall.

"Are those real signatures?" He asked

"Yep, their real" Emmy said, going behind the counter.

"They got the ramones over there!" Billie Joe exclaimed, out of the blue

Emmy started laughing, along with me.

"What?" He asked, looking at me and her, "That's pretty fuckin cool!!"

"Yeah...We don't have Green Day's though" Emmy smirked, noticing Billie Joe wasn't listening

"Really? Weird"

"Yeah...you know them?"

"Huh? Oh...no..."

I burst out laughing. Billie Joe looked at me weirdly.

"What?" He asked, confused

"N...Nothing" I said, still laughing, "But when you meet Green Day, be sure to tell them I said hi"

Billie Joe looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Ugh...sure...I'll get right to it" he said, slowly, looking at me like I was an idiot

Emmy held back a laugh, while I continued to laugh as Billie Joe gave me weird looks.

After a while, Billie Joe had had something to eat, talked to Emmy for a little bit, and then made our way back into the city.

"Billie Joe?" I asked, after a moment

"Hmmm?"

"Why did you forgive me? For first of all, kissing Mike?"

Billie Joe sighed, and looked at me.

"Because I did the same thing..."

My heart stopped. What?!

Billie Joe noticed the look on my face, and shook his head, smiling weakly.

"When you saw me kiss Adie," He said.

I let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh"

"Yeah...And yeah...you freaked out, not that I didn't deserve it, but you didn't do really anything after...If I had made a huge deal out of all this...it would have made sence, "he sighed, "But not after you forgave me...and it's not that I'm so pissed off at you...it's Mike..."

I stopped, and looked at him, "Mike?"

"Yeah...he's my best fuckin friend, y'know? For most of my life, too. So if we're best friends, why would he go and fuckin kiss my girlfriend? Why wouldn't he help both of us out, by not doing that shit? I know he wants to be there...for...you. But he could at least think of how we're just fighting...and have some sense"

I nodded, and looked down, "So...why did you forgive me...when I...hit you?"

Billie Joe sighed again. "I've been hit...so many times. I've been punched in the face by Mike, kicked in the head by my brothers and sisters when I was little, and been beat up a couple pretty fuckin hard times, not to mention bein slapped by Adrienne, and a bunch of other crap. I just...took it hard...because...I was hit by you. I know I deserved it...but-"

"The thing is...you didn't deserve it. I just, snapped. Because it sounded like you were...I dunno..." I whispered, looking down.

Billie Joe sighed, and took out a cigarette.

"Mind if I...?"

I shook my head, and looked down.

"I don't care"

Billie Joe nodded, and lit his cigarette as we kept walking. I hadn't even noticed that we were walking back to the hotel. I looked up at Billie Joe, who exhaled smoke, and looked over at me.

"I don't wanna fight..." he muttered, looking down.

"Neither do I, I hate it"

"Me too...We're so damn stubborn that we do fight, though"

I nodded, as Billie Joe took another drag of his cigarette.

"That we are...that we are"

We stayed out of the hotel, talking, and well, making up, until we decided to head back to the room for a little bit.

Billie Joe unlocked the door our suite, and let me go in first, following me close behind.

"I'm gonna go change" I said to Billie Joe, "I've been in this since yesterday..."

He nodded, "All right"

I walked into the bedroom, and looked for my suit cases.

"Oh, yeah" Billie Joe said, coming up to me, "I put your suitcases over there"

I looked at where he had been pointing, and saw my suitcases.

"Aah, thanks" I said, before walking over to them, picking one up, and placing it on the bed.

I looked through my suitcase, for somethin to wear, when I felt someone kiss the back of my neck. I turned around to see Billie Joe standing there, looking at me, his arms around my waist.

Before I could even get a word in, Billie Joe pressed his lips up against mine, making my knees go weak. He backed us up against the bed, laying me down next to my suitcase.

This time, I didn't even try to stop him, because truthfully, I didn't want to.

Billie Joe pushed the suitcase out of the way, climbing on top of the bed, leaning over me. He fumbled with his jacket, that I hadn't taken off, considering it had been cold outside.

He got the jacket off, and pushed it off the bed, along with the suitcase, which landed with a loud thud.

There was a knock on the door...

of course.

"Hey, Billie Joe, everything okay in there? We heard something fall"

It had been Tre. Billie Joe ignored Tre, now fumbling with my belt buckle.

"If you don't at least yell back to him...he's gonna come in here..." I whispered, pulling away for a moment

Billie Joe looked at me, hesitated, before yelling back to Tre.

"Yeah, we're fine buddy. Mandy's suitcase just fell" He yelled

"All right...so your okay?"

Tre hadn't even been there for 2 minutes, and Billie Joe was getting frustrated.

"Yeah, we're both fine!"

"All right, but remember we have-"

"I know! I know!" Billie Joe interrupted Tre

"Okay, okay, jeez. Try to help a fella-"

"Bye Tre!" Billie Joe yelled, before dropping himself on top of me, still trying to get the belt buckle un-done.

Tre walked away, and we heard talking coming from the room next to us, but we both ignored it.

"Do you have any idea what Tre was trying to remind you of?" I asked after a moment

Billie Joe looked down at me, and shook his head.

"I have no fuckin clue...but it got him to go away"

***********

"Billie Joe!!!!!"

Billie Joe's eyes snapped open, hearing someone call his name. We had both fallen asleep after our afternoon "activities"

"Did you call me?" He whispered, lazily lifting his head from the pillow to see if I was awake.

"Hmm?" I hummed, my eyes closed.

"Did you just call me?"

"No...I was asleep" I said, my eyes still closed.

"The who called me?" He wondered aloud

"I dunno..."

It was silent before there was a pounding at our door.

"Billie Jooooeee!!"

Billie Joe dropped his head back on the pillow, and sighed, before lazily yelling "Yeah?"

"Get your ass out here! We need to leave! We have to go to the TRL place!! Remember?! The show we have to do today!!"

Billie Joe sighed, closing his eyes again.

"It's tomorrow" He responded, pulling me closer to him.

"No it's not!! It's today!"

"No, Tre, it's on like the 7th..."

"It is the 7th!!"

"Then it's on the 8th"

"Get your lazy ass out here!! We need to go! It's 3:00!"

"The show starts at 5..."

"You asshole!! You're the asshole that told me that we have to be there at 3 yesterday!! So get your ass outta bed before I have to kick it!"

"Can't we be fashionably late?" Billie Joe responded, pulling his arm from under the duvet to rub the tiredness out of his eyes.

"NO!"

"Fine...wait out there, fuckhead" He muttered, pissed off at Tre

"No! I have a cab right now, so if you're not fuckin there in 15 minutes I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Okay..."

Tre kicked the door, before stomping off down the hall way, and into the lobby.

"What's up with Tre?" I asked, turning to face Billie Joe

Billie Joe shrugged, looking at me. "Probably pissed off..."

I let out a laugh.

"You really think so?"

Billie Joe smirked, and dropped his head back on the pillow, still looking at me. Except for Tre yelling at Billie Joe, this was the perfect moment.

"I have to get ready, though" Billie Joe said, frowning, "As much as I really don't want to..."

I smiled, and kissed his forehead.

"Yeah...but I really do think Tre will kick your ass...so you probably should"

Billie Joe smiled, nodded, and sat up. He leaned over, and kissed me quickly, before grabbing his clothes to take a shower.

"If Tre calls...which he will...tell him...well...just make something up" Billie Joe said, before going into the bathroom.

Sure enough, after I had managed to find my hoodie on the bottom of my suitcase, Tre had called Billie Joe's cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Where the fuck is he!?"

"Ugh...shower?"

"WHAT?!"

"Relax, mad man. He's taking a shower before he's heading down there. Why are you in such a bad mood?"

"Because him and fuckin Mike are bein ass holes about each other, and it's driving me fuckin crazy!"

"Hey Tre?"

"What?!"

"Better keep your...Cool"

I waited for a moment, before hearing the dial tone. I started to laugh my ass off, as Billie Joe stepped out of the bathroom.

"What's so funny?" He asked, looking in the mirror, trying to put his eyeliner on.

"I just got hung up on by Tre" I said, laughing

Billie Joe laughed, and tried to get his hair how he wanted it.

"All right..." He said, looking at me, "Come to that TRL place, or whatever you call it, at 4...okay?"

"In an hour?"

"Yeah" He said, nodding, "So we have an hour before the show, and then we can leave together and shit"

I smiled, "All right"

Billie Joe opened the door, leading to the hall way.

"So, I'll see later," He said kissing my cheek

"Yup, see ya then"

Billie Joe kissed my cheek one more time, before whispering what I had always wanted to hear my whole life into my ear.

"I...love you"

And with that, he made a quick escape out the door, leaving me standing there.

It took me a moment before I realized what he had just said.

He had said it...the 3 words I had wanted to hear. The smile on my face widened, and my knees went weak. My heart swelled and my brain exploded.

He loved me.