It's Not As Easy As It Looks

It was Monday, and I was back to work (after having Sunday off and just lounging around the hotel for the day). I was really looking forward to actually taking photographs today, but Wade told me there was important business to do, concerning a Visa. Now those things allow me to stay in the country – and I currently only had a temporary working visa. Both Wade and I wanted a full term one--I was hoping for a green card.

If it was anything like claiming a passport then I was prepared to run into a wall screaming future insanity. I hated it. I hated filling out forms, proving I lived somewhere and did something. Plus it meant I had to get references – like off workers, colleagues… sure that sounds fine, until I realised it was workers and colleagues in England, and I don’t plan on visiting the Hellmouth anytime soon, thank you.

Today I wasn’t taking a cab, instead I was in a limo with the three rock stars, and was heading to the studio. I overheard them talk about an interview later on, meaning they weren’t going to be there to take pictures for that long. Honestly, I don’t see the point, I guess they are staying in New York for other things rather than just the photographs; they appeared to have the busiest schedule ever.

I looked at the three of them and smiled, I didn’t have enough courage to spark up a conversation with them, luckily for me, though, Tré – who was sat opposite me in the limo spoke to me. “So what do you think?”

Luckily I wasn’t in a pensive mood, and I had actually paid attention to the three. “You should probably hire an assistant,” I simply said, smiling as I did.

“Good idea… that could totally help organise schedules and shit,” Billie replied, his eyes lighting up.

Tré was bubblier then I had seen him in the four days I had known him. “I’d totally hire a hot chick, you know, with a great ass.”

I arched my eyebrow at the older man and then sighed. “Men,” I muttered under my breath, getting evil looks from the rest.

“Well, I don’t like it. I like being in charge of my life – organised or not, I prefer it this way,” Mike said, honestly. I grinned at him – liking his look on his own life, compared to Tré’s comment, I preferred Mike’s personality at the moment. “But a hot assistant would be awesome,” He replied, high fiving the guys and laughing. I rolled my eyes and went into a pensive mood.

“Women are complicated,” my ears had defiantly perked up. “I want to fix it, but it’s like she won’t let me,” I honestly thought Billie Joe and Adrienne would last an eternity, but I guess even true romance has it floors.

I nervously picked lint off my trousers, knowing it was bad to eavesdrop, but sound does not stop entering my ears – there was not an invisible barrier surrounding me that was stopping me from listening. “I think it’s Derrick,” My eyes widened and decided it was best to just forget I had ever heard anything.

We arrived at the building (which was called the Edom building,) and piled out of the limo, but, when I turned around after only reaching the entrance, I saw Green Day still talking in the back of the limo. I sighed and turned to go into the building – this was not my place to dwell in, it was their problem, not mine.

Then I realised – today I was shooting Green Day, I couldn’t do it if they weren’t following me. I turned around sharply and started heading quickly to the sidewalk, I started to panic when the limo we arrived in was no longer there, and there was no sign of the trio. Bloody Houdini’s…

I let out another sigh, though this one was more aggravated as I started to walk to the Edom building. I heard a vibration and quickly opened my bag to find my flip phone. I opened it up, and saw the caller ID, I slammed it against my ear, frowning. “What’s up?”

I heard a chuckle on the other end of the line, before that rough male voice I was used to come into play. “Do any of my employees say hello anymore?” He joked, before his tone became more serious. “Shoot is cancelled, and the boys are flying home.”

“W-What, why? They were fine in the limo, they never mentioned anything about retiring back home,” I was honestly flabbergasted, mainly just so I could use that word, and mainly because the only thing that sprung to mind was this Derrick guy, but that really didn’t involve all of the Green Day members, unless they really were a trio through thick and thin.

“Just some minor issues,” He replied with, sounding like he knew more but didn’t want to share with me. I wasn’t a close friend or family so I completely understood him staying silent. I heard him sigh deeply into his phone, as I stood on the street, looking up to the building. “We can get your visa application forms and start filling them out today, anyways.”

Ugh… paper work, and as if by some natural instinct my head fell into the palms of my hands as I also sighed. “Okay, sure, what do you want me to do?”

“Come to my office, I’ll take you to the Post Office in a town car,” Wade directed, as I walked into the building and walked to the elevator.

If I get stuck again, I’m quitting.

***

Town cars weren’t as nice as limos, I found out, as I stepped into one, clutching some application forms I had just picked up with the help of Wade, one of the nicest bosses I had ever worked with.

“Go to your hotel and fill these out, head over to the office, and we’ll go through them, post them, and see about moving you with the guys back to California,” Wade explained, getting out a pen and a piece of paper and scrawling his off-work number onto it, handing it to me with the pen included. “Just in case you don’t have a pen, and you get stuck with what to fill out.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Why, thanks, knight in shining armour.”

I was dropped off at the hotel, as I watched the town car pull away and join the terrible congestion of New York City. I walked towards my room, climbing the stairs for the much needed exercise. Once I got inside I looked to the application forms in one hand and pen in the other. I closed my eyes and deeply exhaled.

I’ll do it later.

I walked over to my window and looked down at the bustling streets below me. I wish I could be out there, pretending I had a life, family, friends and a stable career, here in New York. I want to be working in a magazine of some sorts – but how on Earth will I ever manage that?

Well, first, I guess I start with these.

I picked up my application forms and grabbed the black biro Wade had lent me. It is time to start living in that dream reality.

***

“How about Christmas carols?”

Mike sighed, but his patience didn’t waver – he had known Mr. Cool for way, way too long now. He could actually put up with him, amazing as it seems. “When I suggested a fun activity to do whilst Billie is visiting Adrienne, I didn’t suggest making the whole town turn against us – this is Oakland, not the North Pole, besides it’s the twelfth.”

“Why do you do that?” Tré asked, scooting over to his friend on the black leather couch in Mike’s house, when Mike dumbly asked what, Tré groaned and rolled his eyes. “Have to think of a long boring speech as to why I can’t do something.”

“Because, Tré, someone has to,” Mike replied honestly, before his face creased into a smile. “Someone has to keep things in order around here.”

The best friends shared a laugh, but deep down inside both were worried about Billie Joe and Adrienne Armstrong’s marriage.

***

Billie walked up to his door, nervously biting his nails and running a hand through his dark and damp hair, he slowly opened the door and his two sons ran up to him. "Daddy!" Jakob, the youngest screamed out with delight, his voice belting down the corridor of the house.

"Hey guys,” He replied, calmly, though his eyes were searching the house for unsettled clues that pointed to his wife’s mischief.

"I thought you weren’t coming back until like, I don’t know in a month or something," Joey said, leaning against the banister to the stairs as Billie closed the door quietly.

"I was, but I need to talk to your mother," He replied, quietly, looking into his son’s face to see sadness suddenly spread across it like a wild fire.

Joey looked away, tears stinging his eyes. "She's out."

"W-Where..?" Billie asked, cautiously.

"A... A restaurant," Joey cried, as Jakob took over.

"She went with a guy called Derrick... he looked just like the next door neighbour," Billie growled with anger, biting his teeth, although under his anger, his heart had just broken like a pane of glass falling to the floor. He couldn’t let it show in front of his children, so he told them to play in the living room.

Exhaling deeply, Billie nodded to himself, almost assuring himself everything was going to be fine, though on the exterior, Billie’s body didn’t agree – his face had become pale and clammy as he started to slowly walk up the stairs. It was a wonder how he managed to get upstairs with his legs that were shaking and wobbling like a fresh plate of jelly, he didn’t know or care how he got into his room, but he did, and damn he was so weak and fragile, tearing up inside.

He closed the door with a creak and slowly slumped down it, drawing his knees close to his chest and draping his arms over the top of them and resting his head on top of them, he cried, he cried because he flew out to see his wife and repair the cracks, but ended up in making more, and Billie knew what to do, but he couldn’t even imagine it. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d be in this place – his marriage was a fairy tale, this was NOT in the plan for his life.

His tilted his head up, his blurry vision looking at the room. All he could think of was the times he had sex with his wife on the bed he was staring at, but now, all he could think of was his wife having sex with Derrick, a man whose dick remained on his forehead., having sex on that sacred bed, the bed he had slept on for so long, now tainted with evil thoughts.

He blurted out crying, his hand rushing up to his mouth to muffle himself. God if his sons heard and asked what was wrong – that would kill his heart even more! How could he break the news to his two little kids, who don’t fully understand life yet?

He knew he had to take legal action – a separation, perhaps a divorce. He couldn’t be married to a cheater, and a liar. No, they both swore not to on their marriage day, so why should their vows change for pleasure? They never should.

Billie snapped out of his thoughts, he got up and stumbled a bit, trying to maintain his posture.

"I'm home kids!" It was a woman’s voice, it was her voice. He wasn’t even ready to see himself in the mirror, yet, so in no way did he want to see the woman that put him in this mood. Billie sighed, bottling up courage to open the door ajar, and listen.

“Where’s Derrick?” He heard Joey say, probably wanting to stick up for his dad. Adrienne went to protest as Billie heard her stutter and he heard Joey sniffle – breaking Billie’s heart. “Don’t play dumb – I know you are dating Derrick, and I know that’s bad because Suzie’s dad did that, and her mother got a divorce.”

“I don’t want to be an orphan!” Jakob cried out, not quite getting it at quite a young age. “WHY! HE STOLE MY BALL!”

There was no reply to the crying children, but heavy footsteps on the stairs. Billie shut the door and bolted it up – keeping his back on the door.

He realised there was something wrong with him as black dots faintly appeared over his eyes, muttering crap, Billie went to stand up and grab a paper bag to inhale from, but as he fell just as quick as he got up, landing with a hard crash.

“Billie, open up,” His wife, pleaded. “Honey,” but that pleading voice she had used all these years felt empty to Billie, nothing was there – it was all substance. When Adrienne got no reply, she tried to open the door, failing at that she decided to knock loudly. “Are you okay, honey?”

He wished for her to stop calling him honey, every time he did a knife was stabbed into his heart, and his breathing became shallower. "Billie? Come on let me in please."

His heart rate slowly dropped.

"Come on, open up, we need to talk."

His pulse became faint.

"Billie? Are you okay in there?"

He slowly dropped to the floor, not moving.