No One Knows

"Jessie... "

She stirred, slowly turning toward the sound of the voice and sleepily opening one eye, squinting until Annie's face came into focus.

"I'm going to help my Mom with breakfast at the restaurant... just thought I'd let you know."

"Mmmkay," Jessie mumbled into her pillow.

"I'll probably be back around noon or something."
"Uh huh," said Jessie, closing her eyes again.

She listened as Annie descended the stairs, her voice drifting back up them as she talked to Ollie in the hallway, before the front door closed and she heard Ollie's car pull away. She opened her eyes again.

After groggily staggering across the landing, Jessie pulled open the door to Billie Joe's room, where he was still fast asleep, spread out diagonally across his bed. She smiled a little, before clambering onto the bed next to him, rolling him onto his side and wrapping her arms around him. He murmured something she couldn't make out.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep," she whispered, planting a kiss on his temple before curling closely against his back.
"Annie... " he mumbled, with vague concern.
"At the restaurant."

Billie Joe smiled without opening his eyes, pulling Jessie's arms tighter around himself before they both slipped back into a peaceful sleep.

Jessie was woken again a couple of hours later by Billie Joe leaning over her, propped up on his elbow as he dropped warm kisses onto her neck.

"Hey," he smiled, as she sleepily opened her eyes.
"Hey," she smiled back as he kissed her lips and she wondered if this might be the nicest way she had ever been woken up in her whole life. She watched the flecks of brown in his eyes as they searched her face.
"Do I get breakfast in bed today?" she asked, hopefully.

He smiled, then kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"Nope," he said, "We have to get up. Annie'll be getting back any minute."
"Your Mom's shifts at the restaurant always overrun," Jessie reminded him, as her hand found his under the bed sheets.

Billie Joe smiled as he kissed her again.

"I know," he said, "But we can't take the risk and you're supposed to be going to work."

Jessie groaned, burying her face in his neck. She hadn't thought about that. Right then, all she wanted to do was stay in bed with him the whole day. When she thought about it, she decided she could probably stay in bed with him the whole week if she got the chance.

"Okay," she sighed, "You're right."
"Of course," he smiled, as they kissed once more.

"Decided to show up then?" Eddie smirked, when Jessie arrived at the record store. Granted she was running a little late. Saying goodbye to Billie Joe was starting to become a lengthy process.

"Sorry," she muttered, smiling a little because she knew that he really couldn't care less.

"You know if the guys are ready for their gig tomorrow?" Eddie asked, as Jessie dumped her back pack on the counter and hopped over it.
"I think so," she said, "How about you?"
"Hell, yes," he smiled, "I think we're gonna have a lot of people comin' down. I stuck up a lot of posters and a lot of people have asked me about it."
"Awesome."
"Is Ollie comin' down?"
"Yeah. And Annie too. Billie's sister. She kinda turned up the other day."
"That's cool," said Eddie.

Their conversation was interrupted by a burst of customers that required them to actually do some work, before business quietened down again and Eddie turned back to Jessie.

"Any news about your Dad?" he asked, quietly.

Jessie felt her stomach sink a little at the mention if it. She had been trying to put it out of her head but it seemed everybody else was refusing to put it out of theirs.

"No," she said.
"How're you holdin' up?"

She looked down at the counter, where she was doodling on the front of a magazine.

"Oh, y'know... " she muttered, "Holding. I'll be okay. It's not like I'm on my own."
"Yeah," said Eddie, thoughtfully, "Billie Joe and Ollie have been pretty damn sweet to you haven't they?"

Jessie nodded, a small smile crossing her lips.

"I don't know what I'd do without them," she admitted.

She paused, before she spoke again.

"I'm kind of worried though," she said, quietly, "Because... its my birthday this weekend and... I think it might remind him that I exist."
"He wouldn't dare try anything now," Eddie reassured her, "He's got the cops after him. He'd be an idiot to do anything other than keep a low profile."
"I don't think you know my Dad very well," Jessie smirked, and Eddie gave her a sympathetic smile.

He sighed.

"So," he said, his tone brightening, "This weekend. The big one- seven"
"It's hardly big," Jessie smiled, shyly, "There's nothing big about the one- seven."
"I'm sure we could find something big about it," Eddie reasoned, "How are you gonna celebrate?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't really care right now."
"Does Billie know it's your birthday coming up?"
"Yeah... why?"
"Well, I would have thought he'd want to do something to mark the occasion?"

Jessie felt herself begin to blush, so she looked back at her doodle.

"Why?"

Eddie raised an eyebrow.

"Because he's your friend, and you two are all of a sudden some kind of inseparable double act."

Jessie stopped doodling and looked up.

"Inseparable? I don't see him anywhere around here now."

Eddie smirked,

"And how are you coping?"
"Just fine thanks," she said, lightly as a customer approached the desk and she turned back to her magazine, "And I think this one's yours."

Returning home that afternoon, Jessie arrived to find the house quiet and apparently empty. Ollie's car wasn't parked on the driveway, so she figured she and Annie were out in it somewhere, and that Billie Joe was most likely at band practice, doing some last minute preparation for the show at Eastside Records.

As she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes fell on Billie Joe's guitar in its case on the table, and she paused, a slight frown appearing on her face. It was unusual for that guitar to be in the house when Billie Joe wasn't, because she couldn't think of anywhere he ever went that didn't involve him taking it with him. It was a rare sight to see Billie Joe leave the house without it slung over his shoulder.

"Billie!" she called.

No answer.

"Billie Joe!"

Frowning thoughtfully, Jessie peered into the downstairs rooms, before heading towards the stairs.

"Bi -ill!" she called, as she neared the top.

Unable to find any sight of him, she shrugged to herself, deciding that she obviously wasn't as clued up on his behavior as she thought, and headed to her room to dump her backpack.

No sooner had she walked through the doorway, than she felt a pair of hands grab her waist from behind. Jessie let out a sound that was half way between a gasp and a scream as she felt her heart jump into her throat and her breath get lost in her chest. Panic and adrenaline washed over her in the fraction of a second it took for her to whirl round, meeting a familiar face creased in laughter.

"Fucking hell Billie Joe!" she yelled, as he struggled to catch his breath, one hand clutching his stomach and the other wrapping around Jessie's waist. She pulled his hands away from her and shoved him backwards.

Billie Joe opened his mouth to speak but the only thing that came out was a torrent of girlish laughter. Jessie scowled, breathing deeply as she attempted to calm herself back down, her heart racing.

"What the hell was that for?!" Jessie demanded, folding her arms across her chest and drawing herself up to her full height, so that her eyes would have been almost level with his, were he not still doubled over in giggles.

"I'm sorry," he gasped.

She couldn't help the corners of her mouth turning up at the sight of him, but she forced herself to remain straight-faced.

"Yeah, Billie. You look really pained with guilt right now."

He grinned as his laughter finally subsided and he raised his eyes up to her face.

"You know, you look pretty when you scowl."

Jessie smirked.

"That was a lame attempt to win me over," she said, her words contradicted slightly by the fact that Billie Joe was now wrapping his arms around her, and she wasn't pushing him away.

He giggled into her neck, leaving a kiss below her ear.

"Sorry," he smiled against her skin, "I just smoked this huge joint with Mike and I felt like doing something stupid."

Jessie giggled too.

"So you thought you'd make me shit my pants by jumping out at me for no reason at all."
"Mmmhmm," he murmured, moving his mouth to her lips.
"That was mean," Jessie smiled, as she pulled away from his kiss.

He grinned,

"Didn't you ever play hide and seek as a kid?" he asked.
"Sure," she said, "Hide and seek. Not hide and scare the living crap out of girlfriends. You're meant to stay hidden, Bill."

He smiled.

"I'll give you a rematch if you like," he said, quirking an eyebrow as he pressed the palm of his hand against Jessie's and their fingers linked together.

She giggled.

"Okay," she said, "But this time, I'm hiding."

"Ohh," he protested, with a small groan, "but you'll just try and scare the shit out of me to get me back..."

Jessie gave him a devilish grin.

"Are you scared?" she asked.
"... No."
"So count to twenty. Actually, make that fifty."
"How fucking far are you going?" he asked incredulously, "Can't I just count to ten?"

Jessie grinned as she turned him around by the shoulders so that he was facing the wall.

"Fifty," she said, ruffling his hair, "No cheating."
"Okay... " he smiled, reluctantly.

Jessie grinned as she tiptoed out of the room.

"Twenty Mississippi... . Nineteen Mississippi... ."
"It was fifty!" Jessie yelled from outside the door, "Fucking cheater!"

Billie Joe laughed.

"Okay, okay," he grinned, "Fifty Mississippi... "

Jessie crept down the stairs, listening to Billie Joe's counting get quieter, before she hurriedly scanned her surroundings for somewhere good to hide. She couldn't help laughing to herself as she frantically hunted about, realizing the last time she had had this still-familiar last-minute panic she was probably about eight years old.

She had just heard Billie Joe get down to five Mississippis when she spotted the store cupboard under the stairs and gratefully pulled the door open. Stepping over the vacuum cleaner and various other obstacles she couldn't make out in the darkness, she pulled the door shut just in time before she heard Billie Joe yell,
"Ready or Not!"

Jessie grinned to herself in the darkness when she heard his pounding footsteps directly above her head, as he flew down the stairs two at a time. For a couple of minutes, she remained silent, listening to him clattering about in the downstairs rooms and muttering to himself, or to her, she couldn't really tell. Then she heard him chuckle as he came nearer to the cupboard door.

"Gotcha," he smirked, as he pulled it open.

Jessie laughed.

"This is a lame hiding place," he remarked.
"Why?" she asked defensively.
"Cupboard under the stairs? Obvious?"
"Not enough for you," Jessie pointed out with a smile, "I could hear you searching about."
"Well," he smiled, "I had to at least pretend it was a challenge."

Jessie poked him in the stomach.

"Sure you did," she smiled, resting her hands on his hips.

Billie Joe looked over Jessie's shoulder into the cupboard, a small smirk playing on his lips as he thoughtfully took in her surroundings.

"What's that look for?" Jessie asked, eying him suspiciously.
"I was just thinking this might not be so lame after all," he replied, an impish grin spreading across his face as he pushed Jessie back into the cupboard and closed the door.

Jessie laughed, gripping onto his shirt as he pressed them up against the wall, then moving her hands to his face as he leaned in towards her in the darkness. Jessie drew in a breath of anticipation before his mouth came down against hers and she moved her hand to his hair, pulling him closer.

Billie Joe placed his hand on Jessie's cheek as he deepened their kiss, before the sound of the front door opening startled them apart and they looked up as Annie's voice filtered through the cupboard door.

"Fuck... " Billie Joe whispered, his heart beat quickening. How were they going to explain this?

Jessie slid her hand into his and he held it tightly.

"We have to escape," she whispered.
"They'll see us!" he whispered back, "They're right there!"

They both drew in a breath as they heard Ollie walk past the cupboard, pressing themselves into the corner as if it would make a difference how far away from the door they were if she decided to open it.

"Think of an excuse," Billie Joe whispered, desperately.
"Are you fucking kidding me? What possible excuse is there?"
"I don't know. You're supposed to be the brains in this partnership."
"I wish I could have recorded you saying that."
He sniggered despite himself before Annie walked past yelling something about making coffee and he sucked in his breath.

"What if Ollie decides to vacuum or something?" Jessie whispered, nervously.
"Then we're fucked."

The pair looked towards the slanted ceiling as they heard footsteps going up the stairs.

"Now's our chance," Billie Joe whispered, urgently. "Annie's in the kitchen, and Mom's upstairs."
"What if Annie-"
"We have to take the risk," he whispered, moving towards the door and pressing his ear against it. "I'll go first."
"What the fuck! You're not leaving me in here, you bastard!"

He rolled his eyes, even though he knew she couldn't see.

"Whatever, Miss. Problem-With-Everything, you go first."

Jessie pushed Billie Joe out of the way and opened the door slowly, allowing a slither of light to their eyes. Annie's back was turned. She opened the door just enough to squeeze out of it and walked into the kitchen, closing the kitchen door behind her.

"Hey Annie!" she said, breathlessly.

Annie jumped, turning around.

"Shit, where did you come from?"
"Uh... you know... work?"
"Huh. I didn't hear you come in."
"That's cause I'm stealthy," Jessie replied, as she heard Billie Joe emerge from the cupboard outside the room.

Annie laughed a little.

"You got that right," she said, as Billie Joe walked into the kitchen.
"Oh, hey Billie," Jessie greeted him innocently.
"Hi," he smirked, as Annie turned towards him, an eyebrow raised.

She looked as if she were about to ask him something, when she was thankfully interrupted by the sound of an engine noise on the driveway, and she looked out of the window.

"Who do we know that has a motorbike?" she asked.
"Why?"
"Because there's one parking up on our driveway right now and... oh, it's your little green-haired friend."
"Tre?"

Jessie and Billie Joe left the room and opened the front door to see Tre standing next to a beat up motorcycle, which was parked next to Ollie's car with some dubious looking emissions coming out of the back. Jessie thought it looked like he'd put it together himself.

"Hey Tre," Billie Joe grinned, "Hot new wheels."
"You like it?" Tre asked, "I put it together myself."

Jessie giggled.

"Shit, man, really?" Billie Joe asked, with interest, hopping down the porch steps towards the bike to get a closer look.
"Yeah," said Tre, bending over to examine the exhaust, "But it doesn't sound too sweet. I think something's up with it."
"Hmm," said Billie Joe, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets and stooping down next to Tre, "Perhaps something to do with your calipers... "
"On the mounting brackets? They should be sliding properly. I just checked that out before I left... "

Jessie took a seat on the porch steps in the sun, watching the two boys fiddling about with wrenches and oil cans like they knew what they were doing, and discussing engine mechanics in a masculine way. It wasn't long before the bike was sounding much healthier, and Jessie couldn't help but be impressed.

"Hah!" cried Tre, triumphantly, as he revved the engine, "That sounds sexy as fuck!"
"Sure does," Billie Joe agreed, putting his hands on his hips. He was up to his elbows in engine oil.

"Awesome," smiled Jessie, "Can I have a ride?"
"Sure," replied Tre, tossing her a spare helmet.

"Hold on, okay?" Billie Joe told Jessie as she sat on the back of the bike, ready to go

Jessie smiled.

"That is such a parent thing to say Billie," she said.

He held up his hands.

"Well, sorry for caring!" he grinned, as Tre started the engine.

Jessie wasn't surprised to find that Tre was a pretty scary driver, but she loved the feeling of cruising around the city on the back of the bike with the wind in her hair. She felt kind of awkward about gripping onto Tre so tightly, but quickly decided that the awkwardness was preferable to certain death, so she wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning into the bends as he took them out as far as the marina and back, before pulling up on the Armstrongs' driveway again, where Billie Joe was waiting on the porch steps.

"How was it?" he smiled.
"Awesome!" Jessie grinned, enthusiastically as she pulled her helmet off.
"Cool," smiled Billie Joe.

"You wanna test drive too?" Tre asked Billie Joe, passing him the spare helmet.
"Uh... sure," Billie Joe smiled, pleased Tre had offered.
"Great, man, hop on."

Tre took Billie Joe on the same route he had taken Jessie, and as Billie Joe perched no the back of the bike watching the city whizz by in a colorful blur, he couldn't help feeling a flicker of warm relief that he was doing stuff like this with Tre again, and that the tension was slowly easing off.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, than Tre was slowing down, parking up at the marina and twisting to look at Billie Joe over his shoulder. Billie Joe raised his eyebrows as the chugging of the engine slowed, before it died completely.

"What're we stopping here for?" he asked, as Tre got off the bike and took off his helmet, his green hair flattened out against his forehead.
"I just wanted to take some time out," Tre replied.
"... Okay," replied Billie Joe uncertainly, remaining on the bike, "What for?"
"I just wanted to talk some stuff over," said Tre, his blue eyes meeting Billie's for the first time.

Billie Joe swallowed nervously.

"Uh... what kind of stuff?"

Tre sighed, sitting down on the kerb and staring out at the bay.

"I think you probably know that already," he replied.

Billie Joe felt the nervousness twisting in his guts. He really didn't want to discuss Jessie now. Not when they were starting to get over it, starting to get back what they had lost in this mess. But he couldn't say that. He had been the one that had fucked things up, and if Tre had to have some kind of heart to heart about it, he could hardly refuse him.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the helmet off his head and sat down next to Tre, his elbows resting on his knees. He waited for him to speak. He had decided that was probably best, but the silence that followed made him wonder. He was about to say something, anything to break it, when Tre looked down at the concrete between his scuffed shoes, and spoke.

"Look, man," he said, quietly, "I know things haven't been good with you and me lately. And... despite what you might be thinking, it's been hard for me too."

Billie Joe put a hand in his hair, supporting his head as he hunched forwards.

"I know," said Billie Joe, "I didn't think anything else."
"I never wanted things to get that way between us," Tre continued quietly, "But I was just... I was finding it really hard. I was finding it really hard to get past what happened."
"I know," said Billie Joe, guiltily, "I know you have."
"But I hate it," he said, "I hate all the tension. And... I know its made stuff kinda hard for Mike too. And we've been putting all the stuff with Lookout on the line. And that's worth working for. But it's not just about the band. I mean, we were buds, you and I, y'know? And I miss it."
"I miss it too," said Billie Joe quietly, "I never meant to fuck things up like this, Tre"
"I know," said Tre, firmly, nodding as he glanced briefly into Billie Joe's face, before looking back out at the bay. "You made a mistake."

Billie Joe tried to ignore the guilt stirring inside him.

"Yeah," he almost whispered.
"But you're mistake wasn't to do with Jessie, that wasn't what hurt me the most. It was that you hid it from me. That was the mistake."
"... I know."
"You and Jessie... I always knew you had a connection. Things were intense between you guys from day one. And I liked her a lot. I still like her a lot. She's awesome. But I always knew that it was her relationship with you was at the forefront of her mind, even if it was just cause she was thinking up places to hide your body."

Billie smiled a little, scratching nervously at the ground with a stick. He wasn't sure where Tre was going with this, but wherever it was, he seemed to have given it a lot of thought.

"Look Billie," Tre sighed, "What I'm trying to say is... I know you aren't a bad guy. You're a good guy. And you handled this badly. And I've been feeling like shit. But that's because I liked her so much, and that's not your fault. I heaped more blame on you than you deserved. I was blaming you for my own jealousy. And I know you keep saying what happened with you and Jessie was a mistake, and maybe it was, maybe it wasn't, but what difference does that make now?"

Billie Joe frowned a little, not knowing quite what he was supposed to say.

"Uh... I guess... it doesn't really make much difference now."
"Exactly. Jessie and I were finished a long time ago. Nothing that does or doesn't happen with you is gonna change that. And I don't know what's going on with you guys, its nothing to do with me. I don't wanna know if it was really a one-off, or if that's something you said to soften the blow. I don't wanna know if you guys are still doing one-offs."
"Tre... "
"Listen," he interrupted, "All I do know, is that if you are still doing it, it can't just be about the sex. Because I know both of you guys. And I know that you care about each other a whole lot more than either of you realize."

Billie Joe stared at Tre in surprise, his breath catching a little at his words. Unable to think of a thing to say in response, he simply reached out to Tre and pulled him into a hug, his chin resting briefly on Tre's shoulder as what he had said sunk in, and he smiled as he pulled away.
"... Thanks, man," he said, earnestly.
"No problem," said Tre, quietly, "We're cool. Okay?"

A happy grin broke across Billie Joe's face.

"We're cool," he agreed.

"You know, I think I miss the blue," muttered Billie Joe, thoughtfully.

Mike was due to pick him up any moment to take him to Eastside Records to set up for their show, and his guts were writhing as he stood in the bathroom, fixing his freshly-dyed hair with a little wax, Jessie watching him from the doorway.

"I like it blonde," she smiled, truthfully, "The blue was getting kind of old and besides, now we match."

He grinned.

"You can't get much cooler than that" he remarked, turning away from the mirror and facing her. He drew in a breath, "Fuck I'm nervous."
"Don't be silly," she smiled, "Billie Joe Armstrong's far too rock and roll to get nervous."

He smiled a little.

"He isn't used to playing gigs like this."
"What makes this gig any different to all the gigs down at Gilman Street?"

Billie Joe gave a thoughtful sigh, before turning to face her.

"Cause... this isn't a bunch of random punks, that I'm playing to. I guess I'm nervous cause my Mom's gonna be there. I feel like I have something to prove. Y'know?"
"Yeah," said Jessie, "But come on. You know as well as I do that your band kicks ass. You don't have anything to worry about."

He smiled.

"Laura's coming down too," he said, "Y'know, from the restaurant?"
"The one that likes to wind you up?"
"Yeah. So, y'know. That's bound to help a lot. She's bringing a date too."
"Who's her date?"
"The hot barman."

Jessie laughed.

"So she probably won't notice if you guys screw the gig up or not," she said, sliding her arms around his waist and pulling him into a comforting embrace, as they heard a van pull up outside.
"Good luck," Jessie whispered, into his ear, "I'll see you down there."

Billie Joe checked over his shoulder, before cupping Jessie's face in his hand and planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"Don't keep me waiting too long," he smirked, before picking up his guitar and heading towards the stairs, looking back over his shoulder and winking before he disappeared from view.

Eastside Records had never been so full. Word had obviously got around about the promising young punk trio, because as Eddie looked around his bustling store, he shook his head a little in awe at the number of people that had turned up, and the diversity of the crowd. Young and old, punks, metallers, parents, school kids, there was barely room to move about, and was exciting that, along with the band, he was the reason they had all come together.

"I cannot believe my little brother pulls in such a crowd," said Annie in disbelief, leaning against the counter between Ollie and Eddie as they watched the guys take to the stage, nervousness etched onto their features.

"I know," Ollie smiled, "By the look on his face he can't believe it himself. They must be terrified.
"Ah, they don't need to worry," said Eddie, with a grin, "They play as well as I've seen them play before, they're gonna go down a storm."

Annie watched her brother's eyes scan the waiting crowd, and turned to Ollie.

"Where's Jessie?"
"Went to meet up with a friend," she replied, "She'll be here any minute, I'm sure."
"She'd better be," said Annie, looking back at the stage, "Because I don't think Billie's gonna want to start without her."
Billie Joe looked out at the crowd, his stomach tightening at the absence of Jessie. He looked over his shoulder nervously at his band mates, and Tre launched into a brief and experimental drum solo, eliciting a cheer from the crowd. He smiled, relief surging through him as he spotted Jessie pushing open the door, closely followed by Freddy and a couple of his friends. He let out a breath. Now it was time to start.

The crowd may not have been as wild as the one that Gilman Street pulled in, but they were no less enthusiastic, and the three guys couldn't stop grinning as they played their set, looking down at the bouncing faces, and feeling a rush of wild excitement when they spotted some people singing along.

They weren't the only ones that were happy. Eddie was selling Sweet Children EPs by the handful, and he knew it was a sign of things to come for Green Day.

"I wrote this just last week," Billie Joe smiled into the microphone, as they neared the end of their set. "Uh... It doesn't even have a title yet but... I wrote the lyrics a while ago for a special friend of mine but I just put some music to it so... It's now the two hours traffic of our stage."

Jessie's stomach gave a little lurch at the Shakespeare reference, the fact that it went over everyone else's heads making her feel all the warmer. As the band started to play, she felt her breath hitch in her throat, not wanting to miss a single word of what was coming out of Billie Joe's mouth.

"Juliet's trying to find out what she wants, but she don't know,
Experience has got her down.
Look this direction, I know it's not perfection, it's just me...
I want to bring you up again now.

Cause I'm losing what's left of my dignity
A small price to pay to see that you're happy,
Forget all the disappointments you have faced,
Open up your worried world and let me in.

Juliet's crying cause now she's realizing love can be,
Filled with pain and distrust,
I know I am crazy, and a bit lazy,
But I will try to bring you up again now."

As the end of the song was punctuated by an enthusiastic cheer, Jessie failed to catch Billie Joe's eyes, as he looked down at his guitar, hardly daring to look in her direction to see her reaction. He didn't see the broad smile that had broken across her face, the warm flush to her cheeks, or the way she was practically hopping up and down on the spot, trying to hold herself back from running through the crowd and into his arms.

Stepping off the stage, sweaty and exhausted at the end of their set, Billie Joe was lost in a cloud of enthusiastic compliments and appreciative slaps across his back, and he smiled as he moved through the crowd, before being pulled into a hug by his mother.

"So... ." He said, almost nervously, "What did you think?"
"I thought you were amazing, Billie."
"Really?" he smiled, looking into her eyes.

She smiled back, touching his cheek.

"Really," she said, her voice only just audible over the noise inside the room, "I'm so sorry we ever fought over this, Bill. I know its what you love to do and you're... you're great up there. I was so proud of you, watching you up there. And... I just... I wish your Dad could be here to see you up there too because... I know he'd be feeling as proud as I am."

Billie Joe swallowed, as he hugged her again, letting out a breath of warm relief, before they were approached by Laura, with the hot barman in tow.

"Hey Blondie," she grinned, "Who'd have thought? You guys were awesome."

Billie Joe smiled.

"Told you so," he said, turning his head as he felt a hand on his waist and looked over to see Jessie next to him. He gave her a smile as they turned back to Laura.
"This is Jason," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder, "Jase, this is Jessie and Billie Joe. You met Billie before right?"
"Yeah, I've seen you around at the restaurant," he said, "I work behind the bar."
"Ohhh," said Jessie, with a degree of interest that caused Jason to look at her a little strangely. Billie Joe grinned.
"Yeah," he said, "Mom and Laura exploit my labour now and again."
"Your band's great," said Jason, "I play guitar myself."
"Really? Are you in a band?"
"Not right now."
"Well, y'know you should come over and jam with us some time, " suggested Billie Joe, "Sometimes we could use another guitarist."

Jason smiled.

"Sure," he said, "Sounds sweet."
"We have to get going now," said Laura, giving Billie Joe a quick hug, "But I'm sure I'll see you before you leave for your tour. I've been saving up some jobs for you at work."
"Great," he said, wryly, as they waved him off and he turned back to Jessie.

"So," he smiled, "What did you think?"
"I loved it," she smiled, "It was the most I've loved it yet."
"Really?"

She nodded, hugging him tightly, releasing him reluctantly before anyone's suspicion could be aroused.

"And," she smiled, "I was pleased to see my culturalizing worked. You remember your Shakespeare."
"Yeah," he smiled, "I was pretty proud of that part too."
"I loved the song," she said, quietly, sliding her hand into his and giving it a squeeze.

He smiled and looked down.

"Good," he said "I meant it. I do want to make you happy."

Jessie hugged him again, as a rush of warmth started at her toes and spread right up her body.

"I'm happy right now."

Billie Joe was heading back to the stage to start packing up the equipment, when felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he turned to see Annie grinning at him.

"Hey," he smiled.
"Hey Billie," she said, "I have something to say to you. And you better fucking appreciate it. Because you're my little brother. Which means this isn't something I'm gonna enjoy saying."
"Okay... " he smiled, in amusement.

Annie took him by the shoulders, then took a dramatic breath.

"You were awesome." She said.

He laughed.

"I really wish I had some kind of recording device right now."
"You think I'd have said that, if you did?" she smirked. Then she grinned and hugged him.
"Seriously though. I'm really impressed."
"Thanks," he said, gratefully, "I'm glad you got to see us play."
"Well," she said, "You'll be pleased to hear, I'm leaving in the morning."

Billie Joe felt his heart do a little leap, which he felt a little guilty about.

"Uh... really? Why would I be pleased about that?"

Annie smiled and shook her head. Then she put her hands on her hips and regarded her brother with amusement.

"Okay, Billie," she said, "I think its time you gave me some credit. I know when two people are having sex. Okay?"

Billie Joe's eyes widened in shock.

"Wha - huh?" he stammered, in disbelief, his heart beginning to pound, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

Annie grinned, putting a hand on his shoulder and steering him to one side.

"You and Jessie," she said, "I know. I've known since the moment I walked into the house. Okay? So don't even bother with the 'what the fuck's because you're far, far too late to convince me now."
"Uh... " Billie Joe trailed off. He knew they'd been rumbled. "How... how did you... "
"Oh come on!" she exclaimed, "You thought you were doing a good job of hiding it? You think I haven't noticed all the lingering glances? The hand-holding and the footsie under the dinner table? And I don't even want to know how you guys managed to make a trip to the store for one bag of items take over an hour, or why you both came back from it looking like you'd been dragged through a hedge backwards."

Billie Joe felt a hot blush rising in his cheeks. This really wasn't a pleasant thing to be discussing with his big sister.

"Oh... " he said, sheepishly,

Annie grinned at his embarrassment.

"Don't panic," she said, "I haven't told anyone. I've just enjoyed watching you both squirm all week. It's been the highlight of my trip."
"So... Mom doesn't know?"
"No. She's completely oblivious, God bless her. She's been telling me how great it is that you guys are suddenly the best of friends."
"Huh... " muttered Billie Joe, guiltily, fiddling with his hair and avoiding Annie's gaze. "Do you... what d'you think she'd say?"

Annie sighed.

"I don't know. Jessie's family to her now. I think she'll find it a little weird. It'll definitely be a surprise. And all this stuff with John... I don't think she's coping with it as well as she's making out. I don't think she needs any complications right now... "

Billie Joe chewed on his lip.

"You think we should just be friends... don't you?"

Annie smiled, and put her hands on her brother's shoulders.

"I just think you should keep it to yourselves for now. I can tell you're smitten... I think you forget how well I know you, BJ. And Jessie's just gorgeous. No girlfriend you ever had as come close to her."

Billie Joe smiled. He knew that better than anyone.

Annie smiled too, ruffling his hair. Then she chuckled.

"Don't think I don't know who Juliet is either," she smirked, "You're such a sap."