"I love you, Adrienne..." "I love you too, Mike"

Twelve years later…

A tear fell from Mike's eye. He was too much in pain for not being with her right now. He regretted that "fuck off". But what if he really asked her to marry him? What if she said yes, breaking Billie's heart? What would Green Day be now? Maybe it's better this way, but yet he had to talk to her. He suddenly got up.

- MIKE'S POV -
I couldn't stand this situation. I could see she was really happy with Billie Joe, but yet I couldn't look in her eyes, and when I did, she was sad and upset.
How can I still love her after so many years? After Ana and Estella? After everything that have ever happened?
They were my thoughts while I was driving to Tre's. Yes, Tre's. I needed his help. I needed to tell everything to someone, and Tre was the only one I could think about right then.
Eventually I got there and he was surprised to see me.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Hey man, what's that face, what happened?"
Great, he noticed already.
"Just let me in and I'll explain."
He let me in and I sat straight on the couch. He handed me a cup of coffee. Gee, he really knows me, I thought.
"Thanks"
"Come on, shoot, wossup with you Mike?"
I looked at my cup for a couple of moments and when I looked at Tre he noticed I've been crying a lot. That was not the time to joke and he understood.
"It's about... A-Adrienne."
He gave me a questioning look.
"You know the day we met her?"
"Sure, Billie fell instantly for her, I remember it like it was yester... "
"Well, He wasn't the only one."
"... day."
He stopped and I could feel his eyes fixed on me.
"Mike, is this a joke?"
I shook my head.
"Oh my God, how could you... "
"You can't tell you heart what to do or to not do."
I went on, telling him my whole story, but then he stopped me after I finished talking about our first time.
"Why are you telling me all this now?"
"Because I can't keep it inside anymore, it hurts too much, and I want to talk to her today."
"Today?"
"Yes, Today, and I need your help, Tre, please... "
He had this strange look in his eyes, I couldn't really tell, but Tre is really a great friend. He could make you laugh, when you needed it, but he could also be very serious when it was the moment.
He sat down next to me and I went on with my story.
I really told him everything, and now I was sightly crying. I turned around to look at him and I noticed his eyes were wet. He was about to cry. That was one of the few times I saw him crying. That was one of the few times I saw his icy eyes melt in a tear.
"You crying?" I asked.
"Your fault, Mr. Tear."
I smiled. Heh, see? Tre Cool made me smile again.
"Hey Mikey"
I looked up at him, straight in the eyes. Those cute blue eyes. Wow, I didn't notice he had such beautiful eyes. Heh.
"Mike, you're my best friend and I really wanna help you, just... Don't cry, please, ok? Now, do you want to talk to her, right?"
I nodded, while he wiped away one of my tears.
"I have an idea. I'll call Billie up, tell him whatever it goes through my mind and make him leave the house, for, like, all the afternoon, so you can go there and talk to Adie, alright Mike?"
My eyes lit up. That was an amazing idea.
"Tre, you're the best friend ever! Thank you, thank you so much!"
"This and more, for ya, Mikey Boy!" He said, laughing slightly as I threw myself in his arms, happy that he would have helped me.
I looked as he dialled Billie's number.
"Hey Bill... Yeh... Um, I was bored so I was thinking... Yes, that's right... No, actually, he's, um, busy, yes, he's busy... with, um, Estella, yes... Oh please Billie... Fine, ok... See ya in 10, then... alright, thanks... Bye." He hung up.
I waited for Tre saying something, but he just stared at me. Eventually he said, "Well, whatcha doing still here? Are you waiting for Christmas? Come on, go, he'll be here in a bit."
I smiled while he opened the door for me and I ran out, thanking him once again, but without looking back. Little did I know that he was staring sadly at me. In 5 minutes I was at Billie's and I saw him driving towards Tre's house, while Joey and Jake were playing with the neighbour's children. I got out of the car and knocked at the door.

Ok Mike, now, stay calm, it’s ok you haven’t talked to her about this in twelve fucking years, but now chill out, relax, everything’s gonna be alrgith with her.

The door opened.
"What did you for... get?"
She obliviously thought it was Billie and not me, and when she looked at me she blushed violently.
"Thought I was Bill?" I asked carefully, trying to control myself.
She nodded and looked away, not knowing what to do.
"Can I come in please?"
She answered softly
"Yeh... "

I stepped in and the door closed behind me. I was really nervous, my heart was beating too fast.

"Do you want to sit down?" she asked.

"Yes please."

We sat down on the sofa and, turning over to look at her, I realized it's been almost 12 years that I hadn't looked at her that way. I watched every single detail of her face. Her eyes, her mouth, her nose, even her eyebrows. We sat there in silence for a few minutes, till she spoke.

"So..." I knew she knew.

"So..." I replied.

"You do know why I'm here, don't you?"

"I think I do, Mike."

Oh God, how I love the way she calls my name.

"So, did you forgive me, at last, for getting married to the guy I loved less between you two?”

"Yes, I think so."

There was another moment of silence and then she broke it again.

"Mike, listen, I can't stand this. I know I was wrong, but right there I felt like loving Bill more, and when he kissed me I couldn't control myself anymore and..."

"Stop, please, I don't want to remember that."

She looked at her hands, and played with her engagement ring. Engagement ring?

"What's that?" I said, pointing at it.

"Oh..." She was speechless.

I grab her hands. I couldn't believe she kept Billie's engagement ring. I mean, she was married now, what was the point of wearing it, after so many years?
"You kept his engagement ring?" I felt anger and sadness rising inside of me.

She stood up and ran away.

"Wait!" I called, jumping up. I stood there, alone and upset.

Great, she's gone, good job dickhead, why don't you face it? She doesn't love you! She has Billie now, she can't love you!

"Mike..."

She was back, a little blue box in her hands. The little blue box which was supposed to have my ring in it. If she didn't throw it away, of course.

She gave me the box.

"Open it."

I gave her a questioning look and she was just staring back at me. I opened the box and I found the ring. It looked new, like she's never worn it before.

"My ring?"

She smiled. Oh God, she didn't throw it away, after all, I was so relieved.

"Look at it carefully," she nearly whispered.

I took it and looked at it. There it was, there was still written... wait a moment...

"BJA & AN? What does this mean?"

She gave me the ring she has worn till now.

MRP & AN

"Do you mean...?"

"Yes, Mike, I've never worn Billie's ring."

"You wore mine? All these years?"

She nodded. My heart was starting to beat even faster than before.

"Adrienne, I was hurt that day, I was hurt and I cried even the day you got married, I still cry sometimes because seeing you two together rips my heart apart, I can't stand this, because I still fucking love you..." I said without breathing.

"Whoa, Mike, breathe." I smiled but I blushed. She grabbed my hands.

"I still fucking love you too, Mike."

I looked at her, half smiling, half surprised. We stared into each other’s eyes for ages, without talking, because we understood each other talking the eyes language. Our own private language we hadn’t talked since that famous afternoon. We slowly leaned in and

*RING RING*

"Damn it!" she said, making me laugh slightly.

"Better if you answer, you know."

She picked up.

"Hello?... Hey Bill"

My heart sank.

"Yeah...no, it's ok... yeah I'm fine... don't worry... mhmmm, till 6?... no, no, no, it's fine... yes, don't worry Bill, I'm fine on my own... ok... bye... love you too."

She turned around to look at me, and she saw I was upset.

"Awww Mike, you know I still love Billie. I wouldn't have married him otherwise."

"I know but...I lived this way for 3 years before you got married and I can't stand this anymo..."

"Shhh." She put her finger on my lips. "I know you can."

She whispered softly coming nearer. I closed the space between us, putting my arms behind her back. She looked at me. I leaned in again and...

*RING RING*

"Oh shit!" I said, making Adie laugh slightly.

I looked at her smiling, then I noticed who was calling me. The smile froze on my lips. I went white. It was Tre. Wtf…

"Hel..."

"Hey get outta there, Billie's going home!"

"What the fuck, weren't you supposed to keep him busy till 6?"

"How do you know it's was till 6?"

"Just answer holy shit!"

"Well, he's worried about Adie, so get outta there before he finds you there!"

He hung up, leaving me speechless and pale like never before.

In a hurry, I ran to the door, but Adie stopped me.

"Where are you going?!"

"Outta here 'cause Billie's coming home."

"How do you know?"

"Tre," I opened the door.

"Tre? But how does he know?"

"Adie, sorry, no time for questions."

"But..."

"Bye Adrienne."

"Love you!"

I ran outside and hide behind a bush, when I saw Bill behind the corner. I held my breath as he walked past me. I heard him saying, "Why were you at the door?"

"Oh...I, um, say you coming."

"Aww, how sweet of you."

Then I heard the door closing. I jumped into my car, started the engine and got home.

I threw myself on my bed, happy but sad. I finally found again my love, my Adrienne, I was in heaven and nothing could have changed that right then.
I smiled in my pillow, thinking of her saying, "I still fucking love you too, Mike."
I didn't care anymore if Billie got home sooner that I expected, leaving me no time with Adie. The important thing was that now I knew she still "fucking" loved me.