Front Porch Story

"Dad, I'm going back to California with Billie, Tre and Mike." I say a few days after the concert I went to with Tanya.

"No you're not, I'm not letting you go cross country with a bunch of hormone driven boys!" he exploded.

"Dad, you have to trust me, I won't do anything. The guys said when traveling with them I'll sleep in the front of the book-mobile, where the seats are and they'd sleep in the back in sleeping bags."

"Still, you may say this now, but I don't trust that Billie guy and I really don't trust that Tre creature."

"Tre is harmless, and Billie respects my wishes."

"I'm just worried; you're more like your mother than you think."

"I am not! Take it back!" I yell, "I won't end up like her! I swear, how you could think of me like that!"

"You're not going with them! That's final! If you want to go back to California, you can go with me when I go back there next month!" my father screams. "And for fuck's sake if you sneak out, I'll call the cops and I won't take you with me next month." I run down to the basement and slump myself on the couch.

"So, you're not coming with us" Billie says in a low voice. I shake my head. "Are you going to come back to California with your dad?"

"Yeah, I guess I have no other choice."

"Screw the tour; I'll stay here with you." Billie says throwing his hands up in the air.
"You can't give up the tour, even though that's an awfully nice thought. The tour is your big chance, you have to take it." I say regretting every word that slipped past my lips, "Remember how pissed you were when Al left the band to be with some girl."

"Adie, you aren't just some girl, you're THE girl."

"That's probably what Al would say about Kim. Now you're going to go on tour, I'm going to stay here and be miserable and I'll meet you back in California in about a month."

"Fine." Billie mutters.

"So you really think I'm THE girl?" I ask poking at his arm.

"Umm, maybe. I have a tendency to jump to conclusions too fast." I punch him playfully, "Well it's true, Mike says my signature pick-up line should be; do you want to have sex and get married? No, okay then." I can't help but laugh hysterically.

"I'd say yes."

"You would?" Billie asks wide eyed.

"Cha, but I probably wouldn't go through with it."

"That's some fine print for you." Billie mutters as he starts to tickle me.

"Ew! Sappy moment!" Tre yells from the top of the stairs. "Can, I join in?"

"No Tre, the moment is over and ruined thanks to you." I say as Billie gets off me.

The guys only had to leave the next morning so Billie Joe and I spent the day watching T.V.

"Urgh, there's nothing on!" Billie complains after flipping through the channels for the millionth time, "I'm bored."

"I know what we can do." I say putting my hand on his thigh.

"And what would that be?" Billie asks raising his eyebrows playfully. I pull him by
his shirt towards me starting a major make-out session. The minutes must've flown by because we were interrupted.

"Get off my daughter!" my father yelled angrily pulling a now shirtless Billie Joe off me, I on the other hand still had my tank top on, but my sweater was lying on the floor.

"Get the hell out of my house!" my father shoves Billie out the front door. Mike and Tre come upstairs after hearing the commotion.

"You two! Out as well!" my father was on a rampage.

"Can we at least get our stuff?" Mike asks trying to calm my dad down.

"You have five minutes, I'm timing you! You better get his stuff too; I'm not letting him back in my house." My father says referring to Billie who's now standing on the front lawn trying not to call too much attention to himself. Mike and Tre scurry back downstairs to get there stuff. I start to follow them, but my father puts his hand in front of me.

"And to think, I was about to change my mind and let you go back with them. I was about to trust you!"

"I'm sorry!" I yell as I push past him.

"Damn right you'll be! You're grounded until I take you back next month!" he yells as I run into the basement to help Mike and Tre pack up their stuff.

"You have one minute left!" my father yells down the stairs. Mike and Tre zip up their bags and run out the door. I go back upstairs and put my sweater back on, I pick Billie's shirt up off the floor and run outside to give it to him, but he'd already left.

That night I was lying in bed depressed beyond belief; my father hadn't talked to me all evening he just kept giving me awkward glares.

PING! PING! PING!

The early morning sun is shining in my eyes as I walk over to my window, where this sound was coming from. Billie Joe is standing on the lawn with a handful of gravel.

"You forgot your shirt." I say looking down at him.

"I know, but that's not why I came." He says chuckling. "Come down here and join me."

"Ok give me a minute." I grab my sweater and sneak down the stairs and out the back door without making a noise.

"Hey" Billie says wrapping his arms around me. "Run away with me."

"I can't, I told you already if I run away my dad will call the cops."

"We'll drive down to Mexico, they can't get us there"

"Mexico, Billie? Now, you're just being irrational." I say as I kiss him gently on the lips.

"Maybe, but it is tempting isn't it." He says raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, but I don't like Mexican food, too spicy, too beanie."

"Not to mention it gives you gas." Billie adds in. I slap his arm, "I didn't mean you personally I meant people in general."

"Sure" I say rolling my eyes.

"You know what; I didn't get the right window at first. I knew there was something wrong when your sister opened the window."

"I mock you" I say wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Okay then, you mock me I won't give you your present." He says pulling away from me.

"Present? What present?" I say squeezing his back pockets. He squirms around laughing and pulls a chain necklace out of his front pocket. The necklace has a pirate cross bone skull charm dangling from it.

"Adie, you're my poison." He says attaching the necklace around my neck.

"Adie! Get back in here!" Tanya squeaks from her bedroom window. "Dad will be awake any minute."

"Bye Billie." I say as I kiss him one last time before I walk back into the house.

"Bill! Your shirt!" Tanya yells throwing his shirt out the window. I sneak back into the house as my father comes down the stairs. I run down into the basement to hide from him. I sit on the sofa and see something in between the cushions. A guitar pick, Billie's guitar pick. I find a hole puncher and punch a hole though it and put it on my new necklace.