So Close Yet So Far

Ramona goes into the living room where Billy Idol is blasting from the speakers.
"Hey Bianca." Her stepmother turns around abruptly and lowers the volume.
"Yeah."
"Umm what were you doing?"
"Sorry, I was coming up with a new warm up routine for one of my classes."
"Oh okay." Ramona says nodding.
"So did you want to say something?"
"Uh yeah, can you take me shopping, I need to buy Christmas gifts."
"For who?"
"Joey." She says meekly. "Amongst other people."
"Ohh so that's why you're asking me to take you."
"Yes, I can't very well ask Dad."
"Yeah, okay give me five minutes."

Ramona waits impatiently in the entrance for Bianca to get ready. She finally hears footsteps coming down the hallway. She looks over to see her step-mother carrying Josh.
"What?! I thought it was just going to be me and you?" Ramona says alarmed, "He's a bit of a blabber mouth."
"No I'm not!" the little boy protests.
"Can't Dad watch him?"
"No, your Dad's on a drum marathon at the moment, he hates being disturbed and you know that, besides he has to pick up Frankito later." Bianca states as she slips on her shoes. "Don't worry he has a play date with Molly."
"Play date?" Ramona asks bluntly as she looks over at her little brother who's fumbling with his shoes.
"Whatever." Bianca says as the three of them head out the door.

They drive down to a neighbouring suburb and pull into a driveway.
"C'mon Joshey." Bianca says as she plucks her son out of his car seat. Ramona watches as her stepmother takes her brother up to the house. Jill answered the door and they started gibbering away. What else could be expected of such old friends?

Bianca returns to the car.
"Where to?"
"The mall."
"So what do you plan to buy that lovely boyfriend of yours?"
"I'm not sure, maybe a band tee or something."
"Okay." She says nodding, "What other gifts do you have to get?"
"One for Frankito and one for Dad." Ramona says after a moment of though, "I got Josh a couple of Sponge Bob Dvds and well I can't tell you what I got you."
"C'mon, you can tell me, I'll act surprised."
"Yeah sure, like that's going to happen." Ramona says rolling her eyes, "Do like Dad and just sneak a peek."
"Maybe I will." Bianca says as they pull into the mall parking lot.

After an afternoon of shopping Ramona leaves the mall with an Evil Ducky shirt and a wallet with the Anarchist symbol on it. She got her father a pair of bright green plaid golfing shorts and Frankito a video game.

The two of them go to pick up Josh then head back home.
"Where's the wrapping paper?!" Ramona calls through the house.
"Check the basement hall closet!" Bianca calls back. Ramona scuttles down the stairs and is intercepted by none other than Frankito.
"Hello Ramona, why do you need wrapping paper?"
"Because we're out of toilette paper." She says sarcastically.
"What d'you get me?"
"Nothing, 'cause you smell funny."
"That's not true!" He yells somewhat upset as Ramona passes him and opens the storage closet. "Check the top shelf." She reaches around the top shelf causing a shoebox to fall to the floor and it's contents of pictures and used paper to splatter across the ground.
"Shit." Ramona mumbles as she starts putting the pictures back, with Frankito's help.

"Hey, why's Bianca hugging Billie?" he asks holding out a picture.
"What? It's probably just a friendly-" her eyes screen over the photo to see it's more of a coupley hug. "Holy crap."
"Look here's her and Dad." Frankito say lifting up another photo, "Jeebus, Dad looks funny with green hair." He continues to look through the photos.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for a picture of her and Mike together, maybe she was a Green Day groupie." He says evilly, "All the pictures of Mike are with Jill, well I think it's Jill."
"Gimme those." Ramona says snatching the last of the pictures and taking the box upstairs.

"Bianca." Ramona says as she enters the kitchen where her step-mother is starting dinner.
"Yeah Mona, d'you find the wrapping paper?"
"Yes amongst other things." Bianca turns around to see her holding the box. Ramon sets down the box and pulls out the picture of her and Billie.
"Care to explain?"
"Yeah, I went out with Billie Joe for like a week when I first met the guys."
"Do Dad and Adie know?!"
"Yeah of course, we all had a good laugh at it."
"Laugh at what?" Tre asks as he enters the kitchen. "Oh that."

He walks up to the table and starts flipping through the photos. "These are all from the 1039 tour, oh jeez, it seems like forever." Ramona unfolds the stack of papers and starts reading them.
"What are these?"
"Billie Joe and I started off as sort of pen pals." Bianca explains as she snatches the papers from her, "Not for your eyes."
"Why'd you break up with Billie?"
"Billie broke up with me." Bianca explains.
"And he didn't mind you dating his friend?"
"That's why he broke up with me."
"I had the hots for Bianca and Billie knew that." Tre says reflectively. "He even said he felt like they wouldn't last anyway."
"You didn't do anything, did you? Because I'm kind of going out with his son."
"Don't worry, you dad probably got more action with Billie than I did." Tre smirks evilly at this comment.

"I'm going to go now, and pretend I never found that box." Ramona says as she runs out of the kitchen and head downstairs to get the wrapping paper, and then cowers in her room while she wraps the Christmas gifts.