I Left My Heart in San Diego

"Mom, Aran, let's go, we're gonna be late!" I called up the stairs. Today was Billie's graduation.

"Calm down, Arizona, cut your mom some slack, she's pregnant!" Aran called back down to me.

I groaned. "I told Billie we'd be leaving, like, now!"

My mom appeared at the top of the stairs, Aran holding her hand. "Goodness, Arizona, I've never seen you so excited for a school function," she remarked.

I checked the time off my phone, tapping my black heels eagerly against the wood floor. "I'm not excited, Mom, I'm just afraid of being late. I told Billie we would be leaving, like, now!" I told her.

"Well, we're gonna be a little later than he expects, and he's just going to have to deal with that," my mom said, watching her step as Aran led her down the stairs.

"Let's go!" I whined. I caught my reflection in the glass of my mom's high school trophy display case, and combed my fingers through my hair and pulled down my dress to expose a tad more cleavage. I was wearing a short, pale green number, one that I had altered to fit my skinnier frame. While we were at the tailor's, I begged my mom to let me get some black edging on the dress, which she did, putting a big smile on my face. Billie was going to love it, I just knew it.

"Are you ready?" Aran asked, handing my mom her keys off her desk.

"Yes! Let's go!" I exclaimed, opening the door for my mother. She waddled under the frame, her six-month-pregnant belly leading the way. I fidgeted in my spot holding the door. When both my mother and Aran had exited, I left, closing and locking the door behind me.

I felt my clutch purse vibrate: my phone. I pulled it out, seeing it was Billie and answering it with a smile. "Hey, we're just about to leave."

"I thought you already left!" Billie said.

"Well, when your mom is six months pregnant, you have to allow time for her to get places," I said, chuckling.

"I'll take your word for it. When do you estimate you'll be here?" Billie asked.

"The way Aran drives? Probably close to ten minutes," I answered, smiling at Aran as I buckled my seat belt. Aran rolled his eyes, smiling.

"Okay, see you soon."

"Yep! Bye!" I said, and hung up. I put my phone back in my clutch, snapping it closed.

"The way I drive?" Aran asked.

I laughed. "Oh, come on, Aran, we all know you drive like a maniac even with Mom six months pregnant!" I told him. He just rolled his eyes and smiled again, turning onto the side road that led to my school.

We arrived at the parking lot five minutes later, and I saw Billie waiting on the curb, looking adorable in a dress shirt, tie, and black slacks. He kept telling me that he hated dressing up, that he was going to look terrible, but as I ran up to him, my heels and tight dress hindering the movement of my legs, I was grinning at him. "Billie, what were you talking about this morning? You look adorable!" I told him.

He strode up to me as I tried to run up to him. "And you look absolutely fucking gorgeous. I don't think you've ever looked better," he replied, embracing me about the waist and bringing me in for a passionate kiss. Aran came up to me and cleared his throat right by ear, breaking us apart. "Aran, you're not my father, can you please try and be a little less protective?"

"It's the protectiveness counting for your mother since she's pregnant," he answered.

"What does my mother being pregnant have to do with you being so protective?" I retorted, my arms locked around Billie's neck.

"Just please keep the PDAs to a minimum," Aran requested, returning to the car to help my mother out.

"Sheesh," Billie muttered, kissing me lightly.

I giggled and kissed him back. "I know. He's so overbearing."

"Mr. Armstrong! Would you care to join us?" a demanding voice belonging to none other than the principal yelled from behind Billie.

He groaned and kissed me one last time. "See you out in the audience," he said.

"I'll be cheering for you!" I called after him. Someone grabbed me around the waist, making me squeak and whip around. It was Tre, holding Zie's hand as I turned around. "Holy shit, Tre, don't do that!"

He laughed. "I couldn't resist. Ready to cheer obnoxiously for our best friend?" he asked.

"Yes! Is Mary Jane here?"

"She's already sitting out in the audience. We should join her if Billie's been called to line up."

"I agree. My mom and Aran are already sitting out there, too." Zie held out her hand. I laughed, taking it. She swung both my hand and Tre's hand as we walked down the grassy slope to the seats for the ceremony.

~***~

We all did as we said we would: When Billie's name was called, Zie, Tre, Mary Jane, and I all cheered obnoxiously. A lot of people shot us looks (including my mom and Aran, who weren't cheering as loudly), but we just cheered louder. We did the same thing for Mike when his name was called. We only hoped that they would the same for us when we graduated next year.

When the ceremony was over, I searched for Billie through the crowd of milling graduates and their family and friends. I spied Billie's pitch black head and made my way over to him, a small woman taking his picture. I smiled as I walked up to him after his picture had been taken. "I'm so proud of you, Billie," I told him, giving him a small kiss.

"Thanks," he said. "This'll be you next year."

I laughed. "I know! I already want to get out of here."

"Hi," the woman said, walking up to us. "You must be Arizona. I've been dying to meet you."

"Oh! You must be Mrs. Armstrong!" I exclaimed, smiling.

"Yes. I've heard so much about you!" she said, shaking my hand.

"Thanks. Strangely, I haven't heard Billie say much about you." She gave him a look. "Billie Joe!"

"What, Mom? I don't talk about you much! I find that girls don't like to hear about my mother," Billie defended.

"Why? Your mom seems like such a sweetheart!" I said.

"Thank you, Arizona! I like her, Billie Joe. How come I haven't met before now?" Mrs. Armstrong asked.

"I don't know, Mom. Maybe because you're always out working," Billie answered.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I? Be happy for that at least."

"If only Dad were here," Billie murmured. Mrs. Armstrong walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"He would have been so proud of you," she murmured back to him.

Billie smiled. "Come on," I said. "Mrs. Armstrong-"

"Please, call me Ollie."

"Ollie, if it's alright, we're having a party back at my house for Billie. You're welcome to come. I bet my mom would love to meet you," I told her.

"Great! Let's get going!" she said.

~***~

It was like Billie and I were back in the club again. His arms had my legs pushed up against the wall, holding me up, his tongue re-exploring the distant corners of my mouth. He broke off for a moment, breathing heavily. "Do you want to go upstairs?" he whispered.

I nodded. "Let's go."

Billie took my hand and we ran up the stairs to the first floor. Running around the corner, we took the next flight of stairs to my bedroom, my bed looking so warm and inviting. Closing the door with his foot, Billie started kissing me again, backing up towards my bed.

We fell down onto it, kissing passionately. Billie's hands slid under my shirt, slowly slipping it off. About ten minutes later, he broke off, his hands on my waist. "May I?"

I giggled. "You may."

Billie smiled, slipping my yoga pants off my waist, revealing my white panties. "How fitting," Billie commented.

"How ironic," I countered.

Billie looked up at me. "You sure?"

"For the moment."

Billie smiled, kissing me. He came back up to take off his shirt and tank top, kissing me a couple of times before he came back up to take off his pants. I could see his excitement, and I stopped him before he came back down to kiss me. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head. "No, Billie. I'm scared."

He smiled a little. "You're too cute."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not. That's natural." I smiled and kissed him. Billie looked me right in the eye, his sexy yellow-greens staring into my bright blues. "I love you, Arizona."

I gasped slightly. "Billie..." I breathed, a smile slowly blooming on my face. "I love you, too, Billie."

Billie grinned and kissed me passionately. "I'm glad. I was so afraid that you would refuse me."

I laughed. "I wouldn't. I love you. For real."

"I love you, too. For real." I smiled, kissing him again. "Now come on, let's go find our friends."