Little Girl on the Graveyard Shift

Three am on a Friday night and Olivia was stuck working at a 24-hour convenience store. It had been a slow night, which wasn’t out of the ordinary, but Olivia had seen her fair share of unruly drunks this evening. She sat behind the cash register picking at her already chipped black nail polish and blowing pink bubblegum with her ruby red lips. Her grey eyes watched the clock through bottle-black bangs, counting down the minutes until her shift would end at five.

Around 3:30 the automatic doors opened and a group of three guys waltzed in laughing and drowning out the song playing on the radio that Olivia had been listening to. The three approached the check out counter immediately and Olivia looked over each of them. The one to her left was tall compared to the others; his hair was dirty blond and he seemed extremely calm for some reason. In the middle stood a pudgy, bright green haired guy who had a crazy look in his blue eyes that made Olivia feel uneasy. On the right was a guy that seemed like a total brat. He stood impatiently, his green eyes watching the girl as he played with his blue, half-dreadlocked hair.
“Can I help you?” Olivia finally spoke to the three obviously East Bay punk scene locals.
“Do you have instant coffee?” The tall one sounded exasperated to say the least.
“Aisle five.”

When the three returned to the counter they had a lot more than instant coffee. As Olivia scanned and bagged their items, the one she dubbed ‘the brat’ asked for her to throw in a pack of Newports when she was done. She asked for his ID and he handed her his California driver’s license.
Billie Joe Armstrong his license read, nearly making her giggle. What kind of name was that? He was nineteen and a few days older than she was actually. Nodding, Olivia handed it back to him and grabbed the cigarettes.
“Also, could I get your number?” Billie Joe Armstrong looked at her hopefully and she shook her head.
“Sorry, I don’t give it out to customers.”
His friends laughed the whole way out after they paid and Olivia was alone once again.

Continuing on with her mundane life as a San Francisco State University commuter, she found herself yet again working the graveyard shift the following Friday, just as she always did. She had spent the entire night sitting at the register and reading Catcher in the Rye for a class. Around three am the doors slid open and Olivia looked up to see a familiar blue haired guy. He was alone this time, watching her intently as she looked at him.
“Can I help you?” Olivia’s sarcasm floated over the Nirvana song playing on the radio.
He opened his mouth momentarily then closed it, shaking his head and heading down the snack aisle.
Olivia continued to read her book, annotating as she went with a bright, yellow highlighter. Twenty minutes passed and Billie Joe approached the counter with a basket full of items. Olivia set her book down and began scanning the things; a box of wild berry Pop Tarts, Twizzlers, toothpaste, duct tape, and an extension cord. She was never one to ask questions, but the guy must have noticed her curious look.
“We’ve had a long night.”
“Right… Want a pack of Newports?”
Billie shook his head and patted his pocket, saying he was good.
“That’s my favorite book you’re reading…”
Olivia noticed his crooked teeth as he smiled. As odd as they were in appearance, she found his smile endearing.
“It’s pretty good so far. That’ll be $14.30.”
Billie handed her a twenty and she quickly made change.
“So Olivia…”
She instantly deflated the bubble of gum she had been blowing, taken back by the fact that he knew her name. Then she remembered her nametag.
“Yes?”
“I was wondering when you were getting off your shift. I’m Billie Joe, by the way.”
“Oh…” Olivia picked at her now dark red nail polish; it changed every week.
“I’m not done till late.” She was trying to reveal as little information about herself as possible.
“I can stick around till you get off… I don’t have anything better to do.” Billie’s nonchalant; yet, eager attitude unnerved Olivia for some reason. He was giving her the heebie-jeebies and she didn’t like it.
“That’s okay, really. I have homework to do.”
“Oh, so you’re in high school?” Billie didn’t want to be hitting on a high school girl, but she shook her head of dark hair and told him that she was going to SFSU. He made a comment about being in Oakland and going to school in San Francisco and Olivia was offended.
“I’m sorry I can’t afford both tuition and a place to live in San Francisco. I’m barely getting by with this crappy job.”
He apologized, muttering that he never meant to upset her.

Every Friday and Saturday night for the next month Billie Joe came into the store to try and learn more about Olivia, who was clearly uninterested in the guy. Her disinterest only made Billie try harder though and he was relentless. He asked her out several times, only to be turned down.
“Hey Olivia!” Billie Joe came into the store around the usual 3:30 am on a Friday in November.
“Hi Billie Joe.” She didn’t look up from painting her nails until he approached the counter. He was pretty disheveled. His blue hair was messy, his face was red, and he looked like he had been drenched in sweat. Olivia commented on his appearance and Billie shrugged.
“I just came from 924 Gilman…”
“You go there too?” Olivia didn’t even think to hide her excitement.
“Uh- yeah. I’m there all the time. Are you?”
“Yes! A few of my friends are in bands so I go and photograph them sometimes. I never see you there…”
Billie told her it was because he’s in a band and she didn’t believe him.
“I’m serious! We were called Sweet Children…”
He went to continue but Olivia cut him off, saying that his band was called Green Day now.
“I think I’ve shot your band before when you played the same night as my friends.”
“Small world, huh?” Billie winked and Olivia actually laughed, revealing her sly smile.
She noticed Billie’s chipped nail polish and asked if he wanted her to paint them for him. Billie shot the girl a confused look because she usually ignored his existence.
Before he left that night Billie made sure to invite Olivia to his next gig at Gilman Street. Not wanting to commit, Olivia told him that she would see what she could do.
“If you don’t go, I’ll come here every day and bother you.”
“Something tells me that you’ll do it even if I do go…”
“That’s a risk you’ll have to take then!” Billie Joe winked again, thanking the girl for the fresh coat of black nail polish before leaving the store without making a purchase.

The Saturday of the big show Olivia found herself picking up the night shift she had taken off of her schedule. The girl was behind on her rent and needed all of the hours she could get. As a struggling artist, she hoped that Billie would understand. Although she wouldn’t admit it this Billie Joe Armstrong guy was starting to grow on Olivia. Her utter disinterest only made him even more determined to catch her attention and it was interesting. Then again, it was better than her creepy landlord hitting on her. Olivia’s mind drifted back to her rent and money situation. Thankfully her insomnia enabled her to work the late night shifts. She needed all the money she could get her hands on with the way her drug habit was going. She thought that she had it under control at the beginning of the semester, but boy was she wrong. Ever since Olivia’s mother had a work accident and was prescribed Vicodin, Olivia had been popping pills.
Painkillers didn’t seem like all the rage in the East Bay’s drug scene but there definitely was a market for them, and she was a part of that market.

It wasn’t too long after the clock struck four am when Billie Joe stumbled into the store. Olivia glanced up momentarily then did a double take. He was breathing erratically, his cheeks were flushed, and he looked positively enraged.
“I knew you’d be here.” His nasally voice, normally cheerful and inviting, held a heavy load of sarcasm in it. Olivia tried to explain as she apologized but it was hard when she was trying to hide her drug addict reasoning behind her need for more hours.
It wasn’t long before Billie’s friends, ‘Mike and Tre’ if Olivia remembered correctly, entered the store to find their friend.
“There you are, Billie! We’re so sorry about him…” Mike’s apologetic eyes flashed from Olivia to Billie, who was standing, annoyed, with his hands on his hips.
“Sorry about what?!”
Mike told Billie that he was drunk and Billie seemed appalled.
“I am not drunk, Mike!” Billie then continued to stagger over to the counter where Olivia stood and the girl was growing increasingly frightened with every step he took.
“I’m gonna call the cops if you don’t get out of here, Billie Joe.”
“Go ahead, call ‘em! See if I care!”
“You don’t have to do that. We’ll get him out of here.” Mike was trying his best to calm the irate Billie down and Olivia’s well-manicured hand hovered over the phone behind her counter.
Billie Joe stared at Olivia for an elongated period of time, then it seemed as if a light went off in his head.
“You won’t call them.” Billie finally spoke and Olivia seemed shocked.
“And why wouldn’t I?” She suddenly felt self-conscious, like he knew something she didn’t.
“You wouldn’t risk the cops seeing you all tweaked out.” Billie’s smirk made Olivia’s stomach churn, how did he know? The last time she took Vicodin was right before her shift started.
“So what are you on?” Billie listed a numerous amount of pills and when he said Vicodin Olivia felt herself blush.
Tre looked between the girl and his friend before saying that they needed to go. Mike echoed that it was a good idea and Billie glanced at the two.
“Give us a minute alone, then I’ll be right out and we can go.”
Mike and Tre made sure that it was okay with Olivia before heading outside.
It suddenly seemed that Billie Joe had sobered up as he walked up to Olivia; the only thing separating them was the counter.
“Look, Olivia, if you need any help with your addiction… I know I’m probably not the best person, but I’m here if you need someone to talk to or anything…”
Olivia couldn’t believe her ears.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I’m not a fucking addict, so get the fuck out of here or I really will call the cops.”
Billie looked at her sadly before nodding and leaving the store.

A month went by and Billie hadn’t visited Olivia once. She was still going to school, working the night shift, and popping pills, but she was trying to confront and handle her problem. It was difficult doing it on her own but Olivia was used to it. As much as she did want help, she had no one to go to.
This particular late night Olivia was painting her nails white. She was on winter break so she had no homework, but a book about the JFK assassination conspiracies sat under the counter waiting for her nails to dry. Olivia was so consumed in humming as she watched her fingers that she didn’t even notice the sliding doors open as someone entered the store.
“You look a lot better… Have you kicked your habit?” Billie Joe’s distinct voice caught the girl’s attention and her head snapped up.
“Not yet. I’m working on it though.”
Billie asked Olivia if she had popped pills today and she shook her head.
“It’s crossed my mind a thousand times but no.”
The two were still talking by the time it neared five am.
“Oh… My shift is about over.” Olivia was amazed that they had talked for nearly two hours.
“Do you need a ride home?”
Usually she took the bus and then walked, but lately her neighborhood had been making her nervous. Olivia accepted the offer, stunning Billie Joe.

They walked to his black, beaten Ford Fairline around 5:10 and Olivia was quickly drenched in the pouring rain. She had forgotten a jacket tonight.
“Oh, the heat is really shitty in my car and it’s raining and stuff, so here.” Billie took off his sweatshirt and handed it to the girl, who took it gratefully and slipped it on, pulling the hood over her head.
“Uh you’re really warm.” Olivia noticed that the hoodie was still warm when they got into his car.
“Thanks? I radiate body heat.”
Olivia told Billie step-by-step how to navigate the soaked streets and drenched city to her small apartment on the wrong side of the tracks and as they neared their destination Olivia noticed Billie’s growing excitement.
“What’s got you all giddy?”
Billie asked if this was her apartment complex as he parked in his usual spot and Olivia replied with a nod.
“I live here with Mike!”
“Oh…”
“Well don’t sound too excited now!”
Olivia apologized; she didn’t mean it that way… Or maybe she did.
Billie Joe walked the girl to her door and watched her dig through her bag, retrieving her keys. Olivia suddenly felt awkward as Billie stared at her expectantly, his green eyes searching for something, but she wasn’t sure what.
“Well thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it.”
“It was my pleasure Olivia.” Billie shoved his hands in his pockets as she went to pull off his sweatshirt to give it to him.
“Keep it till the next time I see you.”
Olivia nodded, saying thanks again as Billie headed to his own apartment.

It didn’t take long for Billie to start coming to Olivia’s apartment to see if she needed a ride to work or classes or anywhere she wanted. Sometimes the girl would appease him and accept a ride to or from work, but nowhere else. It seemed that the more Olivia pushed away the closer Billie Joe tried to get to her.
One unusually sunny January afternoon Olivia opened her door to find Billie Joe, standing there and holding flowers that looked just like the ones in her neighbor’s planter.
“Uh. Hi.”
“Did I come at a bad time?”
Olivia’s hair was smothered in black hair dye and sat in a bun atop her head.
“No, not at all.” The sarcasm rolled off her tongue as she pulled her oversized shirt down a little, feeling self-conscious in her shorts. Billie apologized and handed her the flowers.
“These are for you.”
“Thanks. Are these from next door?”
Billie put his finger to his lips, saying that what the neighbors don’t know won’t hurt them. He had seen a flower growing from the sidewalk on the way to her apartment, but he refrained from picking it. If anything could grow from concrete like that, it deserved to live.
“So do you want to come in or what?”
“Oh. Yeah, thanks.” Billie walked in to Olivia’s apartment, looking around at the unusually clean living room and kitchen. He noticed the open box of dye and asked Olivia what her natural hair color was.
“Honestly? I don’t even know any more. What about you?”
He replied reddish brown, laughing that his mother would never let him forget.
The two talked until Olivia realized that it was past time to wash out the dye. Running the water in the kitchen sink, she began to rinse out her hair.
“Shit. Billie Joe, could you grab the shampoo from my bathroom?”
Billie found the bathroom with ease; the layout of their apartments was identical. He grabbed the cheap shampoo and noticed the bottles of prescription pills lining the counter. Olivia called out his name again, making him jump. Returning to the kitchen, Billie handed her the bottle.
“So I see you’ve got a lot of pills. I thought you were clean.”
“I thought so too. I fell off the wagon but I’m trying again.”
“Good for you.”
Olivia mumbled a thanks and finished with her hair, wrapping it in a towel. Billie asked where her roommate was since it was a two-bedroom apartment.
“I’m in between roommates. My last one didn’t pan out.”
“Curious…”
Olivia told him not to get any ideas as she went and to blow dry her hair.

An hour before Olivia had to be in San Francisco to meet her brother, she was finishing up getting ready. He was a successful So-Cal lawyer so she wanted to impress him by meeting up at a café in the bustling city rather than where she lived. But without a ride, Olivia was all dressed up with no way of getting there. It would have taken over an hour to get a bus to the BART then to take a Muni bus in San Francisco to the café. Grabbing her purse and key she walked over to Billie’s apartment and knocked on the door. Mike opened the door and she asked if Billie was there.
“Hey Bill, Olivia’s here to see you!”
The blue haired boy rushed to the door and Olivia laughed at his Misfits shirt and underwear combination.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, you know how you said you’d give me a ride if I ever needed one? Well… I kinda need one.”
“Where to?”
“A café on Powell Street.”
Billie thought about it for a few seconds before nodding and saying that he should probably get some pants on first. He let Olivia inside and she could smell the distinctly sweet aroma of pot.
“You haven’t been blazing, have you?” She didn’t want him driving if he was high.
“No, no. I think that’s how the place always smells now.” Billie pulled on a pair of black Dickies and buckled his studded his belt, threw on his shoes, and declared that he was ready to go.

Billie drove Olivia to the café and parked his car nearby, saying he had a few things to do in the city. Really, he just wanted to see whom she got all dressed up to meet up with.
“You look great today..” Billie noticed her sun dress and leather jacket combination. It made her seem soft and feminine yet tough and punk at the same time. She thanked him, surprised that he wasn’t lewd about it.
“Well, thanks for the lift Billie Joe. I’ll see you later?”
“I can take you home around three if that helps you out?”
Olivia nodded, thanking him again before heading into the café. Billie watched a tall, light-haired man dressed in khaki’s and a sweater with flannel peeking out of the collar stand up and kiss Olivia’s cheek as he hugged her tightly. Something inside of Billie snapped and he was filled with jealous rage. Olivia was merely playing with him, stringing him along and toying with his heart while she had some tall, well-tanned, blond boy. He thought to himself that they didn’t suit each other. Olivia needed someone like Billie. Well, he thought he should be with her rather than some pompous looking pretty-boy. At least Billie had character, unlike every Ivy League cookie cutter yuppie like this guy appeared to be. Blinded by his anger, Billie set off down the street to find something to calm him down.

Olivia and her brother, Paul, got caught up on each other’s lives at the café. Well, Paul mostly talked about himself and Olivia feigned interest. When Paul asked about her life, Olivia discussed her successes at school and kept it to that.
“What? The boys aren’t all throwing themselves at your feet like they were in San Diego? Maybe it’s because you’re not blonde anymore.” Paul loved bringing up his sister’s past, which is exactly why she hated talking to him.
“I saw that guy out there with you earlier. He looks like a no-good punk.”
“Thanks for your concern, Paul, but I’m not with him. Though he does try pretty damn hard to get me to notice him.”
“There’s the Olivia I know, always playing hard to get. You may have changed on the surface, but deep down you’re till the same, mean spirited, ambitious girl I grew up with.” Those words hurt Olivia more than any punch could have. The whole reason she left San Diego was to change herself. Maybe it wasn’t working.

Three o’clock came and Paul had been long gone by the time Billie Joe showed up. They were walking back to his car and Olivia noticed that something was different about him. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into an alley, shoving her back against the wall and staring at her.
“What… What are you doing?”
“You fucking bitch. You led me on this whole time!”
“You’re crazy! What are you on?” It was obvious now that he must have been high on something.
“How could you use me for a ride to meet your boyfriend?” Billie continued to hold onto Olivia tightly, probably bruising her arms.
“My boyfriend? That’s who you think he was? That was my yuppie brother, you asshole.”
Upon realizing his mistake, the strung out Billie tried to lean in and kiss Olivia, who shoved him away with a force that even surprised herself. She stared at Billie for a moment in utter disdain before heading down the street to the nearest BART station so she could get home. Upon arriving at her apartment, Olivia swallowed four or five pills from the bottles on the bathroom counter, then lay on her bed and waited for them to kick in so she could forget the day’s events.

Throughout the next few months up until Olivia finished her spring semester, Billie Joe tried everything he could to get back into the girl’s good graces. Although she refused to speak to him, it didn’t deter Billie at all. He figured out her work schedule and came in every chance he got, bringing her notes and flowers, but she would barely give him a second glance. Olivia did read all of his little notes filled with lyrics of apologies but she did nothing else. As much as she wanted to tell Billie to leave her alone forever, there was something about him that kept Olivia interested to the point where she looked forward to seeing him.

Olivia decided to take off of work one Saturday night in June to go see her friends play a show at 924 Gilman Street. Dressed in a pair of jean shorts, an oversized, off the shoulder San Jose Sharks shirt, and a pair of black high top Converse, Olivia stood in front of the “stage” and took pictures of her friends as they played their set.
It had been nearly two months since popping her last pills, but tonight she had taken some before entering the venue. Looking through the viewfinder of her Minolta SLR camera, Olivia felt dizzy as she clicked away. When she motioned to her friend playing bass for water, he handed her a bottle that had been near his feet. After chugging nearly half the bottle, Olivia felt a little better, but still off.
Her friends finished their set and Olivia was capping her lens, getting ready to leave as the singer announced the next band. Olivia’s eyes widened as she heard the words ‘Green Day’.
While she uncapped her lens, Mike, Tre, and Billie Joe appeared in front of the girl and started to play. Olivia had never seen them live without knowing it was them before, but she had heard their music. Billie left his tapes for her to listen to and they were actually good.
Within the first five minutes Olivia ran through a roll of film and dug through her purse for another to reload. Spotting her pill bottle in her bag, she popped a few more and took a swig of water before looking at the only slightly elevated Billie Joe.
Nearly two thirds of the way through the set, he glanced out into the crowd and when he saw Olivia he knew what he had to do. Nodding to Mike and Tre, Billie began a new song that he had recently written.

”Olivia, Olivia it’s raining outside.
The city is drenched, there’s a moon out tonight.
There’s a break in the clouds, just under the stars
We wanna go on and watch from afar.
We couldn’t care when and stepped in the mud
It makes no sense but you misunderstood.
The city is in ruins, but there’s a flower in the crack of the streets.
Olivia, Olivia, I’ll give you my best
Safe in my arms, I’ll lay you down to rest
You can borrow my coat, you wear the dress
Olivia, Olivia, come follow me home.”

At the end of the song, Billie looked at Olivia and winked, hoping that he had taken her breath away. He noticed how shocked she seemed; she was probably either flattered or embarrassed. He also noticed that something seemed off about her; she could barely stand up on her own and she was clutching onto her camera for dear life.
Billie hurried up the last few songs then dropped his guitar and took Olivia’s hand, leading her out of one of the back doors of 924 Gilman.
“Olivia, are you alright?”
Holding her hand to her forehead, she shook her head and said no. Billie asked what was going on but he had a feeling that he already knew.
“I’m just really dizzy.”
Billie had her sit down and he went into her purse, finding the pills and asking how many she had taken. Shrugging, Olivia said she didn’t know.
“That song you played… Was it for me?”
“Well I don’t know any other Olivia’s! Duh, it’s for you.”
The girl reached her arms up toward Billie and he wasn’t sure what she wanted, so he pulled her up and she gave him a tight hug, mumbling incoherently before her grip suddenly loosened. Her head full of black hair lolled back and forth before resting on Billie’s shoulder.
“Olivia?” Billie shook her a few times and she was unresponsive, so his mind started to race. When Mike and Tre had finished packing up the equipment, they went and found the two outside. Billie said that he needed to take Olivia back to his apartment. While Mike and Tre were skeptical, Billie Joe thought it was the right thing to do.
“She took a lot of pills I guess and I don’t think she needs to go to the ER, y’know?” Billie Joe carried Olivia to his car and when he got to his and Mike’s apartment he carefully brought the girl in and laid her in his bed. Once he was sure that she was still breathing, Billie set up a sleeping bag from tour and a pillow on the floor near the bed. He didn’t want anything to happen to Olivia if he was sleeping out in the living room, and if that meant a night on the floor, that was fine by him.

When Olivia woke up she felt like she had been hit by a bus. She sat up in the oddly comfortable bed and noticed that she wasn’t in her room. Pulling her knees up to her chest and taking deep breaths, Olivia tried to piece the night back together. She remembered taking pills, seeing her friends, more pills, and Billie Joe. Oh, Billie Joe. He sang to her and made her feel like a complete asshole for how she treated him.
It seemed pretty early in the morning as she looked around, spotting Billie on the floor, sleeping soundly and snoring slightly. The girl had to fight back a laugh at how he was sprawled out in the narrow sleeping bag. But apparently her movements were loud enough to wake Billie, because his eyes opened and he sat straight up.
“Olivia?” He glanced up and saw her, a look of complete relief crossing his face.
“Yeah Billie Joe?”
“You scared me last night.”
Olivia reached out and took his hand, saying that she scared herself too and that she was thankful he had been there. Looking for a clock, Olivia asked the time. Billie eyed his alarm clock saying that it was five pm.
Olivia muttered something about how hungry she was and Billie asked if he could take her out to dinner.
“I’d love to, but I think I need a shower first.”
Billie said that he should do the same, and that they should reconvene in an hour.

Freshly showered and dressed in a red skirt, a tank top, and a vest adorned with pins from shows she’s attended, Olivia met Billie Joe outside of her apartment at 6:45. She apologized for being late; she had troubles finding her other black Converse, but she had finally located it.
Billie held out his arm and Olivia took it, heading to Billie’s car.

The pair ended up at a restaurant on Telegraph Avenue, where they tried to avoid talking about the previous night.
“Again, thank you so much for taking care of me. I was a mess.” Olivia decided there was no use in avoiding it anymore.
“I didn’t want anything to happen to you. If you haven’t noticed, I like you.”
Olivia laughed at his extreme understatement.
“I kind of gathered that. You’ve grown on me too, Billie Joe.”
Billie smirked; he knew that it was only a matter of time before she admitted to that.
“About what happened in the alley in San Francisco…”
“You don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to.” Olivia didn’t want to talk about it at all, but since Billie brought it up she figured they should.
“No, I went and got high before I came to get you. I was jealous of that guy. I didn’t know he was your brother and I blew it way out of proportion. I reacted the way I always react because I’m impulsive. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Olivia searched Billie’s emerald eyes for any signs of doubt but she noticed everything but that. He was genuinely sorry and she could tell.
“It’s alright, Billie. I should have told you that I was going to meet my brother. Sometimes I’m ashamed to call him that though. We’re complete opposites. Or well, we were really similar at one point but then I changed.”
“You’ve changed for the better then, haven’t you?” Billie and Olivia laughed and the girl felt at ease now that they cleared the air about what had happened.
The two were silent for a few minutes before Olivia decided to bring up something else.
“I really want to get clean… Not just because of last night. You know how you said you’d help me if I needed it?”
Billie nodded, saying that he still would.
“I would really appreciate that…”
He told her that he was glad she finally asked for help and that he’d be more than glad to do whatever he could.
When Olivia said that she wanted to go through her place and get rid of all of her pills, Billie looked at her, surprised.
“Why do you look so shocked?” Olivia curiously stirred her Coca-Cola with the red straw and watched Billie.
“You’re really determined.”
“I’m tired of being controlled by pills.”

Walking toward Olivia’s apartment after dinner, Billie noticed the flower growing out of the crack in the sidewalk he had alluded to in his song. He stopped, bending down and plucking it out of the concrete, handing it to Olivia.
She smiled and kissed Billie Joe and before he could even react she pulled away and took his hand with hers, leading him inside.
“So what’s the first step?” Olivia looked to Billie as she slipped off her shoes and set her purse down.
“Find all of your pills and flush them?” Billie wasn’t sure what to do besides that. He had never really helped anyone overcome an addiction… He usually indirectly helped people develop or further their addictions.
“Okay. Let’s get started.” Olivia took off towards her bathroom and Billie quickly followed behind her.
They went from the girl’s bathroom to her bedroom and from her bathroom to the kitchen to the second bedroom; she had pills hidden everywhere.
“Jesus Christ. Are they in your shoes too?!” Billie watched Olivia digging through her closet and pulling out pairs of shoes then shaking them upside down.
“You never know. I have no clue where I hid these damn things.”
“Must be some good hiding spots then, huh?”
Olivia shot Billie a look as he sat on her bed and he shrugged saying that it was true.
“If someone told me six months ago that I would be doing this, I would have laughed in his face.” Olivia finished up in her closet and sat on her bed, laying on her back and letting out a huge sigh, declaring that she was done. Billie lay back beside her and said that she wasn’t finished just yet.
“And why not?” She looked over at Billie and poked his side, motioning toward all the pills she had found and saying that she had gotten them all... Or at least she thought she had.
“You gotta get rid of them, duh!” Billie got off of the bed and pulled the unwilling Olivia up.

When Olivia compiled all of her pill stashes on the bathroom counter, it really showed how out of control her addiction was. The tiny Vicodin were everywhere; in bottles, little canisters, plastic baggies, and whatever else Olivia had managed to pack them into. She dumped them out into the toilet and looked at them sadly.
“These stupid things have run my life for way too long.” Olivia shook her head, upset with herself that she let it get this far.
“At least you’ve realized you have a problem. That’s more than some people can say.” Olivia had a feeling that Billie was talking about himself, and she nodded slightly.
“Well… You helped me realize my problem. Thanks for calling me out.”
Billie smiled, saying that it was his pleasure, and then told her to flush those suckers.
Olivia flushed the toilet then watched them all circle down the drain. Billie took her hand, letting her know that it was all going to get better from there.
“What do we do now?” Olivia led Billie out of the bathroom and toward the living room.
“Anything you want, girl, now that you’re drug free!” Billie spun Olivia around in the middle of the living room and pulled her in close.
“What if I wanted to do this?” Olivia gave him a kiss and pulled back, noticing Billie’s red cheeks and smiling immediately.
“I’m totally fine with that… Like I said, whatever you want.”
“Good, because I had been waiting a long time to do that!”
“You and me both, Olivia… You and me both.” Billie nestled his face in her neck and held her tightly, hoping this would last as long as he wanted it to.