John's Revenge
Annie
*March 23rd 1998*
*Adrienne’s POV*
I sat in the living room, watching the twins do a ‘fashion show’. They’d brought all their clothes and dressing-up clothes (as well as some of mine and Billie’s clothes) downstairs. I decided to let them, as they were still upset that Billie hadn’t been home on their birthday.
They were parading around in tutus, feather boas and tiaras, when I heard a knock at the door.
I went to answer it. It was Liv. I hugged her and she came in.
“Where are Ally and Mona?” I said, walking into the kitchen to make coffee.
“With my mom,” she took off her coat and sat on the couch as Addy and Joey raced over to hug her.
“How are you?” Liv called.
“I’m OK. A bit tired, but that’s normal.” I brought a tray into the living room. Joey and Addy took their cups of apple juice and a biscuit each. I passed Liv her coffee and we chatted for a bit.
“How’s Annie? I haven’t heard from her recently?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to answer the phone anymore, do you think anything’s wrong?”
Liv frowned. “I don’t know. I went to her place yesterday to see how she was. I could hear Estelle running about and talking, but Annie didn’t answer the door.”
“Maybe she’s just busy with Stella and she misses Mike.” I mused, sipping my coffee.
“Maybe.”
*April 4th 1998*
*Annie’s POV*
I walked into Stella’s room and saw her sitting on the floor, playing with her Barbies.
“Mommy play!” she smiled when she saw me.
“Mommy’s tired, sweetie.”
“Play!” she held out two Barbies to me. “Pwetty pease?”
I sighed, sitting down on the floor. I played with her for an hour and then put her down for a nap. I walked downstairs and found a bottle of wine. I poured myself a glass and sat in the living room watching television. The phone was ringing, but I didn’t feel like answering it.
It carried on ringing for a while, then cut out.
“Annie, it’s Mike. I’m getting worried, why won’t you answer the phone? Please, call me, let me know you’re ok. I love you, give Stella a hug from me.”
I walked up to my room and got a suitcase out of the wardrobe. I packed some clothes and necessities, before going to Stella’s room and packing a bag for her. I carefully carried her downstairs and put her in her car-seat, then I put the bags in the car.
I pulled out of the drive and started down the road. I slammed on the brakes. Stella woke up and started crying.
“Shh, shh, shh. It’s OK, you’re with Mommy.” I slid my hand to the back of the car for her to hold as I carefully pulled back into the house.
I went back inside and got our passports quickly. I hopped back in the car. I looked at Stella through the rear-view mirror.
“Hey, Stella, we’re going on an airplane. We’re going to fly to Florida.” I smiled at her as she giggled.
“Daddy too?” She said, giggling more. My smile vanished.
“Sure. Daddy too.” I drove out of the driveway and down the road. I thought I saw Adie and Liv, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.
*Mike’s POV*
“I love you, give Stella a hug from me.” I sighed, hanging up.
Billie walked out. “What, she still didn’t answer?”
“Nope.”
“That’s like the fifth time today.”
I gritted my teeth. “I am aware of that.”
“Hey dude, chill. She could have decided to visit her parents.”
I grabbed the phone, dialling the number to Annie’s parents house, praying her father wouldn’t answer.
“Hello, Julie Stevens speaking, how may I help you?”
“Hi, Mrs Stevens, it’s Mike.”
“Oh hello, dear. How are Annie and Stella?”
I slumped in my seat. She wasn’t with them.
“They’re ok, I think. I haven’t been able to speak to them for a while.”
“Oh, are you busy with the tour then?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
I heard Tré calling from outside. “Mike! Get your fat ass out here! We’re on in five minutes!”
“Sorry, Mrs Stevens, I’ve gotta go.”
“Alright dear, it was nice to hear from you. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up and walked out of the dressing-room.
“Don’t worry Mike, she’ll be fine,” Tré put his arm round my shoulders. “Now, get out there and show the crowd how it’s done!”
I grabbed my bass and ran out on stage, blinded by the lights and deafened by the screams.
We started to play and I forced myself to forget, just for now.
*Annie’s POV*
“Wheeee!” cried Stella gleefully as the plane landed. An elderly couple near us smiled. I forced a smile back at them. I picked up Estelle and we made our way off the plane.
I picked up our luggage and we caught a cab. I told them the address and we drove off. I noticed Estelle staring reproachfully at me.
“Daddy.”
“Daddy’s not here. He can’t come.”
“I wan’ Daddy.”
“Daddy’s at work with Uncle Billie and Uncle Tré.”
She started to cry and I hugged her, rocking her and rubbing her back to try and get her to sleep again.
I got out of the car and paid the cab driver. He took the luggage up to the front door, then drove off. I took a deep breath, adjusted a sleeping Stella and knocked on the door.
*April 20th 1998*
*Mike’s POV*
I hopped off the bus and walked down the drive. It was empty.
She’s finally put the car in the garage. I thought, wandering up to the door. I was excited about seeing Stella and Annie again. Stella would be one year old tomorrow. I still hadn’t heard from Annie though. I was ringing the house ten, twenty times every hour, but Reprise had told us it was a breach of contract to cancel any more of our tour dates.
I unlocked the door and walked in. It was unusually quiet.
“Hello? Stella? Annie? Hello?” I wandered into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee.
They’ve probably gone out for groceries.
I walked upstairs with my mug of coffee. I went into Stella’s room.
The wardrobe was flung open, teddies and dolls were missing. I hurriedly walked towards the wardrobe. It was empty. I dropped my coffee and ran into our room.
It was in the same state, a half-empty wardrobe, stuff missing here and there, then I saw it. Our wedding photo had been ripped in half. I saw Annie smiling up at me, looking beautiful, but I had gone. I had been removed from the picture. Tears were streaming down my face as I ran downstairs. I got into the car and got out my cell phone.
I began to drive. I called Annie’s mobile, still no answer. I called her parents house, no answer. I called Billie.
“Billie Joe Armstrong, how may I help you?”
Sobbing, I choked out the words I’d hoped never to say. Hell, never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined I’d have to say them.
“Bill, I can’t find her. Annie and Stella, they’re gone.”
“Shit.”
I heard china crashing in the background.
“Where are you man?”
“I’m outside your house.”
“Right, stay there, I’m coming.”
As he spoke, I saw him running out of the house. He jumped in the car.
“Have you tried her parent’s house?”
“Yes, there’s no answer.”
“OK, well she’s probably there, do you still have your passport with you?”
I felt inside my pocket. “Yeah.”
“Great, I’ve got mine.”
I drove towards the airport, still crying silently. Why would she leave me?
*Adrienne’s POV*
I sat in the living room, watching the twins do a ‘fashion show’. They’d brought all their clothes and dressing-up clothes (as well as some of mine and Billie’s clothes) downstairs. I decided to let them, as they were still upset that Billie hadn’t been home on their birthday.
They were parading around in tutus, feather boas and tiaras, when I heard a knock at the door.
I went to answer it. It was Liv. I hugged her and she came in.
“Where are Ally and Mona?” I said, walking into the kitchen to make coffee.
“With my mom,” she took off her coat and sat on the couch as Addy and Joey raced over to hug her.
“How are you?” Liv called.
“I’m OK. A bit tired, but that’s normal.” I brought a tray into the living room. Joey and Addy took their cups of apple juice and a biscuit each. I passed Liv her coffee and we chatted for a bit.
“How’s Annie? I haven’t heard from her recently?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t seem to answer the phone anymore, do you think anything’s wrong?”
Liv frowned. “I don’t know. I went to her place yesterday to see how she was. I could hear Estelle running about and talking, but Annie didn’t answer the door.”
“Maybe she’s just busy with Stella and she misses Mike.” I mused, sipping my coffee.
“Maybe.”
*April 4th 1998*
*Annie’s POV*
I walked into Stella’s room and saw her sitting on the floor, playing with her Barbies.
“Mommy play!” she smiled when she saw me.
“Mommy’s tired, sweetie.”
“Play!” she held out two Barbies to me. “Pwetty pease?”
I sighed, sitting down on the floor. I played with her for an hour and then put her down for a nap. I walked downstairs and found a bottle of wine. I poured myself a glass and sat in the living room watching television. The phone was ringing, but I didn’t feel like answering it.
It carried on ringing for a while, then cut out.
“Annie, it’s Mike. I’m getting worried, why won’t you answer the phone? Please, call me, let me know you’re ok. I love you, give Stella a hug from me.”
I walked up to my room and got a suitcase out of the wardrobe. I packed some clothes and necessities, before going to Stella’s room and packing a bag for her. I carefully carried her downstairs and put her in her car-seat, then I put the bags in the car.
I pulled out of the drive and started down the road. I slammed on the brakes. Stella woke up and started crying.
“Shh, shh, shh. It’s OK, you’re with Mommy.” I slid my hand to the back of the car for her to hold as I carefully pulled back into the house.
I went back inside and got our passports quickly. I hopped back in the car. I looked at Stella through the rear-view mirror.
“Hey, Stella, we’re going on an airplane. We’re going to fly to Florida.” I smiled at her as she giggled.
“Daddy too?” She said, giggling more. My smile vanished.
“Sure. Daddy too.” I drove out of the driveway and down the road. I thought I saw Adie and Liv, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.
*Mike’s POV*
“I love you, give Stella a hug from me.” I sighed, hanging up.
Billie walked out. “What, she still didn’t answer?”
“Nope.”
“That’s like the fifth time today.”
I gritted my teeth. “I am aware of that.”
“Hey dude, chill. She could have decided to visit her parents.”
I grabbed the phone, dialling the number to Annie’s parents house, praying her father wouldn’t answer.
“Hello, Julie Stevens speaking, how may I help you?”
“Hi, Mrs Stevens, it’s Mike.”
“Oh hello, dear. How are Annie and Stella?”
I slumped in my seat. She wasn’t with them.
“They’re ok, I think. I haven’t been able to speak to them for a while.”
“Oh, are you busy with the tour then?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
I heard Tré calling from outside. “Mike! Get your fat ass out here! We’re on in five minutes!”
“Sorry, Mrs Stevens, I’ve gotta go.”
“Alright dear, it was nice to hear from you. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up and walked out of the dressing-room.
“Don’t worry Mike, she’ll be fine,” Tré put his arm round my shoulders. “Now, get out there and show the crowd how it’s done!”
I grabbed my bass and ran out on stage, blinded by the lights and deafened by the screams.
We started to play and I forced myself to forget, just for now.
*Annie’s POV*
“Wheeee!” cried Stella gleefully as the plane landed. An elderly couple near us smiled. I forced a smile back at them. I picked up Estelle and we made our way off the plane.
I picked up our luggage and we caught a cab. I told them the address and we drove off. I noticed Estelle staring reproachfully at me.
“Daddy.”
“Daddy’s not here. He can’t come.”
“I wan’ Daddy.”
“Daddy’s at work with Uncle Billie and Uncle Tré.”
She started to cry and I hugged her, rocking her and rubbing her back to try and get her to sleep again.
I got out of the car and paid the cab driver. He took the luggage up to the front door, then drove off. I took a deep breath, adjusted a sleeping Stella and knocked on the door.
*April 20th 1998*
*Mike’s POV*
I hopped off the bus and walked down the drive. It was empty.
She’s finally put the car in the garage. I thought, wandering up to the door. I was excited about seeing Stella and Annie again. Stella would be one year old tomorrow. I still hadn’t heard from Annie though. I was ringing the house ten, twenty times every hour, but Reprise had told us it was a breach of contract to cancel any more of our tour dates.
I unlocked the door and walked in. It was unusually quiet.
“Hello? Stella? Annie? Hello?” I wandered into the kitchen and made a cup of coffee.
They’ve probably gone out for groceries.
I walked upstairs with my mug of coffee. I went into Stella’s room.
The wardrobe was flung open, teddies and dolls were missing. I hurriedly walked towards the wardrobe. It was empty. I dropped my coffee and ran into our room.
It was in the same state, a half-empty wardrobe, stuff missing here and there, then I saw it. Our wedding photo had been ripped in half. I saw Annie smiling up at me, looking beautiful, but I had gone. I had been removed from the picture. Tears were streaming down my face as I ran downstairs. I got into the car and got out my cell phone.
I began to drive. I called Annie’s mobile, still no answer. I called her parents house, no answer. I called Billie.
“Billie Joe Armstrong, how may I help you?”
Sobbing, I choked out the words I’d hoped never to say. Hell, never in my wildest dreams had I ever imagined I’d have to say them.
“Bill, I can’t find her. Annie and Stella, they’re gone.”
“Shit.”
I heard china crashing in the background.
“Where are you man?”
“I’m outside your house.”
“Right, stay there, I’m coming.”
As he spoke, I saw him running out of the house. He jumped in the car.
“Have you tried her parent’s house?”
“Yes, there’s no answer.”
“OK, well she’s probably there, do you still have your passport with you?”
I felt inside my pocket. “Yeah.”
“Great, I’ve got mine.”
I drove towards the airport, still crying silently. Why would she leave me?