My Everything

Chapter 18: Finally!!

I stepped off the plane and made my way over to the baggage claim. As I stood there waiting for my luggage I could feel eyes on me. Ignoring the feeling I got my phone out and called Emi.

“Hello?” I heard a groggy voice come over the line. Seems that I had woken her up. Looking down at my watch I saw that it was past noon. I hope that her and Tre weren’t up late doing anything that leaned towards the dirty side. Snickering I realized it probably matter, they would where ever they were.

“Emi, it’s Billie…ummm…I need to know…shit…hold on.” I said as I saw my bags almost all the way past me. I made a lunge for them, grabbing them I was finally able to move out of the way of the other people waiting. “Sorry had to grab my bags…”

I didn’t hear a reply, I figured that Emi probably fell back asleep. “EMI!” I yelled into the phone causing a few people to look up and stare when they realized who I was.

“WHAT ASSBAG? I‘M AWAKE.” She yelled back at me. I laughed quietly.

“I need Juliet’s address if I’m going to get there.” I had no idea where to go from the airport.

“Oh yeah…sorry should have gave it to you before you left. It’s uhhhh…hold on…let me think…right it’s uhhhh…693 River Drive Greenview Missouri 65020. Just put that into a cars GPS unit and you should make it okay.” I rolled my eyes as she explained how to put the address into a GPS before I interrupted her.

“Emi, I’m pretty sure I’m not an idiot I know how to work a GPS unit.”

“Okay.” She replied before promptly hanging up on me. I looked down at my phone and rolled my eyes once more. “Thanks.” I said sarcastically.

Looking around I located the car rental place, bending down I grabbed my bags and walked toward it still feeling eyes watching me. God it was annoying sometimes. I turned around to see a woman and a young boy looking at me, the woman had a look of sympathy in her eyes. I guess the word was out that Adie and I were officially no longer together…I didn’t need their sympathy I had a great girl that I was going after and nothing could change my mind.

I walked up to the front desk to rent a car, I already had my license and all the appropriate material out and ready. The lady looked at my license and looked at my face and back at the license, then she spoke.

“You are not Billie Joe Armstrong.”

“I am too Billie Joe Armstrong, Ma’m I think I of all people know who I am.” I stated looking at her in disbelief.

Twenty minutes later I finally walked out of that little hell hole. The lady had argued with me until her manager came over to find out what the problem was. At first he argued with me agreeing with her, before a teenage girl came and asked for an autograph. This somehow convinced them that I was who I said I was. I unlocked the door and got in the front seat, sitting for a minute I took a deep breath, still not believing that I was doing this. I reached over and punched Juliet’s address into the GPS Unit. Pulling out of the parking lot I was finally on my way.

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“Aunt Karla I’m going out with Layla and her new boyfriend.” I yelled walking to the front door. I watched as Aunt Karla walked out to the kitchen and looked at me.

“Okay sweetie, have a good time. Hopefully it will help bring your spirits up.” She said with a smile.

“Only one thing or person could do that and unfortunately he’s not here with me.” I said giving her a small smile. The biggest thing I had given her since I got here. I turned and walked out the door when I heard a horn honk loudly.

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I woke up on the couch by myself. Sitting up stiffly I looked around for Tre only to find him sprawled out on the floor hugging a teddy bear (where it came from I do not know) and it looked like he was about to start sucking his thumb at any moment. At that moment I could see where little Frankie got his looks. It was really cute. I laughed quietly as I got up and walked into the kitchen. I was hoping to find something that didn’t require a lot of effort. I didn’t feel like being the one responsible for Billie’s house burning down. I actually thought of calling Mike, bit then I figured that he would appreciate me calling just so he could come over and cook me breakfast, Billie would be mad if I called his mother. So I nixed those ideas and began looking for something else. I looked on top of the refrigerator to find a box of fruit loops. For once I was really grateful to his kids. They were life savers, in more than one way.

“TRE BREAKFAST!” I yelled. A few moments later I heard a high-pitched squeal after a loud thump from the living room. I listened with a grin as his footsteps came closer.

“Do you have to be so loud?” He asked coming up behind me as I poured the milk into the bowls. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my neck.

“I’m glad you decided to say here in California. I don’t know what I would do if you had went back to Missouri with Juliet. I would probably DIE!” He said dramatically, after he sighed loudly in my ear.

“You would have DIED! NO ONE and I mean NO ONE can live without me. I’m irreplaceable!” I laughed at the surprised look on his face. “I glad I stayed too. Now lets eat.”

He took one of the bowl from me and walked over to the kitchen table while taking a spoonful of fruit loops and shoving it in his mouth before speaking.

“Fanks.” He mumbled. I just smiled, shook my head and began eating my food.

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“TURN LEFT IN .2 MILES!” The GPS yelled at me. If the GPS was a woman I would have killed her by now. A few moments later I pulled into a long driveway and a small house with flowers and trees lining a wrap-around-porch came into view. Letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding I looked around.

“Here goes nothin’” I said stepping out of the car. As I started walking towards the door I saw an elderly woman with short curly white hair step out with a green watering can. She reminded me of my mother back home in Rodeo, but she looked a lot like Juliet. ~This lady must be her Aunt.~

“Hello.” I said loudly. I stepped closer and spoke again.

“Hello.” This time I saw her jump and turn around with a surprised look on her face. “Sorry if I startled you but I was looking for someone.”

“Who are you looking for?” She asked raising her eyebrows exactly like Juliet does.

“Sorry I’m looking for Juliet Haynesworth, is she around or am I at the wrong place?” I asked hoping that the bitch from the GPS hadn’t actually steered me wrong.

The woman stood in silence for a few minutes before smiling brightly. “You must be the infamous Billie Joe.”

She came up to me slowly and wrapped me in a tight hug. “I’m glad you came. She’s been so sad since she got here. Can hardly get the girl to smile, she’s staying here, but at the moment she’s not here. She went out with some old friends from school. I don’t know when she’ll be back.”

She stepped back and smiled again. “Come on in.”

“Thank you, Ma’m. “ I said stepping past her into the house.
“A young man with manners, Juliet picked a good one, and your mother raised you right.” She said disappearing into the kitchen.

“Yes, she taught me to respect women.” I said feeling a little embarrassed and not quite sure what to do.”

“Sit down honey. Would you like anything to drink?” She looked at me waiting for an answer.

“No thank you.” I said lifting up a bottle of Pepsi I had in my hand. “Thanks for the offer.”

“No need sweetheart. Anyone that can make Juliet smile and keep her happy is thanks enough for me.” She said.

I looked at her surprised. How much had Juliet told her Aunt about me. I was surprised that she was welcoming me and accepting me so quickly. I spoke, “But you don’t even know me.”

“Yes, well Juliet has told me a lot about you.” She said smiling. “So tell me, why exactly are you here?” She asked me surprising me with her bluntness.

“Well, uhhhh…I’m here because…well, because…” I stammered a few moments since she had caught me off guard which was probably her intention. ~Shit!~ I thought. “because I love your niece and uhhhh…I want her to come back to Oakland with me.” I swallowed hard and looked her in the eyes. I didn’t want her to think that I was lying for any reason. She looked at me and if her smile could have gotten any bigger it would have split her face in half. She looked up for a moment before speaking.

“I’m glad you said that son.” She stood up. I watched her and followed her with my eyes as she picked up her watering can and walked out the door right past Juliet, who was standing there looking at me with her eyes wide and her mouth open slightly. I stared back at her for a few minutes. I hadn’t heard the front door open or close so I was, I guess, as surprised as she was. I stood up still looking at her waiting for her reaction.

“You…you…, you love me?” She asked stammering slightly. She looked beautiful standing there with tears in her eyes, I wasn’t quite sure what to do so I walked over to her and put my hands on either side of her face and leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. It took her a few seconds to respond. Once she began responding I realized that I missed kissing her. I hadn’t really kissed her, correctly since the night we met. We kissed awhile longer before I pulled back and stared into her green honey brown eyes (A/N: she has bright green eyes with honey brown flecks.) “Yes…I love you.”

I wiped a few tears away that fell down from her eyes. She smiled at me finally and gave me a tight hug whispering in my ear, “I love you too, Billie.”
I pulled back and smiled. I realized that the more I spoke those three words the easier they became to say. “I love you.”

Juliet laughed quietly before returning my words. I knew that I had to ask her an important question, something I had been wanting to ask her since we met. I looked past her and I could see her Aunt by the window pretending to be watering her plants. Bringing my attention back to Juliet I said quietly, “Be my girlfriend?”

She looked at me for a few minutes surprised before nodding and a quick kiss. “So it looks like I’m going back to Oakland with you. I don’t do long distance relationships.”

She pulled away before yelling. “AUNT KARLA!” Not knowing she was at the window.

“Yes dear?” She answered causing Juliet to jump in surprise and swirl around.

“Have you been there the entire time?” She asked turning back to me.

“I need something to gossip with, I live my love life through you.” She said with a twinkle in her eye. “What did you need?”

“Would you be willing to send all my things to California. I’m going to be moving in with my new boyfriend. I’ll give you the address.” She stated not taking her eyes off of me.

“Of course dear. Congratulations you two.” She said smiling before going back to her watering.

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The next morning we got up early and Juliet flew back to Oakland with me. I was on my way to being happy again.