As I Follow This Little Lies

Sydney looked around the bookstore the one last time, with a sad smile, remembering all the good and bad things that happened in this little shop. She didn't want to leave this place at all, but she had to. Heading out the door she bumped into someone.

"Sor- Billie?" she raised her eyebrows, staring at him in shock, feeling nervousness and butterflies inside.

"Syd...” he smiled weakly. His hair looked messy and he looked like he just woke up. That probably was it.

He probably has the worst hangover ever.

"I hoped to meet you here."

"Why?"

"I... found this today...in my room." he handed her the driving license and wallet. "I thought you might need it."

"Oh, yea." she smacked herself on the forehead. "I was searching for this." Sydney replied, putting her wallet and documents into the back pocket of her jeans. She smiled at Billie, after what she didn't look or glance at him. Billie was looking at the ground and it was a miracle he actually could stand still after last night.

"Um... so...” Sydney spoke, but Billie interrupted her.

"Thanks for... taking me home yesterday, it won't happen again, I promise..." he chuckled quietly. "I don't even know where I got your number from...Damn." he chuckled again. "I don't remember everything... just some stuff. Oh, well, thanks a lot."

"It's okay." she smiled. "You’ve got the rights to celebrate a record deal." he looked at her confused.

"You knew?"

"Mike told me." Billie laughed nervously.

"I wanted to tell you... damn, you probably know already everything since you talked with Mike-"

"Congrats!" she said cutting him off. "I never doubted Green Day would make it. You three deserve the best!"

"Um... thanks." he rubbed the back of his neck. "So... you're coming for Christmas with Matt?"

Sydney looked at him with a weak smile. As much as she wanted to be there, she couldn't. A part of her was happy for this, but the other half was screaming to her to forget about him and move on. And not coming on Christmas was a first step.

"I already talked with your mom. We... must go to New York. Matt got reply from some guy and we should be there when Christmas ends."

Billie looked quite shocked and didn't even try to hide this. Sydney looked down at her hands.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"The same reason you didn't tell me about your success. I told Mike, Trè and Ollie. You know, I would love to stay, but now... all that's important is my brother and the band."

"Y-yea.., but...you shouldn't leave on Christmas." she smiled at Billie, as he was looking at her with eyes slightly narrowed, hoping for her to change her mind.

"We're leaving today. This evening, so I guess that everything I got to do is pack now.” she shrugged. He looked at her quite unhappily.

"Will you come back here?" she looked at him oddly.

"I guess. But I got nothing keeping me here at all." she said, looking somewhere else than at Billie.

Only you kept me here.

"What about your friends?"

"I don't have many friends. I take two of them with me and the other three will go on tour soon."

Small smile crept onto his face.

"Right. So, you’ve got your chance too?" she nodded. "Better don't waste it." He walked a step closer to her and all of sudden pulled her into a tight embrace. She put her hands around his neck, feeling so nervous, but she couldn't help but smile. He pulled away with a grin on his face.

"Call us sometimes...”

"Sure!" she chuckled. "Um, thanks for bringing my stuff. Um... I’ve got to go now." Billie nodded his head, putting his hands in his pockets. Half way to the car she turned around and looked at Billie, biting her lip. He still stood there looking tired. "Congrats, Billie. You really deserve this." she said in a soft voice and hastily went over to her car. Before she drove away, she waved to him, smiling brightly. He waved back and as the car was getting smaller and smaller in the distance; his smile was fading away from his face. When it completely disappeared he went the opposite way she went.

***

New York wasn't as cool as Sydney thought. She wanted to go back home.

First month was full of nerves, argues, fights, anger and tears. It's seemed like everyone where about to kill one another every passing minute in the studio. Brad, the guy who was their manager and helped them out so many times with problems with the sound of the song was a little sick of it. He just wanted them out of the studio after an hour of recording. He didn't know what got him into 'I must give them the chance' mood. When he heard the demo with three songs 'Stop Playing God', 'Without You' and 'Day In Hell' he thought he got one hit at least and that would be 'Stop Playing God'. Sydney was a promising vocalist for him and adding her band mates they could go far with their career. In this one month he knew them all perfectly and knew that when they got distracted there was no way to do good work. He found out about this while recording song that Sydney decided to hate after she got divorce papers. 'Without You' was the worst song to record. It told about her love to the guy who wanted her out of his life. It seemed like she really did miss him. A lot. While recording the song Dave, Allison and Brad left the recording studio in fear they'd be the victims of siblings fight. Matt tried making her sing the song even if she didn't want to. She had the different view on the song and didn't want it on the album, while her brother had a plan... a soft song with a powerful chorus.

Naturally, after Sydney left the studio, went to a nearby bar, calmed down and got two beers, she returned and recorded the song right away.

Brad had already some stories about Strawberry Acid. He just knew that if they don't kill each other, they'll make it. Second month was calmer. Sydney was wearing a smile everyday. Allison came up with a guitar solo to one of the songs. Matt acted a little weird around Allison and Dave was falling asleep in the studio whenever he had the chance. The everyday parties and constant work in the studio did it to him.

Brad was sure they wouldn't surprise him with any other song. It was already February and they were finishing the album. They needed just one song. It all seemed to have a story behind the lyrics. It had. And the story seemed to be untold, but the authors were satisfied with it.

When Dookie, Green Day's album was released on February, Sydney got a little more determined to finish the recording. All four of them knew they wouldn't finish it without the last song.

"Maybe you should write something..? I’ve got no idea." Sydney said with a heavy sigh, sitting in the recording studio, alone with Allison. Brad let them stay there as long as they wished.

Matt and Dave were somewhere, probably having fun. They wouldn't help with the song writing.

"I wrote these 2 or 3 songs. I won't write anymore."

"Ha! You won't even remember how many you wrote!" Sydney said accusingly. "Maybe you're hiding something in that awesome notebook of yours? Huh?"

Allison looked up, with wide eyes, enlightened by this few words.

"You're a genius!" Allison got up and started dancing around with an evil laugh. "We’ve got a song. We’ve got a song! We got it figured out! We played this shit before!" she sang to a random melody.

"Really...” Sydney narrowed her eyes. "What song?"

"Babydoll, get the door slammed right in your face
Babydoll, don't wanna marry I just wanna love you
Babydoll, gotta be me gotta be free, yeh
Babydoll, you're not playing me it's me that's playing you" Allison sang, dramatically falling to her knees with hand raised into the air.

"No." Sydney said. "I'm not singing that. It was...”

"Yeah, fight with Billie about Strawberry. Yup. I have it right in my notebook." she smirked. "You thought I threw it out?! How could I! It's a cool song. And we already played this. I even remember I modified guitar for it... but then we didn't play it."

"Can't we write something else?"

"Oh come on?" Allison rolled her eyes. "It's an 'I don't care' song. It's your 'I'm free from your charm' song!"

"I am free." Sydney glared at her.

"Sure you are." Allison walked over to the radio and Burnout blasted through the speakers.

"Turn.It.Off" Sydney growled covering her ears.

"Nuh uh!"

"Please?"

"What? I didn’t hear you speak!" she yelled as she turned the song louder. The exact moment Dave walked in with Matt staring at Allison in confusion.

"Are you writing a Burnout song in our version?" Matt asked as he walked up to her.

"No." she smiled at him. "We have already a song! I'm torturing Syd cause she said she won't sing this."

Matt smirked at Allison and changed the song to the next one.

"Hey. Actually, why don't we work over the music then? I would like to see the lyrics and all.." Dave said sitting on the armchair.

"Right." Matt said. "Do you have a guitar melody to this song?"

"Sure thing."

"Uh... Hello?" Sydney exclaimed getting up. "Why would we play that?"

"Why would you even record an album?" Matt said mocking her.

"Please. No... I don't want to!” she looked at them sweetly.

"No." All of them said. She glared at them and fell back onto the armchair.

"I hate you all."

But at least, in the middle of February, she could say the opposite with the finished album and a video to make.