Going to Pasalacqua

Where have all the bastards go?
the underbelly stacks up ten high.
The dummy failed the crash test
Collecting unemployment checks
Like a flunky only along for the ride.
Where have the riots gone?
As the city's motto gets pulverized
“What's in love is now in debt”
On your birth certificate
So strike the fucking match to light this fuse
The town bishop is a extortionist 
And he dot even know that you exist
Standing still when it's do or die.
You better run for your fucking life.’
-Letterbomb

As soon as I burst through my front door, I whooped “Yaaaaay! I'm home— as a graduate.” I was sheerly blissful.

I yanked off the blue robes awkwardly and folded them up neatly into a little square and set them on the cabinet. Mom went straight to the kitchen to start on lunch and a few people I had invited to my reception were beginning to arrive. I smiled proudly for everything accomplished today. 

Billie watched Tré and Mike pathetically as they beelined it for the dip mom set out. Tré hoarding it and Ollie scolding him for his eating habits. He'd laugh and proceed doing it. Tré's parents came, Larry and Ollie of course. Tim Armstrong and Jesse. My aunt and uncle who lived in Oakland. My grandma and grandpa. Of course Angie was here, I was happy. Completely.

Billie laughed as Tré started assaulting the stereo in the foyer. Until he got it to turn on, he cranked the volume all the way up till it was deafening. I recognized my pile of CD's, Tré must have gone and destroyed my room looking for it. He turned on a Beatles CD and started doing a lot of awkward, mature dances, I winced and looked away. 

“You graduated!” Billie squealed. Hugging me tightly then pecking my cheek.

I nodded and laughed. 

Then the front door opened. I felt Billie stiffen. He obviously had no idea who the guy standing in the doorway was. But I did. Hell I hadn't seen him in so long. He was dressed up in his cameo clothes. Combat boots. A huge smile on his face and his arms spread out for a welcoming hug.

“EMBRY!” I yelled, charging barefoot towards him. Slipping a little on the wood floor of the foyer. I jumped on him and hugged him. He was home!

“Adeline!” he said equally surprised. I laughed and pulled away long enough to see his face and how much he had changed. He looked taller, by maybe two inches. Or maybe it was just the boots. His hair. Was still the same dark brown color it had been when he left, was now no longer shaggy around his shoulders but cut off into a buzz cut. Still he had green eyes, that he had got from dad while I got my hazel from mom. He was definitely taller then me, hell he always was but it's just more noticeable now. He grinned hugely before hugging me again.

“Embry, come here, I want you to meet someone.” I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards where I'd left Billie. He still had that jealous tint to his eyes.

“Billie this is my brother Embry.”

The tension and jealousy evaporated.

Billie raised his eyebrows “Hey, Adeline has said a lot about you.” he shook his hand.

“Mostly bad I'm sure.” Embry laughed.

Billie shrugged thoughtfully “Most of it.”

I gasped and smacked Billie's arm “I do not!”

Billie lauded and slung his arm over my shoulders “Yeah yeah yeah Adie. Sure” he grinned. 

I drifted away when Billie started to make conversation with Embry comfortably like he was just another friend. I grinned proudly at their bonding and went seeking out mom in the kitchen.

I stood by the island picking at the split ends in my hair. Mom was talking with one of our neighbors. About something I'm sure I probably have no interest in. Tré was laughing hysterically with Angie and as happy as I was, I felt a little wedged out as the third wheel. I shook my head to rid myself of the pathetic emotions and went to help make lunch.

Five minutes later Tré and Billie and Mike bounced excitedly up to me. I looked at them warily waiting for them to speak.

“Daddy wants you to go to the backyard!” Tré squealed. Hugging himself and grinning. I cocked a eyebrow skeptically.

“Just go with it.” Billie muttered into my ear. I nodded slowly. Trying to comprehend the mess of thoughts my mind now was and silently followed them out the back doors onto the patio. Beyond it was the big green lawn and the big, almost colossal oak tree in the middle of the grass. As always, since I could remember, there was a faded wooden tree house hidden high up in it's twisted branches. The wooden ladder leaned up against the tree and the tree towered high above. Far out of ability to free climb to it. It's kind of a safe house, in many ways. And if that was the case, I cannot imagine a good reason I hadn't been up there at all in the last two years. Me and Embry spent a lot of time up there playing cards and stuff like that as kids. But as we got older we sort of... Outgrew it.

And now here I stand. Eighteen years old and now, as of today, an official graduate. Staring up at the tree with a giddy desire to scramble up it's ladder and investigate the alternate home. I had to contain myself from doing that. Though I looked at my dad. Who smiled proudly as I realized what I was meant to see hidden in the branches. The treehouse looked noticeably different. Dad had taken the liberty to repaint it, a soft white versus the bright fushia pink it had been. Paint chipping, peeling and plain out fading. It now looked better than it had in years. If ever. Dad had also added onto it since the tree branches had more than enough space to hold the little boxing space off the door. It looked much the same otherwise. Regardless, who knew how much time he had spent traversing the tree to put in the balcony, clean the windows which were obviously glistening clearly in the sunlight, and even installed adorably small window boxes under the limited windows and planted a vining plant in them. So gorgeous flowers pours out of the boxes and fell and  good three feet.

“Little late dad.” I breathed in amazement.

He laughed and put his arms over his shoulders “I figured you'd like this little memento of both your childhood, and the marking of your graduation with something very precious to you.” he grinned and beamed up at the work which easily could have taken him well into the last six months to complete. I was utterly flattered by his effort. I loved it. I'd always loved it but now it has one of those yesteryear charms to it. 

“Holy crap dad, I love what you've done with it.” I murmured. Still throughly amazed at it it almost looked like a real house was residing in the branches.

“Can I go up?” I breathed without realizing it.

He nodded enthusiastically and prodded me towards the ladder at the base of the tree. I rested my palms against the rough, familiar rope on either side of the wooden rungs. And after a moments hesitation. Began to pull myself up towards the top.

I practically fell inside when I did reach the top. Dad and mom, obviously had remastered the style me and Embry had had going. They replaced the tiny wooden table we would draw in coloring books on—When he was sixteen and I was twelve and he was seventeen. Haha.

There was a hammock. Stretched between the two walls across from the door. Apart from looking like a real tree on the outside. On the inside it still remained fairly treehouse-ish. If that is even a thing. The walls still the solid color of wood. The old yellow bookshelf against the wall full of our old coloring books, stories and stuff. I looked out the open window and breathed in the California air. Seeing on a thick branch hanging right above the door, was the garden hose. Alright, I'll explain if to you.

A few years ago, me and Embry stole moms garden hose and put it up here in the tree so we would have a fire station style 'escape' from the treehouse to jump out on and slide to the bottom. In a unrelated note, we used it every time out of the tree except emergencies and one time Embry broke his arm on it, a story for another time, trust me... After that, mom and dad had wanted to ban it from our fun. But I was more amazed now than ever that it was still here. Even after renovations. 

I dropped cross-legged onto the floor and peeked out the little door. Giving dad a thumbs up on his work I called out “Embry, get up here!” 

I laughed watching him cautiously climb each rung of the ladder “You never used to climb like that!” I taunted, calling down to him, halfway up.

He snorted “Go to the military for a few years and we'll see how you climb.” he says sarcastically. All he got in reply from me was a wicked laugh.

Instantly with Embry's presence in the little treehouse, I felt like a innocent little kid again. Laughing about playing pranks on the neighbors and only stressing over how many candy bars we can smuggle past mom before she notices— those were the good old days. I sighed contently and leaned my head back against the wall. Examining the little room further. Really the inside hadn't changed much.

I peeked out the curtains and saw Billie waving dorkishly below. I gestured for him to climb up and join us. After shouting multiple cuss words at him and threats, he finally stomped off to the base of the ladder and began to haul himself up.

He landed in a loud thud on the floor and a few grunts later, righted himself up into a sit. Looking patiently between me and Embry.

“Hey Adeline, do you remember that one time we kidnapped the neighbors cat?” Embry asked suddenly.

I looked at him surprised at first of him having brought it up, then smiled wryly because yes, I did remember that.

“Yes...”

Embry nodded. Thoughtful “Good. That was a great memory.” he said. Beaming with pride as he recalled how it all had happened

“Whoa whoa, you two did what?!” Billie intruded on our thought processes.

I and Embry exchanged evil grins and launched into the story...

“It was a warm summer day...” I began cheekily. “I was what? Eleven, and you were like... Fifteen or something.”

“Sixteen.” Embry corrected.

I nodded and laughed “Yeah ok, so me and Embry were scheming one afternoon. And if you knew us back then, you'd know that was a very very bad thing for us to be doing.”

Billie nodded as he envisioned it

“So we used to have this neighbor—”

“Mrs. Winchester.” Embry interrupted.

I rolled my eyes and continued “Yeah well... Mrs. Winchester... She was this grouchy old woman next door. And she had this annoying fat ass cat that would meow loudly every damn day at six sharp in the morning. Dad hated the thing's guts because it'd come over here and piss on everything.” I chuckled darkly at the memory.

“Well on this one day, the cat was over in our yard. And so we decided, we wanted to hostage the cat and play ‘Cops & Robbers’” I said raising my eyebrows suggestively.

“So we go, and get this cat and haul it up to our treehouse, we played around with it for a while when we hear Mrs. Winchester at the door giving mom this sob story about how her fat cat ran away.” I snorted
“Ans then the stupid thing starts up with it's annoying meowing, and Mrs. Winchester comes into the backyard seeking out the meowing. And she find us with it— Sooo long story short, Mrs. Winchester gave our whole family a lecture about 'taking someone else's property.” I say making quotations in the air.

“She moved out a week later after giving us the cold shoulder and silent treatment. Sooo, yeah. She obviously didn't realize the damn thing made it's own damn way over here everyday.”

“I think we had some celebratory party after she moved out or something.” Embry said thoughtfully while picking at a stray thread on his white t-shirt.

I laughed and nodded “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”

Billie was too busy rolling around in a fit of laughter to have heard us.

“You stole her damn cat?!” Billie exclaimed breathlessly before laughing again.

We all laughed together, then out of nowhere Tré appeared on the ladder. Peering inside the treehouse.
He nodded in approval “Nice place you've got here. Anyways— when your done laughing like a bunch of diseased birds, your mommy said it's time for lunch and then Dessert time for this little beauty.” he said pointing proudly to himself. I rolled my eyes and got up, walking towards the doorway where Tré still was. 

“Um, Adeline, I can, I can move. Uh, Adeline, ADELINE!” Tré screeched after me as I leapt, airborne over his head, grabbed the garden hose hidden in the branch and slide down.

After I landed on the balls of my feet in the grass, I beamed back up at him. 

“That'd just been too easy Tré. Where is your sense of adventure?” I called up to him. 

He rolled his eyes and muttered “I left it at home.”

I laughed and skipped into the house, waiting by the door for them to join me. Then we entered the kitchen and Tré took off from our group. Going all ape shit on the plate of pickles and olives on the table. It was only a matter of time before he was waving at us with his frog fingers, on each finger he wore a olive over his fingertip.

“Wow, your mom went all-out.” Billie stated in awe. I finally looked around and took notice of what was lined up on the kitchen table and cabinets. Mostly finger food. Stuff mom refused to let me help make yesterday because apparently it ruins the 'surprise' ohh yeah, ok. 

Tré was fugitively eyeing the tower of cupcakes that was the centerpiece of the table. So from his look, it was only a matter of time before he hoarded everything.

Mom called everyone into the kitchen for lunch while dad was still out I. The backyard, with Mike's assistance, setting up tables and chairs while Angie was on the decorating committee. She would cover the tables they sat up with pastel colored tablecloths and tie streams of ribbon around the chairs in bouncy little coils. A big bunch of balloons were anchored to the middle of every table, acting out as some kind of umbrella I'm guessing.

When they all came back inside the house, I and Billie finally joined the line. Of course, Tré was first in line. Piling his plate high with sandwiches, pickles, olives, pasta salad and took a whole pitcher of lemonade away with him. Mom cocked a eyebrow questioningly after him then shook her head and went to get another pitcher from the fridge.

***

“Sooo, howya been?” Billie asked goofily as he plopped down across from me. I'd been too busy slowly pulverizing the crust of my sandwich with a anxious expression to notice him at first. Don't ask exactly what I was stressing about, because truth be told, I didn't really know myself. 

I looked up in surprise. “I've been fine. What about you?” I asked tentatively. I knew that sooner or later we would have to talk relationship. And that was a talk I wasn't particularly sure about participating in.

He shrugged “Alright I guess.” he stared thoughtfully up at the oak tree and treehouse for a second before adding “I missed you.”

I rose my eyebrows and dropped my eyes. I'm not sure how apparent it has been in the last week. But I obviously missed him.

“I uh... Missed you too.” I admitted, I'd always been embarrassed of admitting my emotions out loud to anyone besides myself. No matter how true they were. I tended to stutter a lot when admitting affection. Which didn't do much for me except weaken the message.

He beamed brightly at my words and for once in that conversation I felt relived. I smiled and felt the crimson flood my cheeks in a embarrassing blush. 
I ducked my head before anyone could see.

But of course Billie saw it. He has never missed the opportunity to watch me blush. Mostly because he was the reason behind every flash of crimson. I never blushed before I met him. I never blushed when I was away from him. I merely stayed my regular old white pallid color under most circumstances. Unless he was included.

“So enough of the heavy, what did you do in my absence?” he asked cheerily.

I shook my head incredulously. He surprised me sometimes, with his mood swings and all of that. Sometimes they were good though.

I sighed and proceeded picking at my food “I don't really know...” I answered honestly. I couldn't really remember having done much except for mope and feel sorry for myself over the week. I racked my brain for something I had done.
“I uh... Painted a mural at my moms record store. I hung out with Angie a little bit.”

He laughed “Oh yeah I saw that.” he smiled “Lotza Green Day there.” he said raising his eyebrows at hoe much I'd used his band as a theme for my moms mural. So naturally, I blushed.

“Well you ought to know by now I love only of you.” I laughed tugging on his hand.