The Memory of Your Face

It was Friday morning and I clutched the keys of my dad's SUV in the arrival section of Athens airport. Billie's plane had just landed and I was expecting them to walk through the gate at any moment.

A swarm of people chattering and pulling suitcases passed me and I looked up in time to see the messy black hair and startling green eyes of his emerge from around the corner. He was clutching Jake in one arm and pulling a suitcase with the other. A grin appeared on his lips when he saw me. He put Jake down on the floor and the boy sprinted over to me,
"ERIN!" He yelled jumping up in a hug.
"Hey Jake, you okay?"
"Great," he giggled suddenly becoming quite shy and looking at the floor.
"Hey Erin." I looked up to see Billie smiling at me.
"Hey." I grinned as he brought me in for a hug and I placed a warm kiss on his cheek. We looked at each other intensely for a moment before Jake cooed below us.
"Here's Joey."

I looked up to see Joey plastered on Tre's back followed by Mike and Brittany pushing a trolley loaded with luggage.
"Hey," Tre greeted me, kissing me lightly on the cheek and putting Joey on the floor.
"Hey Tre, hello Joe, you okay?"
"Yeah, can we go the beach?" he asked me.
"Yeah, my mum and dad live right on the beach. You can go later if you like."
"Awesome." He grinned.
"Erin!" Mike chuckled embracing me in a hug,
"Hi Mike, how are you?"
"Great, great, shaky flight."
"Really? Well at least you're here now." I chuckled.
"Hey Erin." Brittany smiled at me unsurely.
"Hi," I replied with a grin, I hadn't seen her since we travelled to New York with the guys, she had dyed her hair slightly darker and her face seemed more worn than I remembered.
She wrinkled her nose at me and smiled, "thanks for inviting us."
"Thanks for coming." I smiled at her.
"Where's the car?" Tre asked clearly also itching to get out of the airport like Joey.
"Just outside." I smiled leading the way.

After and hour we arrived at the hotel that was only two minutes away from my parent's house. They lived in Pelion, a small village an hour away from Athens. It was up in the mountains but oddly, the house was directly on the beach, I had never gotten my head around the position of the house.
"Where are Dave and Adele?" Tre asked when everyone had unpacked and was loaded with beach things ready to go for a swim.
"They are helping P and G shift some stuff around for the party." I smiled as we again got into the car.
"Do they not want a hand?" Mike asked.
I smiled at him, "nah, they are okay. You should see all the aunts and uncles giving a helping hand too," I sniggered.
"Were gonna look like the famous lazy nobheads who won't help out," Mike whined
"Mike, really it's fine." I laughed.
"Mike you're such a girl." Tre laughed as we pulled up outside my parent's house.
"Nice." Billie smiled as G came out with Adele in tow. The house was huge and white, it just looked like your typical Mediterranean whitewashed pretty little abode.
"Guys!" Adele cried running over and giving them all a hug.
G waved at them and said hello before being called back inside the house by, I'm assuming my father.
"Come on guys the beach is just down this path." I grinned leading them all closer to the peaceful noise of the sea.

We arrived back at the hotel with four hours to get ready for the party. Joe and Jake were napping on the bed in mine and Billie's room as I came out of the shower and joined Billie on the balcony. He looked up at me from his book and grinned.
"Hi"
"Hey." I smiled sitting down opposite him at the table.
"Are they still asleep?" he asked looking back down at his novel.
"Yeah, absolutely gone." I giggled, "they look so cute."
He grinned at me. "They were so excited about coming here."
"I know, I could tell I've only just got all the sand out of my hair." I laughed. Billie smiled at me, "I know, fuckin Tre, he's as worse as the kids in the sea."
I laughed remembering Tre, Joe and Jake trying to bury Billie in the sand.
"Can I ask you something?" He grinned putting down his book.
"What?"
"Why do you want to visit Iceland so bad?"
I grinned at him, "well... err, my, err Grandfather's from Iceland and he told me before he died that he had a premonition that I would go there and be happy with someone."
Billie smiled at me, "That's a pretty good reason to go to a country."
"Stop taking the piss."
"I'm not... my grandfather said that If I went to a country I'd be so happy I'd get high."
"Where?" I asked knowing full well he was mocking me.
"Amsterdam." He started laughing.
"Oh shut up you big knob." I slapped him playfully before he grabbed my waist and pulled me down on top of him. I chuckled, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"I had something to tell you... "
"What?" He asked putting down his book.
"Oh yeah... I was reading... "
"As normal."
"And," I continued ignoring his interruption, "In Shakespeare's day, the term 'punk' meant prostitute"
Billie grinned at me, "What would I do without all your pointless information"
"Oi! Its relevant." I sulked.
"Well it hasn't changed has it, I'm your punk and Tre is a world class punk."
I chuckled, "Do you think it's sexy?"
"Very," he growled kissing my cheek and tightening his grasp around my torso.
"I'll tell Tre that later, he'll be well excited" He grinned. "If I wasn't tired, I would have shown more appreciation," he whispered.
"Thanks." I rolled my eyes at him playfully.
"What time is it?" He asked.
"Err, 5'oclock."
"Oh crap we better get them up and ready, haven't we got to be there by seven?"
I grinned at him,
"Keen aren't ya?"
"Shut it," he giggled kissing me on my forehead and getting up. "I just want to be there on time because the others won't."
"Well no, it takes you two hours to do your hair anyway."
"Does not," he huffed settling himself in front of the mirror in the room with his hair products. I bit my lip as I turned from watching him and glancing over the balcony to see the forestry below us. A cricket clicked in a nearby tree and I hoped that Billie would be different; I hoped that I could trust him.

"Im dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting round here trying to write
This book
I need a love reaction come on now baby give me just one look... "
I sighed as Bruce Springsteen dived into my ears, I turned to Billie who had begun clicking his fingers in a very Bruce-like fashion and rolling his shoulders comically to the music,
"You can't start a fire... even if we're just dancing in the dark... "
I laughed as his neck began jutting in time with his movements,
"You can only dance to Bruce in one way." He chuckled as G spotted us and ran over, hand clamped tightly around a glass of champagne.
"Billie! Erin" She grinned giving us both a kiss.
"Happy Anniversary G." I smiled handing her the box that contained her present from me and Billie. It was an expensive vase she had been drooling over the last time she visited me in London. I looked down to introduce Joe and Jake,
"This is Joe and... " Taking her gift she handed it to P who had just scooted next to us.
"Hey thanks Erin, Bill." He nodded kissing my head and shaking Billie's hand.
"Err, yeah, this is Joey and Jacob, Billie's sons." I smiled as G leaned down patting them on their heads,
"Hey boys aren't you two just adorable?" she grinned at them.
"Go help yourselves to some cake lads." P chuckled as they looked up at Billie waiting for his consent.
"Yeah, go knock yourselves out," he chuckled as they dashed over to the food to join the younger members of my family. They looked positively relieved to get away from G.
"So Bill, wanna drink?" P asked him as he handed the gift to a waitress passing by.
"Err yeah please." He smiled,
"Erin?"
"Yes please." I grinned at him.
"Lets hope it's not Brandy." I chuckled turning to as Tre, Adele, Dave, Mike and Brittany finally arrived and walked over to us.
"Hey guys." I smiled at them as G gave them each a kiss and ordered them some drinks.

Fleetwood Mac began to play and P came waltzing over with mine and Billie's drinks.
"Here ya go, Jack Daniel's for Erin and Brandy for Billie...go your own way...going your own way... "
He soon scooted off to the area of his house that had been cleared for the dance floor and he picked up one of my egotistical aunts to dance with on the way there.
"P loves Fleetwood Mac." I chuckled as the six of us watched him dance.
"Hey Bill, you drinkin Brandy tonight?" Tre asked eyeing his glass.
"Well, I'm only having this one I think." Billie grinned eyeing me
"Billie you drink what you want I'm not carrying you this time." I sighed.
"I second that." Mike chuckled.
"I'll behave." Billie smiled.
"OOH FOOD!" Tre cackled on spotting Joe and Jake scoffing ice cream in the corner and he and Dave decided to go and stuff their own faces.

Having introduced the majority of our family to the guys, I Adele and Billie sat in the corner observing the scene. Tre was dancing with my grandmother who looked absolutely over the moon to have the muscular drummer directing her around the room. Joe and Jake where dancing with G and my 8 year old cousin Keira. Mike and Brittany were talking with Adele's brother Les and his girlfriend. I smiled as Billie clutched my hand in his own. The doubts that these punk rockers would not fit into my family soon left my mind. They fitted in perfectly, I felt Adele tense next to me and I looked up to see Charlotte standing above me. She was the cousin that I hated the most, an air hostess with a very big opinion of herself, she had waited till me and Billie were alone before she came over. Tall thin and pretty she smiled at me with a glint in her eye that I was too aware of from when she and I would fight as kids.
"Hey Erin." Her sick, filthy face smiled at me.
"Hey Charlotte," I spat back through my grinding teeth.
"Adele." She winked at her sharply.
"Char," Adele spat back, "nice to see you."
"You too," Char snarled as Adele got up and left for the dance floor where Tre grabbed her and began twirling her around. Adele hated Charlotte too, she'd always said that she did even before the incident I had with her.
"So Erin... are you going to introduce me?" she grinned taking Adele's vacant seat next to Billie. I turned to Billie Joe who seemed to have been observing the scene from his seat, he gulped from his glass and placed it on the floor.
"Billie Joe Charlotte, Charlotte Billie Joe." Billie released my hand to shake hers, a complete metaphor I thought...
"Hey Billie Joe, I'm a big fan obviously." She smirked at him, unable to keep swirling her venomous eyes from mine.
Billie grinned politely at her as she moved closer to him on her chair.
"So how did you guys meet?" She asked
"Erin worked for me." Billie smiled politely
"Oh... right," she looked visibly disappointed, I could tell she craved for him to say, "Erin was my cleaner".
"DAD!" Jake suddenly came running over, his small suite all crumpled and his face smudged with what looked like cake.
"Hey little man, what's up" Billie asked his son who looked positively high.
"Come dance." He chuckled, eyes observing Charlotte who gave him a snarling smile.
"Erin..." he whispered, "Who's that?" he asked me looking a little scared at my cousin.
"That's Charlotte my cousin." I grinned back at him.
"Oh." He gaped at her before turning to me, "Will you come dance?" He asked me.
"Sure." I giggled picking up my drink as he grabbed my hand and began to pull me away. I turned to Billie,
"You coming?"
"Yeah... " he began getting up but was grabbed by Charlotte's sneaky hand, "Hey Billie I was going to ask you a few things... "
"Oh right." He looked a little terrified as he sat back down and turned to me,
"In a bit then Erin." He shrugged looking rather exasperated at the whole situation. I frowned at how she had probably hoped for this to happen.

I giggled watching Jake dance, soon my partner was taken from me as my grandmother took up his little hands and began to side step with him. Tre soon came over as a replacement, he took hold of my hand and hip and began to do a funny kind of waltz with me.
"Having fun?" He asked softly in my ear.
"Well yeah except Charlotte has decided to try and seduce Billie."
"Oh yeah Adele said." He giggled turning around to get a good view of him and Charlotte talking on the chairs.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure she squeezed my ass as I passed her before."
"It would not surprise me." I sighed.
"P and G look like they are having a ball."
"Are you kidding? They are pissed off their faces...I say it's your influence."
Tre chuckled, "G loves me, she said so."
I laughed. "I know... "
"Hey Erin. Can I tell you something?"
"What?"
The drummer bit his lip and smirked, "would you kill me if I made an advance on a family member?"
I grinned, "which one and depends how far you mean by advance." I smirked, "Is it my grandmother?"
Tre chuckled, "she's back up, no, err...someone who I know... "
"Dave." I laughed knowing full well he meant Adele.
"No." He chuckled.
"Tre, go for it, I don't mind one bit... "
"Billie told me why she and Matt split up."
I frowned, "Did he now? I'll have to kick his ass for that... but yeah, since you were the cause I believe you have to redeem yourself."
"Thanks Erin, I didn't want you being angry with me because I've learnt that that sucks you hold a grudge for two whole years... "

I laughed and hit him playfully as he ran off in search of Adele. I saw P and Dave talking, a warm fuzzy feeling bubbled inside me I truly wanted my brother and father to make up. Turning around I froze on the spot, Billie and Charlotte were leaning very close...where they going to kiss?

I felt like an invisible hand was reaching up and slowly clutching my throat, my heart was beginning to swamp back into the painful rack that Billie had once put it in. It was being stretched again. I couldn't take it, my legs walked and I ran ran past them both out into the back garden and onto the beach.

The salty smell hit my nostrils and the repetitive gushing of the waves combing the beach immediately hit me. I removed my black heels and took up the corner of my dress and began to descend the path onto the beach. The faint noise from the party was becoming less and less audible as I descended onto the sand. The light from the house illuminated the beach, sending warm rays across the sand and igniting the blue sea into a glistening diamond. The warm air from the tropical heat made my fast beating heart calmly slow down. I sat on the sand and ran my fingers through the grains. I felt my chest become heavy at the thoughts in my mind. It was inevitable that I and Billie weren't going to work out, I couldn't trust him, I was so afraid of him hurting me again. I looked out at the horizon on the ocean; the silhouette of a ship was floating across it, I wished I could just go out on my own boat and float, float away from everything and just lie on the deck and stare at the sky.

I couldn't help but think of that Incubus song 'Wish You Were Here'.
"I dig my toes into the sand... "
I wished Billie was here, the Billie Joe I knew and loved, the one I had given my heart to two years ago. Charlotte, Charlotte, that sick filthy stupid cow, I hated her, I actually hated her she wasn't going to put me through this again... she wasn't.

The wind picked up and twirled my hair around my face slowly, I felt hot tears prickle my eyes, I sniffed, I wasn't going to cry I just wasn't.
"Erin." The voice shook me to my very core.
"Erin." I slowly looked up and saw him, his bow tie loose, his top button un-done on his shirt.
"What are you doing out here?" He asked sitting down next to me on the sand, brushing my arm ever so faintly.
"Thinking." I sniffed, intent on not looking at him, not giving into his beautiful features.
"About what?"
I felt tears falling onto my cheeks, anger frustration and hatred spread through me; I pulled my legs up to my chin.
"Billie I just want to be on my own for a while."
I stood up and began to walk down the beach. I head his footsteps softly thud in the sand behind me; he grabbed my arm and turned me around. A mixture of shock and anger spread across his face.
"Is this because I was talking with your cousin? Christ Erin I was only talking to her..."
"YOU DON'T KNOW!" I yelled, unable to hold back my emotions, not wanting to tell him yet scream at him what had happened... why me and Will broke up... why I hated her...
"You don't know... " he let go of my arm as I looked down at the sand, he had also removed his shoes, and his toes were slightly buried in the soft white sand beneath our feet.
"I don't know what? What? Erin for God's sake... " His voice began to rise with anger...
"SHE SLEPT WITH WILL!" I yelled it out, practically screeched it; my throat ached, the words set my lips on fire, the very venom from my core spat heavily from my teeth.

Billie stepped back his eyes wide, "What?" he whispered.
Silence over took us, the soft whooshing of the waves being the only sound.
"She... that's why me and Will broke up, he, she, she slept with him and... "
Billie's face broke, I looked up at him, his eyes were watery, and he swallowed slowly before taking a step towards me.
"Erin... I'm sorry," He whispered, bringing his arms around my shaking body. A choking noise erupted in my throat, his scent wafted through my nostrils, the very heat from his body piercing my heart.

My legs felt like they would give way as I brought my arms around his neck bringing myself closer to him, inhaling his smell, grabbing his hair tightly.
"I... I didn't want to lose you again, I... I couldn't help it... I love you so much... please don't... please... after everything... "
I felt him inhale, his hot breath hitching as I panicked on his shoulder, my tears rolling freely down my face, a damp wetness dripping onto his jacket.
"Erin." He clutched my face softly, his thumbs rubbing my jaw line delicately. His eyes shot through me. I inhaled at the reflections of the glistening sea, the illuminating light making him barley visible, yet his eyes, those perfect shining eyes, they had turned deep black, yet a dazzling green. The intensity in which he stared at me stopped my heart.
I felt another tear escape down my cheek as I gazed at him, I couldn't help but smile.
"Erin I love you," he whispered, "I love you so much it hurts, I will, never, ever, hurt you, I promise. I love you Erin, words cannot describe what you mean to me."
I sniffed and reached upwards enveloping his hands in my own.
"... and if you think some cocky little bitch of an air hostess is going to mess things up for us... you got another thing coming... "
I choked out a desperate laugh as that hypnotic grin of his spread across his face.
"What do you mean...?" I asked letting go of his hands.
"Erin... " he began, letting his hands fall from my face, "I don't care about timing... "

His right leg dropped into a bend...
"All I care about is that I have you now... "
My breath hitched and my heart plummeted to the ground, the air in my lungs popped powerfully as he moved to kneel at my feet, reaching into his trouser pocket and pulling out a small black box.
"... I have you and I never want to let you go ever again."
My hands clapped up to my mouth as I looked down at him, his eyes burning, his chest rising heavily...
"... marry me Erin... " He opened the box to reveal a huge shining diamond.
"Oh Billie, Billie Joe... " I couldn't find words; I fell to my knees and grabbed his face pulling his lips against mine we kissed. The soft tender movements of his lips sending pulsations of ultimate joy ravishing through my body, we broke apart and he rested his forehead against mine, fighting to catch his breath,
"... is that a yes?" He whispered. I nodded, tears again streaming down my face as he lifted my left hand and slid the ring along it.

I gasped, and he smiled at me, a huge dazzling grin fixing in my eyes. He pulled me closer and our lips met again, the aching, the want of him pulsated my brain, all the doubts, fears, everything was left behind as I ran my fingers through his thick black hair, across and down his beautiful face, he grinned at me. The moonlight and the sea and the warm air dazzling every sense and every thought I'd ever had. It was just him and me, on the sand, under the sky, my soul set alight, my soul crying for all the happiness and completeness I had now and was going to have, with him, my love, my soul, my Billie Joe Armstrong.