You're My Nicotine

October knocked on the door and didn't wait long for it to be answered. Seeing Frank's grin made her troubles melt away instantly, and she smiled back at him.

"Hey, you, come in," he said and moved so she could pass.

October walked inside and up the hall a bit until she turned around to see Frank staring at her.

"What?" she asked nervously.

"You look... incredible," he said, and closed the front door as October blushed. "Prom finished already?"

"I don't know, we only stayed less than a half hour," she replied, "We ended up crashing the mall and then got some ice cream..." She shrugged, looking to the floor and fiddling with the end of her dress.

Frank frowned a little and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said, keeping her darkly made up eyes down.

"Octy," Frank said softly as he took a slow step towards her and bent down to reach her line of vision, "It's okay, you know you can tell me anything."

October sighed heavily.

"Come on, we'll get a drink and we'll sit down and talk about it," he said.

"I don't want to bust in and intrude on your night," she told him.

"My night of doing what, nothing?" he answered and she looked up at him, "Come on." He passed her and went into the kitchen, October following, and took out a couple of beers, handing one can to her. "Here you go, sweetie."

October felt a ping of excitement every time he called her 'sweetie'. She replied, "Thank you," and opened the can to take a swig.

"Come sit," Frank said, motioning to one of the chairs at the table, sitting on the other.

She sat next to him at the kitchen table and took another swig from her can. "Ethan tried to kiss me," she blurted.

Frank's eyebrows raised in surprise, "I had no idea he liked you."

"Ben told Hazel, she told me last week," she replied, "But I just acted like I didn't know because I didn't know what else to do."

"Do you like him?" asked Frank.

October shrugged. "I'm so confused because Ethan's a great guy and normally someone I would go for, but..." she trailed off, leaving the room in silence.

"But what?" he gently pushed.

October took in a breath and held it for a moment, staring down at her beer can. "There's someone else," she exhaled.

"Someone else?" Frank asked slowly.

"Yeah," she answered in barely a whisper, her voice shaking a little. She cleared her throat and added, "It sucks because the only time I've felt this way was with Aidan." Her eyes were anywhere but on Frank.

The silence that had returned was deafening, and the both of them flinched when the phone started ringing in the other room.

"Uh, I should get that," Frank said as he got up, "Back in a minute."

As soon as he left the room, October pressed her forehead down against the surface of the wooden table and the ringing stopped. Her brain was protesting with itself. Half of it was screaming at her, telling her she should tell him he was that 'someone else', but then there was the other half, the half stopping her from spilling the beans. It's point was that if she told, it would make everything go to shit. Nothing could ever happen between the two and he was moving back to new Jersey possibly within the next two weeks. Plus there was the whole nine years between them thing. There was a limit until her parents would actually screw, Frank was way beyond that limit.

October gulped down the entire can of beer and slammed it on the table.

"Someone was thirsty," Frank commented, coming back into the room, "Help yourself to another."

"Who was that on the phone?" she asked, getting up to throw the empty can away.

"Ray," answered Frank, leaning against the table and swallowed a mouthful of beer, "We're gonna meet tomorrow to touch up the guitars on one song."

October nodded as she opened the refridgerator. "You're all out," she announced, closing it again.

"Crap," he muttered and then suggested, "You wanna go to the pub across the street or something? I haven't been out all day."

"Yeah, sure."

"Cool," he said, placing his beer on the table, "I'll just grab my shoes." He turned to walk to the bedroom, but stopped and turned back again, "Come with, I have something to show you."

A little anxious about what it was, she was confused but followed him into the bedroom anyway. He opened his top drawer and pulled out some underwear, handing them to her. October opened them up and a cackle escaped her throat. They were the 'Happy Feet' underwear he told her about, similar to hers in a bigger size, but the funniest thing was they were speedo like.

"I can't believe you have these," she grinned down at him perched on the edge of his bed, pulling on a pair of white Converse to go with his skinny jeans and black polo neck shirt.

"I told you," he smirked back up at her and stood from the bed, and it widened suddenly. "I know what might cheer you up even more," he said, "How about we go all Hollywood tonight and head down to Hyde, you know, you can show off your dress and shit?"

"You really think Hollywood will do the trick?" she asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"What will then?"

October thought for a moment and a big smile broke to the surface as an idea popped into her head. She looked at Frank asthough she had concocted an evil plan, and he had a feeling it was going to be for him.

"I can't believe you're making me do this," he exclaimed quietly as the two walked down a street that was Hyde, LA's most popular night life.

They had gotten a cab up there so Frank didn't have to worry about his drink to drive back.

"You did say you wanted to cheer me up," she replied, "And laughing cheers me up."

"And I take it making me look like an idiot makes you laugh, right?"

"You got it," she grinned playfully.

"Man, this better work," he mummered, "And, great, here come fucking paparazzi. You fucking owe me, Armstrong."

"Love you, too, Frankie."

The two of them had come face to face with paparazzi in the middle of the street and there were cameras rolling and flashing, people calling Frank's name.

"Hey, Frank," said one man with a filming camera, "How are you doing tonight?"

"I'm very well, how are you?" Frank asked.

"Alright, I'm alright. Your hair looks cool."

Frank grinned into the camera as the small crowd of paparazzi and the two friends walked along the street.

"Yeah," said the man, "But is there any reason why you're wearing panties over your jeans, though?"

"There is," he answered simply, asthough he wasn't going to explain any more.

"What is that on there?" asked another as he looked closer at Frank's crotch, stunned, "'Happy Feet'?"

They all started asking questions about Frank's 'Happy Feet' speedos that October had made him walk out in as he wore them over his jeans with his shirt tucked in them like Superman.

"Do you realise how dorky you look in those?"

"Did your mommy buy them for you or something?"

"Do you actually get laid in those things?"

October instantly snorted with laughter. This deffinately did the trick.

"What exactly is the reason for the undies, Frank?" questionned the first man.

"To cheer this one up," he replied, nudging October lightly in the arm.

"And who is this..." he started, turning the camera to her, "... May I say, gorgeous little thing, girlfriend?"

"It's Billie Joe Armstrong's kid!" cried another.

"Aw, neat," he said, "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm good, thank you," October replied, keeping her head down and not looking at the camera as she walked alongside Frank. She really didn't like all this attention, but it was hilarious.

"What are you both doing out together? Are you a couple?"

"We're just going for a drink," Frank told him.

"Do you live together? Have you moved in with Frank, Miss Armstrong?"

October couldn't help but laugh. "What the fuck?" She shook her head, "You have some real dumbass questions."

Frank smirked next to her and she added, "He lives in New Jersey, anyway. Don't you get your facts before you come out and start interfering, isn't that what you do?"

The man said nothing and another called out, "Ooh, she's a feisty one!"

"You ain't seen me yet," she shot back smoothly, causing Frank to giggle.

"So, you're just in LA for the album, Frank, huh?" the man directed to him.

"Yup."

"How's that going?"

"Good."

"October, how does your dad feel about his only daughter out in Hyde late at night?" asked another, "And does he know you're going out drinking?"

"I dunno, ask him," October replied, growing impatient with the personal questions.

"You know, October," began the man behind the camera, "I should follow you around more, you seem like a spunky person."

"Really? That isn't creepy at all..."

Frank smirked. "You've gained your own stalker," he joked.

"Too bad you won't find me," October told the man, "I don't come here, like, at all."

"No?"

"Nah, I'm not into all the Hollywood crap," she admitted.

"What about you, Frank? You don't come here very often?"

"Me, I prefer New Jersey," Frank answered and placed his hand on October's lower back to steer them over to the edge of the sidewalk, "We're crossing now, so if you'll excuse us..."

The two started across the road, but the questions were still being called out after them.

"Does Billie know you're with this very beautiful young girl, Frank? His daughter?"

He ignored them and focused on getting to other side with October.

Once they had reached it, she turned to Frank as they continued walking and asked, "How can you be so patient with them?"

He shrugged and smiled, "You get used to it."

October shook her head gently with a smirk.

"Maybe we should go somewhere quieter," Frank suggested.