Wishing for a day that never ends.

II.

"I missed that." I felt heat on my face and looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice. I pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Missed what?" He laughed quietly. "You calling me that. Well, and making you blush." Oh damn, he noticed. "Oh, please. You couldn't make me blush if you tried." He giggled again, taking a sip of his drink. "I may be dumb, but I'm not blind, Annie. But I'll let you live in denial if it makes you feel better." I needed to change the subject. "Beej? When did you get married?" Oh, there was the name again. It was in my head and I couldn't get it out. This time he only smiled. He took a deep breath, then answered. "Back in '94. Then it all went to hell about two years ago. Her name was Adrienne. Me and the guys – we've been working really hard on this new album and I guess our relationship couldn't take the pressure. The last year was hell. But we're friends. Kind of. How 'bout you?" Well, I should've seen than one coming. "In 1992. I was way too young, I know. We broke up 3 years ago. But I could see it coming the day we got hitched. Ben and I… We just didn't have that thing, y'know. Aside from our daughter, she's an angel." His expression was filled with shock. "Ben? You mean the one from high school? Woah. You ended up marrying that guy?"

Billie Joe's Point of View

If I wouldn't have been such an idiot, I could've been the one she married, I thought, but shook those thoughts away. People don't think about… Old friends that way. "Yeah, I did. When he got the damn divorce papers he said, that he always knew he was someone I settled for, that I always saw him as 'second best.' Can you believe that? I should've kicked his ass that day."

"Was he right?" My curiosity beat sanity once again. She's probably gonna think I'm a rude son of a bitch. "I… I don't know. Maybe. I don't know." I was surprised and relieved that she didn't freak out about my question. But she was obviously confused, unsure. "Okay – I can take a hint. We don't have to talk about that anymore." She smiled at me in relief. It didn't seem like fourteen years have passed. She was still the same person, just with a few extra pages in the book. Her eyes were still the exact same as I remembered. Her hair still looked as soft as silk, and I bet it felt that way too. Her smile was still brighter than the morning sun. I still knew her limits better than my own. This is definitely not how I pictured meeting her. I thought she'd hate me forever. But things are okay. At least it feels that way. And that's all that matters to me. "Hey, listen, Mike and Tre are gonna kill me if I don't make sure they get to see you too. We're crashing at a hotel not too far away from here. Wanna come?" She was in doubt. "You sure they wanna see me?" I nodded, completely sure about the answer. "You kidding? They wouldn't get off my back for months after your graduation day and… y'know." She smiled weakly, but I could see something in her eyes. The memory – it burned as if it was yesterday.

After that day, I didn't want to think about it for months. It was impossible to live with myself and what I did. I wanted to go see her countless times, but didn't have the balls to actually do it. Bits and pieces of lyrics went through my head those days, but nothing was good enough to make a song about what I felt. There were no words for the emptiness inside me that I alone created. I'm probably never going to be able to imagine how she felt. The memory is a scar that stays forever, as a reminder of the pain she once went through, all those years ago. I mentally kicked myself for being so damn poetic. "Beej? What is it?" She noticed my distance of thought. "Annie, I… This could be the last chance I get to say I'm sorry. If I don't get this out now, I might have to wait another 14 years, or forever. That's all I've got to say – I'm sorry." Her eyes then had a different shade of green. Brighter, darker, who cares – they were beautiful as ever. And then the words of salvation. "It's okay, Beej. That was high school. This is now." She'd forgive me? Just like that? "No. No, it's not fucking okay, Annie. Say it and mean it, or don't say it at all." She gave me an angry glare. "What makes you think I don't mean it?" I returned the glare. "I know you." She sighed. "Oh, fuck, Billie Joe, let's just go see Mike and Tre before you make me give you a goddamn black eye, okay?"

I shrugged and we left. Took a cab and drove off to the hotel. Almost had an argument about eighteen times before we got to our room. By the time we got to the door, we were both laughing. This is better than being high. I opened the door for her and she stepped inside, me right behind her. "Hey shitheads, turn the porn off for a sec and get over here!" She laughed at my language. "You're still pretty damn nice with your friends, Armstrong," she said sarcastically. Mike showed up in the hallway a moment later.

"Oh, fuck." That was all he could say and all he could do was stare. Who could blame him? "Nice to see you too, Mike," she replied, smiling. After a few more swears from Mike, he stepped closer, hugged her, lifted her up and spinned her around. I was shocked by how happy he was to see her. Mike wasn't usually the one to be overwhelmed with emotions – at least with people he hadn't seen in fourteen years. But, again, who could blame him, after what he just saw?

Then Tre showed up. "Oh, hi, Annie," he greeted in a normal voice. As if he was expecting to see her. As if it hasn't been so long. "Hi, Tre. Nice hair," she answered in the same tone. Tre grinned. Whenever someone pointed out his hair, he got extra happy. His hair was quite tall and he was proud of it.

As we stood there, I wondered – what happens next?