It's Not a Question, but a Lesson Learned in Time (Green Day Fanfiction)

Chapter 2 - Remember, whatever, it seems like forever ago...

Stephanie's POV –

Smiling, I tossed my phone next to me on the bed and stood up. Now that my dinner plans with my mom were cancelled, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I didn't have to work tonight; I had made sure to request tonight off because I was going to go to dinner with my mom. I ran my fingers through my short, curly brown hair and tried to think of something to do. It was so quiet in my apartment. Sometimes, I loved it – others times, not so much.

I sat down at the desk in my room and looked into the long, rectangular mirror I had hanging on the wall. I had more makeup on than what I typically wore because I had had plans to go out to dinner with my mom. I wasn't trying to please anyone, but I'd figured I should look presentable at least. Resting my chin in my palms and still looking into the mirror, I scooted into my desk more to really get a good look at myself. On my eyelids I wore a light brown eyeshadow with flecks of gold and dark green blended in. My Kat Von D mascara and eyeliner made it look like I actually had eyelashes, which I loved. My eyebrows were naturally dark and thick so I never used much pencil to color them in. On my lips, I wore a light pink shimmery gloss. Even though my hair was pretty short, it was thick and my curls flowed freely down around my face. I was sporting a short-sleeved black tee with tiny gray hearts on it, my favorite pair of Levi's, and my gold Converse.

"All dressed up and nowhere to go," I giggled to myself.

Suddenly, I heard a knock at my apartment door. It startled me. I quickly got up from my desk and peered into the little hole in the middle of my door.

There, holding a small bouquet of red and white roses in one hand was my best friend since middle school, Billie Joe Armstrong.

As if on cue, my ability to control my emotions abandoned me. I was so happy to see him at my doorstep. I didn't even know he was in town. "Oh my God, hey, Billie Joe! Hang on just a sec," I assured him eagerly as tears of happiness began to collect in my eyes. Bearing a smile so big my cheeks throbbed, I quickly ran my fingertips under my eyes to wipe away the tears. Unlocking the bolt on the door and opening it, I excitedly, yet tenderly took his free hand in mine and lead him into my tiny studio apartment. His hands were so warm even though the outside thermometer read 30 degrees.

"Hey, Steph, how the hell are you?" He embraced me warmly with a big bear hug like he always did. I loved his hugs. Before I had the chance to answer, he stepped back from the hug, set the flowers down on the wooden chair I had sitting by the door and held my hands in his; eyeing me up and down quickly, then looking directly into my eyes. He had a warm smile on his face and his cheeks were flushed. He took another step towards me, depleting all of the time and space that stood between us. "Oh my God, Steph...I - you look so amazing. I can't believe I'm standing here in front of you right now. It's been way too long and I've missed you...I just - you're so beautiful," he murmured softly in my ear as he embraced me in another hug. 

"Thank you, Billie...I've missed you, too," I managed to gasp through my giddiness and the intoxicating scent of the cologne on his neck. "I didn't even know you were in town! This is such an awesome surprise and I'm so happy to see you," I continued as tears started to form again. Blinking them away, I took some deep breaths and became oblivious to everything in my environment except Billie and our embrace. The longer he held me, the stronger I felt. Yet, at the same time, I felt completely overcome like a feather in the wind. Suddenly, he swallowed hard, bringing reality into my grasps again. It was like he was putting away everything else he wanted to say to me but couldn't find the words to. After what seemed like an eternity and simultaneously not long enough of just holding one another, he took a step back and spoke. "It's really awesome to see you, too. Fuck, it's been a while. I hope I didn't ruin your date or anything," he giggled with a wink after further studying my appearance.