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

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

I smiled at him. Deep down, I knew there would be no Mike and Tre without Billie Joe. But I didn't dare tell Billie that. He was a firm believer that each band member was just as important in their success as Green Day. That is one thing I loved about him; he always made sure people felt included. To Billie, each person in his life was important and worthy of love.

Not breaking eye contact with him, I put my hand on his knee and patted it a few times. "How about Giodoro's?" I asked. "They have some damn good Italian food. We haven't been there in forever."

Billie and I both loved Italian food and we especially loved Giodoro's because you got complementary wine with your entrée, and the portions were so big that there were leftovers for the next day – nothing better than some good Italian leftovers to entertain your hangover from all of the complementary wine.

"That sounds fucking amazing!" Billie concurred excitedly. "I'll go get the car started; it's cold out there." He smiled at me before pulling his car keys out of his coat pocket and heading out the door.

I quickly went back into my room and grabbed my phone, coat, and purse. Looking in the mirror again, I fluffed up my hair a bit and put on a new shade of my pink lip gloss. I made a kissy face at myself and then giggled like an idiot.

Even though this wasn't a date, it felt like one. I was dressed very decently and Billie always looked classy, even in what he called his "casual" clothes.

From my room, I heard Billie open the front door of my apartment. "Brrrrrrrrr," I heard him shiver. "You ready to go, Steph?" he called out.

"I'm ready!" I called back, walking out of my room and shutting off the lights. He smiled at me from the doorway and exhaled slowly. "You look absolutely amazing," he said softly.

"Thank you," I replied, smiling back at him. "You're not too shabby yourself," I cooed. He blushed and it was adorable.

He followed behind me as I lead us out of my apartment. I turned to lock the door behind us and when I looked up, Billie was walking quite a ways ahead of me.

"What the hell, Billie Joe? Do I stink or something?" I shouted out and laughed. I tried to pick up my pace to catch up with him but it was a bit slippery outside from the freezing rain we had had earlier.

"No, of course not!" He responded, giggling. It was dark and I couldn't see exactly where he was headed in such a hurry, but as I approached the curb of the street in front of the apartments, I saw that Billie was standing there, waiting patiently to open the passenger car door for me. Even though Billie Joe could be totally silly sometimes, he was very much a gentleman. He was living proof that chivalry was not dead.

As I inched my way closer, careful not to slip on any ice and make a complete fool of myself, he opened the door of the car he was renting while in Manhattan: a shiny, '72 blue BMW. Classic. Even with his rental cars, Billie Joe had one hell of a taste in vehicles. 

"After you, ma'am," he said tenderly, motioning towards the passenger seat. 

"Why, thank you, sir," I replied with a sweet smile, looking up at him. He was smiling back. I grabbed the seatbelt and buckled it as he gently shut my door and made his way to the driver's side.

Usually when Billie Joe and I were together, we had the radio going. But tonight, he insisted that we just enjoy the quiet and chat without music. We talked on the way to Giodoro's about random shit, catching one another up on all of the mischief we'd been involved in over the last several months. In terms of getting into mischief, Billie Joe definitely had me beat by a longshot. He always did. But he was a rock star now, so I think it was to be expected. I shut my eyes as we carefully drove along the highway, inching closer to our destination. The car was so comfy and warm, it made me sleepy.

I dozed off until the aroma of tobacco and chilly Manhattan air roused me. I turned my head towards Billie, who had the car window cracked ever-so-slightly, enjoying the taste of a cigarette.

"Hey, did I wake you up? I'm sorry," he said, blowing out smoke and putting his cigarette out in the car ash tray, flicking the butt out the window.

"No, Billie, you're fine," I whispered, smiling and trying not to sound sleepy.

"We should be there in about 10 minutes." He smiled back at me and rested his right hand on my left knee while his left hand controlled the wheel.

I couldn't stop staring at him as he drove on. The calmness and serenity on his face despite the frozen Manhattan road had me mesmerized. I hated driving in this kind of weather, so I was so thankful he was willing to drive us. You'd think I'd be used to it by now; I'd lived in and endured Manhattan winters for 25 years. Nope, I still hated driving in this shit.

I concentrated on the corners of Billie's lips and felt tingles go up and down my spine. They looked so full; so kissable...like they yearned to be kissed. I wish I remembered what it felt like to kiss him; it had been so long.

If I could ever summon up the courage to tell him how I felt about him. That I wanted to be more than just his best friend. I was so afraid of rejection, though. We had tried dating before and I broke it off after just a few days. I blew my chance to kiss him, hug him, and hold him every day. I blew my chance to love him; to be his best friend and his girlfriend. I was so stupid. Instead I wasted my heart on a few stupid guys whom I thought loved me. As it turns out, they only wanted to get into my pants. Billie Joe was so much more than that. He saw deep down into my soul and he wanted to know me as a person, not just a lover. But I know I broke his heart when I broke off our relationship and I don't know if he would ever give me another chance.

I closed my eyes as I felt memories welling up in the form of tears again.