"Stop it!" I laughed, pushing Billie away again. "Go shower, you're still sweaty,"

"Course I am, I just did a concert that's why,"

I rolled my eyes dropping down as I sat on our bed. "Well go shower, I'll still be here when you get out,"

He flicked his hair out of his eyesight. The sweat gleaming on his black strands. "I like the sound of that,"

"Really? Well go shower then,"

He gave me a sarcastic smile, before walking into the bathroom connected to Billies and mine bathroom.

~

"Oh my god." I mumbled to myself, staring down at what had been posted through the letter box and was currently on the floor.

Billie was upstairs still asleep, I only got up to make a coffee when I walked past the magazine that came through.

Slightly curved from being rolled up, down on the front cover was a photo of both myself and Billie. From yesterday, when we had been making our way to the concert. His hand around my waist, his dark green beanie on was obviously not enough to disguise himself from the Poparazzi.

Today's front headline of the gossips magazines. 'Lead punk singer of green day: new lover?'.

I felt almost... ill? How had I not seen someome taking a photo of us. I picked the magazine up slowly, staring at it.

You could only make out half of Billies face as he was looking over at me, mid laughing. I myself was smiling with my teeth proud of the joke I must've made, looking behind us. Unfortunately the camera was taken from the side, I wasn't looking at the camera.

"Billie Joe," I shouted. My eyes still down reading on the paragraph underneath.

'Frontman of famous punk rock band green day seems to have found himself a new lady. Billie Joe Armstrong was caught with his arm keenly wrapped round mysterious girl with a beautiful smile. Is this an upcoming girlfriend? And who an earth is she?'

"Oh this is ridiculous- Billie!"

"What?" He groaned from the bedroom.

I sighed, taking the magazine up the stairs with me as I slightly stomped up before entering the room.

He opened his eyes glancing over at me as I stood in the doorway, squinting as I held up the magazine. "Hey- I didn't ask for them to deliver those stupid things they do it for the publicity,"

"That's not what I'm on about you idiot." I huffed, walking over as I pulled the bedroom choruses open. Light spilling inside as Billie slightly hissed form the light shielding himself. "Look at it," I told him, tossing it over on to the bed.

He rolled his eyes sitting up as he picked up the magazine. "Frontman of famous punk rock band green day seems to have found himself a new lady...? Billie Joe Armstrong was caught with his arm keenly wrapped round mysterious girl with a beautiful smile. Is this an upcoming girlfriend? And who an earth is she?" He read out loud. "Dammit,"

"Dammit?"

"I was so confident my beanie was a good disguise,"

"That's your concern!?"

"Chill," He chuckled, tossing the magazine beside him. "This stuff happens all the time,"

"You never warned me I would end up on the front cover of a magazine. I mean- who even took this?"

"Paparazzi,"

"What they just follow you everywhere?"

"Life of a punk star baby,"

"I can't believe you're so chill about this," I sighed reaching for the magazine to look again.

"I've been on loads of magazine front covers. It's not a big deal,"

I scoffed looking down at the picture once again. "Well for me it is. Look at this photo!"

"Awww c'mon, you look cute there,"

"I look like 'Billie Joe Armstrong's New Lady'," I quoted.

"C'mon give them credit, they said you had a beautiful smile,"

"They took a photo of me,"

Billie huffed out, as he stood up out of bed. His hair a mess as he ruffled it again, snatching the magazine. "It's Paparazzi." He repeated, dropping the magazine in the metal trash can beside the bed. "If you wanna stick around, get use to them,"

"Oh yeah- how about next time I throw up a peace sign?"

"It's not a big deal Echo,"

"It is for me!"

"Why!?"

"Because! If my mom or dad or Kennedy, Layla or Mae see this they'll know I'm with you! Which- before you say- doesn't bother me that they know I'm with you. The part that bothers me is they'll try and get in touch again!"

He squinted at me. I got the feeling he didn't get what I was saying. Was he really too famous to understand that I didn't want to be on the front page of some shitty magazine or that I didn't want people to know me again to contact me?

"Y'know what Billie. Forget it,"

"No. No I'm just..." His eyes flicked away. "I'm sorry I'm just thinking. So... what do you want?"

His question threw me off guard. My anger fizzled away and was replaced with confusion as I stared at him. "Huh?"

"What do you want?" He repeated. "You want me to keep you a secret? Or what? Wear a better disguise? Do you want me to introduce you? What is it you want?"

"I..." I couldn't finish the sentence, purely because- well I didn't know. I knew I wanted Billie. I knew I didn't want my mom, dad or any of those friends. But what did I really expect? "You're right,"

"Hmm?"

"It is no big deal. I'm bugging over nothing. It's just a," I paused, staring down at the trash can. Magazine in it. "A stupid magazine,"

"Are you really that afraid of your mom and dad still?"

"Aren't you still afraid of your step dad?"

"Echo? He questioned. Staring at me confused. "No?"

"You're not?"

"No? I haven't seen that guy in years- hell, he doesn't even have anything to do with me anymore,"

"Well, you grow up in a shitty house hold and sometimes paranoia sticks around alright?"

"Y'know." He started, taking a seat back on the bed. "After you left, sometimes I thought about how you'd miss everyone. I guess I really thought as you'd grow up a little part do you would miss your mom and dad,"

"I know you probably think I don't care about everybody I left behind and it's not like that. Im not a shallow bitch or anything like that- it's just- they're shallow! Okay? Not me,"

"Echo I didn't say you were, what is up with you?"

"Y'know what. Forget this, I'm done with this conversation. I'm sick of re stating I don't care about my mom and dad- so stop bringing them up. Im going to go shower." I grunted off, walking into the bathroom and slamming the door.

I turned the bathroom shower head on. Stepping back as water splashed me. As I sat on the counter of the bathroom beside the sink. I watched the water run in the empty shower, taking a deep breath in.

Maybe I was still paranoid? I wasn't a teenager running away anymore. Or maybe I was still feeling like I was in trouble. Like I'd get caught and grounded. Maybe I just couldn't bare seeing them again. Or hear more of the agro on how I disappointed them once more. Or maybe I was just scared of the past catching me.

I'd ran away from my home, my home town, my home people, my home life. I ran away from my troubles, my life, and most importantly my past. Now I've stopped running. Maybe I'm worried it'll catch up.

There was a knock on the door as I flinched. Looking at the empty running shower. "Hello?"

"Are you in the shower?"

"Yes...? Don't you hear it running?"

"Doesn't sound like you're in it." He replied, before the door opened. I froze, Billie walked in, looking at me as I sat nervously on the counter. "Found ya."

"Hi..."

He looked behind him at the running shower, turning it off before looking back at me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I've just spiralled over a magazine. Nothings really wrong,"

"Its normal to still be afraid of your parents y'know. I mean... they were bastards,"

"I was never afraid of them-"

"-There's nothing wrong with it... is all I'm saying. I'm not saying you are. But if you were, then it doesn't make you a different person,"

My parents were something. But I was something else. I mean- I won. I ran away, stole their money, got away with it. "I'm not scared of them. I never have been that was always the problem,"

"Huh?"

"They didn't like I wasn't afraid of them. That's all,"

"Y'know, by the end of this tour. Are you sure you don't want to see them? Y'know? For closure? Or to see if they're any smarter than they were or tell them how better you were with out them?"

That would be nice. But, I didn't need closure. I accepted that the moment I fucked off. "I'm sure Billie. Really, I am. I'm happy with a choice of never seeing them again, I mean that,"

He shrugged breathing out as he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tiredly. "Whatever you say love,"

~

"Did you guys see this?" Mike asked in the back stage room of the staidly for tonight's concert. Pulling a magazine up that'd been set up on the table. The magazine with Billie and I on.

"I'm offended they didn't compliment my smile too," Billie shrugged, sat on the sofa lazily with his sneakers up on a coffee table.

"Oh get over it beej. I'm sure your ego is still standing," Tre sniggered from a black foldable chair. Some women trying to style his hair.

"What did you think about it Echo?" Mike asked, flicking through.

"I think they got me at a wrong angle,"

"Billie disguises are always the worst," Tre spoke out. "Blame Billie for that one,"

I looked at Billie who was sat just beside me. "Your green beanie isn't exactly a good disguise,"

"Y'know it's not that easy to come up with a new disguise everyday. I like my green beanie,"

"Oh yeah?" Mike scoffed, throwing the magazine back down. "Maybe you should wear it up on stage,"

"You wear it!" Billie fidgeted around grabbing his coat, pulling it out the pocket as he launched it over at Mike.

Mike watched it as it flew past him landing on the floor.

"No one would wear that beanie but you Billie," Tre laughed to himself. "You've had that stupid thing for years,"

"Sentimental value Tre,"

"And I guess you're now mysterious girl huh?" Mike smiled, looking back at me.

"A terrible cliché ring to it,"

"You could've been called Jane Doe," Tre shrugged. The women stepping back as she viewed Tre's hair. Nodded before searching through her make up box again.

"Yeah, maybe I'll stick to mysterious girl,"

"Isn't it funny how they said Billie new lady?" Mike asked.

I glanced at Billie, who squinted. "I don't get,"

"Well, she's not your new lady. Is she? You guys were together years and years and years ago,"

"Little do they know shes whatsername," Tre joined in standing up, walking over as he stood beside Mike. Carefully touching his hair with his fingers.

"I should probably get into the crowd some time soon,"

"Wait." Billie spoke up quickly. "Are you sure you wanna be in the crowd?"

"C'mon, you guys had this conversation last night Bill, chillax,"

"I know she can handle herself Mike. I don't doubt she can. I'm just saying her face was just published in a magazine this morning posted for free in everyone's door by some small magazine company. Someone might recognise her,"

"You really think?" I asked surprised. Not realising.

"Maybe?"

"I guess Billies got a point," Tre shrugged, his hands in his jeans. "You could always watch from back stage,"

"Hey, no one will even be looking at ya you'll be fine," Mike shrugged off. "We'll have our security keep an eye on her, she wants to be in the crowd,"

I did want to be in the crowd. But maybe I should be paranoid of being so?

"Yeah, alright. Maybe I'm being paranoid." Billie brushed his jeans as he took his legs off the table, standing up.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." I smiled, standing up too. Sort of still worried.

"I'll keep my eye on you,"

"No need Bill, I'm sure I'll be good,"

He grinned, hands in the air. "Just in case,"