Finally working up the courage from a long pep talk from myself in my head, after Mike came downstairs indicating Tre was up there on his own, I left Mike and Billie in their basement making my way back up the stairs.

I found Tre where he was before, sat on the sofa with the television in front of him. He'd not noticed I was in the room yet, taking my last few deep breathes I made my way over speaking up.

"Hey Tre,"

He turned his head. Knowing it was me. Before blankly speaking back. "Hi," but not looking away.

I gave him a smile, walking over to a separate chair as I sat down. My hands in my lap. "I thought maybe it was best that I spoke to you instead,"

His eyes were on me, so at least I knew he somewhat cared to not ignore me. But he didn't say anything.

I took in another breath, before speaking again.

"Y'know... I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to you Tre. I know I didn't say it to you or Mike, which sucked of me to do,"

He nodded, listening as I carried on.

"You'd been a real friend to me. After my friendship group began to feel shitty, I should've gave you and Mike a goodbye. But I didn't. I know that hurt- it hurt me to not give you one. I was just so caught up in leaving in time knowing it'd only be a matter of time before my mom checked my room to see I wasn't there and looking around. I know- that's not an excuse. I'd just made up my mind in a final last minute, I missed a lot of important parts and I cut a lot of corners. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye to you Tre. But hat didn't mean your friendship meant nothing to me,"

Tre look over at me. Letting out a breath through his nose before he looked away grabbing the TV remote.

There we go, I lost his focus.

Until I realised he was only pausing the TV. He breathed again, speaking. "Mike and I hadn't even realised you were gone until days after," he told me.

Billie hadnt told me much exactly about what happened after I left apart from my parents were looking hard for me. I looked at him questionably. "Didn't Billie tell you?"

He shuffled in his seat. "Billie- took it badly. He kind of went into that self isolation he was in before you left- but worse I guess. Mike and I just thought you guys had fought. So when we finally saw him in his room and he told us you- well 'were gone', that was the first we knew about it,"

I sighed, angry more with myself. "I should've been the one to tell you that. Not Billie- I know,"

"Mike and I never even got to say goodbye," he shrugged.

"I didn't know I'd have to say goodbye so fast Tre. It wasn't that I didn't wanna say goodbye to you, I did. But I wasn't able to, that didn't mean I still didn't miss you,"

He straightened his lips out in a line looking away from me. I had missed Tre, I'd missed them all terribly. My life didn't just focus around Billie Joe.

Mike and tre, and of course Billie, were some of my only true friends I had left when things started getting rough. They always offered me their support- and I'd never had that before.

Sure I had a friendship group before them, but it had never been so understanding.

"And so..." Tre spoke up after a moment of the both of us staying silent. I looked back over at him. "Billie and you re met in a bar?"

I nodded, smiling slightly. "Sorta crazy, I found this wallet on the floor. I took it back to my friends and when I went to try and look for a card there was tons of money in it. My friends boyfriend suggested stealing it, right as I was about to argue back I heard someone at the bar ask for their wallet-"

"-Which was Billie?"

I nodded. "I didn't even recognise him until the man asked him for his name. Then I finally checked a card in the wallet and... well, it was his,"

"What did- what did Billie say when he recognised you?" Tre asked somewhat nervously.

I thought back. Before laughing. "He said 'oh my god' a few times,"

Tre let out a breezy chuckle. "Sounds right,"

After Tre and I stopped laughing for a second, the awkwardness stared to kick back in. And I was back at square one.

I knew it was gonna take longer than just a mini conversation for Tre to forgive me. I knew forgives wasn't something you just ask for, you have to earn it. And I was prepared to pay back my dues and earn his respect again.

"You don't have to forgive me by the way," I finally let out. Tre looked over at me, a little confused. "I know it's not as easy as just forgiving me. But I just want you to know I'm here again, I'm willing to make things right,"

Tre nodded smiling slightly. "I-"

Tre cut himself off as Billie Joe walked into the room. "Someones finally talking," Billie teased to Tre.

Tre closed his mouth, rolling his eyes as he looked away.

"Was," I added.

"Did I interrupt?"

"Just a bit," I answered.

Tre stood up, making his way out the room as Billie and I watched him awkwardly. Down to the basement of the house, I sighed.

"I think we was done anyway,"

"Did it not go well?" Billie asked me confused, sitting down.

I shrugged my shoulders, honestly not sure myself. "Sorta? I apologised, I told him he didn't have to forgive me. He only really asked me about how I met you again and your reaction,"

I think Billie could tell somewhat I was a little hurt. He gave me a put on smile, shaking his head. "Dont stress about it Echo, it'll work out,"

"It's Tre how can I not stress? He's the most friendliest guy out there and he's angry at me,"

"He'll come around,"

"You think?"

"Course Echo. He always does,"

I sighed, sitting up in the chair. "Maybe,"

"Cheer up." Billie opened his hand out in front of me. Offering me a hand up. When I looked at him confusedly, he added on. "I wanna show you some stuff,"

I took his hand, fighting a smile from forming on my face.

It was truly amazing, wanting to just sit and wallow in my own pity, with him around I knew I couldn't. If there was one thing my relationship with Billie had taught me, it was you couldn't waste a second. Cause you'd never know how many of them you'd have left to waste.

"What am I seeing?" I asked, as he lead me out the living room. In the hallway towards the stairs.

"What I've been up to these last few years,"

He took me upstairs, still by hand. Leading me into a room. When the rooms door opened, it revealed another room just like the basement filled with musical monuments of their career. Albums, magazines, vinyls, guitars, drum sticks here and there, cd's: there was much to take in.

The room was filled with boxes of half opened things. But yet the room didn't look at all like it was used often. Maybe just a place they shoved things in.

"Here- you'll know songs on this album." Billie spoke out loud after a second, dropping my hand as he made his way over to one of the far corners where some boxes were stacked.

He took the first box and opened it, searching through for soemthing specific. As I made my way around the room taking my own wander at their musical career.

I picked up one of the magazines on a desk which had more then few piled. A 'Kerrang!' Magazine, with all three of them on the cover.

"God... this is awesome." I mumbled, lightly skimming my finger over the page, carefully turning it. "You guys must be real proud of yourselves huh?"

"Wasn't easy." I heard him answer. "Oh! Found it!"

I looked over at him placing the magazine down as he came over with a vinyl in his hand. He handed it over to me as I looked over at it.

It's vinyl sleeve had creases and few stains on it. Came with age. 'Green day 39/smooth'. Now of course, I already knew the album. I knew all of theirs. I'd listen to the stuff that came out- I just didn't dwell on it often.

I wasn't obsessed with my past. I liked to look into it from time to time. Reminisce or whatever.

"Some of the songs you'd hear us play are in there,"

I smiled, looking away from the vinyl and up at him. "I know,"

"You've listened to it?"

"What? When I heard Green Days first album dropped? I had to get a copy,"

His smile went from grateful to bashful in seconds. Light pink began to shine up on the tip of his nose as he looked down at the vinyl instead. "That's- that's awesome- I didn't know you'd-"

"-Listen?"

"Kinda,"

"Must be cool being famous huh?" I asked him, walking over more closely to a box of posters. Labelled clearly 'posters' with a marker.

Billie walked with me, pulling a role out as he unravelled it. Revealing the three of them again as he passed it to me. "Not as fun as you'd think,"

"What could be so bad about this?" I asked, looking at the poster.

"It's not necessarily the posters- or the merch. Or fans. You've just always got eyes on you,"

"So... paparazzi?" I looked over at the poster to him.

He nodded, half shrug. "No room for mistake. They catch everything bad you do,"

I rolled the poster back up again, keeping eye contact with him. "Do you ever miss old life?"

"All the time," he admitted. "I think about it a lot. I'm grateful, and I wouldn't wanna go back to being a nobody. But it'd be nice to be one for a day,"

"You were never a nobody Billie,"

"You feel like one when you live in a town like Rodeo. And you've only got two friends and no one knows your name. Now look-" he put a smile on quickly, his hand presenting boxes and boxes of all just their work. "-Not anymore,"

"You did good," I smiled over at him.

But before anything else could be said on Billies progress in life, he bounced back over to me happily. "Now tell me about you,"

"Me?"

"Well- what did you get up to?"

"Billie- I didn't become famous like you. I got a tattoo shop and... that was it,"

His head tilted to the side. Like a confused dog. "Surely there's more to it that then huh?"

"Not really... I got a cheap decayed little store. After years of saving up from splitting rent with Willow. Fixed it up- turned it into a tattoo shop. Hired some employees and- that was it,"

"Well what else did you do? Y'know- did you ever get into contact with your old friends? Or did you find new ones? Did you meet any special people? Go on any cool adventures- get into trouble with the police? What else?"

I thought about it. I didn't do much apart from work.

Like I'd said- I tried to go on dates- but I just didn't want to put myself out there. If it was right it'd come to me. I didn't rush anything.

Had I been in contact with my old friends? Layla, Mae and Kennedy? Absolutely not. I'd drawn a line in that part of my life, hopefully for good.

I shook my head again, feeling sorry to have to disappoint Billie. "All I did was- nothing at all,"

Billie gave me a tugged expression. Which I knew well. It meant: although he didn't agree with what I was saying. He knew there was nothing he could say that'd change my mind.

I smiled over to him. "It's not as depressing as it sounds. I've still be good,"

Billie looked over his shoulder, at the desk filled with magazines. He shoved them gently to one side sitting down gently at the desk as he looked at me. Wanting to ask something. But hesitation in his eyes.

It made me nervous. I avoided the gaze, looking at the white walls. They were so plain, so bare- this room didn't even look like it was planned on being used.

"Are you..." Billie struggled with the next few words, I looked back over with him as he moved the collar of his shirt. Obviously flustered. "Are you- y'know- like... seeing any people? Or- anything- I d'know just-"

"-Seeing?"

"Yeah... like-"

"-Like dating?"

His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "Erm- well- I just meant-"

"-I'm not seeing anyone," I finally answered. Trying not to chuckle.

It obviously hadn't been at established if any of us were seeing anyone. I didn't even know what we aimed out of us re connecting. Were we gonna start all over again from friends? Or pick up where we left it? If so what are we doing now? Just catching up? Understanding the time? Understanding each other?

"Are you?" My voice cracked slightly with nerves.

He broke a smile. It made me nervous, before he shook his head. Grin still plastered.

"There you guys are," A third voice spoke in from behind.

I spun around slightly startled, Mike's hands gripped on the door frame as he smiled gently over my way. Looking at Billie and I.

"I'd been tryna figure out where you both went,"

"I was just showing Echo some stuff," Billies voice explained casually, his voice closer as I noted he was now stood behind me.

Mike let go of the door frame and stood in the door way, shoulder leaning on it instead. His hands in his pockets nonchalantly. "Pretty cool huh?"

"It's all awesome," I agreed, basking in every single accomplishment around me. "You guys are really living the dream,"

"You could say that." He bobbed his head, before looking himself in the room. "It's a pretty bare room. Good thing we only use it to keep the things in we don't want in our way,"

"Just for clutter,"

"For the time being,"

I squinted. Looking at Mike confused. "For the time being?"

For a moment, after my words came out I heard an odd yet faint grunting noise from Billie behind me. Yet Mike continued. "Well obviously we don't live here,"

Of course they didn't.

This wouldn't of really been that easy would it?

I looked over at my shoulder to Billie- who looked like he had been signalling at Mike to stop.

After all- I had tragedy written in my blood line. Remember?

"Was I not suppose to say that?" I heard Mike ask the both of us, confused on what he'd just done.

I looked up at Billie. "So where do you live...?" I asked hesitantly.

This all would've been just too easy if it didn't come with a catch.

He swallowed. Nervous. Avoided my eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh- well, y'know... just... back in California,"