"So now you're meaning to say you're moving?"

"Esme, I know it's all so sudden to you,"

She took in another breath. "Let me get your story straight," she repeated. Leaning back in cafes seat. "Your mom finds out about Mr Armstrong, then your dad leaves, you get locked in your house by your mom, get kicked out, live with Mr Armstrong and now moving with him? Are you mental!"

"Esme I wanna go with Billie-"

"-I can tell,"

I didn't know what else to say. It had been a week tops of when Billie asked me to go with him. Since a lot of my stuff was in bags anyway and that even wasn't much... Billie had been packing pretty much all day every days. Soon we'd be getting ready to go.

I was here at the café today to do two things. One: quit my job. Two: explain myself to Esme.

"What about me?"

"Huh?"

She repeated herself again, sitting back forward. "What about me?"

"Well... we can stay in touch?"

"Stay in touch? We've hardly stayed in touch recently you think that you'll remember to call me every so often?"

"Esme I would! Look- I know this all seems crazy. Like some sort of bad fever dream. But I've picked my choices and the only thing I can do now is stick with them,"

She let out a long sigh. Wether it was of disappointment or her holding her breath I didn't know, not that I wanted to. She took two more sips of her coffee in the silence. Before nodding. "Alright,"

"Alright?" I questioned.

"I'm just gonna miss you, that's all," She breathed out. An unconvincing smile. "We hardly talk anymore. We don't keep in touch. Maybe I'm just finding this hard to believe you'll be going soon,"

"Esme, I promise I'll keep in touch. I'll try my best I swear. I'm not going far only up California,"

"For the time being. Isn't it?"

Of course, granted. Billie mentioned he'd be settling in for a while and then a tour would start. But I guess I didn't know all about that shit until the time would come.

I gave her an unsure nod, followed with the same smile she'd given me before.

Maybe this was enough closure we were gonna get as two friends who had stringed apart. Maybe this was enough closure we needed.

~

"Things looking bare," I mumbled, eyes panning around the house as I'd just walked in from meeting Esme.

Billie popped his head through an open door frame. His hair slightly sweaty, tired face, wobbly smile. "Thanks,"

"You look physically exhausted,"

"You look emotionally drained,"

I shrugged, sitting on the only one of two couches left that were in his living room. "Saying goodbye to distant friends is hard,"

"Oh yeah?" He put his hands on his hips. "Try moving furniture next time,"

I rolled my eyes giving him a smile, holding my arms out as he exhaled sitting beside me. Leaning into my arms.

"Do y'know how exhausting moving furniture is?" He asked me, head resting on my chest as he stared over at nothing.

"Oh you poor thing,"

"How'd things go with Esme anyway?" He moved his head up, looking at me.

I gave him a thin smile. "I'm not sure,"

"Huh?"

"I thought it was all going wrong, until she told me she was just going to miss me?"

"And that's why she's been acting weird?"

Billie liked to some what keep up with things. Either that or I couldn't help but rant to him when I was in a bad mood. I guess you could say he was somewhat invested.

"Apparently so yeah," I shrugged. Billie shook his head before leaning his head back down. Obviously exhausted.

His sleeves of his long sleeve shirt had been rolled up. Hair pushed out of his face, the bags under his eyes. I heard him breath quietly in the silence of the two of us just sat on his couch.

"When do we go further up California?" I asked in the silence.

"Under a week," Billie answered quickly.

There were a few moments of silence between us as we stayed still, before Billie shifted in position. Moving his head as he looked back up at me.

"You're sure you wanna come, aren't you?"

I looked back at him a little confused. My eyebrows twitching. "Of course...why?"

"I'm just checking-"

"-You're not regretting asking me to come are you?"

"What- no no-" Billie, in seriousness sat up from his original position. So to match it I straightened up to. "-Of course I'm not, I would never,"

"So how come you're checking?"

"You're not just coming because you have no other choice... are you?"

Although Billie Joe's expression was serious. With still lips and hard set eyes. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the idioticness of his question.

"What?" He questioned, even more confused.

"No Billie," I shook my head, smiling slightly. "I'm not coming because I have no other choice you idiot, I'm coming because I want to. Because it's what you're doing and I wanna be where you are,"

He smiled, looking away from me seeming a little embarrassed, before he mumbled out the two words. "Just checking,"

~

By now Billies house was seemingly bear. With few exceptions of his basic furniture. I'd tied up all my ends around here. Having spoken to Esme, quitting my job, finishing school and graduating.

There was only really one thing left I needed to do. And although half of me wanted to and half of me didn't, I was still doing it.

My nerves were through the roof, I felt a sickness in my stomach, my hands were shaking and my legs were wobbly. I sat in billies car silently for a few more minutes.

Maybe I wasn't ready for this?

"You don't have to do this if you don't wanna Mal," Billie reminded me from the drivers seat.

I nodded. Not saying much before looking out the car window to the house we waited outside.

Sure, I didn't care about leaving my mom behind. She kicked me out, she locked me inside, she's crazy. But... I had a feeling inside me to maybe tell my dad.

He tried helping me out when my mom locked me inside. They'd never been happy together, but my dad had never been as cruel as my mom ever was. I guess I always favoured him over my mom.

So here I was outside of my dads friends house. Where my dad was still stopping. I'd spoken to him a few hours before, that I wanted to speak to him. So he knew I was here, could I really turn back?

"Look, you don't seem like you wanna do this," Billie spoke up after another piece of silence. "So let's just go back home," He told me, pulling the seat belt over his chest.

"No! I can do this- I'm just," I breathed in for a second. "I just need a few more seconds,"

"Mallory, I can tell you don't wanna do this,"

"I don't," I admitted. Finally looking over at him. "But I've got to,"

Giving myself a few more moments to prepare. Billie wished me luck as I finally pushed myself out of the car and made my way down the front garden of the house.

Knocking on the door, I gave Billie another nervous smile as he watched me from his car. Then I heard the front door open.

"Little late," My dad joked. The door opened as I looked over at him.

I gave him an uneasy smile. "Hi dad,"

I heard Billies car drive away as my dad stepped out of the house. Of course we weren't going to have a conversation in my dads friends house? So we'd agreed it might've been nice to go to the café and speak there.

Deciding it'd be best to bring up the big topics once we were both sat, our small talk of conversation was small and pathetic as we walked to the cafe. My dad asking me why I didn't ask him to go to grad, asking why I didn't attend, if I was still with 'that teacher'. I refrained from all conversations about my mom until we finally got to the café.

As I walked in I spotted Lana behind the till. She gave me a small, awkward smile as I found a seat and my dad walked forward to order himself a coffee.

He came back, placing the paper coffee cup down as he sat across from me, smiling somewhat forcefully. "So... what's going on lately?"

Where shall I start huh? "I'm no longer living at home," I smiled sitting back in my chair.

My dad raised an eyebrow, elbow on the table as he took a sip of his coffee before asking me. "You moved out?"

Half shrugged. "Kicked out,"

"Really?"

"After she locked me out. She came back and we had an argument. And... I got kicked out,"

He placed his paper cup down. Mouth open for a second yet nothing was coming out. Before he shook his head. "So... where do you live,"

"With Billie,"

"Billie?"

I swallowed, before correcting myself. "Mr Armstrong,"

My dad closed is mouth. Leaning back in his chair as he looked at me.

"He's a nice guy,"

"I don't doubt he is,"

I didn't know what else to say. My phone buzzed as I pulled it out my back pocket, looking at the screen under the table.

Billie Joe:
Text me if u need me, I'll come pick u up when ever u want. How's everything going?

Me:
Awkward, i can't tell if this is going well or not

"Did your mom ever tell you how we met?" My dad spoke up. I turned my phone off, looking up at him.

"She didn't tell me... but I figured it out. You were her professor... right?"

He gave me a laugh. "That's how we met. After she'd fell pregnant with you, I quit my job. We moved in together,"

"I still don't understand why she hated how I was with my teacher when she'd done the same,"

My dad shrugged. "Me either kid,"

Finally, I decided it would've been a good time to break the ice. I sat up, my sudden posture change brought my dads attention. I rested my arms over on the table before bringing up the conversation. "There's- erm- something else... actually. That I wanted to tell you,"

He lifted an eyebrow up. "What's that?"

"Well... y'know how I mentioned I'm living with Billie,"

"Uhuh?"

"He's got his career going on. And well, he's gotta move for it,"

My dads face still seemed confused, I could tell he still didn't understand, so I added on.

"And I'm gonna move with him,"

"You're- you're moving?"

"Just... further up California. For the time being,"

"Does your mom know?"

I snorted slightly. "I've not spoken to her since getting kicked out,"

"Well...when are you leaving?"

"Soon,"

He took another sip of his coffee. Shaking his head.