1988, chapter 28
The next morning Billie Joe was woken by his phone buzzing around in circles on his side table, he groaned and sat up rubbing his eyes. His head felt like shit and his phone was going off as if it was the 4th of July. He stretched for his phone and picked it up.
"Hello?" he yawned.
"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?"
"Adie?"
"Don't act dumb Billie, you know its me."
"Uhh."
"I tried ringing you so many fucking times last night to wish you a happy new year and you didn't pick up or even ring me," he could tell she was upset but then again anyone could.
"I'm so fucking sorry Adie, I was hella fucked up last night...."
"I saw," she huffed.
"I said im goddamn sorry hunny!"
"hmmm... " she sighed
"Well happy new year 2000 babe," he smiled and sat up. "I cant remember anything," he scratched his head.
"Happy millenium to you too sweetheart."
"Thanks... .I hope your head isn't hurting as much as mine is."
"I bet its not, well I better let you tend to your hangover then, bye, love you."
"I love you too", and with that they both hung up.
Billie Joe climbed out of his bed which he had just fallen asleep on top of, still fully clothed and reeked of alcohol. He stumbled to the bathroom and turned the tap on and splashed his face with the cold water, he shivered.
His head was hurting like no tomorrow, he decided to order up some well guess drug service. In 12 minutes his aspirin was up, the young room service boy was stunned to see Billie Joe standing there.
"Take a picture it'll last longer" Billie Joe sniggered.
"Oh sorry sir,", the kid was starting to blush.
"I was kidding dude," and with that Billie Joe closed the door.
He took the two tablets and turned on himself a shower. He stood beneath the hot running water as it hit his face, he squinted but it still felt good. He stared at the flogged up hazy shower door and thought about the previous night.
Something more important than new years had happened and that's all he could remember. He stepped out of the shower dripping and found a towel which he wrapped around himself. It clung to his wet body; he shook his hair and watched all the droplets of water fly in all directions.
When he was dressed he sat in front of the TV not really watching it, 'what had happened?' was speeding through his head, until there was a knock on the door. Billie Joe hastily got up from his hotel sofa and opened the door.
"I just came to see if you were alright... well you are, so im sorry for bothering you" and the woman quickly walked off.
"Maria?" came out of his mouth.
"Yeah." 'Shit it really was her'.
"Umm... have a good new years?"
"Yeah I guess... I got to come back to New York so that was good."
"Cool... um, did I see you last night?"
"Yeah I helped you to your hotel room... we had a little chat here too I guess."
"What did I say?"
"You cant remember much can you? Well I guess that's not surprising..."
"I was pretty bad huh?"
"Oh yeah, but I've seen you worse... and then you weren't even legal," she giggled.
"Hmm.... Sorry, im hungry wanna get something to get? Well only if you want to... "
"Yeah sure I'm nibblish too I suppose."
"Cool, I'll just get my shoes on." Maria waited in the hallway for her old friend. "Done!" came from inside and Billie Joe walked out of his hotel room smiling.
"Well what do you want?"
"Pancakes, waffles, toast... "
"Billie, its like 5 in the afternoon"
"Really?"
"Yeah, look outside."
"Well I guess dinner then?"
"Looks like it".
The pair walked to one of the many hotel restaurants, 'Tempura Fuji' it was the one they finally chose.
"Japanese then?"
"Yep, I'm in the mood for it," smirked Billie Joe. They sat down at a small table next to a window. Billie Joe ordered tempura while Maria, ordered Teriyaki fish.
While waiting for their meal Billie Joe asked what was once again on his mind. This question had been eating at him for almost 10 years now, he thought of this as pathetic, but it was true nonetheless.
"So Maria... what story did you want to tell me?"
"I guess I should tell you... "
"Yeah that would be good place to start."
"Well... .you knew I was going to Ecuador to see my dad with Jake...."
"Yes, continue"
"And umm...his peace keeping days were just about finished when we got there so after 2 weeks he asked us if we wanted to live with him for a month in his apartment in SoHo."
"Here? New York?"
"Yep...well after our uhh 'goodbye' you gave me I guess something...."
"Huh?"
"Hmm...after a few months my tummy started growing and my hips widening... "
"....Oh my god....I got you knocked up?!?!"
"Yeah.....and of course dad wasn't exactly thrilled so by now Jake was at NYC and his room mate had dropped out, but his name was still as 'attending' so Jake let me move in and yeah after a while I of course went into labour... "
"Why didn't you fucking tell me!?!"
"I didn't know who's they were...."
"They? You had more than one?" Billie's eyes widened with shock
"Yeah....Jack and Mariah."
"So...what do you mean you didn't knows whos they were?"
"Well.....I had recently slept with you AND Jason didn't I?"
"Yeah....ohh...."
"Exactly, but after a while it was obvious who the father was, even Jake noticed."
"Who then?." Billie Joe gulped.
"You," she whispered as the Japanese waitress placed their orders in front of them.
Billie's face turned a sudden shade of white
"Enjoy Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong," she bowed.
"Oh no - we're not..." Maria nervously smiled.
"Oh sorry then, enjoy," and the small Japanese waitress walked off to another table.
Billie looked at his hands 'what had he done?' he probably wrecked Maria's life, but its not like she tried to find him. He could have helped. Sure Adrienne wouldn't have been happy but she would've got used to him being a father to two more kids from a previous relationship. But yet he felt strangely dirty.
"Uhh Maria?...Are the kids okay? Are you okay? I mean a college dorm room isn't the best place for two babies."
"Hmmm...Jake got a apartment in Queens then."
"Queens?" Billie questioned.
"Yes Billie Joe, Queens," and she picked at her rice with her chopsticks. "Hey, it's better than a dorm room as you said with drunken 19-21 year olds everywhere."
"Hmmm...maybe," he looked up at her. "Maria, are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, course..."
"Can I meet yours...I mean our kids?...that sounds so weird..."
"I'm sure they'd love to meet their real father," she looked up at him also, "they really would love that," and smiled.
"What do they look like?"
"Jack has dark brown curly hair, used to be blonde... .he has your smile and your green eyes and Mariah she also has your hair and eyes but they both have my nose," she giggled "And Jack definatly has your personality! Mariah's a little more quiet though... more like me when I was little you know? Before I met you basically, yes I was actually fairly quiet around Tre - that was his job to make the trouble, I was lookout... but as you found out I could also start it," she laughed, Billie smiled nervously.
"They sound like great kids...."
"They really are, and Jack's learning the guitar - he wanted to himself, I didn't encourage him... .such a musically inclined child, I wonder where he gets that from? Mariah's more of a singer as well, she's also learning the sax for some reason...I have no idea why she chose that!", Maria continued laughing, Billie sat smiling.
Well...this would have to be one of the biggest shocks to ever happen in his life.
--
After their dinner they stepped out of the hotel lobby and onto the crowed NYC street.
"Where do you live now? Still in Queens?" Billie asked.
"God no!... Manhattan now with Kevin."
"Kevin? Your boyfriend?"
"Fiancé."
"Ohh...why are you staying at the Plaza?"
"Visiting an old friend."
"Oh okay."
Maria looked at her watch "Kevin should be out right now but Jack and Mariah should be home with Yumi."
"Who?"
"Babysitter."
"Ohh...how old are Jack and Mariah?"
"9 almost 10."
"So they're not exactly little then."
"Nope." Just then Billie's cell phone went off in his pocket and Maria tried to hail a cab.
"Hello? It's Billie Joe."
"Hey man, where the fuck are you?"
"Hey Mike? I'm umm..." He looked over at Maria waving her hand out at the passing traffic.
"You mother fuckers! Stop god dammit!"
"Who's that?"
"Uhh some random person hailing a cab."
"She sounds familiar...Maria?"
"What?!?! Who?..."
"Bill, I know it's her I saw her yesterday, put her on please."
"She's uhh busy wait - you saw her yesterday!?!"
Maria gave up hailing a cab and walked up to Billie and mimed her lips to say, 'no one's stopping, you try'.
"Fine I'll put her on Mike... here Maria its Mike he wants to talk to you."
"Oh okay....hi Mikey!.....yeah...uhhh...hmmm...yeah I told him... .you sure you want him to know that?...yeah I guess...hehe...I'm not gonna tell him THAT...I'll see you soon as well."
She handed the phone back to Billie as he finally got a cab to stop.
"Go Billie Joe! You got one to stop!"
She slid in and Billie did after her. The traffic was extremely slow but then again it always was at 5:30pm on a week day, even if it was now New Years day.
"Hello?" he yawned.
"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?"
"Adie?"
"Don't act dumb Billie, you know its me."
"Uhh."
"I tried ringing you so many fucking times last night to wish you a happy new year and you didn't pick up or even ring me," he could tell she was upset but then again anyone could.
"I'm so fucking sorry Adie, I was hella fucked up last night...."
"I saw," she huffed.
"I said im goddamn sorry hunny!"
"hmmm... " she sighed
"Well happy new year 2000 babe," he smiled and sat up. "I cant remember anything," he scratched his head.
"Happy millenium to you too sweetheart."
"Thanks... .I hope your head isn't hurting as much as mine is."
"I bet its not, well I better let you tend to your hangover then, bye, love you."
"I love you too", and with that they both hung up.
Billie Joe climbed out of his bed which he had just fallen asleep on top of, still fully clothed and reeked of alcohol. He stumbled to the bathroom and turned the tap on and splashed his face with the cold water, he shivered.
His head was hurting like no tomorrow, he decided to order up some well guess drug service. In 12 minutes his aspirin was up, the young room service boy was stunned to see Billie Joe standing there.
"Take a picture it'll last longer" Billie Joe sniggered.
"Oh sorry sir,", the kid was starting to blush.
"I was kidding dude," and with that Billie Joe closed the door.
He took the two tablets and turned on himself a shower. He stood beneath the hot running water as it hit his face, he squinted but it still felt good. He stared at the flogged up hazy shower door and thought about the previous night.
Something more important than new years had happened and that's all he could remember. He stepped out of the shower dripping and found a towel which he wrapped around himself. It clung to his wet body; he shook his hair and watched all the droplets of water fly in all directions.
When he was dressed he sat in front of the TV not really watching it, 'what had happened?' was speeding through his head, until there was a knock on the door. Billie Joe hastily got up from his hotel sofa and opened the door.
"I just came to see if you were alright... well you are, so im sorry for bothering you" and the woman quickly walked off.
"Maria?" came out of his mouth.
"Yeah." 'Shit it really was her'.
"Umm... have a good new years?"
"Yeah I guess... I got to come back to New York so that was good."
"Cool... um, did I see you last night?"
"Yeah I helped you to your hotel room... we had a little chat here too I guess."
"What did I say?"
"You cant remember much can you? Well I guess that's not surprising..."
"I was pretty bad huh?"
"Oh yeah, but I've seen you worse... and then you weren't even legal," she giggled.
"Hmm.... Sorry, im hungry wanna get something to get? Well only if you want to... "
"Yeah sure I'm nibblish too I suppose."
"Cool, I'll just get my shoes on." Maria waited in the hallway for her old friend. "Done!" came from inside and Billie Joe walked out of his hotel room smiling.
"Well what do you want?"
"Pancakes, waffles, toast... "
"Billie, its like 5 in the afternoon"
"Really?"
"Yeah, look outside."
"Well I guess dinner then?"
"Looks like it".
The pair walked to one of the many hotel restaurants, 'Tempura Fuji' it was the one they finally chose.
"Japanese then?"
"Yep, I'm in the mood for it," smirked Billie Joe. They sat down at a small table next to a window. Billie Joe ordered tempura while Maria, ordered Teriyaki fish.
While waiting for their meal Billie Joe asked what was once again on his mind. This question had been eating at him for almost 10 years now, he thought of this as pathetic, but it was true nonetheless.
"So Maria... what story did you want to tell me?"
"I guess I should tell you... "
"Yeah that would be good place to start."
"Well... .you knew I was going to Ecuador to see my dad with Jake...."
"Yes, continue"
"And umm...his peace keeping days were just about finished when we got there so after 2 weeks he asked us if we wanted to live with him for a month in his apartment in SoHo."
"Here? New York?"
"Yep...well after our uhh 'goodbye' you gave me I guess something...."
"Huh?"
"Hmm...after a few months my tummy started growing and my hips widening... "
"....Oh my god....I got you knocked up?!?!"
"Yeah.....and of course dad wasn't exactly thrilled so by now Jake was at NYC and his room mate had dropped out, but his name was still as 'attending' so Jake let me move in and yeah after a while I of course went into labour... "
"Why didn't you fucking tell me!?!"
"I didn't know who's they were...."
"They? You had more than one?" Billie's eyes widened with shock
"Yeah....Jack and Mariah."
"So...what do you mean you didn't knows whos they were?"
"Well.....I had recently slept with you AND Jason didn't I?"
"Yeah....ohh...."
"Exactly, but after a while it was obvious who the father was, even Jake noticed."
"Who then?." Billie Joe gulped.
"You," she whispered as the Japanese waitress placed their orders in front of them.
Billie's face turned a sudden shade of white
"Enjoy Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong," she bowed.
"Oh no - we're not..." Maria nervously smiled.
"Oh sorry then, enjoy," and the small Japanese waitress walked off to another table.
Billie looked at his hands 'what had he done?' he probably wrecked Maria's life, but its not like she tried to find him. He could have helped. Sure Adrienne wouldn't have been happy but she would've got used to him being a father to two more kids from a previous relationship. But yet he felt strangely dirty.
"Uhh Maria?...Are the kids okay? Are you okay? I mean a college dorm room isn't the best place for two babies."
"Hmmm...Jake got a apartment in Queens then."
"Queens?" Billie questioned.
"Yes Billie Joe, Queens," and she picked at her rice with her chopsticks. "Hey, it's better than a dorm room as you said with drunken 19-21 year olds everywhere."
"Hmmm...maybe," he looked up at her. "Maria, are you okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, course..."
"Can I meet yours...I mean our kids?...that sounds so weird..."
"I'm sure they'd love to meet their real father," she looked up at him also, "they really would love that," and smiled.
"What do they look like?"
"Jack has dark brown curly hair, used to be blonde... .he has your smile and your green eyes and Mariah she also has your hair and eyes but they both have my nose," she giggled "And Jack definatly has your personality! Mariah's a little more quiet though... more like me when I was little you know? Before I met you basically, yes I was actually fairly quiet around Tre - that was his job to make the trouble, I was lookout... but as you found out I could also start it," she laughed, Billie smiled nervously.
"They sound like great kids...."
"They really are, and Jack's learning the guitar - he wanted to himself, I didn't encourage him... .such a musically inclined child, I wonder where he gets that from? Mariah's more of a singer as well, she's also learning the sax for some reason...I have no idea why she chose that!", Maria continued laughing, Billie sat smiling.
Well...this would have to be one of the biggest shocks to ever happen in his life.
--
After their dinner they stepped out of the hotel lobby and onto the crowed NYC street.
"Where do you live now? Still in Queens?" Billie asked.
"God no!... Manhattan now with Kevin."
"Kevin? Your boyfriend?"
"Fiancé."
"Ohh...why are you staying at the Plaza?"
"Visiting an old friend."
"Oh okay."
Maria looked at her watch "Kevin should be out right now but Jack and Mariah should be home with Yumi."
"Who?"
"Babysitter."
"Ohh...how old are Jack and Mariah?"
"9 almost 10."
"So they're not exactly little then."
"Nope." Just then Billie's cell phone went off in his pocket and Maria tried to hail a cab.
"Hello? It's Billie Joe."
"Hey man, where the fuck are you?"
"Hey Mike? I'm umm..." He looked over at Maria waving her hand out at the passing traffic.
"You mother fuckers! Stop god dammit!"
"Who's that?"
"Uhh some random person hailing a cab."
"She sounds familiar...Maria?"
"What?!?! Who?..."
"Bill, I know it's her I saw her yesterday, put her on please."
"She's uhh busy wait - you saw her yesterday!?!"
Maria gave up hailing a cab and walked up to Billie and mimed her lips to say, 'no one's stopping, you try'.
"Fine I'll put her on Mike... here Maria its Mike he wants to talk to you."
"Oh okay....hi Mikey!.....yeah...uhhh...hmmm...yeah I told him... .you sure you want him to know that?...yeah I guess...hehe...I'm not gonna tell him THAT...I'll see you soon as well."
She handed the phone back to Billie as he finally got a cab to stop.
"Go Billie Joe! You got one to stop!"
She slid in and Billie did after her. The traffic was extremely slow but then again it always was at 5:30pm on a week day, even if it was now New Years day.
