Cause She's 2,000 Light Years Away (A Mike Dirnt Story), chapter 20
The day passed by as Eleanor and Mike cuddled in each others arms, talking, and sometimes watching the fire in silence.
"Elle, let's go." Mike stood up and stretched. She followed him and they went back to Billie's car.
"Where are we going now?" she asked.
"Home." They drove back in silence. Eleanor gazed out of the window and watched the scenery flashed past. Her mind troubled by a question. A feeling of uneasiness clouded her. She did not tell Mike because she was afraid that he will be upset if she did.
When they reached home, Mike opened the door and allowed Eleanor to enter first. She walked into the sitting room.
"Billie? Tre?" she called. No one answered her but there was a note left on the coffee table. She read it, 'ELLE. GO TO THE TOILET.' Puzzled, she went into the toilet. Another note was left stuck onto the mirror. 'PUT THE DRESS ON.' She looked at the dress and put it on. She knew it belonged to Adrienne as she wore it before. She straightened it and saw a third note left on the back of the door. 'NOW GO TO THE BACK YARD.'
She followed the orders and went outside. The normal, dull back yard had been transformed into a garden lit by candles and Mike was standing beside the wooden table. He was dressed smartly in a suit and a bouquet of carnations was in his hands. He moved swiftly to her side.
"You look stunning," he said huskily. "And these are for you."
Eleanor shivered and took it.
"Thanks." She stood tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. Mike glanced down at the dress. From a high-waisted pleated bodice, a fall of smooth mother-of-pearl silk clung and rippled as she moved. Although the neckline was high in the front, behind it plunged to her waist, showing almost all of her creamy back. 'Those two had a good taste,' he thought. Mike pulled Eleanor's arm through his and lead her to the table. He pulled out the seat and she sat down gracefully, then he returned to his own. He smiled at her and whistled. A moment later, Tre came out from the house, dressed in a waiter's suit, his hair was all combed back. He was holding a tray with two bowls on it.
"Good evening," he greeted them and placed the bowls in front of Eleanor and Mike. Eleanor chuckled at Tre's seriousness.
"Tre, you should wear this more often. You look great!" she joked. "Why, thank you, my lady." With that he walked away.
Eleanor turned her gaze back to Mike. "When did you arrange all this?"
"Can't tell you," he replied. She shrugged and started to drink her bowl of soup. When they both finished, Tre came out and served the main course; steak and disappeared again. Halfway through the meal, an unexpected Billie popped out with his acoustic guitar and started to play Elvis' Love Me Tender.
Eleanor was enjoying herself. She never had such a nice meal before and the atmosphere was fantastic. Before she knows, Tre came out with the desserts. It was just a simple banana spilt.
"Tre?" she began.
"Yes?"
"Who made all these?" She gestured at the empty plates.
"Why, that would be Mr. Armstrong, there." He pointed at Billie.
"And moi!" He then pointed to himself.
"Wow, I'm impressed." She admitted.
"Thank you!" Tre bowed.
"You know Tre. You can stop the whole waiter thing now," Mike told him. Without another second, Tre let out a big sigh of relief.
"Whew! Mike you owed me big time," he said and took a seat beside Eleanor.
"Guys?!" Billie called.
"Can I stop now?"
"Yes." Mike said and laughed at his band mate's expression. Billie then put his guitar aside and sat beside Mike.
"Guys, I just want to say thank you very much. This had been a great night. I've never experience anything like this before," Eleanor said and stood up. She walked over to Tre, kissed him on the forehead and hugged him. Then she did the same to Billie. She felt very lucky that she had such great friends and also a hell of a boyfriend. She turned to Mike.
"Mike. I don't even know what to say except for you are great." She moved towards him and he stood up. She stood tiptoed and kissed him, deeply and passionately. She held his shoulders for support as he held the back of her neck. He broke off the kiss and stared into the luscious brown eyes.
"Elle?" he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"May I have a dance?" he asked.
"Sure," she answered. Mike gestured at Billie. Billie nodded, took his guitar and started to strum it. Mike took Eleanor in his hands and they moved to the melodious tune. Moments later, Tre joined in and played his accordion. Eleanor leaned against Mike's body. She felt like she was at the top of the world. She let go all of her worries and enjoy the occasion. Minutes slowly turned to hours, Eleanor did not just danced with Mike, she took turns to dance with Tre and Billie too. At the end, they were all exhausted and sat around the table and chatted.
"Truth or dare?" Tre asked.
"Truth!" Billie replied. Tre's eyes glinted at Billie's answer.
"Okay, let's see." Tre's face screwed into one that meant serious thinking.
"Okay, did you or did you not kiss the girl we met at the bus stop 3 days ago?" Billie looked a bit uneasy now. He lowered his voice and said,
"Yes."
"Ooo... busted!" Tre said in triumph. "I'm so... telling Adie."
"Try! I'll tell everyone about your... " Billie cocked his eyebrows.
"Don't you dare!" Tre retorted, now looking a bit afraid. Billie looked at Tre happily and stuck out his tongue.
The mist that was present all these time had slowly accumulate into a thick fog.
"Whoa! I think we better get back in now," Mike said and got out of his seat.
"I agree," Tre said and stood up, then followed by Billie.
"Elle?" Mike asked. Eleanor raised her head to look at them. Her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Elle?" Mike said again, his voice filled with seriousness.
She stood up and walked towards the three men. She first hugged Tre.
"Tre. I'll miss you. Your craziness and the energy that you always have," Eleanor whispered into his ear. He looked at her in question. She let go of him and moved to Billie.
"Billie. I don't even know how to begin. Your family and you had helped me a lot since I was nine. I hope you'll be a great rock star one day, where every female in the world will want to meet you. And also Billie, you and Adie are a great couple. I wish you guys a whole life of happiness," she whispered, tears blurring her vision now. Billie looked at her and nodded. She turned to face Mike.
"Mike, I... "
"No, Elle." He stopped her.
"I'm sorry Mike but I really have to," she said.
"It's not fair. I just found you and you have to leave again. You promised," he said. A tear escaped Eleanor's eye.
"I'm sorry Mike. I'm sorry."
Mike looked away.
"Mike, please don't do this," she begged.
"Elle, I just couldn't bare the fact that you are leaving again." He faced her.
"I know, it's hard, but this is fate. I just have to go. Mike, I love you with all my heart and I always will. I'll always be here by your side. You need to know that but you just need to let me go now," she said.
"Elle?" he said, his voice trembling. He then held her hands.
"Mike, I'm sorry. I don't want to end like this as well but this is how it's suppose to be. Goodbye, Mike," she said and let go off his hands. She started into the cloud of fog.
"Eleanor! I love you too!" he shouted after her.
Amongst the fog, there was an old lady with a bowl of liquid. She handed it to Eleanor. She took it and said,
"Michael Ryan Pritchard. I love you forever." But her short speech could not be heard by any of them.
"WHAT?!" Mike shouted. She look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She drank the liquid and the fog slowly engulfed her.
"Elle, let's go." Mike stood up and stretched. She followed him and they went back to Billie's car.
"Where are we going now?" she asked.
"Home." They drove back in silence. Eleanor gazed out of the window and watched the scenery flashed past. Her mind troubled by a question. A feeling of uneasiness clouded her. She did not tell Mike because she was afraid that he will be upset if she did.
When they reached home, Mike opened the door and allowed Eleanor to enter first. She walked into the sitting room.
"Billie? Tre?" she called. No one answered her but there was a note left on the coffee table. She read it, 'ELLE. GO TO THE TOILET.' Puzzled, she went into the toilet. Another note was left stuck onto the mirror. 'PUT THE DRESS ON.' She looked at the dress and put it on. She knew it belonged to Adrienne as she wore it before. She straightened it and saw a third note left on the back of the door. 'NOW GO TO THE BACK YARD.'
She followed the orders and went outside. The normal, dull back yard had been transformed into a garden lit by candles and Mike was standing beside the wooden table. He was dressed smartly in a suit and a bouquet of carnations was in his hands. He moved swiftly to her side.
"You look stunning," he said huskily. "And these are for you."
Eleanor shivered and took it.
"Thanks." She stood tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek. Mike glanced down at the dress. From a high-waisted pleated bodice, a fall of smooth mother-of-pearl silk clung and rippled as she moved. Although the neckline was high in the front, behind it plunged to her waist, showing almost all of her creamy back. 'Those two had a good taste,' he thought. Mike pulled Eleanor's arm through his and lead her to the table. He pulled out the seat and she sat down gracefully, then he returned to his own. He smiled at her and whistled. A moment later, Tre came out from the house, dressed in a waiter's suit, his hair was all combed back. He was holding a tray with two bowls on it.
"Good evening," he greeted them and placed the bowls in front of Eleanor and Mike. Eleanor chuckled at Tre's seriousness.
"Tre, you should wear this more often. You look great!" she joked. "Why, thank you, my lady." With that he walked away.
Eleanor turned her gaze back to Mike. "When did you arrange all this?"
"Can't tell you," he replied. She shrugged and started to drink her bowl of soup. When they both finished, Tre came out and served the main course; steak and disappeared again. Halfway through the meal, an unexpected Billie popped out with his acoustic guitar and started to play Elvis' Love Me Tender.
Eleanor was enjoying herself. She never had such a nice meal before and the atmosphere was fantastic. Before she knows, Tre came out with the desserts. It was just a simple banana spilt.
"Tre?" she began.
"Yes?"
"Who made all these?" She gestured at the empty plates.
"Why, that would be Mr. Armstrong, there." He pointed at Billie.
"And moi!" He then pointed to himself.
"Wow, I'm impressed." She admitted.
"Thank you!" Tre bowed.
"You know Tre. You can stop the whole waiter thing now," Mike told him. Without another second, Tre let out a big sigh of relief.
"Whew! Mike you owed me big time," he said and took a seat beside Eleanor.
"Guys?!" Billie called.
"Can I stop now?"
"Yes." Mike said and laughed at his band mate's expression. Billie then put his guitar aside and sat beside Mike.
"Guys, I just want to say thank you very much. This had been a great night. I've never experience anything like this before," Eleanor said and stood up. She walked over to Tre, kissed him on the forehead and hugged him. Then she did the same to Billie. She felt very lucky that she had such great friends and also a hell of a boyfriend. She turned to Mike.
"Mike. I don't even know what to say except for you are great." She moved towards him and he stood up. She stood tiptoed and kissed him, deeply and passionately. She held his shoulders for support as he held the back of her neck. He broke off the kiss and stared into the luscious brown eyes.
"Elle?" he whispered.
"Yeah?"
"May I have a dance?" he asked.
"Sure," she answered. Mike gestured at Billie. Billie nodded, took his guitar and started to strum it. Mike took Eleanor in his hands and they moved to the melodious tune. Moments later, Tre joined in and played his accordion. Eleanor leaned against Mike's body. She felt like she was at the top of the world. She let go all of her worries and enjoy the occasion. Minutes slowly turned to hours, Eleanor did not just danced with Mike, she took turns to dance with Tre and Billie too. At the end, they were all exhausted and sat around the table and chatted.
"Truth or dare?" Tre asked.
"Truth!" Billie replied. Tre's eyes glinted at Billie's answer.
"Okay, let's see." Tre's face screwed into one that meant serious thinking.
"Okay, did you or did you not kiss the girl we met at the bus stop 3 days ago?" Billie looked a bit uneasy now. He lowered his voice and said,
"Yes."
"Ooo... busted!" Tre said in triumph. "I'm so... telling Adie."
"Try! I'll tell everyone about your... " Billie cocked his eyebrows.
"Don't you dare!" Tre retorted, now looking a bit afraid. Billie looked at Tre happily and stuck out his tongue.
The mist that was present all these time had slowly accumulate into a thick fog.
"Whoa! I think we better get back in now," Mike said and got out of his seat.
"I agree," Tre said and stood up, then followed by Billie.
"Elle?" Mike asked. Eleanor raised her head to look at them. Her eyes filled with sorrow.
"Elle?" Mike said again, his voice filled with seriousness.
She stood up and walked towards the three men. She first hugged Tre.
"Tre. I'll miss you. Your craziness and the energy that you always have," Eleanor whispered into his ear. He looked at her in question. She let go of him and moved to Billie.
"Billie. I don't even know how to begin. Your family and you had helped me a lot since I was nine. I hope you'll be a great rock star one day, where every female in the world will want to meet you. And also Billie, you and Adie are a great couple. I wish you guys a whole life of happiness," she whispered, tears blurring her vision now. Billie looked at her and nodded. She turned to face Mike.
"Mike, I... "
"No, Elle." He stopped her.
"I'm sorry Mike but I really have to," she said.
"It's not fair. I just found you and you have to leave again. You promised," he said. A tear escaped Eleanor's eye.
"I'm sorry Mike. I'm sorry."
Mike looked away.
"Mike, please don't do this," she begged.
"Elle, I just couldn't bare the fact that you are leaving again." He faced her.
"I know, it's hard, but this is fate. I just have to go. Mike, I love you with all my heart and I always will. I'll always be here by your side. You need to know that but you just need to let me go now," she said.
"Elle?" he said, his voice trembling. He then held her hands.
"Mike, I'm sorry. I don't want to end like this as well but this is how it's suppose to be. Goodbye, Mike," she said and let go off his hands. She started into the cloud of fog.
"Eleanor! I love you too!" he shouted after her.
Amongst the fog, there was an old lady with a bowl of liquid. She handed it to Eleanor. She took it and said,
"Michael Ryan Pritchard. I love you forever." But her short speech could not be heard by any of them.
"WHAT?!" Mike shouted. She look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She drank the liquid and the fog slowly engulfed her.
