The Homecoming Of Whatsername (Edited), chapter 2
Frankie allowed herself to relax against Billie Joe, still kissing him passionately, before her conscience dragged her, kicking and screaming, back to reality and the reason she had come home to Berkeley. Hating herself, she gently pushed Billie Joe away with her right hand, shoving her left deep into her jacket pocket. Billie Joe looked confused.
"What?" he asked. "I thought we... " Whatever he was going to say, he was cut off by Mike Dirnt bursting out of the fire door. Frankie quickly stepped away from Billie.
"Billie Joe, how fucking long does it take you to put two fucking... " he stopped, catching sight of Frankie. "Holy SHIT! Frankie?" he asked incredulously. No way could this girl be the same fourteen- year- old tomboy they had waved away to, almost four years before. Gone were the battered jeans and scuffed sneakers. Gone were the bruised, scabby knees from falling from too many walls and trees, and gone was the messy fair ponytail. In their place were high- heeled boots and a tight denim mini skirt, showing off smooth, tanned legs. Sleek, straight, honey- blonde hair flowed to mid-way down her back. The only things to remain the same were her eyes- bright blue sapphires, twinkling with a thousand different emotions. Frankie flung her arms around Mike's neck, squealing about how different he looked.
"Ohmigod, I missed you guys so much! I loved your set- you were SO fucking AMAZING! Is Tre still crowd surfing or has he gone to the bar? Come on, let's find him, I have the best news to tell you guys!" OK, so maybe Frankie hadn't changed completely. Still as energetic and chatty as her twin, she grabbed Mike and Billie Joe and pulled them back into the club.
They found Tre pretty quickly, hitting on some girls at the corner of the bar. Mike moved behind him and whispered something into Tre's ear. Tre whirled around and shrieked as he spotted Frankie. He ran over, caught his sister around the waist and began whirling her around, sending punks flying in all directions. Frankie threw back her head and laughed.
"Pleased to see me then?" She enquired, smoothing down her hair as Tre finally set her down. She threw her arms around Mike and Tre again, pulling them close in a tight embrace.
"God, I missed you guys so MUCH!" She exclaimed, her face squished against Tre's neck. She shifted, her sapphire eyes meeting Billie Joe's emeralds. "All of you." She added. But Billie's eyes were fixed on the back of Mike's head, on Frankie's left hand, on the massive diamond ring on her third finger.
"Ok, sit down guys," she ordered, pushing Tre and Mike away. "I've got something to tell you."
The small group moved to some ratty sofas, but before Frankie could say anything, they were interrupted by Tatiana Roberts, and Chloe Johnson, Frankie's old best friends. Tat, now dating Mike, leapt at Frankie, followed closely by Chloe. The boys looked at each other ruefully, knowing Frankie's announcement would have to wait at least five minutes for the girls' customary screamed greetings. Well, Mike and Tre looked at each other. Billie Joe had his head in his hands, having guessed what Frankie was about to say. Sure enough, his suspicions were soon confirmed.
"Ok, sit down, shut up and LISTEN TO ME!" Frankie demanded, when Tat and Chloe finally released her. "Um, I don't really know how best to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. You know I've kinda been seeing this guy, Brad, in LA, for almost two years now?" Her friends nodded, Billie Joe desperately trying to catch her eye, without being too obvious. But Frankie was staring resolutely at her ice-cubes. "Well, um, er- Oh HELL, he proposed to me last weekend, and we're getting married here in Berkeley in six weeks time!" She finished in an exited squeal, before the girls and Tre jumped on her again. Only Mike, who had the faintest clue of what had happened between Frankie and Billie Joe, hung back, his hand gently resting on his best guy- friend's shoulder. Billie Joe shook his head at Mike, who smiled gently and joined the group hug. Billie took a deep breath, before shoving Tre out of the way and pulled Frankie against him, leaning his mouth an inch from her ear.
"Commiserations- er, I mean [i]congratulations[i], Frig." He whispered, before letting her go, and running out the door, sprinting all the way back to his house. He kept his head down, not letting the tears fall down his face until he was locked in his own bedroom, all by himself.
"What?" he asked. "I thought we... " Whatever he was going to say, he was cut off by Mike Dirnt bursting out of the fire door. Frankie quickly stepped away from Billie.
"Billie Joe, how fucking long does it take you to put two fucking... " he stopped, catching sight of Frankie. "Holy SHIT! Frankie?" he asked incredulously. No way could this girl be the same fourteen- year- old tomboy they had waved away to, almost four years before. Gone were the battered jeans and scuffed sneakers. Gone were the bruised, scabby knees from falling from too many walls and trees, and gone was the messy fair ponytail. In their place were high- heeled boots and a tight denim mini skirt, showing off smooth, tanned legs. Sleek, straight, honey- blonde hair flowed to mid-way down her back. The only things to remain the same were her eyes- bright blue sapphires, twinkling with a thousand different emotions. Frankie flung her arms around Mike's neck, squealing about how different he looked.
"Ohmigod, I missed you guys so much! I loved your set- you were SO fucking AMAZING! Is Tre still crowd surfing or has he gone to the bar? Come on, let's find him, I have the best news to tell you guys!" OK, so maybe Frankie hadn't changed completely. Still as energetic and chatty as her twin, she grabbed Mike and Billie Joe and pulled them back into the club.
They found Tre pretty quickly, hitting on some girls at the corner of the bar. Mike moved behind him and whispered something into Tre's ear. Tre whirled around and shrieked as he spotted Frankie. He ran over, caught his sister around the waist and began whirling her around, sending punks flying in all directions. Frankie threw back her head and laughed.
"Pleased to see me then?" She enquired, smoothing down her hair as Tre finally set her down. She threw her arms around Mike and Tre again, pulling them close in a tight embrace.
"God, I missed you guys so MUCH!" She exclaimed, her face squished against Tre's neck. She shifted, her sapphire eyes meeting Billie Joe's emeralds. "All of you." She added. But Billie's eyes were fixed on the back of Mike's head, on Frankie's left hand, on the massive diamond ring on her third finger.
"Ok, sit down guys," she ordered, pushing Tre and Mike away. "I've got something to tell you."
The small group moved to some ratty sofas, but before Frankie could say anything, they were interrupted by Tatiana Roberts, and Chloe Johnson, Frankie's old best friends. Tat, now dating Mike, leapt at Frankie, followed closely by Chloe. The boys looked at each other ruefully, knowing Frankie's announcement would have to wait at least five minutes for the girls' customary screamed greetings. Well, Mike and Tre looked at each other. Billie Joe had his head in his hands, having guessed what Frankie was about to say. Sure enough, his suspicions were soon confirmed.
"Ok, sit down, shut up and LISTEN TO ME!" Frankie demanded, when Tat and Chloe finally released her. "Um, I don't really know how best to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. You know I've kinda been seeing this guy, Brad, in LA, for almost two years now?" Her friends nodded, Billie Joe desperately trying to catch her eye, without being too obvious. But Frankie was staring resolutely at her ice-cubes. "Well, um, er- Oh HELL, he proposed to me last weekend, and we're getting married here in Berkeley in six weeks time!" She finished in an exited squeal, before the girls and Tre jumped on her again. Only Mike, who had the faintest clue of what had happened between Frankie and Billie Joe, hung back, his hand gently resting on his best guy- friend's shoulder. Billie Joe shook his head at Mike, who smiled gently and joined the group hug. Billie took a deep breath, before shoving Tre out of the way and pulled Frankie against him, leaning his mouth an inch from her ear.
"Commiserations- er, I mean [i]congratulations[i], Frig." He whispered, before letting her go, and running out the door, sprinting all the way back to his house. He kept his head down, not letting the tears fall down his face until he was locked in his own bedroom, all by himself.
