Those Green Eyes

Chapter Twenty Eight

Billie:

Flashback: Ten years earlier:

"Have you seen Mel?" I looked towards Tre waiting for an answer. He was leaning up against his locker like every other weekday morning.

"Don't think so. Why?" He tossed a joint at me.

I rolled it around in my fingers nervously, something just wasn't right. "I've been calling her all morning.. She's not answering."

"Maybe she's sick." He shrugged.

I squinted my eyes at him. "What's wrong with you anyway?" His forehead was sweating profusely.

"Me?" He asked panicked. "Oh uh I'm not really feeling good.. Think something's going around."

"Yeah.. Maybe." I nudged him against the locker and walked towards my first period class where attendance was already taking place.

I took my seat hoping for her to walk through the door any minute.

"Melanie Grant?" The substitute at the front of the room called. "Grant?" She called again after a moment of silence and no answer. I looked next to me, staring at Melanie's empty seat. I could still see the shadow of her sitting there, the same way she did everyday. Her big bright smile laughing at all of my corny jokes, the way her face would contort as she tried to concentrate on whatever the teachers assignment was. Where was she?

"Dad... Dad?... Dad!!!" Joey screamed while slapping my arm trying to wake me up.

"Whats wrong?" I jumped awake looking around at my surroundings. It wasn't my high school, I wasn't eighteen, I was back to reality..

"You were snoring." His brown eyes stared at me innocently. "Oh and this letter came for you." He held out a white envelope.

"Thanks." I said while he continued to stare at me. "Is there anything else Joey?" I asked loosing my patience. He scratched his chin as if he was thinking about it. "Nope that's it." He smiled. "Okay then.." I nodded hoping he would take the hint. "Maybe you should go check on your brother.." I said slowly. "Sure." He skipped off with a smile.

I looked down at the letter in my hands, DNA Center of California was written neatly across the top.

"Well this is it." I whispered to myself running my fingers across the smooth paper. I began to tear the top open.

"Billie Joe.." Adrienne whispered standing at our bedroom door way. "Is that it?" She asked nervous. I nodded.

I pulled the report out and promised myself that no matter what the result was everything would be alright.

"So.. What does it say?" Adrienne moved towards me wide eyed. I couldn't bring myself to look away from the paper. The bed moved as she sat down next to me.

"Oh my god." She cupped her hands over her mouth.

I cleared my throat. "She's mine.. She's really mine."

Adrienne pulled two tacks from our nightstand and handed them to me, I knew exactly what to do with them.

I stood up and walked towards the wall right beside our dresser full of pictures of the kids. It only took me a second to pin the results up, displaying them proudly for anyone to see.

Billie Joe Armstrong 99.98% DNA match of Lilly Madison Grant.