Listen To Your Heart ~ Book One.

Live from Home

"How crazy you would be for me after six months apart. Like a sex crazed ferret on speed."

(Billie smiles and blushes.)

"Smartass...you better never tell anyone else about that...bad enough you told my therapist!"

"Well...I could always make up a sign. Put it on the side of your car."

"My car? Don't you dare!!...I'll kick your ass!

"Really...like the last time? Hmmm...how about? My boyfriend loves my 36D's. With a picture?"

(Smiles.)"You are asking for it, you bitch!"

"Asking for what?" (I tease.)

"This."

(The two of us kiss and hug one another tight.)

"I better go. You've tortured me enough for one day."

"Ha ha ha. You know you can't resist me!"

(I brush her hair with my fingers.)

"You're right. I can't. Kind of makes you wonder who saved who, that night in Miami?"

"Maybe we saved each another."

"Well...in case I've forgotten to say it...thank you for saving me, blue eyes."

"Thank you for saving me...even though the pizza was cold." (Smiles.)

"Smartass."

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(A few days later, the Live from Home concert takes place. Billie and her brother perform all of her songs. Starting with Ocean Eyes and ending with Bad Guy. The on-line viewers cheer wildly for them both. Billie addresses the on-line viewers.)

"For our last song, we're going to be calling on the talents of a very gifted guitarist, Phantom Rocker."

(Billie pauses for effect.)

"I think this is a song of Hope..."

(I'm outside Billie's parents' house, on the rooftop. Surrounded by cameras and amplifiers, as I began to play.)

(The song ends. The Internet goes crazy with praise for Billie and her brother, and even more questions about me. Billie's music boss holds an after-show party for both of them. I don't get an invite. No surprise I figure. It's the way the contract stated. I didn't like the situation one bit, but I figured the game could be played both ways, and I couldn't wait to play. I also realized something else. The day would come where Billie would be forced to choose us or her career, and I knew she wouldn't choose us. Would she?)

(Later that night, Irving Azoff faxes Valerie a deal from InterScope Music company. Apparently, the song I did with Billie and her brother was getting some serious downloads, almost as many as Billie's 'Bad Guy' song. I was to be paid fifty thousand every time we played the song live. Which didn't include sales from Phantom Rocker merchandise, and other miscellaneous royalties. People wanted to know more about me, especially who was the guy behind the mask? When was I going to do any interviews? Was I quitting Van Halen? Some conspiracy nuts even came up with stories about how I was actually Eddie Van Halen, and how his death and funeral were faked. Others said I was Eddie's son. I half expected a story about aliens. I had become a millionaire basically overnight...but for some reason nothing felt different. Valerie jokes with me, telling me how it would evidently 'sink in'...but I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Like I was living a life I didn't belong in...and I couldn't help but wonder how Billie and I were going to keep things between us a secret much longer, especially since both our lives were now in the spotlight.)