Pulling Teeth(a billie joe armstrong story)

Unexpected Contact

Billie Joe Armstrong was sitting at the kitchen table, skimming through the local paper while Alex prepared breakfast. The soft hum of her voice mingled with the sound of sizzling eggs on the stove. It was a typical morning routine, peaceful, as the early sun cast a warm glow across the kitchen. Billie's mind wandered between the newspaper headlines and memories of last night's late rehearsal.

His eyes lazily scanned the front page, expecting the usual local news—a protest here, a new cafe there—when a particular headline made him freeze.

"Girl Searching For Parents in Berekly."

As Billie scanned the page he look like he saw a ghost, his brain trying to process the words in front of him.. His heartbeat quickened, and his hand started to shake slightly, causing his coffee cup to tremble in his grip. He leaned in closer, the rest of the world fading away as he read the article in a blur. Every word felt like a punch to the gut.

A girl. Fourteen. Named Maxine. She had run away from her abusive adoptive parents. The article mentioned she was searching for her biological parents, who were none other than him and Alex. There was no mistaking the details. His world stopped in that moment, the sounds of the kitchen becoming distant, like he was underwater.

"Alex..." he managed to choke out, his voice hoarse with disbelief. His hands were trembling as he pushed the paper across the table, his eyes locked on her.

Alex turned from the stove, her expression curious. "What's going on?" she asked, her brow furrowing in concern as she wiped her hands on a dish towel and moved toward the table. But when she saw Billie's pale face, her heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong?"

"Read this," Billie whispered, his voice barely audible as he gestured to the newspaper, his hand still trembling slightly.

Confusion clouded her eyes as she picked up the paper, but that confusion quickly turned to shock as she scanned the headline. Alex's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes going wide, tears already beginning to form as she read the article.

"Oh my God..." she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She pressed her hand harder against her lips as she kept reading. A name. Maxine. A runaway. Their daughter—the child they had given up so many years ago. Their decision had haunted them all these years, even though they had tried to move on.

"Billie... this is her." Alex looked up at him, her voice breaking. "This is our little girl."

Billie stared at the floor, his chest tightening. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, the enormity of it all settling in. But Alex wasn't finished with the article yet. She kept reading, her hands shaking as she took in the details. Then, her eyes caught something.

"Wait," Alex whispered. She turned the page to look at the accompanying photo, a grainy image of Maxine. Her heart skipped another beat. "Billie, look at her elbow."

Billie leaned closer, squinting at the photo. A birthmark—just visible, peeking out from Maxine's shirt. Alex's breath hitched in her throat. It was the same as hers—the same birthmark on her own elbow, passed down to her daughter.

"God," Alex whispered, tears welling in her eyes as she traced the outline of the birthmark in the photo with her finger. "She has my birthmark."Billie's throat tightened, but before he could say anything, Alex leaned back in her chair, staring at the girl's face, studying her closely. Her eyes traveled across Maxine's features, taking in every detail.

"Look at her smile," Alex whispered, her voice cracking. "She has my dimples."

Billie leaned in closer, his pulse quickening as he took in Maxine's features. The more he looked, the more his heart began to ache. Her nose, the set of her jaw, the way her lips curved—it was unmistakable.