Viva La Gloria, Oh Little Girl!

Im Not Growing Up, Im Just Burning Out

Billie POV

After about 45 minutes in Home Goods, we went back to the van. Jay climbed back into the shotgun position and flicked the radio on. She's been with us for a little over 2 hours and she already knows her authority. Mike and Trè climbed in the back, arguing about whatever nonsense that had come to their minds.

While I went and loaded the few bags into the trunk Trè, Mike and Jay had already conspired about food.

"We've decided to go to Culver's for dinner." Trè said as soon as I sat in the car.

"What about my opinion." I said jokingly.

"It doesn't count." Mike said, crossing his legs on the back seat.

"Fine then, I see how it is." I said, backing out of the parking space.

"Plus, you can't disagree with Culver's, it's delicious." Jay, said. She smiled a big smile that made me feel all fuzzy inside.

"No I guess I can't disagree with that statement." I said, laughing.

We pulled into the Culver's parking lot and i switched off the car. Mike and Trè climbed our as quickly as possible and ran inside. Jay stuck back, which worried me, but she can up to me and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight.

"What's that for?" I asked after she released.

"So much crap, honestly. A, I never thought I would be adopted, but then you came and now I live with freaking Green Day. B, you just bought me all this stuff I don't really need. C, this doesn't have to do with today but, Green Day helped me so much at the orphanage. I was super depressed while I was there and when I started listening to your songs, they spoke to me and helped me out of the hole of sorrow I buried myself in. I don't even know if I would be here today if it weren't for you guys." She said, wiping her eyes, still with that sweet smile she's had on since we left the orphanage.

I pulled her in tightly for another hug and kissed the top of her head. We were both crying slightly.

"I love you, Billie." She said into my chest.

"I love you too Jay, and no matter what anyone says" I said, holding her face in my hands. "You are my daughter ok? If anyone gives you hell for being adopted, they go through me, cause the little hellians can choke on their own saliva for all I care. I know we've only been family for, hell, less than a day, but I love you more than anything." I finished. She had tears running down her face and the biggest smile I think that anyone could ever have on her face. I pulled her in for one last hug. "C'mon, let's go eat." I said, grabbing her hand and walking up to the door.

We entered the Culver's to find that Mike and Trè had already sat down at a table.

"Took you long enough!" Trè said as Jay sat down next to him and across from me.

"We we're talking, calm down." She said, still beaming.

"Right I'll go order, what does everyone want?" Mike asked, standing up.

"Double cheeseburger with no mustard, onoin rings and a vanilla milkshake." Trè said right after Mike finished asking.

"Uh, bacon cheeseburger, no tomatoes, cheese curds and a chocolate milkshake." I said.

"Ok, Jay what'd you want?" Mike asked looking at Jay.

"Um, hamburger with just lettuce and tomato, add bacon, cheese curds and a chocolate milkshake." She said.

"No cheese on your burger!?" Trè asked as if she were evil.

"Yeah, I don't like cheese on my burgers." She said, looking at the table.

"Weird." Trè said as Mike went off to order. Jay shrugged and smiled at this.  She clearly didn't mind this comment.

Mike appeared a few moments later with a tray full of food. He handed each of us our burgers and we began to eat. Jay had hers devoured in pretty much not time. I think her and Trè were having a contest or something cause she scarfed it down and he followed shortly behind.

"Ha, I won!" Jay said after she finished swallowing her last bit of burger.

"So not fair!" Trè said through the last mouth full of his burger.

"You guys are disgusting." Mike said.

"Thanks." Jay and Trè said at the same time.

"How do you even eat that fast? You only weigh like 12 pounds!" Mike exclaimed.

"You don't judge a book by its cover." Jay said, sitting criss-cross on her chair and taking a sip of her shake.

"Eh fair point." Mike said.

"So, Jay, what do like to do in your free time?" Trè asked, shoving an onoin ring in his mouth.

I can tell Jay doesn't really enjoy being the center of attention. She's pretty laid back, but I can see she feels sorta overwhelmed by everything going on. I don't want her to feel awkward because of some some stupid question.

"I like to draw, listen to music, play music, read." She said "I'm pretty boring I guess." She said, laughing a bit.

"Nah, your the coolest 14 year old I've ever met." Trè said, fist bumping her.

I smiled at this. Trè was still a kid in his own mind. He liked to make people laugh and had a goofy, random sense of humor. Jay seemed to making friends with Mike and Trè pretty easily, and it made me happy to see her smiling and having a good time.

We sat and ate the rest of out dinner. We talked about music and movies we enjoyed. Jay said she loved horror movies. Trè and Jay kept trying to out-wit each other, essentially. Everytime one of us said something they could make a joke out of, they took it, trying to best each other on who's insult or sarcastic remark was better. Jay had Trè beat by a long shot. The girl has a lot of feistiness, wit and a wicked sense of humor that's pretty rare to see in girls her age. I already feel more connected with Jay that I have with anyone else. I've know her for 5 hours this point and she is already my everything. If anything happened to her, I don't know what I would do with myself. 

On the drive back home we put on the heavy metal station that had non stop Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Drowning Pool and Slipknot. I swear Jay knows probably every song that could possibly come on the radio. She had an incredible voice and tons of range. It's amazing how developed hee voice is at only 14.

We made it back home, Trè and Mike headed to their bedrooms while me and Jay decided to work on her bedroom a bit. She made the bed while I hung up the posters, the bulletin board and hung up the Christmas lights she had requested. When we finished she plugged in the record player and put on Nirvana's Nevermind album.

"What'd ya think kiddo?" I said, putting my arm around her as we sat on the bed, listening to the song Lithium.

"I love it." She said, I could tell she was being genuine because she was crying a bit.

"I'm glad." I said, as she nestled her head into my shoulder. This was the most magical thing I had ever felt. Jay, a girl that I had just met earlier today, was now my daughter. I knew she was happy and that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing that this little girl now had a home, where she could be happy and safe because of me, and I love her.

She rolled over to where her neck was on my arm and I had my arm around her waist. I can't tell for sure but Im pretty sure I heard her whisper "I love you Dad." before drifting off. "I love you too Jay." I said, gently as pulled the covers over the both of us and fell asleep.