Charlotte's Web
Chapter 1
"Adrienne, for fuck's sake please, tell me if you want to stay in this." Billie Joe Armstrong stood in the bedroom he had shared with his wife for the past ten years, tears threatening to overflow from his bloodshot eyes.
Adrienne sobbed into her hands as she knelt on the floor. "I'm so sorry Billie. I don't know what happened that night; I didn't know who he was or what I drank or anything. I'm so sorry. I love you so much."
"Well you have a fucked up way of showing it." He broke off his words as he tried to control his anger. "How," He began softly, "Can you go and get yourself pregnant by a guy you don't even know? How Adie, how?"
"I don't know. Billie, I... ." Adrienne stopped and averted her eyes from her husband's murderous glare. "I love you."
Billie Joe took a deep breath, his rage was beginning to blind him, and very oddly and calmly walked out of the bedroom and out of the house. The only indications of his rage were the slamming of the door and the angry squeal of tires leaving the driveway, leaving Adrienne alone in her mistake.
******
Several hours later, the shrill ring of the phone jerked Adrienne out of her platonic sleep. She was grasping Billie Joe's pillow, smelling the essence of him, a mix of cologne and soap, hoping he would come home. He hadn't so far. The phone rang again; it's sound reverberated off of the quiet walls.
"Hello?" She answered, her voice cracked and groggy from tears and sleep.
"Mrs. Adrienne Armstrong?" An official voice said on the other side.
Adrienne jerked up, panic rising in her chest, her voice shaky, "Yes, this is she."
"I'm afraid there has been an accident and you will need to come to Minneapolis immediately."
"Is it my husb... wait, Minneapolis? What's happened?" A list of terrible things began to form in Adrienne's mind as to what could have happened to someone she loved in Minneapolis.
"Julia Cauthen was murdered and her daughter Charlotte is missing."
*******
"Gimme another beer dick." Billie Joe slurred as he laid underneath a coffee table at his friend Tre' Cool's house. He, Tre', and their other friend Mike Dirnt were the punk rock band Green Day and were famous around the world. More importantly, they were good, trusting friends.
Tre' wordlessly threw the brew to his drunken friend and watched him drink away the pain that was plaguing him. Billie Joe had busted through his door three hours ago, raging and partially drunk when he arrived. There had been the smell of vodka on his breath.
Tre' was normally one to try to lighten the situation with jokes or humorous antics, but this was not a time for that. This was a time to be quiet, understanding, and perfectly sober in case Billie Joe needed to be rushed to the emergency room for alcohol poisoning.
The phone rang and Tre' used that as an excuse to get away from Billie Joe's hateful comments about Adrienne. Tre' understood why Billie Joe was saying them, but it still hurt him to hear the hateful words against someone he loved dearly.
"Yeah," He answered the phone positive that the person on the receiving end could hear Billie Joe's shouts of "Bitch" and "Whore."
"Tre', where's Billie?" Adrienne asked weakly.
A small noise escaped Tre's throat. "Ah, I don't think now is a good time for you to talk to Billie Joe. He's... uh... not very fond of you at the moment if you catch my drift."
Tre' caught the sound of sniffle as Adrienne said, "Yeah, I figured that, but this isn't about us."
"What's going on?"
"Just give him the phone Tre', please."
Tre' was not one to deny Adrienne anything but he had strong reservations against this particular request. "All right Adie, hold on."
Tre' walked back into the living room and shoved the phone under Billie Joe's nose. "It's for you."
"Whosit?" Billie Joe slurred, his speech getting worse and his eyes focused on Tre's knees instead of his eyes.
"Adrienne." Tre' answered simply.
"I don't wanna talk to that fuckin' slut who opens her legs to any guy who comes by... ."
"Take the damn phone." Tre' said firmly as if he were reprimanding his young son instead of his grown friend.
"Don't get fuckin fussy cunt." Billie Joe muttered as he snatched the phone away from Tre'. "Whadya want bitch?"
Tre' walked away from the coffee table where Billie Joe had set up camp but heard Billie Joe's end of the conversation perfectly clear, each word clearer and more distressed than the last. "What? When? Who did it? Where'd she go? I'll be there in a minute." Tre' then heard a thump followed by a pathetic cry.
"Holy shit I'm paralyzed. I can't get up!"
Tre' worried and curious as to what was said over the phone, helped Billie Joe out from under the heavy coffee table and followed Billie Joe's drunken directions to take him to the airport.
Adrienne sobbed into her hands as she knelt on the floor. "I'm so sorry Billie. I don't know what happened that night; I didn't know who he was or what I drank or anything. I'm so sorry. I love you so much."
"Well you have a fucked up way of showing it." He broke off his words as he tried to control his anger. "How," He began softly, "Can you go and get yourself pregnant by a guy you don't even know? How Adie, how?"
"I don't know. Billie, I... ." Adrienne stopped and averted her eyes from her husband's murderous glare. "I love you."
Billie Joe took a deep breath, his rage was beginning to blind him, and very oddly and calmly walked out of the bedroom and out of the house. The only indications of his rage were the slamming of the door and the angry squeal of tires leaving the driveway, leaving Adrienne alone in her mistake.
******
Several hours later, the shrill ring of the phone jerked Adrienne out of her platonic sleep. She was grasping Billie Joe's pillow, smelling the essence of him, a mix of cologne and soap, hoping he would come home. He hadn't so far. The phone rang again; it's sound reverberated off of the quiet walls.
"Hello?" She answered, her voice cracked and groggy from tears and sleep.
"Mrs. Adrienne Armstrong?" An official voice said on the other side.
Adrienne jerked up, panic rising in her chest, her voice shaky, "Yes, this is she."
"I'm afraid there has been an accident and you will need to come to Minneapolis immediately."
"Is it my husb... wait, Minneapolis? What's happened?" A list of terrible things began to form in Adrienne's mind as to what could have happened to someone she loved in Minneapolis.
"Julia Cauthen was murdered and her daughter Charlotte is missing."
*******
"Gimme another beer dick." Billie Joe slurred as he laid underneath a coffee table at his friend Tre' Cool's house. He, Tre', and their other friend Mike Dirnt were the punk rock band Green Day and were famous around the world. More importantly, they were good, trusting friends.
Tre' wordlessly threw the brew to his drunken friend and watched him drink away the pain that was plaguing him. Billie Joe had busted through his door three hours ago, raging and partially drunk when he arrived. There had been the smell of vodka on his breath.
Tre' was normally one to try to lighten the situation with jokes or humorous antics, but this was not a time for that. This was a time to be quiet, understanding, and perfectly sober in case Billie Joe needed to be rushed to the emergency room for alcohol poisoning.
The phone rang and Tre' used that as an excuse to get away from Billie Joe's hateful comments about Adrienne. Tre' understood why Billie Joe was saying them, but it still hurt him to hear the hateful words against someone he loved dearly.
"Yeah," He answered the phone positive that the person on the receiving end could hear Billie Joe's shouts of "Bitch" and "Whore."
"Tre', where's Billie?" Adrienne asked weakly.
A small noise escaped Tre's throat. "Ah, I don't think now is a good time for you to talk to Billie Joe. He's... uh... not very fond of you at the moment if you catch my drift."
Tre' caught the sound of sniffle as Adrienne said, "Yeah, I figured that, but this isn't about us."
"What's going on?"
"Just give him the phone Tre', please."
Tre' was not one to deny Adrienne anything but he had strong reservations against this particular request. "All right Adie, hold on."
Tre' walked back into the living room and shoved the phone under Billie Joe's nose. "It's for you."
"Whosit?" Billie Joe slurred, his speech getting worse and his eyes focused on Tre's knees instead of his eyes.
"Adrienne." Tre' answered simply.
"I don't wanna talk to that fuckin' slut who opens her legs to any guy who comes by... ."
"Take the damn phone." Tre' said firmly as if he were reprimanding his young son instead of his grown friend.
"Don't get fuckin fussy cunt." Billie Joe muttered as he snatched the phone away from Tre'. "Whadya want bitch?"
Tre' walked away from the coffee table where Billie Joe had set up camp but heard Billie Joe's end of the conversation perfectly clear, each word clearer and more distressed than the last. "What? When? Who did it? Where'd she go? I'll be there in a minute." Tre' then heard a thump followed by a pathetic cry.
"Holy shit I'm paralyzed. I can't get up!"
Tre' worried and curious as to what was said over the phone, helped Billie Joe out from under the heavy coffee table and followed Billie Joe's drunken directions to take him to the airport.