Charlotte's Web
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
"Where the fuck did you go?" Billie Joe snapped viciously as the front door opened and closed. He knew it was Charlotte finally getting in.
"I went to get some Starbucks." Charlotte dropped her books and tried to stalk past Billie Joe but he blocked her way.
"With who."
Charlotte raised her chin. "With Brice."
"You said you haven't seen him."
"God Billie Joe, you're acting like I came in at three in the morning. It's five o'clock. For your information, I haven't seen Brice but we have Physics together and he asked me out. What happened to 'I can't stop you if you want to see this guy?'"
Billie Joe pursed his lips. He did not like to be reminded of something he said that he didn't fully back. "I did say that. But I didn't know where you went and neither did Adrienne. The last thing you need to do right now is stress her out. You should have called."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow at his remarks. "Sorry, I should have called, my fault. What's wrong with Adrienne?"
Billie Joe realized what he had said and to who he said it to. Charlotte was always able to guess if Adrienne was pregnant before she told anyone. "Nothing."
"Is she pregnant?" Charlotte was also as blunt as she was right.
Billie Joe's mind screamed at him to just 'shut up ' and look stupid. "Call next time." He then left the room. "By the way," He called from down the hall, "We're going to my mom's for dinner."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Honestly Billie Joe, did you think this out? Because I don't think you did. It's a very honorable gesture but not a very smart one. What do you know about teenage girls? Especially raising one? Hell Billie Joe, you still act like a child sometimes." David Armstrong, Billie Joe's oldest brother, ranted. He did not fully approve of the way Billie Joe led his life and often thought his choices were rash and half-baked. David became a successful attorney and over the years had become a serious prude and it is needless to say that he and Billie Joe did not see eye to eye on very many issues.
The wives and kids were inside various rooms in the house and Billie Joe came outside to the deck for a quick smoke. His brother David had followed.
Billie Joe smashed the cigarette on the wooden floor. "I didn't need to think about it David. Charlotte has always been a part of my family. What did you expect me to do? Just leave her there or put her in the system where we'll never see her again? You're right, I don't know shit about teenage girls but that is why I have a wife David." David was beginning to stress him out and he lit another cigarette. "Another thing, you don't worry about my life or the way I act. It's none of your damn business what I do."
David wrinkled his nose in disgust. He opened his mouth to say the same phrase he always said when he saw Billie Joe or another one of his siblings smoke. "You're going to kill yourself that way."
"Well, we all gotta go somehow David. Get off my damn fucking back."
At that moment, Billie Joe's cell phone rang. Grateful for the excuse to no longer talk to David, Billie Joe answered to hear Tre' in a hysterical tone.
"Dude, I didn't say a word, I swear I didn't."
Billie Joe's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about Tre', what'd you didn't say?"
There was a pause on the other end followed by, "So... . you haven't heard."
"Heard what?" Billie Joe was all ready aggravated and was in no mood for games.
"It's all over the news and on MTV. Billie Joe, I swear to fucking God I didn't say anything."
"Tre' what the fuck are you talking about?"
"They know about Adrienne and the baby. They also know it's not yours."
Billie Joe hung up on Tre' and hurried back into the house. He took the remote and turned the channel to MTV, ignoring all the kiddie protests. Billie Joe caught the news brief, and sure enough, it was on there.
"It has been reported," The VJ said, "That Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day has two new bundles of joy. One in the form of a sixteen year old goddaughter named Charlotte and he and his wife Adrienne are expecting their third child. However, things aren't as they appear. We have received word from a source close to the punk rocker that the child isn't even Armstrong's. Apparently Adrienne went out for a night on the town and brought a little something home. Green Day has yet to comment. In other news... "
Billie Joe sat down hard on the couch. Who could have told? He hasn't, Adrienne hasn't, Tre' hasn't. Billie Joe kneaded his forehead with his knuckles. He did not need this.
"Where the fuck did you go?" Billie Joe snapped viciously as the front door opened and closed. He knew it was Charlotte finally getting in.
"I went to get some Starbucks." Charlotte dropped her books and tried to stalk past Billie Joe but he blocked her way.
"With who."
Charlotte raised her chin. "With Brice."
"You said you haven't seen him."
"God Billie Joe, you're acting like I came in at three in the morning. It's five o'clock. For your information, I haven't seen Brice but we have Physics together and he asked me out. What happened to 'I can't stop you if you want to see this guy?'"
Billie Joe pursed his lips. He did not like to be reminded of something he said that he didn't fully back. "I did say that. But I didn't know where you went and neither did Adrienne. The last thing you need to do right now is stress her out. You should have called."
Charlotte raised an eyebrow at his remarks. "Sorry, I should have called, my fault. What's wrong with Adrienne?"
Billie Joe realized what he had said and to who he said it to. Charlotte was always able to guess if Adrienne was pregnant before she told anyone. "Nothing."
"Is she pregnant?" Charlotte was also as blunt as she was right.
Billie Joe's mind screamed at him to just 'shut up ' and look stupid. "Call next time." He then left the room. "By the way," He called from down the hall, "We're going to my mom's for dinner."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Honestly Billie Joe, did you think this out? Because I don't think you did. It's a very honorable gesture but not a very smart one. What do you know about teenage girls? Especially raising one? Hell Billie Joe, you still act like a child sometimes." David Armstrong, Billie Joe's oldest brother, ranted. He did not fully approve of the way Billie Joe led his life and often thought his choices were rash and half-baked. David became a successful attorney and over the years had become a serious prude and it is needless to say that he and Billie Joe did not see eye to eye on very many issues.
The wives and kids were inside various rooms in the house and Billie Joe came outside to the deck for a quick smoke. His brother David had followed.
Billie Joe smashed the cigarette on the wooden floor. "I didn't need to think about it David. Charlotte has always been a part of my family. What did you expect me to do? Just leave her there or put her in the system where we'll never see her again? You're right, I don't know shit about teenage girls but that is why I have a wife David." David was beginning to stress him out and he lit another cigarette. "Another thing, you don't worry about my life or the way I act. It's none of your damn business what I do."
David wrinkled his nose in disgust. He opened his mouth to say the same phrase he always said when he saw Billie Joe or another one of his siblings smoke. "You're going to kill yourself that way."
"Well, we all gotta go somehow David. Get off my damn fucking back."
At that moment, Billie Joe's cell phone rang. Grateful for the excuse to no longer talk to David, Billie Joe answered to hear Tre' in a hysterical tone.
"Dude, I didn't say a word, I swear I didn't."
Billie Joe's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about Tre', what'd you didn't say?"
There was a pause on the other end followed by, "So... . you haven't heard."
"Heard what?" Billie Joe was all ready aggravated and was in no mood for games.
"It's all over the news and on MTV. Billie Joe, I swear to fucking God I didn't say anything."
"Tre' what the fuck are you talking about?"
"They know about Adrienne and the baby. They also know it's not yours."
Billie Joe hung up on Tre' and hurried back into the house. He took the remote and turned the channel to MTV, ignoring all the kiddie protests. Billie Joe caught the news brief, and sure enough, it was on there.
"It has been reported," The VJ said, "That Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day has two new bundles of joy. One in the form of a sixteen year old goddaughter named Charlotte and he and his wife Adrienne are expecting their third child. However, things aren't as they appear. We have received word from a source close to the punk rocker that the child isn't even Armstrong's. Apparently Adrienne went out for a night on the town and brought a little something home. Green Day has yet to comment. In other news... "
Billie Joe sat down hard on the couch. Who could have told? He hasn't, Adrienne hasn't, Tre' hasn't. Billie Joe kneaded his forehead with his knuckles. He did not need this.