Ring the Alarm
Chapter Two
Midnight came. And then went. One o' clock came. And then went. Two o' clock came---and so it went on; till four o' clock came and Adrienne heard the noise of a key fumbling in the lock at the front door. Irritated was not the word.
She marched downstairs and furiously swung open the front door, much to the dismay of a heavily inebriated Billie.
"I ttttthought I could d-d-do it quietly," he slurred, draping an arm round her shoulders. "I'm sorrrrrry Aiden---"
With all the force she could muster, she pushed Billie away from her and with him being as intoxicated as he was, he fell straight onto his back.
"Whaaaat was that for??!!" he shrieked, trying to sit up.
Adrienne scoffed and stormed back upstairs, leaving Billie still stuck on his back and mumbling in confusion to himself. When he finally got himself upstairs and in bed, Adrienne had to bite the insides of her cheeks to stop heavy sobs escaping. She felt him press kisses into her shoulder blade and snake his hand across her waist. She stiffened and rolled over.
"Baaaaby. Don't be like that. I'm sssoryyy."
"As usual," she hissed.
Billie sighed heavily and Adrienne felt him roll away from her. "Night then," he practically snarled.
"Night," her voice was tight with emotion.
She didn't sleep though. She couldn't. She was too angry. It wasn't the first time in recent weeks that Billie had stayed out later than he promised. His argument would always be, 'well I asked you to come with me;' but at six months pregnant she could barely face getting out of bed, let alone go to any raging band party.
At first she was patient with Billie's coming in late. After all, his band Green Day had just had major success with their debut mainstream album 'Dookie'. It was expected that it would be parties galore. But as the hype of the album died down, the partying didn't. Even over the Christmas holidays she had hardly seen hide nor head of her husband. Talks of their new album was rife, new people were added onto their entourage daily and Billie always insisted that he HAD to go and meet them.
She loved Billie dearly. There was no doubt about that. But it was seemingly becoming like she would be giving birth to their child on her own. She needed to put her foot down. And she needed to do it soon.
---
"What took you so long?" Abigail purred as Billie took his place in the 'Spin the Bottle' circle.
"Just mentally preparing myself for the possibility of having to kiss you." He meant it as a joke but the huskiness of his voice was deliberate.
"You better have prepared well then. This is one game you won't forget in a hurry."
"And neither will you---"
"Enough chit chat folks. Let's get this STARTED!" Tre screamed excitedly.
Billie watched as midnight came And then went. The one o' clock came. And then went. Then two o' clock came---and so it went on. But he and Abigail hadn't kissed. He'd kissed Tre. And then Mike. And then watched as she kissed Tre. And then Mike. As well as the rest of the guys at the recording company. It was nearing three o' clock when Billie lost interest in the game and left the circle and went back outside.
It was only a matter of minutes before Abigail did the same.
"Spoil sport," she giggled as she slapped him on the chest.
"You'd lose patience if you'd had to kiss every man in the room---twice---"
She raised her eyebrows and smirked.
"I take that back," he laughed now. "You probably kissed every man in there more than twice."
"Every man except you---"
A cough in the doorway interrupted their conversation.
"Uhhh---Billie," Mike started, embarrassed that he had obviously interrupted something. "Here---it's Adrienne---" Mike handed him his cell phone. "She's not on the line. It's just a voicemail."
Billie took the phone off his friend and then waited until he'd gone back inside, where he snapped it shut and hid it in his pocket.
"Now that's not very nice is it? She might be worried---"
"Don't pretend that you care Abigail---Adrienne can wait till morning." He took Abigail's hand in his own and signalled that he wanted to go back indoors. "There's a bottle of vodka in there with our names on it. Shall we?"
She squeezed his hand in affirmation. "We shall."
---
Billie heard Adrienne get up. Her morning routine was predictable. First she would go to the toilet then she'd head straight into the kitchen and turn the radio on as she made breakfast. He waited till he heard music then leaned over the side of the bed to where he had drunkenly pulled off his jeans the night before, and fished his cell phone out of the pocket. Turning it on, he waited. He ignored the bleeps signalling voicemail messages ('they would only be from,' Adie he thought) and went straight to his message inbox instead. Once again, ignoring messages from Adrienne and the guys he searched for the number on his mind.
Then he saw it. The message he had been waiting to read since the night before.
Abigail's message.
hey sxy. Its me. Had a gr8 night tonight, hope u did 2? Reply when u can. A xxx
His heart fluttered as he read it. It had been a few years since he had felt the excitement of having a new 'text friend'.
A crash in the kitchen distracted him from replying. Sighing, he set the phone down on his night stand and pulled on some shorts and a t shirt. 'Better go apologise now before she sets fire to the kitchen,' he thought to himself as he headed downstairs.
She was sobbing over the sink when he entered. Guilt slowly began to tighten his insides.
"Oh Billie Joe, you've done it this time." He tried to lighten the mood by imitating her scolding him. "No pancakes for you!"
She turned round and slapped him.
"OK. I deserved that. I'm so sorry baby."
"Is that just a reflex action to you these days?" she sobbed. "I think sorry has lost all meaning to you recently!"
"I mean it. I am. I honestly don't know what happened---one minute I was saying goodnight to everyone and then the next thing I knew, Tre was forcing vodka down my neck! Then it was four o' clock and you pushed me over at the door!"
"I tried calling you."
"Yeah my battery died."
The lies just seemed to flow smoothly from his mouth.
"I called Mike."
"I don't remember him telling me---Adie---I'm sorry." He gently touched her cheek and when he felt the residue of the tears that had ran tracks there, the guilt tightened it's grip that bit stronger. He moved his hand from her cheek slowly and softly down her body to her stomach, where he tenderly patted her steadily growing bump. He then bent and kissed it. "Tell your mommy that daddy is really sorry. She doesn't want to listen to me---"
He lifted his head and was elated when he saw a tiny smile had crept onto Adrienne's face. "Smooth---" she said, twisting his ear so he stood straight again.
"I deserved that too." Through his grimace he touched his nose with hers, his signature of tenderness. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear, I won't do it again as long as we're married."
"That better be forever."
"Forever and always baby."
While he meant every word he said to Adrienne, he still couldn't stop his mind from wandering upstairs and thinking when he would get the chance to be alone with his cell phone again.
She marched downstairs and furiously swung open the front door, much to the dismay of a heavily inebriated Billie.
"I ttttthought I could d-d-do it quietly," he slurred, draping an arm round her shoulders. "I'm sorrrrrry Aiden---"
With all the force she could muster, she pushed Billie away from her and with him being as intoxicated as he was, he fell straight onto his back.
"Whaaaat was that for??!!" he shrieked, trying to sit up.
Adrienne scoffed and stormed back upstairs, leaving Billie still stuck on his back and mumbling in confusion to himself. When he finally got himself upstairs and in bed, Adrienne had to bite the insides of her cheeks to stop heavy sobs escaping. She felt him press kisses into her shoulder blade and snake his hand across her waist. She stiffened and rolled over.
"Baaaaby. Don't be like that. I'm sssoryyy."
"As usual," she hissed.
Billie sighed heavily and Adrienne felt him roll away from her. "Night then," he practically snarled.
"Night," her voice was tight with emotion.
She didn't sleep though. She couldn't. She was too angry. It wasn't the first time in recent weeks that Billie had stayed out later than he promised. His argument would always be, 'well I asked you to come with me;' but at six months pregnant she could barely face getting out of bed, let alone go to any raging band party.
At first she was patient with Billie's coming in late. After all, his band Green Day had just had major success with their debut mainstream album 'Dookie'. It was expected that it would be parties galore. But as the hype of the album died down, the partying didn't. Even over the Christmas holidays she had hardly seen hide nor head of her husband. Talks of their new album was rife, new people were added onto their entourage daily and Billie always insisted that he HAD to go and meet them.
She loved Billie dearly. There was no doubt about that. But it was seemingly becoming like she would be giving birth to their child on her own. She needed to put her foot down. And she needed to do it soon.
---
"What took you so long?" Abigail purred as Billie took his place in the 'Spin the Bottle' circle.
"Just mentally preparing myself for the possibility of having to kiss you." He meant it as a joke but the huskiness of his voice was deliberate.
"You better have prepared well then. This is one game you won't forget in a hurry."
"And neither will you---"
"Enough chit chat folks. Let's get this STARTED!" Tre screamed excitedly.
Billie watched as midnight came And then went. The one o' clock came. And then went. Then two o' clock came---and so it went on. But he and Abigail hadn't kissed. He'd kissed Tre. And then Mike. And then watched as she kissed Tre. And then Mike. As well as the rest of the guys at the recording company. It was nearing three o' clock when Billie lost interest in the game and left the circle and went back outside.
It was only a matter of minutes before Abigail did the same.
"Spoil sport," she giggled as she slapped him on the chest.
"You'd lose patience if you'd had to kiss every man in the room---twice---"
She raised her eyebrows and smirked.
"I take that back," he laughed now. "You probably kissed every man in there more than twice."
"Every man except you---"
A cough in the doorway interrupted their conversation.
"Uhhh---Billie," Mike started, embarrassed that he had obviously interrupted something. "Here---it's Adrienne---" Mike handed him his cell phone. "She's not on the line. It's just a voicemail."
Billie took the phone off his friend and then waited until he'd gone back inside, where he snapped it shut and hid it in his pocket.
"Now that's not very nice is it? She might be worried---"
"Don't pretend that you care Abigail---Adrienne can wait till morning." He took Abigail's hand in his own and signalled that he wanted to go back indoors. "There's a bottle of vodka in there with our names on it. Shall we?"
She squeezed his hand in affirmation. "We shall."
---
Billie heard Adrienne get up. Her morning routine was predictable. First she would go to the toilet then she'd head straight into the kitchen and turn the radio on as she made breakfast. He waited till he heard music then leaned over the side of the bed to where he had drunkenly pulled off his jeans the night before, and fished his cell phone out of the pocket. Turning it on, he waited. He ignored the bleeps signalling voicemail messages ('they would only be from,' Adie he thought) and went straight to his message inbox instead. Once again, ignoring messages from Adrienne and the guys he searched for the number on his mind.
Then he saw it. The message he had been waiting to read since the night before.
Abigail's message.
hey sxy. Its me. Had a gr8 night tonight, hope u did 2? Reply when u can. A xxx
His heart fluttered as he read it. It had been a few years since he had felt the excitement of having a new 'text friend'.
A crash in the kitchen distracted him from replying. Sighing, he set the phone down on his night stand and pulled on some shorts and a t shirt. 'Better go apologise now before she sets fire to the kitchen,' he thought to himself as he headed downstairs.
She was sobbing over the sink when he entered. Guilt slowly began to tighten his insides.
"Oh Billie Joe, you've done it this time." He tried to lighten the mood by imitating her scolding him. "No pancakes for you!"
She turned round and slapped him.
"OK. I deserved that. I'm so sorry baby."
"Is that just a reflex action to you these days?" she sobbed. "I think sorry has lost all meaning to you recently!"
"I mean it. I am. I honestly don't know what happened---one minute I was saying goodnight to everyone and then the next thing I knew, Tre was forcing vodka down my neck! Then it was four o' clock and you pushed me over at the door!"
"I tried calling you."
"Yeah my battery died."
The lies just seemed to flow smoothly from his mouth.
"I called Mike."
"I don't remember him telling me---Adie---I'm sorry." He gently touched her cheek and when he felt the residue of the tears that had ran tracks there, the guilt tightened it's grip that bit stronger. He moved his hand from her cheek slowly and softly down her body to her stomach, where he tenderly patted her steadily growing bump. He then bent and kissed it. "Tell your mommy that daddy is really sorry. She doesn't want to listen to me---"
He lifted his head and was elated when he saw a tiny smile had crept onto Adrienne's face. "Smooth---" she said, twisting his ear so he stood straight again.
"I deserved that too." Through his grimace he touched his nose with hers, his signature of tenderness. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I swear, I won't do it again as long as we're married."
"That better be forever."
"Forever and always baby."
While he meant every word he said to Adrienne, he still couldn't stop his mind from wandering upstairs and thinking when he would get the chance to be alone with his cell phone again.