Problem Child

The next morning I woke up around 8am having hardly slept at all. It was the most surreal feeling ever. I knew that if I went downstairs Grace wouldn't be there preparing breakfast as usual. I wanted to see Tre. I got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen to find Billie Joe sat alone at the table. As I saw him I began to turn back around again.

"Summer?" He said lifting his head up. I turned to look at him but no words came out. "How are you?" He asked me. Did he really have no idea how I might be feeling? I shook my head and walked away from him. He got up and followed me. As I reached the bottom of the stairs I froze in horror as I remembered the night before. Billie stood directly behind me.

"Summer...the police are coming over today. They wanna speak to us about, y'know..." He explained. I spun around to face him.

"About what?! About how you've been assulting me? Or about how you killed Grace?!" I snapped. He grabbed my arm.

"Hey! Keep your god damn voice down!" He whispered sharply. I pulled my arm away and headed for the stairs. He ran in front of me and stopped. "Listen to me, I didn't kill Grace okay? It was...it was an accident, you know that right? You saw everything." He said losing his composeur.

"Yeah right." I muttered. His eyes widened.

"Look, after everything I've...I'm not a murderer!" He persisted. "Please Summer, I'm begging you." He said seriously.

"I thought you liked it the other way round." I said bitterly. He looked to the floor ashamed.

"Summer...I'm sorry, I can't explain...I just..." He tried to continue. I pushed past him and hurried up the stairs to call Tre from my room. I quickly dialled his number.

"Summer hey, how are you?" He answered immediately.

"I need to see you." I said desperately.

"Yeah sure, I'll come straight over okay?" He said reasuringly.

"Okay." I squeaked before hanging up. I walked out into the hallway again to find Billie Joe waiting for me. "Can't you at least just stay away from me? Haven't you done enough?!" I cried. Billie motioned for me to keep my voice down.

"Shssh, Jonathan's asleep, he had a bad night." Billie said.

"I've been having bad nights ever since you arrived." I said moving in towards him. Had I overcome my fear of him? He looked away. "I want you to leave, me and Jonathan, we don't need you here...just go and I won't tell the police what you did." I said trying to bargin with him.

"Summer, I can't. I've got nowhere to go. And I could never leave you." He admitted. I frowned at him.

"The first night you spent with us, remember how you asked me to help you leave? Where were you planning to go then?" I asked.

"That was different. Okay so I probably COULD find somewhere to stay but...I can't be without you Summer, I love you." He said with wide puppy-dog eyes. I shook my head.

"Love?! You don't understand LOVE Billie Joe, you're definition of the word makes me SICK!" I said as he backed up.

"Summer please, it's complicated. Maybe it's not normal love but...I can't STAND the thought of life without you." He explained. He was against the wall now in a more submissive position than he was used to.

"Well you're gonna have to. Because when the police get here I'm gonna tell them EVERYTHING and they'll put you away for a very long time!" I threatened. His lonely, lost boy expression faded in an instant. He grabbed me and spun me around so that I was now the one against the wall. He put his hands to my throat and I gasped in shock and terror.

"If you breath a WORD to anyone...I'll kill you." He said. My hands fought against his strong grasp as I tried to break free.

"Billie!" I tried to get out. Then suddenly without warning he let go sending me to the ground. I grabbed my neck and inhaled rapidly. He crouched down beside me and I shivered uncontrolably.

"Summer...please. I'm sorry but...just stick to the story and I swear I'll never hurt you again, please." He said looking deep into my eyes. The doorbell rang and we both looked up. Billie stood up. "I better get that." He said.

"No!" I exclaimed getting up to join him. "It's Tre, I asked him to come over." I said. Billie shot me a look of disapproval. "What? Are you gonna start on at me about seeing him again?" I demanded. Billie tried to remain calm and in control. He knew he had to keep me sweet.

"No, it's fine. I'll give you guys some space." He answered heading back to his room. I watched him until the door closed. Then I ran downstairs to answer the front door. Tre greeted me with a look of sympathy. He reached his arms out to me and I walked into them.

"Summer, oh my god I can't believe it." He said as he wrapped his arms around me. Tears began to spring from my eyes once again. Nothing else was said between us for a good few minutes as Tre comforted me. We eventually parted and I led him through to the living room.

"Everything around here just reminds me of her." I admitted as we both took a seat on the couch.

"Yeah, it's bound to." Tre replied sympathetically forcing a small smile.

"I just can't get my head around it, it all happened so fast." I explained shaking my head in disbelief. Tre leant in towards me a little.

"So...what actually DID happen?" He asked cautiously so as not to upset me. I took a moment to think about it all, every action was being replayed in my head and all I could hear was the shouting.

"She...just fell." I said vaguely. Tre looked at me wanting a further explaination. He put a hand on my knee and I froze. I shot up from the couch, I couldn't BARE to be touched after everything that had been happening, even by Tre.

"Hey, it's okay you don't have to talk about it. I just thought maybe it would help y'know?" He offered standing up beside me. I put my hands over my face and took a deep cleansing breath.

"We were...we were all out on the landing at the top of the stairs, Billie Joe, Grace and me." I started. Tre looked on intently. "There was an arguement, Grace was upset she was shouting. She neared the stairs and...I dunno she just lost her footing or something...and then she just fell...all the way down to the bottom." I said, my eyes brimming with tears. I fought them back hard as Tre put an arm around my shoulder. I felt my whole body tense up again but I didn't pull away this time.

"What were you arguing about?" He asked me rubbing my arm in a comforting manner.

"Billie." I managed to say quietly. Tre looked a little confused.

"You were arguing about Billie?" He questioned. I shook my head slightly.

"Uhm, no. She was arguing WITH Billie, I was just...there." I said. I couldn't stand to admit the truth, I didn't want to tell Tre about the last thing Grace saw before she died. He'd never look at me the same way again if I told him and I couldn't lose him too, especially not now.

"So...Grace and Billie were arguing and then, she just fell down the stairs?" He asked. It sounded like he didn't quite believe me.

"She didn't JUST fall down the stairs Tre, she...she walked off in anger and then...I dunno she tripped, it all happened so fast!" I exclaimed. I paced around the room in frustration. Tre tried in vein to calm me down. I heard the doorbell ring and caught a glimpse of Billie Joe passing the living room door to answer it. I became short of breath. "It's the police." I said with worry.

"Are they here to ask you about Grace?" He asked me. I nodded rapidly and put one hand over my mouth. I heard the front door open followed by a man's voice.

"I can't...I can't speak to them, not now it's too soon." I stammered. Tre stood directly in front of me.

"Summer, it's gonna be okay. I'll stay with you, it's best to just get it over with." He said wisely.

"No...you don't understand." I said, my eyes were wide with desperation. Into the living room walked Billie Joe accompanied by a male and female police officer. I must have looked terrified.

"Summer, these officers wanna ask us a few questions okay?" Billie asked me walking over. I stood there paralized, a tear ran down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away.

"Why don't the two of you take a seat." The women suggested. I looked to Tre.

"Do you want me to stay?" He asked to make sure. I nodded and then the three of us sat down on the couch. The police officers pulled up two chairs and began to ask us general questions about that night. I don't think they suspected anything untoward about the nature of Grace's death. They could see how upset I was but it was to be expected. Billie Joe was unusually quiet only answering questions with one or two words. He kept looking to me with those innocent, desperate eyes full of remorse every time I was asked something. After about 15 minutes it was all over.

"We'll send a family liason officer round tomorrow just to check that you're all coping okay." The male officer said as we all walked to the front door.

"Okay, thanks." Billie said kindly. The three of us stood in the doorway and watched as the officers drove away. 'There goes my chance to speak up' I thought to myself. I had no idea how life was going to continue now. I wanted to go and stay with Tre for a while but I didn't have the heart to leave Jonathan. He was putting on a brave face but inside I knew he was breaking down.