Billie Joe's Third Son

Ecstasy. The best way to forget, I read on the white package the random guy handed me. I found myself at Gilman something which luckily wasn't far from Berkeley.

"Thanks dude. Just what I need. Give me your phone number, and we'll deal with the money later," I said. The guy wrote his name and phone number on a card and handed it to me.

"Good luck with that son. Remember those pills aint good for you. It's put together by pretty strong material."

"Does it look like I care?" I mumbled. He shook his head. I thanked him again and decided to get the hell out of there.

*

I dumped myself on an official toilet, pretty far away from Berkeley now. I had no idea where I was, but at the same time I didn't really give a damn. All I wanted was to forget about everything that had happened since we came to California. I swallowed the one pill after the other, noticing all the men who came in and out staring at me. No wonder why. When I'd taken about ten pills, I felt very dizzy, and decided to leave the rest for another time.

"Are you okey, boy?" a male voice said. I nodded, trying to look up, but couldn't. The light was too sharp. I felt a sting in my stomack, and without foreboding I threw up on the floor.

"Where's your parents?" the man asked again.

"They're out in the café, there's nothing wrong," I blurred. "I'm just ill."

The man nodded and finally left me alone. I grabbed some paper from behind me, and started to scrub the floor where I’d puked. It was hard, but I figured I made it good enough looking, and threw the paper in some random corner. Not long after I did that, came another guy and sat down beside me. He didn't seem to notice me, 'cause he had a syringe which he stang himself in the arm with. I tried to tell him to get the hell out of there, but couldn't speak. I was lost for words. I opened my mouth, but only a weird sound came out of it. The guy suddenly looked at me. Everything was weird, and blue.

"You okey mate?" he asked, and laid the syringe in one of his pockets.

"Does ith loohk lihke ith?" I asked, hearing how every word kept fucking up.

He shrugged.

"My name is Andy," he spoke. I looked at him again. Andy had black, sholder length hair, and blue eyes. He had pierced his left eyebrow, a white shirt that said 'stupid' and a pair of tight, black pants. His socks were blue, blue just like his eyes. Blue just like the room. I tried to ask him why he wasn't wearing shoes, but was speechless. As if I cared that his name was Andy.

"Joey," I mumbled.

"You don't look too good to me, Joey. Want something that'll make you feel better?"

Since I could hardly speak, I nodded. He took up the syringe again, and looked at me.

"This," he said. "This is called speed."

I looked at it. It had a pretty big peak, and I was afraid of syringes. But I was too dizzy from stop him taking my arm, adding speed to my body. When he did, the whole room started to float. I tried to close my eyes, 'cause it made me more dizzy than I already was.

"You feeling better?" Andy said. He sounded like he was speaking from under water. I was now not able to speak at all. My head felt heavy.

"Dude, you're shaking," was all I could hear before I blacked out.

*

Michael's POV

I saw Amanda, Dad and Mum getting done with being outside. I hoped Joey would be back soon, or I'd be in trouble. But I couldn't blame him for going, not after what I'd seen some hours ago. Mum looked at me, and then to the other end of the sofa.

Empty.

She came inside, and the two other grown ups seemed to stay outside and chat for another while.

"Michael, where's Joey and Antonia?" Mum asked.

"Antonia is upstairs sleeping, she felt tired after all the shopping. Joey is.. Also tired, you know, he's ill," I lied.

"But where is he?"

"In his room," I replied. Mum sighed. She knew I was lying. But instead of saying no more, she turned around and headed up stairs to his bedroom. She came down again after five minutes, and she looked pissed.

"Why did you lie? Where is my son?" Mum said, trying to sound as calm as possible. Her hair looked wild, as if she'd gone crazy up there. She probably had.

"Ahm.. He is nowhere," I slurred. Mum looked as if she was gonna blast any minute.

"He is out, isn't he? Michael, you should have stopped him! This is not Glasgow, this is Califuckingfornia! He can be anywhere!" she yelled. I was kinda surprised her saying that, 'cause I'd never heard her swear before. Not like this.

"I couldn't! Joey has a mind of his own," I yelled back.

"Yes, and that mind is pretty fucked up, wouldn't you say?" Mum shouted back.

"Oh, and what do you know? You're getting married to the guy who did this to him! Not that I hate him, but.." I was cut off by Dad's voice.

"Michael, what are you saying? That I'm doing something to Joey?" he said. He was a good actor, he sounded hurt. I had a feeling that if I was ever left alone with Dad again, I would get some sort of punishment, 'cause he knew now that I knew what he was doing to Joey. He knew now that I had seen, heard, watched what he had done earlier the present day. I turned around to look at him and Aunt Amanda. She looked pissed too.

"Glen?" she said, waiting for an explanation. Glen looked to Aunt Amanda, then to Mum, then to me. I knew I had to tell them. I knew I had to tell them what I'd seen, or Dad might hurt me too. I loved him, but it was my duty to tell Mum and Aunt Amanda what I'd seen.

"Michael?" Mum said and looked at me. Dad didn't say anything, but looked at me. It was an angry look. A look that said "just wait 'til we're alone." I looked from Dad to Mum.

"Today before we left to Rudy's.. I saw something," I said and swallowed a lump. I felt Dad's eyes burning holes in me, but shook it away. Mum and Amanda gave me looks that told me to go on.

"I was washing my hands upstairs, when I heard someone argeuing. I first thought it was you Mum, and Joey fighting again, 'cause I clearly heard Joey's voice. For some strange reason, I opened the bathroom door, and shut it silenty as if I didn't want anyone to hear me, it was weird, but anyway that's not the point. When I entered the hall, I clearly heard it was two male voices, Joey's and Dad's. Joey said something about Dad.."

"This is rediculous," Dad said and cut me off. He shook his head. He looked nervous as hell.

"Calm down Glen," Aunt said. "You want the truth just like the rest of us, don't you?" Both Aunt Amanda and Glen were now sitting in the other sofa. Mum was sitting with me.

"Go on sweetheart," Mum said and kissed my cheek. I was surprised about how calm she was.

"Joey asked Dad something like why he was doing this to him, and I had no idea what he was on about, 'cause I thought Dad cared about Joey, and never would hurt him. But then Dad started to kiss Joey's neck. Joey told him to stop, but Dad just laughed and continued. Dad then unzipped his pants, and I didn't want to look or hear no more, so I shut my eyes and held my hands in front of my ears, but I could still hear Joey's screams of pain, trying to get Dad off him.. Mum, I think Dad has been abusing Joey since he budged with us to Scotland. He has never liked him," I finished. Both Mum and Aunt Amanda looked as if they were gonna shoot Dad there and then if they could. They both strangled him with their eyes. I couldn't look at him. I had tears in my eyes, 'cause I had let Dad down. My own father. Dad laughed a nervous laugh.

"You're not actually gonna believe all this, are you?" he asked. No one answered. I heard Mum starting to cry. Aunt Amanda called the police. Dad just sat there, speechless.

"How could you Michael? I'm your fucking father!" he yelled and got up.

"Sit down Glen," Amanda said and forced him down. Mum took her arm around me like she wanted to protect me from all bad in the world. In fact the worst thing, or person in the world was sitting right next to me. The police arrived about five minutes later, and grabbed Dad. I'd never seen Dad cry, but he actually did now. When the police first of all was here, Aunt Amanda told them to look after Joey. She gave them a photo, and they promised to do their best.

You're so lucky Antonia, I thought. You're so lucky to be safely asleep.

*

Joey's POV

My eyes shut wide open. I was in a dark room. Dark and cold. I noticed I was lying on a couch, but had no idea where I was. I tried to get up, but was forced down by a terrible headache.

Where am I?

"You're awake?" a male voice behind me said. I got up in a hurry, 'cause it scared me for a moment, and hit my head in the table. The guy laughed.

"Sorry 'bout that. Here, lay down and drink this,” he said.

Surprisinglry after my experience, I drank the drink he handed to me. He handed me a bucket, and I soon understood why. He had given me salten water, which made me throw up worse than ever before.

“That’s it,” he spoke again when I was done, taking the bucket from me, placing it on the floor in case of more puking.

“Well, who the hell are you? And what do you want from me?” I asked. I was surprised he hadn’t given me more “stuff that would make me feel good” just like that guy in the official toilet.

"Chill dude. I don't wanna harm you. I found you in an official toilet, not far from Gilman. You'd blacked out, and sinse no one in the café seemed to know you, I took you here. Home."

"Where is 'here'? And why are there no lights on?" I asked.

"The power passed out some minutes ago. No one in Laytonville has got any power right now, but they are working on it. My guess is the power will be back on tomorrow, and until then we only have this," the guy replied, and brought light to some candles. I couldn't really see what he looked like, 'cause of the bad light. I tried to get up once again, but couldn't.

"You need your rest kid. You got it pretty bad back there," he said.

"Thanks," I replied and stayed down. "Is Laytonville far from Berkeley?"

"Not as far as it could have been," he replied. "You doesn't sound like you live in Berkeley. Where are you from?"

"I'm actually Norwegian, but I moved to Scotland when I was eleven 'cause my Grandfather died. We, me my mother, stepfather and siblings are visiting my stepfather's sister and daughter. Her daughter actually lives with her father, but.."

"Norwegian, huh? Not often I meet Norwegian people down here. Can you speak the language?" he asked.

"I lived there from I was one to eleven so I'd say I can," I replied.

"So, you lived with your father in Norway, or.. ?"

"No. I have no clue on who my father is. My grandparents raised me, and my big sister up there."

"Why didn't your mother?"

"I don't know. She's never seemed to like me or Zandra," I said, thinking of my big sister whom I hadn't seen in ages.

"What's your name?" he said, lighting a cigarette. He offered me one, and I gladly took it. I tried to sit up, and it worked.

"My mother named me Billie Joe, but everyone just calls me Joey. And you?"

"My mother named me Daniel, but everyone just calls me Danny," he said quoting me. "Why Joey?"

"You seem to wanna know a lot," I said taking a deep drag of the cigarette. He nodded.

"I like meeting new people." I sighed.

"A friend of mine, Johnny nicknamed me that in kindergarden when we were one, 'cause he couldn't speak properly. He couldn't say Billie Joe, and started to call me Joey. Then everyone else started calling me that as well, so that's pretty much it," I said.

"Interesting story. How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen. Sixteen February the seventeenth."

"Aha. I'm sixteen October the third this year," he replied.

"You seem older than sixteen. You live here by yourself?"

"No, I live with my little sister, mother, and stepfather. They're all in New Zealand now, that's where I'm from," he replied. I nodded.

"I hate stepfather's," I mumbled. He laughed.

"Well, mine is pretty nice. Just like my real Dad. He has been around since I was around seven, when Mum and Dad divorced. Me and my little sister is with Dad every second weekend. I love my stepfather though, he treats me and my sister like we are his own children."

I looked at him with jealousy in my eyes. He had no idea how lucky he was.

"So, how did you end up in that café? You were pretty far from Berkeley, I'd say."

"Well I.. Needed some stuff," I replied, not really knowing what to say. It wasn't good to tell people you'd just met about yourself being a druggie.

"You're on drugs, aren't you?" he asked. I looked up to him. He was suddenly dead serious.

"How did you figure that one out?" I asked.

"Well, because before I left I saw Andy Bellamy leave the spot. When I found you blacked out in the bathroom, I figured you two'd been meeting up."

Aha. Andy. I'd almost forgotten about him.

"Yeah well, he gave me some stuff named speed," I said, not knowing how Danny would react. "You know him?" I added.

He nodded.

"Everyone around here knows Andy. He's on alcohol, drugs and God knows what else twentyfour seven. Had a ruff childhood though, he's just as old as you. He lives alone with his little sister, after his parents died last September. His father used to.. Do stuff to him." I sighed. I knew what he meant by "stuff."

"You must've reacted pretty bad on the drugs though, sinse you blacked out."

I decided there was no point in hiding anything from this Danny guy, seeing as though I'd probably never see him again if I ever left this place. And if I didn't, he'd find out sooner or later anyway.

I searched my pockets for the ecstasies, and found them. I gave them to him. I watched him read what the backage said.

"What are you trying to get over?" he asked.

"Just.. Stuff," I mumbled, not really wanting to talk about it. I could see him smile in the light of the candles.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I smiled too. I felt safe, for the first time sinse I lived up north Norway.

"I'll have to drive you home tomorrow, it's late and dark 'cause the power's still switched off. It'll probably be back on tomorrow. You wanna call your parents?"

"Glen's not my Dad," I replied.

"Your mother then?"

"She's just gonna freak out 'cause I left the house without her knowing about it." He smiled again.

"No happy family, huh?"

"Say that again," I mumbled.

"Billie Joe," he suddenly said. "Now there's a ring about that name." I rolled my eyes. Almost everyone I met said that.

"Well, I'm off to bed. Join me if you want something," he joked. I let out a little laugh.

"Night."

"Night," he replied, grabbed a candle, walking a bit away from me through a hall, sort of, opened a door, and got in. I stumped the cigarette, laid down and tried to think of something nice.

The trouble was it wasn't anything nice in my life just now..