Billie Joe's Third Son

After getting out of the cab, I ran inside the police station to find out where Glen had been taken. I met many police officers in the door, trying to ask me why I was in such a hurry. I didn’t stop to reply to their questions, neither their suspicious looks. I only wanted to find Glen, wanted him to tell me why, why he had done what he had. I wanted him to hold me, to tell me Michael had told us a pack of lies. But I knew he hadn’t. I knew Glen had really abused Joey. But right now I’d give anything to have Glen back. I’d believe all his lies.

Get real Regina. You’re a mother. A mother shouldn’t wish those things up on her own son.

I decided I had to take a break, I was not ready to face Glen yet. I sat down in the waiting room, finding one empty chair only. I didn’t look at the other people. I couldn’t face anyone, hardly my own thoughts. I suddenly found myself asking questions.

Why do I want Glen back?

Am I a bad mother?

Should Joey of been born in the first place?

I sighed asking the last question, the only question I didn’t want to answer. Of course I loved Joey, he was my first born son. I never wanted to leave him with someone else, never wanted him to die, or go away. I wanted the best for him. It was just that.. Sometimes I could find myself asking if we all would be better of if Joey wasn’t born. If I just hadn’t been so stupid, sleeping with Billie..

Flashback

”There you go,” I told the student girl who’d broken her leg.

“I think you’ll be better of home now.”

“Thanks,” she said, and disappeared through the door. I sighed, and sat down again. Pinole had so many students, so different from the plain old schools in Norway.

Through the window I could see the students play football, some just hanging out. Some eating lunch, others making bets. Some just chatting. I had nothing here, nothing but a child that grew on the inside of me. A child I shouldn’t allow to be born. A child of a child.

“Stupid kid,” I said and punched my stomack. I sighed. I didn’t know how to tell that young boy he was going to be a father. May be I’d be better of taking it away. No. How could I even think the thought? I was already the mother of my beautiful daughter. I supposed I’d love this child just as much as I did her. I smiled. I was going to be a mother again. I looked down to my stomack.

“Wonder who you are, in there. A boy, or a girl. Wonder what I should call you.”

Someone knocked on my door once again. I went to open it, and outside I found a familiar face looking at me. It was one of those other boys who’d been here, trying to have a go with me. Those silly young boys thought I didn’t knew why they’d been here so many times.

“What do you want?” I asked, not really wanting to fix any legs, arms or whatever he would come up with this time. He blushed. He wasn’t here for fun. He was here ‘cause he wanted to ask me something.

“You know Billie Joe Armstrong?” he asked me. I nodded. I knew enough about the father to my baby to know his name. I didn’t really know much else about him, only that he was young. Very young. Too young.

I nodded as reply to his question.

“What about him?”

“Is it true that.. You know?”

“No, I don’t know, so why don’t you stop wasting my time and tell me what it is you want. If you want an excuse to go home..”

“No, but you know.. Did you sleep with him or anything? ‘Cause he told me and some other guys that you had..” I laughed, making him stop talking.

“Don’t you think I know why you among those other three guys spent so much time in here?”

“So he told you about the bet?”

“No. He didn’t tell me anything, just shagged me and left, if that is any of your business young man. A woman knows when she is being appreciated. So do me a favor, and leave me alone,” I said and closed the door in his face. I didn’t want to see those boys, ever again. But I knew I had to speak to this Armstrong guy, no matter how much I didn’t want to. He was father to my baby after all.

End of flashback

I sighed thinking of it. Sometimes I regretted I hadn’t gotten rid of Joey back then. Sounds terrible, I know. May be he’d be better of with Billie Joe. May be..

“And you Madam? What is your purpose here?” a ladies voice spoke, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up to her. She was dressed in a police suit, and had red, short hair.

“I’m looking for my fiancée, his name is Glen Prebble.”

The lady looked over to another police officer, and whispered something to him, before looking back at me.

“I’m sorry lady. He has escaped.”

*

Joey’s POV

I got up. The grass was wet from the rain, and my ass was green. I looked up to the sky. There was no doubt it would soon be raining again. I still had the package in my hand, still wanting the pills. I couldn’t believe Michael had actually been telling Mum what Glen had been doing to me. From my point of view, it’d always seemed like Michael didn’t like me so much. May be because I usually bossed him around. I sighed, as I saw Amanda’s figure moving closer, and closer.

“Are you alright hun?”

Her question almost made me laugh. Here she was, knowing her brother as the monster he really was. Knowing the way he had abused me, even knowing about me ecstasy misuse. Even knowing I was looking for my Dad. Knowing everything about me, and why I did what I did. And she was asking me if I were alright?

“I’m fine,” I mumbled instead of saying what was on my mind. I was lieing. Nothing in my life made sense anymore, nothing really mattered. When Tom had left Scotland, the world seemed a little more grey than before he did. California was an exiting adventure, full of surprises and weird happenings, but in the end that was all it was.

I looked at Amanda. I could tell by her look she was concerned. She wasn’t looking at me anymore. She was looking at what I held in my hand.

“Give me that, Joey,” she spoke. I tightened the grip on the backage, and shook my head. Never if I’d give my precious ecstasies away to anyone. I had to take them, I needed them. No one could spoil that.

“Give me the backage,” she spoke again, her voice a little harder this time. I still didn’t reply, or gave in to her.
She shook her head.

“At least come inside. Your mother doesn’t want you to go anywhere.”

“Why? She was so keen for me to leave earlier. She said she..” I interrupted myself. My mother could be a real bitch at times, but she was still my mother, and I had nowhere else to go than to her.

“Whatever your mother told you, she only did it ‘cause she’s upset. Her son has just told her that her fiancée.. That my brother has.. Used you for different things. Wrong things,” she said, not looking at me, or my hands anymore. She was looking at her own. It must’ve been hard or her to, Glen was her brother after all. Her baby brother. I didn’t reply. I didn’t know what to say to her.

She must also blame me. Do I blame myself?

No. I didn’t blame myself. If Glen didn’t accept that I wasn’t ready for him to be my father all those years ago, he wasn’t even worth it. He wasn’t worth a look, a thought, a thought about regret in particular. I had done nothing wrong. It wasn’t my fault he was a psychopath. I noticed Amanda looking at me again. I also noticed she was hardly dressed. She didn’t even wear shoes.

“I don’t blame you, Joey. No one does.”

“Mum does,” I mumbled. I then felt Amanda’s arm around my shoulders.

“Come on, join me inside sweetheart. You need sleep, and rest.”

I didn’t refuse. The sofa I’d been crashing at on Danny’s place hadn’t been the best. I followed her inside, to meet Antonia’s also concerned eyes.

She didn’t say anything, neither did I. I broke eye contact with her, and released myself from Amanda’s grasp. I needed to be alone, not to take ecstasies, or to do something stupid, but to have a good, long sleep in a proper bed. Amanda and Antonia chatted about something, but I didn’t hear any of their conversation.

In my mind only one thing existed..

*

“Thanks Lex, you didn’t have to do this,” I thanked the police officer, who happened to be an old friend of mine. One of my psychopathic friends, as I recon Joey would of called him. Joey yes, still on the look out for his old man. And I just happened to know who he was.

“No problem Glen. Can’t handle seeing you in prison,” Lex replied. He was a good pal, knew just about everything about me. And even though he knew what I was in for, he released me. No wonder for a guy you’ve known all your life.

“Will anyone find out, you think?” I asked, looking straight in his almost black eyes. They were very dark brown, just like his hair, and his officer suite suited him perfect. He was no longer the fat little kid I used to know him as.

“No. There’s a big possibility they won’t. Just get as far away from here as possible,” he replied, looking back at me.

“Well, I won’t leave the state. If this is not asking too much, I need you to help me with something..”

“What?”

I smiled.

“I need the address of a sertain Billie Joe Armstrong. Heard he lived in Berkeley.”

“I will get word to you as soon as possible,” Lex said. My mission was complete. I couldn’t thank him enough. I knew Joey would only listen to one person, and that was his biological father.

“Thanks. You saved my day twice.”

*

Regina’s POV

I entered Amanda’s house, having three pair of eyes staring at me. The first was Michael’s, the second Antonia’s, and the third Amanda’s.

Never had I felt this frustrated. Never so desperate. Never so angry and sad at the same time. I could blast at any minute, and drown myself in a river of my own tears. Glen had escaped from prison. It was so horrible. So horrible, scary, good, everything all at once. I didn’t know what to think of it. I think I was happy for Glen, of course, but I also thought it was best for him to clean his name.

I also felt guilt. Ashamed. That, I hadn’t realised before now. May be then it wouldn’t of been so bad.

“How’d it go?” Amanda’s sharp voice said. It was like it screamed through the silence, killed it. Like someone brought a knife to my heart and stabbed it.

I opened my mouth to speak, but out came nothing. Everything was chaos in my head. At the same time, I could see Joey silenty walk down the stairs. He glanced at me, and stopped walking.

May be I’d scared him off earlier. I had been very horrible to him.

I glanced back at him, and when I saw his eyes, filled with sorrow, hatred, fright and shame I felt something for Glen I never thought I would feel for a guy like him. Hatred. Pure hate towards the man I loved. I could now see how sick and tired my oldest son looked. And he was only fifteen. Only a child.

I wanted to go over to him, hug him close, be with him, comfort him, but I couldn’t move. Amanda was suddenly beside me, and told the kids something which I nearly didn’t hear.

“Kids, go outside and play. Joey, go to your room, no offence,” she said. Her voice sounded like it was miles under water. Like we were out swimming, me and her, in a pool.

I was swimming metres under her in the water of the pool. She was standing beside it, right over me, trying to shout something to me. But I was under water, and could hardly hear what she was saying. I then fell. Fell, fell and fell. Down into the deep, dark, water. Amanda was shouting louder and louder, but I was nowhere ..

“Honey, are you alright?” Amanda’s voice was suddenly clear and she was now right beside me. I took a fast, confused look around the room. I was in the livingroom, sitting on Amanda’s sofa. The kids weren’t there anymore, something which made me glad at the moment. This business with Glen wasn’t easy for any of us.

“Yeah, I just.. I just imagined things,” I replied. She nodded. She had her arm around my shoulders, and it surprisingly enough made me feel comfortable. May be because she was related to Glen, I had no idea.

“You wanna talk about it?” she asked. I gave her a confused look.

“Talk about what?”

“The meeting. With Glen. What did he say?”

“Oh. That,” I replied. I didn’t know how to tell her about Glen. That he’d escaped prison, and was now a hunted man. And I in particular didn’t know how to tell Joey.

I cleared my throat, getting ready to speak, as I saw Amanda getting more and more anxious. But I was still speechless.

“Amanda, he.. Glen, I mean, he escaped.”

“Oh my God..” was all Amanda could say. Her grip around my shoulders suddenly disappeared. She must have been in shock, poor woman.

I looked at her. Her eyes were filled with tears. I knew all she wanted for Glen, was for him to clean his name. She meant that’d be the best for him, we all did.

“I’m sorry Amy,” I whispered, and shied when the phone suddenly called. Amanda sighed, and got up.

“’S okey Reg, ‘s not your fault. Gotta get the phone, be back in a min,” she whispered and got up.

At once when Amanda picked up the phone, her eyes lit up. She was smiling, wiping away her tears.

“Hi Adie. Yes, I forgot to call you back the other day, sorry. You heard about Glen? Yes, it’s a shame really. My stupid little brother. Dinner, you say so? That’s very kind of you. Mind if I bring a friend?” Amanda said, to who I think was Billie’s wife.

“Alright Adie, I’ll call you later.” She hung up, then turned around to face me again. Her lips were still smiling, and so was her eyes.

“Adie has asked me to join her for dinner this evening. She said it’d be ok if you joined us too.”

I shook my head.

“No, no, Amanda you can’t take me over there. I mean.. No. No, you can’t.”

“Come on woman, you’re gonna need it. Meeting new people, forgetting about a sertain person a little bit. Adie is sweet as candy, I promise she won’t ask any questions.”

I nodded slowly. I couldn’t explain to Amanda why I wasn’t so keen to join her.

*

Mike’s POV

I slowly walked up to the front door of the Armstrong house. I’d heard from Tré that Billie was home from his journey, and I knew he needed to speak to someone, and as usual when someone needed that, I was the one who showed up. I had a feeling Billie wouldn’t be too happy, coming home empty handed. He needed some cheering up.

I rang the door bell, and heard familiar steps coming closer, and closer towards the door. The door opened, and right in front of me stood Billie Joe’s lovely wife, Adrienne. She looked pretty pleased with herself, and asked me in at once.

“Billie is in the shower, you can either join him or wait downstairs,” she joked. She seemed happier than she used to, and cureious as I was, I decided to ask her why. She sat down beside me.

“You want any tee, or coffee Mike?”
“No, thank you Adie, but I’ve already had enough,” I said and smiled. I usually didn’t decline a coffee, but I was eager to know what was going on. Adie hadn’t seemed so happy since they found out about Joseph, and Jakob for that matter.

“Adie, is something in the matter? You seem happier than usual.”

“Oh no, it’s just something Billie has done for me, all of us actually. Me, Jakob and Joey.”

“Oh?” I asked, getting more anxious by the minute. May be they were having another child together. May be Adie was pregnant again.

“Your pregnant?” I asked, waiting for her to smile, and say yes. But instead, her smile disappeared from her lips. She looked down on her hands.

“No, Mike.. I’m not pregnant. It’s just that.. Well, you’ve known Billie longer than me, so you probably already know about that son of his,” she replied. I nodded, having a feeling she would continue, and let her.

“Well, Billie came home without him, so I thought it would be best for him to stop looking.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. Billie was crazy about that kid, nothing was more sertain than that. And Adrienne, being the good person she was, had actually stopped him from looking after his lost son. I took Adrienne’s small hands in my own, making her look at me again.

“Adrienne.. I don’t want you telling Billie this, but I need to get it of my chest. Promise?” Adie nodded.

“He’s in California,” I said. “He’s in California, and that’s why Billie came home empty handed. The man had the address, there is no possibility he went to the wrong one. Actually, his whole family is here. Stepfather, mother, siblings, you name it.”

I couldn’t look at Adie while speaking. She tried to make eye contact with me, and succeed in the end. I didn’t know what to expect.

“Mike,” she said and stroke my hands. “You want me to keep something like this from my husband, and it is not fair.”

“Adie..”

“Mike, I haven’t finished. Even though it’s not right, I’m not planning on telling him. He is better of without knowing. I know it sounds terrible but..”

“..Billie needs to get on with his life.” I finished for her. She nodded.

“So that’s it then?” she asked.

“It is better this way. Billie will never know about his long lost child. Agreed?”

Adie nodded.

"Agreed.