Billie Joe Armstrong Is My Step-Father...and I Hate It

All I could see was blank darkness. I stumbled foward and felt in front of my blindly and despertely searching for something that I could lean on because I was losing my balance. My hands suddenly grabbed something in front of me and I held on tightly, as if it would slip away from my grip any second. It felt hard at the front, yet soft at the back. It felt like one of those theatre seats. I did the only reasonable thign when you’re confused in darkness.

“Hello?”

A single yet stupidly bright light banged into action, sending a single light on what seemed like a stage. So it WAS a theatre seat. It was the same theatre I went to see “Wicked” in when we went on holiday in England when dad was alive. That was... odd. I blinked the star out of my eyes when the light almost blinded me. Suddenly, after the final blink, Joey stood in the spotlight. Just standing there.

“Joey?!”

“Hi Grace.”

I stood there, stupefied, before running towards the stairs (in which I had to run down narrow and thin stairs) before jumping up onto the stage. I stood on the oppisite side of the stage as him. Another loud crack filled the air and a second spotlight hit me. It was just us, in this empty theatre... a smile broke over my face and I walked foward. He met me there, right in the middle. We stood there.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my closer to him, so my face was only a few inches away. And I didn’t even care than “21 Guns” was beginnign to float out into the atmosphere.

“Gracie, I l-”

“KAGE, WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT TOO MUCH SUGAR ON YOUR CEREAL?!”

I closed my eyes tighter and curled up to the strange warmth I was being held in when I heard my mother scream at my little brother. Mum is always screaming in the morning because of her baby hormones or something... or... whatever it was called. She was like this when she carried Kage as well, yelling about everythign and anything because her morning sickness wakes her up early every morning. Then she would eventually calm down during the day by eating. And when she was on her morning rampage, it was best just to stay away from her. She was much more retracted with Hollie after dad’s death. Two days after he died, she found out she was pregnant with Hollie.

But what filled my head was... Why the hell did I have such a soppy theatrical dream like that? More importantly, why the fuck was Joey in it?

Could’ve been worse... I thought to myself. Could’ve been Billie Joe. That would’ve been a bit too fucking disturbing. And mentally scarring.

“Oh, God!” I exclaimed quickly, jumping up and toppling off the bed backwards. I peeked up to see if what I had saw was right. It was. Because there, lying on the bed, was a sleeping Joey Armstrong. I sighed, aggrevated. This always seemed to happen. Someone up there obviously didn’t like me.

Slowly, at my yell, he woke up. He opened one eye lazily to look over at my direction. “Whosat?” he muttered, in some attempt to say “who’s that”. “Grace?”

“No...” I muttered, deepening my voice slighty and I began to crawl under the spare bed. I stopped when I was halfway under when I heard yelling again. And t his time... it sounded interesting.

“I AM NOT MOVING OUT OF THIS HOUSE, BILLIE!” mum hollered suddenly.

“Why not?! Just for a few weeks!”

“Doesn’t Adrienne still live there?” mum seethed, almost spitting out Adrienne’s name. Even if she never actually did anything to mum, but I suppose it’s insticts to feel jealousy. After all, he married her for over ten years. About fifteen if I was right. So I didn’t blame mum for feeling jealous.

“No, she moved out too, I thought I told you this!”

“... did you? Oh fuck, you did... but still, this is my home!”

“Mines bigger!”

“What are you, ten?!”

I poked my head out from under the bed, to hear better.

“Are you hearing this?” I asked Joey.

“So it IS you!” Joey responded.

“Shhhh...” I sat up on the floor and listened again. I could see through mum’s bedroom door and amanaged to catch some of it.

“I just want you to... I dunno, at least stay there for a a week or two, just to see if you change you’re mind” Billie soothed her. Mum scoffed loudly.

“I raised my kids here!” mum said, pointing stubbornly at the floor sharply as to represent the house.

“Well, I raised mine there! And why would you stay here?!”

“What does that mean?!”

“Does it not... I dunno... drive you mad knowing that Tony used to live here?!”

Something hit me hard. He said my fathers name. He said it the same way mum had said Adrienne’s name. The acidic rage boiled in my stomach again, more frantically and violently than ever. It sounded like some sort of tabboo in his mouth. I felt physically sick. Silence followed. It was as though my dads name had sent a chill throughout the whole house. I could see through the door that mum’s mouth was hanging open in what seemed like shock or lack of words. She was like a statue standing there, as though dads name and frozen her. Then she moved. Her mouth shut and she disappeared from my view. I gulped down something as I watched with wild interest. Billie still stood there, looking like he had just accidentally killed someone. I heard what sounded like slamming sounds before mum stormed out of the room and downstairs.

“Sammie? Sammie! Come back, I’m sorry!” Billie chased her down the stairs. I raised my eyebrows before sighing and standing up. Joey was sitting up, his eyes wide with what seemed like shock.

“Well...” he said, blinking out his shock. “That was... sunny and bright.”

“Why the fuck would he do that?!” I exploded. “You better talk some sense into that... that...” I struggled to find a name worthy enough of Billie’s obnoxiousness. “THING.”

“How is this his fault?!” Joey asked, springing to his dad’s defense.

“How isn’t this his fault?! He’s the one than brought up moving in the first place!”

“Yea? Well your mum over reacted!”

“Well your dad pounced at her to early!”

“Well your mum is stubborn!”

“Oh, don’t pin this on her! If he wouldn’t have brought it up, it wouldn’t have happened, would it?!”

“If she wasn’t in denial, maybe it would’ve worked out!”

I widened my eyes. It dawned on me. This wasn’t about them. Hell no. I couldn’t find something to say. I just cleared my throat and took a deep breath and looked at him in the eye.

“It never should’ve happened anyway...” I muttered before leaving the spare room.

“But it did...” I heard him say softly, obviously meant for only him to hear. I walked downstairs, still wearing my clothes from yesterday. I stopped at the kitchen door and leaned against the door frame to watch Billie plead with mum frantically.

“I didn’t mean anything by it, Sammie, I swear!”

“Just... leave me alone” mum snapped, placing her head on the table and covering her head with her arms.

“Sammie... Samia...”

“Oh, just go away, Billie!” she yelled, springing back up. “I need...”, she struggled finding the right words, “alone time!” She threw her hands up in exasperation. “I’m carrying your baby for fuck sake, give me peace!”

“Right... I will... take it easy then” he told her, trying to kiss her cheek but she snapped away, huffing. He sighed, knowing he had lost the battle and retreated.

“Morning Grace...” he muttered as he walked past me.

“Bite me” I snarled. He paused in the hallway before walking into the living room. I wondered if he was just fed up or really upset about this whole thing. I tilted my head in interest but didn’t question it further.

“Mum...?” I asked softly. Mum sighed and looked up.

“I suppose you all heard me screaming...” she muttered.

“Mum... I think the neighbours heard it” I said, smiling to help cheer up her mood even just a little. She remained silent. “Yenno, you don’t have to move out, mum, you’re right to stick up for yourself.”

“I know but... I need to... return the favour, y’know?” she said, with an exasperated sigh. I widened my eyes.

“What?”

“He moved in coz he loves me...” mum smiled slightly. “Maybe it won’t be so bad... after all, he’s right, this place is a bit small for seven people...”

“... WHAT?!”

“And it’ll show him that I love him too... oh, what the heck, for a few weeks...” mum said, brightening suddenly. I blinked.

“WHAT?!”

“Oh Gracie. Someday you’ll fall in love and you’ll know what it’s like” mum smiled. “I’m going to talk to him.” She stood up. I sat there. That wasn’t what I had intended at all. I swiveled around in my seat.

“WHAT?!”

“You just wait until you’re in this deep, my love” mum said, grinning before ducking around the doorway. I sank into my seat, stupefied. I clenched my jaw and crossed my arms tightly over my chest.

Ha. Fall in love. With who?!