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

Competition.

Everyone gets it. For instance, you could strive to be class president, but someone also could step up to stand against you. And in a singing contest. Just when you think you have it wrapped, someone comes up to give off a breath taking performance. And even in an every day office, two suck ups trying to be promoted to manager. And for some, they compete for someones heart. I never thought I’d be the prize. Hell, I didn’t know I’d even be invovled in one of those things. But apparently, I was. On one side, there was Joey with the whole “Romeo and Juilet” styled theme of forbidden and passionate romance. Someone who could relate to me about losing one parents, dead or not, but he could still have some sort of idea. On the other side, there was Aiden and a life of laid back, workless rest. Someone who I could call my “rock”. And I would stand there in the middle, the prized golden trophey, spectating for my winner.

I just hope it wasn’t Joey.

It is times like these I wonder why Alice was so harsh on Wonderland. She had that whole place to check out and she passes it off. I would love my own world of oppisites, somewhere where I could just fall into and leave the other world behind. Alice took it for granted, I just wish they’d take me there. As long as I’m away for here, even if I do get sentenced to get my head cut off, or even if I grow too big for a little house, it seemed like a better place than here. And Oz. Why was Dorethey is such a huge rush to get home? I would’ve loved to take an adventure around Emerald city. A place where everything was odd.

There I would be happy. Because, really, this place was odder than all of them.

I was nearly half asleep as I sat on the chair of the dress shop, my eyes heavy. Today was enough to put me off dresses all together. I would rather be off with Aiden, doing whatever he had planned for me today. Actually, the only thing holding me back from running out the door was mum. As well as that, Billie had decided to stalk us, and he took Joey with him for some reason or another. That just pissed me off so much. And so it stuck, frothing rage and exhaustion. And on top of that, I had to go to dinner tonight or something with Green Day. And by dinner, I do think Billie meant: Go to a bar. In fact, I was pretty much betting on it with myself.

I just wanted to get the fuck out of that damn wedding dress shop. It reminded me constantly that mum was making a horrible choice.

“Grace?” a familar accent asked. I turned to see Tracy. “Are you alright? You look kinda... off.”

“Yea, I’m fine” I lied. I really wanted to tell her No, I’m bored out of my skull but then that would questions and effort to answer them and I just wasn’t up to that at that moment. At all.

“Alright” Tracy said, smiling before moving on. Dianne was talking animatedly to Billie non-stop, unlike Tracy, who used all her power to stay away from him. And I repeat again if I have already said so, this made Tracy my favourite aunt in my books. Dianne, on the other hand, seemed very interested in him. Mum just acted like she’s know him half her life. She might as well have. They were getting married.

“Hey Grace.” I cringed at the voice. Joey.

“What do you want?” I asked, with an exasperated sigh.

“I just wanna know why you kissed Aiden after kissing me” he asked, approaching from behind me.

“Jee. There’s a nice question” I said, sarcastically. “And don’t speak so fucking loudly.”

“It just... gets me thinking... are you using him?” There was a slight trace of hope in his voice, I could hear it. I looked back at him, completely disgusted at his mad theroy.

“NO!” I exclaimed. The very limited amount of people here looked over. “I would never use somebody for you.”

“So you really are that cold hearted, then?” he asked, looking bemused with me.

“I’m not cold hearted” I seethed.

“Yes, you are.”

“Um- no, I’m not.”

“Um- yes, you are.”

“You two could start a war” mum said, spectating from a stall of dresses. “Can’t you just pretend to like each other?”

“Impossible” I said, without skipping a beat. “He’s like Billie Joe. And I utterly and completely detest Billie.”

“I know, don’t remind me” mum said, bluntly.

“Can I go home?” I whined.

“No, Grace! We plan on finding bridesmaid dresses too, y’know!” mum said. I groaned loudly in boredem. “Oh, shut up, Grace.” Mum moved on, without giving me a second glance.

“This is Billie’s fault” I snarled.

“Must you blame everything on dad?” Joey asked, aggresively.

“... I’m surprised you even bothered asking” I said.

“You’re a little bitch” Joey snarled. I whirled around, only to savagely bang heads with him.

“OW!”

“OW!”

“Guys, keep it down!” Billie snapped. “We’re odd enough as it is without you two making a scene!”

“He head butted me!” I snapped, pointing at Joey. “You’re little angel head butted me!”

“What?!” Joey snapped back at me.

“This is harrassment” I said, sternly. Billie rolled his eyes and moved on from me. I groaned again, in frustration and crossed my arms, getting myself into one hell of a sulk.

“All you wanna do anyway is go running back to your Aids” Joey said, making clever use of Aiden’s name. I snarled and looked back.

“Shut up, don’t you call him that” I warned.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t actually given them to you yet” Joey said. I was getting more and more pissed with him now.

“Now, that’s stupid coz we actually did use protection!” I snapped. It was only after the sentence spilled out of my mouth, I knew I had said too much. “Um... wait...”

“You... what?”

“Nothing, nothing that concerns you” I said, hastially.

“You and... Aiden...” Joey’s eyes widened before narrowing. “Oh God, you filthy little brat.”

“Wh- me?! I’m not the one trying to seduce my step-sibling!” I hissed.

“What’s that supposed to me, you kissed me twice. Twice, Grace. Twice” Joey said, his voice completely acidic.

“You didn’t seem to find it very bad at the time” I replied, my tone just as acidic.

“Yea, that’s coz... that’s coz...” He sighed, exasperatedly. “You know why.”

“Yea, and I feel violated all over when I do know why!” I snarled.

“Nice” Joey said, sarcastically.

“Shut it, you little deliquient. The only reason why you and your singing little posse are getting places is because of him!” I retorted, pointing at a quite oblivious Billie Joe.

“Don’t drag the band into this!”

“Did I ever mention the other three have awful hair?” I said, repeating the point I knew I already made.

“I can’t believe you actually... slept with Aiden Richie” Joey said. Though his expression told anger and that he was truely pissed off, his eyes showed differently. Hurt. Rejection. I couldn’t even look at them because I felt myself get over whelmed with guilt. I looked away, turning my back on him. I felt awful.

“Grace, can you come here for a moment?” I heard my mum call.

“Yea” I said, racing off, away from the bad auras.

It was my turn to try on the many dresses. Along with Tracy. Sapphire blue, rose pink, ruby red... all these colours that could’ve just been called blue, pink and red. Mum also tried on dresses, but in a private room to herself. Eventually, mum settled with creamy coloured dresses for me and Tracy and she also got a dress for herself.

“It’s going to be a surprise” mum told us, with a sneaky grin.

Surprises. I don’t like them very much. Dad’s death was a “surprise”.

By the end of it, I was glad to be out of there.

“Oh, thank God, clean air!” I exasperated, breathing it in. Joey thumped past me obnoxiously and I scowled at him.

“C’mon, we need to get ready for later” mum said, walking back to the car with the dress, wrapped in a cover, slung over her arm. Tracy followed her, talking bubblingly about the wedding and how great it will be. Dianne walked along with Billie, talkign about... how great the wedding will be.

Didn’t anyone see the mistake here but me? However, all I could do was scowl and keep walking on. No one ever listened to me anyway. Ever.