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

“I don’t even want to go to this stupid... thing,” I sighed as mom walked past my bedroom door. She glanced over, and she looked a little confused.

“What thing?” she asked.

“Dinner thing.”

“Oh, don’t be a sour grape, Gracie,” she sighed, putting down the basket of washing to come into my room, “you used to love Green Day.”

“Until Billie slobbered his mouth all over you,” I said, giving myself a mental picture I will never be able to get rid of. Just my fucking luck. “Then I didn’t.”

“Well, that is true,” she said, uncertainly, “but... oh, you’ll have fun.”

“No I won’t,” I growled, glaring at the ceiling as I lay on my bed. My mom sighed and sat on the bed beside me. “I never have fun when he’s in the same room as me.”

“He has a name,” mom told me.

“Which is stupid. Who’s called Billie Joe these days anyway?” I mumbled.

“He is,” mom simply said.

“Oh, psh, whatever,” I snapped, “he shouldn’t even... he doesn’t even fit in this family. Not him, and not his filthy little spawn.”

“I thought you and Joey were getting along rather nicely,” mom said.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked quickly, tensing up.

“I just mean you look like good friends. He took you out a few places, didn’t he?” mom asked. It didn’t sound like she knew what we were up to, so I took that for what is was worth.

“Yea, but he’s a bit of a prick. Believe me,” I said.

“Oh, he’s not really,” mom said, sighing, “he’s a nice boy.”

“Joey? Nice? Boy?” I scoffed, “yea, I’m sure.”

“So... he’s a ... mean... girl?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I see.” My mom’s voice shook with the effort not to laugh at my statement. Strange, because I wasn’t joking.

“You can all go without me,” I grumbled.

“No way, you’re going,” mom said. I could hear the smug smile on her face when she said, “do it for you’re pregnant mother.”

“Don’t go there,” I muttered, “you’re pregnant, not disabled.”

“Well, actually, pregnant counts as being disabled. Now there are some things I can’t do,” mom pointed out.

“Yea, because Billie Joe sent his-” I cut off when I gave myself yet another mental image I’d never get rid off. It was worst that the last, so I shuddered, “never mind.”

“Listen,” mom said, “it will only be for a few hours. Besides, they really want to meet you.”

“I’m sure they’ve heard wonderful things,” I said, sourly.

“You know as well as I do that Billie will never breathe a bad word about you to anyone,” mom said. I scoffed loudly and rolled my eyes.

“Yea, sure, whatever.”

“Grace!”

“What?”

“Stop that!”

“No, I don’t want to go!” I hissed, turning over in my bed, pouting.

“You’re going. Now, pick something nice to wear, because we’re going soon.”

Mom got up and left, leaving me alone in my pouty, grumpy mood. When I heard her leave, I also heard someone else approach.

“Whaaaat?”

“What was that about?”

I sat up, only to give Joey a glare so horrible, he just said, “never mind, I’ll leave.”

*

“You look nice,” Billie told me, when I walked downstairs, fully dressed for this night out. He gave me his I mean well smile that I didn’t believe for a minute. I simply gave him a warning look and huffed on the sofa, waiting for mom to get ready.

“Shut up.”

“I think you look nice as well,” Hollie beamed. To that, I smiled.

“Thanks, Hols.”

“Why can’t I go?” Hollie asked, looking over at Billie, “I want to go!”

“But we’ll be out too late for you, sweetheart,” Billie told her. Sweetheart?!

“No, I can stay up aaaaaall night!” she fought back, crossing her arms and pouting.

“No you can’t,” Billie laughed, “you’re too little. Besides, your uncle is looking forward to seeing you.”

“I want to stay with Alfie,” Kage muttered, who was a little miffed after being forced into something smart. He didn’t like wearing anything else other than tracksuit’s and football jersey’s.

“Yea, well, I do as well, so shut up,” I told him.

“I don’t! I want to go with mom and dad!”

“He’s not your dad!” I sighed, getting a little irratated with that now.

“Then who is he?”

“Mom’s boyfriend! There’s a difference, he never will be your dad. He won’t even be your step-father if I can help it,” I said, giving a cold look at Billie, who merely grinned back at me.

“Cute.”

“I’m not cute.”

“I swear to fuck,” I heard mom sigh, “we can’t go out.”

“Why not?” Billie asked.

“Because I have nothing that fits me anymore, what with the baby and all the weight I’ve put on,” her voice said.

“Are you wearing something now?” Billie asked, getting up from the sofa.

“Yes, but... I look fat and terrible.”

“Oh, don’t say that. Let us see you.”

“Alright,” mom’s sulky voice said. I heard her come down the stairs.

How wrong she was. She looked stunning in her floor length black dress, which was encrusted with sequins at the top hem and the bottem. Her hair fell in perfect curls down her back, long and golden as always. Her face, thought covered in make-up, was stunning, even if it was pulled into a sulky scowl.

“See?”

“See what? That you’re beautiful? Because I’m seeing that.”

I rolled my eyes and gagged slightly at Billie’s comment. Ugh.

“I am not, Billie, I am fat and horrible and... ugh! Why can’t I just look good?!”

“You do look good, you look more than good, you look stunning,” he said, a light laugh tracing his voice. At that moment, Joey entered the room.

“Who looks stunning?” I couldn’t help but notice his eyes on me when he asked that, and I was slightly uncomfortable.

“Sammie.”

“Oh, how does sh- ... oh...” He trailed himself off when he did see my mom, “oh... yea... you do, Sammie...”

“Oh, you two... aren’t you the sweetest things?” She smiled her wide smile before checking herself in the mirror, “well, I suppose it will have to do for now.”

“Honestly, Sammie, you’re beautiful,” Billie said, putting an arm around her shoulders, “now just relax and let’s go.”

“Alright. Hollie, have you got your night stuff?”

“I don’t want to go to Alfie’s house, I want to go with you!” Hollie repeated.

“Hollie, sweetie, you can’t,” mom said, sternly.

“Alright.”

Billie seemed bewildered on how she was able to obey the sound of my mother’s voice opposed to his. I smirked at that, and I offered to walk Hollie to the car, which she was quick to agree to. She kept talk about – on the whole trip to the car – what adventures her little plastic ponies with rainbow hair were up to, and I pretended to be fascinated. I suppose you have to be when it comes to toddlers in fantasy land.

*

When we had dropped Hollie off at Alfie’s house (Alfie was mom’s brother in case you were wondering, and didn’t live too far away from us), we went to the fancy restaurant where we were supposed to be meeting the other two members of Green Day – Mike and Tre.

It is safe to tell you – I wasn’t really looking forward to it. Perhaps it was nerves, perhaps it was the fact that I just hated Billie so much, I hated the rest of them too.

The first to greet us was Tre.

“There’s Sammie, look, do you see her?!”

“Yes, I see her. Calm down.”

Tre grabbed my mom into a massive hug, “hi Sammie!”

“Tre, honestly... I’m with child!” She struggled to get the words out, but she managed.

“Oh, yea, sorry,” he said. Then he noticed me. “So, is this your daughter?”

“Yes, this is Grace and... where’s Kage? Kage? Where are you?”

“Here,” Kage said, timidly.

“Oh, he’s the... middle child?”

“Middle child.”

“Hi,” Kage barely got out a whisper. He was awfully shy around strangers. You should have seen him when he first met Billie – he could barely speak.

“He’s shy around strangers,” mom explained, “he should warm up to you in time.”

I looked over to see Billie engaged with some form of deep conversation with Mike about something. I didn’t bother finding out, because it was cold and I wanted to get inside before we all froze to death.

The conversation inside drifted in and out. After the conversation about how mom was devouring her lobster, it finally turned to face me.

“So, what age are you, Grace?” Mike asked me.

“I’m fifteen now,” I said, politely as I could muster.

“Same age as Joey, huh? Do you two get along?” he asked.

Joey shot me a nervous glance from across the table and mom shot me a “look”, so I said, “we get along reasonably well.”

“Reasonably?” Tre butted in.

That’s when Kage ruined the whole charade and said, “well, actually, they don’t.”

“Kage!” mom hissed.

“Sorry.” Kage picked at his fancy looking fries. I could tell he hated them.

“Well, we’re learning to get along,” I said, to cover up what Kage said quickly, giving Joey a half hearted glance.

“Yea, that’s what I meant,” Kage said, uneasily. He wasn’t the best liar.

“Oh... what don’t you like about him?” Mike asked.

There was only one reason that stuck out amongst the rest, but I didn’t dare say that, “he’s a bit of a prick to be honest,” was all I said. At the comment, Joey nearly choked on the soda he was drinking.

Tre laughed loudly before saying, “that’s our Joey for you.”

Billie glanced over at me, as though silently thanking me not saying because he’s the devil spawn of the prick sitting next to you. Oh, didn’t he tell you? I hate him.

I just gave him a half glare to say next time, you won’t be so lucky.

“Do you go to the same school as Joey?”

“Uh... no,” I said, “I don’t... think so, I’ve never seen him around anyway.”

“Oh, right. So, do you have many friends at school?”

I lied and I nodded, “yes.”

If I haven’t already told you, I lost the majority of my school mates after my dad died, and I refused to talk to anyone until the school sent a note to my mom saying they reccommend school councilling.

“Have you met Aiden yet?” Mike asked, with a small smirk on his face.

“Oh yea. She has.” I almost forgot Joey was with us. He was being awfully silent.

“Yes, I’ve met Aiden,” I said, giving Joey a cold look for answering the questin before focusing on my food. I added, softly, “I think... I think we’re going out, actually.”

“Really? Well, I didn’t expect that,” Mike said, “it’s just that I’ve heard... lovely things about Aiden from Joey over there.”

“I’m sure you have,” I said, shooting daggers with my eyes at my soon-to-be step-brother.

*

The night was long and finally, we could go home. I was rather tired, because we had stayed out later than we planned.

“Hey Grace,” Joey grinned, sitting next to me in the car. We had taken my mom’s car, because it was bigger than Billie Joe’s.

“What?” I mumbled, glaring at him through tired eyes.

“Just saying hey.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“... God, I hate you.”

I turned away, glowering out the window. As the car started, I wondered what Joey had been saying about Aiden. From what I picked up, they were worst enemies. Actually, I think I picked that up ages ago.

Joey fell asleep on the way home, and I was quick to follow, my head resting on his.