It Can Only Get Better
will it work?
"So, what is it exactly you do? I mean, you've got a huge house, and a really cool car. What's your job?" I was only 14 but I knew that all this stuff didn't just appear from nothing. "Well, Sophie, come sit down and I'll tell you," he said tapping the sofa beside where he was sitting. I walked over and jumped up beside him. "Well." He started, "I play bass. That's it." I knew that couldn't be it. One of my dad's friends was played guitar for a living, and he wasn't living in a huge house with a cool car, he was living in a hostel. "I'm in a band, with Billie and Tré. It's called Green Day and we've been together for about sixteen years, and we're pretty popular." He explained. It turns out that one of their more well known songs had been played at my parents and sister's funeral, 'Time of your life'. "So, why did you come to Ireland to adopt someone?" I asked, I was curious now. I wanted to know more about the man that I could possibly be living with for the rest of my life. "Well, it may seem like I have everything I could ever have wanted here, but I just feel lonely in this big house. Billie has Adie and the two kids, Tré has his two kids, and then Anastasia left and took my daughter Estelle and won't let me see her, so I thought I might adopt a kid, and try to give them a good start in life, and we could keep each other company, until they move out." he added. "Wait. Tré has kids, and he still acts like that." I said, slightly confused. "Is he not used to kids?" Mike smiled, "Well, you would think that having kids would calm him down, but it just gave him someone to play with" he paused. "Now, off to bed. Tomorrow Adie said she's taking you shopping, says it's a woman's job and that I'd be useless, so you've got a long day ahead of you. Night." He said kissing my forehead. I felt really at home with Mike. It made me miss my parents, but I knew they would want me to be happy. So, I climbed the stairs and crawled into my bed, put on one of the albums I had found lying around, I think it was called Shenanigans or something like that, and fell asleep to the sound of Billie's voice screaming in my ear.
Mike was right, the next day I was woken at 8:30 and told to get dressed, by nine o'clock Adie and I had left for the mall. We spent the first half of the day traipsing through clothes shops. I got a few pairs of jeans, shorts, tees, and sweaters. After lunch we went shoe shopping, I got a pair of dressy shoes and a pair of all black All Stars. Adie enjoyed herself, as much if not more than me. She said that it was because she had never had a girl to take shopping before, just boys. By the time we got home, I had everything I would ever need. Adie went into the kitchen to make some dinner, and I took my things up to my room. I opened the door and there was a guitar lying on the bed. A note was attached to the neck saying,
To Sophie. It's just like my first one, hope you like it, and maybe I could teach you if you wanted. Love Mike.
I walked through the door and was tackled by Sophie. "Hey, kiddo, what's up? Was shopping with Adie that bad?" I joked, with Sophie still attached to my waist. I had only ever been hugged like that when I came home from tours, by Stella, whom I hadn't seen in months, it wasn't usual for me to be hugged like this by someone that I had woken up that morning. "No shopping was great. No, it was wonderful. Thank you" Sophie answered, hugging me tighter. Then it dawned on me, "So, you've been in your room then?" I smiled. "Why, what you put in her room?" Billie asked walking through the door. "Billie, I'm not like you. The last time you put a surprise in one of your kids' room's it was Swedish porn. And Joey was only ten." I laughed at Billie as his face turned to a grin. "In my defence of that. It was Tré's idea, and I was stoned." "And I got to it before Joey did," Adie shouted from the kitchen, "so, you guys haven't managed to warp his mind." She added. "Yet," Billie added quietly, smirking at Sophie, making her giggle. "So, what you get her then?" he asked me. "Oh, just an acoustic, nothing big." I said, smiling at Sophie. "Everyone, dinner!" Adie shouted, bringing me out of my daze. We went into the kitchen and ate, drank and talked about our day, and shortly after, Billie and Adie left to get the boys settled for the night, and Sophie showed me some of the things that they had bought. Before tucking Sophie in we talked about school, and lessons for the guitar, and what we would do for the next week and a half.
Two weeks later
*Ding Dong*
"I'll get it." I yelled as I ran towards the big oak door, and pulled it open. "Hello, there sweetie. Is Mr. Pritchard here?" A woman, who was about fifty years old said, as she stepped into the house. "Hello," I replied, cautiously as Mike had always told me to be wary about strangers because they could be 'crazed fans trying to kidnap him' as he put it. Then Mike appeared behind me. He placed one hand on my shoulder and stretched the other one out to the lady. "Hello, Mr Pritchard, is it? My name is Melanie Griffith, from social services and welfare." She said as she shook his hand. "I have been assigned to Sophie's case, via our offices in Ireland." She added as Mike led her to the living room.
"Ah yes. I see now." I said as we walked into the living room. "I completely forgot about this visit. We've just been having so much fun settling in over here." I was nervous about this visit. It had slipped my mind in the past week. I was going to try to make everything a little more presentable to give a better impression, but since I forgot, what she saw was what she got. "Oh, that's quite alright. I find that most people go all out to create a façade, try to hide how they really act. You know, try to make their house and themselves all a little more, how do I put it, presentable, but it's clearly obvious that it isn't how they usually act." Miss Griffith replied with a smile. "Now, I'd like to have a quiet chat with you, and then with Sophie and then, I'll talk to both of you together. How does that sound?" This lady sounded like a nice person. Thank god that the meeting slipped my mind, I laughed to myself.
"Yeah, sure. Do you want me or Sophie first?"
"You first, if it's not too much trouble, Mr. Pritchard."
"No, that's fine. Sophie, do you want to go practice for later and I'll give you a call when we're done" I turned and asked Sophie, as politely as I could.
"Okay, Mike. I'll be in the studio room." Sophie replied, and left the room. We waited for her to leave the room completely, and then the questions started.
"So, Mr. Pritchard, down to business. How has Sophie settled in here?" Miss Griffith asked.
"It's Mike, and I think she has settled in quite well. She gets on well with my friends kids and seems to enjoy getting to know everyone"
30 minutes later there was a knock at the studio room door, and Mike and Miss Griffith walked in. "Sophie, Melanie would like to talk to you now. Is that okay?" Mike asked. I placed my guitar against the wall beside me and turned to face Melanie, who had pulled a seat over beside me. I was really nervous, because I really wanted to stay with Mike, and I knew it would hurt him if I had to go, because he had already had one daughter taken away and he treated me like his daughter these past two weeks, and these 'interviews' would decide whether I could stay or not. "Okay then I'll be in the office then. I have to make a few phone calls, so just call out if you guy's need me." Mike said as turned and walked out of the room.
"Okay, now Sophie. My name is Melanie. I work for a company that is here to look after you and your best interests. Now, Mike wishes to adopt you, and for you to live here with him. Is this what you want?" she asked me once Mike had closed the kitchen door.
"Yeah, I want to stay here. Mike's made me very welcome in his home, and I really like it here." I replied, trying not to sound too eager.
"Well, that's good. So, you would be happy to stay here, and live with Mike, and for him to become you legal guardian?"
"Yes, definitely. It's great. I'm having lots of fun here and Mike's teachin' me to play the guitar and he said that Tré might even teach me the drums."
"Well, that's great. Shall we go get Mike now, and I'll talk to both of you then."
"Okay," I replied and we left the studio and headed to the living room.
Mike looked a little nervous when he came into the room, his face was a little funny but I knew that this was a serious matter, so I didn't laugh. I just shifted over and he sat down next to me, with Melanie sitting opposite us.
"Well," she began. Mike shifted nervously in his seat, and held my hand a little tighter. "Everything seems in order here, and I think that it is in Sophie's best interest to stay here. She seems to be settled in and everything looks great. So, I'll leave you two to it then. I'll see myself out and good luck in the future." Melanie said as she stood up and walked through the door. Mike hugged me tightly and ran out to the hall.
Mike came back into the room, face still beaming, and handed me my jacket. "C'mon kiddo, lets go tell everyone the good news." He said pulling me to my feet. And we left. "Where we going Mike?" I asked Mike as we got into the car.
"We're gonna head over to Billie's, I phoned him earlier to tell him why I wasn't at the studio and he told me to come over after. Is that okay with you?" Mike replied. "yeah, that's okay." I giggled as we pulled out of the drive.
I loved going to Billie's house, it was so different to Mike's. Billie had two games rooms, we weren't allowed in one of them cause it was for the 'adults'. Can you call someone an adult if they act like a kid? Oh well. There was another reason why I loved going to Billie's house, a reason that no one knew about, Joey. We had become best friends since he scared the shit out of me and I hit him in the stomach, the first time I met him. Well, we may be best friends, but man, is he cute when he smiles.
Five minutes later, we arrived. Mike didn't bother to knock, cause they all practically lived at each others houses anyway, and we walked on in. As we headed towards the living room, I felt a hand move round and cover my mouth and an arm lift me up. I tried to scream but it was no use. Then I looked down and saw a pair of very old, very dirty, very familiar, pink converse on the person's feet, and weird looking trousers, so I stopped trying to get free. It was Tré. He lifted me into the room, still with his hand over my mouth, "Mike, since she's officially yours now, can I treat her like one of the family?" he yelled excitedly. Mike laughed, and looked at me. I shrugged, thinking that this meant he would stop trying to kidnap me, and seeing this Mike agreed. Next thing I know, I'm flying through the air, and landing in the pool, with a huge splash.
"Tré," Mike yelled, through fits of laughter. "What the fuck did you do that for?"
"You said it was okay." Tré said, shrugged, and walked into the house as if nothing had happened. Everyone just stood there laughing, until Joey came over and stretched out his hand, to help me out. Well, I couldn't resist, could you have?
Now, both of us were sitting on Joey's bed, after drying off a little, just chillin. He had gradually forgiven me, after I helped him to pull Jakob in. Lots of fun.
"Joey. What are you doing?" Joey started to climb along the bed, with a glint in his bright green eyes. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." He said, smiling, coming closer and closer. I couldn't take my gaze from his eyes. His lips came closer to mine, I closed my eyes and...
*click*
"Jakob, I'm gonna kill you!" Joey yelled as he jumped off the bed and ran out the door, leaving me sitting there. Then he ran in kissed me quickly on the lips and ran out again.
"Dad! Dad, look what Joey did in his room. Look, look look. I got a picture. Look, look, look!" Jakob's yells could be heard throughout the whole house. "Billie, I think Jakob wants to tell you something." I said, as Jakob came running into the room. He was in such a rush he almost knocked his dad over. He had a camera in his hand and was about to show Billie something when Joey came running in, trying to grab it off him. And Jakob being the smart boy that he is threw it to Tré. "Ooh, tut tut tut, Joey." Said Tré, with a weird smile on his face, "You naughty boy!"
Mike was right, the next day I was woken at 8:30 and told to get dressed, by nine o'clock Adie and I had left for the mall. We spent the first half of the day traipsing through clothes shops. I got a few pairs of jeans, shorts, tees, and sweaters. After lunch we went shoe shopping, I got a pair of dressy shoes and a pair of all black All Stars. Adie enjoyed herself, as much if not more than me. She said that it was because she had never had a girl to take shopping before, just boys. By the time we got home, I had everything I would ever need. Adie went into the kitchen to make some dinner, and I took my things up to my room. I opened the door and there was a guitar lying on the bed. A note was attached to the neck saying,
To Sophie. It's just like my first one, hope you like it, and maybe I could teach you if you wanted. Love Mike.
I walked through the door and was tackled by Sophie. "Hey, kiddo, what's up? Was shopping with Adie that bad?" I joked, with Sophie still attached to my waist. I had only ever been hugged like that when I came home from tours, by Stella, whom I hadn't seen in months, it wasn't usual for me to be hugged like this by someone that I had woken up that morning. "No shopping was great. No, it was wonderful. Thank you" Sophie answered, hugging me tighter. Then it dawned on me, "So, you've been in your room then?" I smiled. "Why, what you put in her room?" Billie asked walking through the door. "Billie, I'm not like you. The last time you put a surprise in one of your kids' room's it was Swedish porn. And Joey was only ten." I laughed at Billie as his face turned to a grin. "In my defence of that. It was Tré's idea, and I was stoned." "And I got to it before Joey did," Adie shouted from the kitchen, "so, you guys haven't managed to warp his mind." She added. "Yet," Billie added quietly, smirking at Sophie, making her giggle. "So, what you get her then?" he asked me. "Oh, just an acoustic, nothing big." I said, smiling at Sophie. "Everyone, dinner!" Adie shouted, bringing me out of my daze. We went into the kitchen and ate, drank and talked about our day, and shortly after, Billie and Adie left to get the boys settled for the night, and Sophie showed me some of the things that they had bought. Before tucking Sophie in we talked about school, and lessons for the guitar, and what we would do for the next week and a half.
Two weeks later
*Ding Dong*
"I'll get it." I yelled as I ran towards the big oak door, and pulled it open. "Hello, there sweetie. Is Mr. Pritchard here?" A woman, who was about fifty years old said, as she stepped into the house. "Hello," I replied, cautiously as Mike had always told me to be wary about strangers because they could be 'crazed fans trying to kidnap him' as he put it. Then Mike appeared behind me. He placed one hand on my shoulder and stretched the other one out to the lady. "Hello, Mr Pritchard, is it? My name is Melanie Griffith, from social services and welfare." She said as she shook his hand. "I have been assigned to Sophie's case, via our offices in Ireland." She added as Mike led her to the living room.
"Ah yes. I see now." I said as we walked into the living room. "I completely forgot about this visit. We've just been having so much fun settling in over here." I was nervous about this visit. It had slipped my mind in the past week. I was going to try to make everything a little more presentable to give a better impression, but since I forgot, what she saw was what she got. "Oh, that's quite alright. I find that most people go all out to create a façade, try to hide how they really act. You know, try to make their house and themselves all a little more, how do I put it, presentable, but it's clearly obvious that it isn't how they usually act." Miss Griffith replied with a smile. "Now, I'd like to have a quiet chat with you, and then with Sophie and then, I'll talk to both of you together. How does that sound?" This lady sounded like a nice person. Thank god that the meeting slipped my mind, I laughed to myself.
"Yeah, sure. Do you want me or Sophie first?"
"You first, if it's not too much trouble, Mr. Pritchard."
"No, that's fine. Sophie, do you want to go practice for later and I'll give you a call when we're done" I turned and asked Sophie, as politely as I could.
"Okay, Mike. I'll be in the studio room." Sophie replied, and left the room. We waited for her to leave the room completely, and then the questions started.
"So, Mr. Pritchard, down to business. How has Sophie settled in here?" Miss Griffith asked.
"It's Mike, and I think she has settled in quite well. She gets on well with my friends kids and seems to enjoy getting to know everyone"
30 minutes later there was a knock at the studio room door, and Mike and Miss Griffith walked in. "Sophie, Melanie would like to talk to you now. Is that okay?" Mike asked. I placed my guitar against the wall beside me and turned to face Melanie, who had pulled a seat over beside me. I was really nervous, because I really wanted to stay with Mike, and I knew it would hurt him if I had to go, because he had already had one daughter taken away and he treated me like his daughter these past two weeks, and these 'interviews' would decide whether I could stay or not. "Okay then I'll be in the office then. I have to make a few phone calls, so just call out if you guy's need me." Mike said as turned and walked out of the room.
"Okay, now Sophie. My name is Melanie. I work for a company that is here to look after you and your best interests. Now, Mike wishes to adopt you, and for you to live here with him. Is this what you want?" she asked me once Mike had closed the kitchen door.
"Yeah, I want to stay here. Mike's made me very welcome in his home, and I really like it here." I replied, trying not to sound too eager.
"Well, that's good. So, you would be happy to stay here, and live with Mike, and for him to become you legal guardian?"
"Yes, definitely. It's great. I'm having lots of fun here and Mike's teachin' me to play the guitar and he said that Tré might even teach me the drums."
"Well, that's great. Shall we go get Mike now, and I'll talk to both of you then."
"Okay," I replied and we left the studio and headed to the living room.
Mike looked a little nervous when he came into the room, his face was a little funny but I knew that this was a serious matter, so I didn't laugh. I just shifted over and he sat down next to me, with Melanie sitting opposite us.
"Well," she began. Mike shifted nervously in his seat, and held my hand a little tighter. "Everything seems in order here, and I think that it is in Sophie's best interest to stay here. She seems to be settled in and everything looks great. So, I'll leave you two to it then. I'll see myself out and good luck in the future." Melanie said as she stood up and walked through the door. Mike hugged me tightly and ran out to the hall.
Mike came back into the room, face still beaming, and handed me my jacket. "C'mon kiddo, lets go tell everyone the good news." He said pulling me to my feet. And we left. "Where we going Mike?" I asked Mike as we got into the car.
"We're gonna head over to Billie's, I phoned him earlier to tell him why I wasn't at the studio and he told me to come over after. Is that okay with you?" Mike replied. "yeah, that's okay." I giggled as we pulled out of the drive.
I loved going to Billie's house, it was so different to Mike's. Billie had two games rooms, we weren't allowed in one of them cause it was for the 'adults'. Can you call someone an adult if they act like a kid? Oh well. There was another reason why I loved going to Billie's house, a reason that no one knew about, Joey. We had become best friends since he scared the shit out of me and I hit him in the stomach, the first time I met him. Well, we may be best friends, but man, is he cute when he smiles.
Five minutes later, we arrived. Mike didn't bother to knock, cause they all practically lived at each others houses anyway, and we walked on in. As we headed towards the living room, I felt a hand move round and cover my mouth and an arm lift me up. I tried to scream but it was no use. Then I looked down and saw a pair of very old, very dirty, very familiar, pink converse on the person's feet, and weird looking trousers, so I stopped trying to get free. It was Tré. He lifted me into the room, still with his hand over my mouth, "Mike, since she's officially yours now, can I treat her like one of the family?" he yelled excitedly. Mike laughed, and looked at me. I shrugged, thinking that this meant he would stop trying to kidnap me, and seeing this Mike agreed. Next thing I know, I'm flying through the air, and landing in the pool, with a huge splash.
"Tré," Mike yelled, through fits of laughter. "What the fuck did you do that for?"
"You said it was okay." Tré said, shrugged, and walked into the house as if nothing had happened. Everyone just stood there laughing, until Joey came over and stretched out his hand, to help me out. Well, I couldn't resist, could you have?
Now, both of us were sitting on Joey's bed, after drying off a little, just chillin. He had gradually forgiven me, after I helped him to pull Jakob in. Lots of fun.
"Joey. What are you doing?" Joey started to climb along the bed, with a glint in his bright green eyes. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." He said, smiling, coming closer and closer. I couldn't take my gaze from his eyes. His lips came closer to mine, I closed my eyes and...
*click*
"Jakob, I'm gonna kill you!" Joey yelled as he jumped off the bed and ran out the door, leaving me sitting there. Then he ran in kissed me quickly on the lips and ran out again.
"Dad! Dad, look what Joey did in his room. Look, look look. I got a picture. Look, look, look!" Jakob's yells could be heard throughout the whole house. "Billie, I think Jakob wants to tell you something." I said, as Jakob came running into the room. He was in such a rush he almost knocked his dad over. He had a camera in his hand and was about to show Billie something when Joey came running in, trying to grab it off him. And Jakob being the smart boy that he is threw it to Tré. "Ooh, tut tut tut, Joey." Said Tré, with a weird smile on his face, "You naughty boy!"