Good Riddance

Billie came back through the door, his face like thunder.

“You guys have got to go,” he said motioning to the guys on the sofa, “Except Mike obviously”

“I’ll go back to Kiera’s for a while” said Mike, “Give you some space”

“What about me?” I asked quietly as the other’s got up. Obviously this wasn’t out of the norm and they were used to having to relocate.

“You’re staying” said Billie shortly, he had his back to me but I could hear the steel in his voice so I didn’t question him anymore. I widened my eyes at Jess who just grinned and mouthed something but I couldn’t make out what she said. It took them a few moments to troop out, up the stairs, I heard the front door slam and their voices on the street above the basement window. Billie Joe was still stood like a statue with his back to me.

“Billie?” I questioned quietly. He didn’t snap at me which I was glad for, instead he turned back to me and sat back down on the bed.

“Sorry for snapping” he said as if he could read my thoughts.

“It’s okay” I said, “What’s wrong?”

He paused for a moment with his eyes narrow, he looked a little like a sulking child.

“My step dad” he said. I didn’t say anything in reply to that, I just waited for him to elaborate. I didn’t want to push him because apparently this was a touchy subject for him, so I just waited.

“I hate him” Billie said, “And he hates me”

“Where’s your mum?” I asked.

“She’s working her double shift and while she’s not here, he thinks he’s the boss of me. He’s just told me that all my friends have got to get out of here for the night or he’s locking the basement door”

“What?” I breathed, “But I’m still here! He’ll lock the door and –

“Scarlett, relax!” Billie commented, “Even if the fucker does, which he will plumbing new depths if he does because he’s just seen the other guys leave then we’ve got food and he’ll let us out in the morning for school.”

“Billie how can you put up with that?” I asked him.

“I don’t mostly” he said.

“And what about Mike?” I asked him, “Isn’t he going to want to get back in?”

“He’ll crash at Kiera’s tonight” said Billie with a shrug, “He’s used to the drill”

“Your step father sounds like an idiot” I mumbled.

“That’s putting it lightly” Billie mused.

“I always put things lightly” I said with a smile, “It makes them seem better”

Billie smiled and he lay back beside me again.

“So you never told me, have you found a dance partner yet?” he asked.

“No” I said, “There’s no boys who are at my level, as snobby as that sounds”

“It doesn’t, you’re really good” he said.

“Thanks” I said and blushed, “I just wish Zach was here”

“Zach?” Billie asked raising an eyebrow.

“He was my dance partner back in the UK, he had to stay behind and find a new dance partner. He was amazing and we used to win a lot of stuff.”

“I bet you did” said Billie, “I can’t dance to save my life”

“I could teach you one day” I said with a grin.

“I’d suck” he said with an answering grin.

“I’m sure you wouldn’t be that bad” I said, “You’ve got rhythm at least”

“How do you know?” he asked.

“You play an instrument, several, you have to have some form of rhythm” I said with a shrug motioning to the guitars leaned against his wall, one in particular caught my eye and I slid off the bed and stood up. I approached the guitar but I didn’t touch it.

“Is this Blue?” I asked Billie turning back to him.

“Yeah, that’s Blue” he said with a small smile, “The one and only original Blue”

“May I pick it up?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he said, “As long as you don’t drop it”

“I wouldn’t” I said holding the guitar carefully and going back over to the bed with it. It had a blue body but it was peeling in a few places due to the fact it was about eight years old, it had graffiti and stickers on it, including a big BJ in red on the bottom. I handed the guitar to Billie and he sat on the edge of the bed so he could rest it on his knees.

“I can’t play to save my life” I said with a grin.

“I could teach you one day” he said mirroring our earlier conversation.

“I’d suck!” I said with a giggle and then shoved him lightly when he made a face of protest.

“Come here” he said standing up and putting the strap of Blue around my neck, my eyes widened as I took a hold around the neck of the instrument and when Billie gave me a pick I just giggled.

“Are you genuinely serious?” I asked him. Billie just smiled and he came up behind me, I stiffened.

“Relax” he said. I tried to do so and he placed his right hand over mine with the pick in it, and his other hand over mine on the neck. He moved my fingers into a relatively simple shape on the neck, I was only using three and he then struck down with the pick in the other. The untuned sound rang through the basement and I winced but Billie persevered with it and he pressed my fingers a little harder onto the neck and he struck down again with the pick, this time it made a better noise and I made a little articulated sound of delight, he did it again and it sounded even better.

“There we go” he said, “Three tries and you’ve got a perfect E Major”

“Yay!” I said.

“Now for an E Minor you just take that finger away” he said demonstrating, “But you strike the same number of strings”

“Okay” I said and tried it, it sounded a bit off and I frowned before trying again this time to get a sad sounding low note.

“Excellent” he said and put his arms around me again to move my fingers on the neck into a different, I could feel his warm chest against my back and I resisted the urge to rest my head on his shoulder.

“Now you just move your fingers up a string and put that one there and you h-“

The door flew open making me jump, nearly hitting Billie on the chin with the top of my head. It would have been quite comical if the air in the room wasn’t so tense.

“I thought I told you that all your little friends had to get out even the pretty ones.” said the man in the doorway. He was balding slightly, but he had a strong physic and he looked a like a bodybuilder or something. I shrunk back into Billie but it didn’t get me much further away from the man who was framed in the doorway. The man looked between me and Billie, trying to assess the situation and undoubtedly coming to the wrong conclusion; Billie still had his arms around me in a protective, close manner.

“Most of them did” Billie said and I could hear the clench in his teeth.

“That’s not what I said though is it?” asked the man.

“You’re not my dad” said Billie.

“I know, I would never have spawned such a stupid punk as you” said the man, holding up a key, “Oh well you knew what would happen”

“Don’t you dare you bastard!” said Billie to him as the man stepped out of the room. The man just grinned at both of us and shut the door and I heard the key go in the lock. Locking us in.

Billie continued to glare after him for a moment before going to the door and kicking it. I expected him to exclaim for the pain in his foot but instead it seemed to make the house shake. Billie kicked it again and I rushed up behind him and caught his arm before he thumped it, I thoroughly believed he could put his fist through the door if he tried hard enough.

“Billie – don’t” I said to him looking up. Billie spun toward me and I stood my ground in front of him.

“Sorry” he said after a moment and headed towards the sofa upon which he flopped down. I took the guitar off and I propped it up against a wall before heading over to join him. He was lying full length on the couch so I sat down in front of his head on the floor.

“He’s never been that much of an ass before, I didn’t think he’d carry it out, I’m sorry” he said.

“Don’t apologise for him” I said with a half smile, “At least you’re here. I’d have been terrified on my own but it doesn’t matter, I wasn’t really intending to go anywhere till tomorrow morning anyway, you have everything we need”

“Except food” he said.

“I’ll survive” I said with a grin, “A course in survival”

“In Billie-Joe’s basement?” he asked with an answering grin and a raised eyebrow.

“Totally” I said with a laugh, “Everything will be fine”

“Okay” he said, “I believe you”

I didn’t mention to him that his step father had truly terrified me and I was almost glad that while we were locked in at least he was locked out.

***

“Have a good day at school honey” mum said as she drank the morning tea and read the paper that the boy delivered before we were up. It was a week after the incident in Billie’s basement and I was just headed out for school, I was wearing my blue skinny jeans and a baby pink cashmere cardigan that went well, I had my normal school bag but also my large dance holdall with me today. I had to take it every time I had dance class, which was nearly every day, some days I could leave it at school though.

“Okay,” I said to her as I picked up money for something to eat after school. I hurried out onto the street and was out of the view of the house as I reached the electric gates. I put the pin code in and walked out into the street and to hug Billie who was waiting for me on the other side.

“Morning” I said breathing in his wonderful scent.

“Morning yourself” he said with a grin and with that we parted and continued along our way to school.

“It’s your birthday soon” said Billie absently.

“Yeah” I mumbled, “Sixteen”

“Woo” he said.

“Woo?” I asked him.

“Sixteen’s a good age” he said.

“Why?” I asked.

“Just because” he said with an immature grin.

“Yeah well, I’m not doing anything for it” I said.

“Why?” he said.

“Because I dislike fuss and birthday’s annoy me” I said.

“Scrooge” he said.

“That’s Christmas dear” I said reaching up to pat his head in a patronising manner. Billie shook my hand off and shoved me while poking out his tongue as we walked up the school drive.

“Billie!” I looked to our left as I heard a girl call out his name.

“Marie” I heard his voice drop several octaves in his attempt to be masculine and he took Marie into his arms.

“Good Morning” she whispered to him standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. He didn’t object and kissed her back with some fervour. I rolled my eyes at them but they didn’t notice because they were too preoccupied in sucking face.

“See you later Billie!” I called to him. He moved a hand off Marie’s ass to wave at me but he didn’t break his kiss to answer me. I shook my head and walked off toward the main school building, a heavy feeling in my chest.

As I sat through an intensely boring Biology lesson I pondered on why it hurt so much. Marie was a girl in the year below Billie, so therefore a year above me, I knew her face but hadn’t known her by name until this morning. Billie had never talked to me about her before so I guessed there was nothing serious happening.

So why did it hurt me?

Was it because I wanted him to take me in his arms like he had Marie and kiss me like that?
I didn’t think about it until the end of the day when I went to the dance studio to have my ballet class. It was an hour and a half long and we were working on a private choreography piece for the school arts festival which was in a couple of weeks.

As I walked out of the art studio I expected to see Billie waiting for me but he wasn’t there; Kiera and Jess were there instead.

“Hey” I said and smiled, hoisting my holdall higher onto my shoulder.

“Hey” said Jess.

“Where’s Billie?” I asked.

“Uh, back at his place” said Jess, “But we’re going back to mine”

“Okay, any reason?” I asked.

“Yeah, Billie’s at his house with Marie” said Kiera with a touch of sympathy in his voice.

“Oh” I said, “Okay then, Jess’ house it is”

“Doesn’t it bother you that he’s with Marie?” asked Kiera incredulously as we walked out of the school.

“No” I lied, “He’s at perfect to have sex with whoever he likes”

“You got Billie sussed girl” said Jess with a grin.

“Well he’s good looking” I said, “He’s bound to be a lady magnet”

“You could say that” said Jess, “He does seem to have had most of the Juniors...”

The pain blossomed again; ugh why was this hurting me so much?

“Here we are” said Jess stopping in front of a large suburban house about five minutes from school.

“Cool” I said as we went inside and I kicked off my shoes next to theirs, “Where’s Tre and Mike?”

“We banned them for tonight or at least for the next few hours” said Jess.

“Why?” I asked as we headed upstairs.

“Girly time!” said Kiera with a shocked sound, “We have to get rid of the guys at least some of the time”

“Okay” I said with a smile as we went into Jess’ room. It was quite messy but nothing that was dirty, she had photographs up on the wall and several pictures of various guys. She had some bats dangling from the ceiling, I looked at them quizzically.

“Childhood collection” said Kiera with an explanatory roll of the eyes. Jess also had various rosettes hanging from different places.

“You used to ride?” I asked.

“Yeah, so did Kiera, she still does sometimes” said Jess with a shrug.

“Why did you give it up?” I asked.

“I live in the middle of a city,” Jess said, “Not that much space for a horse”

“How does she manage it then?” I asked.

“She has a name” said Kiera from the vicinity of the bay window in the room.

“Erm, she’s got a big house” said Jess with a grin, “Although horses aren’t your thing anymore are they Kiera?”

“What is?” I asked.

“Planes” she said with a grin.

“Planes?” I asked, “As in aeroplanes?”

“What other type exists?” said Kiera with a sarcastic grin, “Of course aeroplanes, I want to join the Naval Flying section”

“Like Top Gun?” I asked with a wide grin.

“I suppose” she said. She evidently hadn’t thought it of it like that before.

“So anyway” said Jess, “I noticed your hesitance earlier when we were talking about Marie... so do you like Billie?”