The Road to Acceptance

"So I think there may be something there between me and Adie you know," Billie excitedly told Mike at band practice the next afternoon.

Mike nodded without enthusiasm. Billie's gushing about his love for Adrienne was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"Yeah---she said she was going to rethink about us. I really think this could be it Mike."

"I've heard that before Bill---"

"Yeah but this time I mean it."

"Look Billie," Mike suddenly found himself snapping, "I really couldn't give a shit right now.
I'm happy that you had a good night but all I want us to do now is get on a learn this song. We've got three weeks until the dance and if you're still intent on playing then I suggest you shut the fuck up and get your guitar out."

Billie stood rooted to the spot in shock. He thought Mike of all people would have been happy for him and Adrienne. But seeing the angry glare in his eyes, Billie decided it was best not to press the matter further; instead shrugging and turning to get his guitar out of its case.
They were jamming together when they heard the front door open and slam shut, followed by frantic footsteps running through the hall and towards the living room.

"Tre's here," the two said in unison.
Not a second later then the aforementioned Tre came bounding into Mike's living room, complete with a giggling Adrienne thrown over his shoulder.

"Mike---why is your little sister so damn hot but---you're not?" Tre asked as he set down Adrienne and tickled her playfully.

Mike found himself feeling slightly angered by Tre's display of affection towards Adrienne. "I got the brains, she got the beauty." He tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but discreetly threw Adrienne an angry stare as she left the room.

"And you, you lucky dog," Tre turned to Billie Joe. "You get to date her!"

Billie flicked an imaginary mane of hair. "Well you've even got it, or you haven't."

By this point Mike was seething. He plugged his bass in and struck an loud chord, making both Billie and Tre jump in surprise. "Let's get down to business and do what we're supposed to be doing." He spoke through clenched teeth.

"What's got up his back" Tre whispered to Billie as they took their places behind their instruments.

Billie shrugged, "fuck knows. But he's got a point. Let's play."

Later, when they were feeling satisfied with their practice, the three adolescents were sat drinking beer in Mike's living room when Adrienne poked her head around the door.
"Mom just called," she directed at Mike. "They're stuck at the conference hall, the weather is too bad for them to drive home. So they're having to stay overnight and should be back by tomorrow dinner time."

"PARTY!" Tre cried jumping to his feet and bouncing on the sofa.

"Party?" Billie repeated, looking at Mike.

"Party?" Mike turned to ask Adrienne.

"Party!" she giggled, winking at the other three.

"Well, we've got beer in the garage, porn in my bedroom, and pot in the attic. All we've got to do is tell people," Mike said.

"I'm on it!" Tre whipped out his cell phone and frantically began dialing numbers.

"What about food?" Billie asked.

"What about it? People can order pizza or something," Adrienne reasoned.
"Are you moving the valuables?"

"Jees, Billie Joe. When did you become safety king?"

"Since the last party I had. I fucked your mom so hard that we broke the bed."

Mike punched him in the arm.

"If you wanna go and hide the valuables Billie, you go and do it. In fact, you and Tre can tidy down here, while Mike and I do upstairs."

"Why do I get stuck with Tre down here?!"

"Because I don't feel comfortable letting you or Tre anywhere near my bedroom!"

"Well no matter---you can show me it later when were both drunk---"
Billie smiled. Adrienne giggled. Mike seethed.

"Well, come on then. No time like the present." Mike swiftly pulled Adrienne out of the room and upstairs to begin cleaning.

"If I didn't know any better Michael Ryan, I'd say the fact that Billie finds me attractive bothers you," Adrienne said as they began moving photographs and ornaments into cupboards.

"Well if you don't know any better then why did you bother commenting?"

"It does doesn't it?"

"Leave it Adie."

He heard her giggle lightly. "Aaw, look at you getting all jealous over me and Billie."

"I said leave it."

He picked up a pillow that was on her bed and hit her round the head with it. She squealed playfully and slapped his arm. In retaliation he grabbed hold of her waist and practically threw her on the bed, quickly pinning her arms and legs so she couldn't move.

"Mike!" she screeched as he began licking her face and neck.

Adrienne squirmed so much that Mike found it a task to keep her pinned down. After a few seconds more he relented and sat down next her on the bed whilst she got her breath back from laughing so much. They were just about to share a kiss when they heard footsteps coming upstairs. Adrienne quickly sat up and Mike jumped off the bed and moved things about on her dresser just as Billie and Tre opened the door.

"Well that's downstairs done," Tre grinned. "How're you doing up here?"

"Just got to finish in here---" Mike told him, putting random items into the wardrobe.

"This is going to be the best party ever! Half of our grade is coming!"

Mike, Billie and Adrienne cast worried glances at each other.

"This is going to be one long night---" Adrienne murmured as Tre carried on grinning.

People started arriving at around seven, and by nine, it was safe to say that almost two hundred people were in and around the Pritchard household. Piled up in the kitchen were crates of beer, and bottles of liquor. Mike and Adrienne had given up on only admitting the people they knew because people were just arriving in droves.

"Fuck it," Mike said as Adrienne panicked when the boys from the football team showed up.
"Get a beer and stop worrying."

Mike didn't have to tell her again. So pretty soon, everyone was at the 'happy drunk' stage and were all enjoying casually milling around, laughing with the other students.

Adrienne was outside smoking when Billie found her.

"That'll kill you, you know," he said, taking the cigarette from her lips and throwing it on the floor.

"Hypocrite," she shot back.

"I'm older than you. And besides---a pretty girl like you shouldn't smoke."

She laughed lightly and shook her head at Billie. "You're such a kiss ass Billie Joe."

It was his turn to laugh as he shrugged and leant up against the wall next to her.

"So good party huh?" he questioned, breaking the silence.

"I can't believe that Tre invited so many people. I'd have never thought he was so popular."

"Well Tre is full of surprises."

Adrienne smiled in reply.

"You're really pretty when you do that you know."

"What?"

"Smile that way."

"It's just my normal smile Billie."

"Well its still pretty."

"Thank you."

"Yeah---it like---illuminates the whole of your face. And then your eyes get real big---so that I feel like I can almost fall into you just looking at them."

Billie's tone was husky, Adrienne found it to be slightly seductive. Her breaths became shallow as he leant over and whispered in her ear. "I want you."

As soon as his breath tickled the side of her neck, she felt her knees go weak.

"I---I---" her inability to articulate properly angered her. She didn't want to feel like she did around Billie.

"You don't have to worry, I'm not about to make you do anything you don't want to do. Its just I like you so much I don't want anyone else having you."

"Billie---I---" she frantically scanned the garden for any signs of Mike. If he could see what was happening she knew there'd be trouble. "I don't know---" She quickly stepped away from Billie and made to go back into the house. But before she could open the door, he caught her elbow and pulled her back.

"Take your time---think about it. I'll wait---" He swiftly leaned down and pressed a firm kiss onto her lips, then released her elbow and opened the door for her to go back inside.

In a world of her own, Adrienne sauntered upstairs to her bedroom, ignoring the couples that were making out on her stairs. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found her bedroom wasn't occupied by other party goers. She threw herself face first, down into her pillow and groaned in despair.

She didn't want to like Billie. But there was something in the way he talked to her that made his charm nearly impossible to resist; his green eyes held a magic that could stir up an army of butterflies in her stomach. Mike would kill her if he found out.

She had just rolled onto her back when she noticed the bedroom door was slowly opening.
"I'm in here," she called out, thinking it was a couple looking to get laid.

"Ah, good. I was worried I was interrupting people," Mike said as he entered the room, closing the door again behind him.

Adrienne shook her head to clear away the thoughts of Billie and propped herself up on her elbows.

"Anything wrong?" she asked as he lie down next to her with his head on her stomach.

"No, I was just looking for you. I saw you come up here and wanted to check if you were alright?"

"I'm fine. I had a couple of tequila shots so I was feeling kinda sick. I just came up here out of the way."

He lifted his head and brushed her lips with his. "I'll stay here with you then till you feel better."

"No Mike I'm fine, honestly. You go back down and hang with guys."

He shrugged. "Tre is actually god entertainment for them. I'm much happier up here with you."

She smiled as he snuggled his head right into her stomach.

"And besides," he rolled onto his back so he was looking up into her eyes. "Beer makes me horny---"

---
Billie couldn't stop thinking about his kiss with Adrienne. He only wished he'd made it longer to get more of a reaction from her.

"Have you seen Adie?" he asked a group of girls who he'd seen her talk to earlier.

"She went up to her room not long back," one of them replied.

Smiling to himself, he headed upstairs.

"Adrienne---" he started, knocking on her bedroom door. "I forgot to give you something earlier---"

As he slowly crept round the door into the dark of the room, he heard people frantically scrambling around.

"Alright you sick fuckers, why don't you go have sex somewhere other than Adrienne's room?"

Billie flicked on the switch, wanting to catch the culprits. His heart stopped dead in his chest when he realised who it was he had walked in on.

"Holy fucking cow---" he breathed. "No way."