Uncle Good Riddance

I awoke the next day at a stupidly early time in the morning; 2.05am. Tiptoeing around my room the guilt hit me like a brick. I felt so bad that I had disobeyed this family that took me in and tried to help me. This was a very strange feeling for me. If I was at home, I wouldn't have given it another thought, I would have probably laughed in my mam's face at the thought of her even being upset.
The shame was something I couldn't handle. The shock at myself was another strange feeling. In earlier time I would have been proud that I could have bedded a man after knowing him half an hour, but now I just felt dirty and disgusting. I couldn't bear to look at myself – no wonder Billie couldn't.

I pulled out my dreads and ran my fingers through my natural dark brown hair, letting it down from the bun I kept it in whenever I wore dreads and allowing it to flow freely down around my shoulders. I took out a make up wipe and wiped off all my bold statement make up, and removed my false eyelashes. I looked weird, even to myself in the mirror now I was all natural.

I changed my clothes and put on a pair of baggy blue sweatpants that I slept in usually and a blue vest top. Glancing at myself, I looked normal.

Slowly, and very quietly, I left my room and went downstairs to the kitchen. I was surprised to see Billie sat on the sofa watching a movie. I took a deep breath and decided I needed to go and talk to him.

“Billie?” I asked walking round the sofa so I was stood in front of it.

“You okay?” He asked rubbing his tired eyes. I noticed Tre was asleep on the floor and Mike was dropping off to sleep in the chair.

“I just wanted to say – I'm sorry.” I said quietly, avoiding his eyes.

“Bo, come sit down.” Billie patted the sofa next to him. As I sat down, he pulled me into a hug. “Don't worry about it, just don't do it again? Apology accepted yeah.” He kissed the top of my head as I hugged him back.

“Thank you.” I smiled softly at him before I got up and walked into the kitchen, flicking on the kettle to make myself a brew.

After making it, I went back to join Billie and the boys watching whatever they were watching. Forgetting about Tre on the floor, I walked in and kicked him, spilling some tea on his back.

He jumped up, shocked and narrowed his eyes at me.

“What did you just spill?” I sat down next to Billie putting down my brew on the table at the side of the sofa quickly.

“Tre, I'm sorry but really your lying in the middle of the floor!” I said quickly as he leant over me.

“Spilling coffee down my back is not nice.” He pouted sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa and against my legs.

“Urgh, it wasn't coffee, I'm not American.” I joked with him, smirking over at Billie.

“Hey – we just don't understand the concept of tea.” Billie put his hands up in a surrender pose. Mike slowly woke back up.

“Nothing like a good brew.” I smiled taking a sip. “What you watching anyway?”

“We were going to watch Mean Girls because Tre doesn't like scary movies before bed but once he fell asleep we put on the lovely Scary Movie 3.” Mike yawned.

“Well I'm awake now and you're going to give me nightmares!” Tre buried his head into my legs, showing that he was scared. I couldn't help but giggle at him. Mike looked at me with a shocked face.

“What?” I asked innocently.

“You just giggled. Like a girl.” He said putting his hands to his mouth. “Billie what's going on!” I gave Mike a look of discontent.

“Sometimes Mike, I laugh too.” I said quietly like it was a secret.
We all heard footsteps and Billie hissed. “Positions guys!” At us all and then they all pretended to be asleep. Billie pulled me into him, making me lie on his side, with his arm tucked around me as I too pretended to be asleep.

“Billie Joe Armstrong, so much for 'I'll be up in five, Addie darling', that was 3 hours ago!” Adrienne hissed at Billie as her footsteps approached. “Oh for gods sake.” She said defeated as her voice was suddenly straight behind the sofa.

“Aw god how cute.” She giggled, I figured she must have caught sight of me and Billie. We heard her walking around the room and the footsteps came back towards us when suddenly a camera clicked and the flash popped in our eyes. I jumped and rubbed my eyes and Billie moved. We both opened our eyes as Mike and Tre sat up.

“Addie, what are you doing?” Billie fake-yawned trying to sell it that he was really asleep.

“You guys looked so cute and alike, I figured you could send the picture to Holly in one of your emails.” Addie shurgged.

“What emails?” I asked suddenly aware that I hadn't spoken to my mam or any of my friends since I left England, nearly a fortnight ago.

“Your mom's been checking your progress with us by emails darling, didn't Billie tell you?” Addie explained as I looked at her. I saw Billie shaking his head at Adrienne as I whipped back around to look at him.

“She's been what? Spying on me? Through you?” I asked, disgusted. “My god, typical of her.”

“What you got against Holly?” Billie asked me suddenly. It caught me off balance the question. Not literal balance - I mean I didn't fall off the sofa or anything.

“You wouldn't understand.” I said simply, grabbing my brew and standing up. I looked at the clock on the wall and worked out that if I phoned my mam right now I could catch her before work.

I grabbed the phone from the stand and dialled my home number and listened to the ringing.

“Hello?” My mam's voice crackled over the receiver.

“Hi mam, how are you?” I asked sweetly, walking out of the room with the phone and up to stairs to my room and shutting the door quietly.

“Bo! My god I miss you so much,” My mam's voice cracked a little. “How you been baby?” I softed to her. This was my mammy after all.

“I miss you too mam, its been hell here.” I lay down on the bed after placing my brew on the bedside table. “They locked me in the house for 10 days and didn't let me out. I basically had to lie on the bed constantly and that's all I could do!”

“Are you behaving though?” She asked. “Have you let you out now then?”

“I have been behaving once I been locked in here mam I'll admit it. But I messed up, as usual. They hate me here honestly. I'm sure they think I'm the spawn of the devil.” I moaned.

“Baby, they don't! The emails I've had from Billie have been really nice about you.”

“Of course they'll say nice stuff to you about me!” I argued, my door opened slightly and I saw Adrienne standing looking in at me.

“Please mammy, please bring me home?” I begged, getting a little upset.

“Baby don't. This is so hard for me, but I gotta do it.” I heard the tears in my mam's voice.

“I better go, Adrienne's looking at me, it is half 2 here. Bye.” I said suddenly exhausted and upset.

“Ring soon please Bo? It'll cost too much for me to ring you. I love you.” She said crying softly.

“love you too. I'll ring whenever I can.” I hung up sighing and passing the phone silently to Adrienne.

“We don't hate you.” She said walking out of the room, “Goodnight Bodaceia.”

She shut the door quietly, as I felt the warm tears on my cheeks from the emotional phone call. Damn my mother, she has never made me emotional before. Why this time?