You're My Nicotine

October closed the front door behind her and walked into the kitchen after another day at school, late again.

"Hey, dad," she smiled to Billie Joe, who was leaning against the counter, sipping on a coke.

"Hey," he replied.

Dropping her bag to the floor, October opened the fridge and pulled out a can for herself, just as Adrienne came into the room, sitting herself down at the table.

"Hi," October grinned to her.

"Hi, sweetie," Adrienne smiled weakly.

Opening her can, October looked from one parent to the other, growing a little nervous at their lack of enthusiasm. "Everything okay?" she asked.

Billie Joe was the first to speak, "I take it you're home late because of detention..."

She nodded, swallowing a mouthful of fizzy liquid.

"Another detention?"

"Come on, dad, it's not like you never got detention," October smirked.

"I know I wasn't exactly a good student, but I don't want you making the same mistake I made," Billie said, looking at his daughter seriously, "I want you to do good, October."

October laughed with no humour, "What the hell is this?"

Adrienne sighed a little, "October, honey, we've had the principal on the phone and we're just concerned, okay? He told us about the bad reports you've been getting..."

October rolled her eyes to the ceiling, she wasn't in the mood for a school lecture.

"Don't roll your eyes, young lady, this is serious," Billie said sternly. "Why are you skipping classes? You don't go to school to skip it."

"I skipped one class," October corrected her father, "And that was only to help out a friend."

"Well maybe you should spend more time learning rather than 'helping out friends'," he said.

"I've been spending my whole school life looking for these friends, the ones who only like me for me, and I wonder whose fault that is, huh?"

"Don't put this all on me, it's not my fault you're picky with who you hang out with."

"I have to be picky, dad, I have to make sure they're not using me to get to the 'legend' I call my father," October said, getting frustrated.

"Okay, right, I understand that," Billie told her, "But that's got nothing to do with why you're failing school."

"She's not failing, Billie," Adrienne spoke up.

"Well she's close," he said, slamming his empty coke can on the counter. "This attitude you've got, October, it's gotta change."

"Hypocrite," October snorted lightly.

"Look, let's not get each other wound up," Adrienne said, seeing the anger build up in her husband's face.

"I'm getting a little more than wound up," he said, "She was just like this at the other school, it's gotta stop."

"If I was like this in Berkley, then why do you care now?" October asked her father, "You sure as hell didn't seem to care then!"

"Don't you start on about that again, don't you even start!" Billie raised his voice to his daughter.

"And why shouldn't I? You can bitch to me about school crap but I can't tell you what a shitty dad you've been?"

"Stop all this bullshit, October, this conversation is about you, not me!"

"For fuck sake, if it's a conversation then stop fucking yelling at me!"

"Hey, watch your fucking mouth!" Billie couldn't believe that his own daughter was attacking him like this.

"STOP!" Adrienne shouted as she stood from the table, silencing the two. "Stop this, both of you," she said, looking at them seperately. "Arguing isn't going to solve anything, we need to talk about why October has felt asthough she should be so laid back in school."

Billie Joe leaned one hip against the counter, placing a hand on the other, as October folded her arms across her chest.

"Look, this started after the whole Aidan thing, obviously we all know that..."

"Please can we not talk about Aidan!" October yelled.

"Don't shout at your mother!" Billie warned his daughter.

"Calm down, Billie!" Adrienne said and tried to get back on track, "She's still torn over the death of her best friend..."

"Yeah well maybe she should get over it!" Billie fired back.

October's jaw dropped.

"Billie Joe!" Adrienne cried and watched as her daughter stormed out of the kitchen.

The sound of October's angry steps up the stairs were heard, and then the slam of her bedroom door.

"What did you say that for?" Adrienne asked her husband, her brow creased in annoyance.

"I-I don't know, it just came out," Billie Joe sighed and ran a hand back through his hair.

Adrienne crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"I didn't mean it," he shrugged, looking back at his wife.

She just shook her head and sighed herself.

"Why is everyone mad at each other?" came a small voice from the kitchen doorway.

Adrienne turned to see her son chewing on a chocolate bar innocently. "Oh, honey, no one's mad," she told him as she pulled the young boy in for a one armed hug.

"But dad and October were shouting," he said.

"I'm just a little disappointed at your sister, Joey," Billie Joe explained to the seven year old.

"Everyone should get along," Joey replied, "My teacher said that when everyone gets along it will be world peace..."

Adrienne looked over at her husband in awe as he did back, and then with a smile, Billie walked over and picked up his son.

"Listen to me, buddy," he told Joey as he held him in his arms, his son's free arm around his neck as the other held the chocolate bar loosely, "You, your mom, your sister and I are good, we're a peaceful family so you have nothing to worry about, you hear me?"

Joey nodded.

"Say 'yes, dad, I hear you'," Billie nodded.

"Yes, dad, I hear you," Joey repeated with a smirk.

"Good," smiled Billie Joe and put his son back down on his feet, "I'll just go check on October."

Upstairs in her bedroom, October shut the pill cabinet. She had just gotten off the phone from Frank, asking him if he was busy, and when he told her he wasn't, she said she needed to get out. She had explained what had happened, including that she had gone straight upstairs and taken a few red pills.

Red pills for calming.

Realising he had to make sure she didn't take anymore of the tablets, Frank agreed to take her out to get her mind off things without the help of pills, but she wouldn't let him agree until he was absolutely positive it was okay.

October, getting very light headed, flopped down on the bed and could feel the pills kicking in more than they should have. Maybe it would have been best if she had just stuck with one.

Hell, at least she wasn't frustrated anymore.

Hearing a light knock at her door, October instantly called out, "Go away!"

"Sweetheart, it's me, can I come in?"

"No," October told her father.

"October, please, I'm sorry..."

"No, you're not."

Not taking no for an answer, Billie Joe opened the bedroom door and stepped inside, just as his daughter sat up on the bed.

"What do you want, dad?"

"Look, this is silly," he replied, "Can we just forget the fight and you'll do well at school?"

October raised her eyebrows and shook her head a little, replying, "Whatever."

Billie Joe bit his lip in thought for a moment before he walked over and sat on the edge of his daughter's bed. "I'm sorry about what I said," he told her softly, "Okay?"

When she didn't answer he said, "October, okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," she finally replied and stood from the bed, grabbing her keys and cell phone and dropping them in her black purse.

Confused, Billie questionned, "You going somewhere?"

"Out."

"With who?"

"Frank."

Billie watched as October zipped up her purse and slung it over a shoulder, "Frank? Frank who?"

"Iero," she said simply and the doorbell went, "That's him."

As October started towards her bedroom door, Billie Joe stood up in surprise. "Wait, what, you're going out with Frank Iero? From MCR?"

"Yes, dad, Frank Iero from MCR," she replied as her father followed behind her to the stairs.

"W-why?" he asked, utterly confused.

"Because I am."

When the two got to the bottom, Billie Joe watched as October went straight to the open front door, where her mother and Frank were standing.

"Frank's here to take October out for a little while," Adrienne told her husband with a small smile.

Frank stood on the doorstep with his hands in his jeans pockets, rips at the knees, and a black and white striped tee. "I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you guys first," he said, looking at Billie Joe nervously, taking in the 'what the fuck?' facial expression.

"It's totally fine," Adrienne said, grinning at the younger punk, "We'll see you later."

"We won't be late," Frank smiled to the parents and followed behind October down the front path.

Once Adrienne shut the door, Billie Joe was out with the questions.

"What the fuck? What is going on? Why is Iero taking out our seventeen year old daughter?"

"Billie, chill," Adrienne told him.

"Chill? Do you know how much older he is than her? Does he go for teenage girls? How can you be fine with this?"

"Oh Jesus, Billie! Shut up and let me explain, will ya?"

Billie Joe shrugged and said, "Please do."

"First of all, yes I know he's older but they're not going on a date or anything, they're just hanging out," said Adrienne as she headed towards the kitchen, her husband following, "Second, on your birthday Frank told me he knew about October's slight depression and that he had given her his number if she ever wanted to talk or anything while he was in LA." She turned to Billie once in the kitchen to see his reaction so far. Seeing that he wasn't going to interupt anymore, continued, "Third, I am fine with this because I trust Frank."

Billie Joe, now fully aware of what was going on, said, "I guess I can trust Frank, it just... it's just a little weird..."

"Come on, honey, Frank's a nice, decent guy," she replied, "He might be good for her and pull her through all this shit."

He half nodded and asked, "Why didn't you tell me he had given her his number?"

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

Billie sighed, "It's... I dunno, surprising because I mean, I knew they were getting along at my birthday, I just didn't know they'd be hanging out and stuff..."

Adrienne gave her husband a lop-sided smile and said, "Get used to it."