Knowledge, chapter 3
Billie Joe entered the kitchen, a confused smile playing on his face when he saw Joey.
"Joey!" he said happily and hugged his son.
Joey hugged him back.
"Dad! I missed you!"
"I missed you too!"
Billie Joe released Joey and walked across the kitchen to his wife. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled.
"Honey, I'm home," he said in a singsong voice and kissed her cheek.
Adrienne kissed him back.
"Glad you're back," she said.
"Glad to be back," Billie Joe replied.
Turning back around, he looked at the clock. 10:30? Was he reading it right? Why was Joey home already?
"Uhhh, you have a half day, Joe?" Billie Joe asked him.
Joey felt like a rock has just plummeted into his stomach. He would definitely get punished if his dad found out about the fight he got into.
When he got no answer, Billie Joe turned to Adrienne.
"Did he have a half day, Adi?" he asked.
"No," she replied.
"Oh," Billie Joe said, puffing out his cheeks, "Then why is he home so early?" He asked confused.
"Joey got into a fight this morning," Adrienne told him.
Joey froze, thunderstruck.
"Why did he get into a fight?" Billie Joe asked, "Joey?"
"Um, this kid was making fun of me," Joey replied, trying to keep the nerves out of his voice.
Shit. He never told his dad about Lucas, or anyone that made fun of him.
"Who?"
"This kid in school named Lucas," Joey forced out.
"Lucas? I've never heard of him," Billie Joe said and sat at the table across from him.
"Yeah, but he was making fun of me... "
"How?"
"Well, he... ah... he picked of me because you're never home and he kept hovering over me and saying that I missed you and that he would make sure that I wouldn't be lonely," Joey said, trying to hold back tears as he remembered the taunts.
Billie Joe raised an eyebrow.
"I see your point," he said.
"What?" Joey said looking up.
"I mean, it would have been wrong, but I probably would have beaten the crap out of him."
"Really?" Joey asked. Maybe this wouldn't turn out so bad after all.
"Yeah. Nobody makes fun of me and gets away with it."
"Wow. You would have punched him too?"
"Well, yeah-,"
Adrienne cleared her throat and shot a glare at Billie.
"But, wrong doesn't go without punishment and that's why you're grounded for a week," He added quickly, afraid of what his wife would do if he didn't give Joey some kind of punishment.
"Okay," said Joey glumly. He had been so close. If his mom hadn't done that, he would have been completely off the hook.
Oh well, at least his dad was back and that was something to be glad about. He made his way up the stairs from the kitchen and heard the shower on as he walked passed the bathroom to his bedroom. Who could be in the shower? He thought.
He walked into his room and plopped down onto his bed, staring at the white ceiling as he tried to think of what the hell he was supposed to do with his grounded ass for the rest of the day. School would help the time go by faster during the week but what was he going to do all today. He sat back up and walked across his room to his bookshelf. He wasn't a big fan of reading, but he needed desperately for time to pass. He pulled out The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He needed to read it anyway he thought as he immersed himself in the book as he sat down on the edge of his bed.
A few hours later, there was a knock on his door.
"Huh," he said, still not looking up.
The door opened and Mike Dirnt, his "uncle" poked his head inside.
"Hey, bud," Mike said.
Joey looked up. Mike looked different since the last time he had seen him. His hair laid flat on his head and it looked longer. Joey also realized that his hair had a more natural look to it.
"Mike!" Joey jumped up and ran over to him.
Mike grinned as he bent down and gave him a small hug.
"How've you been in these past months?" he asked.
"Pretty good," Joey said.
"Heard you got grounded, huh?"
"Yeah... "
"So you got in a fight?"
"Yep."
"I see where you were coming from, though. I would have done the same thing."
"That's what my Dad said. I almost got off the hook, too. If only my Mom hadn't said something. I wouldn't be grounded."
Mike looked thoughtful and then said, "Ya know, Joe, the way I see it, you should be happy that you got off just grounded. For only a week, even. Now you're almost thirteen and should know by now that your Dad is a sucker for a puppy face from his kids and a real softie when it comes to giving out punishments. So all I'm saying is that you should be happy that your Mom didn't get to you first."
Joey thought about this. God, was Mike right. He should be thankful that his Dad had talked to him instead of his Mom.
"You're right. Thanks Mike," Joey said. Mike was always so helpful when it came to stuff like this.
"Anytime," Mike said, "Now I'm hungry, let's go downstairs and eat," he added, making his way out of the room. Joey followed.
"Joey!" he said happily and hugged his son.
Joey hugged him back.
"Dad! I missed you!"
"I missed you too!"
Billie Joe released Joey and walked across the kitchen to his wife. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled.
"Honey, I'm home," he said in a singsong voice and kissed her cheek.
Adrienne kissed him back.
"Glad you're back," she said.
"Glad to be back," Billie Joe replied.
Turning back around, he looked at the clock. 10:30? Was he reading it right? Why was Joey home already?
"Uhhh, you have a half day, Joe?" Billie Joe asked him.
Joey felt like a rock has just plummeted into his stomach. He would definitely get punished if his dad found out about the fight he got into.
When he got no answer, Billie Joe turned to Adrienne.
"Did he have a half day, Adi?" he asked.
"No," she replied.
"Oh," Billie Joe said, puffing out his cheeks, "Then why is he home so early?" He asked confused.
"Joey got into a fight this morning," Adrienne told him.
Joey froze, thunderstruck.
"Why did he get into a fight?" Billie Joe asked, "Joey?"
"Um, this kid was making fun of me," Joey replied, trying to keep the nerves out of his voice.
Shit. He never told his dad about Lucas, or anyone that made fun of him.
"Who?"
"This kid in school named Lucas," Joey forced out.
"Lucas? I've never heard of him," Billie Joe said and sat at the table across from him.
"Yeah, but he was making fun of me... "
"How?"
"Well, he... ah... he picked of me because you're never home and he kept hovering over me and saying that I missed you and that he would make sure that I wouldn't be lonely," Joey said, trying to hold back tears as he remembered the taunts.
Billie Joe raised an eyebrow.
"I see your point," he said.
"What?" Joey said looking up.
"I mean, it would have been wrong, but I probably would have beaten the crap out of him."
"Really?" Joey asked. Maybe this wouldn't turn out so bad after all.
"Yeah. Nobody makes fun of me and gets away with it."
"Wow. You would have punched him too?"
"Well, yeah-,"
Adrienne cleared her throat and shot a glare at Billie.
"But, wrong doesn't go without punishment and that's why you're grounded for a week," He added quickly, afraid of what his wife would do if he didn't give Joey some kind of punishment.
"Okay," said Joey glumly. He had been so close. If his mom hadn't done that, he would have been completely off the hook.
Oh well, at least his dad was back and that was something to be glad about. He made his way up the stairs from the kitchen and heard the shower on as he walked passed the bathroom to his bedroom. Who could be in the shower? He thought.
He walked into his room and plopped down onto his bed, staring at the white ceiling as he tried to think of what the hell he was supposed to do with his grounded ass for the rest of the day. School would help the time go by faster during the week but what was he going to do all today. He sat back up and walked across his room to his bookshelf. He wasn't a big fan of reading, but he needed desperately for time to pass. He pulled out The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. He needed to read it anyway he thought as he immersed himself in the book as he sat down on the edge of his bed.
A few hours later, there was a knock on his door.
"Huh," he said, still not looking up.
The door opened and Mike Dirnt, his "uncle" poked his head inside.
"Hey, bud," Mike said.
Joey looked up. Mike looked different since the last time he had seen him. His hair laid flat on his head and it looked longer. Joey also realized that his hair had a more natural look to it.
"Mike!" Joey jumped up and ran over to him.
Mike grinned as he bent down and gave him a small hug.
"How've you been in these past months?" he asked.
"Pretty good," Joey said.
"Heard you got grounded, huh?"
"Yeah... "
"So you got in a fight?"
"Yep."
"I see where you were coming from, though. I would have done the same thing."
"That's what my Dad said. I almost got off the hook, too. If only my Mom hadn't said something. I wouldn't be grounded."
Mike looked thoughtful and then said, "Ya know, Joe, the way I see it, you should be happy that you got off just grounded. For only a week, even. Now you're almost thirteen and should know by now that your Dad is a sucker for a puppy face from his kids and a real softie when it comes to giving out punishments. So all I'm saying is that you should be happy that your Mom didn't get to you first."
Joey thought about this. God, was Mike right. He should be thankful that his Dad had talked to him instead of his Mom.
"You're right. Thanks Mike," Joey said. Mike was always so helpful when it came to stuff like this.
"Anytime," Mike said, "Now I'm hungry, let's go downstairs and eat," he added, making his way out of the room. Joey followed.
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