She Is My Baby, I Love Her So, But It's Too Late Now, I've Let Her Go, chapter 8
"STOP THE CAR!"
Mike slammed on the brakes of his BMW, narrowly missing the tiny puppy. Bailey threw open her door and leapt out, ignoring the speeding cars. She scooped up the tiny dog, and ran back into Mike's car. The puppy cowered on her lap, shivering in fright. Billie Joe twisted in his seat, and was met by the freakishly identical, pleading looks of his three children.
"Da-ad?" Joey began.
"Can we have a dog?" Continued Jakob.
"PLEASE?" Bailey finished. Joey, Jakob and Bailey put their heads together, and made their infamous, "puppy-eyed pout" at their father.
"Please?" They repeated.
"I dunno... I mean, we don't know whose do it is, anyway, and... " Billie Joe began.
"Oh, come on, Dad." Bailey interrupted. "You're always on about how we should have more responsibilities. And we'd share looking after him. Right, guys?" Joey and Jakob nodded.
"Totally." Jakob agreed.
"Plus," added Bailey. "If he did belong to someone, we could look after him, and put up some posters and junk. Anyway, why was he in the middle of the highway?"
"Exactly. He's probably been abandoned. And if you make us dump him as well, well, I think you can remember Jakob"s three-month sulk when you wouldn't let him keep Eggbert the duck. Only this time, it would be a teenager and two preteens sulking." Joey reasoned. Bailey slapped his hand in a low five behind Mike's seat.
"Well. OK then. But the minute anyone tries to claim him back... " Billie Joe's voice trailed off.
"Whatcha gonna call him? Or her?" Mike asked.
"Bailey chooses." Joey and Jakob said immediately.
"Cheers guys. Well, as he is so MONTROUSLY big, how about... um, Beanpole?"
"Beanpole? Yeah!" laughed her half-brothers.
"And where's he gonna stay while your at school? He cannot come to the studios with us."
Bailey considered for all of ten seconds, before her face broke into a massive, cheeky grin.
Ten minutes later, Joey, Jakob and Bailey were running to their respective classes. Well, the boys were running, Bailey was walking fast to her form class in the science lab, trying not to shake up her bag too much.
Naomi pulled out a chair for Bailey. Nibs, PeeWee and Chalky twisted round on their lab stools.
"Hey. How come you're late? PeeWee said you were coming with your brothers and... "
"YIP!" A loud noise came from Bailey"s bag.
"Oh my god. Bailey?"
"Where's Whatshisname? Uh, teacher bloke? Jessop?"
"No idea."
"Outside. Come on"
Behind the labs, Bailey set down her bag gently.
"Uh, Nai, PeeWee, Chalky and Nibs, meet... " Bailey reached into her bag. "Beanpole."
"Yip."
"AWWW!" Naomi took Beanpole from Bailey and cuddled him.
"What IS it?" Nibs asked.
"Huh. I think I can see some Alsation. Possibly something fluffy. No idea."
"Something VERY fluffy."
"Bailey, are you actually taking your dog around with you ALL day?"
"Duh, don't be a plink. Halfway through Mr. Jessop's class, I'm going to have really bad stomach cramps. So bad, in fact, I may have to go home."
"Oh."
True to her word, Bailey faked her pains to Mr Jessop. Being a complete twit of an old guy, he believed her, and let her go home. Adie came and collected her, and took her back to the house.
"So, let me see him. Beanpole."
"Eeep. So, you don't believe the period story?"
"Nope. Your dad called."
Just like Naomi, Adie went mad, cooing over the fluffball.
"Kinda stinky, though. He needs a bath. And food. And a collar and leash. Babes, I think we'd better go shopping."
Bailey left Beanpole in the garden, and improvised a small kennel with the boys" skateboards. Adie and she hopped into the car.
"I still can't believe your dad actually let you take a dog into school."
"I can"t believe Dad let me have the dog, full stop."
At the pet store, Bailey chose a blue collar with matching leash and basket bed, and a selection of brushes, toys and treats, plus some dog shampoo and conditioner, and a blanket. The cute guy at the cash register recognised her.
"Oh, Hell. Are you the Bailey Jade Armstrong?"
Bailey blushed. She still hadn"t got used to people recognising her. "Yeah, I am."
"Kewel. Can I get your autograph, please? Oh, that's thirty-seven fifty, thanks."
Bailey signed the autograph, and passed the guy three ten dollar bills. "Cheers. Keep the change. Sorry, I gotta go. Bye" She dashed out of the door.
"Bye. And if you need any thing else from here, ask for Luke." The guy said as she left.
"Kay"
Adie was smiling as Bailey got back into her car.
"What?" Bailey asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. Cute guy?"
"Very."
"So, Babes. Um, what's going on between you and...
God, please say she doesn"t know about Tre, Bailey screamed inwardly.
"... Liam?"
Always loved ya, Goddy.
"Nothing. Really. Why?"
"Well, since last week's party, I"ve haven't seen him much."
"We, kinda had an argument. And I haven't had a chance to talk to him. He's gone to New York to see his Gran."
"You're not... you know?"
"NO! God, no. That"s what we argued over. He wanted to, I didn't."
"And from what I"ve seen, he"s that... "
"Rich, jock type who always gets his own way, and is never told no."
"Exactly."
"Plus, he keeps getting really possessive, almost obsessive." Bailey turned to her stepmother. "Adie, I wanna break up with him, but I don't know how. I mean, I could use one of those crappy "It's not you, its me" lines, but that it, it IS his fault."
"Well, just tell him how you feel. Or tell your father. Billie would probably beat the crap out of him!"
"Yeah. Or tell PeeWee. He's well protective."
"I've noticed." Adie said dryly. "Hey, listen. You're right, he's wrong. It's your body, your decision, and your first time should be with someone you want it to be with." Bailey"s fist tightened around the door handle. Adie noticed. "Babes why... oh. You've already done it, haven't you?"
Bailey nodded mutely. Adie sighed.
"Wanna tell me who... ?"
"NO!"
Adie nearly crashed the car. "ohmiGOD, it was Tre, wasn't it?"
"No. Maybe. Yes. HOW DO YOU AND NAI DO THAT?"
"Well, if it was some guy in England, you would have said. Not saying means it's someone I know. And I've seen the way you and Tre act around each other. Im not stupid, Babes."
"Please don't tell anyone. Please."
"You should tell your dad, Babes."
"I know. Will you? Please don't."
Adie sighed again. "Fine. I won"t. But you or Tre should. Now, should we get some ice cream?"
Bailey stared at her. "Is that it?"
"Huh?"
"You"re not mad? No lectures on how I'm underage, or all that motherly crap?"
"No. Well, yeah, but, I'm not your mom so... " Adie pulled into the driveway.
Bailey jumped out, grabbing her shopping, and calling to beanpole. "But I want you to be." Bailey said, softly.
Mike slammed on the brakes of his BMW, narrowly missing the tiny puppy. Bailey threw open her door and leapt out, ignoring the speeding cars. She scooped up the tiny dog, and ran back into Mike's car. The puppy cowered on her lap, shivering in fright. Billie Joe twisted in his seat, and was met by the freakishly identical, pleading looks of his three children.
"Da-ad?" Joey began.
"Can we have a dog?" Continued Jakob.
"PLEASE?" Bailey finished. Joey, Jakob and Bailey put their heads together, and made their infamous, "puppy-eyed pout" at their father.
"Please?" They repeated.
"I dunno... I mean, we don't know whose do it is, anyway, and... " Billie Joe began.
"Oh, come on, Dad." Bailey interrupted. "You're always on about how we should have more responsibilities. And we'd share looking after him. Right, guys?" Joey and Jakob nodded.
"Totally." Jakob agreed.
"Plus," added Bailey. "If he did belong to someone, we could look after him, and put up some posters and junk. Anyway, why was he in the middle of the highway?"
"Exactly. He's probably been abandoned. And if you make us dump him as well, well, I think you can remember Jakob"s three-month sulk when you wouldn't let him keep Eggbert the duck. Only this time, it would be a teenager and two preteens sulking." Joey reasoned. Bailey slapped his hand in a low five behind Mike's seat.
"Well. OK then. But the minute anyone tries to claim him back... " Billie Joe's voice trailed off.
"Whatcha gonna call him? Or her?" Mike asked.
"Bailey chooses." Joey and Jakob said immediately.
"Cheers guys. Well, as he is so MONTROUSLY big, how about... um, Beanpole?"
"Beanpole? Yeah!" laughed her half-brothers.
"And where's he gonna stay while your at school? He cannot come to the studios with us."
Bailey considered for all of ten seconds, before her face broke into a massive, cheeky grin.
Ten minutes later, Joey, Jakob and Bailey were running to their respective classes. Well, the boys were running, Bailey was walking fast to her form class in the science lab, trying not to shake up her bag too much.
Naomi pulled out a chair for Bailey. Nibs, PeeWee and Chalky twisted round on their lab stools.
"Hey. How come you're late? PeeWee said you were coming with your brothers and... "
"YIP!" A loud noise came from Bailey"s bag.
"Oh my god. Bailey?"
"Where's Whatshisname? Uh, teacher bloke? Jessop?"
"No idea."
"Outside. Come on"
Behind the labs, Bailey set down her bag gently.
"Uh, Nai, PeeWee, Chalky and Nibs, meet... " Bailey reached into her bag. "Beanpole."
"Yip."
"AWWW!" Naomi took Beanpole from Bailey and cuddled him.
"What IS it?" Nibs asked.
"Huh. I think I can see some Alsation. Possibly something fluffy. No idea."
"Something VERY fluffy."
"Bailey, are you actually taking your dog around with you ALL day?"
"Duh, don't be a plink. Halfway through Mr. Jessop's class, I'm going to have really bad stomach cramps. So bad, in fact, I may have to go home."
"Oh."
True to her word, Bailey faked her pains to Mr Jessop. Being a complete twit of an old guy, he believed her, and let her go home. Adie came and collected her, and took her back to the house.
"So, let me see him. Beanpole."
"Eeep. So, you don't believe the period story?"
"Nope. Your dad called."
Just like Naomi, Adie went mad, cooing over the fluffball.
"Kinda stinky, though. He needs a bath. And food. And a collar and leash. Babes, I think we'd better go shopping."
Bailey left Beanpole in the garden, and improvised a small kennel with the boys" skateboards. Adie and she hopped into the car.
"I still can't believe your dad actually let you take a dog into school."
"I can"t believe Dad let me have the dog, full stop."
At the pet store, Bailey chose a blue collar with matching leash and basket bed, and a selection of brushes, toys and treats, plus some dog shampoo and conditioner, and a blanket. The cute guy at the cash register recognised her.
"Oh, Hell. Are you the Bailey Jade Armstrong?"
Bailey blushed. She still hadn"t got used to people recognising her. "Yeah, I am."
"Kewel. Can I get your autograph, please? Oh, that's thirty-seven fifty, thanks."
Bailey signed the autograph, and passed the guy three ten dollar bills. "Cheers. Keep the change. Sorry, I gotta go. Bye" She dashed out of the door.
"Bye. And if you need any thing else from here, ask for Luke." The guy said as she left.
"Kay"
Adie was smiling as Bailey got back into her car.
"What?" Bailey asked suspiciously.
"Nothing. Cute guy?"
"Very."
"So, Babes. Um, what's going on between you and...
God, please say she doesn"t know about Tre, Bailey screamed inwardly.
"... Liam?"
Always loved ya, Goddy.
"Nothing. Really. Why?"
"Well, since last week's party, I"ve haven't seen him much."
"We, kinda had an argument. And I haven't had a chance to talk to him. He's gone to New York to see his Gran."
"You're not... you know?"
"NO! God, no. That"s what we argued over. He wanted to, I didn't."
"And from what I"ve seen, he"s that... "
"Rich, jock type who always gets his own way, and is never told no."
"Exactly."
"Plus, he keeps getting really possessive, almost obsessive." Bailey turned to her stepmother. "Adie, I wanna break up with him, but I don't know how. I mean, I could use one of those crappy "It's not you, its me" lines, but that it, it IS his fault."
"Well, just tell him how you feel. Or tell your father. Billie would probably beat the crap out of him!"
"Yeah. Or tell PeeWee. He's well protective."
"I've noticed." Adie said dryly. "Hey, listen. You're right, he's wrong. It's your body, your decision, and your first time should be with someone you want it to be with." Bailey"s fist tightened around the door handle. Adie noticed. "Babes why... oh. You've already done it, haven't you?"
Bailey nodded mutely. Adie sighed.
"Wanna tell me who... ?"
"NO!"
Adie nearly crashed the car. "ohmiGOD, it was Tre, wasn't it?"
"No. Maybe. Yes. HOW DO YOU AND NAI DO THAT?"
"Well, if it was some guy in England, you would have said. Not saying means it's someone I know. And I've seen the way you and Tre act around each other. Im not stupid, Babes."
"Please don't tell anyone. Please."
"You should tell your dad, Babes."
"I know. Will you? Please don't."
Adie sighed again. "Fine. I won"t. But you or Tre should. Now, should we get some ice cream?"
Bailey stared at her. "Is that it?"
"Huh?"
"You"re not mad? No lectures on how I'm underage, or all that motherly crap?"
"No. Well, yeah, but, I'm not your mom so... " Adie pulled into the driveway.
Bailey jumped out, grabbing her shopping, and calling to beanpole. "But I want you to be." Bailey said, softly.
