KJ And Billie, chapter 14
"YOU CANNOT! I WILL NOT LET YOU!" He was still screaming.
"Tre, you're not her keeper."
"BUT YOU ARE THE FATHER OF THAT BABY!"
"Yeah, I'm Aubrey's dad."
"Not that one, Billie Joe. Not just her." I muttered under my breath. Kayleigh wouldn't say a word.
"When, why?" He was just stammering out questions.
"About 12 hours before you left. I didn't tell you because I wanted to see what you would do."
"You lied to me."
"You were gonna leave Aubrey, what would this baby matter?" They glared at each other.
"Kayleigh..." Billie Joe leaned back upon the couch, putting his head in his hands, and closing his eyes. He wasn't prepared for this, obviously.
"Don't go and change your mind just because of the baby..."
"Kayleigh, can we just talk, me and you?" His eyes opened, the first innocent look I've ever seen him give. She nods, and we all kind of scatter. Well, scatter upstairs...
"Quit trying to listen in you guys." We roll our eyes, and everyone goes in Tre's room.
~~~~~~
"What happened to us, Billie Joe? Remember when?"
"When what?"
"When we were happy. When we wanted each other. Do you remember that day you told Brendan off?"
"I remember what we did that night." He smiled, and reached for my hand. I held his hand, but we both noticed the same feelings weren't there.
"We've changed so much."
"And I always thought for the better."
"Maybe it was, Kayleigh, maybe it was."
"Do you really believe that, Billie?"
"I just don't know anymore." I let go of his hand, and ran it through my hair.
"Do you still love me, Kayleigh?"
"Is this a trick question?"
"No. Do you still love me?"
"Honestly..." I watched his eyes flash from no emotion at all to every emotion in the book.
"I'll always love you Billie Joe. You're the father of my kids. You're the first love I ever had." He smiled, but held his head in his hands. Obviously, his mind and his heart were trying to tear him apart. I guess I'd be going through the same thing, except I always thought with my heart. He'd never know how much I wanted to run over there and have him hold me. Or better yet, to be seventeen again, on that April day, riding in his BMW.
"I gotta go get my stuff, we gotta go to that photo..."
"Off you go again..."
"Damn it Kayleigh, don't."
"I'm sorry, I just thought fixing your marriage was more important than a photoshoot." I was steaming now, and he knew it. I got up and threw the pillow I was holding on the couch.
"Well, then I guess we're going to court then."
"Yeah, I guess so." He wasn't even going to try and retort. He was just going to end this. Maybe he's right.
~~~~~~
"That is total bull!" Tre leaned back on his bed, trying not to cry. We thought there for a minute that they were gonna get back together, and now, it's over all over again.
"We gotta stop this." Tre sat up again, Allie rubbing his back.
"You're right."
"You're with me now, Mike?"
"I can't let these two not be together. I saw what they mean to each other. We all heard it. They can't get a divorce, they can't!" Everyone nodded at me, and we started scheming. We decided that we would somehow talk to Billie Joe, and then to Kayleigh, and get them thinking in the other directions, like subliminal messages.
Two weeks later....
It must not have worked much, here we are in the courtroom. It's a hearing room, where they just call the cases up one by one. If you're not there, the case is dismissed, end of story. Tre and I accompanied Billie Joe. I, dressed much as I was at the Brits, and Tre in his usual black shirt and red tie. Billie Joe, you wouldn't recognize him. His hair wasn't fluffy, it was brushed down, all professional like. His jacket covered his tattoo. Black suit jacket, blue shirt, white tie, black pants. The man knew how to be professional. I was still dropping hints though.
"She's pregnant, she may not be up to it."
"Won't her lawyer show?"
"Won't you be there with her, I mean, that is your baby."
I couldn't say much with Tre's blubbering. And to top it off, he was crying into his tie! He looks over at Billie Joe.
"You made me smear my eyeliner. Gosh, you can be such a bitch, Billie Joe."
"Oh shut up."
"I'm serious, and I don't even have anymore. You're gonna make me look like a drag queen."
"Too bad"
"Lemme have your tie. Mine's covered in streaks now."
"HELL NO!"
"No wonder she's getting a divorce, can't even give up the tie... shame shame."
Billie Joe reached over and kicked him in the shin. I had to wonder how old we were again.
"Billie Joe, quit, she's coming." Billie Joe straightened out his act as she walked in. Starting to show a little bit, she wore a simple black suit jacket, and a white button down, and a black skirt with ballerina flats. The girl knew how to look professional too. She sits on the opposite side of the courtroom, as I watch Sam, Allie, and her lawyer sit with her. I don't think Tre and Billie Joe realize how much pain Kayleigh seems to be in. I don't know if it's emotional, but I hope to God it's nothing wrong with the baby. Tre coughs, and I forgot only for that split second what was going on.
"coughjackasscough". Billie Joe cuts him an evil glare. Tre smiles and remembers to say good morning to Kayleigh. I just had to ask though...
"Are we sure we still wanna do this?"
"I don't have any other option Mike." So we sit back, and watch the proceedings in front of us. Petty theft, other divorces, contract breeches. I took over an hour and a half for these to go on and get done. And the judge calls a recess. I look over, and Allie and KJ are gone, but Sam's still there, and she isn't happy.
"Baby what is it?"
"Hospital."
"What?"
"KJ was crying, in so much pain, Allie took her to the hospital." I bit my nails, something I never do. I went over to Tre.
"Where's Allie?"
"Taking Kayleigh to the hospital."
"WHAT!"
"Said she was in a lot of pain..."
"We gotta tell Billie Joe."
So we go over, and he's got the lawyer for Kayleigh with him too. Obviously, we were too late.
"So what are the options."
"If you leave, Mr. Armstrong, the case is dismissed."
"But my wife already left."
"Not under her own power, therefore I am her represenative. If you are able to be under your own power and wish to leave, the divorce will be thrown out, and you shall remain husband and wife." I saw Billie Joe's eyes scan the room, look at Sam, look at me and Tre. He sat down in his chair again. So we sat down with him.
Twenty minutes Later....
"Case 340765A Armstrong Vs. Armstrong..."
"Tre, you're not her keeper."
"BUT YOU ARE THE FATHER OF THAT BABY!"
"Yeah, I'm Aubrey's dad."
"Not that one, Billie Joe. Not just her." I muttered under my breath. Kayleigh wouldn't say a word.
"When, why?" He was just stammering out questions.
"About 12 hours before you left. I didn't tell you because I wanted to see what you would do."
"You lied to me."
"You were gonna leave Aubrey, what would this baby matter?" They glared at each other.
"Kayleigh..." Billie Joe leaned back upon the couch, putting his head in his hands, and closing his eyes. He wasn't prepared for this, obviously.
"Don't go and change your mind just because of the baby..."
"Kayleigh, can we just talk, me and you?" His eyes opened, the first innocent look I've ever seen him give. She nods, and we all kind of scatter. Well, scatter upstairs...
"Quit trying to listen in you guys." We roll our eyes, and everyone goes in Tre's room.
~~~~~~
"What happened to us, Billie Joe? Remember when?"
"When what?"
"When we were happy. When we wanted each other. Do you remember that day you told Brendan off?"
"I remember what we did that night." He smiled, and reached for my hand. I held his hand, but we both noticed the same feelings weren't there.
"We've changed so much."
"And I always thought for the better."
"Maybe it was, Kayleigh, maybe it was."
"Do you really believe that, Billie?"
"I just don't know anymore." I let go of his hand, and ran it through my hair.
"Do you still love me, Kayleigh?"
"Is this a trick question?"
"No. Do you still love me?"
"Honestly..." I watched his eyes flash from no emotion at all to every emotion in the book.
"I'll always love you Billie Joe. You're the father of my kids. You're the first love I ever had." He smiled, but held his head in his hands. Obviously, his mind and his heart were trying to tear him apart. I guess I'd be going through the same thing, except I always thought with my heart. He'd never know how much I wanted to run over there and have him hold me. Or better yet, to be seventeen again, on that April day, riding in his BMW.
"I gotta go get my stuff, we gotta go to that photo..."
"Off you go again..."
"Damn it Kayleigh, don't."
"I'm sorry, I just thought fixing your marriage was more important than a photoshoot." I was steaming now, and he knew it. I got up and threw the pillow I was holding on the couch.
"Well, then I guess we're going to court then."
"Yeah, I guess so." He wasn't even going to try and retort. He was just going to end this. Maybe he's right.
~~~~~~
"That is total bull!" Tre leaned back on his bed, trying not to cry. We thought there for a minute that they were gonna get back together, and now, it's over all over again.
"We gotta stop this." Tre sat up again, Allie rubbing his back.
"You're right."
"You're with me now, Mike?"
"I can't let these two not be together. I saw what they mean to each other. We all heard it. They can't get a divorce, they can't!" Everyone nodded at me, and we started scheming. We decided that we would somehow talk to Billie Joe, and then to Kayleigh, and get them thinking in the other directions, like subliminal messages.
Two weeks later....
It must not have worked much, here we are in the courtroom. It's a hearing room, where they just call the cases up one by one. If you're not there, the case is dismissed, end of story. Tre and I accompanied Billie Joe. I, dressed much as I was at the Brits, and Tre in his usual black shirt and red tie. Billie Joe, you wouldn't recognize him. His hair wasn't fluffy, it was brushed down, all professional like. His jacket covered his tattoo. Black suit jacket, blue shirt, white tie, black pants. The man knew how to be professional. I was still dropping hints though.
"She's pregnant, she may not be up to it."
"Won't her lawyer show?"
"Won't you be there with her, I mean, that is your baby."
I couldn't say much with Tre's blubbering. And to top it off, he was crying into his tie! He looks over at Billie Joe.
"You made me smear my eyeliner. Gosh, you can be such a bitch, Billie Joe."
"Oh shut up."
"I'm serious, and I don't even have anymore. You're gonna make me look like a drag queen."
"Too bad"
"Lemme have your tie. Mine's covered in streaks now."
"HELL NO!"
"No wonder she's getting a divorce, can't even give up the tie... shame shame."
Billie Joe reached over and kicked him in the shin. I had to wonder how old we were again.
"Billie Joe, quit, she's coming." Billie Joe straightened out his act as she walked in. Starting to show a little bit, she wore a simple black suit jacket, and a white button down, and a black skirt with ballerina flats. The girl knew how to look professional too. She sits on the opposite side of the courtroom, as I watch Sam, Allie, and her lawyer sit with her. I don't think Tre and Billie Joe realize how much pain Kayleigh seems to be in. I don't know if it's emotional, but I hope to God it's nothing wrong with the baby. Tre coughs, and I forgot only for that split second what was going on.
"coughjackasscough". Billie Joe cuts him an evil glare. Tre smiles and remembers to say good morning to Kayleigh. I just had to ask though...
"Are we sure we still wanna do this?"
"I don't have any other option Mike." So we sit back, and watch the proceedings in front of us. Petty theft, other divorces, contract breeches. I took over an hour and a half for these to go on and get done. And the judge calls a recess. I look over, and Allie and KJ are gone, but Sam's still there, and she isn't happy.
"Baby what is it?"
"Hospital."
"What?"
"KJ was crying, in so much pain, Allie took her to the hospital." I bit my nails, something I never do. I went over to Tre.
"Where's Allie?"
"Taking Kayleigh to the hospital."
"WHAT!"
"Said she was in a lot of pain..."
"We gotta tell Billie Joe."
So we go over, and he's got the lawyer for Kayleigh with him too. Obviously, we were too late.
"So what are the options."
"If you leave, Mr. Armstrong, the case is dismissed."
"But my wife already left."
"Not under her own power, therefore I am her represenative. If you are able to be under your own power and wish to leave, the divorce will be thrown out, and you shall remain husband and wife." I saw Billie Joe's eyes scan the room, look at Sam, look at me and Tre. He sat down in his chair again. So we sat down with him.
Twenty minutes Later....
"Case 340765A Armstrong Vs. Armstrong..."
