Like Father Like Daughter, chapter 1

(2002, Sacramento, CA)
(3rd person P.O.V.)


"Oh my god Adrienne, I can't believe you convinced me to do this."

It was a lovely summer morning. The date was June 24th. Billie Joe and Adrienne just got out of the car from about a 2 hour drive from their home in Berkeley. Joey and Jakob were staying with Billie Joe's mom, Ollie, as him and Adrienne drove to Sacramento to take care of some very important business. As I was saying.......

"OH MY FUCKING GOD ADRIENNE!!!" Billie Joe was seriously freaking out. "Awww Billie, calm down. Besides, you were the one who made the decision to go ahead with it anyways."

Adrienne tried to calm Billie down. He took some deep breaths. "Yeah, you're right."

After months of researching, Billie Joe and Adrienne knew it all ended up to this. Holding hands, they walked into the adoption center.




(June 1987) (still the same P.O.V.)

"Oh my God, oh my God." Clarise Moss, Billie Joe's girlfriend at the time, was crying hysterically. Billie Joe's mom, Ollie, her husband, and Clarise's parents were sitting in the Armstrong household at the dining table. A 15-year-old Billie's eyes were welling up with tears. "I'm so sorry."

Clarise had been dating Billie for about 7 months now. She had long, wavy blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was tall with a model's figure.

And to top it all off, Clarise was pregnant. With Billie Joe's kid.

Ollie stood up. "What have you done Billie Joe? I never ever thought you would do something like this. I'm sorry too." She wasn't yelling, but her voice was of disappointment. She sat down and started crying. Clarise's mother was crying too.

Billie Joe's stepdad stood up and slapped Billie. "You're a fucking stupid kid, did you know that?"

Ollie snapped. "Don't you talk about my baby like that." But he didn't seem to pay any attention to what she was saying.

Billie grabbed Clarise's hand. "I'm really sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen." She pulled away.

Mr. Moss finally spoke. "What do you suppose we can do?" "Do you suppose she can terminate the pregnancy?" Mrs. Moss suggested.

"Oh no we can't, Clarise is already too far into the pregnancy." Mr. Moss looked disappointed.

It's not easy trying to keep a pregnancy a secret. But Billie Joe and Clarise managed to pull it off for five months. Clarise finally fessed up when her dad found her one morning bent over the toilet throwing up.

"Well," Ollie said, "I guess we have no choice. Clarise is going to give birth. And we will put the baby up for adoption." The rest of the room nodded in agreement.





(4 months later)(3rd person P.O.V.)

Clarise was in labor giving birth. She wouldn't let Billie Joe be in the hospital room to witness the birth of his daughter. Billie Joe was sitting outside, taking deep breaths while Mike and John ((John Kiffmeyer, remember, they didn't know Tre yet)) here sitting with him trying to comfort him. Billie Joe just wished this was all over, so he can forget about it and move on. The Moss's were planning a move to some town in Massachusets to start over. But whatever, it's not like anybody really knew about it, except for a few close friends who could be trusted with any kind of secret.

They heard a baby crying and after a few minutes Clarise left the hospital in a wheelchair. Billie was outraged.

"SHE DOESN'T EVEN WANT TO SEE HER DAUGHTER?" Billie Joe was being held back by John and Mike while he struggled to get out and hurt Mr. Moss. "I'm sorry Billie Joe", then he left. Billie calmed down. Mike and John let go. Without saying a word, Billie walked away and roamed around the hospital.

He walked down the hallway and noticed the room where they kept the newborn babies. He looked around the room and his eye caught a baby girl dressed in a bright red body suit. He immediatley knew it was his daughter (he chose the suit, after all). He smiled at her and she stared back. A nurse watching over the babies noticed Billie Joe and picked up the girl out of her crib, walked outside and handed it to Billie Joe.

"Is she you sister?" The nurse asked. "No, my daughter," Billie answered back.

Billie Joe stared deeply into his daughter's big, sea-green eyes and played around the tuff of red hair on the top of her head.

She grabbed his finger. Billie Joe felt a feeling he never felt before. It was more than love.

Ollie came up from behind him and smiled. Billie smiled back.

Just then his daughter put her arms up and started hitting Billie Joe in the face.

"Aww...Billie Joe, she's just like you." Ollie and Billie laughed.

Like father like daughter.

"Well Billie, the people that are going to adopted her are here."

Billie Joe spun around to see a young couple.

The man was dressed in a suit and tie, looking very professional. His wife was a bottled blond wearing a long-sleeved white blouse with a knee-length blue skirt and black heels. They both looked like they were in their mid-20s. And by the way they dressed, Billie Joe assumed they were some wealthy couple.

The man spoke. "Hi, I'm William Kensington, and this is my wife, Virginia Kensington".

"Hi, nice to meet you, Billie Joe," Mrs. Kensington said and extended a hand. Her husband did the same.

Billie Joe reached out and shook both their hands.

"Um...so I guess you're here to adopt her," an awkward Billie exclaimed.

"Yes we are. And we'll take good care of her, like she was our own daughter back at our home in Laguna Beach."

Mrs. Kensington held out her arms as if she wanted Billie Joe to hand her the baby. Billie Joe froze and pulled his daughter in closer to him.

Ollie looked at him and nodded. Billie nodded back and handed the baby away, and tears started to fill his eyes.

The couple noticed and the husband spoke.

"We haven't really decided on a name, so you can name her if you'd like."

Billie Joe paused and thought for a moment. Then he thought of the perfect name for his daughter.

"Riley Maria. I know Riley is a boy's name but I think it's a good name for a girl. And I just like the name Maria for a middle name. That is, if you like the name. If you don't, you can name her whatever you want." Billie Joe was choking back tears as he spoke.

He didn't want to give her up, but he knew that was his only choice. He couldn't keep her, with his full house, and Clarise definitley didn't care.

The couple looked at each other and smiled. His mother even smiled in approval.

"I think it's a fine name for a girl." Mrs. Kensington exclaimed. Mr. Kensington nodded. "So it's settled. Her name will be Riley Maria."

So for a few more moments, they just stood there until Ollie spoke.

"I think Mr. and Mrs. Kensington should get going. We don't want to keep them waiting."

The couple nodded. "Okay we're on our way." She took little Riley's hand and made her wave good-bye. Ollie and Billie waved.

Billie Joe walked up to Riley and planted a kiss on her forehead and smiled down on her. She put her arms up and started hitting Billie in the face again. He smiled.

"Bye Riley."

Then Mr. and Mrs. Kensington turned away and Riley started to cry. So did Billie Joe. Billie and his mom held each other for a while. Mr. and Mrs. Kensington walked out the door, taking Riley away from Billie Joe forever.

Or so he thought............

(To be continued)