Billie Joe - 3rd Grade, chapter 2
Billie Joe dragged himself home, opening the door and slamming his school bag on the floor. He didn't feel like telling his dad anymore, it was too humiliating. His brothers would tease him so much he wouldn't be able to bear it and then of course he'd cry...which would make them tease him more...
Billie tried to sneak through the kitchen as he thought to himself some more.
But then again if he said someone else beat him up, his brothers would kill them. And trash their house. And possibly kidnap their pets. Billie didn't want anyone to be hurt.
His brothers were funny like that...they'd tease him till he cried yet if someone hurt him they'd protect him at all costs...
It would be:
"Billie you're such a little fag"
One day and the next .
"Why'd you punch Jake's older brother for?"
"Because your, our little brother BJ and that fucktard won't pick on you anymore."
Billie crept through the living room and into the hall way, tip toeing to his room, where he could hide until dinner time...or find a way to cover the bruise on his face up...
Billie arrived in his room and searched through his drawers. Nothing. The best thing there was jumper to put over his face. Billie had an idea. He went to the kitchen and got out a paper bag, went back to his room and rubbed a bit of ink on it.
Placing it over his head, he sat there for a while, feeling stupid. Then he was hungry so he walked casually into the kitchen, thinking that maybe his dad would accept it as a new style. Billie couldn't see where he was going so he felt his way into the kitchen and into the fridge. He didn't see his father sitting at the table, eating an afternoon snack. His father nearly burst out laughing, but held it in, wanting to see what this was about.
As he watched Billie scrambling across the kitchen to the fridge, tripping over a couple of times to land right on his face, he was more and more puzzled. Billie finally reached the fridge, opening it and fumbling around. Billie pulled out what he recognized as cake, but was actually blue vein cheese.
Andy was so tempted to tell him but thought against it. He sat holding in laughter as Billie put the 'cake' under the bag and took a bite. Andy sniggered as Billie spat the cheese out, dropping it on the floor and coughing with disgust. Billie ran toward the sink to rinse his mouth out but careened right into it, knocking himself to the floor.
"OW!" Billie yelped, clutching his back. Andy walked over to his seven year old son sprawled on the floor and slowly took off the paper bag. Billie Joe immediately felt it lifting up and put his head in knees. Andy began to think something wasn't humorous anymore...something was wrong...
Billie was sitting quietly on the kitchen floor, hiding from his father with his head in his knees and not talking, when usually he was talking non stop. Andy placed the paper bag on the counter and sat down next to Billie Joe.
"You okay?" he asked, as Billie didn't move.
"We made it for arts and crafts," Billie replied quickly, not wanting to look at his dad. He'd laugh at him, he was sure of it. Andy looked both worried and protective.
"Well it's lovely but I'd like to see your real face if that's okay," Andy asked, trying to lift Billie's chin up. Billie refused.
"But...but I painted my face too and it's ugly..." he mumbled into his knees shakily. He was getting scared. What would his dad say? He was beat up by a girl! What if his brothers beat up the girls? Everyone would hate him for sure...
"Billie Joe if anyone hurt you you should tell me right away and I can do something about it. Not Allen, not David, just me. And we'll do it how you want. But if someone's hurt you you tell me Billie. I'm your dad, nothing is so bad you have to hide it from me." Andy swallowed. He secretly wanted to tear whoever had done this to his son to shreds. Billie slowly drew his head out from his knees, with puffy eyes from crying.
Andy saw his cut lip and bruise around his cheek and felt immediate pain. He'd kill them. Whoever did this he would rip them to shreds.
"What happened. Start from the beginning," Andy said gently, with his arm now around Billie, who leant into his father's warm clothing.
"Promise not to laugh at me. It wasn't my fault," Billie said nervously. His father nodded, wondering just how badly someone had hurt Billie. His son sighed deeply.
"A girl beat me up cos she wants me to be her boyfriend. She's my size, my age, in my class and she said she loves me then she kicked me," Billie blurted out, while Andy took a minute or two to register it all.
"W-what?" he replied, wanting to laugh but remembering his promise.
"I walked outta class..." Billie began, before realizing.
"Billie..." his dad said, unimpressed.
"She was being a bitch! She was bullying me!" Billie said with all sincerity.
"I believe you kiddo..." his dad replied.
"Anyway, I walked outta class and I dunno I guess she followed me or somethin' but then she pushed me over and kicked me and I got up and asked her what she wanted and she said for me to be her boyfriend or else she'd beat me up so I said what? And yeah then she kicked me heaps and I yelled ok and she said she loved me and blushed and then ran away so I came home...I wanted to tell you but then I was..." Billie swallowed. "Um...embarrassed," he finished, blushing a hot red. Andy felt a wave of relief.
"A girl Billie?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah I know...it's weak but you told me not to hit 'em! So what can I do?" Billie asked, as his dad picked him up and carried him to the couch.
"Dunno. I think you gotta let her know you don't like her, then if she goes to hit you just catch the punches but don't hit her back. Just defend yourself," Andy finished, as Billie looked confused.
"Dad..." he said slowly. "I'm scared of her." Andy hugged Billie Joe tight.
"You know something?" Andy said. "So am I."
Billie tried to sneak through the kitchen as he thought to himself some more.
But then again if he said someone else beat him up, his brothers would kill them. And trash their house. And possibly kidnap their pets. Billie didn't want anyone to be hurt.
His brothers were funny like that...they'd tease him till he cried yet if someone hurt him they'd protect him at all costs...
It would be:
"Billie you're such a little fag"
One day and the next .
"Why'd you punch Jake's older brother for?"
"Because your, our little brother BJ and that fucktard won't pick on you anymore."
Billie crept through the living room and into the hall way, tip toeing to his room, where he could hide until dinner time...or find a way to cover the bruise on his face up...
Billie arrived in his room and searched through his drawers. Nothing. The best thing there was jumper to put over his face. Billie had an idea. He went to the kitchen and got out a paper bag, went back to his room and rubbed a bit of ink on it.
Placing it over his head, he sat there for a while, feeling stupid. Then he was hungry so he walked casually into the kitchen, thinking that maybe his dad would accept it as a new style. Billie couldn't see where he was going so he felt his way into the kitchen and into the fridge. He didn't see his father sitting at the table, eating an afternoon snack. His father nearly burst out laughing, but held it in, wanting to see what this was about.
As he watched Billie scrambling across the kitchen to the fridge, tripping over a couple of times to land right on his face, he was more and more puzzled. Billie finally reached the fridge, opening it and fumbling around. Billie pulled out what he recognized as cake, but was actually blue vein cheese.
Andy was so tempted to tell him but thought against it. He sat holding in laughter as Billie put the 'cake' under the bag and took a bite. Andy sniggered as Billie spat the cheese out, dropping it on the floor and coughing with disgust. Billie ran toward the sink to rinse his mouth out but careened right into it, knocking himself to the floor.
"OW!" Billie yelped, clutching his back. Andy walked over to his seven year old son sprawled on the floor and slowly took off the paper bag. Billie Joe immediately felt it lifting up and put his head in knees. Andy began to think something wasn't humorous anymore...something was wrong...
Billie was sitting quietly on the kitchen floor, hiding from his father with his head in his knees and not talking, when usually he was talking non stop. Andy placed the paper bag on the counter and sat down next to Billie Joe.
"You okay?" he asked, as Billie didn't move.
"We made it for arts and crafts," Billie replied quickly, not wanting to look at his dad. He'd laugh at him, he was sure of it. Andy looked both worried and protective.
"Well it's lovely but I'd like to see your real face if that's okay," Andy asked, trying to lift Billie's chin up. Billie refused.
"But...but I painted my face too and it's ugly..." he mumbled into his knees shakily. He was getting scared. What would his dad say? He was beat up by a girl! What if his brothers beat up the girls? Everyone would hate him for sure...
"Billie Joe if anyone hurt you you should tell me right away and I can do something about it. Not Allen, not David, just me. And we'll do it how you want. But if someone's hurt you you tell me Billie. I'm your dad, nothing is so bad you have to hide it from me." Andy swallowed. He secretly wanted to tear whoever had done this to his son to shreds. Billie slowly drew his head out from his knees, with puffy eyes from crying.
Andy saw his cut lip and bruise around his cheek and felt immediate pain. He'd kill them. Whoever did this he would rip them to shreds.
"What happened. Start from the beginning," Andy said gently, with his arm now around Billie, who leant into his father's warm clothing.
"Promise not to laugh at me. It wasn't my fault," Billie said nervously. His father nodded, wondering just how badly someone had hurt Billie. His son sighed deeply.
"A girl beat me up cos she wants me to be her boyfriend. She's my size, my age, in my class and she said she loves me then she kicked me," Billie blurted out, while Andy took a minute or two to register it all.
"W-what?" he replied, wanting to laugh but remembering his promise.
"I walked outta class..." Billie began, before realizing.
"Billie..." his dad said, unimpressed.
"She was being a bitch! She was bullying me!" Billie said with all sincerity.
"I believe you kiddo..." his dad replied.
"Anyway, I walked outta class and I dunno I guess she followed me or somethin' but then she pushed me over and kicked me and I got up and asked her what she wanted and she said for me to be her boyfriend or else she'd beat me up so I said what? And yeah then she kicked me heaps and I yelled ok and she said she loved me and blushed and then ran away so I came home...I wanted to tell you but then I was..." Billie swallowed. "Um...embarrassed," he finished, blushing a hot red. Andy felt a wave of relief.
"A girl Billie?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah I know...it's weak but you told me not to hit 'em! So what can I do?" Billie asked, as his dad picked him up and carried him to the couch.
"Dunno. I think you gotta let her know you don't like her, then if she goes to hit you just catch the punches but don't hit her back. Just defend yourself," Andy finished, as Billie looked confused.
"Dad..." he said slowly. "I'm scared of her." Andy hugged Billie Joe tight.
"You know something?" Andy said. "So am I."
