Billie Joe - 3rd Grade, chapter 5
On arriving at Billie's house, Tricia began to feel a sense of warmth. Billie's dad and him were so loving and gentle, not like her parents at all. She'd never seen a happy family before, and expected it to all fall apart once she entered the house. Billie unbuckled his seat belt, and went to open the car door for him and Tricia. Tricia froze up. She knew what would happen. She'd walk to into the house, and then they'd all realize how horrible she was. Billie's daddy would hit her, Billie would yell at her, and she'd ruin their family.
Her head began to spin as Billie's father lifted him out of the car. It was high off the ground for young children, and Andy needed to give them a lift down. Andy offered her his hand but Tricia shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. Billie peered up at her from the ground, confused.
"Cmon Tricia, my dad won't hurt you I promise."
Tricia squeaked with sobbing, and Andy looked down at Billie, who looked scared. Andy rubbed Billie's shoulder comfortingly before turning back to Tricia.
"I can't come in your house! I'll wreck it! You'll see. There's s-something wrong with me, I wreck things! If I come in, you won't be a happy family no more... you s-should take me back, I'm gunna wreck t-things!" Tricia cried, still clutching her diary with one hand and her seat belt buckle with the other, shaking violently. Andy gently put his hand on Tricia's, who froze.
Here it comes...here it is...
She shut her eyes tightly, but only to feel Andy softly lift her shaking hand from the seat belt buckle and undo it for her. She opened her eyes and looked tearfully at Andy. He had very different eyes to her father. Or mother. His eyes were good and Tricia had an urge to trust him, but wasn't sure yet.
"Tricia, you're not a bad girl at all. You're a lovely girl. No one should tell you otherwise. You don't wreck anything, you're parents tell you that, but its all lies. All the things they do to you, they're not your fault at all. I promise you. If you come inside, you won't wreck anything. Everyone will treat you really nice, no one's going to blame you or yell at you or hurt you. Because Tricia, you don't deserve it. You're perfect and you should be treated that way."
Hearing this, Tricia felt a large weight shift inside her. Her stomach, previously knotted with anxiety of feeling anything she did was wrong, lessened. She felt acceptable, like she wasn't horrible, like she was okay for once. Tricia nodded and shifted over to Andy, who helped her down next to Billie. Billie smiled at her and held her hand.
"My mummy's gunna love you so much too Tricia, promise."
Tricia nodded, but didn't fully believe it. There was a sense of dread in her what wouldn't go away. Everything was too happy, and upon seeing inside, her views were only confirmed further.
Billie's house was clean and nice smelling, with toys and books and games. Music was playing upstairs, and other music was playing in the kitchen. His mum was singing. It sounded beautiful. Billie bounded into the kitchen, wanting to introduce his girlfriend to his mum. He was sure she'd like her better than David and Allen's old girlfriends. One night, they made a lot of animal noises and Billie's mum yelled at them and Billie never saw either of them again.
"Hey mummy, mummy!" Billie said excitedly, as his mother turned down the radio.
"Mmmmm?" she replied absent mindedly, stirring something on the stove.
"Come check out my brand new girl!" Billie beamed proudly, pulling at his mother to come have a look at Tricia, who was standing in the doorway, trying to figure out how to look for his mum.
Maybe her school uniform was too short. Her mum always said it was. She said it was slutty and filthy. Tricia tried hard to pull it down and make herself look nice. There was a lot of scars on her legs. Maybe Billie's mum would see them and know she was bad. Tricia tried to hide them, pulling her uniform down hard.
"Hello there Tricia. I'm Ollie, Billie's mum. You can just call me Ollie." Billie mum smiled, as Tricia looked her shoes and timidly waved hello. Tricia heard silence, and was sure Billie's mum had noticed her scars. She was probably going to yell any minute.
"Tricia's real pretty mum, cept she's shy." Billie encouraged Tricia, standing next to her.
"I can see that Billie. She's gorgeous. Tricia, you don't need to be afraid of me, I think you're just beautiful." Ollie knelt down and softly hugged Tricia.
Andy looked on sadly as Tricia stayed still, not knowing how to react. From behind Billie and Tricia, Ollie gave Andy an understanding look. She had been informed of Tricia's situation last night. Ollie pulled away and smiled at Tricia, who looked uncertainly at her.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone. Billie, why don't you show Tricia around, show her your pets? If you need anything Tricia, don't be afraid to ask me and Andy. Dinner will be done in about half hour or so. You kids have fun."
Billie took Tricia by the hand and led her out into the backyard as Andy joined Ollie in the kitchen.
"Did I do the right thing Ollie? I mean, what can we do for her? She can't go home, but would foster care be any better?" Andy's eyes hardened, facing the harsh reality of child abuse and wondering if there would be any salvation.
"She's got a chance. She's very young, and there's too much physical evidence for them not to take her out of where she is now. At least in foster care she has a shot at a better life." Ollie replied, cutting carrots absent mindedly. She hoped what she was saying was right. She couldn't bare to have her children removed from her. Who was she to say Tricia should be taken away?
"I wanna keep in contact with that kid though. I want her to know she has us. I think it's the right thing to do." Andy contemplated, watching Billie bring out his dog to show Tricia, he picked up the phone and dialed Child Services.
Her head began to spin as Billie's father lifted him out of the car. It was high off the ground for young children, and Andy needed to give them a lift down. Andy offered her his hand but Tricia shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. Billie peered up at her from the ground, confused.
"Cmon Tricia, my dad won't hurt you I promise."
Tricia squeaked with sobbing, and Andy looked down at Billie, who looked scared. Andy rubbed Billie's shoulder comfortingly before turning back to Tricia.
"I can't come in your house! I'll wreck it! You'll see. There's s-something wrong with me, I wreck things! If I come in, you won't be a happy family no more... you s-should take me back, I'm gunna wreck t-things!" Tricia cried, still clutching her diary with one hand and her seat belt buckle with the other, shaking violently. Andy gently put his hand on Tricia's, who froze.
Here it comes...here it is...
She shut her eyes tightly, but only to feel Andy softly lift her shaking hand from the seat belt buckle and undo it for her. She opened her eyes and looked tearfully at Andy. He had very different eyes to her father. Or mother. His eyes were good and Tricia had an urge to trust him, but wasn't sure yet.
"Tricia, you're not a bad girl at all. You're a lovely girl. No one should tell you otherwise. You don't wreck anything, you're parents tell you that, but its all lies. All the things they do to you, they're not your fault at all. I promise you. If you come inside, you won't wreck anything. Everyone will treat you really nice, no one's going to blame you or yell at you or hurt you. Because Tricia, you don't deserve it. You're perfect and you should be treated that way."
Hearing this, Tricia felt a large weight shift inside her. Her stomach, previously knotted with anxiety of feeling anything she did was wrong, lessened. She felt acceptable, like she wasn't horrible, like she was okay for once. Tricia nodded and shifted over to Andy, who helped her down next to Billie. Billie smiled at her and held her hand.
"My mummy's gunna love you so much too Tricia, promise."
Tricia nodded, but didn't fully believe it. There was a sense of dread in her what wouldn't go away. Everything was too happy, and upon seeing inside, her views were only confirmed further.
Billie's house was clean and nice smelling, with toys and books and games. Music was playing upstairs, and other music was playing in the kitchen. His mum was singing. It sounded beautiful. Billie bounded into the kitchen, wanting to introduce his girlfriend to his mum. He was sure she'd like her better than David and Allen's old girlfriends. One night, they made a lot of animal noises and Billie's mum yelled at them and Billie never saw either of them again.
"Hey mummy, mummy!" Billie said excitedly, as his mother turned down the radio.
"Mmmmm?" she replied absent mindedly, stirring something on the stove.
"Come check out my brand new girl!" Billie beamed proudly, pulling at his mother to come have a look at Tricia, who was standing in the doorway, trying to figure out how to look for his mum.
Maybe her school uniform was too short. Her mum always said it was. She said it was slutty and filthy. Tricia tried hard to pull it down and make herself look nice. There was a lot of scars on her legs. Maybe Billie's mum would see them and know she was bad. Tricia tried to hide them, pulling her uniform down hard.
"Hello there Tricia. I'm Ollie, Billie's mum. You can just call me Ollie." Billie mum smiled, as Tricia looked her shoes and timidly waved hello. Tricia heard silence, and was sure Billie's mum had noticed her scars. She was probably going to yell any minute.
"Tricia's real pretty mum, cept she's shy." Billie encouraged Tricia, standing next to her.
"I can see that Billie. She's gorgeous. Tricia, you don't need to be afraid of me, I think you're just beautiful." Ollie knelt down and softly hugged Tricia.
Andy looked on sadly as Tricia stayed still, not knowing how to react. From behind Billie and Tricia, Ollie gave Andy an understanding look. She had been informed of Tricia's situation last night. Ollie pulled away and smiled at Tricia, who looked uncertainly at her.
"Well, I'll leave you two alone. Billie, why don't you show Tricia around, show her your pets? If you need anything Tricia, don't be afraid to ask me and Andy. Dinner will be done in about half hour or so. You kids have fun."
Billie took Tricia by the hand and led her out into the backyard as Andy joined Ollie in the kitchen.
"Did I do the right thing Ollie? I mean, what can we do for her? She can't go home, but would foster care be any better?" Andy's eyes hardened, facing the harsh reality of child abuse and wondering if there would be any salvation.
"She's got a chance. She's very young, and there's too much physical evidence for them not to take her out of where she is now. At least in foster care she has a shot at a better life." Ollie replied, cutting carrots absent mindedly. She hoped what she was saying was right. She couldn't bare to have her children removed from her. Who was she to say Tricia should be taken away?
"I wanna keep in contact with that kid though. I want her to know she has us. I think it's the right thing to do." Andy contemplated, watching Billie bring out his dog to show Tricia, he picked up the phone and dialed Child Services.
