Only Child, chapter 2
No ones' P.O.V
Billie racked his brains to try and think of a couple of names that Emily had mentioned before.
"Um. . . Amy?"
"She moved schools in fourth grade."
"Stacy?"
"I don't know a Stacy." She said angrily.
The car was silent for a couple of minutes.
"You don't have any friends?"
Emily shook her head.
"Does Adrienne know about this?" asked Billie.
"Yeah," Emily laughed sadly. "I told her somewhere in the two years that you where on tour for."
"Don't start with this, Em, I thought you didn't care!"
"I did care! But what difference would it make anyway?" she half-yelled again.
"It would have made a difference baby,"
"Dad, what's my favourite colour?"
"Um, red?" he guessed.
Emily snorted.
"Not even close." She said
"Dad, take me home."
"No, Em, I want to sort this out."
"Fine then, I'll walk home."
And with that, Emily opened the car door, got out and slammed it shut.
Billie watched her walking, until she had turned the corner. He rested his head on the steering wheel silently crying, as reality hit him like a tonne of bricks.
Three hours later, Emily arrived at the gate of her house.
She opened the gate and walked down the long driveway as quietly as she could. She slipped through the front door, and almost made it to the start of the stairs, when two hands grabbed her by the waist. Billie's hands. She struggled against him, but he was to strong. He picked her up, walked over to the sofa, and sat her down on his lap.
She looked at him. His eyes were all red and puffy, and there were traces of eyeliner running down his cheeks.
He looked into her blue eyes, and started to cry. He cried into her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
When the tears had slowed down, he looked down at her again.
"I'm sorry, baby. I never realised any of this. I'm such a screwed up father."
She didn't say anything; she just looked in her lap.
Billie sniffed. He cupped his hands under her chin, and gently moved her head so that she was looking at him.
"I love you so much, I hope you know that."
He pulled her forwards and kissed her forehead.
He cradled her in his strong arms, as they stayed on the couch and watched TV together.
At eight o'clock the next morning, Billie Joe awoke, with Emily still asleep, wrapped in his arms. He brushed the blond hair softly off her face, and kissed her cheek. He sighed, looking at her beautiful face. He had missed out on a lot of her life. He had come home from touring a couple of years ago, and was going on tour again in a month, and he spent most of his time in the studio. When he got home, she was usually asleep.
He felt tears spring to his eyes again. How could he be so ignorant? He barely knew his only child, the most important person in his hectic life.
He got up and carried her to her bedroom upstairs and laid her carefully down on her bed.
When he walked back into the living room, he heard Adie in the kitchen.
He walked up to her and kissed her cheek.
"Morning,"
"Morning to you too," he said in reply.
"Here, I made you some coffee," said Adrienne.
"Thanks."
Billie grabbed the cup of coffee, and sat on one of the kitchen stools.
He took a long sip. And then said,
"How come you didn't tell me about Emily having no friends?"
Adie froze momentarily, and then looked up at him.
"She didn't want you or anyone else to know. When did she tell you?"
"Last night. I think she just sort of blurted it out without meaning to."
Adie nodded, and then went back to making scrambled eggs.
"Hey, I've just had an idea."
"What?" asked Adie.
"You and Em can come on tour with us!"
"I don't know, Em has school, and I've got to run Adeline Street."
"Please, please, please?" begged Billie.
"I don't think so Billie."
"Frankito, Stella and Ramona are going. Just for two months?"
Adrienne sighed.
"Alright, but only for two months, okay?"
"Yes! Thank you so much Adie, I love you!" he said, picking her up and spinning her round.
"Arrgh, put me down Billie!" laughed Adrienne.
Billie set her down on the ground carefully.
Then Billie raced upstairs to tell Emily.
He opened her door, and sat on the edge of her bed, shaking her awake.
"Em, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open, and then closed again.
"Saturday, no school." She mumbled.
"I know, but I have some awesome news!"
"Tell me later," she said, burying her head under the doona.
Billie laughed, and picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, doona and all.
"Arrgh! Dad! Let me down!"
"Nope!" he said grinning, running down the stairs with her.
He ran out to the back yard, and stood over the pools edge.
"One," he said, swinging me back and forth.
"No!"
"Two."
"Dad, please don't!"
"THREE!"
Billie swung forwards, but Emily clutched even tighter around his neck, resulting in them both falling in.
Billie racked his brains to try and think of a couple of names that Emily had mentioned before.
"Um. . . Amy?"
"She moved schools in fourth grade."
"Stacy?"
"I don't know a Stacy." She said angrily.
The car was silent for a couple of minutes.
"You don't have any friends?"
Emily shook her head.
"Does Adrienne know about this?" asked Billie.
"Yeah," Emily laughed sadly. "I told her somewhere in the two years that you where on tour for."
"Don't start with this, Em, I thought you didn't care!"
"I did care! But what difference would it make anyway?" she half-yelled again.
"It would have made a difference baby,"
"Dad, what's my favourite colour?"
"Um, red?" he guessed.
Emily snorted.
"Not even close." She said
"Dad, take me home."
"No, Em, I want to sort this out."
"Fine then, I'll walk home."
And with that, Emily opened the car door, got out and slammed it shut.
Billie watched her walking, until she had turned the corner. He rested his head on the steering wheel silently crying, as reality hit him like a tonne of bricks.
Three hours later, Emily arrived at the gate of her house.
She opened the gate and walked down the long driveway as quietly as she could. She slipped through the front door, and almost made it to the start of the stairs, when two hands grabbed her by the waist. Billie's hands. She struggled against him, but he was to strong. He picked her up, walked over to the sofa, and sat her down on his lap.
She looked at him. His eyes were all red and puffy, and there were traces of eyeliner running down his cheeks.
He looked into her blue eyes, and started to cry. He cried into her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.
When the tears had slowed down, he looked down at her again.
"I'm sorry, baby. I never realised any of this. I'm such a screwed up father."
She didn't say anything; she just looked in her lap.
Billie sniffed. He cupped his hands under her chin, and gently moved her head so that she was looking at him.
"I love you so much, I hope you know that."
He pulled her forwards and kissed her forehead.
He cradled her in his strong arms, as they stayed on the couch and watched TV together.
At eight o'clock the next morning, Billie Joe awoke, with Emily still asleep, wrapped in his arms. He brushed the blond hair softly off her face, and kissed her cheek. He sighed, looking at her beautiful face. He had missed out on a lot of her life. He had come home from touring a couple of years ago, and was going on tour again in a month, and he spent most of his time in the studio. When he got home, she was usually asleep.
He felt tears spring to his eyes again. How could he be so ignorant? He barely knew his only child, the most important person in his hectic life.
He got up and carried her to her bedroom upstairs and laid her carefully down on her bed.
When he walked back into the living room, he heard Adie in the kitchen.
He walked up to her and kissed her cheek.
"Morning,"
"Morning to you too," he said in reply.
"Here, I made you some coffee," said Adrienne.
"Thanks."
Billie grabbed the cup of coffee, and sat on one of the kitchen stools.
He took a long sip. And then said,
"How come you didn't tell me about Emily having no friends?"
Adie froze momentarily, and then looked up at him.
"She didn't want you or anyone else to know. When did she tell you?"
"Last night. I think she just sort of blurted it out without meaning to."
Adie nodded, and then went back to making scrambled eggs.
"Hey, I've just had an idea."
"What?" asked Adie.
"You and Em can come on tour with us!"
"I don't know, Em has school, and I've got to run Adeline Street."
"Please, please, please?" begged Billie.
"I don't think so Billie."
"Frankito, Stella and Ramona are going. Just for two months?"
Adrienne sighed.
"Alright, but only for two months, okay?"
"Yes! Thank you so much Adie, I love you!" he said, picking her up and spinning her round.
"Arrgh, put me down Billie!" laughed Adrienne.
Billie set her down on the ground carefully.
Then Billie raced upstairs to tell Emily.
He opened her door, and sat on the edge of her bed, shaking her awake.
"Em, wake up!"
Her eyes fluttered open, and then closed again.
"Saturday, no school." She mumbled.
"I know, but I have some awesome news!"
"Tell me later," she said, burying her head under the doona.
Billie laughed, and picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, doona and all.
"Arrgh! Dad! Let me down!"
"Nope!" he said grinning, running down the stairs with her.
He ran out to the back yard, and stood over the pools edge.
"One," he said, swinging me back and forth.
"No!"
"Two."
"Dad, please don't!"
"THREE!"
Billie swung forwards, but Emily clutched even tighter around his neck, resulting in them both falling in.
