Nothing Is Stopping Me, chapter 7

Mike handed Adie a steaming cup of coffee. "Careful, it's still hot." He cautioned.

Adie nodded and set it down. "I figured it out." She stared at her hands with a scowl. "That DID hurt." She frowned and then laughed when Mike did the same.

"Listen Adie." Oh great, Mike is getting serious again. "I think you should stay here tonight." He started to say.

"So you wouldn't get action from your chickie poo?" Adie smirked while grabbing a straw and taking a sip of coffee.

Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Adrienne." He began again. Only my first name being used can be no good. "I think he's gonna get plastered again, and I think his emotions may get the worst of you two together. He may hit you and you may, well, I hope not."

Adie didn't really understand what he meant by 'I hope not'. What did he mean by that? Does he think that I'm gonna kill Billie? Naw, I'd never!

Mike continued. "Please just stay here, and feel safe. I know you're upset at home and that's starting to show."

"What about the kids?" She asked. "Hey! Are you saying I'm getting ugly?"

Mike shook his head, serious as can be. "I don't think it would be great for them to be home. Could they maybe stay at Tre's house? I know him and the kids get along."

Adie nodded. "Could you maybe drop them off for me? Billie has the car." She bit her lip.

Mike nodded. "Com'on. They're probably home now, so we can tell them to pack."

"What about your daughter?" Adrienne asked.

"She's staying at her friend's house. Yeah, I know, confusing." He smiled a little, grabbing his keys. "Julie!? We're going to do something. We'll be back later."

Mike smiled when he heard Julie scream back "FUCK OFF!"

"Wow. I don't think she likes me." Adie whispered when she closely followed Mike out the door and into the car.

Adrienne was grateful to have Mike by her side if she needed his help. His sense of support and honesty was annoying sometimes, but at the same time, wonderful. He was what she relied on to stay alive. She couldn't bet her life with the kids, they wouldn't understand the shit she goes through.

In the car Mike blared the radio, whilst speeding down the road. Adrienne just stared out the window, watching the houses go whipping by.

Adie jumped out when Mike pulled into the driveway, with no trace of Billie's BMW. "Huh... that's funny. His car isn't in the garage either." She peered into it to only see emptiness.

"Com'on. Lets get the kids before he comes back. I have a bad feeling about where he went." Mike locked his car doors and made his way to the house following Adrienne.

When Adie opened the door she saw her two kids curled up in front of the TV pigging out on chips and pop. When they saw their mother their eyes shifted to one another and as if on cue, they quickly hid the bags of chips behind their backs.

"Uh, it's not what you think-" Joey began when he noted his mother's eyebrow raised.

"-Listen." She cut him off. "You guys are going to sleep over at Tre's okay? He wants company." Adrienne lied taking a big sigh.

"Why?" Jakob asked. "He has-" He tried to conclude.

"Just get packed up okay? I don't have time to argue with you guys!" Adrienne started to grab her own stuff running upstairs.

They immediately ran upstairs giving Mike an odd expression. "Are we leaving daddy?" Jakob asked grabbing his blanket that he was curled up in.

"No." Mike reassured them and ran up to see how Adie was doing. When he winded up the familiar stairs, the memories started to flood back, when he saw Adie come running down the very same stairs he was on then. She was reaching for the door, the very same one that he entered from. She looked back only to see Billie with his fist raised an a bottle of vodka in the other hand. With Adrienne in tears she was punched in the temple and fell to the floor. Billie only staggered off into the living room cussing some slurred words and collapsed into the couch. Mike had seen it from the top of the stairs, peering from the top. He saw it all, which was more than enough to realize what Adie was saying.

He stared wide eyed at the family pictures on the wall. A happy family, one with no addictions, no abuse and only love.

Mike opened the bedroom door and saw Adrienne grabbed her toiletries. "Are you okay?" He asked. Adie nodded in silence. "Do you need help with anything?" Mike asked again.

Adie looked up at him this time and shook her head. "You've been so good to me so far. If I asked for anything more, I bet you and June-"

"Julie." Mike cut off.

"would get pissed off." Adie smiled grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder when she heard the kids thumping around the house tackling each other. "We better get going." She brushed past Mike and into the hallway.

"Ahh! Get your stupid foot out of my fucking face!!!" Adie heard Joey shriek when she came down the stairs. Their bags were packed and they were both on the floor wrestling each other.

"Com'on you two. Let's get into Mike's car." Adrienne forced a smile when they obediently grabbed their stuff and piled into the car.

Mike followed shortly by getting into the car and turning it on. "Wow, it's almost dinner time." He laughed looking at the clock that read 5:46.

"Can we eat at Tre's?" Jakob asked tugging at his mother's sleeve from the back seat.

"Well, he might let us all eat there." Adie smiled at Mike and looked back out the window. It was gloomy, like it was earlier. The clouds had held their rain all day and it looked like it was going to poor any moment. Although it was early, it was almost completely dark.

Mike pulled into the driveway of Tre's. The kids immediately jumped out of the car and ran towards the door, with their pillows and blankets dragging behind them. By the time Mike and Adie had finally reached the door, Tre was already greeting his new guests.

He looked up and smiled. "Come on in!" He laughed when Joey and Jakob went to go see Ramona and Frankito. Adrienne and Mike stepping in slowly and gave back a smile to Tre.

"Tre? We were wondering if the kids could stay here." Adie pleaded.

"Sure. What's the occasion? Oh my gosh! Are you Billie having another kid?" Tre asked excitedly. He didn't know what was going on between Billie, Mike and her.

"Um, no." Adrienne began to say when she looked over and saw the kids screaming and running around the house. "Uh, I'll explain it later." She gave half a grin and a hopeful look.

"Okay! Let's eat!" Tre said excitedly. "I love parties!" He was almost as hyper as the kids.

Mike gave Adrienne a quick glance and then smiled when he joined the rest of them. "What's there to eat?"

"PIZZA!!!" Tre screamed waving the box around.

Adie just shifted to the couch and watched all of them talk and goof around. Looking out the window she saw a few rain drops start to fall down and splatter on the windows, running down them afterwards.

"Adie! Hey! Come back to us!" Tre was sitting beside her with a plate full of pizza slices and an odd expression on his face, with his mouth gaped open as if gazing at the same place she was. "I don't see anything out there." He had a half chewed piece of pizza still in his mouth, and it was noticeable.

"Eww, Tre that's gross! Finish what you're eating before you gape at something." Adrienne smiled, lightening up a little.