Carpe Diem, chapter 8
Friday, December 1, 2006
"I'd just like to thank my dad, Billie Joe Armstrong," I smiled into the mic after we'd won Best New Group. I was about to say more but Ashley pushed me out of the way.
"Well, now that the woman's done talking, the real members of the group..." he kept talking, but I tuned out his words. My mouth fell open and when I looked to the crowd, most of the women's mouths were open too in horror and disgust.
And that was the riff. But things just went downhill from there...
Monday, December 3, 2006
Dad and I went into the studio for a meeting with the rest of the band about a second record. I'd thought it through and knew there wasn't gonna be a second record.
"So have you got any songs for this second record yet?" Ashley asked.
I couldn't believe his insolent tone of voice and the way he was looking at me like I was worth shit, when in reality, if I hadn't come along, they wouldn't even be a band anymore. "No," I answered simply.
"What?" he yelled, "We want to start recording tomorrow!"
"Well that's too bad," I shook my head, "Because as far as I'm concerned, you won't ever be recording again."
"What the Hell are you talking about?"
"Don't speak to my daughter like that," Dad warned.
"I'm out of this band," I muttered, "I'm taking my songs, my voice, my guitar, out of this band and I'm never coming back."
"Why?"
"Remember the Grammys? 'The real members of the group?'" I yelled, "There wouldn't be a fucking group if it weren't for me, the woman."
"We woulda found someone."
"I doubt it," I said, "But you're allowed to try."
"I'm not helping, by the way," Dad said, "You're off Adeline."
"Good luck, fuckers," I finished, and left the studio without another word.
"You alright?" Dad asked in the car on the way home.
"Yep, I'm fine," I murmured, putting on a brave smile although inside I was wilting like a dead flower. "I'm out of a band, I have no other one to go to, I'm back to the beginning, and I'm not even considered a person. I'm fucking wonderful."
"Oh, geez," he mumbled, "I'd take you to a bar, but you're underage still. Um...come on, I've got a better idea." He pulled into the parking lot of the mall and grabbed my hand, pulling me inside.
***Billie Joe's POV***
She'd finally forgiven me for the whole...sleeping with Tré incident. Even though it took her about a week, when she stayed with Tré. I took her to the mall and we got ice cream and all that good stuff...and went shopping. I looked over at her as we sat in the crappy little tables eating our ice cream. Her hair, since it was still short, was spiked into a faux hawk so you could tell us apart. Ice cream had always managed to cheer her up, but today she seemed to have a lot on her mind. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, "There's not more bothering you than just the band?"
She glanced up at me and I could see regret in her eyes. "I...I can't tell you," she sighed finally, "Maybe later."
***Billee Jo's POV***
It was the fact that I'd missed my period last month and now I was puking...I was afraid. I'm twenty, for fuck's sake. Yea, yea, I turn twenty-one next week, but still. I knew when it woulda happened; Halloween. I still had to take a test...but I knew I was. And I knew Dad wasn't gonna be happy.
He took me home after a while, realizing that shopping wasn't cheering me up. How could it? I wouldn't be able to wear whatever I bought for very long. Soon my stomach would be growing...I had to talk to Tré. And what do you know, he was at our house when we got home.
We went up to my room and I lay down on my bed with him beside me. "Tré?" I murmured after a minute or two in silence.
"Yea," he replied, his fingertips brushing my arm gently.
"You love me, right?"
"Of course."
"Tré...I...I'm pregnant," I mumbled.
"Are you sure?"
"Fairly," I muttered, "But I don't want to be."
"What do you mean?" he asked, "Babies are great."
"Yea, but Tré, I'm not even old enough to drink and I'm supposed to have a baby," I said, "I'm not ready for this."
"So what, you want an abortion?" he said. I could see he didn't want me to have an abortion, but he knew it was my choice. After all, the baby was growing in me, not him.
***Tré's POV***
I loved kids. And I wanted Billee Jo to have mine. But she wasn't ready, I could see that. And I wanted her to have my babies when she was ready, not when I was. God knows, I was ready then.
"I want an abortion," she confirmed, "But either Mom or Dad's gonna find out. It's partly the parents' choice, apparently."
"Let's tell Adie," I said quickly, "She won't come at me with a pair of pruning shears." Billee giggled, even through her worry.
"Tré," she finally whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for this yet."
"It's okay," I replied, "I get it. It's your uterus, after all." She laughed again. "Should we go talk to your mom, then?" She nodded and followed me from the room.
We found Adie in the kitchen getting a Gatorade. "Um...Adie?"
She straightened up and turned to us. Billee sat on the counter and I stood beside her. "Mom...we need you to set me up an appointment..."
Adie seemed to know what Billee was talking about, and pulled both of us into the empty garage. "When do you need it for?"
"Tomorrow, if possible," Billee answered.
"You," Adie said, pointing at me, "You're going with her. This," she poked her adopted daughter's stomach, "Is your fault."
"I know, Ms. Adie, ma'am," I responded, "And I want to go. I don't want it to go, but...it's her body, and I don't want Billee to be unhappy."
"And don't tell Dad," Billee begged, "Please."
"Of course not," Adie shook her head, "He'd have a heart attack."
"Or just take up smoking again," I shrugged.
"Just...don't...tell him," Billee finally said.
So the next day Billee got her abortion and I went home and cried. I know, sappy, right? But...I love kids.
***Billee Jo's POV***
With the whole...pregnancy thing, Tré and I never got to talk about how I left Mayday. He didn't even know.
Wednesday, December 5, 2006
"Hey," Tré called.
"Hi," I answered, still lying in my warm cozy bed.
"How're you feeling?"
"Mmm...could be better, I guess," I mumbled, "You wanna come over and take care of me?"
"Nothing would make me happier," he murmured, "I'll be over in a bit."
I hung up and pushed my hand back under the pillow my head was shoved into and closed my eyes again. Seems like after an abortion, all you want to do is sleep. So that's what I was doing. The curtains were pulled against light, my door was shut, soothing classical music was playing...perfect for sleeping. And I had been, too, until Tré called my cell. I felt like crap, I guess abortions aren't made to be feel-good medicine. And I was about to fall back asleep when Tré came in. I rolled over onto my other side facing the door and he lay down beside me, facing me. "Hey," he said, pushing my hair back behind my ear.
"Hi," I muttered quietly, my eyes still closed.
"Listen, I wanted to apologize," he said.
"What for?"
"Getting you pregnant and making you go through this..."
"Oh, Tré, it takes two to tango," I smiled, "But that's sweet." He pressed his lips to my forehead and I sighed, moving closer to him so he could wrap his arms around me.
"You know something?"
"What's that?" I replied, still in my half-slumber Tré'd come in to.
"I love you," he whispered...I was about to reply when I fell asleep.
I don't remember waking up, but I do remember Dad bursting through the door. "What the fuck did you do to my daughter?" he raged, pulling Tré from around my body and out of the bed. "Someone just called from an abortion clinic!"
"The baby's gone," Tré said, not making any effort to remove Dad from the front of his shirt.
***Billie Joe's POV***
I glanced at Billee, who was simply lying in her bed, the covers tucked around her, stroking the pillow beside her face gently. I looked back at Tré and saw tears in his eyes.
"Believe me," he said, "If it was my decision, you'd have a grandkid, but it wasn't. The kid's gone." I sighed and let go of him. Or least, the front of his shirt. Instead, I hugged him close to me. He rested his cheek on my shoulder and hugged back, and we stood like that for a few minutes, as I watched Billee's eyes side closed and her back rise and fall evenly and I knew she was asleep. I sniffed, and that seemed to be the, so to speak, breaking of the dam.
Both Tré and I started crying, still holding onto each other for support. "I wanted that baby," Tré finally whispered. I didn't know what to say, instead just continued to hold my arms around his body. Finally we let each other go and wiped our eyes, somewhat embarrassedly. "I wanted that baby so much."
"I just want her to be happy," I replied.
"I want that more than I wanted the kid."
Before I left again I went and kissed a sleeping Billee's forehead, and then I closed the door behind me on my way out. I went down to where Adie was watching TV and sat beside her and rested my head on her shoulder. "I heard about the abortion," I mumbled.
She tensed. "How?"
"They called," I answered, "And I went to talk to the two of them about it."
"And...?"
"Tré really wants her kids," was all I could say.
"I know..."
***Mike's POV***
I drove over to Billie's house and walked into the kitchen, which was connected to the living room by an open doorway, and I could hear Billie saying, "I found out about the abortion."
"How?" Adie now.
"They called. And I went to talk to the two of them about it."
"And...?"
"Tré really wants her kids."
"I know..." Adie said as my mouth fell open. Billee'd had to get an abortion...those are supposed to be Hell. But I knew I couldn't say anything.
I went into the living room acting like I hadn't heard anything. "Hey."
"Hello," Billie said, not looking away from his wife. Both of them had worried looks on their faces.
"What's up?" I asked.
"It's been...a rough few days," Adie answered, holding my gaze.
"Billee left Mayday," Billie explained, "And now she's up in her room with Tré, who's trying to cheer her up."
"That might not be a great idea," I said skeptically.
"I don't care anymore," Billie muttered bitterly, and not to mention unexpectedly.
"You okay, Bill?" I asked.
"Yea. Yea, I'll be fine," he replied.
Thursday, December 6, 2006
Today when I was over at Billie's house for practise, Billee Jo came downstairs to the basement while we were practicing and gathered up all her instruments that had been left there over the past six months, and then went back upstairs.
"What's with her?" I asked, staring after the girl, "She's been really...sad lately."
"She's had a rough time this past week," Billie Joe mumbled, also watching the door to see if she would come back down. "Nothing's cheering her up. Nothing that used to work...not the spoiling her, or the ice cream..."
"Or the..." Tré started.
"Don't say it, Tré," Billie warned.
"What? I was gonna say constant compliments," Tré smiled innocently.
"You've tried everything?" I muttered, "The boys too?"
"Yea..." Billie nodded, "Except maybe..." he stood up suddenly and snapped his fingers. "I got it."
"What? What do we do?" Tré asked, standing up too. I looked up at the two of them, shrugged, and stood up too, just to be part of the group.
"Her friends. Remember? What was her name...Lynda. And Kelsey," Billie grinned, "They play the bass...and the drums. We've got her a band and a pick-me-up, all in one."
"Billie, my friend, you're a genius," Tré murmured, "So how do we get in contact with them?"
"Ah, shit," Billie said, and sat back down again to think.
"Who's the one with the lightest step?" I asked.
"What? What will that do?"
"We go in her room while she's asleep. And we've got ourselves phone numbers," I shrugged, "Not too difficult, either."
We all turned back to the door when it opened and Billee came back in, looking at the ground as she went over to her Blue replica.
***Billie Joe's POV***
Billee Jo sat down and placed her guitar on her lap. I watched her run her fingers over the stickers gently, lingering on each sticker for moments before moving on to the next and lingering there. Finally she put the guitar into its case and slung it over her shoulder.
"Billee, what're you doing?" I asked. I knew she wouldn't usually put her guitar away, or even take it upstairs; she only ever played down here.
She half-turned so we could only see her profile. "Saying goodbye," was all she said, and then she left again. Only, as she went, I thought I saw tears on her face. The guys and I glanced at each other and then I ran after her, Mike and Tré close behind me. I stood in her door and saw her open her closet, where, as she set her guitar inside, I could see all her other instruments inside.
"Billee?" I said carefully.
She ignored me, instead closing the door to her closet and resting her forehead on it. She laid a hand flat on the door and then balled it into a fist and tapped lightly on the door. We all jumped when she suddenly punched the door and turned away quickly. She seemed suddenly full of rage because she grabbed a picture frame and threw it at the wall so it smashed. Then she turned back to the dresser and grabbed a little glass frog she'd painted when she was about fifteen. She chucked it at the wall and screamed as it broke, and then fell to her knees in the middle of the room, her head in her hands. She rocked back and forth for a moment, and as I stepped into the room to go to her, she shuffled forward on her knees to where broken glass lay on the floor. She picked up a large piece, and I watched her, confused. Suddenly she brought it across her wrist, slashing the skin open and digging deep into the flesh beneath. I ran forward and grabbed her hands to keep her from trying it again, and gestured with my head for Tré or Mike to come help me. Tré came up and took the glass from her hand as I helped her stand up and led her into her bathroom. Throughout this all, she didn't say anything, didn't fight, didn't do anything, as though her entire brain had shut down. I rinsed off her wrist and then wrapped a washcloth around it, as it was still bleeding profusely. I pulled her to the kitchen where the first aid stuff was. I pulled some bandages out and started bandaging her wrist as she stared blankly at our hands.
[b]***Billee Jo's POV***
Sunday, December 17, 2006<?b>
I woke up and remembered it was my birthday, and that made me happy. Usually I got a giant surprise party from everyone, so instead of just going downstairs in my pyjamas like I usually did before noon, I took a shower and got dressed and all that jazz.
I checked my watch as I went down the stairs and found that it was only nine. The silence of the house wasn't surprising; I was supposed to be surprised when I went into the kitchen and everyone yelled, "SURPRISE!" So I went into the kitchen to pretend to be surprised. But the only person in there was Mom.
"I'd just like to thank my dad, Billie Joe Armstrong," I smiled into the mic after we'd won Best New Group. I was about to say more but Ashley pushed me out of the way.
"Well, now that the woman's done talking, the real members of the group..." he kept talking, but I tuned out his words. My mouth fell open and when I looked to the crowd, most of the women's mouths were open too in horror and disgust.
And that was the riff. But things just went downhill from there...
Monday, December 3, 2006
Dad and I went into the studio for a meeting with the rest of the band about a second record. I'd thought it through and knew there wasn't gonna be a second record.
"So have you got any songs for this second record yet?" Ashley asked.
I couldn't believe his insolent tone of voice and the way he was looking at me like I was worth shit, when in reality, if I hadn't come along, they wouldn't even be a band anymore. "No," I answered simply.
"What?" he yelled, "We want to start recording tomorrow!"
"Well that's too bad," I shook my head, "Because as far as I'm concerned, you won't ever be recording again."
"What the Hell are you talking about?"
"Don't speak to my daughter like that," Dad warned.
"I'm out of this band," I muttered, "I'm taking my songs, my voice, my guitar, out of this band and I'm never coming back."
"Why?"
"Remember the Grammys? 'The real members of the group?'" I yelled, "There wouldn't be a fucking group if it weren't for me, the woman."
"We woulda found someone."
"I doubt it," I said, "But you're allowed to try."
"I'm not helping, by the way," Dad said, "You're off Adeline."
"Good luck, fuckers," I finished, and left the studio without another word.
"You alright?" Dad asked in the car on the way home.
"Yep, I'm fine," I murmured, putting on a brave smile although inside I was wilting like a dead flower. "I'm out of a band, I have no other one to go to, I'm back to the beginning, and I'm not even considered a person. I'm fucking wonderful."
"Oh, geez," he mumbled, "I'd take you to a bar, but you're underage still. Um...come on, I've got a better idea." He pulled into the parking lot of the mall and grabbed my hand, pulling me inside.
***Billie Joe's POV***
She'd finally forgiven me for the whole...sleeping with Tré incident. Even though it took her about a week, when she stayed with Tré. I took her to the mall and we got ice cream and all that good stuff...and went shopping. I looked over at her as we sat in the crappy little tables eating our ice cream. Her hair, since it was still short, was spiked into a faux hawk so you could tell us apart. Ice cream had always managed to cheer her up, but today she seemed to have a lot on her mind. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, "There's not more bothering you than just the band?"
She glanced up at me and I could see regret in her eyes. "I...I can't tell you," she sighed finally, "Maybe later."
***Billee Jo's POV***
It was the fact that I'd missed my period last month and now I was puking...I was afraid. I'm twenty, for fuck's sake. Yea, yea, I turn twenty-one next week, but still. I knew when it woulda happened; Halloween. I still had to take a test...but I knew I was. And I knew Dad wasn't gonna be happy.
He took me home after a while, realizing that shopping wasn't cheering me up. How could it? I wouldn't be able to wear whatever I bought for very long. Soon my stomach would be growing...I had to talk to Tré. And what do you know, he was at our house when we got home.
We went up to my room and I lay down on my bed with him beside me. "Tré?" I murmured after a minute or two in silence.
"Yea," he replied, his fingertips brushing my arm gently.
"You love me, right?"
"Of course."
"Tré...I...I'm pregnant," I mumbled.
"Are you sure?"
"Fairly," I muttered, "But I don't want to be."
"What do you mean?" he asked, "Babies are great."
"Yea, but Tré, I'm not even old enough to drink and I'm supposed to have a baby," I said, "I'm not ready for this."
"So what, you want an abortion?" he said. I could see he didn't want me to have an abortion, but he knew it was my choice. After all, the baby was growing in me, not him.
***Tré's POV***
I loved kids. And I wanted Billee Jo to have mine. But she wasn't ready, I could see that. And I wanted her to have my babies when she was ready, not when I was. God knows, I was ready then.
"I want an abortion," she confirmed, "But either Mom or Dad's gonna find out. It's partly the parents' choice, apparently."
"Let's tell Adie," I said quickly, "She won't come at me with a pair of pruning shears." Billee giggled, even through her worry.
"Tré," she finally whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for this yet."
"It's okay," I replied, "I get it. It's your uterus, after all." She laughed again. "Should we go talk to your mom, then?" She nodded and followed me from the room.
We found Adie in the kitchen getting a Gatorade. "Um...Adie?"
She straightened up and turned to us. Billee sat on the counter and I stood beside her. "Mom...we need you to set me up an appointment..."
Adie seemed to know what Billee was talking about, and pulled both of us into the empty garage. "When do you need it for?"
"Tomorrow, if possible," Billee answered.
"You," Adie said, pointing at me, "You're going with her. This," she poked her adopted daughter's stomach, "Is your fault."
"I know, Ms. Adie, ma'am," I responded, "And I want to go. I don't want it to go, but...it's her body, and I don't want Billee to be unhappy."
"And don't tell Dad," Billee begged, "Please."
"Of course not," Adie shook her head, "He'd have a heart attack."
"Or just take up smoking again," I shrugged.
"Just...don't...tell him," Billee finally said.
So the next day Billee got her abortion and I went home and cried. I know, sappy, right? But...I love kids.
***Billee Jo's POV***
With the whole...pregnancy thing, Tré and I never got to talk about how I left Mayday. He didn't even know.
Wednesday, December 5, 2006
"Hey," Tré called.
"Hi," I answered, still lying in my warm cozy bed.
"How're you feeling?"
"Mmm...could be better, I guess," I mumbled, "You wanna come over and take care of me?"
"Nothing would make me happier," he murmured, "I'll be over in a bit."
I hung up and pushed my hand back under the pillow my head was shoved into and closed my eyes again. Seems like after an abortion, all you want to do is sleep. So that's what I was doing. The curtains were pulled against light, my door was shut, soothing classical music was playing...perfect for sleeping. And I had been, too, until Tré called my cell. I felt like crap, I guess abortions aren't made to be feel-good medicine. And I was about to fall back asleep when Tré came in. I rolled over onto my other side facing the door and he lay down beside me, facing me. "Hey," he said, pushing my hair back behind my ear.
"Hi," I muttered quietly, my eyes still closed.
"Listen, I wanted to apologize," he said.
"What for?"
"Getting you pregnant and making you go through this..."
"Oh, Tré, it takes two to tango," I smiled, "But that's sweet." He pressed his lips to my forehead and I sighed, moving closer to him so he could wrap his arms around me.
"You know something?"
"What's that?" I replied, still in my half-slumber Tré'd come in to.
"I love you," he whispered...I was about to reply when I fell asleep.
I don't remember waking up, but I do remember Dad bursting through the door. "What the fuck did you do to my daughter?" he raged, pulling Tré from around my body and out of the bed. "Someone just called from an abortion clinic!"
"The baby's gone," Tré said, not making any effort to remove Dad from the front of his shirt.
***Billie Joe's POV***
I glanced at Billee, who was simply lying in her bed, the covers tucked around her, stroking the pillow beside her face gently. I looked back at Tré and saw tears in his eyes.
"Believe me," he said, "If it was my decision, you'd have a grandkid, but it wasn't. The kid's gone." I sighed and let go of him. Or least, the front of his shirt. Instead, I hugged him close to me. He rested his cheek on my shoulder and hugged back, and we stood like that for a few minutes, as I watched Billee's eyes side closed and her back rise and fall evenly and I knew she was asleep. I sniffed, and that seemed to be the, so to speak, breaking of the dam.
Both Tré and I started crying, still holding onto each other for support. "I wanted that baby," Tré finally whispered. I didn't know what to say, instead just continued to hold my arms around his body. Finally we let each other go and wiped our eyes, somewhat embarrassedly. "I wanted that baby so much."
"I just want her to be happy," I replied.
"I want that more than I wanted the kid."
Before I left again I went and kissed a sleeping Billee's forehead, and then I closed the door behind me on my way out. I went down to where Adie was watching TV and sat beside her and rested my head on her shoulder. "I heard about the abortion," I mumbled.
She tensed. "How?"
"They called," I answered, "And I went to talk to the two of them about it."
"And...?"
"Tré really wants her kids," was all I could say.
"I know..."
***Mike's POV***
I drove over to Billie's house and walked into the kitchen, which was connected to the living room by an open doorway, and I could hear Billie saying, "I found out about the abortion."
"How?" Adie now.
"They called. And I went to talk to the two of them about it."
"And...?"
"Tré really wants her kids."
"I know..." Adie said as my mouth fell open. Billee'd had to get an abortion...those are supposed to be Hell. But I knew I couldn't say anything.
I went into the living room acting like I hadn't heard anything. "Hey."
"Hello," Billie said, not looking away from his wife. Both of them had worried looks on their faces.
"What's up?" I asked.
"It's been...a rough few days," Adie answered, holding my gaze.
"Billee left Mayday," Billie explained, "And now she's up in her room with Tré, who's trying to cheer her up."
"That might not be a great idea," I said skeptically.
"I don't care anymore," Billie muttered bitterly, and not to mention unexpectedly.
"You okay, Bill?" I asked.
"Yea. Yea, I'll be fine," he replied.
Thursday, December 6, 2006
Today when I was over at Billie's house for practise, Billee Jo came downstairs to the basement while we were practicing and gathered up all her instruments that had been left there over the past six months, and then went back upstairs.
"What's with her?" I asked, staring after the girl, "She's been really...sad lately."
"She's had a rough time this past week," Billie Joe mumbled, also watching the door to see if she would come back down. "Nothing's cheering her up. Nothing that used to work...not the spoiling her, or the ice cream..."
"Or the..." Tré started.
"Don't say it, Tré," Billie warned.
"What? I was gonna say constant compliments," Tré smiled innocently.
"You've tried everything?" I muttered, "The boys too?"
"Yea..." Billie nodded, "Except maybe..." he stood up suddenly and snapped his fingers. "I got it."
"What? What do we do?" Tré asked, standing up too. I looked up at the two of them, shrugged, and stood up too, just to be part of the group.
"Her friends. Remember? What was her name...Lynda. And Kelsey," Billie grinned, "They play the bass...and the drums. We've got her a band and a pick-me-up, all in one."
"Billie, my friend, you're a genius," Tré murmured, "So how do we get in contact with them?"
"Ah, shit," Billie said, and sat back down again to think.
"Who's the one with the lightest step?" I asked.
"What? What will that do?"
"We go in her room while she's asleep. And we've got ourselves phone numbers," I shrugged, "Not too difficult, either."
We all turned back to the door when it opened and Billee came back in, looking at the ground as she went over to her Blue replica.
***Billie Joe's POV***
Billee Jo sat down and placed her guitar on her lap. I watched her run her fingers over the stickers gently, lingering on each sticker for moments before moving on to the next and lingering there. Finally she put the guitar into its case and slung it over her shoulder.
"Billee, what're you doing?" I asked. I knew she wouldn't usually put her guitar away, or even take it upstairs; she only ever played down here.
She half-turned so we could only see her profile. "Saying goodbye," was all she said, and then she left again. Only, as she went, I thought I saw tears on her face. The guys and I glanced at each other and then I ran after her, Mike and Tré close behind me. I stood in her door and saw her open her closet, where, as she set her guitar inside, I could see all her other instruments inside.
"Billee?" I said carefully.
She ignored me, instead closing the door to her closet and resting her forehead on it. She laid a hand flat on the door and then balled it into a fist and tapped lightly on the door. We all jumped when she suddenly punched the door and turned away quickly. She seemed suddenly full of rage because she grabbed a picture frame and threw it at the wall so it smashed. Then she turned back to the dresser and grabbed a little glass frog she'd painted when she was about fifteen. She chucked it at the wall and screamed as it broke, and then fell to her knees in the middle of the room, her head in her hands. She rocked back and forth for a moment, and as I stepped into the room to go to her, she shuffled forward on her knees to where broken glass lay on the floor. She picked up a large piece, and I watched her, confused. Suddenly she brought it across her wrist, slashing the skin open and digging deep into the flesh beneath. I ran forward and grabbed her hands to keep her from trying it again, and gestured with my head for Tré or Mike to come help me. Tré came up and took the glass from her hand as I helped her stand up and led her into her bathroom. Throughout this all, she didn't say anything, didn't fight, didn't do anything, as though her entire brain had shut down. I rinsed off her wrist and then wrapped a washcloth around it, as it was still bleeding profusely. I pulled her to the kitchen where the first aid stuff was. I pulled some bandages out and started bandaging her wrist as she stared blankly at our hands.
[b]***Billee Jo's POV***
Sunday, December 17, 2006<?b>
I woke up and remembered it was my birthday, and that made me happy. Usually I got a giant surprise party from everyone, so instead of just going downstairs in my pyjamas like I usually did before noon, I took a shower and got dressed and all that jazz.
I checked my watch as I went down the stairs and found that it was only nine. The silence of the house wasn't surprising; I was supposed to be surprised when I went into the kitchen and everyone yelled, "SURPRISE!" So I went into the kitchen to pretend to be surprised. But the only person in there was Mom.
