It had been three days since Esther and Finn disappeared and Abby transitioned. Billie hadn't really packed for her stay with Bonnie, so leaving hadn't been so much of a hassle. It had come to that time where Bonnie and Abby had to be alone and it wasn't her place anymore to stay there.
At least that's what she thought. Billie wasn't one to linger where she wasn't wanted anyway.
She walked with a slumped back and a tired expression as Billie trekked down the corridor. Opening the front door for what felt like the first time in a long while, Billie was met with the sight of Georgie sat cross-legged on the couch in front of the TV, a bowl of cereal clutched religiously in her hands.
She looked up when Billie came in. "Fancy seeing you here, Billie!" Georgie exclaimed, tone dripping in sarcasm and a little white smile. Billie allowed herself a grin, thankful, like many other times, that Georgie wasn't like most parents. Probably because she technically wasn't one.
"I was staying over at a friend's." She explained shortly, leaving out the details. Billie dropped her tiny backpack at the foot of the couch and slumped into it, rocking Georgie enough that she had to clutch her cereal for dear life. "What you watching?"
Georgie shrugged, eyes back on the TV, glazed and unfocused. "Hell if I know, I've been staring at the corner of the screen the whole time." Her niece giggled quietly at that, focusing on the soap playing for a second before reaching her conclusion. "Doesn't look like you missed much." She determined.
At that, Billie heaved herself up, accidentally spilling over her little bag as she did so. She froze for a second as her pack of cigarettes tumbled out and landed in clear view on the floor.
She was about to get it back when Georgie leaned forward from her seat, having heard the tiny thunk and meaning to grab it for Billie since it was closer to her anyway.
Billie watched her aunt freeze after a second of realisation. It felt like the room went dead cold and dead quiet as she waited for a reaction.
Georgie didn't look up or say anything yet. She casually bent down and picked up the pack, holding it in her hands for a moment before flicking open the top with her thumb and surveying its half empty contents.
"Well..." She started, unsure how to respond to the situation. Georgie was drawing a complete blank. She'd never had a kid. There was never any need to imagine if something like this would ever happen, or even then, how she would deal with it.
Billie prayed the floor would open up and swallow her whole. How else was she supposed to get out of this?
Georgie was quiet for a while, thinking. She patted couch, gesturing for Billie to sit down again. Billie could feel herself ripping another hole in her blue jumper as she waited for Georgie to speak. "You know, Cara called."
Billie sprung into attention. Her mom called? Last she heard, the two hadn't spoken in almost a decade. "W-what?" Georgie smiled sadly. "Yeah, I was pretty surprised too."
The blonde sighed deeply, looking into the corner of the room like it would calm her thoughts. "She told me to get my act together, keep you here like I was supposed to." She revealed in a whisper above a mumble.
She was silent for another bought. "I'm not going to treat you like a kid, Billie. You're not a kid." Georgie began, her voice sterner than Billie had ever heard it. "I understand why you wouldn't tell me about Brooklyn. I wouldn't tell anyone... especially with the baby." Georgie shook her head, gesturing around her with her hands to convey her frustration with her sister. "I mean I was surprised Cara even bothered to tell me."
Billie fell even further into herself. She had been trying not to think about their baby. After she'd found out, Billie had felt like maybe it was her responsibility to make sure that baby didn't turn out like her parents, but bitterness and resentment had gotten in the way.
She'd run from Brooklyn and settled on the idea that if her parents wanted her gone, she would go and that baby could turn out however the hell it liked. Billie figured she grew up fairly alright, besides the obvious issues and current predicaments.
Georgie pursed her lips as she continued. "What I'm trying to say is... I get why. Cara drives everyone a little crazy." Billie let out a tiny laugh, speaking for the first time. "Yeah, you don't say."
They fell silent again, but it wasn't quite as uncomfortable. Billie smiled a little to herself. As traumatising as it was having a pack of cigarettes fall out of your bag in front of your guardian was, it hadn't gone half bad.
Obviously, things would have been easier if it had never happened, but Billie felt like her and Georgie had reached an even further understanding of each other.
She never saw her aunt as the person that took care of her, not really anyway. Georgie was more like that friend that you look up to, but still feel like you can relate to.
It was times like these that made Billie feel so goddamn guilty for keeping so much from Georgie.
Billie awkwardly jumbled her fingers together. "Thank you." She let out. Georgie looked up from her lap in surprise. "I expected some huge lecture or something, but..." She stopped, careful not to dig a hole for herself. "Thanks for... not doing that."
A ghost of a smile lingered at the corner of Georgie's lips as she nodded in acknowledgement. Billie stood once again, set on taking a shower after her time away when she heard Georgie call back to her on a last thought. "By the way, Billie." The clairvoyant turned back to attention as her aunt leaned forward to grab her bowl of cereal off the table.
Georgie shrugged casually with her cereal spoon. "If you're going to hog my tequila, at least restock it when you're done." Billie's cheeks flared red and she quickly turned right back around, disappearing into the bathroom with a final word behind her. "Y-yeah! Sure thing!"
When the bathroom door shut in a hurry, Georgie sat by herself in the quiet of the apartment, listening to the shower turning on behind her. She sat in thought, thinking that maybe, she hadn't done so bad for a girl who'd never even dreamed of having a kid before.
She shrugged to herself, a sort of smug smile over her lips. She was actually quite proud of herself. Resuming her afternoon TV time, Georgie reached her spoon into the cereal, only to feel immeasurable disappointment.
"Aw, now my cereal's all soggy." She complained quietly, pausing for a second before eating it anyway.
so, this chapter is a little different than usual. i've been kind of having a rough time with some stuff at home and i thought it was time to actually address this. billie harper is not okay. she is an alcoholic, addicted to nicotine and severely depressed. i feel like i've written a narrative that normalises this stuff, and although it is quite common, its not normal. sometimes we all need a little help from family and friends and if you cant get that, you can seek it professionally (obviously thats not entirely the case here but you get the jist lmao)
we're all going through shit, especially these days. i just hope you guys know that you're loved and that you matter, even in a time when the whole world makes it feel like you don't.
omg i've never done this before, anywayssssss hOpE YAll lIKEd thE chAPTEr
and i KNOW it's been a while since i've given u any juicy memes so i thought i'd draft a lil sum up for you
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