Silenced

Chapter 3

During the entirety of second period, Mike continuously glanced up at the classroom door, hoping for his friend to walk in at any moment. He thought it was strange that Billie hasn't shown up yet. Mike knew that Billie Joe didn't really like school, but he liked to be there. Maybe just to get out of the house.

Mike couldn't even write, for he was so curious as to where Billie Joe was. He hoped that Billie didn't walk back home when he left the bus stop that morning.

He started to wonder why Billie let a tear fall after Mike asked him to come over to his house. Did he feel pressured? Was he already upset?

What bothered Mike the most was knowing that he might never know the answer. Billie Joe had stopped sharing his feelings with Mike a while go. But that didn't keep Mike from knowing when something was wrong with Billie, he just found it pointless to ask someone questions that they won't respond to.

Suddenly, the eery sound of school bell rang, indicating that it was Mike's lunch. Mike jumped at the noise and gathered his things into his backpack. Maybe Billie will be at lunch.

Mike was the first out of the classroom while many other uninterested students followed. He jogged down the hall while looking over people's heads in hopes of seeing his friend.

Mike was met with no luck as he approached the cafeteria doors. He sighed in disappointment. He had basically looked at every person roaming the halls to lunch, so it was impossible for Billie Joe to be waiting in there for him.

The bright blue eyes of Mike searched the cafeteria for any sign of dark curls paired with green eyes anyway. His shoulders sagged as he didn't see Billie Joe yet again.

Finally giving up, Mike went over to the same table he always sat at. It was different this time, for Billie wasn't there. So it was just him and an obnoxious blue eyed green haired teenager. Tré.

Tré was already delving into some steaming fries as Mike approached the table. He looked at every other person in the cafeteria that talked away with their lifelong friends before he finally looked up to see Mike. He gave Mike a small, no toothed smile.

Mike slumped down into the seat at the rattly lunch table. He huffed defeatedly and rested his head on one hand as he dug under his nails.

"Hey, man!" Tré greeted.

"Hey, Tré," Mike mumbled as he glanced up at Tré momentarily.

Tré looked at Mike and saw the sadness and worry in his eyes. He didn't know what was going on in the bassist's head, so he shifted his weight before asking.

"What's wrong?" Tré asked as he put down a crispy fry.

Mike groaned and pulled his hands to his face. He started to rub his eyes harshly in frustration. The frustration of not knowing where his friend was.

"Billie Joe. He's not here."

"Oh yeah...I thought it was quieter without that loud fucker around," Tré joked, obviously implying that Billie hardly talk at lunch unless it was about music.

Mike sighed and crossed his arms on the table. He put his head down on his worn navy jacket that he had let Billie borrow many times before. He couldn't help but feel worried. Billie Joe doesn't just not come to school. Not that he was a star student that never skipped, he was just always there.

"I haven't seen him in school today. I saw him at the bus stop, but...I don't know, man. I asked if I could come over and he started getting all teary eyed for some reason. Then when I asked what was wrong, he got up and left. I thought he was walking to school, but...I guess not," Mike said to Tré with his head still down.

"Oh, he did walk to school," Tré blurted out.

Mike snapped his head up at this, suddenly interested in what Tré had to say.

"What?"

"Yeah, I saw him earlier today. I was in the hallway getting some water and I saw him leaving the clinic with some big guy. I think it was his stepdad," Tré informed.

Mike looked at Tré questionably.

"Are you sure it was his stepdad? Steve?" Mike wondered.

"I mean, I'm pretty sure it was him. I've only seen the man once or twice. You know we rarely go over to Bill's house, man. And he never really talks about him either," Tré continued, biting on a fry.

"Could you tell what was wrong with him?" Mike asked. There were so many answers that Tré had just by witnessing a little scene.

"Nothing that I could see. He was just being pulled out of the clinic by Steve," Tré answered as he took a sip of his water.

Mike furrowed his eyebrows at this. Pulled out of the clinic?

"What do you mean he was being 'pulled out of the clinic by Steve'?" Mike urged. That didn't sound right.

"I don't know, man. The guy was just pulling Bill by his arm out of the clinic," Tré shrugged.

Mike threw his hands in the air. What the hell? Why wouldn't Tré say that in the first place?

"Was he hurting Billie Joe?!" Mike asked panicky.

"I don't know, Mike. He looked like he was dragging Billie, but Billie wasn't crying out in pain or anything. He was just silent. I don't think Steve was hurting the kid," Tré reasoned.

Mike had his mouth gaped open at Tré's words. That didn't sound right. Okay, yeah maybe Billie wasn't crying out in pain and was silent as he was being pulled, but that doesn't mean he wasn't being hurt. Billie Joe was silent all the time nowadays.

"Why didn't you do something?!" Mike screamed.

"What do you mean?"

"Why did you just watch him being abused by Steve-"

"What the hell are you talking about? Steve doesn't abuse Bill," Tré said confidently as he cut Mike off.

Mike tapped his fingers on the table impatiently.

"How would you know that? Billie Joe doesn't tell us anything anymore!" Mike shot back at Tré.

Tré eyed Mike. Why was he freaking out about something so small? For all he knew Billie could've had a strong relationship with his stepdad.

"I know because we would be able to tell, Mike. It kinda hard to hide abusive bruises-"

"Yeah, and Billie Joe is pretty good at hiding things!" Mike hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

Tré scuffed and leaned back in his seat. He couldn't believe that Mike was making a big deal out of nothing.

"You're losing it, man. Billie is not being abused by Steve. You're just being paranoid," Tré said to Mike in order to calm him down a bit.

Mike sat up a bit in defeat. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Abuse was a serious thing, and he was pretty sure that Billie Joe would've brought it up to him by now.

"I don't know, Tré. He's just...different you know?" Mike asked, desperately hoping that Tré would agree.

"Yeah, he is quieter. But don't worry, man. Billie Joe is a fighter," Tré smiled as he laid a hand on Mike's shoulder.

Mike nodded just as the school bell rang again, telling all students that lunch was over. Tré didn't say anything else as he stood to go back to class, leaving Mike there alone in his thoughts.

Mike chewed his nails nervously, knowing that something was wrong.