Self Inflicted

Chapter 7: All Alone Again

When I woke up in the morning, I was almost okay with going to school. It didn't seem so bad now that I was coming home to a warm shower and meal. I opened my eyes, looked at Billie and frowned. He didn't look right.

His normally red cheeks were as pale and ghostly as the rest of his face, he had bags under his eyes and looked sweaty. I stroked his cheek carefully, feeling his forehead in the process. He was burning up. I shook him gently. "Hey. Bill?"

He opened his eyes, which had lost their shine, and looked back at me. "Huh?"

"Are you feeling alright?" I asked, and he rubbed his eyes.

"Feel kinda weird."

I felt panic rise in my chest. "I need you at school with me Bill. Please."

"I know, I know. Don't worry." He pulled himself up and got ready, putting his hoodie on too.

I got ready also, watching Billie. He looked grey and swallowed hard. "You alright?" I asked, and he bolted out of the room. I ran after him when I heard him throwing up.

I sat with him at the toilet and rubbed his back, holding him against my chest when he was finished. "Feeling pretty crappy, huh?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Not staying off though." I sighed and stood up with him and we resumed getting ready to leave.

Billie Joe was fine until second lesson. He'd basically slept through English peacefully, as the teacher hardly turned up, and when he did, he sat at his desk and said nothing.

It was Math that Billie got worse.

Our Math teacher was possibly the woman version of Satan. Don't even yawn in her class, or she'll yell at you. Needless to say, it didn't seem Billie would be able to sleep through this one.

10 minutes into the class, I saw his eyelids droop, and he lay his head down on the desk. I frowned and took his hand, shaking him. "Beej. Hey, Bill." I was ignored. "Billie."

Our teacher looked up and came over. "Is he asleep?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Before I could tell her he was sick, she'd already spoke.

"Mr Armstrong. Get your head off that desk right this instance."

Billie didn't move, he was out cold.

"I said right this instance!" As she spoke the last word, she smacked the desk and Billie sat up quickly. Once again, he didn't look right and I saw him swallow hard.

"Can I go to the bathroom please?" He asked, putting a hand over his mouth.

"What, so you can sleep again? No way." I wanted to cry for Billie as she began a long rant to him. He wasn't listening, and I saw him swallow hard again before he leant over and threw up all over the teachers shoes. She screeched and he pulled himself up and ran out.

I widened my eyes and grabbed our stuff, running after him. I found him throwing up in a bin in the hallway. He needed to go home. I pulled his hair back gently and rubbed his back until he was done, and then I picked him up in a wedding lift and started walking to the office.

The woman at the desk frowned as I brought Billie over. "Name?"

"Billie Joe Armstrong." I replied obediently, and then sat with him and stroked his hair as he whimpered quietly.

After a while, the woman spoke again. "His mom is on her way to pick you both up."

I frowned. Both of us?