Billie Shelby

Part 1

Tommy rose from his chair that he had been slumped in, in front of the burning fire in the living room of the house all night ,anxiously awaiting for her arrival;like he had done multiple times previously.However only this was the first time where she hadn't returned home,and it was now 10:30am.

Tommy's patience had nearly ran thin and an anger along with worry was boiling up inside of him.His sister Billie had become a handful,and was adding more unnecessary stress to him,on-top of running a business and an illegal gang.

"And where do you think you've been?" he said angrily once Billie, who in recent months had become rather out of control,walked through the front door of their house on watery lane.

She scoffed at her older brother before turning to him "out."she replied in a sarcastic tone.

He went to challenge his sister's attitude, before noticing her manner. He squinted at his younger sister with a concerning look on his face before he took a step closer to her,after noticing her wide pupils and her scruffy appearance. Her once buttoned cardigan was no longer,her white blouse was muddy along with her skirt and her hair was tangled and looked wild,much unlike her normal appearance.

Billie shifted in her place,becoming nervous.Hoping her brother wouldn't notice-she took a step back, away from him,pushing her blonde tangled locks behind her ear.

Tommy lunged forward towards her,grabbing her wrists before she could move further.She tensed in his grip,thinking of a possible escape route if he was to realise.

Tommy released his grip on one of her wrists ,raising his hand to her face and wiping her nose.Looking at the white powder residue on his fingers he stared at his sister.

Billie gulped and steadied herself thinking of something to say,staring at her brother...she took a deep breath , preparing herself for her on the spot explanation.

But instead she bolted towards the door,opening it and running as fast as she could out of it onto watery lane,her blonde hair blowing madly in the wind,nearly covering her blue eyes.Until she untangled it away from her face behind her ears.
Tommy released an angry scoff before he too strode towards the door hoping to catch his sister.

"BILLIE!" Tommy shouted up the road, knowing he couldn't out run his younger and much fitter sister he hoped the sound of his pure anger was enough to stop her. it wasn't. He ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his neck.
He looked up to find some neighbours looking at him and Billie with rather confused looks on their faces,as if they were asking for an explanation.Tommy spoke with a tone of command "carry on" he said to his neighbours,and they immediately did so,with one saying rather fearfully "Yes Mr Shelby".

Admitting defeat he instead decided to take a different route;knowing she would be heading to the Garrison to find her other brothers in attempt to charm them, to get them to calm Tommy down,he headed back inside the house and towards the phone...

Billie ran as fast as she could towards the Garrison,on the cobbled streets of Small Heath.Hoping to stay away from her brother's rage for as long as she could.

Billies p.o.v

It certainly wasn't the fist time I had had 'snow',I had managed to hide it from my brothers and aunt Pol very well for just over a year,after I had once seen Arthur with the white powder and had taken one of his small blue bottles of it.
This had led to Arthur having a full on raging fit exclaiming that "it's gone-where did i put it-i need it!" however no-one knew what he was talking about of course apart from me,unknowing to him.

I had then taken my new belonging to my friends,Isiah and Kate where we all tried it together-and have been every Friday since,in the barn in Charlies Yard when him and Curly had left.

I wasn't afraid to admit that i was sometimes a little frightened of Tommy and his anger but i knew that he was soft underneath all that raised angry voice,knowing he would never carry out his threats to 'kill' me or 'hit' me.The war may have made him a mad gangster ,but he still kept his family out of harm's way.

As i reached the pub and came bounding through the doors i was met with  a worried look from Harry behind the bar who was cleaning some glasses.

"are you alright Billie?"he asked.

I was out of breath and managed to ask him for a drink of water. He complied handing me one.I gulped it all down at once,slamming the glass down and wiping my mouth.This only added to Harry's concern.

"are you sure you're ok?"he asked once again.

"Yes Harry..now shut up!"I finally replied ,loosing my patience at his questioning.

The awkward silence was interrupted by my brothers, Arthur and John, laughing.It was coming from our private room in the pub.I didn't understand why the boys had insisted on having that room built.I thought it just showed people even more that the Peaky Blinders/Shelby's were a bunch of cocky working class idiots.

But their laughs had reminded me why I had come to the garrison this early in the first place-I was running from Tommy,looking for Arthur and John as a refuge.

I turned to Harry once more "whiskey please."

"sorry bill.Tommy said i wasn't to serve you alcohol right now" Harry replied,adding to my ever growing anger.

"what do you mean?"

"Tommy called here about 10 minutes ago saying not to serve you"

"shit...."I mummbled,so Harry couldn't hear.

"what else did he say?"I asked,becoming nervous,knowing that Tommy had thought one step ahead of me.

"nothing more kid, he had just asked to speak to Arthur"

"Shit!" I said loud enough for Harry to hear this time. I tapped my foot nervously,and bite my lip,my eyes darting about the room, thinking of my next move.I got down from the stall at the bar,and slowly made my way towards the exit hoping not to be loud enough for my brothers in the next room to realise I was here and ready for my imminent punishment/questioning.

-------------------------------------------------------

Just as she made it to the exit,the door to the private room swung open and she stopped in her tracks,slowly turning to face her informed brothers.

"hello billie girl..we were just talking about you..."said Arthur with an amused tone in his voice.

"yeah bill,what have you been up to eh?"added John,who was currently smirking whilst studying her pupils like Tommy had as he was  walking towards her.
Billie attempted to break from her brother's gaze but he followed it still.

Just as she went to make another break for it from her now other 2 brothers ,they both looked at each other with a smile appearing on Arthur's face.
They both grabbed her before she could bolt,Billie shuffling in her place in attempt to wriggle from their grips.Arthur grabbed her arms and John picked up her legs,as the both simultaneously made their way towards that private room with Billie kicking and screaming on the way-causing Arthur to grimace as his sister was squirming in his grip.

"PUT ME DOWN!"she yelled kicking John.Causing him too ,to have to tighten his grip and laugh at his younger sister.

The door to the private room slammed,leaving Harry alone once again in the bar;shaking his head he spoke -"shelby's.."