What a tragedy // Billie Joe Armstrong

[5] I lied

Billie Joe: hey you busy?

I smiled to myself just at his name popping up on my phone as I answered.

Me: no... why? :)

Billie Joe: do you wanna come over? Violets here with tre and she wants you to join

Me: are you sure it's just violet who wants me to join?

Billie Joe: okay fine.

Billie Joe: and Tre,

Me: are you sure it's just them?

Billie Joe: okay fine,

Billie Joe: maybe mike does too

Me: and?

Billie Joe: alright alright fine.

Billie Joe: and maybe me

Me: okay :) I'll get ready and come over.

Billie Joe: awesome :)

I was actually already ready. But I just needed to tell my mom. Which would take a while.

I left my room as I began to plan what I was gonna say to her as I reached downstairs where she sat on the sofa.

"Mom, I'm going out, is that okay?"

"Where?" She asked me bluntly.

"Just erm- just to a friends."

"Who?"

"Millies."

"You've been going there an awful lot lately haven't you?"

"Erm- yeah," I said looking down at the floor. "School project."

She stood up off the sofa as she began to walk over to me, and stopped in front of me as her eyes looked me up and down.

"Are you lying to me?" She asked, through gritted teeth.

"No!" I said quickly lying.

"Are you!"

"No!"

"You're lying!"

"I'm not!" I shouted scared as I stood back a bit, but she walked closer getting her face near mine.

"If I found out you're lying." She said looking at me, she grabbed my wrist as she held me there, her grip was tight and began to burn as she dug her nails into my wrist. I don't know if she meant to do that part, but it hurt so bad I felt the tears begin to form in my eyes. "You know what will happen."

I nodded intimidated as she harshly let go off my wrist. And walked away, taking her place back on the sofa. I quickly put on my shoes as I left the house rubbing my wrist in pain. She had left nail marks that were bleeding around my wrist. And my whole wrist was red from being held so tight.

I tried to ignore the stinging as I knocked on Billie's door, the door opened to be greeted by mike.

"Hey Painton," he smiled. "Hey, you okay?" He asked quickly. Like he saw I wasn't. I nodded quietly as he nodded back and let me in. I walked into billies living room to see he was having an argument with Tre on the sofa, and violet was on the floor sort of entertained as she laughed at the both of them.

"Billie your girl is here," Mike teased as he went and took a seat on a chair. Billie looked over at me and smiled as he jumped off the sofa and came up to me with a big grin.

"Hey!" He smiled. I smiled back weakly. "Hey what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I whispered.

He looked at me, then back at violet, mike and Tre biting his lip and furrowing his eyebrows. That's how I knew he was thinking. He then looked back at me and then back at them again.

"Guys me and Payt are just gonna quickly head upstairs for a minute." He said to them before grabbing my hand and pulling me up his stairs. I heard the three of them tease Billie as we went up the stairs and into his room, but for the first time I've ever seen he ignored them.

He sat me down on his bed and then sat next to me. And looked me in the eyes like he was waiting for me to say something.

"What?" I asked him.

He looked at me silently. He looked at my eyes for a while, then looked me up and down silently like he was studying me. I quickly freaked out and grabbed my wrist in an attempt to hide the marks my mom had made with her nails earlier on. I probably just made it more noticeable as he quickly looked down at my hands, then back up at me. His eyes giving me a questioning look.

"Why did you grab your own wrist?" He asked me confused.

"Oh- I- I don't just- it felt comfortable." I stuttered lying. Trying to play it off.

"Okay," he nodded. "Then let go."

"Why?"

"Just let go,"

"But why?"

"I just want you to let go," he said gently, "can you let go for me... please?"

I sighed, I realised he wouldn't stop until I did. So I let go, he looked down at my wrist with the obvious nail marks carved into them. Because she had dug them in so deep, breaking my skin they were still there.

He picked up my arm gently as he looked at them closely. Then at me still holding my arm.

"Who did this to you?" He asked.

I quickly pulled my wrist away and grabbed it again myself so they weren't visible. "It's nothing."

"Don't you trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you Beej it's just-"

"-do you trust me?"

"Yes of course I do but-"

"-then why can't I know?"

I sighed, accepting defeat. "It was my mom."

"What she left those marks?" He asked surprised as I nodded confirming she did. "Why?"

"She just grabbed me while telling me something. And her nails dug in- maybe she was grabbing me too hard or maybe she didn't realise she was or-"

"-Why are you making excuses for her? Payton, you're not in any threat at home or anything... are you?"

"No," I lied.

"Your mom doesn't hit you does she?"

"No," I lied again.

"She doesn't hurt you?"

"No." Another lie.

"You would tell me if she was... right?"

"Course I would." And then another.

He nodded. He didn't seem himself. He seemed sort of down... sad.

"Okay," he whispered. "Come on let's go back downstairs."

He got up as I followed him down the stairs. Once we got down violet, Mike and Tre instantly began teasing us. But Billie ignored it as he quietly sat down. I sat beside violet on the floor.

"Hey, you okay Bud?" Tre asked Billie, Billie nodded. Nothing more... just nodded.