Chapter Text
Billie was happily strumming away at his much-loved blue guitar, mashing together some random cords, not aiming to make another song, just enjoying the sounds it made. The door clicked open and slammed shut downstairs. He grinned and placed Blue on his bed, while he jumped up and ran put of his room. Running down the stairs, making as much noise as possible and skipping the last few, he made his way towards the kitchen.
He smiled once he saw his mother unpacking the paper bags of food, and walked over offering help.
He only got a small smile and a nod in return. The unusual silence that settled between them told the youngest son there was something wrong.
“Mum? Is something up?” He questioned.
“After unpacking, would you sit in the living room? I need a word with you.” She said softly.
‘Oh crap, what have I done now?’ He smiled but it turned out as a grimace. The rest of the unpacking was done in silence. Billie left the last bag to his mother and left towards the front room, wracking his brain for any memory of him doing something wrong. Caught smoking? Sneaking out with his friends? Arguing with his ‘step father’? Actually, he didn’t care about that last one.
Ollie sat down in front of her son, watching him stare into space and play with the hem of his shirt. “Billie-”
“I didn’t do it! Or… I-I didn’t mean to do it!” Billie Joe interrupted before she could start properly.
“I didn’t even say anything, is there something you need to tell me?”
He mumbled a quiet ‘no’; he didn’t need to get in anymore trouble.
“Well, while I was out today, one of your teachers called…”
Oh no. School. Anything could have happened. He could just blame it on Mike, saying he was a bad influence on him, but he didn’t want to get his best friend in trouble and grounded, he wouldn’t be able to see him and that would seriously suck.
Ollie had stopped talking, she looked at her son as he wondered into his own world again, she sighed and wished he could concentrate for more than five seconds; she would just have to show him then.
“Billie.” His mother called him. He shook his head and looked at his mum then at the piece of paper she was holding out at him. It had a big, angry red ‘F’ circled on the front.
Oh.
“Billie, you skipped, didn’t you?” She looked at him with knowing eyes.
Well, no point trying to get out of it, she already knew. “Yes…”
“Billie?”
He looked at her again, hoping that she would explain her disappointment and he would get off with a warning.
“Yes?”
“You’re grounded.”