Billie Jo (16 page)

Jade felt like shaking Billie to knock some sense into
her. What fucking right did Danny Boy have to be angry?
He's the one that had stuck his penis up her, knowing full
well she wasn't using contraception in the first place. Jade
held Billie's hand. 'Do you know what I'd do if I were
you, Bill? I wouldn't tell him and I'd have an abortion.
You're only young and you've got your whole life in front
of you. OK, you've made a mistake, so what? I've got
money. I'll pay for you to go private, and I'll come with
you. That way Danny never need know. What do you say?'

Billie couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'I can't
do that. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't tell him. I love
him, Jade, and he loves me. I'd never go behind his back,
I couldn't. How would you have felt if you'd had an abortion
and not told my dad?

Jade tried to make her see sense. 'I know what you're
saying, but it was different with me and your dad. We'd
been together for ages and were very much in love. You
and Danny are so young and you've only known one
another five minutes. Don't waste your life, Bill.'

Billie could feel the anger rising within her. 'I love
him, Jade. I know you're trying to help, but at the end
of the day it's mine and Danny's baby and it has to be
our choice. Admit it, Jade, you don't like Danny, do you?'

Jade sighed; she didn't need this shit but somehow she
felt responsible. 'I don't dislike him, but if you want
the honest truth, no, I don't like him very much either.
He seems flash and cocky and I think you can do a damn
sight better. That's why I'm telling you to think long and
hard about this. He's not right for you, Billie. Call it
woman's intuition, call it what you like, but I know it's
all going to end in tears. If your dad were still alive he'd
be telling you the same, I know he would.'

Billie burst into tears. 'He's not alive though, is he,
Jade? I've got no mum to speak of, you're moving away
and taking my brother with you. All I've got is Danny. I
think I want to keep the baby, at least then I'll have some
family, someone who depends on me. It's different for
you. I know my dad died, but you've got a son, a brother,
a mum and dad and I've got no one.'

Jade felt her heart wrench as she listened to Billie's
speech. She could have cried for the poor little mite. In
that second she decided to support her decision whatever
it was. 'Now wipe those tears away. You go and get yourself
glammed up. Go and meet Danny, tell him the score
and I promise I'll stand by you and be there for you,
whatever, OK?'

Billie had a long soak in the bath and lay on her bed,
mulling over the situation in her mind. Danny wasn't
picking her up until eight o'clock and she was glad as it
gave her a couple of hours to herself. She needed to be
alone, to put her thoughts into place. She needed to work
out how she was going to broach the subject, to tell him.
They'd been getting on like a house on fire recently and
although she hadn't seen him as regularly since she'd been
living with Jade, when she did see him he'd treated her
like a queen, buying her presents, showering her with
compliments and whispering sweet nothings.

Their relationship had been running so smoothly that
she'd almost forgotten about the night he'd shoved his
thingy into her mouth and forced her to suck it. That was
now just a distant memory. They had only had one little
argument since they'd been together and that had occurred
when her mum had chucked her out. Danny had got really
angry with her. He'd said, 'You only get one mum and
you must make it up with her.' She'd argued her point,
and eventually they had kissed and made up.

Hearing a hooter beeping outside at five to eight, Billie
shouted out to Jade, 'I'm going now, will you be up when
I get in?'

Jade came out to the hallway to see her off. 'You bet
I will. I'm going to have a bottle of wine and wait up for
you. Good luck, darling.'

'Thanks, Jade.'

Danny O'Leary sat patiently in the old BMW he'd
borrowed off a mate who owed him a favour. He didn't
own a driving licence, as he'd never passed a test, but
he'd been driving for years and was extremely confident
behind the wheel.

'Hello, sweetheart.' Danny smiled and kissed Billie
passionately as she got into the passenger seat. He knew
that Jade had hated him on sight and he hoped the fucking
bitch was looking out of the window.

'Where do you fancy going then, Bill?'

Billie felt more nervous than she'd ever felt in her life.
'Do you mind if we go somewhere quiet, Danny? I need
to talk to you about something.'

'That sounds ominous. What's the matter? Is something
wrong, girl?'

Billie tried to change the subject. She didn't want to
tell him while he was driving, she was afraid he might
crash the car. 'Where did you get this car from, Danny?
Is it yours? Did you buy it?'

'Never you mind.' Danny looked away from the road
for a second and winked at her. 'No, I'm only joking,
babe. I borrowed it off a mate. It's a shit-heap. I wouldn't
buy something like this. I'm gonna buy a decent motor
soon so I can pick you up all the time.'

Noticing a pub, Danny swung into the car park. 'Come
on, babe, we'll have a beer in here. This looks nice and
quiet.'

Billie sat down at a table in the corner, biting her nails
nervously at the thought of the conversation she was about
to have. She just had to say it, blurt it out to him, that
was the easiest way. Danny sat down at the table with his
bottle of Bud and handed Billie a large glass of wine.

'I told you not to get me wine, Danny. I wanted a
Coke.'

Shrugging his shoulders, Danny smirked. 'Oh, just
drink it, Bill, you need livening up. You've hardly said a
fucking word since I picked you up. Get it down you,
girl, it might cheer you up a bit.'

Billie pushed the drink away. 'Danny, I just can't drink
it. Look, there's no easy way for me to say this, but this
morning I found out that I'm pregnant. I did a test and I
need to know what you want me to do. Jade's offered to
help me if we choose not to have the baby but I wanted
to talk to you first.'

Danny nearly dropped his drink in shock. He'd fucked
tons of birds but this was a first for him. He'd never got
any of the others up the duff. 'Pregnant, are you sure?

But we've only done it a few times and I've been pulling
it out early.'

Billie held his hand across the table. He looked like a
little boy lost. 'I'm positive, Danny. I've done two tests.
Look, if you think we're too young for all this, like Jade
seems to, I'll understand. It won't split us up or anything,
but you must tell me the truth. I need to know what you
think we should do and what you want to do. I don't want
you to feel trapped.'

Danny sat silently, summing up his thoughts. He loved
kids, he always had done. He'd nigh on brought up his
brothers and sisters single-handed whilst his mother had
disappeared for hours on end. From ten years old he'd
been left alone with them on a regular basis, so he was
well aware of their wants and needs. Billie was probably
the classiest girl he'd ever met. Most of the birds he'd
been with were trailer trash. Billie was proper and he
liked that. She had twenty grand coming her way on her
eighteenth, so they wouldn't be short of cash. He would
go and pay Chelle a visit, tell her that she had a grandchild
on the way. Surely she'd change her tune, make up
with Billie, then, with a bit of luck, let them live in that
nice big house of hers.

Danny weighed up the situation as quickly as he could.
Billie was sitting opposite him desperately waiting for an
answer. Getting up off his seat, Danny walked around the
other side of the table and sat next to her. Taking both of
her hands in his, he spoke gently.

'Bill, I've had time to think about it and I'm over the
moon. I really want this baby and I can't wait to be a
dad. I'll be a really good dad, you know. I've had tons
of practice with my brothers and sisters.'

Tears of joy formed in Billie's eyes. She knew Jade
had been wrong. Danny was a diamond, he would never
let her down. 'Oh, Danny, I'm so happy that you're excited
and you want me to have the baby. You don't know how
much that means to me. Jade advised me to get rid of it
because we're so young, but I look at little Terry Junior
and I just know I couldn't have my own aborted. I'll be
a good mum, you know. I've had lots of experience
recently with my own little brother.'

Danny held her tight. 'I know you'll be a good mum,
babe. Me and you, we'll be the best parents ever, you
wait and see. Fuck Jade, I know she's been good to
you but she's got no right to interfere in our life, telling
us to get rid of our little baby. Who the fuck does she
think she is? I'm gonna have to say something to her,
Bill, put her straight and that. I can't let this one go.'

Billie was mortified and wished she hadn't mentioned
Jade to him. 'Please, Danny, don't say anything to her. I
know she's out of order but she's only trying to look out
for me. Anyway, she won't be around much longer. The
house is up for sale, she's moving back to Somerset, so
promise me, please don't say anything to her.'

Danny walked up to the bar without giving her an
answer and ordered himself another two bottles of Bud.
This deserved a celebration, this did. The wicked stepmother
was moving, what a touch. Sitting himself back
down at the table, he looked earnestly at Billie. 'I won't
say nothing, on one condition.'

Billie breathed a sigh of relief. 'Whatever you say,
Danny.'

'When she leaves, I want you to break all contact with
her. She's no good for our relationship, interfering all the
time. As for wanting to kill our baby, well what can I
say?'

Billie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. 'It's not just
Jade, is it, Dan? What about my little brother? I need to
have contact with him.'

'Look, Bill, when your brother's old enough, he can
come and visit, but I'm telling you now, when she moves,
I want you to lose contact with the bitch. I'm not having
her coming between me and you every five minutes,
sticking her oar in, especially if we've got a family. It's
not fair on me.'

Billie looked at his hurt expression, and felt awful.
Why did she have to open her big mouth? 'OK, Danny,
if that's what you want and you think it's best for us, I'll
do it.'

'That's my girl.' Danny couldn't stop smiling. He liked
getting his own way, it made him extremely fucking happy.
Billie would very soon be totally reliant on him. He'd be
her family, her friend and also her lover.

Billie Jo was his property and Danny was determined
to share her with no one.

Jade felt a mixture of horror and guilt wash over her when
Billie arrived home and excitedly told her that Danny
couldn't wait to be a dad. The horror was because she
was sure she wasn't wrong about Danny. The guilt was
more to do with Terry. She felt that if he was looking
down on her, she'd let him down dreadfully. She should
and could have done more.

Over the course of the next week or so that followed,
Jade could feel an awkwardness between herself and
Billie, and guessed straight away that Danny had something
to do with it. Billie had spent as little time as possible
alone with Jade and Terry Junior. Things finally came to
a head when Jade, who was becoming increasingly pissed
off with the situation, pulled Billie to one side.

'What's your problem, Bill? You've been treating me
like a complete stranger in my own bloody house and I'm
sick of pussyfooting around you. Let's sort this out, eh?
Just tell me what I've done to upset you.'

Billie burst into tears. Sobbing freely, she told Jade
everything that Danny had said. Jade would have loved to
shake Billie into next week. She needed to make her realise
what a conniving little shit her fella really was, but instead,
she said nothing. There was no point slagging Danny off,
it would make the situation worse. Instead, she took a
kind, sensible approach.

'Look, Bill, if you want to keep in touch with me it's
entirely up to you. When I move I'll call you on the mobile
and give you my new address and telephone number. What
you do with it is entirely your decision, but I want you to
know, I'll always be there for you if you need me.'

Billie looked affectionately at Jade. 'I want to keep in
touch with you, but it will have to be in secret. I'll have
to call you when Danny's not around.'

Jade smiled weakly. 'If that's what you want, Bill, that's
fine by me. What are you going to do about your job?
Have you thought about that at all?'

'Not really. I suppose I'll have to resign. I don't want
anyone else bringing my baby up, I want to do it myself.
Once he or she is old enough to go to school, I'll go back
to work, even if it's only part-time.'

Jade had always thought that Billie was quite a bright
girl, but now she realised just how naïve she really was.
She was no more than a child herself, bless her. 'Have
you told Danny that you're planning to give up work?
How are you going to manage money-wise?'

Billie shrugged her shoulders. 'I haven't told him about
my job yet, but I will. We haven't had a chance to make
any plans yet, but we'll get by, plus I've got that money
coming to me on my eighteenth.'

Jade unenthusiastically agreed with her. She'd done all
she could to advise and help Billie and could do no more.
'If I was you, love, I'd get out and about this weekend
and try and find yourself a nice little flat or something.
I'll still lend you the money that I promised you. The
estate agent rang me today and said they think they've
sold this place, so I'm going up to Somerset at the weekend
to see if I can find myself a property. The quicker you
find yourself a place now the better, Billie, and then we
can both move on and start our new lives.'

Billie nodded and decided to ask Carly if she would
go flat hunting with her on Saturday. Danny was at work,
and wouldn't be able to get the time off. Carly was the
only other person that Billie had told about her unplanned
pregnancy and although the girls didn't see as much of
one another out of work as they once had, they were still
very close.

Carly and Jamie's relationship had cooled off around
about the same time Billie had found out she was pregnant
and although Carly was gutted, she was glad Jamie
still wanted to be friends with her. Luckily they hadn't
become lovers, so there was nothing stopping them from
being good mates. Carly secretly still held a torch for
Jamie and hoped that one day they would maybe rekindle
their romance.

Jamie had been really fond of Carly, but he knew he'd
end up hurting her. He couldn't get over the way he felt
about Billie Jo. From the first moment he'd set eyes on
her, he'd wanted her more than anything else he'd ever
wanted in his life, but Danny had then stepped in and that
was that. When Danny told him that Billie was pregnant,
Jamie felt like somebody had stuck a knife in his guts and
twisted it round.

Unable to deal with his feelings and hating Danny more
and more, Jamie jacked his job in on the stall.
Danny treated girls like shit. Jamie knew for a fact that
he was still shagging other birds, even though he was with
Billie. He felt physically sick at the thought of Billie being
pregnant with Danny's child. It broke his heart to see the
two of them together and picturing them with a baby was
even worse. Jamie would have treated Billie like an absolute
queen if she'd been his. Instead she'd chosen Danny.

Well, that was life. He'd accepted his fate, but he
certainly wasn't going to stick around to watch Danny
fuck Billie's up. He'd end up killing him. He might be
three years younger than Danny but he was no mug! A
week after saying goodbye to the markets, Jamie landed
himself a position as a junior in a money brokers in
Liverpool Street.

'Fantastic prospects for the future,' said the guy who
interviewed him. Jamie was determined to throw himself
into his new job and forget all about Danny, Billie and
the baby. A new start was just what he needed and he
looked forward to being a big success.

Carly was more than happy to help Billie with her flat
hunting and both girls spent their dinner hour poring over
rented accommodation ads in the local paper. Billie was
surprised at just how expensive the properties were in the
areas she was interested in. She therefore started looking
at less appealing areas which were more affordable. Jade
had kept her promise and lent her money. After that she
and Danny were on their own.

Danny had told Billie not to worry about money. 'Pick
what flat you want, babe,' he told her. 'I earn all right off
the stall and I've just started doing some other bits and
bobs as well. I might even give the markets up soon. I
can earn much more money doing other things.'

He was a bit evasive when Billie enquired exactly what
other things he would be doing, so she left it at that.
Danny always seemed to have plenty of money in his
pocket and Billie trusted him implicitly. Her dad had
always been evasive about money. At the end of the day,
men were men. They were the breadwinners and best left
to their own devices.

Billie arranged to view five flats which she believed
were in her and Danny's price range. After the first three,
she was beginning to wish she hadn't bothered. All she'd
been shown so far were complete and utter shitholes. The
fourth flat she viewed seemed like Buckingham Palace
compared to the other three and as soon as she walked
through the door, she decided there and then that she was
going to take it.

The flat was in Chadwell Heath, which was just on the
outskirts of Romford. Situated at the end of a quiet street,
the flat was fully furnished, newly decorated and modern-looking.
Being a ground-floor flat, there was also a little
garden, with a couple of flower beds and a washing line.
Billie paid the required deposit and advance rent and took
the keys on the spot.

The following weekend, Billie had the horrendous task
of saying her goodbyes to Jade and Terry Junior. Danny
and one of his pals had already moved her stuff out in a
battered old van during the course of the week. There
wasn't that much at Jade's to move, as the majority of
her possessions were still at her mother's.

Danny had assured her that he was going to pay Chelle
a visit very shortly and get all of her belongings for her.
'I'll go and see your mother, Bill, and get all your stuff for
you. She won't argue with me, you'll see.' Billie loved it
when he spoke like that. He was so manly and reassuring.

Packing up her final few belongings, Billie put them
into her big pink sports bag and walked down the stairs.
Jade was going to take her to her flat and have a look
around. Danny had already moved his own stuff in and
tonight would be the first night they'd spend there together
as a couple.

Jade was pleasantly surprised as she entered the flat.
It was a pretty little place with a nice outlook.

'Right, I'd better make a move now, Billie,' she said
putting her coffee cup on the glass table. 'Terry Junior's
tired and I've got to start packing my own stuff.' Jade
had found a nice little house near her parents and was
moving in the following weekend.

Billie felt the tears forming in her eyes as Jade got up
off the sofa. 'I wish you wasn't moving, Jade. You've
been so good to me and I don't know what I'm going to
do without you.'

Both girls hugged one another tightly. Jade was crying
too. Now come on, Bill, you'll be fine. You've got my
mobile number, and as soon as I get my new landline on,
I'll text you the number, OK?'

'I've done what you said, Jade,' Billie said between
sobs. 'I've put your number down under a different name,
so Danny won't know we're still in contact. Whenever
he's at work I can call for a chat. We won't lose contact,
I promise.'

'Whenever you call me, Billie, don't worry about the
cost. I'll ring you straight back. I think it's best if you
contact me. I don't want to ring you at all, in case Danny's
about. I don't want to cause you any grief.'

Billie picked up Terry Junior and held him tightly. Kissing
him, she took in his scent. Her tears fell freely onto his
dark curly hair. 'I wish I could come and visit you, Jade,
but what with the baby on the way and the situation with
you and Danny, I don't see how I'm going to get up to you.

Maybe in time, Danny will come round and allow me to
visit and ring you.'

'Maybe he will, love,' Jade lied. She knew full well that
the little shit Billie had got herself roped up with would
do no such thing. Jade hated everything about Danny, she
really did. He was one cocky little bastard. Last week he'd
come round to the house to pick up some of Billie's stuff
whilst she was at work. While he was there, Jade had overheard
him bragging to his mate about some bird he'd
recently shagged. It certainly wasn't Billie he was referring
to, as he'd told his mate that the bird was in her forties.

He'd shut up when he heard Jade reach the top of the stairs,
but it was too late, she'd already heard. The sad thing was,
it hadn't really shocked her.

After saying their final farewells, Billie stood at the
door and waved Jade off. She then ran into her bedroom,
lay on her bed and sobbed her little heart out. She had
to release all of her tears before Danny arrived home.
He'd go apeshit if he came home and found out Jade had
been there. She'd pretended that she was getting a cab,
because he'd said he didn't want Jade knowing where they
lived. She hadn't dared tell him it was Jade's money that
had got them the bloody flat in the first place. She'd
pretended that the money had been lying dormant in her
building society, and that her dad had put it in there before
he died.

Jade pulled up onto her drive, took Terry Junior out
of his baby seat and let herself indoors. She still had tears
rolling down her face as she poured herself a glass of
wine and sat down on the sofa. She was going to miss
Billie Jo so much and the thought of not seeing her for
ages was unbearable. Apart from Terry Junior, Billie was
her last and only link with Terry.

After a while she looked into her mirror. Her mascara
was all over the place. Topping up her wine glass, she
said a little prayer. She wasn't particularly religious, especially
after the bad luck she'd had so far in life, but she
wasn't praying for herself, she was praying for Billie Jo.

'Please, God, take care of that girl,' she said quietly.
'Look after her and her baby, and keep her out of harm's
way.' Jade had never known anyone so young to experience
such bad luck. A drunken mother who couldn't give
a shit about her. A wonderful father cruelly taken away.
A no-good flash little shit called Danny entering her life
and then, to top it all, getting up the duff the first
time the poor little sweetheart decided to have sex. Jade
sank the remainder of the wine in her glass and crawled
into bed. She never got drunk, but tonight she'd bloody
well needed to.

Lying in the dark, she couldn't get Billie Jo out of her
mind. She had a strong feeling within her that Billie's run
of bad luck was about to get a whole lot worse. Call it a
gut feeling, call it what you like, but Jade knew she was
right, she could feel it in her bones.

In life some people are born with luck. Others are
forced to make their own. Billie Jo had a long road ahead
of her. Only time would dictate the exact distance.