I woke at around 1:45 that night; I was throwing up. Billie rushed into the room instantly when he heard me in the bathroom, puking my guts out.
"Emily... Emily... Are you all right? I'm getting mom in here!" Billie said while he was remaining outside the bathroom door.
A few moments afterward, Adrienne opened the door.
"Oh god Billie, she feels burning hot," Adrienne said putting her hand on my head.
"Ugh... Billie... Buh-Billie... Buh-Billie... Billie," I said murmuring while Billie was gripping me in his arms on the bathroom floor.
"AWW... Emily... It's awful to see you in such pain... Don't worry, mom will come with the blankets and some water, all right?" Billie answered, whispering as I could tell he was about to cry.
A minute later, Billie carried my body and settled it on the bed.
"Here Emily. Here's some water," Billie said while providing me a blue cup of ice, chilled water.
"Oh-oh-oh Kay", I replied feeling lightheaded and weak.
"Well, try to get some sleep, Emily. I can tell you one thing, you won't be going to school," Billie said, sitting me up and putting his arms around my torso.
"Okay, Buh-Buh-B Billie," I replied shivering.
Billie walked out of the room, keeping the door open.
Then, it felt like a moment later; I heard a person walk into the room.
"Sorry Emily, I'm just checking on you," Billie replied with the thermometer on my forehead.
"Uh... It looks about the same as last night... Ugh... You feeling all right, honey?" Billie continued.
"N-no.. No... I still fell sick... Billie..." I said shuddering, Billie sat on the bed.
"Well, I hope you feel better Emily," Billie said kissing me on my head.
---- Billie's POV----
I pondered to myself: I wonder why she is sick to her stomach. It must've been something she ate. I don't know; I hope she's okay.
Adrienne noticed me shortly after, when I walked out of Emily's room, then suddenly asked.
"Billie, how is Emily feeling?" Adrienne asked worriedly.
"Oh... She's still feeling sick, Eighty. I don't know what we can do," I replied, upset about Emily's wellbeing.
"Billie, don't worry she will be fine. It's probably something she ate," Adrienne responded, looking at me in the eye.
"I mean, she looks in pain," I replied looking glancing at Emily, sleeping in the bed, tossing and turning.
"Billie, we all know that you have the worst anxiety on the planet," Adrienne replied.
"I mean, she's our child, we should worry about her safety and wellbeing, right?" I answered.
"I guess so, Billie," Adrienne said, sighing.
"What do you mean by you guess so?" I asked Eighty, offended by what she said. Then she glanced up at me, I continued, "Oh... I assume since we adopted Emily, that doesn't consider her our child."
"No, Billie, that's not what I said at all. I'm not trying to argue with you. 'Cause I know how you could be when you get angry," Adrienne aswered looking at her phone.
"When I get angry? What's that mean?" I asked.
"Well, you get angry, you scream and curse. Causing a tremendous scene; makin' a fool out of yourself," Adrienne replied, sounding smart-alec. "Well, I noticed about every night you go into her room and talk to her until like 4:00 to 5:00 in the morning. You seem like you know her better than your own wife! Also, no wonder why she has insomnia." She added.
"I go into her room because well, she is the only person I can talk to, she understands me," I came back, screaming.
"The only person who understands you? What's that supposed to mean, Billie? She's just a kid, not an adult," Adrienne replied, shutting the master bedroom door.
I thought: Oh dam; I don't know what the problem with her was. I need to leave here before I cause more issues with her. I need to go to Mike or Tré's house, but I won't want to leave Emily here.
I mean, Billie she is a teenager, she can defend herself; however, she is in pain and I need to be there for her.
---- Emily's POV ----
"Emily... Emily, come on, wake up, pack some clothes up for tonight..." Billie said whispering in my ear.
"Ugh... What's the matter, Billie?" I asked Billie. It seemed like he was having a panic attack.
"Oh... Nothing... C'mon," Billie said rushing me, I could tell something was bothering him.
I quickly packed two pairs of clothes, a pillow, and the shoebox in my duffle bag.
"All right, it looks like we are staying at Mike's tonight," Billie said while typing the address into his phone.
After Billie backed out, we headed for Mike's house.
"Billie, uh... What's going on?" I asked, staring at Billie's emerald eyes.
"Oh... UMM... Mom and I had a huge argument. So we are going to Mike's house for tonight," Billie replied, as he sped down the road.
"Does she know?" I asked Billie.
"Uh... No..." Billie said stressed.
"Wait? What?!" I replied.
"All right, we're here," Billie said upset, rushing me, stopping at a beach house.
---- Billie's POV ----
I noticed Mike outside, sitting on the patio. "Well, Billie? Do ya need some help?" Mike shouted.
"Nah... It seems like I got it," I replied, carrying in my luggage.
"Well, does Britt know about us staying over?" I asked while Mike was drinking a cup of coffee.
"Ya, Billie, she knows about everything. I called her before you guys came," Mike replied looking at me.
I helped Emily with her luggage and brought it into the house.
"Hey, is your stomach feeling better?" I whispered to Emily.
"It's feeling a little better," Emily acknowledged me.
"Well, Emily, Brixton is at his grandma's for the weekend. I guess you're the only kid here," Mike told Emily.
"Well, you forgot about the other kid," I said smiling and laughing.
"Billie, you're such a f**king dork!" Mike said smiling.
Then Mike showed Emily to the second guest bedroom, then Emily fell asleep.
I sat down on the bed away from Mike, and tears started rolling down my face.
"You f**king idiot. Why did you have to adopt her? Why did you have to date her mom back in Gilman Street days? F**king idiot," I said screaming to myself.
A moment later, I noticed Mike standing there staring at me, watching me to through my tantrum.
"Billie... Billie... regret nothing you did with that beautiful daughter of yours... Trust me, we all fight with our spouses and friends, that's what strengthens us. Y'know? I've noticed you've stressed the past couple of weeks, can you tell me, what's the problem?" Mike said, sitting on the bed.
"Well, Emily seems to have all the same issues I have, like my insomnia, depression, anxiety, and ADD. She reminds me of myself when I was her age. I guess Adrienne doesn't know her very well. Eighty did even know about her troubled past," I acknowledge Mike.
"Oh wow, Billie! Well, did you tell Emily the secret?" Mike asked.
"No, I'm keeping that until her birthday, which is in a few days," I acknowledge Mike.
"AHH... I got ya! Oh yeah, her birthday's on the 10th!" Mike answered he continued, "Billie, ya know, Lynn, she would have been proud of you," Mike smiled.
"Yeah, I guess so. She would be proud of me," I said, cheering up.
"Well, BJ, I'll go check on her," Mike said walking out of the room.
Man, Mike's such a great friend. That helped me a lot, it made some of my anxiety go away; I thought to myself.
A moment later, I received a text from Eighty.
The message read, Hey, Billie. Where did you guys go? I'm sorry if I made you mad earlier. I mean, Billie, I don't know Emily that well. I'm glad that you have a great relationship with her. I love you, Billie, for the rest of my life!
I smiled, then texted; I accept your apology, Eighty. We're at Mike's house right now. Emily reminds me of myself when I was her age, we both had a troubled past, one of our parents died when we were at a young age, and have the same issues. I think her new medicine made her sick. Whenever I used to take it, that made me sick to my stomach. Well, I love you too! I'll be home tomorrow!
"Billie, she seems to be feeling better," Mike acknowledged me while I was getting my Coke out of the fridge.
"Ahh... Well, that's nice, Mike. I think it might be her new medicine. I used to take it, also, the doctor said, that's one of the side effects." I acknowledged Mike sitting on the sofa.
That night, I went into the guest bedroom to check on Emily. "Hey, kid, how you feeling?" I asked Emily while she was rubbing her eyes and yawning.
"I'm feeling much better," Emily acknowledged me.
Then she turned over and fell fast asleep. When I walked to the door, I suddenly tripped over something. It was a shoebox, I thought, that I should see what is inside of it.
"Billie, where did you get that shoebox?" Mike asked.
"I tripped over it. It was in her room, I've never seen it in my entire life," I acknowledge Mike sitting on the sofa, while I placed the box on the coffee table.
I opened it. I found a notebook, a necklace and then I opened the notebook; I noticed the note and a picture of Lynn and Emily.
"Where did she get this?" I asked Mike waving the note and picture.
"Billie, I have no idea. Well, I'm going to bed," Mike said, walking into the master bedroom.
Mike, help me with this, but he's been up since early this morning. I didn't want Emily to know that I was into her personal things; I thought.
I put the note and picture on the bed, then put the shoebox back in Emily's room.
I noticed Emily woke up as soon as when I placed the shoebox by her duffle bag, "Billie, what are you doing?" She asked.
"Well, uh... I'm going to bed and I was checking on you," I told Emily.
"Oh okay, goodnight, Billie," Emily said yawning.
I walked back into the bedroom where I was sleeping; I stared at the picture for hours." I hope she doesn't know about the secret yet", I said to myself. I fell asleep recalling all the memories about Lynn.