Chapter Twelve - Time Stands Still as The Years Go By

"Billie, Billie, wake up," Emily said whispering in my ear.

"Oh, good morning, Emily," I said yawning, putting on my glasses.

"Hey, sleepyhead, sleep well?" Mike asked whenever I walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah, how about you?" I asked, drinking a cup of coffee on the sofa.

"I slept well," Mike replied, making us pancakes.

"That's great," I replied.

"Emily, can you go to Brixton's room, there's something in there, can you go look for it for me?" Mike asked while Emily sitting on the couch.

"Yes, I will," Emily said, walking into Brixton's room.

"Well, Billie, are you going to take Emily out of school?" Mike asked with his turquoise eyes staring at me.

"UMM... I'll give her at least two weeks. If she doesn't like it, I'll take her out," I replied, sipping on my cup of coffee.

---- Emily's POV ----

I overheard Mike and Billie talking about me. I asked myself: what are they talking about?

About an hour later Billie barged into the room, "Hey, Emily, we will leave In about an hour, all right," Billie said.

"All right, Billie," I replied.

I gathered all my belongings and put them in my duffle bag. We left in Billie's car about an hour later. As soon as when we got home, Adrienne was sitting on the couch doing something on her phone.

"Oh... Hey, Emily and Billie. How was your night?" Adrienne asked with disappointment on her face.

"Oh... Uh... Mine was great," I replied.

"Mine was well... all right," Billie replied upset and worried.

I put my luggage onto the bed. A moment later the shoebox fell out. I opened the shoebox and noticed the picture, and the note disappeared. I had no clue where they went; I thought I might have left it at Mike's house or something.

I walked into the kitchen, and Billie at the kitchen table eating a piece of pizza.

"Oh... Hey uh... Billie, I'd like to ask you about something," I asked Billie while he chews on a piece of pizza.

"What is it, honey?" Billie asked after he swallowed the bite of the pizza.

"Uh... Can I ask you in private, like in my room?" I asked Billie while he drinks his coke.

"Can it be after I eat? I have something to ask you, too. If it's about that Nick, boy, I will say, 'no'," Billie said with his emerald eyes gleaming in the light.

"No! It has nothing to do with Nick, Billie. It's something else," I acknowledged Billie.

"I will be in there in a minute," Billie replied while I headed into my room.

---- Billie's POV ----

I walked into Emily's room; I noticed she was sitting on the edge of her bed listening to music; I shut the door. I plopped down on the bed beside her; she acknowledged me; I asked.

"Well... You probably wouldn't like to know I was digging in your things. I just tripped over your shoebox last night, I was curious about what was inside. Then I found things of mine were in there. I'm disappointed you in you since you got in my stuff without my consent. Where did you get the note and the picture?" I asked Emily, showing her the picture and note.

I noticed she was reluctant initially tell me where she found the picture and note.

"Billie, I bet you wouldn't like this either. Whenever I was waiting for you to come back to the car from the gas station on the day of my doctor's appointment, they both fell out of your glove box. I noticed they were for mom, uh... Well, I took them. I'm sorry," Emily told me, I was in utter shock.

"Emily, I accept your apology; however, I still don't like that you took things from me, ya know? Emily, did you find out about 'the secret'?" I said worriedly.

"Well, no. I didn't understand what you were talking about in the note, Billie. When I read the note I was like, 'the secret' what is he talking about?" Emily acknowledged me.

"Well... I'm telling you on your birthday, well, more like us," I acknowledge Emily.

"All right, Emily, that's the only thing I was asking," I told Emily whenever I got up and left.

---- Emily's POV ----

I hated Mondays because I had to go back to school, which both I had disdain for. Whenever I walked into my first period Mrs. Macleod noticed me walk into the classroom.

"Hi, Emily. We're glad to see you back! Your dad told me why you have been out that past two days. The work that you missed is in the folder, over there, all right," she said happily, pointing to the purple folder on the table.

"All right, thanks," I replied.

I noticed Nick walk over there and asked.

"Hey, Emily, what did your dad say about the dance?" Nick asked having the prettiest smile I have ever seen.

"He said 'no', I mean, yes," I replied to Nick, while my face turned brick red.

"All right, I'll see you there, it's Friday," Nick said sitting down at his seat.

After the class was over, I noticed was I running late to my second class which was math, then I had a gut feeling like I forgotten something. After Mrs. Macleod wrote me a hall pass, I went to Mr. Duncan's class, which was math; I thought he was the worst teacher I have ever had in my entire life. He would write people up for no reason, he would yell at random students, and his tests were the worst.

As soon as when I entered his classroom, during his lecture, he noticed me then said,

"Emily Armstrong, why are you late to my class?" Mr. Duncan asked sternly.

"Well... I was running late... and uh... I put the hall pass on your desk," I replied timidly.

I heard some people laugh, then my face turned red as an apple.

"What is so funny?" He asked the class, sternly.

"Mrs. Armstrong, see me after class," Mr. Duncan said strictly.

After class, Mr. Duncan acknowledged me,

"Mrs. Armstrong, I'm sorry I had to embarrass you like that. I didn't hear the part when you said the hall pass was on my desk. Here take this one, I'm sure your next teacher wouldn't be mad at you or anything, he talks about you all the freaking time. Bye, don't forget your homework," Mr. Ducan said, worried and stressed.

He seemed like a decent guy. On my way home, I was listening to my music in the car then I heard Billie trying to say something,

"Emily, your teacher, Mrs. Macleod called today, she wants a parent-teacher conference tomorrow," Billie said steering the car into the driveway.

I sat my backpack down on the bed looking for my notebook I wrote in everyday. Apparently I forgot it at school. I was extremely worried and stressed hoping that my notebook was all right since it was present from mom before she passed.