Paradise Lost - The Painless

Bill's mood swings became increasingly sharp and uncontrollable. He was afraid of children at school; even some of the Lafayette cops were afraid of him. The psychiatrist noticed a high 10 Bill and decided that the young man had manic-depressive psychosis. Billy’s police case was growing, and ratings were getting lower. As a result, in 1978, near the end of the eleventh grade, he was expelled from school. Bill arranged his own small school at home. He dragged the piano into his room to study alone, and bought paints and pencils, which in turn attracted friends who came after school to draw and listen to music. Parents wanted him to return to school, but Bill was against it. In the mornings, he could be met in the public library, where he sat buried in a book until he was bored. He later said:“I just started studying at Axl’s school, where I studied those subjects that interested me.”