Violence of Summer, chapter 31
Mike sat back in his chair tapping his foot along to the song that was playing in the background as Billie sat opposite him. Tre picked up his beer and sipped on it looking at his two friends. The three friends were all sat in Mike's back garden listening to their finished album 'Nimrod'.
"So are we happy with the final piece ladies and gentlemen?" Billie asked his two friends.
"Ecstatic... " Tre said plainly.
"You sound it... " Mike chuckled.
"Oh, come on, you know it's okay... Tre's going through a manic depression stage at the moment. You wanna watch out for that Tre - the kid will start picking up on your potty mouth... " Billie joked.
"I'm not going through a manic depression stage... " Tre said sourly.
"Mid-life crisis?" Mike questioned as Billie laughed at him.
"I'm only twenty four!" Tre argued. "What is it with you two today? Leave me alone!"
"You started it... " Mike said looking at Billie Joe. Billie dropped his mouth over dramatically slapping a hand on his cheek. He looked at Tre who was giving the two of them evils as Billie just snickered at him.
"Charlie's getting married tomorrow... " Billie said as Mike looked up from picking at a scab on his finger.
"Yeah I know." Tre shot back. "So?"
"Is that why you're quiet?" Billie asked.
"No!" Tre snapped.
"It is isn't it?"
"No it's not! Fuck off, Billie."
"No need to get nasty." Billie said with the same sourness in his voice as Tre had.
"Well stop poking me at the fact that Charlie is getting married tomorrow!"
"Well I know it's been on your mind a lot lately. Why don't you talk about it?"
"I don't want to... " Tre shrugged.
"Well she seems happy doesn't she...?" Billie said turning his head to face Mike.
"Yeah and hell why shouldn't she be huh?" Mike smiled. "I mean she's obviously found someone that makes her smile... "
Tre tutted loudly as the two boys looked at him. "Have you got something to say on that issue Tre?" Mike asked glancing over at Billie quickly.
"No... " he mumbled.
"Well what do you think of Ricky?" Billie asked.
"You know I think he's a really nice guy... " Mike said picking up his drink. "She seems all loved up and everything... He has a lot to talk about... "
Tre rolled his eyes shaking his head slightly. "Yeah about how great he is... " Tre butted in.
Billie and Mike looked at him as Tre looked up. "Come on guys! You don't really think he's all that great do you? The guys an asswipe! He's so far off from being the right person for Charlie."
"I thought they looked quite good together." Billie said honestly.
"Per-lease... " Tre sighed sitting back in his chair. "Charlie doesn't deserve him."
"Then who does?" Billie said.
"I don't know!"
"Oh this is killing me!" Mike said loudly. "You know sometimes I wanna blow your fucking brains out Frank." Tre looked at Mike raising his eyebrows. "Ever since the first day you met Charlie you've wanted rip her little panties off. You've always had a crush on her! Don't try and deny it because EVERYONE could see it. Yeah you don't think we heard the kinky little things you used to say to each other in the back of the pod? You don't think we remembered the little moments you used to share with each other? You never plucked up the courage to ask her out... You even admitted to Billie you liked her - yes he did tell me - and now she's getting married and you're all fucked off about it and still acting like a jealous teenager!" Mike breathed in heavily happy with his little speech.
"You know what Mike... " Tre said putting his drink down. "Things have kind of changed now. If you haven't already noticed - I'm married. I do also have a child... So in a way, what good would it do if I told her now anyway huh?"
"Told her what though Tre?" Billie asked. "What is it with you and Charlie? What's the deal ey?"
"Stop questioning it!" Tre let out frustratedly. "I don't know! I used to have a crush on her but I don't know anymore because I'm too confused! One minute she's still this little girl and we're flirting with each other and the next she's marrying some stranger!"
"And you're blaming her for it!?" Billie asked rhetorically. "Maybe it's your fault Tre!"
"Why?" Tre said suddenly getting quite upset. His two best friends were having a go at him and his favourite girl was getting married. Who was he to turn to now? "I haven't done anything wrong!" he said defending himself.
"Neither has Charlie! She's only fallen in love and you seem to hate her for it!"
Tre got up out of his chair ignoring the question as he made his way for the door going inside the house.
"You can do the honors... " Mike said.
Billie sighed heavily getting up following Tre in the house. He spotted Tre sitting in the dark shaded front room staring at the fireplace. Billie sat down in an easy chair opposite Tre and looked at him for a while.
"You know... " Tre said suddenly out of the blue. "The day Lisea told me she was pregnant... I was gonna dump her... " Billie looked at Tre suddenly as he leaned forward waiting for Tre to continue. "After that night when you all first met Lisea... I saw Charlie and... I realized how much I actually cared about her you know? So I was gonna finish it with Lisea. We were sitting at this café and I was... I was trying to say that we shouldn't see each other anymore but... For some reason she was beaming and looked really happy about something... And I just couldn't do it. She said she had something to tell me and then... She told me the news that she was pregnant and... And that was it... " Tre tore his eyes away from the spot on the wall and looked at Billie. "We got married... "
"Tre... Maybe it's about time... You stop regretting what's in the past?"
"Yeah... " Tre sighed. "Good Riddance right?" he chuckled.
I hope you had the time of your life...
***
It was the day of the wedding. The scorching sun on Tre's head was burning his head and he could feel his hair heating up as he leant against the black car. He looked at the church then looked in the opposite direction squinting in the sunlight. He couldn't do it... He couldn't watch it. Instead he came out here and watched the sun.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and started to wonder why it was so stuffy outside. Maybe it was just humid...
After a few moments he could hear someone behind him as the stones made a small noise under the person's feet. He turned around slowly surprised to be faced with Charlie. Her hair was slightly out of place and she looked quite flustered as if she had been running. She laughed as Tre raised his eyebrows suddenly quite confused. Shouldn't she be in there? Marrying her fiancée?
"What are you doing?" Tre asked going over to stand in front of her.
Charlie's laugh sub sided into a small giggle as she glared into Tre's sparkling blue eyes.
"I don't know... " she whispered.
Tre put a hand on her bare arm. "Shouldn't you be inside...?" he asked.
She stopped giggling and looked at Tre seriously. "I couldn't do it... " she said in a whisper. "I didn't do it... "
Tre looked up looking over to the doors wondering why there wasn't anyone coming out yet... Wouldn't have Ricky run after her?
"You didn't marry him?" Tre asked. Charlie shook her head as Tre looked back at her and smiled. "I don't believe it... " he breathed.
Charlie took a step closer to the drummer as their bodies touched and Tre wrapped his arm around her body slowly. She brought her head up to his as their lips touched lightly-
A loud slamming noise suddenly awoke Tre as he jolted and his eyes jerked open. He was breathing heavily and it took him a while to adjust to the darkness of the room. The street lamp from outside glared into his bedroom window as he rolled onto his back and stared at the dark ceiling. He suddenly realized he was sweating and that it was stuffy in the bedroom. He sat up slowly and stumbled over to the window opening it so he could get some air to the room. He rubbed his face resting his forehead against the cool pane of glass looking down at the empty street below.
It was just a dream...
He suddenly heard the sound of faint cries come from the bedroom down the hallway as Lisea mumbled something from the bed.
"Tre can you get that... " she said tiredly.
He sighed heavily opening the bedroom door making his way through the dark hallway into his daughter's bedroom turning on the light. He looked at the cot to see his little girl holding onto the wooden bars jumping up and down energetically.
"Milk-a-bottle, milk-a-bottle!" she screamed pointing at the empty bottle that was lying on the floor next to her cot. "Daddy, Milk-a-bottle!" she cried stretching her small arm through the bars trying to reach for her bottle.
"Okay okay... " Tre groaned going over to the cot picking up Ramona. "I'll get you some milk-a-bottle if you promise to stop crying... "
"Milk-a-bottle... " she said pointing at the bottle on the floor as he picked up the bottle on the floor and made his way down to the kitchen to get some milk.
After about two hours Tre finally got the satisfied two and a half year old back to sleep as he looked at his watch with tired eyes seeing it was now 5 o'clock in the morning. He slowly made his way out of Ramona's bedroom turning off the light leaving the door ajar making his way back down the hallway opening the door to his and Lisea's bedroom. He slumped back into bed scanning his thoughts as he thought of the dream he had had before he woke up. He felt Lisea roll over next to him as she wrapped her arms around his stomach and kissed his neck.
He turned his body towards hers as she ran her hands up his chest. Tre moaned ever so slightly feeling Lisea's hands slip off his pajama bottoms as he closed his eyes.
Just close your eyes and keep moaning... Tre thought to himself... and she'll never know...
"So are we happy with the final piece ladies and gentlemen?" Billie asked his two friends.
"Ecstatic... " Tre said plainly.
"You sound it... " Mike chuckled.
"Oh, come on, you know it's okay... Tre's going through a manic depression stage at the moment. You wanna watch out for that Tre - the kid will start picking up on your potty mouth... " Billie joked.
"I'm not going through a manic depression stage... " Tre said sourly.
"Mid-life crisis?" Mike questioned as Billie laughed at him.
"I'm only twenty four!" Tre argued. "What is it with you two today? Leave me alone!"
"You started it... " Mike said looking at Billie Joe. Billie dropped his mouth over dramatically slapping a hand on his cheek. He looked at Tre who was giving the two of them evils as Billie just snickered at him.
"Charlie's getting married tomorrow... " Billie said as Mike looked up from picking at a scab on his finger.
"Yeah I know." Tre shot back. "So?"
"Is that why you're quiet?" Billie asked.
"No!" Tre snapped.
"It is isn't it?"
"No it's not! Fuck off, Billie."
"No need to get nasty." Billie said with the same sourness in his voice as Tre had.
"Well stop poking me at the fact that Charlie is getting married tomorrow!"
"Well I know it's been on your mind a lot lately. Why don't you talk about it?"
"I don't want to... " Tre shrugged.
"Well she seems happy doesn't she...?" Billie said turning his head to face Mike.
"Yeah and hell why shouldn't she be huh?" Mike smiled. "I mean she's obviously found someone that makes her smile... "
Tre tutted loudly as the two boys looked at him. "Have you got something to say on that issue Tre?" Mike asked glancing over at Billie quickly.
"No... " he mumbled.
"Well what do you think of Ricky?" Billie asked.
"You know I think he's a really nice guy... " Mike said picking up his drink. "She seems all loved up and everything... He has a lot to talk about... "
Tre rolled his eyes shaking his head slightly. "Yeah about how great he is... " Tre butted in.
Billie and Mike looked at him as Tre looked up. "Come on guys! You don't really think he's all that great do you? The guys an asswipe! He's so far off from being the right person for Charlie."
"I thought they looked quite good together." Billie said honestly.
"Per-lease... " Tre sighed sitting back in his chair. "Charlie doesn't deserve him."
"Then who does?" Billie said.
"I don't know!"
"Oh this is killing me!" Mike said loudly. "You know sometimes I wanna blow your fucking brains out Frank." Tre looked at Mike raising his eyebrows. "Ever since the first day you met Charlie you've wanted rip her little panties off. You've always had a crush on her! Don't try and deny it because EVERYONE could see it. Yeah you don't think we heard the kinky little things you used to say to each other in the back of the pod? You don't think we remembered the little moments you used to share with each other? You never plucked up the courage to ask her out... You even admitted to Billie you liked her - yes he did tell me - and now she's getting married and you're all fucked off about it and still acting like a jealous teenager!" Mike breathed in heavily happy with his little speech.
"You know what Mike... " Tre said putting his drink down. "Things have kind of changed now. If you haven't already noticed - I'm married. I do also have a child... So in a way, what good would it do if I told her now anyway huh?"
"Told her what though Tre?" Billie asked. "What is it with you and Charlie? What's the deal ey?"
"Stop questioning it!" Tre let out frustratedly. "I don't know! I used to have a crush on her but I don't know anymore because I'm too confused! One minute she's still this little girl and we're flirting with each other and the next she's marrying some stranger!"
"And you're blaming her for it!?" Billie asked rhetorically. "Maybe it's your fault Tre!"
"Why?" Tre said suddenly getting quite upset. His two best friends were having a go at him and his favourite girl was getting married. Who was he to turn to now? "I haven't done anything wrong!" he said defending himself.
"Neither has Charlie! She's only fallen in love and you seem to hate her for it!"
Tre got up out of his chair ignoring the question as he made his way for the door going inside the house.
"You can do the honors... " Mike said.
Billie sighed heavily getting up following Tre in the house. He spotted Tre sitting in the dark shaded front room staring at the fireplace. Billie sat down in an easy chair opposite Tre and looked at him for a while.
"You know... " Tre said suddenly out of the blue. "The day Lisea told me she was pregnant... I was gonna dump her... " Billie looked at Tre suddenly as he leaned forward waiting for Tre to continue. "After that night when you all first met Lisea... I saw Charlie and... I realized how much I actually cared about her you know? So I was gonna finish it with Lisea. We were sitting at this café and I was... I was trying to say that we shouldn't see each other anymore but... For some reason she was beaming and looked really happy about something... And I just couldn't do it. She said she had something to tell me and then... She told me the news that she was pregnant and... And that was it... " Tre tore his eyes away from the spot on the wall and looked at Billie. "We got married... "
"Tre... Maybe it's about time... You stop regretting what's in the past?"
"Yeah... " Tre sighed. "Good Riddance right?" he chuckled.
I hope you had the time of your life...
***
It was the day of the wedding. The scorching sun on Tre's head was burning his head and he could feel his hair heating up as he leant against the black car. He looked at the church then looked in the opposite direction squinting in the sunlight. He couldn't do it... He couldn't watch it. Instead he came out here and watched the sun.
He stuck his hands in his pockets and started to wonder why it was so stuffy outside. Maybe it was just humid...
After a few moments he could hear someone behind him as the stones made a small noise under the person's feet. He turned around slowly surprised to be faced with Charlie. Her hair was slightly out of place and she looked quite flustered as if she had been running. She laughed as Tre raised his eyebrows suddenly quite confused. Shouldn't she be in there? Marrying her fiancée?
"What are you doing?" Tre asked going over to stand in front of her.
Charlie's laugh sub sided into a small giggle as she glared into Tre's sparkling blue eyes.
"I don't know... " she whispered.
Tre put a hand on her bare arm. "Shouldn't you be inside...?" he asked.
She stopped giggling and looked at Tre seriously. "I couldn't do it... " she said in a whisper. "I didn't do it... "
Tre looked up looking over to the doors wondering why there wasn't anyone coming out yet... Wouldn't have Ricky run after her?
"You didn't marry him?" Tre asked. Charlie shook her head as Tre looked back at her and smiled. "I don't believe it... " he breathed.
Charlie took a step closer to the drummer as their bodies touched and Tre wrapped his arm around her body slowly. She brought her head up to his as their lips touched lightly-
A loud slamming noise suddenly awoke Tre as he jolted and his eyes jerked open. He was breathing heavily and it took him a while to adjust to the darkness of the room. The street lamp from outside glared into his bedroom window as he rolled onto his back and stared at the dark ceiling. He suddenly realized he was sweating and that it was stuffy in the bedroom. He sat up slowly and stumbled over to the window opening it so he could get some air to the room. He rubbed his face resting his forehead against the cool pane of glass looking down at the empty street below.
It was just a dream...
He suddenly heard the sound of faint cries come from the bedroom down the hallway as Lisea mumbled something from the bed.
"Tre can you get that... " she said tiredly.
He sighed heavily opening the bedroom door making his way through the dark hallway into his daughter's bedroom turning on the light. He looked at the cot to see his little girl holding onto the wooden bars jumping up and down energetically.
"Milk-a-bottle, milk-a-bottle!" she screamed pointing at the empty bottle that was lying on the floor next to her cot. "Daddy, Milk-a-bottle!" she cried stretching her small arm through the bars trying to reach for her bottle.
"Okay okay... " Tre groaned going over to the cot picking up Ramona. "I'll get you some milk-a-bottle if you promise to stop crying... "
"Milk-a-bottle... " she said pointing at the bottle on the floor as he picked up the bottle on the floor and made his way down to the kitchen to get some milk.
After about two hours Tre finally got the satisfied two and a half year old back to sleep as he looked at his watch with tired eyes seeing it was now 5 o'clock in the morning. He slowly made his way out of Ramona's bedroom turning off the light leaving the door ajar making his way back down the hallway opening the door to his and Lisea's bedroom. He slumped back into bed scanning his thoughts as he thought of the dream he had had before he woke up. He felt Lisea roll over next to him as she wrapped her arms around his stomach and kissed his neck.
He turned his body towards hers as she ran her hands up his chest. Tre moaned ever so slightly feeling Lisea's hands slip off his pajama bottoms as he closed his eyes.
Just close your eyes and keep moaning... Tre thought to himself... and she'll never know...
