Sweet Children Come Out and Play, chapter 15
"What the fuck are you doing?!"
Billie still lay on the ground, looking up. He couldn't move.
Alex shouted back at her, "I came for you!"
"What?"
"Come with me," he took her hand, but before he could pull her away, Billie took hold of his ankle and pulled his feet out from under him. Alex fell beside Billie where he pinned him down. Alex tried to shove back, "Get the fuck off!" Billie kicked him back and Alex cried out in pain and curling himself into a ball and clutching his stomach.
"What the fuck is this about?!" Billie yelled at him. He had never seen him before in his life and just now he comes out of nowhere and tries to beat the shit out of him. Blood dribbled down Billie's cheek.
"Delphine was mine!" he cried back. Delphine on the other hand had no idea what was going on either. She had shortly known Alex from high school in a chem. class. He'd never said much to her. And defiantly nothing even remotely close to this. "Delphine, I came to find you. I know I never told you. I love you. I know I never told you but I do!"
"Alex," she said a little more gently, "I - I have no idea what you are talking about. I barely know you."
"I know, but I know you. I want you to come with me!"
"Alex, I'm married to Billie Joe. I don't understand."
Billie looked to her, "You really haven't seen him until now?"
"No, not since school ended."
"I'm sorry!" Alex shouted at her, still pined beneath Billie. "I should have said it while we were in school but I couldn't! I came to find you now though. We could make up for lost time!"
"Alex, why would you think that? I have been with Billie for the past year. We...we're having a baby together," she said uneasily. Maybe she should not have said that. But it was obvious anyway.
"I didn't know! My wife said I was stupid to come! But I don't need her anymore. I mean - about all that - you could just leave it all behind and start over. Come with me. We could go right now!"
Delphine could not believe what she was hearing. Alex was so different. "No, no I told you, I love Billie," she really did not know what else to say to him.
"You need to leave," Billie Joe said getting up. Alex sincerely looked hurt, but she could not understand why he would ask Delphine such an outrageous thing. And why now?
"Look give me your number, we can talk!" he tried to plead.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea," she looked to Billie. Delphine just wanted him, Alex, to leave now. Billie pressed close to her, put an arm around her back and started to quickly lead her away. They turned down the street. Alex called back after them, struggling to get up, but Delphine did not turn around again. When they reached home, Billie locked and bolted the door. Well, actually it was the apartment house, their other home pretty much. He figured it was safer in case the guy Alex tried to follow them home. For a minute he starred at the door, wishing there was another way to secure it more, but Alex's kicks to the stomach got the better of him. Billie got only half way to the couch before doubling over onto the floor. He carefully propped himself up against the wall, his breath failing to catch up.
Delphine ran back into the front room with the first aid kit and a wet towel. At first, she saw him on the floor and panicked. "Billie! Honey, I'm so sorry. Are you ok? Should we go see the doctor?"
"No, no I'm fine. I just need a second," he breathed. She kissed his cheek and brushed his black hair away from his eyes.
"I can't believe him. I'm so sorry he hurt you. I had no idea-"
"I know. It's not your fault," he touched her cheek, "I'm glad that psycho maniac didn't try to hurt you... or something - oh shit-" he cringed.
"Fuck, really Billie, do you want to go to the hospital? I don't want any bleeding from the inside or something serious." She gave him a worried look.
"No, no, just help me to the couch." She did and once he was lying down, Delphine took out a cotton ball and went to clean the cut on his face. It was dangerously close to his eye and right on the bone. He didn't even flinch though.
"Oh, why do you let people do this to you?" she whined, more to herself than him.
Billie shrugged, "Cause I love you. I'd do anything for you," he said it with a smirk on his face, but he really did mean it. Well, that just about made Delphine burst out in tears. She just sniffed, holding them back while sticking a Band-Aid over the cut. "Thanks," he smiled again. "Anyway, I need you here to bandage me up afterwards before I fall apart." Delphine leaned forward and kissed his lips.
"No problem. Of course, cause I would do anything for you too." They sat together for a moment and then all the guys walked in. When Tre and Mike saw Billie on the couch they just about fell over.
"Dude, what the fuck happened to you?!" Tre burst out and Richelle let out a gasp.
"I got fucking beat up."
"You should have seen the other guy," Delphine smiled.
"Was he big?"
"No, Billie beat the crap out of him."
"You all right man?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," and he told the rest of the story with Delphine. The looks on all of their faces were priceless.
"That fucking retard! On the other hand, Delphine, you should be flattered," Tre pointed to her.
"Actually, I kinda am now that I think about it, but it was hella scary too."
"He's gone now anyway," Billie soothed.
"And you kicked his ass so I don't think he'll try again."
"You two just be carefuller now," Richelle said nervously.
"Don't worry about us," Delphine laughed, "We have Billie," she gave him a poke and another kiss.
"You know what would make all this better?" Tre cut in. "Pancakes!"
"At ten o'clock at night?" Brites rolled her dark green eyes.
"Eh, why not," Delphine laughed. "We still don't have any food so you have to make something from scratch. Richelle jumped into the kitchen.
"And I suppose I'll be the one making them," she sighed.
A loud, "Thank you Richelle!" came from everyone in the living room.
*
Delphine awoke sitting straight up in bed. A dream. That's all it was. A dream. She looked to her side to find Billie fast asleep. He had given her a scare yesterday. That's why she must be having bad dreams again. She had dreamt about the other day with her father. It had happened last week too though. She remembered it all so clearly.
Billie had said to her father, "Look, I may be far from perfect, but I want this too. I will do whatever I can to support Delphine and the baby."
Her father had said, "No, I'm just saying that I don't think you are ready."
"And I don't think you understand," Delphine said. She was so grateful to Billie for saying something like that. "We are having this baby. Whether or not it was a good decision is behind us now. We cannot go back on our word. I would never give up my own child and there is no reason for an abortion. We can't just say no now."
"Delphine, I can't just stand by and watch this happen. You had a future and you threw it away! You could have gone to Stanford!"
"No, that is in the past now! I told you. I couldn't have and I don't want to."
"Why?!"
"Because I never wanted to do that!"
"This is what happens. You never knew what you wanted to be, and this is what happens!"
"I have always known what I wanted to be! A mom. A mom and that was it!"
"You never said that!"
"I couldn't! You wanted me to support myself! This doesn't earn money-"
"Exactly!"
"No, let me finish! I have Billie. He has a job."
"Music is not a career! It is a one in a million chance that he will amount to anything!"
"How can you say that!" Delphine gave an apologetic look to Billie. She never looked so sorry in her life. In fact, Billie was more hurt because she was so upset than by what her dad had said. He was used to that. But how could he yell at her like this? This had nothing to do with the baby anymore. "If I need too, I will go to work. I'll work at a little store downtown if I have too."
"And so everything is going to be peachy because you have Billie?!"
"That is not how it is!"
"Fine, fine, I'm the one who sucks here! It's just me now!"
"Yes! Yes, it is! Don't you understand that this is all I have always fucking wanted!" Delphine cried. She could never argue with someone like this without crying. And that made Billie angry. How can her own father do this to her? Second guess her?
"You are just saying that! You just want to get back at me! Is that what this is all about!?"
"What are you talking about? That was never what this is about!"
"You know what, never mind!" Andy got up and stormed off down the hall with elephant feet.
After a pause, Delphine turned around and buried her face in Billie's chest. "I am so sorry, Billie. I can't believe he said that." She had not known what else to say in a situation like that. Mom walked over. She knew from experience not to argue with her husband about the pettily small things. Delphine had learned that too, but she could not sit back and say 'fine, yes, whatever' for something like this. A baby is not going to go away.
Mary sat down across from them. "I'm sorry you guys. He is just not very good with the idea yet. You just can't take what he says personally. He doesn't really mean it."
Delphine sat up and quickly wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I know. I just hate him when he does this. I'm sorry Billie. I should have come alone."
"No, no, this is for both of us. It took two people for this to happen."
Mary leaned over then and gave Delphine and Billie a hug. She felt awful for what Andy had said. As she was about to let go, Delphine hung on. Mary smiled. Delphine always felt that at least she had her mom. That was still true. And Billie held onto Delphine with both arms. He hated to think it too at a moment like this, but he was enjoying the hug from Mom. Mary may be forty-two, but she and Delphine looked like sisters. She was hot for a mom. But not to get sidetracked. Delphine could tell.
All three stayed downstairs together for a long time. Finally, they got up to go. Delphine had no interest in seeing her father again. She would have to eventually. Let him burn it out on his own. Maybe things would go better then.
*
That afternoon, they were all back on the road. They pretty much packed up all the same stuff, except toothpaste, the toothbrush and underwear this time, and Tre made sure the chocolate syrup was in the van too. Delphine had spent so much time with it that she almost forgot all of the craziness of the morning. This is why she loved her friends so much. They seemed to just understand everything and go with the flow.
When they were finally on the road, all the memories of dull car time from last month came flowing back. Six people locked in car for the first of many four, five, six hour long drives. For about the first two hours they blasted music while Tre drove. Then Mike drove with Brites up front. Richelle and Tre sat in the back with Delphine and Billie Joe. It was a wide open back which they stuffed with blankets and pillows and conveniently forgot seatbelts. Nothing to do.
*
And now she was here. Lying in bed next to Billie two months later and she could not get her father's words out of her mind. Was he actually right? She'd wondered these types of things all her life and she told herself again and again that they weren't. It never seemed to do much good. Delphine pulled the blanket up closer around her body. Her hand bumped across her stomach as she did it.
Then a thought struck her. This was new. For once in her life, this, the baby, was something that was final. Picking a college was never final and until she met Billie Joe, she was never certain that she would ever find another person who she could spend her life with like she felt she could with him. For once, her dad could not do a thing about it. Maybe her dad would not back her up, but Billie Joe would, and her friends would come to think of it and her baby would. Then why was she so troubled? This was not about her anymore. It would be about the baby. That's something her dad could never argue with.
*
Billie Joe really was back to normal now; just a little bit shaken. He had been avoiding going to the grocery store in the last week even though the grocery store really had nothing to do with Alex. As a result, Delphine, Brites and Richelle were the ones who ended up doing the shopping. Today was a big day though. Today was the day that the three girls would brave the infamous Costco. The place of hell in Delphine's childhood after being dragged through the chaos so many times by her mother with only the small reward of free food at the little tables on the end of each isle. They were supposed to be samples to make you buy the food but Delphine liked to think of them more as lunch.
However, the prices were cheaper there and she was living with just as many people as had been in her family growing up, six. Her mother, father, brother and two sisters had all changed into her friends. Actually, it was quite a nice trade. But wouldn't you know it. They all had to be fed too! So as Delphine walked though the large doorway into Costco's warehouse of food, she knew she was turning into her mother. Oh well, money is money.
Actually, as she, Richelle and Brites ran though the place, it was not so bad. They didn't have to buy anything she didn't like and she could get anything she wanted such as the big double pack of Nestlé chocolate chips. Ok, maybe Costco was not so bad.
When the girls finally got out and loaded up the car with stuff that would last them the next few months... or years, they decided to treat themselves to something for surviving the mass hysteria. Hot chocolate in a little café called Chocolate by the beach. It was literally like drinking a liquid candy bar and Delphine took every opertunity she could to go eat there. The food was great too. It was a little place. On the front door was a movie poster for Chocolat. The movie with Johnny Depp. You walk in the door and the counter is in front of you and stretches to the other wall. So really it was only a ten by twenty feet area and one of the walls, to your right as you walk in, is devoted to all the anti-Bush magazine pictures, political cartoons and stickers they could find. It was really hilarious actually. That's what you get for living here. The first time she walked in three years ago, Delphine knew she liked this place. The lady she always saw and never really knew was there waiting tables. Delphine liked her. She had brown dreads and was pretty.
Delphine ordered the Lena as usual (that was the milk chocolate hot chocolate), Brites got the Sofia (darker chocolate) and Richelle could not decide between the Lena, Sofia and the Italian chocolate one so she went with the white chocolate. They all sat down outside in the little plant enclosed area where they usually were because inside was always full. Plus, it was nice outside. There hot chocolate came in the little glass mugs a minute later.
"So, Richelle, what's going on with Tre? - now that we're finally alone you can tell us," Brites started us casually.
"What do you mean what's going on with Tre?"
"You guys have been together for awhile. You're staying with us. You planning on marrying him?" she said in a sickly sweet yet innocent tone.
"Well, I don't-" she began but was cut off as a girl backing into her chair. Just a bump and no harm done.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl turned around. She was really gorgeous Delphine thought to herself immediately. She had to take a second look. The girl was dressed in a white spaghetti strap top, a short black skirt, studded belt, lots of silver chain necklaces, and had beautiful brown and red dreadlocks. It was the red Delphine used to have her hair when she first dyed it a color. It was the kind of hair Delphine had always wanted, if she ever had the courage to dread her hair. Perhaps not though. Tattoos were enough and blue hair.
"Oh, no it's fine," Richelle reassured her.
"I'm sorry, I was just going to sit," she pulled up a chair at a table nearby. Really, this was the kind of girl Billie Joe would glance at and think pretty but not say anything until Delphine looked and said "wow she is hot!" Then Billie would get all turned on because she was looking at another woman. And then pretend to be jealous. But really, this was the kind of girl Delphine would have sex with if she didn't have Billie. If she ever wanted to experiment. If he was going to say he was bi out in the open then she had some right too.
"Hey, you live around here?" Delphine asked.
The girl turned to her now, "Yeah, ha! Can't you tell?"
"Yep."
"I'm guessing you too?"
"Yep!" Brites said happily. "How'd you know?"
"Same reason. You have blue hair and you have green," she pointed to Delphine and Brites.
Delphine laughed. "And it's fucking awesome."
"You guys alone?" she was resting her chin on her folded hands over the back of her seat.
"Yes. Just us," Richelle said, "Finally away from the guys for a few minutes!"
"I see," she smiled.
"You know, we love 'em but there needs to be quality girl time too."
"So why didn't you bring Tre then? He's good with girl time," Delphine said.
Richelle hit her in the arm. "Hey! I'm the pregnant lady! Remember." Maybe she should not have said it so casually in front of this girl.
"Ha! You're really pregnant? Married?"
"Yep," she shrugged, "as of four months ago."
"Wow."
Richelle cut in, "and just for the record, Tre is a man!"
"Oh, but we know what's really underneath," Brites cooed.
"Hey, you waiting for someone?" Delphine asked.
"No, actually, just me."
"Want to sit with us?"
"Sure!" the girl got up and pulled her chair up to their table. The waitress came out and gave her hot chocolate just then.
"Oh good, so you're crazy like us!" Richelle laughed, "Hot chocolate when it's 80 degrees out." Delphine picked up her cup and took a slow sip. It was always so good, and it did not seem like a lot of hot chocolate in the small cup, but it filled you up so fast that you hardly noticed by the time the bottom of the cup was showing.
"Nothing's better! Ok, so what are your names?"
"I'm Delphine."
"Richelle and Brites," she pointed.
"You?"
"I'm Cody."
Billie still lay on the ground, looking up. He couldn't move.
Alex shouted back at her, "I came for you!"
"What?"
"Come with me," he took her hand, but before he could pull her away, Billie took hold of his ankle and pulled his feet out from under him. Alex fell beside Billie where he pinned him down. Alex tried to shove back, "Get the fuck off!" Billie kicked him back and Alex cried out in pain and curling himself into a ball and clutching his stomach.
"What the fuck is this about?!" Billie yelled at him. He had never seen him before in his life and just now he comes out of nowhere and tries to beat the shit out of him. Blood dribbled down Billie's cheek.
"Delphine was mine!" he cried back. Delphine on the other hand had no idea what was going on either. She had shortly known Alex from high school in a chem. class. He'd never said much to her. And defiantly nothing even remotely close to this. "Delphine, I came to find you. I know I never told you. I love you. I know I never told you but I do!"
"Alex," she said a little more gently, "I - I have no idea what you are talking about. I barely know you."
"I know, but I know you. I want you to come with me!"
"Alex, I'm married to Billie Joe. I don't understand."
Billie looked to her, "You really haven't seen him until now?"
"No, not since school ended."
"I'm sorry!" Alex shouted at her, still pined beneath Billie. "I should have said it while we were in school but I couldn't! I came to find you now though. We could make up for lost time!"
"Alex, why would you think that? I have been with Billie for the past year. We...we're having a baby together," she said uneasily. Maybe she should not have said that. But it was obvious anyway.
"I didn't know! My wife said I was stupid to come! But I don't need her anymore. I mean - about all that - you could just leave it all behind and start over. Come with me. We could go right now!"
Delphine could not believe what she was hearing. Alex was so different. "No, no I told you, I love Billie," she really did not know what else to say to him.
"You need to leave," Billie Joe said getting up. Alex sincerely looked hurt, but she could not understand why he would ask Delphine such an outrageous thing. And why now?
"Look give me your number, we can talk!" he tried to plead.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea," she looked to Billie. Delphine just wanted him, Alex, to leave now. Billie pressed close to her, put an arm around her back and started to quickly lead her away. They turned down the street. Alex called back after them, struggling to get up, but Delphine did not turn around again. When they reached home, Billie locked and bolted the door. Well, actually it was the apartment house, their other home pretty much. He figured it was safer in case the guy Alex tried to follow them home. For a minute he starred at the door, wishing there was another way to secure it more, but Alex's kicks to the stomach got the better of him. Billie got only half way to the couch before doubling over onto the floor. He carefully propped himself up against the wall, his breath failing to catch up.
Delphine ran back into the front room with the first aid kit and a wet towel. At first, she saw him on the floor and panicked. "Billie! Honey, I'm so sorry. Are you ok? Should we go see the doctor?"
"No, no I'm fine. I just need a second," he breathed. She kissed his cheek and brushed his black hair away from his eyes.
"I can't believe him. I'm so sorry he hurt you. I had no idea-"
"I know. It's not your fault," he touched her cheek, "I'm glad that psycho maniac didn't try to hurt you... or something - oh shit-" he cringed.
"Fuck, really Billie, do you want to go to the hospital? I don't want any bleeding from the inside or something serious." She gave him a worried look.
"No, no, just help me to the couch." She did and once he was lying down, Delphine took out a cotton ball and went to clean the cut on his face. It was dangerously close to his eye and right on the bone. He didn't even flinch though.
"Oh, why do you let people do this to you?" she whined, more to herself than him.
Billie shrugged, "Cause I love you. I'd do anything for you," he said it with a smirk on his face, but he really did mean it. Well, that just about made Delphine burst out in tears. She just sniffed, holding them back while sticking a Band-Aid over the cut. "Thanks," he smiled again. "Anyway, I need you here to bandage me up afterwards before I fall apart." Delphine leaned forward and kissed his lips.
"No problem. Of course, cause I would do anything for you too." They sat together for a moment and then all the guys walked in. When Tre and Mike saw Billie on the couch they just about fell over.
"Dude, what the fuck happened to you?!" Tre burst out and Richelle let out a gasp.
"I got fucking beat up."
"You should have seen the other guy," Delphine smiled.
"Was he big?"
"No, Billie beat the crap out of him."
"You all right man?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," and he told the rest of the story with Delphine. The looks on all of their faces were priceless.
"That fucking retard! On the other hand, Delphine, you should be flattered," Tre pointed to her.
"Actually, I kinda am now that I think about it, but it was hella scary too."
"He's gone now anyway," Billie soothed.
"And you kicked his ass so I don't think he'll try again."
"You two just be carefuller now," Richelle said nervously.
"Don't worry about us," Delphine laughed, "We have Billie," she gave him a poke and another kiss.
"You know what would make all this better?" Tre cut in. "Pancakes!"
"At ten o'clock at night?" Brites rolled her dark green eyes.
"Eh, why not," Delphine laughed. "We still don't have any food so you have to make something from scratch. Richelle jumped into the kitchen.
"And I suppose I'll be the one making them," she sighed.
A loud, "Thank you Richelle!" came from everyone in the living room.
*
Delphine awoke sitting straight up in bed. A dream. That's all it was. A dream. She looked to her side to find Billie fast asleep. He had given her a scare yesterday. That's why she must be having bad dreams again. She had dreamt about the other day with her father. It had happened last week too though. She remembered it all so clearly.
Billie had said to her father, "Look, I may be far from perfect, but I want this too. I will do whatever I can to support Delphine and the baby."
Her father had said, "No, I'm just saying that I don't think you are ready."
"And I don't think you understand," Delphine said. She was so grateful to Billie for saying something like that. "We are having this baby. Whether or not it was a good decision is behind us now. We cannot go back on our word. I would never give up my own child and there is no reason for an abortion. We can't just say no now."
"Delphine, I can't just stand by and watch this happen. You had a future and you threw it away! You could have gone to Stanford!"
"No, that is in the past now! I told you. I couldn't have and I don't want to."
"Why?!"
"Because I never wanted to do that!"
"This is what happens. You never knew what you wanted to be, and this is what happens!"
"I have always known what I wanted to be! A mom. A mom and that was it!"
"You never said that!"
"I couldn't! You wanted me to support myself! This doesn't earn money-"
"Exactly!"
"No, let me finish! I have Billie. He has a job."
"Music is not a career! It is a one in a million chance that he will amount to anything!"
"How can you say that!" Delphine gave an apologetic look to Billie. She never looked so sorry in her life. In fact, Billie was more hurt because she was so upset than by what her dad had said. He was used to that. But how could he yell at her like this? This had nothing to do with the baby anymore. "If I need too, I will go to work. I'll work at a little store downtown if I have too."
"And so everything is going to be peachy because you have Billie?!"
"That is not how it is!"
"Fine, fine, I'm the one who sucks here! It's just me now!"
"Yes! Yes, it is! Don't you understand that this is all I have always fucking wanted!" Delphine cried. She could never argue with someone like this without crying. And that made Billie angry. How can her own father do this to her? Second guess her?
"You are just saying that! You just want to get back at me! Is that what this is all about!?"
"What are you talking about? That was never what this is about!"
"You know what, never mind!" Andy got up and stormed off down the hall with elephant feet.
After a pause, Delphine turned around and buried her face in Billie's chest. "I am so sorry, Billie. I can't believe he said that." She had not known what else to say in a situation like that. Mom walked over. She knew from experience not to argue with her husband about the pettily small things. Delphine had learned that too, but she could not sit back and say 'fine, yes, whatever' for something like this. A baby is not going to go away.
Mary sat down across from them. "I'm sorry you guys. He is just not very good with the idea yet. You just can't take what he says personally. He doesn't really mean it."
Delphine sat up and quickly wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I know. I just hate him when he does this. I'm sorry Billie. I should have come alone."
"No, no, this is for both of us. It took two people for this to happen."
Mary leaned over then and gave Delphine and Billie a hug. She felt awful for what Andy had said. As she was about to let go, Delphine hung on. Mary smiled. Delphine always felt that at least she had her mom. That was still true. And Billie held onto Delphine with both arms. He hated to think it too at a moment like this, but he was enjoying the hug from Mom. Mary may be forty-two, but she and Delphine looked like sisters. She was hot for a mom. But not to get sidetracked. Delphine could tell.
All three stayed downstairs together for a long time. Finally, they got up to go. Delphine had no interest in seeing her father again. She would have to eventually. Let him burn it out on his own. Maybe things would go better then.
*
That afternoon, they were all back on the road. They pretty much packed up all the same stuff, except toothpaste, the toothbrush and underwear this time, and Tre made sure the chocolate syrup was in the van too. Delphine had spent so much time with it that she almost forgot all of the craziness of the morning. This is why she loved her friends so much. They seemed to just understand everything and go with the flow.
When they were finally on the road, all the memories of dull car time from last month came flowing back. Six people locked in car for the first of many four, five, six hour long drives. For about the first two hours they blasted music while Tre drove. Then Mike drove with Brites up front. Richelle and Tre sat in the back with Delphine and Billie Joe. It was a wide open back which they stuffed with blankets and pillows and conveniently forgot seatbelts. Nothing to do.
*
And now she was here. Lying in bed next to Billie two months later and she could not get her father's words out of her mind. Was he actually right? She'd wondered these types of things all her life and she told herself again and again that they weren't. It never seemed to do much good. Delphine pulled the blanket up closer around her body. Her hand bumped across her stomach as she did it.
Then a thought struck her. This was new. For once in her life, this, the baby, was something that was final. Picking a college was never final and until she met Billie Joe, she was never certain that she would ever find another person who she could spend her life with like she felt she could with him. For once, her dad could not do a thing about it. Maybe her dad would not back her up, but Billie Joe would, and her friends would come to think of it and her baby would. Then why was she so troubled? This was not about her anymore. It would be about the baby. That's something her dad could never argue with.
*
Billie Joe really was back to normal now; just a little bit shaken. He had been avoiding going to the grocery store in the last week even though the grocery store really had nothing to do with Alex. As a result, Delphine, Brites and Richelle were the ones who ended up doing the shopping. Today was a big day though. Today was the day that the three girls would brave the infamous Costco. The place of hell in Delphine's childhood after being dragged through the chaos so many times by her mother with only the small reward of free food at the little tables on the end of each isle. They were supposed to be samples to make you buy the food but Delphine liked to think of them more as lunch.
However, the prices were cheaper there and she was living with just as many people as had been in her family growing up, six. Her mother, father, brother and two sisters had all changed into her friends. Actually, it was quite a nice trade. But wouldn't you know it. They all had to be fed too! So as Delphine walked though the large doorway into Costco's warehouse of food, she knew she was turning into her mother. Oh well, money is money.
Actually, as she, Richelle and Brites ran though the place, it was not so bad. They didn't have to buy anything she didn't like and she could get anything she wanted such as the big double pack of Nestlé chocolate chips. Ok, maybe Costco was not so bad.
When the girls finally got out and loaded up the car with stuff that would last them the next few months... or years, they decided to treat themselves to something for surviving the mass hysteria. Hot chocolate in a little café called Chocolate by the beach. It was literally like drinking a liquid candy bar and Delphine took every opertunity she could to go eat there. The food was great too. It was a little place. On the front door was a movie poster for Chocolat. The movie with Johnny Depp. You walk in the door and the counter is in front of you and stretches to the other wall. So really it was only a ten by twenty feet area and one of the walls, to your right as you walk in, is devoted to all the anti-Bush magazine pictures, political cartoons and stickers they could find. It was really hilarious actually. That's what you get for living here. The first time she walked in three years ago, Delphine knew she liked this place. The lady she always saw and never really knew was there waiting tables. Delphine liked her. She had brown dreads and was pretty.
Delphine ordered the Lena as usual (that was the milk chocolate hot chocolate), Brites got the Sofia (darker chocolate) and Richelle could not decide between the Lena, Sofia and the Italian chocolate one so she went with the white chocolate. They all sat down outside in the little plant enclosed area where they usually were because inside was always full. Plus, it was nice outside. There hot chocolate came in the little glass mugs a minute later.
"So, Richelle, what's going on with Tre? - now that we're finally alone you can tell us," Brites started us casually.
"What do you mean what's going on with Tre?"
"You guys have been together for awhile. You're staying with us. You planning on marrying him?" she said in a sickly sweet yet innocent tone.
"Well, I don't-" she began but was cut off as a girl backing into her chair. Just a bump and no harm done.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" the girl turned around. She was really gorgeous Delphine thought to herself immediately. She had to take a second look. The girl was dressed in a white spaghetti strap top, a short black skirt, studded belt, lots of silver chain necklaces, and had beautiful brown and red dreadlocks. It was the red Delphine used to have her hair when she first dyed it a color. It was the kind of hair Delphine had always wanted, if she ever had the courage to dread her hair. Perhaps not though. Tattoos were enough and blue hair.
"Oh, no it's fine," Richelle reassured her.
"I'm sorry, I was just going to sit," she pulled up a chair at a table nearby. Really, this was the kind of girl Billie Joe would glance at and think pretty but not say anything until Delphine looked and said "wow she is hot!" Then Billie would get all turned on because she was looking at another woman. And then pretend to be jealous. But really, this was the kind of girl Delphine would have sex with if she didn't have Billie. If she ever wanted to experiment. If he was going to say he was bi out in the open then she had some right too.
"Hey, you live around here?" Delphine asked.
The girl turned to her now, "Yeah, ha! Can't you tell?"
"Yep."
"I'm guessing you too?"
"Yep!" Brites said happily. "How'd you know?"
"Same reason. You have blue hair and you have green," she pointed to Delphine and Brites.
Delphine laughed. "And it's fucking awesome."
"You guys alone?" she was resting her chin on her folded hands over the back of her seat.
"Yes. Just us," Richelle said, "Finally away from the guys for a few minutes!"
"I see," she smiled.
"You know, we love 'em but there needs to be quality girl time too."
"So why didn't you bring Tre then? He's good with girl time," Delphine said.
Richelle hit her in the arm. "Hey! I'm the pregnant lady! Remember." Maybe she should not have said it so casually in front of this girl.
"Ha! You're really pregnant? Married?"
"Yep," she shrugged, "as of four months ago."
"Wow."
Richelle cut in, "and just for the record, Tre is a man!"
"Oh, but we know what's really underneath," Brites cooed.
"Hey, you waiting for someone?" Delphine asked.
"No, actually, just me."
"Want to sit with us?"
"Sure!" the girl got up and pulled her chair up to their table. The waitress came out and gave her hot chocolate just then.
"Oh good, so you're crazy like us!" Richelle laughed, "Hot chocolate when it's 80 degrees out." Delphine picked up her cup and took a slow sip. It was always so good, and it did not seem like a lot of hot chocolate in the small cup, but it filled you up so fast that you hardly noticed by the time the bottom of the cup was showing.
"Nothing's better! Ok, so what are your names?"
"I'm Delphine."
"Richelle and Brites," she pointed.
"You?"
"I'm Cody."
