Sweet Children Come Out and Play, chapter 16
"Oh, I like that name," Delphine said.
"Delphine! No getting ideas!" Richelle cried.
"What?" Cody was confused.
"She will not pick a baby name!" Brites whined.
"Well, there are about a million to choose from! Besides, I have four and a half months left!"
"We were getting started early," Richelle said. "We have about twenty kid's full names now and she keeps seeing more."
"Well, now I'm actually looking out for them. Anyway," Delphine turned back to Cody. "I hope you don't get the wrong idea..." she started.
"How old are you?"
"18," she said shyly. "Billie's my husband - wow that's weird to say - and he's 19."
"She's 18 and a half now," Richelle pointed.
"Was it an accident?" Cody didn't looked shocked or anything. Just curious.
"Nope. We wanted too. Billie, Tre and Mike - Brites' boyfriend - are in a band
together. It's called... well, they were Sweet Children but now they're Green Day."
"Oh really! Yeah, I've heard of Sweet Children! Now they're Green Day. That's funny. And you all are dating the band?"
"I guess so," they shrugged.
"That's pretty awesome. I was at one of their shows a while ago. I remember them best out of the bands that night because the lead singer kissed the guy on base!" she laughed.
"Yep, that would be Billie and Mike!" Brites snickered. "At it again."
"And I got a sample CD. It was really great for a little band. Ok, who's who?"
"Billie's on guitar and sings. Tre's on drums and dates Richelle, and Mike is on base," Delphine waved her hand around counting them out as she listed the boys. It was an Italian thing; hand gestures (something she even did on the phone when no one was there to see).
"I wish I could meet 'em."
"Maybe, if you want to drop by sometime. We live together in a big apartment house. Well, Delphine lives a few houses down. She and Billie got their own space since they got married."
"Maybe I will."
When the girls all finished eating, there was not much let too do so they decided to walk around the stores in town for a bit. They had always used the bathroom in the book store next door to Chocolate. The restaurant was so small it didn't have one. So they made the usual stop inside. Delphine passed by the large books set up on display. There was one for chocolate and on the front was a huge photograph of Devil's Food Cake smothered in chocolate sauce. Tre would have been proud. It was not just that she was in the mood for chocolate; Delphine had been a chocoholic as far back as she could remember.
It was funny because her mother was the opposite. Her father had given her mom many boxes of chocolate for all occasions; Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, National Cabbage Day, etc. However, she never ended up eating more than a piece or too and her four kids would finish it off. Delphine had always thought to herself, 'If that was my chocolate, I would hide it and guard it with my life. Or at least use it for bribery.' Billie Joe knew this of course so he too got chocolate for all "occasions"; Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, National Cabbage Day... wait that's his birthday. She got him chocolates on that day. But then anytime there is chocolate, they both get some. Just another reason this life was so much better than living at home. There is always more chocolate to go around. Strange, the things that come to mind when you see a picture.
By that time, she would have bought the book just to look at the pictures instead of the recipes. Then she reminded herself that that was silly and turned around. Richelle was not yet done in the bathroom so Delphine, Brites and Cody all walked over the magazine racks. Cody had decided to come with them. She had nothing better to do and didn't work that day. Cody worked at the bead store a block down. Delphine knew that store very well in fact. She knew all the bead stores around and had been to them a million times with her mom. Now, best of all, she was free to go to them, and any other store, whenever she wanted. Jewelry making was a hobby of hers since fifth grade and she started making beadlings. The usual beadlings people made in that fad were lizards out of the huge plastic beads. Delphine had gotten a KLUTZ book for her birthday though that showed how to do more difficult ones with wire and seed beads (much smaller glass beads). Of course, she had gone to the most difficult project first thing; the mermaid.
She made tons of little mermaids and eventually her mom helped her to add on a pin backing to them. Then she was able to sell them at boutiques and little craft faires. She made a lot of money that way actually, and since then she learned to do all sorts types of beading from stitching with them to the simple charms and earrings she wore. It was a great use for herself but she wished she could find a way to make money doing it. Anyway, Delphine now had a friend in the business. She was really liking Cody.
Delphine passed a glance over the music magazines. Same old shit. Then she turned to the few tattoo magazines and started flipping through one. Cody looked over her shoulder. "Do you have any tattoos?" she asked.
"Actually, yeah. I just got one... well, I guess it was about six months ago now."
"Oh cool! Can I see?"
"Sure," Delphine lifted up the back of her shirt a little more to reveal the fully healed black heart grenade tattoo.
Cody smiled, "That's awesome! It's like a heart grenade."
"Yep, I thought it really represented - well, high school."
"That's such a great idea."
"Do you have any?"
"Yeah, well, a very little one." Cody lifted up her ankle. On the outside part of her heel was a little design. "It's my initials in old Irish. I'm Irish." The letters were laid over each other so it looked like a scrolly design.
"That's so pretty! It looks like a design and it really means something to you. I think that counts as a great idea."
"Thanks. It's my first and I want to do something else too but I'm really not sure what yet, so it'll be awhile."
"Oh yeah, I had mine planed out for two years before I actually went and did it. Ha! It was illegal technically. My eighteenth birthday was two months later but I'm legal now!"
"Ha! Thanks funny, how'd you get someone to do it? Was it in California?"
"A guy Billie Joe knows did it for me. He was really good."
"How about you, Brites?"
"No, I don't have any. But if guys keep talking about it I'm going to be temped to get one."
Richelle walked back over, "What you guys talking about?"
"Tattoos."
"Oh, so Delphine has found yet ANOTHER person to talk with about it! She already does it with the guys. Seems like Billie is always getting a new one!"
"Wow, how many does he have?"
"Oh, she's exaggerating! Let's see," Delphine thought, "He has seven now."
"Do you have any?"
"NO! And I really can't see it happening anytime soon. I'll regret it eventually - whatever I pick."
"But it's so much fun!"
"There's no convincing her. But don't worry. One of these nights, when she's had a little too much wine, we'll take her out and then there will be no stopping her!" Brites laughed.
"You can't live with the boys and get out of it."
"Just watch me!"
"Again, you are dating TRE!"
"Shut-up. Let's get out of here! I want to go to Urban Outfitters." They never buy anything there. It's too expensive. It's just habit to go.
Eventually, the girls made they're way out of town. Cody followed them home.
* * *
It's funny how you can meet people and within the blink of an eye you are friends and it seems that you have known the person all of your life. Cody was that way. She was 19, their age, and was very interested in the band. She even played a little on bass guitar. Plus a few weird ones like the trumpet, accordion and mandolin. For some reason, Billie was really interested in the mandolin. Why? Who knows. Delphine had never liked the accordion much, but Tre thought it was the most awesome thing in the world that another girl would know it like him. It turned out Cody only lived ten minutes away so they met up again. And then the next day. She was even able to come with them to a few random gigs off tour.
"You like?" Tre asked for the fifteenth time after another show.
"I said I always love it!" Cody said exasperated.
"Who was the best?"
"You were Tre."
"That's right. And who sucked?"
Billie ran past with Delphine by one arm, "Will you stop rubbing it in Tre!" Then Tre went off to chase him. Delphine was five months pregnant then. You could see now that her belly was growing. Delphine found it strange that she liked it. Oh, well. It was funny too that you would think she would not want to stay up late so many nights like this. And she'd get too tired. However, she, and everybody else, also got the luxury of sleeping in...almost everyday now.
After a few minutes, Billie ran back. Delphine was laughing and being pulled by one hand and a guy was on the other. He found Cody again standing in the middle of the crowd by the stage. "Hey, Cody! Here, meet Jason!" he called. When they reached each other, Jason and Cody collided in the middle of the moshing people. The next band was playing now, one called RSD. Then they both lost Delphine and Billie all together. Or maybe they had slipped away on purpose.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Jason had to yell.
"It's fine! I'm Cody!"
"Nice to meet you! Umm...want to go find the other guys?"
"Sure! OH! I see Mike over there!" she pointed across the room to what looked like the back of Mike. As they both reached the man, Cody tapped on his shoulder. What should have been Mike turned around to reveal someone she had never seen before. "Oh, sorry, looking for someone."
"It's fine," he shrugged. Where the hell did they go?
Then someone called her name, "Cody!"
"Delphine! No getting ideas!" Richelle cried.
"What?" Cody was confused.
"She will not pick a baby name!" Brites whined.
"Well, there are about a million to choose from! Besides, I have four and a half months left!"
"We were getting started early," Richelle said. "We have about twenty kid's full names now and she keeps seeing more."
"Well, now I'm actually looking out for them. Anyway," Delphine turned back to Cody. "I hope you don't get the wrong idea..." she started.
"How old are you?"
"18," she said shyly. "Billie's my husband - wow that's weird to say - and he's 19."
"She's 18 and a half now," Richelle pointed.
"Was it an accident?" Cody didn't looked shocked or anything. Just curious.
"Nope. We wanted too. Billie, Tre and Mike - Brites' boyfriend - are in a band
together. It's called... well, they were Sweet Children but now they're Green Day."
"Oh really! Yeah, I've heard of Sweet Children! Now they're Green Day. That's funny. And you all are dating the band?"
"I guess so," they shrugged.
"That's pretty awesome. I was at one of their shows a while ago. I remember them best out of the bands that night because the lead singer kissed the guy on base!" she laughed.
"Yep, that would be Billie and Mike!" Brites snickered. "At it again."
"And I got a sample CD. It was really great for a little band. Ok, who's who?"
"Billie's on guitar and sings. Tre's on drums and dates Richelle, and Mike is on base," Delphine waved her hand around counting them out as she listed the boys. It was an Italian thing; hand gestures (something she even did on the phone when no one was there to see).
"I wish I could meet 'em."
"Maybe, if you want to drop by sometime. We live together in a big apartment house. Well, Delphine lives a few houses down. She and Billie got their own space since they got married."
"Maybe I will."
When the girls all finished eating, there was not much let too do so they decided to walk around the stores in town for a bit. They had always used the bathroom in the book store next door to Chocolate. The restaurant was so small it didn't have one. So they made the usual stop inside. Delphine passed by the large books set up on display. There was one for chocolate and on the front was a huge photograph of Devil's Food Cake smothered in chocolate sauce. Tre would have been proud. It was not just that she was in the mood for chocolate; Delphine had been a chocoholic as far back as she could remember.
It was funny because her mother was the opposite. Her father had given her mom many boxes of chocolate for all occasions; Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, National Cabbage Day, etc. However, she never ended up eating more than a piece or too and her four kids would finish it off. Delphine had always thought to herself, 'If that was my chocolate, I would hide it and guard it with my life. Or at least use it for bribery.' Billie Joe knew this of course so he too got chocolate for all "occasions"; Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, National Cabbage Day... wait that's his birthday. She got him chocolates on that day. But then anytime there is chocolate, they both get some. Just another reason this life was so much better than living at home. There is always more chocolate to go around. Strange, the things that come to mind when you see a picture.
By that time, she would have bought the book just to look at the pictures instead of the recipes. Then she reminded herself that that was silly and turned around. Richelle was not yet done in the bathroom so Delphine, Brites and Cody all walked over the magazine racks. Cody had decided to come with them. She had nothing better to do and didn't work that day. Cody worked at the bead store a block down. Delphine knew that store very well in fact. She knew all the bead stores around and had been to them a million times with her mom. Now, best of all, she was free to go to them, and any other store, whenever she wanted. Jewelry making was a hobby of hers since fifth grade and she started making beadlings. The usual beadlings people made in that fad were lizards out of the huge plastic beads. Delphine had gotten a KLUTZ book for her birthday though that showed how to do more difficult ones with wire and seed beads (much smaller glass beads). Of course, she had gone to the most difficult project first thing; the mermaid.
She made tons of little mermaids and eventually her mom helped her to add on a pin backing to them. Then she was able to sell them at boutiques and little craft faires. She made a lot of money that way actually, and since then she learned to do all sorts types of beading from stitching with them to the simple charms and earrings she wore. It was a great use for herself but she wished she could find a way to make money doing it. Anyway, Delphine now had a friend in the business. She was really liking Cody.
Delphine passed a glance over the music magazines. Same old shit. Then she turned to the few tattoo magazines and started flipping through one. Cody looked over her shoulder. "Do you have any tattoos?" she asked.
"Actually, yeah. I just got one... well, I guess it was about six months ago now."
"Oh cool! Can I see?"
"Sure," Delphine lifted up the back of her shirt a little more to reveal the fully healed black heart grenade tattoo.
Cody smiled, "That's awesome! It's like a heart grenade."
"Yep, I thought it really represented - well, high school."
"That's such a great idea."
"Do you have any?"
"Yeah, well, a very little one." Cody lifted up her ankle. On the outside part of her heel was a little design. "It's my initials in old Irish. I'm Irish." The letters were laid over each other so it looked like a scrolly design.
"That's so pretty! It looks like a design and it really means something to you. I think that counts as a great idea."
"Thanks. It's my first and I want to do something else too but I'm really not sure what yet, so it'll be awhile."
"Oh yeah, I had mine planed out for two years before I actually went and did it. Ha! It was illegal technically. My eighteenth birthday was two months later but I'm legal now!"
"Ha! Thanks funny, how'd you get someone to do it? Was it in California?"
"A guy Billie Joe knows did it for me. He was really good."
"How about you, Brites?"
"No, I don't have any. But if guys keep talking about it I'm going to be temped to get one."
Richelle walked back over, "What you guys talking about?"
"Tattoos."
"Oh, so Delphine has found yet ANOTHER person to talk with about it! She already does it with the guys. Seems like Billie is always getting a new one!"
"Wow, how many does he have?"
"Oh, she's exaggerating! Let's see," Delphine thought, "He has seven now."
"Do you have any?"
"NO! And I really can't see it happening anytime soon. I'll regret it eventually - whatever I pick."
"But it's so much fun!"
"There's no convincing her. But don't worry. One of these nights, when she's had a little too much wine, we'll take her out and then there will be no stopping her!" Brites laughed.
"You can't live with the boys and get out of it."
"Just watch me!"
"Again, you are dating TRE!"
"Shut-up. Let's get out of here! I want to go to Urban Outfitters." They never buy anything there. It's too expensive. It's just habit to go.
Eventually, the girls made they're way out of town. Cody followed them home.
* * *
It's funny how you can meet people and within the blink of an eye you are friends and it seems that you have known the person all of your life. Cody was that way. She was 19, their age, and was very interested in the band. She even played a little on bass guitar. Plus a few weird ones like the trumpet, accordion and mandolin. For some reason, Billie was really interested in the mandolin. Why? Who knows. Delphine had never liked the accordion much, but Tre thought it was the most awesome thing in the world that another girl would know it like him. It turned out Cody only lived ten minutes away so they met up again. And then the next day. She was even able to come with them to a few random gigs off tour.
"You like?" Tre asked for the fifteenth time after another show.
"I said I always love it!" Cody said exasperated.
"Who was the best?"
"You were Tre."
"That's right. And who sucked?"
Billie ran past with Delphine by one arm, "Will you stop rubbing it in Tre!" Then Tre went off to chase him. Delphine was five months pregnant then. You could see now that her belly was growing. Delphine found it strange that she liked it. Oh, well. It was funny too that you would think she would not want to stay up late so many nights like this. And she'd get too tired. However, she, and everybody else, also got the luxury of sleeping in...almost everyday now.
After a few minutes, Billie ran back. Delphine was laughing and being pulled by one hand and a guy was on the other. He found Cody again standing in the middle of the crowd by the stage. "Hey, Cody! Here, meet Jason!" he called. When they reached each other, Jason and Cody collided in the middle of the moshing people. The next band was playing now, one called RSD. Then they both lost Delphine and Billie all together. Or maybe they had slipped away on purpose.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Jason had to yell.
"It's fine! I'm Cody!"
"Nice to meet you! Umm...want to go find the other guys?"
"Sure! OH! I see Mike over there!" she pointed across the room to what looked like the back of Mike. As they both reached the man, Cody tapped on his shoulder. What should have been Mike turned around to reveal someone she had never seen before. "Oh, sorry, looking for someone."
"It's fine," he shrugged. Where the hell did they go?
Then someone called her name, "Cody!"
