Sweet Children Come Out and Play, chapter 17
"Tre! There you are!"
Tre was waving his hands around wildly. She ran over, looking back over her shoulder to make sure Jason was still following. He smiled at her. As she made her way to the real Mike's side, she could not help thinking he was pretty cute. When they all got outside of the club and back in their group, Cody turned back to Jason. "Hey, sorry, bad place to meet," he said. "Can't hear a thing in there."
"No," she giggled, a little more girlishly than she had hoped for. Billie swung his arm over Jason's shoulder.
"This is Jason White! He's been our friend since... like, forever!" he shouted. Delphine laughed; he'd had a few beers. "He's from Arkansas and he plays some kick ass guitar too."
"Cool."
"I'm actually playing with a band called Pinhead Gunpowder right now. Don't know if I'll stick with that forever though."
"Not only that! But he has this awesome shirt! See! Jack... I mean, Jason, you should come out and play with us. You know, jam. You too Cody. You should all come!"
"Dude Billie, calm down, and lay off the booze," Mike slurred.
"What, no, I'm really not that drunk." Billie straightened up. "I was just hyper or something. That was a kick ass show!"
"You would know if he was really drunk," Delphine said.
"I really can't tell the difference," Jason shrugged.
"That's a useful act," Tre said. "You should show me how to do it."
"OK! Here, take this beer!"
"OK!"
"You see! You are a beautiful man now. Hooray Beer!" he shouted like the Red Stripe commercials.
"Hooray Beer!"
"So, Jason, where's you're girlfriend?" Mike said off topic. Cody's heart sank just a little bit when he said that. It shouldn't have. She had only known him for the last ten minutes. Damn, already she was fantasizing about another random guy. Maybe it was his brown hair, like Billie's black hair but a little shorter. 'Ok, he was all around pretty cute with his tight pants, long red striped shirt with a classic Led Zeppelin black t-shirt over the top. Stop it! Stop it! He's got a girlfriend for heaven sake.'
"Oh, she's at home. She's at her mom's house for a few days."
"Is everything all right?"
"Ah, yeah, her mom broke her arm last week so she was helping around the house and stuff. But, um, yeah, it's ok." He didn't quite sound like he meant it.
"Oh, man, we better get home. They're closing the bar and it's like 3 in the morning!" Delphine said as she hopped into the driver's seat. She was pretty much always the "designated driver" now. "All right, everyone get in! Yes, you too Tre, you are not getting lost. Again."
"Aww!"
"Bye Jason!" they all shouted as Cody was about to climb in the van. Jason had his own car.
"Bye... hey, Cody, you going home with them?"
"Yeah, I was just going to sleep at their house again."
"Do you want me to drive you home?"
"Sure," she smiled.
"UUHH!" Tre cooed and made kissing sounds from the back seat.
"Shut-up Tre!" Richelle yelled at him.
"I'll see you guys later," Cody waved and crawled in beside Jason in his little car. It was a pretty shit-box car, but it worked. On the seat was a gray sweatshirt. A girl's. She moved it aside.
"Oh, sorry about that." Jason grabbed the sweater and tossed it in the back. "I have to give that back to Laurie."
"Oh. Wait, she's you're girlfriend though. Right?"
"Yeah, well, sort of... not anymore."
"Really?"
"Yeah, um, we actually broke up." He was looking rather embarrassed. "I just didn't want to get into that right now with all the guys."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. We were just too different in the end. Among other things."
"What happened?"
Jason was pulling out of the parking lot, "My girlfriend, my dumb donut, went out to a party just the other night. Three hours later and seven shots of jager, she was in the bedroom with another guy. I really just don't want to hear anymore about it. My friends just won't shut the hell up about it. I'm not the one who's actin' like a hoe, why must I be the one who has to know every detail about it?" He was looking really depressed now. "I just feel so dumb that I could ever trust her. Someone else fucked her and I walked away."
"Oh, I see. I know how you feel." Jason shrugged. "Telling you that sucks isn't goanna really help. We don't have to talk about it."
"Really," he gave her a thankful glance. "Sorry, I'll just stop talking now."
"No, that's ok."
She really didn't seem to care and didn't give him anymore sympathetic glances or anything that all of his friends had done. Finally, someone. "So, where do you live?"
Cody gave him directions. They were really messed up directions, but eventually they made it back. "Sorry! I can get home. I just can't tell you how to. It's like opening a lock and you don't know what the combo is."
Jason laughed, "Ha! I know what you mean."
"So I will see you later?"
"Yeah, love to. Good night."
"Good night!"
As Jason drove home, he thought some more about that girl in his car. What was her name again? Oh, he was terrible with names. He could know a person for a year and not know their name because it never came up in the conversation. Cody! That was it. Cody. It's sort of a boy's name so he should remember that. She was different. She was nice. And she didn't get all mushy like everyone always did when he had a break-up. He always seemed to have the worst of luck when it came to girls. The only other girls he ever knew, that he would date, and never actually dated were Delphine, Billie's girl ever since he had known her, and maybe Brites. Same thing - Mike's girl. And maybe Richelle. But they all went together. Well, at least Cody didn't have a boyfriend. Wait, did she? Dammit.
***
"She have a girlfriend?" Jason asked nonchalantly. He was hanging out at the studio at Lookout! Records with Mike, Tre and Billie again. They were talking about Cody. Mostly how she was pretty hot...along with Pamela Anderson's boobs.
"I say they're just too big. It's not natural." Billie interrupted.
"Don't be stupid. There is no such thing as too big!" Tre whined.
"Wait, does Cody have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend or something?" Mike asked again, wondering to himself.
Billie caught it that time, "Nope! Delphine said so."
Jason heard. No boyfriend, eh? This brings new thoughts to mind.
"Dude, Jason, are you coming tomorrow to the Adeline gig?"
"Um, yeah, I think so. Man, I spend more time with other people's bands than I do my own."
"Well, that's just because you're so damn popular," Tre said in a teenage girly fashion.
"So, will Cody be coming again?" Perhaps that was too forward. He blushed a little bit. That was a curse of his. It just gave things away. But he didn't think that anyone saw.
"I think she is," Billie said. He saw the blush, but didn't say anything about that. Mike and Tre were to busy tackling each other on the floor to notice.
***
Billie Joe walked into the kitchen. Amazingly, this time he didn't hit any of the cracks in the floor that let out the usual creeks and groans of the old apartment. He spotted his wife in the kitchen. She was sitting at the counter with a cup of tea. It was probably green tea again. That was her favorite anyway. She didn't notice he had walked through the door because the tube was on. It was a late night rerun of 'I Love Lucy'. It was a predictable show with not much plot, but somehow, it was able to pull off the old classic comedy look - as it really was that old. Somehow, it still made you laugh.
Billie leaned one shoulder up against the wall and starred at Delphine from the side for a moment. She looked so beautiful when she thought no one was watching. Sort of peaceful like she was always thinking. And she was always thinking, though she never used to say much in school. She had always been so shy growing up, but when she was with her friends, she said what she felt. Billie had always felt the same way. Why talk about meaningless things to the stupid people around you who you don't care about and you are never going to see again in your life? Now Delphine never did it for that reason, but same ending. Now there was no school Nothing to worry about but our friends and each other. Finally, he couldn't take it.
"Oh, Billie, you're home!" she said as Billie came up behind her in the kitchen with a big hug and kisses down the back of her neck. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"
"Oh, I don't know, how about we go eat something out?"
"Sure, just no French restaurants."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I think I am sure this time. How about...Red Lobster?"
"That's expensive though."
"Oh, I won't get lobster. Crab is better anyway. We will just get alfredo or something under ten bucks on the appetizers."
"And then play table hooky?"
"No! Not again. That's too hard. And besides, I'm pregnant and they will notice and call the cops or something."
"You can hide it! I'll get the trench coat!"
"No, Billie, let's just go already!" she pulled him out the door by the arm and they made the walk down to Red Lobster. It wasn't far away which was nice. Just a ten minute walk or so. Another month though and Delphine would not be doing that anymore. Billie was still saving up for a car of their own. The bookmobile was the only one the six friends owned between them and that was pretty much in constant use. So they walked tonight.
Billie looked sideways to Delphine again. If anything should ever happen to her, what would he do? A prickle hit this throat. It made him a little uneasy even though the sun was still out. He forgot after they reached the restaurant, but oddly, the same prickle found its way back the moment the two walked out the door of Red Lobster.
Tre was waving his hands around wildly. She ran over, looking back over her shoulder to make sure Jason was still following. He smiled at her. As she made her way to the real Mike's side, she could not help thinking he was pretty cute. When they all got outside of the club and back in their group, Cody turned back to Jason. "Hey, sorry, bad place to meet," he said. "Can't hear a thing in there."
"No," she giggled, a little more girlishly than she had hoped for. Billie swung his arm over Jason's shoulder.
"This is Jason White! He's been our friend since... like, forever!" he shouted. Delphine laughed; he'd had a few beers. "He's from Arkansas and he plays some kick ass guitar too."
"Cool."
"I'm actually playing with a band called Pinhead Gunpowder right now. Don't know if I'll stick with that forever though."
"Not only that! But he has this awesome shirt! See! Jack... I mean, Jason, you should come out and play with us. You know, jam. You too Cody. You should all come!"
"Dude Billie, calm down, and lay off the booze," Mike slurred.
"What, no, I'm really not that drunk." Billie straightened up. "I was just hyper or something. That was a kick ass show!"
"You would know if he was really drunk," Delphine said.
"I really can't tell the difference," Jason shrugged.
"That's a useful act," Tre said. "You should show me how to do it."
"OK! Here, take this beer!"
"OK!"
"You see! You are a beautiful man now. Hooray Beer!" he shouted like the Red Stripe commercials.
"Hooray Beer!"
"So, Jason, where's you're girlfriend?" Mike said off topic. Cody's heart sank just a little bit when he said that. It shouldn't have. She had only known him for the last ten minutes. Damn, already she was fantasizing about another random guy. Maybe it was his brown hair, like Billie's black hair but a little shorter. 'Ok, he was all around pretty cute with his tight pants, long red striped shirt with a classic Led Zeppelin black t-shirt over the top. Stop it! Stop it! He's got a girlfriend for heaven sake.'
"Oh, she's at home. She's at her mom's house for a few days."
"Is everything all right?"
"Ah, yeah, her mom broke her arm last week so she was helping around the house and stuff. But, um, yeah, it's ok." He didn't quite sound like he meant it.
"Oh, man, we better get home. They're closing the bar and it's like 3 in the morning!" Delphine said as she hopped into the driver's seat. She was pretty much always the "designated driver" now. "All right, everyone get in! Yes, you too Tre, you are not getting lost. Again."
"Aww!"
"Bye Jason!" they all shouted as Cody was about to climb in the van. Jason had his own car.
"Bye... hey, Cody, you going home with them?"
"Yeah, I was just going to sleep at their house again."
"Do you want me to drive you home?"
"Sure," she smiled.
"UUHH!" Tre cooed and made kissing sounds from the back seat.
"Shut-up Tre!" Richelle yelled at him.
"I'll see you guys later," Cody waved and crawled in beside Jason in his little car. It was a pretty shit-box car, but it worked. On the seat was a gray sweatshirt. A girl's. She moved it aside.
"Oh, sorry about that." Jason grabbed the sweater and tossed it in the back. "I have to give that back to Laurie."
"Oh. Wait, she's you're girlfriend though. Right?"
"Yeah, well, sort of... not anymore."
"Really?"
"Yeah, um, we actually broke up." He was looking rather embarrassed. "I just didn't want to get into that right now with all the guys."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. We were just too different in the end. Among other things."
"What happened?"
Jason was pulling out of the parking lot, "My girlfriend, my dumb donut, went out to a party just the other night. Three hours later and seven shots of jager, she was in the bedroom with another guy. I really just don't want to hear anymore about it. My friends just won't shut the hell up about it. I'm not the one who's actin' like a hoe, why must I be the one who has to know every detail about it?" He was looking really depressed now. "I just feel so dumb that I could ever trust her. Someone else fucked her and I walked away."
"Oh, I see. I know how you feel." Jason shrugged. "Telling you that sucks isn't goanna really help. We don't have to talk about it."
"Really," he gave her a thankful glance. "Sorry, I'll just stop talking now."
"No, that's ok."
She really didn't seem to care and didn't give him anymore sympathetic glances or anything that all of his friends had done. Finally, someone. "So, where do you live?"
Cody gave him directions. They were really messed up directions, but eventually they made it back. "Sorry! I can get home. I just can't tell you how to. It's like opening a lock and you don't know what the combo is."
Jason laughed, "Ha! I know what you mean."
"So I will see you later?"
"Yeah, love to. Good night."
"Good night!"
As Jason drove home, he thought some more about that girl in his car. What was her name again? Oh, he was terrible with names. He could know a person for a year and not know their name because it never came up in the conversation. Cody! That was it. Cody. It's sort of a boy's name so he should remember that. She was different. She was nice. And she didn't get all mushy like everyone always did when he had a break-up. He always seemed to have the worst of luck when it came to girls. The only other girls he ever knew, that he would date, and never actually dated were Delphine, Billie's girl ever since he had known her, and maybe Brites. Same thing - Mike's girl. And maybe Richelle. But they all went together. Well, at least Cody didn't have a boyfriend. Wait, did she? Dammit.
***
"She have a girlfriend?" Jason asked nonchalantly. He was hanging out at the studio at Lookout! Records with Mike, Tre and Billie again. They were talking about Cody. Mostly how she was pretty hot...along with Pamela Anderson's boobs.
"I say they're just too big. It's not natural." Billie interrupted.
"Don't be stupid. There is no such thing as too big!" Tre whined.
"Wait, does Cody have a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend or something?" Mike asked again, wondering to himself.
Billie caught it that time, "Nope! Delphine said so."
Jason heard. No boyfriend, eh? This brings new thoughts to mind.
"Dude, Jason, are you coming tomorrow to the Adeline gig?"
"Um, yeah, I think so. Man, I spend more time with other people's bands than I do my own."
"Well, that's just because you're so damn popular," Tre said in a teenage girly fashion.
"So, will Cody be coming again?" Perhaps that was too forward. He blushed a little bit. That was a curse of his. It just gave things away. But he didn't think that anyone saw.
"I think she is," Billie said. He saw the blush, but didn't say anything about that. Mike and Tre were to busy tackling each other on the floor to notice.
***
Billie Joe walked into the kitchen. Amazingly, this time he didn't hit any of the cracks in the floor that let out the usual creeks and groans of the old apartment. He spotted his wife in the kitchen. She was sitting at the counter with a cup of tea. It was probably green tea again. That was her favorite anyway. She didn't notice he had walked through the door because the tube was on. It was a late night rerun of 'I Love Lucy'. It was a predictable show with not much plot, but somehow, it was able to pull off the old classic comedy look - as it really was that old. Somehow, it still made you laugh.
Billie leaned one shoulder up against the wall and starred at Delphine from the side for a moment. She looked so beautiful when she thought no one was watching. Sort of peaceful like she was always thinking. And she was always thinking, though she never used to say much in school. She had always been so shy growing up, but when she was with her friends, she said what she felt. Billie had always felt the same way. Why talk about meaningless things to the stupid people around you who you don't care about and you are never going to see again in your life? Now Delphine never did it for that reason, but same ending. Now there was no school Nothing to worry about but our friends and each other. Finally, he couldn't take it.
"Oh, Billie, you're home!" she said as Billie came up behind her in the kitchen with a big hug and kisses down the back of her neck. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"
"Oh, I don't know, how about we go eat something out?"
"Sure, just no French restaurants."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I think I am sure this time. How about...Red Lobster?"
"That's expensive though."
"Oh, I won't get lobster. Crab is better anyway. We will just get alfredo or something under ten bucks on the appetizers."
"And then play table hooky?"
"No! Not again. That's too hard. And besides, I'm pregnant and they will notice and call the cops or something."
"You can hide it! I'll get the trench coat!"
"No, Billie, let's just go already!" she pulled him out the door by the arm and they made the walk down to Red Lobster. It wasn't far away which was nice. Just a ten minute walk or so. Another month though and Delphine would not be doing that anymore. Billie was still saving up for a car of their own. The bookmobile was the only one the six friends owned between them and that was pretty much in constant use. So they walked tonight.
Billie looked sideways to Delphine again. If anything should ever happen to her, what would he do? A prickle hit this throat. It made him a little uneasy even though the sun was still out. He forgot after they reached the restaurant, but oddly, the same prickle found its way back the moment the two walked out the door of Red Lobster.
