Sweet Children Come Out and Play, chapter 4
The next day was graduation and the graduation party until five in the morning. Richelle and Tre, Mike and Brites, and Billie and Delphine ran around all night in the party that covered up the parking lot between buildings of the school. Actually, Billie and Tre snuck in but they were around so often that nobody noticed they did not go to this school anymore. Occasionally, they lost each other and met up every half and hour or so later. The girls all got their nails done by some nice ladies helping out. She had never had a manicure in her life until right then. Brites got her hair dyed with green streaks and Delphine got hers redone blue. Then they danced with the guys and at the end of the night; everyone got massages and hot tea or coffee. Yeah, they did that too. So, why not take advantage of it? It was the final goodbye to all their other friends and at five in the morning the party finally came to an end.
The group walked a few streets over into down downtown. "A bar!" Tre cried out. "Let's go!" They all agreed and started running down the street. Tre went up to the counter inside. "Six Budweisers please," he asked suddenly calm. A woman brought over the first round of beers.
"Tre, Budweiser?" Billie wined. They downed them in five minutes anyway. "Another round!" Billie piped up. By the end of her second, Delphine was feeling some buzz. Richelle was too but the guys seemed mostly unaffected. Third and fourth beer; everyone was drunk. Delphine never had four very often. Guys have a higher tolerance then girls anyway and she knew this was her cut-off. She did not have to count though. Four beers into the evening and she couldn't see straight but it was hella fun. Richelle and Tre started kissing which led to making out in the middle of the bar. It was like one huge party and Delphine was feeling good. Mike and Billie had stumbled away from the table. Delphine stared around the room for a minute. Time seems to slow down and speed up at the same time when you're drunk. This was past the point of the horny drunk she had more often. This was too numb to feel sex even if she was having it.
Billie turned around, thinking Delphine was just behind him. He looked and found a girl looking at him. He turned away and went to look for Delphine again. "Delphine!" he called. Then someone else bumped into him. It looked like Delphine for a second but before it could reach his mind that it wasn't, she grabbed him and pressed him up against a wall. For some reason, he let it go. He kissed back and lost sight of everything else.
Then Delphine suddenly had to go to the bathroom again. She stumbled through the masses; almost knocking over a glass and accidentally hitting someone but she hardly noticed and it was fun all the same. She brushed water over her hands and started for the bathroom door to leave, thought better of it and went back to the sink, but her hands were clumsy and she got impatient with the soap so left. As she was walking out the door, her eyes fell on Billie. 'What the fuck is he doing?' she thought, squinting through the smoky room. She stepped closer and saw it. His lips and hands were feeling up some faceless slut.
Billie stopped and saw Delphine out of the corner of his eye. She was starring at him. "Delphine!" he started to call as she ran away. He pushed the girl aside and stumbled blindly into the haze. "Delphine, I'm sorry!" he realized what he had just done.
Delphine ran over to Richelle, Brites and Tre who were standing outside. She looked up at them, "We're going home."
"What? Why Delphine? What's wrong?" Richelle asked. She seemed a bit more sober. Delphine did not want to be drunk anymore.
"I have to go," she repeated.
Just then, Mike ran out of the bar, waving and calling something to them. Delphine slumped down on the sidewalk. "Delphine!" he ran up to her. "Delphine, Billie didn't mean it."
"He was kissing another woman, Mike," she said calmly.
Richelle gave a gasp. Tre looked shocked too. "He's sorry. He fucked up," Mike said putting an arm around her.
"It doesn't change things," tears were rolling down her face.
"Let's go get some coffee."
"I just want to go home."
They compromised and made coffee at home. Richelle handed Delphine a cup. "Try to drink it. It'll help." Delphine sipped on it for awhile and no one said a thing. Tre was feeling a little more sober now and gave a glance to Richelle who was sitting beside him on the couch. She saw and touched his arm. Mike stayed a few more minutes. 'He'll be fine,' he thought, 'So long as he doesn't do something else stupid.' It took awhile to find Billie first. Eventually he discovered him sitting outside on the back porch. He had his head in his hands and his eyes were red. Mike sat down beside him without saying a word.
Finally Billie looked up, "What the fuck did I do?" Mike just looked sympathetically at him and sighed. "Why did that bitch have to come up to me?" he almost yelled. "No, what am I kidding. This is all my fucking fault."
"Hey man, it'll be all right. We'll just wait a day. Talk to her then."
Billie seemed perfectly sober now. "We are going on tour tomorrow, Mike. I just ruined everything. If she doesn't come with us... what the hell am I going to do?"
"We'll talk to her."
"But I hate feeling like this! I don't know if she'll say yes! Why the fuck would she now!?"
"Billie Joe, just calm down."
Billie stopped raving at the air and looked back to Mike. "Sorry," he said sincerely. "It's just... I'm the only one to punch right now. There's nothing to do... "
"Well, look, you still love her. Right?"
"Of course."
"Show her that."
"How?"
"I don't know. A song?"
"No, that wouldn't prove anything... and what would I say?"
"That you love her," Mike shrugged.
*
Delphine awoke the next morning, and as she came to, everything slipped back. She stirred and opened her eyes, a voice said, "Delphine?" It was Billie. He was standing against the wall with his head bowed.
She paused at first, staring at him in his dirty clothes from the night before. "Billie, what are you doing here?" she said quietly. Billie did not speak for a moment.
"Delphine, I am so sorry. I don't even know how to tell you," he started.
"Billie, you felt up another woman," she tried to say calmly. Tears were welling up in her eyes again. It was no use holding them back.
He paused, "I know, I know and I fucked up." He looked up at her now and Delphine sat up on the bed, pulling the blanket around her body. She realized tears were already falling down his cheeks. How could he do this to her? He had cheated, but she could not help the feeling in her gut that she loved him. Stupid. "I wasn't watching and I fucked up, but - but I love you Delphine. That woman was nothing and I love you." Delphine stared at him. "If you would give me another chance, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you." Billie hated what he was saying. It was something he could have sworn came out of some shitty soap opera if he did not know it was coming out of his own mouth. But then, what else was he supposed to say? What killed him most was he meant it with all his heart. But there is no way to say that.
"Billie, how can you be so sure?" Delphine said sadly. She did not sound angry. Just hurt.
Billie stepped forward and kneeled in front of her. He took one of her hands, slowly, and tried to keep a steady voice. "Because, when I realized I could have lost you right then, I just - I have spent up until this point in my life trying to find you. I love you and you only and I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter what that takes. I love you Delphine and-" Billie reached into his pocket and pulled something small out. She could not see at first but he uncurled his fingers and held up diamond ring. Delphine's lip dropped open.
"Will you marry me?"
Tears fell down Delphine's face and with a deep breath she cried, "Of course I will Billie!" and flung her arms around him, practically falling on him. Billie caught her and hugged her as tight as he could.
"Thank you Del," he sniffed into her shoulder.
Delphine smiled and kissed him. He brushed the hair from her eyes and kissed her again. "I love you."
"I love you too." She smiled, "You are still an asshole though."
"I know, I really am," he half laughed.
"Would you take it back?"
"If I could I would take it back a thousand times. But I would never take back one kiss from you."
Delphine smiled again and kissed his lips. "Ok. I forgive you." Billie took her hand and slipped the little gold ring onto her ring finger. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she stared at it.
"You're beautiful." Billie encircled his arms around her again and held her close. He thought he might never be able to do that again, but now she was his. If she could forgive him for this, they could get through anything.
After awhile, Delphine spoke up. "Should we go tell someone?"
"I was just thinking about that. I forgot until just now. Damn."
"Where is everyone?"
"I think downstairs."
Delphine took his hand, "Let's go." They stood up and Delphine slowly opened the door of her bedroom, peeking around the corner; no one in the hall and no voices from below. They crept around and down the stairway. When Delphine turned into the kitchen, Billie in hand, all the surprised faces of her friends turned to look. Richelle hopped up from Tre's lap. "Delphine! You're ok," she looked questioningly to Billie.
"Hey guys," she said. "Umm... we have something to tell you so we might as well say it now." Delphine turned to face Billie.
He took over, "We're engaged."
Every person let out a cheesy gasp while Billie and Delphine were smiling from ear to ear. Richelle ran forward and threw her arms around Delphine. "Well, that was a change of plans!"
"Shit, you're serious?" Tre butted in. Billie just nodded and Mike gave him a big slap on the back.
"That's great man."
Richelle started jumping up and down clapping her hands, "This is so exciting! We have to tell Brites too! Oh yes, she's coming back from the grocery store soon. Can I tell her!?"
"Hey, it's my wedding," she kidded.
"Oh fine. Huu! We will have to go shopping for a dress! And shoes!"
"Not too much now, it's a short wedding," Delphine said trying to calm down.
"I just want like a five minute ceremony. The point is that we are getting married. Not to be flashy," Billie kissed her head.
"And you're a cheap bastard."
"That's true," he gave her another kiss.
"Don't worry dear. Me too."
"Let's go celebrate!" Tre yelled. "I'll get the fun!"
"Tre! No we do not need any fun!" Billie called after him as he ran down the hall.
"But Billie man, it's not fun it's THE FUN!"
"Tre we will have plenty of time for that later!"
"But I have been saving up a whole big bag of fun for a special occasion and I think it just might spontaneously combust if we don't have some right now!"
"Tre!"
"I'm already gone! I got it!" he dashed back around the corned with a rolled up paper bag. "Who wants some fun?"
Everyone smiled and shrugged, "All right... "
"In that case hand it over."
Before long, the joints were rolled and smoking up the kitchen. "You guys," Delphine coughed, "It's only eleven in the morning! My voice is so loud! I can hear an echo, whoa... " She trailed off.
Billie heard, "Yeah but this is a most excellent time for celebrating. You and me getting married... Sweet Children is a success... "
"Yeah, I love you Billie." They kissed again.
"Hey!" Tre yelled, "No making out in the circle!"
"Honey... " Richelle tugged on his shirt. Tre quickly forgot what he was saying and fell on her with a shower of kisses.
Mike, "What happened to the rule!" he threw an empty soda at Tre.
Tre waved him away, "I'm busy." Delphine began laughing hysterically and Billie would not stop kissing her all over. Just then the door bell rang.
"DOOR!" Richelle cried, smothering a laugh under Tre.
"I'll get it!" Mike ran to the door and opened it, making as much noise as possible down the hallway. Then a shout came back, "IT'S BRITES!"
The group walked a few streets over into down downtown. "A bar!" Tre cried out. "Let's go!" They all agreed and started running down the street. Tre went up to the counter inside. "Six Budweisers please," he asked suddenly calm. A woman brought over the first round of beers.
"Tre, Budweiser?" Billie wined. They downed them in five minutes anyway. "Another round!" Billie piped up. By the end of her second, Delphine was feeling some buzz. Richelle was too but the guys seemed mostly unaffected. Third and fourth beer; everyone was drunk. Delphine never had four very often. Guys have a higher tolerance then girls anyway and she knew this was her cut-off. She did not have to count though. Four beers into the evening and she couldn't see straight but it was hella fun. Richelle and Tre started kissing which led to making out in the middle of the bar. It was like one huge party and Delphine was feeling good. Mike and Billie had stumbled away from the table. Delphine stared around the room for a minute. Time seems to slow down and speed up at the same time when you're drunk. This was past the point of the horny drunk she had more often. This was too numb to feel sex even if she was having it.
Billie turned around, thinking Delphine was just behind him. He looked and found a girl looking at him. He turned away and went to look for Delphine again. "Delphine!" he called. Then someone else bumped into him. It looked like Delphine for a second but before it could reach his mind that it wasn't, she grabbed him and pressed him up against a wall. For some reason, he let it go. He kissed back and lost sight of everything else.
Then Delphine suddenly had to go to the bathroom again. She stumbled through the masses; almost knocking over a glass and accidentally hitting someone but she hardly noticed and it was fun all the same. She brushed water over her hands and started for the bathroom door to leave, thought better of it and went back to the sink, but her hands were clumsy and she got impatient with the soap so left. As she was walking out the door, her eyes fell on Billie. 'What the fuck is he doing?' she thought, squinting through the smoky room. She stepped closer and saw it. His lips and hands were feeling up some faceless slut.
Billie stopped and saw Delphine out of the corner of his eye. She was starring at him. "Delphine!" he started to call as she ran away. He pushed the girl aside and stumbled blindly into the haze. "Delphine, I'm sorry!" he realized what he had just done.
Delphine ran over to Richelle, Brites and Tre who were standing outside. She looked up at them, "We're going home."
"What? Why Delphine? What's wrong?" Richelle asked. She seemed a bit more sober. Delphine did not want to be drunk anymore.
"I have to go," she repeated.
Just then, Mike ran out of the bar, waving and calling something to them. Delphine slumped down on the sidewalk. "Delphine!" he ran up to her. "Delphine, Billie didn't mean it."
"He was kissing another woman, Mike," she said calmly.
Richelle gave a gasp. Tre looked shocked too. "He's sorry. He fucked up," Mike said putting an arm around her.
"It doesn't change things," tears were rolling down her face.
"Let's go get some coffee."
"I just want to go home."
They compromised and made coffee at home. Richelle handed Delphine a cup. "Try to drink it. It'll help." Delphine sipped on it for awhile and no one said a thing. Tre was feeling a little more sober now and gave a glance to Richelle who was sitting beside him on the couch. She saw and touched his arm. Mike stayed a few more minutes. 'He'll be fine,' he thought, 'So long as he doesn't do something else stupid.' It took awhile to find Billie first. Eventually he discovered him sitting outside on the back porch. He had his head in his hands and his eyes were red. Mike sat down beside him without saying a word.
Finally Billie looked up, "What the fuck did I do?" Mike just looked sympathetically at him and sighed. "Why did that bitch have to come up to me?" he almost yelled. "No, what am I kidding. This is all my fucking fault."
"Hey man, it'll be all right. We'll just wait a day. Talk to her then."
Billie seemed perfectly sober now. "We are going on tour tomorrow, Mike. I just ruined everything. If she doesn't come with us... what the hell am I going to do?"
"We'll talk to her."
"But I hate feeling like this! I don't know if she'll say yes! Why the fuck would she now!?"
"Billie Joe, just calm down."
Billie stopped raving at the air and looked back to Mike. "Sorry," he said sincerely. "It's just... I'm the only one to punch right now. There's nothing to do... "
"Well, look, you still love her. Right?"
"Of course."
"Show her that."
"How?"
"I don't know. A song?"
"No, that wouldn't prove anything... and what would I say?"
"That you love her," Mike shrugged.
*
Delphine awoke the next morning, and as she came to, everything slipped back. She stirred and opened her eyes, a voice said, "Delphine?" It was Billie. He was standing against the wall with his head bowed.
She paused at first, staring at him in his dirty clothes from the night before. "Billie, what are you doing here?" she said quietly. Billie did not speak for a moment.
"Delphine, I am so sorry. I don't even know how to tell you," he started.
"Billie, you felt up another woman," she tried to say calmly. Tears were welling up in her eyes again. It was no use holding them back.
He paused, "I know, I know and I fucked up." He looked up at her now and Delphine sat up on the bed, pulling the blanket around her body. She realized tears were already falling down his cheeks. How could he do this to her? He had cheated, but she could not help the feeling in her gut that she loved him. Stupid. "I wasn't watching and I fucked up, but - but I love you Delphine. That woman was nothing and I love you." Delphine stared at him. "If you would give me another chance, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you." Billie hated what he was saying. It was something he could have sworn came out of some shitty soap opera if he did not know it was coming out of his own mouth. But then, what else was he supposed to say? What killed him most was he meant it with all his heart. But there is no way to say that.
"Billie, how can you be so sure?" Delphine said sadly. She did not sound angry. Just hurt.
Billie stepped forward and kneeled in front of her. He took one of her hands, slowly, and tried to keep a steady voice. "Because, when I realized I could have lost you right then, I just - I have spent up until this point in my life trying to find you. I love you and you only and I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter what that takes. I love you Delphine and-" Billie reached into his pocket and pulled something small out. She could not see at first but he uncurled his fingers and held up diamond ring. Delphine's lip dropped open.
"Will you marry me?"
Tears fell down Delphine's face and with a deep breath she cried, "Of course I will Billie!" and flung her arms around him, practically falling on him. Billie caught her and hugged her as tight as he could.
"Thank you Del," he sniffed into her shoulder.
Delphine smiled and kissed him. He brushed the hair from her eyes and kissed her again. "I love you."
"I love you too." She smiled, "You are still an asshole though."
"I know, I really am," he half laughed.
"Would you take it back?"
"If I could I would take it back a thousand times. But I would never take back one kiss from you."
Delphine smiled again and kissed his lips. "Ok. I forgive you." Billie took her hand and slipped the little gold ring onto her ring finger. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she stared at it.
"You're beautiful." Billie encircled his arms around her again and held her close. He thought he might never be able to do that again, but now she was his. If she could forgive him for this, they could get through anything.
After awhile, Delphine spoke up. "Should we go tell someone?"
"I was just thinking about that. I forgot until just now. Damn."
"Where is everyone?"
"I think downstairs."
Delphine took his hand, "Let's go." They stood up and Delphine slowly opened the door of her bedroom, peeking around the corner; no one in the hall and no voices from below. They crept around and down the stairway. When Delphine turned into the kitchen, Billie in hand, all the surprised faces of her friends turned to look. Richelle hopped up from Tre's lap. "Delphine! You're ok," she looked questioningly to Billie.
"Hey guys," she said. "Umm... we have something to tell you so we might as well say it now." Delphine turned to face Billie.
He took over, "We're engaged."
Every person let out a cheesy gasp while Billie and Delphine were smiling from ear to ear. Richelle ran forward and threw her arms around Delphine. "Well, that was a change of plans!"
"Shit, you're serious?" Tre butted in. Billie just nodded and Mike gave him a big slap on the back.
"That's great man."
Richelle started jumping up and down clapping her hands, "This is so exciting! We have to tell Brites too! Oh yes, she's coming back from the grocery store soon. Can I tell her!?"
"Hey, it's my wedding," she kidded.
"Oh fine. Huu! We will have to go shopping for a dress! And shoes!"
"Not too much now, it's a short wedding," Delphine said trying to calm down.
"I just want like a five minute ceremony. The point is that we are getting married. Not to be flashy," Billie kissed her head.
"And you're a cheap bastard."
"That's true," he gave her another kiss.
"Don't worry dear. Me too."
"Let's go celebrate!" Tre yelled. "I'll get the fun!"
"Tre! No we do not need any fun!" Billie called after him as he ran down the hall.
"But Billie man, it's not fun it's THE FUN!"
"Tre we will have plenty of time for that later!"
"But I have been saving up a whole big bag of fun for a special occasion and I think it just might spontaneously combust if we don't have some right now!"
"Tre!"
"I'm already gone! I got it!" he dashed back around the corned with a rolled up paper bag. "Who wants some fun?"
Everyone smiled and shrugged, "All right... "
"In that case hand it over."
Before long, the joints were rolled and smoking up the kitchen. "You guys," Delphine coughed, "It's only eleven in the morning! My voice is so loud! I can hear an echo, whoa... " She trailed off.
Billie heard, "Yeah but this is a most excellent time for celebrating. You and me getting married... Sweet Children is a success... "
"Yeah, I love you Billie." They kissed again.
"Hey!" Tre yelled, "No making out in the circle!"
"Honey... " Richelle tugged on his shirt. Tre quickly forgot what he was saying and fell on her with a shower of kisses.
Mike, "What happened to the rule!" he threw an empty soda at Tre.
Tre waved him away, "I'm busy." Delphine began laughing hysterically and Billie would not stop kissing her all over. Just then the door bell rang.
"DOOR!" Richelle cried, smothering a laugh under Tre.
"I'll get it!" Mike ran to the door and opened it, making as much noise as possible down the hallway. Then a shout came back, "IT'S BRITES!"
