Butterflies and Steel, chapter 22
"Adrienne?" Carrie asked when she had picked up the phone.
"Hi Carrie," she greeted. "Something you need?"
"Yeah," Carrie said, trying to think about the best way to ask this without it coming off as a little weird. "This is going to sound weird, but can I have Billie's cell phone number?"
There was a distinctive pause. "Why?" Adrienne asked slowly.
"This is the hard part," Carrie said, not wanting anyone to know about this except maybe her and Billie. "It's a surprise, and I don't want to ruin it."
"Oh," Adrienne said knowingly. "You want to surprise Tre in New York, don't you?" Carrie sighed.
"Well, there goes the surprise," she laughed. Adrienne smirked.
"Trust me," she assured, "I used to do that to Billie all the time. Yeah, I can give you his cell number."
"Really?" Carrie asked gratefully. "Thank you so much."
"So when are you going to come over and see Joey again?" Adrienne questioned as if it were everyday routine. Carrie had actually been spending a lot of time with Joey. It was a sort of therapy and getting her mind off of Tre being gone as much as it was just pure enjoyment for her.
"I was thinking tomorrow," Carrie replied. "I'm off work, so we could do something. Better yet, why don't me and you take both of the boys somewhere?"
"That sounds like a great idea," Adrienne agreed, happy to have the opportunity to get out of the house.
"Well, I've gotta go. My lunch break just ended," Carrie said. "I'll see you tomorrow. You can just give me his number then."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
***
Darryl, her guitarist Ben, and her drummer Rick were sitting patiently in the lobby, waiting for Ryan to get back to lunch for the label interview. They were all nervous as hell, even though none of them would admit it. Rick kept absentmindedly twirling his drumsticks in his hands as Ben played around with his guitar pick. Darryl just sat there and ran through the song that they had decided to perform her in head.
"Ryan will see you now," the receptionist said, beckoning them into his spacey office. They had never heard of Blindside Records before, but it seemed that the small place did well for itself. Ryan greeted them with a large smile.
"Glad you came," he said, "sorry about the wait."
"No problem," Darryl replied, waving it off. "No big hurry."
"So... let's hear that demo," Ryan said, getting down to business. Darryl handed him the burnt CD, and he popped it into his stereo, waiting expectantly. The first song came on, and Darryl's voice filled the room.
Don't like flowers
Don't like chocolates
Hate love letters
Cause even better
Are the dirty things you say to me
He flipped the song, his face passive and unreadable. The next song came on, the guitar and drums dominating the beginning.
I watched you change
Into something strange
I don't know you anymore
You've become a bore
You ditched all your friends
What happened there
Were you not popular enough
And did you get scared
A small flicker of expression came onto his face with that song, but he flitted to the next wordlessly. Rick and Ben shifted uncomfortably in their seats, not knowing what to think, but Darryl just stood there as passive and reserved as Ryan. The third and final song on the small demo that Ryan had requested came on.
Living in a memory
Wanting what used to be
Every single regret
Makes it hard to forget
All that I used to have
Ryan stopped the CD but didn't attempt to take it out. Instead, he walked over to his desk and sat down in the large chair behind it. He focused his attention to the three. "Do you write your own songs?"
"A few," Darryl answered. "Mainly they're written by my friend, Carrie Miller. That last one was actually written by Carrie and Joey Armstrong, Billie's son."
"Really?" Ryan asked, intrigued. "Isn't he only a kid?"
"Eleven, I think," she answered.
"From what I've heard," Ryan said, drawing the sentence and anticipation out. "You are amazing. Mike was right in saying that you're a great bassist. Darryl blushed furiously, wishing Mike hadn't said that, but appreciating it all the same.
"Thank you," Darryl accepted. "Oh, and this is Ben, my guitarist, and Rick, my drummer."
"Nice to meet you," Ryan said. "What would you say if I were to tell you that I want you to sign with our label?"
"I would say that Mike is definitely going to get laid when I see him next," Darryl said, her personality coming out in her. Ryan laughed while Ben and Rick balked, not sure what to think about that sudden outburst.
"Then Mike is going to be a very happy man," Ryan laughed. He pulled out a contract out of his desk, and Ben, Rick and Darryl proceeded to sign with Blindside Records.
***
"Things must be going really good with you and Tre," Adrienne said as we watched the boys run around in the park. We were sitting on a blanket in the shade after just having a small picnic with Joey and Jakob.
"They really are," I admitted happily. I wasn't ashamed of how I felt for fear of being too romantic anymore. In my time with Tre, I had learned that romance didn't necessarily have to mean the cheesy relationship love stories that I had always been under the impression of.
"I'm glad to hear that," Adrienne nodded. "Don't run off too far!" she called to her sons. They just turned and acknowledged her before running around and commencing with what they had been doing. "Tre deserves a girlfriend like you. He's a good guy and has put up with some shit."
I blushed, not knowing how to respond to that. "I have an idea," I said. "Why don't you call Billie right now, and you can be a part of the whole surprise for Tre."
"I like that idea," Adrienne laughed. "Makes me feel important." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number.
"Hey baby," she said in a purring tone. I suppressed a laugh as she looked at me while Billie talked away in her ear. "Yeah, that must suck. Life's so hard for you rock stars these days."
I burst out laughing at that moment. "Is he bitching?" I asked. Adrienne nodded.
"Of course he is," Adrienne said. "What? No, it's Carrie. Don't say anything." There was a small pause. "Here, you talk to her." She handed me the phone.
"Hi Billie," I laughed.
"Hello," he said, not sure what to expect.
"I wanted to ask you a favor," I began. "When will you guys have some free time next?"
"I'd say in another three or four days," he figured. "Why?"
"I was wondering if you could sneak away and pick me up at the airport without Frankie knowing so I could surprise him," I finished. Billie was thinking this over, but I knew that he would say yes. He was a huge romantic, and he had probably been helped out in similar ways by Tre on multiple occasions.
"I could do that," Billie said. "Try and get a flight out here for Thursday. Then just call me and give me a time."
"I really appreciate this, Billie," I said.
"Don't mention it," Billie waved off. He tried to act like it wasn't a big deal. "Tre's starting to get on my nerves with his pining anyway, so maybe seeing you will shut him up."
"I'm glad to be of help," I said, but it was a little more of a question. I thanked him again before handing the phone back to Adrienne. She stayed on to talk to Billie, so I got up and ran behind Joey, tackling him.
"Hey!" Joey said as Jakob jumped on him too. "You ganged up on me!"
"That's what you get," I said playfully, tickling him on the side. "You're bullying your seven year old brother."
"Fine," Joey said, panting from laughing so hard and being out of breath. "I'll bully you." With one exchanged glance, Jakob and Joey piled on top of me, laughing excitedly.
"Hi Carrie," she greeted. "Something you need?"
"Yeah," Carrie said, trying to think about the best way to ask this without it coming off as a little weird. "This is going to sound weird, but can I have Billie's cell phone number?"
There was a distinctive pause. "Why?" Adrienne asked slowly.
"This is the hard part," Carrie said, not wanting anyone to know about this except maybe her and Billie. "It's a surprise, and I don't want to ruin it."
"Oh," Adrienne said knowingly. "You want to surprise Tre in New York, don't you?" Carrie sighed.
"Well, there goes the surprise," she laughed. Adrienne smirked.
"Trust me," she assured, "I used to do that to Billie all the time. Yeah, I can give you his cell number."
"Really?" Carrie asked gratefully. "Thank you so much."
"So when are you going to come over and see Joey again?" Adrienne questioned as if it were everyday routine. Carrie had actually been spending a lot of time with Joey. It was a sort of therapy and getting her mind off of Tre being gone as much as it was just pure enjoyment for her.
"I was thinking tomorrow," Carrie replied. "I'm off work, so we could do something. Better yet, why don't me and you take both of the boys somewhere?"
"That sounds like a great idea," Adrienne agreed, happy to have the opportunity to get out of the house.
"Well, I've gotta go. My lunch break just ended," Carrie said. "I'll see you tomorrow. You can just give me his number then."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
***
Darryl, her guitarist Ben, and her drummer Rick were sitting patiently in the lobby, waiting for Ryan to get back to lunch for the label interview. They were all nervous as hell, even though none of them would admit it. Rick kept absentmindedly twirling his drumsticks in his hands as Ben played around with his guitar pick. Darryl just sat there and ran through the song that they had decided to perform her in head.
"Ryan will see you now," the receptionist said, beckoning them into his spacey office. They had never heard of Blindside Records before, but it seemed that the small place did well for itself. Ryan greeted them with a large smile.
"Glad you came," he said, "sorry about the wait."
"No problem," Darryl replied, waving it off. "No big hurry."
"So... let's hear that demo," Ryan said, getting down to business. Darryl handed him the burnt CD, and he popped it into his stereo, waiting expectantly. The first song came on, and Darryl's voice filled the room.
Don't like flowers
Don't like chocolates
Hate love letters
Cause even better
Are the dirty things you say to me
He flipped the song, his face passive and unreadable. The next song came on, the guitar and drums dominating the beginning.
I watched you change
Into something strange
I don't know you anymore
You've become a bore
You ditched all your friends
What happened there
Were you not popular enough
And did you get scared
A small flicker of expression came onto his face with that song, but he flitted to the next wordlessly. Rick and Ben shifted uncomfortably in their seats, not knowing what to think, but Darryl just stood there as passive and reserved as Ryan. The third and final song on the small demo that Ryan had requested came on.
Living in a memory
Wanting what used to be
Every single regret
Makes it hard to forget
All that I used to have
Ryan stopped the CD but didn't attempt to take it out. Instead, he walked over to his desk and sat down in the large chair behind it. He focused his attention to the three. "Do you write your own songs?"
"A few," Darryl answered. "Mainly they're written by my friend, Carrie Miller. That last one was actually written by Carrie and Joey Armstrong, Billie's son."
"Really?" Ryan asked, intrigued. "Isn't he only a kid?"
"Eleven, I think," she answered.
"From what I've heard," Ryan said, drawing the sentence and anticipation out. "You are amazing. Mike was right in saying that you're a great bassist. Darryl blushed furiously, wishing Mike hadn't said that, but appreciating it all the same.
"Thank you," Darryl accepted. "Oh, and this is Ben, my guitarist, and Rick, my drummer."
"Nice to meet you," Ryan said. "What would you say if I were to tell you that I want you to sign with our label?"
"I would say that Mike is definitely going to get laid when I see him next," Darryl said, her personality coming out in her. Ryan laughed while Ben and Rick balked, not sure what to think about that sudden outburst.
"Then Mike is going to be a very happy man," Ryan laughed. He pulled out a contract out of his desk, and Ben, Rick and Darryl proceeded to sign with Blindside Records.
***
"Things must be going really good with you and Tre," Adrienne said as we watched the boys run around in the park. We were sitting on a blanket in the shade after just having a small picnic with Joey and Jakob.
"They really are," I admitted happily. I wasn't ashamed of how I felt for fear of being too romantic anymore. In my time with Tre, I had learned that romance didn't necessarily have to mean the cheesy relationship love stories that I had always been under the impression of.
"I'm glad to hear that," Adrienne nodded. "Don't run off too far!" she called to her sons. They just turned and acknowledged her before running around and commencing with what they had been doing. "Tre deserves a girlfriend like you. He's a good guy and has put up with some shit."
I blushed, not knowing how to respond to that. "I have an idea," I said. "Why don't you call Billie right now, and you can be a part of the whole surprise for Tre."
"I like that idea," Adrienne laughed. "Makes me feel important." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed his number.
"Hey baby," she said in a purring tone. I suppressed a laugh as she looked at me while Billie talked away in her ear. "Yeah, that must suck. Life's so hard for you rock stars these days."
I burst out laughing at that moment. "Is he bitching?" I asked. Adrienne nodded.
"Of course he is," Adrienne said. "What? No, it's Carrie. Don't say anything." There was a small pause. "Here, you talk to her." She handed me the phone.
"Hi Billie," I laughed.
"Hello," he said, not sure what to expect.
"I wanted to ask you a favor," I began. "When will you guys have some free time next?"
"I'd say in another three or four days," he figured. "Why?"
"I was wondering if you could sneak away and pick me up at the airport without Frankie knowing so I could surprise him," I finished. Billie was thinking this over, but I knew that he would say yes. He was a huge romantic, and he had probably been helped out in similar ways by Tre on multiple occasions.
"I could do that," Billie said. "Try and get a flight out here for Thursday. Then just call me and give me a time."
"I really appreciate this, Billie," I said.
"Don't mention it," Billie waved off. He tried to act like it wasn't a big deal. "Tre's starting to get on my nerves with his pining anyway, so maybe seeing you will shut him up."
"I'm glad to be of help," I said, but it was a little more of a question. I thanked him again before handing the phone back to Adrienne. She stayed on to talk to Billie, so I got up and ran behind Joey, tackling him.
"Hey!" Joey said as Jakob jumped on him too. "You ganged up on me!"
"That's what you get," I said playfully, tickling him on the side. "You're bullying your seven year old brother."
"Fine," Joey said, panting from laughing so hard and being out of breath. "I'll bully you." With one exchanged glance, Jakob and Joey piled on top of me, laughing excitedly.
