Bastards of Young

I had the shop to myself since Rodney was going to LA to have a look at some record collection that was left behind by a recently deceased man.

It was proving to be a slow day as most Mondays are, but I was fine with it as I stocked the Country M section with the new Nirvana tape blaring on the sound system. Rodney had left it for me along with my pay check saying it would change my life and so far it had. It was so raw like the old punk songs my brother and I used to listen to, but melodic at the same time. I wondered if this was what it was like when my dad heard the Beatles for the first time at my age as I took a break from stocking to look at the cover with the naked baby one more time in awe.

I was so engrossed in reading the liners that I didn’t even hear the door open or the foot steps coming up behind me. “Who is this?”

Yelping loudly and dropping the tape case I whipped around only to find the bruised, cut up and toothily grinning face of Billie Joe extremely close to mine. “What are you doing here,” was the first thing I could think to say.

“Happy to see you too, Jean,” Billie poked my side causing me to jump and giggle.

“No, I’m sorry. I just figured you’d still be sleeping it off is all.”

“Nope, good to go. Well, besides looking like some one tried to knead me like dough.”

I chuckled and picked up the Nevermind case. “So, who is this,” Billie continued, taking the tape case from me.

“Nirvana…they’re from Seattle.”

“Oh yeeeah, I remember their Bleach album. I wasn’t crazy about it, but this is really good,” he commented as “Come As You Are” ended and “Breed” began.

“This is the first I’ve heard of them, but I freaking love it. It’s so… it’s like you can just feel things shift inside you…”

“Like nothing’s going to be the same, but your world’s better for it?”

“Exactly!”

We just stood looking at each other for a second before I opened my dumb mouth again. “Well, I’m shitting in tall cotton today. Rodney got a ton of country and blues stuff over the weekend that needs to be stocked before tomorrow when he gets back… better get back to it.”

“Want some help?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’d love to pretend I worked in a record shop instead of Jimmy’s Pizza for an afternoon.”

I laughed and agreed to allow him to help. We decided I’d keep going at M in the country section and he’d start at Z and we’d eventually meet in the middle. We worked in silence until it was time for the tape to be flipped.

“So, uh… about last night,” Billie piped up as I walked over to the stereo.

“Don’t worry about it,” I flipped the tape and pressed play.

“Well, it was really awesome of you to take care of me like that. Thanks. Really.”

I just grinned at Billie as I returned to my spot. We went back to stocking in silence for a few more minutes until Billie took a deep breath and spoke again. “You know… I kind of feel like taking a pretty girl out tonight.”

A lump jumped up into my throat, but I managed to get a joking, “You want me to give some suggestions,” out.

Billie snorted, “I was thinking more about asking you, actually.” We had both stopped stocking and were looking at each other, Billie with a mixture of apprehension and confidence and me… well, it probably looked like I was about to throw up. I always get like that in these situations.

“What about what you said last night about friends…”

“Fuck what I said last night. I was nervous. I woke this morning and saw that Advil and the thought just popped into my head that I was a dumb ass for not being with you. I mean you’re funny and cute and really sweet and you probably know more about music than I do,” Billie paused for a second looking slightly embarrassed that he had started to blab like that. After collecting himself he continued with an exasperated smile.

“You’re just really cool and I think we should give it a shot because I would bet money you feel the same about me. So. What do you say? Let me take you on a date tonight,” Billie slowly took a few steps so that there were only a few inches between us as he said all of this.

“I can’t tonight,” I said biting my lower lip sadly. “We actually need to talk.”

Billie’s shoulders dropped and disappointment filled his eyes, but he managed a weak smile anyway. “You’re breaking up with me before I can even get my foot in the door?”

“No,” I said touching his jacketed forearm. Billie reached up and grabbed my hand much to my heart’s fluttering delight. “No, it’s just… I’m sort of moving out tonight.”

Billie’s grip tightened and his eyes got wide. “What? Why?”

“Tracy. Her sister has a place across town and she’s letting us rent it. It has water that isn’t 90% saturated with mud and cable, Billie,” I pulled my hand from his and placed both of them on either side of his face. Squeezing lightly, I continued dramatically. “Cable!”

This had the results I had hoped for as all the disappointment and fear left his eyes and amusement replaced it all. “Well, then… you have to take it,” he said solemnly. We both grinned stupidly at each other, with my hands still holding his face.

Suddenly, Billie became serious again. “But, um… you are just putting a rain check on this date thing, right? I mean you do like me too... right?”

A now or never mood hit me at that moment and I pulled his face to mine in response. As our lips met I felt him wince. I pulled back quickly. "Shit! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that; are you okay?"

“Jean, shut up.” Billie pulled me back and reconnected our lips passionately. As my hands slid down to his hips to pull him closer, his gently came up to under my jaw line. After a few minutes we both pulled back for air.

I think we both were feeling dazed as I pressed my forehead to his and said, “That was a lot like hearing Nevermind for the first time,” breathlessly.