Delilah and C.J.

PLEASE let me know in the comments if you like part 1 and want me to post part 2. Thanks!

All characters in this story are 18 and over.

*****

My childhood was a little fucked up. But I see now that it was in a beautiful way. That's something my mother would always say. That beauty can't exist without pain. She's a little eccentric, but she taught me everything I know. Whether I learned from her or despite her, it was still all from her. She was a big influence on me because she was all I had. She had me really young and ran away from her parents. So I have no idea what they were like or even if they're still alive and I never met my father. Her name is Daphne, and she was and still is simply stunning. She stood tall with long pale blonde hair and a hauntingly beautiful face. Her body was statuesque and she had a tattoo of a blue rose on her left shoulder blade. In every sense of the word, she was an artist. Though it was never how she made a living, it was all she did in her spare time, painting mostly. But it was her mind that was especially artistic. Her perspective on life was very unique. And she was really into metaphysics. It just wouldn't feel like home if there wasn't incense burning, crystals sparkling, and heavy metal music blaring.

Unfortunately, it also wouldn't feel like home if there wasn't liquor everywhere. She was undoubtedly an alcoholic. And our house was the center of her nightly parties. She wasn't ashamed of this though. In her eyes there was nothing wrong with being a pleasure seeker, and she was simply full of life. She slept around a lot too. I could never identify who was a relationship and who wasn't. Let's just say they would all come and go pretty fast, and not all of them were the best of men. Some may call her a slut, but I know her very well and it was more than that. She was smart, strong, and had a beautiful mind. But being in her own head all the time made her very 'dreamy'. She was just a hopeless romantic executing those dreams in a tragic way.

Me? I'm Delilah, and I am my mother's daughter. Her love of art passed onto me, though I'm more into drawing, and so did her thinking. Almost every time she spoke she was teaching me something. I may not have taken in every lesson, but she made me observant and I'm thankful for that. And being very open and vocal about love made me inherit that 'dreamy' trait. Her examples may have been train wrecks, but nonetheless it stuck. Being older now I see her faults, I'm not blind. But growing up she was everything to me. And I may have had an unstable childhood, but my mother loved me more than anything, and love is all that matters in the end.

Out of all the people that came through our revolving door, there were three that were constants. Mickey, C.J., and Brandi. I remember living in a million different places when I was little. It's all a blur. But when I turned six and started school we finally settled here. Mickey and C.J. were the first people my mom met. They were best friends and roommates. Both were my mom's age and were tall with muscular bodies. Mickey was bulkier because he had more fat on him. He had dark blonde hair and always had a buzz cut. His face was round with a very defined jawline and evil looking eyes. He always kept a beard and wore wife beater tank tops that showed off his tattoos. His personality is just as hard to describe as my mom's is. He was just as bad of a drunk and party boy. He slept with anyone but never cared for them more than he did his Harley-Davidson. He was a fighter, a criminal, all pretty basic stuff. But there was something particularly intense about him. He was dangerous.

C.J. had brown hair. He kept it a just a bit longer but still very short. He too had a defined jawline but his face was longer and only ever had a 5 o'clock shadow. His eyes were sexy, his smile was wicked and cocky, he always wore dark T-shirts but had just as many tattoos and had a signature small diamond stud in his left ear. He took his love of motorcycles more seriously. I wouldn't say he was tamer than Mickey, but his partying was more controlled. He was wanted by every woman but was pickier. And he was a criminal too but had less of an intense personality. He was sweeter and funnier. Just as hardened, but more level headed. They were more than just good friends, they grew up together and were like brothers.

My mom and Mickey always had something going on between them just below the surface. Surprisingly though, they'd never slept together. I think my mom was overwhelmed with moving into an actual house and looking for a steady job so she put her lifestyle on hold for a bit. And by then they had become friends. But more importantly I think deep down she knew she cared for him and didn't want to ruin anything. So anyways, she continued to stay great friends with them. Over the years her and C.J.'s friendship was steady, whereas her and Mickey had their ups and downs. But that's because they were closer, and it's always easier to hurt the ones closest to you. That steel heart of his always had a soft spot for her. Which he would never admit of course.

A year later is when she met Brandi. She had short dark hair always kept in a messy bun and a pretty smile that revealed wrinkles around her eyes from years of laughing, despite being my mom's age too. She was very thin but had a plain figure. Like the others she was a crazy party girl. She wasn't particularly smart but was super nice and a loyal friend. Her and my mom became inseparable so she inevitably became close with Mickey and C.J. too. She's had a crush on C.J. for years but she just wasn't his type. I became like a daughter to her and all three of them practically helped raise me.

-------------------------------

I'll never forget the night my mom and Mickey finally got together. I couldn't. Because it was a major night for me too. The whole weekend was unforgettable actually. I had just turned twelve and it was the end of the summer before I started middle school. The sun was going down and I was outside playing with my friends who were all also my neighbors. My best friend was Samantha. Sam for short. She had long brown hair and a slightly darker complexion because her mother Angelina was Spanish and her father John was white. Her parents were very different than my mom but they were friends because we were. We were playing with two boys. The same boys we were with all the time, especially that summer. We loved it because we had crushes on them. One was Jason. He had short dark hair and a really attractive face but still had a youthful look to him. The other was Matt and he was actually Brandi's son and two years older than the rest of us. He had dirty blonde spikey hair, sweet eyes, and was starting to go through his growth spurt so he was a little taller than us and was forming muscles from all the sports he played. Brandi was basically never home with him. If she wasn't working then she was either at a bar or at my house. Luckily he had a much older half brother from a different mother that would check in on him all the time. So he was more sheltered from the ways of our parents and didn't see the things I did. He was a good kid. He was popular in his grade and got into some trouble sometimes but he was harmless. Sam and Jason flirted all the time but nothing serious ever happened. I think Sam actually had a crush on Matt too but never said anything because he always showed more attention to me. He always flirted with me but he'd do it in a joking way like he was just trying to mess with me. So I never really knew if he actually liked me or not.

That day we had a water balloon fight and when we ran out of balloons we started to play tag. Matt followed me wherever I hid and kept giving away my hiding spots. I was pretending to be mad about it when Angelina called me and Sam in to get out of our wet clothes. We ran into her house and showered off first. I brought some clothes to change into and we both made sure we looked cute before going back outside. The sun had gone down completely and the boys were playing basketball in Matt's driveway. We joined them and were watching them play for awhile and just hanging out. At some point me and Matt we standing close and talking and I did something I had never done before. I was the one who flirted with him. I leaned in close, whispered something in his hear, and walked away laughing at the expression I left on his face. He looked like he was in pain. He didn't say a word. He just grabbed my hand and led me to the side of his house were we couldn't be seen and gave me my first kiss. Up until then that was the best moment of my life.

I walked home so happy. When I got close I could hear the music. It was Friday night which meant my mom's party was bigger than usual and started earlier. Normally they did after I went to bed. I barely made it through the door before I got squeezed to death by Brandi. She was drunk and happy to see me. She had me laughing so hard that my stomach hurt by the time I walked away. Our backyard was where everything took place. It was small and crammed with tons of things. Mickey was at the grill making burgers, C.J. was playing the drums, and people were piled in the cheap Jacuzzi that we rarely used because it was always breaking. I didn't recognize most of the people. Mickey scooped me up into a hug and asked if I was hungry. While I waited for him to make my burger I went over to C.J. and danced to the music he was playing. He always thought that was cute. Looking back now, I can't believe I was ever that outgoing. That eventually faded away. After I ate I went inside. This was all normal to me, but it wasn't where I belonged. An hour later I had already written in my diary everything that happened and talked to Matt on the phone. My mom tucked me into bed and I went to sleep thinking everything was fine. But then I was woken up by chaos.

The backyard was on the other side of my bedroom window. Ace, our pit-bull, was barking and I could hear people yelling. When I went to see what was going on almost everyone was gone and the police were out front. I couldn't find my mom and Brandi made me go back to bed and comforted me. Apparently my mom and Mickey had their biggest fight ever. I never got all the details but basically my mom was flirting with some guy and was going to sleep with him. Which is normal. But she was doing it right in front of him. I guess they had been fighting more than usual lately and the tension was high. Their relationship was way more complicated then I could ever understand. She knew what she was doing. But when she went up to him and blatantly taunted him about it, that's when he exploded! And it doesn't surprise me. Mickey was always a ticking time bomb about everything, but especially this. Things got heated and when my mom threw her drink on him, he pushed her down. That's when 'Mr. No name' decided to defend her honor and actually thought he could take on Mickey. C.J. jumped in and then others too. Brandi called the cops when they started fighting but everyone left before they got there. And the cherry on top of a great night was when my mom, who I'm sure was very drunk, had sex with the cop that showed up. I wasn't aware of any of this yet.

The next night I just knew my mom was in a bad mood. I sat at my mom's vanity in her room like I've done many times when she gave me beauty lessons. We both always dressed very casual and comfortable, but she always taught me to look 'put together' no matter what you're wearing. She was doing my hair and I could tell she was sad. She looked drained and that wasn't normal for her. She didn't even want to come with me to the dinner I was getting ready for with Sam and her parents. I was actually relieved she wasn't coming though. Recently I had discovered that she was having an affair with John. I'd become numb to anything my mom did that could make me see her in a different light. But this hurt me. For the first time I was disappointed in her. Angelina and John had a great marriage and after that I could never look at him the same way. And I definitely didn't want to be with all three of them in the same room.

At the restaurant none of the drama was on my mind. I was having a good time but me and Sam were anxious to get back home because we had a bonfire planned and the boys were going to come. My mom skipped that too so it was just Sam's parents and us kids. While we were there, Jason told us his parents were gone and asked us if we wanted to go night swimming in his pool afterwards. We knew it was getting late and we wouldn't be allowed to. So we hatched a plan to sneak out. When the fire went out and the boys left, me and Sam asked our moms if we could spend the night in a tent in front of our houses. They said yes because it was the last night of summer and they could see us out their windows. We were in the tent gossiping while we waited for it to get late enough and knew our parents were asleep. It got quiet. Then there was a loud bang and it scared the shit out of us! We heard Matt and Jason laughing. They had sneaked up and hit the tent to scare us then darted off to Jason's house. Me and Sam had our bathing suits on underneath our pajamas so we quickly changed and started running after them. The pool was warm and fun. But when we were about to leave, Matt pulled me aside and asked if we could see each other again the next day but alone this time. It was understandable, since we were sort of 'dating' now. But the thought of being alone with him made my mind wonder to other things that I wasn't ready for. I suddenly felt this pressure like I was suppose to do 'more' with him. I didn't know where it was coming from, but it was there. The question was more like a suggestion, so I didn't give him an answer. Then he kissed me goodbye so sweetly it made my stomach flutter.

The next morning me and Sam woke up super early because the tent was so uncomfortable and went home. I was on my couch watching T.V. when my mom came out of her room. She lit some sage incense and was talking to Brandi on the phone. This was when I found out what happened Friday night. She went back into her room, but I could hear everything they were talking about. And when she was done and saw the look on my face, she knew I could too. She didn't say anything, she just came over and whispered that we were going to the beach. When she hugged me I saw she had dry paint all over her hands. She must have spent all night painting and not drinking. Anytime she felt like we needed an escape she'd take me to the beach or the local art studio all day. Often times it was after I'd find her passed out in the morning, or if I'd seen too much of something. Last time we went was when I found out about her and John and we went to the studio. It was like she was trying to indulge in one side of her when I'd seen to much of the other. But I knew neither one could exist without the other. Those weren't the only times we would go though. She'd also take me if I was upset about something in my own life or if we just needed an 'us' day. It wouldn't even matter if it was a week day. She'd call us both in sick from work and school. We'd go super early when the sun was still rising and I loved the feeling of everyone else I knew getting ready for school and me getting to go somewhere else. They were our special places.

In the car I was still really sleepy since I didn't get much last night. My towel was wrapped around me like a blanket and my mom got us both lattes. We tanned and went swimming and I told her all about Matt and our first kiss, but I left it at that and moved on to how excited I was to start middle school the next day. We didn't talk at all about Mickey or the party. Then we spent some time looking for shells to add to her collection and drove home. When we got there we were talking about ordering Chinese food and I assumed Ace had to pee. I opened the backdoor to let him out and the first thing I saw was Mickey.

Him and C.J. got this old beat up car to fix up and couldn't keep it at their place so we managed to squeeze it into our backyard among everything else. He was under the hood working on it. It was normal for them to come over unannounced and even come in without knocking. But right now it wasn't, so he obviously wanted to talk. My mom followed me outside and saw him too. She slowly walked up to him and he didn't stop what he was doing or even look up at her. All he said was "Hey Daph..." in the most sentimental tone that I've never heard him use before. She turned to me and told me to go feed Luna. She was my mom's bird. A beautiful snow white cockatoo that we kept on the side of the house because her cage was huge. My mom adored her and vice versa. It took years for her to trust me like she did my mom. When I was done I went to the corner of the house and peeked my head around. Mickey's hand was on my mom's cheek. His face was hard but he was caressing her face tenderly. Again, it was a gesture I'd never seen him make before. She was smiling and it was genuine. I didn't know what to make of it and I couldn't hear what they were saying. He ended up staying and they made dinner together while I was texting Matt. He wanted me to sneak out again and come to his house where his mom would surely be passed out. I didn't know what I wanted.

After dinner I took a bath and was waiting for my mom to come tuck me in like always but she never came. I went looking for her and found her sitting up on the roof on a part that you could easily climb to. She was watching the stars, so I joined her. She told me she'd just slept with Mickey and I really didn't need to hear that. I get that she was trying to tell me they were together now but she didn't need to be that blunt about it. And I wasn't too happy about them being together either. They were toxic to each other. She just started playing with my hair and explaining why it was right, meant to be, and more stuff that fell under her philosophy of there's no beauty without pain. I believed her and trusted that she was right. She went back to stargazing and had that dreamy look in her eye. I could tell she was going to be in that state for awhile so I left her alone.

When I got back to my room I decided to go to Matt's. Maybe it was because of something my mom said. Maybe not. I really wasn't sure why. I waited until I heard her go to sleep before I sneaked out my window. On the walk over there I was actually more nervous about having sneaked out on a school night than I was about seeing Matt. I was only twelve. Even in my crazy house that was a big deal and I would've been in so much trouble if I got caught. He met me outside of his house and we had to whisper. I had been in his room before but never alone and never at night. We laid together on his bed and at first we were just watching T.V. and talking. But then we started messing around. We didn't have sex but things went way too far.

As I walked back home everything I was feeling sunk in deeper and deeper. It felt colder outside. I was still wearing my Hello Kitty pajamas under my jacket and I felt ridiculous. That night traumatized me. I felt violated and ashamed at the same time. I didn't blame him though. I knew he didn't know what the hell he was doing. But I still never wanted to talk to him again. I didn't even want to look at him. When I sneaked back into bed I finally let out all the tears I was holding in. Maybe to some girls this wouldn't have been that big of a deal but to me it was and I was truly never the same after that. I cried myself to sleep and had never felt more alone.

Everything changed after that night. My mom and Mickey got really serious. You'd think it would be weird seeing her in a steady relationship but it wasn't, not with him. He moved in almost immediately and no one was surprised. Everyone knew this was a long time coming. C.J. wouldn't have been able to afford the rent if Mickey left, so he moved in too. Then my mom thought Brandi might as well come too. They all practically lived with us already anyways. Our house only had two bedrooms, mine and my moms. Mickey obviously moved into my moms but there wasn't room for C.J. and Brandi. So we put him in the garage and extended it to make a spare room for her.