"Blood & Smoke"

“Blood & Smoke”

By Cody Williams

 

1.

Blood & Smoke. That’s not just a tattoo I have permanently carved into my forearm. It’s not just a way of life that I chose to live for quite sometime now. It’s much more than that.

            I was in high school when I first met Denny Butcher. To be honest, my first impression of him was very negative. I was in Mr. Wright’s British Literature class and was sitting in the front row. We were covering what has since become one of my favorite novels of all time Lord of the Flies by William Golding when he walked into the door.

            He caught my eye instantly…and all the girls in the class too. He was wearing all black, a plain black T-shirt along with a pair of black jeans and a black leather jacket. His hair was strawberry blond and was parted down the center of his skull and was combed back. He had thin goatee on his face, probably because he was trying so desperately to grow one.

            Mr. Wright looked over at him for a moment with strange expression on his face. He sighed and then motioned for Denny to come to him. Denny did so and handed him a white rectangular sheet of paper that the office usually gave to students that were late or just transferring from another school. Mr. Wright grabbed him by the shoulder, pulled Denny in close to him, and whispered something in his ear. After Mr. Wright was finished speaking with him, Denny had this smirk on his face.

            “Now go sit down!” Mr. Wright said pointing to the empty seat behind me. Denny did as he was told and walked over to the seat behind me and sat down.

            To tell you the truth, I don’t really know what Wright whispered in his ear. It could have been: “Alright Denny! It’s time to turn over a new leaf! I feel that we can really work well together here and that you and really strive here. Now go sit down.” Or it could have been more like: “I know who your are. I’m telling you right now that I’m not putting up with your bullshit! If you cross me, I’ll have your a*s on the first bus out of here! Do I make myself clear? Good! Now go sit your a*s down.” I really don’t know which one he said, but I do believe that it very well could have been the latter.

            Denny had his problems. I could I tell that just by looking at him. He had that way about him. You know, like he was a bad a*s and wanted everyone to know it. Yeah, that was my first impression of Denny Butcher. Like Jane Austin wrote about in her great novel The Pride and Prejudice, first impressions really mean jack s**t.

 

2.

We were in school together several weeks before Denny even said two words to me. To be honest, I was quite okay with that. Denny was out with a different beautiful girl every night while I was stuck at home working on home work, writing my stories, and teaching myself to play the guitar.

            It was on a Monday after noon in Mr. Wright’s British Literature class when he first talked to me. Mr. Wright was handing back our grades on a recent “comprehensive reading” test that we took on Lord of the Flies. He handed me back my paper. I got an A as usual, and then he handed Denny’s paper back to him. Mr. Wright gave him this strange look and just shook his head.

            “Maybe you ought to get some help from Jon here!” Mr. Wright suggested as he pointed at me. I turned around to look at Denny. He had that some expression on his face like he didn’t have a care in the world. I turned my attention back to the front of the classroom and paid attention to the lesion that Mr. Wright was going over. It was after class when he really first spoke to me.

            After the bell rang, I gathered up all of my things and threw them into my backpack. I put the backpack around my shoulders and walked out of the door when he stopped me.

            “Jon!” He said putting a hand on my shoulder. I turned around somewhat intimidated and looked up at him.

            “Uh, yeah?” I asked softly. Denny smiled.

            “Hey man, I was thinkin’ that I could take Old man Wright up on that offer! Would you be interested in helping me with some of this English homework today?” Denny asked me.

            “Um, sure!” I said surprised at what he asked me.

            “Great. I’ll be over later.” He said to me as he walked off.

            Denny lived just down the road from me in a s****y house at the end of the corner with his alcoholic mother. It’s that kind of house that children are usually afraid to walk by in the morning on their way to school. So I knew that he knew where I lived. But it was just the beginning.

 

3.

That afternoon, my parents were away working at a local insurance agency, so I was left alone. It was about four o’clock when Denny first arrived. I heard him knock at the door. I stood up from my dad’s Lay-Z Boy recliner and walked over to the door and opened it.

            “Howdy there John-Boy!” Denny said to me. John-Boy later became a name that would call me constantly. Sometimes, I think he did it just to bother me, but now I wouldn’t have it any other way.

            “Come in!” I uttered unsure of how all of this was going to go. Denny walked inside and I closed the door behind us. He looked around for a moment as if he was scoping the place out.

            “Where are your folks?” He asked me.

            “They’re at work. I got the house to myself until about six or so.” I told him. He smiled.

            “Interesting. Where should we do this? Here in the living room?” He asked me. I shook my head.

            “No. We’ll go up stairs to my room. That’s where my homework and everything is at anyway.” I told him. He agreed and led him up the staircase to my room.

            I opened the door to my room and two of us walked in. I had a desktop computer on the desk across the room next to my window. Beside the desk was a First Act brand guitar that I bought at Wal-Mart for a reasonable price. I didn’t need much really. Hell, I was even never really that good. The guitar was acoustic and had spider marking in between the frets. It was baby blue and was sitting on a black guitar stand that I also bought from Wal-Mart.

            Naturally, Denny found himself attracted to the guitar. He walked over to it and looked at me.

            “Have you been playing long?” He asked me.

            “No, I’ve only been playing for about thee months now.” I answered him.

            “What all can you play?” He asked me. I thought for a moment and then answered him.

            “’Don’t Stop Believin’’ by Journey.” I told him. “And ‘Sadie Hawkins Dance’ by Relient K. That was the first song I taught myself how to play.” I added.

            “Play it for me!” He told me. I grabbed the guitar and started to play it and sing it. I don’t really remember the damn song, but I do remember that it started on a B flat chord. When I was done, Denny had this strange look on his face. He sat in silence for a moment before he finally said something.

            “I started a band with a few guys at school. I bet you could fit in well with us! What do you say? You want to join?” He asked me. Dumbfounded, I thought about it for a moment and finally said something.

            “Yes” I replied. Needless to say, we didn’t get much homework done that day. Rather, we sat there and played on the guitar until my parents came home.

 

4.

The first band rehearsal took place at my house. I offered that much since my parents would be gone anyway. When the rest of us got there, I opened up the garage door to let them in. Denny was driving his black Chevrolet Lumina and a few other boys we went to school with were in the back. Denny got out of the car and walked over to me.

            “Hey there John-Boy! I’m sure you know Bobby and Kiefer! Bobby’s on keyboards and Kiefer is on drums!” Denny said to me.

            “And what do you do?” I asked him.

            “I play lead guitar and sing a little bit. I’m sure that you could sing back up and play some really rad rhythm guitar parts. Can’t you Johnny?” He asked me. I nodded my head and the three boys over into the garage. Yeah, I guess it’s safe to say that I liked them all from the start.

            We practiced that night for a few hours until my parents came home.

 

5.

After about a month of playing, we had our first gig. It was Little Rock High School Annual Talent Show on a Friday night after school released. We all decided that we would do is “Don’t Stop Believin’”. That song always seemed to be an instant crowd pleaser.

            We were the main event that night only preceded by a band of all ladies that called themselves Girl Talk. Denny had once had a thing with every girl in the band, so it was her main goal to destroy us. Lucky for us, we never gave them that chance. When took the stage, the crowd went wild with the anticipation of our debut. There was the idea that we were the best rock band in the school. I don’t want to sound self-centered, but that probably wasn’t too far from the truth.

            From the opening chord we played to the last not Denny sung, the crowd went wild and we were loved. We ended up winning the talent show that night. That wasn’t a big surprise. But still, it was just the beginning.

6.

People loved us after that night. The ladies still went gaga for Denny, but I found myself also being approached by some of the ladies of the high school. That’s when I met Hillary Knox. The Monday after the gig, Hillary approached me in the hallway after Mr. Wrights English class.

            “Hi Jon! She said to me. I looked up at her and tried my best to speak.

            “H…hi!” I managed to utter. She was a beautiful young woman. She was wearing a black t-shirt and pair of black pants, a combination that was unacceptable to the popular girls at the school. But she was beautiful nonetheless. Her hair was long and brown and reached down to where her back ended and butt began. She was somewhat tan and really skinny.

            “I loved your performance at the talent show! You guys rock!” She said with some enthusiasm.

            “Th…thank you!” I uttered still not being able to believe that a girl that beautiful would even talk to me. She smiled at me. The smile burned into my memory as the moment that I knew I was in love with her. She patted me on she shoulder and walked by. I watched her as she made her was down the hallway and Denny walked over to me.

            “I believe somebody has a crush!” He whispered in my ear.

            “Shut up!” I told him as I gave him a gentle playful shove.

 

7.

Denny was right about one thing though. I did like Heather. I liked her a lot! And he knew that. I guess he could just tell. Ever since that first conversation we had, I couldn’t help myself from staring at her. That’s when Denny decided to give me a surprise.

            “Come on!” Denny said to one day after the final bell rang.

            “Come on where?” I asked. Denny said nothing and grinned at me.

            “Come on man! I got you a surprise! I think that you’ll really like it!” He said to me. I finished putting my books in my locker and then shut it. I sighed.

            “Fine! What is it?” I asked him. He didn’t answer. He just grabbed me by the arm and led me to his car in the parking lot. The two of us got in and quickly drove away from the school. I kept quiet for most of the ride. I didn’t really care where we were going; I just figured that I would humor him. When he turned into the Flea Bag, a local motel in Little Rock, Tennessee, I looked over to him.

            “A motel? This is the surprise?” I asked him rather disappointed and somewhat irritated. The cheesy grin that was almost always on his face remained as he handed a key over to me.

            “Second floor. Room 217!” He uttered. I rolled my eyes and figured “what the hell”. I took the keys from his hand and stepped out of his car. I walked over to the outdoor stair case and walked up the stairs to a room with a golden 217 plate screwed into the surface of the green colored door. I down at Denny in his car and he motioned for me ton continue. I nodded and placed the key into the keyhole and the door swung open.

            I walked inside seeing nothing at first. But then I realized that there was someone in the bathroom.

            “Hello?” I shouted not really knowing what to think. The bathroom door opened and Heather walked out. She was wearing not pants and no underwear the best I could tell. But she was wearing a t-shirt that was much too large for her and reached down just above her knees.

            “Wha…what are you doing here?” I asked sounding like an idiot yet again. She smiled at me and walked over to me. She ran her hand through my hair and then pushed me down on the bed and gave me a gentle kiss.

            “Denny told me you like me. I like you too!” She said. Heather reached down, grabbed the tail of the shirt, pulled it over her head, and threw it down to the floor. I was dumbfounded and completely fixated on her bare perfect perky tits. I was right. She wasn’t wearing any underwear and her pubes were completely shaved. She leaned back down and we kissed again as she slowly began to undo my pants.

            The rest was history. That was the night I lost my virginity thanks to Denny. As for Heather, we continued our relationship until I gained up enough courage to ask her to marry me back in 1995.

 

8.

It was about three months after we formed the band and started to play regular gigs when Denny suggested that we get matching tattoos to prove that we were indeed a band of brothers.

            “Blood & Smoke!” He decided it would say. I suggested “Tough Talk” after all that was the name of the band. But no, he was set on “Blood & Smoke”. When I asked him why, his answer really surprised me.

            “Because, we are blood brother bonded by blood. Smoke because, we will all shares this one cigarette.” After hearing that somewhat true and somewhat bullshit explanation, we all decided to let Denny have his way and we all got the Blood & Smoke tattoo inked onto the outside of our forearms. They all varied in size, but min reaches from my wrist down to my elbow. I still wear that tattoo proudly and I often smile and I hear Bobby’s voice say, “Damn man, you showed all of us up with that beast of a tattoo!” He would sometimes say.

 

9.

One summer evening, Deny had this great idea that I get a fake I. D. and buy us a six-pack of beer after our gig that day. I did as he suggested and bought us all a six-pack. After the show that day, we all went out on the loading dock, sat down, and each grabbed a beer. We all sat there for several hours drinking and swapping stories about the places we’ve been, the women we’ve done, and the moms we would like to do. You know, bullshit stories that a young rock and roll band will sometimes tell to impress our friends.

            After we finished the final beer in the six-pack, Denny threw it out into the parking lot and watched it fall back down and hit the pavement. I looked over to him and smiled. Denny turned around to face us all. He began to cry.

            “Hey! What’s wrong pal?” I asked him.

            “I just can’t find the words to describe you guys! I love you all! I love you more than I love my own mother!” He told us. I don’t know if it was the beer talking or not, but I could honestly see how he would feel that way. His mother was the town drunk that didn’t give a s**t about him anyway. We all formed a circle and embraced in a group hug when we heard a siren and red and blue lights flashing.

            “S**t!” Denny said as he let us go and turned around.

            Denny took the wrap for is all and was sentenced to a juvenile detention center just outside of Little Rock. He got 72-hour jail sentence for that little stunt and my parents forbid me from ever seeing Denny again. They thought he was a bad influence and in some ways maybe he was. But he also taught me how to let loose and have a little fun every now and then.

            After that, things went pretty much back to normal. Denny flunked out of high school and I say Kiefer and Bobby less and less as time went on until they were both just faces in the wall. The last I heard, Kiefer opened up a music store down town while Bobby went on to become a doctor in Nashville.

            After Denny dropped out of high school, he managed to get a small record deal only to lose it after his debut album was a flop. Last I heard, he traveled to south playing in bar band after bar band. That was until I read the paper this morning. I saw his name in the obituaries. The Colum read:

Denny Butcher

Dennis Butcher has lived in Little Rock for many years. He passed away last night after over dousing on painkillers. He was not married, not did he have any children. He lived alone, playing in bar bands across the south.

 

            Yeah, we grew apart, but I’m willing to put my life on the line when I say that they were more then friends. They were my brothers. We were a band of brothers, and never had friends after like I did back then! Blood & Smoke. It’s just a catch phrase. It’s not just a tattoo. No, Blood & Smoke is a bond pact between bands of brothers. This will never change.

Copyright 2014 by Cody Williams
Courtesy of TTP Entertainment

Author's Note

Something different for sure. I hope you all like it. It is the most personal story I have ever written. Thanks for reading!

-CW

P.S. It's no secret that I am a huge Bon Jovi fan and I want to give credit where credit is due. The story was inspired by two Bon Jovi songs, "Blood on Blood" and "Garageland".

Reviews

[NoelHC]

You are right, this is a lot different from your usual work, both in the subject matter, and also you must have spent a lot more time in writing and editing. I did see a few small typos here and there, easy to fix, and the girl changed from Hillary when we first meet her, to Heather, but a great improvement in style and substance.
You should write more of this type of tale.
Well done.

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading Noel. I feel more at home when writing horror/macabre/gothic tales, but I do occasionally step out when I get an idea that really resonates with me. This is actually quite personal for me as the group of friends in this story are somewhat based on my group of friends currently and then a few from my past. I'm glad you liked this one and I may revisit this type of story more down the road.

Thanks again for reading!

-CW

[Nia Hope]

I can dig it man! Great story!

[Dayran]

A great story of friendship and esprit de corps among buddies coming to discover the world together. A story that never goes out of style. Nice ...

[Cody Williams]

Thanks for reading Dayran!

-CW

[Sami Khalil]

Wow. I was mesmerized the whole story but entertained until the sad surprise at the end. I felt your feelings and your agony. This was long but a very good story. Excellent...:)..............

[Cody Williams]

Thanks so much Sami! It is certainly a tear jerker.

-CW

[Sami Khalil]

Yep. You are welcome...:)...............................