Author's Note: This is another short story piece going back to the days before my story, Always Somewhere. I am probably off on the dates of Angelica's and Susie's graduation, but once again, Dil is the central character.

The Holy Diver

May 23, 2006: The hallways of Missouri High School in Missouri, California were missing a portion of their student body—the seniors. A few days before, the senior class of 2006 said 'goodbye' to their classmates. Among the class of 2006 was Angelica Pickles and Susie Carmichael. At a circular table outside the high school sat brothers, Tommy and Dil Pickles; twins, Phil and Lil DeVille; and step-siblings, Chuckie and Kimi Finster. Today was the last full school day of the 2005-2006 academic year.

"It's going to seem odd without Susie and Angelica around," said Kimi.

"They'll still be around most of the summer," said Tommy. "Or at least Angelica will. I don't think that it will be until August that Angelica will leave for UCLA."

"What's she going to major in?" asked Lil.

"Business, I believe."

"What about Susie?" asked Chuckie.

"Something in law, from what I heard," responded Kimi.

"Perhaps it will be in Medical Law," said Lil. "Considering that her mother's a doctor."

"You know," began Phil, "I could always see Susie on American Idol, since she's always had an interest in singing."

The words 'American Idol' resulted in Dil Pickles tossing his long red hair with a sneer. "I'm sure that they'll probably love her shit."

Tommy chuckled. "Yes, and isn't it so ironic that her mother is the person who helped deliver you into the world."

Dil smirked. "So you say."

Those present laughed, since all of them knew that Doctor Carmichael helped deliver Dil into the world.

"Dil, I have to ask you," began Kimi, "why do you seem to hate other forms of music, except Heavy Metal, so much?"

Dil maintained his smirk. He was never a stranger to controversy. Dil stood from the table, and flashed his Grave Digger shirt that had the artwork from their album, The Last Supper. "Well, Kimberly, it's kind of like this. I haven't been one to bash other forms of music, but maybe right now's a good time to start."

Tommy, Chuckie, and Phil chuckled.

Kimi and Lil remained stoic.

"You see, you have these things called 'rap music' and 'hip hop music'; well, I say that there's no such thing as 'rap music' or 'hip hop music'. There's either 'rap', 'hip hop', or 'music'."

Tommy, Chuckie, and Phil laughed. Lil started to grin.

Kimi smirked in defiance of Dil's words. "The last time I checked the word 'music' meant, 'Tones in harmonic sound'."

"Yes, but there's nothing 'harmonic' in those 'god-awful' genres. I mean, if you want to call failed marriages and relationships 'harmonic', go right ahead. But as for me, I prefer to live in a world of 'euphoria'."

Kimi maintained her smirk. "Or a world of 'sex, drugs, and Satan.'"

Dil glared.

Tommy, who knew how passionate his younger brother was towards his music, tried to change the subject. "Let's not turn this into an argument over music. Dil loves his metal, and Susie and Kimi love their rap and hip hop."

Dil smirked, and in his thoughts added, "Naturally, he'd give Kimi the last word, since he 'jacks off' thinking about her."

"You know," began Chuckie, "I kind of like some of Dil's music."

"Me too," added Phil, before he started to sing. "'Oh, well, wherever, wherever you are.'"

"'Iron Maiden!'" interjected Dil, before he and Phil sang together.

"'Gonna get you, no matter how far! See the blood flow; watching it shed, falls upon my head. Iron Maiden wants you for dead!'"

Dil and Phil laughed, as they ceased singing.

"It's nice to have friends in Heavy Metal," added Dil with a grin.

Tommy, who tried his hardest not to laugh, attempted to once again steer the conversation away from music. "Come now; let's not focus too much on music. Tomorrow's our last day of school. Let's worry about that."

"I agree, Tommy," said Dil, while he mimicked playing the drums with his palms on the table. "Which is why, I have something planned for tomorrow after school."

"Which is what?"

Dil grinned. "I can't say just yet. I'll tell you later, when we get home. All I will tell you is that it might involve some padding."

At four o'clock that afternoon, Tommy and Dil stood in their backyard near the family swimming pool. A gust of wind made Dil's long hair flutter, as he looked to the roof of his home.

"So what is this that you told me about padding at school?" asked Tommy.

From his parents' roof, Dil turned to the family swimming pool. "We're gonna need some padding. Here," said Dil, while he gestured to the edge of the swimming pool. "Probably on the diving board as well," added Dil. "I don't think that we'll need any for the other side."

"What do we need this 'padding' for anyway?"

Dil smirked, and gestured to the tree house. "Remember when we were kids, and we built that?"

"Yeah."

"And do you remember the zipline thing that I did?"

Tommy laughed. "Yeah, you scared the hell out of Mom, but we got our television back."

Dil smiled. "Let's just say that I have something similar in mind, but without a zipline."

"Like what?"

Dil grinned. "Don't want to say just yet. Anyway, we need padding."

"What kind of padding?"

Dil paused. "I think our mattresses would work."

"What exactly are you going to do, Dil?"

"I'm about to become the 'Holy Diver'," Dil said with a smirk, before he flashed a pair of headbanger gestures.

The final day of school ended early, as it does at the end of every school year. By noon, Tommy and Dil were in the upstairs hallway of their home, which separated their two bedrooms.

"Okay," began Dil, "if you would get your mattress from your bedroom, I'll go and get mine."

"And mine is supposed to go where?"

"Uh…on the diving board!"

"And yours?"

"On the edge of the pool."

"What exactly is it that you're doing, Dil?"

Dil smirked. "You'll see soon enough."

An hour and a half later, the mattresses were in place, and Tommy, Kimi, Chuckie, Lil, Angelica, and Susie stood around the pool at the residence of Stu and Didi Pickles.

"So what exactly is your brother doing?" asked Kimi.

"I don't know," replied Tommy, while he adjusted his video camera. "All I know is that when I hear music, I'm supposed to start filming."

On the sidewalk outside the Pickles home, another conversation was taking place.

"So Angelica's leaving for UCLA in August," said Betty. "Do you have any idea where Susie will be going?"

"I think Lucy told me that she's going George Washington University," responded Didi. "She won a scholarship, but it's certainly a long way from home."

Betty nodded. "That it is, but as smart as Susie is, she'll be fine."

Didi returned the nod.

Betty chuckled. "It seems odd."

"What does?"

"Our 'kids' are all getting older."

Didi smiled. "I can't say what's going on in Charlotte's or Drew's mind, but Angelica's still my niece." Didi chuckled. "I still remember the day she was born."

Betty smiled. "Like I said, Di'd, the kids are growing up. So…"

Betty's statement was cut short, as music began to play.

"What's that?" asked Didi.

"I'd say that it's music, Di'd. It sounds like it's coming from your house."

Betty and Didi turned to the Pickles residence. They were able to discover the source of the music—it came from the roof.

On the roof were Dil and Phil. Dil, who was wearing only his black swimming trunks, had brought his CD player and speakers to the roof. When Dil said he was ready, he instructed Phil to play the second track off of Dio's Holy Diver album, which happened to be the title track. Dio's 'Holy Diver' travelled through the neighborhood, while Dil turned his body side to side.

"Dil, what do you think you're doing?" asked Didi.

Dil, however, could not hear his mother. Instead, Dil got into position.

"Hey, Phil, what's going on up there?" asked Betty.

Like Dil, Phil could not hear his mother, and continued to watch Dil.

"Dylan!" shouted Didi.

"Phillip!" added Betty.

Neither of the shouts mattered, as Dil leapt from his parents' residence.

Betty gasped.

And Didi screamed—the sight of her 'little boy' leaping from the roof froze her. Her knees became weak, and everything around her became dark. Didi fainted on her front lawn.

When Dil leapt from his parents' roof, he was originally was in the 'cannon ball position', but he became vertical, when he realized that he mistimed his jump. Dil was thankful to have placed his mattress at the edge of the pool—otherwise he would have suffered either broken legs or a broken pelvis, if not further damage. Regardless, Dil's mattress acted as a 'spring board', but Dil's weight also resulted in the mattress becoming 'airborne'-landing on top of Dil, as he entered the swimming pool.

The scene around the swimming pool was an interesting one. Those present gasped. Tommy prepared to stop filming, and rush to his brother's aid, until he noticed that his brother was swimming beneath the mattress.

As Dil emerged from the water, he flashed a double 'headbanger gesture', and shouted, "Hell yeah!"

Those on the ground laughed.

But from the roof, Phil, who had stopped the Holy Diver album, said, "Uh, Dil, I think you might be in trouble."

A few hours later, Dil sat in his bedroom beneath his tapestry of Iron Maiden's Somewhere in Time and on his mattress pad, since Dil no longer had a mattress—the water from the swimming pool had ruined it.

"Hello, Dylan," a voice said, as his door opened.

Dil turned to the voice. "Hello, Father."

"So, Dylan," began Stu, "you decided to jump off the top of the roof and into the pool?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"And you decided to take your mattress into the pool with you?"

"Well, I didn't intend to, but it happened that way."

"And you caused your poor mother to faint on our front lawn?"

"Well, I didn't mean to, but…"

"But you did so! So why'd you do it, Dylan?"

Dil paused. "Because I wanted to be the 'Holy Diver'."

"The 'Holy Diver'?!"

Dil nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to jump off the roof, while 'Holy Diver' played in the background."

Stu gritted his teeth, but then he relaxed and sat next to his youngest son. "Look, Dil, I know what it's like to be the younger brother. You don't have to impress anybody."

"I wasn't trying to impress anybody. I was simply trying to do something that I thought was fun. I didn't mean to ruin my mattress, and I didn't mean to make Mom faint."

Stu smiled. "Well, you do realize that you're going to pay for the mattress, don't you?"

Dil returned the smile. "Yes, Dad, I do."

Stu maintained his smile. "I want you to have fun, Dil, but just try to be careful." As Stu finished his sentence, the doorbell rang. "I wonder who that could be?"

Stu left his son's bedroom, and answered his front door. On the other side were a group of men in their early 20s with long hair and wearing shirts with various Heavy Metal bands. "Yes?" said Stu.

"Um, excuse me, but is this the place where that kid jumped off the roof to Dio's 'Holy Diver'?" asked one of the men.

"It is."

"Dude, that was fucking awesome! Can we meet that kid?"

Stu laughed. "Oh, I suppose so." Stu turned to the stairs. "Dil!"

From the top of the stairs, Dil said, "Yes?"

Stu smiled. "You have guests."