by Jisa Dean
By:
JISA DEAN
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue I
Epilogue II
Blue Venus
Lake House
Coming Soon
Keep In Touch
Copyright © 2019 by Author Jisa Dean
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording,or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email to [email protected]
http://www.jisadean.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locals and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events institutions, or locals is completely coincidental.
Chapter 1
Meena
"It's Memorial Day weekend, what you want to do?"
"I dunno, go to the lake I guess."
"Sure. That sounds fun."
I think about the conversation I overheard last night between my sister and her boyfriend and wonder if I’ll have the apartment all to myself this weekend. It’s not that my sister is a douche. Well, not completely a douche. She just chooses douchie people to hang out with. I guess if you follow the old adage that you are who you hang out with then, yeah, she is a complete douche nozzle. Still, she is my sister and I love her. She is all I have. Mom and Dad aren't dead; unfortunately, they just aren't in the picture. Mom went away for twenty-five to thirty on drug charges and Dad wasn't hanging around to raise two girls on his own. So at seventeen Trish moved out and I didn't have anybody else but her.
I learned very quickly, that the best thing for me to do was to make myself as scarce as I could and to be helpful and indispensable as well. The first couple of years were dicey with me dodging child welfare checks and spending a lot of time with our elderly neighbor who lived right across the hall from us. I took on babysitting jobs and did some running for the other elderly people in the building and, as long as I was paying her, she let me stay.
Once I started developing I soon realized that Trish's boyfriends were not who I wanted to hang out with on a daily basis. By the time I was sixteen I barely even showed up at the apartment for fear some of the guys would take advantage of the situation. The boyfriend she's got now, Tony Stewart, isn't horrible. He doesn't yell or even drink all that much. He doesn't do any of the hard drugs that some of them have done and, for the most part, he doesn't stare at my tits. They've been together for almost a year and a half. It's not him who I'm apprehensive about. It's the guy he hangs out with, Leon Gentry.
Leon is the one who looks too long, goes out of his way to brush up against me, and sometimes when he thinks Trish isn't watching he does this thing with his mouth and tongue that unnerves me so bad I throw up a little in my mouth. When I mentioned it to Trish and Tony they made fun of me and told me I needed to lighten up… I needed to lighten up.
I finally turned eighteen a couple of weeks ago and I need to find a new place to live before the year is over. I barely sleep when I'm at my sister's place and, even though my stuff is there, I have started sending all my mail to a post office box. I almost have enough saved to rent a place if I can find roommates and I won’t be leaving one bad situation for another. I definitely don't want to leave Trish's home to wind up raped and murdered in one of my own.
This weekend, going to Mrs. Miller's isn't going to be an option for me. Her son came and got her so they can all spend the long weekend together doing fun family type stuff. Even though I like camping and miss being able to go, I wonder if maybe I'll have the apartment all to myself. Nothing would make me happier than if I didn't have to see them for the rest of the weekend.
They mumble and whisper and before I know it I see two shadows standing over me in my reading hole. When I look up, Tony and Trish are both looking at me and unease skates down my back. They never take notice of me unless they want something or I've fucked up in some way.
"You want to go with us? We're all going camping down by the lake for Memorial Day," Trish never invites me anywhere with her.
"Who all is going?" I ask
"Couple of my friends, and some of Trish's classmates. You can invite someone too if you want to," Tony blows it off like it’s no big deal.
I would take bets on the fact one of those friends is going to be Leon and his scummy crew.
"Why do you want me to go? We never hang out?" Trish just shrugged her shoulders at my question and lets out a long loud huff.
"Gees, Meena. I didn't know I was going to have to fill out a questionnaire just to hang with you. You know maybe I just want to spend some time with my sister."
I feel bad for all of two seconds.
"And we need more females for the party we're having on Monday. It's going to be lit," Tony grins like he's done something wonderful in setting up this 'lit' party.
"I don't really want to listen to the two of you having sex in the same tent with me. Eww. Not my idea of a good time."
"You would have your own tent. Tony went and got us our own and even thought of you. Of course, yours is smaller. And besides, you can't stay here," before I can ask her why not she rushes on, "I'm going to need your key because Tony is moving in Tuesday and will be here all the time."
"Why would you need my key now? Why not just let me give it to you on Tuesday?" Damn, I thought I had more time before this happened.
I can't deny the fear her words inspire in me though. By Tuesday morning I will officially be homeless. There is no way I can stay here if Tony lives here all the time. That means Leon will be here all the time. I won't be safe at all.
"Don't be a bitch, Meena. He needs to give it to the movers so they can move him in over the weekend. Besides, he sprang for you a tent didn't he?"
If I leave I won't have a way back inside until Tuesday, strange men are going to be coming and going all weekend long with just me in the apartment, and who knows who will show up to find out where Tony is. She's right; I can't stay here this weekend. And I'll have to move my apartment shopping deadline up by almost two months.
A part of me wonders if they got me the tent so they wouldn't feel guilty about kicking me out of the house when they have their parties and want to have sex everywhere. I send a tiny prayer up to heaven that it's warm outside now. If she had pulled this shit on me just four weeks ago I would have frozen to death.
Maybe I can put an ad in the paper looking for a roommate immediately and stay at Mrs. Miller's when she gets back until I find someone. Who knows, maybe if I put it up today, by Tuesday morning I could have some offers. By next month we could move in somewhere and I wouldn't have to worry so bad about what's going to happen next.
I'm not looking forward to this weekend but maybe it is just what I need. A small break out of time that will give me a boost towards my goal of getting out before something bad happens. It's not that I want to leave Trish, but if I stay I don't think I can live with the consequences. I shove clothes down in my backpack and try to think of anything else I might need for the weekend. I splurged a couple of months back, when Leon started doing his oral thing, and bought a can of mace.
I don't normally do girly, but the little pink holder
it came in makes me feel feminine and yet like I can kick someone's ass at the same time. I throw it into my bag and move on to the bag of books I am planning on taking. That will be in a separate bag. I can’t imagine getting through this weekend without my books.
If Tony is going to be there then most likely Leon will be too, so I plan to stay in my tent all day and night and read until everyone passes out from whatever coma they put themselves in. I have a set of little locks so I can make sure I can rest some over this long ass weekend. If someone wanted to get into my tent they still could, but at least then I would have time to get the mace.
I put the key on a chain and put it around my neck and hide it under my shirt. I have a sneaky suspicion if my sister or Tony knew about it they would try to stop me from using them. I'm not sure if they are trying to do some weird fucked up matchmaking bullshit or if they are trying to sell me to him. Leon's as rich as he is slimy. Hell for that matter Tony is no slacker when it comes to spending his parents' money. There's a reason he can afford to buy an extra tent on the spur of the moment and not blink an eye.
I step back and try to think of anything else I might need. My shitty room with only a bed and a dresser, which I saved from someone else's moving day, are almost all that I have in here. I really try not to be bitter because she is my sister, and the only family I have, but sometimes I wish she felt about me how I feel about her.
Chapter 2
Meena
Cars are already parked in the gravel lot when we get there. I spot Leon's BMW right away and groan to myself. I must have let it out or my resting bitch face gave it away because when Tony parks Trish lays a hand on my arm stopping me from just jumping out.
"Don't embarrass me this weekend. Do you understand? These are my friends and I don't want you ruining their good time. Especially not Leon's."
My stomach rolls at what I think she is saying but my mind refuses to believe it. "What do you mean?"
"Just don't start that stupid bitching about him doing something to you. If he wants you, you should let him have you. You might like it. Not to mention it’s not like you have a lot of prospects, you could really make this work for you."
Nausea comes up and I fight to keep it down. "I'm not a whore. If he comes near me I'll kill him before he can do anything to me."
She stares at me with her mouth hanging open for a full ten seconds before she laughs. "You're not strong enough to even hurt someone like him. And don't forget there are other guys here too. It would be a pity to start something you couldn't finish."
Even though the sun is shining, and I know its warm outside, my body feels cold. All I can think about is how very little mace I brought with me and the fact that I don't have a car of my own so that I can leave when I want to. Hell, I don't have neighbors or anyone camping close to us to scream to for help if something happened. I have truly let my sister screw me over this time and if I make it out of this with my virginity intact then there is no way in hell I am going to stay at that apartment a second longer than it takes to pack my shit up. I would rather live in the stairwell than be anywhere near these people.
When we get out I recognize the guy who is already set up closest to the water. He went to school with Trish but the guy who set his tent up at the edge of the woods is someone I don't know. Tray Edwards used to hang out a lot with Trish but I hadn't seen him around for a while. He comes off as a harmless stoner and that's pretty much what he is. He has always been nice to me even before Mom went to jail and Dad ran off. He seems to be laughing with the other guy and I wait to find out if he's an entitled rapist too.
I fear that this whole weekend was set up to make me want to move out so Tony and Trish didn't have to sneak around and have sex. Not that they did that a lot anyway. Most of the time they would be so loud I would go sleep out in the hall. But maybe they're tired of me listening to them. I can't bring myself to think that Trish, my sister, would help someone assault me. I just can't wrap my head around it.
Leon's tent is the biggest on the shore and is sitting across from Tray's and this other guy's. I want to set mine up close to Tray's but I don't want to be anywhere around Leon. I wait and watch Tony and Trish greet everyone and put their tent up. In my head is a lenity of pleases that they will put theirs in between Leon and Tray's.
"Who the hell invited Germ?" Tony's voice loses some of his jolliness.
"Me, you told me to invite someone. Jeremy has tons of outdoor experience man and he's down if we want to get a little high," Tray is already mellow and I have to wonder if he's already been celebrating the holiday.
"I meant a girl you numbskull. Not a nerd," I flinch at how loud he's being. Surely the other guy can hear him but he acts like he doesn't give one fuck if they think he's a nerd or not.
"Dude, you said this would be a weekend of good weed, good women, and...what was the third thing again?" no one answers Tray but Trish turns her attention to the guy named Jeremy.
"Hi, Jeremy," she sticks her chest out showing off her very well endowed figure and offers him a bright smile. "Are you going to join in the fun this weekend? I hope so, I always wanted to get to know you better."
"No."
My sister's smile drops almost immediately and I can't help but laugh at the certainty of his reply.
"Then why the hell did you come out?" Leon's voice booms across the campsite and I start to shrink in a misplaced effort to make myself invisible.
"To camp," he looks at Leon like he's something he's scraped off his shoe. "That and I like Tray," he throws a hand up at him and Tray smiles back nodding his head.
Leon turns, noticing me standing back from the others. He moves to take my bag and the tent away from me but I put them in front of me before he can come too close and tighten my grip so I can be ready to yank away from him if I have to.
"Come set your tent up next to mine, Meena. That way if you get scared in the middle of the night you won't have far to go," he tries to come off all suave and charming but all I get is a sense of greasy and nasty. "There could be bears out here."
"I'll take the bear, if you don't mind," and try to sidestep around him but he grabs me by the upper arm.
"I can't wait to do something about your smart mouth, baby."
I yank my arm away from him. My sister and Tony are setting their tent up right where I wanted to put mine up. I turn away only to run into the chest of the guy they called Jeremy.
"You need help setting your tent up? If you come over here, me and Tray can both help you," I'm about two seconds from telling him no, but the look he gives me changes my mind. If I let him take my stuff he'll put me in the spot that is farther away from Leon and that is what I want after all.
I take in his smell, it's hard not to when he is still standing so close. He does not inspire greasy tar and so I let him take my stuff from my hands. I look to Tray and he gives me a huge smile and a wink.
"Hey little sister, long time no see, am I right," I smile for real for the first time in days. Tray just has a happy personality and if he okays Jeremy then I can maybe let my guard down a little bit and not have to sleep sitting up with a knife in my hand all weekend long. Not that I have a knife. That would have been something a smart person would have brought instead of a lock and mace.
I kick myself for not thinking of that and wonder if there is a good way to ask for one all throughout the set up. It smells of new plastic and trapped heat. I debate opening the zippers on the window but I don't want anyone outside to look in. If this is to be my sanctuary for the next four days, or longer, I don't want to have to share it with anyone.
As soon as we get everything set up they leave and start a bonfire. Hearing the crackle and hiss of the wood makes me want to come out of my tent and socialize, and maybe I can, if Jeremy and Tray are there too. I unzip just a little bit to check out who all is sitting around the fire on logs. Jeremy and Tray seem to be in a discussion about business and what they have been doing with themselves since graduation. When Tray
sees me peeking out he waves me over. I'm aware that he puts me in between him and Jeremy but does it in such a way that I don't think anyone would think it odd or out of place.
"My, my, how the mighty have fallen. I thought you said you weren't going to come here and slut it up but it looks like you're trying to take dick from two men, Meena."
My face bursts with heat and I hope the campfire will be blamed for the splash of red. I cannot begin to fathom how Trish would think its okay to say that to me with everyone listening. I feel eyes on me and want to run back to my tent for the rest of the weekend.
"If I knew you wanted to be double stuffed I would have brought a friend. Is that what's wrong, Meena, you want it in both holes?" Leon's mocking voice rings out across the fire and I contemplate throwing myself into it for a moment.
"Uncool, dude. Wicked uncool. You need to talk to Little Sister the right way. She's a lady," I would kiss Tray if it wouldn't fan the flames of the rumors the other three are trying to start.
