Unsupervised (Slumming It Book 1)

by S. M. Shade

  He nods but doesn’t seem convinced. It’s a discussion for later. “We’re also lucky that a friend of mine flips houses as a hobby and he has an empty house where we can practice some basic maintenance. The auto shop wing here will also let us use their space and tools to practice basic car maintenance, learn to change a tire, check fluids, et cetera. Same for the culinary department. We’ll be borrowing their kitchen—and a teacher—to learn some cooking skills.”

  Kelly surprises me by speaking up. “I’ll sit those lessons out, unless you want to keep a fire extinguisher nearby.” Good natured laughter rattles through the room, and she smiles. “I’ve already been responsible for one grease fire.”

  “If you set anything on fire, then we’ll learn how to put it out.” It’s not a bad idea, showing them the difference in what to do to extinguish different types of fire.

  “You didn’t throw water on it, did you?” Milo asks. “My dad did that to put out a grease fire when he was trying to deep fry a turkey. No one got hurt, but…it did not go well for our garage.”

  Kelly shakes her head. “No, it was at work. A manager put it out by covering it.”

  The rest of the session goes well. We spend it getting to know each other, and I’m glad to see everyone is talkative and eager to suggest things they need to learn.

  It’s exactly what I expected to happen. Without the worry of being ridiculed, these new adults are motivated and eager to fill those gaps in knowledge.

  “Okay, for our next session, we’ll meet at the fixer upper house. It’s not too far away but if anyone needs transportation from the school, just email to let me know and we can share some rides. The address of the house is on the back of the sheet I gave you.” Glancing around at them, I add, “You’re all going to show up, right?”

  Some smiles and nods are followed by Owen’s scoff, “Yes, god, Mr. A, don’t stress. It comes off as a little needy.”

  “You can be the one to unclog the toilet, Mr. Wright. Thanks for volunteering. See you all in a few days.”

  Talking amongst themselves, they all filter out of the room. All in all, I think that went well.

  A glance at the clock shows me I need to get moving before the bakery sells out of lemon bars. I gather up my stuff and manage to make it just in time to buy their last box before heading over to the Shady Acres retirement home.

  Grandma spots me as soon as I walk into the lounge and a bony finger points my way. “Boy, I told you that you don’t have to visit so often. You’re young. You should be out finding a wife.”

  It’s the same thing every time. At least she said finding a wife this time. Last time she said I should be out getting laid and damn near gave the elderly woman next to her a heart attack.

  “Fine, I’ll see if one of these other ladies would like a lemon bar.”

  “The hell you will. Get yourself over here.” She pats the padded seat on the bench next to her.

  Melina Dawkins may be approaching eighty and struggling with the early stages of dementia, but she is still the same no-nonsense person I’ve always loved.

  “How have you been this week?”

  “No idea.”

  I hand her the box of lemon bars with a chuckle. “Dementia jokes never get old do they?”

  “I’ll let you know if they do. You know, if I remember.”

  She digs into the treats and passes the box around to a couple of people sitting near us. “Just leave me one if you don’t want your teeth to go missing,” she warns.

  We chat for a while, and she fills me in on all the retirement home gossip. This place is like a middle school, cliques and all. “Now, tell me about your week,” she says.

  She and some of her friends listen, held rapt by my thrilling tales of teaching, starting an Adulting Club, and playing poker with friends. The conversation ends when a man walks in and gives everyone a wave.

  “Oh, he’s here to play for us!” Grandma says, gesturing to the piano he’s now heading toward. “Remember when I tried to teach you to play, Layton, before my arthritis made it too difficult?”

  Here we go.

  “How could I forget, Grandma? You remind me every time you see a piano.”

  “Well, it would’ve been nice if you’d learned how to play for us.” She leans over but her whispering skills leave much to be desired. “You would’ve been much better than this guy. And better than Beatrice’s girl, too. She comes and plays but only on holidays. You should see Beatrice, strutting around like she’s the one who did something. All full of herself.”

  It’s everything I can do not to laugh at the indignant frown on her face. The guy starts to play, and not softly. I guess when half your audience is hard of hearing, you have to really bang those keys. “I’m going to go. You call me if you need or want anything.”

  She hugs me, then flaps a hand at me. “Bring a girlfriend.”

  It’s hard leaving her here but there’s no help for it. I tried to convince her to live with me, but she won’t have it, and truth be told, when she’s in her foggy moments, she probably needs more help than I can provide. I wish there was something more I could do other than visiting.

  A smile grows on my face when I think of her teasing me about the piano. I was eight when she tried to teach me. What eight year old boy would want to sit in the house learning scales and chords instead of playing outside? Now, I wish I had learned, since it would make her happy.

  Could I learn now?

  Would that be a ridiculous thing to try? Maybe I could check with the music department at work. See if there’s anyone there that could teach me a song or two. Just to surprise her.

  Chapter Three

  Kelly

  I didn’t have high hopes going into the job fair. The fact I not only found a job, but one I might actually be good at and enjoy, has me in a great mood. Sure, there will be a lot to learn—I’m not familiar with a lot of other instruments—but I get to play piano! And teach kids who also want to learn. That’s miles above standing in front of a suffocating oven begging the bread not to scorch again.

  The girls really helped me prepare and have been so supportive that I want to do something nice for them. After a little thought, I run to the grocery store for some ice cream. The good stuff we rarely get because it’s too expensive. Tonight, we each get our own container of our favorite.

  Serena comes in after her midday shift and tosses a baggie of weed on the table. “One of my regulars tipped me with a couple grams.”

  “Perfect,” Zara says. “Kelly bought ice cream. And the new Henry Cavill show just released on Netflix.”

  “Girl’s night!” Remee exclaims.

  Serena covers her mouth in false horror. “Does that mean you aren’t going to study?”

  “I can take a night off.”

  “Two nights off,” Zara reminds her. “We’re partying tomorrow night.”

  Remee shrugs. “Two nights off then.”

  “We finally did it. We corrupted her,” Serena says.

  Zara and Serena high five, and Zara glances at me, adding, “Just one more innocent to go.”

  “I’m not innocent,” I scoff, heading to my room to change clothes. “I’ve smoked weed before. And drank.” I don’t catch her response, but giggles follow me into my room.

  The truth is they probably would consider me innocent. At least when it comes to sex. I’ve never actually had sex. All they know about my past relationship was that I was engaged, I broke it off, and my parents disowned me for it. I’m sure they assumed I slept with him, or someone before him. I’m almost twenty years old and virginity at my age isn’t the norm anymore unless you’re super religious.

  I’m not religious. It’s not a moral issue. I’m not trying to save myself for marriage or anything like that. The reason I never slept with my ex-fiancé was simple. I didn’t want to. I wasn’t the least bit attracted to him and the longer I knew him the more I realized I never would be. His smug attitude and the condescending way he talked down to me would’v
e ruined any of those feelings if I had considered him physically attractive.

  With all the changes in my life, dating hasn’t been at the top of my to do list, but maybe I should try to meet someone. Just for fun, not another serious relationship. I don’t even know where to start with that. I guess I could ask the girls for advice.

  “Get your ass in here, Kelly! We’re sparking this!”

  A grin grows on my face as I hurriedly pull on my leggings and a t-shirt. I’m in college, I have a new job and new friends. More importantly, I’m not being controlled by a man or my parents. A few months ago, all that would’ve seemed impossible to attain. Things are good.

  Serena scoots over, giving me room to join her and Zara on the couch while Remee occupies the recliner. They have the first episode of our show loaded and ready to go, and Remee hands me the joint.

  It’s been a while since I smoked. The Supercenter drug tested all employees, and once I was fired, I knew the next place was likely to as well. Luckily, the music store doesn’t. Something tells me the owners would be the first to fail it.

  After we get high, we all relax and watch the show. At the end of the first episode, Zara glances at us. “Ice cream.”

  “Oh hell, how did I forget?” Serena exclaims, and they head into the kitchen.

  The show stays paused as we all sit around the living room, devouring our pints of ice cream. After hesitating too many times to count, I finally ask, “So, the party tomorrow night. What kind of guys are coming?”

  “Just some guys from the college. You’ve probably seen them around. Marty, Owen, and Graham just came back after summer break.”

  “They have an apartment this year, instead of living in the dorms,” Remee points out.

  Zara rolls her eyes. “That will be the party spot this year, then.”

  Remee stretches out her legs, leaning back on the arm of the couch. “The guys are cool. They’re fun to hang out with even though—”

  “They’re idiots?” Zara snorts.

  Serena laughs, licking the ice cream from her spoon. “All guys are idiots. The young ones, anyway. The older guys have their shit together.”

  “You’ll like them,” Remee assures me. “And they’re bringing some friends.”

  Serena studies me quietly for a moment, until I look away from her scrutiny. “Are you trying to meet someone, Kelly?”

  “I’m not…I don’t know much about dating, but I’d like to try. You know, to find a guy I like.”

  A smile bursts across Serena’s face. “I know lots of guys I could set you up with! The only reason I didn’t offer before was because I know you just broke off an engagement and I figured you weren’t ready.” She waves her hand. “These two never let me set them up. I’m so excited. Please say yes.”

  “Serena! Don’t push her,” Zara scolds before turning to me. “Are you sure you’re ready to date again? I’m not judging. It’s just not always a great idea to rush into it after a heartbreak. It can lead to some bad decisions.”

  “Getting laid is never a bad decision,” Serena says. “Don’t get in her head.”

  I’m quiet as they go back and forth, arguing over whether an appropriate amount of time has passed for me to date, until Remee interrupts them.

  “Maybe if you two shut up, we can find out what Kelly wants.”

  All eyes are on me.

  “Um…I don’t know exactly. I don’t have a lot of…experience with dating.” Zara listens as I regard her. “But I’m not heartbroken. I never was. The engagement was more of an arranged thing. Something my parents wanted. I never loved him. It was just expected of me.”

  “Wow,” Zara says. “That’s awful. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. It’s over and I’m relieved.”

  “And now you want to meet some guys,” Serena adds with a nod.

  Remee grins at me. “We can definitely help with that. It depends on what you’re looking for, though.”

  “Looking for?”

  “Are you dating to find love or a husband or just mess around?” she clarifies.

  “Oh.” I stare into the pint of ice cream, running my spoon around the bottom as I answer. “Well, I’d like to get my vagina licked.”

  When I look up, they’re wearing identical smiles like I said something funny. Or was it ridiculous?

  Serena leans over and hugs me. “You are my favorite person tonight. That’s the most honest answer I’ve ever heard. There’s nothing wrong with just wanting some orgasms. I know more than one guy who would be all over your pretty ass.”

  I realize I’m going to have to tell them everything. God, this is awkward. “I’ve never really done that before.”

  “Done what?” Remee asks. “Had a guy go down on you?”

  “That…or um…sex, you know, in general.”

  The sudden silence presses in around me, heating my face, and I don’t dare look up at any of them. I’m just going to play with my spoon and pretend my ice cream is the most fascinating thing I’ve seen.

  Zara’s voice is soft as she says, “You’re a virgin?”

  My teeth scrape my lower lip, and I nod.

  “Are you waiting for marriage?” Zara asks. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Or waiting for any reason.”

  “No, I just didn’t want to sleep with Stanley. It wasn’t for any moral reason.”

  “I wouldn’t want to give it up to anyone named Stanley either,” Serena quips.

  Silence resumes for a few moments until Remee speaks up. “That does change things. You don’t want to let just anyone take your virginity. You only lose it once. It should be someone you love.”

  “Oh bullshit!” Zara argues. My eyes widen. She’s the last one I expected to disagree with such a statement. “First of all, sleeping with a guy for the first time doesn’t mean he’s taking anything. You aren’t losing anything to him. That’s some patriarchal, misogynistic nonsense. Society putting value on what they consider a woman’s purity is as wrong as it gets. You’ll be the same person with the same worth after you have sex. You just have to make sure you’re attracted to the guy, you’re protected, and that it’s what you really want to do.”

  Serena nods in agreement. “For once, I agree with one of your feminist rants.” She holds up a hand and regards me. “But you do want to find the right guy and the right penis. Someone who isn’t a jerk and will take his time.”

  “The right penis?”

  “Oh yeah. My first one was way too big. You need a practice penis.”

  Giggles fill the room, and I feel the awkwardness drain away.

  “A warm up willy?” Remee says, giggling.

  “I definitely want to get to know someone and like him first. Not just, you know, do it to get it over with.”

  “Good.” Zara sits back and smiles at Serena. “We’ll help you meet guys until you find one you want.”

  “The perfect starter dick,” Serena says.

  The insistent beep of my phone shakes me from sleep and I’m shocked to see how late I’ve slept in on Saturday morning. I’ve gotten used to early shifts at the bakery, but late night girl talk and weed smashed my sleeping pattern.

  Why do I have fifteen text messages before ten a.m.? Someone has left voicemails as well. Dread floods through me when I see the missed calls and texts are from my parents. A few from my father and more from my mother. Whatever they want can’t be good and I’m not going to read them now. I have to get moving to make it to the first Adulting Club meeting.

  I’m a little nervous when I first get there but it’s a small group and everyone is great. We talk a little while we wait for the instructor to show up. I hadn’t bothered to see who was running the group, and my stomach flips when my economics teacher walks in and calls out for all of us to join him.

  Mr. Aldrich. Good god, the man is hot. I wonder how old he is?

  Don’t even think about it, Kelly. He’s gorgeous and older, and your teacher for fuck’s sake. I’m not going to embarrass myself by gettin
g a crush on a teacher like a middle school student. That smile, though. Whew.

  Somehow, I manage to keep from embarrassing myself throughout the meeting and it’s pretty fun. I’m glad I joined.

  My good mood sours when I get home and remember my parents have been trying to get in touch with me. I’ve just opened the first text when someone bangs on the front door hard enough to rattle the walls. My feet catch in the rug when I leap off the couch, and I tumble to the floor. Ignoring the ache in my tailbone, I scramble to my feet.

  Serena appears, charging down the hall. “Wait,” she snaps in a whisper, and quickly grabs the baggie of weed off the table. She plucks the tiny roach out of the ashtray as the pounding starts again. With wide eyes, she shrugs and tosses the roach in the baggie, then shoves it down the front of her pants. “One state over,” she grumbles. “One state over they don’t have to do this shit.”

  Remee and Zara both emerge from their rooms looking as perplexed and alarmed as we do.

  The pounding starts again, and I swear, they’re going to bring down the whole place. I glance at Serena, and she nods. My eyes have had just enough time to adjust to the dark living room, and the bright sunlight momentarily blinds me when I open the door.

  Damn it. Why couldn’t it have been cops?

  “Kelly,” my father roars. “Why don’t you answer your fucking phone?”

  It’s everything I can do not to cower in front of him. It’s that voice. The voice that has commanded me my whole life. For a long moment, I just stand there, staring at him as he fills the doorway. Then something takes over. Some little part of me that awakened the day I decided to go against everything he wanted and ran out on my fiancé. He doesn’t control me anymore. I won’t let him.

  My back straightens and my chin lifts until we’re glaring into each other’s eyes. “I was busy. What are you doing here?”

  “I came for my car.”

  I knew this was coming. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before. They gave me the car for my eighteenth birthday. It was supposed to be my birthday and high school graduation gift, but I should’ve known better. My father put the car in his name, not mine. It wasn’t a gift, only another means of control.