by Lori Saltis
“Who the hell are they?” demands Bill. “More of your mother’s boyfriends?”
I look him up and down before answering. “Better men than you.”
Bill’s hands become fists. Is he going to hit me? He can try, but even the threat of the gardaí won’t stop me from defending myself. I lift my chin and don’t blink, daring him.
He points at me instead, though he doesn’t dare jab me. “This is your fault. If you weren’t here, your mother and I would have worked out.”
Seriously? He’s blaming all this on me? Like it was my idea for Bridie to fake? If he believes that, then he doesn’t deserve the truth.
“Then I’m glad I was here.” I brush past him out the door.
Back in the garage, Bridie and Kai have stuffed our bags into the car. I place my sewing machine on the floor behind the driver seat. Across the street, the neighbors have gathered to gawp at us. One guy holds up his phone like he’s taking pictures. Damn nosy Bleaters. I can’t wait to be shut of them.
Bridie looks at Bill with red-rimmed eyes. “I guess this is goodbye.”
“This is get-your-lying-cheating-ass-out-of-here. I’m getting an annulment. When that’s done, I’m going to make sure the three of you are deported back to Ireland.”
With both hands, he shoves her against the car. By the time he draws back to shove her again, Kai and I are around the bonnet. Bridie ducks past Bill and grabs hold of us, dragging us back.
She whispers frantically, “The police, the police.”
One part of my enraged brain wonders if the neighbors can overhear and think she wants them to call the cops. Not good. I calm down enough to help Bridie drag Kai around the car. It takes both of us to load him into the back seat. He kicks the door after we close it. Through the window, I see the reflection of my helpless fury in his eyes.
“Get in the car. Now.” Bridie gives me a look that won’t tolerate disobedience. I stride around the boot to avoid the chub and climb into the passenger seat, slamming the door closed.
Bridie talks to her ex-husband across the roof. “I tried, Bill. I really tried to be a wife to you. I wasn’t perfect and you’re right, I lied to you, but I never cheated on you and this wasn’t a con. I wanted our marriage to work. I don’t know what to say except I’m sorry. Goodbye.”
Bill doesn’t reply. He seems frozen in place, except for his eyes as he watches her climb in the car. She locks the doors and starts the engine. As she backs out of the driveway, he comes back to life, shouting, “I bought you that car. I want it back.”
She manages to avoid him as she pulls onto the street. Bill runs alongside the car, banging on the boot. “Get out, you bitch. Cheating, lying bitch.”
I don’t know if he means get out of the car or out of his life. I expect him to continue chasing us like a dog down the road, but he stops abruptly. The streetlight shines down on his face. He looks stunned, like his rage is spent and he’s left with nothing.
I sit back, my shoulders and neck stiff to the point of pain. My stomach feels like I’ve eaten something horrible and then been punched. It finally happened. I thought I’d be happy. How stupid is that?
Bridie holds the steering wheel in a white-knuckle grip. Her eyes look blank.
“Are you all right, Mum?”
“I’m trying to think where we can go.”
“Maybe you better pull over for a moment.”
Bridie pulls the car into the driveway of a dark house. She turns off the ignition and stares straight ahead. Then she reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone. She powers it up and frowns at the screen. “I have a text message from Jeremiah Walks Long. One of the caterers took photos of me at the banquet.” She exhales a shaky breath. “Well. Bill must have hired a private detective. The Charm slipped between my fingers. I should have seen it coming.” She presses her palm to her mouth, but the sob still escapes.
I glance back at Kai. He’s sitting with his knees to his chest, staring at our mother with wide eyes. Plastic bags are heaped beside him.
I chew my lip. “Um, Mum, I know things aren’t great between you and Gran and Grandda, but can’t we,” I pause as Bridie’s hand drops. Her mouth pulls in a tight line. “Can’t we call them?”
“No.” Her voice gains some heat. “No, we cannot call your grandparents. They told me if I marry Bill, I’m on my own.” She pauses and whispers, “And here I am.” After another pause, she gives her head a brisk shake. Then she turns the ignition on the car. “We’ll figure out something. Don’t worry.”
Don’t worry. Why do adults always say stupid things like that? I glance again at Kai. He’s picking at a hole in the knee of his jeans. “Are we homeless?” he asks.
Bridie attempts a weak smile. “We’re Strowlers. We don’t have homes.”
I stare out the window. I got what I wanted. We’re Strowlers again. Only this time, we have nowhere to go.
Chapter 21
Penny
Bridie’s aimless driving eventually leads us to a motel on the outer end of the Mission district. There’s a liquor store across the street, and the men hanging around outside whistle and holler as she gets out of the car to go to the lobby. I gnaw my thumbnail while we wait. A few minutes later, she gets back in the car and starts the engine.
“There’s a room available. Two beds. Not a bad price.”
“How did you pay?”
“With my credit card.”
“But Bill… won’t he cut it off or something?”
“Maybe. He hasn’t yet.” She gives her head a brisk shake. “I can’t think about that right now.”
I bite off a piece of nail. What is it with her and denial? Does she really think it comforts us or makes things better? When is she going to face reality? “What about the car? Can he take it from us?”
Bridie steers into an empty parking space. “Don’t worry about that, darling. The car is registered in my name. He gave it to me, so he can’t take it back or claim we stole it.”
Only a handful of cars are parked in the dimly lit lot. Quickly, we unload all our belongings, not wanting to chance leaving anything in the car.
The stench of cigarettes lingers in the air, and curtains and bedspreads have a pattern that resembles fungus. Still, it’s better than driving around. We talk little before settling down, Kai in one of the double beds, and Bridie and me in the other. She curls into a tight ball. I listen for tears, but she’s silent and still. Kai burrows into his usual heaping nest of sheets and blankets. The men at the liquor store get louder and a fight breaks out. Buses rumble and squeal down the street. It figures the hotel would be along an all-night bus line. I stare at the ceiling. How could such a good evening go so bad?
I rub my forehead. Sleep is impossible. The mattress feels like a block of cement and the lumpy pillow smells of bleach and mold. I need to think about something else… that kiss. I close my eyes. My first kiss and it was so nice. Not weird or grope-y. Lennon is so sweet. Will I ever see him again?
My eyes pop open. I’m supposed to meet him at lunch. That won’t happen now. How long will he wait for me, standing on the pathway amidst the trees and shrubs, looking like an owl with those round glasses as he glances around, searching for me? My chest aches. I have to think of something else… the ferry ride between England and Ireland. The rocking motion of the boat had always made me sleepy. I’d lay my head in Gerry’s lap and feel so safe.
“Darling, wake up.” Bridie strokes my hair.
My eyes blink open. I frown at the curtains, even more fungus-like in the light of day. “What time is it?”
“Almost seven.” Bridie goes to the other bed and gives Kai a gentle shake. “Son, it’s time to wake up.”
“Why are we up so early?” I murmur.
“You have to get ready for school,” Bridie states briskly.
“School?” I sit up. “How can we go to school?”
“Don’t wanna go to school,” Kai grumbles.
“That’s too bad because you have t
o go.” Bridie’s hands go to her hips. “I’m sorry, darlings, but this is a real rough patch and I need to think my way through it. I’ll be too distracted with the two of you here. I need you to spend the day someplace safe where I won’t have to worry about you, so school it is. Now, get up and get ready to go. There’s a McDonald’s down the street. I’ll get us some breakfast. I want you ready to go by eight. No excuses.”
Bridie grabs her purse and walks out the door before I can say anything else.
Kai flops back on the mattress. “This sucks.”
“Yeah, really.” I pause. If I go to school, then I can see Lennon again. At least I can tell him goodbye.
School is full of suck. There’s a lot of gawp and cackle as I walk down the hall. A couple of kids live on my block. It’d be just my luck if they were across the street last night. Whatever. I’m so done with this heap of shite.
During class, I doodle in my notebook and give the teachers blank stares when they question me. I intentionally flunk a test in American History, since I couldn’t care less about the Founding Fathers of this or any other country. My only moment of regret comes during Ms. G.’s class when she compliments my pinafore and offers suggestions for the dress I’m designing. I work on the pattern with little enthusiasm, knowing I’ll be leaving it behind.
At the end of class, I’m the last one out. I hesitate at the door before saying, “Bye, Ms. G.”
She looks up from her knitting with a kindly blink. “Bye, Penny. See you tomorrow.”
God, I almost want to tell her or at least thank her for being the only person to stand up for me. All I can do is bob my head. My throat burns as I force back an urge to cry. I hurry out the door.
There’s one more class before lunch, but I don’t give a toss. I go to my locker and shove all my schoolbooks inside. Then I slam the door and lock it. Why make things easy for people who have made life so hard for me? I stride down the hall toward the stairway that leads to the parking lot.
Dani steps out of the loo in a cloud of cigarette smoke, her thumbs tapping away on her phone. Her oily eyes glisten as they track me. “Cutting class?”
I flip her off. “Up your arse, you manky bint.”
Maybe I should have blessed her instead, but I’m in no mood. Her eyes don’t change, but her mouth spreads in a smile. I expect her to go fake Christian on me, but instead she says, “Have fu-un.”
She’s probably going to peach on me to Ms. Ikeda. Like I care. I cross the parking lot, turning my back on Hellhole High forever.
A cold ocean breeze gusts down Lincoln Avenue. Makes me glad I wore leggings instead of tights. I button my jean jacket up to my neck. So much for looking cute in my pinafore.
I cross the street and veer off the sidewalk to an uphill dirt trail. Although it’s autumn, leaves don’t seem to fall off the trees in California and the underbrush remains thick, hiding me from view. I head for a huge, old elm, still standing amidst the stumps and fallen branches of lesser trees. It was one of my favorite hideaways back when I cut class. I perch on a branch at the foot of the elm and rest my feet on a stump. Then I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. It’s almost eleven a.m., seven p.m. in Ireland. The perfect time to call my grandparents, but should I? Bridie will be furious. Plus, I don’t want them thinking they can marry me off because I’m skint. I take a hesitant breath. This isn’t about Bridie or me. Kai is twelve years old. There’s no reason for him, or any of us, to be homeless if we can get help. I press my hand over one ear to block the traffic noise on Lincoln and hold the phone to the other ear. Nothing. I check the screen. Call Failed. I’m in a dead zone. Maybe I’ll have better reception on the walkway. I slide off the branch and head for the trail.
Kevin Anderson steps out from behind a tree. His leering grin shows sharp white teeth against his red face. “Hey, cunt.”
I manage not to gasp, but my steps falter. What is he doing here? I glance at my phone. Still no reception. I shove it in my pocket to free my hands. I have two choices: fight or flight. If I run, there’s a good chance he can tackle me from behind and drag me into the dense bushes. Fight it is. I stride forward. If he touches me, if he even says one word, I’ll kick him in the balls.
Two of Kevin’s crew appear from behind the trees to join him. Mischief glints in their eyes and something worse, something that makes my heart pound. Behind me, footsteps crunch on leaves and twigs. Two more boys bear down on me until I’m surrounded.
“Dani says hi,” says Kevin.
Have fu-un.
“You made me look like a pussy, bitch, and now you pay.”
I slide my backpack off my shoulders. If only I hadn’t dumped my books, it would make a better weapon.
“You’re giving us the blow jobs you owe us. If you do it real nice, we might let you go.”
“Go to hell.” My voice shakes. I take a deep breath. If I scream, will anyone hear? I swing my backpack at the first boy groping for me. He catches hold of it and tosses it away, leaving him open in front. My knee makes contact with his groin. He doubles over, groaning in agony. His friends laugh.
Kevin smirks. “Okay, not nice. Fine with me.”
Two boys grab me from behind. I lift my leg and kick down on the side of one boy’s knee. He cries out as he crumples to the ground, dragging me down with him. The other boy stumbles down as well, but doesn’t loosen his grip. He kneels on my upper arm and shoulder.
Pain and panic close my throat. The other boy rolls over and kneels on my other arm. Kevin and the two other boys loom over me. Red-hot rage fills the eyes of the one cupping his groin. My throat opens and I scream.
Kevin raises his fist.
A blur darts out of the brush, grabs hold of Kevin and disappears into another clump of bushes. Everyone freezes, even me. The bushes shiver with the sound of a one-sided struggle. After a final violent shake, they go still.
The two standing boys back away. The kneeling boys jump up. “What the hell was that?” whispers one of them.
I scramble to my feet, ready to run. Then the blur darts out again and takes shape. A soldier wearing a camouflage hoodie, olive green beanie and khaki trousers peers at me through round glasses. Not a soldier. Lennon.
The four boys stare at him cautiously. One comes forward, raising his fists. Lennon’s roundhouse kick sends him sprawling. The others have no time to react. Lennon makes quick work of them with a series of punches and kicks, until they’ve fallen into groaning heaps around him.
My lids flutter with rapid blinks. My mouth is gaping open. Lennon comes up to me, his round glasses darkened by the shadows. My knees shake and I grip his shoulder to steady myself.
“Are you all right?” he asks softly.
I gasp in air so I can speak. “I’m great.”
He gives a grim nod. “Which one?”
It takes me a moment to realize he means which one is the ringleader. I point at the bushes. Lennon goes back in and hauls Kevin out by the collar, forcing him to scramble on his hands and knees. Scratches cover his arms and face and his clothes are ripped. Lennon wraps his arm in a chokehold around Kevin’s neck so he has to look up at me.
My mouth feels dry as a bone. I cough several times to work up enough phlegm and spit in his eye. He recoils, anger clear on his face, though he doesn’t dare speak.
His crew stumbles to their feet and scarper down the trail without a backward glance.
“Shit holes,” I shout after them. Then I look down at Kevin. “Listen, you gobshite, we hear you do this again, to another girl, you won’t just get an arse kicking. You’ll disappear. Got it?”
He stares at me, bug-eyed. So I smack him across his manky mouth. The impact of my hand, his recoil and squeal of pain… these send a wild fury zinging through me. I know if I hit him again, I won’t stop, and we don’t have time for that.
I wipe his slobber on his sleeve and repeat, “Got it?”
Lennon grabs a fistful of Kevin’s hair and bobs his head up and down. Then he hauls him to his fee
t and shoves him down the trail. I put my boot to his arse to give him further momentum. After lurching forward, Kevin stumbles into a frantic run.
Lennon picks up my backpack and hands it to me. “We better get out of here.”
With his eyes hidden, he looks so cold and righteous. Not at all like the sweet boy who gave me a shy first kiss. Who is he really? If he hadn’t shown up when he did, those boys, they would have… I dig my knuckles into my forehead. How could I have been such a gom? I cast a curse. I knew there were repercussions. Dani must have been biding her time, waiting for me to cut class so she could tell Kevin. And now it’s done. Her well of darkness is too deep and the curse will rebound onto her. I’m truly free of that awful place. I rub my forehead hard so I don’t cry.
“Penny?” He sounds worried.
I clear my throat. “Where to?”
“How about the de Young Museum? We can hang out in the café or something.”
“That’ll work.”
We head downhill, winding through the trees and brush, and cross a street that leads to the baseball field. Even with no one else there, it feels too exposed to cut across, so we stick to a trail that winds around the field.
We walk in silence for a few minutes. Our hands brush, then clasp. His skin is warm and a little dry. My hand must feel like a block of ice. He doesn’t seem to mind. The touch of our palms, the secure grip of his fingers makes my heart beat a little faster, in a good way.
“Thank you.”
“You’re okay?”
I nod.
“Who were those assholes?”
“They go to my school. They’ve been harassing me. Slagging me off. Especially Kevin, ever since I beat him up.”
“You beat him up?” Lennon doesn’t sound surprised. “Good. I’m just glad I got there when I did.”
