In the Middle of Nowhere

by Julie Ann Knudsen

  “I was so wasted. I hardly remember,” Rocky said, “but I do remember his wife coming outside and screaming at me. She was pissed.”

  Again, I shook my head. “Wife? He’s married?”

  “He was back then,” Rocky said.

  “Didn’t she say she was going to call the police on you?” Connor asked.

  “Yeah, and her husband had to calm her down; told me he wouldn’t call the police if I got dressed and got lost.”

  “What did she look like?” I wanted to know.

  “Who?” Rocky asked.

  “The wife!”

  Rocky shook his head. “I don’t remember. It was three years ago and I was really drunk.”

  Tessa looked at me quizzically and inquired about all my inquiries. “Willow, why the hell do you care so much about this Mr. Roberts and his marital status?”

  “Never mind,” I said and looked away. Just then my phone rang. It was my mother. I signaled to the others to be quiet.

  “Shhh. It’s my mom.”

  I picked up. “Hello?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just watching TV.”

  “Okay. Brian and I will be going out of town next weekend and I wanted to make sure you don’t make any plans and will be home to watch James.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. I guess.”

  “Great, thanks, dear.”

  “Mom, I have a question.”

  “What?”

  “Was Brian ever married?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure. Why are you asking me this, Willow?”

  “Just wondered,” I said. “See you tomorrow, Mom.”

  I hung up, put down my cell phone and looked up to find three sets of eyes staring at me as if I had two heads.

  • • •

  “What the hell was that all about?” Tessa wanted to know.

  “Nothing.” I didn’t want to tell them anything and hadn’t realized they were listening to my conversation.

  Tessa grabbed my arm from across the table and pulled on it. “Come on. Tell us.”

  I pulled my arm back and was firm. “No.”

  My head was spinning with questions about what I had just found out. Why wasn’t Brian the principal at Orchard Elementary anymore? If he hadn’t ever been married, who was the woman at his house who yelled at Rocky? Did this mysterious woman have anything to do with the woman I saw getting cozy with Brian, or someone who looked exactly like him, in the parking lot?

  Tessa was relentless. “Willow, you obviously know Mr. Roberts somehow. What’s the big deal?”

  I was not going to tell her anything about Brian, especially in front of Connor and Rocky. “Forget about it.”

  “Forget what?” Tessa moaned. “Tell us!”

  I couldn’t take her or her questions anymore. I stood up and stormed off toward the gym door and was just about to push it open, when it magically opened for me.

  “Freeze!” a policeman shouted as he stood in front of me with his gun drawn. “Put your hands up! Now!”

  Un-be-freakin-lievable! I threw my hands up and turned toward the others as another police officer rushed in. I had known from the beginning that this was a bad idea and realized that I needed to start listening to my beer-less gut more often.

  • • •

  The two officers lowered their weapons when they saw it was just a bunch of teenagers hanging out and drinking. The first policeman made me walk over toward the others.

  Rocky looked at Connor. “I thought you never made the same mistake twice.”

  Connor shrugged.

  “Do you kids have IDs?” the officer asked, the one who tensely greeted me at the door. He was short and chubby and looked like a cartoon character with his bulbous nose, big ears and thick unibrow.

  We all shook our heads.

  “How’d you get the beer?” the other one asked.

  Rocky pointed toward Tessa and said, “Her brother—“

  Connor elbowed Rocky in the ribs to shut him up. “We paid some random guy at the store to buy it for us. And he did.”

  Rocky caught on. “Yeah. Some random guy.”

  Rocky sounded like an idiot, but I knew that saying Tessa’s brother bought it for them would get Jaques into trouble and they couldn’t show their fake IDs or else they’d get into trouble.

  “How old are you kids?” the second officer asked as he took out a small pad of paper and pen from his front pocket. He was young, tall and fit, actually quite handsome, and could have been a movie star.

  “Seventeen,” Connor responded.

  Rocky looked completely baffled, but said, “Yeah. Seventeen.”

  Tessa pointed to the two us. “We’re sixteen.”

  “If you kids were eighteen, you’d be charged with breaking and entering. You know that?” Officer Cartoony said as he scowled and reprimanded us.

  “Come on. Gather up the beer cans and let’s go,” Officer Movie Star ordered.

  Connor and Rocky put all the beer cans back in the cardboard carrier and lifted the end of the table so it folded back up into the wall.

  “Whose car is in the parking lot?” Officer Cartoony wanted to know.

  Connor raised his hand. “Mine.”

  “You have your license?”

  “Yup.”

  “Let me see it.”

  Connor slowly opened his wallet, careful not to reveal his fake ID.

  The officer looked at it and handed it back. I couldn’t believe the cop didn’t realize that Connor was really eighteen. Rocky was, too. Luckily for them, they both got away with it.

  “Since you’ve been drinking, you’re not driving anywhere. You can either leave the car here or have your parents come and pick it up.”

  “How will we get home then?” I asked.

  “We’ll be driving each of you,” the cute one answered, “straight to your parents. Officer Mueller will take the boys.”

  I panicked. I couldn’t go back home. My mother would kill me if she found out, especially because she worked there.

  I stammered, “But, um, my mom isn’t home, nobody is, and I’m staying over at my friend’s house.” I pointed to Tessa.

  Officer Cutie looked at Tessa. “Will an adult be home if I drive you girls there?”

  Tessa nodded. “Yeah, my older brother can vouch for us.”

  Yikes! I thought to myself. Jaques vouch for us? Stoned, incoherent Jaques? I was better off going home and facing my mother or even a firing squad.

  I looked at Tessa with big eyes. She shook her head and dismissed my concern. “I’m just gonna text him to tell him we’re coming.”

  “That’s fine,” the officer said.

  We all started walking toward the gym door.

  “What were you kids thinking?” Officer Big Nose asked. “Why would you break into an elementary school in the first place?”

  Not one of us had an answer. The officer shook his head in disgust.

  Connor spoke up. “Can I ask you something?”

  The policeman nodded.

  “How did you even know we were in here?”

  “The school’s silent security system went off at the monitoring station after one of its motion sensors detected movement in the hallway and then in the gymnasium.”

  Connor looked at him puzzled. “Is that something new?”

  “What? The security system?” asked Big Nose.

  Connor nodded.

  “Yeah, they installed it a few years ago after another bunch of foolish teens broke in. Why?”

  “No reason,” Connor said as we followed the police officers out of the school the appropriate way, through its two, glass-paned front doors.

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-TWO

  In the parking lot, Officer Handsome took our names and said he was going to hand them over to the school’s administrators. It would be up to them to dole out a punishment, if any. He said he figured we’d at least have to suf
fer some sort of consequence back home once he showed up at the door with us in tow. But, because I was going over to Tessa’s for the night, he said he would make sure someone at the school contacted my mother to fill her in on what had had happened. Little did he know how easily my mother would find out. I panicked at the thought of it, but didn’t let on as he escorted us toward Tessa’s front door.

  Tessa opened the unlocked door and we followed her inside.

  “Jaques!” she screamed. Her voice echoed in the big, empty foyer.

  As we walked toward the back of the house, Officer Cutie seemed to scrutinize every nook and cranny. When we reached the family room, Jaques appeared from the direction of the mysterious hallway. I looked around and realized that the family room was completely cleaned up. No popcorn bowls or empty soda cans were in sight.

  Jaques held out his hand. “Jaques Anderson.”

  Officer Cutie grabbed and shook. “Officer Collins.”

  The officer flashed a quick, cute smile, but then got down to business. “How are you related to the suspect?”

  Suspect? I thought to myself. I wanted to chuckle, but didn’t dare.

  Jaques got serious, too, and, thankfully, didn’t seem one bit high. “I’m her older brother, Officer Collins.” How the heck did Jaques sober up so fast, I wondered.

  “Where are your parents?”

  “They’re staying in Portland tonight, but will be joining us tomorrow.”

  “Are you willing to take responsibility for your sister and her friend, here?”

  “Absolutely. I will make sure that Tessa and Holly don’t leave again tonight.”

  The officer was confused. “Holly?”

  Tessa quickly butted in. “He means Willow. He always confuses my two best friends Holly and Willow ’cause they look so much alike.” Tessa tilted her head and flashed her pearly whites.

  I smiled calmly when Officer Collins looked over at me, even though I was horrified on the inside.

  He seemed satisfied. “Fine. And girls. I suggest you not try anything like that again. Next time you might face criminal charges.”

  Jaques stuck out his hand. “I’ll see to it that they won’t, Officer, and will make sure to tell my parents first thing tomorrow morning.”

  “Jaques!” Tessa huffed.

  “Sorry, sis.”

  Officer Cutie shook Jaques’s hand. “Thank you.”

  After Jaques was done charming the policeman, he ushered him toward the foyer. As soon as they left the room, I looked at Tessa.

  “Are you parents gonna be pissed when Jaques tells them what happened?”

  “No,” she stated without hesitation as she walked away toward the kitchen.

  “Really?” I said as I followed her. “Not at all?”

  “Jaques isn’t gonna tell them anything,” she said with the utmost confidence.

  I was confused. “But he just said—“

  Tessa stopped and turned toward me. “He was just saying that, Willow, to kiss up to Officer Collins. He’d never rat me out to our parents. Never.”

  “Lucky you,” I said as I leaned against the cold, granite countertop while coming to terms with my reality. “I, on the other hand, am gonna be screwed!”

  • • •

  “Willow Ann Flynn! What were you thinking?” my mother scolded me, as her dark green eyes grew even darker with anger. “Your father would be so disappointed in you!”

  I got angry and shot back, “Don’t bring Daddy into this! He’s not here anymore to say how he’d feel and you’ve had no problem replacing him, have you, you whore!”

  My mom, who had been sitting at the kitchen table, jumped up and lunged at me. She grabbed me around my throat and started squeezing. I couldn’t believe the power she held within her slender, little fingers. I couldn’t breathe as she continued to strangle me. I tried to fight her off, but all the muscles in my body were frozen. I couldn’t move and could feel myself going unconscious. With one last burst of energy I screamed, “Stopppppp!”

  I woke up and found myself lying next to Tessa. She moved.

  “What are you saying?” she asked groggily.

  I shook my head. “Nothing. I was just having a bad dream.”

  I turned on my side and faced the wall. The sun was starting to stream in through her bedroom window. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was nine. I got up and closed the blinds remembering that we hadn’t gone to bed until 4:00 A.M. I definitely needed more sleep.

  I forced my eyes closed as I thought back to the dream. It seemed so real. I called my mother a whore and she tried to kill me. Why had I dreamt it? Did I really think of my mother as a whore? Did I feel that she was, in a way, killing me, or the part of me that was of my father, by marrying Brian?

  I pulled the covers over my head and tried to go back to sleep so I could forget the events of the night before and the horrible dream that, somehow, crept inside and invaded me.

  • • •

  Tessa finally dropped me off at my house around noon. Luckily my mom and James weren’t home and I was thankful to be alone in the house.

  As soon as I walked in the front door, Princess came up to me and brushed her spine against my leg. I felt so badly for my cat. I had been neglecting her lately. I was so busy with my own life, I forgot to pay attention to my furry friend.

  I knelt down and petted her. “Hi, there, Princess.” She purred as I stroked her.

  I leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “I love you,” I said and meant it. Even though I hadn’t spent much time with my cat, I realized I really did love her and would miss her terribly if anything ever happened to her. I couldn’t think that way and removed any such thought from my head.

  I also realized that I had neglected more than my cat lately. It was already Sunday afternoon and I hadn’t done a stitch of homework.

  I grabbed a bowl of cereal and headed upstairs just as my mom and James came home. James headed for the television, while my mother carried groceries into the kitchen.

  “Did you have fun last night, Willow?” she called over her shoulder.

  “You could say that,” I said as I spooned some Chocolate O’s into my mouth. “I have a ton of homework, Mom. I’ll be in my room doing it.” I walked out of the kitchen.

  “You should have been working on it over the weekend and not waited until today, Willow, since—” she called after me as I headed up the stairs. Her voice trailed off as I walked down the hallway and farther away from her.

  I knew my mom was right, of course, but I also knew that saving my homework until the last minute was definitely worth it. I’d never forget the previous night and would most likely never have another one like it for the rest of my life.

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-THREE

  I was never so happy to go to school, freezing ferry ride and all. At the same time I was nervous, envisioning my mother being called down to the principal’s office at my brother’s elementary school, where Mr. Woods would calmly explain to her how her irresponsible, sixteen-year-old-daughter broke in and trespassed along with a bunch of underage, alcohol-toting teens.

  I wondered if I’d be able to hear my mother’s reaction across Casco Bay all the way to Portland High when he dropped the bomb. What would she do once she found out? Ground me to the house or to my room indefinitely? I should’ve packed my belongings just in case my mother demanded that I go and live elsewhere. I felt that I was a disappointment to her lately, but also didn’t care at the same time and couldn’t explain why.

  I looked out the window and saw that we were almost at the dock in Portland. I thought back to the night before. I had just finished my homework when Tessa called. I almost didn’t pick up. I didn’t feel like talking to her and rehashing our idiotic adventure.

  “Hey,” I had said.

  “I guess Rocky and Connor got grounded for breaking into the school, Connor forever because it’s the second time he got caught doing it. He’s such a moron. Nice way to spend the rest of yo
ur senior year, locked up in solitary.”

  “I’m gonna be just as grounded as them, by the way, probably even more because my mother works at that freakin’ school. I can just hear her now about how much of an embarrassment I am.”

  “So what,” Tessa had said. “Is your mom perfect? Didn’t she ever screw up?”

  “Not like me, I’m sure,” I sighed as I gathered my books and placed them into my backpack.

  “Well, either way, you gotta admit that it was kind of fun.”

  I became annoyed. “It was for you because your parents are never gonna find out! I would love to have an older brother cover for me and my mother not always breathing down my neck about everything I did.”

  I could sense Tessa thinking on the other end before she answered. “Trust me. You wouldn’t.”

  The boat pulled into the harbor and snapped me back to reality. Maybe Tessa was right. Maybe having a mother who cared, even if it meant being punished, was better than having no one care at all.

  • • •

  I was as slow as a snail as I made my way toward my homeroom. I took a seat in the back and looked around. Most of the students were already there, but Tessa was noticeably absent. I wasn’t surprised. She was always late for homeroom and would come up with some lame excuse for Mr. Singer. He bought it each and every time. It still annoyed me how much she got away with just because she was flirtatious. I couldn’t be bothered.

  Obediently I raised my hand when called and said, “Here.” There was one minute left in homeroom and Tessa still hadn’t appeared. Morning announcements were over and I gathered my things for first period. Just then the door to our classroom swung open. Here she comes, I thought to myself, even before Tessa entered. I was dying to hear what excuse she had this morning; her locker contained a hidden bomb that detonated the second she opened it or her ride to school got detained as it had to wait behind a blockade so a convoy containing the president of the United States could pass by.

  I was ready and poised, waiting for her tall tale. No one entered right away. Voices could be heard coming from beyond the threshold. Everyone looked at the door to see who was there.