PLAYING FOR KEEPS

by MacLeod, J. E.

  Mac jumped off of her, grabbing his pants from the bed and holding them in front of him. He hadn’t even bothered to take off his shirt.

  “Get out of here, Chase. This is a private party. You’re not invited. Why don’t you go and screw Parker’s dyke of a sister.”

  Mona began to cry. “It’s okay. He always has sex with me when I’m drunk.” She snorted, hiccupping. She sounded close to hysteria.

  I shook my head. “Mac! Get the hell out of here and leave her alone! She’s so wasted, she doesn’t even know what the hell’s going on. This is wrong, Mac. You should never have sex with a girl who’s drunk. You understand me? Never!” I was livid, but at the same time I felt so sorry and embarrassed for Mona. I went to the bed and pulled the covers up over her, then turned to Mac who was still hopping around, pulling on his pants.

  “You ever come near her again, I’ll tear you apart, limb by limb. You understand me?” I shouted.

  “Just ‘cause you’re not gettin’ any yourself doesn’t mean you have to interrupt someone else who’s gettin' some. Good luck getting any outta Jane. She’s only got eyes for me.”

  He took off out of the door before I could do anything else. My ribs still ached from trying to lift Josh, and I was a little thankful Mac was gone.

  I turned back to the bed. Mona rolled over and turned away from me, facing the wall. Her shoulders were shaking.

  “Mona?”

  She didn’t answer.

  “Mona. Can we take you home?”

  “Go away. Just get out of here, Zack.”

  I touched her back and she scooted as far away from me as she could get, until she was against the wall.

  “Get out! Just get out!” she shouted.

  I stood in place, watching her cry, not knowing what to do.

  “Don’t let anyone else come in here,” I said.

  I went to the door and checked it. It had a lock. “I’m going to lock the door behind me, so no one else can get in. Okay?”

  “Just go!” she screamed.

  I crept out, locking the door behind me. I stood in the hallway for a moment, unsure of what else to do. Then I shrugged, shook my head and left.

  CHAPTER TEN

  TYPICAL TEENAGE BOY

  Jane, Hailey, and I stood in the upstairs hallway of Jane’s house, panting. The three of us had somehow managed to get Josh out of Jane’s car and into his bed.

  I heard sounds coming from downstairs. I glanced at Jane.

  “Oh, no!” she said softly. “They’re home. Come on.”

  She led us back down the stairs. Her parents looked up from the hallway, a little startled to see the three of us coming downstairs and into the living room.

  I saw her dad glance at his watch. Then I snuck a look at my own. It was already past midnight. My stomach did some flip-flopping. I wasn’t very good with dads. In fact I hated talking to them.

  “It’s late. What’s going on, Jane?” Her father asked.

  “This is Hailey, and this is Zachary. Um, they were helping me with Josh.”

  Her mom walked towards the stairs. “What’s wrong with Josh?”

  Nobody said anything.

  “Zack from hockey?” Jane’s dad asked, scrutinizing me. For some reason, he didn’t seem very happy to see me.

  I glanced at her mom, and then forced myself to turn back to her dad; I looked right into his eyes. I hadn’t done anything inappropriate.

  “What’s wrong with Josh? What have you kids been doing to him? Where’s Candy?” her mom asked, her voice rising and beginning to sound a bit hysterical. She started up the stairs, still looking over her shoulder at us.

  “He’s drunk, Mom. We haven’t done anything to him, except move his half-dead carcass across town.” Jane sounded angry. “He’s totally drunk. He passed out at Candy’s party. By the time I got there, he’d already thrown up. You need to thank Hailey for taking care of him. His precious Candy took off with another guy. He might have choked on his own vomit if Hailey hadn’t stayed with him.”

  Her mother glanced at Hailey, half moaned and half cried, then bounded up the stairs, disappearing into Josh’s room.

  Jane’s father stared at her. “Jane, we’re very disappointed in you.”

  “In me? I’m not the one who got drunk! I’m never the one who gets drunk! This is not my fault!” Jane seemed seconds away from stamping her feet. And I didn’t blame her, either. I was about to stamp my own in sympathy.

  She started pacing, worked up. “It’s like you expect Josh to drink, and you expect me to take care of him. Well, I can’t do it every second. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I’d even like a life of my own? When are you going to wake up and face the fact that your precious Josh has a serious drinking problem instead of trying to blame me all the time? I have news for you: I’m not going to cover for him anymore. He scared the shit out of me tonight! I almost took him to the hospital. He passed out and could have died. And I can’t be there to watch over him 24/7. I’m just his twin, not his bodyguard.”

  “He doesn’t have a drinking problem,” her father shouted. “He’s a typical teenage boy, and a hockey player. . . .”

  “So is Zachary!” Jane shouted. “And he doesn’t get drunk!”

  Mr. Parker glanced at me, but I lowered my eyes and wisely kept my mouth shut for once. I peered down at Hailey, whose expression showed me that she wanted to get the heck out of there as badly as I did.

  “He was really sick,” Hailey added in a low voice, backing up Jane.

  Mr. Parker focused on me again. “Well, why weren’t his buddies watching out for him? When I was a kid, that’s what we always did. We watched out for each other.” Mr. Parker was rapidly losing his cool.

  “When you were a kid, Grandma and Grandpa watched your hockey games, not your sister. You weren’t allowed to be on your own to get drunk all the time, were you?” Jane stared down her father with a withering glare.

  “When I was a kid, we lived in a crappy little house and barely had enough money for me to play hockey. I wore second-hand equipment and had to quit before I even got to middle school. Your mother and I both work hard so you kids can have a better life and more than we had.” Mr. Parker didn’t flinch or look away from her.

  “Dad! None of that matters! Are you blind? Josh’s an alcoholic! And it’s time you and Mom did something about it. You have to help him. And I can’t do it anymore. I can’t be responsible for him. I’m not his mother!”

  Mr. Parker’s features went stiff. Then he trained his glare onto me. I was expecting him to start laying blame on my shoulders when his wife shouted down the stairs.

  “Jack! Get up here--now! I can’t get Josh to wake up.” Mrs. Parker sounded panicky.

  “Josh’s lucky there’s no hockey scheduled this weekend. It’d serve him right to play as hung-over as he’ll be for the next couple of days.” Jane’s dad looked at all of us with a frown.

  “What difference does it make to you anyway, Dad? You’re never at his games to see how he plays,” Jane said with a sneer.

  Mr. Parker looked at the three of us, considering how to defend his choices. But then Mrs. Parker shouted to him again. Looking nervous and not sure of what to do or say, he turned and darted up the stairs.

  Jane watched him go, and then turned to me and Hailey. She lowered her eyes, not meeting our gaze. “I’m sorry,” she almost whispered. “Welcome to the Parker family chronicles, where Josh can do no wrong, and Jane no right.” She stared up the stairs after her dad. “We can’t keep pretending nothing’s wrong much longer.”

  Hailey half groaned. “Ahh, this is nothing. My mom’s on antidepressants, but she still cries all day long. She weighs over 300 pounds and almost never goes out. And my sister’s a lesbian, and she’s currently coming out in a big way, right here in our conservative little Haletown.” Hailey gestured wildly as she spoke.

  I nodded. “My dad died drunk, with a carload of groupies he was probably fooling around with. My mom thinks I’m a reincarn
ation of my dead father. And sometimes I think I am, too.”

  We all looked at each other. No one laughed.

  “We should go,” I said softly to Jane.

  She nodded. She turned to Hailey, reached out, and touched her arm. “Thanks, Hailey. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t been there to take care of Josh.”

  Hailey shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I’m sure someone else would have helped him if I hadn’t been around.”

  Jane shook her head. “I’m not so sure. Anyhow, I don’t even want to think about that.” She shivered. “Zachary, I’m sorry our night sucked. I wrecked it by dragging you to that stupid party.”

  “You didn’t wreck it, Jane. Up until Josh puked on my shoes, it was a really great night.”

  I wanted to kiss her so badly, but her parents were upstairs and Hailey was standing right beside me.

  “I had a great time with you, Zack. I’d like to do it again real soon, okay?” She smiled shyly at me and then leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. She flashed a smile at Hailey, and then her mouth formed an O.

  “Wait a minute! You’re going to need a ride back to Candy’s to pick up your car.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Hailey said. “I don’t want you to get into any more trouble.” She glanced towards the stairs.

  “I’ll walk with you,” I said to Hailey. No way I’d let her go back to that party by herself.

  “No. Forget it. You guys aren’t walking anywhere,” Jane said. “I’ll just go and tell them I’m driving you back. Wait for me outside, okay?”

  Hailey and I walked out.

  “She’s not bad for a weirdo,” Hailey said as the front door closed behind us.

  “You’re in love with Josh Parker,” I shot back as we headed down the driveway.

  “I am not.” Hailey’s face turned almost purple. ”You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Jane appeared around the corner in seconds. “Let’s go.”

  “They’re okay with you driving us?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “They’ve got their hands full. Josh was throwing up again. But if I’m not home in ten minutes, they’ll go ballistic.” She walked to the end of the driveway and clicked open her car door.

  “He is so dead!” She didn’t smile when she said it. I could tell she was shaken by the whole episode, too.

  “He’ll be okay,” I reassured her as I held the door for her, then climbed into the back seat, letting Hailey sit up front with Jane. “I think he might even want some help now.” He needed a lot more help than Jane or I could ever give him.

  #

  When we arrived back at the party, the lineup of cars was now a block away from Candy’s house. It was getting out of control.

  “Where’s your car?” Jane asked Hailey.

  “Closer to the house. I came early. Don’t ask me why.”

  Jane turned onto Candy’s street. Parked in front of Candy’s house were a couple of police cars with their lights flashing. Kids were hanging out in front of the house, all chattering and yelling.

  “At least the neighbors’ll be letting Candy’s parents know about the party,” I said, smirking. “Maybe she’ll be grounded for the rest of her life.”

  “I doubt it. Her parents don’t care,” Jane said. “First her sister had the parties, now it’s Candy’s turn. The cops always show up, but as long as nothing expensive gets broken, she doesn’t get into trouble. She’s such a Daddy’s girl.”

  I shook my head. People were bizarre; the parents were just as bad as their kids half the time.

  “There’s my car,” Hailey said, pointing to her rust-bucket.

  Jane stopped her car beside it. Another car came up behind her and started honking, so Hailey and I leapt out quickly.

  “See you, bye, and thanks again,” Jane shouted as we hopped out of the car. “See you Monday, Zachary.”

  I waved as I stretched my legs and watched her drive away.

  “Oh, my God, Zachary. You really like her, don’t you?” She sounded almost sad.

  I didn’t look at Hailey. “I don’t know. There’s something about her.. . .” I glanced at Hailey, but she looked away.

  “You make a really weird-looking couple,” she said.

  I laughed and we hoofed it to her car. She opened my door first, and I was just about to hop inside when I heard someone call my name.

  “Chase.”

  I turned. It was Mac and his two buddies.

  “Interrupt me again, faggot, and I’ll make you pay.” Funny how much tougher he talked with his pals at his side. I thought about Jane’s dad’s comment about hockey buddies.

  I lifted my middle finger. I wasn’t going to waste my breath on the guy. What a pig. I’d like to kick his ass, but there wasn’t much point in trying. I turned to get into the car.

  “Next time, it’ll be me on top of Parker’s sister,” Mac shouted. I turned back just as he laughed and made a rude pumping motion with his hips.

  “Oh! Jane,” he shouted, making fake sex noises. “Hope she enjoys your ride as much as she does mine. I doubt it, but you can always try her out.”

  “Zack! Get in the car.” Hailey commanded. She pushed me on the shoulder. “Forget him. He’s trying to get to you. Get in the damn car!”

  I heard Mac laughing. “The only girls this guy can get are loser chicks.” By this time, kids from the party were gathering on the front lawn. I felt eyes on my back. I stood up and gently moved Hailey aside.

  ”I’ve got to say something, Hailey.”

  She sighed and stood back.

  “You hear what happens to assholes who have sex with girls against their will, Mac?” I said it loud and clear into the night air. “In most places they call it rape. And it doesn’t go over real well with the other guys in jail.” The buzz and chatter of the watching crowd hushed as quickly as if I’d flipped a switch.

  Mac’s expression changed. “I don’t rape girls to get action.” He glanced over at the crowd. My eyes followed his.

  “Watch what you’re saying,” he growled quietly to me.

  “Why, Mac? You afraid people might hear the truth?”

  Hailey touched my arm. “Zack, be careful.”

  I shook her off. “No,” I said loudly. “I saw him. It’s pretty much rape if a girl’s too drunk to defend herself, isn’t it?” I glanced at the kids watching us, seeing eyes narrow. I lowered my voice. “And it’s also wrong to force yourself on girls in bathrooms when they want nothing to do with you.”

  In the background, I heard comments and catcalls.

  “Disgusting creep.”

  “Typical hockey player.”

  Mac heard the same remarks and roared with anger. “Mona Ryder’s a cheap little slut and everybody knows it. She begged me for it. She wanted it bad.”

  I gnashed my teeth and rushed at him, talking under my breath. “You keep her name out of it, loser.” I shook my head, pissed at myself. Stupid, Zack, stupid. The last thing Mona needed was public humiliation. She had enough problems already. If he mentioned Jane, I’d kill him.

  “I left her completely passed out. She wasn’t begging for anything--except to be left the hell alone,” I said quietly.

  I raised my voice then, so others could hear. “You know what, Mac? You’re pathetic. You push people around and act tough because inside, you’re just a stupid, scared little kid who’s trying to prove himself to his daddy. Well, guess what? Daddy won’t ever be pleased. Because you’ll never be good enough. You’re not good enough on the ice, and off the ice, you’re a jerk. You’re not good enough for any girl in this whole town.”

  Behind me kids laughed and hooted, especially, from the sounds of it, the non-hockey-playing crowd.

  “And guess what? I figured you out the first time I saw you tie up your hockey skates. You’re nothing but a selfish creep who’s afraid to do anything to upset his daddy.”

  Mac sputtered and cursed but his friends held him back.

  “And just so
you know,” I added for good measure. “Girls don’t like to have sex with guys who force them.”

  From behind me a girl shouted, “You’re a big asshole, Mac. That’s disgusting, taking advantage of drunken girls.” Her voice wavered as if she’d had too much to drink herself.

  Another girl piped up: “I know for a fact you force girls into having sex with you. Or you get them so drunk they can’t say no. You’re obnoxious and gross. And you probably can’t get it any other way.”

  “Yeah, and your dad’s a real psycho, too!” yelled another drunk-sounding guy.

  “Screw off, all of you,” Mac shouted at the group of kids and their drunken taunts. Then he turned his wrath on me. “Chase, we’ll be talking about this later.” He turned to his buddies, waved his hand in the air, and then started walking away. They scurried along behind him.

  I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Hailey,” I said in a normal voice. “Let’s get out of here.”

  She didn’t say a word, but zipped around to her side of the car, jumped in, and fired up the ignition.

  I climbed into the passenger seat, ignoring the laughter and whoops of the crowd around us. He’d pushed me too far, and he’d gone too far.

  “Zack! You are so totally crazy,” Hailey said as she drove off. She shook her head. “You just accused him of rape in front of half the school. The other half’ll hear about it, word for word, by Monday morning. This is a small town. Oh my God! He’s either toast or he’s gonna wipe his ass with you.”

  I shrugged and searched for answers as I stared out the window. My heart pounded and my adrenaline pumped. “Maybe he won’t be able to have sex around here for a long, long time.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, Zack. There’s always some girl who wants to sleep her way to popularity or else try and change the bad boy.” She sighed. “Is it true?” she asked softly. “What he was doing to Mona?”

  “Stupid,” I muttered. “I shouldn’t have brought that up. Mona passed out and it wasn’t her fault. I didn’t want anyone to find out.”

  “Well, it’s no secret she has sex with a lot of guys. We’re talking about Mona Ryder. Everyone knows she’s kind of a slut,” Hailey said. “I mean, she’s okay and all, but she does sleep around. And Mac, well, he has a history with her. And other girls.”