Alan didn’t reply.
Jimmy thought about calling her and finding out but then decided it would probably be better not to say anything so that the idea wasn’t planted. At the same time he was pretty sure she would be happy without one.
Alan sighed. “You know, I don’t care. If she wants to make a big deal out of this that is fine, I’m not going to let it ruin my night.”
“But then Rachel won’t ‘love it’ and isn’t that all that matters?” Jimmy asked.
Alan glared at him.
Jimmy put up his hands. “Hey, I’m not the one who said it.”
“No, but it doesn’t really apply to me because I’m not dating her so if I fuck things up and just walk away its fine. You on the other hand are in a relationship, which changes things.”
“How?”
“You still want to be dating tomorrow or the next day or next week?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Then she better enjoy herself tonight. With me, I don’t plan on ever really talking to her again after tonight so it doesn’t really matter. I’m just going to have fun.”
His phone rang again.
He picked it up and saw that it was Rachel again and didn’t answer it.
“Having fun?” Jimmy asked.
Alan gave him the finger.
* * *
Rebecca was sitting in the family room reading a romance novel when Tina came downstairs, the statements about her father still the main focus of her mind, but now for a different reason.
She stepped into the family room.
Rebecca looked up.
“Can I ask you something?” Tina said.
“Go ahead,” Rebecca said.
“Why did you wait until now to tell me all this stuff about my father?”
Rebecca closed her book around her finger and sighed. “Because it was important for you to understand what he did and why I had to leave the marriage.”
“Bullshit!” Tina snapped. “If all of that was important and something you were concerned about you would have told me all of it months ago. Instead you waited until today, all so you could try and ruin my night.”
“No, I - ”
“You are a bitch!” Tina snapped. “A no good spoiled stuck up bitch, one who probably begged to be fucked that night but then convinced herself she had been raped because she couldn’t live with the fact that she was a whore.”
The book came at her quickly, but Tina managed to move out of the way before it hit her square in the face.
“Get out,” Rebecca said.
“Oh, does the truth hurt?” Tina asked.
“Get out!”
“Don’t worry. As soon as the courts let me I will be on my own and you will never have to see me again. Until then, well, you’re stuck with me and trust me, if you ever try to convince me that my father was anything but a good man I will hit you so hard you’ll wish you died in childbirth.”
Rebecca didn’t reply.
Tina picked up the book that had been thrown at her, looked at the cover which had a really strong shirtless man on it, and said, “Wow, Scott has a lot to live up to if this is what you want in your men,” and threw the book back. “But then again he’s probably cheaper than buying a vibrator so I understand why you put up with him.”
The anger that appeared in Rebecca’s eyes was unlike anything Tina had ever seen before and for a second she wondered if she had pushed the woman too far, but then dismissed the thought. Any pain she caused her was deserved.
* * *
“Just one more, this time out by the flower garden you and Jimmy planted,” Kelly Hawthorn said; her camera once again ready.
“Mom, no,” Alan said, an apologetic look toward his date. “Please, we really have to go.”
“And they will take professional pictures of us at the dance,” Rachel Hayes said. It was one of just a handful of statements that had left her lips since her arrival ten minutes earlier. “You’ll be able to buy as many as you want.”
“But they won’t have the flower garden in them, now will they,” Kelly said and quickly ushered the couple out the front door toward the flower garden that Jimmy and Alan had slaved over in the predawn hours of Mother’s Day as a surprise.
Jimmy watched from the doorway as his mother took several more pictures of Alan and Rachel, her statements that attempted to encourage smiles making the two even more glum. Eventually she stopped and told the two to have a good time.
Though he couldn’t tell for sure, Jimmy thought he saw a look of relief spread across Alan’s face as the two headed toward Rachel’s car, one which she had insisted Alan drive since it was a Lincoln and much nicer than the car he and Jimmy had planned on driving.
Kelly Hawthorn came back into the entryway, watched for a moment as Alan opened the passenger door for Rachel, and said, “I don’t like her.”
“How come?” Jimmy asked. He noticed his tie was crooked and started to fix it in the mirror, but only managed to make it worse.
“She’s a stuck up little brat. ‘They will have professional pictures at the prom that you can buy.’ No shit Sherlock.”
Jimmy laughed.
“And she acted all superior to us, especially with all that ‘let’s take my daddy’s car because it’s nicer and more formal’ crap,” Kelly added.
“I think you just don’t like it that Alan is going to the prom with a senior even though they are only two years apart.”
Kelly didn’t reply to that and instead asked, “When are you picking up Tina?”
Jimmy looked at the clock on the wall and said, “In a few minutes.” He looked at the camera. “And no, I won’t be bringing her by for pictures.”
“Oh, come on, I promise I won’t go crazy.” She looked at the back of the camera. “Besides, I don’t even have much film left anyway so you have nothing to worry about.”
“You know Alan and I bought you that camera for Christmas,” Jimmy said. “So I know it doesn’t take film.”
“Well, the disk is almost full.”
“Nice try.” He looked at the clock again. “I better head out.”
“Okay, fine. But I want to meet her one of these days. You promise.”
“I promise.”
Jimmy gave his mother a hug.
“Have fun, but be careful.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Jimmy headed out to the car.
Less than five minutes later he was pulling into Tina’s driveway, his eyes surprised to see Tina waiting for him by the front door rather than inside out of the heat.
She started toward the car.
He quickly stepped out so he could be a gentleman and open the passenger door for her.
“Jimmy, the brake!” Tina cried.
At the same time his foot was knocked out from under him as he tried to step onto the shifting pavement, and without much thought he jerked his hand toward the gear shift and threw the car into park.
Protests rang out from the engine as the car bounced to a halt.
“Whoa,” he said while standing up, his hand touching his head.
“Are you okay?” Tina asked.
“Um, yeah.” He shook his head and then rubbed his leg which had been twisted pretty badly, but wasn’t hurt. “I’ve never done that before.” He slowly started around the car. “Here, let me get the door for you.”
Tina cautiously sat herself into the car.
Jimmy closed the door and started back around, the words you stupid idiot echoing inside his head.
Neither spoke for a moment.
“You okay?” Tina asked again.
“Yeah,” Jimmy said, though his heart was racing. “I still can’t believe I did that.”
“I’ve done it before too,” she confessed. “It’s like your brain just skips a step for no reason.”
Jimmy nodded.
“Of course I didn’t get back in and stop the car.”
“Really? What’d you do?”
“Wa
tched in horror as my dad’s car smashed two bikes and then hit the tool bench in the back of the garage.”
“Oh no.”
“It was really bad and then when my dad came outside I burst into tears.”
“Did you get in trouble?”
“No, he was just glad I didn’t get hurt and said the shock of what happened was probably enough to make it so I never made the mistake again.”
“I wonder if your mother would have been as forgiving as him had I smashed into the garage?”
“Ha, she’d try to have you thrown in jail for reckless engagement and destruction of property.”
“And they would probably convict you of being an accessory since it was mostly your fault.”
“My fault!” Tina cried. “What?”
“Well, if you weren’t so breathtakingly beautiful I wouldn’t have been distracted, and would have remembered how to drive.”
“Wow, that is . . . so unbelievably lame.”
“Yeah, well, I see you smiling over there. And believe me, it’s true. The moment I saw you standing there and saw how beautiful you were my mind went blank.”
Tina blushed. “You’re sweet.”
“I really am,” Jimmy said and then leaned over and kissed her.
“Modest too,” Tina said once the kiss was finished.
The two laughed.
“Okay, let’s hope I didn’t kill the engine by shifting it to PARK so quickly,” Jimmy said while shifting the car into REVERSE.
“Fingers crossed,” Tina said.
The car backed out of the driveway without any trouble and soon the two were heading toward the school.
“Aren’t we going by your house first?” Tina asked.
“What?”
“Alan texted me just before you got here and said your Mother wanted to take pictures of us.”
* * *
Deputy Paul Widgeon had been placed on the far corner of the parking lot, his vehicle backed into the rear at an angle so he could see everything that happened from his corner to the rear of the gymnasium where the dance was taking place. His presence there was to be a deterrent against someone grabbing a girl, but in all actuality he had a feeling he would be a bigger deterrent against teens who wanted some private ‘feel each other up and maybe start the process of bringing a new life into this world’ time. The fact that he had lost his virginity during his prom about twenty yards from where he was now sitting wasn’t lost on him and actually brought a smile to his face. Her name had been Ellie. He wondered what had happened to her. The two had broken up when he informed her he was joining the military. Apparently she had been of the opinion that turning the other cheek after September 11, 2001 was more appropriate than attacking the terrorist camps.
Was it worth it? he asked himself.
No answer arrived.
He pushed the thoughts away and once again focused on the parking lot, his mind wondering what the sheriff was doing right now.
Across the parking lot a group of young men awkwardly escorted their dates into the school, their tuxes too formal for their age and giving the impression that they were trying to pull a fast one.
* * *
The pictures didn’t really take all that long, yet were still annoying because his mother just kept insisting on different shots while also bringing up tons of different subjects in an attempt to get to know Tina, whom she had never met before. After that they then had to go inside and talk to his father because he too wanted to meet Tina. By the time it was finally over Jimmy felt like going to bed and hadn’t even arrived at the dance yet. Thankfully the idea of being there with Tina kept him from allowing the exhaustion to overwhelm him and soon the two were standing in line at the school, waiting for their tickets to be verified.
* * *
“Hey, do you remember when he rented that video a few years ago, what was that shit called?” Brett asked while sitting on the Hood’s back porch.
“I don’t remember man,” Matt said. “Something kinky though. You know I should never have told you guys about that because the fucker almost beat the shit out of me after you guys told everyone.”
“Man, he couldn’t do shit to you,” Brett said. “The guy’s a pussy.”
“Didn’t he knock you on your ass the other day?” Ron asked while sipping a beer.
“Yeah,” Matt said.
“The fucker elbowed me in gut right when a hall monitor was making me let him go. What was I supposed to do? If it wasn’t for her I would have had him shitting his pants in front of everyone.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Matt said. He took a sip from the bottle Brett had brought and winced as it scorched his throat. “Shit Brett, what is this?”
“I don’t know; something my brother had in his room. Good stuff, right?”
“No,” Matt said while reaching over for a beer from Ron who had somehow managed to get them two cases. “It’s awful.”
“You fuckers don’t know what’s good,” Brett said and took a huge swig from the bottle. A moment later tears appeared in his eyes and he gagged.
Matt and Ron laughed.
“Man, that is awful,” Brett said. “God, give me a beer.”
“See, should’ve tasted it before bringing it over.” Matt said. His throat still burned.
“Yeah, your brother probably knew you’d take it and mixed everything strong he could find together.”
“You know, you’re probably right because he did that once to a guy on his construction crew who was stealing his Gatorade. Filled the bottle with salt water and died it blue and then just set it by his stuff so the guy would swipe it and chug it.” He popped the top on the beer and took a huge swig and sighed. “That’s better.”
“So, what’re you gonna do with the tapes?” Ron asked.
“I thought about playing them at the dance but those damn police wannabes won’t let anyone in without a ticket.”
“You gotta do something,” Ron said. “I mean, what’s the point of having them if they’re just gonna sit in your room.”
“Honestly, I really just want to beat the shit out of the motherfucker once and for all, especially now that school’s almost out.”
“So then let’s beat the shit out of him,” Ron said.
“But he’s at the prom,” Brett whined.
“So?”
“So, that means I can’t just go there and beat the shit out of him because there are deputies everywhere who will like club me before I even lay a hand on him and then he’ll say he beat the shit out of me. Plus I don’t have a ticket so I can’t even get in.”
“Matt, don’t you have a ticket?” Ron asked.
“No,” Matt said.
“Yes you do, you bought one because you thought that chick Caroline was going to go with you, but then she totally shot you down when you asked her.” Ron mimicked a plane crashing to the earth. “Ka-boom!”
“So what?” Matt said. “I don’t see you at the dance.”
“Because prom is for pansies,” Ron said. “And I’m not gonna spend hundreds of dollars on a girl without even the promise of getting laid. No way. I’d rather drive three hours to Chicago and pay twenty bucks on a street corner.”
“Better start getting used to that trip then because that’s the only pussy you’re ever gonna see,” Brett said.
“Fuck you.”
Matt finished his beer, crushed the can and threw it into the woods, his mind wondering what the hell he was doing here with these two idiots.
“Anyway,” Ron said, “Matt can go tell Jimmy you’ve got his tapes and are waiting for him to come get them and then we beat the shit out of him.
“No, I beat the shit out of him,” Brett said while grabbing another beer. “I don’t want you two stealing my glory.”
“Fine, you beat the shit out of him while I film it on my phone and post it on Facebook.”
“Great idea,” Matt said. “You’ll get us all in trouble because the police will watch the video.” He then turned to Brett
. “If you want to beat him up so bad you go get him.”
“Dude, didn’t you hear what I said, if I go we’ll get in a fight right then and there and the wannabe police officers will break it up before I can really give it to him.”
“Yeah don’t be such a freaking pussy and just go get him,” Ron said even though he really didn’t care what happened.
“Man, you guys suck,” Matt said while standing up. He started walking toward the trees.
“Where you going?” Brett asked with a laugh.
“To go get Jimmy so you can beat him up!” Matt shouted back. More like I’m getting him so he can beat you up you stupid piece of shit. Post that on Facebook.
“Don’t walk, take the car.” Brett held up the keys.
Matt gave him the finger and stepped onto the path that would take him by the school. Going to the prom to get Jimmy was stupid, but it would be even stupider if he did it in a car after drinking - especially with all the deputies keeping an eye on things.
* * *
Tina was stunned by how beautiful the gym was but then grew worried because that had been exactly what her mother said she had felt. Stop it, don’t let her ruin it. How could she not, though. It wasn’t everyday a girl found out she might have been the result of a rape.
“It’s nice, isn’t it,” Jimmy said.
His words pulled her from her thoughts.
“Yes, yes it is,” Tina said. The place had been decorated with streamers and tissue paper. A stage had been set up and a band was playing on it. One part of the gym floor was open for dancing, the other part filled with round tables and chairs. At the far end was a long table with drinks and simple snacks. She wondered how long it had taken to set everything up. Turning the gym into a nice romantic atmosphere couldn’t have been easy. “Where do we sit?”
Jimmy looked around and finally found Alan and Rachel sitting at a table. Earlier at the house Rachel had worn a shawl that covered her shoulders and cleavage, now she didn’t, the dress hardly holding her in. The two weren’t talking, just sitting, each one staring at something else.
“Over there,” Jimmy said while pointing.
“Okay,” Tina agreed.
They walked over hand in hand.
Alan saw the two and stood up. He introduced Tina to Rachel. Rachel gave a high-pitched, ditsy hello and then turned back to face the dance, each movement of her body exaggerated.
Jimmy Page 24
