When the guys returned to the table they were forced to sit down three in a row. If it bothered them they didn’t let on. Song after song played. Travis excused himself from the guy talk and came over to lead Rachael out onto the dance floor. He pulled her close against his warmth as he twirled her around the dance floor. She laid her chin on his shoulder and breathed in the scent that was uniquely him.
“I think she likes him.” Rachael said.
“I think you’re right. I was sitting over there thinking these may be the couples we’re surrounded by for years. Maysie and Tristan, it’s a forgone conclusion they’ll get married. You and me. Then there’s Shannah and Wade- it’s too soon to know, for sure, but I think they’re off to a pretty good start.”
“Maybe.”
Rachael heard an uproar of laughter from across the room and looked over to the balloon arch near the entrance. Romero and two of the other soccer players arrived. He was wearing his hair cropped in a buzz, a near hairless look. His face looked tense and he didn’t smile at anyone.
“I wonder why he cut his hair.”
“I’m not so sure he did.” Travis coughed into his hand trying to conceal his laugh. “The back part is still long- just the stuff on top is kind of…missing. Maybe it’s premature balding.”
“Since yesterday?” Rachael squinted her eyes.
Romero moved into the large ballroom and crossed the floor making a straight line across the dance floor, headed toward their table.
“Looks like there might be trouble.” Travis took her by the hand and led her back to the table. Once there, he pulled out her chair, waited for her to be seated, and slid it in.
Romero stood close to where Shannah was seated. He yelled at her in his thick accent. “You did this to my hair!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Romero.” She stated. “I don’t know what happened to your hair.”
Wade slid his chair out from beneath the table and stood up.
“And I don’t appreciate the tone you’re taking with her.”
Now Travis stood up. He walked around the table where Tristan joined him.
“See, the way we were raised, you don’t insult ladies and you don’t go around pushing yourself on them. Shannah had nothing to do with you washing your hair with depilatory hair removal cream, but we did. So if you’d like, we’d be more than happy to step outside with you and sort this mess out. If not, then you best be moving on.” Travis winked at him.
Romero had no choice but to walk away. The rest of the table burst out laughing.
“Depilatory cream!” Shannah hollered. “Holy crap.”
Travis, Tristan, and Wade all sat back down, sliding their chairs under the table.
“I can’t believe how well the stuff actually works. Now he won’t have to spend so much time on his long, lustrous hair.” Wade mocked.
“Guess not. You girls should use that stuff on your legs.”
“I tried once.” Maysie admitted. “It kind of stinks.”
All the guys made a face. Obviously chemical stink was a turn off.
“How did you do it?” Rachael asked.
“We didn’t, but let’s just say we’re related to who did.”
“Michael and Levi?” Maysie whispered.
Travis just nodded his head, not admitting as much out loud.
“I couldn’t let them take the rap for it. The soccer team would find them and beat their butts. No one’s going to mess with the three of us.”
“How did they do it?” Shannah asked.
“They replaced the shampoo in the showers with it. Then I went around and warned the other soccer players who think he’s a cocky jerk. No one else shampoos and blow dries their hair after practice anyhow.”
“You better be careful, Rachael. If you tick Michael off you’re liable to end up a baldy!” Maysie warned.
“We’ll make that boy a redneck just yet.” Shannah looked proud.
They saw the principal walking over to their table. He looked angry. Everyone went silent.
“Mr. Baxter,” he greeted Travis. “And friends. Is everything all right over here?”
“Yes, sir. Everything’s fine.” Travis smiled.
“Good to hear. I heard about Romero Vazquez’s poor behavior toward Shannah. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes these things just have a way of sorting themselves out.”
“Yes, sir, they do.” Travis nodded.
“Have a good evening and enjoy the dance.”
The principal walked away stepping over to the drink table to fix himself a soda.
Wade mumbled something to Travis.
“He played ball with our dads in high school.” Travis answered.
Wade excused himself to pull Shannah out onto the dance floor.
“But I don’t dance!” She protested.
“Do now.” He said pulling her in tighter.
Maysie and Tristan went out to join them. Travis picked up Rachael’s hand and kissed it gently.
“Is the Principal turning a blind eye because he knows your father?”
“Pretty much. He knows Romero’s a jerk.”
“What about Gabe?”
“Many guys joined in and made a wager. It doesn’t make Gabe a great guy, but he’s still my friend.”
Rachael could see Heather across the dance floor. She was dancing with some other guy. She seemed to know this guy very well, especially for a girl with a boyfriend.
“I think they deserve each other, Heather and Gabe.”
“Be nice.” Travis sipped his drink and set it back down.
“Where’s Gabe anyway?”
“Who knows?” Travis glanced over to the farthest corner, at the back of the room. “He’s over there with Selena.”
Rachael looked over and saw he was with Selena.
“What are they doing?”
“Making each other jealous. They fight, they break up. They fight, they break up. He threatens to beat someone up. They get back together. That kind of bull…”
“I’m glad we only ever broke up once.”
“Me, too. I barely survived it. It’s not the kind of thing you should do. My attitude is don’t say or do something you can’t take back. You’re stuck with me, girl.” He leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers.
“I like being stuck with you.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Let’s dance. This is our last homecoming.”
“Sure is.”
They weren’t on the dance floor longer than thirty seconds when the Principal came up to announce the Homecoming King and Queen. He asked everyone to line up.
“This year’s Homecoming Queen is Shannah Carlson.” The crowd cheered. Shannah had friends in every grade and from very diverse backgrounds. She was well-loved and respected across campus, it was obvious why. She bridged the expanse between city and country, rich and poor, popular and nerdy. Rachael and Maysie rushed over to hug her, careful not to bump her crown.
“You’re right, no tiara for you! You get the real deal, a crown!” Maysie praised.
“This year’s Homecoming King is Travis Baxter.” The Assistant Principal stepped in front of Travis and placed the large plastic gold crown on his head.
The DJ played a slow song and they danced. Halfway through, Wade walked over and cut-in claiming that Shannah was his Redneck Princess. Travis came over and bowed to Rachael leading her out onto the floor for one final dance. Other couples joined them…and the music played on and on.
Around eleven o’clock they decided to call it a night and headed toward their awaiting limo. Rachael and Travis were the first to climb in. The others followed them. The car ride home was quiet, everyone not ready for the night to end. The limo pulled up to Travis and Maysie’s house. The driver climbed out, assisting each of the ladies and then drove away.
“We’re not going home?” Rachael asked.
“Not yet. Do you want to go home?” Travis asked.
“Nope.”
They
led the girls inside where Mrs. Baxter had set up an elaborate dessert buffet in the kitchen. Shannah immediately went over and fixed herself a plate of chocolate covered strawberries along with some marshmallows. Wade helped himself and they went into the TV room to make themselves at home.
Tristan went on a walk out to the barn to check on the horses. With them Maysie took a bottle of sparkling apple cider and two plastic champagne flutes. There were a couple of other bottles sitting on the counter. Rachael bent over to read the label.
“Don’t worry, it’s nonalcoholic. Mama always buys it for special occasions.” Travis teased.
“I wasn’t worried. I hardly thought your mother would be plying us with a bunch of liquor.”
“Come on. Let’s play darts.” Travis pulled her along to the game room. Rachael wasn’t exactly dressed for darts, but she figured why not. After spanking her at darts, Travis challenged her to a game of ping pong. She was a little bit rusty. Her first two shots whizzed over his head across the room.
“Bring it down a bit, slugger.”
“It’s been a while.” She laughed. She picked up her paddle again and readied herself by taking off the chunky, heavy black beaded bracelet and matching large onyx ring. “Okay. Now I’m ready.”
“Like a little jewelry is going to make a difference. You’re still getting beat.”
“You think so?” She challenged. They played ping pong until one o’clock in the morning when it was time to go home. Travis set down the paddles and walked around the table to hug her.
“Come on, I’ll run you home.”
They walked through the house. No one else was around.
“Where are they?”
“They’re big kids. They can drive. I’d say they’re on their own.”
He led her outside where she saw Tristan and Wade’s trucks were missing. He walked over to the driver’s side and opened the door for her. He put his hands around her waist to lift her up, but didn’t. He swept her hair to the side and trailed kisses across the top of her shoulders and back again. He worked his way around to her neck and exposed ear. He kissed her there and then back down her neck.
“Turn around.” He whispered. “I want to kiss you goodnight, properly.”
Rachael pivoted to face him. He traced gentle kisses across her jaw to her lips kissing her softly. He teased her mouth with his tongue and she was lost in his kiss. A short while later he brought her hair back down over her shoulders and righted her lipstick, wiping it away where he’d smudged it.
“Now, I’ll take you home,” He paused, a glint in his eyes. He slammed the door closed behind her and pushed her gently up against it. “But I don’t want to.” He bent his head and kissed her once more. She felt it in the pit of her stomach, a deep need that mere kissing couldn’t quench. His hands traced her sides, working their way lower still. Her heart raced in her ears. Her body fit perfectly with his.
She reached down and held his wrists, stopping his hands before they strayed too far.
“Travis…” She whispered in the moonlit driveway.
“I know. Let’s get you home.”
Chapter Eighteen
The house phone startled her awake. The answering machine picked up. Her father’s cheerful voice, a little after six o’clock on a Wednesday brought her upright in bed. Rachael scrambled out of bed to race up the hall to the kitchen to grab the phone before he hung up. She stubbed her toe on the door jam, hobbling past it.
She’d nearly made it to the kitchen when she heard Michael say, “Hello”.
Rachael slowed her pace to a limp and went into the family room to join him.
“I will.” Michael pressed the button on the phone for speaker phone. “Dad wants to tell us both something.”
“Hey, kids. I’ve got good news. I’ve qualified for early release. I should be out in the next month.”
Rachael and Michael erupted in screaming. They jumped up and down, hugging each other.
“Out in time for Easter.” Their father continued.
“I can’t believe it!” Michael yelled. “How does this happen?”
“I’ve served 85% of my sentence, it gets pretty technical, but since I’m in for nonviolent crimes I qualify for early release. Of course there’ll be probation, but I’m just glad to be coming home.”
“We’re so glad you’ll be coming home, too.” Rachael added.
“I have to go, but I told your mother yesterday. You guys were already in bed so I wanted to catch you before school this morning.”
“Bye, Dad!”
“See you in a few short weeks.”
Rachael and Michael sprinted down the hall. Both dressed for school and went out to climb into her car. Halfway to school, Michael turned to her and started chatting nervously.
“Do you think this means we have to move back? I don’t want to move back. I’m excited about Dad coming home, really I am. But I have so many friends here. I like our school.”
“I don’t know what it means.” Rachael considered Michael’s situation. It was different than hers. He was a freshman. He had four more years to go. She was nearly finished.
“Maybe he and Mom will move back, and let me stay with Aunt Margaret.”
“I’m not sure. I wish I had all the answers for you, but I don’t. Right now let’s just focus on the positive, Dad is finally coming home! And earlier than we imagined possible. It was coming this summer anyway. Maybe we should’ve considered the possibility of a move back before now.”
“I don’t want to go back!” Michael wiped a stray tear from his cheek.
“Don’t cry.” She patted his thigh. “You might not have to. Right now we don’t know anything, right? You have to have faith that everything will work out. It always does. We’ve survived it all so far.”
He nodded his head but spoke not another word.
At school they parked in the student lot on the west side of campus. Rachael saw Riley standing on the sidewalk waiting for Michael to walk her to class. He got out and went over to hold her hand. They turned and walked away.
Travis sat in his truck listening to music. He cut his truck engine off when she climbed out of her Mustang.
“What’s wrong with him?” Travis asked.
“Dad’s getting out of jail right before Easter.”
“That’s a bad thing?”
“He’s afraid of a move.”
“It could happen, but maybe not. Your father may have his own reasons for not wanting to move your family back there.”
“I know, but Michael is worried and I can’t blame him. Moving once and starting over is hard enough.”
Travis grabbed her and embraced her tightly. “It’s been a long, hard ride. It’s time y’all got down out of that saddle and found some normalcy again. This too shall pass.” He kissed the top of her head. “Trust in God.”
“I know.”
Rachael walked up the sidewalk and toward Mr. Richardson’s class. Travis told her goodbye at the door. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away.
Mr. Richardson sat behind his desk, his nasty stained-up coffee cup in hand. He sipped it, reading the paper. Rachael looked toward the front row. There were three empty seats.
Samantha, Alex, and another girl named Melissa, who Rachael didn’t know at all, were all absent.
The morning dragged by and when the bell rang everyone jumped to pack up. Rachael stood and put away her English vocab book. She’d fallen asleep the night before reading in bed and needed to finish the last two pages. Homeroom allowed her that opportunity.
Thank goodness.
She pulled her bag over her shoulder and started for the door. The Principal entered the classroom. He was wearing a full suit and had the School Resource Officer with him. Rachael glanced around. There were only a handful of students still in the room. All of them had the deer in headlights look and froze in place.
“Mr. Richardson. Could you come with me, please?”
Mr. Richardson stood up and slid
his chair in. He looked around, then down at the ground.
“Please bring your things.” The Principal added.
Mr. Richardson put his laptop and other papers into his bag and walked toward the door. They exited the room. The students looked around, exchanging glances. On her way through the door, a young substitute swept past Rachael. Out in the hallway Rachael watched as the Principal and Resource Officer led Mr. Richardson away. His hands were cuffed behind his back.
Stunned, Rachael rushed to her next class. She ran into Maysie and Shannah outside in the courtyard, where students frantically discussed the incident.
Maysie lowered her voice and whispered,
“Come with me.”
Rachael and Shannah followed her into the locker room. It was empty this time of morning with most of the Physical Education classes scheduled for after lunch.
“Turns out you were right about Mr. Richardson. He is a creep.”
“Does it involve Alex? I couldn’t help but notice she was absent from school.”
Shannah stood listening to their conversation. Rachael hadn’t discussed any of this with her, and she appeared dumbfounded by what was going on.
“It does. She texted me this morning. Turns out Mr. Richardson has been giving girls extra credit after school, in his office, especially if they were in a pass slash fail situation.” Maysie explained.
“Gross.” Rachael added.
“It’s more than gross. Dude’s a pedophile.” Shannah scolded.
“Of course.” Maysie agreed. “Alex is okay, but she had a C in his class. I guess he asked her to stop by his office and he made some sort of offer. She refused. I told her she needed to report it. That was last week. So she did.”
“What about Melissa and Samantha? Remember that day I saw Samantha coming from his classroom?”
“That was months ago, but you were right about her. She was one of his victims. It’s really bad.” Maysie paused. Another girl walked into the locker room to use the restroom. No one spoke until she walked back out. “I don’t know about this Melissa girl.”
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