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 ï>¿The Trailer Park: The Fourth Year A Story in the Wynter/Trailer Park
Universe by Wizard CopyrightÂ(C) 2006 by Wizard

   Chapter 61

   "What are you playing at?"

   "Excuse me," I said, looking up at Robbie.  I'd been sitting in the
library reading about Custer's early career.  I couldn't decide if the man
was a genius who got unlucky at Little Big Horn, or an idiot who got lucky
in the Civil War.

   "What's with you and the Bronx princess?"

   "Manhattan.  She's from Manhattan."

   "Quiet!" Mrs.  Conners snapped from the circulation desk.  I nodded, and
Robbie slipped into the chair opposite me.

   "What about you and Tami?"

   "Tami's my...  my friend.  She always will be."

   "I thought she was more.  I thought you loved her."

   "I'll always love Tami.  She was my first."

   "But not your last?"

   "Life's complicated."

   "That's always your excuse.  Life's complicated.  Maybe you'd better
uncomplicate it."

   "Wouldn't that be nice," I said wistfully.  "A life without
complications.  I think they call that death."

   "God, I hate you sometimes."

   "That's too bad, I've always liked you."

   "Ladies!" I shouted to get their attention.

   "He's going to yell at us again," Miranda complained.

   "I thought he only yelled on the bus," Stephy said.

   "It's tradition.  He has to yell after every meet," Kelly explained.

   I looked at Miss Calloway standing next to me.  "Is spanking allowed?"

   "No, you'd enjoy it too much," Stephy said.

   Damn, these girls have gotten to know me quick.

   Tami smiled.  "Sit!" she said loudly, and the eight girls all settled on
the bench.  "Listen!" The girls looked up at me attentively.  Sometimes I
think they behaved for her just to annoy me.

   "I just wanted to say that you ladies did a great job for your first
home meet." We'd had a weird schedule, maybe because we were the new team
in the district.  Four away meets, then two home meets, then districts.

   "You managed to lose another one." The girls booed, and I noticed that
some of the parents watching from the bleachers looked shocked.  "But, you
only lost by four points.  That's a long way from twenty."

   "Stephy almost won the all-around..." Stephy stood and clasped her hands
together over her head like a boxer, "...  and Miranda was right on her
heels."

   "Hey!" Kelly protested.  "I've got a cold."

   "And Kelly did a great job competing with a cold.  We've got one more
home meet a week from now on the eleventh, then districts.  And I think
Rachel should compete bars so that we have a sixth.  All in favor?"

   Before Rachel knew what was happening the rest of the team had their
hands in the air.

   "And that means," I continued, "that Brianna or Susie need to do floor.
What do you think girls, rock, paper, scissors or flip a coin?"

   The two girls looked at each other, then back at me.  "You're mean,"
they said in stereo.

   Kelly stood and walked up to me.  "They're a little slow if they're just
figuring that out," she whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

   I waited for the laughter to stop.  "They're a lot slow if they're just
figuring that out," I whispered back.  The two girls turned deep red as
their team laughed.

   "Four laps, then get out of here," I yelled.  "Let your parents deal
with you.  I want to go make out with my girlfriend." Zoe, who'd been
sitting on a chair behind the bench, blushed as the girls jumped up and
started running around the outside of the gym.

   I looked over at Miss Calloway.  "Maybe a boys team would have been a
better idea."

   She smiled.  "Then I wouldn't have you to help."

   Damn!  Why does everybody know me so well?



   Chapter 62

   To sleep, perchance to dream.  And what a dream.  All eight cheerleaders
begging me to judge a softest pussy contest.  I was about to agree when...

   DING DONG!

   The blasted doorbell pulled me back to the reality of my bedroom.

   DING DONG!  DING DONG!  DING DONG!

   Somebody was anxious.  I climbed out of bed and pulled on a pair of
shorts.  Mom and Dad had gone to visit Mom's sister, so it was just Traci
and me.  As I walked to the door, the doorbell went off again.

   I opened the door, and Kelly evaporated from the porch and reconstituted
herself holding onto me.  "Kelly?" I said in surprise.

   "I might have known." Traci was standing at the end of the hallway in
her nighty.  She shook her head and turned back toward her bedroom.

   I put my arm around Kelly and held her.  "What's wrong?"

   "I..." she lifted her head and looked up at me.  Her eyes were red. 
She'd been crying.  "I shouldn't have come.  It's silly."

   "You should have come," I told her.  "There's nothing silly, nothing
wrong with needing a friend now and then.

   "But it's stupid.  It was just a dream."

   I nodded, though she couldn't see me, having buried her face in my chest
again.  I held her tightly and maneuvered her backwards into my bedroom.  I
sat on my bed and pulled the frightened girl onto my lap.

   "There's nothing stupid about being upset by a dream.  Dreams can be as
powerful as reality." I thought for a second about my cheerleaders, then
pushed them out of my head.  "Do you want to tell me about it?"

   She nodded without looking up.  "It was happening again."

   Damn!  Damn!  Damn!  Fuck!  I knew I was in over my head.

   "Kenny was..." she sobbed into my chest.  Maybe I could cut his brake
lines.  Kenny had turned sixteen back in November and had an old beat-up
van.

   I rubbed her back.  "It's okay.  It was just a dream.  It wasn't
happening again."

   "It was worse."

   "Worse?"

   "Mom and Dad were sitting there watching.  Mom was saying what a bad
girl I was, and Dad was talking about sending me away."

   Damn!  Damn!  Fuck!  Fuck!

   "Kelly look at me." It took a minute, but she lifted her head and looked
up at me.  "You know your parents love you."

   "I guess."

   "You know.  And you know that if they knew what had happened, it
wouldn't be you they were mad at.  It wouldn't be you they were sending
away."

   "I know, but..."

   "There is no but."

   "I...  I guess.  I shouldn't have come over.  I woke you."

   "No, you should have come over.  I was getting up anyway." I glanced at
the clock beside my bed.  Seven thirty.  Yeah, I was getting up, in about
three hours.  "I mean it's Saturday.  Can't sleep the day away." Though I
could have tried.

   That's when I noticed how funny Kelly looked.  She was wearing a jacket
over a long flannel nightgown with untied tennis shoes.  And her hair would
have made the Bride of Frankenstein look good in comparison.

   "Did you wake Mikee when you had your nightmare?"

   "She wasn't there."

   "Where was she?"

   "Uh, she spent the night at her friend Paula's house." Somehow I had the
feeling there was more to that story, but I let it slide.

   "Did anyone notice you leave?"

   "Peter spent the night at a friend's, too.  And Mom and Dad had to work
early."

   "So you were alone?" Please say you were alone.

   "No, Kenny was there, but I think he's still asleep."

   My heart was pounding.  I wondered if Kelly could hear it with her head
pressed against my chest.  "I really don't want you there alone with Kenny.
If Mikee and Peter are going to be gone and your parents aren't there, you
can come spend the night with Traci."

   "I can take care of myself."

   "I wonder how many dead girls said that before they got killed."

   Kelly jerked her head up and looked at me.  "Kenny wouldn't kill me."

   "I didn't think he would..." damn, I still couldn't bring myself to say
rape out loud, "attack you either."

   "You worry too much," she said, laying her head back against my chest.

   "You don't worry enough," I said as I picked her up and stood.  I
carried her to my bed and laid her down.  I pulled off her shoes, then
covered her with my blanket.  It was electric, and since I hadn't turned it
off yet, it was nice and toasty.

   "Back in a minute," I told her and stepped out of the room.  I went to
Traci's room and opened the door.  She was lying in bed, reading.  "Good,
you're up."

   She looked at me, annoyed.  "You might have knocked."

   "If you'd gone back to bed, I would have woke you." I walked in and
plucked the book out of her hand.  Nancy Drew and the Spiral Staircase. 
Well, it was better than nothing.

   "What are you doing?" she demanded.

   I ignored her, pulled back her blankets, and picked her up.

   "You can't just do this," she said as I carried her down the hallway.

   "I think I just did." I carried her into my room and set her next to
Kelly and tucked her under the electric blanket.  "Stay!" I ordered.  "I'll
be back," I added in a really bad Schwartzenegger.

   I smiled at their confused looks as I left them there and went out to
the kitchen.

   In less than a minute I had eggs whipped up, the frying pans
pre-heating, and was chopping cheese, ham, and onions.  I decided to skip
the hash browns and bacon, didn't want a quarter of my gymnastics team
getting fat.

   A few minutes later I loaded a tray with three plates full of huge, and
may I say fluffy, ham and cheese omelets.  I added buttered toast and
carried it to my room.  The two girls were snuggled together talking about
American Idol.  They both thought Carrie Underwood was going to win.  I
figured they were nuts.  It was between Constantine and Bo.

   "Ladies, breakfast in bed."

   Both girls grinned.  "You know what I was saying about trading
brothers?" Traci said.  "I take it all back."

   "Damn.  Peter's never even made me a P, B & J."

   "She's coming back," Traci announced, looking out the window.

   I looked up from the book I was reading, number ten of the Mission:
Earth series, in time to see Kelly hurry by the front window.  Traci went
to the door and opened it before Kelly could knock.  Kelly's face was red,
and she looked upset.  She hurried in, barely glancing at Traci, and
settled on my lap.

   "You okay?" I asked.

   "He came home," she said softly.

   Kelly had hung around that morning until after eleven, when Kenny had
left to do whatever it was that Kenny did.  Then she went home.

   That had given me some time to hang with Zoe before she and her folks
left for Seattle.  They were supposed to be back on Wednesday.

   "You want me to heat up your electric blanket?" Traci asked
sarcastically.  I threw her a dirty look, and she left us alone.

   "It's okay," I told Kelly as I rubbed her back.  "You can hang here
until your mom and dad come home." I stole a look at my watch, the one that
Tami had given me for Christmas.  A couple minutes to four.  Her parents
ought to be home by five.

   "It was..." she buried her face in my chest again.

   I decided that I wanted to be Greg Brady.  I wanted to live with the
Brady family where the hardest problem I'd have to face was hiding the
other team's goat mascot or Bobby's shampoo turning my hair green -"or was
it pink?  Greg liked girls too.  Of course, he didn't know what to do with
them, but maybe I could fix that.

   I lifted Kelly's head until she was looking at me.  "What happened?"

   "Kenny came home about half-an-hour ago.  Bobby Hayes and Benny
Schroeder were with him.  I was sitting in the living room watching TV.  I
tried to ignore them..."

   "And?"

   "Kenny was making a lot of remarks about girls and sex and stuff.  A
couple minutes ago he started, uh, he started...  He felt up my tits and
said he was thinking of sharing." Kelly pulled her head out of my hands and
buried it again.  "That's when I came over here."

   I held Kelly for a long time.  I didn't think about what to do.  I
didn't think at all.  I just held on to her.

   Traci came back about fifteen minutes later.  "Is everything okay?" she
asked quietly from the doorway.

   I motioned her over.  I stood and put Kelly down in the chair.  Then I
pulled Traci into the seat with her, putting her arm around the other girl.
"Don't let go," I told her.

   "Where are you going?" Traci asked.

   I stopped at the front door.  "I'll be back," I told the girls.  I
didn't bother with the Schwartzenegger accent.

   "You promised," I heard behind me before I closed the door.

   I walked quickly down the street toward Kelly's house.

   Tami was just coming out of her house.  "Good, Tony.  I wanted to ask
you about our journalism assignment."

   "Not now," I said and walked past.

   I walked up into the porch and in the front door without pausing.  Kenny
and his buddies were sitting in the living room drinking cans of beer. 
Kenny made it easy.  He was closest to the door.  I grabbed the front of
his shirt and pulled him to his feet.

   "You can't just barge in..." Benny started to complain, jumping to his
feet.

   "Sit down," I ordered coldly.  Benny flushed and complied.

   I held Kenny by his bunched up shirt and stared.  I really wanted to see
what his nose would look like concave, but I kept hearing Kelly's voice
saying, "You promised."

   "What?" Kenny said after a long time.

   I took a deep breath, trying to stay in control.  "Don't ever treat you
sister like that again."

   "We were just joking around."

   I lifted his shirt higher.  Kenny was standing on his tip toes.  "Don't
ever treat you sister like that again," I repeated slowly, emphasizing
every word.

   "Or what, the brat will go crying to you, and you'll beat me up?"

   I held him there and stared, trying to see into his brain, trying to
figure out what made him tick.  Is this how sociopaths started out?  Then I
decided that I'd been watching too many cop shows.  I stared.

   Kenny squirmed, standing on his tip toes.

   I stared.

   "Let him go already," Bobby said.  "It was just a joke."

   I stared.

   I knew the exact second when Kenny knew that I knew what he'd done.  The
blood drained from his face and his eyes changed, fear replacing defiance.

   He knew, and I hadn't told him.  I hadn't broken that promise.

   "The only reason you're not bleeding," I said quietly, "is that Kelly
doesn't want me to hurt her brother.  She still cares.  Please give me an
excuse."

   Kenny held absolutely still.

   I let go, and he sagged onto the sofa.

   "My advice to you is to pretend that Mikee and Kelly don't exist.  Don't
look at them.  Don't talk to them.  Because if either one of them ever
cries again because of you, I will take you apart."

   I looked over at the other two.  "That goes for you too.  Don't look. 
Don't talk.  Don't even say hi."

   I looked back down at Kenny.  "Consider running away."

   I walked to the door.  "And change your pants," I said without looking
back, remembering the small wet spot on his crotch.

   Tami was waiting outside.

   "Feel better?"

   "No." I remembered a scene in Rocky when he went to a meat packing plant
and pounded on big slabs of beef.  Why didn't we live closer to a meat
packer?

   "You want to tell me about it?" she asked gently.

   "No."

   "Tony, I realize that you have secrets that aren't yours to tell..."

   "And I won't."

   "Even though it's tearing you up?"

   "Even then," I agreed.

   "I think I can guess."

   "God, I hope not." I didn't want to think that Tami could even conceive
of something like what Kenny had done to her sister.  It'd be nice if one
of us could have a little innocence.  "I've got to go.  I told Traci she
couldn't move until I got back."

   "I want to help."

   "There's nothing you can..." I thought about it and smiled.  "Why don't
you come over for some Monopoly."

   Tami looked surprised but nodded.

   Kelly won, and I don't think anybody realized just how much I cheated.



   Chapter 63

   Monday I cut several classes.  I knew none of my teachers would mind
except Mr.  Kincaid, and I didn't particularly care what he thought.  I
spent the first two periods talking to Miss O'Keefe, the counselor, and the
next two on the phone.  Mrs.  Hatcher, the secretary, didn't mind.  She
assumed it was for some kind of class project.

   When Tami and I got to gymnastics, the girls were dressed down and
stretching.  I walked over to Kelly and kicked her lightly.  "C'mon, we got
an appointment."

   "We do?"

   "Yep, get dressed.  My mom will be here any minute."

   Kelly looked confused.  So did the other girls, but she ran down to the
locker room and came back a couple of minutes later wearing jeans over her
leotard and tennis shoes without socks.  I'd already told Tami and Miss
Calloway that I thought we'd be back in an hour.

   Mom was waiting, and the two of us piled in the back of her van.  I
think she was looking forward to my new car almost as much as I was.  She
could resign as chauffeur.

   On the other side of town we pulled up in front of a large house with a
sign SARABETH WILLIAMS HOUSE.  "What's this place?  What are we doing
here?" Kelly asked.

   "This is the women's shelter.  I need to interview the director for a
project."

   "Oh." I knew Kelly assumed I meant a school project, but I can't be
responsible for what people assume, can I?  "Why am I here?"

   "I need a woman's point of view," I explained as I slid the door open.

   "Why me?" Kelly asked, but puffed up slightly at being called a woman. I
saw Mom's eyes glance at me in the rear view mirror, but couldn't read her
expression.

   "Well, Zoe's gone for a couple of days, Tami and I can't both miss
gymnastics, and Robbie's mad at me."

   "Why's Robbie mad?"

   "She's a redhead.  She doesn't need a reason." I got out and held out my
hand for Kelly.  We walked up the path toward the house.

   "What about Mikee?"

   I leaned down and whispered, "She's a little immature."

   Kelly giggled as I straightened and knocked.

   A woman with a black eye and swollen jaw answered.  "Hi, I'm Tony Sims.
I have an appointment with Mrs.  Fletcher."

   The woman nodded without speaking and closed the door in our faces.  I
assumed she was getting Mrs.  Fletcher.

   "That woman had a black..."

   "I know.  I leaned down until Kelly and I were eye to eye.  "Do you know
what a woman's shelter is?" She hesitated, not wanting to appear stupid,
then shook her head.  "Sometimes guys beat up on their wives or their kids.
They can come here to be safe."

   Kelly processed that.  "Guys are jerks," she said finally.

   "You got that right," I agreed as I straightened.

   The door opened, and a woman stood there.  She was mid twenties and
could have been a model with her golden blond hair and sensational body.  I
guess with a name like Mrs.  Fletcher, I'd been expecting an Angela
Lansbury type.  "Hi, I'm Kate Fletcher."

   "Hi.  I'm Tony Sims, and this is Kelly Temple.  We talked on the phone."

   "You wanted to hear my story?"

   I nodded.  "Please?"

   She looked down at Kelly.  "She's a little young," she said
apprehensively.

   "Kelly's very mature for her age." Without looking, I knew the
twelve-year-old would be puffing up a little.

   Mrs.  Fletcher nodded and led us back to her office.  A minute later we
were sitting.  She looked at Kelly.  "Do you know what incest is?"

   Kelly hesitated.  I knew she hated admitting she didn't know something,
but then, so did I.  "I know it's a bad thing, but I don't really know what
it is."

   Mrs.  Fletcher sighed, steepled her fingers and looked up at the
ceiling. "Incest is sexual relations between two people who are related. 
Like a father and a daughter, a brother and a sister, or cousins." She was
looking up and didn't see Kelly flinch when she mentioned brother and
sister.

   "There are a lot of people," she continued.  "Who will tell you that
incest is always bad, always harmful.  There are some who say it's never
bad, that it's natural.  The truth, like usual, is somewhere in between. 
Part of the problem is the legal system.  Incest is against the law almost
everywhere, but in some states it's just parents and their children or
brothers and sisters.  Other places it's cousins or even second and third
cousins.  Some places even include steps, though, technically, they aren't
related.  In my case, it was my grandfather."

   Kelly's eyes got real big.  "You had sex with your grandfather?"

   Mrs.  Fletcher sighed again and looked at Kelly.  "Lets just say, he had
sex with me."

   "But, your grandfather?"

   Mrs.  Fletcher nodded.  "It started when I was five.  Mom would leave me
with him a couple a nights a week when she had to work late.  It started
with touching.  He'd touch me in..." she hesitated, "my private place."

   "Your pussy," Kelly suppled.

   Now it was Mrs.  Fletcher's turn to be surprised.  "Yes, my pussy.  And
he'd want me to touch his...  his cock."

   Kelly nodded in understanding.

   "When I was nine or ten, I told him that I didn't want to do it anymore,
but he said I had to.  By then he was licking me all over and wanted me to
lick his cock too.  I didn't want to, but he was my grandfather, and kids
are supposed to do what their parents or grandparents tell them, right?"

   Kelly and I both nodded.

   "When I was eleven we had full sex."

   "He fucked you," Kelly said bluntly."

   "Yes, he did."

   "You know, I need some air," I announced.  "I'll be back in a few
minutes." Without waiting for an answer, I got up and left.

   Outside, I walked to the van.  Mom was reading a magazine.  I looked
over her shoulder.  Cosmopolitan.  "There's a little store on the next
block.  Want anything?" I asked.

   "A Pepsi would be nice," she said without looking up.

   "I want a DNA test.  We can't be related." Mom was one of those people
who didn't care if it was Coke, Pepsi, RC, or something in-between.  Though
she did draw the line at the Safeway and Wal-Mart house brands.

   I walked to the store and came back a few minutes later with two cans of
Coke.  We sat in the van and drank.  "Were you planning to tell me what
this is all about?" she asked after a couple of minutes.

   "Did Traci tell you that she landed ten cartwheels in a row on the beam
Friday?" I asked.

   "I'll take that as a no then." she went back to her magazine.

   Thirty-five minutes later I saw the door open and Kelly step out.  I
rushed up the walk to meet her.

   "You told her, didn't you?" she accused.

   "No, I didn't.  When I talked to her on the phone, I told her that you
had a secret that wasn't mine to tell.  But lots of people have secrets."

   Kelly nodded.

   "Did you tell her?"

   Kelly bit her lip and nodded.

   "Did it help?"

   "I guess so." She kind of cocked her head as she looked at me.  "Why did
you bring me here?"

   "Kelly, you were having nightmares."

   "One."

   "It starts with one.  I was out of my league.  I didn't know how to
help."

   "You helped, just by being my friend."

   "It wasn't enough.  Mrs.  Fletcher has a degree in psychology, plus
she'd been through something like what you're going through."

   "Did she tell you she hasn't talked to her grandfather since she was
twelve?"

   "Yeah."

   "That's kinda sad."

   "Yeah, it is," I agreed.

   "She thinks I should tell Mom."

   "I do to."

   "I can't."

   "Kelly, you know your mom loves you.  And you know she's not going to
think it's your fault."

   "What if Kenny tells her I wasn't a virgin?  What then?"

   Good question.  Damn good question.  Good questions are even better when
you have good answers to go with them.

   "Kelly, if you want me to go with you to talk to your mom I will.  I'll
even tell her that I popped your cherry."

   Kelly gave me the kind of look usually reserved for people with IQ's of
sixty or below.  "Are you nuts?"

   "I'm not afraid of your mother." Of course when Alana comes home from
college, she'll probably have Big Tony stuffed and mounted.  "Whatever it
takes to make you comfortable telling her."

   "Something that doesn't involve us both being grounded to the year
twenty-five twenty-five would be nice."

   A Zager and Evans reference.  I didn't think she had it in her.

   "Maybe we could start off easy.  We could tell your mom about my
cherry," she suggested.

   "Are you nuts?  I had to sit through a two-hour sex lecture when she
found out Traci had kissed some boy at a dance.  She finds out about your
cherry, and we're talking a week, minimum."

   "With slides and diagrams," Kelly agreed.  "Let's take it a step at a
time.  I'm coming back to talk to Kate some more on Saturday afternoon."

   "Saturday afternoon, I'll be a licensed driver.  May I transport you to
your appointment?" I said with a bow.

   Kelly giggled, looked at me, and giggled again.  "No, you won't."

   "You've been talking to Traci.  I assure you, I'll pass my test on the
first try."

   "That's not what I meant.  You can't take the test till you're sixteen,
and your birthday is on Saturday.  The DMV's closed Saturday.  So you can't
take your test until Monday."

   I laughed.  "Ordinary mortals can't take it Monday either.  DMV will be
closed while they install some new software and train everybody on it.  But
I am no ordinary mortal!" I puffed out my chest like George Reeves on the
old Superman TV show.

   "What gives?"

   "Well, way back in June, I called the DMV and made an appointment for
the twelfth at eight AM.  A week ago, a guy calls and says there's been a
mistake, that I had an appointment for a Saturday drive test, but they
don't give Saturday drive tests.  I said they'd made the appointment; they
should honor it.  He pretty much laughed in my face, told me the office was
closed Monday and booked solid Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but that if
I asked nice, I could have an appointment for Friday.

   "I called the director."

   "The director?"

   "The big boss of the DMV.  I looked up his phone number on the internet.
I called and told him all about the phone call I'd gotten, especially the
tough-luck-kid attitude of the guy who called.  I told him my call was just
a courtesy and that next I was calling the paper in Seattle and telling
them all about it.  The DMV has gotten a lot of bad press lately over
customer service and attitude.

   "He asked if I'd mind waiting an hour, and I agreed.  About ten minutes
later I got a call from the guy in the local office who apologized up and
down and told me I could test Saturday morning."

   "Too cool.  Will you have trouble from the guy when you take the test?'

   "I don't think so.  I've still got the director's phone number."



   Chapter 64

   "Want a job?"

   "A job?" I turned and looked at Gary.  It was Wednesday, the day before
our last home meet, and he'd come to watch practice.

   "Yeah a job.  It's this wild concept.  You do work, people give you
money, the government takes most of it." I wondered if he'd taken lessons
from Robbie.

   "I know what a job is.  But..."

   "Do you want one?" he repeated.

   "I've got a job.  I'm a dishwasher at the Three Blondes.  Though between
football, gymnastics, and baseball next month, I only work a couple a days
a month until summer."

   "My job's more fun."

   "They're going to make me a cook."

   "I pay more."

   "How much?"

   "How bout eight to start."

   Eight bucks an hour.  I'd be rich.  I was only getting minimum wage at
the restaurant.  "Why?"

   "I watched you work with these girls.  You get good results.  They like
you, and though they give you a hard time, they respect you.  And you're
picking up the spotting pretty quick, too.

   "How bout nine?" I said just to see how he'd react.

   He smiled.  "Nine if you wear a cute little pink leotard like Stephy,
eight-fifty if you want to wear shorts."

   I looked at Stephy's leo.  It was cute, on her.  "Eight-fifty," I agreed
and we shook.

   "I can live with that."

   We focused again on the girls doing their sit-ups and push-ups.

   I couldn't believe it.  Eight-fifty an hour.  And fifty cents of that
just because I had a big mouth.

   "You sure you want to hire a coach who's o and five, and will probably
be o and seven?"

   "You gonna be o and seven next year?"

   "Not a chance."

   I got a ride home with Kelly's mom.  Tami's mom met her, and they went
to eat.  Traci was going to Miranda's house for dinner, and my folks were
out doing a dinner slash interview with some guy who might hire dad.  So I
had the house to myself.

   I grabbed a ribeye out of the freezer and popped it in the microwave to
defrost.

   While my steak was being bombarded with radiation, I decided to snoop. I
went back to Mom and Dad's bedroom and looked through the stack of bills on
Dad's desk.  On top was one from the bank about the mortgage.  Big black
letters, NOTICE OF DEFAULT.  Further down the stack I found out why we were
so far in the hole, even though Mom was working and made pretty good money.
When Dad quit, the state had stopped paying for health insurance.  He'd
kept it up, and the premiums were outrageous.

   I put everything away and went to fix dinner, thinking that maybe a
hamburger would have been a better choice.  Or a grilled cheese.

   Zoe and I got off the bus and walked to the mailboxes.  Tami, Mikee, and
Kelly got off behind us and headed for their houses.  Traci had gone to
Miranda's.  Since we had our meet at six, we were actually getting a chance
to go home first.  I got our mail -"more bills -"then took Zoe's hand and
walked her to her house.

   "I have some things to do before the meet tonight," I explained.  "So
I'll pick you up about five-thirty."

   Zoe nodded, and I leaned forward and kissed her.  I'd planned a quick
one, but as our lips locked together, I found I didn't want it to stop.  I
put one hand on the back of her head and the other on her back and pulled
her closer.  My tongue snaked out of my mouth and rubbed against her lips.

   Her mouth opened, and for the first time, my tongue moved inside just as
her door opened.  For the corner of my eye, I saw an annoyed mother.  I
didn't pull away, but kept kissing the girl.  My tongue brushed against
hers, and I felt her jump.  I kept kissing for another twenty seconds or
so, then pulled back.  I ignored her mother and looked down at my watch. 
"I'll see you in ninety-four minutes.

   She nodded and turned, seeing her mother for the first time.  Her mother
started talking in a low voice as I jumped off the porch.  The only words I
caught were, "almost sixteen".

   I guessed the age thing was rearing it's ugly head.  I hoped it wasn't
going to be a major problem, I really didn't want to go to Plan B.

   I took the path next to the pool.  As I passed Tami's house, I could
hear the bass of the stereo, but I couldn't tell what song it was.  I
glanced in the window and saw Tami and the girls dancing.  I smiled.

   'Maybe Greg Brady isn't simple enough, ' I thought.  Maybe I should be
Opie Taylor in Mayberry.  Talk about no problems.  But what the hell kind
of name is Opie?

   I got home, snagged the phone, and headed for Dad's bedroom to add to
his stack of bills.

   Mom got home just before five thirty.  We picked up Zoe, Tami, and Kelly
and headed for the meet.

   "Ladies!" I yelled.

   The girls rushed into a straight line, tallest to shortest in front of
the bench, and popped off some snappy salutes.  They'd obviously practiced.
"Team all present and accounted for, sir!  Ready to be yelled at!" Stephy
said and popped another salute.

   "Sit," I said tiredly.  I was beginning to think my decision to become a
coach was a little hasty.  Either that, or I had to find a school to coach
at where spanking was allowed.

   "That was our last home meet, and ya lost again."

   "Sir, yes sir!" they yelled together.  I thought about the eight-fifty
an hour I was going to get from Gary to coach gymnastics and wondered if
now would be a good time to ask for a raise.

   "But you lost by less than two."

   Stephy stood up.  "Sir, one point two two five, sir!"

   If her parents hadn't been sitting in the bleachers I would have put her
over my knee right then.

   "I think you've all improved a lot, and I hope you've all had fun. 
Except for Stephy, Maria and Miranda who'll be at the high school next
year..."

   "If Miranda passes math," Traci interrupted.  Miranda who was sitting
next to her gave her an elbow in the stomach.  "Coach, she hit me," Traci
complained.

   "Come here for a second, and I'll hit you too." The brat stuck her
tongue out.  "Except for the eighth graders, who plans to compete again
next year?"

   All five seventh graders raised their hands.

   "Well, start recruiting.  We want enough girls next year so that we can
have seven or eight per event.  Then we won't be so desperate that we have
to use Traci."

   The look on Traci's face was worth all the abuse.  Stephy jumped to her
feet.  "As team captain, we resent that remark.  Traci is a valuable member
of this team."

   "Yeah!" the others yelled.

   I bowed to the girls.  "I withdraw the comment."

   "You'd better!" Kelly, sitting on the other side of Traci, yelled.

   "Next week, we have districts on Friday and Saturday in Wenatchee. 
Everybody competes on Friday for the all-around and the team, and that's
when we lose our last meet..."

   "Boo!" they yelled.

   "Then Saturday, the top twelve girls in each event compete.  I hope we
have at least one girl in every event."

   "You better believe it!" Kelly yelled.

   "Captain, would you muzzle her?"

   Stephy shook her head.  "Nope, she bites."

   Kelly showed her teeth and did a couple of exaggerated bites.

   I sighed and looked over at Miss Calloway.  "Anything you want to add?"

   She shook her head.  "No, I'm afraid of them."

   "No practice tomorrow, so have a good weekend, and we'll see you on
Monday.  No laps tonight.  Go home and remind your parents why they should
have contributed to planned parenthood."

   Stephy jumped up for the third time.  "Sir, permission to kiss, sir!"

   "Excuse me?"

   Stephy stepped forward and kissed me on the cheek.  "Thank you." Then
she hugged Tami and Miss Calloway.  One by one the girls came forward and
kissed me on the cheek and said thank you.  When it was Traci's turn, she
held her hand out to shake, then blushed and kissed me on the cheek too.

   Suddenly I remembered why I wanted to be a coach.



   Chapter 65

   I really hate when they misfile things.

   According to the computer, the book I wanted was in the library, but it
sure wasn't on the shelf it was supposed to be.  Which meant either a brain
dead library aide had misfiled it or somebody had picked it up, then put it
back in the wrong place.

   The book had a four hundred number, I wondered if somebody might have
read it as a nine hundred.  I moved over to that book case.

   "...  just is." I heard Tami say from the other side.

   "How can you defend him?" I recognized Robbie's voice.

   "Cause he's Tony." Damn, they were talking about me.

   "That's not an excuse."

   "No, it's not an excuse," Tami agreed.  "It's a mission statement." I
felt the heat rushing to my cheeks.

   "That's no excuse for the way he's treating you."

   "We're friends.  That's how he treats me."

   I figured it was about time to make a quiet escape.

   "He just wants to get in her pants.  Like he did you, me, Mikee, Kelly,"
Robbie charged.

   Damn.  That hurt.  But it wasn't like that.

   "It isn't like that," Tami said in my defense.  "Besides, if he wanted
in her pants, all he had to do was smile.  She's been crushin' on him since
that first Monopoly game."

   "For three years he's told you he loved you.  He's asked you to marry
him a dozen times.  Then he dumps you for a skanky thirteen-year-old bitch
from New York."

   "Zoe is..."

   "Zoe's my friend," I said, stepping around the bookcase.  Tami was
sitting at a table, and Robbie was leaning over the other side.  "And I
really don't see how who I love or don't is any of your business."

   Robbie straightened and we stared at each other about eight inches
apart. "Tami's my friend.  I don't want to see her hurt."

   "She's mine too.  But so is Zoe, and I don't want to hear you talk about
her."

   "Or what?" she challenged.  "She's a guy stealin' little bitch."

   "For your information, she didn't go after me.  I went after her."

   "What's the difference?"

   "The difference is, keep talking and we'll find out if I think of you
more as a girl, who my mama taught me not to hit, or a football player
who's trashing my girlfriend."

   Robbie looked surprised.  I didn't know if I'd actually hit her, but I'd
done a lot of things lately that surprised me.

   Tami jumped up and grabbed my arm.  "C'mon, walk me to my locker." I
glared at Robbie for almost a minute, neither of us willing to give an inch
before I let Tami pull me away.

   I was still in a rotten mood when I got home at four.  Since we didn't
have practice, I actually got to go home for a change.  Traci and I walked
in the door and saw my parents sitting in the living room.  I grunted
something and headed for my room.  I don't get in bad moods often, but at
least I recognize them when they hit, and I've discovered that I have less
bridges to mend if I just avoid people as much as possible.

   "Tony, could I see you a minute?" my dad yelled a few minutes later.

   "Yes, oh wise and compassionate one?" I said when I walked into the
living room.

   Mom, sitting on the arm of Dad's chair, giggled.

   "I got a call about you this morning," Dad started.

   A call?  I hadn't even seen Parker since before Christmas.

   "Clark, from the bank.  He said he talked to you last month, and you
were rude and disrespectful."

   "Clark called to complain about me?" I said in amazement.

   "Well, he called about something else, but then he told me that you were
extremely..."

   "The mortgage payment.  He called about the mortgage payment?"

   "Well, yes," Dad said, looking embarrassed.

   "Excuse me a minute," I said and picked up the phone.  I found the
number I wanted in the caller ID list and pressed dial.  "Candice Hall
please," I asked when the phone was answered.  Mom and Dad looked at each
other confused.

   "Miss Hall, this is Tony Sims.  Your man Clark called my dad this
morning to hound him about the mortgage payment."

   "Yes I realize that, apparently he didn't" I said after she replied.

   "He also took the time to complain about my rude and disrespectful
attitude last month."

   "I would think so."

   "Thank you.  I appreciate it." I hung up.  The folks looked even more
confused.

   "The bank apologizes, and you won't hear from Clark again.  In fact, I
think Clark may be looking for new employment." Maybe I should let him know
that a dishwashing position at the Three Blondes would be opening up.  I
stood.  "Anything else?"

   "Sit down," Mom said sharply.  "What was that?"

   I took a deep breath, Dad was not going to be happy.

   "Clark called last month and was somewhat condescending.  I talked to
his supervisor, Miss Hall.  She apologized for his attitude.  I was calm
and polite during the entire conversation.  Apparently Clark carried a
grudge.  He shouldn't have called today."

   Dad shook his head.  "No, maybe Clark shouldn't have complained about
you, but he was just doing his job.  We're behind and he..."

   "No, you're not."

   "We're not?" Mom said.

   "As of yesterday, you're not only current, you're a month ahead.  Clark
evidently didn't bother checking the computer before calling."

   Mom's expression was priceless: a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and
relief.  Dad's was less priceless.  He shot to his feet so fast that Mom
almost hit the floor.  "What did you do?"

   "I paid the mortgage," I said simply.

   "With your car money?"

   "Who needs a car?  I have the school bus and Mom."

   "How dare..." Dad thundered, but Mom interrupted.

   "Tony, would you wait in your room please."

   My retreat would have been a credit to any military genius.

   Yesterday when I called Candace Hall and used my savings account to pay
the mortgage, utilities, and back park rent, I'd known Dad wouldn't be
happy.  It was a pride thing.  That was why he hadn't asked any of my
grandparents for help.  None of them were rich, but they were all pretty
well off.

   Traci stuck her head in my door.  "Are you in trouble?" Once upon a
time, she would have asked that with hope.

   "Not sure yet."

   "Is it bad?"

   "Not sure yet." If Dad was mad now, when he found out I'd also paid up
his Porsche, he was going to hit the roof.  "If you're smart, it would be a
good time to visit Ann or Kelly."

   Traci thought about that, then nodded.  A minute later I heard the front
door.

   "Tony, would you come here please," I heard Mom yell a few minutes
later.

   Dad was sulking.  Mom was back on the arm of his chair.  "First of all,"
she said.  I'd like to know how much you have left in your bank account."

   "A little over eighteen dollars," I admitted."

   "You spent eight thousand dollars!" Dad thundered before a sharp look
from Mom sent him back to sulking.

   "Well, four months of mortgages took half of it.  Then I paid the park
rent, the electric, the water, the Porsche, the phone, the..."

   "You paid my car!" Dad shot to his feet again.  This time Mom was ready
and jumped to her feet herself.

   "Sit," she instructed, and Dad sat and sulked again.  "You felt you
needed to do this?"

   "Well, you guys put a roof over my head for sixteen years.  I figured I
could do my part for a couple of months."

   "Eight thousand dollars," Dad moaned.

   "Why would you do this without talking to us first?" Mom asked.

   I looked at her.  "If I'd offered him the money, what would he have
said?"

   "No," Dad said without looking at either of us.  "You've been saving for
that car since you were old enough to know what a car was."

   "Not quite.  Besides, they say that waiting for something makes you
appreciate it more."

   "Who says?" Mom asked, knowing how my mind works.

   "Mostly the guys who can't afford a new car."

   "You shouldn't have done this," Dad said, sounding a lot calmer.

   "Why?  The reason you don't have a job is because you didn't want Traci
and me to have to move.  And the reason you're behind on the bills, even
though Mom is working, is that you've kept up the health insurance.  I
figure a large part of the reason for that is my baseball and football and
Traci's gymnastics."

   Dad nodded, accepting the situation.  "I'll pay you back."

   "You better believe you will," I said with a grin.  "Besides I had an
ulterior motive."

   "What?" they said together.

   "March is coming up.  I figured if I get suspended like usual, you can't
ground me as long if you owe me money."