The Taming of Lulu Pope
When Lulu Pope first laid eyes on Billy Nutter, the first thing she noticed besides his hair was his lips. She thought that they were kissable lips…and his eyes…they were attentive and expressive.
She liked the fact that Billy didn't leer at her like other boys. He didn't stare at her chest, he looked her in the eye when she spoke and that made her heart melt. He looked like a 'bad boy' and that made him hot in her eyes, and he spoke like a guy with a higher than average GPA and that made her hotter. She had wanted him from the moment she first laid eyes on him.
The problem was that he was Jane Quinby's best friend. She had hated Jane ever since the fourth grade when Jane who sat next to her in class, had gotten sick, resulting in her throwing up between their desks causing the former contents of her stomach to splash on Lulu's clothes. Lulu knew that it wasn't Jane's fault but still, her mind had at that point closed to any possibility of friendship ever developing between them.
She had done everything possible to make Jane's life miserable after that day. She had tormented her in grade school, taunted her in middle school and basically ignored her in high school accept for an occasional put down; that is until Billy had come to Lulu's attention. How could such a hot, good looking guy have such bad taste in friends?
She couldn't understand it, but then she knew that there would always be things that she didn't understand. Her father had told her once that she would have to go after whatever she wanted, and Lulu Pope wanted Billy Nutter.
He had been wary of her at first. After all, he was considered an outsider and Lulu was the most popular girl in school. She had pursued him relentlessly with him ignoring her at first. Finally, she had cornered him and pulled him into the janitor's closet at school and told him outright that she wanted him to be her boyfriend.
"Why?" Billy had asked surprised. "Is this some sort of game to get back at Jane?"
Lulu could understand his suspicions. "I..I like you, Billy." She said simply.
"But you could have any boy in this school, Lulu" he declared.
"Yeah, but I want you, Billy. Don't you like me?" she asked coyly. Lulu had stared at him sincerely and then kissed him; and Billy had succumbed to her charms. After all, what red-blooded straight male wouldn't want Lulu Pope?
She had then asked Billy to keep their relationship a secret, which was fine with him because he didn't know how he would explain things to Jane. How was he going to tell his best friend that he was now the boyfriend of her rival?
Lulu had hidden her relationship with Billy from her family and friends for months, mainly because she knew that her friends didn't think much of Billy Nutter, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. His brother's reputation was well known and everyone expected Billy to follow in his footsteps. So far, Billy had proven them wrong. Lulu certainly didn't want him to end up in her father's courtroom. It was bad enough that Billy was the caddy at the club.
Now that their relationship had gone public, she and Jane had a wary truce going on. Lulu didn't realize just how much she cared for Billy until he convinced her to lie to Jane's brother and tell him that Jane had stayed the night at her house without Billy even telling her why she was doing it, or giving her any clue what was really going on with Jane. Lulu had done it for Billy because he had kissed her senseless making her hot, and she knew that her feelings for him were growing every day.
Billy had told her several times that Jane was off limits and that she could no longer bully her if she wanted their relationship to work; therefore Lulu had ceased her vendetta against Jane for Billy's sake. God, she felt that she must be falling in love or something, because she felt that she would do whatever Billy Nutter asked of her.
Class was over and Lulu spotted Billy coming out of the building walking with what her father called 'swag'. He walked over to her pulling her into his arms giving her a kiss.
"Hey Lu" he said grinning. "I gotta work this afternoon. Are you coming to the club for a few rounds of golf?"
"I don't know" Lulu replied slowly.
"When are you going to tell your father about us?" Billy insisted. "Shall I ask him if I can take you out?"
"I..I don't know" Lulu replied. "He might not like it."
"Gosh Lu, how long are you going to hide this from him?" Billy complained.
"I'm not hiding it" Lulu insisted. "I just never told him, that's all. He doesn't like me dating. He wants me to be studying all the time. He wants me to make straight 'A's.
"That's a lot of pressure. You need to talk to him" Billy insisted.
"I know" Lulu replied sadly.
Just then Jane came out of the building. Lulu could tell that she was nervous as she approached the two of them.
"Lulu" she said nodding in acknowledgement. Jane then turned to Billy. "Billy, you promised to give me an interview one month after changing to this new you. Are you ready to record today?" She tried to push his hair to stand up on his head the way he used to wear it, and Lulu gritted her teeth at the action, but kept her mouth shut.
"Sure, Janey" Billy replied. "I can come over now because I have to be at work at three."
Jane nodded. "OK, I'll see you at my house."
She glanced at Lulu again before walking off.
"Well Lu, I've got to go" Billy said grinning at her.
Lulu smiled. "Sure, Billy"
She watched him walking off and was immediately was consumed with envy towards Jane because Jane was the one who was going to get to spend time with Billy. She wasn't jealous or insecure, because she knew that Billy was crazy about her. She just wanted time with Billy herself! Lulu knew that the two of them had been friends all their lives, it was just that she wished that she had an easy going and open relationship with Billy without the flack from her friends. Jane didn't have an overbearing father breathing down her neck either!
Lulu met her father at the country club as planned. She watched as he played and she sat in the golf cart. She stole several glances at Billy who was handing him the clubs and giving a few suggestions.
Bored, Lulu decided to walk back to the clubhouse. She was surprised to see Jane kissing Nick and smiles to herself. Lulu hoped that maybe Jane would be so engrossed with Nick that she wouldn't be focusing on her and Billy's relationship.
Lulu watched as Billy came back to the clubhouse without her father and she wondered what was going on. She watched as he walked up to her, his eyes roaming over her.
"He met up with some lawyer he knew and I left the two of them talking and slapping each other on the back" Billy replied even before she could ask him.
Lulu rolled her eyes. That was just like her father!
She pulled Billy behind a nearby oak tree, and then looked around to make sure that the coast was clear.
"Kiss me" she demanded grinning saucily.
"Gladly" he replied capturing her lips.
Billy pressed his body into hers and Lulu moaned into his mouth. She couldn't get enough of Billy's kisses. He broke the kiss with both of them breathing hard.
"Wow" Lulu said smiling, breaking the kiss.
"Yeah" Billy agreed. "Are you going to talk to the Judge? I want us to go out."
"I…I'm working on it" Lulu hedged.
Billy kissed her again and Lulu felt as if she was on fire. He grinded his body into hers and she could feel him growing hard against her.
"I'd better stop before this gets out of hand" Billy said finally pulling away from her.
"But I don't want you to stop" LuLu whined, pressing her body against his.
"Your father will be coming any minute" Billy reminded her.
"Oh, alright" she said pouting, backing off. "I saw Jane and Nick kissing before you came back. I wish I had that type of freedom. I bet her brother doesn't even care!"
"I bet her brother doesn't even know!" Billy said chuckling, running his hand through his hair. Billy then took her hand and kissed it. "Talk to your father." He insisted.
"Talk to me about what?" the Judge said sternly looking at the two of them. Billy jumped at the sound of the Judge's voice and tried not to look too guilty, but he didn't let go of Lulu's hand. He was glad that her father hadn't seen them kissing moments before.
Lulu's father looked at his daughter's well kissed mouth and the slight budge in front of Billy's pants and quickly drew his own conclusions. He snatched Lulu's hand from Billy's.
"What's going on here?" he asked looking from Billy to his daughter.
"Judge, it's not what you think" Billy replied. "I wanted Lulu to talk to you about us dating."
"Dating?" the Judge hissed angrily. "Lulu does not need to be dating! She can go out with her friends in groups, but I do not allow her to date." He glared at Billy's groin. "And you, young man need to keep your Johnson in check!"
"Sir, with all due respect, I care about your daughter." Billy protested.
"Yeah, you care about getting into her panties!" the Judge roared.
"Daddy! That's not true!" Lulu protested. "I…I love Billy!"
The Judge scoffed. "What do you know about love? You're just a child. Now go and get in the car." He tossed her the keys. He turned back to Billy.
"You need to check yourself!" he snapped. "Lulu is not just some piece of ass for you to play with. She's going to college and she's going to be something. I've invested a lot in my daughter and you are NOT going to ruin her life!"
"Judge, I care about Lulu. I do. I'm not trying to have sex with her. Neither one of us is ready for that!" Billy said calmly.
"You damn skippy!" the Judge replied. He glared at Billy again before walking off in a huff.
Lulu quickly texted Billy on his way home to see if he was alright. He told her that he was fine, but he was sure that her father would not relent on the dating issue. He then told her that he needed the job at the club and that he couldn't afford to piss her father off. Lulu assured him that she would smooth things over with her father.
Billy responded by sending her a smiley face.
Lulu reread the message and closed her phone. Her father had barely said a word to her on the way home and she was afraid to speak. She walked straight into their spacious home and went straight to her room. It wasn't long before her father knocked on the door.
"Lulu, we need to talk" he said closing the door behind him.
Lulu didn't say anything, just stared at him with her hands folded in her lap.
"I know you think I'm being hard on you, but it's just so easy for you to lose focus. Boys are secondary to your education. I don't think dating that Nutter boy is a good idea. Sure he straightened himself up a little with my suggestion, but if you put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig."
Lulu jumped up. "Daddy! Billy is not a pig and I like him."
Her father crossed his arms across his chest. "Your grades have slipped a little. Is this Nutter boy the reason, and before your answer think about it."
"Daddy, my grades aren't slipping that much and Billy has nothing to do with it. I'm just stressed, that's all." Lulu replied. "You want me to get straight 'A's and that's not always possible!"
"Maybe if you paid a little more attention to your work, and less attention to Billy Nutter, your grades would improve." Her father suggested.
"You don't like him, do you?" Lulu responded.
"He's a loser, Lulu. His brother is a loser. He doesn't have any positive role models that I can see. I don't want him dragging you down. Can't you find a more acceptable boy to like?"
"You mean someone black?" Lulu snapped.
"That would be preferable, but that's not what I'm talking about" her father responded. "I've worked hard all my life and now we lead a comfortable life. I would think that if you chose a white boy to date, you would at least choose a decent one…one with promise…one with a future that comes from a good family! Believe me, if the shoe were on the other foot, no white boy would choose a ghetto black girl!"
"Billy isn't ghetto, Daddy!" Lulu replied. "He works hard and he's smart! Can't you see that?"
"Look, I like Nutter well enough. I checked him out-"
"What?" Lulu snapped. "Why would you do that?"
"I saw the way that he was looking at you the other week. I knew he was interested in you and when you told me that he attended your school….well the rest is history." Her father replied.
"Daddy, I don't care that Billy is white. I like him…a lot. I'm seventeen. I should be able to date boys." She complained.
Her father sighed. "Look, if your grades improve by your next report card…no "C's, then I'll consider it."
Lulu watched as he walked out of the bedroom. She had only one 'C' on her last report card. The rest of her grades were 'A''s and 'B's. She wished her father would cut her a break.
Jane looked at Billy who was slouching on her sofa.
"So what's up with you?" she asked sitting next to him. "You seem to be in a funk."
"I'm alright" Billy responded.
"Miss Lulu getting tired of you, huh?" Jane teased.
"Why would you say that?" Billy snapped. "That's not true!"
"Ok, Ok" Jane said holding up her hand. "I was just teasing, Billy. Why are you being so sensitive?"
"I think her father hates me. I don't think he'll let me and Lulu be together." Billy moaned.
Secretly Jane was glad. She never liked the idea of Lulu and her best friend being together. She thought at first Lulu was doing it to get back at her, but now she wasn't so sure what was going on. Maybe Lulu really did like Billy. Well at least she had good taste in something other than clothes! Plus, Lulu hadn't been giving her any grief since she had hooked up with Billy and that was a good thing.
"Maybe now you can go back to the old Billy since the Judge didn't buy your new look" Jane replied.
"I didn't do it for Lulu, Jane. I already told you that!" Billy stressed. "By the way, what's going on between you and Nick?"
"Don't change the subject!" Jane protested and then grinned. "Nick and I….well, we're friends"
"Kissing friends!" Billy chuckled. "I heard you two were in a deep lip lock!"
"Who said that?" Jane snapped.
"Don't worry about that." Billy replied.
"So are you and Lulu calling it quits?" Jane asked hopefully.
"I really like her, Jane" Billy said looking at her sadly. "The least you can do is mourn with me."
"I'm sorry, Billy" Jane replied. "It's hard for me to mourn for Lulu Pope." She quickly hugged him. "But you are my friend. So for you, I'll mourn." She gave him a sidelong glance. "Maybe this is an omen for you."
"What do you mean?" Billy asked.
"Maybe you need a new girlfriend." Jane responded. "Maybe this thing between you and Lulu wasn't meant to be."
Billy didn't want to hear that and picked up his backpack. He always supported Jane and he knew that her and Lulu had a bad past, but why couldn't she be supportive of his decisions? Besides, Lulu hadn't been bothering Jane lately because of him! What about that?
"I've got to go." He replied opening the front door. "I'll see you later, Jane."
Jane knew that Billy wasn't happy with her response, but she was never sold on the idea of him and Lulu Pope in the first place. She was glad that Lulu's father was giving her grief. Maybe Lulu Pope would learn what it felt like to be left wanting for something. Still, Billy liked the girl; though Jane didn't see what he saw in her with her stuck up personality. She had to admit though that since Lulu had been with Billy, she had calmed down a whole lot. The Shakespeare play, 'Taming of the Shrew' came to mind. Maybe, Jane surmised, Billy Boy was in fact just what the doctor ordered for the taming of Lulu Pope.