I found my way to Lori, hiding my shimmering eyes from the other kids, and we climbed into her car, where
I spilled my tale of woe about Eddie.
"That's awful," she said, with sympathy.
"It's bad enough about Eddie," I sniffed. "I really liked him. But what makes it worse is that he never would have
changed his mind if it wasn't for Evan and Ford!"
Lori nodded in agreement.
"Evan's one thing," I continued to rant. "I expect this crap from him. But Ford! It's not like him to do something like
this! He never butts in, or interferes!"
"Maybe he was just going along with it because of Evan," Lori suggested, taking a long drink of her shake.
"No," I denied. "If he didn't agree with it, he would have just stayed quiet. It's his fault, too. Maybe not as much as
Evan, but it still is!"
"Maybe I should be glad I just have Brent to deal with," Lori offered. "He's really horrible, and he doesn't like me. But he'd
never notice who I went out with, or even care. I can't even remember the last time we did anything fun together."
A voice at the back of my mind put forth the thought that I didn't want brothers like Brent, who were really mean, and
didn't give a hoot about me, or who didn't want to spend time with me.
But I pushed that thought away. Certain brothers needed to be taught a lesson about sticking their noses into
my business!
"I'm not going to be home by eleven," I said impulsively.
"You're not? How come?" Lori asked.
"Because I'm not going to the movies, that's why! I'm going to that party at Hell's Bend!"
Lori got wide-eyed at my defiant tone. "You are?" she asked.
"Yes, I am! I'm tired of being Miss Goody Goody. They ruined my chance with Eddie, so they can just shove it! I don't care
if they sit home and worry about me!"
Lori considered. "My dad's not home tonight," she said thoughtfully. "I'll go with you. We'll do it!"
"Okay!" I said, glad she was in on it with me.
"Should we drive your mom's car out there?" I asked. "Or maybe we should park it here, and catch a ride out with
somebody else?"
Lori considered that. "No, let's drive ourselves. That way, we can leave if we want to. You know, if something makes us
uncomfortable or anything like that. Right?"
"Good idea," I agreed. I blew my nose on one of the tissues from the glove compartment. "I'm not going to do anything
stupid," I assured Lori. "We'll go to the party, and I'll breeze in home around one this morning, and when they start in on me,
I'll tell them just what I think of them!"
"I think I can get around my mom okay," Lori said. "But what about if Evan tells Adam you stayed out that late?"
I felt a moment of unease. I thought that over.
"I'll make him feel bad for what he did with Eddie," I said finally, defiantly. "Then he won't say anything." I thought another
couple of minutes. That probably wouldn't work.
"I'll just let them get good and worried about where I am, and then I'll tell them we had a flat tire or something like that,"
I decided.
"No, say we ran out of gas," Lori said. "My mom would want to take the flat to Jake's garage to be fixed."
"Good idea," I said. "Let's go!"
We were pulling out of the Dari Kurl parking lot when I saw Guthrie's truck approaching from the opposite direction.
Guthrie was waving out his open window, in an obvious gesture for us to stop.
"I think Guthrie wants to talk to us," Lori said, looking at me. "What do you want me to do?"
"Go ahead and stop," I told her. "He'll know something is up if I don't talk to him."
"Okay," Lori said, and pulled to a stop.
Guthrie pulled alongside of us.
"Hey," he said, and Kristin leaned across to wave at us.
"Hi," I said, and Lori gave a wave back.
"Are you headin' to the movies?" Guthrie asked.
I didn't say anything, and Lori said, "We're talking about it."
I was leaning back in the car seat so that Guthrie wouldn't see my face. He can always tell when I've been crying.
"Har, you okay?" Guthrie asked, leaning out a little to try to see me around Lori.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I gave Lori a poke on the leg to prod her to go. "See you guys later."
But our escape was not to be. "Wait," Guthrie said. "I wanna talk to you a minute. I'll pull over."
I groaned as Guthrie pulled forward, to the end of the parking lot where there were less cars.
"What are you going to tell him?" Lori asked.
"I can handle Guthrie," I said, and got out to meet Guthrie halfway. He was walking with Kristin, holding her hand.
Kristin gave me a side hug. "Guthrie told me what happened today with Evan's truck. It sounds like it's been an awful day!"
"Yeah. I've had better," I said.
Kristin looked at me, and then at Guthrie. "I'll go talk to Lori," she said, and left Guthrie and I alone.
"Somethin's wrong," Guthrie said, without preamble. "What is it?"
I gave Guthrie an eye roll type of answer to throw him off the track. "Well, let's see, Guth, what could
possibly be wrong? I went for an unplanned swim in Sugar Creek, I totaled out Evan's truck, I saw you almost
get drowned, and tomorrow everybody's going to get home and find out about it all. What makes you think
anything is wrong?"
"Knock it off," Guthrie ordered, obviously not impressed with my sarcasm.
"You've been cryin'," he accused me then.
"You saw me crying, remember? At the creek?"
"This is new cryin'. You didn't look like this when you left the house."
"So what? I'm entitled to cry after this sucky day," I defended.
Guthrie gave me a once-over with the experienced eye of a brother who has seen a sister thru many situations,
and many moods.
"Don't worry about Evan," he advised. "He's not that mad."
"I don't care if he is," I said definitely.
"Yeah?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"Yeah."
"You do care," Guthrie argued.
"No," I said angrily. "He needs to shut his mouth. Ford, too."
Now Guthrie really looked confused. "What are you talkin' about? Why are you mad at Ford?"
"Because," I said. Then in a torrent of feelings, I let go. "They told Eddie not to go out with me!"
Guthrie didn't have the shocked expression I would have expected, and with a hurtful jolt, I had a new and
unwelcome thought.
"You knew about it!" I accused. "Guthrie-so help me, if you knew and you didn't tell me-"
"Don't get your bloomers in a bunch," he said. "I didn't know about it. They must have talked to him when he brought Evan home
today."
"You don't look surprised, though."
"Well, I'm not surprised. I knew how Evan felt about it-"
"I don't care! He still shouldn't have said anything!"
"Well," Guthrie allowed. "Maybe not. But he did. So you're just gonna have to deal with it."
I frowned at Guthrie. Then I shrugged, attempting nonchalance. "Okay. I will."
"What does that mean?" Guthrie asked suspiciously.
I hesitated, wondering whether to tell Guthrie the truth or not. If I wasn't honest, and then he didn't see
me at the movies, he'd root the truth out of me anyway, and then he'd be mad at me. One of the worst things in the
world to me, is having Guthrie be mad at me.
I lifted my chin, and met his eye. "Lori and I are going to a party. Not the movies."
Guthrie looked stunned. And disapproving. "When did you decide this?" he asked.
"Just awhile ago."
"After you found out what Evan had done, right?" Guthrie determined.
"Maybe," I said, with a shrug.
"Not maybe. Definitely."
I lifted my shoulders again.
"Har, just go to the movies. Please," Guthrie entreated.
"Why can't I go to a party?"
"You can. You can do whatever you want. But it's dumb. Especially doin' it just because you're mad at Evan."
"And Ford. I'm mad at him, too."
Guthrie rolled his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh.
"Just go to the movies with Kristin, and have a good time," I said. "I'll see you later at home."
"Don't do anything stupid," Guthrie said. "At least, no more stupid than what you're doin' already," he amended.
"That's a real nice thing to say, Guth. Thanks," I said sarcastically.
"Just tellin' it like it is," Guthrie returned.
Even though Guthrie was looking at me sort of fiercely, and acting all gruff, he was popping his knuckles, and that's a sure
sign that he's nervous, or worried about something.
"I'll go to the party for awhile, and then I'll come home," I said. "Don't worry." I patted his arm.
"Okay," Guthrie sighed, but he didn't look happy.
7
Since Lori and I are a lot alike, at least in the fact that her dad is pretty strict, just like Adam, and that we are both good
students that don't get into much trouble, we therefore approached the party with similar outlooks. Which was excitement, yet tempered
with nervous anticipation, and worry. The road was so packed with cars that we had to park a long way from the crowd, and then follow the noise of all
the people, and the smell of smoke from a bonfire.
As soon as we approached the crowd, I started recognizing people, some from school, mostly seniors. There were even some older
kids there, well not really kids, but people who had been out of school a year or two, older than Ford. Looking around I only saw a few kids
from our class at school, including Chelsea, who was wrapped in the arms of a burly looking guy that I didn't know.
She squealed with she saw us, and pulled her guy along to come over to say hello to us.
"You made it!" she exclaimed. She introduced the guy she was with, telling us his name was Joe. When he turned to talk to
someone passing by, Lori and I asked her where she'd met him.
"I met him here, tonight," Chelsea giggled. It was obvious that she was well on her way to being tight. "There's a lot of cute guys here!
A bunch of people came from other towns."
I had no plans to take up with somebody I didn't know. I just wanted to mingle, and have some fun, and discover what all the
hullabaloo was about. So that's what I did. Or started out doing.
We'd been just walking around for about an hour, Lori and I, talking to different people. I was starting to have fun, and was involved in
conversation with some of the older kids from school. I'd been urged several times to have a beer, and I took one, but I mostly held
it, only sipping it occasionally, thinking that I wouldn't drink it all.
Country music was blaring from a boom box that somebody had brought, and some kids were roasting
marshmallows on the bonfire.
Several guys we didn't know talked to Lori and I, and asked for our phone numbers, but we just smiled, and shook our heads.
"They'll think we're all mysterious," Lori whispered to me, and we collapsed into giggles. I don't know why, because it wasn't even
that funny. Somehow, I found that without realizing it, I'd finished my beer after all.
It was about that time that I saw Eddie, standing on the edge of a group of guys. He was listening to the others talk, but
he was watching me. I tossed my head, and looked away, and took another beer, offered from the boy who was standing beside me.
Riley, his name was. Riley something.
"So, Harlie, huh?" Riley asked, giving me a smile. "I never heard of a girl named that before."
I've heard that all my life, so I just nodded. "No, there's not too many of us," I agreed.
"Well, I like it," Riley continued. "It's real cute."
Riley leaned down close to my ear, so I could hear over the noise. "Wanna take a walk?"
I looked up at him, knowing what my answer needed to be. "Not right now," I said, smiling at him in what
I hoped was an intriguing way. I still wanted him to talk to me.
Everything started being really funny after that. The more I talked to Riley, the cuter he seemed. Lori, likewise, was
seemingly enthralled with one of Riley's friends. I was aware enough to realize that everything seemed humorous because
I'd finished one beer and was working on another. The freedom I felt at knowing there was no Adam or Hannah, Brian or Crane, at
home to smell the beer on me, or come uncorked over my behavior, made me feel light and loose. I giggled again.
"You're sure a happy girl," Riley said, looking amused.
I was laughing up at him, when I felt a hand on my elbow. I turned to find myself looking up at Eddie.
"Can I talk to you a minute, Harlie?" he asked.
"I thought you already did that," I said sarcastically. "Did you leave something out when you talked to me before?"
"Now, Harlie, don't be like that," Eddie said.
"What's goin' on?" Riley objected, his words slurring a little.
"Nothing at all," Eddie said smoothly. "I'm just going to talk to your girl for a minute."
And without giving either Riley or I a chance to react, Eddie took my arm and pulled me off to the side, away from the crowd,
where it was quieter.
I pulled my arm from his. "What do you want?" I demanded.
"Do you even know that guy you're talking to?"
"Sure, I know him. His name is Riley."
"Riley who?"
I shrugged. "Why do you care?"
"Harlie, you're a good kid-" he began.
"Exactly. I'm a kid. At least according to you. And Evan. And Ford. And all the rest of my family, too," I said bitterly.
"How about I give you a ride home?" Eddie offered.
"No, thank you," I said haughtily. "Besides," I said, shaking my finger in his face. "That's a big no-no, isn't it? Evan might
beat you up if you did that."
"Evan and Ford are just looking out for you," Eddie said. "You're lucky to have them. And you're just being dumb right now. You're
going to get yourself in trouble."
"You're pretty good at that lecturing stuff," I told him. "But I don't need any more big brothers. Thanks just the same."
I turned to go, and it would have been a perfect parting shot, except that Eddie moved to stand in front of me.
He didn't say anything, he just stood there, and when I moved to go around him, he blocked me again. After a couple times of
that nonsense, I glared at him. "What are you doing?!" I said, almost yelling.
"Please, Harlie? Let me take you home."
His voice was so low and his face, lit up by the bonfire, was so handsome, that I was almost pulled in. I caught myself with a jerk.
"No. Now leave me alone! I have somebody to talk to who doesn't think I'm too young!"
Eddie looked angry now. "I'm telling you-"
"And I'm telling you!" I said, poking him in the chest. "I don't answer to you!"
"Maybe you don't," Eddie agreed. "But I'll bet you'd take a different tone if your brothers were here. You'd answer to them, alright."
I felt a chill pass over me, almost a premonition of some sort. But I dismissed it with a sweep of my hand around the rowdy crowd.
"I don't see any of them here, Eddie. Do you?"
Eddie looked disgusted. "Maybe you really are too young. You're sure acting immature right now."
That remark cut me to the quick. But I did my best to hide it under more smart comments.
"That's fine," I said. "It doesn't matter, because we're nothing. We're not even friends!"
I don't think I imagined the hurt on Eddie's face. "Sure, we're friends," he said.
"No," I said stubbornly. And with that, I turned and walked back to Lori and the boy she was talking to. And to Riley.
I don't know for sure how much time passed. Eventually, Lori and I found ourselves sitting by the edge of the fire, with Riley and the
other boy, whose name I couldn't seem to recall. I was vaguely aware of Eddie, standing on the fringes, and I think he was
still watching me. Keeping an eye on me, more than likely, I thought, with resentment.
"Try this," Riley said, pushing a bottle into my hands.
I peered at it in the firelight. "What is it?"
"It's a wine cooler. Try it."
I took a sip. It was sweet. I'd never tasted anything like it before. I drank a little more. I took off my boots, and then my socks,
sinking my toes into the grass. Riley grinned in approval.
"Boots and socks off now," he said, with a smile that was more of a leer. "Later, maybe somethin' else off, huh?"
Well, I knew that wasn't good. But in response I just said, "Ha!"
That's when things got more lively. And more out of hand.
First, Trent showed up, with a couple of Guthrie's other friends. Lori and Trent had been broken up for about two weeks, and
I knew that had a lot to do with her coming to the party tonight. When Trent stood in front of her, holding out his hand to Lori to help
her up, and asking her to come talk to him, she took his hand, and went with him without a word of protest. The boy she'd been talking to
objected, but not too strongly. I think he was too drunk to really care.
Then, on the other side of me, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nancy. Evan's Nancy. She was standing with a group of
girls, just talking, and when she saw me she got a surprised look on her face.
Without any hesitation, she came right over to me.
"Hi, Harlie," she greeted me.
"Hi."
"Um, is Evan here, too?" she asked me, looking around.
"Nope."
"Oh, because he said he was staying home tonight-" Nancy broke off to give me a closer look. "Are you alright, Harlie?"
I didn't feel all that good right at that moment, but I said, "I'm okay."
Nancy reached down and took hold of my hand. "Come on with me for a minute," she said, pulling me up.
"Hey," Riley protested. "Where you goin'?"
Nancy pulled me away, to the field away from other people, and surveyed me intently. I didn't miss the fact that she was
holding a bottle of Coke, not beer.
"Are you by yourself?" she asked me. "Or is Guthrie here?"
"I came with Lori," I told her.
"Have you been drinking?" she asked, sounding shocked.
"Just a little."
"Well, Evan said he was staying home tonight, so he could hang out with you and Ford. Eat pizza, and play Monopoly, so I'm just
surprised to see you here-"
"What did he say?" I asked, thinking I'd misheard.
"He said you were going to order pizza, and hang out-"
"He said he was going to play Monopoly?" I asked, and Nancy gave me a puzzled look.
"Yeah. That's what he said."
"That must have been before I got creek water in his manifold," I muttered.
"What?" Nancy asked. "Harlie, are you alright?"
"I feel a little sick," I admitted.
"Here," she told me, "Come over to my car. I've got some Sprite."
I was towed along to her red car, out in the field. She opened a can of Sprite and handed it to me. I took a couple of sips, but it
didn't seem to help my rolling stomach.
"How much have you had to drink?" she asked me.
I started to answer, but then remembered who I was talking to. This was all sure to be reported to Evan.
"Not that much," I said.
"Uh huh," Nancy said, sounding disbelieving.
"I totaled Evan's truck today," I said, as if I was discussing the weather.
"I know. He told me."
"He did? What did he say?" I asked.
"He just said you tried to cross the creek, and didn't make it. He said you were feeling pretty badly
about it. He told me it was alright if I came here tonight without him, because he thought maybe if he stayed home and
hung out with you, you might feel better."
I stared at Nancy, feeling as if I wasn't hearing right. Her voice sounded all fuzzy.
"He said that? About playing Monopoly? After I'd put the truck in the creek?"
Nancy peered into my face. "Are you okay?" she asked, again. "You keep asking about Monopoly."
I shook my head to clear it. "You don't understand," I told her. "He never plays that game. No matter how
much I beg him to. He hates to play Monopoly."
Nancy still looked confused. She didn't get what I was talking about. And I was too tired, suddenly, to explain the
significance to her.
"Riley's probably wondering where I am," I said, realizing I didn't really care.
Nancy gave me a look. "Let him wonder," she said, sounding definite. "You haven't crossed a line yet, but if you go
back over there with him, then you might."
She sounded bossy, and I would have objected, but I thought better of it. She was being nice to me,
and I felt a sudden thankfulness to her.
"Okay," I said. I still felt kind of sick, and I looked at her. "Can I sit with you for awhile? Lori went off somewhere with Trent-"
"Sure," Nancy said. "Evan would want me to look out for you."
"Everybody looks out for me," I said, in a dejected sort of way, and Nancy frowned at me.
"Well, what's wrong with that?" Nancy demanded. "That's just nice."
"Sometimes it gets tiresome," I said, and Nancy frowned again.
"Oh, boo hoo," she said, with a wave of her hand at me. "Just take it, and be glad for it. Quit being a pill about it."
I gave Nancy a longer look, as she sipped at her Coke. I'm used to Hannah, so much older that she's a combination mom/big sister,
and now Clare, who started as friend and has gradually become more big sisterish. But they are both pretty gentle about their advice
to me. I realized that a sister closer to my age, like Nancy, might be a lot more 'in my face' with her advice. Less sugar coating. Rougher. I
wasn't sure I would like that.
"How old are you?" I asked her.
"Twenty-one."
"Do you love Evan?" I blurted out, without finesse.
Nancy gave me an eye to eye look. I thought she might tell me it wasn't my business. But, to her credit, she didn't.
"Yeah," she said. "I think I do."
"Oh," I said, quietly. "Well, that's good."
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