Therapy
Written by MarySueIsDead
Chapter 14: Bubble
~2003~
Rhonda ripped off the plastic jacket fast as she could and flopped down into the cooling grass, tossing the horrid top aside. Her pores gasped for air as sweat trickled over her body. The sports bra she wore around her torso was dark with perspiration. Her hair was shimmery and wet. Pretty much every ounce of water in her body was escaping, at least that's what it felt like.
She achingly rolled onto her back and stared up at the beaming sun, wincing at first until she closed her brown eyes. The back of her eyelids were a bright fleshy color as she breathed heavily through her nostrils, attempting to drift off, letting death's sweet embrace take her. Her legs and waist we're the consistency of jelly now; this was how it was going to end.
The teenage girl laid there, her skin drying from the brief breeze, until a shadow stepped in front of the light beating down upon her. She hesitantly opened her eyes to stare up at the figure.
Her friend's silhouette stood there above. He shook his head lightly and placed his hands upon his hips; his own plastic jacket resided under his arm. "I returned the dispenser back to the locker room. Shall we go get my bike?"
She released an uncomfortable groan. Even breathing exhausted her weathered lungs. "Just leave me here to die." She responded dramatically.
"Oh, darling, that's just the lack of electrolytes talking. Come, come, let's take you back to my place so we can stuff you full of protein." He said as he bent and reached down his hands for her to latch onto.
Rhonda didn't move for several moments before accepting his gesture and stood up with his help. "I ran around the field with you. I did what you wanted. Can we be nice to me now?"
Curly grinned up at her pleasantly; his own face revealing moisture and redness from the exercise. "Of course, my pet, and I am oh so proud of you. I will be your dutiful servant for the rest of the night! How about I draw you a soothing bath when we get back to my place?
She exhaled a gratuitous sigh at the thought. "That sounds amazing."
The young man collected the remaining suit she had tossed on the lawn into his knapsack, and the two made their way back over to the building. Assuming they were going over to bike rack, Rhonda was surprised when her companion walked towards the dumpsters residing by the side of the school. Curly grunted as he grabbed onto the large trash receptacle and lugged it back a few feet, allowing him to squeeze behind the reeking steel container.
Rhonda strode over very confused. "Why on earth are you back there? It smells putrid!" She exclaimed and resisted the urge to gag.
He called to her through shuffling of trash behind the dumpster. "Because my bike is back here!"
"Why is your bike behind a dumpster?"
Curly finally shook free his mode of transportation behind the large receptacle and rolled out the bicycle in front of her. "So no one feels the urge to slash my tires. It happened a couple times last year." He shrugged plainly. "So I've learned." He then went to the backpack hanging on his shoulders and pulled out a container of sanitizing wipes.
She angrily shook her head and crossed her arms, releasing a huff. "Fuckers." She grumbled under her breath, noticing his calm composure as he began to clean. "Doesn't it bother you!?"
He knelt down to wipe the aluminum frame and glanced up at her. "Which part? The fact that my bike stinks or that I have to hide it?"
She threw her arms into the air. "All of it! You act like it's just a normal part of everyday life. I don't understand how you can brush it off so easily."
The teenage boy finished cleaning off the grime before responding placidly. "Are you suggesting I should shed a tear or feel sad about it? To show Wolfgang that his atrocious bullying is getting the better of me?"
Rhonda bit the inside of her lip and attempted to control her blustering emotions. "No, just...don't you want to hurt them?"
He finally stood up and placed the container back in to his knapsack, tossing the soiled wipes into the dumpster. "Physically? No. Then I'm just as bad as them. I can get my revenge in other ways, darling. Which is what I plan to do! Besides, I-..." Curly paused for a moment, which is something he rarely did. If ever. His amber eyes solemnly glistened behind his glasses. "...anyway."
"What?" She noticed and persisted. "What were you going to say?"
He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know why I'm so...defensive about it. Especially with you, I-...I trust you wholeheartedly. Maybe I'm just, defensive in general lately. I don't want you or anyone to feel obligated to stand up for me. I can take care of myself. But, if you must know, I've only ever cried over you."
That left her silent for the moment.
The shorter teen came closer and smiled softly to reassure her. "It's not about being macho. And I'm not ignorant to his size and my size. I want to prove something to myself."
"What is there to prove?"
"That I can do anything he can do. But he can't do everything I can do." His grin widened. " He doesn't have restrain. He doesn't have wit. And that oafish twat would never be able to sport pumps like me!"
Rhonda exhaled a chuckle. "I didn't need that image in my head." She then determinedly stared down into his eyes. "I only stick up for you because I care about you. Not that I think you can't do it on your own."
"I know." He absentmindedly brushed the handlebars of his bicycle. "I really love it when you're like this."
Her brows knitted together in question. "Like what?"
"Tender." He coyly pursed his lips before continuing. "Helga must've done a number on you. She really pummeled that firm heart of yours into a succulent cut of meat."
Miss Lloyd awkwardly cringed and goosebumps rose upon her skin. "You said you were going to be nice to me!" She crossed her arms in a pout.
He laughed loudly and held his chest. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Curly then gestured to his long time mode of transportation. "So, is she just like you remembered?"
"Your bike?" The taller girl shrugged simply. "Sure."
He scoffed and one of his hands fell onto his hip. "Rhonda Wellington Lloyd! You named her! You might have been as drunk as a sailor when you did it, but you did!"
Rhonda glanced up at the bright blue sky and squinted her eyes; attempting to wander back in time and recollect.
It seemed like forever ago, but in all actuality, it wasn't. In the spring of 2002, a younger Miss Lloyd had signed up for Drama Club as some optimistic ploy to win over her father's affections. If she could act or sing or whatever else, maybe he'd pay more attention to her. Maybe he'd come home more. Nevertheless, she was not assigned to be the main star of the stage; she was condemned to be behind the curtains in a lowly corner, stitching outfits and costumes. And not to mention, her new overseer was someone she had come to despise since pre-school.
No. No way in HELL.
However, as much as she hated the shorter boy with that wild gaze permeating his eyes and didn't really care listening to Sheena's pipsqueak vocal chords; she equally wanted to make her father proud and it just so happened all the other extra curricular classes were full up.
So, she was the newest tribute to 'Wardrobe', and had to live a fate of fixing tacky fabrics with god-awful design choices. All she knew when she set foot on that creaky wooden stage that day was how to dress herself well, and how to spend money. Yes, she had sewn a dress out of Arnold's shower curtain in the past, but it was janky as all hell and no where near acceptable. After that first afternoon in the club, she could stitch patterns, she could hem almost any article of clothing, and the sewing part would be a work in progress.
If you told her years ago, that Thaddeus 'Curly' Gammelthorpe and she would be able to spend afternoons together, laboring over costumes and thread, chuckling about nothing and over-all having a good time? She would've slapped you.
He was tolerable. He was kind. He was helpful. And honestly, she didn't know these personality traits existed in that crazy little body of his.
So, they became acquaintances, then friends in a surprising short amount of time.
What was she supposed to be remembering again? Oh, yeah, yeah, the bike thing. She may have ridden on the bicycle once or twice throughout sophomore year. Usually she would get a ride home from her father, but she must've been so smashed from a bottle of whiskey she smuggled to school, that she knew it was a terrible idea for the older man see her like that. Thus, Curly must've offered her a ride home, and she must've 'yes' to his proposal.
She supposed she named the bike one of those times, and she might be able to recall said 'name' if this tangent of foggy memories ever cleared the fuck up.
Rhonda blinked a few times and altered her gaze from the sky and back to her shorter companion. "I'm not going to lie, I can't remember a damn thing about this bike."
Curly released a faint sigh. "Oh, honey, you're so lucky you have me."
Miss Lloyd ran her fingers through her moist hair as the fond memories still danced around in her brain from years ago. Or maybe she was starting to get light headed from the lack of hydration and sun beating down on her head. "However, remember when you were my psychotic stalker, and then you became one of my best friends?" She attempted to wrap her hazy mind around the question. "Doesn't that ever just...BLOW YOUR MIND!?" Was she having withdrawals or just going nuts? Was she actually SUN HIGH!?
The young man released a hearty chortle and placed a hand upon her shoulder to steady himself. "Rhonnie, I'm sure I've told you this but-" He calmed himself. "In all seriousness, when you joined Drama Club, I mentally stood beside myself and said, 'You actually have a chance to be more than the abhorred antagonist in this story; don't fuck it up.'" He grinned wide. "And so, yes, here we are. Does it 'blow my mind'? Sometimes, but I thoroughly enjoy it."
His response brought her focus back to earth. He had told her that before, but she liked hearing it again all the same.
"You know, the spiraling obsession; I haven't felt that spark in a long time. Maybe It'll come along again someday for someone new. Maybe not. Maybe I've grown." His features were stern for a split second and then he slipped a small smile. "Or it could've been the decrease in sugar intake when I started high school; my mother was livid after I racked up a small fortune in fillings and root canals."
Rhonda looked down at him with the blankest stare. "Everything makes so much sense now."
He raised his arms into the air gleefully. "But that's in the past! As for the present, I have a mouth full of porcelain, and I am grateful to be your obliging companion!" He then gestured to the handlebars of the bicycle. "M'lady? Shall we?"
The teenage girl groaned as he steadied the frame and she uncomfortably sat her butt on the metal bars; her feet planted onto the pegs of the front wheel. "Just to let you know, when I'm not drunk, I hate this." She grumbled while he adjusted his weight on the saddle and his right foot on the pedal. "And we have to get out of this sun soon, otherwise I think I might astral project from my physical body."
With a push, he began to slowly ride the bike away from the highschool and down the sidewalk. Rhonda slouched back into his chest for support and he grinned happily to himself even though his legs were already aching from their run earlier. "I'm sure Courtney is glad you're riding on her again."
Rhonda's brown eyes widened as she attempted to ignore her own pain and watch the sidewalk pass underneath them. "Huh! That was the name! Courtney." Nope, still no recollection of that. She spoke back to her friend. "Also, isn't it after school? Don't you have to check up on your Grandma?"
He faintly panted as his thighs pushed their weight on the crank. "She's visiting my uncle in North Dakota right now. She'll be back on Sunday. And that means, you get to take care of her on Monday!"
"Oh, joy." She responded dryly as she focused on the weathered concrete in front of them again.
Their heads were practically side by side as he leaned forward and she leaned back. They both didn't smell...great, but he didn't mind it one bit. He took comfort in the closeness, and even if he no longer saw her as a romantic interest or a figurative trophy to be placed on some non-existent pedestal, he was genuinely happy. Happy she had somehow found a way to accept him as he was, and happy he could reciprocate the feeling. He licked his dry lips and spoke softly, since her ear was right there. "I know for a long time, I was a incorrigible pest to you...It may be late to say it but, I'm glad you eventually gave me a chance, to show I was something more."
She didn't respond, however, there was very tiny smile that creased the edges of her mouth. She mustered to hold it back.
His voice then lowered to a playful whisper. "This is the part where you say, 'I'm glad too, Curly.'"
Rhonda rolled her eyes and shuffled her weight on his chest in annoyance. "I'm glad you're my servant for the rest of the night."
The boy grinned to himself as he continued to push on. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
XOXOX
Around thirty minutes later, Curly rounded to the front walkway of the Gammelthorpe condominium and Rhonda eagerly hopped off the handle bars. She rubbed her butt as they entered the home and he parked the trusty bicycle in the foyer of the household.
She complained aloud as she removed her sneakers. "Ugh, my ass hurts from those handlebars and my skin is crawling from the residue of my own filth."
The young man set his backpack next to the door and he kicked off his shoes as well. "Mommy, I'm home! And Rhonda's with me!" He called, and shortly after a dark haired woman of similar height to her son came shuffling out of the kitchen. She was holding the handle of a telephone with a very long cord attached to it.
Her eyes brightened as she saw the two teenagers. "Oh, Addy, you're just in time! I was about to order pizza since your father will be staying late at the office. Sausage sound okay for you, Rhonda? We're meat lovers in this family!"
"You definitely are." Miss Lloyd mumbled under her breath as she glanced in her friend's direction and Curly gave her a light glare before responding.
"She said it sounds great, mommy!"
Rhonda bit her bottom lip and cleared her throat before responding appropriately. "Thanks, Gina."
He stepped forward to give his mother a hug. "We're just going upstairs to clean up and then we'll be down okay?"
The older woman obviously didn't mind the embrace from her dirty son. As Rhonda assumed, she must've loved on him through much worse grime than this. "Okay, I'll just be in front of the TV! The Soap channel is marathoning Physicians Hospital all night!"
He gasped. "Oh my gosh, you better be recording it!"
"You know it!"
She then went back to the kitchen to order as the two teenagers made their way upstairs and to the bathroom by Curly's room.
As soon as her feet hit the linoleum tile, Rhonda grabbed the bottom of her sports bra and pulled up, lifting it over her head and tossed it to the ground while her companion went to the tub and turned the knob above the faucet; he looked back to her as she yanked down her yoga leggings. "Would you like me to add some bubbles?"
He was no stranger to Rhonda's nudity by now. They've had so many sleepovers at this point, he'd lost count. She wasn't someone to be ashamed of her figure, and he decided he wouldn't be either. Yet, it was hilarious when he first dropped his pants in front of her; the memory of her eyes unexpectedly widening and milk shooting out from her nose might've been his favorite of all the moments they've shared together.
She smirked and placed her hands upon her bare hips. "Do you have any, lavender scented?"
"I actually think we might!" He exclaimed as he moved over to the cabinet under the sink and began to search while she dipped her foot into the rising water. "Found it!" He said as he grabbed the purple bottle and walked back over to the tub.
Rhonda placed her other foot in and crouched down to rest her tired ass into the warm water while Curly altered his hand by the tap. "Tell me when to stop." He said as he began to pour the gooey solution.
She rested her head back onto the tile wall as she watched him. A sly grin made its way onto her mouth.
After several moments, he curiously glanced over to her.
The teenage girl innocently shrugged. "What? I want lots of bubbles." She waited a couple more seconds before relieving him. "Okay, you can stop."
He lifted up the bottle and set it onto the rim of the tub. "How's the water?"
"Boiling. Just how I like it, thank you."
He nodded his head as he gazed down at the soapy foam forming in the rising water. "Good, good…"
She noticed the wild look of desire creep into his amber colored eyes like she had witnessed so many times before. Rhonda exhaled a chuckle. "Get your ass in here."
"Yay! I thought you'd never ask, I love bubbles!" He proclaimed as he began to rip off each article of clothing that he wore. His glasses even flew somewhere.
"Well, you only get a small percentage of the bubbles. The rest are mine. I plan on monopolizing them, and then selling my shares for a ridiculously high price. That's how I plan to get all my money back."
He hopped buck-naked into the tub and sat with his back to the faucet, across from her; too enthused with the froth to pay attention to her joke. He scooped bubbles with his palms and rubbed them onto his chin. His voice deepened. "Ho, Ho, Ho, Rhonda Wellington Lloyd, if you don't get off the damn naughty list, I'm going to run out of COAL!"
She pursed her lips and struggled to hold in a laugh; sinking down into the rising water that now drifted over her stomach and around her breasts. He wasn't going to get her that easily.
Her knees were still bent, as were his, but there were no complaints. As long as he didn't fart. That's something she WOULD NOT tolerate.
Curly cupped more soapy bubbles in his hands and blew them towards her. A few landed on the tops of her thighs. "Did you and Helga ever take baths with bubbles?"
Rhonda was currently staring at the ceiling of the bathroom, calmly enjoying the temperature of the liquid surrounding her and the scent of lavender. "...No." She blinked slowly before she continued; her mind sailing away into a sea of memories again. "We would...shower together, once in a while." She spread her knees slightly and looked through her thighs to him as he gathered shampoo from a nearby bottle and began scrubbing his hair. She spotted some bruises near his ribs, but she decided not to comment. "So far, you've been my only bath buddy."
"Aww, I feel honored." He then paused his lathering and raised a brow as her torso sunk lower and she let her jaw float on the water. "You're not enjoying your bubbles."
"Oh, sorry, I-..." Her demeanor shifted awkwardly. "I, uh, I'm enjoying watching you enjoy them."
He reached behind him to turn the faucet; the water pouring from the spout stopped. "I didn't mean to-...ask you something so personal about Helga like that. I suppose it just slipped out."
"We're naked and in a bathtub together. I think modesty between us is out the window. I guess I just...I miss her." She altered her eyes back to the ceiling. "I'm over all the fucking drama. Big Shocker: Rhonda Wellington Lloyd gets grounded for life, and loses her entire college fund!" She involuntarily clenched her fists under the water. "I don't care anymore, I'm so fucking over it! I am OVER IT, BUCHWALD!" She shouted and then her composure softened into the foam surrounding her. "And all that's left...is Helga."
Curly stopped rinsing his hair as he listened to her vent. "I can take being poor. I've endured it in the past. I just-...I want her back." Surprised she had anymore water left in her body, tears threatened at the corners of her eyelids. "Last night, I told her some love-induced bullshit about being strong and being happy apart from each other. I thought it's what she wanted to hear, and for a moment I believed in it too. But, I want what we had. Even if the showers weren't as intimate as I wanted them to be. Even if we only had three make out sessions in total. It was great for what it was. And I was stupid. And I was foolish. And I ruined it."
"Rhon', I saw you two earlier today. You didn't ruin anything. What you two have has just changed." He responded with sincerity.
"I pressured her into all this shit. Because I was a stupid little princess that was bored with all the fortune and had nothing better to do. And after a while...I was just selfish and didn't want to let go. For a long time, she was the only person I had to talk to. I understand why she wanted a break, I just-..."
"Darling, you two have a strong friendship. You both had each other in a time of need. I'm sure Helga Pataki wouldn't do anything she wouldn't want to do." He started to wash under his arms. "Although...I am thinking about dropping you soon too. You're too much of a bad influence on me." He teased with a straight face.
Rhonda smirked as she glanced back to him. "That's the first time I ever heard you complain about my influence."
A smile escaped from his lips. "You're right. I'm terrible at lying about not liking you."
"Little troll."
"Joke's on you, I secretly love it when you call me that." He continued to scrub his body. "But you're right. All the bullshit is over with. It's settled. And you're left with is what's underneath."
She she raised her arms and moved her palms to her face, letting the water drip onto her cheeks. "All I am is sad about Helga and angry at my father. How do I fix it without...all the shit I usually abuse to forget about it?"
"Hmm, well you could start with being less sad and angry." He responded plainly.
She irritably rolled her eyes and her voice dripped with sarcasm; her hands flew into the air. "Wow, you're a fucking genius! Why didn't I fucking think of that!?"
He pleasantly shrugged. "It's a gift! And you may think I'm crazy but it's true. Focus on positive things. Keep busy. Oh! I'll tell my Grandmother to whip out one of her puzzles with a billion pieces; that should keep you preoccupied for a while."
The teenage girl released a sigh but nudged his foot with hers under the water. "Don't stop telling me."
"Don't stop telling you what?"
"To...keep going."
He grinned and leaned forward, placing a modest kiss on the top of her knee. "I wouldn't dream of it, my dear." He then placed his palms on the acrylic rim and stood up; grabbing a hanging towel nearby as he stepped out of the tub. "You figure on pruning?" He asked with a mischievous tone as he wrapped the thick fabric around his torso.
"Maybe..." She nibbled on the inside of her lip. "You wouldn't happen have any magazines lying around would you?"
Curly pondered and glanced over to the top of the toilet where a stack of assorted catalogs resided. He picked one up and flipped through the pages. "Would a high-fashion swimwear catalog from 2002 work?"
Rhonda browsed the cover and her brown eyes sparkled with appetite. High fashion? Swimsuits? Women? "That'll do."
He went to hand over the catalog but as she sat up and reached for it, he pulled it away. The young man chided. "Here's the plan, I get to paint your toenails after dinner. You have to then help me make a couch cushion fort in front the the TV. And then we watch whatever you want until we fall asleep. But 'whatever you want' will most likely have to be Physicians Hospital, because I'm sure my mother won't move from the couch until morning. Any objections?"
This was all to her benefit, yet, he said it like a punishment. Rhonda Lloyd would never pass up on a toenail painting session or cheesy soap operas. She teased him back. "If I say 'no' will you take away the catalog?"
"Definitely. And then you'll only be left to your imagination, and we STILL will have to follow through with the plan."
The sparkle in her eyes darkened. "I'm pretty sure you know that won't be a problem."
"Oh, I know. However…" He said looking through the pages again. "Stephanie is looking rather scrumptious in last year's Spumoni two-piece bikini." His amber eyes widened humorously. "Oh, my, goodness. They have it in red." He said, showing it to her and flaunting the photograph.
Rhonda gritted her teeth. "Fuck." She grunted in defeat. "Yes. Yes. Yes. Do whatever you wish to me tonight. I can bear the torture! But I can't bear this!"
He finally relinquished the catalog into her clutches. "You know. I hope that doesn't become the new Helga."
She started to quickly browse through it, her eyes darting all over the pictures. Each one filled with alluring women captured at the beach. "Mmm, there are quite a bit of blue eyed blondes in here." She stopped on a model and moaned lightly. "These bandeaus are gorgeous! Why didn't I see these last summer?"
The young man shook his head as he strode over to the medicine cabinet, opened it, and grabbed a container filled with deep sea mud. He genially scolded her again before he left. "Well, don't be too long. Your pizza will get cold and no one likes a cold, limp sausage."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll be down there before you know it."
Curly released a chuckle and left the bathroom, gently closing the door behind him.
Her visual craving not yet satiated, she swiftly turned through the pages again, until she found her. A thinner blonde haired model in a fuchsia colored bikini. Rhonda raised her pointer finger to her mouth and sunk her teeth into it. Her eyes drank in selective details about the photo; fueling her itch, spiraling to those dark hidden moments in time. Filled with heat and lust and...love.
Rhonda felt a stab of agony in her heart, and it drove her deeper, further. If she could get lost in that whirlwind of desire, of fervor, maybe the ache would fade away. She wouldn't need alcohol. She wouldn't need weed. And she wouldn't need anything from her father ever again. At least for a couple seconds.
She stuck another finger in her mouth as she leaned forward and set the catalog against the rim of the tub in front of her by the faucet; it rested against the wall tile and she finally stretched out her legs.
Miss Lloyd's torso fell back into the warm water as her eyes locked onto the model in the picture. She inserted a third finger into her mouth and her free hand fell below into the soapy water.
Her breaths hastened, her eyelids twitched, her fingers started to hurt, and she muffled a moan through the pleasure and the pain. She continued. And she continued. And she continued. Until she couldn't keep her eyes open any more and shut them tight.
"Criminy, I gotta' admit Rhonda, you can do some fantastic things with that mouth."
She continued harder.
"Fuckin' throw me against this wall and take me, like a queen."
And harder.
"Rhon'...I love you too."
And then.
The world suspended. She was high. The crushing weight of loneliness had dissipated. And her mind was wholly captive to the evanescent euphoria.
XOXOX
Curly sat at the kitchen table; bath towel atop his head, mud mask applied and robe donned, he chewed on a slice of pizza and continued reading through 'Carmen' as he waited for Rhonda. His mother sat on the couch in the nearby living room. Her eyes were drawn to the light of the television set while she absentmindedly munched on her own meal; completely enthralled in the titillating drama of the episode.
Through the noises coming from the soap opera, the teenage boy heard the creak of the stairs and he quickly rounded in his chair as he watched his friend make her way down and enter the kitchen.
She wore a familiar shirt, a pair of his boxers, and her wet hair was combed back into a short ponytail. He saw an opportunity and he had to take it. "Wow, take a gander at that glow! You're blinding me from here-!"
"Shut it." Rhonda snapped as she sat down on the chair opposite from him at the table.
"And you look immaculate in my shirt! I'm sure Helga would love to sport that one."
Well, of course she looked good in it. SHE BOUGHT IT. The bold print read 'Rhonda's Hunk' on the older tee. "You're lucky your mother is here. Otherwise, I'd give you some choice words."
He chuckled as she opened one of the boxes and pulled out a pizza slice, immediately sticking it into her mouth. Damn, she didn't realize how hungry she was until now. Curly began to sing as she ate; his voice deepened again. "When the moon hits your eye like a big'a pizza pie, that's amooooorreeeee!"
She groaned and yelled in the direction of the living room; food still occupying her mouth. "Gina, how do you deal with thish on a daily bashish!?"
The mother finally averted her eyes from the TV and called back. "Oh, I find him rather adorable!"
The teenage boy smiled much too wide for Rhonda's taste. "Thanks, Mommy!"
Miss Lloyd swallowed and took another hearty bite. "Jusht don't get her to shtart shinging too."
A black cat bounced onto the chair next to Curly and he acknowledged the purring pet. "Coco, just LOVES our singing. Don't you Coco?"
The cat mewed affectionately.
"No, you may not have a bite of my big'a pizza pie." He glanced back to his friend. "By the way, since you'll be needing to get to my Grandmother's house rather swiftly after school, have you pondered a mode of transportation yet?"
The taller girl rolled her eyes as she gobbled down the rest of the slice. "Now you're making me think of that too?"
"My cousin left his skateboard here last summer. You can have it. I doubt the little prick will miss it." He ended distastefully.
"Addy, language."
"Sorry, Mommy."
Rhonda pouted to herself; she definitely didn't want to ride a smelly old bus. And she obviously had no money to buy her own car, but seriously? She had to now stoop to SPORTS to get around? Running? Biking? Skating? Pretty sure those were all some type of sport. "Ugh, are you joking? I don't even know how to ride one of those things!"
"Easy, we'll get a rope, tie one end around Courtney, tie the other around your torso. You'll learn in no time."
She grouchily slouched into the chair and tapped her sore fingers on the top of the table. "You just have a plan for everything, don't you?"
Curly took another nibble of his meal. "What's that saying? 'Mother knows best?'" He shook his head. "It's a dang miracle you and Helga have made it this far."
"I have a mother you know."
"Yes, your real mother is out in the Arizona desert right now on a spiritual journey, drinking peyote and roasting in a sweat lodge."
"You forgot she's probably fucking her native lover." She sighed and moved her hand up to massage her brow. "But I can't complain, she's happy and Kwahu is a sweet guy. He sent me those really comfy moccasins last year for Christmas. Jesus, I would never wear them in public though."
"Rhonda?"
"Yes, Gina?"
"Language."
"Sorry, Gina."
The young man released a breathy swoon as Coco batted her furry paw at an unattended pizza slice on the plate in front of him. "Lord, he is very dreamy." He then stiffened his posture and pointed to the teenager across the table. "But until she gets back, I know what's best for you."
Rhonda rolled her brown eyes and took out another slice from the greasy box. Shutting up and not resisting was probably for the best. She didn't have nearly as much energy as him anyway. All she needed now was a big white flag to flail around in defeat...Nah, too much work. "Yes, Li-Li."
He grabbed a nearby napkin and snapped it out, lying it in front of her. "Don't forget to wipe your beautiful face, my sweet."