Agreements and Questions

Don't own a thing

Wyatt got off the wood pile and watched Penny step out of the old Pickup truck. Leonard's throat went immediately dry. Wyatt instructed the two youths to sit down. He was going to have a little talk with them. Leonard sat and visibly shuffled his feet as he squirmed in his place, his hands tucked between his knees. Penny looked down and fiddled with her hands as she sat to Leonard's left but not immediately next to him.

Wyatt started to pace. "Penny… I'm a little disappointed in you… You know very well that you are NOT supposed to be taking off in that old truck… it's on its last legs and I don't need you getting stuck somewhere and not be able to get home. When you told me you wouldn't run around in it again… I believed you… All I'm asking is that you be honest with me".

Penny barely looked up. "I'm sorry Daddy… we just went up to the cabin…"

Wyatt cut her off. "I'm not finished with you yet…" Wyatt heard the words WE and CABIN and could think of nothing else but Denise showing off all her wares up there in that cabin to whatever boyfriend or acquaintance she could get caught with. There were plenty of times enough that he had been the one to come across the two of them and sent the offending companion running across the field… with or without the clothes he came in. It was always a sore spot with Denise at the time, but made for very funny stories at family get togethers down the road. "And just what was it that you were doing up at the cabin? You're just FOURteen years old for cryinoutloud…"

Penny tried to talk. "Daddy… I was just showing Leonard…"

Wyatt barked a bit louder. "JUST showing… just showing WHAT?"

Leonard felt he needed to say something. "Sir… it wasn't anything like"

Wyatt turned to Leonard. "I'll talk to you later!" Leonard seemed to close in on himself and Wyatt turned back to Penny. "I won't have you bombing around in the truck just because you think it's fun…"

Penny tried one last time. "Daddy... I was just teaching Leonard to dri…"

Wyatt pointed his finger at his daughter. "TEACHING? Penelope Ann Pettersson… that is the most ridiculous thing I've heard today. Just because you know how to start an engine and can reach all the pedals doesn't mean you can drive… Now… you're grounded… I'll talk with your mother as to how long… now git up to the house…" Penny stood up and started toward the house. Leonard held his breath as Wyatt turned his way. Wyatt waved his arm. "What exactly are you sittin there for boy? I said GIT!" Leonard immediately started after Penny with Wyatt pulling up the rear.

As they got to the house, Penny turned. "Daddy?"

Wyatt wasn't any calmer. "In the house with you..."

Leonard climbed the stairs as Penny went into the house and ran to her room. Wyatt stood at the foot of the steps. "And just where do you think YOU are going? Sit down… I said I would talk to you later… and well… later has come around."

Leonard sat on the porch swing as Wyatt sat in a rocking chair facing him. Leonard cringed as Wyatt leaned forward. Wyatt sighed. "I'm sorry for all that back there… it's just that Penny needs some reinin in once in a while… Hell… that girl could probably tear down that engine and put it back together better than it was… that doesn't mean she should be racin around in those fields. One good gopher hole and she'd bust an axel… and as much as she thinks she can?... That girl can't drive a lick… truth be told… Her mother's not much better… but that's just between you and me."

Leonard was confused beyond anything he could think of. "Ummm sir? We really didn't… DO… anything"

Wyatt patted Leonard on the knee. "Son… I'm relyin on you to do just that… nothing… except keeping Penny company… If something is going to happen… then it needs to take its time… there's been a burr under her saddle of late… and her mother and I don't have a clue as to what it's about. One things clear though… she's been better since you've been comin around… so if you wouldn't mind… Don't give up on her… she seems to need a friend right about now and you seem to be just the friend she needs.

Leonard was still confused. "I'll do my best sir… if I can help in any way I'll try…."

Wyatt slapped him on the thigh. "That's what I was hoping you would say… Now Penny is goin to be punished in some way… I'm sure she will let you know how… once her mother and I figure it out… But I'm hoping that she can get back to being herself. Now I think it's about time I took you back home… Don't worry… I'll let Penny know you said a proper good bye."

Wyatt dropped Leonard off at his house and smiled at the confused teen. He then drove back to the farm and found his wife on the porch with her arms crossed and a look that was not the friendliest he could remember. Sighing as he got out of the truck, Wyatt climbed the steps with a hand up. "Now… I don't know what it is that Penny has told you… so you need to listen. She took Leonard up to the cabin… ALONE… and you need to remember that we agreed… after all the shenanigans Denise pulled up there that we were going to keep an eye on Penny… That's not the worst of it though… That girl got it in her head that she was gonna TEACH Leonard how to drive and then took the old truck by the wood pile and went racin off across the fields. That's just pure judgement."

Henrietta softened a bit. "Wyatt… you can't punish her for being with Leonard… something is going on there between those two… even if she won't admit it… We need to agree that the punishment is with her showin off for that boy but NOT for being with him. She's been much more like herself since he's been back and we don't know how long he's going to be here in Nebraska."

The two of them went into the house and Wyatt knocked on Penny's door before opening it. Penny was sitting on her bed, backed up to the headboard with her knees up to her chin, holding Liam. Her eyes were wide as she saw her mother walk in after Wyatt. That meant that they must have talked and that was always a bad sign. Their combined front could almost never be broken. Her eyes immediately began to fill with tears.

Wyatt's firm decision began to waiver at the sight of his little girl getting upset. "Penelope… your grounded for two weeks… that means you are going to help with the laundry… the horses… the cooking…" Hearing a gasp from his wife behind him Wyatt reconsidered. "Well, on the other hand maybe not the cooking… but cleaning up after." Henrietta let out a sigh of relief. "And no visitors…" Penny immediately put her head down into her stuffed bear and started to shake. Henrietta immediately poked Wyatt in the ribs. "On the other hand… we'll see how things go… one week then…" Henrietta poked him a second time. "And you can call him on the phone…" Penny stopped crying and looked up again. "I've told you a hundred times missy… stay out of that truck unless you are told to and then ONLY on the road… Understood?"

Penny nodded and watched her father leave the room. Her mother smiled and gave Penny a wink before she left. Penny sighed and laid down, pulling the covers up and holding onto her bear.

Leonard went to his room and sat on the edge of his bed not really wanting to watch the TV or play any video games. He looked over to the newest of his comic books and took it off his desk and climbed up on the bed. He rubbed the cover remembering that it was Penny that decided they go to the comic book store to get it. Leonard quickly got off the bed and went back to his desk and went through his book bag and pulled out the Student Drivers Handbook, smiled and opened it starting to read it again.

The very next morning, Leonard made Uncle Floyd read him some practice tests. Floyd was surprised that Leonard could get the answers right so quickly. "Leonard… I'm impressed that you have done so well… I'm going to take this a little differently. Instead of using predetermined tests, I'm going to pick chapters at random and you can give me a short synopsis of the high points of that particular topic." Leonard took a deep breath and swallowed some water before sitting straight up in his chair.

Floyd proceeded to randomly flip through the handbook and then back up to the beginning of the chapter. The amazing thing to Floyd was that Leonard started to recite the chapter… not verbatim… but with the topics in perfect order… complete in their intended content… showing Leonard's understanding of each different chapter. With this information, Floyd agreed to take Leonard to the Department of Motor Vehicles to take his test and receive his Learners Permit.

To Leonard's surprise, Uncle Floyd tossed him the keys to the car so Leonard could drive home. Once Leonard bent to pick them up, he got into the driver's seat, fastened his seat belt, adjusted his mirrors and then sat quietly glancing over at his Uncle until he too fastened his seatbelt. Upon receiving an embarrassed grin from Floyd, Leonard started the car and flawlessly made his way back to his house.

Penny had been holding up her end of the bargain, mucking out the horse stalls while she kept Buttercup abreast of all that had happened since Leonard got back from New Jersey. She also helped with the laundry, although, she was not allowed to start it herself. The clothes needed to be sorted by her mother to ensure all the whites didn't come out PINK or grey… and she only loaded the dryer ONCE before half of Denise's clothes were now the appropriate size for your average toddler.

Penny made sure she called Leonard at least once every night just to find out what he was doing. She was always more interested in listening to him tell her about the newest comic book he bought or what level in whatever video game he was playing he happened to be. She really didn't care about those things too much, she just liked hearing his voice and how excided he would get over those things.

Leonard was always waiting for Penny to call. He knew his schedule was more open than hers was and he didn't want to take her away from the chores she had to do. He wanted to make sure she had a vent if she needed one. To his surprise, she never once complained. Penny talked about the horses and how different they were, always focusing on Buttercup and the new things her mother was teaching her about riding. Leonard didn't tell Penny about getting his learner's permit or the driving lessons that Uncle Floyd had signed him up for or how well he was doing or even that he was going to take his actual road test on Friday because the driving instructor said he had never had a more attentive student that obeyed all the laws and all the posted speed limits in all the years he had been an instructor. He wanted it to be a surprise. Leonard wanted to see the look on Penny's face when he drove up to her house and got out of the car without being left off by Uncle Floyd. Then he could ask her if she wanted to go out somewhere for dinner or someplace.

As the week rolled along, some of Penny's girlfriends called to ask if she wanted to go to the Mall only to be told that she had been grounded. Tammy was eager to find out the story. "What did you do? Did your Dad find out about Brad?"

Penny was angry at that remark. "It has nothing to do with Brad… and can you please never say his name again? He a JERK and we're through…"

Tammy smiled even though Penny couldn't see it through the phone. "Really? … GREAT!" Penny rolled her eyes, and didn't want to know any more details considering Brad had been high on Tammy's list for a while and it was everything Penny could do to keep her away from him. "Well… you know… Timmy Smith has been asking about you…"

Penny was now more interested in the conversation. "Really? Timmy? How do you know?" Timmy was one of the cuter guys in their class… he was a bit of a loner though… not REAL popular like Brad, but not one of the nerds either.

Tammy smiled wider. "It wasn't that hard to figure out considering that he just walked up to Anna and me outside of the ice cream shop at the mall and basically asked if we knew if you were still with Brad…"

Penny smiled slightly. "Well I'm not… so…"

Tammy gasped slightly. "SO I can tell him you're interested?"

Penny's eyes went wide. "What? NO… Ummm… maybe… I don't know…"

Tammy was a little hopeful. "So if you don't want him… can… I…"

Penny snapped back. "Absolutely NOT!"

Tammy smirked and rolled her eyes. "Well you better figure it out…. He's real cute and there's no telling how long it will be before Val get to him."

Penny pursed her lips at the sound of Valerie Mosbacher's name. "What's Val got to do with it… She's with Curtis!"

Tammy lowered her voice… "That never stopped her before… You know how she was always pushing you to get WITH Brad… well… she was pushing Brad to get with you… and they were real close… if you know what I mean… Curtis was getting a little jealous because he caught her with Brad even though Brad and you were a thing."

Penny almost dropped the phone. "That BITCH!" Just then Penny was called by her mother for dinner. "Tammy I gotta go… I'll call you."