Two boys and one girl
Just own Timmy... the rest... just playing wit someone else's toys...
Wyatt was more perceptive than most men... he had two daughters and he could see that there was something bothering the… BOY… that was a… FRIEND… of his youngest daughter. He looked around for a place to sit and talk to the boy.
Leonard saw the look on Wyatt's face when he realized that the only place to sit was the porch swing. Leonard immediately sat up straighter. "Ummm… sir? Why don't I move to the swing… it would be easier for me to keep my foot level."
Wyatt knew just what Leonard was doing… it showed him something of the boy… he was willing to give of himself just to make another person happier. Although, he didn't want Leonard to know he had figured this out… he didn't want to embarrass the boy. "You're probably right there Leonard… still… you should have that ankle elevated a bit… let me give you a hand…" The two jostled Leonard from the two chairs to the porch swing making sure the towels under his ankle kept a slight upward angle and the frozen peas were properly in place.
Wyatt settled into one of the chairs and watched as Penny and Timmy ran by once again… not making any try at slowing down. "I sure hope they don't spook any of the cows… we have a particularly ornery Bull out in the pasture… Tell me something Leonard… What is this boy like?"
Leonard wasn't exactly expecting that particular question. Suddenly his throat went perfectly dry. Fortunately, there was still some lemonade in his glass that Penny had poured earlier. He took a big sip and shrugged his shoulders. "Timmy? I don't really know him all that well… we've been friends for only a short time…"
Wyatt took Leonard's glass and refilled it before pouring himself one. "You seem to be of good reason son… what does your gut tell you?"
Leonard took a deep breath and then another sip of lemonade. "Well… Timmy seems to be a smart guy… and he is pretty interesting to talk to… I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't one of the smarter kids in class… Penny says he's not from the usual crowd though… so he doesn't have the same friends that she had in the past…"
Wyatt knew that before Leonard showed up from New Jersey that Penny was in a wicked bad mood over something that happened in school. "Well that's not a bad thing… different friends means different interests…"
Leonard thought. "I guess so… sir… it also probably has something to do with why WE are starting to be friends…"
Wyatt frowned. "Don't put yourself down there boy… you have nothing to be ashamed of… but do you think… this …Timmy… is good for my little girl?"
Leonard really wasn't prepared for this question… AT… ALL!... He hadn't given it much real thought… other than he knew that he himself wanted to be special in Penny's eyes. Timmy certainly was a nice enough guy… he wasn't part of the usual crowd of guys that picked on people like him… He seemed genuinely interested in Penny… and they were getting to be friends… "Well… sir… I don't know many other boys her age…. I mean… I just got back from New Jersey this spring… but he seems like an okay guy…" Leonard really had no idea if Timmy would be good for Penny or not… but if Timmy could be friends with him… then he should be good enough for Penny… and she apparently was interested in Timmy… so there was really very little he could do to stop it… if he did… he would probably lose the only real friends that he had…
Wyatt smiled and stood from his seat and patted Leonard on the shoulder. "Well… son… If he's good enough for you… I guess I'll just let it be…"
All this time, Penny and Timmy were off in one of the fields not too far away. Penny had asked if she could drive the cycle. It was on her Dad's land after all and she had already mastered the old truck. Timmy wasn't all that keen on the idea but couldn't say no once he saw the pleading look in Penny's eyes. "Okay fine… but I'm not letting you ride alone…"
Penny sighed. "Okay… so what do you do?"
Timmy let Penny get on the cycle and then got on behind her he placed her hands on the throttle and showed her the break. He was basically leaned right on her back… He was taller than her and had longer arms so she fit perfectly within his chest. Timmy leaned over and put his head right next to hers so she could hear him while he explained he clutch. His hands on her hands… his arms on her arms… his chest against her back… his head next to her head… able to smell the faint green apple scent of her shampoo mixed with the unmistakable smell of the horses she had been around all day.
Penny listened to every word Timmy had told her slightly distracted by his hold on her hands and the closeness of his body on hers. She started to get a little light headed and her thoughts started to wander as Timmy told her to use the kick start.
Timmy leaned back off of her and yelled. "Just jump on it!"
Penny suddenly raised herself up and then stood on the jump start. The cycle came to life and Timmy turned the throttle to give it some juice and revved the motor. Penny quickly turned her head and smiled widely… She then sat down and turned to look forward and then took off.
If Timmy wasn't as quick to grab Penny's waist, he would have fallen back and been left lying in the grass as Penny raced away. But he WAS that quick and held on for what he must have thought was DEAR LIFE!
Penny leaned forward and put her head down almost to the height of the handlebars, hunched into her shoulders… her elbows flailed to the sides… hands tightly holding on… The grin on her face as she gunned the throttle was as wide as the eyes that were surely popping out of Timmy's sockets. Timmy holding on as tight as he could, not nearly as close to Penny's back as he would like…
Soon enough the two riders came speeding past the porch once again. Wyatt looked on in disbelief… he removed the ball cap from his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "That girl sure has a need for speed… Leonard?... I don't know how you young people do it and I'm not sure I even want to… good luck to you both…" With that, Wyatt ambled back into the house to see how dinner was coming along… he was sure that he could smell the sweet aroma of raspberry pie coming from inside somewhere.
Leonard wasn't alone for too long before Penny came around the side of the house and up the stairs. She thought nothing of tenderly lifting Leonard's foot and placing it on her lap.
Leonard held his breath as Penny lifted his foot half expecting a searing pain that never came. He then looked puzzled. "What happened to Timmy?"
Penny smiled. "He must have seen Daddy standing here as we went by… Daddy is a pretty big guy and looks scary sometimes if you don't know him… when I stopped the cycle…, Timmy got off… took the handle bars and said he had to get home… he actually looked a bit shaken… he wanted me to tell you he was sorry that he couldn't help you back down to where your car is…" Penny then uncovered Leonard's foot and put the now completely thawed peas on the seat next to her. She carefully wiped any moisture off Leonard's foot and then started to rub it as gently as she could… hoping that she wasn't hurting him at all.
Leonard thought he was in heaven. He actually stopped breathing for a bit. Penny had incredibly soft hands and she was rubbing his hurt ankle. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Penny had seen the reaction to her tender care and smiled. Then… got a mischievous thought, she immediately ran her finger nails down the middle of Leonard's sole.
Leonard, being extremely ticklish, immediately jerked his foot from Penny's lap. "HEY!... Ow…Ow… Owww!"
Penny put one hand to her mouth and gasped. "Sorry… sorry… sorry…" She then took hold of the injured foot once again and proceeded to give Leonard a proper soft tender massage of his whole foot and ankle, taking extreme caution around the ankle.
Penny's mother came out to see how Leonard was doing and saw the care he was being given by her daughter. Henrietta simply put the bandage she had brought out down next to Penny and smiled at her daughter.
Penny took the bandage and proceeded to wrap her friend's ankle gently but firmly. Giving him the support he would need to walk and drive his car.
Leonard smiled when Penny had finished putting on the bandage. It must have been one of Penny's… the clasp that Penny fixed the end of the bandage was bright Pink. "Thanks".
Penny grinned when Leonard looked up. "Yeahhh… sorry about the pink… I got this bandage after a particularly bad fall off Buttercup one weekend… do you think you'll be able to walk? Do you want to stay over?"
Leonard was touched by the concern… "Actually… I better get going… Uncle Floyd said he would be needing the car… Maybe you could help me with getting down there?"
Penny slid out from under his foot and took Leonard's sneaker, opened the laces wide and slipped it on over the bandage. "There… let's give it a try".
Leonard tentatively stood and with Penny's help of her arm around his waist… helped him down the steps. When they got to the gravel, Penny did not let go of Leonard's waist. Leonard expected her to, but was not about to tell her to let him go. They carefully made their way down the drive to Leonard's car.
As they were walking, Penny saw Denise's car practically race pass them. "That girl has a real problem with speed!..." Leonard just rolled his eyes.
When they got to the car, Penny turned to Leonard. "Can I ask you something?"
Leonard leaned against the car. "Sure".
Penny bit on her lower lip and looked up at Leonard with her eyes while keeping her head down. "What do you think of Timmy?"
This was not exactly something Leonard was prepared for. "W… wh… what do you mean?"
Penny sighed… "Never mind… you be careful driving home…" Penny gave Leonard a hug and then walked off in the direction of the house… maybe Denise could help her …
As Penny reached the farm house, Frank came hurriedly out and over to Denise's car. He got in the driver's seat and slammed the door leaning his head in one hand and rubbing his forehead. Penny carefully climbed the steps and quietly went inside. She could hear her mother. "How many times have I told you to stop running around?"
Denise yelled back. "Frank is DIFFERENT!"
Wyatt responded. "DIFFERENT? It doesn't seem so DIFFERENT to ME! You and all your BOYFRIENDS have been cavorting around up at the cabin for YEARS!... So where exactly did this happen THIS time?
Penny didn't want to get in the middle of one of Denise's fights with their parents. Just when Penny needed to talk to Denise about Timmy… she got herself into real DOOZY… She could hear the anger in Denise's words. "Who do you think you are?"
Wyatt was not backing down. "I'm your FATHER… I suspect you have a BETTER understanding of that NOW…. DON'T YOU!"
Denise always hated being lectured to. "I don't have to stay HERE and listen to THIS!"
Henrietta tried to cool things off. "Now let's not get saying things we don't mean"
Penny suddenly felt very alone. She grabbed her Liam bear… something she didn't need much these days and climbed under the desk in her room. Just like the day that Leonard left for New Jersey.
The conversation between Denise and her parents did not go any better. It was quieter, but the words were no less stinging to their eldest daughter. Denise finally stood. "Look… I said I didn't have to stay here and listen to this and I meant it… Frank is outside and it's just sad that you made him feel like such a piece of shit… DAD… just let me know when it would be convenient for me to come and get some of my things…"
Henrietta tried one last time. "Denise… this isn't necessary… Wyatt go sit in the den… you're not doing anything constructive here."
Penny heard the door slam and footsteps on the porch before she heard Denise's car pull away and no further words come from either of her parents. It felt just like when Leonard left for New Jersey… Denise had left and she didn't even say good bye.
Penny wasn't going to cry… nobody could make her cry…
Penny sat still under her desk holding tightly onto her bear waiting for her parents to calm down. After a while, Penny heard the Television turn on and she suspected that her father had turned on his normal evening baseball game. She came out from under her desk and made her way past the den towards the door. She looked into the den pursing her lips and gave her father a stare that was as cold as ice… Penny then went out the front door. Henrietta looked at her husband… patted his knee… "Let her be… she'll come around… they both will…"
Leonard had made it home and to his room. He thought long and hard about what Penny had asked him about Timmy and how he would answer. Sometimes, Leonard did his best thinking when he was alone. This was going to be one of those times. Leonard went into his room… turned out all the lights and went over to his window… there weren't a lot of street lights and the lights from town didn't show out where he lived, so he could see the stars pretty well. It always made him feel relaxed when he looked at all the stars in the sky.
Leonard went to the window and looked out. He noticed some movement out in front of the house. There was a big landscape rock down one side of the front lawn. Leonard liked to think that it was left there by a receding glacier at the end of the last ice age… But tonight, Leonard saw what looked like someone sitting next to the rock… their back up against it… with their knees pulled up to their chest.