I felt my eyes open slightly as I turned to roll over for a few more minutes of undisturbed sleep. My arm smacking Soda's face quickly ended it. After a quick moment's confusion I remembered what Soda was doing in my room. I certainly wasn't use to sharing a bed. Man, I needed a girlfriend. Waking up to Soda wasn't quite the same.
"Sorry," I told him getting out of bed and walking out of the room. I didn't have the slightest idea what time it was. I saw Mary sitting on the couch with a textbook and papers surrounding her.
"Morning," she smiled looking at me. I didn't really mind her always being around. Pony and I definitely couldn't be around each other too much, and even Soda and I get irritable after a while; but not Mary. Well, she wasn't really always around. To be honest I didn't always know where she was. But that wasn't anything new. Before Mom and Dad died she would often be doing her own thing, and I never really bothered to ask anyone, or her, what she was doing. I guess it didn't change when they died. She was as independent as they come.
"What time is it?" I finally asked.
"A little after 8." She answered.
"Wow, I can't believe I slept that late." I thought out loud. That was the first time I can think of that I slept in with out the help of something else.
"You musta been real tired, Coach," she smiled warmly to me. She had nice teeth. I didn't know whom she got that from; no one else had a smile like hers. Some say Soda's is comparable, but I always thought it was Soda's charm that got to people.
Speaking of Soda, "Morning guys!" Soda came out from Darry's room.
"Up before noon?" I kidded with him. He actually didn't sleep in too much these days, but before he worked he use to sleep almost all of Sunday away.
"Yeah, Darry nearly broke my nose this morning!" Soda walked into the bathroom.
"Sorry, I forgot you were in there." I smiled thinking about the last time I shared a bed with anyone. It didn't involve anyone getting hit in the nose that was for sure.
"Are you guys hungry?" Mary stood up folding her papers inside her books. I tried to glance at her book to see what she was studying, but she closed it too fast.
"I am!" Soda called from the bathroom making both Mary and I laugh. Soda was always hungry. I was pretty sure it was a teenage boy thing.
"I got it this time, Mary," I stopped her from moving to the kitchen.
"Hm, what's the occasion?" She crossed her arms and looked at me skeptically. Her comment kind of took me by surprise. I didn't mean to always dump the cooking and everything on her, but she always just did it! No one asked. I didn't realize I was dumping it on her.
"Does there need to be an occasion?" I tried to laugh it off the best I could.
"Either that or a catch," she pointed out. She probably was right for the most part. Still I walked into the kitchen and she didn't follow me. She didn't go back to studying either. She cleaned all of her stuff up and put it on the coffee table and went outside. She came back in a few minutes later with the paper. She sat back down on the couch as Soda came out of the bathroom in a towel.
"Mary have you seen my pants?" He held his towel with one hand and his comb in the other.
"Yeah, I washed them and put them on your bed with all your other clothes." She told him with out even looking up. I guess I didn't realize that she did all of the laundry too.
"Darry, you're cooking?" Soda raised his eyebrow. Mary smiled with out looking up from the paper. She had won with out even trying.
"Yeah, buddy, so you better watch it, if you don't want it burned!" I decided to be playful with him, I knew he didn't mean any harm in his comment.
"Yes sir!" Soda laughed backing into his room.
"Hey, see if Johnny and Pony want food, will ya?" I yelled to him. I heard him respond, but I wasn't too sure what he had said. I expected a humorous comment from him, but I didn't expect our front door to open to Two-bit. I noticed Mary was surprised too. She stood up from the couch and looked at him.
"Where's the ugly giant? Two-bit turned and looked behind him.
"No giant, just you." Soda grinned. Two-bit grinned too. Two-bit took jokes well, as long as they weren't cheap shots, he didn't mind a good laugh.
"I had to check on Steve; I can't leave my boy hanging. Buck's friends don't throw many people out on their ass, you know!" Leave it to Two-bit to make a joke when everyone else was concerned.
"He what?" Soda finally asked.
"Two-bit," Mary muttered. I looked from Mary to Two-bit and saw them exchange glances.
"Whoa, Blondie here didn't tell you what happened?" Two-bit started laughing immediately. "I guess I am in for a show."
"What are you talking about?" I asked Two-bit, but I was also asking Mary too.
"Oh, I think you'd rather hear it from Mary," he sat down on our couch with an heavy exhale.
"Travis found Steve face down in the dirt, recognized him and told me. He wouldn't go anywhere but here, so I just dropped him in my room." Mary turned to Soda. "It was late, he asked me not to wake you. I think he wanted to talk to you." Mary shot Two-bit a glare. He didn't seem to notice or if he did he certainly didn't care.
"Alright, I see how it is," Two-bit made a face then started talking. "Steve rolls into Buck's already shit faced. He starts getting on the tables making a fool out of himself he pulled some random, dumb, broad off with him. He made them both look like complete fools." Two-bit was laughing awfully hard for the time of day it was.
Soda stood speechless. Honestly, I didn't know what to say either.
Soda paced around for a long minute opened his mouth to say something shut it, and started to walk to Mary's room.
"Soda, don't you think you should let him talk to you?" Mary stood up and took step toward Soda.
"You should have told me the second you saw him in trouble," he pointed his finger at Mary. Mary didn't even blink. She didn't move; She didn't even open her mouth to defend herself.
"Buddy, she just did what he asked. He probably wants to tell you what's going on when he can." I intervened because it didn't look like Mary was going to say anything.
Soda turned around and walked to the porch.
"What's going on Mar?" I asked when Soda was outside.
"Ask Two-bit he certainly likes to talk," Mary reached over him to grab her cancer sticks and her coffee, and then she left to go outside.
-xxxxx-
I saw Mary come outside and sit on the steps. She didn't say anything and I didn't right away either.
"He's my best friend you know." I told her shortly.
"I know that," she nodded.
"With out him I wouldn't make it. He's been there for me for everything: them dying, dropping out of school, finding a job, helping me with Sandy, Darry, Pony, you!" I wasn't yelling, but I was flat toned.
She didn't speak, but she still nodded her head.
"If something's wrong with him I should know. He's my best friend." I got a little more worked up.
"Here," she handed me her smoke. I wasn't going to take it, but I did. Before I knew it I was exhaling and she was standing up beside me.
"It was late, and I was with Travis. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with a drunken person. But, Travis noticed something was wrong. When we got to him he was passed out cold. We got him up and drug him here, and when we got here I asked him if he wanted me to tell you and he said no." She spoke as level as I had been, but she was quieter.
"You should have told me, I needed to know." I disagreed.
"Soda, Steve should have told you. You're his best friend. I don't know what's wrong with him, he does. I'm not keeping anything from you, he is. If I would have woken you up in the middle of the night, all you would have done was waited on him to wake up, because he was gone the second he laid down." She turned to leave.
"Mar," I tried to grab her arm, but she was too quick.
"You've doubted me an awful lot lately Soda Pop. When have I ever left you hanging out to dry, huh?" She closed the door to the house and left me on the porch with a smoke.
"You really did it this time, Soda," I told myself out loud. I put one hand on my head and with the other one I put the smoke to my lips. I inhaled the smoke, and I couldn't help but cough with my exhale. Something about smoking didn't suite my lungs, but right about now I honestly didn't give a damn.
I sat on the steps for a while. The weather this time of year wasn't too bad. It was starting to get cooler, but it wasn't chilly yet. It wouldn't be long though, Tulsa's weather's inconsistent.
I thought about what I was going to say to Steve. I tried to figure out what I felt. Hurt because he didn't come to me and tell me what was going on, angry because he didn't trust me, he's suppose to be my best friend, pissed at his dad for being an ass, or just sorry because he's caught up in some mess that he doesn't deserve. Putting all of that into words was going to be a struggle.
Was I going to take the angry approach? Let him know it hurt that he didn't come to me. Or, was I going to just let him talk, and just be supportive.
It didn't matter how much I thought about what I was going to say, because when he walked through the front door and stood beside me it all went straight out the window.
"I know what you're going to say." Steve started talking before I did.
"Do you?" I raised an eye brow, because I didn't even know what I was going to say.
"Yeah, and you don't have to say it because you were right. I'm an idiot." He sat on the railing and dangled his feet over the edge.
"What am I right about?"
"I should have told you sooner, but honest Soda, it's not like this all the time. We could go long periods of time where we are both fine, then out of the blue he goes psycho on me and this happens." He tried to justify everything, and I did feel sorry for the guy. After all, he is my best friend.
"Let me see." I told him monotone. He hesitated at first, but then pulled up his shirt, and his sleeve. I honestly thought I was going to hurl. When I couldn't form words he spoke first.
"It hasn't always been this bad-" he started, but I cut him off.
"Don't defend him! It doesn't matter when it started to get worse, it matters that it happened at all! He's supposed to take care of you!" I was enraged. He was too good of a guy to have to deal with this.
"But what you don't get, Soda, is no matter what he does he is still my dad. It doesn't matter when he throws me out, what he calls me, or how bad he hurts me he is the only dad I am ever going to have. You don't get it. You had model parents you know? This is all I have ever known!" He gave me a melancholy look that changed what I was going to say next.
"You're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how he can do that to you. I don't understand how you still consider him your dad! You deserve better!" I stood up from where I was sitting.
"It don't matter what I deserve, all that matters is what I got, Soda." He looked away from me. I could see the burden he was carrying, and I really wished that I would have known this all along. You never realize how good you have it until you see how much worse someone else has it.
"We gotta figure something out then, man. You need to leave and come here when he starts to go crazy. No questions asked, okay?" I changed my tone. He's right, I didn't understand, but I was right too. He didn't deserve that.
"Okay," he nodded. "Are you gonna tell everyone?"
"I'm pretty sure they already know, pal," he reached and helped me up off of my step.
I saw his eyes soften, it looked like he was ashamed. What could he be ashamed of?
He turned and started back towards the house, "hey," I grabbed his arm. He turned his whole body back to me.
"It's not your fault, you know that, right?" I assumed he knew that, but I was confused on what was going on.
"Yeah, man, whatever," his words told me he knew what I was talking about, but his tone and his expressions told me other wise.
I went back inside the house with him. At this point Johnny and Pony were at the table eating. Darry gave me a brief look, but he went back to cleaning the dishes in the sink quickly.
"So, you gonna tell us what the hell is going on?" Two-bit asked.
Xxxxxxxx
I learned a while back that when I take a shower it is best just to bring my clothes into the bathroom with me. Yeah, the guys would complain that I take too long, but the alternative is they whistle and act like idiots when I walk by wrapped in a towel. Which is stupid because my towel covers more than a lot of my clothes do. You'd think that because I've known them all of my life, they would look at me like a sister, but that's not it at all. You also would think that Darry, Pony, or Soda would stop them, but they don't. It is just one big mess that always makes me uncomfortable.
So, I started putting on my work uniform. I took my time and made sure it all looked okay. Then I put on a button up shirt over my work shirt and pulled the skirt down in the back. I did this when my parents were alive too. I felt like it showed respect more than anything. They new I wore minimal clothes at work, but they didn't really need to see it when I was at home.
I looked in the mirror one last time, satisfied with how I looked, I opened the bathroom door and set out to find the keys.
"You want me to drive your truck Darry?" I asked picking them up off of the coffee table. He pretty much left his keys there or on his dresser. Soda on the other had, no one ever knew where those were. I finally had to start looking in all of his pockets before I started the wash.
"I can drive you." Soda piped up. I wasn't mad at him by all means, but I just didn't want to be around him right now.
"It's fine, I'm not going anywhere, I've got practice to plan," he winked at me.
"Don't let it get to your head!" I kidded draping my arm over Pony.
"Want some eggs, Mar?" He asked me holding up his fork.
"No thanks champ." After you cook eggs for so long they start to look and smell unappetizing.
"Why doesn't Darry hassle you about eating," Pony mumbled making Darry give him a look. I spoke up before Darry had a chance to.
"Because I'm a lost cause, there's not point in trying to force me to be something. But you, you're still young there's still hope in you becoming something. So, listen to Dar and eat the eggs, huh?" I kissed his check and walked out the door.
"Why are you so nice to him and not nice to me!" Two-bit followed me outside.
"I like him better." I shrugged.
"Give me a ride to the diner?" He got in the truck before I answered.
"No, all you do is cause trouble." I stayed outside the car.
"Oh come on princess, I'm not staying long," he buckled his seatbelt. He clearly wasn't getting out, and I wasn't in the mood for a fight. Two-bit wasn't usually dangerous as long as he was alone.
"Why don't you tell Darry and Soda the truth Mar? When'd you become such a sneak?" Two-bit put his feet on the dash.
"Sneak, isn't a word. Who are you to judge me, I can count the number of times I've seen you sober on my hands." I defend myself.
"Yeah, but you don't really want to compare yourself to me do ya Mar?" Two-bit made a good point.
"What do you want Two-bit?" I was no longer amused.
"I want to know what's going on!" Two-bit was acting odd, I didn't understand.
"With what?" I snapped at him. I knew where this was going, and I was going to make sure it didn't get there.
"You've built up a mighty strong tolerance to alcohol real fast Mary. Last night you were falling off tables, and then today you're keeping the peace in the Curtis' house and then going off to work as if nothing happened last night.
"Nothing happened last night Two-bit, how much did you drink?" I threw it back as him as I pulled into a parking spot.
"I can drink a lot, because I weigh a lot! Plus, I'm okay getting wasted because people expect it! They don't expect me to hold everything together. Do you know you are the only one that holds your family together? Why would you screw with that?" He grabbed my door as I opened it to get out.
"I haven't screwed a damn thing Two-bit, you don't know what you are talking about, as usual. Now, get your hand off my car and walk home." I walked towards the diner. I heard what he said, but it honestly didn't phase me. I was so use to people judging me, and trying to talk to me.
I walked in the dinner already a little edgy, but working usually helped me get over that. Linda was working today too, and she would have some type of story that would take the whole day to tell.
As I pushed open the door, and the bell rang Linda looked up at me.
"Hey," I greeted her. She did drive me crazy at times, but she probably was the only true true friend that I had.
"Mary," the way Linda said my name gave me chills. I stopped walking and she came over to me. "Boss is in the back, he needs to talk to you," she grabbed my hand.
"Okay?" I wasn't sure why she was making it a big deal. He talked to me all time.
"Before you clock in." She stopped me from walking. Now my heart was racing. I tried to play it off like everything was fine. I walked to the little hole in the wall office the boss stayed in. I knocked even though the door was open.
"Yes, yes, Mary come in." He stood up. I walked in like I had millions of times before.
"Close the door behind you," he motioned to a chair. I started to feel more uncomfortable.
"You are a very bright young lady, and the customers love you. I have thoroughly enjoyed having you work for me. That's why this is really hard for me to do." He paused and took off his glasses.
"Sir are you firing me?" I had this painful feeling in my gut that something was wrong.
"I'm afraid so." He looked down. "We got a complaint. Someone called in and said that fight a little while ago scared his kid. He threated to boycott the dinner. We can't risk it. I really am sorry."
"You just now got this complaint?" I stood up.
"A few days ago, I've been putting it off, I wanted to give you as many hours as I could. I know you depend on this money. If there's anything I can do-" he started.
"So this is it?" I wasn't really angry or even upset I just couldn't believe what was happening.
"For now at least." He stood up. "I'll keep let you know if I think we can get you back, but your best bet is to look for an other job." I knew he was trying to be nice and to help me, but I didn't want an other job! I just started to not hate this one.
"Thank you for doing everything you could," I shook his hand. My heart was starting to race, I told myself to get a grip.
"The pleasure's all mine." He told me as I walked out. I bee lined out of there didn't stop for Linda or anyone to say anything to me.
I walked on the sidewalk in the opposite direction of my car for a minute trying to think about what I was going to do now. Finally fed up I got in my car and drove to Buck's. I opened the door and walked straight to Travis' room. I didn't see Buck or Darry anywhere.
I knocked on the door then waited for him to come.
"Mary, hey," he seemed surprised to see me. "I thought you had to work?
"Yeah, that's a funny story," I sighed. I was so stressed my hands were trembling.
"Come on in," he moved out of the way. "What happened?"
"Someone made a complaint about me," I sat on his bed and he sat on his dresser across form me.
"What does that mean?" He asked again.
"It means I got fired from a job that pays our bills. Especially now that Darry isn't working as many hours." I leaned back.
"Who complained?"
"I don't know, someone who was there during the fight," I rubbed my forehead. "What am I going to tell Darry? He's so excited about his new football job."
"It wasn't your fault, you didn't start the fight." He moved over beside me. We didn't say anything for a few minutes. I know that I didn't start the fight, but I also didn't really blame Soda for starting it. In his head he was protecting out family name, which I guess I get.
"What now?" He asked me.
"I don't know." I sat back up. I had no idea what I was going to do now. I knew we needed the money, and I knew I couldn't tell Darry. I needed to find an other job fast.
I looked over to the dresser and something caught my eye. A camouflage uniform draped over the back of his chair. His eyes followed mine, and before I could even ask he stepped in front of my line of vision.
"What," I started pointing across the room.
"I was going to tell you." He sighed and moved back beside me.
"You were going to tell me what?" I was confused on what I was seeing.
"I didn't think anyone was coming up today, usually put it away." He mumbled. My head was still skipping back in time and put pieces together.
"All this time, oh god," I stopped and put my head in my hands. It all started to make sense.
"I didn't want to tell you and scare you. I thought I'd tell you when the time was right." He tried to reason with me.
"When is the time right, Travis? When you leave unexpected, because you made it pretty clear that you can be gone at anytime!" I stood up.
"You have a right to be mad, you've been nothing but honest with me." He stayed calm, which almost made me even more angry.
"Don't tell me how I feel! You're in the army, fine, good for you! That's a very respectful job to have." I turned and started towards the door.
"Mary," he followed me. At one point on the stairs he caught my hand, and I pushed him off.
"I'm a temporay friend is that what you liked about me. Get to know me tell me to trust you because it doesn't matter you can be gone when ever! Don't touch me," I left Buck's with out even looking back. My heart was literally racing, and I didn't exactly know why. It wasn't like we were dating, I wasn't even attracted to him, so I didn't know why I cared if his job involved people shooting at him.
"Keep it together Myra, deep breaths," I tried to think of my dad when I said that. I thought it would give me some peace, but it did the exact opposite. "Damn it," I growled wiping a stray tear from my cheek. I wasn't driving down the road five miles when I saw Sandy walking on the sidewalk. She looked like hell. I didn't want to stop, because Sandy was a talker, and I was not in a talking mood, but I didn't want to just drive by and hope she didn't see me. I slowed down beside her. "Sandy, get in, I'll give you a ride." I tried to smile so it looked like I wanted her to get in.
She hesitated, but after a second she got in, "Thanks," I could tell she had been crying. Well now I just didn't know what to say. Was I suppose to start guessing on what was wrong?
"Where we headed?" I kept my eyes forward, I didn't want to watch her cry.
"I have nowhere to go." She whimpered.
"Want to go to my place? Soda and Steve are there." I suggested.
"I can't go to your place," she started crying more.
"What about your house?" I didn't know what was going on.
"I definitely can't go there." She covered her face with her hand.
I knew I was going to regret asking my next question, but in a loss of better words I spoke up, "what's wrong?"
"I can't tell you, you'll tell Soda." That was true, I would tell Soda if it was something he needed to know.
"What could you have done to make Soda upset? He is never mad! When we were little one time I tore his favorite-" I tried to be funny and tell her a funny story as we approached my house, but she interrupted me.
"Keep driving, please!" She begged me. "I'm pregnant." I slammed on breaks hard when she said that.
"Oh goodness." I finally said after stuttering for a minute. "Soda's the best guy to be pregnant with. Well, not that I'd want to be pregnant with him, but he's gonna be one hell of a dad." I tried to find a silver lining for Sandy's sake, but in my head I was continuously saying 'oh shit.'
"He's not the father." She started balling.
"What do you mean he's not the father! How do you know! He told me that you slept together." I realized I was parked in the middle of our road staring mouth open at Sandy.
"I didn't sleep with Soda until after I knew I was already pregnant." Her eyes were blood shot red. I felt bad for her until I thought about how Soda was going to feel. When she said that I wanted to throw up.
"You know what you're going to do?" I pointed my finger at her. "You're going to march your butt in there and tell Soda right now. He needs to know."
"My parents are going to kill me." She whined.
I pulled into out drive way, got out and opened her door. "If you don't tell him by the time I get back, I will." I leaned over and honked the horn of the truck. I knew someone would come out before Sandy could leave.
I started walking away from our house, but I had no idea where I was going to go. I had nowhere to go. When I stopped walking I noticed that I was close to the Sheppard's house. I knew I had hit rock bottom then, but I didn't even care. I knew I couldn't go home to a sad Soda, I couldn't go to Buck's because of Travis, and I couldn't go to Two-bit's because I left him at the diner.
I knocked on the door twice before opening it a little. I didn't know if I was going there to see Angela or Tim. I made myself look like a fool in front of Tim, but Angela was in bad shape last time I saw her. I knew I didn't want to see Curly, but he wasn't usually around their house too much.
Tim met me at door, "Mary, come on in. You know you don't have to knock." He didn't have his shirt on, and I couldn't tell if he just woke up.
"Angela went out with Sylvia." He told me sitting down on the couch.
"I wasn't really here to see her." I shrugged sitting in the chair across from him.
"Yeah?" He smiled a goofy smile and motioned for me to sit beside him. "Aren't you suppose to be at work?" He pulled my top shirt up revealing my work uniform.
"Among other things." I muttered leaning into him.
He draped his arm over my shoulder, "Trouble in paradise?"
"Paradise huh, is that what you call it?" I certainly didn't' feel like I as anywhere near paradise.
"Yeah, I guess that wasn't my best phrase," he leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I in return kissed his lips. He didn't fight me this time, and he seemed more relaxed.
"What's different about now?" I asked him as he laid down.
"What do you mean?" He moved his hand low on my back.
"You couldn't get away from me fast enough."
"You're sober. This isn't the alcohol talking." He gently pulled my shirt off. It wasn't hard to do it was a baggy shirt.
"Can we go to your room?" I was uncomfortable on the couch.
"Are you bashful all of a sudden?" he laughed at me sitting up.
"Oh don't flatter yourself, your couch blows." He picked me up and carried me to his room.
"If you drop me, it will kill the mood." I warned him as he opened his door.
"You hardly weigh ten pounds!" He laughed closing the door and laying me on his bed.
"I guess I made your life easier, you're welcome." I helped him pull my uniform top off.
"Easy is good." He pulled off his pants as I rolled under the sheets.
"I didn't know you like to have fun sober," He kissed my neck as he pulled off my bra.
"I didn't know that you had a conscience." I put my hands on his back.
"I resent that!" He laughed pulling off my panties from under the sheets. I thought that I would tell him to stop, or that I would be scared, but I wasn't.
"You sure about this?" He was holding himself up.
"I am, are you not?" I kissed his cheek.
"You've never been with anyone like me Blondie," He winked. He was right too. I had slept with a couple guys, but never ones that I wasn't in a relationship with and it wasn't nearly as enjoyable.
"Did I meet up to your standards?" He asked when we finished. He rolled over and laid beside me.
"I don't know, we could use some more practice," I looked up at him smiling.
"That can be arranged." He laughed. "What happened at work that drove you here?" He got more serious.
"Oh please, nothing drove me here. I walked here." I nudged him.
"Seriously, Mary." He didn't think I was funny.
"I promise, I didn't come here because I had a bad day. I've wanted to do this for a while." I was mostly telling the truth. Work was not the only reason I came here. Sandy had a part to do with it too.
"You've been thinking about it for a while, yeah?" He was smiling again.
"You've never thought about it?" I started to feel stupid.
"Oh, I have, but I always thought you were out of my league, and I never thought you were interested." He put his arm around me again.
"Why do people always do that? Put me on some pedestal. I'm certainly not perfect. I never have been."
"You are for a greaser girl. Think about it. When's the last time you screwed up?" He tested me.
"Someone complained about me at work, and I just got fired." I told him flatly.
"Someone complained?" He rolled over on his side and looked at me.
"Yeah, Dally, Two-bit, and Soda got into it with some Soc's at the diner a little while back. You didn't know about that?" I was surprised he didn't already know.
"Right, but you didn't fight anyone, so you didn't do anything wrong right?" He had a good point.
"I guess, but I am still out of a job, which is one less paycheck. It'll stress Darry out, especially since he just took this coaching job. Soda will insist on trying to work more." My head started to hurt, and I started to feel tension in my shoulders. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to have to tell them.
"It wasn't your fault." He twirled my hair around his finger.
"That doesn't really mean anything," I admitted. It was quiet for a while, before he finally spoke up. I wondered what he was thinking about. He had a real serious look on his face.
"What's with you and Travis? He asked out of the blue.
"Travis, he's my friend- I guess," I squished up my face.
"You two don't have anything going on?" He moved his arm and sat up.
"Not in a million years. Where did you get that from?" Was he jealous?
"People talk, it is Tulsa." He reminded me.
"I know, but that doesn't mean you should listen. If him and I were in a relationship I wouldn't have come here." I was starting to get annoyed with all of his questions. This was suppose to be easy, it was suppose to be fun.
"It just seems weird to me that you came here all of a sudden." He tried to get me relaxed, but I wasn't comfortable anymore.
"Maybe I wanted your company, maybe I wanted you." I started to get up. I didn't feel like I was lying. I wanted him to be a distraction, but I was interested in him. In the back of my head I wanted him to want me too.
"Aw, come on, don't leave angry." He reached for my arm.
"I'm not angry." I stopped and looked back to him. That was true, I wasn't angry, I just didn't want to be there anymore.
"Then, what's the rush? I've heard that I'm good company," He winked at me. I couldn't help but smile at him. He was a corny kind of cute.
"Why not, I have no where else to go." I spoke truthfully. As I got back in bed I thought about what I was going to do when I left. There wasn't really anywhere for me to go. I didn't want to go home to see a sad Soda, and I didn't want to have to tell them I was fired. I couldn't go find Travis, because I was mad at him. I couldn't go to Buck's because Travis would be there. I was in a triple loose situation.
"I'm hungry." Tim broke my concentration. I didn't really respond I just looked at him. "What can I say, I always get hungry after great sex," he smiled getting up.
"What happens when it isn't great?" I wondered.
"Eh, I'm still hungry. Want to go out?"
"I'm not hungry, plus I don't really look decent to go out. You go, though."
"You look fine," he rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll buy." He pleaded with me.
"There's not anywhere I want to go." I told him mater of factly.
"There's gotta be somewhere princess," he sat up.
"You go!" I pushed him away I was still kidding, but not as much as I had been previously.
"Why are you being such a tease, just put on your clothes!" He threw my bra and panties at me.
"You're calling me names? Is that usually how you get what you want?" I stood up and started to get dressed with my back to him.
"Usually I don't have to work this hard," he admitted. I bet it was true. I knew the girls he slept with were easy, but when he told me no it made me want it so much more.
"You have a way with women Shepard," I walked out of his room with my shoes in my hand.
"So that's that?" He yelled after me.
"I turned around and looked at him. I guess that's up to you." I felt like that was a good way to leave it. I got what I wanted and if anything else was going to happen he could do the work. I was too damn tired to work at anything. I looked at my watch and it was about the time I usually got off work. I knew if I didn't go back soon someone would know something was up.
I started towards the house wondering what was going to be going on. Before I was ready I was walking up the steps to my house. I pulled open the screen door, and I didn't see anyone. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I let the door slam behind me a little to let anyone know I was home, and with the slamming door all hell broke loose.