Hello folks! I know I promised to update the story around Valentine's Day 2014, but as I said in Wedding Bells 7, I couldn't find a beta-reader, got fed up with the FoL fandom community for a while, had a perceived lack of interest in my FoL stories, and was busy doing other things, such as work, fan-comics, fan-arts, etc. So the story sat idle for over two years.
Thanks to a new beta-reader, factsoflifefanatic, I was able to get this chapter on the roll again. It's probably my longest chapter, even longer than chapter 10, but I think I owe it to all of you folks for the nearly 3-year wait. The goal was to have it up by before or on July 4, 2016, which would have been exactly three years since I put up chapter 25.
Currently, I'm working on chapter 27 and also working up beta-read versions of chapter 15 and 16. I've wanted to finally have chapters 15-25 beta-read, so I'm very excited about that. I think this chapter is one of the best chapters yet, and 27 would be an even better chapter, right up there with 10, 12, and of course, 25.
Enjoy, and thanks for being patient.
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Chapter 26
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Hi, there. It's me, Molly, again. I know it's been a while since I've written anything, but due to a big test and a project I had in world history, I haven't had time. However, I do have a few things to share. Namely, right after Cindy and Sue Ann finally kissed…
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When Natalie and I got back to our room, we talked a bit more about Cindy and Sue Ann.
"Mission accomplished!" Natalie shouted for joy.
"Yeah, just don't be too loud about it. Someone might hear us."
"Sorry about that," Natalie pouted.
"No problem. I just wanted to warn you."
"Yeah, but really, who in this dorm doesn't know about it? Just about everybody does." Did she forget about the human tabloid magazine, named "Tootie?"
"Neither Tootie nor Nancy know, and let's keep it that way, because if Tootie got word of it…"
"I don't wanna think about it, Molly. Tootie's basically the human PA system! But why don't you want Nancy to know?"
I was about to tell her that she must have lost her mind, but then I remembered that I never told her about how Nancy acted when she questioned Cindy's sexuality in the department store. "It would be just as bad, if not, worse," I replied.
Natalie glanced at me in puzzlement. "Huh, how so? She doesn't spread gossip."
"No, but she can't find out because she's homophobic!"
"Homophobic? What's that?"
To be honest with you, I just learned the term about a year ago when I saw a gay activist on TV call Anita Bryant a homophobe. I had to look the word up in a dictionary and, surprisingly enough, it was there. Especially since it was a Funk and Wagner dictionary!
"It's a term used to describe people who don't like gays," I explained to Natalie.
"Oh, I see. How do you know Nancy's one?" asked Natalie as she looked at me doubtfully. I can't blame her for questioning me. Sure, many people may take Nancy for being an idiot, but not for being a bigot.
"I found out when we went shopping to help get Cindy some new clothes for the New Year's Eve party, during the Christmas break," I said.
"Oh, yeah. I remember you telling me about it, especially the part about Cindy playing video games," Natalie chuckled. I couldn't help but chuckle as well. It was a pretty funny moment. I had told Natalie about the Christmas break shopping excursion, but, like I said, I left out the part about Nancy and me getting into a shouting match. I decided to tell Natalie about the whole incident in more detail. She had the right to know, after all.
"Yeah, it was a challenge to get Cindy to shop for some clothes. She was worse than Buddy from Family. For about an hour, she turned down everything, until we finally found a dress she liked. Though, now that I think about it, she was probably getting tired, and by that point she was willing to take anything. While she was in the dressing room, Nancy told us that there were gay rumors going around about Cindy. Then Nancy mentioned how embarrassing it would be to have a 'queer' in our dorm. I lost it right there at the store and we nearly had a shouting match."
"Really? How come you didn't tell me this earlier?"
"Because I really wasn't in the mood to talk about it. Unlike Tootie, who wouldn't want to hurt anyone on purpose, Nancy would probably see to it that Cindy got expelled."
"Oh, my. Then we have to be extra cautious."
Good. Natalie finally came to the realization of the situation.
"Yeah, you're not kidding," I said.
However, we soon realized how much more cautious we had to be – about three minutes later…
"Ooooh! I got something to tell you!" Tootie alerted us as she quickly shut the door behind her. It looked like she had herself the gossip of the year, if not the gossip of a lifetime. Unfortunately, our worst fears were confirmed when she finally told us her earth-shattering news. It was earth shattering all right.
"What is it, Tootie?" asked Natalie excitedly. To be honest with you, Natalie is not really that much better than Tootie when it comes to gossip.
"Girl, you won't believe what I just saw. This is some serious news! It's bigger than anything in People magazine!"
She was seriously bouncing off her roller-skates about this one. Given the chance, she would probably attempt to do some somersaults! She was getting Natalie very excited.
"Wow! You got to tell me!" Natalie was barely controlling herself at that point.
"Of course! This is so good; I wouldn't tell anyone else first besides you, Natalie," said Tootie. She then proceeded to say, "Oh, and since you're here too, Molly, I'll tell you as well! Guess what I saw an hour ago?"
"What?" Natalie and I asked in unison.
"I just saw Cindy and Sue Ann kissing each other!"
It was as if Tootie had just dropped a hydrogen bomb on Natalie and me. The earlier excitement on Natalie's face was quickly replaced by morbid fear and shock. I thought that I literally saw the blood drain from her face. Needless to say, she wasn't the only one who went pale. We were both totally shocked for a while and we couldn't say anything as we looked at each other, then back at Tootie.
"What's wrong?" she asked. She didn't realize the severity of her snooping.
I wasted no time and immediately took action.
"Lock the door, Natalie, and stay in front of it."
She nodded and quickly locked the door, blocking it like a bouncer at a nightclub.
Like laser beams, I looked directly and intensely at Tootie's eyes and asked, "Tootie, tell me everything you know."
I could see a flash of fright on her face, as she cautiously told me, "Well, I was trying to find you guys, since I needed help with my assignment, so I asked Mrs. Garrett and she told me you guys went back to the gym. When I got there, I saw those two kissing!" Immediately, her mood changed from fear to excitement. It made me realize how any type of rumor gets her excited. "Can you believe that? Cindy and Sue Ann are girlfriends. This is like front-page National Enquire news. Boy, when this gets around, I will forever be known as the greatest gossip queen of Eastland!" Thank goodness she told us before anyone else. Luck must have been on our side.
I told her very sternly, "You will not say a word about it to anyone else."
She was flabbergasted at what I just said.
"What, are you crazy? This is THE rumor of Eastland history. It could cement my legacy as the gossip queen of Eastland. I gotta share this with everyone!"
"Like heck you will! You are not going to tell anybody about this! This can be highly explosive!" I told her. Tootie's determination to spread the rumor was frightening.
"How so?" Tootie asked. "It's not a bomb."
That's what she thinks. "It will be for Cindy and Sue Ann. They could get expelled if any of the higher-ups find out, especially Mr. Bradley. People like him tend to frown upon these things."
Tootie finally got it. It may have taken a bit to make her comprehend the situation and see the bigger picture, but I also realized that she was only eleven years old.
"Really?"
"Yes. Lesbians are not really wanted here," I said with a very serious face, trying to drive home how damaging this revelation could be for Cindy and Sue Ann.
"Lesbians? What's that?"
Like I said, she's only eleven years old.
"Oh, boy…" said Natalie.
"Oh, my…" I added.
So, I spent a good part of an hour, explaining what lesbians were. She was familiar with the term "gay," but she only associated it with men, not with women. Her confusion was probably because gay men are more common than gay women. With her being a typical eleven-year-old, it didn't sink in very quickly. She asked a few questions, some of which were silly while others were a bit in the uncomfortable zone. I didn't want to go into more details with those questions. Mrs. Garrett might be able to answer them when the sex ed class starts in a couple of weeks. Thankfully, she eventually got it.
"So, that's why Blair told me never to tell about her dates with other girls."
"Exactly," I replied.
"Funny. Blair told me that the reason she goes out with them is because no boys want to go out with them."
I can't believe that she bought that lie, but then again, she's only eleven years old.
"Tootie," I said to her straight up, "Blair is lying to you."
The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Oooooooooooh!" she replied with a long drawn-out face.
At that moment, Mrs. Garrett knocked on the door.
"Hey girls, dinner's ready."
"Thanks!" we all said in unison.
Before we headed to the kitchen, I gave Tootie a quick reminder.
"Remember, Tootie. Don't mention ANYTHING about what you saw!" I told her, strongly emphasizing the 'anything' part.
"I won't."
"Good."
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Mrs. Garrett had made some pork chops for dinner. Everyone was there, except for Blair, who was late, as usual. Right from the get-go, Cindy and Sue were flirting with each other. This wasn't good because I was sure that they weren't aware of Tootie's snooping at the time. Plus, Nancy was there, and Sue Ann already knew how homophobic Nancy was. Speaking of Tootie, she wasn't saying anything because she was keenly watching Cindy and Sue Ann, hoping that neither one of them picked up that she knew about their relationship. It didn't help that Tootie was constantly grinning as she watched them. I shook my head out of frustration. By then I had decided that after dinner, I would reveal to the two lovebirds that Tootie knew about them. Letting them know would probably prevent Tootie from snooping on them all the time, and, knowing Cindy, with probably some assistance from Sue Ann, she would put Tootie in check.
Natalie was sitting on my right, so I turned to her and explained my plan.
"We need to let Cindy and Sue Ann know that Tootie knows."
Luckily, she didn't have anything in her mouth because, if she did, she would probably would have choked from the shock.
"Why? You're gonna make it worse!" Natalie protested.
"Actually, not letting them know about Tootie would make it worse. See, if they know that Tootie is aware of their relationship, then they will be more mindful of Tootie's snooping. Plus, knowing both Cindy and Sue Ann, they will have no problems putting Tootie in check. They will probably threaten to beat her up if she tells," I informed her. It was really a hunch, but I was pretty sure that was the most likely scenario.
Natalie wasn't too sure. "Well, let's see. You don't know my buddy, Tootie, as well as you think."
"Probably not, but I do have a Plan B and a Plan C, if she does tell."
As we went back to eating our dinner, I was examining Mrs. Garrett's body language. She seemed to have picked up on the flirting between Cindy and Sue Ann, as she was watching them. Blair eventually joined the table. It didn't even take thirty seconds for Blair to notice the way Cindy and Sue Ann were acting toward each other. Her mouth dropped the moment she noticed the behavior between those two. Eventually, she continued to eat.
Cindy and Sue Ann weren't doing such a great job at being more discreet. They were constantly "secretly" touching each other and giggling. Anybody who bothered to fine tune in their dalliances would quickly see that they're a couple. Even Nancy noticed something was different.
"Hey, Molly, Blair, what's going on with those two?" she whispered to both of us. Blair and I just looked at each other, silently debating who would lie to Nancy. Blair was the first to speak up.
"I don't know. I guess they're still happy over the fact that they're friends again."
"Yeah, that's true, but they're acting more like a couple than friends," Nancy responded with a touch of disgust on her face.
My heart nearly sank down to my shoes when she said that. Blair and I looked at Nancy with great unease.
"Let's not jump to conclusions, shall we?" I interjected. I wanted the conversation to end as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Nancy had more to say.
"I hope they're just friends. The last thing we need are a bunch of sick dykes in our dorm," said Nancy with a disgusted look on her face. Flashbacks of our conversation in Montgomery Ward during our Christmas break played in the back of my mind. I had to use every bit of my energy not to slap her.
Blair was already disgusted with Nancy's homophobic attitude, as she quickly got up from the table. "I'm not hungry," she said as she started to leave.
Mrs. Garrett was taken aback by Blair's sudden abruptness. "Are you okay, Blair?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Blair lied. As I looked at Mrs. Garrett's face, I could tell that she knew Blair was lying.
"Are you really okay?" Mrs. Garrett asked for the second time.
"I'm fine," Blair emphasized, as she pushed her chair back in and looked at Nancy with death glares. She quickly left the dining room and went back to her room.
"What's wrong with her?" asked Nancy.
"You are," I said with a scowl. "What you said was inappropriate."
"Oh, no, not again," she said, while rolling her eyes.
"Oh, yes, Nancy. I'm not going to let you get away with your bigoted comment."
"I'm not a bigot!" she spat venomously. This was totally out of character for her.
"Yes, you are!" I spat back with the same fury.
Mrs. Garrett and the rest of the patrons noticed our bickering, and she spoke up. "Hey! What's going on between you two?"
"Nothing," we said in unison.
"That didn't sound like nothing to me. What's really going on?"
We didn't say anything, so Mrs. Garrett took it as a hint that we weren't going to tell her.
"Okay then, the next time you two start arguing, I will double both of your chores for the rest of the week! Got that?!" she said with a touch of anger in her face.
"Got it," we said in unison.
During the rest of dinner, Nancy and I didn't speak, nor did we look at each other.
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When Natalie, Tootie and I finished eating dinner, I quickly put my plan into motion and we went straight to the lovebirds' room. Their door was locked. Well, at least they were wise enough to do that. I knocked on the door and Sue Ann opened it. There were hickey marks all over her neck. Cindy was no better because she had them all over her neck as well. I knew then that we had to have a serious talk.
"Hey you three, come on in." Sue Ann smiled, as she gestured for us to enter. We went in and waited until she locked the door again before I spoke.
"Women, I think Tootie has something to tell you."
"Really? Like what?" Cindy asked me.
Tootie took a deep breath and then she spoke. "I saw you two kissing in the gym earlier today."
Their jaws dropped and the blood quickly left their faces. They knew that if Tootie found out, they could be in serious trouble. However, Tootie quickly reassured them.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Molly and Natalie told me that you both can get in serious trouble."
Cindy and Sue Ann looked at each other as if they couldn't believe their ears. Since Tootie knew their secret, there was a definite possibility that other people might know as well. If word got out that two lesbians were rooming together, there could be some serious consequences. If there was one thing that they didn't want, it was to be separated. Cindy tried to maintain her tough façade.
"There will be trouble alright," said Cindy getting up in Tootie's face, "for you," she finished jabbing her pointed finger in Tootie's chest.
Tootie was clearly terrified.
Sue Ann said quietly, "No, Cindy, she's right. We would be in serious trouble," she said sadly as she got up behind Cindy and put her chin on Cindy's shoulder.
Cindy took a deep breath and, in a calmer voice, said, "Sue Ann's right." She then turned her head and looked at Sue Ann as she continued, "Our relationship will not be accepted here." Her face suddenly turned dead serious as she looked back at Tootie and she loomed over the young girl as she asserted, "So, if we find out that you snitched on us, you will be the one in trouuubbbbbllle because we will come after you."
Sue Ann seemed to snap out of her sorrowful fog as she reinforced her partner's threat. "Yeah, we sure will."
Tootie swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat.
"Uh… okay. I won't say a word," Tootie said with great trepidation as sweat began to bead on her head.
"Good," Cindy ended. "Now that we got that out of the way, what else do you women want to talk about?" She knew better than to say 'girls' in front of Molly.
"We want to talk about you two, and how you need to be more discreet," I said.
"Oh, come on now, it won't happen again!" Cindy responded.
"Yeah, I'll make sure we're more discreet," Sue Ann added.
"You better, because you still have one person in this dorm who doesn't know about you two – Nancy."
Sue Ann shook her head, and Cindy just sighed.
Natalie spoke up. "You know how she feels about gay couples. She made it clear a few months ago, and she also made it clear to Molly and I today during dinner. She picked up on how strange you two were acting so you have to be careful."
"But we are careful!" Sue Ann protested.
"Yeah, she shouldn't suspect a thing," Cindy added.
"Well answer this, are those mosquito bites on both your necks? This isn't even June yet!" Natalie asked. Both her and I were trying hard not to laugh.
Cindy and Sue Ann started to sweat, as they were shocked to discover how apparent their hickeys were.
"Take a look in the mirror if you don't believe us." I pointed their love bites out to them.
"Yeah, it looks like Count Dracula had a feast on you two!" Tootie joked.
"More like Carmilla," retorted Cindy.
"Who?" Tootie, Sue Ann, and Natalie asked.
"A lesbian vampire," Cindy informed them. "She's a character that French author, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, created some 25 years before Dracula." Wow, Cindy knows her lesbian fiction.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"Oh, I read about it when we took our little trip down to the Oscar Wilde bookstore."
"Oh, yeah. The place where we got that book for Blair." I remembered that trip. It was where Cindy met the girl who almost replaced Sue Ann.
We all laughed, almost forgetting how Blair had flipped the script on us for that little prank. That's something I don't want to go through again.
"Well, I know one thing. Nancy sure knows a lot about vampires because it seems that Roger is sucking the life outta her!" Tootie said.
"It seems like Roger knows how to do it through the telephone!" Natalie quipped.
We all laughed.
"With all jokes aside, you two need to be careful because Nancy will not be afraid to report you two to the school. Understand?"
"Understood," the two girls answered while pouting.
Then Natalie, Tootie, and I left their room.
"How much do you wanna bet that they will still be careless?" Natalie wagered.
I knew better than to take that bet, so I replied, "Forget it. I'd lose my money right away. We will have to keep an eye on them."
We all nodded and went back to our rooms.
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Spring break finally came. It couldn't have come at a better time because I was so drained from school and keeping my eyes on Sue Ann and Cindy. Those two made it hard to keep their secret hidden. I was constantly reminding them to be more discreet, but they just couldn't seem to keep from looking at each other and touching. Truthfully, it was a mess. So, I welcomed the break with open arms. I needed time to focus on myself and my life for a change. Boy, I sure don't know how Tootie does it – delving into people's lives and all. Personally, I think it's exhausting.
It was my mother's turn to have me, so I got to stay in Rochester over spring break. Sometimes it got tiring bouncing between my parents, but I've come to accept it. I even came to accept my dad's new girlfriend, Angela, but it still hurt that my parents couldn't work it out. Anyway, I was looking forward to visiting my mom. She was still trying to get her life back together after the divorce, but she seemed to be working it out. My mom was renting a small apartment because dad got the house as part of the divorce agreement. Blair was wrong on that one. I guess she's not Little Miss Perfect, but, then again, I already knew that she had hidden flaws – the biggest starting with a T and rhyming with jumpy.
Mom's apartment was really modest with only one room. Since there was limited space, I had to sleep on the foldout couch. It wasn't so bad. Actually, it was kind of fun. There was only one small TV, but I didn't mind. Living in a dorm full of girls taught me to compromise when it came to choosing what to watch. I know that some people would argue that my mom was in a difficult position and they might even feel sorry for her, but I think she's really happy. Her place was small because it fit her tastes. She preferred to keep things simple since the divorce because she said that that her life had been complicated enough lately. Her minimalistic nature was the complete opposite of dad's public display of extravagance. I understand that he was going through a mid-life crisis and all, but he came off as a whole different person. Yet, I found that he still loved me even though he was no longer in love with my mom. It was a tough pill to swallow, but I finally digested it.
The only bad thing about staying in Rochester over spring break was being away from Ralph. He had become my rock and I knew I was going to miss him. He's always there when I start thinking about my parents' divorce. Gee, I hope I'm not becoming one of those dependent bimbos who rely on a man to keep her happy. Honestly, I don't think it's possible. Anyway, I was afraid it was going to be lonely staying in the apartment by myself when my mom was out. However, I was worried for nothing because, as luck would have it, Greg got to come stay with us. He was going to go to Florida with his friends, but Mrs. Hockney came down with pneumonia so he decided to stick around. My mom told him that he could crash with us so he'd be close to his mom, and I would have company when she was gone. If I couldn't have my boyfriend, it was nice to have my best boy friend around. Oh, I mean, man friend. I have to keep things equal.
"So, how's your mother doing?" I asked Greg as we sat down for a chat after he arrived.
A forced smiled appeared on his face. "Fine. The doctor said that there's a great chance she'll pull through."
"I sure hope so. I'd like to visit her."
"Sure thing. You can come with me tomorrow."
"Oh, thanks."
"How's your mother doing, Shorty?"
I just ignored his insult. He always had to get a playful jab in when he could. Greg's lucky that he's my friend or I would make him think twice before calling me names.
I took a deep breath and said, "She seems to be doing fine. I know that the divorce is still hard on her, but she's getting through it."
"Has she found someone yet?"
"I've heard that she has a 'gentleman' friend, but I haven't met him yet."
"Oh. Well, how about your dad?"
"He's as out there as ever since the divorce. I mean, it's like he's a big kid or something."
"Isn't he going through a mid-life crisis now?"
"Yeah. It's kind of disgusting. I mean he used to be Mr. Responsible and was frugal when it came to finances, but now money is just a way to have fun. He asks, 'Why have it if you don't spend it.' I mean, I understand, but it is still hard to believe how much he's changed."
"It's hard when people suddenly seem to change on you," Greg said as a sad look crossed his face.
I knew he was thinking about Cindy and how he felt used. He saw himself as a pawn in a sick game, and I could relate to feeling powerless. Here I was a human yo-yo or the ball in a tennis match between my parents, and he was just a piece to an incomplete puzzle. Unfortunately, the whole situation of love is not fun and games. People can get hurt. I tried to change the subject by distracting him.
"Hey, Greg, you want to watch some TV?"
"Sure."
We turned on the television and found a rerun of Sha Na Na. It may not be the best thing, but it was the only thing on. As we were watching the episode, Greg asked, "So, how are you getting along with what's-her-name?"
"Angela?"
"Yeah. Your father's girlfriend."
"She's better than I thought, but I still can't get over it. I mean she was his dental hygienist. I guess when he said, 'Open your mouth wide,' she took it literal."
I couldn't believe such words came out of my mouth. Generally, I'm not mean, but I guess I was still harboring some ill feelings toward her for driving the wedge between my parents. I don't know, but I was shocked. By the look on Greg's face, he couldn't believe it either.
"I didn't mean it," I apologized. "I guess I'm just still trying to get used to this unusual relationship."
As soon as I said it, I knew I had put my foot in my mouth once again, and I so wanted to take it back.
"Yeah, I know what you mean about unusual relationships," he said sadly.
"Look, Greg, I didn't mean . . ."
"Hey, it's okay. Like you, I have to accept it. I just wish I didn't have to see it."
"What do you mean?"
I wasn't sure I was ready to hear what he had to say, but I needed to know.
"I was at the Peekskill Park the other day and I saw Cindy and Sue Ann having a picnic."
"Well, that doesn't seem too bad," I said. However, I could feel that there had to be more.
"Are you kidding? They were kissing and embracing each other. It was weird."
Oh no. If Greg had spotted them, then others have probably seen them too.
"Really?" I cringed.
"Yeah. Luckily, no one else was in the area. I guess they thought they were by themselves. You know, they really need to be careful."
"Yeah, I know. I thought that Sue Ann would put a lid on Cindy's recklessness, but she's not doing much about it."
Greg shook his head. "Nope, and I think Chase is just egging them on."
That was surprising to hear. I know that Chase is rather open about his bisexuality, but I would have thought that he would have taken Cindy and Sue Ann's situation into more careful consideration. They had a lot at stake. It wasn't like they could turn back to the opposite sex if people didn't approve of their relationship. It was clear that they were on a one-way street. My concern was trying to help steer them from coming to a dead end.
Greg continued, "By the way, do you know who Chase is dating now?"
"Who? Man or woman?"
"Woman. He's dating Kimberly Drummond."
"Really?"
"Yeah, they're actually perfect for each other."
"How so?"
"Kimberly is bisexual as well."
"How do you know that?"
"One of Kimberly's friends told me. I can't say her name, but she and had Kim dated a while back, before they broke up. They're still friends, though."
"That's interesting."
However, Greg was nowhere near finished, as I saw the hurt expression on his face. "Even though I learned to accept it, seeing Sue Ann kissing Cindy still hurts. The pain hasn't left, no matter how much pizza and pop you offer me."
Usually I would be happy to hear someone say "pop" instead of "soda" since, here in Rochester, we say "pop," but this was not the time.
"You already know my position. Don't take all your anger out on me, Greg."
"Like hell I can! You led me on just as much as she did. You knew I had no chance with her, but you let me believe that it was possible. How can I ever forgive you for that?"
"Just like how I forgave you for letting that school bully tease me in fifth grade and doing nothing about it. Or how I forgave you for breaking my cousin's heart! You're not innocent or perfect, either, Greg!"
That kept Greg's mouth shut. I continued, "However, Cindy said that she could make it up to you."
Greg gave me a seriously questionable look. "How? Get me a Reggie Jackson autographed baseball? No, she has to do better than that."
"Actually, she can hook you up with Michelle?"
"Umm… there are over ten Michelles in the school, Molly."
How stupid of me, I should have went into more detail. "Actually, the Michelle I'm talking about happens to be Kimberly Drummond's friend."
A smile crossed his face. "Oooooh, that Michelle. How does Cindy know her?"
"They have Spanish class together. Cindy told me that Michelle talks about you all the time."
"Really?" asked Greg with that big, crooked smile of his.
"Indeed. And I can still see if Cindy can get you that Reggie Jackson autographed baseball."
"Solid."
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It's been two weeks since Cindy and Sue Ann became a couple. They're still in that "lovey dovey" stage, where they can't resist kissing and touching each other. Unfortunately, they can't be as openly affectionate as they want to be, so they usually spend a lot of time in their room. However, they were playing footsy one night at dinner and Cindy had her left hand on Sue Ann's leg. I didn't see it, but Tootie did, and she told me. I hoped they remembered that they were in the dining room – basically playing with fire. Mrs. Garrett had cooked some baked lemon salmon with steamed broccoli and long-grained wild rice. She said that she wanted to cook more fish. While we were at the table, she started to talk about the sex ed class she was planning to teach.
"I think it's very important that you girls learn about 'the birds and the bees,' as they used to say."
She said it in a joking manner, but there's nothing funny about sex. With teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases such as Herpes, and women being the ones who usually get the raw end of the deal – as in the man gets an orgasm, while the woman doesn't – I plan to stay a virgin until I get married.
Blair scoffed when she heard Mrs. Garrett's comments. "Please. Who doesn't know about it already?"
"I bet you know by experience," Sue Ann snidely said.
"Sue Ann…" Mrs. Garrett sternly warned her.
"Sorry, Blair."
"I'm looking forward to the class. It sounds interesting," said Cindy. If you ask me, she looks too excited for the class.
"As much as you are looking forward to the next track meet?"
"Even more so!"
Oh, and you might be wondering about the previous track meet. Well, Sue Ann stayed true to her word and did not compete. Cindy won the 8,000! However, she came in second to Tammy Everett in the 10,000. Cindy also won in the 100, the 200, and the 200 hurdles. She later told me that she realized that she's more of a sprinter than a long-distance runner and, from now on, she'll focus on sprinting.
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After dinner, Nat and Tootie stayed to help Mrs. Garrett while I went up to my room to play some music on my new acoustic guitar. I had a small audience of Blair, Cindy, Sue Ann, and Nancy, who sat and listened to me sing and strum to the music of Al Stewart.
"Time passages
There's something back here that you left behind
Oh, time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight"
"Why are you still singing that song? It's so old!" Nancy chided.
"Old? It's only two years old! Besides, I really like this song."
Blair shook her head and said, "You know, Molly loves her oldies!"
"Oh, be quiet, Blair! I'm surprised to hear something like that coming from you, since you like classical music." I like classical music too, but I'm not going to be a hypocrite about it.
The rest of the women in the room laughed, while Blair displayed a good amount of embarrassment on her face. Then I continued.
"Well, there's another song I like on the album. I especially like it for the guitar solo in the beginning."
"What is it?" Cindy asked.
"It's called 'End of the Day.' It's a nice song."
So, I started to play it. The first two minutes were nothing but me strumming the cords, yet the women were still attuned to the music. Half way through the song, I finally sang the lyrics.
"And in the evening when the day goes down
She leaves the bright house lights
Stands and watches with her coat pulled around
As torches light the western skies"
"Sometimes she thinks she knows him just too well
Other times not much at all
They live their lives in some familiar spell
And catch each other when they fall"
Blair's eyes began to mist over as the words seemed to speak directly to her. She and Tumpy just seemed to go through the motions, instead of truly being there for one another. Sure, she loved Tumpy, but was she really in love? No. Blair knew that they lacked the chemistry to make it.
Nothing lasts, well she knows, try to hang on
When it's gone, you'll be burned
Fashions and friends come and go
Everyone travels that road in their turn
Nothing lasts; no two words were ever truer. Lately it seemed that Blair and Tumpy were growing apart and there didn't appear to be any way of fixing the distance that existed between them. However, Blair was desperately trying to hang on to something that could eventually hurt her. Her face slowly began to show signs of sadness as the realization set in. Deep down, Blair knew she was playing with fire.
She wants to run out where the day meets the night
Far beyond these midwest farms
But she'll be with him till the day she finds
A stranger lying in her arms"
Blair seemed to be lost in her own world, then as soon as I said 'midwest farms' she glanced at Cindy and Sue Ann. It made no sense for Blair to turn her attention to Cindy and Sue Ann while I sang the song. Why is she still so interested in the couple? I thought that she agreed to a truce with Cindy. It seemed like there was a hint of jealously in Blair's eyes, but why would she be jealous? It didn't make any sense.
When I finished the song, the audience, if you want to call them that, applauded. I bowed in thankfulness, but I noticed a certain type of sadness return to Blair's face. However, true to Blair's nature, she quickly hid that sadness and displayed her usual assurance.
"That was a great song," she told me.
"Why, thank you," I said.
She got sad again and panicked when she realized that I noticed it.
"I have to get going," said Blair, as she quickly left the room.
Sue Ann looked on and was slightly confused about what just happened. "What's wrong with her?" she asked.
I didn't know exactly how to answer her without breaking a confidence, so I just shrugged my shoulders. However, I think I know what Blair's problem is. The lyrics pretty much told the story of Blair's love life with Tumpy. I decided that I would visit Blair later.
After thirty minutes had passed, I went to Blair's room where I found a somber Blair lying face down in her pillow. It didn't sound like she was crying, but she was clearly sad. It looked like my guitar strings weren't the only things I plucked.
"Blair, are you thinking about that song?" I asked.
Blair's face was still in her pillow for half a minute before she finally looked at me.
"Look, Blair, it's just a silly song. The good part was the guitar intro, really."
"Yeah, but somehow I can relate to the woman in the song."
"This is about Tumpy, right?"
Blair ran her right hand through her hair. She took a deep breath before answering.
"Yes, it is. I feel like our relationship has no more spark. It's basically over."
"Then, why are you still with her?" I asked seriously. It really made no sense to me, to stick with someone with whom you are no longer in love. "Because she's the best thing in this school, and that's not saying much."
I sighed and looked at Blair with concern. "Blair, that's not fair to either yourself or to Tumpy. Staying in a half-hearted relationship will always come back to bite you."
"But so can loving with your whole heart," replied Blair.
"What do you mean," I asked.
"Look at Cindy and Sue Ann. They are so much in love that they can't see the danger ahead of them."
"Wait," I said, "what are you talking about?" I didn't want to confirm her apparent suspicions.
"Well, isn't it obvious? They are so wrapped up in each other that they don't see the big picture."
"Huh?"
"Molly, don't kid yourself. I see the glances across the room, the touching when they think no one is watching, and the smiles they give each other. Yet, they don't know what lies ahead."
"What do you think lies ahead, Blair?"
"Heartache. They may be very much in love right now, but someone's bound to get hurt."
"Are you jealous?"
Blair put her head down and looked away. "Sort of," she answered.
"You wouldn't do anything would you? I mean, I know you and Cindy have your differences, but you wouldn't..."
"No, Molly, but I'm worried for them. They say love is blind, but those two are blinded by love."
I took a second to consider what Blair was saying.
"I won't do anything to hurt them, but if they don't cool it down a bit, I won't be able to help them either. Molly, I'm afraid they might be in trouble."
I left Blair in her room and went downstairs. I had to think about what her body was saying. Sure, she said that she was worried for them and, when it comes to Sue Ann, I want to believe it, but there's still something between her and Cindy that seems to run deeper. I just don't think Blair was telling me the whole story.
As I was thinking about it, one thing struck me – could Blair be attracted to Sue Ann? I mean, she goes out of her way to keep her from Cindy, but she also seems to like being around the Kansan. I'm not convinced that this is it, though, because Sue Ann doesn't fit Blair's type. Hmm, this is a harder code to crack than I thought. While I was sitting on the couch, Cindy and Sue Ann came downstairs smiling and giggling. I can't believe I'm going to say it, but maybe Blair was right – those two have to be careful.
"Hey, Molly," said Sue Ann.
"Hey, guys. Where're you going?"
"Oh, we're just going to go for a walk and enjoy the view," replied Cindy as she clearly focused on Sue Ann's assets.
I'm glad I was the only one in the room at the time because if they were trying to hide their relationship, they were failing miserably.
"How's Blair," Sue Ann asked with a little concern as Cindy just rolled her eyes.
"She's fine. I think she just needs a little time to herself."
"Okay, well, let's go Sue Ann," said Cindy practically pushing Sue Ann out the door.
I continued to sit on the couch and think about everything that was happening. Cindy and Sue Ann were walking a very thin line, Blair was afraid that her relationship with Tumpy was over, and Nancy was being – well – Archie Bunker. It was a lot to take in. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Speaking of Archie Bunker, I thought that it could possibly be that meathead, Roger, coming to pick Nancy up for a date, but I was surprised when I opened the door and saw Tumpy standing there.
"Hey, Red. Is Blair here?"
"Hey, Cheech, I mean, Tumpy. Yeah, she's here." I thought I smelt the distinct smell of smoke, but I decided not to say anything.
"Well, man, don't leave me hanging. Where is she?"
"She's upstairs in her room..." Tumpy started for the stairs, but I had a bad feeling and I didn't want that pothead in the rooms "…but you can't go up there right now," I said as I blocked her way.
"Why not?" she asked with a drugged-out puzzled look on her face.
"Umm, it's a mess up there. If you just wait down here, I'll go get her for you."
"Solid. Yo, you got any food? I'm starving."
I've heard that people who do drugs get the munchies, but dang. "Umm, let me get Blair first then we can see if there's anything in the kitchen."
Just as I was about to go upstairs, Mrs. Garrett came down the stairs.
"Oh, Tumpy, I'm surprised to see you. What are you doing here?"
"Hey, man, I came to see Blair. By the way, you got any food? I'm starvin'!"
"Sure, we do. What do you want? We have a turkey sub, a bowl of salad, and some French Vanilla ice cream."
"All the above," Tumpy answered in her stupid, drugged-out look.
Mrs. Garrett had a shocked look on her face and said, "Okay..." As she got closer to Tumpy, she noticed her strong scent.
"Why, Tumpy, that's quite an exotic fragrance. What is that?"
"Oh, it's a new fragrance, called Fresh Greens, man."
"Yeah, real fresh alright…" Then Mrs. Garrett told Molly, "Go get Blair. I'll keep Tumpy company."
"No problem, Mrs. Garrett."
I went upstairs and knocked on Blair's door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Molly. Tumpy's here."
A shocked look appeared on Blair's face. She quickly got out of her bed and opened the door.
"Tumpy? She never comes here."
"Well, she's here now and she wants to see you."
Blair sighed and told me, "Okay. Let me get myself straightened up and I'll be right down."
She quickly brushed her hair and applied her lipstick.
"Take your time, Blair. She's too busy eating all the food in our house!"
Blair hurried up, nevertheless, and then followed me downstairs. As soon we entered the kitchen, we saw a shocked look on Mrs. Garrett's face. There was nothing but empty plates and bowls in front of Tumpy.
"Thanks for the food, man," Tumpy said with a full belly.
"Didn't she just get started eating about three minutes ago?" I asked Mrs. Garrett.
"... Yes..." Mrs. Garrett said with a stunned expression on her face. Blair shook her head in disgust. "Come on, let's go upstairs, Tumpy," she said as she grabbed Tumpy's hand and headed toward the stairs.
Mrs. Garrett stopped them before they even left the kitchen.
"Oh, no, Blair. She can't go upstairs."
"But, Mrs. Garrett, we need to talk privately."
"Then go out in the back and talk privately. No one will be there."
So, Tumpy and Blair went out back and started talking. Blair told me all about their visit later because she wanted me to try to analyze Tumpy's motives based on what she said and did. Blair said it made her question their relationship even more, but she wanted my "expert" opinion. This is basically what happened according to Blair:
"What are you doing here?" asked Blair.
"Do I need a permission slip from Mrs. Garrett to see my girl?"
"Your girl? I do not belong to anyone, Tumpy."
"Come on, Blair, you know what I mean," she said as she leaned in and tried stroking Blair's hair.
Blair jerked away from Tumpy's touch.
"What? You think you're too good for me to touch you now?"
"No, Tumpy, it's not like that."
"Then what's it like, Blair? Why is there a distance in our relationship all of a sudden? Are ya steppin' out on me?"
"Of course not. It's just that I have to maintain a certain image."
"Image?"
"Yes. I have an image to uphold."
"Why are you so concerned about your image now? You really weren't worried when I took those pictures of us in our undies! You know, I still got them," she said, ending in what Blair called a pervy smile.
"I told you never to bring those up again!"
Apparently, Tumpy just laughed at Blair.
"You look so cute when you're angry?" Tumpy told Blair. "I love how your nose flares."
"Are you high again?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it."
Blair shook her head. She told me that she wanted to strangle Tumpy at that point.
"You know what would also get me high," Tumpy continued, "and it doesn't involve drugs."
"No! I told you a million times, I'm not that kind of girl."
"What kind of girl are you then?"
"The kind who waits," said Blair with her arms folded.
"For what? To get married?"
"Yes"
"To a girl?" Tumpy asked.
Blair nearly broke a sweat at that comment.
"…I guess?"
Then, Tumpy went up to her and looked at her like she had lost her mind.
"So who's high now? Blair, I don't know what planet you're from, but this is planet earth, man! Girls don't marry girls! It will never happen."
I found out later that it was around this point that Cindy and Sue Ann were getting back from their walk. Sue Ann told me that she heard Tumpy and Blair talking, but was ignoring it at first. Then, she said she heard her name and told Cindy to wait for her inside because she wanted to know what that pothead was saying about her. According to Blair, it was nothing bad. This is what she said happened:
"Perhaps I won't be able to get married," continued Blair "but this is not something I want to rush. I need to take my time to think about it."
"What? What's wrong with you, dude?"
"Nothing's wrong with me. I want to make it special."
"You're not soundin' like yourself, man. You're soundin' like that backwards hick chick, Sue Ann."
This is when Sue Ann said she started listening to the conversation. She knew that people made fun of her Midwestern roots, but she couldn't believe that Blair would stoop so low.
Blair countered, "I'm not like Sue Ann. I'm just not ready yet. At least let me wait until after our sex ed class."
"But why wait. I could teach ya everything ya need to know, right now!" Tumpy said.
Blair told me that she slapped Tumpy on the shoulder, but she kept trying to kiss and touch Blair.
"Pervert," Blair replied.
The combination of Blair's resistance, the slap, and her calling Tumpy a name must have been enough to give the pothead a clue because she left right afterward. When I asked Sue Ann about what she heard, she said that Tumpy was disgusting. Cindy, who was in the room too – considering it was her room as well – claimed that it was crude, but not necessarily disgusting.
"Well," said Sue Ann, "I think it's disgusting how hard Tumpy is trying. Couldn't she see that Blair wasn't interested?"
Cindy's body language suggested that she was getting upset, but I couldn't tell if it was the crack about Tumpy trying too hard being disgusting or the fact that Sue Ann seemed to be taking Blair's side despite the jab at her. Personally, I think it was both. For whatever reason, Cindy shot back, "Personally, I think it's Blair who's being disgusting."
"What do you mean?" asked Sue Ann.
"Blair's stringing the poor dope along like she does all her boy toys. Love is just a plaything to her, and it is disgusting. If she's going to put the merchandise on display, she shouldn't object to who pays to own them."
"Cindy," Sue Ann and I said in unison.
I couldn't believe she just said that.
"Well, I think she's wise for not letting Tumpy do anything to her. Blair should wait until marriage. It's the right thing to do."
I don't think Sue Ann realized what she just implied. I know she was talking about Tumpy and Blair, but Cindy saw a clear parallel to her situation. If Sue Ann wanted to wait until marriage to take their relationship to the next level, they'd be waiting forever. The truth just struck a chord in Cindy who stormed off.
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When Blair, Sue Ann, and Cindy got back, we were just finished watching Alice, when the commercial for the next episode of Dallas came on.
"Last week on Dallas, someone shot JR, now this week someone shoots JR's horse. Who did it? Find out on Dallas!"
"I'm more interested in who shot JR's horse," I said.
Tootie looked at me as if my head changed into a horse's head. "Why? He's just a horse."
"Yeah, but he's more of a human being than JR."
All of us laughed at my joke.
"And who knows, he may actually be a good looking guy in disguise. Right, Nancy?"
Nancy knew that Natalie was referring to when she thought Roger was at the door during the flood, but it turned out to be Chestnut. The look on her face made everyone realize what she was thinking.
"Yeah, like Chestnut being mistaken for Roger before sticking his head in the door," said Cindy.
"No, Roger is actually the other end," Sue Ann quipped.
All the girls broke out in laughter except Nancy who crossed her arms in front of her and leaned back in her seat with a disgusted look on her face.
"That's not funny," she said angrily.
"Oh, lighten up, Nancy. We aren't making fun of you," said Tootie.
"Yeah. We're making fun of that horseface, Roger," put in Natalie.
"Does that make Nancy the jockey?" I asked.
Everyone broke out in a fit of laughter again.
"You guys should stop laughing at my relationship with Roger when there are a lot of others around here you should be laughing about," yelled Nancy as she stood up abruptly. "We'll see who has the last laugh," she said as she stormed upstairs.
We all looked at each other and Nat mouthed to me, "Do you think she knows?"
I answered, "I don't know."
For Sue Ann and Cindy's sake, I hope she was bluffing.