The first weekend in August found Junior home alone with her mother, clipping coupons.
"School starts back in a month."
"Yeah, I know." Junior snipped out a quarter off frozen pizzas.
"We haven't gone on vacation yet this year."
"Haven't really been on vacation since William was born."
Alma frowned. "Year before last we went to—"
"Yeah, and I spent the entire trip babysitting. Look, I don't care if we go anywhere or not. We didn't last year. And if I feel like I need to get away from everyday life I can just hop down the road to Crowheart. It's not too far but it's a whole different world over there. Same goes for Jenny, she just can't drive herself."
Alma tossed the remnants of a sheet of ads and coupons on a pile to be recycled. She was about to say something in response but was interrupted by something slamming into the front door, making her and Junior jump. The initial slam was followed by fists banging on the wood and a frantic male voice. "Junior! I know this is your house. Let me in. Like now. For Christ's sake please be home."
Junior sprang to her feet, quickly followed by her mother, and opened the door. Stephan stumbled around her and fell to his knees. His face and shirt were bloody. Horrified, Junior cursed. Alma glanced out the open door and saw a group of boys standing across the street. She turned to Stephan. "They do this?"
He nodded.
"Junior, get him some ice." Alma stepped out onto the porch and shouted across the street. "You little psychos had better get yourselves gone right now."
One of the boys shouted back. "Or what? You'll call the police?"
"I sure will! And I'll call your mothers!"
The boys scattered. Alma stepped back inside and shut the door. Shaking her head, she helped Stephan up and into a chair at the dining table. A moment later, Junior returned with a sandwich baggie full of ice and a damp cloth. She knelt in front of his chair and gently began to clean away the blood while he held the ice against the right side of his face which was in the process of developing splochy, ugly bruises. His lip was split but most of the blood seemed to have come from his nose which, when touched, made him wince. Junior bit her lip. "I'm sorry. D'you think it's broken?"
"Don't think so." His voice was thick.
Alma pulled out another chair and sat. "Stephan, right?"
"Yeah."
"What happened out there?"
He shrugged vaguely. "Some of the guys from school just have a vendetta against me."
"What on earth for?" She brushed the hair off his forehead in full mothering mode.
He shrugged again and shot a glance at Junior.
Alma stood back up. "What's your phone number? I'm going to call your parents."
"Don't." He set the ice down. "I get in trouble at home for getting beat up."
The two women looked at him in horror, at each other, then back at him.
"My father thinks it's weak and unmanly to let yourself get hit. As far as he cares it's my fault if I get beat up and my mother doesn't challenge a damn thing he does." He took the cloth from Junior and folded it over to use the cleaner side to dab at his bruised cheek.
Junior hesitated and put a hand on his knee. "Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah... Can I borrow a shirt?"
While her mother went upstairs to get one of the t-shirts Bill never wore, Junior whispered, "Do your parents know?"
He shook his head. "But I think my dad suspects an' that's parta why he's hard on me like he is."
"That ain't bein' hard on you, that's just messed up."
"It's how it is." He sighed. "After this school year I'm moving to California but until then I've just gotta put up with it like I have most of my life."
She hugged him. "Be careful. I know guys die like this."
He let out a breath, hugged her back, and closed his eyes. "Don't remind me."
They pulled away from each other at the sound of Alma's footsteps on the stairs.
Several days later, Junior, Lori, Stephan, and a guy named Troy—who Lori knew from church—all went to the arcade together. No one mentioned Stephan's not yet healed bruises. Some people had probably heard about the fight. Somehow, Junior found herself alone with Troy, sitting at a table eating french fries while Lori and Stephan played tag-team pinball. Troy leaned one elbow on the table. "You know, you sure are a pretty one, Miss Alma."
"My name's Junior. Alma is my mother and she's the only one who ever calls me Alma. I'm pretty sure that's only happened twice and I was in huge trouble both times."
"Forgive me, my bad. You really are cute though."
"Well, uh, thank you."
"You wanna catch a movie Friday, just you an' me?"
"Yeah, sounds nice."
"Sure does sound nice." He took her hand. "Just us, no Lori, no Clairmont. What's Clairmont even doin' here, anyway?"
She pulled her hand away. "I asked him to come."
"Why on earth did you do that?"
"He's my friend."
"C'mon, Junior, you must know what folks say about him. Don't you wonder how he got those bruises?"
"I know how he got them and I don't care what folks say; whether it's true or not. He is my friend." She paused. "And you're friends with Jorden, aren't you?"
"Yeah." He looked confused.
She stood. "Consider that date we just made canceled and consider yourself preemptively broken up with."
"You can't break up with me, we're not dating!"
"Exactly. I'm breaking up with you now so it never happens." She strode away between the flashing lights on the games, leaving him bewildered and rejected with the french fries.
Shortly afterward, Stephan left with Junior to walk her home. A red convertible pulled over next to the sidewalk in front of them and a familiar voice called out. "There you are!"
Hunter hopped out of the car without opening the door. Stephan gaped at the car. "Where did you get a convertible?"
"Won it off a radio station." As he walked toward them, Hunter's broad, proud grin vanished. "What the hell happened to your face?"
Stephan turned his head to obscure the yellowing bruises. "Nothing."
Junior hugged herself with one arm. "He was in a fight."
Hunter clenched and unclenched his fists a few times before jamming his hands in his pockets. "Again?"
Stephan nodded.
"Are your parents home?"
He nodded again. Hunter cursed.
"My house is empty 'cept for my sister." Junior shrugged. "Everybody else is at my stepfather's parents' place 'til evening and you don't hafta worry 'bout my sister."
Hunter nodded once and turned back to his car. "Both of you get in."
