I didn't want her to see me like this, but it was a little too late for that, and from the look on her face, she was determined to take charge.
I . . . didn't mind.
Partially because I knew there was no way I could send her packing at this point. I didn't have the strength, and I didn't WANT to.
"Before you go storming off and doing something stupid, just . . . don't," I told her. "This isn't the first time, and it isn't the worst time, so . . . no big."
She didn't like that because her face got all pouty. That cute sort even though I know Fi wouldn't appreciate me saying that. "I'm not gonna storm off, but I can't promise on the stupid part," she warned me. "Where else are you hurt?"
"Fi . . ." I was trying to talk, but she put her cool hand up against my face, and that felt SO good that I was close to stuttering.
"Eddie, my mother works in the Emergency Room at Hawkins Memorial. If I tell her what you look like, she's going to drive over here herself and make you strip down. Is that what you want?" She told me in that stern tone. It was turning me on a little, and given how beat up I was, THAT was impressive.
I winced. "Shit."
"Exactly," Fi nodded, "So show me."
Reluctantly I pulled my shirt off over his head, groaning a little because those muscles didn't want to work that way. This was NOT how I wanted to look to anybody, Fi especially, but she's a determined wench, and she'd bug me until I did it.
It was weird, to have her looking at my bare upper body, but kind of a turn-on as well. I'm not bulked up or anything, but I do have a few muscles here and there, under the tats.
"Shit! Eddie! Oh my God! Who did this to you!?"
Genuine, actual concern, ladies and gentlemen. Now I definitely wanted to wag my tail.
I wasn't going to tell her, but she kept staring, and damn it, something in the way she was looking at me made it impossible to hold back.
"A little gift from the basketball team, who are NOT music lovers, apparently," I tried to joke. "I guess our performance pissed off Coach Lewis, who made them run a few extra laps, and this is what our president would call the 'trickle down' effect of that . . . owwwwww."
That last was because Fi had poked a really tender place on my ribs.
"Sorry," she murmured, "Okay, so lots of bruising, any cuts, open wounds or broken bones?"
Man, now she sounded like a nurse. Like mom like daughter, I guess.
"No broken skin, just a lot of battered hide," I tried to joke, running a hand through my hair. "Fi, I'm not going to die or anything."
"Turn around," she told me gently, and I did. "Jason Motherfucking Carver, right?" Fi growled.
"Carver was one of them," I admitted, reluctantly. "Yeah."
"That ASSHOLE! I will break every finger on his groping, slimy hands, I will take a weedwacker and start with that Brylcreemed hair and work my way to his worthless NUTS!" Fi hissed in a sweet tirade.
I HAD to laugh even though it hurt, looking over my shoulder at her. "Okay, stop. Much as you're totally turning me on here, we both know nothing's gonna happen to Carver."
She glared, but I turned back around and painfully slipped my shirt back on.
"Carver's old man runs the plant where my uncle works," I pointed out, locking gazes with her. "I am not putting his job at risk, no way. You get that, right?"
Fi nodded reluctantly. "I get it."
"Good." That's when I saw she'd brought a paper bag with her. "Oooh, whatcha bring?"
She pulled out the Double Stuf, and I smirked because THAT right there was the kind of thing that made all the difference. Cheap processed happy food.
"Okay, here's the deal, Munson. You have any muscle rub? Bengay, Vicks, something like that?"
"Some Minards in the bathroom," I told her. "I've been using it . . . where I can reach."
Minards is like Bengay, but amped up. Wayne uses it on his knees and hip during the winter and it's liquid fire in an ointment. This is shit you do NOT want to get in your eyes or crotch, trust me. It was helping with the bruises though.
"Then you're going to lie down and let me put it on your back while you eat Oreos," Fi told me.
"I LIKE this plan!"
"You won't when the burning starts, but it will help. Come on—"
She followed me deeper into the trailer, and I motioned to the small room on the left-hand side. Fi peered in at the Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath posters, shaking her head but I realized she'd also spotted my old unzipped Snoopy sleeping bag.
Embarrassing.
I tried to sweep away the Playboys, hoping she didn't comment. "Ah, okay. Not much to see, but," I shrugged, and winced because yeah, that hurt.
"You—shirt off, lie down on your stomach," she ordered.
Shit. It WAS turning me on, and she didn't even realize it.
"There you go again, bossing me around."
"Which I will do every time you're being an idiot," Fi informed me, fiddling with the tube of ointment.
I pulled off my shirt one more time and stretched out face down, wondering if I was going to be able to deal with her touching me.
Fight or flight. More like heal or hump in my case.
"So . . . these look, what? Two days old?" Fi asked as I turned my head to watch her.
"Saturday night," I grunted, because she'd just laid a hand on my spine. "They were waiting in the parking lot outside Melvald's."
"Ambush, then. Fuckers."
"Where did this mouth come from?" I had to ask. "You're not a curser."
"Eddie, I get pissed just like everybody else, especially when it's personal. And while Jason's been on my shit list for a while, this moves him up to slot number one," she said, running her hand along my back.
Not too hard, not too soft, ohhhhhh. I could get used to thissssss.
"Yeah well, he's not my favorite person either. What's your beef with Mr. Ken Doll?" I mumbled, torn between blissing out and keeping upbeat.
"We went to the Snow Ball, back in seventh," she sighed. "He couldn't keep his hands off me most of the night and I ended up 'accidentally' pouring punch in his lap."
"He did what?" Boom. Tension was back. The idea that Jason had groped Fi hit my gut HARD. Ohh the next time I saw that SOB . . .
"Ancient history, and nothing he hasn't done before, I'm sure. I just hope Chrissy wises up before it's too late."
"He wouldn't dare," I told her. "Chrissy's old man would kill him."
"Yeah?"
"Pretty sure," I murmured because while the burn was sinking in, it felt SO good. "She once told me her dad was a lineman in college and he still looks it. Chrissy's his princess."
"Huh." Fi told me. "Is that so?"
"Yeah. Oh man, it's sinking in," I sighed. "Yep, feelin' the burn now."
"Good," Fi sighed. "Means it's working. When did you last eat?"
"Hmmm? Oh, ah, yesterday. I think. Had some cereal." Definitely drowsy now, and the heat was burning out the pain in good ways. I tried to stay awake, but my body wasn't having it, and after a few minutes more, out I went, like a light.
Eventually I woke and got up to take a leak. "Feel a shit-ton better," I told Fi, who was at the table, looking at the paper.
She checked her watch. "I have to be home before nine, but I want to make sure you get some food in you before I go. Oh, and Mom gave me a list of questions to ask you."
"Questions?" I yawned, shaking out my hair and wondering if I needed to comb it.
"Yep. First one, have you urinated blood?"
"A little, yesterday," I admitted. "Tiny, hardly noticeable."
It was more than that, but it wasn't life-threatening. Wayne and I tried not to go to the hospital if we could; we had health care, but it was the most basic plan, with no money for anything additional.
"Mmm, could be a kidney bruise," Fi told me. "Any ringing in the ears? Blurred vision? Loose teeth?"
I stopped and took a moment to consider how I felt. "Nope, nope, nope."
"Do you have any trouble walking?"
I took a few steps, moving closer to her, smirking. "Don't think so."
"Any vomiting?"
"No, not this time." And damned glad of it. Barfing is one of the few things that truly grosses me out.
"This time. I really hate the sound of that," she sighed.
"I'm not crazy about it either," I admitted. "Fi . . . thanks. You didn't have to do . . ." I waved a hand to cover all of it. Fi caught my fingers and gave them a little squeeze.
"I wanted to," she said quietly. "Although if I knew you were going to pig out on cookies, I might have gotten you something else."
"I break ALL the rules," I teased in a low voice, moving closer. Carefully I shifted my grip, so I was holding her hand, loosely. "Fi . . ."
"Oh, shut up," she whispered, and kissed me.
BOOM
Just . . . every brain cell I had went up in smoke even as my screaming aching body melted because Fi Myers has the mouth of an angel. A Double Stuf flavored ANGEL.
We had a first couple of shocked seconds and then it was moreMoreMORE and I was falling deep into this, holding her, kissing her . . . oh hell YEAh!
Then this strong flash of light slid over us and the far wall just as the sound of "On the Road Again" blared out amid tires crunching on gravel.
DAMN IT!
I pulled back. "My uncle's home," I rasped, licking my bottom lip. "Damn it."
Fi nodded, looking as dizzy as I felt. "Uhhh . . . You got food?"
"TV dinners. We're stocked up," I replied as the trailer door opened.
Wayne came in, and I could tell he was surprised but not upset. He nodded to me.
"Hey. Ah, this is Fi," I managed. "The one I was telling you about. Her mom's the nurse."
"Angela's daughter," He replied with a cautious nod. "Good woman, Angela."
"Yeah, I think so too," Fi agreed. "So . . . see you in class tomorrow, k?"
"Wait—" I followed her out, walking gingerly in my bare feet as I escorted her to the car out the glare of the streetlight of Randolph Road.
Fi climbed in quickly and I was worried I'd pissed her off, or offended her somehow . . .
"Fi . . ." I started, and then leaned through the open window. "Babe . . ."
"Yeah, I know, sorry about that," FI sighed. "Kind of a surge of hormones there, plus the worry and all."
"I'm not sorry," I reached out and stroked her hair. "Pffft, for a kiss like that, I'd let Carver use me for a speed bag any damned day of the week."
No lie there.
That made her giggle, and I grinned at her, reaching out to press the end of her cute nose like a button. "beep!"
"Get inside," Fi told me through a grin. "And drink some water!"
I pulled away from the window, and watched her drive off, feeling a slow sweet pang in my gut that wasn't going to go away anytime soon.
-oo00oo-
French class was torture.
I sat across from a pink-faced Fi Myers, smirking, because while she wouldn't look at me, she also licked her lips a lot.
It wasn't fair. I wanted to lick her lips.
So I passed her a note.
Good morning Nurse Myers. I have been a good patient. Want to play Doctor later?
Fi flipped the note over and scribbled on it.
I've got a game at four, so no house calls today.
Reading it, I made a sad little face and then wrote something else and nudged it across the desk.
You will kick Grove Hollow's ass, babe.
She looked up, surprised. But I winked at her, and she blushed again.