1 CHAPTER 3
Larry opened the door and half-bowed as he waved Ren inside, grinning as he did so. Ren couldn't help smiling in return, but she couldn't hide her apprehension. She stood in the foyer as Larry locked the door, pretending to look around to avoid meeting his eyes. After her bold move outside, she was suddenly more nervous than she had ever been in her life. Now that the feud was over, what was there for them to talk about? School? She doubted that they had anything else in common. She moved further into the house, still avoiding his eyes, trying to think of something to say and coming up empty. She had always been good at finding the right words for any situation, but she had never been in a situation like this.
Standing hesitantly in the foyer, Ren looked like she might make a run for it. Recognizing the signs of her nervousness because he felt the same way, Larry tried to think of something to say to put her at ease. He sighed; all they had in common was school, and he was sure she didn't want to talk about that. For some reason he couldn't fathom, Ren had always brought out the worst in him; he thought of himself as a decent young man, but he somehow lost all perspective whenever they competed with each other. He had lied, cheated and stolen; in addition, he had been something of a bully, using his position in school to intimidate younger students – like Ren's brother, Louis. No, he was definitely not ready to open that can of worms. He locked the door behind him, still trying to think of something to say; forgetting about his knee for a moment, he crashed painfully into a low table by the door.
Ren turned just in time to see him hit the floor. Kneeling beside him, trying not to look as scared as she felt, she rolled up the leg of his jeans. He winced at the contact but displayed no other sign of discomfort. She swallowed when she saw how swollen his knee was; it was also hot to the touch. He had to be in pain.
"Did you get any medication or instructions from the doctor?" she asked as calmly as she could. Following his directions, she located a bottle of pills in his book bag and an icepack in the bathroom. When she returned, he was on his feet, leaning on the banister. "Sit on the step," she suggested, "while I get some ice."
Larry's smile was more like a grimace; "If I sit down, I may never get up again." Embarrassed by his weakness, he could not meet her eyes. "I would appreciate the ice, but I think I'll just go upstairs now and turn in."
Unable to hide her concern, Ren asked "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself? Your knee looks really bad. Will your father be home soon?"
Surprised and appalled by how much he enjoyed her fussing, Larry avoided her gaze. "I'll be fine with the ice and the medication. Don't worry about me; Dad should be home by midnight."
Ren looked at her watch: it was only 6:30. "If you're sure," she said quietly. She prepared the icepack and handed it to him, along with some water. After watching him take the pills and then make the arduous journey up the stairs, she realized that she couldn't leave him alone. She just couldn't. Before she could change her mind, she ordered a large pepperoni pizza; everybody liked pepperoni. Then she called home.
When the phone rang at the Steven's house, Mrs. Stevens was in the middle of draining some pasta. "Louis, get that, please!" she shouted in the general direction of the living room. She sighed. The TV was on way too loud, so she doubted that he even heard her, but it was worth a try. Wiping her hands on a towel, she caught the phone on the fifth ring. Hearing Ren's voice, she relaxed. She had feared that it was her office, or her husband calling to say he would be late - again. She listened as Ren told her that she would be having dinner at a friend's house, and then asked the inevitable question: "Which friend, dear?" She raised her eyebrows at the answer, but she didn't comment. Fortunately, she had good kids, even if Lou was a bit – odd. She trusted all her children, even Louis, and so long as she got an honest answer, she rarely interfered in their personal lives.
Louis came into the kitchen with a half-empty bag of chips in his hand. "Was that the phone?" he asked.
"Yes; Ren is having dinner at the Beales house – have you been eating those chips? I told you that dinner would be ready in ten minutes!"
Louis didn't even notice when his mother snatched the bag from his hand. "Ren is eating with Larry? Isn't she afraid he might poison her?" He was genuinely confused. Ren and Larry Beales had always hated each other; considering the battles they had had over the years, he had every right to be concerned.
"They aren't children anymore, Lou. Maybe they finally discussed their differences and resolved them in a mature, rational manner. Don't you think it's about time?"
Louis shrugged. As far as he was concerned, Beales was irredeemably bad, but what did he know? As his mother turned back to the stove to stir the sauce, he sneaked a handful of chips and headed for the living room. "I just hope she knows what she's doing, that's all." Then again, Ren always knew what she was doing. But with Larry Beales?
Larry opened the door and half-bowed as he waved Ren inside, grinning as he did so. Ren couldn't help smiling in return, but she couldn't hide her apprehension. She stood in the foyer as Larry locked the door, pretending to look around to avoid meeting his eyes. After her bold move outside, she was suddenly more nervous than she had ever been in her life. Now that the feud was over, what was there for them to talk about? School? She doubted that they had anything else in common. She moved further into the house, still avoiding his eyes, trying to think of something to say and coming up empty. She had always been good at finding the right words for any situation, but she had never been in a situation like this.
Standing hesitantly in the foyer, Ren looked like she might make a run for it. Recognizing the signs of her nervousness because he felt the same way, Larry tried to think of something to say to put her at ease. He sighed; all they had in common was school, and he was sure she didn't want to talk about that. For some reason he couldn't fathom, Ren had always brought out the worst in him; he thought of himself as a decent young man, but he somehow lost all perspective whenever they competed with each other. He had lied, cheated and stolen; in addition, he had been something of a bully, using his position in school to intimidate younger students – like Ren's brother, Louis. No, he was definitely not ready to open that can of worms. He locked the door behind him, still trying to think of something to say; forgetting about his knee for a moment, he crashed painfully into a low table by the door.
Ren turned just in time to see him hit the floor. Kneeling beside him, trying not to look as scared as she felt, she rolled up the leg of his jeans. He winced at the contact but displayed no other sign of discomfort. She swallowed when she saw how swollen his knee was; it was also hot to the touch. He had to be in pain.
"Did you get any medication or instructions from the doctor?" she asked as calmly as she could. Following his directions, she located a bottle of pills in his book bag and an icepack in the bathroom. When she returned, he was on his feet, leaning on the banister. "Sit on the step," she suggested, "while I get some ice."
Larry's smile was more like a grimace; "If I sit down, I may never get up again." Embarrassed by his weakness, he could not meet her eyes. "I would appreciate the ice, but I think I'll just go upstairs now and turn in."
Unable to hide her concern, Ren asked "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself? Your knee looks really bad. Will your father be home soon?"
Surprised and appalled by how much he enjoyed her fussing, Larry avoided her gaze. "I'll be fine with the ice and the medication. Don't worry about me; Dad should be home by midnight."
Ren looked at her watch: it was only 6:30. "If you're sure," she said quietly. She prepared the icepack and handed it to him, along with some water. After watching him take the pills and then make the arduous journey up the stairs, she realized that she couldn't leave him alone. She just couldn't. Before she could change her mind, she ordered a large pepperoni pizza; everybody liked pepperoni. Then she called home.
When the phone rang at the Steven's house, Mrs. Stevens was in the middle of draining some pasta. "Louis, get that, please!" she shouted in the general direction of the living room. She sighed. The TV was on way too loud, so she doubted that he even heard her, but it was worth a try. Wiping her hands on a towel, she caught the phone on the fifth ring. Hearing Ren's voice, she relaxed. She had feared that it was her office, or her husband calling to say he would be late - again. She listened as Ren told her that she would be having dinner at a friend's house, and then asked the inevitable question: "Which friend, dear?" She raised her eyebrows at the answer, but she didn't comment. Fortunately, she had good kids, even if Lou was a bit – odd. She trusted all her children, even Louis, and so long as she got an honest answer, she rarely interfered in their personal lives.
Louis came into the kitchen with a half-empty bag of chips in his hand. "Was that the phone?" he asked.
"Yes; Ren is having dinner at the Beales house – have you been eating those chips? I told you that dinner would be ready in ten minutes!"
Louis didn't even notice when his mother snatched the bag from his hand. "Ren is eating with Larry? Isn't she afraid he might poison her?" He was genuinely confused. Ren and Larry Beales had always hated each other; considering the battles they had had over the years, he had every right to be concerned.
"They aren't children anymore, Lou. Maybe they finally discussed their differences and resolved them in a mature, rational manner. Don't you think it's about time?"
Louis shrugged. As far as he was concerned, Beales was irredeemably bad, but what did he know? As his mother turned back to the stove to stir the sauce, he sneaked a handful of chips and headed for the living room. "I just hope she knows what she's doing, that's all." Then again, Ren always knew what she was doing. But with Larry Beales?