Jess's eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the barely-there dawn light
creeping through the window. He looked around at the cheap motel room.
Itchy sheets touched his bare skin; his sore back protested at the hard
mattress. He saw the water stained walls, smelled the stench permeating the
room, and wondered what the hell he was doing there.
He remembered Grant had suggested it, they had come here after the club….and one of the girls had brought some LSD…but that was all he could remember.
He turned his head to look at the sleeping girl next to him, *Eve*, he recalled. The remnants of last night's frantic kissing were evident in the smeared lipstick on her face. He gently picked up her pale arm from across his stomach, her bright red nails slightly grazing his skin as he moved it.
He grabbed his pants, pulling them on and searching for his shirt.
Grant stirred, moving the mass of black hair belonging to the girl next to him away from his face and looking at Jess, a confused look on his sleepy face. Jess gestured to the exit, and he nodded. Grant rose, the blanket falling away from his body and revealing a chest tattooed with a tribal sign, along with the girl's chest also.
They silently dressed, Grant grabbing a thick wad of money that fell out of his pocket when he pulled on his pants. They took a last look at the two sleeping girls and left the room.
"What the HELL were you thinking?" Luke screamed. The diner was being manned by an eager Lorelai, and Luke had dragged the two up to the apartment out of the prying eyes of the small town gossip mongrels. Jess was on the receiving end of a seemingly hours-long tirade. Grant had slipped out a few minutes before, undetected, leaving Jess the sole recipient of Luke's ranting. "You are 17! What are you thinking, staying out all night? Where were you? I don't care if I'm not your dad, I'm taking care of you! You live in my house and you will follow my rules!"
Jess's mind tuned out the bellows somewhere after the 4th or 5th mention of responsibility. His head throbbed with the comedown of the night before's exhilarating high.
"Can I go now?" Jess asked.
"NO! Do you have any idea how worried I was? That kid has to go! I don't want him here, he's ruining your life! How could you be so stupid? What were you doing, or should I say who? Did you drink? I thought you had passed all this!" Luke bellowed, his voice resonating throughout the apartment.
"It's none of your damn business." His nephew sighed.
"It is my business! Like it or not, I am in charge here. You do what I say, and I say you stop this attitude and track you're on! Grant is a bad influence and—"
Jess walked out.
He remembered Grant had suggested it, they had come here after the club….and one of the girls had brought some LSD…but that was all he could remember.
He turned his head to look at the sleeping girl next to him, *Eve*, he recalled. The remnants of last night's frantic kissing were evident in the smeared lipstick on her face. He gently picked up her pale arm from across his stomach, her bright red nails slightly grazing his skin as he moved it.
He grabbed his pants, pulling them on and searching for his shirt.
Grant stirred, moving the mass of black hair belonging to the girl next to him away from his face and looking at Jess, a confused look on his sleepy face. Jess gestured to the exit, and he nodded. Grant rose, the blanket falling away from his body and revealing a chest tattooed with a tribal sign, along with the girl's chest also.
They silently dressed, Grant grabbing a thick wad of money that fell out of his pocket when he pulled on his pants. They took a last look at the two sleeping girls and left the room.
"What the HELL were you thinking?" Luke screamed. The diner was being manned by an eager Lorelai, and Luke had dragged the two up to the apartment out of the prying eyes of the small town gossip mongrels. Jess was on the receiving end of a seemingly hours-long tirade. Grant had slipped out a few minutes before, undetected, leaving Jess the sole recipient of Luke's ranting. "You are 17! What are you thinking, staying out all night? Where were you? I don't care if I'm not your dad, I'm taking care of you! You live in my house and you will follow my rules!"
Jess's mind tuned out the bellows somewhere after the 4th or 5th mention of responsibility. His head throbbed with the comedown of the night before's exhilarating high.
"Can I go now?" Jess asked.
"NO! Do you have any idea how worried I was? That kid has to go! I don't want him here, he's ruining your life! How could you be so stupid? What were you doing, or should I say who? Did you drink? I thought you had passed all this!" Luke bellowed, his voice resonating throughout the apartment.
"It's none of your damn business." His nephew sighed.
"It is my business! Like it or not, I am in charge here. You do what I say, and I say you stop this attitude and track you're on! Grant is a bad influence and—"
Jess walked out.