~Jordan~

I must have become possessed by the devil.  It was the only logical explanation for my agreeing to this trip.   In the last twenty-four hours I have regressed to the point of wearing my hair in pigtails and snapping bubblegum.  If Nigel could see me right now he would be clutching his chest yelling 'Sweet Nancy' and calling a priest, demanding an exorcism.

Only he'd be upside down, because Calvin Hoyt has me thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Whatever possessed me to agree to spend three days with two brothers who were as opposite as two sides of the same coin.  Only they split a mental age approximately equal to their actual years, and have proved to be as equally sophomoric. I was being pushed to my limit.    

"Put me down!"

I heard Woody growl his name.  The next thing I knew I was unceremoniously dumped into his arms.

How long did I have until my flight out?

My feet hit the ground and I stomped into the restaurant.  The sooner we ate, the sooner we could get out of there. I wanted to call and verify that flight.

 I didn't catch Cal's entire announcement, but I didn't need too when I came face to face with the life sized Barbie and Ken dolls sitting just inside the door. 

After Marianne Hoyt's detailed description, I could safety assume this was the saintly future Mrs. Sheriff Bobby Knapp and her husband to be. She looked like she stepped off the cover of one of those teen glamour magazines.  Complete with the prerequisite blonde hair and baby blue eyes.   

Cal introduced us.  I gave them a little smile, suddenly feeling far older then my years.

Her Mona Lisa smile accentuated the light dusting of freckles across her nose. I only wondered how sunburned my own was.

 I fought the urge to ask someone if the good sheriff should be brought up on charges of delinquency of a minor.  But, I knew she was well within the legal limits to get married.

My bonding over Brillo with Marianne Hoyt filled me in on everything short of what color underwear she preferred.  I took in the pink baby doll t-shirt and candy striped capri's, and decided she probably wore little white cotton ones. The kind with the little lavender heart on the front proclaiming it was Saturday.

With a flip of her hair, she asked how I was enjoying the water. I realized I hadn't seen a mirror since my forced sixty second shower that morning. I self-consciously reached up to smooth down the stringy hair that had escaped out of my half-wet ponytail.  I knew it was sticking straight out from the sides of my head.  I wanted to ask if she got that color from a bottle or it came naturally.  Instead, I told her the water was refreshing. 

Cal led me to a booth toward the rear of the restaurant.  I squeezed into the bench that faced the room.  I told my self it was the habit of never having my back to the door, but I couldn't take my eyes off the upcoming floor show.  I watched as Woody shook hands with the sheriff.  He pumped his hand to the point I thought I could hear the starch crack in the man's uniform.

"What'll you have?"  Cal asked looking at a menu opened in front of him.

 I fumbled around the table looking for one of mine own. 

"The hamburgers are great here." he said. "We may have to put you on a heart monitor after...."

Woody pulled up a chair to her table.

"Sounds good...."

I tried to smile when she glanced over to our table. I could tell the threesome was talking about me.  I felt vaguely put out as Woody nonchalantly shook his head. 

"With everything?"

"Yeah....."

Was my skin ever that...smooth?

"Anchovies and pineapple?"

"Sure....."

I touched the corner of my eye and wondered if Botox really worked.  Cal waved his hand in front of my face.

".....earth to Jordan?"

I dropped my hand in my lap and looked at Cal. "I'm sorry what were you saying?"

"Does a burger and fries sound good?"

I nodded. Cal raised his hand for the waitress. She appeared at his side with a smile so wide I could see a piece of gum clenched in her back teeth.  Cal gave her our order. 

I took one last look. The dairy queen and her consort were leaving.  Woody was waving goodbye to them at the door.

The waitress asked what I wanted to drink.  I needed to get back to the east coast.  I wanted to say a Long Island Ice Tea.

"Ice Tea?"

The waitress nodded.   I watched out the window as Miss Helen Crump stood on her tiptoes to kiss her Andy Griffith next to his squad car.  When she daintily kicked back one foot I thought I was going to vomit.    

I missed Cal's silent chuckle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Cal~

I was glad I brought a sweatshirt with me.  The setting sun made the air cool after having spent the day on the water. Not to mention it kept the mosquitoes away.

"Damn, I this I'm going to need a transfusion after this."  Jordan grumbled next to me slapping the back of her neck.

 I had a feeling she had about enough Smalltown, USA to last her a lifetime. 

I snagged a couple of lawn chairs out of Mom and Dad's yard and had them set up in truck bed.  Woody slumped across the lowered tailgate, waving as people walked by, looking like a man without a care in the world.

I asked him earlier about how things went with Annie. He didn't go into details just hinting that everything went better then he thought it would.  I was relieved.  It's been like walking on eggshells around the subject for the last two years. Hopefully, now we could all move on.

I parked the truck so the side was facing the lake.  I used my thumb to open up the sliding glass window in the back of the cab to listen to the DJ on the radio telling the time.  We had about a half hour before the fireworks started.  The DJ began to play a Jimmy Buffet block.  Soon, the sounds of steel drums filled the air.

Perfect time for a drink.  I sat up and opened the cooler that was under my feet.  I pulled out a plastic Kool-Aid pitcher, complete with Fred Flintstone on the side.  

"Anyone thirsty?"

Jordan fumbled in the Piggy Wiggly bag to her side looking for cups. Woody looked over at me and laughed.

"I haven't seen that thing in years.  Where on earth did you dig it up?"

"Mom sent it with me when I moved into my first apartment in North Carolina."

"I only found two cups. And one's mine." Jordan said holding one in each hand.

"I never thought you were the Kool-Aid type, Jordan.  I personally think the green stuff is kind of nasty."

"That Kool-Aid doesn't look less than 80 proof" Jordan said holding her cup out to be filled.   

"At least.  Ice?"  Jordan nodded.

The ingredients in the pitcher suddenly registered with Woody.

"Wait, Margaritas on Fourth of July? It's that a little un-patriotic?" He grumbled.

Jordan reached in the grocery sack and came back with a bag of tortilla chips. "What do you expect, Hot Dogs and Cokes?"

"Well, yes."

"I was hoping you would say that brubs..." I tossed Woody a can of soda. "Because, you are now the designated driver.  I hope you like you're Margarita's strong Jordan." 

Jordan took the cup from my outstretched arm.   "Is there any other way?"

Jordan settled back and closed her eyes, setting her feet on the wheel well. The corner of her lips turned up slightly as she began to mouth the words of the Buffet song playing on the radio. Woody was unconsciously swinging his leg in time to the music as he waved to someone as they walked by.

I got a school boy heart, a novelist eye
Stout sailor's legs and a license to fly
I came with nomad feet and some wandering toes
That walk up my long board and hang off the nose

I kicked my feet back up and looked out at the choppy water turning gun metal grey  with the on coming night. In California, I loved to watch the colors of the ocean during sunset. Yellow to umber, copper to persimmon and finally to cherry, as the sun dipped beneath the waves.  

I suppose,
The need to focus never arose
So something like a Swiss army knife
That's my life

California was fun. But, then again so was Orlando, Cherry Point, Beaufort, Anchorage...and that place in Oklahoma.....

Frankenstein had nothing on this body of mine
The villagers still flockin' to see, to see me
Breaking free, breaking free

"Hey Cal."  Tammy Jean Cartwright said as she and her friends strolled by.  I lifted a hand to wave back.  She had been after me to give her a ride in my truck. I told her to come back when she was legal enough to...drink Kool-Aid with me.

 Because I got a school boy heart, a novelist eye
Stout sailor's legs and a license to fly
I got a bartender's ear and beachcomber's style
Piratical nerve and a Vaudevillian style

I smiled as I watched Jordan reach out and tap Woody with her toe as he watched Tammy Jean sashay away.  He had the decency to blush at Jordan's grin. Jordan has a beautiful smile.  If he were anyone but my brother....

 I suspect I died in some cosmic shipwreck
With all hands spread all over the deck
What the heck
Then some kind of obscene and unscrupulous mind
Began to pick up what he could find
Added ice, shook me twice, rolled the dice

Mom and Dad were walking arm and arm from the parking lot. Dad was pulling a stogie out of his shirt pocket and Mom slapped his hand back. He grabbed her hand close and placed a kiss on the back. Mom only clucked his arm closer as they made their way through the crowd. Did love like that still exist anymore?

Now I got a school boy heart, a novelist eye
A sailor's legs and a license to fly
I got a native tongue from way down south
It sits in the cheek of my gulf coastal mouth

Maybe it did.  Maybe it didn't.  All I knew was that I was having fun trying to find it. For a second I wondered if Jordan had any friends who liked snow, Packers, cows...... and the feel of summer breezes off the water.....  

I got a school boy heart, a novelist eye
Stout sailor's legs and a license to fly
I came with nomad feet and some wandering toes
That glide up my longboard and hang off the nose

"Calvin, are you listening or are you too drunk already?"

I was started out of my daydream to hear my father's voice.

"Not quite yet, Dad." I said as I set my cup aside.

"You're mother asked where you're brother is."

I looked over to my side and saw that both Jordan and Woody were gone.  I scanned the crowd and didn't see them.

"Showing Jordan the inside of the Little League dugout...At least I hope.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry it took so long to post a new chapter.  Things have been crazy for the last few days.  I want to thank everybody who has given me feedback.  A fanfic writer lives for feedback.  It makes some of the late nights worth while.  :)