CHAPTER 4: MIXING THINGS UP

Later that night after getting home from hanging out with their friends, Pig Pen and Frieda eagerly came in and was making out hot and heavy. This was the closest they had been since the flirting incident that had happened during Violet's trial. They had been working on mending their relationship, and while things were still a work in progress, so to speak, this was a wave of passion the two of them haven't experienced in a while.

"So, Matt," said Frieda, "should I get ready?"

"Oh yeah, baby!" said Pig Pen. And Frieda went into the bathroom to change, and Pig Pen went into the bedroom to change into a robe and pajama bottoms. And he grabbed a pipe so he looked like one of those tycoons. He took his place on the couch and waited for Frieda to come out. When she did, she was dressed as a maid with a very small skirt that left little to the imagination. She also had a maid's hat seated on her curly mane. She started dusting the house with a feather duster. Pig Pen began his role.

"Oh maid?" he began.

"Yes, sir?" said Frieda, playing her role.

"You missed a spot over here," said Pig Pen.

"I am so sorry, sir."

"You know what that means?"

"Oh no, sir! Not that!"

"That's right. Bend over my knee, now!" And Frieda sashayed over to Pig Pen and bent over his knee as instructed. Pig Pen was about to raise his hand when the phone ringed.

"Good grief!" groaned Pig Pen. "Just when we were getting in the mood."

"You better answer that," said Frieda. "But don't keep me waiting." She winked at her boyfriend.

"Oh I promise I won't." And he went to answer the phone. He saw that it was Schroeder. He answered it.

"Dude, this better be important! You are interrupting some quality time with my woman!"

"It is, Pig Pen," said a slurring Schroeder. "The cops pulled me over for driving under the influence! I don't want to go where Lucy was!"

"You are not going to prison," said Pig Pen, calming Schroeder down. "Do you need bailing out?"

"Yesh!" said a drunk Schroeder. Pig Pen sighed.

"Hold on, I'm coming to get you." He hung up his phone.

"What happened?" asked Frieda.

"Schroeder was pulled over for drunk driving," said Pig Pen.

"He's usually responsible and doesn't drink to excess."

"Maybe he's slipping. I'll be back. I need to bail his ass out." And Pig Pen left to get Schroeder out of jail.

Later, Lucy was at Derrick's place relaxing. She was telling him about her visit with Violet and the change in her since being locked up.

"It's like she's a different person," said Lucy. "Not the same snobby insecure girl she was growing up. She had finally seen what led to her ending up there, like what happened with me. Though my bipolar disorder had a lot to do with it, I take responsibility for my own actions over the years, as well."

"Maybe prison was her wake-up call," said Derrick. "Kind of like what happened with you."

"Exactly. She finally woke up. Her obsession with Charlie wasn't healthy, no more than my obsession with Schroeder. While mine was driven by love, hers was driven by hate. She realized how she was wrong for all these years."

"Well you know the old saying. Better late than never." And the two of them continued to cuddle together. Lucy was worried that Schroeder's mental state was deteriorating even more. Little did she know how much it was.

Pig Pen was driving Schroeder back to his place. His car was impounded pending his hearing for drunk driving. Pig Pen looked over at his friend, who was still hung over.

"What's going on with you, man?" said Pig Pen. "Sure a lot of us get drunk and go crazy, but this isn't normal for you. What's wrong?"

"Lucy!" groaned Schroeder. "Wy did she have to be paroled, Matt?"

"Hey, it was out of our hands. She's doing fine, though. And aside from your run-in at the grocery store, she's avoided you all this time. Why obsess over it now?"

"She hurt me more than that intern incident, Matt. She's ruined my chance at love!"

"You're not making sense, Schroeder. Tell you what. Rest up a bit, buddy. We're almost at your place." And Pig Pen continued to drive towards Schroeder's place.

THE END