Let me know what you think! – Heather x

Sleepless in Trenton

Chapter 6

After my strange heart to heart with Lula we hightailed it back to the gun range. We brought more ammo from Sunny and started shooting the shit out of the little paper men. The first time I'd come here I'd felt kinda bad about shooting them, I mean, what did they ever do to me?

But since then I'd mastered the art of projection. You looked at the little man target and visualised someone who'd really pissed you off. More often than not, Lula imagined Vinnie. My target's varied from day to day, but today's target was Mrs Karolisky who'd been buying bullets for her husband, when she'd asked me sweetly, with an evil glint in her eye; when exactly had I started living in sin with the big black man?

I wanted to rip her eyes out for calling him black and meaning it as a derogatory term.

He's mocha latte, and he's delicious, and he's way better than your fat ugly husband, I thought. From the grin on Sunny's face and the shock on Mrs Karolisky's…I think I may have said it out loud.

I would feel bad…but I can't be bothered. She's lucky I didn't call her fat and ugly too.

Sunny made a gasping snorting noise.

Uh oh.

Mrs Karolisky turned on her heel and marched her cellulite butt out of the store.

Guess I said that out loud too.

'They're on the house.' Sunny said, gesturing to my bullets, before she collapsed into a fit of laughter.

Mrs Karolisky had given me a big case of the fury, but she'd also made me think. If Mrs Karolisky knew I was living with Ranger, then my mom did too, but I hadn't received a single phone call about it.

And also, I was getting a tiny bit of stick for living with Ranger, which made me think; I can't imagine what it must be like being a black person in a white persons world. I looked over at Lula with respect, I've always respected her, but now I've experience a small bit of the shit that she probably has to deal with everyday.

An hour later, and Lula and I were done. I felt much better.

'Can you drop me at my parent's?' I asked Lula.

'Yo' ass actually wants to go there?' Lula asked.

'Yeah, I haven't been in a while.' About a month and a half, I'm a sucky daughter. At least I'd called regularly.

Mom and Grandma were at the door when we drew up, fore warned by some Burg mom early warning system.

I thanked Lula and she drove off, Dolby up as high as possible, the windows shaking.

'Hey Mom.' I said.

She looked at me for a moment, 'You're looking much better, but you still look a bit tired.'

'I didn't sleep so well last night.' I admitted.

'Still having nightmares?' She asked.

I blinked, surprised – how did mom know about that?

'You had a nightmare when you stayed here.' My mom said, her lips tight. 'And you looked more tired every time I saw you, until you stopped coming. But I still heard from everyone that you had circles under your eyes.'

'Oh.' I said.

'Oh.' Mom repeated. 'Come inside Stephanie, there are chocolate muffins.'

'I heard the bounty hunter with the fine package has been living with you.' said Grandma Mazur as I walked past.

'Ranger's been helping me.' I said.

'Uh huh,' Grandma said, 'I bet he gets you so tired that you can sleep, by having lots of sweaty-'

'Mother!' My mom exclaimed.

'What?' Grandma asked, 'I bet he does.'

'It's not like that.' I said, blushing. 'He's just there for me, ok?'

'Ok.' My mom was looking at me, considering, 'you should invite him to dinner sometime.' She finally said.

'I'll ask him sometime.' I agreed, thereby admitting he was more to me than just friends.

'Good.' My mom said, smiling.

'Hot damn!' Agreed Grandma.

I remembered the way Ranger had kissed me earlier and I smiled, 'yeah.'

It was 5:30 and I was watching the weather channel when my cell rang. The screen read 'Batman calling'.

'Yo.' I said.

'Yo Babe. I'm done for the day, need any help?'

'No thanks, I didn't go after any skips today.'

'You go to the range?' He asked. His voice was curious, but there was no hint of amusement, so I guess he hadn't heard about the Mrs Karolisky thing.

'Yeah. I'm real good at shooting paper now.'

'It's an important skill.' Ranger agreed, I could tell he was smiling.

'Yup. Anyway, I'm at my parents now, so if you haven't brought the salad already we could have dinner here? If you want. But if you don't then that's fine because-'

'Babe.' Ranger interrupted my rambling.

'Yeah?'

'I'd love to come to your parents for dinner.'

'Really?'

'Really. Should I bring anything?'

'Just you.' I replied.

'Babe,' Ranger teased, 'there isn't anything just about me.'

I smiled, 'I know.' I said. 'It's 5:35, so that gives you 25 minutes to get here and not be late.'

'I'll be there in fifteen.' He promised.

'Later Ranger.'

'Later Babe.' Ranger responded, then he hung up.

'Mom!' I yelled, 'Ranger and I are staying for dinner, is that ok?'

Mom appeared out of the kitchen, 'That's fine, Stephanie. I still haven't gotten the hang of not needing to cook for Valerie and Albert and the girls as well, so we have plenty spare.'

'Great. Thanks mom.'

Sure enough, exactly fifteen minutes later, Ranger drew up in a black Dodge Viper SRT10 Convertible.

Nice.

I waited at the door. Ranger angled out of the car and grabbed something from the passenger seat. Ranger was Corporate-Ranger today, resplendent in an excellent black suit and silk shirt.

Yum.

He flashed me 200 watts as he walked up. 'Yo Babe.' He said.

'Yo yourself.' I replied. Ranger leaned down and kissed me lightly. Then he put his hand on the small of my back and I led the way in. Many brave men have entered the Plum household. But few dare it a second time. Ranger must be extra brave.

'Ranger.' My mom said, 'how nice to see you again.'

'Thank you Miss Plum, these are for you.' he said, offering her a bouquet of beautiful flowers.

'Oh!' Said my mom, taken aback. Joe never brought flowers. She smiled warmly at Ranger, 'Call me Ellen.'

'Thank you, Ellen.'

My mom went to put the flowers in a vase, 'suck up.' I whispered to Ranger.

He grinned at me, 'Your point?'

I smiled, 'I don't really have one.' I admitted.

He laughed softly, drawing me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist as he smiled into my eyes. I hugged him back, enjoying the feel of him in my arms.

'Nice suit Mr Manoso.' I said.

His lips twitched, 'thanks.' He kissed me butterfly soft on my forehead.

My dad entered the room, pausing as he saw us holding each other.

'That your car?' He asked Ranger, gesturing to the Dodge.

'Yes sir.'

'It's a Dodge isn't it?'

'Yes sir.'

'A good American car.' My dad said approvingly.

'Can't trust foreign cars.' Ranger agreed.

My dad looked with renewed interest at Ranger, 'Good man.' Dad said to me, 'good car ethic.' Which, to my dad, was pretty much the seal of approval.

My dad retreated to the kitchen to carve the pot roast.

'You're in.' I whispered to Ranger.

He grinned at me.

'How'd you know about the cars?' I asked in hushed tones.

'I remembered from last time.' Ranger whispered back.

'Clever.' I said appreciatively.

We sat down at the table and we were all having a nice dinner with polite chit chat until Grandma asked Ranger, 'Did you hear what Stephanie did today?'

I froze, my fork halfway up to my mouth.

My mind quickly whirling with the possibilities: no car explosions, no fire bombings, no shootings, no threats, no dead bodies, no rolling in garbage. What was Grandma talking about?

'I heard that Mrs Karolisky-'

'No one wants to hear about Mrs Karolisky, Grandma!' I said hastily.

Ranger smiled slightly, 'I wouldn't mind hearing about Mrs Karolisky.' I sent him a death glare, and his smile widened slightly.

'Well,' Grandma began, 'I heard that she was real snarky about you living with Stephanie and called you a 'big black man'. And Stephanie said you were more mocha latte and way more delicious than Mrs Karolisky's fat and ugly, balding husband. Then Stephanie called Mrs Karolisky fat and ugly too. And then she shot Mrs Karolisky in the foot.'

'I did NOT shoot her in the foot!' I protested. 'I didn't have ammo.' I added under my breath.

'But you called her fat and ugly?' My mom asked.

'She called Ranger black and she meant it in a bad way. And she said I was going to hell.'

'Really?' asked Grandma interestedly.

'Well…no; but she did say I was living in sin, so the hell thing was kinda implied.'

Ranger's hand settled on my neck and I turned to look at him.

'Thank you for defending me.' He said seriously, and then he kissed me lightly.

'Sure.' I said smiling. I'd kick a hundred Mrs Karolisky's asses if he looked at me like that.

And for the rest of dinner Ranger held my left hand in his right. Which meant I could eat ok, but he was probably finding it hard.

But he didn't let go.

And I hoped he never would.