Chapter 5: Home Sweet Home

It wasn’t technically April Fools because he didn’t move back home until the following day (Monday the 2^nd). Nevertheless, it was turning out to feel like the whopper of all April Fools jokes as the transport ambulance rolled up to his house to find nobody home. The driveway was empty and the familiar burgundy Buick Le Saber he wanted was missing from the front yard. The grass had grown to knee height, and the garbage cans off to the side were overflowing with bags.

They unloaded him and allowed him to wheel himself up the new ramp to his front porch. Kat parked the orange goblin in the tall grass beside the driveway and climbed out with the box holding his computer. She walked beside him looking around curiously for any sign of life. He indicated where the spare key was usually located and moments later, he rolled into the empty house, calling out for his mom. There was no response.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!” he snapped angrily.

“They had to know you were coming back today,” Kat breathed. “Right?”

He shook his head in disbelief. “We had a discharge planning meeting Friday afternoon and she was there,” he replied. He turned to look at the bewildered EMTs who were each toting a box of his stuff.

“Can you call her?” one of them asked, setting the box on the kitchen table.

“I don’t know where she is,” he replied.

“Can you page her?”

“I don’t think she has one.”

“We can’t leave you here unattended, Peter,” the other medic replied with concern. “Is there anyone else who can sign for you? We need to locate your mom since she is your legal guardian.”

He sighed with frustration. There was only one person he could think of to call. He picked up the phone and dialed the number from memory.

“Hello, Mr. Shipley,” Jeremiah’s deep southern drawl sounded in his ear. “How might I be of assistance to you?”

“Man, you’re not gonna believe this,” he growled and went on to explain his situation.

“I see,” the man said calmly after hearing the circumstances. “I am currently in Renton and will head there in ten minutes. Shouldn’t take more than twenty to get there. Stall them until I arrive.”

“Thanks.”

While they waited the medics and Kathy unloaded all his belongings from the ambulance and the back seat of her car, carrying them inside. He vacated his wheelchair and explored the house. The main level looked completely different and less spacious with the wall that enclosed his new room. The door handle was a push panel that operated the same on either side, allowing it to swing in or out. The kitchen was also remodeled with lower stepped counters where he could reach anything he needed. There was a shallow ramp that lined the entire front from the refrigerator to the sink. Curious he clambered up the stairs to check out the rest of the house.

He found his old room desecrated and converted it into a storage place full of boxes and unfamiliar things. His old desk remained in its corner. The entire level reeked of cigarettes and an odd odor like burnt plastic. He opened the door to his parent’s bedroom and found the stench even stronger. The bed was unmade and there were dirty clothes piled around — a sight he would never have imagined before his accident. There was an ashtray on the nightstand full of cigarette butts. He moved closer and gasped at the sight of several small hypodermic needles and a torn paper baggy that contained a bent-up spoon and several lighters. ‘What the fuck?’ The entire area stunk of burnt plastic and a smell similar to a magic marker.

“Hey, baby?” Kat called up the stairs. “Where do you want your computer set up? There’s no desk in your room.”

He stepped out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him. “My old desk is still up here,” he called back.

She bounded up the stairs and wrinkled her nose. “God! What is that smell?” she asked as she opened his door and surveyed the room. “Hey!” she called back down to the main floor. “Can you guys help me move a desk while we are waiting?”

It took them fifteen minutes to wrestle the old wooden desk down the stairs and into his room. Kathy and him were setting up his computer when Jeremiah appeared. He stepped into the house and took one sniff before narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips. He nodded to the medics and stepped over to the bedroom.

“Oh, hey Jeremiah,” Peter said looking up. “Thanks for coming by.” He was still standing on his shortened legs, rummaging through a box full of cords, wires, and cables. He stopped and looked up at the man. “This wasn’t the homecoming that I was expecting.”

“Indeed not,” the CFP replied dubiously. He looked around the room, taking in every detail.

“Excuse me sir?” one of the EMTs interjected from behind. He was holding an aluminum run board that served as a clipboard and a container for blank forms. “Are you a legal guardian who can sign for the boy?”

The sharply dressed character regarded the medic and nodded once. “I reckin’ I’m about as close as can be at the moment,” he said, signing the sheet where indicated. “I’ll look after him til his Mah shows.”

After they had left, he continued exploring the house. “Ya mind if I grab my Polaroid and snap a few pics of this new layout?”

Peter shrugged. “No, go for it,” he replied. “You might want to check out the new layout in the master bedroom as well.” He didn’t look up to make eye contact which struck the Southerner as odd.

“Okay, your computer is up and running again and the externals are all slaved together,” Kat stated a few minutes later. “I’m going to go check your kitchen to see if anyone has even bothered to shop for food.”

“Can you open a few windows while you are at it, babe?”

She snorted. “I’ll open all of them.”

A few minutes later the three of them gathered once more in Peter’s room.

“The fridge is completely empty except for some old leftovers and an expired gallon of milk,” Kathy fumed. “Not even a box of cereal in the cupboards. It’s like no one has lived here for weeks.”

“Oh, they’ve been here,” Jeremiah said in his low voice. “That drug paraphernalia and the stink suggests they were shooting PCP as recently as last night.”

“WHAT?” she screeched turning on him enraged. He was shaking several pictures that he gripped between his fingers. He looked at one and showed it to her. Her face clouded as she looked at it. With an angry growl, she handed the photo back and charged up the stairs to see for herself.

“It’s not surprising that the shelves are bare,” Peter mused, turning to hop into his wheelchair. “Why shop for groceries when you can eat out all the time?”

“Yeah, until that money tree shrivels up and dies,” Jeremiah replied. They both looked up as Kat marched angrily back down the stairs.

“Unh uh! No way!” she snarled. “I’m calling the police!”

“Now just hold on there a minute, Rambo,” Jeremiah told her teasingly. “Let’s just have us a little sit-down for a moment and talk about this.”

“Why? They are doing drugs. Peter is a minor. And she is supposed to be a responsible legal guardian!” She counted off each thing with her fingers. “If they go to jail, problem solved.”

“Not entirely,” Jeremiah replied. “Who else can take care of him until he turns 18?”

“He can take care of himself just fine and you know it,” she rebuked.

He nodded, “I do. But do you think the Courts will see it that way?”

His words brought her up short and she visibly deflated before their eyes. “So, what can we do?”

Peter leaned forward in his chair. “We do nothing,” he suggested. “This phase cannot sustain itself indefinitely.”

Jeremiah nodded. “They will run out of money and things will come to a head sooner than later.”

“I don’t give a shit what happens with Paul,” the boy added, “he can rot in jail or die of an overdose for all I care. But I want to save my mom if possible. She only needs to be present, not responsible.”

“And what about you?” she demanded. “Who is looking out for you while that freak is high as hell on PCP under your roof?”

“That is a good point,” Jeremiah replied. “And I don’t have an answer for you.”

“I can take care of myself, guys,” Peter assured them. “We just need to adjust how we continue doing business.” He gazed at his girlfriend. “Don’t bring any orders over here. I will make copies and we will do everything else at your or Alan’s place.” He looked back at his financial mentor. “I don’t want them to suspect anything about my money or income.”

Jeremiah gazed back at him shrewdly. Then he got up and grabbed his hat. “Very well then,” he stated. “You have my number.”

“Where are you going?” Kat demanded.

“Like he said, Miss,” he set one of the photos on the table and walked toward the door, “he can take care of himself.” He turned in the doorway, “Du regard.”

They followed him to the porch and watched him climb into a long black Cadillac Eldorado and drive off.

“That is a strange man,” she mused quietly.

“And a good friend,” Peter replied.

“I’m gonna go to Safeway and get you some groceries,” she decided as they went back inside. “You gotta eat and I’m not about to rely on those losers to take care of you.”

“I’ll come with you,” he replied. “I want to stop at Ace Hardware and get a deadbolt for my room, and a drill.”

It took them nearly three hours to install the locking deadbolt above the door handle to his room. It involved much measuring, drilling, carving, and cursing. The fact that the tools they relied upon were inadequate for the task was no deterrent and eventually, they persevered through brute force and ignorance. Afterward, they shared a frozen pizza, and Dr. Peppers before reclining on his bed to snuggle together. It was three in the afternoon, and Kat was feeling slightly guilty for skipping school.

“I think you just need a distraction,” he replied innocently. She reacted by rolling on top of him and grinding her pelvis against his crotch.

“Just what did you have in mind, sir?” she crooned with a silky voice. His physical reaction was immediate and apparent as she felt him growing hard beneath her.

“Um, you do realize that I am a minor, don’t you?” he said with mock severity, as he pressed himself back up against her. “This could be considered statutory rape.”

Her face became flushed as she kissed him deeply. “Yeah? Who’s raping who?”

He took a shuddering breath. “Oh, I’m definitely raping you!”

She rolled off his bed and padded across the room in bare feet to throw the deadbolt in place. Turning back, she grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head, revealing perfectly shaped breasts with dark areolas and nipples. She tossed the shirt onto his desk and reached behind her to unzip her skirt, letting it drop around her feet. She stood before his shocked eyes in nothing but her light blue panties. “Not if I do you first,” she replied huskily.

As if jabbed by a cattle prod, he suddenly began thrashing on the bed, frantically pulling off his shirt and pants. His rigid boner peaked above the hem of his tighty whities, so he hooked his thumbs inside and jerked them down his legs as well. He continued to gaze at her, swallowing nervously as his mouth went dry. She bent slightly to slip her underwear down her legs and he marveled at the vision. It was the first time he had ever seen a live naked girl and he gulped as he admired her neatly trimmed pubic region that rested just above her light mahogany-toned vagina.

She crawled back onto his bed taking his erection in her hand, causing him to gasp with pleasure as she squeezed and stroked him.

“Oh, my fucking God!” he hissed as her touch set off every nerve in his body. He reached for her but she squirmed around until her face was right over his pelvis. Her lips parted and she took the head into her mouth, moaning as she sucked on him and worked her tongue around his shaft. He reflexively grabbed her head and caressed her as she began working her face up and down. “OH GOD!” he cried after a minute. “Babe you gotta stop! I can’t take any more!” he begged.

She released him with a sucking pop and gaze at his drunken face like an apex predator. Then she crawled atop him again and slid her body upward until her mouth once again found his. He felt the soft curls of her pubic hair brush against his rigid cock. She moaned and trembled with desire as she propped herself up and straddled him, pressing her warm sex against his. “Oh,” she sighed, closing her eyes. She straightened herself over him and reached down to grip him once more. She gazed hungrily into his eyes as she raised her hips and pulled his erection up against her. “Baby, let me control this,” she requested with a harsh whisper. “This is my first time.”

He nodded and closed his eyes as he felt the head of his penis being rubbed firmly against her hot moist slit. He felt the friction lessen and their contact became slippery. She grunted as she lowered herself down onto him, forcing her labia apart.

“Oh shit, that’s tight,” she breathed raggedly as she hesitated and rubbed him against her some more.

She emitted a deep keening noise as she pressed herself down upon him once more. He opened his eyes and watched her strained expression as she winced from the pain of her hymen being stretched to its limits. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before lowering herself further. He felt his head being squeezed hard as it was forced deeper into her. She cried out in pain and pulled herself back up. When she opened her eyes, they were full of pain and uncertainty.

“Goddamn it,” she wept. “I didn’t think it would hurt this bad.”

“Babe, please don’t then,” he replied urgently. “I don’t want to cause you any pain.”

“No!” she growled with determination. “I’m doing this!” She took another deep breath and gave a ragged scream as she forced herself back down upon him until he pierced her maidenhead. With a final grunt, she impaled herself fully onto him and sucked in a shuddering breath as her tears ran down her face. “Oh fuck! Please don’t move,” she trembled tearfully. “Let me get used to this.”

Her tears wrenched his heart and he froze his body, clinging to the comforter on either side of his hips. Suddenly he felt his cock pulse inside her.

“Ow!” she cried.

“I’m sorry!” he gritted his teeth trying to prevent a second twitch. “I can’t help it!” he gasped as he failed.

“It’s okay,” she breathed relaxing her body. “I’m gonna move now.” She lifted herself and moaned as he caressed every part of her tunnel. She stopped when he was halfway out of her and then slowly sank back down. “Oh my God, it hurts, but it feels so good.”

He grunted in acknowledgement trying desperately to restrain himself when he wanted only to push back into her. He reached up with his hands and touched her breasts, cupping them and playing with her nipples. This sent her into a frenzy of convulsions. She squeezed her thighs together around his and began panting heavily as she bucked up and down erratically.

“Oh Fuck!” she screamed. “This is it...” her voice lost coherence as she moaned loudly and heaved against him. Her hands were planted firmly on his shoulders and she began slamming herself down on him until she suddenly fell forward and pressed her mouth against the side of his neck. He felt her hot breath as she cried out in ecstasy, clinging to his body while her breath heaved in and out of her lungs.

“Oh God!” he cried out as he felt himself being swept into her orgasm. “Kat, I can’t stop it! I’m gonna...” he couldn’t finish as he began shoving himself deeper into her, ejaculating with each thrust.

She clung to him even tighter as he came inside her, grunting with each pulsing rush that transmitted through him and into her. They gasped desperately for breath as they began to recover from their mutual explosive climaxes. She relaxed atop him and their combined sweat felt slippery beneath her. “Oh my God baby!” she panted into his neck. “I love you! ... I love you so much!” Her voice was strained with emotion.

“I am yours, forever,” he whispered back.

It took several moments for their bodies to calm and she tried to keep his softening penis inside her for as long as possible before it slipped out.

“So,” he said softly beneath her, “we just did it.”

“Mmmhmm,” she mumbled against him, “and we are going to do it again.”

“And again.”

Their second time — two hours later, started painfully for Kathy as her tender vagina was once more stretched apart and pounded violently. She quickly overcame the discomfort as her pleasure centers began firing on all cylinders. This time she lay beneath him and he thrust himself into her with animal intensity. They grunted together as they began working in synchrony, slamming their hips together in a rhythm that rendered even greater pleasure than the first time. He even lasted longer this time, powering through her incredible climax and resisting his own for several more minutes. When he came, he grunted with every thrust as he poured his seed into her once more.

They lay together panting, eventually rolling apart to catch their breath. They stared at each other in amazement, marveling at the new experience they discovered and wondering secretly if anyone else ever felt such passion.

It had grown dark when headlights splashed across his window and a deeply muffled engine could be heard pulling into the driveway. They awoke with a start and simultaneously began fumbling for their clothes, dressing quickly in the dark. Peter flipped on his room light and opened his door just as the front door rattled and opened inward.

He settled into his wheelchair and casually wheeled himself out into the living room with Kathy trailing behind him — as his mom and Paul stepped inside and flicked on the main lights. They both blinked in surprise to find him gazing back at them with an angry expression on his young face.

“Peter!” Janet exclaimed with a dazed look in her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

He snorted. “What do you think, Mom?”

“But I thought you weren’t...” she paled and held her hands to her face. “Oh dear!” she gasped as she realized her mistake.

“Well, it’s good of you to finally show up,” he replied sarcastically. “We were getting worried that we would have to call the hospital to come and take me back.”

“Oh, honey!” she cried. “I am so sorry.” She saw Kathy and frowned for a second but said nothing. “Why are all the windows open?”

“To get rid of the overwhelming stench of cigarettes and drugs, Mom.”

“Hey!” Paul growled stepping forward aggressively. “You better watch your damn mouth kid!”

Peter just stared up at him with a determined expression. “Or what? You gonna beat up a crippled sixteen-year-old.”

“Peter Elliot!” his mother screamed. “How dare you speak that way!” She began closing the windows. “And letting all the heat out as if...”

“I turned the heat off,” he interrupted, still having a stare-down with her scowling boyfriend. “And you need to contact the nursing home right now to let them know that you have finally come home...”

“That can wait until tomorrow...” Paul interrupted moving to close several other windows.

“ ... or they are going to have the police swing by for a welfare check,” the boy finished, speaking loudly. Both adults froze again and turned to look at each other. They turned back to him with mixed expressions — hers fearful and his angry. “Hey, don’t blame me,” he added smugly. “It’s not my fault you guys went out partying when you were supposed to be here acting like responsible adults.” He felt Kathy touch his shoulder warningly.

“Listen, you little fuck...”

“Paul, please!” Janet cut him off. She gazed intently at the native girl standing behind her son. “Katherine, I want to thank you for staying here with Peter until we got back, but I think it’s probably best if you head home now.”

Kat gazed back at her with contempt in her eyes. Peter reached up and grabbed her hand that rested on his shoulder.

“It’s okay babe,” he said softly. “I will be just fine.” He turned his intense gaze towards his mother watching as she visibly trembled. “Won’t I, Mom?”

Janet opened and closed her mouth before stammering, “Now why wouldn’t you be?”

Kat pressed her lips together angrily and turned to fetch her shoes and bag. When she came out, she bent over him and kissed his lips. “I can come back in the morning...”

Peter shook his head. “Wait till after school. I will page you if I need anything.”

“Do that,” she grunted with a nod, heading for the door. “Love you.”

“I love you too,” he smiled at her.

She opened the front door and froze. He could read the surprise in her posture and she turned around and scowled back at Janet and Paul. “Nice car,” she muttered and then stepped out.

Peter felt his color rise as he spun his chair, wheeled himself over to the front door, and peered out into the driveway. He saw a gleaming black 1990 Trans Am with gold flames along the sides and the iconic golden firebird across the hood. He shook his head and snorted as he slowly closed the door and turned back to find his mother gaping at him with a stricken look.

“Very nice,” he said with a neutral tone. “I’m just curious though ... where is the Aero Star that we won in the settlement? And what happened to my Buick?”

“Well dear, Paul had a friend who came and towed it away for free so it wouldn’t keep collecting weeds.”

‘Weeds that haven’t been mowed in weeks,’ he thought. “I told you I wanted that car!” he snapped angrily.

“Well, that wasn’t your decision to make, young man!” she replied crossly then softened her tone. “Honey, it was just an old piece of junk. We have a new car now.”

“It was Grandpa’s!” he cried out punching his fist into the arm of his wheelchair. “And it was promised to me!”

She paled as she realized how much it meant to him, and what she had taken from him. “Oh baby, I’m so...”

“Where is the Aero Star?” he demanded forcefully.

“Well...” she colored shamefully as she began stuttering over her words, “Since you were able to walk...” she glanced guiltily at him seated in the chair. “Well, you shouldn’t need the wheelchair anymore!” her voice sounded pained as she looked despondently at her feet. “So, we traded it in to get a better price on the Pontiac.”

“You did ... WHAT?” he raged.

Even Paul had the decency to look uncomfortable during his emotional outburst.

Peter felt heat flush through his face as his heart began racing. He took several shuddering breaths with his eyes closed, trying to come to terms with his disbelief.