Chapter 4: Don’t Touch

After the successful phone call to Colin, Shannon was on cloud ten as we tramped through the deepening snow with the saw horses. Well, I carried the barricades; she badgered me about not being allowed to help.

“They’re not that heavy,” I dismissed.

“Which is why you should let me carry one!”

“They’re crazy heavy,” I amended quickly, pretending to stagger.

“This isn’t the eighteen-thirties, Matt. Chivalry is pretty much dead.”

“Says the girl who dances in a show where there is literally a cavalier.”

Shannon stared at me for a few dozen steps. “Wow... ! I was not expecting that from you!”

“I paid attention that day, you know. And I read the program.”

“Fine, but ... Okay, maybe you didn’t notice that the Nutcracker story takes place a long time ago.”

I laughed and slowed. “Okay, here you go.”

I set one of the horses down. She seemed pleased at the victory and picked it up, grinning at me with snow-covered lashes.

“Colin really likes your car,” I remarked, as we started off again.

“I really like his Jeep.”

“So your uncle gave you the Camaro, huh?”

“Yeah, he left it to me about a year ago, when he passed away. He got some kind of cancer and then he was gone, just three months later.”

“Damn ... I’m sorry. Sounds like you were close.”

“Pretty close, yeah. It was tough on me. On all of us. He was such a fun guy. He was a higher-up at Goodyear, and he was into cars, obviously.”

“The tire company?”

“Yeah. He was mostly on the road, doing stuff at NASCAR and drag races, so I didn’t see him much during the season. But whenever he was back home, he’d take me out after school for a cruise. You know, he’d punch it when we were on a clear strip, but mostly it was just fun to ride around in it. Even when you’re going slow, you can still feel the power.”

“Yeah. Whenever you drive I’m always thinking you’re going like eighty and then I look at the speedometer, and ... nope.”

Shannon laughed. “I know! I’m a total wuss when it comes to it. When I turned sixteen, he let me drive it for the first time. That was a mistake!”

“Why?”

“We were going up a hill, around a curve, and I’m never quite sure how it happened, but all of a sudden I was facing back down the hill in the other lane. Freaked me out!”

I chuckled. “What did your uncle say?”

“He was just laughing his head off. Then he was like, ‘Yeah, you gotta be careful with the pedal there.’ Meanwhile I’m sitting there thinking, oh my god, I almost wrapped his baby around a tree trunk. I didn’t drive it for a while after that.”

I set the saw horses in place around the protruding corners of Shannon’s car, which was quickly disappearing.

“There, that should be a little extra warning. Not that anyone comes down this way, even when it’s not snowing.”

Shannon gave her car a little pat. “Sleep well.”

Colin arrived after dinner. I was surprised to see a clear path behind his Jeep, until I noticed a small plow mounted on the front.

“That’s convenient!” I called, as I stepped outside to help him with his gear.

“Pretty useful,” he agreed.

“Here, let me grab that.”

I hefted his amp and led him around back along the path Shannon and I had roughly shoveled while we’d waited. She’d been so antsy that I had to put her to work. Colin was quite happy to see her, and also remarked more than once how cool the cabin was.

It was only a few minutes into his visit that I realized I’d been too, well, cavalier about leaving the photos hanging up.

“So did you develop your pictures?” he asked Shannon.

She and I suddenly exchanged a brief glance.

“Oh, no, I was out of developer,” I quickly answered.

I’d just earlier been lamenting the mixed signals Colin had been getting about Shannon and me. And now in the other room, there hung ample evidence of her having photographed me nude!

I excused myself to the bathroom, quietly closing the darkroom door as I went by. Luckily Colin was far too interested in chatting with Shannon to notice the cover-up act.

Jamming ended up being much more fun than I expected. I figured we’d just trade some guitar riffs and such, but as it turned out, he’d brought a bass guitar and amp instead. He knew all the bass parts to the Jane’s Addiction album, so very soon we were ripping through the first side, playing sections of each song. The whole thing was very laid back and interspersed with much talking.

At one point, Colin asked if he could drink in the cabin. When I nodded, he produced a silver flask from his bag. I fetched three small glasses from the kitchen and we soon toasted a three-way shot of bourbon. It went down nice and warm, and it also made the music sound even better.

On to side two...

“Man, I wish Lara was here!” I lamented, as we finished an attempt at Three Days. It was difficult, what with the whiskey and without drums and vocals, but man, was it fun!

“Where is she?” Colin asked.

“Over at a friend’s. I was kind of hoping she’d come home, but she’s snowed in now. Oh well.”

“We’ll jam with her sometime, no worries,” Colin said. “She’s a killer singer.”

“Definitely,” I agreed.

Shannon leaned close to Colin, clearly feeling the effects of her three recently downed shots. I could tell that the flask was mostly finished. I’d stopped at two shots and Colin had only one, since he was going to be driving later.

“So did you really just come across us today by luck?” she asked, her voice quite happy.

Colin smiled a little. “Well, yeah, I wasn’t following you, if that’s what you mean.”

“So you were just driving around randomly?” Shannon pressed.

“No, I was actually on my way home to hitch up my plow. When it snows, I drive around and see if anyone needs help. I’ll also plow some driveways.”

“Aw, that’s really sweet! I guess you probably find lots of stuck people.”

“Yeah, today was pretty bad out there. I think people got caught out. After I got my mom home from work, I cruised for a bit before coming over here. Tons of cars on the side of the road. Able to get a few of them going, though.”

“Do you charge people?”

“Nah.”

“Even for the plowing?” I asked.

He shook his head. “I just like doing it. I guess I could charge, but it wouldn’t be as much fun then.”

Shannon frowned at him. “Wait, so you’ll just plow people’s driveways that you don’t know?”

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“That’s amazing, Colin!”

I grinned as Shannon gave him an almost reverent look.

“Should we go out and see if anyone is out there now?” she suggested.

“You mean out on the roads?” Colin asked.

“Yeah. Maybe there are people needing help.”

Colin shrugged, looking at me. “Are we playing any more songs?”

“I’m done,” I said, setting my guitar down and making a show of stretching my hands. “Fingers need a break.”

“I hear you.” He turned to Shannon. “We could go out, see what’s going on. Probably not too many people driving at this hour, but you never know. I don’t have a backseat though,” he added, glancing at me again.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m going to hit the sack early,” I excused. “Long day tomorrow getting ready for the twins.”

“Come on, we can squeeze in!” Shannon urged.

“Seriously, I’m good. You should go though. Someone might really appreciate you helping them.”

There was a moment as Colin looked at Shannon. Good thing she practiced her hugging, I thought with an internal chuckle. She might need it later...

“You’re really up for it?” he asked her.

“Sure!”

After a final glance at me, he said, “Let’s go then.”

It didn’t take long to pack up. Colin went to the bathroom before leaving.

“Have fun!” I teased her.

“What? We’re just going to plow some driveways and winch some people out of trouble.”

“Have fun,” I repeated. “You want to take your stuff?”

“What do you mean?”

“He can drive you home.”

“Oh. I guess you’re right.”

“I’m probably going to be asleep by the time you’d get back.”

“We won’t be out that long!”

“Yeah, yeah. Take your stuff. If you’ve had enough of kissing after twenty minutes, then fine, you can come back and—”

“Matt, stop it!” she giggled, her eyes fiery.

We heard the toilet flush, so Shannon hurried into the darkroom. She emerged with her bag just as Colin stepped out. She quickly shut the door behind her.

“All good?” he asked.

“Yeah!” she squeaked.

“Let’s do it.”

A few minutes later we’d schlepped the gear and had it loaded in the back of the Jeep. The snow bowl in front of our house was illuminated by Colin’s light bar as he cleared some snow off his rumbling vehicle.

“That was a good jam, man,” I called. “Let’s do it again sometime?”

“Definitely,” Colin agreed.

“See you in school?” I said to Shannon.

She looked fairly giddy as she strapped herself into the passenger seat. She held out a hand and squeezed mine.

“Yeah, see you in school, Matty.”

I pounded Colin’s fist, and then they were off, scraping a fresh ribbon into my yard. I stood there for some time, watching the huge glow shift this way and that. It looked like a moving diorama, until eventually the night swallowed them.

I stretched my arms out and let myself fall backward into the snow drift behind me. She caught me like a down pillow, and for a time I lay there, mentally fast-forwarding through versions of the imagined evening ahead for Shannon. Would they kiss? Go further? I wasn’t sure. Colin was cool, a bit out there, confident, but also had a certain humble quality to him that made me wonder if chivalry was going to be alive this evening after all.

I found myself chuckling, happy for my friend, hoping she’d have a good time, whatever they ended up doing. I was quite pleased with myself, though. Me, a little underclassman, might have just gotten two seniors together ... It might even be worth putting on my résumé some day!

After a while, I extricated myself from the cool cocoon and headed inside. Melissa was at the dining room table, editing a recipe. She smiled as she took her reading glasses off.

“Ah, there you are. Heather called. I couldn’t find you up at the cabin.”

I grabbed a soda from the fridge, realizing I should hide my bourbon breath.

“I was just outside saying bye to Shannon and Colin. He’s going to give her a ride home. And then I was lying in the snow for a bit, enjoying the night ... It’s amazing out there right now. So quiet.”

“Ah, to be young, and not cold,” she quipped.

“Or something,” I said, laughing. “All right, I’m going to call Heather.”

“Please do. And, interesting pictures, by the way.”

I slowed on the way to my room, grimacing. I cleared the defeated expression before turning, though.

“Pictures?” I asked. Maybe it’s not what I think...

“In the darkroom.” Melissa winced at me. “I did knock, first. Sorry.”

Aaand ... nope. It’s exactly what I think...

I decided to grab the situation by the head.

“Oh, right. Yeah, Shannon took those. Nice, aren’t they?”

“They are, yes. Pretty incredible.”

I nodded. “Cool.”

“Amazing that she was able to find such good models.”

Yeah, yeah...

“That’s the funny thing, actually,” I replied. “Clara has this melamine furniture at her place. It kind of has these curvy shapes...”

Melissa laughed, quite a bit considering she wasn’t even in on the real joke.

“Furniture,” she repeated evenly.

“You’d be surprised how much it can look like, well, other stuff!”

“They’re nice pictures,” she finally said. “Just make sure, that, you know ... They stay in the right hands?”

“Of course. Wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about interior decorating.”

My mom looked at me like I’d sprouted horns.

“Melamine is so dated these days!” I concluded, completing my journey to the ridiculous.

Melissa made a sound I’ve never heard her make before, a barked out laugh that even she seemed embarrassed by.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” she finally managed.

“I’m going to call Heather now, unless there’s anything else?”

“Yes, come here.”

I approached, warily.

“I just want to thank you again, for understanding with the twins.”

I nodded vaguely. “All right.”

“You’ve had to ... grow up fast these last few years. We just want the best for you and Lara, which is why sometimes it’s...” She couldn’t find the words.

I swallowed. “I know. But all of my friends think you two are the coolest parents anyone could ever have.”

Melissa chuckled. “I’m sure we can find some people who disagree.”

“Well, fuck them,” I said, before thinking.

Ugh, damn whiskey showed its hand after all...

She widened her eyes. “Matt!” she warned.

“Sorry ... But now that I said it, I’m not taking it back. If there was a way you and Mom could’ve done better with us, then I don’t know it.”

It was Melissa’s turn to swallow. “Growing up fast ... I’m proud of you.”

I felt a twinge of nervousness. There’s so much they probably don’t really know...

“I’m just trying to do my best,” I concluded.

She stood and pulled me into a hug. It was brief but warm.

“Okay, go call Heather, and tell her I say hi.”

“I will. Goodnight, Mom ... Oh, and last call for the phone. We’ll probably be on a while, since we haven’t talked much since she left.”

“The line’s all yours. We won’t bother you. Goodnight sweetie.”

Once in my room, I changed into dry comfortable clothes and settled into my chair. I lifted the receiver but found no dial tone.

Ugh, fucking storm killed the wires! Just my damn luck.

I groaned in frustration as I stretched over to my desk, intending to replace the receiver. I was surprised to hear a faint laugh, though. I quickly returned the phone to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hello?” Lara echoed.

“Whoa. Did you just call?”

“Um, yeah? Didn’t you just answer?”

“It didn’t ring. I just picked up and you were there.”

“No way!” Lara breathed. “It’s like we’re attached at the fucking brain!”

“Um ... Actually, I picked up because I was about to make a call.”

“To me?”

“No.”

“Aw, and here I thought we had something!” she wailed in disappointment.

“Someone’s been drinking!” I sang. “Anyway, what’s up?”

“Tell Mom I’m staying at Alice’s overnight.”

“Duh.”

“What? I could still walk home,” she retorted.

“Yeaaaah—no. We wouldn’t find you until April.”

“Well I could get home just fine, but we’re all cozied up here with our jams, joints, booze and porn, so I’m not going anywhere.”

I sniggered. “Aren’t you worried someone might get on the phone and hear you?”

“Alice has her own line.”

“You mean like ... her own separate line?”

“No, Matt, it’s a separate line that’s the same as her parents’ line.”

“Oh, I was going to say! That—”

“Matt! It is a separate line! I was kidding! Are you drunk too?”

“Maybe?”

“Oh, good. Because otherwise, I was like...”

“Anyway, sounds like a blast over there,” I said.

“It is!” Lara agreed. “Well, I’ll let you get back to Shannon.”

“She left.”

“Why? Mom said she was staying over. Uh-oh, lover’s spat?” she teased.

“Whatever. Colin stole her away.”

“Wait, you won’t let me walk home but you send your friends out into Siberia, no questions asked?”

“He has a crazy Jeep. They’re roaming the roads, looking for driveways to plow.”

“Oh, I’m sure there’ll be some plowing going on tonight,” she said lewdly.

“Lara, come on! You’re terrible. This is Shannon we’re talking about. Not you.”

“What? I waited several days with James!” she shouted indignantly. “Several!”

“Sleep well, sis. See you tomorrow.”

“Come over and watch some porn, since you’re bored.”

“Um, I’m not bored.”

“That’s because you’re thinking about coming over! It’s funny to watch. Massive comedy value. Come on, please? Hey, Alice is nodding yes. That’s an invitation right there!”

“I’m not walking in the snow.”

“It’s not that bad—” Lara’s voice grew muted, “What? No... ! Quit it! You know he—Stop!” and then she returned, a giggle apparent in her tone. “Anyway...”

“What was that?” I asked.

“Nothing. She’s just drunk,” Lara slurred. “Like way drunker than I am ... Yeah, you are! Shut up... ! Stop it!”

I grinned, imagining the scene. “Come on, what’s going on?”

Lara burst out laughing and there was more muted talk. “Hey!” Then a struggle ensued. Finally the sound of wild laughter grew close in my ear. It wasn’t Lara’s voice though.

“Come over and we can make our own... !” Alice screamed, even as the sound faded away toward the end and the phone thumped against something.