Chapter 4

Friday morning meant chores. I got busy egging and milking and then enjoyed a big, Grandma breakfast. Then it was off to the bus. Good to Janie’s word, Tim Walton hadn’t said boo to me since Monday, but that didn’t mean I was not on the receiving end of some deadly glares.

Janie was all smiles and made an effort to have me walk with her in between classes. We actually were in four of our seven total classes together (English, History, Introduction to Physical Science (IPS), and Gym) and I had been invited to her table at lunch. Sweet Jenny Bridges even deigned to talk to me. The plan for tonight was for me to go home on Janie and Jennifer’s bus. I was already decked out in a somewhat dressy shirt and khakis, so I looked pretty appropriate. I was surprised when some girls, other than ‘J squared’ commented positively on my fashion choice. All of a sudden I was in uncharted waters. I had become popular. Even my new teammate, Billy Crenshaw was extolling my virtues to anybody willing to listen. “With Matthews on the team this year we’re gonna kick your ass,” he grinned at his buddy, Tim, who just death-glared at me in return. I guess not everyone was a fan of mine.

Finally, after the last class, I got sandwiched between a couple of giggling girls, as we went out to their bus. Janie was bubbling over in happiness and Jennifer blushed whenever I smiled at her, before smiling back at Janie as I was directed by Jen to a seat beside Janie. She sat behind us.

“Thank you for doing this,” said Janie before getting serious. “I’ve been having some problems lately and Daddy thought that it would be a good idea to get me out of the house on Friday.”

Okay, something was going on here.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah. I can’t go into a lot of details, but my mother is kind of strange and ... I really can’t say any more. Let’s just say that I’m really grateful to you.”

“Look, Janie...”

I saw a look of sheer terror replace that bubbly look she had been wearing only a minute before.

“Please don’t back out!” she cried.

I felt Jenny’s sweet hand on my shoulder and heard her say “Please, Tommy! Please don’t let us down!”

Us?!!!!

Now I was really concerned, but I was not going to let my date or her friend down. That was something I would never do.

I put my hand on her shoulder gently for a moment, she flinched before relaxing. To this day, I don’t know how I found the confidence to do what I did next. I looked squarely into Janie’s eyes and for a moment, I think she thought I was going to kiss her. Instead, I simply said. “Janie, you can count on me to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe.” Then I turned back to Jen and said, “Both of you.”

When we got to the corner of Elm Street and Holland Place, the three of us and Brad Pikel got off the bus. Brad was a seventh-grader. We proceeded to Janie’s house. I had volunteered to hold both girls’ books, but we all realized how ridiculously impossible that would have been. It certainly seemed to cheer the girls out of their surprisingly sad moods.

I took a look at the house when we got there. It was a fairly decent-sized raised ranch. We came in on the lower level instead of by the front door, which had a fairly steep set of stairs leading to the front entrance. It had a garage attached to the lower level. We entered a door next to the garage. The room we entered appeared to be the family den. There was a smaller pool table, a bar, on one side of the large room. There were a sectional couch and a recliner next to a large TV on the other side of the room. It was really the perfect place for the family of four to unwind (aside from Janie and the Parker parents, had a ten-year-old daughter Emily).

“We usually do our homework and study down here until Mom gets back from work,” said Janie as she dumped her bag on part of the sectional. “Would you like a Coke?” she asked me.

“Yeah, that would be great,” I said, sitting down on the sectional after dropping my bookbag.

When she left, Jenny scooted next to me.

“Thank you so much for helping us!” she said, shocking me with a quick, but a powerful hug.

“Jen, what’s really going on here?” I asked.

Jennifer looked sad. “I can’t tell you. I promised her.”

“Why me?”

I think my question threw her. Perhaps she saw my question to be the probe I intended it to be. After an extended moment, she said, “You’re a really nice boy who knows how to take care of yourself.”

“I do tend to shower at least once a day, usually twice,” I joked.

Jennifer snorted, which turned into a serious belly laugh. When she settled down, she said. “You are a lot more mature than most kids our age. You are loyal to your friends and...”

“I can fight?”

“Yeah.”

“Jennifer, who am I...” I started when we saw Janie return with our pops.

“Here you are,” she said, handing us each a small 10-ounce bottle with a light, green tint.

“These are so cool,” I grinned.

“Dad gets them from the distributor who supplies the machine at work.”

“What does your dad do for a living?”

“He and mom work at Blanton’s Auto Body Shop here in town,” said Janie with a frown.

“They both work there?”

“Yeah, Dad’s the assistant manager and mom is the bookkeeper/secretary for Uncle...” she started, as if she were chewing a lemon. “I mean, Mr. Blanton.”

Okay, there was a story there and I was getting concerned.

I decided to pull back by talking about the two classes that the three of us had together and both girls seemed relieved by the change of subject. Despite the reputation cheerleaders at our school had, these were two very bright girls. We covered our English and History assignments and then Janie and I worked on our Physical Science course while Jenny went over her French.

At about 4 PM, we heard a car pulling into the garage.

A minute later, an older, but just as lovely version of my practice date walked in. It was quite clear where Janie got her looks and figure. I stood up to greet my friend’s mother.

“Hi, you must be Tommy. I’m Lisa Parker, but you can call me Mrs. Parker,” she said as her bright initial smile disappeared as her eyes narrowed.

“Hello Mrs. Parker, I’m Mr. Thomas Steven Matthews, but you can call me Tommy,” I said mildly.

Mrs. Parker snorted. “I think I like this young man, Honey.”

I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. Mrs. Parker gave me a wild stare as if she were some kind of wild animal. I knew something from her unsettling greeting and from this look she was giving me. I did not like Mrs. Lisa Parker. I did not like her at all. While she was drop-dead gorgeous, the darkness in her personality was completely tangible.

“Well, I see that you three have made yourselves comfortable down here. I would say you look quite comfortable,” she said dragging that last word out as if it were pornographic.

Janie looked mortified, while Jen looked scared.

“Mom, we’re just studying.”

“Anatomy?” smirked Lisa Parker.

“We would be wearing far fewer clothes if we were studying that,” I spat.

“Oh ... he’s good, this haughty young prince of yours, Janie,” she said, as she ran a manicured finger under my chin and looked me in the eye. I could feel something harden below my belt, despite the fact that she sickened me.

I was at a loss but thankfully Jen saved me. “Well, I’m heading home. My mom is serving meatloaf tonight.”

The evil seductress removed her finger from under my chin and turned to her daughter’s friend. “Oh, do you have to leave? Emily will be at your house with your sister Maggie tonight, I figured we would just trade daughters for the night.”

“I wouldn’t want to horn in on Janie and Tommy’s date. Besides, I would never miss my mom’s meatloaf for the world,” she said with a strangled forced laugh.

“Well, I can’t see how a couple of pizzas from Little Italy can compare with the great Natalie Bridges cooking. Please remember me to your mother, Jennifer.”

“I will,” replied Jen, Jennifer hugged me and wished us a great date. She then hugged Janie and whispered something in her ear. My date nodded and hugged her even more forcefully. Then our lucky friend made her escape, while the two she left behind were stuck with the mom from hell.

“Well, straighten up your books kids. Mr. Parker should be with us at five with the pizzas. That should give you plenty of time to make the movie. I hope that sausage and mushrooms are okay, Timmy.”

“It’s Tommy,” my date spat at her mother.

“Oh, I’m sorry young man. I confused you with one of the many admires my daughter has.”

I just gritted my teeth and nodded. When Lisa Parker disappeared up the stairs, Janie began to cry and threw herself into my arms. I held her, stroked her hair and comforted her.

“Why does she have to be such a bitch?” she bawled.

“It’s going to be okay,” I soothed.

“Will you protect me ... the way you protect your other friends?”

I didn’t think. The words came tumbling out of my mouth in a rush. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Janie’s mother never returned, so I continue to hold her sexy daughter until we heard another car enter the garage. Janie then climbed out of my lap and straightened herself and I did the same. We then walked to the door that led to the garage. Janie opened the door and I saw a man holding two boxes of pizza.