Chapter 17

After all the excitement of the weekend, it was going to be a relief to get back to normal school life.

I was rattling around the kitchen fixing my lunch when surprise, surprise Sandra got herself up. She wasn’t particularly dressed provocatively but I noticed right away how her big tits swayed under her thin cotton robe.

I was still wrapping my mind around what Grandma Cummings had told me yesterday so while I noticed those tits, I didn’t pay all that much attention to them.

Aunt Jean came in her usual way, without knocking, like she owned the place. She was fully dressed in her nurse’s uniform. You could tell she was in a mood. I wondered if she could remember fragments of yesterday’s debauch. (The last few weeks had given me a whole new library of useful words to describe the indescribable.)

“Shit,” Sandra whispered. Then turned to her cup of coffee.

I looked at her and she blushed. I wondered if she had plans for this morning.

“Get me some coffee Steven,” Jean said briskly. “Sandra, we have to go. Why are you not dressed? I told you I was coming over this morning. Our appointment with Janet Ebbing is in a half hour.”

“Oh dear, it completely slipped my mind. Are you sure we need to sell the house, Jean?”

“Wait what did you say?” This was the first I had heard about this.

“Steven, it makes no sense at all to keep both houses,” she said impatiently. “Janet, go get dressed. Steven you’ll need to stay home from school in case we need you to sign over a power of attorney. Where is my coffee?”

Sandra jumped up to get it for her.

I wasn’t paying any attention to either one of them. My mind was whirling. This was my home. It held most all of my memories of my mom and dad. And they were planning to sell it? Without asking me? I knew the house was mine. The lawyer made it a point to take me aside and tell me.

“Steven, damn it quit woolgathering. Sandra for Christ’s sake will you get dressed.”

“Jesus, would you shut up. I’m trying to think,” I said absently. What the hell was I going to do.

Sandra sat down suddenly and looked me with nervous eyes.

“What did you say?” Jean screeched. “What on earth is going on over here. Sandra will you for God’s sake go get dressed.”

I got up and headed out.

“Steven, I told you...” thankfully the front door shut off the irritating sound of her voice.

I got to school with no memory of driving there. For the first time this summer and fall, sex was not the only thing on my mind. For the second time in my young life events had shown me that I was vulnerable. When my dad died, I passively allowed my future to be put the hands of others. People who I foolishly had counted on. My dad had tasked me with being the ‘Man of the House’. I had done what he asked, naïvely, taking care of those two as best I could. Cooking, cleaning, paying bills sometimes with my own hard-earned money. Today I found out that they misunderstood my efforts as badly as I had misunderstood them. I had figured we were all partners going through a tough time. Instead, they thought that I was their servant. 100% my fault I realized. I decided to give the Judge a call.

That decision made, I pulled up to school in a better mood. As I got out, I saw Susanne and Julie walking across the parking lot. I remembered what Grandma Cummings told me about being a romantic. With my newfound sense of purpose, I thought might as well bite the bullet on that issue as well and find out what their problem was.

“Susanne, wait up. I wanna ask you a question.”

They both stopped and looked at me with a not exactly friendly look but not a mean one either. They had the Betty and Veronica look down pat. According to Beany who was a close follower of all the cheerleaders, they both had made the freshman squad. (Another reason why a guy like me had no reason dating Susanne.)

“Hi. Would you mind telling me why you two so pissed at me? To the best of my knowledge, I never did anything to either one of you. Susanne you are the one walked out on me on the only date I ever went on. I should be the one who should be mad.”

They gave a look that said I was an idiot—that I should know. And stood stone face not talking.

The new Steven Conner called bullshit on that. “Well, I tried. Girls see you around.” And then I walked away. I swear I’ll never understand girls. But I did try.

“Wait, Steven, darn it, will you wait up.” They both fast-walked to catch up with me.