Chapter 6

The next day I was sitting in front of the computer and called up Lucy’s email. I was almost in tears before I was done reading it. It was eight pages long and described how she had been wrong about me all these years. And yes, she was the reason that Renée treated me so badly. She was the one that had encouraged Renée to do that to me. And yes, she agreed Renée did look like a mouse. Somehow, I thought that the email did a much better job of explaining things than Lucy had done upstairs yesterday evening.

I was going to look at Renée’s emails next when I heard the doorbell ring. Shortly after that Renée came down the steps and walked into my room.

I looked at her and she looked at me.

“I am sorry about all this,” she started. But I put my finger to my lips and hushed her. I stood up from the computer and stepped over to her. I didn’t even stop to think about what I did next. I put my hand to her cheek and lowered my head to kiss her. Oh, sweet Jesus, what a kiss it was. She melted away to nothing in my arms as the fireworks exploded all around the two of us. I just held her a bit, enjoying the moment before I spoke. “I still have a pet mouse as cute as you are,” I said. She started to bawl and bawl in my arms. My shirt was getting quite soaked. Finally, I was so tired I couldn’t stand any more.

“I need to sit down; I am getting tired.”

She nodded, and then helped me over to my bed. I sat down and she sat next to me.

“Tim, did you really mean it when you said I was cute as a mouse?”

“Yes, but you grew up on me.”

“And what am I now?”

“Gorgeous, my dear little mouse, just gorgeous.”

“Ah.”

She kissed me again. Long and wet, her tongue slipping in to duel with mine. My mind was definitely in sync with my little head; at least both of my heads had the same idea. Too bad the rest of my body wasn’t up to the task. Of course, there was no way she could miss my hard-on if she looked down. It was tenting my sweatpants rather obscenely at the moment.

“Tim, is all that stuff you told my mom true?”

“Yes, every word of it. But I didn’t even know she was your mother until later.”

“So, you have been in love with me since we were five?”

“Yes, I have.”

“You can call me ‘Mouse’ anytime you want to.”

She pushed me back into the bed and started to kiss me again.

We heard an “Ah humph” from the door. My dad was standing there.

I looked at him and he spoke.

“I just thought you would like to know you are un-expelled from school. I just got off the phone with the lawyer and the school board has settled out of court. Mr. Handily and Dr. Thomson are being terminated as part of the deal. Also, the school system is paying you $100,000 towards your college tuition. It seems that a girl named Lucy was suspended for slapping you the day you went to the hospital. Her affidavit proved that there was a cover-up. The school board just wanted to settle it quietly after that came out.”

“Wow.”

Renée asked, “What about the police?”

My dad said, “That is a different suit altogether, it is going to take some time I am afraid. The good news is we did settle for $100,000 for your mother’s false arrest and injuries. I think they were afraid that your testimony on the stand would end up costing them a lot more.”

Renée, “And Tim’s?”

“Well, the city has offered $1,000,000 as of yesterday. I haven’t had time to ask you if that’s enough Tim. I mean it’s going to be your call after tomorrow when you turn 18 anyways.”

I shook my head, “It’s not about the money. Let me think about it. Maybe I need to talk to that lawyer again and see what he suggests. What about the hospital?”

“That’s a long one. Looks like we will have to take the doctor and them to court.”

Renée, “That’s too bad.”

“You’re right, we would have settled for the $250,000 offered by the hospital but the good doctor will not go for it.”

“Doctor Williams wants to go to court?” Renée wanted to know.

“Yes, he does. He doesn’t feel he is at all to blame for the police’s mistake. He said and I quote him, “young punks have to learn not to drive motorcycles in their schools.”

I said, “Is he for real?”

“Personally, I think he is off his rocker.”

Renée, “I better tell dad about it.”

My dad said, “and thank him for the attorney he got to help with the school system.”

Renée, “I will.”

And then, to my utter surprise, dad left. I mean just like that he left. I looked at Renée and she looked at me. I then noticed that she wasn’t wearing her glasses.

“So where are your glasses?”

“Well, ah, well, I don’t wear them when I am not at school. You see, I don’t really need them.”

“That’s what your mom said.”

“She did?”

“Yes, she did.”

Renée looked around like she wanted to change the subject quickly.

“She also told me about a little girl that was madly in love with a big mean ogre.”

“Oh.” Then her eyes fixed on the photos on my wall.

“Where did those photos come from?”

“I took them.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were so, ah, artistic.”

“We have never had an art class together.”

“Right, I am not any good with art. Well, not painting or drawing anyway. I never have tried taking pictures.”

“Don’t worry about it, you belong in front of the camera not behind it.”

She blushed. “So, you want to take my picture, do you?” It was said in a tone that left no doubt she was asking me.

“Nope?”

She pouted, “You don’t?”

“No, I want to sculpt you?”

She gulped “You sculpt as well?”

I smiled, “Out in the rec room, on the far wall. Come I will show you.” I was still sore, but I managed to get up. And took her out to the rec room and her mouth dropped open. There were busts of my parents, my three sisters, two brothers, and even one of me.

“You did all of those?”

“Yes, but dad says I need to get him a toupee.”

She got on her tiptoes to see the top of his bust. Then she started to giggle. Did I tell you she was only about 5’4”? Probably not but compared to my six feet she did look small like a mouse.

“And the paintings?”

“Guilty as charged, but I like sculpting the best.”

She looked at the six portraits hanging on the wall. And then she saw the easel with the drape over it.

“What is this one of?” She asked.

Ok, do I make something up here or should I let her look at it?

“You promise not to get mad if I let you look? I mean it’s not quite done. I have only worked on it a little since I got out of the hospital.”

“So, why is it covered?”

“Well, your mom gave me a picture of you from summer vacation and I didn’t want my brothers to see it.”

“Is it me?”

Then her eyes went wide. “Did you say summer vacation?”

I nodded yes.

She went over to the easel and slowly lifted the canvas tarp. Then she stared at it for a long time. I was getting really worried about what she would say or do next.

“Are my breasts really that big?” she asked.

Maybe the question put me in a better mood. I mean I was getting worried because the picture was of her on the beach at the Sunny Side Naturalist resort. But I said, “Well they look that big in the photo, but now that you’re here we could have you pose and make a comparison.”

She looked at me and smiled. Then she lifted her sweatshirt up over her head. I stared at the lovely sight before me. “Yep, they are really that big. Let’s see, B-cup, I think. But to be sure I would have to go into sculptor mode and get a hands-on feel for things.”