Chapter 14

Michael wiped his eyes as they adjusted to the morning sun. As the car went over a small hill, he pointed to the left. “618. I think that’s it.”

Lisa nodded before slowing the car and pulling into an open space. After putting the car into park, she turned the ignition off and took a deep breath. The clicking of the parking brake caused Naomi to wake up from the back seat, letting out a soft yawn before she looked through the front windshield.

“Are we here?”

The building was wider than it was tall, with several balconies facing the parking lot. As the three exited the car, Michael took the lead and walked toward the stairs, with his sisters shortly behind him. He looked at the door and saw 201 to his left and 202 on his right. He walked the short hallway and stood in front of 204. He knocked on the door as his sister’s took place behind him.

With a soft rustling from behind the door, the two sisters exchanged looks, unsure of what to expect. With the click of the lock, the door opened. A younger woman than the three expected greeted them with a warm smile. “Hi! Please, come in!”

Michael crossed the threshold first and looked around the apartment. It was larger than it looked but cramped. It seemed like every inch of the space was taken up by something, whether it was the dining room table, the couch, bookcases. As the three of them entered, the door closed behind them.

“My mom is at the leasing office. She should be back shortly. Can I get you anything to drink? I don’t know if you drink coffee, but I made some.”

Of the three, Lisa was the only one to have ever tasted coffee. She didn’t particularly care for it and smiled while she shook her head. “Maybe a glass of juice?” Michael and Lisa both perked up at the idea.

The young woman turned toward the kitchen that shared the space with the dining room and living room and opened the fridge. It was then that Lisa realized that the woman was wearing pants. Tight pants, at that.

“I’m Tracy. The guy who’s just coming out of the bedroom is my brother James.” She paused pouring the drinks as she called out to him. “These are the Chelders, right?”

They were obviously related. They both had red hair, though James had more brown mixed in with his, making it look sun burnt. Tracy, on the other hand, had brighter hair, tied up into a bun, exposing her neck and ears. It wasn’t a sight that the three were used to and it was clear to them that they didn’t go to church, or at least their church.

James crossed the floor and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek before making his way to the coffee pot. “Ah, the home-school kids? Right? Learning sex ed?”

Tracy blushed slightly, almost matching her hair before she bumped her hip against her brother as he was pouring his coffee. The two shared a giggle before she replied. “Yes. Mom has the DVD all ready to go.” She returned her attention to their guests and handed them each a glass. “I won’t lie: it’s boring.”

“Oh, you learned it this way too?,” Lisa chimed in as she took a sip of the light orange drink in her cup.

“You could say that,” James replied as he tapped a spoon against his mug. Tracy shot her brother a look, causing him to grin at her wildly.

Lisa looked at Michael, almost as if she was afraid she had made a terrible mistake. The front door quickly re-opened and an older woman walked through. With matching red hair to show she was their mother, she caught her breath before walking into the living room. “I’m so sorry for being late. It’s the fourth time in a row that they aren’t calculating our water bill right.” She turned her attention to the three new faces that were sitting on the couch. “Hi, I’m Heather Spencer. Now, which one of you is Lisa?”

Lisa raised her hand as she finished her drink, before setting it aside on the glass coffee table in front of her. “I’m Lisa. I’m the one you spoke with on the phone.”

Heather nodded as she rounded the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, giving her children a quick kiss on the cheek. “Good! I’m glad the three of you came. We can knock it out for all three of you and you can go on your way.”

With her drink assembled, she grabbed a chair from the kitchen and sat it in the living room with the three children. Tracy and James were packing to leave for the day. “Don’t forget tonight!” Tracy announced as she turned toward the front door. Heather waved at her two kids leaving, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Love you both!”

With the closing of the door, Heather took a deep sigh and smiled at the three children. “You look uncomfortable squished together. Do any of you want to sit on a kitchen chair? Or I have some folding chairs with cushions.”

Michael looked toward his sisters who were sitting on the couch with him. “I think we’re okay.” Heather shrugged before turning on the television.

The three had seen a television before, of course, but their parents hadn’t owned one since coming to Pastor Rivers’ church. His sermons around “mainstream media” were powerful enough that television watching was forbidden by the three children’s parents. As the television came to life, “Sexual Biology” title took center focus. On the bottom right of the screen were the words “Certified for Reproductive Health and Sexual Education”

“Before we start, I wanted to let you know something. Your attorney gave me an understanding of what your parents wanted for you. But you have to know that the state requires you to have certain things that must be taught. And it’s okay to be shy or nervous. This is something that everyone learns. Sometimes the wrong way, which can lead to life-altering consequences.”

Heather spoke in a gentle voice, her words carrying great way but being delivered like smooth chocolate.

“So, the idea is that you’ll come here twice a week for four weeks. Homework is assigned with you three doing a presentation of what you learned at the end. If you do all of that well, I’ll tell the board of education you passed! Simple as that.”

The three were used to being home schooled so this wasn’t too different, only that this was a four week class which was shorter than any of the classes they had done with their mother.