Chapter 14

Mom, Dad and Jaz pulled in to the driveway a couple of hours later. I was down in the living room on the couch so I wouldn't miss them.

The first thing out of Dad's mouth was "Where's Les?"

"She and Sam were practicing their cheerleading routines for hours and she's really wiped out. She went to bed to take a nap a while ago and told me she didn't want anyone to come in. I guess she's been working real hard and..."

Mom interrupted my tirade. "Wesley, are you OK?"

"Yes, Mom."

"I want to speak to you in the kitchen, Wesley. Now."

Oh shit. I knew I'd had it. I never was able to lie to that woman, she saw right through me. Why couldn't I just say she wanted to sleep and shut up. I followed her into the kitchen. Dad, clueless as ever, said he was going to go next door and see what was happening with Joey's father.

My mother looked me in the eye as I walked through the door. "Wesley. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Mom, I... Les didn't want anyone but you to see her. She's kind of embarrassed."

"Is she OK?"

"I think so. Mom,..."

"You stick around. I'm sure I'll want to talk with you later." She took off up the stairs. I heard her knock on Les's door, say "It's me, Mom," then go in Les's room.

I stayed on the couch. It felt like hours, but it was only 15 minutes before I heard Mom open the door and call me.

"Wesley. Come up here."

I went upstairs and Mom wasn't in the hallway. I looked in her room and didn't see her. "Mom? Where are you?"

She came out of her bathroom, through her bedroom, into the hallway. She handed me a tube of antibiotic cream. "You are to apply this to the affected area every two hours until it's healed. That's every two hours, day and night. You are not to leave this house unless you are positive you can be back before the next application is due. If you miss an application you are going to have me to deal with. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Good. By the way, that contraption you made up to keep the blankets off her is ingenious. I'm very proud of you." She tousled my hair. "I swear to God, you're just like you were at five years old. You get a new toy and you have to be as rough as possible to see how much it will take before it breaks. You need to be a little more careful." She reached down, cupped my genitals through my shorts, smiled, shook her head, went into her room and closed the door. I swear her butt had a new sway to it as she walked down the hallway.