Chapter 40

I got to the mall about quarter to eleven and parked my bike. Yeah, I know. Hey, you get around any way you can. Mom needed her car for work and, as she pointed out, there wasn't anything wrong with my legs and a bicycle had been just fine before I got my license so it should be fine now. I was glad she didn't bring up the "if other kids were jumping over the cliff would you follow" argument.

I was amazed to see Jill ride up on a bike a couple of minutes later.

"I figured you'd have your dad drive you."

"I took a chance you'd ride your bike. Wanda called this morning and told me that the movie's definitely a Blockbuster movie."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not worth spending $8.50 a ticket for. Wait and rent it for a buck."

"So, what should we watch?"

"Why don't we just go for a ride?"

"You sure?"

"What's the matter? Afraid you can't keep up with me?"

"Jill, I'm beginning to realize I'll never be able to keep up with you. In anything. About the best I can do is follow and hope I don't fall too far behind. I thought you wanted to go to the movies."

"Why don't we wait till there's something both of us really want to see. I can't see spending $25 to $30 to watch a movie we don't really like and eat overpriced popcorn and soda. If they bring out a new Spiderman or something like that, we'll go. We've got a huge plasma screen and a great sound system if we want to watch anything. And I make wicked microwave popcorn."

"OK. Let's go for a ride. Where do you want to go?"

"How about Lake Fremont? There are some bike trails out there."

"It's about fifteen miles. Are you going to be OK?"

"Yes, Jackie. I'm going to be OK. Come on."

She turned her bike around and was gone. I had to futz with the combination, take off the chain, put it around the seat and re lock it. By the time I was ready to go she was clear on the other side of the parking lot. She was stopped, her arms crossed under her chest, acting as if I was keeping her waiting. Which I guess I was.

We had to ride single file for most of the first five miles or so. There was just too much traffic and not enough road for us to ride side by side. I let her ride in front, making sure I kept my eyes on her ass cheeks moving up and down so I didn't get lost. Hey, we had no way to get in touch with each other if we separated.

We finally got out in the country far enough to have dedicated bike paths. The view had been nice but it was good to be able to ride next to Jill and talk with her.

"You seem to be pretty comfortable with this. Do you ride a lot?"

"I used to. Wanda and I were in a club that went out a few times a week before I started volleyball last year."

"What's up with Wanda?"

"What do you mean, what's up?"

"Well, she's... I don't know. She just comes to the games and the house and she's quiet like she doesn't want anyone to notice her. I thought maybe she was with Charlie the day he was over until Mary came in the room. Is she between boyfriends or something?"

"She's kind of on vacation from boyfriends right now."

"What do you mean, vacation?"

"Wanda's always been very popular. She found out that she had a reputation of being easy late last school year and that she was pretty much a laughingstock. She didn't realize how bad it had become until one of the girls at school called her a whore and told her how everyone talked about her behind her back. She had no idea. So she decided to give up on boys and try to figure out who she is and get some self-respect back."

"Jeez. It's a good thing I didn't tell what I was thinking when I saw her hair."

"What's that?"

"I got this picture of her with a rhinestone in her nose, snapping gum and leaning up against a lamppost."