Chapter 72

Jill squeezed my hand and pulled me back down the hall.

"Take me home, Jack."

It took a good two seconds for me to realize she was talking about my home.

She pulled me into her room and she got a couple of things for school. Not much. She was pretty well set up at my house.

I grabbed my shaving kit from "my" room and we started toward the stairs. Jill hadn't let go of my hand once.

John came stumbling out of his room, trying not to trip on the blanket he had wrapped around his waist. I guess there's no way to look dignified after being caught screwing your daughter's best friend.

"Jill. You've got to let me explain."

"No, Daddy. Not now. Leave me alone."

Wanda came out into the hallway. She hadn't made an effort to cover herself. She stood there defiantly in all her naked glory.

"Jill."

"Not now, Wanda."

She tugged on my hand and we went down the stairs. She pulled me around to the drivers side and slid in the car when I opened the door. As soon as I sat down, she held on to me and buried her face in my chest. I turned as best I could and held on.

This wasn't her normal hands around my arm and pull into me hug. She had her arms wrapped around my body, under my arms. A boa constrictor couldn't have pulled any tighter. I could feel the desperation, the need to be close, to be comforted. The floodgates opened. She shook as the tears came out, accompanied by sobs. The kind that are so desperate that they don't come out as one sound but are broken up as if the person is trying to hyperventilate at the same time. I sat there holding her, cradling her head, letting her get it out.

I saw the front door open and John step out. There's a streetlight across the street from where we were parked so I'm sure John could see the glare I gave him. He backed inside the house, his head hanging, and closed the door.

A few minutes later I saw Wanda come out of the house, look over at us, get in her car and drive off. Jill was still sobbing, not seeing anything but my shirt up against her face.

She finally slowed down enough to say, "Please, Jack. Take me home."

I started up the car and drove the best I could with her still wrapped around me. I didn't even consider asking her to move.

We got home and I was able to get her out of the car. She was sniffling a bit but seemed to be cried out for now. She held on to my hand as if she was afraid of losing me.

It was dark at the front door. The porch light was usually on when I got home and was turned off when the last person arrived. I wasn't expected so it was off. I held my keyring up, using what light there was from the streetlight down the block to find the house key. I fumbled with it and finally sunk it into the doorknob. Once in, it was a cinch to open the door.

Mary was standing inside, holding a broom, ready to defend the household against whoever was trying to break in. Jill looked at her and put her hand up to her face. She laughed, kind of a snort. She went "Eewwe," and pulled her hand away from her nose. A trail of snot was hanging from her nose and she had a puddle in the palm of the hand she was staring at.

Mary duplicated the "Eewwe" and then the two of them started laughing hysterically. That meant that more of the junk in Jill's nose came out in her hand. Mary ran into the kitchen and came back with a handful of napkins, still laughing. She thrust the napkins at Jill, who took one and attempted to blow her nose while laughing at the same time.

Of course, this alerted the rest of the household and the next thing I knew, Mom and Sara were looking at the two of them as if they were crazy. Then the infectious laughter caught up to Sara and set her off. I know she had no idea what she was laughing at but it didn't stop her a bit.

I guided Jill over to the couch and sat her down. Mom went over to the broom and picked it up. "What's this doing here?"

Mary and Jill looked at each other, snorted again and started laughing even harder. Sara looked at both of them and then she was off again.

Mom took the broom back into the kitchen, came out and sat down in her rocking chair. Jill, Mary and Sara and I were all on the couch.

The laughter finally subsided, a little explosion coming from my sister or my girlfriend every five seconds or so. After another couple of minutes, even that died off.

Mom had been quiet since she asked about the broom.

"Jackie, what's going on?"

"We got home and had trouble with the lock because it was dark. Mary was waiting with the broom when I opened the door."

"I figured it was something like that. Why are you two here? You were supposed to sleep over at Jill's house."

"There was something going on at Jill's that, uh... uhm, it made it uncomfortable for us to be there."

"Jackie, you aren't making any sense. Why did you leave Jill's house?"

"We saw Wanda and Daddy in bed when we got home, Mrs. Hill."

My mother looked as if she'd been slapped in the face.

"Are you sure?"

"Mom, believe me, we're sure."

"Maybe they were..."

"Mom, we saw them. No doubt, no mistake."

"Oh."

Everyone had sobered up. Mom was looking at Jill and I but I noticed Mary and Sara were staring at the floor. Anything to keep from looking at either of the three of us.