Chapter 4

I drove home from Brenda's house in a state that I'd never found myself in before. Sated and satisfied. It seemed like my life had taken a giant leap forward, between my new truck, Audrey and Brenda.

On the down side, I was feeling a little bad about Jimmy. Now that I had my own set of wheels, he was back to doing all of his own house chores again. That, and the fact that I was scoring better than he was, with his own girlfriend, it didn't look like Jimmy was doing very well.

There wasn't any way that I could tell him about Brenda, and all those other guys, not after I had become one of those other guys myself. While I was driving home, I racked my brain to see if I might be able to find a way to make it up to him.

Since I already had sex on my mind, it wasn't too surprising that I came up with the idea of helping Jimmy get laid. I figured that since Brenda was getting hers from me, why couldn't Jimmy get himself a little from Audrey.

It wasn't as if I had any strong bonds with her anyway. It would be fun to talk her into going along with it. She seemed to enjoy jumping through my hoops anyway.

The next morning I woke up in a happy frame of mind. I felt less guilty about Jimmy, and I had a lot to look forward to. When I got to school that morning, I saw Jimmy walking Brenda to class.

They really did make a cute couple. I stayed well back to allow the two lovebirds their limited privacy, and to let them enjoy their time together. I was just about to enter my own classroom when I saw Audrey hurrying towards her locker with a big load of books and binders.

I felt bad that she'd had so much stuff to carry on her long walk to school. Because I still had another five minutes before final bell, I walked over to say hello to her.

"Hi Audrey. Aren't you cutting it a little close today? First bell has already rung you know?"

"Leave me alone Barry. Brenda told me what you did last night. I don't like you anymore, so just leave me alone." She said the words, but they seemed to lack any true conviction.

"So that's the thanks I get for taking the time to fix up one of your messes? I should have known that you'd be an ungrateful, snaggle toothed Sasquatch. I was ready to forgive you too, now that I went and repaired the damage that you caused. That's what I deserve, I suppose, for trying to help you to improve yourself. I shouldn't have bothered getting Brenda to forgive you and stay friends with you."

"How does screwing Brenda help me Barry? It doesn't, that's how. You're trying to twist things so that you don't look bad, but it won't work."

"When I dropped you off yesterday you were all upset and crying because you thought you'd lost your best friend. I went over there and did everything possible to make Brenda see that it hadn't been your fault that things had come out that put her future with Jimmy in jeopardy.

When she told me she wouldn't trust me not to tell Jimmy unless she had something just as bad on me, I agreed to do what she wanted. I only went along with it so that she'd forgive you. Do you think that I wanted to have sex with her when I could be with you? Use you damn brain for once Audrey.

It's just like you to try to blame the one person who cares about you, who wants what's best for you. I'm going to class now. Don't come asking me for a ride home today, unless you're genuinely sorry for accusing me when I was only trying to help you."

I turned and walked away from her. If Brenda had called her, that meant that she was probably planning to double cross me too. I'd had far too much experience coping with Walter for all these years to allow a little setback like this to trouble me for long.

After school was out I walked rather casually out to the student parking lot. I wanted to be sure to give Audrey as much time as possible to decide that she wanted me to give her a ride home.

It didn't seem to make much difference though, since there was no one waiting by my truck for a ride when I finally made my way out there. I unlocked my door and got in. I waited another five minutes, pretending to be adjusting my seat and all of my mirrors, and then I drove off and headed home.

I got a call from Jimmy later that afternoon. He was bitching about never having any time for himself anymore. He worked over at Mickey D's three afternoons a week to help pay for his car expenses. The manager there didn't let employees spend any time with their friends who came in to eat or hang out there. Between the part time job and his chores at home, he claimed he didn't get many chances to make progress with Brenda. Just as a joke, I offered to help him out.

"With my chores?"

"No, dude, with Brenda."

"As if. Man that chick is so hung up on me, it's like she doesn't want to do anything if I'm not right there along side her and doing it with her. After school she wanted to go to the mall, but I told her that I had to work for three hours today. I told her that I'd take her to the mall and drop her off, but she said to just forget it, because she didn't want to go shopping alone."

"Yeah, I know that you're right about that. I was hoping that Audrey would come out to the truck after school and ask for another ride home, but she didn't show up."

"I'm not supposed to say anything about it Barry, but Brenda told me that Audrey said that she didn't want to go out with you. She said that Audrey told her that you were too crude. What's that all about, man, did you cut one or something when you drove her home yesterday?"

"Something like that. Oh well, there's plenty more where she came from. Now that I've got wheels, I'll be able to get out more. I just need to get into the game man."

"The next time you have a chick in the truck man, take some of that Beano. That shit really works."

After I got off of the phone with Jimmy, I was a little bit down. It seemed like I had the world by the ass for one day and then everything shifted back to normal again. I was feeling sorry for myself, listening to the country station on the radio, while I did my homework, when my dad yelled up that I had a phone call. I picked up the phone expecting to hear Jimmy's voice on the line.

"Barry? This is Brenda, what's up?"

"Hi Brenda. I'm just studying up in my room trying to get my schoolwork ready for tomorrow. What are you doing?"

"I'm on the telephone talking to you. Did you talk to Jimmy after he got off work today?"

"Yeah, he was missing you. Said that with his work and the house chores, he just doesn't have nearly enough time to spend with you."

"Did he tell you about Audrey?"

"You mean that she decided that she doesn't want to go out with me because I'm too crude?"

"Well that's part of it too, but she's pissed about what else happened. After you dropped her at home and came over here."

"She said something about that this morning too. I just don't understand that girl. If I hadn't gone over to straighten things out about Jimmy, you and she would still be fighting. Instead of thanking me for helping her get things patched up with you, she gets mad because she thinks I cheated on her or something."

"Well, what else would you call it?"

"You mean that thing we did so that you wouldn't have to worry about me saying anything to Jimmy? That's just one friend looking out for another. I told you that Jimmy really loves you. I couldn't stand by and do nothing and watch you two break up. I'm not that kind of a friend."

"So, what you're saying is that you did it with me as a favor to Jimmy?"

"In a manner of speaking. I did what you said it would take for you not to have to worry about me talking about Richie and you with Jimmy."

"That's it, you never enjoyed it?"

"Brenda, what difference does that make? I'd have done it if I'd hated it too. That's what being a friend is all about. The same with Audrey. I like her, even if she's a little bit screwed up in her head. I figured that she needed your friendship more than she needed me in her life right now. The funny thing is, now you, Jimmy and Audrey all have what you want, and I'm left out in the cold, with nothing and no one. That sucks!"

"You are different Barry. If I were to let you come over tonight, and Audrey and I practiced giving you blow jobs, you'd just say that you were helping us to cement our friendship."

"No, that's not what I'd say. I'd say that I feel good about the fact that I helped the two of you settle your differences. It wouldn't matter whose dick you used to practice on. So, is Audrey there with you right now?"

"Maybe yes, and maybe no."

"If she is there, tell her I really missed her this afternoon, and that I've been thinking about her a lot." There was noise in the background, I couldn't understand what was being said, probably because Brenda had her hand covering the mouthpiece on the phone. It went on for a minute at least before Brenda came back on the phone again.

"Audrey wants to know if you'll come over here, to maybe give her a ride home at eight?"