Chapter 57: Some Ugly Confrontations

Teddy picked up Stick on his third lap around the block; he tended not to park -- it was an invitation to get noticed. "Hey." Stick hopped in.

"Hi." They did nothing besides the greeting, which bothered Teddy a bit, but a lot of things weren't smart in THIS neighborhood. Besides, they really hadn't gotten to being demonstrative -- and maybe never would...

"What did your Mama say?"

"Well, it started out bad, but eventually it all shook out. She knows we're seeing each other, um, as a relationship..."

"Like, for sex?" Stick queried.

"Is that all there is to it?" Teddy shot back.

Stick slumped in the seat, puffing out a sigh. How far DID they go? There were things that he felt comfortable about, but mostly that was about stickin' his dick in poor Ted. Swapping spit and that kind of thing embarrassed him, when he thought about Ted as a guy -- but he was easy to think of as a bitch... That was something they really needed to work out -- should he be treating Ted as a bitch? Was that right? And could Ted handle it if he wanted to do things that way? Finally, he grunted, "I don' think so, but we gotta talk about it. I'm kinda fucked up over it."

Teddy shrugged. "Okay, that's fair..." Teddy was confused, too, actually. "Is today a good time?"

"Might be..." The pair shelved it, however, until after their arrival at the Frick home. Stick met Ma Frick ("Call me Frieda,") a thick- bodied woman no taller than Teddy with eyeglasses and graying hair tied up in a bun. After a few pleasantries, however, neither could think of anything to say, so Frieda left the boys (that's how Frieda thought of them, anyway) in the living room. Exhibition baseball was on; the pair flopped on the couch to watch -- or pretend to.

Stick had arrived in a sweatsuit -- well, sweatpants and a muscle shirt that exposed his narrow frame and bared his arms. Teddy was in jeans, and felt uncomfortable about it -- largely because he could see so much of Stick. "Hey, I'm gonna run upstairs and change -- these jeans are too tight."

"Cool." Stick nodded and went back to the TV. Ted's crib was a lot nicer to hang out in than his own, and he didn't have to fight with the twins to hear TV, so he was luxuriating a bit. Only when Teddy returned, similarly dressed, did Stick start putting two and two together. Maybe they oughta have that talk..."Hey, Ted, about earlier. Look, I'm new to this stuff, you know? Some things I'm just not up for, yet."

"Okay, like what?"

"Well, swappin' spit's a problem. I don't see me getting' there unless I think of ya as a girl. An' I'm not sure you're up with that..."

"You mean like act like a girl, dress like a girl..." Teddy frowned. "Scream and act silly and talk funny?"

"No, it's more of a head thing -- my head. I just think of you bein' a chick. You don't hafta pretend to be one."

"I dunno," Teddy replied. "I'm not sure kissing is important. I think I'd feel funny, too -- and I CAN'T think of YOU as a girl!"

Stick shrugged. "Okay. What CAN we do?"

Teddy squinted at the carpet. "Touch each other?"

"Like how?"

"Like at the movies the other night."

"Like hugging? An arm around the shoulder? Mebbe rub your back?"

"Yeah." Teddy's face said he wasn't sure, but it sounded good.

"Shit, that's cool..." Stick waved Teddy over. Teddy seated himself, and Stick wrapped an arm around him. "How's that?"

"It's... good..." Teddy nodded confirmation.

"Cool with me..." Stick nodded, too. The two settled back to watch baseball. Once they had gotten past the 'don't touch me' barrier imposed by cultural homophobia, Stick wasn't really satisfied to just wrap his arm around Teddy's shoulders. The primary issue seemed to be the contrasts between the two young men; color aside, they were still physically very different. Stick was taller, narrower, and harder, more firmly muscled. Teddy was shorter and, by comparison, more softly fleshed. This was the kind of contrast that made for manual voyages of discovery; Stick started rubbing, first Teddy's shoulders, then his back, feeling the texture of his flesh.

Teddy enjoyed the attention, and wanted to return it, but he wasn't in a position to rub Stick's back and shoulders. The only thing really in reach was Stick's leg...

... And that had an almost immediate effect. "Shit, Man, I'm getting' a boner! Sorry 'bout that..." Stick apologized.

"It's okay," Teddy replied. "Actually, it's kind of a compliment."

Stick thought about it. "Yeah, I guess. But it's kinda outside what we was tryin' to do..."

Teddy shrugged. "Yes and no."

"Okay." Stick dropped it. If Ted wasn't gonna get pissed, he might as well enjoy it. He put a bit more into the back rub, feeling around. Ted was just a little bit soft, just short of pudgy. Mary was softer, but she WAS pudgy -- and actually a ways beyond; it was something you dealt with, though, and Stick didn't really go there, mentally -- besides, it didn't change the fact that Ted was pleasant to rub on.

Stick was getting a serious tent in his sweats, though. He hadn't bothered with underwear, so his pecker was unrestricted under the sweatpants, which were the drawstring type without a fly. Now it was stiff, running at about forty-five degrees because the fabric wouldn't let it climb any more -- and it was bothering him. "Shit, Man, my shit's like..."

"Hurting? Looks uncomfortable."

"Yeah."

"I'll get it." Ted pulled the drawstring, which helped -- but he didn't stop there. Next, he lifted the waistband; Stick's cock rotated through the vertical and slapped his abs. "Better?" He lowered the waistband gently, since letting it snap would strike Stick's cock; when he was done, the tip stuck out.

"Yeah, thanks." Both of them went back to what they were doing. Stick's cock fought the loosened waistband of his sweats any time Teddy's hand approached it, bringing a smile to his face. Soon, baseball was forgotten -- he was busy trying to see how long at a time Stick's cock could hold his waistband in the air. Stick gave him a look. "You havin' fun, drivin' my ass nuts?"

"Yeah."

"You break the fuckin' thing, we ALL lose out! Mary'll kick your ass!"

Teddy giggled, reached in and grabbed a handful of cock. "How's that?"

Stick hissed a breath, throwing his head back. "That's what I'M talkin' about!"

"Raise up." Teddy was committed; he had a handful of warm meat, and he didn't want to let go.

"What about your Mama?" But Stick raised his hips, anyway.

Teddy pulled the sweatpants halfway down Stick's corded thighs. "She won't bother us, I don't think. Besides, you can always snatch them up..."

"Yeah..." Stick had no willpower while Teddy worked the fat plum of his cock head with his palm. How do you fight pleasure like that? Stick's nuts were begging for relief, anyway; since he got going with Teddy and Mary he'd basically stopped beating off... "Shit, that's good!" Teddy began steadily jacking his meat, long-stroking it with his hand. "Fuck!" He slumped back against the couch, spreading his legs and letting Teddy work. "What if I bust a nut?"

"I'll catch it," Teddy grinned. This was a lot of fun; the feel of Stick's cock in his hand was very satisfying, as was watching the look on Stick's face as he gloried in the attention, sucking up the sensations. "Like that?"

"Love it! Only one thing better -- well, maybe two or three..."

"... But I know what you're angling for," Teddy chuckled. He slid off the couch and went to his knees before it, not letting go of Stick's erection, glanced at the door -- and froze.

"Oh, go ahead," his mother said in a strangled voice. "My fault..." She'd been standing there with a couple of cold sodas in her hand since the waistband loosening, unwillingly mesmerized.

"Uh, Ma..." Teddy made to get up.

"Don't." Frieda crossed the room and put the sodas on the table behind him. "You two were doing fine. I'm sorry I intruded." She put her hand on Teddy's back. "Go ahead. Nobody's forcing you. I'm kind of pleased that I got to see that for myself -- I was worried about it. But I can see that it's all very natural..."

What she didn't mention was the fact that she was getting to see the object of Teddy's affection close up -- or the weird effect it was having on her. Teddy's penis had been an oddity -- besides, it was Teddy's. Stick's was, well, a good distance beyond her experience. It was twice as long as her husband's -- God rest his soul -- not to mention the pretty purple and black colors... And it brought feelings to her that she hadn't had in years! "I'll be running along," she choked out. "You boys have fun..."

"Ma..."

"Teddy, it's OKAY! Stick, don't let him get stupid, now! You two have fun!"

Stick reached out and cupped the back of Teddy's head -- not dragging him in, just keeping him from backing off and getting up. "Relax, Man! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! My Pop would shit a brick, and my Mama would probably throw a conniption! Everything's cool!"

"Maybe." Teddy was troubled. Why was Ma being so accommodating? He watched her move slowly out of sight, looked up at Stick, bit his lip, shrugged, and lowered his mouth to Stick's bursting cock.

Frieda stood just out of sight around the corner, getting her breath. Something about that whole scene had her totally caught up in it -- hot -- itchy about her womanhood in ways that hadn't surfaced in a long time! And Stick's reaction to her admonition not to let Teddy move had sent an unexpected flash through her -- something about the control... She knew better than to look right away; Teddy would be watching the door. But she could hear...

"Uh, Ted?"

"Mmmm?"

"Look, this is uncool, but I gotta ask. How long has it been since your momma's been with a man, do you figure?"

Teddy's eyes popped. Backing off, he asked, "Why on Earth... ?"

Stick held up his hands. "Easy! Look, Man, she was lookin', okay? Like she was seein' somethin' she ain't seen before!"

"Well, she wouldn't have seen a black one..." Teddy scratched his head. "And if she's seen ANYBODY, it's been a deep, dark secret. Since Dad died, she's been pretty much off the market. You don't think about that with your mother..."

"Hey, I, uh, hate to ask..." Stick blurted, eyeing his meat significantly.

"Oh! Sure..." Teddy started jacking him. "Gee, I guess that actually, you do... I mean, I don't think about her having sex with guys, but sometimes, when I jerk off..."

Around the corner, Frieda's eyes popped.

"Yeh," Stick agreed. "I think we all do that. After all, who is the chick we get closest to? My Mama is kinda chunky, like yours. Big, fat hooters. When you're lookin' at skin mags, well, they're nice, but they ain't real. Only ones I ever seen in action would be Mama's -- not that I ever seen 'em bare."

"Yeah," Teddy agreed. "Sometimes in the summer Ma goes without a bra in those thin housedresses. I mean, those things are ugly, but in the right light, they're see-through..."

"Yeah. Know what you mean. They wear them things and they don't even know."

Frieda stood rooted. Events in the next room brought surprise after surprise! Teddy had lusted after her? Omigawd!

"Ma just doesn't seem to have any interest in sex," Teddy related. "Not that I've seen. Stuff she sees on TV, she just shrugs and shakes her head." He paused, ruminating. "Come to think of it, something she said yesterday has me wondering. I guess Dad wasn't any too well hung -- like my size, without the head..."

Stick shrugged. "That might explain it. That'd be pretty puny. Maybe your Dad wasn't any too good at it, you know? Lotsa women never ever cum, I hear. Shit, if you never cum, sex ain't anything great. Mebbe the only thing your momma ever got outta sex was you!"

"That'd suck," Teddy replied, thinking about it.

"Yeh. Uh, speakin' of suckin'..."

"Greedy." Teddy grinned as he lowered his lips over Stick's length.

"Aaaahhhh! Damn, that's good!" Stick groaned. "Mebbe it wasn't so much it was black -- she probly don't have no thing for bruthahs -- but if it was the biggest one she's ever seen..."

Teddy popped up. "Maybe that's it. It's a nice enough one. If she'd only seen Dad's before..." He didn't mention his own.

"Yeh," Stick agreed. "That's probly it. Sex Ed -- at your momma's age!"

Teddy backed off with a pop. "And we're giving her the advanced course, when she hasn't had the basics! We need to be more careful..."

Stick shrugged. "Mebbe she'll wake up an' get a life! She dresses like somebody's grandmaw..."

"Hey!"

"Dude, if she was out chasin' dick, she'd be colorin' her hair, at least! She's, like, totally off the market!"

"What about YOUR ma!" Teddy pressed.

"Mama has Pop to take care of her shit -- an' he does, too! Walls are too thin at my house..." Stick replied.

Teddy giggled. "I bet THAT fueled some jerk-off sessions!"

"No shit!" Stick replied. "Now, will you PLEASE..."

"Whiner!"

"You don't want it?" Teddy started bobbing. "Thought so. Damn, you're good at that!"

"Mmmm mmm."

"Shit! Any time you wanna hum like that..."

Teddy started humming 'Home on the Range': "Mmmmmm mm mm mm mmmmmmmmmm..."

"Oh, Man! You're killin' me!"

Frieda's feet were moving; she couldn't seem to stop them. They were moving slowly, but that was to keep things quiet... 'I shouldn't be here -- this is some kind of perversion... ' Heck, it was SEVERAL kinds of perversion, but the past five minutes had been just amazing... She peeked around the doorjamb.

Teddy had a handful of that monster erection that the black boy sported, and was bobbing his head over several inches above that! Hubby -- she remembered holding his length in one hand and running her thumb over the tip -- something that drove him wild! It had been better than getting all worked up and having him go nuts between her legs for about thirty seconds... After she became pregnant with Teddy, she very seldom let things go that far -- it was too high a price to pay! But she'd never thought to suck on the thing -- what was Teddy going to do with the mess it made?

From ten or twelve feet, the whole thing was simply amazing -- God, she wished she could get closer! She actually stepped through the door -- and the black boy turned and looked right at her! She froze...

"Hey, Man, mebbe we shouldn'ta run your momma off!" Stick suggested, turning his attention back to Teddy so as not to telegraph her presence.

"What?" Teddy blurted. "You want to fuck Ma, or something?"

"You miss the point, Man! She needs to learn! She can get her own dick, once she realizes she wants some. I got you, an' I got Mary -- that's plenty!" Stick assured Teddy -- and Frieda, too, back-channel. "Hey, you think she plays with herself?"

Gurk! "What?"

"Well, she ain't getting' any dick..."

"I think she's shut down. You want me to finish this?"

"Yeah."

"Then stop driving me nuts with stupid questions about Ma's sex life!" Teddy nipped Stick.

"Ow! Hey!" Stick sat up.

"Remember where that thing is when you talk about my Ma!" Teddy warned.

"Okay, okay!" Stick settled back, looked. Teddy's Ma was still standing there with that dazed look on her face... Teddy started going to town on his hard-on, and his momma was burning holes in the air, trying to see; Stick started getting that feeling that said he was gonna hit his peak. "I'm close, Man! I'm gonna blow!"

Frieda watched intently. What was Teddy going to do with that white slop? Maybe she should go get him a towel... In her daze, she forgot that she wasn't supposed to be there...

Teddy just raised a hand in acknowledgement. Stick started getting really agitated, hunching forward, waving his arms; obviously, he wanted to grab Teddy's head and poke his penis down his throat, but was restraining himself. Frieda remembered Hubby getting this excited, and what it meant...

"Yeah! Yeah Oh, shit! I'm gonna juice, man! Take it! Take it all! YEAAAAHHHH!!!!" Stick virtually hunched himself into a ball while his nuts crawled up in their sack, then he let go the first gusher, "AWWWWW JEEEZUS!"

Frieda watched the black boy lurch, amazed. Even more amazing was watching Teddy -- he was SWALLOWING that stuff! Frieda was horrified! Wouldn't that hurt her boy?

Stick clutched and jerked a half-dozen times -- just like Hubby used to when he squirted -- or 'came', as he called it -- then settled back. "That was awesome, Dude! As usual. You gotta train Mary -- she just doesn't get it!"

Teddy swallowed, turned, and collected a soda -- fortunately away from the door! Sipping, he said, "Give her a break! She doesn't know what it feels like! And she hasn't caught on that you should fuck with your mouth..."

"Yeah," Stick agreed. He was afraid to look at the door, now. Teddy's Ma might STILL be standing there, looking stupid... "She don't have a guy's perspective, I guess."

"She does fine for me," Teddy argued, "but then, I'm not normal, being so short and fat..."

"Yeh..." Stick REALLY wanted to look; did Teddy's Ma know what his cock looked like? "Well, at least she knows about fuckin'."

"Yeah," Teddy agreed. "If I wasn't so thick, I wouldn't be much of a ride at all! You're probably right about Ma -- Dad probably couldn't please her. That's sad..." Teddy shook his head. "I mean, they had sex -- I'm here. But if he just climbed on and squirted..."

"Yeh. Like a rabbit, or sumpthin. No fun for the woman..."

Frieda got out of there. Initially, it was inch by inch, but the speed slowly ramped up to the point that when she hit the back door, she was almost running! She went to her 'quiet place', a bench under a tree in the back corner of her little garden, and sat down to try to absorb everything she'd seen and heard.

First, boys -- almost EVERY boy, apparently -- lusted after their mothers at one point or another. This was a powerful temptation, given the OTHER things she'd learned...

Second, Hubby had been embarrassingly poorly equipped for sex. From the way the boys were talking, she had missed out on something thereby. Apparently, young Stick approximated the average for penile growth. Both boys had sex with the girl Mary, and she apparently found some way to enjoy it. They apparently both felt sorry for her because she had not experienced whatever it was that Mary (and perhaps some other girls of their acquaintance) had.

Third, boys masturbated -- apparently as often as the infamous Dr. Ruth insisted -- and they believed that girls did, too -- and expected that, again, she was missing out on something.

As for the thing that Teddy did for Stick, apparently that was not unusual, either -- and not just a gay thing. Obviously, Mary did it, but she lacked some understanding of the nuances. When you thought about it, it made sense that a boy would know what felt good to a boy...

Frieda was embarrassed about it, but she really, REALLY wanted a good look at Stick's... member. For some reason, just looking at it produced an odd longing... Apparently her body knew something her head didn't.

Come to think of it, her behavior during the whole episode in the living room had been compulsive, obsessive, or both. If anyone had told her that she would act like that, she would have laughed in his or her face! As it was, she had no idea how she was going to face young Stick again...

"This would be my number one choice," Mark Hansen murmured as they drove past the meticulously painted little cookie-cutter white clapboard church. "Think they're out yet?"

"Pop, what are we doing?" Dwayne asked.

"We're looking for your girlfriend and her mother -- that's what we're doing!" Mark replied.

"Why?"

"I want to see 'em. God knows whether you'll get a break from your mother, but I think I can make up my own mind..."

"She's gonna look godawful," Dwayne warned. "If she's with her mother, she'll be in a sack dress, wearing a bra that's two sizes too small and is squashing her..."

"And how do you know that?" his father asked archly.

"I've seen her in different clothes," Dwayne answered lamely.

"Son, have you seen her without clothes?"

"Pop!"

"Why won't you just tell me?"

"Because it isn't right! And YOU taught me that!"

Mark nodded. THAT was a good answer. "Hey, somebody's comin' out the side door."

Dwayne took a look; two women, one older, one younger, dressed nearly identically in shapeless dresses that extended from their necks to their ankles. Dwayne squinted. "Yeah. That's Louise. I don't know for sure about the other one..."

"Okay, pull over there."

"Why?" Dwayne did as he was asked, anyway, but couldn't see where any good was going to come of it.

"Some things you go straight at, Son."

"What is up with you today?" Helene Bryant bitched. "Why are you so slow? And I swear you're waddling or something..."

"It's nothing," Louise lied. The reality had everything to being stiff and sore as a result of her little sexual escapade -- something Mother could NOT be allowed to guess... "My pad is slipping, and it's binding me a bit..." 'THAT will kill any curiosity Mother has... '

"That's disgusting!" her mother replied, totally predictably. "Can't you do anything right?"

"Excuse me." Two men had crossed the street and now approached the women. Helene Bryant didn't know either of them from Adam, but Louise experienced shock! "Miz Bryant?"

"Yes?" Helene's voice was frigid. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Mark Hansen," the older of the pair announced, "and this is my son Dwayne."

"And?" Helene found herself wondering if she looked like a sucker. Christian charity was one thing, but... On the other hand, they didn't LOOK like panhandlers...

'Tough bitch. Bitter, ' Mark assessed his opponent. The hair she had pulled back in a bun was graying and had obviously never seen dye. Frown lines were deeply etched in the face, whose natural expression appeared to be righteous anger. Apparently Dwayne was right... He flicked a glance at the younger of the pair, discovering her to be much more sweet- faced, her complexion a soft brown. She looked scared to death, but there was hope there... "I thought that we should discuss parental concerns," Mark said carefully. "You see, my son is looking for permission to date your daughter."

"What?!" Helene was rocked. "Well, he can get in line with all of the other horny little scumbags!" she snarled, recovering.

"There is no line, Mother," Louise declared, "but if there was, Dwayne would be at the front!"

Attacked from the rear, Helene spun on her daughter, examining her as if she'd suddenly sprouted two heads. Then anger surfaced, and she aimed a roundhouse slap at Louise. "How DARE you speak like that to me!"

Louise ducked -- and Mark deflected the sweeping arm. "What's this?"

"I am disciplining my daughter -- something I'll thank you not to interfere with!" Helene announced haughtily.

"It looked like an assault to me," Mark observed.

"Spare the rod, and spoil the child!" Helene quoted -- or maybe misquoted. She turned her glare on her daughter. "I suppose that you know this... person..."

"Yes, Ma'am," Louise replied carefully, "We know each other."

"And were you aware of this?"

"Well," Louise temporized, "I didn't expect his parents to make a formal request. That's nice, don't you think? Isn't that an indication that Dwayne is a nice boy?" Louise gambled shamelessly that if she could get her mother to think about it, this incident would be a positive thing...

Her mother turned her glare on Dwayne, measuring him -- and, predictably, finding him wanting. "Not necessarily. It merely proves that he possesses a certain amount of audacity." A new thought occurred. "These things don't happen without a build up -- are we closing the barn door after the horse has escaped? Were you with HIM last night instead of being with your suddenly new girlfriend? You SLUT! Have you spread your legs for him already?"

Louise hesitated -- and was lost. To be fair, the thought that flickered through her mind was that her mother would conduct a gynecological exam on her as soon as they got home, in any case -- and the evidence would be clear. But the hesitation was damning...

"You DID!" Helene screeched. "You little bitch! After all I've done for you! You disgusting little SLUT!" Helene grabbed Louise and shook her so hard her teeth rattled. Whirling, she pushed Louise into Dwayne, causing both to collapse to the sidewalk. "Take her! You've despoiled the little slut -- you can take responsibility for her! You'll find her things on the step in a cardboard box later today! I don't ever want to see the little bitch again!" With that, Helene stomped off.

Louise collapsed against Dwayne and began to cry; Dwayne immediately took up the gauntlet, comforting her, hugging her. "There, there, Honey. She'll cool down and this will blow over. It'll be all right..."

Mark stood there, watching the whole mess, amazed. Helene Bryant stomped around the corner, never looking back, while Dwayne cuddled her daughter and absorbed her tears. "If this isn't the damnedest thing..."

"I knew that this was going to happen," Louise sniffled. "There really wasn't ever any other ending; Mother was never going to let me see a boy. But I'd hoped that we would get farther, first..."

"Do people in your religion HAVE children?" Mark asked Louise.

"Only hypocrites, in Mother's opinion," Louise replied. "And HER religion isn't necessarily what comes from the pulpit -- although I could stand to do without THAT, too!" She sniffled a bit. "I'm really sorry about this -- I'll run along, now." She made to get up.

"And go where?" Dwayne asked, clutching her to him, refusing to allow her to stand. "She's serious, isn't she?"

"Well, yeah," Louise agreed. "I'm probably out of the house for a couple of days, at least. And she'll probably break half of my stuff while she packs it..." She pushed her bangs back. "I'll go to church, and they'll put me up for a while..."

"No, you won't, either!" Dwayne declared. "Your mother passed responsibility for you to me -- and I'm good with that!" He swung eyes like shotgun barrels on his father. "Pop?"

Mark was between a rock and a hard place -- he'd triggered the confrontation. Still, there was an item to be clarified... "You two have had sex?"

"Yes." The answer was unanimous, but Louise carried it forward, "It was my fault, really -- I made it very clear this morning that I wanted it. It was my first time -- Mother is probably going to hit the roof again when she finds my bedclothes in the washer. But if I'd lied, it wouldn't have lasted any longer than it took to get home, because Mother would have insisted on checking me..."

Mark shook his head. "That's a crock... She'd have really checked to see if you were still, ummm... ?"

"Yessir. I probably wouldn't have made it that far, come to think of it. She was already ragging on me for waddling, and she's not stupid." Louise flashed a glance at Dwayne. "I'm a little sore..."

Dwayne blushed. Mark rubbed his forehead. "Get in the truck."

"Yessir." Dwayne released Louise and she was up like a shot, lifting her skirts clear of a pair of athletic calves so she could run to the pickup.

Mark watched her. "Your mother is gonna kill us both..." He shook his head. "You'll be DAMN sure responsible for her as far as SHE's concerned!"

Dwayne smiled crookedly. "Yeah."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Go get in the damned truck!" Dwayne walked to the truck and got in the driver's side; Mark eyed the pair as he circled around front. As soon as Dwayne was settled, Louise plastered herself to him and started glowing. "Jeezus." This could get complicated. What if they turned out to not be a couple? Well, it didn't seem likely at the moment... He got in. "Let's go. Better swing by her house." Louise's smile dimmed quite a bit at that...

Dwayne did as he was told, but it was obviously a wasted effort. They parked down the block and watched Helene arrive -- and things started flying out the front door onto the porch almost immediately. Mark just could not believe that anyone could be so vicious! "Is she like this all the time?"

"Well..." Louise hedged. "Not ALL the time... I've slept in the cellar a few times, though..."

Mark eyed her. "Locked in?" Louise wouldn't respond -- and wouldn't meet his eyes. "Still, I figure we must've hit a hot button..."

"She's never done THIS before," Louise admitted. "But she's been getting worse and worse. Things used to be a lot better, but lately, well, it's like she's been waiting for this..."

"Self-fulfilling prophecy kind of thing?" Mark guessed.

"Yessir. Other girls in church..." Louise trailed off.

"Reading the writing on the wall, was she?"

Louise nodded. "They'd get married, or Mother would come home cackling about some scandal -- and then yell at me for a while, making threats. I've ruined her at church, when it gets out -- at least, that's how she'll feel about it..." She nerved herself, "I'll go talk to her -- maybe she'll settle down..."