Chapter 16

How can my heart sink through the floor while my body stays here?

"What did you say?"

Jerry looked uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. "I just figured you two were over, what with... everything."

"I asked what you said?"

My fists clenched unconsciously, though I'd never hit Jerry.

"I said the word all over school is that Tami's been fucking and sucking with some high school guy." Jerry looked like his fight or flight response was ready to kick into overdrive.

I forced my hands to flatten and slowly lifted one and clapped Jerry on the back. "No way. It's just talk."

Jerry grinned. "I heard it was a senior."

I guessed the grapevine was working in full force.

"Nah."

"Do you suppose, now that you and she are history, she'd go out with me?"

Jerry really shouldn't say things like that when my hand is that close to his neck. Before I could crush his Adam's apple, Robbie walked up. I think she saw the tension in my face because she removed my hand from Jerry's back and wrapped my arm around her waist.

"I take it you've heard."

"That Tami's been making the beast with two backs with an unknown senior."

My hand was on her waist and she put her hand on top of mine. "I've heard several names mentioned, but Peter King's several times. Chrissy Farmer says that she heard King telling her brother all about it. They're in the same class you know."

I felt my fingers digging into her side and forced them to relax.

The bell for first period rang. This was going to be a hell of a first day back.

"If it's any consolation. He says she was fantastic."

"No, that's not a consolation."

Robbie caught up to me before third period.

"Don't make any plans for after school. You've got an appointment."

"You know, I'm a big boy now. I can schedule my own life."

"Are you male?"

I nodded.

"You need help." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and was gone.

Robbie was standing in line at the cafeteria when I saw her again. I walked up behind her, wrapped my forearm around her neck, and pulled her out of line. Not an easy task; she was almost as strong as me.

"Do I, by any chance, get to know what my appointment is?"

"No. And by the way, sarcasm doesn't work for you. You're not the type."

"And you are?" Robbie gave me the kind of look usually reserved for the feeble-minded or particularly slow children.

"Did you hear about Tami?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"She went home after second period. Said she was sick."

"Fuck!" I said softly.

I was waiting outside the gym when the bell rang at the end of sixth period and managed to cut Robbie out of the herd of eighth grade girls. "Come on, we have to catch Kelly," I said as I directed her down the hall toward the front doors.

"Who's Kelly? Why do we have to catch him or her? And how the hell did you get from math to the gym before the bell rang?"

"Kelly is Kelly Dubrey, and she's an eighth grader and probably the smartest girl in the county."

"I thought I was."

"Smart in different ways. Kelly's a genius in math. And Mrs. Walters likes me."

"What's that got to do with Kelly?"

"Nothing, but that's how I got to the gym before the bell rang. She let me go a couple of minutes early."

"And why do I want to see Kelly?"

I shook my head. "Short term memory loss. Effects a lot of geniuses. I just told you."

Robbie glared at me.

I ignored the glare. "By the way, how did you like spending the night at my house with Tami and me? You know, the night of the dance?"

"I didn't..."

"There's that short term memory loss again. I guess you can be too smart for your own good."

Another glare, this one verging on a laser beam.

"Hi, Kelly," I said, in the hope of escaping with my life.

"Hi, Tony." Kelly Dubrey was very short, not surprising when you consider she was eleven. She had mousy brown hair that never behaved. Kind of cute though. I made a note to see if Robbie or Tami might give her a few pointers.

"You still got a couple of classes at the high school?"

Kelly giggled. "You know I do. Analytical geometry and physics. I'm waiting for my ride now."

"Want to do me a big favor?"

"Anything," she said slightly breathlessly.

I decided that I needed to be careful in my attentions or I could have a genius in my little harem. And I got in enough trouble with just smart girls.

"There's a kid over there whose been spreading rumors. Peter King's been saying that he fu... that he had sex with Tami Sharp."

"You can say fuck. I'm not a little kid." She looked so adorable saying that with her little fists on her hips.

"Sorry."

"It's not true?"

"Of course not. You know Tami."

"I didn't think she'd do that."

"King's been saying that they did it at her house after the dance. But after the dance, Tami came over to my house--her mom was out of town--and spent the night with Robbie and me. That is, they got my bed and I got the damned couch. This is Robbie Tate, by the way."

"Hi," they said together.

Kelly gave Robbie a wide-eyed look of admiration. "I saw you play football. How'd you learn to throw like that?"

"Just comes naturally."

"I wish it did for me. I may flunk P.E."

"Maybe you and I could work on it sometime."

"That'd be cool." A van pulled up out front and honked it's horn. "Got to run."

We watched her run through the doors and down the steps.

"You just lied you know."

"Through my teeth," I agreed.

"You know, part of growing up is realizing that life isn't absolutes."

"And how would you know?"

"Haven't you heard? Girls mature faster than boys."

I hate when they say that.

I was standing by the side door, saying goodbye to some friends as they grabbed buses. Robbie came up behind me. "Come on, you've got an appointment."

At almost the same second, Paula jumped off the bus in front of me. "You've got to get out of here. Peter King's looking for you."

"In a minute," I told one. "Can't, got an appointment," I told the other.

"You Sims?" I didn't recognize the voice, but I knew it was Peter King.

"Last time I checked," I said turning around. King was standing behind me. He stood about three inches taller than me and about thirty pounds heavier. And none of that was fat. He'd started for the varsity and set a school record for quarterback sacks.

"I hear you've been calling me a liar."

"Did you say you slept with Tami?"

"Yeah."

"Then I called you a liar." I knew King hadn't had the benefit of my sleeping with/sex lecture. But I figured I was still telling the truth.

"I fucked her brains out."

"Still had all her brains the next day. Besides, Tami spent the night at my house. You can ask my mom if you need too."

On the step of the bus, Paula was shaking her head vigorously.

I ignored Paula. "I've heard that a lot of the guys at the high school, when they can't find a girl to put out, make stuff up."

I saw the fist as it swung toward my face, but there just wasn't time to do anything about it. His fist hit the side of my face. I felt like every one of his fingers left a dent in my jaw. I felt my mouth fill up with something salty, and I spit just as his second fist slammed into my chest.