Chapter 12

"It's for you,." Tami announced, looking... not surprised. Wary?

I'd been sitting between Robbie and Tami on the sofa in Tami's living room, watching Ever After on television and wondering if this might be a good night to suggest the threesome that Robbie owed me.

"Hello?" I said, after taking the phone. It was only nine-thirty on a Saturday night, so I didn't think it'd be Mom or Dad.

"Tony?"

A girl's voice, but I didn't recognize it.

"This is Tony."

"I didn't know who else to call."

Flattering, but not terribly informative.

"Okay?"

"I need... I think I need some help."

"Allie?"

"I don't know... what to do. I called your house, they said you were here."

"Allie, what's wrong."

"I'm at THE party."

Shit! When she said the party instead of a party, I knew exactly where she was.

"Do you need me to come get you?

"Please." It was the most pathetic sounding word I'd ever heard.

"Five minutes."

"I've got to go," I said to Tami and Robbie, setting the phone on the coffee table and standing up.

"To see Allie," Tami accused.

"Yeah, to see Allie." Either we had trust or we didn't. "If you get lonely," I said as I stepped out the door, "you could always tell Robbie about that little fantasy you had on the fourth of July."

I ran home.

"Mom, I need a ride."

"It's almost ten," she said, from her perch on Dad's lap. Traci was lying on her stomach on the floor in front of them, trying to ignore our parents who didn't know how to act their age. Ever After was on the TV.

"Mom, I need a ride NOW!"

Mom looked surprised, but after she studied my face a few seconds she struggled to get up. "I'll get my keys."

"What's wrong?" Dad asked, while Mom put on her shoes.

"It would really help if this was a don't-ask-don't-tell kind of thing."

Dad looked like he was going to argue, then stayed quiet. He probably figured he'd let Mom worm it out of me.

"Can I come?" The squirt asked from the floor.

"No!" I said sharply, then softened it. "Not this time."

"Where are we going?" Mom asked, picking her keys up off the table in the foyer.

"Falstaff Road on the other side of town." I opened the door and a big wet snowflake landed in my left eye. Just what I needed.

The snow was just beginning to fall, so the roads wouldn't be bad. But visibility might suffer. The forecast had said Sunday.

"Would you like to tell me why we're going out into a blizzard?" she asked as she started the car. There was about a dozen splotches on the windshield from the snow. Not exactly a white-out.

"A friend called. She's in trouble."

"That call a few minutes ago. I gave her Tami's number." Mom turned the car onto the highway and headed for town. "She sounded upset."

I knew that don't-ask-don't-tell wasn't going to get me very far. Mom was capable of stopping the car on the side of the road and sitting there with us slowly freezing to death until I talked.

"There's a party. It's a tradition the Saturday after football finishes. It's at Gary's house. Gary Peters. It's mostly juniors and seniors, Gary's a senior. A friend of mine went. I think she's in over her head."

"And she called you?"

"She called me."

"It's not Robbie, is it? I thought she was with you at Tami's house."

"She was. Is."

"That new girl, Ashley?"

"No, she went to Seattle with her Dad. Her mom and little sister are flying in tomorrow."

"Then..."

The unspoken'Who?' hung in the air in the frigid car. I wondered if I could get away with not saying. Then decided it didn't matter.

"Allie Smidt. I don't think you know her."

"Why'd she call you?"

"That is a very good question." And one that Tami is probably asking herself right now. Allie and I were friends, but hadn't been close except for that fling a year-and-a-half ago. Then she'd gone off to camp and Tami and I were Tami and I when she came back.

"Why not call her parents?"

"Mom, I don't know!" I said, a little more hotly than necessary. "Maybe they're not home. Or maybe she's afraid to call. I just don't know." Mom nodded.

"Take the by-pass, it goes right by Falstaff." Mom nodded again and made the turn. The snow was picking up, but still wasn't that bad. And it didn't seem to be sticking on the road.

"That's Falstaff," I said pointing.

"Mom chuckled. "Tony, I've lived here as long as you." She turned onto Falstaff.

"I wasn't sure if you knew this part of town," I explained.

"Janet Taylor lives over here." I made a face and watched the road. Janet Taylor worked with Mom. She also had a daughter, Kendra, that Mom had tried to fix me up with a couple of times, after she'd decided that Tami and I were too serious.

"Where to?"

"Not exactly sure," I admitted. Gary was on the football, team—co-captain as a matter of fact-and had never accepted the fact that I was, too.

"That's helpful."

"Look for a house with a lot of cars."

"What if someone else is having a party?"

"I have a feeling this will be kind of obvious." We drove slowly down the wide residential street. "There!"

Obvious was an under-statement. There were about thirty cars parked in front of the large two-story house. Several parked on the lawn. One parked with it's tail end halfway in the road. The front door was open, despite the thickening snow, and a loud bass beat filled the street.

"Are we taking her home?"

"Mom!" I said, exasperated. "I really hate when you ask questions I don't know the answers to."

Mom parked next to the car sticking into the road.

"Wait here!" I ordered. Mom cocked her head and looked at me as I opened the door. "Please?" She nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Steve Logan, another senior and another football player not happy about a freshman on HIS team.

"Carla invited me," I said, thinking quickly. The two biggest sluts in the school were both named Carla, and I'd bet the ranch they were both here somewhere. Steve ignored me.

I wandered in, not closing the door. Four couples were squeezed onto the sofa making out. I noticed that Jenny Tadesco had a very nice tit, since it was poking out of her shirt as Vinnie Barbarino pawed it. Another dozen kids milled around, talking or dancing.

Alana was on the floor with a guy I didn't know. They were more than dancing, but not quite fucking.

I went into the kitchen and saw a dozen almost-empty bottles lined up for inspection on the counter, mostly vodka, but a couple of Jim Beam and one Jack Daniels. Three kegs sat on the kitchen table. Several guys I knew from the team were standing around with drinks in their hands.

No Allie.

Another room, probably the den, and I found Paula pressed into a corned by Mark Richards. Which was interesting because as of this afternoon, she was going out with Ben Wright.

Paula saw me. "Hey tiger, come to party?"

Mark turned around and glared at me. Interrupting a senior while he's making out is not the best thing for a freshman's health.

"Looking for Allie," I told her.

Paula looked surprised. "Upstairs, the last time I saw her." Mark decided that we'd talked enough and pressed her back into the corned and covered her mouth with his. I nodded thanks, not sure if she'd notice, and headed for the stairs.

Upstairs, I hesitated outside the first door. From what was going on downstairs, I had a feeling that I'd be Interrupting some serious stuff if I picked the wrong room.

I opened the door. The room was dark except for the band of light from the door. On the bed, was a very nice bare ass, with her legs wrapped around a naked guy. But it was a blond, so I closed the door quickly.

The next door I opened, there were two couples on the bed, one fucking, the other in a 69. But the girls weren't Allie. "Shut the fucking door," came a strained voice from the tangle that I wasn't sure was male or female.

The next door was locked. I assumed it was a bathroom.

I knocked.

"Go away!"

"Allie?"

"Go away!"

"Allie, it's Tony."

"You go away, too."

Now what? "Allie, tell me you're okay, and I'll go away."

A girl I vaguely recognized came up beside me. "She's been in there awhile," she said softly.

I nodded. "Allie, are you okay?"

"I'm fin..." The door opened and Allie rushed out and hugged me. I noticed her shirt was open and caught a quick glimpse of her yellow bra. "I... I didn't know what to do."

I put my arms around her. "You did the right thing," I whispered. "You called a friend." The girl in the hallway slipped past us, and I saw her start to pull down her jeans before the door closed.