Chapter 6

Thursday ... it was Thursday...

Taking his seat on the bus, Bill tried to talk himself out of the feeling it was Monday again. Unexpected mid-week vacations really threw off his body's natural rhythm. Not that he probably had much. Also, despite what you might think, having two beautiful girls sleep with you does NOT leave you well rested the next morning, especially after a day of emotional ups and downs and traipsing through the woods.

Which goes to prove real men don't need rest.

The bus stopped again. Looking out the window, Bill saw Bobby and his sister getting on. He stared at them. Something was ... off about the scene. The two of them walked down the aisle ... two...

Bill's eyes widened. Bobby's blue companion was gone!

Bobby plopped down next to Bill as the bus lurched forward again.

"Where were you yesterday, man? I tried calling a couple times!" He looked at Bill with all the disappointment of a best friend scorned, which he probably was. Bill had been neglecting his friends. That it was understandable, given all that was going on, didn't make it right. Still, at least Wednesday he'd had a very good excuse.

"Dad's in the hospital. He got in a wreck during the storm." Bobby's eyes bugged out.

"No! Oh, damn, I'm sorry! You should have called! Is he OK?"

"He's fucked up, but they say he'll be OK. They're keeping him till the weekend, most likely. Yesterday was ... busy." Bill fell back in the seat. Bobby turned forward and did the same.

"I can imagine! Glad he's gonna be OK, though."

They were silent for a moment as the next batch of kids filed on.

"So, what were you reduced to doing without me, Bobby?"

It took a moment for his friends to answer. Glancing at him, Bill saw ... embarrassment. Given what MUST have been part of it, for his Ai-like girl to vanish (if Ai had been right about that aspect of things, that they vanished/died the first time you had sex), you'd think he'd be bragging. At least friend to friend. Who had he fucked that he didn't want to talk about it?

"Oh, not much. Went over to Mark's. Did some sledding."

Mark didn't have a sister, so ... Bill was confused. Maybe the answer would come later.

Seeing that Mark's creature was also gone, and the look his two friends shared, both answered and raised many questions.

Shirley had her coat on and was checking her bag, making sure she had everything Tom had asked for, when Ai slowly came up to her. The creature, wearing just a flowered white sundress they'd bought for her, stood silently. Shirley suspected Ai was waiting for her to finish, or even permission to speak. The two of them ... hadn't been alone together much. Never, really, now that she thought about it. And may never again. Straightening, Shirley turned to her.

"What is it, Ai?"

Ai licked her lips, a habit she must be picking up from Julie.

"Mom. I ... I am sorry. About Bill. I want to be with you. All of you. I do NOT want to take him away from you. But, I am now SCARED!" Shirley could see tears start to form. Sighing, she tried to think of what to say. Ai kept going, though. "I ... have never been hurt, alone and hurt, and do not want to be. If it is bad for me to be seen, and you have told me this, then I HAVE to go, and my two friends must come with me! I am sorry! Do not hate me!" She was shaking now, her eyes pleading with Shirley. She had seen that look in her children many times, a look that wanted confirmation that love was still there despite some transgression. There was only one way to answer such a look.

"Come here, Ai." Opening her arms, Shirley wrapped them around the crying creature who threw herself into her embrace. Despite the coat, she could feel the coldness coming off Ai that in no way reflected the heat of emotions in this girl. Shirley reached her right hand up and caressed her black hair. "I don't hate you, Ai. If I'm sometimes cold to you..." The humor of that comment just then made her pause, but knowing the girl wouldn't get the joke just went on. " ... if I'm cold to you, it's because I don't know you well enough, and things are so crazy just now."

"I want to know you, Mom. I want to know you well." Ai pulled back, her face serious as she looked at Shirley. "You are Bill's Mom, and I will someday have his baby, so we should be friends."

Shirley's eyebrows shot up. OK, that information changed the day's activities slightly. Looking at the clock, she turned with her arm around Ai and began to lead her to the couch.

"While we're alone, I think we should talk a bit before I go."

"I like talking!"

Julie left her locker and started towards the lunch room. Sharon and Martha fell in beside her, chatting away about some boy or other. Or that show last night. Did it make any difference?

It should.

She sighed. Julie loved her friends. She did. They were great, fun to be with, trustworthy, smart, almost as smoking hot as she was ... why wasn't she paying attention to them?

Because she had secrets.

Half the fun of having friends, real friends, is sharing everything. Toys. Clothes. Other friends. And secrets. To be able to confide in them, totally confident that what you tell them about last night's date with stay just between you and her. Breaking that trust destroy's friendships faster than anything else, and ... having a secret they can't be trusted with slowly eats away at bonds built up over years.

" ... and Kelly said Bill Darrow went down on her."

Julie spun her head around, shocked to her core.

"She said WHAT?!?" Sharon gave her an amused look.

"Actually she said nothing of the kind. We just figured you were ignoring us."

Julie's shoulders slumped. She stopped just before the lunchroom doors, looking back and forth at her companions. Sharon, she of the fair skin and curly golden locks falling to her shoulders, and Martha, whose dark brown skin and short afro made a perfect counterpoint. They deserved so much better than how she'd been treating them. The two had also stopped, looking and waiting.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know I've been a bit distant lately. It's just..."

"If being with Bill is doing this to you, dump him," Martha interrupted. "Not that you've talked about him with us or anything. We're your FRIENDS!" Sharon nodded.

"I know," Julie sighed. "I know. Look, we'll ... we'll talk later." She pushed forward through the cafeteria doors, pausing to look. Cindi was already at the table in the corner, not looking happy. Julie had only taken two steps in that direction when she heard Sharon's disgusted snort.

"Again? Are we not good enough for you anymore?"

Julie spun, expression pleading.

"Look, I'm sorry! I just have to talk to her today, OK?" Their expressions weren't what she wanted to see, but the damage was done. Turning again, Julie quickly walked across the room and tossed her bag next to the seat across from Cindi before dropping into it. Cindi looked up at her, chewing on a bite of her baloney and cheese sandwich.

"Hi, Cindi!" Julie leaned down to dig her own lunch out of her book bag. As she came up, she noticed Cindi looking over her head with an expression of ... half fear, half disappointment. A moment later the reason became clear, as Sharon and Martha took seats on either side of Julie. Julie looked between them, surprised.

"Well," said Sharon, pulling a plastic bowl containing a salad out of her bag, "if you won't sit with us, we'll sit with you."

"Yup!" Martha had her own lunch out, a small sub and can of diet pop. Looking brightly over at Cindi, she smiled. "So, what are we talking about today?"

Julie wanted to die. Anything she did would upset one of her friends! She looked across the table at Cindi, eyes pleading with her to understand. The redhead looked back, eyes sad. They flicked briefly to the intruders, and Julie saw her friend seem to come to a decision. Putting her sandwich down, she leaned forward towards Julie.

"I have to leave home. Can I stay with you or Bill?"

Without looking, Julie could just feel her friend's eyes bug out. Part of her wanted to smile at that reaction. But, looking at Cindi she knew this was not a joke on her part. Opening her own diet pop, she met her eyes.

"Is it that bad?"

Cindi nodded.

"I heard them talking about boarding schools, starting this summer if not sooner."

"I didn't know they still HAD those!" Martha exclaimed. Cindi ignored her, eyes fixed on her friend.

"I can't go. Not now. Not when I finally have friends, people who understand. Please." Her eyes were pleading. "Help me, Julie. You and Bill are all I have."

Sharon and Martha looked at each other over Julie's head. This was so much more than they expected. Never had they imagined that whatever their friend was doing instead of being with them was ... actually important. They saw Julie's small hand reach across the table and touch Cindi's.

"Of course we'll help. We love you. We're your family now." Pulling back, Julie glanced around nervously as she reached into her bag and pulled out a cell phone. "I'm going to text. Cover me."

Now, THIS her friends were used to. Quickly moving closer to hide her actions from any adults, they watched as Julie typed out her message.

Shirley lowered the cell phone, Gretchen already having hung up. Yet another complication. Naturally. They seemed to come in three-packs.

"Don't tell me you weren't expecting this, Honey."

She looked over at Tom, sitting up thanks to his adjustable bed and finishing a surprisingly good hospital lunch. His expression showed mild amusement, and despite everything she found herself chuckling.

"I gave up expecting anything in particular sometime last week." Putting the cell phone down, she rose and took the tray off the small table in front of him. "Want the table put back down?"

"Naw, leave it up. I can entertain myself drumming my fingers on it. Not," Tom added, reaching out and gripping her arm before she could move away, "that I wouldn't rather have my fingers playing elsewhere."

She had the decency to blush, and the horniness to give him a look that would turn melted butter back into a rock hard stick.

"Now, Sir, is that how you treat ALL your serving girls?"

"Only those whom I love and have borne my children ... so, just five."

Laughing, she whacked his hand. Putting the lunch tray down, she pulled her chair even closer to him before sitting again. Sighing, Shirley reached onto the bed and took his hand.

"What are we gonna do, Honey."

"Which order do you want me to answer in?"

"Take your pick," she snorted, waving her free hand. Chuckling, Tom squeezed her captive hand and rubbed his thumb over her smooth skin.

"Well, I've only met this Cindi girl once, so I'll trust your judgment on that one. Is her home life that bad?"