House on Fire

Chapter 34 – Wed. Dec. 7

  If you looked into my room it would appear that I was drawing. Mostly, though, I was listening to Jess and her friends in the next room. I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose – it’s just that we shared the heat register. Okay, so I was listening – I couldn’t help it. So shoot me.

  “How’d your book report go?”

  “Lolita? Mrs. Jenkins thought it was an inappropriate choice, but I got an A on it anyway.”

  “You did a book report on Nabokov?” Beth asked. “Why would you even want to read that?”

  “I thought it was interesting. It kind of explained... It helped me understand how some guys think.”

  “Jessie, I love when you wear your hair like that. How do you braid it yourself?”

  “I can’t get it this even myself. Cory does it; he has since my... since I was twelve.”

  I got a rush of pride at Jody’s compliment, and again at Jessie’s response.

  “Do you think he’d do mine like that?”

  “Like this? I don’t know, Jody. Your hair’s so fine... You could ask him.”

  “Hmh,” Jody demurred. “So Beth, how are the side-effects?”

  “Of what?”

  “Your birth control pills, duh.”

  “Oh, that. I’m okay now. Thanks for asking.”

  “How’d you ever talk your mom into that? She so Catholic-y”

  “I told my dad I wanted them. Aunt Hannah picks them up for me. She’s really cool.”

  “I wish I had a cool aunt,” Janna said.

  “What if you mom finds them? She’ll have a herd of cows.” Jody made a sound like a head exploding.

  “She has. She flushes them down the toilet and then we fight. I have to keep spares hidden around. It makes it hard to keep track sometimes.”

  “What does she do?” Jessie asked. “Search your room?”

  “Every day. She says that because I hide them from her I don’t deserve any privacy. I’ve started leaving notes in my underwear drawer saying ‘Not here, bitch.’”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. It’s really out of hand.”

  “Why don’t you just go live at your aunt’s?”

  “I would in a heartbeat. Her son, my cousin Randy, he’s already crashing on her couch. He’s out of jail and really trying hard to stay clean. It’s just not an option right now.”

  “I’m going to talk to my mom about getting pills,” Jody said.

  Janna snorted, “Why? You’re not even allowed to go on a date. Now you’re going to tell your mama you want to go all the way? With who?”

  “The dating thing comes from my dad. My mom will understand; it’s not like I have any chance of losing it anytime soon. But I worry about stuff happening to me, and I’m definitely not ready to be a mom.”

  “To answer your question, Jody, the nausea was really bad. The other thing is having to take them at the exact same time, every single day. That’s a pain.”

  “Does that mean that you and Dave are doing it?”

  “We’re kind of talking about it.”

  “Boys don’t talk about it,” Janna said. “You have to bring it up.” Everybody laughed, including me. I almost gave away my presence. “How about you Jessie Girl? Are you popping pills yet?”

  “She doesn’t have to, Janna.”

  “Why? Oh, Jessie, have you decided to become a nun?”

  “No, she gets shots. What, a couple years now, right? No problems?”

  “None. Just the first couple days.”

  “Aren’t those expensive?”

  “And your dad’s okay with that?”

  “I was having problems. When we first talked about it I thought I was going to die. Oh my God. He tries to be Mom and Dad, you know? He was so matter-of-fact; he acted like it was no big deal. But later he told me that it was really hard for him, too. As for the price, he doesn’t care; it’s what I preferred, and what the doctor recommended.”

  “I wish I had your dad, Jess,” Jody said. “Do you want to trade?”

  “Maybe... Can your dad cook?”

  “A little"

  “Hmmm, throw in your new parka and it’s a deal,” Jessie giggled. Beth and Jody laughed, but Janna didn’t.

  “At least my dad didn’t try to ‘do the talk’ with me,” she sneered.

  “No, Janna, he won’t. But for me, well, I don’t have a mom, so I didn’t have much choice.” The room got quiet.

  So, Beth was on birth control, too. That didn’t surprise me. She was smart and seemed mature. She was sixteen and had a steady boyfriend. Dave Candem was a senior and drove a Jeep. He seemed like a real nice guy. So it made sense – whether or not she needed it right now, she was being responsible.

  Jody wanted to be on the pill, too. She was probably afraid that someone would abduct her and rape her, but let her live. It could happen. And if it could happen, then it must be worried about. I wondered if it was some secret of biology that girls brains were hardwired to lose sleep over stuff; some kind of extra worry lobe.

  “Dave and I are going to see the new movie on Friday.”

  “Which one? Terms of Endearment?”

  “Yeah, I sat through James Bond last time, so now it’s his turn. Maybe I’ll compromise though. The other one playing is The Being. It’s the one where the kid gets genetically altered and becomes a cannibal. If we see that, Dave’s brother Steven wants to go, too. That is, if Jessie comes along.”

  There was a chorus of catcalls and oo-la-la’s.

  “You should go, Jessie Girl. I’ll bet your Dad will let you. Me, I have to stay chained up in the cellar until I get married.”

  Jody grumbled, “I would, but I can’t if boys are going. My dad says that’s a date. He’s so harsh.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “He really likes you. We can pick you up at six...”

  “I’ll let you know, Beth, and see how I feel. It does sound nice to get out of the house.” My heart sank. Steven was immature and crude; how could she even consider him? He wasn’t worthy to date my sister.

  “Hey, Jess, that mutation thing reminds me. Did you ever find out the deal on that genetic testing?”

  “Yeah, girl, I heard Cory got an A on the science project.”

  “Uh-huh, he did. And you were right, Beth, those tests were pretty expensive, but my Dad thought it was a good idea to have them done. We didn’t know if I had any genetic problems - because I’m adopted, right? I guess it wasn’t much more to do identity testing for all three of us.”

  “Some kids think your Dad bought that A for him.”

  Jody said, “No way, Janna, it was Cory’s idea, and he did a good job with the presentation. He earned that grade.”

  “I don’t know why you bothered. You’re hot cocoa, girl. You’re obviously not related.”

  “So, Jessie, did they find anything?”

  “I might have a slightly increased risk for gout and obesity, but no, nothing dire.”

  “Obesity? You? No way.”

  “What’s gout?”

  “Acid accumulation – it attacks the joints in your feet.”

  “Yuck."

  “...but you do have genes for perfect skin. I’m so jealous.”

  “Me, too, Jessie. I hate zits.”

  Jessie giggled, “Yeah, right! You don’t remember my volcano face?”

  “But that cleared right up...”

  “Only after Dad dragged me kicking and screaming to the dermatologist. I’m just lucky that it didn’t scar over.”

  “Do you think the tests could help identify your real parents?”

  “Janna!” Jessie hissed, “Don’t you ever say that! My Dad’s my real dad. Get it?”

  “Geez! Sorry, Jessie.”

  Softer now, Jessie said, “My birth parents were killed when I was three, Janna. I don’t even remember them.”

  “But, hey – maybe you have aunts or uncles out there.” Janna
suggested.

  “The report said that if we had a DNA sample from a relative, the test would confirm it, but I figure they just... I was in an orphanage for eight years, and no relatives ever came looking for me.”

  The room fell silent again.

  “Jessie?” Beth asked, “Do you think your dad will ever get remarried? He’s a hot commodity, you know.”

  Jessie laughed. “How do you mean?”

  “To start with he’s employed. Around here that’s enough to get you married in a week. He doesn’t drink, do drugs, gamble, smoke, or even swear. He goes to church, and he’s good with kids. There are a lot of women, including single moms, who’d be thrilled to have a man like him.”

  Janna chimed in, “And probably a lot of married women who’d trade for the bums they’ve got.”

  “Maybe we should auction him off.” Jessie laughed. “Seriously, though? I wish he’d get remarried.”

  “You want a stepmother?” Janna snorted, “Why?”

  “I can’t imagine him falling for a witch, but even if he did I could survive for three years, and then I’m off to college. I’d just like to see him happy again.”

  “It’d help if he ever took that ring off his hand,” Beth said.

  “He can’t. In his heart he’s still married.”

  “So check out this eye shadow! Jody, that’s nice...”

  That ended the part of the conversation I was interested in. Maybe I should call Steven and suggest another activity for the evening.

  Sighing, I stripped the bed. I got clean sheets from the linen closet and held them to my face to catch the faint smell of bleachy, soft cotton. After I tucked in the comers Army-style, I gathered the old sheets, picked dirty clothes off the floor, and emptied my gym bag into the hamper.

  There was a dollar bill in my pants pocket, so I got my wallet and put in the cash. It held the usual student ID, my debit card, and my learner’s permit. I smiled to see my state-issued ID card. It looked just like a driver’s license. Jess and I each got one when Dad took us to renew the truck plate. Nobody else in our class had one, and it was kind of a status symbol. A lot of times, Dad really seemed to understand us in a way most adults couldn’t.

  I lifted the hamper and headed down to do the laundry.

  I stopped and waived as I went by Jessie’s room and said, “Hi ladies!” They were painting their fingernails and toenails. Pink and purple. Yeah, seriously. I reached in and took her hamper from beside the door.

  “Thanks, bro.” Jess said unenthusiastically, returning to her nails.

  “Bye, Cooory!” That was Jody. I paused in the hall, listening.

  “You let him do your laundry, girl? That’s icky.”

  “We share the chores, Janna.”

  “I think it’s cool.” Beth said. “You know what’s icky? Your little brother, Janna. He always smells bad.”

  “I’m not going to do Harrad’s laundry,” Janna said, “He can stink if he’s too stubborn.”

  “Your brother’s so nice, Jess. I love his blue eyes.” Jody’s compliment made me smile; I always thought they looked good – bright, like Mom’s, with little flecks of Dad’s gray if you looked closely.

  “Have you ever wondered why doesn’t he have a girlfriend?”

  “Too shy, Bethy Girl,” Janna clucked. “And with a face like his I don’t blame him.”

  “You are so mean, Janna!” Beth said. “I think he’s sweet,”

  “Does he ever talk to you about the girls he likes?” Jody asked, “Has he ever said anything about me?”

  “Sorry guys, he and I don’t talk about stuff like that. For a while I thought he might be interested in someone, but I was way wrong. It just doesn’t seem that important to him. Everybody thinks he’s so nice, but he can be a real asshole.”

  “Lisa said she’s tried flirting with him a couple times, just to see if she could get a reaction, but he was totally clueless.”

  “He’s so much like your dad,” Beth said, “I wonder how he’d look with a beard.”

  Janna chimed in, “Ah, Jody, he does have nice eyes, but he’s too brainy for me. You know who I think’s cute?”

  Jody cut her off. “Janna, my dog’s cute, but he’s too brainy for you, too.” They all shrieked and giggled.

  “What about you, Jess? Who would you like to date?”

  “No one right now, Jody.”

  “Like any boy in this town would date a dark-skinned girl,” Janna sighed.

  “I hate to say it Janna, but you might be right about that. What do you think, Jess?”

  “Me? What makes you think I’d go for some pasty white boy?” I could tell it was meant to be funny, but I caught the strain in her voice.

  I carried the wash downstairs.