"I bet you do." he said, and shifted into drive to start off again. "What's your name?"
"April. April Taylor."
"What kind of friends would do a thing like this to you?"
"Not very good friends," I replied.
"You got that right. I ain't in the habit of picking up stray teenage girls, but if I didn't stop. Mrs. Petersen would be awful angry," he said.
"Who's Mrs. Petersen?"
"That's my misses." he said. "We have a granddaughter who's about your age."
"I do appreciate your stopping for me," I said. I was on the verge of crying but held my tears back and my sobs down.
"Yeah. I bet you do. Can you call someone to come get you?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Okay. I'll take you to the Four Corners strip mall just this side of the highway. You can call from there. You have money on you?"
I did. I always carried a ten-dollar bill in my pocket. It was something Daddy gave me and told me to do always.
"Yes. sir," I said.
"Sir?" He laughed and looked at me. "You look like you've been in some panic. Better straighten yourself up a bit before your folks come for you." he advised. "So, what is wrong with you young people today?" he asked, and then proceeded to give me his answers, which included lack of discipline, spoiling children rotten, parents who were too self-centered, and a reduction in church attendance. He lectured in a monotone that, strangely enough, had a calming effect on me.
I thanked him when he pulled into the parking lot.
"You watch who you hang out with, young lady," he warned. And then he added something that made me laugh. "It only takes one rotten apple to spoil the bunch."
I waved and rushed into the shop to use the pay phone. The cashier gave me change for my ten dollars, and I called home.
Brenda answered, and from the tone of her voice. I knew everyone had been worried. "Where the hell are you, April?"
I told her.
"What are you doing there? Do you know what time it is? Mama is beside herself. How could you do this to her?"
I started to cry.
"Well, are you coming home or what?" she asked.
"I have no way to get home," I said through my sobs.
"I don't believe it. Just stay there. Celia and I are coming," she said.
I thought about asking to speak to Mama so I could apologize, but Brenda hung up. Then I remembered what Mr. Petersen had said in the truck. and I went into the restroom to wash my face and straighten my clothing. I had one bad mud stain on my jacket sleeve, and washing it seemed to make it worst.
What was I going to tell them? When they heard I had drunk vodka and when Brenda heard
I
had gotten into David Peet's car.
I
would be blamed for everything.
I
was too embarrassed to tell the truth. anyway. Luke had nearly stripped me naked, and they were all looking at me. My eyes filled with tears again.
I
had to take deep breaths to stop myself from just bawling aloud in the restroom.
I
went out and bought myself something
I
hadn't eaten for months, a package of chocolatecovered graham crackers and a bottle of Coke. Then
I
sat on the bench in front of the store and waited.
I
felt tired and achy all over, especially in my legs. My nausea was gone, and my stomach gurgled complaints about being so empty.
I
had practically thrown
up
my intestines earlier.
It
didn't take me long to gobble down the whole package of crackers.
I
was terribly thirsty and went in to buy another Coke. Still hungry.
I
bought another package of crackers and had just started eating them when Brenda and Celia drove up.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Brenda asked as soon as she got out of the car.
Celia got out, too,
and
they both approached me.
"Where?" Brenda demanded, her hands on her hips. "And what the hell are you eating that junk for?"
I
looked
up
at her, and then
I
looked at Celia, who was gazing at me with some amusement in her eyes. Brenda's were filled with hot rage.
I
threw away the remaining crackers quickly.
I hadn't come up with any idea of how to explain what had happened to me.
There was nothing left to do but tell the truth.
I didn't tell the whole truth. I couldn't talk about what Luke had almost done to me, especially in front of Celia, and even more especially because of the things they had said about Brenda. On the way home. I limited my explanation to getting into David's car, drinking some vodka, and their pulling a prank on me by leaving me on some back road. Of course. I had no idea what I would do if David developed the picture he had taken and then showed it to people. I talked mostly about Mr. Petersen in the hopes that neither Brenda nor Celia would ask too many questions about David, Luke, and Jenna.
Brenda and Celia sat up front listening. Both of them kept their faces forward, neither commenting nor asking a question. At times. I felt as if I were speaking to mannequins. It's so much more difficult to travel through troubled territory, tell half- truths, and leave out unpleasant information when you have to do all the talking. I thought, It's like swimming out in the middle of the ocean without anyone offering any sort of rescue. You just flounder about. hoping. When I finished with some sniffles. which I hoped would bring me some expressions of sympathy. Brenda looked at Celia and then looked into the rearview mirror at me in the backseat.
"I really thought you were a lot smarter than that. April. Ifs not that I didn't warn you about those kids, and why would you drink anything they offered you in a paper bag? How do you know what was really in it? You never drank any vodka before, did you?"
"No, but they drank it, too!" I whined. Celia laughed.
"They did!"
"It was in a paper bag, you said, right?" Brenda
asked. "Yes."
"So they could have brought it to their lips but
not actually swallowed any or very much, and you
wouldn't know. It's a trick college boys pull on girls
all the time. The girls end up drunk or worse, and then
the boys take advantage."
Celia turned slowly and looked back at me.
"Did they do that?" Brenda asked.
"What?"
"Take advantage of you?" she asked.
I could see Brenda's eyes in the rearview
mirror. She was waiting for my answer and watching
my face.
"No," I said, and turned away quickly. I
couldn't tell her I just couldn't do it, especially in front
of Celia.
Neither of them said another word for a while, "We'll think of a better story to tell Mama,"
Brenda told me before we arrived at the house. "Okay.
Here's what you'll say. You'll tell her you went for a
ride with some of your friends, and the car broke
down. Don't tell her about the drinking. She doesn't
know much about the kids at school, so she won't
know how bad the ones you were with are. It's not
hard to see she's still as fragile as thin china. More bad
news could shatter her."
"I know how Mama is," I snapped back. "I'm
the one living with her now."
"Then you should know enough not to get into
this sort of trouble," Brenda returned.
"Take it easy," Celia told her softly. 'You and I
are not exactly angels."
Brenda calmed and lowered her shoulders. "Are we still going to dinner?" I asked. "No, it's too late. She's fixing leftovers. My
father hated leftovers," she told Celia. "He was a kook
for fresh food. He used to say the only thing he wants
warmed over is his feet in winter."
Celia laughed. Then she grew sad and said.
"You were lucky to have him. The only thing I
remember my father saying is good-bye."
Brenda glanced at her and slipped her right
hand into Celia's. They held hands up until the
moment Brenda had to turn into our driveway. Why does she feel so sorry for her and not sorry
at all for me? I thought sadly.
"April," Mama said as soon as I entered, "what
happened to you?"
I glanced at Brenda and then related the
fabricated story as quickly as I could. I was not a very
good liar. Daddy used to tell me my face turned to
glass whenever I tried, and he could see right through
to the squiggly little deceptions. Mama wasn't as keen,
especially these days. She listened, and then she felt
sorry for me, which only made me feel more terrible.
Brenda was satisfied with my performance, however.
I was sent to shower and change and come to our late
dinner.
I ate well, too well for Brenda, who watched
me like a hawk every time I reached for something.
but I couldn't help how much I ate. I had had no
lunch.
"You want to know what disappointed me the
most today, April?" she told me in the kitchen after I
had brought in some dishes and silverware to wash.
"Seeing you eat that fattening candy when we picked
you up."
"It wasn't candy: it was cookies," I said. "Yeah, right. Like that makes a difference If
you're just going to go back to your old ways. I won't
bother trying to help you," she threatened, but quickly
smiled when Celia followed us in with some more
dishes. However, she had heard Brenda's warning and
threat.
"Oh, don't yell at her about the cookies. Brenda.
She probably ate out of nervousness more than
anything."
"I wasn't nervous," I shot back. I didn't want her
coming to my defense.
"Believe me, honey, you were nervous," she
said. nodding. "We've all been there,"
Brenda and she nodded. The two of them
looked so smug, so confident. They knew even-thing;
I knew nothing. I put the silverware down and left the
kitchen.
"I'm tired. Mama," I said, returning to the
dining room. "Do you mind if I just go to bed?" "Oh, sure. April. I know you went through a
terrible experience. Don't worry. Celia and Brenda
will help with everything," she told me.
Yes. Celia and Brenda can easily replace me. I
thought, and went to my room. I didn't do anything. I
sprawled out on my stomach and pressed my face to
my pillow so hard
I
nearly smothered myself. I
thought about Daddy and how he was before he had
turned into Mr. Hyde. How quickly he would have
come to my defense in this situation. Everyone needed
someone to champion him or her. Even serial killers
had good lawyers these days, or they had mothers
who couldn't imagine them being so terrible. I thought about David. Luke. and Jenna and
how they were probably off somewhere having a good
laugh at my expense. Maybe they had met up with
some of their other friends and were telling the story.
Then they would have the picture developed and show
everyone. Maybe they wouldn't. I thought hopefully.
Maybe they would realize that I could go to the police
if they did. It would be proof of what they had done.
They couldn't be that stupid. I concluded, but then I
wondered if I had made a terrible tactical error by not
telling Brenda the whole truth, especially when it all
came out later. What would I say? I forgot? She
would be even angrier at me.
I was in such turmoil my head felt as if it had
been used as a Ping-Pang ball, and my stomach
started churning and bubbling again. I tried talking
myself to sleep, and for a while. I actually did drift
off, but then I heard my bedroom door open. and I
opened my eyes to see Brenda silhouetted in the
hallway light. She stood there a moment looking in at
me.
"Are you asleep?" she asked, her voice
sounding softer.
"I'm awake." I said, sitting up. "What is it?" She closed the door softly and walked to the
bed. She had her arms folded tightly under her breasts.
I could hear that the threat of rain that had been over
us earlier and then gone had returned with a
vengeance to deliver its promise. Drops closer to sleet
sounded like pebbles against the pane. With the door
closed. I couldn't see Brenda's expression, but the way
she held her body told me she was still very angry,
very upset.
"What made you go with those kids. April?" "I don't know. I just went."
I
said.
"You knew what they were like. How did they
get you into the car? What did they say?" she pursued, her voice resonating with suspicions.
I
dared not tell
her about the accusations.
"I don't know. They said we'd have fun. Jenna
said..."
"What?" she snapped.
"That Luke liked me."
"Luke? Luke Isaac? You went because she said
that?" I shrugged and looked away. I heard her sigh
deeply. "What else happened to you. April?" she
asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I know you aren't telling it all.
I
saw it in your
face when we first picked you up. Just like Daddy
used to say, your skin turns to glass when you lie, and
it's like looking through a window."
I was silent.
"Okay. April, if you force me to be specific. I'll
be specific. What else did they do to you after you
drank the vodka? Did either of the boys do something
sexual?"
I started to cry. Brenda, the petrified tree, stood
firm. waiting. "He tried," I said.
"Who tried?"
"Luke."
"Meaning what?"
"He said he wanted to do me a favor and... do it
to me. He said he was an expert with virgins. He even
had his wallet marked with his conquests. I was so
sick I didn't understand what was happening until it
was almost too late."
"What do you mean by 'almost'?"
"The other two came into the room and..." "What room? I thought you said you were in a
car. April." she added when I was silent. "What
room?"
"David took us to his granddad's house because
his granddad is in the hospital. Luke took me to the
bedroom. He was taking off my clothes when Jenna
and David came to the door. David took a picture!" "The bastard." Brenda said.
"I had a chance to escape. and I ran out of the
house. They came after me. but I hid in the bushes,
and then everything else I told you was true.' "You should have told me it all. April. Celia
and I could have done something earlier."
"What can Celia do?"
"The bastards," she said instead of answering,
and then, after a moment, she turned and marched to
the door. She paused after opening it. "Never tell
Mama," she said, and left, closing the door behind
her. I stared after her in the dark, and then I turned
over again and buried my face in the pillow. A few
minutes later. I heard Brenda and Celia in the hallway.
I rose quickly and went to the door. They were
dressed in their jackets and heading for the front door.
I
stepped out. Mama's bedroom door was closed. She
was probably asleep.
"Brenda!" I called after them in a loud whisper
just as she opened the front door. "Where are you
going? What are you going to do?"
"Just go back to bed. April. Go back to bed."
she said, and she and Celia left.
I ran to the door and looked out the side
window. They got into Celia's car, backed out of the
driveway, and headed away. It was almost midnight,
and it was still raining steadily. Where could they be
going? I returned to my bedroom. but I was too
nervous to fall back asleep. and I just lay there staring
up through the darkness. Every sound made my heart
thump Finally, pure exhaustion slammed my lids shut.
and I was dropped into a deep sleep.
It was so deep a sleep that I didn't hear Brenda
come back into my room much later. I wouldn't have
known she had come in at all if I didn't open my eyes and see David Peet's camera beside my pillow.
It
was early in the morning, barely seven, but there was enough light in the room for me to see it. It was one of those throwaway cameras. For a moment. however. I thought
I
was still asleep. dreaming. Then the realization that it was really there set in. and I practically leaped into a sitting position, gaping down
at it as if it were a giant spider or something. I picked it up slowly and turned it around in my
hands. How could it be here? With the camera in
hand. I went to my bedroom door and peered out.
listening. The house was dead quiet. Mama hadn't
risen. These days, she was sleeping longer and longer,
and there were mornings when I actually had risen,
had made breakfast, and was just about ready to leave
for school by the time she came out of her bedroom,
looking dazed and confused about the time.
The sight and possession of this camera were so
shocking I couldn't wait for Brenda to wake up. I
quickly crossed to her room, knocked gently on her
door, and then opened it and looked in. My mouth
was forming an apology for waking her when I froze. She wasn't there. The bed was empty. In fact, it
didn't even look as if she had been in it.
"What are you doing. April?" I heard her ask,
and nearly jumped out of my skin.
She stood behind me in her nightgown. I stared
at her a moment. She looked as if her cheeks had been
brushed with wet red roses.
"April, what are you doing?"
"I.., was coming to ask you how..." I held up
the camera. "How did this get on my bed?"
She smirked and walked by me into her
bedroom. I watched her crawl in under her blanket.
She patted the pillow and then looked at me. "You can thank Celia for that," she said. "Celia? I don't understand."
"Before she decided to go into advertising.
Celia was thinking of becoming an attorney. Here I
am, the daughter of an attorney, and she's more
equipped to act and sound like one. She took some
prelaw courses."
I shook my head, still confused. "I still don't
understand. Brenda. This looks like the camera David
had. It is, right?"
"Yes. It's not brain surgery, April. We tracked
down David Peet. I know the hangouts around here,
and there was no doubt in my mind he and his crew of
creeps would still be out and about. We confronted
him. and Celia carefully explained how we could go directly to the police and have him arrested for attempted rape. The very fact that he had that camera
in possession was evidence."
Brenda smiled.
"She was really very good at intimidating
David. I was even scared,' she added. "Anyway,
people like David Peet have no backbone. They can
take advantage of weaker, more vulnerable people,
but when they're up against someone with strength,
they wilt. He produced that camera out of thin air so
fast I thought he was competing with Uncle Palaver."
she added, and lowered her head. Then she raised it
again. "Smash it, and the film will be destroyed. You
can thank Celia in a few hours.
"In fact," she said, sitting up again. "you can
prepare breakfast for us. Celia likes her eggs over
easy. Orange juice, coffee, and some wheat toast with
jam. Now, let me get some rest. We'll be up and about
by eight-thirty. We're meeting some of my old
teammates for lunch today, the ones who graduated
with me last year."
She lowered her head again and then turned on
her side and closed her eyes. I stared at her. Why was
she first going to sleep?
"You just got home?" I asked. "You were out
all night?"
She didn't reply. I waited a moment and then
left her room and started for my own. The door to the
guest room was slightly open. I peered in and saw
Celia on her stomach, the cover down to her waist and
her bare back shining in the morning light. I thought
about speaking to her but decided against it, and
instead I went into my room, broke open the camera,
and exposed the film. I dropped the camera itself into
my trash can and covered it with paper so Mama
wouldn't see. Later. I would empty it into a bigger
trash bag.
I was too awake now to return to bed. so I
showered and dressed and did what Brenda asked. I
went out to the kitchen and began to prepare
breakfast. Mama was up before Brenda and Celia and
was surprised at how I had set the table, made the
coffee, squeezed fresh orange juice and grapefruit
juice, and gotten the eggs ready to cook.
"Isn't this nicer she said. "Thank you, dear." I told her to go relax in the dining room and let
me do it all. She put up some resistance until Celia
and Brenda appeared, and then she agreed. The three
of them sat chatting and laughing while I worked up
the eggs, made the toast, and brought in the juice and
coffee.