RECKLESS — Bad Boy Criminal Romance (23 page)

              I shrugged.

              Ariel placed the letter back in the envelope and dropped it on the floor with the other mail.

              I napped on the couch.  In the evening our mother returned home from work.  She put her hand on my shoulder and jostled me awake.  “Did you open this letter?” she asked, holding the torn envelope.

              “No.”

              “So Ariel did?” she asked, though it was more of a statement.

              I only looked at her.

              She shouted for Ariel.

              From her bedroom, Ariel walked into the living room.  “Yeah?”

“You opened this?”

“Yeah.  I didn’t recognize who sent it.”

“It was sent to me,” our mother said firmly.  “Don’t open my mail.”

“Okay.”

“I’m making dinner now,” she said, changing topics.  “It should be ready in a half hour.”

              Ariel glanced at me and followed our mother into the kitchen.

I sat up groggily and rubbed my eyes.

“Well, who sent it?” Ariel asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” our mother said. 

“I’m just curious.”

“It’s none of your business.”

“Can’t you just say if he’s friend or whatever?”

“Sure, he’s my friend, okay?”

“Yeah, okay, that sounded honest.”

I stood off the couch and peered into the kitchen.

Our mother turned toward Ariel so they stood face to face.  “You’re my daughter.  I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

“Fine,” Ariel said.  “Sorry I asked about some guy you must be sleeping with.”

In the blink of an eye, our mother slapped Ariel across the face.

Ariel fell off balance and landed on the floor.  She stood back up quickly and, under her breath, said, “Fuck you.”  She stormed out of the kitchen and through the living room without acknowledging me.  She opened the front door and left.

I hurriedly put on my sneakers and jogged out the door after her.  I feared she would take our car and drive somewhere I couldn’t find her.  However, once outside, I remembered I had the car key in my pocket.

Ariel marched down the sidewalk.

Once I caught up I asked, “Where are you going?”

              “Nowhere,” she yelled at me.  “Just leave me alone.”

“Okay … Can I go nowhere with you?”

Ariel stopped walking.  Her eyes were red and teary.  She breathed heavily.  We both shivered, standing in the bitter cold without coats.  “Why can’t Mom talk to me?” she asked.

“She doesn’t exactly have long, meaningful conversations with me either.”

“I hate her sometimes,” Ariel said.  “I remember getting so mad a couple years ago that I thought about killing myself as a way to get back at her.”

“You weren’t really serious.”

“Not really.  But I fantasized about hanging myself in her closet.  Like that would teach her something.  Every time she opened her closet she’d have to think of me and feel that pain.  But you know what I decided?”

“That you were hurting yourself more than her?”

              “Sort of.  I thought of the pain she’d feel and I decided it wasn’t enough.  I don’t think she’d feel enough pain over it.”

              “How did you think I’d feel?”

              “I was too focused being mad at her.  I didn’t think of you at all.”

              “Thanks.”

              We walked together back home.  I tried to open the front door but our mother had locked it behind us.  “Do you have a key?” I asked Ariel.

              She reached in her blue jeans pocket and pulled out our house key.  Simultaneously, another silver key slipped out of her pocket and fell onto our stoop.

              “What’s that?”

              “I need to return that,” she said.  “On one of my last babysitting jobs, they gave me a house key in case I needed it while they were out.  I forgot to give it back to them at the end of the night.”

I looked at the key.  “That’s what we could do.”

“What?”  Ariel asked.

“That’s how we can make money.”

“I look fucking amazing in this.  Don’t you think?”  Angela stares at herself in the bedroom mirror.  She wears a form-fitting, fuchsia sleeveless V-neck dress with black trim – an outfit we bought together the previous evening at the Northwest Arkansas Mall.  We’re about to go on a double date with Britney and her brother Eddie.  The plan is to attend the church service at Pinnacle Christian at eleven o’clock and have brunch afterward.

“You look good.”  I inspect her appearance.  “Really good.”

“Maybe I look too good,” she says, now concerned.  “It would probably be bad if he couldn’t control himself and he started feeling me up during church, right?”

“Making out in front of Jesus and all might freak out some of the parishioners,” I comment.  “But you don’t need to worry about that happening.  I’ve met the guy.  I think he’s way too …
nice
to even think of doing something like that.”

“Too nice?  Is that your way of saying he’s totally lame?”

“I really don’t know the guy.  But the impression I got is that he’s the type of guy who would ask permission before holding your hand.”

“So I’m going to have to initiate everything.  Great …”

Angela and I drive together in my Toyota.  We meet Britney and Eddie outside in front of the church.  After a quick introduction between Angela and Eddie, we all go inside to attend the service.

Britney and Eddie’s father, Pastor Donald Boyd, presides over the mass.  “How many of you have visited Bismarck, North Dakota?” he asks, beginning the sermon.  “I attended a conference there for church leaders recently.  One day I was driving in town looking for a place to eat lunch.  I ran across a restaurant by the name of ‘Space Aliens.’  I ended up eating there a few times that week and they had delicious pizza and ribs.  The entire interior of the place was decorated with creatures that came to earth from other planets.  They’re not from this world and that’s why they’re called ‘aliens.’  They’re from somewhere else.

“The word ‘alien’ is also used to describe people who were born in one country and are living in another.  A popular political debate in America is how we should handle illegal aliens – foreign people who have entered our country in violation of immigration laws.  Not all aliens are illegal and some become citizens, meaning that they’re no longer ‘aliens.’

“So now that we’ve gone over the word ‘alien’, I have to inform you of something.  We, as Christians, are aliens!  Why do I say this?  Read the book of Hebrews, Chapter Eleven, Verse Thirteen.  It says, ‘All these people were living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised; they only welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.’  You can also read the first book of Peter, Chapter Two, in which it says that we are ‘aliens and strangers in the world.’  The book of Deuteronomy, Chapter Twenty-Eight, Verse Forty-Three, says, ‘The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower.’

“You may be asking, ‘How can we be aliens?  We were born here, weren’t we?’  Yes, we were.  But we were born as
sinners
.  We were born as members of this evil world, born as children of Satan.  Luckily, God sent Jesus here to save us and bring us to a new home in heaven.

“Now let’s look at the word that both Peter and the book of Hebrews couple with the word ‘alien.’  They both say ‘aliens and
strangers
.’  How about this word ‘stranger’?  The Greek word we translate as ‘stranger’ means someone who is on a journey.  Similar to this is the English word ‘pilgrim.’  A pilgrim is someone who is on a journey.  Now, a pilgrim might settle down and stay somewhere for a time, but he is not yet at home.  He is on a journey until the pilgrim reaches his final destination.

“Sometimes in this life we don’t resist our sinful desires.  Instead we submit to them.  By doing this repeatedly we become comfortable with our sin.  As a result, we risk becoming aliens and strangers to the kingdom of God.  By becoming accustomed to the world of sin we risk losing our citizenship to heaven.

“This sinful world is not our true home.  There are many great places in this world, places God has provided for us, places to live and rest, but remember we’re still on a journey!  My brothers and sisters, live each day knowing that you are aliens and strangers on earth.  Whether you are working or playing or resting, live each day to glorify God.

“Fellow aliens, remember that as we travel on our journey God wants us to invite others to travel along with us.  You may meet people, nonbelievers, who are strangers and aliens to God’s kingdom.  Jesus also died for their sins.  Invite them to come here to church with you.  That way they too can have an opportunity to be born again in Christ.

“And, if you ever find yourself at the restaurant ‘Space Aliens’ in Bismarck, remember that you are an alien and stranger too!  That is, until the day we reach heaven.  And brothers and sisters, what a day that will be!  Amen.”

After church, we arrive at the Rolling Pin Café.  Uncomfortably the four of us sit, no one saying anything at first.

Eddie finally breaks the silence by asking Angela, “So how did you first start a relationship with Jesus Christ?”

Surprised, Angela says, “Oh, I … I’ve had a relationship with him for as long as I can remember.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to church.  But I love God.  God is great … Right?”  She looks at me, shrugs.

“No question about it,” Eddie agrees.  “I’m amazed every day by all the ways He blesses me.  Just this past week I was running late to school one day and, when I drove into the parking lot, there was a space right up front and I got to class on time.”

“Yeah, God blesses me in little ways like that all the time,” Britney says.  “I always say a little prayer to thank Him.”

Angela looks at me and mouths the words, “What the fuck?”

I shake my head.

“What do you guys plan to do for Halloween?” Angela asks.

“Actually we don’t celebrate it,” Britney says.  “Halloween has its roots in paganism and the darker things of this world instead of the light of Jesus Christ.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Angela says.  “I’ve always celebrated Halloween and felt it was pretty harmless.”

“Don’t feel bad.  We don’t judge you for it or anything,” Eddie says.  “We’re not against people who participate in Halloween.  We’re against the wicked forces that target people on Halloween.”

“Yeah, have you noticed how every year that Halloween costumes and movies are getting more and more gruesome and violent?”  Britney asks.  “Behind Christmas, Halloween is the second most celebrated holiday in America.  It’s getting to be a pretty big problem actually.”

“So you just ignore Halloween and do nothing that day?”  Angela asks.

“We used to,” Eddie says.

“But then I realized we were missing a great opportunity,” Britney says.  “I mean, I finally realized the appeal to young people.  It’s a costume party, something social, usually with music and drinks and food.  So a few years ago I was talking with our dad and I asked, ‘Why not put a Christian spin on this?  Instead of hiding and surrendering October thirty-first to the forces of evil, we should take the day back for Christ.’”

Eddie continues, “We have this huge convention room at the church so, when Britney came up with the idea, I suggested we use it to host a harvest party as a Christian alternative.  So for the past few years it’s been really successful.  It’s a regular costume party.  Nothing violent, gory, or scary.  It’s a fun, wholesome party and we also take some time to pray that the Lord obstruct occult rituals and provide salvation for those who participate in Halloween.”

“The turnout has been awesome and we expect this year’s to be our best yet,” Britney says.  “It’s a great way to make money for the church too.  I work the door and we charge seven dollars per person.”

“That’s a great idea,” I say, looking at Britney.  “You’re so talented at coming up with creative ways of bringing people to God.”

Angela looks at me weird because of the way I’m talking.

Britney smiles.  “Well, I can’t take all the credit.  Eddie helped a lot and Dad allowed us to try the idea.  Plus, when I have a good idea like that, it’s like it’s not me.  It’s more like Jesus is working through me, you know?”

“Exactly.”  I nod.  “Hey, could I do something to help?”

“Sure,” Britney says.  “What do you want to do?  We run different games, we give out refreshments and candy, we have judges for a costume contest.”

“Whatever’s available,” I say.  “I wouldn’t mind doing something near you so I could see you.”

“Well, we need two people to take money at the door.  Eddie and I usually do it, but …” She looks at Eddie.

“No, go ahead, you can take my place,” Eddie says to me.  “I was thinking about running one of the games anyway.  This way y’all can be together.”

“Great.”  Britney leans toward me and kisses the side of my face.  “I’m so happy you’re getting inspired to do church stuff.”  She looks across the table at Angela.  “Would you like to do anything?”

Angela glances at me and I give a slight nod.  “Sure, I’ll do whatever,” Angela says.

“You should have her run a game near you,” Britney says to Eddie.  “That way she can be near someone she knows.”

After brunch we drive to a public park and take a walk on a trail.  Angela and Eddie split off from Britney and me, walking about fifteen yards ahead of us.  Britney tells me that she’s found a position for me taking up donations during Sunday services.  “It’s a pretty easy job but someone has to do it,” she tells me.  “It should be a perfect way to start getting involved, just to get your feet wet.  If you like it, I can move you to something more challenging in the future if you want.”

Ahead of us, I eavesdrop on Angela’s conversation.  I see her touch Eddie’s arm and say, “I have to tell you something.  I was really nervous about today, it being a blind date and everything.  My brother told me good things about you.  But I was still sort of freaked out, you know?  Anyway, I was really relieved when I first saw you.  I don’t mean to embarrass you, but I thought you were really good-looking.”

Eddie blushes and says, “Thanks.  That’s really nice of you to say.”

“God must have been showing off when he made you.”

I laugh to myself, only half-listening as Britney talks to me.

The operation was simple.

Either Ariel or Cassie would have a babysitting job.  For example, a husband and wife would need Ariel to babysit one evening.  They would tell her where they were going, what time they’d return, and any other details regarding the care of their child.  And before they departed, they would give Ariel a house key or at least tell her where one was – just in case of an emergency.

Either Terrell or I would know where Ariel or Cassie was working on a given night.  If Terrell had the night off, I would stay at home by the phone and wait.  Ariel would distract the child with a movie or a TV show or, if it was late enough, send the child to bed.  Then she’d call me.

I would jump in the car and drive over to the house and knock lightly on the front door.  She would open it, hand me the house key, and return inside.

Terrell had a friend who was a key smith.  I would drive immediately to him and have the key duplicated.  Then I would drive back and return the original key to Ariel.  I would drive home with the duplicate.

While still in the house, Ariel would take a sheet of paper and a pencil.  She would draw the basic floor plans, note the locations of valuable items, and write down the home’s security alarm code if it had one.

Through this process, we gained information and easy access to houses.  With Ariel and Cassie both working multiple days per week for multiple families, our collection of duplicate keys grew exponentially.  Cassie and Ariel learned by casual conversation when families were leaving town for a vacation or a special occasion and leaving the house empty.

Once a house was vacated, Terrell and I raided it and locked the door on our way out.  Ariel and Cassie were never involved in this part.  We split the profit evenly four ways.

Cassie was stunned by the scheme.  “Have you done anything like this before?” she asked me.

I explained my relationship with Terrell and how DeAnthony and G.C. were murdered.

“You were doing this while we were together?”

“Yeah,” I told her.

We sat in her father’s office in her house.  Her parents watched TV in the living room.

“I can’t believe you kept that secret from me,” she stated, hurt.

“I didn’t know how you’d react.  I was afraid you’d freak out.”

“You’re almost, like, a gangster,” Cassie said.  “I didn’t know you were so bad.”

“Does that bother you?”

“No,” she said, pretending to pout.  “It’s kind of exciting.”  We had sex with her parents in the next room watching a game show.

              I began always pairing with Cassie and Terrell always with Ariel.  This allowed Ariel to drive herself in our car to her babysitting gigs instead of necessitating that I drop her off and pick her up at the end of the night.  It made scheduling simpler, divvying the work evenly among us, and allowed me to see Cassie more during the week.

              It also allowed Ariel to meet Terrell.  She had seen him around the neighborhood.  She knew he was my friend.  But she had never talked to him.

              One night Ariel was babysitting and Terrell was set to make the duplicate.  At home I did my homework and ate dinner with my mother before trailing off to sleep on the couch.  I woke up at two o’clock in the morning and the Toyota was missing from the driveway and Ariel still wasn’t home.