Trailer Park Princess (6 page)

My granny always said, “An apple a day keeps the doctors away.” I wish she were here so I could ask her what I need to eat a day to keep the trash bags away. Have I mentioned how bad I hate Ashley and her hoe-bag posse
?

Staring at my reflection in my majorly busted full-length mirror, which is super glued to my wall, I look a mess. The dress is hanging back in the plastic bag for safekeeping, but my face is a mess. My hair is OK, but it needs brushing. I’m just standing here trying to figure out what Toby sees in me.  I throw on an old Nirvana tank top and a pair of boy short bottoms and make my way down the hall to the bathroom to brush my teeth before crashing. When I hear the door open, I figure it’s only Carol, so I go ahead and brush my teeth, wash my face, and pull out the bobby pins hidden in my hair.  I finally feel refreshed and ready for bed. It’s been a long day. I decide to grab a glass of water, which ends up being my mistake.

“OMG, what’s wrong with her?” I gasp to the nasty bagged-out looking trucker standing over my mom while she is half sprawled on the couch passed out. They just had sex, or well, maybe he did. He must be into that weird dead-like sex because she is out cold. It’s obvious, though. I mean, she has…eww…
JIZZ
on her face, and he is grunting as he struggles to get his zipper up. I’m freaking out, but I can’t show it. I grab my glass, fill it, and turn back to him, pulling out a little Mandotude. “Whatev’s dude, can you just lock up if you’re not staying with her?”

I turn, against my better judgment, and walk to my room. I thank God that Thax is not home.
  I lock my door, not that it matters because this door is falling apart. It’s like closing a cardboard box lid. I hear him stumble around, grunt some more, and I think he is gone. I finally lay back and start to relax when my door handle jiggles. I shoot back up and jerk the covers up to my neck. My eyes are bugging out. “What?” No reply, but the door bursts open, and in front of me is the trucker guy. He looks like a firecracker coming undone. He is unraveled, wild-eyed, and crazy. He needs to shave, and his eyes are sunken into the dark bags underneath them so bad I can’t even tell the color. But he has a reckless soul; I can tell that. He advances, and I ask again, “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” I’m pissed that my voice actually cracks.  With a husky voice that proves too much liquor and smoking, all he gets out is, “YOU!”

And then he is on me. I try to shove him away, but he is too big. I let out a scream, and his hand clamps over my mouth. “Your mom is a zombie fuck. Boring. But you, baby, will be a wild little jack rabbit.” With one hand over my mouth and his body weight on me, I’m helpless. I refuse to cry. He reaches around and grabs my ass, squeezing. “I think I will take this, too.” He is not graceful due to his inebriated state of mind, so when he tries to undress me, he has to get almost completely up and move his hand from my mouth. If I can just kick him, I can make it out of here. I know the drill, but he has my foot trapped under his thunder thigh, damn it. So I build up all my strength to jerk, and when I do, I let out a torn shrill at a decibel a bat could hear. He throws his hands over his ears, and I kick him off me with all my power. I make it to the hall before his hand catches my foot, and I fall. Right as he is about to overpower me again, shorts down now—
oh, he is so close!
—he falls limply. I look at him confused until I notice a hand extend over my head. I peek up and see the most gorgeous creature I’m sure ever walked the face of this planet. Holy cow!
Breathe!
His skin is the color of coffee after adding creamer and his eyes are huge, almond shaped, and deep blue. His hair is short and jet black with a messy-on-purpose look.  Even through his jacket, I can tell he’s built. I take his hand, and he pulls me up. It’s like flipping a switch. I break down, tears covering my face.

“Thank you so much! You saved me!” I let out in a jumbled mess. He just wraps his ar
ms around me and tells me its OK and he is here. Who is he, though? I must be in shock and disoriented by the smell wafting off of him because when he says, “Well, do you?” all I can muster is a “Huh?” He rolls his eyes so hard I bet he can see his brain.

“DO.YOU.HAVE.SOMEWHERE.YOU.CAN.GO.TONIGHT?” Oh, that is what he asked.

“No, if you will help me get him out on the porch, I can lock up, though. It will be fine, OK?”

He looks like I just slapped him. “No, that is not
OK
! He just tried to rape you! What if he wakes up? No, either you leave or I’m calling the cops to come get him.”

I can’t let him call the 5-0. That means DHS, and Carol’s knocked out. I will not lose Thax. “I do not have anyone or I would go,
and no cops, OK? None.”

He looks torn. “OK
, you can go with me. You will be safe, and I’m just a few lots down.”

Now that I’m not in full panic mode, I realize I have seen him before. I don’t argue; I just grab my Chucks as we pass by the sofa and jerk them on as we step through the door. Shoot, it’s cold out here. He must notice because before I can say a word he has his coat off and is wrapping it around me, leaving him in just a sleeveless Pink Floyd tee.
MEXICAN JUMPIN’ BEANS,
his arms are toned, and good night at the tattoos!
WOW!
That is about as much thought as I have as I try to keep from falling. Falling to the ground I mean. Between the cold and my nerves, I can hardly move.

Next thing I know, he has me picked up and is toting me in his arms like
a bride. “It’s OK. You’re barely mobile, and at your speed I may freeze to death.”

He starts to sprint, and I notice his smile. His teeth are perfect, like braces at tween age perfect. And white…
My, my, how white your teeth are. The better to nip me with
. I should be ashamed, but I can’t help it right now. This guy is literally my hero. I may worship the ground he walks on for the rest of our lives. Upon entering through the door, I quickly realize his place is nicer than ours. It’s cleaner and has nicer possessions. I see a little body snuggled up on the sofa. He makes his way over, kisses his forehead, tucks the cover in, reaches over, and clicks the TV off. Turning to me, he puts his finger over his lips, telling me to be quiet and follow him.

I stand there looking around his room. He pulls a hoodie out and hands it over. “You are froze solid. Put this on. Do you need sweats?” I shake my head no and plop down on his bed, which is just a box spring and mattress on the floor. He flips on the radio low and turns with sweats in hand “Hang on,” he says before he steps out. When he comes back in, he has his shirt still on and the baggy sweats…yum
. . .
STOP IT!! TOBY, TOBY, TOBY!

“So where am I sleeping since your sofa is taken? And where’s your mom?” He looks sad, but he answers nonetheless.

“Well, first, you are sleeping here, where I know you’re safe. I will not touch you, I swear. I will make a blanket bed in the floor. And second, she is not here. It’s just me and my two little brothers. One’s in the other bedroom, and the other, as you saw, is knocked out on the sofa in a cartoon-induced coma.” He laughs at himself, which is adorable. He doesn’t scare me at all. He saved me from Monster Trucker. I can’t let myself impose on him anymore than I already have.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor. As long as you sleep with your clothes on, we can share.”

He changes the station on the radio to play newer music. I was enjoying the oldies, and well, the new stuff makes me think about Toby and how he may react to all this. Oh well, I can’t worry about that right now. I’m safe tonight, and that is what truly matters.

“By the way, I’m Rome,
Rome Tate.” he sticks his hand out to me and I reach for it shakily.

“Rory.”
                           

He smiles that—yep, you guessed it—panty-dropping smile again, and I melt just a little.

“Nice to meet you. Now scoot over; you’re hogging the bed.”

We both burst out laughing. I turn my back to him and cuddle under the sheets. Man, they smell good.

“Thank you, Rome.”

He keeps his back against the wall, singing low, “I will wait…” He has a wonderful voice. I turn back over, and I can see his face just barely from the street light outside.

“I love your voice and that song. Please don’t stop until I’m snoring,” I chuckle, fading out with a yawn. Next thing I know, his hand is in my hair scratching my scalp, and he is singing. 

The sun on my face wakes me, and I have no clue what time it is.
  I go to stretch but quickly realize I’m hooked inside…OMG…Rome. I try to get up without waking him. How in the world did we get entwined and wrapped around one another?
EPIC FAIL!
He opens his eyes, blinking wildly. Man, he is even more beautiful in the daylight. A smile spreads across his face.

“Good morning, Rory.” He untangles us and sits up. “Let me get the boys started, and I will walk you back over. I want to make sure that guy has left.”

He goes to fix bowls of cereal and start the TV with two very wild, happy little boys, maybe four to seven years old, bouncing around his knees squealing. The whole scene is amazing to watch.

“OK,
guys, I’m going to walk Rory home, and I’ll be back in five. If you need me, just holler from the porch, and I will be right here.” Turning back to me, Rome smiles when he sees I have found the stash of suckers.
YUMMY!
I hold one up, and he laughs “Yes, Rory, you can have one.” I pop it in and make a sweet throaty moan “Uh, these are heavenly. Suckers are my kryptonite, just so ya know. And dude, seriously, come off one of those orange flavored Vitamin C’s in a pouch.”

All I get from him is an explanation, one that I should have really asked for last night. “Those suckers are what saved you last night. I been trying to quit smoking, and I substitute it with those; however, I still like to sit outside and get fresh air while I think and finish one. I had just walked out when I heard something between a plea for help and a siren going off. It took me a minute of running between trailers to pinpoint yours, and thank God above your door was unlocked.”

I sit stunned, unsure what I’m supposed to say. “Thank you again, Rome, really. I’m very lucky you were out there sucking down my kryptonite.” I giggle and swing my sucker in his direction. He tries to snap at it, leading to a playful shoving match between us.

“Who is this, Whome?” the youngest little brother asks.

“She’s a friend.” Rome gives me a wink and picks up the small boy, sitting him at a lap desk in the floor.

“Her’s purdy,” he giggles.

I bust out in a full-on belly laugh. “Thank you, kind sir,” I say while ruffling his messy bed head.

Still in my boy cut shorts and Kurt Cobain tank, wrapped warmly in a very large Rome hoodie, we start walking towards my house. “You know, Rory, for a girl who was almost
. . .you know…you aren’t very upset.”

The silence between us is deafening.
Was that a cricket
? After a few seconds, I decide to be very honest with him. I mean, the first time I met him, I slept in his bed, and wore his clothes. I have not even done that with Toby. So why not be honest?

“That’s because this has happened so many times in the past, I can’t even count.
  I just got comfortable here and forgot how to play the game.”  Well that is not going to sit well, so I continue, after seeing his quizzical glare. “I usually drop Benadryl in their beer, so by the time my mom is knocked out, they are, too. It’s always worked, but I forgot last night, thinking he would just leave.” I notice we are almost back to my place. I did not realize he lived so close. We are both walking slowly.

“You need to be more c
areful. What’s your number? I’ll text you, and you save it. If you ever feel like you need saving, just call me.”

I know my face has a more-than
-friends look on it, but I don’t mean for it to. Rome is untouchable to me. Older, HOT, bad boy, baggage…and then there’s Toby.  I need to get a grip.

“Thank you so much,” I say as I key my number into his phone.
  He leaves me only after checking the house to make sure I’m alone. Carol stumbles past us as we go up the steps. At least the trucker is gone and likely states away by now.