by Jason Zandri
As Life Goes—The End of the Innocence by Jason Zandri
Published with the authorization of Jason Zandri, Connecticut 06492, United States of America
Copyright ©2015 by Jason Zandri
All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher.
The example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred.
In the place where a real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended, the ownership and copyrights of those aforementioned subjects remain with those owners.
CHAPTER ONE
Matthew Sanford pulled his red Chevrolet conversion van along the curb in front of the three-family house where Melissa lived with her mother. He looked at the time on the dash; it read 6:15 a.m. Just as he glanced back over at her sister’s apartment next door, Diane Wakeford stepped out.
Matthew got out of the van and walked around behind it.
“Good morning,” Diane said while she pulled the door closed and locked the deadbolt. “Are you taking Melissa and the gang to the beach again?”
“Hi, Di. Yes, we decided to go since none of us had to work today.”
Matthew dragged his fingers through his slightly long brown hair. “Well, Tim had to work, but then he got someone to cover for him.”
“I hope Missy is chipping in for gas.” Diane stepped out to the sidewalk.
“Having a car is expensive with the service, fuel, and insurance. She works too; she can pitch in.”
Matthew looked at Diane’s features and the outline of her face. Every time he did, he could see Melissa, and he always graced the feeling with a warm smile. This conversation proved no different. “She offers. Almost every time. I always tell her no. I get a few bucks from the guys. I just feel better about it like that.”
Diane smiled. “You know,” she said, turning a little to keep the sun out of her eyes. “You’ve turned into quite an impressive young man in so many different ways, but most of all how you treat people.” Diane’s tone turned somewhat somber for a moment. “Don’t ever let the travails of life take any of that wind out of your sails.”
Matthew just looked at her for a moment. He wasn’t sure how to take the comment. “Is everything okay, Diane?”
“Oh sorry,” she said recovering her normal, happy tone. “I didn’t mean to be a wet blanket on your beach day. Just some things on my mind. So whom are you picking up today?”
Matthew didn’t dismiss Diane’s demeanor, but he let it go for the time being. “After I get your sister here, I’m going to swing around to get Tim and his girlfriend, Patti. Then I’ll go get Mike and Lesley.” He dragged his foot a bit on the sidewalk. “I think Missy said Alecia and Carrie wanted to go, so I’ll get them too. It’s why I start so early. By the time we fetch everyone and get out of town, it’s after eight.”
“And you go all the way to Misquamicut?” Diane asked.
“Yep,” Matthew said. “It’s a nicer beach. It’s a fun ride in the van. We
listen to the music, and then we spend the day there.”
“Are you still stopping on the way home in Old Saybrook for pizza?”
Diane took a small step backward and glanced down at her watch.
“It’s the ritual,” Matthew said with a grin. “I figure we have a couple more weeks or so of opportunity then it’s back to Sheehan for senior year.
We might not get the chance next summer, depending on who’s going where and doing what for college, work, and other things.”
The popping sound of the neighboring door pulled Matthew’s attention, and he turned to see Melissa coming out in her yellow two-piece, covered only by a flimsy pullover. She waved to the two of them and came down the stairs. “I was waiting for you to come inside and get me,” she said, smiling.
The early morning summer breeze blew her long black hair behind her. “But I see I’m no competition for the engaging conversation of the illustrious Miss Wakeford.” Melissa bounded over to Matthew’s side and pulled her fingers through her hair.
“Well, good morning, Miss Bancroft,” Diane said with a grin. “I see you’re wearing the minimum amount of bathing suit as required by law.”
“Oh geez,” Melissa said and tugged on her pullover while adjusting her top. “You sound like Mom now.”
“The only reason you get away with that outfit with Mom is because she knows you’re going with Tim and Matthew,” Diane said. “Otherwise, she’d never let you out of the back yard with it on.”
“Really?” Melissa said, and her voice moved away from its original playful tone. She looked herself over. “Matthew,” she said. “Is this suit ‘too much’?”
“I think it’s fine.” He looked her up and down once. “You could almost pass for a girl.” At speed, he backed up.
“You jerk,” she said, taking a playful swing at him. “Paul likes it.”
“Ah, the new guy,” Matthew said. “What happened with Chris?”
“Well ...” Melissa switched her beach bag between her hands and stepped towards the van. “Come to find out we wanted different things.” She peeked into the side-view mirror where her brown eyes stared back at her.
Matthew moved over to open the passenger slider for her to get into the van. “Such as?”
“I wanted him to be … I don’t know, decent, I guess,” she said, climbing into the van.
Matthew closed the door part of the way. “And what did he want?”
“Dumb whore, Jenny.”
Matthew whistled and closed the door. “Guess I won’t ask what that’s all about.” He looked at Diane.
“Good idea,” Diane said. Matthew came around to the back of the van to cross over to the driver’s side. “Matthew?” Diane said before he stepped all the way around.
He turned back and looked at her. Diane hesitated for a moment with her mouth open. “Have fun today,” she said, still hesitant.
Matthew stared for a moment. “Okay,” he said with a small grin. “Was there something else?” He took a small step toward her.
Again, Diane hesitated. “No,” she said in a hushed voice. “Just have fun.
And be careful.”
“Yes, Mom,” Matthew said.
Diane curled her hand into a fist, shook it, and puckered her face tight.
Matthew laughed aloud. “Did you want a ride to the store?” he said, wiping his eyes, which teared up from laughing.
“No, thank you,” she said. “I like the short walk, and it’s nice out.”
Matthew waved and turned to get into the van.
***
Diane stood at the main counter at Colony Convenience. Elizabeth Wellsworth walked through the door. “Fifteen on pump four, please,” she said, handing a twenty to Diane.
Diane turned the pump on and made the change for her. “You’re Elizabeth, right?”
“Yes,” Liz said. “You’re Missy’s sister, right? Diane?”
“I am,” Diane said with a glance out the window and over to her car. She noticed the girls in the car and all the beach attire. “I guess everyone’s going to the beach today except me.”
“Really?” Liz looked around the store. “Is Matthew going?”
“Oh,” Diane said. “I assumed you were tagging along with them. Once in a while there’s a second car full when his van is loaded.”
“He’s going to be at Rocky Neck today?” Liz asked.
Diane paused for a moment. She realized that Liz wasn’t going with them, and then remembered that Liz and Melissa didn’t get along that well with one another. “Um … I’m not sure where they’re going.”
Liz looked out the window of the store just as Matthew’s van pulled into the lot. “I guess I can ask him now,” she said and turned to walk out of the
store. On the way, she shook out her long red hair.
***
Mark exited the back room and looked out the window to see his son’s van come to park in the open space. “I see everyone is going to the beach except us,” he said to Diane.
She laughed. “I just said that to Elizabeth.”
Mark scratched an itch on the side of his head. Diane looked at his graying hair, and then reached up and touched her shoulder-length black hair while she stared at him.
“Do I have something in my hair?” Mark asked, playing with it some more.
“Oh, no,” Diane said, and then realized she was staring at him. “Sorry.”
Mark walked around the counter to see his reflection in the small two-way mirror on the wall. He sighed. “Just like my Dad.” He sounded somewhat resigned.
“How so?” Diane asked.
“Well …” Mark turned around to look at her. “My Dad started getting gray hair in his forties as well. I’ll be forty-three soon; I’d hoped it would take a little longer.”
Diane turned an eyebrow up and grinned. “I think it makes you look even sexier than you already are.”
Mark smiled. “Easy for you to say; your hair is jet black as the day I met you.”
“And if it wasn’t?” she asked.
“It wouldn’t matter.” Mark turned toward the larger area of the store. “I’d still want you more than I did yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow.”
A warm feeling rushed over her while she watched him move away.
***
At the side of the van, Tim pulled the slider open to grab the cooler, and Matthew hopped out of the driver’s door. Michael Anderson popped his head out of the back seat area. “You guys need any help?”
“Nah,” Tim said. “You can stay with the girls.” He grinned and looked back. Michael shook his fist playfully. “I’ll keep them all warm.” Lesley Patterson, his girlfriend, shoved him at the remark.
Tim looked over at his girlfriend Patti, and then he turned to Matthew, who came around the van.
“Hi Liz,” Matthew said to her as she approached the van.
Tim looked into the van to see Melissa scowl while she looked past Carrie and Alecia.
“So, I see you’re all headed to the beach as well,” she said, overtly adjusting her top. Matthew followed her hands with his eyes.
Carrie gave Melissa a slight shove and pointed. Melissa turned back, looked at her, and whispered in a harsh tone, “What?”
Tim stuck his head back into the van part way to listen.
“She’s going to bait him,” Carrie said quietly. “She’ll find out where we’re going; do you really want her there?”
“Not really my business,” Melissa said just as quietly. Alecia leaned in. “I have a new boyfriend now and—”
“And nothing,” Alecia said. “Paul was conveniently around and asked you to the movies when Chris pulled that bullshit stunt. I’ve never understood why you and Matthew never got together.”
“I know why,” Carrie said in a hushed tone. Patti listened in as well. “It’s like Alecia said, you never really give him the chance. You end one boyfriend and end up with another one asking you to a movie or skating or something.”
“So it’s my fault that I like to go out and do things with boys?” Melissa asked with narrowed eyes.
“It’s not that. You just never give him the chance,” Patti said, and held her hands up, palms out.
“We’ve been friends for years,” Melissa said, looking over at Matthew. “I never considered it much and always figured if he liked me more than friends he’d say something.” Her tone changed slightly. “He never has.”
“That’s what we’re saying,” Carrie said. “You’re never giving him the chance. You are good friends; he knows that too. He doesn’t want to ruin that, so when a chance opens, he treads lightly, but before he takes a chance you’re out to pizza with the next boy.”
Melissa didn’t respond immediately. She continued to focus on Matthew and Liz. She watched him look at her, and then looked up and down her figure herself. “If I stepped out of the van now, he wouldn’t even see me.”
Alecia looked over at Matthew. “You have a boyfriend now; he knows that. He’s not going to challenge.”
“Liz has a boyfriend too. More than one, for that matter.” Melissa glared.
“Not stopping him from looking at her like that.” Self-conscious, she pulled at her bathing suit top. “Maybe if I looked that … healthy …”
“Pay better attention, girl,” Patti said with a snap in her voice, undoing her sandy blond hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. “He looks at Liz like that when he sees her; when she’s front and present. Take a better look at him at other times. That look in his eyes; it’s always there for you, whenever someone mentions your name, even when you’re nowhere around.”
Tim took a couple of steps back.
Liz reached up and gave Matthew a quick hug. “I’m sure we’ll run into you,” she said, letting go and turning to look into the van through the windshield. She smiled directly at Melissa, and then turned to walk away.
Mark exited the store from the main door and walked toward the boys.
“Live it up,” he called out warmly. “Summer is almost over, and then it’s back to the grind.”
“Hi, Dad,” Matthew said and turned to walk up. He glanced over to watch Liz head back to her car. “Can we pay for some ice to keep the sodas cold?”
he asked while Tim followed.
“No,” Mark said. Tim and Matthew stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at one another. “When have I ever charged you for the ice?”
“Man,” Tim said. “I never get used to your dry humor, sir.”
“I like that you boys always ask to pay. It’s the right thing to do,” Mark said.
“Is my Dad here yet?” Tim asked while they all continued over to the ice machine.
“Not yet,” he said. “He’s been working a lot; we’ve had a full schedule for weeks now, but his back bothered him. I told him to rest up a little this morning, and that I would tackle the first couple of cars in myself.”
Tim turned his head a little, “Thank you for that, Mr. Sanford; I know he appreciates it.” Tim looked over at the cars in the side lot. “I see you’re selling some used cars now.” He set the cooler down.
“Yes,” Mark said, and then diverged away from the boys and headed to the garage bay. Over his shoulder, he said, “We finally got that dealer license we needed, and I picked those up at auction last weekend. Your father has a keen eye; saved me from some potential lemons.”
“Didn’t you sell some cars before, Dad?” Matthew asked, shoveling ice into the cooler.
“We have been for a couple of years now, but it’s been under the maximum since we didn’t have the license to do more. Diane got everything together for me at the state—forms and such, which allows us to sell more of
them legally.”
Another car pulled into the pump area at the north side of the store.
Matthew looked over to Liz, who finished pumping her fuel. He then looked back at the fuel pumps on the north side of the property and closed the lid to the cooler. “How are the new pumps on that side working out?” He flipped his thumb over his shoulder.
“Good.” Mark stopped at the door to the garage. “People heading up and down Ward Street favor them, and it keeps some of the congestion down at the front of the store.” Mark glanced at the girls, who’d stepped out of the van to stretch their legs. “Not for anything, guys,” he said. “I’m amazed that the girls’ fathers let you three boys take off with
their daughters in a van to the beach.”
“Dad!” Matthew said while Tim chuckled.
“Kidding,” Mark said. “But you do have five of them in there; safety in numbers, I suppose.”
“We’re eighteen.” Matthew pointed at himself and then Tim. “Heck, Tim will be nineteen soon.”
“And aren’t the girls seventeen?” Mark asked.
“Well … yeah. They’ll all be eighteen over the next few months,”
Matthew said.
Mark waved his hands. “I’m joshing with you guys; you’re good boys …”
Mark paused for a moment. “Well, I guess, ‘men’ now. You’re good men; you do the right things, and you treat people well. You work hard. I shouldn’t make light of that.” He smiled. “Have a good day at the beach today.”
Matthew and Tim turned and picked up the full cooler together. Mark headed inside, as the two of them headed over to the van.
“So I guess Liz is headed to the beach as well?” Tim asked.
“Yeah,” Matthew said. “Donna and Marie were in her car. They were going to Rocky Neck.”
“Were?” Tim glanced sideways at Matthew.
“Well, when I told them we were heading to Misquamicut, Liz said she’d head there as well,” Matthew said.
Tim slowed his pace and tugged backward on the ice chest.
“What?” Matthew asked.
“That’s going to go over like rocks in a boat with Melissa.” Tim set the chest down.
Matthew looked over at the van. Melissa looked at him past Carrie and
Alecia, who had stepped outside. “Look, we’ve all known each other since we were little; you guys more than me. Melissa has a boyfriend anyway. And Liz … well … Liz is Liz. She’s not going out with a guy like me when she has the pick of the litter. Heck, she never sticks to one anyway; she has more than one. I’m not interested in being one of many.”
“Even if it means being with Liz?” Tim asked.
“Well …” Matthew tugged forward with the cooler. “I wouldn’t say no; you’re right about that. If I could get her out on a date, I might ask. I will tell you, there’s no way I’m competing over a girl. I feel like I’m a nice person and fun to be around. They should be able to see that; I see those same good qualities in them.”