Tools of the Devil

by Barbara L. Clanton

  “She’s on the couch as we speak.”

  “Geez. Tell her I’ll be right out.”

  Her mother closed the door, and Lisa flew out of the bed finding more comfortable clothes. She threw on a sweater that Sam had bought for her in New York, and after a quick trip to the bathroom, she was ready to have a carefree Friday night.

  “Sorry, Marlee,” Lisa said as she headed to the coat hooks. “I must have fallen asleep.” Lisa looked at her still-empty dinner plate on the kitchen table. “Mom, I’m sorry. You went to all that trouble, and I slept right through dinner.”

  “More meatballs for me,” Lisa’s father joked.

  “Did you save me some?” Lisa’s eyes were wide. This was serious business. Stealing a girl’s meatballs was unforgivable.

  “Yes, honey,” her mother reassured her. “I made sure the vultures didn’t devour everything.”

  “She is so mean,” Lisa’s father teased. “A man could starve around here.”

  “Oh, sure,” her mother said folding her arms across her chest.

  “C’mon, Marlee. We need to get out of here before this escalates,” Lisa said. She laughed to let Marlee know she was teasing.

  As they headed out the door, Lisa stopped and said, “Hey Lynnie, how are your violin lessons coming?” Sam had set Lynnie up with a website that gave free beginner violin lessons. Lynnie used her new Kindle Fire to watch the lessons.

  “Good, I think,” Lynnie said, her face beaming. “Tell Sam I can make real musical notes with the bow.”

  “That’s awesome. I’ll tell her, okay?”

  “Okay. Tell her I said, ‘hi.’”

  “Absolutely.” Lisa turned and was just about to turn the doorknob, when her brother ran over to her.

  “Lisa?” he asked quietly.

  “Yes, Lawrence Jr.?” She mouthed the word ‘sorry’ to Marlee. Marlee shook her head to say it was fine.

  “If you marry Sam, will she be your husband?”

  Lisa burst out laughing, but quickly squelched it. It was obvious that he was trying his six-year-old best to understand. “Sorry, buddy, I didn’t mean to laugh. But, no, Sam will be my wife.”

  “That sounds weird.”

  “I know, but Papa’s always saying how weird we are, right?”

  “You got that right,” Marlee mumbled.

  “Hey,” Lisa laughed and playfully smacked Marlee in the stomach, “stop helping.”

  “So,” Lawrence Jr. continued, “if I get married, then I’ll have a wife?”

  “If you marry a girl, then yes. If you marry a boy, then you’ll have a husband.”

  Without saying a word, he turned on his heels and ran to the kitchen. “Mama, what’s for dessert?” Lisa shrugged and then she and Marlee headed out the door.

  Thankfully the drive to Sam’s house was relatively quick. Susie’s car was already there, parked at the farthest end of the long circular driveway.

  Sam opened the front door to the mansion for them and then swooped Lisa in her arms and kissed her right there in the foyer.

  “Where are your parents?” Lisa whispered.

  “Out,” Sam said with a mischievous grin. “Daddy’s at a political fundraiser in Watertown and won’t be back until late. Mother’s at an overnight spa treatment in Saratoga and won’t be back until Sunday. She had so many spa treatments in Switzerland; I can’t imagine why she thinks she needs more.”

  “So that means we’re alone?” Marlee could barely conceal her excitement.

  “Yep,” Susie answered. “We’re hanging out in Sam’s suite.”

  “Oh, man,” Marlee gushed. “No parents. This is awesome.”

  “C’mon, women,” Sam said, “let’s get this party started.”

  They headed upstairs to the suite where Sam had set up a cheese and cracker platter along with some fresh fruit.

  “Food,” Lisa said. “Fan-freakin’ tastic. I didn’t eat dinner.” Lisa filled a plate and had the first cheesy cracker in her mouth before they’d settled down on the couch in Sam’s living room.

  “Drinks are in the fridge,” Sam opened her mini-fridge to show Lisa the choices.

  “Wine? Sam, are you sure?” Lisa knew they shouldn’t, but the one time they’d had wine before, it was really good.

  “Yeah, Susie and Marlee are only going to have one glass since they’re driving later, but we’ll be fine.”

  Lisa relaxed and let Sam pour her a glass of the white zinfandel she’d snagged from the wine cellar. After a few sips, Lisa felt loose enough to relay the crap Missy had dragged her through that week. Sam was outraged, and Susie was ready to go kick some Missy Matthews butt.

  “Guys, guys, relax,” Lisa said from her cuddly spot on the couch next to Sam. “When my teacher grades my quiz and sees how great I did, she’ll know that I didn’t cheat.”

  “You guys have to understand,” Marlee said. “Missy has some serious issues. She thinks she can run to her daddy all the time when things get hard.”

  “Too bad her father couldn’t do her homework for her, too,” Lisa said with a laugh. Sam poured her a second glass of wine.

  “Oh, geez, Sam,” Lisa said and pinched the end of her nose. “I don’t know. My nose is already numb.”

  “Now I’ve got you where I want you.” Sam laughed lecherously.

  “You have me anyway, doofus,” Lisa said with a laugh and smacked Sam playfully on the arm.

  “Oh, yeah?” Sam retaliated with a few tickles along Lisa’s sides. Lisa was especially vulnerable along her torso, especially when she and Sam had their more intimate moments.

  “Get a room, you two,” Susie called over to them.

  Sam waggled her eyebrows. “Hey, you guys, guess what tomorrow is.”

  “What?” Susie answered for them all.

  Sam pulled Lisa close. “Eight months for us.”

  Lisa inhaled sharply. She had forgotten. “Sam, I’ve been so busy, I wasn’t even thinking about it. Eight months already?” She pulled Sam closer and rubbed her wine-numbed nose against Sam’s. She tilted her head and moved in for a kiss. She sometimes felt a little awkward making out with Sam when Susie and Marlee were right there, but true to form, they started doing the same thing on the loveseat.

  Sam pulled out of the kiss and looked at Lisa with so much hunger that tendrils of desire twisted their way around Lisa’s body. “C’mon,” Sam said and stood. She reached her hand out.

  Lisa took it.

  “Guys,” Sam said to Marlee and Susie who probably couldn’t hear them over the steamy state they were in. “You can have the big couch. We’re heading into my bedroom.”

  “Excelente,” Susie said and went back to kissing Marlee.

  “I’ll turn your lights low,” Sam said. When she didn’t get a response, she and Lisa laughed. “I’m locking the suite door, too.” Still no response. “And we’ll knock before we come back out.”

  “Get gone already,” Susie called to them making everybody laugh.

  Lisa followed Sam into her bedroom.

  Sam pulled her into the semi-dark room, the only light coming from the outside security lights seeping around the closed blinds. Sam kissed Lisa’s neck, finding all the right spots that made Lisa moan. Lisa’s sweater came off and soft lips made their way over bare skin. After Lisa’s silk bra found its way to the floor, Sam’s quickly followed. Their mutual desire amped up and soon all articles of clothing lay in a heap on the floor. Lisa fell into the queen-sized bed pulling Sam on top of her. She pulled the sheet and comforter over both of them.

  Sam’s kisses didn’t quench her thirst, but fueled it. Sam’s slow caresses were pure torture. Lisa cried out for release, and it wasn’t long before Sam obliged. Once sated, Lisa hugged Sam tightly to her, and cried into her shoulder.

  “What’s the matter, baby?” Sam stroked Lisa’s hair.

  Lisa couldn’t answer right away. She had to catch her breath first.

  “You’re okay,” Sam soothed. “I’m here.”

  “I for
got our anniversary,” Lisa finally said, her voice still shaky with emotion.

  “That’s okay,” Sam said with a laugh. “It isn’t until tomorrow, anyway. You would have remembered by then.”

  “I hope so.” Lisa took a deep breath and kissed Sam’s collarbone. “Are you coming over tomorrow? Lynnie wants to show you her new violin skills.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Can we do homework together? I have a big current events project in AP Enviro I have to work on.”

  “My parents will love the fact that I’m doing homework. But why are we talking about my parents?”

  “Good question,” Sam said and snuggled closer. “Mmm, you had a good one tonight.”

  Lisa moaned. “No, it wasn’t good, it was amazing.”

  “I think everyone in East Valley heard it, too,” Sam said.

  “Oh. My. God.” Lisa smacked Sam on the shoulder. “Well, it’s all your fault. You’re too good.”

  “I know.”

  “Modest, too.”

  Lisa reached around Sam and flipped her over in the bed. After untangling the sheets that had wrapped around their jumbled legs, Lisa began a slow exploration of Sam’s body until Sam demanded a more concentrated area of exploration. Afterward they held each other tight, dozing off a little, until Sam said, “Baby, you have to go. I don’t want you to miss your curfew.”

  “Mmm.” Lisa didn’t open her eyes. She snuggled against Sam more tightly. “I don’t want to get up. I want to live with you and never have to leave.”

  Sam answered by kissing Lisa’s eyelids, her nose, her forehead, her cheeks, her earlobes, her chin, her neck until Lisa finally opened her eyes.

  “One day we will,” Sam said and sat up. “I promise.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” — Matthew 6:14-15

  MONDAY MORNING, SECOND period, Ms. Lye silently returned the retake quiz to Lisa. She smiled and then winked before walking back to her desk to start the class. Lisa’s hands shook as she slowly turned the paper over. It was all she could do not to stand up and high-five everyone in the room, because written at the top in bold red ink was, “100%.” Underneath that was a handwritten note from Ms. Lye which read, “You really know your stuff, Lisa. I never doubted you.”

  “Yes, yes, yes,” Lisa mumbled to herself. She looked over at Missy who hadn’t gotten a quiz back.

  Missy snarled at her. “I’m getting suspended because of you,” she whispered across the aisle.

  “Because of me?” Lisa said. “I didn’t do anything to you, and you know it.”

  “Humph.” Missy folded her arms and looked away.

  Some people just could not be saved, Lisa thought with a slow shake of her head. She sighed and got out her notebook. Oh, well, it wasn’t her concern.

  Ms. Lye dimmed the lights and shined her PowerPoint notes on the pull-down screen. Oh, goody, diseases of the blood. As Lisa took notes an unsettled feeling fell upon her. Although she had dodged the false cheating accusation, something still didn’t feel right. Missy was going to continue to make her life miserable for reasons known only to her. What was it she and Sam had read in the Old Testament on Saturday? Researching Sodom and Gomorrah passages on their eight-month anniversary was a weird thing to do, she knew, but Sam didn’t seem to mind. Especially since they had some nice alone time in Sam’s new car later that evening. She wracked her brain trying to think of the Bible passage that was knocking on her skull.

  The lights were low and Ms. Lye was clear on the other side of the room, so Lisa chanced it. She reached down into her backpack and slowly pulled out her Bible. Keeping it in her lap, she found the yellow post-it notes she’d used to mark the Sodom passages. She opened the Bible slowly and as luck would have it, she found the passage on the first try. Ezekiel 16:49 read, “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.”

  Lisa reread that last line. “Did not aid the poor and needy.” She glanced over at Missy, who must have sensed it and sent Lisa a withering look. Lisa simply smiled, slid her Bible into her backpack and refocused on the notes. Her mind made up, she would talk to Ms. Lye after class, and if she went for it, Missy was not going to know what hit her.

  TUESDAY EVENING WAS finally on them. Lisa tried to keep her nerves under control while Marlee drove them to the college in her van. Lisa, Marcus, Marlee, and Julie had spent every second of their common lunch periods scouring their Bibles for passages they might be able to use. If Lisa thought she’d been getting weird looks and whispers before, sitting in the cafeteria reading Bibles got her even more. Realizing that she didn’t care about the whispers in regard to her and her friends reading the Bible made her wonder why it bothered her so much when people whispered about the fact that she was gay. She had always thought it was other people that suffered from homophobia, but maybe she had a form of internalized homophobia, too.

  Sam and Susie were waiting for them in the parking lot in Sam’s new Mercedes. Sam popped out of her car and gave Lisa a kiss that made Lisa forget all about religious debates.

  When they entered the lobby of the Student Union, Lisa said, “Hey, hey, hey, I had my mind wrapped up in this debate tonight, and I completely forgot to tell you guys.”

  “What’s up?” Sam slipped an arm around Lisa’s waist.

  “Ms. Lye thought it was a great idea. She ran it by Mr. Braun, and it’s gonna happen.”

  “No way,” Julie said. “Seriously? You’re going to tutor Missy Matthews?”

  Lisa nodded. “Yup. And if Missy attends three one-hour sessions with me, then she’ll only have to serve a week’s worth of after-school detentions.”

  “Tu eres loca, chica,” Susie said with a shake of her head.

  “We all think you’re bonkers, Lisa,” Marlee said, “but it might be the only way to reach Missy.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping,” Lisa said. “She wanted to make my life a living hell? Well, I’m going to beat her to it.”

  “How? By forcing her to spend time with a known lesbo?” Sam’s evil laugh echoed off the concrete floors of the lobby.

  “More like forcing her to actually learn science instead of cheating her way through.” Lisa bumped Sam with her hip.

  “Sounds like a good lesson,” Julie said, “but I’m not sure she’s going to be a good student. You go ahead and keep telling yourself otherwise, though.” Julie rolled her eyes dramatically conveying everything Lisa was thinking.

  “We’d better get upstairs,” Marcus said reaching for Julie’s hand. He led the way up the stairs and into the room they used for the youth alliance meetings.

  The room was packed with so many kids it was hard to maneuver. According to Ronnie and Jordan, the Respect video had been getting a lot of attention. When Jordan said they were coming out of the woodwork, Ronnie quipped, “No, Jordan, they’re coming out of the closet,” causing everyone within earshot to laugh.

  Freddie and Rebekah were already there looking one part curious and two parts scared to death.

  “Hey, Freddie,” Sam said. “Hey, Rebekah. Glad you could make it.”

  “We’re looking forward to it,” Freddie said and tugged nervously at the hem of his sweater vest. Most of the other kids were dressed down in jeans and sweatshirts, but Freddie and Rebekah had dressed up. That was nice. They were showing respect.

  They chatted for a few minutes, and Lisa outlined the rules of the debate to them. Marlee added that they hoped to create something similar to the Respect video.

  “Excuse me for disagreeing,” Freddie said, “but the way you’re making this sound, you’re going to have something epic, something much bigger than your Respect video. I promise you.”

  “You think so?” Julie asked.

  Both Freddie and Rebekah nodded.

  “Tha
t would be cool,” Marlee said.

  Freddie tugged on his sweater again. He was clearly nervous. “I’m not sure how we can help, but we’ll do what we can.”

  “That would be great, you guys,” Lisa said. “Your support means a lot. Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have to go say, ‘hi’ to somebody.”

  “Okay, baby,” Sam said. “Give me your coat, and I’ll put it on the table.”

  “Thanks.” Lisa gave Sam a quick kiss and headed across the room to a group of athletic looking girls. Jessica Myers, the jerk who wouldn’t pass her the ball in PE, stood among them.

  “Hey, Jessica,” Lisa said and watched Jessica’s cheeks turn red. “It’s good to see you here.” Jessica brushed back a stray lock of light brown hair that had escaped from her ponytail. Her black leather jacket, hip-hugger black jeans with wide belt, and Riot Grrl t-shirt made it perfectly clear to Lisa that Jessica was family in a big way.

  “Yeah, we thought we should check it out,” Jessica said. The ‘we’ referred to her and her three friends, girls that Lisa didn’t recognize.

  “Welcome,” Lisa said. “There are drinks and snacks at the far table over there if you’re hungry.”

  “Lisa,” Marcus called from their podium, “we have to go over our notes one more time.”

  “My boyfriend needs me,” Lisa joked and playfully rolled her eyes to the ceiling. At Jessica’s confused expression, Lisa said, “I’m kidding. Sam’s my girlfriend.” She turned and pointed to Sam who was talking with Alivia and Karl on the far side of the room. At least this time Alivia wasn’t rubbing up against Sam.

  “No shit?” Jessica said. “Rich girl Samantha Rose Payton is your girlfriend? I was wondering what she was doing here. I thought this was one of her family’s charities or something.”

  “No, no, no,” one of Jessica’s friends said, “don’t you remember her picture in the paper? October, I think. She was at a Pride Fest or something and got caught. It must have been a huge scandal for her family.” The gleeful tone to the girl’s voice set Lisa on edge.

  “You know what I heard?” another friend said. This one had blonde braids and looked like she was seventeen going on twelve. “I heard she got caught with a Russian prostitute.”