“Knocked over, wiped out, and slammed off your feet. A very bad beat down,” Denny answered.
“Great, just when I didn’t think I could be more terrified of two teenaged boys, I’m proven wrong again by a little girl,” Heath gasped as his kids came over to hug him bye.
Catching up to Lance in the carport, “Lance,” Lilly called out, making him stop. When Lance turned around, Lilly shook her head. “No, I’m not talking about exploits and stuff,” she said quickly, noticing Lance had that irritated expression.
Seeing the irritation leave, Lilly smiled. “I want to propose we let Holly and Dawn move in with us,” Lilly said, and was surprised to see shock on Lance’s face. “Sweetness, Ethan and Dennis worked for Victor, um, they know about Holly since she was around Victor. Them and their wives look at her like a whore.”
“They’ve called her that?” Lance snapped, gripping his rifle tight, moving for the door.
Grabbing Lance’s arm, “No,” Lilly said quickly. “Babe, if they had, you really think Rhonda wouldn’t have capped them? She loves Holly like a little sister.”
“He was an old man screwing a thirteen-year-old girl!” Lance cried out. “I should go in there and shoot them for not doing anything.”
“Then you would have to shoot Rhonda,” Lilly snapped. Watching Lance jump back Lilly smiled, but wasn’t surprised that he was thinking. “First, Lance, Rhonda showed me pictures of Holly when she was thirteen. She didn’t look thirteen. Now she looks my age. Rhonda knew how old she was and you heard she tried to get law involved. Dennis and Ethan didn’t know how old Holly was for a year. Is it right? Fuck no,” Lilly said quickly. One thing she had learned, head Lance’s anger off fast with facts and you had a chance to stop violence of action.
“Lance, you can’t be mad at Holly. Hell, white trash was rich compared to her family. She saw a means to move up and took it. I don’t agree with it, but I’m not telling anyone what they should and shouldn’t do,” Lilly told him, slowing her talking down. “Holly can tell how they look at her and it bothers her. If Heath, Dwain, Robin, and Kathy realize that, they will throw Ethan and Dennis along with their families out. But like Rhonda says, they need the manpower here.”
Letting his rifle hang off the one point sling under his arm, “You realize what you’re asking?” Lance sighed.
“Lance, Holly only made it to the fifth grade, but she’s smarter than you think. Just look at how long she survived on her own with a toddler and being pregnant,” Lilly pointed out, and Lance raised his eyebrows as he nodded at that accomplishment alone. “I’m certain, as is Rhonda, if Holly actually had an environment to learn in, she would. But if this doesn’t work, all any of you have to do is tell me, and I’ll bring her and Dawn back here, no questions asked. I’m just asking to give her a chance. Besides, I’m the only doctor, and I really need to get used to treating humans. I don’t want to wait until the baby is on the way.”
Impressed by the sound reasoning, Lance turned, looking out of the carport. “Tell Holly to grab their stuff. We can put it to the group on a trial basis like the kids. I know Jennifer will agree with you and so will Ian.”
Nearly knocking down Lance as she wrapped her arms around him, “Thank you,” Lilly squealed. “I knew a girl like her growing up. Granted she wasn’t nearly as country as Holly, but dirt poor.”
“So you knew a girl that was getting boned by an old man?” Lance gasped, pushing Lilly back.
“Lance, they don’t see an old man, they see a means out of their life. They see the lifestyle the ‘old man’ has, but yes, I did. Two, in fact,” Lilly told him. “Hell, I knew girls in high school going out with forty-year-olds, and their families were well off. They just wanted to date an older man.”
Grinding his teeth, “Go tell Holly so we can leave,” Lance waved at the door as the others walked out. When Lilly took off, Lance turned around with a scowl. “This is bullshit!” he spat out. “Old wrinkled motherfuckers were boning girls our age, and Ian and I weren’t! The world was fucked before this shit.”
Lori, Jodi, and Denny paused, not hearing what Lilly said, but noticed the scowl and the way Lance stomped off. “Ian’s not here,” Allie sighed, rolling her eyes. “They don’t like getting mad alone. You don’t have to worry about him right now.”
The three watched Allie skip to the buggy and breathed a sigh of relief following. They were all shocked when Holly came out with Lilly. Dawn took off with a squeal, running for the buggy. Allie let out a hopeful cry as she helped Dawn climb up in the buggy. “She’s coming?”
“Yeah,” Lance grumbled, pulling his mask on.
Rearranging gear and the kids’ seating arrangement, making room for Holly and Dawn, they loaded up and Lilly pulled out, speeding back to the cabin. “Lance,” Lilly called out and he just nodded that he’d heard her. “So you’ve done an exploit before?” she asked, and Lance gave a nod.
Driving along the ridges, Lilly waited for Lance to offer details, but by the time they passed the build house, Lance still hadn’t spoken. He was just scanning the area around them, but Lilly knew he was fuming. “Pulling in,” Lilly called over the radio.
“Got you,” Carrie called back in a cheerful voice. “The kitty cats are in the field laying in the sun.”
When they pulled in, Ian and Jennifer were waiting at the gates. Both gave a startle seeing Holly and Dawn in the buggy. Seeing how rigid Lance was sitting, Jennifer gave a long sigh. “I fucking knew we should’ve gone. Somebody pissed in Lance’s Wheaties.”
The gates were closed before the buggy started around the corner of the cabin and Ian turned to Jennifer, furrowing his brow. “I’m sure they have a good reason for bringing them over,” Ian told her.
“No, Ian,” Jennifer grunted. “Lance is pissed.”
Shaking his head, “No, Lance has a case of the red ass, but he’s not mad at Holly or anyone in the buggy,” Ian informed her.
“And just how the hell do you know that?”
“Duh, they were in the buggy,” Ian droned. “He’s mad about something else.”
Just staring at Ian for several seconds, Jennifer spun on her heel, walking off. “If Lance wasn’t my best friend, I would be so fucking jealous!” Jennifer cried out, throwing her hands in the air and storming around the corner of the house, and Ian took off. “You two know what the other is thinking just by looking at each other!”
Catching up, Ian put his arm over her shoulders, “I think it’s so cool we have the same best friend,” Ian grinned.
Tilting her head to the side as she looked up at Ian, “I think the only reason you aren’t mad by proximity is you get smooches,” Jennifer grinned.
With his cheeks turning red, Ian nodded. “I’m not going to deny or confirm.”
They came around the back as the others were getting out and heard Lance. “Allie, show Holly where to put her and Dawn’s stuff on the last bunkbed.”
Both came to a stop as Lilly ran over and Lance headed for the shop, nearly stomping his feet. Stopping in front of Ian and Jennifer, Lilly told them why Holly was there and what Lance had said. When she was finished, Ian stumbled back, “You knew young girls that were getting boned by old men?!” Ian cried out.
“Ian,” Jennifer sighed, rolling her eyes. “Suzie Miller slept with Mr. Tuller and Mr. Griffon.”
Ian’s legs gave out and he dropped to his ass, staring at Jennifer in shock. “They are older than my dad!” he shouted.
Giving a shrug, “I’m certain Suzie let Mr. Oliver bone her, but I know for a fact Tabitha did,” Jennifer said, giving a shudder.
Hearing that, Ian’s shudder was so violent he vibrated across the dirt on his butt. “What?!” Ian screamed. “They weren’t poor!”
“What’s poor got to do with it?” Jennifer asked, cocking her head to the side. “You really think Mr. Oliver paid Tabitha two hundred dollars to help him around the yard?”
Not sure of anything anymore, Ian scrambled to his feet. “I…,” he started, then
just looked off. “I need a minute,” Ian mumbled, and headed for the shop.
“Ian,” Jennifer called out and he stopped, turning around. “Mr. Tuller and Mr. Griffon didn’t pay Suzie. She did it on her own. I did try to tell my dad about Mr. Oliver paying some of the girls to do yard work, but he wouldn’t believe me. I really thought you and Lance knew why some of the girls in the neighborhood helped him around the yard.”
Throwing up his hands, “We just watched girls in bikinis working in his yard!” Ian shouted. Spinning around, “This is bullshit!”
“Damn, I never would’ve believed they were naïve,” Lilly mumbled.
“Lilly, those two could’ve slept with three women that I know of. They mowed yards in the summer making money. Ms. Sandy and Ms. Mary put a stop on them from mowing several yards. I heard them talking to my mom about it,” Jennifer said, then laughed. “Even my mom admitted the boys were hot, but only to me. I’m not even counting the older high school or college girls.”
“Should we go in there?” Lilly asked, jerking her chin toward the shop.
“In a minute,” Jennifer sighed.
Staring at the shop, “Why didn’t they see it, the women you talked about?” Lilly asked.
Shrugging, “It wasn’t in their world. Lilly, they are like the best friends you read about in books. Yeah, they interacted with others, but only socially,” Jennifer answered. “And you’ve already seen how blind they are to advances from girls. On that, I’m very thankful for. Lilly, I’m not kidding, they had high school girls, college girls, and women throwing themselves at them, but neither noticed.”
A grin spread across Lilly’s face as she turned to Jennifer. “How did Ms. Sandy and Ms. Mary find out about these women in the neighborhood?” Lilly asked with a grin.
As her eyes grew wide, Jennifer’s face blushed and she wouldn’t face Lilly. “The ah…, ladybugs told them,” Jennifer stuttered.
“Hmm, very perceptive of the ladybugs to see that,” Lilly chuckled. “They are more naïve than Ian and Lance.”
Turning so her back was to Lilly, “Well, I might have said something to Carrie,” Jennifer blurted out.
Stepping over, Lilly hugged Jennifer from behind. “I’m so glad you were there for them,” Lilly chuckled.
With a dark growl, Jennifer started, “Lilly, Ms. Wasson had on a see-through night gown and she wasn’t ugly, and I’m not kidding about see-through. That slutty bitch was the definition of MILF. I’m talking way past cougar. She sat in the backyard watching Ian and Lance work, and both of them had trouble taking their eyes off, for all intents and purposes, a naked woman. Lance cut down half her flower bed with a weed eater and Ian knocked down a birdhouse with the mower. To be honest, I still don’t think either remembers that. They just gawked at her. Ms. Wasson invited them inside when they were done, but neither could talk,” Jennifer paused and then smirked. “Each just held a gas can covering their groin as Ms. Wasson talked to them on the back deck. When she told them to come in so she could pay them, they both let out a cry and just took off running. They snuck back later to get the lawn mower and weed eater.”
Playing out what Jennifer said in her mind’s eye, “Why Jennifer, if I didn’t know better, I would think you saw this with your own eyes,” Lilly whispered, as she hugged Jennifer tight.
Clearing her throat, “Well, um, I, ah, might have been next door in the Taylor’s bushes, looking for their cat,” Jennifer offered.
Laughing, “What gave you the idea to look for the Taylor’s cat?” Lilly asked, and could feel the heat radiating off Jennifer’s face and neck from the blush.
“The day before at the neighborhood party, Ms. Wasson seemed really interested in them. Not like a mom or lady, she kept going over and rubbing Ian and Lance on the back as they ate. She was acting like a whore. What did they do? Just look up at her smiling. Ms. Wasson’s daughter was a senior and a first class slut, so I just figured like mother like daughter,” Jennifer related, then gasped upon realizing what she’d said. “Oh, I mean, the Taylor’s passed out flyers at the party for their lost cat,” she blurted out. “I was just trying to help.”
Holding Jennifer tight, Lilly rocked side to side. “Thank you for being there,” Lilly chuckled. “Now I know how they remained clueless. Between you and the ladybugs, a girl didn’t have a chance getting close to them. When you get a chance, I would like the names of these sluts.”
“Why? I saw most were stinkers when we left the house.”
“You never know, and that’s one thing I will never do. I will never take that innocence. Lance will lose that on his own before I ever give in to that,” Lilly smiled and then chuckled. “I don’t care how many movies they watch.”
Tilting her head so she could see Lilly behind her, “You know?” Jennifer asked.
Scoffing, “There is only one reason why a guy will lock the doors with a TV in the room,” Lilly chuckled.
Stepping away, “I want to know where they got ‘em?” Jennifer huffed. “Their parents always scoured their computers. They had to be very careful because Mr. Johnathan was really good with computers. I know Jason gave them a password to one site…,” Jennifer stopped as the blush sprang back up on her face. “Um, Lance gave it to me when we were talking one night,” she mumbled.
Still holding Jennifer tight, “Really?” Lilly laughed.
“Yeah, I just went to check it out. I never had a password to a site like that,” Jennifer admitted. “I might have checked it out more than once,” she added in a lower voice and Lilly stepped back.
Putting a hand on Jennifer’ shoulder, “If the internet was up, I could show you a few that you didn’t need a password for,” Lilly laughed. “Can I ask when they discovered this site?”
“Right after Thanksgiving,” Jennifer answered, fighting her blush off.
Turning to the shop, “Hormones were kicking in, and this would’ve been the year you would’ve had to really worry about those sluts,” Lilly mumbled.
“Huh?” Jennifer asked, not hearing what Lilly said.
“Think we can go in now?” Lilly asked, not looking away from the shop.
“Let’s go see if they are yelling. If they are, we go inside,” Jennifer offered.
Ian stormed into the shop. “Old fuckers in our neighborhood were boning girls our age!”
Pacing back and forth, “What?!” Lance shouted, skidding to a halt as Ian told Lance what he had learned. “Mr. Oliver’s wrinkled ass was fucking Tabitha?!”
“He was paying those girls to mattress dance with the tube snake, not to work in his yard!” Ian screamed back as both stood nose to nose, breathing hard. “Mr. Tuller and Mr. Griffon weren’t even paying for the pussy!”
“Was everyone fucking and not telling us!” Lance bellowed.
“I don’t know, but this is bullshit!” Ian bellowed back.
Turning away, “We can’t think about this now,” Lance growled, taking a deep breath. “But we damn sure will when we get through.”
“Agreed,” Ian huffed. “You want to notify that group on Gentry Road on the way? If we miss any pirates, they could push that group into battle bot area one.”
Turning as Lilly and Jennifer walked in, Lance noticed Jennifer’s face was slightly flushed as the last of her blush was disappearing. “We will be talking to you about the neighborhood after this exploit,” Lance stated.
“Fine,” Jennifer sighed, fighting not to blush again.
Crossing his arms over his chest, “Jennifer, you and I talked on the phone nearly every night, why didn’t you tell me about all the booty calls in the neighborhood?” Lance asked.
“Um, well-,” Jennifer stuttered, not wanting to confess she didn’t want the boys chasing sluts who would put out. Knowing just why Jennifer never said anything, Lilly stepped past her, looking at Lance.
“Lance, will you tell me about the one exploit you two have done?” Lilly asked, taking her rifle off and setting it on a workbench.
When Lance turned to Ia
n, “I don’t care, they are part of the crew,” Ian shrugged and Jennifer ran over, hugging him tight.
Laughing, “Harry Gilson keyed Jason’s car,” Lance said, leaning against a workbench. “Jason was Ian’s older brother,” he reminded Lilly.
“I know who Ooops was,” Lilly chuckled.
A huge grin filled Lance’s face as he started. “Well, last year, Jason was dating Harry’s ex-girlfriend and Harry just got kicked off the football team after getting arrested for a DUI. Don’t know why, but Harry blamed it all on Jason. Jason said the only reason he dated Victoria was she put out and could su…” Lance stopped quickly. “Um, well, you get the idea,” he mumbled.
“Jason was a junior and Harry was a senior. Jason was already getting scholarship offers from bunches of schools. Everyone knew who keyed his car, but the cops couldn’t do anything. Jason really couldn’t do more because he didn’t want to get in trouble and get kicked off the team and lose his scholarships. But you don’t pick on our brother,” Lance huffed.
“That’s our job,” Ian chimed in. “He was a pain in the ass, but he was our pain in the ass.”
Nodding, “That’s right,” Lance agreed. “Well, Ian and I left a deed for Harry.”
Snorting as he laughed, “Fucker turned on his car and the doors locked while shaving cream filled the inside,” Ian told them.
Looking Lilly in the eyes, “Well, it seems Harry didn’t get the message and slashed Jason’s tires. He was caught on camera because the dummy did it at school,” Lance continued. “Our dads helped Jason buy more tires. We wanted to, but were just starting to mow yards.”
Lance didn’t see Jennifer’s lip twitch into a snarl as he rolled on. “So, Ian and I talked about it and agreed, Harry was too stupid for another deed and we were scared he would try to hurt Jason. Harry is the type that would jump you from behind and was just as big as Jason, so we decided to show him what that was like.”
Giving Lilly a smile, “It was hard, but we kept an eye on Harry to learn his routine. That was our first remote camera we used with a cellphone. We waited till Jason went out of town to LSU to tour the campus. Harry lived like fifteen miles away, so we waited for Mom and Dad to go to sleep that night and snuck out. We hopped on our bikes and rode across town. Packing up the cameras we had around his house, we hid and waited. It was two a.m. when Harry’s drunk ass pulled into his driveway,” Lance paused as the smile turned somewhat malevolent.
Forsaken World (Book 5): Homecoming Page 29