Strawberry Wine

by Phillips, Kristy

  “Oh no?” She smiled and he kissed her briefly, but with longing.

  “No. We look like psychedelic art.” He corrected. That started Alli giggling again.

  “Mmmhmm. Look at you.” Jason reached across Alli and grabbed at the debris behind her. When he brought his hand back she saw what he had been after. It was a small detail brush. Jason swirled the brush in a puddle of chartreuse paint and brought it to Alli’s Iliac crest. Alli had always been rather thin, and her hip bone jutted out just a bit. It was feminine, but not so noticeable as to make her look undernourished. It was a ticklish area and she squirmed as Jason signed his name to her skin. “There we go,” He said with a satisfied nod. “You’re a J. Ogden original.”

  Alli smiled and rose up to kiss him. “One of many, I hope.” She teased.

  “No.” He answered. “This is a very limited edition. Any future masterpieces will require a much softer studio.”

  “And warmer.” She kissed him again.

  “Yes. Warmer too, but most definitely softer. I nearly broke a hip.”

  Mary was surprised to find Jason in the paint shop. Much to her dismay, he hadn’t worked on anything since school had started and he’d found out Alli was a student.

  He wasn’t painting. He was stretching canvas over a wooden frame. Mary blinked each time the staple gun made a popping sound as he secured the final side.

  Satisfied with his work, he leaned the newly stretched canvass against the four he had stretched before it. He had been busy.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, pulling a chair over and motioning for him to sit down.

  Jason slumped down into the proffered chair and rubbed his hands over his face while taking a deep breath. “Is it that obvious?”

  Mary ran her hand through the top of his mussed hair like she used to do when he was a boy. “Well, I have enough canvasses to last me well into the new year thanks to you. It must be something.”

  Jason was conflicted about telling his mother of the newest development between Alli and him. He wanted it to be happy news instead of a burden. It was killing him not knowing how Alli’s parents would react. Obviously they wouldn’t be thrilled with the situation, but would they be upset enough to press charges? As it was, it was taking every ounce of self control he possessed not to march over there and tell her mother himself.

  Jason heaved a sigh and gave his mother a weak smile. “I may be in a bit of trouble, Mom.” he said wearily.

  Mary’s brow furrowed and she ran her hand over her son’s scratchy cheek. “What is it, Jason? Should I be worried?”

  Jason reached up and took her hand, sandwiching it between his own. “This isn’t how I envisioned this conversation taking place, Mom, but it’s a little late for me to worry about such details...”

  “Jason, you’re scaring me. Stop being so cryptic.”

  “Alli’s pregnant, Mom.”

  Mary gasped, her hands shooting up to cover her racing heart. “Pregnant! Alli? My God, Jason, what does this mean? What does Linda think about all this? What does Alli think about all this?”

  Jason stood and took Mary by the shoulders to calm her down. “Mom. Calm down. This is why I hesitated to tell you. Linda doesn’t know yet, and Alli is insisting we keep things quiet until she’s a little further along.”

  “That’s ridiculous! She needs to tell her parents.”

  Jason grimaced. “I know, Mom. I’ve tried to convince her to tell them, but she is adamant that we not say anything until she’s too far along for her father to force an abortion.”

  Mary gasped again. “My God. He would do that? Surely not. That’s not even legal. Do I need to call our lawyer?”

  “No, Mom. Please. Let’s not worry about lawyers just yet. I’m hoping it doesn’t need to go that far. Once Alli is comfortable with telling her parents, I plan to go with her and explain everything. I want them to know I intend to take full responsibility for both Alli and the baby.”

  Mary nodded silently, her mind racing at all the implications. “Jason, what does this mean for you? You’ll lose your teaching license. You could serve jail time.” Her voice cracked on the last words and tears flooded her eyes. Jason scooped her into a tight hug.

  “We can’t think like that Mom. I need to keep as optimistic an outlook as possible. Believe me, this is killing Alli. She’s a guilt ridden wreck right now. All of this stress can’t be good for the baby...”

  Mary snuffled a few times and stepped back, composing herself. “You’re right. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions. I’m sure we can work everything out amicably like civilized adults. We all need to focus on what’s best for you two. And the baby, of course.”

  Mary was quiet again for a moment. Jason watched her emotions war across her face. After a few beats of silence he smiled a genuine smile at her and said softly, “It’s ok, Mom. You’re allowed to be happy about the baby. You’re going to be a grandma.”

  Mary returned his smile, her eyes filling with fresh tears, this time of joy. “I guess I am. Oh, Jason! You’re going to be a father!” She hugged him tightly again, sending up a silent prayer that everything would work out.

  * * * * *

  In light of Alli’s pregnancy, Jason had lifted her ban on his property. She became a regular fixture at his place every day after school. Alli still went to extremes to avoid being seen by anyone anywhere near him, but once she was safely past the main house, and inside the carriage house, she relaxed and made herself at home. She knew Mary knew about her pregnancy, but she was mortified at the thought of running into the woman. She wouldn’t know what to say. Hi Mrs. Taylor. Sorry about ruining your son’s life...

  There was a light rain falling against the fall foliage outside, and the warmth of the room was causing condensation to form on the windows. Jason and Alli sat lounging together on the couch, hot cups of tea just an arms length away on the coffee table.

  “Alli?”

  Alli raised her face to meet his gaze.

  “How would you feel about enrolling at Bridges? They have a program there for teen mothers, and the students and staff would certainly be more understanding of what you’re going through.” Jason hoped fervently that she would be open to the idea. He couldn’t handle the thought of having to stand idly by and watch Alli get harassed at school.

  Alli was slow to answer. She had been thinking about maybe transferring to Bridges, but was hoping to finish out the current semester at Roosevelt.

  “I think it’s definitely something to consider for next semester.”

  Jason tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I can’t convince you to go sooner? Or what about graduating early? That’s what I did, and with your grades, passing the GED would be cake.” He hated seeing Alli suffer the ridicule and abuse of the other students, unable to step in on her behalf. If they were already this bad at just the rumors, how ugly would they be when Alli’s pregnancy started showing?

  Alli’s eyes darkened. “Would it make you any less weird about this if I were no longer your student?” She leaned in and kissed him lightly on the lips. She could feel his entire body respond to her instantly, which only served to heighten her own response in turn. She melted into him, her pulse racing as he deepened the kiss. He stopped suddenly and pulled back, panting. Alli stared at him longingly, not hiding her disappointment.

  “Do you think me a monster?”

  Alli frowned in confusion. What on earth was he talking about? “What? Why would I think you a monster?”

  “For wanting you. Even knowing the truth about your age, God help me I don’t want you any less than the first day I laid eyes on you. Does that make me sick? Am I some kind of pervert?”

  “Jason?” She said, calmly. “How old were you when you lost your virginity?”

  He shook his head as if to argue with her before he knew what she was getting at. “Sixteen, but-”

  “Sixteen. A year younger than I am now. And the girl you lost it to - was she a pervert?”

>   “She was only seventeen.”

  Alli cocked a brow. “That’s not the point. Regardless of her age, she had sex with a sixteen year old. If she’s not a pervert, then neither are you.”

  Jason sighed in exasperation. “Your logic is flawed. She was a teenager having sex with another teenager. I am a grown man.”

  “Forget my logic, then. The simple fact of the matter is that teenagers have sex. Not all teenagers, but some. I am seventeen years old. That’s the age of consent in our state. If the law says I’m old enough to have sex, then how are you a pervert?” Alli was pleased with her argument. She had done her homework and was both surprised and thrilled to learn that the age of consent in her state was seventeen. Sadly, no matter how often she reminded Jason of that fact, he still refused to touch her the way she longed for him to.

  Jason let her little speech sink in for a minute. Surprisingly, he felt a little better. He had been a year younger than Alli was now when he had first had sex. It was a bit of a mind-bender, that. “Hmm.” He said matter of factly, “I can’t argue with that.”

  Alli smiled and stretched herself against him. She ran her nose along the bridge of his, then skimmed her lips across his jawline before taking his earlobe between her teeth. Jason let out a hiss before grabbing her face and pulling it back to his for a hungry kiss.

  Alli moaned at the feel of his lips on hers, and opened her mouth to invite him in. He delved past her lips, sliding his tongue against her own and reveling in the taste of her. She could feel an uncomfortable hardness pressing against her hip and shifted so she could grasp the top button of his jeans. His abdominal muscles jumped under her touch and he broke away, breathing heavily. “Alli. Alli, you’re killing me.” He sat up, taking her with him and depositing her beside him on the couch.

  She looked disgruntled to say the least. “I thought you couldn’t argue my logic.” she huffed.

  Jason chuckled at how grumpy she sounded. He felt a small bit of satisfaction in knowing he wasn’t the only one that would be thoroughly frustrated by his show of restraint. “I’m not arguing your logic. I’m also not going down this path again until I have your parents’ blessings.”

  Alli’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “Seriously? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  He pinched his lips into a thin line and shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Why?” She whined. “What’s the point in denying ourselves? I can’t get more pregnant than I already am.”

  Jason let his head fall back to rest on the top of the couch. “No, I don’t suppose you can.”

  Alli dropped her gaze to the very noticeable bulge in Jason’s pants. “I know you want to...” She cajoled.

  Jason laughed at her blatant tactics to get him to give in. “Alli, it’s called ‘integrity’, and I may not have a lot going for me in the character department these days, but I have that. Now, would you please behave? It’s hard enough keeping my hands off you when you’re not begging for attention.

  Alli deflated and sulked against his side. She leaned across him to grab the remote.

  “You know, there is a way to put an end to your frustration...” Jason said in a soft, gravelly voice.

  Alli perked up immediately and looked at him expectantly.

  “We can tell your folks and get their blessing.”

  Alli blew a disappointed raspberry and flopped back to her sulking position. She flipped on the t.v. and pretended to watch whatever was on.

  * * * * *

  Jason grabbed a mug from the hodge-podge selection of coffee cups that lived above the archaic coffee maker in the teacher’s lounge. They were an odd assortment of mugs that had been donated or abandoned throughout the years. Jason’s mug was mostly white with a picture of a grumpy cat on one side and the words “Mondays are the pits.” on the other.

  He didn’t usually drink coffee, but he really needed a pick me up after yet another sleepless night spent tossing and turning.

  Mrs. Drake came bustling into the lounge, her face red with excitement over a juicy bit of gossip. Spotting her regular gossiping counterpart, Verna, she rushed over to impart her news.

  Verna worked part-time in the library, and had the body and personality of a bean pole.

  “Verna! You are not going to believe what I heard.”

  Verna’s eyes lit up with interest. Mrs. Drake settled into a worn seat, enjoying her moment of attention. “It would appear that a certain transfer student has gotten in the family way by none other than our own star quarterback himself.”

  Verna’s eyes bugged out. “Josh Saunders! Oh, for shame. And he’s such a sweet boy too. This might cost him that scholarship.”

  Jason tried his best to ignore the clucking hens. The coffee was finally finished percolating, so he poured himself a cup. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Josh Saunders. He was one of Jason’s more promising students.

  Mrs. Drake prattled on. “One can hardly blame the poor boy. Allison Wilson is walking trouble. Remember I told you about that upset at homecoming? And before that she had a suspected case of mono.”

  Jason dropped the coffee pot, splashing his hand with scalding hot coffee.

  Mrs. Drake screamed in alarm. “Oh Heavens! Mr. Taylor, are you alright?!” They descended upon him with paper napkins. Jason rushed to hold his hand under cold running water. Angry welts were already beginning to form.

  Jason shook off their attempts to help him. Not bothering to hide his annoyance, he glared down at them with disgust. “Perhaps your time could be better spent offering these students support rather than gossiping about them during your break. You’re supposed to care about these kids. Shame on you.” Mrs. Drake and Verna looked appropriately abashed. They had sense enough not to speak until he had stormed out of the room.

  Alli was awakened by the sound of activity humming from the floor beneath her. Her downstairs neighbors were an elderly couple that rarely made any noise. Alli wondered what they could possibly be doing to cause such a ruckus. A series of loud thumps brought Alli further out of her foggy dream state. She yawned, stretched, and snuggled back into the warm body beside her.

  Wait. Warm body?

  Slowly Alli’s brain began to function properly and she realized she wasn’t in her own bed. The events of the previous night flooded back to her and she shivered with delight, draping an arm over Jason’s sleeping form and pulling him tightly against her.

  “Mmmmm” He mumbled, nuzzling her neck. “A man could get used to this.”

  Jason couldn’t remember ever having felt so content. He held tightly to Alli, not wanting the magic of the past twenty hours to wane in the light of day.

  Last night had been amazing. After leaving the paint soaked studio, they had showered, washing each other thoroughly as the water ran down the drain like so much easter egg dye. They had talked and made love into the small hours of the morning. Old hurts were re-visited and soothed. Misunderstandings were made clear. They had reformed their connection, and Jason could truly see their future together. There was only one more hurdle to jump.

  Greg.

  They had agreed Alli should wait to explain things to him until after the Urban Youth show. They didn’t want to risk causing a scene.

  Another loud thump from downstairs made Alli jump. “What on earth is going on down there?” She asked.

  Jason ran his hands over his face in an attempt to wake up a little more. He squinted at his bedside clock. The boxy red numbers read 2:47.

  “Jesus. Is that really the time?” He asked, more to himself than to Alli. “I imagine it’s Reggie and the others setting things up for the catering people. I’m surprised no one has come looking for me yet.”

  “Ah! The show!” Alli gasped. “I’m supposed to be getting ready at Greg’s.”

  Alli scurried out of bed and fumbled into her clothes. She looked very odd wearing her wrinkled pencil skirt and one of Jason’s t-shirts. It was very much a walk-of-shame type of ensemble, but Alli felt no shame.
She finally felt right. Whole again. As if her life could finally start anew.

  “I guess I’ll see you in a few hours.” She said as she kissed him by the door.

  Jason let the kiss linger. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you out?” He asked.

  Alli smiled against his lips. “No. I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself than I already am.”

  Alli’s phone rang as she climbed into her car. Greg’s picture flashed on her screen and she took a deep breath before hitting “accept”.

  “Hello?” She tried to sound breezy and casual.

  “Hey babe.” Greg sounded as if he were forcing ‘breezy and casual’ as well. “Where are you?”

  “I’m just getting in my car. I’ll be there in ten.” She answered, cursing her wardrobe.

  “Why didn’t you come home last night?” He sounded mildly curious rather than accusatory.

  Alli’s brain went blank. “Uh... I... I stayed at my place to have girl time with Margot.” She said, cringing at her stutter.

  “Oh.” Alli didn’t know it, but Margot had called Greg’s apartment earlier to verify the starting time of the show. Alli was too preoccupied with her story to notice the slight change in his voice. “Well, I have your dress over here. Come over and we’ll get ready together.”

  “I am. I just said I’m on my way.”

  “Then I’ll see you shortly.” He sounded eerily cheerful.

  Alli could hear the sound of the shower running. She crept into the bedroom, hoping to be able to grab her dress before Greg knew she was there. If she could just make it through tonight, she could officially end things with Greg tomorrow.

  Her dress had been taken out of the garment bag and hung on a rack on the back of the door next to Greg’s tux. Reaching for it, she knocked his jacket to the ground. It landed with a dull thump. As Alli picked it up a ring box fell out of the pocket. Alli froze.

  No. Not tonight. He can’t possibly be planning this for tonight.