by Bryn Roar
“Thanks,” he returned, eternally grateful.
Rusty lit the room by turning on the lamps at either end of a puke-green sofa, shoved up against one wall. Then he cranked on the A/C. Tubby stood there, blocking the doorway, looking about in awe. He’d always wanted a fully appointed treehouse at his disposal, and except for the missing rooftop helicopter-pad, this was it to a tee!
Heck, it even had a pool outside!
“You gonna stand there all night?” Josie asked him, squeezing by. Tubby could feel her breasts pressing into his arm. He jumped out of the way as if they were on fire.
“Heh-heh,” he tittered stupidly.
“Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge,” Bud said, plopping down on a Sanford and Son looking easy chair. His eyes goggled when Josie plopped right onto his lap, still unprepared for this new level of familiarity.
Tubby joined Rusty, the two of them staring into an older model fridge, as if it held the secrets of the universe within its stocked shelves. Besides three different brands of soda—Coke, Diet Coke, and Fresca—there was a six-pack of Strawberry Yoo Hoo. He and Rusty helped deplete its reserves by two. There were also some plastic dishware and flatware—the fridge doing double duty as a cupboard. Cocoa Puffs, a gallon of 2% milk, a package of Nathan’s hot dogs, buns, mustard and ketchup, and finally, a box of Snickers candy bars rounded out the rest of the contents.
Tubby restrained the urge to partake.
“Toss me a Coke,” Bud said. “And three of those Snickers. I’m so hungry I could eat Weatherbee’s toupee.”
“Same for me,” said Josie, letting her Irish brogue run amok. “Only make mine a Fresca, Ralphie me boy.”
Tubby handed them their sodas and snacks, and then waited for Rusty to sit down on the sofa before taking the liberty to join him. Again, he looked around the room, trying to ignore the somehow disturbing sight of Josie O’Hara canoodaling with Bud Brown. In a weird way, the room unsettled him. It was exactly as he pictured it, even before setting foot inside. And unlike Bud, Tubby was not the psychic sort. Alongside the lumpy sofa resided two unfinished end tables with mismatched lamps, the left lampshade missing altogether. An ancient steamer trunk served as their coffee table. (Bud informed him it contained his entire Famous Monsters of Filmland collection; but then, Ralph already knew that, didn’t he?). There was the raggedy recliner, occupied by Bud and Josie, and the fridge over in the corner. Right beside the Fridgedair was a microwave oven on top of a homemade looking stand.
Directly across from the sofa and easy chair was a 42-inch floor-model TV, with a combination VCR/DVD player on top of it. Flanking the decrepit Zenith were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, jam-packed with horror paperbacks, Stephen King hard covers, and numerous horror movies, in both DVD and VHS format.
Taped to the wall over the boob tube was a one-sheet repro from I was a Teenage Werewolf. That old Michael Landon flick about sexual lust and repression, disguised as a werewolf movie. Another one from the fifties classic Them! hung over the sofa. A six-foot-tall cardboard cutout of Frankenstein’s monster lurched from the opposite wall. Papered to the tin ceiling was a huge poster from the outrageous Attack of the Fifty-foot Woman! It looked down on hideous wall-to-wall orange carpet that Rusty had salvaged from Cole’s Dempsey Dumpster. Despite the nausea-inducing shag rug, it was a very nice room. Cozy and quite comfortable.
Exactly as I would’ve put it together.
Tubby ignored the Twilight Zone vibes and settled onto the sofa. Rusty removed a DVD from his bookbag and slipped it into the player. The movie he’d recorded on TCM; a cult classic entitled Freaks. While the opening credits rolled, and the 1930’s era soundtrack sizzled and popped, Josie got up and put a bag of Pop Secret into the microwave. She dumped the finished popcorn into a bowl and set it on top of the table before making herself cozy again on Bud’s fidgeting lap.
“So, Hoss, what do you think of our rooftop palace?” Bud asked, trying to distract himself (and Josie, too) from what was transpiring in his pants. Hoping the damn thing would wilt on its own.
“If I had a place like this on top of my house, I’d stay there all the time! This is really neat, guys. I want to thank ya’ll for inviting me up here.” He shoved a handful of corn into his mouth. The fact that he could eat in front of these people surprised him. It meant that at some point-in-the day, he’d let down his guard enough to allow them in.
Gee! Will wonders never cease?
“Would ya’ll pipe down!” griped Rusty. He took one of the cushions off the couch and laid down in front of the TV. “I’ve been waiting all day to see this thing!”
“Pipe down yourself, love. You’ve already seen it. By the way, did you call Joel and give him my message?”
Rusty slapped a hand to his head. “Shit on a stick! I knew I forgot something!”
“Oh, you miserable little pissant.”
“I’m sorry, Joe. What with all the excitement today, it just slipped my mind. You think Shayna’s mad?”
“Like I give a purple shite. It’s Joel I’m worried about…you know how upset he gets when I don’t call in.”
Rusty got up and stretched. “Come on then, girl. I’ll walk you home and tell him it’s my fault.”
“Nah, that’s all right. A couple more hours won’t make much difference. Joel’s in bed by now anyway. Let’s just watch the movie. Then you can walk me home.”
The notorious film, though dated and somewhat offensive, was actually quite excellent, and it wasn’t long before the plot had Tubby enthralled. This, with Josie and Bud carrying-on in the easy chair right beside him—and the assortment of snores from Rusty in front of the TV.
He sounded like all Three Stooges rolled into one, taking one of their patented naps.
“I can’t believe that squirt slept through the whole thing,” Josie said, watching the screen fill with snow. “Especially after making such a stink about watching it.”
“I guess he’s pretty tuckered out,” Tubby said. He turned to look at Josie for the first time since she and Bud began making out. Bud had also fallen asleep. His head was resting comfortably on one of Josie’s pillowy breasts.
Tubby had just the year before discovered the guilty pleasures of masturbation, after finding a stack of old Playboys’ in the projectionist’s booth at his father’s last job (stowed away now in a foot-locker in his room, underneath a false bottom, lest his mother find them). But no glossy picture from those nudie mags’ could compare to the casual eroticism of Bud’s head resting upon Josie’s full bosom. Drool from his open mouth had left a wet spot on Josie’s shirt, over her left breast. Right where the nipple was. Tubby watched the wet spot grow, as if Josie was lactating.
Ignoring Tubby’s pointed stare, Josie held a finger to her lips. She gently rolled Bud’s head to one side, and stood up from his lap. She took a quilt hanging over the back of the sofa and tucked it around him. The act itself was sweet and nurturing, and Tubby looked on enviously. He remembered the blanket in Rusty’s bookbag and went to get it for his snoring friend. Watching him, Josie slipped on her coat and shoes. After he was done, she tapped him on the shoulder and gestured at the door. They left the clubhouse, and Josie softly closed the door behind them.
The night was decidedly cooler. Mid-sixties. With the breeze, it felt twice as brisk. Even Tubby was feeling the chill. Josie pulled him away from the clubhouse by his hand, her cool fingers entwining in his for a second before releasing it at the edge of the roof.
Even though that oblivious gesture didn’t mean a thing to Josie O’Hara, it was the single greatest moment in Tubby Tolson’s life. At least up to that point.
She saw the adoring, hopeful look, and returned it with one of gentle hearted pity. “Ralph…we need to talk.”
“I know what you’re going to say, Josie. I know. I just can’t seem to help it! My rude wandering eyes, I mean. And I’m very sorry! Besides, I’m not delusional. I can see how much you and Bud love each other.”
Josie’s head cocked
thoughtfully to one side. “Love? I don’t know about that,” she said, looking out over the sleeping town of Moon. She flipped up the frayed collar of her coat against the cool night air. In the harbor, a line clanged a lonesome tune against a steel mast. From their vantage point, they could see the beacon from the lighthouse on the East End of the island, sweeping across the black sea. The Drive-In was dark, closed for the night. “Romeo and Juliet notwithstanding, I don’t know if seventeen year old kids can fall in love. Although I do care for that daft wanker more than I can describe. Always have, Ralphie. I just wanted you to—”
“Stop looking at you like that?” Tubby said, ashamed and embarrassed. “Gee, Josie, I didn’t mean any disrespect—”
Josie put a hand over his mouth. “I know that, love. Besides, I don’t care that you checked out me arse. That’s what I’m trying to tell you! Look all you want, tiger. Just don’t let Bud catch you.” She laughed throatily, trying to break the tension. It didn’t work. Tubby looked like he was considering a headfirst dive off the roof. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Ralphie. That’s all. I’d never want to hurt you like that. Rusty’s always telling me I give boys the wrong ideas by being too nice to them. Too flirty. It’s just me way! They think me a prick tease.”
Tubby scowled. “I would never think that, Josie! Gee whiz, you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met!”
It was Josie’s turn to blush.
“Besides, I know a beautiful girl like you could never go for a two-ton blobbo like—.”
The transformation on Josie’s face struck Tubby speechless. Her usually merry eyes grew narrow and cold. “I’m not some empty-headed bimbo with big tits, Ralph Tolson. I can see beyond a person’s exterior, you know!”
“I only meant—”
“I know what you meant, and I’m not that shallow! If I wasn’t in love with Buddy boy…and I guess I am,” she smiled distractedly, surprised by the simple truth. “Then I could definitely see myself going out with you. We have a lot in common! Besides, I adore a man with freckles.” She tapped Tubby on his speckled nose. “My dad was covered with them. So’s me brother. It’s very Irish, you know.”
Tubby was so embarrassed he couldn’t look Josie in the eye. He placed his hands on the waist-high wall at the edge of the roof. His eyes felt moist, and for a paralyzing moment, he thought he might start to cry. His big heart had never felt so full before. He felt Josie’s cool, tapered fingers on his chin, bringing his face up to hers…
Despite what she’d just told him, Tubby thought Josie meant to kiss him. Alas, it was not to be.
At least not on this night.
“Now, Ralphie, me very good friend, will you be so kind as to escort this here lady home?”
“Sure, Josie. I’ll—” Tubby remembered his bookbag. “Oh. Give me a second, will ya? I’ve got to get my stuff.” She waited by the door while he ran back into the clubhouse. He stifled a giggle inside. Bud and Rusty were making an awful racket! Snoring loud enough to rattle the tin roof overhead. Looking at his two new friends—the perfect male bookends to the female equivalent waiting outside—Tubby experienced a wave of emotion he’d never felt for another person, besides his parents.
So strong, it brought tears to his eyes.
He wiped his face, and unzipped his bookbag; removing the Aurora Model he’d bought that very afternoon. He left it on the steamer trunk and smiled. He’d wanted that darn kit for as long as he could recall, and yet he had no qualms in letting it go. Why should I? Heck, I’ve gained the whole wide world in return.
Tubby rejoined Josie. “Shouldn’t we wake Rusty? I was supposed to sleep over at his house tonight.”
“No. Let him sleep,” she said, leading the way down the stairwell. They quietly hurried through the darkened lobby and out the front entrance. Josie locked the door with her key and gave the handle a tug to make sure. “Can’t you just go home? It’s not too far from me house.” By the look on his face, popping in unannounced at this time of the night might indeed cause Ralphie some grief.
Tubby shrugged, too embarrassed to admit the truth. They started the walk up Main Street. At this hour, even the crickets and cicadas had gone to sleep. The tree frogs, too.
“Then you’ll just have to spend the night with me.”
Tubby looked as if she’d just suggested they go skinny dipping out by the lake. Despite herself, Josie giggled. The look on his face was so feckin’ adorable!
“Oh, no. I couldn’t do that,” Tubby said, shaking his head emphatically. What on earth would your parents say? Good grief, Josie! What would Bud Brown say! Oh, no. I’ll just come back here and sleep on the sofa upstairs. That is, if I can borrow your key?”
Josie smiled and slipped her arm through Tubby’s. “No, you may not have my key. You’ll have your own soon enough. Besides, I won’t have you walking back all this way on your own. It’s not safe right now.”
“But your parents!” Tubby said, nearly frantic now. “And Bud! What would he say about me spending—”
“Buddy boy would say I was right, Ralphie; making you sleep over. Besides, we’ve all spent many a night at each others’ houses over the years.” Josie frowned thoughtfully. “Although I don’t expect Bud and I will be bunking together anytime soon.” The thought that they’d traded in that innocent part of their lives for their newfound relationship made her a little sad. “As far as me mother goes…she could care less,” Josie explained with a dismissive flip of her hand. “Drunk as she usually is.”
“But your dad,” Tubby insisted, unable to let it go. “What’ll he think when he sees me first thing in the morning?” Less than 24 hours ago, he didn’t have a friend in the world. Now he had three! And one, the most beautiful girl he’d ever known, was actually asking him to spend the night! While it may have seemed perfectly innocent to Josie, Tubby thought she’d change her mind right quick if she could see the lurid fantasies churning through his head. For some reason he kept imagining himself, decked out in a sailor’s suit, chasing after Josie, scantily clad in bra and panties. Through one door after another. Her big boobies bouncing wildly. The fantasy rolling through his head in fast motion. Like some crazy Benny Hill routine, complete with laughtrack and music.
“Me dad died eight years ago,” Josie replied with a pained smile.
That brought the damn silly fantasy to a cymbal crashing halt. “Oh, gee, Josie. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
Josie saw the genuine sympathy on Ralph’s face and she began to cry. Just like that. It was something she had never done with Bud, and only once before with Rusty. She preferred keeping those sorts of debilitating emotions to herself. Deep down, where they couldn’t hurt her. But this awkward boy, with his huge heart, somehow made it feel right and good to let all that out for once. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she cried and cried, and talked and talked, as they moved down the empty street together, relating to him the tragic events of October 13, 1996. When her daddy fell through that dappled, emerald ceiling. The very same night Bud’s poor mom met her Fate in the parking lot at the Moon River Academy.
Neither of them gave the rising Pines a second glance as they entered onto Huggins Way, the earlier events of the day forgotten for now. As only teenagers can do. By the time they passed the Drive-In, Josie had brought Tubby up to date. Including the brief history of Moon Island.
“So that’s how a black kid came to be named Rusty,” he said, patting Josie on the back. It suddenly occurred to him where his arm was and that it didn’t feel unwelcome there. “But why didn’t his folks just name him Joe, since that was your dad’s real first name?”
Josie wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket. Surprised again at how quickly this boy had become one of them. How at ease she felt in his company. “Probably because no one called him Joe…except for me mum, that is. He’d been going by Rusty, or Joe Rusty, since he was a redheaded tyke. Besides, me brother and I took daddy’s first name in a roundabout way.”