“Well, there’s a decent chance his cock is bigger than yours.”
Curt nodded. “Could be true. But usually when guys tell you how big they are, it doesn’t bode well for the actual size.”
Kate chuckled. “You might have a point there.” She folded her hands together. “You know, I might have been wrong about Hannah. At least, a little bit. She still has some problematic beliefs, but I think she has a big heart. Probably bigger than Alexis’, for what it’s worth. I know you might enjoy other parts of them besides their heart, though.”
Curt nodded but ultimately brushed off her appraisal of Hannah. There were weightier matters to consider at the moment.
“Okay, but no more chances. We need to stick together. I think we should call an SSA meeting tomorrow. We need to look out for each other. Who knows what else some of these people might pull.”
Alexis reentered the house, her eyes suggesting she was prepared to sympathize with Kate’s plight now that any potential rival for Curt’s affection had been removed.
Kate cocked her head at Alexis. “Where’d you come from?”
“I was just seeing Hannah off,” Alexis announced with a sunny expression.
“What did you say to her?” Curt asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
Before Alexis could feign innocence, a car pulled into the driveway and the garage door opened.
“Crap. My mom’s home,” Kate said, rising to her feet. “You guys should get out of here. I don’t want to tell my mom about this.”
Again, Curt wasn’t sure this was the best course of action to take. Kate’s parents should know what happened to their daughter. Even so, he respected Kate’s wishes. That didn’t negate his concern for his friend, though.
Alexis and Curt stepped onto the porch. Dusk was approaching though the warm temperatures held their ground. A few fireflies dotted the yard. Alexis stopped Curt on the sidewalk and placed her hands around his neck.
“So, you want to go to my place? I think we still have an hour before my parents get home. I bet we could get quite a bit done in an hour,” she said, with a twinkle in her eyes that was both mischievous and seductive.
The delicate friction of her hands on his neck moved the needle toward ‘yes’. If it had been raining, and her clothes were clinging to her skin like they had the first time they had sex, that would have sealed the deal. For now, Curt still had to ponder his response.
34
Angry Men
The next day, Curt never showed at his locker before homeroom. Hannah watched and waited for him to appear but to no avail. Perhaps he was absent. Or avoiding her. Based on last night, it seemed equally as likely he was standing at Alexis’ locker, waiting to accompany her to homeroom. The two were probably holding hands. That seemed the most probable outcome from Alexis’ reemergence into Curt’s life.
While she waited, Jane popped by on her way to gym class. Her friend’s expression conveyed concern.
“What’s wrong with you?” Hannah asked.
“I saw Jake last night. Some kids from youth group were hanging out. Jake was really mad about you and Curt.” Jane’s eyes became even graver. “Like really mad. I just thought I should warn you.”
Hannah nodded. She didn’t bother to ask if Jake was primarily ticked at Hannah or Curt. The prospect of an enraged Jake worried her. More for Curt’s sake than hers.
“Why didn’t you tell me about what happened between you and Curt?” Jane asked. Now, Hannah’s friend appeared wounded.
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think you’d understand.”
Jane took a step closer to Hannah. “But I would’ve tried. Even if it didn’t make sense to me. I want to hear this stuff from you, not Jake.”
Hannah glanced down the hallway, searching for Curt. The bell rang.
“I’m sorry,” Hannah said, turning back toward Jane. “I promise I’ll tell you everything. Later.”
“Well, okay.” Jane stepped forward and hugged Hannah. “I gotta run to class. I’ll see you at lunch.”
As Jane scurried off and Hannah was about to abandon her vigil, she received a surprise visitor. Greg materialized at her side, wearing a gray T-shirt and black athletic shorts. Hannah tensed up, anticipating more religiously themed derision, though this time he had no particular audience to play to.
“Hey,” he said, his tone and expression even.
“Uh, hi.”
Greg leaned against the locker next to hers, propping himself up with his hand, which effectively blocked her escape. Hannah glanced around them. There were enough bystanders present to offer her a modicum of protection.
“I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you. I was kind of a dick to you.”
“Kind of?” Hannah repeated, surprising herself with her boldness.
Greg chuckled. “Okay, I was a gigantic dick to you. And you didn’t deserve that.”
“Uh, okay,” Hannah replied, unsure of what to do with this sudden remorse. Perhaps word about her support of Kate had trickled out to the SSA community. Truthfully, she hoped her actions the previous afternoon would soften Curt’s opinion of her. Not that that was her principal motivation for standing next to Kate as the grungy Tasker brothers heaped their bigotry on her. But it would have been a welcome consequence.
Before she could exit, Greg stopped her. “We’re having an SSA meeting tonight to discuss the fallout from the Ten Commandments monument stuff. It’s going to be at one of the member’s houses. I think it would mean a lot to Curt if you came.”
Somehow Hannah doubted that. Her precarious position in Curt’s life had seemingly already been expunged, replaced by the more religiously compatible and sexually open Alexis.
Greg handed her a slip of paper. “Here’s the address. We’re meeting at 8 pm. I hope you can make it.”
Hannah took the paper without responding. With that, Greg walked away, providing Hannah a clear path to her next class. She glanced at the address. Maybe Curt was with Alexis now and that was the way things should be. At the same time, her attendance might make Curt see her and her faith in a different light. From the outset, that had been her goal with Curt, before her feelings toward him got in the way. Perhaps now she was on the right path again.
Hannah was in her room when the phone rang. She lunged from the bed to her dresser where the phone sat, hoping Curt was on the other end. Instead, a number she didn’t recognize was calling.
“Hello?”
“Hannah, why are you doing this?” an aggressive male voice asked.
Jake. Despite him asking her father for permission to date her, the two had never talked or texted before. The call shouldn’t have surprised Hannah, though. Jane had warned her that Jake was angry.
“What were you doing with that...with that…” Jake never did complete his sentence. Perhaps he couldn’t without cursing. Atheist or heathen might not have been strong enough in Jake’s mind anymore to categorize Curt. “How could you be with him?”
“I’m not with him. He’s not my boyfriend,” Hannah answered quietly.
“It sure looked that way. You were holding his hand, Hannah. You’ve never held my hand before.”
“I’m sorry Jake,” Hannah said, pacing the room. I don’t have feelings for you, she thought. That was the simple truth. After everything had been said and done, Hannah had never felt more than flattered by his attention. “I never said I wanted to be your girlfriend, only that I needed time to think about it.”
She still couldn’t explain her lack of interest in Jake, but the reason why didn’t matter.
“You gave yourself to him,” he accused.
Hannah wasn’t sure how to parse that ambiguous phrase. Did Jake assume Hannah had become involved with Curt sexually? Or did Jake only mean emotionally?
“I didn’t-” she started, but Jake cut her off.
“Hannah, I don’t understand. I’ve done everything right. I’ve been faithful to God. I approached your father first like any god-fearing man
should. What more could you’ve have wanted from me?”
A measure of pain had infiltrated Jake’s voice, which pricked Hannah’s conscience. She’d never meant to hurt him.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Jake.”
Well, that was partially true. Beating up Curt in the church hadn’t helped his case. Neither had talking to her father before she signed off on the relationship. At this point, however, she wanted to get him off the phone without injuring his feelings further or stoking the fires of his jealousy.
“I guess it’s true what they say. Girls always want the bad boy instead of the nice guy. Then they come crawling back when the bad boy uses them and tosses them aside.”
“Jake, it’s not-”
“You better not come crying to me when he’s done with you.” Bitterness had ramped up his tone to a frightening level.
“I can’t do this,” she said suddenly. “Goodbye, Jake.”
Hannah ended the call and dropped the phone on her dresser, fearing it would light up with another call from Jake. The phone remained quiet. Hannah crossed her room and peered out the blinds to the yard below. There was no sign of Jake or his Dodge Charger. She breathed a sigh of relief. As always, Hannah feared his reaction. Perhaps now that Curt seemed to be with Alexis and no longer an active part of Hannah’s life, Jake’s anger would fade. She only hoped he wouldn’t interpret that as a sign he should begin pursuing her again.
A little before 8 pm, Hannah walked out of her house. She’d become much more proficient at sneaking out the last few weeks. Sneaking out was probably too strong a phrase for that night’s activity, though. With her father embroiled in church matters or sermon preparation and Samuel out with Jake or others, she simply walked out the door. No lies or subterfuge was necessary.
Just under three minutes later, she stood before the unfamiliar house—a two-story colonial—which was located only two blocks from her own home. As she reached for the doorbell, doubts began to plague her mind. Beyond the intimidation that normally accompanied going places she’d never been before, Hannah wondered if she was truly wanted there. She hadn’t crossed paths with Curt all day. Hannah had considered texting him but failed to follow through, afraid that Curt would tell her not to come. Perhaps that fear should’ve answered her question of whether people wanted her at the SSA meeting.
Whatever. She was there. Hannah pressed the doorbell. Greg appeared a moment later, smiling at her.
“Hey, great, you made it!” he announced cheerfully. “Come in.”
She followed Greg inside. Despite his apology and upbeat demeanor, she still didn’t feel comfortable around him. It would take time for her to get used to Greg smiling at her unironically.
“Curt just texted. He and Kate are running late. But they’ll be here soon,” Greg said.
Hannah surveyed the house. The house was neat, and the lack of clutter really showed off the hardwood floors. Framed artwork and photos adorned the walls in orderly patterns. Great care had been taken in each of the little accents that decorated the room.
There were about half a dozen people besides them, mostly males but a few females. They talked in several groups and barely acknowledged Hannah. Some of them she recognized from class or the SSA meeting. They held red solo cups, which instantly made Hannah fear she’d stumbled into some kind of underage drinking party, even though she couldn’t be sure of the cups’ contents.
Hanna plopped down on a green microfibre couch and leaned forward. The apparent alcohol people were consuming made her uncomfortable, even if no one was acting drunk, yet. The fact that Greg was her strongest link to the people present made her even more ill at ease.
“Here,” Greg said, offering her a red cup.
Hannah stared at the beverage like it was cyanide.
“I don’t drink.”
Greg grinned. “I figured. It’s soda. Coke to be exact. I hope you’re not a Pepsi girl.”
She took the cup from him, uninterested in its contents. Isolated from the activity around her, Hannah counted down the minutes until Curt and Kate arrived. What was taking them so long? As she waited, Hannah took small sips of the syrupy liquid. Greg sat next to her.
“When are Curt and Kate getting here?” she asked.
He glanced at his watch. “Should be any minute. Then we’ll start the meeting.”
Hannah exhaled and downed half the cup. Ten minutes later, she was starting to feel strange. The room began to spin as she became light-headed. A sudden surge of drowsiness made her eyelids droop. Her head felt like a great weight she could no longer hold up.
“Are you okay?” Greg asked, sounding concerned.
“What was in this?” Hannah struggled to ask.
Greg frowned. “Nothing. Just soda.”
“I don’t feel so good.”
Greg patted her shoulder and then smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. But your people crossed the line. Now I need to cross the line, too.”
Sounds in the room had become more distant. Hannah’s consciousness was losing focus. Stay alert, she told herself. Don’t give in.
“Hey, what’s wrong with the church girl?” a voice to her side asked.
Greg chortled. “She had one drink. I warned her. She’s a flyweight.”
Laughter reverberated around her.
“Are you sure she’s okay?” asked another male voice, this one sounding more concerned and less jovial.
“Yeah, she’s fine. I’m just waiting to take her home after her dad goes to bed. She didn’t want him to bust her coming in drunk, especially ‘cause he’s a preacher,” Greg explained. “Curt and Kate are on their way to help me with her.”
That was a lie. Curt and Kate weren’t coming. She realized that now. All of this had been a set-up. Hannah fought to speak, but the words eluded her, suffocated by the power of whatever Greg laced her drink with. She slumped over on the couch, unable to hold herself up a second longer.
She went in and out unconsciousness. The door opened and closed. Goodbyes were traded. Hannah couldn’t focus on any of it. Suddenly, Greg appeared above her.
“Good. Now we’re alone.”
Hannah babbled an incomprehensible prayer to Jesus, the only One who could hear or understand her now.
35
A Concerned Call
Curt sat on his living room couch, a pile of textbooks and notebooks stacked on the cushion beside him. Kate lay on the Afghan rug, kicking her feet in the air. It wasn’t unusual for the two to study together. Mostly, the pair worked independently, though occasionally they helped one another out.
“Question,” Kate said, breaking the library-like silence. That was how she started most of her academic queries—a riff on a character from one of her favorite shows, The Office. “When you left my house yesterday, did you or did you not go to Alexis’ house and bang her?”
Curt looked up from his book. “I did not. I escorted her home and then came here.”
Kate eyed him suspiciously. “Follow-up question: so since I didn’t see you or Alexis in the cafeteria, did you find a place at school where she could go down on you?”
Curt sent her a withering glare as his phone rang. He checked the caller: Mike, a guy who frequented the SSA.
“Hey Mike, what’s up?” he asked, surprised by the call. If the two ever spoke outside of school and SSA, their communication was channeled through texts, not calls.
“Hey, I was just at Greg’s house. A bunch of us were there hanging out. That girl Hannah that you brought to SSA was there, too.”
“Really?” Curt’s brow wrinkled in confusion. Why would Hannah be at Greg’s house? Given the number of insulting questions Greg had asked Hannah, Curt couldn’t imagine any scenario that would have brought her there willingly.
“Yeah, and she didn’t look too good. Greg said she had a drink, but she kind of seemed like she was on something. Anyway, Greg said you and Kate and were coming over to help take her home. Something about the whole thing made me feel funny, so
I figured I’d give you a call.”
“Uh, yeah, thanks for the heads up. I’ll go check on her now,” Curt said.
Instantly, he began fearing the worst. None of Mike’s news made sense. Hannah drinking? At Greg’s house no less?
The concern in his voice drew a matching expression from Kate. “What’s up?”
He had already risen to his feet and moved toward the door. “That was Mike. Hannah was at Greg’s house, and he thought it looked like she was on something.”
“On something? Hannah?” Kate frowned and set down her pen. “I know she’s been fraternizing a bit too much with us sinners lately, but that seems out of character.”
“Something’s not right.” He slid his feet into a pair of black flip-flops. “I’m going to check it out.”
Kate scrambled to her feet. “I’ll go with you.”
He gave her a look as if the situation might be too dangerous. She waved off his anxiety.
“Whatever happens, it’s better if there’s another witness. Come on, let’s go.”
Kate’s justification for going made sense. Still, Curt feared what they’d discover at Greg’s house.
“Maybe we should have called the cops,” Curt said as he ascended the concrete steps to Greg’s door. The anxiety that dominated his thoughts had grown exponentially since Mike first called and they drove across town in his mom’s car.
“Maybe. But we don’t even know what’s going on,” Kate countered. She reached for the doorbell while Curt pounded on the wooden door.
He knocked for a solid minute while Kate kept pressing the doorbell until Greg answered the door, appearing confused.
“Curt, Kate. What’s going on? Why the hell did you just ring my doorbell a hundred times?”
“Where is she?” Curt asked.
“Who?”
“Hannah, you asshole.” Curt lowered his shoulder and pushed his way into the house. His leverage propelled Greg from the door, clearing a path.
Across the Western Sky Page 18