The Guys Next Door

by Amber Thielman

  “What about now?” I asked him.

  He leaned down, his lips brushing mine.

  “You tell me.”

  Monday was approaching much too quickly, and our nerves were on edge. Unsure of what to expect, Audrey had requested help from Marisol who, unbeknownst to me, had her attorney’s license. Once I got over the initial shock, I was grateful that we would have someone there who might know what was going on. I was also wary that it had come to that. The unknown was the scariest part of all—and if Audrey was already seeking legal help, we probably weren’t on the fastest track to getting out of this alive.

  Noah hadn’t spoken to Audrey or me about his meltdown, and we didn’t push him. He went about his weekend as if it never happened, but I knew that on the inside he was falling apart. And so was I. Audrey, who had been due at the club for both the Friday and Saturday night spectacle, chose not to show up and left Marisol in charge instead.

  I made a feeble attempt to convince her to go, to get her mind off things, but she refused and rented us movies and pizza instead. We all tried to get into it, tried to enjoy it, but acting happy was an exhausting task. At a little after nine, Noah went to bed, and at ten, I did the same. I figured Audrey wouldn’t get much sleep tonight, and I knew that I wouldn’t either. Probably none of us would.

  The courthouse was such a stifling place, empty of cheer and void of emotion. The people who worked there were plain people, boring people. They all walked stiffly, as if they were sore, tired, and would have rather been anywhere else but there. They didn’t smile. They didn’t stop for small talk. They passed us in the hallway, ignoring us. Some even turned their noses up as they walked. I tugged at the neck of my shirt, feeling hot under the collar, but not in a good way. The bench was hard beneath my butt, and every time I shifted, I could practically feel a new bruise forming.

  “I don’t like it here,” I said. Audrey, who was sitting next to me on the bench, forced a smile. It was her best fake smile, and I could see right through it.

  “We’re going to be okay,” she said. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself, which didn’t help. “We’re going to go into that courtroom and kick ass.” A man wearing a pressed suit passed us as Audrey said that, and he shot her a withering look.

  “Sure thing.” I smiled, but my stomach was in knots. It suddenly felt like we were back home in Michigan, getting ready to talk to the lawyer about where Noah and I would be sent to live since Mom and Dad had died. That had been such a terrifying moment for us—a feeling of being alone and out of control. No one would vouch for us—we had to stand up for ourselves and hope for the best.

  “So, how exactly does this work?” asked Audrey. She had her hands clasped firmly together as she leaned forward and supported her upper arms on her thighs. She was dressed in a baby blue blouse with a matching skirt, her blond hair pulled back tight against her skull and her complexion flawlessly done up with makeup. It was so unlike Audrey, who normally sported jeans and a T-shirt, kept her curly blond hair down, and only wore makeup when she had time to put it on in the morning.

  “When court starts, each witness is to be cross-examined,” Marisol said. It was so weird to listen to her speak like that, as if she knew what was going on. If I didn’t already know her, I would have never guessed this Puerto Rican woman dressed in dark brown slacks, a matching blouse, with her hair and makeup done up, was a bartender at a dance club. She looked phenomenal, and I couldn’t have been more glad to have her there. She had become our family—and we needed a family.

  “Are they going to interrogate the children?” Audrey asked. She sounded panicked, and I couldn’t blame her. I was notorious for saying the wrong things at the wrong time. If anything would screw this up, it would be my big mouth and me.

  “Noah and Olivia will get up and answer questions about the care they believe they are receiving from you,” Marisol said. “They’ll tell the judge about your lifestyle, job, and anything else they know and or see involving you or them. When everyone has been interviewed, the judge will make her decision.” Audrey stared straight ahead, her gaze vacant, but there was fear buried deep behind her eyes.

  “Okay,” she said after a moment. “Who do I have against me?”

  “This isn’t personal,” Marisol said. “You aren’t getting sued, and you’re not in a battle. But that social worker, Sheryl, will probably speak as well.” Audrey put her head in her hands and closed her eyes. I wanted to comfort her, but I knew it probably wouldn’t help, so I resisted.

  “That woman is out to get me,” she murmured. “She hates me.” Marisol put a hand on Audrey’s arm, and I saw Audrey relax visibly under her touch.

  “No one is out to get you, Audrey,” Mari assured her. “Or the children. She is simply doing her job.”

  “She’s the reason we’re here,” I muttered. As if on cue, Sheryl came around the corner. She looked intimidating dressed in a black skirt, shiny black shoes, and a white button up shirt. Her hair was pulled back tight against her head, and she was carrying a briefcase in one hand. She spotted us and smiled, but nobody smiled back.

  “Where’s Noah?” she asked.

  Behind her, the bathroom door opened, and my little brother joined us. He gave her a once over and then sat down next to me without speaking a word. He had his headphones in his ears, tuning out the conversation. I could hear the bass playing, and it took everything I had not to reach over and yank them from his ears.

  “You both look very nice today,” said Sheryl. Next to me, Audrey tensed up, as if she was resisting the urge to hit her. Not that I could blame her. I wanted to hit her, too.

  “Noah and Olivia, Judge Rayburn would like to see you both before the hearing starts. So, if you wouldn’t mind, will you please come with me?” Sheryl asked. Noah, who must have heard her despite the music, looked at Audrey for instruction. Audrey looked over at Marisol, and Mari nodded.

  “Okay,” I said, but hesitated for a moment before getting to my feet. Noah turned off his iPod, stuffed it into his pocket, and did the same. The last thing I wanted to do was talk to some judge, but if it helped get this day over more quickly, I would do it without argument.

  We followed Sheryl down the hallway, her heels ticking against the marble flooring. I looked back over my shoulder at Audrey, with her head in her hands and her eyes closed. Marisol was now sitting beside her, one hand patting her back. Seeing them there like that, looking so miserable, made me want to cry. I swallowed my fear and turned my attention back to Sheryl.

  “Here we are,” she said, stopping in front of a massive door. She knocked lightly, and from somewhere inside a voice yelled for us to come in. “I’ll see you both in a little bit,” Sheryl said, and opened the door so we could step in. Then she shut it behind her, abandoning us.

  “Children,” the judge said. “Hello.” Her voice was pleasant and kind, so unlike everyone else in the building, which caught me off guard. Weren’t judges supposed to be mean and cranky? She came from around her desk and held out her hand to each of us. Her skin was soft, fingers warm. “My name is Cindy Rayburn. I’m taking the case today, and I just wanted a moment to meet you both and chat a little.” Judge Rayburn sat back down, still smiling, and Noah and I followed. She was an older woman, mid-fifties probably. Although her short curly hair was most likely gray, it had been dyed dark brown, presumably to look professional. She wore spectacles perched on her nose, and the pink lipstick she tried to pull off still seemed to flatter her.

  “Noah and Olivia James,” she said, looking back and forth between the both of us. “I do apologize that you two are going through something like this. Custody cases are always rough, but let’s try and make this as painless as possible, shall we?”

  Noah crossed his arms, looking pissed off.

  “I don’t want to be here.”

  Judge Rayburn looked at her watch. “Truthfully, me either. I haven’t had my lunch yet.” I stared at her, trying to decide if she was making a joke or if she was s
erious. Noah didn’t look amused either way.

  “Why did you want to see us?” I asked. My voice was trembling. The judge looked at me over her glasses and smiled.

  “Olivia, I’d like to talk to Noah alone, if you don’t mind. I just like to get a different view of things, before the pressure of the courtroom comes into play.” I looked at my brother, who was staring at the floor. I didn’t want to leave him there with her—I didn’t want to let my brother out of my sight ever again, but I knew I had to. I didn’t know if she’d have any luck getting through to him, but I’d let her try anyway. Noah was a big boy. He could take care of himself.

  “Okay,” I said hesitantly. I reached over and squeezed my brother’s arm before standing up and leaving the office, closing the big oak door behind me. As I walked back to join Audrey and Marisol, I noticed a third person sitting beside them.

  “Jesse?” I said. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hi, Liv.” Jesse stood to embrace me, pulling me close and squeezing. He smelled good and looked even better, dressed professionally in slacks and a button-up shirt. It was all I could do not to lock lips with him for hours.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” I murmured, closing my eyes and sinking into him. “Thank you for coming.” Mari and Audrey were still watching us—Mari was smiling.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said to Audrey over Jesse’s shoulder. “I didn’t tell you about Jesse.”

  “He told me,” Audrey said, and she forced a smile for me. “I’m really happy for you guys.” The worry in her eyes was evident. Here I was, getting emotionally attached to her, her friends, and a guy from school, and we were getting ready to go battle about custody in a court case.

  “What did the judge say?” Mari asked. Jesse released his embrace but still held onto my hand as we sat back down on the bench.

  “She wants to talk to Noah,” I said. “She didn’t have much to say to me.” Audrey nodded and blew out a breath of air, her eyes averted toward the ceiling.

  “It’s most likely because you’re so close to being eighteen,” Mari said. “This whole situation will affect Noah the most.”

  I looked over at Audrey and then reached for her hand, placing my own over hers and squeezing. “It’s going to be okay,” I said. I wished my mother were here now more than ever. She had always known what to say to anybody—her presence alone had been calming.

  “I hope so, too,” Audrey said. Her head lolled to the side, her eyes meeting mine. She smiled, but it was forced. Down the hall, the sound of shoes on the floor made us look in that direction. I expected to see Sheryl again, but it wasn’t Sheryl this time. It was Mr. Devereaux.

  “Jake!” said Audrey. She sounded shocked, trying to decide whether his being there was actually real. “You—you’re here.”

  Mr. Devereaux pulled Audrey to her feet and then in against his body, wrapping his arms around her. She put her head on his chest. He lifted one hand to hold the back of her head as they stood together, silent and loving.

  “Audrey, I’m a stupid man,” he said. “I’m a stupid, stubborn man who thought that he could avoid negative emotions and heartbreak by just taking a step back and staying out of it.” He paused, and over her shoulder, he caught my gaze. “I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than right in the middle of it.”

  A tear slid down my cheek as I got to my feet and stepped toward them. Mr. Devereaux’s free arm opened up to me. I stepped into his embrace, and he held Audrey and me as we cried into his nicely ironed shirt.

  “I hate to interrupt this,” Marisol said. “But court is about to start.”

  I pulled back, wiping my eyes, and Audrey did the same. She squared her shoulders and plastered on a nervous smile.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  “Mr. Patrick, is it fair to say that you are a close friend of Audrey Bell’s?”

  There was silence in the courtroom as we waited for Avery to answer. He was sitting in the witness stand, looking as though he was called to court every day, no skin off his back. Although he was dressed in his usual attire—outrageous leather pants, a tight shirt, and a red boa—no one seemed to mind. A few times, Judge Rayburn even looked amused. That was a good sign because she was the woman in charge.

  “Of course, sugar,” he said to the attorney. “She’s my baby doll.” Audrey tensed beside me, and I reached out and grabbed her hand, trying not to giggle. On the other side of me, Jesse still hadn’t let go of my hand, and I was okay with that. I needed it—I needed him.

  The courtroom was half full with friends of ours and Audrey’s. It made it that much more intimidating to have so many people watching and waiting. People we didn’t know and had never seen—complete strangers awaiting an outcome they were not a part of. In front of us, the blond-haired attorney representing Child Protective Services put her hands on her hips. She didn’t look amused, not even a little bit, and that worried me.

  “Okay,” she said. “Would you say that Ms. Bell makes an appropriate amount of income to support two growing teenagers?”

  “Income?” repeated Avery. He snapped his fingers in the air. “Girl, do you see this body? Do you think I flaunt this for free?” A few people in the seats behind us laughed, and Audrey dropped her head into her hands.

  “Jesus,” she murmured. She looked anything but amused—horrified, even. If I weren’t sick to my stomach, I would have laughed, too. The attorney, who I had heard someone call Lila, looked at the judge with an exasperated look. Judge Rayburn only shrugged. She, too, was smiling.

  “That’s not what I asked you,” Lila said. Avery rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

  “Of course Audrey has enough money to support the children,” he said. “She is a businesswoman.” He tilted his head to the side like a puppy dog, staring at Lila as though she had sprouted three heads. I stifled another laugh.

  “Thank you,” said Lila. She opened her mouth, as if ready to go on, but then closed it. She turned to the judge. “No more questions, your honor. I’d like to call Sheryl Pincock of King County Department of Social Services to the stand.” Behind where we were seated, the doors opened, and Noah and I turned. Ty and his girlfriend Kristin came in quietly. Ty spotted us and waved before they slid into a bench on the back row. An overwhelming emotion of love washed over me. Ed, who had found us right before the hearing, was sitting on the other side of Marisol. I was sad to see they weren’t holding hands.

  It was difficult to focus as Sheryl switched places with Avery, who sat down on the other side of Noah and took his hand, patting it. My little brother hadn’t spoken a word about his meeting with the judge, and there was an unanswered wondering between Audrey and me. We both wanted to know what had been said, but we didn’t ask. There wasn’t time, and it probably wouldn’t do any good anyway.

  “Mrs. Pincock, who do you represent?” asked Lila. I turned my focus forward, palms sweating. My leg was tapping anxiously, but Jesse didn’t seem to notice. He looked calm. I wished I was that calm.

  “I am a social worker in King’s County,” Sheryl said. She caught my eyes, and then looked away abruptly. I wondered if she was regretting her decision to take us to court. Probably not.

  “How did you come to meet the children?” Lila asked.

  “Their parents hired me as their social worker,” Sheryl said. She leaned forward, now focusing solely on Lila. “Before their death, they called me on the phone, and I helped them with their will and promised that the children would be cared for in the event of a death.” Avery’s grip tightened on my little brother’s hand. I reached out and took Audrey’s, just for my own comfort. She squeezed it and smiled, but just barely.

  “Was Audrey Bell requested as the guardian to acquire full custody of the children in the event of Dereck and Kate’s death?” Lila asked. Hearing my parents’ name flung around so callously shot a shiver down my spine. I missed them severely right then—it felt like the only thing that could fix this horrible si
tuation were my parents, but that was impossible. I took a deep breath, wondering if I was getting enough air. I hoped I wouldn’t pass out.

  “That’s correct,” said Sheryl. “Audrey Bell is Dereck’s sister, the only sibling between the James couple.” Lila folded her hands in front of her.

  “Did they say anything else about Ms. Bell becoming Noah and Olivia’s legal guardian?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Sheryl straightened up and glanced our way again. She wasn’t smiling, and no one smiled at her. “The will states that Audrey Bell would only proceed with custody if A, she accepted, and B, she was fit to care for the children.” There was silence in the courtroom as these words sank in. Audrey shifted next to me, and Mr. Devereaux put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in.

  “Mrs. Pincock, what made you decide to pursue this hearing today?” asked Lila. A great hush fell over the room, over-eager ears suddenly curious. I, too, was curious. We all were.

  “I made my first visit to the children not long ago,” Sheryl said. “That’s the way it works with every one of our guardianship cases. We come through, visit the children, see how things are doing—the usual.”

  “And what did you find that made you suddenly wary of the situation?” Lila asked. Sheryl pretended to brush back a stray hair as she looked at Noah and me.

  “After speaking with both Audrey and the children, I came to the conclusion that Ms. Bell’s lifestyle may not be well-suited for two teenage children,” she said finally. Behind us, I heard Tyler’s voice.

  “Bullshit!” he coughed. From the stand, Sheryl was glaring out at him, not amused in the least. I couldn’t tell if Audrey was embarrassed or furious, but she didn’t turn around. Noah, however, turned in his seat and gave Ty an air-high-five. I rolled my eyes.

  “Were you unaware of Ms. Bell’s so-called ‘lifestyle’ before your company shipped the children off to live with her?” asked Lila. I saw Sheryl’s face flush, but only for a moment. She composed herself quickly.