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Chapter 30

Soozie had just cleaned up all of the shattered glass just inside the door and was heading out onto the porch to sweep up any found there when she noticed not all of the teenagers had left. Sitting on the porch swing, looking dejected and in tears was Drake’s girlfriend Jade.

“Jade,” Soozie cried as she set aside the broom. Normally whenever Jade arrived she let herself in, so to find her out here seemed odd to Soozie; especially since the young girl had tears slowly pouring down her cheeks. “Why didn’t you come inside?”

“We didn’t mean to interrupt. I tried to stop him.” Jade instantly offered as Soozie approached the girl. Soozie was shocked at her open weeping and honestly didn’t know how to handle it so she sat down beside Jade and awkwardly rubbed the girls back.

“No, don’t be, Bry and I should have just gone to bed. It’s not your fault.” Soozie attempted to comfort the despondent girl.

“Oh wait,” Soozie cried. “That sounded wrong…I meant we should have gone to our own beds – nothing happened Jade, you didn’t interrupt anything, except Bry’s snoring.”

Jade looked over at Soozie and nodded a disbelieving nod.

“No, I swear! We just slept, we didn’t do….that!” Soozie cried defensively. Jade stopped nodding and watched Soozie skeptically.

“You were naked”

“No I had on panties and Bry had on boxers, I think….he had something on….but we didn’t….no Jade you guys have it all wrong.”

Jade sighed and looked the other way. “Whatever”

Soozie instantly wondered what was so wrong. Although some of the girls in the scout troop were prone to using the word ‘whatever’ nearly twenty times during a conversation, Jade wasn’t one of them. Jade’s tone of voice, far away glances and tears had Soozie worried something else was wrong with the girl.

“The glass from the window…it didn’t cut you did it?”

“No, I’m fine,” the girl barely replied. “I’ll be fine….”

Soozie instantly knew the girl was lying. Before Soozie could press forward with any questions Jade snapped her eyes to Soozie and looked desperate. “How did you get Mr. T to …you know…have sex with you?”

Soozie blinked twice and coughed. She shook her head as her mouth failed to operate correctly. “But he …we….no…it didn’t happen…we didn’t have sex Jade!”

Jade looked doubtful. Rolling her eyes, she shrugged and turned back to the mountains she was staring at. “Whatever…I saw you two…”

“Well yes….you did,” Soozie cried in exasperation. “Hell you all saw us….but we never had sex…we were just sleeping, I swear. That is all that happened.”

Jade kept her eyes turned away. Soozie glanced down the driveway hoping to see Bryant walk up. This was his area of expertise, talking with these young people. Soozie was at a complete loss as to how or what to say to the girl sitting beside her. God what do I say to get through to this girl?

“I wanted to,” Soozie suddenly found herself admitting; “But we didn’t. We didn’t even kiss Jade – and I don’t know why.”

Now Soozie had jade’s attention. Jade’s head snapped to Soozie and her eyes were as wide as saucers. “Whoa….you didn’t….he didn’t even kiss you?”

Now Soozie blushed. Great, just tell the girl how much of a loser you are Sooz. “No, he didn’t.” Soozie honestly answered. Looking off to Jade’s mountains, Soozie sighed. “He came really close, but we managed not to….go that route.”

“But….you guys were….when we walked in…” Jade hesitantly pushed for details.

Soozie laughed. “That’s the product of cuddling up, listening to music, drinking beer and being too lazy to either go upstairs to get undressed and go to bed, or in his case go downstairs…nothing more….two lazy, old people.” Soozie quipped.

Jade’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “You mean you laid there naked, in his arms and he didn’t even try once……he didn’t even get a hard….”

Ahem –

Soozie coughed, cutting off Jade’s words. Shaking her head no, Soozie didn’t let the girl finish. “I wasn’t completely naked, nor was he. Yes I was in his arms, but I didn’t …look to see if he…you know…” Soozie felt the hot flush rise to her cheeks. “We were careful Jade, that’s as best I can describe it!”

Soozie stared down at the hardwood deck beneath her feet. Humiliated didn’t begin to describe how she felt discussing her love life, or lack there of with an 18 year old Girl Scout. She thought however, that her final statement would be enough for the girl. Soozie thought wrong.

“WHY DIDN”T YOU?” Jade cried. She grabbed Soozie’s lower arm gently and forced Soozie to look up at her. “He is so in love with you. Why didn’t you make love to him Soozie.”

Soozie’s jaw hit the deck. Jades words struck her with such velocity that all Soozie could do was utter garbled noises in reply.

“Soozie, don’t you see it? We all see it, why do you think everyone wants you two together? He’s got it bad for you! You’re crazy if you don’t snag him up!” Jade implored.

“Uh..well..yeah..uhm…” Soozie finally shook her head helplessly. “And you know this HOW?”

Soozie’s question led to Jade telling Soozie of how they found Bryant in the bar of the Inn last night. Jade went on and on about Bryant’s near depression at the thought of Soozie belonging to another, and how Tori’s awful lies had nearly destroyed Bryant’s heart.

Soozie listened but could barely believe her ears. Surely the young girl had to be wrong, but then again, the sparks between her and Bryant last night only served to accentuate Jade’s words.

“Well….we’re…taking our time…” Soozie uttered for lack of anything else to say. Jade snorted in disgust and suddenly grew quiet. For a moment Soozie allowed her head to stop spinning before she tried to re focus the conversation between them.

“What…did I say something wrong?”

“No,” Jade whispered. “But Drake asked me to do the same thing last night?”

Soozie’s mouth hit the floor again. “Drake asked YOU to sleep naked with him?”

“NO,” Jade cried. “He kept trying to keep me clothed. He asked me to “take our time” – can you believe that?”

Soozie blinked. Only for a moment was she confused, but once Jade’s comments were absorbed, Soozie thought she understood.

“Ohhhh, you mean Drake didn’t want to….you know….last night?”

“No,” Jade whispered as fresh tears appeared in the girls eyes. “No matter what I tried, even the lingerie didn’t work. He turned me down every single time.”

Soozie blinked. Did eighteen year old girls even wear lingerie? The thought sent shock ripples through Soozie’s mind.

“After all these years….” Jade whimpered as she dabbed her eyes.

“Well…” Soozie reached an unsure hand around and began softly patting Jade’s back again. “I’m sure Drake is trying to….well he…..Drake is a…..He didn’t mean to hurt you Jade.” Soozie finally managed to state.

“You don’t know that. I don’t know that. Maybe he met someone else?”

“NO,” Soozie cried aloud. “That is NOT it at all. When drake talked to Bry about this, he said his concern was…”

Jade’s head nearly fell off when she snapped it quickly to glare at Soozie. “He talked to his uncle about our sex life?” she screeched.

Damnit, Soozie silently cursed. “No, he talked to his uncle about being in love with you and not wanting to do anything wrong to you.”

“And his Uncle told YOU” Jade shrieked. Flinging her hands helplessly in the air, jade hopped up from the porch swing. “That is just fucking great!” she wailed.

Soozie suddenly snapped. Bolting upright she grabbed Jade’s hand and yanked the girl to face her. “Why don’t you just get over yourself Jade? For the love of God’s green earth; the man who loves you didn’t want to sleep with you as if you were some common prom whore. If that makes Drake a prick, well then so be it, but I’d count my blessings if I were you. Why don’t you grow up?” Soozie roared to life.

Jade froze. Her eyes so wide, Soozie feared they’d pop out and roll across the deck. Nodding firmly, Soozie let go of Jade’s hand. Soozie wasn’t finished with her pent up tirade and let loose on Jade as she flailed her arms wildly about.

“You know Drake could have slept with you over and over last night. He could have given you the old speech about how you won’t get pregnant if you do it five times in a row or whatever stupid things sleaze balls think of. Did he? NO. Instead he probably tried to tell you over and over how much he truly loved you….didn’t he? Didn’t he?” Soozie demanded.

Jade nodded once, slowly.

“Yes what a bastard he is! How awful for you that some man actually thinks more of you then some container for his sperm…..you poor, poor girl!”

Jade’s lips began quivering and Soozie realized she was screaming too loud. Clearing her throat, Soozie took a deep breath and forced herself to speak in a somewhat calm tone.

“Did you see your friends here today? Did you see them, with their rumpled hair and their grins of sexitude?”

“Sexitude?”

“Go with it,” Soozie barked. “Did you see them or not?”

Jade nodded.

“Yeah well tell me, in ten years, how many of those girls will be able to crawl back into bed with the man they went to the prom with…..how many of those guys will still love their prom whores ten years from now? HUH….HOW MANY JADE?”

“uh…” Jade looked skeptical as she thought of her friends.

“Yes, precisely….probably none of them! Ten years form now they will look back and see you as being the lucky one on prom night…..but you’re too selfish to see it. So why don’t you take your mother’s blinders off and look around at what you do have!” Soozie’s voice had grown louder as she spoke and now she pointed down what she thought was the empty driveway.

“DRAKE LOVES YOU WITH ALL HIS HEART AND DIDN’T WANT TO SLOBER ALL OVER YOU IN SOME PROM CONQUEST….IF THAT IS HELL…THEN I”D TAKE IT!” Soozie roared.

Furious beyond words, Soozie visibly shook. She also never noticed Bryant and Drake almost to the house, in the center of the driveway. “Excuse me,” she yelled as she stormed past Jade, nearly knocking Jade down. “I’m going inside so I stop yelling. Come inside if you want.”

For the second time that morning, Soozie walked into the cabin and slammed the door.

Jade stared at the windowless door.

Bryant and Drake exchanged odd, almost amused looks.

Soozie walked inside the cabin and threw her hands up into the air. “Somebody save me, I’m drowning here!” she whispered to the ceiling.

There was no reply.

Technorati: Forgotten Freedoms, NaNoWriMo, Novel Writing, NaNoFiMo, Romance Writing, 1 Word 2 Words