It all started when a dream I was having went ‘a little caca.’ In the blink of cosmic clock, I went from an old man living from hand to mouth to my own childhood, reliving the sixth grade. Which could’ve been fun if it’d been the universe I remembered. Fortunately, I had help - an alien Constructed Intelligence by the name of Hap. Unfortunately, while she can heal almost any hurt or illness, she’s still an immobile machine. So here I am reliving my life again putting things right that once went wrong, a kind of cross-dimensional time-traveling Lone Ranger with Hap as my Tonto. And I don’t even need a mask. (Oh Boy!”)
My apologies to “Quantum Leap!”
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.
Authors note: This story continues Career Day: Wheels of the School Bus Go Round and Round. It probably won’t make much sense without reading that one first. Vol. 3 is planned, but I don’t honestly know when I’ll be able to get to it. I had a lot of problems with the end of this one which ended up in several rewrites. That of course delayed everything, and my move a few months ago didn’t help. So please bear with me. It might be awhile.
I was so excited I just couldn’t sit still. Today I was free! Okay, that was exaggerating, but only a little. Today was Friday, the day before that so special day in May which meant tomorrow I was 16. I’ll get my regular driver’s license tomorrow!
Today also meant I’d spent four years and 4 months here 37 years in my own past. Well, sorta kinda. My past if the secret to anti-gravity was discovered in 1960, and alien medical machines had saved JFK, weird huh?
Trust me, I wasn’t complaining. Back in my own timeline, I was a real mess. Transgendered, fighting depression, and a piss poor employment record because of those factors, I was impoverished with little hope for the future.
Here, in this alternate universe where things took a hard left hand turn into the Twilight Zone, the same machine that’ll save JFK transformed me into a real live girl with all the options. The super-duper advanced intelligence, Hap, that ran the network had taken a liking to me. She’d even given me this kinda metal organic shaped device that looked like a closed ‘pinecone.’ It let me talk with her and let us share secrets. Mine about being a sorta kinda time traveler, and hers of being an alien, constructed intelligence, not an AI thank you so very much. Hap hated to be called artificial!
When John Glenn made it to the Moon in 1962, his crew found a wrecked alien ship. That’s where they found Hap. She wasn’t alone, but the other CI’s had some kind of programming kind of like Star Trek’s Prime Directive not to interfere with developing cultures. Hap however was a medical machine. Her dedication to healing let her get around some of those restrictions.
Because she used matter transmutation to heal, she could also replicate lesser copies. Fortunately for John F. Kennedy one of those was nearby in Dallas TX on November, 22 1963.
I know she really brought him back to life, but damn few others know that. Apparently he figured that out, too. Grateful for his second chance he made the existence of ’medical scanners’ public claiming they were just another miraculous product of the Hughes’ genius.
For all the miracles Hap could perform, she was still not from around here if you know what I mean. She could rebuild a human from the smallest atom up, but understand us? That was a little harder.
My problems were more straightforward if no easier. We talked about what could’ve brought me here. My accurate forecasting of natural disasters ruled out simply being a delusional kid. Even her mysterious companions who kept mum most of the time because of that Prime Directive thing were baffled. All I got to say on the subject is thank Gawd my name isn’t Samuel Becket. No way did I want to ‘leap out’ to anywhere, home or otherwise. I was quiet happy right here thank you so much.
I guess we were a really odd pair of friends. I tutored her about people and she helped me while making a few more improvements to yours truly along the way.
A superwoman I wasn’t. However, according to Dr Howitz the medical researcher studying me and Mom, we were close. Call it being in the top half or perhaps even quarter percent of human potential. So I guess the right answer was almost.
My Mom had also been ‘improved’ by Hap. How it all happened was rather complicated, but she’d gone from a 34 year old, couch potato, house wife to an extremely athletic woman looking years younger.
It’d been an uphill battle to keep her active, but in time she’d come to enjoy our workout sessions. It helped that Doctors Howitz, the older as well as the younger, paid us to participate in their research program. The younger Howitz was the last person in the world you would expect to find in physiotherapy. Chubby, he might be, but he moved like he was half his actual weight. However, it was his attitude that made him so good at his job.
He was the sort you wanted to hate because of the agony he put you though, but you just couldn’t when he grinned, daring you to get back up and try again. The last time, the diabolic charmer scheduled our testing to coincide with a marathon running in the city. While we did do a lot of roadwork, 26 miles all in one shot was a lot longer than any we’d tried before.
I was a little on the young side to be running, but you know who got me an exemption. There were a few glances at me as we warmed up. Maybe most people now accepted girls could be athletic without their ‘feminine’ organs popping out, but this was the ultra-conservative South.
Because of the circumstances of my transformation, I trained with my school’s track team, but didn’t compete. Maybe I could’ve made it through the maze of judges and rules, but I remembered Caster Semenya’s controversy back in my own timeline and world. With me being one of the few documented Wildcards, I didn’t think much of my chances. At times it was sticky dealing with my fellow students given I was our school’s fastest sprinter, and did very well up into the middle distances, but didn’t help support the school.
By the time Mom and I crossed the finish line, we were both ready to barbecue both of the Howitz’s. Ending up in the middle of the pack, I was happy with our performance. We normally ran five miles a day with longer ten mile runs during the weekend. Running more than double that was a challenge and a half.
Wow, am I a ditz! What has this to do with my driver’s license?
Okay, because we got paid for our ‘guinea pig’ activity, that gave me the bucks needed to fix up Da’ Car. I’m very far from a car nut, but sexy is as sexy does. Check it out! A 1958 Studebaker Silver Hawk with the optional 289 cu. in. President V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts giving 225 horses.
I only know that because Ricky, who helped me and Dad put it back together, is a car nut. For years it sat covered by a tarp in our barn. That is until I started hunting around for a set of wheels once I turned 15 and could get my permit.
Dad made me a deal. I could have his old sports car, if I restored it. That didn’t mean turning it into a hotrod, but taking a piece of classic metal and making it like new. Plus, I had to pay for it. He would help, but that was going to be limited to making sure I did it right.
That was almost a deal breaker. Even in the other timeline where I’d lived as a guy, that kind of auto work was way over my head. Then my best friends Vonda and Hal came to my rescue. They pointed out that our classmate Ricky was not only ‘grease’ crazy, but looking for part time work. Playing the girl-card, he was more than willing to help a pretty face.
Tall, dark and handsome, I admit he’s easy on the eyes. Both of us were gender transformees. Me, from boy to girl and him from girl to boy. Although most of our classmates accepted our changed roles, when it came down to the who likes whom, both of us were mild pariahs. They simply couldn’t forget who we used to be.
So when Ricky began helping, everyone assumed Lee had a boyfriend. Now, I’m not shy about admitting I’ve filled out very nicely. With all the running, jumping, and what have you, I was svelte, with my slimness making my curves seem all that much greater.
I had to admit we made a cute couple. Even Adam my horrible, terrible, younger brother liked Ricky. Hell, Mom and Dad both liked him too. Just so he didn’t feel left out, Darryl, my six year old littlest brother, worshiped the ground he walked on.
There was just one itsy bitsy problem. Everyone assumed that Hal and Vonda were a couple too. From childhood, as next door neighbors and friends they were always together. This is where it got complicated. Hal was transgendered like Ricky and I, but unlike us, his father was an Ogre.
RFK might’ve enacted what EDNA and the Hate Crime Bill should’ve been back in my timeline, but some people are simply flat out crazy. Hal father was one of those. After meeting the slime ball, I agreed with my friends, that the Ogre was a very real danger because he just didn‘t care.
Hal was champing at the bit for his first chance to get out of the Ogre’s cave and somewhere, anywhere, where he could be her real self, Teresa. Vonda had helped and covered for Hal for ages.
She had a secret too. I was fairly certain; Vonda was bi-sexual or perhaps lesbian. While this might seem like a match made in heaven, it got more complicated. Hal might be a boy wanting to be a girl, but he also had a hell of a crush, wait for it, on Ricky.
Just so I wasn’t left out of this multisided teenage love trapezoid, I had a thing for Vonda. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked Ricky. He was funny, sweet, and yet macho when he needed to be. As the Academy’s foremost jock and jockette, we seemed to go together.
Hell, he was even a good kisser, but he couldn’t get my motor running the way Vonda could with just one of her smoky gazes. She was aware of the tension between us, too. It was a running joke between us. We would almost get to the point of kissing just staring into each other’s eyes and something would interrupt. Someone knocking at the door, or my little brother would walk in; it always stopped us at the last moment!
Of late, something else had come up keep us apart. I think it was her not wanting to come between Ricky and me. That’s not even considering the attraction I knew she had for Hal. I knew Ricky liked girls, because although he was a gentlemen about it, he wasn’t the least bit slow about those lip-locks of his. On the other hand, I’d seen him give other guys considering looks too. I was hoping that he was bi-curious enough to accept Hal as he was until we could get that ‘plumbing’ problem worked out. It was certainly a tangled mess of teenage angst and coming of age confusion.
That was why I was so excited and nervous. With my typical disregard for caution, I was going to try and straighten out some of these misunderstandings. Although my sweet sixteen wasn’t until tomorrow, Dad had agreed to let me and my friends go out tonight. I wouldn’t be driving because I only had my permit, but Ricky already had his license.
That was a measure of my parents’ trust in him, that they’re letting him borrow Da’ Car for our double date. Tomorrow it would be officially signed over to me when I exchanged my permit for my license, but I couldn’t drive at night until tomorrow.
That was part of the deal with Dad. I could’ve had my regular license six months ago, but if I wanted Da’ Car I had to wait. I think it was just his way of keeping his little girl home and safe for just a little longer.
Truth be told after these last four years of living as a minor again after being on my own for 30 years, I was more than ready to spread my wings. However for a chance at the Da’ Car I could wait. In my original timeline, it’d been passed off to an uncle who promised Dad he was going to restore it. Instead it sat for years in a field rusting away until it was sold off as scrape.
Compared to all the Jetson like clone cars around, it really caught the eye. With the changes in the timeline with all the technological discoveries, new cars looked even more futuristic than they did in 2010. To my eye, many were just plain butt ugly. Not all mind you. The Ford Delta Vee was damn cool looking. Maybe it couldn’t fly, but it sure looked as if it should.
But put even that one next to the soon to be mine Studebaker and it came out second best. To restore Da’ Car wasn’t cheap either. Fortunately, I had several sources of income. Most I couldn’t touch, since they were reserved for my higher education or until I was 21.
I had my guinea pig funds, Career Day settlement money, and the stuff from my publisher. Oh yeah, a published writer by the time I was 14. When RFK read my story The Rainbow Land to the nation, the White House was approached by one of the big publishing houses. They got in contact with me and so with the President himself as a co-writer I was published.
We used a pseudonym for me as author of the first of three books so far. Hal and Vonda wormed the secret from me and together we did another story, ‘The Career Day Survival Guide’. Hal did the art work while I did the story. Vonda was our editor and proof reader.
It told our story of how I got admitted to the girl’s club, but we changed all the details to protect ourselves. Most of all Hal, because of the Ogre. I even picked Dr. Howitz’s brain on how much information it was safe to include telling kids how to protect themselves from adults gone loco.
The focus of our story was not to blame yourself and be smart. He liked the idea since he’d seen far too many kids coming into the emergency room because they were ‘clumsy.’
It’s true that getting published is easier if you have your foot in the door. We got CDSG on the shelves and it did pretty well too. Our third effort was in the gauntlet of the editing process right now. It too was about kids who were different. It was really about gays and lesbians, but hid it behind an ugly duckling-like analogy. Despite, the science and technology advancements this was still the 70’s. I had no idea if we would be able to sneak this one past the book burners.
Culturally these 70’s were much like the ones I remember. Just perhaps they were a little less intense without the anti-war people and draft dodgers having the South East Asian Affair to rally them with discontent. The hippy movement was still alive although the counter culture thing was already dying out. Disco was here and growing more popular. All this meant while, a lot of things were hip, same sex relationships weren’t.
The really cool thing is our joint efforts were earning my friends proceeds that I was keeping for them. This was money not only for Hal’s transformation to Teresa, but for both of their future educations. I learned the hard way back in my old timeline how bad it was to be 50 years old and have nothing but debts.
I glanced at the clock again. Even the second hand didn’t seem to be moving. Okay, I must be a lot more nervous about all of this than I’d thought. Nothing that big, really. I was just going on my very first date. Oh yeah, and planning on opening a can of worms with this lover’s trapezoid of ours.
Then the bell rang. My fellow tenth graders rushed for the doors. Coming up behind me, Ricky slickly scooped my books out of my arms.
“Let me carry those for you,” He said smiling.
Ignoring the smirks of my arch-enemy, Chris Sawyer, I smiled back, “Possession is nine-tenths of the law, be my guest.”
Chris and Ricky were big rivals on the athletic field. You name it; football, basketball, baseball, they were the school’s jocks. That however, wasn’t the reason why he bedeviled me. It was because he couldn’t forget that a few years ago, I’d been a skinny, red headed kid named Ernie, instead of the slim curvy dark brunette, Lee, I was now. For some reason he thought that gave him the right to torment me.
Despite the lessons he’d learned the hard way to leave me alone, Chris still took every opportunity to give me grief. Six feet and still growing, the goon was a real threat. I was all of five feet two with little hope of growing taller. That was what I get for being transformed right in the zone where boys hadn’t started shooting up, but girls had just about stopped their growth spurt.
Ricky cut Chris an unfriendly grin. He was actually a tad taller than and just as muscled as my nemesis.
Gawd save me from testosterone displays.
I leaned into him to get his attention. “Still picking me up at six?”
His grin turned kinda goofy, “Sure ‘nuff.”
A pang shivered though me. Was I doing the right thing or was I being a selfish bitch? Here we are at the brink of the whole dating scene and look at what I was about to do.
I made myself smile as I saw a concerned frown flash across his face. “There’s Vonda and Hal.”
My friend Hal was nervous too. He was five and half feet tall, and I doubted he would grow much more. While Hap, the ever mysterious CI, hadn’t transformed him into a girl like me, Hal had become very androgynous. I’d seen him dressed as Teresa and she was very pretty.
I wasn’t sure, but did I see jealousy flit across Hal’s eyes? Well, he or rather she did have that crush on Ricky. Inwardly I sighed, my inner doubts answered. Like it or not we needed to clear the air. Damn teen age awkwardness stumbling about with our gender and sexuality.
“Ya’ll ready for tonight?” I asked letting my southern accent flow.
I wondered if Hal was going to try and bow out again, but Vonda had his arm. “Yes, we are,” she said firmly.
She wasn’t about to let Hal weasel out on us. It was more of us trying to deal with our rather strange circumstances. Many of the rest of our class were already dating, and I didn’t doubt for an instant some were already sexually active. My parents being the old fashioned sort weren’t comfortable with me dating even at 16.
Hal however had the opposite problem. His redneck father was damn near eager to have his ‘boy’ bust some girl’s cherry. For rather obvious reasons Hal wasn’t so thrilled with that since he was the one who wanted to be … hmmm de-flowered.
So an aspect of all of this was to defuse some of the pressure Hal’s father was giving him at home. That plan was all Vonda’s. She’d been looking after our friend for so long; it was second nature for her. That damn trapezoid again, I don’t think Hal knew she wanted more than friendship.
Ricky smacked Hal in the arm. “Groovy! We’ll call from Lee’s place before we leave. See ya’ tonight!”
Still grinning, he walked me to my Dad’s red Ford station wagon. Mom smiled at us as she belted in Darryl, who’d started the first grade this year. Adam, who was two years younger than I, glared at me, but only a little. He’d already looked ahead at what he would be driving when he got his permit and license. He was sitting it. Needless to say he wasn’t too happy with the idea of being stuck with the ‘family’ car. On the other hand, he and Ricky hit it off from the very start.
So yeah, I got some grief about getting, as he saw it, the lion’s share of the attention. Not even mentioning Da’ Car, but my ‘boyfriend’ made up for it. It wasn’t as if he never got anything considering the moped he got last year. It was barely street legal. I swear he was going to get himself killed on that thing.
I was well aware of the little group of kids following us. They all knew about our plans tonight. I had a hunch they were waiting to see if I would get kissed.
As good a kisser Ricky was, I really didn’t want to fuel Hal’s green eyed monster anymore than I had to. Arggh! This teenager angst thing was bad enough the first time around! But no, I’d managed to go around and get to do the whole thing all over again.
We didn’t kiss. My parents were right there for Gawd’s sake!
All the way home, Adam made kissy noises at me. Thinking it a game of course, Darryl had to get in on it too.
I paid them no attention and concentrated on finishing up my homework. We were coming up on finals. I only had one paper to finish, and that was about it. Going though school again was a real drag, but once I hit junior high school, I made sure to take different classes than before. That really helped relive the boredom factor.
Mom kept looking back at me with a combination of smiles and worries. Her own dating experiences were the stuff of nightmares. Possibly the best thing I’d done since arriving back in time was helping my Mom deal with the sexual abuse she’d suffered as a child as well as a young woman. I’m not a doctor, but I helped convince her to seek help.
Maybe having a daughter, gave her the push she needed so she could protect me from the same things. I do know that after Master Lee sent me those books, she didn’t object to me yelling and kicking the tar out of that makeshift punching bag I’d made. I guess she figured that was better than me using Darryl. I don’t know why. He always acted like he liked it!
I sometimes wonder if I’d turned into some kind of Forest Gump. Just looked at all the famous people I’d met and for that matter, I am still corresponding with. Bruce and Linda at my insistence had autographed my copy of the Tao of Jeet Kune Do.
That was another of the ways I fought boredom in school was though my letter writing. Knowing something of the future to come allowed me to put enough hooks in my correspondence to actually get past the screeners and receive replies. While not in classes or writing, I was running, practicing Martial Arts with my brothers or fixing old cars. Keeping busy, living every day was my goal.
Well, normally, I would be doing all that. Today was different.
Mom went into drill sergeant mode as soon as we hit the door. Before I knew it, I was in a tub of bubble bath shaving my legs. As much as I wanted to soak, we were on a timetable. She hustled me out to do my hair while I worked on my nails.
With all the athletic stuff, really long feminine nails are rather impractical. I do, however, keep them looking nice if not long. As soon as we finished, that it was time to pour myself into my dress.
The cream colored cotton went perfectly with my outdoorsy tan. Of course it was below the knee. Poor Daddy would’ve never let me out the door otherwise. That’s not even considering Mom freaking out because of her past experiences.
I wasn’t anywhere near the cutting edge of fashion for 1977, but all considered I didn’t think Ricky would be complaining. Now it was time for the hard part Mom couldn’t help me with. Never the girly sort, she’d never worn much if any makeup. However now I was on my first date, I’d finally been given leave to wear it out in public.
I say that because during the countless sleepover nights with my friend Vonda, makeup was a part of the festivities. We practiced in the way all young girls did. Now that it was time for the real deal, I was way nervous. This was something I could only dream of doing in my old life.
Taking a deep breath, I carefully got to work. After the third try, I was mostly satisfied with my efforts. Disregarding the shut door, little brother Darryl ran in. “Ricky’s here! Ricky’s here!”
I sighed. My whole family was more in love with him than I was. Damn Trapezoids!
Finishing, I studied my face. It would do. Grabbing my purse, I did a quick check of the contents. Makeup for touchups, check; pads and tampons, check; disguised modified car antenna for emergency self-defense, check. Oh yeah, don’t forget to take my wallet. Brains, brains, where are you? Oh there you are!
Walking into our living room, Daddy dear was making sure poor Ricky got an eyeful of the gun cabinet. I got the tail end of the ‘Talk.’
In that scary no nonsense voice of his, Daddy said, “And remember Lee has to be home by 10 pm. If you’re delayed, we expect a phone call at the first opportunity. Do I make myself clear?”
A very anxious Ricky answered, “Yes sir.”
After a pause the poor boy asked, “What if we have an accident?”
Dad replied, “Don’t. Be careful and don’t even think about trying to show off. If you so much as dent that car you don’t have to worry about me. Tomorrow it’s her car. If I know my daughter, she’ll never let you forget it.” He said confident he’d put the fear of Gawd into his victim.
Conversation stopped as I came in. I got really self-conscious. Had I screwed up my makeup somehow? Then I saw Ricky’s face and realized what the problem was.
That confused, stunned expression meant only one thing. This was so not making my planned revelations any easier. Cotton-picking, damn trapezoids!
Looking over at Daddy, he had that same stunned look. He reached down and took Mom’s hand giving that so slight breaking of the plane of his face that we knew was a smile.
It was definitely time to break the tension. “I’m ready. You look nice Ricky,” And he did. Six-two and buff, his dark looks put him squarely in the hunk category.
Blushing, he said, “You’re beautiful.”
My traitorous libido whispered, ‘So what if Hal would be hurt. This delicious beefcake is yours. All you have to do is smile and reel him in honey!’
I fought down my hormones, blushing despite myself. “Why thank you, Ricky!”
Mom had our Polaroid Camera ready and flashed us both still red faced staring at each other. Don’t you just love parents?
After more photos, we rushed out almost forgetting to call Hal and Vonda to let them know we were on our way.
Slipping into Da’ Car, Ricky shut my door just as a gentleman should. The Studebaker gleamed under a new coat of wax. Very carefully Ricky backed us out the driveway. My family all stood there watching and waving as we left. Smiling, I waved back, as a grinning Ricky put us in gear. We were on our way!
They stood there watching their daughter disappear into the distance. Soon bored, the boys ran out no doubt looking for trouble to get into while their older sibling was away.
She asked leaning into her husband, “You think they’ll be okay?”
Wrapping an arm about her shoulders, he answered, “Should be. Ricky’s a good kid. As long as he’s careful he’ll be okay.”
Ernie Younger Sr. knew of his much younger wife’s hard life. The so very vulnerable woman stole his heart years ago. He’d done his best to give her a safe place where she’d nothing to fear.
However, these last four years, had changed her in more ways than one. Finding out they’d a daughter instead of a son, altered during that Career Day fiasco was a shock. In retrospective, it all made sense as so many things often did, but the turmoil it put his family through was tough on everyone. What made him sure it was the right thing to do was Lee’s smile.
His shy, stuttering, eternally anxious, little boy blossomed into a smiling, spunky, pint-sized minx of a girl. That smile lit up rooms and made even his old worn out old ticker feel good.
She smacked his arm. “I wasn’t talking about him and you know it!”
His wife turned serious with her worry. “I’m worried about her. It’s her first date and …”
He calmed her fears with a gentle caress of her face with his work worn hands. “I know.”
There were many things he could say, but he sensed that wasn’t what his wife needed. He’d seen his daughter punching and kicking the crap out of that makeshift boxing bag of hers. More, it’d been him who’d welded those weights onto that old car antenna she’d found in the junk yard looking for parts for his old Studebaker. It wasn’t flimsy metal but the next best thing to a steel whip. That thing whistling as she snapped it out right as it cracked into that bag reassured him. However, his wife needed something different.
“They will be fine. We know him, and we know her. Nothing will happen that she doesn’t want. As for what she wants,” He paused looking into his wife’s eyes. “Well she is your daughter. I know how you are.”
She popped his shoulder, “You!”
With love in his heart, he said half serious, “So like I said he’d probably be fine.” Teasingly he went on. “Unless he really does ding my Studebaker; then all bets are off. I swear she cares for that old car more than I do.”
She smiled up at him some of her worry lost. “Well it is a very special car.”
Looking into her eyes, he asked, “It is?”
Playfully her eyes looked up as she remembered her carhop days, “All of us girls, fought over who was going to wait on that gorgeous car as you pulled into the drive-in.” A spark of fire burned in her eyes. “I fought dirty.”
“So it really was the car?” He held his wife tight against him.
Still playful, she smiled, “You were a good tipper, too!”
“Really?” he said lost in her green eyes.
“Well the bench-seats might’ve something to do with it,” She suggested teasing. “Do you think she knows she was likely conceived in the backseat?”
Leading his beloved wife inside, he gave her a playful smack on her rear. After she was made so young and beautiful at the same time Lee was changed, he feared she would grow tired of her worn-out old husband. With her typical sassiness, she proceeded to show him, he wasn’t quite that old, proving with her actions that she wasn’t going anywhere. “I don’t think so, but why do you think I was so willing to let her fix it up?”
Laughing, they danced into the bedroom.
Then we were on our way. I knew I was preening, but we’d all worked hard getting this car to back like new. The most expensive parts of the restoration were the upholstery and the baby blue paint job since that was work we couldn’t do ourselves.
Alright, I admit was not thinking about Ricky and me as hard as I could. There was attraction between us, but honestly, on my part anyways, it was lust. I liked him and we got along, but I was fairly certain it wasn’t love. It could also be because I was a damn idiot. Really trying hard not to think about that!
Pushing that thought away, I was going to enjoy myself damn it! The radio was on, and the windows down on a glorious evening in May on the day before my sixteenth birthday. It simply doesn’t get any better!
Then we were there pulling into their driveway. Not sure how the time had passed so fast, we got out to retrieve Hal and his date.
Like Ricky, Hal had on a button shirt and jeans. Vonda and I planned for weeks about what we were going to wear. Her dress was just as long in the hem as mine, but more revealing up top. Her parents weren’t nearly as ‘traditional’ as mine.
Both of their parents had cameras out, too. The two of them got ‘snapped’ and I made sure to get them to take a few pictures for me and my folks.
I say parents, but really all Hal’s father did was watch. He was about six feet, and had a beer gut with a cigar butt hanging out the corner of his mouth. The entire time his eyes never got higher than my chest. Glancing at Vonda I saw she was getting the same treatment.
Curious, I looked over at her parents. Her Dad was smiling, but I did catch his steely eyed stare at his neighbor. I don’t think he cared for the way his daughter was being gawked at. I could only hope there would be words after we left. Neither of my friends needed this kind of crap.
As we piled in Da’ Car, I saw the Ogre shake his head. It was pretty plain that he just didn’t get how Hal ended up so girly.
That made me shake my head. Even without any formal art training Hal was an exceptional artist. There was a beautiful soul inside him. His perceptive eye saw things most of the rest of us missed. Our friend was a true treasure.
Vonda was thinking the same thing. Her eyes glowed and the love she felt for him was there for anyone to see.
Problem was he was staring at Ricky as we backed out of the drive. I wanted to roll my eyes heavenward praying for help from on high. Damn Trapezoids!
Grinning Ricky put us into gear and officially we’re off on our first date. Soon all of us were blabbering about things teenagers are always talking about. Boys, makeup, music, and everything else under the stars if not necessarily in that order.
Ray scratched his belly in annoyance. Just how had his boy ended looking so queer? Up to when those damn Democrats forced his boy into their damn machine, he’d been taller than all the rest of the brats in the neighborhood. Now he wasn’t any taller than that girl he was always with. Hell, his boy wasn’t even bulking up any way he should’ve. Still slim and pretty, his boy made his teeth ache just thinking about him.
And he was still doing all that prissy art shit. If Ray had his way, he’d tear all of it up. A real man had no need for that kind of crap. Next thing you know, his boy would be prancing around with beads and flowers in his hair like one of those damn hippies.
The one bright spot was their neighbor’s girl. Now she was a sweet piece of jailbait. It frustrated the hell out of Ray that he was pretty damn sure his boy wasn’t getting a piece of her. That was what real men were supposed to do. Hell, he was ready to nail her himself.
He spat out his cigar butt. If he’d thought she was hot, that chick had nothing on the one that was just here. She was one of the neighbor girl’s friends he’d seen around. Small and slim, that prime piece of ass had curves that made him hard just thinking about it.
It was too damn bad she was one of those changelings the frakking Democrats were always crying about. If they didn’t want to have their ass kicked they should’ve stayed the way Gawd made ’em.
Ray had heard the rumors she was also what the tabloids called a Wildcard. That scanner-machine thing had run crazy spitting out someone who wasn’t even human anymore. The frakking Democrats denied it, but even now and then he saw something about it in the trashy magazines. Green Beret super-soldiers, fighting monsters those things made when they malfunctioned.
He grinned nastily. She was such a little thing; he bet a real man like him could handle her no matter what that thing had done to her. Ray didn’t really believe all those stories that said freaks like her had teeth down there. Bet, she’d be begging for him to do her again, if he did.
Furious his fat wife stomped off. He glared at her. She knew better than to piss him off. Maybe he needed to smack her around some more to teach her who was the head of the house.
Then he saw his neighbor storming over. Damn frakking wanna be hippies. What was this country coming too?
Ray sighed and scratched his butt. Now he was going to have to listen to this asshole’s complaints, again, Frakk.
Vonda still had doubts about the movie we’re off to see, but I told her I thought the boys would enjoy it. “I read a novelization of the screenplay last Christmas. The story seems good, although I’m not sure how they’re going to do some of the effects.”
Hal added, “I’ve heard good things about the special effects. They’re supposed to be really good.”
I twisted to face the backseat. “Been reading Starlog again? I have the latest issue back home.”
Hal blushed as Vonda giggled, “You two! Between his art and your science-fiction thing, both your heads are always in the clouds. Sometimes I think you really do want to become an astronaut.”
Ricky didn’t say a word, but I saw his eyes roll.
“What’s wrong with that?” I asked her. “Space 1999 didn’t take it far enough. There’s already a moon-base. Even the Soviets has one now. Ares 11 is about to put men down on Mars again. In just a few years, they’ll have a base there too and maybe even a colony. Lots of opportunity in the Space Program.”
Vonda shook her dark auburn locks. “It just seems strange to me sometimes. Our stories are about freeing people’s minds. You know making them see that we’re all the same under the skin.
“But you are also so space crazy, it’s like you can’t wait to lift off!” She said in a slightly hurt way.
Rick interrupted, “Your stories?”
Sighing, I felt guilty because I’d an idea her hurt was because of how she felt about me. Ricky however didn’t know about our publishing successes.
Vonda blushed when she realized she’d let the cat out the bag.
Giving her a reassuring smile, I asked Hal, “It’s okay if I tell him? I think we can trust him.” I said patting our driver on his shoulder.
Reaching for Vonda’s hand, our artist nodded.
“Ricky, it’s like this. We’ve been keeping some things under cover. You remember that children’s book that came out that had the story from the President’s speech in it, The Rainbow Land?”
“That was you?” He asked.
“It was in the letter I wrote to him telling him about what really happened. Rainbow was the story I made up to explain to little brother Darryl why his big brother Ernie, was now his sister.” I explained.
“Wow,” He said impressing me by not taking his eyes from the road. My Dad had been on those early bootleggers turned racecar driver. He’d made damn sure Ricky knew where his eyes belonged, on the road.
Ricky hesitated, but asked, “Ya’ll did the Survival Guide book too, didn’t you?”
A little worried Hal asked, “How did you know?”
“Well, back when Lee still looked Chinese, she passed around some copies of things to do if your parents freaked out and tried to hurt you. Later, I saw some of your art in Vonda’s room when I visited. It’s a lot the same as the pictures in the Guide.”
While we were digesting that, He added, “So ya’ll are like famous or something?”
We all laughed.
Vonda giggled, “Or something!”
“That’s why we’ve used the pseudonyms. While I think we’ve helped a few kids, some idiots think it’s their Gawd given right to treat their chill’en any damn way they please. Unfortunately, some of them are too damn close to hand for comfort.”
Rickey answered, “Hal’s dad. Sorry man, that must suck.”
We were coming into the outskirts of Peachburg which was the closest large town to us as a group.
Hal sighed, “It’s alright I guess. Only two more years till we graduate. Lee’s saving my share for me, so my father doesn’t find out. He’d just drink it up and then beat me up for what we said. He’s in the More-the-rod-the-better instead of Spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-child camp.”
I bit my tongue about the jerk staring at me and Vonda. She caught my eye and I knew she was thinking the same thing. My friend warned me about Hal’s father from the start. I’d returned the favor by urging her to be very careful around him too.
Ricky broke my train of thought as we pulled into our destination, Marvin’s Piggy Park.
“Are you sure you want to eat here?” He asked. “Burger King is closer to the theater and is cheaper.”
I didn’t give anyone else a chance to reply. “Yes, I’m sure. Marvin’s might be a BBQ place, but they have the best burgers. None of that frozen mystery meat hockey pucks if you please!”
Everyone laughed.
“So says the girl who eats like a bird!” Ricky jabbed.
With all the help he’d given with Da’ Car, he’d been a regular diner at my house. He’d seen how careful I was with my portions as well as what I ate.
Hey, I’m guilty! I love my meat. At the top of the food chain? No problem! However, the 70’s weren’t known for their healthy diet either. I enjoyed the food I loved, but I also made certain I got my veggies and fruits. I’d been a fat boy in 2010. There was no way I was going to be a fat girl!
I defended myself. “With all the tomatoes and lettuce, it’s more like a salad burger. And,” I added. “They have fresh cut French fries and not frozen tater sticks. Besides they’re one of last drive-ins around. We get to have a little privacy to talk.”
Ricky shrugged, “I don’t see it matters since you eat so little. Someone like me has to eat a lot more. This dating thing is getting expensive. I’m surprised you trust us to eat in your car.
Primly I replied. “Maybe I don’t hog my food down like you do, but what I do eat needs to be tasty and good for me. As for expensive, most of your money comes from me anyhow for helping with my baby.” I patted the dashboard.
He complained, “That’s what I mean! All the money I made fixing this thing up, is being spent right back on you. I end up with nothing!”
Looking at our passengers, Vonda and Hal were giggling.
Pouting I said, “But that’s how it’s suppose to be. We girls get all the benefits, while you boys get the honor of being allowed in our presence.”
The buzz of the drive-in speaker let me have the final word!
As soon as we’d all ordered, Ricky, not at all slow, asked, “So what did you want to talk about?”
Vonda and Hal were curious too. “We’re wondering about that too,” She spoke up for both of them.
I took a deep breath which had the opposite effect on Ricky than what I really wanted. His eyes had wandered south of my chin. Urgh, boys!
“Okay,” I began. “This is our first date. This might be a bad idea, but I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot.”
“You mean like the dos and don’ts, “Ricky asked.
I shook my head. “I think my Dad went over those pretty good. This is more like assumptions we’re making, I think. I could be wrong, but if I am then I’ll shut up.”
“However is there anything, anyone wants to talk about before I start?” I asked hoping one of them would speak up, but no one did.
Then before I could get started our food arrived with Ricky grimacing over the five bucks our two meals costs. Boy is he in for sticker shock in a few years!
It took a few minutes for straws, ketchup packets and all to be passed around. I bit into a delicious onion ring trying not to think about all the hard exercise I was going to have to do to work it off.
Finally we were ready to talk again. “Alright, I guess I’m first.”
I looked Ricky in the eye, as he munched. “Ricky I really like you a lot. Perhaps in time, maybe even love you, but there’s someone else here that I have a crush on.” I felt really bad as his face fell.
“Huh?” He said looking back at Hal who blushed, but not for the reason he thought.
“Hey, remember I said really, really liked, okay? But it’s not Hal.” I said looking back at Vonda.
She blushed even redder than Hal sitting next to her.
Ricky looked from me to her confused. “You mean … Her, you? He stuttered.
Looking into her eyes, I said, “I guess I have more boy left in me than I thought. Being with you makes me happy. I don’t know why, but I do.”
Turning to Ricky I said, “This whole thing is like a bad romance novel’s love triangle, but with even more sides. That’s why I opened my big mouth.”
The poor boy opened and closed his mouth. I guess I’m lucky he didn’t start choking on his food. “Wow, hmmm … I didn’t see that coming.”
I could see I did hurt his feelings. Taking another breath I took the chance of alienating all of my friends. “Ricky, there is someone who does have a crush on you here.”
Shocked he looked at Vonda, but she gave him the tiniest shake of her head no.
In a very small voice Hal said, “No, Me.”
I’d watched Ricky carefully, but he didn’t get mad. I will say the look on his face was absolutely priceless.
“Go on Hal,” I urged. “Tell him.”
Vonda with tears in her eyes nodded for him to do the same.
Awkwardly our friend, said, “Back during Career Day and I got changed into a Black girl, it was one of the happiest times of my life. I was scared out of my mind my father would kill me, but it was who I was supposed to be, you know?”
Ricky nodded. I knew he understood only too well.
Compassion in his words, he asked, “Why did they change you back? They kept us the same, well kinda,” Ricky amended.
Hal shook his head tears falling. “I was too afraid of my father. Vonda practically hid me under her bed for the whole week it snowed. I think that was what made them changed me back, although I’m like Lee.”
Blushing even more vividly, he added softly, “Except I hmmm… like boys.”
Ricky surprised me by reaching for Hal’s hand. “I get it,” the larger teen said, and then he blushed red, “I find myself looking at the other fellas too sometimes. I guess I have some girl left in me too. Mind you, I’ll deny it if any of you ever bring it up.”
Pleased, I touched him. “I think you can be sure that nothing here is ever going to be repeated.”
Still holding Hal’s hand, Ricky asked, “Are you going to get, you know, changed? Do you have a girl name?”
Shyly our friend nodded. “As soon as I reach college. That’s what the money Lee’s holding for me is really for. Vonda and Lee help me dress sometimes. I call myself Teresa.”
Gently, Ricky said, “That’s a pretty name. I would like to see her sometimes.
Poor Hal was torn between glowing and trying to hide.
He turned to Vonda who was crying in her fries. It only took him a second to realize why.
“Oh Vonda,” Hal said hugging the best he could with food and drinks in their laps.
Looking into Hal’s face, she sobbed, “I’ve loved you for so long.”
His expression was also full of love, “I love you too, but not in that way. You’ve always been there for me. You’re my dearest sister, and I’ll always cherish you.”
Sadness filled him, “But I can’t be your lover.”
I passed her a handful of napkins.
Vonda smiled sadly, “I guessed that a while ago, but I didn’t want to admit it.”
She looked at me in a way that made my heart soar. “I feel something for you too. It’s just I feel so torn. I’ve watched after Hal for so long it’s so hard to let go. I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”
Hal took her hand and placed it on top of mine. “You’re my sister, and I’ll always need you. But you need to have your own life too. I know you two have a ‘thing’ for each other. I don’t how many times I’ve interrupted the two of you almost kissing.”
Coyly looking at her, I blushed again.
Ricky glanced down at Hal’s hand he was still holding and then at Vonda and my grasp. “So what do we do now? We’d be killed at school for this. My parents are pretty cool, but I don’t think they’d be any too happy with this.”
I nodded in agreement. “Mine too. Me really being a girl is one thing. Bringing home another girl home as my girlfriend is something else.”
Hal muttered, “My Father would find some way of killing me twice!”
Vonda caressed my hand, “Mine are okay with Hal even if he isn’t exactly manly. He is still a he. They might get used to me with another girl, but they wouldn’t like it.”
A moment of silence ticked by.
I looked at Ricky and Hal. The pure adoration flowing from Hal must be as addictive as chocolate. Poor Ricky was stunned and still holding the smaller boy’s hand.
Reluctantly, Ricky suggested, “We could do nothing. I don’t want to hurt anyone, but if this came out, not only us, but a whole lot of other people too would be hurt.
I thought Hal was going to start crying again.
Vonda , used to covering their trail, had a counter proposal. “Why not do what we’re doing? Double dating happens all the time. Let everyone think we’re boy/girl? Besides, we don’t know how things are going to work out. Couples breakup all the time. I hope none of us do, but it does happen.”
Ricky sighed, “I never expected anything like this. I don’t want to hurt you Hal, but in a lot of ways I prefer Lee as my girlfriend.”
Before Hal could start crying again I interjected, “Because it’s easier?”
He sighed, “Yes. Like you said, I really like you too. You’re so damn pretty, but I’ve never had anyone look at me the way Hal is. It feels good. I’m not sure it is good. For either one of us, considering all the problems, but I can’t deny it’s there. So I guess when we go home we just pretend we’re a good time.”
I smacked him on the shoulder, “No! We’re all friends. No need to lie or pretend anything. You’re going to take me home, and I’m going to say I had a very good time because I did.”
Vonda and Hal nodded. They were old hands at telling the truth, but leaving out what they needed to.
She looked down at the makeup smeared napkins, “Lee, I think we need to fix our faces.”
A quick check in the rearview mirror showed, she was so right. “Let’s finish eating first. We’ll need to repair it then anyways.”
Vonda nodded taking a bite of her sandwich.
Conversation actually drifted over into more or less normal tropics. With the school almost over, things like what we were doing for the summer like jobs, family vacations and of course follow up dates came up.
Our task mistress, Vonda, pointed out we had our next book to finish up as well as another Hal was working on the illustrations for. This one unlike the one with the publisher right now didn’t involve gay or lesbian themes. It was more like the first Rainbow book, a humorous children’s explanation to some of the weird things adults do.
Ricky was set to work on his Uncle’s farm which meant long hours. Looking ahead, he’d wangled Friday afternoons free so he would be able to get cleaned up for date night.
We also kicked around ideas of how to derail whatever plans Hal’s father had for his son’s summer. For was certain it was going to be unpleasant and overdosed with testosterone.
“Scooping up road kill,” Hal moaned.
“Chewing tobacco tester,” I suggested.
“Mucking out a stable,” Ricky contributed, showing his farm boy background.
Vonda grimaced. “Cleaning rest stop bathrooms.”
“Gross!” Everyone ewwed.
Ricky looked thoughtful. “You know you could do what you did with me. Hire them.”
We stared at him.
He explained, “Your parents run that small truck farm. Say you’re hiring them to work there. That’ll give you three the chance to work on your books and art. If he comes sniffing around, you’ve got a cover story. What makes it so sweet is you two will actually get paid your own money. That is if your parents go for it, Lee.”
Vonda nodded, “That’s sounds like a real good idea. Lee lives far enough away to make him just dropping by unlikely.”
Hal added, “We would have to find a place with good light for my studio.”
I held up my hand. “This is bad. If he shows up and start leering at me or Mom like he did tonight my Dad will shoot him dead on the spot!”
Failing to look innocent, Vonda said, “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
Sighing, I gave up. “They’ll probably agree. Last year, Dad added onto the house again. I ended up with a bigger room, but I’m still using my loft bed. If we move it against the interior wall, we’ll open up a lot of space near the windows. They’re pretty big so that should give you the lighting as well as the space you need, Hal.”
Ricky checked the time. “Hey we need to be going if we’re to make the movie.”
Vonda and I piled out the Da’ Car. “We’ll be right back boys!”
In the rest room, we did a rush job to salvage our faces for the evening.
“I’m sorry if I pushed things, Vonda.” I said taking out my lipstick.
She gently hugged me. “It’s alright. You’re braver than I am. I knew all along that Hal and I wouldn’t work. I was just hoping that somehow it would. You and Ricky just seemed so made for each other I didn’t want to poison that either. I guess I was feeling pretty left out. Part of me is afraid Hal’s going to get hurt by all of this. Just listen to me. This is coming out all scrambled!”
I hugged her back. “He’s had a hard time, but you can’t help him stand. Hal has to do that on his own. All you, we, can do is catch him if he falls, because that is what friends do.”
“As for us, it’s complicated. I knew you loved him, but I could see, feel, this attraction between us too. I don’t know if it could be love, but I would like to think it isn’t only lust.” I said feel my heart beat quicken and the tension rising between us.
Her lips parted and I wanted to kiss her so badly it almost hurt.
Blam, blam! “Lee, Vonda, we need to go!” Ricky yelled from outside.
The moment shattered like glass, the both of us held the other up. I wanted to cry again, but Vonda ever the strong one, whispered, “Don’t! We’ll both mess up our faces again.”
“Hold on. We’re coming.” I told our unwelcome interrupter.
To her I said, “We will find the perfect place to continue this.”
Smiling, she nodded taking my hand.
Opening the door, Ricky had no idea what he messed up. He might’ve begun as a girl, but he damn sure was all boy now.
On the other hand as we clambered back into Da’ Car, Hal gave us a wink. The little minx knew exactly what Ricky had broken up. In a bit of a hurry Ricky roared out of the parking lot.
A gently touch, but with a steel-eyed glare behind it, warned him to slow down. The traffic, as we neared the theater, got heavier. Parking was also a challenge given the usual Friday opening night crowd.
Keeping up with the fiction of who was dating who, Ricky and Hal had us girls on their arms. The line was long, but we did get into the show we wanted. Ricky almost made us late wanting snacks even though we’d just eaten. Alright, Vonda and I did have to use the little girl’s room too, so we wouldn’t have to get up in the middle of the movie.
Then, I had to drag Ricky away from the open door of the other movie playing, Smokey and the Bandit. Of course that was the movie he wanted see. Fast cars, bad boys, and lots of profanity. Oh please dear Lord don’t let the testosterone poisoning be too serious.
We got in and were able though the kindness of others found four seats together. The nice thing about this dating gig was we girls got sandwiched together with the boys protective on either side.
Hal was a little disappointed since he really wanted to be near Ricky, but this once he could suffer. With everyone trying to keep us apart it was pure heaven to be able to hold hands in the dark.
I was a little concerned about how this universe’s version would hold up. As the classic title crawl began, I sighed. “Long ago in a galaxy far away” indeed. My own journey was no less long, but I fear far stranger. Letting go of my worries I held my friend’s hand losing myself in George’s vision.
Just over two hours later, my friends unanimously voted it one of the best flicks they’d ever seen. Poor, artistic Hal was completely dazzled by the, for the time, amazing special effects.
Most of my worries about differences were groundless. The only ones even my photographic memory found were in the effects. That’s because all of George’s inspiration for this came from before the timeline split from my original. Recent changes with real space stations, and moon bases did alter some of the production designs. Nothing I couldn’t live with.
My friends were so excited from the aftermath of the movie they almost forgot about their teenage angst. We all started laughing as all of us darted glances about wanting to talk and perhaps do something about what we were feeling.
However we could also read the time. There simply wasn’t the opportunity for anything. None of us had to mention how bad it would be to break curfew on our very first date. So with smiles, and “May the Force be with you,” we dropped off our friends.
On the way back to my home, down those lonely country roads, I looked up at the night sky. The stars looked down on us, and I wondered about the future. Most people had no clue to what the first moon mission had really found up there. Hap, the alien medical CI, had come from somewhere even further out there.
“Ricky, are you mad at me?” I asked.
He smiled, “Lee, I’m not mad. Still reminding myself that with you things never happen like I expect. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, because they usually work out for the best.”
“I think we could be very happy. Maybe I don’t love you, but I’m not really sure what that is yet. I never considered Hal, for very obvious reasons. However, with him, being like us changes things, because there is something about Hal that makes me look twice, boy or not.
“We’ve got high school to get though before we can graduate. That’ll be even harder with our secret. Really hard for Hal, because I recall how it was for me.
“But like my Daddy says, anything worth doing ain’t going to be easy,” Ricky said pulling into my yard.
I knew my parents were still up from the lights. That didn’t surprise me at all.
Ever the gentleman, Ricky opened my door for me. “Here you are. Back safe and sound.”
He walked me to the gate handing me Da’ Car’s keys. Time stood still as he gently kissed my lips.
Whispering in my ear softly he said, “For what could’ve been.”
Ricky walked to his parent’s car. I watched his taillights disappear into the southern night wondering if and how big a fool I was being. As at last he was gone with only the stars burning overhead.
Looking up for wisdom from those faraway suns, I saw Vonda’s bright eyes. My memory made them as brilliant as any star.
Sighing, I had my answer. Ricky and I could be happy together. We would have a nice safe life that upset no one, status quo. He was a good man with a good heart.
The love between Vonda and me was a rosebud that had yet to blossom. It was full of all the possibilities of the unknown. Unlike, with Ricky, our bond would defy all of society’s expectations. We would face prejudices and scorn for daring to love.
While I felt attractions to males, perhaps because of my life in my other timeline, I was drawn more to other girls. However unlike me, Vonda, I think had fewer options. More than before, I believed she was lesbian. Although she never talked of it, I knew of her fears.
I smiled up at the heavens, thanking them. The choice of taking the safe path or risk it all for greatest treasure of all wasn’t a decision after all.
My parents no doubt were wondering what I waiting for. Smiling, it was time to reassure them all was well. I was home.
Lee has her sweet sixteen birthday, but life isn't always roses and rainbows.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.
Authors note: This story continues Career Day: Wheels of the School Bus Go Round and Round. It probably won’t make much sense without reading that one first. Vol. 3 is planned, but I don’t honestly know when I’ll be able to get to it. I had a lot of problems with the end of this one which ended up in several rewrites. That of course delayed everything, and my move a few months ago didn’t help. So please bear with me. It might be awhile.
“Happy Birthday, Lee!” Squealed little brother Darryl as he bounced on my bed.
Glancing at the clock, it read, 6:30. With a moan I ignored his laughing and pulled my pillow over my head. Happy Birthday to me, oh joy.
I had to suppress a yawn. My sixteenth birthday started off with a bang and showed no signs of slowing down. Darryl, the little rascal, had me up at six-thirty AM. I think he was more excited about today than I was, and that was saying something.
The scamp just had to show me the present he’d, by way of Mom, brought me. Tearing off the wrapping, I had a Bionic Woman Doll. Smiling, I’d added it the collection of girl toys he’d gotten me. My first girl Christmas he’d noticed I didn’t have any girl toys. Darryl single handedly decided to remedy that. Every Christmas and Birthday, I got a doll or stuffed animal.
Seeing the writing on the wall, I got up. I was a curious mixture of tired and wired from last night. Looking at the rising sun, I thought about my friends. I wondered for about the millionth time why we TG types kept getting picked on. Back in 2010, prejudice against gay and lesbians were starting to soften, but not so much for us gender lost, confused and bent types. I sighed.
Darryl however was determined I wasn’t going to be sad today. Marching me into the kitchen, the seven year old was going to cook me breakfast. No surprise here, I hmmm…. Helped.
Then it was off the joys of standing in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles not once, but twice for my Driver’s license and the title of my Studebaker.
Mom met me outside smiling wide. “Your father and the boys are going to meet up with us later. You however are going to run me around on a few errands.”
I raised an eyebrow. She had something devious in mind. Playing along, I smiled back. “I’m game. Where to, first?” I asked.
Pulling up in front of my Aunt Hope and Faith’s little boutique and beauty shop, Mom winked. “My treat.”
Really, it was just an annex to Aunt Hope’s house, but along with my Aunt Faith doing nails and manicures, they’d built up a solid reputation as the little shop that could.
As much as Dad enjoyed Mom’s new lease on life following her and my transformations, I think those two had actually rejoiced. Seeing their big sister always so drab and playing down her assets drove them nuts, I think.
Of my Mom’s large family the strawberry blond twins, Hope and Faith were my favorites. Meeting us at the door, they were obviously expecting us. Both were as short as I was, at five two.
Being that short was about the only thing that bugged me as far as being me was concerned. Even Mom was an inch or two taller than I. Then again Master Bruce Lee was only five seven. Another Master, although fictional, once told his student, ‘Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm, and well you should not.” It’d be three more years before that little green philosopher would hit pop culture this time around, but it made the lesson no less true.
It the case of my Aunts, both my Mom and I were swept away by their hurricane-like enthusiasm. Not wise to underestimate them at all! I managed by the skin of my teeth not to ended up a frosted blond with Debbie Harry bangs.
I like my long, dark brunette hair. Even with trims, it came down to my waist. As anyone with long hair can tell you, it’s a real pain to keep clean and nice, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
The pampering and having someone else doing some of the work taking care of my hair was heaven. The manicure was just as good. Now that I was sixteen, Mom gave them the okay to give me the works.
While I was getting done, so was Mom. Her sisters talked her out of the simple haircut she wanted and into something like a more restrained Farrah Fawcett’s famous do. Afraid, poor Mom would end up blond like I almost did, I suggested rather than the ‘frosting,’ a highlighting in a burgundy. It turned out to be sort of like a tinted Jaclyn Smith look. With Mom’s tanned complexion it really popped.
It took a little convincing, but I got away with mostly only a trim. My hair did however now have similar highlights like Mom’s and was very wavy. My Aunts were quiet pleased with themselves and insisted on lots of pictures.
Back in my car, damn but didn’t that sound good! We were off again. This time to the only real mall in town. I think we hit every last store and even as fit as I was, wondering how we were going to carry everything.
However, the crowning glory of that was getting my ears pierced. Most of the girls in my class already had theirs done, but as I’d said before, my folks are so old fashioned it hurts sometimes. I’d asked some time ago, but they’d refused. Having a little patience paid off for once, since sharing this with Mom made up that refusal in spades. In aces, since I got her to get hers pierced too. Well, really re-pierced since she let the holes close, but now we shared matching earrings.
Watching her as we headed back to my car I marveled at the changes in her over the last few years. The transformation aside, she’d more confidence and to me anyways, happier. Hell, she was getting as many looks as I, and I had to keep from giggling as I imagined the trail of wrath and destruction behind us because of wandering-eye-syndrome.
Surprisingly, we only had one incident, and Mom took care of that. This guy came up to us obviously egged on by his less adventurous buds. Mom ignored him until he was about to open his mouth. She turned looked him in the eye and turned the temperature down to sub-zero. After staring him down we simply walked away as if we never noticed him. She’d definitely been paying attention to Daddy’s 100 yard stare lessons.
After loading my car, I wasn’t surprised at all to find her directing us to Marvin’s. The drive-in was after all where she and Dad had met. At this location, the restaurateur seeing the days of the drive-in were quickly coming to an end, opened a dining room. My stomach growled, more than ready for the late lunch. Despite all the goodies there, I had to be careful this time. I’d pigged out the night before, so I worked a deal to split a burger with Darryl. Marvin’s hamburger baskets were big enough for two anyways.
Adam gave me the eye, seeing what Mom and I’d been up to. Younger brother was still very aware if not jealous of every last thing I received. However, his attitude was much better than it’d been towards the pre-transformation me. His gift to me was a box of assorted hair stuff like, ties and bows that I go though because of my hair. He’d would’ve been left looking silly if I’d let our Aunties have their way!
On the other hand, I can see he was happy with his jaunt with Dad. Whatever the three of them had done while Mom and I went wild with the girl stuff, Adam and Darryl were happy. More power to them, because I know Mom and I very much enjoyed ourselves.
Dad stood as a waitress brought in a cake, chocolate of course. “Lee today you’re sixteen and no longer a girl, but a young woman. You’ve justified our faith in you by acting mature and responsibly. Happy Birthday.”
Then all the staff and even some other dinners joined in singing Happy Birthday. I heard the other part Daddy didn’t say. ‘Don’t let us down now.’
My eyes shining, it was my turn to stand. “I might be a young woman now, but I’ll always be your little girl too, Mommy and Daddy.” Then I blew out the candles. “Happily ever after, happily ever after,” I whispered resisting the urge to click my heels three times.
By the time we got home, I was truly pooped. Between Mom’s ‘errands’ and little brother’s early wake up call, I was worn out. Ever the builder, Dad added a lean-to like garage onto our barn so I had a covered place to park Da’ Car. That kept me from having to keep my car in the barn. Opening and closing those doors all the time was a chore!
“Mom, is it okay I call Vonda?” I asked.
Knowingly she smirked, “Can’t wait to tell her about your new clothes?”
“Mom!” I giggled.
“Go ahead. You can ask her over if you want.” She said. “I don’t think your father has anything else planned. We might be grilling out tonight, nothing special.”
I grinned going for the phone. In the summer, cooking outside was the norm for us. Without air conditioning, it was simply too damn hot to cook inside. Of course being here in the Deep South we started getting summer temperatures by mid to late spring. Dialing my friend on the old black rotary phone, I wondered if we would get cell phones sooner in this timeline.
One of the advancements, I suspected that came from Hap’s wrecked ship sorta kinda by way of the space program was very efficient fuel cells and superconductors. After the ‘73 oil embargo, President Kennedy released the technology to the automakers. Hell, there were even kits to convert existing automobiles to electric. With the promise of running their cars off of water many did just that.
There was a catch. Although it could run off water, using already cracked Hydrogen was much better. Most owners got tired real quick of sticking their water hose in the tank every time they turned around. Going to a station to fill up with “H” took no longer than with gasoline. Plus it seemed you could run forever on a tank full.
Stubborn folk that Americans are, it actually cost more than the inflated prices from OPEC, at first anyways. Of course the big oil companies didn’t just have a cow; they had whole damn herds of moans and complaints. The President had an answer. Since they had most of the infrastructure for supporting the ‘fuel’ industry they got massive tax breaks while they converted over. None of this was cheap after all.
However, that price fell quickly as the conversion paid for itself. For my car, that was never a consideration. It used gas and was going to use gas. My car was a restoration of a classic. Dad did talk about getting our Ford converted, but OPEC found that they’d shot themselves in the foot with the embargo. With no demand gas didn’t cost much more than when I first returned to 1973. It was about four bucks for a tank, which made me grin remembering the prices in 2010 that was that much for a gallon!
It did make me wonder what other goodies were in the toy box. The first home computers were just appearing. However I thought I could leave those alone for now. Frankly I had other things on my mind. Besides, the internet was still years away.
“Hi, this is Lee! Is Vonda there please?” I asked.
“Lee!” My friend squealed. “Happy Birthday!”
I really wasn’t too sure what all we blabbered to each other about. It was at such a high speed that I don’t think fax machines or modems could’ve kept up with us. We did cover her coming by and the cook out.
Running around putting up my new things up, I took a brief instant to sit down. Before I knew it something woke me up.
Little brother was bouncing on me again, O pooh!
“Vonda’s here, Vonda’s here,” he yelled. Darryl could be enthusiastic.
Her face lit up as she saw my new hair style. “Stand up so I can see,” she said reaching to help me down from my high bed.
My Aunt’s had put so much wave into my normally waist length hair, it now fell only about half way down my back. However it was easier to have it over my shoulders on the front.
Darryl seeing how we were going to be talking ‘girl’ stuff raced off to get into some other type of trouble.
I flowed gracefully in a circle modeling their work for my friend.
Smiling I asked, “You like?”
Vonda nodded hugging me. “Happy Birthday, Lee.” She gently took my wrist tying on a friendship bracelet.
As I admired my new bracelet, Vonda touched my hair sending shivers down my spine. We hugged again communicating so much, we didn’t dare say.
Knowing my brothers were about, anything private was an absolute impossibility. So I settle for showing my girlfriend all my new stuff, my spanking new driver’s license to my earrings.
Giggling and comparing wardrobes, we simply enjoyed just being together. However, that swirling tension that heralded our attraction for each other seemed even stronger now. It was as if acknowledging it made it even stronger. Perhaps, it was her admitting that she and Hal were a lost cause. Now I had all of her attention. I really couldn’t say. What I did know was the selfish bitch that I was enjoyed every second.
Mom made an appearance; I had the required fashion show modeling the new stuff. Despite still being tired, it was a fun way of wasting time on a late Saturday afternoon. But all good things must come to an end.
As night fell, Daddy started up the grill. We didn’t have anything heavy, just some hotdogs and the roasting of some marshmallows afterwards. While the boys were busy with that, Vonda and I sneaked away to the barn.
Making sure no one was watching, I held out my hands to her.
Vonda’s shining eyes gave me the strangest feelings. Was this love? I felt I could stand here forever staring at her. Taking up my offer. We tenderly pulled each other together still holding hands.
I smiled as she began to sway to music only she could hear. Humming a few bars, she sang softly in my ear, “But listen carefully to the sound of your loneliness. Like a heartbeat, drives you mad in the stillness of remembering.”
It was Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. Just as gently I sang the chorus. “Thunder only happens when it’s raining.”
Her parents were what passed for upper crust in these parts. Her father was a doctor, and her nurse mother had Vonda taking piano and dancing lessons almost from the time she could walk.
While I’ll never be a piano player, she’d passed on some of her dancing lessons to me. Sometimes she would lead, and at others I would. As self-conscious as I was about our relative skills, I’d couldn’t help but feel this was the perfect end to my sweet sixteenth. Well I guess I should say almost perfect.
“It’s only me who wants to wrap around your dreams and have you any dreams you’d like to sell.” she sang parting her lips.
We leaned into each other and …
A sound from the loft made me look up. There was Adam.
I jumped and so did Vonda as she heard, but didn’t see little brother skittering away.
The mood shattered, again, I was caught between wanting to curse or cry. Taking Vonda’s hand, I said, “I think there’s something up there.” Together we ran out.
I didn’t think he’d seen anything incriminating, but you never knew with Adam.
Daddy just looked sage saying, “Probably just a coon or possum. Now you boys stay out of there,” He said warning my brothers to stay out of mischief. “Time to be heading in anyways.”
Adam slinked back, but I couldn’t make up my mind to confront him or not. I really wanted to strangle the little so and so. Finally I decided to let sleeping dogs lay since I wasn’t sure how much he might’ve seen.
As we cleaned up for the night, I walked Vonda to her Mom’s car she was borrowing. The huge Lincoln was converted to run off of Hydrogen given her parents’, green before green was hip, attitudes.
At least one good thing about being a girl was that hugs were freely allowed. Both of our eyes were full of wistfulness as she left. I helped tote the last of our stuff inside, and got ready for bed.
As soon as I lay down Hap called, “Lee.”
I dug out my ‘pinecone.’ “Yes, Hap?”
“Happy Birthday,” She greeted.
I sighed. As much as I wanted to yell and scream it wasn’t her fault. Adam had interrupted something I really, really wanted, but I couldn’t vent to anyone. Honestly, it was pure frustration. I couldn’t state even to myself exactly what it was. Lust, love, and the usual mixture of stormy emotions teenagers go though at a guess. I lived most of one lifetime before receiving this second chance. A really big but here, I was so messed up with denial, and Gawd knows whatever else, my emotional and social development were seriously lacking.
In a very real way, I couldn’t let myself feel because that would’ve let the beast out of the closet. Telling a close friend on my original timeline once, that it was how I survived, she replied, “I wouldn’t even call that surviving, existing maybe, but that’s not living.”
That was as Ernie. As Lee, I didn’t have to hide anything. Okay, maybe I did from a few people because they wouldn’t understand Vonda’s and my romance. However, the important thing was at least I didn’t have to hide them from myself. I could let my heart tell me true and feel. This second chance gave me the chance to finally grow up without being stunted by self-doubt, loathing and fear.
Part of that process was being immature as a teenager sometimes. That drove me to distraction because although I was aware of it, I couldn’t help myself.
Taking a deep, deep breath I released it nice and slow. Hap didn’t break up that kiss I’d been dreaming of. She didn’t need an emotionally and sexually frustrated teen getting in her face. “Okay Hap,” I replied. “Sorry about sounding mad. I got interrupted in the middle of something I’ve been looking forward to for a really long time.”
“It’s alright Lee,” She said, “If you want to talk about it that fine. That’s what friends are for, right.”
I smiled in the dark. Hap could literally take just about anything living or not and reassemble them into just about anything. However, the intricacies of the human condition were a little beyond her. Perhaps much of how we act and feel are all chemicals and hormones, but our environment and culture have their places too.
“Well,” I began. “Vonda and I were holding each other and doing a little slow dancing. Then we almost kissed. Adam, the little weasel, was spying on us. I don‘t think he saw anything. He knocked over some stuff trying to. I really can‘t say anything without either creating a problem or making one worse.”
Pouting, I complained, “We were so close, Hap!”
“Would it be so bad if he had,” She asked.
Thinking about the blackmail and other schemes of his I’d dealt with over the years in two childhoods with, I said with feeling, “Yes!”
“We’ve talked about this some before. With the med-scanner evidence, my parents can rationalize; okay Ernie turning into Lee was just a weird kind of birth defect.
“My choosing a girl over Ricky would confuse the hell out of them. In their world, girls go for the boys. They might even think that since I picked Vonda instead of Ricky that maybe this whole Lee thing was a mistake and I should be Ernie.
“This is still the 70’s. Maybe in 10 years or so when the Conservative backlash is spent, we’ll see. The good news are the laws RFK signed protecting the LGBT community hasn’t been attacked. But the majority of the country still has some damn strange ideas about what gay means.
“Adam is a product of living in the South. He knows that our parents would disapprove. He also knows it would get me in trouble and thus prime blackmail material. I don’t know for sure he would, because he’s not nearly as bad as he used to be,” I said. Having more of Dad’s attention did help mellow that attitude of his.
“Lee, I still don’t understand your culture’s single minded devotion to male and female bonding. The biological attraction to the same sex happens often enough to be called natural variance. That can also be applied to the gender and sexuality diverse phenomena although the more extreme cases do cause problems; most of those are due to your culture.” Hap said in a way that I could almost see her shaking her head.
“However as you pointed out and your experiences in that alternate timeline demonstrate, as people become more educated and knowledgeable, the intolerance will lessen.
“Right now, I have a birthday present for you.” Hap said.
“A present?” I asked. She was an alien CI computer. Should I be concerned about gifts?
She laughed, “You’ve said before how much you like being with Vonda and doing things with her. The dancing has come up more than once. I’ve prepared a download for you on various popular dances currently being taught. That should put you on a even footing. Like the other downloads it won’t teach you how to dance, but rather help you learn at an increased rate. However, I won’t do it unless you want it.”
Thinking about it I said, “Yes, and thank you!”
“Good,” she replied. “I will begin once you fall asleep. Just keep your kernel close.”
I laid there enjoying the breeze from the window fan. Looking up at the stars, I wondered which one she’d come from. That was one of the things she’d never revealed. “Hap, and thank you too, for listening. I’m sorry I was such a bitch.”
“Again isn’t that what you’ve told me friends do? In your other life, you never got the chance to develop and grow up as you should. Here you are and it’s not always easy. Besides, I’m learning more about humanity by being your friend. Everyone wins,” Hap said.
I nodded as sleep overtook me. “Good night Hap.”
Softy in the southern night, she whispered back, “Good night Lee.”
The last day school was here, yay! With final exams right after my birthday there was no time to advantage of my new freedom. Tonight was our last really free day because the next week we go to work. Ricky was determined for us to see ‘Smokey and the Bandit.’
Vonda and I engineered a silent protest. Both of us got such looks at school, but it was the last day. Most of it was only turning in books and picking up grades. However, our protest was tasteful and fell within the school’s strict dress code. Still the Headmaster gave us such a look. It was simply … hmmm, pop culture.
Ricky glared as he saw our matching ‘Honeybun’ do’s. “No way! We saw Star Wars last time!”
He turned to Hal who was trying and failing to look manly disinterested. If he’d wouldn’t be killed for trying, hell, he would’ve shown up in Leia’s ‘honey-buns’ too. Good thing his hair was far too short unlike Vonda’s and mine.
With Hal and my space and artistic bent, it wasn’t a surprise we were ready to see it again. Vonda kind of surprised me. Then again, Leia was a strong female character even if her role was kinda secondary. Plus I’m the first to say Carrie Fisher is cute. Could be Vonda had a thing for girls who could shoot their way out of impregnable fortresses!
In the end, we ate at Burger King and saw Burt, Sally and Jackie. I must say, I thought there was a lot more changes to this film than Star Wars. Much of the ‘I can’t drive 55,’ thing was the heart of Smokey’s bad boy jive, but here the speed limit was never reduced. Still fun, just different that’s all.
Saturday was the day we turned my bedroom into production facilities. Mom and Daddy okayed our plan, but with a few additions. He was getting a little old for all of the farm work, plus they didn’t want us turning into mushrooms being inside all day. So the deal was mornings when it was cool inside, we work on the book, but light farm work such picking and packing in the afternoons.
Considering how hyperactive I am, I knew I would be working out hard in the evenings. I wanted to keep doing all I was doing already, but needed to work that dancing ‘download’ into my muscle memory.
While we were moving my loft bed, Vonda asked me why I had it right up against the windows anyways. The thing is heavy because the bed part was high up enough so I could sit at a desk fitted underneath as well as have a lot of storage area. It was a nice space saver design from my old closet sized room. However, I like it and when I got my bigger room, I’d kept it.
Smiling I pointed out the window to the sky. “At night I can see the whole southern sky. I like looking up at the stars wondering what’s there.”
With the scant privacy, she gave me a quick hug. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re such a romantic and a dreamer.”
Returning her affection, I smiled. “You’re just figuring that out?”
Our intimate moment was interrupted, yet again, by the boys returning with Hal’s drawing table that my father had knocked together.
However, her comment had touched on a sensitive subject. I was a romantic and a dreamer. By Gawd I loved happy endings and what was wrong having your head in the clouds? It did cause a problem because I still hadn’t committed myself to a career yet.
Yeah, despite my Career Day experience. When I’d walked down that hallway in the bus looking at all of those images, they displayed my interests and aptitudes. It was a little like old Meyers-Briggs personality tests, but went much further with the help of a powerful calculator like Hap the CI.
All the archetypes portrayed were possibilities, but the one that ‘lit’ up was her best guess. Hap’s suggested career for me, was, wait for it, a writer or journalist.
On the other hand, the space program had reached the point where it wasn’t about just national prestige anymore. When the Ares 4 mission to the near Earth asteroid Eros found that lump of extremely rare metals, it’d damn near paid for the whole mission. After that everyone scrambled for the next ‘gold’ rush that was out there. Of course it wasn’t just gold, but a slew of valuable metals that were there for the taking.
Other nations that never had much of a space program in my timeline were out-there now. Great Britain, France and West Germany had an uneasy alliance, but the money kept them together.
The USSR was pumping big, big bucks into their program too. They reached Ganymede and were still there. Their five year mission took advantage of the asteroid’s five year long orbital path. While mining, they enjoyed taking the scenic route as Ganymede crossed Mars’ orbit and went as far out as half way to Jupiter.
Big business was getting its start too out in the final frontier, with NASA offering contracts to mine the Moon and Eros. The jury was still out over the USA claims over Eros. Time will tell.
The point was I wanted to be out there too. But, I also love to write. I always had. From the time I was kid and grown old in my old timeline, to my life in this new one, I wrote. The problem was they were two separate career paths. The one leading to space demanded technical trades and science, while the one as a writer leaned in the other direction with the humanities.
Now I know many fine writers came from the science fields. Going technical didn’t mean I couldn’t write. It did mean I would probably have to set aside my writing while studying. I wasn’t sure I wanted, could, do that.
One of the prime reasons I wrote children style stories right now was because of Hal. It gave him a chance he never had before to showcase his talents and earn him the way to become Teresa.
Vonda refined her own career goals to go to medical school. What she did do well was organize. She kept us on track and helped define our goals while Hal and I concentrated on the creative aspects.
That didn’t keep my muse from whispering other tales in my ear. I felt torn because I didn’t want to abandon my friends. If I went technical, Hal would be left behind. Vonda on the other hand would be welcomed anywhere. I had no doubts she could complete medical school with honors. Doctors were always needed. I know I had to live my own life, but that didn’t make this any easier.
And I’m not even thinking about the increasing complications of knowing about Hap and the truth behind much of this world’s technical advancements. I didn’t regret my friendship with her for an instant, but in a lot of ways, I was only sixteen.
That evening watching the sunset with my friends, I put my worries aside. The scent of charcoal starting fluid was on the wind promising dinner was underway. “Bob Seeger’s Hollywood Night’s” played on Adam’s little radio in the distance. Hugging them to me, I vowed once again to be true to my heart.
Arm in arm with Hal sandwiched between us, Vonda and I walked in downtown St. Michaels. Well, really there wasn’t that much to the town. It had both a Winn Dixie and a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, and a number of local businesses, but that was about it. Just your normal small American town if there is such a thing.
Our first week at work went pretty good, although we all had sunburns despite being cautious. At least I could tan now! However, the reason we were here today was Ricky. He was running late and we decided to meet him halfway to save time.
Of course what goes better on a hot summer day than ice cream! Fortunately for us, St. Michael’s one and only drug store still had its soda fountain. One of our classmates worked there, Green. Sporting red dyed hair, Laurie was always upbeat and flamboyant to a fault. She was one of my classmates I was fairly certain were already sexually active. Not that I cared because, she’d always been friendly to all of us.
True to form she smiled wide as we came in. “Hey! Wow, ya’ll shore got some sun this week.
Did I mention she had a little bit of an accent? Assuming the 80’s went the same way, I had no problems seeing her with big hair in a few years, really big hair.
“Sure Laurie,” I answered smiling back. “I want a chocolate shake.”
Hal got a chocolate like mine, but Vonda got a vanilla with chocolate shavings on top. I wondered if I could invent chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream a few years early. Somehow I had the feeling she’d love it.
We dug into our frozen treats while Laurie, talked our ears off about her latest boyfriend. “Glenn is supposed to pick me up at seven when I get off work. Then we’re off to see “The Deep” with Nick Nolte. He’s got such a cute butt!”
I had to keep from choking on chocolate. There was enough straight girl in me to appreciate the statement, but I knew something she didn’t. Nick turned more than a little weird as he aged.
Vonda giggled, “These two have us going back to see Star Wars, again.”
Rolling my eyes, I held my hand over my heart. “Oh, Harrison Ford is just so hard on the eyes.”
Laurie got this sparkle as she breathlessly remarked, “You know, Mark Hamil does have the bluest eyes.”
Poor Hal turned red as he silently agreed, but Vonda came to his rescue. “I’m sure no here wanted to see Carrie Fisher again.” She said playfully pushing him.
Getting into the game, I mimed, “Help me Obi Wan Hal you’re my only hope!”
Giggling, we didn’t see trouble walking in.
The Imperial March started playing in my head. Instead of ominous black, he wore blue jeans and a Tee with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in the sleeve. He also missed having storm troopers with him having a pair dressed much like him.
Chris Sawyer with Mike Burns and Russ Chastain swaggered in. All three were jocks, and on most the teams given our school was so small. Chris was the real trouble maker of the bunch. Rumor had his father being a real hard case, and the bruises the jock came to school with seemed to confirm it.
One of the ugly things of the time period was that kind of thing was often ignored. In true manly southern fashion he took it out on everyone else, including my circle of friends. However normally Ricky was enough of a deterrent for him to leave it at verbal harassment.
Okay, maybe not Darth Vader. He was more like a punk with too much to prove. But today we were without our protector and Chris had backup. Mike and Russ wasn’t that bad, just normal testosterone overdosed teenage jocks. Right now, that was more than bad enough.
Laurie bless her heart, wasn’t all that slow. She saw Chris heading our way and came up with trouble. “Maybe ya’ll should exit stage left, if ya’ll know what I mean.” She said lifting the gate so we could head out the backdoor.
Vonda and Hal quickly got the idea as they saw who was coming our way. Ducking though the storage room we found ourselves in the alley between Wannamaker Hardware and Zimmer Drugs.
We didn’t make more than a step, before Mike and Russ stepped into the mouth of alley blocking our escape. That was all it took for us to take off running the other way.
I heard Laurie giving Chris hell, but I’d figured out his plan. Big yes, but unfortunately not so dumb. Going the other way meant a longer run and while he knew I could run circles around him, Vonda and Hal, not so much. They could run us down before reaching the other end, out of sight to do whatever they wanted to.
My hand ripped away the Velcro panel that concealed my equalizer. The old heavy modified car antenna was made of much heavier steel than today’s. Back in the 60’s, New York gangs made the things weapons, that law enforcement outlawed. They were the ancestors of the retractable security batons like the Asp.
“Don’t stop!” I yelled at my friends. “I’m fast enough to outrun them.” I tossed my purse into Vonda’s arms.
Thankfully for once I wasn’t wearing a dress on date night. Tired from the week’s work I’d dressed down with shorts and no they weren’t Daisy Dukes! I chose as best a place as I could for my stand.
I spun around with my wand of doom shielded from view behind me.
Chris charged as if I were the opposing quarterback at the Friday night football game. So this was how a matador felt with near a ton of mad bovine wanting his blood. The jock had a foot or more on me and nearly half again my weight.
In my corner, I had a card up my sleeve. Pardon the pun, but a Wildcard. I might be only five two, but I was the most concentrated little package Hap could put together. I might not be the dynamo my idol Bruce Lee was, but I thought it a good guess I was as close to a female version the alien CI could come up with.
What shifted the odds in my favor was the Matrix-like skill downloads. Poor Neo didn’t have it anywhere close to right with, “Hey, I know Kung Fu.”
Wanna’ try most of the alphabet starting with Aikido and going all the way down the list to Zipota? I had only myself to blame since Hap was aware of my fascination with the Martial Arts. The problem was the knowledge was in your head, but more than a little of really knowing an art was in your whole body up to and including your very spirit. Yeah, I was into the philosophy thing too, so sue me!
It’d taken me ages of really working out hard to take all that knowledge and incorporate into anything useful. Honestly, if not for my friendship and correspondence with the Lee’s I might’ve been lost. Jeet Kune Do is all about taking and using whatever works. That helped great, big lots!
Besides I’m about three quarter positive that Linda’s Jeet Kune Do experiences were one of those I received. All those I’d received also told me something about Hap. She had access to absolutely everyone’s memories who’d been though a med-scanner. Scary huh? From world leaders to a certain time traveling little gal running in an alley in Redneck USA, Hap had us all.
I still wondered if she had any other motives than her healer ethics. She is an alien construct after all. On the other hand it really didn’t matter since I had to trust her. Hap had been in and out of my head so many times that if she was up to no good, my goose was already cooked and on the table ready to be served.
Although the USA had started distributing med-scanners to other countries, the communist bloc could go fish. So how do Red big wigs, up to and including Brezhnev start acting a lot more stable and looking a lot more healthy than I remembered? It was a sure thing the USSR at the very least had one. The question is did they manage to procure all on their own or did Hap help a little to spread her influence?
How did any that apply to my present circumstances? Well MAD comes to mind, Mutually Assured Destruction.
These guys were a lot bigger than I and by Gawd size does matter. For me to put them down and out, I could not hold back. All it would take would be for one to pin me and that was it folks, game over. I might be strong as hell for my size, but I couldn’t even begin throwing 220 lbs of football player off of me.
Master Bruce could manage, but he had years of practice sparring against guys this size. The only opponents I had were Darryl and occasionally Adam when I could talk him into it. While Darryl loved being bounced around, Adam hated the thought of a girl, me, doing the same to him. I tried getting Ricky to help out, but even when he was helping on Da’ Car his time was at a premium. So I had a lot of knowledge and doing katas, but very little time on the mat.
However that also meant at the very least broken bones and maybe worse. The broken two by fours and bricks I’d practiced on assured me of that. However, that lead to hospital, police reports, and possibly others things I really didn’t want to think about. I’d made some powerful friends in the few years since I started living my life over. I would rather not put any of it to the test. That was MAD, Mutually Assured Destruction, all of us would lose.
Somehow, I had to moderate my response. Easy right? You tell yourself that as Mongo is thundering towards you. Fear might be the mind killer, but it sure as hell was telling me fight or flee would be a great idea about now.
As Chris reached me, I decided to start with the ‘Jays,’ Judo. It’s not as if I had much choice given the situation, and was the least damaging of my options.
He flew though the air just like a scene from a movie. What can I say? The throw was designed for exactly that kind of attack. When he hit the pavement flat on his back even I winced. That had to hurt!
Time for a little show-woman-ship, I whipped my baton around continuing my spin to face the other two. The snick-clack of it extending was perfect punctuation to my statement. “Go away or there will be trouble!”
I was reminded of the old Champions superhero role playing game I used to play a lifetime ago. Presence attack to awe your opponents into surrendering: Displaying overwhelming effective use of power, three D6, Displaying weapon: add one D6, Using good soliloquies add two more D6.
Somewhere in the multi-universe, I must’ve rolled those dice pretty darn good, because Mike and Russ skittered to a stop.
Their expressions were priceless. Whatever they’re expecting, Chris demonstrating how not to fall properly from a Judo throw wasn’t it.
He chose that moment to moan.
That was actually a relief since I worried that the big idiot might’ve given himself a concussion when he landed so badly.
Decision time: This was over. “Get him out of here.” I turned sharply snapping my baton under my arm seemingly making it disappear in the alley’s dim light. Then I simply walked away. A good show can be worth a thousand words or something like that I misquoted.
By the time I reach Vonda and Hal the adrenaline shakes were still going strong.
He said a little awed, “I knew you were into the martial arts, and I’ve seen you kicking the crap out of that bag of yours, but that was something else!”
Vonda started to say something and stopped as she saw me shaking.
Making sure we were out of sight of the three dufesses in the alley, I used the wall of the hardware store to retract my baton.
Her eyes cut to the alley as she worked out why I moved. Then she gently hugged me. “Oh Lee,” my dear friend whispered.
Hal, aware we were in the public eye, held both of us. He softly directed my attention to across the street. “Lee look.”
There was Ricky grinning and sauntering along as if he’d not a care in the world. A frown crossed his face as he took in our mood.
It took a few minutes to let him know what happened, and then calm him down. About then one of St Michael’s entire police force of three cops showed up along with a furious, but worried Laurie and Mr. Zimmer the Drug store’s owner.
I gave my friends warning glares not to tell all the details. We saw trouble and we ran. That’s it. No need for more than that. Chris knew the hard way now that I could defend myself, but that was between us.
Officer Brown just looked at Chris shakily limping out and then back at us. He knew something else had gone down.
I however didn’t want to be searched given my illegal equalizer in my purse.
As much trouble as Chris had given me over the years I still winced when he said he slipped and fell. How many times had he given that excuse over the years?
Since we didn’t want charges, that was that. Well, almost since Mr. Zimmer had him on disorderly. He ran paying customers out of the Drugstore. Later on, I learned the Judge, sentenced him to work a few hours for Mr. Zimmer. Hopefully that’ll make the bully think, but didn’t do anything about the problem I think Chris had at home.
We talked about calling it a night, but I still wanted to see the movie. This was still a minor thing, I argued. Besides we got only one day a week to hang out, so let’s make the best of it.
It had the side benefit of Ricky taking us to Marvin’s without a compliant. Of course since we weren’t really dating who everyone thought we were, he wasn’t actually paying for mine. It was Vonda who insisted on picking up mine, while Ricky was taking care of Hal. The whole thing was a little complicated because I wanted to take care of Vonda at the movie. We simply settled up at the end of the night. Our strange arrangement seemed to work because everyone was happy.
The one person who really benefited from this was Hal. His food and movie was paid for by Ricky who said that if he was dating then his date wasn’t paying for anything.
Jesting that because of that, maybe I was reconsidering, Ricky as my boyfriend, we all laughed as Teresa peeked out of Hal’s eyes. “He’s mine. Hands off!”
Vonda had a similar reaction. “Nothing doing Lee. Don’t even think about it. You’re mine.”
I don’t know about them, but I got the most delicious shivers hearing that. The whole possessive thing could turn bad, but in our first flush of teenage passions it felt good to know someone you cared about wanted you.
Even Ricky enjoyed the movie the second time around, although Vonda and I did more snuggling than last time. Despite my insistence on carrying forward, my fracas did upset me. Nestling next to my girlfriend while enjoying one of my favorite comfort flicks was exactly what I needed.
Less enjoyable was what came afterwards, telling Mom and Dad. There just wasn’t any choice in the matter. They would find out about it. Small towns’ gossip traveled fast. Minor or not, Chris’s act of stupidity would be the ‘talk’ of the town for weeks.
I thought about giving them the edited version, but decided against it. The bit of blackmail about Chris’s spectacular ungraceful flip and fall was protection. I didn’t think he would try it again, and I would continue to travel in a group.
They didn’t react well. Mom didn’t quite freak, and Dad didn’t break out the guns, but that wasn’t saying much. I did get a stern talking to, about what I should’ve done, which was stay where we were in a public place and called for help.
I don’t really think that would’ve helped much since bullies always seem to know what they could get away with. Maybe our ‘flight’ reflexes did lead us into greater trouble, but our trouble was more than willing to escalate matters.
The real problem hadn’t been addressed anyways. It was probably too late for that. I’m talking about why Chris went after me from the very first all those years ago. It did seem he was and is being abused at home. Now, this might sound strange, but I don’t have a problem with some kids needing a stern hand. Hell, Adam was a text book case!
However, discipline and good parenting doesn’t include contusions and broken bones. So just how do I fix this? This time I’m afraid I can’t. The best I could do is call attention to the situation.
Talking to Hap later that night, even she had her figurative hands tied. Messing around with someone’s head was one of her big no-no’s. Right now whatever inner healing Chris needed was limited to human knowledge. Maybe the CI that handled that function for Hap’s crew had been one of those that’d gotten trashed.
Sadly she told me, “Lee the hardest thing for any healer to learn is that you can’t help everyone. No matter how powerful your talents or how many resources at your disposal, some are going to continue to hurt and to die. Sometimes nature has to take her course, because trying to help will only make things worse.”
“Hap, I’m not a doctor or nurse. I only want to make thing better. Is that so much to ask?” I replied feeling guilty. “Maybe if I’d been paying attention from the start I could’ve done something.”
“Lee,” she said gently, “You mostly certainly are a healer. Perhaps you don’t practice medicine, but that isn’t what makes a healer. You are a healer because you use words to help, to nurture others. In my opinion the tools you use are as powerful as any my creators have given me. You speak for tolerance and understanding. Your friend Hal’s pictures reach out and touch others with their message while your gentle words calm and comfort.”
“It is who you are. Even as someone who has never given you anything, but grief you were concerned and even now you can’t help yourself, but want to heal.
“But you can’t heal the world, Lee. No one can, not even me. Here at this time and place, only Chris can heal Chris. All we can do is keep our hearts from hardening and be there when he falls. Already he has an addiction and I fear other worse substances will soon follow. Those I can help him with, but I can’t, won’t, invade his mind changing who he is. It is the challenges we overcome that give us our strength. If you take that away you might save him pain, but you are not doing him any favors,” Hap said.
“You mean like with Hal,” I asked, “You could’ve changed him into Teresa years ago when you transformed me, but you didn’t.”
She sighed, “Very much like your friend. Her physical sex needed to be brought into line with her feminine gender. However it was her strong belief that her life would be in danger from her own Father that prevented me from doing so.
“I’m not infallible, Lee. At times I’m dependent on second hand information like with Teresa. I make mistakes that cost lives and that hurts. However, I can’t quit because that would make things even worse. In the end I can only do so much and that has to be enough,” Hap explained.
Memories surfaced of a T-girl who’d frozen to death on a church steps because the local mission wouldn’t let her be housed with the other women. Fearing rape in the men’s shelter, she’d instead died. Or others who’d died simply because of who they were. Killed by those who didn’t regard them as even human. I’d grieved then and again now. What part of Thou Shall Not Kill did they misunderstand?
I hugged my stuffed bear, feeling my eyes sting. “I get it Hap, but it still hurts!”
Her voice gently lured me to sleep. “I know dear one. I know.”
Chris took a drag on his cigarette. His father punished him using the same wide leather belt he always did. It wasn’t for trying to beat up that little freak, but for getting caught.
From his earliest memory his Old Man blathered about the strong and the weak. If you weren’t one you were the other. Every time Chris had broken some rule real or imagined, he gotten the hell whipped out of him.
Right now he was standing, because it still too soon after the last beating to sit down. It didn’t bother him too much because it was only pain after all. Besides he needed to think and he did that better on his feet.
Only he, Mike and Russ knew what really happened out back of Zimmer Drugs. That little freak had thrown him though the air with some kind of that Kung Fu shit. It really didn’t upset him. Keeping hole cards and tricks hidden till you need them were all part of being strong. What bothered him was why she did it.
Once that slut, Laurie, saw them, Chris knew what was up. That was why he sent Mike and Russ back outside to block the alley. He knew just how fast the freak could run. With them outside making sure she couldn’t get by, he could trap her. It would’ve worked if Laurie hadn’t turned into a screaming bitch and slowed him up.
Even knowing there was no way to catch her, Chris had charged anyways. Giving up was never an option. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that while she could out distance him, Vonda and that fairy Hal didn’t have a chance.
He didn’t think at the time. All Chris saw was his real target waiting for him. Now however, he wondered why. All these years the little freak could’ve fought back, but was content to let Ricky play interference.
He had respect for his sports rival. Maybe Ricky was a freak too, but he’d proved himself to be strong and tough. The other freak, Lee, was entirely different.
From the first day at the new school Chris pegged the skinny, shy, red headed boy as weak. The smell of fresh paint was so strong they had to keep the windows open to have classes on those first couple of days. The freak stuttered and had trouble talking.
It was almost too easy to push him around, but Chris did it anyways. For the next, three years he’d made sure the wimp knew who was boss. Then that damn Career Day thing happened.
He crushed out his cigarette wincing at the memory. His father had really freaked out when he’d came home looking like a n----r. He’d gotten the shit really beaten out of him then. Even his mother, who was afraid to so much as lift a figure against his father, went crazy.
Chris had limped and peed blood for a week. That was nothing compared to what happened after they went back to school. He was honest enough to admit if it’d been him who was changed into a c--t, his father would’ve killed him. That was all there was to that. If being weak was bad, being female was worse. There were put on Earth for just one reason according to his father.
That bothered him some, but while his mother sometimes tried, she’d never been able to stop him from getting beaten by his father. That seemed to prove there was the weak and the strong and women were even further down the totem pole, the weakest.
So what happens? The red headed freak wants to stay a girl! The weak wanting to be prey. Of course he’d understood that the rules for picking on the freak had changed, but part of being strong was also being smart.
The other girls, even the ones that didn’t like the freak, helped protect her and then there was Ricky. He’d learned real fast that the ex-girl didn’t have any problem with going fists to cuffs. Only the weak hiding behind the strong, just like his father said.
So what happened Friday afternoon? There’d been no fear in her as he almost made the tackle. His father always said to care about anyone besides yourself was only another weakness. No reason to put yourself at risk if there wasn’t something to gain from it. She’d nothing at all, but she put herself in harm’s way anyways. So why?
And then there was the other matter. Even though only a junior, he shined as one of the best jocks at the Academy. He was big and getting bigger every day. Even now he was bigger than his Old Man. Sure he might be a few pounds lighter, but that was because he didn’t have 20 years of smokin‘, drinkin‘, and the beer belly that goes with all of that bad livin‘.
Tonight Chris saw for the first time the fear in the Old Man’s face when he realized that he was no longer the strongest one.
Did that mean he should be the one doing the beating? Would the Old Man hide behind someone stronger like the Sheriff who had the law on his side? If so then was all this shit he’d been talking for Chris’s entire life nothing but a lie?
Really for all his talk what had his father really done with his life? Owner of a one man car repair shop fixing other people’s problems in a small town no one had ever heard of. That didn’t sound very successful to Chris. He sure as hell wanted to do more with his life.
If he could keep his grades up and did well the next two years on the field, he’d kiss this place goodbye forever.
Inside the Old Man was raising hell, drunk yelling at Chris’s mother who was just as soused. No, Chris was staying out here until both were passed out. From the sounds of it that wouldn’t be long.
Besides he had more thinking to do about Why?
When a friend asks for help, Lee just can't say no, but what kind of trouble could Hap have? Big Trouble!
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine
I shook my head. “No, you two go on. It’s alright. It’s not your fault Ricky’s busy tonight. Besides, If I tag along that’ll mess up our fiction that you two are an item.”
Both my friends gave me doubtful looks.
Vonda’s eyes told me volumes. These last few weeks had been wonderful. Despite this being a farm and all the stories of sneaking off behind the barn, we still hadn’t gotten our kiss. With a teenage younger brother just entering his testosterone storm, he was watching the only examples of available womanhood like a hawk does a mouse.
Thankful, I missed most of that ogling. Adam had come to terms that Ernie was gone, and Lee was here to stay baby. On the other hand, I couldn’t blame him too much for looking at my girlfriend. Vonda was turning into a true beauty.
With the combination of odd jobs around the farm, and joining in my crazy workouts, she was really blossoming. Nicely toned from all the activity, she stood at five feet six; four inches taller than I. Her dark brandy hair glowed with copper highlights from time outside picking vegetables. The exercise and dancing gifted her with a graceful walk that I’d sought all my life. Truly she flowed, sweeping all along with her. Even without that bedeviling missing kiss, the happiness just being together suggested that I was right. It was love.
Right now she without saying a word made my heart beam in joy knowing she felt the same way.
Then there was Hal. He was miserable. Not only because he was splitting us up tonight, but because he was missing Ricky. The two really hit off together. Then there’s his frustration over the circumstances that was keeping Teresa in the closet. That kind pain I knew all too well.
I didn’t think he was going to do something foolish. However, he was begrudging every minute till we could graduate. Two years till he could dare cast off his disguise, and mask. Two lifetimes till she could spread her wings and be free.
Sometimes I still cried. Hap and her Med-scanner gave all of us gender mixed and confused a chance at finding our best balance for being at ease with ourselves. In my original timeline, we could only make do with imperfect transitions using hormones and surgery.
However as wonderful as Hap’s methods were, Career Day opened a tabooed door. It’d given so many of us a taste of the forbidden. That was bad because society wasn’t ready to even consider transgenders as acceptable, medical condition or not. Too many were like Hal’s father who regarded their children as things and belongings to do with as they pleased. But now that Hal sampled that fruit, he yearned for more with every once of her soul.
I saw no solutions other than killing his sum’bitch of a father. While the red neck racist pissed me off to no end, I couldn’t go that far. Recent events reassured me that I wasn’t a murderess.
So while both Vonda and I offered shoulders to cry on, I also encouraged Hal to work out as much of his frustrations as I dared. Half the time I was afraid I pushed the meditation and spiritual aspects of the martial arts too zealously. On the other hand, variants of that philosophy helped keep me sane in another world that might have been and not so far away. Who was I kidding? It was still keeping me more or less sane.
If Hal was going to make it, she needed to be strong as well as have good friends. Besides, with his Father being the way he was along with such classmates like Chris Sawyer, knowing how to handle yourself was damn near a necessity.
I kinda got my own prejudices thrown in my face. Hal was so damn delicate for a teenage boy, that I assumed he was physically weak. Nothing doing! For ages he’d been Vonda’s secret dancing partner, and had no problems keeping up with her. He might not have the bulk of a line backer, but instead had the slim body of a swimmer or runner. Our artist friend had endurance to spare.
That gave me the idea to try something else. I’ve already admitted that even as a child in my previous existence, I’d idolized Bruce Lee. Finding myself back in if not my past, but a past before he died, I spent him a letter. Knowing he was proud of his body, instead of saying I knew he was going to die of a cerebral edema, I suggested the diagnostic capabilities of the med-scanner could provide a useful picture of what he was doing right and offer vindication of his methods.
Much to my relief it worked. His problem was found and fixed before it caused him trouble. More, my letter began a long range sorta kinda friendship with us writing back and forth. In that first letter I’d asked for advice how to develop myself considering my small size. Master Lee sent me copies of his books, autographed no less! He’d even taken the time to highlight areas I should pay special attention to because of my sex and size.
However, I also have some special advantages. Although I can’t pack on muscle mass like he could, I was still a Wildcard. In my case it meant, I got a lot of bang for my buck with every hour of working out. I could duplicate a lot of his incredible feats. My power to weight ratio was out of this world which let me do some really way out acrobatics.
The problem was Jeet Kune Do was anything, but defensive. Master Lee believed that the best defense was a strong offense. That worked for me, even as small as I was given my advantages. I, however, had doubts that would work for Hal and Vonda given their lesser skill levels and the limited time they were able to train.
My experiences with Chris in that ally suggested another possibility, Parkour. ‘l'art du déplacement’ literally means the ‘art of displacing.’ It’s the art of using your body the most efficiently way possible to negotiate obstacles. It had about a decade to go before it gets developed into the form I knew from my time in 2010. The running, jumping, and sliding around, over, and under anything in their way. Some of their feats were astounding with scaling high walls and safely falling from high heights.
Another problem was I’d never studied the art. However it was perfect for teaching someone how to run away. Remembering Jackie Chan’s agile big screen antics, I thought Master Lee might be able to help. Writing to him, he suggested several sources.
Of all the things I missed and still miss about the future, the internet is number one. No Amazon or Barnes and Noble website where you could search for the book you wanted, order it and have it on your doorstep in three days. Finding the book, seeing who had it in stock, and some cases having to send the payment in before they would ship, was a royal pain.
One of the key things I remembered from my time about Parkour was that it was dominated by the guys. Lacking the upper body strength, girls needed to come up with new ways of getting around certain obstacles. Additionally, while a farm offers a wide variety of obstacles, it rather lacks the walls, railings, steps and other terrain of towns like where my friends lived.
I’d seen Vonda and Hal’s neighborhood so I had a good idea of if something did go bad what they would be facing. Right there I decided to narrow things down for my friends’ needs. We would train in every Parkour skill I could remember and redevelop, but we would focus on their particular home environment.
As a new Traceuse, that is a female practitioner of Parkour, I did my best to kill as many birds with one stone as I could. At first I tried the new maneuver on my own carrying my ‘pinecone.’ That let me practice and allowed me to get feedback from Hap on how well I did. Of course it also gave me protection from my own first clumsy efforts with her there ready to do her healing thing.
Then I tried the same thing without its protection. Okay I admit I was paranoid about losing the CI artifact. However my efforts paid off. Oh the look on Vonda and Hal’s faces as I ran up a tree. Then it got serious as I show them how to speedily and safely get down from a height such as two story bedroom window like at their homes.
Once or twice I thought they were going to tell me to stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine however it is exhilarating do it and look back at just what you accomplished. On the other hand, Mom surprised me by helping. She might be so country that it hurts sometimes, but never ever slow. I think she understood at least in part of what I was trying to do. With her own history of abuse, pushed by my recent experience with Chris Sawyer, she gave her approval by pushing my friends along.
Of course where she and I was, little brother Darryl wasn’t far behind. Soon he was doing vaults and tumbles too. It was just like when he tried to copy me as I worked on assimilating all the martial arts downloads Hap gave me. He kept it up and was pretty darn good for a first grader. Darryl used to bug me, asking what kind of belt he had. I laughed and stole Pat Morita’s line, “JC Penny!” That used to make him so upset, but now it was our private joke.
Besides I told him if ever found out he use it to bully others, I would spank him so hard he wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week. I suppose that was another reason why I stressed the philosophy so much. I was well aware of how it could be misused. Plus Mom was there too keeping both of us on the straight and narrow.
What does all of that mean? Well I got a lot less sleep with all the working out, and was dateless for tonight.
Determined not to mope, I told them, “Hey you two. It’s really alright. This is a perfect time for me to take Adam and Darryl out. Can’t neglect my brothers can I?”
They laughed. Adam made it no secret at all that he wanted to see Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed breaking the law. However little brother Darryl wanted to see Jedi Knights. While both Smokey and Star Wars were both PG, Mom was the tie breaker. The violence was one thing, but the profanity was another. Adam was going to have to wait to get his Trans-Am fix.
Personally, I thought this universe’s version of Pontiac’s car was hideous. But you know boys! Somehow once they begin talking about cubic this and displacement that, they lose their minds! It either looks good or it doesn’t. Like a certain Vida Boheme once said, “Style or Substance?”
I gave my friends a hug before they climbed in Vonda’s Lincoln land barge. “Have fun.”
Hal grinned, “May the Force be with you!”
Holding up my hand with my ring and middle fingers parted, I replied, “Live long and prosper. See ya‘ll tomorrow.”
It was going to be a long day. We all had to be up early. Saturdays were busy days for us with folks from Columbia cruising around looking for fresh produce.
He rolled his eyes, “You know Vonda is going to call you as soon as we get back tonight.”
Laughing, she smacked his shoulder.
I knew my face must’ve looked as wistful as Vonda’s as they left for St. Michael’s. Damn, but didn’t I have to figure some way for us to get that kiss!
“Mom!,” I called going inside. “Is it cool I take the boys to Star Wars, liked we talked about, tonight? Ricky had something come up. His Uncle has him working late.”
She smiled shaking her finger at me. Mom wasn’t anyone’s fool. She knew I deliberately was making opportunities for her and Dad to have ‘together’ time. “Sure you can dear. Why don’t you go and get cleared up? I’ll hunt ‘em down and hose them off.”
Giggling, that was only half in jest. Depending how filthy they were because of whatever mischief they’d gotten into, she just might! “Sure Mom!”
For me it was pretty fast considering I jumped in and out of the shower. I just wanted to be clean. My hair always takes me the longest, but Mom helped dry and braid it again as the boys bathed. With hers also being long, it was something we helped each other with. It’d become one of those mother and daughter bonding things.
The dark red highlights from our trip to my Aunt’s had lightened to a medium red from all the time outdoors working. I think Mom really liked the way it looked, but I kinda liked the darker look. She’d even been making noises about making another appointment for us to get pampered.
My Mom caring this much about her appearance? She even wore a bit more makeup than she used to, with me dating now. Giving me a hug, she said, “We old ladies have to keep up with you young things somehow.”
Hugging her back, I replied, “Lady, yes, but never old!” Besides I knew she wanted to look nice for Dad. Tonight I wasn’t wearing much war paint anyways. Just a little lipstick and a touch of eye shadow, since this was only my brothers and me this evening.
I squarely blame my life in the previous universe for my girliness. There, I was hampered in truly being me, but here was a different story. As much as I truly loved being near superhuman, expressing, reveling in, my femininity made me even happier. So yes, I wore makeup, dresses, and heels, and cherished every moment. While I wasn’t going all glam, my jeans, blouse, and hair, my outfit didn’t leave any doubt I was a young woman.
The contrast was night and day with my brothers with their short cut hair dripping wet pulling on T-shirts, and me. I might be dressed casual, but had obviously taken care with my appearance unlike them.
Mom while trying to get Darryl’s hair combed stuck a ten spot in my purse. Oh yes, glory be the days when 10$ would get three into the movies with even some left over.
Waving of byes later, we were on our way. Instead of Peachburg, which was close to St. Michael’s, school, and where my friends lived, it was closer from where we lived, to head into Columbia, the big city. We made it to the theater with time to spare.
Elton John’s Crocodile Rock played on the radio as we pulled laughing into the parking lot. Although Adam grumbled a bit, because he would much rather be listening to John Denver, my brother and his country music!
Getting our tickets and letting Adam and Darryl spoil themselves with snacks I saw the looks I got. The boys doing the ogling were from the local high school because I recognized them. Back in that old life, my brothers and I had to drop out of the private school and go the public route because money got tight.
So I was in the position of knowing them, but they didn’t know me. I was guessing at least half the reason for their attention was because I was a new face. Off hand, it looked as if Career Day hadn’t changed this bunch’s juvenile behavior.
The leader was a spoiled brat by the name of Ron Jeffcoat. Every time he got in trouble his father bailed him out. The last I’d heard of him, Ron had finally found something his father couldn’t or wouldn’t ‘fix.’ My best guess was drugs, but it could’ve been something worse.
In the here and now, as long as he left us alone, I was cool. Admittedly, I was still paranoid from my experience with Chris. I still had my secret weapon in my purse. However, the theater lobby was busy enough we were left alone.
Making myself comfortable, I smiled as Darryl grasped when the monstrous star destroyer followed the title crawl. It kept coming and coming. Happily sighing, I enjoyed his wonder at seeing this for the first time.
Two hours later, we clapped as John William’s soaring theme signaled the ending. Even Adam liked it, although I suspected once was enough for him. On the other hand, Darryl looked as if, like me, once simply wasn’t going to be enough. Nice to know that some things did repeat themselves even in this other universe.
Chris snubbed out his Marlboro in disgust. Peachburg was just too damn close to St. Michael’s. He couldn’t even go to the movies without the finger pointing and whispers. The rumors had him from running into walls to that freak beating him up. At least Glenn and Mike kept their mouths shut. They after all knew he wouldn’t put up with their lip.
For that matter he had to get into any number of other faces too, but there were limits. With the word spread so far, he couldn’t stop everyone from flapping their lips. Leaning on old ladies would be a very bad idea with all four of St. Michael’s’ cops really watching him now.
Maybe three of them needed to have their Barney Fife-like one bullet in their pocket, but Sheriff Griffin wasn’t anybody’s fool. He’d explained what Chris already knew. As a minor, the disturbing the peace charge wouldn’t hurt his chances when the college football scouts came looking in a few years. However, getting caught at assault and battery was an entirely different ballgame.
Sternly, the Sheriff told him if he was angry to save it for football games. Letting it out in St. Michael’s was a surefire way of staying in the boondocks for the rest of his life. Fate had given him the talent and ability to make something of himself, don’t blow it.
Shaking his head, Chris dug out his wallet to purchase a ticket. He hadn’t known what to do when the Sheriff asked if there was anything he wanted to talk about. He’d gotten the feeling it was about his Dad’s ideas about discipline. Even if it was, he kept his mouth shut. What could the Sheriff do anyways? Besides Chris was the stronger now. Very soon in the future there would be no more so called spankings. They were only that if you wanted to call being whipped with a leather belt by a grunting 250 pound redneck such.
“One for Smokey and the Bandit,” he said stepping up to the window.
Taking his ticket, Chris saw the baby blue Studebaker sitting out there in the parking lot. ‘Oh hell, no!’ He thought. It couldn’t be. He’d rode nearly 50 miles just to stay away from that freak and the trouble she’d caused him.
He seriously thought about walking out, but he already had his ticket. Nothing to be done about it now. More than likely she and her weirdo friends would be watching that Star Wars crap again. Not him, screw that long ago in a galaxy far away crap. Some good old fashion speeding, beer and law breaking were just what he needed right now. Disrespect for authority, hell yes! Determined to enjoy his Friday evening, he took a deep breath, going inside the cool air conditioned theater.
Laughing little brother and us went out into the still hot southern summer evening. Happy or not I hadn’t lost situational awareness. Ron and his goon squad were following us.
What made me do a double take was Chris Sawyer sitting on his motorcycle. This was a long ways from his usual hangouts. He must’ve come out just before us because he was just now lighting up a cancer stick. He’d noticed me, but didn’t look as if he wanted to start anything. However he was watching Ron just like I was.
I wasn’t too concerned because we should make it across the heat shimmering parking lot to Da’ Car before they could reach us.
Then as one they began running. I thought about throwing Adam the keys, so he and Darryl could make a run for it, but I really doubted they would abandon me. Adam was too hard headed to obey me, and Darryl was as loyal as his backwoods blood could make a soul. Nothing for it, but to stick together and hope for the best.
In nothing flat, they raced ahead cutting us off. Swaggering Ron got in my face. “Hey sweet thing why don’t we go somewhere and get it on?” Then to my brothers he demanded, “You two get lost.”
My hand holding my purse grasped my hidden equalizer, the baton. “Why don’t you get out of my face Ron Jeffcoat. Then using my eidetic memory I named each of his goons. “I know you too, Tommy Browning, and Jeff Conroy.”
Then I turned back to him. “You’ve been told no. Now leave.”
Chris shook his head watching the freak and her brothers attracting trouble like flies to road kill. Personally he wasn’t impressed with the three dummies. Sure they were big, but he’d labeled the leader as a rich kid used to getting his way. Someone who played at being tough, but lacked real grit. The other two were only hangers-on riding on the rich boy’s coattails.
At first he almost missed it, but he caught her slipping out that rod or whatever it was out from underneath her purse. Glenn and Mike claimed it five feet long and looked liked a sword. He guessed she had a car antenna, maybe with something added to it to give some extra heft. That could be real nasty.
Clueless there didn’t see a thing. She was very good. If he hadn’t been watching for it, he’d never seen it. Then again Chris was expecting it. Like he thought, she was no one’s prey. She might be a freak and so small you wouldn’t think twice, but she was one of the strong.
Sitting there, he wondered how far this would go. Hell, this was more entertaining than the movie!
Ron’s two goons, knowing I could identify them, hesitated. Somehow I knew he wasn’t going to cave so easily. He didn’t.
Well on his way to six feet tall, Ron towered over me. He picked up my braid from my shoulder. “Who’s going to make me? You?”
I smiled as I prepared to ram my homemade security baton into his solar-plexus.
“If I were you, I would step away real slow before something very bad happens, asshole,” Adam said calmly.
At 14 younger brother was four inches taller than me. He still lacked Ron’s height, but Adam was built like a fire plug from all the hard farm work. He got their attention like I didn’t.
“So you’re going stop me and your sister from having a little fun?” Ron growled, but I notice he didn’t move a muscle.
Adam guffawed. “Me? Hell no! I’m not into that kind of stuff.”
Then he nodded at Darryl the first grader, who was standing just as he’d been taught, nice and loose, but focused.
“He is. Darryl how long have you been doing martial arts?” Adam asked.
Littlest brother answered, “Four years.”
Then smiling evilly Adam said, “What kind of belt you got and what are you going to do these guys?”
Darryl grinned. “JC Penny! First I’ll kick him in the knee,” little brother said pointing to Tommy. “Then I’ll punch the other one in the privates. When they’re both down, I’ll kick the one holding Lee behind his knee. After he falls, I’ll jump on his gut a few times to buy us time to get to the car.”
Ron stared at Darryl, but I know he didn’t see any fear. Little brother liked being bounced around. Then he’ll hop up and go charging in for more. Maybe being a little crazy does run in the family.
Little brother sighed looking disappointed, “But I won’t get a chance to do any of that.”
Adam not moving his eyes from Ron’s asked, “Well, why not?”
“Because Lee will have all three of them down before I can even do anything,” the eight year old complained looking up at the teenager that was double his size. He scolded Adam, “You know that.”
Younger brother walked up next to me and Ron. “You decided to pick on the wrong family. She’s got autographed books by Bruce Lee and he’s helping her write her own on how to deal with people just like you.” Adam stood at my shoulder silently declaring his intentions.
Chris spat. As much as he wanted to see just what the freak could do, Richie Rich shouldn’t be messing with the little kid. That was different. He was still deciding how much his dad had beat into him about the strong and weak was BS. Some might call him a bully, but high schoolers beating up second graders punched his buttons. Maybe it had something to do with the way his Dad treated him. Chris did know he couldn’t stand by and let it happen, damn it to hell.
He could see Richie Rich there was between a rock and a hard place. The asshole couldn’t back down without losing the respect of his cronies. On the other hand he really didn’t want to fight either. Chris wasn’t sure what they’d demanded of the freak, but he had a few guesses.
Kicking his bike to life, he gunned the throttle. Sure, he pushed other kids around, but that was to make certain they knew their place in the pecking order. Never ever did he had to push a girl into having sex. Even as a sophomore, he was one of the stars of the football team. Hell, they came to him.
One of the dopes was looking none too sure about this, but the other was going to stick it out to the end. Everyone else in the parking lot was doing their best to ignore what was happening. This time in the afternoon, it was mostly the crowd from the local high school who probably knew these losers.
Knowing he was going to hate himself in the morning, Chris jammed his cigarette between his teeth. Gunning his throttle again he roared over to them.
He was unsurprised when the freak’s head didn’t even twitch. Her head and eyes stayed locked on Richie Rich’s. She’d known all along exactly where everyone was. Her brother standing next to her cut his eyes over for an instant, but stayed focused. Hell, even the little kid stayed calm.
The three bullies were another story. Ole Richie was startled, and Mr. Hesitating and Unsure was ready to call it for the day. That left the last, not so smart, but loyal dummy wondering what to do.
Chris took a deep drag on his cigarette and tossed it away leaving a trail of sparks. “Lee, you saw Star Wars again? What is it with you and that movie? It was weird enough when you and Vonda came to school with your hair in those honey buns.”
The freak’s eyes still didn’t move. “My brothers hadn’t seen it yet, but yeah, I can’t seem to get tired of watching it. Hey it was the last day of school, and made a great prank. You here to see Smokey and the Bandit?”
Rich kid was getting itchy, as one of his followers started backing out. ‘Good,’ thought Chris. It was too damn hot to fight out here anyways. “Yeah, it must’ve let out a little before your show. It was pretty good.”
He got off his bike letting them see he was just as big as they were. “These fella’s giving you some problems?”
She replied, “Trouble? I don’t so. No one wants any of that do they Ron?” The freak said taking her hair back.
Ron looked at her one last time before deciding he didn’t like the odds. He then stepped back. Trying to look cool he turned and swaggered away. Chris heard him making up shit trying to save his tough guy reputation.
She turned to him curious. “Thank you, Chris. I really didn’t want to drag my brothers into that.”
Sparing them a glance, he saw they were still ready to fight. Both knew he was no friend to their sister. Nothing off of his back. His business was with her. “No thanks necessary. We’re even now.”
With that he got back on his bike. It was time to get back to his own stomping grounds. He had more thinking to do.
I watched Chris leave. He was the last person in the world I expected to ride to my rescue. Maybe he felt he owed me for keeping my mouth shut. Whatever it was, he considered us quits.
Turning, I watched the other bullies walk away. Part of me wanted to go and kick Ron’s ass on general principle. If he’d tried this on me, how many other girls had he raped? I half-seriously contemplate doing it anyways despite the attention it would cause. However, I did have my brothers to consider.
Then I smiled. I had something better. I had knowledge, fore knowledge. It was an act of willpower not to rub my hands together in glee. The State Attorney General and several others would be getting letters. With luck at least one would take allegations that Mr. Jeffcoat of the DA’s office was abusing his position to protect his son. If not there was always the press.
Opening the doors of the Da’ Car, we waited for the inferno inside to cool before daring to get in. “Adam, hey thanks.”
Younger brother gingerly slipped in wincing at the hot seats. “Lee there’s lots I just don’t get, but I know when something works. Mom doing all that girlie stuff with you makes her happy. Because she’s happy, Dad’s happy. Because they’re happy, we get to go to the movies and do a lot more other stuff. You spend more time with Darryl which make him happy. That makes me happy because I don’t have to watch him and get to do my own thing. We’re all happy. I’ll never understand you, but I ain’t no fool. As long as our kooky family is happy, no one, and I mean no one gets to screw it up. That means anyone who messes with you is messing with me.” He crossed his arms after having his say.
Damn if I didn’t want to hug him so hard his ears would pop, but I didn’t. Younger brother had come a long way from when I’d first walked off that Career Day bus. Perhaps he’d come even further from the man he’d grown up to be in another time and place. That proud to be a Red-Neck wouldn’t have bent enough to put his prejudices aside to say what he just did.
Instead, I gave him my biggest smile. “Thank you again, Adam. How about instead of burgers, we go to Duff's Smorgasbord? My treat.”
Both brothers sat up like a pair of hounds that just caught a scent. Nothing like an all you can eat buffet to catch these two’s attention.
Laughing, I let him at the radio. He couldn’t find any Denver songs, but soon we were listening to Glenn Campbell’s ‘Southern Nights.’ Carefully touching the hot steering wheel, I joyfully let the marginally cooler air flow over me singing along, “Southern Nights …”
Jeff Conroy watched the pristine Studebaker turn onto the main drag. Shaking his head, he looked over at Ron who was still talking trash to Johnny. It was just as well that big guy on the motorcycle had intervened. The whole thing was a bad idea from the very beginning.
The minute Ron saw her standing in line, he started running his mouth. She was really a looker even if she wasn’t a blond like he preferred. None of them had seen her around here before. That’s when Ron began saying he bet he could get her to give them all some nookie.
If they didn’t know her, then she didn’t know them. Who was she going to complain about? Besides even she did somehow identify them his old man would get them off. She was just a skirt after all. Her two brothers were younger, and what could they do against the three of them, all high school juniors?
Jeff didn’t think it was a good idea at all. He was thinking they could do plenty. The older boy was two or three years younger than them, but he looked pretty solid. Ron might be a city boy, but Jeff wasn’t. He knew how families from the backwoods could nurse and keep vendettas.
When he said something about that, Ron sneered that she would give it up even quicker if they threatened her brothers.
He sighed watching the sky blue car disappear into traffic. Why the hell did he ever listen to Ron any damn way? Sure he’d gotten away with a shitload of crap, but it wasn’t because he was cool, or tough. It was only because his daddy worked in the DA’s office.
Jeff’s Dad warned him time and again hanging out with Ron was bad news. He was beginning to see the truth of that. Look at what it’d cost him.
If Ron hadn’t shot off his mouth, Jeff might have had a chance of talking with her maybe even getting a date. If even part of what her brother’s were saying was true then she knew Bruce Lee! Plus she was writing a book? Hell, some of the kids in his class couldn’t even read.
Then there was how she’d faced down Ron. When he’d grab her hair, all she’d done was smile. There was no fear in those green eyes. She was different from any girl, he’d ever met before.
“Hey Jeff, come on!,” yelled Ron. “We’re going to use my special ID to buy some beer.”
Jeff closed his eyes knowing he meant the false one he carried. That’s it. He’d about enough of Ron. “I’m going to split. Got things to do.”
Ron shot him an unfriendly glare, but just waved dismissively.
Jeff didn’t miss the unheard snide comment that got a laugh from Johnny. It was probably something malicious about him. No, Ron wasn’t his friend. He was definitely tired of this crap.
Walking towards his own car, he found himself looking out where that Studebaker had disappeared. She just had something about her. Jeff had the feeling he’d be hearing about her again. What had her brother called her, Lee? No matter that was one face he was going to remember. Maybe it’ll be in a movie or on the cover of a book. Who knows, maybe he‘ll one day get the chance to apologize for being a stupid jerk.
Alone, he drove away lost in his thoughts wondering about could’ve been.
“Lee, I need your help.”
A few weeks had passed since I took my brothers to the movies. Shaking my head free of the dreams, I sleepily looked at my clock, 2:30.
“Lee,” the voice asked again.
Hap? I reached into the secret cubby hole where I’d hidden the small pinecone shaped gadget. The Alien AI gave the device to me so I could help my Mom. According to her, it was like her creators version of a first aid kit.
Smoky, my cat, meowed softly at having her rest disturbed. She curled up on my pillow as I sat up.
The metallic greenish spindle-like shape reminded me of a closed pinecone with its organic scaled pattern. I was kinda scared of the thing, but that didn’t keep me from using it. Mom’s transformation took care of her tobacco addiction, but not the habit. I used the thing to make the ‘taste’ of her cigarettes bitter a little at a time. More than a few times, I’d helped my family with semi-major injuries that are part of farm life. Of course they didn’t know it was me. You know the drill. “Hey that cut isn’t as bad as I thought after it was cleaned.”
Remembering a SF story, however, I made damn sure it hurt like nobody’s business. It would not do for anyone to get careless. Like I said farm life could be a tad dangerous.
I concentrated sub-vocalizing. “I’m here Hap.”
“Something bad is getting ready to happen. I need your help,” she said.
I was still blinking away trying to wake up. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day, and I’d stayed up later than I should’ve talking with Vonda on the phone.
“Hap, I have to get up in about three hours, can this wait? Besides what possibly can I do that you can’t?” I said letting my legs dangle off my high loft bed rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
“I can only operate though immobile machines Lee. I don’t have arms and legs despite all I can do. You should be able to do this and get back home without anyone knowing.” She said in my mind.
“Okay Hap. What do you need?” I surrendered. There was simply too much I owed to blow her off.
“As you know since your ‘incident’ I’ve been much more careful about using my override to protect those who are in danger of abuse by med-scanner operators. Your own experiences showed me, that I’d caused the death of at least one innocent because my efforts backfired scaring your authorities into over reacting. For the most part, doing nothing has been wisest.”
“However, several units are in the hands of other governments now. In their efforts to circumvent my operating protocols they are endangering and threatening lives. This is causing a serious conflict with my programming and my innate purpose of healing. I want you to rescue these hostages and render that unit unusable.” She explained.
I had no idea if she could see my incredulous expression. “You’re kidding. Hap, I know I have 50 years plus of life experiences, but I’m not a secret agent or a combat solider. Right now I’m a teenage girl who’s only had her sweet sixteen birthday party a few months ago.”
“Lee, there is no one else. You’re the only one to ever get close enough to the interface sequence so I could fudge the rest. I sincerely hope conflict will not be necessary. In the event they do, you are well able to protect yourself. Not only are you supremely fit, but you also have the ‘downloads’ of several of your species’ most effective combatants. More, you’ve worked at integrating that knowledge into your muscle memory.
“My companions estimate that you have better than a 99.9 percent chance of success. Your arrival will be unexpected and you will have the advantage of surprise,” Hap paused. “Please?”
I sighed. There was no way I could in good conscience turn her down. I owed her not only my happiness but that of my Mom too. Besides, she was my friend and confidant. “Okay Hap, I’ll do it. I hope you have some means of rapid transportation. I think I left my invisible supersonic jet in my other pair of jeans.”
A flash of light disoriented me causing me stumble forward to keep from falling. Where in the hell was I? Looking around, I most certainly wasn’t in my bedroom.
“You’re in the secure storage area known as Hanger 51,” Hap answered.
“I thought you couldn’t do anything like this?” I said referring to the teleportation, and wondering what I’d let myself in for.
“I can’t. My companions decided to step in and assist given the circumstances,” She explained. “Even then this is not easy. Going from med-scanner to med-scanner isn’t too hard, but beaming you in from outside that system is.”
Okay let me see. “I need to know where I will arrive and where the hostages are kept. Any information about who, what and where about the guards would also be nice. I’m assuming this is some kind of military facility so type and location of security systems would help too.”
I did a little shuffle since the floor was ice cold. Hmmm…, have to do something about that too. Being barefoot and in my jammies weren’t fashionable or fit garments for hostage rescuing, which bought another point.
“Hap, I’ll need some kind of disguise too. The odds are against anyone ever recognizing me, but why take chances. Are these bad guys aware of your extraterrestrial origins?”
A hologram of planet Earth popped up in front of me. The focus narrowed down to a spot in the Soviet Union, Sverdlovsk. Oh joy.
It circled revealing, what looked to be from the outside, a fenced apartment complex. However as the zoom continued, that illusion was busted by the guards and checkpoints.
Then a red circle blinked with the under script identifying it as the Med-scanner. A dashed path led from there to an adjacent area, where three more amber circles this time appeared. Hostages it read. I noticed the two areas were separated by more than enough distance to get it outside of the scanner’s extended field.
More symbols appeared. TV cameras, door switches and alarms as well as another checkpoint neatly labeled. I of course recognized the graphics. Admittedly I wasn’t pulling an Obi Wan going to shut down the tractor beam generator, but I was relativity certain none of the hostages was a princess. The Soviets were brutal to Romanovs and the few survivors stayed the hell away from the USSR.
“Yes Lee,” Hap confirmed. “They tried to open the casing. It didn’t take them long to guess that your nation most certainly did not invent the med-scanner. As for equipment, my companions should be able to create just about anything you want.”
I felt like a little girl with a charge card in the toy aisle. However I had to think about this. This was the Soviet Union for Gawd’s Sake, and they had a machine stolen from the US. The last thing I want was to make to make the Cold War hotter between the two superpowers.
The Yom Kippur War of ’73 happened right on schedule. The end results were about the same as last time with an exception. OPEC jacked up gas prices and it got tense as US backed Israel and the Soviet clients got into it. Things nearly got as bad as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The US with its victory of the South East Asia Affair as it was called here wasn’t willing to back down. Neither were the Soviets and so the Cold War warmed up. Things had cooled off some in the aftermath, but still things weren’t good as they felt threatened by the US’s tech advantage and tried to catch up.
Alright, I needed a disguise as an alien, but human enough for me to function. Plus all the gear I carried couldn’t look at all familiar. I found myself playing with my braid as I thought. That gave me an idea. Hmmm… James Cameron’s Avatar was still many years in the future if ever.
Going as a Na'vi was tempting, but unless I made myself into a miniature version, it wasn’t practical. But it did remind of another movie that also had a hair braid as a tail, Zemeckis’s Beowulf. Angelina’s character of Grendel’s Mother was this golden skin demoness with her long braid changing to a serpent like tail as well as her having these stiletto heel-like claws.
Let’s think about this. I’m very slender so adding a layer of golden like material to bulk me up shouldn’t hurt my mobility. Better if the stuff was protective. The heels would help blur how short I was, and wouldn‘t slow me given all the dance practice I’ve been getting using Vonda’s borrowed shoes.
The braid-tail could have all kinds of useful functions. A small camera to let me see around corner as well a tazer so I can take out that checkpoint without permanent injuring anyone. Perhaps an interface too to bypass electronic locks and other electrical doodads. Hell, if I’m going to do that might as well add a regular lock-picking gun function to the mix too.
Hap said, “We can do all that plus another couple useful capabilities.”
“You could’ve at least waited till I asked for them,” I complained. “Alright, we’ve three hostages. Are they able to walk? How about speaking English? The handful of Russian words I know isn’t going to convince anyone to come with me.
“Do you have someplace safe for these folks afterwards? No doubt they’re in bad shape, at the very minimum, mentally and perhaps physically too. And don’t look at me please! I don’t have any place for them to stay. Since the Soviets haven’t been able to break into a one of these things how am I suppose to disable it? Can’t you just tell it to turn itself off?”
Hap’s voice laughed, “Don’t worry, dear one, we have a plan for them. You get them out, they’re be safe. As for the med-scanner, we will use the cyber-interface in your braid tail. It’ll ’virus’ the scanner causing it to go inert.” She paused, “I could do that, Lee, but that would clue them in that the med-scanners are a part of a network instead of each being a stand along machine. I’m not ready for that to be revealed yet.”
“Once you reach the hostages you’ll have to get them back to the med-scanner. Think of it like a transporter pad from Star Trek. In this instance they will have to each enter the area of the machine‘s field. After they’re safely ’energized’ you can virus the scanner and we will ‘beam’ you out.
Your kernel will be your interface device. Now Lee we need you to walk to the group of large crates directly in front of you.” Hap directed.
Looking up at the dome ceiling above me, the lights gave this place a really eerie feel. It took me a second to find those crates of Hap’s. The place was filled with them as well other oddly shaped tarp covered objectives. .
Walking carefully barefooted across the cold concrete floor I said, “If anyone is hurrying on their way here I hope you know I’m leaving a trail of forensic data behind me. Things like babies’ footprints are kept on record.”
“Don’t worry,Lee. We’ll take care of that after we upgrade your kernel,” Hap reassured me. “Now set it on top of the one to your right. There will be a flash of light, so shield your eyes.”
I took my ‘pinecone’ and set it on top of the crate like Hap asked. Covering my eyes, the expected flash was followed by a dimming of the lights. Oh great, they were drawing on the building’s power supply. Someone will definitely be checking this out.
Peering at it, I couldn’t see any changes. It was the same small metal unopened pinecone it’ll always been.
“Lee, place the wide end of the base of the kernel against the back of your neck right under your braid.” Hap told me, “You should hurry. Visitors are coming.”
All kinds of unpleasant images rushed though my brain. Taking a deep breath, I placed it as she asked. I resisted a shiver remembering the interface ‘spike’ in Matrix.
“Lee, this might be disorienting,” Hap warned just a little too late.
Gold goo spurted from my ‘pinecone’ running all over my hands and shoulders! Oily-like, I couldn’t wipe it off and trying only spread it. More of it jetted forth covering me. Slipping, I fell as it enveloped my face. Gagging, it ran into my nose and mouth!
“Breathe, Lee, breathe!” Hap commanded.
Shaking from shock, I took an experimental breath. I was alive!
Looking down at myself, my jammies were gone. Literally skin tight fine golden scales covered me. Staring at my hands, my nails were silver and gleamed like polished steel. Feeling my face, it was as if I wasn’t wearing anything. Moving to my breasts, my nipples and privates were covered but there were no loss of sensation. Talk about feeling naughty!
I had to grin at the thought of Ricky, Hal and Vonda seeing me now.
Examination of my feet revealed those claws that served as stiletto heels. Unlike the movie, I could actually flex them. It was just like moving my toes, and was actually similar to the rear talon perching birds had. I stood without too much of a problem. A few trial steps made me glad of the practice Vonda and I’d done in heels during our sleepovers. Hey, being so short I was partial to anything that gave me a little height!
A sound of grating metal and voices alerted me I was out of time. “Hap, now would be a good time,” I whispered, concerned.
“Standby, energizing,” she announced as the lights flashed again.
When I opened my eyes I was somewhere else. In front of my vision hovered the map of this facility. I was in the center of the first circle, med-scanner. I was now wearing some kind of visor. Touching it uncertainly, I was still wondering what I’d gotten myself into.
“That’s protective shielding for your eyes. Additionally it further hides your identity as well as many other useful functions.” a voice said. It didn’t sound like Hap.
“You’re not Hap.” I told it, looking around me.
For the first time I saw what a Med-scanner really looked like. If an oak tree that could grow giant silver metallic acorns that was it. It had a circumference of approximately three feet in diameter. Attached to it was all kinds of equipment including a circle made of thick, heavy duty electrical cables.
“No, I’m not. That entity is not solely dedicated to keeping you alive, I am,” it answered.
I found the door, and quickly padded over to it. Instead of a clicky-tap from my ‘heels’ there was only a soundless spongy feel from my ‘golden slippers.’ The talon heel flexed like it was alive giving an unexpected spring to my step.
The ventilation and airlock-like door labeled this as a clean room, an armored clean room. Checking out the area I saw that the entire area of the Med-scanners’ field was included. They’d probably found out the hard way just how large it was. It all made sense considering they were trying to disassemble alien technology, and knew of Hap’s safeties and primary overrides.
“So I take it that I’m wearing some kind of bio-armor?” I asked examining the door.
“In the simplest terms, yes. Bio-nano-armor might be closer, but you lack the background understand a more exact description,” the voice explained.
I said, “I love you too. How about helping me with the door. Undoubtedly, it’ll set off some alarm if we force it. Can you suggest a subtle alternative?”
“Certainly. Direct your cyber-tail to the lock,” it said.
“And how do I do that?” I said trying to see if I’d set off any alarms yet.
“You’re right handed, so hold out your right forefinger,” it directed.
Alrighty! Doing so had my braid wrapped tail’s tip hovering alongside my hand. Cool!
Unlike most the rest of me, it was silver like my nails. I made to touch the lock with my finger and my tail obeyed me. Small motions of my hand resulted in larger movements in the tail. Upon touching the lock a list of options popped up beside the map diagram. As I focused on each command it highlighted. Scrolling down I found ‘Disable alarms and unlock door.”
The tail’s tip split and fine tendrils shot into the frame. An eye blink later it flashed a green ‘done’ and the door opened. A second later I repeated the procedure on the outer door. I hoped with the alarms out it didn’t matter if I left both doors open. I just might need to make a very quick exit.
The map showed a long corridor leading to the checkpoint where the hostages were. Using the finger trick again, I stuck the end of my tail around the corner. Options popped up again, and I picked picture. A video of the passage appeared next to the map.
The glassed in checkpoint looked to have a pair of guards and was probably armored. The only way into the detention area was another double-door airlock arrangement. The door to the checkpoint was also in there. No way to even get to the entrance without being seen. Just wonderful. Just over thirty feet to cover in the open, even more good news.
“You have five millimeters of foamed, gold, nano-forged chitin. You are practically immune to small arms. Your heel spurs are more than capable of punching though that glass. This is not anywhere near a true test of your capabilities.” The voice, that wasn’t Hap, chided me.
I laid my head against the wall. “I might be older than I seem, but I’m still in a lot of ways only sixteen, okay? I’ve only just started dating, thank you very much! Now you want me to go running down a hallway with two guys at the end armed with AK’s? Well, excuse me, if I’m in no hurry to test how bulletproof I am.
“I would really like to get though this without hurting anyone, them or me! Besides, if this goes bad and bullets start flying, while I might be okay,t those hostages probably aren’t bulletproof. Stealth is the key.” I argued.
Then it was taken out of my hands. Coming from the other side of the hallway behind, three scientist types in white coats stared first at the opened clean room airlock and then at me. Oh Crap!
Like a shot I leaped after them. Not slow, they dropped their clipboards and ran like hell itself was on their heels.
Targeting reticules appeared on all three. I sighed, as I ran them down. This on-the-job-training in bio-suit operations was getting real old. I may not have experience in this type of mission, but my Army MOS in military intelligence involved me in the planning. You gathered every scrap of information you could find and planned the best you could for the unexpected. Then you practiced as closely as you could to what you expected to run into until you could do it blindfolded. You did not go in cold with equipment you’ve never used before.
Focusing on the furthest scientist running for his life, I commanded, “Taze!”
My tail whipped over my shoulder at him as I slide tackled the closest. Jeet Kune Do stressed using whatever worked and this let me keep my hands free. The polished floor was perfect for this, letting me trip up the third runner as well.
While the first did the tazer jerk, I targeted the other one and stunned them all before they could recover. That took a little longer than I liked since that function had a recharge time. It was only a second or three, but I could really do with it being faster. “Are they alright? They don’t look any too healthy.” I said hoping none of them had bad hearts because of too much vodka.
My heckler replied, “Affirmative on that unhealthy part, but they took no lasting harm from the shocks. However I think our options have shrunk,” It added as the alarm blared.
Not wasting time with curses, I threw myself to my feet running flat out for the corner. Not bothering to slow I used a Parkour maneuver to bounce off the wall splinting full speed down the hallway. At the first muzzle flash, I ran up the wall like from the Matrix, but I kicked off hard for the opposite side. Landing in a sliding roll, I flexed my tail aiming for the door’s locks.
“Bust the lock and drag me under their guns!” I silently screamed as bullets tore up the hallway.
Like a striking snake, my braid-tail struck the outer door, burying its tip into the lock. I grabbed my outstretched tail with one hand, leaving my free hand to guide and keep me under the guns, as I bounced off the wall, under the armored glass, before slamming into that hallway door.
I smashed it open, and tumbled into the small passage. It had doors going to the guard room and into the detention area. Gas hissed from vents in the ceiling as the two guards inside the security post reacted to this new development.
My rider warned, “Breath though your nose. I’ll filter it.”
“Get the lock!” I pointed scrambling against the door before they started shooting again though the gun ports.
Somehow I could still hear despite the thunderous roar of the AK’s. The deadbolt lock shrieked as my tail yanked it clean out of the door. Throwing myself against it, the door crashed into one Russkie while I commanded, “Taze!” at the other targeted guard.
“You’re the one that should be doing all of this,” my peanut gallery spectator commented. “Taze him, open this, pull this other, I’m not suppose to do all of this for you,” it complained.
Letting myself spin, I roundhouse kicked the guard that’d gotten hit with the door. I pointed with my right forefinger again. My cyber tail immediately came to attention. Running down the ‘menu’ I selected ’tazer.’ With a flick of my hand, the cyber limb tagged the hapless Russkie as he clumsily groped for his AK.
“Like that,” I asked?
Turning, I studied the booth, surprised I could read the Cyrillic. “Since when can I read Russian?”
Dryly, I was answered, “Since you complained you couldn’t speak the language. Hap downloaded it into you when we ‘energized’ as you so quaintly put it.”
I hit the switches to open the doors in the detention cells. Dancing pass the broken glass and bodies, I entered hoping to get the hostages moving.
The place was built like it suppose to house serious bad asses, a not unreasonable concern given Hap’s capabilities to enhance. Coming to the first door, I wasn’t able to help myself. “Come with me if you want to live.”
Anything else died on my lips. The woman inside was so pale she could’ve been a vampire with her nearly snow white hair. Unlike the silver gray of age, her long locks glowed and shined with life. Looking up at me, her lips were naturally colored a dark red. However, it was her vivid blue eyes that told the truth about her situation.
Pain and numb torment filled them. Wearing only a thin hospital shift, she hugged it about herself as best she could. Cringing away from me, her every breath spoke of her abuse.
Aww Crap! Hap might not have given in, and let those SOBs torture these poor souls with inhuman transformations, but that didn’t keep them from changing them into a form where they could be taken advantage of. I think the woman in front of me was the Russian version of ultimate feminine beauty. It was too bad they didn’t respect the heart within that clay.
I knelt by her as she fanatically took in my unusual appearance. “I’m here to get you and the others out. What’s your name?”
It was a little awkward, but I think I got most the pronunciation correct. That was the problem with Hap’s ‘downloads.’ You had the knowledge but you still had to train your body to use it. In this case, my tongue and mouth to make the correct sounds.
Hesitantly she said, “I was Vasily, but now they call me Zorya Polnoca. I, I, I, was a man.” she said looking at me imploringly wanting me to believe her.
Trying to ignore the alarms still going off, I urged, “I’m Selene. I believe you, but we must hurry. Time is running out. Can you stand?”
Zorya touched me as if she couldn’t trust her eyes. Then she nodded, Wobbly getting to her feet. “Who are you,” she asked? Then seeing my cyber-tail, she said, “What are you?”
What else could I say? “A friend.”
Helping her, I saw a pair of scared faces cautiously looking at me from around behind the doorway. Both were children. Startling, each of them were the splitting image of the woman I half-held up.
They almost bolted as soon as I saw them, but stopped as Zorya called, “Zvezda, Danica, it’s okay. Come here.”
They came running to her. Despite their identical appearance they were different ages. Zorya was an adult I guessed in her mid-twenties. Danica was the youngest who was pre-puberty. Zvezda was a teen still becoming a woman, a little younger than I. All three hugged each other as if the world itself was coming to an end.
“Please, we must hurry. More guards will be coming soon. I would like to be gone before they get here.” I was feeling much less non-violent.
Zorya wiped her tears nodding.
I could see that while the other two girls were in pretty good shape, Zorya wasn’t. I sub-vocalized, “Am I stronger like this? I don’t think she is going to be able to move very fast.”
My tag along replied, “Yes for short bursts. You should be able to carry her.”
Good enough. ”Zorya, I’m going to carry you. Girls try and keep up.”
There was second of surprise as I slipped underneath her and lifted her on my shoulders.
Danica stared at my feet, I think realizing they might not be shoes as my talon spurs flexed under the weight.
I was very careful, knowing Zorya might be injured. However, if I could get her back to the med-scanner all that could be fixed. Now for the tough part.
“Hold your breath. They’ve released gas. This might be scary but we need to go to the lab. Okay let’s go!” Then I took off moving as smoothly as I could.
Using my cyber-tail cam, I saw both younger girls hesitate, but begin to follow.
I checked out the corridor the same way, so far so good. All three’s eyes got big seeing the damage to the checkpoint, but thankful we’d no additional visitors.
Zorya wasn’t too bad of a burden, but she did slow me. We made it all the way to the lab entrance before I heard the first signs of more trouble.
“Quickly, girls inside!” I said letting them go in first.
The thump of booted feet stopped at the corner as a Soviet cone-head helmet peered around it.
I shut the outer ‘airlock’ door. “Lock and jam it shut.” I ordered.
My cyber-limb wormed around Zorya to do so.
A canister bounced down the hallway spewing white smoke or gas.
Danica and Zvezda huddled just inside the second door obviously frightened of this place.
“The inner door too, if you please, the same as the first.” I ordered again. Fortunately there wasn’t any back talk from my spectator.
I softly said, “Girls, Zorya, I know bad things has happened to you in here. However it is the way out. These men truly don’t understand what they have here. They are attempting to use it for other purposes than for what it was intended. Please trust me,” I asked.
Their light blue eyes unwillingly said yes.
Cyber-tail cam showed a pair of guards wrestling with the outer door. Time was running out.
Gently I put Zorya in the med-scanner. “Hap, the first hostage is ready for transport.”
I heard her humor as she continued to make fun of my science-fandom. “Energizing.”
Both girls gaped as Zorya glowed and disappeared.
“Cosmos Patrol!” Zvezda blurted out amazed.
“Hap, can both girls go next? Things getting a little tight here,” I tried to keep calm as the frustrated guards shot the outer door to bits, using their rifle butts to clear the wreckage.
“I’m sorry but we can’t. The energy just isn’t there, I would suggest the smallest for next. That will allow levels to build back up quickest,” she said.
Damn! This was so not good.
Kneeling, I spoke to the two girls. “Zvezda can you be brave? I need to have Danica go next. But that will mean you’ll have to go and sit in the scanner as soon as Danica leaves. I won’t be able to help you.”
They both looked over my shoulder at the burly guards forcing their way to the inner door.
“I’m going to be a little busy, Okay?” I asked.
Zvezda nodded, “I’ll help Danica.” Her young face got hard. “They hurt Zorya. Hurt them back.”
I smiled as we both helped Danica up to the machine.
“Energize!” I sent.
Not waiting for her to disappear, I flowed to the door. Behind me, cyber-limb cam showed the teen cambering into position into the med-scanner. My attention was snapped back to the doors the aggravated guards gave up and tossed a grenade into the airlock.
A quick glance assured me the teen was out of direct line of sight, but still might be hurt. Okay you goons, no more nice Miss time-traveling extra-dimensional visitor for you.
I breathed a sigh of relief as she glowed just before I got thumped hard by fire, glass and thunder from the grenade exploding.
Rolling to my feet I saw the first man charging in. “Hap, how long till I can zap the ‘core’ and get out of here?”
My ride-along answered, “Hap is busy right now. Five minutes would be nice. They hurried things getting the last hostage out. Energy banks are depleted.”
Another canister came bouncing in spraying something. I thought about batting it out it, but actually it helped me. My ‘visor’ did a color shifting thing so I could see clearly in the foggy smoke.
“No hurry five minutes sounds about right.” I said. Rape was such an ugly word for a despicable act. Poor Zorya’s condition quite frankly pissed me the hell off. I’d no idea what they were trying to accomplish. Right at this moment I didn’t care.
Rider set a timer running in a corner of my vision. However, I was watching the gas-masked troops begin their first rush.
I sent my cyber-tail between their legs tazering the last man in the five man column. A short skipping boxing step had me in front of the leader. Short vicious jabs walking their way up his abdomen set him for the kickboxing knee in the face as he kneeled over. Whirling pass him as he fell, I closed with the second who tried to bring his AK to bear. My right hand hit his weapon’s magazine release while trapping his finger in the guard.
Yanking the rifle upwards, he screamed as his finger broke. The single round in the chamber discharged its roar magnified in the small area. My ears were unaffected, but I can’t say the same for the goons.
Twisting low, I danced under the legs of the third slamming him down hard into the second. Meanwhile number four had enough. Freaking out, he fired a shot that bounced off the helmet of number one, who just got up, and went right back down again.
Lithely kicking, the inside edge of my talon heel spur caught the AK’s receiver cleanly parting it in two. As he stood shocked holding the two halves of his assault rifle, I tased him.
Now aware of just how damn sharp those stiletto heels from hell of mine were, I was more careful. Didn’t want to spear anyone no matter how mad I was. Besides more than likely none of these yahoos did the deed anyways. I popped each one as my tazer charged just for good measure.
My timer read 2:35. How time flies when you’re having fun. However, now that it was over, I wasn’t feeling so good. It didn’t help that I knew why. I was usually a pretty peaceable sort. Those guys were coming in here to kill me, and then I went into there to hurt them, hurt them bad.”
“Hey,” I said weakly, “Can I upchuck without passing out from the gas?” I asked feeling very, very green.
“It would be much better if you didn’t, Lee. We‘ve done well not leaving behind any forensic evidence.” Rider replied.
I looked at the timer, 1:58. Oh joy.
Staggering over to the giant acorn, I took cover just in case they tried anything else. It didn’t seem like it, but being here also let me be in position to complete the last phase of this mission.
Two minutes of trying not to toss my cookies, seemed like a lifetime. If I dared I would’ve sighed in relief as Rider announced, “We’re ready to transport. Strike the scanner.”
That option was already selected. Tapping the acorn with my cyber-tail, I saw the metallic shape become dull and its texture seemed less sleek.
Biting my lip, I sent a simple, “Done.”
That flash of light again and I was somewhere else. I really didn’t care as I hurled, gagging and near choking. Helpless I knelt there unable to move away from my own ‘discharge.’
I looked around, tears still flowing. It took me only a second to place it. After all, I’d played in those rafters not so long ago, my family’s barn.
Finally, I shakily stood up. Distastefully, I glanced at my mess. Picking up the shovel from where it was usually kept, I scooped it up. A minute later it was safely buried. Okay that was one problem taken care of.
“Hap,” I asked. “This is over right? Can I please go back to bed now?”
“Yes Lee,” She said. “You can go now. To remove your armor, just pull your kernel free. You however might want to wait until you’re back inside since everyone is still asleep.”
“Good point Hap,” I said.
Walking back to my house, it felt a little surreal. It was still as if I wasn’t wearing anything. I could feel the morning dew and the grass under my feet, as well as the breeze. Luckily, Lady our dog had grown used to my weirdness. She gave me a sniff and went back to sleep.
Another good thing about my room being an expansion is its own outside door. I think that made Daddy a little unhappy. If he had his way, his little girl would be sleeping in the center of the house within an armored safe.
Besides sneaking back inside, my own door made keeping other things secret easier too. One of those greeted me at the door, Smoky my cat. Daddy disapproved of inside pets, and so I sneaked her in and out of my room at night. Well behaved, she never made a mess. She’d trained me well to open the door for her when she needed to go.
I glanced at the clock as I sat on my bed, almost four. Reaching behind my head under my long braid, I found the lump of my ‘pinecone.’ Remembering the unpleasantness of ‘activating’ it, I took a deep breath before pulling it out. I was still having distinctive flashbacks to the old Matrix movies and the big ‘plug’ in the back of their heads.
There was a slight click. I blinked as the stuff flowed off my face. It happen so quickly, there was none of the gagging as with it going on. In seconds, I was back in my jammies, holding my pinecone.
“Goodnight Hap,” I said lying down exhausted in so many ways I couldn’t count them all.
“Goodnight Lee and thank you. You saved those girl’s lives tonight.”
She said.
Before hiding the alien device, I had to ask, “They’ll be alright won’t they?”
Hap replied, “I have a very nice place for them with good caring people. It’ll be a few days before everything is ready for them, but they’ll be fine. Now get some sleep.”
Drowsily, I nodded, hiding my pinecone back in its nook. Heavily my eyelids closed …
“Time to get up Lee!” Squealed little brother Darryl as he bounced on my bed.
Forcing myself to focus on the clock, it read, 6:00. With a moan I ignored his laughing and pulled my pillow over my head. Oh Happy Day.
Will Lee ever get her kiss!
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.
Career Day Vol. 2: I Get Around
Part 4
By
Grover
The three faces looked down at the golden woman who’d saved them. Surprised to find themselves in a hayloft of all places, habit made them keep quiet even when their rescuer appeared.
As the Golden One left, Danica asked, “Why did she get sick? Was it the gas?”
Zorya held the younger girl. “No, I don’t think so. I think maybe this was her first time confronting such as our captors. Strong feelings can make you sick as well as happy. I think she found no joy in what she had to do.”
Zvezda called out softy. “I’ve found a trunk of clothes.”
The two younger girls were soon digging though the musty old trunk.
Zorya smiled happy at their change in fortunes. As soon as she appeared here in this place, her hurts were healed and she felt much better. A bit of sadness touched her. At least the ones of the body. Those other hurts and the memories that went with would take longer.
Pinned to her shirt was a typed letter explaining that a home was being prepared for them, but it wasn’t ready yet. The people here were kind but it was best if they could hide here and stay out of sight for a while.
Looking around she found a battered old sign, Coca Cola. They were in America! She was beginning to suspect their savior wasn’t an alien after all. They had all heard of the American’s marvelous invention the med-scanner that greedily they kept for themselves. However Zorya had overheard the scientists and scholars state bluntly the imperialist pigs could never have built such a device.
If so the aliens had used the machine to save her and her young friends. Somehow they had also taught her how to read and perhaps speak English too. However, the Golden One had shown them surprising kindness. Zorya was impressed by her courage, but it was gentleness of sprit that’d made someone so formidable ill afterwards that touched her. She simply could help but feel there was a human underneath those golden scales.
Cautiously peeking out of the loft she saw it wasn’t a little after noon here, but early in the morning judging from the dew on the ground and the rising sun. Thinking about the time change, they must indeed be in America.
Looking about, there was a very large garden or perhaps a small farm field of vegetables. Unless she was mistaken, some of them looked ripe. Thinking about it she made a decision. They would take only what they needed. Someday she would repay not only the Golden One, but these farmers as well. However for now, she and her adopted charges needed to eat.
The rising sun was clearing the tops of the tall trees. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the first rays of the new day.
The 4th of July was on a Monday this year which meant the wage slaves had a four day weekend, not however for us farmers. We’d worked our butts off Friday the 1st and were still at it Saturday the 2nd getting everything ripe picked and in baskets ready for selling.
I think maybe my publisher was a little unhappy, but I think this all worked out for the best. With us having breaks from our toils hunched over typewriter and art easel, our creativity really blossomed. Even Vonda was happy with our progress. Hal’s art was great, and if I do say so myself, the words damn near leaped out of my head onto the page. Besides we’re still way ahead of the deadline.
That was good. You see there was another story idea I was working on. In a way it was Chris Sawyer’s fault. Maybe it was too late to help him, but perhaps I could bring the problem of the children of abusers becoming abusers themselves to the public’s notice. Well, Ron too, I suppose. With these jerks keeping on causing me problems, I had to strike back somehow. I wasn’t certain how using the classic antihero would work, but I thought it had promise. I couldn’t wait to get started, but other things came first.
I took off my floppy hat, wiping my sweat away. Standing between the two rows of strung up runners from the string beans, they were like two walls of green rich with beans, blossoms and the buzz of bees about their business of pollinating.
While I tanned now instead of burned, I still moderated my exposure. All the medical miracles of Hap’s med-scanners or not, you looked after yourself. Skin cancer used to scare the dickens out of me once upon a time when I was so fair I got sunburned just thinking about it.
Vonda didn’t understand my attitude at all. Working the row next to mine, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at her beauty. Her tan was much darker than mine, and her hair gleamed with sun bleached reds.
Blond Hal smirked, catching me spacing out. His light brown hair had gone almost platinum. Working and hiding here from his father, he’d let his hair grow out longer. This was the 70’s after all, but now his hair was longer than even the over ears style our school dress code allowed for guys.
Meaning it was long enough for us girls to style. Ricky finally got his chance to meet Hal’s feminine alter ego, Teresa. I thought the poor boy was going to hurt himself! It was beginning to look as if their relationship was love. The two had spoken about sex. Even without the ‘connector’ issue they’d wanted to wait. A rare sentiment considering the time. Well these 70’s were a little more restrained than the ones I live though the first time around. It was still weird to have Ronald Reagan as President four years early. I guess with the Kennedy’s locking up the office for 16 years, it got the Republicans motivated.
Vonda noticed my stare, and smiled.
Happiness filled me up like a balloon. I was going to float away on joy!
Daddy cleared his throat. The unspoken message was clear. Less gawking and more picking if you please!
Giggling, I got back to work. Really instead of a job this was more like paying the rent for the space we’re using. I couldn’t complain since he’d provided furniture and even did some remodeling work to make my bedroom more like a studio.
Here I could hear the buzz of the bees and the chirps of the birds with little of the sounds of civilization. It was so quiet I could hear the trucks on the highway miles away as they roared about on their way. Literally I knew when a visitor was on the way, before I could see them.
Peering around the corner of the row, there was one on the way now. That’s wasn’t unusual given the signs leading to us, Younger’s Fresh Vegetables. Hal had taken pity on my poor attempts at signage, and did up some really great looking ones for us.
Let’s see. Newer looking Chevy pickup so not one of the neighbor’s beat-up running on a bailing wire and a prayer work trucks. Wait a minute, oh shit, Hal’s dad!
Vonda recognized the truck at the same time I did. We both looked at our friend.
Still oblivious to the threat, he had his shoulder length hair unbound. Hal took every opportunity he could to let his hair down even out here working. Standing there with a basket cocked on one hip as he searched the thought the green leaves, she was Teresa without any help of clothes or makeup.
Reading each other’s thoughts, we jumped him.
Startled, he looked up as I whipped off my hat.
Vonda hissed, “It’s your dad!” as she gathered his ash blond locks into a ponytail.
Fear clouded his face even as he winced at her rough handling.
I gave my hat a critical evaluation. The blue wasn’t really that girlie, and fortunately I didn’t like really wide brims while hunting and pecking about while working. It got in the way. Whipping up the neck strap, I pulled up the sides cowboy hat-like.
Together with Vonda, we got the hat on him after letting the fitting band in back all the way out. Letting her do the final adjustments, I looked back around the corner.
He’d just gotten out his truck, and was scratching his fat butt.
Daddy raised his brows in question as he walked to meet our visitor. He took in our hurried disguise of Hal.
I whispered knowing how noise carried out here. “Hal’s Dad. He’s not very nice.”
Grunting, Daddy gestured, “Come on son. Let’s go meet your father. Lee, you and Vonda need to keep cracking if we‘re to have this order done on time.”
Like he was on his way to the gallows, Hal slipped past us. We both gave him a reassuring squeeze as he went by.
Somehow, I got back to work, but I couldn’t help trying to peek though the leaves. What was going on?
Ray stretched his legs getting out his truck. His boy was sure working out in the middle of nowhere. Even so it wasn’t hard to find with all those signs pointing the way.
The place wasn’t large. It was a lot like the place he’d grown up in. Small family farm that was almost more like a very large garden. He could see tomatoes, string beans, peppers as well as patches of berries off in the distance.
A whole lot like what he’d shaken from his boots. Nope, this sure as hell wasn’t the life for him. Going into the National Guard during Korea, and getting a trade was the smartest thing he’d ever done. Working for the electric company paid well and even though the hours sucked sometimes, it let him move his family upscale next to that hippy doctor.
Hell, it was almost worth it for that alone because it was so much fun to pull that chain. On the other foot, he wondered if that girl had polluted his boy somehow. Growing up, Hal was big for his age even if he never cared much for all the sports gear Ray brought him.
The boy was always sitting down drawing or coloring something instead of doing something. That drove Ray crazy. It weren’t natural for a boy to act like that. However his wife nagged at him to leave the boy alone. Then that damn Career Day thing came up. All that talk about making sure your kids didn’t have any disease was all crap. It was just so they could turn’em into N*gg*rs and Ch**ks.
He’d damn well knew that his boy got changed into a N*gg*r bitch. Ray caught him in a dress playing with that hippy doctor’s girl some years before, but he was sure it was that Career Day crap that’d really poisoned his boy. After that, Hal just about quit growing. Slender, and too damn pretty; his boy wasn’t becoming the man Ray wanted.
Football was out and so was every other sport. How the hell could Ray brag to the fellas at work about his boy when he just sat on his ass all day long drawing pictures!
Ray jerked his head up. A woman was coming out of the house.
He could only stare. She definitely was the mother of that hot piece of jail bait he’d seen hanging around his hippy neighbor’s house. If the younger girl was the promise, this bitch was real deal.
Not too tall, but with nice firm tits and a tight ass that would stop traffic. Dark hair styled like that bitch off of Charlie’s Angels, she was wearing only a little makeup.
He guessed, she must be stuck up, since she gave him an icy look with her green eyes. “Can I help you?”
He licked his lips having some real good ideas of what she could help him with.
Then she looked past him. “Perhaps it’d be better for you to speak to my husband,” she said with special emphasis.
Turning, Ray’s mouth dropped open. This prime piece of ass was married to that old fart?
Walking from the barn and green fields were his boy and an old man. Disregarding Hal, Ray stared at the small coverall dressed man. The two were about the same height so say five feet six, and they shared the same slim build. That was where the similarities stopped.
The old guy was in his sixties, maybe older, but he still had a full head of hair. While his boy still had that soft baby fat look, the old man appeared as tough as boiled leather.
Ray’s first thought was this had to be a joke until he got closer.
In a soft tenor the old man said offering his hand, “I’m Ernest Younger.”
Grasping his hand, Ray was surprised to find a grip like a damn steel vice. “I’m Ray Shaw. Here to check up on my boy.”
Looking into those cold eyes reminded him of his grandfather. He’d been one scary sum’bitch. One summer day, much like this one, he’d told the old shit to go to hell that he wasn’t working one damn day more in those frakking fields.
Ray already reached his growth and towered over his grandfather. That didn’t stop that old man from beating him half to death. No matter how hard he hit him, the old man came right back up and hit him back even harder.
That was the first and last time Ray ever talked back to his grandfather. He worked the rest of that hot nasty summer, but joined the Guard as soon as he could. Ray swore the old man smiled as he signed the waiver so Ray could join up at 17.
Maybe it had something to do with how much this place reminded him of back then. Could be something else. Right now anger burned in that old man’s eyes. The hairs on the back of Ray’s neck stood up as something primeval woke. The rage staring out from under that brow wasn’t hot and molten, but a icily focused cold that made promises and never ever threats.
“Hal’s a good worker. He’s able to keep with my three who’s been doing this all their life. Did a good job with those new signs for us too.” The old man said, his voice flat.
How the hell did a voice so soft hold so much menace? Ray heard damn clearly what wasn’t said, “Now you can get the hell off my land.”
Old man Younger said to Hal, “Go to the barn and pick out a basket of tomatoes, beans and a couple peppers for your father to take home.”
Ray did his best not to show just how much he was intimidated. “So my boy is doing right by you? That’s good.”
The old man nodded, “Yep. So good he might be late tonight. We have a lot to do today. Everyone wants fresh tomatoes for the Fourth. Course, he’ll get a bonus. They all will. That‘s how you make and keep good workers. Reward them when they work hard.”
He looked up at the house, “Sorry about the wife not being more neighborly. She’d a tough life growing up. I don’t care for that. Anyone who’d hurt a child should be shot and buried out in the south 40. Don’t deserve a decent burial. Don’t you agree?”
Ray had a feeling they weren’t talking about that bitch now. He did know one thing for frakking sure. No way was he touching anything of this man.
“Yes sir,” Ray said cursing himself. Damn if he wasn’t rattled as hell by this sum’bitch.
By the time Hal got back with that basket, Ray was more than ready to get the hell out of there. “Keep’ em working as long as you need. Builds character. Hal you do right by me, you hear?”
Not waiting for an answer, Ray left. Glancing in the rear view mirror he could see the old man standing there watching him leave; unmoving, focused, still, cold. One wheel left the road as he nearly ran into the ditch. Punching the gas, Ray had to get away, far away. Fear drove him, but underneath it all was a spark of anger.
Vonda and I watched the pickup fishtail as it laid down rubber screeching around the curve. Just as curious, we had to stare at Hal who was doing everything, but skipping back to us.
She asked Hal, ”What happened?”
Even my hearing, couldn’t pick out the words, but I did know Daddy had let Mr. Shaw know his displeasure.
Smiling Hal hugged me. “Lee, your Dad can be really scary sometimes. I mean that in the very best way possible,” he said handing my hat back to me.
Putting those hair care commercials to shame, he shook out his blond mane from its bonds. I knew my Daddy too. He may not agree with a lot of what people do, but he had some real old fashioned ideas about things. Some of those were you treat women with respect and you don’t mistreat a child.
It was another of those curious contradictions about him. I think he and Mom had worked out which way Hal leaned. Maybe it was my metamorphosis that made them more sympathetic, but they never said a word about the moments when Teresa spontaneously shined though overshadowing Hal.
That brought to light another problem. Rather than Hal dressing as Teresa, it was fast becoming she was dressing as him. How in the world were we going to disguise her convincingly enough to pass as a boy for the next couple years?
Vonda asked what I already knew, “You’re not going to tell us are you?”
Teresa smiled shaking her head.
Recalling how fierce a defender my Dad could be I hugged her. “Just be careful the next few days, especially if your father starts drinking over the holiday.”
Soon all three of us were hugging despite the, dirt, sweat, and being more than a little smelly.
All three of giggled like crazy as Daddy cleared his throat giving us one of his stern glares. Time to get back to work.
Like it does in the summer, dusk came late. We were all tired, but we found out what Mom been up to. The moment the burgers and BBQ pork chops hit the grill, they had all of our attentions. We’d just enough time to get cleaned up a mite before Daddy started serving up plates.
Mom had even called up Ricky. He showed up damn near as dirty as the rest of us. Keeping the fiction of boy and girlfriend, I greeted him with a hug. There was still a little wistfulness between us, but I didn’t miss his dark eyes searching out Hal.
In the open, out of the fields, Teresa hid away again, Hal once more. However, I saw the sparkle in her eyes as Ricky and I walked to where everyone hungrily ate.
I helped him load up a plate full of potato salad and BBQ fresh off the grill. Taking mercy on them, I sat where they could be together. Really there weren’t that much talking, although we did gossip about Hal’s father. We were too busy eating.
Ricky didn’t have any more luck than we did with getting the details from Hal. “Oh come on! What happened?”
Teresa peeked out Hal’s eyes again, “I used to wonder why Lee’s parents married because her father is so much older. I know now. That’s all I have to say.”
They looked to me. Smiling, I grasped Hal’s hand. “I still want to know the details, but I understand what you’re talking about.”
Ricky and Vonda moaned some, but Daddy interrupted all of us. “This has been a very good year so far because of all of you. Here is a mid-season bonus,” he said handing out envelopes.
The three of us were going to protest. After all we would be getting a sizable payment once we delivered our next book.
Dad gave us one of his looks. “This is fair payment for the work you’ve done. The signs alone would’ve paid for any rent due. Those brought in a lot of business. Ya‘ll worked today, so enjoy your reward.”
Looking inside my envelope, there was a brand new hundred dollar bill. In my 2010 timeline, a hundred bucks wasn’t that big a deal because of 30 years of inflation. Here and now in 1977, a hundred dollars was big money, especially to a teenager. I had to smile because I knew the reason for the big bill. It was his way of encouraging us to save it instead of spending it immediately.
He wiped down a watermelon that’d been chilling in the fridge all day long. Splitting it, the cold slices really hit the spot.
Sighing in pleasure I sat with my friends wanting to remember this moment in time forever. The chilled watermelon was sweetly divine, while the cicadas, frogs, and other night life sang their summer night tribute. The southern night stars were shining overhead even as the twinkling lights from fireflies rose in the woods nearby.
Darryl somehow still had energy and played with our dog, Lady. Adam was listening to something on his radio using his earphones, but was probably country music.
Ricky winked, taking my hand. Mischievous, he led me to the barn followed by Hal and Vonda.
Dad’s soft voice carried over the nightly music of the wildlife. “Go ahead and lock up the barn for the night. Don’t take too long,” he warned knowing exactly what a bunch of teenagers had on their minds on a summer’s evening.
Ricky gave a double check making sure Adam hadn’t decided to spy on us, but smiled as he turned around taking Teresa in his arms. Somehow there was another of those spontaneous, Pows!, and there she was. Only half cleaned up, from a long hot day, Ricky looked as stunned as if a goddess had suddenly gifted him with her presence.
Vonda wrapped her arm around my waist and I leaned into her resting my head on her shoulder. We walked to the other side, to lock up there, but to also give our friends some privacy.
I sensed her growing frustration was making her more aggressive than normally. Hell, I felt it too. As happy as this summer of ‘77 was turning out to be it was also very annoying.
In the dim light, her eyes shined with passion. “This wasn’t what I had in mind for our first kiss,” she whispered.
Pulling myself up on a table filled with baskets of produce from our day’s work, I held out a hand to help her sit beside me.
Instead, smiling she pulled me groaning back to my feet.
Vonda arms wrapped around my waist as she led us in the first steps of the dance.
“Nor I,” I breathed, my own lips parting.
Slowly we twirled, lost in each other’s eyes.
Touching her face tenderly as she touched mine, our lips softly met. My heart thundered as my blood rushed though me.
We pulled back, uncertain of the other. Gazing into her very soul, there was only love within. Elation filled my heart as I wetted my lips.
Her face flashed so many emotions. Amazement, and joy were followed by fervor as we kissed again.
I’m certainly no expert on the subject despite my previous lifetime. This wave we rode was like nothing I’d ever imagined much less experienced. My lips felt hot and my mouth radiating heat like the sun. Suddenly my breath caught in my chest as the warmth exploded all though me.
Panting, Vonda and I leaned against each other to keep standing as we hugged.
I whispered, “I can’t believe what I think just happened.” My body gently shuddered from the fading pleasure. Maybe not a big kada boom, but most definitely a boom.”
She closed her eyes in bliss. “I think I orgasmed from us kissing.” A low hum of contentment escaped her. Holding each other, Vonda said, “I never knew that could happen.”
Enjoying the sensation, I replied, “Me neither, but I’m not complaining!” I snuggled closer. “All my dreams of this moment didn’t include being so dirty or stinky.”
Vonda nuzzled next to my ear. “Me neither, but I’m not complaining either.”
Knowing it was time for us to go, I sighed, “At least there’s no makeup to fix or mussed hair to hide.”
“I don’t want to go. Just want to curl up with you. I don’t want this to end,” she whispered back.
Reluctantly, I backed away. “As much as I want that too, I understand why it’s so easy to get in trouble now. I want you. Maybe it’s best to give ourselves a break right now.”
“Hey your Dad is looking this way,” Ricky warned in a not whisper.
Vonda sighed; her voice husky with desire, “Not that we’re going to be given the choice.”
Hugging each other we met up with our other two friends who were looking rather flushed too. Vonda went to Hal while I attended to Ricky.
Brushing his hair back with my hand, I giggled. “Have a good time?”
Still dazed he nodded. “How does she do that? She’s like Wonder Woman. One minute there’s Hal and then poof, she’s Teresa.”
“She’s a wonder that’s for sure.” I said giggling, however I disagreed. “I think it’s because she can’t hide anymore. Her Hal disguise is failing.”
I smiled at him trying to make light of my worries. “She’s doing what she loves do. Her art is fabulous. I can’t wait to see what she’ll do after some real instruction. But I think the biggest change is that she’s in love. Just as important, someone loves her.”
His face was a study. “Do you really think it’s love?” Ricky asked, full of teenage doubt and uncertainty.
Closing the door behind us, I answered, “We’re all still learning, but I think so. I know I’m feeling lust, but there’s a happiness just being together too, if you know what I mean. I might be wrong, but I think I see the same thing with you two.”
He reached for my hand. “I know I want to hold her tight and never let go.” Blushing, he said, “There’s the sex thing that I guess is what you’re calling lust. As much as I want her, she wants to wait until we, hmmm…, fit better as a pair.”
Ricky looked up at the stars. “I thought the male thing would bother me, but honestly it doesn’t. The thing is if waiting is what she wants then that makes me happy. Isn’t that crazy?”
Squeezing his hand tight, I whispered as we got close to where my family was cleaning up from our cookout. “No, that’s love.”
As we stepped into the light, Adam snickered at all four of us blushing red, while Mom and Dad exchanged smiles. Helping with the rest of the cleaning, a short time later my friends were leaving for home.
As much as I missed her already, I smiled going inside. There would be other nights and more kisses. Now was the time for a really long hot soak. I’d relearned why teenagers take such lengthy baths.
Sighing, I stretched out on my bed letting the window fan blow the cooler evening air over me. In more ways than one I was really overheated. Throughout the house, I could hear everyone else settling down for the evening too. It’d been a long hard day working out in the hot sun, but it’d been worth it. Despite losing sleep, it was plain those girls in the USSR had needed my help. That’s me, writer, country girl, and super heroine extraordinary.
Still it was a good thing tomorrow was going to be a day of rest, the Fourth of July.
A familiar set of tones sounded just for me, causing me to smile. Hap was still mildly pulling my chain with using the ‘Hailing’ theme from Star Trek. Making sure I wouldn’t be interrupted, I pulled out my pinecone.
“What’s up, Hap?” I asked silently.
“Hello Lee,” she replied, but then paused. “I’ve got another problem.”
“Oh no,“ I exclaimed, alarmed, “It’s not the girls is it!”
“Yes and no” She said, “The real problem is that I’ve done a bad thing by misleading you.”
“Okay, what did you do?” I demanded, this day had been far, far too long.
“When you told me you didn’t have a place for them there with you, I sent them there anyways. They’re in your barn.” Hap admitted.
“What!” I sat up almost forgetting to not to speak aloud.
“She actually sounded a little contrite, “I am sorry about this. The guards at Area 51 were far too active to risk their being found there. I feared they would shoot first and ask questions later.”
“While in transport one of my companions left a note explaining something of what was going on to Zorya. We thought it would be fine for them to stay hidden at your family’s farm for a few hours. However you were working all day and this is the first time you’ve been close enough to your kernel for us to communicate,” Hap explained, but remorsefully added, “I should have come clean with you this morning when we realized our previous plans weren’t going to work. Please accept my apologies. If you would armor up now, and go to them, we think it is safe to take them to their final destination. Your kernel is needed for us to lock in on to them and send them on to their home.”
I sighed. As much as I wanted to scream and rant at her, I couldn’t. This was just more proof she really didn’t get things sometimes. However, there were things that just can’t be allowed slide.
“Hap.” I took a deep calming breath. “It’s one thing to get me up in the middle of the night, to help save someone. It’s another to intentional mislead and lie to your friends. I don’t even mind too much, about being tossed into the deep end of the pool facing armed soldiers. Zorya and the girls had to be rescued. It would’ve been better if I’d some warning. Going cold into things like that makes something that is hard even more dangerous.
“If ever want me to do anything like that again, I have to be able to trust you. That means you have to trust me. It’s what real friendship is all about.” I made damn sure she knew how I felt.
“I am sorry, Lee.” She apologized. “There was short notice because the scientists unexpectedly moved up their schedule planning for something after lunch. Their superiors were demanding results and I feared what they might have done”
“As for leaving the girls at your parents’ farm, I made an error in judgment. Normally, you spend most of the morning in your studio working on your books. I believed you could’ve been contacted much earlier in the day after the situation had calmed at Area 51 allowing me to send them to their final destination.” She paused.
“There’s a researcher there who nearly understands something about my true nature. The knowledge is there, he just hasn’t made the leap to apply it to me. I’m confident he’ll protect them.” Hap broke down and explained.
“You know they’ve been inside that barn all day long?” I told her accusingly. “One of the hottest days of the year although, that does explain why I found a puddle about the barn’s water spigot and the baskets that I know was packed right, being a little light. Still, I bet they’re hungry and there we all were chowing down right in front of them.“ If Hap had been in front of me, I would’ve been glaring at her. This really offended my sense of Southern Hospitality.
“And I can’t armor up as you call it yet.” I continued still feeling pissed. “It’ll have to be at least another 10 or 15 minutes before I even dare try and sneak out. I know Daddy. He’ll be on high alert after what he thinks was a make-out session in the barn.”
Feeling the weight of my pinecone in my hand, I was of two minds of how to do this. If I transformed in here, I might wake my family. The last time was a little traumatic. On the other hand, I would gain the advantages of having the suit’s sensors to help me sneak out.
Daddy really might be expecting me to sneak out for a clandestine midnight rendezvous. Although I was doing so for a completely different reason, than he thought, I was going to have to tiptoe away tonight. Whatever the reason, the last thing I wanted was to let him down.
That meant risking changing inside, but if I could get away with it my sensors would let be sure everyone was asleep. Preparing myself I had my pinecone ready.
“Hap?” I took a deep breath. “I forgive you. That’s what friends do too. Let‘s fix this.”
Zorya held little Danica. “It’s okay. I don’t think anyone saw you. Nothing harmed.”
“They were dancing,” she said. “I wanted to see.”
She paused shyly, “They were kissing too.”
Zorya rocked her. “I know.”
Danica looked into her eyes. “So it’s okay for two girls to kiss? Shouldn’t one be a boy?”
The older woman sighed. Some things were hard to explain. “Before you were changed into a girl were there anything you liked about being a boy?”
The younger girl thought about it. “Sometimes. It was fun playing football and bandy, but I liked wearing pretty dresses of a girl too.”
Zorya smiled, “So although you’re a girl now you still like some things you did as a boy?”
Danica thought about it again, “I think so.”
The woman nodded, “See, you’ve got it. Normally girls like boys just like boys usually like boy things and girls like the stuff girls like. Sometimes we’re born different. Boys like you, me and Zvezda are sometimes part girl and that means we like some of the things girls like.”
“Like clothes?” Danica asked with a smile.
Nodding Zorya said, “That’s right, like clothes, but sometimes like who you like to kiss too. As you get older, you’ll know which one you like.”
Zvezda who’d been listening said, “So because we’re girls now, we don’t have to like boys?”
The older woman sighed again. “No you don’t, but remember why we’re here at all. We got all got caught doing something most don’t approve of. It’s the same for girls who like kissing girls or for boys kissing boys. You can get in trouble, but you can’t help who you are. I think that is as true here in America as back home.”
Zvezda said, “Things are different here. Look at these farmers. They have three cars! They’re rich.”
“I don’t think they are wealthy so much as they are very careful about keeping things.” Zorya countered. “All those cars are more than ten years old and Look how every tool is clean and neatly put away. Even the old clothes we found were meticulously packed.”
Danica sniffed a sleeve. “They smell too.”
Smoothing the younger girl’s hair, she said, “That’s because of the mothballs to keep the bugs away.”
Not to be outdone she replied, “They still smell!” Then she grudgingly admitted, “But they are better than those hospital dresses. Those were terrible.”
All three agreed about that!
Zvezda asked, “Which one do you think is the Sirin? I think the mother, but the girl my age does have a braid although not as long or silver.”
Danica shook her head, no. “Not a Sirin! She’s a Firebird. Didn’t you see her feet? Just like a bird’s!”
They both turned to Zorya to settle their argument. “I don’t know. We only know that she saved us. For that she has my thanks. I don’t know how I would’ve survived without you two!”
The three hugged each other bound by the strongest bonds of all, love.
A soft voice behind them spoke, “You’re welcome.”
Jumping they stared their savior gleaming in the moonlight. Even in bright colorless light, they could see the shinier silver of her hair and tail against the darker of the gold. Just like last night her long silver braid swished and twitched like a cat’s tail.
Their rescuer asked, “I’m sorry you’ve been here all day without food. The ones who sent me last night didn’t let me know you were here. They thought they would’ve been already able to move you to a safer place. Are you alright?”
Zorya was a little intimidated by her, but stood setting Danica on her feet. Stepping forward, she was surprised when what did this mysterious woman call herself?
Selene came forward too hugging her. Not cold like metal, but warm. Unlike the golden statue she appeared there was warmth, but a hardness underneath too. It was so appropriate.
Softly, Zorya whispered, “I’m better now.”
Selene replied, “I hope and pray that your path will be easier now. It’s time for you three to continue your journey.”
Danica and Zvezda came and joined their hug.
Looking at the shielded eyes of their rescuer, she promised, “I will repay you and the farmers here for the clothes and food we took.” Her pride demanded no less.
The Golden Woman disagreed. “There isn’t any payback. It was the right thing to do. If you want to give, pay it forward. Help someone else in need. Try not close your eyes when you see someone suffering.”
“As for the clothes, I don’t think anyone has looked in those trunks in years. If I’d known you were here, I would’ve gotten you more food than a few tomatoes and berries. Now are you ready?” Selene asked.
Zorya hugged her young friends to her nodding. “We won’t ever forget you.”
Then in a flash of light they were somewhere else.
Looking up at the stars as I fell asleep I asked Hap, “You didn’t have anything to do with Vonda and my unusual reactions kissing tonight did you?”
Her laughter made me smile. “Only in the granting of your desires. You wanted a healthy responsive body all those years ago, and that is what I gave. You both are very fit young women who were also as you put it frustrated. Additionally, you both had a full day’s labor that yielded the same results as a ‘runner’s high.’ That combination was a perfect storm of events. It might happen again and it might not.”
I apologized, “Sorry about that Hap. I guess I’m a little paranoid sometimes. What you did not telling me about the girls being here all day kinda set me on edge. Additionally, we never have worked out why I’m here or why my hearing is so much better.”
“And as I’ve said, I am sorry. Even CI’s makes mistakes. They’re just usually different from the ones you biological types make. As for how and why you’re here, we really have only two basic choices,” she said. “Either it’s happenstance or chance or someone caused it. I personally lean towards the planned agenda.”
“Why’s that Hap?” I asked. “I kinda want it to be simply a wild spin of the wheel. That way I don’t’ have to be worrying about whoever or whatever caused it is up to.”
I heard the humor in her voice. “Both of my reasons are connected. You arrived just as things were coming to a crisis with the Career Day Program. The incident with you and your mother hasten the changes needed to make it the positive force it was intended. Additionally, your involvement also brought to light to the medical community the physical causes and of how sexual and gender diverse your species truly are. That led to more research into the phenomena as well as laws protecting your minority.”
I had to cover my mouth to keep from giggling out loud. “You’re making me sound like a Wonder Woman. Next you’ll be saying I was sent back in time to save Sarah Connors from the Terminator!”
There was sadness in what she said next. “Perhaps that is exactly what you did, Lee. Think about this. You’re just now becoming mature as my builder’s technology is starting to spread worldwide. Consider Zorya and the girls as an example. In order to continue to encourage your species to learn and experiment, l have to allow enough leeway that also permits abuse. Too often it is dissenters and the disadvantaged like Zorya that is thrown upon that sacrificial altar.”
“A Tesla, Pasteur, or Hemingway butchered so some egotistical dictator can try to have his super soldier or extend his own life indefinitely. Last night you kept that from happening to those three. I am hoping that I can avoid having to call on you again. As I learn more about humanity, the better I can come up with other solutions.”
“I hope so too, Hap.” I said with feeling. "However if it does becomes necessary I will do my best to be available. Just remember I need to know before it becomes crisis so we can plan the best way to as you said come up with other solutions. Sure I got them and me out without anyone being too badly hurt, but with some planning maybe I could’ve prevented anyone at all from getting harmed. I’m ashamed of myself for losing my temper there at the end. After all I didn’t have any idea who really hurt Zorya. Maybe those guys were responsible, and maybe they weren’t. Planning might’ve been able to avoid that situation completely.”
“I understand, and I‘ll do my very best to give you as much time as I can. I’m a Constructed Intelligence many orders of technologies above what your people can build. Like I’ve already pointed out, that doesn’t mean I can’’t make mistakes. Before you stumbled close enough to the Direct Access command, I had no communications with your people. I had access to hundreds of thousands of their memories and experiences, but I couldn’t talk to any of them.
“Perhaps given the advanced rate of technology here, someone else would’ve been able to gain access sooner than the 10 to 15 years in your time to come up with the concepts necessary. However because you did, I learned enough to change my policies. It’s possible to kill with kindness and cause misery with the very best of intentions.
“That’s not including having your experiences from your previous timeline which aided me in refining my own models of your peoples behavior. You being here has not only helped me act more efficiently, it gave me other, and I hope, better options. So perhaps you did save your world from a machine running amok!”
I buried my head in my pillow to muffle my laugh. “That’s me! Come with me if you want to live! I still think you’re making too much of all of this. I do see your point about my presence making changes, but that’s expected. On the other hand I really haven’t done anything. Yes, I did save the girls, but I can’t see that making that much difference in the larger scheme of things. I’m sure the Soviets will get another scanner, but maybe this time they’ll use it more intelligently.”
Hap replied dryly, “Really? That must have been someone else who wrote a letter to the President with that story included. Or the other two books speaking of tolerance and understanding from a child’s point of view. No, Lee you were given a priceless second chance. You’ve done much to make the very best of it. I’m proud to call you my friend.”
Blushing, I said, “I’m happy to call you my friend too.” Snuggling under the sheets, I wished, “Good. Night Hap.”
“Good night Lee.”
To be continued.
The final part of Vol. 2 in which we see what happens to Teresa and Vonda.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of the characters, places, or anything else is meant to be represented by anything in reality. Duh! Fiction, get it? I the author reserve the rights, so please don't go posting this anyplace else without my permission. A very special thanks goes out to Cathy and all the others out there in BCTS land who have encouraged and inspired me to write and keep writing. Another round of thanks goes out to djkauf who is the fastest proofer I've ever encountered. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.
Teresa’s story
A Career Day short
By
Grover
Teresa hugged her knees to herself looking up at the stars. Sitting on the roof of her house, she had a good view of the of July night sky. A breeze that was almost cooling gently ruffled her hair. For just a few moments she could forget what was going on inside below her.
The sound of her Dad’s drunken cussing as he yelled at her long suffering Mom about something inconsequential. Her Mom wasn’t much better as she screamed back just as drunk.
Okay, maybe not that bad since Teresa thought half the reason her mother drank as heavy as she did was because of her poor excuse for a father.
Her friend, Lee, had it right when she called him, nothing more than a big bully power tripping on pushing around his own family. Never mind that he was abusing those he should be treating with the most kindness. It was more important to demean his own family to push up his own minuscule ego a few impossible to discern notches. It wasn’t a big pond, but by Gawd it was his pond. He was the boss. May he find the joy of it when he found himself all alone.
Teresa could hardly bear waiting for that to happen. She loved her mother, but the sooner she could slam the door behind her the better. She was out of here. There was no telling how poor Mom would take the truth that her son Hal was her daughter Teresa. However, there was no doubt how the Ogre would. If she could, she would try and get her Mom out of this hell, but her own necessities came first.
She rested her head in her arms, only two years. Just two more eternities, that was all, before she could finally be free of this body that imprisoned her. Free to be the person she’d always been, but was afraid to reveal to the world.
A rustle in the tree between her and Vonda’s house alerted her company was coming.
“Hi,” her friend whispered stepping onto the roof with her. “I thought you would be up here,” she said cutting her eyes towards the drunken row going on beneath them.
Teresa shrugged. It wasn’t as if this was the first time she’d sought peace out here.
Then gently touching her arm Vonda asked, “How are you?”
“Not too bad, I guess.” Teresa shrugged again. “I’ve been able to stay out his way. He must’ve started drinking as soon as he got home. That’s why I came out here.” Then trying to change the subject, she asked, “You ever think about Lee being a Wildcard?”
It was Vonda’s turn to give a tired sigh. “All the time. Everyone sees just how fast she can run and thinks that’s it.” She shook head. “But that isn’t it at all. Even all the other things like the martial arts and the Parkour stuff not that scary.
“It’s how fast she can learn things. I mean, I’ve taken dancing lessons for ages, but she didn’t start really trying until the start of the summer. Now two months later she’s dancing like my teacher who’s been doing this her whole life.” She said.
“I know,” Teresa agreed. “All the physical things she can do is a real trip. I know she started this Parkour thing because of us, and that showdown with Chris last month, but look what she’s done. None of us, not even she, really knew a whole lot about it. She ordered those books and when that wasn’t enough, she writing her own while teaching us.
“It’s like watching one of those geniuses you read about in person. Lee is never mean or stuck-up about it, but like when she’s working out a new Parkour move she is so far ahead of us when working out a solution it’s not funny.” Teresa explained, but asked, “However why do you call it scary? I admit it‘s kinda amazing, but frightening?”
Her friend Vonda got quiet, letting them hear the drunken fight inside all too well.
“It’s because she’s so far beyond us, beyond me,” she said in a small voice. “What’s going to happen in college when Lee can really stretch her wings? You know how crazy for outer-space she is. I’m just afraid I won’t be able to keep up with her.”
Teresa gave her friend a hug.
“You know it’s like that song says, ‘Que Sera, Sera, What will be, will be.’
“I know.” Vonda sadly sighed, “The future not ours to see.”
“You know,” Teresa pointed out. “You might be the one to leave her. After all, once you get to medical school you’ll have a huge selection of guys to choose from.” Then explaining, she added, “I know you rather find a man you were attracted to instead of a woman. Besides it’s not as if you have a lot of choices stuck out here in the Boondocks.”
Vonda turned her head away.
“I don’t want to be a lesbian, but when I’m with Lee it’s as if the whole world is singing and it’s just the two of us dancing to the song. This is all so confusing.” she choked out near tears.
“I know.” Teresa held her friend. “The church we go to, says how I feel is all wrong. It’s the Devil making us want perverted things. However, the doctors are saying that there’s real biological reasons why we’re different. Yes, even you,” she said, “I understand that using the scanners, they’ve found gay people’s brains are put together differently too. Like mine is more like a girl’s than a boy’s, parts of yours are probably more like a male. That’s why you like Lee the way you do.”
“I’ve read that too.” Vonda gave her a playful push. “My Dad is a doctor, remember? There’s a big argument among the experts about it. Some say it’s a deformity and should be fixed, while others like my Dad says, once a person goes through puberty, it’s too late. Changing the brain at that late date would mean changing who the person is. Like with bad head trauma, you could mess up their entire personality doing more harm than good.”
They stopped speaking as something loud crashed inside.
More stomping and creaking echoed from within.
“Do you hear my Mom at all?” Teresa asked, growing worried.
Vonda shook her head no in the pale moonlight.
Almost afraid to say it, Teresa looked at each her friend. “I think I need to check on what’s going on down there.” She said worrying about her Mom.
“Where are you, Boy? I’m going to make a man out of you even if it kills me!” Her Father drunkenly bellowed.
That was all they needed to hear. Both of them slipped off the second story roof landing lithely like acrobats on the soft green lawn. Slipping the spare house key from it’s hiding place Teresa carefully peeked in.
“Don’t make me come get you, Boy! Git yer butt here!” Her Father slurred voice came from upstairs making both of them jump.
Teresa’s heart jumped in her chest as she saw her poor dumpy Mom laying on the kitchen floor. Blood was all over the place from a gash on her head.
Vonda knelt next to her checking the fallen woman’s pulse.
“She’s still breathing and her pulse seems strong.” Then seeing her friend staring at all the blood, Vonda added, “Head wounds always bleed heavy.”
Making herself think, Teresa whispered, “Let’s call the ambulance from your place before he hears us.”
“You downstairs, Boy? I told you not to run from me!” The Ogre hollered again.
“Too late!” Vonda grabbed her hand pulling her to the door.
They heard him banging down the stairs, as the two of them flew out the door.
“You tell your Dad what’s happening,” Teresa said. “I’ll stay out here just in case he tries to follow.”
Reading the indecision on her friend’s face, she added, “It’s Okay. No way is he going to run me down after all of Lee’s obstacle course training. Better I keep him busy, instead of him starting a fight with your folks.”
Nodding, Vonda turned and ran the short distance to her home while Teresa watched. No one could have a better friend.
Wham! Teresa winced as her liquored up Father slammed open the front door of his house.
Silently, she reminded herself, she had to be him now, Hal. Her mental cheat sheet how to be a boy appeared before her mind’s eye. Like an ill fitting set of clothes, he slouched, but stayed loose in case he had to run.
“There you are, Boy! Git over here!” The Ogre commanded.
No, he shook his head not daring to speak. Well, it was an Ogre after all.
Staggering down the porch stairs, his Father snarled, “You will do what I say!”
Just like he and Vonda had planned if anything like this happened, Hal vaulted the neighbor’s wisteria covered fence. Unlike the plan, he waited for his Father to catch up. After all he wanted to draw the Ogre away from hurting anyone else.
Overweight with a beer belly badly overhanging his belt, there was just no way the older man was getting over that fence.
Red faced his eyes gleamed red in alcoholic fueled anger. “You’re going to pay for making me chase you! I’m going to teach you real good!”
His Father realizing couldn’t go over the fence had to go around. The older man hadn’t reached the end before he kneeled over red faced and throwing up.
This was such a strange moment for Teresa. All her life, this man had terrified her. Mostly he kept his hands off of her, but the few times he had stuck her, had made her carefully keep her distance whenever she could. Even now he was much bigger than she, although some of that was fat, too much was muscle too.
Like Lee said, for small people like them, letting a goon get their hands on you was a big, no-no. Size after all did matter. However, so did using what you had to your best advantage. Being smaller, younger and more flexible, they were much faster and could go places someone like the Ogre couldn’t dream of.
Even when she was pretending to be Hal. It’d gotten so much harder as she’d grown older to put on that disguise. Although every piece of it existed only inside her head, that pretend person pulled and constrained her every second she had it on. The tightness wrapped around her heart stole her identity as it took her very breath away, even as it gave some measure of protection.
A defense she’d long learned was an absolute necessity. Chris Sawyer’s prosecution of Lee proved that. Even as much as she was so envious of the girl who was able to transition before her, it’d demonstrated that although a girl in every single way it still wasn’t good enough for some idiots. That was what Lee called them. Act like a girl, sound like a girl, look like a girl must be a girl, you morons!
Looking down at the sad scene in front of her, Teresa had to agree. It didn’t matter what things really were, only what they wanted. Everything else was just justification for their stupidity. She didn’t decide to be this way, it was the way Gawd had made her, the way she was born. And just like there was nothing wrong with the doctors fixing a hare-lip or other birth defect, there was nothing wrong with repairing her problem either. The only thing that stopped her was the fear. Fear of this man who was so pathetically puking his guts out.
Lee’s Dad had warned that this might happened. Teresa did feel guilty her Mom had been caught in this, but the fight they’d been having sounded like so many others that kept the whole neighborhood up at night. This time just maybe, he’d finally crossed a line.
Glancing up she saw, Vonda and her Dad sprinting across their yard to her house.
“You’re going to learn to do what you’re told,” the Ogre grated out, spitting out a mouth full of something unspeakable. Slowly he pulled himself to his feet using the fence.
Then again perhaps not. This was a small town, and it certainly wasn’t the first time a woman had ended up in the hospital because of a man. The Sheriff and the Preacher would come by and smooth everything over, but nothing would change.
Change. Lee always said if they wanted something to change they had to make it. ‘Words,’ she said, ‘were powerful of tools for those wanting things to be different, to change the world for the better.’
She backed away from the drunk weaving towards her. No, a woman getting beat up here wouldn’t change anything. Her Mom wouldn’t do anything. She like everyone else around here accepted this was just the way things were.
Teresa sighed. Mr. Younger opened her eyes. Lee’s Dad simply didn’t put up with BS in any shape or form. He’d shown her that the Ogre, the man she’d been frightened of all her life was nothing more than a bully as petty as any out on the schoolyard.
That thought gave her an impulsive desire to go over and kick the poor excuse for a man in front of her. However the unmistakable bubblegum machine shape turning the corner convinced her it wasn’t wise.
It was the Sheriff himself, and for him to make here so fast he would’ve had to been already on his way. That wouldn’t be unusual given the ruckus her drunken father had been making nor was it the first time. Most the deputies kept away, but the Sheriff had enough authority to make even the Ogre behave himself.
Looking down at her father, he’d managed to stand with the help of the fence post.
“Get over here, boy!” He slurred. “I’ll teach you what it means not to mind me.”
Silently, she shook her head. He’d no idea the Sheriff was pulling up right behind him. Glancing at her house, she saw Vonda worriedly looking for her.
The Sheriff got out of his cruiser, sighing, while putting on his cowboy style hat.
“Ray, what do you think you’re doing?” He said, showing his displeasure. “I hear Mildred is unconscious and bleeding, while you go chasing your son down the street at one in the morning.”
Not waiting for a reply, the lawman looked at her. Remembering her cheat sheet, she told herself, “I’m Hal.”
“Go on home, Hal.” He said. “The ambulance will be here directly and Doc will give you a ride to the hospital.”
“Yes sir.” He made an extra wide detour around his father. Boy, I’m a boy, walk like one.
All the while, his father’s eyes were locked on him.
He must not have done it right, because his father shouted and lunged.
“Ain’t no boy of mine going to be no hippy faggot!”
Hal didn’t need any directions; he took off running towards Vonda, his friend.
“Ray,” the Sheriff said, “I’m warning you, stop this right now.”
“Nobody can tell my boy what to do excepting me!” Hal heard from behind him, and then a meaty smack.
Glancing back, the Sheriff was sprawled on the ground, and his father was lurching his way.
Wondering if he should lure the Ogre away again, Hal blinked when the Sheriff got up.
“Go on home, son. You don’t need to see this.” He said pulling out his nightstick. “Ray, you really, really shouldn’t have done that.”
“That was striking a law enforcement officer in the performance of his duties. This is resisting arrest, and if you don’t want any more just lay there. I’m sure I can think of a few more like drunk and disorderly.”
Hal didn’t stick around for any more although he was tempted. It should’ve been satisfying to see the person who’d hit him often enough get some of their own medicine. It bothered him that all he felt was a kind of sadness. If only just once his father could’ve been happy about something, any thing Hal had ever done. However not even one single time had that ever happened. He’d even wondered if he was adopted, but it wasn’t that either.
He was just another belonging whose only purpose was to reflect positive vibes back to his owner. His mother, the house, and everything father ever brought were to make the old bastard feel good. Not one single bit was selfless or without some other motivation. If Hal wasn’t very manly then in the Ogre’s eyes that said he wasn’t much of a man either.
Personally, the teen rather agreed with those sentiments. However as much as he really hated to admit it, the bastard was still his father. Hal couldn’t help the way he felt, but that didn’t mean he was going let his father hurt him or ruin his life. The jury was still out regarding Mom.
In a flash Teresa was back. Putting that boy disguise aside, she ran for all she was worth to her mother, Mom.
“Dad thinks she’s going to be okay,” Vonda said meeting her at the door.
Even still seeing her Mom laying there with the all that blood, nearly tore her apart. Maybe that woman there hadn’t accepted the truth that Hal was really nothing more than a handy screen to hide behind, but she was still the mother who’d held her when she’d hurt herself or needed comforting. And despite pressure from the man she married, she’d still had supported letting her child explore their own interests, like art.
“I know it looks bad” Vonda’s father said not looking up at her. “But I have the bleeding under control and her vital signs are strong. We need to check for a concussion, but since it’s likely an assault was involved I think we can push for Med-scanner treatment. Often in criminal cases, the scanner can provide a lot more detail for the police investigation as well as catch things even the best doctors can miss,” he explained.
Hugging herself Teresa just hugged herself and waited what seemed liked forever for the ambulance to arrive. The ride to the hospital, as well as the nerve-wracking time in the waiting room was nearly unbearable. However, Vonda and her Mom was right there with her.
She felt like swooning when Vonda’s Dad finally came out to give them news.
“She’s going to be fine, Hal.” He said, smiling. “We took care of some others problems while we had her under the Scanner. She’ll probably be feeling better than ever before and sure you can go see her.” He said answering her other unasked question.
With him guiding her though the hospital’s labyrinth, she paused a moment to put Hal’s face on again. Sighing, she breathed out. How could doing such a simple thing take so much out of her. It was like an enormous burden that weighted her down her very spirit. She did know this pretending was becoming harder and more difficult.
That didn’t even touch on his feelings for Ricky. The hum that swept though him made her know beyond a shadow of a doubt this was not the time. Like everything else in his life it was complicated.
Opening the door, there was Mom lying on the bed. He repeated to himself. I’m Hal. He’s a boy. I’m Hal. He’s me. I’m a boy.
She looked pale and tired, but that was much better than the bleeding body on the kitchen floor
Holding out her arm, Mom beckoned for her.
That was all it took for Hal to vanish, as she threw herself into her Mom’s arms.
Time passed as they simply hugged their love as mother and child a balm to the problems that faced them. Reluctantly, there were difficulties that had to be faced.
“Where’s your Father,” she asked, holding Teresa’s hand.
She didn’t need to look to Vonda’s dad to know he didn’t want Mom upset. However, she didn’t know how to say this without it causing a problem.
“I think he got into trouble with the Sheriff, Mom.”
“Do you know what we were fighting about?” Her Mother asked after a moment.
Teresa shook her head, no.
“It was about you.” Her Mother said looking at her. “He wanted you to quit that job although you were doing well there. All he could say was he wanted to make you become a man.”
Silence passed between them.
“You were never really my son were you?” Mom softly squeezed her hand.
Shaking her head, Teresa didn’t dare speak.
“I suppose I’ve always known you were at heart, my daughter. Maybe that’s why I’ve tried to protect you. Why didn’t that machine fix you like it did your friend Lee?
“I think it picked up on how afraid I was at the time. Remember it showed me pictures of myself in different careers. Lee says it records our reaction to each one narrowing down the field until it reaches the ones we like and fits us the best.
“So yes, it knew from my brain that I should’ve been a girl, but it also read the fear I felt seeing the pictures of me and knowing how Dad would react.” She hugged her mother still feeling trapped between the rock of the fright and that cold hard place that stole her very soul and identity from her. She had to hold on. This story would have a happy ending. Vonda and Lee was there to help, and perhaps even more importantly, Ricky was too. He reassured her that she was more than what she pretended. That Teresa deserved to be who she was, and was loved. Not as a classmate or friend, but as a woman.
Her Mother sighed.
“It seems wrong that a machine should be so smart.” She waved her hands about in distress. “This is all unnatural, boys changing into girls and girls into boys. But you’re my baby, and I love you. I may not understand it, but I can see how unhappy you are.”
“I heard it called, Future Shock, Mom.” Teresa explained. “That’s what they call it when science and technology advances so fast people don’t have time to adapt to all the changes.”
“Is that something your friends Vonda or Lee came up with?” Her Mother asked.
“Mom!” She giggled, “No, Orson Welles. He made a documentary about it a couple of years ago.”
“So it’s not enough to overwhelm a soul, but they have to give even that a name too.” Mom just shook her, but she did laugh.
Then a long moment passed where neither said anything.
“So what do we do now?” Teresa asked, at last.
“I don’t know, baby.” Mom replied, sighing. “It felt so good to be in someone’s arms who really wanted me. I always knew your father had a mean spot, but I guess I thought I could change him.
“That hasn’t worked out any too good.” The older woman admitted holding her child. “He’s done nothing, but get worse.”
They didn’t have to say anything else. Both of them knew of his temper and how he was when drunk, which was happening more and more often.
“I vowed before Gawd to love and comfort your Father.” Her Mom sighed. “Not this,” she said meaning being in the hospital. “And now you tell me that he got in trouble with the Sheriff too.” Then after a pause she asked softly, “Did he hurt you?”
“No, he was so drunk, it was easy to run away.” Teresa said. “Then the Sheriff showed up.”
“Pastor James will say your father deserves the chance to change, but I’m not that much of fool. If he hasn’t done so for the better in the last 17 years it’s real unlikely he’ll start now.” Her mother sighed again.
“Well, staying with your grandparents is out. They worship the ground he walks on. Granddad is cut from the same cloth although I know for certain he never struck her or any of us kids. Your granny would’ve castrated him for even thinking that. So it looks like we might be staying with your aunt Sadie in Columbia. Besides they’ll have doctors that can explain what’s going on with you. That might mean you having to quit that summer job of yours.” Mom said.
“I don’t know what we will do if I have to divorce him.” Her Mom looked so pale and worn. “Try and find work I guess, but I don’t know how I could keep you in that private school then.”
Teresa thought about the problems that would cause. There was the books, and lot of work still left to do on the illustrations. Even more important was her friends and how completing school where she was would help her get into the university of her choice. Weighting her choices it seemed like the least bad.
“Mom,” she began. “You know how you’ve said my art stuff was good enough to sell. Well, you were right ….”