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Tucked Around -*- Copyright 2000 by Ellen Hayes.

Any resemblance between the writings in this work, and any actual
persons or places, living or dead, are purely coincidental, except when
used for satirical purposes.

This work contains adult situations, adult language, adult concepts, and
possibly sex.  If you are legally not allowed to read materials
containing such things, then you will be breaking the law by reading
this.  I am not responsible.
Continuing to read this document, or storing it or reproducing it
in any format means that you explicitly affirm that you are legally
allowed to possess and read such materials in your city, county/parish,
state, and country.

All rights reserved.  See the bottom for distribution rights.


Tucked Around


***
00:09 21 Jun

     "I am so sorry-"
     "S'okay," Travis breathed as I helped him to a stool.  He was
heavy, but I didn't really feel I was entitled to complain.  "I didn't
think, or I wouldn't have done that-"
     "Me neither."  He eased himself down on the barstool gingerly.  "I,
I've just been having some bad luck in clubs lately, sorry-"
     "I shouldn't have surprised you like that," Travis interrupted.
     "Are you okay?"
     He thought about it.  "I think, I will be, in a while," he
admitted.
     "I'm really-"
     "I shouldn't-"
     We smiled at each other in mutual embarrassment.
     The band started up again in the next room, reminding me that I had
to have a 'little chat' with Johnny before we left, because this was
mostly his fault.

***
00:10 21 Jun

     "And this is Amy," I explained.
     "Is she your sister?" Travis asked, trying valiantly for a normal
voice and almost succeeding.  I tried not to wince at his expression,
not processing what he said for too long-
     "Yeah!" Amy enthused, unfortunately remembering to kick me at the
same time to close my mouth.  "How'd you guess?"

***
00:12 21 Jun

     "Val?" Amy whispered in my ear.  I nodded to show I was listening.
"This is the guy?"
     I nodded again.
     "He's not that bad," she mentioned.
     I looked at Travis.  He was talking to his friend Scott and
explaining why it was actually a bad idea to play that trick on girls.
As if it really needed an explanation.
     I leaned around and whispered back, "I guess not."
     Travis looked over at us, and I caught a sideways glance of Amy's
smile, which probably looked a lot like mine.

***
00:15 21 Jun

     "Wanna dance?" Scott, Travis; friend, asked as the band started up
again, and I looked at Amy, who nodded, so I nodded.

***
00:55 21 Jun

     The set had ended, and I was greatly desiring a little chat with
Johnny, but Travis tapped me on the shoulder and asked, "Wanna go get
something to eat?"
     "Um..."  I looked at the darkened, vacated stage, and decided I'd
catch Johnny later.  "Um, let me ask Amy," I remembered.  She could be
really unpleasant if someone decided stuff like that for her.

***
01:12 21 Jun

     The Denny's was surprisingly not completely full, and we didn't
have to wait to get a booth, but Travis and Scott were ahead of us and
slid in one on either side.  Amy looked at me.
     "Um.  Travis, get up, Amy and I have to sit together," I said.
     "Why?" Scott asked as Travis did it.  "He hits me with his elbows
when he eats."
     "You just gotta learn these things," Amy said as she slid into the
slot just vacated, "if you want to learn about women."  Scott opened his
mouth to say something, but apparently Travis hit him with one of those
elbows because his body lurched and he glared at Travis.
     "So are you in town for the summer?" Travis asked us, ignoring
Scott.
     I looked at Amy, who nodded.  *Oh lord...*

***
02:28 21 Jun

     "Um," Travis said as we were paying at the register, "Um, you two
want to do something next weekend or something?"
     "Um," Amy said before I grabbed her arm and dragged her to a safe
distance.
     "Don't you dare!" I told her.
     "Why not?"
     I stared at her in shock.  "What do you mean, why not?"
     "He's not that bad," she pointed out.
     "Sowhatifhe'snotthatbadIdon'twanttogooutwithhim!"
     "Well maybe I do?" she shot back.
     "What makes you think he's interested in you?"
     "Because he asked both of us?" she reminded me.  "Whassamatter, you
jealous or something?"
     "NO I'm not jealous," I said, dropping my voice back down to subtle
and glancing at the two guys, who either weren't listening or pretending
really well.
     "Then if you're not, come out and chaperone or something.  We can
tell him you've got a boyfriend back in New York or something if you
want," she pleaded.  "Come on, he seems really interesting-"
     "For a big dumb jock!"
     "He's not dumb and you know it," she said.  "Come on, please?  At
least he knows how to dance."
     "So do I!"
     She gave me a scathing look.  "He's a guy?" she said, which felt
vaguely like she'd taken a steak knife and gutted me.  "Oh god oh god
Tuck I didn't mean it like that-"
     I made it outside before the tears got so bad I couldn't see any
more.  I thought I was going to throw up, but I didn't, even as I
started running towards the car.
     I heard people yelling at me, but I didn't want to hear any of it
right then, so it was a real surprise when someone grabbed me around the
waist and yanked me up and backwards.  I think I yelled something, but
the brake-squealing noise blanked it out.
     "Val," Travis rumbled, still holding me by my waist as he set me
down again, "be more careful, I don't want you getting hit like Bobby."
     After that, I didn't do anything more useful than stand there and
cry.  I hated my life.

***
02:44 21 Jun

     I was really really tired, and I wanted to lie down and sleep.
Which meant, I had to go home.  I pushed against Travis's chest until he
loosened his arms.  We were by my car, which I hadn't noticed.  As I
looked around, Travis pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and
started to wipe my face with it.
     "Travis, it's okay," I lied, pushing his hand away.  "I'm sor-"
     "You did it for me, once," he said warmly, as he stroked my hair
out of my eyes with a thumb.
     I hiccuped, but I let him pull me close again because the idiot had
started me crying again.

***
02:57 21 Jun

     I pushed Travis away again, hoping that this time I would really
stop crying.  I glanced up, and he was staring at me intently, and then
I had to look back down.  This time when he started wiping my face, I
let him.

***
03:01 21 Jun

     Travis had his arm around my shoulder, and it felt good, because I
was unexpectedly cold.
     "Val, I'm really sorry," Amy said from behind me somewhere, and I
turned to look at her.  She looked kind of like I felt; in severe
anguish.  "Um..."  She couldn't keep looking at me, and she dropped her
eyes down to my shoes.  I looked too, and there wasn't anything
interesting down there.  "I called, um, Dad, and told him we'd be late
and it was all my fault, and he said it was okay, just to get home
safe."
     Eventually, I managed, "Thanks," my voice hoarse as I pushed past
the lump in my throat.  We really did need to go home, though.
"Travis," I said, turning towards him.
     "Are you okay enough to drive?" he asked, peering at my face, which
had to be streaked with makeup.  I nodded, not able to meet his eyes for
very long.  I felt pretty bad, and mostly embarrassed, now.  He hugged
me close, one last time, and whispered in my ear in a gravelly bass, "Be
careful, then, please?" before he let me go.
     I nodded as he released me, but I forced myself to look at him and
say, "Travis?  Thanks... again."
     He nodded, not saying anything, and got out of the way, but he
stayed there watching us as Amy and I got into the car and I started it
and drove away.  I could still see him in the mirror as I turned out of
the parking lot.

***
03:04 21 Jun

     "Val?" Amy finally said as I drove along the almost deserted
streets.  "I, I didn't mean it like it came out..."  I let her talk,
halfway curious as to what she would say.  The other half of me was
temporarily empty, having cried itself out on Travis.
     She took a breath and spoke, "I meant... I love you, Tuck, I really
do, and I know it was my idea for you to go out like Valerie tonight,
but, I mean, I like dancing with guys, and I can't do that with you, or
Mike, no matter HOW you're dressed, because you're like my brothers or
something.  It's, it's different when you're with a guy, you know?  OR a
girl," she added with emphasis.
     I had to think about it, but part of me knew what she meant already
and nodded my head before I finished thinking.
     "I'm really, REALLY sorry, it was just thoughtless of me to say it
like that, like I did," she finished, staring straight ahead.  I glanced
at her, and tears were streaking her makeup too.  I reached out and
grabbed her hand, and she pressed it really hard.

***
03:22 21 Jun

     "Do, do you want to put some makeup on before we get back to the
house?" I asked Amy as I put the wipes away.  "So you'll look okay?"
     She shook her head, and hugged me.

***
09:02 21 Jun

     The knocking on my door startled me and Amy awake.  Luckily, it was
only Amy, this time.
     "Tuck?" Dad called.  "You have a therapy appointment in an hour,
remember?"
     I groaned, but crawled over Amy and out of bed.

***
10:19 21 Jun

     "She's helping a lot," I told Sheila, not thinking of last night.
     Apparently, though, I wasn't not thinking hard enough, because she
frowned a little and said, "But that's not entirely it, is it?"
     Sheila could be annoyingly persistent when she thought she was on
to something interesting.  I sighed.  "Well, I mean, she made this
comment last night..."

***
12:08 21 Jun

     "By the way, kids," Dad mentioned, "it's about that time of year
again..."
     I don't think any of us had a clue, judging by the blank stares,
until Brian tried, "Gun range?"
     Dad nodded, smiling.  "Next weekend."
     "Oh boy," Susan and Amy said at the same time.  "Can I come?" Amy
asked.
     "Bill-" Mom started.
     "Sarah, she's part of this household while she's here, that means
she's included," Dad said to her.  Mom just sighed.  They'd had this
argument before, and Mom had lost every time.
     "Yes!" Amy said, jerking her arm.
     "You gotta win first," Brian reminded her, and grinned.
     "You think YOU have a chance?" I asked Brian, and he just smirked.

***
13:49 21 Jun

     "I think I'm gonna take a nap," I told Amy, because that was about
the top thing in my mind at that point.  Actually, it was about the only
thing in my mind at that point.
     "You don't want to go shopping with me and Suze again?" she
grinned.
     "No."
     She made a sad face.  "Tuck, this isn't because-"
     "No.  Well, not really.  I mean," I hastened to explain, "last
night was really late and I'm still tired.  That's all I meant.  And we
gotta go do something with Sabrina and them tonight, remember?" I
reminded her.  "They tend to stay up kind of late, and I ought to get
some rest while I can."
     "You still want me to come?" Amy asked.
     "Yeah!"
     "Really?"
     "Yes!" I told her, and grabbed her and hugged her to show I was
serious.  She hugged me back after a few seconds, and then it was very
nice...
     I realized that if I stayed here much longer, I was going to go to
sleep in her arms, which would end badly because she couldn't carry me
to bed.

***
17:49 21 Jun

     "Tuck?" some girl asked into my ear.
     I sat up, wondering whose house I was at this time.  It seemed to
be mine, through the fog... and it was Amy standing next to the bed.
"Come on, supper's almost ready, and then we gotta go out with Sabrina
or whatever."
     "Nuh?  Ri'," I gabbled, and tried to swallow.

***
18:02 21 Jun

     "Are you awake?" Dad asked me as I stared at my food.
     "Uh huh," I said numbly.
     "Don't fall asleep in your cauliflower," Mom said.
     "Uh uh," I agreed.

***
18:51 21 Jun

     I had just finished with the dishes when Amy poked her head in the
kitchen.  "Um, Tuck?  One of your computers said Sabrina just called?"

***
18:53 21 Jun

     "Hello?"
     "Hey, Sabrina, it's Val, whatsup?"

***
18:58 21 Jun

     "So?"
     "So we get dressed and go over to Sabrina's, and then go out
dancing again."
     I thought she might be bored with that sort of thing, but
apparently not, because she said, "Oh cool!" and dashed into Susan's
room.  The shriek made me guess that Susan had not yet finished getting
ready for whatever she had planned that evening; it had that particular
sort of surprised-while-undressed tone to it.

***
19:24 21 Jun

     "So are we gonna meet them there at the dance place or what?" Amy
asked as we drove off.
     I shook my head.  "Sabrina said she's got something for me..."  I
sighed.  Sabrina always looked good, but I think she and I had
differences of opinion on what looked good on me and what didn't.

***
19:33 21 Jun

     "If she's got something for you to wear, then why are we stopping
here?"
     I sighed at Amy.  "Because her parents know me as Valerie, and I
don't see any particular need to enlighten them otherwise?"
     "Ahhhh," Amy said theatrically.
     "See?  It all starts making sense after a while."
     "Not really," she grinned.

***
20:04 21 Jun

     "Hey," I said, as Sabrina hugged me.
     "Hi Val," she said warmly.  "We're glad you could make it tonight.
Both of you," she said to Amy.
     "So who else is here?" I asked as Amy and I came in.  I waved at
Sabrina's parents as we walked past, just to be polite.  They smiled and
waved back.  Sabrina glared at me, and then stopped and pulled us over
to them and introduced Amy and reminded them I was Valerie.  We said
some nice stuff to each other before we could escape upstairs.
     As we climbed the stairs, Sabrina said over her shoulder, "Jill,
Kim, Kathy, Pam, and me.  Everyone else is doing other stuff tonight."
     "No Debbie?  Or Lisa?" I asked, to make sure.
     Sabrina paused at the top of the stairs and gave me a look.  "I
figured," she said slowly, "that you'd rather not see them right now-"
     "No!  I don't!"
     She nodded.  "So I made sure they were going to be busy elsewhere
tonight."  She made a face.  "As it turns out, Lisa's over at Debbie's
tonight, so we don't have to worry about either of them."

***
20:05 21 Jun

     I got a round of hugs from everyone, and then it was all kind of
quiet for a moment.
     "So what did you pick out for Val to wear?  I wanna see this," Amy
spoke up, and while it was kind of jarring, it jarred everyone into
motion and out the door of the party room and into conversation, so it
was like a good thing.

***
20:09 21 Jun

     A blue lace top - I had no idea such things existed - and black
skirt made me look surprisingly good, and matched my eyes or something
because it seemed to make them stand out more than usual.  Maybe that
was just the makeup, which I had really gone wild with.  Amy had egged
me on, until we were both wearing enough for two people.
     "Yow!" Amy commented.  "Can I borrow that next time?"

***
20:27 21 Jun

     "Food?  Again?  I just ate," I said.
     "We didn't, so shut up," Pam mentioned.  I shut up.

***
20:39 21 Jun

     I had a small plate with fruit and assorted salads, and so did Amy,
but we were the only ones.  Apparently no one else had eaten.  I felt a
little funny, just nibbling at fruit, but I guess Amy didn't, because
she was talking to Kathy a lot.  As much as anyone was talking to anyone
else in particular, anyway.

***
22:04 21 Jun

     "You think Travis'll be here tonight?" Amy asked in my ear as I
waited in line to pay money to get in.
     "Oh God I hope not," I said.

***
22:07 21 Jun

     No Travis yet.  Of course, the night was early.

***
22:28 21 Jun

     Someone tapped me purposefully on the shoulder as I was dancing,
and I almost tried to kill everyone I could reach in all directions, but
it was Jack, standing a couple of feet away and grinning and waving
hello at me.
     I looked around, and saw Johnny.  *Ah, I wanted to talk to him,* I
remembered, but Jack picked me up before I could get within striking
range.  "LET GO OF ME YOU PERVERT RAPIST!" I screamed at the top of my
lungs, but he didn't let go, he just started walking towards Johnny.
*Oh, well, this'll work too,* I realized, and cocked my legs up so I
could attempt to knock Johnny's head off his neck.
     Jack, the bastard, swung me around so I couldn't even try a
sideways kick before he got close enough to Johnny.  I started
struggling again, but it was useless; Jack had arms like steel, and
silly me had forgotten to bring a crowbar.
     He said something to Johnny I couldn't hear over my own screaming,
and then he carried me towards the 'quiet' section of Underground,
Johnny following and staying out of range.  I tried bending one of his
fingers back, but he just tightened his hands and then I couldn't move
them at all.
     We got to a table, where Amanda was sitting, and it was only then
that I remembered that they'd had a thing going, and I guess they still
did.  It would be hard for her to watch me beat the shit out of her
boyfriend, but oh well-
     "Johnny wanted to apologize for being such an asshole last night,"
Jack said in my ear, which stunned me into limpness.
     "He did?"
     Johnny nodded, looking vaguely ashamed.
     I thought about it as I hung there, and had decided to attempt to
hurt him anyway, when Jack apparently took my motionlessness as
acquiescence, because he let me down on the floor.  I didn't waste any
time going after Johnny, because I figured Jack would realize his
mistake soon enough and I needed a good lead on him.
     Johnny had good reflexes, unfortunately, because he took off almost
as fast as I did, and his looooong legs gave him an unfair advantage.  I
couldn't figure out why he wasn't heading towards the doors, until he
dashed into the men's room.
     I almost followed him in, and I would have except Kathy caught me
up just like Jack had.  "Whoa!" she said, spinning us around to bleed
off my hard-won momentum.  "What are you doing?"
     "Payback," I gasped.

***
22:35 21 Jun

     They'd all given me a good talking to, and Jack and 'Dog were
really earnest about Johnny's sincerity of regret, which wasn't quite
enough for me until Kathy picked me up and held me at eye level.
     "You're going to drop it," she told me.
     "But-"
     She shook me a few times.  "I said, you're going to drop it."
     "What the hell gives you the right to tell me-"
     She lifted me higher.  "Because I am bigger than you are," she
pointed out, as my feet dangled.  "And I WILL whip your butt if you
carry this any further!"
     "What the hell are you doing?" Amy protested, appearing from out of
the crowd.  Kathy turned to look at her, so I did too, hanging in her
grasp like I was.
     "Amy, remember the band guy from last night?" I said before anyone
else could.  Her eyes narrowed.  "He's trapped in the men's room."
     Jack grabbed HER before she could get more than a couple of steps
in, and then there we were.  "Don't either of you have any respect for
the sanctity of the throne room?" I heard him ask.
     "NO!" Amy shrieked, trying wildly to get loose.

***
22:41 21 Jun

     "Alright, alright," I gave in.  Amy sighed, and just nodded.
     Johnny got off his knees and dusted his pants off.  He had gone
all-out on his apology; you had to admire that.  Especially when he did
it in front of his girlfriend.
     "NOW can we dance?" Kathy said in a long-suffering voice.

***
23:18 21 Jun

     "'Cause he told me what happened last night, and I knew where
Sabrina was going," Amanda admitted as I tried to cool off.  You'd think
lace wouldn't retain heat, but it sure seemed to.  Maybe that was my
skin.  "So I got him to come here so he'd apologize to you.  That was
really crummy, what he did to you."
     "Yeah..."  Amy sighed.  "I guess I can forgive him, though.  Val?
What about you?" she asked.
     "I guess," I admitted.

***
00:03 22 Jun

     Jack was as good a dancer as always, but it had reminded me a
little too much of the last time I danced with him, which I guess is why
I ended up on his lap sobbing my makeup off, while he rocked me back and
forth.
     I'd thought I was getting over Debbie.

***
00:11 22 Jun

     "You wanna go home or something?" Amy asked anxiously after she got
done fixing - completely renovating - my eyes.
     "I... I guess not.  I didn't mean to spoil your fun, Amy-"
     "Tuck," she said softly, making me look at her in surprise.  "I
wanted to go out with you, remember?"  I nodded.  "So if you want to go
home, that's cool with me, okay?"
     "Okay, but I mean, we came out to go dancing, not..."  I took a
deep breath.  "Anyway, let's go back out, okay?"
     "Are you alright?"
     I nodded, not quite sure.
     She hugged me for a long time.

***
00:49 22 Jun

     As Jack hugged Amy, she kissed him on the cheek, and grinned at me,
like she was daring me.
     So when it was my turn, I kissed him on the lips.  When I looked at
Amy again, she was staring at me, so I stuck my tongue out at her.

***
00:52 22 Jun

     "Did you really kiss him?" Amy asked in the van.
     "Yeah, but it was just a casual thing.  It didn't mean anything-"
     Kim laughed at me.
     "It didn't!" I insisted.
     Now everyone laughed, including Amy.
     "FUCK ALL OF YOU!" I screamed in semi-serious rage.  *Where do they
get off; they were the ones that said-*
     Kathy grabbed my chin and turned my whole head with it, to face
her.  "Val," she said loudly.  "I don't think you're woman enough to
fuck ALL of us."
     Pam almost ran into something, she was laughing so hard.  Even I
was having problems seeing after that one.

***
01:12 22 Jun

     "Val?" Sabrina asked.
     "Yeah?" I asked as I scrubbed my face.  We'd decided to leave sort
of early so me and Amy could get home in time.  Excuses like last night
only worked if you didn't use them very often.
     "We're having a sleepover, two weekends from now," Sabrina said,
"no Debbie.  Want to come?  Both of you?" she said to Amy.
     "You want to?" Amy asked me.
     I shrugged.  "Sure!  But call me before, okay?"  Sabrina nodded.

***
09:02 22 Jun

     I stared at the phone.  Then I put it back to my ear.  "I hate you
Jill," I said.
     "I love you too, Valerie," she said.  "We'll be there in half an
hour, so get up!"  And then she hung up.
     "Who's the bitch, so I can kill her?" Amy moaned as I flung the
phone away from the bed.
     "Get dressed, you get a chance," I mumbled.

***
09:29 22 Jun

     "Don't you dare!" Kim yelled as I lunged for Jill.
     "Why not?" Amy asked, pausing.  I paused too.
     "Because you won't get paid," Kim said, waving an envelope at me.
     Amy pointed out, "I don't get paid."  Jill took off running without
waiting for any more discussion.
     Kim sighed as she let Amy out the door to chase Jill.  We watched
the two of them ran around the lawn for a while before Kim turned back
to me and handed me the envelope.  "I guess it's between them two," she
said.
     "I guess..."  I thumbed through the envelope and counted the money
before I pulled out the balance sheet.  It was only a hundred and twenty
this time, but a lot of car and clothes had been paid off too, I saw.
     "Everything okay?" Kim asked me.  "I told Debbie to take more out
of what you owed this time, like you said last week."

***
10:04 22 Jun

     "You're gonna what?" Kim asked before Jill could.
     "Fix dinner tonight," I repeated.
     "Ooooh, and it's gonna be sooo gooooood," Amy crooned.
     She endured the looks for several moments before she broke up
laughing.

***
10:05 22 Jun

     "No, really, Mom made Tu-Val, here, learn how to cook when she came
up for the summer last time, and so it's gonna be good.  And I don't
have to do a thing!" Amy crowed and clapped her hands.
     "Ac-tually," I said, breaking it up for emphasis, "I had a deal
for-"
     "What?" Amy asked suspiciously.
     "Help me with dinner, and I'll help you with the laundry next
week," I offered.
     Amy stared at me, and thought, but couldn't think of the catch.
That was probably because there wasn't really one.  "Why?" she finally
asked.  Jill and Kim just watched.
     "Because I didn't do anything for it yesterday, and I think I'm
gonna need some help if I want to do it well," I told her.  It happened
to be the honest truth, which is probably why Amy looked as though she
was tasting cyanide.
     "What are you fixing?" Jill asked.
     I grinned across the table at her.  "Dunno yet, I gotta see what
we have in stock.  But something big..."

***
10:08 22 Jun

     Amy poked me in the ribs and leaned over.  "You ought to invite
them," she said quietly.
     "You think?" I asked back, just as quiet.  Her nod and look told me
I was being dumb, so I got up to call and ask Dad if they'd be okay with
it.
     *Come to think of it, Mike likes food too... and I haven't seen Dan
in a while-  Or Julia, either.  And if Kim's coming, Ellen ought to...
Hrm,* I thought as I walked to the pay phone and dug for change in my
purse.

***
10:15 22 Jun

     "So you two want to come?" I asked as I slid back in the booth.
Everyone else was.
     "Do what?" Jill asked.
     "Sunday dinner.  Mmm-mmm-good," I enticed.
     Jill made a very ugly face.  "Val, I have to work," she said,
sounding much more annoyed about it than I felt.  "Damnit."
     "I could save you a plate," Kim offered.  "If that's okay?" she
asked me.
     "Sure," Amy and I said at the same time.  Our elbows collided under
the table level, and I had to fight not to say something that Jill or
Kim would think undeservedly rude.  Amy just hiccuped.

***
13:39 22 Jun

     Out of the blue, Amy asked me, "Hey Tuck?  What ARE you fixing for
supper tonight?"
     I swear, she was saving that for when I was on her tail, because it
blew my gunnery completely and she split-S'd downwards and away before I
could get her in my sights again.  I growled at her and paused the game.
"I dunno, what do you think?"

***
14:51 22 Jun

     "Tuck, I was gonna do my nails for work-"
     "Stuffed grape leaves, Suze," I enticed her.  "You know you want
'em.  And you don't even have to help, except for driving Amy to go get
them and a couple of other things at the store.  She said she'd help
me.  And Mom already gave me the money," I lied.  Mom, I was sure, would
give me the money when I asked, and I didn't want Susan to know I was
fronting it.
     "Why don't you go?"
     "Because I have about four other things to work on, if we want to
eat at six?"
     Susan made a face, and thought about it for a few seconds before
nodding.  "These better be good, though," she warned.

***
16:11 22 Jun

     "Greek?" Mom asked.
     "Yeah, I mean if you want lamb and stuff," I grinned at her.  She
grinned back, before sighing and looking down.  "Mom!" I protested,
knowing immediately what she was thinking.  Pam had that look sometimes,
when food was mentioned.  "Come on, this stuff is healthy!  You can't
get any better than olive oil, ya know," I reminded her.
     "But-"
     "It's a very nice butt, Mom," I said before I realized what I was
saying.
     "Eugene!" she complained, looking shocked.
     "Well it is!" I said defensively.  She was turning pink about the
same rate I was, judging by the feel on my cheeks.  "When was the last
time Dad complained?"  Amy was busy laughing herself in knots, which was
too bad because I could have used some help.
     "Your father is blind," she said, but she couldn't quite keep a
straight face about it.
     "See?  Go ask Dad if he thinks you should eat tonight or lose a few
pounds," I said, knowing full well how Dad would answer that one.  He
had a great desire to live.

***
17:23 22 Jun

     "Two geeks for the Greeks," Susan announced, probably just for the
pun, as Mike and Dan came in to the kitchen.  She dodged Mike and
disappeared, laughing.
     "Hey dudes, almost done," I commented, my hands busy at the moment.
     "Tuck, you're nuts," Dan commented.
     "Yeah, but you are gonna be well fed, if you keep your mouth shut,"
I reminded him, and Mike elbowed him.  Dan kept his mouth shut.  I guess
he was hungry.
     "Go watch TV with Uncle Bill or something," Amy suggested.
"Unless, of course, you want to help or someth-"  She stopped when the
two of them teleported out, leaving swinging doors behind them.  "I
guess they didn't want to help," she said to me.
     "And I am like so completely surprised, too," I said back, and she
laughed.

***
17:36 22 Jun

     "Hi Tuck!" came a familiar female voice.  I looked up from where I
was kneeling in front of the oven, and it was Kim.  She put a worried
expression on her face and said, "Oh, dear, it's not going THAT badly,
is it?"
     "Do what?"
     "We can always get take out, you don't have to stick your head in
the oven, darling," she said, kneeling on the floor next to me and
hugging me into her cleavage and patting my head.
     Not being a fool, I let her do that for a while before I said, "Ha
ha.  It's going great, and we'll be eating in a little while.  If I'm
not distracted, hint hint?"
     She gave me a kiss on the cheek and got up.  "Got it."
     "Half an hour," I promised, and she smiled before she waved and
left.

***
17:41 22 Jun

     "How many people did you invite, Tucker?" Susan asked as she came
in, sounding like she was in real torment.
     I counted on my fingers.  "Um, six, but Jill's working, so Kim'll
save a plate for her."
     She opened her mouth and I added, "Why did you think Dad was
putting the extra leaves in the tab- he did put the extra leaves..."
She was shaking her head.  "Could you go ask him, before I have no place
to put food?"
     She rolled her eyes and groaned, but exited.  Shortly thereafter,
she shrieked, "DAAAAD!"

***
17:57 22 Jun

     "Greek?" Brian questioned, looking at me suspiciously over the
platters of steaming food.
     "Mwguf!" Dad commented.
     Everyone else in the family yelled simultaneously, "Don't talk with
your mouth full!"  Dad looked seriously vexed as we laughed at him, but
we were right and he knew it.

***
19:43 22 Jun

     And the best thing about fixing a feast and working for hours on it
was, Amy and I were completely excused from cleaning up afterwards.  And
we both had first claim on the leftovers, which would actually mean
something if we woke up before Brian.  And Susan.  And Mom and Dad, come
to think of it.  Thank God the rest of them didn't live there...
     "Burp," Mike said as we lay on the couch and digested.  All I could
do was nod.  Slowly.  They'd only eaten for an hour; I'd been tasting
stuff since three-thirty.
     "Do you always cook like that?" Ellen asked as she very gingerly
let herself down onto a couch near Dan.
     "Not YET," Amy giggled.
     "What do you mean, 'yet'?" I wanted to know.
     "We took a vote," Julia sighed, smiling, "and you've been elected
Sunday night cook for perpetuity."
     "Chef," Amy corrected, and Julia nodded graciously.
     "Do I get a say in this?"
     "No," they all said at the same time.  Ellen giggled afterwards,
which was a good sign.
     "We outvoted you," Mike mentioned.
     "Some friends you are," I grumbled like I was upset.  Amy put a
friendly arm around me, but didn't squeeze, which was a good thing
because I would have exploded.
     We were silent for a long time.  Dad finally stumbled in, followed
shortly thereafter by Brian.  Brian almost looked like he was having
second thoughts about coming in, but Dan waved him on, and in he came.
     Then we were silent some more.  I could have been thinking, I
guess, but I was semi-delirious with digestion.
     "That was Greek food?" Brian finally asked.
     "Yep," Amy commented.
     He said back, "I like it," which was no surprise.  He'd eaten
enough of it.
     "How do I coerce you into doing this every week," Dad mused,
supposedly to himself.
     "See?" Mike said to me.  "We took a vote, Mistah Tuckah, and you
numbah one son, he elected chef fo' Sundays, finest," he nodded.
     "Finestkind," Dad agreed.
     "Not that they bothered asking me," I added, just to keep things
in the proper perspective.
     Dad waved his hand.  "You're my offspring, you're in chattel
slavery to me for some time yet.  We'll discuss details later," which
made this Sunday night thing a real possibility but also added in an
element of compensation, which I was determined he was going to pay
dearly for.

***
06:36 23 Jun

     "Just ask?"
     "Give me my pants!"
     "Just ask her?"
     "Give me my pants back!"
     "Tuck-"
     "Amy!  I NEED those-"
     "Please just ask?"
     "All RIGHT!  Give me my PANTS!"

***
07:37 23 Jun

     "Oh, and Cindy wanted me to call her for some reason, to make sure
you were here, before she dropped the boys off," Miz Parker said.  "Are
you here?"
     "Sort of," I joked back.
     "Good enough," she smiled.

***
07:46 23 Jun

     "Gary and David are gonna be back this morning," Ricky reminded me.
"They got back Saturday.  You might want to fix something nice for them,
like waffles."
     "Hey, that's a good idea," I admitted.
     "Can I read comic books while you fix breakfast?"
     "Yeah, that's okay."
     "'Kay, I'll be in my room!" he called as he disappeared.

***
08:05 23 Jun

     "I'll get it!" Ricky shrieked as the pounding on the door startled
me for no good reason.  They hadn't been gone THAT long, after all.
     Something caught my attention, though, and by the time I figured
out what that rapping on the stairs was, it was too late to catch him.
     I skidded out of the kitchen just in time to see Ricky, dressed in
his nice dress - which had been in the trunk of my car - fling the door
open.  "RICKY!" I screamed.
     "Shedressedmeuplikeagirl'causeIwasbad-" Ricky sobbed.
     Gary pointed at me and announced, "SHE'S COMING FOR US!" and all
three of them ran for it as if their lives depended on it.
     I chased down the hall towards them, glad they hadn't thought to
slam the door shut like I did as I flew out.  Ricky was just at the edge
of the lawn, so I chased him down first.  He screamed as I tackled him
like he was in pain, but he had no idea.
     Yet.

***
08:08 23 Jun

     The other two had disappeared, and I knew quite well how many
places a small boy could hide in a suburban environment.  On the other
hand, they probably hadn't run very far... and Ricky could find them if
he was free to walk around and call for them.
     I made sure Stella was secure in the sling before I locked the door
to the house.  Ricky and I - me providing the motive force, Ricky
learning that being still meant he was allowed to breathe - had already
locked up the rest of the house.
     "Now," I told him as I set him down on his feet on the porch.  He
spent some time breathing.  "You have fifteen minutes to find the other
two and bring them right back here, before I call your mother and their
mother and tell them all exactly what happened, every single bit of it.
And I have pictures I can show them if I need to, because," I raised my
voice as he started to protest, "because _I_ am not getting in THIS kind
of trouble because YOU decided to pull some stupid prank and scare them
off!"
     "But I need to change first!" he wailed, looking at the front door.
     "You should have thought of that before you changed the first
time.  You can go look for them like that."
     "But-"
     "Fourteen minutes, thirty seconds," I interrupted.  "And don't you
even imagine that I won't call.  I will."
     Now, if it had been me in the dress- well, never mind.  If it had
been me in trouble like he was, the first thing I would have done would
have been to go and rip out the phone connection for the house.  But
that was me, or Mike maybe, not him.  He sniffled, and looked like he
was going to do more than that, so I informed him, "You don't have time
to cry now.  Cry later.  Now GO!"
     He went.  Crying, cursing me, and sort of jogging, but he went.  As
he got out of the Parker's yard, he started calling for his cousins.
     I stared at my watch, and when it hit double zero I yelled out,
"FOURTEEN MINUTES AND COUNTING!"
     "I HATE YOU!" he screamed from somewhere.
     "Fear me, you fuckbrain," I said under my breath.  "You're gonna
pay for this."
     "Nuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhh," said Stella, and she looked scared, so I held
her and rocked her a little.
     "You're okay, sweetie," I told her as I rocked her.  "It's your
brother that's gonna be in trouble.  You're fine."
     I don't think she believed me, or why else would she have started
crying?

***
08:21 23 Jun

     With just under two minutes remaining, all three of them appeared
around a house corner.  I picked up Stella and stood, and got the keys
out and unlocked the front door.  When I looked behind me, they hadn't
gotten any closer.  "Inside the house!" I yelled, and checked my watch.
"One minute twenty seconds!"
     They hustled this time, and made it inside with about forty seconds
to spare.  I shut the door and locked it behind us, just to make a
point.  And to lock them in, of course.
     "Now.  Ricky...  Apologize to your cousins for scaring them so
bad."
     "But-"  I glared at him, and my psychic powers were never stronger
because he shut up instantly.  Then he looked at his shoes, which still
shined, and said under his breath, "Sorry."
     "For what?" I asked.  "Tell them."
     "I'm sorry for scaring you," he said, fractionally louder.
     "Now," I said, "you apologize to me for stealing that stuff out of
my car this morning."
     "I'm sorry I stole it," he said.
     "Now, apologize to them again for almost getting them in a lot of
trouble."  I had to work not to grind my teeth, or for that matter walk
over and strangle him some more, but I guess that's why I was getting
paid, was for self-restraint.

***
08:24 23 Jun

     Ricky had gone upstairs to change out of the girl's clothes and
quite probably have himself a long cry and call me all sorts of names.
I didn't care; the further away from me he was right then, the better.
     That left me with a still-scared Stella, and a very silent and
solemn Gary and Davy.  I tried to soothe Stella and ignored the other
two.
     "Vah-" said one of the boys, eventually, but choked as I looked up.
     "Yes?"
     "Are, are we in trouble?" Gary asked.
     I thought about it.  For a long time.
     "No," I finally decided.  "But if you two ever run off like that
again, you will be.  I promise you that," I said solemnly.
     "We're not in trouble?" Davy confirmed.
     "No.  Not this time," I emphasized.
     "Then why did you yell at us like that?" he asked.
     I sighed.  "Because if something happened to you, like one of you
ran in the street and got hit by a car, that would have been my fault.
And you would have been hurt, and I really don't want that."  Much.
Less and less as I calmed down.  "And don't say you wouldn't have done
something like that, because I saw how you guys were running in a
panic.  I got bounced off a car like that when I was eight, and I was
lucky."  Lucky as in not dead, which was sort of an improvement over
what I thought would happen if I stayed around to see what the kid
chasing me with the baseball bat would do.
     "You did?" Gary said in amazement.
     "And I got lucky," I repeated.  "I only broke my leg, and I fell
away from the car so I wasn't crushed when it stopped."  I'd jumped into
a running dive, actually, when I realized I'd misjudged the timing, and
the car's far corner had caught me in mid-air, flipping me around, which
did me no good except getting me clear.  I don't think anyone but my
family and Mike understood why I immediately crawled under a truck and
wouldn't come out until my sister talked me out.  Hearing the kid with
the bat screaming in pain had been part of it.
     "What happened?" Davy asked in amazement.
     "I don't want to talk about it, actually," I admitted.  "Look... I
was going to fix waffles for you guys, special, for you coming back from
vacation.  Come into the kitchen with me so I can finish cooking them."

***
09:04 23 Jun

     Ricky came downstairs, finally, and ended up in the kitchen about
the time I was putting waffles on plates.  "Hi Ricky," I said, and he
glared at me.  "Do you have a bag for me?" I reminded him, and he tossed
it at me.  "Don't get pissy with me, Ricky.  It was all your idea, not
mine.  Now, do you want to sulk some more, or do you want waffles with
the rest of us?"
     He thought about it.
     "Strawberries on top?" surprised him.  On the other hand, I'd
rather have him back to normal than sulking all day, once I'd impressed
him with the seriousness of panicking his cousins into flight.

***
09:41 23 Jun

     "Ricky, you can help me with the dishes this morning," I told him.
"You two, go watch some TV for a while."
     Ricky watched the other two leaving for long after they'd left.
     "Ricky?"
     He reluctantly turned to face me.
     "Go get the dishes off the table, please."

***
09:44 23 Jun

     "If you do something like that, in front of people that are going
to catch you, then you HAVE to expect to get punished.  And running away
only makes it worse, if it's someone like your parents or teachers or
someone like that.  There's no point in running; you can't run far
enough to get away, and you just get in more trouble.  Just take the
punishment."
     "But-"
     "You don't like it?  Then, if it's not worth the punishment, then
DON'T DO IT," I told him.  'Or do something where you don't get caught,'
I almost said, but managed to slam my teeth shut before THAT little gem
of wisdom could escape.  That could wait until he was twelve or so, by
which time I would be working somewhere at a real job and would never
need to babysit again.
     "It was just a joke," he complained.
     "It stopped being a joke when they ran out of the yard where I
couldn't keep them safe, Ricky.  If you'd done it when they were in the
back door, then they couldn't have run off and it would have been
funny."
     "Really?"
     I imagined that scenario.  "Yeah... unless they'd fallen in the
pool and looked like they were drowning.  Then it would have been a
problem again."
     "But if they'd just fallen in the pool but they WEREN'T drowning,"
he emphasized.
     "Yeah, that would have been funny," I admitted.  "But, Ricky, it's
not cool to scare your friends like that.  They, they tend to get upset
and not like you as much for a while after that, and sometimes you need
them.  That's why I made you apologize for scaring them so bad.  I know
you probably didn't mean it then, you were too busy hating me, but you
needed to."
     "Are you gonna tell Mom?"
     "Did you understand what I just said?" I pressed.  "We'll talk
about Mom in a minute; you need to understand what I said.  Sometimes
your friends are all you have!"
     "I guess..."
     "So say it back to me.  If you understand it, then we can go on."
Dad had been a pain in the ass when he did this to me, but now I could
see why he did it.
     He sighed deeply.  "I should apologize to them for scaring them so
bad, and mean it, because I like them and I want them to be my friends."
     "Right!"  I was surprised.
     "Are you gonna tell Mom?"  One track mind.
     I thought about that for a while as I washed dishes and stared out
the window.  "Ricky, I guess not-"  I had to stop and catch my breath as
he grappled me and showered thanks and praise upon me.  "But, I can't
control what those two say, and it would be REALLY bad if I told them
not to talk and they did anyway; parents would ask why I was trying to
keep it quiet.  So YOU need to get them to be quiet.  But I won't say
anything about it unless I'm asked."
     "You promise?"
     "R-  Yes, Ricky, I promise, I won't say anything about it unless
I'm asked.  And nobody will ask me unless those two talk.  And," I
stopped him from running out of the kitchen, "if you beg them, it will
work better than threatening them.  Trust me on this one."
     "Okay," he said in a hurry, and left in a hurry.
     I washed some more dishes, and wondered if I could fit in a nap
this afternoon sometime.  *Maybe if-*
     "Valerie?"  I turned, and it was Ricky, standing at the door.  "I'm
sorry, I really am.  Now, I mean."
     I couldn't help smiling.  "Thanks, Ricky.  Now go on and shut those
two up," I suggested, and winked at him.  He grinned before he dashed
off again.
     God, I was tired.  And it wasn't even ten yet.

***


"Of course I know everything about parenting!  I don't have any
children!" - ehayes


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+ ==[--------   Ellen Hayes   @>--,--'---      ellen@barkingduck.net +
PGP DH/DSS keyfing: 33D4 156A AE39 53E2 0313  6714 2878 56A8 61B0 9CDC
+ http://www.barkingduck.net/ehayes -=[1990]=- vicki .sig virus 11.4 +


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