Chapter 20: Teens to the Rescue
*You never listen. You just judge and condemn. – Caroline Davis*
The text messages from Leo started the Monday after their fight. She ignored the majority of them, only reading what came up in the notification bar.
*I’m sorry*
*Please forgive me*
*I know I messed up*
*Please talk to me*
There were longer ones that she only saw the beginning of the messages.
*Priscilla, please forgive me. I know tha…*
*Call me when you see this. We really nee…*
She never deleted them. Never opened them. Never acknowledged them. When they appeared, she simply swiped away the notification. Thanksgiving night when she received yet another notification while she was playing pool, she swiped away the little text box before putting her phone back in her pocket.
Almost immediately, her phone buzzed again, and she pulled I back out as Eliza took her shot.
*I know that you’re seeing this*
Shaking her head she swiped the message away.
“Priscilla,” Leo said softly, “can we please talk?”
She let out a deep sigh and rolled her eyes. Turning, she handed her pool stick to Eliza. “Give me five minutes,” then she turned and looked at Leo. “You have five minutes before my sister comes to get me.”
Priscilla walked towards the hallway next to the bar and headed for Nessie’s Kitchen. Going through the door to the large dining hall, she headed straight for the coffee bar and fixed herself a coffee with hot cocoa and flavored creamer. With her coffee in hand, she sat at the regular table that she and her friends typically occupied.
Leo sat down across from her and reached out to take her hand. “I’m sorry. I was stupid and horny and … and honestly, I just wasn’t thinking.”
“That’s your apology?” she gave a dry laugh and shook her head. “I wasn’t thinking, and I was horny, so my needs were more important than yours. Is that how it’s always going to be? What you want and need will override my wants and needs? My safety?”
“No, baby,” he said softly. “I was completely out of line. I regretted it as soon as you left. I went to your house the next day, but your mom said that you never went home, you were with Athos.”
She nodded. “I’m glad I was because a friend of mine died.”
“I heard,” he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’m glad that you had friends and family with you. I wish I could have been there with you.”
“You were so great for a while,” Priscilla said with tears in her eyes and voice. “You were helping my sisters and helping me coach. I’m not ready to just lay back and … and let you rail me. I don’t want to be pushed into something that I’m not ready for.”
“I had no right to do what I did,” he told her
Camille and Eliza walked into the dining hall and stood just inside the doorway. “Looks like your time is up.”
“Will you consider giving me a second chance?”
Priscilla stood up and grabbed her nearly empty coffee cup. “We’ll see.”
She took the cup over to the pass-through window leading into the kitchen by the sinks and dishwashers. She poured out what was left and rinsed the cup before placing it on the rack. She then joined her friends and headed back down the hall to the main area of the first floor.
“Are you ever going to tell us what the fight was over?” Eliza asked and the two older friends looked at each other behind her.
“Maybe, someday,” Priscilla said as they came into the main area and her mother called her name. The three of them approached the tall table where Becks and Athos were talking. “Think Momma Becks will let me have a beer?”
“Probably not,” Camille laughed as she motioned to her dad for a drink of her own.
Reaching the table, Priscilla told her mom, “Dad’s asleep and Noel won’t let me have a beer unless one of you say I can.”
Trigg walked by and handed Camille a beer that she grinned at her friends over.
Becks took the beer from the teen, “Not right now. Athos needs your help.”
Priscila laughed at her friend’s disappointed look as Becks took a drink.
“Do you know Caroline Davis?” Athos asked and they nodded. “Evie asked me to go get her from Woodruff Park.”
Eliza looked at him with concern evident on her face, “I do. Is she okay?”
Shrugging, he admitted, “Dunno.”
“Well, let’s go,” Priscilla pulled her keys from her jeans front pocket. “We’ll take the Heaven.”
“Be careful,” Becks told them, “It’s started snowing again.”
They kissed Becks’ cheek and for the alcove that was converted into a large open coat closet. As Athos pulled his club cut over his leather jacket, Camille hung back a little bit.
“You going to skip this?” Priscilla asked her friend.
“Yeah, just in case Mrs. Davis is there,” she nodded. “If she’s out there in the weather, she’ll need some dry clothes, I’ll help Momma Becks find some.”
Athos hugged her as he dramatically, and loudly, whispered, “Don’t leave me alone with those two.”
Laughing, Camille pressed a loud kiss to his cheek. “You’re on your own, fucker.”
The two sisters laughed as they headed out to Priscilla’s 1957 Chevy Bellaire, more commonly known simply as the Heaven. As Eliza watched Athos fold himself into the backseat, she told him, “One of these days, I’m going to film you.”
“No, you won’t.” he grinned.
The three friends bantered back and forth as the older sister drove the large classic car into Ridgeview, headed for Woodruff Park. A few blocks from the park, she steered the land boat around a small two-car wreck and waved at the cop that was directing the light traffic.
“I’m going to tell Murphy that you’re flirting with a Ridgeview cop,” Eliza teased her sister.
“Gross,” Priscilla chuckled. “The man had to be about fifty.”
“How could you tell?” Athos asked.
“Because he’s the SRO from school,” Eliza smiled at him over the back of the front seat.
The headlights landed on a lone figure that was huddled against the wind and snow as they turned into the parking lot. Seeing that she was only in jeans and a hoodie, Athos swore softly under his breath.
Priscilla stopped the car in a spot only yards away from the bench that she sat on. “There’s a blanket in the trunk.”
Reaching behind her, she handed Athos the keys as the engine and heater continued to run. The fact that the old engine could continue to run without the keys, could actually be started without them in the ignition, was often a joke among the group of friends. Tonight was not a night for such jokes.
Athos crawled out of the backseat and retrieved the blanket as the girls approached the other girl that was in the same grade as Eliza. He tucked the thick blanket around the girl’s trembling shoulders and then took her phone.
With a sister on either side of Caroline, they helped her to stand and guided her to the car. Eliza urged her classmate into the center of the front bench seat. Once she was settled, they aimed the heater vents at her and fastened the seatbelt around her waist.
“I brought Priss and Eliza. Going to take her back to the clubhouse.”
Closing the door Priscilla could not hear anything else that Athos said to his brother or sister-in-law. Looking over, she saw her sister snuggle with the other girl close to her. Eliza grasped the cold hands between her own warm ones. The three girls were quiet as they sat there waiting for Athos. The only sound was the soft music of the local country station and Caroline’s chattering teeth. After a few tense moments with T. Swifty playing through the speakers, Athos opened the back door and slid inside.
“Let’s go get her under your momma’s wings.”
Priscilla backed out of the parking spot and drove back to the Shack where Priscilla and Eliza’s five moms were waiting for them to arrive. Caroline found herself surrounded by love, warm drinks and food.
Becks took her up to a spare room where Caroline found dry clothes. She pulled on the brightly colored fleece Disney pajama pants and black Army hoodie before there was a knock on the door. When she opened the door, Priscilla handed her a pair of thick soled plush house shoes before taking her down to the pool tables on the first floor.
Leo walked up to the pair and smiled at Priscilla before looking at Caroline, “Give me your clothes and I’ll go toss them in the dryer.”
“Thanks, Leo.” Priscilla said softly.
He accepted the damp clothes and tucked some hair behind her ear before cupping her cheek. “Anything for you, babe.”