Chapter 12: Jenny

Monday morning, and it was time to head to class. Life has a funny way of kicking you in the teeth. Before, going to school was a must, I did it out of routine. After the magical time I’d spent with Prent, I couldn’t get out of my head how different it was to be with him.

Trent was the funny one. He would make me laugh all day long. Brent was somewhere in between; he could be funny, but at times he was dead serious. As for Prent, he was the sensitive one. The one I knew I would be making love with and not fucking. They were the same on the outside, even if they did wear their hair different and dress completely differently, but inside they were completely unique. I didn’t know what was going to happen once I moved out, something I had to think about when the time came, which wasn’t now. Claire had reassured me everything would work out, but I’d hardly seen her in days, and the good news she promised to give ended up leading to nothing.

I was late to class. I didn’t care because I was daydreaming about my time with the boys. The bell went a few minutes ago, so the hall was quiet. I was just at the door, about to head to class, when someone shouted, “Don’t!”

Someone held me back and my eyes darted around, I saw who it was even if I didn’t recognize the voice.

“They’re waiting for you in there. Just don’t feed yourself to the sharks,” Tracey said as she moved her hand away from me, a lot gentler than she’d done in the beginning. With a puzzled look, I backed away from the door.

I didn’t get why she was talking to me. Kurt had been cruel to her from the time she matriculated over a year ago, calling her names, not only because of her size but her race too.

“You’re late, and Johnson came in and said Whyte has been in some accident. Don’t worry, she’s fine. So, anyway, no class. I heard Kurt and Barbie talk about making class fun and seeing as they’ve decided to stop picking on me and you’re the new victim, I decided to come out and wait to save your ass.”

“Why would you do that for me? I don’t deserve it.”

She clicked her tongue. “Yeah, you kind of do. The number of times he’s called me lard, fatty, Ms. Black Piggie and you’ve told him to stop… any other girlfriend of a bully would join in. You always told him to stop and not be a part of it.”

“But he never listened.”

“You’re gonna thank me for saving your ass or stand out here until they figure out that you’re here?”

She crossed her arms, squeezing them tightly over her belly and chest.

“Where we going?” I asked as she walked away from me, swinging her arms as if she was in the army. The good thing about it being class time was the hallways were quiet, but we both knew it could change in a couple of seconds.

“You know the back field, right? Saw you sneaking off through it three weeks ago with Brent. Let’s do that.”

I picked up the pace in front of her. “Damn, thought it was a secret.”

She chuckled as she adjusted her framed glasses. “In this place? Nah, they should just put everything on the loudspeaker. I don’t even have friends here, and I know all of your business. How’s that possible?”

I turned to face her. “Instagram. Snap Chat. Take your pick.”

“Exactly, and one thing all high school kids love to do…”

Before she even said it, I filled in the blank for her. “Is bitch!”

She laughed. “You got that right.”

We reached the back door and I hesitated before pushing it, wondering if she was going to change her mind. She didn’t as she pushed past me. Once we reached the fields we walked side-by-side, until we were on the main street.

“What now? We only have thirty minutes until the next class.”

“Enough to get a milkshake and chat.”

This time, I was the one holding her arm as she was about to cross the street and head to the diner, Green Gate. I’d been there a few times with Kurt whenever we cut class, which used to be mainly on a Friday. We would head there during English lit, have a shake and then head back. No one said anything about us cutting class. I suppose this was Brent’s point about the rich being able to do anything and getting away with it. We did a lot of things that the teachers turned a blind eye to, and I never really cared or thought about it until now.

“I’m just trying to make sense of it all. I mean, you being nice and us being like this.”

She nodded, and her afro puffs bounced up and down on her head. “I suppose one thing about being here is that this year has been lonely, and I saw an opportunity to have a friend so I took it. Is that so bad?”

I shook my head.

“Seriously, no friend all year round?”

“I’m not a nerd, so I don’t fit in their group. I’m not one of the pretty girls, not in there either.”

“What? You’re beautiful, why wouldn’t you consider yourself pretty?”

“Well, pretty here means slim, designer clothes and being a bitch to everyone. I’m not any of those three. I’m still a virgin, so I don’t fit in with the cool girls, and last but not least, I’m big but I’m not big enough to fit into the fat group.”

We both laughed as we checked the road and crossed it. We kept on running, seeing as we were jaywalking, and we were more worried about cops fining us than getting run over.

Well, I was anyway. I was living with the boys and their mom. She was kind enough to give me money, but I knew I was a burden to them, even if they didn’t say so. I was still one extra mouth to feed, something they didn’t have in their household until now.

“My treat,” she said as we reached the doors of the diner. I felt like a charity case. I knew she was saying it because of my situation. I could have tried to be proud and tell her I didn’t need her charity, but she was being friendly so I should be grateful and nothing else.

“Thanks.”

As we entered, she smiled at me and said, “Just don’t order the whole menu.”

We laughed, agreed on where to sit, and took the corner booth. The news was showing and sure enough, my dad was the headline. It was as if there was no escaping from it. Lacey, the waitress, saw me then looked at the screen and shouted for it to be changed. She knew who I was. She’d seen me in here so many times. We exchanged a few words, out of courtesy, but I had the impression she didn’t think much of Kurt. Then again, no one really did like Kurt; if anything, they tolerated him because of his family status and who he was, and probably they did the same thing about me.

I sighed as she approached our table. “You didn’t have to do that for me. But thanks.”

Her dark eyes lit up as she bent down and smiled, and strands of her blonde hair escaped her cap. “I know, but I bet it’s a shit-storm at the moment.”

She was around the same age as my mom and showing me more kindness than Mom had since everything happened; every stranger had done that.

“Besides, the prick has been in here talking about it so much. It makes my head hurt the way he talks about you. It’s true, your mom has done a disappearing act?”

I nodded, speechless as I confirmed what she’d already heard.

“That’s rough, kid.”

“I know, but she has a friend to help her through it and we have exactly twenty-five minutes until we need to be back to class.” Tracey said as she broke up the moment.

Lacey shook her head. “Sorry. Of course you should be in class. Double chocolate for you, and what can I get for you, sugar?”

I said, “Same as Tracey. I’ll go for double chocolate.”

“Muffin too?”

I shrugged. “Why not?”

I was trying to put on some weight, and I needed the energy to keep up with the boys. They were always wanting more, more and more, not that I was complaining. I loved the attention and the idea of being wanted.

“Girl, you can eat. That’s what I like,” Tracey smirked as Lacey left the table. “But how come you’re all skin and bones, or are you one of those girls that eat like crazy and never put on weight.”

I shook my head. “Nah, I’ve just got my appetite back. Something I lost for a while.”

She motioned for us to move closer together so we could talk privately. Not that anyone was interested in our conversation, but I was intrigued to hear what she wanted to ask me.

“So, is it true about you and the boys? That you’re with all three of them?”

I didn’t expect her to say this to me. I’d only been with Prent last week, and it couldn’t be public knowledge, because he didn’t go to our school.

“How do you know?”

She winked. “No one talks to me. But they talk, and I listen, especially in the bathroom. Gossip spreads like wildfire in there. If you want to know someone’s business, just spend a couple of hours locked up in the john.”

I knew what she was saying was true, but then creepy at the same time. The whole idea that someone would spend hours in there… but then it kind of made sense when you had no friends Especially during lunch time, when all eyes were on who sat with whom.

I decided having someone talk with me was a nice feeling. I knew I had the guys, but I still craved having a girlfriend. I didn’t realize how much until now.

“Yeah, I know. Crazy, right?”

She slammed her hand on the table. “Not crazy, that’s fucking wild. I’m so jealous. You have three guys! Back in my old high school, I had a boyfriend, but we broke up after moving here.”

I sighed. “Sorry. Is it because of the long distance?”

“Nah, he was a jerk. Bit like your ex. I got tired, or bored, or a little of both and just told him it should end. Moving was a good excuse.”

Lacey laid our orders on the table, smiled again and then left as the diner started to get busy.

“Yeah, Dad being arrested seemed to be a good excuse for Kurt to dump me.”

She pointed at me. “You should have dumped him a long time ago. The guy’s been cheating on you for the last year or probably longer.”

“I know that now, didn’t at the time.”

“Really? You blind or something?”

I giggled because I loved the way she talked. There was no holding back with her; she said exactly what was on her mind.

“It seems that I was, and I didn’t even realize.”

We had a lot more in common than I ever would have imagined, and I felt comfortable as we both tucked into our muffin and slurped on our milkshake.

I reached out my hand, after cleaning the chocolate off of it.

“Tracey Williams, will you be my friend?”

She lifted her shoulders and wiped her hand. “You’re weird. You need me to shake your hand to agree to be friends with you?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay then, Jenny Hampton, I’ll be your friend. You’re one and only friend in high school. Deal?”

I laughed. “You sure do have a deal.”

And like that, it was only seven months until the end of high school, but my life had completely changed. Not only did I break-up with Kurt before the Valentine’s dance, but I’d been not only with one brother, but three of them.

For the first time in high school, I had a friend.

A real one.

* * *

There was an unspoken silence between Brent and I as we were the only ones in the house. I was tired, I’d been out late with Tracey, and I had forgotten what it felt like to have a girlfriend. I used to have one back in middle school, but she moved away and ever since then, my world was all about Kurt and nothing else.

“Tracey and you are getting on well. I’m glad to see that.”

I slumped down onto the sofa.

“Yeah, can you believe throughout high school I’ve never had a girlfriend? So, it’s been cool.”

Brent agreed. “She’s cool. She’s always in the diner. Think it’s her second home. Doesn’t matter what time of day I go. She’s in there. I sit with her at times. I can tell she’s lonely and everyone else are just jerks.”

“Why is that? ‘Cause of her skin?”

“Jenny, why would you think that? It’s nothing to do with her skin, just everyone sticks to their damn groups, and no one even thinks of doing anything new. They’re closed minded. You must see that. You were one of them too, remember? Doesn’t mean it is a color thing, it’s just the way they roll. Anything new is seen as a threat. They can’t fucking process it.”

“You mean we live in a bubble?”

“You’re smart enough to know that is exactly what I said. What’s got into you today?” He stood up and reached out his hand. “We’ve been stuck in all day. Let’s go out and just hang by the pool.”

I shrugged. It was a Saturday and I should be out there looking for work. Every week Claire gave me money, and I hated myself even more for it. But I gave up that thought process as I took his hand.

I was not in a sensual mood, but then he must have sensed it because he was topless and he wasn’t making a move. I was still in my PJs. Usually I would venture out, even just to walk around the park, but today I didn’t feel like doing anything, which wasn’t like me at all.

“It has been months since Dad was arrested,” I said as we walked to the garden. “Mom hasn’t been in touch, and neither has Russell, yet Dad’s out on bail. I mean, how did he even get the money?”

We were still holding hands, but then Brent stopped, looked back at me, and raised an eyebrow.

“Does it matter how he got the money? Aren’t the other points you mentioned more important…? The fact he’s been out and hasn’t bothered with you. Did you really expect him to?

I let go of his hand.

“I did actually, silly me. My ex was fucking someone for close to two years, and I never knew. My parents didn’t give a fuck about me, and according to you, it’s because we all live in a bubble. Which clearly shows why I was fucking blind. Happy now?”

I put my hands on my waist. I was angry and defensive at the same time.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have been so harsh. Especially with everything you’ve been through. Let’s lie on the chairs, and I’ll make it up to you with a massage. You know I have magic fingers.”

I laughed. “Yeah, you do.”

He took my hand and led me to the chairs, and I slumped my shoulders like putty in the palm of his hands. As we reached the sun chair, I lay down on my back.

He hovered over me, then as if by magic, I saw him rubbing his hands together after placing massage oil down.

“You had it all planned, didn’t you?”

He sighed as he stretched out his hand, ready for action.

“You know me. Take off your shirt and let me get rid of all that tension you have inside.”

I sat up and slowly peeled off my shirt. I had no bra on, and my nipples were erect, ready for him to get to work.

He ignored that I was being turned on, as he said, “Lie back down on your stomach before I decide to do something else.”

I did as he instructed, glad that he respected that I said I wasn’t in the mood for anything more. It was no secret that as much as my pussy was aching for him to take me, at the same time it was sore too. I’d been so busy with Prent lately, it needed to rest maybe a night or two. Even longer if we kept going on like this.

He didn’t touch me, so I looked to see what he was up to. He was putting oil in the palm of his hands again and rubbing them again. I started to get turned on, hating my body for reacting to him. He moved to put his fingers in my hair and started to gently rub. Making sure to touch every corner of my head, then he swept my hair to the side and worked his way down my neck. His fingers felt soft, but he was breathing heavily, as if he was getting turned on as he moved to my shoulders and then down my back.

My heart started to pound as he moved down my shoulders to the sides of my breasts. He gently touched them. Nothing sexual, more sensual.

“You’re so beautiful, Jenny.”

I turned around, wondering what had made him say that. His words caught me by surprise, as I no more held on to my breath but enjoyed his magic fingers as he traced them around my breast and then back to my back. In the middle he did a scissor movement, and my head started to feel relaxed. No more did all the tension in which I was feeling earlier enter my mind, rather the opposite. As he moved around my back and sometimes scissored he would then roll his hands on my shoulders.

“That’s it, go to sleep.”

My breathing started to become heavy and I did start to feel tired. I didn’t sleep much at night. Now, my mind became empty, and I wasn’t just enjoying the moment, but loving it too. He changed his position and I felt his legs on either side of me, and he moved toward my head, kissing the back of it.

“I love you, Jenny Hampton,” he whispered.

I couldn’t help but tell him how I was feeling too.

“I love you too, Brent Edwards.”

With the confirmation, he continued to massage me, and my world for the first time in a long time was at peace as I softly fell asleep by the power of his fingers. It was as if with every stroke, he was wiping all my anxiety away, and I felt nothing but tranquility as I dropped asleep.