Chapter Sixteen—Sweeny
Momma slammed the door and stared at her. “What are you doing here, Sweeny? You never skip school.”
She shrugged. “It was just a onetime thing,” she said. “Who told you?”
She started the engine and backed out of the driveway. “Some kid from the school called the bank and left a message for me—at my new job! Said that he was worried because you didn’t come to lunch. What were y’all doing out here?”
Checking for magical powers? She bit her lip to keep from smiling. “Just decided to come back to Lucas’ place and goof off.”
Goof off meant one hundred and one different things in a parent's head.
“Listen to me,” Momma said pulling onto the highway. “I love Lucas, and I think he’s good for you, but you can’t skip school. It’s your senior year and you need to be there. Don’t ever do this again. I would say I’m disappointed but I’m not. I did a lot more in high school than you ever even thought about. I don’t want you to turn into me, and get pregnant at nineteen and the father disappear.”
What an opening.
“Speaking of,” Sweeny said. “Do you ever hear from him? In seventeen years, have you heard from him?”
Momma stared ahead. “No.”
Sweeny could feel the lie.
“Promise?” she asked.
Momma turned right toward the school and parked in the front. “Sweeny, go to class. Knowing anything about your daddy isn’t going to help you. I do promise that.”
Sweeny grabbed her purse. “I’m strong enough to know, Momma.”
She shut the car door and walked toward the double doors. It was gym and she didn’t see going in late with an excuse that she skipped school, so she waited in the hallway for her next class to begin.
Her cell phone beeped.
Skipping school. I’ve taught you well.
Sweeny smiled at Hattie’s text.
Yeah, someone called Momma at the bank. I’m back at school.
Sweeny grabbed her bag from her locker and walked toward her fourth period class.
Oh, that punk. I bet Jeremy did it. He asked where you were and I said I didn’t know. He acted worried. Maybe he has the hots for you? You have all the good ones. Speaking of, I have to tell you about Kurt tonight. Can I come over?
Sweeny stared at her phone. Jeremy called Momma?
She shoved her phone into her pocket as the bell rang. What kind of shady tattletale would call her mother?
Something told her he watched her and it scared her more than her animal herd.
Lucas met her at the track after school with a sandwich and a bag of chips. “I know you’re probably hungry,” he said. “I forgot you haven’t eaten lunch.
She was hungry. Her stomach reminded her every ten minutes during her last two classes. “Thank you,” she said, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. “I found out who called Momma at the bank.”
He fell into step with her as she devoured her sandwich. “Who?”
“Jeremy.”
He stopped. “He called yo Momma?”
“Yes. Hattie said he was worried. I think that’s horse crap. He doesn’t want us together for some reason.”
Lucas stared out at the kids on the football field. “Is that him?”
Sweeny swallowed a bite. “Probably not. Hattie asked him if he—" Sweeny squinted. "Oh my God. He told us he didn't do sports."
Lucas' jaw tightened in annoyance. “You stay away from him, yeah?”
She nodded.
“You in trouble with yo Momma?”
“Not really, she was wild in school, and it doesn't hurt that she likes you. I asked about daddy and she said he wasn’t worth it. I think I’m going to look tonight when she showers.”
Lucas gripped her chin. “We gonna figure this out, yeah? I have a bad feeling he,"—Lucas looked toward the field—"knows everything.”
Coach called her name from the field. “Got to go. See you after?”
He nodded.
Sweeny walked toward the track, hurrying to finish her sandwich, she slung her bag toward the curve and met them to stretch on the field. The boys stretched on the other end, Jeremy watched from the distance, waving at her when she looked.
She ignored him.
What kind of loser called her Momma at work?
Coach worked them hard with their upcoming meet that Friday. It excited her to think they would go out of town. She had plans.
Maybe Lucas would want to come. She didn’t expect him to but would love to see him in the stands.
“Remember girls, our track meet is in two days. Make sure to bring your signed forms. We won’t meet tomorrow so we can have a break. We’ll meet at the on-campus bus station at two on Friday. Don’t get drunk or pregnant before then.”
Coach dismissed them.
“Sweeny!”
She ignored Jeremy, and grabbed her duffle. She could see Lucas waiting at the flagpole.
“Sweeny!”
She cringed as he neared her. “Sweeny,” he said, swinging her around by her elbow. His blue eyes burned dark at their touch and a deep hatred leaked into her veins. She snatched away from him, feeling better immediately.
His face transformed as he smiled. “I was worried about you today at lunch. Where were you?”
She gave him a deadpanned look. “I know you called Momma at her job. Don’t ever do that again. I don’t need a babysitter, I’m seventeen-years-old. And you don’t know me.”
His smile never faltered. It almost looked like he enjoyed the havoc she let out on him. “My apologies,” he said. “I guess you were with your mate over there, huh?”
“My what?” she asked.
He laughed. “Your boyfriend? Looks like he’s mad.”
She felt Lucas nearing them. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah,” she said, turning and starting up the hill to the parking lot. She turned back and they both stared at each other. “Lucas,” she said.
Jeremy smiled larger. “See you Friday, at the track meet, Sweeny.”
Lucas’ fists tightened at his sides. Jeremy taunted him. Lucas finally turned and escorted her toward his truck. He spun tires out of the parking lot. “This guy is here for a reason; I just don’t know what yet.”
Sweeny felt it too. Jeremy was here to hurt them. Tear them apart and unleash something. Her mother’s car wasn’t in the driveway when she got home, so she asked Lucas inside.
“I need you to guard the door.”
Lucas glanced around, kicking off his muddy boots. “Do you suspect someone to break in?”
“No,” she said slinging her bag onto the counter. “I’m gonna go look through her drawers. She isn’t going to tell me anything. I tried. I have to look.”
Lucas leaned against the doorjamb of the kitchen. “Are you sure, cher? You weren’t sure at my house.”
She shrugged. “I need to know.”
He nodded.
Sweeny felt like a creep wafting through Momma’s drawers, pulling out underwear and letters from past boyfriends. It didn’t feel right. When she came up empty, she sat on her bed feeling like a piece of poo.
Lucas walked to the doorway. “Ah, cher, come on, you don’t need to do this. I can see that sadness on your face.”
She stood up. “Let me look in the closet first. Hold on.” She lifted up on her tiptoes, searching the top shelf. Boxes of shoes and old totes of clothes sat on top of one another.
Lucas stepped in beside her. Taller than her, he reached for a tote. Sweeny opened the red lid. Tons of folded clothes were stacked to the brim. She pulled out the top piece, curious, seeing and old nightgown that looked like it’d been made in the forties. “This must have been my grandma’s,” she said.
Sweeny put the lid back on and grabbed a shoebox Lucas brought down. The edges didn’t shut from the papers stuffed inside.
She sat down in the floor and opened the lid to the Sketchers box. Letters, bills and a stack of checks with a rubber band around them were stuffed inches deep. The checks were uncashed, and her blood ran cold when she read the name.
Patrick Harper.
“Lucas,” she whispered. “That’s his name. These checks are dated back in 2004 when I was a toddler; they broke up way before then. She is lying to me about something.”
Sweeny put the old checks to the side and shuffled through more papers until she ran across Polaroid’s. Sweeny filed through tons of pictures of him. They went over the span of years due to the ever-changing look of her dad.
“Is she stalking him?”
Lucas looked through the pictures. “These are newer,” he said. “Look at that model Jeep in the background. It’s at least a 2019.”
“She knows where he is,” Sweeny whispered. “Why would she keep this from me?”
Lucas ran his palm along her back. “I’m sorry, Sweeny.”
She took her cell phone out of the band of her track shorts and took a picture. A car door slammed. Lucas helped her shuffle the things back inside and put it back in place.
The door unlocked as they made their way to the kitchen bar.
“Ms. Harper,” Lucas said, offering her help with two bags of groceries. “I wanted to say I was sorry for earlier, yeah? I persuaded Sweeny to leave school. She didn’t want to. She’s a good girl.”
Momma smiled at him. “I know that. I overreacted. Hattie was on her way over here when I passed.”
“I forgot she wanted to talk to me about Kurt.”
“Kurt Farmington?” Lucas asked.
“Yeah, you know they date.”
He made a face. “He gives Jaxson the creeps, says he’s always spying on him.”
Sweeny smiled. “You ever think it’s because y’all are weird?”
Lucas winked at her.
Hattie pounded on the door. “Come in.”
She walked inside, sliding her shoes off. “So y’all are officially an item now?” Hattie asked. “Cathy Ann was talking about it in class today. Said she prays for Sweeny every night.”
Momma frowned. “You have a bad reputation, Lucas?”
He shrugged. “Nah, I’ve never been in trouble with the law, ma’am. It’s these small towns. They whisper.”
“Y’all go ahead and go to Sweeny’s room and I’ll fix supper. Tacos okay with everybody?”
“Great,” Sweeny said.
Hattie jumped onto Sweeny’s bed. “Is this where y’all do it?”
Sweeny tossed a pillow at her head. “Shut up. Now we need to talk about you inviting Creepy Jeremy for a ride to school.”
Hattie pushed a dread from her eye. “You don’t like him?” Her eyes shifted to Lucas who sat in her desk chair. “Or is Lucas jealous?”
“Both,” he said.
Hattie grinned. “He is just different,” she said.
“Nah, dude is weird,” Sweeny said.
Hattie shrugged.
“So, Kurt?” Sweeny asked.
Hattie turned to look at Lucas. He got up, taking the hint, and walked outside into the back yard.
“He’s gone batshit crazy, Sweeny.”
“How so?”
Hattie sighed, lying back on her bed. “He is claiming some crazy stuff. I love ‘em, he’s a good guy, but working for Jaxson’s parents is not good for him. He is spying on Jaxson.”
Sweeny stilled. “What is he saying?”
Hattie kicked her feet into the air and laughed. “It’s insane. He says that he thinks Jaxson shifts into a werewolf.”
Sweeny eyed the doorway. Did Lucas have super hearing? He glanced over his shoulder at Sweeny. Yep, he did.
“That’s crazy.”
Hattie sat up, searching for a reaction. “I know, right. I told him that and now he won’t talk to me. He keeps skipping lunch and hanging out in his truck. Now he is afraid for your safety and wants me to keep you away from The Trios Loup.”
“That’s considerate,” Sweeny said. “Don’t be so hard on him. He works hard and maybe he is just tired.”
Hattie shrugged, her eyes searched Sweeny’s. Did she want advice? Because Sweeny didn’t have any. She was hardly keeping her own head above water.
“Maybe a night out with you would help.”
“I wanted to have alone time with him—ya know, knocking boots—but I don’t know how to ask.”
“You two have never done it?”
“Nope, not yet. I think he took Cathy Anne’s virginity and I hate it. I don’t know why he doesn’t want to with me.”
“Obviously he is worried about other things at the moment.” Sweeny laughed. “Just go for it.”
Hattie smiled. “You think? I guess I can ask him to meet me this weekend and lay it on him.”
“Well, maybe a more subtle approach, but to each their own.”
Hattie shifted her eyes toward Lucas. “Speaking of. Have you two?”
“I told you no.”
She frowned. “I want to know how big it is, there are vicious rumors around the school.”
“I thought he never dated before.”
“He hasn’t, that’s why everyone thinks he’s huge. Too huge for your average girl.”
“So everyone thinks I’m a canyon down there?”
Hattie laughed. “No, they feel sorry for you. We’ll all know when you do it; you won’t be able to walk.”
“Oh my God, stop talking,” she said.
Hattie’s phone chimed. “It’s Sarah Beth, I better call her. She gets temperamental.”
“Okay, you want to stay for tacos?”
Hattie stood. “Nah, I’ll let Lucas devour your taco.” She winked. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“No Jeremy?”
Hattie stopped at the door. “I’ve already promised him a ride. You think Lucas could drive you?”
“I’ll ask. See you tomorrow.”
Lucas walked back inside. “So Kurt knows, yeah?”
“Smart guy,” Sweeny said.
He walked over to her bed, sinking on top of her. “I’ll let Jaxson know.”
“Do you always eavesdrop on my conversations? Even in the cafeteria?”
He smiled. “You think about having a penis sometimes.”
She groaned, shoving against his chest but he braced her wrists against the bed. “I’m glad you’re my mate, cher.”
Momma knocked on the door. “Tacos.”
He grinned. “I’ll eat your taco anytime.”