Chapter Ten

You know you are broke as hell when your bologna doesn’t have a first name

Lloyd jokingly asked his sister for a high-five “Up-top”, when she was holding her arms across her chest to cover her bare-chest, after she stepped off the truck. If she had fallen for it she would have revealed her pert breasts to everyone, including Odd-jobs.

Lloyd could be a real joker at times and very silly. I actually enjoyed the pranks and exchange between his sister and him and had been doing it a little with Conner over the last few days.

Savannah normally didn’t seem to care all that much about anyone seeing her in that skimpy top or even naked in the house, but she growled and her nostrils flared at his joke. Then she stalked off inside the trailer to change. I think she was just embarrassed she had been caught flat-footed by the loss of the top while she was in the middle of a joyful moment; because it wasn’t even her top – it was her mother’s outfit.

Savannah went inside to change, grumbling about kicking asses and taking names and if only the stupidest people in the world would shut up some times they might hear what she is saying.

She might have also been miffed that her mother let Lloyd go to the Rec Center and told us we had to stay home. I didn’t know what the usual rule was in the family and I was too afraid to ask. I knew that my mom would never let me go to something like that in the middle of the night without adult supervision – I didn’t dare ask her if I could.

Lloyd asked my brother if he wanted to go. Conner declined and Lloyd shouted “Suit yourself” as he ran off into the humid night air.

I could smell burning sulfur mixed with the smell of garbage in the muggy trailer park night air. I would come to find out later that the Buckman is downwind of a large garbage dump. Any time someone pointed that out to me they would always add, “But you will get used to it,” as if that was some consolation to the smell of dirty diapers and rotten fruit that seemed to emanate at night if the wind blew just right.

Odd-Jobs talked to my mom outside for a few minutes and then cheerfully told her he would be back to pick her up in the morning. He complimented her on her choice of outfits – even though she fit right in with the three of us in her short skirt, heels and skimpy top. My mom smiled at him politely and walked inside with me.

I have to admit that I could identify with my mother’s awkwardness. I would occasionally receive compliments on my bathing suit or the outfit I had on and I would smile sheepishly and thank them because that is usually what is expected. What I wanted to say was, “You are creeping me out by staring at me. Please don’t remind me how little I have on and objectify me, you creepy old man.”

Did I mention anytime I received a compliment it was usually from a creepy old man?

If I received a genuine compliment from a boy my age, then I would actually smile.

“So you seem to be fitting in,” my mom observed, looking at my outfit, “A bit too well.”

“This is the only kind of outfit they have here,” I pouted that she was being unfair. Her clothes were even trashier than mine.

Crystal and Savannah were already watching television and Ted had cracked himself a beer to chug.

Mom sat down with me on the couch. “I am sorry,” she apologized. “It’s just been a hard night and I know the outfit wasn’t your choice. It’s just that you looked like you actually enjoyed wearing it in public.”

“Yes!” I smiled and giggled. “You should have seen all I had on before that!”

She gave me a stern look and told me that was for my own good. “I really didn’t want Conner to get an education on the female anatomy that way,” she didn’t seem in the mood to give this lecture.

“I know how it must have looked when you found us this morning,” even though it had been earlier that day, I had been through so much that it felt like days ago.

“Oh I pray you never walk in on your OWN daughter pretending to be a naked puppy for her cousins and brother and know exactly how it looked,” my mom was half-joking and half-scolding.

“Okay,” I offered a laugh and made a funny face, “when you say it like that it sounds kind of bad!”

“Mom!” Savannah stalked back into the living room and demanded, “Can I go to the Rec Center. I promise I’ll be good and be back early.”

I was shocked she asked after she had been told no so often. I would later learn that one of Savannah’s favorite tactics is to just keep asking; until her mother either gets tired of saying no or forgets that she said no.

“Fuck the fuck off Savannah,” Crystal took a drag of her cigarette dismissively.

Savannah stormed back into out room and slammed the door.

Savannah’s mom said nothing and continued watching an episode of Cheaters. She would periodically laugh with Ted about how stupid or spineless the people on that show were when they were concerned their spouse was cheating on them. “Oh shit! I don't want to do! Oh cheaters come help me!” they would giggle as they mocked the people.

The show did seem not to make a lot of sense. If you were concerned about the infidelity of your mate and you had them followed they would either be guilty or not guilty. If they were guilty then you would be nationally humiliated on television. If they were not guilty you would look like a clingy, creepy, stalker who worried too much and probably damage the trust in your relationship. People do a lot of things to be famous though.

“You know YOU aren’t going to the Rec Center, right?” my mom was not finished lecturing me and she was not going to accept the same attitude Savannah just showed her mother from me.

“I don’t have any reason or interest in going,” I was being completely honest. It sounded like it would be a bunch of kids I did not know smoking and drinking.

I will admit the idea that the Riggins brothers would be there made me a little bit interested. I could see my mom wanted to be sure I wouldn’t break the rules.

“I love you, honey.” She hugged me and forgave me for earlier. I hugged her back and thanked her.

“You know you two can have feelings and not ejaculate them all over the fucking living room right?” Ted was in the kitchen to get another beer out of the fridge. He put his hand to his crotch and simulated masturbating himself all over the kitchen while he made a face like he was in love with everybody and everything to illustrate his metaphor.

My mom’s face was pure disgust. She ignored Ted's attempts to be the center of attention and continued to talk to me.

Ted didn’t like not getting a laugh, so he flung the doggy tail I had in that morning in my direction like a knife, “Get this butt plug, or whatever it is, out of the god-damn kitchen. We have to eat in this motherfucker and I don’t want your dirty-ass sex toys clogging it up.”

Ted had a way of sounding serious and yet you wanted to laugh at how absurd the things he said were. I think it only made him crave authority more to not be taken seriously when he was trying to be serious.

I had forgotten I had left that tail out when I was cleaning all day. Ted had really spoiled a perfect moment between me and my mom. She tuned out after the tail hit me in the thigh and landed on the ground at my feet.

My mom stood up and inspected the kitchen, “You guys didn’t really clean up in here today?”

“We were going to, but then Crystal said we should wash cars,” I felt put on the spot.

Crystal looked up at her sister and asked “Would you rather have a clean kitchen or money in your pocket, Patricia?” and that was the end of that.

“You will clean this up tomorrow,” my mom insisted, after silently conceding her sister’s point.

“Naked?” I asked with a pout. I probably shouldn’t have even brought it up; but I can be anal-retentive and I was worried I was being punished for doing what Crystal told me to do.

“No, not naked,” my mom’s shoulders tensed up, “but don’t tempt me!” My mom told me to get a shower and get ready for bed. I was glad to get out of the living room and to hop in the shower before anyone else had used all the hot water.

I took the ‘tail’ with me to throw in the garbage and keep it out of sight.

I went to the bathroom and quickly undressed and prepared for a long shower. There is a bathroom window that is high enough no one can see in, but the screen was left wide open. I tried to shut the window because the garbage smell that wafted in was not making me feel all that hygienic, but I couldn’t reach it. I doubt the screen would have stopped the smell anyway.

I decided to ignore it and turn on the water after using the restroom. I was satisfied to be getting steamy warm water and I soaped myself up. My fingers brushed my hairless pubic area and at first I thought nothing of it.

I was alone and curious – I enjoyed the sensation of running my fingers across the smooth hairlessness of my pussy. I touched myself a little and began to caress my nipples. I imagined I was showering with Tim Riggins and his perfectly bronzed chest was pressed up against my back as he snuggled his rugged face against mine.

I started to feel myself orgasm ever so slightly and my knees got week. I was playing with myself now with two fingers and there was no point in pretending to myself I wasn’t. I unashamedly circled my clit with my fingers and pressed it against my skin. I probably looked a little foolish making a buck-toothed face and scrunching my nose, but I was enjoying how it made me feel.

I had not masturbated very often. I had only ever done it a few times because I always felt a little guilty. I also never really enjoyed it when I did. This time it felt very different – like I had earned it after being on display all day. I think it was a combination of how sexually explosive the day had been and the feel of my smooth body in the warm water, but I started to explode with ecstasy silently.

“Would you hurry up and finish playing with yourself?” Savannah said from the other side of the shower curtain. I had not heard her walk in. I was shocked and embarrassed as I pulled the shower curtain aside.

I wanted to deny what I had been doing, but she didn’t seem to care anyway. She was sitting on the toilet dressed nicely and waiting for me. She had the plug they called my ‘tail’ and was slapping it into her other hand while she waited.

“Hurry up and get ready,” she told me. “We can sneak out the bathroom window and be back without anyone knowing.”

“Savannah,” I whispered, because I knew how voices could carry in the trailer, “I don’t want to do this.”

“You want to sit in the bedroom all night with your little brother and stare at each other all night?” she meant that question as a challenge to me, but I shrugged my shoulders – what choice did I have.

“Look,” she explained, “The Riggin’s boys don’t invite girls like you and me to the Rec Center normally.”

I was drying off and brushing my hair. I told her that she shouldn’t put herself down and that she was very pretty.

“God Dammit,” she croaked that I had missed her point, “I KNOW I am the fucking bomb. It’s not that I am not pretty. I am just not the kind of girl that ends up with guys like that. I usually have to date dorks like Todd.”

I wanted to tease her that maybe if she didn’t use them for a ride for her entire family and then leave them with the check at the restaurant she might date a higher quality of guy, and more than once; but I thought better of it.

“I don’t want to get in trouble,” I repeated.

“You are such a fucking pussy,” she whispered at me angrily. “You heard your mom is going to make you clean up all day tomorrow anyway. So you are already on restriction.”

I just shook my head, “At least I won’t have to do it completely naked.”

“So someone saw your little titties,” she laughed. “I just sat here and watched you play with them like a porn star.”

I rolled my eyes and I became embarrassed. I was putting back on my clothes; but not because I was going out – but because I literally had no night shirt to wear.

Savannah took a different tactic with me and said she would introduce me to some of the cooler kids and that we would make a great team when we talked to the Riggins boys. “There are two of us and two of them – no one will be the third wheel. It is perfect!”

Her offer was tempting, but I was going to be a good girl and not sneak out. I just didn’t think the risk was worth it.

“Fine,” Savannah sounded hurt that I wasn’t going to come with her. I wondered why she needed me so badly. It did make sense that if she intended to talk to the two Riggins boys that one of them might feel like a third wheel. Then again, they are such good looking boys that finding another girl might not be such a problem. I puzzled while I straightened out my hair about Savannah’s motivations.

“You might get me out there like you did Cowboys and Indians and then run off and leave me to fend for myself,” I offered an excuse. I didn’t think she would be that mean; but it sounded plausible and was better than just admitting I was scared of what would happen if I get caught.

“Oh my gawd, you are still holding a grudge about that?” Savannah asked incredulous I would even bring it up. “That was like two weeks ago.”

“Two days ago.”

“Whatever,” she insisted.

“So you want me to go because we are friends?” I asked skeptically.

“No baby,” Savannah paused and let my ego deflate, “Because we are cousins and becoming like sisters.” She said with a big smile on her face, “Now get your fat ass through that bathroom window.”

I laughed and told her I would go on one condition, “Throw that damned tail you made me for me in the garbage!”

I quickly put on a little make up – not enough for Savannah’s taste, but enough to soften my features.

“We’ll be back in an hour I promise,” she said and added, “Your mom is passed out and Ted and Crystal have their eyes glued on the tube. It is a Mystery Diner’s marathon on food network. They love to watch how those waiters are stealing.”

I wondered if they sided with the owner of the restaurant or the waiter who was stealing and smirked that it was probably the waiter.

“What if we get caught?” I was still asking for justifications and assurances as I put my foot into Savannah’s hand so she could give me a boost up the bathroom window in the bathtub. She told me to pop out the screen and shimmy through and I started.

“Then I will tell them it was entirely my fault,” Savannah said as if that was obvious. I looked back down at her to see if there was more.

“Fine, if we get caught I’ll say it was entirely my fault AND that I made you. I will take the whole blame and ask if I can clean up all day tomorrow completely naked,” she offered me her pinky.

I didn’t know what she meant at first. She made me give her my pinky and locked them before declaring it was a ‘pinky swear’.

I was satisfied that I was in the clear. I was doing her a favor at her insistence, but at the same time I was pretty excited to see this Rec Center at night and meet some kids our age.

I dropped through the window and hit the cement right next to their air-conditioning unit with a thud. We waited for the sound of anyone being alerted to my crash through the window before I stood up to help Savannah through the window.

That is when I saw him in the bushes.

It was a full grown naked man masturbating furiously. He was behind the air conditioner in some bushes breathing heavy and staring at me while he tried to finish. I couldn’t see his face – it was just shadow but he was clearly stroking himself and thinking intently about me. I was really afraid of what he might do!

“Aaaaaiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,” I screamed at the top of my lungs. I just knew we were about to be raped by some mad man lurking in the bushes next to the trailer.

“Fucking Ding-Dong,” Savannah was only half out the window. She wasn’t alarmed at all. She sounded like she was disappointed at me for screaming at a false alarm.

The naked man stood up and I could see his face. It was the balding man who rode his bike by earlier and flashed his rather long cock at us through his jean shorts. He was very muscular, but his features were rough and hard. He clearly had spent a lot of time in the sun because he was very tan. He had long strands of hair as blonde as Savannah around a big bald spot on his head. I will never forget the look on his face. He seemed more afraid of me than I was of him.

He had been watching me through the bathroom window – probably the entire time I had been in there. He must have been standing on the air-conditioning unit completely naked.. There was a spotty batch of woods and bushes behind the trailer and now he had ran in there in a panic.

“Let me guess,” Savannah asked, “They don’t have flashers AND they don’t have peeping toms in hoighty-toighty Cherry Lawn Manor?”

“It is Cherry Lawn Estates,” I looked at the screen door opening – we both knew we were busted, “And no we don’t.”

Ted, Crystal and my mother stepped out on the lawn to find out what was going on. I pointed in the direction of Ding Dong. I was still completely frantic but they didn’t care or understand I just caught a man masturbating in the bushes right outside the house.

“Ellen thought she saw a naked man out here and she just wanted to scare him off,” Savannah tried to be cute but it sounded like a lame excuse. It was obvious she had already came to the conclusion we were both busted.

“You were sneaking out?” my mother’s question dripping with feeling she had been betrayed by me.

“I convinced her to do it, Ma’am,” Savannah kept her word and stuck up for me. She offered to take my place cleaning up and said she would spend the day naked if it will prove a point.

“No it certainly will not,” my mom was outraged that Savannah felt she could plea bargain or set her own terms for punishment.

“You will empty your closet is what you will do and put it all in my room,” Crystal told her daughter in no uncertain terms once my mom was finished berating us both.

“I will not,” Savannah insisted and added defiantly, “You can’t make me!”

“Do you remember what I told you this morning, little girl?” Crystal was deadly serious. I could see the light from the street lamp next to the yard flash in her eyes and it scared me.

Savannah didn’t say anything.

I wanted to know what it was about that unspoken threat that made Savannah back down so easily.

“You two won’t sneak out if you have no clothes,” Crystal laughed triumphantly at her elegant solution. She let us know she considered us two hormone-wild girls and this would put an immediate end to our ‘roamings’.

I looked at my mom to see if she would over-ride this decision but she said nothing. She could not even look at me. I wanted to explain that I didn’t even want to go, but I felt like that would seem spineless.

I could sense that between Crystal and my mother there was some hesitation about this new solution, but they both quickly decided to stand behind the punishment. I think they both wished there was some other way; but they probably assumed Savannah would just keep sneaking out and I’d keep going with her if they didn’t take all our clothes – I can see that line of reasoning.

We followed them back up the steps to the screen door. Crystal said, “You two can strip right here at the door and then you’ll clean your closet out completely and bring it into my room.”

Ted was grinning at our misfortune and poor execution of our escape plan.

“Fine,” Savannah wasted no time unbuttoning the half-top she had worn. “How long are you going to let Ted here stare at your daughter’s bare tits before this is up?”

“Savannah,” Crystal didn’t rise to the emotional bait that was being thrown out there. Savannah had explicitly mentioned Ted’s leering at us to imply that this punishment was about amusing Ted and not punishing us. “You don’t watch TV, you don’t play video-games and you are too old to have a favorite toy. I can’t afford to give you an allowance and if I could, you don’t deserve one because you never do anything around here. You don’t have a favorite sport or club at school and you don’t really give two shits about anything that I could take away. I don’t have anything else to take from you but the clothes off your back. I know you’ll stay in the house if you don’t have anything to wear and Ted has already seen the meat between your legs, so it’s not like this is about that. Hop out of the clothes completely and get in your room! I don’t want to see you.”

My mom stared at me with a mixture of disgust and scorn. I was taking off my clothes slowly. I felt like if I took them off slowly maybe she would have a change of heart and not make me go through with this. Once my top came off and she saw I had worn no bra she walked back into the living room. I wanted to explain that the top I had on didn’t lend itself to a bra but in truth none had been provided and I hadn’t asked.

I looked down at my chest when I saw Ted leering at my boobs more than usual. I realized it was not just the lack of a bra that had appalled my mother. My nipples had puffed up and elongated like two tiny penises that were rock hard. The coolness of the night air plus the adrenalin from catching the peeping tom mid-peep contributed, but I knew the shameful display was mostly because I had been playing with myself minutes ago.

I looked back up at Crystal and Ted staring at me – at my chest. I felt it might be karma to shame me so for sneaking out when I knew full well I could get in trouble. It served me right my mother wasn’t talking to me now. I had selfishly thought about having a little fun when the family was in such dire economic straights – I really beat myself up worse than anything my mom could have said.

Once I stepped out of my skirt and panties, I folded mine up neatly to present to Crystal.

Crystal stared at me expectantly. I was completely naked and standing on her rickety wooden deck – she even wanted my shoes.

I stepped out of those and handed them to her.

“Don’t give those to me. You’ll take them and put them NEATLY back into my closet and you two will put every scrap of clothes back into my room,” she instructed.

“This is just for tomorrow?” Savannah wanted an assurance. She was calmer and willing to accept this was our punishment now.

“This is any time you want to go out you will ask for clothes,” Crystal said before being cut off by Ted.

“You will BEG for clothes,” he clarified.

Crystal ignored him and continued, “You will ask me for clothes every day until I know you won’t sneak out of the house and do what you want.”

We both walked in the trailer stunned by what we had just received as punishment.

Nelly Jr. was coloring in a high school text book on the floor when we walked in. His Uncle hadn’t come back for him yet and he didn’t seem surprised at all to see us naked.

He had seen us that way earlier when we had to prove we didn’t have any more money hidden on us.

Savannah stood in the living room for a moment waiting for a wise crack from him or Ted. She looked like she was ready to say ‘Fine have a good laugh’; but when no one did, we both walked into the kitchen and headed for our room.

“Oh, and I found the fifteen dollars you hid under a rock outside,” Crystal noted as she walked in behind us.

Savannah cringed, but kept walking into her room. I supposed that was another hidden stash of money that Savannah had squirreled away from the car wash. She had told me she split the money evenly with me. They didn’t seem to hold a grudge about lying to one another or being sneaky about money. It was almost like a game between them, of getting caught and then having to share evenly.

“You two are going to be flapping those tits around the house for a while. You might as well get used to it.” is the last thing I heard Ted laugh out loud about as we shut the door on our room.

Conner looked up from his video game. He had already heard everything that had gone on outside, but it was cute that he pretended to be surprised. He ogled both of us, but not with the intensity and surprise he did when he saw us naked earlier in the day.

Savannah looked defeated. She plopped herself down on her mattress and sucked her thumb. I stood there awkwardly. I knew we had to empty Savannah’s closet but I didn’t want to be the one to do it without her help – it felt invasive.

The first time I was naked in front of my brother I felt completely embarrassed and vulnerable. He had on clothes and I had on nothing at all. On a scale of 1-10, I would have ranked the feeling of blood-rushing to my ears and making me blush at 10.

I still felt vulnerable and humiliated, but I was down to an almost semi-comfortable six. He stared at my hard nipples and then looked down at my hairless clit and smiled before looking away.

I have to admit I wondered if we were both getting jaded. I missed the child-like awe with which he looked at us. I know that may not make sense but, without too much hyperbole, it was like we were goddesses that he was studying because he had never seen anything like it.

There was a long awkward pause of silence. I wanted to ask Savannah how often she got punished this way. I got the impression that this weekend was the first time this had ever happened, but she seemed to take it with so much more stoic acceptance than I did.

I wanted to ask Savannah what it was that her mother whispered in her ear that made her back down. Savannah wasn’t the kind of person that you could bluff or give ultimatums to very easily. She had practically dared them to spank her earlier today when it came up and stared her mother down. She had chosen to spend the day naked and cleaning up instead of whatever it was that her mother had whispered so it must be a big deal.

“So question for you?” I left that alone and instead I asked, “When Ted said he would let you give that boy who took us to dinner anal, did he mean it?”

She flung a red rubber ball at me playfully and it bounced off my left tit and rolled on the ground. We both smiled and she shrugged a simple explanation, “No, I was just letting Ted shine him on. Ted just likes to talk a lot of shit.”

There was an awkward silence that followed that, as we all sat there in the bedroom waiting for someone to speak.

“You used to be the one who always got me busted for breaking the rules,” Conner posed a question to me, “So why did you think you should sneak out when you used to be a rules-queen?”

“I don’t know,” I thought that answer was better than saying Savannah talked me into it and I didn’t want to seem like a stick in the mud. I was the ‘rules queen’ I suppose now that I think of it – but I had been rapidly changing since we entered the Buckman. I could not be sure if every change was for the better and I wrestled often with my resistance to change and whether I should stick with being safe or take a risk and go with Savannah tonight.

“Was it worth it?” I could not shake the feeling that Conner was staring right at my boobs when he asked me this question.

I was going to answer that it was not worth it at all. I was mentally beating myself up over abusing mom’s trust and adding to her stress. I had just been given a ray of hope and redemption when mom thanked me for contributing to our finances. I didn’t even really want to go to this late night gathering – I had been talked into it.

“I never go to the rec center. I fucking hate the people that go there but tonight some cool guys asked us to go and I thought it would be fun to get your sister out of the house – I guess I was fucking wrong,” Savannah said wistfully.

“It don’t fucking matter,” Savannah answered for me. “My mom is just showing off. She wants to make my Aunt think she is a strict hard-ass. She never sticks with her punishment. She will forget all about this in the morning – so get an eyeful while you can. Do all the boob watching you want for now.”

“I am not even looking,” Conner’s voice sounded like he was obviously lying and you could tell even Conner knew it was obvious he was looking at us.

Savannah must have detected a trace of humor in his voice because she rolled over and flung a rubber ball that had been laying on the ground at him playfully “You are too, you little perv.

He chuckled and admitted sheepishly, “Okay, I am a little.”

We were all smiling at his goofy grin and open admission – it seemed to break the ice. The door knob jiggled and we could tell someone was opening the door. We all instantly lost our smiles and Savannah sat up and looked at the door–pulling her feet close in to her chest.

“Hello Ladies!” Ted barged in and was clearly addressing all three of us. He really could be a total asshole. He made it obvious he was insulting Conner for not being manly as well as gloating at our nudity.

“You are a total asshole!” Savannah declared; but if Ted heard her he ignored what she said completely.

“Smell those pussies!” he said, taking a big whiff and making a sour face – but clearly talking about the garbage smell in our room.

“That’s the garbage dump - you gross retard,” Savannah answered him with a tone as bitter as the wafting fishy smell of garbage that came in through the screened in window. I have always been taught never to say ‘retard’ because it is demeaning to the mentally handicapped; but I have to admit – that in this context it did apply to Ted.

“Hey that’s no way to talk to me,” Ted barely acknowledged her as he took a bite of bologna that he brought with him. He was wearing a dirty wife-beater tank top and dirty loose underwear. From where I was sitting I could see all the thick brown curly hair on his legs – they looked hard, like scratchy Brill-o pad wires. I didn’t dare look up at his crotch, but it was fairly obvious he wanted me to see it.

“Hey girlies,” Ted started to dance awkwardly like Chris Farley pretending to be a Chippendale on a Saturday Night Live sketch, “How about I shake this sack and you shake those titties.”

“How about I shove this,” Savannah had my duct-tape tail I asked her to throw away, “up your ass and you get the fuck out of here before I tell Crystal you are hassling us?”

“Hey Nancy,” Ted ignored his step-daughter and spoke directly to Conner, “How come you don’t have to show your vagina as well?”

Conner shook his head at Ted. I knew there was a time when bully’s like Ted would make life hell for nerdy kids in middle school. Conner’s generation embraces nerd culture and being scrawny and smart made Conner popular in Cherry Lawn Middle. I am sure he had very little experience with being made fun of and his face showed he was taking Ted’s words to heart.

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” I’d had enough and I was going to stand up to him, “Why don’t you leave him alone?”

Ted shrunk when I stood up and wagged a finger at him. He started to retreat out of the room, but he kept the same smug cock-sure grin on his face as he told me not to get my panties in a twist. “Oh you don’t have any!” he said and as he shut the door he added, “Seen you – wouldn’t want to BE you.”

“Damn girl,” Savannah applauded me for scaring him off. “I like that fire in your eyes. Buckman living agrees with you.”

I smiled at her – I really needed that compliment and I sat back down with a satisfaction that I had not felt in a long time. I should have been walking on egg shells. He was an asshole, but he was also a grown up; and he was going to be able to make our lives hell tomorrow if he wanted to hassle us. In that moment I did not care – I accepted the small victory.