Part 7

FRIDAY October 6, 2219

As with most days Mom woke Tina and her sisters at quarter to six. But Mom’s voice was softer this morning. She did not demand the girls wake up. Instead she asked. Tina thought she sounded almost like she was pleading.

Tina noticed as well it was an easy thing to wake up, to get out of bed, and to slip into the shower, unlike any day she could remember before. She was first there today, though she was usually the last to drag herself in. Dana was only seconds behind her.

“It feels different,” Tina said aloud.

“What does?” Dana asked.

“Everything,” said Tina as she washed her hair slowly, feeling her own fingers on her scalp as if for the first time. Tina’s very lungs seemed to be ultra sensitive. The air had its own texture this morning. Yes, things had changed. Tina helped Dana with her hair and makeup, not so much to help Dana, but because she what to remember what it was like. She even helped Sandy clean the bathroom when all were done.

Downstairs, Tina arrived just in time to see Daddy leave. He accepted a kiss on the cheek from her and off he went. Tina watched him go, paying close attention to the sound of the door closing behind him. Odd, she thought. He’s not brusque. He was very careful closing it, as if the door needed to be handled delicately. The fruit on the table: melon and peaches, she savored, and felt the texture of them with her tongue.

Tina looked at the clock. Seven. If she left now, she’d get to the computers in the lab before they were all full up. Tina stood and gathered her things.

“Where are you going?” asked Dana. “It’s only seven!”

“I… I need to get to the computer lab,” said Tina.

“Why?”

“A little project on Kobe…”

“Hey,” Mom said. “Before you leave, any objection to inviting Debbie to stay with us?”

“Hell yes!” Dana said.

“You don’t want Debbie here?” Mom looked surprised.

“I mean, no, no objection!” Dana said.

“I don’t mind at all,” said Tina evenly. Debbie was Dana’s confidant. They kept in touch with snail-mail and email. Debbie, of course, had her own computer back in New Jersey, as well as her own internet connection. But Dana had become a Debbie fan ever since the girl revealed she had dated the hottest jock at her school, and dumped him for the hottest nerd at her school. They were inseparable every time the Cokelys went to New Jersey to visit Gramma. The last time had been during the height of summer, when Mom liked to get out of the Arizona heat.

“Mom,” Dana asked. “Can I take Debbie to the football game tonight?”

Tina rolled her eyes, knowing now that Dana wanted to show Debbie her prize quarterback.

“I suppose,” said Mom. “Uhm…” Mom paused. “Is this about that boy? The football player?”

Tina stifled a laugh with a snort. Mel, Cory and Sandy were not as discrete, openly laughing at Dana.

“What’s so funny?” asked Mom.

Tina looked at Dana who sat there with pleading eyes.

“Bart made out with Dana yesterday,” said Cory.

“Cory!” Dana protested.

“Well, that’s what you told Gramma!”

“I did not!” said Dana.

“Actually,” Tina corrected. “Lindsey did.”

“Lindsey made out with Bart?” Mom asked.

“No!” Dana said.

“Lindsey made out with Dana?” asked Melanie.

“Lindsey told Gramma about Dana and Bart,” said Sandy.

“That’s so romantic!” said Melanie.

Mom looked horrified.

“Don’t worry, Mom. All they did was kiss. I was there. She didn’t even flash him. Not once!”

“Tina!” protested Dana.

“Okay,” Mom said. “So everyone knew this long before I did? How come I’m just finding out now?”

“Mom!” Tina said. “He’s coming tomorrow, so you and Dad will meet him BEFORE he even invites Dana out on a date… except, tomorrow’s a date…” Tina thought out loud. “Anyway, I need to scoot.”

Tina felt a bit more herself again. The surreal lurch the day had started with was, thankfully, subsiding. She trotted to the front door and opened it to find Jeanine about to knock, with Lana, Lindsey and Lorrie flanking her. Lorrie, once again, wore her uniform in that “scandalous” way, which seemed to elongate her bare midriff. And, while Lindsey was, as usual, properly dressed, Lana had emulated Lorrie. The effect on Lana was to enhance her top-heaviness. As with Lorrie, Lana had cut her skirt down by half and wore the waistband over her hip bones.

Tina almost laughed, but stopped herself.

“Good morning,” she said instead.

“Leaving already?” asked Jeanine.

“Yes,” said Tina. “I need to get a computer before classes start. What’s up?”

“Do you have to?” asked Lorrie. “I was kinda counting on your being here.”

“Oh?” asked Tina. “So, what’s up?”

“Lorrie,” said Jeanine. “If Tina needs to go, she needs to go…”

“What’s so important?” asked Lana.

Tina was hesitant, not wanting to tell and have her plan ruined. But she answered anyway.

“I need to do some research on Kobe…”

“Oh!” Lana said. “Mom, I need to go with Tina.”

“What?” Lorrie said. “What’s going on?”

Jeanine was looking at Lana suspiciously. “Why?” she asked.

“It’s a project I completely forgot about! C’mon, Tina,” Lana said. “Let’s go!”

“See you guys later,” said Tina, not at all sure about Lana’s motives.

“What was that about?” Jeanine could be heard behind them.

The two walked a ways in silence.

“Kobe meat girls,” said Lana when the two were out of earshot. “Massage, right?”

Tina shrugged.

“Thanks for letting me tag along. I sure didn’t want to be in there when my mom drops her bombshell…”

“What’s that?” Tina asked.

“It’s a tidbit of information designed to shock people,” grinned Lana. “Anyway… after we left you guys. We showed my parents the stuff we got. We were all excited. But then my mom told us she’d be getting spitroasted with your mom tomorrow.”

“Bullshit!” Tina stopped walking.

“No bullshit! I’m serious!” Lana’s expression was sincere. “My dad said he was having a hard time saving up for the license for Mom’s spitroasting, so now was the time.”

“Wow,” said Tina, starting to move again.

“Anyway,” said Lana. “That’s not all.”

“Don’t tell me, you’re doing it too!”

Lana laughed.

“Actually,” said Lana. “After we went to bed Linds and Lorrie were talking till late about which one of them should… it was so annoying, they wouldn’t let me sleep.”

“And?”

“They’re still undecided, which shouldn’t surprise you…”

That made Tina laugh.

“No, you! No You! No Me! No Me!” Tina emulated a scene between Lorrie and Lindsey they both knew from years ago. It caused Lana to go into a giggle fit.

“Anyway,” Tina said at length. “You were saying?”

“What?” Lana said, wiping her eyes. “Oh, yeah! Mom said… and don’t hate me for telling you this…. She said she and your mom had sex!”

“She did not!” said Tina. “I’m calling bullshit!”

“That’s what she said!” said Lana. “That’s why she ran us over to your place first thing this morning! She felt all guilty about telling us.”

Tina could hardly believe her ears. She knew it was true, somehow. She remembered the softness of mom’s lips on her own last evening… and, heaven help her… the promise she’d made to Mom… what if she asks…?

“Wow,” Tina said as she started walking.

“Yeah,” said Lana.

“My god”

“Exactly!”

Then something dawned on Tina.

“Lana, I told you what I was doing and you get it, right?”

“I think so.”

“What do you think I’m doing?”

“You’re going to try to find out about how the Japanese massage their special livestock girls… probably so you can do it for Martha.”

“Exactly. But I didn’t know my mom and your mom… were… lesbians.”

“They’re bisexual,” Lana corrected.

“So you knew, and you’re coming with me? Why?”

“I thought it would be a nice idea,” said Lana.

Tina looked at her. “What if you’re giving Jeanine a massage and she… you know…”

“Oh!” said Lana. “Oh!” It was Lana’s turn to stop, and she turned a little red. “What about you?”

Tina thought about it, then shrugged. “I made Mom a promise. I told her I’d do anything to make her happy.”

“And you’re keeping it?” Lana struggled to keep up.

“Yep?”

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

“Me too!” said Lana.

Tina favored Lana with a smile.

“But,” Tina said. “Don’t spill any of this to anyone else. I really want to be… you know… I want to give my mom something nobody else thought of.”

Lana nodded. “’Kay!” she said as the two went up the main steps into Poppyfield High. Inside Principle Daniels was posting notes on the main bulletin board. As he turned his gaunt, bespectacled and mustachioed face to the girls, he nodded to them.

“Good morning, Ladies,” he said.

Tina thought him an attractive older man. It was also not lost on her that his last two wives had been students from this school.

“Good morning, Mr. Daniels,” Tina said. “Is the computer lab open yet?”

“I just opened it.”

“Thank you!” replied Tina. “Oh, before I forget,” Tina added. “Did you know both my mom and my grandmother are getting spitroasted tomorrow?”

“My mom too!” reminded Lana.

“I did hear about that,” said Mr. Daniels. “Yes.”

“Well,” Tina said. “My gramma wants me to make sure the faculty is invited.”

“Does she now?”

“Yes, she does. She especially wants to meet you, Mr. Daniels.”

“Me? Why me?”

“Well,” Tina said. “She heard I like to flash you, so she’s interested in your thoughts on the shape of my bottom…”

Mr. Daniels’ expression was so priceless, it made Tina’s week. He turned beat red with embarrassment and had a hard time looking at either of the girls.

Tina grinned. “But seriously… you are invited. And I’d like it very much if you came.”

“I… uhm…” he said, still a bit flustered.

“Please?”

Mr. Daniels finally nodded, seeming to swallow hard and force a smile.

Tina smiled back, and she took Lana and the two scurried away toward the computer lab.

“I think he likes you,” said Lana.