High School Hangover (13 page)

“That sounds great,” I finish, noting the look of pleasant surprise that cross Jack’s features.

*****

At the senior’s insistence, we head inside Primrose to find ourselves more suitable outfits for the trip home. As instructed, we take the stairs to the second level. Jack gives me a thumbs up, then heads right to Dom’s room, while I continue left to Milly’s room. I’m half expecting a star with the word “porn” inside of it to announce I’ve found Milly’s room. To my surprise, there are just four white closed doors.

Milly practically threw a temper tantrum when she realized her clothes were the only ones that would fit me. I’m not exactly psyched about the situation either and am just hoping I can find something without rhinestones or vulgar acronyms to wear. I open the second door as she instructed and nearly jump out of my skin when I see a man sitting on the bed clutching a picture frame.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, starting to pull the door closed. Dang that, Milly. I can’t believe she made me purposely bust in on him. I have a feeling she might be a thorn in my side this entire trip.

“You can leave it open,” his small voice says so I leave it cracked and continue down the hall. That must have been who Ginger and Trudy were talking about. I wonder why he doesn’t want to go with the others. They are definitely a kooky bunch but I can’t imagine that he has anything else to do. I guess it’s not really any of my business.

I find Milly’s room, and to my surprise, it isn’t wallpapered with beefcake pictures. She has an exquisite wedding ring quilt draped over her bed that resembles the one my parents used to have on their bed. Mom packed it away after the divorce. I shake off the memory and throw open the closet. Surprisingly, I immediately pull out an adorable pink and white gingham sundress. I unzip the gown I’m wearing and it falls to the ground. I almost forget I have somehow misplaced my underwear until I spy myself in a vanity mirror across the room.

As much as I don’t want to do this, I can’t go traipsing around caveman all weekend, so I pull open Milly’s underwear drawer. All she has are thongs and padded bras. I slip one of each on and instantly feel miserable. I pull the dress on, and luckily, it feels much better than the undergarments.

I grab a pair of shorts, a T-shirt and another thong, knowing I’ll need at least one more change of clothes. I scoop everything into a plastic bag I find on the floor along with the gown. Leo will be able to help me get it back to the rightful owner since his moving company was transporting the belongings. It will be a good excuse to visit him the minute I get back in town.

A thought hits me as I adjust Milly’s underwear. What if Leo thinks I left the party on purpose? What if he doesn’t believe that this road trip with Jack wasn’t planned? If Leo ever found out about that kiss, we would be over before we started. He would never believe that Jack did it to distract the movers, even though I don’t doubt for a second that he never really wanted to kiss me.

I close Milly’s door and head back down the hall. I don’t see Jack lingering so he must already be out in the bus. I’m almost to the stairs when I hear sniffling. I turn back to see the man I passed earlier hunched over sobbing into his hands, the picture now resting on the carpet. There is no way I can just leave him here. I get a crazy idea that just might work. I walk into the room and pick up the picture. It is a black and white wedding photo of a very young couple. The groom is incredibly handsome with dark hair and chiseled cheek bones wearing some sort of military uniform. The bride is beyond beautiful with her shoulder-length smooth curls and amazing smile. She’s wearing a simple white dress with a rope of pearls around her neck, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“Wow, she’s exquisite. She looks like Ingrid Bergman,” I remark. For once, Mom’s movie choices came in handy.

I almost drop the picture when the man looks up. His pure sorrow sears through me like a hot knife into butter. What was I thinking barging in here? I don’t know this man at all. I’m afraid he’s going to scream at me or slug me with the wooden cane next to him, but the corners of his mouth actually turn up in a bit of a smile.

“Thank you,” he says kindly.

“For what?” I ask, handing the picture gently back to him.

“For not talking about her in past tense,” he says, patting a spot next to him on the bed.

“You’re welcome,” I say, feeling like a bit of a fraud considering I didn’t realize she had died. “What is her name?” I ask, choosing my words very carefully.

“Esther. She’s my wife,” he tells me. “She died six months ago.”

“I’m very sorry. You must miss her very much,” I say, touching his hand. I’m so lucky that I’ve never lost someone close to me. I can’t imagine how I would feel if something happened to Mom or Dad.

“I was in the military my whole life, so I was always prepared to uproot at a moment’s notice or be thousands of miles away from people I loved, but I wasn’t prepared for this,” he shares, nearly breaking my heart in two.

I remember how devastated I was when I found out Dad and Mom were getting a divorce. People were constantly saying stupid things to me like how it would get better, or how lucky I was because now I had two families. I don’t want to say stupid things like that so I sit with him for a minute, holding his hand while we both look at the picture.

“I’d really like to hear more about Esther.”

“Nice try, little lady, but I’m not leaving this house,” he insists, grinding the end of his cane into the carpet.

“I guess Milly was right,” I bluff, rising from the bed.

“Right about what?” he grumbles. “What did that old hag say about me?” he asks, taking the bait.

“She just said you weren’t any fun and that she was glad you weren’t coming,” I lie. I feel a tad guilty but Milly was the one who tricked me into coming in here in the first place.

“Don’t just stand there, help me pack,” he says, reaching under the bed and pulling out a small suitcase.

“Okay, but only if you’re sure,” I say, hiding my smile.

“I’m Bernie,” he introduces himself, throwing some clothes into the suitcase.

“I’m Laney.”

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Laney,” he says, making me wish that people still talked like that all the time. I can only imagine how dapper he must have been and how hard Esther fell for him. Guys like Bernie are practically non-existent these days. Text messages have replaced love letters, and marriage proposals are public spectacles, instead of private moments. Hopefully Leo has a romantic buried inside of him. Bernie carefully tucks the wedding picture inside of his suitcase then escorts me out of the house.

I can’t help but bask in the senior’s appreciative smiles as they realize I got Bernie on board. Milly throws me a stinkeye, but Bernie replies by stomping on her toe with his cane.

After making sure that Bernie is settled, I run inside and use the restroom. I find one on the first floor and rush so I don’t keep them waiting. Besides, I’m as anxious to hit the road as they are. I’m hoping we drive straight through and get home by tomorrow.

I fling open the front door of Primrose and see a deserted driveway. There is no sign of the bus anywhere. I sink down on the steps in shock.

I’m about to hyperventilate when I hear honking and see the bus come tearing up the driveway. Two wrinkly butts are pressed against the back windows. My brain can barely process that I’m actually being mooned by a couple of geezers. These butts look nothing like Parker’s did yesterday and I might actually be traumatized for life. The bus screeches to a stop and thankfully everyone puts their pants back on.

“We was jus’ messin wit ya,” Dom yells out the window.

“I just do what I’m told,” Santa says guiltily, opening the folding door so I can climb on.

I’m not amused. I stomp onto the bus, angry.

“I told them not to do it,” Bernie exclaims, waving his cane around in a fury.

“Milly thought it would be a good initiation into the Primrose bunch,” Santa clarifies.

I’m just relieved they came back. I get a few whistles as I start down the aisle. I’m suddenly very aware of how low cut this dress is. It felt so good getting out of the sequin nightmare that I didn’t realize the V-cut neck plunges too low for my tastes. Self-consciously, I clutch my hands in front of my chest.

“Sit with me,” Bernie demands from way in the back.

I smile at Jack, who looks hilarious wearing one of Dom’s track suits. He looks strangely flushed and I worry that he might be getting sick. That’s the last thing we need right now. I keep walking but the thought that something else might be wrong makes me spin back around. When I do, Jack is eyeing me exactly like he did the plate of barbeque he ate earlier. When he realizes I’m watching him, his face flushes even brighter. I whip around and bolt down the aisle, sliding in next to Bernie.

Before I can even begin to analyze what in the world that look was all about, Jack yells, “Nice back tattoo, Dimples.”

Chapter Seven

“He’s pulling your chain,” Bernie assures me, checking my back for the third time.

“Are you sure?” I insist, jumping around trying to crane my neck to see my back. I must look like the human equivalent of a cat chasing its tail. I suddenly remember April Stevens and her life-changing dragon tattoo from last night.

“You’re making me regret this trip and we aren’t even out of town yet,” he grumbles.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I don’t understand why he said that.”

“You caught him checking you out and he had to throw you off his scent,” he kids, tapping the side of my leg with his cane.

“Jack doesn’t like me that way,” I explain. “Besides, I’m kind of with someone,” I elaborate. Leo and I were really hitting it off last night, from what I can remember, until Jack and Erika ruined everything. Oh my God, Erika! She must be going out of her mind worrying about me. What if she’s called Mom?

“Bernie, do you have a cell phone?” I ask, frantic. I can’t believe I didn’t think to call her when I was in the pawn shop but I was so taken back by Dad not helping me that I couldn’t think of anything else at the time.

“Who the heck am I gonna call?” Bernie responds.

“Does anyone have a cell phone?” I shout.

Everyone shakes their head no.

“An iPad? A Kindle? A Nook?” I ask, getting increasingly desperate.

The only responses I get are a bunch of vacant, wrinkly-eyed stares. Super, I’ve entered the technological Bermuda Triangle. Not to mention the fact that if one of these ailing octogenarians kicks the bucket, we have no way of contacting the outside world.

Jack makes his way back to us. “What’s wrong, Laney?”

“I forgot to call Erika. She probably called Mom already. Oh my God, there’s probably already an Amber Alert out for me by now,” I say, going into full-blown freak-out mode.

“Relax,” he says, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Dot let me borrow her phone before I left the diner and I called my parents and Erika,” Jack tells me.

“You did?” I ask, amazed. “Why?”

“I knew she’d be worried about you.”

“That was really nice of you, Jack. What’d she say?”

“She thanked me for calling and said she would make sure she stayed on the down low for the next few days so she wouldn’t run into your mom.”

“Did she tell you if Leo asked about me?” I can’t help but ask. Jack jerks his hand off my shoulder and his grin is replaced with an expression that reminds me of the time I stuck an entire handful of Lemonheads in my mouth.

“No, Laney. She didn’t tell me if Leo asked about you or not,” he replies in a monotone then moves back to the front of the bus.

“Thanks again,” I shout to his retreating figure, but he ignores me.

“Boy, you really screwed the pooch,” Bernie pipes up.

“What does that even mean?” I ask, but already have a vague idea that it means I messed up with Jack.

“That nice boy called your friend to cover your butt and all you can do is ask about another boy,” Bernie clarifies, shaking his head.

“It has nothing to do with me, he just doesn’t like Leo.”

Jack’s been pretty cool about helping to get us home, so I’m going to try not to say anything about Leo for the rest of the trip. If only I could remember how I got into that truck or anything after being in the pool. It’s so frustrating. I rest my head against the seat back and close my eyes, determined to remember something.

I remember swimming, by myself, apparently wearing nothing but my underwear, which has probably hit Facebook by now. I watched Leo follow Amelia inside, then a few seconds later I remember somebody yelling about a girl missing. What name was that again? I remember not really caring because I didn’t recognize the name, which I guess must have been the punch talking because it’s not like me to be so uncaring. It was a weird name. Like Gigi or something. No, Mimi, it was Mimi.

“Jack,” I yell, bolting upright, “did they find that Mimi person last night?”

“False alarm,” he answers, not looking back.

Okay, so Mimi wasn’t really missing. That’s a relief and so is the fact that something came back to me. Maybe if I’m patient eventually I’ll remember everything. One thing is for certain, I will never touch an energy drink again.

“Are you gonna get out or are we gonna sit here all night?” Bernie asks, urging me out of the seat with the end of his cane.

I look out the window to see us parked in front of an all-you-can-eat buffet. “This is a joke, right?” I yell, but everyone is already piling off the bus. What is it with old people and buffets? We haven’t even been on the road for fifteen minutes.

“Move it or lose it,” Bernie threatens, holding his cane like a spear above my left foot. I scoot grudgingly out and follow the others. This is going to be one long road trip.

*****

Two and a half hours later, we finally get everyone back on the bus. Thank goodness the seniors sprang for a deluxe bus that has its own bathroom or it would probably take two weeks to get back home.

At Ginger’s request, we have switched up the seating a bit. As annoyed as Bernie seemed to be at me, he didn’t take too well at being split up, especially when Milly plopped down next to him. I snuck in next to Jack, hoping to get him to talk to me since he spent the whole time at the buffet, literally eating as much as he could, even though his barbeque couldn’t have been digested yet.