Strawberry Wine (24 page)

Jason took a deep breath and blew a big puff of air through his lips. He hated it when Doug was right.

He knew Doug was only speaking out of love for him. Doug had never understood why Jason had taken the plea bargain with Alli’s father rather than go to trial and clear his name. Sitting with him now and arguing once again about Alli brought those memories to the forefront of his mind.

He remembered Doug’s reaction after he took the plea bargain;

“But you’re innocent!” Doug shouted. “Why the hell would you agree to that?”

“This can’t go to trial, Doug. They would use Alli as a hostile witness. I can’t do that to Alli. I can’t force her to testify in front of all those people. Force her to turn our intimate moments into weapons against me. Not after everything she’s already been through. No. It’s better this way. Easier.”

Doug’s eyes were bulging out of his head. “Are you out of your damn mind?!” He yelled. “You didn’t do anything
illegal
. She was of the age of consent! Why would you just give up like this?”

“I was her teacher, Doug. That nullifies her consent.”

Doug wanted to shake Jason violently. “You said you never had sex with her after she became your student.”

“I didn’t.” Jason put his hand on Doug’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “But I can’t prove that.”

“It’s not your job to prove that!
Innocent until proven guilty
, remember? The burden of proof lies with the prosecution.”

“I told you Doug, I can’t let this go to trial.” Doug let his knees buckle and he landed heavily on the sofa. He was quiet for a moment, mulling things over. “Ten years as a registered sex offender?” He asked softly. Jason nodded. “And you lose your teaching license?”

“Yes. But I wont serve any jail time.”

Doug looked at Jason with defeat. “Well, it’s your call. If you think she’s worth it, then I respect your decision.”

“I do. She is.” Jason held out his hand to help Doug up. “Come on. Let an unemployed sex offender buy you a beer.”

Doug laughed. He laughed because it was either that or cry, and he figured the least he could do for his friend was put up a strong façade.

The sound of Doug cracking open another beer brought Jason back to the present. “So now what?” Doug asked. “You two are going to get back together and ride off into the sunset?”

Jason threw him a half smile. “It’s a little more complicated than that.” He answered.

Doug rolled his eyes. “Of course it is. It
is
Alli we’re talking about.”

Jason stifled a chuckle at Doug’s sour tone. He sounded like a jealous girlfriend. “You know, what happened wasn’t all bad.” Jason said thoughtfully. “If I hadn’t given up teaching, I never would have become a successful gallery owner. So I guess I have Alli to thank for my padded bank account.”

“True.” Doug conceded. “You’d never splurge on such good beer on a teacher’s salary.”

Jason shook his head with mirth. With Doug, it always came down to the beer.

The school gym was draped in streamers and balloons in the school colors of purple and silver. A local band was setting up their instruments on stage as the homecoming committee scurried around putting the finishing touches on the decorations. Jason half chuckled at the name of the band painted cross the bass drum.
Russell Scott and his Red Hots
. It sported a scantily clad rockabilly chick hanging off the ‘S’.

Mrs. Drake came up behind him and gave his arm a squeeze. She reminded him all too much of Miss Piggy with her high pitched voice, to say nothing of her upturned nose and ample jowls. Mrs. Drake was very handsy.

“Ooooohhhwe, don’t you cut a dashing figure in your dark suit, Mr. Taylor!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Drake. And might I say that you look lovely yourself this evening.”

He inclined his head to indicate her evening attire. She had crammed her ample bosom into a teal green, polyester gown that went to mid calf. Had the gown been the correct size, it would have been considered matronly, but as it was, an indecent amount of cleavage was spilling forth for all to see.

“You dear man, please, call me Eugenia.” She reached up and lightly pinched his cheek. “Such a cruel trick, giving such a pretty face to a man. Why, if I were ten years younger...”

He smiled indulgently at the older woman. “If you were ten years younger, you would be attending tonight’s dance as a
student
.”

She batted her mascara encrusted lashes at him demurely and smacked at his arm. “Oh, Mr. Taylor. You do flatter me.” Mrs. Drake leaned heavily on his arm and giggled.

Mr. Scott, the principal, chose this time to join them. “Mr. Taylor, Mrs. Drake. It looks like we’re just about ready to get started. Mrs. Drake, shouldn’t you be manning the door?”

Mrs. Drake straightened and dusted imaginary lint from Jason’s shoulder. “Certainly. I was just thanking Mr. Taylor here for agreeing to chaperone tonight on such short notice.”

Principal Scott nodded curtly. “Yes, thank you Mr. Taylor. I know how trying these dances can be for the faculty.”

“Not at all, Principal Scott. I find them entertaining, to say the least.”

Principal Scott was not without a sense of humor. He stared markedly at Mrs. Drake’s retreating posterior and pursed his lips with mirth. “Yes, quite. Just watch her at the faculty Christmas party. She gets even more forward with a glass of eggnog in her.”

Jason chuckled good-naturedly. “I appreciate the warning!”

As the students started arriving and milling about, Jason stationed himself over by the refreshment table. He was disappointed to find there was no punch bowl to guard against being spiked. Instead the table offered various liters of soft drinks, pillars of plastic cups, and a bucket of ice.
Keep it classy, Roosevelt
. He chuckled to himself.

As the evening wore on, the gym was becoming more and more crowded. Jason tried to tell himself he wasn’t looking for Alli, but he couldn’t deny feeling a twinge of disappointment every time a new arrival came in and it wasn’t her.

She had promised to go to homecoming. Surely she would show up soon. He was disgusted with his intense curiosity regarding her chosen date. Would it be one of his students? A jock maybe? Alli didn’t seem all that interested in sports... Jason’s thoughts were halted when he caught sight of Alli coming through the doors. She was wearing a tasteful lavender gown in a grecian style. It was draped over one shoulder with a fitted empire waist, and flowing fabric all the way to her ankles. Jason thought Helen of Troy herself couldn’t have looked more beautiful. Alli was glowing.

She saw him almost immediately. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, and they stood transfixed, neither one of them willing or able to break the connection.

Alli was jostled by her girlfriend, Ellen, and two boys Jason assumed to be their dates. Her attention was pulled to what was being said within the group. Jason took a moment to size up Alli’s date.

He was unfamiliar. Jason hadn’t seen him in school before. He was big for a teenager. Big, and imposing. He had a closely shaved head, and an air of menace about him. Something about this kid raised the hackles on Jason’s neck. Jason hadn’t expected to
like
the guy, but he had been entirely unprepared for Alli to show up with a probable skin head. What the hell was she up to?

Jason spent the following hour performing his duties as a chaperone, avoiding Mrs. Drake and her wandering hands, and watching Alli out of the corner of his eye. Her date was apparently too cool for the dance floor, and Jason was pleased to see Alli dancing animatedly with Ellen while the thug lounged at their table. He was just starting to relax, thinking her date didn’t seem all that troubling, when a slow song started and the thug suddenly materialized by her side.

Alli looked surprised by his appearance. He swept her into his arms and pressed her tightly against himself. Alli was clearly uncomfortable, but plastered a smile on her face and tried to sway in step with the ox-like man.

It was all Jason could do not to storm over there and yank that punk away from sweet Alli. Alli was flinching away from his meaty hand attempting to caress her cheek. Jason was halfway across the dance floor before he even realized he’d moved. As he was pushing past a groping couple he saw a kid he recognized from his first period class, Josh, step between Alli and her date. They were too far away, and the music was too loud for Jason to hear what was being said.

The date seemed none too impressed by the intrusion, and gave Josh a sharp nudge out of the way. Josh held his ground, and the thug shoved him again, this time much harder. Alli stepped between them, only to be brushed aside by her angry date.

Suddenly Jason was between the two angry boys. The thug was large and well muscled, but Jason topped him by several inches.

“Do we have a problem here, gentlemen?” He asked, his eyes boring into the punk’s.

Alli’s date regarded Jason warily, clearly pissed, but weighing the worth of starting something that could really turn ugly. Jason saw his decision flash in his eyes.
I have no beef with you
they seemed to say. “I was just telling this asshole here,” the thug indicated Josh with a jerk of his head, “to mind his own damn business.”

Jason decided to try to handle the situation in teacher mode.

“What’s your name, son?” He asked, respectfully, but in a tone that brooked no argument.

“Derek.” Came the thug’s tight lipped reply.

“Well, Derek, we have a zero tolerance policy for violence here at Roosevelt, and that includes pushing and implied threats. I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Derek spared a look of disgust for Josh, then rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension they held. “I was just thinking I wanted to get out of here anyway.” He turned toward Alli. “Come on, babe. Grab your shit. Let’s go.”

Alli’s eyes were round as saucers. “Uh. Where’s Ellen?”

Derek smiled cynically. “Probably off enjoying some quality alone time with her date. Which is where we should be. Come on, get your stuff.”

Jason stepped back into Derek’s view. “Yeah. That’s not going to happen.”

Derek seemed surprised at Jason’s implication. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Jason wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Derek’s posturing. “It means, you’re leaving now. Alone. And if you know what’s good for you, I wont catch you on school grounds again.”

As dramatic as this little scene seemed to the four people immediately involved in it, the couples dancing right next to the foursome weren’t paying them any attention. Jason caught the eye of Principal Scott making his way toward the stage and nodded him over.

“Principal Scott. This young man was just offering to leave with out any problem. Right Derek?”

Principal Scott recognized Derek. “That’s good to hear. You go to Bridges, don’t you? I’m guessing you wouldn’t want any additions to your file?”

Derek had enough sense to know when to cut his losses. As hot as that Alli chick might be, she wasn’t worth letting his temper get him put back in juvy.

Jason started walking Derek toward the doors. “Don’t worry about your date. I’ll see that she gets home alright.”

Derek gave a snort of derision and shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever. Screw this.” Grabbing his coat off the back of his chair in passing, he stormed out of the gym.

Jason sighed and grabbed the back of his neck. Alli came up beside him and tentatively touched his arm. He jumped back as if she had scalded him. “Um, Mr. Taylor?” Jason looked into Alli’s soft blue eyes and for just one second allowed himself to forget that he was a chaperone at a high school dance, and that Alli was his student. For just one second, it was summer again, and Alli was his beautiful girlfriend. The first girl he had ever felt deeply about. The girl that moaned softly when he kissed her... “Mr. Taylor!” Jason blinked. Alli was staring at him with a look of nervous confusion. “What are you doing?” She hissed.

Jason realized with shocked horror that he had been about to kiss Alli, right there in front of God and everyone. He straightened immediately and gave a nonchalant look around the crowded gym. Most everyone’s attention was focused on the stage, where Principal Scott was preparing to announce the homecoming court.

He drew a deep, calming breath. “Sorry. I... I’m sorry.”

Alli smiled reassuringly at him. “No harm done. And thank you, for the Derek thing.”

Recalling the precarious situation that had just transpired, Jason fixed Alli with a scowl. “About that. What the hell were you thinking running around with a guy like that?”

Alli put a hand up to stop him. “I know. It wasn’t my idea. He’s Ellen’s cousin, and it was kind of a blind date.”

This information seemed to appease him. “You’re going to need a ride home.”

Alli noticed Josh watching them, waiting for a lull in their conversation.

“You should probably let me find another ride home.”

Jason’s scowl returned. “Don’t be ridiculous, we’re
next door neighbors
. Who would think anything of it?”