Throw Away Teen (16 page)

I nodded. “And that’s why I’m paying for the shampoo and toilet paper. But what am I supposed to do for now, Liz? Mister Stinky out there needs a bath and I’ve never given a puppy a bath before. What if I do it wrong? I don’t want to hurt him.”

She laughed again and went over to the vanity. When she opened the cupboard under the sink, I saw a new bottle of dog shampoo. Then, she got towels from one of the drawers. “We’ll finish cleaning up in here and then I’ll teach you how to bathe him.”

Once we finished with Guard, we brought in my new clothes. Liz helped me take off price-tags and hang my things in the closet. I put my shoes on the shelves when she warned me that Guard might mistake them for chew toys. She offered to look for a baby gate in the attic so the dogs wouldn’t get to the closet, but I said no. A cage was a cage was a cage. And I wasn’t having a cell in my room, not for me and not for Guard or his buds.

That night after supper, I did the dishes and fed the dogs. Liz and Ted came in from the other room, just as I finished, before I could escape to my studio.

“B.J., we need to talk to you.” Ted pulled out a chair for Liz. “We need to go over the rules about living here and going to school.”

“I should’ve known. You ought to know from my file that I’m not good with rules. I always end up breaking them and getting into trouble. I tried to warn Liz earlier that sending me to the academy wasn’t a good idea.”

“Some rules are necessary,” Liz said. “I had to follow rules in the hospital or my patients would die. And what do you think would’ve happened during the war if Ted and his comrades decided they weren’t going to obey orders?”

I had to admit she made a weird kind of sense. I’d never thought about rules like that. I just figured people were on power trips, determined to piss me off, and it was time to head for the door. I leaned on a chair and waited. “So, what are they?”

Ted handed me six pages, fresh from a computer printer. He passed another set to Liz and put another pile of papers on the table in front of his chair.

“What’s this?” I scanned the first page. “A contract? I don’t know about this. Maybe, you better just take me back to the center.”

“Maybe, you should read it first,” Liz told me. “Most of it tells you what we are willing to do. Some applies to you and since the rules are explicit, then you won’t have any problems following them.”

“Want to bet?” I slid into my chair. These old people were really tricky. So, I reread the first page. It basically laid out all our names, the address and phone numbers and the date. The following page of the contract detailed responsibilities in the house. Most had to do with the chores that Liz and Ted did. The next page went on about what I had to do at school.

“You guys really pay for grades? Fifty bucks for each A? ”You folks will go broke since Mr. Donnelly says the Academy’s going to get me a tutor.”

“Not unless you earn all A’s.” Liz smiled at me. “Jessie and Jocelyn used to earn extra funds when their report cards arrived.”

“Hey, I could make some serious money if you’re for real.” Liz gave me that special look of hers and I shrugged. “Okay, I got it. You two don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“Now, you’ve got it,” Ted said.

“Yeah.” I returned to my reading.

The fourth page covered extracurricular events like karate, art classes, horseback riding, dog 4-H, and other fun stuff. I stopped there. “You mean you guys will pay for whatever courses I want to take? Seriously?”

“You have to make a good try,” Ted explained. “You have to follow through for at least three months. We don’t want to encourage you to get in the habit of quitting just when you start something.”

“Unless you have a very good reason for leaving,” Liz finished. “It took Jocelyn three tries before she found a modeling coach she liked. One of the teachers talked to my daughter in a way I wouldn’t speak to a dog. I insisted she change instructors before I even talked to Ted about it.”

“I’m not a whiner or a quitter,” I said. “Not until I have to be. If it looks like I’ll get hurt, I’m outta there. No offense, but survival comes first.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Ted leaned back in his chair. “Liz and I learned that in Vietnam.”

I finished reading the contract.

The fifth page was all about what Ted and Liz would provide, food, clothes, and a place to live. I eyed them warily. I hadn’t said anything else about school breakfasts or lunches, but there was a paragraph in the contract promising me three meals a day and two or more snacks. Maybe, I wouldn’t have to hide food here.

I read the next section. They planned to pay me an allowance of fifty bucks each week. What was that? Real money just for me? No way!

“You’re going to pay me to live here for the next eight weeks?” I looked at Liz, then at Ted. “What will Carol say about that?”

Ted frowned at me. “What business is it of hers? You’ll need spending money, B.J. All kids do. You can use it for school lunches, make-up, bus fare, whatever you need.”

“You have to make it last,” Liz warned me. “We don’t give advances on allowances. Jocelyn used to splurge at the drugstore on cosmetics and then she had to pack her lunch every day.”

“But if I wanted to pack my lunch and save the money for something big, I could?”

Ted nodded. “The other thing to remember is that we don’t pay for chores, B.J. You’re expected to do your share around the house because you live here.”

“Works for me.” It sounded as if I had it made, and I figured that Liz and Ted would con Carol into agreeing that I needed money. They were tricky, all right. Still, I wouldn’t mention the bucks to my caseworker. There were some things she didn’t need to know and the money would come in handy when I was back on the streets with Guard.

The last page detailed other things I had to do. I was supposed to help with the supper dishes, cook one meal a week, take out the garbage and help feed the dogs every night, along with being solely responsible for Guard. Additional chores included keeping my bedroom, bathroom, and studio clean. I had to bring my clothes down for Liz to wash. My sheets needed to be changed at least once a week. I couldn’t have sleepovers during the week, unless it was during a school break. No dates on school nights and Sundays counted as one of those. Fridays and Saturdays, I had to be home no later than midnight. Liz and Ted had to approve of whomever I dated.

When I saw the bit about no fights, no drugs, or booze, or wild parties, I didn’t have a problem with that. With all the other rules, it made sense that Liz and Ted would have issues with those things even if they didn’t say anything about the dust-up with Irene last night.

I read the next sentence about personal hygiene and a sense of dread came over me. I was supposed to shower at least once a day and wash my hair at least three times a week. I took a deep breath. “I don’t agree with this. I’m not showering. You’ll just have to get used to me stinking.”

“Why?” Liz asked. “If you have a good reason, we will. Is it against your religion or something? Did I buy the wrong soap or shampoo and conditioner?”

I glanced at her, then at Ted before dropping my gaze to the table. “There’s no lock on the bathroom door.” Silence descended on the room. All I heard was Guard’s soft snores from under the kitchen table.

Ted rubbed his chin and his forehead wrinkled into a frown. Slowly, he nodded. “I’m sorry, B.J. We never thought of that.”

“Thought of what?” I demanded. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“Of course not, honey.” Liz reached out and covered Ted’s hand with hers. “It’s been a long time since we had the girls at home. When we remodeled the bathroom for you, I didn’t have Ted put a lock in the new door. We forgot teenagers like their privacy. The hardware store is open late, so he’ll go get a lock now and install it tonight.”

“You’d do that for me?” I stared at them. “You’ve already done so much. Buying me new clothes and fixing up that room for me and everything.” I felt Guard twitch in his sleep near my foot. “You even gave me a puppy.”

“Sweetie, we’d do anything for you,” Liz said.

“You just have to tell us. If it’s within our power and in your best interest, it’s yours.” Ted got to his feet. “Is there anything else the contract needs?”

I frowned at the pages. “You didn’t say what’ll happen when I screw up.”

“When I chew you to pieces, just remember you’re good with ketchup and you’ll be fine.” Liz stood and came to me. She rested a hand on my shoulder. “Anything else?”

“No hitting.” I lifted my chin and met her gaze. “’I hate that crap. If you think you can punish me by beating me up, I’m outta here.”

Liz wrote a note at the bottom of the page, signed her name then handed me the pen. “Are you going to sign it?”

I hesitated and looked at Ted. “Maybe.”

He took the pen from Liz and signed his name next to hers. “Once a Marine, always a Marine, B.J. I don’t hit women or kids.” He handed the pen back to me. “Now, are you in?”

“Yeah. What have I got to lose? It’s only till June when school gets out.”

***

As they had promised, Ted got the lock installed on my bathroom door that night. After I showered and washed my hair the next morning, I put on blue slacks and a white shirt, topping it with the blue sweater. I knotted the plaid scarf around my neck. I bunched up my hair in a comb so I’d look taller. Then, I did my make-up, just a little mascara, blush and light green eye shadow. I wanted to look cool, not slutty.

When I got downstairs, Liz stood at the counter breaking eggs into a bowl. She looked me up and down. “You look nice. Are you buying your lunch or packing it?”

“Taking it.” I grabbed a yogurt, apple and snack-pack of crackers for lunch since I didn’t plan to spend a cent on food. Why should I when they had cupboards and a fridge full of the stuff? So far they hadn’t said there was a limit on what I ate and my contract spelled out that I’d get three meals a day plus two or more snacks. I’d hold them to it and stick a couple extra packs of crackers in my backpack when nobody saw me.

Liz whipped the eggs with a fork. “Ted’s walking the dogs. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. Make yourself a sandwich. You want enough food to stave off starvation until you get home and this will be a long day for you. Classes at the Academy last till three-thirty.”

“Those people so need to get a life,” I said, heading back to the refrigerator. “I’ve never been in a school that goes so late.”

Liz laughed. “Just think of it as your job and it will all make sense.”

After we ate breakfast, Ted gave me fifty bucks, my first week’s allowance. He told me I’d usually get it on Sunday nights. He said that since I was going to school, I’d need money.

I caught the Academy bus at the corner, about fifty feet away from the Driscoll’s driveway. Once I got on, I checked out the other kids. Everybody was in the school uniforms, too. For once I wanted a home to work. I wanted to stay with Guard, who followed me to the door this morning and then whimpered when I left him behind with Liz. I even wanted to live with her, and I could put up with Ted, as long as she kept him on a short leash.

One girl had her nose buried in a book. I went and sat by her. She looked a bit nerdy and that suited me. I liked being in control. She had brownish red hair and huge glasses perched on her nose. I thought she was reading a book for school, until I saw the cover. A half-naked woman clutched a handsome knight in shining armor and they were lip-locked as if tomorrow wouldn’t come.

The bus bounced over a bump. The girl looked at me. She gave a small smile like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. “Hi.”

“Hey,” I said back and nodded at her book. “Must be exciting.”

“It is.” The girl smiled again, her nervousness easing. “I’m Willa Jackson.”

“B.J. Larson.” The bus turned onto the main street and I saw the school in the distance. I lifted my chin and took a deep breath.

“Are you new?” Willa asked.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll show you around.” Willa looked embarrassed at the offer she’d just made. “I mean if you want me to.”

“That’d be great,” I said. “Unless you have to meet someone or something. Then, I’ll be fine.”

She blinked big golden brown eyes at me. “I don’t have to meet anybody. Do you?”

“No. I barely know anyone here.”

“You know me.” Willa closed the novel and stuffed it in her backpack. “Do you have your schedule?”

“Yeah.” I dug in my pocket and pulled out the paper Mr. Donnelly gave me the day before. “Right here.”

“Okay.” Willa studied it. “You have Algebra first period and English second. Then, it’s Washington State History, American History and lunch at the same time I do. After we eat, we have the same World History class with Mr. Miller. He’s strict, but he’s fair. Then, we both have Spanish. Last of all, you have Photography. No Science? What’s that about?”

“Mr. Donnelly said it’d be better if I took extra Science classes in the fall and caught up my history credits since it’s so late in the year,” I said. The bus slowed. When I looked out the window, we were in the parking lot at the school. “Do we have any other classes together?”

Willa eyed the schedule again. “Yeah. American History and Algebra.” She frowned thoughtfully. “You have PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays and that’s swimming till the end of the year. We have to be at the pool tomorrow morning for zero-hour.”

“When’s zero hour?” I asked.

“Six-forty,” Willa said. “It’s awful, but we get breakfast tickets since we’re not supposed to eat first.”

“Is there a bus?” I asked.

“Yeah, but it goes at six in the morning,” Willa told me. “I’ll get my mom to pick you up if you want. Then we don’t have to be ready super early.”

“Sounds good,” I said, as the bus pulled around to the front of the Academy.

We were the last two people off the bus. I slung my backpack off one shoulder as we headed toward the front of the school. I saw a group of guys playing Hackey-Sack and recognized Ringo. He hit the small bag and sent it flying toward a big, dark-haired dude. Then he spotted me.

He said something and walked toward me. His friends followed him. “Hi, B.J.,” Ringo grinned at me. “Come on. We’ll take you around.”