"Right here Homey." One answered. "Should be comin round in about twenty minutes."
"Hope you can make it that long." The one that had made the crack about the hood commented.
I looked around again, not seeing anything that offered comfort to me. The street was lined with liquor stores, cheap motels, and the occasional sub-human apartment complex. There were alleys between each of the buildings that undoubtedly contained all manner of thug of all races and creeds. This was not a place to take a little stroll. I turned back to the three-man comedy team.
"Gentlemen," I said. "I propose a business deal."
"Say what?" The apparent leader of the trio asked me.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill, my weekly ration from my paycheck. I silently gave thanks that I'd increased it to ten after starting work in the hospital. "Take this ten." I said, "And take it into the liquor store there. Buy me one of those forties you're drinking, since I can use a drink about now, and give me back a buck for the bus. You guys keep the rest for yourself in exchange for keeping me from getting killed before the bus gets here."
They all stared at me for a moment, a trio of THE LOOK. Finally the leader spoke.
"And what's to stop us," He asked. "From just takin the dime and sendin your ass the fuck out of here?"
I shrugged. "Absolutely nothing." I answered.
It took them a moment but they finally started laughing. The leader, shaking his head and grinning, plucked the ten out of my fingers and headed into the store. He returned a minute later handing me a frosty, forty-ounce can of King Cobra and a dollar bill.
"You know somethin Homey?" He asked me as I cracked open the beer and took a huge swallow. "You're all right. You the most fun we had around here in a fuckin week."
And so I made it safely out of the worst area that Spokane had to offer. I boarded the bus, buzzing pleasantly from the beer that I'd just slammed into my system, gave my business partners a wave goodbye, and found myself a seat. I thought it prudent to avoid going to the hospital that day, giving Julie twenty-four hours to cool down. Since I was not accustomed to riding the bus and since I did not have any more money to spare I simply sat in my seat until the bus I was on passed near my home. It took nearly two hours and by the time I got off my bladder felt as if it was going to burst. I ran the five blocks to my house, fumbled with the key, and dashed full speed to the bathroom.
It was a fitting end to the school day I supposed.
When I came home from work that night Mom was once again sitting on the couch and watching television.
"Hi Bill." She greeted. "Feeling better today?"
"Much." I lied, putting on a cheery face.
"Have you talked to Nina?" She asked delicately.
"She won't talk to me." I answered. "But life goes on, doesn't it?"
"What did you guys fight about anyway?" She asked.
"It's kinda personal Mom." I explained. "But don't worry. I'm coping."
She gave me a sideways smile. As I started up the stairs she suddenly called me back.
"I almost forgot." She told me. "Anita called and asked if you could put up her storm windows this week sometime when she gets home. Winter's coming soon you know."
"Sure." I answered. There had been a time, about a week ago, when the news that Anita had called, asking me to do something for her would have caused a stir in my nether regions. But now, nothing. Sex was still the furthest thing from my mind. "I'll do it tomorrow afternoon."
She beamed at me. "It so sweet of you Bill." She commented. "Helping Anita out even with your busy schedule. You're turning out all right."
"I hope so." I said as I headed upstairs, realizing that for the first time in forever I was looking at a trip to Anita's as a chore.
I sensed no thawing of feelings from Nina the next day so I did not attempt to talk to her. At lunch she sat alone again at her table. Mike joined me at mine, pointing at her.
"Why's she sitting over there?" He asked, not bothering to finish chewing his food first.
"She's pissed off at me." I told him.
"How come?"
"It's personal." I answered.
He stared at me for a moment and then, in the way of Mike, dismissed the subject. "You ridin' the bus today?"
"Yep." I answered, wondering if he was going to start questioning me about Julie now.
Instead he gave me a sour look. "I'll be with you." He said.
"Yeah?" I asked. "How come?"
"Bug's broke." He told me. "The fuckin oil pump took a shit on me. Have to wait till my dad gets paid again before I can get it fixed."
I commiserated with him for a minute and then our talk turned to other subjects. After lunch we boarded the bus and found seats together. Nina, not even looking at us, found a seat by herself near the front.
My stop came before his so I bid him farewell and exited through the door along with the other ROP members assigned to the trauma center. As I headed for the main doors I saw Julie's car parked in the parking lot. I felt my nerves tense up as I anticipated having to work with her. After all, we worked with scalpels and other sharp instruments.
But as it turned out my fears were groundless. She had already talked to the supervisor apparently and had requested a change of work partner for personal reasons. My new partner was Brett Jackson, one of the other guys in the class. Julie was working with another girl in a section across the room from me. Brett asked a few questions regarding the transfer but I gave him no answers. Eventually he gave up. Julie and I stayed far apart and she did not try to cut my heart out with an unsterile scalpel. It seemed that particular crisis was passed.
When I rode home that day Nina sat away from me once more. But I also noticed the fact that Mike was not on the bus. He should have been picked up before me. Where was he? Had he found another ride home? For some reason his absence filled me with the same sense of dread I'd felt when I read Tracy's letter. When the bus dropped me off at school and Nina hopped into her Mom's car and I started home, the sensation was still with me. What had happened to Mike?
In the old days, before I'd become Anita's lover, she'd always had me over to do whatever work she required done in the afternoon shortly after I came home from school. Since the first time we were intimate with each other however it became a rule that we planned my work in the late afternoon, timed so that she could feed me dinner and then put her kids to bed in time for us to retire to her bedroom, the confines of which I knew as well as my own. As I headed over at five o'clock that day I still felt like sex was the last thing in the world I wanted to participate in. I also knew that Anita would be expecting it. Beyond that my mind refused to consider anything.
She gave me a saucy smile for greeting, a smile I knew meant that she was exceedingly horny and in need of my talents. I sighed and went to work.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon I had all of her storm windows up (knowing in the back of my mind that I would soon be required to put up Mom and Dad's storm windows too). I entered the house to let her know I was done, intending to tell her that I was going to skip dinner that night and just head home. But as I made my way to the kitchen I smelled the familiar aroma of her burgundy beef stroganoff, a dish that she knew was one of my favorites and that she often prepared for me. I also knew that quite a bit of preparation time went into the construction of this meal and I found myself without the heart to turn it down. Besides, I rationalized, Mom, knowing I would be eating at Anita's would have prepared only enough dinner for Dad and herself.
"Do you want to take a shower before dinner?" She asked me as she started the finishing touches on her meal.
"Sure." I nodded, without enthusiasm.
As I scrubbed myself in her shower, washing the sweat of my exertions down her drain I heard the click of the shower door behind me followed by a rush of cold air against my wet skin. Startled, I turned around to see Anita, completely naked, stepping into the shower with me.