Invisible (4 page)

“Did those boys touch you, girl?”

“No, sir.” No way was I telling him what happened. I just wanted to get home and away from him. He didn’t touch me when Mama was around; she wouldn’t stand for it. But she was totally subservient to him in every other way. He was a disgusting old letch, and I tried to hide my body from him by wearing oversized clothes.

“I need to get some beer. Give me your tip money,” he said with a growl as he pulled into the liquor store parking lot. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the money I had left. It was only $10.00 since I hadn’t worked a full shift and had spent about $20.00 on my shopping spree. I didn’t understand why he did this. I overheard him on the phone last week, and this poor drug dealer persona was just an act. He was actually the head of the drug smuggling organization. I was certain Mama didn’t know; she let him treat her like shit. I pushed down the anger, knowing there was no way I could escape this situation right now. That’s why I worked so hard to graduate a year early so I could get away from him. Maybe then I could convince Mama to leave too.

“Damn, that’s all you got? I guess it’ll have to do.”

He got out of the car but turned around and bent down to talk to me. “Don’t go anywhere. I don’t need you gettin’ into any more trouble tonight.”

He headed into the liquor store, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Once we got home, he would drink his beer and forget about me. I was so desperate to get out of this town.

Two Days Later…

I couldn’t believe it was almost time for Jax to pick me up for our date. Every glass I grabbed today seemed to jump right out of my hand—good thing they were plastic. Mom and Keith thought I’d be working extra hours today because I didn’t want Keith to know about my date. I stood in the diner restroom and stared at myself in the mirror, not recognizing the girl I saw. My hair was pulled back, and the geeky glasses were in my purse. Too bad I’d have to put them on to watch the movie. I decided the locket looked really nice, so I left it outside the blue sweater. My hands shook too much for me to be able to put on the lip gloss.
Maybe I’ll try again later.
I put it back in my pocket. Leaning against the sink, I took a deep breath and tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I imagined what it would be like to have a normal family, to be able to tell my mom about this date and how Jax made me feel.

Christy poked her head in the door. “Hey, honey, your young man is here.” She came in the restroom and motioned for me to turn around so she could see my outfit. “You look great. Now, go have a fun time.”

I give her a hug. “Thanks, Christy. I’m so nervous. I hope I don’t embarrass myself.”

She left, and I inhaled almost too much air, letting it out as slow as possible before opening the door and heading out to meet Jax. He and Mr. Graham were talking and laughing as I approached them. Jax turned around and smiled when he saw me.

“Wow, you’re beautiful!”

Mr. Graham looked at both of us, but he spoke to Jax. “You treat our Elaine like a lady tonight, Jackson. Remember what I told you.”

Jax shook his hand. “Sure thing, Mr. G.”

I pulled my coat off the rack, and Jax took it from me, helping me into it. He was a gentleman. “You ready, Lainie?” he asked as he held my hand.

Out in the parking lot, he stopped when we reached a 1966 Mustang convertible and opened the passenger door for me.

“I didn’t know you were into old cars.”

“It’s not just an old car; it’s a classic. My Dad and I are restoring it. We still need to do some body work, but the engine is done.”

Since we lived in a small town, our theater only had two screens. I hoped Jax was taking me to see the romantic comedy and not the action movie.

Waiting while Jax bought our tickets, I tried to remain calm and act as if I went on dates all the time instead of this being my first one. Truth be told, I was so nervous I almost turned around and ran out of the building. At the snack bar, he bought a large popcorn and soda despite my protests that he was spending too much money. He handed me the popcorn and grabbed my other hand, pulling me along with him. As soon as we entered the theater, he stopped, choosing seats in the last row.

“I hope this is okay. I just want us to have some privacy.”

The previews started right away, so I settled in with the popcorn on my lap. I watched Jax’s face in the light from the screen, wondering why he asked
me
out on a date. Except for the tutoring, he never would have noticed me. We were both intent on the movie as if our lives depended upon what was happening on the screen. When the couple from the movie shared their first kiss, Jax turned to me and I saw the question in his eyes. I leaned in and so did he and our lips met. It was just a quick first date kiss, but for me, sparks actually seemed to fly through the air. He pushed a stray curl back behind my ear, and his touch made my toes tingle. His arm settled across my shoulders, and he pulled me closer so that my head was resting on his shoulder. I sighed, feeling safe and protected for the first time since my dad had died.

The movie ended, and we waited for everyone else to leave. “I need to wash my hands; they’re all greasy from the popcorn.”

He was reluctant but let go of me. “I’ll meet you over by the snack bar.”

Whew. I shouldn’t have drunk so much of that soda. After washing my hands and checking my hair, I pulled the lip gloss out of my pocket and put some on now that I wasn’t shaking. One last look in the mirror, and I headed towards the snack bar.

Just then I noticed Jax talking to a couple of his teammates. I stayed out of sight but got closer to where I could overhear their conversation.

“Who are you here with, Jax? All your regular dates are out at Chuck’s party.”

“You don’t know her.” He turned his back to them and said, “I’ll see you at practice on Monday.”

It was obvious that he was trying to get them to leave before I got back. My heart sank. He didn’t want to be seen out in public with the class geek. I had hoped he was different, but apparently not. Still out of sight, I waited for them to leave.

“Take me home, Jax,” I ordered with a tinge of regret in my voice. My mind was made up. If he didn’t want to be seen with me, I didn’t want to be with him. I was
so
stupid thinking he was different. How could I have been fooled so easily?

Traitorous tears fell, and I released the tie in my hair and let it fall around my face to hide them. Besides, I didn’t want to see the confusion on his face as he asked, “Why? I thought we had a good time.”

I couldn’t even look at him. “Just take me home.”

“What happened, Lainie? Tell me what I did wrong? Don’t you want to go back to the diner and get your things first?”

I got in the car and totally closed down, not answering his question.

When he pulled up in front of my house, I got out of the car before he could walk around it to open my door. I just needed to get away from him.

I was halfway to the front door when I turned and yelled, “You were ashamed to be seen with me. I heard what you told your friends. You didn’t want them to know you were out with me. You’re just like the rest of them. I…”

Tears began to stream down my cheeks, and I couldn’t finish, so I ran into the house and slammed the door, forgetting that I needed to be quiet to avoid Keith’s attention. It looked as if he had just finished snorting a line of coke; there was residue on the mirror on the coffee table and some white under his nose.

“What you yellin’ about, girl?”

He noticed what I was wearing, and I saw the anger rise in his face.

“You’ve been with a boy tonight? You act all prim and proper but the minute you are out of the house, you let some boy touch you.”

He lunged towards me with lust written all over his face.

I grabbed the bat he kept by the front door. Being in his business, he couldn’t be caught with a gun; it would add too much time to any convictions. I swung the bat up and held it there, waiting for him to come at me. He came closer, inches at a time. I took a swing, hitting him in the thigh.

“You
asshole.
I know you are not what you want everyone to think you are. I heard you on the phone. I know you’re not some two-bit drug dealer. You hurt me, and I’ll go to the police.”

It was easy for him to grab the bat from me because he was so much bigger and stronger. I backed up, tripping on the ottoman and falling to the ground on my back, hitting my head in the process. I whimpered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

His eyes were alive with anger and lust, practically burning a path up my legs. He swung the bat down, and I tried to get out of the way, but I was too slow, and it hit my left knee. White-hot pain shot down my leg, and I screamed as my mom entered the room and stood there…frozen. My agony-filled cries seemed to infuriate him further, and he kept swinging the bat and hitting my left leg, progressing down from my knee to the ankle. It didn’t take long before the pain made me woozy and I saw Mom finally move, trying to come up behind him with the cast iron frying pan. Hopefully, to knock him out. He saw my eyes following her, and he turned and threatened her with the bat instead. “You want some of this, too? I can make that happen.”

He swung a glancing blow off her arm, causing her to fall and hit her head on the corner of the coffee table. She lay there, not moving as a pool of blood began to surround her head.

The world turned gray, and I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. I heard sirens as I tried to pull myself towards the door; anything to get far away from the monster. The pain in my leg radiated throughout my body and made me dizzy and nauseous. I tried to move, but the offending appendage wouldn’t respond. It just lay there as if it wasn’t connected to the rest of me. Praying that the end would be quick and painless, I waited for him to finish me.

Reality faded in and out as I tried to remain conscious and not vomit. I heard sirens and voices, hoping they weren’t my imagination. The next thing I was aware of was Jax’s voice trying to get me to come to. My eyes finally opened, and I tried to focus on him.

“What…,” I mumbled.
My brain might actually be scrambled.
I couldn’t battle my way through the pain. I felt his hand grab mine and then I was gone for a while.

My next conscious memory was of an ambulance and I could hear sirens. There was a sensation of speed, but at the same time, it seemed as if I was suspended and in slow motion. I opened my eyes again, and Jax was still holding my hand and looking extremely worried.

“Stay with me, Lainie, please,” he implored. “It was all my fault. I’m so sorry. If I had taken you back to the diner, maybe none of this would have happened.”

Jax

I sat in my car trying to find the courage to walk into the diner to pick up Lainie for our date.
My first date hadn’t made me this nervous.
I wiped my hands on my jeans—they were all wet and clammy. Just inside the diner door, I stood there frozen and uncertain. My heart sank when I didn’t see her. Had she bailed out on me? As the waitress approached, she said, “You must be Jackson. Elaine is getting ready; I’ll let her know you’re here. Have a seat. She’ll be out in a minute.”

While I waited, I was fiddling with the salt shaker and daydreaming when the owner suddenly appeared next to me. I stood up and put my trembling hands in my pockets.