Lennon's Jinx (25 page)

My
stomach growls because I haven’t eaten all day. I plow into the potatoes. My
face that was used as a punching bag earlier aches when I chew.

“I’m
sorry,” I say to Lennon as he takes a seat across from me. “This has been a
shitty day for you. I didn’t mean to drag you into my problems, especially when
you’ve got a handful of your own.”

“When
life gives you sour grapes, make wine and then get drunk.” Lennon downs the
bottled water he bought. His mood definitely matches his vinegary expression.

Lennon’s
fingers skim my forehead just above the brow where my stitches are. “I’m sorry
about your stepdad. Some men…” He stops, anger swirling in his eyes.

In
a just a short time after dumping a beer on him, my opinion has dramatically changed
about Lennon. He’s not the class slut but a fragile guy trying to keep some
semblance of family for Currie. I want to hold him in my arms and wipe away the
hard years of his life.

“Do
you really think my stepfather married my mom because of me?” I ask, craving
his advice. He knows more than me when it comes to judging people.

“Predators
move into positions where they’ll have the most opportunities and the least
risk. Look at Alex. His first option was that drunken freshman at your party.
Ran slipped you drugs.”

“Alex
hit on me later that night at my party, and Ran saw me as an opportunity.”

His
lips form a half-hearted smile. “I hope Alex got a beer in his face.”

My
face prickles with heat. “I’m sorry about that, and I’m not. It just seems like
you could’ve done that elsewhere other than my dad’s den.”

“I’m
sorry about being in there.”

“How
do I stop guys from taking advantage of me other than staying stone-cold
sober?” I like letting loose every once and a while.

“Didn’t
your mother tell you not to talk to strangers?”

I
smile, which only hurts my bruised face.

“Pay
attention to your drinks,” he says. “Don’t let a stranger hand a drink to you,
and don’t let it out of your sight. If you’re going to go out with a guy you
don’t know well, meet him in a public place. Keep aware of your surroundings
and make sure your friends watch out for you as well as you watching out for
them. Don’t look like a victim.”

“What
does that mean?”

“A
predator will look for someone who won’t put up a fight.”

“Where
did you learn all this?”

“When
you play in the band, as you’ve already learned, you’ll meet all kinds.”

“Thanks
for looking out for me.”

“It’s
no problem.” His fork twirls in the lump of potatoes. “What happened to you
wasn’t your fault.”

I
shake my head. “I was completely zombied, and then I flirted with my stepdad.
How screwed-up is that?”

Lennon
reaches across to stop my hand from trembling. His hands are big and strong and
engulf mine. “Your stepdad is an adult. He made a vow to your mother that
doesn’t include taking advantage of her child, let alone a drunk girl. Rape is
a violation.”

I
don’t look at him. “Your first time was probably better than mine. I don’t
remember it at all.” Except for the stupid dolls and picking the green glass
out of my foot. “The next morning, there was blood and goo. It was disgusting.”
I have to force the meatloaf back down when it rises in my throat. “If it
wasn’t for Rena, I probably would’ve slit my wrists.”

“I’m
glad you didn’t.” His hand squeezes mine. “My first wasn’t that much better.”

“Oh
come on. Some super model, a pop star. What’s it really like to make love? To
feel arms embracing you?”

“It’s
just sex for me. You romanticize something I don’t really buy into.” Lennon curls
up one side of his lips. “You want to know my first time. A thirty-something woman
seduced me when I was thirteen. Every one of my guy friends has this fantasy.
You’re better off if it’s only in your imagination.”

“That
doesn’t sound right. Were you attracted to her because of your parents?”

“That
I have Mommy issues.” His fingers thread through his thick dark hair. I imagine
they are my fingers instead of his. Do I feel sorry for him, or could I
possibly like Lennon?

“This
woman was nice to me, fixed me meals, took me to the zoo, told me that she
loved me,” he says. “I almost believed her until she shared me with her
friends, the brunch club they called themselves.”

“How
disgusting.” It’s my turn to cradle his hand in both of mine. His sorrow, pain,
disappointment weigh on him. “That’s criminal. How old were they? Do you still…you
know?”

Lennon
smirks. “No. They ranged from twenty-five to forty-one. When Bailey came along,
I gave her chlamydia that I’d gotten from one of the club. I quit them and
learned to wrap my rascal. Lesson learned.”

I
don’t get Lennon. He’s cold with his personal relationships, but when it comes
to those two little girls, he’s a completely different person. How screwed up
is that? His parents tainted him. “My first time was supposed to be special
with Zach. We’d planned it all out.”

“Lots
of girls do that. They wait for that special moment and then are disappointed
because it’s over before they even ramp up.”

This
goes against my mantra, but I pity him. “You don’t believe in love, do you?”

“Not
that kind. I love Currie. I love the Nowaks.”

That’s
sad. I loved Zach, the way we touched each other. I can tell Lennon has never
felt that with any of the girls he’s been with.

Lennon
draws in a deep breath. “Why Currie? Why Zoe? They’re just little girls. Why do
they deserve this? God, I could use a beer.”

I
don’t have an answer for him. I remember asking the same thing while my dad was
suffering and dying. We don’t even let animals endure pain like that. We put
them to sleep. Lennon and I aren’t as different as I originally thought. He may
be more messed up than me.

“And
now Jonathan swoops in to save the day,” Lennon says. “He hasn’t been there for
Currie her entire life, and now, he’s going to make up for it.”

“Shouldn’t
you call your mom?” I ask. I realize too late this may be the wrong question to
ask at this time.

“I
did when Currie was first admitted. She’s on her way, or so she says.”

Wow.
I had no idea. Heather seemed nice when I met her. It was just an act because
she should’ve been here by now.

As
we finish our meals, a few cafeteria people try to sneak up to us. They’re
holding a cupcake with a single burning candle in it. Lennon sings
Happy
Birthday
. His voice is so rich and deep that the others don’t join in and
sing with him. They just listen and ogle at him.

They
clap when he finishes. The staff is all smiles and has stopped eating. A nurse
even wipes her eyes.

“Thanks,”
I say. “With all that’s going on, that was really thoughtful.” It’s the only
good thing that’s happened on my birthday, coming from the guy I used to hate.

Lennon
shoves the cupcake toward me. “I’m not all bad. Make a wish.”

I
blow out the candle and pray for Currie’s recovery and for my mom not to kick
me out of the house. She texted me earlier, wishing me a happy birthday, but
she hasn’t called me yet about Step-monster, which isn’t a good sign. The
police must have contacted her by now.

Lennon
opens his mouth to say more when Heather waltzes into the room.

Every
doctor and nurse gaze at her. She’s stunning. Her long hair flows down her
back. She’s wearing a black and red suit with a fuzzy lamb coat over it.

“Where’s
my baby?” she asks, dabbing her eyes although not a single bit of mascara has
run.

“She’s
in her room,” Lennon says with zero emotion.

We’re
done with our meal, so we escort Heather to Currie’s bedside. She’s still sleeping,
looking like an angel, her breathing steady. She’s so peaceful that her illness
doesn’t seem real.

Heather
feels her daughter’s forehead and pushes back stray wisps of hair. “My little
darling. It’s okay. Mommy’s here.” Lennon called her almost two hours ago. It
doesn’t take more than a few minutes to get here from their house or anywhere
in Naperville.

Lennon
smirks. He’s not happy about her being here. She really can act, which makes me
wonder if there’s anything genuine about her. She certainly can play the part
of a doting mother.

Danny
Boy and Susan show up with Clive then Rena. We sit by the hospital bed, not
knowing what to say. Lennon refuses to call the Nowaks. They have enough
concerns with Zoe.

Around
five o’clock, Jonathan arrives with his entourage, two bodyguards and a lithe,
statuesque woman. She looks bi-racial with her flawless honey-colored skin. She
wears her silky black hair long and loose around her shoulders.

Heather’s
fists are clenched so tight her knuckles turn white. This is not going to be
pretty. The tension in the air grows so thick I can hardly breathe. Lennon’s
jaw tightens. He doesn’t even look at his dad. Clive has a hand on Lennon’s
shoulder to keep him from rising off the chair.

“Why
are you here?” Lennon says with so much loathing he spits his words.

“Don’t
be mad,” Currie says. “You know I asked Daddy to come.”

Heather
takes over and introduces everyone except Rena and the mysterious other woman.
Lennon finally stands. He tells his dad who Rena is.

Currie
stirs in her bed. “Daddy? Denage?” She reaches for them. She gives an extra
special hug to Denage.

Heather
makes a face, and her lips snarl like a deranged mental patient. It’s a strange
family dynamic, but it’s good for Currie that they’re here.

Jonathan
Tyler leans down to his child and hugs her tight. “We’ll make this better. I
promise.”

Denage
sits next to Currie. “Doctor Yeager will take good care of you.”

Currie
must’ve told them about the doctor in Milwaukee.

Lennon
bites his lips. His fists are balled tight against his sides. There’s going to
be a war. I just hope Currie doesn’t get caught in the middle.

“We
can swing by the house and get your things then go to the airport,” Jonathan
says. “The sooner Currie gets treatment, the better.”

Doctor
Timmons comes in and releases Currie to Lennon, not Jonathan. I’m not sure, but
it seems Lennon has rights to her because the doctor ignores Jonathan Tyler.

Danny
says to Lennon on his way out, “Call us if you need anything.” He gives Lennon
a hug and so does Susan. Tears cascade down her milky cheeks.

“We’ll
pray for Currie,” Susan says.

Clive
pats Lennon on the back. “We’ll keep an eye on Zoe and call you if anything
changes. I’ll cancel our engagements. Keep us posted.”

Lennon
nods. He looks as if he’s about to shatter at any moment, like a glass vase sitting
precariously on the edge of its stand.

Before
Lennon leaves, he says to me, “Are you going to be all right?”

“Sure.
I’m going to stay with Rena for the next few days until my mom gets home.
Thanks for everything. I liked my cupcake.” I smile up at him.

He
briefly cups my elbow. His touch tingles in my body. It reminds me of my
feelings for Zach. Maybe there’s hope for me after what happened. That I can
overcome my fear.

A
nurse comes into the room with a wheelchair for Currie. As Rena and I descend
in a separate elevator from Lennon’s family, Mom calls.

I
answer with some hesitancy. “Mom?”

“I
just spoke to Bill. He told me about the marijuana he found. Is this another
attempt to place the blame on him? How could you do this to me?”

“But
Mom—”

“After
all I’ve sacrificed, the long hours at work, traveling all the time, so that
you can have a home, and this is the way you repay me.”

Happy
Birthday to me. If I had a bottle of pills, I’d dump them down my throat this
instant. Rena takes the phone from me and hangs up on my mother.

“Are
you going to tell me who now?” Rena asks.

I
bite my lip and tell her the whole story. I’d always left off Step-monster
because it’s too embarrassing.

Rena
wraps her arms around me. “I’m sorry. If you would’ve told me, Bill would’ve
never hurt you again. I always thought it was Michael because none of us really
knew him.”

I
barely went out with him after meeting him at another school during a choir
competition.

Rena
grasps my hand and leads me to her car.

A
limo waits for the Tylers. Jonathan says, “Currie will be more comfortable with
us.”

Lennon
doesn’t respond. He picks up Currie and slides her into his SUV. “I’ll see you
at the house.” Before he gets into the car, he glances over his shoulder at me
and gives me a weak smile.

My
whole body aches, especially for him, even my feet. It’s like I’ve been walking
on broken glass all day. Other than the cupcake and Lennon singing to me, this
is the worst birthday ever, but it’s even worse for him. If he loses Currie, he
loses his whole world.

“Happy
Birthday,” Rena says, handing me a small package. “I know this won’t make up
for your day.

“Thanks.
It wasn’t all bad. There was one good part.”

As
Rena drives us away, I realize I probably won’t see Lennon for a long time, and
that cuts even deeper.

As we drive away from the
hospital, Rena’s Honda fishtails in the slushy snow. Rain drums on the hood,
adding to my pounding headache.

Now
that I’m going to be homeless my life couldn’t get any worse…and Lennon. I
can’t stop thinking about him and Currie. It’s pathetic that he has to put up
with his parents throughout this ordeal. He has nobody right now. If he loses
Currie, he’ll be completely alone. He’s got it worse than me.

“I
know you probably don’t want to go out, but Iz and Gabby sort of planned a
little get together for your birthday,” Rena says as she drives us through town
and the rain turns to snow. “I told them you probably wouldn’t be working with
Indigo Blues tonight after what happened to Currie.”