Spencer's Face (Buckeye Hawks) (33 page)

Christmas
vacation was coming up. I was excited about that. We’d get to spend the entire
day together. We had plans to go to Phoenix several times to buy Christmas
gifts, and to the movies, and skating with friends.

One day during
vacation, Taylor texted me. “My dad found the rubbers. I’m in so much trouble!”

My world has just
fallen apart. Her dad would probably whip her with the belt. I knew that he did
that occasionally. I was worried sick about her. I ran into the living room
where Todd was. “I need your car. Quick.”

“Keys are on the
hanger. Go.” he said immediately.

Thank God he wasn’t
going anywhere today and he was in a lending mood. I drove to Taylor’s house as
fast as I could. I knocked on the door. Earl opened it. I could tell how mad he
was by the way he opened the door. But then he started yelling. “Do not step
foot inside this house.” he growled at me.

“Is she okay?” I
asked. I knew he got a little violent sometimes.

I saw two of Taylor’s
sisters walk by quickly. They were scared to talk, but looked my way, and kept
on walking toward the kitchen. I was really worried now. The atmosphere in the
house said there was a lot of trouble here.

“She’s packing
her things.”

“Why is she
packing?” I asked him. “Can I help her? Would you let me in just for a few
minutes?”

Taylor poked her
head out of a room. “I’m okay. Can you wait on me outside?” she asked.

I nodded. Taylor
went back in her bedroom, or I assumed it was her bedroom.

“I’m really sorry,
Earl.” I told him. At least I could be a man about it. I didn’t want to run and
hide. “I don’t know if this helps matters, but I really am in love with your
daughter.”

“Marriage is the
only place for sex, Spencer. We thought she understood that. She will not be
living under our roof while she has sex.”

I stood outside
the doorway. I wasn’t winning this argument. His beliefs were really deeply
rooted. I could tell by the tone of his voice. He was upset that his daughter
didn’t share in those beliefs. I stood at the doorway waiting on Taylor. It was
taking her way too long. “Can I go help her?” I asked Earl. I was trying so
hard to be polite, even though I was mad as hell at him.

He shook his
head, but then he said, “Go ahead.”

I ran to her
bedroom. It was the first time I’d ever seen it. It was really small, but pink
and cute. She was crying as she packed several trash bags with clothes from her
dresser and her closet. I hugged her and kissed the top of her head. She pulled
back and continued with her packing.

“What can I do to
help?” I asked her.

“Take all those
boxes to my car.” she said through tears.

The boxes had
school books and her computer software, and several other things. I hauled a
few boxes to the car and came back for more. We carried trash bags full of
clothes to her car. When she put the last load into her trunk, she looked up at
her father who was standing at the door. He looked back at her, but didn’t say
a word. She closed the trunk, then stepped into her car. She drove to my house
as I followed her.

I pulled Todd’s
car into the garage, then came back out to the driveway to meet Taylor. I
hugged her tightly for several minutes while she cried. I started pulling her
in the house, but she pulled away, refusing to come inside. “No, I’m too
embarrassed to face them after this.” She said.

“Where are you
going?” I asked her. Did she have a plan? Was she going to sleep in her car?

“I’m going to
stay at that little hotel outside of Buckeye for a couple of weeks. Then
Karen’s dad said he could rent me a trailer in their trailer park until I turn
eighteen. Then I’ll go to college.”

Okay, she had a
plan. I didn’t like hearing it though. It didn’t include me. She didn’t say
we
would go to college. I probably shouldn’t be so focused on myself right now.
She had a lot on her mind with just getting kicked out of her own house. “Come
inside for a minute. Rest and let’s think about this.”

“There’s not a
lot to think about, Spencer. I need to get going before I lose the room at the
hotel. I’ll have to stay with Sandy a few days if I do that.”

“Damn. I wish we
hadn’t left those rubbers in your car.” I told her.

“Can’t change the
past.” She said flippantly. “I need to go.”

I kissed her
goodbye, and she drove away. I felt like our life was changing drastically and
there was nothing I could do about it. I could feel her pulling away from me
and I didn’t like it at all.

I went inside the
house after she left. “Thanks for letting me borrow your car.” I told Todd as I
sat in the living room with him.

“Is she okay? Did
you save the day again?” he asked, being flippant.

“Her dad kicked
her out of the house.” I told him.

“What? Is it okay
now? Is she allowed back in the house now?” he asked quickly, concerned.

Janel walked in
and I had to explain it all again. “She’s going to stay at the hotel in Buckeye
for a few weeks. If her dad doesn’t change his mind, she knows a guy who will
rent her a trailer until she turns eighteen.”

Janel and Todd
both thought that it was horrible that her parents treated her that way. They
didn’t offer any alternatives like I thought they would though. I thought
they’d offer to let Taylor stay here with us, in the extra bedroom. They
didn’t. That kind of hurt my feelings, but I couldn’t blame them too much. This
was their house after all. They’d already taken in one orphan.

Taylor texted me
that she’d found a room at the hotel. I told Todd and Janel since they were
anxiously waiting for news in front of me when I received the text.

“That’s good. It
will probably all blow over after her dad thinks about it for a while. He’ll
call her and tell her to come home tomorrow.”

“You didn’t see
him today. I think it’s for good.” I told them. “Aunt Janel, Uncle Todd. I need
to go be with her. Just for a day or so. I know you don’t approve, but I think
I really need to be there. She’s really upset.”

There was almost
a full minute of silence.

“We’ll take you.”
Janel said, giving in finally. “You’re going to be eighteen next month anyway.
It’s not like we don’t know you’re already having sex with her.”

“Thanks, Janel.”
I said, then went to my room to pack a few things. I texted Taylor. “Can I come
stay with you tonight?”

She texted back
with all caps “Yes!” with several exclamation marks.

I was ecstatic
that she wanted me with her. She gave me her room number. Todd and Janel drove
me to the hotel. They came to the door with me and told Taylor how sorry they
were and to let them know if they could do anything for her. She was really
embarrassed, but polite. After they left, we made love on the little bed. It
was a tiny hotel room. She didn’t seem to mind too much. Neither did I. All I
needed was her.

It was the first
time we’d ever had sex in a bed.  That changed everything. It was way better in
a bed. I comforted her all night long in several ways. We ate breakfast out in
the morning, and spent the day together. We took a shower together for the
first time. It was incredible to be naked with her. I held her close as we
showered. She began rubbing my arms, then kissing me.

We tried to
figure out a way to have sex in the shower. Finally I sat down, and she started
to sit on top of me. I pushed her away quickly. “Wait! We need a condom. We
don’t want you to get pregnant.”

She smiled at me.
“Would that be so horrible?”

“Yes, Taylor. It
would a fate worse than death. I don’t want to be on that reality television
show, or be a college dropout, or live in a shabby place with roaches.” I
laughed at her.

She didn’t think
it was funny for some reason. I retrieved a condom from my bag, then rolled it
on. Shower sex was incredible. I loved touching her almost all day, and holding
her constantly.

While we were at
the grocery store, buying a few snacks, Taylor’s mom came down the same aisle
we were in. She gave Taylor a look, then turned around and went the other way.
Taylor stood frozen in the aisle. I wrapped my arms around her. Several minutes
later we finished our shopping. I could tell that Taylor was on the lookout for
her mom all during our trip though. She never spoke of the incident again. I
didn’t ask about it either.

Taylor and I had
a fun couple of days in the hotel room until Todd and Janel called and told me
to come home. Taylor drove me. Zane had to pick me up for school the next day.
Christmas vacation was over. Instead of parking at lunch, we headed to the
hotel room. It was way better. After school, we headed to the hotel room. This
was working out really great for us. After sex, we’d watch television for a
while, then go again. I’d drive Taylor’s car to my house at night and pick her
up in the morning for school most of the time.

A few weeks
later, Taylor and I got into a terrible argument at school. She said I was
flirting with Sally, her friend. I wasn’t. I was being polite as always. We
were friends, but certainly nothing more. Taylor kept pushing, implying that I
wanted Sally. She’d never acted so irrationally before. Usually talking to
other girls was fine. I mean, how could I avoid talking to girls? I thought
maybe she was just in a bad mood, because of her situation. That was so unlike
her.

She told me to
catch a ride home with Zane. She didn’t answer her phone or her texts that
night. She was still staying at the hotel. I borrowed Todd’s car and drove up
there. She wasn’t there. I drove to Sandy’s house. She wasn’t there either.  I
was getting really worried about her. I even called Zane to see if she was
there. She wasn’t. I left her several messages telling her to call me just so I
wouldn’t worry myself sick. I drove home empty handed.

Damn I must have
really pissed her off. I didn’t mean to. I’d have to start watching it better.
I really didn’t think I’d done anything wrong, but I could quit talking to
other girls so much if it bothered her that much. Was I suddenly whipped? I’d
never felt whipped until now.

I worked on my
music. I’d wait it out. She’d think about it and call me when she was ready. At
nine thirty, she called. Finally. I answered the phone quickly, anxious to get
to the making up part of the fight. “Hi. I’ve been worried about you.” I told
her.

“Quit worrying.
I’m fine. Spencer, we need to talk. Can you come outside for a few minutes?”

“Sure.” I said. “Now?”

“I’m outside your
house.” She said.

I ran outside
after telling Todd and Janel that I’d be right back. I stepped into her car.
She had been crying. From the look of her eyes, she’d been crying all day. I
rubbed her leg until she parked at our spot in the desert. She didn’t speak all
the way there.

“Tell me what’s
wrong. We can’t fix it if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“This isn’t
working, Spencer.” She said slowly.

“What? It’s
working. This was our first fight. You can’t be seriously thinking about ending
things between us.” I said quickly. Surely she wasn’t breaking up with me. This
was so small.

“I can’t handle
it. You’re flirting too much with other girls. And, they’re going to be taking
you up on that flirting soon. There’s a line forming behind me to see who will
get you next.”

“You’re full of
shit, Taylor.” I yelled at her. “I’m not flirting too much. I’m not flirting.
I’m being friendly. Hell, I’m just being polite. And, there’s no line behind you.”
What the hell?

“Trust me. There’s
a line.”