There's Blood on the Moon Tonight (54 page)

She grabbed the napkins Bud had thrown on the dash and began to clean him. Later on that night, as Bud relived each wondrous moment, alone on top of the museum, the one image he knew he would never forget, was Josie attending to him so tenderly. In a night full of intimacies, it was by far their most private moment.

Afterwards, they tidied up and wiped clean the inside of the Jeep. Josie discarded the soiled napkins into the bag of uneaten popcorn and fixed her hair in the rearview. The Jeep smelled of sex, and Bud rolled down his window to let in some fresh air. It was the second cool evening in a row on Moon. The humidity of the past summer was beginning to lose its hold on encroaching fall.

The movie had reached that famous scene, the four friends walking single-file across the train trestle; Gordie, last in line, was bending down to grasp the rail, when Bud finally broke the silence inside the Jeep.

“I thought you said we weren’t going to do that for awhile—not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

Josie watched Gordie scream in slow motion.
“TRRRRAAAAAAIIIIIINNNN!!!”

“That wasn’t
sex
, Bud. That was the both of us…feeling better. Becoming closer,” she finished, not really knowing what the hell to call it.

On the screen, Gordie and Penny were racing the train to the far end of the trestle.

That’s what growing up is like sometimes,
she thought dreamily.
A race against a looming train, eager to grind your guts underneath its lumbering wheels, and the frantic joy in evading it…at least for the time being.

“Oh.” Bud glanced over at her. He recognized that she was feeling embarrassed by what they had just done; but he had to know something, no matter how unsettling the answer might prove to be. “Hey, Red? Umm, how’d you learn about…hand jobs?”

Josie pushed her hair over her ears. “Something I read once. I’ve never done that before. The handjob, I mean. Does it make me a slut?”

“No! Of course not. Holy cow, Joe! I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life! It was wonderful. You…
you
were wonderful.”

Josie studied Bud’s face, searching for the truth in his pale blue eyes. They expressed only love and tender desire for her. “Really?” she said. “Because I feel the same way about you, Buddy boy. That’s the first orgasm I’ve ever had. Oh, my God! It was incredible, wasn’t it!”

              Bud sighed contentedly. “Can you imagine what the
real
thing feels like?”

Josie didn’t miss the longing in his rough voice, the raging desire held barely at bay, and she knew it would always be up to her to keep them honest. “We
will
know that feeling someday, Buddy boy.”

He smiled sadly. “I know that, Red. But I want it to be with
you
. Not with someone else. And I certainly don’t want you to discover that feeling with some another guy!”

Josie laughed. “Well, of course not, you knucklehead! What did you think I was talking about?”

He stared at her uncomprehendingly.

“Look, I don’t know if this is the afterglow talking or what, but I love you, Bud. I’ve
always
loved you. I once told someone that I didn’t think seventeen-year-old kids could know about that kind of love. But boy…was I wrong! I
do
love you, Bud. And I know that you love me, too.”

“I do,” Bud said, holding Josie’s hands in his own. Clutching them as if they might decide to fly away and leave him forever. “And I always will.”

Josie leaned over and kissed him on the lips. “Someday, when we’re
really
ready, we’ll finish what we started here tonight. Because, boyo, as sappy as this may sound, we’re destined to be together, you and I.”

They watched the rest of the movie in each other’s arms, enjoying it as if it was their first viewing. Both crying unashamed at the end. Understanding deep in their young hearts that life would never again be as sweet and pure and good as it was right now.

While the end credits rolled, amid the bluesy vocals of the theme song, Bud said, “Any popcorn left?”

Big Red's bawdy laughter could be heard clear across the Drive-In lot.

                                          *******

The Midnight showing of
My Bodyguard
was starting when Rusty and Tubby saw their friends walking towards them from across the lot. After starting the Midnight Show, Mr. Tolson told the boys they could watch it from the house if they wanted, which was where they were now.

             
Over Emma’s vociferous objections, Frank had installed surround speakers on the front porch, so they could enjoy the movies from the comfort of their rocking chairs and porch swing. Besides his bedroom—the first one Tubby had ever really had before—the front porch was his favorite part of the house. It gave him a cozy, contented feeling to sit there at night and watch the movies unfurl below the real stars in the galaxy.

“This is quite the life,” Rusty drawled, echoing his friend’s exact same thoughts. “Oh, look! Here comes Bud and Big Red!” Rusty waved at them from his rocking chair.

“Jeepers! Look where their Jeep is,” Tubby pointed out, across the lot. “Gosh. Why’d they park so far away?” He saw the smirk on Rusty’s face. “
Ohhhh
.”

“Come on you slow pokes!” Rusty bellowed. “The previews are almost over!”

Bud and Josie took the porch swing and sat close together, her left leg entwining with his right, as they gently rocked, her flip-flop dangling from her toes. The sweet sight served only to grieve Tubby’s soul. He was in love with Josie Lee O’Hara and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to convince his oblivious heart otherwise.

“Where’s Joel?” Josie asked them. She had her head on Bud’s shoulder; still swooning from the experience they’d just shared. The smell of popcorn would always remind her of this lovely, lovely night.

“He’s asleep on our sofa,” Tubby said.

“Kid conked out after
Stand by Me
ended,” said Rusty. Josie could see her old amigo was on the edge of his seat with some untold excitement. “Mr. Tolson carried him inside. Guys, you’ve got to come by one night and check out that old projector upstairs! It’s
so
retro! Mr. T said it’s such an antique, it’s probably shown movies as far back as the fifties. Just think of the classics that must’ve rolled through its sprockets!
On the Waterfront. Blackboard Jungle. Rebel Without a Cause. Rio Bravo.
Man alive! It makes my head spin to think of it! And get this shit: Tubby’s dad is gonna talk to my old man about letting me work here! Can you believe it?”

They sat and talked throughout the whole movie. Enjoying the idle conversation as only true friends can. The silent stretches not a bit awkward. Bud told them about his unfortunate peep show, and they all laughed uproariously.

“Shaved gorilla! Hee-hee-hee! That’s a good one, Buddy boy,” Rusty roared.

Emma Tolson came out and introduced herself to Josie and Bud. To Tubby’s surprise and relief, she didn’t overstay her welcome, but left after the exchange of pleasantries. Despite the wistful look in her big doe eyes, Tubby could see his mother was happy for him. Things, however, could never again be the same between them. He knew that, too. She was no longer his life entire. No longer his
only
friend. But that was as it should be. Baby birds couldn’t stay in the nest forever, much as the mama bird sometimes wanted to keep them there. She had her Frankie and her new home. She’d even gotten a great new friend in the bargain with Betty Anne Huggins! Something she hadn’t counted on at this stage of her life. Now her baby boy had someone, too. Someone to watch over him.

Despite their ugly green army coats, these were good kids,
smart
kids
(honor roll students, every one of them), and they’d made her son happier than she’d ever seen him. Still, she couldn’t help but feel sad for what she’d lost this night. Her sweet, dear little boy.

             
Climbing the stairs to go to bed, she ignored the selfish tears filling her eyes, refusing to acknowledge them by even blinking them away…

                            *******

             
                            Sunday, October 10
th
, 2,004

Lester Noonan awoke to a blinding headache and a throat gripped in pain. He sat up in bed and held his trembling hands over his face. His cheeks were flush with fever.

              The sunlight coming through his dirt-streaked window bore right through his pounding skull
.

            
 
“OOooohhhhhhh,
”
he groaned. His unfamiliar voice sounded abnormally loud in the bedroom. He scratched his balls carefully. Still sore after going three rounds with Tansy Wilky the night before. Third time he hadn’t used a condom; neither had had any more handy. Despite her feeble protests, Lester had flipped Tansy over like an old mattress, fucking her from behind. That had been especially hot, as he’d imagined it was Josie O’Hara on the other end of his dick. He got up and a wave of nausea washed through his body. He rushed over to his bathroom and knelt before the toilet, holding on to the calming, cool porcelain with all his might. The nausea passed, but looking down at the bowl full of un-flushed shit caused him to throw up, just the same. The sour smell hit him and he puked again. An express train of spew this time. The sound of his vomit spraying the lumpy brown water made him anxious in a whole new frightening way.

            
 
He pushed himself up and staggered over to the sink. He turned on the cold water, intending to splash his face and to rinse out his cruddy mouth, but the sight and sound of the running water made him cry out in fear.

             
His throat clenched at the mere notion of swallowing. Drool suddenly filled his mouth to overflowing
.
Now
that’s fucked up
,
he thought, nearly yanking the faucet off the basin.

            
 
He did a double take as he passed the mirror on the way out of the john. His eyes were blood-soaked, through and through
.
And oh my, how they shine…

             
                            *******

Tansy Wilky kicked off her covers and stretched out regally on her queen-size waterbed. The sloshing sound of water made her want to pee. Unlike Lester, who was starting to feel the first ravaging symptoms of RS13, Tansy was feeling sassy and spry this fine October morning. Never realizing she had less than two weeks to live. Her stepfather knocked on her door, asking if she wanted to go to church with him. Tansy lied and said she wasn’t feeling well. Unless she had a new dress or a pair of shoes she was dying to show off, Tansy usually skipped church service.

              Besides, she had other plans.

“What’s wrong, baby doll?” Walter Wilky asked her from the other side of the door.

Tansy rolled her eyes. “Lady problems,
Walter
! I’m having a heavy flow day! Care to inspect my tampon?”

“For the love of—”
he muttered, walking away.

Tansy laughed shrilly. Pleading “Lady Problems” always worked with her milquetoast dad.
Step
-dad, that is. Tansy had never known her real father. He’d split after knocking her mother up their senior year in high school, across the river in Beaufort. Walter Wilky, a fellow classmate with an Ichabod Crane physique and huge jug ears, saw his opportunity with a girl previously way out of his league. He’d offered to take care of everything. To
give
her everything. As long as she’d marry him.

And since an abortion was out of the question, due to some serious health concerns, Tansy’s mom had taken Walter up on his generous, if not creepy offer. The marriage of course didn’t stand a chance, and after two years Tansy’s mom said she wanted a divorce.

At the time Walter thought he had gotten the better end of the settlement. Terrified of being alone, he’d offered Tansy’s mom the moon—
if
she’d grant him sole custody of their daughter. In return for a few million dollars, a villa in Cancun, and a brand new Mercedes Benz, she gladly signed on the dotted line, granting Walter his sole desire.  And considering that the woman had no intentions of taking her daughter with her in
any
event, Walter lost out in more ways than he would ever know.

That was sixteen years ago and Tansy hadn’t heard from her mother since. Not that she gave a purple shit. If such a thing as a “Bad Seed” was possible, then Tansy Wilky was surely its definition. She had pretty much worn the pants in the Wilky household ever since her mother skipped town, accomplishing this task by guilting her stepfather into letting her have her way, in nearly
every
way imaginable. Walter, a former dot-commer who’d made a fortune in the early days of the Internet Boom and now owned a successful electronics superstore in Beaufort, caved in to all of his adoptive daughter’s demands.