Jodi Thomas - Rustler's Moon

Lauren closed her eyes knowing that, thanks to the echo in the foyer, Tim probably heard Polly. She thought if she ignored the question, Polly would forget about it.

No such luck. She asked again.

Only, Tim answered first. “It was a dark and stormy night, dear Polly Anna.” He drew close and sliced his body between them, giving all his attention to Polly. “Four high school kids decided to break into an old house we thought might be haunted.” He waved his hands. “‘Be afraid,’ the old Gypsy House warned them, but they dropped in anyway. Dust filled their lungs and rotting boards creaked beneath their footsteps, but they were explorers looking for thrills. Four went in but only three came out. One was left trapped inside with the ghosts. Me.”

Polly looked interested. “What happened?”

“I died.” Tim shrugged.

Lauren laughed seeing Polly’s horror as if she believed Tim for a second.

“He broke several bones in his leg,” Lauren corrected. “Thanks to Lucas, I climbed out with only scratches. Reid Collins was with us, too. He didn’t have a scratch, just a sprained ankle.”

Polly’s eyes widened with true interest. “You two know Reid Collins? I met him at a party a few weeks ago. What a hunk.”

Polly didn’t seem to notice both Tim and her shaking their heads. Reid had been attracting girls for years. In high school everyone thought he was the hero from that night in the haunted house. He’d let everyone believe he’d saved Lauren, but it had been Lucas who saved her from falling through the collapsed floor. They’d all three let Reid take the glory that night, but they all knew the truth even if they never talked about it.

Sometimes she thought four kids dropped through a broken window that night and four different people came out. The accident had changed all of them.

“How’d you do on the chem test?” Tim asked as he turned away from Polly.

“An A.”

He took her hand and pulled her closer for a quick hug. “Great! I know just the place to celebrate. Chicken fried steak and all the trimmings. Two for one on Fridays.”

She managed a smile as they walked with Polly following behind. “Do you always celebrate after an A?”

“Hell.” He slowed and leaned near her ear. “I party after a C. My folks don’t care about grades. They just told me if I flunk out, I’ll be working at the new Walmart going in Crossroads. So, I sign up for whatever looks easy and pray for the best. I plan to waste as much time at college as possible, then go home and write a great novel about my wild college days. It might take me a year or two, but I’ll be rich and famous by the time I’m twenty-five.”

“Can I be in your book?” Polly asked as she circled around them like an out-of-control top.

“I have an opening for one character. She’s a nude girl dancing on a table. Of course, you’ll have to audition. I need to make sure you can dance.”

Lauren laughed and glanced at Polly as the girl asked, “You would use both my names, wouldn’t you? Otherwise it could be anyone named Polly.”

Lauren changed the subject. “Any idea what degree you’re heading toward, Tim? I’m not so sure you’d make it as a writer. They don’t usually audition their characters.”

“True, but I’m willing to sacrifice for my art.” He looked back at Polly. “You got any moles or scars I could put in, Polly Anna? Their detailed description might increase the word count, you know.”

Lauren shoved him off the sidewalk. “Focus, O’Grady. What is your major?”

He caught up to her and put his arm lightly on her shoulder. “It doesn’t matter. I’m majoring in life.” He kissed her forehead. “You want to call this a date? If we do this right, you might make it in my book, too.”

“No.” She tugged her hood up as fog surrounded them.

“Good. We split the cost of the meal as friends.”

Lauren never thought of dating Tim, though he asked from time to time. However, it would be nice if once in a while he acted disappointed when she said no.

The memories of the abandoned house seemed thick in her brain. Tim and Reid had been best friends back then and almost every conversation they had was about football. When Reid Collins suggested breaking into the place, Tim joked about ghosts and went along with the idea. He still bore the scars, physical ones on his leg and arm, and mental ones inside after his best friend left him behind.

“What do you hear from Reid?” she asked, knowing the night at the Gypsy House must be on Tim’s mind, also.

“I haven’t seen him since we came back to school in August. He’s living at the frat house this year.” Tim took her hand and they jogged to his Jeep. Polly followed, but didn’t try to keep up.

Tim leaned in close to Lauren. “Last time I saw Reid, he was drunk. Cussed me out for caring.”

Lauren was glad she couldn’t see Tim’s face. Whenever he talked of Reid, he always looked hurt.

Before Polly caught up, Lauren said, “Reid called me last week and asked me to go out. Some kind of big party before the homecoming game next weekend.”

Tim froze for a moment before asking, low, “You going?”

“I might.” She shrugged. “He’s from home. Our dads are friends.” She’d never told Tim how close she and Lucas Reyes were or that they dated some. Somehow what was between Lucas and her was private, too special to share. Or at least she’d thought it was. Lately she wasn’t sure Lucas felt the same.

If he was working every weekend, Lauren didn’t want to miss the whole college experience waiting for him. Reid was simply looking for a date, or worse, his old man told him to take her out. Her pop, who’d spent her high school years worrying that she’d date too early, was now probably worrying about her lack of dates. He’d asked her twice if she needed money for clothes. A question Lauren was sure had come straight from her mother. Her mom might have run from raising a kid after divorcing her dad, but that didn’t stop Margaret from calling in her motherly advice from Dallas.

Tim pulled into the parking lot of a tiny little restaurant a few blocks away from campus. All the letters on the neon sign were lit except for the R in Restaurant and the O in Open. Huge dead elms leaned over the building giving the illusion that the place was caught in a huge spiderweb.

“What’s the name of this place?” Lauren didn’t make a move to open her door.

Tim stared at it a moment and answered. “Estaurant pen.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t sure she’d want to go in even if it were free chicken fried steak.

Polly leaned forward. “No, guys, can’t you see the two letters are out. I can’t believe you two missed that.”

Tim and Lauren looked at each other silently debating which one should kill the roommate.

“Come on, Lauren, live a little.” Tim cut his lights. Before Polly climbed out the back, he whispered, “Only, don’t go out with Reid.”

“Why? You keep telling me that.” She wasn’t surprised when Tim didn’t answer.

Like always, he changed the subject. They had great fun trying to read the menu in the dark estaurant and then laughing at how small the steaks were when the plates arrived. Tim tried to convince Polly the tough pieces of meat were cows’ ears. When she believed him, he offered to eat her steak.

Polly flirted with the waiter long enough to talk him into giving her a hamburger. When she got up to go wash her hands, the guy offered her a tour of the place. By the time the burger was served she and Roger, the waiter, were dating.

Polly waved them goodbye as she ate with Roger, who’d said he’d be off in an hour.

Lauren hesitated, then she remembered the dates Polly had come in after, all upset because she couldn’t remember the guy’s name, even though she’d had her tongue in his mouth for hours.