morning.”
“No way!” Greg and Julie said in unison.
Michelle looked at Jace to back her up.
“Yeah, we’ve hung out a few times,” he said bashfully. “It’s not a
big deal.”
“What’s he like?” Julie breathed, her crush on him forgotten.
“Nice,” Jace said.
“Nice?” Greg repeated incredulously. “That’s it? The guy who had
Mr. Collins begging for mercy is nice?”
“Okay, so he’s kind of wild,” Jace said, thinking of how Victor
smart-mouthed the potbellied man while trick-or-treating. “But only
when provoked. Otherwise, he’s nice.”
And that’s all they’d get out of him. Julie and Greg hammered him
with questions, but Jace just shook his head and kept changing the
subject until the bell rang. The word “hero” was bandied around a lot.
Jace liked that. Victor was a hero.
* * * * *
The florescent lights hummed, one of them occasionally flickering.
In their cold light, even the brightly colored chip bags and candy
wrappers seemed sucked clean of life. Or maybe it was just the foul
mood that had followed Jace since yesterday. Victor hadn’t shown up
last night. Jace had even worked an extra hour after his shift had ended,
which wasn’t easy since Dan was being especially rude to him. That
came mostly from Bernard hanging around the store longer than usual,
which Dan blamed on Jace. He was probably right. Bernard only seemed
interested in visiting with him, chatting about his son for as long as Jace
was willing to listen. That part he hadn’t minded. He admired how much
Bernard loved his kid. It was only later in the evening, when Dan kept
sneering at him and Victor didn’t show, that Jace had become
despondent.
Tonight wasn’t looking hopeful. Bernard wasn’t around, which Dan
took advantage of to once again leave early. In a way Jace was glad,
since working late into the night gave Victor more opportunity to show
up, but his shift was coming to an end. He was scowling at a cardboard
cutout of a bikini-clad model, her tiny hand wrapped around a bottle of
beer, when a familiar voice greeted him.
“Jace, my man! How’s it going?”
His head shot up, but it was only Greg. His best friend noticed his
disappointment.
“Not happy to see me?”
“I am. Sorry.” Jace rubbed his eyes. “It’s been a rough night.”
Greg leaned over the counter, nodding sympathetically. “I can tell.
Do you always work this late?”
“No. I’m covering for someone.” Now that he noticed, Greg seemed
worn out too. “How about you?”
“Oh, man. Angie and her sister got in this huge fight. I mean
massive!” Greg looked exasperated. “I was sitting there most of the
night, letting her talk it out. She kept crying too. Just when it got better,
her sister barges in and they’re at each other’s throats again. Once they
were finished, I was back to comforting her again, like one hellish
rerun.”
Jace winced in sympathy. “You know what? That sounds worse than
my night.”
“Glad to hear it, for your sake. Anyway, tomorrow I definitely need
some guy time. You up for it?”
Jace glanced at the parking lot one more time. Empty, except for
Greg’s car at one of the pumps. “Yeah,” he said. “You know me. I never
have any plans.”
* * * * *
Missouri was having second thoughts about fall, the chilly gray
weather chased away by blue skies and the warmth of the afternoon. The
perfect day for being outside, to make up for all those squandered
summer days that should have been spent in nature’s splendor. Too bad,
then, that Greg was so set on shopping, seemingly desperate to find the
perfect gift for Angie. At the third store, Jace started rolling his eyes.
“I thought you wanted guy time,” he said, gesturing at the sea of bras
and underwear surrounding them.
“Sorry,” Greg said. “I didn’t think it’d take this long.”
“What’s the big occasion anyway? Birthday?”
“No.” Greg turned big innocent eyes on him. “I’m ready to take
things to the next level.”
Jace snorted. “More like you want to get laid.”
Greg grinned shamelessly.
“You’re my best friend, but this isn’t how I want to spend my day.”
Jace meant that in more than one way. He looked out the window to the
sidewalk, hoping to see punky hair walking by.
“Okay, I’ll hurry.” Greg swiped a pair of panties from a rack, lacy
yellow things that wouldn’t cover much.
“Seriously?” Jace took the panties and hung them up again. Then he
led Greg to the front of the store where cheap jewelry was displayed on
columns. He spun one until he found a bracelet decorated with pink
beads and silver hearts, grabbing a matching pair of earrings too. He
handed them to Greg.
“You think so?” Greg frowned. “I wouldn’t like these.”
“That’s exactly the point.”
Angie wouldn’t swoon, but she’d appreciate the gesture. Jace
watched as Greg paid for the items and sighed. It’s not like Greg really
needed any help. Those puppy-dog eyes had gotten him into plenty of
beds before. The gift-buying tactic was new. Maybe Angie really did
mean something to him.
“What now?” Greg asked, still beaming from his big romantic
purchase.
“Anything outside,” Jace said.
“Archery?”
“Sure.”
Jace was driving, so they went back to his house to drop off the car.
His mother made a fuss about them not having eaten. Whenever she saw
him and Greg together, she acted like they were little kids still desperate
for mac and cheese. Of course his treacherous stomach went along with
her, grumbling at the idea. Afterwards, more daylight was lost as Greg
asked to use the phone. Upstairs in his bedroom, Jace watched with
puzzlement as Greg checked in with Angie. Is that what he’d be doing
now if he had Victor’s number? If life was different, would Jace have
been out shopping for a silly present before rushing home to call him?
Maybe. As dopey as it all looked from the outside, he bet it was nice.
The “quick call” stretched on and on. Jace tried to make his peace
with the day being a lost cause, but he still snapped at his mom when she
came in the room without knocking.
“What?”
“Your other… friend is here,” she said, eyebrows raised
disapprovingly at his tone. “Should I send him up?”
Jace bolted upright. “Of course! Why not?”
His mother looked between him and Greg. Oh. Were his feelings for
Victor that obvious? “You know what? I’ll come down with you. You’re
not my servant.”
“That’s news to me!” his mother said.
Greg kept chatting into the phone, oblivious when Jace gestured that
he’d be back. He found Victor waiting in the entryway by the front door,
looking out one of the small windows as if desperate to get back into the
nice weather. Jace could relate. His heart still raced at the sight of him.
For a moment, Jace just stood there staring. Then he remembered his
mother. One sour look sent her on her way, but the grumpiness Jace felt
wasn’t meant for her.
“Where were you?” he said.
Victor turned around, those damn eyes reading him like a book. “I
didn’t forget about you. Star rolled into town. I meant to bring her by
Bernie’s so you could meet, but things got carried away.”
Jace felt a lump in his throat. “Carried away how?”
Victor didn’t answer the question. Instead he addressed the problem.
“I like you, Jace. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. But I never promised I’d
be reliable.”
“You said you’d be there the other night,” Jace said, fighting to keep
the whine from his voice. “We had plans.”
“I said I’d swing by. I didn’t leave you sitting at a restaurant. You
were working, and a friend of mine dropped in for a surprise visit.”
Jace didn’t want to argue. He wanted to hang out with Victor, to
have this dreadfully boring day be saved, but his feelings were still hurt,
and he barely understood why. “You could have called,” he pressed.
“I could also get a boring job, a crappy apartment, and a phone
number just for you to reach me on.” Victor’s voice was surprisingly
calm. “But what would that make me?”
Normal. Not the weird person Jace felt so drawn to. Not the most
interesting thing that had happened to him in years.
Victor put on a playful expression. “I’m flattered that you missed me
so much.”
“I didn’t say I missed you,” Jace answered with a huff, but he
returned the smile.
Victor nodded toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
Jace took a couple of steps before he remembered Greg. “Uh,
actually, I’m hanging out with my best friend today.”
Victor shrugged. “Bring him along.”
How could someone so complicated be so easy? Part of Jace wanted
Victor to complain, to demand that they be alone, but once again Victor
had him gleefully tap-dancing across eggshells.
Victor waited outside while Jace went to fetch Greg. His friend was
just hanging up with Angie, but not before unleashing a barrage of pet
names and kissy noises. Pathetic. But Jace couldn’t help feeling a little
envious.
“Dude! I’m sorry,” Greg said, pointing to his crotch. “Blame him,
not me.”
“Right. Anyway, a friend of mine is here and wants to hang out with
us.”
Greg looked puzzled. “Your sister?”
“No! I have other friends besides her.”
Realization dawned. “You mean that Victor guy? No shit?”
Jace smiled, feeling oddly proud. “No shit.”
They found Victor smoking underneath the tall oak tree out front. He
nodded casually at Greg when introductions were made. Greg, on the
other hand, wasn’t quite as cool.
“Wow! You’re really him? I thought you’d be bigger!”
“Bigger?” Victor asked.
“Well, yeah. Mr. Collins used to be a quarterback, so…”
“Oh, that.” Victor smirked. “You’d be surprised what a little military
training can do.”
“What did I tell you?” Greg said, nudging Jace. “Chuck Norris!”
Jace just shook his head. Earlier in the week, Greg hadn’t even know
Victor’s name. Now he acted like he was an expert. Or a fan who happily
trotted alongside his idol as they headed into the valley behind the house,
asking Victor to teach him moves and asking what other fights he’d been
in.
They were heading toward the lake, which prompted Jace to ask,
“Where are we going?”
Victor seemed relieved at the change of subject. “I set up camp not
far away. This weather is supposed to hold all week.”
“Really?” Jace asked. “You’re staying here?” He felt sure music
would have swelled, that they would have tumbled into each other’s
arms, if Greg hadn’t been walking between them.
“We should get drunk!” his best friend suggested.
“I had something else in mind.” Victor patted a jacket pocket
mysteriously.
That made Jace a little nervous, but his thoughts soon returned to
Victor being near for the next couple of days.
From out of the woods, a small creek wound its way through an
empty field before spilling into the lake. This is what he and Greg always
followed to start their hikes. As Victor led them along this same path,
Jace wondered if he had noticed their archery target. Had they come out
here sooner instead of shopping, they might have met. But Victor led
them much farther into the woods than they normally ventured. The
sounds of leaf blowers faded away into the distance until that familiar
feeling returned. The suburban world behind them—that was the dream.
Reality was right here.
Victor stopped and gestured. Jace had pictured a simple pup tent, but
instead saw a small shelter built from branches and boughs of pine.
Propped up between two trees, the structure reminded him of the forts he
and Michelle used to make from sheets and blankets. Even those
provided more cover. This was little more than a wall leaning forward,
the angle enough to cover the sleeping bag laid out horizontally beneath
it.
“Nice lean-to!” Greg exclaimed, rushing forward to check it out. “Of
course pine isn’t the best choice when it comes to keeping water out and
heat in. What do you usually do for a fire?”
Victor picked up a small axe and gestured with it toward a circular
area that had been cleared of leaves and debris. “I still need to gather
wood, if you want to help.”
“Totally, although a circular fire in the middle is no good this time of
year. A long fire will keep your whole body warm at night.”
Jace stood back and watched the proceedings. Victor might have
more experience living off the land, but Greg was the consummate Boy
Scout. He knew the official handbook inside and out. Jace had often
joked that if civilization came to an end, he’d follow Greg around like a
puppy. He’d know what to do in any situation.
Victor seemed to take the critical feedback in stride. In fact, he
seemed happy to take Greg’s advice. Soon both he and Jace were
following the Eagle Scout’s directions. In a few short hours, they had a
fire prepped, the lean-to insulated with moss, and enough wood gathered
or cut to last the weekend. Greg even had a cooking area set up at one
end of the fire, arranging sticks so a small blackened pot could be hung
from them.
“That won’t last forever, but it’ll stop your soup from burning too
easily.”
“I usually just toss the pot straight into the embers,” Victor said.
Greg shook his head as if this was unthinkable. “This is better. You
know, we could build a second lean-to on the other side to reflect heat.
Or a nice A-frame shelter—”
“How about we enjoy what we’ve done?” Jace said, not hiding his
exasperation.
“Oh. Right.” Greg looked a little embarrassed, but not much.
“It just so happens,” Victor said, “that I have the perfect way to
celebrate.”
From an inside pocket, he pulled out a bag of weed. Jace only
recognized it from the anti-drug films they were shown in school,
although those usually included pre-rolled joints as well, maybe with
pills thrown in for effect. This appeared much more innocent. Victor
took a small metal pipe from the same pocket and began filling it. He
looked up at their silence.
“First time?” he asked.
Guilty as charged. Michelle had smoked it a few times with one of
her boyfriends, but she didn’t care for it. Jace wondered if he would. As
