Stealing Bradford

15

THE WEEKEND PASSED QUIETLY, uneventfully even, an interesting contrast to their first week at school. DJ thought it was because, like her, they were all tired or, as in Rhiannon’s case, emotionally worn out. On Saturday afternoon, DJ and Eliza had gone to the varsity soccer match, cheering Harry and Conner on even when it started to rain. They stayed until they were soaking wet and chilled to the bone, then they waved to the guys and headed home to get warm.

Taylor went out with Bradford on Saturday night. But DJ was probably the only one aware of this. That was something. At least Taylor didn’t announce to everyone that they were going out. DJ also knew that Taylor was late for curfew, but apparently no one else noticed. She didn’t know what time it was when Taylor finally got in, but at least she was in her bed the next morning.

On Sunday, DJ drove Rhiannon to church and sat through the service with her. But she wasn’t sure what she thought of it. Some of the things the pastor said didn’t quite make sense. But then there was a lot about being a Christian that didn’t make sense. Like Rhiannon kept reassuring her, faith was a process. She’d have to figure it out as she went. The good thing was that DJ was still praying. And she’d been trying to read her Bible too. But it vexed her to know that Taylor knew the Bible better than she did. It made absolutely no sense. Still, DJ promised herself that the time would come when she would know it better—more than that—she would learn how to live it. She doubted that Taylor would ever figure that out.

DJ was just finishing up her assigned reading for English lit when her cell phone rang. It was Conner.

“Hey, thanks for coming to the game,” he said. “Did you guys get warmed up?”

“Pretty much.”

“Harry and I were totally beat afterward. We discussed asking you girls to a movie, but we were too wiped.”

“Who won?”

“They did.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t a very fun day.”

“Hey, you haven’t even seen my new car yet,” she said suddenly.

“That’s right. Why don’t you come by and take me for a ride?”

“Okay.” She was already standing up.

“Maybe we can get a bite somewhere,” Conner suggested.

“Hammerhead’s?”

“Sounds good.” So she picked him up and took him for a little spin, and he gave her two thumbs-up on her choice of vehicles.

“It’s kind of weird, but Taylor actually helped to pick it out.”

He suddenly grabbed the dashboard and looked around the car as if he thought it was going to fall apart. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong with it?” he teased. “No time bomb planted in the glove box?” He opened it, looked under the paperwork, and then closed it again.

“Yeah, yeah.” She just shook her head. “Casey was the same way. I guess I should just keep it quiet that Taylor was involved.”

“No, someone should know…in case we need to press charges against her if you are suddenly injured in a freak car wreck.”

“Whatever.”

“Sorry.” Conner got more serious. “It’s not like you’re starting to like her, are you?”

“Of course, not. I can’t stand her. But I don’t think everyone has to be so hard on her. She’s not the only one to blame. Like she’s pointed out, Bradford is a big boy. He makes his own choices. No one forced him to go with her.”

“You mean it’s not true?”

“What?”

“She didn’t put a spell on him?”

DJ reached over and punched him in the arm. “Come on.” Then she pulled up in front of the Hammerhead and turned off the car.

“Sorry. But that girl asks for it.” He shook his head. “I mean, she’s really a piece of work, don’t you think?”

“I think she’s got her issues. And I don’t like a lot of things about her.” DJ laughed. “Okay, I can’t think of one single thing that I really do like about her.”

“She is good-looking.”

DJ frowned at him. “So you noticed?”

“How does a guy not notice?”

“He gouges out his eyeballs.”

“Gross.” He opened the door. “I’m starving.”

Fortunately, they changed the subject. As they ate, they talked about the soccer match and how the refs seemed to favor the other team.

“When’s your first volleyball game?” he asked as they were finishing up. Due to the weather, they were eating inside next to a window that looked out over the docks, which looked gray and gloomy today.

“Tuesday afternoon at four. Home,” DJ answered.

“Cool. Count me in.”

“What about soccer practice?”

“I should be able to see at least the last half.”

“Since when are you so into girls’ volleyball?”

“Since my favorite girl is playing.”

“Well, prepare to be disappointed. We’re not very good.”

“You know what they say—it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the—”

“Yeah, right. Didn’t I just hear you whining about the soccer refs?”

He made a face at her as he laid enough money to cover the bill and a tip on the table. “Let’s blow this joint.”

The rain was starting to come down as they dashed outside and back into her car. “Where to?” asked DJ as she turned on the ignition.

“I should probably go home and attack my homework,” he admitted. “I got a little behind last week, telling myself that I’d make up for it this weekend.”

She nodded. “I know. I was doing some catching up myself.”

So she drove him home, thanked him for dinner, and said good night. When she got to Carter House, she noticed Bradford’s car parked in front. She hoped this wouldn’t mean trouble. But then as she ran through the rain to the front door, she noticed he was in his car. And just as she got to the porch, Taylor emerged.

“Hey, babe,” said Taylor with a grin that almost looked as if she was happy to see her. “What’s up with this weather anyway?”

“You’re not in Southern California anymore.”

Taylor frowned now. “Does that mean that summer is over?”

“Probably not.”

“You’re in time for movie night.”

“Again?”

“Yeah, your grandmother wants everyone to watch Funny Face.”

“Funny Face?”

“It’s an Audrey Hepburn movie about the fashion industry.”

DJ rolled her eyes. “What a novel idea.”

Bradford gave a little beep on his horn. “Guess I better go.”

“What’re you guys doing?”

“Movie.”

“Have fun.”

Taylor peered at DJ now. “Do you think that you and Conner will ever want to do anything with us”

DJ shrugged, remembering how Conner had been ragging on Taylor not that long ago. “Maybe…”

Taylor smiled. “Cool.”

Then DJ went inside feeling slightly compromised. Maybe Casey was right, maybe she had gone over to the dark side. But DJ didn’t think so. If anything, she was trying to do what the Bible said. She was trying to love her enemy and not judge. And it wasn’t like it was easy either.

She smelled popcorn as she went inside. Following her nose, she discovered that the smell was coming from a new contraption that was set up in the living room—an old-fashioned popcorn machine that was busily popping away.

“What’s this?” she asked Kriti, the only one in the room.

“Inez just set it up,” said Kriti. “Mrs. Carter got it today.”

“No kidding?” DJ nodded in approval.

“Of course, there will be no butter involved,” pointed out Kriti. “But there’s some kind of seasoning salt that’s supposed to taste like butter.”

DJ laughed. “That sounds about right.” She looked around the deserted living room. “But where is everyone?”

Kriti shrugged. “I don’t know. I just came down myself and Eliza wanted to finish up something on the computer, but I think she’s coming later. The movie was supposed to start at seven.”

“Maybe I’ll go see if Casey and Rhiannon are coming.” So DJ went upstairs, knocked on their door, and asked if they planned to join them.

“I don’t think so,” said Rhiannon.

“If you’re worried about Taylor,” said DJ. “She’s not coming to the movie.”

Rhiannon looked more interested now. “Well, your grandmother did say that it had to do with fashion design. I thought that sounded interesting.”

“Go!” said Casey from where she was sitting on the window seat with her laptop.

“How about you?” asked DJ.

“Too much homework.”

DJ tried not to look shocked. This was a new twist—Casey actually caring about homework now? Only a week ago she’d been talking about running away. “Good for you,” she said.

Casey looked up from the screen with an odd expression. “Huh?”

“Good for you for staying on top of things.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.” Then she went back to her screen.

Okay, DJ suspected she was just playing another one of her crazy shoot-em-up games. And maybe she was keeping the sound down so that it didn’t bother Rhiannon. Whatever. “Come on,” she said to Rhiannon. “There’s popcorn.”

“Popcorn?” said Rhiannon in an almost-happy tone.

“Yeah. But don’t get too excited. No butter’s involved.”

“Oh.”

Then DJ chuckled as they were going down the stairs. She lowered her voice. “But I could probably sneak some.”

“All right! Contraband butter.”

The movie was interesting in a retro kind of way. And DJ was glad to see that Rhiannon seemed to be enjoying it. Eliza came down about midway through it, but Casey remained upstairs. It was surprising how much calmer things seemed when Taylor wasn’t around to stir things up. DJ suspected she wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. DJ was starting to get a little bored during some long drawn-out musical scenes toward the end, and since Kriti, Rhiannon, and Eliza seemed absorbed, she decided to sneak out.

“Movie over?” asked Taylor as she came in the front door.

DJ nodded back toward the living room. “No, but it’s close. It’s just that I’ve had enough.”

“Not into Fred Astaire?” she asked as they went up the stairs.

“Doesn’t he seem a little old for Audrey Hepburn?”

“I know. That always bugged me too.”

“You’ve seen it before?”

“My mom was big into old movies. I think I’ve seen them all.”

“So how was your movie?”

“The one we thought was playing wasn’t releasing until next week. So we just got coffee.”

DJ was thinking it was a pretty long coffee date. And she noticed that Taylor looked a little rumpled, but she didn’t mention it. They went to their room, and Taylor kicked off her shoes and flopped onto her bed. “I am so tired.”

DJ took this as a hint and was actually relieved to slip into the bathroom where she got ready for bed. Maybe Taylor would be asleep by the time she went back. She didn’t really want to talk to her. She didn’t want to hear about the date and whether or not Taylor and Bradford really had coffee or went to some cheap hotel—not that DJ thought they had. Mostly she just didn’t want to think about it or know about it. Like Taylor had said the other day, “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Maybe that should be their agreement as roommates.

But when DJ came out of the bathroom, Taylor, now dressed in her pajamas, looked wide awake as she sat cross-legged on her bed. “I keep smelling that popcorn,” she said. “Do you think there’s any left?”

DJ shrugged. “Maybe.”

“I could go down and get some, but I might run into Rhiannon, and I don’t think she wants to see me. I’ve been trying to stay out of her hair.”

“So you want me to go get you some popcorn?” asked DJ.

Taylor nodded hopefully.

DJ wanted to say, Forget it. Get your own stupid popcorn! But at the same time, she didn’t want to start a fight. Besides, what about that being nice to your enemy thing? It would be easier and quicker just to run down and get some. “Okay,” she said as she went out the door. She hurried down the stairs and was surprised to see that the movie was still going. Fortunately, there was just enough popcorn remaining to fill most of a bag. Still, she wasn’t going to pilfer any butter. If Taylor wanted popcorn, she could have it dry. Besides, as Taylor was always telling her, butter was fattening.

“Thanks,” said Taylor when DJ returned to their room. “That was one thing I was looking forward to tonight…at the theater, I mean. Popcorn.”

DJ sat down on her bed and picked up the book she’d been reading for English lit, pretending to be fascinated.

“Bradford is a pretty nice guy,” said Taylor as she munched. “But I’m worried that he’s only interested in me for one thing.”

DJ just nodded, wishing that Taylor would shut up.

“I’m sure some people wouldn’t believe me, but I don’t want a guy who’s only into having sex. I want a guy who appreciates me for my mind as well.”

DJ controlled herself from laughing.

“I know that you’re sitting there thinking I’m full of it,” said Taylor. “Aren’t you?”

DJ looked up from her book. “Yeah, sort of.”

“And why is that?” Taylor narrowed her eyes at DJ.

“Maybe you should have someone sneak around and film you, Taylor, so you could see how you come across sometimes.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, you come across as…as a man-eater!”

“A man-eater?” Taylor laughed. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“That’s what Conner called you.”

She frowned. “When?”

“I don’t know…a while back. But he thinks you’re trouble. As a guy, his perception of you is a girl who wants to trap a guy, chew him up, and spit him out. I’m pretty sure he said something like that.”

She made a face. “He’s probably just jealous.”

“Jealous?” DJ laughed. “He had his chance with you, Taylor. Remember? He was not interested.”

“Or maybe he was just afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” asked DJ.

She shrugged. “A man-eater.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Sometimes I wish I could be like you.” Taylor went on.

DJ looked up again. “What does that mean?”

“You know, just ordinary.” DJ rolled her eyes.

“I don’t mean ordinary in a bad way. I mean just a normal girl…doing normal stuff—none of this baggage.”

“Did you ever stop to think that you create your own baggage, Taylor?”

“Maybe…sometimes…but you don’t know everything about me.”

“And you don’t know everything about me either. Yet you think I’m so ordinary—so normal. You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“I know your mom died.” She sighed. “Sorry.”

DJ just nodded and, surprisingly, felt a lump in her throat.

“I don’t know what I’d do if my mom died. I mean, I act like I hate her sometimes, but I don’t. I just hate some of the things she does.”

“Like what?” DJ was actually curious now. This was the most personal thing Taylor had ever revealed about herself and her family.

“I hate that she puts up with my dad.”

“Puts up with him? How?”

“All kinds of ways. His drinking for one thing. His abuse.”

“He’s abusive?”

“When he’s drunk.”

“To your mom?”

Taylor shook her head and looked down at her lap. “No. He’s good to my mom.”

“Who’s he abusive…” But even as DJ said it, she knew.

Taylor shook the last kernels of popcorn into her hand and just stared at them.

“Your dad’s been abusive to you?”

She just shrugged.

“Does your mom know?”

“Oh, yeah…she knows.”

DJ felt like she was in way over her head now. It wasn’t as if she was a counselor or a shrink or anything. On the other hand, Taylor was opening up to her. Unless this was a trick. Was Taylor making this up just to win DJ’s sympathy? “So, if your mom knows, why does she put up with it?”

“She loves him.” Taylor looked up with an impossible-to-read expression. “Obviously more than she loves me.”

“Oh.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

DJ nodded.

“I probably shouldn’t have told you all that.” Taylor looked worried now. “But for some crazy reason, I trust you.”

“It’s okay,” said DJ. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Then without saying anything more, they both finished getting ready for bed and turned out the lights. And once she was under her comforter, DJ prayed for Taylor. For real this time.