Bad Juju (20 page)

“What problems did you struggle with?” asked Ms. Fontana.

“All of page 302.  Ms. Fontana, would you mind if Henry helped me.  I was so lost after your lesson.  Maybe it’s because
Rio
and I broke up, but
Henry
probably has a better way of explaining h
ow to work the problems,
”
Brittany proposed in her sexiest voice.

“I’ll be happy to help you. The homework was easy,” Henry boasted.

“Be my guest.  If there’s any questions, that’s what I’m here for.”  Ms. Fontana went back to grading quizzes.

“Okay, if you take the radius and multiply it by…” Henry explained.

Brittany found the sound of his voice arousing.  Why did it take her so long to
spot
his piercing blue eyes?  She yearned for him to touch her.  She slowly took off her
jean
shirt, exposing her voluptuous breasts
covered by a thin
cami
.  Rivulets of sweat
clung to her skin,
making the shirt transparent.  She intentionally dropped her pencil by Henry’s feet.  As she
kneeled
under his desk to retrieve
it,
he continued explaining
formulas and circumferences.  She leaned at an angle that would ensure him a clear view of her mountainous cleavage.  He looked at her, and she returned his gaze with her most sultry expression.  He
then
continued talking about page 302. 
What’s wrong with him? 
I’ve done everything short of sitting on his face and he’s still rambling on
…Frustrated, she grabbed his upper thigh and brushed his genitals as she balanced herself up off of the floor.

“Sorry, it’s hard to stand in these shoes.  They are so high.  Do you like them?” she demurely asked.

“Yes.  They make you look tall,” he answered.

“B
ut not as tall as you are,” she coyly answered back
.

Henry moved on to problem number thirty-three. 

Brittany
was determined to get to know him better. 
She whispered in his ear.  “Henry,
Rio
and I are finished.  And I get the math.  I just wanted to see you.  I know where you live.  Can I come over tomorrow night, say eight o’clock?”

“That’d be great.  We can watch movies and eat pizza,” Henry said.

“Brittany, put your shirt back on.  I know it’s hot, but your clothes are not aligned with school rules,” Ms. Fontana ordered as she looked up from her stack of papers.

Brittany obeyed, and then whispered to Henry, “I’ll be there, but forget about the pizzas.  I got my own kind of snack that I’ll be using.  You like whip
ped
cream?”

Henry shook his head.  She could see in his eyes that he had no idea what she was talking about, making him all the more attractive.

***

Friday’s
late
thunderstorms bled into
all of Saturday,
leaving the sky
as the
same
inky
canopy
it had been for
both day and night.  The humidity made Tom uncomfortable.  He went into the dining room where the AC register was located.

“Tom, it’s only seventy degrees outside.  Let’s not waste the money.  Can you believe all of this rain?  Hope our basement won’t leak,” Jessica said.

She was right about the air.  Her comment prompted Tom to go downstairs and double check the sump pump.  The rec room was immaculate.  Henry must have cleaned
it for his female friend he had coming over.  Once he was done checking all of the utilities,
Tom
observed some new candles that were set on the end tables. 
A little romance
!  That’s my boy!
 

“This girl must be pretty special.  Henry cleaned up downstairs,” Tom commented to Jess as he came back up the stairs.  “I’ve got to take him to the grocery store.  He wants to rent some movies from the
RedBox
and get some snacks.  He wants cake or pie, something that goes with whip
ped
cream.  You need anything?” She shook her head.

“Is this a date?  He didn’t mention anything to me,” Jess said.

“Yeah
,
right.  In order for Henry to have a date, he’d have to hire a pro,” Natalie quipped as she helped Jess with the dishes.

“Watch your mouth.  And no teasing him.  This girl is a friend.  You better leave them alone.  The basement is off limits,” Tom warned.

“Is she like him?  Autistic?  Learning disability?” Jess inquired.

“No.  She is in his math class,” Tom answered.

“Not the same one who caused that fight back in January,” Jess said.

“Could be.  Don’t know, but he’s really excited.”

“There must be something wrong with her if she li
k
es Henry,” Natalie sneered.

“You and your
mother think because he has Asp
erger’s that girls won’t like him.  He’s really not much different than I was back in the day.  Give him some credit.  He’s a good looking kid, and he’s mysterious.  You never really know what he’s thinking,” Tom defended.

The closer the time got to eight o’clock, the more nervous Henry became.  He asked Tom’s opinion on everything from what to wear to what time he should serve his pie.  It felt good to take his son under his wing and give him man-to-man advice.

“Henry, before I met your mother, I was considered rather
studly
by the ladies.  The girls used to hang on my every word.  Those were the days.  You want this girl to like you, then look at her face when she talks, ask her questions about herself, tell her how pretty she is, and mention her cute shoes.  It’s that easy.  Believe it or not, that stuff still works on your mother.”  Tom winked.  By the look on Henry’s face, he wanted to know more.  “Oh, and let me show you some moves.”  Tom exhibited a montage of
positions that would make it easier for Henry to kiss her.  The doorbell rang just as Tom finished showing him all of his material.

“Hello.  I’m Tom.  You must be Brittany.  Come in from the rain.”

“Hi Mr. Novak or Tom,” Brittany replied.

Tom jeered at
Natalie
as she rudely moved into the foyer to get an eyeful of Henry’s friend.  Th
e
shocked
look on her face said it all. 
Tom was also taken aback.  The girl was incredibly
stunning.

Brittany looked down at her feet, undecided on whether to take off her shoes or leave them on.

“Don’t worry about it.  We aren’t neat freaks.  And besides, they go with your outfit.”  Tom gave Henry that knowing look, prompting him to apply some of the father-son information he just learned.

“Brittany, those are really nice shoes.  Didn’t you wear them the other day?” Henry asked.  Tom gave him a pat on the back as she smiled.

“Okay
,
you two.  Henry rented some movies
,
and there are snacks down in the basement.  Make yourself at home.  And that’s Jess, Henry’s mom in the kitchen.”  Tom saw Jess glaring in disapproval at the young lady.  She waved, not bothering to introduce herself.  Henry and his friend raced into the basement.

“
Did you see what she was wearing?  No bra, pierced belly-button, and daisy dukes!  Maybe she really is a pro,” Natalie chided.

“Enough.  Although Natalie does have a point.  That girl is way out of Henry’s league.  Aren’t you worried he’s
gonna
get used?” Jess questioned.

“You’re so protective.  Let him live a little, make some friends
.
”  Tom wouldn’t admit it, but Brittany was a far cry from what he expected.  She was too sexy for
most grown me
n let alone
Henry.

An hour went by.  Tom was curious to know how Henry was doing.  He walked pas
t
the basement door and closely listened.  He could hear the movie blaring and the faint sound of moaning. 
A possible make-out session?  Some French kissing?  He must have used my moves.
  Tom beamed with pride.  This was a cherished moment that he would have to keep to himself.

Chapter 2
4

The cool spring air seeped through the open window of Jake’s bedroom. 
He lay in bed both content and exhausted.  His afternoon of love-making with Leah had been the happiest moment of his life. 
Had her feelings been real?  Or just an after
effect
of the love spell Lucien had taught him?  Jake wanted to believe their chemistry had always been there, just dormant over the last three years.  He wanted to believe she had been waiting for him to turn into a man.  And if
her sudden attraction was a result of the spell?   T
hen
he would have time to make
her fall in love with him.  Once Pete was out of the way, they could live as a real family.

Warm thoughts filled his head as he imagined himself older, coming home from work, and Leah at home, making him dinner. 
Rhianna
would be
a girl
, calling him her dad.  Maybe Leah would have another baby
or
two.  His eyelids weighted down and the comforting falling feeling too
k
over, sending him into a deep sleep. 

In the twilight hours of the night, a loud groan that came from outside of his window
awakened
him.

“
Ummmm
! 
Ahhh
! 
Jaaaaaaa
!” bellowed, sounding only feet away from his head.  Jake heard the sound of gravel dragging come closer to his window.  He kneeled on the part of his bed bumped up to the window and cautiously peered outside.  He saw a hideous figure, much like a man, rocking in a heap of gravel outside of his window.  The thing seemed to recognize him.

“
Jaaaaaa
! 
Jaaaaa
!”

Did he mean Jake?  He froze in terror, too afraid to scream.  What did this th
ing want?  It slowly dragged it
s legs closer to the window, close enough to reach out and scratch the screens.  As Jake’s eyes adjusted to the dark, he scrunched away from the window
,
watching the creature in fear.  Its grunting sounds were interrupted with violent coughing attacks
, making the creature
less frightening and more human
. 
What did it want with me?

The thing looked straight into Jake’s eyes from the other side of the window screen.  Jake’s heart was thumping so fast that the bed frame began to squeak.  There was
something familiar about the creature.  No it couldn’t be…His
curiosity
superseded his fear.

“T.J.?” he stammered.

“
Aaass
.”

“Did you say ‘yes’?” Jake shrieked.

“”
Teee
Haaaay
…” his voice boomed, but then trailed off, struggling for speech.

“You’re dead!  Go away!  You should be floating somewhere in the
C
osmos!” Jake yelled.  The thing was close enough to smell.  It emitted a foul combination of feces, rotten meat, and soured milk.  The creature beat on the aluminum siding outside of his bedroom.

“You should be haunting Pete!  He was the one who set you up!” Jake cried.  That was the last thing he remembered until his uncle jostled him awake.

“Wake up!” Pete yelled.

He opened his eyes and found himself lying in bed.  It was still dark outside.  He looked at the clock, 3:45 a.m. 
What just happened to me?

“Jake, you were yelling so loud that you woke all of us up.  I thought someone was robbing the house, but it seems like you just had yourself a real d
oozy
of a nightmare.  Try to go back to sleep.  You’ve got school tomorrow,” Pete said as he sleepily walked out of the room.

For as much as Jake hated his uncle, he was thankful the man snapped him out of his nightmare.  Seeing T.J. outside of his window seemed too real.  Still spooked, he gathered his pillow and blanket, closed his bedroom windows, and slept on the floor of the living room.

***

The next day after school, Jake and Henry went to Lucien’s for their lessons.  Both couldn’t help but notice the drastic change in Lucien’s appearance.  His white hair was black with some gray streaks, his face much more smooth, and his body was lean and muscular.  His movements were not of an old man’s, but of
one still young and agile. 
Had it not been for his voice, body language, and the gleam in his eyes, Jake would have thought
the man inside of Lucien’s home was a
n imposter.