Bad Juju (24 page)

“You honestly think we could ever be friends…You think you can just fuck my wife…She spent all of our money
on you…This car…Am I a bitch? 
You fucking me like a bitch…
I should kill both of you…”

The car engine was running and the headlights illuminated the common area, but Jake knew no one would be around to save him.  It was late, at least late by elderly residents’ standards.  He was stuck
in
the most secluded
area
of the park.  Next to the common area was nothing but a vacant, wooded lot.

Disorientated, Jake’s arm was
sharply
released and Pete’s uproar was quashed.  With all of the courage he could muster, he turned around to see what had stopped his uncle’s torture.  He had to blink twice before his mind could register the macabre scene only feet away. 

Illuminated by a headlight, Jake watched his uncle get mauled
by a wolf. 
Jake slowly rose as the content animal
stared him down
while greedily chewing
up
one of Pete’s arms. 

Jake
was too afraid to move, yet his instinct forced him to inch closer to the passenger side door.  The animal’s eyes never left him as it ripped off one of Pete’s legs and continued to feast. 
The animal was huge, gray and white, and the most beautiful
creature
Jake had ever seen. 
Something about the wolf’s eyes had
calmed his nerves
.  They were hazel
,
flecked with golden brown, hypnotizing, magical, and even familiar.  As Jake lurched closer to the car door, he no longer feared the creature.  The wolf got up once again to gorge on what was left of Pete.  Jake hustled into the car and peeled away.

Chapter 28

Rio Garcia sat alone in his immense bedroom and played video games while his parents worked and his friends went to school.  He was serving his last week of his
second
suspension
, most recently
earned
from
knocking Brittany against a wall of lockers.  His parents lectured him on the bad choices that he made throughout the school year and hoped he had learned his lesson about controlling his temper. 
He
agreed with them in order to get them to shut up. 

Rio
really thought of himself as a victim who didn’t deserve any of this.  He replayed the disastrous year several times in his mind, always coming up with the same conclusion:  Henry Novak was responsible for everything.  He was the one who ruined his shoulder and destroyed his high school baseball season, maybe even next fall’s footfall season.  And now that Rio wasn’t the school’s star athlete, or any athlete at all, Brittany dumped him.  Yes, Henry Novak was common denominator for all of his misfortune.

The end of the school year was only a few weeks away.  Teachers cut down on their usual reams of busy work while students enjoyed the outdoors.  His friends were too busy with baseball to hang out or even call.  Rio missed them.  He missed his social status.  And more than anything, he missed Brittany.  Her rejection was much more than a bruised ego.  Even though she had shattered him into a million pieces, he would still do anything to get her back.

Rio half-heartedly played his new video game while thinking of ways to get Brittany to love him again.  By dinner time, his ringtone blared like a loud horn.  He knew by the honking sound it was Bart Littlefield.  He frantically dove
under
his blankets until he found his phone. 

“Hey,” Rio said in his best blasé voice.

“Hey.  Just finished up with practice and thought I’d give you a quick call.  I’ll be by tomorrow with the homework.  So far, there isn’t much.  Got some bad news,” Bart reported.  Rio could hear the guys in the background goofing off.  He longed to be back on the team, back at school.

“Go ahead, Bart.  Could use a good kick now that I’m down,” Rio grumbled.

“You alright?” Bart inquired with concern.

“Listen, it’s not like I’m going to go jump off of a bridge.  Just say what you
gotta
say already.  Let me guess…that skank Brittany found someone new to fuck all over the school?”  Several seconds of awkward silence followed.  “Bart, please tell me…”

“I saw her in the tower.  Me and Chad were up there getting high before school.  She was on the steps with some guy.  Couldn’t get a good look at him.  She was blocking my view.  They heard us and got spooked,” Bart recapped.  “Chad couldn’t keep his mouth shut.  It’s all over school.  I wanted to tell you so you didn’t feel even worse.”

“That fucking whore!  What did he look like?” Rio squealed.

“Big.  And dark hair.  Had a black and gray Nike backpack,” Bart answered.

“Fuck the backpack!  I need more than big with dark hair!  That’s almost every guy in the senior class!” Rio shrieked.

“Alright, calm down!  He kind of looked like Henry Novak.  But it couldn’t be him.  He’s practically retarded,” Bart explained.

“Where’s the nearest bridge?” joked Rio.  The idea was worth contemplating.

“I don’t think it was him.  Your folks will be home soon, right?” Bart asked.

“I was kidding.  And you’re right.  She would never sink that low.  If you can get a name, great, but I’m so over that cunt,” Rio said, trying to sound indifferent.

“Better days, my friend.  This Friday, after the game, Madison
DiAngelo
is having a party.  Her parents are out of town.  She lives over by the golf course,” Bart said, eager to change the subject.  “Sierra Sinclair told me that she was hoping you’d come.  She’s hot!  Want me to come over for a while?  We could play X-box.”

“
Maddie’s
party sounds fun.  You don’t need to babysit me, bro,” Rio placated.  He couldn’t wait to get off of the phone and smash something.  “See you tomorrow.  And thanks for telling me, but I’m fine.” 
She is not fucking Henry.  That would be unnatural, impossible.

Once he was off of the phone, Rio bombarded his walk-in closet, settling for his bat and a laundry basket he quickly filled up with crap that would be easy to wreck.  He rushed to his deck and looked out to Lake Hayward and his boat dock, and then let anger take control.  First, he threw up his phone and then whacked it out towards the lake.  It broke into dozens of pieces that burst out toward the boat dock. 
I hate you, you fucking bitch!
  Next, he took out an 8X10 metal frame of Brittany and him at a party.  Again, he
tossed it and cracked it with his bat.  He then pitched up his X-box console.  Thwack!  Plastic exploded everywhere.  Some of the pieces made it into the lake.  He was getting closer.  This went on for several minutes.  Each time he hit the object harder and deeper into the lake, destroying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of belongings.  He knew it was stupid, but it felt so good to hit something.  The light weight objects were not heavy enough to bash in.  He quickly looked around and found a couple of large rocks his mom used for decoration inside of her planters.  Tossing one high, he clobbered it as hard as he could.  It fragmented into pebbles, landing yards away from the lake’s bank and into his tiny back yard.  His wrath subsided while his shoulder zapped off waves of pain that spread throughout his torso.  He buckled down to the cedar floor and cried in agony.  The combination of the physical and emotional pain was unbearable.  He had no more illusions.  Of course Brittany was fucking Henry.  His theory was once again reinforced:  Henry Novak was determined to ruin his life.

***

It wasn’t a secret that Jessica Novak hated her son’s new girlfriend.  She was pretty and polite, but her provocative clothes and flirtatious mannerisms did not endear her to Henry’s family.

Only weeks into their relationship, Jessica could not help but notice all of the time Henry and Brittany had spent in the basement together.  Natalie further fanned the flames of dislike after mentioning rumors about Brittany’s reputation that had circulated down to the junior high.  Brittany was only a sophomore, but already known for being promiscuous.  Tom thought Jessica’s concern was unwarranted.  He
held tight to the
stereotypical double standard that praised boys and scorned girls for being sexually active.  Tom’s nonchalance would be thrown out the window if it was Natalie barricaded in the basement with her boyfriend.

Sunday evening when Brittany was over, Jessica turned the doorknob, prepared to make a surprise appearance to the two teens.  She no longer cared if her presence would embarrass Henry.  The door was locked. 
That says it all.

Taking an old barrette from her kitchen junk drawer, Jessica stuck the skinny metal latch inside of the hole of the cheap brass doorknob and poked out the push button on the other side of the door.  With a sense of urgency, she ran down the stairs.  On the
couch was her baby boy with his pants halfway down pumping away on a stark naked Brittany.  Jess had assumed the worst, but shock and panic took over.

“Both of you, get dressed!  Brittany, leave this house and never come back!  Henry, get to your room!  The party is over!”

***

Tom Novak was enjoying himself in his garage as he drank his beer, listened to the Brewer’s game, and worked on assembling some window boxes.  His sense of well-being was soon interrupted as his hysterical wife burst in and recounted the sordid scene she had just witnessed in the basement.

Tom was shocked, but secretively proud.  “Hon, boys will be boys.  Give Henry a break.  A beautiful girl at school throws herself at him…He’s a boy.”

“I thought he would have fought off the temptation.  I thought he wouldn’t put himself in a position of getting a girl get pregnant.  Tom, we’re only thirty-five. 
Kinda
young to be grandparents,” Jess lectured.

“In a perfect world, maybe.  But Brittany has been around the block more than once.  Don’t know what I would have done at his age.  Luckily, I met you and saved myself for our wedding,” Tom smirked.  He had a few partners in high school, including his wife.  His cynicism wasn’t lost on her.

“If you’re implying that I’m a hypocrite, you know darn well we were engaged.  I wasn’t like Brittany.  So this is not a big deal?  No punishment?” Jess retorted.

Tom kissed her head and smiled.  “None.  Your disapproval is enough.  She’ll soon get sick of him anyway, and then move on to some other
schlub
.  These things have a way of taking care of themselves.  And you’ve said it before, she’s out of his league.  Maybe she’s got mental problems.”

“She just might.  But if you’re not willing to do anything, then I will.  That girl’s mother is getting a call,” Jessica firmly said.

“No, wait!  You’re mad.  Let me call.  You can listen in on the other line-no talking,” Tom suggested.  He grabbed his portable phone and scrolled through the caller ID phone screen, easily finding Brittany’s home number.  She called the house countless times over the last few weeks.  Tom pushed the talk button and automatically dialed.  Jessica grabbed another portable phone and sat down on Tom’s workbench.

“Hello, Mrs.
Bonaducci
?  Tom Novak.  My wife, Jessica, is on the other line.”

“Yes.  And it’s Ms.  I’m divorced.  Please call me Dawn.”

After the brief introductions, Tom described the evening’s happenings.  “We just had an incident over here.  Me and Jess are trying to be responsible and keep you in the loop…”

“What did Brittany do?” Dawn asked.

“Well Dawn, Jess caught them having sex in the basement.  This is the first girl my son has ever dated.  He doesn’t have a lot of friends.  He has Asperger’s.  He’s…quirky.  Not the kind of boy that girls tend to chase.  And Brittany, she’s beautiful…”

“I know, Tom.  That’s the problem.  Boys give her a lot of attention, and she feels she has to reciprocate.  I apologize for not even knowing who Henry is.  I’m a nurse, and I work nights.  Oh God, I’m so out of touch.  I thought she was dating Rio Garcia.  Anyway, I can’t keep up with her love life.  Listen, this is no excuse, but I’m a single mom…I’ve suspected my daughter was less than virtuous, but I had no idea…”

As Dawn droned on, the blood drained from Jess’s face.  Tom couldn’t understand why.  Everything was going smoothly.  Two parents, talking in a civilized manner about the problem…

“Thank you for calling.  I need to get her some professional help.  Lately, her grades have plummeted. She’s in some kind of self-absorbed haze.  She barely talks to me anymore…”

“Well it’s been great talking with you, Dawn.  Just keeping you updated.  And she is no longer welcome in our house.  It’s for the best.  We’ll be in Haiti for most of the summer anyway,” Tom announced, trying to wrap up the conversation.  He hung up the phone, proud of himself for handling the situation in such a mature manner.  Jess’
s
face still looked ill.  “What’s wrong?  I thought that went well.”

“Rio Garcia?  You don’t recognize the name, do you?”

Tom’s memory was suddenly restored.  Brittany and Rio were going to be trouble.

***

Candy Fontana could not have been in a better mood.  By the end of June, she and her boyfriend would be touring Europe for the summer.  She deliberately gave her students easy assignments that were even easier to grade.