Mom and I were stuck together for the ride home, so of course that meant it’s time to start pumping me for information.

Let’s see, mom. What do you want to hear first? How embarrassed I am? How sorry I am? I thought I made all of that perfectly clear.

I’m supposed to say something about Bette Porter, so I said she has good manners. It’s something positive. It’s true. What else does mom want? Anyway, she didn’t like that answer.

The good part of dinner. Mom’s going home with me, and Bette Porter’s not coming with us.

The bad part of dinner. Well, let’s see, I ruined the woman’s clothes. That was bad. Then I felt bad about that, which was worse, because I had to apologize and stuff. Now I kind of feel like I owe her, which is the worst of all.

None of this would have happened if Bette Porter hadn’t insisted we go to dinner with her, though, so I suppose in a way it’s really her fault, right?

After this, Bette Porter made plans to go to lunch with us tomorrow. Well, to lunch with mom, although I suppose I was included as an afterthought.

To make mom more comfortable she said she’d ask Aunt Alice and Aunt Shane to go with her. I would like to see them, but I think I can see them most any time. Well, when Aunt Shane isn’t traveling, or something, of course.

Plus, I noticed that mom didn’t quite say yes right away. Maybe she’s not quite the pushover that Bette Porter seems to think she is.

That’s a good thing, but I don’t think I’ll tell her that. Again, I don’t really think she’d understand, even though I do mean it in a good way.

I wish I’d gone to Jeri’s.

Then mom starts asking what’d I think about lunch. Well, mom, I think it’s a fine meal. I try to eat it every day. “Huh?”

“You know,” she continued. “Bette invited us to lunch. Do you want to go?”

Sure, I haven’t done enough damage for one week, mom. Make me feel worse, why don’t you. “I don’t know.”

“Well you think about it tonight.”

Yay. More thinking. That’s all I’ve been doing lately. Personally, it’s getting a little boring.

There’s got to be somewhere that I can escape the ***** drama. I mean, it’s nothing against lesbians or anything. The last thing I’d want to do is say something like that out loud. Mom wouldn’t quite understand.

But this is drama. And the lesbians in my life are involved. Doesn’t that make it ***** drama?

If mom and Bette Porter were meant to be together, wouldn’t they have stayed together?

From what mom’s said, I suppose I do have to be kind of grateful to Bette Porter since without her I wouldn’t be here. But it seems to me that Marcus Allenwood did more. But I suppose Bette Porter’s contribution too longer than his.

Whatever.

When we got home, I headed back to my room. Mom was off somewhere, probably on the phone. Probably to Aunt Alice.

Just me, in my room. No restriction. Bored.

I could do homework, but it’s Saturday night. Not even I want to be that big of a geek.

And I got to thinking, maybe I should go to Jeri’s after all. As Aunt Shane has mentioned on occasion, it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Maybe it’s time to test that theory.

Just in case, I wrote out a note telling mom where I am, and stuck it between Mr. Goofy Bear’s paws. Then I grabbed a few dollars, just in case, and head for the French doors.

As predicted, no mom. Her bedroom door’s shut. Kitchen’s dead quiet.

I headed out the door and around to the front. Doing a walking and jogging thing, it only took me about twenty minutes to get to Jeri’s house.

I knocked on the front door, and, well, wow.

Let me say that again.

Wow!

She wasn’t kidding that this was going to be some major party. There are kids here that I don’t think even go to our school.

Heading out back, I found Jeri hanging out near the pool. She was holding a beer.

“Jess,” she slurred, falling over me in a big hug.

She was all wet. A bunch of people were in the pool, and I imagine that included Jeri just a short time before. Now I’m half wet from the hug.

“My best friend, Jess. I thought you had to stay home.”

I grabbed her beer and took a sip. Ewww! How does Aunt Shane drink so many of these? “I got sprung.”

Jeri smiled. “I’m so glad.”

At least someone wants to see me.

Then I saw him. He was standing over to the side, with the other senior guys. Jake. He’s lovely.

Tall. Dark hair and eyes. Skin a little darker than mine. I am feeling so crushed out on him.

Then, can you believe it, he walked over to me. Is that cool or what? “I notice you didn’t have one.” And he held out a beer.

Now, I know what my mom’s told me about drinking. But I see her do it. Like tonight, before I my splattering act, mom seemed perfectly fine with her merlot. And she’s joined Aunt Shane and Aunt Alice in having a beer plenty of times.

So it can’t be that horrible, right? Other than the taste that is.

I took the beer and took a sip, hoping that I didn’t look like I felt drinking the thing.

“It gets better,” he said. “A few more drinks and you’ll like the stuff.”

Hopefully he’s right, because right now, I can’t say that it’s all that wonderful.

The next sip wasn’t quite as bad, I must admit. I watched Jake as he took his glass and just tipped it back, downing it in a few gulps.

In an attempt to keep up, I took a bigger swallow. And almost choked.

While I was coughing and sputtering, Jake was just sort of chuckling. I mean, I guess it did look pretty funny. And after tonight and the merlot, I suppose I deserve some of that.

At this point, his cup was empty and mine was about half gone. “Let me refill that for you,” he said, taking the cup from my hand.

Jake’s got good manners, too.

As I watched him walk away, Jeri slung her arm over my shoulder from behind. “He’s totally cute.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “Totally.”

“And he thinks you’re cute.”

Geez, now I’m blushing. “Really? I didn’t think he even knew my name.”

“Really. He was asking if you’d be here tonight.”

Okay, now I’m blushing a lot. It’s suddenly got really warm here. And why can’t I stop smiling. “Really.”

Jake comes back, and holds out the cup. Jeri takes her arm off my neck and gives me kind of a shove forward.

I’m a little off balance, and almost barrel right into Jake. He manages to put an arm under mine to keep me from doing a total face plant, but he also spills half a beer down my back in the process.

We get disentangled. “Sorry about that.” I take the half-beer from his hand. “I drink slower, anyway,” I say.

“Sorry about the spill,” he tells me.

Don’t worry about that, I think this is a night full of karma for me. “It’s ok.”

He shoots me this great smile, and it’s still feeling really warm in here. I take a sip of the beer.

“It’s getting better, isn’t it?” he asks.

Yeah, it is. “I nod.”

Silence.

We’re both standing there, and I’m not sure what I can say that won’t make me sound like a total dork. He’s looking at me like he’s trying to decide if maybe I am a total dork or not.

Real smooth, Jess.

Fortunately, he’s not a dork. “Would you like to go somewhere a little more private?”

Yeah, I have to admit. I’d like that a lot. But I can’t really speak, so I nod.

And then, this is so cool, then he took my hand in his, and he led me inside the house.

(tbc)