Just Between Friends (Prequel to the Forbidden Series)

2

Mike drove along in his beat up old Ford that he had spent his last dime on when he got into Alberta last week. It was a giant piece of garbage, a rust bucket on wheels but it worked and it was all he could afford. He did not have to take the school buses to the county high school like the others. He pulled into town and saw the school bus stopped in front of the Gas and Go. A handful of kids got off, and he recognized one of them as Chase. Missing that bright flame red hair was hard.

She walked alone in the opposite direction that the bus drove off in. Mike turned the car around and started down the road Chase was on. He slowed to a walking pace and rolled down his window. Leaning out the open window he smiled at her as she continued to walk along and ignore him. “Hey there, need a ride?”

“You know I do believe that stalking is a crime?” She smirked.

“I just happen to be going in the same direction that’s all.” He said with a playful shrug of his shoulders.

“And you just happened to decide to roll along at two kilometres an hour while driving in the same direction I am walking?”

“A happy coincidence. So, we could continue this witty banter at a snail’s pace, or you could get in, and I could drive you home.” He offered. She stopped for a moment and looked around as if deciding what she might do. Much to his surprise, Chase decided to get in his car. Slipping into the seat next to his Mike looked momentarily stunned.

“What?” She asked

“Nothing, just a little surprised that you gave in so easily. I thought for sure I would have to harass you a little.” He admitted playfully as he stepped on the gas and the car moved forward.

“I live at the end of the road.” She announced positioning her ratty old book bag in her lap. She must have been carrying the same bag for the last few school years. Either her family lived by the waste not want not philosophy or she could not afford to get a new one each year. “How long did you say you have been in Alberta?” She asked uncomfortably trying to make small talk.

“Less than a week. Just long enough to unpack and register at school.” He answered.

“Don’t you miss Ontario?”

“No, not really.” He admitted. “Well, that’s not entirely true. I miss my friends but besides that no.”

“Did you have a lot of friends back east?”

“No. I knew a lot of people but not many I would call friends. There’s my best friend David; he grew up four trailers down from me. The oldest of five with a single mother. He and I used to get into so much trouble. His mom’s pretty cool though she always treated me better than my parents. Then there was our buddy Eric. We’ve been friends since second grade. His parents are way better off than David’s and mine, but he’s still cool he doesn’t act like he’s better than us or nothing.”

“And you don’t know anyone here except your grandmother?” She added to his story.

“Well I know you now, I don’t see why we can’t be friends.” He said flashing her his most charming smile.

“Well I hate to break it to you, but I already have a boyfriend.” She said very matter of fact while they followed the road as it curved right.

“I see, and that means you are not allowed to have other friends while you date? Does Kim know that because I think she is under the impression that you two are pals?” He teased. Mike pulled up to the curb in front of the last house on the block and put the car in park.

“You know what I meant.” She scolded.

“Maybe so but that was not what I meant. Boyfriend or not why can’t we be friends? As stubborn and mouthy as you are I find you to be the most interesting person I’ve met in this limited gene-pool town. I have a feeling you and I have more in common than you would like to let on.”

Chase stared at him for a long moment and leaned in close. “Perhaps you are right. Perhaps you and I are similar and if certain things were different perhaps we could be good friends; but they’re not and we can’t.” She said and opened the door. Climbing out of the car, she walked up the sidewalk.

Mike got out of the car unwilling to be so easily blown off he followed her to the door. “What exactly would have to be different for us to be friends?” He asked curiously.

“Sex.” She said bluntly. Mike was taken back a moment. “Either you would need to be female or I male, and since neither is true, such a friendship would never work.” She said reaching for the door.

Mike reached her and leaned against the door his weight preventing her from escaping him. “Why is that? What is wrong with a co-ed friendship?”

“Men and women cannot be friends it’s in our nature.” She declared shifting her bag from one shoulder to the other.

“And you are an expert on human nature?” Mike teased.

“I’m certainly not a novice.” She scoffed.

“Novice? Do you sit up all night reading the dictionary?” He joked.

“Oh, now you’re gonna make fun of me for having a vocabulary.” Chase scowled planting her hands defensively on her hips.

“I’m sorry, you’re right, you’re just unique most girls your age are shopping and reading Cosmo and attending keggers.”

“Forgive me if I aspire to more than mindless chatter and killing brain cells.” She said pushing past him to open the door. “Excuse me.” With that, she had opened the door and ducked inside. The door was closed, but Mike could hear the commotion on the other side. He couldn’t quite make out what was being said, but he could tell that someone had started yelling.

Mike stepped back a few paces and examined the two-story house. There was an overhanging roof over the front porch, and an old cedar tree grew beside it. Its branches hung over the overhanging roof. Mike walked over to the tree and reached up trying to find a good hold. Getting his grip, he started up the tree, scooting across the branch that bent under his weight he stepped out on to the rickety old roof hoping it would hold him.

He carefully made his way across the roof and looked into the first window. It was the master bedroom he assumed, but it was still fairly small and empty. He continued when he heard a door slamming coming from the next window. He looked into the room and saw Chase. She was sitting on her single sized bed wiping away tears. She had been involved in the yelling he had heard. She must not have gotten along with her parents as well as she had led him to believe earlier that day.

Her room was small not much bigger than a pantry closet. The walls were covered in magazine pictures of far off places and posters of rock bands. Hell, he even had a few of the same bands on his walls. On top of the dresser were stacks of books and CD’s and leaned against the head of the narrow bed was a guitar. Mike decided to make his presence known, he reached down and slid the old window open and watched Chase jump to her feet. He contorted his slim body to fit through the small opening and dropped down into her bedroom.

“What the hell are you doing?” She gasped.

“I knew you were a closet grunge head.” He smiled picking up her guitar and strumming a few chords to check its tune. “Are you any good on it?”

Chase snatched the guitar from him and put it back in its place. “You have a real problem with personal space.”

“I live in a world that has no boundaries.” Mike smiled dropping down into a lazy sprawl on her bed.

“Just make yourself at home why don’t you.”

“Thanks.”

Her face turned red with annoyance, and she pointed out the window. “Get out; I don’t recall inviting you in.”

“Only vampires need an invitation.” He told her sitting up he noticed that her door had multiple locks on the inside and was locked up tight. Remembering his conversation at lunch with Kim, Mike found himself curious. “So why don’t you like having people over?”

“I’m not a social person.” She snipped.

“You’re a liar too.” He said getting up and walking to the door his finger tapping the chain locks. “You got secrets.”

Chase walked over and grabbed his hand and pulled it away. “It’s none of your business.” She whispered glaring up at him. Suddenly a loud bang at the door shook the walls, and they both jumped. Mike’s hands came up protectively gripping Chase’s biceps. “What was that?” He whispered.

“Shh.” Chase hushed placing her finger to her lips. Another bang shook the door, and he heard a man’s slurred voice yelling incoherently through the door.

“Get your sorry fat ass out here and make supper you lazy little bitch.” The man growled, and he slammed his fist against the door again. Mike pulled Chase closer ready to defend her if the door opened, then he heard another voice.

“Leave her be Earl I’ll call for a pizza.” Came another slurred voice.

“Lazy no good w***e, she never does nothing but mopes in her damn room, ungrateful little slut…” The ranting trailed off as the man on the other side walked away.

Mike looked down at Chase; she looked ashamed and embarrassed. “Does that happen a lot?” He guessed from the locks on her doors. He sounded like a violent man. She didn’t answer, but she didn’t need to he could put two and two together. “I didn’t know.”

“No one does, and I would like to keep it that way if you don’t mind,” Chase said quietly.

“Can he get through the door?” Mike asked concerned for her safety.

“No, I made a trip to the hardware store last year and fortified the door and the frame while he was playing poker one night.”

Mike smiled at her impressed with her ingenuity. “Smart girl.” He looked back at the door and then out the window. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here. Why don’t you come home with me, my Grandma can cook like it’s nobody’s business? Something tells me that you don’t get too much to eat around here, and even if you were to get some of that pizza, it wouldn’t be worth leaving the room.”

“No.” She said moving away and walking to the window. “But you should go before he finds out you’re up here.”

More screaming came from the lower level and then the sound of something breaking. Mike climbed out the window and crouching he held out his hand to her. “Come on. I got the new Roderick CD we can listen too, a twelve-inch black and white television with a crappy video player, and some bad B-rated horror movies.” He said proudly as if he had just offered her wine and roses on an ocean yacht.

Chase could not help but chuckle, he was incorrigible, and then it happened, she reached out and took his hand, and Mike helped her out the window, down the tree and into his car.

***

They pulled in to the dirt driveway of a small rundown house. It had to be at least sixty years old if not older. It might have once been a small farm until the town had sprung up around it. Three decrepit wooden sheds looked condemned, their windows and doors had been boarded up. Mike parked the car next to a broken down rusted out nineteen-ten blue Ford truck that was missing both its hood and all four tires as it sat on cinder blocks. It had a tree growing up out of it where the engine should have been. Closer to the house was a small newer model red sub-compact that Chase assumed belonged to his Grandmother.

Mike showed Chase into the house. They left their shoes at the door, and she followed him through the cluttered rooms to the small kitchen in the back of the house. There was a tiny table, and very little counter space which was cluttered with jars and ice cream pales filled with garden vegetables. A little old lady puttered around the kitchen. She was short and heavy set with short dark hair that had only a touch of grey. She had thick glasses and was slightly hunched over as she shuffled about.

Mike announced himself and Chase realized he was not speaking English. He kissed his grandmother’s cheek, and she smiled. She turned around to look at the girl her grandson had brought home. She could not make out what the two of them were saying, but Chase believed they were speaking Spanish; which would make sense given their surname. She was not sure, but she thought he was introducing her to his grandmother and asking if she could stay for supper. There was what seemed like minor arguing, scolding from the grandmother and then she turned back to what she had been doing before they arrived and Mike was grinning triumphantly.

“She says I should have called first, but you’re welcome to stay.” He told her. “Supper will be ready in about an hour. Come with me.” He said leaving the kitchen and navigating the narrow-cluttered halls until he reached the door to the basement stairs. Mike headed downstairs, and Chase followed. When they reached the bottom of the steps, he reached up and pulled a string that turned on the light.

The basement was unfinished with cement walls and floors. It had two small narrow windows that let in little light high on the walls. One section of the basement had the washer and dryer with a homemade pantry. The other side had been made into a bedroom. There was a small wooden twin sized bed against one wall. A rickety old metal desk against the other wall under the windows. On one corner of the desk was the twelve-inch television and video player with a small stack of tapes without cases.

A small reading lamp was clipped to the headboard of the bed. Tall shelves were standing in the middle of the room acting as a room divider to separate his bedroom from the rest of the basement. There was no closet and no dresser, so all his clothes had been stuffed on the shelves along with a CD player that looked half busted and a stack of CDs. Propped up against the wall between the foot of the bed and the shelves were two guitars and an electric amplifier. Patch cords and headphones were tossed all over the place.

Across the top of the desk were numerously used picks and a whammy bar. Underneath she noticed scraps of paper along with used napkins and other paper product junk that could be written on. Chase pushed the picks around and sifted through the many pieces of papers. They had musical notes and chords written all over them. Some scratched out and re-written in different keys. She hadn’t realized until now just how serious he had been when he had implied he was interested in a future in music. On the cement walls, he had many rock posters taped up along with some finished pieces of music she could only assume he had written.

Knowing a little something about music herself she stepped closer to the walls and looked over the written work posted. Reading the notes and running the coinciding sound in her mind she came to one conclusion; it was pretty good. “Did you write this?” Chase asked politely.

“Sure did,” Mike said proudly as he sat down on the bed.

“You must like music.”

“It’s my life.” He admitted.

Chase leaned against the desk and took a serious look at the boy in front of her judging his sincerity. “So, you were serious about that rockstar business you were going on about at lunch?”

“As serious as a heart attack.”

“You think you’re that good?” She asked.

“I don’t know, but I practice and push my skills. I got to try.”

“What’s your contingency plan?” She asked looking at the posters on the walls.

“I don’t have one.” He admitted.

“That doesn’t seem very sensible, what if you fail, what will you do then?” Chase asked.

“I won’t.” Mike simply said with a shrug.

“Do you believe there is no chance of failing?”

“No, I’m perfectly aware there is a very good chance I will but if I start doing other things and start doing this halfheartedly because of what might or might not happen then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Mike said rising to his feet and coming to stand beside her. “If you are going to be successful you have to believe it.”

Chase smiled finding his confidence endearing. “Will you play something for me?” She asked curious to experience his talent first hand.

“Sure.” Mike retrieved his acoustic guitar and quickly checked its tune. He took a green pick from the desk and then sat down in the chair and positioned his fingers over the neck of the guitar than began to play. It was a soft ballet-like piece, and Chase found herself smiling. It was beautifully composed. After the ballet, he played a more up-tempo retro-rock song than a cover tribute of a popular band. She had to admit he was incredibly talented. If he had the conviction to try, he might make a living at being a musician even if it was just a headlining at a nightclub or something simple like that.

When supper was announced, they went upstairs to retrieve their meals. It was nothing fancy a simple cabbage soup which Chase was pleasantly surprised tasted a lot better than she would have thought. It was sweet full of hearty vegetables. Mike explained that his grandmother lived on a very limited pension fund and had little money for food so they often survived on mostly whatever she could grow in her garden in the back of the house. Sometimes they had some meat dishes but not too often. They lived life as vegetarians, which were probably better than the food her parents stocked their house with which was mostly junk food and garbage. Carrots and cabbage were better than Twinkies and Snowballs.

After their meal Chase helped Mike clear the table and wash the supper dishes, an act that sat well with his grandmother. She seemed to appreciate the quiet time to sit and knit. They discussed their favourite musicians and bands and their work while Chase washed and Mike dried. It turned out they liked a lot of the same artist and saw eye to eye on may of other things regarding life and love of music.

They both wanted to travel in their lives all over the world. They both loved music and bad horror movies and crime shows. Both came from the same walk of life, poor w*********h both aspiring to be bigger one day. After they were done the dishes, they went downstairs, and Chase felt confident enough to demonstrate her musical talents. The two of them played for a few hours, time got away from them and before they realized it the digital clock on his desk glowed midnight.

The basement door at the top of the stairs opened, and Mike’s grandmother yelled down at him. Mike yelled back up and then a small verbal argument began between them. Mike placed his guitar down, and Chase followed his lead. “She says it’s late and you have to leave.”

“Oh.” Chase felt a little disappointed. She had been enjoying herself for the first time in so long, and she was sure her horrible parents hadn’t even noticed she was gone. It was so much more peaceful here, more enjoyable than being locked away in her room listening to the constant fighting in her household. She did not want to go home, but she knew she had no choice.

Mike must have noticed her frown because he then said. “I would have let you spend the night but my grandmother is a devout Catholic and you being a girl and being alone with me is hard enough for her to accept she would never allow you to spend the night.”

“It’s ok I suppose, I really should be going anyway. I have spent far too much time here.” She smiled.

“Why don’t I drive you home?” He said getting up and walking to the stairs. Chase followed, she didn’t live that far away she could walk it, but the ride would be appreciated at this late hour. Soon the local bar would be letting out, and she didn’t feel like dealing with drunks as well as the dark roads.

Mike explained to his grandmother that he was taking Chase home and then they went outside and got into his car. It didn’t take long to get her home and as they sat parked outside Mike asked. “Why don’t you come over again tomorrow? We’ll watch those movies this time.”

Chase smiled. “You know what, I think I would actually like that, ok I will.”

He chuckled knowingly. “How is your boyfriend gonna feel about you spending so much time with me?” He asked.

Chase blushed having been caught in a lie. She had no boyfriend; she was too off-putting for most of the guys. Usually, they gave up long ago, but Mike had persisted despite her bad attitude and managed to get past her tough exterior and expose her soft underbelly. She could honestly say she was glad for it. It had been forever since she was able to bond with someone like herself and she hoped her confession wouldn’t make him think less of her. “I have a confession.” She admitted.

“There is no boyfriend.” He guessed, he didn’t seem to be upset.

“No.” She admitted.

“I didn’t think so.” He teased.

“Really why?”

“No offence,” he chuckled, “but you can be kind of a bitch.” They both laughed, and Chase slugged him playfully in the shoulder. “So, would you like a ride to school tomorrow?” He asked before she got out of the car.

The idea was appealing she hated that damn school bus. “Yeah, why not.”

“Ok, I’ll be here at seven-thirty.”

Chase got out of the car and slipped through the dark. She climbed up the tall tree and onto the roof. She carefully made her way past her parent’s still empty bedroom to her window. Slipping inside, she looked back out the window and waved goodbye to Mike. This was going to be the start to something good she could feel it.