his face and the promise of popcorn and pizza weakened me.
“OK,” I muttered. My addiction to food was probably my biggest downfall. Later, I sat on the living-room couch next to Mr. Boatwright watching American Bandstand.
“Watchin’ white folks dance is as much fun as watchin’ wrestlin’. Just look at ’em! Hoppin’ around like they tryin’ to stomp out a fire, ain’t they?” He chuckled, his mouth full of pizza.
“Uh-huh.” I laughed, nodding. The coffee table in front of us was covered with snacks. The whole time, he had one arm around my shoulder like any other lover. A few times he leaned over and kissed me on my cheek. Surprisingly, he didn’t want sex that night.
I didn’t see or talk to Rhoda for two days. She didn’t call me or come to my house and was “out” each time I attempted to reach her.
“I needed some time alone,” she explained a day later at school. She approached me in the hallway right after fourth period class, and we walked to the cafeteria together for lunch. “I really want to help you out of this mess with Buttwright. I’ve just been tryin’ to come up with a plan.”
“It better be soon.” I sniffed. “Can you come over this evening? He’s got that look in his eyes…like he wants to do something,” I added. I was afraid to tell her how nice he had been acting the last few days. I thought that if I did, she would back out of helping me. I knew Mr. Boatwright well enough to know that his niceness was temporary.
“I can come and stop him tonight. But I can’t come every night,” Rhoda replied.
“Well, anytime you can stop him would make it a little easier on me. I can’t…I’m not going to let him touch me again,” I said. My words surprised Rhoda more than they surprised me.
“How are you goin’ to stop him?” she asked.
“He won’t bother me as long as somebody else is in the house. You can come over when Muh’Dear’s not home, and I can get Pee Wee or Florence to come when you can’t come.”
“OK.” Rhoda sighed tiredly. I sensed that she was finally getting impatient and maybe even frustrated with my situation. Something had to happen soon.
My scheme only lasted six days. Two days in a row, Rhoda stayed with me from the time school was out until Muh’Dear came home. Pee Wee and Florence came over the next four days. Mr. Boatwright must have figured out what I was up to because he went to Muh’Dear with his complaints.
“Them kids been spendin’ more time over here than they should. All that activity is makin’ Brother Boatwright nervous,” Muh’Dear told me.
“They come over to keep me company,” I defended.
“You tell ’em the longest they can stay durin’ a school night is one hour,” Muh’Dear said firmly, shaking her finger in my face. “Now go to bed.”
I didn’t sleep much that night. I couldn’t wait for morning so I could talk to Rhoda.
“I knew that son of a bitch would sabotage everything first chance he got!” Rhoda seethed when I reported Mr. Boatwright’s tattling the next morning on the way to school.
“We’ll come up with another plan,” I said quickly. I had to run to keep up with Rhoda, she was stomping down Reed Street so hard and fast.
“You’re damn right we will!” she assured me through clenched teeth. “Because I’m beginnin’ to take this shit personal!”
CHAPTER 33
Two days after Rhoda and her family left for the Bahamas, I got lonely enough to visit Florence around seven that evening. I was horrified when Scary Mary told me Florence was out on a date.
“A date?” I shrieked. “With who?” I was on Scary Mary’s back porch. She was in the doorway removing rollers from her new wig, the reddest one yet.
“She at the church Christmas dance with her boyfriend, girl!” Scary Mary shouted, stomping her foot. She placed her hand on her hip and gave me an exasperated look.
“I…I didn’t know Florence had a boyfriend,” I pouted. “When did this happen?” It was cold, and there was at least a foot of snow on the ground. But I’d left my house in such a hurry I had not bothered to put on my coat or boots.
“Oh, she been keepin’ company with one of them Hawkins boys a couple of weeks now.”
“Oh. Well, tell her I came by.” I rushed home to my room and threw myself across the bed and howled. I