I thought about defending myself, but why bother? Once Sam dug in, nothing changed her mind. She’d made a good point about how I really cared about Jen, but I wasn’t about to cancel tomorrow. By her own admission Sam hadn’t been gung-ho over the guys she had been with. She was fine with it. Why shouldn’t I be?
For the next half hour, we moved about the bushes and trees in silence except for the sounds of bottles and cans clinking together. I felt like an ass. Sam was helping me out and I had treated her like crap. Granted, she had been badgering me, but what else was new?
In my mind, I heard my mother’s voice and one of her famous overused lines, ‘If it bothers you, it’s because the truth hurts.’ Mentally telling my mother to shut up, I glanced up from the bushes, relieved to see we had almost reached the end of the small stand of trees that bordered one side of the playground.
“Hey,” Sam called out, “looks like I earned that movie after all.”
“I told you I was treating for you helping,” I told her, glad she had spoken and still wanting to keep up our movie tradition.
“Doesn’t matter, I’d win the gross-out anyway.”
Turning around, I watched her pick up a stick and poke at something in the grass.
“What is it, something dead?”
“No, but not only pretty gross, but very fitting. Here!”
Sam flicked the stick towards me and something landed at my feet. I looked down to see a condom, an obviously used condom.
“That is nasty! Why is it ironic? Because I’ll need some for tomorrow?”
“No, because it’s just like you, used.”
“Real nice, Sam.” I forced myself to not raise my voice. “Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because it’s obvious, Justin, and I can see what’s right in front of me.”
Before I could respond, she released a long sigh. “Too bad you can’t see what’s right in front of you.”
* * * * *
I lay on the couch dozing on and off while the Sox were getting their asses handed to them by the Blue Jays. It was only eight thirty, but after spending hours in the sun cleaning the parks, I was exhausted.
When Sam and I finished Carson’s, she had asked where I was off to. Knowing I was going to hear about it, I told her Jen had asked me to clean up the other playground. Sam gave me a ‘what a sap’ look, but to my surprise offered to help.
The park was pretty small. Because it was in the middle of a neighborhood, it wasn’t the drinking, partying hangout Carson’s was and only took us an hour. After that, I treated Sam to a sundae at Dairy Queen and then dropped her off at her house.
Her mother was on the porch and invited me in, but I told her I needed to go home and shower. Fact was, in addition to being hot and tired, Sam’s older sister Brenda was there, and she rode me about Jen even harder than Sam did. In fact, since I’d been with Jen, Brenda, whom I’d always gotten along well with, had been downright rude to me most of the time.
I got home just before Bill picked Mom up and was happy to see how excited she was to be going away. She asked for the hundredth time if I was comfortable with her being with Bill and I told her I was thrilled for her.