What a perfect night. The fire crackled a little and he held a stick with a marshmallow on the end near the flames. But he wasn't really paying attention to the roasting process, he had no intention of eating it. Instead he was focused on the girl sitting next to him. Ninth grade junior high graduation party at the lakeand after a year's worth of effort, Jenn had finally agreed to be his date.
He sat there with his arm around her, both staring at the fire, she snuggled close to him and put her head on his shoulder. He could feel every place she pressed against him, but somehow his mind still tuned in to the noises around.
A few early crickets in the tree litter. A few late toads making their calls down by the river. Fowler's toad or American toad? Fowler's, he thought. And what was that? A whip-poor-will? No, a Chuck-will's-widow. Much more common around here.
Ah, life was good. In fact, perfect! Just a few more days of school and then they had the whole summer together. He squeezed her closer, but she stirred, "I'm sorry, Jonah. I have to go inside for just a minute and then I'll be right back. Save my place." She kissed his cheek and he watched her walk away. Beautiful. Despite the fire, he could feel the cool night air seeping into everywhere she had rested against him.
He became aware of someone sliding in next to him on the log. He turned, "Noel! What are you doing..."
"Jonah, I need to talk to you. It's important. I know you like Jenn, and that's great. I want you to be happy, but I just wanted you to know that I like you, Jonah. Like I really, really like you and have for years. So, if things don't work out, would you think about calling me, please?"
"Uh, I don't know, Noel...I'll, well, it's too early to think about that now."
"I understand, but I want to give you a little reminder to think about me." She reached in the fire and pulled out a yellow orange heart shaped brand and touched his left chest with it. It burned through his t-shirt and into his skin.
He swatted her arm away almost immediately, instinctively, but not before smoke and the smell of burned flesh filled the air. Jumping up from the log and rubbing his chest, "Arrrrh! What the heck, Noel? You just burned the hell out of me. Why? Why would you do that?"
Noel was in shock. She couldn't speak. Tears filled her eyes and she held her hand to her mouth. "I...oh, Jonah, I'm so sorry. My brothers. My father. They said it would just leave a tiny red heart. It wouldn't hurt! I didn't know it would do that! I am so, so sorry. I didn't know. God, I'm so stupid. Let me help you, please!"
"You're not stupid. You're psycho. Heck, your whole stinkin' family is psycho. Get away from me. Now!" He turned and stomped up to the house taking his shirt off to assess the damage.
She remained motionless for a moment watching his thin, scrawny back disappear towards the house. She could hear him cursing her name all the way there. She stood motionless, not so much as a twitch except for the tears running down her cheek.
Everything at the party had stopped. Everyone was staring at her. But she didn't care about that. She was used to it. They knew her family and assumed she was just the same. The only thing she cared about was the fact that the boy she loved would now hate her forever.
She turned and stumbled into the woods. She considered walking into the lake and putting an end to it all, but she needed to pay a penance. To Jonah, to the world.
He was right. Her family was psycho. She was cursed with a lowlife father and three much older brothers who were known throughout the county for their ability to get into trouble. Each had had more than one trip to juve. But she still didn't understand. Her own family! Why? Why had they done this to her? Why did she even think for a minute they were trying to help her? As soon as she could she was moving out and would get away from them, just like her mom had.
As she walked away through the woods, she took the now orange hot poker and shoved it against her left breast and held it there. A low moan escaped the back of her throat as it burned deeper. It didn't matter. She finally stopped as the brand cooled and the burning stopped. She threw it into the lake. Everything she had hoped for, dreamed of, gone. She started the long, lonely walk home. Not even looking at her chest.
She was still in a daze as she walked through the door, tears still freely falling. "What did that bastard do to you, Noel? Did he hit you? Hurt you? Shit! Look at your chest!"
"No. He didn't do anything except scream in pain and run away. Why would you all do this to me? Why would you intentionally lie to me and ruin everything I wanted?"
"Oh, come on, sis, we were just having fun. He's such a loser. You're our sister and we have to look out for you, plain and simple. Like Dad always says, we can't have you turning into a worthless slut whore like Mom. That guy is a little puny piece of shit. You can do so much better. Don't worry, when the time is right, we'll find the right guy for you."
Laughing, "And she'll be about forty or something, right, Kyle?"
"Yup. That's the plan."
"No! No you won't pick out a husband for me when I'm forty. I just don't understand. I do everything I can to take care of the three of you and Dad and this is what I get? Why?" Not waiting for an answer, she stumbled to her room. Locked the door, put the 2 X 4 into it's brackets and pulled her dresser against it. Her nightly routine since she was twelve. Just in case.
She didn't trust them, not a bit. Too many tweaks, touches and slaps. The boys made her nervous. Never one on one with any of them. She was always on guard. The door was tested way too many times at night, especially when they'd been drinking and the sleigh bells on her door knob woke her up a lot.
But she didn't care about any of that tonight. She didn't even care about the big hole in her breast. It was tiny compared to the hole in her heart. She pulled out the small crinkled photo of her mother. The only one in the house. "I understand why you left, Mom. I do. I just wish you had taken me with you."
The next evening, Saturday, Jonah was on his way to Jenn's house. He was excited. Last night had ended kind of unexpectedly. Jenn was more concerned about caring for him, which was great, and he remembered her hands on his chest, but the romantic part was over.
He never got that kiss he'd been hoping for. The one that would seal the deal on their summer romance. He figured they could take a walk or sit on her porch or whatever. Didn't matter. A car pulled up and three guys piled out. "You! You piece of shit! You hurt our sister!"
"No. I believe she hurt me."
"Maybe, but then you burned her. No one does anything to our sister without our blessing. You're going to have to be punished."
He held up his hands as they approached. "I don't know what you're talking about. I never touched her. I..." The fist hit him in the cheek and he was stunned. Life wasn't like the movies. First good punch ends the fight. He couldn't focus, he couldn't think.
What? The next one hit him in the belly. He fell over and was vaguely aware of being kicked, but all he could do was curl into a ball and wait for it to end.
