This story is protected by copyright and may not be reprinted in any form without the permission of the author.
* * * * *
She looked safe, the pretty young thing standing along side the highway. And God knows I sure could use the company.
"How far are you going?" I yelled out as I stopped the car along side her.
"Phoenix," she yelled back.
"Get in, throw your bag in the back seat if you can find the room," I laughingly yelled over the roar of the traffic.
My back seat was full of clothes, a weakness I developed over the years. My ex-husband used to call me a shopping addict.
As the young girl crawled into the passenger side of the car I couldn't help but notice how she was dressed, clothes and style being a passion of mine. Extremely oversized sweat shirt and baggy jeans, as if to attempt camouflaging a perfectly ripe teenage body.
I pulled back on the highway and sped up to cruising speed. "Do you know how dangerous it is for a young lady like you to be hitch hiking in todayβs world?" I chided her.
"I know," she said as matter of fact. "But sometimes choices are like, you know, limited. I've been lucky so far though. And I don't hitch at night."
"So you're going to Phoenix," I said to change the subject. "Do you have family there?"
"No," she said. " I'm going there to look for a job."
"My name is Jessica Hunter," I volunteered. Everybody calls me Jesse. I'm glad I could help you out with a ride. I could use the company. Gets lonely driving across country by one's self."
"My name is Lisa," she responded. Nice meeting you too."
"Where are you from?" I asked.
"A little town near Rockford, Illinois. Small town. You know, one of those boring little towns where everybody knows everybody else's business."
I knew it was none of my business why she was alone on the road, especially such a young and pretty girl. I asked anyway.
For some reason she decided to tell me . I'm sure she wanted to see if she could shock me with her revelation. She did.
"A week after I graduated high school I was caught in bed with my Social Studies teacher," she stated as matter of fact. "When my dad found out he cut me off, said he wouldn't pay for my college. Everybody in town heard about it. I tried getting a job so I could move out of my parents house but nobody would hire me. So here I am. On my way to Phoenix to look for a job and hopefully to eventually get in college."
"Your dad was really tough on you, huh," I'm sorry for you he wasn't more understanding."
"Yea, he's not like, you know, the coolest person in the world. But he's honest. He believed his punishment was right as long as I still lived around town where he could keep an eye on me. When he found out I was leaving he had my sister bring me one of his credit cards for emergencies."
"That sounds pretty cool to me," I stated. "Also sounds like he loves his daughter."
"Yea, maybe," Lisa said reflectingly. "But I've always been a pain in the ass to him. Actually, the real reason I left though was the teacher was arrested because I was seventeen at the time we got caught. The police wanted me to testify against her and like I wasn't going to do that. So I split."
"Her," I heard myself say. "The teacher was a her?"
"Yes, didn't I mention that before? I thought I did, maybe I didn't," she said. "Why, does that shock you?'
"I'm an Social Studies teacher!" I exclaimed. "Don't you think that's a little ironic, me, a female Social Studies teacher picking you up hitch hiking and you telling a story like that."
"It's not a story, it's the truth, she said defiantly. "I'm not lying."
"No, no, I didn't mean to insinuate you were lying," I said apologetically. "I just meant what are the chances of this happening. It's really weird."
"So what about you," she asked boldly. "Driving down the highway in a nice new car...nice clothes. You must have it made." "
Not quite, I murmured. I just divorced my husband and decided to travel. Quit my teaching job and here I am. I'm going to San Diego to visit my sister. Haven't seen her for about five years. It's going to be nice to see her and her kids. She has a two year old daughter I've never seen, at least not in person."
What I didn't tell Lisa was what an asshole my husband turned out to be. After ten years of marriage he went wacko. Our normal sex life, dull as it was, didn't need to suddenly become perverted to spice it up. Oh, but he thought it did. Suddenly I wasn't enough for him. When he found a woman who would do the things he liked he filed for divorce. And I didn't fight for anything we had... our joint property, his successful business, all I wanted was cash...and I got it. Enough that I don't have to work any more. But I'm only thirty two years old. I can't imagine not going back to my first love, teaching. But for now I was just going to enjoy myself for awhile.
"You sure you need company?" Lisa said.
I was jolted out of my deep thought. "I'm sorry," I said. "I was just thinking about something.
Yes, I'm glad to have your company. I've already driven a thousand miles by myself."
"Listen, If your going to San Diego you'll be going right thru Phoenix, won't you?" she said enthusiastically. "You think I can get a ride all the way with you?"
"Sure, why not," I said. "I have to tell you though, I'm not trying to set a speed record getting to the coast. We won't get to Phoenix until tomorrow night. I have reservations at a motel for tonight. Will that be a problem for you?"
"No, I have money," she offered. "I can like get a room there too." This is sooo great. I won't have to fight the drunks and perverts who try to pick me up. Maybe now I'll get to Phoenix unscathed. I really appreciate this."
"Oh, there's a restaurant up ahead," I blurted out. "Are you hungry? Because I'm starved. Must be lunch time."
"Cool," she giggled gleefully.
As we walked towards the restaurant from the parking lot Lisa was about three steps ahead of me. I don't know if it was intuition or ten years of high school teaching but as I watched her walk I blurted out an observation. "You were a cheerleader in high school weren't you Lisa."