Wheeling Par

Yep, Jarid had definitely changed at

Wheeling Park

, like Mom and I had, but in a very different way. In town, he was a very quiet, reserved person, introspective and shy. At the Park, especially after meeting Livy, he was a dark, moody, sometimes depressive and often sharp tongued person. Yet there was another side to him that was actually quite nice at times that didn't exist in town, either.

When me and Mom got home a little over half an hour after the wet T-shirt contest, without getting fucked silly like I wanted, Olivia mentioned this about him while he lay passed out on the red lounger. She said he was 'a very sweet young man', which is a description I've never heard put to him, except by me and Mom. She looked lovingly at him as he sprawled like he fell out of a plane and landed there, missing his own fun, quiet night which the three of us really enjoyed.

"Kinda crappy how you passed out last night," I told him the next day.

I was taking practice shots in the area of grass that Ollie and I cut down to the dirt so a ball would work, Jarid playing goalie in the little plastic practice net I brought.

"I don't know how you can drink that stuff, anyway. Yuk."

"If I didn't have enough to pass out, I never would have been in the club before that. Not even Olivia could have dragged me in there."

"Yeah, but you missed a really good movie."

"Ah, well."

"Glad you had a good time at the Club, though."

"Uh-huh."

"You really do like Livy, right?"

" ,... Well, yeah," he sighed.

"But,..."

"But I'm,... concerned about,... Never mind."

"You don't trust me. You said you did last night."

"No, Jen, it's not that. I just don't want to talk about it. It's nothing you haven't already heard, or want to hear again, and I said you wouldn't have to. Too late now, anyway."

"It's like you're two different people sometimes."

"I know."

"Well,... she likes you. A lot. She respects you, too, says you're smart."

"She's hard to resist, I'll give her that."

"I'm glad you're fucking her, too."

"Uh,... huh," he sighed, looking away from me.

"Why does it bother you that I say that? We both know we're doing it."

"Yeah, well, I try not to think of,... that."

"Did she teach you how to lick her pussy? She did me, but she said Mom knew how almost right away."

"Look, can we just please not talk about this? And quit it with the slapshots, will ya?"

"Sorry. I just want to talk about this, because we always talk about everything and, well, you know. It's not the same with Mom and Liv."

"I'm telling you, I'm trying not to even think of it."

"Well, I think you ought to start facing up to it. Considering what happened yesterday."

"Oh, fuck, they told you?"

"Yup. It's okay. Wish I was there, though."

"We were drunk and stoned, you know. Please remember that."

"Whatever. You both really liked it, that's all that counts."

"Think so, huh?"

"Would you do something like that with her again if you could? Would you want to?"

"Jen,... can we please just drop it?"

He was getting an erection.

I smiled, that being answer enough for me, and said, "Alright, I won't talk about you and Mom anymore, but you gotta talk to me about Livy. I think we

should

talk about her."

"Why?"

"Because we're both having sex with her. Why wouldn't we? C'mon, please?"

"I just don't see what there is to talk about."

"Did she teach you?"

"Ohhh, shit. Yes, okay? She taught me."

"She's really something, isn't she?"

"That's for sure."

"I mean, even the way she looks. She's not beautiful in the classic sense, like Mom, but she's beautiful. She has this thing about her that just seems to draw me."

"I know, me too. I've never experienced that with anyone before, either."

"Neither have I. I wonder what she's like in town, at her job and stuff."

"All business, I'd expect."

"I think she's lonely. Or, at least she was."

"I'd have to agree with that," he said.

"I love when she looks at me with that expression, like,..."

"Like a mountain lion looking at her cubs while they suckle?"

" ... Yeah. Yeah, that's it, I love that. Don't you?"

"Kinda, yeah and kinda no. It draws me to her and makes me want to trust her, makes me feel like I can, but,..."

"But what? I totally trust her. Look what she did to the Magpie."

"Yeah," he laughed suddenly. "That was pretty cool. He actually pissed his pants."

I giggled and tried to get one by his left foot, but he caught it with a quick step and said, "You're looking right where you're going to shoot, you know better. Even I wouldn't do that."

"Sorry, coach," I said sarcastically. "Hey, I'd love for her to come and see me play."

"She'd be like one of those problem parents, beating the crap out of the other parents in the stands and insulting people," he guessed.

"No, you'd be insulting people, she'd be beating them up when they try to punch you out," I corrected with a grin, actually getting a smile out of him as I put one past his shoulder. "Ha! Didn't see that coming, did ya?"

He picked the ball out of the net with the goalie stick I gave him, skiffing it back to me and saying, "You know, if she has her way, she will be going to your games, both her and Mom."

"Cool."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"No. I love her."

"What?"

I shrugged and said, "We can count on her. She makes Mom happy and Mom makes her happy."

"Not like Mom and dad, you mean."

" ... Yeah, I guess. But it's more than that, too."

"How so?"

I took a shot and bounced it off the post of the undersized net and stopped, looking at the thick brush at the back of the lot, trying to find the words to give my answer.

"She'll make things better. I think she already has."

"In what way?"

"Well, look at you. I don't think you'll have such a problem with people after this. You don't even mind talking about that so much anymore. Mom's cooking again. She actually cares enough to yell at us, which she hasn't done for a while. I mean, I know it's weird, but I can't think of a better stepdad than Livy."

"And the fact that you're having sex with her like Mom is doesn't bother you?"

"That's part of it. It's why I trust her so much, I know on a deep level how she cares about us. She must tell you the same nice things when you two are having sex."

"Not knowing what she tells you, I wouldn't know. Yeah, she whispers nice stuff in my ear, and I know she's being sincere, but,..."

"I think you just need a little more time to get used to her and this situation, is all," I said.

"See, that's what I don't like. Any situation a person has to adjust to should be looked at very carefully. It means that it's a situation beyond that person's control, which means that person has little or no choices."

" ... I see what you mean, but that happens all the time in life, and that trust,... I just don't worry about that, I know I don't have to with her."

"You trust her intentions."

"Absolutely. Jarid, give her a chance. She really does care about us and she's so supportive.

She'd

never bail on us, not unless Mom told her to take a hike and I don't see that ever happening."

He didn't answer right away. He kicked the ball back to me and rested the stick behind his neck and across his shoulders, hands at the ends as he looked at the ground thoughtfully.

"She

is

stable," he allowed.

"I've had enough of this," I said. "Let's go down to the dock, okay?"

"Alright."

After we put the hockey equipment away and wandered out of the lot, I grabbed his hand and swung it between us, giving him a friendly smile and asking, "Hey, you remember all those nights I'd hang out with you in the garage when you were working on your bike?"

"Yeah," he said, ambling along beside me, seemingly unbothered by my playful gesture.

"Well, it's like, when I look back on that now, I remember those as good times. Good memories. What you said about Livy being stable reminded me of that, because you were the only person for me to talk to back then. Yeah, I could go out and you'd be there, a guy doing what a guy does in a guy's place. You listened to me, I listened to you when you wanted to talk and, during that year, it was the only stability we had. And it occurred to me when we were putting my stuff away just now that,... well, I don't know how to say it. Just thanks, I guess. For being my dad."

That got his attention. He stopped right up halfway through the lot we were cutting through, dragging me to a halt as well, but not letting go of my hand.

"Dad?"

"Well, yeah," I answered, smiling sheepishly. "I never realized it back then, but,... Well, since we got here, I started seeing how mature you are before Olivia ever complimented you on that. Just thanks for those nights in the garage and know that I really do respect you and the things you say. I trust you."

He blinked at me, but moved on.

"I was fucked up and lost then, more so now," he confided. "Maybe you could have trusted me when we first got here, but I'd be careful of that now. If I were you."

"Because of what happened with you and Mom." I assumed.

He nodded and let my hand go, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his jeans as we walked across the front row track.

"You're having a pretty hard time with that, huh?"

"When I'm sober and I think of it,... I just can't believe it. It's so hard to look at myself with,... It's even made me realize that, before this, I never even

had

an opinion of myself, so yeah, it's pretty hard to hack the one I have now. All I can do is try not to think about it and hope that, in time, I can pave over it with,...

whatever!

And the worst thing is that Mom keeps looking at me now like,... You just can't imagine the things I have to stop from running through my head. Thank god they're out on their little picnic today. Okay, I need to stop talking about this now, cause I'm getting pretty upset."

I wanted to tell him it was okay, because I could see that he was tormented by this, even though it still turned him on. I wanted to tell him that I was also having sex with Mom, so he might not feel so isolated in his own guilt trip, but Mom and Livy had told me to leave that little bomb for them to drop. Still, I felt sorry for him.

"Jarid,... Never mind. Look, let's turn around and you come with me. We're going to see Carrie."

"Why?" he asked miserably.

"Cause Carrie is a lot of fun. She'll take your mind off stuff. In fact, I think I'll finally let her pierce my brow and it'll be fun if you're there."

" ... Alright. Only because it'll be fun to watch you experience a little pain."

"Hey!"

"Don't ask. You deserve it, I assure you, just don't ask," he said with the slightest, wry smile.

"Hmm."

We started back up the beach and I grabbed his hand again, not even bothering to swing it, but reminding, "I did say I was sorry for punching you in the head."

"I can handle a punch in the head."

"Uh-huh. Know what?"

"What?"

"Carrie really wants to tat and pierce you, too, but she can't touch you unless she clears it with Livy first."

"Get outta here."

"Really. You're very much 'hands off' in the Park, you know."

"Well, what if

I

wanted one?"

"Carrie wouldn't do it. Neither would anyone else, not without Livy's permission first. I'll bet if she told every woman in the Park to turn their backs on you and not speak when you're around, they would."

" ... That's more than just a little freakish."

"I'd take it as a compliment. She doesn't even feel that way about Mom and me and I think we're both a little jealous of that. Nothing mean or anything, we're just,... Well, it's Livy."

"That's cause I got a cock and you don't. There's no excuse for me,... visiting other women."

"Would you if she allowed it?" I asked.

"No."

"That's what she said. That's one reason she thinks so much of you. Makes me kinda think about stuff, Mom too, I think."

"What stuff?"

" ... Nothing, just stuff," I said, not wanting to get into my recent second thoughts about certain behaviours of mine and Moms as of late, changing the subject by saying, "But, you could always pick a tat and ask Livy."

"Right."

"Hey, can I ask a personal favour?" I inquired.

"What?"

"Well,... I don't like to interfere, but would you try not to be so insulting to Livy?"

Hey, it bothered me. She didn't do anything to deserve being compared to scabies and it was mean of him.

"It's how I hold her at bay and she knows it," he said with a humourless grin.

"That's crazy, you don't have to hold her at bay."

"I'd be no good to her if I didn't. She knows that, too."

"So, what? You're going to just go on treating her like shit whenever the feeling strikes you?"

"Who can say? She's in the driver's seat, not me."

"I hate when you talk like that," I said, looking away from him as we neared Carrie's door.

"It's true. You helped put her there, you and Mom. You said you love her, that you trust her and her intentions, and it's pretty obvious that Mom does, too. As obvious as the fact that Olivia has no problem taking the wheel."

"But, you said she's stable," I argued, my voice rising a little.

"Yes, I did, I'm just saying that I have no idea how this is gonna turn out, so please don't ask me about what I'll be doing, or how I'll be acting in the future, because I've already proven that I can't even control my own actions!

Okay!?"

"Okay! Shit, all I was asking was that you'd be a little fuckin'

nicer

to-!"

"Am I interrupting anything?" Carrie asked, walking out the door and standing between us with a joint, looking at both of us like she expected an answer.

Now I was worried. I half expected Jarid to tell her it was none of her business while praying he wouldn't. I quickly answered before he could open his vile trap.

"I'm sorry, Carrie. We were just,... talking and,..."

"Arguing," she finished while trying to hold a lungful, passing the joint to Jarid, who took it more out of surprise than anything.

"Well, yeah," I admitted.

"You come to my yard to argue?" she croaked.

I smiled a little, knowing she was mostly joking and that this was just her way of being Carrie, the reason I brought Jarid there in the first place.

She exhaled above my head, gave me a kiss on the lips and said, "Well, thanks for comin' over anyway, Barbie girl. You too, Jarid," she said, turning and taking the joint he was passing back.

"Nice trailer. Airstreams are pretty cool," he said, allowing me to mostly relax.

"Thanks. Yeah, we like it, but the thing is that they're a lot more cool on the road, you know?"

She laughed as if it was someone else's problem, someone she didn't like. Jarid smiled a little, but disagreed.

"Nah. They're cool in the Park, too. Makes you think of the fifties."

This surprised me. He was actually communicating with a relatively strange and attractive woman without turning beet red. He looked a little nervous, but he was making out.

"That's a good thing?" she asked, taking another toke and handing it back.

"Well,... In the fifties, everybody seemed to be thinking about the future and the stuff they had back then was kinda neat. Some of it, anyway, like Airstream trailers."

While he puffed, she smiled, letting out her lungful, and said, "You know, fuck,... Now that you mention it, you can see Captain Kirk with an Airstream, eh?"

We all laughed at this. Carrie to the rescue.

"I've got Captain Dickie, the next best thing!" she added. "Okay, okay, what can I do for you two little brats? The tattoo lady has many things to do, vit vit."

"Well, unless this is a bad time, I decided to take you up on your piercing offer," I said.

"Ahhhhhhhhh. Well, little Bad Barbie girl, please step into my lair and have a beer and a seat on my recliner of pain and pleasure. Jarid, come on in and have a beer, too. Maybe we'll think of something that both you and Olivia will like, huh?"

Carrie is a trip. She's a one woman party that can get anybody's mind off anything and, if you give her a chance, she'll make you see life completely different while you're around her.

She danced up and down inside the airstream while

The Tragically Hip

played on her stereo, smoking a cigarette and getting things ready while I waited on her chair with a beer. She suddenly demanded to know where the Trudeaus of our era were while Jarid and I looked at one another , smiles on our faces, the hard feelings of minutes ago forgotten.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

"Okay, what's that?" I asked, pointing at Jen's left eyebrow and the small ring that pierced it.

She and Jarid had just walked through the door after being gone all day, even longer than Liv and I, we having gotten back from our little private picnic in a nearby field some hours earlier.

"She got her face holed so she could intimidate other players," Jarid spoke up. "I gotta say, it works."

They were both obviously a little buzzed.

"Mom, it's okay," Jen said. "She did a really good job and you can't really see the little holes when the ring isn't there, cause she hid it under my brow hairs."

"Come here," I said, wanting to look at this closer.

I glanced to Olivia with a little grin, already liking it a bit myself, despite my tone, and seeing that she did, too.

We both took a close look at it, she after me, and the little gold ring did give her a certain 'bad girl' look. However, I preferred her without it and still do.

"Very nice," Olivia approved, smiling at her.

Jen looked straight down the deep cowl of the top Liv wore, exposing the middle of her black and red lace bra and smiled.

"You look really nice, Livy. You too, Mom."

I had a light, medium green sweater over my shoulders and buttoned at the top, a very low cut, black cammie underneath that showed plenty of my own cleavage with an almost knee length, grey skirt. Liv had put the outfit together for me and called it the 'hot little soccer mommy' look.

"So do you," I said, looking at her beautiful youth in those hip huggers and a light blue baseball shirt. "But, you don't have to wear that ring around the house, do you?"

"Actually, I do gotta wear it for a while so the hole doesn't grow over, but after that I'll be able to take it out."

"Robbie will freak out," Liv warned.

"But, I'm not really a Barbie girl," she countered with a smile.

"No," Liv agreed, putting her arms around her waist from her seated position at the table. "You're not. But, you're

my

little Barbie girl."

"That's different, Livy."

"What did you two do all day, anyway?" I asked Jarid, who was observing them together as they now kissed one another.

"She took some shots on me, did the piercing thing and then we went for a ride out back with the boys for a while."

"Sounds fun. Did you try to talk her out of the piercing?"

"Nope."

"I thought you were the sensible one," I teased with a smile.

He smiled too and replied, "Out here, the only sensible thing is maintenance. And I got some of that to do before I put the bike away, so I'll see yas in a bit."

With that, he was gone. We looked at one another, waiting for someone to comment on that in a low voice.

"Well, I had a good time today and so did he," Jen volunteered in that predicted low voice. "I wanted to tell him about me and Mom to make him feel better about what happened yesterday, but I didn't."

"Good girl," Liv said. "I'd rather we all come clean on that together, and that happens tonight. I don't want that kept from him any longer."

"How much

does

it bother him?" I asked.

I myself wasn't bothered a whole lot by yesterday's events. Some, yes, but not enough to stop thinking about it and what might have been under different circumstances. I was more concerned with his view of those events, those being the deciding factors in the matter at that point.