Entangled: A Novel Part 6

Ann looked away, unable to maintain eye contact. "We have to talk." Ann's voice was stern. It was her teacher's voice.

Abbey stood in the hall and shook her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jackson standing in the doorway behind Ann. "Is this how you work on a relations.h.i.+p? You sneak out early in the morning to rendezvous with your boyfriend?"

"I'm sorry." There was a long pause. "Abbey..." Jackson came forward and stood next to Ann. Ann turned to look at him, then back at Abbey.

"Ann, what's going on?" Abbey's voice quivered.

Ann lowered her head and spoke. "I'm sorry. I know I promised you...and I should have told you sooner...at least before you came home."

"What are you talking about? You...and I..." Abbey couldn't find the words to describe the hurt. "Last night. We talked things out...I thought we were going to try to make this work..."

Ann looked over at Jackson, who looked like this was the last place he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore." Ann looked at Jackson again, then at Abbey. "I can't live this lie anymore."

"Lie? What lie?" Abbey felt like someone had punched her in the gut. "Are you telling me that what we have together isn't real? We've loved each other for a long time."

Ann looked at Abbey with impa.s.sive coldness.

Abbey was so enraged, she felt if she could get her hands on Ann that she would choke her. She took a deep breath to clear her head. Violence was never the answer. Feeling a little more in control, she nodded in Jackson's direction. "Does he know we weren't just roommates, but lovers?"

Ann nodded. "Yes, of course, I told him."

"That's nice. You have no trouble being honest with him, but you can't be honest with me. That says a lot."

Ann looked away. "I'm just being honest here. Anyway, you knew it couldn't last. Not with our jobs, the long distance, and all that went with it."

"Well, since you're being so honest, I'm sure you told Jackson everything about our relations.h.i.+p, including the fact that you seduced me in my freshman year here and that we lived together the entire time I was a student. What about that? Does he know about that?"

"Abbey! Stop it! There's no need for this to turn ugly. I know this isn't what you wanted, but I believe it will be the best thing for both of us." Ann reached into the front pocket of her slacks and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here, I've made arrangements for you to stay at the Holiday Inn, at least until you can find a place of your own."

"You're kicking me out of our home?"

Abbey couldn't believe what she was hearing. The whole strange dream-like lunacy of it all scared her.

"I'm sorry. Even though I care about you and always will, my feelings have changed. I'm not gay anymore." Ann smiled and turned to Jack, who had backed up a few steps and was standing closer to the wall. "Being with Jack has made me realize that I've been living a lie all these years. I'm sorry, but this is what I want."

Jack stepped closer to Ann and put his arms around her waist, claiming her. Abbey felt like she was going to throw up. She covered her mouth and turned and ran down the hall. She didn't want to wait for the elevator, so she ducked into the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time, finally making it out into the parking lot. Once she reached her car, she doubled over and leaned against the car for support. Her body ached. She couldn't believe this was happening. It felt like her entire life was drowning in a turbulent sea of lies.

A few minutes later, she heard the clicking of high heels on the pavement. She looked up and saw Ann coming toward her. Abbey held a glimmer of hope that Ann was coming to tell her this was all a mistake. She couldn't possibly be in love with Jackson. But her hopes were quickly dashed.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you're pretty upset right now."

Abbey looked up at Ann. She straightened herself up but still had to lean against the car for support.

"I'm sorry things turned out this way. Please take your time moving your stuff out. I know you never saw this coming. You have to believe I never meant to hurt you, but I have to do this. I have to be true to myself."

Abbey dug in the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out her car key and jammed the key into the lock. "Fine. Go be with Jackson. I hope you two are very happy together." Abbey slid into the car seat and slammed the door shut. Ann stoically stood outside the car. As she turned to walk away, Abbey calmly rolled down the window. "I'd like to say one more thing."

Ann came closer to the car. "What's that?"

"f.u.c.k you, Ann."

Chapter Eleven.

The parking lot of The Zone was full. The lighted arrow sign at the entrance advertised a drag show starting at ten o'clock.

"Drag show? How are they going to race cars out here? There's hardly enough room to park." Calli flipped down the visor and used the tiny mirror to apply a new coat of Berry-Berry lipstick to her lips.

"Why do you even want to come back here? They won't serve you. Heck, we'll be lucky if they let us back in."

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure? Chances are with the place so packed, no one will notice us."

Hayden rolled her eyes. I hope not.

Hayden pulled the car into a parking s.p.a.ce and shut off the engine. "You sure you want to do this? I'm exhausted. Can't we just go home?"

Calli opened her door and got out. "Come on, Hay. You'll get your second wind once we get inside. Besides, the more crowded the bar, the better our chances for hooking up."

Before Hayden had a chance to reply, Calli closed the door. Hayden leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. "Why do I let her do this to me?"

Already at the front entrance when Hayden got out of the car, Calli stood there waving her in.

"All right. I'm coming," Hayden said under her breath.

Calli pushed open the warped wooden door, and a tidal wave of secondhand cigarette smoke and blaring music greeted them.

"Isn't this great?" Calli shouted over the music.

"Sure." Hayden wanted to be anywhere but here. If Calli wasn't her best friend, she'd be at home curled up in bed reading a good book.

"Hayden, look." Calli pointed in the direction of the crowded bar. "Look who's back."

Hayden looked over and her breath caught. There was Miss Spencer, sitting at the bar with a drink in front of her with three olives in it. She looked different. Not the usual put-together-perfectly Miss Spencer. Her hair was disheveled, and she looked like she'd been crying. Hayden felt a pang of sadness in her chest.

"She looks like c.r.a.p," Calli shouted. "Wonder what's going on with her."

"She does look sad." Hayden fought an overwhelming urge to go over to her.

Calli headed to the opposite side of the bar. "I'm going to try to get a drink. You want anything?"

Hayden shook her head. She followed Calli to the bar but couldn't stop looking at Miss Spencer. Calli burrowed between two large leather-clad Harley guys to order her drink. A few minutes later, she turned around with a bottle of Miller Lite beer.

"How did you get that?" Hayden watched Calli take her first sip.

"When I couldn't get the bartender's attention, that Harley guy ordered it for me. Pretty slick, huh?"

"You are something else."

The girls made their way across the bar and found an empty table next to the bathroom. Calli drank her beer while Hayden sat back and continued to spy on Miss Spencer.

Several couples moved around the tiny parquet dance floor as Yvonne Elliman crooned If I Can't Have You. After that song finished, the music changed to YMCA by the Village People, and you would have thought someone yelled, "Fire!" Almost everyone in the bar cheered and ran to the dance floor. Then they started to do some kind of line dance that neither Calli nor Hayden ever saw.

"What the...?" Calli turned toward Hayden.

Hayden shrugged. She looked in the direction of where Miss Spencer was sitting and saw that she was finis.h.i.+ng her drink. Another full gla.s.s with three olives waited next to it.

"Wow. Miss Spencer's really pounding them down," Calli said as she sipped her beer.

"I know. I'm worried about her." Hayden couldn't keep her eyes off her. Her heart skipped a beat each time she looked her way.

"Why would you worry about her? She's just our old teacher." Calli stood. "I'm going to get another beer. You want anything?"

"Maybe a Diet c.o.ke."

"Boy, you're really living on the edge now. I'll be right back."

Calli headed to the bar. Hayden looked to where Miss Spencer was sitting and noticed that the stool she previously occupied was empty. She looked around to see where she went.

"Oh, my G.o.d," Hayden whispered, "she's coming this way."

Hayden looked away, hoping to avoid eye contact when Miss Spencer pa.s.sed by, but it was too late.

"Hayden? What are you doing here?"

"I...uh...we moved up a few days ago. Calli and me."

Hayden was concerned when she saw Miss Spencer up close. She looked tipsy and had to grab the edge of the table to steady herself.

Miss Spencer clumsily leaned in close to Hayden. Her breath reeked of alcohol, and she almost fell into Hayden's lap when she whispered, "I don't mean here in Erie, I mean here in this bar. Do you know what kind of place this is?"

Hayden thought for a moment before she answered. "It's a bar. I know I shouldn't be here because I'm underage."

"No, no, no, honey. It's not that. Hayden, this isn't a..." Miss Spencer stopped midsentence. She appeared to be searching through her alcohol-numbed brain to figure out what she wanted to say. "You just really shouldn't be here."

Hayden felt embarra.s.sed and didn't know what to say.

Calli returned to the table with two bottles of Miller Lite and a can of Diet c.o.ke. She sat at the table and set the dripping bottles in the center of it.

"Whoa," Calli said when she saw the condition Miss Spencer was in. She slid the can of Diet c.o.ke over to Hayden and pushed the Miller Lite bottles behind the placard advertising "Ladies Night. Two-for-one Rolling Rock" to hide the beer from her former teacher, but it was too late.

"Calli, who bought you those beers?"

Calli got to her feet. "h.e.l.lo, Miss Spencer."

"You two really shouldn't be in here. And you shouldn't be drinking." Abbey reached for the beers, knocking one over and sending a cascade of beer into Hayden's lap. Hayden bolted up, but it was too late. Calli grabbed the remaining bottle of beer and held on to it tight.

"Oh, Hayden...here, let me get you something to dry yourself off with."

"I'll grab some napkins." Calli went back to the bar and returned with a fist full of paper napkins.

Hayden dabbed at her beer-soaked jeans. It was a futile effort as most of the beer had soaked in.

"Hayden, I am so sorry," Miss Spencer said again.

"It's okay, it was an accident." Hayden stood. "We were leaving anyway. Ready, Calli?"

Calli pulled away. "I'm not ready to go yet."

"Calli, please. We have no business being here. Let's go!"

"I'm not leaving. You want to go, go ahead. I'll see you later."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can't leave you here alone."

"Then don't. Come on, Hay. What's the big deal?"

Calli sat down, apparently adamant about not leaving. She had finally been served and looked ready to take full advantage of the situation.

Her defiance seemed to upset Miss Spencer. "Calli, this isn't a place for girls like you and Hayden."

"What do you mean?"

Miss Spencer stepped closer to Calli and whispered, "This is a gay bar."

Calli stepped back, looking shocked. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen. Now do you believe me?" Hayden said.

Calli looked around the bar. "Okay then, but, Miss Spencer, if this is a gay bar, what are you doing here?"

Abbey looked caught off-guard by Calli's question. "I...uh...have friends who are gay."

"Oh, really?" Calli looked over at Hayden, who was so embarra.s.sed by Calli's behavior she wanted to crawl into the woodwork.

Hayden stepped in. "Sorry, Miss Spencer. We'll be leaving now."

Miss Spencer suddenly appeared not to be feeling well. She held her stomach as if in an effort to control it.

"Are you all right?" Hayden asked.