Teen Time

Teen Time

Granny died and they took her away. How was that possible? One day she was bustling around in the trailer frying eggs and making cat head biscuits for breakfast with some biscuits left over for an after school snack. And the next day when he came back to the trailer from school she was gone. Yeah, she had a pretty bad cough, but she said it was just her allergies acting up.

The lady in the trailer next to granny's is the one who called the ambulance. She said the ambulance driver said she might have the covid? Whatever it was, it killed her, and took away the only person in Billy's life who cared for him.

Billy was now on his own. Fourteen years old and in Luckett Middle School. His Mom had dropped him off in the middle of the night out front of Granny's trailer park, gave him a five dollar bill, and told him Granny would take care of him. She drove off toward Point of Rocks across the bridge toward Maryland. She didn't look back, never called, and never wrote. And that was three months ago. Billy missed his Mom, but he knew that she had an opioid addiction and had got herself fired for stealing from the store where she clerked in Warrenton. His Dad had been a no-show since before he was born. Thank God for Granny.

Billy stayed in the trailer alone, telling the neighbor lady and anyone else who asked that his mom would be joining him in the summer. Granny had a few hundred dollars in cash in a Miracle Whip jar in the trailer, and a bank account where her $637 a month retirement check was direct deposited. The check kept coming because no one informed the people sending the deposit that Granny had died. Billy had access to the account, and it plus the cash kept him going.

Then problems compounded. Covid got so bad they shut down the school and gave the students instructions on how they could use the internet to take their classes. Billy had an older I-Pad that his English teacher, Miss Morrell, had given him, but he had no access to the internet. When he mentioned this, he was told that the school would keep it's system up, and although the school was closed, a student could sit outside in a car and get internet access. Billy had no car but he had a bicycle, and the school was close enough to walk to if necessary.

Billy went to the school grounds daily to access his classes on the internet. It wasn't long until a car started dropping off a girl he sort of recognized but didn't actually know. It turned out that she was also in the ninth grade but in a different class. Proximity, loneliness, common school and teenage issues, and ever present hormones soon had them tentatively flirting and looking forward to seeing each other at the school.


It was Rebecca, who suggested they have a picnic on a non school day, and suggested the picnic tables down by the river. Billy was thrilled with the idea of a date with her far from the online classwork. Rebecca was fun and attractive, and though he had yet to admit it to himself, he was enamored with her.

They settled on Saturday at two. Rebecca said she would bring the sandwiches and picnic supplies, which was fine with Billy because he only had a couple of cans of Vienna Sausage, some peanut butter, and a can of baked beans in the trailer's cabinets. "So, if you're bringing all the food, what can I bring?" Billy said just as Rebecca's ride appeared.

Rebecca took a couple of steps toward her car before stopping and laughingly saying to Billy, "You can bring the wine. See you Saturday.". Then with a swirl, she was off.

"Wine? Was she joking? Where would I get wine?" Billy wondered to himself. He knew they sold wine at the gas station, but they weren't going to sell any to a fourteen year old kid.His only option was to steal it or get someone else to buy it for him. He immediately discarded the thought of stealing the wine. He knew better, and stealing certainly hadn't turned out well for his mother.

Only one person he could think of. Carlo, the guy who hung around the gas station doing occasional odd jobs. He approached Carlo and asked for his help. Carlo initially said no, but Billy pleaded with him and Carlo finally relented,, although it was probably the offer of a five dollar tip that sealed the deal.

"What kind?" Carlo asked. "Uh. Red?" Billy hesitantly suggested. "You pick it out. Just keep it under ten dollars."

Carlo did his bit and presented Billy with a bottle of Bare Foot Merlot.
"Is it good?" Billy queried.
"Damned if I know, I don't drink the stuff." Carlo said walking away.

Saturday came, though it sure took it's time getting here, Billy felt. He anxiously arrived at the picnic tables an hour early so as to be sure to be on time. He skipped stones on the river as he passed the time. Finally, Rebecca's mother drove up with Rebecca, telling her "I'll pick you up right here at five o'clock. OK?"

"I got it Mom. Thanks. Love ya." as Rebecca retrieved a picnic basket from the back seat of her car. "Bye."

"Come help," Rebecca to Billy as she started setting up a picnic table. She handed Billy a checkered table cloth to spread, on which she put paper plates, plastic ware, sandwiches, "Tuna with apple bits" she said. Sweet pickles, celery fingers, and ruffle potato chips. "One more thing", Billy said, producing the bottle of Merlot from his backpack, "and real wine glasses that Granny had in the trailer."

"I wasn't sure that you would actually bring wine so I brought some Pepsi if you prefer." Rebecca said.

"Ha. After what I went through to get that wine, I am determined to drink it. "

They had a great picnic date. Billy really liked the apple in the tuna. He had never had tuna served that way before. Both he and Rebecca each had two glasses of Merlot, but both agreed that they should leave the bottle unfinished and Billy poured the remainder on the ground so as not to be tempted.

A little before five, already packed up Rebecca smiled at Billy and said "Come here! Billy did, and they kissed tentatively, then followed that one with another one more robustly, backing away only when they heard Rebecca's Mom's car turn into the picnic area.

"Had a great time. I'll see you Monday at the school.". Rebecca yelled from the passenger window as her car pulled away.