Suzie’s House 199: That’s How Women Are

Suzie's House

Suzie added the last layer of cheese, then put the lasagna in the oven. Just in time. The boys should be home any minute. Since it was their first day at school, she wanted to make something special.

Vin had volunteered to grill some stakes, and Miranda had offered to make spaghetti, but Suzie had specially arranged the schedule so her day to cook landed now.

Right on cue, the front door opened and a babble of voices, girls as well as Ben and Gene, came from the hall. She could hear them make a bee line for the kitchen as she pulled salad greens from the refrigerator.

“I mean, really, how many girls do you think ate their heart out today?” Tracy walked in first, looking smug and edgy in an outfit Suzie would never have let her wear to school. Really, black leather pants and gold lame top? She looked like Miranda.

“Not that many,” Gene muttered.

“I don’t know,” Lisa said speculatively. “There were those two after home room, then two more after second period.”

“And a bunch at lunch.” Ben looked a touch put out.

Suzie put a tray of cut fruit and yogurt dip in the middle of the table as the teens all found seats. They grabbed snacks off it before the tray settled.

“I should have known he’d have a fan club,” Tracy said.

There was an edge to her voice that Suzie didn’t normally hear. Resentment? Jealousy? Fear? Suzie would guess some combination.

She’d never really thought about Gene being popular at school. He was such a troubled kid she assumed he’d be an outsider. No, it was more than his violent background. Things Ben had said about him, and things he himself had said last year when he first started sleeping over with them made Suzie think he wasn’t really well liked.

“It’s only because of you,” Lisa assured Tracy. “Before you came, the girls were all scared of him.”

“Not just the girls,” Ben muttered, nodding.

Had Ben been afraid of Gene? That was the first Suzie had heard of it. Then again, a lot had been happening in her life at the time. Maybe she just missed it.

Which reminded her, she’d be dealing with parent teacher conferences for both boys this year. Did foster parents do parent teacher conferences? They must. Still, all this would be much more clear and easy if he would just let her adopt him.

“But he’s all mine now,” Tracy said with a lot of bravado. She bumped around the table, threw her arms around his neck, and shoved her way into his lap.

Suzie straightened her spine, but stopped herself from saying anything while she tried to figure out if she should defend Gene from his own girlfriend.

“For now,” Gene muttered.

He couldn’t have squashed the conversation any more effectively if he’d thrown ice water over them all.

“What do you mean by that,” Tracy asked in a tight voice.

“Well, he could have his pick of the whole school now. Maybe he wants to try someone else out for a while,” Ben said, his eyes distant and troubled.

“But you wouldn’t do that, would you, Gene?” Tracy looked like she might cry. “You wouldn’t. You just… wouldn’t.”

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