There were only a few weeks before school started and Douglas was coming home after his summer-long trip to France. Jess was in the kitchen with Annie wearing an apron and covered with flour. Annie was teaching her how to make an apple pie and she was trying to roll out the dough with a wooden rolling pin on the kitchen table.
As much as she enjoyed spending time with Annie, she couldn't help her thoughts drifting to the cabin, and to Marty. She felt terrible, imagining him sitting on the front step, waiting for her and wondering why she wasn't coming. She'd spent nearly every day of the summer with him, only staying home when it was raining, not because she didn't want to get wet, but because she didn't want anyone to become suspicious.
Today was hot and sunny, a perfect day to go swimming. And that's exactly what they'd be doing right now if it wasn't for the fact she had to stay home to greet Douglas when he arrived. She wondered if Douglas would behave any differently towards her when she saw him. Was he finally used to the fact that she was living in his home? Would he accept her as a regular part of the family now? It was a possibility, but she didn't hold out a lot of hope.
"Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!" Annie exclaimed, and Jess looked up from the square-shaped pie dough that was refusing to become a circle. The big black car was traveling past the kitchen window. "They're here!" Annie said excitedly. "Take off your apron, Jess."
Jess suppressed a sigh as she wiped her hands on the apron and took it off. Leaving it on the table, she followed Annie through the butler's pantry and to the front door. Before they reached it, Uncle Jonathon was coming in followed by Douglas and then James, carrying suitcases. When Jess saw Douglas, she had to work very hard not to laugh. In spite of the heat, he was wearing a beret and a cotton scarf. He looked ridiculous.
"Welcome home, Doug!" Annie exclaimed, her eyes glowing.
"Hi, Annie," Douglas said with a smile, and then it dropped slightly as his eyes swept over Jess behind her.
"Did you have a good trip?"
"Oui, très bon. That means 'yes, very good'," he said importantly. Jess knew it was best not to roll her eyes, but she really wanted to.
"Oh, my goodness! Listen to you speak French!" Annie marveled, her hands clasped in front of her chest.
"I learned a little so I could speak to the natives," he said, obviously basking in the attention.
"That's swell, Doug!"
"I hate to go, but I'm needed at the office," Uncle Jonathon said, putting his hand on Douglas's shoulder.
"Wait, dad. I got you a present," Douglas said, and laid one of the smaller suitcases flat on the floor. Kneeling to undo the snaps, he rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a slim black box.
"Here," he said, standing and handing it to him. "I got this at one of those fancy designer shops in Paris." Uncle Jonathon lifted the lid and pulled out a navy blue tie scattered with small polka dots. "It's real silk," Doug explained. "I hope you like it."
"It's fine, son," Uncle Jonathon said, beaming. "Very fine, indeed. I'll wear it today."
"Swell! I got something for you too, Annie," he said, reaching back into the suitcase for another slim box, this one a pale grey.
"You didn't have to get me anything," Annie said, her voice hushed with surprise as she took it.
"I couldn't go to Paris and not get you something," he said kindly. She opened it and pulled out a scarf, saying, "Oh," softly with wonder.
"Look! It's got the Eiffel Tower on it!" he said excitedly, taking it from her so he could open it. Large single stemmed roses looked like they were being scattered over the city of Paris.
"It's beautiful, Doug," she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Thank you." Jess smiled, knowing how much the gift meant to her.
"You're welcome. I, uh, got something for you too, Jessica," he added more quietly, without looking at her, and pulled out a box identical to Annie's. When he held it out to her, he had his eyes on the box instead of her. She hesitated, hardly believing he'd actually bought her a present. Then it suddenly seemed very quiet in the hallway as everyone waited for her.
"Uh, thanks, Douglas," she said, taking it from him and he dropped his arms to his sides, still not meeting her eyes as he waited for her to open it.
The lid said 'Christian Dior' and when she lifted it, she wasn't surprised to see a scarf similar to Annie's. She took it out of the box and the silky fabric opened, revealing pink and yellow flowers on a pale gray background.
"It's - really nice," she said truthfully. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," he mumbled, already turning around to close the suitcase.
When he stood up, Uncle Jonathon said heartily, "It's good to have you back, son. It's been too quiet here without you. We've missed you," and grasped Douglas's upper arm.
"Thanks, dad," Douglas said, his face lighting up with a smile, and Jess felt a pain in her chest watching them. The way her uncle had spoken made it sound like she hadn't even been there.
"I'll see you at dinner," he said, and walked out to the car where James was waiting for him.
"Let me take your suitcases up to your room, Doug," Annie said, setting her gift down on the table where the telephone was.
"I'll do it," Douglas offered. "I'm sure you're already busy doing other things."
"Jess and I are making your favorite dinner," Annie said happily. "Roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and apple pie for dessert."
"That's swell!" Douglas exclaimed, already stuffing a suitcase under his arm so he could hold another by the handle.
"Come along, Jess," Annie said, and Jess followed her back to the kitchen, looking at the scarf in her hands.
She was surprised by how pretty it was, and the label said it was silk. She knew it had to have cost a lot of money. Did Douglas really decide to buy her a present? Or did someone tell him to? Perhaps his friend's mother purchased the gifts and he just pretended he'd bought them himself. After all, what teenage boy goes shopping for women's scarves? But she kept remembering how excited he was when he gave the gifts to his father and Annie, like he was really proud of what he'd picked out for them. It was a mystery.
She set her scarf on the back stairs so she wouldn't get flour on it, and put the apron back on, ready to attack the pie dough again. That night at dinner, Douglas spent the entire time talking about his adventures in France and traveling around Europe. Listening to him, Jess felt jealousy rise up that he'd had such a great summer. But then she thought about what her summer had been like, and the jealousy melted away. She would never have met Marty if she'd been gone. He wasn't just her only friend, he was a really good friend. They'd had a lot of fun hanging out together and she wouldn't trade that for anything.
The next day, she got up extra early, anxious to go to the cabin. Once she'd eaten the breakfast Annie cooked for her, she took her basket with their lunches and a towel with her bathing suit rolled up in it, and hurried out of the house, grateful that Douglas was sleeping in. When she reached the clearing, she was surprised to see the door already open. Marty had come to the cabin early too, she thought with a smile. She found him seated at the kitchen table, drinking a mug of tea.
"Good morning," she said with a big grin, happy to see him. When he saw her, his eyes lit up before he managed to hide it.
"Hi," he said casually, standing to wash his mug. She knew he liked to keep up the facade that he didn't care whether she came around or not, but she didn't mind.
"Are we going fishing today?" she asked, putting the basket on the counter next to his paper sack.
"I reckon," he said, shrugging his shoulders like he didn't care.
"I'll go change then," she replied, smiling on her way to the bedroom. They'd gone to the pond nearly every day that summer. It was always under the pretense of fishing, but they'd ended up swimming the whole time instead.
With the door closed, she put on her bathing suit. It was a simple yellow-green cotton one, with strings to tie around her neck to keep it up. It didn't bother her to wear it in front of Marty now, but she'd felt self-conscious the first time. She knew she looked like a little kid wearing it and hoped she wasn't doomed to be small and skinny forever. Putting on her dress over the suit, she stepped out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen where Marty was waiting for her.
"Ready to go?" she asked.
"Yeah."
She got their lunches while he got the fishing pole and they were on their way. When they arrived at the pond, Marty laid the fishing pole on the fallen tree trunk and began unlacing his boots and Jess pulled off her dress. Within seconds they were in the cool water, splashing and chasing each other.
A few hours later, they were taking a break under the willow tree, lying on the grass propped up on their elbows so they could look out at the pond. "I didn't come yesterday because my cousin came home from France," Jess said, lifting her hair off her neck to cool it. She was growing it out so she could wear it in a ponytail and it had reached that annoying middle stage; too short for the ponytail but long enough to make her neck hot. "His name is Douglas," she added, and Marty barked out a laugh.
"I know who your cousin is, Jess," he said.
"You know Douglas?" she asked with shock, sitting up to face him.
"I don't know him, but I know who he is," Marty said easily, looking out at the water. "We go to the same school."
For some reason, Jess found that even more shocking. She'd never imagined Marty going to school like other kids, but of course he would. Just because she only saw him in the woods of her property didn't mean he wasn't a regular boy with a life like everyone else. She laid back, resting on her elbows again.
"I can't wait for school to start," she said. "It's going to be so much fun!" When Marty snorted, she looked over at him. "What was that for?" she asked bemusedly.
"School is never fun," he replied, trying to catch a fly that had landed on his leg and missing.
"Sure it is!"
"Not for me. I hate school." She was stunned.
"Why do you hate school?"
"There's no point to it," he said with a shrug, looking out at the lake again.
"But - you learn stuff."
"Useless stuff," he scoffed.
"It's not useless. You need to know those things if you want to go to college." He gave her a look and she immediately realized what a stupid thing it was to say to him. "Even if you don't go to college, it's still better if you know those things," she said quietly.
"I don't think so," he muttered bitterly, looking away from her.
"Well," she said slowly, searching for something positive to say. "What about seeing all your friends? I always miss my friends during the summer."
"I don't -."
"Hey!" she said, sitting up to face him as a brilliant thought suddenly occurred to her. "We'll be going to the same school! We can be friends!" Marty kept his eyes on the pond. "We'll have to be careful, of course, but we can pretend to meet, and then we can be real friends, right out in the open! We'll be able to have lunch together, and we can study together," she said happily, leaning back on her elbows so she could look out at the water with him. "Now I really can't wait for school to start!"
"I'm done here," Marty muttered, jumping up.
"What?" she asked with surprise, watching him walk over to his clothes.
"I'm going back to the cabin. You can stay if you want," he said with his head down as he pulled on his jeans over his wet underwear.
"Oh. I'll go back too - I guess," she said, and got up.
He was already pulling on his socks and boots by time she'd reached her dress. She threw it on over her suit and slipped on her socks. He grabbed the fishing pole off the fallen tree trunk and started down the path while she was just getting her mary jane shoes on.
"Wait, Marty!" she said, rushing to do the buckles. He'd forgotten his paper bag and she snatched it when she retrieved the basket and towel from under the willow tree. She ran to catch up, then fell in step behind him. As they wove their way through the field of tall grass, she felt happy, thinking about how they were going to be able to hang out even more once school started.
"I wish we could be in some of the same classes," she said, continuing their conversation. "But we probably won't since I'm going into the ninth grade and you're going into tenth - or maybe you're going into eleventh grade like Douglas." He spun around and she nearly ran into him.
"Would you shut up about it!" he shouted.
"Marty," she said faintly, shocked by the anger in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I'm going into ninth grade! Are you happy now?" he shouted as he waved his arms, completely losing control. "That's right! They made me repeat a grade! But you know what?" He stepped closer so that he was looming over her. "I - don't - care!" he shouted, making her wince with each word.
He glared down at her for a long moment and then turned, stalking off to the cabin. Tears pricked her eyes as she stood on the path, watching his back disappear into the trees. She couldn't believe he'd just yelled at her like that. How could he have turned on her and been so cruel? Walking down the path, she quickly wiped her tears as the hurt turned to anger. He better apologize to her when she got to the cabin.
When she walked in the kitchen, he was already sitting at the little table. He refused to meet her eyes when she placed his paper bag in front of him. While she stood there waiting for him to say something, he opened it and took out his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Slowly reaching over, he placed it at her spot, then pulled his arm back and set his hands in his lap, waiting with his shoulders hunched.
She considered leaving, walking out the door and never coming back after the way he'd treated her, but when she thought about never seeing him again, a tremendous sadness overwhelmed her. With a sigh, she sat on her stool and opened the dish cloth covering her basket. She took out a sandwich thick with slices of roast chicken and held it out to him. He didn't move and she waited, refusing to set it down for him. Finally reaching over, he took it and she felt a wave of disappointment he still wasn't intending to say anything.
They ate silently, hunched over their food, not looking at each other. As soon as Jess was finished, she went to the bedroom to change out of her bathing suit. When she came out, Marty was sitting in one of the wooden chairs in front of the fireplace reading an old fishing magazine. She waited, hoping he would decide to talk, but he kept his eyes on the magazine. Walking into the kitchen, to get away from him, she tried to decide what to do.
It was clear he had no intention of apologizing to her, or even offering an explanation for why he'd gotten so angry. She sure wasn't going to be the one to bring it up, she thought angrily with her hand on the handle of the basket. He was the one who was in the wrong. Deciding she was done spending time with him for the day, she left out the back door without a word.
She'd been walking on the path for a few minutes when she heard him running up behind her. "Jess! Wait!" he called out, but she kept going.
"I'll walk with you," he said breathlessly when he caught up to her.
She kept walking, hiding her surprise, and he fell in step beside her with his head down, his hands shoved in his pockets. This was the first time he'd ever accompanied her back to the house, but if he wasn't intending to say anything, neither was she. When the curve in the path just before the garage came into view, he put his hand on her arm to stop her. She turned to face him and he dropped his head, letting his hair fall over his eyes.
"I - shouldn't have yelled at you," he said as he dug the toe of his boot into the dirt path.
"It's okay, Marty," she said with a sigh, relieved he'd finally apologized. "I didn't realize you'd been held back." He wouldn't look at her as he continued to kick the dirt. "I'm sorry I brought it up."
"Look," he said, finally lifting his head and pushing his hair out of his eyes. "The whole being friends at school thing - it's not going to work, see?" he said bitterly, the anger flashing in his eyes again. "So just forget it, okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your cousin won't like it," he sneered.
"I don't care about what he thinks!" Jess said angrily. "Or anyone else! I'm not going to let anyone tell me I can't be friends with you."
"Listen to me!" he said loudly, and then seemed to realize they could be overheard since they were so close to the garage. Stepping closer, he lowered his head. "Your kind doesn't hang out with people like me," he said bitterly, and when she opened her mouth to protest, he added forcefully, "You're going to cause problems - for both of us!"
She wanted to argue with him, but when she tried to think of a reason to tell him he was wrong, she remembered the way her uncle treated Annie and everyone else he considered beneath him. Everyone in town must fear him, she realized, and with good reason. She knew the iron mine was a big operation. Probably almost everyone in town had a job there. Her uncle was powerful enough he could ruin people's lives if he decided to, including the family of a poor boy he considered too low for his niece to be friends with.
"Okay," she said, and he dropped his head. "But just remember one thing," she added angrily, and he looked up with surprise. "When you see me pretending not to know you, don't you dare think I'm not your friend, Marty!"
He looked in her eyes for a long moment, and then a playful smile spread across his face. "Sure thing, kid."
"I told you not to call me that!" she said, stamping her foot with anger that he wasn't taking what she said seriously enough.
"I don't remember that," he said, grinning more broadly at her.
"Don't lie! You do too!"
"I think you must have dreamt it," he teased.
"I did not!" she said, and lunged forward to grab onto his arm, determined to make him admit the truth, but he jumped back out of her reach. Before she knew it, he'd turned to run back to the cabin, laughing and she took off after him.
****
I really hope you enjoyed learning some new information about Marty in this chapter. Were you surprised like Jess to find out he goes to school and knows Douglas? And what do you make of Douglas buying Jess a very expensive scarf? Is this the sign of a change in his feelings towards her? I can't wait to hear what you think!
The picture in the multimedia is a Christian Dior scarf from the period, the one Doug gives Annie. The video is, of course, Don't Be Cruel by Jess's favorite singer, Elvis.
Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this chapter, please consider giving it a vote!