June 2002
Bayhollow, Ontario
I knew a girl in school named Annie, we had gone to elementary school together since I arrived in second grade. Her parents were separated. Her father worked for the military and she lived with her mother mostly.
We had sleep overs and came to some of each other's birthdays, we were strong willed girls and often butted heads over silly things. Renee and Annie had been friends longer but we got close over time. They both hung out with a girl I considered cool, Ruby, she was rough around the edges and outrageous, you could never tell how she would respond.
We started visiting her house in the PMQ's (private military quarters) and found a group of boys that lived across from her. They were video game players, that dabbled in role play and around the same age as us, when boys and girls get stupid ideas. There were so many guys that visited it was difficult to get their names and faces pinned down.
The guy who lived in the building was Steven, he had run of his house when his dad was at work which was all the time. He had many buddies that would pop in or stay over on the couch for a few nights and that was just the way it worked.
That was where I met Matt. He was a shy and awkward young man, he had large ears that stuck out and he was really self conscious about it. His openness made him more real to me, to see that a person could be so transparent was a beautiful thing. He had a backhanded sense of humour and was fun to be around.
He was allowed to stay late most nights when we slept over at Ruby's house, her mother, Lesly, was well aware that he was no threat to a group of girls. Matt was a girls best friend first and a guy second.
The other guys were a different story, Lesly knew they were having nothing but impure thoughts about her daughter and she, "Wasn't having any of their bullshit." As she so delicately put it. "There won't be any babies conceived under this roof, so long as I'm living here!" She wiggled the beer between her thumb and middle finger and pointed her index finger at Ruby, Annie, Renee and myself.
We eyed her anxiously. Each one wishing she would offer drinks around, because you only live once and when it's all you see as a kid it's a natural reaction to want to do the same.
Ruby stepped forward and reached for the bottle in her mother's hand. "There won't be any baby making in this house, I swear." Ruby knew the drill, Lesly wasn't a casual drinker and was at the point where she willingly handed the bottle over. "Thanks Mom."
Lesly sighed dramatically and tapped Ruby's shoulder. "You girls finish that one, it's only half but you's shouldn't be having any, anyway." She swaggered to the fridge and grabbed another. "But that's it." She pointed at Ruby and looked to each of us to be sure we were listening.
"I love you," Ruby replied.
We had already taken a sip each and were ready to flee to the basement. Her warning was heard and we weren't looking for that kind of trouble.
The group settled in the basement with mattresses pillows and blankets. We set it up in a circle and told a few scary stories. It was an average sleep over but better because we could stay up as late as we wanted and do whatever we wanted.
Little did we know, while we partied in the basement, she did something much more grown up on the top level.
We woke up early the next morning and skittered around the unit like cats on catnip. The four of us were well rested and ready to take on the day.
The phone rang and Ruby answered, "Hello." She paused a second. "Yes, she's here. One minute." She placed her palm on the phone. "Mom!" she shouted, after a short wait there was no response. "Mom, the phone is for you!"
She shrugged when there was no reply once again and put the phone to her ear. "She's still sleeping, can I get her to call you back?" She spun dramatically and made a face similar to that of a Kiss band member and sauntered into the kitchen. "Yeah hang on, I have to find a pen." A few seconds later she shouted, "Aha." She took the number down on a pad of paper in the kitchen and walked back into the living room to place the phone on the charger.
Her eyes were wide when she looked to each of us, the same shocked and confused looks covered our faces as well. "Guys, where's my mom?" She was frightened and it only fed the animosity that was already swelling among the group.
We climbed the stairs as a group and giggled in our panicked states. The door to Lesly's room was shut, Ruby knocked hard a few times and still didn't get any confirmation that her mother was in the room.
Ruby turned the knob and opened the door, a musky scent gushed out of the room. The bed sheets where spread across the floor in a mess, the pillows laying against the walls. The blinds were shut but the room was lit well by the exposed edges of the window.
Lesly laid in the centre of the bed with ropes holding her arms and legs to the bedposts. Her pale skin was bruised and on display, with that scarring visual to twist our adolescent minds, we turned and ran down the stairs. Each of us called a ride and we were gone before she was up and out of her incapacitated state.