Flowers in the Heart Pt. 02

"The midget's back," Megan sneered.

Both Roger and Scott made a point of looking at Ronnie's crotch, then high-fiving each other.

"Hey, ass holes!" Ronnie protested.

----

"Yeah, he's taking Terri to the dance," Jenna snarled, glancing over at Scott.

"That's nice," Fauna whispered.

"But Anthony's um," Jenna said then balked.

"He's a really sweet guy and he was nice enough to ask me," Fauna said forcefully.

"Yeah, um, want me to see if y'all can double date with me and Glen?" Jenna asked.

"No, that's all right," Fauna said. "Anthony says he'll take care of that."

----

Anthony did not need to double date with Jenna and Glen; he was going all out for this date. His father, thoroughly disgusted with his overweight, acne prone progeny, didn't even look up from the computer screen when Anthony approached him.

"No kidding, a date for the Sweethearts Dance, that's great," his father said absently as he tracked a penny stock that looked promising.

"Um, yeah, so um, I need to go get a tux and a..." Anthony said.

"Here, need more, come get me," Mr. Carrecci said and thrust a wad of bills into Anthony's hand.

He clicked on the 'BUY' icon and rapidly typed in the share amount he wished to purchase.

Anthony left the room and counted out nineteen one hundred dollar bills. He stuffed half of the bills into his lockbox and left his room.

"Going to the tux shop," he called out.

"Uh huh," Mr. Carrecci said and clicked on the 'SELL' icon on another stock he owned.

----

"Hey, what's up?" Scott smiled as Anthony waddled into the tuxedo shop.

"Not much, not much, you?" Anthony said.

"So, um, she said 'yes,' huh?" Scott asked and smiled as Andy, the shop manager walked over toward them.

"Yeah, um, hey, mind if I ask, um, why'd y'all break up?" Anthony asked.

"Ask her," was all Scott would say on the subject.

"Yeah, well, um, Terri? She ain't half bad, you know?" Anthony said weakly.

"Yeah, whatever," Scott shrugged.

"So, um, you, um, y'all are welcome to um, to come with Fauna and me; I'm getting us a limousine, you know?" Anthony offered.

"Thanks, but Terri's already roped me into chauffeuring her and Jared and Connie around," Scott complained as Andy began measuring him.

----

Jenna complained bitterly to Glen about the break-up of Fauna and Scott.

"Hey, Jenna, they, um, they are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, you know?" Glen finally interrupted her. "They really don't need us fixing everything for them, you know?"

"Well, yeah, but it just ain't right," Jenna complained, undeterred.

Glen sighed, not bothering to cover the mouthpiece of his cell phone.

"You fuck that little pussy yet?" Rusty sneered as Jenna prattled on and on.

"Mom!" Jenna screamed for her mother to come protect her.

"Huh? He even plays with them titties, or he too much a faggot even notice you got them?" Rusty continued his taunts.

"I got to go," Jenna spat into the telephone.

"Okay," Glen sighed in relief.

Jenna slammed the telephone down and glared at Rusty before flouncing out of the living room.

----

Scott, Terri, Megan, and Ronnie sat in A Touch of Sicily, picking at the remains of the large Supreme.

"Damn, got enough mushrooms, huh?" Ronnie complained.

"Best part of the pizza," Scott said.

"Yeah, I like them," Terri concurred, clutching possessively onto Scott's arm.

"Oh, great, here comes your sister and her home boy," Megan said nastily to Ronnie.

She smirked at the darkly scowling Ronnie.

"So do your parents like having a daughter that's fucking a n*gger?" she asked, not expecting an answer.

She laughed at Ronnie's even darker scowl, and then pasted a smile on her face as Connie and Jared came into the restaurant.

Scott watched as she and Terri loudly and shrilly greeted Connie and Jared, insisting that they join them. He watched as Megan chattered and laughed with Jared, despite her comments about him just moment earlier.

He looked at Terri, and at Connie, and wondered if they talked about him behind his back. He knew Megan did; his refusal to be upset over their break-up had not sat well with her.

He knew Ronnie did; he was far too competitive to let anyone else get ahead of him. Ronnie's main priority was Ronnie, and fucks anyone else that even looked like a threat. Being equally as handsome, beige equally as athletic, and actually having a better Grade Point Average, Scott knew that Ronnie constantly looked for ways he could best Scott.

Resentment began to well up inside of him, but Scott pasted a smile on his face and responded appropriately to Terri's touches and teases.

"Three more days, Baby!" Terri enthused.

"Uh huh," Scott agreed.

Uh yeah, um, yeah, um, hey, Scott, my man, talk to you real quick?" Jared motioned with his head to a corner of the restaurant.

"Sure," Scott said and got to his feet.

"Um, hey, um, look, it's like this, all right?" Jared hemmed and hawed and finally approached the subject of borrowing a few bucks to help pay for the Sweethearts Dance expenses.

"Man, look, huh?" Scott said, almost bitterly. "Ain't like this was some big surprise, huh you been knowing about this dance for what? Two weeks already??"

"Yeah, I know, but my man, see it's like this," Jared tried to be hip, slick, and cool, while begging for money.

"Dude, you weren't even going to chip in anything for gas?" Scott asked.

"Dude, I'm telling you, soon as my mom comes up with the scratch, I catch you for all of that," Jared promised.

"Aw come on, man; you are kidding me," Scott grumbled. "We'll see, that's all I'm saying. We'll see."

"Aw yeah, you my man, I knew you'd come through for me, dog," Jared smiled widely.

"You about ready?" Scott asked Terri as he grabbed the check for their dinner.

As he drove her home, she asked what Jared had wanted. Scott saw no reason to lie; he was not worried about Jared's pride or dignity. It was obvious that Jared wasn't worried about Jared's pride or dignity.

"You are fucking joking!" Terri blew up. "Wait just one fucking minute!"

She dug her cell phone out and punched a number.

"Connie, hey, it's me, want to know what your boyfriend just tried to do?" Terri spat out.

Scott didn't really listen to the conversation as he drove Terri to the small house she and her parents lived in. Terri ended the conversation when Scott pulled up into the driveway.

"Connie already gave him three hundred bucks; it was supposed to go to the Sweethearts Dance but I guess Mister Jared thought getting three hundred dollars worth of meth was more fucking important," Terri spat out, mean face made all the more mean by her anger.

"I kind of thought that was what was going on," Scott shrugged.

He didn't really care; he just wanted to drop Terri off, go home, do his homework and go to sleep.

"Good night, love you," Terri declared.

If she noticed that Scott did not return her declaration of love, she did not let it show as she smiled and waved from the front door of her home.

----

Fauna squealed excitedly as her new wig came in.

"Just in time!" she said happily.

"Yeah, and according to this, the cap is made of that polymer; you should be able to put this on yourself, instead of me always having to do it," Harriet agreed.

"Let's see," Fauna said and eagerly removed her wig.

"Hmm, might need a little practice," Harriet said as Fauna wrestled with the mass of soft brown curls.

"How's that?" Fauna asked, when she'd finally gotten it situated.

"Mighty cute," Harriet agreed.

The curls did frame Fauna's small pale face, giving her large brown eyes even more depth. Her happy smile made Harriet smile as well; Fauna had not smiled since that night she had revealed her truth to Scott.

"And your dress is ready; Miss Bobbi said we can pick it up whenever we want," Harriet said.

"Thank you, Momma," Fauna said sincerely.

----

Jared cursed and muttered and mumbled as he and Connie finished their medium pineapple and Canadian bacon pizza.

"Fucking hates this shit," Jared complained as he picked a pineapple chunk off of the slice.

"YOU buy it, YOU get whatever the fuck YOU want," Connie glared at him. "I buy it, I get what I want."

"Can't believe that mother fucking cracker ass jump up and snitch on me, what kind of punk ass pussy is that, huh?" Jared muttered under his breath.

"He didn't," Connie said. "Girlfriend did."

"Same shit!" Jared exclaimed. "I tell you something, you turn around tell everybody, same as I did it, feel me?"

"It is not; you're just being stupid," Connie said dismissively.

Their waitress smiled tightly, making sure to put as much space between her and Jared as possible, without being overly obvious about it.

"Now, did you get the flowers? Or did that end up with all the other stuff?" Connie glared as she dropped a twenty dollar bill onto the small tray.

"Um, yeah, yeah, I got your flowers," Jared lied.

"What color?" Connie challenged.

"Fuck, I don't remember, all right?" Jared said.

"Here, here's twenty; my dress is pale blue," Connie said and slapped a twenty dollar bill on the table, making sure to .place it on top of Jared's small pile of pineapple chunks.

She looked at him, daring him to say anything.

She knew that he had planned on fucking her the night of the Sweethearts Dance. He had told her of his intentions and she had agreed; Sweethearts Dance would be the right time to consummate their love for each other. No more hand jobs and finger fucking; they would go all the way and give themselves to each other.

It did bother her slightly that Jared did not use the word 'love,' even when she asked him point blank if he loved her. It did bother her that he called it 'fucking' and not making love.'

But it bothered her much more that he used her, used her for her money, and her status as a cheerleader, and her blonde hair and white skin.

"And they better come from Annie's, on nineteen, and not out of your grandmother's back yard, you hear?" Connie hissed angrily at him.

"Uh huh," he said, gingerly picking up the twenty dollar bill.

"And you better get some condoms; I am not taking ANY chances on THAT," Connie said.

"What? It your first time, you can't..." Jared said.

"You cannot honestly believe that; I know you ain't that stupid," Connie said, finishing her drink.

They got up. Connie pushed him away when he tried to kiss her; she wasn't fooled. It was no display of affection; Jared was just showing off for the two waitresses.

----

Friday morning, nearly everyone was chattering excitedly about the Sweethearts Dance. Even the few 'fringe' students, the ones that were too cool to get excited about anything, seemed to be swept up into the pageantry of the Sweethearts Dance.

"Okay, I made reservations for seven of us at Bombay's for six thirty tomorrow night," Scott announced as he took his seat.

"Seven? But there's eight of us," Ronnie said, puzzled.

"Yeah, first one says 'Ew, I don't like Indian food' can sit out in the car while we eat. And ain't no stopping off at Taco Smell either," Scott said, earning himself a few giggles and a few rolled eyes.

"God, what you think they're all giggling about?" Jenna snapped, ugly scowl on full wattage.

"Doesn't matter," Fauna said quietly, giving a quick glance at Scott, then looking away before her tears would come again.

She had been in love with Scott Boudreaux ever since she knew what love is. Each day that slowly ticked by, he grew more and more handsome and she died a little more inside.

She realized, slightly embarrassed, that she had not even masturbated since that awful night when Momma made her tell him the truth.

A burst of laughter rang out from their corner and she again looked at Scott. She wished she hadn't.

"Miss Langmeyer, keep your hands to yourself!" Sister Theresa said loudly.

"Yes ma'am," Terri said, disentangling herself from Scott.

"I will get you for that," Terri promised him.

"Yeah, yeah, don't write checks your ass can't cash," Scott smiled.

Fauna almost lost the fight against the tears. She wanted to hold Scotty again, to kiss him, and to take him into her mouth and love him until he filled her mouth with his seed.

"What a skank," Jenna said, hopefully loudly enough for Terri to hear.

Chapter 6

"I do wish you were going with that Fauna; such a beautiful girl," Linda again commented as Scott and Glen mugged for her digital camera.

"Yeah, well I'm not, so get over it, huh?" Scott said, abruptly leaving the room.

He returned a moment later, holding the corsage box.

"What time you getting home?" Linda asked.

"In time for church, I guess," Scott shrugged and left the house.

"You know why he's taking someone else?" Linda asked her oldest son.

"No, not really," Glen said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, have fun, don't stay out too late," Linda smiled as she brushed an imaginary piece of lint from Glen's tuxedo.

----

"Fucking flowers cost thirty two, not twenty," Jared hissed angrily to Connie as he pinned the flowers onto her dress.

"Aw, too bad, had to spend a little of your own money? Poor baby," Connie hissed back.

Next to them, Ronnie and Megan stood, enjoying the animosity between Jared and Connie.

"Okay, come on now, Connie! Really! Could you just try to smile?" Mr. Edwards said as he fiddled with his old camera. "Come on, everybody, get in tight now, Ronnie, put that finger down before I break it off, you hear?"

"Okay, come on, we got to pick up Roger, then Hillary; see y'all at Bombay's," Ronnie said after he could again see; Mr. Edwards' flash was intense.

"Aw, now look at this," Mr. Edwards complained as the picture came into focus. "Ronnie, you and Megan, y'all get on the other side; that lamp washed out the whole picture."

----

Anthony kept up a babbling conversation with the driver until they pulled up in front of the Davendorf home.

"NO sir, let me," the driver said and got out of the car.

He walked rapidly around and opened the car door for Anthony.

"Now, you're supposed to let ME open and close the door; make it look like you ride in limos all the time," he whispered to Anthony. "And when you bring that young lady out, you let her get in first, got it?"

"Yes sir," Anthony said.

And when we get to the restaurant? You move to the jump seat," the driver pointed to the seat that faced the rear. "That way, she gets out first, then you."

"Oh, okay, um, yes sir," Anthony answered.

"And no more talking to me, okay? Your one hundred percent attention needs to be focused on her; I'm not even here, hear?" the driver went on.

"Yes sir," Anthony agreed.

"Now, go get them, tiger," the driver encouraged.

"Can't wait to see what the fuck that lard ass managed to drag up," the driver muttered under his breath as the young man waddled up the sidewalk.

He wished, for the hundredth time that day, that he had not quit smoking. He knew he'd be sitting out here for at least thirty minutes, waiting for the obligatory photographs and the small talk, before lard ass and lard ass's date would lumber out the small house.

He snickered to himself, wondering if they'd be better served to just find a nice patch of grass for the two cows to graze on, rather than going to the restaurant.

"Cut it out; that ain't right," he chided himself. He used to be quite large himself, until a sweet young lady smiled at him.

"Uh huh, even got me to quit smoking, fucking bitch," he smiled to himself.

Inside the house, Anthony was trying his best not to look like an idiot. It was difficult, though. Fauna literally took his breath away. Her hair had been done into several curls, her make-up was done to enhance her deep brown eyes, and her ivory colored dress squeezed her just right, enhancing her small chest and slim waist, as well as her small backside.

Um, oh yeah! Um, these are for you," Anthony finally found his voice and handed a dozen pale pink roses. "Um, you did say that pink was your favorite, right?"

"Oh thank you!" Fauna gasped. "Anthony, they're beautiful!"

"Not as um, not as beautiful as you," Anthony stammered and blushed hotly.

They stood for the few photographs that Harriet insisted on and then walked out to the limousine.

"Well, paint my nails and slap my face!" the driver said as he spotted Fauna coming out of the house.

"Good evening, Ma'am," he said, doffing his cap, and then opening the door for Fauna.

"Thank you," Fauna smiled at the driver.

"You are welcome, ma'am," the driver said.

"Wow!" he muttered to Anthony, earning a beaming smile from Anthony.

He ran around the car and got into the driver's seat.

"Sir, the button to the right, on the door handles? That is the intercom button. You just press that when you wish to speak to me. I am raising the privacy screen to give you your privacy now," the driver said, and raised the opaque panel between the driver's compartment and the passenger compartment.

"Wow, this is nice," Fauna said as they whisked away toward Radcliffe's, the trendy, over-priced restaurant in DeGarde, Louisiana.

"If I could, I'd take you every day in this," Anthony said sincerely.

----

Scott tried to keep his face bland as he stood in the Langmeyer home. Sheila Langmeyer had several cats; Terri and Mr. Langmeyer couldn't give him an exact head count of the cats. The smell was overwhelming; there were several litter boxes everywhere.

"Do you like cats, Scott?" Sheila smiled.

"Oh yes ma'am," Scott said, smiling. "That's why I eat at Hop Kim's all the time. Taste just likes chicken."

"Scott!" Terri gasped, laughing, and slapped his arm, hard.

"Like them better fried, get off of me, mangy beast," Mr. Langmeyer said, tossing a cat off of his lap.

"Hmmph!" Sheila sniffed, not finding anything amusing about Scott's comment, or her husband's comment.

"Well, y'all have fun," Mr. Langmeyer said, waving them out.

"You know my mom will like NEVER forget you said that," Terri giggled as they got into the car.

"Like I fucking care," Scott thought to himself, but smiled and shrugged his shoulders for Terri's benefit.

At the Edwards' home, they endured Mr. Edwards' bumbling with the old Polaroid camera, posing for a picture with Connie and Jared.

"Yeah, Ronnie and Megan just ran out of here about ten minutes ago," Mr. Edwards said. "All right now, y'all have fun, boy I remember my Sweethearts Dance, my God, and you know how long ago that was?"

"Uh yeah, yeah, y'all had what? Lawrence Welk playing that?" Scott asked.

"Uh huh, no, not really. We had a bunch of guys just pounding rocks together; we didn't have any of that music stuff y'all got today, smarty pants," Mr. Edwards smirked at Scott. "Aw now look; now that's a good picture!"

"Helps having me in it," Terri said smugly as they left the house.

"Be nice," Connie hissed at Jared as Jared made a point to ignore Scott.

"What?" Jared hissed back. "Mother Fucker ain't nothing but a punk ass snitch; I got to act like he's my boy?"

"No, you got to act like I'm your girlfriend and you're happy to be with me," Connie hissed back. "He is being nice enough to give us a ride, least you could do is be grateful."

"Uh huh, I get my license back, all them mother fuckers just kiss my ass, feel me?" Jared said and made sure to get in on Terri's side of the car, further avoiding any contact with Scott.

----

"Jenna, really?" Glen sighed as they looked over the menu. "Really? I don't give a shit what Fauna's doing, all right?"

"She's my best friend and..." Jenna twisted her face into a scowl.

"I am well aware of that, but she is not here, I am. She is not paying for this, I am, she is not taking you to the Sweethearts Dance, and I am. And yet, you're not saying a damned thing to me; you're just talking about her," Glen sighed. "Jenna, talk to me, I am right here."