Some Things Change Pt. 01

"I can't... I can't believe you're back." She said it a little breathlessly, as if she'd been punched in the stomach. I looked over, and it looked like she was having some kind of panic attack.

"Lara? Breathe, Lara. It's okay. It's just me." I smiled at her, but that seemed to make it worse, so I stopped. Instead, I handed her my water bottle. "Here, take a drink. Slow sips."

She did, and took some deep breaths, and got herself under control. "Chuck, I can't believe it's you. You're..." she trailed off.

"Helpful to women whose cars are broken down on the road?" I didn't mean to be snarky, but it came out that way.

Her panic faded away and her eyes crossed. "You're the same stubborn mule who disappeared three years ago."

There it was, that's the Lara I remembered. "And you're the same brat whose daddy spoiled her rotten."

She was quiet after that. Too quiet, for too long. I glanced away from the road for a second, to glimpse a tear on her cheek.

The rest of the ride, she only spoke to give me directions to her trailer. I'd thought she'd be still living with her father, the mayor, so it was a little surprising that Lara and her son would be living here instead. Probably married some broke loser who couldn't afford a house. "Bye, Chuck," she said, gathering her bags and her son, and walking inside.

I removed the car seat from my car, and left it on her front step, before I drove off as quickly as I could. I was glad to be rid of that pompous, bitchy... sexy, curvy...

Two voices in my brain were arguing. One was drudging up the past, bringing up all of my unfortunate, previous run-ins with Lara Hammond. The other was recalling that, until she realized who I was, she was attractive, and kind-looking, and probably a good mother to her son. I shook my head, trying to clear away the mixed emotions so I could focus on the road.

----

When I pulled up at my parents' house, twin teenage girls poured out the door and raced to my car. I got out and hugged them both, one in each arm. "Girls, look at you, you're so grown!" Jenny and Jilly had shot up in height, and started gaining both curves and, from what Mom had told me, attentions from their male classmates.

"We're so glad you're back!" Jilly exclaimed.

"Are you back for good?" asked Jenny.

I shrugged. "Not sure yet," I admitted. "After what I've seen out in the world, it's weird being back here."

Steve came out right behind the girls, and I gave him a good hug too. "So how's Prudence?" I asked.

"Just fine," Steve answered. "She's been planning this wedding, but she's not going crazy about it. Not like those Godzillas you see on TV."

"That's bridezilla, not Godzilla," Jenny quipped.

He laughed. "You know what I mean. I'm thankful she's not a fire-breathing monster."

I found Mom in the kitchen, working on dinner. "I'm so glad you're home," she cried into my shoulder.

"I'm glad too, Mom. How's Pop?"

"He's out in the barn." She gave me a pointed look, and I got her meaning. When we were kids, Pop would meet us in the barn when he wanted to give us a talking-to.

I shrugged. "I'll take my bags in the house, then see what he wants."

When I walked into the barn, I closed the door behind me without him needing to ask. It was just habit by now. Pop was sitting on a hay bale, whittling at some wood. "Hi Pop," I said, coming to stand in front of him.

"Son," he said, without looking up. I waited for him to talk, but he didn't say anything, so neither did I. Finally, he put his whittling down and looked up. "You look good, boy."

"Thanks Pop."

"Your mother says you were in Iraq."

"Yup. And Germany for a bit."

"You shoot anyone?" Pop was a traditional Christian, deep to his core. He didn't believe in killing unless it was absolutely necessary, in self defense.

"Yes sir, but I only wounded him," I admitted. I'd been out on patrol in the Iraqi desert when a man charged at me with a knife. I shot him in the leg, incapacitating him.

Pop looked me up and down. "You been with women out there?"

I stifled a smile. "Not in Iraq."

"Germany then?"

"Two, sir." I answered truthfully, but I neglected to mention the one in France, and the four in Italy. Between the seven girls, I'd gained quite a bit of experience.

I thought for sure he'd declare his disappointment, but to my surprise, he clapped me on the shoulder. "Good for you," he said with a small smirk. "Just hope you didn't catch anything."

I couldn't help but smile. "I'm clean, sir."

Then he hugged me. "Welcome home, Chuck, I mean Charlie."

----

Over dinner, I told the family some of my tales. The twins' eyes glittered as they listened. I think they thought I was some kind of hero, but I didn't get into very much live combat. Mostly, I walked around the desert on boring patrols, I guarded buildings and compounds, and I protected higher-ups from getting shot.

Prudence, June, and Frank all joined us for a bonfire that evening. June was getting round at seven months pregnant, but she was still pretty as ever. She'd been getting her certificate so she could teach at the school. Frank brought a flask of whiskey that he and I traded sips from, and he and the others teased me about being called Charlie now. All in all, it was about as nice of a homecoming as I'd wanted. For the first time in three years, I was surrounded by my loving family.

Between Steve, Prudence, and June, I slowly got filled in on news from the town. Amanda Harrison was dating Greg Peters, going on almost two years now. Everyone expected them to be the next ones getting engaged. The mayor's son, Lance Hammond, was 15 and already a slimeball. He'd tried to kiss both my twin sisters, first Jilly then Jenny, on the same day. Jilly merely shoved him away, but Jenny punched him in the eye. I laughed and high-fived both my sisters.

Then I spoke up. "Speaking of the Hammonds, I ran into Lara today." There was a moment of awkward silence. "And her son," I added. Still, no one wanted to be the first one to speak.

June finally broke the silence. "No one told you about Zeke, did they?"

"No, and I didn't even recognize her at first." I told them the story her car breaking down, and how she about freaked out when she realized it was me. "I drove them back to that little trailer out on Route 106. Who'd she marry anyway?"

"Nobody," Prudence said. "She never married."

"So she just got knocked up?" I was starting to put the details together. Lara had gotten pregnant and no one wanted to talk about it, at least not in polite discussion. If someone in Gideon had knocked her up, the families would probably force the couple to get married. This was especially true of the mayor's daughter. "She don't know the father, does she?" I asked.

June shook her head. "No. The story I heard, she went to the city, got drunk and had a one-nighter. Then she comes back, and all of a sudden, she's pregnant." She pointed at her own growing belly for emphasis.

"So she lives by herself, in that shitty trailer? Why isn't she living at home?"

"Her daddy kicked her out," June explained. "Her mother lets her work at the diner, but her dad won't talk to her anymore."

Prudence added, "She doesn't go to church anymore either. I heard the reverend called her a whore."

That made me mad, that her own father and the town's only minister had both turned their backs on her. I sensed the others looking at me, waiting for a reaction. "What?" I asked them. "You think I care about her?"

"Don't you?" asked June. "She was trying to get you to ask her to the dance, if I recall."

"Yeah she was, but I didn't go with her, remember?"

June looked a little sad at my response. I urged the group, "Let's change the subject. Does Mrs. Murphy still make her amazing blackberry pies?"

----

One of the hundreds of things that doesn't change in a tiny town like Gideon is that news travels fast. I wasn't surprised when I got a call from Amanda Harrison, asking if I wanted to come hang out with her and her boyfriend Greg this weekend. As there wasn't much to do around here, and I did want to see Amanda again, I agreed.

Saturday night, I met Amanda and Greg at the only bar in town, the Jukebox. I'd only peeked in before, having not been 21 at the time, but now I was able to go in. I knew that the bar, like everything else in Gideon, was one of those things that never changed. Greg was a couple years older than Amanda and I. I hadn't been a fan of him growing up, but now he seemed more mature, and it was easy to see his attachment to Amanda.

Greg got us the first pitcher of beer. Then he made fun of my face when I took my first sip. "What's the matter, you never had beer before?"

"I've had beer," I said, "and this piss ain't beer. What is this?"

"Coors Lite. What have you been drinking?"

I went into a list of a few beers I'd grown partial to while in Germany. But, being European, they would never be found in a tiny place like this. My choices here were all American. I ended up letting Greg and Amanda split that pitcher and got some bottles of Sam Adams, which was more to my taste.

"So, what are your plans?" Amanda asked me. "Are you moving back to town?"

"Not sure yet," I told them. "I'm back for at least the summer, I guess. Steve's wedding, then June's baby. But if I had to say right now, I'll probably move away, or maybe reenlist."

She nodded. "You know, I'm still a little sore at you for leaving the way you did."

"How'd he leave?" asked Greg.

Amanda explained, "Chuck here went to the spring dance, danced with me and a few other girls, then just disappeared. Didn't say anything to anyone."

"I told my family," I added. "And I go by Charlie now."

"So he doesn't show for school the next Monday," Amanda continued, "then every day after that. People thought he was super sick, since Steve and the rest of them wouldn't say anything. Then, they call his name at graduation, and Chuck, I mean Charlie, he's not there to get his diploma."

I smiled at that. "They mailed it to me."

"It wasn't until after graduation that Steve finally told people you went to the army," she concluded. "You shoulda seen..." she started to say, then abruptly stopped.

"Shoulda seen what?" Greg and I both said at the same time.

"Nothing."

I goaded her, "What, Amanda? What should I have seen?"

"I shouldn't say it. It's not good manners." She picked up her beer and took a drink.

I was going to let it go, but Greg poked her in the side, making her cough on her beer a little. "Come on, what?"

Amanda took a deep breath, then looked at me. "You shoulda seen Lara's face. You remember she had a big thing for you?"

"I remember."

"I've never seen her like that."

"She was mad?"

Amanda looked at the ceiling, trying to properly express it. "It was partly mad, yes, but sad too, and painful, and pretty much every emotion there was except happy. I just remember it was the most emotional look I'd ever seen on anyone, ever."

"Oh." That's all I could think of to say. I had no emotional connection to Lara, so I wasn't sure what else there was.

"Chu- Charlie, you should know that, since school, I'm kinda friends with her now. And I know we kinda hated her in school, but she's been through enough. Promise me you won't hurt her no more."

"Yeah I heard some of it," I said, sipping my own beer. "Did she tell you I gave her a ride home the other day?"

Amanda nodded. "She did. And you met Zeke. He's a good boy." She hesitated, then said, "Don't tell her I said so, but I'm pretty sure she went off to the city because she was heartbroken over you."

Then she stopped, and there was a moment of silence. "So what? That's not my fault."

Amanda and Greg shared a look, and said nothing, until Amanda said, "I'm just asking you to not make things worse, I guess. Please, she's been punished enough."

"I think what you're saying is that I should've taken Lara to the dance." The implications were making me suddenly angry. "Then what? Marry her and be her whipped little pig for the rest of my life?"

"What?" Amanda's eyes got big in surprise to my vitriol. "I didn't say that. I just think maybe you should steer clear of her."

"So what you're saying is I shouldn't have come back? I'll only make things worse? Fine. I'm here for the summer, then I'm gone." I threw some cash on the table and got up. "For good this time." Then I stomped for the door.

----

At my parents' house, I tried to calm down. No one would say anything about Lara to me. But I'd catch little non-verbal things. A look from my mom. A hesitation from Steve. The twins getting quiet when I'd enter the room. At best, it was like I was a stranger. Maybe I was, after three years. I didn't want it to be like that.

So I talked to Steve one night, since he and I were still sharing a room. "Why does everyone look at me like that?" I asked.

"Look at you like what?"

"Like they expect me to do something about Lara." I sat on the bed and scowled. "I think I'm either expected to marry her or completely avoid her, one or the other."

Steve, continuing to be my best friend, tried his best to explain his thoughts. "It's none of my business, or anyone else's. But after you left, Lara kinda flushed her life down the toilet. She got pregnant, got thrown out of her house, she had to drop out of high school to take care of little Zeke." Then he added, "She owns the trailer, I think, but she's struggling to pay her bills, and now, from what you told me, her car's dead. She has to bum rides to work. It's like she's got bad luck following her constantly."

I waited for him to finish, then asked the million-dollar question. "What does any of that have to do with me?"

"It doesn't," he stated. "You're right. You never dated her, not even once. But just because of how you left, some people think you're somehow involved. Do you remember the last thing you said to her, right before you left?"

"Not really, what?"

"You told her to go to hell. In front of the whole school. Based on what I've seen, she about nearly did." I didn't respond, so he continued. "You should know, Mom's watched Zeke for her a few times. And she made Pop go over and fix her refrigerator."

"Why?"

Steve shrugged. "She's still part of the community, at least, and she needs help. It's like Mom says, when you've got the ability to help people, you help them. Pop fixes things and Mom likes babies, so that's what they do." Then he pointed at me. "And you can fix cars. Maybe you can help her too."

----

I debated it long and hard that night, but I concluded that Steve was right. I dragged myself out of bed the next morning and told him so. I didn't want to make things worse, like Amanda said, but I did want to help.

I arrived at Lara's trailer around 10:00 that morning. "What do you want?" she asked when she opened the door. Thankfully, her tone was more curious than angry.

I took a deep breath. "Lara, I wanted to ask if I can help fix your car."

"For how much? Like I said before, I don't have any money right now."

I shrugged. "Free labor. And I'll buy the parts. You can reimburse me whenever."

She was suspicious. "You're not just treating me like some charity case, are you?"

"No, just thought I could help. I talked to Steve last night, and he pointed out I have the time and the skills, so I think I can fix it."

Lara still eyed me funny, but she shrugged and tossed me the keys. "It's still in the same place we left it. I can't afford to get it towed."

"Don't worry about it. I'll tow it back to my parents' house." I turned to walk back to my car.

"Chuck? I mean, Charlie?" she called after me.

"Yeah?"

She forced a small smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

----

Once I'd gotten Lara's old beater up on blocks, I realized it was in pretty bad shape. It would take me a while to get it back in good condition. Fortunately, I had a couple months to kill, and I could use this as a project.

I knew the gas station in town would have a couple things I needed, but not all of it. Plus, I knew the guy who ran it was the mayor's brother, so I wanted to steer clear of that family anyway. So I ran into the city and got all the parts I needed. The twins rode along with me.

"So what are you doing this for anyway, Charlie?" Jilly asked. "Don't you hate Lara?"

"He doesn't hate Lara, he likes her," Jenny countered. "He just pretends to hate her."

"I don't like her, and I don't hate her. I'm just doing this to help someone who needs help."

"But you're paying for all of it," Jenny pointed out. "Isn't that expensive?"

It was expensive, but I was trying to downplay that. "A bit," I said.

"What's a bit?"

I'd calculated it at probably around $500 or $600 in parts alone. It would be far more if I was charging for labor too. I answered, "$500. Maybe more."

Jenny just whistled. Jilly said, "You're spending $500 on a girl who hates you?"

"I guess so."

Then the girls' prattle started alternating good and bad ideas back and forth. It was like having that little angel and devil on each of my shoulders.

"You think maybe she'll like you back if you fix her car?"

"Maybe you should sell it for scrap since you hate her so much?"

"You gonna marry her and ride off in the sunset?"

"You gonna make her car explode?"

"Stop it," I finally said. "No to all of that. Now let's drop it."

There was silence for a few minutes. Then Jilly spoke up. "Charlie, can I ask one more question?"

I sighed. "Okay."

"When you first picked her up, that first day you were back, and you didn't recognize her yet," she slowly asked, "did you think she was cute?"

"Yes. I thought she was attractive."

"And did she think you were cute, before she recognized you?" Jenny asked, piggybacking on her sister's question.

"Probably."

The twins shared a look, like they were now of one mind. Jenny started in, "So, if we were in a parallel universe, where there wasn't all that history between you two..."

"Just a guy meeting a girl on the side of the road..." Jilly continued.

"Would you have asked her out?" Jenny finished the question.

"I'm not going to answer that," I said, as we pulled into the parking lot for the auto parts store. "Because we're not in a parallel universe."

The employees of the auto parts store were thrilled to make a big sale to me, as they were able to find all the parts I needed. Anything they didn't have in stock that day, they'd ship out to my parents' house. When they saw the address, one commented on it. "Gideon? That's a tiny town. You ever been there, Bob?" he asked his partner.

Bob shook his head. "Can't say I remember."

The first guy, an older grey-haired man, said, "You might've been there and not known it. But there's an old building there, close to the town square there was an old garage. Closed down decades ago. Far as I know, it's still closed."

I nodded. "I've seen it. It's been closed as long as I've been alive."

Bob spoke up again. "Is that the place with that little diner? The one with the cute little brunette?"

His older partner nodded. "That's the one. I remember now, you drooling over that little girl, she's ten years younger than you."

"She gave me extra ice cream with my pie," Bob argued.

"She's a waitress, she just did that to get a bigger tip from you," the old man shot back.

"I'll give her my big tip, that's for sure," Bob said, making me glad my little sisters were outside and not in here to hear that last bit. I was fairly sure they were talking about Lara, and it made me a little heated.

"Fellas," I interrupted, "thanks for your help, take care." I lifted a box full of parts and headed out the door.

----

Working on Lara's car gave me a good distraction from everything else going on. Mom and the girls were getting Prudence ready for the wedding. Steve helped Pop with farmwork while receiving the old man's sage advice for keeping your wife happy. After my fight with Amanda, she hadn't called again. That left me with plenty of quiet solitude for working. I'd turn on the radio shut out whatever else was going on.