At four thirty that afternoon, Bill stood by the counter in Abel's store.
"A pack of Marlboros, please," Bill said.
"Certainly," the unshaven, yet sober, Abel, replied. "Anything for my Bill."
Abel handed Bill the cigarettes. Bill paid, and opened the pack. He lit one, and sat down on one of the empty crates. Abel lit a cigar, and sat on the counter.
"Ya look worried today, Bill," Abel said. "The studying must've been getting to ya!"
"Shit!" Bill said, trying to hide any impression of worry. "There's nothing wrong with me, Abel!"
The telephone rang.
"Hello," Abel answered, in a semi business like tone of voice.
"You done said you'd bring me my carton of milk and bread. When is you comin?" asked Lillian Bates, Abel's sometimes overnight visitor.
"I can't come now, baby," Abel said, lowering his voice. "Captain Sam isn't here--no one to keep the store."
"Well, I wants you to hurry, if'n you wants me to hurry to yo place tonight around twelve!"
"You can't do this to me! I can't come now, and I mean it! There's no one here to keep the store!"
Suddenly, Abel looked at Bill, whose head was hung down, cigarette smoke blowing from his mouth.
"Hold on just a minute, Lil--just a minute!" Abel said, putting the receiver down. "Bill, you wanna keep the store for a few minutes?"
"Huh--what?" Bill asked, breaking his train of thought.
"I got to deliver something--it won't take but a few minutes. Can you stay here and mind the store while I'm gone?"
"Oh, yeah--sure," Bill replied. "I'll be glad to!"
"I've got someone to stay here for awhile, Lil," Abel said, into the telephone again. "I'll be right over!"
"You sure you don't mind, Bill?" Abel asked, handing the telephone up.
"No, no," Bill answered. "Just try to make it back by five. I gotta go by my girls house."
Abel grabbed a carton of milk and a loaf of bread, and quickly left.
After making sure Abel had driven away, Bill telephoned Karen.
"You'll never guess what I'm doing. Karen!"
"What? Tell me!"
"Keeping Abel Moses' store while he's making a delivery. That old bastard--I think he calls him Captain Sam--anyway, Sam wasn't here. Abel had to make this delivery, so he asked me to keep the store!"
"You won't be long, will you?"
"No," Bill made clear. "He said he'd be back by five. I told him I had to leave then!" He lit another cigarette, and voiced a preview of the conversation they'd be having later.
"I can't stay at your house long, Karen, " Bill said. "My ole lady says for me to be home by six! If I'm one minute late, she'll yell my ass off!"
"I won't make you late," Karen said. "You just make sure you come. My parents are gone. They won't be home til one in the morning. Is there any possible way you can get here tonight?"
"I don't know," Bill replied. "Once I get home on a school night, there's not much chance of my getting out again. I would try to sneak out, but there are too many noisy dogs in the neighborhood. Damn, I'll try to get there, though. I probably can."
As he waited for Abel to return, Bill paced around the store, smoking and continuing to worry about the situation with Karen. He knew she loved him, but he was not ready to settle down to marriage any time soon. They were both still in high school. They were both underage. Abortion was out of the question; Bill acted tough, but this much, he'd been taught!
By five o'clock, Abel had not returned. By five fifteen, Bill decided that, if Abel wasn't back by five thirty, he'd simply leave the store. Fortunately, Abel drove up at five twenty.
Bill hurridely stole two packs of cigarettes, slipped one under each sock, made sure the cigarettes didn't make his slacks bulge toward his feet, and met Abel at the door.
"Abel, you're late!" Bill, now in a bad mood, said, "And I've got to go!"
Abel had been drinking. Bill could tell by the way he was staggering and breathing heavily.
"Why don ya stay and have a lil' drink with me, Buddy?" Abel asked.
"Really--I'll come back another time!" Bill said, as he hurried toward his car.
"See ya," Abel said.
Abel then walked through the store, opened the back door, leaned over, and violently vomited. He expected Captain Sam to be there soon, so he went into his house, and began shaving and washing up. After a cold bath, he'd feel fine.
Bill and Karen sat on her unmade bed, smoked, and discussed the situation. Karen seemed nervous, and was wary of getting too close to Bill.
"Damn!" Bill said. "This morning I was the one who was a nervous wreck! Now, you are! I guess this will come and go, huh?"
"Yes," Karen answered. "Bill--you want a beer or anything?"
"I wish I could," Bill answered, "but you know my parents. If I'm home by six, there's a possibility I can go out tonight. I'll call--I'll call Gary Brown or somebody. I'll tell my parents I'm going to a friend's house--then just come by here!"
"I hope you can," Karen said. "Then we can be together! Just us!"
"I gotta admit I'd be one hundred percent more enthusiastic about it if we weren't facing what we're facing!"
"Hell!" Karen replied. "Just as long as we have each other, what difference does anything else make? I just hope you can come."
After Bill left, Karen immediately called Sarah Hammer.
"Have you told him yet?" Sarah asked, during the course of the conversation.
"No," Karen replied. "I'm not going to tell him until tonight. He's coming over later--he acted like it would really be a struggle to get out of his house. I know better. He'll be right over here later on--and he's going to give it to me as hard as ever! I want him so much. After I tell him the truth, all our problems--his, that is--will be over, and we can make love all night!"
"Why do you say 'his'--that is--I can't understand why you told him you were pregnant!"
"Just to make him keep me on his mind!" Karen shouted.
Suddenly, Karen's eyes possessed a look of evil, matching her hot body and scarlet red hair.
"I'm gonna keep that guy if it's the last thing I do!" Karen continued. "He's all I live for, and I want him to know it!"
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