The Millennial Box, Julie Steimle [classic books for 12 year olds .txt] 📗

Zormna jumped back, almost dropping her soda. She caught it and clutched it to her chest. "Scrapes! Mr. Humphries!"

She breathed hard and then looked at Jeff, who was changing colors from white to red and back again. This was not good. Their teacher did not look pleased.

"You two will meet me tomorrow after class where we will arrange your detentions," he said.

Both of them averted their eyes shamefully at the pavement. Zormna clenched her teeth and moaned under her breath. "Scrapes. He just had to be here."

Mr. Humphries heard it. "And, pray tell, where have you two been?"

"Uh...." Zormna glanced at Jeff.

"Um...." Jeff was still thinking of an explanation. Nothing would do. They were caught, and the Florida story would probably not be enough. Most likely the teacher would assume they went to spend time at Universal Studios or Disney World.

"I see." Their teacher then asked, "Do your guardians know you're here? Do they know where you have gone?"

Zormna flushed, but Jeff shrugged. "Yes," Jeff said.

Admittedly Mr. Humphres was surprised at that response. He had met with Jeff's 'Uncle Orren' and had thought him a sensible, responsible sort of man. Of course, because of this, the teacher immediately assumed Jeff was lying. "They know you have been spending the weekend alone with..." He looked at Zormna, "With this young lady?"

Zormna flushed even darker. She knew her reputation was already in the toilet. But with a teacher witnessing them riding in together, she was sure it would make things worse. Teens can gossip all they wanted. But Mr. Humphries was a busybody adult. He was the one who had made it so both she and Jeff had to attend counseling sessions for their 'repressed fears.' She wondered what other thing he would come up with that would interfere with their lives.

Jeff merely shrugged, going straight into his I-was-once-a-punk-in-a-gang alibi with feigned apathy. "Yeah. They know." He then pulled his helmet back on, hastily screwing on the gas cap to his bike. "They trust me."

Mr. Humphries gaped at him. Then he looked to her. Zormna was still red. She didn't have Jeff's alibi, nor any excuse that a teacher would believe.

"I doubt your guardians know," Mr. Humphries said sternly. "What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?"

Cringing, Zormna could barely look up at him. "I'm sorry I was caught?"

Jeff set his hand to his helmet. Zormna's honesty was not improving things. Their teacher glared disapprovingly. He could see the gears turn in his teacher's mind.

"Nothing happened, Mr. Humphries. We only went on a trip." Jeff then handed Zormna her helmet. "Let's take you home. I'll drive."

She whispered, "Are you up to it?" while peeking back at Mr. Humphries one last time, strapping the helmet onto her head.

"Not light headed," he said, climbing onto the bike.

Nodding, Zormna climbed on after him. She muttered to Jeff as they rode back into the street toward her end of town. "We're really going to get it now."

He nodded, leaving a dumbfounded teacher in their wake.

When they arrived at the McLennas' home, Jeff was the first to come to the door. Mr. McLenna opened it and stared hard at him. Zormna was gathering her backpack and waiting on the sidewalk.

"Can Zormna come in, or can I just take her to my place?" Jeff asked the furious father of the house. Mr. McLenna's freckled face looked likely to catch fire.

Mr. McLenna stared over Jeff's head. "Zormna Clendar! You get in here this instant!"

Zormna hesitated on the sidewalk. It was colder than when they had left. A light layer of snow was on the ground. Zormna shivered in her jacket, but it was not clear if it was out of fear or from the cold.

"You do know that we have room at my place if you feel that - " Jeff continued.

Glaring down at him, Mr. McLenna snarled. "You will leave Zormna alone! You will take your motorcycle and your flashy leather jacket, and you will not bring shame upon this household!"

Jeff choked, understanding him clearly. Recovering, he said, "What do you think I am? I happened to have taken very good care of Zormna this whole trip. She hasn't starved or been mugged or - "

Zormna put a hand on his shoulder, whispering. "Don't bother."

Jeff lifted his dark eyes up at the livid, yet strangely protective look on Mr. McLenna's face.

"I'll be fine," she said, heading over to the door and stepping up to go inside.

Mr. McLenna put a hard hand on Zormna's shoulder and pulled her inside the house. "Go to your room!"

She did exactly as he had told, sprinting quickly inside and up the stairs. He turned back and glared at Jeff like a bear ready to strike. "If you as so much as meddled with that girl - "

Jeff made an incredulous face. "Me? I was thinking the same about you. You treat her well, you understand?"

Mr. McLenna looked taken aback, but not as fierce as he had been. "That girl is still a child."

Jeff nodded tiredly. "I know, only fifteen. Only she might remind you that she was an adult at twelve."

Mr. McLenna's surly face glowered deeper at him. "I don't care what was done in the old country...." Jeff grew relieved at that remark. "...What I do care is that this child is raised right and not messed over with by a conniving, filthy rat with ulterior motives."

Jeff's mouth opened.

"And if I hear that you so much as laid a finger on her in anyway dishonorable, I'll gut you and cook you over our barbeque for Christmas." With that, Mr. McLenna slammed the front door.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Jeff murmured at the closed door.

Still, Jeff walked down the steps to his motorcycle and mused at how odd it was that Mr. McLenna actually treated Zormna better since he had become a 'threat'. Not a threat to Mr. McLenna, but to Zormna. Jeff chuckled, thinking that Mr. McLenna's paternal instincts were pleasantly greater than his old High Class instincts. Zormna would live well and safe in their home, at least for a while.

Zormna endured such a lecture that night from both McLennas than she had ever had. It was not the same as most lectures they had given her, though. They lectured about how she was at risk when she stayed all alone with Jeff, no matter how much she trusted him, and that a boy like him would take advantage of her before she could stop him.

That was when Zormna burst into a laugh. She had a difficult time imagining Jeff even attempting to wrestle her into a compromising situation, especially since Jeff still had yet to beat her in a fight despite the fact that he was physically stronger than her. Her martial arts training was still better than his wrestling skill. Yet she quit laughing when she saw their glares.

"That boy is of a devious nature," Mrs. McLenna said. "And he would take you off your guard before you knew what was coming."

But already they had lost her attention. She knew Jeff better. Zormna kept thinking of all those times she showered in the other room, and the master escape artists was more than able to pick the lock to the door if he wanted to. Her mind went to all the times he could have taken advantage of her on the road when they slept between places and he made sure she was warm enough. Fact was, Jeff was a consummate gentleman. It would never have entered his mind to touch her in anyway inappropriate, and she doubted it had to do with her ability to break his fingers if he tried. Jeff just didn't think like that.

Still, the McLennas continued to insist that a girl as naïve as her, one so inexperienced with dating and men, could easily be trapped into Jeff's wiles and trickery. In the end, Zormna gave up and just nodded penitently. There really was no use arguing with the McLennas anyway. They never really listened to her. Besides, they did have a point. In most cases Zormna would have never stayed in a motel alone with a man. That was asking for trouble. She knew it. The last man who had tried to take advantage of her in a close setting had been Agent Steve Keane pretending to be a boy named Sam.

"So, be honest with me," Mr. McLenna said one last time, his face a splotchy patchwork of worried red and white. "Did you two engage in - "

"He kept his hands off of me, ok?" Zormna finally snapped back. "He slept on the floor. I got the bed. Jafarr is not the type of guy that would ever manhandle a girl - except possibly kick her in the face to make an escape, but that is a totally different situation."

Mr. McLenna paled and shared a look with his wife. He leaned back. "Then you knew him before this?"

Sighing, nodding slowly, Zormna said, "Of course I did. I know his entire record, including all his arrests. I'm the one who had arrested him on a number of occasions. He tried to break my nose once, thus the face-kicking. So please stop thinking that I would all of a sudden do a turnabout and decide to engage in..." She frowned. "Look. I am a virgin. And I intend to stay one for a very long time. Romantic relationships are a mess, and I don't have time or the temperament for them."

The parents of the house took another step back and nodded. Of course, they should have known. Raised military. Soldier at heart.

When Zormna arrived at school on Wednesday, the rumor had already spread about Mr. Humphries catching the both of them at the gas station. Apparently, a girl from their English class, Amelia, had seen them as well. She lived on the corner near the station and the old highway. She had been scraping ice off the windshield of her car at the time. Amelia had been startled by the rumble of Jeff's motorcycle when she had seen them together. So when Zormna sat down in her first hour, whispers erupted.

Joy was also looking incredibly sad.

"Have a nice trip?" Adam asked, peering at Zormna with a light smirk. His eyes raked over her with smug judgement.

Zormna turned around and stared blandly at him. "What?"

"Your trip with Jeff, was it nice?" another boy nearby chimed in, leering at her.

Zormna's expression darkened. "You know, that's none of your business."

Joy's mouth popped open.

"What?" Zormna retorted, seeing her expression.

"Then it's true? You really snuck off again with Jeff to wherever?" Joy asked, looking as if the worst thing had happened.

Rolling her eyes and wearily sighing, Zormna said, "We only went back to Florida. We had something to finish."

Jeff stepped into the room. More whispers rumbled through their classmates. Even calls came from the boys telling him that he was "the man" and whatnot. He dropped down in his seat with disturbed puzzlement, vaguely unsure of what was taking place.

"What's going on?" he asked, leaning over to Brian.

Brian had the same disappointed look on his face as Joy did. He inclined toward Jeff and said, "Rumor has it that you two were seen coming from out of town together after ditching two days of school. They say that Mr. Humphries even met you at a gas station."

Jeff's face turned crimson.

"...Yelling at you something awful." Brian shook his head. "I see it's true." Greater disappointment spread over Brian and also Joy.

Jeff shook his head. "It's not what you think." He then turned completely around to face his friend. "I swear Zormna and I didn't do anything illegal, immoral, or even slightly naughty. If you are even the tiniest bit my friend I think you'd believe me."

Brian looked uncomfortable, not quite meeting his eyes. "But you lie so much," he uttered. "It is like you are keeping a secret so terrible that you have to tell stories to sound credible." He frowned. "I