x
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8kfF68pU8
Jack Meadows sprawled on the couch. He liked what he saw. Maddox Kelley's butt rose and fell, rose and fell. She knelt on the fireplace hearth, sweeping ashes. She deposited them into the wastebasket and pulled the bucket of warm water closer. Grasping the brush, she began to scrub the bricks.
Granny Girty insisted Jack earn his bed and board. She left him a list of chores each summer day. It didn't take Jack long to Tom Sawyer his list to Maddox. A wide smile overspread his chubby face. He could get her to do anything from cleaning out the cats' litter boxes to scrubbing the toilets. Maddox was eager and willing to work for his attention.
Jack considered asking Maddox to strip naked while she worked. His mind roamed across many devious ideas, but he rejected most of them. It was still too early to work out his fantasies on her. If he played his cards right, she would become his sex slave by summer's end.
Jack was still a virgin. He wanted to correct that idea. He was not in love with Maddox, but love had nothing to do with his desires. Jack was not the type to love. He didn't have mushy thoughts or heart-filled dreams. His cravings were purely self-satisfying.
On the other hand, Maddox's mind filled with sunshine and rainbows. Jack Meadows was paying particular attention to her. School had ended, and summer began. The Kent family went to Myrtle Beach for their two-week vacation in early June. Maddox didn't envy Sailor in the way she had during previous summers. She hung around with her new best friend, Dora Cortez.
"Girty Meadows' gray cat had kittens," Dora commented one afternoon. The girls sat at the broken picnic table on the Cortez's back patio. "Want to see them?"
Maddox nodded enthusiastically. Dora showed her where to sneak through the rickety old fence. The kittens were in an old packing case in the rusty aluminum shed. The friends squatted and peered at the six baby cats.
"What do you want?" Jack asked gruffly. His huge form filled the shed's doorway. "Get outta here before old Girty sees you."
"We're just looking at the kittens," Dora explained, fear filling her voice.
"We can look, can't we?" Maddox asked, facing Jack defiantly.
Jack hesitated. His Granny had gone to the supermarket twenty minutes ago. She would remain away from home for at least another half-hour. He hated the kittens and wanted to find a way to rid himself of them. Girty would notice if they went missing and blame him, so he kept his hands off. Granny loved her cats more than her own grandson.
"You can look, I guess," Jack grumbled, "but scoot as soon as you see that old green station wagon pull in. I don't want Granny seeing you here."
Maddox and Dora nodded. They played with the kittens until Jack told them to run. The girls made it through the fence as Girty Meadows pulled into the driveway.
Maddox walked home singing a sweet lullaby. She sat yoga-style on her bed and played with a tuxedo kitten.
"What you got?" Mikey Kelley asked, entering unannounced. "A kitty." His blue eyes grew large. "Where'd you get it?"
"Girty Meadows gave it to me," Maddox lied.
"She didn't!" Mikey exclaimed, "She wouldn't." Everyone knew Girty Meadows never gave kittens away. She wouldn't let anyone near her cats.
"That's where I got it," Maddox contradicted.
Mikey shrugged and, crawling onto the bed, played with the kitten. He called it Annabelle. Maddox didn't care. It was as good a name as any.
Maddox often found her away in the Meadows' shed. After a while, Jack invited her to the house. He wanted her help cleaning the oven. She showed him how to turn on the self-cleaning mode. The next day, he asked for assistance scrubbing the toilet. Maddox began cleaning and doing the laundry. It delighted her to help Jack.
Jack delighted in not doing chores. He had found a willing dupe. He took credit for all the work Maddox did. Granny rewarded him with an allowance he used to buy video games and chocolate. He never shared with his little maid-child.
Maddox returned day after day. She was used to doing the chores at home. Neither of her parents was around to do them. She had taken charge of the trailer when she was only a little girl, so cleaning was second nature to her.
A few weeks had passed since she started appearing at the Meadows' house. Each time, Jack had another chore for her to complete. Maddox stood in the shower, cleaning the tile with a worn toothbrush. She didn't see Jack sneak in until the shower sprayed her. Drenched, she shook her hair out of her eyes and scowled.
"Why'd you do that, jerk?" she demanded, looking down at her soggy clothes.
"Take them off," Jack suggested, holding a towel.
Maddox glowered at him and pulled her tee shirt over her head. She grabbed the towel, but Jack held it above his head. She leaped, trying to capture it. Jack held it behind his back. Maddox dodged him, playing his cat-and-mouse game.
"Stand still, you little imp," Jack growled, holding the towel back.
Maddox stopped moving. Jack's eyes roamed over her naked chest. Her tiny breasts poked out just enough to show. He cupped them with his palms. Nothing happened. He slid his hands along her body and slipped them into her shorts' waistband. She stood in front of him wearing white panties spotted with pink flowers. His stubby fingers touched her between the legs. Nothing happened.
Jack turned and walked away. He plopped onto the couch and grasped his game controller. He did not understand what happened or why he did not react. He planned to have sex with her that day.
Maddox sat next to him on the couch. She had thrown her clothes into the dryer. Wearing nothing but panties didn't bother her. It didn't bother her that nothing happened when Jack touched her. She didn't really know what was supposed to happen. She took for granted that he did something. It was the beginning.
"Go away," Jack snapped gruffly.
Maddox frowned but edged away.
"I mean, go away," Jack repeated. "Go home."
"My clothes are drying," Maddox answered, moving closer.
"Get them and get out of here," Jack demanded, his voice growing harsh. He didn't want her anywhere around him. His disappointment irked him. Confusion riled his awkward mind.
Maddox nearly cried. She couldn't understand. She had done nothing wrong. She stood reluctantly and gathered her clothing. They were still damp, but she put them on. Maddox walked home with her head bowed. A lump grew in her throat; she couldn't swallow it.
Jack stared at the TV screen and paused his favorite game. He, too, could not understand the situation. He was ready for sex; Maddox was not. Jack did not know he was not the teacher; he needed instruction. Instead of playing his game, he played with himself.
"Get your fat ass off my couch," Granny Girty screamed, grabbing his arm. She yanked him to his feet. "How many times do I have to tell you…"
Jack hadn't heard the station wagon pull in. He was too involved with his own pleasure.
"I won't have this in my house, you bastard." The old woman shook the boy until his teeth rattled. "It's nasty and on my furniture too. Have you no shame?"
Jack had no shame. He glared at his granny without caring. She could rot in hell for all of him.
"I'm going to send you packing back to your ma one of these days," Girty cried, slapping Jack upside the head.
"Go right ahead," Jack countered. He grinned at the old woman. "See if I care."
Granny Girty grunted. She hated Jack even though he was her grandson. She hated her daughter even more. There was very little the old woman did like other than her cats. Every little thing set her off. The addition of another mouth to feed set her blood boiling. She hadn't agreed to take Jack into her home, but he showed up anyway.
Granny Girty pushed Jack aside. He tumbled onto the couch. She helped herself to a large gin and tonic, then another. Jack realized she would not fix dinner. He didn't mind going without sauerkraut for one evening. He went into his room and ordered Dominos. When his pizza arrived, he gobbled it. Tomato sauce dribbled from his chin. He swiped it away, then licked his saucy fingers. The large pizza disappeared into his wide mouth.
When he slipped into the kitchen for a drink, he found the old woman slouched in her easy chair. Her crooked mouth stood open; her dentures had fallen into her lap. Jack recoiled at the sight of her but edged closer. He removed the gin bottle from her gnarled fingers and smelled it. Shrugging his shoulders, he fixed a gin and tonic, then returned to his room.
The liquor burned his throat, but he drank anyway. Jack refilled his glass twice and began to feel numb. The room swayed; Jack felt good. There was solace in alcohol, he learned. He decided to help himself more often.
ns 15.158.61.7da2
