"Yay, I can't wait," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. I really was glad, but I had a splitting headache that had more to do with stress than the couple of beers I had the night before.
"Will you put Player in flower puke room before you get in the shower?" Butch asked, starting his saw.
"Sure," I said loudly so he could hear me. The screaming sound of the saw pierced my head. It felt like someone was pounding nails into my skull with a hammer. After three trips to carry Player, his litter box, toys, and a few other items I needed, I was able to get into the shower. The warm water was just what I needed to wake me up and ease my throbbing head. Well, that and the two cups of black coffee I drank afterward.
A little more than an hour later, I walked the short distance to the Tasty Freeze gripped by a terrible case of nerves. I'd never had a real job. Working farmer's markets and street fairs with Butch and Buttercup wasn't the same thing. What if I screwed up or didn't know what to do? Would I be expected to jump right in like I knew what I was doing?
Fred, my boss, turned out to be nice enough. He introduced me to Jennifer and Melissa, two of the other part-timers who worked for him. Both were my age and very easy to talk to. They took turns showing me the ropes around the small ice cream stand. Nothing about Tasty Freeze was as complicated as I had feared. The seating area for customers was under a covered patio in front of a long counter with a sliding window where customers placed and picked up their orders. After a few initial hiccups, I quickly caught on and by midday I was helping to fill orders while Jennifer and Melissa took turns on the register. Fred spent the majority of the day in his minuscule office in the storeroom watching SportsCenter. A steady stream of customers made my shift fly by, and before I knew it I was hanging up my apron. I headed back to Fred's office to hit him up about needing Monday off. I had already decided to remain vague about the details until I knew what kind of punishment the judge would give me. Fortunately, Fred was pretty easygoing about the news and made me promise to give him more warning in the future for time off. My stomach dropped like a stone, but I nodded in agreement. Hopefully I wouldn't have to come see him again just to let him know I could no longer work for him.
"You look tired," Buttercup observed, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek when I got home.
"I never really fell asleep last night, so I am pretty tired," I answered.
She nodded. "That's understandable."
I wanted her to reassure me that everything would be okay. That I was worrying about nothing. I knew she wouldn't though. Buttercup never liked to sugarcoat matters.
Butch joined us in the kitchen and turned on the faucet."I thought you'd be in a rush to check out your bathroom," he said, grinning at me.
"It's done?" I asked, feeling happy for the first time since I headed off to the party the night before. I took off for my room so I could check it out with Butch and Buttercup following behind.
"Don't get too excited. There's still work for me to do." The entire space was framed out with wood studs waiting for drywall to be hung. Inside the soon-to-be bathroom was a brand-new shiny porcelain toilet.
"Does this work?" I asked.
"Sure. I figured you'd want to give it the maiden flush. Go ahead," Butch said proudly.
I pushed the handle and the water spun around and drained like it was supposed to. My parents and I stood appreciating the new commode like we were admiring an expensive piece of artwork. "Turned out that whoever built the garage was a visionary like you. They planned ahead and all the necessary plumbing and whatnot for a toilet and full bathroom was already there. We lucked out," Butch said. "Your mom and I talked about it and we figured we'd take out the utility sink there and install a vanity sink and one of those ready-made shower stalls. After I do that, we'll throw on some drywall and paint and you'll have a nice little setup in here."
Giddy with excitement, I threw my arms around Butch, giving him a hard hug. "It's like having my own apartment," I squealed. "Thank you so much. I love it," I added.
"Enough to help me remove the hideous wallpaper?" he asked. "I figured we could do it while we wait for your shower and sink to come in."
"Deal," I said, holding out my hand.
He shook it vigorously. "I'll even spring for pizza."
"From a restaurant?" I asked hopefully.
"Sure, if we can find a place that cooks organic," he answered.
"Fair enough. Now leave so I can try out my new bathroom," I grinned.
***
On Sunday, as promised, I helped Butch strip the old wallpaper off the walls in the horrid secret garden. Removing wallpaper was a tedious task, but it was a nice distraction from my impending court appearance the next day.
Butch and Buttercup chattered the entire time. I grunted and joined in anytime they roped me into responding, but otherwise I worked in my own bubble, trying not to think about the trouble both Josh and Evan had gotten me into.
Eventually the last of the paper was removed, and it was amazing how much better the room looked. Butch claimed that with the man-eating flowers gone and a fresh coat of paint coming, it would finally be a worthy bedroom. We munched on pizza while Butch and Buttercup debated over how to decorate the room, including compromising on a color they could both live with. I knew their chatter was for my benefit. It was their way of trying to take my mind off what lay ahead in court the following day.
By the next morning, after another sleepless night, I was ready to face the judge and accept my punishment, bad or good. The courthouse was buzzing with activity just like the police station had been when we all got busted. I met with the public defender ten minutes before things got started, surprised by how nice she was. She explained that half the charges against me wouldn't hold up. She was confident that in spite of my previous record, I would get off with a slap on the wrist. Her reassurances along with Butch and Buttercup's presence made it so I could at least breathe without passing out.
The inside of the courtroom w
as larger than the small courthouse in Huntsville, but still looked overcrowded from the many sets of parents and kids sitting inside. My stomach knotted up as I took in the intimidating room. Oddly enough, I suddenly felt homesick for the first time since we'd moved to Florida. I spotted Farrah near the front row, sandwiched between two people who I assumed were her parents. She looked pale and on the verge of tossing her cookies.
With a hand on the small of my back, Butch led me down the center aisle until we found a half-empty row where we could sit. I crossed my legs, flanked on either side by Butch and Buttercup. My left foot tapped up and down anxiously while I waited for my name to be called. My palms were uncharacteristically clammy and sticky, so I wiped them nervously on my skirt as the judge entered the room and sat down to start the proceedings. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been this nervous. Not even my last court appearance in Kansas had been this bad.