DENIAL'S ORPHAN Read online

  DENIAL’S ORPHAN

  Warren DeVere Stephens

  © 2018 Warren DeVere Stephens

  Warren DeVere Stephen has asserted his rights in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

  Published by DeMore March 2018

  First published in eBook format in 2018

  ISBN: 978-1-91264-314-1

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

  All names, characters, places, organisations, businesses and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1: Institution of Higher Learning

  Chapter 2: Social Graces

  Chapter 3: Home Again, Home Again

  Chapter 4: Reality Check

  Chapter 5: Surprise!

  Chapter 6: A Walk on the Wild Side

  Chapter 7: Uh Oh, Who to Trust?

  Chapter 8: Gerri’s World Implodes

  Chapter 9: A Bad Dream is Born

  Chapter 10: Into the Unknown

  Chapter 11: Family Visitors

  Chapter 12: The Funeral

  Chapter 13: Burial

  Chapter 14: Aftershocks

  Chapter 15: Out With the Trash

  Chapter 16: A Friend... Indeed

  Chapter 17: Advice, Advice

  Chapter 18: It’s All So Confusing

  Chapter 19: Dan to the Rescue!

  Chapter 20: The Speed of Enlightenment

  Chapter 21: Events of Enlightenment

  Chapter 22: True Colors

  Chapter 23: Risky Resolve

  Chapter 24: Once and for All

  DENIAL’S ORPHAN

  Every teenager thinks he or she is the only person in the world going through turbulent, rebellious times. There are awkward social graces, peer pressures, parents who don’t care to understand, physical growth, anger, bodily experiments, and oh, yes, there are resulting consequences!

  Sixteen year old Gerri DeMore faces pressures of growing up and her conclusions are she feels abandoned by her parents and left to find her own way through the maze of life. When she’s subjected to external jolts of inhumane, unimaginable tragedy she’s defenseless and buried into depths of despair and anger. She reacts with sixteen year old choices leading down dark paths. Thank God she’s got friends who step forward: Paulette Guthrie, her neighbor, Daniel Penn, a dreamboat teacher, Len Ferguson, a handsome policeman, and Jake Waltrip, a ringer for James Dean. Gerri’s survival hangs in the balance between people she trusts and the wisdom of her tender sixteen years. Can she survive when some of those she trusts circle her like hungry hyenas?

  CHAPTER 1

  INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING

  Rock-n-roll, Brylcreem, bazoombas, poodle skirts, knuckle sandwich, Lay a patch, Peepers, daddy-o, cool, Blackboard Jungle, Aqua Velva, Elvis, butts, motorcycle jacket, Bill Haley and the Comets

  October 11, 1955. Another Monday, another school day and high school Junior, sixteen year old Geraldine DeMore, Gerri for short, is walking slowly on Van Ness Street toward the entrance of Fresno Central High School. A car slows, nearly stops beside her and Gerri glances in the direction of the car. The sun obscures the passenger windows but the driver, a man, appears to be staring at her. It startles Gerri and she jerks her head back straight again, clutching her books in crossed arms across her chest as she walks. Why would anyone do that? Some weirdo. The car proceeds past her and pulls into the school parking lot. As the sidewalk crosses the parking lot entrance Gerri looks to possibly see who’s in the mysterious car. When she sees who steps out of the car, her heart jumps.

  It's Mr. Penn. It’s handsome Mr. Penn. He gets out of his car, reaches in the backseat for his briefcase, turns toward the sidewalk and half-waves in Gerri’s direction. Gerri can’t fathom why he’d wave at her. He’s probably not waving at her and it must be her mistake. To Gerri he’s a real Prince Charming but he’s a teacher so he’s older and way out of her league so while thrilled she still feels like it’s a case of mistaken identity on his part.

  Gerri can’t believe how a day can change so fast. When she first got up and was preparing to leave for school she couldn’t shake the thought that today will be typically boring, particularly until she finally gets to language arts class with the fabulous Mr. Daniel Penn. But he’s never paid any particular attention to her in class. He seems to barely know who anyone is in class. But this has been enough of a pleasant start so now Gerri’s day brightens and she’s motivated to entertain herself by daydreaming and doodling and occasionally entertaining others with practical jokes and sharp-tongued gossip.

  She’s very comfortable with how she’s accepted at school, comfortable with her friends and she feels unusually confident about her personal looks. Gerri is five feet- eight inches tall, taller than most of the girls and many of the boys. But Gerri knows from her morning getting-ready-for-school ritual that her body is changing rapidly in all the right places. She may be tall and slender but she’s filled out remarkably early in both her front and rear, compliments of her mom’s genetics. In both these departments Gerri stands out from her peers and she’s joyously aware how her physical curves intimidate many boys into a momentary paralysis and intimidate many girls into secret jealousy.

  Gerri has long blonde hair that she wears in a ponytail. Her big brown eyes, high cheek bones and cute nose are easy to give her pride. She’s learned how to pause for a split second before she smiles and then let her nearly perfect white toothed smile captivate the looker. Since the beginning of high school most girls her age have worn pleated plaid skirts and solid color blouses or sweaters. Last year in Gerri’s school the style changed and the long socks are no longer worn if one wants to be considered cool. Long knee-length socks are replaced by white bobby socks worn with black and white saddle-oxford shoes. Toward the end of the last school year the rage changed to felt, full-circle skirts with a single image embroidered on the skirt. Most of the designs are of fluffy little poodles but there is the occasional custom skirt with an image of a hot rod. For most girls the need to fit in with the crowd is all important so the overwhelming preference is a poodle design. This school year the poodles’ images sometimes have a leash embroidered leading up to the waist line which is covered with an elastic belt nearly six inches wide. Many of the blouses have remained solid colored but with a poodle image on the blouse matching the one on the skirt. Gerri is keeping up with the fashions. At the first of this year she went through the motions and wore one of her two poodle skirts each week but for the last two months she’s been on a renewed shopping rampage to collect the latest.

  So as Gerri’s poodle skirt swishes through the hallway, propelled by her long legs capped on the bottom with bobbie socks and saddle oxfords she smiles and takes a deep breath. She feels attractive! Her confidence is bolstered by parties she’s attended lately because boys at the parties rally around her, each hoping to pair off in a dark corner. Though Gerri’s actual experience of cuddly interaction with the opposite sex is limited, it’s safe to say the age old, highly-explosive, fissionable material of awakening fascination about sex is alive and well. Ever since last weekend she feels like her brain is swollen and all she ca
n do to relieve the pressure is to fantasize about the next kisses …and touches. Touching that’s getting closer and closer to the main topic of speculation, made up stories, a few dares and lots of fantasies.

  Students begin arriving in the classroom for first hour Government and Citizenship class and it begins with a couple of greetings, books dumped on desks, the overwhelming mix of Coty Accomplice perfume on the young ladies and a hearty lathering in Old Spice after shave with a dab of Brylcreem thrown in by many of the boys. As the student voices gather, each trying to be heard over the other, the crescendo of noise builds and the room quickly becomes a bedlam of sound trying to stuff in every comment possible before the bell brings it all to silence. This scene is repeated six times a day and is fueled by the participants hormones jumping about like water molecules in a boiling tea kettle. The bell sounds for the class to begin and a few students look sleep deprived but for most the entire reason for being at school is to have fun and it may as well begin right now!

  Gerri’s doodles are harmless enough, horses, nurses, women in long gowns, a soldier, and she repetitiously letters “DP”. She’s still enjoying the early morning thrill of the remote possibility that Mr. Penn may have actually noticed her and maybe, just maybe he even waved to her. At least Gerri would like to think he waved at her but she explores more likely reality that he was waving to someone else or maybe it wasn't even a wave at all. But for sure next year she’s going to try to get into his class once again, maybe earlier in the day so she can be reminded of his handsome face for the rest of each day instead of this year where she sees him last hour and that provides no daydream fodder for the beginning of the day..

  But at the moment Gerri’s daring and entertainment skills are the center of attention for a dozen or so students around her.

  “Go ahead…now. Now.” Phyllis Mckenzie‘s whispering to Gerri, and Phyllis’ eyes are locked on the teacher, Miss Henderson, at the blackboard, her back to the class as she outlines a flowchart of the legislative process.

  Gerri moves her hand cautiously forward, holding a cough drop between her thumb and index finger. Her target is in the desk right in front of her, the hunched over frame of Billy Boyd, greatly overweight and at the moment head down on his arms catching some needed rest. With his body leaning forward, arms on the desk, he’s exposing a fine specimen of “plumbers’ butt”. With giggling anticipation of students around her and with her skill and precision Gerri drops the cough drop down the dark crevice where it falls somewhere into parts of Billy that are unknown except to him.

  Billy jerks his head up in surprise and quickly realizes he’s the brunt of a practical joke. He looks around at Gerri who shrugs her shoulders as if she is clueless as to why he’d look her way. Many around him are laughing and whispering and all the while Miss Henderson continues writing on the blackboard, lost in her own world of what she thinks is teaching. Students continue to snicker and Miss Henderson turns to find Gerri holding her index finger to her lips as if to shush those laughing around her.

  Miss Henderson pushes her glasses to the tip of her nose, “Geraldine, what are you doing?”

  “Nothing Miss Hennnn-derson.”

  The class erupts in laughter because the teacher’s nickname is “Old Hen” so Gerri is obviously trying to entertain.

  “All right then, class! You’d rather listen to the rude antics of Geraldine so why don’t we do this? Turn your text to page one-hundred twenty-four and take a look. There are ten essay review questions. That’s your assignment. You write a minimum of one-hundred words for each question by class time tomorrow. If your homework is incomplete or unacceptable you will get a big fat “F”.”

  Groans and moans around the class.

  “You can start working on it right now for the rest of the fifteen minutes or so of this period. You didn’t want to listen to me today anyhow so good luck with the assignment and after class why don’t you all thank each other for this assignment and particularly Geraldine. Now you can get to work.”

  Miss Henderson sits down at her desk and smiles a satirical smile in Gerri’s direction.

  Later leaving class, “Heck, Gerri it was worth it. I think Billy even woke up. Want to bet what Billy’s looking for right now?”

  “Yeah, there’s probably a whole load of buried treasure in those big drawers of his.”

  Another chimes in, “Or a load of something. I don’t think treasure.”

  Everybody continues laughing as they exit the classroom. None of the students apparently take Miss Henderson’s attempt at maintaining discipline seriously.

  “Gutsy, Gerri, real gutsy!” sounds off one enabler.

  Gerri smirks and responds, “Who cares? Whooo cares?”

  Phyllis laughs, “Gerri, why do you say things like that? You make yourself out to be a hopeless case. You never used to be in trouble and I think most teachers are shocked with some of your actions lately. You’ve always been Miss Goody-Goody-Two-Shoes.”

  “Ya know Phyllis. It’s sort of strange. I used to worry about getting in trouble in class but I don’t anymore. I just really, really don’t care.”

  “Yeah, but I bet I know what you do care about. How about Ronny Owens? Huh? Huh? Yeah, see your face is getting all flustered. Him you care about.”

  “So? He’s cute. That’s all.”

  “C’mon, Gerri. Can’t fool me. You guys looked like a couple of octopuses in heat last weekend at Julie’s. And the slurping. Licky-face.”

  “We did? So what? And I’m surprised you’d have noticed. And so tell me where Rich had his hands on you little innocent Phyllis? Did Rich get to the promised land? Huh, Phyl?”

  “Shoot. There’s the warning bell but listen, I heard a bunch of kids are gonna get together at the drive in or out at Riverside Park this weekend so get ready, get set…woo hoo.”

  “ I don’t know...mmm...have to see about that. Gotta go. See you, Phyl.”

  “Yep. See ya, Gerri.”

  Gerri passes a couple of friends but no one going her direction so she hurries down the hallway. As she reaches the last intersection of hallways before her next class she comes face-to-face with Mr. Penn. He looks as though he’s surprised but he looks directly at her and smiles. “Hi, Gerri. I have next hour off so I’ll walk a ways with you. By the way, I hope I didn't startle you when I waved at you walking to school this morning.”

  “Oh no. I was not really thinking while I was walking and I didn't recognize the car.”

  “Oh, well that's good then. Wouldn’t want to have frightened you…Oops, gotta go this way so I guess here’s where I leave you. Hope your day is a good one and I’ll see you later today in class, Gerri. Okay?”

  “Sure.”

  Gerri is shocked. He knows who she is. The entire thing was no mistake. He even called her by name. In class he always refers to his roster to even recognize students, even Gerri. Gerri is floating the rest of the way to her class.

  This is so different than most days at school. She suddenly feels strangely motivated. Just a little nice comment by a nice, handsome teacher and she really feels a thousand percent better. Why can’t her own father be more like Mr. Penn?

  Gerri hurries away from her locker and down the hall toward her least favorite class, third hour History.

  “Hi Gerri.”

  Gerri snaps out of her thoughts and sees Betsy Alder probably the most popular girl in the entire school.

  “Hi ya, Betsy.”

  “Hey Gerri, I’ve got something for you but I left it in my locker. I’ll see if I can get it now without being late. If not I’ll see ya later or even after school.”

  “Sure, Betsy. See ya.”

  Minutes later Gerri is settling into her desk staring at the ceiling in anti-academic preparation to suffer through another hour of history.

  Plop!

  Just as the final bell rings for third hour an envelope lands on Gerri’s desk and her head and shoulders jerk from the sudden surprise. Her eyes are wide and body upright. A f
ew of her classmates turn in their seats to see what happened and Gerri can feel her face blushing. It’s partly from the surprise of the envelope hitting her desk and also from the embarrassment of being caught daydreaming waiting for class to begin.

  “Betsy, I…”

  “Shhh. Quick, Gerrie, stick it under a book and read it later. Don’t let “Moldy” see it.”

  What in the world? She quickly sticks the envelope among pages inside her history book and strikes a pose as if she’s being ever so attentive and ready for class. What’s in the envelope? Gerri can’t wait until class is over to see. Besides, Miss Morris’ history class is so boring and that’s earned her the nickname of “Moldy” Morris. She’s another of Gerri’s high school old maid teachers and Moldy dresses like she’s out of a convent. Gerri’s not sure what really happens in a convent but whatever it is Miss Moldy Morris would likely fit right in.

  The class is assigned to read a chapter nearly every night but it doesn’t matter. Miss Morris starts the class with a mini-lecture of what is in the assigned reading and writes an outline on the blackboard as she lectures. So, even though boring, this class requires little participation. Just sit and try not to go to sleep or worse, get caught looking like you’re not paying attention. Gerri watches for an opportunity to open the envelope as she tries to imagine the contents. Finally, “Moldy Morris” predictably turns her back to the class, writing on the blackboard and droning on and on about the War of 1812. This is Gerri’s chance. She nonchalantly opens her textbook, never taking her eyes off the teacher. She blindly feels for the envelope, finds the edge, pinches it and carefully, slowly tears it open, withdrawing the card while looking straight ahead, fearful of being seen. She sneaks a glance at it. “To: Gerri DeMore”.

  It’s a party this Friday night. And this will be a real party! Gerri’s heard of Betsy’s parties but never been invited to one. Now here’s her chance. All the coolest girls and guys go to Betsy’s parties. The stories of what’s happened at some of Betsy’s parties make Gerri’s head spin with excitement. And Gerri’s invited! Her eyes are glued to the invitation and she’s drifting a million miles from the class. Growing up in high school is so exotic and strange. Gerri’s gone to school with many of these kids since the beginning grades but nobody’s a little kid anymore. Some are uncharacteristically fun and charming. Others can’t seem to get the hang of being cool and fall prey to the ultimate fear of every teenager- the peer-grinder where self-esteem can be shredded and the pieces cast into the hallways’ shadows of a private hell.