Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens Page A

either. There were just two things she wanted. She wanted to get the money envelope back from Fawn Trochaud, and she wanted to live with Addy Shadd in that prim little trailer and sleep every night on the soft pillow, under the blue plaid blanket.
    Fawn’s Aunt Krystal opened her trailer door wearing a man’s big white tank shirt and sloppy blue jeans. Her titties were drooping so low Sharla couldn’t stop herself from staring. One nipple pointed to the ground and the other pointed to the sky. She thought at any moment one of those titties might swing out of the armhole opening and if it did Sharla wanted to see it.
    Krystal held the door open but didn’t say come inside. Her armpits stunk like burned green pepper and her lighter wouldn’t work on the cigarette between her lips. She said, “Fuck,” through her closed mouth, then whipped thelighter on the ground. She sneered at Sharla like the lighter was her fault. “Why aren’t you at the old lady’s place?”
    Sharla didn’t even try a smile. “Is Fawn here?”
    Krystal shouted, “Fawn!”
    Fawn came to the door with her hand deep inside a box of Puffa Puffa Rice. She grinned and Sharla could tell she was looking forward to this. “I want my bag, Fawn.”
    Fawn shrugged. “Don’t got it.”
    â€œLiar. Who gots it?”
    Fawn checked to make sure her Aunt Krystal couldn’t hear. She sneered, “The garbage got it, Cooty Girl.”
    â€œThat’s my bag.”
    â€œSo.”
    â€œSo get it.”
    â€œIt’s just a bunch of smelly shorts.”
    â€œIt’s not just shorts.”
    Fawn pulled her hand out of the cereal box and waggled her wrist. “What do you want, Sharla? This?”
    Fawn shook her Indian-corn bracelet in Sharla’s face. Sharla didn’t care about the corn any more.
    â€œWhere’s my envelope, Fawn?”
    â€œWhat envelope?”
    â€œMy envelope for Addy Shadd.”
    Fawn sniffed. “You stink, Sharla. Keep them Cody coots outside. I don’t got no envelope.”
    Krystal appeared at the door once again, her cigarette lit now. “What’s she want?”
    â€œI want my envelope for Addy Shadd.”
    â€œYou got her envelope, Fawn?”
    Fawn shook her head. Krystal shrugged in Sharla’s direction and was about to close the door when something caught her eye. She looked across the road at Collette’s trailer and noticed the big grey van was not parked out front, which was no surprise in itself, except the curtains were gone from all the trailer windows, too.
    Krystal made a face like something was wrong. She didn’t stop to put on shoes but spread her arms like wings and said, “Ouch, ouch, ouch,” stepping over sharp stones as she crossed the road to Collette’s trailer.
    Sharla and Fawn followed and watched as Krystal heaved herself up the stairs to the door. She flicked her cigarette toward the back shed and banged hard. “Collette? Col…?”
    When no one answered, Krystal tried the door but it was locked. She leaned over the stair rail to see into the tiny kitchen window. The kitchen cupboards were open and bare. The green velveteen La-Z-Boy was gone, along with the good coffee table. Krystal remembered hearing banging noises the night before and wished she’d looked out the window instead of pouring herself a fourth rye and Coke. Krystal shook her head. “Hosebag. That fucking hosebag!” She turned on Sharla, asking, “Where’d she go?”
    Sharla thought for a minute. “Is it Sunday?”
    â€œDon’t act stupid, Sharla. Where’d she go? She owes me a hundred bucks! She’s got my leather jacket and half my fucking records!”
    â€œEmilio gots rugby on Sunday,” Sharla said. She wasn’t a good climber, but she wanted to see inside the trailer too. She shoved Fawn out of her way, climbed onto the railing, and leaned over.