Summertime Haze
Part 1.10 - People Against Ellen
“Yeah, yeah, that looks good…” Henry muttered, looking over the construction tape that been laid down around his yard.
He’d hired the same people who’d renovated his house not long after moving in to build a wall that would block off his back door from the street and also had them install some higher quality locks on both his front and back doors.
“Are you going to want anything installed in your new enclosed yard while you’re here?” Sergio Esparza, the head of the construction company, asked.
“Just, uh, let me think on that. Cause you’re definitely right, if I want anything, I should just get it out of the way now.”
Sergio nodded and walked back over to the rest of his construction crew.
Henry sighed and leaned against the railing of the back porch, looking out at the construction crew, the river just beyond his property that regularly had a ferry running down it, and the riverside restaurants and shops just across the river that seemed so close, yet so far. He loved his new life here, he really did. He couldn’t let Ellen or Jaxon or anyone else screw it up for him.
He was interrupted from his train of thought when he heard a voice calling his name. He looked up, and saw a familiar red mohawk as Bennett jumped over the construction tape and casually strolled up to Henry.
“What’s all this?” he asked Henry. “Didn’t take you as the sort of person who was in desperate need of privacy, man.”
Henry shook his head. “Come inside, I’ll explain everything to you.”
Bennett shrugged and followed Henry into his house.
“So, last night, an old friend from school showed up at my front door,” Henry said, sitting down at his dining room table.
“I’m taking that by old friend you mean old enemy, right?” Bennett asked.
Henry nodded, then went on. “Anyway, remember that woman I would hang out with, Ellen, my old school counselor? Turns out she wanted to use hypnotherapy to make me straight. And I know that she kept student records, so it’s my guess that Jaxon’s sudden appearance has to do with her.”
Bennett rubbed his eyes. “You serious, man? Damn! That Ellen really is a bitch.”
“I would have called you about it if I hadn’t been stupid enough to kiss you that one day,” Henry sighed.
Bennett waved it off. “Old news, man. Forget about it, you should have people you can talk to about things like this.”
Henry nodded slowly. “You know what? You’re right. I’m going to have a whole group of people I can talk to about Ellen. I’ll text you and some other people the details. I’m not going to be caught alone by Ellen and whatever cronies she decides to summon from my past again.”
Bennett shrugged. “Alright, dude. Didn’t mean anything that big or dramatic, but I’m happy to be part of whatever you come up with.”
A week later, Henry smiled as he prepared the last bit of the refreshments he’d laid out on the table for the group of people he had coming over. Sergio and his construction crew had wrapped up work on the yard before, finishing the wall and installing a pool and back gate Henry had decided he wanted last minute.
The doorbell rang exactly at the time Henry has suggested everyone show up, and Henry rushed to open it. Toby, who was holding a bottle of wine, stepped inside, and took a good look around. He set the bottle of wine on the floor to shake Henry's hand.
“Nice place you’ve got here. Would you like me to take off my shoes?” Toby asked.
Henry shook his head. “No, I don’t mind the dirt. Floors are made to be walked on.”
Toby nodded. “And for this?” he asked, picking up the bottle of wine.
“We’ll be outside, and you really didn’t need to bring anything.”
Toby shook his head. “No, I believe that you should never show up to a house party never happened. So, here I am.”
Henry shrugged. “Well, alright then. You can go ahead and put it outside.”
Toby walked off and the doorbell rang again. This time it was Bennett.
“I can’t believe you’re not here first when you live right across the street, Bennett,” Henry chuckled.
“Never got the point of showing up on time,” Bennett said casually. “No one shows up any earlier than five minutes late, so I’m in no rush.”
Toby walked back into the house and stopped cold at the sight of Bennett, with his wild haircut and tall frame.
“Toby, Bennett,” Henry said, gesturing towards the both of them.
The two men shook hands.
“Well, Bennett, food is outside, follow me,” Henry said.
Toby and Bennett followed Henry into his new yard.
“Wow,” Bennett nodded, looking around. “That construction crew sure did a great job. You’d better give me their information so I can use them the day I finally move out of my parents place.”
“What do you do for a living?” Toby asked.
“I’m a painter,” Bennett said. “Well, struggling painter. I might sell a painting every two months or so? Not entirely sure, all that I know is that people like another local painter’s work a hell of a lot more than they like mine. What do you do?”
“I’m a personal trainer at the gym down by the First Church. And that sucks, Bennett, I hope your fortunes change soon.”
The doorbell rang again, so Henry waved his apologies to Toby and Bennett and headed fo the front door.
Jordan greeted him with a huge smile when he opened the door. “I’m the last to arrive, aren’t I?”
Henry nodded.
“Damn!” Jordan said. “I was really hoping I could get here a bit early to get to know you a little bit better, but the bar I work at on occasion kept me super late, I am so sorry. I didn’t even have time to pick up anything for your little get together!”
Henry waved her concerns off. “Please, don’t worry about it. This isn’t a potluck, I’m just glad you could make it.”
Henry and Jordan headed for the yard, and Henry introduced Jordan to Bennett. The two took an immediate shine to each other, which made Henry glad.
Henry cleared his throat. “Okay, so. Time for me to talk about why I called you all here today.”
Toby looked to Henry attentively, Jordan turned away from conversation with Bennett and flashed Henry a quick smile, and Bennett nodded.
“As some of you already know, I was once friends with a woman named Ellen Bowers.”
Henry spoke for quite a while, talking long enough that the food Henry at one point pulled off the grill got warm in the summer heat, warm enough for Henry to have throw it all out, and warm enough for the sun to sink down below the horizon, activating the lights that illuminated Henry’s new backyard.
“So, I’ve decided to name this group People Against Ellen, PAE for short because that name is way too lengthy for it’s own good.”
“You know what? I’m here for that. After hearing that whole story, that woman deserves whatevers coming to her. Karma is real, and it’s coming for her.” Jordan said loudly.
“You already know that I’m here for whatever you need right now, man,” Bennett smiled.
Toby spoke slowly. “Ellen… she may be an outstanding member of my church, and… may the Mother forgive me, but I can’t tolerate her anymore despite all that she’s contributed to the church community. What do you want us to do, Henry?”
“Nothing for now,” Henry said. “Right now, what I need is emotional support. Bennett was right about that much. So, I thought I’d call on the people I’ve met that I believe I can become the closest friends with in this new town. And I’m so glad to say that I think I chose the right people.”
Jordan put her hand over her heart. “Oh, Henry, my poor little boy. I can call you that, right? Sorry, I just think it’s an unspoken fact that you’re younger than all of us here. But just know that you can count on all of us here, okay?”
“Definitely,” Toby nodded.
Bennett flashed Henry a thumbs up.
“I can’t thank you all enough,” Henry sobbed.