Maggie's Dad

Tanya drags herself out of bed and slips into a bathrobe. She glances at her alarm clock. Five minutes until it would have gone off. Who would call her so early in the morning? She turns off her alarm and heads downstairs.

"It your English Lit substitute?" Maggie's Mom says, holding out the phone. "A Mr. Alcazar?"

Tanya didn't know she had a substitute today, and it was weird for a teacher to call this early, much less a sub. She takes the phone. "Um, Hello? This is Tanya."

"Hey, Teela," Maggie' Dad says on the other line. Tanya feels her cheeks turn flush and she instinctively bites her lip.

"Oh, hi," she says, trying to avoid eye contact with her mother who hasn't left the room.

"Sorry, I wasn't sure which teachers you have, and I wanted to catch you before Maggie gets up. I, uh, well, wanted to make sure you're okay with everything that happened last night?"

"Oh yeah," Tanya replies, "class was great."

"Ah, is your Mom still standing there? In my day, we had landlines in our rooms. When you said you wanted to, um, do it again soon, did you mean it?"

Tanya's Mom is still staring at her, but it's hard to contain her gasp and breathy, "yes."

"Good. Me too. I could hardly sleep thinking about you. It's a little embarrassing, being my age and all, but Teela, you make me giddy. Anyway, I was trying to figure out how to get you your things. I can't risk Maggie seeing us, so I thought you could meet me tonight. Are you busy at 7 p.m. to come to a..." he clears his throat "... an English Lit study group?"

Tanya thinks. She didn't have plans after cheerleading practice. "Yes, I can come to a study group."

"Great, 'cause I already booked a room. The March Hare Motel just off Frontage Road near the highway. Do you know it?"

She'd seen the broken neon sign from the highway but rarely drove by it. It wasn't on the side of town that would be appropriate for a study group. It was only a couple blocks from the strip club. "Yes."

"Cool, room number 218. 7 p.m. Ask your mom if you can go to a study group at the library, okay?"

"Mom," Tanya says, keeping the phone near her mouth. "Can I go to a study group at the library tonight?"

Tanya's Mom pauses for a moment. Her lips are pursed, and she has the all-too-familiar look of suspicion on her face. "I don't know, Tanya, you were out late last night with Maggie. Who else is in this group?"

Maggie is about to honestly answer "no one else" when Tom says through the speaker "shit, um, don't say Maggie. Maybe name someone your Mom trusts."

McKenzie is the first person in that class she knows her mom trusts. "Well, McKenzie is in the group."

Tanya's Mom doesn't appear wholly convinced but relents. "Okay, but this is highly unusual for a substitute. You need to be home by 9 p.m. No last-minute calls to your father asking if you can stay out late."

"Thanks, Mom," Tanya tells Tom she can attend the study group. He says he's looking forward to returning her things, and they hang up.

Tanya starts to head back to her room. "Tanya," her mother calls behind her.

Tanya stops and turns to face her mom.

"I'll need your car tonight to go grocery shopping. Why don't you have McKenize drive tonight? She can pick you up on the way to the study group."

Tanya wants to whine and complain. It didn't make sense that her mom would need her car. Plus, she couldn't think of how she'd get to Tom without her car, but she couldn't help but agree. "Yes, Mom, I'll have McKenzie pick me up."

More than anything in the last 10 minutes, Tanya's acceptance of giving up her car without an argument raised serious red flags for her Mom. "You better start getting ready for school," she says.

Tanya nods and heads upstairs to get ready.