"Okay, so you wanna see your Cal baby?" sneered Boots. "I need some fun before I blow this town. I'll take you to him." I followed him, eager to get Cal and leave that horrible place forever. But no sooner had I enterd that dark musty bedroom than I realized I'd made a mistake. I found Cal sitting on the floor barefooted, his shaggy hair down over his sweaty forehead, his body slumped forward. He was just staring straight at his toes, and every few seconds he would explode into joyless mirth! "What's the matter with him?" I asked, in a dread filled voice. "He's not drunk, I know that." I felt Boots behind me, his breathing coarse and husky.
"Right on, baby. haven't you ever seen anyone take a trip before? See that white cube on the floor, that's good old LSD and your lover man took one just like it!" Sickness overwhelmed me as I watched Cal smiling like an idiot. I moaned and fell against the wall, stunned with the realization that Boots had won. He'd weaned cal away from me and onto LSD and goodness knows what other terrible dope!"
"Good Lord, why? Why did you do this to him?" I spat out, seething with hatred. He tilted his head back and laughed. "For the money, why else? I'm not a bad guy, not really. When I see a fellow like Cal suffering, I just show him a way to escape the scene? And if I make a little money along the way, who's to blame me?" I started to pull Cal to his feet, but I was stopped. Swift as a cat Boots pulled me close and clasped his muscular arms so tightly around my shoulders that he nearly squeezed the breath out of me. "Leave him be, doll, and lets you and me have a bit of fun. Once you get to know me, you'll laugh at weak guys like Cal. I'm your kind of man, baby, and I dig a classy girl like you. Just don't fight me baby, love me!"
All of a sudden things had gotten kind of out of control. Boots sounded so crazy. "Don't touch me, Cal will kill you!" I screamed. He snorted with laughter and said, "That cat won't even remember! And besides, I'm cutting this square old town tonight, so I aint got nothing to lose!" Then with a violent push he sent me sprawling backwards onto a pile of coats on the bed. I tried to scurry back to my feet but his strong hands gripped my shoulders, forcing me backward onto the pillow. Then his blunt fingers started pulling at the buttons on my white blouse, and I opened my mouth to scream. No sound was allowed to escape though, as his hungry lips swooped down to silence me with a violent kiss that made me bleed. I gasped, trying to dodge that insistent mouth, but he kept at me, snarling with growing lust like a maddened animal. What could I do? The I heard a sound.
Someone was calling from the kitchen. "Boots?" It was a girl's voice. My attacker stiffened, then clasped his rough hand over my mouth. The voice grew louder. "Boots, are you in there?" I held my breath for what seemed like an eternity, hoping that Neva would open the bedroom door. But nothing. And then the lust-crazed beast gave a low laugh which chilled me right to my bones. "Now baby, right now!" When he released my mouth I groaned at the hurt his merciless hands inflicted on my writhing body as I struggled to escape. And then I screamed as if my very lungs would burst, "Please help me!"
My plea must have been heard, as suddenly the door craked open and in the dim light I could see Neva standing there, squinting her eyes to see. Boots cursed and turned to the hesitating girl. "Neva, get out of here! I'm in here with Myra!" At that the girl gave an anguished cry and began to turn away. However, I managed to yell out, "Help me Neva! It's Betty Barnes and he's trying to rape me!" The girl stood there, undecided what to believe. As she swayed towards us, half-empty bottle in her hands, I realized she had been drinking. "You're lying Myra, you witch!" she slurred. "First you take him away and then you try to make a fool out of me. Why I ought to...." She was at our side now and could see my tear-stained face pleading with her.
Slowly Neva's expression changed from jealously to violent anger. She stared down at Boots and hissed, "You slob! You're lower than dirt!" Then I saw her hand raise up pause a moment - then it came crashing down to slam the bottle right across Boots' sweaty forehead. I winced as he gave a grunt of pain and then toppled off the bed, landing in a heap at cal's feet. Cal's smiling eyes didn't even glance down at the man who'd almost raped his fiancee!
Yelling "Come on", eva hustled me out of the room and into the insane crowd, but before we could get out of the house someone discovered Boots and screamed out that he had been killed! I felt Neva's hand stiffen and we ran out, followed down the stairs by frightened party-goers. In a taxi, the red-haired girl wiped her brow and said, "Drop me off at the police station, then you go on home. There's no need for you to get mixed up in this." And that was the last time I saw the pitiful girl who'd hurt the man she loved in order to save me!
Every detail, save thankfully for a few names, was in the papers the next day - I was glad I hid that section before Aunt Olive got to it anyway. Luckily Neva Hunt only stunned Boots and he was charged with peddling drugs and resisting arrest. The papers didn't give the name of the youth they found under the influence of LSD, and I gave a sigh of relief. Cal would have enough agonies to fight now, without his shame becoming public gossip. Even though I knew I had to give him up, I sorrowed for him night and day.
After the court case, Cal phoned. he told me in a quivering voice that he's been put on probation for stealing from the car park, and was under a doctor's care. He said that when he found out what Boots had done he felt so ashamed and he'd wanted to kill himself! "I guess I'll never see you again Betty. I'm mixed up and I didn't deserve you. But I want you to know I loved you... and I always will." That was the last I heard from Cal Tooker. The next day I mailed his ring back.
How things would've turned out were it not for Boots and his evil drug I'll never know. All I know is my old Aunt Alice was right all along. Now I have to make plans for the future - and I thank Heaven I can, and that I was still young enough to pick up the pieces and begin anew!
This Spring - Boo Confessions No2 - 'I had to have kicks and I got them with a -
DRAG STRIP RACER!!
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