You did a good thing, Jonas

You did a good thing, Jonas. It came to him as if he were under water.

He didn’t think he had done something good.

Certainly not at that moment.

Jonas felt like an outsider in his own body, a bystander in his own life. As they drove home Jonas sat in the passenger seat trying to not look over at his mother as he replayed the events in his head yet again while looking at his reflection in the mirror each time they drove under a streetlight.

Rewind 31 hours.

“I’m finding a way to that show one way or another,” Jonas said to his younger brother Tommy as he riffled through his backpack looking for his wallet.

Tommy would always tag along. But not tonight.

“Are you going with Stevie or that girl you like?” Tommy asked, teasing his brother.

“Girl I Like is her confirmation name,” Jonas laughed, playfully slapping his brother, “I just call her Sue…and no its just me and Stevie but not if we can’t find a ride and definitely not if I can’t find my fuckin-” Jonas stopped searching and took a deep breath and looked at Tommy.

“Look,“ Jonas got quiet and serious, “I wont be mad if you hid it to play,” Jonas said, sitting on his bed and leaning back on his elbows.

“Not mad like two days ago when I borrowed your Bauers?”

“Ok first those shoes don’t even fit. And they’re mine. And they’re expensive. And I wasn’t mad."

“You were mad,” Tommy laughed.

There was a pause. Jonas squinted his eyes, raised his right brow and puckered his lips which meant he was thinking and about to render a judgment or a decision.

“Okay yeah I was mad but I’m not now. Yer gunna be lost at Conventry without me and Stevie.”

Tommy rolled over on his bed and put his back to Jonas.

“We’d take you but-

Jonas really did feel bad about not having enough tickets to take Tommy but right then the phone rang in the hallway and Jonas’s mother called out to him.

“Its Stevie honey,” his mother appeared in their doorway with the phone in her hand and covered the receiver with her palm, “Look Jonas your wallet is on the sink in the bathroom….”

Jonas sprang to his feet in one motion and tried to grab the phone but his mother gently stepped back.

“Uh ah I don’t think so mister not so fast, before you think another thought I need to say two things.”

Jonas was becoming inpatient and stood with his arms crossed waiting.

“Well?”

“Okay well for starters I’m sorry I need the car tonight. Secondly Stevie hitchhikes and his parents don’t like it. And I don’t like it either so you have to promise me you won’t thumb it.”

Jonas nodded at his mother. Clearly to placate her. And for her part his mother smiled and handed Jonas the phone.

Her posture and his said it all to Tommy who lay on his bed watching: mom had to say it to say it and Jonas won’t listen but he’ll ignore her respectfully. Same routine since forever only now that Jonas is a high school graduate, he’s decidedly closer to adulthood and felt the need to show some flex.

Jonas took the phone.

“Any luck?”

“Nope,” Stevie could be heard on the other end. “We’re gunna have to hitch.”

“Yup.”

It was a hot afternoon but seemed to be cooling off nicely as the two recent graduates walked down the street figuring ride or no ride they were attending this show.

“Do me a favor and let me flag people down,” Stevie said to Jonas

“Why’s that?”

“Well I mean I hate to bring it up but I mean, like, we both know I’m the better looking and more innocent looking,” Stevie ran his hand through his hair and smiled, mockingly, as they walked.

“Oh so yer gunna play that card huh,” Jonas said, smiling but somewhat hurt.

In the distance a baby blue pickup track began to take shape on the horizon. The boys looked up to see with some hope.

On the inside of the truck the driver fiddled with the station. Hot Child in the City came on and while Jeff wasn’t crazy about it he figured it would do. He had the house all to himself. He had bourbon and he had grass and he also no friends to share it with.

As he settled into City Nights Jeff noticed two boys about his age standing on the roadside. The taller boy with the long dark hair, bellbottom jeans and leather jacket struck Jeff instantly.

“Aye how about that he’s pulling over,” Stevie winked at Jonas.

“Yeah great well see that? It’s a dude.”

“I don’t care if it’s a fuckin octopus so long as it saves us some time.”

“An octopus?”

They both laughed as they truck pulled to the side of the road slowly. Its tires grinding against the gravel and dirt.

Jeff felt an exhilaration as he pulled the car over. In his stomach, between his legs, in his throat. Don’t fuck this up.

Jeff pulled off the side of the road convincing himself to just do as practiced and all would be just fine. Just play it cool he told himself.

“Oh don’t worry Dotty,” Jonas’s mother lit a cigarette as she spoke with Stevie's mother,

“I gave my mase to Jonas plus they’re both strong boys.”

“Jonas sure,” Dotty could be heard on the other end and Tommy listened. “but Stevie, well he’s just a free spirit and believes the best about everyone. I’ve tried to get him to stop hitching forever.”

“Well Dot if that’s your concern Jonas trusts nobody so they’re together. Don’t worry.

Jonas gave Stevie a disapproving look as they both approached the passenger side window, Jeff leaning over to roll it down.

“Hey, you guys need a ride,” Jeff asked. His voice shaky and awkward.

“Yeah man for sure if you’re headed our way,” Stevie said.

“Where are you headed?” Jeff recognized both boys from Coventry High and they had all graduated together, yet neither Jonas nor Stevie recognized him.

“Chippewa Lake Park,” Jonas said, nudging Stevie to the side a bit to assess.

“I can get you there,” Jeff opened the door and to his disappointment Stevie climbed into the cab and Jonas sat up front.

“Well we have some time to kill now once we get there. What’re you getting into tonight man?,” Stevie asked Jeff.

“Oh not much. Actually its just me at my house. We can go roll a couple joints and have a drink they I can run you to the lake or you can walk from my place, its like right there,” Jeff was trying not to sound desperate.

“Then why were you driving the other direction?” Jonas asked. Jeff was agitated. He saw the suspicious look in Jonas’s expression in his peripheral vision.

“Look man I, I mean I’m just out fer a drive,” Jeff started to defend himself.

“Jonas man lay off,” Stevie tapped Jonas’s should and leaned forward “yeah man we’re in we have a couple joints too. House all to yourself?”

“And almost two hours to kill,” Jeff smiled.

Jeff’s smile caught Jonas off guard. It seemed forced and fake but that wasn’t the problem.

Tommy crept closer to his bedroom door, still ajar, to listen to his mother talk to Stevie’s mom. Tommy could hear Dotty say “mase never stopped anyone.”

“Well if it makes you feel any better Jonas has a knife too.”

“Oh yes much better.”

Both women laughed some.

“Dotty-they’re going to be just fine.”

The driveway was like an S and on an incline. Jonas eyed the surroundings as the truck ground to a slow stop at the top of the driveway where a two-story, modest home was situated in a grove of tall pines and Red Maples in full bloom.

Car doors shut without words. Stevie followed Jeff and Jonas looked around.

“So,” Jonas sprinted a bit to catch up with them, “do you go to Conventry?”

“I did,” Jeff said flatly.

The three boys set up in the living room which was overlooking a hill and the venue at the Lakes not far in the distance. The family room, where the three imbibed while listening to the Rolling Stones, had floor to ceiling windows that gave way to a spectacular view in the waning daylight. A fireplace with several family pictures on the mantel caught Jonas’s attention. He began to feel like he knew this Jeff.

“So I suppose we should get going,” Jonas said to Stevie as he looked at him, then at Jeff who looked tense and twitchy.

“Oh yeah yeah we do. Hey man,” Stevie stumbled to his feet, almost losing his footing, “thank you fer the ah, umm-

“You know you guys should stay,” Jeff said, standing up with a start-a sense of disproportionate urgency. Fervent moves and sweaty cheeks set off Jonas. He could hear his mother’s voice in his head about hitchhiking.

About the mase.

About the knife.

Jonas stood and steadied Stevie by grabbing hold of his friends arm as he reached for his backpack.

“This dude here,” Jonas laughed, “always been a lightweight.”

Jeff wasn’t laughing.

“Stay it’ll be a better time here. My parents have a full bar,” Jeff, nearly pleading now, was having a tough time with their departure and felt hurt that despite his hospitality they hadn’t even asked him to come along.

Jeff was on one side of Stevie.

Jonas on the other.

“I need to fuckin piss before we go Jonas,” Stevie said laughing.

“I’ll show you the bathroom,” Jeff said.

For a moment Jonas stood in the rustic family room as he waited for Stevie to use the restroom so they could go. Jonas kept looking around him and eventually reached into his bag and grabbed his knife, opened it, and carefully placed it in his pocket as he casually put his backpack on. Jonas called out for Stevie who rounded the corner.

“Where’s Jeff,” Jonas asked, nearly panicked.

Jonas looked at Stevie’s eyes grow wide with fear and sensed Jeff's presence behind him, he felt the heat right behind him just before he went down. Jonas tried to pull his hand from his pocket and the knife cut through his jeans.

“Stevie fuckin run man run go get help,” Jonas yelled.

Jeff attempted to go after Stevie but Jonas grabbed Jeff by his jeans and he fell to the ground. They struggled and this wasn't real Jonas thought. As Jeff climbed on top of him and pinned Jonas to the ground Jonas thought of Tommy and felt bad about the shoes.

He looked up at Jeff's beatred face and called out for Stevie.

His hand felt warm and the weight of Jeff was crushing, not to mention the open eyes.

“That’s the last thing I remember,” Jonas told the officer, “his open eyes.”

“Welp,” the officer looked at Jonas and his mother, “based on what we found in the boy’s home he had some plans for you both.

“What was found?”

“Rope, hatchet, tape, few other things,” the officer said as he made notes in the file without looking up at Jonas or his mother.

“So how much trouble is Jonas in here?” his mother placed her hand on Jonas’s knee.

Jonas felt like he could lose his mind right then. None of this was real. This wasn’t happening. All he and Stevie had planned was a night of music, some good weed and maybe a shot at getting laid and now he had just killed someone. Not only that but he had gone to high school with the boy and hadn’t even met him before.

The officer held the file vertical and shuffled the papers inside all neat before setting it down and placing his palms calmly on his desk, to either side of the file.

“Jonas you’ve been bailed out for manslaughter and it looks like a clear-cut case of self-defense. Otherwise the judge wouldn’t have set ya free so dang fast but there’s still lots of questions so don’t go anywhere.”

For a moment the officer looked heavy with guilt.

“Unofficially, and Stevie’s family agrees as does, well, Stevie, you saved his life and yours Jonas. We’ve got reason to believe Jeff was adamant about doing something to Stevie and having you in the way put a stop to that.”

“What kinda something?”

“The worst kind,” the officer stood up, “you’re free to go for now and hey, off the record, you may have done something good for the world here.”

Jonas and his mother walked to the car in silence. He heard his mother talking to him. It echoed as if she were miles away. As they drove Jonas looked his himself in the mirror outside of car.

“Call Stevie when you get in Jonas.”

“Yeah.”

“Jonas we’re gunna get through this. I don’t know how but we will.”

Stopped at a red light in the darkness she turned and looked at Jonas and he looked back.

“You did a good thing, Jonas.”

The light seemed to stay red forever. Jonas looked at his mother and then back out the open window.

“Yeah.”