Chapter 56: The substitute brother

Wes found Janet standing by the restrooms with his jacket neatly folded over her arm. When he approached her, she handed it to him.

“I’ll be out in a little while. Just want to wash my face,” Janet said.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

She nodded and had place her hand on the door ready to push it open, but then she looked at him again.

“What?” he asked.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“Sure,” he said, stepping closer to her.

“Why are you so nice to me when I’m so mean to you?” she asked.

He took another step toward her then he touched her cheek. “That’s easy, Janet. Because I love you,” he said, leaning down and kissing her.

When they broke apart, he smiled. “I better go before Troy eats our dessert.”

She nodded and pushed in the door. At the sink, she stared at her reflection. 

“Here we go again,” she muttered, grimacing at her red nose, blotchy skin and weepy eyes. She splashed water on her face several times and grabbed a paper towel. It was as she dried her face when the door opened.

“Jasmine, Hi!”

Janet turned and smiled. “Hi, Dawn. I thought you’d be here,” she said.

 “Oh, sorry, Janet. I always do that,” Dawn said, laughing. She stopped when she looked at her face. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just…just got something in my eye,” Janet said turning away.

“You’re just like your dad. Worse liars in the world,” Dawn said.

“Mom told you to come, huh?” Janet said, tossing the paper towel into the trash.

“No, your dad,” she said going into a stall and continuing with the conversation, unabashed. “You know, I’m pretty ticked off that Wendy didn’t say a word about this. For Pete’s sake, this is her dream! You’d think she’d share it with her best friend. Not many of us get to do that. I didn’t get to be a super-model, after all. Okay, so, I wasn’t realistic. Sue me.”

Janet laughed. “I think Mom was too nervous as it was. If she knew all her friends would be here, well, maybe she wouldn’t have been able to take the pressure,” she said, as Dawn came out of the stall and went to the row of sinks.

“Bullshit! She gets about three minutes of nervous time and then she’s fine.”

“This might have been different.”

“Don’t see why,” Dawn said, drying her hands before looking in the disaster that was her purse and pulling out a well-used lipstick. “Gotta get me a new one.”

“She’s not the same now, Dawn. Dad did a number on her. The bastard!”

Dawn watched her in the mirror as she dropped the lipstick back into her bag. “Don’t blame him, Honey,” she said.

Janet gaped. “Are you actually defending him?”

“Absolutely not. But Jeff… he just can’t hold his liquor. He's a moron!”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Janet asked, completely thrown.

Dawn fussed with her hair and frowned. “Wendy didn’t tell you kids anything, did she?”

“No, but I know what happened. He got caught. He slept with some slut and he’s probably been cheating on Mom forever,” Janet huffed.

Dawn shook her head. “No, my love. You got it all wrong. Jeffy was wrong to be in that bar, but it was Karen’s doing.”

“Who?” Janet said, her eyes widening.

“Oh, crap! Janet, don’t tell Wendy I told you. She’ll kill me.”

“I won’t, but you have to tell me what you know. I have to know,” Janet said, tears welling in her eyes again.

Dawn took her into her arms. “Don’t cry, Janet. It’s nothing we can do about it. It’s for Wendy and Jeff to work it out. Okay?”

“Just tell me this. Is he in love with this Karen person?” Janet asked, wiping away a tear.

“Oh, hell no! He’s only ever loved Wendy. I know.  I was there. He hates Karen. He always has,” Dawn said so loudly it echoed all over the bathroom walls.

“What do you mean always? How long has he known her?”

“We all went to school together. Karen is…well, Wendy’s arch nemesis.”

“Huh?”

Dawn sighed. “I guess I should start at the beginning. That would be in junior high when Wendy first moved up north. Actually, I should start sooner. I don’t think he know Jeff was my brother’s best friend.”

“You have a brother?” Janet said, astonished.

“Used to. He died long, long ago,” she said, walking over to the comfy seats in the outer chamber and sitting down, Janet following her. Once they were seated she continued. “He and Jeff were thick as thieves, but then Casey died, suddenly he and I became best buds.”

“You and my dad?” Janet said, incredulous. “I thought you were my mom’s friend.”

“I am. Jeff was more like a brother substitute. We were always close and still are. I’m the one he came to when he fell head over heels for Wendy. I’m the one who hooked them up, I’m the one he came to after he woke up in Karen’s house, sleeping it off on her couch.”

“Seriously?” Janet shrieked.

“I don’t kid about Jeff. He’s as good as my brother,” Dawn said, staring off into space. “He was such a dork back then.”

“My dad?” Janet said, disbelieving.

Dawn laughed. “See? Only a sister would say that. He was only a dork whenever Wendy came around. Lord! That man was totally struck by her from day one. From the moment she stepped onto our school bus. He was never the same after that. Anyway, are you sure you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?”

Janet didn’t have to think about that twice. She nodded and settled in for the entire story.