Growing Up A Stafford (The Trouble With Brothers) When Kat Meets Billy-Book 1

Chapter Five - Jimmy Confrontation In The Street

Kat slipped her hideous orange with brown hem smock over her head. She slid her arms into her coat, then draped the smock over her arm.

"Bye." Kat announced. She gave a short wave to her manager, high in the booth above the registers. The sliding glass doors swooshed as they parted for her to walk through into the brisk fall night air.

She lifted the sleeve of her jacket and checked the time on her watch. Miles should arrive any minute. Giving a sigh she watched the bustling Avenue connected to the market parking lot, where she worked. Cars whipped by with beams of white light. The stars sparkled against the black night sky.

Her mind was interrupted by the all too familiar clanking and rattling of a car. She watched Miles' black Chevy pull into the lot and stop in a spot in front of her. Securing her purse to her shoulder Kat walked to the back door and dropped into black cloth seats.

~§~

Miles pulled up along the grass of his front yard, leaving his car. He would walk home with Dave later from the Staffords' house, allowing both guys to drink freely.

"I can't wait for payday on Friday." She said exhausted from a repetitious shift at the register ringing up groceries for most of the neighborhood parents.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Clothes." Scott interjected with sarcasm. He scoffed. Kat shot him a look of 'so what'.

"At least I work. You're so lazy, Scott" She countered.

Getting a small part time job, would alleviate having to ask Steve for money for unnecessary items. For her it was not even an option to ask Steve for money. She resented the fact that Scott would.

Scott huddled over, crossing his arms, then rubbing them as a soft wintery breeze wisked by them. Kat shook her head at him freezing. The boys never dressed warm. Wearing short sleeves and a thin sweat jacket up til the first snowfall. Reminding them that it's almost winter was useless. There seemed to be an unwritten rules that boys had, the first to give in to the cold was apparently a wimp.

"Denise Downs came in tonight." Kat mentioned. She knew Miles had a crush on Denise. Kat gave him a slow nudge with her elbow. He gave her a half smile, looking down to conceal his infatuation.

"Who cares, Kat." Scott snapped.

"Miles does." She answered firmly. Then looked at Miles. It was supposed to be a between the boys. But she had overheard them talking in the living room about Denise plenty of times.

This was one of the huge double standards at home. She was never supposed to know what was going on with the boys, but her life was somehow an open topic of their conversations. It was completely unfair.

The roar of a car and piercing white beams slowly crept up behind them. Scott glanced over his shoulder then forward and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Crap, it's Jimmy." He faintly announced. Kat turned her head to see a shiny red Camaro approaching.

"Who is he?" Kat asked as the rumble of the car grew louder. She wasn't familiar with anyone in a Camaro, especially a sparkling new cherry red one. No one she knew had that kind of money.

"Remember Jerry Williams', the kid Sean beat up? It's his younger brother, Jimmy." Scott informed as his voice quivered.

The car stopped along the sidewalk beside them. The two doors swung open and four kids exited. Following Scotts lead, Miles and Kat stopped, and faced the car. Miles ran his hand through his thin long brown hair removing it from his face. He tucked it behind his ear, preparing for a confrontation.