Moving on with my Naomi 101 list to sneaking out of my parent's house. My mother called it running away. I called it escaping the insanity known as home to breathe before submerging myself again into its murky waters.
I was actually a good girl regarding sneaking out. My father would have killed me if I had ever done that. Funny thing, I never had a curfew when I was a teenager. Neither did Jenn or Shawn. Though our parents were strict as hell, we were never told we had to be home by a certain time. I was even up front about going to parties as an under-aged teen to drink and do whatever I would do. My pop always said to call and let him know that if I got arrested. He said he would not bail me out but he did want to know if I was safe. AND...I was asked about driving arrangements (I usually just spent the night at the party.)
However, there was one time when I was in fourth or fifth grade. We lived in Havelock, North Carolina. I spent the night with this girl who was a few years older than me. We hung out in the neighborhood. At first, she thought I was older because I was tall and always presented myself as more mature than my counterparts. And when she found out my age, she still wanted to be my friend. How effing great was that?! To a kid, that's pretty damn awesom. I remember her being in middle school but don't recall her exact age. Anyway....I was thrilled about my older friend (I think her nickname was Peanut) and I would have followed her anywhere, and I did.
That particular night we climbed out of her bedroom window, which was no easy task. We lived in a trailer park and anyone having lived in one knows the trailer is hitched up on blocks and such. Her mother was still awake when we snuck out in our pajamas. And then we wandered around the park. We went by my home. The lights were on and I recall that exhilarating fear that at any moment, my dad would catch me and skin me with his huge Marine Corps knife. What a rush!
We wandered a bit more and decided to go swimming in the neighbor's pool, across the street from Peanut's home. He was out of town, according to my cohort, and her family was given permission to use the pool at any time since they were watching his place. Why not take advantage of the offer, she suggested. Admittedly, I probably had a little girl crush on her and would have skinned red African ants for her to make her a nice coat, had she asked. I had no problem saying yes. When she suggested we do it nude, I hesitated. I really didn't want to but I didn't want to disappoint my friend. We all know I said yes.
Crossed the street to the pool, stripped off our nightclothes, and jumped in. We played school. Familiar with the swimming game? You take turns swimming between each other's legs while underwater and with ever-increasing space between the legs.. Kindergarten is the hardest for the swimmer because the legs are barely parted. Senior year is hardest on the person standing up because the legs are split dramatically. Naked pubescent girls. Right.
Well, we were having a gay ol' time when another neighbor caught us. He was the twenty-something that lived next door to the out of town pool owner. Peanut obviously knew him because he flirted like mad with her. I thought it creepy back then but know as an adult, it's much creepier. Eck! He caught us and held our clothes for ransom. In exchange for our pajamas, he told us that we had to jump up as high as we could from the water. My friend had no problems complying. She jumped. She laughed. She got out and claimed her clothes. I hesitated. I was scared. I was very scared. And instinctively I knew he wasn't really concerned with me....I say this now hoping it was true then...so I jumped very quickly and ducked back in the water.
For some reason, I think at Peanut's agreement to a suggestion from the perv, we dressed in his trailer. I was wet and embarrassed and frightened. I remember she disappeared to the front of the trailer without me for a short time. I just wanted to leave. When she did return, we walked across the street, climbed back thru the window, and went to bed.
I don't recall many other times with Peanut. And I never really snuck out again after that. Scared shitless by a trailer park hick trying to fuck a young teen. Ehhhh. Gives me shivers.
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