“Wow, honey! Look at you!” Ronald Nebbles looked positively amazed as she burst out into the street. He was just climbing out of his car and seemed to be frozen by the sight of her—one hand on the car door and one foot on the street. Jess was immediately embarrassed. She tugged at her skirt.

 

“What?” she asked, feeling like a defensive twelve year old.

 

“You never do yourself up like this! What’s the occasion?” Ron closed the rusted door of his car, the metallic scream echoing in the empty street. That car was one of the surest ways to tell that he was about as far away from her mother and the Grim Angels’ world as possible. Ron bought a series of rusted out heaps, paying a few hundred dollars for each one, and then driving it until it died. He would then toss it away and buy another to replace it. He could afford better, and did have a nicer car that he kept at home, but he still liked the wrecks that cost him almost nothing to own and drive, and he didn’t have to worry about. No biker would be seen in a vehicle like that, economic sense and deserted street or not.

 

Ron was just not interested in those kinds of things, as he called them. He never had been. When other boys were talking cars and guns, poor Ron had nothing but computer knowledge to share. Her mother had plucked him from a bar in a moment of weakness and basically torn the sweet soul apart for a few years until she got bored with him. Growing up with those two had been like watching a cat play with a wounded bird until it finally bothered to break its neck.

 

That was definitely the most accurate way to describe their ten years of wedded bliss. He was a good father, though, and had tried his best. Unlike her mother, Ron had most definitely made a valiant effort. In fact, he still did. He visited Jess on a regular basis even though the marriage had ended nearly eight years ago, bringing her books to read and taking her to whatever cult movie he was obsessed with at the time. He was still interested in her education, and had taken time to pile college applications on her when she graduated high school with honors. She still had that promising pile of papers in the drawer beside her bed and she suspected she had only to ask and he would gladly pay for her tuition, but that dream had collapsed, like so many other dreams she had been steadily building.

 

Looking at her now, he was obviously shocked and even a little impressed at her beauty. “You look like a movie star,” he said awkwardly, pushing his glasses up and adjusting them as if they were somehow responsible for his stepdaughter’s appearance.

 

Jess made a face. “Oh god, I should change.”

 

“No, no! A classic movie star. Very elegant. Like, like…” he snapped his fingers as his face crinkled, trying to remember. “I can’t think of it right now. Never mind. Can I have a hug?”

 

He stepped away from the dying hatchback and took Jess in his arms briefly. It was an awkward hug, but most things about Ron were a little awkward. Unlike her Uncle Val and the countless other “uncles” she had hugged in the last couple of days, Ron was soft. He smelled like clean laundry and as he embraced her, he was cuddlier and warmer than most women. He even patted her back, his lower body at a respectful distance from hers.

 

Ron gasped melodramatically. “Don’t tell me you have a date?” He held her away from him to examine her and shook her slightly, “You’re only twenty-five! You’re far too young to start dating boys!” But then he smiled to show he was teasing.

 

Jess flushed. In typical fashion, Kat and the Angels had completely buried that night and had told Ron that Luke had moved on when the relationship hadn’t worked out. Jess knew he would never say anything, but she could tell he was relieved that Luke was out of the picture.

 

“You’ve still got those college applications to think about,” Ron reminded her, continuing his gentle teasing. “You can’t be wasting your time on men!” He was smiling broadly and it was infectious. Those rabbit teeth of his, and that smile, had been the reason Kat had swallowed him up all those years ago. Jess decided to go along with it. Since she didn’t have Kat’s keys, she was going to need a ride in that rust bucket of his.

 

“I do. Shocking, I know. I’m actually off to a party, if you can believe it.”

 

Ron clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Corruptible. Infinitely corruptible. You’ll have a hard time including beer bong specialist on your Oxford application.”

 

“Are you kidding? I heard they look for that kind of thing. I’m writing my admissions letter entirely with emoticons.”

 

Ron laughed and hugged her again. It felt good. He was someone who didn’t know. At least he was one person who wasn’t holding a key to her tower.

 

“I was just coming by to see if you wanted to go catch a triple bill of Woody Allen movies down at the Rialto tonight. They’re closing it down in a few weeks so I thought we could make a night of it. I remember how much you liked that old place. However, if you’re off to actually go live your life, I’ll be flying solo, I suppose. Just me and Annie Hall.” There was a bit of disappointment in Ron’s tone, but not much. Rather, he looked excited for her.

 

It was something Jess wasn’t used to and, for a second, she almost changed her plans. An evening of movies and intelligent conversation was certainly tempting. However, a tug on that too short skirt reminded her of Angela and the pain in the ass she would be if she backed out of their plans. “I’d love to, but you know… ” Jess tossed her artfully created ponytail. “My public awaits… ” Ron looked up and down the street.

 

“Where’s the car?”

 

“It’s in back. Kat’s still cleaning up and I was just on my way to get the keys,” she lied.

 

Now, finally, Ron’s eyes darkened. “Not upstairs passed out?”

 

“No. Not yet.”

 

Ron sighed and leaned against the car, crossing his arms over his chest. He had always hated her mother’s drinking. Unlike everyone else in the Angels, who accepted alcoholism as easily as any other character trait, Ron had been the only person in her mother’s life who had seen it as the problem it was. When he finally packed his computers and stormed out of the house, it was her constant drinking and unwillingness to confront the problem that pushed him out.

 

Although she was sad to see him drive off that night, when he finally had enough, a part of her had felt relieved. God knows the brilliant little rabbit might have put up with Kat’s abuse for the rest of his life. Her mother’s love of cheap wine might have saved the man from a life of misery. She did miss the air-conditioned house they used to live in, though, and wondered how her life might have been different if she chosen to live with Ron instead of her mother.

 

Ron kicked at the cracked pavement like a little kid. “How often?”

 

Jess hesitated. If she answered honestly, it would open a whole new can of worms. She should be doing something about it. She should be stopping her mother from drinking herself to sleep every night, but she didn’t. Maybe she was just as bad as the other Angels. Maybe she belonged in that life where substance abuse, drug running and murder were the norm. “Just a few nights a week now. Honestly, she’s doing much better.” The lie came easily, and she felt guilty as Ron seemed to eagerly lap that lie up.

 

“Well that’s an improvement, I guess. Can I at least drive you then? We can talk on the way. It’s been a while. I still miss you kiddo.”

 

Jess smiled at his obvious relief. Maybe lying wasn’t all-destructive after all. “Thanks! I can catch a ride home with Angela.”

 

“Angela, what was her name, Zeus? The one you used to hang around with?”

 

“Zeiss. Yeah, that’s her.”

 

“Okay then, climb in the Batmobile. I’ll drop you off a block away, I promise. If you get stuck and need a ride, just give me a call, okay?”

 

Jess smiled. Ron, despite his rabbit-like ways, was a really good guy and she once again felt bad for how Kat had treated him. “Thanks. I will.”