Lollipop Lure Read online

  International Bestselling Author

  Rita Delude

  Dedication

  To those who have been abused, know that there is hope, help, and a happier life for you in the future. Reach out and ask for it.

  Chapter One

  Honey Delano sat in the guidance counselor’s office with her mother, Theresa Delano, amid the usual bookshelves, teacher’s desk, and hard metal chairs for visitors listening to Mr. McFarland droll on about the classes she’d be taking as a junior at Laconia High School. I’d rather be home schooled and become a weirdo than have to switch schools in my junior year, she thought as he compared the transcript she’d brought with her from Augusta, Maine to Laconia, New Hampshire. She licked a lollipop as she always did. But with the mess I’m in, there’s no choice but to move.

  “Stop licking that thing. You look like a tra…” Her mother cut her own sentence off. Honey slid the lollipop from her mouth and jiggled it in in her hand, waiting for the misery to be over.

  “I see you did very well with all your classes until midway through your freshman year. Care to share what happened?” Mr. McFarland asked.

  Her mom leaned forward then, and Honey cringed. “Well, unfortunately,―”

  “Mom, don’t,” Honey interrupted.

  “What? He needs to know. The school needs to know what happened to you. What that bastard did to you.”

  Honey jumped from her chair and stamped her feet, “No. Everyone in Augusta knew. The newspaper stories, the trial, the gossips. I couldn’t stand it anymore. That’s why we’re here. You promised. You promised we’d start over. If you tell, everyone will know, and there’ll be no starting over. It will be another nightmare for me.”

  “I can assure you. Whatever, you tell me, I’ll keep it confidential,” Mr. McFarland said.

  Honey lunged toward his desk and slammed her hand down on it. “That’s what the lawyer said, the shrink said, my mom and dad said, and my counselor at school said, but it was a lie. They all lied. Word got out that my uncle, my dad’s little brother, raped me when I was in middle school and kept raping me every week or so until I finally go up the courage to tell the policewoman at my high school. He went to prison, but I ended up in hell.” Tears were streaming down her face.

  Mr. McFarland came from around his desk and reached out to hug Honey, but she pulled away.

  “I am so sorry that happened to you. The assault by your uncle and all that came after it. It should never have happened. You did nothing to deserve it, nothing wrong, and we’ll do whatever we can here to give you a fresh start. No one has to know unless you want to share your story. We have special counselors in the district who specialize in issues such as yours.”

  “Honey had her own therapist in Augusta and will here. We’ll hire our own therapist,” Mrs. Delano said.

  “Of course, I will. We’ve got money. Lots of money, but none of that fixes me,” Honey said. Mr. McFarland frowned. He started as a history teacher two decades before because he loved high school aged kids and wanted to pass on the love of history to them. But with the expense of two sets of twins, he earned a master’s degree in counseling to earn extra money while still working with the students he loved. This young lady sitting before him who had obviously been through hell and back would be a challenge, but he was determined to do what he could to turn her life around and make her glad that she’d settled nicely into their community where, for the most part, students and certainly faculty welcomed new students.

  Despite her rather flashy clothing, there was enough variety within the junior class that he was sure she’d find a group to fit in with. And, she was intelligent according to her grades. It made sense that her grades plummeted while she was going through the sexual trauma, but he hoped she’d be able to improve those too and do well in advanced placement classes where she, apparently, belonged.

  It was the first day of school and temperatures outside were in the nineties. Ted McFarland’s office was part of the old half of the building that didn’t have central air conditioning, so he depended on a small window air conditioner to cool the space they were sharing. With the emotions in the room flaring out of control, he wasn’t sure it was working quit well enough to keep them all cool and calm.

  “I can promise you we’ll do everything we can here to make you feel welcome. There are so many activities you can get involved in. That’s the best way to meet new people, to find a few clubs or a sport you enjoy. You’ll meet people who like what you do.”

  “She plays softball,” Mrs. Delano said.

  “That’s not until spring, Mom,” Honey said.

  Mr. McFarland pulled a booklet from his desk drawer and handed it to Honey. “This is the student handbook. In it, you’ll find lots of important information about our school, your school now, including information about all the clubs and sports the school offers. You’ll be able to make email contact with any of them today, and there are signups all this week in the cafeteria at lunchtime.”

  “Thank you,” Honey said as she took the booklet from him.

  “Here’s your schedule. For the first day, you’ll have a student volunteer with you to help you navigate your way around the building. Do you have any questions?”

  “I don’t think I need someone to walk me around. Just a map.”

  “As you’ll see when you read the booklet, every student needs to do fifty hours of community service before graduation. Students who volunteer earn five hours of those credits just for this one day of escorting you around, so do them a favor and let them help, please,” he said and winked.

  “Okay.”

  “Before I introduce you to your volunteer, I have to say that your outfit does not meet the school’s dress code. You’ll have to go home and change,” he said and his face turned almost as red as his carrot-colored hair.

  “See, I told you,” her mom said.

  Honey looked down at her cropped top straight to her pierced belly button and her hip hugging short shorts. She knew her mom had been right that morning, but she loved testing the limits, especially since it all went down with freaking Uncle Pete. She shoved her lollipop back into her mouth and sucked hard.

  What a way to start, all three of them were thinking.

  Chapter Two

  While Honey and her mom were meeting in the counselor’s office, the rest of the high school population was meeting in the school’s gymnasium for their usual first-day orientation and not-so-usual junior class special meeting. Seth Hostetler, the junior class president, had gotten himself into a predicament by calling a newcomer to town Cory Lee by a racial slur—slanty eyes—because he was angry and jealous that Cory was hitting on his girlfriend, Amanda Pearson. Cory answered back by hitting Seth. Both guys felt badly about what happened.

  Cory had just arrived from Coldstream, New Hampshire, located up by the Canadian border. He was Japanese American and had been brutally ostracized and bullied by the kids at his old school because he didn’t look like them. When he arrived at his new home, he was hoping things would be different. The kids seemed friendly enough. He’d met some of them at Rick’s Creamery, where he’d taken a summer job. He’d, in fact, met Amanda there; she had trained him on ice cream scooping duties and all the rest of the work to be done around the place.

  But, when Seth, who had lived next door to Amanda since they were both six years old, saw this new guy who was tall, dark, and handsome sitting a bit too close to his girlfriend, things got out of control for both of them during a beach party just before the high school went back into session for the fall. Cory and Seth made up almost immediately when they united to help find their friend Tara, but Seth still felt he needed to publicly apologize for his behavior since he was supposed to be a class leader and set a good example. He�
�d gone into the main office a few days before classes were to start to ask permission for a special junior class meeting to be held on the first day right after the opening day assembly, and Principal March, once she heard his story, agreed.

  By the time school started, everyone knew that Seth and Amanda were finally, officially a couple. People who had known them since the first grade knew they were destined to be together, so no one asked either of them out on dates. But until that summer, they hadn’t officially been more than just close friends. But on that first day of classes, they walked the halls holding hands and no one thought twice about it.

  After the usual school-wide assembly about upcoming events, school policies, and introductions of new faculty and staff, Mrs. March dismissed all but the junior class. There were murmurs in the crowd. Seth, who was sitting beside Amanda, started to get up, but she pulled him back and planted a kiss on his cheek.

  “Good luck,” she said, as she pushed a strand of his golden hair out of his eyes.

  “Thanks. I’ll need it.”

  She squeezed his strong hand.

  After the other classes cleared out of the gymnasium, Mrs. March said, “Seth Hostetler has an announcement for the junior class. I thought today was as good a time as any for him to make it.”

  Seth walked up to the podium. There was a nervous twitch in his right hand. Most in the crowd didn’t notice it, but Amanda did. She knew him so well. He was scared.

  “Welcome back, juniors. This is going to be a great year.”

  The crowd roared.

  “Rumor has it that the football team’s improving every day thanks to some hardworking regulars and some new members.” The crowd cheered. “We’ve got junior prom coming up. There’s the Homecoming Dance, Hello Dolly is the winter musical, and so much more.” The group roared. “But before that happens, I have an apology to make.” The room went silent.

  “Over the summer, a new guy moved into town, and I used a racial slur—slanty eyes—against him. Some of you may have already met him; he’s now my friend. He’s Cory Lee. Cory agreed to come up on the platform with me today, so I could introduce him to those of you who haven’t met him yet. Come on up, Cory.”

  Cory, taller than Seth by about four inches, dark skinned with ebony hair and eyes, was sitting in the crowd with his arm around Tara, the short, heavyset “drama queen” of the class, who everyone loved for all of her enthusiasm, as he so often did since he helped convince her father to let her stay in New Hampshire instead of moving to Maine. He jumped up and sprinted to the platform.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Cory Lee. Word has it, he’s our new quarterback. Used to play in Texas, and you know how Texans feel about their football.” More cheers came from the crowd.

  “It was Cory I offended. Although I apologized to him, I never got to apologize to the many others who were around that night to see and hear what happened. Those words should never have come out of my mouth, and I’m sorry. You elected me junior class president. I take this office as an honor and responsibility. After having done what I did to Cory, I offer you my resignation because a leader needs to lead by example. And my example was totally wrong that night.”

  Cory grabbed the microphone from Seth.

  “But he did apologize to me, even though I punched him in the face, so there’s that,” Cory said, and the crowd laughed. “He even went to bat for me with coach, so I could try out for the football team. That should be worth something.”

  “Let’s take a vote,” someone in the crowd yelled.

  “Yes, let’s vote,” Mrs. March agreed.

  “All those in favor of Seth no longer being class president say ‘no,’” she said.

  “No,” came a tiny chorus from the class.

  “All those in favor of Seth remaining as junior class president say ‘yes,’” she said.

  “Yes,” came the ruckus shouts from the crowd. Amanda shouted loudest of all.

  “The ‘yes’ votes have it; looks like you’re still junior class president, Seth,” Mrs. March said, and Cory raised Seth’s arm up in the air as though he’d just won a boxing match.

  The crowd applauded.

  Amanda popped her bubble gum as she always did because she was known as the Bubble Gum Girl, always chewing gum and blowing bubbles. It looked like nothing could possibly go wrong for this group of friends for their all-important junior year, but they hadn’t met Honey Delano yet. She was at home changing her clothes.

  Chapter Three

  Honey rushed through her closet to find something simple and decent to wear for her first day at the new school. She settled on cutoffs that weren’t cut up high on her butt and a tank top that just touched the top of those jeans. With a pair of red high tops, she might just blend in for a few days while she got the lay of the land and figured out which kids she might fit in with. But did she want to fit in?

  Kids at Cony High School had ostracized her when they found out. Every one of her friends was a virgin and seemed to think that since she wasn’t anymore that if they hung around her, they wouldn’t be either and guys would hit on them. She had no one. Boys leered at her. She knew they were wondering, lusting, wanting. Finally, she gave in. If she could only have company, someone her age to talk to if she gave it up to the guys at her school and did what kids assumed she must be doing anyway, she’d do it. She started flirting, making suggestive motions with her eyes and hands and tongue. The boys weren’t stupid. They were eager. She started with the unpopular guys who couldn’t get a girl on their own. But that only satisfied them. She wanted the guys the other girls had. She wanted to take from them what sleazy Uncle Pete had taken from her. He had screwed up her life royally. And they, by ostracizing her had only added to her heartbreak and pain. There were times back in Maine when Honey actually contemplated suicide.

  Why not? What was there to live for? Her life would never be normal again. She couldn’t take back her virginity. He’d stolen it from her. He’d robbed her of the chance to spend her wedding night with the one man she would someday choose to spend the rest of her life with. Honey and her friends had even taken the St. Joseph Pledge one day at CCD class and promised to keep themselves pure until they married. And she had meant it. She was not giving herself up to any boy, no matter how much he begged, no matter if he took her to the prom, no matter if he was the star quarterback. Not Honey. She was waiting. Waiting to say “I do” to the love of her life. That was until Uncle Pete held a knife to her and took all that away.

  But there was no need for this new mess of kids to know unless, unless that red-headed counselor had a big mouth. Then she’d figure out some way to sue the shit out of the school district and live alone on some island for the rest of her days reading Dickens, London, Steinbeck, and Emily Dickenson. That would show them all, her mom and dad included. She didn’t need shrinks, boys, friends; she’d have herself and books. But deep down, she knew what she wanted most was to have a huge group of friends like she used to have. The world’s calendar read BC and AD. Her calendar read BP and AP. He had changed her forever.

  “Hey, Mom, I’m ready,” she shouted down the stairs.

  “That’s better, hon,” her mom said with a smile as Honey lumbered down the stairs sucking on a red lollipop, her favorite flavor.

  “I figured I could blend in with this plain shit,” Honey said.

  “Watch your language.”

  “Get over it, Mom.”

  Silence filled the Toyota until Honey popped in her ear bubs and didn’t even pretend to want to make conversation with her mother. When they arrived at the drop off point, her mother reminded her that since she was late she’d have to stop in at the main office.

  “I know, I know. This is not my first concert.”

  “Give me a kiss for luck.”

  “I don’t need luck. I need to be left alone,” Honey snarled as she slammed the door behind her leaving her mother sighing and wondering when things would ever return to normal. Honey once was among the smartest, h
appiest kids in her class. Everyone loved her. She had a nice group of friends. She was a delight to be around. Since everything went dark, all she did was simmer like a pot ready to boil over, and all she wanted was to be left alone to wallow in self-pity. The therapists didn’t seem to be helping much. Maybe the new one would be better. She feared for her daughter’s life. Was she suicidal? Was this move the right one? I sure hope so. That bastard brother-in-law of mine. I hope he dies in prison.

  Waiting in line behind two guys who, apparently, also started the first day of school late, Honey found herself sucking hard on her lollipop as she always did when guys were around. The tallest of the two turned around when he heard her behind him and said, “Hey, you new here? I haven’t seen you around before. I’m Josh Fisher.”

  “I’m Honey Delano. Just moved here from Maine. It’s my first day. Got sent home by guidance for inappropriate clothing.” She rolled her eyes to show her disgust at the rules.

  He smiled and his one dimple showed. She loved it. By that time, she had the attention of the other guy, who was shorter, but had a six-pack that wouldn’t quit. If all the guys here looked like these two, she’d have some fun getting to know them very well.

  “Hi, I’m Honey Delano, new from Maine,” she said to the second guy.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Gabe Dano. Glad to have you with us, Honey. What year?”

  “Junior.”

  “Yeah? Us too. Lots going on for junior year.”

  Just then the secretary called Gabe to her desk, and Honey and Josh were left alone to continue their conversation. He gulped as he followed her tongue as it worked its way around the lollipop she fondled in and out of her mouth. It was so hot watching her; he could hardly concentrate on what she was saying. This was one hot girl. Much hotter than his own, Megan. It was his turn to see the secretary, but he could barely tear himself away from this new attraction. There was something so different, so exotic about her. She had dark black hair that was silky shiny and huge dark eyes that looked so sad, and she knew how to work that lollipop that suggested many mysterious promises. He’d have a hard time concentrating on classes that day.