The Woman Next Door by Barbara Delinsky Page A

typically used to suggest something big afoot, “Quinn Davis is being kicked out of school.”
    “He’s what?”
    “He went to baseball practice totally sloshed . His parents are having meetings with Mr. Edlin right now, but Melissa, Quinn’s girlfriend? She said they’re gonna expel him. Melissa called Brooke, who called me and Kristen. They want me to call Jordie, becausehe may know something, but Alyssa’s on the other line. Hold on, let me get off.” There was a click, then silence.
    Drunk? Georgia felt a chill.
    Allie returned. “They can’t expel Quinn. He’s the president of the class.”
    “Was he really drunk?”
    “Staggering.”
    “Why?”
    “Why was he drunk? Why does any guy get drunk? I don’t know. But if they expel Quinn, they could expel anyone.”
    “Well, they should. Where was he drinking?” Georgia pictured Quinn alone at his house, while his parents were off championing their latest cause. Worse, she pictured their garage, where a boy could drink himself silly, not unlike two boys destroying everything in sight before going to school and opening fire with shotguns. “Was it beer? Hard stuff? Where’d he get either?”
    “Come on, Mom. If you want it, you can get it. This’ll totally screw up the baseball season. I mean, we were up to win the division—”
    “Allison, forget baseball. What possessed him to drink?”
    Allison sighed. “Kids drink, Mom. It isn’t the first time Quinn’s done it. And he doesn’t stop at booze.”
    “What else is there?” Georgia asked, holding her breath.
    “Pills.”
    “Quinn?”
    “He’s not a saint. He isn’t all that different from the rest of us.”
    “You don’t drink. Do you?”
    “ God, no. We’ve talked about that. You know I don’t. But guys do. Look, Mom, I’m sorry I said anything. It’s not that big a deal.”
    “Big enough,” Georgia said. Allison was fourteen and young for the grade. Most of her friends were fifteen. A few were even sixteenand driving. “I wish I was there.” Her daughter was growing up too fast. “Where’s your dad?”
    “Downstairs. Don’t worry. He knows about this. But I can’t stay on now. I have to go see if Jordie knows anything more than we do. Want to talk to Dad?”
    Georgia did. Definitely. “First your brother.”
    “Okay— Tommy! Bye, Mom.”
    “Allie, call me later. My number’s on the board.”
    But the dead silence said that Allison had already gone, and within seconds, Tommy picked up. “Hi, Mom. Everything’s okay here, but I’m IM-ing with the guys, so I can’t talk long. When’ll you be home?”
    “Tomorrow afternoon.” She figured that either he didn’t know about Quinn, or he was too young to care, which was probably all for the best. She wanted to talk him through things like this herself. “How was school today?”
    “Good, but I can’t talk now, so can I tell you tomorrow?”
    “Is there something to tell? Did something happen?” She waited, but all she heard were computer keys clicking in Tommy’s typical hunt-and-peck style. “Tommy?”
    “School’s school, school’s always school, but I can’t type and talk at the same time, and the guys are waiting, Mom.”
    “Are you ready for the math test?”
    “I guess. Will you be here when I get home from school?”
    “Definitely. I love you, Tommy. I miss you.”
    “Me, too, Mom. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.” He hung up, just as Georgia was about to ask for Russ. Closing her mouth, she stared at the receiver, then punched out the number again.
    When Russ answered, she felt instant relief. He was her anchor. She could never do what she did professionally were he not at home in her stead. She couldn’t begin to imagine what it would belike if Russ went to work in the city and the kids spent their afternoons alone. If she was worried now, she would be a total basket case then.
    “Russ,” she said with a sigh. “Allison told me about Quinn. Was he actually drunk? In the middle of the day? In the