Let's Ride

Chapter 12

"Michigan!" I said. "How did you get clear out here?" "My boyfriend drove, we were going to California." Oh this was sounding better and better, "Let me get this straight, you and your boyfriend were on you're way to California, and you two got in a fight, and he just dumped here out in the middle of nowhere?" She started sobbing, "Y-y-yes." "Do your folks know where you are?" "My dad left us, it's just mom and my little brother, no, she doesn't know where I'm at, and where is Utah?" Oh just great! This kid has no freakin idea where she is, "Look Jessica, Utah is roughly fifteen hundred miles from Michigan I think, you're at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Say, are you hungry?" yes ma'am," "When was the last time you ate?" "Two days ago." 'Two days!" oh jeeze, "Well look, we're coming to Garden City, I'll get you something to eat, do you drink coffee?" "No," well how about some nice hot soup that'll warm you up." She nodded, I stopped at a Subway, and bought her some soup and a small sandwich as well as one for myself, chips and a drink, we were good to go.

We ate in silence she devoured her sandwich and soup, she asked about the lake and what its name was where we were going again, but I could tell the food was working. "Do you have any money Jessica?" "N-no ma'am, just a quarter and a dime, maybe some pennies." "How were you two paying for this trip?" "Jason had some money, but we ran out pretty quick." "So when you ran out what did you do?" Jessica began to shift around in the seat; I could tell this was making her very nervous. "Uh we sold stuff." "Stuff, like what sort of "stuff?" "Uh clothes, camping stuff; I did it with a couple guys for some money." All I could do was shake my head, "So you prostituted yourself for money, is that it?" She started to get defensive, "Look it's no big deal. I didn't really mind." "How old are you Jessica?" "Fifteen," Great! We were looking at statutory r**e here. "So you have no idea where this Jason is now?" "Probably in California, I don't really know." "Would you give my home phone number, so I can call you mom," Jessica got a scared look about her, and with desperation in her voice said, "Oh please don't call my mom she'll kill me!" "Don't you think she's worried about you, I know I certainly would be, besides I'm obligated to call and let her know." "She won't be home now anyway she's probably at work," All right, I'll wait to call, but we really have to let her know where you are Jessica." By now the warmth and the food had kicked in, she had curled up on the seat and was fast asleep. She continued to sleep all the way up to Cokeville, finally stirring when I turned into the garage. "Wait here, I'll be right back.

I quickly dropped off the part, and returned to the truck, Jessica was up and looking around, "Where are we?" "I told you, Cokeville Wyoming," "Do they do a lot of coke around here?" "I wouldn't know, you don't do it do you?" "I have, but only a little, Jason got me some." Jeezist! If I ever got my hands on this Jason creep, I was going to kick his balls right up into his throat, what a piece of s**t this kid must be.

I didn't feel like going the same way again, at least the way we came from Garden City, so I headed north to Montpelier Idaho then back down 89 to Garden City. "Did you leave anything of yours back at the campground?" "Everything was in the car, Jason took it all, "We've got to get you some warm stuff to wear, there's a Wally World in Montpelier, I'll stop, and buy you some stuff, OK you won't owe me a thing, I know what it's like to be lost and alone, then we'll call you're mom OK?" Jessica made no commitment to that, but seemed to approve of some fresh clothing. I stopped at the local Wal-Mart, and bought her a pair of jeans, some fresh underwear a bra, a couple tops that were on sale a hairbrush, PJ's and a cheap backpack. I had her change in the bathroom, once cleaned up she looked much better, I told her I would wash her dirty clothes later.

It took a little doing, but I finally got her phone number and tried calling her mom. I tried three times without success, Jessica claimed not to know where she might be, "The store, maybe," was all she would speculate on. "How about any relatives or friends, anything like that?" She finally gave me a friend's number, which I promptly called "Hello is this Sara Chase?" "Yeah," "Sara, My name is Nikki Cormak, I live out here in Logan Utah, Jessica Winters is sitting next to me, apparently she and some boy named Jason Thomas were attempting to drive to California, they had a fight, and he just dumped her out here in Utah," I gave her my number, and continued, "Please tell your parents so they can get in touch with Jessica's mom, I'm going to have her stay with me tonight, I'll be waiting for her mom to call, OK?"