Chapter 6

Meeting Dee, Miki, and Bev

    Katrina started telling her story. It started with her asking if Jeremy knew about the big city. Since all rez folks know of a big city, Jeremy knew about the trek. Katrina left the rez with Dee and Miki.
    From the first day they met Bevirly, they should have known that she was everything they should have avoided. Her mouth and demeanor was constantly spewing figurative cookie crumbs. She never took anything seriously. Everything was always a game and when she wanted to quit the game, she would whine and complain until somebody brought her home. Brought her somewhere where somebody would take care of her and she wouldn't have to think for herself. Bev's selfishness played against them as soon as they had to leave for British Columbia.
    Katrina only told what she knew about Bev. She had grown up at a different reservation that was even further out of the way. What's with those places, sometimes they spawn the worst of people who don't know any better. It probably began when Bev's mother thought she was being clever when she'd spelled Bevirly with an “I” in the poor kid's birth certificate. Oh, her mom knew how to spell it correctly, it was her way of showing the world that she was an original.
    All that did was screw up the kid a little more during her school years. Teased about how her mom couldn't spell. Teased how she couldn't even spell her own name. That was only the beginning. It wasn't long before the 'irly' was dropped and she began going by Bev. Bev the strong willed, only a poser who yelled until she got what she wanted. Got everything she wanted from everybody until the only people that would want to hang out with her was the guys who got what they wanted.
    Dee was another one of those who just had the back luck of having parents who couldn't spell. She couldn't remember a whole lot of her childhood, a lot of it was unremarkable. Average, straight down the line. During all that time, see went by the nickname Dezz. It was the name she got from her family since they called her Dez-a-ray. If they'd remembered the accent on the end of her name, it probably wouldn't have made a difference. She was different enough. However, as it happens to all females, she began to grow breasts.
    Guys, the ones who always know how to cut deepest, gave her a new nickname. They would reach up and give one of her growing breasts a squeeze and call her 'Deez'. Nowhere near a D cup, but once the game was started in the hallways, they didn't let up. That's where Katrina came in, she stood up for Dee. Fought for her when Dee wouldn't or couldn't stand up for herself. A little of Katrina's fighting spirit rubbed off on Dee and they survived highschool together. Katrina was the first one to start calling her 'Dee'. It was a lot better than Dezz, Deez, or Desire.
    Dee's little sister grew up bouncing along behind them both. Normally, the little sister is made to stay at home because she's too little. Not according to Katrina. She also gave the little sister, Michelle, a nickname. Katrina thought of it while they were driving back home from town eating something they got at a late night drive-thru, she started calling Michelle, Miki.
    The three of them, after Miki graduated, began heading to the big city. It was the same distance as their rez was from the little town they used to go to. Yet, they stayed away from the city for a long time because driving around there was a little unnerving. It didn't take long to find the club scene, they were honestly surprised by the amount of other natives there. They didn't pack the place, but they were there. Even it they weren't a familiar face, they brought a little of the rez with them so it build up a comfort zone.
    That was where they first met Bev. To say they 'met' her is a little kinder than what really happened. They were getting ready to head back out to the rez when they saw a woman yelling at the bouncers. She kept trying to throw wobbly, drunken punches. They kept trying to keep her from falling and hurting herself. When she had enough of abusing the poor bouncers, who were actually trying to do the right thing, she turned and staggered half a block. Katrina, Dee, and Miki were sitting in their beat up, rusty minivan laughing. Bev staggered to the edge of the sidewalk and fell between a pair of cars parked there. They waited for a few minutes, waiting to see if anybody was going to help her. Of course, no one did so they had to go and see what they could do.
    It was a little bit of a wrestling match to get Bev to understand that they were trying to help. That they could give her a ride if she really needed it. What they didn't know was that Bev was from an even smaller rez a few hours further than where they were going. They were grudgingly resigned to take her home, after all, they wanted to help. Bev slurred out an address of where she was staying in the city. Dee was happy to hear that, if they had the van out too long, it would be a long time until they would get to use it again.
    It took an hour and a half to find the place though, Bev was no help at all. Twice they had to stop and let her hang her head out the window while she dropped off some of her drink onto the street. Long danglers of spittle would hang from her mouth as she sat back in her seat. When they finally found the place, Bev was trying to pass out. Miki and Katrina had to keep her awake, that was worth it just for the laughs. They almost dropped her off on a porch and drove away, but they thought they should make sure that somebody was home. Or even if they dropped her off in the right place.
    Katrina stood there on the porch explaining to a livid pair of older folks, turned out to be Bev's aunt and her aunt's husband, that they weren't to blame for Bev's condition. They helped her off the street and decided to help her get home. The aunt would hear none of that, they told Katrina to get the hell out of there before they called the cops. So Katrina gave another unheard apology, for something she didn't do, and left before her considerable temper broke.
    They went to that club one last time then were banned. It wasn't even their fault, but they just happened have to luck of being associated with Bev. Someone who was fun in very short bursts, then people would try to find a reason to ditch her. Which is probably what happened to the people that brought her there. Left her standing in line while they went to find somewhere else to be, somewhere far away. Since one of the bouncers remembered seeing the three of them pick up Bev and drive off with her. What she done inside the club was also placed on them.
    The place was a wash of happy people bouncing in laser lights and a dull fog of assorted smokes. The beat, that was a constant thump of energy, happened to stop for more than a few minutes. Bev wanted to dance. The poor DJ didn't see a thing coming, all he saw was a screaming woman and then seeing a paper wrapped bottle flying at his head. You had to hand it to the guy, he took it pretty well considering somebody trying to keep his head from bleeding all over his tables. There was a heavy beat already going by the time the four of them were shoved out onto the street.
    Katrina and Bev screamed at each other for a few minutes while Miki tried to keep them apart. Dee drove up in the van and after a few minutes of telling Bev to f**k off, in more than a few different ways, she wound up climbing into the van. Dee and Miki rode up front and probably expected a fight to break out in the back. Bev said that she knew where her man probably was, not exactly a club or bar, but somewhere they could hang out. She made sure that everybody knew that she didn't want to ride around in a van all night.
    It was still early and they didn't want to go back yet. All they would end up doing is sitting around in Dee's room talking about nothing. Maybe sneak out and go walking around the rez. Then get yelled at in the morning for not being so sneaky when they snuck out.

    “So,” Katrina said to the dim light in the car, “we decided to go with her. You know, find her boyfriend and just leave her there. Find anywhere else that she wasn't.”