This story was actually published in part in Penn State McKeesport's Absence Literary Magazine in May 2005. I actually wrote it in a week and turned out well enough that I wanted to put it here.

CHAPTER I

The open roads, many of them in the country, makes one think of things that usually don’t come to mind in the hustle and bustle of the city. Many think of the things that they had done that day, whether it be their families, their jobs, or the people who made them feel good, or made complete fools out of them. Often, the thoughts can last until someone – or something – that lets the mind rejoin the senses for thought processes.
For Jamie Linchester, that could take hours. The bachelor looked at the clock on his Mustang radio, signaling that his girlfriend Alli would be sitting on the porch, longing to see Jamie’s face, his eyes twinkling like Orion in the muffled moonlight. Although he could feel a frightened bead of sweat come roll down his cheek, it had best be hidden from sight, with a prayer that the salty fluid had best not be noticed by Alli.
A few miles away, Alli sat on her bed, twiddling her toes in her dark blue socks. She longed to meet Jamie for another get together. She knew that it was tough, being that she was 18, but acted much older. Her dad raised her up to be independent, a girl who didn’t feed her temptations, although it was hard. Even when she was younger, just entering high school, many of the boys ogled at her, since she was never the tallest or darkest. But she was able to wade all through these temptations, many of which seemed to make her learn how tough it was to choose who would be the one that she could hold on to, and never let go until the end of time. It was quite tough, though, because it seemed to her that anyone she tried to approach would just go out and make it a point of the next conversation that they had with “the in-crowd”. Jamie made her feel different, though. He was, after all, the typical person who the ladies jumped all over: a well-known athlete of the area high school, a good student with a particular interest in some sciences, none of which seemed to match his interpretations of Shakespeare. Yet, through his popularity surplus, he seemed to see a beacon of light, far off in the distance. The light which gave him the very guide to find what he had so desired for what seemed like ages.
And the light shined the name Alli Schrater.
Alli looked over the room, at a large mirror which stretched from the top to the bottom of the dresser which had traveled down in her heritage. She stood in her best dress, ready to go out and live out the dreams which had eased and pleased her slumbers for so long.
As Jamie left the country roads to go to more populated areas, he pulled out Alli’s favorite CD, one that had many love ballads, tales about close friends who become one for all. It gave a deep, heart-warming feeling to the young man to know that when Alli came out, that she would come and compliment him on his ear for musical composition.
Putting on her platform clog shoes, Alli looked at herself one last time in the mirror, adding a final touch on what was her immaculate idea of perfection. She gave a smile to herself, patting her hair down one last time, as she went downstairs to allow her father to give one last inspection.
Mr. Schrater was a man of nearly 50. A retired steelworker who took up two jobs later on – working as a stock man at the computer plant nearby, and raising a teenage girl who absolutely loved him – although it came through many years of botched conversations with the boys who had tried to reach out to her, and many times when they didn’t see the same picture, although they looked at the same view. He was very restrictive upon Alli, rarely allowing her to go in the six-inch shorts and bellybutton-bearing shirts that Alli’s peers had made commonplace. With the cold and dead of October, though, all the skin had to be covered up. Mr. Schrater appreciated it when Alli did what she was told, although it had to be earned.
Sitting on his easy chair, reading his copy of The New York Times, Mr. Schrater read each and every article carefully. The TV blared in the background, sounding off the sincere and well-pronounced baritone voice of Mike Wallace. He had a long day, and as twilight approached, as it does so early every October evening, he wanted to relax, and forget about the not so great perks of working with millions of dollars’ worth of hardware.
Alli came down the stairs, putting on her coat, giving an ever-so-excited chuckle. Noticing this, Mr. Schrater took a gander over at his “little pumpkin”.
“Daddy, I’m going out with someone tonight. We’re going over to the Super 16 to see “Love Tales.”
In a slightly stressed out, yet curious voice, Mr. Schrater said, “Who’s the guy you’re going out with this time, honey?” His rule was that anyone Alli wanted to go out with, had to acquire the “seal of approval” from the proud father. He was a man who cherished having some control over his child’s life. It may have been his protectiveness towards her, or it may have been a longing to shield her from the risky games that Alli’s mother had taken.
Alli’s mother was a young lady, only 23 when Mr. Schrater had met her. She was the kind who had simple appeal to the men, with an aftertaste of love that was like the apple of the Garden of Eden. She was tempting, and it was hard to resist the power that she gave to whoever was in love with her. Behind the cute personality and the looks that made the guys ogle, she concealed a dark side. When she wasn’t in love, she was stealing goods from people. She turned to a life of crime to pay off the several men who she owed money – and her life – to. She had been with three other guys at the time she met Mr. Schrater, and to her, Mr. Schrater was just a “client”. Sadly, it led to Mr. Schrater having one too many doses of the booze, and when Alli’s mom had her, Mr. Schrater was left with a baby, with no mother to shield her, to teach her how to walk, to talk, to give that feminine sensitivity. Instead, it mainly was the friends that she had hung out with that had taught her the twists and turns that came with being a girl of the 1990’s. It was a very different way of “growing up”, one that was built like a house with no foundation.
Excitedly, Alli said “His name is Jamie Linchester. I met him over at school. He’s a great guy, and he treats ‘us’ like we’re queens. I see that glimmer in his eye, the one you always talk about, Dad.”
“I trust in you, Alli. Don’t disappoint me, sweetie,” the father said, giving a kiss to her on the forehead. He had done this so many times before, but each time he did it, he had to do so with ever-so definite confidence.
Meanwhile, Jamie sat back in the leather seat of his Mustang, brushing his hair back. He was sort of a rookie in this business of love, especially since even though the ladies had been chasing him for so long, he really was quite inexperienced. He almost had to pinch himself this time around, because Alli was the person who would be teaching him how to please his missus. It felt strange, but it was only because of the often-cliched belief that the man had to be in control. In his mind, though, it was equal footing when two are in love, and when he had his date tonight, that would be his mantra between first and last kisses.
Jamie pulled up to Alli’s house. The house was lit in the night, the lights shining through the translucent curtains, giving a calming, suppressed light to the woods around the house. The porch light shined in the twilight, guiding a few moths to their enigmatic obsession. The calm ivory siding gave a fading gray to the house, save for the areas lit from within. The lightning bugs flying about the outside gave the house the sparkle that warmed and soothed Jamie’s heart.
This was going to be a magical night.

CHAPTER II

The doorbell rang to Alli’s house, a bell that echoed throughout the halls of the old home.
Alli sprung up from the couch, sprinting as fast as her legs could take her to the door. She had the energy that sweet dreams could create.
The door opened to Jamie’s face, with a bead of sweat running down his head. “Hey, Jamie.”
Shaking his eyebrows, and nervously thinking of the right thing to say, Jamie stood for a second. His mind raced upon whether to say something honest, something friendly, or something heartwarming. Stuttering, and pausing for an ever-so-slight moment, Jamie softly said, “Hello, Alli, glad to see you again.”
Alli could see that Jamie was nervous. She had talked to him before both had graduated, and had several chats over the Internet. He had to be a very confident guy to play football – in fact, his coach pretty much required it – but love can make the experienced the abstract, and make the known obscure.
In a method so to not make Jamie look stupid, Alli said “It is very nice to see you again. Please, do come in.”
Jamie, frozen by surprise, and adequately in a brain freeze, said nothing for a second, then slowly stepped in the large wooden door.
Immediately, Mr. Schrater appeared in front of Jamie, scaring the young lovebird. “Good evening, sir. How are you tonight? Going to see a movie?”
Jamie almost did not know what to say. “Uh, I’m….going to take Alli out…to see a movie! Yes!” Too many questions, Jamie thought. I’m dead meat.
The situation was ready to implode, and somebody had to step in, which was going to be Alli.
Before Jamie could further add to his self-inflicted and imposing destruction, Alli said “Jamie was a player over at your alma mater, West Valley High. He played the running back, Daddy, just like you.”
In an emotion-free voice, Mr. Schrater said “So, you know how to play the game of football? OK, well, here’s my game plan for your date. Alli, please step out of the area.”
Knowing what was about to happen – and every time, it did – Alli pleaded “No, Daddy….” Sternly, Mr. Schrater said “Now, Allison, NOW!” Alli just gave a shake of the head, and gave a forcefully exaggerated sigh.
Putting his hand around Jamie, Mr. Schrater said “I’ve met a lot of my little hunny-pot’s boyfriends the last few years. They all were crazy over her, and I’ve learned one thing – I have to have your total trust in what I say to you right now. I am going to place a great deal of me in your mind and in your heart. I want you to treat Alli like she is a princess. If you do, you will be her prince. Am I clear?”
Jamie gave him the nod the father wanted, although quite reluctantly.
“And here’s another rule of thumb. You are to be respectful to my little girl. If not, and I find her coming home very upset, you will never see her again. No second shots, no free tries. One strike and you’re out. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir, I understand.”
“OK, and one last thing, Jamie, my pal. Let’s be best friends until you don’t want to see either of us anymore, OK?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Allison! You two may leave now!”
It was going to be hard to put up with this, Jamie thought. He wondered for ages about why it was always a main sticking point with two people in love if it never was a “love-for-ever-more” because of a picky future in-law. He understood that the path that he was about to take was going to be a long and winding one, and that it would be a very challenging, tempting path, but he felt that he was ready to do whatever it takes to make his lass happy.
Alli came down the stairs, giving a peck on the cheek to her father, saying “I love you, Daddy, and I will never disappoint you. Trust in me, Papa.”
“I trust you’ll do the right thing, hunny-pot. Make me proud of you.”
Alli gave a light nod, and ran over to her love and occupation for the night.

Chapter III

.Jamie and Alli grabbed hands as the father closed the door to the house. Turning around to face each other, Alli spoke first.
“Hold my hands, Jamie, I have something to ask you.” Reluctantly, Jamie did so. “Listen, Jamie, I’ve been through this process before. You seem a little nervous do be on a date. Is there something wrong?”
“Well, I think I’m in love with you, but I think I have a lot to explain to you, Alli. You see, this….please don’t be embarrassed, don’t be reluctant….” Jamie looked into Alli’s eyes, with Alli saying “Nothing you can say can bother me.” Jamie continued “I have never, ever been on a date with a woman before.”
“That’s OK, but you answered my question. Don’t worry, on my first date, I went out with an older guy, too. You’re a lot more cute and a heck of a lot more friendly. Don’t worry, I’ll guide you on your way.”
“Th-th-thank you, Alli.”
“Anytime.”
Jamie felt like he was going to burst from the stress that had come so unexpectedly to him. He knew that for once, if not before, he was going to have to learn the game of love. It was a very tough subject, since he really had not the slightest idea of how to “play his cards right.” He often was scared to go out on a date, because it always seemed like every single good-looking girl walked right past him. He always tried to make what he had work, and really, in his opinion, it was only a matter of time. Like pieces of a puzzle, all that was really needed to make a perfect match was the person whose holes were patched by the other.
And it seemed like Alli, the thin, highlight haired, bluish green eyed young woman, was the best cover for Jamie.
Walking ever so slowly to the car, Jamie pressed the button to unlock the doors to the car. He pressed the buttons very nervously, trying to hide his anxiety from Alli by giving an under-confident smile.
Suddenly, the blaring horn of the Mustang sounded, in a rhythm too famously made in Go-jack commercials.
Jamie jumped up, obviously in a state of suspended being, and thought to himself, OH BOY, this is NOT good. He rapidly pressed the buttons, trying to cut seconds off the obvious embarrassment.
Laughing, Jamie said “My car has never done this to me before. I’m really sorry, Alli.”
As if on a pre-positioned cue, the car shut off. Jamie walked over and said, “Jamie, don’t worry, the neighbors will understand. Don’t let that ruin your night!” Alli put her arm around Jamie and said “You are trying your hardest, and you haven’t made that many mistakes. I’ll make it better, I promise,” she said, giving Jamie a slight peck on the cheek.
“OK, thank you.” Jamie went over and opened the door to the car so Jamie could get in. “Love, my compliments. Please get in.”
As Jamie started to sit down, he started to laugh. Putting his hand on his head, he calmly said “Don’t mind me.”
“What’s wrong?” Alli said towards Jamie shaking his head. He knew that something had gotten to the young lovebird.
“Nothing, I just had a little bit of a nervous breakdown.”
“Was it my dad, Jamie? Please tell me.”
“No, it wasn’t….no….no way….” He said, shaking his head.
Not easily fooled, Alli said to him “I’ve been through this before. It was him, wasn’t it? Please be honest, I like it better than trying to cover up for something.”
“I just didn’t like what happened. He, he made me feel very uncomfortable at times. I, I, just wanted to….be a valuable person to your family.”
“Don’t worry, Jamie, I know what you are talking about. It’s just a little bit of a pothole in the road. If you try to avoid it, you end up getting splashed anyway.”
“I only want the best for you, Alli. I place great value in the fact that I really love you.”
“Thank you, sweetie.”
And so, the two were off to the movies. It was the ultimate way for two to become one, and to make their bonds. Alli was approaching Jamie confidently and was expecting the unexpected. It seemed that when one loves another, that everyone seems to get down to the same level. In many ways, Alli was still learning from her boyfriend; the things that she saw in Jamie were never unexpected, but the unique aspects of love seemed to catch her every time. Meanwhile, Jamie was doing his best to practice his best manners in front of the “lasses.” He seemed to know what the typical things were to do, but his anxiety seemed to lead him away from his plans. The oddity seemed to be that both lovers seemed to look right past each other, because both had expected the total opposite of each other, and as so, the instincts of one had inspired the other as to make those whom knew the methods of love to be the assumed fool.

Chapter IV

In the middle of the dark forest roads, the two cruised through the night, the windy roads of the Mid-Atlantic forests shielding them from the nocturnal lunar glow that seemed to give comfort to those who had no such glow in their hearts to share with the world.
Alli turned her head towards Jamie, her mind in awe of the splendor that she had so much expected for the night. She looked in Jamie’s eyes, scanning the roadway for the dangers that lurked, or better yet could lurk, in the deepening of the night. She saw the eyes of wonder, the eyes that seemed to have so much youth in them, yet blossomed with the wisdom of age.
This man wants to have the best for me, she thought, giving a smile which widened every moment this very thought had passed through his head.
“You don’t know what I’m thinking, Jamie. I’m so happy to be with you. I know that for so sure.”
“Alli, I’m trying my best to make you happy. I respect your beliefs.”
“Can I turn on the satellite radio? I wish I could set the mood.”
“If that is your pleasure, hunny, then do so.”
The radio came on, playing a song with warm lyrics, and a melody which seemed to be so catchy for the time, an almost non-coincidental happening.

You seemed to be the brightest star
Where at night you always are
By the moon, and two stars to the right,
That guides me home in the deepest of night.

“I like this song,” Jamie said, starting to sing.
Love is the guide that leads you to the goal
And once you’re there, it rocks your soul…

Alli gave an involuntary roll of her eyes, not realizing it. Still, she looked at Jamie.
Giving a quick glance to the young woman, Jamie said “I’m sorry. I have a habit of doing that,” he said, inflecting his emotion with his hands.
“It’s not a bother to me. Do what you’re comfortable with.”
Giving one nod, and thinking deeply, he replaced the singing with the tapping on the steering wheel.
Pausing for a few seconds, which to them seemed like months of anticipation, Alli said “What do you think….about love, Jamie? Just love in general.”
Jamie gave a slightly extended pause. He had been caught red-handed, because he now had been placed “on the spot” by the lady. It was the fault of neither; in the game of love, the most innocent question can dig into a person’s heart like a backhoe into swamplands. Neither one could really give the answer that was perfect; the thing that made it great was when the answer made its way straight from the heart.
“To….to me, love…is…what men…and women, and women….have treasured since the beginning of time. It…needs to be played…but never to play with.” Damn, he thought, this was not good. Just pay attention to your driving. He gave a sickly, disappointing look.
Alli smiled, swallowing a lump in her throat, trying to not say what she wanted to. “That’s a great mantra that you have, Jamie. Trust me, that is so good for you to think that way. My turn now. Do you know what I think about love?” She gave a slight chuckle.
Pausing for a minute, then saying “Oh, go ahead. Sorry,” he apologized.
“I think love is the way that people were intended to cherish, to enjoy, to have pounding in their hearts for all of ages. The thing that makes people love is that without love, one is denied the fact that they are living. Love is the fuel that makes the soul thrive, and gives the heart reason to beat.”
Oh, man, Jamie thought. How am I supposed to match that? “I think that I believe that very thing, Alli. In fact, I know that I believe in that.”
“You don’t seem too confident in that, Jamie,” Alli said, stating her firm belief. It was well known that the connections between the two were still forming, and that they were still searching for each other in the night.
“I…will be the best I can for you. I do love you. Trust me,” Jamie said, grabbing the hand on the center console, and giving a smile.
To Alli, she knew when he grabbed her hand, and how the warmth of it seemed to flow like caloric, like a stream that traveled to her thin hands. She responded by grabbing his hand, and clutching ever so tight to it.
“Alli, I want to tell you, that I’m trying to be your ideal. Please give me some leeway if I goof up.”
“I don’t want you to be anybody but yourself, Jamie. If you be yourself, you will be my everything. I hope you will trust in it, because I trust in you. I want you to be honest, and to be real. If you do that, you will never be less than the best love a girl like me could ever happen to come upon.” She grabbed his hand ever tighter, and responded by lifting the pair of hands and placing a kiss on Jamie’s hand.
Surprised at this, Jamie pulled his hand away, sensing romanticism in the moment. “I…can’t do this, Alli. Please, I’m a little nervous.”
Oh, crap, Alli thought. I’m going to have to break in this guy.
It was tough to manage to keep her love focused. There was affectionate airs coming from every part of Alli, but she just didn’t know what to do. When love was flowing between two whom were in love with each other, there is not much that can break such a strong bond. The importance of love has a direct relevance to that of the relevance of food and shelter.
Of course, in this case, there was sourness in that Mustang convertible that Alli found right away. She knew that Jamie was a little frightened, and he really had no absolute clue what was about to strike him. In her eyes, he seemed to want to be everything to her, but every time that Alli gave the symbolical nudge to Jamie, he seemed to flinch in a different way each time. It made her a little bit unconfident in what she could do. It wasn’t that he was the inexperienced lover that was causing this negative air, it was simply the fact that she seemed to have the wrong theory to love.
“It’s, uh, okay, Jamie. I understand what you think.”
Candidly, my friend, she thought, never in a million years.

Chapter V

The night had yet to give its worst storms. The two gazed up at the moon, seeming to play its hide and seek game with the clouds of the night. The glow of the movie theater’s lights shone up into the sky, with beams of lights gaining the leads to their paths. The hubbub proceeded to give a Hollywood-type rush to all of the people in the area.
Jamie looked carefully for a parking space near the building, so they could catch the movie that they had so carefully planned to share with each other.
Suddenly, as he was pulling up to a space with what seemed to be eight feet on each side, he heard a scream of his name.
“Jamie! Get your tight butt back here.”
“Jamie? Yee-haa, you hit the jackpot this time!”
He knew that he was in trouble, so instantly that he couldn’t believe how fast it happened. It was the football team, the one that had been his protector for so long. And they were crazy about him not having any girlfriends.
He gave the Mustang a load of throttle, trying to get past the “crew”, each in their own cars.
“What are you doing, Jamie...?”
“Don’t worry, just hang on.”
He tapped the brakes, and sped to another row, pulling in a small parking space, barely big enough to hold the car.
“What’s wrong, Jamie? I’ve never seen you react like that. Who was that?”
In anxiety that shook his voice, Jamie said, “Please don’t let them bother , you. They are silly people.”
“I’m not scared, dear. I’m just concerned for you.” She had never expected the surprised and somewhat frightening reaction by the young male. “Can I do anything to help you?”
“Yes, just please, go straight in. I’ll meet you in there.”
“Why should I…”
“Just go.” She left very quickly, but not before the football players, with their varsity jackets and plaid shirts, walked up on the car.
Grabbing Alli, and saying “Sit down, sweetheart, we want to have a chat with the big guy,” they swarmed the car like hornets. Instantly, Jamie knew that he was in trouble. These guys were the ones who were such good friends, but such buttheads. And they knew that the football player in the Mustang was not supposed to be doing this, the game of love.
Immediately, the attack began on the lucky boyfriend’s love life. In the interest of presenting herself well, Alli rested her hands in her lap, unsure of what to do. However, the case was far different for Jamie. He had never been able to produce a girlfriend, because even though he was the football player, and as the story goes, “Man is never complete, lest he be with the other gender,” he was now on the spot.
“So, Jamie, it looks like we have the lady,” the first one said, giving a deep-chest laugh.
“We thought that you would never go out. You said you wouldn’t,” the second, thin man sarcastically inflected.
“I’ve made new of my life, guys. I’m done with my kid antics. I’m going out with someone now.”
“Bull, Jamie! Jocks like you either grab a sweetheart at 14, or you grab nothing at all,” the third, tall one chuckled.
“She’s nice though. And I love her more than anything else in the world.”
With a pause, the players laughed, surely in pure surprise. “You love your car, and your house. You wouldn’t love a girl, because you can’t get the satisfaction out of it. Get out of your stupid mode, ‘Jay’.”
Meanwhile, through all of the events and hubbub, Alli sat perfectly still, sure that her man would take her out of the situation.
The third one piped up to Alli, “So, has he handed you the chocolates? How about the extra grease on the popcorn? Tell me, do his lips taste like Chicken Nuggets? Do yours, ‘hunny pie’?”
Alli was clearly puzzled. She had absolutely no idea what to think about what was happening. In a split second, and just for that amount of time, she thought that this was too much. The strange thing was that she held faith in Jamie, a faith that seemed like it could hold up for years. And though the cold October night seemed to blow in on Jamie and her, she never cared one bit, because the fire that burned inside Jamie spread to her, as if a patch of dry brush stretched between their hearts.
The first player, a chubby lineman, started to reach for Alli, which Jamie pushed his hand away, and announced, “You go ahead. If you touch her, your privates are going to pay for that release of testosterone you just had.”
As if by understanding of the stereotypical situation, the players went “Ooohhh,” and started to laugh. Then, as if on cue, the first one proclaimed “Your testosterone, little boy, is going to make this car rock tonight,” he giggled.
In a fit of rudeness, the three grabbed a side of the car, body, Alli, and Jamie and all, and started to rock the car, while chanting “Jamie, Jamie, Rock and Roll, Got to make his love life whole.”
Jamie could not take much more. He believed that he had struck out already, and that this was the one chance that God gave him, and he saw that chance vanish in front of his eyes, like the fog that enveloped the theater parking lot. It created a metamorphosis in his attitude, from a defensive, retracted state, to one of pure anger.
He told Alli “Wait here, honey,” then said “That’s it, you jackasses.” He nailed the first guy with the door, jumping on his back, and tackling him. The scrum had begun, and Alli had to witness her man brawl like a bear.
To many, fights seem to be the simple-minded man’s way of solving a problem, especially when someone is doing it for redundancies in their definitions of right and wrong. Yet the fight which seems to have validity in everyone’s eyes is the fight for the hand of a lady. It seemed almost like a chivalric code, what Jamie was doing.
Through all of this war over her relationship, Alli showed an external look of total surprise. It was sort of the natural reaction to seeing boys fight; she had always considered it selfish to battle with each other, regardless of the reason or debate. Still, her insides had a consuming flame of belief that though it was a fight lacking considerations, that it was all for a good purpose in the end. She pictured the thought of a man defending her with all his heart and soul, and echoed it in her head with increasing repetition. That flame ate her resistance to Jamie, not only swallowing it, but destroying her thoughts of anything else.
As she thought of this, she saw Jamie take a blow, with his breath leaving him. Falling on the ground, he covered his head, expecting the worst from his football buddies. He was in a great deal of trouble, and now the fate of his well-being relied upon the amount of vehement that the mad jocks had held in them. She instantly thought of taking action. There was no options now; the integrity of her lover had importance, and it would fail soon.
“STOP IT! You all are so inconsiderate! Monsters!” she screamed with intensity and competence, her words echoing in the ears of the players.
They all turned around in total surprise, not sure what to read of the situation. Then, giving a chuckle, the skinny, tall one said “Now, hey babe, you don’t want to keep around this limp noodle! Give me a kiss, and then your hand,” the man belligerently asked, reaching his arm out to the girl.
Alli gave a smirk, and promptly slapped the skinny one across the face. “Get out of here, you prick.” The response came with pure stunned looks across the villains’ faces. No one had ever done that to them, even though they had played the game before. Without another word, the guys whispered almost silently to each other, then stepped aside. Alli swung herself over the door, and grabbed the hand of the fallen hero, stating “Get up, honey, we’re getting away form these people.”
Jamie’s mouth hung open, his eyes crossed and swollen from the fight. Blood ran down his lip, and he barely could walk, his stance hunched over due to lack of air. Giving a weak nod, with the help of Alli, he started to walk to the theater.

Chapter VI

The fight had devastated each of the pair, taking them to the limits of their coexistence. The walk to the theater doors was a simple three-hundred feet, but during that walk, it was going to be a revelation that would occur that would make – or break – their bonds with tied them together.
The walk was the time which Alli wanted to have whatever validation for Jamie’s actions to be told. She was trying not to think about the fight as a terrible, repulsive thing, but rather as a way to discover the real feelings about herself in regards to Jamie.
“Jamie, I know that you were trying to defend me. But why?”
“I thought it was the right thing to do, Alli. It was the only thing.”
“You scared me. I…didn’t know what to think at the time.”
“Those guys are idiots. They were going to get us both. You know that.”
“You can’t stoop to their level. I know you are better than that.”
“I love you too much, Alli. If they invite that kind of stuff, I really have no choice.
“Sweetie, you have all the choice in the world. If you would have just ignored them, you would have saved yourself a lot of trouble. Plus, you’re bleeding all over! You’re going to be sore for weeks!”
“I love you too much. I simply can’t explain it.”
“You don’t have to think with your manhood. Think with your brain – God put it there for a reason.”
They stepped up on the curb. Jamie gave one final, deep breath before he recollected himself for the movie. He realized the magnitude of his error. Instead of playing out the version of the storybook hero, carrying out the woman from the bad guy, and enjoying a kiss as they rode off on the stallion towards the sunset, he was beaten, scratched, and tossed, and saved only by the confidence of his girlfriend. It had the kind of flavor to it that could most be likened to tea sans the sugar: a sour, sickening, bitter taste that pleases less as it penetrates the mouth to the gut. It had almost seemed as if when the punches were flying, that the roles had switched, and they had passed each other as their consciences met and exchanged their roles in the love that they had brewing in between them.
Alli grabbed the door, helping Jamie in the door.
The ticket receptionist took one look at the fallen hero, and said in the classic pinched-nose voice “Can I help you, sir?”
“Two please, to Father Knows Best.”
As stoic as assumed, the receptionist took Jamie’s money, and handed him the printed keys to a romantic night.
Slowly, Jamie pulled open the door. He felt an immersive embarrassment, due to the fact that he progressively made an ever-deepening spectacle of himself. A man of weak heart and of sound mind cannot make such function on the same level when one has been separated from the other. Finding a seat on a bench near the arcade, he sat down, bowing his head in shame. He thoroughly knew that the night was fading fast, and that he had to do something fast to get out of his “funk”.
Alli sat down next to him, mist in her eyes. She knew the look in his eyes, if it was only by the way some of her friends looked. Yet, she had full knowledge that she still had never seen this sadness, this regrettable look in his eyes, and she knew that he had an eternity of love concealed in the soul behind them. “I know that those punches hurt so much, but you did what was honorable. I appreciate that.”
Accented by his fatigue, the lover said “I was stupid. I’ll never do that again. Not in front of a girl, not in front of anyone.”
Understanding the situation, Alli giggled, “Come on, buddy. You are forgiven. Let’s go see that movie. We’ll make up. I’m sure.”
He gave a nod, trying to confirm her line of thought.

Chapter VII

The movie began to roll, exactly on time, to the benefit of the two. Jamie had bought a chicken-bucket sized serving of popcorn. The price had startled him, but he knew that they would need the little kernels of buttered glory to make the night perfect. The lights darkened as they took their seats.
As Jamie took his seat, he whispered “Looks like we have a full house tonight.” Then, as he wanted to continue, he felt Alli’s hand grab his, a firm, steady grasp. She whispered, “You’ve done everything for me. Let me do something for you. I love you, sweetie.”
Through her grasp, he felt her warmth spread. It was like a stream of electricity through wire. She felt it too, but it far more felt like the spread of a funk. It was incredibly tough to hold his hand, because it felt warm to the touch, but cold in her feelings.
He turned over to her and stuttered “Th—thank---you. Thank you so much.”
“Anytime, hunny.”
The main picture started. At once, they stood at attention, and things were great. It was almost as if God had pictured a moment in His head, and played it out to the point of the smallest thing.
A small child sat right next to Alli, and was rudely whispering in full breath, crying for his mother to get his way. The two lovers knew that they were going to have to deal with this corrupt child, but they did not want that to get in the way to creating a better night than the way it had begun.
The child looked up to Alli, and said “Can you play truckies with me?” Little did he realize that his little cup of sugary sweetness was spilling all over Alli’s jeans.
Alli shrieked, her mouth hanging wide open in disgust. She didn’t know what to say, except that her $60 designer label jeans were now going to probably end up in the trash.
The kid chuckled, as her mother said to Alli, “Sorry, sweetie, little Bartholomew does that sometimes.”
Quickly, to get the stain out, Alli told Jamie, “I’m going to the bathroom. I have to get this cleaned up.”
With a nod, they separated for what they hoped was a flash.
Briskly walking to the nearest restroom, Alli felt separated from her love, her one and only. She gazed at the stain, one that resembled a huge blot of red ink. It almost looked as if she had bled from her lower stomach, and that it was symbolic of her failure. She stared at it, and slinging her little purple mini-purse over her shoulder, she saw the bright sign of the lavatory. With increased vigor, she started down, hopefully to cure the ills of a bad night. Giving thought to a small, dark hallway in the theater, she checked her back.
She had little understanding that a monster lurked behind that shadow, one that would bend and twist the meaning of the cliché of amour. For what approached her would put her love to the test.
Reaching the bathroom, Alli angrily pulled on the door. It rattled as the deadbolt held her back from completing her mission. Whispering a curse word under her breath, she turned around.
As she did, an arm grabbed her by the shoulder. Instantly, she shrieked for help, thinking that she had seen the last of her days.
There, Alli saw a significant part of her past, her former love. It was Greg, her old love.
Greg was the other kind of jock, one that never went out with the ladies. He played football, as all the boys in the area did, but he carried around with him an increased emphasis on making his body look good, so he felt good. To many a lady, he burned their love towards him, and for the uninitiated, one can only burn so many times before one of the burns turns into an explosion. For Greg, he would start a fire with his spark-inducing attitude.
“Hello, Allison Schrater. You still haven’t come back to the light.” Greg had no emotion in his voice, and the monotone almost called out to the masses that he ate bees in his time of narcissism.
“Greg, you scared me to death! Don’t ever do that to me again, you creep,” Alli cried in a medium voice, shoving him away.
Immediately, Greg grabbed her arms, and pulled her near. Alli began to scream, but he put her hand over her mouth, saying “What are you doing?”
“I’ve moved on, Greg. We’re no longer a part of the same love. You broke my heart.”
“You know that I still love you, Allison. Don’t ever forget that. You’re nothing without me.”
“I am much better with my new boyfriend, Gregory. You’re below my grading scale,” Alli proudly proclaimed. She was not shaken by the old pair of shoes that she had cast aside when she entered high school. A woman may not have many powers in the world, but her power of love was the one that made the man’s love true.
“Who are you seeing, little girl? Tell me right now. TELL ME!”
“Jamie’s a nice man. He’s the best one out there. Trust me. He has bettered you right here, right now.”
Greg sat stunned. He thought for a second, trying to comprehend who the man who had violently burned his constitution of love.
“Jamie Linchester. The stupid fool. He doesn’t love you, he loves to stick his hands on you. He does! The man wants you for your curves! The curves that belonged TO ME!”
Knowing that now the unspoken deal of secrecy of courtship was broken, she said “Let me go. It’s over. Completely. You’re no longer the one, you’re the zero at the end.”
“TELL ME YOU LOVE ME, ALLISON!”
“No!” she screamed. Knowing that the bathroom was open, but more informed that the situation was going from a simple final shedding to one that could mean someone getting hurt more serious than what was appropriate, she kicked Greg’s knee, releasing the monster’s arms.
Tears in her eyes, she slammed the door on the bathroom, locking it behind her. She had never expected to be like this in public, but she felt that her reaction was quite content. Never experiencing a situation is the story of learning in life, she thought, but yet she would always cherish the opportunity to change it all. Looking herself in the mirror, she saw not the princess that she had always pictured herself to be. Rather, she saw the eyes of someone who was caught unprepared, a person who had wondered what she had done. Her contention went from one of heart and soul to one that only existed in a state of question.
In the theater hall, Jamie gave a little thought to what had happened. Something seemed to be wrong; usually the promptness of her missus would have meant her return. He squirmed in his seat, giving the occasional glance over to the only empty seat in the room. Should I go find her, he questioned himself. If I do, and nothing’s wrong, she might find it strange – and extremely unconfident in the decision making powers of their relationship. Yet, it bothered him so much that his stomach was in a torrent of movement. It was the feeling that there was some trouble, somewhere. And only fixing the problem by going to see what it was would cure it.
He got up from his seat, running down the aisle, curious to see what was wrong. As he turned towards the lavatory, he saw his girl, eyes closed, hand running through her hair. It took no thought to realize that there was a big problem. Knowing his responsibility, he ran down to meet her.
“What’s up, Alli? I’ve never seen you so down before,” he asked, curious to know, so he could do the right thing.
Giving a pause of half-anger, and half-wonder, she said “It’s nothing, Jamie.” She was afraid to say to him about having an ex-boyfriend, because she had no idea whether the idea would fly in the mind of Jamie. It was a sign that maybe she didn’t have the power that she had so graciously given to Jamie the whole way.
Jamie pulled the girl’s hands to his heart, and held them there. He felt that if he could feel what she had in her mind to his heart, that they could be on the save level, if only for once. “There’s something that’s penetrating you, Alli. I can feel it.”
“I just talked to an old friend. We lived some old times.” She stunned herself that this half of a lie slipped from her mouth. It relieved her to say it, but she did not show it, for fear that the man could read it.
“Well, I hope that you had a good discussion with them. I….uh….think we had better go home. You look so upset right now. I’m really sorry,” Jamie muttered, unsure of what to do. What had happened to Alli had started to bother him, too; he felt the tension in the air, tension that gave a chill to the October night in the normally oven-like theater.

Chapter VIII

A new day had dawned on the town. The birds chirped their songs of glory, and the bright colors of the fall showed a picture from the sky of a rainbow from the earth. The sun shone greatly, and it looked as if there was not any threat of rain for a year. It was going to be a warm day, Jamie and Alli thought almost simultaneously through their minds, and it would be a great day to make picture-perfect their love, as it was that day.
Jamie looked out the window, one that had a view over a great valley, the suburbs stretching out for his eyes to examine and awe at. He remembered what had happened last night, and thought of the best way to turn a problem that had decreased the solitude of their love to one that would make a solution that could make it the best love that God could make on His Earth.
Entering the room was Jamie’s mom, who had watched over him since he was little. They had a very close relationship with each other, since his dad died when he was in the first grade. During Jamie’s little years, he had often spent time with his grandparents, who lived in a small ranch house nearby. In fact, Jamie had spent a relatively quantity-rich amount of time in that house, and in return, his grandparents had spent most of their senior years caring for Jamie.
“You don’t look so good, dear.” She put a well-placed kiss on her son’s cheek, saying to him without a word that he was loved.
“It’s my girlfriend. She was crying, very upset last night. I can’t believe that she would be that mad at someone, or something.”
“I know what a girl wants from her man, hunny.” The mother made her son’s head turn to her, and he gave her all his attention. “You got to earn her back. Buy her something, dear.”
“Will that work?” asked the novice lover.
“There’s nothing, dear, like her favorite little box of chocolates. Trust me.” She placed another kiss, and said “I got to go make my beds, do some cleaning. See you in a little bit.” She left, with her son still staring out the window, curious on what to do. He wondered exactly what she meant by little box of chocolates. It seemed tough already to deal with the grief of what Alli had breathed out of her at the cinema, and so he gave some thought. He decided that he would go to the mall, and hopefully it would come to him.
The bad air had spread over to Alli’s house, although it may have been better stated that the bad air may have made its return with a vengeance to there. She woke up late that Saturday morning, aching from the mental stress that seemed to burn her body, like fire. Staring at the ceiling, one could only make a draw that looking in her eyes made her appear to be lifeless, a cadaver engulfed in embarrassment and disgust. As she closed her eyes, she pictured Jamie, lost in the woods, trying to find the light. It was strange, and although it may have been just a small dream, it made her feel much better after she had done it. She had realized that she did have someone to lean on, and he was looking for her right now.
Immediately, she rose from her bed, and grabbed her phone, nervously dialing the number of Jamie. She felt that she had to talk to him. If she did not, it was going to bug her for the rest of the day.
A ringing phone set the air in sound at Jamie’s house. Alli had little knowledge that her boyfriend had left already, to go on a covert mission to buy his love her “box of chocolates”. Answering the phone was Jamie’s mom Dana.
“Hello there,” Dana asked politely. “Hi, Ms. Linchester? This is Alli, a friend of Jamie’s. Is he there?” Not knowing how to answer, but holding it in her heart that she could say the right thing, the protective mother said “He went out to buy some food for a neighbor of ours. He might be back soon, I’ll call you if he does.” Unsure, and slightly unconfident, Alli said “Well, I guess my dad could give you the phone number. I’ll give you the phone number of my cell phone. He’s the organized one around here.”
A gruff voice came on the phone. “Mr. Schrater? This is Ms. Linchester. Alli put me on the phone.” A pause followed. “Call me Bill. How are you doing tonight?” Puzzled at the generosity in kindness that the man presented, she said “Call me Dana. I’m good. Actually, I need a phone number from you.” With an OK, Bill gave the number to her in a slow, careful procedure that many doctors would envy. “Alright, so, Bill, I hope to see you or talk to you soon. OK?”
With an alright, and a pair of OK’s, they hung up.
Meanwhile, Jamie was at the mall, at the card store. He had never bought a bunch of chocolates for anyone. He had wondered about what really was upsetting Alli, and whether chocolates would really do it. The prices of chocolate, too, were quite scary, as the best looking ones from the premier chocolate makers often ran at about forty or fifty dollars.
A man of about 40, ironic because he would most likely fit as his “daddy”, stood next to the young Romeo.
“Prices are so high today, bro,” the man friendly stated.
“Yea, I know. But nothing is good enough for my woman. Nothing.”
The man gave a hesitant but obvious chuckle. “Man, if my wallet would only agree, I would praise you forever.”
“Well, doing a good thing for your girl, in its easiest, would be best if I could tell her I love her, with only her subconscious knowing.”
“Well, I work at FedEx, bro, if you ship it from us, she would know immediately. But I could ship it anonymous, same price, if I pull a little bit of strings.”
“Yeah,” Jamie said hesitantly. Then, it appeared to him like an angel: That was perfect! A superb idea! “Yeah! That’s it!”
“Just remember, the smaller and more square, the easier to ship. I always sent her the ‘Square Box O’ Pure Love’! Only $19.95 too!”
“Thank you sir!” Jamie proclaimed. He was enlightened, and felt so good, that he wanted to hug the man. As he reached out, and began this gross gesture, he held back, and said “Oh, sorry, I’m just a little overfriendly.”
The guy gave a chuckle, one that reflected experience in the situation. “Hope you can put that gusto when you tell your girlfriend that you love her.”
And so, Jamie bought the ticket to having a friend for life. He knew that this was the lowest-risk way of telling his girl that he loved her dearly. For what he was about to do hearkens back to the days of the Romantic lovers, which gave the love of their life a sweet-smelling flower. Dominated by it was the cliché that it proposed, but like a cat with a string, no matter how many times you do it, as all men think, it always gives the same reaction. It shows that kindness in love is the instinct that seems to never grow old, amusing the initial time as well as the one that could occur a half-century later.

Chapter IX

Alli soon became bored from waiting on the phone. She tried to force herself from believing that she had violated the psychological cushion that Jamie had thrown up in response to his first date. The scared, awestruck Jamie seemed to make a chill that forced bitterness to the October air. It really was quite bothersome to the both of them, but it seemed to be more of an external thing. She decided to go down to the Lincoln Shopping Center, to have a shake at the drugstore. It was rare that these edifices that seemed to be on every city corner, were now as extinct as disco. Yet for someone under stress, the cool curves of the diner-like building were quite comforting to one who had delved into depression.
She dressed in a pair of flip-flops and khaki pants, with a cute T-shirt saying My boys are like linebackers to me….they always give me a rush.
As she came down the steps, her father gave her a quick look-over. He exhibited his typical strictness on his beloved daughter. It was the kind of thing that he knew that he would have to give her, along with the undeniable blessing of a special love.
“Daddy, I’m going down to the Super-Rex to get a shake. I’ll be back soon.” She tried carefully to sneak out with as little hubbub as possible, but as she opened the screen door to a cold blast of the autumn air, her dad took the opportunity to give his “checks and balances” to his “little cupcake”.
“Do you have your cell phone with you? How about bus fare?” She gave her answers in slick sequence, saying “Yes, it’s on, ringer on mid-level. And I have $4.80 for the bus. Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll be safe. Trust me, I’m not 16 anymore.”
“OK, I trust you, hunny. Don’t make me ground you again, little missie.” They placed a kiss on each other’s cheek, and she wished her dad well.
The brightness and happiness seemed to prevail in the Schrater house. However, at a fast-food restaurant not far from where the two would meet, Greg, the former love of Alli, sat at a beat-up table. Cigarette in mouth, and pack of mints ready, he called a young lady over to his table. His love interests were not of relevance, as he was preparing to do such a hideous act, one of unparalleled deviousness, and one of such poor taste, that it would put him in the criminals’ lair of lovers.
“You’re Beth Morgelli, right?” he said to the girl, in which the girl gave a innocent nod. “So, we are both former friends of Jamie Linchester, right?” Another nod followed. “I know that he had given you a very hard time. Quite a prick to you.” She gave a nod, without reluctance at all. “Well, we both want our old friends back. I know you hate him, so I have a plan. I saw him over at the chocolate store. He’s going to be coming out soon. What I want you to do is try to misdirect him. He’s been going out to see my girl, and I absolutely hate him for doing that. You do this, and I swear to God, you will reap the rewards.”
There was a group of ill manner in the room, one that really reflected the work of the Devil. It was the kind of thing that gave love its impurity in all its forms. It seemed to go like a sickness, an illness, and when it infected, it spreads like the super-virus it is.
The girl slinked out the door of the restaurant, leaving a smiling Greg ready to see the love life of his anti-Christ fall to pieces. When he thought about it, it echoed through the long halls of his brain, and pleasure operated as a function of how much it rotted in him.
The girl snuck in the door, searching for the prize fish, Jamie. Scanning thoroughly for him, she spotted him over at the shipping clerk’s desk. Approaching him from behind, she tapped him on the shoulder, as he signed the paper to ship the gift.
“Wait a second, whosever back there.” Putting his last scratch to the shipping form, he turned around.
“Hey there, Jamie. It’s been a long time. I’ve come back to make you mine again.” She gave a gesture as if she wanted to hug him. As she gave her best effort to make her little thing look real, she received a very startled look from Jamie.
As expected, Jamie didn’t know what to do. He had forced himself out of this situation a long time ago, and he really wasn’t capable of handing the situation in the manner that he really preferred. His mind seemed to be going in every single direction, all at the same time. The main reason that Jamie broke up with Beth was the fact that Beth was looking through him whenever they talked. Every single time they got together, the bonds that are so important for two people to be in love for real seemed to come and go like the tide. Although they did talk to each other as friends, Alli was really the first real girlfriend that Jamie had. It was just like a really close relationship in the other cases.
On the other hand, Beth really was in love with Jamie. She had gone through many boyfriends, each seeming to reflect her ideals. The thing was that she had made her love like a five-year old assembles a sentence: well planned and perfect at first, then heading downhill, a false Utopia which seemed to make her craving to start it all over even more attractive. However, Jamie was really the closest thing that ever happened to being a perfect match. Yet her hands, greased with lust, made Jamie slip through before she could get a firm grasp.
Not a few hundred feet away, Alli stepped off the bus, gaining a stare from the significantly greater aged bus driver. The thought of the milkshake at the Super-Rex made her mout water intensely. The cool October morning had warmed up to a late-spring-like seventies, perfect weather for a stroll in the park with the friends, or just good to sit on a porch and have a chat.
Jamie found himself in a very tight situation – literally – as Beth picked him apart. She had the dedication of a former lover’s revenge. It was her only thought, one that had the carnivorous method of a starved lion. Sweet revenge in love, she thought, is best when it has time to ferment.
“So, Jamie. Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. Do you want me back? I still love you!” she commanded, grabbing his face.”
“Well, Beth, I thought you said that we could never, ever be one of the same again. Those are your exact words, right?” He made a statement which seemed to answer his own question: Did she really love him that much?
“No, no, no, hunny, I just told a big, giant, watermelon-sized lie. I want you back. Love is forever, right?”
“I said to you, Beth, that true love is forever. This isn’t true love at all. I don’t mind being your friend, I just think that it’s…better if we don’t see each other. It’s not right.”
Beth gave a look of puzzlement, but steady command of the situation. “Well, if you don’t love me anymore, then you have to do something for me.” With a glance, and a simple look of disgust from Jamie, she said “You have to give me one last kiss, to seal the deal. After that, I will never, ever, ever, ever bpther you about it again. I promise.”
There were a thousand things going through his head.
Well, at least I can get this girl off me. Oh God.
As long as no one sees who can say anything.
If her lipstick stays on there, I’m in deep crap.
Hope she doesn’t see that package.
Here goes nothing.
They put their lips together, enjoying the few seconds that it would take to finally break up a very long quarrel. Beth enjoyed every last moment of it, and she wanted to go deeper and deeper into it.
The days were getting colder that October morning. Yet they would not reflect the cold heart that Jamie had given. And a great experience in love would end with the passing of the woman on the cheating man.




Chapter X

Alli made her progress towards the drugstore. She gave it some thought that she would walk on the sidewalk, because she had the creeps from walking in the middle of the road. She thought of how Jamie would be there in her heart, and how she felt so bad about what happened. However she could make it up to him, she thought, she would do. This was the real thing.
She walked through a pair of cars, then in a show of pure surprise, she saw Jamie’s Mustang, open-top and all. Eureka! she thought. This would be the best time to make it up to him. If she could find him, she could explain to him what happened, and so the wounds would begin to heal. She even thought of her favorite restaurant. In fact, they would go to it that night. It sat right next to the copy shop, and so she would go down, and make reservations as soon as possible. It was a situation without flaw, and only two people in true love could make the situation immaculate.
As she walked by the copy shop, she saw Jamie kissing Beth, and enjoying it completely. All the love and enjoyment supposed to be funneled to Alli, was now being spent on some cheap nobody. It devastated her, so deep in her heart, that it tore apart her soul won whether to forgive and forget, or just to plain forget.
There was no excuse for this now. Alli stormed in the door, screaming in her most masculine voice, “Jamie! What are you doing?”
He turned towards Alli, making eye contact quickly.
Realizing her mission was complete, Beth said “See you again, in a couple of weeks, Jamie. I love you always.” She blew a kiss, and ran out in complete joy.
“I guess I have a lot to explain to you.” He knew that no matter what he said, it would not erase from the caverns of Alli’s mind the fact that he was caught with another woman. Men can understand the concept, and tend to forget it rather easily – in fact, typically the next night. However, for the women, the concept of a love is so uniform, and so noble, that anything that makes it lose its royalty, makes love one of the things that only sinners can enjoy.
“You’re not that ‘rookie lover’, are you? You lied to me!” she stated boldly, her emotions spilling out, falling on the floor at the feet of Jamie.
“I was trying to get rid of her! She asked to be kissed. I had to give it to her! I did! Trust me!” he futilely proclaimed, his luck disappearing in front of him. “Trust me! I still love you!”
Unfazed, she boldly stated “You can only have one person in your life to love. Obviously, you have made your choice, and I hope that you are pleased and content with it.” She began to walk out of the shop, understanding that she was now all alone again, all to herself. She would probably never go fishing for a boy again, at least in her current attitude. It would never make sense to do this all over again. She was done.
Jamie pursued her out, trying to give every last chance for her to change her mind, or rather for him to dig a bigger hole to get himself out of.
“She tempted me. I was just trying to do what was the best for us. She was acting like a total loser. I never loved her at all. I never wanted to be in this situation.”
Turning quickly in disgust, she stated “First of all, I don’t care if she was a loser or not. She was kissing you. You did love her, secondly, because I could see the love in her eyes. Third, if you didn’t want to be in this situation, DON’T CHEAT IN THE FIRST PLACE!” She turned back to her path, and briskly walked away from the man.
For Jamie, this was quite the worst of luck. Beth, his former love, had put him in a situation in which destroyed his ego, as well as put him into a great depression. In many ways, it was simply bad luck, and just plain bad timing. However, he knew that when he had made friends, especially ones of female nature, that once you make good friends, especially ones of a more close nature, that the dice can be rolled, every time. And that is not the innuendo it may seem. It was not the same way for everyone, though.
Alli ran as fast as her feet could carry her, not slowing down even for her fatigue. She really was not thirsty for a milkshake as much as she was dry for justice. In fact, she was going straight home, going to catch the bus, which was making its return trip from town. In effect, she was making her return trip to normal life, without a person to hug at the end of the day.

Chapter XI

(One and a half days later)

The October weather had turned for the worse. The sun had hidden its face behind clouds of gray, afraid to reveal its face on a very dreary day. In many ways, October seemed to be the month of fading, the month of last life disappearing until the natural slumber of visual life. A flood of rain deluged the area that the two now former lovebirds had inhabited. As for their attitudes, it was most appropriate that both were in quite a set of doldrums.
Jamie had spent his day going to college a few miles away from his house. He had spent many an hour looking up at the sky, asking if God really wanted him to be this way, whether the things that had happened were in His plan. He found it hard to believe that a love like that had come and gone so fast, that it could be a daily gypsy act, come and gone like a bullet train.
Alli had spent the entire weekend staring into her pillow, going through phases of crying, phases of nervous laughter, and phases of just plain awe. Even though she had confidently believed herself to be the lover whom everyone could look up to, she found herself to discover a set of new paradoxes at every mental glance at him. She had her quiet confidence, one which said to her that Jamie was not interested in her anymore, that she should move on. Yet every time she thought about it, she saw Jamie sitting in his car, looking at the empty seat beside him. Jamie may have been a cheater, but yet she had a hard time imagining the fact that the relatively docile Jamie would go and create such an occasion. To put it simple, she had no emotion but all emotion.
Mr. Schrater knocked on the door of Alli’s room, puzzled as to why she had only left her room to head to school and back. She had taken everything from a bag of potato chips to a six-pack of cherry soda up there, and so he wondered about how dirty the room was, lest about her little girl.
“Hey Allison? Can you open the door? Papa wants to talk to you.” With that, she slunk over to the door, rubbing her eyes vigorously to hide the fact that she was in a great deal of angst. Opening the door slowly, she quietly answered “Hello, Daddy. How are you?”
“I’m just tired, I’ve had a very hard day. I haven’t gotten any sleep.”
“Well, there’s a package that came in the mail for you. It’s sitting on the dining room table. Open it soon, I hate the anxiety that comes with packages.”
In total ignorance, Alli looked up at the ceiling, and sighed, hands on her lap. “Dad, I had a boy problem yesterday. It was that guy, Jamie. He was looking at another girl, kissing her on her lips. I can’t stand it when he did that, and I’ll never forgive him for it.”
Pointing to the bed, Mr. Schrater pointed down to the bed, and asked her to sit down. It was going to be a father/daughter conversation, and an important one.
“You know, I had the same trouble with a lady. Your mom, of course.
“When your mom came to me for the first time, I thought that she was the best thing to come across the wandering eyes of myself. She was the lady that made the men turn heads. Yet I took it to fact that her good looks meant that she would make a fine lady to be in love with. Unfortunately, she took my love in a totally different way. As a result, my mistakes led me to have you. And I felt guilty after she took off with her pride, and all that was left was a little baby and a man who really didn’t have the time nor the money to raise a kid.
“Yet even though I had you, and I thought my life would never be the same, I looked at t positively. I have the best friend in the world in you, and you will always be my little baby. So, before you make a conclusion, trust me, in all cases for and against your will and well-being, take a second to analyze the picture. It may not be as bad as it seems.”
The speech that Alli’s dad gave was one that seemed to stand firm in a time of change. She really listened to it, completely surprised that her dad would be able to make a stand which made perfect sense, and yet came from a masculine point of view.
“Well, Daddy, I’m glad you still care about me. I hope that I can make it with him. I was just so mad at Jamie, and I just felt that it was unjustified, what he did. It was unfortunate, but it was the confident thing to do.”
“Well, honey, I know it may sound strange, but I think it’s about time that I let you do what you wanted. Just maybe. For once.” Mr. Schrater confidently believed that his little girl had finally found her place in the world, and for once, he felt free of the burden of raising his little girl.
Getting up, Mr. Schrater patted Alli on the back, and said “Well, all I want you to do is fix the situation. Go and do the thing you most truly believe in. And clean up in here when you come back.”
For Alli, this was the moment of enlightenment. For all the times when she hated her father for being so “old fashioned”, so conservative, this was the time when her father opened up to her. She almost felt like this was a dream, but her dreams didn’t usually come out this way. In her dreams, she had it made. But she felt strange about it, and she needed to have a sign that would say that everything was OK.
She ventured downstairs to see what had been sent to her. Packages always seemed to be exciting to her, as they were little presents from the postman. She was already in a high state of happiness, but what was in the box would make her love to Jamie one that Shakespeare would have scribbled down to make his epics.
Rushing downstairs, she found her little box of surprises from an anonymous sender. The sound of tearing cardboard and the screech of ripping packing tape filled the room. She didn’t know whom it was from, but she could feel the warmth from the box in her heart.
When the popcorn was removed, a little box revealed itself. It was labeled “To the finest girl I know….”. She opened it up, and out popped a music box, in the shape of a heart. It played a song that she distinctly could remember from Father Knows Best, the movie that they had seen. And the stunning part was when she wound it up, she heard not only the music box’s metallic jingle, but a voice of distinctly her love.
A little recording said “I’m really feeling sorry for not being myself that night. So, to prove myself, I’m going to give my gift of song. Here goes nothing.”
Alli smiled, clutching the heart of wood next to her heart of love.

I’m feeling the world, the weight on my shoulders
So hold my heart ever so tight, and I’ll hold yours
We can make it in love until the end of time
And then someday I can finally call it mine.

I never thought it got to this
That true love would be hit or miss
But when the stars shine in the deep of night
I know that your love is always out of sight.

So when we see each other once more
Our love for each other makes my heart soar
So though we may be going apart in our ways
Our love holds together for all of days.

“I hope I didn’t break any glass in your house. If I did, send me the bill. I hope you’ll feel better soon, and then I can get your heart back where it can be near mine. See ya, Alli. Jamie out.”
A tear bloomed from the eye of Alli. She felt that this was the brightness of her day, the light on the dreariest October evening in ages. And even though God threw down a tempest of rain to try to throw off her brightness, she knew God was right there, and that even He couldn’t stop her from having a great day.

Chapter XII

Jamie sat down on his couch, in a trance-like state. The TV blurted out its ads for home appliances, and the occasional cleaning agent made for sale at only $19.95. He didn’t know what to say, how to say it, or why to say what to say. So, he just held his mouth shut, keeping in line a self imposed vow of silence. That was all that mattered at the time. And so, even though he could utter neither word nor phrase his mind formed a thesaurus of reasons why and why not to go see Alli. So, he just decided to let it sit in the back of his mind for a little while.
Dana, the loving mother of Jamie, noticed the sulking boy while wiping the inside of a glass with a rag. She knew something was up, and could tell by the look that she had seen on many men when they were apologizing to her after a long night and a bad morning.
“Dear, what’s bugging you? I know that it’s some sort of girl trouble.”
Stunned, Jamie bumbled “How did you know?”
Dana knew it very well. “Son, when you’ve seen the total crop of boys, you tend to see the bad apples as soon as the barrel is opened.” Kissing him, she told him “Trust me, Mama’s always right.”
“Well, my girl, Alli, she caught me cheating on somebody. Well, not cheating exactly, but she assumed that my old friend Beth was my girl, and she caught Beth kissing me, and….” He rambled constantly, much to the disgrace of his tired-eared mother.
“Hang on, is this that Beth girl who you never liked in the first place?” She asked a silly question, almost making her laugh.
“Yes, Beth. I never talked to her again, and never want to again.”
Now understanding, Dana said “Well, it sounds like you have to do double work for a little while. I will use this as an example – “ she held up two glasses, each fresh from the dishwasher, “If I try to clean one glass at a time, it’s easy. In fact, it doesn’t take much focus at all. But if I try to do both, then I bumble them, break them both, and neither one is clean nor usable again. So, do one thing at a time. For God’s sake, take that into light.”
“Well, er, Mom, thanks for the insight,” he said, blowing a kiss on his mom’s cheek. Puzzled as he was, he tried to set everything straight, which didn’t seem to come as natural to himself as he thought it would. Still, he felt a little better, and gave the thought some logic and reasoning.
As if by total irony, his mom said “You’re my little bundle of joy. And I will always love you.” She gave him a hug.
Oh no! Jamie thought. The package was in the mail! And Alli would be getting it soon! And that would be the end of it all!
“Hang on, Mom, I’ll be right back!” he said, running to find his car keys.
Sheesh, Dana thought. I didn’t think that my speech was that effective. She sighed in relaxation, promptly going to pay attention to her dinnerware.
Jamie, meanwhile, drove as fast as he could get his Mustang up to. He was worried that if she opened the package that any last chance that he would have at Alli would vanish like the sun into the long October night.
As he pulled up to the house, he screeched the tires on his horsepower-laden car, waiting to run up to catch her as soon as possible.
She came out running to the car, tears in her eyes flushed away by a long, steady downpour. And she had her eyes focused on Jamie, her love of her life.
And as soon as the two met, they both enjoyed a long, lush, God-blessed kiss, one that would stand for the ages. It seemed to them as if the whole set of debates, the struggles, and everything, all went to the trash bin of the mind, disappearing into the air, zapped by the command of the Almighty. And it was the best thing that could happen.
“Jamie, I love you. I love you so so so so so so much!”
“You did open the package, right?” He wanted to slap himself.
“It’s all understood. Trust me. You are the one I want. And I will never ever ever change my mind. Not even for a moment.”
“Well, I guess I don’t have to explain to you what happened.”
“Trust me, I remembered. You were in the shipping store. That thing on the counter was yours. So you actually sent me your love before you cheated on that girl.”
Well, what can I say? He thought. She’s smart.
“Well, maybe it’s not so good that we kissed….” He paused for a second. “But who cares what’s good?” He laughed out loud, and said “Thank you, God!” he said, giving a deep, hearty kiss to Alli.
The sound of clapping hands rung throughout the rain. “Nicely done, slick! But come on in, you’ll catch cold!”
But then, they both thought,

When you’re in love, does it really matter?

THE END

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