Note: Today is Columbus day.

But, my friends, it is also Cristina's birthday.

And, I decided to write her a story, since presents should be given on one's birthday, even though her party is Saturday.

And, since Cristina is a nun in disguise, I had to make this sweet and nice.

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT WAS?

Thus, this story had only one cuss word, and that's because of the song.

Her Eyes-Pat Monahan
For Cristina.

She's not afraid; she just likes to use her night light
When she gets paid, true religion gets it all
If they fit right

She's a little bit manic, completely organic
Doesn't panic for the most part

She's old enough to know, and young enough not to say no
To any chance that she gets for home plate tickets to see the Mets
Like everybody, she's in over her head,
Dreads Feds, Grateful Dead, and doesn't take meds

She's a Gemini Capricorn
Thinks all men are addicted to porn
I don't agree with her half the time,
But, damn I'm glad she's mine

Joe Hardy folded his arms over his chest, his eyes set on the girl a few feet away from him, scrolling through her play list and doing homework.

Study hall was a place for thinking, talking, music listening, and homework doing.

Right now, Joe was going with the thinking.

He had known Iola Natalie Morton for almost all his life. She had started out as the girl next door, but the day she invited him over to play, and his mom made him, that all changed.

They were eight, young, idiotic, and had no clue about the world beyond their backyard.

He had shown up thinking that she would make him play Barbie's, tea party, and dress up.

Instead she grabbed him by the hand, and dragged him outside. She then walked up to Mr. Morton and begged him to take them to the local department store.

Oh no, he though, not shopping.

Instead, they ran through the isles, tried on everything, got muffins and cookies, and threw pennies over the escalator at passersby.

She then became a friend.

Just five years later, she became a crush, when she took him to a baseball game with her family in August. Oddly, it was the first time he had seen her all summer.

She wore makeup, was a C-cup, waxed her eyebrows, straightened her hair,

But, she still wore her boy shorts, baggy T, and Mets baseball cap.

She was beautiful.

Now, three years later, here he sat, watching her, at sixteen, she still amazed him.

And spent most days at his house.

He scared the crap out of him whenever she drove anywhere, was a technically Gemini, acted like a Capricorn, once, while playing at the department store told him cowboy hats made her look fat.


Her eyes, that's where hope lies
That's where blue skies
Meet the sunrise
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home

She got the kinda strength that every man wishes he had
She loved Michael Jackson up until he made Bad

Tells me that she lives about a hundred lives,
Scares me to death when she thinks and drives,
Says cowboy hats make her look fat,
and I'm so glad she's mine

Joe watched her as she carefully slipped her white headphones out of her ears, and started humming. Humming? He thought to himself as he watched her delicute pale hand gracefully push a strand of her rich brown hair out of her dark deep brown eyes. Who chooses humming over music?

Iola had always been like that, though, with her open and wide sense of humor, never ending spunkiness, love for sugary things to help her sleep, and was a vegetarian.

He never really understood her, but maybe that's why she was in love with her.


Her eyes, that's where hope lies.
That's where blue skies
Meet the sunrise
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home

Oh, and she had a wicked temper. It took a lot of work to make her mad, but when you did…duck, she will throw things. She seemed to enjoy glass objects.

Joe was still staring at her, since, she was much more beautiful then his history homework.

He had known her forever, seen her forever, but sometimes it felt as if he was seeing her for the first time.

She never gave up, was a constant source of life, liked all people from all places, brightened a room, and didn't seem to know the word impossible.

Joe watched as her eyes slowly looked around the room, as if she never wanted to forget every detail of the average every day class room, as if behind this walls was a world of light.


She doesn't know the word 'impossible'
Don't care where I've been and doesn't care where we're goin' to
She takes me as I am, and that ain't easy.
She's beautiful. So beautiful

And sometimes I think she's truly crazy
And I love it

Her eyes, that's where hope lies
That's where blue skies
Always meet the sunrise
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home

Why did she ask so many questions? Why did she hate the concept of porn? Why did she not eat meat? Why did she like the Mets when they lived in NEW YORK! Why did she not care what others thought? How did she have the strength to do it? Why did she stop at red lights and cut coupons or file her nails?

He never understood her, but if he did he wouldn't love her.

He had wanted to ask her out forever, but how does an extra ordinary boy ask an extraordinary girl out?

Her eyes, that's where hope lies.
That's where blue skies
Always meet the sunrise
Her eyes, that's where I go
When I go home

This is it…I'll do it. He thought to himself as he walked over there.

"Will you go out with me?"
He asked her once he reached her table, shocked that his voice wasn't shaking, not surprised that his hands were.

Iola looked at him, brown meeting blue, making a color unknowable, and smiled.

"Sure."

God, he loved her eyes.

She's not afraid
she just likes to use her night light…