Thank you for your reviews. As usual, I owe nothing associated with OTH, but Maddie is mine.

Chapter 2

I get back to the house at my own pace, after both Nate and Maddie disappeared ahead. The HCM medicine won't let me keep up with them anyways. Nate and Maddie are standing outside, Maddie looking smug, and Nate clearly out of breath.

"You crazy dog. You're two-timing Peyton with Supergirl."

"I'm not two-timing anyone, little brother. But I'm glad Maddie gave you a run for your money. The season is starting in a few weeks, and we gotta have our star player in shape."

Maddie just scowls at him. "Well, if you want to have a chance at a title this year, buster, you better start working out . You're gonna be hitting the ground in the fourth quarter, the way you are now."

"Lucas, she is channeling Dan now. I'm going inside, try to find some nicer people."

She turns her scowl to me. "What happened to you? You ran out of steam long before I would have expected."

I'm not sure I am ready to get into that with Maddie, but after yesterday, she does deserve the truth from me. "I have a heart condition called HCM. It's genetic, our father has it, and, thank goodness, Nate doesn't. I can exercise, keep in shape, even play basketball for fun. But I can't play competitive sports. I found out about it last year. The medication keeps my heart from beating too fast. That means I just get tired early."

I look into her eyes looking for pity, but all I see is sadness and a bit of anger. She comes up to me and touches my chest. "That blows."

"It sure does. But that's how it is with competitive sports, isn't it?. You put your whole heart into it, and one bad injury just takes it all away. Do you still compete?"

"Yup. I get into a mixed martial arts card now and then. Not often, because there's only a dozen odd girls competing in my weight class in the country. I'm eight and oh."

I can't keep the awe from my voice, "Supergirl, indeed."

"I never intended to make a living with it. Still, I don't know what I would do if it was taken away."

I sit on the sidewalk, thinking about loss, and she sits beside me. I put my arm around her shoulder, and she leans against me. It surprises me how comforting it is.

"I want to see you playing. Do you have a video of the championship game?"

"Sure. You know, like most things that happened in my life last year, there is a complicated background story around that game. I would really like you to read the book first. Then we can watch the game together. What do you say?"

"That's fine. Do you want to hang out again tonight?"

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"Just dinner and a movie. I'll cook. I'm pretty good."

"Any preferences as far as movies go?"

"What about something scary? I like scary movies, but I never watch them alone."

"Perfect. Say, seven?"

"That's fine. Bring some ice cream. Cookies'n Cream."

"I'll also bring the movie, and a bottle of wine. I have a fake ID. White or red?"

"Red. I'll be cooking meatloaf. With mashed potatoes and green beans. And pie for desert."

"Comfort food. Just the ticket. Do you need a husband?"

"Wait until you try it, silly, then you can propose."

Now, if that isn't a date, I don't know what that means anymore.

I go to half a dozen auto shops in town, until I find one that suits me. They are willing to start me at fifteen per hour, raising it to twenty five after three months if they like my work. I sign up for a minimum of sixteen hours per week, which, after the raise, will be enough for my share of the living expenses, plus some beer money. I'm pretty sure it was my car that got me the job. I go back home to kill some time with Nate, but Haley was already back too. She is going to waitress in a diner downtown. The hourly pay is shit, but, knowing Hales, she will make more money than me, just in tips. With the two of us working, we'll make enough money to cover rent and expenses. Nate will just focus on basketball, and do most of the daytime baby duty.

Earlier, I had e-mailed a copy of Ravens to a store for printing and binding. I picked it up on the way back, and I was still carrying it when I got home.

After we had reported to each other on the job situation, Haley notices I'm carrying a manuscript, and grabs it to take a look. "A copy of Ravens. Is that for Maddie?"

"Yup. She is cooking dinner for me tonight."

"You just met her yesterday. What's the deal between you and this girl?"

"She is special, Hales, and I don't really know why. For one, there is quite a bit of chemistry between us. I'm attracted to her, and she certainly behaves as if she was attracted to me as well. But it is not only that. She is very sharp, an incredible listener, and seems to have a great heart. If it wasn't for our long-distance people, I think we would soon be together. I am not intending to break up with Peyton over her. For one, that's not a good way to start something new. Despite that, I get the feeling she's going to be a big part of my life, at least as a friend for now."

"Then you're gonna have to bring her around. I want to get to know her better. I heard she whupped my husband's ass at running this morning. I was thrilled, having him taken down a peg by a girl. So, aside from being a super miniature jock, what's her deal?"

"I don't really know. I get the impression that she wants to be a cop. What I know is that she is really smart and, and a great listener. She is also terribly lonely here."

"I can see that she is good for you, bil. Just be careful. You've had enough girl trouble to last a lifetime."Do you mind taking care of stinky there? He could use a bath. I'm going for a bath myself, and I'll fix dinner. Anything you want? Nate went to the store, and should be back soon."

"I'm supposed to be at her place around seven."

"All right, I just want a full report about her reaction, to the book. Bring her over on Friday, for pizza and a movie, the four of us."

"Sure thing, sis. Just, instead of pizza, I'll cook dinner."

"All right. An offer I cannot refuse. I just hope she likes girlie movies."

I knocked on her door, and I just heard her shout to get in and come to the kitchen. I look around, and her place is a tiny one-bedroom, with a girl-jock, cop fanatic decor. There's a poster of Serena Williams, another one of Law and Order, trophies and medals, a picture of a younger Maddie with another girl fighter, the ref between them, holding her hand up. There's plenty of books, several of crime scene investigation, profiling, investigative techniques, plus, Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, the Twilight series, and old beat up copies of a Catcher in the Rye and Moby Dick.

She turned off the stove, and came to greet me. I gave her a single white rose, not too romantic, but suitable for a beautiful girl, which she placed in a little vase. I also gave her a bottle of Merlot, the copy of Ravens and a dvd of Aliens. She came close, and I had to stoop a bit, as she went on tiptoes to give me a peck in the cheek. She was wearing a Santa Barbara Police Department t-shirt, that reached mid thigh, barefoot. As far as I could see, that was it. She had these runner legs, every muscle shaped and defined.

"You don't have to be undressing me in your mind, Luke. I'll show you the whole thing, if you want. I'm quite proud of it. Four percent body fat. She puts her arms up, which raises the t-shirt until I can see the tiny jeans shorts she is using underneath, and spins around."

The minx bunches up her t-shirt and ties a knot on the side. Now I can also see her six-pack, and the muscles on her back. She's got curves too. A tiny waist, sexy dimples on her back, and the suggestion of a small, but very sweet pair of boobs.

"You know you're incredibly sexy, don't you?"

"Yup, if you like muscle on a girl, which you apparently do. You're the first boy to call me beautiful, but I've been called hot and sexy plenty of times. And I like showing off, so just put up with me."

I look at the amazing little package in front of me and smile. "I may need a cold shower tonight before bed."

"Oh, I have a date with a plastic friend later tonight. So, which first, movie or dinner?"

"I say dinner. I'm hungry, and the smells are really good."

"All right, set it up, as I finish dinner." I serve the wine, toss a salad and set up plates, candles and the little vase with the white rose at the center of her dining room table. We eat, drink wine, and talk, about growing up in Santa Barbara and in Tree Hill, about martial arts and about basketball. Maddie is sharp, intensely curious about everything and a great storyteller, with an eye for detail.

She tells me several stories about her father's cases, and about law enforcement in general, and I realize she tends to see the world in sharp contrasts of black and white, although her notion of right and wrong seems to be very personal. I argue that we live in a world full of moral ambiguities, where shades of gray are the norm. We end up discussing the ending of Steinbeck's "Of mice and men", one of my favorite novels.

"George had no choice in the matter. He knew how dangerous Lennie was, and what Curley had in store for him."

"There's always choice, beautiful. George had to live with having killed Lennie the rest of his days. I'm sure that didn't sit easy in his soul. Love, and life, often gives us hard choices, all of them wrong."

"Still, one's gotta do what is needed, even when it is hard, and then live with it."

"True. But the scars these choices leave behind eat away at your soul, don't they? I speak from experience, Maddie. There is one specific choice I made last year that still eats at my soul. We should get back to this conversation after you've read my book."

"That's fine Luke."

We finish eating dinner, and desert, keeping the conversation to lighter topics.

"Well, beautiful, that was outstanding."

"Thank you, handsome."

"So, do you need a husband?"

"Not at the moment. If need arises, you'll be the first to know."

"Thank you. So, the movie?"

"Let's take care of the clean up first."

In short order we rinse dishes and pots, place them in the dishwasher and put away leftovers in containers. Maddie grabs a big comforter and sits in her small couch, while I set the movie and turn off the lights. We snuggle up under the comforter. As the movie goes on, Maddie reveals herself the girliest of movie watchers. She squeals when surprised, hides her face in my chest when things get scary, and mutters to herself. I pay half attention to the movie, as I find the girl's proximity, her hair smelling of lavender and her tiny, hard toned, half naked body, quite distracting.

I guess I'll just enjoy that as part of the fun, for now.

"Well, handsome, That was fun."

"Had you seen it?"

"Sure. But it gets to me anyways."

"I had fun too. About the book, some pretty harsh stuff happens, and as you already know a few of the central characters, it's going to become pretty heavy. Just talk to me, ok.? I'll be working mornings these next few days, so anytime after lunch, I'm just a phone call away."

"All right, Luke. That's fine."

"Haley asked me to invite you for dinner and a movie on Friday. I'll cook this time."

"You any good?"

"Not up to your standards, but I know my way around a kitchen. Any preferences on movies?"

"A romantic one, this time. I warn you, I'm a crier."

"Any preferences?"

"How about Love, Rosie?"

"I didn't see it. That's fine. Don't tell Hales, but both Nathan and I actually like romantic stuff, if it ends well. This one does, right? I hate these stories where one the protagonists dies at the end. Real life is already too full of this shit."

"I happen to agree with you on that, handsome. You'll like the end."

"Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

"Not really, beyond working out, I guess."

"Since it's the last weekend before classes start, I was thinking of going to see my mom and my sister in Tree Hill, and I wanted to ask you to come along. It's a four hour drive. We would leave early Saturday, have lunch at my mom's Cafe. I'd show you around, see the places in the book, maybe watch the game tape. We could come back after lunch on Sunday. There's a full size sofabed we can share. As long as we keep it platonic, mom doesn't mind."

"Isn't it a bit early in the relationship to be meeting the mother?"

I laugh. "If we were dating, sure. As friends, no such thing as too early. You'll see why when you try her cooking."

"Thank you for the offer. Let me start on the book, and I'll get back to you about the weekend."

"That's fine. Take your time. Last day for enrollments is tomorrow. I decided to take Psych after all. I guess you sold me on the argument that a writer should have insight on the workings of the human mind."

"That's great!. I decided to take that literature class too, just because it will be fun doing it with you."

"Haley will be on that one too." I look into her eyes. "I think it's going to be fun, beautiful."

She replies without breaking eye contact. "I know it will. Goodbye sweetie." And a pause. "It's a little sad, you know? Best date I've ever had, and no kiss at the end."

We stand there, looking into each others eyes for a moment. The temptation of reaching down and kissing her is overwhelming, but I know that, if we begin, it will not end there. I break eye contact,

and laugh a little. "It was a date, wasn't it? A very good one."

She pouts. "Not the best?"

I rub my left shoulder. "Chapter three."