The Blower's Daughter

'And so it is just like you said it would be.'

I couldn't believe who was in front of my eyes. No, not in front of my eyes, but walking away. Manny Santos, or at least it looked like her. I knew if Liberty came back and saw me gone, I would have a lot of explaining to do, but I never really got a chance to say goodbye to Manny. I never told her how I felt or … how I wanted to feel because I love Liberty. I really do. But there's something about Manny that always made me want more of her. And I didn't want to share her. But Craig was always in the picture and now … I stopped, realizing that if I didn't start running I'd never catch up with the girl who couldn't possibly be Manny.

'Life goes easy on me most of the time.'

I followed her path quickly with heavy steps that contrasted with her light, delicate ones. I knew it wasn't her because I'd been doing this for months since the funeral service, but I still had to know if she …

"Jeez JT, could you be anymore obvious?" She pulled me into a dark corner near the bathrooms of the stadium.

"Manny? Is that you?" I grasped her shoulders, trying to make out her features against the darkness of the corner.

"No one's supposed to know I'm here." She looked down, playing with her fingers. "How are you?"

'And so it is.'

Ignoring her question I began, "My God. How is this possible?" I turned away from Manny whispering, "You're really losing it York."

"I can't really go into this. Just by you being here with me, you're in danger." Manny looked around paranoid-ly.

"Is that why you're…"

'The shorter story. No love. No glory.'

"Wearing this and this hair. I know." She smiled brightly. "I thought that if I had to cut my hair, I'd do it right." Manny referred to ultra short deep brown tresses that were now her hair. "Besides, I can be anyone I want now … except myself."

"What's going on here? Do you have a ticket?" A guard asked as I turned away from Manny and in an instant, she was gone as if she were never there.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." I nodded, handing him the stub. "Where's the bathroom?" He pointed me in the direction, even though I already knew where it was.

'No hero in her sky.'

"JT York!" Liberty yelled angrily as I hurried over to her. "Where the hell have you been? We're missing the opening of the game and I couldn't go because you have my ticket."

"What's the big deal? I thought you didn't care about sports." I grumbled grouch-like, perturbed that my time with Manny had been limited. I could still smell her scent … it was one of those secret body spray products that kept her running through my mind.

"What's up your ass?" She blurted out, looking concerned. I hated when her eyebrows grew closer like that. Liberty was so much more … she felt more than even I could understand.

"I just thought I saw someone. No biggie. Let's go." I put on my charming smile that always had everyone fooled as to what was really bothering me. I as I wrapped my arm around Liberty's waist, I saw Manny smile at me. It was a bittersweet smile. And it was all probably in my head anyway.

'And so it is just like you said it would be.'

"I'll be right back." I kissed Liberty quickly on the lips, in search for the newly chocolate-haired Manny. I knew she was still here, waiting for me and I wasn't going to let her go.

"I thought I told you to stay way from me." She mumbled, placing on some black sunglasses and walking out of the building into the Canadian heat.

"There's no reentry." Another guard informed us as I nodded and Manny took another head start.

"What do you think you're doing, showing up like this?" I wondered, imagining her lips on mine. "Do you know how wrong this is? I thought you were--"

"Don't say it. Everyone did." She pulled out her phone and made a call to the cab company.

"Can you just tell me--"

"No. I really have to go. But it was good seeing you again." Manny sighed.

'We'll both forget the breeze most of the time.'

"Why are you here … you're here to see Craig aren't you?" I wondered as she looked away and nodded.

"He has my daughter and I have to see him." Tears brimmed in her eyes, as in mine.

"So this means …" My lips brushed Manny's passionately as she moaned, pushing me away.

"Goodbye," She said with such finality that it sounded more like 'I'll see you next lifetime.'

'And so it is the colder water, the blower's daughter, the pupil in denial.'

That was two days before yesterday and still I was on her trail. I decided that it would be best if Manny didn't know I was following her. But I was. I couldn't let her go. I watched her from her hotel room. I watched her reunite with Craig and fight and hold her child and make love. I witnessed it all. I forced myself back into her life, going places with her to "protect her," any excuse to get me closer to Manny.

And now I was witnessing her leave again by cab or whatever mysterious way she had arrived from a seemingly faraway land. I almost felt like it was my fault. After that scene at the club, she stopped calling. She stopped noticing me. I was losing her again.

'I can't take my eyes off of you.'

I couldn't let her go. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "Manny!" I yelled, running out in front of the mysterious cab that was waiting in front of hotel. "Manny, I …" My voice trailed off as I watched gunshots fire in her direction. Immediately, she made a u-turn for the door.

'I can't take my mind off of you.'

"No!" I yelled, trying to protect her perfect body from any harm. Before I could take three steps, I felt a pain of a thousand knives at the speed of light pierce my back. Falling to my knees, I watched her face panic as two men hand-cuffed her and took away her screaming soul. My eyes pierced into hers as I watched intensely, still trying to make my way over to her but unable to. I was left in the dust of the vehicle as I fell forward, unable to move any longer.

'I can't take my mind off of you. I can't take my eyes off of you. My mind …'

(A/N: I know I'm making everything tragic, but I came across this song from the movie "Closer" and it was just so … chilling that I had to use it for someone. I'm actually writing this before most of the others in this series, but who cares as long as you guys love it ... I did this MONTHS ago. I can only hope that it fits, but I wanted to give JTa story sohere it is. Iwill be adding in another one with Spinner to "How's it Gonna Be" so enjoy!--NL)