Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Two

"Unexpected"

Friday

"So....." Tish began hesitantly, "how should we start?"

"Well," Tino grinned, "We could go back to my house."

"Weren't we just there?"

"Yeah."

"So why go back?"

"Oh, I thought maybe we could just hang out, talk for awhile...maybe you could open the gift I got..."

"You did get me something!" Tish squealed happily.

"Actually, I got US something. You're going to love it! I just didn't want to take it with us when we broke the news to the guys."

"What is it?!"

Tino laughed. "I guess you'll just have to find out when you open it..."

"Oh sure, just leave me in suspense."

"We'll get to it soon enough. You know, I don't mind what we do this weekend, Tish. I just want to spend it with you."

"You're mushy today." She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Ah, sorry. Must be an anniversary thing."

"I never said I didn't like it..." She teased, turning full circle on her heel playfully.

"You're in a mood yourself."

"Never said I wasn't. I'm sorry, Tino. I'm just...excited! I've been looking forward to this for awhile. I've never done anything like this before, but I'm looking forward to it. Maybe now that we don't have to be so secretive, we can have a better relationship."

"I'd say it's been pretty good so far."

"Yeah, but I mean...now we can spend a little more time together. We should share more, Tino. I mean, I'm not saying you don't share anything with me. I just think that now it can be a little more. We don't have to look over our shoulders all the time."

"No, you're right. And I think that's cool."

"So, you think maybe you would come to one of my art classes sometimes?"

"I could, Tish, but you know art and I don't really get along. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I'm no good at it."

"Oh. Right." She sighed.

"If you want me to, I'll go. I just like hanging out with you, Tish."

"Thanks, Tino. Sometimes I like to hear that."

"Me too."

"Man, I still can't believe it!" Carver laughed. "I just never saw it coming! I think it's kind of cool though. And at least it means they've got locked in dates for the Graduation Dance. So what do you think?"

Lor's eyes still felt as big as saucers, even though the truth was that they were a far more normal size. Even though Tino and Tish were long gone, Lor still felt like a deer caught in headlights, frozen in place. "Carver?"

"Yeah?"

"I just...I don't know what to think. This is really like a punch in the gut."

"Why?"

"I don't know why!" Lor shouted, wincing at the emotion in her voice. "I don't know why." She repeated in a whisper. "It doesn't make sense."

"You're not jealous, right? I'm just checking."

"No, I don't...think so. I mean, over Tino? I guess he's alright, but I'd much rather have Thompson!"

"Sorry to make assumptions. I just wanted to be sure."

"It's just, it's weird, you know. We're supposed to be friends. It's like, they're breaking the rules or something."

"I don't know about that. There's rules?"

"I don't know. It just feels, wrong somehow."

"Well Lor, they are our friends, and we should support them in their decision."

"I'm sorry, Carver. Look, don't worry, it's not like I'm going to come down on them or anything. I'm just....confused. What if they break up and it ruins our friendship."

"Possible, but apparently they've been doing this for a whole year. They must be pretty confident."

Tino opened his front door, politely allowing Tish to enter ahead of him. "Ladies first." He grinned.

"How charming." She batted her eyelashes, enjoying the game. They weren't normally this overly considerate, but they were both feeling pretty giddy about their anniversary. "So...." Tish smiled.

"So.....?"

"Where's that gift?"

"Under my bed. Can't wait?"

"No!"

Both of them raced up the stairs towards Tino's room, grinning all the while. Problems ensued when they both tried to squeeze into the bedroom at the same time. They pushed, pulled, ended up elbowing one another, but ended up just as stuck as when they had begun. Finally, Tino relented, and Tish slipped past him, inside. "Okay, so where is it?" Tish wondered as she quickly surveyed Tino's room, her eyes drifting past posters of Captain Dreadnought and Chum Bukkit, a warm glow filling her when she saw the wreath she had put together a year ago hanging on a nail over Tino's headboard.

"Hang on, hang on, I'll get it!"

"Tino?" Miss Tonitini called on. "You back again?"

"Yeah, Mom. Tish is here too! We're just hangin' out together."

"Well, you'd better get busy packing. We're going up to the lake this weekend."

"What? Mom, you can't! I told you! I'm busy this weekend! Any weekend but this one Mom! Please!"

"Can't help it. Dixon already made the reservations!" Tino sighed as his mother appeared at the door. "Hi there, Tish."

"Hi Miss Tonitini." Tish responded, politely but with no enthusiasm.

"Mom, this isn't funny!" Tino got the conversation back on track. "You know this weekend is my anniversary with Tish, and we just finally went and told the guys about us, and, and...I just can't go away this weekend!"

"Yeah, I figured something like this would happen." Tino's mother replied. "Fortunately, I thought ahead and got permission from Tish's parents to bring her. That is, so long as she doesn't mind rooming with me. Tino, you'll be with Dixon."

The teens looked at each other, mouths simultaneously dropping to the floor. "Mom! That's, uh, I mean, this is just....whoa."

Ms. Tonitini laughed. "Tino, I'm your mother. It's my job to come through for you. One of many, anywho."

"This is incredible!" Tish shouted. "I mean, we had a weekend planned together, but...this is so cool!"

"You'd better get home and pack, Tish. We'll stop by to pick you up in an hour or so, don't worry."

"I'll be ready with bells on!" Tish hollered, already halfway out the door. Abruptly she came to a halt, turning around to peek her head back in. "Tino, we'll exchange gifts when we get there, okay? Seeya!" She called, bounding down the steps.

"She's a little strange, Tino." his mother mused. "But she's definitely your type."

"Don't I know it?!"

Tish was just about to slip out the front door when a noise in the kitchen caught her ear. She turned to follow the noise, and was a little surprised to find Dixon in the kitchen, cheerily filling coolers with ice and various beverages, a select few Tish noted she and Tino wouldn't be invited to share. "Dixon?!"

"Eh?" The man in question turned towards the sound of his name. "Oh! Hey there, Tish. How are those English studies going?"

"Well, thanks. I got into a debate today with some dimwit who thinks that Aeschylus is better than Sophocles." Tish scoffed. "'Sha, as if!"

"What is the world coming to?" Dixon laughed with her. "Sometimes I feel like I belong in a Eugene O'Neill play."

"A Long Day's Journey Into Night?" Tish beamed.

"Is there any other?"

"Dixon? There's something I want to ask you."

Dixon shrugged. "I'm free."

"Was it your idea for Tino and I to come with you?"

"Oh, I may have had a hand in it. Tino's mom was pretty insistent that we couldn't go this weekend because of you two. But this was the only weekend I could get such a cheap rate, so I found a way to compromise."

"I know I may have said this before," Tish began, "but you are the coolest person ever!"

Dixon laughed. "I try."

"But what about your daughter, Moira?"

"I farmed her out to one of her friend's this weekend. Believe me, it wasn't hard. Besides, I'd like to spend some time with Tino. I mean, don't get me wrong, his mom and I won't intrude on you. But we will be rooming together, so I thought it would be a good chance to get to know one another better, without the pressure of having his Mom around, you know?

"I think I can relate to that." She winked in response.

"You know, I don't mean to rush you, but you'd better run home and pack. We're taking off at six!"

"I'll be ready! Um, thanks for everything, Dixon. You're really..."

He held up a hand to stop her. "Just doing my job." He grinned. "See you soon!"

"I certainly will!" He smiled as the girl turned and ran all the way home. As she left, he took a deep breath and sighed, thinking of all her potential, and the places she would one day go.

This chapter is a little short, which I apologize for. For the month of June, I'm on this horrid schedule at work which my body is refusing to adapt to. The end result is that I get only 5 hours of sleep a night, come home, and I feel exhausted. But I can't go to sleep because my brain isn't ready and I have so much to do. And my mind is desperate to get back to the story, even though my body is less willing. Anywho, understandably my schedule won't allow for updates quite as frequently under these conditions. I'm going to try to let something out during the week and also on Fridays. This may mean that chapters will be shorter than they have been in the past. Not so short that they aren't worth reading, just that I don't have as much time to devote. However, if I waited to release more normal chapters, I think the wait would be interminable to you people. So I'll probably post them to the forum with some frequency, but combine shorter chapters into one before releasing on Fanfiction.net. So you may see Chapter 2, Chapter 2.5, etc. in the future

Despite my depleted energy levels, I still love writing this story, that's why I'm determined to work around my current situation. This too, shall pass. As always, I simply ask that you read and review, and continued thanks to my loyal supporters. Have a good one, guys!

Lord Malachite

6/4/03

9:41 PM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26