Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Six

"Hunger"

Saturday

The front door of the cabin was thrown up quite suddenly, causing the men to stand frozen in place, stunned by the loud noise. What was more shocking was the figure revealed by the open door. A very haggard looking Tish lay sprawled across the wooden steps her pink shirt was severely wrinkled. Slowly, Tish crawled her way up and into the door she had used all her strength to release. Tish looked weak, her movements haunted by something Tino couldn't place. "Tish!" Tino cried when he saw her, running over to help his significant other. "What happened?!"

Tish's head came up at the sound of Tino's voice, but it was not the sight of her boyfriend that lifted the girl's spirits. It was the holy, glorious aroma wafting up from the griddle. Breathing in deep, Tish came to a standing position, then half walked, half floated to the stove. "Food!" the girl called, her face suddenly lighting up like the sun.

"Well, that's what we call it." Dixon responded, flipping two of the pancakes he was making as Tish watched with rapt attention. Tino noted that Tish even eyed the sizzling bacon greedily. What on earth had happened to her?

"Tish?" Tino asked hesitantly, hoping that she was somewhat her normal self again. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, morning Tino. I'm okay. I'm just so hungry!"

"Uh-oh. Mom cooked, didn't she?"

Tish sighed. "If that's what you want to call it. I was....very divided. Your Mom is actually a very good cook, and it shows. It's just...my stomach isn't quite accustomed to...."

"Mom's style of cooking. I know. I mean, I'm used to it. Twice a day. She's such a health nut. She makes this weird stuff I've never even heard of. And believe me, it's never the same meal twice. She always has to try something new!"

"Always?"

"Always!"

"Actually, he's not exaggerating, Tish." Dixon broke in. "I've eaten plenty of meals at her home, and I've never had the same thing twice."

Tish nodded "My mom knows how to cook a lot of different things, but there's a limit. She typically has around 13 meals that she rotates, not counting special occasions, of course."

"Sounds heavenly." Tino replied.

Tish shrugged. "Um...I guess."

"So what did you do with my mom's breakfast?"

"Well, she finished hers real quick and went in to take a shower. While she was in there, I returned mine to nature, as it were. And then I snuck over here. I'm hungry!"

Dixon chuckled. "Ah, and you were hoping we two nights in shining armor would rescue you from your hunger?"

"Something like that."

"Hmm, I don't know.......what do you think, Tino?" Dixon winked at him, then lifted the two pancakes out of the pan, adding additional batter to prepare more.

"Gee, Tish, Dixon and I had our hearts set on eating a manly breakfast and talking about...manly stuff."

Tish's head dropped. "Oh. It's okay, I understand. I'll manage."

"Relax. We're just messing with you. Of course you can eat with us."

"You mean it?"

"Sure." Dixon smiled. "So long as you're willing to help. Tino's supposed to be scrambling eggs over there." He frowned at the still closed carton of eggs and the empty bowl sitting in front of the boy in question.

"Sorry." Tino apologized, pulling the carton towards him and getting to work. "Mind helping?"

"I'd be delighted." Tish sat down. They both reached for eggs. Tish softly banged hers on the lip of the bowl, then separated it, dropping the contents into the bowl and setting the shell on the table. Tino tried to follow suit, but he ended up getting a few pieces of shell inside. "First time?"

"Can you tell?" Tino sighed, reaching in and removing the offending fragments, thankful that they weren't too small. "I didn't know you did a lot of cooking, Tish. You're good at this."

"Actually, I don't. I'm good at separating eggs because we use them in my art class sometimes. In the kitchen, I only know how to make a few simple things. Eggs isn't really my forte. See, my mom tends to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, like yours, so I have really learned how to make much on my own yet." She giggled. "But I can bake a pretty mean cornbread! So, how are you guys cooking the eggs?"

"How about if I just make us a big cheese omelet and cut it into three pieces?" Dixon called.

"Works for me." Both teenagers replied in unison.

"Ha! Jinx! You owe me a Chug-A-Freez!" Tino pointed at the girl. Tish rolled her eyes at him, than resumed separating the eggs. "Party pooper."

"Oooh, she's a feisty one. She's breaking the rules." Dixon couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"I'm not buying him anything until he coughs up this present I've heard so much about."

"Sorry, he hasn't told me anything. It's a pretty well kept secret."

Tino smirked. "No weak links in this chain! Don't worry Tish. You'll get it tonight."

"I hope so! I normally consider myself a patient person, but you've really piqued my curiosity with this."

"I don't think you'll be disappointed."

"Nor do I." She smiled, standing up. Tish stepped over to the stove and passed the bowl full of eggs to Dixon. "Excuse me just a moment, I want to go straighten my shirt." She picked at it in distaste, noting the wrinkles, then passed through the kitchen to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Oh, hi. Tish here. I have to admit, I wasn't always so confident with the idea of Tino and I. I won't deny that I was the one who initiated the whole thing. A year ago, I gave Tino a nudge, led him to me. At the time, I wasn't really sure why, but I've come to feel that it must have been the subconscious part of me. I remember that night, I wasn't really sure what I was doing. But at the same time, I felt so confident, and I had no idea where that confidence was coming from. And then, it happened. He kissed me. Well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that we kissed each other. It was so incredible! I don't know how else to describe it to someone. It just felt so right. Even now, when he puts his hands on my shoulders, I always feel at ease. Sometimes I lie awake at night and wonder why. He'd always been Tino to me. Just Tino. One of my best friends. It's not like I had been seeing him in a whole new light or anything before that night. But the next day, I made him that silly wreath and asked him out, he accepted, and everything just fell into place. I'd never given it much thought before, but it all made sense to me once we had gone on a few dates. I understood why I had never really developed a crush of my own. All that time, I already had something else, something I still have, and I don't see it going away anytime soon. I wouldn't say that I had a crush on Tino. It's more like...a connection, I think. We're on the same wavelength, and I think that's something we've always shared. We understand each other. We're not alike in every way, and we don't expect that of one another. I guess you could say we're very content. Not everyone can say that about their relationships, so I try to remember that everyday. But now I wonder if things are going to change. It's still a little hard to believe that we've finally told Carver and Lor about us. I guess they took it about as well as could be expected. Carver seemed alright with it, but Lor looked a tad bit taken aback. But I guess I would be too if our roles were reversed. Tino and I have been very discrete since we started seeing each other last year. We wanted to be very careful, to protect our friendships at all costs. We were afraid that if we ever broke up, Carver and Lor would feel like they had to change sides. That's why we've worked so hard at keeping things simple, so that if we did have a break up, it wouldn't be nasty. I don't think that's going to be an issue anymore. Tino and I have really fallen into a rhythm. I find it's never difficult to say things to him, and I like to think he feels the same way towards me. I've seen a lot of turbulence in the various relationships that have come and gone in the Bahia Bay Middle School culture. Every time I see another chapter in one of those soap opera relationships unfolding, I think about us and feel so grateful that we aren't like that. We don't try to change each other, or get bogged down with unrealistic expectations.

Tish frowned. "What?" She rolled her eyes, sighing. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you what you really want to hear! He's cute, I admit it! I remember this one time we were watching a movie at his house. We were on the sofa together. I was sitting on the end, Tino was lying across the other two cushions, stretched out. I had a pillow on my leg that Tino was resting his head on. He looked so adorable! I couldn't help it! I reached down and started playing with his hair! I think I really caught him off guard, because he seemed very surprised, but I could tell that he liked it. Ever since then, I twirl an end of his hair when I want to get a reaction out of him. He gets little goose bumps on his skin, it's adorable!" Tish started giggling rapidly, then got ahold of herself, clearing her throat. "But, that's enough of my secrets. My point is, I'm really excited. We still need to check on Carver and Lor when we get back, but I think they're going to be fine with this. And if they are, that means that Tino and I will have reached a new plateau. I feel a little like Tony in 'West Side Story.' I've got a premonition, something is going to happen. Something wonderful!" Tish lifted her arms into the air for illustration. Blinking, she slowly lowered them, then straightened her shirt, smoothing out all the wrinkles. Looking a little sheepish, she opened the bathroom door, stepping out into the world once more.

Warm water poured over Lor's face, instantly opening her pores. She tilted her head forward, letting the water soak her hair. She felt the sticky sensation begin to wash away almost immediately, and looking down she saw a steady brown stream flowing into the drain. As soon as the brown began to lighten in depth, she reached for a bottle of shampoo, ready to wash out whatever traces had been left behind. She squeezed a more than generous amount into her cupped palm, then lathered it into her hair, spending three times as long as she usually did with it. She didn't want to find she had missed any syrup and have to do the whole thing over again. After 4 minutes, she finally felt that it was safe to rinse. Lor furiously ran her hands through her hair as the water poured over it, making sure that ever follicle of her head was penetrated. Satisfied, she reached for the bar of soap, quickly cleansing the rest of her body, rinsing, and stepping out to dry off.

Lor pulled her towel off the rack, wrapping it around herself. It clung to her, the bathroom had become quite humid and thick with water vapor. She raised the fabric so that it covered her hair completely, then vigorously rubbed at her hair to get as much excess water out as possible—already she was feeling a stream of water making its way down her back. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and stopped. Slowly, she lowered the towel away from her head, dropping it down past her shoulders. She felt detached from her body's movements. She watched herself tie it off across her chest, the rest falling down to just above her ankles and falling around the rest of her. She blinked, watching her reflection stare back at her, emulating every movement.

The copy in the glass seemed off, somehow. Like it wasn't really her. Hesitantly, Lor reached an arm out towards it, her fingers extending towards the surface of the mirror. When the tips came in contact with the glass, she drew back. Shaking her head, she forced herself on, this time allowing her fingers to press against the surface. She spread them out, flattening her whole palm against the reflection's face. She felt vaguely relieved that skin did not great her, only the condensation on the glass that had settled there from her shower. She carefully drew her hand away, noting the large print she left behind.

Lor's breathing became ragged, and she sagged to her knees. She felt like she was suffocating. Diving for the door, she opened it, breathing deep at the fresh air, her lungs clawing at the oxygen. She hoisted herself up and ran for her room, why wouldn't her legs move faster? She felt like she was running through molasses to get there. At length, the door to her room loomed in front of her. She fumbled with the doorknob several times before finally managing to push the door open. She thrust it closed behind her, leaning against it on the other side, breath coming in rasps. She felt her back inch it's way down the door, sliding down until her knees bent and her butt plopped onto the floor. Shaking, she began to weep openly. Why? What was happening to her? Despite feeling short of breath, she felt fine, physically. Yet emotionally, she felt like she had been through a wringer, and she couldn't for the life of her explain why. She clutched her hands to her head, shaking it back and forth in an effort to clear her thoughts. Nothing made any sense.

"Stop it!" she yelled, determined to get a grip on her reality. "Stop it. You are McQuarrie. You have....brothers, a family. You've got three best friends, one of them is waiting for you right now, Carver. Then there's Tish and.....Tino. Pull yourself together!" Lor stood up, insisting that she act on her own words. She didn't have time for teenage angst. She crossed over to her dresser, another mirror awaiting her. Somehow, this one seemed far less haunting. She took a quick look at herself, then paid the reflection no further attention, rummaging through her drawers for an outfit. She quickly yanked another undershirt out, then grabbed her blue and black shirt to go over it. Opening her bottom drawer, she took out a pair of blue jeans. Lastly, she opened the small drawer to the right and grabbed a fresh pair of socks and panties. She tugged at the towel, letting it fall to the floor, then quickly fit herself into the outfit, feeling strength return to her the instant she slid her left leg into the jeans. She stepped fully into them, pulling them up and fastening the button at the waist, tucking her undershirt inside. She then took hold of the black and blue shirt, smiling as she pulled it over her head. And slipped her arms through the sleeves. Pulling it all the way down to her waist, she took a look in the mirror once more, very pleased with the result. Amazing. Just putting on an outfit made her feel like herself again. Her confidence had returned. She took a deep breath, noting that there was no shakiness to it. She smiled, feeling every bit herself once more. Shaking her head so that her hair fell back down to her shoulders, Lor McQuarrie walked out of her room and back into the world.

"Sorry I took so long." Lor smiled at her friend as she returned to the living room in her fresh outfit, carrying a bag with her dirtied outfit in it. "I didn't mean to keep you."

"Hey, it's no big." Carver returned her grin. "Bring your shirt?"

"Got it right here. Get any ideas on what to do with the money?"

"I figured maybe we'd just go down to the mall, buy us each some stuff we've had our eyes on for awhile. We're sitting on fifty bucks, that's $25, plus our allowances. This could be a spending day to remember."

"Like that time you bought those shoes to get in with Colby and Bree?"

"Hey, I told you. Those shoes were a business expense. A necessity. There is no way I could've gone without them. They were integral to my mission."

"So, whatever happened to them, anyway?"

"What? Oh. I think they're in my closet somewhere."

"You gave up on them when the whole Colby and Bree thing didn't work out?"

"Well, I want to be cool, but I want it to be on my own terms. With the outfit those shoes went with, I couldn't pull it off. Either I'd have to hang with Colby and Bree, which would be a total drag, or I'd just come off as a poser, some loser trying to imitate them. No, those shoes aren't my ticket to the kind of coolness I want."

"So you're still looking?"

"Big time. I don't really know what it is, if it'll be a pair of shoes, or a jacket, or maybe just a shot and doing something unbelievably cool that will get me the recognition I deserve. It's just something that my radar is on the lookout for at all times. Do you have anything like that?"

"Not really. It's just not my style. I like to live day to day, seeing wherever life is gonna take me."

"That takes guts, to not have a confirmed direction like that."

"Well, I know what I like and don't like, so it's not like I'm just floating around in the breeze. I just don't like to feel boxed in, like I have to do this, or I must do that. That's not the way I want to go through life.

"Hey, it's cool, I can totally understand that. I mean, I have my own plans, but sometimes I feel like my parents are trying to force me into a mold. I hate that!"

"My folks don't really pay that much attention to me. I mean, I know they care, and they're usually there if I need them, but with all my brothers, y'know, they can't worry about me too much."

"Yeah, I thought it was hard being the middle kid in my family, but I can't even imagine what it must be like for you."

"Don't worry about it. I haven't met many people who could even begin to relate. It just makes you independent, you know? C'mon, we've got better things to do than analyze our home lives. Let's get to your place and get you cleaned up so we can go do something."

"Right....ohmygosh! I just realized! I never went home last night! And I never called or anything!"

"Whoa, dude, you're right! What if they called the cops or something?"

"You really think they did?"

"It's possible. But wait a sec, they would've checked here for you. They know we're friends. And since Tino's whole family is gone and they'd figure out you wouldn't be at Tish's since she's gone too....they probably knew you were here."

"Man, I hope so. I hope I'm not in any trouble!"

"Just to be safe, we should probably get you home in a hurry."

"Hey, I'm with you. Let's get out of here before my folks ground me until I'm in my twenties!"

"Then you'll never get your license."

"Tell me about it! Let's roll!"

They hurried out the front door, Lor mentally noting that none of her siblings had been lying in wait to ambush them. Maybe they figured that if they hit her again, the retribution would be too swift and horrid. Both teens hit the front walkway at a jog, quickly hitting the sidewalk and setting a rather hurried pace to Carver's house before the weekend became unsalvageable.

There were times when I was really worried that I wasn't going to get this chapter out on time. It was like I had everything working against me this week, as far as writing goes. As it is, I'm still only halfway through my next commentary and a buddy of mine has been waiting like 3 weeks for me to finish pre-reading something. Those two tasks will be worked on the instant I wrap up these author's notes. Once again, I continue to be amazed at the amount of people this story is reaching. Pleasantly surprised, I assure you. Thank you all for reviewing, Awakening may never have taken on as big a scope as it has if it weren't for you. As long as you folks are willing to keep coming back to this well, I'll be willing to fill your buckets.

When I started working on this chapter, I had felt it was going to be mostly filler material, just advancing time a bit so that I could move into the much more eventful parts of the day. This all turned around for me very quickly, however. I finally got around to doing a Tish monologue, something several people have been requesting for some time but that I just hadn't gotten around to. I am a little disappointed that I couldn't get it to come out better, but I've never worked with Tish's character in this kind of format before, so don't be too harsh on me. I'll endeavor to do better next time. I had a terribly frustrating time deciding what to do with Lor this time, and then it finally came to me, and soon it was flowing out of my mind so quickly that my fingers had trouble keeping up. Upon taking a newer look at this chapter, my opinion of it has been considerably elevated. I no longer consider it filler material, which I think is a vast improvement, both for the audience and for myself.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I really love writing this story. It's a complete and total pleasure, made all the sweeter by you wonderful folks who come back week after week. I promise you, you won't be bored!

One last note before I clear out of here, happy independence day to all my fellow Americans out there. This country may have a lot of problems, but we're still free to choose our own destiny. May it always be so.

Later days! Actually, that's a little inaccurate. It's passed the solstice now, the days are getting shorter. ^_^

Lord Malachite

7/4/03

3:39 PM

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