Awakening: Second Stage

Chapter Ten

"Romance, Part II"

Saturday

The candles had burned down rather noticeably as the night drifted on. The couple had been sitting on the edge of the dock for over an hour, pouring over various selections of The Bard's poetry, Tish singling out a few of her favorites, some of which she asked Tino to recite to her. Despite being a tad cliché and perhaps even a little corny, she found that she enjoyed being compared to a summer's day. Immensely so. The evening had been more than either had hoped for. Tino was many things, but rarely so openly romantic. Neither was she, for that matter. It was a refreshing change, even though it was destined to be short-lived. Still, that was no reason not to indulge themselves while it lasted.

Tish turned towards her partner as he finished reading the last stanza, wearing a grin and a knowing look that filled Tino with equal parts excitement and fear. He was sure he looked as confused as he felt when Tish lifted herself up to a standing position unexpectedly. "What are you doing?"

"Perhaps something uncertain." She replied, climbing over the boy and lowering herself into his lap, making minor adjustments as she came to rest, flushing a bit at her sudden boldness. "I'm a little bit taller than you, so this may not be a perfect fit." Settling herself in, she wrapped her arms around Tino's neck, kicking her legs giddily. She laughed with a sense of general happiness, feeling unusually content with everything in her life at the moment, not merely her present situation. "Surprised."

"Yeah, but I think I like it. You're not as heavy as I'd thought." Tish bopped him on the head with a fist. "Okay, so now what."

"Nothing. Isn't that what these kind of times are all about?"

"You're worried about them." Dixon chuckled as he washed up the few items used in preparation of the meal that weren't disposable.

"Worried? I thought you knew me better than that." Tino's mother cocked a smile. "I know where they are and what they're doing."

"Then what's with the frown on your face."

"It is not a frown!"

"Oh, please, like you said, I know you better than that. Fine, a scowl then. Perhaps a glower."

"You're impossible."

"I thought that was one of the many things you liked about me."

"Now what gave you that crazy idea?"

"But you are worried about them."

Miss Tonitini threw a pillow at Dixon, which bounced off his back and hit the floor, tumbling end over end once before sliding to a halt. "It's not worry so much as...concern, I guess."

"What? You think they won't behave themselves?"

"It's not that. I guess I just don't want to see anything negative happen to them. You may find it hard to believe, but I've been in high school, you know, and that's exactly where they're headed next year. High school romance can really be the pits."

"Get dumped a lot?"

"You're asking for it tonight." The brunette's face darkened.

"There! That was a scowl!"

She ignored him while continuing. "High school can be like a soap opera. All the courses, the extra-curricular activities, relationships, the effects those relationships have on existing friendships, term papers, counseling, college prep. I just don't want to see them get hurt. I'd like to see Tino get involved in an activity next year, I think it's pretty obvious that Tish will sign up for Drama Club and the Swimming Team. Not to mention she plays that instrument of hers. Tino will need to get involved with something. It'll be good for his college application."

"I'd still like to get him into the book club if he's interested. I was also thinking of going to this big comic book convention in San Francisco this August, I think it would be right up Tino's alley. With your permission, of course."

"You seem to be more interested in bonding with my son lately." She arched an eyebrow.

"Well, believe it or not, I was once Tino's age."

"I don't believe it!"

Much as she had, Dixon chose to ignore the barb and continue undaunted. Besides, he had deserved that. "On top of that, I never had a son. Not that Moira and I haven't had some great times together. Having another child wasn't something my ex-wife and I really discussed, and then things deteriorated and, well, that was that. It was never really a big deal to me, but after I met you, and then Tino and his friends, I began to wonder what it would be like to have a boy. It's not like I pretend he's mine or anything like that, I have no illusions. But I know it must be tough to have his father so far away." Dixon sighed. "It's not that I want to take his father's place. It's more like, I just want to be a good male role model. He's a teenager now, he's going to have questions..."

"As I recall mentioning, questions even I won't really be able to answer."

"Right. So I want him to be able to feel like he can come to me. Unless, of course, he already has someone..."

"No, no, you're right. And your heart is in the right place. Tino already looks up to you, so he'll probably do just what you're suggesting. And it will be better this way."

"Well, that was easy."

"Dixon, you know I always want what's best for Tino. Just as you want what's best for Moira."

"You know, sometimes I wish we could give our kids an instruction manual that would help them through their difficult teenage years."

"I know, but that's not very realistic. It's part of the growing experience. Learning for yourself, becoming more than you are. We both muddled through just fine, I'm sure Tino and Moira and Tish and all their friends will make it."

"What about all the speed bumps along the way?"

"Those are what make us human. I don't know about you, but I still hit them from time to time."

"Speak for yourself." Dixon smirked.

"No speed bumps?"

"Ha! I wish. Mine are more like moguls."

"Aww, poor baby. Anything an ice cream can't fix?"

"I haven't met many problems that ice cream couldn't cure. But you're buying!"

"Aren't you supposed to take pity on me, being the single mom and all?"

"You may be a single mom, but hopeless you aren't!"

"And don't you forget it!"

Lor grinned to herself as she sank her fifteenth consecutive basket, dribbling the next ball that traveled down the ramp twice before it became number sixteen. She continued in this manner until she had reached a total of sixty-eight points, a mere three baskets shy of her record. "Darn it, I was totally robbed." Lor stamped her foot. "I was so close setting a new record for myself."

"Y'know, you could probably score a lot more points if you didn't stop to dribble every ball."

"I know. I do that to handicap myself. When I make it up to eighty points, I'm going to start dribbling three times."

"Man, you're ambitious."

"I told you, you're looking at a future UCONN all star. It's my destiny!"

"Yeah, but UCONN is so far away. We'll won't get to see you anymore."

"You'd miss me?"

"Of course! So would Tino and Tish. It's called friendship, and you're our friend."

"Thanks, Carv."

"Don't sweat it. So, should we set up shop at one of the pool tables?"

"Not just yet. I've got a hankering for some chili cheese fries. I can't play my best until I get some."

"I think I could go for some myself."

"Carver, you can always go for chili cheese fries. Who are you kidding?" Lor rolled her eyes. "So, what's our cash situation?"

"Well, we ran through some at the mall, but we're still ahead, especially when we factor in our allowances."

"Kudos to us." Lor smiled. "Who says we need Tino to buy all our snacks?"

"Speak for yourself!" Carver cringed in terror.

"I could, but I find it's much more fun to speak for everybody else."

"Don't you usually do that anyway?"

"Yeah! What's the point in being all passive and stuff?"

"I dunno. I pride myself on being assertive. Anyway, how are the arms feeling? You in the zone?"

"Oh, I'll be there, don't you worry about a thing. Lor Macquarrie doesn't let her friends down."

"What about that time you were supposed to get tickets to Star Pilots 4 for us?"

"Dude, do you have to keep bringing that up? I said I was sorry!"

"I still can't believe we waited over two hours for you!"

Lor's expression darkened, and she slammed her open palm against the wall. "Did you hear that? That was the sound of this topic officially being beaten into the ground. I screwed up that time, okay? You happy?"

Carver relented. "I'm sorry, Lor, it wasn't very cool of me to throw it back in your face like that. Friends?"

Lor simmered for a moment before offering her hand to Carver. As the boy moved to take it, she pulled back. "Wait. Promise not to drag up my past mistakes?"

"I promise."

"All right then." Lor smiled, shaking his hand. "Y'know, because I'd hate to bring up that time you bet the three of us in that race against Laird."

"Ouch! Touché, madam."

"You are so lucky I was there to turn that situation around for you." Lor continued, and that Tish actually realized how that picture looked."

Lor chuckled heartily as she and Carver got in line to order refreshments. "Now you know how it feels."

"I'm glad we're on the same side. I think."

"Yeah, and the sign of true friendship is to buy your amigo a Chug-A-Freeze."

"Uh-huh. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Relax. It's on me." Lor waived him off.

"You for real?"

"It's only fair. It's my turn to buy. And yes, I know, you can say it, I'm not one to usually volunteer to pay for things."

"Good, because I'm gonna say it! Lor, you almost never volunteer to pay for something."

"Hey, I don't want anyone being able to say I'm inconsiderate and stuff. And if they do, I'll glue them to the wall!"

"Okay, let's not start that again..."

"Anyway, it's only fair I pay my fair share and stuff." Lor ordered two boats of chili cheese fries and two Chug-A-Freezes, eyes lighting up as the six dollars in her hand was replaced with a ticket of sorts. "It's also only fair that I get to keep the game ticket."

"Game ticket?"

"Yeah." Lor smiled. "You can win free stuff. Got a quarter?" Carver fished around in his pocket for a moment before passing a coin to Lor. She furiously ran it over the shaded area, revealing her prize. "See, I just won myself twenty game tokens. And a quarter."

Carver stood, head inclined to the ceiling, shaking it back and forth and throwing up his hands. "I don't know she does it. I just don't know how she does it!"

Tino sat happily with the slightly enamored Tish in his lap, the two of them watching lightning bugs light up the darkness intermittently. "It's too bad we don't have places like this back home." Tino suggested.

"Yeah, the beach is nice, but this is...I think I understand why people spend weekends at places like this. The fresh air, the clean water, being close to nature..."

"Ahhhhh!" Tino squealed as he felt something on his neck. "There's a spider on me! Get it off! Get it off!" Tino flew to his feet, gyrating around in an effort to dislodge the insect, Tish, instantly deposited into the water as he stood. Tino started pulling at his shirt, yanking it off and swinging it about, while Tish sputtered in the water, recovering from the shock and trying to pull herself back up onto the dock. Tino whipped his shirt onto the dock a few times to kill anything on it before finally settling down. Panting, he flapped his shirt out to dislodge and spiders that might be inside before warily putting it back on. Only then did he notice his girlfriend, dripping water and looking not much unlike she had after babysitting a sugar crazed Todd for two hours by herself. "Tish? What happened.......oh........uh oh..."

Tish grabbed a handful of her hair and wrung it out, adding to the puddle already formed at her feet. "Thank you so very much, Tino. I was feeling too dry."

"I'm sorry, Tish! I'm really sorry! It was an accident, I swear it!"

Tish scowled, trying to keep her temper. "Tino, you really need to be less jumpy. Especially if I'm sitting in your lap!"

"But the spider."

"The spider," Tish groaned, "was my index finger on your neck!"

"No spider?" Tino squeaked.

"Oh, there's a spider all right. The Spider Woman! Start running Tino!"

"Wait! Tish! Can't we talk about this?!" Tino's response was one of Tish's hair clips bouncing off his head. "Guess not!" He turned aside while running. "Um, this is probably going to be really embarrassing, so you can just go ahead and cut for now. I'll catch up with you later. If Tish hasn't caught up with me, that is!"

I managed to squeak this one out on schedule, so I'm happy. I know it's nothing really stellar this time, but remember, Awakening is a work in progress that has really only begun. Thanks for riding this far, I'll try to keep things refreshing.

Hey Lor fan's, notice your favorite girl is back? Be patient with me, she will be a very important character, it's just taking me awhile to get to that part. I think the overall response will be positive when I get there.

Point of note, I'm going to try to have a chapter available for next week, but it may prove difficult because I'm going to Otakon and have a lot of preparations to make. If I can do it, I will. If not, I'll be back the week after. If any of you are going to Otakon, I'd be happy to meet you. I'll be at the fanfiction panel and the Evangelion panel for certain. Hope to see you there.

Please keep reading, and reviewing. As I know I've said before, you faithful readers really help make this all worthwhile. I appreciate each and every one of you and value your opinions, praise, and constructive criticisms. See you all soon.

Lord Malachite

8/2/03

2:23 AM, EST

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

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