Hey

Hey!  I just wanted to drop by here and tell everyone to go read Jel's new story, Walking On.  It's a totally awesome fic; I was glued to the computer screen while reading it.  WO takes a separate path from Forever and Beyond, but Jel, Kelly, and I are all cool with that and still continue to totally support each other in everything you do.  So enjoy chp. 10, then GO READ Walking On!!

Chapter 10

            J sprung from her place in a fluid movement, flung her arms about Alan's neck, and kissed him…on the cheek.  "I was thinking the exact same thing!"

            Alan grinned broadly, relieved.  "Good."  They spent the entire night reliving their childhood.  The couch and nostalgia became the center of the world as they discussed everything to discuss—except for one topic.  Gerry was the focus of most of their conversations.  As the first pink rays of the sun sparkled in the dew, J glanced over at Alan.  He sat in his woolen-socked feet (shoes had been discarded hours ago), a serene tone to his features as he tried not to drift off to sleep.  Romeo, J's black Labrador puppy, was resting with his head on Alan's feet.

            "Romeo's really taken to you," J murmured.

            Alan jolted, then turned his head to her and smiled.  "It's just the socks.  Hercules loves them." 

            J's eyes glinted curiously.  "Hercules?" 

            The corner's of Alan's mouth curled.  "He's my roommate of-sorts.  I was on my way back from work one day and I heard the most pitiful mewing.  I dug around in an alley and there he was.  All dirty and…I took him home, fed him, gave him a bath—that was an adventure and a half.  He turned out to be orange tabby under of that dirt.  I took him to the vet, got all of his shots…"

            J's face was soft.  "That's so sweet of you!  How big is he?"

            Alan shrugged.  "About your average kitten size.  I've only had him for a month or so."  He tried to make a proportion with his hands.  "He's just barely too big to fit in one hand.  He can fit in both hands, though.  I've got pictures I can show you."

            J stretched, yawned, and asked, "You've drawn him?"

            Alan nodded, "a few times.  It's hard, though.  He's a little ball of energy.  I've had more luck with the camera."

            "You'll have to let me see them sometime," J said with a grin.  "I can't wait to see all of your work.  I thought your stuff back in  high school was great; now you have a master's degree and a fancy job in DC.  I can't wait to see everything you've done."

            Alan blushed as he reached down to scratch Romeo behind the ears.  "It's really not as glamorous as it sounds.  I envy what you've got here, actually.  I miss the small-town lifestyle.  I want to move back here."

            J's eyebrows lifted a little as she began chewing on her tongue.  "Hmmm…"

            "What is it?" asked Alan, absentmindedly massaging the top of Romeo's head.

            "A friend of mine from work, he's looking for a roommate.  Give me a second and I'll write down his number for you."

            Alan nodded, "okay," as J stood up and disappeared into her room.  Moments later she emerged, a slip of paper in her hand.  She walked over to Alan, who took it and put in his pocket.  "Thanks,"

            J chewed on her lip, then blurted, "we can't keep avoiding it, Alan, we NEED to talk about it!"

            "About what?" Alan responded.

            J placed her hands casually on her hips and stared back at Alan with eyes that clearly said, 'You know what.'

            "Oh."  Alan sighed heavily and sunk back onto the couch.  J followed him.  "So…" Alan began.  "Well, we both know that we're not mad at each other anymore."

            J smiled and nudged Alan's grey wool feet with her own cotton white ones.  "Yeah, I think we figured that out already."  Her expression turned more serious.  "But that only scratched the surface of our little problem.  What do we do?  We had a fight, and were both so stubborn and proud that we didn't speak again for 7 years.  We've changed so much…we're different people now."

            Alan shifted in his seat and licked his lips uncomfortably.  "But we still get along really well; not everything about us has changed.  I think we proved that.  We did enough talking last night to make up for 7 years."

            "I know we did," J protested.  "But we have to decide where we stand.  I don't…I don't want to rush into things so fast that we end up fighting again.  We need time to adjust to the changes that we've both gone through, to get to know the new parts of each other.  All I know is…I don't want to lose you again."

            Alan was silent for a moment as he locked eyes with J, relishing in her company as she was relishing in his.  "And I don't want to lose you."

***

            J's friend from work turned out to be the principal of Hayfield High School.  In a few weeks, Alan had sold his apartment, and he and Hercules moved in with the principal, Dr. Michael Johnson, just "Mike" to any of his friends.  A week after he and Alan became roommates, Mike became a member of a covert conspiracy designed to get Alan and J back together.

            Also "in" on the conspiracy were Coach (both Coaches, actually), Mrs. Bertier, Sheryl, and Sunshine, among others.   Mike decided to join one day as he was rummaging through the kitchen, Alan away visiting Coach.  Mike noticed one of Alan's folders on the kitchen table.  It was open, and its contents were spilling out.  There were a smattering of varied pictures, some of Hercules included.  However, the majority of the pictures were of a certain music teacher at Mike's school.  The only difference was that J was younger, by ten years or so in all of the pictures.

            There were even a few drawings that were based off of photographs (J wasn't alone in any of those, Alan and/or Gerry always were with her) that looked rather old.  As Mike gazed at them, he was sure of one thing: even if it meant resorting to tossing them both into a locked closet, Alan and J needed to be put back together.

***

            Alan commuted to his job in the city until Mrs. Jones, Hayfield's elderly art teacher, retired.  'Twas hard to find anyone interested in teaching art at a local high school besides middle-aged housewives sick of doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms all day.  Mike finally broke down and asked Alan if he had any colleagues who might want the job.  Alan came up blank, but not before an idea formed in his mind.

            Before Christmas of 1982, the Hayfield faculty welcomed Mr. Alan Yoast as the newest addition to their ranks.  It was J who had recommended him.  Alan had been itching for the job from the start, but he felt strange asking about it, as Mike was not only the school principal, but also his roommate.  Yet, Alan was more than qualified for the job, so he was a shoe-in, his friendship with Mike having nothing to do with it. 

            Alan and J's schedules for the school day went something like this: Alan had General Art first period, Clay Art second period, a break third, Drawing Art fourth, lunch fifth, Special Ed art sixth, another break seventh, and Special Ed Art again eighth.  J had Special Ed Music first and second periods, a break third period, Band fourth, lunch fifth, Chorus sixth, Music and Culture seventh, and a break eighth. 

            Life continued splendidly.  Alan and J worked at building back their friendship while Mike enlisted the students' help in the conspiracy.  Nobody could have planned what happened next.