DISCLAIMER : I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS ..BUT LIKE AUTHOR OF -REUNIFICATION- I WOULDN'T MIND OWNING ERIC STOLTZ.
REVIEWS: PLEASE REVIEW ..FEEDBACK!!!! MUST HAVE FEEDBACK!!!!PLAN ON CONTINUING PAST EITT.
CHAPTER SUMMARY: I'M SKIPPING CHAPTER OF GSA BECAUSE HELL SHOW IS ALREADY SO WELL WRITTEN WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY HOPE TO ADD....BUT MY FAN FIC CONTINUES AFTER GSA AND FOCUSES ON ALLIANCE MEETINGS. CAN'T WAIT FOR AFTER EITT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME IDEAS...... MAY CHANGE RATING AT THAT POINT ;D
EMAIL; jeanl2@sympatico.ca
INTO THE TRAFFIC CHANGE
Ever since that time in the car....was there any other way to describe it ? Things had changed . The shell was cracked . Damaged and the fraility of the man inside exposed? Not yet. Damaged goods. No words were ever exchanged about that day - but sometimes words aren't needed as actions speak louder than words. The silence screamed. The memory played over and over again. Like a 45 record with all the scratchs -those imperfections making it all the more real.....because if we remembered with crystal clear perfection would we be satisfied. There is something so much more valuable in not knowing more often then not. The questions that matter are almost always the ones not answered.
Why did he offer her the ride home? It was a question he would struggle with much later. Or didn't he already know the answer. Often the truth is a whisper ,but we turn up the radio and try not to hear it. Safety. Only move ahead when the light is green. Yellow caution. But sometimes there is no light at all so we fumble and search, grasping for the switch. You stub your toe. Pain, but it doesn't last. But do you ever forget the place where you hit it or does that memory always remain, lingering somewhere. In the dark you can lose sight of the maintained road. Isn't everyone an egotist at heart and reality nothing more than our own private hallucination. Stop the mind shouted don't kill it with overanalysis. Leave things as they are because there is danger in analyzing every detail. It can be best often not to know, after all isn't your first impression of something often the most truest.
There was a meeting that night. A chance maybe? She had calculated the risk. But the risk of not knowing was far the greater. After school she went to the classroom to find him there. He was always there.
G- Mr.Dimitri?
D- Yes.
G- Umm, It's just about the Gay-Straight Alliance meeting tonight I don't know that I can go. I mean my mother is busy you see , my uncle Aaron is in town and Rick, well......
D- Oh. You mean you don't have a ride?
It was lie. They both knew it. She would have walked any amount of miles. Sometimes though the lies reveal much much more than the honesty ever could. The truth can be the lies we choose to give.
D- I can take you. Come on. I mean it's not a problem, you would be a bit early [slight laugh] but if you don't mind...
G- No.[slowly] I don't mind I mean.
Three hours early? He had said they couldn't be friends, talk for hours.
In the car she told him about Aaron , feelings and thoughts poured out.
~****************************************~
They entered through the side door. An awkward silence.
G- Can I use your phone . I really should call home. You know just in case.
D- Of course, it's around her somewhere.
He started to look around and walked of into the living room area. Calling back "I know it's around here, but damned if I know where..". Standing in the kitchen by the counter she looked around- taking in his things, she smiled. A photo on him and a dog on the fridge. It brought tears to her eyes because she had always loved animals and she knew he didn't have a dog -not anymore. Thrills "the gum that tastes like soap", a literary magazine, the newspaper. She opened it to entertainment page and started reading.
D- Here it is. [ He had come up behind her and leaned over her shoulder] Horoscopes? I didn't know you were astrologically minded Grace.
G- Hmmmf. I'll have you know I find it fascinating [ with a smile] but actually I was looking at the movies playing.
A partial lie, yet another lie. Or maybe just an omission. She had long since discovered this birthdate. Travel insurance forms. A form they had signed a while back when the class took a field trip out of state to see a critically acclaimed performance of Les Miserables , his name and birthdate on the line above. Libra. Embarrassed she recalled the days that winter she had looked it up, more often then not at times when he was not a daily occurence in her life- holidays and the like. The took the phone and moved off into the living room leaving the paper opened.
She left a message.
-It's me Grace...umm I got a ride with a friend from the school over to a... ..There is a gay/straight alliance meeting tonight and I'm not sure what time I'll be back. I'll get a ride home so that's ok.
She hung up. She was angry. Why did eveything require justification couldn't things just be. She looked over watching him remove his tie and undo top button.
D- Can I get you something to eat? I don't know what's here but I'm sure I can pull together something and then we can discuss your story because I've really been thinking about that.
G- Ok ,but you have to let me help.
~***************************************~
The meeting didn't last long. Most of the decisions had been made at the last meeting and this was more just a get together to checklist for the dance. Savannah proposed a couple new issues but other than that uneventful. What has the meeting anyway she thought but another stage on with the actors played. Her protaganist versus his. For we are each the hero is every scene are we not? He saw the students leave and returned to Grace arranging things preparing them to be cleared away. Plans, the best laid plans.....
D- I'll just get this stuff cleared away and drive you home. More water? [ he asked playfully taking her cup]
She hit play on the stereo , the cd turned.
"Into the traffic change..
.A good friend i have had
Today, today....he is leaving
~sad
My friend is starting over ..there is a trembling
Confusion , doubt"
It was the same song that had played that night in his kitchen with Chris. She listened this time. It was a beautiful song. August came back into the room carrying the drinks and handed her hers. She sipped the ice cubes clinking and watched as he walked back into the kitchen. Glass ,glass in her hand. And glass is fragile- breakable even. A Glass menagerie. But "the traffic jars the shelves and things fall off them".
The phone rang. Reflex reaction she started.
D- Can you get that .
She didn't question .
G- Hello.
Hi ( a tangible pause) Is August there? "Sure just a minute " , she put her hand over the receiver "Mr.Dimitri". An intake of breath on the line. The voice had sounded familiar but she could not place it, not until then. Mr.Dimitri not August? Grace. Thoughts filled her mind. A vague remembrance of a young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She heard laughing "you're covered in suds" then August "Hello?"
-August.
D- Chris, hey..
C- I hope I'm not interupting anything.
D- No,no actually I was just doing dishes. [ He laughed] I seem to be doing that a lot lately.
C- [ laughed ] Well cleanliness is next to godliness.
D- Are you calling me a greek god? Because.....
It was Chris only Chris and she never questioned who had answered the phone. He sighed relieved. Why had he asked her to get the phone? He walked over to the stereo.
D- I think we need something different here.
He turned off the cd player and opened the lid to the turn table. Casually picked up a record and removed the sleeve. Jim Croce. You don't mess around Jim. Suddenly unexpected he started to move and still more unexpectedly sing. It was karaoke gone all wrong. It was both horrifying and priceless all at once. Like the mastercard commercial some things money can't buy. She couldn't help laughing. He just looked so young and hip? God that wasn't even the word. The laughing began again. Her eyes watering. And he was smiling back eyes twinkling. A photograph, a memory she would keep forever~~ time slowed.
~******************************~
The next day in class.......
Alexa looked down at her paper and her face fell. In pen a blue B. She turned to the commentary:
This is an interesting essay, Alexa. I appreciate your effort to bring some balance to the three historical periods. However, I do think you slight the two earlier periods when you say they were naive and did not suffer temptation. That is rather narrow. They were only naive to this period and adultery is not a recent concept. This lack of historical knowledge does undermine your essay. As well, you need to provide more explanation of your quotes, for they are not self explanatory. Still this is cleary presented essay. Good.
75/100
The anger slowly mounted, damn it she had worked really hard on that and she needed an A. Desperatly needed that A. Her father never stopped talking of USC, hell he had already bought the sweater. She looked up at him, August Dimitri. What the fuck kind of name is August. Had he done it to spite her. No she knew he would not do that ,he wasn't like that and knowing that made the failure all the worse. Grace was smiling and fingering her paper..Hmmm. Looking over her shoulder to the desk ahead of her. A beautiful resounding A. She strongly suspected she hated Grace. Perfect Grace..perfect straight hair,nice family -no problems and articulate,yes articulate and smart. Where did these freaks come from? Wasn't she smart and equally opinionated but no one ever listened to her. Not really. Certainly not him....no all he saw was his precious Grace. He might as well permantely move his chair to beside her desk and write GRACE? on the board. The other students were just the background to him- Grace was his star. Just like Rosalind.
If she could have admitted to herself maybe that was the reason for the jealousy. August Dimitri was charasmatic, interesting and sometimes his remarks in class even moving. And good looking, of yes very hot no doubt there. When he stood near you...argggg. His hair. What teacher have you ever seen that had adonis hair like that happening. A red haired adonis? Alexa smiled. But he intimidated her as no other person in her life ever had. He could make her feel very small and insignificant. He had a power and you knew he was someone....he mattered somehow. He was fascinating right down to his wardrobe. Let him have his prodigy she thought and with a slight laugh she pleasantly began anticipating how he would break Grace. Grace was no match for him. And then..
Mr.Dimitri was talking about something but she was not listening.
A.D- ...and for tomorrow also page 79, Beowolf. We start that one tomorrow so come prepared.
Alexa picked up her bags and left the class.
REVIEWS: PLEASE REVIEW ..FEEDBACK!!!! MUST HAVE FEEDBACK!!!!PLAN ON CONTINUING PAST EITT.
CHAPTER SUMMARY: I'M SKIPPING CHAPTER OF GSA BECAUSE HELL SHOW IS ALREADY SO WELL WRITTEN WHAT COULD I POSSIBLY HOPE TO ADD....BUT MY FAN FIC CONTINUES AFTER GSA AND FOCUSES ON ALLIANCE MEETINGS. CAN'T WAIT FOR AFTER EITT BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME IDEAS...... MAY CHANGE RATING AT THAT POINT ;D
EMAIL; jeanl2@sympatico.ca
INTO THE TRAFFIC CHANGE
Ever since that time in the car....was there any other way to describe it ? Things had changed . The shell was cracked . Damaged and the fraility of the man inside exposed? Not yet. Damaged goods. No words were ever exchanged about that day - but sometimes words aren't needed as actions speak louder than words. The silence screamed. The memory played over and over again. Like a 45 record with all the scratchs -those imperfections making it all the more real.....because if we remembered with crystal clear perfection would we be satisfied. There is something so much more valuable in not knowing more often then not. The questions that matter are almost always the ones not answered.
Why did he offer her the ride home? It was a question he would struggle with much later. Or didn't he already know the answer. Often the truth is a whisper ,but we turn up the radio and try not to hear it. Safety. Only move ahead when the light is green. Yellow caution. But sometimes there is no light at all so we fumble and search, grasping for the switch. You stub your toe. Pain, but it doesn't last. But do you ever forget the place where you hit it or does that memory always remain, lingering somewhere. In the dark you can lose sight of the maintained road. Isn't everyone an egotist at heart and reality nothing more than our own private hallucination. Stop the mind shouted don't kill it with overanalysis. Leave things as they are because there is danger in analyzing every detail. It can be best often not to know, after all isn't your first impression of something often the most truest.
There was a meeting that night. A chance maybe? She had calculated the risk. But the risk of not knowing was far the greater. After school she went to the classroom to find him there. He was always there.
G- Mr.Dimitri?
D- Yes.
G- Umm, It's just about the Gay-Straight Alliance meeting tonight I don't know that I can go. I mean my mother is busy you see , my uncle Aaron is in town and Rick, well......
D- Oh. You mean you don't have a ride?
It was lie. They both knew it. She would have walked any amount of miles. Sometimes though the lies reveal much much more than the honesty ever could. The truth can be the lies we choose to give.
D- I can take you. Come on. I mean it's not a problem, you would be a bit early [slight laugh] but if you don't mind...
G- No.[slowly] I don't mind I mean.
Three hours early? He had said they couldn't be friends, talk for hours.
In the car she told him about Aaron , feelings and thoughts poured out.
~****************************************~
They entered through the side door. An awkward silence.
G- Can I use your phone . I really should call home. You know just in case.
D- Of course, it's around her somewhere.
He started to look around and walked of into the living room area. Calling back "I know it's around here, but damned if I know where..". Standing in the kitchen by the counter she looked around- taking in his things, she smiled. A photo on him and a dog on the fridge. It brought tears to her eyes because she had always loved animals and she knew he didn't have a dog -not anymore. Thrills "the gum that tastes like soap", a literary magazine, the newspaper. She opened it to entertainment page and started reading.
D- Here it is. [ He had come up behind her and leaned over her shoulder] Horoscopes? I didn't know you were astrologically minded Grace.
G- Hmmmf. I'll have you know I find it fascinating [ with a smile] but actually I was looking at the movies playing.
A partial lie, yet another lie. Or maybe just an omission. She had long since discovered this birthdate. Travel insurance forms. A form they had signed a while back when the class took a field trip out of state to see a critically acclaimed performance of Les Miserables , his name and birthdate on the line above. Libra. Embarrassed she recalled the days that winter she had looked it up, more often then not at times when he was not a daily occurence in her life- holidays and the like. The took the phone and moved off into the living room leaving the paper opened.
She left a message.
-It's me Grace...umm I got a ride with a friend from the school over to a... ..There is a gay/straight alliance meeting tonight and I'm not sure what time I'll be back. I'll get a ride home so that's ok.
She hung up. She was angry. Why did eveything require justification couldn't things just be. She looked over watching him remove his tie and undo top button.
D- Can I get you something to eat? I don't know what's here but I'm sure I can pull together something and then we can discuss your story because I've really been thinking about that.
G- Ok ,but you have to let me help.
~***************************************~
The meeting didn't last long. Most of the decisions had been made at the last meeting and this was more just a get together to checklist for the dance. Savannah proposed a couple new issues but other than that uneventful. What has the meeting anyway she thought but another stage on with the actors played. Her protaganist versus his. For we are each the hero is every scene are we not? He saw the students leave and returned to Grace arranging things preparing them to be cleared away. Plans, the best laid plans.....
D- I'll just get this stuff cleared away and drive you home. More water? [ he asked playfully taking her cup]
She hit play on the stereo , the cd turned.
"Into the traffic change..
.A good friend i have had
Today, today....he is leaving
~sad
My friend is starting over ..there is a trembling
Confusion , doubt"
It was the same song that had played that night in his kitchen with Chris. She listened this time. It was a beautiful song. August came back into the room carrying the drinks and handed her hers. She sipped the ice cubes clinking and watched as he walked back into the kitchen. Glass ,glass in her hand. And glass is fragile- breakable even. A Glass menagerie. But "the traffic jars the shelves and things fall off them".
The phone rang. Reflex reaction she started.
D- Can you get that .
She didn't question .
G- Hello.
Hi ( a tangible pause) Is August there? "Sure just a minute " , she put her hand over the receiver "Mr.Dimitri". An intake of breath on the line. The voice had sounded familiar but she could not place it, not until then. Mr.Dimitri not August? Grace. Thoughts filled her mind. A vague remembrance of a young woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She heard laughing "you're covered in suds" then August "Hello?"
-August.
D- Chris, hey..
C- I hope I'm not interupting anything.
D- No,no actually I was just doing dishes. [ He laughed] I seem to be doing that a lot lately.
C- [ laughed ] Well cleanliness is next to godliness.
D- Are you calling me a greek god? Because.....
It was Chris only Chris and she never questioned who had answered the phone. He sighed relieved. Why had he asked her to get the phone? He walked over to the stereo.
D- I think we need something different here.
He turned off the cd player and opened the lid to the turn table. Casually picked up a record and removed the sleeve. Jim Croce. You don't mess around Jim. Suddenly unexpected he started to move and still more unexpectedly sing. It was karaoke gone all wrong. It was both horrifying and priceless all at once. Like the mastercard commercial some things money can't buy. She couldn't help laughing. He just looked so young and hip? God that wasn't even the word. The laughing began again. Her eyes watering. And he was smiling back eyes twinkling. A photograph, a memory she would keep forever~~ time slowed.
~******************************~
The next day in class.......
Alexa looked down at her paper and her face fell. In pen a blue B. She turned to the commentary:
This is an interesting essay, Alexa. I appreciate your effort to bring some balance to the three historical periods. However, I do think you slight the two earlier periods when you say they were naive and did not suffer temptation. That is rather narrow. They were only naive to this period and adultery is not a recent concept. This lack of historical knowledge does undermine your essay. As well, you need to provide more explanation of your quotes, for they are not self explanatory. Still this is cleary presented essay. Good.
75/100
The anger slowly mounted, damn it she had worked really hard on that and she needed an A. Desperatly needed that A. Her father never stopped talking of USC, hell he had already bought the sweater. She looked up at him, August Dimitri. What the fuck kind of name is August. Had he done it to spite her. No she knew he would not do that ,he wasn't like that and knowing that made the failure all the worse. Grace was smiling and fingering her paper..Hmmm. Looking over her shoulder to the desk ahead of her. A beautiful resounding A. She strongly suspected she hated Grace. Perfect Grace..perfect straight hair,nice family -no problems and articulate,yes articulate and smart. Where did these freaks come from? Wasn't she smart and equally opinionated but no one ever listened to her. Not really. Certainly not him....no all he saw was his precious Grace. He might as well permantely move his chair to beside her desk and write GRACE? on the board. The other students were just the background to him- Grace was his star. Just like Rosalind.
If she could have admitted to herself maybe that was the reason for the jealousy. August Dimitri was charasmatic, interesting and sometimes his remarks in class even moving. And good looking, of yes very hot no doubt there. When he stood near you...argggg. His hair. What teacher have you ever seen that had adonis hair like that happening. A red haired adonis? Alexa smiled. But he intimidated her as no other person in her life ever had. He could make her feel very small and insignificant. He had a power and you knew he was someone....he mattered somehow. He was fascinating right down to his wardrobe. Let him have his prodigy she thought and with a slight laugh she pleasantly began anticipating how he would break Grace. Grace was no match for him. And then..
Mr.Dimitri was talking about something but she was not listening.
A.D- ...and for tomorrow also page 79, Beowolf. We start that one tomorrow so come prepared.
Alexa picked up her bags and left the class.