Awakening

Chapter 5

"Roll Over"

"Darling, those tired eyes

Go with me all the time.

And in the dead of night

Tell me you will be mine.

Where do you go to, pretty baby?

Where do you go to, when the night wins away?

Ask me so sweetly, what do I do?

Who do I sing for?

Well honey, I sing about you.........

You......................."

--Coldplay

"i bloom blaum"

Tish silently pondered how, in the seven layers of hell, their favorite pizza hangout in Bahia Bay managed to stay in business with the constant renovations every week. She came to the conclusion that the proprietor of the establishment must be certifiably insane. Recalling some of the different, "unique" experiences she'd been subjected to in the restaurant, she felt certain that this must be the case. But this theme took the cake. Communist Pizza.

"When you serve one, it is a small joy. When you serve ten million, you go through a LOT of pepperoni!" The server said, laying the disc of starch in front of his four regular customers. Pieces of pepperoni were arranged in the shape of a hammer and sickle.

"Don't you think this is a tab bit un-American?" Tish asked.

"News flash, pizza is Italian." Carver added.

"While I do concede your point," Tish began calmly, "perhaps you may have noticed that WE'RE BEING SERVED BY JOSEF STALIN!!!!!"

"Who?" asked Lor.

"Stalin! Former leader of the Soviet Union? He used to execute people on whims?" Tish growled in frustration. "HE'S ONE OF HISTORY'S GREATEST MONSTERS!"

"Hmm, perhaps it is a bit much." The owner sighed. "It's not easy to come up with a gimmick, you know." He hung his head.

"That's better."

"Or perhaps you are merely capitalist spies!" The owner snarled! "they are enemies of the people! Confess, or you shall be tortured with grated cheese!"

"Oh forget it!" Tish groaned, swiping the only piece she could find without pepperoni and ripping into it.

An uncomfortable silence followed until Tino finally found something to say. "So Carve, you're going to finish that paper tonight, right? I mean, c'mon, even Lor finished hers."

"Yeah, I'm good." Lor said through a mouthful of pizza.

"Alright alright, geez!" Carver huffed. "I'll do it, okay?"

"Hey, we just don't want you ruining the last day of the weekend, man." Tino relented. "It's important!"

"What are we doing tomorrow anyway?"

"I don't know. Hit the beach?"

"Tesla Park?" asked Lor.

"The mall?" Tish offered.

"Well, it looks like we're not going to resolve this deadlock anytime soon." Tino mused.

Carver leaned back in his chair. "It doesn't matter. I'll get it done. Tonight. Cool?"

"Cool." Three voices responded in unison.

Lor grew restless. "Okay, what's next? We don't have much left of today, it's getting late."

Tish perked up. "In the summertime, they'll probably put plays on in the park again. That will always give us something to do."

"Hey Tish," asked Carver, "Are all that Shakespeare dude's plays about cool stuff like treachery and fights and backstabs and battles and stuff?"

"Not all, but if you're into violence, most of his tragedies would suit you."

"Which one is the violentist?" Lor suddenly seemed very interested.

"Most violent, and that would be Titus Andronicus."

"Cool!" shouted Carver "You think they'll put it on?"

"Not too likely. It's. . .not for the faint of heart. It's not one of my favorites, either. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that there will always be something going on!"

"Too bad summer's still a few months away." Tino sighed.

"It is long in coming, isn't it?" Carver added.

Tino changed the subject before things got downright depressing. "Wanna just hang back at my house?"

"Your mom isn't going to try to feed us, is she?" Lor demanded.

"I don't think she cooked tonight."

"Good. Then I can safely ask her about your little fainting spell!"

Tino threw his hands into the air "Are you still harping about that!"

"Yeah I want to know to." Carver said. "You've done some freaky things before, Tino, but to actually just faint? And I thought Tish had a weak stomach!"

"Hey!" Tish piped up.

"Dude, it's so true." Lor laughed.

"Are they making fun of us?" asked Tino

"Do you have to ask?" Tish replied.

"Oh alright." Lor relented. "We're sorry."

"Sorry you two are so fragile." Snickered Carver.

Tino lounged across two chairs on the terrace, the cooler night air feeling downright good. Lor sat against a wall, thumbing through a stray comic book she had found on the table, shocked to see that it wasn't Captain Dreadnought. Carver adopted Pose #3, "I'm too cool to care," as he leaned against the wall next to Lor. Tish straddled one of the remaining chairs, alternating looks between the three of them before getting bored and lifting her gaze to the stars above, searching for the constellations she knew would be there.

The lethargy of the evening was interrupted only by Mrs. Tonitini, who entered through the door, holding a box in her hands. "Ordinarily I don't serve something with so many...I can't even make out most of the ingredients in this stuff! Here, Choco-Bonkies. Tino, don't say I never let you be a kid."

"Oh yes!" Carver quickly took the proffered box and began snacking. "Mrs. Tonitini, you are the queen!"

"I try." She smiled.

Lor took the box from Carver. "So, can you tell us what the big secret is about Tino fainting this morning? I've been trying to get him to tell us all day!"

Tino's mother smiled. "Oh, that. It's kind of an interesting story, really."

Lor and Carver never took their eyes of Tino's mom. Tino winced, and Tish covered her face and shook her head. "So what happened?" asked Carver.

Mrs. Tonitini smiled. "The breakfast I made didn't sit too well with him, it seems." After he finished it, he said he was going to go lie down on the couch. On the way into the living room, he just keeled right over."

"That's it?" Lor sounded disappointed.

"That's it."

"Geez, Tino, that's what you wouldn't tell us? Pretty lame!"

Tino gasped for air, feeling unable to believe that his mother hadn't just revealed a secret that would be an endless source of teasing until he was through middle school, maybe even longer! "Well, I, uh. . .I didn't want to insult Mom's cooking! She works hard on that. . .stuff she serves, you know?"

"Thanks, Tino." Mrs. Tonitini smiled. "It's nice to be appreciated. I'll just be downstairs if anyone needs me."

As soon as she left, Lor punched Tino in the arm. "I can't believe you would make me fret all day over such a lame secret!"

"Maybe I just like intrigue?" Tino shrugged.

"Maybe you're just a dork!"

"Maybe we should call it a day." Carver suggested, grabbing the box of Choco-Bonkies from Lor, polishing off another handful, and tossing the box to Tino. Tino took three handfuls, then passed to Tish. " I guess I could go home and finish up that paper." Carver surrendered to the inevitable.

"That's the spirit!" encouraged Tish.

Tino began organizing. "Okay, so we meet tomorrow over at Carver's house, 10 o'clock. Good?"

"Cool." Lor crunched another mouthful of her snack.

"I'll be ready." Carver reassured them.

"I can be there." Tish smiled.

"Great. Work hard, Carver." Said Tino

"Yeah, I will." He said. "Hey, you'd better not stay up half the night reading old issues of Captain Dreadnought."

"I do nothing of the sort!"

"Yeah, whatever." He laughed.

Tino's guests began making their way downstairs and out the front door, when Tish caught sight of Tino's mom and stopped in her tracks. "Um, I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow. I need to talk to Tino's mom about something."

"Like what? The Beatles?" asked Lor.

"No! It's about, um. . .ochre! Yeah!" Carver and Lor just stared at her. "It's something you use in cooking. Nothing you'd be interested in!"

"Uh-huh. Okay, Tish, you just, uh, have yourself a good time. You and Tino's mom and ogre." She rolled her eyes.

"Ochre!"

"Whatever." Lor practically pushed Carver out the door before her brain exploded. "Dude, what the heck is that ogre stuff she was talking about?"

"Lor, we're talking about Tish, here. And she wants to ask Tino's mom about something to do with cooking? Tish vegetarian, Tino's mom health nut. Whatever it is, it might spawn some new type of dish that is a crime against all humanity! If either of them try to serve it, we may be forced to defend ourselves! Hmmm....suddenly I'm in the mood for chili cheese fries....."

"Thank you so much for not telling!" Tish cried, running up to Mrs. Tonitini and wrapping her arms around the older woman.

Tino's mother sighed. "Why is it that no one seems to remember that I was young once too?"

"I can't think you enough. We can't."

"Just try to remember that you won't be able to keep it from the others forever."

"Forever, no, but hopefully sometime as close to then as possible. I'm just afraid they'd freak out or something."

"They'll be able to handle it." Mrs. Tonitini reassured. "Why don't you two just wait until you've gotten comfortable with your relationship, and then tell them. Once you adjust to the change it won't mean as much to you."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. It's somewhere in my Big Book of Stuff Mom's Need To Know. Now, why don't you go say goodnight to Tino. He should be in his room."

"Okay. Thanks Mrs. Tonitini!"

"Anytime."

Tish rushed upstairs, then began knocking on Tino's door. "Tino it's me! Open up!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tino said, grabbing Tish by the shoulders and trying to settle her down. "You look like you just won the lottery."

"Not quite." She smiled, becoming self-conscious and smoothing out her outfit. "I just had to thank your mom for not giving us away."

"Sometimes my mom can be pretty cool." Tino smiled.

"She told me to come up here to say goodnight...." Tish trailed off as she saw what was in Tino's hands. "You kept it?"

"Yeah. I thought it would be a nice reminder. I'm going to hang it over my bed tomorrow morning. Y'know, so I wake up to it. I know, I know, it was just a gag, but I think it's pretty cool."

Tish beamed. "You are so sweet! Oh, I wish I didn't have to go! I'll come by tomorrow morning before we go to Carver's, okay?"

Tino put an arm behind his back, feeling sheepish. "Uh, sure. Yeah, that would be great." Tish looked puzzled. "Sorry, I'm. . .still new at this. Heh heh. . .heh......"

"It's okay." she grinned, wrapping the boy in a quick hug and kissing him on the cheek. Tino couldn't help but remember that it was those exact words that had changed their relationship to begin with. "I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"You know where to find me!" Tino managed, blushing slightly. As Tish darted down the stairs, giving one last wave, Tino retreated into his room and flopped onto the bed, turning Tish's wreath over in his hands. He smiled at it, before finally lying it on his nightstand and deciding to get changed for the night. He couldn't help but feel a growing pit of anticipation in his stomach for the morning to come.

"Darling, those tired eyes

Go with me all the time.

And in the dead of night

Tell me you will be mine.

Where do you go to, pretty baby?

Where do you go to, when the night wins away?

Ask me so sweetly, what do I do?

Who do I sing for?

Well honey, I sing about you.........

You......................."

--Coldplay

"i bloom blaum"

Thanks to everyone who keeps reading. Kaon, I hope that last bit was sweet enough for you. ^_^ As always, more to come!

Lord Malachite

E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com

AIM: Asukaphile26

5/16/03

5:16 PM, EST

Saturday