Awakening: Third Stage
Chapter Three
"Parental Discretion Advised"
Friday
Lor was tossing and turning in her bed, unable to blank her mind enough to get to sleep. She was beyond excited. She was going to have an official date with Thompson! Twice! Moreover, he was escorting her to the Homecoming Dance! It was just too much, too good to be true. How many times in her life had she dared to hope and dream and pray that he would even so much as have a slice of pizza with her? And now that it was done, and she had her Sunday evening date set. . .everything seemed to have fallen into place so easily. She hadn't died. Thompson hadn't laughed at her. He hadn't mocked her feelings and torn her apart for onlookers to feast on. He wanted to see her!
Suddenly, Lor was thinking about all those times in the past when all she had wanted was for Thompson to pay attention to her, but she was always too scared to come and say it, too frightened of being rejected to talk to him, to let him know how she really felt. She slammed her head down on her pillow in frustration. Why has she waited for so long? What had she been so afraid of? Everything seemed so clear now. She had always known that Thompson was a great guy, that hadn't changed at all over the years. But always she had been so frightened, always unable to find two words to say around him. Even after it was out in the open, she still felt so embarrassed. Even thinking about him in the privacy of her own room made her cheeks flush.
Lor sighed, turning to her other side for the fifty-seventh time that night. All she had ever really wanted was to have a kind of nice and caring relationship with someone she had feelings for. Even an insecure wreck like Tino didn't have trouble doing that, so what was wrong with her? Well, all that was about to change. No more being afraid of her feelings for Thompson. She had to learn to master them, to make them a part of her instead of something she just worked around. Her time with Thompson was too limited for that, and she wanted—she needed him to see her as she wanted him to. That this wasn't a mistake, that they really would go great together. Somewhere inside, Lor knew it. All she had to do was break through!
Feeling energized, an idea crept into Lor's head that she couldn't help but act upon. Throwing off her covers, Lor climbed out of her bed and opened her closet, picking out a dark blue bathrobe and matching slippers to wear over her modest pajamas. Quietly, she stepped down the stairs, through the enormous living room and kitchen, and out a side door into the garage. As she expected, her father was working despite the late hour. With so many people living under one roof, it seemed like one of the sinks or toilets or bathtubs was always in need of repair.
"Dad?" Lor asked timidly, not wanting to disturb her father if he was too involved.
"Huh? Oh, hi there princess. I thought you'd be in bed by now like everyone else." Her father responded in a neutral tone.
"I couldn't sleep." Lor spoke softly. "Dad, can I talk to you?" Mr. MacQuarrie sighed momentarily before putting his wrench down, then laid his pipe out on a workbench. "I'm sorry, if you're busy, we can talk later. . ."
"No, no. It's alright, sugar. It's not you. You're older now, you know how it is. There's always something to do, always ten things to replace it if we want to keep this house runnin'."
"I know Dad. You work hard. And even though we don't show it well, we appreciate it."
"Well, that means a lot. And even though there's always something to do, having such a rewarding family has been worth it. So what's on your mind, honey?"
"I wanted to talk to you, about what's going on with me, you know?"
"Well, I'll be. One of my children wants to talk to me about something that's happening in their lives. Should I get this on video?"
"Okay, okay, so I don't usually communicate with you or mom."
"None of your brothers do either." Lor's father smiled. "Guess it runs in the family. Okay, so what's new with you, Lor?"
"Well, it's like you said, I'm getting older now. And I wanted to tell you before you found out some other way. It's nothing bad!" Lor quickly added, as she saw her father begin to frown with worry. "You see. . .there's this guy I've really liked for like three years now. And today. . .he asked me out, for Sunday night. And also the Homecoming Dance. He's a really great guy, dad. You met him once before, he tutored me back in Middle School. You know, so you wouldn't send me off to that military school?"
"I think I dimly remember. So, you like that kid, eh? He seemed nice enough, as I recall."
"He's so cool, dad, the greatest. And I've had a crush on him for so long. I just. . .all this time, I was never able to tell him how I feel. It turns out he even knew it! But he wasn't ready for anything, that's why this never happened before. I guess what I wanted to know is. . .is there something wrong with me? I had these feeling all this time and I could never express them to him. Sometimes I've even felt kinda sick inside over it."
"Oh, now, I don't think this means there's anything wrong with you, sweetie. You've just got the MacQuarrie genes, that's all. Heck, it took me almost a year to propose to your mother. I went out and got the ring and everything, but every time I was going to pop the question, I always chickened out. I carried that thing around with me so many times, it got ridiculous. Then I finally looked at myself in the mirror one day, and I asked myself what I was so afraid of. I couldn't come up with an answer. So that night I called your mother and asked her to meet me for dinner, and I asked her right then and there, no fanfare or anything."
"And it worked?" Lor blinked, beginning to understand.
"Well, you're here, aren't you?"
"Yeah." Lor smiled. "I guess I am."
Mr. MacQuarrie looked at his daughter, then reached his arms out and hugged her, Lor accepting warmly. "You're right though, sweetie. You're older now, you're fifteen. And that means you're old enough to make these kinds of decisions for yourself. You have yourself a good time on Sunday, alright? Just, well, you know, if he tries to touch you or anything. . ."
"Dad!" Lor blushed. "It's not like that at all. Besides, if anyone ever tried anything like that on me, I'd give 'em a headbutt so hard it would make their head spin!"
"Sorry, just a dad reflex. That's my girl."
"Thanks dad. Um, there's just one other thing." Lor twiddled her fingers.
"Oh?"
"Would you play a game of Yahtzee with me?"
The inescapable sound of ticking was something that one could never escape while in the Katsufrakis living room. Tino had always preferred to have conversation going, or even the TV, as the silence always made him feel like some sort of bomb was counting down to detonation. So it was that Tino Tonitini found himself grinning sheepishly, looking for something to say. Tish had gone out to the local store to pick up a few things. Tino has asked if she wanted him to accompany her, but she had declined. For some reason, the girl wanted him to stay.
Desperately, Tino wracked his brain for something to start a conversation with. He had to act fast! If he said nothing, then one of them might ask him the one question he didn't want to-
"Come, Tino, tell us of how thing are with you children!" Mr. Katsufrakis beamed.
"Yes, yes!" Mrs. Katsufrakis matched her husband's smile. "Sometimes Tishy talk and talk and talk about you! She can be so happy, it be bringing back memories of goat milking festival!"
Tino immediately felt the urge to run off in embarrassment. He never knew what to talk about around Tish's parents. Tish was his friend and his girl, he liked spending time with her. But somehow saying something like that to her parents, it made him feel dirty. "I, um, don't think that I could compete with something like that." Tino stuttered.
"You are being too shy. Our Tishy is not old fashioned like us. She is American girl. It is good for her to have nice American friends, and American boy for her to be spending time with."
"Not a problem, Mrs. K" Tino offered her a smile. "It's all just part of being a good friend, and um, other things. Quickly, Tino found a way to seize the conversation and steer it away from its current topic. "Speaking of friends, we all went out to this concert like a week before school started! Oh, man, it was the greatest. Chum Bukkit was playing all this new material, it didn't break up until like midnight. Now there was a good old American time, let me tell you. Especially when Carver started doing this new dance he invented, and we all just started laughing with him. You should've been there, really." It took him a moment to realize that Tish's folks wouldn't be able to relate to the holiness that was a live Chum Bukkit concert. Tino cleared his throat, then switched to a new tactic. "So, um, what was it Tish had to go out for."
"Ah, she was stepping out to get her favorite drink to go with wonderful dessert my wife is making." Mr. Katsufrakis smiled.
"Dessert?"
"Yes, it is special delicacy from Old Country. It is nice that you are here to share it with us."
"Well, it's nice to be here." Tino said politely. Half of him was nervous about what strange manner of food he would soon be eating, while the other half reminded him that unless one of the primary ingredients was plutonium, it couldn't be anything worse than the usual array of "specialties" he was accustomed to his own mother preparing.
Tino heard a rattle at the front door and practically jumped off of the sofa, running to the front door to usher Tish back into her home. He was never comfortable about being around Tish's parents alone, or even Lor's. He had spent the night at Carver's in the past, though, so he had a better rapport with Carver's folks. He tried to cram the guilt down into his feet. It wasn't that he didn't like Tish's parents, just that he had nothing in common with them and didn't want to offend them. They were good, hospitable people. Besides, they probably hadn't seen that dress Tish had bought for the dance. He wanted to continue enjoying their complete confidence in his ability to treat her like a lady.
As the door began opening, Tino eagerly pulled it the rest of the way open and all but dove into Tish's arms. "Gee, I missed you too." Tish said laughingly, making Tino a little more aware of himself.
"Um, sorry, it was just…"Tino sighed
"You're glad I'm back here to translate for my mother?"
"Actually, I didn't really have any trouble understanding her. Does that mean I'm becoming one of you?"
"Maybe. But I wouldn't worry. There's plenty of your mother in you, Tino."
"Um, thanks, I think. So, what were you out getting?"
"Prince of Wales." Tish grinned.
"Oh boy. Does this mean. . .?"
"Tomorrow. Tonight, let's just spend a quiet evening in the living room. You know my parents are full of stories about their days in the Old Country. I know it seems silly, but some of them are actually kind of interesting. I thought we'd stay with them tonight."
"Actually, I do hear your mom made something for dessert."
"Yeah, it's one of my favorites. Anyway, I'm going to brew up a pot of this. Would you put some water on for me? I'm going to go and slip into something a little more comfortable."
"Oh really?" Tino smiled mischievously.
"Mmm-hmm. Don't get funny ideas."
"I've never had a 'funny idea' that you didn't put in my head to begin with!"
"Like what?!"
"There was that time you wanted to make out under the bleachers at school." Tino began. "Or that time last summer when we went to the movies ourselves and you decided my lap was more comfortable than your seat. Oh, and let's not forget that incident three years ago when you made me think you were proposing to me!"
"You're still not over that?" Tish laughed. "That was a long time ago, Tino. Although I guess it is a little sweet that you took it so seriously."
"Ha! You can say that because you're not the one who passed out!"
"Maybe. Anyway, I'm going to get undressed. Put that water on to boil for me, all right? I promise not to keep you alone with my parents for too long." She winked as she turned on her heel and walked off to her bedroom.
As Tino walked into the kitchen and began filling up a tea kettle, he wondered at the décor. The Katsufrakis house always had a very cluttered feel, littered with clocks and other knick-knack that covered seemingly every wall and flat surface. He couldn't recall ever seeing another home interiorly decorated in such a manner. Granted, it came off as a bit tacky, but there was another aspect to it, something that made it feel very warm and homey, lived-in. Tino placed the kettle onto the stove and turned on the burner, then made his way back into the living room. It was true that he often felt that he had nothing to say to Mr. and Mrs. Katsufrakis, but it was also true that they treated him like family. It was a very kind gesture, and he appreciated being so well liked. Tino wished he knew a little bit more about Lor's parents, but they weren't the most accessible people in the world.
Smiling, Tino decided to take Tish's advice. When he returned to the sofa, he asked Mr. Katsufrakis to tell him a story of his childhood. He was surprised to learn that Tish was right. Although there was some serious culture clash, he was interested in what her father had to say.
Carver had just finished reorganizing his shoe collection as ten o'clock rolled around. No matter how many times he did this, he just couldn't seem to find an ideal system that made him perfectly happy. A normal person would probably accuse him of having way too many shoes, but there was no way he could ever part with any of them willingly. Goodness knew his mother had tried to talk him into getting rid of them before, and more than once she had raided his room while she was out and given old pairs he never wore anymore to charity. But sooner or later, he was going to be faced with a choice of either getting rid of some of the old ones, or renting out a public storage space.
Was it his fault that shoes came in so many different, awesome varieties? Why couldn't his parents understand? So few people understood the holiness of footwear. He had considered contacting Moira in the past, but he'd always decided not to since he feared if he entered into any kind of relationship with her beyond friendly, it might make Tino, well, get all Tinoish on them. And that would be a situation that everyone wanted to avoid. Besides, she was an older woman. Last year Carver had to be sure to keep his distance because she had been an elite junior and he a freshman slug. But this year, things could be different. Moira was a senior. That meant she ruled the school. She could associate with anyone she liked with complete and total impunity. Perhaps it was time that Carver take advantage of that. It's not as though Moira were a snob. At the very least, he might be able to have someone to talk to who could appreciate his hobby. And if things really went his way, he might be able to have some sort of relationship with Moira. It was worth a shot. After all, he was gaining himself some status, slowly working his way out of the uncool world. Perhaps it was time he dared to take a leap and see if he could break through to a new level.
As he undressed for bed, he wondered if he should consider asking his father for advice. His previous brushes with romance hadn't turned out very well. If he was going to take even a passing crack at a sophisticated girl like Moira, he was going to need some preparation. His father seemed like the only person he could ask. Lor was out of the question, since she still hadn't managed to tell Thompson how she feels. Tino wasn't much use either. A nice guy and great friend, but he and Tish were in what Carver tended to think of as "geek love," the kind of romance made by geeks and for geeks that just wasn't really the sort of thing that would help him out.
Of course, there were other options to consider. Earlier that very day, Cheri had spoken to him. Nothing major, but even be acknowledged by Cheri was like a huge event in and of itself. Now that would be a tough choice. Clearly, he had a better shot with Moira. Although she was older, there were things he had in common with her. Whereas with Cheri. . .well, he didn't have too much in common, but she was Cheri. Just the thought of being around her made the average guy dissolve into a puddle of goo to be remolded in whatever shape the girl saw fit.
Man, he was definitely thinking too hard. With all the little unspoken rules and social codes that had to be followed, Carver couldn't help but marvel that human beings managed to prosper as a species. It was so much work to be able to talk with someone of the opposite sex that it seemed impossible! Maybe Tino and Tish had the right idea in the sense that you had to have a strong connection with someone to make a relationship. But if he followed that logic, then the only person left to him would be Lor. And while he thought that Lor wasn't such a bad choice, he knew she had feelings for Thompson, and also that it just didn't feel right. He couldn't possibly picture himself having those kinds of feelings for her. Lor was his friend, there was no mistaking that. But to try and make it something more than that--it would probably be a mistake that both of them would regret. Just because his other friends had managed to buck the odds so far, didn't mean he felt the need to press his luck. "Maybe there's some kind of secretive geek power that they use. Yeah, that's it. Geeks the world over, all able to tap into some kind of amazing power source, waiting for the right moment to rise up against the world and establish a new kind of order. The horror! The horror!" Carver shrieked in terror.
"What's wrong with you?" Penny asked as she let herself into her younger brother's room unannounced.
"I, um, well, uh—I spilled some soda on one of my shoes. Yeah, man, it's horrible!" Carver covered for himself.
"Great. I'll be sure to tell the neighborhood." Penny mocked as she left, Carver wheezing a sigh of relief. Maybe talking to his dad wasn't such a bad idea after all.
As Carver expected, he found his father in the living room, watching the Bloomberg Information channel. "Hey there Big C." Mr. DesCartes smiled at his son. You look a little lost there.
"Yeah, maybe. Hey Dad, can I ask you for some advice?"
"Well sure you can. That's why they made me the dad and you the son. So tell me what's on your mind and I'll see if I can help you out."
"I guess I need advice about, you know, girls." Carver sighed.
"You mean you're having trouble finding a date, eh?" smiled his father.
"No, it's not that. I could get myself a date easy. I think. . .I want to find the right one, though. You know, like, how you met Mom. You knew she was the girl for you, right?"
"Well, not right away, son. People bandy about the notion of love at first sight, and while I'll admit it's possible, I think it's rare that such a thing ever really happens. I think you'll find that most relationships are a series of trial and error. Sometimes they work, sometimes not, but you always owe it to yourself to find out. Why were you asking anyway?" Mr. DesCartes chuckled. "Thinking of getting married?"
"Who, me? Perish the thought! I don't want anything like that to happen to me until I'm dead! Or at least until I'm thirty."
"You say that now, but every ten years or so, you'll push the envelope of your "death." You'll see.
"Yeah, uh-huh. I still remember that mid-life crisis you went through last year, dad."
"I told you, we'll go skydiving after you turn eighteen."
"You mean it, Big D?"
"I promise, Big C. Now, what do you say we go help ourselves to an extra bowl of Jell-O."
"I read you loud and clear, Dad. Loud and clear!"
And so another chapter comes to an end, the first one of the new year. This one ended up taking a lot of turns I didn't expect, and I decided to just go with it and do some experimenting. This being a leap year, I figured it wasn't such a bad time to take a leap, as it were. I thought it was nice to drag everyone's parents into it. If you're looking for the heavenly creature known as Tino's mom, don't worry, she'll be showing up again soon. Couldn't do the story without her!
Things will be getting very interesting soon enough, so I thought for now I'd take it easy for another chapter or two and let things move along comfortably before we start to snowball out of control, like most of this stage will be. Hopefully I'm not making anyone wait too long!
Thanks to everyone who continues to make the story possible. I know sometimes it takes me awhile to get a chapter out, but have faith in me and I'll do my best to get it out to you. I really look forward to releasing new material, so rest assured that sooner or later, it shall be thine.
I'll see you all next time!
Lord Malachite
01/10/04
1:31 AM, EST
E-mail: ranger_writer@yahoo.com
AIM: Asukaphile26
