Love, Fate Everything In Between
Chapter 3 - Past Absolutions For Future Sins
As he stepped out of his room, everything around him stubbornly stayed just as he rememberd it as a kid.
The hallway wall's held up the same pictures, the lamp that stood on a table near his mom's bedroom door
still sat there, glued together from the time he had broken it and tried to get away with it. Resolved to the
situation he walked down the hall and entered the kitchen that had produced so many of his mom's unique
culinary achievements and though he wasn't surprised to see his mom sitting at the familiar table sipping
coffee, he was taken about by how young she still looked. The last time he had seen his mom she had had
almost completely gray hair and her face showed some small wrinkles, though Dixon still loudly claimed
everyday that she was as beautiful as the day they met. But, all that had yet to come to her, the woman
that before him was still as young and vibrant as she had ever been. Stealing himself Tino took his first step into
this strange past and greeting his mom
"Uhh morning Mom, your looking lovely today" He said trying to downplay his voice to what he thought he sounded
like at that age
"Uh huh, Morning would mean it was before noon. Try again. Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean you get to
sleep all day" His mom said, the humor evident in her voice.
"Weren't you supposed to meet everyone over at carver's house for some big thank you you were planning to give them
for what they did for you and your dad"
"Oh..uhhh..ya, I'd better get going then, wouldn't want them thinking I stood them up" He said weakly, hoping that
his hyper intuitive mom wouldn't sense anything different about her one and only son.
Hastily he dashed out the door trying to remember the event in question. He remembered that weekend with his dad, it
had been the first time he and his dad had really bonded over one of his visits. The gang had sold their tickets to some
"it" comic in order to buy him and his dad some privacy and if his memory served him he had spent the next weekend
profusely thanking them with chug-a-freezes and pizza. He did remember making some big thank you speech at
carver's that Saturday morning but he had long since forgotten what he had said. Well, he decided, he'd just have to wing
it and hope everything went over smoothly, as smoothly as an adult trying to play a kid could make things anyway.
He was surprised to find he remembered the route to carver's as easily as he remembered his current phone number..or his future
one he supposed. He made sure to knock before he entered, one thing he had learned from years of growing up with his mom
was manners, and was none to surprised when carver answered the door.
"Hey T, 'bout time, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. We were just going to head out for pizza without you.
Well I wanted to but lor and tish demanded we keep waiting. I swear those two have no idea the kind of hunger a growing guy
like me gets just trying to stay cool" carver said as he led tino inside to his families living room.
"Hey Tino" lor called from her reclined position on the couch, nodding but not really getting up
"It's about time tino" Tish said "Don't you remember our group talk about punctuality after we almost missed the final showing
of Massive Force 5 after someone took to long showing up at my house" tish said smartly, though the harshness of her
statement was ruined by the humorous grin on her face.
"Hey it wasn't my fault" Lor protested "My brothers had me under that dog pile for almost half an hour. I only got out because the
pizza guy showed up"
"Hi guys" he said, his voice squeaking slightly. He cleared his throat and tried to control himself. Even though all she had said
was a mild jab at his expense Tino's heart was beating rapidly at the mere site of tish. He knew he had to calm down, if this
was some sort of second chance, and he desperately hoped it was, it wouldn't do him any good if he couldn't even talk to her.
Breathing deeply he tried again, forcing himself to remain calm as he carefully thought out his words in his mind
"Uh hi guys, sorry I'm just a bit nervous about what I'm about to say. I wanted to say thanks for what you guys did for me and my
dad last weekend, I know how much you wanted to see Mad Dog, and really it's things like these that remind me whats so great
about the world. You guys are great friends and even though I know it cant make up for the how much those tickets cost,
pizza and chug-a-freezes are on me this weekend" Tino finished, hoping he had injected his speech with enough
real emotion to make it seem believable and sincere.
"Now thats how someone says thank you" Carver shouted happily "Lets go and take him up on his offer quick before the aliens return his brain"
As they headed out tish seemed to hang back slightly, just enough to match pace with tino as she whispered softly to him
"That was a beautiful speech tino, I always knew you had poetry in you. I must finally be rubbing off on you" Tish said as she smiled genuinely
Though on the outside Tino was smiling back, inside he was melting at the warmth of her smile just like a real kid in love.
For the longest time his last real memory of her had been of their goodbye in her driveway, and of all the sadness and pain he felt after
she left, but now that he had this chance he intended to make sure things ended differently this time. He wasn't going to make the same
stupid mistake his younger self had.
The sign on the outside of the shop had said Inner-Pizza, but that hadn't been any real indicator of the latest theme of the seemingly
endlessly changing pizza shop. Inside almost all furniture had been removed and the floor were covered by simply blue mats. The owner,
who this time was adorned in simple loose fitting work out clothes wandered around the gang as they each sat on a mat and took in their
surroundings.
"Now young grasshoppers, close your eyes and feel all your stress melt away. Become one with the openness of your surroundings" he said serenely
"I'd like my stomach to become one with a large pepperoni pizza" Carver said to him, trying his best to get comfortable and still not skuff
his shoes on the mats or floor. "And what happened to the booths"
"Material possessions only cause our chi's to become twisted and un-aligned, the truth path to serenity can be found only once a person
gives up everything that ties him to the material world" the owner said as he headed back to the kitchen, the only un-changed place in the building
"No meat on my part" Tish called after him, though she knew that by now they had become such regulars that he never put any meat on
a section of the pizza just for her without even her asking.
Lor clapped her hands to draw the gangs attention back into focus as she spoke
"Ok since Tino is being so generous I say we swing by the mall after this and hit all the sales while we gourge ourselves on free chug-a-freezes"
"Sounds good to me" carver said "I heard that they are having a shoe sale this weekend anyway and I need to pick up the latest models from Europe"
"Ok but after we need to swing by the amphitheater, I heard there going to be setting up for a new play and I want to see if they'll be casting soon."
"ooh the return of peace blossom, that should wow the critics" Lor said, trying to keep tish's ego in check with some humor
Though carver, lor and tish bantared back and forth until the pizza arrived, Tino found himself staying oddly quiet and only really half listening. He was
instead trying to figure out what it was he was going to do if he didn't want to end up heartbroken again. Unable to come up with anything more definitive
then simply staying alert for the right opportunities, he tried to join in on the fun and jokes, laughing and enjoying himself more then he had in
a long time. He didn't know how long he was going to have and he intended to make the most of it.
Author's note – Hey wow look it's my 3rd update. Boy did this seem a long time coming, but hey it's here enjoy. I tried to get a nice group
dynamic going while still keeping with the idea that this isn't the same tino that the gang knows and he has to pretend to be someone
he forgot how to be along time ago. To everyone who was nice enough to review my story thus far, thanks, It means alot, even if it's
just from the same few people everytime. As always keep reading and checking back, and don't forget to try some of the other
great stories like Awakenings, it'll be more then worth it, trust me. Later days
Gerarddominus
02-08-2005
"He's not pale, he's just been spending to much time in the attic, man."