March 29, 2005

I was just a few days late… not even a week!…

Awesome possum. Actually, there are not that many chapters left in this story… as scary as that is. We're (somewhat) approaching its second birthday, and there have only been 16 chapters to date. I'm predicting, by the end, to have 21-22 chapters, depending on how I decide to do the ending. Any suggestions? Happy? Sad? Open for a sequel? (I have a brilliant sequel in mind, but I don't know if I have the patience to write it.)

This chapter's kinda short, and fluffiness abounds. I'll make up for it soon, I promise. Chapter 17 is coming on April 8th, which is my third anniversary on ff-net!

Spinning now has OVER 200 reviews! Yay! Party hats and noisemakers for all! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You make me so happy...

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Spinning for Hours

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by Sir Mocha

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Chapter 16: My White Knight

"Seriously… you saw The ReDeadening when you were eight?"

"Heh… yeah, Homer took my brother, my neighbors, and me to see it because one of his friends was in it."

"Your dad sounds like an interesting character."

"Oh, you have no idea," I replied, laughing.

We were sitting on my backyard, swinging on my hammock. It was the most beautiful March day, unseasonably warm and sunny, with a light breeze that caused the trees to sway gently. The light, passing between the leaves, cast sunny speckles down on us that danced with the breeze.

"I LOVE Fridays!" I exclaimed, leaning back suddenly and causing the hammock to sway wildly.

"Ah, me too!" mimicked Theo, flopping back as I had done. He was heavier than I was, and I guess the sudden motion disturbed the balance of the hammock… because the next thing I knew, I was flipping through the air, though fortunately my fall was cushioned… by my face.

I picked myself up off the ground, spitting out grass that had – somehow – found its way into my mouth. I looked over at Theo, who was doing much the same thing, his glasses hanging off one ear, quite askew.

"Thanks for that," I remarked sarcastically. "I always love to start my weekends with a nice face plant. It really brings me back to Earth."

"Ha ha," he replied, pushing himself up and jumping back on the hammock. "Well, at least now you don't need plastic surgery anymore. Now, you almost look pretty."

"Ouch!" I said, mock hurt. I pushed myself up, and proceeded to flip the hammock over again, dumping Theo ungracefully on his back on the ground. I stared down at him. "I know you love me, so don't deny it. You're infatuated by my stunning beauty and charisma."

"But of course, milady, of course. A knight in shining armor is always dazzled by the beauty of the damsels that surround him, even when said damsels do unseat him from his noble steed."

I had been spending so much time with Theo lately. That was probably due to the fact that Tommy and Bart had to remain in hiding, and all my ex-friends scowled when I walked into the room… but to some level, I was ok with that now. It meant that I didn't have to divide my attention, and I could focus solely on Theo, just as he could focus solely on me. It was kinda nice.

Watching him pick himself up, his back covered in pieces of my lawn, I had to smile. There was just something about Theo… something so friendly, and amiable, that you couldn't help but adore him. At the beginning of the year, I had gotten such a crush on him because of his looks (you gotta admit, he was HANDSOME) and because of fond memories I had had from years before. Sure, I had seen that he was nice, and I knew everyone thought highly of him, but I didn't know the real Theo.

Now, though, are situation had almost forced us together. When I had walked in with him, that February afternoon, everyone in the class was shocked. I mean, "talking with Lisa" was the ultimate taboo in my class, and because Theo broke it, he was doomed to be ostracized by those very people he once felt so close to. I knew it hit him hard. I mean, for two years he had gotten along marvelously with these people. Then along came lil' old me, and I ruined it for him. I felt awful.

He had reassured me, though, that it wasn't my fault. He said, and I quote, "Thank you. If it hadn't been for you, I would have continued to see those people through my rose colored glasses, and I probably would have continued to be like them. That would have been pretty bad."

Privately, I would have agreed with him. Now that I was an outsider, I didn't have to struggle between being loyal to my friends and true to my morals. Now that I was an outsider, it was ok for me to sit back and judge them, as they judged me.

I was finally able to realize that they were snobby, they were elitist, and they really were not compassionate towards less intelligent people. It was quite ironic; I'm sure that all their lives, they've been made fun of for being smart, as I know I have. So what do they do? They just hurt others in retaliation. Definitely not something I want to be part of.

But Theo… he was different. He took the time to understand me, and he was willing to change when he didn't like what he was becoming. I though guys like him only existed in crappy books and movies. He seemed almost too good to be true. It's like, I could be totally open with him, and he understood what I'm saying, and appreciated me.

Before I had had a crush. Now, however… I was completely infatuated.

I was also completely confused. (Ugh, listen to me. I sound like the heroine of one of those aforementioned crappy books. Ah, life.) Theo and I had been spending so much time together, and yet our relationship seemed purely platonic. He had never said anything to me to make me thing that maybe, just maybe, he saw me as more than just a friend.

Didn't he get it? I had had friends… and look how that had turned out. I wanted something MORE. I wanted something special…

I guess I gazed at him too long, because he started waving a hand in front of my face, and kept saying, "Earth to Lisa!"

I snapped out of my daydream, and stuck my tongue out at him. "Can't a girl have some time to think?" I asked.

"Nah, not on a beautiful day like this. Don't ruin it by thinking deep thoughts… just be in the moment. Let the experiences just flow through you, like water though a bed of seaweed…"

I stared at him. "Ok, ok. Where are you hiding the joint?"

He flung his arms out, and began spinning. "I am high, my dear Lisa. I'm high on LIIIIIIIIFE!"

Seriously, how could anyone not love this guy?

"Spin with me!" he sang, dancing in circles around my backyard. He took my hands, and we began spinning in giant circles, around and around until everything was just a giant, colorful blur. I felt like my brain was spinning off down some great vortex, and I think that for a little while at least, I did stop thinking. I was just… in the moment. In the sunshine, and the warmth, and the color and the sounds.

Eventually we stopped spinning, but I can't say the same for my vision. I staggered around for a bit, trying to keep my balance. The downward pull of gravity (or was it sideways? The ground kept moving back and forth!) was too great, and of course I fell… right on top of Theo, who had fallen moments before.

Ah, to be sitting in the lap of the guy I was thoroughly enamored with. So, of course, I did what any sensible girl would do. I jumped up, turned beet red, and yelped, "Sorry, sorry! Did I crush you?"

"Nothing but my free spirits," he replied somewhat enigmatically. "That, and my masculine pride."

Wait… was he saying what I thought he was saying?

"I mean," he continued, "any guy that can be crushed by a thin girl is pretty pathetic… and you really don't consider me pathetic, do you? I mean, look at these bulging biceps!" He flexed, and I laughed… while at the same time, feeling a bit disappointed. I guess he was thinking along different lines than I was. I mean, most guys would feel a bit insulted if a girl jumped out of their laps… but I guess this was another instance of how Theo was not like most guys.

"No, you're not weak," I agreed, "and I'm definitely not thin."

"Oh, all girls say that," he scoffed.

I thought back to my brief, but painful, stint with anorexia when I was younger. "I can't help it," I said. "I've been conditioned by the media to view myself as imperfect because I'm not painfully thin. It's an ingrained belief, and as much as I would choose to deny it, I know I'm fat."

He sat quietly for a moment, then burst out, "Of course, you're right! I mean, look at you… gobs and rolls of fat hanging off you! We need to go on a walk, so you can exercise it off, and so we can enjoy the beautiful day."

As convoluted as his logic was (though I knew he was just playing) I found myself saying, "Oh yeah, a walk would be great. Hey, you wanna go down to the botanical garden? All the flowers are just beginning to grow. It'd be really nice."

"Sure, sounds cool. I've never been there, but there's a first time for everything, right? Just let me call my mom, and tell her that I'll be home late." With that, he ran inside to use my phone, and I sat complacently in the hammock, staring at feathery wisps as they floated through the patches of sunlight.

"Hey, Lis," said a voice quietly, from the other side of the fence. I looked up and saw Tommy's head, pushing through the wild bushes that had grown quite high over the years.

"Tommy," I hissed, "you know you aren't supposed to come out of the house during the day! What if someone sees you?"

"Ah, c'mon, Lis, it's too nice a day out to stay cooped inside. Besides, I'm going right back in. I just wanted to know if you wanted to play video games. Bart and I are about ready to start a Supreme Crush Brothers tournament, and we could use a third player…"

I made a face at him. "You know I always lose against you guys. And besides, I can't. I'm going for a walk with Theo."

I could swear Tommy's expression darkened. "Oh…well, have fun, I guess. Drop by later… if you're not too busy," he added sullenly, and stalked back into his house. I head him slam the cellar door.

I stood there, marveling at this odd behavior. It seemed that nowadays, whenever I mentioned Theo, it always put Tommy in a sour mood. I had to wonder – I always felt that Tommy was more of a brother to me than anything, but did he feel the same about me? Or was there something more? Was he… jealous… of Theo? Damn, this made everything so much more complicated! I loved Tommy as a friend, and I thought that anything more wouldn't turn out well in the end.

I looked around my backyard, at the simple patio, and the swing set, and the two trees that held up the hammock and shaded it in even the harshest of sunlight. I thought back to all the times Tommy and I had sat on my patio, jamming on our assorted instruments (my forte was the saxophone, while he was a better violin player than his brother would ever be). I thought back to all those late night meetings where we would sit on the swings and just spill our problems and feelings (a trait rare for any guy nowadays). I even thought back to that day a week before school started when Tommy shocked me with the news that he was moving away. We were so comfortable with one another. Was it even possible that he had feelings for me?

I must come back to this later, I mentally cataloged.

"Well, my dad's out of town, my mom's playing bridge tonight with her book club, and I think my little brother's at some sleepover. Basically, I have all the time in the world," Theo announced, returning to the back yard.

"Great," I replied, smiling a little too tensely I guess, because I saw his brow furrow.

"What's up? You look unhappy."

"No, no," I replied, "I've just been thinking… I know, I know, it's bad to think too much on a beautiful day. I'm starting to understand why."

"Well… that's the spirit!" he said, smiling that charming 100-watt smile. "Now… ONWARD, to the botanical garden!" he yelled, grabbing my arm and dragging me away.

Eventually he calmed down, and soon we were strolling down the sidewalk, walking the couple of miles downtown. On the way we talked. I don't remember what about, exactly, but I really don't think all conversations have to be groundbreaking events. Sometimes it's just nice to chat.

At one point, he said to me, "Oh, this is great! I mean, I don't think most girls would be willing to walk two miles downtown, when we could take a bus and save a lot of time and effort. I don't think most girls would understand the joys of taking a walk, and stopping to smell the flowers along the way." His eyes glazed over, and he became lost in thought, which was just fine with me.

I was a bit embarrassed to correct his mistaken high regard for my personality. If truth be told, I was probably just as lazy as those other girls, and though I did like fresh air and sunshine every now and then, a lot of times sloth won over me. However, after The Incident with bus 22A that nearly got Homer killed (and did give him a nice concussion!), I had had some sort of unreasonable dislike, bordering on fear, of the four wheeled monstrosities.

I smiled. Homer had called a few days before, saying that he would be returning home soon, and that he had a surprise for me. I had quite a surprise for him too; he still knew nothing of Bart's whereabouts, and I think that he would be pleased to learn that Bart had "beat the system".

We eventually reached the Springfield Botanical Gardens, which had both an indoor and outdoor area. The indoor plants, encased in a large glass building, were exotic plants that were in bloom year round. Sometimes I would walk up to the side of the building, and try to peer in through the condensation and steam on the glass. I would have loved to see the flowers and plants up close, because I'm sure they were stunning, but I was highly allergic to many types of flowers and didn't really want to get red-eyed and itchy over some pretty plants.

I was about to explain this to Theo, but he beat me to it. "Heh, Lisa, maybe I should have mentioned this before we got here, but I'm kinda allergic to anything with pollen…"

I grinned. "Yeah, me too. I can't even walk around the outside garden during the summertime, but it's still early in the year, and all the plants are just starting to grow. It's really pretty to walk around the paths." I headed towards one of my favorites: a path lined with ferns, mosses, and flowers that led to a stunning rock garden surrounding a tranquil pond.

I knelt down beside a small group of green shoots, which looked to have started growing in the past few days. "Oh, they're so beautiful," I gushed, looking down at the small plants fondly.

Theo bent down beside me. "Ah… they're tulips," he said, unimpressed by the small shoots.

"But don't you see?" I asked, looking up at him wide-eyed. "One day, they'll be beautiful, vivid flowers… but right now, they're simple green plants, just starting out life, so full of potential and eagerness to grow. Yes, some will die from lack of water, or nutrients, or sunlight, but the ones that do survive will blossom, and they'll be admired by everyone for their stunning red and yellow petals. And to think, they started life so simply, so plainly…but in their own way so elegantly." I sighed, and said, "Great, I'm spouting poetry, and deep metaphorical crap."

"No, no" he interrupted quietly, "I get what you're saying. That's… that's really beautiful."

Awkward silence. How was I expected to answer that?

"Well… thanks," I said, jumping up and avoiding eye contact. Instead, I walked down the path (a little too quickly, I think) and shouted behind me, "C'mon, the pond isn't that much farther ahead."

I waited up for him, and managed to regain my composure. Sure, what he had said was really just something nice, and nothing more. Still… it was almost as if he said I was beautiful. Haha, I think I was close to swooning, but I pushed that out of my head. Yeah… the Sistine Chapel is beautiful, but no one ever said Michelangelo was a particularly attractive guy.

We walked together towards the pond, and finally emerged in the open space that had a few stone benches surrounding a bed of round shining rocks, with a few bonsai trees here and there. We walked slowly around the rock garden, admiring the simple elegance of the artistry, but our true goal was the pond.

It was a medium-sized pond, abounding with the usual water vegetation; lily pads, cattails, rocks covered in dark green algae, and other plants. Even though it was early in the season, dragonflies buzzed around, reflecting the sunlight off their brilliantly iridescent bodies. Other bugs – pond skimmers, water beetles – swam lazily around. Even a family of ducks, the chicks nothing but small fuzzy yellow balls, were drifting around, quacking happily.

Theo and I sat on one of the stone benches for quite a while, watching the amazing display of life bathed in the orange-red light reflecting off the gently rippling water. Ah… sitting next to my crush, on the perfect day, in the perfect place, at sunset… it all felt too good to be real. It was great hanging out with Tommy… but it was perfect being with Theo.

But of course, whoever was in charge up there loved to make it rain on my parade… literally. One minute the sun was out, shining brightly, and the next it was occluded by a large bank of dark grey clouds. It took only a few moments for the rain to begin to fall, and though it wasn't falling that hard, it served to completely ruin the rest of the afternoon.

"You want my sweat shirt?" Theo asked me, as we got up and began to speed out of the garden.

"Oh no, I'm fine," I replied, brushing my dripping blue hair out of my eyes. "I meant to go for a swim sometime soon…"

He laughed, and we jogged towards the glass awning that stood above the doors to the inside of the garden. Taking shelter from the rain, we sat against the glass pillars and watched as the rain got steadily heavier.

"Well, this is a perfect ending to the day," I muttered, wringing out my shirt. I was soooo glad I was wearing a black shirt. Anything else, like white, would have been downright embarrassing. "And how are we supposed to get home? I don't really wanna walk two miles in the pouring rain."

"We'll take a bus," he said nonchalantly, and my blood ran cold. I wasn't kidding when I said I hated buses. I sighed, and he looked over at me quizzically. "I hate buses," I explained. "They never take me where I wanna go, and I always seem to end up in the scary part of town." Ok, this had happened once, but I didn't want to take any more chances.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you get home. I told you I'd be your knight in shining armor," he said reassuringly, then promptly turned red.

"My white knight," I murmured, and turned my head to face him. I met with his soft gaze, and my heart started hammering in my chest.

No, we didn't kiss. That only happens in cheesy movies, not real life. Sure, I had a crush on him, but that was no reason to leap on him and snog. We definitely weren't at that level yet, and though I felt strongly towards him, I had no clue what his feelings were towards me.

I got a good idea, though, when he took my hand in his, and I felt his fingers intertwine in mind. It was a simple gesture of affection, and yet I don't think I could have been more thrilled. Now I knew. I knew for sure.

He liked me back.

The rain wasn't lessening, so eventually we decided to run to the nearest bus stop. We waited until we saw the bright headlights of the bus as they beamed through the driving rain, and then we ran like mad, almost missing the damn thing entirely. I don't think the bus driver was thrilled at having to wait for us to sprint on, because she gave us a dirty look as we dropped our money into the fare machine.

The bus was dingy, the people were sketchy looking, and the bus driver was sour, but it was all worth it to be able to sit next to Theo on the ride home. The day had been rather long and exciting, and I ended up leaning on Theo's shoulder, my face resting on his slightly damp but very warm sleeve. I drifted off to sleep, lulled by the motions of the bus, so I might just have been dreaming that he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and held me tightly. It might have been my imagination when he rested his head on top of mine.

But when I woke up the next morning in my own bed, wrapped in his sweatshirt, I had all the tangible evidence I needed to know how much he cared for me.

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