The Long And Winding Road
Note: Special thanks for the recent reviews from PsYcHoJo, cutiepye06655, Kristine, Agel15, YellyBelly, citysoundtrack, spider-man-fan & Dark Lady Relena.
Chapter 32 -- Bonds
On a Sunday afternoon in mid-January, Emma sat with Manny and Liberty in a booth at Ryan's.
"Here you go," Patrick said, setting their drinks down on the table.
"Thanks," Liberty responded.
"No problem, Liberty. So…everything going okay?"
"All is well," she answered.
"Good. I'm glad. Well…I…uh…better get back to work. Talk to you later."
"Okay."
Patrick just stood there for a moment smiling at Liberty, then left the three alone.
"Looks like someone has a potential new boyfriend, Liberty," Manny commented.
"Oh?"
"Well, he was just here serving three of his friends and you were the only one he was making eye contact with. Not to mention his trouble talking and his hanging around with that goofy grin on his face."
"If you say so."
"I agree with Manny," Emma added. "And it's not like this is anything new. Lately I've noticed him checking you out in school on more than one occasion."
"So are you going to make a move or just leave him dangling?" Manny asked.
"Manny, it figures that you would have no problem encouraging someone to enter into a new relationship immediately after a previous one ended," Liberty complained. "Maybe he HAS started behaving in a slightly flirtatious manner of late, but I'm hardly ready to consider starting something new this soon."
"Come on," Manny argued. "Your relationship with Roger is long over."
"We only broke up this past Wednesday."
"See? Ages ago. Besides you did the breaking up with Roger. It's not like you were the one who got dumped, so you shouldn't have a problem going after someone new right away if you want."
"Why I've never had my head examined for engaging in conversations with you, I'll never know," Liberty replied.
"Hey!"
"Okay, you two," Emma intervened. "Can't we have one afternoon together without the two of you getting into an argument?"
"Maybe you two are right and he is interested," Liberty said, "but that doesn't mean I should follow his lead; at least not right away. I mean, I liked Roger quite a bit and part of me is sorry I ended things, but…"
"But it just wasn't a good fit," Emma finished. "Hey, no one can say you didn't give it your best shot. Besides, it was your longest relationship to date. No need to rush into anything new if you don't want."
"Thanks Emma. Now how about a change in subject matter?"
"Okay," Manny said. "New subject: How did things go last night, Emma?"
"Yes," Liberty added. "What did you and JT do to celebrate his 18th birthday?"
"Well, you know that the other day I asked him which he'd rather do for his birthday – get people together and have a party, or go out to dinner just the two of us. He chose dinner."
"Wise choice," Manny stated.
"No, I made it clear that I'd be happy doing either, and he chose dinner with no pressure on my part. So, following our afternoon at the theater, I took him out to eat."
"Where to?" Manny asked.
"Campanelli's, the Italian restaurant he took me to a few weeks after we first started going out. I couldn't afford to have them clear out a whole room just for us like JT did back then, but he didn't seem to care."
"Of course not," Liberty assured her. "Between you and the food, it's doubtful that he even noticed there was anyone else around."
"I'm sure some of the people around us would have gladly chipped in to get us our own section of the building."
"Uh-oh! You two didn't get into a food fight did you?" Manny joked.
"No, but we had our usual wide-ranging dinner conversation, which naturally included a lot of laughter. Also, I'd arranged in advance so that after dinner they would bring out a little cake. They even sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. JT pretended to act all embarrassed but he was loving every moment of it."
"Sounds great."
"Oh, it was, Manny. Then later on, we went back to his place. He put on a DVD and we sat down together on the couch, but I think I can speak for us both when I say that neither one of us could tell you anything about the movie that played."
"I'd say that evening qualifies as a great birthday," Liberty commented.
"I have to agree with Liberty," Manny said. "Good job, Em."
"He was pleased with the evening, and we had a great time. Now, how about we get to work sorting through this stack of possible scholarships to see which ones each of us should apply for."
"Think the guys are having fun?" Manny asked.
"Let's see," Emma replied. "Races, destruction, potential blazes…and the tickets are free? I think 'fun' is a safe bet."
"I still can't believe JT's become friends with that thug," Liberty said.
"Be nice, Liberty," Emma admonished.
"Anyway, I guess he's more of a former thug now," Manny added. "Liberty, you know I haven't trusted Sean any more than you have, but I was glad when friends decided to leave my own past in the past, so if JT's decided to do that with Sean, maybe it's time I eased up on the guy a little, too."
"JT likes to downplay the idea that they've started to become good friends," Emma explained, "but they are. And I think it's good for both of them. As for today, Sean's boss at the repair shop had some tickets he couldn't use, so a few days ago he gave them to Sean, and Sean asked JT and Craig if they wanted to go, too."
Meanwhile, the three young men being discussed were at Toronto's SkyDome, home of the annual Monster Jam monster truck-racing event. They were currently standing in a line at one of the concession areas.
"Nothing like watching a little carnage to work up an appetite," Craig said.
"Considering where we are, I think the correct term is 'truck-nage,' not 'car-nage,'" JT joked. "Man, I hope this line moves quicker or we could lose our seats."
"You've been dealing with the free-for-all seating of movie theaters too long, JT," Sean told him. "Our tickets are for specific seats. Nobody's going to take them while we're gone."
"Besides," Craig added, "Sean's our official 'beat the hell out of anyone who gets in our way' guy, so no worries."
"Gee, thanks," Sean replied, rolling his eyes.
"Uh, Craig, have you gotten a good look at some of the guys here?" JT asked. "A lot of them look twice as big as all three of us put together."
"Maybe a little."
"Add in the fact that I think we're probably three of the few people here who still have all their teeth and speak with a minimal amount of grunting noises, and it's best that we don't go out of our way to tick anyone off."
"You two really don't get out much beyond our own neighborhood, do you," Sean said sarcastically.
"Hey," JT protested, "I'll have you know that once I almost got locked up in a mental hospital."
"Only once?" Craig joked.
"Funny. Anyway, I'm enjoying this. It's not everyday you get to watch gigantic vehicles topple one another AND see two guys in the stands start punching each other, with security guards standing around placing bets on who'll win the fight. It's great!"
"Have you ever been to one of these before?" Craig asked Sean.
"No, this is my first. Sometimes my brother would talk about getting tickets for us, but he'd forget or he'd get too busy."
"Anyway…at least you're here now," JT said.
"Besides," Craig added, "we needed to do something this weekend, since it's not like we had a party to go to last night or anything. Imagine…A guy turns 18 and chooses a quiet night with his girlfriend? Where's the JT who was always up for a party even when there wasn't a ready made excuse?"
"Scary, isn't it?" Sean joked.
"And I'm getting this kind of grief from two people who haven't had a steady relationship with someone in…how long has it been again?"
The three laughed.
"Maybe I'll choose a party next time, guys. This birthday, I just wanted an evening alone with my girl."
"Fair enough," Craig responded.
"It's just as well," Sean said to JT. "You know Craig would have ended up inviting two or three girls to the party as his dates, there would have been a catfight, then they all would have slapped him silly before storming out."
"Nothing too out of the ordinary there, but I wouldn't have a problem with it," JT said. "Makes for great entertainment that's free of charge. Oh, as long as none of them hit him in the face with my cake. You have to draw the line somewhere."
"You guys DO know I'm still here, right?" Craig asked.
"Craig, is it true what I heard the other day?" JT asked, changing subjects. "Spinner got fired from another job?"
"That's right," Craig replied. "But it's hard to blame him too much. What department store manager in his right mind would hire him to sell women's clothes?"
"What happened"? Sean asked. "He didn't try on some of the merchandise to see how the other half lives, did he?"
"No, but rather than subtly suggesting that his overweight customer try on an outfit in a larger size, Spin told her that if she put on the smaller outfit she had picked for herself that it would take the jaws of life to get her out of it."
"I can see where that might have caused a problem," JT said, rolling his eyes. "Good line, though."
"He's still confused why that wasn't an appropriate thing to tell a customer," Craig told them.
"I've lost track of how many jobs he's had in the last year," JT commented. "If he's not careful, he's going to run out of people who don't know him who'd be willing to hire him."
By this time they had made it to the front of the line. They purchased food and drinks. As they started to leave the concession area, Craig made eye contact with a young woman several feet away. They smiled at one another.
"If you fellas will excuse me, I think I see someone whose life would be a lot happier if she knew me."
"Craig, you're the only person I know who could make a trip to a monster truck show seem like a visit to a singles bar," JT joked.
"Here," Craig said, keeping his drink but handing over his food to JT. "Hang on to this. I'll catch up to you guys a little later."
Craig walked over and started talking to the woman while JT and Sean headed back toward their seats.
"I bet he's back within five minutes," Sean told JT.
"That's kind of cynical, don't you think?" JT questioned.
"Not when you consider she was standing over near the men's room."
"I guess Craig didn't notice that little detail."
"I'm sure the guy she's here with will explain it to him when he leaves the restroom and sees the two of them talking."
"Think we should go back and advise him?" JT asked.
"He'll get out of it," Sean answered. "He always does."
"True. Oh well, he's got five minutes, then I've got dibs on his nachos. Hey, before the next demolition derby event starts, let me run something past you."
"Okay."
"Just an idea I've been kicking around in my head. And if you've ever kicked an idea around in your head, you know what a headache that can be."
Sean laughed.
"It's about me. And Emma. Me and Emma. Or should that be Emma and me?"
"Never mind that, JT. What's on your mind?"
Back at Ryan's, the women were sorting through stacks of papers.
"Here's a scholarship being offered to a student who's shown academic excellence in high school," Manny said.
"Here's one for a student with extreme financial hardships in the family," Liberty mentioned.
"Okay, check these out," Emma said while looking over several papers at once. "This is one being offered to a student with at least one deceased parent or guardian. The next one is for a student with two deceased parents or guardians. And this one is for a student with improved grades as the result of at least one parent or guardian existing in a coma for at least four months. I'm telling you these scholarship opportunities get weirder every year."
"Then there are all those scholarships offered by the university rather than specific organizations or businesses," Liberty said.
"Hey, I know we're all staying in town to go to school, but are either of you planning to live on campus?" Manny asked.
"Absolutely," Liberty answered. "I want the full college experience. What about you, Manny?"
"It would be fun, but as it is, I'm practically on my own just living at home. My folks pretty much gave up trying to control me a few years ago. And after the pregnancy last year, I'm a lost cause as far as their uptight values are concerned. That car they got me? That was an 'I'm sorry you miscarried but I'm glad you're not a mother, which makes me feel guilty, so have a car to ease my guilt and I'll leave you alone' gift. So I think I'll stick with the free room and board of home for now. What about you, Em?"
"I'll live at home, too. Helps to save money whenever possible."
"True," Liberty agreed.
"Besides, I'm sure it will be a lot like now, where I spend a lot of time over at JT's. Of course, he'll have to find an apartment sometime this summer."
"Hey, you two could always live together," Manny suggested.
"Manny, I haven't played 'House' since I was a little girl, and I'm not going to start again now."
"Then how about a trip down the aisle?" Liberty asked with a grin on her face.
"Don't start that up again, Liberty. Anyway, I'm busy enough at the moment just getting JT to not groan when the subject of college comes up."
"He's not as enthused about going on to university as we are, Emma?" Liberty asked.
"Well, he's had a lot going on. Then there's his work. He's probably concerned about how to adjust his part-time hours so they'll fit a college student's schedule. And I think there might be a small part of him that believes he's not smart enough for university life."
"That's crazy," Manny said.
"I'm not worried," Emma responded. "Sometimes JT just needs an encouraging push toward the direction he knows deep down he should go. He doesn't really have to start getting stuff together this early, especially since he's not applying for scholarships, but I'm starting to give out occasional less-than-subtle hints about applications and forms and getting necessary recommendation letters. This way he'll know what he needs to do and won't wait until the last minute. After all, it's never too soon, right?"
At the stadium, JT finished explaining his idea to Sean.
"So what do you think, Sean? Does it sound crazy?"
"I don't think it's crazy. It's probably the best way to go."
"I mean, I know it's not the most common thing to ask and she won't be expecting it, but then again we're not exactly a typical couple. At least I hope we aren't, because that would just be boring."
"I don't think you have to worry about being boring, JT."
"If she says 'No,' it won't be the end of the world, but it's something that entered my head awhile back. Then, after our trip to Stouffville a few weeks ago, I think we're even closer than ever – if that's possible. It just seemed like a really good idea. But of course I needed to wait until I turned 18 to do anything about it."
"Yeah, but what about her? She's still got a few months to go until she turns 18. Would it be legal to do this now, or would you have to wait until after her birthday?"
"I'm told there won't be a problem."
"When are you going to talk to her about it?"
"Soon. I have to wait for the right time. It's not something that works into just any kind of conversation."
"Yeah. But hey, at least it will be a break from all the college talk."
"Tell me about it. Since the new year began, college seems to be one of her favorite topics. I know she's all excited, and I like it when she's like that. But I don't really want to think about it just yet. Not when there's still months to go before all those forms would need to be filled out."
"Are you planning to apply?"
"Probably," JT replied. "Maybe. I don't know. The thought of four more years of classes and textbooks…not really at the top of my Want List. Then again, someone needs to be there to keep Emma from getting too bored. I hear that those professors can lecture for hours and hours at a time. And they even expect you to remember it all."
"Brutal."
Moments later, Craig appeared and took his seat beside the other two.
"The next part's about to begin," JT told him. "You're back just in time."
"If you're back this soon, you must have struck out," Sean said.
"No," Craig responded. "I wouldn't exactly call it striking out. More like I made a speedy exit."
"Ah, so she DID have a guy she was waiting on and you had to get away from there," JT guessed.
"In a way. It was her cousin she was waiting on."
"An over-protective family member. That can be even worse than another boyfriend."
"Right, Sean. But not as bad as a guy who's both."
"Both?!" Sean and JT asked, in unison.
"It seems, they're close cousins, her and him. Very close. The kind of cousins who didn't seem to mind exchanging tongues right there in front of me. Reminded me of that 'Hillbillies From Hell' horror movie that was on the late show on TV a month or so ago."
Sean turned toward JT.
"Don't look at me," JT said to Sean. "I didn't recommend that one to him. With films, there's good crazy and CRAZY crazy."
"Anyway, I got out of there when they both started flirting with me."
"Wise decision," JT told Craig. "See what happens when you try to hit on every woman you meet? Just be glad you got out of that situation. Next time, you could end up with three midget female acrobats with a mean streak who aren't as likely to take 'No' for an answer."
"So what did I miss?" Craig asked.
"Nothing so far," Sean answered. "JT's been busy trying to get his future organized."
"Yeah, the monster truck show is the ideal place to do something like that," Craig said sarcastically. "Hey, what happened to my nachos?"
JT put down the empty container he'd been eating from which had held the nachos.
"Oh…well, I didn't know when – or if – you'd be back. And I knew you wouldn't want to eat cold nachos. So I did you a favor and ate them while they were still hot. After all, what are friends for?"
"Thanks," Craig said, rolling his eyes.
"Keep it down, you two," Sean told them. "It's starting, and I want to hear the crashes loud and clear."