Story and characters are (c) Lars E Hellberg

Chapter 1: Home

I have to admit, I wasn\x92t all to impressed by the new house. Oh, it had a great garden, with smooth, well-kept grass and lots of flower beds, apple trees and a huge pine, but the house itself sported a dull, witless look. It looked far from alive. Red-brown brick walls, two floors high, windows evenly spaced and an ugly, brown front door that looked far from inviting. Of course, Tina loved it. My little sister and I could never agree on one single thing.
"Well, kids, this is it," dad said as he brought the car to a halt. "Do you like it?"
"Of course I do," I lied. "Looks cozy."
Mom was waiting on the door step, waving. Tina and I waved back. Oh, well, I sighed. Shouldn\x92t gripe. Actually, it felt great, moving. A new school, maybe new friends, a larger town; I had high hopes for Cleveland. That bit of it was exciting. Not that I didn\x92t like my small-town buddies, far from it, but after seventeen years, I felt like I knew them all, inside-out. There were no surprises. This was a chance for a renewed breath, for some excitement in a life that had passed from safe into dull.
Mom had gone up here a week earlier, to receive the movers and get everything in order, and now she greeted us with kisses and hugs. I know many guys who don\x92t like it when their mothers shower them with affection, but that\x92s no problem for me. I love my mother, and I know she likes to show her love for me, so I let her.
"You ought to brush your tail, sweetheart," she said, yanking it. "You look like a thistle."
Yelping, I snatched it back. I\x92ve always been sensitive with my tail, and I hate it when people pull at it. Well, all people, except one.
"Mom, if I groom it any more, I won\x92t have any fur left on it!"
"Nonsense! You\x92re a fox, dear, and foxes keep tidy. Not like that cougar we used to live next door to, remember?"
"Ugh!" Tina said. "That guy was extreme. I bet he never saw water in his life. So, where\x92s my room?"
"Upstairs, to the right. Mike, you\x92re on the left. Your father and I are downstairs."
After helping dad with the last suitcases, I went up to check out my new room. It was okay; in fact, more than okay. It was larger than my old room by far, and mom had seen to it that the furniture was arranged almost exactly as they had been back home. Gotta change that, I thought. Don\x92t want to keep to the old all the time. A door on the far side of the room got me curious, and it turned out to lead to an empty, and a bit dusty, room, about half the size of mine. It had a small window to the north, and a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling. I fell in love with it, instantly. And here I\x92d been, accusing this house of being lifeless, only to have it surprise me with the cosiest room I\x92d ever seen.
"Wow, look at all that space!" Tina was standing in the door. "Your room is larger than your old one. Mine, too."
She showed me hers, which was about the same size as mine, and thus quite grander than her old, tiny room. Her windows were to the south, while mine were to the north, but I didn\x92t envy her. Mom knew this, of course, that\x92s why she had chosen the rooms she did. I like to sleep in a chilly, dark room, while Tina loves the sun, and just can\x92t get enough heat. Again, total difference.
"Look at this," she said, in a conspiratorial voice. "I wonder if anybody knows about this."
She opened one of her wardrobes, pointing a flashlight to the ceiling inside. There was a hatch, and she pulled it open to reveal an extendible stepladder. Whistling, impressed, I made a mental note to check my own wardrobes. We climbed it, to find a tiny room, even smaller than the one next to mine. It was covered in dust.
"You think mom knows about this?" she asked.
"Yeah, I reckon. Look at that wall. She\x92s been trying on different colours of paint."
"That might be old."
"Looks fresh, Tina. What\x92re you gonna have up here?"
"You think they\x92ll let me have this?"
"Sure, why not? We\x92ve got enough storage. This looks pretty neat. I envy you."
Beaming, she led the way back down. I wasn\x92t kidding. A room like that... What possibilities! Tina bounded down the stairs, no doubt to pester mom to get the little room for her own, while I went back to my own. There was nothing inside my wardrobes, I soon found out, to my disappointment, but I did have an extra room as well. It would be perfect for my computer, and a desk for homework, if only... yes! A phone socket! I could have internet access from my own room!
"How do you like it, Mike?" Dad\x92s sudden voice made me jump. "Sorry, I didn\x92t realise you were lost in thoughts. What were you thinking of?"
"This house. I thought it looked plain from the outside, but it\x92s great. I\x92m thinking of making this a work room."
"What, for your computer?"
"Yeah, all I lack is a comfy reading chair and a wall lamp in that corner, and maybe an extra bed over here, by the window."
"Why the extra bed? You haven\x92t been seeing girls already, have you?" He winked at me.
"No, not yet, but I plan on getting quite a harem by the end of the week. No, seriously, just in case I have a friend staying over, or get sleepy while I\x92m reading. Having some choice would be cool, like I had two whole rooms."
"You do have two whole rooms, well, one and a half, at least."
"Yeah, I know. It\x92s neat"
"Need anything else?"
"Well, a TV and a VCR for the main room would be nice, maybe a sofa to go with that."
"Let\x92s go get it."
I was stunned. I just couldn\x92t believe what I was hearing. Seeing my gaping mouth, he patted me between the ears, and laughed.
"Don\x92t look so shocked, son. We got a lot more for the old house than we paid for this one, and I\x92m going to use some of the excess money to make it really comfortable. Anyway, with my new job, and your mother making more money than she ever dreamed of, we can certainly afford it."
"Thanks, dad, but I\x92m gonna have to turn it down. I don\x92t want it all at once, that\x92d give me nothing to look forward to. Don\x92t spoil me, like you\x92re spoiling my little sister."
"She\x92s not spoiled, Mike, she\x92s..."
"I know, dad, I\x92m just pulling your leg. Let me furnish first, and I\x92ll see what we\x92ll buy, okay?"
"Okay. Then, how about that reading chair?"
"Oh, that\x92d be fine. Give me time to change and shower, and I\x92ll be down in fifteen."
I could hardly believe it. Dad was ready to buy me anything I wanted, and I turned him down! If anyone had told me that a month ago, I would have laughed at them. Still, I hadn\x92t lied to him. I wanted the goods, but in due time. If I were to bring someone over, I didn\x92t want it to seem as if I was writhing in luxury. That could put off the people I would want to get to know, as well as attract those I wouldn\x92t. Getting out of my travelling clothes, I wrapped a towel around my waist, and went to find the bathroom. It turned out to be just down the hall, a lot closer to my room than to Tina\x92s. I made another mental note, to bug her for that. Then I saw that there was an identical door just outside her door. Two bathrooms on the top floor! Whoever built this house knew what they wanted. Well, so much the better. I love long showers, and now I wouldn\x92t have to compete with my sister for bathroom time. With hot water running down my body, I began to feel more relaxed than I had for weeks. Moving was stressful, even if you wanted to do it, and I felt the tension in my muscles ease away as I started to apply fur soap. The rich, creamy foam completely surrounded me, before I rinsed it off, enjoying the feeling of water on my drenched fur. Time for shampoo. My hair is a source of pride to me. I have long, light brown hair, that falls halfway down to my tail, while I keep it shorter on top, sides and front. Sometimes I keep it under control with a headband or tie it into a pony tail, but mostly it just hangs free. It can be a bother when it\x92s windy, but I like it that way. Takes forever to wash and comb, though, but I\x92ve no problem with that. Jenny, my ex-girlfriend, a homey collie who dropped me for a ferret from Atlanta, always used to tell me that my long hair stood fine with my large ears and my reddish-brown fox fur. Actually, I think so, too, although modesty forbids me to say that I really look good. I am quite slender, as foxes normally are, but I like to work out, and it shows. Not that I\x92m bulky, but I do have some muscles, and I am stronger than I look. Taking after dad, I\x92m not very tall; in fact, Tina will probably end up about a decimetre above me, having inherited mom\x92s taller, heavier built. All clean and happy, I turned the shower off, shaking a few times before I got out. Only a bit moist now, it didn\x92t take long to towel-dry. Combing my hair, I also took time to straighten out my cheek fur. Why not look my best, now that I was about to take my first look at the new town.
When I got down, the others were waiting for me, Tina bouncing with excitement. At ten, she was easier to deal with than she had been as a noisy kid, but that might have been me maturing as well. We were so far apart in age, there had never really been any sibling rivalry. I like my little sister, and I know that we, for once, agree. She likes me, too. Getting into the car, mom drove off towards a shopping centre she had found during her week here. The place was huge, and Tina and I stood staring and gaping; we must really have looked like countrysiders. This week was dad\x92s cooking, so he headed off for the food store, while the rest of us hit the furniture department. Tina, upon hearing my decision about not buying everything at once, had decided to settle for her own TV/VCR, plus some chairs and a table for her secret room. Me, I stalked the armchairs, testing my way through their entire stock without finding anything I liked. They were either too ugly, too uncomfortable, or both. Spirit low, I had all but decided to search for a spare bed instead, when my eyes landed on something green, and I fell in love. The chair didn\x92t look very comfortable, in fact, it looked more like an instrument of torture than a place where I could spend lazy days reading, and it wasn\x92t very nice looking either. Why it attracted me so, I\x92ll never know. A steel frame, with just a green cloth hung on it to sit in. But then I tried it out, and ooh! I\x92ve never sat better in my entire life! Hands almost shaking, I turned the price tag over, prepared to read a large number of zeros. $39.99. I couldn\x92t believe my eyes. Forty dollars for such a piece of furniture! That was the kind of money I could have afforded on my own, with just my savings. Tossing Tina into the chair, to guard it for me so nobody else bought it, I sprinted to find a shop assistant. Then I had to argue, saying I wanted the chair on display, and not the shiny new, do-it-yourself kit from the storage. In the end, I had to agree to take a five dollar discount for buying a display item. I was just putting it in the trunk, when dad came dragging some heavy shopping bags. We quickly decided that he and I would take the groceries home, while mom and Tina went to the electronics department. With me driving, we still got home safely, and after helping him unpack, he gave me a hand getting the chair up to my back room.
"I think we\x92ll have to redecorate," he said. "The walls clash with your new chair."
As usual, he was right. You wouldn\x92t know it, when you hear he works as a computer software salesman, but my dad can spot a bad colour combination at a mile\x92s distance. He\x92s a natural.
"If we paint over this ghastly white with some blue, not deep, but a light blue, then perhaps red borders, and we\x92re home. Depends on what colour you\x92re going to have on the desk and the bed."
"Plain wood."
"Then, red verging to blue, some sort of purplish, I think. Not too dark."
"I\x92ll leave the painting to you."
"Lazy-boy!"

Back at the shopping centre we met up with the others just in time to load the trunk again. Tina had got a combined set, not very large but perfect for a bedroom TV. Dinner-time! With several restaurants to choose from, the others agreed to follow my suggestion, and go Italian; a decent-looking place simply called Ristorante di Napoli. As it turned out, I was lucky none of them disagreed. We ordered our food at the counter, three pizzas and spaghetti carbonara for me. Always were a pasta lover; again, luckily. With the pizzas arriving shortly, I sat drumming my fingers while waiting; my stomach growling. Finally, there was a call.
"Carbonara, ready at the counter."
On my feet in no time, I went over to get it. A lion boy about my age handed me a steaming plate, and I thanked him with a smile.
"You\x92re welcome. New in town?"
"Yeah. How could you tell?"
"You\x92ve been hauling furniture out there for some time," he said, pointing out the restaurant window. I could easily make out our car. "That\x92s the first clue."
"We moved in this week," I said, "from Steel Mine, just outside Topeka, Kansas. In fact, I haven\x92t been in town for more than a few hours."
"And already found the best restaurant in town? Talk about lucky shot. You starting school next month?"
"Yeah, I\x92m on third level, last year. Physics programme."
"Physics? Then we\x92re future classmates! I\x92m just working summers here. My name\x92s John, nice to meet you."
"You too, John. I\x92m Mikkall, but everybody calls me Mike."
"Mike, huh. I\x92ll reserve a good seat for you in class. You\x92re food\x92s getting cold, you know."
"Oh. Well, I\x92d better get back before they think I\x92ve run away." A sudden thought struck me, and I acted upon it. "Can I call you sometime? I mean, I don\x92t know anybody, and I\x92d..."
"...need someone to show you the town? Sure. Just a sec, okay?"
He returned almost immediately, and handed me a slip of paper, with his name and a phone number written down in a neat hand-writing. Then he had to get more plates, and we waved each other good bye.
"Don\x92t forget to call. I\x92m free Thursdays and Fridays. See ya soon!" he shouted from the kitchen, then he was gone.
Going back to the table, I thought about the conversation. I\x92m not shy, but I\x92m not very talkative either, especially with strangers. Now, though, I had talked to John as if he was an old friend. Maybe it was him, and not me, I thought. He had felt reliable and friendly. Well, done is done, and I actually looked forward to call him. My spaghetti was almost cold, but I wolfed it down, anyway, as my growling stomach found voice again. We kept shopping and window-shopping for a few hours, until the stores started closing. Dad and Tina were yawning; it had been a long drive, even though I had relieved him behind the wheel at times. Me, I was not in the least tired, which of course meant I got to drive. Not that I minded, I think driving is fun. It was almost eight when we were back home and had carried everything inside. I sat with the others, not quite watching TV, and played with the note in my pocket. After a few minutes, I made up my mind, and headed for the phone. It only rang a few times, before a soft female voice answered.
"Britanny."
"Er, hi. I\x92m... I\x92d like to talk to John."
"Just a sec, okay? Who\x92s calling?"
"Mike." It was quiet for half a minute, then he picked up the phone.
"Mike? Hi! I was just wondering if you\x92d call."
"Well, we didn\x92t get back until a while ago, and I wasn\x92t sure whether it was too late to call."
"No, I\x92m not going to bed yet, I start late tomorrow. So, how\x92s life in Cleveland suiting you. Bored of it yet?"
"Bored? I\x92ve hardly even seen the town. Just my new house and the shopping centre."
"So, how about a guided trip the day after tomorrow? Or if you\x92re an early bird, I could pick you up tomorrow morning."
"That\x92d be fine. I can get up early, with a bit of motivation." He laughed.
"How\x92s this for motivation? We start with breakfast at Clarke\x92s, best place in town if you\x92re not into Italian. After that I\x92ll take you downtown to look around, maybe even the school grounds, then we finish with lunch somewhere in town. That okay?"
"Fine. Sounds great."
"Is eight too early?"
"No, eight is fine."
"Settled! Look for a rusty old Volvo, about twenty percent vintage. Where do you live?"
"Twenty-nine, Paradise Street. Brick house with black roof, lots of trees in the garden."
"Ooh, the good side of town. Rich?"
"Don\x92t say rich, John! Sounds so boastful. Dad sold our old house for a good price, so we can afford living there."
"Sorry, just kidding. See you tomorrow. Do you skate?"
"Ice skates?"
"Mhm."
"Yeah, I played some school hockey for a while, but it was years ago. I\x92ve kept up practice, though."
"You sure looked well-trained. There\x92s a skating hall open on Fridays, wanna go there?"
"Sure, I\x92d love to."
"All right. See ya, Mike!"
"You too!"
We hung up. Not even twelve hours, and I already seemed to have made a friend. Not bad! Tomorrow morning and Friday busy. Had to remember to tell mom and dad, so they didn\x92t plan work at the house for me. Speaking of work, I started thinking about getting something to do. It was over four weeks until school started, and I knew I\x92d go crazy if I\x92d just slack around all the time. I decided I\x92d check the papers tomorrow.
"Who was that, Mike?" mom asked, making me jump a bit. I hadn\x92t heard her approaching. "Oh, sorry! I didn\x92t mean to startle you."
"It\x92s okay. Dad did the same thing earlier. I was just lost in thought. That was a guy I met at the restaurant before. One of my classmates-to-be. His name\x92s John, and he\x92s promised to show me around town tomorrow morning. Is it all right if I\x92m out from eight \x91til lunch?"
"Of course. So, making buddies already? That\x92s fine!"
"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. Listen, mom, I\x92ve been thinking about getting a job for the rest of the summer. Have you and dad planned anything?"
"Well, we were thinking about going to the Niagara Falls one day, and maybe take a trip down to New York."
"The usual tourist traps, huh? Mind if I skip out on those?"
"I guess not, if you really want to work. You know you don\x92t have to."
"Yeah, I know, but I feel like doing something. I\x92m afraid more free time would drive me nuts."
"You do what you feel like, Mikey. You know we\x92re behind you."
"Thanks, mom, you\x92re the best!" I said, kissing her cheek.
Not feeling like watching TV, I took a while to check out the cellar. Not really knowing what to expect, I was still surprised. The cellar in our last house had been drafty, moist and generally unpleasant, filled with spiders at winter and ants during summer. This was a cellar composed of three different rooms; an \x91engine room\x92, with water heater and pumps; a room that was clearly designated for washing, with clothes lines from wall to wall; and a room that must have been used as a storage. I immediately realised its potential.
"Hi, Mike!"
The hat-trick was complete; all three family members had startled me in one afternoon, a new record. Thank you for your applauds, ladies and gentlemen!
"Don\x92t do that! Wanna give me a heart attack?"
"Guess not. You know, mom thinks this\x92ll be a perfect TV-room."
"Yeah, I think so, too. Just dark enough so you could watch scary movies."
"Mhm. Listen, Mikey?"
"What?"
"Speaking of which, would you sit with me? Mom said I could watch the late night horror movie in my room , but I don\x92t think I dare, alone."
"What movie is it?"
"In the House on the Hill. It\x92s supposed to be real creepy."
"Yeah, okay. But I have to get up early tomorrow, so if you can\x92t sleep, you stay awake on your own."
"Promise."
The movie was a new version of an old horror classic, about a gang of devil worshippers who actually manage to summon a demon. That\x92s where the gory part starts, when it chases them up and down the house. I won\x92t reveal the surprise ending, though. The kid was staring at the ceiling when I left, heading straight to bed. I usually sleep naked, but this time I kept my briefs on. Ten minutes, I figured. Fifteen, max. As it turned out, Tina was getting braver, and it took fully twenty-five minutes before she clambered into my bed, stealing the cover. By then, I was half asleep, and I just noted the time before I passed out.

Next morning, the alarm clock woke me up at seven, and I clambered out of bed. Not waking Tina, I quickly gathered some clean clothes, and went to the bathroom to get dressed. I felt moderately clean from my shower yesterday, but I still decided to put on some deo, and spent a while combing. When I was ready, I went down to the kitchen to get some toast. As I was buttering the slices, I saw the Volvo park outside. In order not to wake up the whole house, I hurried to the door before John could ring the bell.
"Hi! You\x92re early. C\x92mon in!"
"Thanks. I thought we said breakfast at Clarke\x92s."
"Oh, damn, I forgot! Well, I guess I can manage two breakfasts. I\x92ll just finish this slice."
He looked around while I ate, nodding to himself at times. As his mind wandered elsewhere, I took a good look at him. He wasn\x92t very tall, but still a couple of centimetres above me, and I could tell, despite his loose-fitting jacket, that he was well-built. An athlete, perhaps. He had short, black hair, soft, yellow-brown fur and a long, slender tail. I came to think of him as handsome, with straight features and large, gentle eyes that displayed the intellect beneath. If he was taking physics at three-four, he was certainly not dull-witted. His clothes were whole and clean, but even I, caring naught for fashion, could tell they were not new. He wasn\x92t from a rich home, I felt sure about that, but considering his healthy look, they weren\x92t exactly poor, either.
"Can I see your room?"
"Later, maybe. My sister\x92s still asleep in there."
"You have to share? In a house this large? How many siblings have you got?"
"Just the one, Tina. She\x92s ten years old, and she watched a scary movie last night, so she couldn\x92t sleep alone."
"Oh. I\x92ve got one of each, me being the youngest. But my brother\x92s away studying, in Berlin."
"Germany? I\x92m impressed!"
"Heh. My sister\x92s twenty-three, she still lives at home. Her name\x92s Britanny, she\x92s the one you talked to, last night."
"I\x92d like to meet her, some time."
"I\x92m sure you would. In fact, most guys do, she\x92s a real looker. But don\x92t trip over your tail, she\x92s already got a boyfriend."
"Well," I said. "Not that I\x92m hunting right now. I got dumped shortly before we moved, and I feel like some calmness right now."
"What happened? Or don\x92t you wanna..."
"No, that\x92s fine. She got tired of me. Of us. No matter what we did, we never seemed to get off first base. We always felt more like friends than lovers. Then she met this tall, athletic guy from Georgia, and off she went. End of story, nothing earth-shattering."
"Yeah, I know the feeling well. Like you\x92re romantically exhausted."
"That was very well put. Wanna talk about it?"
"Not right now. If you\x92re ready, let\x92s go to Clarke\x92s."
"Yeah, let\x92s go to Clarke\x92s."
As he started up the car, rock music began streaming out from well-hidden speakers. Fairly enjoyable tunes, although quite far from the heavier stuff that\x92s my cup of tea. Almost as one, we started drumming the rhythm with our fingers, both of us grinning at the other. The car was quite a surprise; it ran really well, despite its shaggy looks.
"You\x92ve been trimming it, haven\x92t you?" I asked, and he lit up.
"Yeah. I like to keep the engine hot and in shape. How could you tell, you a motor freak as well?"
"Not really, but she runs better than our car, and that\x92s just a few years old."
"I spend a lot of my spare time beneath that hood, cleaning and polishing. Mom says I could win prizes if I\x92d only keep my room as clean." We laughed. "Ah, here we are."
Clarke\x92s is one of those places where truckers stop to eat. The food is cheap and simple, but comes in generous portions and tastes superbly. This was my first visit there, but I knew it wouldn\x92t be my last. Everything is country \x91n\x92 western about the place. Saloon doors, bar mirror, jukebox with old country stars, and on every free wall space hangs a guitar. In a corner booth, a guy was playing, and I correctly guessed that anyone could borrow one. John greeted the counter girl, and she answered with a smile. He had clearly been here before.
"What\x92ll you have, guys?"
"Eggs and bacon sounds nice," I said. "That, and some orange juice, please."
"I\x92ll have the same."
We ate, the talk mostly general chat about school, sports and the atmosphere of the diner. But one thing John said made me prick my ears.
"I\x92m on the school\x92s floorball team," he replied when I asked him whether he did some sports himself. "But not much other than that."
"You\x92ve got a floorball team?"
"Yeah. We\x92re not that good, but we usually win more than we lose. You sound interested."
"I am. As I told you, I used to play some hockey, but I found that quite boring. So I took up floorball, and that was, I don\x92t know, more of having fun than hockey ever was. Where do I sign up?"
"Just stick with me, and I\x92ll take you to the first training, later on. We\x92ll check you out, see if you\x92ve got what it takes. Finished?"
I nodded. He insisted on paying the tab, so I let him. He seemed quite relieved that I didn\x92t wave my wallet, and I made up my mind to tear down the wall he had erected between us. The wall he imagined separated a rich kid from a poor. He seemed to feel a need to compete with me, to show that he was okay, even if he wasn\x92t from a wealthy family. At that point, I chose not to pick a fight, though. I\x92d rather have him as a distant friend, than as not a friend.
"Where do we go next? School or downtown?"
"I suppose I\x92ll see enough of school later on. Let\x92s go to town."
It was a short drive, perhaps five minutes, and then John pulled into a half-empty parking lot. We got out, and he carefully locked the car.
"There\x92s nearly always spaces here," he said, "if you come in on your own."
"Okay, but mom\x92s not too happy to have me drive the family wheels on my own. It\x92s just a few months since I took my license."
"You don\x92t have a car?" He seemed really surprised.
"I\x92ve been saving for one, but I decided yesterday to spend it on furnishing my room, instead. I\x92m thinking of getting a job, though."
"I got a feeling your family was rich." Uh-oh, here it came. "What, with that great house and all."
"You could say they are. Dad\x92s got a good raise for moving here, and mom earns quite a lot as electrical engineer on the same company. But I like to earn my own cash, and I\x92m fighting off all their attempts to spoil me."
"Fighting off? If it were me, I\x92d love to get stuff."
"Maybe I sound silly, but I like to dream, to wish. If I got everything I wanted right away, what would happen to the wishes? Tina feels the same, these days, but dad\x92s still shopping crazy. He just can\x92t help showing off. I\x92m not sure I like that."
"Oh."
"Sounds stupid, right?"
"No, no really, it doesn\x92t. As a matter of fact, it sounds... healthy. A sound point of view. But still, if he wants to buy you a car..."
"Then it wouldn\x92t be mine! I want to find it, pay for it and care for it, otherwise, it doesn\x92t matter."
"I like that." He visibly relaxed, and I knew I had done the right thing, telling him exactly how I felt, and still feel. "I know a lot of rich kids who think they\x92re so much better just \x91cause they\x92ve got a rich dad."
"So, what does your dad do?"
"Pushes up the daisies."
At that moment, I could have cut out my own tongue. Why the hell didn\x92t I think about that? He must have sensed some of my panic, because he patted my shoulder, smiling.
"It\x92s all right, Mike. I never really knew him; he died when I was two years old. I live with mom and Britanny, but as long as we both scrape together our pocket money during the summer, we make ends meet without having to starve. Mom\x92s an accountant, not the best of pays, but a secure position."
"Whew. I thought I\x92d swallowed my foot, for sure. So, where do we go?"
We had been standing around in the parking lot for a while, talking, but now he showed me onto the main streets of Cleveland. I told him I wasn\x92t interested in fashion, and he nodded, steering us away from the trend-shops. Instead, we went to book stores, we looked at records, at electronics, and we even raided a toy store, where I made my only purchase for the day.
"A plush tiger?" John asked, a bewildered look in his eyes.
"Yeah. That\x92s my little secret. I collect plush animals. Not wildly, but I have about a dozen, all cute and cuddly like this one."
"That one\x92s a male, I think."
"So? I think he\x92s adorable." I kissed the stuffed tiger, not caring if anybody saw me. "Sweet and charming."
"Heh. You really are crazy. Mad as a hatter."
"It\x92s fun at times. You should try it."
"What, collecting plush animals?" he laughed.
"No, being moderately crazy. Sane people are boring."
"Where to next? I\x92ve got about an hour and a half \x91til work. How about lunch?"
"Only if you\x92re hungry. I feel more like a cup of coffee."
"Coffee it is. There\x92s a nice cafeteria, just around the corner, wanna try it out?"
"Sure. You were right about Clarke\x92s, I trust you again. Only this time, it\x92s on me."
If he had planned anything else, it never came to pass. It seemed as if we\x92d never stop talking. He told me about his brother, who was studying to become a psychiatrist, and I\x92d tell him about life in a small town, the frustration of knowing everybody. You\x92d ask a girl out, within five minutes people start giving you knowing smiles. He laughed at this, saying it was just the same here, only more people to share your secrets.
"What\x92s to become of you, then?" I asked. "Why physics?"
"To get into university. I\x92m not sure what I\x92ll read there, maybe nuclear physics or quantum mechanics. You?"
"I thought it said physiques, I wanna be a doctor." We laughed. "No, seriously, I\x92m going to read astro-physics, if I get accepted. If not, I\x92m thinking of stellar physics, or theoretical astronomy."
"Space-crazy, huh?" I nodded. "Gonna watch the launch?"
"Not on site, of course, but you wouldn\x92t be able to drag me away from the set. I remember the first one."
"Me too, that was really something. Damn, look at the time! We\x92ll have to leave right away if I\x92m gonna make it!"
"It\x92s okay, you go straight from here. I\x92ll catch the bus."
"Sure? In that case, I guess I\x92ll have a second cup."
"Dummy! You\x92ll hardly make it anyway. See you Friday?"
"Friday? What about tomorrow? All scheduled up?"
"No, but you said we\x92d..."
"Yeah, but I\x92ve got tomorrow off, too. You\x92ve just seen a bit of downtown. Let me show you the vista. Take in the scenery. Country boy, you want to see nature, right?"
"I do come from a town, you know, albeit not a large one," I said, surly. "Not your average throwback, cattle-cuddling inbred redneck."
"Hit a sore spot, eh? What do you say?"
"Yeah, sure, fine by me. Same time?"
"Why not. Gotta rush, now. See ya!"
I didn\x92t have time to answer, before he was gone. Finishing my coffee, long since cold, I got up and left the coffee shop. Still plenty of time to the day, and I decided to walk around downtown for a while. There was a video store that I hadn\x92t seen before, although John and I must have walked right past it. A good place to remember. Stepping out of it, I looked left, but not right, and as a direct result, I ran right into someone. Stumbling, I just barely managed to keep to my feet. The other didn\x92t, and I heard a soft thud, followed by a grunt of pain as she hit the pavement tail first. She? Yes, and what a she it was! The most beautiful girl I had ever seen! My heart skipped a beat, as I hurried over to help her up.
"Are you okay? I\x92m so sorry! Nothing broken?"
"No. No, my tail\x92s still on." She had a soft, deep voice. "Sorry, I shouldn\x92t run around without looking. My fault."
"Well, I didn\x92t exactly look where I was going either. Let me get your briefcase."
"Thank you," she smiled at me.
What a smile! I had a deep, warm feeling running through me. I wanted to get to know her! Are you crazy? part of me asked. She\x92s outshining you like a bonfire does a boiled egg! Besides, she must be at least three years older than you. So what? came the reply. Go for it! Try and fail! Be a man! You\x92ll never be happy if you shy away! The latter voice won. I had played on a hunch yesterday, and won a friend. Time to set the aim higher!
"Er, sorry to be a bother, but I\x92m kind of new in town, and I was wondering..." What!? What was I wondering? My brain froze.
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if there\x92s a cinema complex somewhere near here. That has afternoon shows, I mean." Since Mr Brain was out of town, one could wonder what part of me it was that found voice. I\x92d like to say it was my will, but...
"Sure, there\x92s the Palladium right around the corner, and the Windmill a bit down the street. I\x92m on my way back to work, otherwise I wouldn\x92t have said no."
"What?"
"Don\x92t tell me you weren\x92t going to ask me to a movie." She tilted her head, looking at me. "You\x92re quite see-through, pretty-boy."
"You mean..." I was blushing heavily, and it kind of shows when your cheek fur\x92s white. Was I that transparent?
"Don\x92t worry, I\x92m just kidding. Not about work though, but if you\x92ll keep me a raincheck..."
"Sure!" My mind was starting to work again. "When\x92re you free?"
"How about Saturday night? They show The Songs of Distant Earth on Palladium, it\x92s supposed to be good. My name\x92s Britanny, by the way."
"Britanny...?" She wasn\x92t...? That voice...? I hadn\x92t noticed before, but now I saw she was a lion, and I also saw the resemblance. Black hair, straight face, large, friendly brown eyes. "Have you got a brother called John?"
"Yes, how\x92d you know?" Fantastic! I\x92d managed to hit on John\x92s sister! "Wait a minute! I know that voice. You\x92re Mike, aren\x92t you? Johnny\x92s new buddy? What a coincidence!"
"Yes." Suddenly, my voice felt flat. Would this mean I was endangering my friendship with John? Was I prepared to do that? Then another thought struck me. "He said you have a boyfriend..."
"Poor Johnny," she laughed. "He\x92s not very keen, sometimes. Actually, I\x92ve got a friend, who happens to be a boy. Nothing to write home about, but Johnny thinks it\x92s serious. He\x92s a bit over-protective at times."
"I was afraid of that."
"Don\x92t worry. Johnny\x92s a great guy, he\x92ll forgive you. In fact, he kept talking about you all day, yesterday."
"Did he?"
"Yeah. He\x92s got a hard time making friends, what with working, studying and fixing his car. Not much time left for fun."
"We\x92ve got plans for the next two days," I said, thinking aloud.
"You do? That\x92s great! He needs to get out a bit. You haven\x92t got a sister, have you? So we could go double-dating. He\x92s awfully shy."
"Actually, I do, but she\x92s ten years old."
"Oh."
Shy? John? Were we really talking about the same guy? Could this be another Britanny, with another John for a brother? Talking about another Mike? No, they looked too much alike. I felt torn by ambivalence. I know I wouldn\x92t stop for less than murder if someone hit on Tina, so how would John...? Britanny looked at her watch, and let out a short scream.
"Oh, shit! I\x92m getting late! See you Saturday, Mike, if I don\x92t see you with Johnny sooner."
"Where do we meet?"
"How \x91bout at the cinema?" I nodded. "Okay! Bye."
"Yeah, bye."
Suddenly not at all in the mood for a movie, I began looking around for a bus stop. Turned out I was already standing at one, but that bus went south, whereas I would have to go north. It took me half an hour to find the right bus, and a little under twenty minutes for the ride itself. Back home, I said hi to dad and Tina, who was helping him bake a cake, then I sat down to read the local paper. There was nothing of interest among the employment ads, so I soon laid it back down again. Sighing, I snatched a bit of pastry, dodging a swing from Tina\x92s spatula. I must have worn my worries on the outside, because mom just needed a single look at me as I entered the living room, where she was unpacking books and ornaments onto shelves.
"Mike? What\x92s wrong, baby?"
"That obvious?"
"Won\x92t fool your mom. Want to talk?"
"Why not? It\x92s no disaster, just..."
"You sure look like it\x92s a disaster. Your tail\x92s slacking, and so are your whiskers."
"I ran into a girl, downtown, sort of got myself a date Saturday."
"On the pull, already? Fast boy! So, what\x92s the problem?"
"She\x92s John\x92s sister. I\x92m not sure how he\x92ll react. Or if I\x92m even going to tell him. I\x92d hate to lose my first friend in town."
"I know what you mean, but you really should tell him. If he\x92s a real friend, it shouldn\x92t bother him. And if he\x92s possessive, well, he just might have to learn over. If you excuse my sounding like Mrs Cliché from Hell, it wouldn\x92t be fair to him to go over his head."
"You\x92re right, that was some cliché." We laughed.
"Is it something serious, you and his sister...?"
"Britanny."
"Britanny. You\x92re going for her?"
"Mom! Well, I don\x92t know. We just met. She thought I was pretty."
"You are pretty."
"She\x92s gorgeous. A ten! But, if it\x92s serious? I don\x92t know. She\x92s six years older than me, and we only talked for a few minutes."
"You\x92ll have to do what you think is best, Mike. But I really think you should talk to John, as soon as possible. If it turns sour, you might just have to make a choice."
"I\x92d hate to make that choice. Thanks, mom, it really helped to talk about it."
"Hey, anytime!"