Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2007 10:09:10 -0700 (PDT) From: Bobby Subject: A Life So Changed ch.8 The following is a work of fiction. Any similarities are completely coincidental. The story may contain profanity and references to gay sex. If such content offends you leave now. The author maintains all rights to the story. Do not copy or use without written consent from the author. Write Bobby at brokendreamboi@yahoo.com with your comments. A Life So Changed 08 I woke up to the smell of food. Nothing is more satisfying than waking up to the smell of breakfast. Well, Jared is better, but I think you catch my drift. "Good morning, babe," Jared said. "You made me breakfast?" I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "You bet I did," he replied. "So, um, last night was incredible, Kevin." I giggled and said, "But babe you didn't get anything." "Yes I did. I got a mouthful of you." He winked at me and smiled. I blushed and looked away for a moment. "Well, I hope you like the breakfast. We have to go home soon, though." He seemed to be hesitant on what he was about to say next. But he didn't say anything. He just handed me my plate of food and sat back down on a chair next to the bed. "Kevin, I am so sorry for what happened last night." "I already told you Jared it's no problem. Your grandma had a point. I am a recovering alcoholic and druggie." I said, taking a bite of my food. "Yeah, but she did not have to announce it publicly like she did. That was way out of line. I was hurt by what she did, but when I saw how hurt and devastated you looked, I felt a million times worse." he said tenderly. His eyes were starting to get watery, but he held the tears back. I stood up and carefully sat down on his lap. "I love you, that's all that matters to me. You are the only thing that matters to me." "I love you too," he whispered. "And you know you're the most important thing to me." After I ate, Jared led me downstairs and stopped me at the door. He told me to wait here while he goes and tells his aunt goodbye. I guess I'm not the biggest celebrity in this house as I was last night. "I hope you had a good time, Kevin." Julianne said, walking out of the kitchen towards me. She had this elegant glow about her that I can't describe, but she is beautiful. She and Angela are almost twins. "Thank you, and I did have a pretty good time. The food was incredible by the way." I said. She embraced me in a warm hug. A hug that I returned quickly. Another thing that I noticed was that her hugs felt a lot like Angela's. They were warm and caring, something that I missed out on when I was younger. "I'm sorry of what my mother said. Obviously everyone was just mortified at her." Julianne said sympathetically. She placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a bug smile. "It's...all right. I know what I have done, but I hate being reminded of it." I said a bit bitterly. She just nodded at me and then walked away after hugging Jared. The ride home was quiet, something that I dreaded. Silence usually means something is wrong, but not all the time. When we got inside, we both took showers. There is only one week of winter break left and I plan on savoring every minute of it with my boyfriend. "So, are you bored? We could go downtown and get some hot chocolate." Jared said, drying his hair in a towel. "Yeah, actually, that sounds nice." I replied. After we ordered our hot chocolate we went back in his jeep. He drove us up a hill to a city viewing point. The day was a cold one; no sun was shining. Even with the dense fog we could see the city's lights and various buildings. Truth be told it was a sight to see. "So, I have been really thinking about something." I said, taking a sip of the very hot hot chocolate. "What's that, babe?" Jared replied. "Remember last night when you gave me...head?" He nodded. "Yeah, but before you say anything else just know that I wanted to do that. If you're not ready then it doesn't matter." He looked into my eyes with a serious expression. "I know, and thank you again. But I was thinking about my readiness. And I decided that I am ready to do that. I'm not doing it for just you, though. I'm doing it for the both of us." I said. His serious expression changed into a happier one. "Really? You're completely sure?" "Yeah, I am completely sure." "Great!" he said happily, flashing me a huge smile. "Then we'll have to have some fun later tonight." I leaned over the center console and kissed him on the cheek. The moment just felt right. "Who says we have to wait until tonight?" before he responded I took my jacket off and climbed in the back seat. He followed quickly and sat on my left. I sat atop his lap and started kissing his neck. I slid my tongue from the base of his neck to his chin, and then pecked my way to his lips where I pushed my tongue against his mouth. He opened his lips slightly and I stuck my tongue in. We kissed passionately as if we only could one last time. Jared began exploring my body with his hands. He found his way into my pants and started to unbutton them. Trying to take off tight pants in the back of a jeep isn't the easiest thing, but we both managed. After he got mine off, I helped him with his. Then we took each others' shirts off. Now, we sat in the back of a jeep mostly naked. If someone walked by they'd surely know what we were doing. We locked our lips together again. This time, though, it was my turn to explore his body. My hand ran across his solid chest, down his hard abs, and stopped right above his waist. I got off of him and pulled his briefs. He lifted his butt up so I could slide them off. I almost drooled. Jared was very well equipped in the basement area. "Something wrong?" Jared asked, slightly blushing. "No," I said. "It's just...God, you are beautiful everywhere." My comment caused him to blush more openly. I giggled at his embarrassment. "Just like you," he smiled. This time it was my turn to blush. I leaned in and kissed him before lowering my head to his awaiting member. The smell was enough to actually make my mouth water. I never thought it would smell good. My mouth opened almost automatically and engulfed Jared inch by inch. Eventually, I got to probably four inches until I started to gag. "Careful, babe," "You taste so good," I said, before putting him back in my mouth. My speed changed over time, going from slow to a normal pace. "Oh, Kevin, that feels so good." Jared moaned. I increased my pace slightly. Jared started to gently thrust his hips into my mouth. The most I could take was four inches, but as I grew more acquainted with sucking I took about another inch and a half. I'd say there was only a couple inches left, but I decided not to go that deep and risk throwing up; that would be so embarrassing. Jared's moaning began to become more frequent. Suddenly, I felt his member start to spasm. "Babe, I'm cumming...pull..." "Mmm," I moaned. There was no time to pull off. He thrust in my mouth one last time before releasing seven squirts of his boy juice. "Oh, Kevin," Jared panted. I pulled off of his member and laid my head on his heaving stomach. That was one of the best things I've ever done. And apparently I'm not that only one who thought that. "Kevin that was incredible. Thank you so much, babe, I love you." he said, trying to catch his breathe. "I love you, too. That was so great. I'm glad I did it." I said, rubbing his stomach. The rest of the week went by pretty fast. Jared and I basically just stayed home relaxing and enjoying each others' company. That also gave us enough time to catch up on a lot of movies. Other than that nothing else really exciting happened with the exception of us engaging in more fun activities. Friday night rolled around and I had to go to my first private counseling session. I was nervous, but it was really nice. Tamara had her own office and it was very homey; it was definitely not what I had expected. I thought it'd be like those offices you see in the movies. You know, the ones where the therapist's office is dark, has a chaise where you lie down and spill your guts, and book shelves lined with books. Well, this was not Tamara's office. She had a sofa that was very comfortable to sit on and a chair that matched it that she sat on. There was only one book shelf and, in truth, it had quite a few books. She had an average sized desk with a computer and a fancy rolling chair along with it. After I signed a few papers we started our session. The session itself was nice. I had an interesting talk with her. Something that I truly focused on was my quitting. I told her about the party and how I dipped my finger in the wine glass. I also told her about my cravings that I've been getting like the incident at the restaurant. Something I was a bit uneasy talking about was Jared and I taking our relationship to the next level, but I did leave out the finer details. Her lecture was about the drinking part though. She told me that the next time I have an urge like that I should tell Jared. In fact, she told me I should tell Jared what happened that night. I figured she was right. Every time I thought about it I felt immense guilt about not telling Jared. She also told me that I was going through a withdrawal which is a major problem for quitting such habits. The weekend went just as easy as earlier in the week. Paul and Angela went out on Saturday night. Jared and I cherished that time as we had a lot of fun being alone. He makes me feel so special it is incredible. Tomorrow we have to go back to school. I promised Jared I'd try and get my grades up. I'm a bit nervous, but as long as he's with me then I'm sure it'll be fine. Of course, he wants me to sit with him at lunch. All of his friends are...not too okay with me. I've never had many friends, especially once I told my parents I was gay. During our lunch time I'd always sit out somewhere far away from everyone else. His parents went to bed a little while ago saying how tired they were from the night before. Jared and I were sitting in the den watching TV and eating pizza. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was sitting next to me. His jaw bones were moving up and down chewing on his last bite of pizza. It was absolutely spectacular, like watching fireworks. "I love you," I said softly. "Mmm," he moaned. "I love you, too." He grasped my hand and gave it a kiss, smiling at me. "Can we go to bed? I'm really tired." I yawned. "Yeah, of course. Go on upstairs and I'll clean up down here." I walked upstairs and crawled in his bed. The sheets were cool and soft. I turned his lamp on low and rolled on my side away from the light. I fell asleep, but woke up to the motions of Jared climbing in next to me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." he whispered. "No, it's okay." I said groggily. I sat up on my elbows and looked him in the eyes. They were so beautiful. "I actually have to talk to you about something important, Jared." He sat down next to me, showing a serious look on his face. I was hesitating at telling him about what happened Monday night. "Kevin, it's all right, you can tell me." Jared said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I began to shake very lightly, and my breathing began to speed up. "I love you very much. I have been trying to do my best at quitting. But lately Jared I've had these strong urges to drink. Remember when we were at the restaurant and I went outside?" He nodded. "I think that triggered it. Then on Monday when we were getting gas there was a guy taking a drink of a beer. Then at the party, oh God, all that wine and champagne and liquor. It was driving me up the wall." Jared looked at me with growing concern. He probably thinks I took a drink or two. Thankfully I had enough self-control to not take even a sip. "Um, what are you getting at Kevin? You didn't drink did you?" he asked worriedly. I opened my mouth, but no words came out. It was like someone pushed the mute button for my voice. "Oh, my God, you did." He stood up and started pacing back and forth. He placed a hand on his hip then the other on his forehead. "Now, wait a minute. I didn't take a drink, Jared." I said, defending what was left of his trust. "I swear to you that I did not take even a sip." He stopped pacing and stood right in front of me. His eyes were glossy and he blinked more times than normal. He dropped his hands and they fell to his side. A long sigh came out of his mouth and he wiped a falling tear away. "Good," he said. "Sorry, I just got worried that you drank." "It's cool, babe. But I did taste alcohol..." "What?" he said abruptly. His face turned a light shade of red and he stepped back from me. "I dipped my finger in a cup and I tasted a little bit of wine. I'm really sorry, Jared, but I stopped myself from drinking any at least." "Kevin I can't believe you did that though." he said sadly. I looked down at the ground trying to hold back the tears. He was disappointed with me. I felt horrible all of a sudden. "But I understand." I looked back up at him quickly. "You what?" "I can understand, Kevin. Withdrawals are what you're going through." "That's exactly what Tamara said." I said. "Will you tell me when you get those thoughts, please? I want to help you and I don't want to lose you." I giggled lightly. "What's so funny?" Jared cocked his head and looked at me curiously. "Tamara said I should tell you about the thoughts too." "Well, good, at least we know she's doing a good job." he laughed. I laughed as well and opened my arms. He took the hint and fell in them. "Ready for bed now?" I asked him. He felt so good in my arms. I felt warm and safe, just the way I always feel with him. "You bet," We crawled into bed and covered up, snuggling up with each other. I loved the ways we sleep together. They're always the best feeling. Almost as soon as he gave me a soft kiss on my lips I closed my eyes and fell asleep. * * * "Babe, wake up." Jared said, shaking me gently. "Hmm?" I groaned. "It's school time," he giggled. I felt him get off the bed and he turned on a light. Even when my eyes were closed the light blinded me. "Five more minutes...please?" I said sleepily. Jared let out a small sigh and replied, "Fine, but when I get out of the shower you're getting in." "Thanks, ba..." I didn't even finish before I was already out. It seemed like I was only asleep for thirty seconds before I felt another gentle shaking. "Now, it's time to wake up." Jared said. "All right, all right, I'm up." I yawned, sitting up and stretching out my arms. Jared looked so good already, and he hadn't even done his hair yet. Drips of water fell on the floor as he looked at me and started smiling. I just smiled back and got in the shower. Since the party, I had grown more comfortable being naked in front of Jared. But I was still nervous about it. Although, every time I was naked Jared would stare at me and nearly drool so I figured he at least thought I was okay, but he told me I was more than okay. I walked back in the room and got dressed. Jared was in the room for only a brief second before he told me he was gonna make some breakfast while I did my hair. Today I didn't really feel like doing it perfectly so I jus threw it together really fast. Even when doing it the fast way it still looked pretty damn good. "Mmm, it smells good, babe." I said, walking downstairs and into the kitchen. "Thanks, I'm making this especially for you." Jared said, kissing me on the cheek. I blushed and sat down on top of the counter. Jared continued cooking the breakfast and we started chatting. "Kevin, if you have those thoughts what are you going to do?" Jared asked. He finished cooking breakfast and started serving it. He made my second favorite breakfast, omelets. "Tell you." I said, smiling at him. "Good, I really want to help you." He finished making the omelets then gave me one. Let me tell you it smelt amazingly good. I immediately started eating it. By the time Jared had taken three bites I was done. Like I've said before I am a very fast eater, but I don't eat disgustingly. I went upstairs to get our backpacks and his keys. When I grabbed our stuff I noticed his backpack was open. As I went to zip it up I noticed a piece of paper sticking out of his folder. My curiosity arose and I had to read it. "Dear Kevin, before we met I was so scared of my feelings. I've heard about the kind of harassment that gays have to go through and how they are basically outcasts. I was so scared to accept myself. But then I met you and all that fear just disappeared. Go figure that we met in the bathroom. What kind of place is that to meet the love of your life? haha. I don't think I'm gonna finish this letter today because I have so much to write you, but hopefully I will finish it during or after or break. Here's a preview of what's to come: I love you so much, Kevin." Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the last part. He was writing this to me and I had to sneak and read it. It wasn't even done yet. But I am kind of glad. This was so sweet of him and I can't wait for him to finish. Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming. I quickly put the letter back in the folder and zipped the backpack. By the time Jared walked in I was holding his backpack in one hand the mine over my shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked. Shit, I forgot to wipe my eyes. "Yeah, I just...I don't know." I cried softly. He walked in front of me and wiped away the tears. I draped my arms over shoulders and gave a kiss on the lips. "I love you." I again kissed him, but more passionately this time. "Mmm," he moaned. "I love you, too. But what's wrong?" "Now is not the time. I'll tell you later. We have to go to school." I said, trying to change the subject. I didn't want to tell him I read the letter, but I didn't want to lie either. Maybe he'll finish the letter today then I could tell him after I read it...again. "Fine, but I want to know later. I hate it when you cry, babe." he sighed. "I know, and you will find out, but later." He took his backpack and led the way to his jeep. As I walked behind him I couldn't help but notice his nice ass. It was well rounded and absolutely stunning. If he wasn't gay I'm sure girls would be all over him. But thankfully, and luckily, he is all mine. On the way to school he made some small talk. One thing he did mention though was that he wanted to have a romantic night out some time. I completely agreed and thought that idea was perfect. Maybe I could eve surprise him with something. We pulled into the school parking lot and finally found a space. My heart started doing laps throughout my body. It's my first day back at school and I was actually going to be more proactive. "Calm down, babe." Jared said warmly. "It'll be okay. We even have two classes together. And don't forget that if you have any problems tell me and I'll handle it." He got a little more defensive with handling it part. But I knew he meant it so I just nodded. "What about your friends? No one knows we're gay. Well, they probably know I am, but what about you? If we hang out together, that is if you even want to, they would probably label you and try and...do things or say things." I said worriedly. "Hey, look at me," he said. I looked up from the ground and into his eyes. Mine were filling with tears. God, I hate when I get so emotional. His showed strength, determination, power, and something unmistakable, love. "I am not ashamed of being who I am. I am certainly not ashamed of being who I am with you. If no one likes it then they can go and choke on whatever they like. As far as my friends go I'm sure they won't care...too much. And you are straight trippin' if you think I don't want to hang out with you. Do you know how much it hurt me when I would see you sitting by yourself all the time at lunch? And when I wanted to sit with you, you made some lame excuse why you'd have to suddenly leave. And when we finally got together you only sat with me twice in four months. It kills me that you do this." I hardly even blinked when he was telling me all of this. I had no idea I only have sat with him twice since we got together. We first got together in September, that's when it was official. School also started in September and it's now January. Wow, two times! I really have to make this up to him. As I was thinking about all of this I heard hushed sobs from Jared. "I'm sorry, Jared, I had no idea. I wish you would have told me sooner." I said, placing a hand on his knee. "But I couldn't tell you this. You were still trying to trust me. I didn't want to freak you out." he cried. I didn't know what to say. I mean, he's right. I was still learning to trust him even though we'd known each other since April. Jared was still not looking at me. He was just mindlessly staring out of his window. "I think I'm going to-" I was cut off by the sound of a bell ringing in the near distance. Damn school gets in the way all the time. "Let's just go," he said dully. He got out and started walking without me. I quickly followed trying to keep up with his pace. "Well, see you later, maybe." Why the hell was he being so cold to me? I said I was sorry. Gosh, can't anything go right for more than a couple days? Why do I have to go through with this guilt crap? These thoughts ran threw my head the entire time while making my way to my first class, Algebra II. The class went by with nothing worth talking of. The teacher seemed surprised and slightly impressed that I was there, and that I was paying attention to what she was saying. Then in U.S. History I was even livelier. I answered numerous questions and was having no trouble focusing on the lesson. But my next class I was dreading. Spanish was something that I needed work on and it definitely showed. I mean, I understood a lot of it, but it's like the memory factor that gets me. Don't get me wrong, though, I have a great memory, but there is so much to memorize. Thankfully, that class went by all right. Of course, I knew nothing about what was being taught. I figured I'd definitely have to come in during the mornings and try to at least catch up a little bit. My next class was one that I was even more nervous about. And there is really only one reason for that; Jared is in that class. The class itself, Word Processing, was relatively easy. In fact, this is the only class that I had a decent grade in, a B-. As I began walking to the class room I noticed who was walking next to me. A small smile crept on my face and then quickly disappeared seeing the sad look on his face. I took in notice that he was quite pale. Sure it was cold out, but he was wearing a thick jacket so I knew he couldn't be that cold. It's probably about this morning. "Can we talk later?" Jared asked quietly, almost in a whisper. It was hard to hear him with all of the students talking. "Yeah, of course we can." I said. He looked at me then looked away. His behavior today was totally throwing me off balance. I understood why he was upset, but why was he being so cold to me still? This question will hopefully be answered soon enough. I plan to surprise him in exactly one hour. It isn't much at all, but it's the thought that counts. We reached the room then sat in our seats which were no where near each other. That was one of the worst parts about this class. Not being able to sit next to Jared was a nightmare especially considering I had class with him. The teacher, as usual, told us to begin our work. In this class there was no talking at all. Sometimes we were lucky and he'd let us whisper, but that wasn't often. During the entire period I couldn't concentrate on my work. I kept staring at Jared and thinking about what he has to talk to me about. I wondered how I even concentrated in my other classes. After what seemed like eternity the bell rang to go to lunch. I quickly walked out of the room and waited for Jared. He came out a few seconds later and looked more pale then he had earlier. We walked side by side for about five minutes before he finally spoke. "Look Kevin, about this morning, I just want you to know I am so sorry for brushing you off like I did. I know what you've been through and I had no right to be that way. I just...I want to show you my love, but I don't know how some times. Then at school when we have to be, well, not ourselves, it's hard for me because then I feel like I'm not loving you right." he said sadly. I saw tears falling down cheek. I went to wipe them away not caring who saw us. Although, we had wandered to a less crowded place so it wasn't that busy. "Jared I know you love me. And I want you to know that when we have to hide who we are here it doesn't make me think any less of you, okay?" I said. Jared nodded his head and looked at the ground. "And this morning you were right, absolutely right. It was hard for me to trust you, or any one for that matter. But now I trust you completely. If you don't mind I'd like to sit with you. From now on." He looked up at me showed a great smile. "God, you're beautiful." Jared blushed. "Not half as beautiful as you are." "Well, um, I'm gonna go to the bathroom, then I'll come and eat with you, okay?" I said, bearing a huge grin. "All right, babe, I'll be waiting for you." he said. I turned and started to walk towards a bathroom that is basically always deserted. I had no intentions on running into anyone at the moment. "Oh, do you want something to eat?" Jared shouted to me. "Two pizzas!" I shouted back. I turned back around and continued on my short trek to the bathroom. The bathrooms were frequently visited by the people that I used to be. They'd come in here to get a quick puff or get a quick drink. This, however, is not the reason I came to this upstairs retreat. I simply came to pee and splash my face with some water. And except for those frequent visitors this bathroom was very rarely used or thought of. Far be it from me to judge the school's security, but it is a complete shock that the bathroom hasn't been found out about. As I saw the door to the boys' room I noticed that it hadn't changed at all; as if it was supposed to, though. As I opened the door I recognized the pungent smell of pot; seems like someone wasn't in here that long ago. Walking into the only stall I noticed that there was definitely much more writing on the door then I remembered. Once I finished my business I began washing my hands. Then I splashed some water on my face and looked into the mirror. Suddenly, the door flung open and two kids came bolting in. One of them had a small bag of pot in one hand and a pipe in the other. I looked like a deer caught in headlights. The boys quickly began stuffing the pipe and lighting it. Both took several puffs quickly. "Hey man, want some?" I was stunned. Right here in the bathroom I was by myself until these two came in then one offers me a puff. I was dangerously tempted. The urge I suddenly felt scared the shit out of me. "No, thank you. I just had some crack so I'm good." I said sarcastically. I was proud that I again resisted the urges. But he then set his backpack on the ground and took out a small bottle of Vodka and looked at me. I slowly reached out for the bottle and took it, not caring about anything. He took the cap off as I held it. When the opening reached my mouth I realized what I was doing. But it was too late. The liquid touched my lips and I could taste it. I gasped out of shock and some of the vodka actually reached the back of my throat. But again, I realized what I was doing and ripped the bottle from my lips. I hurriedly walked out of the bathroom and wiped the tears away from my eyes. What did I just do? I drank. How could I do that? No clue. And then pot, too. Well, I didn't do the pot, but I drank. I was so close to both. How could I have been so stupid? I should have just walked out. But I didn't. I really did drink. But I didn't know what I was doing. I was in shock. I wonder if I should I tell Jared what happened? Damn it. Reality struck me hard as I entered the quad area. I was suddenly surrounded by students having fun and eating. My memory had failed me this time as I forgot where Jared and his friends sat. I walked around the school's library, which is in the dead center of the school, and looked for his group. "Kevin!" I heard Jared shout. I turned around to look, but alls I saw was more students walking around. "Over here!" I again heard. In finally saw him waving at me. I walked over and he immediately knew something was wrong. "Nothing is wrong, don't give me that look." I said playfully. I also lied straight through my teeth. "Fine," he laughed. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys." We walked a few feet, wow, and he started the introductions. "Okay, that is Alan, Brian, Alex, Jason, Jack, Ben, and John." They all looked at me curiously, but waved in good manners. "Is this all the team?" I asked. "Nah, the other base ballers hang out with other team mates from different teams, but they do occasionally come over with us." he explained to me. I thought that was odd, but I just ignored it. "So, I got your pizza as ordered." He handed me two small boxes with round pizza in them. I immediately began to dig in. My stomach started hurting after I finished the first pizza. A wave of guilt quickly surged through my body. I lied to Jared about drinking. But it was just a sip, right? And it's not like I meant to at all. I gasped and that's when the Vodka went too far. "You okay?" Jared asked me. "Yeah, I guess I'm just getting full." Damn, I got to stop lying. "Right, babe." he said. He must know something is up, but thankfully he isn't bringing anything up. During the rest of lunch I actually felt kind of welcomed by his friends. We all started talking about our vacation and how we hated having to come back to school. It felt good knowing that I have been accepted into Jared's group. After lunch I have English. That class always seems to go by the slowest. I really don't think it's because it's boring, but possibly because for sixth period I have Earth Science with Jared. The bell finally rang and I hastily made my way to the science wing. And as luck would have it right as I turned into the building Jared was doing the same. During that class it was kind of hard for me to concentrate only because I had a beauty to look at. The teacher was nice enough to take it easy on us today and just let us do some book work with partners. Jared of course sat with me and we began working. He was surprised at how fast and accurately I answered the questions. "See, I told you're smart." Jared said calmly. "Yeah, I guess I'm all right." I said modestly. "All right? Babe you answered twenty questions in like ten minutes. And they're all correct. That is better than all right." "Well, I guess I just needed some support. My parents never even gave me credit when I wasn't such a screw up like I've become. They were always to busy with their stupid work and stuff." My eyes began to water, but I held back the tears. Once school was over Jared drove us home quite quickly. When we walked inside no one was home. There was a note left in the kitchen by Angela. "Jared and Kevin, your father and I had to go to an urgent business meeting in Chicago. Sorry that we can't be home. But we should be back by Thursday then we will go and do something together on Friday. Love mom and dad." Jared read aloud. "Wow, babe, we have the house to ourselves, not including the maids. But I'll give them some time off. We won't be that messy anyways." I detected a hint of lust in Jared's voice, and the expression on his face confirmed it. It was rather sweet of him to do this, but it isn't necessary. The maids pretty much are never seen anyways. They are good and silent about there jobs. But sometimes I catch them cleaning and start up a quick conversation to just remind them that they're greatly appreciated. "So, did you have a good day? It wasn't as bad as you thought, huh?" Jared asked brazenly. "Nope, you're always right." I said. "Well, almost always." he laughed. "So, babe, you didn't have any thoughts today?" Oh, shit. I knew this would come up eventually. "Um...no, none at all." I don't have a problem. I can get through this short set back. "Well, that's really good then." he said, wrapping around me. I returned the hug and just looked off into space. What have I done? Everyone enjoys a game of make-believe now and then. Of course, the ways in which we play can vary greatly. Sometimes we tell ourselves work won't interfere with our family life. Sometimes we imagine certain relationships to be more meaningful than they really are. Occasionally, we put on a show, as if to convince ourselves our secrets aren't really all that terrible. Yes, the game of make-believe is a simple one. You start by lying to yourself. And if you can get others to believe those lies, you win. * * * * * * * * I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. It took a little while longer than I expected, but I am happy with the results. Feel free to e-mail me at the address given at the top of the chapter, or join my group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shades_of_Wisteria/ and leave me a message there, or do both. The next chapter will be out soon. Thanks!