h1 style="text-align: center;"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"strongGAME CHANGER/strong/span/h1
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Dear Mom, Derek, or whoever is reading my diary now. Do you know what a game changer is? Well, it's like when you are playing Yu Gi Oh and you have only 1 life point left, your opponent has full life and you magically draw the last piece Exodia from the deck. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That's right folks. Things were changing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kyle kissed me and it was…. Damn. It was like an army of butterflies throwing nuclear bombs in my tummy, but I couldn't let him know that. It was too embarrassing and…Dangerous for many reasons that I still couldn't think about. Instead, I just laughed and pushed him away like it wasn't a big deal. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"But…What if it was? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Crap, my mind was already making me think forbidden things. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Speaking of forbidden things. As soon as I got home that night and recalled that Derek was out with Hip, my alarms kicked up. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Let's face it, not a single kiss from Kyle would make me forget I was a terrible friend and was developing feelings for Derek again, but hell that it helped me to feel better about myself, even when it was just a sympathy kiss I couldn't help but getting into bed with smile on my face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I was fast asleep when Derek got home so I didn't even mind into getting off bed to ask him how his night was. He had been with Hip so I didn't really want to know about it. I just hoped Allison appreciated the opportunity I opened for her to get him back. And considering that…. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Wait…. What the hell was doing Kristie in my bed? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I jolted and she shushed me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Take it easy, hun. I'm not that drunk" She giggled and I heard Allison and Derek's hysterical chortles coming from his bed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I was too exhausted to react so I just drifted off. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"When I woke up the next morning, Kristie was gone and Allison was putting her blouse on as Derek still laid in bed snoring out lout. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"As soon as she saw me her face lit and she jumped into my bed and hugged me tight. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Thank you, thank you, thank you" She kept repeating as she shook me all over and her boobs bounced next to my cheek. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I tried to let a sympathetic smile out but let's face it, it wasn't that easy. I was still a bit made at her, and at the same time I liked to be friends with her again, but all this so sudden? I didn't have the stomach for that. So I just padded her back and asked if she would like to grab breakfast together. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"She really looked disappointed when she replied she couldn't because she had to work, but that she was looking forward to catch up with me later. So she definitely was appreciating what I had done for her. If she only knew I did it to let myself clear there wasn't even a chance Derek could lay his eyes on me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I waved her goodbye and decided to have some more sleep but it didn't it last. Ten minutes later a silly faced Derek smacked me with his pillow. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We gotta work" He reminded me, as if I didn't know. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I grunted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He smacked me again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Ok. I'm coming, mom!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Alright, the most fucked up day of all. We didn't have clients that day. I mean, when you actually need a photo-shoot on Sunday morning? I will tell you when. NEVER! It was a waste of time to be in the studio this early on a so gray day. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""It's weird, we haven't received our schedule yet" He pointed out as he put the cushions in place. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't reply. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We should check on the other guys and see if they have got theirs yet" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Maybe, Brandon hacked our mails so we lose our first day and he can be the best for once" I joked still more asleep than awake. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I was sure Brandon and his minions were capable of such thing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Maybe they are just waiting for tomorrow, most people isn't back yet" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Small talk… emSeriously, Derek? You are back with Allison. You don't know the reason, and you are acting like all chirpy and just try small talk? /em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I would have rather him try to talk about the weather. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""So…" I started casually, thought I bet anyone with a microscope would had been able to see my jealousy cells multiplying at virus rate. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""So… What? He arched a brow as he checked the cameras' rack with a burrowed face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Allison, slept over" That's it! I said it. "Did you guys have fun last night?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He stopped short and giggled. "Um… I guess! Yes, definitely! It was a pretty chill night, very quiet actually, I didn't dance much to be honest, just had a couple of drinks, Kristie showed up, and we chatted a bit, and then we decided to come home and I asked Allison to come with me and Kristie said we should have some more drinks in the dorm and then we passed as soon as we got in, so I guess it was a pretty quiet night. A fun night, but nothing that special!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh… Ok. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I arched a brow. I didn't have it clear. Did he know that Allison and he were in some kind of break that I broke? Yup, that was me. I started, finished, paused and fixed Derek's relationships without him having a clue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Why?" He asked as he opened the drawers of the rack. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Why what?" I detached my eyes from the door and trudged to the couch were I threw myself not thinking of the last time we both laid there emHe slept with Allison last night, get over it. /em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Why are you asking?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh… So he hops from bed like a hare on spring, acts all weird and now feels attacked only because I asked a stupid question? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I was just…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Shit! Styles, I thought the cameras were here but…" He craned his neck all around the room in a second. I'm sure he hurt himself. "They are gone and…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The cameras? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I think we were robbed! The back door is open!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I lifted my gaze and saw the door opened as he said and hurried to stand only to recall the reason why the door was the way it was. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Shit! It was so busy playing the jealous friend that I forgot about the mess I made yesterday and… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Shit!" He exclaimed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Fuck. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What the hell are all the cameras doing here?" He said as I entered the backs-store. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Nothing, I was just bored and…" emCome on! I good excuse would be good right now! /em"I was…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Styles, what the fuck? You left one of the cameras fall? Are you insane? Do you know how much these things cost?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Damn it/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';". I couldn't trust myself when men were in the middle. How could I have been so neglectful? "Sorry, I'll…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""The battery is dead" He grunted as I approached. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Wait a second! That camera… Had been pointing to were… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Give it to me! I'll put them all to charge!" I offered pretending to be sorry. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What the hell were you doing in here?" He looked at me suspiciously. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Nothing, just a silly experiment" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He turned and grabbed one of the cameras in the tripods "Damn, this one is even on still" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Wow! That's an impressive battery life. I hurried and picked the all the cameras before he had a chance to see what happened there the night before. The least I wanted now was a lecture about the horrible human beings. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He didn't refuse to hand the cameras but I could see he noticed my uneasiness so I didn't give him the chance to ask more questions and hurried to the front door to put them to charge and remove the memories before he joined me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"When he left to grab lunch at the bakery I took the chance to take the memories and delete all incriminatory videos that I could find. For my surprise all the cameras recorded bits, especially the one that fell from my hands while Kyle was shocking me with his dance. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh… He did Ballet! Do you remember? The videos proved me what I already knew. I wasn't crazy, Kyle really kissed me. He danced like an angel. Everything about the night before was real. His touch, his warmth, the way I let go and I how felt I was flying. That odd sensation that filled me. Nuclear bombs and kamikaze butterflies. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Why the orgasm face?" Derek suddenly asked I snapped back into reality feeling like a fool. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Nothing" I said with shaky voice as I selected all the videos and hurried to delete them when I suddenly stopped short. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Derek was just coming in. the videos were beautiful, and also quiet useful for the project, though I got to admit it was something very personal as for to share in a film festival. Would I have the guts to show myself being kissed by Kyle? Was I going to allow myself in such a vulnerable place before the audience? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't know. It could be dangerous, but it wasn't the moment to make that choice. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I saved the videos in the HHBS folder and deleted them from the memories to later return them to their places inside the cameras. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"And then I recalled I hadn't reply to Derek. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I smirked "Nothing, I was just laughing at ourselves thinking on how we are going to run this place and go to class at the same time" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Shit!" Derek shouted almost dropping the bags he got in his hands. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Yeah, Shit! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Now, do you wanna know what a real game changer is? Well, just look at Jim. The big bad boy from town did it. After all this time, Jack couldn't fight his instincts anymore and kissed him, and kissed him bad. Sorry I didn't leave much details last time but I was too busy getting my mouth and pants wet too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Here is the thing. Jim couldn't sleep. And how could he? He met a side of his beloved angel Jacky he hadn't seen before. A steamed up beast, of fire and salt that so desperately craved for sinking its teeth on his flesh and bare him with his claws. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"For the first time in a while Jim, felt uneasy and aroused at once. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"How his hands now turned into claws, furiously tried to shred his cloths and how Jim had to fight back his urges of giving him more ground. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack had been holding himself back for too long now and the longing for Jim has brought him out of his mind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"This new side of him was exciting, electrifying, intoxicating, and Jim had to push him back several times as his hands went down Jim's back and his other guided Jim's to his trousers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He warned Jim. He told him they were walking on uneven ground, but Jim didn't listen. Instead, he jumped into the void and dragged Jack with him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"However, he was strong enough to canalize Sam's urges into something less compromising and then the kisses slowly went from violent and lusty to soft and heart-touching. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack wouldn't detach his forehead from Jim's as he slowly let out his breath over my astonished friend's face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim froze the last ten minutes and left Sam's mouth kiss every inch of his jaw and neck. He never felt embarrassed for someone knowing he had a bulging crotch until now. Yet, he didn't stop Sam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He had been waiting for too long too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was a dream come true right? Well… Guess what? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Sunday, eight pm. No news from Sam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"If you are surprised, let me tell you are even more naïve than the people who thought Barb was alive. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Here is the awful truth, my friends. If I would have seen them doing what they did. I would have told Jim how this was going to end. But, hey! I was the silly dork who believed in the Disney prince, right? Well, this is what the horrible human beings do to you. They turn you into a mother fucking bitch, and before you say anything, I hadn't fall for Kyle's stupid kiss. I mean it. I didn't. I didn't. I don't care what you say. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Okay, maybe a little. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Following with Jim. To be fair, he could have texted Jack himself, right? But come on! We all have been in this situation. Because if you see it from his point of view, there were only two options. Text or expect to be texted. So, what would you do? Yup, the same all of us would have done! Assume that if you text first, the guy will think you are desperate em'that you are'/em but the point is that he can't know em'at least not yet' /embecause you don't know if it was just a hookup for him or it actually meant something. How do you know what was it? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"You can't. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"You just assume that if he texts first, it means he is into you as you are for him, but even when he does, you aren't fully sure until he says something utterly stupid like…emI can't stop thinking about you!/em Which they never do! It's always you who says it first and he assumes you understand that his silence means the same. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"See? They are more complicated than peacocks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Of course, Jim went straight for option two. He told himself he would let Jack think about it and reach him when he was ready, but actually was desperately checking his phone every four minutes hoping it was in silence mode and he didn't notice and there was a message of Jack confessing his love. Aw, wasn't he cute? The big bad drug-addict boy really thought the Christian soccer Captain was in love with him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The time stretched and Jim's anxiety grew even more. Well, actually it was mostly because he couldn't sleep at all that night. When it was five am, he gave up and decided to study AI coding theory for his project of the smart home, he had made some very slow advances but his AI was already able to say hi, which was like wow. Of course it still had an automatic robotic voice and Jim still had to figure out how to connect it to the house sensors so it could be actually em'alive' /embut wow, that was a lot of progress for a summer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That's what losing yourself did to you. You end up discovering you are capable of more of what you thought you could. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"At seven pm, Jack hadn't reached him yet and Jim's darkness finally took over him. It was clear Jack wasn't interested, it was clear he thought all of it was a confusion, a misunderstanding, he knew he wouldn't talk to Jim again, or worse, he would pretend that nothing happened and ignore the subject at full./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';" Jim had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. He fell in love, for real./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He couldn't do anything about it anymore. He compiled his advances in a pocket app for his phone to ask some advice to his professors the next day and prepare for a life without Jack in it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Sunday night, still no schedule or news. Derek was losing it. Poor Derek, he's used to be in control of everything, so imagine his face that night. He had no clue of what was happening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I wish I knew. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';" Before you say that we surely changed mails or anything, let me tell you that don't, we didn't. Yes, we did check on our classmates. No one had idea of what was going on. We usually got our schedules a week before school started. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was the night before and yet nothing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We texted Missy, we texted other guys in cinematography. God forbid, I texted Brandon and no, I wasn't friend with Brandon, you have to have your friends close and your enemies even closer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"No one had a clue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"To make this whole story even more disturbing, the other million careers in Oakwoods had their schedules. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was only us. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"You had to see Derek, he trudged all around our room, thinking about reasons and even puzzling conspiracy theories in his mind of how we probably were expelled for bad grades, of how maybe there was a system error and even of how they were planning to close the cinematography career. He was acting like... Like me, every time I got obsessed with one thing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"You know Derek, he's too methodic. He needs to know where he is standing or he loses his mind. And this? This was too much for him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I spent most of the afternoon ignoring him as he slowly freaked out more and more. I was too busy dying for the chance to watch the half-side video of Kyle massaging my amygdala with his tongue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I know I was a mean bitch by making fool of Jim a few paragraphs ago, but to be honest, I was going through the same thing he did. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I was holly monkeys freaking out, but I wasn't going to admit it that fast. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kyle kissed me. You know that, I knew that, but apparently, Kyle didn't know it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I don't know. It was too surreal. At moments I thought of it and thought it wasn't a big deal, then the memory of the video and especially of how it felt came to my mind and I wanted to jump on my bed like a high school girl. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It had to mean something. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It couldn't mean anything. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kyle loved me. He said it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kyle felt sorry for me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He kissed a guy before /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"What if he was gay? What if he only had been pretending to be straight because he was sick of the actor gay guy cliché? What if he was only scared because he was too scared to coming out? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"No, Styles. This is what got you in all this mess in the first place. Remember his words. Remember what he said that day with Sam. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Gosh! I couldn't remember his exact words that day. I know he said something mean about playing with my feelings, but, what if it wasn't that bad? What if I was making it all in my mind? What if he didn't think the same anymore? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"No, I couldn't do this to myself again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Why he couldn't text me? What about a em'hey, we kissed last night' /emtext to at least confirm I wasn't going crazy? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"His silence had mean something, it had to mean it was just a joke for him. Or maybe it meant he freaked out so bad he didn't know what to do. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh god! Why dating or stealing one of the best girl's boyfriend had to be so hard? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Shit, the guilt for Kristie. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Shit, Kristie and Allison. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Allison and Derek. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kristie and Kyle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"This was getting me up my nerves. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"And of course… Don't forget about Derek passing around the room. Not making noises, not looking at me. With his absent eyes, trying to figure out why Oakwoods wouldn't give us the mail to confirm the beginning of our last year in here was imminent. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't want to think about it. Actually I was happy we hadn't received our schedule yet. It meant that maybe we were wrong. It meant, that maybe college was only starting, that there had been a mistake. That Derek and I wouldn't have to split so soon. There had to be a choice, there had to be a way I could convince Derek to have some extra time in college, or working in a movie, or being still kids. Something I could do to still be together. There had to be something I could do to stay together. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"But, what? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"This is how a new day starts, with a good morning message. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim got up to check the text, but, surprise! It was just Em, -yes, his AI's name was Em, kind of twisted if you ask meem. - /emLetting him know that a new day has just started. She said it was a very stormy morning which he had to fix considering that he peeked through his window and almost went blind as soon as the sun hit his eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Another thing to fix/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"She was still unable to extract information from internet correctly. Maybe he should just install a weather-meter device in his home, he could afford it, and either way internet wasn't part of his plan in the first place if he really wanted to make his system safe. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"No news from Sam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That's what really mattered here. It had been almost two days after their encounter and Jack hadn't give any sign of being alive and any hope that Jim might have hold inside just died that morning. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was the blue Monday effect, only that it was September. You know, that day of the year when no matter what you do, your day simply sucks. Normally it is marked in our calendars as the first Monday of January, but it came again that year./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim was experiencing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I did too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"There I was, waiting for the alarm to chirp like an annoying flock of birds. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't sleep. How could I? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was the beginning of the end. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It didn't matter we hadn't received our schedules yet, I knew that day meant the end of my adventure with Derek and not even a million kisses from Kyle would fix the fact that the clock was ticking and as soon as I bated my eyes Derek would be flying away from me to work in a Movie with Guillermo del Toro or someone as important as him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"This was it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"When I couldn't ignore anymore the fact that I should open my eyes, I found Derek on his desk sitting before the computer. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He didn't even look back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Nothing yet" He said with concern. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Part of me was happy, part of me was concerned he was right and cinematography was shut down without announce, thought I must admit that was kind of a good idea. It would mean we would have to start over again in another place. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Part of me wished it was truth. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Maybe we just should go to the theater" I said with pretended hopefulness, but considering the fact that I couldn't sleep because of what that day meant and the fact that Kyle hadn't reported yet, I could have used some sleep. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I got out of bed feeling like crap and the time that took me to pick my stuffs to get to the bathroom to wash my sadness away was more than enough to have Derek and the rest of my class ready at my door in the hunt for answers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was flattering and overwhelming at the same time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"They seriously thought I knew what was going on. As if my dad had shares in the school. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was clear for everyone that I had no clue of what was going on, we all decided that as soon as I got dressed we were going to the theater in the search for clues. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Five minutes later I was dressed and well-fed. Derek prepared my backpack for me –what would I do without him? - And we headed to the theater. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The first thing that drew my attention as soon as we got out of the dorms was the fact that everyone seemed calm, relaxed, hopeful and kind of depressed. The usual face you would have the first day of school if you weren't we. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That made us realize that something was really going on after all. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We were the only ones affected by this. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We got closer to the main building and our anxiety got more unbearable. More and more people went in knowing exactly where to go. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We should call the dean" Brandon suggested and many agreed with him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I hated Brandon and his clique, so I just ignored them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"As soon as they realized that I had no clue of what to do, people started to split, to find their own answers, meet friends from other careers or simply to walk around to clear their minds. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"In the end it was just Derek and me, walking toward the theater –I was ignoring the soccer field to not think about Kyle- When I heard my name in the distance./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Well, not my name. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Stilinski, wait" said a voice far back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I craned my neck and Derek stopped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"My heart plunged as soon as I saw the shape approaching fast. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I couldn't help to look at Derek and for a second his expression turned puzzled and concerned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I sucked a breath made him signs to continue with Missy. He looked at me reluctantly but in the end decided to follow our friend –He was eager for answers after all- That's when he reached. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I rolled my eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What do you want" I grunted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He looked at me confused and then he spoke. "How have you been man? It's been a while" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I glared him. Was he kidding? "Look, if you are going to make a joke or…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He didn't let me finish./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""No, look I was…" He looked around concerned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Look, Craig, I don't care…." I started, but again, he stopped me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Wait. Have you talked with Craig? Do you…." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I stopped short and he noticed it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He looked at me for half a second trying to figure out what was going through my mind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Have you talked to Craig?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Shit. I forgot Craig wasn't the only moron in the world, but he had a twin brother called Swindel. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hey, Swindel!" I said with the most hypocritical smirk you can imagine. "I don't have time for you" I said as I turned but he kept talking. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Wait" He pleaded, and that made me stop. I couldn't resist. I mean, you could feel how desperate that motherfucker was for my attention. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Do you know how long people like me had been waiting for one of them to come over on their knees? It was too good to miss it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What do you want?" I snapped as I turned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You talked to him" He basically accused and I arched a brow. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I did what?" I pretended amnesia which would have been good if you ask me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Did…He come to talk to you?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What the hell are you talking about?" I said angry. Of course he talked to me, that son of a bitch. You don't just forget the guy who calls you fugly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He seemed to believe me because his expression changed from concerned to confuse. "Look, I… He's been acting weird" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't react. Considering that pair. I didn't understand when normal became weird. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I…. How do you know if…I mean…How you knew you were…?" He babbled/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I was short? I looked myself in the mirror" I rolled my eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm serious" He warned me. "How did you know you liked guys?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh… He really didn't have a clue. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Ok, this was funny. Didn't his dumb twin brother asked me that same question months ago? What was going on in here? Were Cass and Tim really that good? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I was tempted to tease him and say that I knew it as soon as I saw his eyes, but I was too smart as for to look for such a sudden death so I just pretended I didn't know what he was talking about. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He put a hand on my arm and made me signs to go to a less crowded place. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I could feel Derek's eyes on my back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"When he felt safe, he sucked a breath and spoke again. "Have you… have you talked to my brother lately?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""No" I lied. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I don't know why I did it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I… Think" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I don't care" I snapped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Dude. This is serious. I need to know if…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I don't care" I stopped him. "Why should I care what any of you is or isn't? How can you pretend to just talk to me like we are friends?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We are friends" He affirmed looking at me straight in the eye. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I… I don't even know what to put in here. I mean, I looked at him incredulous just to find out his eyes were fully consonant to his words. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Swindel really thought he was my friend. He really believed he could just talk to me like he never tried to destroy me and almost made me kill myself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"What the hell was wrong with this people? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I think he likes other guys" He finally let out with fear and remorse. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Not my problem" I stepped back slowly and walked away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I couldn't believe them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I couldn't believe either of them. One of them tries to kiss me then calls me fugly and the other says I was his friend? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Seriously, what the fuck? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Since when almost ruining someone's life creates a bond?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He didn't come after me, but that was enough to ruin my day. Or that's what I thought. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Because as soon as I felt Derek's protector gaze ease at the doors of the theater I saw Jim heading to the science faculty. He slowly craned toward me as if he felt my eyes and ran to meet me. Quickly, Kyle and the kiss came to my mind and I almost wet my pants of excitement for telling him what happened and what it meant for the project. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hey…Bet…" I started when he approached, but I couldn't finish the sentence. I needed to say it out loud. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Something happened. We need to talk" We both said at once. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"And that's when Sam's showed up. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Oh… Hi, everyone" He said happily" You know Sam. He's probably the only happy human being on a blue Monday. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't pay attention to my classmates gathering in the doors of the theater. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""It's good to see you again, Derek" He added and Derek nodded at him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I got time to glare at Derek before turning back to Jim and Jack again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I…umm" Jack started looking at Jim anxious. "Do you think we could meet at lunch?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I couldn't help noticing how uneasy he looked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim's expression transformed and now there was some glint in his eyes that I didn't like at all. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Sure. I'll… Yeah, definitely" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Something was going on here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What?! Is this some kind of joke?!" Some voices said at our backs. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I didn't like this. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yes. It is real" Someone replied to the other voices. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I kept staring at Jack and Jim like rotten meat. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""They can't do this to us" The crowd in my back growled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That's when I turned and I found the hand written message pasted to the doors of the theater. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"First day of school, freaking first day, and Jim already had to present two projects next week, a test in two days and prepare the code for an online store app. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He needed a break. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Yeah, that's the problem with college or studying in general. Professors think that theirs is the only class you have and they can do whatever they want with your time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was unfair. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"However, being so stressed in the morning helped Jim to keep his mind busy a couple of hours, or else, anxiety would take over him regarding the conversation Jack and he had to have in the next hour. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"When robotics was about to finish he felt his heart rate kick up in a second. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He tripped getting off of his chair as his classmates left the room. Lucy and some other girls approached Mr. Doherty to make some questions about the class and Jim decided to wait in the queue He wasn't sure if Mr. Doherty was the right person to ask, but he needed to find a way for his AI to be intelligent or at least tell the difference between stormy and sunny. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Turns out that his professor had indeed some knowledge because the company he worked at was developing an artificial intelligence that could react to news tweets and even when it was an experimental project he had many advises for Jim that could become handy in his journey. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He was putting lots of effort in that thing when it was only a hobby. He had to be so proud of himself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"His professor was impressed by the advances Jim had achieved by alone. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Okay, I made you suffer long enough. I guess it's time to know what Jacky had in store for our dear Jimmy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"When he ran out of questions, Jim knew it was time to leave the room and head to the cafeteria where Jack was waiting. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He already had two texts from him asking if he was on his way. How sweet. He vanished for a whole day and now he was demanding Jim's attention. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was hard for Jim not to think silly things and as he trudged by the hallways, but no matter how sweet Sam's face looked in his mind telling him that he loved him, Jim was very sure of what Jack would say. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I don't like boys, I'm sorry if I sent the wrong message. We can still be friends. It's not you, it's me" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim knew Horrible Human Beings very well. Gabe wasn't his only. No matter how you twist the story or the changes you make to your attitude or your outlooks, they always are em"straight" /emand you were just a mistake. But don't worry, they know how to make things right. They friendzone you forever until you get sick of watching them kissing a new girl every week though you know they keep looking at you as the do it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was sickening. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He was tempted to not go, but Jim is not like me. He doesn't run away from his problems. He likes to face them and be over with them. That way he could move on faster. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Damn. I wish I was like him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It took him a couple of minutes to find Jack at the back of the cafeteria. The place was crowded to its limits and yet, Jack managed to get an empty table for both of them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim didn't even try to make the line to buy his lunch. His next class was only ten minutes away and he wasn't hungry anyway. Sam's conversation was starting to get him to his edge. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It was better to put an end to all of it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hi" He waved as he sat. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack smiled broadly. "Happy first day" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim didn't even care to reply. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack frowned. "Is everything okay?" asked worrisome. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim nodded. "Yeah, it's nothing. I just… got too much to do this week" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Tell me about it" Jack chuckled. "I got a test tomorrow and got a lot to study" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Wow, that was too much. Jim at least got a couple of days to prepare for his first exam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';" He snorted as a sign of sympathy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Aren't you eating?" Jack scanned his eyes with concern. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"How could he be so calm? Jim thought he would be freaking yet after what they did. It was so surreal to just sit there and have normal conversations after feeling each other skin so close, after listening to his heartbeat. After he made Jim touch his… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Okay, Jim needed to calm himself. He was overthinking and considering how this was going to end, it was better not to think in things that probably weren't going to repeat or worse, that maybe he just imagined. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm not hungry. What you wanted talk to me about?" He asked calmly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack seemed to have forgotten about their pending conversation, because he opened his eyes wide in realization and shook his head as if scolding himself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Sorry, I forgot. Paige, call me early this morning and she said, she had a conversation with Amanda about taking her to the new center and she started crying at first when she heard Paige isn't going with her, but after telling her Toni and Juliana are joining her and how much fun they would have there, she started feeling a bit better" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Seriously? That was what Jack wanted to talk about? "I'm glad she's happy they are going with her, I would have hoped some kids of her age could join her so she could feel safer" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""She'll be okay. She is a smart and strong girl" Jack smiled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""She is" Jim nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Though…" Jack started with some concern. "I don't know…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Are we making the right decision taking Amanda there?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim arched a brow. "We will visit her every day, Sam. She won't be lonely. We will make sure she is safe and…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I know, I know. It's just… She has been very well for too long now. They are actually pretty sure she will or is already in remission. Shouldn't we give the opportunity to another kid who needs it the most?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim knew exactly what Jack was talking about. They wanted to make sure they did everything in their power to protect and save Amanda. They couldn't just lose her as they lost Emily, even when she was okay, they wouldn't just stop making everything in their power until the remission was official, but… What about the other kids? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim didn't have an answer for Sam. He felt guilt for the other kids. They loved them too, but they were so concerned about Amanda, and the other kids had families. She was an orphan. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"There was a short silence. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""If we only had our own place" Jack muttered with dreamy voice. "We could take them all with us" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim thought about the bus and the days out with the kids. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Taking them out to the zoo" Jack continued. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim smirked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I can almost see you driving it while the kids and I…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Yes, Sam! Jim could see you and the kids singing silly camp songs and all of them getting better and the two of you living happily ever after. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Is this everything you wanted to talk to me about?" Jim said sternly. "I got class. I will see you later to pick Amanda and the kids" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack shook his face and pulled of Jim's shirt as he was standing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Wait" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim chugged and looked at Jack straight in the eye. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He looked away. "I…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You want to apologize for what happened the other day, you feel sorry for the misunderstanding, you were not thinking clearly that day. You feel bad because you think I might have thought that what happened that day might mean something, but it was just a mistake, you are happy with Bev, you both are getting married and you feel guilty for mixing things up, but I'm very special to you and you expect me to accept your apologies and pretend this never happened so we can be the best friends we have always been and I can be your best man in your wedding" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack gapped incredulously. "How…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim swallowed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""How did you know I was going to say all that?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It's always the same speech. /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim thought with sadness thinking about Gabriel. "I'm your best friend. I always know what you're thinking" He chuckled the most convincing and warm smile he could manage. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He wouldn't give Jack the satisfaction of seeing him heartbroken. It was clear he meant nothing to Sam, this was the plan with the horrible human beings project after all. It always was the same way. Nothing ever changes and Jim was too stupid as for to believe that Jack was going to be different. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm…" Jack laughed. "I'm so embarrassed right now" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Don't worry. It's okay" Jim snorted and patted him in the shoulder. Jack was shaking and so was Jim, but he wouldn't falter. He would get out of this situation with his dignity intact. "I gotta go now. See you later" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim stood and Jack waved him goodbye in silence. He still was speechless after what Jim said to him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim turned and walked out of the cafeteria. He still had a couple of minutes before his next class started. Enough time to cry silently in the bathroom. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Instead he walked straight to his next class while he wrote a text for me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I kissed Sam" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Well, at least we got some spare time to open the studio" Derek mumbled for the third time since our last customer left. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He was losing it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""All the students from cinematography and Drama please wait for future instructions."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That's what the note said. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Ok, at this point, it was clearly something weird was going on here. We had no idea of what was it, but it couldn't be good if the rest of the school was having normal classes and we didn't even had an idea if we would ever set a foot in our classrooms ever again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We texted our professors, for our surprise, they didn't know either what was going on, even Hugo, who I always thought was part of the ones that pulled the strings in the highest positions at Oakwood. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"So now, we were in some kind of limbo, were we still cinematography students? Would the career be removed from Oakwood? Should we call our lawyers now? Actually a small group that included Brandon and his minions where already spamming everyone's phones with suing ideas. It wasn't that crazy if you consider that I –who was enjoying all this situation at first- was starting to feel uneasy about all this. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The last idea was to talk to the Dean, he, for sure, should have had some answers, but their secretary didn't even bother to look at as she told us to get lost because he wasn't there, which clearly meant he was hiding in his office. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"That's why we decided to open the studio that morning. Since we still didn't have our schedule, we had no idea of how we were going to manage our time and we couldn't notify our clients of when we would be absent. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Well, at least…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Here we go again. /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I thought as I rolled my eyes and put some music to calm Derek's anxiety. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The bell at the door rang at the same time that my phone did, so as a good tender I ignored the person at the door and instead pulled out my phone to see the…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"HOLY WINGED FIRE MONKEYS! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hey! Guys!" A familiar voice said from another dimension but I wasn't paying attention I was too shocked to…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim kissed Sam. Oh my dear lord. He kissed him! He kissed Sam. The project was a success, the project was a success! We were going to make history in the film festival! We were going to make a lot of noise worldwide. If our movie made it big, Jack would be the responsible for making me famous! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I was so happy and excited that I couldn't react properly when I saw Kyle grinning at me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I'm pretty sure sparks were flying through my eyes, and I don't know if it was because of the news or because of you know… Kyle, the kiss and the night and…Oh, wait a second! When did this happen? Isn't it amazing that Kyle kissed me near –if not the same day- the time Jim kissed Sam? What was that? Was there some kind of timer? If you wait long enough they will eventually bend? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Did Kyle bend? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Stily" Kyle chuckled looking at me in a funny way. "Are you okay?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yes, Stily. Are you okay?" I heard Derek's suspicious voice say from far behind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I snapped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Kyle!" I said sparkling like a just opened bottle of champagne and then realized it was too much, but what could I do? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""It's good to see you are okay" Kyle pointed out squinting at me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh shit! I was overreacting, I needed to keep it cool if I didn't want to ruin everything. He probably thought I thought he was deeply in love with me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Gosh! Why I had to be such a high school girl sometimes? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Why wouldn't I be okay?" I said calmer now, pretending to be cool about him being there. After all, I wasn't acting all that chirpy because he was talking to me after our kiss. This was about my project being a success. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It's not because of you, Kyle. Get over it. /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Well…" He started with a puzzled look. "Considering that we should be in… Wait, did you guys receive any information about the classes? I read both of our groups had to wait but, do you guys know something new?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He shook our heads. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Damn" He chugged. "Everyone is freaking out in Drama. I really hoped you guys had any information since for some reason we are on the same boat" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Derek looked at me and then Kyle before speaking. "We only know what the note says. We should wait for instructions. Nothing else" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Same" Kyle nodded. "By the way. Sorry I was like…" He scratched the back of his head. "Gone these days, all this situation about the classes has been bothering me. It's just that, it's our last year, our last chance and I'm still the worst of my class, I need to prove myself" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You will" I smiled recalling how he made me cry with a short ballet dance. Kyle had potential, there was just something that wasn't working properly and he needed to puzzle it out to release all his power before the camera. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Thanks" He grinned. "Well, I think I better go, I don't have school but still gotta work" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Those pizzas won't deliver by themselves" I chuckled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh god! Seriously? I never had issues talking to Kyle before and now I was chortling like stupid and making old fashioned pizza jokes? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kyle got out of the studio and I realized I had been standing between the counter and the door as if I absently walked toward him during our conversation, so I went back to my place but something wasn't quiet right. Kyle was gone, but I couldn't help feeling the same awkwardness and… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I looked at Derek who was looking at me like if he was trying to read my mind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Something happened between you two!" He accused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""No! Of course nothing happ…" Oh word vomit, you had been absent for too long. "What are you talking about?" Said at last pretending the same calm and cool mien I used when Kyle showed up. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You're acting weird" He continued. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Am I acting weird? You are the one acting weird" I shot back hoping that would make him forget about the whole conversation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Don't lie to me, Styles. I know you better than anyone, and when you have that look in your… Wait a minute, I'm not acting weird! Why do you say I'm acting weird? You know it's just that I'm concerned about school!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Shit! He was indeed acting weird! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me that way!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm not looking at you at any way, Derek" I lied with a mysterious voice as I slowly trudged toward him playing with my eyes that I got fixed on him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"There was…. I didn't notice it before because all of the school crap, but now that I thought about it… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He laughed and looked away. "You are seriously trying to turn the table don't you? What are you hiding, em'Stily'/em" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Damn! I hated when he said Stily that way. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""No, Derek. Don't try to…"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Guys! Guys!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We couldn't hear the bell because of how loud Kyle's voice was. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We both jolted and hurried to crane our necks toward him with our bodies straight as a line. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Kyle furrowed. "Is everything..." He shook his head! "Guys! I received an email from the Dean's office. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You what?" Derek grunted insulted and hurried to approach him to yank the phone from Kyle's hand when ours blared at unison. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0in;"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Let's take a moment to acknowledge Jim's strength. While I'm writing this, I can't help feeling proud of how he handled all this situation with Sam. Another person would have told Jack to fuck off, or would have simply stopped talking to him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"You just can't do this to another person. The sad thing is that all Hhbs do it. They always do. No matter how much you wish and pray for it not to happen, or how much effort you put into covering their needs, how much you try to make them feel loved and cared. It always ends the same way. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm sorry, it was a mistake." /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Maybe it was the fact that he had too much in his head with school, Amanda, the soccer team, the project he was working in and the fact he had to help the coach deal with his daughter's suicide attempt, that Jack was just a minor issue for him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Don't get wrong, Jim was hurt. Deeply. Actually, even when they say that your heart doesn't experiment physical pain because of a breakup, he was definitely feeling something. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"His chest felt kind of empty and it burned softly at the same time. He had the sensation he lost something very dear to him, something he couldn't put a name to or couldn't remember the place or moment he lost it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Maybe it was his breathing, I think he held it the rest of the school day. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He didn't cry though. Not a single tear fell from his eyes. He knew this was coming, feeling sorry for himself, wouldn't change the fact that this was going to happen eventually. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He was amazing that day. He stayed under control no matter what. I wish I knew he was going through all this. I know I said I would have said it was stupid for him to imagine a future with Jack considering how this would end and the fact that our movie would be released eventually, but I wish I knew. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I would have hugged him. I would have dried his tears and would have allowed him to stay in silence for as many days as he wanted. I would have been the best friend he deserved at that moment. Instead… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I kept spamming his phone. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Oh my god! I still can't believe it!" Said my text for the third time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Betch, knock it off. I'm in class" Jim managed to write when Mrs. Morgan looked back at the blackboard after explaining the principles of quantic computing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Come on! I want details!" I continued. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim didn't even bother to reply. He was hoping I would eventually give up so he could finally rest from the fact that one of the most beautiful nights of his life, became such a bitter memory so suddenly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"After ten minutes of silence from my part, he finally relaxed and focused in class, but then… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Meet me at my dorm after class, I'll tell the rest of the guys to come. I want to know everything about all this, and I got exciting news too" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim rolled his eyes. "Ok" He texted before shoving the phone in his pocket but it buzzed again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Fuck you! Stily! /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He grunted in his mind and I can't blame him, but in my defense, it wasn't me this time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim unlocked the phone and found a text from the coach. "What do you like for dinner?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Okay. Seriously. Why on earth when Jim needed to be alone the most, the whole freaking world wouldn't just let go? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He frowned. Dinner? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm in class coach, what do you mean?" He scribbled swiftly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You promised you would come tonight after practice. Remember? To help us with our issue? My wife wants to know what you would like to have for dinner" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh…. Jim needed a break. We were driving him crazy. He felt sorry for the coach and his family but come on! He was doing a big effort to keep all his pieces together! Could the world just stop turning for a single day? He just couldn't handle everything. It was too much pressure, so he decided to make a selfish thing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Another reason to admire Jim today is the fact that he admitted his limitations for himself and even when he wanted to be able to handle everything, the truth was that he couldn't. He had to be honest with himself and the rest of the world. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It took him five I'm-so-sorry texts and giving a full explanation of the center situation and Amanda for the coach to finally accept for Jim to skip training that day and their date also. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The coach was an annoying guy, but he wasn't a monster and he understood in the end and promised to add Amanda and the rest of the kids to his night's prayers which Jim for some reason deeply thanked in his inside. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"After what seemed like the longest day of all, Jim finally made it to his car that afternoon. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He found Aidan walking toward the soccer field but decided to approach Jim when he noticed he wasn't joining them for training that day./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He reached him in the parking lot. "Please don't tell me you quit again" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim was so tired he could just snort. "I wish" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Aidan grinned. "So?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I got stuffs to do this afternoon" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Aidan arched a brow. "Are you okay?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim nodded not feeling very talkative at the moment. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Are you mad at me or something? If this is because of the other day…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Ok… This was too much shit for a single day. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"By the way, please remind me to ask Jim what perfume he was wearing those days. Jesus! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm okay, seriously, and don't worry. I'm just tired, my day was way too long, and still got things to do in the center I'm volunteering. The coach is mad at me because I can't make it to his house tonight and my friends feel like partying in a Monday. All I want is my bed. Haven't slept much lately" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Aidan smiled slightly and put a hand on Jim's shoulder. "A busy mind is a happy one" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I guess" Jim admitted forgetting completely about Jack and all that crap for a moment. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He didn't notice before, but when Aidan stopped making his silly jokes he was kind of nice. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Anyway. I gotta go training now, you know the coach. He'll probably make me his bitch if I'm not there to remind him he's late as always" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim chuckled and nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""If you feel like doing nothing after all that crap just let me know. I can pass by and we can watch a game together or just have spicy wings" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Sure, thanks" Jim smiled genuinely for the first time in that day and Aidan left as he climbed into the car. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"As soon as he started the car, the passenger door opened and Jack climbed in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hey!" He said all excited. "So…How was your first day?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"This was it. Jim let out the biggest smile of all and looked at Jack straight in the eye before pulling out of the parking. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""It was great. I have a tons of things to do, but laughed a lot in class. It was pretty fun" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm happy to hear that" Said Jack smiling back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim set the march forward and they started their way toward the center. It was hard to concentrate in driving and pretend to be having the best day of his life, but Jack wouldn't have any of his actual thoughts. He wasn't going to let him win. Jim was stronger than that. Even than his own feelings. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"There were ten awkward minutes of silence that Jack finally broke with a chug when Jim stopped the car in a traffic light. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm so happy we talked things out. You have no idea of how much concerned I was. I thought I would lose you" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I thought I would lose you. /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim repeated in his mind and sucked a breath. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Why? No! That would be something stupid, don't you think? We are the best friends. We are stronger than that" Jim replied patting his shoulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yeah, right?" Jack chuckled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"The traffic light changed and Jim resumed their trip. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""But… I really want to apologize to you, James. If I could…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""There is nothing to apologize about, Jacky. We are cool" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Really? Aren't you mad?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim snorted. "Why would I be mad?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I don't know, maybe because you were expecting to have a different conversation this morning" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""No. I told you, buddy. I knew we were going to have that conversation and I'm cool with it" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Buddy?" Jack arched a brow. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim rolled his eyes in his mind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You haven't called me buddy since we were meeting each other" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Sorry. I just got too much in mind with the homework I have to do later" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack nodded and didn't say anything else until Jim stopped the car outside the center to wait for Paige and the kids. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim turned toward Jack with a smug disguised as a smirk. "So, how's Bev. I haven't seen her in a while" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack looked away. "I…I'm not sure. I haven't had news from her in days" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Oh. I hope she's okay" Jim replied casually. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""James?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yes?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Are you sure you aren't mad at me?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Okay this was starting to become annoying. "I'm not mad at you, Jacky" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""But this morning" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We sorted things out, you said it yourself" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""But…I hurt your feelings. I mean. I know how much you like me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh…. Oh…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Ok, Jim wasn't expecting that, but he wasn't only a good soccer player, he was damn good at baseball too and he was about to hit a homerun. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""How much I like you?" He scoffed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack swallowed. "Come on! You don't need to pretend with me. I'm your best friend, James. I know you have strong feelings for me. I know you love me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Just because we hooked up?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack gasped and blushed violently after hearing this but he didn't backed up. "Yes, the way you kissed me! I could feel…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Whoa, stop right there, Jacky. It was just a kiss. I was just having fun" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""You don't need to pretend you don't have feelings for me, James. It's okay. I know when someone is in love with me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"In love! He said in love! You heard that, Jimmy? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""In love?" Jim laughed innocently, he wouldn't be sassy. He wouldn't let Jack know how hurt and furious he was. He thought he had been prudent with his feelings all this time, but apparently, Jack was smarter than he thought. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yes. I can tell when someone is…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Okay, Jacky. I'm so sorry you had this whole movie plot in your mind, but Damn! Why you heterosexuals think that just because someone is gay has to automatically feel attracted to you?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack paled and then his expression went a bit annoyed. "Yes? Then, why did you kiss me?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Because you kissed me, Jacky" Jim chuckled delighted of how well he was handling this. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""So, if someone, a friend like…lets say… Aidan, kisses you, you will kiss him back?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim made duh face and nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""So…it didn't mean anything to you" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We just kissed, Jacky. It's not a big deal" Jim smiled proudly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He could feel it. Jack was thinking he was a cold-hearted bitch and he was loving it. "And luckily, I didn't get hurt, right? Imagine if I really did have feelings. You would have killed me this morning with that conversation" He laughed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jack swallowed again with remorse in his eyes. "I'm so relieved right now" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I am too" Jim nodded as he saw Paige approaching the car. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hey, Boys. Sorry for keeping you waiting. The rest of the kids are saying goodbye to our brave troop. We will be here in a minute" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""No problem, Ma'am. We are at your service" Jim replied joyful. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"It is weird of how much hurt he was and how he found the way to feel satisfied with it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He liked to be in control. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""So…" Jack started after a few minutes of silence. "I saw you talking with Aidan" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yeah. He came to say hi" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""He's a nice guy" Jack said casually with his eyes fixed on the road. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"He's a nice guy? Okay, can someone give me some of whatever Jack was smoking? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim didn't even try to remind him that he hated Aidan. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What you guys were talking about?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Small talk" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""It was a long conversation for small talk" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh God! Please! No! Why couldn't someone just shove a dirty sock in Sam's mouth? Please! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yeah. We were just talking about hanging out tonight" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Oh…" Jack stayed silent a couple of more minutes. "So, you guys will be busy tonight" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I hope so" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""And if he…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""All ready guys!" Luckily Paige stopped Sam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"She opened the doors for Amanda and Jim noticed now Tony's mom car, where he and Juliana were climbing along with her parents. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Hey, kiddo!" Jim said looking back. "Are you ready to have some fun?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Amanda didn't reply. She looked overwhelmed and Jim couldn't blame her. So much was about to change in her life. Yet, she let out a shy smirk. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Jim smiled pleased at Jack and started the car. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"At five, I made up an excuse –that didn't work- but still left Derek alone and dashed to our room to meet the betches. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I couldn't wait to see Jim. I had been looking to have this conversation since I read his text. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh god! And I thought my first day of my last year of college would be sad and boring. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"And now look at me, I was about to burst in flames out of the excitement. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Cass was the first to arrive. It had been a while since the last time we spoke and he seemed very happy to see me and I was too. We hugged which was surprising considering that he wasn't the kind that show affection, though you could feel it in his kindness. He was a bit down, though. Queens would be closed for indefinite time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Freddy and his boyfriend Greg were next. I wasn't too much excited to see Greg there considering this was an Hhbs meeting and he wasn't part of the betches. I couldn't help feeling a bit antsy about him leaking information but he was Freddy's boy, I tried to keep it cool and trust he would keep his mouth shut, either way, Freddy probably had told him everything about the project at this point. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Liam and Tim came next. Tim looked fine as always though he was quieter than usual. After he said hi to all of us, he simply sat next to Cass as he always does. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We sat in Derek's bed because it was bigger while we waited for Jim. He said 'okay' to my last text, do you remember? Well, time kept passing by and no news from that selfish bitch. How could he disregard my calls? I had been waiting for this moment the whole day! And even came home early so Derek could stay in the studio so he wouldn't hear anything about Kyle and freak out as he always did. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"God Damn it, Jim! /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I thought when it was five twenty-seven and he still wasn't picking any of our calls. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Maybe he got too much to study, sweetie" Liam pointed out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I squinted at him. Liam had been very cheerful today, hugging everyone and laughing about everything since he came in. Of course he always did that. Every time we saw each other I had to rub my cheek for minutes to take his lipstick off after he kissed me, but today? There was a weird glint that drew my attention. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What about Matty?" Cass added and I frowned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Damn I forgot about Hip. I wonder if it was intentional or I was simply too excited to recall he was trying to get into Derek's pants. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Guys, maybe we should just start without them. We got plans" Freddy mentioned causally and Greg giggled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Oh God! They were totally having sex right after our meeting. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I gave Jim three other calls. Cass tried to reach Hip and no answer from any of them so I stood up in front of them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I looked at my friends and excitement took over me. I just couldn't help chuckling. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I'm so happy we are all doing this" Liam said joining me before the bed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Do what?" Tim spoke for the first time since he got there. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""The parade" He mentioned casually. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We all frowned. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""The parade guys. Didn't you receive my mails?" Liam arched a brow disapprovingly like a high school teacher. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Parade? Oh… I think I received a mail from Liam weeks ago about something with the pride flag? I don't remember. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Wasn't pride parade months ago?" Greg said confused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Liam glared at all of us. "Did any of you read the mail?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We all chugged and shook our heads. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I can't believe you. Then why are we all here tonight? I thought you wanted fashion advises" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Ok… I chuckled because he was kind of right. I did needed his help but that wasn't the reason. We were there because of Jack and Kyle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Actually, we are here because I…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Never mind. The Drag parade is in three weeks. We need to be ready if we really want to stand out" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"We all froze. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Liam… What are you talking about?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""We are doing drag to support the clubs that have been shut down and to fight the current homophobia that is infecting the city" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""What?" I let out confused. "What are you talking about?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Seriously, sweetie? Do you ever read the news?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""They closed all the gays bar in the city" Freddy said with some anger in his voice. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Oh… Yeah, now that I remember, I got stuck in a police raid the other night, they arrested Dray" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""They arrested him?" Tim, Cass and Freddy shout out shocked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Liam nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""Yeah, I think they said he was selling drugs or something" I said starting to feel the same anger I experienced that night. Especially because now I recalled what happened after, and my eyes went to straight to Tim. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""They did the same to all managers in gay clubs in the city. Also they arrested the staff of the LGBT community center for homeless youth" Liam added bitterly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""I don't believe they are all selling drugs" Cass said not buying the story. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""That's the thing" Liam nodded. "They just can't make being gay illegal. There would be an uprising" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"I doubted that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""They can't make us illegal, but they can associate us with vicious and illicit conducts like drug dealing or consumption" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"My heart skipped a beat after hearing that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';"Was this real? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""They are just starting guys! The case was in national news last week. They are going after us for what happened to Anthony Williams and its spreading like wildfire" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""But, why? Why now?" Greg looked spooked and I couldn't blame him, I was suddenly starting to feel anxious. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif';""It's because of /spanspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Charlamaine, his video pissed them off. He said we would do something, he organized the parade. He wants to fight and is asking for our help. He wanted summer to be over before doing this because most people would be out of town, but now that everyone is back, is time to fight" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"No…This was a terrible idea./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What do you say guys?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""No, no, this is insane" I shook my head. "Do you want to be part of this war?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""We have no choice, sweetie" Liam looked at me unbreakable. "The news report only made it worse. Because Senator Phillips affirms there has been a poll taken from a very important company and they got to the conclusion that em'homosexuals'/em are more likely to drug consumption than heterosexuals of their same age. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We old looked at him speechless. Was this some kind of joke? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm serious, you guys. They have kept this in silence, but information has leaked. They plan to pass a law in secret" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We all exchanged concerned looks. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""They want to authorize for inspect any suspect of homosexual behavior in the hunt for drugs" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I gasped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We all gasped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"This couldn't be real. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""No one knows about this law, yet. But now we all do, and we need to make pressure to get his son of a bitch to resign. He's manipulating the mayor and everyone in the city. They will excuse themselves with the poll and the drug hunt to pass the law" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Suspect of homosexual behavior. I was breathless. Was this really happening? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""It will be only the beginning. Then they will say the homosexuals use them to drug heterosexuals and rape them, they will call one of these em'ex-gays' /emfrom conversion therapies and will make them say in television they were drugged and raped by gays to turn them in the first place"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"No way. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What are we going to do?" Tim gasped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""We will drag" Liam said firmly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Oh… Okay, I know this is serious situation, but hey! That's not what you say when you are being warned about being targeted by the government and the law. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Wait a minute" I grumbled. "How doing drag will save us from the gas chamber?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Liam rolled his eyes. "Is not just us. Everyone will do it! They are calling all the city to march that day to the council. We will let them clear we are more than what they can possible image and more importantly, they will know we are not alone, that our families and friends are there to support us. They can't tell what someone is just because you suspect it and they certainly can't target us" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We all stayed in silence for ten minutes. This was too much, we weren't just in possible danger. Now, we had to do something about it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm not sure that is the best idea" Tim said at last. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""It's too risky" Freddy agreed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Sweeties, please!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I have to agree with the guys, Liam. I don't think it's a good idea" I added swallowing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh! Right! But when you wanted to make a movie about closeted motherfuckers just because a guy broke your heart everyone applauded!" He shot. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I lurched taken by surprise. I didn't know this side of Liam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""This is serious! Anthony almost died! It could have been any of us! Don't you really care about anyone else but yourselves?!" He grunted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"The rest of the guys and I exchanged glances not knowing what to say! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""If they pass this law, it won't matter if we are gay, straight or a freaking alien! This isn't about recovering our clubs! This is about freedom!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Wow! He was really good at giving speeches! emPlease God! Don't let Liam be in charge of the parade! This will turn him into a target!/em /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Your movie isn't about you and your problems anymore. It will be another way to protest! Another way to tell them not to fuck with us!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"My what? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""You better finish it soon!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Crap! Liam was going insane! Do I really look like that when I talk about the Hhbs? Was I being a crappy friend for not supporting from the beginning? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"God! I was so freaking scared now! This was real shit! We could get our asses in trouble! Just think about it! Going to a parade doing drag which would be extremely difficult for me to accomplish to begin with, but not only that, but being part of a whole movement and go against the authority! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I was shaking. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Speaking of" Freddy frowned and titled his head to the side with his eyes fixed on me. "If you didn't know about all this what did you want to talk to us about?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Oh Freddy! I would have kissed him if Greg wasn't there! That was the perfect call to change the subject of our conversation because even Liam looked at me curiously and for a moment he forgot about the whole parade thing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"It was my chance. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I know I was being a crappy friend but I just couldn't say yes to him and of course couldn't say no either, at least not yet. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Well, there is no time to think twice. No introductions or long speeches. I either dropped the bomb or prepared to argue the whole night with Liam. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Jim kissed Sam" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Silence, gaping mouths, eyes wide opens, more silence. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I can't believe it" Cass gasped starting to turn his astonishment into a laugh. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""And Kyle kissed me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Ok, forget about the faces they made before. The ones they were wearing now couldn't be described with words. Oh come on guys! Were you seriously that skeptical of me being able to kiss Kyle eventually? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""How…How did you do it?" Freddy looked at me in disbelief. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I sucked a breath and sat in Derek's bed to tell them everything about past Saturday thought I did my best to try to leave out the details of the police raid to avoid Liam from going commando again. So I continued chatting and telling everything in detail because it was important for them to understand the concept that drove me to Kyle's lips but I forgot to omit something and by the moment the word vomit simply flew out of my mouth it was too late. Now all of us were looking at Tim. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"All the guys were dumbfounded and I was… Embarrassed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Tim was speechless. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Tim, I'm so sorry. I forgot to talk about this in private with you first" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He blinked and serenated his look and now looked at me with curiosity. "Did you really reject him?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I nodded. "I swear!" Hurried to add. "That's when he called me fugly and I ran here crying like an idiot" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""That sounds like something he would say" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm sorry, Tim, I really didn't want to upset you, it just happened and…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm not mad, Stily. Why would I be mad?" He said unable to hide the wall of fire consuming him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Damn! I fucked it up! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""it's okay, Stily. I rejected him myself" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Why you didn't tell us anything" Asked Liam taken by surprise./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Tim looked away with embarrassment. "I… wasn't sure yet of what I was going to say. It was just a weird day for me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"It was clear his mind was a mess. It was obvious he liked Craig and it was also obvious he would never admit it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I got a text from my mom, she needs me to pick her at work" Cass said with a sympathetic smile and left before saying goodbye. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Liam and I exchanged glances, maybe it was better to continue with my story. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I swiftly told the guys the rest of the story and how I ended in Kyle's arms and they all whooped in the ballet part and Greg said it was clear Kyle was gay and then Liam started an arguing about stereotypes and before I realized we were out of our main subject again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Wait, and how did Jim and Jack kiss?" Freddy asked and I arched a brow to show my obliviousness on this./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I don't know" I admitted. "He was supposed to come today and tell us himself, but that bitch ditched us" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Do you think he enjoyed it?" Greg added with a smug. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Was he kidding? None of us would say it because it was dangerous to admit any kind of feeling for our subjects even when Tim couldn't hide his discomfort with Craig's attempt but we all agreed in one thing even when we didn't say it aloud. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim was crazy about Sam. That's why he was always over him and he even joined to the volunteering work. He was doing all those things to impress him. This, was beyond any of us. Neither did I had to put that much effort for Kyle even when this project supposedly was my most important work yet. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"But, we wouldn't say it aloud. I wouldn't say it to myself, because if I did. I would had doubt of Jim's loyalty and it was something we couldn't afford. This project probably focused more on Kyle and me but Sam? Jack was the cherry on the top. The heterosexual Christian soccer team captain breaking the bad boy's heart. That's how I wanted my movie to end. The moment the world saw how Jack let Jim down as Steve did to me, we would make a stand and I would win the film festival and the whole world would know Jack and their kind and what they were capable of. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"My phone's alarm rang at the moment the door opened and Derek came in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Shit! I forgot! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh hey, guys!" He said happily as he waved the Betches. Now that the school issue was kind of solved, he looked more relaxed. Still a bit uneasy but he definitely had a better look now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Sweetie" Liam smirked and threw his arms to Derek's neck. "How's your daddy doing?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"See? How could Liam do that and I feel nothing? His intentions were clear, he was concerned about Derek, not like Hip, who just came in right after Derek and had an arrogant expression that made me feel nauseas. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Derek!" He said with excitement and I rolled my eyes as I pulled Liam from Derek's grip. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Betch, I need your help! Again" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"When Jim stopped the car, they all remained in their sits in silence. They had been chatting happily all the way there, but once it became real. It was hard to simply continue like it was a normal day in their lives. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Of course all this sounds melodramatic if you aren't the one experience the situation so let me put some perspective on it for you. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Paige lost Emily just months ago. Jim could image what she was thinking. She had been holding herself to the rest of the kids all this time in order to be able to remain strong as she always did every time that they lost a battle, but this was something entirely different for her, because having Amanda in some other center, with other kids, not being supervised by her the whole day made her feel scared. What if she couldn't visit Amanda as often as she would like? What if Amanda felt abandoned? What if she ran away? What if she…? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim knew all this very well because he was having the same nightmares right then. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Now look at Amanda. Oh, I don't even know where to start. She lost her best friend. The same could happen to her, she felt lost and lonely. No matter what Jim and the others did or say. She definitely looked and probably deeply scared. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Sam? Well, he was going through some shit and I can't help wondering what was crossing his mind in that moment. Was he silent because he was anxious about Amanda, Toni and Juliana? As Jim, was he afraid this could be a bad idea and they would lose her too? Or was he simply trying to assimilate his conversation with Jim. It was probably the last option, because he refused to make eye contact with my friend. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Those were the longest two minutes of Jim's year. Fortunately, Toni was in his hard years and Jim saw him peeking through the windows making them signs to come out to see the wonderful place they have arrived to. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim couldn't help chuckling after he chugged and all the tension was sucked out of the car as soon as he did that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Amanda smiled slightly at Toni and Juliana as they kept pointing to the front door asking her to join them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Paige smirked motherly, opened the door and they climbed down of the car. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They all started their way in silence as Jim and Juliana ran around them. Jim stayed to check the car's door were closed and when he looked to follow them he felt the fingers grasping his. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim looked up and saw Amanda was next to him holding his hand and Sam's. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim gave her a side-lips grin and she nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jack and Jim exchanged glances without saying a word and for a moment he forgot how sad and upset he was. It didn't matter all the things they said back an hour ago. Jack could lie but his eyes didn't and they were clear. em'I'm happy you are here'/em they shouted, and Jim was happy he was. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"As soon as they opened the doors and saw the cherubs the same sensation of happiness filled Jim. There wasn't any new cherub in the ceiling and Toni and Juliana were already hugging the giraffe's legs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Amanda seemed happy too, though not as much as her first time there. She was growing fast and understood very well what was about to happen. This wasn't a visit for them and even when she liked the place she knew she would need to stay without Paige, Jim or Sam. Yet, she understood and accepted this. It was unfair, she should have had a normal life. She should have had the right to start and arguing and yell and be a brat for being left there, but life forced her to be mature. When she got out of all this Jim would take her to Disneyland and they would stay a whole month! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm so happy to see you here!" Alisha, the young volunteer and ex-patient said in excitement when she found there at the door! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Dr. Pewter has been waiting for you!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Paige translated the welcoming to Juliana's parents while the rest said hi to Alisha and Toni and Juliana ignored them and continued looking around and making a noise about everything. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Juliana and Toni's parents looked embarrassed for their children behaviors, but they didn't do anything to stop them. They had been missing seeing them act that way for too long. Even when Toni was the opposite of silent and quiet, this was a Toni unknown for Jim and the rest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim didn't hear Alisha when she asked them to follow her. Again he found himself drawn by the rosy clouds and the color gradient of the sky like celling painting. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Doctor Pewter received them in her office which was a crazy looking and funny like the rest of the center. She had pictures of tons of kids smiling which Jim guessed where former patients of the clinic. The chairs had Easter-eggs shapes, the empty walls had cute animal paintings and of course once again she was wearing her doctor Seuss inspired jumpsuit. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Amanda! I'm so happy to see you again!" She said when she saw her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Amanda smiled excitedly. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""And who do we have here?" She asked as she stood from her chair to approach the group. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm Toni! I'm eight, I like zebras!" Toni introduced himself shaking the woman's hand frantically. "This are my parents and she is Juliana, she and her parents. They came here from…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Tony. Why don't you leave Juliana introduce herself?" Toni's mom said with embarrassment but it was all pretended you could see how much she was loving to see her son this chirpy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Its wonderful to meet you, Juliana" Dr. Pewter said with joy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""James. Can we go to the bouncing room?" Amanda asked tugging of Jim's shirt. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Bouncing room?" Juliana's eyes popped wide open. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Dr. Pewter giggled. "Why don't you kids go to have some fun while we chat a bit?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Alisha made them signs to follow her to the bouncing room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm so happy you came back" She said to Jim and Jack after she closed the door with the adults inside and the kids ran thrilled around them not paying attention to their conversation. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I wish we could have brought them all" Said Jack with remorse. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""You will, don't worry" Alisha padded him in the shoulder. "We don't have the full list yet, but we have many remission cases" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Oh my God!/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';" Thought Jim. emAre you telling the truth? /em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I hope we had enough space already, but you guys have the largest childcare center in the city right?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim didn't know. He wasn't even aware there were other centers until a couple of weeks ago. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim and Jack exchanged glances. They were just volunteers but Jim was sure Jack had the same weird sensation in his chest when he heard the em'you guys have' /em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Here is! The bouncing room!" She announced opening the door and of course Toni and Juliana went even more insane as soon as they saw it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim, Jack and Alisha couldn't help laughing out loud as soon as the kids ran inside. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I will leave you to have enjoy it. I need to make some phone calls" Alisha announced closing the door behind her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim stood next to the door to watch the kids play and noticed the presence of some nurses playing with the kids that were already there. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They were making him signs to join. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Hi! I'm Toni!" He heard the boy say to a girl of very short hair that was hopping along with the nurse that was making signs to Jim. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim blushed and waved hi but didn't join. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""James! It's fun! Jump with me!" Amanda said waving him in. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"More and more nurses started to notice their presence and joined the team claiming for him. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Before Jim realized Jack was taking his shoes off and pulling of Jim's hands in and the warmth filled my friend's heart. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They joined the fun and Jim couldn't be happier to have done. Amanda looked so much happy. Even when she was considerably older than Toni or Juliana she was having so much fun! And how couldn't she? Jim was doing it too! Jack and he were laughing so bad that they would probably scare the rest of the kids that Toni was already scaring with his extrovert's introductions. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They stayed like that for what felt like hours. Until the nurses announced it was time for dinner and damn! That was a dinner! They had plenty for everyone! Even the parents joined in the large room that looked like a park where to make a picnic. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"The food was great! And even Amanda ate everything nit-picks. Dr. Pewter took the moment to introduce them to the staff and the rest of the kids in the center. Jim shook so many hands he couldn't keep track of all the names and once the dinner was over Dr. Pewter asked the parents to join her again to finish filling the paperwork and to check the medical histories. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Alisha suggested they could go to the virtual reality room where they explored sea life for an hour. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"At eight Amanda decided to go to the library where some nurses were playing songs surrounded by kids and some others were reading stories. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They passed around the shelves until a book caught Amanda's attention and asked Jim to read it for her. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Of course Amanda knew how to write and read and this is why Jim felt his heart shrink when she requested it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He looked up and saw Toni and Juliana listening to the songs a nurse was playing with a guitar. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They sat in cushions and Jim read aloud as Amanda and Jack looked at him with bright eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Fifteen minutes before finishing the story Amanda was already fast asleep with her head resting in Sam's shoulder. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They both exchanged glances and smirked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"It was time to go. Paige felt a bit sad when she found them this way. She wanted to kiss-goodnight Amanda before leaving, but it was better to let her rest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jack carried her to the room Alisha prepared for her where other girls of her age were already sleeping and they saw her rest with a peaceful expression. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Tears climbed to Paige's eyes as she kissed her forehead. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jack and Jim did the same before leaving a handwritten letter Jim left in her desk promising they would there the next day and the day after. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"They started their way back stopping at the door to see her one last time to whisper an em'I love you' /embefore closing the door. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Paige cried all the way back home. But as she explained Jack after he asked her to calm down. She was happy they were safe. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What an intense day" Jim joked as Jack climbed down at his home. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I was so wrong about St. Peters" Jack muted. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm happy we were able to do it" Jim replied with warm in his chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Yeah! It was a great day!" Jack chugged. "We will go tomorrow right?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Lord! I'm so happy we sorted things out and now we are back to the right track!" He announced coming in again to pad Jim's back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim rolled his eyes in the darkness of the night. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Goodnight, James! Oh and 'emenjoy your night/em'"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Goodnight, buddy" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Hell. That I will!/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Are you guys sure it is in here?" Said Allison bluffed pulling her head outside the passenger seat. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""The GPS says it is in here" Derek replied with the same astonished face we all had. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"A man in valet uniform opened the doors for us and asked Derek to give him the car's keys. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Are you coming to the event's room?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We all nodded after Allison and I climbed down. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Please follow me" A woman with a folder fastened to her chest indicated. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We approached her blinded by the lights that bathed the seventy stories building. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We had to read the mail at least five times before finally concluding that we were indeed required at Preston Hotel Suites. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"This had to be a dream. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"As soon as we came in, and atmosphere of luxury surrounded us, making us feel important a bit silly. You had to see my face, I was doing a terrible job hiding my amazed face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We couldn't see much though. After passing by a large reception with a fountain in the middle and a piano, the woman took us to a room just some feet away. Two men wearing full black opened the doors for us. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Oh I was so relieved I asked Liam for his help. I knew he would be able to find a nice suit for me in time. The mail said it was a formal dinner and damn! It was like a penguin convention. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We entered in a large room with marvel copper floors, high ceilings and cream curtains that covered the full window walls at the sides. There were tropical flowers arrangements and at the distance you could hear some Chopin being played to make the night a pleasant experience. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"There were tables at the sides, enough to fit all the people in the room. Actually the place was to the top with people walking, chatting, just a few were in their tables. Most gathered in front of a stage that was empty for now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"It took me a couple of minutes to distinguish my classmates in the crowd because most men wore black suits like Derek and I, but of course none of them had Liam to dress them and make them look less mainstream. He combed my hair, made some arrangements to the pants and blazer so it could fit my short stature and of course he insisted in the eyeliner again. How could I say no? He knew what he was doing and hell that he was right! When I looked at myself in the mirror next to Derek I felt power and attractive and… I actually even dared to take a selfie and uploaded it to Instagram. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Derek went through the same too, but of course he was a jock now. A nerd in the inside but a jock in the outside, so Liam didn't have to do much that help him with his hair a bit. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Missy was the first we spotted because I think she was the only girl wearing a smoking. She introduced us her girlfriend and then asked why I didn't bring someone and I rolled my eyes. Of course she had to remind me I was a dateless loser. I could have brought one of the betches but oh no, I wasn't going to get in the middle of the war for who would be my companion. Though I would have picked Liam. At least he would have had fun, not like Cass that hurried to go while I was telling my story, or Tim that was still processing my revelation about Craig, Freddy wouldn't go out without Greg, Jim was missing and of course I wasn't going anywhere with Hip. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I ignored Missy and introduced myself to her girlfriend, but I couldn't get her name because right there I was knocked by a pair of arms that went to my neck to hug me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh, My! Stily! You look so cute!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Cute? Why couldn't Kristie find another adjective to describe me? Come on! Liam really put a lot of effort to make me look like a sophisticated director who is about to receive his first award as an ass-grown man! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"She pulled of my cheeks as a grandma would. "Oh Stily! You are the cutest little thing!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I sucked a breath and giggled meeting my eyes with her. Suddenly my mouth went dry and my heart skipped a bit to later start hammering my ribs. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Kristie was right there in front of me. Kyle came to my mind. No, Kyle was coming over right from behind her with a silly smirk. His eyes bright with excitement and joy. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He said something about my clothes or how was I. I'm not sure. He was looking at me as he wore that suit, as I recalled our kiss, as his girlfriend kept pulling of my cheek oblivious of my thoughts. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""That's enough, Kristie. You'll make my cheeks red!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""That would only make you look cuter!" She laughed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Derek covered his mouth to not let me see his giggles but I could hear them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Aw! Let's do it!" Allison added pulling my other cheek. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"This had to be a joke. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Luckily, they finally saw each other from head to toe and shrieked in excitement. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh, My god! You look so gorgeous!" They said at unison. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Allison was wearing a black long dress that combined with her short hair and dark painted lips gave her a movie star look and now… We all noticed that Kristie dyed her hair to light auburn which made her freckles stand out more in her lapis dress. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I decided to just ignore them and focus on Kyle who now was now next to me and as the rest of us looked at them both as if they went from another planet, but despite everyone else, Kyle was delighted with their behavior. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I rolled my eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Ok, they were a bit funny. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""So, any of you got an idea of what are we doing here?" Missy asked with her eyes still fixed in the girls. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I scoffed in my insides. I wondered what should be thinking. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Not at all" Derek replied calmly scanning the crowd and waving at some of our classmates that chatted in front of the stage. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He looked calmer now. It was good to see him get back to his usual self. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What about you, Stily. Any of your professors replied at last?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""They didn't know anything until the same time we did" I replied puzzled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh, hey guys!" Brandon suddenly appeared with a smug. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I rolled my eyes and pretended he wasn't there. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""So, did you guys only received the mail?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Everyone nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I didn't and focused in the crowd. At the distance you could see unknown people. Actually there was a tall man with long hair that drew my attention. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Isn't it weird? We all were required to come here, in formal outfit with no other information" Brandon kept talking and Oh god! Why couldn't he just go?! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Yeah it's definitely weird" Kyle pointed out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"The man in the distance took off his glasses to clean the crystal and turned to shake a hand. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What if…" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""This isn't an Agatha Christie story, Brandon! Get lost!" I grunted with my eyes still fixed in the man. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"There was… Something… Familiar about…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh my God! Derek!" I let out pulling him down from his tie so he could be at the same eye level than me and I pointed to the man. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Its! Bill /spanTorthonspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What?" Derek said shocked and now Brandon, Missy and Kyle were squinting next to me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"It was him! The most important director of all time was in the same room that I was! He was breathing the same air I did! Oh… My… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I had to meet him! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Doesn't want to leave bed" Jim read the text aloud and his heart shrunk. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I'm very sorry, coach" he texted back not sure of what else to say. When he was a teenager he had suicidal thoughts as probably the whole world have experimented at least once. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"But thinking about disappearing was a lot different from trying it. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""No one in the house is sleeping well. We are scared" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim was tempted to ask how they slept after they kicked her out of their home two years ago, but it wasn't fair. The coach was really trying to help and more importantly he was trying to understand and it was an admirable thing. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I promise I will be there tomorrow, coach. No excuses this time" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Thank you, Taylor. I really appreciate your help" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""But, I'm not sure what could I do to make things better" Jim admitted kind of scared of typing those words. What could he do? Not much really. He only saw her once before she was brutally raped and almost killed, but they never crossed words or anything. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Maybe it would be better to look for professional help" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He waited for a couple of minutes and then the coach texted back. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""We have already tried to convince Anthony, but won't listen. Actually won't talk at all" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Well. At least he was trying to avoid wrong pronouns. That was a start. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Someone knocked the door and Jim texted goodnight to the coach, promising again he would go to his home the next day no matter what. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He shoved the phone on his pocket and went to the entrance where the door was already opening by itself. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Hey!" He heard Aidan's voice say as the boy entered. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I should put a bouncer at the door" Jim joked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Why so cranky? The long day turned longer?" Aidan replied as he came in and put two bags over the counter. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""No, I'm just not used for people to letting themselves into my house by themselves" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Ouch! Thank God I'm not good at picking side comments" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I could have been busy" Jim pointed out. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Nah. Jack posted a picture blessing the table with his family at Facebook" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim rolled his eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Aidan chuckled and picked a try from the bag. The spicy scent of the steaming wings filled the air. He passed by Jim casually as if he lived there and sat in the couch to turn the TV later. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jesus! He was acting as… Jim himself! Don't you think? That's the kind of thing he used to do everywhere he went. That whatever attitude was typical of Jim, and it was making him mad that night. Sam's comment kept coming to his mind. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Enjoy your night. /span/emspan style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';" He heard Sam's voice say in his head with the same sarcasm that made him feel nauseas the first time. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""They are getting cold" Aidan said with funny voice from the couch as he dangled a wing in the air for Jim to watch. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim chugged and joined him to eat some and also watch television. It might help him get Jack and everything that was disturbing him out of his system. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"However… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"As soon as Jim sat Aidan turned the TV off and shifted in his seat to look at him straight in the eye. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""So… Are you going to tell me what's troubling you?" He arched a brow. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Jim felt his heart throb and hi stomach plunge down. He parted lips and pulled of the collar of Aidan's shirt. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""This" He mumbled and slid his tongue inside Aidan's mouth. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Oh my! Oh God! I was in the same room that Bill Torthon. It was happening! For real! I always dreamed about meeting him in the film festival! Look at him from far but now? He was just feet away from me! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I needed to talk to him and more importantly, I needed to talk to him before any of these losers! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I pushed Kyle, Derek, Missy and specially Brandon back as much as I could and started my stampede to the base of the stage. I heard tons of curses and vulgarities as I made everyone in my way aside but I didn't care! I was so close and the rest of the guys were right behind! I didn't have time to lose. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"What I was going to say when I was in front of him? Should I smile or would that make me look too fangirlish? Should I try to shake his hand? What if he rejected me? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Hey! You asshole?" Someone else called me at my back but I kept going forward until I was too close to keep that pace. He would think I was insane or something if I just came in running with crazy eyes asking him to shake my hand. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"What if he did accept my hand? What would I do next? What I was going to say? Shit! I never thought I would cross words with him, so I didn't have anything prepared! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"What to do? He was so close!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Okay, I was running out of ideas and he was finishing his conversation with a woman I didn't know and now it was my turn… Only a few more steps and… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""May I have your attention please?!" A voice boomed in the room and we all looked up to the stage instinctively. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"The Dean was standing before all of us on top of the platform with a microphone in his hand. As the rest of us he looked very formal and probably even more excited. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Good evening everyone!" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Traitor" Derek whispered in my ear as he joined me with the same insane look in his eyes I probably had. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""First of all. I must apologize for the inconveniences we might have caused! I was informed many of you were concerned about the future of your studies and it is completely understandable, but it is not admissible for you to harass my secretary. I have apologized to her already and I am sure you must feel sorry by now" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He made a pause to pace around the stage scanning us with his eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He cleared his throat and continued. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""We have been looking at all of you carefully, how you learned, practiced, studied hard and improved remarkably these past two years and I must say I am proud of what each one of you has been able to achieve so far. This is why after we learned about your little experiment this past summer… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"What experiment? I heard a swarm of whispers around me. I wasn't the only one confused here. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…We felt inspired and believe we can take it to the next level. This is why we decided to make a change in our normal study plan… We are so sorry, but we needed confirmation from the hotel before making any announcement" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Oh God! What was happening? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"More whispers. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"The dean chuckled slightly. "And don't worry. We have notified the educational department and they have authorized us" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Authorized? This was starting to scare me and hell! You got to see Derek's face, it was as if the dean just said he was expelled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Ladies and Gentlemen of Cinematography and Drama. Everything is about to change" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Silence! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Total silence! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"This was serious, none of use dared to make a sound or move a muscle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""But, to give you more information about it please allow me to introduce our guest! Two times nominated to the academy award Mr. Bill Thornton" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"For a second everyone forgot about how uneasy we felt. The applauses filled the air and I'm pretty sure I was making seven percent of the noise in the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I was so excited! I couldn't believe he was actually there! So close to me! I didn't care what sensationalist newspapers said about him being involved in Hollywood's sexual harassment scandal! He was a visionary! They just wanted to ruin everything he worked so hard for! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He made a reverence and giggled a couple of times with embarrassment as we wouldn't stop making noise. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Finally he made a sign with his hands for us to stay quiet and progressively the room went silent. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Hi" He said humbly. "Ok, before we start. Can you tell me who Stiles Stilinski is?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"WHAT? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Holly freaking burning fire trucks! He knew my name! Did you read that? He knew my name! Do you have any mind-blowing idea of how awesome is that your idol! One of the people you admire the most in this beautiful bright world knows your name? Well, I'll tell you how amazing it is! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"It is so amazing that your brain literally short-cuts and now even when you know he just said your name you can't respond or even breath and he only identifies you because of the sea of astonished eyes staring at you in silence. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Mr. Thornton looked at me the same way Allison and Kristie did before squeezing my cheeks and giggled. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Alright. As you know. Something big is happening! You will be pioneers in a new evaluating system we are implementing this year in Oakwood and yes, by now you must have guessed I will be directly involved in it. I will be part and will work in person with every single one of you" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Everyone forgot about me for a minute and now we all focused in his words which was perfect because my heart was about to break out of my chest. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Alright. The acting experiment" He started scanning the crowd through his glasses. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Can someone tell me who had the idea of the challenge?" He asked with curiosity. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I didn't know what he was talking about. But saw many drama students looking at the back of the crowd, Kyle included. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Now, the cinematography joined them and we looked to a tall boy with green eyes, sharp nose and delicate lips. He had a fashion haircut, a pleased smirk on his lips and… Wait a minute! He was the guy from the runaway! The… The video Derek and I did for a fashion show! Remember? The model! He was the model that kept looking at me as… Was he in Drama? /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Ok, your intentions were interesting. You wanted to challenge your classmates for a competition. But it didn't go very well, right?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""It did!" I heard someone shout from the back and I guessed it was him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Mr. Thornton chuckled and pulled his hands on his cheeks. "I have the list. The dean was so kind to download it from your kid's Facebook group for me" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""It was a failure, but it gave your dean an idea and since I was coming in the following months to attend the film festival he contacted my agent and we created this new study program for you" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Third and final year, I hope you're ready for challenges, because if you want to succeed in this career you will have to learn how to work under pressure"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We all whooped. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Cinematography and Drama will work together for their final year" He announced and hype started to take over us. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""You already know everything you need to know. Nothing would have been different from your previous year if things stayed the same. Instead you will work in three projects. A short movie, a play and a full time running original movie. I have a team that will assist you in your productions. You will have resources for everything that crosses your mind" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What!?" Derek almost left me deaf. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""However, you will be evaluated. Assistance, rehearsals, casting, acting, scenography, costume design, direction, involvement, creativity, teamwork, professionalism, management" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""The short movie should be delivered in four weeks, the directors will be allowed to work with as many actors as they desire. The movie can't last more than fifteen minutes. Actors can work in as many productions as they desire however they will be evaluated only in the one they choose" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Everyone exchanged glances. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""The plays will start soon after we finish the evaluation of the short movies. This is probably the most important of all. Each week a play will be presented in Oakwood's theater for five days in a row in front of real audience and maybe the press. We will make a quick draw to decide the turns for each play. In this project all actors must be involved and the rest of the directors will assist the main for each play. You will learn how to direct a movie but you should also learn how to open the curtain just in case" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""The movies should start production right after your play has been presented its last night of its week's presentation. They should be ready for the end of the school year. The actors will work with all directors" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""The short movie will be the twenty percent of your rate. The play will be seventy percent and the full movie will be five percent. For the other five, just make sure I like you" He laughed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"What? Seventy percent a play? That was too much! I didn't have experience with plays. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I know most of you are concerned, but it isn't until you have successfully put a play in a stage that you can really know how important is for everything to be perfect. A single error from any of you and all your work will be pointless. As the drama students stated in their challenge this is a competition. You will be living and working with your enemies, the funny thing is that all of you need each other's in order to succeed. This will show you how to work in team and under pressure and for the actors? This will teach them how to memorize four plays in a month. I hope you don't accidentally say other play's line in your live performance. It would be too embarrassing for you and your director" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"He turned on his heels to climb the stairs down. I had to talk to him! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Wow! That was scary! But amazing! This guy! He knew how to do his job! He not only scared the shit out of us but also inspired us! I never worked in a play before! But wow! I wanted to start! I didn't care about the grades! I was sure I was going to do something amazing! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Oh! One last thing" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"We looked up again and he was back in the center with the microphone in hand. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""This is for the actors! Please choose wisely who you want to work with and what you want to do with them. Cinematography has a large number of talented directors. Why most of you went after Stilinski?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"WHAT? What… /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I craned my neck toward, Kyle. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What's going on?" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""I have seen all his movies in the school's records!" He pointed at me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""And they all suck" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I paled and detached my eyes from Kyle. I looked at Mr. Thornton climb down the stairs and then looked at Kyle again. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""What was he talking about?" Derek demanded. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Kyle blinked. "That asshole made that stupid contest where we had to work with someone from cinematography, but we had to trick them into working with us without them knowing, just to prove who the best actor is in third year" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I was running out of air. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"All the eyes in the room where now on me. Actors and Directors alike. Everyone was scrutinizing me trying to catch my thoughts. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Kyle's voice now seemed to boom in the whole room and echoing in my head./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"All their eyes. I met many of those people in Drama. Most of them were in our studio the past month. They had been trying to fool me. They did fool me! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';""Almost everyone went after you, Stily. Just a few worked with any other director" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"All those eyes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"The Drama students made a contest. To fool us all! But they only tried to fool me! It was… Flattering but in a sickening way. My mind was dizzy, everyone was looking at me, and I saw regret, frustration, anger, jealousy, sadness, fear. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"All of those feelings pointing straight at me. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"Actors and Directors alike! /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Adobe Garamond Pro','serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Adobe Arabic';"I was now a target for them. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p