Prologue
Standing on the mound, she saw the clock tick softly. With every second, a little piece of her heart broke away. 5 seconds left, 4 seconds left� Looking out into the stands, she knew such despair and hope. She tried to smile and shrug it off, but it could not be done, as tears formed around her eyes. She saw the pitying faces of the crowd, wanting to run, but in too much despair to do it. He doesn't love me. He doesn't love me. These thoughts kept running through her mind, it was the only thing that stood out in her mind, as a million self-deprecating thoughts formed around her head. How could she ever have thought that he would come back to her after what she did? How could she� The faces she had looked out in the stands became even more of a blur as she tried to keep the overwhelming rush of tears from falling, trying to keep some of her dignity. They threatened to fall, and her body threatened to collapse, such damage was done to her heart and her soul. Into a million pieces her heart went as her hand slowly fell as she heard the buzzer that sounded her time was up. Her life had just at that point ended. Her fingers ceased to hold the microphone, and she dropped it. The thud could be heard throughout the stadium, just like her despair and hurt could be seen on her. Eyes that watched her couldn't help but feel sorry, and share in her pain. It wasn't fair, one said. But in truth, they didn't really know the heart wrenching experience that was at that moment being felt by sole creature standing in the middle of a packed stadium. A quiet stadium. There was not even any noise to block out her misery. The only thing present was her misery. Suddenly, someone started clapping. It spread throughout the stadium slowly, as people began to see the male figure running down the stairs of the stadium to the field. Josie stood on the stadium and looked up, surprised that the crowd started to make noise again, trying to see what they were becoming jubilant about. They were starting to get really, really loud. Their cries of exaltation and boisterous merriment began to become deafening when Josie spotted him. It was Sam! Sam had come! He really did love her, and all she could feel was her happiness. All her despair flew away, one could wonder whether emotions could turn the exact extreme opposites in only a space of two seconds. For certainly, she was in a state of rapture herself. As Sam came running towards her, her love for him showed quite clearly in her eyes. Approaching, she finally knew the true joy of being with the man she loved. She knew the joy of being whole and complete. * * *
Chapter 1
One Month Later
Ever since summer began to make itself known, the sun with it, her had become even more blonde and curlier. Damn it, she thought.
Brushing her hair back and putting pins in it, she shrugged and knew nothing else could be done. Looking at the rest of her, Josie made a face. It was time for her miracle make-up bag, she thought. It seemed that lately, there was more of a reason to buy and use these items of beauty. Well, there was one main reason. Sam. The thought of him and his name made her smile, knowing that he loved her not because of her looks, but because she was herself. No matter how much make up she put on, or how she tried to cover up all her little imperfections, Sam wouldn't care. At times, feelings of uncertainty came back. How could such a wonderful, joyous, kind, sweet generous man ever be interested in her? But he was. That, at least, she knew. He even loved her, just as she did him. And therefore, she needed to look her best. She was definitely going to need the make up bag. Again. At 6:55, Josie was almost ready when the doorbell rang. It was Sam. Ugh, she thought. Well, at least he wasn't ever late. All she had to do was put on her dress and shoes, and she was ready. It would have taken her exactly five minutes had he decided to come on time. But no, he had to come early. It was a lovable trait though, one Josie found to be extremely adorable. He was always so patient in waiting for her. She loved the way his eyes lit up when she came out and presented herself to him. After she was ready. Sighing, she put on her robe, and tied it. Walking to the front door, she opened the door to see Sam. Her breath caught, as it always did when she saw Sam. He looked so handsome, his fine athletic form in pleated khakis and a black sweater. His black hair was perfectly formed on top of his head, and the best part, his face carrying the irresistible crooked grin and twinkling green-gray eyes. Smiling back, she let him in. Entering, he closed the door behind him and locked eyes with her. Pulling her to him, without a word as he did often, he kissed her softly then wholly, his love for her showing and then soon his desire. They broke apart without and breath. Looking into each other's eyes, he reached up and tucked her hair to the side of her ear. "Hey," he said simply. She laughed. After such a moment, all she could do was say hi back as well. "Not ready again?," Sam asked. "A woman does many things to look good for her man. You shouldn't be complaining," she said as she sauntered away as he sat down on her couch. "Oh, I'm not," Sam replied in the same teasing voice, silently examining her emphasized derriere in her waist-cinched robe. It was a nice view. She didn't know how truly he meant his words. He really didn't mind. This, and with the front view he got of her in her robe, he got a full reaffirmation of how hot his significant other really was. And the best thing was that she didn't have a clue as to how beautiful she truly was. Not that he was a pervert, but he was a man, and he was certainly admiring. He sat back and waited for Josie, waiting for her to come out in something killer, something that as always, would knock out his breath and give his libido a run for its money. Josie quickly put on the dress and zipped up the side. It was a black dress that contoured her body and showed off her blonde hair. It was soft and stretchy, and as she looked in the mirror for a final check, she had to admit that she looked decent. In fact, she knew that looked more than decent, she looked good. Josie came in, and true enough, as he suspected, she did knock his socks off. The dress looked incredible on her. They were hugging everything, everything. It covered up, and yet it didn't. It was long, and yet it didn't matter. He felt like telling her to go take it off and put something else on, or just to go take it off all together. He settled for doing nothing, and just absorbing in the sight of her. The neckline was playing games with his mind. He felt his heartbeat accelerate. "Wow, Josie. At the risk of sounding redundant, you look beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous." He walked over to her and tilted her face to his. He met her eyes, and they were shining. She could see his appreciation and knew that her mission had been a success. She saw the desire in his eyes, knew that she caused it. She also knew that being close to him was wreaking with his body as well. Those eyes were piercing into her soul, as well as causing her body temperature to rise up a few degrees. He pulled her in for a long, sultry kiss. He wrapped his arms rightly around her waist as she entangled her fingers in his hair. They stayed that way for quite a long time, pressed tightly up against each other. The grandfather clock rung loudly and cut sharply on their moment. They broke apart abruptly, but the moment was too intense. Sam knew this, and kept Josie in a tight embrace for a few minutes more, giving their systems the time needed to ease themselves back into somewhat of a normalcy. He, himself, particularly needed the time to get his brain back into functioning again. Specifically, he needed to get the brain on his head working and functioning, and the brain elsewhere to quiet down. After a few more minutes, Sam let Josie go. She knew why he needed that time, she needed it as well. If he didn't do that, he would've taken her to the bedroom and would have made them very, very late for their reservations. This was happening more and more these days, and the more they got to know each other, the more their love grew. The more their love grew, as it seems, so did their desire for each other. And personally, Josie felt that the need grew as well. She knew that they couldn't keep going on much longer like this. Something had to give. In fact, if she had anything to say about it, that something would give soon. Like tonight. Smiling, she picked her head up from Sam's shoulder and looked at him again. He smiled back. "I guess we should go?" he asked. She nodded, but all in her mind planning that later on they would return and pick up right where they started. She was fully ready, and she felt that the time was right. It was always understood between them that when the both felt that the time was right, they would consummate the relationship. The time was definitely right. It didn't feel like this, couldn't feel like this if it wasn't. She picked up her purse, slung it over her shoulder, as Sam led her out the door, his hand on the small of her back. * * * Entering the restaurant Le Cirque, Sam opened the door for Josie like the gentleman that he was. They waited for a few moments, and with a tip to the maitre'd, he seated them at a secluded table on a separate balcony. The maitre'd brought them a bottle of their finest champagne and two long-stemmed wineglasses. Josie sipped the wine slowly, tasting the bitter-sweetness in her mouth. She was no wine connoisseur, but she knew that this was good wine. The atmosphere was perfect, she thought, as she was given a menu. It was a perfect way to se the evening. The lights were dim, there was soft music; a dance floor; which she planned on being on, but later; and the most important thing: Sam. Overall, it was a romantic setting, one that was meant to dull the senses and yet heighten them at the very same time. Josie sat back, sipped her wine, and looked at her menu, relaxing. Tonight was going to be quite enjoyable. Sam and Josie danced to Air Supply's I'm all Out of Love, a sweet, slow song. Josie rested her face next to Sam's, her chin slightly resting on his soldier. Her arms were around Sam's neck, linked at the back, with her fingers slightly at the base of his hair. Sam locked Josie tight to him as well, his wrapping her snug and tight around her waist, his other hand around her shoulders and cupping her head towards the side of his face; in her hair. In this position, they slowly swayed in tune to the song, the music flowing around them as their love did. They were on the balcony, next to their table, dancing on the ample space. The mood was perfectly set: the dim lights, the stars, and the candles on the table casting a hazy glow over them. A slight breeze was softly blowing the curtains that enclosed them at the entrance of the double balcony gates. The music flowed from the inside dance floor. With the city lights twinkling around them, they danced. They fell into the moment. And they fell in love with each other all over again. Later on, after they had finished eating, Sam took Josie by the hand. Turning her towards the sights of the city, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and said, "Are you having a nice time?" kissing her ear as he did this. "Mmmm�" Josie moaned softly, a soft sigh of pleasure coming through her lips as his moved down to her neck. "Sam, this was so romantic. I had so much fun, and I love being with you. It seems that every single time that we go out, you amaze me even more. And this time is no different." Sam laughed quietly. "Well, it's not really me, it was more the restaurant, but if you want to go ahead and give me the credit, by all means." She laughed at this and jabbed him with her elbow. She turned around, all serious now. Her emotions could be read in her eyes. "Seriously Sam, I don't know how I could've gotten so lucky to have gotten you. You're so remarkable, and I'm constantly at awe. My feelings for you are like nothing that I've ever known� nothing that I ever would have expected�" Her breath caught in her throat, the admission of her feelings too much. She looked down, as her eyes filled, and with a little bit of fear as well. Sam moved his face closer and took her face in his hands. "Josie, I'm so happy to hear you say that. When those words come out of your mouth, they're amazing to be heard, and its even more amazing that they're directed at me. It's not just you, it's me too, Josie. And you have to know that. I am so incredibly lucky that I found you. You're the woman that I've always wanted, even though I never knew it until a few months ago. You give my life so much more worth and meaning. You make me so assured as a person, you challenge me, you support me�" He sighed and touched his forehead to hers. "Josie, my feelings are so strong, they scare me sometimes. It scares me and amazes that I can feel so much for one person, but I can't help it. It's the best feeling in the world, and it's all because of you. Josie, �I.I.. I love you, you know that. I love you so much it hurts. The words don't even measure how much I feel for you. I love you Josie." By now, the words had totally captured Josie's heart. She felt as though they squeezed her, enclosed her in a warm bubble in which Sam was right at the center with her. This man, this wonderful man loved her. The only time that there was ever any mention of love was fleetingly, and at the time of her letter. The words, from him, were never said outright. And even though she knew all along, because she could sense it in within every inch of her being, see it within every inch of his, it was such a feeling to hear it be heard from him. She cried, her tears falling softly on her smiling lips. "Oh Sam, I love you too. So much, so much�" Sam smiled brokenly, thinking how beautiful she looked, even through her tears. And she was his, truly his, and out of her own accord. She wanted to be with him. She needed to be with him, just as he needed to be with her. That thought blew him away. They both had always said I love you, but never this seriously. There was always, even though they were sure of each other's feelings, that slight presence of fear. And now, they had said it to each other, with true meaning and holding nothing back. It was always understood between them, but the reaffirmation in words was just, as both thought, incredible. He tilted her lips to his, wanting her eyes to meet his as they shared a kiss. It was soft and sensuous, the underlying desire barely simmering. There was more to be felt than just desire in this kiss. There was love, expressed through the eyes, through the touch of their lips, through the emotions swimming around both of them, and through their hearts. They kissed on that balcony, with the city spread out before them, but them not caring. They were caught in their own world. Their kisses became heated, and hands started wandering into places that weren't fit for the posh atmosphere. The fog of desire and need could have been cut like a knife. Sam pressed Josie to him until they were as close as possible with all the layers of clothing that hampered their touch from skin to skin. Sam pulled away, and held her breathing hard. He looked down and Josie and saw in her eyes exactly what he was feeling: the pulsating need. He loved her and he wanted to experience all of her, have all of her, and possess her until she was writhing under his hands. He wanted to please her so much, that all her thoughts would be forced to leave her head. All her thoughts, that is, except of him and what he was doing to her. These heady thoughts crammed in his brain. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't have been able to reign them in. He looked into her eyes, seeing that she felt all the same thins. She was flushed, her hair in tangles from the exploration of his hands, and she was breathing heavily as well, as though no matter how deeply she took a breath, it was never enough. He looked, Sam thought painfully, like a woman who had already begun to be loved. Damn the public place they were currently in, he thought. Josie closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regain control. These emotions, this strong, were not new now, she knew them well, and knew that it was time. Opening her eyes, she smiled, and in a voice that should have been light, but instead was crawled thick with heavy desire, "Maybe we should continue someplace else?" He looked into her eyes and questioned, as if to make sure he just heard what he thinks he heard. "Josie..?" "I'm sure Sam. Now that I'm a hundred percent sure that you love me just as much as I love you, there's nothing holding this back. I want it. I need it. I need you." Sam's eyes began smoldering with anticipation. He smiled at her and said, "Well I don't suppose we're gonna stay here any longer and have dessert?" Josie laughed, and said urgently, "No. Although the strawberries and whipped cream did look good, I think I'd rather have something better at my place." She smiled a coquettish grin towards him. One eyebrow rose, as he drew in his breath. "Yeah? Well� you know, the whipped cream and strawberries can be ordered out," he said without any kind of innuendo in his voice. Josie's eyes grew big at the implication, at the thought of Sam using the whipped cream and strawberries on things other than what the chef had planned it for. More precisely, her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she managed to squeak out, "Oh." Sam laughed, and gave her a quick hug. Anything closer was something they couldn't afford to do right now if they ever wanted to come back to this place again. He saw the waiter and asked for the check. A few hours later, they both went back to Josie's place. Reluctant to leave the restaurant, they knew they had to. Josie insisted on them coming back to her apartment, the happenings of that evening serving as even more conviction that what she was going to do tonight was very right. It was going to be as it should be. Inside Josie's apartment, Josie went on to assure Sam again that indeed, this was something she wanted, something that had been building up inside her, something that she needed. And in the end, Sam looked into her eyes and finally gave into the need that consumed them both. * * *Chapter 2
Buzzzzz� A hand came out from hiding from, the powder blue mound of cloth on the bed. She hit the alarm button to turn it off, and peeked out blearily from under the covers. "Oh man�" she moaned to herself, "It's 6:00 already?" Aldys flopped back down onto the bed, looking at her ceiling. She had gotten exactly four hours of sleep. Four. And she was expected to survive the rest of the day? She groaned and buried her head in her pillow. This was not good. In the last week, it seemed as though she had many days that were like this. Six hours of sleep were the maximum for her, and that was on a Saturday! Sighing, she knew she had to get up and change. School was calling. Ah, the pains of being a student, she thought to herself. She got up and stretched the sleep from her eyes. Her blue flannel pajamas bent with her as she arched her back. The sun was streaming in from the wide window. Walking towards it, the sun caused her to squint her eyes. The sun was entirely too happy, she decided. Hell, it too probably got friggin' sleep that she did. A few minutes later, Aldys was in the bathroom bushing her teeth and mentally checking off her checklist of things she had to do before she went to school. Studied for her calculus and AP Economics finals. Check. Wrote out Sam's paper (Well, it was really 'Mr. Coulson', but after all the times she spent with Josie, she was a friend now, so he insisted that in non classroom related areas, she should call him "Sam"). Check. Picked up letter from Josie� Damn, she thought. She totally forgot. But knowing Josie, she probably had been busy last night, as was the rest of the normal world on a Sunday night. But of course, not Aldys. Well. She thought, it would pay off soon. She couldn't wait until graduation, when maybe, just maybe she might be class valedictorian� She snapped out of her thoughts and quickly left the bathroom to get dressed. Her mom was yelling for her to come down and eat breakfast. Walking to he closet, she looked in to decide what she was going to wear. She had a fleeting thought that a few weeks ago, she wouldn't have cared, but now, after the whole experience with Josie, she did. After all, it didn't hurt to be smart, independent, and look great at the same time. Like Josie. She smiled. She loved Josie. Josie was exactly the type of woman she wanted to be someday. They were close friends, and even after Josie left the school, they still kept in touch. In fact, it was Josie who persuaded her to go and try to get a scholarship in Northwestern. And, it was also Josie who showed her that it wasn't a sacrilege for a nerd to look like something other than dowdy. And, she thought, it was fun to be a better, all improved Aldys. Sighing, she looked into her closet and picked out a red halter top- something she never before would have had the courage to wear. But now, she knew she could pull it off. After all, summer had come early in Chicago this year, and with the month's comfortable 70-degree temperature, she could afford to wear it. As for the bottom, she picked black pants that she knew would go great with the new black boots that she had bought with Josie the Friday before. She would look chic. Very chic. She smiled again. Hmmm� what would Guy think, she thought. With a snap, she shook her head, and scolded herself for even thinking the thought. What did she care what he thought? After all, he wasn't bothering her now, with her new image and her new self-respect and self-confidence. And she definitely did not like him in that way. In "that" way, as Josie had suspected. Josie thought that it might be cute, but then ever since Josie found Sam, she felt the need to pair all her single friends with someone else. And Aldys didn't think it was cute. She didn't have time to have a boyfriend, with her senior year almost over. Whoever said junior year was easiest obviously didn't know what they were talking about. Clearing her lingering thoughts of Guy, she finally concluded that even though she had a whole new image, he would have been totally untouchable for her. He was still the most sought after guy in all of South Glen South. Not that she wanted him, of course, she reaffirmed to no one but herself. As her mother yelled a final time, she quickly ran out of her room. * * * Aldys was rechecking her English paper for the last time the few minutes before English class officially began. English was her favorite class after all, so she wanted to make her papers especially good, ones that would truly be able to show the kind of writing that she did. After all, Mr. Coulson was a great teacher as well as a great critic. He knew the type of writing she could produce and truly tried to help her make it grow. Sometimes, she thought he pushed a little hard sometimes, critiquing her writings with comments that she knew weren't ever on other papers, but she reveled in it. She felt that she was graded on a higher scale than her other classmates. Thank god, she thought to herself, as the quarterback of the football team burped loudly next to her. I am definitely not one of them. At that moment, Mr. Coulson walked in, carrying his briefcase on one hand, and the cup of coffee that he always had in the morning. It seemed piping hot, and Aldys's eyes followed it, her system forcing her brain to try and stimulate her ESP powers, trying to will the cup of coffee to come to her. But of course, she didn't have ESP. She put her head on her desk and groaned softly. Ugh. "Aldys, are you okay?" A voice she recognized as Mr. Coulson's asked.Without picking up her head, she groaned in answer.
"Well, it seems you could definitely use this more than me."
Her nose picked up on the scent: Mocha! She picked her head up and practically grabbed the cup of coffee he had graced on her desk. Not even asking if he was sure, she slurped the coffee. Ah. Caffeine. She raised her head and looked at Mr. Coulson and thanked him. "You know Aldys, you're tiring yourself out. Knowing you, you probably spent half the whole night working on it. I wouldn't have bitten your head off if it came in late, Aldys. It's an extra assignment, for god's sake." Aldys sighed. "I know. But I really wanted to do it. Besides," she said with a grimace, "I'm going to have to get used to this for college." Sam laughed. "True enough, true enough. Oh, which reminds me, speaking of college, Josie gave this to me this morning. You forgot to pick it up last night." "Really" Aldys said, her eyebrow going up. Sam had contact with Josie this morning. Interesting. Deciding to bait him, Aldys said with a straight face, "Josie was probably very busy last night." She had emphasized the very. Sam turned red. His eyes shifted away, and Aldys fought the urge to laugh. "Seeing, as it was a Sunday, and most normal people are out then." Sam sputtered out "Um� yes. We went out for dinner." It was getting uncomfortable indeed, with Aldys's comments that he expected were intended to bait him. Also the mention of Josie and what she did last night especially what she did with him, to him, well� Really, he thought. It was getting quite hot in here, and he tugged at his collar and cleared his throat. The bell rang, and he quickly turned around under Aldys's perusal. "Well, class calls�" Aldys smiled then. "Oh, and Mr. Coulson, you've got some lipstick on your cheek." Sam turned then and quickly wiped his cheek with his palm. He had turned beet-red. With a quick thank you, he went quickly to his desk and started calling for attendance. Well, well, well Aldys thought. It seemed that certain things happened between Josie and Sam last night. And from what she had seen of Mr. Coulson, he seemed somewhat happier. More relaxed. She smirked to herself. It's about time, she thought. She really was truly happy that they made each other as happy as they did. Seeing things such as this though did sometimes remind Aldys that she was missing something, or someone to be more precise. And while she comforted herself with the fact that Josie was perfectly successful before at the Sun-Times, by herself, she was perfectly happy now, but this time with her special someone. * * * Aldys was putting away her books when she heard a familiar high pitched female voice. "Oh my god. Is she, like, wearing that red shirt that I was wearing like the 31st of like, last month?" Aldys turned around, and sure enough she saw Gibby, along with her friends, Kristen and Kirsten. "Why, hello Gibby. Fancy you talking to me." "Oh my god, I have those pants!" Kristen cried out, as though it was the obliteration of her entire wardrobe she was faced with."And I have those boots! They're Steve Madden's."
Kirsten gave Aldys the evil look and added, "What are you doing in those?"
Aldys laughed at the attitude in her voice. A few months ago, she would have lashed out measly, but now she just laughed. "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to burn them now." She laughed in their faces and turned away, getting back to her locker. She heard their gasp of indignation. Then, she felt plastic nails scrape around her arm as she was forced around again. "Listen Alpo, just because you're starting to dress like us, doesn't mean you're any cooler. You can never be like us, you will always be Aldys, the nobody, the looser. You got that? You will still be, and forever be Alpo. What do you think, trying to be cool? The least you can do is do a good imitation�" Kristen and Kirsten laughed in her face, as Aldys felt the tears well in her eyes. I will not let them see me cry. I will not. They don't matter; I don't care. She looked around, and as she saw the faces of the people staring at the scene, memories flooded back to her of all the times when she used to be the target of their daily public humiliation. But not anymore. She had gotten her resolve to lash back at them, when someone intervened and did it for her. "Why don't you three just leave her alone? Obviously you all are just jealous that she looks better in that outfit than you three could ever hope to look. And as for the Alpo comment, everyone knows you guys are the only ones with the true affinity, shall we say, for dog food. Move on, girls." Gibby, Kristen, and Kirsten were incensed, and it showed on their faces. But he was after all, Guy- one of them, so they just poked their noses in the air and moved away. "Get out of my way," Gibby said as she pushed some harmless, defenseless guy who wasn't even in her way.Aldys felt an urge to laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole scene that just passed by, all though she was still a little shaken.
Guy just shook his head. He couldn't believe he was associated with those three. He looked back at Aldys, who seemed to be a little shaken up, but looked to be okay.
"I'm ashamed to say I know them." Aldys chuckled. "Don't we all." "Yeah, but me so more than you. They're so disgusting, I'm at loss for words. But you definitely are better than them Aldys. And you're going to get somewhere. While after high school, they're going to come to a harsh reality." Aldys looked into Guy's eyes, trying to determine if she was really hearing what she was hearing out of him. The words were so un-Guy-like, so� mature. Aldys blushed, his words, what he just did, his presence, and yes dangit, she thought, the shade of his eyes were getting to her. She quickly turned around, closed her locker and mumbled a thank you. Guy smiled at her and walked off. Aldys walked the opposite direction, her heart beating just a tad bit faster. And somehow, as the scene that had unfolded fully sank into her, it seemed impossible, but her heartbeat quickened. Aldys shook her head and tried to clear it. No, she said to herself. She prayed to god the rest of her would listen. **I have a few other episodes in mind, but by the time I'm done, it should be like a whole book. LOL, if I finish it that is. Which, hopefully if I can get my lazy self to do, I should be able to. I hope you liked it.* * *