When Sarry met Hally - by "Mo" 
Date: Sun, 30 Mar 2003 00:07:51

   Any resemblance between the writings in this work, and any actual
persons or places, living or dead, are purely coincidental, except when
used for satirical purposes.

   This work may contain adult situations, adult language, adult
concepts, and/or possibly sex. If you are legally not allowed to read
materials containing such things, then you will be breaking the law by
reading this.

   I am not responsible.

   Continuing to read this document, or storing it or reproducing it in
any format means that you explicitly affirm that you are legally allowed
to possess and read such materials in your city, county/parish, state,
and country.

   All rights reserved.

   Furthermore, All characters herein are the property of Ellen Hayes,
and therefore, so is this work. If you are planning on stealing this
work, or any part, you will have to deal with her. I wouldn't recommend
it.

   This Fanfiction takes place almost three months before the first
installment of the Saga of Tuck. It is not what ACTUALLY happened, but
rather what 'could' have happened. Memorize it, make it part of you,
forget it.


   *** 10:09 5 Aug

     "Lo?"
     "Tuck-man, It's Mike." Duh. I would know Mike's voice through a
scrambler even if I was half-asleep. "Get your ass over here, you're
gonna be late for the ceremony."
     Funny, I didn't remember any kind of ceremony today. Or any other
day for that matter. I do trust Mike however, and if he says there is a
ceremony, there is a ceremony. Unless he is gonna play some sort of
prank on me, but that would happen whether or not I went over there.
     "'Kay Mike, I'll be there A.S.A.P." I hung up the phone without
waiting for an answer and ran out the door.
     Mike was kneeling in front of a stone and cement altar, wearing
some sort of Aztec ceremonial robes, and holding a sacrificial dagger
with both of his hands.
     "MIKE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!" I screamed at him.
     "There you are, Tuck," he stated calmly while turning his head to
face me, "I thought you were going to miss this. It is, after all, for
you, isn't it?"
     "Mike..... put the dagger down," I pleaded with all I had.
     Mike lowered the weapon down in front of his chest and slightly to
the left, as he turned his upper body to the right, saying "You haven't
even seen the sacrifice
   yet, why don't you take a look?"
     Against my better judgement, I walked past him and leaned over the
altar to see......
     It was ME strapped to the Altar, and I looked up to see not only
Mike, who had resumed his earlier pose with the dagger over me and
chanting something in a tongue I did not recognize, but also my Dad,
Mom, Brother, Dan, and George, all chanting in the same fashion. Mike
finished his chant, and everyone else took that as a cue to stop. Mike
then opened his eyes, looked at me with all the sanity of Ross Perot on
LSD, and jerked the dagger back, readying for a strike........

     "AAAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH!"
     I hit the floor with a resounding and articulate 'thud'.
     I looked up through my bleary vision to see a silhouette racing
over to where I was lying.
     "Eugene! Are you alright?" That was Mom's voice, and when I could
see again, she wasn't wearing any kind of robe, much less an Aztec one.
Must have been another nightmare.
     "Yeah Mom, just another bad dream." This is the last time I fall
asleep watching the history channel.
    
     Not that I had a choice in the television channel. Not that I had
anything better to do on a Friday until Mike woke up. Not that I had a
girlfriend to spend time with anymore. Haha, that would have been WAY to
easy.

      It was NOT funny.

     "What time is it Mom?" I asked after regaining a few of my badly
needed wits.
     "About ten after ten, why?" she replied quizzically
     "Oh, I think Mike should be up by now, I am gonna give him a call,
and probably go out for most of the day."
     "Okay Eugene, make sure you get your chores done at some point."
     "Sure thing Mom"

   *** 10:14 5 Aug

     "Hello?"
     "Mike! Are you awake?"
     "Yeah, I'm awake, wassup?"
     "You don't happen to have a ceremonial dagger just, say, lying
around, do you?
     "Do what?"
     "Nothing, never mind. Um, I need to get away from the parentals
before I go insane, wanna do something?"
     "Uh, yea, sure, why not? Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be over
to get ya."
     "Well hurry up Gook, I haven't got all day."
     "Yes, yes you do fisheyes, cause you haven't got a ca-" I hung up
on him.
     #ring#
     #ring#
     Survey saaaaaaays...... Mike.
     "Lo?"
     "Funny, Tuck. I'll be over in a few. See ya then."
     "Kay." I hung up a second time.

   *** 10:22 5 Aug
 
     As I got into Stupid, I looked over and Mike was giving me the eye.
     "What?" I asked suspiciously.
     "You look like ten pounds of monkey shit stuffed into a one pound
bag.
   What happened?"
     "Fucking nightmares, ya know?"
     He knew. I have had them most of life, and he is one of the
unfortunate souls I have recruited for solace against them.
     "Well don't tell me about 'em, I don't need to have nightmares too"
     "Fair enough, what do you want to do?" I asked him
     "Mall? Arcade, Bookstore, Gameshop, and Girls, what more could you
ask for?" I could hear the capital letters in the 'activities' he wanted
to do, and I don't think that was in random order.
     "I don't think I need to be trying to get girls, Mike. I'm still
kinda fucked up over Tina." The Bitch.
     "Okay, okay, that's why I mentioned it last." I knew it wasn't
random order. Or intentional alphabetical, for that matter. "Still want
to go?"
    "Sure, haven't got much else to do, and I did get my chore money
this morning... Let's roll."

     Stupid would have probably made it to the mall faster rolling
rather than driving, but as I am carless, I made careful exception not
to say anything to Mike about it.

   *** 11:38 5 Aug

     "Earth to Tucker, please activate your heatshield and prepare for
re-entry-"
     *What?* "Fuck you Mike." Ahhh, good old conditioning saves me from
a lame come-back once again. Not.
     "I'm not that desperate, Fishie." came the automatic response.
     I was about to say something atrociously rude when he raised his
hand up to me, a universal gesture for silence.
     "Why don't we go grab some grub in the Food Court, I'm hungry."
     "You're always hungry." I stated it only because it had to be said.
     "Yeah, like this is news? We going or what?"
     "I guess....."


   *** 11:48 5 Aug

     "You gonna eat that?" asked Mike..... again.
     "If you wanted fries so damn bad, why didn't you order any for
yourself?
      He shrugged, stretched, and just looked around a bit, never
dropping the sullen look placed upon his face.
      "Go ahead, I'm full anyway" Actually, I just wanted the damn look
off his face.
      "Yu jst wntd th dmn lk off my fce" he sputtered out from a mouth
full of fries.
      He finished chewing, swallowed, and gazed past me, a look of
confusion on his face. "Um, Tuck? There is some girl walking over here
looking like she wants to ask a question.
     I twisted my body as much as I could, to look without having to
actually get up. Geeks are physically lazy, at least that's what the
handbook we were assigned says.
     I turned back to Mike and said "That's Jill. She and I had a few
classes together last year. Wonder what she wants?"
     Mike fixed me with a look of incredulity. "You DO know that she is
a Pack-ette, right?" It was my turn to give him the look.
     "Well no shit, Sherlock. Why are you so worried?"
     "Because it's been my experience that anyone who gets on the bad
side of any member of the Pack has bad things happen to them."
     He was right. The Pack consisted of seven or so high school girls,
and one was wise to avoid them if possible. Kind of like an early-teen
mafia. It's much easier to stay off their shit list if you weren't on
any of their lists to begin with. On the other hand, if one of them was
coming to talk to you, it would be a good idea not to run shrieking into
the wilderness. That kind thing would get you on their collective
'badside'. I voiced as much to Mike, and he nodded agreement.
     
     "Hey, um Tuck?" asked Jill. She sounded tense.
     "Um, yea Jill?" I was fighting the nagging urge to run away.
     "You can write computer programs, right?"
     "Does the Pope shit on bears?" It always was one of my favorite
quips to stupid questions. I just wish I could have caught it before it
left my mouth.
     She chuckled, then laughed a bit. She was far from pissed at me, as
I assumed she would be, since most people were a bit irritated when a
short skinny guy decides to be a smartass, and the tension broke like a
bowling strike.
     "-eheh.... Um, anyway, ya know Debbie? An' how she runs her own
buisiness?" Ya, I knew Debbie. Debbie was a gorgeous, cunning woman,
both admired and feared by a certain geek I happen to know real well.
Me.
     "Ya, I know OF Debbie, but don't know her personally. What does
this have to do with me?" I was immediately wary. Chances to get to know
the girl you have had a crush on from a distance for quite some time
don't just drop out of the sky like this. There had to be a catch.
     "Well, the other day, she was bitching about how hard it is to do
payroll every friday, and that she wished her computer could do it for
her. I remembered your 'dare' in computer lab last year, and told her I
would look into it."
     The 'dare', as she so drastically understated it, had got me
expelled from the computer labs at school for the rest of my prison
sente.... er, education at LOVELY McAllen. Not that Jill was there to
see it, but news travels fast, and the Pack IS after all the nexus for
all gossip in the entire school, if not the tri-state area.
    "Um, I guess I could take a shot at it. Do you know what she needs?
in terms of Operating System, Account-"
    "Tuck? You might as well be speaking chinese at this point."
    Mike found this an opportune time to sling out some pseudo-chinese,
which he does so well, and his heritage made almost anyone think that he
knew exactly what he was saying. Almost anyone, that is.
     As Jill was about to ask me what he said, I could see it in her
face, I told her "You would rather not know." A little mindfucking is
good now and then. Or as often as you could pull it off. That frame of
mind will get me in trouble one day, but some urges are just too hard to
resist.
     "Anyway, here's Debbie's number," as she handed me a card, "give
her a call tonight, she gets off work about seven. Good to see you again
Tuck."

   *** 10:54 5 Aug

     "Well that was certainly weird." Mike felt the need to comment.
     "Yea, it kinda was, what do you think I should do?"
     "About what?"
     I looked at the card as I was speaking. It read:

        Deborah Carstairs
        CEO of D&E Enterprises
        Home Number: (***) ***-****
        Pager Number: (***) ***-****

     "The whole Debbie thing, I dunno....."
     "Look, we both know that you are attracted to her. Hell, I think
most of the male population at McAllen is. Also, she holds a lot of
social power. I think....." He thought deeply for a moment. "I think
that turning down an invitation to her is similar to turning down an
invite from the godfather. Just call her, and at the least, you will
have some more money and/or a favor owed by a most powerful warlord.
Unless you don't think you can handle the work."
     I hate it when he makes sense.
     "I hate it when you make sense."
     "Yea, you do, I know. But look where you would be without me
offering the sensible wisdom that sensei does so well?"
     I didn't want to. Without Mike watching my back I would have been
dead a long time ago. It seems that being a geek is bad for your health
unless you travel in herds.
    "Well then herdmate, what do you want do now?"
     I wish I had a camera for the confused look on his face.


   *** 17:25 5 Aug

     The rest of the time spent at the mall was uneventful. We looked at
some books, browsed some gaming supplies, and hit the arcade with a
vengeance. Twenty-five dollars down, and nothing to show for it but a
set of bone dice for the lunchtime games when school started. All was
well in the world.
     
     "How was the mall, Eugene?" asked Dad.
     Before I could answer, Brian felt the need to speak his opinion.
     "Yea, how WAS the festival of the circus freaks?"
     "Well, the bear on the unicycle tried to steal my cotton candy, and
the high wire act decided that it was too easy to do fully clothed, so-"
     "Boys..." warned my father. At least that was what he was trying to
do, and chuckling did absolutely nothing to undermine his authority.
Nope, nothing at all.
     "Um, it was okay, I guess. I got an offer to do up some accounting
software, I still don't know if I am gonna take it though."
     If my father were a dog, his ears would have perked straight up to
the ceiling. Into all things geek, my Dad always showed interest in
anything involving technology.
     "What kind of OS does the client have?"
      "I dunno, I kind of met a courier, and she's just a user."
      That told him, in no uncertain terms, that she knows nothing about
computers, except maybe the basics of them. As in e-mail, writing
papers, etc.
     "So how are you supposed to write the program if you don't know
anything about the client's needs?" Dad runs an ISP and does computer
consulting work on the side. He knows the business side of computers
better than anyone I know.
     "I'm supposed to call after seven, and talk to the client about all
that. I just don't know if it is a good idea, after the whole computer
lab incident." He winced at that. To him, as it is to me, taking away
computer privileges amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.
     "Well, you can always talk to her and decide after if you want to
take the job or not. I know you can do it, and if they are willing to
pay....." He left it at that.
     

   *** 19:03 5 Aug

     "Dee and Eee Personal Services, Debbie Speaking, how can I help
you?
     "Hello, Miss Carstairs, this is Eugene Tucker making a business
call on a secured line" I decided that I should approach this as
professionally as possible. If she runs her own business, which she
does, she might not appreciate some geek calling her up and asking her
'what the hell do you want'. Besides, I know enough of her to know she
has a temper. "I understand you are interested in some personalized
accounting software?"
     "Uh, yea, actually I am, but please call me Debbie."
     "In that case, please call me Tucker. I would appreciate it if you
didn't call me Eugene." *Or Gene..... or Wally..... or faggot*, I didn't
say.
     "Okay, I can do that." she chuckled. I guess I would chuckle too if
I wasn't so damn sick of everyone else chuckling at my first name.
     "So what exactly do you need?"
     She proceeded to tell me about her business, all the facets of it,
and I got all the technogeeky details that I needed to specialize the
software that she needed. I'm fairly glad that I had a separate phone
line in my bedroom, where I could take notes directly onto my computer.
I type oh-so-much faster than I write.
     "So, how long will it take you to finish it?"
     "Well, If you don't want any kind of special graphics, a couple of
days, tops. If you do, I'll have to hire my graphics specialist, and not
only will that cost extra, but it's gonna delay it by about a week or
so." My good friend, Dan, was a whiz when it comes to graphics, but also
a perfectionist when it comes to his art and he spends a LONG time
perfecting them.
     "Uh, no graphics then. But speaking of cost, how much exactly is
this going to cost me?" We did some negotiation, and I would rather not
mention how much she whittled me down to, for it is slightly shocking
how well this girl can bargain. Not that I was embarrassed haha.
     "Okay, well why don't we meet Tuesday at the food court that Jill
found you at."
     "Okay, I'm sure I can get it done by then. I'll see you there, at
oh, say, eight o'clock?"
     "Sure thing. Good doing business with you, Eu-.... Tucker."
     #click#

     Woohoo! I just had a phone call with DEBBIE CARSTAIRS! All I had to
do to talk to her, is agree to come up with a drastically complex
accounting program in four days. Never mind that I have to brush up on
my MacOS assembly. I still think it was worth it, and I get to meet with
her as well afterwards! I couldn't help but whistle as I booted up my
Macinclock and strapped on my headphones. This project is gonna take
some work.


   *** 11:23 6 Aug

     I peered up from the computer screen to notice my phone flashing.
     "Lo?" I rasped out into the phone.
     "Tuck? I've been trying to get ahold of you for like ten minutes!"
     "I'm in deep hack Mike! Is this important?"
     "You sound like shit, did you sleep at all last night?
     "I'm in deep hack! What do you want?"
     "That tells me that you haven't slept OR eaten recently. I'll be
over in five."
      I hung up on him and put my headphones back on. "Asshole" I
managed to grumble out.


   *** 11:29 6 Aug

     At the incessant red flashing, I managed to pry myself from the
keyboard in order to stop whatever it was that was taking me from my
'job'.
     "What!?!" I snarled out.
     Mike didn't say a word, just grabbed me in a wristlock and dragged
me down the stairs to the table where there was some lunch waiting for
me.
     "Michael, who is this stranger? You know we don't allow you to
bring just ANY Tom, Dick, or Harry to THIS table."
     "Yea, real funny Mom."
     "Michael, thank you for dragging him down to eat. He won't give me
the combination to his room and I think the house would smell rather bad
if he died up there."
      "No problem Mrs. Tuck."

       I was fuming at the both of them in the few moments between
stuffing my face. I hadn't realized just how hungry I was until the
smell of the food permeated my dulled senses. It really is amazing just
how far one can lose oneself in the world of electrons.
     "Anyway, I guess that you took the job?"
     I grunted and nodded, not willing to stop eating to answer his
insipid questions.
     "How much you gettin' for this?
     "Ughhh"
     "That bad, huh?"
     I nodded again. REAL slow.
     "I see. When is it due by?"
     The bastard is gonna make me speak. "Tuesday, twenty-hundred
hours."
     "So what are your plans for today?"
     I waited until I had finished chewing the bite I began when he
started the question. "Take a nap, then start coding again."
     "Okay, well, I'll be back at seven to make sure you eat again."
     "Alright, see ya man."
     "Later, mano."


   *** 16:00 6 Aug

     I got up from wretching over the toilet, trying to shake the
visions of Debbie slicing me open for not having her stuff done on time.
*Guess I had better get back to work.*


   *** 18:54 6 Aug

     *There's that damn red light again* One look over at the clock
recalled all that I had blocked out in my programming-induced mental
block, once my eyes had adjusted to the point where I could actually
read it.
      "Hey bud, I'll be right down."
      "If you're not, I'm gonna call the FBI and tell them about your
little 'sightseeing' internet trips."
      "What, me?" I managed a convincing look of pure innocence.
      It would have worked too, if I hadn't snorted. That kinda blew the
whole effect. "I'll be right down."

     "Oooooh, can I stay for dinner Mr. Tucker?" asked Mike
     "Sure Michael, as long as you leave enough scraps for the rest of
us."
     "See, I'm not the only one who thinks you could eat enough to feed
a third world nation," I shot off.
     Now it was his turn to try the look of innocence. Dammit, he was
still better at it than I was. We all had a good laugh at his display.

     Dinner was uneventful. Mom talked about her day. Dad didn't feel
like working today, so he didn't. Lucky bastard. Everytime I see him, it
makes me reaffirm my decision to get a good education so that I could do
whatever the hell I wanted and answer to no one. Either that, or
blackmail him into paying for me for the rest of my life. Only problem
is, he has better security on his computer than the DOD, and that was
the only way I could possibly get any dirt on him. Until I can hack his
computer, I am still gonna have to do the school thing, I guess.
     "I'm gonna come get you at one tomorrow, and you are gonna have
some fun, Tuck."
     "Mi-"
     "I don't wanna hear it." He cut me off. "I'm gonna drag you out if
even if you get an Avatar of The Wall to try and stop me."
     All I could do was grumble. So I grumbled. A lot.
     "Yea, see ya tomorrow."
     "See ya."
      We locked hands for a minute, heads down, and then he left.



   *** 02:41 7 Aug
     
     If I didn't need the money so damn bad, I would have never called
Debbie. Amend that. If I didn't have the hots for Debbie AND I didn't
need the money, I would never have called her. Deadlines stress me out,
and stress does not do any wonders for my REM cycle. At least they have
a common theme, so I can sort them from reality a little better than
normal.



   *** 13:12 7 Aug

     "Ready mano?"
     "Yea, just let me unplug my brain from the USB, and I'll be ready."
     "You still have that old port in your skull? I would've thought
that you'd have upgraded it by now. It's gotta be, what, three years old
now?
     "You tell me, you installed it! Not only that, but the crazy glue
you used STILL itches."
      "Don't you blame ME for the crazy glue, you were the one who was
diametrically opposed to the sutures."



   *** 13:27 7 Aug

     "Hungry?"
     "No" My stomach rumbled.
     "Liar. Where do you wanna eat?"
     "Haven't had Burger King in a while, wanna do that?"
     "Drive-thru or walk-in?"
     "Drive-thru."
     "Game?" he asked.
     An Evil expression with a capital 'E' draped itself across my face.
     "Oh yeah"

      We decided to choose the 'game' on the drive to BK.
     "Mad Frenchman?" Mike suggested.
     "Done a few too many times, mano." I just as quickly shot down.
     "Crazy Australian?"
     "I think the Crocodile Hunter kinda ruined the fun in that one."
     "British snob?"
     "That one's getting a little too easy. How about we call that one
plan 'B'."
     "Kay, how about Japanese tourist?"
     "That one's a little hard for me to pull off if I'm not on the
phone."
     "They won't even see you! I'm driving!"
     "How about Thesaurus?" I counter-suggested.
     "Last time we did that, they saw right through it, it needs
something else."
     We both thought about it along the way.


   *** 13:36 7 Aug

     "Welcome to Burger King, can I take your order please?"
     "Right then," Mike choked out in his best British accent. "My lady,
I desire a two stack of charred bovine disk sandwich with curdled milk
slices, strips of grease-laden, salt stricken potato, a dark carbonated
beverage, two single stack bovine disk sandwiches, a bouquet of edible
leaves, a low-caloric dark carbonated beverage, and two additional
cylindrical sucking devices. Also, I would like soft processed wood
sheets and containers of seasoned tomato paste."
     My attempt to hold in the laughter until the order was finished
changed an expression of shock when the next response from the speaker
was: "And what kind of dressing for the salad?"


   *** 15:13 7 Aug

     After my tenth consecutive defeat in Mortal Kombat, I decided I had
enough.
     "Mike? I need to get back to work, I gotta deadline you know."
     "Alright, but after you get this done, you owe me an entire day."
     "Geez, a little lonely are we?"
     "Hey, If you lived here, you'd want some real human contact as much
as possible too." I couldn't argue that point. Being a decidedly
non-christian when your father is a minister kinda puts a strain on your
family life.
     "Agreed, can you give me a ride back?"
     "Sure."


   *** 21:54 8 Aug

     *Alright, just gotta compile it, then test it, and I think I'm
done.*


   *** 03:56 9 Aug

     I made the mistake of looking at the clock, which made me yawn.
"Jeez. At least everything works right, and a whole half-a-day ahead of
schedule." *Hopefully now that it's done my sub-conscience will let me
get some restful sleep.*

     *Hopefully.*

     
   *** 13:13 9 Aug

     I am glad that not only does my Father understand that nerds are
nocturnal, but that he got Mom to let me sleep in, knowing that I was up
late writing the software. Only 'Good morning sleepy-head' as opposed to
'Why the hell weren't you up by eight-thirty?'

     I staggered to the fridge, fully intending to douse my nervous
system in caffeine when Dad walked into the kitchen.
     "So, didja get it finished?"
     With only one eye operational and a Dew at a forty-five degree
angle, I barely managed a nod.
     "Some girl named Debbie called, said something about not being able
to make it to the mall tonight. She wanted you to give her a call. Who's
Debbie?"
      Before I could answer, Brian once again felt the need to
interject. He has a bad habit of doing that.
      "Is this girl missing a limb or have massive facial damage? No
way..... NO WAY can a normal girl be trying to get ahold of YOU!"
     Dad grabbed my little brother by the ear and pulled him into his
office, shutting the door. The shrieking I was hearing from Brian put me
in quite a chipper mood.


   *** 13:27 9 Aug

     Having climbed all the way into consciousnes, showered and changed
into clean clothes, I remembered that I needed to call Debbie and see
what was going on.

     #ring#
     "Dee and Eee Personal Services, Debbie Speaking, how can I help
you?
     "Debbie? Its Tucker, I got this message-"
     "Oh, yea, I have some buisiness going on tonight, and I need you to
explain how this program works to me, I just don't have time to do it
tonight."
     "Uh, okay" This is pathetic, I hadn't even asked her out and I feel
like I am getting shot down. Not like I have the nerve to actually ask
her anyway. haha.
     "So what I was thinking, is.... do you have plans for, say, right
now?"
     "Uh, no?" I managed to weakly reply. Dammit I am SMOOTH!
     "Great! What's your address? I'll come get you and we can get this
all taken care of."
     When I managed to regain my wits, I rattled off my address to her,
and she said she was on her way. I went downstairs, disk in hand, to
wait for her.


   *** 13:42 9 Aug

     It felt like an eternity waiting for her to come over, so I sat
down in the main room and watched some television. After flipping
through the channels at warp 5.2 at least half a dozen times, I decided
that yes, I really do hate the idiot box and that no, continuing to give
it more chances to prove itself isn't helping us be friends any better.

     I was just getting up to grab some caffiene when the doorbell rang.
     I froze. It's a gift. And no, I cannot teach it to you, it just
comes naturally.
     Unfortunately, the stone spell cast on me lasted a little too long,
because when I could finally turn my head and think about seeing if it
was Debbie at the door, Brian was already there, holding the door open,
and telling her very loudly: "Are you sure that YOU are here to see
EUGENE?"

     Trying to be as smooth as possible, I strode right by Brian,
smacked him good in the back of his head, and with style and grace,
gently pulled Debbie by the elbow so I could shut the door without her
in it, all in one fluid motion.
     "What was that all about?"
     "My brother, he hasn't seen many girls since they let him out of
quarantine."
     She chuckled, and directed me over to her car.
     I got in the passenger seat, put on my seatbelt, and waited for her
to say something. Told you I'm smooth.
     "Look, Tuck," she started as she pulled out of the driveway. "The
computer I need to use for this is at my house, and I am not really good
with technical directions. Would you mind setting it up there?"
     "Is there some reason I should? Mind, I mean?"
     She sighed pretty deeply. "My mom, she's the deputy sheriff, and
most of my friends are afraid to come over."
     "Is she gonna be there?"
     "NO. AND DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING SOMETHING WITH ME."
     Well, there went plan 'A'. Like I have the balls to even think of
something in that general direction.
     "Well then, I guess I have nothing to worry about. Neither do you
Debbie, I. Don't. Do. That. At least, not unless asked or told to."
     She seemed to believe me, and I watched the relief flow over her
entire body. Such a nice body at that.
     "Sorry about that spazz Tuck, I guess I am just a little touchy
about certain subjects." I decided not to press to know what exactly
constitutes a 'touchy' subject.


   *** 13:59 9 Aug
      
     "Well, here we are Mr. Tucker, El Swanko Casa. Follow me and I'll
show you to the computer."
      I followed her. Something about her just makes me want to do what
she says, but I can't quite put my finger on it.
      As the 'computer' in question came into view, my lemming sense
activated. Something is definitely wrong with technology in this room.
     "Um, Debbie? Just how well does your computer run?"
     "Like shit. Actually, it runs like...... well, it runs like shit."
     "Then I need to fix it. If you are running your own business, then
you need this machine in proper working order." Not to mention that an
ill-working computer dampens my super-powers. The kryptonite effect, you
know.
     "You can do that?"
     I held up the disk containing the program I wrote for her, and I
could see the math running inside her head.
     "How much is this gonna cost?"
     "This is gonna go one of two ways. If it is just a software
problem, all it's gonna cost you is a couple of Cokes and the thought
that I would appreciate any more software purchases coming through me.
If it is a hardware problem, you can add on whatever the new hardware
costs plus a car trip to gather them."
     "Really? That's it?"
     "That's it." I stated with utmost confidence.
     "I..... I dunno what to say."
     "Say 'Sure Tuck, have a look at the computer, while I go get you a
Coke'."
     She laughed, nodded, gestured towards the computer with open hands,
then bounced off to get me a soft drink, all the while blushing.


   *** 14:32 9 Aug

     "Okay, you're machine is in top-working performance, guaranteed to
work perfectly for one year, barring hardware failure." It was just a
software problem after all, her hardware was in perfect shape. Okay, it
was a multitude of software problems that tangled themselves together
into one massive bathtub-like clog.
     "Really? That didn't take nearly as long as I thought it was
gonna."
     I spared telling her exactly what I did, seeing as how she's not a
geek and probably wouldn't understand it anyway. So I nodded.
     "I also installed your accounting software, and you wanted me to
show you how to use it, right?"
     She nodded, and something about the way she was grinning and being
awfully shy was making me nervous. I don't think I have ever seen Debbie
act like this. Ever.
     I won't go into details about my software, but in short, it does
everything that she needed and wanted it to do, and she was perfectly
adept at learning were everything goes as far as data entry. I had to
repeat myself only.... not once! I just hope she remembers it, because I
don't want to have to make up a manual for it as well.
     "I really don't know how to thank you for this..... This makes my
life SO much easier. Oh, here is your contracted fee-"
     She handed me an envelope.
     "-and here is the rest of your opening offer." She handed me
another envelope and grinned. "I wasn't sure if it was going to work as
well as Jill told me it would, and after you fixed my computer without
even asking anything for it, I now know that you are worth every penny."
     I was in shock. She had whittled me down to about twenty-five
percent of what I had originally asked, and now just handed me the other
seventy- five without any warning at all.
     "Uh.......thanks."
     "No, Thank YOU, Tuck." She kissed me on the cheek.

      The tension during the drive home was very thick. I kept thinking
about her kissing me on the cheek, and when I glanced over to her time
to time, she seemed to really be concentrating on something. I decided
not to bother her about it, not wanting to either flare her temper or
cause her to crash the car. Both would be equally bad.


   *** 15:09 9 Aug


     "Um, Tuck?" she asked when she parked in my driveway. I looked at
her, and she was doing the 'shy' thing again, keeping her eyes down and
blushing every part of her skin that I could see. Did I mention her
blouse had a plunging neckline?
     "Yea?"
     "Between the new payroll software, and the time I usually spent
trying to make the computer work opened up, my Fridays just became a lot
more free-"
     *Is she doing what I think she is doing?*
     "-and I'd like to take you out to dinner Friday, kinda to repay you
for all you did for me today."
     "Look, Debbie, it wasn't that big of a deal, you really don't have
to-"
     "You don't want me to take you to dinner?" She looked a little
hurt.
     "NO, I mean no, It's not that. I DO want to have dinner with you,
but if this is some kind of pity thing-"
     "Tuck, you don't know me that well yet-" *yet?* "-so I am gonna let
that one slide. I don't do the whole 'pity' thing, and I don't suspect
you do either, do you?"
     ".....no?"
     "I didn't think so. So I'll pick you up Friday at eight sharp,
okay?"
     "Um, okay? I mean..... Okay?" I am gonna have to write a book
someday about how absoLUTely suave I can be.

     My mind was a total blank as I watched her pull out of the
driveway, wave at me, and then drive off. I must have been blushing
pretty badly when I walked in the front door, because my Dad's eyebrows
did a couple yoga maneuvers before he asked me what was wrong.
     "Uh, nothing Dad. I just... uh.... have some plans for Friday night
now. I guess." I left it at that and ran up to my room to think this
whole thing over.


   *** 17:51 9 Aug
     
     The phone flashing through my eyelids made me get up from my
thoughts. I was glad to get out of them for awhile, they were mostly
visions of being stood up on Friday, anyway.
     Caller ID says.... Mike. I pulled off my headphones.
     "Lo?"
     "Hey! whazzup?"
     "Nothing much, what's up with you?"
     "Just bored, couldn't get ahold of Dan OR George today, so......"
     "Is that all I am? Third choice to you?"
     "No, you are like fourty-fifth. There's Alyssa Milano, Cindy
Crawford, Jenna Jame-"
     "Enough, mano. You wanna come get me? I need to talk something over
with you." That right there told Mike I was having some sort of crisis,
and to drop the sarcasm.
     "Ill be over in five." he said seriously.
     #click#


   *** 17:54 9 Aug

     I was waiting outside the front door when Mike dragged Stupid into
the driveway. I immediately got in the passenger seat, and Mike pulled
back out of the driveway without him or I saying a word. Our friendship
was tight like that.

     He gave me a couple minutes to gather my thoughts, which I badly
needed.

     "So what did you need to talk about?"

      I gave him an edited-for-time version of what happened with Debbie
today, carefully leaving out how she had given me the bonus money. He
would find a way to spend it, I am sure.

     "So let me see if I have this straight. Debbie Carstairs, the girl
that you have admired from a distance for oh, at least two years,
right?" I nodded. "Anyway, SHE asks YOU out on a date, and you don't
know if you should go?"
     "It's a little more complicated than that, gook."
     "So open up your little gaijin mouth and talk."
     "I dunno, it's not like a REAL date, she said she was just repaying
me for fixing her computer."
     "Maybe, maybe not. From what I hear, she IS aggressive like that,
and that just might be an excuse to ask you out."
     "Okay, lets say for the sake of argument, that it is? So I should
just get my hopes up and get all ready Friday night, only to have her
stand me up?" It was a legitimate fear, my 'relationship' with Tina did
not exactly inspire a lot of trust in the opposite sex.
     "You think she would do that?"
     "I don't know. That is the main thing I needed to talk over with
you."
     Pause.
     "Why do you think she would?"
     "Tina would."
     "Oh."
     Another pause, while we both thought.
     "I don't think that Debbie plays games like that, Tuck." he began.
"It just doesn't seem, I dunno, her style. If she was planning to fuck
you over, I think it would be a little more complex than just standing
you up."
     "So she's gonna wait until after she gets me away from any possible
locale of safety before she does something evil.... great."
     "You haven't done anything to piss her off yet, have you?"
     "No, and what do you mean, 'yet'?"
     "Shut up Tuck, you're paranoid, and on two counts."
     "Maybe you're right. I guess I had better get my suit out of the
mothballs then, huh?"
     "Yea. Speaking of mothballs, you hungry?"


   *** 18:13 9 Aug

     "So you think I should just call her like, Friday afternoon, and
make sure that everything is still on for that night?" I asked Mike,
moreover just to get some relief that I was still doing the right thing.
     "Yea" He was SO articulate while dishing up buffet food.
     "Mike! are you listening to me? This is important!" I almost
screamed. I was on edge as it was, and his ignoring me wasn't making it
any better.
     "Jeez Tuck, amp it down a bit, eh? I am listening to you perfectly,
and MY idea to call her Friday afternoon is a stroke of genius. Are you
happy now?"
      "No."
      "Well stop nagging me until after we sit down, okay?"
      "Fine."

     Mike had calmed me down over the next hour and a half, and I was
feeling halfway to normal when we ran into a certain someone at the
mall.

     Again.

     "TUCK!"
     Women do not scream my name over a crowd at the mall. It is just
not done. I turned around slowly, my eyes catching all the quick escape
routes, and Mike did the same thing. Years of being beat up will make
you just paranoi-, er, alert enough to survive. When I faced the
direction the woman called from, it was Jill, running up to me.
     "Tuck? Are you okay? You don't look so good."
     "I'm fine Jill, you just scared me. What's up?" This is the most I
have talked to Jill in, oh, ever? I got the feeling that it might have
something to do with earlier today....
     "Are you sure you are okay? It would be a really bad thing to miss
out on Friday." I couldn't help but notice she was grinning. A nice grin
too.
     "Uh....*cough* ...Friday?" Mike and I shared the same shocked
expressions.
     "Yea, FRIDAY! Don't tell me you forgot about it already?"
     "You're talking about Debbie and I, right?"
     "Yea, what else would I be talking about?"
     "How do you know about it?"
     "Well, Debbie called me to thank me for putting her in touch with
you. She said that the stuff you did for her is gonna free up like ten
hours a week. You must have made quite the impression, she couldn't stop
talking about you!"
     "Uh, I guess this dinner thing really is a DATE date, isn't it."
     "Yea, why would you think otherwise?"
     "She said it was just to repay me for fixing her computer."
     "Uh-oh...... I think I said something I shouldn't have." Jill
turned and tried to leave.
     "OH no you don't." I grabbed her by the arm and turned her back.
"Let's go sit down and we can make sure I know EXACTLY what is going on.



   *** 17:49 9 Aug

     "Look, Tuck, Debbie has this thing where she's afraid of guys, but
you don't know that, right?"
     "Know what?" I needed to practice my innocent look anyway.
     "Exactly. Anyway, she was really scared to have you in her car and
house alone with her, and when you didn't do anything aggressive or
abusive, she kinda started to see you in a different light."
     "So?"
     "SO," she continued, " when she stopped viewing you as a threat,
and then you did her a favor without even thinking about a reward, she
decided that she should get to know you better. Plus, she thinks you're
cute." She giggled.
     I could feel my ears turn fluorescent red, and that made Jill
giggle all the harder.
     "So, you will be ready for her at eight, Friday, right?"
     "Uh, yea, I guess I will be now."
     "Wear something nice, she wants to take you to Marciano's"
     "Oh, shit, I gotta go find a nice suit."
     "Good luck Tucker, I'm glad we never ran into each other today."
she gave me a cloak-and-dagger smile.
     "Me too." I gave the same smile right back.


   *** 18:02 9 Aug

     "Did that just happen?" asked Mike.
     "No, it didn't, remember?"
     "Oh."


   *** 11:35 10 Aug

     "Dad?"
     "Son?"
     "Um....." Talking to your parents about your dating life is like
third on the ultimate torture list just under watching curling and
getting limbs amputated.
     "I, uh, got a really big date on Friday, and uh..... I was
wondering if you, uh,
would,........takemeouttobuyanicesuitsoIcanlookniceImeangood......" I
ran out of breath.
     "Is this with that same girl who picked you up yesterday?"
     I nodded, blushing again. I wonder if they have a cure for that
yet.
     "I see."
     The thing I hate about telling my Dad about me having a date, is
that he runs a detailed check on anyone we (his children) are dating.
Having the skill to do it pretty much gives him the right to, at least
in his own mind.
     I gave him her name, told him her mom was the deputy sheriff, and
he said if everything checked out he would take me to get a suit
tonight, tomorrow at the latest. I sure hope everything checks out.


   *** 17:02 10 Aug

     "Eugene?"
     I cautiously walked over to Dad's office. He had been checking out
Debbie all afternoon, and I was afraid of what he was gonna find. The
tone in his voice did little to quell my fears.
     "Yes Dad?"
     "Have a seat, son, and shut the door." He was trying to smile. This
is most definitely bad.

     "Miss Deborah Carstairs seems to be quite a remarkable woman, at
the very least on paper, son." He paused, thinking a bit. "She seems to
be quite the business woman, with more than twenty employees working for
her." I was stunned. I knew she ran her own business, but I didn't think
she was THAT good. Twenty employees, when you are only sixteen years
old, is a damn good job. "There are some things that you need to know
though. Come look at this."
     I pulled my seat around the desk, so that I could see the computer
screen. What he had, on the screen, was some kind of legal document.
     "This document states that she and her mother agreed to have Debbie
emancipated. She is a legal adult." Jeez, is there anything else
shocking about this woman? "I am going to bring up the other thing, then
I am going to walk out of the room. You are not to talk about this to
anyone, including myself, but ESPECIALLY Debbie. I'll be back in about
ten minutes, to give you some advice, but that will be the end of it.
Understood?"
     I was suddenly scared again. "Uh..." My voice was shaking. "yea, I
understand."
     He entered in a few commands into the keyboard, then walked out of
his office and shut the door behind him. I moved over to the monitor to
get a better look, and was surprised when a police report loaded onto
the screen. Surprised and really afraid. The report was dated a little
over five years ago, and mentioned a little dark fact that I doubt
Debbie wanted anyone to know about, especially me, especially right
away. As I was reading the report, the horrors described made me feel
very ill and very, very sorry for Debbie. When the ten minutes had past,
I was holding my head in my hands with tears running down my cheeks,
sobbing silently to myself as Dad re-entered the room.
     Dad sat down in the seat I had pulled to this side of the desk, the
same one I was sitting in earlier, and put his hands on my shoulders.
     "Eugene?" He sounded worried.
     I looked up at him through reddened eyes, as a single tear traced
down the path that the many before it had forged. "Why did this have to
happen to her?" I convulsed a bit more, looking down once again.
     "I know, I know. It's a certifiable nightmare. The horrors this one
has seen are indescribable." He tensed up and winced just thinking about
it. "But she does need to carry on with her life, which she is trying to
do. You cannot, I mean CANNOT let on to her that you know about it. If
you even think about it, I will not allow you to see her. Am I clear?"
     "Crystal, Dad." I sniffed.
     "Good. I know you have a good heart son, and don't want to hurt
her. That's the only reason I allowed you to know this."
     "What should I do about it?"
     "You need to let her call all the shots, okay? She's got to have
trust issues at the very least. Do not, at any point, try to push
anything on her. Even something trivial like a stick of gum. You need to
let Debbie be in control, and only then will she feel safe around you,
and more importantly, relaxed and open. Okay?"
     "Okay. And Dad?"
     "Yea?"
     "Thanks, I really appreciate your help."
     "No problem..... Tomorrow!" he announced as he stood up "We're
getting you some fresh duds!" and finished his thought looking into
space and holding one finger up. I sniffed really deep, and then
chuckled a bit. I really did appreciate his attempt to lighten my mood,
even if it did mostly fail.
     I hugged Dad, and went up to my room. My emotional exhaustion had
bled over into my physical state, and I was ready to pass out.


   *** 08:45 11 Aug

     The nightmares I had last night, all night, were among the most
horrific I have ever had. Ever. Which is why I was emptying my stomach
of imaginary food for the fourth time. Dry heaves, as it were.


   *** 9:23 11 Aug

     I slowly made my way down the steps, not feeling too terribly well,
but showered and awake enough, to see Mike, Dan, and George all sitting
at the table, talking to my Mom and Dad.
     "What are you all doing over here so early?"
     "You owe me a day, mano, and we're here to collect on it." Mike
replied.
     "Uh, Dad was supposed to take me out to get a 'you know what', for
'you-know-when'."
     Dan, George, Mike, and my Father all exchanged knowing glances, and
then they all smiled at me. REAL wide.
     *oh shit* a meek little voice in my head threw out.
     "Don't you worry Tuck, We're not gonna let you blow a date with
'thee' Deborah Carstairs just because you don't have new duds. You'll
get them."
     "So does everyone know about this now?"
     "Yea, ABC news ran a special on it, as did the New York Times, and
you got a special letter here from Hue Heffner on 'advice' for after the
date."
     "George, I am gonna tie the long hair on your head to the short
hair on your ass and kick you down the street." He is just not as good
with the bullshit as Mike and I are.
     "Oh, come on Tucker, we just want to help, and we haven't seen that
much of you this week." At least Dan was making sense. For once.


   *** 11:46 11 Aug

     "Most honorable Tuckah-san," Mike began as he bowed to me, "I
accept your challenge."
     I bowed back, and we turned to face the coin-op.


   *** 11:53 11 Aug
 
     "I can't believe you got us kicked out of the arcade." I casually
remarked to Mike.
     The four of us were sitting on the curb outside the arcade, trying
to formulate what our collective next move will be.
     "Me? You were the one doing some kind of weird acrobatics after you
FINALLY beat me!"
     "Ya YOU! They were stoically ignoring my 'acrobatics', but when you
started SCREAMING at me in your pseudo-japanese, they probably decided
that was enough."
     "Doi TakeMAtsu Ku Chi WA!" It was gibberish, but the tones he was
using conveyed his thoughts well enough.
     "I love you too, Mike."




   *** 12:07 11 Aug

     "Is there ever a point where you don't want to eat?"
     "Nope." I had posed the question to Mike, but all three felt the
need to reply.


   *** 13:25 11 Aug
     
     "Look, all I'm saying is I don't want to look like an IRS agent,
but I don't want to look like a fool underdressed. Marciano's has an
unwritten dress code." If they were going to help me, I needed to be
honest.
     "Alright, but you know that our fashion powers combined are like,
maybe three steps over rock bottom."
     "I know."
     "Okay, just so you're warned."
     "I never thought I would EVER say this, but 'let's go shopping'."
      We all winced.


   *** 14:13 11 Aug

     "Are you sure this looks okay?" Not that any of us could tell the
difference.
     "Um, yea. I think, uh, not too stuffy, not too laid back." The boys
always know just what to say. And oh-so articulately at that.
     We had decided on a dark buttonless shirt,, a sports jacket, no
tie, and some dark slacks. It is against section forty-three, paragraph
two in the
   geek handbook to describe clothing in any more descriptive terms.
     "Okay, objective completed. Let's do something else, this is
starting to feel really weird."
     "Starting to?"


   *** 17:32 11 Aug

     "Okay, the interstellar drive on your cruiser has failed. You are
drifting aimlessly in space, and the comm link is powered by that same
drive."
     "Oh shi-"
     "Don't interrupt the story teller. Anyway, you have a choice to
either try to use the force to summon help, and hope that your food
stuffs last until they arrive, or you can try to fix it yourself."
     "Um......"
     "What do we have to repair it?"
     "All the tools that are required."
     "What do we have in the way of replacement parts?"
     "You have... Chicken wire, bubblegum, and duct tape."
     "I'm gonna fix it."
     "Uh..." Mike couldn't talk and chortle at the same time. "Roll Dex
versus Repair skill, difficulty 15."
     Dan picked up the dice, white knuckling them, and closed his eyes.
George and I followed suit, praying to every god, demi-god, and avatar
we could think of.
     There was a sharp intake of breath as Dan released the dice.
      "Oh. my. god........."
      "I DID IT! I DID IT!"


   *** 19:27 11 Aug

     "You have made it past the defenses of the Deathstar, and docked in
its lower aft port. There are no guards in the room you are now in, only
A few computer terminals and many empty clamps that once held defense
ships. Tuck, your action."
     "I go to the computer and try to find a path to the control room."


   *** 21:15 11 Aug

     "Great game, guys." Mike said as we packed into Stupid.
     "I still can't believe we stole the deathstar...." I was still on
the adrenaline rush from it.
     "Me neither..." George chuckled. "Hey Tuck, good luck tomorrow."
*oh no.*
     "Uh, let's not make me anymore nervous than I already am.... I've
been on the verge of blowing a breaker all night."
      "Yea guys, I think we oughtta lay off him, at least until after
tomorrow." Good ol' Mike to my rescue.
     "Alright, alright. We gonna continue the game on Saturday?"
     There were general nods and chuckles of approval.



   *** 09:25 12 Aug

     I woke up from a mild nightmare, seeing as how I was fairly
stressed out over the date tonight. At the least, it was ONLY a mild
nightmare, and I had slept enough where I wasn't going to be a zombie
tonight. Now, I just had to get through most of my day without freaking
out too much.



   *** 17:06 12 Aug

     *-ohmygodohmygodohmygod-*



   *** 18:52 12 Aug

     *-ohmygodohmygodohmygod-*



   *** 19:42 12 Aug

     I had showered twice, changed, combed my hair half a dozen
different ways, stopped myself from having a nervous breakdown at least
four or five times, then finally made it downstairs to wait for Debbie
to come pick me up. Brian, in his usual supportive role, was not making
the wait any easier.
     "Jeez, you sure are all dolled up tonight."
     "Um, thanks?" I was immediately wary.
     "So is Barbie or Ken coming to get you for the tea party?"
     "You just wait Brian, I'll tell her you said that. She scares ME,
and I think she kinda likes me. There's no telling what she could do to
you."
     He didn't believe me, not that I expected him to. I just hope she
can make his attitude change as extravagantly as possible.


   *** 19:58 12 Aug

     "Uh..., Hi Debbie! You look fantastic tonight." She really was a
vision of beauty.
     "Why thank you, Tucker. You look really good yourself." She's being
shy again. I really don't know why it irks me when she does that. Must
be something about how no one, myself included until about three days
ago, has ever seen her act even a little sheepish. "You ready to go?"
     "About that, uh, my parents want to talk to you for a little bit
before we go."
     "I don't know, we do have eight-thirty reservations."
     "I'll let them know, and it'll go quick. They are not going to let
me out of the house without a few words with you. Sorry."
     She sighed, looked down and to the left for a moment, then without
moving her head, focused her eyes back on me and smiled. I almost lost
my balance. "Okay."

     Debbie was brilliant with my parents. I have never seen anyone talk
their metaphoric way through a minefield like she did. She even got
Brian to shut up with a few nasty glares his way when my parents weren't
looking. I need to get her to show me how to do that. All of this
happened within three minutes.

     Needless to say, I was allowed to go on the date.


   *** 20:02 12 Aug

     Deb was driving us to the restaurant, and we were making small
talk. It was really hard for me to talk to her, and my voice was shaking
I was so nervous.

     "You know you really do look great tonight. How did you know we
were going somewhere fancy?"
     "Uh, I ran into Jill at the mall, and she asked me if I was looking
forward to the 'big date'. My brother and I made her fess up all she
knew." I left out the part where she said Debbie thought I was 'cute'.
     "Uh..... your brother? The weasely one that kept making lude
comments at your house?"
     "Ah, uh, no. Mike."
     "The Chinese kid? He's your brother?"
     "He might as well be, he's closer to me than any 'blood' family.
Ask anyone who knows us."
     "Okay, I can see that. Oh, and remind me to kill Jill the next time
I see her."
     "No, please don't do that. It's a good thing that she did say
something or else I would be looking awful funny tonight."
     She didn't seem convinced.


   *** 20:43 12 Aug

     "Tuck? Are you alright?"
     *No, I am actually about to pee myself* "I'm fine Debbie."
     "You're being awful quiet, are you sure?" She seemed genuinely
concerned.
     "Can I be honest with you?"
     "I would have hoped that you'd be nothing else." Ouch.
     "Um, I am really, like REALLY nervous here. You are, as my friends
would say, out of our league. I don't really know what to say or do."
     She laughed a bit at that. I decided I could listen to her laugh
forever.
     "Look, if I was out of your league, would I have asked you out?"
     "Um..... I suppose not."
     "Right. So just be yourself. Just realize that I don't understand
any of your technology stuff, so using that as a conversational topic
probably will not be a good idea."
     She had done some research, it seems. Every girlfriend I have ever
had broke up with me because I was too into my geekdom. I have to make a
note to avoid this with Debbie.
     "So, do all your dates go this smoothly?" I laughed at that. Not
only was it a good tension breaker, it got us talking about some of the
worst dates either of us have ever had. None of it had to do with
technology.


   *** 21:11 12 Aug

     "So why DID you ask me out? It's not really a common occurrence, at
least for me." I had to know, it was eating me away. Not to mention that
I was still, albeit a small nag, paranoid.
     She smiled at me. I thought I could feel myself melting away.
     "You're a nice guy. I don't like big, dumb, muscley assholes. You
are exactly the kind of guy I look for. Don't forget, you're cute, and
that helps."
     I blushed to my toenails.
     "Especially when you blush." She was still smiling at me. I was
still blushing. The food came, and granted me reprieve from the
microscope.



   *** 23:11 12 Aug

     "Tuck, I really did have a good time with you tonight."
     "So did I. I mean, after I stopped being nervous, that is."
     She giggled, and smiled at me again. It would have been a perfect
moment, if we weren't on my doorstep and I didn't know my parents
weren't watching from somewhere.
      "So, can I have a goodnight hug?"
      My heart stopped. When it resumed, it was going doubletime to make
up for lost time. I couldn't find my voice.
      She didn't wait for an answer, and stepped up to me. After she had
me firmly in her embrace, my brain rebooted and my BIOS finally ran the
HUG.EXE I had requested SO long ago or so it seemed, and so I did,
breathing deep so I could savor everything about this moment. She gently
pulled back, and kissed me on the cheek.

     I still couldn't say anything.

     "Um, can I call you tomorrow?" Like I'd say no.
     I nodded. I don't think she understands ASL.
     "Kay, I do need your number to do that, though."
     I blushed yet again, wanting to kick myself for my own stupidity. I
rummaged around my pockets, trying to find something to write with, and
when I looked up to apologize about not having anything to write with OR
on, she was holding a notepad, pen, and trying very hard not to laugh.



   *** 23:14 12 Aug

     "You're late, Eugene." Dad didn't seem too entirely pissed off.
     "Yea, sorry Dad. We had to talk in the driveway for a bit."
     "Well, since you are usually prompt about your curfew, we'll just
let this one go. Don't let it happen again."
     "Thanks Dad."
     "How did it go?"
     "Well, I think. She's calling me tomorrow, so it must have been at
least decent. Oh, and Dad? Thanks for the 'advice'."
     "Anytime Eugene." He was smiling now, so I guess I really was off
the hook.
     "I'm going to bed, g'night Dad." I was not only physically
exhausted, but I had a lot to think about. Debbie wants to call me
tomorrow, and I need to replay all that happened tonight. It seems like
she is really interested in me. Also, I don't get chased. Everything
about tonight seemed to go against the laws of nature...

     I sure do hope she calls tomorrow.....