19 comments/ 59537 views/ 49 favorites If You Only Knew By: MoogPlayer I want to express a very warm and heartfelt "Thank You" to all of the kind and gentle souls who took the time to vote and/or leave a comment, as well as those who have sent me feedback on my previous stories. This one is for all of you, and I pray that God richly blesses each and every one of you. Oh, one more thing, this story is totally fictional. MoogPlayer P.S. I've had numerous requests to write a book. I've already got one out there called, "Disavowed". It's a very poignant love story about a U.S. Navy SEAL named, Michael Masterson, and you can get it at any of the on-line sites that sell books...Thanks! ~~~~~~ "Now just what makes you think that I'd go out with you," she asked, "You're that creepy guy in my creative writing class who always writes all those stupid weepy assed love stories, aren't you?" "I'm sorry that I bothered you," I quietly replied, looking down as I walked away in shame, amidst the laughter of Trish and her friends. "Trish" is Patricia Warner, one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful girl on campus whom I'd met at college my freshman year. I was there on an academic scholarship, as my parents couldn't afford to send me. However, I knew from the clothes that she wore and the car she drove, that she came from a wealthy family. And even though she treated me like total shit upon our first meeting and continued to do so throughout college, I still fell hopelessly in love with her the very first time I ever saw her, and there would never be another girl for me but her..... ~~~~~~ Chapter One Hi, my name is Bryan Hendrickson. I'm six feet, four inches tall, weigh two-hundred and thirty pounds, and I have long dark brown hair with very little gray in it and blue eyes. I've been told by more than one woman that I was handsome, but I'm now approaching fifty-four; and am a retired writer with a little over half as many novels under my belt as the years I've spent on this wonderful earth. However, I was barely eighteen when what I'm about to tell you took place. I was considered to be a nerd when I was younger and didn't really have much going for me, other than the head on my shoulders. I wore braces and glasses in high school, guaranteeing that no girl would have anything to with me, much less talk to me. I wasn't an athlete, and although I knew all the jocks, as I'd helped tutor most of them, I still didn't hang out with them, or the "in" crowd. And I sure as hell wasn't a partier, nor did I use drugs. Hell, I was considered by the nerds to be too geeky for even them, but my saving grace came in the form of my Mom's brother, my Uncle Joey, who taught me martial arts. It was true that I looked a lot like him, and more was the reason we took up together He hadn't been home from Vietnam, while the war over there was still raging, for more than a few months when my Martial arts instruction began. He never talked about what he did in Vietnam, and now that I've seen the things that I've been forced to deal with in my life; I can truly understand why. Still though, Uncle Joey always told me the truth when it came to life, and was a very good influence on me. And it was because of him that I was prepared when it came time for me to attend the hormonal hell called high school. I was thankful for the training, which never seemed to end, and still doesn't, even though I'm grown now, but I'm getting ahead of myself again. During high school, I was pretty much a loner and could be found in the library studying, in the classroom working, or in the gym working out. I made straight "A's", which is a Four, point Zero average. I even scored in the high fifteen hundreds on my SAT's and graduated second in my class; but I can honestly say that there was not one person whom I could honestly call a friend when I was in high school. It wasn't that I didn't like people, I did. I was just a painfully shy kid who didn't speak more than two words at a time when being addressed by someone other than my parents. The only decent things that happened to me were getting my braces removed right after I graduated high school, and the fact that I didn't have acne. But I still had to wear those ugly fucking glasses. Oh well, enough about me...I guess you get the picture, huh? ~~~~~~ My English teacher, Miss Linda Walsh, said that my writing skills, as well as my use of the English language were well beyond my years, and she told me that I would make a great writer. (She was a very sweet lady who I'll always remember with much affection.) So, with the full four year academic scholarship given to me by a university that was well over two hundred miles from my home, off to college I went with dreams of one day becoming a published author. ~~~~~~ My parents drove me to college and took me to my dorm that first day. After I was moved in and met my new room mate, Kyle Crossfield, I went back down to the parking lot with Dad to say goodbye to him and Mom, who cried while she was hugging me. "You take good care of yourself, baby," she sniffled, "Your father and I are so very proud of you, Bryan." "I'll be okay, Mom," I smiled, holding her hands, "And I love you and Dad very much." Dad said that Mom cried all the way home, God love her. I had good, no, make that great parents. Dad and his partner were trying to start their own engineering firm, and barely had the money to keep it afloat and Mom was a legal secretary. Although they worked long hours, they made just enough to pay for our house and feed and clothe the three of us. Regardless of how little we had, there was never a shortage of love around our house, and I've learned in life that love is what really counts, especially when it's pure and true. ~~~~~~ When I got back to my dorm, I sat and talked with Kyle, who, for some reason, I was not shy around. I didn't know what it was about him that made me relax, but it was the start of a friendship that still lasts to this day. We talked about how bad we both had hated going to high school and discovered that we were both there on academic scholarships. Kyle was a Math major, and when he found out that I was an English major; he laughed and said, "Good, I really suck at English so, you can help me out." "I'd be glad to," I laughed, "What is there to do around here?" "We can go over to Gaffe's, where there will more than likely be a bunch of really hot girls, and drink some beer and play pool," he grinned, "Or we can go to the student union building, where there won't be any girls, and watch movies." "I vote for Gaffe's," I timidly replied, "But I've never really drank beer though." "Trust me, bro," Kyle laughed, patting me on the shoulder, "I'll look out for you." ~~~~~~ It was during the fall of 1972 and the United States been involved in Vietnam for over seven terrible and bloody years. I had earned my black belt in Karate and the legal drinking age in my home state was eighteen back then so; as soon as Kyle and I walked into Gaffe's we headed straight for the bar. We hadn't been there for more than five minutes, when in walked the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. She stood at somewhere around five feet, six, to five feet, seven inches tall. Her long dark hair fell to right below her waist right above the most perfect ass known to man. Her body measurements were proportionate to her height, and her face was more beautiful than any I'd ever seen; but what stood out more than anything were her eyes. They looked like indigo cut crystal, shimmering in the morning sunlight, and sparkling like a brilliant blue kaleidoscope. I was so in awe of her that I blatantly stared at her like a zombie in a trance. "Hey! Bryan!" Kyle laughed, snapping his fingers in front of my face, "Earth to Bryan, are you still with us, man?" "Holy Mary, mother of God," I gasped, regaining what little sense I had back then, "Who is she?" "That, my goofy room mate, is Patricia Warner," chuckled Kyle, "Not only is she a sophomore, but she dates the captain of the football team." "Still though," I wistfully replied, "I sure would like to get to know her." "Get real, Bryan," Kyle sadly smiled, as we drank our beers, "You'd have better luck pulling a golden rabbit out of your ass before guys like us would be able to get next to the likes of girls like her." "Maybe," I grinned back, "But it's not such a bad thought, now is it?" "Yeah, right," Kyle snorted, "That's all it ever will be, too, is just a thought." ~~~~~~ I had class the next day, most of which were advanced level placement classes. It meant that I was in classes that were usually reserved for third and fourth year students. The first day was spent going over not only the syllabus for each class I attended, but what I would need to have ready when each of those particular classes met again. Still though, I felt like I finally somewhere that I belonged, and it made me feel better about not only myself, but the world in general. When I came to the last class of the day, I must've been a little early because there were only eight to ten people in the classroom. However, when I walked in, a very nice looking, and as I soon discovered, a very kind lady named, Doctor Laura Matthews, called my name as I walked through the door. "You must be Mister Hendrickson," she said with a smile, "I'm Doctor Matthews, your teacher for this class, but you can call me Laura like everyone else does around here." "It's nice to meet you," I shyly said, "And you can call me Bryan." "Please come in and have a seat," she smiled, rising from her desk and moving toward the door, "I've heard some very nice things about you." I simply blushed as I took my seat, but a feeling inside of me told me that I was welcome here, and I began to relax. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, and right before Laura closed the door, the beautiful girl I'd seen the night before at Gaffe's breezed into the classroom. ~~~~~~ "Miss Warner," Laura smiled, "It's nice to see you." "I wouldn't have had to come back if you hadn't held me back," Patricia sneered. "I didn't hold you back, dear girl," Laura replied, unmoved, "You were late with your term paper, and you didn't do it correctly either. You have to follow the rules just like everyone else, and that's why you have to repeat this class," and with that said, Trish took a seat as Laura closed the door, and then returned to her desk. "This class will be held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoon," Laura said, tapping her fingers on a stack of papers on her desk, "Be sure to pick up and read your syllabus thoroughly as you leave, now, class dismissed." I silently watched as Trish made her way to the door. She wore a white long-sleeve tee shirt, and a pair of very tight, hip-hugger jeans and she was more beautiful than I had originally thought, thus sealing the fact that I desired so very much to belong to and her to me. I waited until the rest of the class was almost gone before I rose from my seat and headed to Laura's desk. "Can I see you for a moment, Bryan?" Laura politely asked, as I was picking up a copy of the syllabus for her class. "Sure," I said, "What can I do for you?" "Have a seat," she smiled, "I wanted to talk to you." I took a seat, and as soon as the last person walked out of the room, Laura rose and shut the door behind them and then returned to her seat. "I know Linda Walsh, your English teacher," Laura smiled, as she sat back down behind her desk, "We were room mates in college until I got married. She's told me some pretty amazing things about you, Bryan." "I wouldn't know," I bashfully replied, "She was my favorite teacher though." "My, you are shy," Laura chuckled, "Relax Bryan, I won't bite you." "I am relaxed," I nervously said, "I know you won't bite me....it's just that....well..." "What is it, Bryan," Laura said, concern in her voice, "You can tell me." I mustered up every ounce of courage I had and blurted out, "I get real nervous around pretty women...and....you're very beautiful." "Thank you, kind sir," she smiled, "It's been a long time since a man paid me such a nice compliment." Let me tell you more about Laura. She was twenty-five years old at the time, and gracefully stood five feet, eight inches tall; and was every bit the epitome of beautiful. While she didn't dress provocatively, she was still the essence of true femininity in everything she said and did. She had long golden honey-blonde hair that danced on her shoulders, and sparkling green eyes that reminded me of two brilliantly shinning emeralds, but still though, I could see a hint of sadness in them when she looked at me. She had a dazzling smile that gave me a sort of comfort, kind of like meeting an old friend that you haven't seen in a long time. If I were older, I would surely want to be seen, and maybe one day be loved by someone who was as sweet and as beautiful as she was. But I couldn't understand why she said it had been a long time since a man paid her a compliment. That's why I asked, "I know this is none of my business, Laura, but doesn't your husband tell you how beautiful you are? I know I would if I were him." "And Linda was right when she told me what a sweetie you are, too," she sweetly but sadly smiled, "But my husband was killed in Vietnam, in sixty-eight, during the Tet Offensive." "I'm so very sorry, Laura. I was almost fourteen when that happened," I solemnly replied, "It's been a sad time for all of us. Hopefully that shitty war will be over soon." She rose from behind her desk, and after walking to where I stood, she placed her soft arms gently around my neck, and sweetly hugging me, said, "Thank you for your kind words, Bryan. You're a good man, and I don't know how I know this, but you're going to do great things one day." Still though, the fact that she was a very beautiful woman didn't go unnoticed by me; and when I felt her unintentionally press her breasts against my chest, an involuntarily warm tingle began to arise from my groin at an astounding rate. But as opposed to embarrassing myself, as well as disrespecting Laura by letting her feel my impending erection rubbing against her, I gently eased away from her and replied, "I'm not a man yet, I'm only eighteen." "You sweet boy," Laura knowingly smiled, placing her palm to my face, "My husband, Jake, wasn't much older than you when he was killed defending our country. You act a lot like him, you know." "No," I smiled, now relaxed and shaking my head; "I didn't know that." "I need to tell you something, Bryan," she said, "I'm going to be your faculty advisor while you're here." "Really, that's good then, yes?" "Well," she slyly grinned, "That depends." "On what," I uncomfortably asked. After slipping a card into my hand that had writing on it, Laura playfully punched me in the arm and giggled, "That card has my address and phone number on it. Be at my house for dinner at seven o'clock this evening. And don't be late; you and I have a lot to talk about, kiddo." ~~~~~~ I arrived at Laura's house right on time, and when she opened the door, she greeted me wearing simple blue jeans and tee-shirt. Her house was within walking distance of the campus so; I stopped at the liquor store and bought a bottle of white wine. "Hi Bryan," Laura smiled, "I'm glad you could make it." "Thank you for inviting me," I replied, handing her the wine I'd brought, "I was taught to never come to someone's home empty handed." Laura took my hand and closing the door behind her, brought me into her living room and sat me down on the couch. Taking the bottle she smiled and said, "Make yourself comfortable while I open this," then she disappeared into the kitchen. I looked around her home while I sat there, and noticed pictures of different people either hanging on the wall, or in picture frames sitting on her coffee and end tables. Along her far wall were shelves of books that stretched from one end of the room to the other. "The roast won't be done for a while," Laura said, coming into the room and sitting down next to me on the couch, "So, we can have a little talk while we're waiting." Then as she handed me one of the two of wine glasses she held, she grinned and began, "As a faculty advisor I only take on one student at a time, and then, I'm their advisor until they either graduate or drop out. None of my students have ever dropped out, and we're not about to start a new tradition with you. Do I make myself clear so far?" "Yes," I replied, "But why only one student, and why me?" "I've read some of the short stories you wrote in Linda Walsh's class," Laura smiled, "And I'll tell you now, Bryan, that I've never read finer work than yours. I think you have it in you to be one of the greatest writers of our time, but you're going to have to discipline yourself to buckle down and work hard, very hard." "I can handle anything you put in front of me, Laura," I said, "But you still haven't answered my question, why me? I'm sure there are other, more gifted students in this college than me." She looked at me with tears beginning to fill her eyes, and shifting in her seat, she sadly replied, "Because Linda told me that she never saw you laughing and talking with any of the other students you went to school with," and then tears began to roll down her beautiful cheeks as she continued, "Linda told me that everyone picked on you and called you names like creep, and geek, and nerd." "So," I angrily said, "You're doing this out of pity then." "No, no, oh no," she quickly replied, "I'm doing this because I know how you feel. Who do you think granted you your scholarship?" "You didn't have to," I growled, feeling very insulted, "And how could you possibly know how I feel?" Look at this," she said, reaching over to the end table closest to her, and then pulling out an eight, by ten inch, framed, photo and handing it to me. In the photo, a high school graduation picture; was a girl with bigger glasses than mine, and thick braces that looked like the railroad tracks I used to have in my mouth. Her hair was blonde, dull, and wiry, and hung in thick braids from the sides of her head. "That was what I looked like when I graduated from high school, Bryan," smiled Laura, "Pretty geeky looking picture, huh?" "That can't be you," I disbelievingly gasped, "I mean...you're beautiful...and..." "Now do you believe me when I said that I know how you feel?" she pointedly asked, with just the hint of a smile on her face, "I was just like you think you are now." "I guess I understand what you meant now," I said, "I'm sorry for getting angry at you, Laura, and thank you for helping me get into college." She smiled, and then leaning over and softly kissing me on the cheek, she put her arm around me and giggled, "You're welcome, Bryan, and besides; us nerds have to stick together." "Hell yeah," I smiled, "We sure do!" ~~~~~~ For the next three years I studied everything I could get my hands on, and at the end of each semester; Laura would always smile proudly at me for making the Dean's List. And when I wasn't studying, I was in the gym training and/or working out by myself. I found out early on that Trish was a Psychology major, and it always seemed, because me of being in the advanced placement program, we had at least one, or two classes together, each semester. Every time I would smile or speak to her, she would look at me like I was an insect, and then ignore me as if I wasn't even there. I went home and visited with my folks as I wasn't about to let them stay by themselves without any word from me whatsoever. They were always excited as they listened to the news that I brought with me each time I came home. I didn't have to tell them about Laura, as Linda Walsh, my teacher, had kept them abreast of everything I had done. Dad beamed and couldn't tell me enough how proud he was of me, which made me feel good that I had done my parents proud. And each time I would leave, my Mom, bless her heart, would always cry. If You Only Knew ~~~~~~ Laura and I were now like family, God love her beautiful soul. She became the big sister I never had, and I became the little brother she had always wanted. I also discovered that out of all the students she'd been a faculty advisor to, I was the only male. But anytime I wanted to talk to her about anything in the world, she was always there for me. Hell, she even taught me how to dance, and that was something I never thought I would learn how to do. Of course Kyle became my other best friend, and he and I would always hang out at Gaffe's together when I wasn't studying, or at Laura's house working for extra credit, or in the gym. After tutoring him only twice in English, Kyle became very good at it all on his own, making straight "A's" before then end of his second semester. And as I've already said; he's still a great friend who, by the way, is now an Aeronautical Engineer for NASA, and has designed, or helped design many of the vehicles that were used in space during the late seventies and early eighties. He's married to a very beautiful woman named Kelly Hanson, whom he met at the end of our junior year in college; and they now have two kids, both of which attend our old alma mater. I love them all very much and my.....Oopps, I'm getting ahead of myself...sorry. ~~~~~~ When I began the summer semester before my senior year, the year was nineteen seventy-five, and the war in Vietnam had ended. The whole nation watched on television, as Navy, Army, Marine, and Air America pilots assisted in the evacuation of American and Vietnamese personnel from the top of the U. S. Embassy, in what was once Saigon. Because of the elation I felt at knowing that no more Americans would be sent over there to die, I felt secure in the knowledge that I now knew I had what it took to begin work on my first novel. However, I still had finish the Senior English class and Senior Creative writing class that I was about to take, before I even began my research. Not so surprisingly, Laura taught both classes, and on the very first day of the very first class, my creative writing class; lo and behold, there sat Trish Warner as I walked into the classroom. "Hello" I politely said, as I entered the class room. She said nothing and simply glared at me like she'd always done, ever since I'd known her, as I walked past her and took a seat. "Good morning, everyone," smiled Laura, as she walked into the classroom, closing the door behind her. Then she took her seat, and smiling brightly, she looked at us and said, "We're going to discuss your definitions of love, and I want you to describe it in as few words as possible. When you're finished, turn your papers face down on your desk and wait until everyone is done." I gave it a few moments of thought before I began, and then after reaching into the deepest, most secret reaches of my heart, I began to pour my soul onto the paper. Two minutes later I was done, and after turning my paper face down on my desk; I looked at Laura and winked, eliciting a proud smile from her. ~~~~~~ Once everyone had finished, and had put their papers face down on their desks, Laura began calling on different people, getting their different definitions. There were a lot of very good ones, and then Laura called on Trish, who replied "Love means that you don't have to be ashamed of anything." "Not bad, Miss Warner," smiled Laura, "But I think you can do even better than that." The she looked at me and said, "Bryan, tell me what you think love is." I smiled, and with all eyes upon me, I replied, "Love is whole, unconditional, and gives without asking anything in return." "Perfect," Laura grinned, "I think that you hit a home run, Mister Hendrickson." I glanced at Trish to find an angry scowl on her face as she glared at me then swiftly turned her head in the opposite direction, then I looked back at Laura, who had just witnessed the exchange between Trish and I, and then said, "Thank you, Laura, I appreciate it." She gave me a slight and disapproving glance that only I recognized, and then turned to the rest of the class smiling and said, "That's it for today, gang. I'll see you all back on Wednesday. Mister Hendrickson, please see me after class." ~~~~~~ "What is it, Laura," I asked, as she closed the door behind the last student, "What do you need?" "What is going on between you and Patricia Warner," she suspiciously asked, "You're not sweet on her, are you?" "Well...it's like this..." I stuttered, "I've been in love with her for a while now." I could tell that Laura was upset just by the look on her face, but as opposed to getting in my ass, which is exactly what she should've done, she simply gave me the same sweet and comforting smiled that she always did, and said, "Bryan, sweetie, I'm not going to try and tell you how to live your life. But because I love you like a baby brother, I am going to tell you that Trish Warner is nothing but trouble." "How can you say that," I defensively asked, "Is it because she's beautiful?" "Listen to me, sweetie," she softly replied, "There's a very fine line between beauty and danger. "You're beautiful," I pointedly said, "And you're not dangerous." "Well, thank you," she smiled, "But I didn't always look like this. Do you remember the graduation picture I showed you?" "I don't understand what you're trying to say, Laura." She walked over to the desk next to where I sat and took a seat; and while gently smiling, she told me, "Once I got my braces off, Linda Walsh taught me how to dress and took me to the optometrist so I could get contact lenses. Then she took me to her hair dresser and gave me some tips on styling as well as how to apply my make-up." "So," I asked, "What does that have to do with Trish?" "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Bryan," Laura said, "Patricia Warner is a spoiled little girl who was born rich and beautiful. She's not like you and I, sweetie." "I still don't understand, Laura." She suddenly rose from her seat, and as she was walking into her office, she turned and said, "Wait right here, I'll be right back." ~~~~~~ "Where are we going," I asked, as Laura drove us in her car, "And why all the secrecy?" Do you trust me, Bryan?" "Of course," I replied, "You know I do." She suddenly giggled and said, "Then shut up and don't ask questions." ~~~~~~ Chapter Two As we pulled into the office building and got out of the car, I saw a marquee sign that indicated that we were at an optometrist's office. "What's going on, Laura," I suspiciously asked, "And what're we doing here?" "I'm going to return the favor that was given to me ten years ago," she firmly answered, "And you're not to say a word. Do you understand me?" I could tell by the look on her face that I would somehow be in deep shit if I argued with her so, I simply gulped and said, "Yes, ma'am." "Good," she grinned, taking my hand, "I called Doctor Wilson while I was in my office and he can work you in right now if we hurry." ~~~~~~ "I can't afford this," I told Laura, after Doctor Wilson had put the contact lenses in my eyes and we were headed back to the car. She simply smiled and said, "Shut up, Bryan, and trust me," then took my hand and led me to her car. ~~~~~~ "Why are you doing this, Laura," I asked, once were back on the street. She pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road and put it in park. Then she turned to me and with a very sad smile on her beautiful face, she sweetly replied, "Listen to me, Bryan, and listen good. After Jake was killed, I thought my life was over and I wanted to die, too. But then I began to teach, and while that kept me busy, it still didn't give me peace. But then Linda told me about this beautifully sad, but brilliant boy, who had what it took to become what she and I both wanted to be when we were in college together; and when I met you it was like looking into a mirror," then the tears began to slowly pour down her face as she continued, "I knew that I had to help you become what Linda and I both know you were born to be. So, please forgive the fact that I love you like a little brother, and I only want you to look and be your best. Besides, you're the only family I've got left. Bryan." And then Laura layed her head in my lap and cried harder than I've ever seen anyone cry. "Shhh," I softly replied, as I gently lifted her head off of my lap and onto my shoulder, "You don't have to cry. Laura." "Oh no," she sniffled, half smiling, "And why not?" "Because I love you, too, Big Sister," I replied, and then gently kissed her on the cheek as I wrapped my arms around her, "And now I understand what you're doing." "You'd better," she giggled into my chest, "You little shit." ~~~~~~ From there we went to the new shopping mall near the campus where Laura shelled out some major bucks for a new wardrobe for me. When I tried to protest about that as well, she pulled me aside and said, "I can easily afford this so, don't argue with me, alright?" Again, the look on her face as well as the tone of voice she used, told me that I would be better off if I complied with her wishes so, again, I simply smiled and said, "Yes ma'am." ~~~~~~ The final stop that afternoon was at a hair salon called, "The Mane Option", that was owned by a lady named Rita Kessler. As soon as we walked in the door, a very beautiful woman with stylishly long dark hair came squealing towards us with her arms open wide. And after throwing them around Laura's neck, the woman hugged her and said, "Damn girl, I haven't seen you in so long. Where have you been?" "Rita, I'd like you to meet a special man in my life," Laura giggled, after the two of them had separated from the hug, "This is my baby brother, Bryan." "Hi Bryan, it's nice to meet you, sweetie," Rita smiled, then running her fingers through the long dull mess of hair hanging from my head, she turned to Laura and said, "Ooo girl, you were right to bring him here. He's definitely in need of a new do. You sit down over there and let Maggie do your nails while Bryan and I disappear for a while." Rita took my hand to lead me to the back of the shop, and before Laura could reply, I looked at Rita and teased, "Please be gentle with me. It's my first time." Not only did my remark elicit a cacophony of laughter from every female who'd heard what I said, but I also received a sharp smack on the butt from Laura, as she giggled, "Get your cute little butt back there and let Rita cut your hair, smart ass." ~~~~~~ Rita shampooed, cut, and then blow-dried my hair, styling it into a long Men's Shag, not unlike the Gypsy Shag the girls wore during that time period. Not only did she teach me how to use a blow dryer on myself, but she also taught me how to use conditioner on my hair to keep it looking as glossy and full as it now did. And when she was finished, she turned me around to let me see what she'd done. I barely recognized the person I saw in the mirror. "There now, you good-looking thing," Rita grinned, as she stood beside me, "You'll have all the little gals eating out of your hand in no time." ~~~~~~ The moment Laura laid eyes on me when I returned from the back, happy tears poured down her face by the bucketfuls as she threw her arms around my neck and happily cried, "You look so handsome, Bryan. Linda was right when she said that you were beautiful." "Thank you, Laura," I said, as we hugged one another, "Thank you so very much." ~~~~~~ "Holy shit, man," Kyle grinned, when he saw me, "You look like a different person." "I think he looks fantastic," Kelly, Kyle's girlfriend, said, "You really do look good, Bryan." "Thanks Kelly," I replied, hugging her with one arm, "You too, Kyle." "Hey, I know," Kyle excitedly said, "Let's go to Gaffe's and see how many people recognize you." ~~~~~~ Although Kyle classified himself as a nerd, he was, as Kelly described him, "A cute nerd," and never really had a problem picking up girls before he met her. Me, on the other hand, I knew where I stood in the grand scheme of things. And until now, girls never really gave me the time of day, much less a second look. However, we hadn't been in Gaffe's for very long when some of Kelly's girlfriends that I'd met before and were friends with, all wanted to know who the hot guy was that came in with them, according to Kelly. When they found out it was me, I received kisses on the lips, and hugs around the neck. And the icing on the cake was the fact that I lost my virginity that night with three girls, all at the same time. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. ~~~~~~ The next day I was a few moments late to my English class the next morning because of the previous night's exploits, but when I walked into the classroom, Laura simply smiled as she looked at her watch, and then knowingly said, "Good morning, Mister Hendrickson. Did you oversleep this morning?" "I'm sorry," I replied, a stupid grin plastered across my face, "I won't let it happen again." "Yeah, uh-huh," she giggled, "Take a seat and turn to page one forty-six." Because she and I were so close, we had talked about my sex life, or should I say the lack thereof at the time. And even though she never said anything to me about it; there was no doubt in my mind that Laura was well aware that my status as a virgin had changed in one night. Something else I became aware of that morning was the fact that every female eye in the room now followed me to my seat from the second I walked through the door. ~~~~~~ "So, how did it go last night," Laura asked me, after class that morning, "Did you and Kyle have a good time?" "We sure did," I replied, pulling her into my arms and hugging her after she'd closed the classroom door, "Thank you Laura, thank you so much. I can't begin to tell you how my life has changed." "I'm so glad sweetie," she cooed, as she hugged me back. Then she held me at arms length, and while still happily smiling at me, she giggled and said, "Just because all the girls around here think you're hottie now, doesn't mean you can slack up on your responsibilities in class. Oh, and don't forget; you've got a paper due tomorrow." "I know that," I grinned, "But I can't begin to tell you how I'm feeling right now." "You don't have to, sweetheart," Laura smiled, softly placing her palm to my cheek, "I know exactly what you're feeling." "I love you, Laura," I said, hugging her tightly to me, "You're the best friend I've ever had, or will ever have." "Awww, I love you; too, sweet boy," she cooed, rubbing her soft palms up and down my back. And then she suddenly pushed me away, smacked me on the ass, and blushing brightly, giggled, "Now, get the hell out of here, because I've got a lot of work to do, and so do you." ~~~~~~ As I walked across the campus to my dorm, every girl I passed would each one, turn back around to look at my ass as I walked away. I heard them say things like, "Ooo" and "Aw Baby" or "Hey boy", which all gave me the feeling of being on top of the world. In the back of my mind, I only hoped that Trish would like my new look as much as the rest of the female populace around campus apparently did. ~~~~~~ I got back to my dorm and immediately went to work on my paper. We were supposed to write about our feelings and how they change in different situations. I wrote about the changes I had gone through up to this point in my life, and how I felt about each one of them. I wrote about having come out of feeling disparity for so many years, and that I now felt as if I had been reborn, fresh and anew. I also wrote about my feelings toward others as well. I never called anyone by name, but referred to them as him, her, and they. However, when I wrote about my feelings for Trish, the word "you" was used in reference to her, as if I were addressing her directly. I was cryptic enough in my descriptions, but still though; I hoped no one would be able to figure it out. ~~~~~~ When I walked into class the next morning, you could've heard a rat pissing on a cotton ball from a thousand yards away, as every eye in the room, Trish's included, followed me to my seat. As soon as Laura came out of her office, everyone passed their papers forward, with Trish still staring a hole in me, the look on her face was as if she had been dumbfounded. I politely ignored her and acted like I didn't notice her. That all went to hell in a hand basket when Laura, whom once again had seen Trish's reaction to me, wearing a now familiarly knowing smirk on her face, said, "Mister Hendrickson, because we all know it will be good, I want you to come to the head of the classroom and read your paper aloud." I knew that Laura was being playful and approved of how I looked that morning, because I had taken my time to dress like she had shown me, and to dry and style my hair just as Rita had taught me how. Because I loved her so much, I smiled and shook my head as I rose from my seat and came to her desk at the front of the class. After Laura handed me my paper back, I began to read aloud the feelings I'd poured out onto it the night before. I emphasized every emotion that I spoke of, making sure that all who heard me felt what I was feeling at the time described. And when I spoke of my feelings for Trish, and the love that had gone unrequited for so very long, I made sure that I looked directly into her eyes with every word I spoke. When I was finished, there wasn't as dry eye in the house, save for one, Trish. She still looked at me like I was an insect before she grunted disapprovingly, and then turned her head in the opposite direction while everyone else in class gave me a round of applause. "Another home run, Bryan," Laura smiled, then announced, "I will grade everyone's paper tonight and you will get them back the next time we meet, class is dismissed. As she walked by my desk, Trish turned to me and hatefully spat, "What would a nerd like you know about love? You can get contact lenses, and new clothes, and you can even get a nice hair cut...but you'll always be a nerd...nerd." "Patricia Warner," Laura wailed, "How dare you say such a thing in my classroom?" The whole room suddenly grew quiet as everyone froze where they stood. But before anyone else could respond, I looked at Laura reassuringly and said, "No...I've got this, Laura." Suddenly I came to the realization that Trish Warner was everything Laura had said she was, and that I didn't love her. No, I had simply lusted after her, and now she was no longer attractive to me. Every hateful thing she'd ever said to me came to mind when I told her, "You know, you can call me a nerd all you want to. But I'm not the one who is either too stupid, or too lazy to come to class because they've been out whoring all night, and that's why you're back here repeating this class when you should've already graduated," then I turned and politely left without a single word to anyone, Laura included. ~~~~~~ Kyle and I spent the rest of the day at the beach in the company of Kelly, and several of her very hot friends. Sara, Mandy, and Chelsea, the three girls whom I'd happily lost my virginity to were there also, and Chelsea gave me an encore performance out among the sand dunes later that afternoon. We had a good time that went on into the evening, and as we all sat huddled around the fire, Mandy on one side of me and Chelsea on the other, everyone else having left except Kyle and Kelly, she giggled and said, "Why don't the five of us all go back to my house? My parents won't be back for another week." "Sounds good to me," chuckled Kyle, as he stood up, pulling Kelly with him. "Me, too," I smiled, as I rose to my feet, pulling Mandy and Chelsea up with me. ~~~~~~ We hadn't been at Kelly's house for very long when a deck of cards suddenly appeared, and someone, I can't remember who, suggested that we all play strip poker. Kyle and I both wore nothing but our shorts, underwear and tee shirts, which evened us with the girls, as all they were wearing at the time were their bikinis, with long tee shirts covering their bodies. If You Only Knew The first hand was dealt, and after the discard and draw, Kelly laid two pair on the table, Kings over Eights, no one else had anything and all I had were a pair, meaning everyone but Kelly lost their shirts. Mandy and Chelsea were in their bikinis, while Kyle and I still had on our shorts and underwear. The next hand was dealt and I came in with three Jacks and one Queen and an Ace. And after discarding the Queen and hoping for another Ace, I was totally shocked when I was dealt another Jack, giving me four of a kind. When we all laid our cards down, Kyle smiled as he showed his full house. However I grinned and said, "I've got you beat with two pair, old buddy." "Bullshit," he laughed, "Since when does two pair beat a full house?" "When their both Jacks," I chuckled, laying my cards down. By this time, Mandy and Chelsea were both topless with their beautiful tits on display for all to see. Suffice it to say that before the last hand was dealt, Kyle and Kelly were both on the couch naked, with Kelly screaming like a banshee every time Kyle drove his cock into her pussy. "Well," Mandy cooed, as she watched Kelley and Kyle go at it, "I think I want to fuck your cock again, Bryan." "That sounds like fun," Chelsea purred, ""I'll sit on his face while you fuck his cock; and then after we've both cum we'll switch places." "Alright then," Mandy giggled, winking at me as she sat straight down on me, driving my seven and a half inches of iron hard cock deep into her wet pussy, "Oh yeah baby, time to ride 'em cowboy." Two seconds later the wonderfully heady aroma of Chelsea's dripping slit assaulted my nostrils, making me salivate as her engorged labia softly touched my lips. "Yesss," Chelsea groaned, as I thrust my tongue into her wet hole, "That's it, Bryan honey; lick my pussy baby, Ooo, yeah." Mandy and Chelsea took turns riding my cock, and although I had so many wonderful orgasms that night; I was sore as hell when I awoke in the flesh pile the next morning. Out of love and respect for both Kyle and Kelly, I didn't fuck Kelly, but Chelsea and Mandy kept me well entertained, that much was certain. Kelly also had her first experience with another woman, as she and Mandy sixty-nine'd one another. However, at Kelly's and Mandy's request, Kyle and I did double-team Chelsea and she loved it. The five of us forged a deep bond that weekend, and while we never again had another experience like the one we all shared together that night, our friendship still lasts to this day. ~~~~~~ That was the summer that my father's business took off, which meant that my parents were able to buy me a car. Granted, it wasn't new by any means, but it was still a nice Pontiac Firebird with a convertible top. Dad had it painted midnight blue with small pinstripes on the side. However, the best thing of all was that Dad and Mom would finally be able to go on the honeymoon that they couldn't afford when they first got married. ~~~~~~ Because of what I was researching, and because the material, or should I say, the "proof" that I needed to make my book factual was there, I got a job as a night time janitor at the Bell Helicopter plant, using a fake ID I got from a friend of mine. It was also the same plant that manufactured the many UH-1D Huey Iroquois helicopters that were used in Vietnam. I was always taught that a good journalist used every means at his disposal to obtain information. And although the way I obtained the information might've been not totally legal, I still found definitive and positive proof that both Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the big-wigs at Bell Helicopters, were all getting monetary "Kick-backs" from the Johnson administration which ran the government during the war. It outlined, as well as showed where, and to whom every dollar went. Man, the Senate oversight committee was going to have Bell's ass for breakfast when my book came out. ~~~~~~ When I showed Laura my research as well as the "proof" that I was about to expose to the public, her face turned as white as a ghost. "Do the people at Bell know that you have this information?" she gasped. "No," I replied, "I made copies of these and destroyed the mimeograph negatives after I copied them." "Holy shit, Bryan," she warned, "You know that this information could get you killed, don't you?" "Take it easy, Laura," I smiled, "Like I said before, they don't know that I have this. Take it easy, my ass," she sternly replied, "You're going to stay here until I can make a phone call in the morning to make sure that your pretty little ass is safe until you can finish this." ~~~~~~ I began working on my book the very next morning, and after speaking with my parents on the phone, Laura turned to me and said, "The fall semester doesn't start for at least eight weeks, Bryan, can you finish before then?" "No problem," I replied smiling, "I'll be done before Labor Day so, relax." "I will not relax, Bryan," Laura scolded, "Do you not realize the shit storm you've brought on yourself? According to what you've got here," she said, looking over the copies of the documents that I'd basically stolen, "The people who are named in these documents have lined their pockets with millions of ill gotten government money. And men like that are not only crazy, but they're dangerous as well." "So," I non-chalantly replied, "Don't you think they ought to be held accountable? I mean after all, they made money off the deaths of so many Americans, including Jake." "Damn you," she spat, suddenly slapping my face. But before I had time to react, tears began to pour down her cheeks, and wrapping her arms around me, she softly cried, "I'm so sorry, Bryan. Please forgive me, I'm just afraid for you right now, and I over reacted." "Its okay, Laura," I soothingly replied, standing up and holding her close, "There's nothing to forgive, and besides; you're my best friend in the whole world so, its okay for you to over react." ~~~~~~ "How soon can you be here, Nathan," Laura said, into the phone, "We'll pick you up at two o'clock then, alright?" ~~~~~~ I'll never forget the day I met Nathan Brice when Laura and I picked him up at the airport. He was a retired Colonel in the Army, who was also a Green Beret who had served right alongside Jake, Laura's late husband, in Vietnam. "So, that's him, huh?" Nathan smiled, looking at me. "It sure is," Laura proudly replied, as she stood beside me with her arm in mine, "And he's brilliant." "Yeah," Nathan laughed, "And it sounds to me like he's a sneaky little shit, too. I love it." ~~~~~~ Nathan stood every bit of six feet, six inches tall and weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred and ninety-five, to three hundred pounds. He had dark hair, the same color as mine, and gray eyes that were as cold as steel when he was angered. I respected him because he gave his all when he served in Vietnam, and now he was here to protect me from the men that Laura said were crazy and dangerous. What I could not make either of them understand was, nobody besides the three of us knew what I had, and by the time my book was released, there would be nothing that they, or anyone else for that matter, could do about it once the information I had was out in the open. Still though, I respected Laura's wishes and stayed busy until I was finished with my book. Hell, I had been researching the subject ever since LBJ died in January of 1973. I figured that everyone involved had relaxed their posture, as well as their security measures by that time, and I was right, too. So what if some rich assholes were going to go down. They were the same shit heads that decided to make money off the deaths of America's youth so, I decided; fuck em all, those evil bastards needed to be held accountable for their sins, just like the rest of us. Nathan was thrilled by what I was doing, and said, "Good for you, kid. It's about time somebody lowered the boom on those evil motherfuckers. They've been getting away with too much shit for far too long." "Dammit, Nathan," Laura giggled, "He's bad enough without you cheering him on." ~~~~~~ Laura had secured me a book deal with Simon & Schuster during the spring semester of my junior year in college. And because she, acting as my agent, had told them that my book was going to cause a lot of controversy upon its release, their editors were waiting with baited breath, to get their hands on my manuscript. My contract said that there would be no leaks of any kind before the release of my first book, and that any repercussions caused by such a thing, would be handled by my publisher. I wonder if they knew what they were getting their selves into. ~~~~~~ I handed in my manuscript the weekend before Labor Day, and twenty-four hours later; I got a phone call from New York. They wanted to meet me in person, and they also wanted me to bring my research material with me. They were even sending a private jet to pick me up at the airport, as well as a private limo to drive me from JFK airport to their offices at Rockefeller Center. ~~~~~~ The moment we arrived at the airport we were escorted to the end of a private runway where a Learjet 24D stood waiting for us on the tarmac. Laura boarded first, then me, and then Nathan brought up the rear, watching everything behind us as the aircraft's hatch sealed us in. Our flight took about three and a half hours, and was very pleasant. A very pretty female flight attendant named Leigh, was there to take care of us should we have the desire for anything to eat and/or drink. .She was only a couple of years older than me, and I could tell that she liked me. Hell, I thought she was smoking hot, but then again, I hadn't been having sex for very long at that time so, that was normal for me...lol. We landed and then taxied into a private, VIP terminal at JFK International Airport, where a big black limousine was waiting to take us to Rockefeller Center. ~~~~~~ We were met in the foyer of the main office by the near legendary editor, Mr. Michael Korda. "You must be Bryan," he said to me, extending his hand, "I've been looking forward to meeting you for some time now." "Thank you, sir," I replied, knowing who he was as we shook hands, "It's nice to meet you, too, Mister Korda." Escorting us down the hall to a very nice conference room, he smiled at me and said, "My name is Michael and not Mister Korda, okay?" "No problem Michael," I replied, grinning proudly. ~~~~~~ We'd only been seated a few moments when, the grandson of Richard L. Simon, Robert Simon, walked in and sat down directly across the table from me. Laura sat to my right and Nathan sat to my left, and Mr., Simon smiled at me and said, "I understand that you have information that could lead to the indictment of several Bell executives, as well as a few Government Officials." "Maybe," I replied, "What guarantees do I have that you're not connected to any of them?" "I told you he was smart," Michael chuckled. "Okay then," Mr. Simon smiled, "How about this? I'll give you three million dollars up front and an additional thirty percent royalty on every book we sell, for the exclusive rights to any and all information you have pertaining to your manuscript." "Five," Laura argued, "Its worth a lot more than that, and you people know it." "Okay then," Mr. Simon smiled, "Five million it is, but I want the first option on the next book he writes." "How many copies will you initially release, and how much media exposure will he get?" Laura asked. "How much of my manuscript are you going to change?" I suddenly asked, before anyone else could reply. Mr. Simon chuckled and said, "Bryan, I promise you that we're not going to change a single thing. You did an excellent job, and as far as how many copies we'll initially release is concerned, we'll guarantee a million for the first run, and then three fourths that for the second and/or third, as well as fill any and all outside and/or international orders. How does that sound?" "Great," smiled Laura, "What about media exposure?" "I can guarantee him four television slots a day for the next six weeks," Mr. Simon replied, "And we usually don't set up any book signings until after the television slots have all finished running." "And you're willing to put all of that in writing, yes?" I asked. Both Michael and Mr. Simon began to laugh, and then standing up, Mr. Simon extended his hand and said, "I'm really looking forward to reading more of your work, Bryan. I think you're very gifted and I believe that we will work well together so; all that's left to say is, welcome to the Simon and Schuster family." "Thank you, Mister Simon, sir," I humbly replied, as I shook hands with him, "I'm really looking forward to working with you, too." "You can call me Robert, or just plain old Rob if you want," he smiled, "Oh, and I'll make you the same deal on your next book if it goes as big as I know this one is going to go." "May we please see your research material now?" Michael politely asked. "Sure," I grinned, as I opened my briefcase and began putting its contents on the table in front of me. I began with the material that dated three years ago when I first began researching Johnson and McNamara. And as I moved forward in my outline, I then produced the documents I had copied while I worked as a night janitor at the Bell Helicopter plant. "Holy cow, Bryan," Rob exclaimed, wide-eye at what he was looking at, "Where did you get this?" "Well," I cautiously replied, "If I don't tell you, then you can honestly say that you don't know, just in case anyone ever asks you. The men who are implicated in these documents are as crazy as they are dangerous. That's why Nathan came here with me." "That gives me a great idea," Rob smiled, "We'll go ahead and release the book a few days early. And when those assholes at Bell Helicopter cry "Slander", and start using words like "Libel", and "Lawsuit", that's when we present these documents to the Attorney General's office. Then we let them handle it from there." ~~~~~~ Chapter Three For the next five and a half weeks my name, as well as the title of my first book, "A Great White Lie" was being plastered all over television, not to mention the book's release date. I now had five million dollars in the bank, and the very first things I did with the money; was pay Laura back the cash she'd spent not only changing my look, but helping me change my life as well. I also need to mention that I almost had to threaten her to get her to take the money to begin with. Then I paid off my parent's home and deposited a million dollars, with the certainty of more, into their bank account so that they wouldn't have to work so hard, or ever have to worry about not having enough money ever again. This time it was both of my parents that cried as I happily hugged them and said, "The two of you made so many sacrifices for me over the years, and now God has given me the opportunity to return the favor so; that's exactly what I'm doing. I love you Mom and Dad." "We love you, too, sweetheart," Mom cried, "And we're so very proud of you." ~~~~~~ Then came the day when my book was released to the public, and every book store that carried it sold out. One million copies sold in just little less than eight and a half hours, and as expected; my publisher got a call from not only Bell Helicopter's Lawyers threatening a slander suit, but the attorney general asking for proof of the allegations made against the people in my book. ~~~~~~ I had also bought a nice, three-bedroom house for myself that had a swimming pool in the back yard. And because I love them both very much, and still do, Kyle and Kelly lived with me. Nathan Brice had been by my side the whole time, and on the afternoon of the day on which my book was released, he came out onto patio where Kyle, Kelly and I had been talking with a grim look on his face. What's wrong, Nathan?" I asked, "You don't look too good." "The Attorney General wants to see you, Bryan," he solemnly replied, "And you're probably going to have to testify before a congressional hearing." "I don't think so," I arrogantly said, "If he thinks that he can simply snap his fingers and I'll come running, then he's got another thing coming." "You need to listen to me, my friend," Nathan urged, "If you don't go voluntarily, the Attorney General will issue a federal subpoena, which means that a team of U.S. Marshals will be sent down here to snatch your little ass up and take you back to Washington, whether you like it, or not." "I think you better go then, Bry," Kyle said. "Me too," Kelly added. ~~~~~~ DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON D.C. "So, Mister Hendrickson," the Deputy to the Attorney General asked, "Where did you get this information?" "I can't tell you that, sir," I replied. "What do you mean you can't tell me?" the Deputy asked, irritated, "I believe I asked you a direct question, young man." "And I gave you a direct answer, sir," I told him, "I won't reveal my sources." "Oh, no, you don't' you little shit," the Deputy growled, "You're not gonna...." "Excuse me, sir," Nathan interrupted, standing up, "You're not going to try to intimidate someone who is doing their best to help bring a bunch of evil assholes to justice, are you?" "Who are you, and what right do you have to be here?" the Deputy to the Attorney General viciously spat. "I'll tell you exactly who I am, sir," Nathan growled, "My name is retired Green Beret Colonel, Nathan Brice, and I am an attorney just like you are. Excuse me for saying so, but you are badgering my client, and if you choose to continue with this line of questioning; then I'm going to advise my client to evoke his Fifth Amendment right to the Constitution....sir." "You wait a fucking minute, Colonel," the Deputy yelled, "You can't do this." "I can and I will," Nathan spat, "And if you keep this shit up, we'll go to the press...asshole." All of a sudden a voice emanating from somewhere behind me said, "There will be no need for that, Colonel. I think that I can accommodate everyone involved." I tuned around to find the Attorney General himself standing there with a huge grin plastered across his face, and his hand extended toward me. "Hello, son," he smiled, "My name is....." "I know who you are, sir," I replied, now standing and shaking his hand, "You're the Attorney General, aren't you?" ~~~~~~ "Alright, Bryan," the Attorney General smiled, after I'd answered his questions, "You're going to have to testify before a federal Grand Jury. Do you have any problems with that?" "No, sir," I replied, "But I'm going to want Mister Brice here, to stand with me. I hope that's okay with you guys." "No problem," he laughed, "I don't think you're going to need him, but if it makes you feel more comfortable, then I have no problem with it. ~~~~~~ Do you, Bryan Hendrickson, promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help you God?" "I sure do," I replied, as I was sworn in to testify to the grand jury. It was also there that I produced copies of the so called "proof" that the Deputy to the Attorney General had wanted to know of where and how I got my hands on it. ~~~~~~ "I understand you're a Black Belt, Bryan," Nathan said, in the hotel suite that night. "That's right," I proudly grinned, "My Uncle Joey taught me when he came home from the Nam." "I knew Joey," Nathan fondly smiled, "He was a member of a very select, and very special group of men." "Really," I asked, wanting to here more, "He never really talked about what he did over there, and I didn't ask him because I figured that he'd tell me if he'd wanted me to know." If You Only Knew "You're a smart kid," Nathan grinned, "That's why Joey taught you the things he did, and from what I hear; you're pretty damn good, too." "I don't know where you heard that, "I humbly but knowingly grinned, "But I'm okay, I guess." ~~~~~~ Labor Day was over, my book had been out for a week, and the first day of my last year in college began. As I walked across campus that first day, several either smiled at me, or asked me to sign their copy of my book. "I saw you on the television," one girl said, as I signed her book, "Are all the things you wrote in this book true?" "Yes," I grinned, "They are." "Wow," she said, pointing to her book, "There's some very serious shit in here." ~~~~~~ I hadn't seen Laura since I'd been back from Washington, and the moment I walked through the door of her senior English class that afternoon; she threw her arms tightly around my neck and cooed, "Hi, sweet boy! How was your trip?" "It was good," I replied, as she broke the hug and stepped back to look at me, "I'm just glad it's over with." ~~~~~~ "Hello there, Bryan," smiled the Dean of Students, Dr. Stephen Lang, as I walked across campus to the parking lot that afternoon after class, "Could you spare a minute, please?" "Sure," I smiled, "What can I do for you, Doctor Lang?" "I was wondering if you would be interested in holding a book signing right here on campus tomorrow evening?" he grinned, "It would do a world of good for the students here, not to mention the University, if you don't mind that is." "No problem," I smiled, "What time?" ~~~~~~ "I think that's a great idea, Bryan," Laura smiled, when I told her about the book signing, "Just think, all of these kids around here can be proud that one of their own made it to the top." "I'm not at the top yet," I smiled, "I'm just a writer, Laura." "What're you talking about," she laughed, "You've never in your life been just anything, silly boy." ~~~~~~ The next day was one that will forever live in my memory, as it was a day that became the turning point in my life. I didn't have any classes that day and was sitting out by the pool with Kelly, as she didn't have any classes either when the phone rang. "I'll get it," Kelly smiled, as she jumped up to answer it. I watched her as she walked away and remembered the night at her parent's house when a game of strip poker turned into an all out orgy. Still though, I was proud of myself that I didn't have sex with her, as it would've made me uncomfortable to be around her and Kyle together. But the one thing I did wish for was someone that I could call my own. Little did I realize that my wish would be granted sooner than I could've possibly hoped for when Kelly returned from answering the phone? "It's for you, Bryan" Kelly said, rolling her eyes, "Its Patricia Warner." "Oh yeah," I asked, "What does she want?" "How should I know, Bryan," she replied, shaking her head, "Why don't you go and find out?" ~~~~~~ "Hello," I said, into the phone. "Hi, Bryan," a familiar female voice replied, "I don't know if you remember me or not, but this is...." "Hi Trish," I smiled, interrupting her, "Of course I remember you. How are you?" "I'm doing well, Bryan," she replied, the relief evident in her tone of voice, "Thank you for asking." "Is there something I can do for you," I politely asked, "Because I know you didn't call just to shoot the breeze?" "Well, I know I don't deserve...," she began, and then started to cry before she could finish telling me. "Hey now," I replied, trying to soothe her, "Don't cry, Trish, please?" Once she'd regained her composure, she said, "What I was trying to say before I fell apart was, I know that I don't deserve this, but I was wondering if you and I could possibly get together to discuss a business proposition?" "What kind of business proposition?" I curiously asked. "I don't really want to tell you over the phone," she nicely replied, "But if you can take the time out of your busy schedule, I really would like to meet you somewhere for...oh...dinner, maybe." My Mom, God love her, had taught me forgiveness long ago; and with that in mind, I simply smiled and said, "You name the place and time, and I'll be there. How does that sound?" "Oh, thank you, Bryan," she excitedly cooed, "You really are a good guy, I'm just sorry it took me this long to see it." "I've got a book signing to go to on campus this evening from seven to nine," I told her, "But after that, I'm free." "That sounds great," she gushed, "How about if we get together for a late dinner afterwards?" "That would be fine with me, Trish." "Great then," she giggled, "I'll see you there." ~~~~~~ "I really love your book, Mister Hendrickson," said a young lady, who couldn't have been any older than me, "My father says you've got balls, and I agree with him." "Thanks, I guess," I laughed, as she handed me her book to sign, "What's your name?" "It's Marlee," she tittered, "Thank you for signing this for me, Mister Hendrickson." "Your welcome, and you can call me Bryan," I smiled, "Mister Hendrickson is my Dad." "Okay," she giggled, "Thanks Bryan." ~~~~~~ As I sat in the Student Union building on campus, I looked out the door to see people lined up to get my signature in their copy of my book. A feeling of immense pride suddenly welled up within me, making me realize that I had done something good, something worthy of recognition by my fellow human beings. Still though, the words, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," ran through my mind, making me wonder when the axe was going to fall. I mean, I had exposed a major conspiracy, and in the process, I was more than certain that I'd pissed off some of the major players implicated in that same conspiracy. I wasn't sure now whether I'd done something good or something stupid. Even though I did have Nathan there to look after me, and I'd had enough training to ensure that I could protect myself, I still wondered about those around me, the ones that I loved and cared for. Oh well, I guess I'd just have to wait and see. ~~~~~~ Once the book signing was finished, and I'd left campus, I drove to the restaurant where Trish had asked me earlier to meet her. The name of the place was called Panda's Chinese Garden, and it was a restaurant that stayed open until the wee hours of the morning. The time was now 9:45 pm; and I felt a strange surge of excitement at the prospect of seeing Trish once again. "Hello, stranger," she smiled, as she met me at the front door, "I wasn't sure you would want to meet me." "And why not," I asked smiling, "You did say that you wanted to discuss some business, didn't you?" "I'm really sorry for the way I treated you in college, Bryan," Trish somberly replied, her eyes now filling with tears and threatening to spill down her face, "I said some very terrible things not only to you, but about you to other people." I took my hand and raised her face to look into my eyes and, smiling, said, "That was then and this is now. Besides; we were both different people back then." "Back then," she sadly smiled, "You make it sound like it was ancient history when it was only a couple of months ago." "How about this," I asked, "How about if I said that we were both different people back then, and that we can start over, would that be okay?" "Thanks Bryan," she said sniffling, "You're such a nice man." "Come on and let's eat," I grinned, offering her my arm, "I don't know about you, but I'm starving." "Alright then," she smiled, taking my arm and kissing me on the cheek, "I could stand a bite to eat, myself." ~~~~~~ "So, tell me, Trish," I smiled, "To what do I owe the pleasure of having dinner with you?" "I want to ask something of you," she uneasily replied, "And if you can't, or perhaps don't want to do it, I understand." "What is it, Trish?" "I've decided to further my studies," she anxiously said, "I want to go ahead and get my PhD, in developmental Psychology." "That's great," I replied smiling, "But what does that have to do with me?" Trish suddenly grew strangely quiet and cast her eyes to the floor. "What is it?" I asked, "You can tell me." When she raised her face to me, tears were now falling down her cheeks like a pouring rain. "I know I don't deserve this, Bryan," she cried, "But I'm gonna need your help to pass the required English courses. Can you please help me?" I looked at her closely, and the feelings I once had for her began to reanimate themselves inside my heart when I looked into her hypnotic eyes, weakening me; but at the same time giving birth to new feelings of strength within me I never knew existed. "I'll help you, Trish," I smiled reassuringly, "But there are a couple conditions." "Name it, Bryan," she said, almost begging, "I swear I'll do anything it takes." "Well, for starters, you're going to be in a couple of classes with me again, next semester," I pointedly replied, "That's not going to be a problem, is it?" Trish showed me a side of herself that I'd never seen before when she replied, "I'm not the same person I used to be, Bryan. I acted like a stupid, petulant child the last time I saw you. I barely got my bachelor's degree, and it was only by the skin of my teeth that I got it. But when I saw your face on the television; it not only showed me how brilliant you truly are, but it also showed me that if you really put your mind to it, anything is possible. I also discovered that I had been wrong about you all this time, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." By this time Trish was crying again, but I was always taught to forgive, and in doing so, I reached into my pocket and withdrew my handkerchief, and then handing it to her, I smiled and said, "I'll tell you what; our first class together isn't until next semester. But that doesn't mean you can't get a good head start so, why don't you come to my house this weekend and we'll get started." "Are you sure," she cautiously asked, "I don't want to interfere with your plans or inconvenience you." "It's not an inconvenience, I assure you," I smiled, "Besides, it'll give you the chance to study without any pressure." "Are you absolutely sure about this, Bryan," she asked, "I mean if its not...." "Relax," I grinned, "It's gonna be okay, okay?" "Okay," she smiled, which dazzled me all over again, "Thank you." "You're welcome," I chuckled, "Now; let's eat before our food gets cold." ~~~~~~ As I drove home that night, I was becoming more content with the path my life had taken thus far; and I knew that God had most definitely blessed me with everything that had happened to me in my life. Even now when I look back to the times when I was just a skinny geek that everyone used tease and call awful names, I realized that it was all part of my becoming the person I was meant to be. ~~~~~~ Chapter Four The next day was Wednesday, meaning I had only two classes. My Chemistry class convened at eight o'clock sharp that morning and lasted for two and a half hours. I really liked my teacher, Dr. Scott Covington, and he liked me. Part of it was because I never once missed any of his classes in the almost four years I'd been attending the University; and I guess the other part of it might've been because of all the controversy that was beginning to arise as a result of my first book. Still though, he treated me the same way that year that he had in years past, and I adored him for it. My second class was with Laura, and it was one of my favorites, creative writing. I know that Laura loved me very much, as did I her, but it still didn't deter her in making sure that I studied and learned to my full potential. I was always made it a point to be the first one to Laura's class, and this morning I was teasingly harassed the moment I walked through the door. "Good morning, Bryan," Laura teased, batting her eyes at me, "Or should I start calling you the Good Samaritan?" "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, Doctor Matthews," I lied, walking towards my seat with a knowingly stupid grin plastered across my face. "Yeah, uh huh" she continued teasing me, "Just remember what we talked about a while back." "Things are different now, Laura," I smiled, "Trust me, okay?" "Oh, I trust you, Bryan," Laura giggled, "But only as far as I can throw your little ass." "You're silly," I laughed, "But I still love you anyway, Big Sis." "And I love you; too," she continued giggling, "Ya little shit." A few moments later the classroom began to fill up with people, temporarily halting the banter between us. Still though, the moments I was privileged enough to be able to spend with Laura were, and will forever in my mind be, some of the most precious memories that any man could possess. ~~~~~~ Because I didn't have another class that afternoon, and the fact that it was lunchtime, I decided to call Trish and invite her to have lunch with me at the house. "Hello," she replied, into the phone when I called her. "Hi, Trish," I said, "It's Bryan." "Oh, hey," she said, the smile on her face evident in the tone of her voice, "How are you, Bryan?" "I'm good," I grinned, "I was wondering if you were free for lunch this afternoon." "Oh, gosh," she cooed, "Yes, I would really like that." "Tell me how to get to where you are," I excitedly replied, "I'll come and pick you up." "Okay," she replied, then gave me directions to her house then said, "I'll see you in a few." ~~~~~~ "Hi, pretty lady," I smiled, as I opened my car door for her, "I'm glad you could come with me." "Hello yourself," she giggled, making my heart flutter, "Thank you for inviting me." "Anytime," I smiled, "Anytime." ~~~~~~ My house is roughly ten miles from the university, sitting atop a hill way out in the countryside; and as we were heading out of town, Trish asked, "Where are we going?" "It's a surprise," I smiled, "And it's one I hope you like." ~~~~~~ We pulled into the one hundred yard long driveway that led to my house, causing Trish to smile and ask, "Where are we, Bryan?" "We're at my house," I proudly replied, "And I'm making lunch." "Really," she asked smiling, "When did you start cooking?" "As soon as I got to college and found out how shitty the cafeteria food tasted," I joked, "No, not really, Laura taught me how to cook." "You two are very close, aren't you?" "Yes," I smiled, "She's one of my best friends, and I love her very much." "I used to have friends like that," Trish replied, "But then I started dating David Landers and started acting too big for my britches." "Are you guys still dating?" I inquired, "I meant to ask you earlier and forgot." "No," she quickly replied, "And if I never see that asshole again, it will be too soon." I saw a look of pain flash in her eyes, and in doing so, I said, "If you ever want someone to talk to, I hope you know that you can call on me." "I know that now, Bryan," she cooed, reaching across the front seat of my car and gently grasping my hand, "And thank you." "You're welcome, Trish." ~~~~~~ "What the hell is she doing here?" Kelly asked, as Trish and I walked into the house. But before I could answer, Trish spoke up and said, "I was invited to eat lunch, but if you don't want me here; I can always get Bryan to take me back home." Kelly has as big of a heart as I do, and in seeing, what she later called, the silly grin plastered across my face, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, you're right. Hi, my name is Kelly Hanson, and I live here with Bryan." "So, you two live together then," Trish cautiously asked. "What," Kelly gasped, then began to giggle, "No, no, it's not like that. My fiancée, Kyle Crossfield, and I live in one of the rooms in Bryan's house." "Oh, I see," Trish replied, clearly relieved, "I'm sorry about the mix-up." "No problem," Kelly giggled, "Hey, I was just about to take a swim, Trish. Would you care to join me?" "I'd love to," Trish replied uneasily, "But I didn't bring a swimming suit." "You're a size six, right?" Kelly asked smiling. "That's right," Trish giggled, "Damn girl you're good." "Nah," Kelly smiled, "I'm just a fashion major and that's how I know. But I've got some suits that will fit you just fine," and taking Trish by the hand, she giggled, "Come on, girl, it's gonna be at least an hour before Bryan's slow ass will have anything ready to eat." ~~~~~~ Kelly and Trish were in the back getting changed when Nathan and Kyle came in from doing God knows what. "Hey, guys," I grinned, "Where have you two been?" "Oh, man, Bryan," Kyle excitedly replied, "Nathan took me to the shooting range this morning. Holy shit, it was so cool." "Oh, yeah," I asked, winking at Nathan, who sat back grinning, "So, did you shoot, and if you did; how did you do?" "I hit nine out of ten bulls-eyes on the first try, ten out of ten on the second," he animatedly said, "And then I got nine out of ten on the third." "He didn't do too badly for someone who never shot a rifle before," Nathan said, "Hell, I thought he did pretty damn good." "Thanks Nathan," Kyle grinned, "That means a lot coming from someone like you." "What do you mean someone like me?" Nathan teased, grinning like a kid. "Oh come on, man," Kyle laughed, "We all know you're a bad ass." "Says who?" Nathan chuckled. "WE DO!" Kyle and I yelled, diving onto Nathan and trying to wrestle him to the ground, laughing like fools, all three of us. "While you three little boys play like children, we two ladies, are going to take in a few rays out by the pool," purred a feminine voice, which suddenly broke us from our mischief, and caused us to look in the direction it came from. Standing near the kitchen by the back door was a sight that made me want to drop to my knees and thank Almighty God for making things that looked like what we were now witnessing. Kelly and Trish looked like nothing I'd ever seen before. Of course I'd seen Kelly in a bikini many times before, and knew that she was beautiful. But the sight of Trish in a bikini literally took my breath away. Everything that a man can imagine in his mind to be beautiful stood before me, and just like I did when I saw her for the very first time, I sat dumbfounded and staring, totally at a loss for words. "Jeez, Bryan," Kyle knowingly smirked, "You act like you've never seen a girl in a bikini before." "Not as beautiful as the girl I'm looking at right now," I replied, no longer shy or timid in word or action, "And I doubt that I'll ever see anything else as beautiful as her either." "Thank you, Bryan," Trish cooed, making her way toward me, and then lightly kissing my lips, "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me....and truly meant it." "I thought you were beautiful the very first time I saw you," I told her. "Yeah," laughed Kyle, "And he looked then like he looks now." "Shut up, Kyle," Kelly warned, jabbing him in the ribs with her thumb. Gently caressing my cheek with the palm of her hand, Trish looked into my eyes and forlornly replied, "Yes, and I was too blind to see it back then, but not anymore," then she leaned in and softly kissed my lips again, lingering for only a second before she leaned away smiling. ~~~~~~ As I cooked lunch for all of us, I looked out of my kitchen window out onto the patio/pool deck to see Trish basking in the sun, as it bathed every inch of her perfect body with its shining rays. I'd asked Kyle to fire up the grill since he was going to be outside with the girls, and the chicken breasts that I'd had marinating were now ready to go over the flames. I knew that Laura's last class of the day had been over with for at least thirty minutes. Nathan had conspired with me to get her to come out to the house, and he'd already gone into town to fetch her. He was to make sure that she would be under the assumption that there was something wrong with my publishing contract, and that it was imperative that she come immediately. If You Only Knew No sooner had I thought about it, when Laura came flying through the front door and into the kitchen where I currently stood, leaning against the counter with my arms crossed, grinning. One look at my face and the jig was up. "What're you up to?" she grinned, "I can tell by the look on your face that there's something going on in that devious mind of yours, Bryan." "Did you bring a swim suit?" I asked, glancing back over my shoulder through the kitchen window and out onto the patio. "I've got one in the sports bag out in my car," she knowingly smirked, "I figured you were throwing a party, because you and I both know that your contract is rock solid, you little shit. Why do you think I drove my car out here instead of riding with Nathan?" "So, how did you like the paper I wrote?" I asked, knowing that I did well on it. "You're not going to be one of those who always have to be told how good they are;" she smirked, "Are you?" "What do you think, Laura?" I chuckled. "I think that you're full of shit sometimes," she giggled. "I second that," laughed Nathan, who had remained silent until now. "Go change while Nathan and I take all this food out to the grill," I laughed, "Then you can come out and play with the big kids." "You little shit," said Laura, sharply smacking me on the ass as she ran to the front door, giggling like a schoolgirl the entire way. ~~~~~~ Nathan and Kyle were in charge of moving the food from the kitchen to the table out by the pool. I was responsible for cooking not only the chicken, but at Kyle's and Kelly's request, some steaks I had been saving for a special occasion, but I figured, "What the hell, this occasion is special enough to suit me so, why not?" ~~~~~~ I was standing at the grill cooking when I heard an extremely venomous tone in Laura's voice as she asked, "What in the hell are you doing here, Patricia Warner?" "I asked her to have lunch with us," I replied, as I turned around to find Laura standing there wearing a bright green bikini, looking even more beautiful than Trish, or any other woman I'd ever seen, for that matter. My voice suddenly disappeared and I felt a warm tingle starting in my groin, as the crotch of my pants began to tighten. Thank God I was wearing a pair of cut-off's, as the erection I was beginning to develop would've been obvious to everyone had I been wearing my swimming trunks. "You do know that she's married, don't you?" Laura asked me. "Is that true?" I asked, glaring at Trish. "Yes," she uncomfortably replied, with a look of fear now clearly written across her face. "But only technically. I caught him with another woman the day after we came back from our honeymoon so, I threw him out." By this time tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks again, but as opposed to being loud and acting like a horse's ass, I simply looked at her and coldly said, "I think it's time for you to leave." Then I turned to Laura and said, "Would you mind finishing what I started while I take her back home?" "Sure thing, sweetie," she replied, glaring at Trish. ~~~~~~ "I'm really sorry if I hurt you, Bryan," Trish said, as I pulled into her driveway. "Don't worry about it," I disgustedly replied, "It was my fault, because I should've known better than to trust you to start with." "How can you be so cruel, Bryan?" she cried, getting out of my car, "I thought you were different, I thought you had a heart." "I do," I calmly replied, "But you've already broken it twice now, and I'm not going to let you do it a third time. Goodbye, Trish, I hope you have a good life, I really do." And then I reached over and pulled my car-door shut; backed out into the street, and then drove away with silent tears raining down my face and a deep ache in my heart. ~~~~~~ When I arrived back home, the first thing I noticed was that Nathan's and Kyle's car were gone, and the only one left still in the driveway belonged to Laura. It was less than a half hour ago that everyone was here, making me wonder where they all were. "Hello?" I said, as I walked into my house, "Is anyone home?" "In here, sweetie," replied a now familiar female voice. I walked into my den to find Laura sitting on the couch watching the television. The moment she saw me, she rose to feet, then pulled me into her arms and asked, "Are you alright?" "No," I said, tears beginning to sting my eyes, "I'm not alright, but I guess that's what I deserve for being so trusting, huh?" "No, baby," she sadly replied, holding me closely to her, "You didn't deserve that, but because you've got such a beautiful heart, and an even greater mind, some people mistake your kindness for weakness." All at once and for reasons that I didn't know at the time, I felt my body going limp and I began to cry like I've never in my life done before...not ever. Laura simply held on and guided me to sit next her on the couch as I continued to weep. All of the anguish I felt from all of the shit I'd taken over the years suddenly came pouring out of me; and before I knew it, I found myself bawling my eyes out while Laura still held onto me as though her life depended on it. ~~~~~~ "Do you feel better now," she asked, once I began to regain my composure. "I guess," I sniffled, "How could I have been so stupid to trust her again?" "Because you're just like me," she softly replied, wiping my tears away with the palm of her hand, "When you love someone, you do it freely and with all of your heart." "But what about....." I was suddenly interrupted by the sound of my front door as it crashed open with a loud "BOOOOM," that knocked Laura and I both, off of the couch and onto the floor, followed by a blinding flash of light. Smoke suddenly filled the room and it was all I could do to breathe without coughing my lungs out and my eyes were stinging to the point that I almost couldn't see. Then I felt someone grab me by the throat and lift me to my feet as a deep voice growled, "I've got you now, you little mother fucker, and you're going to regret the day you ever stole from us. I remembered my training at that moment, and in fit of pure anger and rage; I grabbed the hand that was around my throat. I turned and flipped the asshole that had a hold of me over my shoulder and onto the floor. And before he could make a counter move, and while still holding onto his arm, I quickly put all of my weight on it as I twisted it in the opposite direction until I heard the distinct sound of the bones breaking. As his arm snapped, I heard this son-of-a-bitch scream as though his guts were being ripped out, and once he was immobile; I gave him six hard, consecutive punches the face, which guaranteed he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. As the smoke began to clear, I saw another man making a move toward Laura as she lay unconscious on the floor. He hadn't seen me yet and I moved away quickly to make sure that he wouldn't either. Both men were armed to the teeth, but I had managed to take a 9mm pistol off of the bastard that was now lying unconscious on the floor of my den. I aimed the weapon at the other man, and watched s he knelt down next to Laura. Right before his hand touched her face; I yelled "HEY ASSHOLE," making him look directly at me. He never even had the time to draw his own weapon, as I had already placed the red dot from the pistol's laser sight right between his eyes and pulled the trigger. The shot blew the back of his head all over the wall behind him, and knocked him a good six or seven feet away from Laura, as he lay in the floor, dead. ~~~~~~ "Are you alright?" I asked Laura, as she opened her eyes to discover that we were outside by the pool. "What happened, Bryan?" she asked, with fear evident in her tone of voice. Once I explained what had happened and that I had called the police, she looked at me and said, "You know who's responsible for this, don't you?" "Sure I do, it was Garland Ferguson of Bell Helicopters," I calmly smiled, "And because his men tried to hurt you, I'm going to kill him." "I don't think so," replied the voice of Nathan, coming up behind me. "And why not," I angrily asked, "It wasn't you that they tried to kill, it was me and Laura. And there's nothing you're going to do to stop me either, Nathan." "Look Bryan," he said, gently touching my shoulder. "No, God dammit," I replied, shaking him off and standing up to face him, "You look; I've been letting people push me around my whole life. I've had enough and I'm not going to let it happen again...not ever." Before Nathan could respond, the sounds of the police car's sirens coming up the driveway temporarily halted our conversation, but not before Nathan said, "This isn't over yet." "You've got that shit right," I angrily spat. ~~~~~~ "Would someone care to tell me what the hell happened here?" Officer Charles Jones asked. "Yeah," I replied, "These two assholes broke into my house and tried to kill Doctor Matthews and me." "Oh, so, you're going to tell me that you're the reason they didn't succeed," Officer Jones sarcastically laughed, "Is that about right, bad ass?" "Oh, so you think this shit is funny?" I asked, "Well, screw you, cop." "How would you like to go to jail, you long-haired little punk?" growled Officer Jones, "This looks more like a drug deal gone bad, in my opinion." "What would you know about drug deals, when all you do is ride around in that car, wasting tax-payer's money so you can sit on your fat fucking ass," I viciously spat, "You go right ahead and arrest me then. And when you lose your badge after I sue you and the city for wrongful arrest, I'm going to beat the ever-loving shit out of, you fucking idiot cocksucker." "That's it, asshole," Jones said, grabbing me by the arms and throwing me, facedown, onto the hood of his squad-car, "Put your hands behind you back. You're under arrest." "FUCK YOU," I yelled. After placing the muzzle of his weapon to the back of my head, he pulled the hammer back and hissed, "If you don't put your hands behind your back, I'm gonna blow your fucking head off, asshole." "I don't think so," Nathan said, drawing his own weapon and placing it to Jones' head, "Drop the gun, Jones...NOW" "Are you crazy?" Jones asked, in a panicked voice, "I'm a police officer, for fuck's sake." "No you're not," Nathan laughed, "You're a bully. Now drop the fucking weapon." Jones dropped his weapon and backed away from me, and after handing his own weapon to me; Nathan reached over took and Jones' handcuffs from his own duty belt, and then hand-cuffed his fat ass to the steering wheel of his squad car. Then he took the keys out of the squad car and shot five holes in the radiator with Jones' weapon, and after pulling his wallet from his back pocket, Nathan produced a badge and credentials, then angrily said, "Just so that you know, my name is F.B.I. Special Agent Nathan Brice, and you're under arrest, you fat fuck." "You can't do that," Jones hissed, "What're the charges?" "Well, let's see," Nathan laughed, winking at me and Laura, "Not only have you falsely accused an innocent man of wrong doing, but you've committed police brutality, along with interfering with a Federal Investigation, not to mention making slanderous accusations against an innocent, as well as a, Straight A, college student." "How the hell was I supposed to know?" Jones asked, "Nobody told me." "That's because you're a dumb-ass," Nathan chuckled, "But I'm going to see to it that you never wear a badge again, and when that's done, my young friend here is going to kick your ass." ~~~~~~ "Why didn't you tell me you were F.B.I., Nathan," I asked, as the paramedics were loading the dead man into one ambulance, while they took the asshole that was still alive into another. "I'm really sorry about that, Bryan," he sincerely replied, "But you could've really jeopardized the whole investigation if you'd known." "Did you know?" I asked Laura. She looked at the ground without answering me, and my heart literally broke wide open, as I realized that someone whom I loved with all my heart, had not only betrayed me, but lied to me as well. "I'm going to leave here," I quietly said, "And when I come back, I want both of you out of here." "Bryan, honey, wait," Laura cried, opening her arms, "Please...." "NO," I shouted, quickly backing away from her, "Just go away," and then I turned and walked to my car." ~~~~~~ Because of my testimony before a Federal Grand Jury, several indictments were handed down shortly thereafter. Thinking they would get lighter sentences, Garland Ferguson, as well as all of his cronies, threw themselves at the mercy of the court. The judge wasn't moved in the least, and they each received sentences of sixty years, without the possibility of parole. ~~~~~~ "You can't just leave us, Bryan," Kelly cried, upon hearing the news that I had dropped out of college, and was going away for an indefinite period of time, "Where will you go, and what will you?" "I've got to get out of here, Kelly," I sadly replied, my heart now completely broken, "I need to go away somewhere for a while, somewhere I can heal." "What about Laura?" "What about her," I painfully spat, "She'll be fine when the next unsuspecting student comes along and buys into her bullshit." "You think I don't see how you two act around one another," Kelly pointedly said, "You're in love with her, aren't you, Bryan?" "This house belongs to you and Kyle now," I said, changing the subject, "Tell Kyle that I said goodbye." "You take care of yourself, Bryan," Kelly cried, as she launched herself into my arms, "We love you so very much." "I know," I replied, my voice faltering as I began to lose my composure, "I love you guys, too, Kel." ~~~~~~ Chapter Five FOUR YEARS LATER I had moved all over the country, but at the time, was living in Key West, Florida, again, under an assumed name with one of many fake ID's I'd bought before I left. I hadn't written a single word since my last book, but it had continued to sell, and my publisher eventually had to send it back to press eleven times to fill all the orders that were still coming in, almost four years after its release. It also got elevated to the status of "Required Reading" in almost every university in the country, as well as halfway around the world in The United Kingdom. And although my bank account was very fat by now, I couldn't access any of the money, as that would've given anyone who might be looking for me, the opportunity to find me. Still though, I did take seven hundred and fifty-thousand dollars in cash out of my account before I disappeared from sight. Even after my extensive travels, there was still more than enough to lease a small house for the next two years, as well as keep my lights on and my refrigerator stocked. I got a job working as a cook in a restaurant called, "The Copper Kettle", up north of home, on Islamorada. My boss's name was Amanda Walton, and she was a very kind and gentle soul. She was somewhere in her mid to late fifties, (nobody actually knew her age) and she was one of the sweetest people I had ever met. Well, maybe not the sweetest person I'd ever met, but then again, that person, whom I also deeply loved and missed more than life itself had betrayed me, hence the reason I was here to begin with. ~~~~~~ I had hired a private investigator to look in on my parents and let them know that I was okay, as well as the reason for my not contacting them. And that was because if they were questioned by anyone, then they could honestly say that they didn't know where I was, ensuring their safety. Don't get me wrong, I would call them from time to time and talk to them. I knew that my Mom and Dad would rest easier when they heard the sound of my voice, and were assured by me personally, that I was alright. I only did it randomly, and never from the same phone or state. ~~~~~~ Although I had traveled to many places in the past four years, not a night went by that I didn't dream of Laura. Kelly had been right in saying that I was in love with her, and when I finally opened my mind enough to take an honest look into my heart, I came to the realization that I had always been in love with her. I still remembered the very first time I ever laid eyes on her, and how gracefully beautiful I thought she was. The memory of her that was etched the deepest in my mind, was of the day I saw her in a bikini for the first time. She as built like nothing I'd ever seen before, and while I've never been good at judging a woman's bust size, I am more than sure that Laura had nice sized breasts, enough for more than a handful. I remember how flat and tan her stomach had been, and her hips were just wide enough to make her exciting in my eyes. God I missed her so much..... ~~~~~~ The year was nineteen seventy-nine, I had just turned twenty five, and now I stood at a height of six feet, two inches; and weighed two hundred and twenty pounds. My hair had grown down past my waist by this time, and still; I felt so lost. I had been gone for ever three, almost years now, and I was homesick, but I knew better than to go back. I would have to face Laura again, and I still wasn't sure if I was ready for that. What would she say if she knew that I was in love with her? The one thing I knew for certain was that she was almost seven years older than me and she would, more-than-likely, think my feelings for her were nothing more than some old boyhood crush. Little did I realize what lay in wait for me just beyond the horizon? ~~~~~~ A couple of weeks later I had received word from the private investigator I'd hired, that my Mom was terminally ill, and that the specialists had given her less than six months to live. There was no doubt left in my mind now as to whether or not I should go back home. This was my mother's life that was delicately hanging in the balance, and now there was no way on God's green earth that I was going stay away any longer, to hell the consequences. After I called the utility company in Key West and made arrangements to have the power shut off, I emptied the contents of my refrigerator into the trash; and then put all my clothes in the car that I bought when I first disappeared, and took off toward home later that night. ~~~~~~ The travel time from Key West to my parent's home was a little over thirty-one hours, and I drove it straight through. I stopped to eat and rest, of course; hell, I even hit a truck stop and rented a shower to wake my ass up. It most certainly did the trick, and as I pulled into my parent's drive way, I looked at my watch to discover that it was two-fifteen in the morning, of the following day after I'd left Key West. ~~~~~~ Because I still had my old house keys, I let myself into my parent's house. I walked from the living room into the den to find my father asleep on the couch with the T.V still on. "Dad," I softly said, while gently shaking his shoulder, "Dad, wake up." The moment he opened his eyes, and saw that I was kneeling at his side, his eyes filled with tears as he leaned up and wrapped his arms around me and cried, "Bryan, you're home! We've all missed you so very much, son, I...." he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't continue, only cry and hold onto me as if his life depended on it. Suddenly I heard Mom's voice coming from down the hall softly crying, "Bryan? Bryan is that you, baby boy?" Dad let go of me, smiling and nodding his head in the direction of Mom's voice, and said, "Your mother's awake, boy. Why don't you go and say hello?" I walked on unsteady legs down the hall until I got to the door of my parent's bedroom, and the moment I saw my mother, I felt my heart about to cave in on it self. Where there were once bright shining blues eyes, now were hazy blue dots within a mass of blood-shot capillary veins. Her hair had seemingly turned gray over night, what was left of it, that is. Her skin was pallor and her body small and frail. Still though, she held her arms out to me and cried, "Hi baby, I'm so glad you're home. I've missed you so very much, sweetie."