22 comments/ 33034 views/ 29 favorites Valentine's Day Sucks! By: Valentine's Day Sucks! I walked up to Wanda's father and mother as Warren was being loaded into the cruiser and said, "I can see how the upper crust really are the people you want your daughter to associate with. I mean every family should want rapists and drug dealers in it as long as their family has enough money, right?" her father recoiled as though I had slapped him. Her mother burst into tears at what they had almost gotten their daughter into. I took Wanda in my arms kissed her long and hard, and then said good night. Summer arrived and so did my job with the restorations. With more to put into the kitty, we ended up restoring four larger dwellings and when the work was done sold them for an extreme profit. For my investment of fifty-two thousand dollars I saw a return of two-hundred and fifty-two thousand dollars. I now had enough to go to any college I chose to attend. I also felt confident that I wanted to marry Wanda. We spent every available moment together over that summer. If I wasn't sleeping or working I was with Wanda. I loved her more and more every day. On the days I didn't see her I was irritable and despondent. I kept this to myself as I did with my college fund. My parents had absented themselves from my life for more than two years and I saw no reason to try to draw them into caring about me now. I spoke often with Ms. Timmons about my feelings and about my plans for after graduation. She helped Wanda and I check out colleges and scholarships. Wanda didn't need them, she had a trust that would take care of it but seeing me do it on my own had made her want to as well. Our senior year was uneventful by comparison. After what I had done to two influential families in the community, I had earned the enmity of nearly the entire student body and most of the staff. Warren's mommy and daddy were heavy contributors until he went to jail as had been Teddy's parents. I held my 4.0 GPA and kept up on all of my schoolwork. I took the time to see Ms. Timmons almost every day. When my AP History papers began to get steadily lower grades I showed them to her and she arranged a little chat with the academic advisor, the superintendent, and a lawyer Ms. Timmons had arranged for me. I was eighteen and no longer needed my parent's permission to hire legal advisors. The gist of the meeting was that if my grades suffered from any more sudden outbreaks of stupidity the school, the district and the school's board of governors could expect to find themselves paying me into my retirement to pay off the lawsuits. A college professor had examined my papers and given them superior grades all around for content, composition, and research. The bare C grade that they had been given was ludicrous. After that meeting, my grades were amended and my history papers were thereafter graded by the Principal, Mr. Thomason, himself a former history teacher. When prom came around, Wanda again argued with her father about going with me. Wanda informed him that we would be attending the prom together, as well as graduation. He had a choice he could get out of her life, or he could get over his class prejudice and be happy for her. After the fiasco with Warren and seeing me defend her daughter a second time Wanda's mother had changed her mind and supported my relationship with Wanda. We went to the prom and it wasn't until that night my parents figured out I that I was going to graduate high school this coming June. I looked at them blankly for a moment before walking out the door for my date. Prom was made bearable by the fact that Wanda was the most spectacular looking woman in the room. Her auburn locks had been done up in a fancy twist with trailers framing her face. Her amber eyes set off the amber stone in the necklace I had given her for our birthday. Her mother had given her a pair of amber stud earrings to match as a gift for the prom. Her dress was an off the shoulder sheath style in a cloth-of-gold silk fabric. It looked absolutely amazing on her. We danced every slow dance and quite a few of the fast ones. I don't dance much but Wanda is a natural. Even so, she refused to dance with anyone but me. Her small circle of friends visited but it was awkward. They didn't want to be seen speaking with the school outcast. We left the dance around midnight and took a cab to the after party we had planned to attend. We stayed only a short while. When several of the guests began passing around a mirror with coke on it we left. I had a suite at the Doubletree reserved. The cab dropped us off and we presented our I.D.s to the clerk showing that we were both eighteen. We went up to our room and slowly undressed each other. We made love until the early hours of dawn had come and gone. Wanda fell asleep astride me with her head cradled on my chest. We awoke later that afternoon and made love again before I took her home. Her mother had threatened to divorce her father if he so much as raised his voice about her being out all night with me. He gave me hostile glances but said not a word to me. Why couldn't he understand that I loved his daughter? As June approached, I got in touch with Harry and put one hundred thousand dollars to work in the renovation business. Harry found five large properties and gathered the crews to do the work. Two of the restorations would not be finished before school started but they would be complete before the first semester was over. Even so, my bank balance topped three hundred thousand dollars before the start of school in the fall with an additional one hundred and fifty thousand anticipated before the end of September, not including my initial investment. I never really thought about it much. Harry's CPA handled the money so that my tax liability was minimal. My tuition and fees would be paid directly from the bank. All I had to do now was say where to pay them. Once we got our acceptance letters from U of M Columbia, we arranged for the fall quarter. I knew my father. I packed and was ready to spread the good news. We went to Wanda's house first. Wanda and I had decided to attend U of M Columbia University School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. They had the programs for computer sciences we both wanted and with our grades, it would be no problem. Wanda's parents were ecstatic over her choice and the fact that she had been accepted when we told them; mine on the other hand were less than enthused. My father's response was, "Your going to Torrington University for Business Administration, not Columbia. I've already enrolled you and signed you up for the courses." Wanda had gripped my shoulders to try to help me keep calm. I had had it. After nearly three years of living by myself, my father thought he had the right to tell me where I was going to college and what I was going to take. He had never even discussed college with me. "No father as a matter of fact I'm not going to Torrington University. I am going to Columbia, I am going for Information Technology and I will be attending classes in the fall. If you want to go to Torrington feel free." My father laughed, "I won't pay for it. You'll go where I tell you to go, by God and like it mister! I'm not paying for Columbia." I cut him off, "Who asked you to?" My question stumped him. "HUH?" My mother asked, "What do you mean?" I looked at my father. "Do you realize father that I haven't cashed an allowance check in the last two years? You never even noticed. You and mom never noticed that I had my walk-in closet converted into a kitchenette two years ago. Did you ever wonder why the grocery bills went down? I've been paying my own way since the day you told me 'It's none of my concern!' dad." I was angry now. "I begged for either of you to listen to me and got told that I have no place in this family. Problems in this family were 'none of my concern'. I snorted in derision, "Family? What joke! When was the last time all three of us shared a meal father? Mother? I can tell you, on my birthday of my sophomore year. Now after two, almost three years you think you get to decide where I'll go to get my education, what education I'll get, and if I don't like it you'll cut the funding? Go ahead father. My plans never for an instant factored in a dime of your money. I have nearly a half a million dollars at my disposal to go where I choose for college. I picked Columbia so Wanda could come home and visit with her mom when she wants. That and they have one of the best computer sciences programs in the country. Wanda is graduating Valedictorian. I'm graduating magna cum luade one one-hundredths of a point behind her. I'm sure I can find scholarship money for us if I needed it. But I don't." My mother and fathers jaws dropped open, "Half a million…?" "Where the hell did you get that kind of money?" The perplexed look on their faces would have been funny if they weren't my parents. "You haven't been dealing drugs have you?" That was the final insult. No matter how the rest of this conversation went I was out of this house tonight. "No father, I didn't deal drugs for it. I got it the real old fashioned way, I worked for it. I made twelve grand at my first summer job. You might remember you refused to take it for my tuition. My next summer job I invested it and renovated a property. I pocketed forty grand plus my investment. I've done the same every summer since I could work going bigger and more profitable every year. I've spent only what I needed to, to get by. I have enough in the trust I set up to pay tuition and living expenses while I go to college anywhere in the country. I've already reserved and put the deposit on our apartment." They looked at Wanda, "Yes I said our apartment. We'll be living together in a nice three bedroom. She'll have her own room if she wants, but I'd prefer she kept me company." I gave her hand a squeeze, "I love her and if she would have said yes I'd have married her already but she wants to wait till were out of college." I looked at my father as he exploded. "You'll damned well do what I tell you while you're under my roof mister…!" That was the part I had been waiting on. "FINE! I'm not under you're roof." I pulled out my cell phone and hit speed dial. "Mr. Morrison, Brock Champlain here, do you still have that furnished… You do? Great I'll be by within the hour to get the keys and sign the lease. Yes… I'll be attending Columbia in the fall. Thank you; you have a good day too." I turned to look at my parents. "There now, see wasn't that easy? I've already packed and loaded my car so I'll be saying good bye." My mother looked at me puzzled and asked in a quiet voice, "When did you get a cell phone?" Wanda gaped at her and said, "I bought it for him for his birthday two years ago!" I took her hand as I stood. I looked at my father, "Don't make any threats about not coming back, dad. You needn't worry. You chucked me out of your life when it would have mattered, now it doesn't matter at all. I hope you and mom will actually talk to each other but I expect you haven't got anything to say to one another after so long. You can't use me as the excuse for the long hours anymore. Or being the reason you'll keep the second jobs. I'm keeping my email address so you can drop me a line if you aren't too busy. Of course you have been too busy for the last three years. If you decide you want to be a part of my life all you have to do is ask. " With that, I turned and walked from my parent's home. It was the last time I saw that house. Wanda and I went to U of M Columbia and did well in the courses. Mom and dad divorced later that year using the no fault procedures for Missouri. I didn't hear about it until after it was over from one of Wanda's friends. Wanda and I were exhausted but we still managed to spend a little time with one another. The course load was heavy and with all of our AP courses, we were starting as sophomores. Still we progressed quickly. I bought a top of the line computer system and two laptops, one for each of us. We had most of the same classes and shared the love of computers. Sex with her was fantastic. We learned and grew together. Things were going great, I thought, until the end of the last quarter. She had a trip to the hospital near the end of the quarter when she had a hypoglycemic episode. I was worried and took care of her but things went back to normal after about two weeks. I asked her to marry me and set a date for after our graduation. She never answered me. We had been at Columbia for three and a half years, were at the top of our class. The head hunters had been knocking on our door for the last three months offering six figure salaries. But suddenly, this quarter, our schedules didn't line-up. I didn't understand that. Our classes were the same but for some reason every course we had, was now in an opposing time slot. My classes were almost all morning, hers all evening. I had no classes Saturday, she had a full days load. Wednesday she was off and I had classes from eight till eight. At first, I wrote it off as screw-ups in the Admin offices. When I went to check on it though, I found that Wanda had requested the changes in her schedule herself. I had begun to wonder, "What was going on?" I told myself 'You are being paranoid.' She had always spent at least one night a week in her own room. I missed her those nights. I couldn't sleep well when she wasn't there. Suddenly it wasn't one night a week; it was two or three nights a week. Our sex life dropped to nothing. I chalked it up to stress and too many late class hours. Still, I thought, it was just one quarter. We can make it through this. Then the derision started. It never bothered me to be called a 'techno-geek' or 'tech-weenie' before, because I like computers. I also couldn't give two shits for what most people thought of me. But when Wanda started throwing these around about me, it did hurt. It hurt a lot. She wasn't playful when she said it, she was harsh. It was driving me nuts. She wouldn't talk to me. I couldn't see that I had done anything wrong except ask her to marry me. It all fell apart when my professor and I both came down with the flu. I got up and went to my eight a.m. class only to find it posted that he was out with the flu and would make up class next week in our weekly lab session. This was a two-hour block and I decided that I would just go home and rest. It would also mean time alone with my darling Wanda. I pulled up to our apartment to find no spaces available. We had no neighbors in the two apartments above us so it didn't make any sense to me that the lot was full. I parked around the corner and walked back to our building through the snow. As I came by my bedroom window, I heard someone shout "I'mmmm Commmming!" I stumbled and sat down hard on the slushy curb. I knew what I had heard. It was a man's voice announcing his ejaculation. Coming from my bedroom window. I was outside so it wasn't me. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed the home number. After five rings, I was getting ready to hang up and go inside when Wanda answered. "Hello?" She hadn't looked at the caller ID and was severely winded. "Hi honey, how are you? You sound winded." She paused for a second and I knew my suspicions were right. "Oh I was just working out. You know my workout tapes; I've been slacking off a little lately." I winced at the lie. The VCR had "eaten" that tape two days ago and I hadn't replaced it yet, nor had I mentioned it to her, as I hadn't seen her when we weren't fighting. There was no hurry after all. "Oh. Ok. I wanted to see if you wanted to meet me for lunch, I've got nearly an hour to kill and would love to spend some time with you." As I lied to her tears began to run down my face. "Are you crying?" She asked. I got up and moved away from the line of sight of the windows. The last thing I saw was a man's wedding ring on the curtain as he moved it to see out of the window. "No I'm not crying. My sinuses are running like a faucet. That's all. They broke lose while I was dialing you and haven't let up that's all." She must have believed the lie as she went on to explain she couldn't meet me as she was having lunch with her faculty adviser. Another lie! Her faculty adviser and mine shared offices and she had gone into labor early in the day yesterday. Everyone who was attending classes had heard about the surprise twins yesterday in the admin building. Therefore, she hadn't gone to class yesterday evening either. Her last class ended at eight and she had come home about nine-thirty saying she was in the lab. She was also too tired to sleep with me. Again. She also slept in her own room. Again. I moved back to my car and got my digital camera. I put in the blank one-gig memory card and returned to the front of the building. I waited outside and across the street in the hedgerow and as they emerged one by one, I took pictures. Zoom lenses are a wonderful thing. They get you up close and personal with out actually being in sight. There were seven in all, and each one got a kiss. Not a peck on the cheek. However, a kiss full on the lips. Those I caught on video, using the camera's video clip function. I caught all of them on video, her in her blue silk negligee, nipples erect and visible, as she showed them out the door with their tongues inspecting her tonsils. As the last one left, I turned and threw up my breakfast. I waited, as she finally emerged apparently dressed for the first time today. I ran to my room. It reeked of sex; the soiled sheets rumpled as they were, were still on the bed, my bed. Now I knew why she had insisted on the king sized bed. I packed all of her things and threw them into her room. I tilted the bed up on edge and slid it across the hall to her room as well. I took my cell phone and connected it to my laptop. I transferred all of the data from it to my laptop then pulled the SIM chip from it and reset it to factory defaults completely erasing the memory. I threw the useless phone onto the bed. I packed the camera away and put the memory card in my laptop bag. I used the house line to call and cancel service to my cell phone and to request a new number for the house. I then called my doctor and made an appointment for later that afternoon. I called the maintenance man and had a shiny new 'pick-proof' lock installed on my bedroom door while I watched. Two hundred dollars ensured that I had the only keys. He informed me, "You look like shit Brock, you need to see a doctor." I smiled and told him of my appointment. I locked up and left. I went to the bank, took half of our joint accounts, and put the money into my trust account; I had my name removed from the joint accounts. I'd have drained the accounts but I wasn't sure that was legal as she had added monies from her trust to it off and on. I went to the Mattress Shop and arranged delivery of a new twin-size box spring and mattress set and the accompanying frame and linens. The old bed had been a king size but I wouldn't sleep on it ever again for the transfer access codes to the U.S. Treasury. I led the truck to the apartment and waited while they set up the bed. I locked up again and drove to my doctor's office. I had just signed in and removed Wanda as emergency contact when the lights went out. The nightmares were bad enough the first time around I don't care to relive them now. I came to lying on a bed in a sterile white room. I looked around and noticed all sorts of medical apparatus. Shit I didn't die. I thought to myself. A few minutes later and a nurse with a very pinched look on her face came in and said, "Awake are we? Well, I'll just go get the doctor." She flounced out and took her attitude with her. I looked out the window and noticed it was dark out. I looked around and found a clock on the wall. Nine o'clock. Valentine's Day Sucks! She should be home by now I thought. She'll see what's going on and I hope it hurts her as much as what I'm feeling right now. I had loved Wanda for seven years and now felt I had wasted all of that time. Every happy memory over the last seven years yielded only pain now. Now there was only the pain of another loss, another betrayal. I prayed for oblivion that never came. Instead, a little man in a white coat came into the room. He introduced himself as Dr. Vogel. He was a small thin man about five feet four inches or so. He informed me that I had a severe case of pneumonia accompanied by a high-grade fever. He asked for my next of kin. I said "None." He asked whom to contact in an emergency. I told him there was no one. He asked about Wanda and I informed him that I didn't know which of her seven different boyfriends she was with at the moment and that she was no longer my emergency contact. This set off a new round of coughing. He nodded sadly and noted my refusal to see her in my chart. He ordered some medication and I drifted off into a drugged dreamless sleep shortly after. I woke up to feel someone holding my hand. I recognized the feeling well after seven wasted years. I straighten my hand and tried to pull it free but I was too weak. I looked over to see Wanda sitting in the chair. I looked at her and took as deep a breath as I could and wheezed, "Get your hands off of me!" The look of shock on her face showed that she had not expected it. She dropped my hand. "Doctor Vogel called you?" She nodded "Call him in here now. Him and a nurse." She got up and returned a moment later with the two in tow. The doctor looked at me smiling, "So how are we feeling today? Better?" I looked at him a moment and asked "You called her?" He said, "Yes, I…" that was as far as he got. I said as loudly as I could, "You're fired! Do you understand nurse? This man is no longer in charge of my treatment nor is he to have anything to do with my treatment. I specifically gave instructions not to contact this woman. Yet she is here at his invitation." I sucked desperately for air and began another coughing jag. My rage helped steady me. "I want her and this quack gone now!" The nurse looked at me, took both of them by the arms, and escorted them out. I lay there gasping for breath seriously considering leaving the hospital immediately, but every time I tried to sit up waves of pain and nausea swept over me. I don't remember passing out again. The next time I woke up I again felt someone taking my hand. I was prepared to scream bloody murder but as I opened my eyes, I found a welcome face, "Hi Ms. Timmons." She looked at me and said, "Hi Brock, you look like hell. And I've told you to call me Linda now. You're no longer my student." I gave her a wan little smile and said "Ok Linda. It's good to know I look like I feel. I'd hate feel this bad and look like a GQ cover boy." She smiled at my weak joke. "Why did you say you had no next of kin? Your mother is outside worried sick about you. Your father's flight arrives from Amsterdam later tonight. Why did you fire your doctor? Why did you throw Wanda out of here? What's going on Brock?" I looked at her for a few minutes and asked her to look for my laptop in the closet. I was hoping it was there as I'd had it with me when I collapsed. It and the memory card were there. As I raised the head of my bed into a sitting position, she set up the laptop on the small feeding table and plugged it into the wall. After it booted up I inserted the card into the built-in reader and loaded the pictures and video clips I had taken. I turned the screen towards her I couldn't look at them again. It hurt too much seeing it happen. I told her the whole story start to finish from the time we got here until I collapsed at the doctors office. Linda looked at them with a look of profound confusion on her face. "I love her more than anything, Linda but she obviously doesn't feel the same about me. Seven guys. At once. In our bed. Why?" I dissolved into tears and she sat on the edge of the bed and held me until I fell asleep. When I woke up again I just felt numb. No anger, no joy, no sadness. Just… empty. My mother was dozing fitfully in a chair near the foot of my bed. I called for a nurse and asked her to bring a blanket for her and a glass of water for me. My mother woke when the nurse turned on the faucet. The nurse handed me my glass and muttered "Sorry." as she scuttled out. "Hi mom." She came over, took my hand and held it to her face as she began to cry. I hadn't seen her or my father since the day I walked out of my father's house. She looked older. Still beautiful at forty-four she looked drawn and tired. "Why didn't you call me? Why did I have to hear that you were sick from Wanda's parents? I'm your mother." I took as deep a breath as I could, which in my condition was pretty shallow, and asked, "Why did I have to hear about your divorce from one of Wanda's friends? I wasn't a concern when I left and you haven't changed that in the three years I was gone. I told you when I left that if you wanted to be a part of my life all you had to do was ask." The short speech left me gasping for air. It was hard to breathe and my chest felt tight. My mother asked, "How could I call? You made it clear that you didn't need me or your father." I looked at her for a moment and said sadly, "If you're going to lie to yourself fine but don't lie to me. I was there mother, remember. I begged you not to send me to that school, not to spend that much money. I begged you both to spend the time on each other and you, you told me it was none of my concern! The matters of this family were none of my concern. You do realize that you and dad both signed off on the paperwork to create my trust accounts don't you? You signed permissions for the modifications to my room?" She looked shocked. "I came in and told you I needed you to sign forms for me. You glanced over to locate the line and signed it without ever reading them or asking me what they were for, Dad did the same thing the next morning. As long as my grades were up you and he both ignored me. In the last three years, I've heard nothing from you or dad. In the three years before that I heard only slightly more. I've wanted and needed my mother and father for the last six years but as you and he told me, you are none of my concern." As I spoke tears raced across my cheeks and a new coughing fit began. My mother left the room and went to find the nurse. I looked and saw my clothes in the cubby that passed for a closet. I managed to pull myself upright and get to my clothes. Putting them on left me weak but I was determined. I looked into the hall and saw my mother fussing with the nurse. There was a wheelchair near the next door down the hall. I sat in it and used it to get me to the elevators. In moments, I was in a cab on my way to my apartment. I arrived just before noon. There was no one home and I found myself relieved by that fact. I had the cab wait for me and packed my bag as quickly as I could. I nearly passed out from fatigue but my resolve let me get my things and get out. As I looked at what had been my home I took the keys from my ring and put them on the coffee table. I picked up my bag and closed the door behind me. I entered the waiting cab and directed him to the bus station. He looked at me and asked if I shouldn't go back to the hospital. I just stared at him for a moment; he shrugged, turned around and drove me to the bus station. Once in the terminal I used the ATM to draw a large advance on my credit card and then to transfer the money to cover it from my account. I now had three grand cash to take care of my needs. The bus from Columbia to Springfield took more than eight hours with the various stops. From there I purchased another ticket for the express to New York. It left fifteen minutes later without me. It would be thirty hours getting to New York and by that time, I would be lost to any pursuit. I walked out to the newsstand and got a local listing paper for apartments. I didn't know the area at all so I picked a complex offering efficiency apartments. I hailed another cab and took it to the complex. Within an hour I had a new place. I locked the door and sat down in a corner and dozed off. I woke up in another hospital. I was in ICU this time I could see them through the glass wall; my mother, Linda Timmons, my father, Harry and Wanda. As I watched even Wanda's parents came into view, pointed down the hall as they spoke and everyone walked out of sight. All except Wanda and my mother, they occupied the two chairs that were outside my room. I closed my eyes and I knew I was in hell. Linda was the only friendly out there and would most likely be the last one to see me. I drifted into oblivion. Valentine's Day Sucks! I had Brock pick me up at my friend Shelly's house at one on the day of the prom; we spent that whole day wrapped up in just being with each other. After lunch at the Toulon Café he bought me a beautiful solitaire pendant and said that it was for agreeing to keep him company instead of going to the dance. I took him into the mall and teased him unmercifully as I tried on lingerie and paid for it with my credit card so daddy would see it. I also made him approve of my new swimsuits at the Wicked Weasel store. I told him that after I got my first waxing then he'd have to shave me once a week. I took him over to the cell phone kiosk and bought him the best PDA Smartphone they had and paid a year in advance on the plan using the same credit card (he later refunded the cost of the service plan to my father telling me that he didn't feel right having me pay for his airtime but he did let me buy him the phone. It cost five hundred dollars all by itself) Brock wanted to take me home several times but I made him wait until after the prom had started before I would let him take me home. I know he hated to see me at odds with my parents considering how his parents behaved, but I wasn't about to back down and be forced to go with that prick, Warren. When we got to the house at a little after nine that night, the prom had started at seven; the drive was blocked by Warren's limo. The driver came over to us and handed us a bottle and his card and told us that Warren had spiked it. Brock got out his cell phone and called the police as I went to deal with my father. My father came out of the house ranting like a lunatic and I let him have it both barrels. I was enraged that he would try to force me to date a slime ball like Warren Petrie. I was so focused on my father that I didn't even see Warren come up until he grabbed my arm. Warren jerked me around to face him and demanded to know who I thought I was and how I thought he would let me get away with humiliating him like this. His tirade was cut short as was his ability to breathe as Brock clamped his hand around Warren's throat and lifted him nearly a foot into the air. My father stepped back when he saw the look of rage on Brock's face. In a clear whisper that was so loud everyone could hear it he said, "The last man to touch her like that lost his freedom and his nuts. You touch her again and it'll cost you your life. If you understand me, blink twice." Warren must have blinked because Brock dropped him and turned to go at my father. I'll never know what would have happened because the police arrived and after searching the limo and Warren they arrested him on multiple drug counts. Brock turned on my parents after the police had left and said, "I can see how the upper crust really are the people you want your daughter to associate with. I mean every family should want rapists and drug dealers in it as long as their family has enough money, right?" My mother nearly collapsed and my father looked like he wanted to throw up. They had nearly arranged for me to be raped by the son one of their rich family "in crowd" cronies. Brock took me in his arms, held me tightly, and gave me a long steaming kiss before he left to go home. After that night my mother revised her opinion and made an effort to get to know Brock. After she got to know him she became an active supporter of our relationship. Brock and I spent every moment we could together. We began to check out colleges and he told me of his fears regarding what would happen when he told his father where we had decided to go. We had been together for almost three years and his parents had never even made time to meet me so I held little hope that they would be reasonable. When prom rolled around again my father and I had another fight. I informed him that this year I was eighteen and would be going with Brock to both prom and graduation. I told him he had a choice: He could get out of my life, or he could get over his class prejudice and be happy for me. I was shocked when mother told my father that if he said one more negative word about me going to prom with Brock or my spending the night with him she would serve him with divorce papers the very next morning. He didn't like Brock but he loved my mother too much to risk his marriage. Brock and I spent prom night in a suite at the Doubletree. When he made love to me it was more incredible than I could ever have imagined. It was, simply put, the best night of my life. Brock spent hours proving again and again the he loved me. When we woke up the next day he did his best to show me again. After long debate we decided to go to the U of M Columbia. They had an excellent program, terrific instructors and they were close enough so that I could come see my mother when I had the time. Both Brock and I loved computers and had decided that we would enter the U of M Columbia University School of Information Science and Learning Technologies. We received our acceptance letters and made plans for the move to Columbia. We took a long weekend and found a marvelous three-bedroom apartment close to campus and shopping. We also took the time to find Brock a short term lease on a furnished apartment in Torrington. He was sure his dad was going to throw him out when he refused to go to college here in town. He was right and we spent the last three months in a furnished apartment a few blocks from my mom and dad's house. I had always thought that Brock's descriptions of how his parents behaved were a little biased until his mother asked him when he had gotten a cell phone before we left for the last time. He'd had it for two years and she hadn't paid enough attention to Brock to know he had it! Before we left he made sure to tell them that if they wanted to be a part of his life again that all they had to do was ask. We started college in the fall and due to our academic achievements we started as sophomores. The only freshman classes we had were two humanities electives that we could take anytime before graduation. As a surprise moving-in present he bought new laptop computers for us both as well as a desktop system for us to share. I spent almost every night in his arms and for the next three years we were happy… busy but happy. Then I got a mild ear infection. I took the antibiotics to treat it. The doctor, however, neglected to inform me that the prescription would negate my use of my birth control pill. Eight weeks later I found out I was pregnant just before the end of our next to the last quarter. I was happy but scared. We wanted to wait before we had children. I wanted to wait until Brock and I had a couple of days together before I told him about the baby. I went home that Wednesday and told my mother but while I was there I started to have pains and she rushed me to the hospital. I miscarried that afternoon. I immediately fell into a deep depression and tried to avoid Brock as much as possible. I couldn't tell him I had lost our baby; I knew he would hate me for it. Yes, that's not rational, but during that time I wasn't rational. I began snapping at Brock for no reason; I arranged my schedule to conflict with his as much as I possibly could. I knew that when I told him I had lost our baby he would leave me. I just knew it. My friends saw what was going on and called my mother. As they told her what was happening she made plans to come visit with a friend of hers. Martin Willis is a clinical psychologist and he works at Torrington Memorial Hospital as a grief/rape counselor. Mother would never treat me herself --she is also a psychologist -- but she brought the best person she knew to help. After a long argument with mother, I agreed to sessions with Martin. After several weeks Martin helped to pull me out of my depression. It seems the miscarriage threw my hormones out of whack and that coupled with the loss of the child had been affecting my judgment severely. I took the time to try to fix my mistakes. I got several friends and their boyfriends to help me set up the third bedroom in the apartment for a special "Fantasy Date Night". I knew I had my classes sewn up and was ready to graduate. I think the only thing that kept me from going insane, since I wouldn't let Brock help me, were my classes. They gave me an outside focus. Sherry, her boyfriend Tom, his brother Mark and his boyfriend, Will, showed up to help me. They had driven here straight from work and had brought their friends, Phil and Mike, along to help. We were just about finished with the decorating when Brock called. He sounded funny like he was crying. He said it was sinuses but something was wrong. I had to fib to him so I could spring my surprise on him and we got off the phone. The guys were finished and I gave them each a hug and a peck on the cheek as they left. I got dressed and went to order a special dinner from our favorite restaurant. When I got back I found the strangest things. Our bedroom had a new deadbolt lock on it and the king-sized bed had been pushed into my bedroom. It reeked of sex! All of my things from the other room were strewn about on the other bed and the floor; I thought What the hell is going on? Then I saw Brocks phone on the bed. I went cold and a lump of ice settled over my heart. I called mother and Martin and absolutely everyone else I could think of to help me find Brock. As I hung up from calling on the house phone my cell phone rang. I picked it up and nearly died. Brock had collapsed at the doctor's office and was in the hospital. I called mother and she called his mother and told me they would meet me at the hospital. I don't remember getting to the hospital but I must have. I sat in that room holding his hand for what seemed like hours. He would shiver and his teeth would chatter in his sleep. I had just found my way back to him and now I was afraid I would lose him again. Suddenly his hand went stiff as a board. He spoke with such venom it shocked me, "Get your hands off of me!" I dropped his hand I was so shocked at the tone of his voice. He was looking at me with such hatred in his eyes! "Doctor Vogel called you?" I nodded "Call him in here now. Him and a nurse!" I was so shocked I just did as he asked. When the doctor came in he fired him for calling me! Then he had the nurse remove us both. I was stunned. My life had become surreal and I just couldn't cope. I fell to the floor in the hall. The doctor took one look at me and called for another nurse. The next thing I knew I was on an exam table and my mother and Linda Timmons were standing there. Linda spoke softly, "Hi Sweetie, how are you doing?" I took stock and said "All things being equal I'd rather be in Brock's room." At that I burst into tears. After a few moments I calmed enough to ask, "How is Brock doing? Is he going to be all right?" They exchanged worried frowns and mother started "…Em… You see Wanda… we… don't exactly know where he is right now…" I sat bolt upright and demanded, "What the hell do you mean you don't know where he is?!" Linda said, "Calm down Wanda! We have people looking for him as we speak. I also know what he thinks you've been doing and it's why he ran." That brought me up short. "What are you talking about? What does he think I've been doing?" The chunk of ice over my heart grew and froze a little more. Linda looked at me and said, "Who were the seven men at your apartment today? Who did you have sex with in your bedroom?" I gaped at her in outrage! "There were only six men and one woman. I've never been with anyone but Brock and I never will! How did you know there was anyone at my apartment today?" She told me about her conversation with Brock and the pictures of me kissing them goodbye. I started to panic, I hadn't done what he thought I did and I'd never convince him of it "Ohgodohgodohgod!" I lay back curled into a ball and started to sob once more. The next thing I was aware of I was in a private room and the doctor was calling for my mother. After a few moments she came back into the room and said, "Your friends are here to see you." I made no reply. Brock hated me and if that was the way it was I had no desire to continue living. He had been my life and I wanted no other. Tears began to fall down my cheeks as I thought of what I'd lost. "Honey? Look at me, dear." My mother's voice was insistent so I rolled over and looked at her. Shelly was standing there with Tom. I nodded at them and tried to curl up again but my mother would not let go of my hand. "Baby, Tom and Shelly think they know why Brock thinks you cheated on him." I looked over into her eyes and she said, "While you were working they slipped into you bedroom and had a quickie. When Brock called they got spooked and forgot to clean up after themselves. I think Brock might have mistaken them for you and a lover." I began to sob again, "I didn't… I've never had a lover besides Brock and I can never prove it to him. I don't even know where he is." My mother slid on to the bed and pulled me in to her arms and began to rock me back and forth. A very embarrassed Tom said, "Shelly has something to tell you." Shelly pulled a chair to my side and said, "I don't know where he is right now but I do know where he'll be in…" She checked her watch, "…one hour and twenty-seven minutes. He's on a Greyhound headed for Springfield." I looked at her in disbelief. "My brother is a state cop, remember? I told him about Brock leaving the hospital and being very sick and he ran a check on his ATM and credit cards. He drew a big advance and caught a bus to Springfield. We can be there in less than two hours. My brother is downstairs in his cruiser and has permission to drive us there." Before she had mentioned her brother, I was pulling on my shoes. I was still dressed, thank God, and as I stood up I grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the door. Mother said she would handle the discharge paperwork and meet us in Springfield. On the drive there John, Shelly's brother, took a call on the radio. Brock was in the hospital in Springfield in critical condition. He had collapsed inside an apartment he had rented and the landlord found him and called the EMS. I guess I lost it for a while because the next thing I knew I was looking at Brock in the ICU ward sitting in a chair praying for him to survive. The doctor told us he had triple pneumonia and there was a chance he wouldn't make it. He didn't seem to want to fight to live. When my parents showed up, they led everyone to a lounge/waiting room. I stayed and Brocks mother held my hand as we wept as we kept vigil. Valentine's Day Sucks! That got my attention in a hurry. "She's been fucking around with God knows who for however long and you can say that to me? Get out!" She looked angrily at me and then set up my laptop on my feed tray. "You look at these with me and then I'll go, you spoiled little boy! I've been your friend all these years and I have never had a reason to regret that until now! I have never lied to you or misled you! Never! Now you ARE going to look at these with me!" I'd never seen Linda so angry. I watched as the pictures scrolled by, they were still familiar but they were also off. My memory said one thing but the pictures said another thing altogether. When the videos played I became even more confused and agitated. "I don't understand. How…? What…?" I took a moment and asked "Why do I remember things one way but these say they didn't happen? If she wasn't having an affair why has she been pushing me away for the last three months?"