The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

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Author Message
 Post subject: Re: Update
PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:32 pm 
BD,



Please, please, please update soon! The wait is killing me! I'm completely unable to buy lesbian books (stupid anti-gay parents!), and this story is like reading one, and that's part of why i love it so much. *begs* please?



~Kat

(ok, i'll shut up now lol)



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 Post subject: Re: Update
PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 7:31 pm 
I blow cause I got caught up in this Nano thing, and it's been driving me batty. Luckily, unlike my Nano novel, this thing has been at over 50,000 words for quite some time now, so I have things to give you guys even though I've officially taken a hiatus. So, on with the show. Hope you like.



Title: Play It From the Heart

Author: Big Dummy (aka Stevie)

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: This is an original story. All characters belong to me. It depicts a romantic relationship betwen two high school girls. Nothing sexual, pure soppy romance. Think Diane Salvatore and Nancy Garden. But not as good. Any similarities between Krista and Taryn and any other characters/rl people is purely coincidental.

Copyright Stuff: I think it goes without saying, but please do not reproduce this piece of original fiction anywhere without my permission. It's my baby. Questions and requests can be directed to the email address in my profile.

Extra: My first time writing an original story, hopefully not my last. Also my first time posting any creative attempt here, or anywhere. It's not done yet, but it's at 177 pages so far, so by the time we get to where I stopped...well,hopefully it'll be done.



***********************************

The coffee shop was on a small side street that was adjusting to the changes of gentrification. Storefronts that were abandoned and empty stood side by side with consignment boutiques and small restaurants, the faint outlines of their old signs barely visible in the low light of the approaching evening. The glow of Christmas lights that hung around the outdoor seating area of Cuppa greeted the unlikely trio as they walked in, TJ and Taryn waving and exchanging greetings with several patrons and staff, Krista trailing behind, taking it all in. The place was on the verge of becoming very crowded, and all of the tables near the cleared area, which Krista assumed would be the “stage,” were already taken. A server with a tray loaded with dirty dishes stopped on her way by and said, “Hey guys. Gimme a sec.” Krista looked after her, confused, and started to ask Taryn what she meant. She swallowed her question as she turned to her companions; they were deep in conversation with someone else.



Suddenly they were moving, a table with three chairs having mysteriously popped up near them. As they approached she saw the same server that had spoken to them wipe off their table and levy a wink at TJ when she was done. They sat down, TJ scooting his chair closer to Taryn so that he had a view of the performance area. Krista resisted the urge to fold her hands in her lap like a child. Things were moving so fast. It seemed that a steady stream of people came and went from their table to say hello and chat with Taryn and TJ. She struggled not to stare in awe. To know so many people! And it was clearly an older crowd; these people did not go to Alexander High School. She averted her eyes to the area where a couple of people were starting to fiddle with the mics and sound equipment.



Taryn had half her mind on keeping up the small talk she was forced to engage in as people she hadn't talked to in a while forced their way into her space. The other half was on Krista. She knew she hadn't given her much of her attention since the record store, and she didn't want her to feel like a third wheel. She felt responsible for her, since she had invited her along in the first place. She had noticed out of the corner of her eye that Krista had maintained a steady expression of awe since walking through the door.



Making a decision, Taryn held a finger up in a 'wait a minute' gesture to her visitor of the moment and leaned over to Krista, who was staring at the performance set up. “How're you doing?” she asked, grinning when Krista jumped.



“Oh, fine.” Krista smiled gamely.



“You seem a little overwhelmed,” Taryn suggested.



“Well…how do you know so many people? I mean, everyone in here seems to know you.”



Taryn laughed. “I've lived here all my life, Krista. It's not anything I did. It's a natural by-product. Wait a few months. You'll 'know' everyone too.” Her tone implied that it wasn't a good thing.



“Why is it,” Krista asked, her eyebrows quirked in amusement, “that the unpopular kids gripe about no one talking to them, and the popular ones complain that everyone talks to them?”



Taryn laughed in surprise. “Wow. When you finally open your mouth, you’re a firecracker. You should do it more often.”



Krista blushed and looked away. Taryn's tone was teasing, and the interaction felt vaguely like flirting, or Krista's idea of flirting, since she hadn't experienced it beyond the occasional remark from Diana. Thankfully their server appeared at that moment and offered to take their orders. She started with TJ, and it was clear from the way they chatted that they knew each other. Krista took the opportunity to peruse one of the untouched menus on the table. When she finally came around to her, Krista was ready and ordered a chai latte. Her mother had made chai tea at home on occasion, and she'd liked it. Part of her had wanted to order a hot chocolate, but had feared that it would make her look childish in this decidedly grown-up atmosphere.



The lights in the café dimmed and slight mic feedback drew everyone's attention to the performance area. A tall bespectacled man with a graying ponytail stood in the center of a spotlight, smiling and pacing a little as he straightened out the tangles in the mic cord.



“Alright,” he started when the noise in the room had quieted and he was assured of having everyone's attention. “Welcome to the Cuppa Copa’s Spoken Word night. Tonight we have for you our regulars, our loyal parade of talented local artists, as well as a special treat. She just happened to be passing through, and was nice enough to agree to come in tonight and share some of her latest words with us. Alice Pruitt!” The room broke out in applause. Krista joined in automatically even though, truth be told, she had no idea who Alice Pruitt was. As a matter of fact, she knew nothing about it beyond the basics of what it was. The applause died down, and the man continued. “So, without further ado, let's bring out our first performer of the evening, Jason Broderick.” There were more applause and he handed the mic over to another man, who waited for the applause to die down again, then launched into a fast-paced piece, his delivery a percussive staccato. Krista observed him with something akin to shock. When and how did he get in a breath?



The man flowed from piece to piece, not allowing the audience time to applaud in between. His topic was war and aggression, and how it related to men. His voice was harsh and raspy, and his face shone with sweat and he paced frantically back and forth across the small space, his hands gesturing in a steady rhythm with his words. His words and style were that of a hip-hop artist but without the music behind him. They formed a rhythm all their own, and Krista had to make a conscious effort not to rock in time with his words. The only real setback she could see to his style was that she had a hard time making out his words from time to time, but she eventually stopped trying to make out each one and let the overall flow of them take over.



There was a steady progression of performers, varying in style, subject matter, and talent. Krista sipped at her chai intermittently, intent on the words coming at her. Every now and then, when someone had a particularly good run, she would glance at Taryn to see how she was reacting and find Taryn turning to check on her. Their eyes would meet and they would share a mutual moment of appreciation before Krista would return her attention back to the performer.



When the host came back on to announce the final performer, their special guest Alice Pruitt, there was a palpable excitement in the air. Krista found herself squirming in anticipation even though she had no idea who she was. Taryn leaned over and whispered, “She's really something. I mean, if you thought everybody else was good, you're in for a treat.” Krista turned back to the spotlight and clapped as a tiny blonde woman stepped up and took the mic. She didn't look at the crowd. Her head was bowed, and even from where she was sitting Krista could see that her small frame was alive with building tension. She began to bounce on the edge of her toes. Krista wasn’t even aware that she had craned forward in her seat in anticipation of what was to come.



Alice Pruitt burst forth with an unparalleled energy. Her voice was strong and expressive, never rising above conversation level, and she bounced constantly as if there was boundless energy still trapped inside of her. Her delivery was varied, at times words rushing from her mouth as if a faucet had been left on, at others drawing them out long and slow, syllables pouring like molasses. Krista was fascinated by her delivery, but what really caught her attention, and she imagined part of the reason for her popularity, was the subject matter.



Krista fought to keep her mouth from dropping open at the theme of the first piece. Without preamble her ears were assaulted with every imaginable word and description for the female sex organ as Alice Pruitt extolled the virtues of masturbation. Krista wasn’t naïve; masturbation wasn't foreign territory for many teenagers, and she was no exception. But to have it spoken about so openly, to have this woman with the pixie hair describing to a roomful of people the intimate ways in which she touched herself…Krista's eyes roamed the room, not sure where to look. She was most certainly not about to share any more glances with Taryn at this point, and if she looked directly at Alice Pruitt she ran the chance of making eye contact with her by accident.



As her set went on Krista found her situation worsening. She was trapped in the most awkward of situations. She was enjoying the performance, inspired by the woman's words and her treatment of the subject matter. It made her fingers itch for a pen. She also felt uncomfortable. Alice Pruitt introduced a parade of topics she'd thought too taboo for public, but the last one in particular hit too close to home for her.



At first it seemed to simply be a piece about having sex, but as the details grew more and more graphic it became clear that the person she was describing having sex with was another woman. She spoke passionately about the touch, the feel, and the scent of loving a woman. Krista was on the verge of bolting from her seat. For the first time she wished she weren't there with Taryn. The piece was powerful and evocative, but she couldn't enjoy it without reserve. She was painfully aware of the presence beside her, who had played a prominent role in thoughts and feelings very much like what was being described on stage.



Alice Pruitt was called back on to do an encore after her last number, as racy as the others. This time when the audience clapped, Krista joined in earnest, her hands stinging with the force of her enthusiasm. The main lights came back on and a crowd formed around the stage as well wishers and fans vied for a moment of her attention. Krista took her cue from Taryn and TJ, adding her money to the small pile on the table to pay for their drinks, and following them to the door. She didn’t feel like a third wheel at that point. She was glad to be left alone with her thoughts, to process the experience she'd just had. They stood for a moment on the sidewalk outside the café, and Krista breathed deeply in the warm night air.



They started down the street to where TJ was parked, the couple in front, Krista walking behind them. Taryn slowed her pace until she was abreast of the girl. “So? What'd you think?”



“It was…incredible.” She glanced at Taryn to gauge her reaction. Taryn had praised Alice Pruitt’s work before she’d come onstage, so she’d obviously seen her before. If she liked it, and she was straight, Krista’s own liking of it wouldn’t give her away, would it?



“Yeah? Didn’t I say Alice Pruitt was awesome?” Krista nodded.



TJ glanced back at her and asked, “Were you shocked? Was it a little much for you?”



Krista looked at him, trying to determine whether or not he was making fun of her. She was saved the problem of a response when Taryn smacked him on the arm and exclaimed, “TJ! Don't be a dick. You weren't exactly blasé about it the first time you heard it.” She laughed, and continued to question Krista about her opinions of the show. Krista felt quite comfortable discussing everyone else, and was grateful that they were steering clear of Alice Pruitt.



They reached the truck and squeezed into the cab. Taryn apologized for the tight fit, explaining that Jay had the car for the night. Krista didn't mind it so much. Taryn sat in the middle, leaving Krista wedged between her and the door, where Krista was able to continue the theme of the evening: conflict. The sensation of Taryn's warm thigh pressed against her own, which would have been distracting on any occasion, was exacerbated by the images and feelings Alice Pruitt's words had inspired. She struggled to keep up her end of the conversation, and was relieved when she advised TJ to take the turn that led down her street. She had her door open as soon as the truck had stopped, and hopped out .



“Thanks for letting me come along,” she said, looking into the cab to include TJ.



“No problem,” he responded, offering a small smile.



“Thank you for coming,” Taryn said. “You sure you don't wanna hang out some more?”



Krista shook her head. On the ride home Taryn had mentioned that she and TJ were going to get some food afterwards. Krista had declined. She was anxious to get home and review the night's events in the quiet of her room. She had also noticed the look on TJ's face when Taryn had invited, and had surmised that three would definitely be a crowd. “Thanks though.”



“Alright. Oh, I forgot. My mom’s probably gonna call your folks to see if they want to come over for a late lunch tomorrow afternoon, so no band practice.”



Krista threw her hands up. “Right! I meant to ask you about that. Your mom did call. Did you…?”



Taryn grinned. “It’s just the polite, neighborly thing to do. And maybe it’ll make your folks feel a little better.”



“Maybe,” Krista mused, her face showing her appreciation.



“So, tomorrow!” Taryn waved as TJ gunned the engine and pulled away.



“Tomorrow,” she said to no one in particular, and turned to go inside. The house was dark save for the table lamp her parents left whenever they went out for the night. They hadn't returned from their dinner out yet, she realized, and wondered what was taking them so long. “Maybe they went to the same make-out spot Taryn and TJ are gonna hit later,” she joked aloud, and flinched a little at how loud her voice sounded in the empty house. She headed for the kitchen where she quickly made a sandwich and took it upstairs to her room, where she sat in her window seat with a pen to think and write. When her parents came home and checked in on her an hour later, she pretended to be asleep. She didn't actually go to bed till much later.

*******************************



At least one morning out of every weekend the Evans family gathered around their dining room table for a large family breakfast, free from the frantic activity of their weekday mornings. It was seen as a time to relax and catch up on events and news that the hectic pace of the workweek may have obscured. Krista both loathed and loved the weekend ritual. She enjoyed the bountiful food, but she hated the fact that she was forced to awaken earlier than she'd like. She wasn't too crazy about having to revisit topics she felt she'd been grilled about enough during the week either.



“How was your poetry show?” her father asked, reaching for another pancake.



Krista suppressed a grin at his term. “It was good.”



“It happens every week, right?” her mom questioned, most of her concentration on the grocery list she was making.



“Yeah.” She eyeballed her, wondering where she was going with the question.



“Maybe we should check it out.” Her mother glanced at her father, who shrugged.



“Might be interesting,” he answered.



Krista tried not to laugh out loud. “Could be.” She sure hoped Alice Pruitt wouldn't be making any more visits to town in the near future. She could just see her parents' faces. Not that she thought they would ever really go. “Lots of young people though. You might not feel comfortable.” She stared at the syrupy remains of her breakfast, smirking. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her parents exchange indignant expressions.



“Hmph,” her father replied. His expression of mock anger was quickly replaced with one of child-like excitement. “Kris, what are you up to today? You have time to come down to the store and help me out? I want to finish up the cleaning today.”



“Sorry dad. I've promised myself that I would spend the day catching up on schoolwork and practicing for jazz band. I want to make sure I'm in good shape for next week.” The regret in her voice was genuine. Ever since her father had started to talk about opening his own shop, she'd been excited at the prospect of helping him out. If she was going to be able to survive the schedule she'd set up for herself (and she was beginning to wonder whose bright idea that was anyway), she needed to put it aside this time. She wasn't sure if her schedule could take adding one more thing to it.



Her father nodded in understanding, although his disappointment was evident. “That's okay. I'm glad to see you organizing your time.”



“That's what'll save you,” her mother added. “By the way, Jay called last night while you were out. I told him you’d gone out with Taryn. Do you need anything special from the store?” Her father shook his head. Krista reached over and took her mom's notepad to make sure she didn’t need to add anything. She wondered what Jay would be calling her for. Probably to warn her about that night’s interfamily gathering.



Breakfast ended shortly, and the Evans family went their separate ways. Krista's mom went to the grocery store to get ingredients for the dessert she was preparing for dinner with the Hoffas; her dad went downtown to finish cleaning out the leftovers from the previous business; and Krista sequestered herself in her bedroom.



She'd designed a schedule for herself, dividing the day into segments and allotting tasks to each segment. She spent the first few hours after breakfast catching up on her schoolwork. Overall the arrangement went smoothly, except for the time she had to spend online researching. She received IMs from just about every friend she had, and it was an exercise of extreme willpower to not simply give in and chat the afternoon away, especially when she received one from Diana, wanting to know all the details of her “date.” She did answer that one, with a promise to talk to her later.



It was with much excitement that she closed her last book and picked up her bass. She worked her way through the songs for jazz band, repeating stanzas over and over again as she struggled with the harder parts. After an hour or so of this she put the sheet music away, knowing that she would spend more time on it tomorrow, and popped in one of Q's demo CDs. She had saved the biggest chunk of time for this project. There was no sheet music involved, so it would be entirely a matter of listening to the songs over and over again. Overall they weren't very complicated (not nearly as hard as some of her jazz band music), and she was able to pick them up easily. However, she found herself struggling with her ego during the process, as once she'd mastered the old bass line for a song, she felt compelled to try and improve on it in some way even when, as she had to admit to herself at least once during the process, it was perfectly fine as it was. There was something about showing up at a rehearsal and playing the exact same thing as your predecessor that seemed a little…well, lame to her.



Eventually her practicing degenerated into her laying on her back on the floor, head propped against a sweatshirt, just listening. It was amazing to mark Taryn's progression as a songwriter. Even without dates, she would have been able to put the demos in chronological order. Her earlier songs had a younger feel to them. The subject matter was never very deep, and the lyrics themselves were poppy as a whole. As each new song began, however, there was a subtle difference in her lyrics, even in the music itself, that spoke of a growing maturity. Even her voice got stronger. Krista marveled at the amount of change the band had exhibited in its short time. The last demo, the one most recent in date, was the culmination of all that change, and it was a showcase of the band's talent. The music was tighter than ever, as if everyone had finally grown used to each other's styles. Taryn's voice was fully developed and unrestrained. Her lyrics told stories, full and rich with detail. Krista almost laughed out loud during a song entitled “The Big Deal,” which seemed to be about losing one's virginity, which Taryn had apparently felt was over-rated. She almost felt guilty listening to those songs, the ones that were drawn from personal experience, as if she were a voyeur.



She sighed and turned her head until she could see the treetops out her window. She folded her arms behind her head and daydreamed about Taryn while her voice serenaded her from her stereo.



**********************************************

“You find everything okay? Good.” Marshall placed the woman’s purchases into a bag, gave her change, and bade her 'Have a nice day.’ He grabbed a towel and made busy behind the counter, wiping off the glass of the display cases. “Did you see the CDs that lost one bought? Bet you money those’re gifts for a nephew or niece, and she thinks she’s getting them the latest and greatest in popular music. I wish shoppers like her would ask for help. I feel like I’m aiding and abetting poor gift-giving.”



“Sure you do. Except I bet the lazy, minimum-wage worker part of you is just as glad that she didn't.” Taryn dropped a box onto the floor next to him.



“I wouldn’t have minded chaperoning her today. Business is really slow for a Saturday afternoon.”



“Good. That means you have time to help me with these.”



“What are these?” He leaned down and pawed through the box. He pulled out a beaded denim purse emblazoned with the name of a popular boy band and threw it back in disgust. “Since when,” he demanded of Taryn, “have we been in the business of selling this kind of crap? How many giggly teenage girls do we have come in here anyway?”



“Not many,” she answered calmly as she grabbed a stack of special orders from alongside the register.



“So why are we stocking giggly teenage girl shit?”



“Because Craig thinks that the parents and aunts and uncles of giggly teenage girls wander in here often enough to make these things sell,” she said, referring to the store’s owner.



“He should leave that shit to the MegaMusic Plex.” He sighed and began sorting the contents into some sort of order. “Krista's really cool.”



Taryn hid a smirk at the abrupt change of topic. She’d wondered when he would get around to pumping her for information. It was obvious that they had hit it off. “Yeah. She is. I noticed you guys were getting along pretty well yesterday.” She thumbed through the special orders, looking for duplicate requests, and shot Marshall a sly look.



He stopped his sorting and stared at her. “Were you spying on us?” he asked in mock indignation. “Shame on you.”



“No, I wasn't,” she said laughing. “At least, not for long. Whatever, man, she is cool, and she needs some friends. She's so shy and quiet.”



“They always say it's the quiet ones you have to look out for.”



“Uh-huh. And maybe I should warn her about the loudmouthed ones,” she said, throwing a pointed look his way. A customer arrived at the counter at that moment, and Taryn turned to greet him. “Hi, how can I help you?”



Marshall waited for Taryn to finish helping the customer. When she was done and had turned her attention back to the special orders, he continued. “So, she doesn't have a boyfriend, huh?”



Taryn turned and looked at him, a small smile playing at her lips at his attempt to be coy about his interest. “Nnnooo,” she drew out. “But then again she did just move here.”



“Yeah but, what about before? Did she leave somebody behind when she moved?”



Taryn thought about it. They hadn't had much discussion- well any discussion- about Krista's personal life. “You know, I don't know. We haven't talked about stuff like that.”



“Hmm.” Marshall finished his sorting and picked up the box. “I thought that was the sort of stuff you girls loved to talk about. She's even hung out with you and your boyfriend, but you don't know anything about her love life?” He turned away and walked out onto the floor. “I'm gonna find a home for this crap.”



Taryn shook her head and began entering special orders into the computer. So she didn't know anything about Krista's love life. Big deal. It wasn’t her job to scope out information for him. Krista was clearly a very private person. She probably didn't talk about that stuff with just anyone. Still, Taryn couldn't shake a sudden desire to know. She'd turned down a date with her brother, who was no slob in the girl department. Maybe she did have someone back in her hometown, and if they were going to be friends, it was kind of thing Taryn should know about.









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 Post subject: Re: Update
PostPosted: Fri Nov 05, 2004 7:53 pm 
THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU :bow After the week we've had, this was such a welcome change that I greedily ate it all up and felt like begging for more....mostly because, dammit, I want to see some sparks between Taryn and Krista. I feel for Krista, I really do....I've been on far too many of those third wheel things with the objects of my crush and to be in close proximity and not be able to touch is THE worst form of torture. Things have got to start looking up for our grrl.


Time flies by when the Devil drives.
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end.



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 Post subject: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 10:42 am 
Wonderful update BD! Thank you for posting! It's interesting to see how much the friendship between Taryn and Krista is improving. And I agree with Krista, it did seem like Taryn was flirting with her. And the ride home, i bet that was some torture being squished against Taryn and not being able to touch her or anything. As for her desire to know about Krista's love life.. that will be an awkward conversation. Maybe the truth will come out. Who knows? Either way, i can't wait!



Cheers,

Kat



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:02 pm 
Yay..an update..loved it as usual :love . Love sam xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 1:03 pm 
Wow, I really love this story! As many have said, your pacing is excellent and so is your characterization. Your characters are so real and easy to relate to.



Loved this update! Great work, as always :clap

~Jenn









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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:39 pm 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I just wanted to mention how cool I think it is that every time I post a new part, a new Kitten seems to pop up. It feels good when people like enough to respond to my work.



I'm also glad you guys aren't getting impatient yet with the pacing. Writing all of this was kind of frustrating for me because I kept wanting to get to the good part, the part where they get together and admit their love and all that jazz; I had it al mapped out in my head. I had to keep constant vigil that I wasn't rushing anything along just to get to that part, but now I worry that I slowed myself down too much. I think though that the events to come help build the relationship between the two, and hopefully you guys will feel that way as well.



Thanks again, everyone. Till next update.



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 06, 2004 5:09 pm 
Hey Big Dummy,



Definitely not getting impatient with the pacing. It’s great to get to know the characters first and that makes the story more believable. I’m only getting impatient for another update.



Keep up the good work.



wilgen.





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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 8:59 pm 
Yoooo...I miss the updates!! haha, I can't get enough of this story. :pinky I think you should just post everything you've got! :D



Galahad: What a strange person. French Dude: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. Galahad: Is there someone else up their we could talk to? French Dude: No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. - Monty Python



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 6:36 pm 
Oooooooh.......wonder what's gonna happen after they have the 'talk'.......well, maybe not the talk, but a talk!

Great couple of updates, really love hoe the story progressing.



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 5:53 pm 
*begs* Update? Please? :aww



~Kat



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 2:05 pm 
Title: Play It From the Heart

Author: Big Dummy (aka Stevie)

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: This is an original story. All characters belong tome. It depicts a romantic relationship betwen two high school girls. Nothing sexual, pure soppy romance. Think Diane Salvatore and Nancy Garden. But not as good. Any similarities between Krista and Taryn and any other characters/rl people is purely coincidental.

Copyright Stuff: I think it goes without saying, but please do not reproduce this piece of original fiction anywhere without my permission. It's my baby. Questions and requests can be directed to the email address in my profile.

Extra: My first time writing an original story, hopefully not my last. Also my first time posting any creative attempt here, or anywhere. It's not done yet, but it's at 177 pages so far, so by the time we get to where I stopped...well, hopefully it'll be done.



*********************************

Play It From the Heart



*******************************************

She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to clear out her muddled mind. Slowly things began to filter through the haze: daylight, her room, music coming from her stereo, a knocking on her door--- it was the knocking that had awoken her.



“Come in,” she called out.



The door opened and her mother's head appeared. “Honey, you should get ready. We need to be at the Hoffa’s soon. And don’t forget to bring your bathing suit.”



Krista shot a panicked look at the alarm clock next to her bed. 5:30. She had been napping for a bit. She looked back at her mother and shook her head in confusion. “I'll, um, get ready.” Her mother smiled indulgently and slipped back out, closing the door behind her.



Krista sat for a moment, taking in her surroundings and gathering her wits about her. She hated that foggy-brained feeling that came after being yanked from sleep. Did her mom say to bring a bathing suit? Seriously? Her hand found the remote for the stereo and she turned it off. She climbed to her feet, running her hand through her hair. She hadn't even thought about what she would wear. And she needed to shower. She grabbed her towel from the back of her door and hurried down the hall to the shower.



Twenty minutes later she emerged, refreshed and awake. She shuffled down the hall, her bathrobe tied tightly around her, toweling her hair dry. A note was tacked to her door: ‘We went over. Hurry up.’ “Thanks guys,” she muttered, ripping the note down. She stepped into her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She sniffed the air appreciatively. It was thick with the smell of barbeque, and she heard voices outside her window. She headed towards her window, stopping on the way to grab a t-shirt off the bed. Her parents had just arrived at the Hoffas. She could see Mrs. Hoffa greeting them. Her eyes traveled from the adults to the grill Jay was standing next to that was set up near the pool. He was wearing swim trunks and appeared to be stoking the flames. Her stomach growled in response; she hadn’t realized how hungry she was. Her eyes continued their wandering, looking for an as-yet unseen Taryn. She did one more sweep of the yard, but still didn’t see her. She turned away and went to her closet to pull out the standard tank top and trunks she wore for swimming.

***************************************



She hesitated for a split second before opening the heavy wooden door that led to the backyard. She slipped in unobserved and stood by the door, absorbing the scene. Her parents were sitting with Mrs. Hoffa on a set of lounge chairs that were arranged by the edge of the pool. Jay was still tending the coals in the grill. Taryn remained nowhere to be found. Maybe she had decided she had better things to do on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon.



She was still standing there, clutching her towel in her arms when Jay looked up from the grill and saw her. “Hey,” he greeted, waving at her. He roused the attention of her parents and Mrs. Hoffa, who all turned and smiled at her in greeting.



“About time you got here,” her mother chided. “I thought you’d fallen back asleep.” Krista colored slightly in embarrassment and went to join them.



“Hi Krista,” Mrs. Hoffa welcomed her.



“Hi, Mrs. Hoffa.”



“Krista,” she admonished her, “what did I tell you?”



Krista stared at her in confusion for a second before remembering. “Oh,” she said, looking down shyly and smiling. “Sorry. Hi, Cheryl.” She tried not to stumble over the unfamiliar address. She was careful not to look at her mother, whom she was sure was looking at her with disapproval. When Mrs. Hoffa turned back to her parents to continue fussing over them she gratefully escaped over to where Jay was manning the grill.



“Hey,” she greeted him. “I didn’t know you were a master griller.”



“Yeah,” he joked, “it’s a hard job but, I’m the man to do it.” He tossed the large two-pronged fork he was holding into the air with a twirl. It arced and dropped into the pool. He winced and glanced at the giggling Krista before going to the edge and leaning over as if to fish it out. She heard him sigh; the fork was well on its way to the bottom. He began to stand when there was a rush of motion beside her and suddenly Taryn was there with outstretched arms. Krista watched in fascination as an unaware Jay seemed to fall in slow motion, head-first, into the pool.



Jay emerged quickly, flinging his soaking hair out of his eyes and glaring at Taryn, who was crouching next to the pool, laughing. His eyes flickered to the other end of the pool where the adults were watching, and he cut off the line of foul language he was about to send Taryn’s way. He settled for muttering, “Hah hah, very funny,” before diving down to the bottom to snag the fork. Grilling implement finally in hand he crawled his way back to the edge of the pool and hauled himself up. He made sure to shake himself with enough vigor to send a spray of water Taryn and Krista’s way.



Krista had covered her mouth, trying hard not to laugh. “Yeah, go ahead and laugh,” he said, smiling slyly. Krista quickly turned to face Taryn, who was edging towards her.



“Oh no,” she said, backing away. She plucked at her shirt. “Not in my clothes.”



Taryn stopped and put her hands on her hips. “You have to come out of them sometime.”



Krista blushed at the remark, knowing that it hadn’t sounded nearly as risqué to anyone else. “Where did you come from?” she asked to cover up her embarrassment.



Taryn turned around and reached for something lying on the ground behind her. When she stood again she was holding a bag of ice. “What would a party be without the obligatory last-minute ice run?”



“Thanks honey,” Mrs. Hoffa said, coming over to retrieve the bag. Turning back to Krista’s parents she asked, “What will you have to drink? I have mixers for cocktails, soda, juice…you name it.”



“Um…” Mr. Evans hesitated.



“Tell you what,” Mrs. Hoffa offered. “Why don’t you come inside and take a look at the selection?” With that she headed for the sliding glass doors that led into the house, leaving Krista’s parents with no choice but to follow.



Jay resumed his position by the grill, glancing warily at Taryn, and stoked the charcoal. The water from the fork made the coals sizzle and emit light plumes of smoke. Krista stepped a bit closer and inhaled, smiling. At Jay and Taryn’s questioning looks she explained sheepishly, “I love the smell of burning charcoal. It’s the best part of barbeques.” They nodded in apparent understanding.



“It’ll definitely be the best part of this BBQ,” Taryn commented, throwing a teasing grin Jay’s way. “How do you like your burgers: well-done or really well-done?”



“Bite me,” he retorted.



“Watch your language. We have guests,” she responded primly, wagging her finger at him.



“Guests leave,” he shot back, narrowing his eyes.



Krista watched the exchange with amusement, and some envy. She thought back to the conversation she had had with Taryn at the drive-in. It was times like these that she did wish for a sibling.



“How long till food? I’m starving,” Taryn asked.



“Mmm, these are almost hot enough. Another five minutes and we can probably put the burgers on.”



“Quick swim before dinner then.” Taryn walked to the line of loungers at the other end of the pool and peeled off her shirt, revealing a small blue bikini top. Krista averted her eyes and reminded herself to breathe. Now there’s an unforeseen problem, she thought wryly. Taryn flesh, and lots of it from the looks of that top.



Jay noticed her reaction and, misreading it, admonished, “Taryn, BBQ, not strip bar!”



Taryn stopped in the middle of pulling off her jeans. “What?” she asked, glancing down at herself. She looked back up at Krista, comprehending Jay’s concern, and asked, “Are they gonna freak over a bathing suit?”



Krista hastily assured her that it was fine, feeling a twinge of guilt that she had somehow painted such a bad picture of her parents. It was sweet that the Hoffa clan was being so careful, trying to make a good impression on them.



Taryn stuck her tongue out at Jay and pulled her jeans the rest of the way off. She walked to the edge of the pool and dove in, slicing cleanly into the water. When she emerged she looked at Krista. “You coming?”



“Uh, yeah.” Krista walked to the chairs and began to remove her shirt, her movements slow. She had always been a little self-conscious about her body. Her swimming outfit was nowhere near as skimpy as Taryn’s, yet she still felt almost naked without her usual baggy clothes to cover her up.



She finished undressing and eased into the water. She was surprised to find that it was slightly warm from the sun, and she glided easily through. Jay jumped in, creating waves, and she leaned back until she was floating, riding the gentle surges. The sound of the glass doors sliding open attracted her attention as the adults re-emerged from the house, drinks in hand. They were chatting and seemed to be getting along. The sight put Krista’s nerves at ease; she wanted them to like Mrs. Hoffa. Cheryl, she chided herself.



Turning her attention back to the pool’s occupants, she saw Taryn swimming towards the blue rubber chair that was floating nearby. As she passed Krista she stopped and whispered, just loud enough so she could hear, “Oh look. They drink too,” gesturing with her head towards Krista’s parents, then pulled herself up onto the raft with ease and settled onto her back.



Krista did something that surprised her. She reached up with both hands and pushed as hard as she could on the surface of the raft, causing it to flip over and sending Taryn into the water with a large splash. When Taryn emerged, sputtering, she was greeted with hoots and howls of laughter from Jay, her mother, and even the Evans, while Krista had moved a safe distance away, watching, gripping the edge of the pool in laughter.



“Good for you, Krista!” Mrs. Hoffa cheered. “I’m sure she deserved it.”



“Thanks mom,” Taryn said, climbing back onto the raft. She settled back in, casting one last suspicious (albeit good-humored) look Krista’s way before laying down.



Mrs. Hoffa went to check out the grill, and called to Jay, “The coals are about done. Should we start grilling?”



“Okay.” Jay started to make his way back, clearly not eager to stop swimming yet.



“Why don’t you stay in the water, Jay?” Mr. Evans stood up from his chair and strolled over to the grill. “I know a little about grilling. If you guys want to swim, I don’t mind taking over.”



“Really? Are you sure?” Mrs. Hoffa asked.



“Absolutely. Go ahead. You too, Janice,” he urged.



“Well, thanks. That’s very nice of you.” Mrs. Hoffa smiled at him, and showed him the cooler where the meat was being held before hurrying back to the chairs to set down her drink. “Make way, you guys. Royalty’s coming,” she announced, climbing down the pool’s ladder.



“Thanks, Mr. Evans!” Jay called. Mr. Evans smiled and waved it off. Mrs. Evans went to her husband and gave him a small peck on the cheek before joining the others.



At Mrs. Hoffa’s suggestion, Mr. Evans retrieved two more floating chairs from the pool shed and placed them in the water for the women to recline on so that everyone could relax and chat comfortably. The adults settled in and began to feel each other out.



“So, Krista tells us you’re a lawyer,” Mrs. Evans started.



“I am. I work for a firm in Phoenix.”



“Oh. What kind of law do you practice?”



“Corporate law.” Mrs. Hoffa laughed as the Evans nodded their heads politely. “Yeah, it’s not that exciting to anyone except other corporate lawyers. And sometimes, not even to us. What about you? You just moved to Alexander, right? What brought you here?”



“Opportunity,” Mrs. Evans explained. She went into the story surrounding the family’s relocation, which Krista promptly tuned out, having heard it several times already. The teenagers hung around for a bit, feigning interest in the subjects their parents were discussing. Krista wanted to laugh out loud at the ritual of conversation. Ask a question, get an answer that means nothing to you, nod your head sagely, insert “Oohhh” here, or “Uh-huh” if you prefer, and let awkward silence set in until you came up with the next dumb question. She glanced at Jay and Taryn and saw that they appeared to be bored as well. In unspoken consensus the teens began to drift towards the other end of the pool and were soon engaged in a lively discussion of music



Mr. Evans tended the grill while conversing with his wife and their neighbor, and before long the smell of grilled meat was wafting in the air. After a short while he announced that the burgers were getting close to done.



“Okay. Taryn, Jay, help me carry the food out and set the table,” Mrs. Hoffa said as she floated towards the ladder.



“Oh please, allow me to help” Mrs. Evans offered, and followed her out of the pool.



“You’re our guests, and we already have Bill working the grill for us.”



“Really, I’d love to help,” Mrs. Evans insisted.



Cheryl shrugged her acquiescence and led the way to their towels. They dried off and tied the towels around their waists before heading off to the kitchen. “Why don’t you guys make sure the table’s set,” Cheryl called back to her children. Krista led the way out of the pool and over to their towels. She wrung her shorts out as best as she could, and slipped her dry t-shirt on over her tank top.



“I’m gonna go change,” Jay announced, plucking at his soaking shorts, and headed towards the house.



Krista waited for Taryn to get dressed and lead her in setting the table. She tried not to watch too closely as the other girl slipped her jeans on over her bikini bottoms and left her shirt on the chair, apparently happy to walk around in her bikini top. When she was done she turned to Krista and stopped.



Why is she staring at me? Krista wondered, until Taryn said, “Aren’t you gonna be uncomfortable in those? They’re soaked.” She looked down at herself and almost groaned out loud in embarrassment. The wet material of her shorts clung to her thighs, and her wet tank top was beginning to make a faint outline as it started to soak through her dry shirt as well.



“Yeah, I guess so,” she admitted sheepishly.



“Come on.” Taryn grabbed her arm and dragged her through the house. Krista willingly followed, shrugging at her mother’s questioning glance when they passed by the kitchen. She tromped up the stairs behind Taryn, her heart starting to thump loudly as she became increasingly aware that she might very well be headed to the Inner Sanctum- Taryn’s bedroom.



Taryn opened a door at the end of the hall and ushered her inside, leaving her near the door as she began rummaging through one of her dresser drawers. Krista allowed her eyes to roam the room and take in new knowledge about her crush. She recognized a number of titles on her bookshelf, and saw a few that she had been meaning to read but had never gotten around to. Her gaze flickered to the computer desk in the corner, and the Calvin and Hobbes screen saver made her grin. The bed was larger than hers and covered in a forest green blanket with three or four huge pillows at the head. She noticed the notebook lying open on the bed and wondered if it was schoolwork or lyrics. Her gaze continued to travel, taking in the posters on the wall of bands she recognized, and pausing at the open window. She could hear her parents and Mrs. Hoffa chatting. She looked across their backyard and as her eyes landed on the clear view of her own bedroom her thoughts of earlier came back to her with a shock. She involuntarily stepped further into the room, her mouth open in surprise. She blushed as she thought of the things she could have been caught doing. And she never closed her drapes. Not that Taryn would be looking at her anyway, but still…She vowed right then and there to cease her daydream-induced stares at Taryn’s window.



She wrenched her eyes away from the view to find that Taryn was standing next to her, waiting patiently with a pile of clothes in her hands. “Here. You can borrow these,” she offered.



Krista took the clothing, muttering, “Thank you.”



“No worries. I’ll---“ A knock at the door interrupted her. “Hold on a sec!” she yelled. Turning back to Krista she said, “Um, I’m gonna go downstairs, let you change in private.” She flashed her a smile and slipped out the door.



Krista stood in uncertainty for a moment before turning her attention to the bundle she was holding. She thumbed through the stack of clothing, seeing that there was more than just a pair of shorts in the bundle. As her fingers touched the soft material of a bra, she had a moment where she thought she might fall over. Was she really standing in Taryn’s bedroom, holding her bra? Was this for real? Was the universe intent on torturing her? With a sigh she decided yes, and started to undress.

************************



“What are you guys up to?” Jay asked his sister after she had closed the door behind her.



“Giving Krista some clothes.”



He chuckled. “Damn. You noticed that too, huh? Who knew she had such a smoking body underneath all those clothes?”



Who knew indeed. “Perve,” she said out loud, and swatted him on the arm. In truth she had also noticed that Krista’s wet clothing had revealed more curves than she would have guessed the girl had. Not that she would admit that to Jay. Something about standing around with your brother talking about another woman’s body seemed…wrong. On so many levels. She shook her head at the thought and started down the stairs.



“Hold up,” Jay said, moving to block her on the stairs. She stopped and looked at him. “So, you took Krista with you guys to Cuppa last night?”



“Yeah.” She resisted the urge to ask how he’d found out. It sounded suspiciously secretive to her own ears. Besides, she could very well guess where he’d gotten the information. It wasn’t as if she had told their mom not to mention it.



“You think you could spare your little brother some consideration?” At Taryn’s blank look, he sighed. “You could’ve asked me to come to.”



“But you already had plans,” Taryn reasoned. “And besides, her parents…”



“I’m working on that tonight. They’ll want me to marry her by the time we’re done. But you could be a good sister and help me out a little with the rest. Last night could’ve been like a double-date if you’d have invited me.”



“Jay, I told you before, if you’re gonna insist on chasing after her, you’ll have to do it on your own. I’m not comfortable with fooling her into going out with you.”



He glared at her. “I’m not fooling her into anything. I like her, and I just want a chance to go out with her, show her a good time. And it’s not like you’ve never helped me out before. What’s your probl---”



He stopped abruptly as Taryn’s door opened and Krista came out. She stopped short when she saw them both standing on the stairs, and smiled nervously. “Hey guys.”



“Hey. We should head down now,” Taryn replied, and turned to head down the stairs, Jay and Krista following behind her.



**********************************************

Conversation had taken a short hiatus and was replaced with satisfied groans and murmurs of appreciation for the feast that they had in front of them. Mrs. Hoffa seemed to have gone a little overboard in her preparations as there was enough food heaped onto the serving platters to feed four full-sized families. Mrs. Evans shook her head in disbelief and exclaimed again, “This is an amazing amount of food! You didn’t have to go through so much trouble.”



“Family Pantry,” Taryn said. Mrs. Evans looked at her, confused. “You should be thanking Family Pantry.”



“Oh.” Mrs. Evans stammered, not quite sure how to react. Krista stifled a giggle and studiously avoided eye contact with Jay and Taryn, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hold out if she did.



Mrs. Hoffa sighed at her oldest child; she did love to stir things up. “Yes, Family Pantry is a wonderful grocery store that also does catering out of their cooked foods department.”



The Evans nodded appreciatively. “You’ll have to tell us where it is,” Mr. Evans commented. “It’s really delicious.”



“Thanks,” Mrs. Hoffa laughed. “And you make excellent hamburgers.”



Jay nodded in agreement. “These are great,” he added around a mouthful of food.



Krista had to agree. Her father was a master griller. She picked up her burger, laden with onions and cheese and BBQ sauce just as she liked it. She glanced around at everyone else munching contentedly. She hated eating in front of people (and it didn’t help that one of those people was someone she was attracted to) and her burger was going to be mess. She turned it around in her hands, trying to think of a good angle from which to tackle it.



She found a spot that seemed to offer the least amount of mess and took a cautious nibble. It was good, but she essentially got all meat and sauce, without the cheese or onion. Man, if I were alone…She started to make another attempt and stopped, feeling as if she were being watched. She looked up and met two pairs of eyes, crinkled in amusement. She returned the gazes with a questioning one of her own. Jay opened his mouth wide and took a giant bite of his burger, chewing with his mouth open and a large smile on his face.



“Oh Jay,” Mrs. Hoffa chided. She glanced nervously at the Evans, but they had little time to react before Taryn followed suit, BBQ sauce dripping down her chin as she struggled to chew her enormous mouthful. Krista started to laugh so hard that she almost dropped her burger. Here were these two people, these really cool people, the kind of people who wouldn’t have given her the time of day at her old school, and they were going out of their way to make her feel comfortable. They actually cared about her comfort. The thought brought her great comfort and she took a bite, a real bite, out of her burger. This time she got all the flavors at once.

***********************************************

The sun was beginning to set on the little gathering. The large citronella candles that the Hoffas kept in their backyard to ward off mosquitoes were lit, and the crew sat once again their lounge chairs, noticeably more relaxed than before their meal. They sat all six in a loose circle, with the adults chatting amicably at one end of the circle, and the young people chatting at the other. Jay and Taryn were regaling Krista with stories about their classmates, with a few tips and pointers here and there about surviving at Alexander High. Their parents were sharing stories of their children's misadventures, and swapping theories about how they keep their offspring out of trouble.



“There's so much out there these days that kids can get into,” Mrs. Evans was lamenting. “I mean, without some sort of constructive outlet, they just find the wrong ways to express themselves or deal with…everything.”



“Hobbies are really helpful,” Mrs. Hoffa added. “It was really important to me that Jay and Taryn develop some sort of hobby, something to keep them busy.”



“Music's a good one,” Mr. Evans said. “I was excited when Krista showed an interest in learning an instrument.”



“How long has she been playing?”



“Since she was 13. She has a natural talent for it.”



“She gets it from her father,” Mrs. Evans said, giving her husband an admiring look. “He plays the piano.”



“Oh, a musical family.” Mrs. Hoffa smiled.



“I'm afraid the musical genes are strictly from his side of the gene pool. I think I might be officially tone deaf,” Mrs. Evans admitted. “But, you must be proud to have two talented musicians in your family.”



“I don't know where they get it from,” Mrs. Hoffa said. “Neither me nor my husband were very musical. But Taryn's been singing since she was a kid, and Jay has always been into music too. I wasn't the least bit surprised when they told me they were forming a band together. I'd figured it was only a matter of time.”



“I'm excited to hear them all play together,” Mr. Evans said. “I almost wish your basement wasn't soundproofed, just so I can listen in on rehearsals. I'm dying of curiosity.”



“Hmm, you might be the only neighbors who feel that way. Before I got the basement done, the only thing people were dying of around here was annoyance. I was afraid I was going to be forced to move.”



“So, how long have they been a band?” Mrs. Evans questioned.



“Umm…Taryn,” Mrs. Hoffa called for her daughter's attention, momentarily stalling their children's conversation. “How long have you guys been playing as a band?”



“A little over a year, I guess. Why?”



“We were just curious,” Mrs. Evans explained. “We're excited to hear you guys play. Do you usually perform a lot?”



“Yeah, from time to time,” Taryn said. Krista stiffened, fearing the direction the conversation seemed to be going in. Taryn glanced at her as if reading her thoughts.



“Oh good. Do you play at school functions?” Mrs. Evans asked, oblivious to the looks the teenagers were sharing.



“Yeah,” she answered.



“Krista said you were recording a demo at some point,” Mr. Evans pointed out.



“Yeah, we are,” Jay answered. “The clubs we’re trying to play at want one. And it’s not a bad idea to keep it updated anyway.”





“Clubs,” Mrs. Evans repeated. “Like bars?”



“Um, sort’ve..but not…really?” Jay glanced uncertainly at Taryn, sensing that maybe he had just tread on bad ground.



Mr. Evans looked from Jay to Taryn in confusion. “Times must have really changed since I was in high school. Last I checked they didn’t let underage kids into bars.” He peered at them closely. “Unless you’re not really teenagers,” he added, his tone suggesting that he might not be entirely joking.



Taryn laughed and stepped up to the plate. “No, actually, we just lucked out. Our old bassist knew some people, and he was able to get us some gigs in local clubs. And they were willing to have us because they knew him and most importantly,” here she glanced at her mother and smiled cheekily, “our mommy brings us.”



Seeing the Evans’ confused looks, Mrs. Hoffa jumped in. “I just decided that if this was something they were really into doing, and they were willing to put as much time and energy into as they were, I could support them in this way. Y’know, it’s really a great way to build a fan base, to get noticed, to get the attention of someone important…” She trailed off.



Krista’s parents glanced at each other. It was hard to tell what they were thinking, and Krista tensed slightly. She would die of embarrassment if her parents made a scene. Her father surprised her by turning to Jay and Taryn and asking, “So, you’re really serious about music? Is this a career path for you then?” They both answered quickly in the affirmative. He smiled. “I remember wanting to be a professional jazz pianist when I was young.”



“Unfortunately for Bill, he had an ear for music, but not necessarily the talent,” Mrs. Evans interjected. She gave her husband an amused smile, which he returned. It was clearly a long-running joke between them.



“Yeah, thank God I got my degree, ‘Just in case.’ Although the computer business these days seems about as risky as trying to be a rock star.”



“Oh, you do computers?” Jay asked.



“Yes. I’m opening a repair and retail shop downtown. Just signed the lease on the building this week.”



“Cool. That’s what I’m going to college for as my back-up. In case it takes a while to get famous,” Jay added jokingly.



“Really? What area of computers are you considering?”



“I’m really digging my programming class this year so far, so that’s my first choice. I like that better than hardware stuff.”



“Townsend offers programming classes?” Mr. Evans asked, his eyes widening. He looked at Krista. “Dale didn’t have that, did they? You should make sure to take at least one while you have a chance and it’s free.” He turned back to Jay and began to query him on the course material. To Krista’s surprise, Jay seemed to be enjoy talking with him about it.



Mrs. Evans recognized that her husband had gone off on a subject that he could talk about for hours, so she turned to the older Hoffa sibling and asked, “How about you, Taryn? You’re a…”



“Senior,” Taryn supplied.



“Right. What happens for you after graduation? College?”



“No. I’m not really sure what’s going to happen. Probably just work for a while.”



Mrs. Evans simply nodded and said, “Hmm. It’s good to know what you really want before investing the time and money college requires.”



Krista and Taryn looked at Mrs. Evans in surprise. Neither had expected that reaction from her. Krista had yet to really talk with her parents about college- she had two years to go after all, and she didn’t know how she felt about it one way or the other- but she had been under the impression that they expected her to go. It had never occurred to her that they might be willing to consider alternatives.



“Wow. Will you be my new mommy?” Taryn joked, shooting a look at her mother.



“Refills on drinks, anyone?” Mrs. Hoffa asked, starting to stand.



Taryn put her hand out to stop her. “I got it.” She rose quickly and retrieved the drink tray from the picnic table. She made a quick circuit of the small gathering, taking the proffered glasses, and disappeared into the house.



Mrs. Hoffa turned to Krista’s mother and asked, “So, how much of Alexander have you gotten to see? And have you taken an opportunity to explore Phoenix?” She began to regale them with information on sightseeing in the area, giving them the names and locations of several must-see landmarks. Soon both of Krista’s parents were engrossed, asking question after question, and Krista could see how she was going to be spending the next few weekends. Taryn and Jay cast her sympathetic glances, and then dived in alongside their mother, offering up their own suggestions while sending devilish looks Krista’s way. When they cheerily suggested to her parents that they check out the Museum of Natural Science, she vowed revenge.



****************************

The last to exit the gate, Mrs. Evans turned to thank their hostess once more. “Thank you again for a lovely dinner.” She extended her hand, intending to shake Mrs. Hoffa’s hand, just as Mrs. Hoffa stepped forward, intending to initiate a less formal embrace. What resulted was an awkward combination of a handshake and a hug, both women clasping each other’s hand and leaning just enough for their shoulders to touch. The uncomfortable exchange was repeated with Mr. Evans. Krista bit back a laugh as Taryn and Jay smacked their foreheads in exaggerated exasperation behind the adults’ backs, ad surprised herself by gamely stepping forward and embracing Mrs. Hoffa when her turn came. “Bye,” she said simply to Jay and Taryn, who replied in kind.



“I’ll be sure to get you that info about the park tomorrow,” Mrs. Hoffa assured Krista’s parents as they turned and headed for the sidewalk.



“Thank you,” Mr. Evans called back.



They gave a final wave before starting the short trek around the corner and back to their own home. Her father finally broke the silence as they rounded the corner by commenting, “Well, that was fun.”



Her mother nodded in agreement. “Yes. Cheryl seems like a very nice person. It’s a shame about her husband, but she seems to be doing really well. Although,” she added, her voice lowering, “there seemed to be some tension about the college thing.” She looked at her daughter encouragingly.



Krista almost laughed out loud. Her mother was such a gossip. “I don’t know anything about it, mom. That’s the first I’d heard of it.”



“Oh,” her mother said, disappointed. Not to be derailed for too long, she turned back to her husband and continued discussing the evening. Krista listened on in anticipation as they chatted about the food and the Hoffas. She was waiting for her parents to get to it, to go ahead and shoot down any hopes she had had about being able to perform with Q. She was still waiting for them to broach the subject when they reached their front door. She stood just inside the doorway, watching them move about the living room. Her father was checking the voicemail, jotting down messages; her mother was turning on lights and straightening cushions. This is it, she thought, and sat in a nearby chair.



“You wanna see if there’s a good movie on tonight?” her mother asked her father, picking up the tv guide.



“Maybe,” he answered, shrugging.



Krista stared open-mouthed at her parents, her face a mask of confusion and disbelief. At this point it seemed unlikely that they were doing anything other than trying to torture her, making her wait it out. Against her better judgment (play it cool, Krista), her mouth opened of its own volition. “What are you guys doing?”



They turned to her in surprise. “What do you mean?” her father returned.



She rolled her eyes and stood, her arms flying out at her sides in frustration. “When are we going to talk about…“ She trailed off, her survival instinct still fighting to keep her from diving into the topic like a kamikaze teen, but she couldn’t fight it. She braced herself and continued. “Look, I know you were there for the conversation, and I know you didn’t mysteriously block out all reference to clubs, so…”



“So, what?” her father asked, seeming genuinely confused.



“So what do you think?!” Krista asked, her voice almost at a yell. The suspense was killing her, and she was swimming in unfamiliar waters. It wasn’t like her parents to beat around the bush.



Her parents looked at each other in astonishment, “Are you serious?” her mother asked.



“Yeah,” Krista replied, her voice quieter now. A feeling had started- an unpleasant, hopeless feeling. She suddenly understood why they hadn’t bothered to bring it up, and her mother’s next words confirmed her thought.



“Krista, there’s absolutely no way we’re going to allow our 16 year-old daughter to play in a bar.” Her mother spoke the words as if she were talking to a slow-witted five-year-old, and although Krista felt very small at that moment, she wasn’t about to give up just yet.



“Come on,” she argued, struggling to keep a whine out of her voice, “didn’t you hear a word they said? Cheryl goes along with them. It’s not like it’s unsupervised or something.”



“We did hear that,” Janice said in that same infuriating tone, “and that may be fine and well for Mrs. Hoffa,” here she gave Krista a pointed look, “and it may be the way she chooses to raise her children, and I’m not one to criticize another’s parenting, but… it’s not the way we do things around here.”



“You mean, you’re just dismissing the idea without any discussion. It’s a done deal,” Krista stated, her voice pitched high in disbelief.



Bill cocked his head to one side, regarding his daughter. “We didn’t think we needed to discuss anything. I can’t believe that you’d think we’d actually consider it.”



“What am I going to tell them?!” Her parents stared at her blankly. She decided to try one more tactic. “It’s not even that many gigs. It’s like one or two a year or something.”



“All the more reason that it shouldn’t be a big deal if you can’t play those one or two a year.” She stared open-mouthed at her father, her disappointment etched into her face. Of all people---He was a musician; he’d played in clubs at her age, so she had thought that he would at least be somewhat understanding.



In a show of parental telepathy he added, “I know I played out a little when I was younger, but times are different, and I have to approach this as a parent, not a musician.”



“You could’ve at least been sensitive about it,” she said, not looking at him.



He winced. “I’m sorry, Button.”



“You’re 16, Kris. There’s really no question,” her mother said firmly, putting the final nail in the coffin.



She gazed at her parents for a moment before sighing and heading up to her room. She fumed as she headed down the hall, resisting the strong urge to stomp her feet, and once inside her room, to slam the door. Instead she shut it quietly and sat on her bed, looking at the poster of the band Sapphire that her friends had gotten her for her birthday last year. As she stared at it, tracing the lines of the photograph, she made up her mind. She was not going to tell the others about this setback. They had said it was only a couple of shows, if they even got those. So, she would wait. If they didn’t get the gigs, great. If they did…she would find a way.

*****************************

ETA: I went back to fix a bad tag, and it erased everything and promptly told me no HTML something allowed. All I did was add a "/" to close off one of the ezcodes. *shrug*





Edited by: Big Dummy at: 11/18/04 8:25 pm


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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 6:32 pm 
BD- Thank you, thank you, thank you! *jumps up and down* god, i was starting to get so frustrated with waiting, and then yay! an update!



i wish there had been more taryn/krista interaction, but i did like what i read. i loved the 'BBQ not strip bar' line. and i'll be damned if taryn didn't sound sexy in that little blue bikini *grins*. and oh my god, how did krista survive wearing taryn's underwear? i would have totally died. little disappointing with with parents not letting her play at any clubs or bars *sigh* i hate when parents are so controlling.



i can really see the progress that taryn and krista have made (seemed like they were kinda flirting in the pool), and taryn seems to be noticing her a lot more. 'who knew indeed' and the 'In truth she had also noticed that Krista’s wet clothing had revealed more curves than she would have guessed the girl had' (i loved that part).



i really can't wait until they get together. but when the time comes i can see that jay will definitely get pissed to find out his sister is dating his crush.



can't wait for more (this update was so good- but please, can the next one not take quite as long? i think it was over 10 days of sitting on the edge of my chair eagerly waiting)



cheers,

Kat

Edited by: Kathryn91628 at: 11/18/04 5:34 pm


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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Thu Nov 18, 2004 7:45 pm 
LOL I feel for poor Kathryn. I was aching for an update to get me out of the post-election doldrums. Have to agree with the disappointment in the parens pissing on Krista's parade. What concerns me most is that this does not bode well if Krista ever decides to come out or, just as bad, she gets caught in a clincher with our resident hottie, Taryn. I just might faint...I feel like a junkie cuz at the end, all I kept chanting was "More, more, gots ta have MORE!" *wishes there was a zombie smilie right about now*


Time flies by when the Devil drives.
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end.



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 3:54 pm 
Yay..an update...woohoo :p . Have I mentioned I love this fic??!!! hehe. Love sam xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 6:26 pm 
I think it's about time that I join the happy woo- and hoo-ing :banana



Woo hoo! :applause



I so enjoy reading this fiction, it's exciting and interesting and making me wanting to read more of it! SOON! ;)



Well and I like Marshall, he seems like a cool guy :pride



Quote:
As her fingers touched the soft material of a bra, she had a moment where she thought she might fall over. Was she really standing in Taryn’s bedroom, holding her bra? Was this for real? Was the universe intent on torturing her?




:rofl Loved that! I can *so* imagine Krista holding Taryn's bra and being all nervous! :lmao



Well, please keep writing and sharing, I can't wait for the both of them getting ... closer ... *ahem* :flirt



:peace -Viv-

"Love is an irresistable desire to be irresistably desired."
Robert Frost



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:55 pm 
hooray for updates! ;)

Jessica



Adia I'm empty since you left me...



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Fri Nov 19, 2004 9:48 pm 


YAAAAAY!



*grins* i so love the direction this fic is going in!!! Aaaaah! lol, i'm so excited!



*bounces around*:bounce :bounce :bounce



update soon!! update soon!!





- Bellness :D

The shape of you

Is etched inside

My bruised and somewhat sculptured mind



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2004 3:16 am 
Hey Stevie,

I've been reading your story from the start and absolutely love it.Can't wait for more,keep up the good work and don't leave us waiting to long. from lea



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 3:39 pm 
Every time I come online this story is the first thing I check for updates!! As I've said before, and will undoubtedly say again, this is one of my favorites stories here on the boards...all the characters are rich and full of background and it shows how hard you've working on the story.



Hopefully next time I come online and look here there will be an update *crosses fingers*



:bow :eatme :bow



Galahad: What a strange person. French Dude: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. Galahad: Is there someone else up their we could talk to? French Dude: No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. - Monty Python



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 Post subject: Re: update
PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2004 6:21 pm 
Cool update. I can't believe Krista's parents are being so cruel about her playing in bars, especially after they seemed quite chilled about the idea during the BBQ. They just totally blew her off, not even so much of a discussion........arrogance pisses me off.

Anyhow........cool interaction with Jay, Krista nd Taryn........loved the stripping bit, nice visual!



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 Post subject: Re:update
PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 5:00 pm 
kathryn: Yeah, T and K's friendship is really growing. I'm walking a tightrope trying to move it along without rushing it. I want it to be gradual and natural, so I'm glad that folks are noticing that it is progressing. Glad you think Taryn's sexy too. That's how I imagine her when I write her. We've all had a few girls like that in high school (I sure know I did :heart ).



Kieli: I can't speak yet for how Krista's folks' refusal to let her play out bodes for her potentially coming out (mainly because I haven't even thought about how to handle that yet, if it does happen in this story). It does suck that they won't let her play, and it was really tempting to just let the whole playing-in-bars thing go and be acceptable, but I tried to think about it the way rl parents probably would. I'd have a hard time letting an underage child of mine go into a bar scene. But give them time. Their daughter's growing and they're just beginning to really get to know her.



sam: Glad you're still loving it!



pacou: I had a lot of fun writing that bedroom scene. I'm glad you enjoyed it.



beautifultrgdy:Hooray for updates indeed! Thanks for reading!



little miss 666: :bounce :bounce :bounce back at ya'! Thank you for your excitement.



lea jane: Welcome to the thread, and thank you for posting feedback. I'm glad you;re enjoying it. Hope my good luck continues.



foreverpiper: One of the first things you check for an update? Now that's high flattery.



veiled isis moon: Yeah, arrogance can be very annoying, especially when you're powerless to combat it. But as we've seen, Krista's not the type to lay down in the face of adversity. What healthy teenager doesn't rebel against the 'rents from time to time? :wink



Thanks again everyone for reading and leaving feedback. I would write this story anyway, but I wouldn't necessarily post it unless I felt there was an interest, so it's a great partnership we've got going. Have a great turkey-day, and I should be updating in the next few days (though not tomorrow; got a lot of cooking to do).









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 Post subject: Re: Re:update
PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 6:44 pm 
... and here i had my hopes up, thinking there was an update today. *pouts* oh well, back to twiddling my thumbs and axiously awaiting the next part.



~Kat



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 Post subject: Re: Re:update
PostPosted: Wed Nov 24, 2004 9:39 pm 
lol, and here I thought there was an update, too. I'm always going to keep checking this one out, though.



Amazing stuff! It kind of reminds me of my first crush... good times.

Jessica



Adia I'm empty since you left me...



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 Post subject: Re: Re:update
PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 4:20 pm 
lol, I get no slack. Can't a girl take some time off to eat some turkey and stuff(ing)? :p



Anyway, here's an update for you all. Hope you enjoy, and hope you had a happy t-day!

*********************************

Title: Play It From the Heart

Author: Big Dummy (aka Stevie)

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: This is an original story. All characters belong to me. It depicts a romantic relationship betwen two high school girls. Nothing sexual, pure soppy romance. Think Diane Salvatore and Nancy Garden. But not as good. Any similarities between Krista and Taryn and any other characters/rl people is purely coincidental.

Copyright Stuff: I think it goes without saying, but please do not reproduce this piece of original fiction anywhere without my permission. It's my baby. Questions and requests can be directed to the email address in my profile.

Extra: My first time writing an original story, hopefully not my last. Also my first time posting any creative attempt here, or anywhere. It's not done yet, but it's at 177 pages so far, so by the time we get to where I stopped...well, hopefully it'll be done.

*********************************



Taryn dropped the overflowing laundry basket with a huff and hurried to the hall table. Throwing a murderous glare at the study door behind which her mother was immersed in work, she picked up the receiver and answered with an impatient “Hello?”



“Hi, is Taryn there?”



“Speaking.”



“Hey, it’s Marshall.”



Her face darkened as she prepared to unleash a torrent of verbal abuse on him. Calling to ask her to work for him today would be the last straw of her already unpleasant morning. She was on laundry duty for the third week in a row, she had a pile of homework to do that she had put off all weekend long, her mother was refusing to answer any of the calls that had been streaming in that morning despite the fact that they had all been for her, and now this. “There is no way I’m coming in! I have way---“



“Whoa there, Angry Smurf,” he interrupted. “I’m not calling to ask you to work. Jeez.”



“Well…what do you want?” she asked, her voice taking a slightly lighter tone but losing none of its impatience.



He laughed. “I just wanted to know if you could give me Krista’s phone number.”



Taryn blinked in surprise. “Krista’s number? Why?” she asked before she could stop herself. She rushed to cover. “I just don’t know if I feel comfortable handing out her number. You know?”



“Oh yeah, that’s cool. Well, could you give her my number then? Like, soon? As in this morning?”



“Alright, I’ll see if she’s home. Are you asking her out or something?” she teased.



“I was maybe gonna see if she wanted to get together later, see a movie or something,” he answered noncommittally.



“Um, TJ and I are gonna watch a movie a little later, around four or so. If you wanted to come and bring her, that would be cool.” She frowned as the words left her mouth, her forehead creasing in her confusion. Had she just invited Marshall to bring Krista to her house…on a date? She was supposed to spend a romantic afternoon of snuggling on the couch with TJ, and she was certain that he would not be all that thrilled about the unexpected company, but the idea of Krista going out alone with Marshall didn’t sit well with her. How well do we know him, anyway? No sooner than she had thought the question, she kicked back into sanity and realized that she was over-reacting. Krista was certainly capable of handling her own social life. “Actually, maybe it would be bett---“



“That could be cool,” he answered. She thought she heard a hint of laughter in his voice. “But have her call me, ‘kay? You’ve got the number?”



“Yeah, it’s on my schedule. I’ll give it to her.” He thanked her and they said their good-byes. She stood in the hall for a moment, thinking about the situation she had created. TJ was going to be angry, but once she explained she was sure he’d understand. Marshall and Krista were going to join them for their movie- on a date. She had no idea what Krista’s past romantic experiences had been, as Marshall had pointed out, but she had a suspicion that Krista was more novice than pro. It would therefore only be fitting if Taryn were there to help her through this and give her a little back-up. Her rationale in place, she hoisted the laundry basket into her arms and headed up the stairs to put it away before she went over to Krista’s.

********************************

The mid-morning sun beat down on the back of Krista’s neck, beginning a slow attack unfettered by sunscreen. She had not yet gotten accustomed to the idea of needing sunscreen in the middle of September. She shifted her neck to loosen the kinks that had formed from sitting in the same position for so long. She had been there for a little over an hour doing her English assignment, which was to read the first three chapters of Lord of the Flies. She was already on chapter five and knew she needed to start on her science reading, but she was too engrossed in the story.



The crick in her neck grew until it demanded her full attention, and she threw her head back with a grimace and rolled her head around on her shoulders, her eyes closed. She returned her head to the upright position, opened her eyes, and almost fell out of her seat. Taryn was standing in front of her, watching her.



Taryn covered her mouth in a useless attempt to hide her laughter at Krista’s flustered flailing. “Sorry,” she choked out from behind her hand. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Your dad let me in.”



“S’okay,” Krista muttered, an embarrassed flush crawling up her neck. She tried to regain her composure, and looked up at Taryn. The other girl was silhouetted by the sun and Krista stood to see her better. It was then that it hit her: Taryn was standing in her backyard for some reason. Why was Taryn in her backyard? “What’s up?” she asked, attempting a nonchalant tone.



“Not much. Just came over to relay a message. Marshall wanted me to give you his phone number.” She handed over a folded slip of paper.



The act struck Krista as a little grade-school, but she took the slip of paper. “Okay.”



“I think he wants to ask you out,” Taryn volunteered. She shoved her hands into her back pockets and began to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet. “Um, I invited him to come over and watch a movie with me and TJ later. With you too. Just so you know.”



“Okay,” Krista repeated, more slowly this time. A date. With Marshall. Now where’d she get that idea, she wondered. Is that what he said? “Thanks for bringing it over.” She smiled.



“Sure,” Taryn said with a shrug. “No problem.” They stared at each other, unsure of what to say next. Taryn swung a limp hand in the direction of the book that was laying facedown in the grass next to Krista’s lawn chair. “Whatcha readin’?”



Lord of the Flies.”



“Oh yeah. I remember that. Good book.”



“Yeah. I’m liking it a lot.”



“You’re so good to be working. I’ve got a pile of homework that I need to do,” Taryn lamented, rolling her eyes. “I was kinda hoping senior year would cut me a little slack, but…” She shrugged again. “Good thing I’m not going to college.”



“Yeah,” Krista said lamely, not quite sure how to respond.



“So,” Taryn said, changing the subject, “How did things go with your folks when you got home? They bitch you out?”



“No, um, everything’s cool.” She didn’t meet Taryn’s eyes as she told the bold lie.



“Cool. Good.” Taryn stood nodding her head, and glanced around the yard.



Krista watched her neighbor, a little baffled by her behavior. She never would have taken Taryn for a twitchy-type, but she seemed ill-at-ease. She’s probably got stuff to do. TJ’s probably there already and she wants to get going. “Um, I’d better go call Marshall,” she said, giving the slip of paper a quick wave.



“Oh. Yeah. Okay. I’m gonna go try to get some homework done. You’ve inspired me,” she joked, gesturing towards Krista’s book. They shared a small, uncomfortable laugh and started back towards the house. She walked Taryn to the front door where they said quick goodbyes. “Maybe I’ll see you later,” Taryn added before she left.



“Okay,” Krista replied, not at all sure that she would.



Once she had closed the door behind Taryn, she stood for a moment contemplating the scrap of paper upon which Taryn had scribbled Marshall’s phone number. She hadn’t expected him to try and get in touch with her, but she wasn’t unhappy about it. He seemed cool enough, definitely fun, and if he wanted to be friends she didn’t see the harm in it. In fact, she realized as her mind got into the idea, it would be nice to have a friend in Alexander that she could be honest with, the way she had been with Diana. That thought in mind, she hurried over to the phone and dialed the number. Marshall picked up on the third ring, and after brief “hellos” and “how are yous” they discussed the plan for the evening. Marshall was in favor of joining Taryn and TJ for a movie, which surprised Krista, and disappointed her a little. She wasn’t sure she was ready for another night of watching them interact. They weren’t that bad, her inner voice contradicted. I’m just jealous.



“Well, if you really want to…” she said.



“It’ll be fun. And it’s a good excuse to get an invite to Taryn’s.”



“Aw, I see. You’re using this as a means of gaining access to Taryn’s social circle.”



“Don’t be like that,” he cajoled. “Come on. I’ll meet you there at four.”



“Fine. I’ll see you at four. Should be a blast,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. She hung up and stood for a moment thinking about the coming afternoon. It was far from perfect. Another event where she could watch Taryn and TJ doing their couple thing. Big fun. And God knew what sort of interaction she and Taryn would have. Sometimes they went together so naturally. Others, like this afternoon, with Taryn clearly not wanting to be there…



“Kris?”



She turned around at the sudden voice behind her to find her father standing at the foot of the stairs, watching her. “Hey dad.”



“Hey.” He stepped off the last stair and approached her. “Who was that?” he asked, attempting a casual tone.



“Just a friend. I’ve been invited to Taryn’s to watch a movie later.”



“Um…who’s the friend?”



Krista held back a sigh as she avoided her father’s eyes. The path of the conversation was clear, and it was one that she wasn’t fond of. “Yes, it was a boy, his name is Marshall, no, he’s not my boyfriend.”



“Oh. Okay. Cause if you were seeing someone---“



“You’d be the third to know,” she said, cutting him off. “I’m gonna go read some more.” With that she disappeared through the door and out into the backyard.

**********************************************



Taryn flipped from channel to channel, the remote dangling limply in her hand as she lay in the crook of TJ’s arm. TJ stroked her hair as she exhaled and rolled her eyes in frustration as she passed yet another court show.



“This shit is awful. I don’t see how people watch it,” she complained.



“Why don’t we just put the movie in… or we could turn the TV off altogether?” TJ suggested as his hand lingered at the base of her neck. He brushed the fine hairs there, his other hand coming up to caress her face. Taryn favored him with an impish smile and was moving closer to accept his coming kiss when the doorbell rang.



“Oops, one sec,” she said as she jumped up from the couch, ignoring his puzzled glance, and hurried to open the front door.



“Hey, you came after all,” she exclaimed, ushering Marshall and Krista inside.



“Yeah,” Krista said.



“Come on,” Taryn said, slapping Marshall lightly on the arm to divert his attention. He looked as though he might break his neck as he looked every which way like a greedy child in a toy store. She led the way through the hall and back into the living room, where a confused TJ slowly stood to his feet.



“What’s up, man?” Marshall greeted as he made his way to the sofa and plopped down on one end.



“Uh, hey.” TJ responded to Marshall, but he kept his gaze on Taryn, his expression puzzled.



“You remember Krista, right?” Taryn asked, waving a hand at the girl.



“Yeah. Hey.” He continued to stare at Taryn, clearly awaiting an answer to his unspoken question. Taryn continued to ignore him and set about making her guests comfortable.



“Anyone need anything? Drink, food…”



“Yeah, you got Coke or something?” Marshall asked.



“Yeah. Krista?”



“Whatever. Juice, if you have it,” she answered. She hadn’t moved from her position in the doorway.



“We have different kinds of juice. You wanna come pick one out?” Taryn offered.



“That’s okay. Whatever you bring’ll be fine.” Taryn shrugged and started for the kitchen.



“I’ll come with you,” TJ offered, and followed her.



Marshall gestured towards an armchair. “Have a seat,” he offered, smiling.



Krista moved to the indicated chair and perched on its edge. “I don’t think TJ wants us to be here,” she whispered to him. “Did you see the way he looked at us?”



“Nah, he’s just weird.” Marshall seemed unconcerned as he grabbed the remote from the floor and began to flip channels. “This TV is huge!”



Krista looked at him incredulously; how could he be so oblivious to the vibes TJ was giving off? She wished she could hear the conversation she was sure was being carried on in the kitchen. As she imagined it her body started to lean in that direction, and she sat back guiltily as TJ and Taryn returned, drinks in hand.



“Here ya’ go,” Taryn announced, playing cheery hostess as she handed drinks to Marshall and Krista. She plopped down on the couch next to Marshall and grabbed the remote from him. TJ stood looking at Marshall for a long moment before the other got the hint and moved off the couch. “Sorry man,” he said as he repositioned himself on the floor at the foot of Krista’s chair. She lowered herself into the chair proper, resigned to what appeared to be an awkward situation- whether or not Marshall saw it. TJ reclaimed his former position, throwing his arm around Taryn and pulling her in close to him.



“This is a TJ pick, so don’t blame me if it’s bad,” she announced before pointing the remote at the TV and pushing the play button.



“As long as it’s not some gushy romance,” Marshall said.



An hour later it was clear that gushy romance was the last thing on anyone’s mind as pain-filled shrieks poured from the system’s speakers in realistic stereo surround sound. Krista was covering her eyes with her hands, recoiling in horror at the scenes of gratuitous violence in the B-grade horror flick they were watching. Marshall and TJ were both craning as close as they could to the set, as if they hoped to get some of the blood actually spattered on them. She glanced at the couch where Taryn was apparently attempting to bury herself inside of TJ’s shirt. Guess she’s not a fan either.



Krista returned her attention to the screen just in time to see someone’s head pop off. She couldn’t contain the squeak that emitted from her throat, and sunk lower into the armchair, attempting to hide from the bloodbath. She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up to see Taryn coming to kneel next to her.



“Come on,” Taryn whispered, and grabbed Krista’s elbow to help her out of the chair. Krista accepted the contact and followed. Although she was confused by the sudden move, she was smiling inside as well. It was the second time in as many days that she had been led away by Taryn without warning. It’s like she knows I won’t say no.



“Where’re you going?” TJ asked, annoyed.



“Girl stuff,” was Taryn’s short reply. Krista didn’t dare look at Marshall; she was sure his expression would blow her cool, and she felt it very important at that moment to be cool. She let herself be propelled to the stairs, where Taryn paused. “I thought we’d just hang out in my room till the movie was over. You didn’t look like you were too into it.”



“Horror’s not really my thing,” Krista admitted.



“Didn’t think so,” Taryn commented as she turned and headed up the stairs. Krista followed, fighting to hide her grin. She was about to enter the sacred chamber again. This was quite possibly the best weekend of her life. “TJ knows I don’t dig that kind of thing either. God knows what he was thinking when he rented it.”



“Probably thinking that you would do exactly what you were doing.” The words shot out of Krista’s mouth before her censor could catch them. What the hell?! Her eyes widened in surprise at her audacity. She didn’t know TJ or Taryn well enough to make statements like that. She watched Taryn’s back as they continued up the stairs, waiting for her reaction- she hoped that her tone hadn’t betrayed the bitterness she had felt, watching them- but all Taryn did was laugh.



“I was thinking the same thing.”



They reached the top of the stairs and Taryn gestured towards her door. “Go on ahead. Gotta potty,” she said before ducking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. Krista stood uncertainly for a moment before moving. She opened the door to Taryn’s bedroom with care, as if expecting a monster to jump out from behind it. She walked inside and headed towards the corner with the overstuffed armchair. Textbooks were stacked in the seat, and she placed them on the floor next to the chair before sitting. She clasped her hands primly in front of her and sat straight up in the chair. She was unsure of what to do with herself as she waited. She contemplated skimming through one of the textbooks, but that would make her look nerdy. There was a bookshelf to her right that had non-school books, but would it be nosy to peruse those? She studied her nails for a second before deciding that it made her look nervy, and settled for gazing at a poster of tattoo art on the opposite wall, which was how Taryn found her when she returned.



“You into tattoos?” she asked.



“Um, not really. It’s interesting though.” She shrugged. “Are you?”



Taryn approached her and started to pull her shirt up. Krista’s mouth went dry, and for a wild moment she thought she was about to experience a fantasy come true. She snapped back to reality when the shirt stopped just above Taryn’s stomach, and she turned around to show Krista her back. Krista took a second to regain her composure and focused on the spot Taryn was pointing to. There a small, beautifully drawn black and white tattoo of a dragonfly, positioned slightly to the left of the small dent at the base of her spine. She leaned forward to better see it, till her face was mere inches from Taryn’s skin. Her hand lifted of its own accord, and at the last minute she stopped herself from touching the spot she was studying. If it had been anyone else maybe she would not have stopped, but it was Taryn. Her feelings were far too volatile to allow for that kind of intimacy. “That’s really cool,” she managed to say, leaning away from her.



“Thanks.” Taryn pulled down her shirt and turned back to face Krista. She lifted her leg and put her foot on the chair next to Krista’s leg, pulling her pant-leg up to reveal another tattoo, this one of a butterfly on her ankle.



“You’ve got a thing for flying animals,” Krista joked.



“Yeah, kinda.” Taryn pulled her pant-leg back down, and walked over to the bed. She flopped down onto her back, arms spread. “My ex-boyfriend did them.”



“Your ex-boyfriend was a tattooist?”



That one was.” At Krista’s confused look, Taryn clarified, “I have a few ex-boyfriends.” Krista nodded. She was searching for an appropriate response when Taryn spoke again and saved her the trouble. “What about you?”



“What about me?”



“Did you leave any broken hearts in Staughton? I mean, you told me all about your friends and stuff, but you never mentioned any boyfriends.”



Krista looked away, suddenly engrossed by an errant thread in the arm of the chair. “No. No boyfriends.”



Taryn shook her head. “That’s amazing.”



Krista slunk a little lower in her chair thinking bitterly, Of course you think it’s amazing. How amazing that a girl could actually be interested in something besides boys.



“It’s just as well,” Taryn added, causing Krista to look up. “You’ve got so many opportunities knocking on your door here.”



“What do you mean?”



“Well, Marshall and Jay to name two.”



“Marshall,” Krista parroted, her eyes wide.



“Yeah.”



“Marshall and I aren’t- there- there’s no- why would you think that?”



“You guys seemed to hit it off at the record store and, duh,” she gestured at the floor, indicating downstairs, “he called looking for you, so I figured he’s interested.”



Krista made a snorting noise. “He’s definitely not interested, nothing going on there.”



“How can you be so sure?”



“Trust me. Marshall and I are just friends. Nothing going on there.”



Taryn gave her a disbelieving look. “Alright then,” she said, changing tracks, “there’s Jay. You can’t tell me he doesn’t like you. The question is…”



“I can’t talk to you about that,” Krista protested. “He’s your brother.”



“And there’s my answer.”



“No, I mean…” Krista paused, searching for a way to say what she wanted to without offending Taryn. “Jay’s cool, and everything, but…I’m not really into dating right now.”



Taryn leaned over, looking Krista in the eyes. “Seriously? That’s not some secret code that means ‘I think your brother’s a tool’, is it?”



Krista sat back a little, overwhelmed by the intensity she was inflecting behind her question. She didn’t know what had given Taryn the impression that it was a line, but she wasn’t sure she would have told her the truth at that point even if it had been. “Seriously. I mean, I like Jay, but not like that. I just…don’t date. I know, I’m a freak,” she said despairingly, wishing, not for the first time since she had arrived in Alexander, for the simple life back in Staughton, where she had already done her coming out to her friends. There was no Taryn -hell, there was nobody- but at least my friends knew who I was.



“No, you’re not,” Taryn rushed to assure her, leaning over to touch Krista’s knee for a moment. “I totally respect that. It’s probably a lifestyle I should adopt for awhile.”



“Why do you say that?” Krista asked, attempting to stay in the conversation although her mind was imagining that she could still feel the imprint of Taryn’s hand from that brief contact.



Taryn shook her head and leaned back again. “Like I said, I have a few exes.”



“But you have TJ now,” Krista reminded her. Her throat tried to close up and block the words. We’re being friends, and this is what friends do, she reminded herself, and vowed to keep her personal feelings out of it. She had a feeling that Taryn was about to open a rarely accessed door; she was honored, albeit a tad uncomfortable with the subject.



“I do. I do have TJ now, but…it’s not enough. It won’t last. There’s nothing there.” At Krista’s encouraging look, she continued. “There’s comfort, and stuff like that, but there’s no…emotional stuff. He doesn’t make my palms sweat or anything like that. Even sex isn’t that great. I mean…I kinda thought there was more to it, y’know?” Krista flushed and struggled to answer. Taryn watched her for a second before slapping herself on the forehead and exclaiming, “Oh! Sorry. You’re probably- and here I am, totally turning you off boys forever.”



It took an incredible act of willpower for Krista to not burst into gales of laughter. Oh, this is going to be good to tell Diana. “It’s okay. Really.”



“No, I mean, it’s not that way for everyone. You’ll probably meet some heartthrob-like guy and it’ll be all ‘hair blowing in the wind, throbbing manhood and gasping in pleasure’ stuff.” Krista gawked at her. “Sorry. Graphic. Anyway, I guess I mean that I’m pretty much the freak.”



“It’s okay,” Krista said. “Not that you’re a freak, cause you’re not. At all. I meant okay on the graphic. But again, you’re not a freak. TJ doesn’t do it for you. The other guys didn’t either. Maybe you just haven’t found the right guy.” She stopped, aware that she was leaning forward in her chair, she was trying so hard to convince Taryn. Look at me with the putting my feelings aside to be a friend, she enthused. But how weird. Here I am trying to convince the gorgeous, popular, straight girl that she’s not a freak. Me.



“You sound like my mom.”



“You’re lucky I like your mom or I might not have taken that well.” They laughed, the weight of their conversation dissipating as they did.



“Sorry for the serious conversation,” Taryn apologized. “That’s so not usually me. And why were we talking about me, anyway? I was totally trying to get the goods on you, Oh Mysterious One. I never talk like that…to anyone.”



“I don’t mind.”



“Well, as a reward for living through it, I will let you pick a musical selection,” Taryn announced, jumping off the bed and heading towards a trunk situated at the foot of her stereo. Krista stood slowly, trying to adjust to the rapid change of mood and conversation. She moved to where Taryn stood, and gaped when she opened the lid of the trunk and revealed two jam-packed rows of 45s.



“Wow. What kind of stuff is this?”



“Everything. Classic rock, jazz, blues, country even. My dad wasn’t a musician like yours is or anything, but he and mom did appreciate music, and working at the record store has its moments.” Krista settled on the floor by the trunk and reverently began to pull out album after album. She picked one, an out-of-print Rodney Hill album, and handed it to Taryn, who slid it onto the record player. “What track?”



“Any,” Krista answered, her eyes shining with excitement. Taryn set the needle down on the record, and settled next to Krista to listen, both girls leaning against the foot of the bed.



No more words passed between them as they listened to record after record. When one would end, either Taryn or Krista would reach for another and put it on, with no need for discussion. They sat in easy companionship, lulled into a zone of comfort by the music, and each taking an opportunity to be inside their heads- occupied with their thoughts, but still enjoying the company of the other.



The music continued, and neither girl had any idea how much time had passed until there was a quiet knock, followed by the door opening and TJ’s head peaking through the crack. “Am I interrupting girl stuff?”



Taryn got up from the floor slowly, and turned off the stereo, a slight frown on her face as she looked at him. “No,” she said without conviction. She flashed a small smile at Krista, and then, as if by magic, she performed another whirlwind transition and was suddenly public Taryn again- at least, that’s how Krista thought of it. “We’re done talking about you guys,” she added with a smirk, walked over to TJ to plant a loud kiss on his lips.



Krista stood awkwardly, unsure of her role in this new scenario. She saw Marshall standing behind TJ and caught his eye. He grinned at her, waggling his eyebrows lewdly. Yeah, definitely no worries that he’s interested in me. She started edging towards the door; the kissing between TJ and Taryn had increased. She couldn’t help but think of what Taryn had told her earlier, and wondered at her actions now.



She stopped moving when Taryn broke the kiss and caught her in her gaze. “Hey, where’re you going?”



“Um, I figured we were probably done here,” she said, indicating the tight grasp she and TJ had each other in.



“Well, you don’t have to go. We could do something else.” TJ cleared his throat meaningfully, and Taryn glanced at him in consternation.



“It’s cool,” Krista offered. “I’ve gotta get home anyway. Thanks for having me over.”



“Yeah, it was a ball,” Marshall piped in from the hall.



“Okay, well…See you tomorrow,” Taryn said apologetically, casting Krista a look of regret that left her confused. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought that Taryn really didn’t want her to leave. Her eyes focused again on Taryn’s arms clasped firmly around TJ’s neck, and she fell back to reality.



“Yeah. Bye,” she said.



“Later,” TJ added.



Krista was barely out the door before it closed behind her with a resounding thud, quickly followed by the sound of giggling. Krista and Marshall shared a look before heading down the stairs, Krista grimacing in disgust. “That was such a bad movie display of teenage hormones,” she commented bitterly. Marshall simply laughed, and she glared at him.



“What?” he asked in mock innocence.



“Don’t laugh. It’s not funny.”



“Sorry,” he said. They reached the front door and exited the Hoffa house. They stood on the lawn, not having made a plan for the next step. “So, can I come over to your place?”



Krista looked at him with suspicion. “You don’t ‘like me’ like me, do you?”



He looked at her, eyes wide. “Um, no offense, I mean you’re a cutie and all, but…no.”



“Good.” She gave a decisive nod, took his arm, and led him to her house.

*************************************





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 Post subject: Re: Re:update
PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 5:47 pm 
Absolutely fabulous update! I love the tension between those girls. Ugh, just wonderful. And Marshall is a new addition that makes it interesting.



I seriously can't wait to see what will develop with them. So, update again real soon, please?

Jessica



Adia I'm empty since you left me...



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 Post subject: Re: Re:update
PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:58 am 
Wonderful, fantastic update..so cute :love . Love sam xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)



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 Post subject: Yay! An update!
PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 3:02 pm 
*jumps up and down in glee* Thank you! This was a wonderful update. I really enjoyed reading it, and i can definitely sense the progress Taryn and Krista have made. I thought it was so cute how Taryn decided to take her up to her room when the movie got too bloody. But then the talk was all about guys *sighs*, if only Taryn knew the truth. But it would probably freak her out, since i can tell she has secret feelings toward her that she doesn't know of yet.



that's all i can think of to say for now, so keep up the good work, and please, please, please give us another update soon! (i'm dying to find out what happens).



cheers

~Kat



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 Post subject: Re: Yay! An update!
PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:02 pm 
Are you guys always the first ones to respond to an update? I need to go back and check on that. There must be a prize in there somewhere for that...:hmm



I'm just popping in to say that I'm going out of town tomorrow night, so no internet=no updating. I'll be back Sunday evening and the first thing I'll do before I carry my weary carcass into bed will be to logon and post an update.



See you guys Sunday. Miami, here I come!



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 Post subject: Re: Yay! An update!
PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 7:47 pm 
Well I TOTALLY expect Miami to be an "educational trip" for your Taryn/Krista romance scenes (not so subtle freakin' hint :lol ) You know what I think....you're a genius...who can argue with that??


Time flies by when the Devil drives.
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end.



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