Why I Hate Magic: Parts 1-3 - Revised And Expanded free porn video

Why I Hate Magic Chapter 1 Daniel could think of several reasons why he didn't want to go to Dr. Suspendo's Midnight Magic Show. His apartment needed cleaning. Semester finals were coming up and he really should be hitting the books. There was an all-night marathon of Godzilla films playing on television. While any of these excuses would have worked, the real reason Daniel had no interest in watching a magic show had almost entirely to do with the fact that he hated magic. Hate, in actuality, was not strong enough of a word. Daniel detested magic. He hatested it. Slight of hand, card tricks, reading minds - it drove Daniel insane trying to comprehend how anyone - even a child - could consider for a second that magic was anything more then trickery and lies. This was not always the case. As a small child, Daniel had once delighted in the mysteries of the supernatural. For his seventh birthday, Daniel, eager for a chance to watch a magic show up close, managed to convince his parents to hire a children's magician to perform at his party. Daniel's parents, not willing to pay the money required for a magician at the top of his career, made the unfortunate mistake of hiring an elderly gentleman who claimed to have once performed on "The Ed Sullivan Show." That afternoon, Daniel stood by and watched in horror as the washed-up magician drank more and more from the flask he carried in his breast pocket, eventually combusting in a tornado of drunken destruction. That day, Daniel's tolerance for the illusionary inclined waned to an almost non-existent level. Traumatized by the sight of a tuxedoed man urinating on his birthday cake, Daniel had never forgiven those who practice magic. Even 15 years later, Daniel would brake out into a cold sweat if shown a top hat or a bunny rabbit. This, then, was why Daniel was completely miserable as he sat at a tiny table towards the front of the Teller Community Theater, nursed a beer and watched Dr. Suspendo's warm-up act, an elderly magician, pull a seemingly never-ending string of ribbons from his wrinkled sleeve. Chapter 2 Daniel, of course, had protested when he heard where Gloria wanted to go for her twenty-second birthday. "Wouldn't you rather go to a bar or a movie," he asked, offering up one of his patented country-boy grins. "We could even go bowling." "Bowling?" Gloria asked, not believing her ears. "We go bowling every week." "But birthday bowling? That only happens once a year." "I've never been to a magic show in my life," Gloria said, smiling ear- to-ear. "Can you believe that? In my entire life! Think of all those card tricks I've missed out on." "You haven't missed much," Daniel said. "Trust me. Listen; if that's where you want to go, I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to make it. I have some stuff to do." Gloria frowned. She and Daniel had been best friends since their freshmen year of college. Together, the two had helped each other with classes, relationships and disasters of all shapes and sizes. Once, during a particularly stressful night of test cramming, they had even become something more then friends - if only for a moment of brief, fleeting passion. This afternoon, though, as Gloria and Daniel walked to the afternoon English class they shared, she was annoyed at him for not joining in on her excitement. "You're not going to miss out on my birthday just because you're scared of a little magic, are you?" "I'm not scared of magic," said Daniel. "I don't like it. There is a difference. Magicians are nothing more then smarmy little men that get paid to lie. The only thing I'm afraid of is wasting my money on Dr. Suspendo's Midnight Magic Show. What kind of name is that anyway? What's Dr. Suspendo have his doctorate in? Wearing tuxedos that are too tight? I don't want to have to stare at the outline of some dude's junk while he tries to guess my weight." Despite her frustration, Gloria couldn't help but laugh with Daniel. "I think Dr. Suspendo would take some umbrage with you calling her a smarmy little man." "The magician's a her?" Daniel asked, somewhat surprised. "Yeah, she is," Gloria said. "She's in my public speaking class. She's really cool too - none of that David Copperfield hocus-pocus. She's into all this New Age stuff and dresses all in black." "She sounds like your hero," Daniel said, rolling his eyes. Gloria had recently begun working next door to a candle store and had become fascinated by the shop's Wiccan owners. Not a day went by that Gloria did not attempt to bore Daniel to death with the minute details she had uncovered about the shop owners' lives and their beliefs. "I saw a poster for her show at The Candlewick-an," Gloria said, confirming Daniel's suspicion. "She was dressed really sexy. Like something from a burlesque show." "How did I guess," Daniel shot back. "What a clich?. I bet she wears fishnet stockings, right?" Gloria rolled her eyes. "I'm serious, though," Daniel said. "I don't think I'm going to go tonight. We'll go to the bar tomorrow, though, right?" Daniel quickly turned his gaze away, hoping to avoid the look on Gloria's face as he dropped the bomb on her. It was too late, though. From behind him, Daniel could feel the glare of the young woman whom he had angered. And, like a powerful magnet, it drew him in. Daniel slowly turned his head towards Gloria, hoping to gage her anger. Before he knew it, though, he was trapped. Daniel knew, looking at Gloria's big blue eyes starting to well up with tears and her mouth quiver, that there was no way he would be able to say no to her. "Would you really do that to me?" Gloria asked, choking back tears. "Would you really miss my twenty-third birthday - even after I waited in line all morning last fall just so I could get you a Wii for your birthday? I thought you were a better friend then that." "I'm sorry," Daniel said. "Jesus Christ!" Gloria yelled, throwing her arms up in the air. "What's it going to take to get you to come?" She grabbed Daniel by his ears and pulled his face up close to her own. "You're going with me," Gloria firmly said. "That's final. I don't want to hear any more shit from you. Capiche?" Daniel released himself from Gloria's grasp, rubbing his red ears. "I'll go," he said. "But I'm not going to enjoy myself." "You don't have to enjoy yourself," Gloria responded. "I'll enjoy myself twice as much for you. All you have to do is sit beside me and pout. You can even buy me a drink or two if the mood strikes." Gloria smiled as she wrapped her arms around Daniel and gave him the biggest hug her tiny frame could manage. "You are going to fun, though. Just you wait and see. Tonight's going to be the best night ever." Chapter 3 Daniel was on his best behavior when he showed up at the small community theater where Dr. Suspendo would be performing. As he took his seat, he offered Gloria's other friends a feeble smile, trying his best to act cordial. As a pre-show band played, Daniel even began to hope that maybe the night wouldn't be a total bust. But when the opening magician took the stage and began his routine, Daniel realized that he would need to begin drinking pronto if he was going to make it through the rest of the show without having a nervous breakdown. And so, before the first magician had made it to the half-way point of his act, Daniel had already amassed an impressive army of empty bottles that crowded the table in front of him. He was slowly pealing the label off of his sixth beer, watching the grinning magician pretend to saw a woman in half, when Daniel found himself opening his mouth and shouting. "Quick! Somebody call the cops. Leatherface is on the loose!" As Daniel listened to his voice echo throughout the auditorium, he was shocked by his outburst. Daniel was normally not one for heckling. In the past, he had even picked fights with teenagers who saw it fit to talk throughout a movie. But now, the combination of alcohol and a sour mood had brought out the worst in him. Daniel saw from out of the corner of his eye that Gloria was giving him a furious glare. Worse, Daniel could feel the eyes of the rest of the theater upon him; everybody watching the loudmouth who had tried to be a comedian. Daniel slowly took another swig from his beer, trying to focus on the show and forget his outburst. And then it happened again. "I bet she's not even a volunteer. She's part of the act!" The magician, flustered by Daniel's vocal eruption, dropped his saw onto the floor. "Seriously, old man, get off the stage before we have to change your adult diapers." Daniel couldn't control himself. He started booing as the magician fumbled to retrieve his saw from the floor. Daniel glanced around at his fellow audience and saw a sea of angry frowns. Leading the army of the displeased was Gloria. "Shut up Daniel," she hissed. "You're acting like an asshole." Daniel went back to nursing his beer, hoping to silence his inner- heckler with a steady stream of alcohol. The magician had picked up his saw again and was trying to resume his derailed act. "Well, I guess we better put this young lady back together again," the magician said. "We wouldn't want her to bleed out on the stage." "Oh come on," Daniel shouted. He found himself standing up and facing the crowd. "Do you people believe that Harry Houdini up there actually sawed a woman in half? Am I sitting in a theater full of retards?" "Sit down and shut up," somebody in the audience shouted back. "You're ruining the show." "Yeah, sit down you dumb fuck," another voice yelled. The theater burst out into a mixture of laughter and applause. Daniel's face turned bright red. By the time the audience had settled back down and Daniel, embarrassed, went back to his beer, the magician had helped the volunteer out of the rectangular box in which she had been contained. The magician presented the volunteer to the audience to inspect, her clothes free of any saw marks. "Let's give a hand to our young volunteer," the magician prompted. The audience gave the young woman a hearty round of applause as she took a bow, pretending for a moment to double over in pain and hold an imaginary saw wound on her stomach before righting herself and laughing along with the magician. Daniel rolled his eyes. As the applause died down, the magician took off his glasses and began to clean them. "Now, tonight's young heckler, rude as he was, was right about something," the magician said. "I have a confession to make." Daniel perked up. "This young woman is not exactly a volunteer," the magician said, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "She's actually my daughter." "What did I say?" Daniel shouted at no one in particular. "Boooo! Fraud! Boooo!" "This young lady is not just my daughter, though," the magician said, ignoring Daniel and producing a giant bed sheet from seemingly out of nowhere. He flapped the sheet in the air, letting the audience see that it was a standard piece of cloth, and threw it over the young lady so that she was covered from head to toe and left looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost. "This young woman is actually tonight's feature entertainment. Please give a hand to my daughter, Dr. Suspendo." The magician ripped the blanket off the young lady and the audience gasped. While the volunteer had moments ago been dressed in a conservative baby blue sundress with her hair tightly pulled back in a pony-tail, the woman who now stood on stage was dressed in an outfit fully constructed from shiny black latex that would not have been out of place on a dominatrix. She stood atop towering stiletto pumps and her hair, jet black, had magically arranged itself into a lofty beehive hairdo. A whip was wrapped around her waist, acting like a faux belt. Nothing she was wearing really needed to be held up with a belt, though. Her outfit clung to her curvaceous figure like a glove. "Thanks daddy," she said. She held up a hand up to show that she was not holding anything. With a flick of her wrist, that changed. She now held a tube of lipstick. After applying a dark shade of crimson to her lips, she blew her father a kiss as he gathered his props and left the stage. Dr. Suspendo, turned to the audience and looked at the gathering of onlookers, as if studying a menagerie of exotic, yet disgusting, insects. "Thanks for coming tonight," she said. "Before we begin our show, though, I really have to know something. Which one of you was giving my poor old dad all that shit?" The doctor unfurled the whip that she had worn around her waist, cracking it in the air. The sound echoed throughout the auditorium. "Come on, honey, speak up. Don't be shy. I just want to have a bit of fun." Daniel shrunk into his chair. Dr. Suspendo was beautiful and Daniel had always been slightly uncomfortable around beautiful women. It was more then that, though. There was something else about Dr. Suspendo that made him uneasy. There was an aura of danger. He leaned towards Gloria and whispered into her ear. "I have to go to the bathroom; I'll be right back." Gloria shot him a look of surprise. Daniel didn't catch her expression, though, as he had already gotten up from his chair and had slowly begun to walk away from the table. "I think that's the asshole you're looking for, Doctor." As Gloria spoke up, Daniel froze in his tracks. He turned and shot his friend a betrayed look, his eyes wide and nervous. Gloria stuck her tongue out at him. "Thanks honey," Dr. Suspendo cooed. "Mr. Heckler, you wouldn't mind joining me on the stage for my first trick, would you? I could use a volunteer and you look like such a big, strapping young man." The audience laughed as Daniel looked at the doctor and replied, "Oh, I'd love to. But I really have to use the bathroom." "Oh, that can wait, hon," Dr. Suspendo said as she cracked her whip again. "This won't take but a moment." "Uh, I guess if it's a short trick I can, uh, take the stage," Daniel managed to stammer, his legs shaking. "That's a sport, sport," the doctor replied. As Daniel slowly climbed onto the stage, he starred at Dr. Suspendo. She was much taller then she looked from the audience. With her pumps and hairdo, she seemed to tower a full foot above Daniel's head. As Daniel took her in, she gave him a sly smirk and cracked her whip again. Daniel could feel the air move as the whip's tail whizzed by his ear. "You're not going to hurt me, are you?" he asked. "Not with this thing anyway," Dr. Suspendo said, tossing her whip to the side of the stage. Dr. Suspendo joined the audience in laughter before motioning for Daniel to take a seat in a chair at the center of the stage. With a flick of her wrist, the doctor suddenly produced a medallion out of thin air. She held it up for the audience to inspect. It was a golden orb that hung from a thick chain. It shinned in the bright glare of the spotlight. "Who's up for some hypnosis," the doctor asked the audience, to a smattering of applause. Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank God, I thought you were going to punish me or something." "Who said I'm not going to punish you," Dr. Suspendo said, glancing over her shoulder at Daniel. "You've been a very bad boy." Daniel laughed. "Hypnosis doesn't work on me sweetheart." Slowly, Daniel could feel some of his beer-fueled confidence returning to his system. "My hypnosis works on everyone, sweetheart," the doctor said, throwing the word back at Daniel with a sneer. "Well, gang, what should we do to our loud-mouthed friend? Should we make him think he's a pig? How about if we unearth some memories of him being molested as a child?" The audience began to laugh. "I'm telling you, sweet tits, hypnosis is a fraud. Nothing you do is going to make me oink like a pig or make me think my uncle fondled me. Speaking of fondle, how about you come and sit on my lap?" As Daniel added the last bit, he saw Gloria cover her face in what could only be embarrassment. While he was usually not this boorish in his language, alcohol had a funny way of bringing out the frat boy in him. Daniel no longer cared about what his friend thought. This magician had tried to embarrass him and now it was his turn to play the game. "Listen, why don't you pick up the whip again and we can play Batman and Catwoman." "Are you going to be Catwoman?" Dr. Suspendo asked, one eyebrow raised. "You're the one who seems to be dressed the part," Daniel shot back. A few people in the audience began to laugh. He was slowly winning the crowd over and this only encouraged Daniel. "I mean, seriously," Daniel said. "Look at you. Does your pimp know you left the house dressed like that?" The magician blushed as she turned away from the audience and glared at Daniel. "You've got quite a mouth on you little boy. It must be all those snips and snails and puppy dog tails. You could use a little more sugar and spice and everything that's nice." Daniel began to laugh as the magician raised her medallion and began to swing it slowly in front of his face. As Dr. Suspendo continued to swing the medallion, she softly murmured a chant. Soon Daniel's laughter died down and he began to follow the medallion's movement with a vacant gaze. "You are now under my control," the magician said. "You are compelled to do and say anything I command you to. Is that clear?" "Yes ma'am," Daniel said; his voice empty of any emotion. Gloria stared in shock at Daniel's blank stare. "What is your name, slave?" Dr. Suspendo asked. "Daniel Huzzbath" "Daniel, do you know why I am upset at you?" "Because I made fun of your father and I was very rude to you." "That's right Daniel. You've been a very bad little boy. Very bad." Daniel slowly nodded. "I think you might make a much better behaved girl. The world could use more nice girls and less mean little boys. Don't you agree?" Once again, Daniel nodded. "Well that settles it. From this point on, you are going to stop being such a nasty boy. Instead, you're going to be the sweetest little girl this side of Shirley Temple. You're going to mind your manners and respect your peers. You're going to empathize with those around you and you're not going to embarrass your friends anymore." Dr. Suspendo shot Gloria a quick smile before returning to her hypnosis. "You're not going to have anytime to misbehave or to be rude because you are going to be too busy looking pretty and trying to find yourself a boyfriend. Because that's what sweet little girls like you do, right Danielle?" "Yes, ma'am," Daniel said, his voice adopting a high-pitched squeak. The crowed began to nervously laugh. "When I tell you to, you're going to wake up as a well-behaved little girl. You're going to stand up in front of the audience, do a curtsey and apologize for trying to ruin the show. Is that understood?" "Yes, ma'am," Daniel said in the same high voice as before. "You may now wake up Danielle." Daniel slowly snapped back to consciousness, fluttering his eyes. He rubbed his face and stared at the crowed in front of him. "Well, Danielle, what do you have to say for yourself?" Dr. Suspendo asked. Daniel turned to look at the doctor and flashed a big, toothy grin. "What's up Doc? I told you hypnosis didn't work." As the audience burst out laughing, Dr. Suspendo gave her medallion a puzzled look. She glanced off stage and motioned at some unseen person. "Get him out of here!" A man in a guard's uniform walked onto the stage and grabbed Daniel's arm, pulling him offstage. "Good night gang," Daniel shouted at the audience, blowing them a kiss. "You've been great." As the guard dragged Daniel off the stage, he could hear Dr. Suspendo ask the audience if they were ready for the real magic. "Pfff... There's no such thing as real magic," Daniel murmured. "Doesn't mean you have to be an asshole about it," the guard replied, tossing Daniel out the back door and onto the street. "Get lost kid." Chapter 4 Gloria steamed as she fished in her purse for her car keys. Unable to finish watching the show due to her embarrassment, she had told her friends she was going to the restroom but, once in the lobby, had decided to leave. She did not know how Daniel could have behaved the way he did. Did he not care about her feelings? Couldn't he have at least pretended to enjoy himself for the benefit of his best friend? Gloria thought that she had meant more to him then that. By the time Gloria had made her way to her car, she decided that she was going to kill Daniel the next time she saw him. As it turns out, she would get her chance sooner then she thought. Daniel was leaning against her car, grinning wide and proud of himself. "Did you see what I did in there? I bet that fraud is pissed off right now that I made her look like a putz. From where you were sitting did it look like she cried? Because I think I definitely saw a tear." Gloria swung her purse, hitting Daniel over the head. He groaned in pain, doubling over. "What did you do that for?" "You're worried about her being pissed off?" Gloria screamed. "What about me? How do you think I feel after watching my best friend act like a class-A jerk in front of everyone?" "I'm sorry," Daniel said, suddenly finding himself genuinely remorseful. "I guess I drank a little too much. It doesn't mean you had to hit me with a purse, though." "It's my birthday, you asshole. You acted like a jerk on my birthday. I have every right to hit you with a purse." Gloria swung her purse at Daniel again. He caught it this time "You're supposed to be helping me have a good time - not picking fights with magicians," Gloria shouted, pulling her purse back. She paused to take a breath, staring deeply into Daniel's eyes. "Seriously, Daniel you were a fucking asshole tonight." Daniel found himself getting defensive. "I told you I didn't want to come!" "Why did you come, then? Why come if you're going to be miserable and make a scene?" "Because you asked me to!" "Is that the only reason? Because I asked you to?" "Of course it is! Why else would I have come to a fucking magic show?" "Maybe because you're my friend? How about because you care about me? Could it be because it was my birthday and maybe, just maybe, you owed it to me?" Gloria could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Daniel did not notice. "I already thanked you for the goddamned Wii," he said. "I'm not talking about the ?goddamned Wii,' Daniel. You don't realize it, do you? After all this time, you still don't get it. You don't realize that you broke my heart." Daniel's mouth dropped as he stared at Gloria. "You fuck me and then you act like nothing happened," she said between sniffles. "I put myself out there for you, believing that we were sharing something special and then you refuse to even talk about it." "Gloria... I'm sorry. I swear I didn't realize it meant anything to you. I thought we were just fooling around." It seemed that for the first time that night, Daniel was finding himself at a loss for words. "God, I've had it up to here with you men. It's always just fooling around for you." "It meant something to me too, you know," Daniel said softly in a voice that was barely audible. "I didn't talk about it because you never talked about it." Suddenly Daniel spoke up in a louder voice. "You could have brought it up too, you know?" "You know what, Daniel? You're right. I could have brought it up. But you know what else? Maybe I shouldn't have to. Maybe you should be able to tell that I'm in love with you without me shouting it from the mountaintops." Daniel found himself struggling to say something, anything. "Sometimes I wish you were a girl. Maybe if that magician had changed you tonight, you would actually be able to tell what I'm feeling for once. We could share our emotions with each other and I wouldn't have to wear a giant billboard advertising what I'm thinking every time I wanted to have a meaningful conversation with you. I really do wish you were my girlfriend because you obviously have no interest in ever being my boyfriend." "Gloria... I..." Daniel did the same thing he always did when he was at a loss for words - he made a joke. "What happened to you yelling at me about the show tonight? Does this mean you've forgiven me for embarrassing you?" Gloria suddenly got very angry. "Just shut up Daniel. I don't want to hear any more of your stupid jokes. I don't want to hear anything from you tonight. You've said enough." As Gloria began to walk towards her car, Daniel vainly struggled to get something off of his chest. "I... Gloria. I didn't ... What I mean is that ...." "I said shut up." Gloria shoved Daniel aside and got into her car. As Daniel stood, unable to form the only words that were on his mind, Gloria drove away. Now alone in the parking lot, Daniel was finally able to let go of the emotion that been wedged in his throat for the last several months. "I love you too, Gloria." Chapter 5 The first time he met her, Daniel knew he loved Gloria. He had started college alone; deciding to attend a school that was hundreds of miles away from his friends and family. It wasn't until he found himself sitting in an auditorium of strangers for his freshmen orientation, though, that he realized the depths of his solitude. Sullen, Daniel shrunk in his seat. He hadn't even begun classes and he was already regretting his decision to leave home. "Don't worry," a voice beside him said. "I'm a little scared too." Daniel turned to look at who had spoken to him and was struck, as if by lightning. Immediately Daniel knew, without a doubt, that he was looking at the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Piercing blue eyes gazed out from underneath a dark cloud of curly black hair. In this girl's eyes, Daniel thought he saw the future reflected back at him. Like the moon shining in a swimming pool, he saw glimpses at something strange and wonderful; something that appeared closer then it actually was. He saw himself getting old and loosing his hair and his memory. The only thing he would never loose, he felt, would be the memory of this girl. Her eyes glittered like stars from her cloud-like skin. Ruby red lips parted, offering Daniel a smile so powerful, it caused him to squint, just a bit, as if to shield his eyes from the girl's warmth. Her face was small and delicate, like a hand-crafted china doll. The dark ringlets of the girl's midnight black hair bounced as she laughed. Her nose, small and child-like, crinkled with amusement at the expressions Daniel was making. Daniel did not mind that the girl was laughing at him. Her laugh was like a lullaby sung to a love-struck child. And that's exactly what Daniel was at this moment. "Don't worry, I'm not going to bite," she said. The sound of her voice echoed in Daniel's ears, sending tingles up his spine and causing him to clench every muscle in his body. He blushed, struggling to regain composure. "My name is Daniel," he managed to stammer. "My name is Gloria." The next two hours flew by far to fast for Daniel's taste. Ignoring the presentation prepared for incoming freshmen, Daniel and Gloria talked about where they had come from and where they were going. He hung onto her every word, taking it in and savoring it like a dying man would hoard over his last meal. They exchanged hopes and fears, laughing and sighing all the way. When the orientation was over and the freshmen were ushered towards their new dorms, the two newly-made friends exchanged a hug. Daniel hugged the girl tighter then anything he has ever grasped. He could feel forever in her presence and he never wanted to let it go. Even though they had just met, the two had shared something deep and personal and Daniel knew that they had formed a bond that could not be easily broken. In the next several years, Daniel and Gloria's friendship only grew. Daniel grew beyond his puppy-dog like infatuation and fell hopelessly in love with Gloria, inside and out. And then it happened. One night, several months ago, the two were up exceptionally late at night, helping each other cram for their semester finals. Hopped up on Red Bull and candy, Gloria was struck with an uncontrollable bout of the giggles at something Daniel said. Daniel, afraid of waking his roommate, attempted to silence Gloria. Not aware of what he was doing until it was done; Daniel silenced Gloria with a kiss. Her lips, still sweat with the taste of candy, kissed Daniel back. As time seemed to slow down, someone's hand shot up to caress the other's hair. Clothes were shed. Secrets shared. That night, the two friends became something more. They became lovers. After their night together, Gloria fell deeply and uncontrollably in love with Daniel. The only thoughts on her mind had to do with crafting ways in which she could spend as much time with him as possible. She planned special events that she knew would appeal to Daniel and, together, the two of them attended video game tournaments, professional wrestling matches, monster movie marathons. But, as Gloria had noted, boys are quite inept at deciphering exactly what a girl is thinking. Daniel was confused by these outings. While Gloria was trying to connect with Daniel and show him she cared about his interests, Daniel only saw a girl desperately trying to reassert herself as a friend - a friend with no interest in walks on the beach or romantic dinners. Both of the lovers were petrified of sharing how they felt with the other and so both were doomed to a yearning for something more, something that was just beyond their reach. Daniel, desperately trying to tell her how he felt, spent a night creating a mix-tape he thought could give voice to the feelings he found himself unable to vocalize. When it came time to give it to her, though, he found he was unable to make the transaction he so desperately wanted to make. What if he inadvertently ruined their friendship with the tape and drove her away forever? Daniel did not think he could bear to live a life that Gloria was not a part of. So, taking his cue from what he perceived Gloria was doing, Daniel reestablished the bounds of their friendship. He pushed his feelings away, sinking into the role of the cantankerous best friend - a role he felt doomed to live. Daniel never dreamed that he would be given the chance to be anything more. Chapter 6 Daniel, as he walked back to his apartment in the dark, began to cry. He had read the signs wrong and had passed over his only chance. Gloria was in love with Daniel. Was in love with him. Not anymore. She was gone and it was because of magic. Daniel was furious. It was because of the magician's prodding that he had acted up and embarrassed Gloria. If it wasn't for the magic show, he could be sharing a drink with Gloria right now, straining to build up the reserve of courage that it would take for him to reveal his feelings to the one he loved. It never occurred to Daniel that if it wasn't for the magic show, he may never have known how Gloria really felt about him. No. The only thing that crossed Daniel's mind right now was the fact that a magic show had stolen his chance at love. And where had Gloria found out about the magic show? That damned candle store. If it wasn't for the candle store and its poster, they could have gone to a bar or to the movies. They could have had a pleasant night and Daniel could still be hanging out with the girl that owned his heart and soul. Daniel spotted a large rock on the ground. He picked it up and began to toss it back and forth between his hands as he walked toward Main Street, toward the candle shop. It wasn't too hard to locate the store. It was right next door to the small Italian restaurant where Gloria worked as a waitress on the weekends. As Daniel gazed at the store, his mind clouded by a combination of alcohol and anger, Gloria's face swam through his head. Gloria loved this store and the people who owned it. The idea of Daniel throwing a rock through the window of the store would make Gloria furious. It would hurt her. Still though, Daniel was consumed with hate at the moment. He honestly hoped that this petty act of vandalism would give him a feeling of calm. If he could take out his frustrations on the store, Daniel truly believed that he could fall to sleep content in the fact that he had had his revenge. Besides, nobody would see Daniel's actions. Gloria would never have to know who threw the rock into the candle store. In the morning he could sort through all his problems and go about trying to win Gloria back. Daniel lifted the rock and considered the possibilities. He remembered the future he had seen in Gloria's eyes, the first day he met her. It was a future with Gloria that he saw; a future with the girl he loved. This shop had taken that future away from him. It had robbed Daniel of his happiness. Daniel threw the rock with all his might at the window. As the glass shattered, making more sound then Daniel had ever expected, Daniel felt a rush of emotions flow through him. Surprisingly, none of the emotions were the feeling of content he had hoped for. Now flooded with guilt and startled by the noise of breaking glass, Daniel ran home without stopping. If he had stopped, though, and turned around, Daniel may have seen one very angry Wiccan staring at him from behind the shattered window of the candle store. He didn't turn around, though and he did not see the angry shopkeeper. Instead, Daniel ran home and climbed into bed. Chapter 7 Daniel did not sleep as well as he had hoped he would. In his dreams, Daniel was standing in the middle of a street. The heavy hood of darkness surrounded him, covering the world with cruel-looking shadows. In the distance, Daniel could see a solitary streetlamp, its light offering a sanctuary to the oblivion that threatened to engulf him. As Daniel stood, looking at the streetlamp, he saw a figure step into the light. While the glare of the lamp obscured her face, Daniel could tell that the figure was Gloria. He began to walk towards her. With every step he took, though, Daniel found himself tripping over his own feet. With every stumble, Gloria seemed to fade further and further into the darkness. Daniel bent down to check if his shoelaces had become untied. As he looked at his feet, though, Daniel was shocked to see that he wasn't wearing his normal tennis shoes. Instead, strapped to his feet were the stiletto heels that he had seen on Dr. Suspendo. Daniel awoke in a cold sweat. He was lying in his bed, the sheets crumpled around his legs. As he pulled himself out of bed to start a shower, Daniel glanced at himself in the mirror. He looked as bad as he felt. Puffy eyes stared back at him as his head throbbed dully. Daniel quickly showered and got dressed. When Daniel left his bedroom he saw Brian, his roommate, lounging on the living room's only couch. A program about surfers was playing on the television. Brian's long blonde hair had fallen over his eyes and Daniel could not tell if he was actually watching the program or had fallen into a nap. "Don't you have class, Bri?" Daniel asked. "TV's far more interesting," Brian responded without moving from his position. "So... How was last night?" Oh God. Last night! Daniel was suddenly struck with the memories of his fight with Gloria. "Don't ask." "That bad, huh? Want to talk about it?" "No time. I have class in half an hour. Not all of us can skip classes for a week and still pull off an A." Daniel plopped down on the lazy boy recliner that sat in the corner of the room. "Have you seen my shoes?" "You left them by the front door," Brian said. "I keep telling you to take them to your room. You, my friend, are a fucking slob." "Yeah? Well, you can suck this slob's hard one." "You wish, stud," Brian said, giving Daniel a smirk as he crossed over to the front door to get his shoes. Sure enough, the shoes were where Brian had said they would be. Daniel put his right foot into its shoe. Before he could lace it up, though, the shoe slipped off his foot. Daniel picked up the shoe again and put it back on his foot. It slipped off again. "OK, Nice prank. Seriously though, where are my shoes?" "They're right there," Brian said, still looking at the TV. "These aren't my shoes. They're too big." "They're the same ones you took off when you came home last night." "What did you do to them, then?" "I didn't do a thing," Brian said, finally turning to look at Daniel. "The shoe. It's too big." Sure enough, the shoe had seemingly grown several sizes too big. "Did you get it wet?" Brian, ever the practical one, asked. "Shoes shrink when they get wet, not grow." Daniel lifted the shoe up to his face to inspect it. It was identical to the shoe Daniel always wore and didn't appear to be stretched out or warped. "Maybe the shoe's fine. Maybe something's wrong with your foot," Brian shot back at Daniel, laughing. Daniel laughed off Brian's statement but quickly got to wondering. He hadn't really examined his feet this morning when he pulled on his socks. Had he lost a toe or two in the previous night without realizing it? Daniel delicately pulled off his sock and examined his foot. Something was wrong. The first thing that Daniel noticed when he stared at his foot was the fact that his toenails were painted bright red. He couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed the shiny coat of paint when he woke up; the color was immaculately applied. The other thing that stood out about his foot was the fact that the nails were all cut. Daniel, while not an extreme slob, was a bit on the slow side when it came to personal hygiene. Besides rarely brushing his teeth, never combing his hair and not owning an iron, Daniel rarely took time to cut his toenails. Now, looking down at his foot, Daniel saw that each nail was professionally trimmed. Upon closer inspection, Daniel also noticed the fact that there was no longer any hair on his toe knuckles and that the patches of athlete's foot that Daniel had struggled with all of his adult life were gone. "What kind of prank is this? Did you give me a pedicure?" Daniel asked Brian, genuinely surprised by what he had found underneath his sock. Brian glanced over at Daniel and the foot in question and burst out laughing. "Oh. My. God, Daniel," Brian managed between laughs. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing. How very ... metro of you." "I'm serious, man. Why did you do this?" Daniel attempted to chip away at the paint on his nails but the coat was too thick. "I didn't do anything," Brian said. "I didn't even go into your room last night." "Well, who did?" "I don't know. The Pedicure Fairy? Whoever it was did an outstanding job. Best prank ever. You're foot even looks daintier." Daniel had to agree with Brian. His foot did look smaller. "Well whatever you did - my shoes won't fit anymore. I hope you're happy. Jackass." "I'm telling you. I didn't do it." "Well my feet didn't do this themselves." "What are you going to do?" asked Brian, getting serious. "You're going to be late for class." "I know, I know. I don't know what I'm going to do though. My shoes don't fit. They're like clown shoes." "I think I have some that might fit," Brian said. He bolted up from the couch and ran upstairs into his room. He came down a few minutes later holding a pair of bright neon-green flip flops. "Very funny, asshole. I can't wear those. My toes will show and I can't get this paint off." "Wear the flip flops over your socks, genius. Would you rather look like a geek or like a chick?" Daniel nodded his head, seeing Brian's point, and slipped on the flip- flops. They fit perfectly. "These are way too small to be yours," Daniel noticed. "Whose are they?" "My ex-girlfriend's," Brian replied, struggling to hold back giggles. "They look better on you then they did on her, though. She had elephant toes." "Asshole," Daniel snapped back, blushing. "You're blushing, you little sprinkle-genie," Brian said, laughing. As Daniel walked out the door, Brian punched him lightly on the leg. "Don't forget to buy some nail polish remover on your way back to class." "Yeah. Thanks," Daniel said as he walked out the door, feeling very, very confused. Chapter 8 As Daniel walked the few blocks from his apartment to campus, his flip flops clacking on the sidewalk, he attempted to call Gloria several times. Each attempt went straight to voicemail. On the fifth try, Daniel finally decided to leave a message. "Gloria," Daniel spoke, "please call me back. I'm very sorry. I was extremely drunk last night and more importantly I was stupid. I know that doesn't excuse my behavior but I just want you to know that I didn't mean to do any of the things I did or say any of the things I said and I'm very sorry. I want to talk to you, though. About what you told me. It's very important that I talk to you. I have something I want to tell you too but I don't want to tell it to your voicemail. Please. Just call me back." Daniel hung-up, hoping that Gloria would show him some kind of mercy. He truly was sorry for what he did the previous night - all of it. He knew that he had acted irrational and that if he was only given a second chance, he would show Gloria how he really felt. As he arrived in his class and took his seat, Daniel's mind began to wander. He thought about the magician's show, her odd attempt to hypnotize him and the current state of his feet. He thought about his act of vandalism at the candle shop and he thought about his argument with Gloria and her revelation that she loved him. He thought about how he loved her. As he thought about all of those things, his mind began to drift off and before he knew it, he was asleep. As he napped, Daniel once again began to dream. He found himself once again wearing the magician's stiletto pumps, standing in the middle of the same darkened street. In this dream, however, Daniel found that he had no problem walking in the shoes. In fact, he hardly noticed them as he began to walk faster, closing the gap between him and Gloria. Daniel called out to the girl, but she did not answer. He was beginning to make out the details on the girl's face when he began to notice a pressure on his chest. He found himself having trouble breathing, feeling as if he was being constricted. Daniel looked down and saw that he was covered from the neck down with a shiny black rubber suit. The material clung to his body like a second skin. It was tight and getting tighter. It felt as if the material was shrinking and in the process, crushing Daniel. He vainly struggled to remove the material, clawing at it with his hands. Just as Daniel began to feel his rib cage crack, he heard a voice calling his name. "Mr. Huzzbath. Mr. Huzzbath. Mr. Huzzbath!" Daniel slowly opened his eyes, not looking forward to being embarrassed by the professor, who was known to be somewhat of a hard-ass. "Do you really feel my class is the best place to catch up on your beauty sleep?" the professor asked. "No sir." "Why then are you doing it?" "I had a rough night last night and I'm just really tir-" "That was a rhetorical question Mr. Huzzbath. I don't really care about your personal life. I do, however, care about students sleeping in my class. It makes me look ... boring. I'm not boring you - am I Mr. Huzbath?" "No, sir." "Once again, a rhetorical question. I know I'm not boring you. You can't be bored when you've already fallen asleep." The class began to laugh and Daniel recalled another crowd of people who had laughed at him not too long ago. "Why don't you go ahead and leave my class Mr. Huzzbath." "I'm good, sir," Daniel said. "I'm wide awake now. I couldn't fall asleep if I wanted to." "No. I'm serious. Go home and get some sleep. And why you're there, why don't you change into some clothes that fit. What is it with your generation and baggy clothes?" Daniel, confused about the professor's last statement, did not move. "I'm serious Mr. Huzzbath. Leave. Get out of my room. NOW! Come back when you can show some respect." Daniel gathered his books and stood up. It was then he realized what the professor was talking about. His clothes draped over his body like a circus tent. Somehow in the time between when Daniel had fallen asleep and when he had woken up, his clothes had grown several sizes too large. Startled, Daniel attempted to quickly leave class. He didn't make it far before his pants, far too big now, fell below his waist. The class erupted in laughter as Daniel attempted to hitch up his pants while leaving the room. Once in the hallway, Daniel spotted the nearest restroom and ducked inside. What was going on? First his shoes and now his clothes? Daniel stared at himself in the mirror. Something was wrong. He looked different. It wasn't his face. The same puffy eyes stared back at him as they had in the morning. His hair was still the same close cropped Steve McQueen look that he had worn since high school. Wait. His height. He had shrunk. Staring at himself in the mirror, Daniel knew that he was somehow shorter then he had been this morning. While normally Daniel stood 6'1", he now looked to be approximately 5'8". That's why his clothes hung around him like a poncho. That's why the cuffs of his legs were pooled around his feet like a dress. His clothes had not grown, he had shrunk. It wasn't just his height. He was smaller all around - as in proportion to his height. He looked like a shrinky-dink clone of his former self. How? Why? Daniel ran through all the possible illness that could possibly cause rapid human shrinkage but couldn't think of any that might fit the bill. He needed answers and he needed them fast. Daniel knew a person who might be able to give them to him - even if he didn't look forward to calling her. Staring at himself in the mirror, it didn't appear that he had much of a choice unless he wanted to apply for the position of Ant-Man sometime soon. It was time for Daniel to call his mom. Chapter 9 Daniel carefully lowered himself onto the toilet seat in the campus bathroom, noticing how, when seated on the commode, his feet barely seemed to touch the ground. As he held his phone to his ear, he took his mind off of his current condition by counting the times the phone ringed. One, two, three. Daniel attempted to telepathically urge his mom to pick up the phone. Daniel's mother was the nurse at an elementary school back home. While not a doctor, his mom had been the primary source of medical diagnoses for most of Daniel's youth. With one look, Mrs. Huzzbath could tell exactly what was wrong with her son and her prescription usually didn't involve expensive medication or a needle. Soups, spices and herbs were Mrs. Huzzbath's cures of choice. When Daniel went to college, he continued to use his mother for medical consultation, relying on her over-the-phone diagnosis for any cold or fever that would pop up. "Hello," a voice on the other end of the phone said. "Mom, it's me." "Becca? Is something wrong at school?" "Not Becca, mom. It's Daniel." "Daniel? Oh honey, you sound terrible. For a minute you sounded like your sister. Is something wrong? Do you need money?" "No, I don't need any money. I need some medical consultation." "What's wrong?" "I feel funny mom. Something's wrong with me and I don't know what it is. I'm shrinking." "You're what?" "Shrinking, mom. I'm becoming smaller." "Like your personality? Is this some kind of euphemism for depression? Are you on drugs?" "No. I'm not on drugs. I'm physically shrinking. I think I'm 5'8." "No. You're more around 6'1"." "That what I'm saying. I'm loosing my height." "Well I told you that you should have been exercising more. All those computer games are wasting away your muscles." "No mom. I'm serious. I am loosing inches." "Oh honey. I'm sure it's just your posture. If you stand up straight you'll probably notice that girls will even pay more attention to you. You'll be fine. So... How was your friend's birthday party?" "It was a disaster mom. But really, I'm serious about me shrinking." "Honey, you're probably just upset about whatever happened last night. Just put it out of your mind and get some rest. Drink some chicken soup and stand up straight. You'll be back to yourself in no time." "I don't think that's going to help Mom." "Well then why don't you go to the health clinic? I don't know why you bother to call me if you're not going to listen to what I have to say. I should start charging you for medical consultation." "I'm sorry mom. You're right. I'm probably just tired. I'm going to skip my classes today and go home." "You know I don't approve of you skipping classes ... but you do sound really worked up. Your voice hasn't sounded this bad since you hit puberty. Go home and take a nap. I promise you. Everything seems better after a good, long nap." "Okay mom. Love you." "Love you too sweetie." Daniel hung up the phone and put it into his pocket. He stood up and walked out of the stall where he had been hiding. Looking at himself in the mirror, it was obvious that something was wrong and that a nap and a bowl of soup wouldn't be the cure he needed. He was going to have to go to the health clinic. First, though, he needed some new clothes. He could barely move without tripping over his pant legs. He needed to go home. Chapter 10 As Daniel walked into his apartment he noticed that Brian was still passed out on the couch. Not wanting to wake him, Daniel quietly snuck past him and into his own room. He frantically scanned the closet, searching for anything that would fit him. He held up an old t-shirt he had kept from high school and put it over his frame. It hung down to his knees like a night gown. His pants were worse. Even his basketball shorts hung loose around his waist. When he put them on, Daniel found himself having to constantly tighten the drawstring or else they would fall to his feet. Just when it looked like he was out of luck and he would have to spend the day swimming in a sea of oversized fabric, Daniel spotted a gym bag on the floor of the closet. It was Gloria's. Last week, after a visit to the gym, Gloria had come over to visit Mike. She had forgotten her bag when she left. Daniel had been meaning to give the bag to Gloria but had forgotten to take it with him every time he left the house. With Gloria no longer talking to him, Daniel wondered if he would ever get another chance. Suddenly, a thought popped into Daniel's head. Daniel tried to push the thought, repellent and frightening as it was, away. But, as he looked at the clothes hanging on his rack, Daniel realized he didn't have much of a choice. Daniel knew somehow that the bag could very well contain the only outfit in the entire apartment that would fit him. Unzipping the bag, Daniel peaked in, unable to remember what it contained. Inside, along with a small collection of make-up and jewelry, was a light blue button-up blouse, a pair of designer jeans and a bra. Daniel picked up the blouse and the jeans and held them up to his body. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he saw that they were a perfect fit. The implications frightened Daniel. Gloria had a small, petite frame. As a joke Daniel had once tried to wear Gloria's jacket and had ripped the seams along the back. The thought that some strange illness had caused Daniel to shrink to the point where he could fit into Gloria's wardrobe was scary indeed. His hands shaking, Daniel buttoned the blouse over his torso. It was loose in certain places and tighter in others, but otherwise it fit better then anything else in Daniel's closet. The fabric felt smooth on his skin. He could feel his arms begin to sweat a little bit, nervous that Brian would walk in at any moment and see him wearing a girl's shirt. The jeans, on the other hand, weren't as comfortable. Besides the indignity of having flowers embodied on his back pocket, the jeans didn't quite fit Daniel. While they hung loosely from his ass and waist, his legs seemed to strain against the fabric. He uncomfortably shifted the jeans around, hoping to at least hide the tight outline of his crotch, his camel tail, from showing. He looked at himself in the mirror and groaned. He looked like a caricature of some gay high school student. He had no idea what was going on with his body but he knew that he needed some answers. He needed to go to the clinic. First, though, he needed a nap. His mother was right. Daniel was extremely tired and he knew that after a nap he would be able to think with a clear head and get to the bottom of this mystery. So, still dressed in the blouse and the jeans, Daniel climbed into bed and pulled the sheets over his head. Chapter 11 Daniel could feel his muscles throbbing, keeping rhythm with his heartbeat. His body ached and he was soaked in sweat, the moisture cold and wet against his skin. His mouth, though, was completely dry, as if he had been sucking on a cotton ball until just recently. Lying in bed, Daniel opened his eyes to the world around him. Judging from the darkness that had crept into the room, several hours had past since Daniel had fallen asleep. As his eyes began to adjust to the lack of light, he noticed that he was not alone. There was movement in the corner of the room; somebody leaning against the wall was watching him. Even through the dim, Daniel could tell it was his roommate, Brian. "What the hell are you doing?" Daniel asked, annoyed. "Watching you sleep." "I can tell that. Why?" "Nothing good on TV," Brian said. "Is there something wrong with you? You look ... different." Brian's concern for his friend showed through his weak attempt at levity. "I don't really feel so hot. It feels like I just had my ass kicked by a UFC fighter. I'm sore as hell and not really in the mood to wake up to my roommate gawking at me." "Sorry... I was just trying to wake you up." "No... I'm sorry. I just don't feel very well. I guess I drank more then I thought yesterday." "That doesn't look like any hangover I've ever seen," Brian said. "It looks more like you took a bath in Oil of Olay." "What the hell does that mean?" Daniel asked, sitting up in his bed. "You look at least six years younger." Daniel shot up and stumbled out of his bed. The distance to the floor took Daniel by surprise. In his post-slumber state, he had forgotten about the fact that he was shrinking. Jumping over a pile of dirty clothes, Daniel rushed into his bathroom and turned on the light. When he saw his reflection in the mirror, his first thought was that somebody had taped a picture from his middle school yearbook onto the glass. He had changed so much, looked so different, that Daniel, for a split second, couldn't believe that he was actually looking at his own face. But as he brought one hand up to his cheek, felt his skin and touched his nose, Daniel realized that the face staring back at him was indeed his own. The first thing Daniel noticed was that he had seemingly stopped shrinking. He was more or less the same height as he was when he had fallen asleep. He looked smaller then before though. His shoulders were shrunken and his arms were thinner, more delicate. What little muscles Daniel had once possessed were almost non-existent. Gloria's jeans, while previously ill-fitting on Daniel, seemed almost snug now. During his nap, Daniel's hips seemed to have flared out and his ass grown. That couldn't be possible, though. Could it? Daniel's skin, normally patched with at least a day's worth of stubble, had become smooth, clear. A zit that Daniel had popped the night before had vanished, along with several other pimples that had been in various stages of formation. He lifted a finger to his skin to feel the smoothness of his cheek and noticed that his hands seemed smaller, his fingers looked longer. "What the heck did you do to yourself, man? You look like you've been sneaking some kind of hormones on the side." Brian had followed Daniel into the bathroom and was now staring, wide- eyed, at his friend. Daniel ignored him, shocked into silence by the face that looked back at him from the mirror. "I know you probably feel like you're getting older but I think, maybe, you went a bit far with the whole trying to look younger bit. Do you think the ladies are really going to go for that kind of look? You have a face like my kid brother's." Daniel stared at his face. While it was true the decrease in body mass and facial hair made Daniel look younger, his face did not look particularly childlike. Something about his features, though, looked wrong. "No. I don't look like your brother," Daniel said. "I don't look like anybody's brother. I look like a girl." Brian laughed at Daniel's ludicrous statement. "What? A girl? With a face like that? Daniel, my friend, I don't think you have to worry about anybody asking you to pose for Playboy anytime soon." Daniel didn't laugh at Brian's joke. "You're serious, right?" Brian asked. "How is this possible? What did you do to yourself?" "I didn't do anything," Daniel said, unable to turn away from the mirror. "Last night the magician cursed me or hypnotized me or something. She tried to make me think I was a girl but it didn't work then. She must have done something to me though because ... look at me. Look at my face. Look at my arms. Look at how short I am. Look at my ass!" "You're right... it's not a bad ass," Brian said, grinning. Daniel was slightly troubled to find himself blushing. "What the hell is happing to me?" he wondered out loud. "I need to find Dr. Suspendo." "Well, you should take Gloria with you," Brian said. "She's been waiting in the living room for almost half an hour." "What?" Daniel turned to Brian, worry in his eyes. "What is she doing here?" "She said you were the one who called her." "Well, you have to tell her I'm not here." "No can do," Brian said, shaking his head. "I already told her you were in your room sleeping." "Well, tell her you couldn't wake me. Tell her that I'm out like a log. She has to come back later." "If I tell her that, she'll just come in here and try to wake you herself. She said she has to talk to you about something really important." "Shit," Daniel said. Shit indeed, Daniel thought. What was he going to do? There was no way on earth that Gloria could ever see Daniel right now. Not when he looked the way he looked. "Uh... Just give me about five minutes and then let her come in." "Five minutes it is," Brian said. "You might want to change into something else though. That shirt looks like it belongs to a chick. And are those flowers on your ass?" "Just go and tell her." Daniel rubbed his eyes and wondered what was he going to do. Chapter 12 Gloria was getting tired of waiting for Brian to wake Daniel. As she sat on the couch in the living room, she imagined the two of them inside the bathroom, rehearsing some kind of apology; one Daniel hoped would win her forgiveness. Gloria had not come to forgive Daniel, though. It wasn't that she was still terribly upset about Daniel's behavior the previous night. She had had time to cool down and think things over. Daniel had drunk too much beer and had acted like an idiot - it was embarrassing but it was not the end of the world. In a different situation, Gloria could have eventually laughed off the whole night, teasing Daniel for years to come about his inability to hold his alcohol. While she had forgiven Daniel in her heart, Gloria was not ready to tell him that. She had come to tell Daniel that their friendship was over. Last night had changed everything. Last night, Gloria had opened herself up and revealed her vulnerabilities to Daniel. As much as she hated realizing it, she knew that there was no going back. Her relationship with Daniel could never be the same. This was not the first time Gloria had faced a similar decision. After they had made love several months ago, Gloria had been faced with a choice. She could move on, try to forget Daniel. Instead, she chose to hide her feelings for the sake of their friendship. It had been painful for Gloria to be so close to the person she loved, yet remain so far. She had worked hard, though, and had even come close to fooling herself into believing that she no longer was in love with him. Things had been awkward for a while, but Gloria had managed to bottle up her feelings, content with letting them rest on a shelf. The bottle was open now. Daniel knew how Gloria felt and their relationship had changed forever. Gloria knew that there were only two possible roads that lay ahead as far as Daniel and her were concerned. Daniel could either choose to ignore Gloria's confession and pretend as if the conversation had never happened or he could decide, out of pity, to attempt a relationship with his best friend. A relationship built out of pity could never end well, Gloria thought. Eventually Daniel would grow tired of her and the relationship would end, along with their friendship. Either way, in the end, Gloria could only see pain and hurt in her future. It never crossed Gloria's mind that Daniel was in love with her. Such a thought was a fantasy that Gloria could not afford to indulge. She was tired of bottles and repressed emotions. She knew that life was too short to invite pain and suffering into it. And so, Gloria had chosen to avoid the uncertainty, the awkwardness between friends. The cat was out of the bag and she had decided she would rather cut her losses now then have to deal with the inevitability slow and painful death of their friendship. She heard the door to Daniel's room open and saw Brian walk out. "Daniel's getting dressed," Brian said. "He said to give him five minutes." "Okay," Gloria said, not moving from the couch. Brian walked over to the living room and slumped into the recliner. "Happy birthday by the way," Brian said. "Thanks," Gloria replied, the sour expression on her face unwavering. "What's the matter with you two? Did something happen last night?" "We had a fight." "Well, I hope you two find a way to kiss and make up. I hate to see the two of you get your panties twisted up over a little thing like a fight." "Look, Brian, I appreciate you trying to help out and all, but I'm not really in the mood to talk with you about this right now." "Okay, fine ... it's just that I'd hate to see you hurt Daniel. That boy is head over heals in love with you and -" "What?" Gloria interrupted. "In love with you. Daniel's in love with you and you're in love with him and - Jesus, it's like a Jane Austin novel or something. All the unrequited love in the air is suffocating. Why the two of you haven't hooked up yet is beyond me." Could Brian really be telling the truth, Gloria thought. Could she really allow herself the chance to believe him? "I really need to talk to Daniel," Gloria said, getting up and crossing over to his room. Brian shot up and rushed over to the door, blocking her way. "I really don't think it's been five minutes yet," he said. "We should really give him his five minutes." "I don't care. I need to talk to him now." "He's probably still getting changed." Gloria pushed Brian aside. "It'll be fine," she said, opening the door. She braced herself as she walked into the room. There was nobody inside. Danie