Pulling At The Red Thread Of Fate - Chapter 6 - Through Thick And Thin free porn video

Pulling at the Red Thread of Fate - Chapter 6 - Through Thick and Thin... Several days passed and nothing changed. Friday evening was still counting down and with every passing minute, I could feel dread building in my body. Was I the one who was nervous? Or was it Ally? I drilled it into my head over and over again: it's just another Friday night hanging out with Mike, watching some game footage and doing what 'bros' do. There's absolutely nothing to be nervous about because nothing else WILL happen. Jen still seemed quite clingy to me, maybe even protective, but I couldn't find a way to bring it up without potentially offending her. I started noticing how the girls around me were always close with their friends, whether it was walking arm in arm or constantly hugging each other, so maybe this was normal for Jen and Ally. I wasn't afraid of intimacy by any means, but I was definitely not the 'hug on first sight' type of guy. I thought about asking her to join Mike and I tonight, but I felt the pull of Ally's will, manifesting itself as both fear and foreboding dread, convincing me otherwise. We did spend lunch together as I had promised, and she seemed happy to have my undivided attention for at least half an hour a day. It got really awkward when we got home on Thursday, when after Steve had slipped back into the house, she cornered me in the car and shoved something in my hand. Feeling the square-shaped plastic with the instantly recognizable feeling of a circle outlined in the package, I knew exactly what it was. I hated that I turned red, blushing with embarrassment. In response, I practically threw the condom back at her. Then she started to get embarrassed and thrust it back at me, telling me, "You have to be careful!" I had already resolved that it would NEVER get that far, but no manner of convincing would be enough for her and after a few minutes of back and forth, I finally relented and shoved the condom into my bag just to get her to let it go. Of course, I had to ask her, "Where did you even find one anyway?" She looked sheepishly before turning her head up to look at her house. It took me a hot second to make the connection, but the first word to come out of my mouth was, "Eww." I covered my mouth, embarrassed at what I had just said, and looked apologetically at her. There was a pregnant pause between us - no pun intended - as I waited for her to react... but thankfully she started laughing, which made me laugh as well. She did say something that would probably haunt me more than any dream about Mike though, "What do you think your Dad does with your Mom when you and Steve aren't around?" I reacted the only way I could: "EWW!" Fits of laughter ensued as the thought of our parents having sex was suddenly the most hilarious thing we'd ever thought about. When Dad came out to check on me after being outside for so long, it was Jen's turn to say "Eww!" and we started laughing all over again. Dad was not amused, knowing that he was the butt of some joke, but not quite sure what it was. He rolled his eyes and tapped on the windshield, motioning for us to go inside before leaving us to our laughter. When we had finally calmed down, I pulled the condom out to look at it and said, "I'm pretty sure this is almost as old as we are." Jen chortled and tried not to laugh again and shrugged her shoulders, "You could always buy some tomorrow, or maybe grab some from the guidance counsellor's office." Oh god. The walk to the 'candy bowl' was always the source of rumours - I know some guys going on purpose to grab a condom just so they COULD be seen. But why was I even thinking about this? SEX WAS NOT AN OPTION. "I'm fine", I told her with confidence as we left the car. She smiled softly at me and gave me a 'sure there' look before admonishing me, "I'm going to channel both our Moms here and tell you that you should be careful..." She winced and added, "And don't worry, I won't say anything... although you should tell your parents where you'll be tomorrow." It hadn't occurred to me to even tell them I'd be at Mike's since that was just something I did all the time. If I'm going through with this, it'll be much better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission anyway. I shrugged noncommittally at Jen and told her I'd see her tomorrow before we parted ways and went into our respective houses. I should mention that Violet pretty much left me alone after she found the pamphlet. She was definitely not friendly, but it seemed that particular drama was over. Or at least she seemed to tolerate me instead of despise me. The fact that there weren't even more rumours flying around about me meant that she didn't say anything to anyone, of which I'm grateful. Not because I would have been afraid of any rumours, but it would have been yet another distraction on my way to try to get home. I only felt guilty because it felt like I had 'tricked' Violet somehow. That I had lied to her to play on her sympathies. But I wasn't going to bring it up with her at least - there didn't seem to be any reason to tell her the truth. Well, to be honest, I'm also not sure what the 'truth' would be anyway. Perhaps the strangest moment was when I took a hard fall from a lift and Violet came over to check if I was alright. Her Gaggle chalked it up to her being nice because she had to as the captain, but the moment between us seemed genuine. Although I'm pretty sure I could see her twitch whenever one of the girls would mention the 'thing' between me and Mike... Britney on the other hand couldn't help but butt into my life at that point. The little endless ball of energy was practically everywhere I went, happy to give me tips on what Mike's hobbies were and what he liked in a woman. I didn't actually need her help that much, because he sounded very much like the Mike I knew, but I realized that we never really did talk about the type of woman he wanted to be with. Now that I thought about it, I'd go on and on to him about Violet and he'd simply agree with whatever I said and never offered up anything himself. That said, Britney wasn't all that insightful about Mike's turn-ons, beyond "smart, cute, sexy, but also fun". Generic enough that, honestly, Britney could have fit the bill if I had to be honest with myself. I didn't mind having Britney be so involved though. It was nice to have a "wing woman" who was so into hyping me up that I couldn't help but feel good about myself... even if it was all in service of trying to pair me up with Mike. In less than a week, she made me sound like a legend to the other cheerleaders on both the Varsity and JV teams, making me into some kind of authority on love. If... when I get back, maybe I should let my wandering gaze, well, wander past Violet and toward Britney. She'd definitely be a great girlfriend. Or perhaps the worst. It'd probably be a trip finding out though. Friday soon approached and for the first time this week, I let Jen drive us to school. Steve tried his best to ignore our conversation, hoping to not be culpable in whatever crime I was going to commit in Mom's eyes. "So, are you really going to go through with this?" she said with a little disappointment in her voice. I actually did want to talk to Mike - to try to understand what happened to his parents. It was still a subject I couldn't really broach with Britney, and even if it might not have any bearing on whatever was happening to me, it could be useful information to have. Being alone with him would definitely make asking that easier, and I feel like I had already promised Ally - whatever that means - that I'd go through with this 'date' anyway. "Yes... but really, if you're that worried, you could..." I felt little frog in my throat and coughed loudly to clear it, "you could always come with me." Jen rolled her eyes at me. "Now you're just making fun of me again." I just sighed and let it go, because the last thing I wanted was another awkward fight between us again. When we arrived at the school and parked, Jen told Steve to meet her after school and that she'd take him home early. He let out a little cheer and cheekily said, "Can you keep going out with Mike so I don't have to hang around school waiting for your practices to end?" I chased him around the car for a bit and threw him a playful kick to get him out of my hair, watching him laugh as he ran toward the school. When I turned to face Jen, she had that deep, serious look on her face again and suddenly gave me a hug, pulling me close to her in a tight and intimate embrace. It felt like an eternity when she finally released me, particularly because we were in front of the school, but when she did pull back from me, I saw a sad wistful look on her face. With a melodramatic tone she started, "I always thought..." I waited for her to finish, but she didn't have the chance as Hurricane Britney stormed right in and greeted us with her Pollyanna cheeriness. "Hiiii Jen," Britney greeted her in a sing song voice. Jen clutched my arm and mumbled a hello in response. I suppose this was better than the complete silence from her previously. Britney turned back to me and continued, "Operation Two to Tango! Is a go." I sighed. After a couple of days of this, I knew she was trying to get a rise out of me. Instead I opted not to play along this time, "Look, I appreciate you trying to get your parents out of hair, but I'd honestly feel better if they were there. You too." "Oh Ally, how can you be such a man-eater but also be so inexperienced?" I know she was needling me, but I'm not sure if I appreciated being called a man-eater. Perhaps Jen sensed my anxiety and exclaimed, "Ally's not that kind of girl!" I stopped in my tracks as both Britney and I stared at her for a minute. Realizing her outburst, Jen turned her head away from us and buried her face into her hands in embarrassment. I wasn't sure this is how I had expected to break her out of her shell, but it was certainly effective. Britney quickly grabbed Jen's hands into hers and smiled sweetly at her, "I'm sorry Jen! I was just having a little bit of fun. I know she's a perfect angel. Right Ally?" I shook my head in exasperation but smiled back in return, "I feel like you've both been having too much fun at my expense lately." Britney squealed with laughter and said in return, "I like seeing you make your faces whenever I talk about Mike. It's so cute!" She pulled Jen and I closer and in a conspiratorial tone said, "But really, Mike is a great guy and I know he won't try anything, so I'm just saying... Ally, you have to make the first move and this is the perfect time." I remembered the dream where I kissed Mike passionately on the football field and a warm feeling washed over my body. Would it be so bad to feel good, just for a moment? And... it's not like this is my Mike... it wouldn't be his lips pressing back against mine, or his hands touching greedily at my body, so it'd be fine. I angrily shook my head to clear those thoughts, which Britney took as me trying to deny wanting to make the first move. "Oh Ally, I know what you're really thinking. But that's okay, we can play it slow too." Jen broke off from us and asked Britney, "Why do you want Ally to be with Mike so badly anyway?" It was a thought that had crossed my mind, although I never thought to articulate it. She did seem really invested... She laughed again and said, "Because it's so romantic! They could become high school sweethearts, and then go to prom together, and then get married!" Jeez! That was a spit-take moment if there ever was one. It was my turn to blush as I started walking toward school on my own, "Let's... let's get to class. We don't want to be late." Britney giggled and poked Jen, "See! Tell me that isn't so adorable!" "Ally's always adorable," Jen muttered to herself, perhaps a bit too loudly because she was caught off guard when Britney hooked her arm into hers and began to lead her to school behind me. Britney happily agreed, "I'm glad you think so too!" If I had turned around, I probably would have seen Jen blushing. They soon caught up with me and Britney, in a moment of seriousness, told me, "Sorry if I've been teasing you too much. I think you really should have some alone time with Mike, away from peering eyes. I think you'll like him even more when you get to know him." Oh Britney, if you only knew. I know him quite well - perhaps too well, considering I've seen him in his birthday suit. But clearly there were things about this Mike that would be different... like having a nosy little sister to deal with! I nodded perhaps too solemnly and said, "And getting to know him is all that's going to happen." Britney just flashed me a smile that was both infuriating and disarming at the same time. I really just couldn't stay mad at this girl, and all I could do was roll my eyes at her as I turned back to stuff my things into my locker. It was at that moment Violet and Anna, who I would describe as the leader of the Gaggle and who seemed to be Violet's version of 'Jen', passed by us. Violet barely acknowledged my existence, but she did offer a brief but significant, "Ally" before passing me. "Violet," I whispered back in response. I still gave her a wide berth, but I still didn't quite know what to do with her. Anna was not pleased and shot me a dirty look as if to remind me of my place. As they walked down the hallway, I could see that Jen had practically 'chameleoned' herself against the lockers and disappeared when Violet had arrived, skittish as ever, while Britney just continued to smile at me with a sparkle in her eyes. I shook my head at Britney and simply said, "Don't start..." She gave me a playing jab with her fingers in response and laughed, "You're so funny Ally!" She paused for a moment and sighed wistfully, "I'm going to be sad when you're gone..." I cocked my head and looked at her quizzically. I think I had joked that she might be responsible for all of this, but... I tentatively asked her, "Gone?" "You know, when you graduate. I bet you end up going to the State school or somewhere big, so I probably won't see you again for a while once you're gone." Oh right. Graduation. Although I wouldn't put it past Britney to be some kind of magical creature who was having fun messing with me. I smiled at her and said, "I'm sure we'll always be in touch wherever we end up." She had a mischievous look on her face again and I braced myself as she said, "Especially if you end up being my sister in law." Jen suddenly reasserted her presence by clearing her throat rather loudly, which was so perfectly timed that it caused me to start laughing uncontrollably at how ridiculous this whole situation was. Being Mrs. Taylor? I couldn't even imagine. No, actually I didn't WANT to imagine. I didn't wait for either of them to react and started walking to class, "See you both later." As I went through my day, I thought about how I was beginning to settle into my 'new' life. I hated that it was beginning to feel routine... normal... but I had no idea what I could do while I waited for the professor to get back to me. I'm not sure if going back to Pastor Jones would help, particularly because I still find myself unable to articulate my situation in a coherent manner that wouldn't be misinterpreted. I should count my blessings she didn't think I was crazy, or tell me that I needed to be 'fixed', considering some of the stories I read about online about people who 'came out'. I'm not sure if I saw what was happening to me as a punishment from above, and I don't know if a fire and brimstone approach would solve anything. I had another surprise episode with Violet when, before practice, she took me aside and told me to focus. Echoing the Coach, she firmly told me, "Keep your mind on the routine or someone will get hurt." Just as with Britney and Jen, I wanted to tell her that my mind was all on practice, but the mixture of awe and fear still intimidated me and all I could do was nod. I wonder if Ally had wanted to be a part of her group, but for whatever reason was shut out. Maybe I'm supposed to help Ally with that? She stared at me intently for a moment, perhaps trying to glean some information from me by reading my mind. Hey Violet, I'm actually a guy! From the expression on her face, that didn't seem to work, but I figured mind reading wouldn't be any more unusual than what's happened to me at this point. Whatever she was trying to glean from me, I could tell from the consternation in her face that she wasn't satisfied, but rather than interrogate me further she simply walked away from me and joined the others at practice. I appreciated her words though, because it got me to focus on practice instead the big event that was supposed to happen tonight. Funny enough, or perhaps as yet another joke the universe played on me, Coach Sanders ended football practice early to let the boys have some time to blow off some steam, giving those who were interested time to watch the girls practice instead. I couldn't help but feel Mike's eyes on me once I noticed that he was watching us. After we finished our routine, he came up to me with a water bottle and smiled his winning smile at me before jokingly adding, "You know, you might want tuck yourself in a little to create a straighter line." As I squeezed the water bottle and took a drink, I smiled back at him and said, "Fair play." I turned to Britney, who was talking to some of the other girls, "Although I'm more inclined to suspect that you got that pointer from someone else." He laughed and said, "Yeah, although I did get a chance to see you last year when you were with the JV team. You were amazing." I turned to face him and I could tell he was being sincere, which only made me blush. But as I played with a blade of grass with my foot, a thought occurred to me. Why am I feeling embarrassed?! Perhaps feeling a little more confident at my expense, he continued, "So, how about we meet at the parking lot when you're ready? You're still okay with coming over to my place?" I looked up and thought about the whole point of this little escapade. I needed to find out more about his life and maybe along the way help him with his game. This was intelligence gathering! "Yep, that works for me," I quietly add before tossing him the water bottle and turning back to face the other girls. We both flinched when we saw Britney approach us and I gave him a knowing look, "Are you as afraid of her as I am?" He looked at me and said with mock seriousness, "At least you don't have to live with her." We shared a laugh as Britney finally approached us and asked, "What's so funny?" We turned to face each other again and just burst out into laughter once more, making her pout at us. But an evil glint in her eye appeared and she smiled, "You two already have an inside joke! Soon you'll be giving each other knowing glances like Brian and Mom!" Mike hurried apologized on her behalf and stuttered out, "I-I-I'm sorry about her. She doesn't know what she's talking about." "I think we just need to learn to return fire, Mike. Maybe we should help Britney find your new brother in law? Or how she's going to be our go-to babysitter from now on?" Britney squealed in delight at my attempt to get back at her, "There's the man-eater bite!" I playful started to chase her and she ran back to join the other girls, sharing a laugh with them when she got back to them. Mike caught up with me and kept a weary eye on Britney when he mused, "Well, I don't think I ever thought of shooting back." "It's like being on the field. Find that area with no coverage and boom! Hit your receiver." He looked down at me and gave me an amused look, "You really do like football, don't you?" I could feel my body beginning to respond with embarrassment, but I fought the feelings and nodded vigorously, "You could say it was... it IS my life." A third voice interrupted our conversation, "I thought that was cheerleading." Oh shit. I snapped around and saw Violet with a stern look on her face and immediately felt guilty for seemingly disappointing her. This time I felt as embarrassed as Ally did for getting on Violet's bad side and coughed out a quick apology, "Y-yes, of course!" Violet eyed Mike up and down as if she was examining a convict or perhaps a prisoner waiting for the firing squad and narrowed her eyes before jabbing a finger at his chest, "If you think this little trifle isn't going to be a distraction during your big homecoming game next week, be my guest. But when our competition season starts you and your little boys better not mess with my team." She then turned to me and I braced myself to be berated just as well, but she leaned in close to me and whispered quietly to me in my ear, "And maybe you should be more honest with yourself." She marched away from us and told everyone that they could wrap it up and head home, causing the girls to erupt in cheers and talk about the plans they had for the start of the weekend. I think we were both a little shellshocked by Violet, as we stood in the metaphorical dust that Violet kicked up in her wake. Mike was the first to respond, "I'm not... I mean, I care about football too. But you're not... I mean I'm serious. No, I mean, not serious like Britney thinks we should be but I'm not... like this isn't about scoring with you and..." I couldn't help but find Mike sweet as he stumbled over his words. This really was a side of him I didn't know existed, and there was something... nice about being able to get to know him in a way I never would be able to back in my normal life. I also felt a little guilty watching him stumble around with his words and saved him by patting his arm, "Don't worry, I know you're not like that. You're too much of a gentleman." At least, Mike and I never really talked about girls as 'conquests' anyway. I gestured to the school and added, "She's not wrong though. We need to focus on getting you ready. Let's go get changed and then we can see what we can do about your game." "Alright, I'll see you soon!" As we went our separate ways, I thought about what Violet said to me. She didn't really have any reason to believe I wasn't questioning myself, but it felt dishonest to have her sympathy for that reason and I wanted to tell her the truth. Except... what is the truth? Ally's clearly attracted to Mike and I'm clearly not. Definitely not! So, what could I tell her? In the locker room, Britney was already telling an enraptured audience about the evening I had planned with Mike and I just waved them off when they all started to tease me about my 'date' when I walked in. Jaina did try to give me some advice on how to handle Mike based on her experience with her ex-boyfriend, but I assured her that it would not be needed. Violet, for her part, just gave me a stern look as she passed me on the way out of the locker room. When I was ready to leave myself, Britney explained to me, "So, Mom's going to pick me up and then we're going to meet Brian at the station before going out to dinner." "And they're actually fine with me and Mike being alone together?" "This is where the awkwardness of a blended family comes in. Mom is pretty happy-go-lucky, but she is still trying to figure out what boundaries to set for Mike and I know Brian freaks out whenever I ask him for something a little too earnestly," Britney replied. It was odd to hear her be so serious, but I suppose she couldn't be cheery all the time. I wonder if calling Mike's dad Brian was to tease him too, or a little bit of unease on her part... That said, I didn't have much time to linger on the thought, given how quickly she returned to form when she asked, "Besides, I thought nothing would happen tonight anyway?" It felt like a challenge and I wasn't going to let her win, "Thanks for reminding me Britney." She looked at me with a curious look on her face as I pulled out my phone and placed a call. I wasn't sure if I should be thankful that she was still working and I got her voice mail, but it gave me an opportunity to leave a message without having to deal with her reaction... at least until I saw her later tonight. "Hey Mom, I forgot to let you and Dad know that I was going to come home late tonight. I'm going to be helping Mike Taylor out with some football stuff. Anyway, love you Mom!" Britney's expression turned to one of surprise as she nodded at how forthright I was with my message, "Looks like you're serious about it being 'serious'. But do you think your Mom's going to appreciate you leaving a last-minute message about her poor, sweet daughter being swept away by a dashing young man. Their hormones and lust driving them to throes of passion!" She hugged herself and made kissing sounds at me before bursting into a fit of laughter. Yeah, she opened the door and I walked right into that one, didn't I? Choosing not to concede defeat, I told her, "Stella and I have very mature relationship." I immediately felt like a child as the words left my mouth because we could both tell from my lack of conviction that I was simply putting on airs. Britney jabbed me with her elbow and laughed, "Such a bad girl!" We waved to the girls who were still lingering in the locker room and started walking through the halls of the school and Britney continued, "So I'll text you when we're going to head home in case you need to put on your clothes and pretend nothing's been going on." I groaned, "Britney..." She looked at me and gave me an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I know that sometimes I can go a little too far. But I'll still give you both a heads up... just in case!" I didn't have the energy for a riposte so I let her win before she gave me a wink and we split off in different directions. As I went out to meet Mike, I wasn't really sure how I should feel. I imagine being in Ally's position and approaching this as an actual first date, if only for her sake, but the idea of seeing Mike in that way couldn't help but make me laugh. I was more worried about saying or doing something that would make me seem like a crazy stalker, but what really kept me preoccupied was getting a glimpse of his current life with a step-mother and a step-sister. I wouldn't say our relationship was totally superficial, but if he had any family troubles, he never let me know about them. Is this version of Mike happier than the one I knew? I could see Mike chatting with a couple of the guys as he waited by his car. When they saw me, they gave him a knowing nudge - guys really aren't subtle are they? - as they quickly dispersed and left us alone. I suppose I felt the need to channel my inner Britney and teased him about it when I arrived at his side, "Already telling them about the exploits you'll have tonight?" He was already beginning to get all flustered so I gave him a playful jab in the gut, "I'm kidding!" I nudged him aside so I could open the door and toss my bags into the back before getting into the passenger side seat. I watched as he awkwardly shuffled around to the other side of the car before joining me inside. I tried to imagine what it'd be like if I actually had the guts to ask out Violet... or anyone for that matter. I'd probably be nervous wreck myself. I could hear him take a deep breath before he started the car, turning to me as he starting backing out of the parking lot, "So I heard you like Joe's, so I thought we'd get some burgers to take out before heading over to my place." My mouth began to water as I pictured the burgers Dad brought home the other day. It couldn't hurt to indulge one more time, could it? "Sounds great, but who told you?" I paused for a second but answered my own question, "Britney!" "Yeah..." he sheepishly replied as we began the drive. "I've never been, but... but everyone likes a burger, right?" I pondered his rhetorical question as I recognized yet another, admittedly insignificant, change in his life. It was a mainstay of my life because my Dad would go there often with his crew and I'd often tag along when I worked for him in the summer so I definitely developed a taste for whatever they did behind the kitchen to the burgers as they put them on the grill. Mike never was much of a discerning epicure, so he might have had a reason to go there on his own. Well, even if I can't help him improve his game, the least I could do is introduce him to the best burger in the country. I turned to face him, a serious look crossing my face and said, "This isn't just a burger. This is THE burger." "I don't know... there's a place by Dad's office that's pretty good." "The Shack? Gross!" I flinched as I just realized that I said something that I shouldn't have known again. But I just couldn't let him compare that trash to Joe's! If he caught my mistake, he didn't let on. Perhaps to my chagrin, The Shack's popularity probably saved me from myself. Probably the only good thing The Shack has ever done! Instead, he laughed at my response as we began to pull into the parking lot in front of Joe's, "I didn't know you had such refined tastes." I let out a small sigh of relief at the fact that he seemed to let yet another one of my minor slips go without notice, but couldn't help myself and pushed him a little further by adding, "I couldn't be friends with someone who thought The Shack had better burgers than Joe's." "Well that's convinced me. I don't even need to taste them to know that I love them!" We both laughed as we exited the car. Although I'm sure relationships have ended over things more trivial than favourite burgers. When we approached the front doors, I hesitated for a second as I thought about how I'd be received here. Dad was a regular and they knew me quite well from all the times I tagged along with him. It'd be strange being in a place that was familiar where no one recognized me, but I suppose that would be the case for most of my time here. Even early in the evening, the place was packed with a mixture of people coming off work wanting a juicy, sloppy burger to families coming by for dinner. Thankfully I didn't see anyone from school, so at least my little outing with Mike could remain private for a little longer. "Little Ally!" I heard the unmistakable voice of Frank, the man who inherited the restaurant from the eponymous owner probably a decade ago. I was happy to be recognized, although being called 'Little Ally' was a little disconcerting. He ambled up to me with a big smile on his face, "Your father had come in earlier this week with a special order from you, so I hear!" I was about to respond but I realized that I had no idea what to call him. Ally certainly wasn't a stranger to him, but I still took the safe route and began with, "Hi Mr. Ricci, it's nice to see you again." He was mock offended and asked, "Who is this Mr. Ricci huh?" His smile and jovial tone were always so infectious and I could feel myself relaxing as he led Mike and I to a couple of spots at the bar. "Sorry, Uncle Frank!" "Now that's a good girl. We're busy now, but I'm sure I can fit you in soon." That was when Mike interrupted, "A-actually, we're going to be ordering out." I supressed a giggle as I saw Frank eyeball Mike up and down, examining him as if he was about to interrogate a suspect. Lucky for Mike his Dad was a cop and even without knowing the trouble he would have gotten into when he was younger, I had to believe he was totally used to the perp treatment by now. Certainly, many boys would have withered under Frank's interrogating gaze. Perhaps Britney was rubbing off on me because I had to suppress the urge to make a joke about Mike's intentions for me and instead went with a thought that would play on Frank's ego a little bit, "It's his first time and I said your burgers are the best." Mike nodded quickly and joined in, "It was all she talked about on our way here." Frank smiled at us and beamed in pride as he said, "A true lady with excellent tastes." "Could we get a couple of doubles with fries?" I was about to continue by explaining Mike's preferences but thankfully caught myself before I said anything. Instead, I offered my own preferences and gave Mike an opening to include his own, "The works for me, with extra cheese please." "No pickles with mine... sir." The salutation stumbled out of his mouth as if he felt the need to be respectful. I couldn't help but laugh, the sight of Mike stumbling when speaking with Frank amusing me to no end. I decided to save Mike from himself and added quickly, "I've got this." Instinctually I reached for my wallet and found myself patting my butt like an idiot searching for something that wasn't there. That gave Mike the opportunity to offer up his own card to Frank, who gave Mike a wry smile in return before asking Mike to walk over to the to the register with him. They were out of earshot, so I could only imagine what they were talking about. Like Pastor Jones, it seems that Frank has known Ally since she was a child as well, although I'm not sure if I suppose one thing I shared in common with her is that we both spent more time coming here for burgers than going to Church. I wondered if Frank was giving him advice on how he should treat me, playing the part of the protective parental figure. I watched as Frank patted Mike on his back and they parted ways, Mike slowly walking back to me with a pensive look on his face. "Do I want to know?" I ask as he sat next to me at the bar. "Well, I'm thoroughly frightened. I can't even imagine what your Dad would be like." I laughed and jabbed him with my elbow, "Honestly it's my Mom you should be worried about." I omitted the fact that my Mom probably would be hearing the message I left right about now, hoping I wouldn't have to deal with her until later in the evening. It felt good to be able to spend time with Mike again, even under these completely different circumstances. As we made some small talk and I got to know this version of Mike, he still felt very much like the Mike I knew. He had the same interests, including the old cheesy sports movies that I had watched with him in my life, that he was still crazy enough to find Captain America cooler than Iron Man, and that he still liked to listen to Drake. I wanted to probe deeper, to try to tug at the tail of the big elephant in the room, but I knew I should wait for a bit longer before asking him about his family. For his part, I tried my best to reveal Ally's life to him where I could. But despite Ally's journals, I honestly didn't have an idea of the small details of her life. But if she's supposed to be a version of me, I have to believe that she'd be into Tony Stark as much as I was. Frank personally delivered our order to us at the bar, taking the opportunity to give Mike one final warning about being a proper gentleman before leaving us to the rest of our evening. I really was channeling my inner Britney because I don't think I'd get tired of seeing Mike squirm nervously trying to appease a girl's paternal figures. It was so terribly old fashioned of course, but that's probably why I found it so funny to watch. I couldn't help but nibble on some fries as Mike drove us back to his place, giggling as he chastised me for hogging all of them. It was probably the first time I felt truly comfortable since waking up as Ally a few days ago. Riding in his car, joking with him about some stupid video we had both seen, even if the moment was fleeting, I could forget everything that had happened this week and just pretend it was any other Friday night with my best friend. Approaching his house, he turned to me and said, "Britney told me you met my Dad the other day." "I wouldn't say 'met'. Although Britney did seem eager to point me out like I was a rare example of some kind of endangered species." I took the opening as an opportunity to start probing him about his personal life, "I was surprised your Dad was heading out so late though." Mike shrugged his shoulders noncommittedly as he shut off the ignition. We got out of the car and as we each retrieved our bags, he answered, "That's the life of a detective." Well, at least that was the same. "Is he too old for this shit?" I jokingly ask him. I heard a loud burst of laughter we approached his house before Mike replied with, "Are you into old action movies too?" I gave a non-committal "eh" to try to downplay what I knew was our shared love of the cheesy movies from our fathers' youth. Mike opened the door and held it open for me. I found myself nervous, unable to cross the threshold. Perhaps part of it was Ally's reaction to being alone with Mike in his home, but I know for my part it was being so close to the seeing a tangible difference in this world... well, an external one at least. I could tell my nervousness was making Mike feel awkward and nervous in kind, so I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The d?cor was completely different from the last time I was here a week ago. I would describe Mr. Taylor as a simple, spartan man and Mrs. Taylor - Mike's biological mother - wasn't all that different. I wouldn't say that their home was sterile or unwelcoming, but it was more functional in its simplicity. Britney's mom must have had a big influence, because even the entranceway was full of colour and objects d'art. Even the rug that read "HOME" added a touch of personality that I knew wouldn't have come from Mike or Mr. Taylor. Continuing into the house, I was stopped by the sight of a large family portrait that hung by the stairs up to the bedrooms. Britney's mom - the new Mrs. Taylor? - served as such a stark contrast to Mike's mom. The fact that there was even a family portrait in the hall was different enough, but even the smile she gave when the photo was taken just exuded warmth. Like she'd serve you a fresh piece of pecan pie with a scoop of ice cream on top if you were feeling down and needed a pick me up. Not that Mike's mom wasn't loving in her own way, but she was definitely more reserved... very much like my mom, if I was going to be honest. Maybe that's why they seemed to get along so well. Mike caught me staring at the portrait and added some commentary, "What you don't see there is Britney stamping on my foot, trying to get me to ruin the picture." His interruption was enough to bring me out of my thoughts as I mused, "Living with her must be... a special treat." He laughed as he led me to their living room, which was similarly decorated in a way that was homier than I had known. He gestured toward the couch and said, "Let me grab some plates for the burgers." I nodded at him and waited for him to turn around before scanning the living room for any clues about Mike's life that I could find. Like the hallway I just passed through, the living room was practically unrecognizable to me, presumably due to the changes introduced by Britney and her mom. There was one thing that caught my eye on an unfamiliar bookshelf by the wall - an old photo album that I vaguely remembered flipping through. For some reason I felt drawn to it and picked it up off the shelf, flipping through some photos that I immediately recognized as a much younger Mike. I think the album was a gift from one of Mike's grandparents when he was born, so his parents had dutifully filled it with pictures they probably wouldn't have printed otherwise. I tensed up when I saw Mike's mom holding a baby and as I flipped through the book, I relived Mike aging through childhood. There was a picture of him being dropped off at summer camp and I froze. This is where I would have met Mike and we became friends... but this was also where Mike had pulled Ally out of the lake when she was drowning. A memory that wasn't mine came to the surface, the feeling of having water forcing its way into my throat as I struggled to reach the surface to fill my lungs with precious oxygen. I felt panic begin to overwhelm me as I failed to shake the memory from my mind. I must have been so focused on memory of being in the lake that I didn't notice Mike come up from behind me and let out a scream when I felt him place his hand on my shoulder. I felt the album slip from my hands and exclaimed "Oh shit!" as I pulled my arms together to catch it before it fell any further. "Are you okay?" Mike asked with concern on his face. He gently caressed my shoulder and that's when I noticed that I was trembling, perhaps from the anxiety of the memory, and took a few deep breaths that followed the rhythm of his stroking to calm down. That's when I just realized what was happening and turned red in embarrassment, sheepishly looking away as I held the album up in front of me and offered it to him. "I just remembered camp and..." A pang of sadness emanated from my chest as I felt the lingering sensation of his touch against me. He carefully took the album from me and placed it back on the shelf before putting his arm back on my shoulder and gently guiding me to the couch, "It's okay Ally. I know I don't know you that well, but I'm sure that was a very traumatic experience." We sat down and he handed me a glass of water, encouraging me to take a sip. "If there's anything I can do...," he offered me. I sipped and nursed the glass for a second before shaking my head, "Thanks, I'm better now." He turned to look at the shelf again and mused, "You know, I didn't even remember we had that. I guess Mom didn't..." he left the thought unfinished and turned back to me with a small smile on his face. I quickly found a lie to cover why I picked up the album in the first place, "The design on the spine looked so interesting so I thought I'd take a look..." He shrugged and decided to change the subject by focusing back on me, "Are you sure you're okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine now. I guess... I guess that memory is still in my mind. But I'm fine." I realized I had an opening though, and I took the opportunity to raise my own concerns now before the moment had passed, "So is that your mom...? She's very beautiful..." I let my voice trail because I wasn't sure how he would take it, but I probably wasn't going to get another opportunity to segue into his homelife again. He turned away from me and to the plates he had set up on the coffee table in front of us so that I couldn't quite see his reaction. Pulling out the burgers from the takeout bag, he quietly replied, "Yeah, that's her. And yeah, she is." I couldn't help but feel my mouth water at the sight, and more importantly, the smell of the burgers as he laid them out on the plates and dumped out some fries from the bag, but the food can wait. I thought about how I would ask my question in a somewhat tactful manner. "Do you miss her?" It was perhaps an insensitive question, but I needed to know the answer. A nervous laugh came out of his mouth as he slowly picked up a fry and tossed it into his mouth. He turned to face me again and nodded slowly, "Yeah, I miss her a lot. But I know she's happy now, and so is my father." I guess that means I'm not here as some kind of magical matchmaker who is supposed to bring his back family together. If only I was the star of a sappy Disney movie. I don't know if it was me or Ally, but I felt compelled to lean in close to him and squeeze his arm with against me in a hug. As I leaned my head against his shoulder, I found myself lost in his deep blue eyes again, noticing the twinge of sadness and a thoughtful maturity that I don't think my Mike would have had. His vulnerability only made him that much more attractive. I suddenly realized what I was doing and quickly released him, as it was now my turn to use the food in front of me as an excuse to not face him for a moment. That was too scary! Ally can have whatever she wants, just not while I'm here. As I reached for the plate I added quickly, "I'm sure having Britney and her mom around is nice though." He laughed, "It's certainly different that's for sure. They've actually met a few times, my mother and my step-mother I mean, and I can say that they're friendly enough with each other. But I know my mother is happy with her career, and well, my step-mother and my father are happy. My mother lives in L.A. now, and my step-mother keeps telling me how much I'd love it there if I ever visited. But with football and all, I just never had the time to take off, you know?" I pulled the burger to my mouth and took a big bite, closing my eyes to savour the taste of the meat. I'm glad that Joe's is a great burger no matter where I happened to be. As I chewed, I nodded at Mike and remembered all the practices we'd do in the summer to prepare for the season. In between bites of my food, I mumbled, "Well when you win this year you can bring the State trophy with you when you visit her." He laughed again, although I'm not sure if it was at my sentiment or at the fact that I didn't seem to have any pretense of manners or propriety. I wasn't going to worry about being lady-like though, whatever that might mean here. I was with my best friend, hanging out at his place, having the best burgers in the world. Before he could dig into his own burger though, I stopped him and said, "Oh, put up the game!" He flinched, "I was kind of hoping you'd forget that." "Not on your life. We're going to make you champion and you'll carry that damn trophy with you all the way to L.A." He got up and fumbled with his backpack, digging through it for a few seconds before retrieving a USB key. He connected his computer to the big TV and plugged the key into the computer and solemnly said, "I know you must have seen enough of the game to know that's easier said than done." He started the recording and sat back in the chair as the game started to play in front of us. "Who made this recording anyway?" "Coach's wife, I think." "We'll have to find some way to thank her, because this is even better than I expected." She must have sat right at midfield on the bleachers and had a wide view of the entire field, but she also had the knowledge to follow the ball around and zoom in on the action whenever necessary. It was almost like watching a professional production. I nudged Mike with an elbow to encourage him to try his burger before leaning forward to watch the screen. This was the same Brightman team that I faced last year. Shane Dearborn was still their QB, and they had the same offensive and defensive lineup. As the game unfolded, I could see them run the familiar plays and make the moves I expected. As Shane was shouting his plays out to his team, I turned to Mike and told him exactly what I knew would happen and I was right every time, much to Mike's chagrin. "I'll bet you a fry he's going to try to run the ball himself," I'd suggest and pick at his plate shortly after I was proven right. When it came to the defence, I could see when they going to run blitz. Although given how effective it was at shutting down Mike, they didn't really have a reason to try any other defensive plays. During one exchange, without turning to face Mike I asked, "Why didn't you throw there?" He didn't answer as we watch the blitz rush him as he got sacked. It was at that moment that I realized that I had been doing most of the talking once the game started. I didn't think twice about giving him my unfiltered criticism because that's what our relationship was... or at least in my real life. Now here was some cheerleader openly criticizing him, perhaps a little too pointedly, and I had no idea how he had taken any of it. He reached over to stop the video and leaned back on the couch. I tentatively turned to face him, afraid of what I would find. I didn't want him to be mad, but a part of me would be disappointed if he had such a fragile ego he couldn't take feedback from a girl. I was shaken when I saw a sad look on his face. I had caught a glimpse of his vulnerability the first day I spoke to him as Ally, but this seemed much more profound, as if I had really struck a chord. Without thinking, I sidled up to him and grabbed his arm again. But as I began to apologize to him, he interrupted me, "No, Ally, you don't have to... you're right." I flinched as I felt him punch the couch cushion with his free arm. "And I appreciate you trying to help me. Here, and at practice. But maybe... maybe I'm not..." He bit his lip, unable to finish the thought. Dammit. Did I push him too hard? I've never seen him in this state, but I realized that I never had a reason to see him vulnerable. I didn't have to be there when his parents got divorced, or when his dad remarried, or when we lost a game, or... or even things that may have happened to him that he kept from me simply because he didn't want to tell anther guy. I couldn't assume that this Mike would act like the one I've known my entire life, even if he's so familiar to me. I couldn't be the friend he clearly needed, and I don't even know if he had someone to talk to about what he was feeling, but there was something I could give him. I leaned in against his arm and squeezed it, feeling the warmth from his big biceps flow into me. As I looked up at him, I could feel the thumping of my heart as my nervous energy built up inside me. Was I really going to do this? I felt myself reach up in my seat as I brought my face closer to his, watching as he reciprocated in turn and started lowering his head to meet mine. We stopped when we were inches away from each other, both of us feeling extremely tentative. For his part, perhaps it was his first kiss. I knew it would be mine... but certainly not the one I expected. Oh screw it. I closed my eyes and pressed forward, closing the small yet seemingly infinite distance between us, and felt my lips brush up against his. I couldn't think anymore as a rush of emotion overwhelmed me. Was it joy? Euphoria? I didn't know. All that mattered was this singular moment where the only thought that was in my head was the pure bliss of this moment. Whoever I was, wherever I was, in that instant I didn't care anymore. I don't know how long we were kissing each other. Seconds? Minutes? Time simply stood still. But the moment was rudely interrupted by both our phones chirping, invading the bubble we had found ourselves in to shake us back to reality. I opened my eyes and in a state of shock, almost shoved him away as I backed away from him. That was... damn. I don't know what that was. Too embarrassed to face him at the moment, I fumbled for my phone and saw that Britney had messaged us, as promised, to warn us that they were headed home. I let out a nervous giggle as I realized Britney had broken up the moment she teased me about all week, and much to my relief I heard Mike join me with his own nervous laugh as he began to process what had just happened. I took a deep breath and turned to face him again, feeling the need to fill the silence before he said anything. "I..." Now was such a great time to be at a loss for words, wasn't it? I turned to face the screen and saw Mike lying on the field after yet another sack. Football! Choosing to ignore what just happened, I tried to continue our conversation as if nothing happened, "I know if we work on your vision, we can get you to get the ball out of your hands faster." My heart was still beating and I was clearly flushed with excitement, but I did my best to tamper down Ally's physical reaction with a mental cold shower. I was just helping him get over himself the only way that I could in the moment. There was absolutely, God as my witness, no other motivation behind that kiss! I continued to ignore Mike, hoping he would get the message, and continued to watch the game unfold in front of me. "See, you do better when you know you know it's a running play. You even get a block in!" I felt him lean forward as well, but I was still afraid to face him. As the seconds passed from the kiss, it already felt like a mistake to me. It just seemed like such an obvious solution, to give him an 'easy win', but it also felt like I was playing on his insecurities and manipulating him to help him regain some of his confidence. Well, there's also the whole I JUST KISSED MY BEST FRIEND thing finally started to dawn on me. As that thought permeated my mind, I could feel the blood rush to my face as I started to blush again. Although this time the embarrassment was definitely all mine. I stuttered as I tried to refocus my attention back on the game and talk about some of the things he might work on, but he didn't seem to take the hint. Or he simply didn't care. My eyes widened as I felt him take my hand, his grip tightening as our fingers interlocked. I had the foresight to bite my lip to trap the yelp of surprise that I could feel forming in my throat. I turned my head slightly and saw that he was playing it completely cool, and if I didn't know him better, I almost would have believed he played me like a fiddle and got exactly what he wanted. At least I didn't think he'd be the type to try to manipulate someone into feeling sorry for him. Feeling the warmth of his hand against mine, I would be lying if I said I hated it. Just like when I was in the car with him, the familiarity was comforting. Not that I was ever this intimate with my Mike, or at least in this particular way... A stray thought occurred to me. If someone set up this whole experience just so I could learn something about my feelings for Mike, then they really went to a whole lot of trouble. I closed my eyes and waited for something to happen. A nefarious voice pierced through the air in the room, "HEY LOVEBIRDS!" This time I did yank my hand away from Mike and practically fell off the couch as I tried to scramble to my feet. Seconds later I saw Britney's playful grin as she ran into the living room. I wouldn't be surprised if Britney was a magical creature and I was her plaything at this point. It'd be as rational as any other explanation I've come up with so far, and given how much she seemed to enjoy toying with me it didn't seem all that implausible. After the initial shock of her entrance, I couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter. Is this my life now? Living as a girl being tortured by Britney for the rest of my days? Britney was certainly not pleased with my unexpected reaction, although I could see her smirk when she saw that Mike was as flustered as she expected me to be. When I recovered from my laughter, I responded to her dryly, "Hey Britney, how was your night out with your parents?" Not missing a beat, she beamed and said, "It was great! We went out for Chinese!" She ambled over to me and thrust what I recognized was a fortune cookie into my hand before whispering, "A little treat for you after the main course?" I wanted to show her that I wasn't flustered, so with a purposeful deliberateness I opened the wrapper and pulled out the cookie, snapping it in half and popping it in my mouth as I read the little piece of paper that was inside. 'True love is where you least expect it.' Thankfully I had already swallowed the bite of the cookie because I'm sure I would have choked right then and there. Britney was looking at me expectantly, and I gave a look at Mike before I burst into another fit of laughter. Mike quickly scrambled over to me to try to save me from Britney. Or perhaps he was wondering if he was the butt of some kind of inside joke between us. I handed the piece of paper to Britney and watched as she excitedly jumped up and down before she handed it to Mike who immediately blushed and shyly turned to face me. At this point if this was some kind of elaborate joke being played on me, I might as well roll with it. When Mike and Britney's parents walked in, I tensed up and stood at attention. The first thing I noticed immediately was that Mr. Taylor - or Brian as Britney called him - was fairly different from the one I knew. Mike's dad wasn't stern per se, but he was definitely more of the quiet and serious type. Not this version of Mr. Taylor though, he was practically jovial. I turned to face the new Mrs. Taylor and I could see where Britney got her energy from. She exuded vivaciousness and a love of life that could disarm anyone, including Mike's dad, and her smile was more than enough to get me to relax as the both of them approached us. Mrs. Taylor smiled at me and said, "You must be Ally!" "Yes ma'am," I tentatively replied before glancing at Britney and jokingly adding, "I'm not sure what Britney has been saying about me, but I assure you it's all exaggerated!" She laughed before giving me a quick hug, "Please, call me Rose. And it's all been good things! Quite frankly I thought she might have been making you up." I could see the same playful glint in her eye that I recognized in Britney. She released me and added, "she was so scared of trying out for the squad last year, but she said you encouraged her to try out. You're practically her hero!" Britney shouted in protest, "Mom!" This was just too cute. That's when Mr. Taylor interrupted us to introduce himself, "I'm Michael's father, but I'm sure you've deduced that already." He turned to Mike and nodded at the game still playing on the TV behind us and said, "I'll admit I was skeptical when both Michael and Britney conspired to have us out of the home so that the two of you could watch a football game in private." Now it was Mike's turn to feel embarrassed, "Dad!" Watching Mike being teased by his father was something else and I couldn't help but let out another laugh. I know my Mike had a much different relationship with his parents, but I couldn't say that this reality was any worse. And if Mike's mother was happier as well being able to pursue her career in California, who was I to think I was sent here to 'fix' things? I couldn't help but be caught up in Mr. and Mrs. Taylor's energy and gave Mike's father a playful wink, "I assure you sir, your son has been the perfect gentleman." The mood changed when we all saw that the game was practically over as our team was blown out. I tried to diffuse the situation by reassuring them, "Mike's going to be great this year. He'll widen up his vision and take us to State. I promise!" Mr. Taylor laughed, but before he could respond my phone started to ring. I reached into my pocket and apologetically pulled it out, before realizing that it was Mom. "Oh sh-", I stopped as the word was forming in my mouth before finishing with, "-ugar." Real smooth. "Sorry, it's my Mom." It was Britney's turn to tease me, "Oh I thought you and 'Stella' had a mature and understanding relationship!" I made a face at her and was about to say something until Mrs. Taylor swooped in and plucked the phone out of my hand. I watched in shock as she answered the phone and placed it up to her ear, "Hi, Stella? I'm Rose, Britney and Michael's mother. That's right! Oh, you don't have to worry, we've been here the whole time. Your daughter is quite the angel, but I'm sure you know that. Uh huh. Now you don't need to do that! It's quite late and it wouldn't make sense for you to come all the way out here just to fetch her. Sure! She'll spend the night with Britney, they wanted to have a sleepover anyway and I don't mind. I'll personally deliver her back to you tomorrow morning. Oh, it's no trouble at all! Like I said, your daughter is perfect! Alright then, I'll let you talk to Ally now." What the hell just happened?! Did she just out talk Mom? Mrs. Taylor supressed a laugh as she handed the phone back to me. It took me a few seconds to pick my jaw off the floor before I took the phone from her and started to talk to Mom, "Hey..." "Yeah..." I heard her say. Move over Britney, there's a new force of nature in town. Seeing the expectant eyes of the Taylor family on me, I eventually recovered and said, "So I guess I'll be home tomorrow..." "Right..." I can't believe she's going along with this. Maybe she's still experiencing the same shell shock that I'm feeling right now. "Well... goodnight?" "Goodnight..." I stared at my phone as it disconnected and my brain finally caught with what just happened. Wait.... Did I just agree to be trapped here for the evening? I looked up at Britney and her mom and could see them beaming at me. I think I finally understand what people mean when they say someone is a force of nature. As I turned to face the Taylor, I wasn't sure if I was more caught off by the fact that Mike's eyes were practically bulging out of his head or by Mr. Taylor laughing at what his wife had just orchestrated. Britney gave me a hug and shouted, "Slumber party!!!" I tried to work up a response, "I don't want to be a bother... I don't have a change of clothes..." Mrs. Taylor smiled and said, "Now, sending you and Mike out there alone at night unsupervised wouldn't be so wise of me would it? And you are quite tall, but I'm sure we'll find something for you to wear tonight. Besides, I'm sure Michael wouldn't mind lending you something out of his closet if push came to shove." I was at a loss for words and couldn't think of a response, but thankfully Mike took charge and pulled me away from his family and back toward the couch, "Now that everyone's had their fun, we need to get back to work. Ally's here to help me after all." Britney excitedly said, "I'll get my room ready! Unless she's spending the night in your room Mike!" Mrs. Taylor laughed in response, but mercifully she reigned her daughter in and gestured toward the stairs back in the hall, "Come on, I'll help you out. I'm sure we have our camping stuff somewhere." I turned to Mike and we both breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone. I couldn't help myself and spurted out, "I'm exhausted." It was Mr. Taylor's turn to laugh, "They really do sweep you up in their pace, don't they?" He turned serious for a moment and gently asked, "I'm happy to give you a lift home if you'd like though." I turned to face Mike for a second and when I caught his eye, he turned away from me and pretended to fidget with the computer to get back to where we had left off before his family had returned. I don't know if I'd be mortified at the prospect of a girl I liked staying over at my house during our first 'date' or if I'd be excited at the rather unprecedented opportunity of having her spend the night, but I think from the way he was trying to NOT look at me, he made it clear that he hoped I would stay. I shook my head, "No, I'm fine. I just didn't expect to be spending the night... and certainly not my mom either." I sat back down on the couch and Mike joined me, and before it could get any more awkward between the two of us, I asked his father to join us as well. As we watched the last of the game unfold, I made some small talk to try to learn more about this version of Mr. Taylor. It was odd telling him about my parents, since in my mind they had been friends for most of my childhood, but it gave me an opportunity to learn more about him and his relationship with Britney's mom. He even seemed to be on friendly terms with Mike's mom, which made me feel a little bit of relief. Maybe I'm not here to try to 'fix' something... maybe I'm here to learn that people can be happy regardless of their circumstances. I looked down at my body and held in a sigh as the Taylors started talking about what Mike could work on. If this is the lesson that the universe, God, or whatever, wants me to learn I'm not sure I'm ready to accept it. I'm sure being a girl perfectly fine, but I'd more than ready to go back to my life as a guy now. That said, it did give me one piece of advice I could give Mike though, "You might still have some doubts in your mind, but what's on the screen now? That has already happened and you can't change that. What you CAN change is how approach Friday's game. So, tonight is the last time we feel bad about what happened and tomorrow we drill the playbook over and over again and we keep working on the passing game." I paused for a second before realizing what I said and quickly added, "I mean 'you'... you need to do that." Mr. Taylor agreed, "She's not wrong. Listen, tomorrow we'll go throw the ball around a bit and work on your fundamentals." "Sure Dad." "I could help too," I chimed in without hesitation. I could see the look of surprise on their faces, but Mr. Taylor smiled and nodded at me. And, well, Mike was trying his best to hide a smile on his face and doing a pretty bad job at it. We chatted football for a few more minutes before Britney and her mother came back downstairs and told us that everything was ready. Short of Mom bursting through the door to drag me home, this was really happening. But I suppose dealing with Britney's teasing wasn't the end of the world, and her constant needling seemed to work well enough to keep Mike at bay, even if it was embarrassing to the both of us. Getting to know her better, Britney's mother was as warm and genuine as her first impression made her out to be, and it wasn't long before I felt like she was the 'cool Aunt' I had always known my entire life. Given the tension I sensed from Mike and Britney when they each spoke about their step-parents, it seemed a bit uncouth for me to ask, but I thought I should try to close the loop on my investigation and asked Mrs. Taylor, "How did you and Mr. Taylor meet?" She smiled at me and shot Mr. Taylor a loving look before giving a gentle laugh. "I'm sure these two are tired of the story," she said as she looked at Mike and Britney, "but he ran into my car." Mr. Taylor groaned and shook his head, "More like 'someone' stopped without warning because she spilled some coffee on herself." "I plead the Fifth!" They both shared a laugh while Britney and Mike put expressions of patience on their faces in order to humour their parents' reminiscences. There really was nothing for me to 'fix' here, was there? And it didn't seem like one version of reality was 'better' than the other, it was just a different path that everyone here was on. I wasn't sure if I should be disappointed that there wasn't some kind of straight forward 'mission' for me to complete so that I could get back to my own life, or simply grateful that everyone seemed happy here. In a way, it was a bit of a relief even if it didn't solve my immediate problem... I will say, it'll probably take me awhile to get used to seeing Mr. Taylor being so playful with Mrs. Taylor. I grimaced as the thought entered my mind - I was starting to get too comfortable again. As much as I enjoyed my time tonight, even that... moment with Mike wasn't TOO bad... I know that this isn't where I belong. It's starting to get harder to remember that though. We continued to chat into the evening, and at several points I had to try to remain vague about certain aspects of my life because I still didn't quite have the details of everything Ally had done up until now. Hey, it's hard enough trying to keep up with her current life let alone trying to fill in the gaps from the last 18 years! I wondered if both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were sizing me up to see if I'd be a good fit with Mike, because some of the questions were about my future and as much as I got to know Ally this past week, I really didn't want to think about what her life would be like come next Fall. A cheerleading scholarship somewhere? Or maybe an academic one, since her grades were pretty good... She seemed to be in a good place and had her whole future ahead of her at least. I couldn't tell if Mike was put off by the fact that I was fitting in with his family so easily. I already had a rapport with Mr. Taylor, and with his new friendly demeanor it was trivial to get on his good side by appealing to our shared hatred of the Patriots. And of course, Mrs. Taylor was pretty much the definition of affability, although her complements about my makeup or feminine physique stung more than I thought they would because they reminded me of what I had accidentally become. But even if Mike was annoyed by the fact that I was happy to spend time with his parents, I noticed that he took the opportunity to sit a little TOO close to me. I hope the kiss didn't go to his head, because that was definitely and most definitively a one-time thing! As the evening drew to a close, I sense Mike tensing up as I'm sure he wasn't prepared to have me stay over. If it weren't for the fact that he had to deal with Britney everyday, I probably would have teased him a little. Britney chimed in, right on cue, and suggested, "What if we raid Mike's closet for something you can wear?" She giggled as she jumped out of her seat and started running upstairs, a wide-eyed and horrified Mike chasing after her. I smiled awkwardly at the Taylor parents and shrugged my shoulders, "I should probably rescue Mike from Britney. Thank you for a wonderful evening, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor." Mrs. Taylor laughed and said sweetly, "You really are cool as a cucumber, aren't you? But I really must insist that you call me Rose from now on." "I'll try my best..." I hesitated as I couldn't quite find the courage to call her by her first name before settling on "ma'am." I wasn't feeling quite as cucumber-ish as she thought I was, as I nervously waved at the both of them before running after Mike and Britney. I heard Mrs. Taylor tell Mr. Taylor that I was 'really cute' and would be 'great for Mike' and couldn't help but blush as I climbed up the stairs, hoping to avoid hearing any more of their conversation. I heard some noise coming out of Mike's room, and out of habit I just pushed the door open and barged in, hoping to resolve the little sibling squabble. "ALLY!", Mike exclaimed, before catching himself and frantically looking around his bedroom hoping to clean up whatever mess he might want to hide from a girl. His room wasn't all that different from what I remembered in my own life, and if he had anything embarrassing it'd probably be on his computer than anything he might have hid under his bed or anything like that. Ignoring him for the moment, I went over to Britney who was gleefully rummaging through his closet and firmly put a hand on her shoulder before grabbing a sweater and a pair of sweatpants. As I nudged Britney out of the room, I turned to Mike and said, "I'll get these back to you tomorrow... Thanks!" Before stepping out of the room, I poked my head back in and said, "I love that guitar, but you might want to change the strings." I figured that would help take his mind off... well, me. Even if it was just to confuse him. Britney laughed as she led me to her room - what I remembered as the 'other' Mrs. Taylor's study - and pulled me inside before shutting the door behind me and squealing, "Come on, you have to tell me what happened while you two were alone!" I wanted to brush her off, but I remembered that I had kissed Mike in that one moment and immediately began to blush. I quickly turned away from her, but it was too late. She let out a joyful squeal - one that I'm sure the whole house heard - before pulling me toward her bed asking me to tell her, in her words, EVERYTHING. I wasn't ready to relive that moment, so I shook my head 'no' and told her, "Let's talk about anything else." I collapsed back into her bed, grabbing one of her pillows and pressing it against my face in an attempt to hide from reality. This had to be Ally asserting herself, but the fact that it felt so... so good to kiss him was undeniable. I really didn't want to think about what that meant, particularly when I got home. How much of what happened here would stick with me? I let out a muffled scream into the pillow in frustration which only caused Britney, who already assumed I was embarrassed, to laugh even more. I felt her fall to the bed beside me and let her pull the pillow off my face. She gave me a sympathetic look and said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I'm just happy for you and Mike." With a big sigh I replied, "There's nothing to be happy about okay? We're just..." I didn't even know how to describe what I thought our relationship would be. "We're something, but just not that." I turned to face her so that I could quickly explain myself, "It's not Mike! I just have some things to figure out." She rolled over to turn her back to me and quietly said, "I think you two would be happy together. I'm also being a bit selfish, but I was serious this morning. If the two of you started dating, I'd have a reason to stay in touch with you when you leave." Rather than interrupt, I let the awkward silence linger in the air as I waited for her to continue. She curled up a little and continued, "Mom was right. I was feeling really down last year after my Dad... well, then you encouraged me to join the cheerleading team. It was... I... you don't know how much that meant to me." I slowly reached for her shoulder and gently squeezed, trying to access some of those memories of trying to help Britney last year. All I could recall were some general emotions, of feeling sad because Britney was feeling down and feeling happy when she took so well to being a part of the team. I drew my hand back when I felt her move, rolling back around to face me. I could see some tears forming in her eyes, that she gruffly wiped away with her hand before cursing about ruining her makeup. I held her hands to stop her from pawing at her face and told her, "There's no reason we can't still be friends even if I have nothing to do with Mike." She clicked her tongue and shook her head, "You'll be at college and have a bunch of new friends who will take you out to cool college parties and things like that. I'll just be the immature senior that you won't think about anymore." I laughed and pinched her cheek, "I promise you that I'll never forget you." She squealed and shoved my hand away before laughing herself. She gave me a conspiratorial smile, "If your brother doesn't make a move on Mary, I could always start dating him. Maybe YOU could be the one who babysits our kids?" Poor Steve! I'm sure he sensed a 'disturbance in the Force' at that moment. In a mock pleading voice, I replied, "Please don't hurt my brother!" I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, "But seriously, I'd sad if we weren't still friends regardless of... well, the guys in our lives." "Oh, the Bechdel test!" "Exactly!" I'd never thought I'd be the subject a particular form of feminist media discourse, but here we are. I got up from the bed and started to change into the clothes Britney pilfered from Mike. Whatever form of self-consciousness I felt about my body was long since gone, being desensitized by the time I spent in the locker room and in my shower. As Britney began to remove her makeup, she asked, "What about Jen? I don't think she likes me much, particularly after this week..." I still hadn't figured that out. I think she was perhaps a little jealous that someone else was encroaching on our relationship. It should probably be a matter of reassuring her that she'd always be my closest friend or even like a sister to me. I just needed to be sensitive about her insecurities, although without really knowing her history with Ally, it might be easier said than done. As I borrowed some of Britney's wipes to clean off my own face, I told Britney, "I think she's feeling a little left out, but I'll talk to her. I think it'd be great if we could all be friends." I felt Britney give me a hug from behind braced myself for her inevitable verbal jab, "You can tell her that she can be your maid of honor when you marry Mike." I groaned and reached behind me to poke at her sides, causing her to release me. I turned around and started to tickle her sides, causing her to squirm and squeal as she reached for a pillow on her bed and smacked me with it. It didn't take long for me to find my own pillow and hit her back, starting a very loud and protracted pillow fight that escalated to the point where Mr. Taylor had to knock loudly on Britney's door to get us to stop. A pillow fight was the last thing I'd ever thought I'd do, but I was happily lost in the moment and forgot my troubles. As foreign as this life was to me, as strange as it was to live my life as a girl... I had to admit that I enjoyed it. Just like the Taylors I met tonight, it's not that my previous life was better or worse... it was simply different. That didn't mean I was admitting defeat though, but it's nice knowing that there wasn't anything horrible I necessarily had to deal with if I was actually stuck here. We finally settled down and began get ready for the night, as Britney led me to the bathroom so that I could brush my teeth and get ready for bed. Back in her room, I slipped into the sleeping bag that was laid out beside her bed and we spent the next little while speaking to each other in whispered tones about our lives and our hopes for the future. I didn't have much to say of course, but I was glad that Britney was thinking about taking on the role of Varsity captain next year, because I'm sure she'd be great at it. Before we went to sleep, she rolled over and looked down at me and said, "I'm glad you stayed over. It's been a while since anyone... well... it's just been a while." There was still some aspect of Britney's history that I couldn't quite grasp that Ally would have known. I resolved to read through Ally's journals this weekend so that I wouldn't be caught unprepared again. But I was able to return her sentiment at least and said, "I didn't expect to stay here tonight, but I'm glad I did. Next time though, I think we'll do this at my place." "Deal! And I can find out some more about my potential future husband Steve." I suppressed a laugh and simply said, "Goodnight Bea." I listened as she settled into her bed, "Sweet dreams!", she replied quietly before silence settled into the room. As I listened to the soft breathing of Britney beside me, I couldn't help by laugh at the absurdity of it all. I imagined that my first night with a girl would be memorable, but I never could have come up with something as fantastical as the situation I found myself in now. Well, at least I survived by 'date' with Mike mostly intact, even if I now have more questions than answers. If I'm not here to fix his life, then why am I here? My mind wandered back to the scientific explanation that had first struck me on my first day as Ally. If Dr. Rowan won't get back to me, maybe I need to find a way to get her to speak to me. However, the thought was left unformed as my eyes began to close and I drifted slowly into the peacefulness of sleep. Quite a big day for Ally, wasn't it? I hope you're enjoying the story! I was perhaps too optimistic about posting more frequently, but I hope the fact that the chapters are a bit longer makes up for it. I think future chapters will be about the same length, so I may end up keeping this schedule going for the time being. Just know that I'm still plugging away at the story one sentence at a time. Also thank you for leaving reviews and sending notes, it's much appreciated encourages me to keep on writing! As always, feel free to leave a comment here or to reach out to me at [email protected] if you'd like. Thank you!