Good Medicine Junior YearChapter 65 Developing A Relationship
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April 7, 1984, West Monroe, Ohio
“Hi, Mikey!” Liz said when I walked in the door of the house just after 11:00am.
“Hi!” I replied.
“You saw Paul?”
“I did. Everything seems to be going OK. He said you had a good talk at breakfast this morning.”
“I’m DYING, Mike! I need him to take me in his arms and...”
I held up my hand and interrupted, “I get the picture!”
“How are things with Angie?”
“We only talked about her a little bit. This was mostly about me.”
“Are you having trouble?”
I shook my head, “No. But I find talking to Doctor Mercer helps me think about things in ways I might not otherwise have done, and she also challenges my assumptions. I know you’ve had trouble with counselors, but she’s really good and really helpful.”
“Mom said to say she’s sorry they missed you, but they had these plans for some time.”
“That’s OK. I’m only staying for the afternoon to hang out with you. I need to get back to McKinley for Vespers. Did you hear anything from Maggie?”
“She’s about to go stir crazy because she wants to see you. Otherwise, the plans are what I told you. You probably won’t be home again before graduation, right?”
“Right. You’re welcome to visit after Pascha as we discussed.”
“The 28th. I miss talking to Clarissa. I got used to doing that over break.”
“If you want to spend time talking with her, that’s fine,” I said with a smile. “I won’t be upset. What do you want to do today?”
“Let me make you lunch. After we eat, we can listen to music and play pool and talk.”
“Deal!” I replied.
Liz, to my surprise, prepared a fasting-acceptable lunch of peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, tomato soup, and chips. When we finished, we cleaned up the kitchen, then went the basement. She turned on the radio while I uncovered the pool table and racked the balls.
“Have you played much?” I asked.
“Some. You?”
“Not since the last time I played here. There are tables in the Student Union, but I really don’t have much free time. I’ve been missing karate too much as it is.”
I let Liz break and we began a casual game of eight ball.
“Are you dating at all?” Liz asked. “Or just waiting on Maggie?”
“I went on a date last night with a Freshman girl from the Pittsburgh area who’s Orthodox, but hasn’t been to church since she was little.”
“How’d you meet her?”
“I carried her to the infirmary after she ended up with food poisoning from something she ate at the bowling alley. She was puking her guts out and couldn’t walk, so I picked her up, gave her a plastic bag to barf into, and carried her to see the nurse. She wanted to thank me for saving her life and we ended up going out last night.”
“Saving her life?” Liz laughed.
“So she was a bit overly dramatic, but it worked as an icebreaker, and I asked her out.”
“And?”
“And we’ll see. I going to keep my promise to Maggie about no decisions before she and I get to know each other better. Laura, that’s her name, will go home for the Summer, and on vacation with her family, so Maggie and I will have time to sort things out one way or the other.”
“And you and Clarissa?”
I shrugged, “The ball is in her court, but my feeling is, that in the end, she needs a girl as her partner for life, not a guy.”
“But she still trumps any other girl, right?”
“Yes. And no matter what happens, she and I are going to Europe the Summer after we graduate. Sandy will likely come with us, and I think Pete might come along.”
“And what? You’ll go away for a month with Clarissa then come back and get married right away?”
“One step at a time!” I chuckled. “If Clarissa isn’t going to be my wife, the field is wide open, and yes, Maggie is a leading contender, but I just don’t know her well enough to say more than that at this point.”
“Her dad really fucked things up for her,” Liz growled.
I sank the eight on a called shot, then racked the balls a second time. I broke and we began our second game.
“He did,” I replied. “Her brother Karl did the best he could, but she really didn’t have any good options until she graduates from High School. Emmy was fortunate she could move in with her cousin.”
“And you moved to McKinley full-time. It’s like we all have to get out of the house to be able to be ourselves.”
“Mom and Dad were pretty good about letting me do my thing,” I replied.
“Because you didn’t DO anything! Seriously, you basically were the angel to my devil.”
“Mom and Dad never saw you as a devil, Liz. They didn’t understand you, and they didn’t know what happened to you, but that didn’t make them think you were evil. If they made a mistake, it was assuming what worked with me would work with you. It’s a problem I hear from other kids at school, too. It’s something to watch out for when we become parents. Actually, you’ve never talked about having kids.”
“Because I’m not sure. I’m barely eighteen, and I don’t think I could take care of a kid. You could, but I couldn’t. And I’m not talking about money; I’m talking about meeting their emotional needs. You’re ready to be a dad, Mike; I’m not ready to be a mom.”
“And yet, as much as I would love to have a son or daughter sooner than that, I have at least six years before that’s going to happen, because I need to be able to devote enough time to them. I mean, I suppose it might be possible before then, but it would be really rough on my wife and kids.”
“Why are you in a hurry?”
“Part of it is because I’ve always wanted a family, but I suspect part of it is because the system has said, in effect, that I can’t.”
“My brother the rebel! He’ll do the traditional thing of marrying and having kids to buck the system!”
I laughed, “When you put it that way...”
The doorbell rang and Liz bounded up the steps. I waited for her to come back, and simply grinned when Violet came down the stairs instead.
“Hi,” she said shyly.
“Hi, Violet.”
She spoke softly, and I had to strain to hear her.
“Liz said she’ll go hang out somewhere with Valerie if you want.”
“Is that what you want?” I asked.
Violet bit her lip and nodded. I smiled, then stepped past her and went up the stairs.
“Thanks, Liz,” I said quietly.
Liz winked and then went out the front door. I turned and went back down to the basement.
“What would you like to do?” I asked.
“Be with you,” she whispered, barely audibly.
One thing was immediately clear — this wasn’t going to be the fantasy I’d dreamt that day I fell asleep on the couch. That gave me pause, as did her obvious nervousness. I wanted her, but the Violet I wanted was the fantasy Violet, and I wasn’t sure what the Violet in front of me truly wanted. Yes, she’d said she wanted to ‘be with’ me, but I wondered about that. Liz had said Violet knew what I wanted, and that Violet wanted the same thing; I wasn’t so sure.
I walked over and took her hand, which was shaking, and we went up the stairs, but rather than continue up my bedroom, I led her to the kitchen.
“Want a Coke?” I asked.
Violet nodded and I got two Cokes, opened them, poured some chips into a bowl, and carried everything to the living room, with Violet following behind. I handed her a Coke, set the chips down on the coffee table, then went the stereo and put on my dad’s Tattoo You album. I went over to the couch where Violet had sat down, and set down close, but not too close, to her.
“How is school going?” I asked.
“Fine,” she answered tentatively, then quickly took a sip of her Coke.
I saw Violet’s pulse in her neck and realized that her heart was racing.
“Do you have plans for the Summer?” I asked.
“Not really.”
She took another quick sip of her Coke and looked furtively at the stairs that led up to my bedroom.
“Violet,” I said gently, “take a very deep breath and let it out slowly.”
She inhaled then slowly blew out her breath.
“Again,” I said.
She took another deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Feel better?” I asked.
She nodded and took a sip of her Coke.
“Now,” I said softly, “tell me about school.”
“I have mostly A’s, with just one B in Spanish. I had trouble with past tense, so I didn’t do so well on our last exam. But I asked Miranda, who’s a Junior, to give me some extra help and I think I can pull my grade up to an A.”
“Good. And band?”
“It’s good. We had our Spring concert about a week ago and it went really well. I got to play a solo even though I’m only a Sophomore.”
“What Chair are you?”
“Second. That’s usually for a Junior, but I’m better than Melissa and Kelly. I’m almost as good as Alice, who’s a Senior and First Chair. I think I can win First Chair next year.”
“What do you like to play?”
“Country music! But we play mostly classical and pop music.”
“What’s your favorite thing to play?”
“The Devil Went Down to Georgia and Cotton-Eyed Joe. They’re fiddle songs, but I can play them on my violin.”
“When do you play next?”
“Graduation. We’ll play Pomp and Circumstance. Do you know that’s actually the trio section Land of Hope and Glory from March Number 1 of the Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches?”
“No, I didn’t know that. I listen to a lot of popular music, some not-so-popular, and a little bit of classical. I know a lot about pop music.”
“Emmy said you buy lots of albums.”
I nodded, “It’s my one luxury. I’d be lost without my music. You said you liked to play pool, right?”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to play?”
She nodded, “Yes.”
We went down to the basement again and I set the rack on the table and loaded the balls into it. I handed Violet the cue ball, and stepped back. As she lined up her shot, a brief image of the fantasy popped into my head, but quickly faded. She broke, but didn’t pocket any balls. I pocketed the fifteen to take stripes. As we played, I noticed we were about evenly matched, which made the game competitive.
“Do you play at school?” she asked.
“Not for a long time,” I replied. “I don’t have much free time.”
“Liz said you used to be really good.”
“I was. It’s like anything else, if you don’t practice, your skills atrophy. I’m not nearly as good at chess as I used to be, either.”
“What do you do? I mean, besides go to class and study?”
“I run, practice karate, go to church, and hang out with my friends.”
“You don’t have a steady girlfriend?”
“No. Do you have a boyfriend?”
“I’m not allowed to date until Junior year starts. I think my dad wishes I wouldn’t date until I went to college, or somehow got married without ever dating.”
“Dads tend to be like that in my experience. Mostly I think it’s because they were teenage boys and know how teenage boys think.”
Violet giggled, “Duh! They all want the same thing!”
She was MUCH more relaxed now, which was a good thing. Whether that led anywhere was an entirely separate question.
“That was pretty much my fixation in High School.”
“How old were you, you know, when you did it?”
“Eighteen. Wanting to do it doesn’t directly translate to getting to do it.”
“Because the girls are in control.”
“That about sums up the existence of every High School boy on the planet. College boys, too.”
“Nobody, uhm, wanted to do it with you until then?”
“If they did, they sure didn’t tell me!”
She laughed softly and we finished our game and I set up for a third one. I handed her the cue ball, but she didn’t move her hand away.
“I told you,” she said quietly, her hand shaking slightly as she said it.
“And you were extremely nervous. Your hand is shaking now, so I’d say you’re still nervous.”
“Weren’t you nervous your first time?”
“Yes. How about we try a kiss?”
She smiled and nodded. I put my hand to her chin, gently tipped her head back, lowered my lips to her and we exchanged a soft kiss. I didn’t hold it too long, and nodded towards the pool table. She took the cue ball and we began our third game.
“Want to know a secret?” I asked after I took my turn and sank one ball.
“What?”
“It doesn’t have to be today.”
“You don’t want to?”
“The more important question is are you really ready for this?”
“I think so.”
“That was your first ever kiss, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Did you like it?”
“It was very sweet,” I replied.
“Do you want another one?”
I put down my cue, held out my arms and she stepped into them. I wrapped my arms around her and we exchanged a soft kiss. Her lips parted slightly, so I pressed my tongue forward in search of hers. Our tongues touched and she squeezed her arms tightly around me. We held the kiss for about thirty seconds before I released her.
“Your turn,” I said.
She sank one of her stripes, then missed.
“So if I wanted to, you would?” she asked.
“Violet,” I said gently, setting my cue on the table, “will you tell me why you want to do it?”
“I, uhm, well, Mindy and Emmy and Hannah say it’s totally awesome and that you’re really, really good.”
“And that’s a reason to do it? It’s not like you can take it back or get a ‘do-over’.”
“You don’t want to?”
“I do, but the most important thing is that you’re sure and that you understand what you’re asking for. And more importantly, what I can offer.”
“Offer?”
“I can’t be your boyfriend and we’d probably only do it this one time, and never, ever again. A lot of people think it’s too important to do it under those circumstances.”
“You?”
“It’s a very personal decision,” I said. “So my feelings aren’t all that important. But I want you to know that whatever we did, and however good it was, it would just be sex.”
“Just sex?”
I had the distinct feeling she wasn’t understanding. Hannah hadn’t been nervous, and had made it clear she knew that it was just going to be some fooling around. The same was true with Mindy. That wasn’t the vibe I was getting from Violet at all. I had to make it clear to her.
“I can’t make love to you, Violet,” I said, “because I’m not in love with you. The only thing we can do is ... fuck. Just pure fucking. I can make you feel really good — fuck your brains out, if you want — but that’s all it will be. Fucking. Is that what you want? If it is, just ask.”
“You obviously don’t think I should.”
“The important point is that YOU don’t think you should, or at least you aren’t sure. When you’re sure, no, IF you become sure, then ask me to fuck your brains out and I will. Today, we’ll just play pool and kiss, if that’s OK.”
Violet smiled, “Yes.”
April 7, 1984, McKinley, Ohio
“You were really that blunt with her?” Clarissa asked as we sat on the couch in my room just after I returned to Taft.
“I felt I had to be, and I think the fact that she thanked me when I left to drive back to McKinley, and gave me a very nice kiss, says I judged things correctly.”
“Do you think she’ll ask?”
“I have no idea, but if she does, she won’t be ready to wet her pants the way she was when she first arrived at my parents’ house.”
“Everything was cool with Paul and Liz?”
“Yes. I doubt you’ll find someone who is more concerned about making sure they do a good job than Paul Reynolds. He does not want to lose the job, and he doesn’t want to do anything at all that will get his parole revoked.”
“And your talk with Doctor Mercer?”
“Good, as always,” I replied. “Angie is making slow progress, but that was to be expected. Doctor Mercer wants me to call her more regularly. And obviously report if Angie says anything inappropriate.”
“Doctor Mercer isn’t worried that Angie will form some kind of attachment?”
“She already has one, and it was basically the first thing to emerge when they reduced the psychoactive drugs. I’m no expert, but that tells me it has to be the strongest feeling Angie has. And she reverted to form, trying to get her friend to sleep with me. I’m sure that’s what Doctor Mercer is working on.”
“And when you decide to get betrothed to me or Laura or Maggie or whomever?”
“I believe Doctor Mercer will have me tell Angie, and hopefully break the spell.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“Then I fear Angie will never have even a semblance of a normal life.”
“That’s terrible.”
“I know.”
“How was your day?”
Clarissa smirked, “You didn’t get laid, but I did!”
“And?”
“Nothing personal, Petrovich, but it was out of this world!”
“I don’t take it personally. In fact, I’d have been somewhat surprised if that wasn’t the case. That wasn’t the point of what you and I did, after all. What we did was purely about love. What you did today was about...”
“Fucking!” Clarissa laughed, completing the thought. “The thing Violet couldn’t do.”
“So now what?”
“We still have the other part of our bargain. One day, the week we’re at Doctor Blahnik’s house, before Summer session starts, you’re going to show me every possible way we can love each other physically, including at least one good, old-fashioned fucking. Then we’ll talk about the future.”
I had a pretty good idea how this was going to end, and I was sure Clarissa did as well. I didn’t discount any possibility, but I knew where the ‘smart’ money was.
“I live to serve m’lady,” I replied. “May I inquire as to who the lucky girl was?”
“Me!” Clarissa laughed. “But, if you mean my partner, I’ll just say that it was the wildest, most free-spirited, most fun-loving, anything-legal troublemaker I’ve ever met!”
I laughed and shook my head, realizing I should have known. Every vibe Rebekah gave off was ‘sex’ and it appeared those vibes affected girls, and were intended to affect girls.
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April 2, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “«Ты говоришь по-русски?»” I asked when I recovered from the double shock. “«Удивлены»?” “I don’t think surprised even scratches the surface!” I replied in English, not wanting to give up any nuances of my speech. “What’s your full name?” “Larissa Sergeyevna Federova. I was named for ‘Lara’ in Doctor Zhivago, but I go by Laura Sera Bragg. My parents divorced when I was little and both remarried. My mom changed her and my legal name to Bragg, which is my...
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September 30, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. Well, perhaps that was a bit of an exaggeration, but compared to other first kisses, this one was certainly memorable — a soft touching of lips, a light hug with Kimiko’s small, silk-covered breasts brushing lightly against me, and her hand lightly on my back. Kimiko broke the kiss, looked me in the eyes, and whispered,...
December 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “You really object to Emmy and Clark being together because they’re from different races?!” I asked, completely taken aback. “I’m sorry,” Kimiko replied meekly. “I was trying to describe how Japanese felt about mixed-race children, especially those of black American soldiers and Japanese women. But it’s really any mixed-race children or relationships, because they are not pure Japanese.” “So if you and I were to marry, and have kids who were half-Japanese,...
August 7, 1983, McKinley, Ohio The phone in my room rang late Sunday afternoon while Milena and I were relaxing and listening to music. “Hi, Mikey!” “Hi, Liz! What’s up?” “Guess whose parents came home WAY earlier than expected? Three guesses, and the first two don’t count!” “«Говно». Maggie’s.” “Right the first time.” “And?” “Grounded for two centuries, I think.” “Wonderful,” I sighed. “It’s worse, Mikey.” “How could it be worse?” “Her dad found the books you gave her and the...
January 7, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Thanks for the lift, White Boy!” Clark said as we got out of my Mustang. “Somebody had to drag your lazy black ass the last fifty miles, and I have sympathy for the mentally challenged,” I deadpanned. “Hey, Cracker, are you saying I’m dumb because I’m black?” “Not at all! You being dumb has absolutely nothing to do with the color of your skin!” “Fuck you, Honky!” “I love you too!” I grinned. We both laughed, shook hands, and with Clarissa following...
June 25, 1983, McKinley, Ohio I awoke to someone pounding on my door and calling my name. A quick glance at the clock showed it was 2:50am. I quickly got out of bed, pulled on shorts and a t-shirt and went to the door. I opened it to see a girl in a robe. “What’s up?” “Cecilia said to come get you. One of the girls is really sick!” “Did someone call for an ambulance?” I asked. “I don’t know.” “Call right now. Use my phone. Where are they?” “243!” I hurried down the hall into the...
December 16, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Exams had gone well, and Clarissa, Sandy, and I didn’t have a Friday exam because of our work in the lab only had an evaluation, which we’d each received earlier in the week. We’d all received excellent reviews, which meant an A for the course for each of us. Our stats exam had actually been a breeze, as had the biochemistry exam. The psychology exam was moderately tough, but I was sure I’d achieved at least a B, which meant I would have an A for the course....
April 8, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Natalya Vasilyevna Antonova, please meet Larissa Sergeyevna Federova,” I said. I laughed as the two girls instantly switched to Russian and I had to focus to catch everything that was said. Clarissa smirked and rolled her eyes, and I just shrugged. The gist of the conversation was hometowns, parents, churches, majors, and to Tasha’s obvious shock, Lara’s age. “Perhaps we should switch to English so Sveta isn’t left out,” Tasha said in English. “Mike looked...
March 30, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Sorry about earlier,” she said. “My roommate was being a bitch.” “Something specific?” I asked. “She’s been on the rag ever since our second week here. Guy trouble. I guess she thought you were trying to use me.” “I can see why she would think that,” I replied. “You and I don’t know each other except basically by sight and name, I sang to you, and you came to my room.” “If I were totally clueless about life, I could see it. But I knew what was going on!...
December 3, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio The funny thing about temptation was that it only attacked our weaknesses. If we were strong, there was no real temptation. I had worked in the hardware store and the Quick Mart and I’d had plenty of opportunity to take money or items, but I’d never even considered it. There were fairly easy ways to cheat on homework and tests, but I’d never even given a moment’s thought to them beyond recognizing they existed. And I could go on and on about the things...
MAGIC MEDICINE Christopher Halstead was at the end of his tether. He was only 50 years old but felt deep down in his soul that his useful life had come to an end. To understand why it is necessary to go back some twenty-five years. In 1992 Christopher married his childhood sweetheart Amy. He and Amy had grown up in adjacent houses; attended the same schools; and had had an unspoken 'understanding' from their teens. They only occasion they spent time apart was whilst they were at...
June 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Wednesday at the Quick Mart was very much like Tuesday, though there were no deliveries, so I had time to work through a number of items on Mr. Sokolov’s list. That kept me busy, and away from Nancy except for when it was time for her breaks. She apologized again and I replied as I had before, just telling her to take her break. Maybe I was being a jerk, but I was honestly quite upset with her, and really didn’t think there was much to talk about. When my shift...
November 26, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “So what did you say?” Clarissa asked after I relayed what Hannah had said. “I simply said I appreciated the offer, that I’d keep that in mind, then smiled and left the house.” “After Maggie gave you permission?” “I don’t need ‘permission’ from Maggie to do anything,” I protested. “And be serious, Lissa, do you think it’s a good idea?” Clarissa shrugged, “Is it all that different from Kristin? Or from Mindy and Emmy?” “That kind of thinking is a...
October 16, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “I started dating someone,” I said to Tasha as we relaxed in the whirlpool at Doctor Blahnik’s house. “You’re not cheating on her, are you Mikhail Petrovich?” “No. It’s not THAT serious, and it won’t be anytime soon, if it ever is. But I thought you should know because we promised complete truth and complete honesty. I don’t want any misunderstandings.” “May I ask about her?” “Her name is Kimiko Mei Takahasi. She’s from a small town called Oguni in...
July 23, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Just as I had when Nancy told me that her mom had put her on the Pill, I missed a shift due to being completely surprised by Maggie’s question. I recovered enough to find the correct gear, and willed my heart to stop beating rapidly. The silence was deafening, but I needed to think about how I could answer her question. I wasn’t sure I knew the answer, but saying that seemed lame in the extreme. Almost immediately, I realized that I really shouldn’t have been...
July 28, 1983, McKinley, Ohio On Thursday evening I was sitting in my room, practicing my guitar after having spoken with Tasha and confirmed our date for Sunday. Just after 9:00pm, there was a knock at the door. “It’s unlocked! Come in!” The door opened and Milena walked in, closing the door behind her. “Hey!” I replied. “What’s up?” “Got some time for me?” “Always. What can I do for you?” “Sing me a love song and then make love to me?” “Your wish is my command!” I grinned. “Come sit...
November 19, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “You know I think you’ve made a terrible mistake and given Sasha bad advice, right?” Clarissa asked after we got into my Mustang for the drive to my parents’ house. “Obviously.” “Her life is going to be very, very difficult.” “And living with her conscience after what she would consider murder would be easy?” “It’s not murder, Mike,” Clarissa said firmly. “I know that’s what you believe, and I know that’s what the law says, but I also know what she’s...
March 15, 1984, Gettysburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “You’re OK?” Clarissa asked when she and I got out of bed on Thursday morning. “Yes. Just kissing was fine, Lissa. Let’s get our showers and meet Jocelyn. We need to get on the road by 6:30am so we can be in Philadelphia by 10:00am.” We both quickly showered and dressed, then we met Jocelyn in the hotel lobby. We went across the street for breakfast, and from there, straight to the car so we could get on the road. We followed US 30,...
July 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Are you OK?” Clarissa asked on Friday morning as we lay in bed together. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “You seemed a bit out of sorts last night. Did that kiss bother you?” I smiled, “Not the way you mean. It was just, well, to be blunt, fighting a reaction. And losing.” Clarissa laughed softly, “I know. I felt it when I spooned. I’m sorry.” “Don’t be. I liked the kiss. The other reaction is kind of involuntary. As I keep saying, testosterone knows NOTHING about...
July 5, 1983, McKinley, Ohio As I showered after karate, I wondered exactly what Angie had meant when she said that she’d changed, and what that meant for the future. Angie had told me that her counselor had advised against starting a relationship, so perhaps this was just Angie’s way of telling me that what Clarissa had suggested might be true — that Angie was playing the ‘long game’ and this was simply the next step. That made more sense than anything, but it also meant I needed to be...
June 18, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Becky, this is my friend Milena; Milena, Becky.” “Hi!” Milena said. “I hope I’m not intruding.” “Hi,” Becky replied. “You aren’t. Mike told me you were going to hang out with us tonight.” “Do you drink wine?” Becky laughed, “My pastor would have a cow, but he’s not here!” Milena laughed, “And shacking up with Mike, THAT would be OK?” “Well, no!” Becky laughed, blushing slightly. Milena uncorked the bottle of wine while I got three glasses from the...
August 28, 1983, McKinley, Ohio When I got up on Sunday morning, I showered and dressed, and then Kristin and I left my room and I found a note from Angie on the corkboard next to my door. It said she was getting a ride to church from the same woman who had picked her up the previous night and I shouldn’t wait for her. I shrugged, locked the door, and gave Kristin a quick kiss. She headed down the hall towards her room and I walked over to the elevators and pushed the ‘Down’ button. An...
February 25, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “Hi!” Emmy gushed when she opened the door for Clarissa and me on Saturday morning. “Thanks for letting Clarissa hang out here while I take care of this for Liz.” “You’re doing the right thing, Mike. I have to go to work in a few minutes, but Clarissa can buzz you in when you come back, and then if you just lock the door when you leave and bring the key to Lou’s everything will be cool.” “You’re a sweetheart, Emmy Nelson!” “I know!” she giggled,...
August 27, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “Tasha,” I said gently, “you made me promise to keep you pure until we were married, or at least betrothed, no matter what you said! In other words, you made me promise not to do it even if you changed your mind! And I made that promise!” “I can’t change my mind?” “You were very clear that I was responsible for you NOT doing that.” “But isn’t that up to me?” I nodded, “As an adult, in charge of her own decisions, it is. But you extracted that promise...
October 14, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “I’m worried about Angie,” I said as Clarissa, Melody, and I made our way back to the dorm from the Chancellor’s office. “I know you told the detective that you have no idea where she might be, but do you have ANY thoughts?” Melody asked. I shook my head, “If she wasn’t with her friend and she wasn’t at church, and her counselor hadn’t heard from her, then no, honestly, I have no idea. I mean, she could have gone home, but I’m sure someone called there to...
December 21, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” I said. “Afraid you’ll lose?” Violet asked. No, I thought, I wasn’t afraid of losing at all. In fact, I was sure that win or lose, I’d win, from a certain perspective. “No, that’s not it...” I started. “Then let’s play!” “Are you sure?” She nodded, “I can’t think of a more fun way to celebrate my birthday!” I could, and I was sure that what I was thinking was exactly what she was thinking, and she was just...
January 8, 1984, McKinley, Ohio “Is it always like that in the morning?” Clarissa asked. “Pretty often, but it doesn’t have the urgency, if you will, and it goes away pretty quickly once I get out of bed.” “Do you have ANY control over it?” “Limited,” I chuckled. “It pretty much has a mind of its own.” “That has to be difficult.” “Think standing in the altar, wearing acolytes’ vestments and seeing Tasha walk into church in a sundress.” Clarissa laughed softly, “She is gorgeous!” “And...
May 6, 1984, Rutherford, Ohio “I’m curious,” Clarissa asked quietly, “but what about a patronymic in this case?” “Sasha hasn’t said,” Tasha replied. “Technically, it would be some form of Timothy, because Timmy Aston is the baby’s father, but I don’t think she’ll do that. She really could pick anything.” “What happened with the baby’s father?” Clarissa asked. “My dad, Timmy’s dad, and two attorneys worked out the deal. Timmy’s going to college and really can’t afford to pay child support,...
June 5, 1983, McKinley, Ohio My alarm rang on Sunday morning and when I reached over to shut it off, Milena groaned softly, stretched, and turned to face me, her glorious breasts rubbing against my chest. “Hi,” she said sheepishly. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing! That’s just it. Nothing is wrong. I slept, naked, with a guy and literally nothing happened except a ‘good night’ kiss and spooning.” “And you think something should have happened?” She kissed my nose, “No, not at all. I mean, we can...
September 3, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio Tasha was very quiet on the drive home from Jackson Lake, and I wasn’t sure what to say to her, so I stayed quiet as well. When we arrived at my house, we exchanged a perfunctory kiss. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow at church.” I got out of the Volvo and went into the house. I said ‘hello’ to my parents, then asked Clarissa to sit on the patio and talk with me. We went to the kitchen, got glasses of lemonade, then...
September 5, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “Now that you’ve had time to sleep on it, have you had any new thoughts?” Clarissa asked as we walked along the road from my house towards ‘downtown’ West Monroe on Monday morning. “Should I have new thoughts?” I asked. “Let me put it this way — if you’re going to change your mind, do it NOW, today. If she shows up in McKinley expecting two passion-filled nights and you back out, it’s going to be VERY ugly.” “Why would I back out? You and Liz made very...
December 17, 1983, Rutherford, Ohio After Vespers, Clarissa, Jocelyn, Tasha, and I went to Lou’s diner in Rutherford for dinner. “Is this Mike’s nightmare?” Jocelyn teased. “Or Mike’s ultimate fantasy?” “The three of you would be a nightmare,” I said flatly. “It’s bad enough to have ONE woman telling me what to do! But three? Kill me now!” The girls all laughed. “He knows women are in charge,” Tasha said primly. “Even the bishops cower in the corner if the women of the church are...
January 5, 1984, Columbus, Ohio “Master, Bless!” I said to Vladyka ARKADY when he greeted me in his office. “The Lord bless you, Subdeacon Michael,” he said as I kissed his hand. “Anthony, would you please bring the tea?” “Right away, Vladyka,” Subdeacon Anthony said. “Sit, Subdeacon. We’ll use the comfortable chairs so we can have a quiet chat.” I sat in one of the very comfortable wingback chairs and the bishop sat in a second chair which was very close. Subdeacon Anthony brought in a...
January 14, 1984, Loveland, Ohio On Saturday morning, after breakfast, I’d said goodbye to Clarissa and gotten in my car for the drive to Loveland. The ninety minutes in the car gave me my first real time alone since returning to campus. Clarissa was doing OK, and I’d managed to spend a few hours over the course of the week with Sophia, and had a chance to be the octopus for Kimiko. It was an interesting dynamic, because Kimiko and I hadn’t been going out as a couple, so to outsiders, it...
April 5, 1984, McKinley, Ohio Students from all over campus came up to shake my hand, pat my back, or offer thanks. When Clarissa and I, and our close friends, left the auditorium we were confronted by Reverend Saddler. “I’ve never seen a more disgusting performance by an alleged clergyman in my life!” he declared. I shrugged, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you’.” “That is...
July 4, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “It’s OK to flirt with Maggie when your sister and the girls arrive.” We were in the kitchen packing a picnic basket for a day at Milton Lake with Liz, Maggie, Emmy, and Mindy. Milena, Deb, Blaine, and Royce would join us as well. “Maggie and I don’t really flirt,” I replied. “It’s more like trying to agree on terms.” “Of surrender?” Clarissa laughed. “Of her virginity?” I laughed, “Those terms are well-known and agreed — engagement ring, wedding ring,...
July 22, 1983, McKinley, Ohio It took me a minute before I could think straight, and another minute to formulate a semi-coherent response. “Angie, I can’t make the commitment necessary to do that,” I replied gently. “I know, and I’m not asking for one. I just think it’s the only way forward.” It was obvious that she felt, based on everything that had happened, she had to prove to me that she COULD have sex. But I wondered if it was more than that. As I quickly thought about it, I was SURE...
October 11, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “So what are you thinking?” Clarissa asked as she and I sat together on my couch after lunch on Tuesday. “I’m thinking you and Glenda are conspiring, that’s what I’m thinking!” “Kimiko?” “Kimiko.” “All I did was talk to her about you, Petrovich. I didn’t make ANY suggestions. And while we were talking, she asked about the other girls she knew you saw from time to time. At this point, it really is only Tasha, because Maggie is in what amounts to solitary...