Good Medicine Sophomore YearChapter 26 Martyrdom
- 3 years ago
- 23
- 0
August 28, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio
“Duh!” she laughed softly. “I’m in your bed! What do you think?”
“I think you need to go back to my sister’s room before she or my parents find out and kill both of us!”
“Come on, Mike! I want to do it with you! Don’t you want to do it with me?!”
She was cute and had a great body, but the LAST thing I needed was ANY kind of relationship with Mindy, even one where I only did what I’d joked with my mom about doing — banging her like a drum!
“Just go, please,” I said.
She sighed and got out of bed. I breathed my own small sigh of relief, which turned out to be premature. She stopped, turned on the overhead light and struck a pose. She was stark naked! Unfortunately, the vision of her body had the very reaction I was trying to avoid. Fortunately, the sheets hid my erection from her view. Seeing that would only encourage her.
“Are you sure you want me to go?”
I was absolutely sure in my mind, but other parts of my body had other ideas. The big head and the little head did battle, and the big head won.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “Put on your sleep shirt and go back to Liz’s room. Now.”
Mindy pouted, and didn’t move for about fifteen seconds. When she saw in my face I wasn’t going to budge, she picked up her sleep shirt and slipped it over her head. Wordlessly, she turned off the light, then slipped quietly from the room, closing the door gently behind her. I got up, relocked the door, and got back into bed. I had a tough time falling asleep, but I eventually did.
In the morning, I was up early, and showered and dressed before anyone else was out of bed. Mom came into the kitchen just as I was finishing my tea and toast.
“Sneaking out early?”
I nodded, “Mindy picked the lock to my room sometime after midnight.”
“I’m hoping you sent her away.”
I smirked, “What do you think a nineteen-year-old boy does when he sees a naked sixteen-year-old girl in his room? Or more importantly, in his bed?”
“THIS nineteen-year-old boy better have sent her back to his sister’s room!” Mom said.
“He did. The question is, what did he do BEFORE he sent her back to his sister’s room?” I said with a silly smile.
“Mike...”
“Nothing happened, Mom. I told her to leave, and she did.”
“Good. I’ll have a word with her, privately, in case Liz doesn’t know.”
“I suspect Liz doesn’t know,” I said. “She’d have made a big stink if Mindy tried to come to my room with her knowledge.”
“You did the right thing, Mike.”
“It would only have been a matter of who killed me first — you or Liz.”
Mom shook her head, “You make your own decisions, Mike. I would have been disappointed with you, but you have to decide what’s best for you. That’s not my job anymore.”
“Which doesn’t mean you’ll stop telling me what you think I should do!” I grinned.
“When was the last time I TOLD you to do anything? I just ask you the difficult questions you should already be asking yourself. As for Liz, well, probably. And your father would have been VERY upset with you.”
“Dad still doesn’t get it, does he?”
“Your dad still has a lot of Calvinism in him, even twenty-two years later. It’s hard to undo that kind of thinking when it’s so ingrained. You’ll always have Orthodox sensibilities, even if you were to stop going to church. It would take a serious concerted effort, or some kind of major trauma in your life, to change you so radically that your upbringing didn’t affect you even later in life.”
“But that’s not true for everyone,” I objected. “Some people change radically.”
“Yes, if they reject what they were taught. You don’t. Your father doesn’t, at least not completely. And remember, the Orthodox teaching on sexual purity before marriage is almost identical to what he was taught growing up.”
“I know. I’m going to get going. Tell Dad I’m sorry I missed him. I’ll call him during the week.”
“OK. Drive safely, Mike. Come home again soon.”
“My coursework is going to be a real bear. That’s why I’m going back this morning. I’ll be home sometime next month to see Tasha. I’ll do my best to have some time to see you and Dad. Just do me a favor and make sure Mindy isn’t here.”
“Afraid you can’t resist the temptation?” Mom teased.
“It was that close,” I grinned, holding my thumb and forefinger about a millimeter apart.
I got a hug from my mom and a kiss on the cheek, then walked out of the house, got into my Mustang, and headed back to McKinley.
August 28, 1982, McKinley, Ohio
“Seriously?” Angie laughed.
I was taking a break from writing my paper, which I’d been doing at my desk while Angie had been reading sprawled out on the couch.
“Seriously,” I confirmed.
“Talk about willpower!”
“More like fear for my life from my little sister!”
“So if Liz weren’t in the picture, you would have?”
“No,” I said. “I don’t need that kind of headache right now!”
“From anyone? Or just Mindy?”
“Before I answer, can I ask a question?”
“Sure.”
“You’re not planning to strip right now, are you?”
“No, you goofball!” Angie laughed.
“Then from anyone,” I chuckled.
“So if I stripped naked and asked you to do it, you would?”
“You’re not going to!”
“Humor me,” she laughed.
“You’ll have to do it to find out.”
“Fat chance,” she laughed. “As you said, that’s a headache I don’t need now.”
“I thought having a headache kept you from doing it; I didn’t think it was the result of doing it!”
Angie laughed, “You’ve become downright silly, you know that?”
“Is that good or bad?”
“It’s good. Last year, I probably wouldn’t have appreciated it, but I think we’ve both mellowed and grown. Can I ask you a serious question?”
“Sure.”
“How do you feel about Jocelyn?”
I shrugged, “The same, why?”
“You didn’t try to see her when you went home. Did you even tell her you were going to be home?”
I shook my head, “No. She was pretty clear she wanted time apart and didn’t want to see me again before she left. Why?”
“Because I care about you and don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“It’s too late for that,” I sighed. “It’s a matter of trying to put things back together.”
“OK, hurt worse.”
I shrugged, “I don’t know if there’s a way to avoid that risk. I want to fix things, and I have to try. At least she’s talking to me and sounding a bit more like her old self.”
“Well you know I’m here for you, and so is Clarissa.”
“Hmm...” I smirked. “You and Clarissa...”
“You are SO bad!” Angie laughed. “I swear, Amelia and Janey really changed you! And nothing happened?”
“Nothing happened. That’s not what I need right now.”
“But you said if I took off my clothes...” Angie teased.
“And I know you won’t do that. Which is exactly the disconnect which caused the problem between me and Janey. She was sure I would, from the teasing, and was angry when I told her I had no intention of doing it, which is why I was OK with the teasing.”
“Are you SURE I won’t?” Angie laughed.
“Yes! And when did YOU get like this?”
“I used to be, but then kind of pulled my head back into my shell. You make me comfortable enough to stick my head out, at least a bit.”
“Good. I like your silly side.”
“Please keep it in private, OK? I don’t mind if you joke around with the gang, but not me, except in here, OK?”
“Sure. The secret that Angie Stephens is fun to be around is safe with me!”
“OK, now you’re just being a jerk!” she laughed.
I downed the last of my Coke.
“I need to get back to my paper, unless...”
“Go write your paper!” she laughed.
I finished just in time for us to leave for Vespers, and when we arrived back on campus, we joined the rest of the gang at a dorm social.
“Did we miss anything?” I asked Pete when we walked in.
“Not much. The ice cream is good, but the music sucks. They should have let YOU run the music. I think your album collection is about ten-times as varied as what they’re playing.”
“Who’s running the music?” I asked.
“A guy from the dorm. Not sure how they found him.”
“Meet anyone interesting?”
“See that cute little brunette and her friend over by the punch bowl?”
“Yep.”
“Her name is Tracy. She’s a Freshman. First time away from home!”
I laughed, “Don’t tell Clark!”
“You didn’t notice his door closed? He found some cute little thing and it took all of ten minutes to convince her to go upstairs!”
“Of course it did! And let me guess, Carter struck out.”
“He’s been talking to a Senior for the past half hour. He might be making progress. Here comes Tracy.”
She and her friend walked up.
“Tracy, this is my friend Mike and my friend Angie. Angie, Mike, this is Tracy and I’m sorry, I forgot your friend’s name.”
“Theresa,” the other girl said.
“Theresa,” Pete said. “Sorry.”
We chatted a bit before Angie and I moved on to talk with Clarissa who was talking with three girls I recognized but didn’t know. She introduced them as Valerie, Tess, and Gina. They were also Freshmen.
“How did Freshmen get into Rickenbacker?” Angie asked.
“They needed more girls to balance things out,” Gina said. “There are about two dozen Freshmen girls on the sixth floor. It was a surprise, really. We were supposed to be in another dorm, but when we arrived for orientation, they sent us here. I’m glad, because I was stuck in the all-girls dorm!”
“Supposedly, that’s going away next year and they’ll all be co-ed, though some will be like the sixth floor here which is all girls.”
“Now, when they offer co-ed rooms, THEN it’ll be a lot of fun!” Valerie laughed. “But my parents would have a heart attack!”
“Mine, too!” Tess said. “But a guy roommate? Yeah! Well, assuming I could pick him!”
I laughed, “Could you imagine the computer randomly assigning you a guy?”
“Ewww!” Tess and Valerie both exclaimed.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Gina smirked. “You could get lucky!”
“In more ways than one!” I replied.
Angie punched me softly on the arm, but she was laughing as well.
“Girlfriend, right?” Gina asked, nodding towards Angie.
“No, just his friend,” Angie said. “Somebody has to keep him from going off the rails!”
“That’s when it gets fun!” Tess laughed.
“I’m pre-med,” I said. “I need all the help I can get coloring between the lines!”
“Is that as tough as they say it is?”
Clarissa and I looked at each other, nodded, and declared “Yes!”
“College is supposed to be fun!” Valerie objected.
“So they keep telling us,” Clarissa said. “I told you about our honors biology class and how much we study.”
“Crazy,” Gina said.
“I’d say that’s an apt description of these two,” Angie smirked.
“Gee, thanks!” I laughed.
We circulated more, meeting about two dozen people, before we headed upstairs to do our evening prayers. As usual, I walked Angie down the hall to her room, and got a hug, but the kiss was about a quarter on the lips with the rest on the cheek. She winked at me, and went into her room, while I watched, slightly stunned by what had just happened.
August 29, 1982, McKinley, Ohio
As I showered on Sunday morning, I wondered what I should say to Angie, if anything. I tried to reconcile her ‘just friends’ statement with the kiss and wink. Might it have something to do with private versus public, similar to her point about teasing? And if so, then what? I liked Angie a lot, but I’d been so firmly in the ‘friend’ classification for a year that I didn’t really consider her for anything other than a friendship. I’d said as much to several people, but now I began to wonder if the people who had compared her to a wife might not be onto something.
If they were, then what? I’d just managed to get myself into what I felt was a pretty good frame of mind, minus the situation with Jocelyn, though I was hopeful about that. I’d counted on Angie being my closest friend and confidante, with Clarissa becoming a close friend as well. Now, it looked as if things might get complicated just when I was happy with the simplicity I’d created.
I rinsed the shampoo from my hair and the soap from my body, then dried off, went to my room, and dressed. I decided the only thing I could do was to wait and see what happened next. She was still seeing her counselor, but we hadn’t talked about that in ages. I had an appointment to see Doctor Hart on Tuesday, and I felt I could talk to him about the situation and get some advice.
Everything was normal at church and afterwards in the church hall. We sat with Katy, as we usually did, and chatted amiably. Before we left, I confirmed my date for Friday with Katy, and then Angie and I headed back to the dorm. When we went to my room I found a note saying that Becky van Dorn had called. I quickly changed and dialed the number she’d left.
“Hi!” she gushed.
“What’s up?”
“I just wanted to talk to you. We haven’t talked in almost a month. I’m leaving for Central Michigan in about an hour. How are things?”
“Good. It’s going to be a tough semester because of honors biology.”
“I bet. How’s Jocelyn?”
I sighed, “She’s not here. We had, well, a falling out, and she decided to go to Purdue instead.”
“Holy Toledo! What happened?”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “I’m trying to piece things back together.”
“I could come visit next weekend if you need someone to cheer you up!”
“Tempting,” I said. “But I’m doing OK.”
“I could come and we could just fool around all weekend!”
“Also tempting,” I replied. “But next weekend is really busy. Get settled in school and then let’s talk.”
“You’re always practical, aren’t you?”
“Most of the time, yes. You managed to talk me out of being practical on a couple of occasions!”
Becky laughed, “It was glorious, Mike! You know I’ll do that with you anytime, anyplace!”
“I’m thinking you might want to restrict that ‘anyplace’ a bit!” I laughed.
“I guarantee I’d do it anyplace YOU would!” she laughed.
“Actually, right now, that’s no place.”
“What? Did I do something wrong?”
“No. Just all the stuff that’s happened in the past few months is really weighing on me, and I decided to not do that with anyone.”
“Melody must be fit to be tied!”
“We broke up. And it was before I made that decision.”
“You aren’t seeing anyone now?”
“I’m still going out with Tasha and Katy, but I’m not getting involved with anyone in a serious way.”
“Wow! For how long?”
“Until I get my head on straight. It’s a work in progress.”
“Call me sometimes, please.”
“I will. Write me with your phone number and address at Central Michigan.”
“I will. And I’ll come see you, Mike. I want to help.”
“Thanks. Talk to you soon.”
We said ‘goodbye’ and I went out to the common area to meet the gang for our Sunday afternoon trip to the lake. We spent a few hours there, ate dinner at the burger joint, then came back to campus for our study period. At bedtime, Angie kissed me the same way she had before, and winked as she went into her room.
August 31, 1982, McKinley, Ohio
“How was your Summer, Mike?” Doctor Hart asked after he ushered me into his office.
“That’s a question for which there is no simple answer.”
“You seem in good spirits; what happened?”
I started at the beginning and took him through the events of the Summer, plus the first week of school. He didn’t ask any questions; he just let me tell the story.
“I’m assuming it’s OK to be blunt?”
“Yes.”
“It was foolish of you to resume your sexual relationship with Jocelyn. It was foolish of you to have sexual relations with Becky. It was wise to refuse the advances of this young woman, Mindy. It was also wise to refuse Janey.”
“And Melody?”
“Neutral. Your readjustment of your relationship with Katy is a positive. So is your friendship with Clarissa.”
“And Angie?”
“That one has me just as stumped as it does you! Where would you like to begin?”
“Jocelyn; where else?”
We spent the better part of a half-hour discussing my relationship with Jocelyn, and I felt much better at the end. Identifying where I’d failed her helped immensely, though I had no idea if I could restore our previous closeness.
“I think you understand better why I said you had acted foolishly,” Doctor Hart said.
“I never said I disagreed with you, did I?”
“No, come to think of it, you didn’t. Have you figured out your biggest issue?”
I shook my head, “No.”
“You’re very easy to manipulate, Mike. That’s especially the case with young women who offer sex. This last month, you’ve found the inner strength to resist. Look, you know I don’t have a problem with pre-marital sex. That’s not the issue. It’s how you handle it, what it means to you, and how it affects your life that matters.”
“That really only happened with Becky and Melody,” I protested.
“And Jocelyn. Not the first time, but the second. And the third. And Nancy, the second time. At least from everything you’ve said.”
I took a deep breath and let it out.
“I don’t think Jocelyn manipulated me.”
“Debating that issue will get us nowhere, but I want you to think about what happened after Jocelyn got out of the hospital. We’ll talk about it at our next meeting in two weeks. There’s another thing I’d like you to think about, too.”
“What’s that?”
“The end game, if you will. You made it clear that you’re intending to be celibate until you, and I’m quoting here, ‘get your head on straight’. What happens then?”
“I planned to worry about it when I get to that point.”
“And that, Mike, is extremely dangerous. You need a game plan.”
I shook my head, “Which is what Janey took me to task for — having a too detailed game plan.”
“Why did she do that, Mike? What was HER game plan?”
I smiled, “To goad me into sleeping with her.”
“Very good. Mindy was simply less subtle.”
“I’d hardly describe waking up to a sixteen-year-old naked in my bed as ‘less subtle’!”
“OK, that was fairly outrageous!” he laughed, then continued. “Without a game plan, you risk falling back into the same pattern of behavior. You admitted just how close it was that you took the young woman up on her offer.”
February 5, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “I owe you an apology for earlier. Not for what I said, but how I said it.” “And I owe you one for interfering in something I shouldn’t have.” “I’m going to need to talk to Dad, too,” I said. “But again, only for walking away, not for objecting to his classification of April as not being a ‘nice’ girl.” “I thought for a moment you were going to say, ‘make Mom’ instead of ‘make me’.” “For a moment, I was. But at that split second good sense overcame my...
May 9, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Is something wrong?” Kristin asked on Monday morning. “What do you mean?” “It just felt as if you were somewhere else last night when we were fooling around.” I had been, because once my sleep deprivation was past, I had basically obsessed on the bishop’s comment about ‘choosing’ and the myriad of possibilities I had to choose from, AND the potential problems each of them might create. What he had said about serving at the cathedral and in other parishes only...
June 12, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “What’s going on between you and Jocelyn?” Mom asked when I returned upstairs after talking to Dad. “I thought that was obvious,” I smirked. “Or did you want details?” “Pass,” Mom laughed. “But seriously, Mike, what’s going on?” “We love each other. We had a long, long talk about everything and this is what we want to do. We’re not going to marry; we both understand that. And I’m not going steady with Melody.” “Do you love Melody?” I shrugged, “I have no...
January 29, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “These cookies are excellent!” I took another bite and washed it down with a bit of hot cocoa. “Believe it not, it’s just the ‘Toll House’ recipe!” Kristin said. “I’m glad you like them.” “You liked my songs?” “Oh man, those love songs made me shiver! You must have really loved her.” “I did, and I still do, but it doesn’t really matter now.” “I guess not,” she said quietly. “Why pick me to sing to?” “I saw a pretty girl who didn’t have a guy with her,”...
September 19, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Mishka!” Tasha gushed when I called her on Sunday afternoon. “How are you?” “Good. How are things in West Monroe?” “You know nothing changes here. Church is the same. School is the same. Home is the same. And you?” “School is about the same as last year, but I’ve made some new friends.” “I want to meet them! Do you think Sasha and I could visit in two weeks?” “If your mom and dad approve, yes.” “They will, so long as I bring Sasha. She promised not...
January 13, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Mike?” I heard from behind me. I was sitting on a bench under a tree while snow fell around me. I wasn’t wearing a hat or coat or gloves because I hadn’t put them on when I’d walked from my room. I’d wandered around for a bit, then sat down on a bench near the edge of campus. “Mike?” the voice repeated, but I didn’t respond. I was still reeling from the pictures Jocelyn had sent me. It wasn’t that she was having sex, apparently, with a bunch of different...
June 6, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Jos,” I sighed. “It’s not that simple.” “Isn’t it?” “Come on! You know that would end things between Melody and me!” “I believe Melody has been good for you, but is she THE ONE? Wait! Don’t answer. If she was, you wouldn’t be dating Tasha and Katy, and you wouldn’t still be carrying a torch for Angie.” “Angie is just a friend,” I protested. Jocelyn smiled, “I’ll take that wager anytime you want to make it. You can answer my first question now.” I...
August 20, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Mike Loucks,” I said to the young woman at the desk in the brand-new Rickenbacker dorm. She flipped through the manila envelopes and pulled out the one with my name on it. “Your room key, a sticker for your ID to update it for this year, a new student handbook, and your parking sticker,” she said. “Parking sticker?” “The lots are all numbered now, and you can only park in the lot you’re assigned to. Yours should be next to this dorm.” “What about...
September 14, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “How did your parents fight?” Doctor Hart asked. “They didn’t,” I replied. “Whenever my dad disagreed with my mom, he went to his workshop in the basement.” Doctor Hart smiled, “OK, perhaps I should have phrased that better. How did they resolve conflicts?” “Just as I described.” “And after he hid in his workshop?” “He basically stayed there until he accepted that my mom was right, then went to make up. Do NOT ask me how!” Doctor Hart laughed, “The...
March 25, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to talk to you earlier,” I said to Mom when I arrived home. “I understand. You’re home a bit early.” “There really wasn’t anything playing at the movies we wanted to see. We’re going to have breakfast tomorrow and spend the day together. We’ll be at Vespers, though to prevent any explosions I’ll drop her at home so she can come to church with her family.” “I talked to your grandfather on her behalf,” Mom said. “I think...
October 16, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “I had the weirdest experience today.” “Oh?” Mom asked with an arched eyebrow. “I stopped in to see April. She was nursing Chastity. Later, April let me hold her. I was just blown away by the whole experience.” “Babies change your life in many, many ways.” I nodded, “It was like scales fell from my eyes. You know, things I knew intellectually but didn’t really understand.” “Care to share?” “Let’s just say my views on female anatomy changed a...
January 1, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “Good afternoon, Father Deacon,” I said. “Good afternoon, Mikhail Petrovich. Sit down, please.” Tasha and I exchanged a look and we sat down on the settee, but with about a foot of empty cushion between us. “I would like the truth, Mikhail Petrovich. Have you and Tasha been behaving inappropriately?” That was a good question to which ONE answer was ‘yes’, but another answer was ‘no’. I was reasonably certain he was asking the second question, not the...
April 3, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Hi, Mike!” “Hi, Mrs. Landers.” “Come on in. Nancy is putting the finishing touches on dinner.” I hadn’t said anything to Nancy about my fasting rule because I didn’t want to create any issues with their Easter dinner. “Thanks!” “Your Easter isn’t for another month, right?” she asked. “May 8th, though our service starts about 10:30pm the night before.” “We went to midnight mass when I was little, but Nancy and I prefer the first morning mass at 5:30am....
July 23, 1982, Circleville, Ohio “I’m sorry I missed our date late Friday,” Katy said after greeting me with a kiss and letting me into the house. “That’s the fourth time you’ve apologized! I accepted your apology when you called to tell me, and for that, you don’t have to apologize! How is your grandmother?” “No change since we spoke on Wednesday. Mom is still there, so it’s just Dad and me. He’s out with his friends tonight, so we have the run of the house. I figured we’d cook, eat, use...
January 25, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “You won’t believe what happened on Sunday,” Dale laughed. “What?” “You know Pam’s roommate? The hot cheerleader chick?” “The one you’ve been drooling over since day one?” “Yeah, but I think I have to reconsider. Liking her appears to be VERY dangerous!” “What happened?” “Remember how I said she was dating a guy, even though she was hung up on a guy from Chicago?” “Sure.” “I found out Pam dated him at one point, too! The guy is a legend! Anyway, he...
July 25, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Hi, Angie, it’s Mike,” I said when she answered the phone on Sunday afternoon. “Mike? We just talked during the week! What’s up? Is there a problem with me coming to visit in two weeks?” “No, not at all. I wanted to talk to you about the problems I’m having with Jocelyn.” “Uh-oh. Did something bad happen?” “You could say that,” I sighed. “Do you have time to talk? This won’t be a short conversation.” “For you? Of course!” I explained, as best I could,...
February 7, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Hi!” Kristin gushed when I went to her room just after lunch. “Come in!” I walked into her room and she offered hot cocoa, which I accepted. We sat down on the couch. “Sorry I ran out of cookies. Mom will send more in another week or so.” “I’ll need to run an additional lap every morning to make up for the extra calories!” “I go to a dance class three days a week to keep in shape. I heard you’re into karate.” “Yes, I go three times a week as...
June 25, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea or not,” I replied. “Why?” Becky asked. “We’ve done it before. I don’t have a steady boyfriend. And you said you don’t have a steady girlfriend.” “That’s true. May I ask a very blunt question?” “Sure.” “Are YOU looking to be my girlfriend?” Becky shook her head slowly, “Remember what I said back in October? That I had no illusions about this and that I had no designs on you? But that if I had the ability to make a wish...
September 12, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Hi, Jos,” I said when her roommate called her to the phone. “Hi. How are things?” ‘Shitty!’ I wanted to say, and not in Russian. I also wanted to tell her I missed her and wanted to see her, but saying that might only make things worse. At this point, though, I wondered what ‘worse’ might be. “OK. How are you doing?” “I’m getting used to the routine and how different things are here from West Monroe.” Her answer was flat, and she sounded...
October 8, 1982, Circleville, Ohio “I want to, yes, of course; but we reset things for good reasons. Why the change?” Katy got up from the couch and sat back down in my lap, draping her arms over my shoulders. “I wanted to from the minute I saw you naked. I’ve dreamed about what it would be like.” “I felt the same way when I saw you naked,” I said. “Well, even before, when you first let me touch you. But I can’t promise you anything right now, Katy.” She sighed deeply, then moved her...
October 16, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio After my talk with Mom, I went to find Liz, and invited her to sit on the floor of my room to talk. We sat side-by-side, leaning against the bed. “Why in here and not in the basement?” I felt it was my duty to warn Liz, as my sister, of the way voices carried through the heating ducts. Mom had told me, in confidence, but I couldn’t in good conscience keep that vital piece of information from Liz. “Because voices carry through the heating ducts,” I...
November 13, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “So, what do you want to do tonight?” Nancy laughed, “As if you have to ask!” “I mean BESIDES that!” “How about we grab some dinner and then see The Man from Snowy River. It’s an Australian film and it’s had excellent reviews. Then we can come back here.” “Dinner and a movie, sure. The other thing? Let’s not move so fast, OK?” “We’ve done it before...” “Yes, we have. Remember that I gave you a choice? I think you immediately figured out what the choice...
November 29, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Now that you’ve had a night to sleep on it, what do you think?” Sandy asked, snuggling close. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to ask you?” “Probably, but I thought you might have changed your mind or had more of an idea what you meant.” “I asked my mom if there was anything wrong with marrying a friend.” “Me?! Have you lost your mind?” “A long time ago!” I chuckled. “Probably about the time the heavy doses of testosterone started coursing through my body...
January 2, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio When I arrived at church on Sunday morning, I was pleased to see Deacon Vasily with Father Herman, saying their entry prayers. I stood quietly in the nave while one of the acolytes, a Junior in High School, lit the oil lamps and ensured everything was properly arranged in the altar. As I stood there, I wondered what would happen when Tasha arrived. Where she stood would speak volumes about what had happened the previous evening when they had missed...
March 8, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “You don’t look happy, Mike,” Mom said when I greeted her after arriving home. “Tasha and I had a serious disagreement.” “Uh-oh. Because of her dad?” I shook my head, “No, it’s way more complicated. We can talk after dinner if that’s OK.” “Sure. Your sister and her friends are up in her room.” “The tradition I started?” I grinned. “Exactly. You had Jocelyn and Dale at every birthday celebration from the time you were in second grade. And before that,...
December 18, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Don’t you want to give this to Jocelyn directly?” Mrs. Mills asked. “Want to? Sure. But she made it clear she doesn’t want to see me. I’m half-expecting her to return the gift unopened.” “Not if I have anything to say about it!” she replied firmly. “Please don’t force the issue,” I pleaded. “Whatever is wrong with Jocelyn isn’t going to change because you pressure her. In fact, that might actually make things worse. “I’m not sure they could be worse...
December 27, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “I’m tempted, but not tonight. I’m not saying never, but not tonight.” Janey frowned, “Nothing I can do to change your mind?” “Remember what I said about slow but sure.” “Can I see you again before you go back to Taft?” “Maybe Friday?” “Sure.” “We’ll talk at work. You work every day, right?” “Yes. How about another kiss?” I smiled and pulled her closer again and we exchanged another soft French kiss. “Good night,” I said when we broke the kiss a...
February 4, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “Emmy?! What are you doing here?” “She came to talk to me,” Liz said quietly, from behind me. “OK. Is there anything I can help with?” “No.” “You know, if her dad finds her here...” “I know. Just go upstairs, OK? I’ll come talk to you later.” I nodded and went upstairs. The door to my parents’ bedroom was closed, and I didn’t see any light leaking from under the door, which meant they were most likely asleep. I stopped in the bathroom to brush my...
October 26, 1982, McKinley, Ohio When we returned from biology lab on Tuesday morning, a large group was milling around the entrance to the dorms. I saw Melody and walked over to ask her what the issue was. “The police busted Jeremy for pot,” she said. “Nobody can go into the dorm right now.” “What? For one or two joints? I thought they decriminalized pot.” Melody laughed, “One or two joints? You’re joking, right? He’s the main supplier in our dorm! How did you not know that?” “Because I...
January 21, 1983, McKinley, Ohio I still hadn’t decided on the answer to Clarissa’s final question when Angie and I went to run on Friday morning. One thing I was reasonably sure of was that saying ‘no’ would likely be equivalent to saying, ‘not yet’. Milena and her friends didn’t seem likely to withdraw the offer anytime soon, though they would all complete their Master’s or undergrad degrees in May. But that wasn’t the thing which was in the front of my mind. What was foremost was what...
January 21, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Light snow was falling as Angie and I left Doctor Blahnik’s house to walk back to the dorm. “That was fun,” Angie said. “Sorry about the minor indiscretion.” “It’s OK, Mike. Why would she assume otherwise? She knows we run together, pray together, and go to church together. Why do you think everyone calls me ‘Mrs. Loucks’?” “But still...” “She’s just very open and a lot of fun. I wish more professors were like her, even if she made me turn purple!” “I...
September 16, 1982, McKinley, Ohio Sandy hadn’t moved, but the feeling of her leaning against me changed with her question. My first thought was Angie, and I lifted my eyes to hers, and found a bemused look on her face. I realized, at that moment, that the dorm opinion of her being ‘Mrs. Loucks’ wasn’t all that far-fetched. In some ways, I was treating her that way, and she certainly was, in some ways, acting like a wife. I’d known that before, but my instant, gut reaction of looking to her...
December 26, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Shit!” I swore vehemently, and in English for effect, when I walked out onto the porch on Sunday morning. “Mikhail Petrovich!” Mom said sternly. I picked up the box on the front porch and turned to show her. “«Говно»!” she replied. I nodded, “Nice to know you agree with me.” The box was the one that held the two stuffed rabbits I’d bought for Jocelyn. The fact that she’d returned them spoke volumes, and short of putting up a tombstone, I wasn’t sure...
January 1, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “It’s open, Mindy!” I called out. The door opened and she came into the room. “You were expecting me?” “I’d have been seriously disappointed in my ability to predict your behavior if you hadn’t shown up!” “A little too obvious?” “You might say that! May I give you a tip?” “I’d rather have the whole thing!” Mindy smirked. I laughed so hard I had to sit down on the bed so I wouldn’t fall over. It took me a full minute to recover enough to be able to...
March 26, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio Vespers with Tasha next to me was positively weird. I had no idea what she was thinking nor what she intended. But the MESSAGE she was sending was loud and clear to anyone who saw us, and was very specific for three people — Janey, declaring I was STILL Tasha’s property; Deacon Vasily, declaring she was still going to see me; and Mr. Orlov, stating that she didn’t care about his opinion. I could tell the message to Janey was clearly received when she looked...
April 16, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “So what had you nearly bursting at breakfast this morning?” “I’m no longer a virgin!” Clarissa exclaimed. “And Oh! My! God!” “That good, huh?” I grinned. “You have NO idea. Well, maybe you do because you’ve had sex!” “From a guy’s perspective, anyway.” “Can I ask you something?” “Sure.” “Do you like the taste?” I nodded, “Very much so.” “And do different girls taste differently?” “Yes, but it’s kind of subtle, though I notice. Did you kiss her...
April 23, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Tasha demanded you not date me?” Janey asked. “Actually, she requested that if I date her, I not date anyone at either church because of the trouble it could cause with her father, the priests, and Vladyka ARKADY.” “Very neatly excluding me by appealing to your desire for peace.” “I know that’s how it looks, but honestly, I wasn’t seeing you at the time, and certainly didn’t believe you were going to show up here tonight to talk to me, or any other time for...
Palm Sunday, May 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Where are your palm branches?” Clarissa asked when I returned home from church. “Just how many palm trees do YOU think grew around Moscow and Saint Petersburg?” “Probably not too many.” “Which is why I have pussy willows in my hand!” “It’s Palm Sunday and you’ve already been to church Friday night, Saturday morning and night, and this morning.” “It’s only just begun,” I chuckled. “Tonight is the first Bridegroom Matins.” “If I wanted to see the...
August 23, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Well, here we go again!” Jason said as he, Clarissa, Sandy, and I plopped into front row seats in the O-Chem classroom.” “Look at it this way,” Sandy laughed. “You’re about one sixth of the way done. We doctors are about one eighth, not counting the Summers we have to work for no pay and our intern year when we get a small stipend! By then you’ll be earning major bucks developing bioweapons for the CIA!” “I’m actually thinking of doing a PhD at some point,...
January 15, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “No way!” Dale protested. “I’m serious, Dale. Ten Polaroids. She sent them to my parents’ house and my mom brought the envelope to me on Thursday.” “I don’t believe it. That’s not her. It’s not!” “They came from Purdue,” I said. “They were postmarked ‘West Lafayette, Indiana’ on Saturday.” “Shit. I called her on Saturday morning. I pushed her to admit you guys had been together. I’m sorry, Mike.” “It’s not your fault, Dale.” “But I think she did that in...
February 1, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “What the heck were you thinking?” Doctor Hart snapped. “That has to be about the dumbest thing you could possibly have done!” “Funny thing,” I said. “I agree with you.” “There is nothing funny about what you did! You’re lucky as hell that it turned out as well as it did!” “Again, funny thing, I agree with you.” “Cut it out, Mike!” “Sorry. I beat myself up enough about this that I’m not sure I need your help.” “So why tell me?” “I thought I was...
February 5, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “This is heavenly,” Janey sighed. She was sitting in front of me, leaned back, with my arms around her, in a tub full of warm water and lavender bubble bath. “I could get really used to this,” I agreed. “When you finally get paid a decent amount, we’ll build a big house with a shower and tub like this.” “And a sauna,” I said. “Who has a sauna?” “Katy’s parents.” Janey laughed, “Did you?” “Just some fooling around but not that.” I ran my hands up...
February 15, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “How did it go?” Clarissa asked when I walked out of the interview room. “I owe you guys big time! My biographical sketch seemed well received, and the answers you all helped me prepare were perfect. Dean Parker walked right into Melody’s trap!” Melody laughed, “Of COURSE she did. She’s so predictable. Did she try to pry into your private life?” “She started to ask the question and Dean Foster cut her off before she could finish.” “Awesome!” The three...
February 20, 1983, McKinley, Ohio Clarissa and I lay together for about fifteen minutes before I heard voices and a soft knock on the bedroom door. “I think the posse is here,” I chuckled. “Bummer,” she sighed. I reluctantly released her, and we sat up on the bed, leaning back against the wall. “Come in!” I called out. Sandy opened the door and I could see the rest of the gang was with her. “Anything interesting going on in here?” she smirked. “Just the lesbian girl talking to her...
March 28, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio As I drove home, I considered my conversation with Tasha, and realized it was, in its own way, very close in character to conversations I’d had with Clarissa — intimate, honest, and designed to build a relationship. That, as much as anything else, confirmed that her conditions were not only wise, but the correct course of action. In one sense, it really only excluded Janey, but I felt my conversation, or rather, attempted conversation, with her had closed...
July 16, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “You’re not seeing Katy tonight?” Mom asked on Friday morning. “No. Her grandmother, who lives in Pittsburgh, fell and broke her hip. They were leaving this morning and won’t be back until sometime next week.” “We haven’t talked about you and Jocelyn since last Saturday.” “There isn’t much to say,” I said. “She and her parents are basically not talking. That’s why we’ve been hanging out here, at the pool, or at Grant Park.” And Jackson Lake, but I didn’t...
August 18, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “And you’ll come home and see me, Mishka?” “Of course, Tasha!” I replied. “On breaks for sure, and I promise to try to come home at least one weekend a month, though I can’t guarantee it.” “Dad said I’m allowed to come see you, but I have to bring Sasha with me and Sasha has to be with us the entire time!” I chuckled, “I don’t think he trusts you to be in my dorm room!” “I think you’re right!” she giggled. “He’s afraid we will make passionate love...
October 31, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “What are you doing here?” I asked. “And please tell me you just arrived!” “Mom and Dad were away for the weekend,” Emmy replied with a smirk, “so I came to visit! And I got here last night!” “Please tell me you didn’t...” “All night! Wow!” “Your dad will kill ALL of us if he finds out!” “I’m not going to tell him! Are you?” “No, of course not! But seriously, Emmy, this was super dangerous!” “And super fun!” “Where’s Clark?” “He went to the...
March 12, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Cheating on me? Really?” “I know it sounds strange, but I know how much you and I love each other, and how close and intimate we are, even if we don’t kiss and touch and stuff. It’s really weird. I WANT to be with Glenda, you know, that way, but that doesn’t change the feeling.” “That way?” I grinned. “I know you aren’t clueless, Petrovich! You do the same things!” “I know. I’m teasing you, Lissa! Is this feeling going to be a problem?” “I don’t think so....
March 27, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio “I told Mom I’d make you dinner tonight,” I said to Liz when I arrived home. “How does penne pasta with arrabbiata sauce and a salad grab you?” “That sounds good! I could invite Mindy and Maggie?” “It’s up to you,” I replied flatly. “I have enough ingredients and there’s plenty of penne in the cabinet.” “Is something bugging you?” “Not bugging me, per se, just making me think. I had a long talk with Tasha and the last thing she said was very, very...
April 9, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “I still don’t like the way Clarissa interfered last night,” Kristin said on Saturday morning after we made love. “You know how important church is to me, right?” “Sure, but she didn’t have to be a bitch about it!” I took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t see it that way. She was simply trying to point out something which is true. When Holy Week rolls around, I’ll be in church every evening from the Friday before Palm Sunday until the following...
August 1, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio Soft laughter reached my ear from Cincinnati via the magic of the Bell Telephone Network. “That is just TOO funny!” Angie declared. “Funny? Why do you find it funny?” “College boy breaks up with girlfriend and has serious falling out with his best friend. Swears newfound celibacy and is almost instantly propositioned by two High School girls who are ‘off limits’ because he decided High School girls are too immature, despite dating two other High School...
September 9, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “White boy! Phone for you!” Clark called out on Thursday evening while I was with the study group. I got up and went to our room to pick up the phone. “Hello?” “Hi, Mikey,” Liz replied. “I just called to say, ‘thank you’.” “For what?” “Making Mindy come back to my room.” I chuckled, “Do you know how difficult it was to kick a hot, naked fox out of my bed? And then, after she turned on the lights so I could see her body, kick her out of my room?” Liz...
October 2, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Mishka!” Tasha squealed. She flew across the lobby to where I’d just stepped off the elevator and threw her arms around me. I hugged her, and then she kissed me, turning a soft kiss into a fierce French kiss, pressing her body against mine. It was a good minute before she broke the kiss and released me. “Hi, Mike!” Sasha laughed. “Hi, Sasha.” Her eyes twinkled, and she gave me a very nice hug. “I don’t think Tasha would like me kissing you the way she...
November 20, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “No bacon or eggs? Seriously?” April asked on Saturday morning. “The general rule for fasting is no animal products of any kind.” “But you didn’t do that when we were dating?” “Because I wasn’t interested in debating it with you,” I replied. “That was probably a mistake on my part.” “So now what?” “I’ll eat what you’re making,” I said. “It falls under the ‘hospitality’ rule which says you should eat what you’re served. I’ll eat waffles, eggs, and...
December 31, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Why don’t you come inside for a bit?” Janey said. “Just hang out, OK?” I smirked,” Will you walk into my parlour?’ said the Spider to the Fly, ‘Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy; The way into my parlour is up a winding stair, And I’ve a many curious things to show when you are there. “ “So, like Hotel California? You can check out any time you like but you can never leave?” I chuckled, “That’s probably not QUITE as culturally...
January 30, 1983, McKinley, Ohio “Well isn’t THIS a fine mess,” I sighed. “I didn’t mean to depress you,” Clarissa said. “I was trying to make a point.” “Besides the fact that we’re in love, soulmates, and you’re a lesbian, which kind of makes it all moot?” “Oh, it most definitely does NOT! For someone who has been with at least half-a-dozen girls by my count, you sure have this really stupid mindset about sex! If it was so damned meaningful, you wouldn’t be so free with it! Get your head...
March 9, 1983, West Monroe, Ohio If Tasha hadn’t already been upset by Clarissa, Robby, and Lee, her face showed she was beyond livid with me now. The kiss Janey and I had exchanged wasn’t just a peck on the lips, but the kiss of a boyfriend and girlfriend, if not lovers. And Tasha had seen it. She knew I dated, but she didn’t know I was involved with Janey to that degree. And given the spat Tasha and I’d had the previous night, I could imagine all the evil thoughts going through her...