Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 13:29:30 -0600
From: Cameron Writer <cameronwriter@hotmail.com>
Subject: A Light in the Tunnel chapter 12

Hello everyone. I'd like to thank everyone for their opinions and input as I
write this. As I hope I have said, it means so very much to me. Because of
some recent personal events, my recent illness not included, I am able to
devote more time to writing, a fact that makes me very glad.

This is chapter 12 of A Light in the Tunnel. You will notice right away that
it doesn't pick up where the last one left off. I have decided to skip ahead
a month in time. I feel the story was going to become too stagnate going day
by day. I am jealous of writers that manage to pull it off. There will be
pieces that refer to events skipped over, so, don't worry, you will know
what happened.

As always, I do not know NSYNC, anyone affiliated with them, or any other
celebrities that may appear within these pages. That said, it can be
correctly assumed that I have no insight into their sexual
orientations/habits or personalities. This is a work of fiction. This is a
story detailing relationships between men, so, if such things offend you or
you are not of legal age in your community, please look elsewhere for you
entertainment.

A Light in the Tunnel:

Chapter 12


	Burke dropped onto the soft, heavily cushioned, brown leather couch, and
pulled his anatomy book from his backpack. He was tired of school for the
day, but Chris had a thing about him finishing his homework before anything
else was done, not letting him put it off so more amusing things could be
found. Burke instantly regretted nestling into the plush sofa, wondering how
much pain would be had when he needed to peel his bare legs from the
leather. Sighing, he delved into his book, not all that interested in the
inner workings of kidneys.
	"Hey, Burke. What's going on?"
	Burke gladly tore his eyes from the chart in front of him, looking up at
the welcome distraction. "Hi, Lee. Nothing much, just doing homework."
	"No study group today?"
	For the past month, he had been volunteering four days out of the week with
a local after school program, tutoring and hanging out with kids who had no
where to go between the time school got out and their parents were off work.
Lance had found him the job, and he really enjoyed it. The children made him
laugh and feel important. "Nope. I don't work on Fridays."
	"Alright. Do you want me to turn the sound on so you can hear what's going
on in there?" Lee gestured over his shoulder to the bubble like recording
studio, Burke's friends clustered around a set of hanging microphones. He
liked listening to them work on their music. It always provided at least a
few slip-ups he could tease them about later.
	"What are they working on today?"
	"Just a couple of run-throughs. Justin and JC wrote a new song and they
wanted to test out the harmonies and stuff."
	"Sure, if it isn't too much of a problem. I've been sitting here for an
hour or so and they haven't noticed me yet."
	"Ok, as long as you promise to behave yourself." Burke tried to look
innocent, pretending to be ignorant of what he was alluding to. "Don't give
me that angel face, Burke. I happen to remember a certain young man that had
to postpone his trip to Universal because his friends had to spend a
Saturday morning laying down tracks to replace the ones he caused them to
mess up."
	Burke grinned, the corners of his eyes scrunching up. "That wasn't very
nice of that guy! He should be ashamed of himself!" Giggling, Burke
remembered pressing his face against the studio glass, making faces while
the guys were recording, breaking their concentration. After an hour of his
hijinks, the producer called it quits for the day, but demanded they come
back in the morning to get it right. Needless to say, Burke had to wait in
another room. "I promise, Lee. I'll just sit right here and read my book.
You won't hear a peep out of me."
	A few moments after the man left the room, disappearing into the control
booth, the music was piped in through speakers in the corner. Burke listened
for several minutes as they toyed with the vocals and notes. The harmonies,
as usual, were tight and well blended, no one hitting a sour chord. He found
it slightly funny that Justin, a huge goofball, could write the most tender
love songs. At the same time, he pictured himself as the one Josh was
singing to. With a content sigh, he drifted back to his text, reading but
keeping an ear cocked to the music.
	He barely realized that a new song was being sung, this one upbeat and more
be-bop. Justin worked the rhythm with his mouth, sounding like a drum track,
while Lance offered the counterpoint, his deep voice bouncing out an
accompanying beat. Chris' contralto added a high do-wop, Josh echoing an
octave lower. Joey just stood there, a wicked glint in his eyes. While
trying to memorize the part of the kidney, Burke's head began to bob to the
lilting tune, keeping beat with their scatting. "Burke, Burke, Bo-Burke.
Banana fana Fo-Furke. Me My Mo-Murke. Burke!"
	His head snapping around, Burke was met with five men making hideous,
hilarious faces at him through the glass. Laughing hysterically, he rolled
off the couch, his skin parting from the leather with a sticky sound, and
collapsed on the floor. One by one they made their way out of the studio,
all cackling as hard as their young friend. "What do think?" Justin giggled.
"Will it make it on the next album?"
	"Unless your fans, myself included, have lost their senses, I'd say not!
But the intro was awesome as hell!" Lance cleared his throat. "Sorry," Burke
murmured. "So, y'all finished for the day?"
	"Almost," Chris answered, "we have one more thing to do. One of the things
we want to do sounds a little flat. It needs something extra."
	Burke nodded. "I'll be right here when you finish. I promised Lee I would
leave you guys alone while you're working."
	"Actually," Joey piped up, "we were hoping you'd help us with the problem."
Shrugging, Burke started toward the control booth, figuring they wanted his
opinion on how to balance things out. "No, come in here."
	Gathering around the microphones, Burke stood against the farthest wall,
not wanting his breathing to be recorded on the sensitive system. "You can't
help way over there," Chris smiled, holding out one of their sets of
headphones.
	Burke gulped, his throat becoming dry and tight. He looked at them, each
beaming. "I--you want me to--sing with you?"
	"We've all been told that you have a great voice, but, except for in the
car and stuff, we've never heard you. Come on, it'll be fun!"
	"Nobody that's going to buy your record wants to hear me too, guys."
	"This is just for us, Burke. Please?" Justin's puppy dog eyes were joined
by four more.
	"Thanks, but no thanks. You all have an amazing mix, and adding me to it
will mess everything up." He firmly shook his head when they started to beg.
	"He doesn't want to guys, and it isn't fair of us to try and force him,"
Lance spoke up once he realized Burke wasn't going to cave in to their
pleading. Burke smiled a thank you.
	"So, what's the plan for tonight?"
	"I have to sit down with Burke and tell him about today's news. After that
I don't have anything to do. Have you finished your homework, son?"
	"All I have to do is answer a couple of questions at the end of the
chapter, dad. It won't take me more than a couple of minutes. What news? Is
something important going on?"
	"I'll tell you when we get home. And take that look of dread off your face.
It's nothing bad." Burke nodded. "How about we give you all a call later?
Maybe we can set something up for tomorrow." Everyone agreed, and, after
doling out farewell hugs, left, each going their separate way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Burke poured himself a glass of water, and looked out the kitchen window
facing the back yard. Thick, black clouds were rolling in from the
southwest, just as the weatherman had forecasted for the evening. It wasn't
supposed to be a bad storm, definitely spawning no tornadoes, but it was
supposed to drop a few inches of rain on them overnight. Stepping onto the
back porch, Burke sucked in a harsh breath. The normally torrid Orlando
humidity was oppressive and blanketing with the approaching storm. The wind
had picked up, blowing Burke's hair as he faced into it. Hunkered down in
the shrubs for protection, tree frogs and cicadas chirped their song of
warning. Burke tried to mimic them, trilling his tongue lazily. A flash of
lightning lit up the darkening sky, casting an eerie white glare over
everything. If the flash of light startled him, the echoing clap of thunder
was worse, making the boy jump into the air. Taking a moment to compose
himself, Burke realized someone was watching him. Looking over his shoulder,
he saw Chris standing in the doorway. "You shouldn't be standing outside,"
the man spoke, having been spotted. "You'll get hit by lightning or
something."
	"I was just enjoying the air. Everything seems so alive when a storm is
coming."
	"Well, come inside. Supper is ready."
	Burke nodded, "You mean the delivery guy came?"
	"Yes, smart ass, now come eat." Two Styrofoam boxes sat on the kitchen
table, their contents marked on the lids in green marker. "The enchiladas
are yours." Burke grabbed forks and napkins, then sat at the table. "So, you
want to hear the news now, or wait until after we eat?"
	"Is it going to make me upset or laugh until I puke?"
	"Shouldn't, but you aren't right in the head, so I'm not sure."
	Burke grinned, loving the game of teasing he and Chris shared. "I know
you're old and everything, dad, and senility comes with that. But I'm not so
sure you should say I'm crazy. I'm not the one who started his career by
letting his hair look like a deformed pineapple."
	"Don't start with me, little man, or I'll have to tell everyone about
Reggie."
	Burke blushed. Reggie was the stuffed tiger that he had owned since
childhood, and still slept with. The poor thing had lost an eye and been
restuffed at least twice, but he refused to part with his oldest friend.
"Whatever. I do have to admit that your hair is better now."
	"Thank you," Chris answered smugly.
	"Your welcome, dad. Besides, the treasure troll thing works for you." Chris
reached across the table for his cell phone, but Burke beat him to it. "So,
what's going on? I've been patient all evening."
	Deciding to let the teasing go for the time being, Chris shoved another
bite of burrito in his mouth. "Well, do you want the good news or the so-so
news first?"
	"The good."
	"In two weeks we'll be starting a fall tour." Burke's face fell. "What's
that look for?"
	"Nothing. How long will you be gone for?"
	"We do the last show a week before Thanksgiving, which, by the way, is at
the Bass' house this year. And what do you mean, 'how long will I be gone'?
Remember why you have a private teacher instead of going to public school?"
	Honestly, Burke had forgotten that he was supposed to go with them, and his
eyes brightened at the thought of touring around the country with his father
and friends. "Great! What else?"
	"This tour swings past your old stomping grounds. You don't have to worry
about any problems, but I wanted to warn you beforehand."
	Burke shrugged, not knowing what kind of reaction Chris expected from him.
He didn't know the specifics of how a tour worked, but was relatively
positive not just anyone could come backstage at an arena. Besides that, he
would be tied up with school work, and doubted he would be allowed to wander
around much. Unless something unforeseen happened, Burke wouldn't have to
see anyone he didn't want to. "Thanks for the heads up, dad, but you worry
too much. Do you think Aunt Lisa would be able to get tickets or something?"
	"I think it could be arranged. I do have connections to the group."
	"Oh, by the way, Josh wanted to know if I could go to a movie with him
tomorrow night. I told him it would probably be okay, but I had to ask to
make sure."
	"That's fine. You know the rules about curfew and all that jazz."
	Burke's nose wrinkled comically. "You do realize that I'm seventeen and
going on a date with JC Chasez, right?"
	"Wow, really? I did not know that," Chris replied sarcasm dripping from his
voice like syrup. "You know when you have to be home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Clambering out of bed, Burke barreled down the stairs, wondering what all
the shouting was about. Chris' voice was raised, but still held some tinge
of calmness, but the woman he was talking to was raving. Crossing the foyer,
he finally understood what was going on. Trembling, he walked into the
living room, and saw his mother stomping around, her arms flailing madly.
"He's my son, and I want him to come home! Now!"
	"It's not that simple, Mrs. Kennedy. You gave up all rights to Burke.
Legally, he's not your son anymore. He lives here now, and is quite happy. I
suggest you calm down before things get out of hand."
	"Are you threatening me? I will drag your ass to court and take every cent
you have! Get him down here and get his bags packed!"
	They hadn't seen him hovering in the doorway, but Burke could tell Chris'
patience was wearing thin rapidly. Not too much taller than the woman,
Chris, full of anger and annoyance, seemed to be huge. "You just try it,
lady, and I'll bury you in paperwork until Burke turns eighteen. What kind
of judge is going to grant custody to someone who throws her son away
instead of helping him when he needs it most? Now, get out of my house
before I have you arrested for trespassing."
	"This isn't the end of this! He's mine and I'll have him back!" She spun on
her heels, both of them gasping when they saw Burke standing there, tears
running down his cheeks. "Burke, sweetheart--"
	"What are you doing here?" he sobbed.
	"I've come to take you home where you belong. These *people* are not your
family. I am, and you should be with me. Now go get your things so we can go
home."
	Chris stepped up, his hands shoved in his pockets. "You don't have to do
anything you don't want to do, Burke. The decision is yours." His voice was
low and wavering.
	"No, he doesn't have a choice. Burke is still a child, and he will do what
he's told. Now, Burke."
	Burke felt his fingers curl into the palms of his hands, his fingernails
pressing sharply against the skin. He was happy with Chris and his friends,
happier than he could ever remember being. He couldn't picture his life
without Joey's joking barbs or Justin's enthusiasm or Lance's quiet
understanding. He had a father for the first time in his life, and someone
who was interested in getting to know him romantically. He didn't want to
lose that, he didn't want to lose everything he had been trying to build.
"No," he whispered, his eyes opening to glare at his mother. "No," he said
again, this time with more conviction.
	"What do you mean, 'no'? I told you to go get your things." Her voice was
rough, furious that Burke was talking back to her, something he had never
done in seventeen years.
	"And I told you no. You threw me away like a piece of trash, and now you
expect me to come running back? It doesn't work like that. All I've ever
wanted was for you to love me, but you've proven, time and time again, that
you can't do that."
	"I'm your mother, Burke. You can't argue that no matter what kind of lies
these singers have filled your head with."
	"I wish I could argue that fact, I really do. And they haven't filled my
head with any kind of lie. That was all you. All my life you stomped me into
the ground and made me feel worthless. I actually believed you, but not
anymore. Like it or not, these guys love me, and I love them. This is my
home now, and I'm not going anywhere, especially with you."
	Beverly's lip curled into a cruel smirk. "Do they know exactly how much you
love them? Tell me, Chris," she snarled, whipping around to face him, "do
you know that Burke is a pervert?"
	"Stop it mother," Burke warned.
	"That he is going to hell and is dragging you with him?"
	"Shut up!"
	"That he doesn't really care about you? All he wants is to have sex with
you? Burke is a filthy homosexual."
	With an anguished shriek, Burke launched himself across the room, a fist
raised in retaliation. Moving faster than he thought possible, Chris leapt
in his path and grabbed Burke, pulling him back. "No, son, don't do it.
She's not worth it." Struggling against Chris' arms, Burke howled as he
attempted to get at the frightened woman. "Yes, I know that Burke is gay,
but that doesn't make a difference to me. He's a good boy; smart, funny,
caring, talented. You're the one who's going to hell you miserable,
self-righteous, bitch. You have about ten seconds to get out of here, or I'm
going to let your son take a few swings at you, then tell the cops you
attacked him first."
	Her eyes wide, Beverly scurried to the door, leaving it open as she
shuffled to her rental car. "This isn't over! I'm warning you!"
	Calmer, and sheltered within his father's arms, Burke answered her, his
voice lacking all emotion. "Yes, it is." He pushed the door shut, watching
his glowering mother disappear behind the wood. With the click of the latch,
Burke buried his face in Chris' shoulder. "Oh God!," he wailed. "Oh God!"
	Steering the boy back into the living room and to a couch, Chris cradled
Burke, sad that his son had to face that, angry that Beverly had dared to
show her face around their home, and proud that Burke had stood up for
himself against someone who had tried to destroy his soul on a daily basis.
"Shh, it'll be alright, Burke. I swear it will be alright."
	"But I just threw my mother out! I slammed the door in her face! Oh God! I
almost hit her! I almost hit her, Chris!"
	"But you didn't, and, if you had, she more than deserved it for talking to
you like that. I almost laid her out the minute she rang the doorbell. I
shouldn't have let her inside. I'm so sorry." Rocking back and forth, they
apologized and forgave each other for things that didn't really matter.
	"You didn't believe her, did you? About me only wanting to have sex with
you? Because it isn't true! You're my family!"
	"I know, son, I know. Of course I didn't believe her. She was just trying
to hurt you. I mean, if she was talking about Josh, I might have bought it."
Chris giggled and poked his fingers into Burke's ribs.
	"That's not funny, dad! He's my friend above everything else."
	"Chris, Burke, you're never going to guess who I think I just saw pulling
out of the front gate," Joey called out as he came walking in. "I mean, I
know it wasn't, but the likeness was amazing." He rounded the corner,
becoming silent when he saw them cuddled together on the couch, both still
sniffling. "Oh, shit! It was her, wasn't it?" Chris nodded slowly. "What the
hell did she want? What did she do to Burke?"
	"She wanted me to go home with her," Burke answered, wiping his eyes on the
hem of his shirt. "I told her no, then she got really nasty with me. She
said a couple of things and I lost it. I almost hit her, but Chris grabbed
me back."
	"Why did you go and do that, Christopher? That woman deserves to feel a
part of what Burke has had to deal with for years. I think it would've been
pretty fun, actually. Wham!" He chuckled at his own joke, kicking an
invisible body on the floor. Watching the large Italian man fighting with an
imaginary foe made Chris, then Burke, start to laugh, exactly what Joey had
hoped for. "Don't worry about it, little man. You can get her next time.
I'll keep everyone back so you can go a few rounds." He bounced on the balls
of his feet, jabbing at the air as if he were boxing.
	"What's up, Joe?" Chris asked as he wiped away his tears.
	"Someone was supposed to call last night, but didn't, so I came over to see
what's up. Did Chris tell you about the tour and everything?" Burke nodded.
"Did he also tell you that our road manager is ticked because he has to give
up his bunk on our bus and ride with the rest of the staff people?"
	"Why does he have to give up his bed? Because of me? He doesn't have to do
that."
	"Yes he does. Unless, of course, Chris is going to let you share with
Josh."
	"He most certainly will not! Burke will have his own bed, which he will
sleep in, alone!"
	"You're no fun!" Burke and Joe said at the same time.
	"If you want to do something today, we better get to doing it. It seems my
son, as usual, is blowing me off tonight."
	Joey couldn't let the opportunity pass, getting extreme pleasure out of
pestering both Burke and Josh about their blossoming relationship. "Oh,
another hot date! How many is this? Four?"
	"Tonight will be five," the boy muttered, his skin blazing.
	"Sounds like it's getting hot and heavy. You all spending all your time
making out in the back seat of the jeep?"
	"No!"
	"I think the gentleman doth protest too much!"
	"Leave me alone! Josh hasn't even kissed me yet."
	"Uh huh, right."
	"I swear! He hasn't even tried since our first date!"
	"If you say so, Burke."
	Burke's cheeks flushed, but it was from annoyance instead of embarrassment.
He opened his mouth to say more in his defense, but Chris slapped a hand
over his mouth. "He's just pulling your chain, son."
	Joey gasped for breath between gut wrenching guffaws, bracing himself
against the back of a chair. "You sure are cute when you're pissed!"
	"Leave me alone, Joey. What are we doing today?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Sitting in his room after an afternoon of miniature golf and go-cart
racing, Burke tried to think of something to wear on his date. It was only
dinner and a movie, but he felt the need to at least look worthy of being at
Josh's side. Burke knew that line of thinking would get him lectured, but it
still bothered him a little. He knew that Josh liked him no matter what he
wore. At the same time he wanted to look like more than a kid who had
somehow caught the pop star's eye. With a sigh, he hung off the side of the
bed, fishing for something underneath the mattress and box springs. Finding
what he was looking for, he pulled out the plastic box and sat it before
him. With a sappy smile, Burke took off the lid and gazed at the objects
inside.
	Though he would deny it until he was forced to confess, Burke was a
hopeless romantic. He had managed to save something from each of his dates
with Josh, and kept them as mementos. A dried flower from the bouquet he was
given. The empty champagne bottle from their picnic, which he had grabbed
from Josh's garbage the next day. His fortune cookie from their dinner, and
a gaudy plastic bracelet he had won from an arcade later. He picked up movie
ticket stubs. They had, though Josh argued that it was too cheap, gone to a
dollar movie showing of Moulin Rouge, then gotten kicked out for singing
along with the actors. A rainbow of pieces of rubber were the balloons, now
deflated, Josh had bought him when they went to a circus passing through
town. On the pillows behind him, nestled next to Reggie, was the bear Josh
had won at a carnival game.
	They weren't expensive, but those things were priceless to Burke. Each told
a story, held a precious memory of happiness. Sighing deeply, he laid
everything back inside. "What's that?" Chris asked from the doorway.
	"Nothing," Burke blushed, snapping the lid on.
	"You're bright red, Burke. That tells me it's something. C'mon, you can
tell me."
	Burke motioned his father over. "You have to promise not to laugh or tell
anyone, ok?"
	"My lips are sealed." Burke showed him all of the things he had stowed
away, telling a story about each one. "You have it bad! This has got to be
the sweetest thing I've ever seen! Burke, what would you say if Josh wanted
to get more serious about your relationship?"
	Burke chewed his lip, thinking about the answer. "I guess it depends on how
serious he wanted to get. I don't think I'm ready to be intimate with him
yet, but I'd probably say yes if he wanted to make this an official thing,
like boyfriends or something."
	"That's exactly what I wanted to know. And I'm proud of you for realizing
that you aren't ready for a relationship that includes sex. A lot of guys
your age let their little head do the thinking for them. They're just boys
in my eyes, and it takes a real man to know what is and isn't good for him."
	"Thanks, dad."
	"You're welcome. You better finish getting ready before he gets here. We
know each other too well for me to do the intimidating father thing." Burke
snickered as Chris walked out the door. "Oh, one more thing. If he wants to
kiss you, or vice versa, it's alright. Just keep control of yourselves." A
smile across his face, Burke nodded.
	They shot out of the driveway like a horse from the starting gates. Burke
realized that Josh wanted to get somewhere so they could talk about whatever
he had on his mind. As was their usual habit, their hands snuggled together
as the jeep wove in and out of traffic. Throughout the short ride, Burke
kept glancing over at the man, wondering what the glint in his eyes meant.
	Though it was a Saturday night, only a dozen or so other people sat in the
dark theater. They had specifically chose a movie that had been out for
several weeks so that the chance of Josh being recognized and mobbed would
be less, though they still sat in the back. Burke held a bucket of popcorn
in his lap, their fingers brushing against each other when both reached for
the buttered fluff, smiling each time it happened. Relaxing, Burke shifted
in his seat, resting his head on Josh's shoulder. In response, the man
wrapped his arm around his date. As they watched the movie in that position,
Burke thought about how natural it felt to be held by Josh. If he could have
read his mind, he would have known Josh was thinking the same thing. Before
leaving the theater, Burke folded the popcorn box and stuck it in his jacket
pocket, an addition to his collection.
	Having snacked during the movie, dinner was hot dogs bought from a vendor
cart at a nearby park. They sat on a secluded bench, eating and watching
people pass by. An elderly couple tossed chunks of bread to ducks and geese;
a small family chased each other around the playground equipment, laughing
and shrieking. Burke giggled when Josh burped, the man instantly covering
his mouth and apologizing. Burke could feel something in the air, a tension
building between he and Josh. Digging into his pockets, he pulled a coin out
and pressed it into his date's hand.
	"What's this for?" Josh asked as he eyed the shiny copper penny.
	"It's a penny for your thoughts. You've been thinking about something all
night."
	"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get distracted."
	"You haven't been distracted, Josh. I just knew you had something on your
mind."
	The dark haired, blue eyed singer took a deep breath. "I have been thinking
about something. You know we'll be starting the tour in a couple of weeks,
right?"
	"Yeah, Chris told me last night. I'm excited about it. Did you know I've
never been to one of your shows?" Josh shook his head, honestly surprised.
"Nope. We never had the money to spend when you played somewhere close by."
	"Trust me, you'll get to see us perform. You'll probably be sick of it by
the time we're through. But anyway, I don't know if Chris explained how
things work, but it's pretty difficult to get out and do things when we're
on the road. People know we're in town, so they're always on the look out."
	"That makes sense."
	"It'll be hard for us to go out and do things like this."
	Burke understood what he was getting at. Josh didn't want to jeopardize
anything by worrying about taking him somewhere. "I understand Josh. It's
fine, really."
	"I haven't finished yet, but I hope you say the same thing. And for future
reference, let me get everything out before you jump to conclusions."
	"You should learn to get to the point then," Burke joked.
	Josh grinned evilly. "You want to the point? Ok, here's to the point. I
want you to be my boyfriend, Burke. We won't be able to go out on very many
dates for the next couple of months, but I want things between us to stay
serious."
	It took a moment before Burke understood what he had said, already prepared
for Josh to call it quits. "Yes," he stammered, "yes, Josh." Both smiled
like they had just received a billion dollars in the mail. Slowly, their
breathing becoming rapid, then shallow, they drifted closer. Burke's eyes
slid shut as he felt the dampness of Josh's breath on his tingling skin.
Josh's hand cupped his cheek, his thumb fluttering over his temple. Then, in
a moment both had anticipated, their lips met.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aww! They kissed! Hehehe! That's it for now. I'm sorry it took so long for
me to get this out. Mean old nurses wouldn't let me hook up my laptop!

As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts. All messages will
definitely be answered. You can reach me at cameronwriter@hotmail.com

Always,

Cameron