Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 10:03:18 -0600 From: Michael Yost <myost@charter.net> Subject: Real World Chapter ten Les is with Dora of course, Josh thought with bitterness and relief. The last thing he wanted was to be needled by God knows what Les would find to mock him about His hair, his relationship with Pete, the very fact he inconveniently was put on the earth to blight Les's good moods. "I know you can drive," Damion said patiently, "You know how conjusted traffic can get at the airport." "Louis, Josh is a perfectly good driver. Let him drive," Darnel cried exasperated. "I promise I won't take any risks. Do you always have to be in charge?" Josh said, trying his best to hold on to his temper. He turned the key. Josh carefully merged into traffic. Taking the quickest way he knew to get to the airport. "Careful Josh you didn't use you turn signal when you switched lanes. Josh there is no reason to speed. We have ample enough time to get there," Damion said in his soft, grating voice. "I know what would make Josh a better driver," Daniel said from the back seat. "What?" Josh said, fighting with his frustration. Clasping his hands over Damion's mouth Daniel said breezily, "This." Shaking his head free of Daniel's grasp, Damion cried, "Josh, you're tailgating the car ahead if you." Josh carefully showed down the car. I'm inches from telling you off dads, he thought miserably to himself, If I didn't know your constant barrage of giving me advice wasn't your way of showing me how much you love me I would so let you have it. You go completely overboard on being a father. "Dads, I'll get us all safely to the airport. And I promise I'll be careful about my kills. I promise you I'll good," Josh said to him reassuringly. "The first think you must do is destroy the filming capacity of the night vision camera in your bedroom. Enslave the camera crew's minds to insure they do not follow you on your hunts. Take little drinks of blood from your roommates when you get hungry. Do not. I repeat do not kill anyone associated with the show. Do you have enough thermoses packed with blood to keep you comfortable for a while at least?" Damion said anxiously. "Yes, I have enough blood packed. Dads, I promise I will not kill anyone associated with the show," Josh moaned. "Promise me you'll have a good time," Daniel said, clasping Josh's shoulder. "That's a given," Josh said, trying to sound cheerful. Carefully parking the car so not even Damion could find anything to go hysterical over, Josh and his parents then left for the shuttle bus which took them to the parking lot. "Did you pack good books to read so you won't get bored? Josh I know partying goes on in that show. It would be a shame to go to Chicago and only see the bars," Damion said. "I promise you I won't spend all my evenings and days going to bars and clubs, dads." "Use this opportunity to further your education. Nothing beautiful or ennobling can be found while sitting on a bar stool," Damion lectured. "Damion, calm down. Josh will be fine," Daniel said kissing Damion's cheek. Leaning bonelessly onto Daniel's shoulder Damion sighed, saying, "Call me if anything goes wrong, and we'll arrange for you to fly home on the next available flight." Daniel. I haven't heard a word from Alex. Is our band getting together to practice tonight?" Damion said, referring to their gothic, heavy metal band they played in with Henri, Christov, and Alex. "No," Daniel said, "I'm going to Molly's At The Market tonight. The Chieftains are going to be playing there." "You're going to listen to Irish music alone!" Damion cried dismayed. "No, I'm going with Alex," Daniel said. "You're going to listen to Irish music with Alex!?" Damion said sharply. Calming the jeaolsy in his voice down, Damion said, "I didn't think Alex was the type of man who liked Irish music." "Alex likes the Irish," Daniel said smiling, "He's bringing his flavor of the month, a pretty colleen, by the name of Bridget." "Is he serious about this Bridget?" Damion said tightly, thinking wretchedly of Alex's cute kind of ugly face, and his lithe body, and how he seemed to be spending a lot of time with Daniel lately. "Nope, just another bubble gum babe he'll spit out once her flavor is gone," Daniel said, "She isn't serious about Alex ether." "I wonder what it would take to make Alex serious?" Damion said, taking Daniel's hand. "Who knows?" Daniel said nonchalantly,. "Who cares?" Leaning into Damion's face, the air between then electric, Daniel sang in a whisper to Damion: "If you ever go across the sea to Ireland, Be it only at the closing of the day, You will sit and watch the moon rise over Gladagh And watch the sun go down on Galway Bay, For the breezes blowing over the sea to Ireland Are perfumed by the heather as they blow. And the women in the upland digging praties speak a language that the strangers do not know For the strangers can and teach us their ways They blamed us for being what we are But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams Or light a penny candle from a star So if there's gong to be a life hereafter And somehow I'm sure there's going to be I ask my God to let me make my heaven In the dear Isle across the Irish sea. Daniel stopped singing, he said gently, "Your eyes are as green as my dear Isle across the Irish sea. But as we know there is no place for us in heaven." Leaning his face closer to Daniel's, his eyes misting, Damion turned his head away at the same time Daniel did before their lips met in a kiss. Both of them looked uncomfortably at Josh's disapproving face. "Have fun with Alex," Damion said briskly, "and his girl." "I will," Daniel said softly, "See you soon?" "Les and I plan on spending some private time in Paris," Damion's said just as softly, Turning his back on Daniel. Damion gave Josh his most patient smile. All of Damion's beat-up-on heart was in it. Daniel put his hand on Damion's shoulder and squeezed it. It was a gesture devoid of any sensuality to it. Yet, it was more intimate than any act of sex. Damion pressed Daniel's hand before he walked away from him. You're the Tammy Wynette of vampires. Stand by your man Les even if he berates you and cheats on you. What is it with you? Do you think it will make you more of man then other men if you manage to tame Les and make him blubber and say, 'I'm sorry. I love you. I'm going to change just for you, sweetie pie. What a bunch of stunning bullshit. That's so girl. Such a woman thing. What? Is love better if it's harder won? Does it make you better person? Do you have to have him change for you to justify your love for him and yourself worth? If it hurts the loves better because you feel it so vividly. Or is it a matter of you know he really, really loves you the most no matter who he is in love with at the moment. What a lame practice of continuing self abuse on the road of no self esteem. Les is going leave you tasting his dust. Pushing his angry disloyal thoughts from his mind, Josh picked up his suitcase and then he put it down. He knew Damion couldn't help but be torn between Daniel and Les. Through it was obvious his choice was cute teenaged Les. The guy who needed older women like Dora in his life to make him feel like a desirable man. The whole thing made Josh want to puke. Sometimes I wish dads would take Les and Dora and they would stay in Paris forever, so Daniel can get on with his life with someone else. Just the other night I saw Les heavy duty flirting with this young vampire boy smitten with Les' good looks. I could tell Les was already falling hopelessly in love with this poor idiot's flatting attention. It's a losing situation. Why can't dads see that? Les is never going to love him "Hey Josh," Brent yelled, running to his friend, Brent threw his arms around Josh. "I bought you something," Brent said, pulling out a vampire Teddy Bear dressed in a black cape. The bear had two little fangs in his purple snout. "I figured Little Drac here could protect you on the flight. Maybe he can inspire you to write another vampire novel." "Vampire novel," Josh laughed ruefully, taking the Teddy Bear from Brent, "My agent wants me to make sure I have my novels out where the cameras can see them She wants me to work them into conversations. Why whenever I talk to her I can hear music from the Nutcracker ballet playing in the background?" Hugging Brent back Josh looked over his shoulder. Pete was heading right for him. A grumpy Christov and a smiling Henri in tow.