Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 17:39:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Cristina Richards <genx0022003@yahoo.com>
Subject: realizations - 6

See Chapter 1 for regular disclaimer.

Chapter 6

  Blinking into the light pouring from my window, I
found myself rubbing sleep out my eyes for the second
time that day.  I reached out to find the owner of the
lips I had felt brush my face to find that there was
no one there.

     "Damn," I said to no one in particular, "I wish
that one could've lasted longer.  These dreams have
got to stop."  Thinking out loud, "It's only been 4
days.  Not like I wanted any actual sleep or
anything."

  I swear they keep getting stranger, but that one had
to be the most realistic.  Anyways, it's Friday now
and the clock on the wall is telling me I might want
to consider getting ready to go to school.  Besides,
what better way to start your day than to get up early
and wait in front of the school to talk to your
bestest friend in the whole wide world.  (Yeah, yeah.
I know I'm full of shit, but it sounded good at the
time.)  So, I got up, got dressed, and headed out the
door to begin my occupation of sitting through
classes, memorizing useless information just long
enough to take a test and forget everything as soon as
the last answer is written on the paper.  I remember
thinking, "Just four more months and I'll finally have
my license and three months to enjoy it."  Walking up,
I saw Dominique waiting for me.

     "Hey, about time you dragged yourself up here."

     "Yeah, yeah.  Let me tell you about my great
night's sleep.  Oh wait, I didn't have one."

     "Again?"

     "Yes, again."

     "What were the dreams about this time?"

     "The question is, 'What weren't they about?'."

  Just then the bell rang cutting our conversation
short.  I walked off to 1st period hoping the rest of
the day would be better.  The last semester had just
started and since I didn't have as many classes with
Dominique I was hoping it would give me a chance to
get over her.

TWO WEEKS LATER:  (April)

  I was feeling a little better since the last few
weeks had been kinda uneventful.  I wasn't thinking
about Dominique as much anymore and it was getting
easier to do the whole "friend" thing.  Today, as I
walked to the front of the school, I had no reason to
think that things would change anytime soon...that is
until Dominique walked up.  I could tell something was
up and she looked really upset and aprehensive.  The
first words out of her mouth were...

     "You're going to hate me."

  Thinking that was impossible, I innocently asked
"Why?".   Enter mistake 1.

     "You remember the guy that's living with us now?"
 (Vaguely I remembered something about her stepmom's
adopted brother having to stay with them for some
reason.)

     "Yeah."

     "Well, he hit on me last night."

     Confused I asked, "Why would I hate you for
that?".

     "I don't know.  I just thought you'd be mad."

     "Yeah, at him.  Not you."  Honestly, I wanted to
chop the perverts left testicle off.

     "I don't know what to do.  He has to work until 8
or so, but I don't want to be home when he gets
there."

     "You know you can stay my house as long as you
want."  My heart was breaking thinking about that
asshole making a pass at her.

Later that day:

  It was going on 7' when Dominique started pacing
around the room.  Confused, I just stared at her like
she was a caged animal.  About an hour later, she
finally said something...

      "Daniel, (the guy), gets off in an hour.  I
think I need to be there when he gets there."

      "What the hell!  Are you serious?  Your parents
aren't back yet and you want to go back there and be
alone with him?  You were fucking crying less than an
hour ago over what he did to you."

      "Don't be mad.  I don't know why, but I feel
like I need to be there.  I'll be alright."

  The next day I felt a strange sense of dejavu when
Dominique showed up with basically the same story she
had yesterday.  She looked like she was about to cry
when she started her story.

     "He came to my room last night."

     "No offense, but I really don't care to hear
anymore of this after I tried to warn you last night"

     "But, anyways, he wanted to touch me."

     "Did you not just hear what I said?  I don't want
to know."  I started walking off and she followed.

     "I really need to talk to someone about this."

     "Find someone else because I don't want to hear
it."

  I know it sounds bitchy, but this time I was mad.
She had no repsect for our friendship.  It was like
she didn't care that I didn't want to listen.  She was
feeding off the attention this bastard was giving her
and then taking a guilt trip after it was all said and
done.  All I could do was stare at her and wonder what
happened to the person I used to consider my best
friend.  I don't think I talked to her for the rest of
the year.

A FEW DAYS LATER:

  I had been trying to get in touch with my brother's
ex-wife.  Her cousin is one of my best friend's and we
still talk occasionally.  I hadn't seen her in a while
and we met up at some event that  Crystal, her cousin,
and I both had to go to.  We were talking and although
we're kind of close, I never told her I was gay.  I
wanted to tell her, but I didn't know how she'd react.
 I ended up telling her I had something important I
wanted to talk to her about and she gave me her phone
number.  I had been trying for 3 weeks to get in touch
with her and today she answered the phone...

     "Hello?"