Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 05:59:27 -0800 (PST)
From: afterglow <itsme_afterglow@yahoo.com>
Subject: Stay chapter 3

Stay
Chapter 3
by afterglow

Disclaimer: This is not wonderland. This is serious stuff. So if you
feel that the tootsie fairy just whacked your butt in here, please
read something else. This contains love/sexual desires between teenagers.
Any similarities to certain persons are purely coincidental. And unless
this kind of material offends you're crude mind, I suggest you sit back,
relax and enjoy wonderland.

***
First of all, let me just say thank you to those people who have e-mailed me.
Your support means so much to me. And by the way, it was snow white and not
sleeping beauty in chapter 2. Sorry. So here's the third installment. Hope
you all like it!
***

	"So how are you?" Pat said.

	Look, I don't know if she's blind or what. Hello? How are you? That's
not something you say to a to a complete stranger.

	Oh, excuse me. I didn't thought you were there. Guess you still couldn't
get over with my life. But anyway, now that you're here why don't you help me
figure out this woman. I mean here I am, in a diner, talking to a person that's
way above the popular level. And when did she care?

	"Fine..." I said, unsure of myself.

	"Look, um you know about Jarod and Jed being best friends right?" No.
Duh? I was gone for about two years.

	"Nope."

	"Well, they are okay?"

	"So what do I care?" She's obviously annoyed with my answer.

	"Well, you and Jarod have been best friends in the past right?"

	"Yeah but that's history. Were on separate boats now. I ignore
him everyday, he treats me like trash." I said bluntly.

	"I'm sorry about it. But I'm willing to help you go through this.
I can save you." Gee, that was sincere, and prophetic too.

	"How?" FYI I'm not really interested to be 'helped' or 'saved'
right now. My relationship with Jarod is totally over. And I plan too
keep it that way.

	"Look, we all need help from everybody Edo. You can't just be
with yourself all the time. And this is the time that you need my help
and I need yours. Its like makeuplism."

	"Mutualism," I corrected. Gee, I'm aging here.

	"Whatever. What I'm trying to say is that I have a plan that could
both solve our troubles together. All I need is your loyal cooperation.
Okay, so here it is. You know Jed? The one whom you were with in the
club activity? Well, I kinda have something for him. Okay, I got it bad.
So here's the deal, I help you with Jarod if you help me get together
with Jed." Can you believe this girl? Is it the mating season for her?

	"Why me?" I said, "I mean I just met Jed two minutes ago. We're
not even close."

	"Well, from the looks of it, I'd say you two know each other."

	"I'm trying to tell you, its all an act. And seemingly, I have no
intention of getting back together with Jarod or helping you in your devious
plans." Well, I have to straighten that out.

	"So you wouldn't do it for me?"

	"Hell no."

	"Not even for this?" And once she swung that thing out of her bag,
I knew I was dead. "Good, you recognize your own letter. The letter that
was for, um I don't know, is it for Jarod?"

	Oh my God! I totally forgot about that letter. Idiot! That letter
was for Jarod. A letter that kept all my secrets, my love, my fears. I
placed it in his favorite box when I left for Seattle. In that letter I
professed my love to him.

	"I found it in his most precious box. You see, Jarod never opened
that box since you left and he never really found out about this letter.
And yes, I know everything about you Edo. You and your little gay love for
Jarod."

	"Look Pat, I'm over with the Jarod. I'm over with the past."

	"Oh but the past isn't over with you yet. Frankly, I'm touched with
what you've said here and I bet Jarod will be too. Once I give this to him."

	"No!"

	"We don't need to go hysterical, do we? All I want from you is your
cooperation, is that so hard to ask? Now we really have much in common here.
Your love for Jarod is like my love for Jed. You see Jed never really had
girlfriends before even though all of the girls in school are swarming at
him. I just want him to see that I stand among them. That I'm the one for
him, the one who'll make him happy. Like that movie with Jennifer Lopez,
um, the wedding dancer."

	"The wedding planner," I corrected her.

	"Whatever."

	"But what about Jarod? He's not the one anymore? Don't you want to
make him happy?"

	"Well, I don't love him anymore if that's what you mean. I hate the
way he always kisses me in public. I mean, he always like to touch me, like
I'm going to leave him or some sort. Well, that's your department anyway."
I just brushed that one and smiled at her sarcastically. "Jed is really the
one for me."

	"Then why don't you go get him?"

	"Well, I don't do that. Only whores do that," Gee, I thought that was
her department, "Every guy I date asks me and not the other way around. I
don't hunt for guys, guys hunt me. And I'm afraid that he might be reluctant
towards me because I'm his best friend's girlfriend and that would keep his
true feelings towards me." You know, now that I thought of it, we really have
much in common. We're afraid of rejection, and we're both afraid to admit it.

	She then looked at the time and said she must leave. So she picked
up a napkin and wrote on it. "Here's my number. Look, no one must know
about this, okay? I'll be seeing you around."

	And then she left, with my hand holding her number. My mind was
racing at that moment. What if Jarod sees that letter? Why is Pat so
infatuated with Jed? Why am I so infatuated with Jed? Who is Jed? What
am I going to do? God, I'm so confused right now.

	That night I couldn't sleep. I guess Pat is right. The past isn't
through with me. I guess what I did to Jarod was the worst thing a best friend
could do. I guess I'm bound to suffer more.

	I guess Pat is right too. Jed is the most beautiful person I've ever
seen. Every time I think about how those gray eyes pierce through me, my heart
beats so fast. Every time I remember his touch, my soul longs for more. He
is so beautiful. And beautiful persons go with each other. I imagine myself
as one of those girls swarming at him, as Pat puts it. And I see myself at
the far end, in the corner, hoping that he would come. But I won't. Because
he's not for me. He's for Pat. Beautiful persons go together.

	So after more twisting and turning, I finally gave up. I sat up my
bed and begin to stare on the window. And seemingly, I saw Jarod's house.
His was far across the street but I can see it from here. See there? We
used to hang around that tree a lot. Where I had to control myself from
the desire to kiss him everyday. God, he was so cute. Here let me take you
ten years ago...

***

	"Hey Jarod why don't you teach that little fag to fight. And while
you're at it, there's still available slots at the girls team."

	Okay, see that boy over there, in front of me? Well he's my forever
bully, Mark. Forever bully because, well he didn't stop making fun of me
until I left. He likes to punch things around. And you know his favorite
target? Yup, you guess it right. The vulnerable old me. Like now that I
got my latest beating which blew my whole face up and blood streaming everywhere.

	"Shut up Mark. Edo hasn't done anything to you. Why don't you just
find somebody else to fuck with."

	Now, do you see that boy who's beside me? Well, that's Jarod. You
don't believe me? Yeah, me too, I don't even recognize how sweet and caring
he is. He is always there for me and stops Mark from beating me to death.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. You're imagining me on top of a tower
saying 'help, help, I need help, the castle is on fire!' and here comes
prince charming, my knight and shining armor ready to rescue his love from
the fire-breathing dragon, named Mark. Is that right? No? Jeez, you're a
hard one. Well, I imagine myself like that many times. And many times I thought
if life could just be a fairy tale, a dream that could come true then we'll
all be happy, won't we?

	Anyway, Mark always backs out every time Jarod comes. He knows better
not to fight with Jarod. But that doesn't stop Mark from beating me. Because...
well... me.

	"Look, Edo. Are you alright?" Jarod said.

	"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine," I smiled at him. Even then, I never showed
the slightest emotion to him. I was implying that 'I'm tough, they won't get
to me'. But deep down, I was a dumb coward who doesn't know how to express
his feelings.

	"No. You don't look fine. Here, I'm going to take you to the nurse."

	"It's just a cut. I'll manage."

	"Look Edo, you have to do something about this. You have to stand up
for yourself. He's not going to stop unless you're willing to fight for
yourself," He seems so smart, even for a kid. And that's what I like most
about him. But I am a coward. A person who doesn't show emotion, not even
love for Jarod.

	"Yup." I said smiling.

	"I'm serious here Edo. You know I only care about you."

	"Yup."

	And he just smiled. I like his smile. It brings out those little
dimples on his cheeks.

	"Come on. Can you walk?"

	All I remembered after that was him carrying me to the nurse's office.
Yeah, we're pretty much closer than you think.

	If I just told him then that I loved him.

	If I had just given to him the letter myself.

	If I have just the courage to fight for myself and say everything
to the world.

	If I had just stayed.

***

There you go. I hope you all enjoyed it. I like to develop Edo and Jed's
relationship and as well as Jarod's in the next chapter. Meanwhile, don't
you just hate Pat Morkins and the likes of her? Tell me. Tell me
everything.  I'd like to know what you think. Please e-mail me at
itsme_afterglow@yahoo.com.  So that's it people, stay smart and stay cool!

P.S. The title of the song in Chapter two is Iris by the gogo dolls, check
it out!

afterglow