Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 08:36:29 -0700
From: K_V D <concertoind@gmail.com>
Subject: Under My Skin - 15

This is a work of fiction. All the resemblances are completely accidental.
Don't read it if you are not supposed to. You know the drill. My e-mail is
ConcertoInD@Gmail.com if you want to tell me something (insults, praises,
and whatnot). Thanks!



				  - III -



            I was amazed when by spring break I almost didn't think of Alex
anymore. I was falling head over heels for Sam and at first I was torturing
myself about it again - I guess I am masochistic or something - thinking
that Sam probably didn't feel the same way as I did and that I was getting
myself into yet another devastation pit of feelings. And then one of those
days Sam looked at me and rolled his eyes.

"Jesus", he grumbled. "Jake, will you please stop doing this to yourself?"

   I blinked.

"What?" I asked carefully.

"I can see your eyelid twitch every time you look at me", he said seriously.

"Oh God..." I sighed. "Sam..."

   He sat next to me.

"Jake", he said softly. "If you want me to stop..."

   I looked at him in astonishment.

"No!" I frowned. "Sam, Jesus... That's not it!"

"Then what is it?"

   I shook my head, feeling my face starting to burn.

"Sam", I muttered and looked away from him. "I guess I just want to see you
and nobody else..."

   He was so silent that I finally looked at him. I was afraid to see horror
in his eyes but instead he just took my face in his palms and kissed me on
the lips with his soft warm mouth. From that day I felt complete and happy
even though it was really hard to believe at first.



   Landon never said anything to Christy and I couldn't bring myself up to
tell her. I tried to do it several times but I just couldn't say it. Finally
I gave up, figuring that she will find out sooner or later. Or maybe Landon
will stop screwing Danetta, I hoped but somehow I didn't believe that. I
told Sam about it and he just shrugged.

"I guess telling her would be the right thing to do", he said. "But what she
doesn't know, can't hurt her, right?"

   I agreed with that wholeheartedly. I mean, Alex is not completely
brainless. He would be extremely careful now, right? Ugh, wrong. The shit
hit the fan on the last day of spring break.



   I was so happy, I felt like singing. I just got three letters - on the
same day, can you believe that?! - that said I was accepted at all three
schools I applied to. It was unbelievable. I seriously thought that the
minute someone else besides Sam and Christy sees my drawings, they will die
from laughter. And yet there I was, staring at the acceptance letters. I
shook my head and laughed. This was crazy and totally unreal. I thought
which school should I go to and then decided to talk to Sam and Christy and
also figure out which one would offer me better scholarship. I put the
letters away and dialed Christy's number. She answered almost instantly and
she sounded very cheerful.

"Chris", I said. "You busy?"

"Nope", she said and I knew immediately that she was eating ice cream.

"Is it all right if I come over?"

   She snorted.

"Do you even have to ask that?" she said and I laughed.

"Okay. I'll be there in half an hour or so. I have some awesome news."

"Sweet", Christy said and sighed.

"You just ran out of ice cream, didn't you?" I asked with laughter.

"Yeah", she sounded so sad, it was comical.

"Oh, Bailey..." I sighed. "I'll get you some."

   I stopped by the store and got two boxes of cherry and chocolate ice
cream. Christy would kill for cherry and chocolate ice cream. Soon enough I
parked my car next to her house and this time I didn't even bother ring the
bell. I walked in and shouted:

"Honey, I am home!!"

"Come in!" she yelled from the living room.

   I went there and she almost fell off the couch when she saw the ice
cream.

"Oh my God, Summers", she said with feeling. "I love you so much, you have
no idea!"

"You don't love me", I said seriously. "You love the ice cream that I
bring."

"Whatever", she laughed and grabbed her huge spoon.

   We were watching TV and eating ice cream and it felt great. I told her
about my acceptance letters and she hugged me so suddenly that she almost
whacked me with her spoon. I laughed and licked the ice cream off my
fingers.

"So yeah", I said finally. "Now I am trying to figure out which one will
give me better scholarship..."

"Well", Christy licked her spoon. "What if it's the one in Arizona?"

"Then I guess I'll have to move", I shrugged.

"What about Sam?" she frowned.

"We talked about it", I nodded. "A week ago, actually. He said that if I go
to Arizona, he'll come with me. The company has a branch there so he'll just
transfer."

   Sam worked for the same computer company as Matt.

"That's awesome", she breathed and her eyes suddenly saddened. "Oh, Summers...
If you go over there, I'll miss you so much!"

"I'll miss you too", I sighed. "But it's not like I'll be going to a
different planet. We'll come back for holidays and whatnot..."

"I know", Christy nodded. "But I'll miss you, Jake..."



   It was almost six in the evening when Christy asked me if I could give
her a ride to Alex's place.

"Matt's car is in the shop", she said apoplectically. "So he borrowed mine."

"Sure", I shrugged. "No problem."

   We got into my car and I looked at Christy carefully.

"So how are the things between you two?" I asked casually while I was
driving down the road.

"It's great", she smiled. "Jake, I am so in love with him, it's crazy!"

   Took all my strength not to cringe at that.

"I mean, you don't feel the same way about him anymore, right?" Christy
asked quickly and I grinned.

"No, Bailey", I said and stopped on the red light. "Landon does nothing for
me now."

"Thank God for Sam", she muttered and I laughed.

   She was totally right though. Sam was my salvation. I couldn't believe
how whole I felt with him. It was like suddenly there was no gap in my soul
and all the puzzle pieces fit neatly together.

   Finally I pulled into Alex's driveway and turned the car off.

"Thanks, Jake", Christy smiled. "Hey, do you wanna come in and say hi to my
boy toy?"

   At first I almost said no, thanks. But then I decided that Christy will
misinterpret my unwillingness to see him and she'll think that I am still
crazy about Landon. So I sighed and said "Sure". We got out of the car and
walked to the front door of Alex's house. Christy tried the door knob and
grinned when it turned easily.

"Let's sneak up on him", she said.

   Suddenly I wasn't sure of the fact that Landon wasn't completely
brainless.

"Errr..." I said uncomfortably. "Maybe you should just yell for him... I mean
what if you... I don't know... Scare the crap out of him?"

   Christy laughed softly.

"That's the idea, doofus", she said energetically. "Come on!"

   Oy, this better be uneventful... We tiptoed upstairs and Christy swung the
door of his bedroom wide open. I could tell that she was about to yell
"Surprise!!" but then she just froze on the spot and I closed my eyes. Oh
God... Landon *was* brainless. He was butt naked and he was doing something -
that I tried to forget immediately - to Danetta who was also completely
naked. Alex was wearing a latex glove and suddenly I had a flashback of the
night when Christy and I watched *Fight Club* together. Remember that scene
when Brad Pitt and Helena What's-Her-Name are having sex and Pitt is wearing
a yellow rubber glove? Yeah, that exactly what it reminded me of.

"Christy!!!" Alex looked like he was about to be electrocuted any second.
"Oh my God!!! Christy!!"

   She hasn't said a single word. She turned around and walked away. I
almost punched Alex then but I ran after Christy without even glaring at
him.

"Chris, wait!" I finally caught up to her outside. "Wait!!"

   She stopped and looked at me and I winced when I saw her eyes. There was
no pain in them, no tears, no shock. They were completely empty. I pulled
her towards myself and kissed her hair. Right now I wanted to kill Landon
with extreme violence.

"Come on", I muttered and got her in the car.

   I pulled out of the driveway and the door of the house swung open and
Alex ran outside. He was wearing light blue jeans and nothing else.

"Christy!!" he yelled and ran towards my car. "Wait!! Jake, please!!"

   I stopped the car and rolled the window down. He got closer and I looked
up at him.

"Get the fuck away from her", I said quietly and he just blinked. "Or I will
run you over with my damn car!"

"Jake..." he muttered. "Christy, please..."

   I slammed on my gas pedal so hard that my engine barked at me. I was
thankful that there was nobody on the street and I didn't hit anything.



   I drove to our with Sam apartment and the entire way there Christy was
completely silent. She just stared out of the window without even blinking.
When we got to the apartment, I got out of the car and Christy just sat
there without moving. Son of a bitch, I thought bitterly and opened her
door.

"Come on, Bailey", I said softly and tagged on her sleeve.

   She slowly got out and followed me inside looking like she was
sleepwalking. Sam was at home and his eyes immediately became tense and
narrow the minute he saw Christy's blank expression. He looked at me with a
silent question in his eyes and I just nodded. Yup, she found out. Sam
pressed his lips tight and went into the kitchen. I sat Christy down on the
couch and she couldn't look any more indifferent.

   Sam brought a bottle of scotch and three short glasses from the kitchen.
He poured some for me and I drank it without even wincing. He poured just a
little into another glass and carefully handed it to Christy.

"Drink, Chris", he said softly.

   She took the glass and obediently drank. Then suddenly she coughed and
squeezed her eyes shut. She almost dropped the glass but I managed to get it
just in time. Christy opened her eyes finally and looked up at me.

"Jake..." she muttered and started to sob.