Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:30:12 -0500
From: Miles Popper <milespopper@gmail.com>
Subject: Luke and Collin 2

I was originally planning on making chapter 2 quite a bit longer, but I
realized I was sacrificing details in the process. So I decided to split
chapter 2 into two separate chapters, so I could both publish them more
quickly, and add more detail to them at the same time. Win - win situation,
it seemed to me.

Anyway, enjoy.

Chapter 2

It was the day I had been waiting for. I was finally going to get to meet
Collin in a way that didn't involve the exchange of one word greeting
brought on by my general stupefaction. Too be honest, although I was very
excited about the meeting, I was also pretty apprehensive. What if he
wasn`t as amazing as my intuition had said he was? What if he just didn't
like me?

I guess I would find out pretty soon. I was just getting out of my last
hour class, and was trying to get around everyone so I could get to my car
quickly, I didn`t want my time with Collin to by cut down much just because
I couldn`t get out of school.

Once I finally got to my car, I spent most of the time driving trying to
think of some interesting things I could say to Collin, instead of paying
attention to the road. I wanted him to like me, but I also didn`t want to
come up with some stupid things that I would never say under normal
circumstances. I guess I would just wing it, and if he didn't like the real
me, I was just out of luck.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the school the apprehension really
started to set in. There where just too many things that could end up not
being what I expected, or wanted, them to be. It was making me much more
nervous than I should have been over something like this, but I pulled
myself together and went ahead in anyway. The more time I spent freaking
out in my car, the less time I got to spend talking to Collin.

I walked into the office, and proceeded to walk towards the secretary's
desk to ask her where I was supposed to go find Collin this time. Evidently
my ability to properly take in my surroundings was being effected by my
nervousness, because I heard a voice call from behind me.

"Hey, I'm back here." Collin said.

I turned around to see him sitting in a chair up against the wall,
evidently waiting for me. I had pretty much walked right passed him without
seeing him.

"Oh, didn't see you there. Sorry." I apologized. He was wearing the
oversized hoodie that I had seen him in last time., which still looked just
as attractive on him.

"No problem." He said, and then stood up while smiling that smile I liked
so much, "So, what are we supposed to do?"

"I thought we could just go walk around outside. We can just talk and get
to know each other today, or whatever." I suggested. We were really allowed
to do pretty much anything as long as we stayed on the school grounds. I
thought going outside was just about as good of a suggestion as any, since
it would be a bit less awkward than just going and sitting somewhere, since
we didn't really know each other yet.

"Sure, I guess that would be cool." He said. I then let him lead me out of
the school and into the schoolyard. This also gave me a good chance to
stare at him, since he was in front of me, without looking like a creep,
and I really didn't want to look like a creep.

"So, what do you like to do?" I asked, trying to start a conversation as we
began to walk around the school.

"Umm...well, I like watching Mythbusters a lot. I play basketball, so I
guess I like that, and I play video games and read a lot. I guess that`s
about it." he told me, and then asked, "What about you?"

"I definitely like to read too, it's practically TV in your head, only
better." There, I got being a good example out of the way, I could check
that one off my list. " I also play baseball. I'm on the team at the High
School, but I don't really play very much. I guess liking the sport doesn't
make me very good at it." he laughed a bit at that, so I guess I wasn't
being completely boring. "And of course I also like watching Mythbusters,
too, but who in their right mind doesn't?"

"I know, right? Have you seen the episode where they blow up the cement
truck?" he asked excitedly.

"Only like five times. That`s pretty much the biggest explosion they`ve had
on that show." I replied. We had at least had one thing in common, and that
was a start.

"We should watch it together sometime." he suggested, looking up at me.

"Yeah..." He put me on the spot a bit there. For one, I didn't want to
sound too eager to be with him more or anything, but I also didn't know
what the rules were exactly on spending time with your buddy outside of
school. I guess no one important was going to see me, and if they did, they
weren't going to take the time to report something like that.

"Sorry," he said, sensing my reservation, "you don't have to if you don't
want to."

Crap, now I was going to hurt his feelings or something. "It's not that I
don't want to, it's just that I don't know if I'm actually supposed
to. There are a bunch of rules I had to sign off on to do this, you know."

"I won't tell on you." he assured me. I guess I was being pretty paranoid
about everything. No one was going to call me out on this. Even if they
did, what are they going to do? Sue me?

"Okay then, I guess that would be all right. We only get to see each other
an hour a week at school, so I guess it's not a bad idea to get together
somewhere else." I said. It's not like I really had an option, there's not
really any way I could have said no to an offer of getting to hang out more
with this kid.

"Awesome!" he said enthusiastically, "How about Monday? My mom won't be
home that day."

"Yeah, I guess that works for me." I didn't really care what day it was, I
probably would have agreed to some fictional eighth day of the week at that
point. "Where do you live, anyway? I probably need to know that."

"Probably." he replied, and then began to explain to me where his house
was. We had walked around the school several times by the time he had given
me a set of directions that I wouldn't screw up with my mediocre sense of
direction.

"Wanna sit down there?" he asked, pointing to a set of steps coming out of
the back door of the school.

"Sure." I answered, and we sat down on them, leaving enough room as to
prevent getting whacked in the back if someone opened the door without
looking.

"So, what did they tell you about me?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked in return. I guess it was pretty obvious what
he meant, but I didn't really want to look like an idiot if he was asking
something else.

"Well they never pair you guys with kids that are 'normal.' So I'm guessing
they told you something about me." he explained. I could tell this was
going to be a bit awkward for me, but I guess I would have been curious
about what people had been told about me if I was in his position, too.

"They just told me that your parents where separated, and that your mom..."
I paused for a second, trying to come up with a nicer sounding word, but my
internal thesaurus wasn't functioning, "...drinks." I finished.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. It's not really too bad, though. My dad sends
us money all the time, since he has a lot of it. The only reason I'm not
living with him is because he's so busy that he forgot the custody
hearing. He probably didn't care enough to remember it, and I like living
with my mom more anyway, at least she's home sometimes. I would never get
to see my dad if I lived with him." he said. I guess he did make it sound a
little better than Mr. Carter had, but it still didn't sound like he ever
got to see either of his parents much. Not really surprising that he got
matched up with someone. Luckily it was me.

"I guess you can look forward to seeing me, then." I said. Out of all the
comforting things I could have said in response to what he told me, I chose
to say that. I might be stupid.

"Yeah! I think it will be fun." he said, evidently not too upset by my
choice of response. I guess I was just analyzing everything I said way too
much, because everything had gone pretty well up to this point.

I looked at my cell phone and saw that it was just about four. It sure
didn't seem like we had been talking for very long, but I guess one hour
wasn't that much time to begin with, and time sure wasn't going to
cooperate with me by slowing down while I was with Collin, either.

"Dang, I think we are out of time. That sure didn't take long" I informed
him.

"Oh well, we can spend more than an hour together on Monday if we want." he
said optomistically while standing up. We then walked back around to the
other side of the school so he could catch the bus for the kids that stayed
late at school, and so I could go to my car.

"See you Monday." he said, and then stuck out his hand for me to shake
it. Shaking his hand was pretty much the only way I was allowed to touch
him, since there where so many ridiculously thought out rules that came
along with this program. I decided not to worry about them, and I tousled
his hair, which I found out was amazingly soft, after I shook his hand. He
seemed to think it was alright, since he just smiled and started walking
toward his bus.

"Bye." I said, and he lifted up his hand to wave at me without turning
around. I watched him walk off for a few seconds, and then walked back
through the parking lot to get to my car. When I got in, I just sat there
for a minute. I still didn't quite know Collin yet, but there was certainly
nothing I had seen yet to contradict the fact that I thought he was
awesome. Hopefully I would get to spend more than an hour with him on
Monday, so I could see what he was really like.



I suppose I should address when you should expect so see new chapters. I've
decided to take a day or two break after each chapter is published, as to
not burn myself out doing this. I would expect chapters every one to two
weeks. If it takes longer than that, you have permission to email me and
tell me to get on it.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Email me at: milespopper@gmail.com

Thanks for all the encouragement after the last chapter. :P