Date: Sat, 19 Apr 2003 21:39:14 -0400
From: Steph and Jenn Thornhill and Granato <steph_and_jenn@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Perfect Love, Chapter 1

By: Stephanie and Jennifer
Disclaimer: In a lot of states, if you're not 18 or 21, you're not allowed
to read this.  If you are in one of those states, and you still choose to
read this, we are not responsible.  The story doesn't contain sex or
sexually explicit material as yet.  Right now, it's just about love and
being loved.  Hope everyone enjoys!!!


The Perfect Love

" Amanda! Are you ready yet?" Yelled her mom.
	"Almost, I will be down in a minute. I'm just putting my stuff in my bag."
She called back.
	She grabbed the brush out of her bag and walked into the bathroom. Brushing
out her hair, she quickly checked herself over, noticing a small mustard
stain on her black Jncos.  She walked back into her room, stuffed the brush
in her bag, and slung it over her shoulder. Walking out of the room, she
turned and looked around it once more, giving a small sign of despair. She
started for the steps thinking, "God, this sucks!" When she got outside her
mother already had the car started and was ready to go. Amanda climbed in
the car.
Her mother looked over at her and asked, "Are you ready to go."
	"Yeah, I guess."
Amanda turned and stared out the window, watching the moving van roll down
the street and away from the only home she'd ever known

*****
	The light from the candles flickered softly off the walls s the scent of
candle wax and jasmine mingled in the air.  Nicole stared down at the cards
in front of her, wondering what her future held.
	"Your destiny is coming to you.  Even as we sit here, a great love is
drawing nearer to you," crooned the old woman.  Nicole suddenly got a
strong, eerie feeling that what was being read to her was true.
	"Within a month, my dear, you will meet your fate.  This person about to
come into your life will be your everlasting love."

*****
Driving home, Nicole slipped into a deep thought.  "How could any of what
that woman said be true?  I'm supposed to meet the love of my life within a
month?  ME?!  Yeah right!  As if I'm supposed to trust fate again.  Being
hurt one time too many screwed the chances of that all to Hell and back."
	As she pulled into her driveway a car slowed down and started blaring the
horn loudly.  Nicole looked up and started laughing.  The car pulled into
the driveway and out of it popped a smiling girl with curly hair flowing
over her shoulders.
	"Hi Jamie.  God, are you always hyper?" asked Nicole.
	"Course not.  Just when I'm around you.  How else would I be able to annoy
you so well," Jamie answered back.
	"Funny... you're real funny.  So what's up?"
	"Nothing too much.  I came over to see if maybe you wanted to go to the
movies."
	"I can't tonight.  I promised my mom I'd go shopping with her so that I
could get some new stuff for school."
	"Oh... that sucks.  Hey, did you get around to seeing that psychic woman
today?"
	"Yeah.  I just got back from it."
	"So what did the Lady of Mystery have to say?"
	"Why are you so against tarot cards and psychics?" Nicole asked laughing.
	"I don't have anything against them.  I just think they're fake as all Hell
and people use them to exploit other people.  Plus they give me the willies.
  I don't see why you always go to them.  It's like you're waiting for them
to tell you some cosmic secret."
	"Ummm... okaaaay.  I'm not waiting for a cosmic secret.  I just wanna know
what's up.  But guess what this lady told me."
	"That I'm gonna start dating the most popular guy in school, but dump him
when Brad Pitt decides to dump his wife and get with me?"
	"Psh... you wish.  No, this one told me that the love of my life is on their
way here and I'm supposed to meet them within a month."
	Jamie just stared at Nicole opened mouthed.  For a moment, Nicole thought
that Jamie might actually be impressed for once.  Or at least she thought
that until Jamie doubled over in uncontrollable laughter.
	"God you can be an ass sometimes, Jamie," Nicole said while smiling at her
best friend.
	"You've GOT to be kidding though Nic.  Some woman that you saw for the
first time looks at a bunch of cards and says that the forces of the
universe have all gotten together just to bring some dude to you?  Even you
have to admit that sounds a bit hokey."
	Nicole just smiled and rolled her eyes.  "Do you wanna meet up sometime
tomorrow and head to the mall?  I gotta get a new backpack.  Mine's trashed
after I let your brother use it for summer school."
	"Hey, I warned you not to let the little demon use it, but noooo... someone
has to be all nice and everything," replied Jamie.
	"He's your brother, but I didn't think that even HE would put a peanut
butter sandwich in there... with NO BAG!!"
	"I'll see you tomorrow girl," Jamie said laughing.
	"Aight.  Bye."
	Jamie got back into her car and drove off, blaring the horn until she
turned the corner of the street.  Nicole walked inside and went up to her
room.  Lying down on her bed she stared at her ceiling.
She had wanted to tell Jamie on many occasions that she was a lesbian, but
the time never seemed right.  Jamie was so into guys that Nicole couldn't
imagine how she'd react to finding out that her best friend was completely
not.  She had also wanted to tell Jamie that when she was listening to the
old woman tell her about the tarot cards earlier that day, she'd been
overcome by a feeling that it was true and that in some deep, hidden part of
her heart, Nicole had wanted it to be true.  Deep inside, Nicole wanted to
believe in the power of fate and love.  She wanted to believe in soul mates
and love that lasts forever.  She wanted to find the person she was supposed
to love and be with them forever.  Spoiling them and babying them.  Holding
them close and keeping them safe.  Returning to them tenfold the love that
they out forth.

*****
Amanda walked into the room that she'd picked out as her own.  It was
actually a very nice bedroom.  On the wall adjacent to the one that held her
door, she had a set of French doors that opened out onto a balcony.
Cream-colored walls balanced perfectly with the hunter green carpeting and
matching trim and borders.  She'd already gotten most of the boxes that were
her's stacked randomly around her room and she'd made a mental note to ask
her mom to take her to look at her new school. Amanda had been shy her
entire life.  Even though she'd gone to the same school her entire life, she
had made few friends because of her shyness.
"It ought to be real fun going to a school where I don't even know anyone,"
she thought despairingly to herself.
It wasn't that she completely hated the idea of moving to California.  In
fact, some part of her liked finally getting away from her old life.  It was
just that she didn't think that she could really get to know anyone.  She
knew that she was shy and didn't try to deny it to herself.  She just didn't
relish the thought of spending her senior year alone.  Back in Tampa, she
may not have been dating anyone, but at least she had a few friends.
The house that her mother had chosen was only 3 years old.  It included all
the amenities.  Plus, everything was incredibly clean in the house,
something that Amanda loved.  The room Amanda's mother had picked had a
small deck coming off of it, and also a staircase leading to the ground
level... probably the reason why her mother had bragged so much over the
room that Amanda had.  No doubt her mother didn't want a teenage girl, much
less a high school senior, to have a room that provided almost unrestricted
come-and-go privileges.


***In the next chapter, we'll get more into the characters.  Right now,
we're just setting the stage for the great things to come.***