Girls + Dogs & love by Thatgirlmct

"Mom." A young boy's voice shouted in the cold air. It was almost the end of November and the crispness in the night air was making him shiver and his teeth rattle each time he called out for his Mother.

"Mom. Where are you." The red haired boy who stood a few inches above the light switch ran out the door towards the garage. Sliding the wood door open he found two well worn work boots that were attached to dangling greased stain jean legs that jerked up and down as banging came from the car.

"Mom-mmm." He shouted again dragging the M sound out.

"What junior?" I asked while the banging continued from under the car. My legs bobbed up and down with each motion with my upper body as I worked on the car. He was a Junior to my name which every one thought was a vanity move but I didn't care. I didn't know how many kids I would have and thought the planet deserved another Cole in the world. Since the original had done so well.

"This is a code red." Junior said. The color scale I had started thirteen years ago when he was two. Blue was normal, purple a cautious area that was for respected delicate topics and red was the worst and most urgent problems that needed to be handled right away. My boots came out from under the car. My hair was brushed back into a pony tail. Everyone always said that I looked younger than my forty-five years, even though I lived a hard life the war scars didn't show on my face. Some were life changing choices others just childish mistakes, but I still aged well. Never letting life be a burden to me had spared my face worry lines. I brought my self out of my thoughts and saw the anxiousness in my son's face.

"Do I have time to get a beer out of the fridge?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"You want one?" I held up a beer bottle. Junior was lost in his own thoughts and didn't hear my once in a lifetime question to him. I slammed the refrigerator door shut with my leg. I sat down next to Junior and I watched him as he picked at his finger nails. He was never big on manicured nails before today. "So what is going on?"

"How do I ?." Junior stumbled over his words. "How do I know if I'm in love?" He blurted out he was as surprised by his statement as I was.

I knew this day would come. I just didn't think it would be this soon. "Good question." I cleared my throat hoping to buy more time before I had to continue our conversation. I knew this was a very important thing and could do damage if it wasn't handled carefully. "When your not with this person are you always thinking about them?" Junior nodded his head. "And do you feel nervous like something is jumping around inside when they are near?"

"Yeah." Junior touched his stomach. "But.." His voice trailed off.

"But?"

"She doesn't know how I feel about her. Sarah doesn't even know I'm alive." He looked away not wanting me to see a tear in his eye. Junior picked again at his nails. Sarah and him had been friends since the first grade.

Had I taught him to be so strong that he was afraid to show emotion in front of me. Every inch of me wanted to wrap him up in my arms and tell him that he didn't have to cry over this girl. Who didn't think about my son that way. She would be lucky to know him I thought and would like to go down to the school tomorrow and tell her my self. But it wasn't about me it was about us bonding and showing he could come to me with anything and that I would do my best to help him out.

"I remember the first time I fell in love." I said as I remembered the feelings as if I was reliving them again.

"Did you tell her how you felt right away?" Junior finally brought his eyes back up to mine. Since he was four he knew that his Mom was different from other Moms in the neighborhood and that I would want another Mom by my side.

"No. I didn't." I saw him drop his head again. "It took awhile but when I did it was the most incredible thing I had ever felt. She was my soul mate, best friend all wrapped up in one."

"What happened to her?"

"We grew up. Or I should say I realized to late." I slug back another sip of my beer. I let the alcohol wash away any lingering pain and think about my youth and being sixteen again.

___________________________________________________________

Say your from Southern California and a glossy glaze crosses over peoples eyes. Most think of beaches, bikinis and suntans. Well when your from Century Cove the closest you get to the beach is the Johnson's sandbox. No bikinis but I did see Mary Dane dance in her underwear from her bedroom window through my telescope the other day and believe me. I was just stargazing believe me. And a suntan the closest I ever came to catching ray's was when the living room five prong light had a hundred watt bulb instead of the recommended forty five watts in it. The most excitement came from watching the grass grow on Mr. Kibler's lawn past an inch and a half. And he would frantically mow the grass then measure the length with a ruler. And repeat mowing the lawn the same time two days later. Like I said nothing eventful happens in Century Cove or moves me except Shannon. My Grandmother liked to say. I would remember the moment when something big is going to change in your life. Well I remember mine. The day she asked me to meet her at the dress shop. I couldn't believed what I was seeing.

Had she always been this beautiful or is it just the dress. I pondered. Long curly ringlets cascaded down the back of the ivory dress. Shannon's jet black hair swept back into a bunt Do all brides look so stunning. A long flowing train which two flower girls would have to hold up as she walked down the aisle descended from the back of the dress. Rows of wedding gowns lined up the dress shop but none of them equaled the one that adorned Shannon.

The tall brunette twirled around showing the detail of pearls that cascaded like a waterfall down the dresses neck line down to her hemline. Every piece of pearl was being shipped in to be hand sewn on the dress and the silk fabric her father had ordered to make it was from overseas. There was not to be a spare of expense with his only daughter's wedding he let everyone in town know.

I remembered the first time I saw the vision that was now standing in front of me when I was sixteen and she was eighteen. My father had often said I would feel incredible with butterflies flirting about and then I would know. I had fallen in love, who knew it would be literally. That windy, stormy Tuesday afternoon was unusual weather for mid September in Century Cove. I was dashing through the crowd of people in the street, who were as equally surprised as I was about the weather change and without a raincoat or umbrella. Spotting the little café across the street I hurried along taking wider steps compared to the previous ones I had moments ago. The green little man on the walk sign flashed eagerly and I walked within the white lines. A few more steps and I would be on the sidewalk that was separated at the time by a mini-river of dirty water flowing down the street. Not wanting to be soaked in my loafers I took a running start and leaped across it hoping to clear it. The leap was short and quick as I neared the sidewalk a soft, cloth object buffered my landing.

Peering up to me with emerald eyes was a brunette with wavy hair that came past her shoulder, who looked no older than twenty. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The woman asked. My eyes followed hers to what she was objecting to. My hand had landed on the softest, firmest breast that would of put most other women to shame.

Noting this occurrence to myself that I did not want this young woman to think that I was a pervert. I lifted my hand away from her body.

There was only two times in my life that I had to catch my breath. The first was when I was eight in the small suburb Century Cove I grew up in running from Mary Ann's something-something twin brothers. She was an older woman of nine and wanted to show me the finer things in life and the ropes to becoming a grown up. She said she saw her older sister kissing her boyfriend and told her it was something you do when you're a grownup. Mary Ann had the cutest button nose that rested in the center of her rounded face and tons of freckles with the darkest hair that it almost was midnight black. What was it about me and dark haired women, an occasional blonde or two would slip in for a moment but my eyes would wander back to her darker haired counterpart every time. It was fun with Mary Ann for awhile until the "terrible two" as they were nicknamed in school, Nat and Pat had found us kissing under the school steps and not wanting their younger sister honor besmirched chased me through the school grounds and up the stairs that led to a few neighborhood houses on Floral Drive with big fences and even bigger dogs. The pounding in my heart leapt through my chest as I scaled Mrs. Peterson's fence, the widow was a retired postal worker who liked to work on her garden early in the morning. My watch had said it was only ten o'clock which meant she would be inside watching her soap operas on television and her German Sheppard Milo would be loose in the yard. Don't let the calm name fool you, Milo had become a neighborhood legend with forty-two balls, two cats and a kid ten years ago, who they only found his eyeglasses left behind later that his Mother claimed at the police station when he came up missing. A glance over my shoulder I saw Nate and Patrick only a few feet away from me.

Mrs. Peterson's yard with a few lounge chairs and a banana colored umbrella sat in the middle of the lawn with the exception of a few gnomes there was nothing or anyone else in the yard. Two firm feet landed on the ground as I looked through a small hole in the fence to see Nat and Pat walk towards another neighbor's house.

No sign of Milo was apparent as I walked through the yard. I spotted Mrs. Peterson with her big, curler rollers in her blonde hair in a hair net through her big screen glass door sitting down. She had a glass that she placed upside down on the counter turning it upright then she poured a frothy white drink into the oval shaped glass and sipped on it. An organ wailing along with a woman crying for another chance with her lover appeared on the screen. I stood there behind the glass door watching the television along with Mrs. Peterson wondering if the woman's husband would forgive her sleeping with his brother and father separately of course. At the time I didn't see the big deal in falling asleep with someone. I had fell asleep on my cousin Jake's arm last night and except for a little dribble on his shoulder there was no problem when we both woke up.

Rattling of thick linked chains jingled behind me and I turned. And I saw big ferocious teeth hanging from the mouth of a ten foot tall beast that barked at me. Wild hairs covered his entire body and his paws were the size of shoe boxes. I could not see the actual beast but the smell that was like rancid water filled the air as Milo took each breath. The chain ranged out clinching to the fence. I saw Milo's shadow moving across the barrier. The organ music was gone and I turned around just in time to see Mrs. Peterson walk away from the television towards the screen door. The dilemma I had to pick, facing her and telling my parents I was on her property or face Milo and possibly be devoured. I had to decide pain now or later. I chose now.

My feet moved towards the fence taking an extra step which gave me a starting leap. I flew past the snapping teeth reflected on the wood fence, but I could only hear chains clicking together and the smell of Milo's breath as it filled the air. The other side of the fence landed me half way on the sidewalk and some grass. My eyes glanced across the neighborhood of close crop cut lawns and saw no sign of Nate or Patrick. My thoughts went back to Mary Ann and her soft lips on mine and the chance of trying it again.

This would be the first time in a long string of actions in my life that I would let another part of my anatomy rule over my head. A tap brushed against my shoulder and a deep voice vibrated from behind me. I turned and saw only fingers clenched in a fist flying straight into my face. The stinging of my eyes ran through to the back of my head as I felt the entire hand cave my face in. Patrick pulled on my jacket his fingers became entangled in the garment. I had the force of his weight pushing me down, so I let him pull more on the jacket as I unzipped it and the piece of clothing was now fully in his possession. A half shut eye that ached from the pain of the blood filling up my eye socket saw a clenched fist pulled back like a slingshot. I ducked down lowering my body clutching my hands to my knees and avoided the second blow. I instinctively slid my legs to the side and pushed out my left leg into Patrick's right shin. He wailed out as his voice echoed through the neighborhood causing Milo to howl repeatedly after Patrick stopped screaming. I glanced down the street two houses down and saw Nate walking towards us. I stood up and pushed the slumped over body of Patrick knocking him into the approaching mass of Nate and ran down the steep stairs back towards the school.

A crowd of kids covered my movement as a I blended in with the group. I snuck into the janitors closet with the smell of musty mops and bleach filling the air. I cracked the door a bit and peaked from the space between the hinges. I watched as Nate and Patrick searched over the heads and in between the bodies for me. The two idiots walked the opposite direction of the janitor's closet. The bleach fumes that engulfed the closet made me high after inhaling it for over an hour. When the last child left the building and I saw no sign of either of the terrible two's I made my escape. I took another route home away from the Peterson house and by the stairs. The road to romance was never easy not even now after lots of practice.

_______________________________________________________________________

"Are you alright?" I held the woman close within my arms. Responding to the situation at hand. Remembering about the puddle and the woman I landed into.

"I will be soon as I get away from the guerilla that is manhandling me." The woman sneered.

I instantly upon hearing the protest from the woman removed my hands from her body. Cole the molester had never been attached to my name before but the dagger looks she was shooting at me had me feel like she was going to have her whole body fingerprinted to prove that I made an inappropriate move.

"I meant no harm by it." I stated though my hand had been removed my body heat and hers could be felt by both of us.

"It might be more believable if you weren't so close to me." The woman said with an icy glare beaming from her face.

I instantly took two steps back. I never in my life had been lost for words but I didn't know what to say. A beautiful girl with a drenched thin coat on stood in front of me. Her body wet from head to toe from the rain drizzling down from the sky and the water puddle I had splashed onto her as I landed. The conversation we were having took up five minutes of time from which the length of time we stood there I was now thoroughly soaked.

"We're both wet." I said stating the obvious which drew a smile from the young woman and I smiled back. "Across the street there is a coffee shop we could go in and get dry." I waited for her answer. I stood there, the thickness of my hair from the rain weighed it down pushing it into my face as buckets of droplets fell on my cheeks.

I looked at her as she glanced back in forth between me and the coffee shop. "I tell you what we could do. We can have a cup of coffee in a dry room and afterwards I could call you a cab or you can leave on your own. Your choice and I promise I will stay here a certain amount of time after you leave before I leave out. We don't want you to think that I'm stalking you." I winked at her before I turned and walked towards the store's front glass door I glanced back over my shoulder once. I thought I would be seeing the back of the mystery woman's head but was met by a set of beautiful eyes that had to seek me out for the next move.

I held the door as she walked by me. Her honey wildflower perfume danced in my head as I inhaled her scented skin.

The small dark lit room was quiet and except for a few people it was empty. The haze of smoke clouded my vision but I saw that a table near the window was not taken. I gestured towards the table hoping that this was a suitable choice. She sat down unbuttoning her jacket the droplets of wet hair dripped on the table. I watched as her soaked blouse clung to her and revealed a bra-less chest with nipples that were hard and erect from the coldness in the room. A waitress walked up and wiped the table clearing the water puddle our two bodies had created. I silently cried out from my eyes being deprived of the view of her mounds.

The waitress had hair the color of flames with the edges of her hair with gray streaks hinting at the fact that the color was not a natural shade. She pulled out a pencil from her hair and a pad from a front pocket and scribbled in it. The young woman ordered a white mocha coffee along with a chocolate croissant and I ordered the same even though I hated sugar and anything sweet in my coffee. Devouring my pastry I figured now was a good time to introduce myself. "My name is Colleen Matthews but my friends call me Cole."

"Well Colleen my name is Shannon Murphy." I thought I saw a glimmer of a smile then it disappeared. Her eyes went back to her coffee.

"Nice to meet you Shannon, but like I said you can call me Cole."

"I heard you the first time." Shannon said it with a steady tone and not maliciousness just matter of fact in her statement.

"Well what do you think are the odds of two of us meeting with both of our last names beginning with the letter M and your first name having a C sound." I rambled not sure why I couldn't shut up and not let the first thing in my mind pop out of my mouth.

I gestured to the waitress to give us two more coffees. Again I got a slight smile then it disappeared. We sat there for ten more minutes with nothing else said and then she spoke.

"You don't have to stay. I'm sorry if I made you feel bad that you dropped water on me, but I was already soaked. Thank you for the coffee." The smile reappeared again but stayed this time.

"Just a small token of my apology." I couldn't get over how beautiful a smile she had.

"My day started out bad and just kept escalating and if not you then something else would of happened. First, my car I had in the shop for some minor work the price to get it out was raised up by the mechanic this morning, then my boss asked me to work over time. Which meant I couldn't get out to the shop to negotiate with the mechanic."

"They don't take payments?" I asked knowing most of the mechanic's would work with their customers.

"I put it in for some minor repairs and when I went to get it he had added three hundred more dollars to work I didn't agree too." Shannon explained to me.

"I could borrow a friends car and drive you over there tonight. I know most of the mechanics around maybe we could work out a deal." There I went again saying the first thing that came to mind. "Let's start from the beginning. I'm Cole." My hand extended out hoping I would get a chance to touch her skin. The small hand was cupped in the middle of my hand the skin was soft as silk. I asked which yard was the car towed to. I didn't notice the entire time her hand was in mine that my index finger was stroking Shannon's hand. I wondered did she notice or it felt so comfortable and was she like me; lost in the conversation.

"You don't have to do that." Shannon stated.

"I know. But I want too. Plus it gives me time to talk to you more." I called a cab on the payphone and we went to my friend Eric's house and borrowed his parent's car. I stood with Shannon listening to the thirty minute lecture on making sure I returned the car the same way I got it or he and I both would be jumping on the first train out of town in the middle of the night.

A dark road had no street lights for the past ten minutes we drove down it. A turn sign said a mile ahead the road would split with two different roadways. I needed to make a decision turn right or go left. I pulled out a quarter from my pocket. Heads we turn right tails we go left I had decided. Tossing the coin into the air watching the head and tail of Washington flip back and forth the coin ended it's journey dropping in Shannon's crotch. Her tight blue jeans outlined the sweet patch between her legs. Sweat beads formed over my upper lip and twinkled down my face. I wanted to reach for the coin but dared not, for fear of brushing against her private parts. The coin in the dim book light that lit the car had more flat space on it than designs, so I took a chance it was heads. I wasn't sure if we were on Camden Road still or turned into another street.

We found the mechanic shop and pulled in the driveway the yard was locked and dark. The business sign said close at nine but my watch said that it was eight o'clock. We walked around the wire fence in search of a guard or worker still around. After screaming for anyone to answer us so loud that we would of woke up the dead we came to the conclusion Shannon was going to have to wait for her car in the morning. Looking up into those big eyes I couldn't take the disappointment in them and I again said the first thing that came to my mind. Did I say what I thought I did. No. I must of only thought it. But the large grin on Shannon's face told me that I had said it and couldn't take it back. I knew that a few of the mechanic's around were dishonest and would take advantage of a young woman and hike up the price of repairs. I pieced together what was I going to do and how. The yard gate was made of wire. I put each finger through the wire clenching each around the metal mesh. The jingle of the fence made bells sounds in the night air. The wire clippers that waited snuggly in my back pocket were pulled out as my right hand held on tight to the rubber handle and the prongs of the clippers opened up. The force of my hands on the metal vibrated through my body and the clipper's teeth was tangled in the fence but no damage to the wire was detectable. I shook out my hand to shake off the unending vibrating throbbing in my hand. Again pushing on different parts of the fence for any fragility in the structure. I saw the brackets were bendable when pulled but my little muscle-less body was not going to make a dent in the fence. And a dent was what was needed to get any progress tonight. My vision sifted between Eric's Toyota Tercel and the lock with two thick pretzel shape three inch thick chains.

I had a plan and hopefully it would work. The back of the car had the boat bolt sticking out. And a hoisting chain that was in the trunk was wrapped around the lock of the fence. Shannon stood to the side of the Tercel. I went into the cars cab and revved up the engine by five mpg with each foot thrust. By the fifth acceleration thrust I released the brake and the Tercel moved forward dragging the fence along with it. I stood outside my car basking in my accomplishment then my eyes trailed up the fence to the chain to the back end of the Tercel. The boat bolt was barely hanging on and the back bumper on the Tercel was dented. The last words Eric said to me rushed through my head, but I had a job to finish.

Now you have to remember this was back before high tech gadgetry, terrorist and re-enforced steel fences. Century Cove was a quiet town and no one thought about the need for electric fences or guards. Checking from the rear view mirror The metal fence lay on the ground getting out of the car I gestured for Shannon to get her vehicle and for us to make our exit.

I walked to the office using my favorite file to pick the door lock I looked around the room and found a file cabinet and took what was needed.

In the pitch dark all the cars looked the same. Shannon had said that she owned an late model Ford but row after row we searched until we finally found Shannon's blue car. Searching through her purse Shannon sifted in it to find her keys. I watched as she pulled out lip gloss and a brush and about a whole drug store counter of contents from her purse, but no keys. I suggested the faster way of finding the missing keys was to dump all her contents on the cars hood. A lighter buried deep in my coat pocket came to my memory and I flicked it on.

With the lighter over the hood the key chain that was a tiny Minnie mouse character stood out more prominently amongst the lip gloss, chewing gum, parking tickets and a few condoms. Seeing the prophylactics in her purse was not what I was expecting. It might have been something I should of brought up when we were having coffee. Such as are you seeing any one right now? Shannon opened her car door and I just stood there with a stupid expression because Shannon stared at me as if pondering what I was thinking. Should I of told her right then and there that I didn't appreciate putting my life on the line and facing jail time. For what? A girl who may or might not have someone else and a guy someone else as a matter fact.

I said nothing. I just waiting for her to open her door and get in and we could drive away.

Now as I said before that Century Cove was a small town without modern technology but we did have something that would always stand the test of time. Dogs. What was it about women, me and dogs. Was I forever going to equate sex and romance with dogs attacking.

I was going to have to think about that question later. A hand shoved Shannon into her car and slammed the car door shut after she was in. Coming in a winged shape formation towards me were two pit bulls the size of a pre-teen child that on any other day I would of played with and would of given doggie snacks to. The steady walking pace increased into a running formation as both dogs were only yards away from me. I jumped over the hood of Shannon's car and slid on my hip and leg to the other side of the car. I ran as fast as my feet would take me. The fence bounced up on one end as I ran over it. My own keys difficult to find with the adrenaline racing through my body. Pulling out the lightning bolt shaped key chain I jumped into the Tercel and turned on the engine. Headlights flashed behind my car blinding me from the reflection off the rear mirror. I flipped the mirror up and signaled for her to follow me out. Shannon drove her Ford right behind me down the road back to the main highway.

We drove back to my little cul de sac and both cars pulled in front of Eric's house. I took out some rope I found at my house and had wrapped across the trunk to keep the bumper from falling. There were a few options I could take before I decided to show Eric the bumper. I could hide the car say it was stolen outside of the coffee shop. That a drunk driver plowed into it and took off or I could say. My last option was not going to be needed. I saw Eric walk out of his house side door in his bathrobe with a garbage bag in his hands. I greeted him hoping he wouldn't notice the dent. The first thing and only thing he saw was the bumper. Eric didn't say one word he just leaped across the lawn on top of me and threw a right hook into the side of my face. Blow after blow struck at me and refusing to strike back I covered up my face blocking each strike. I sifted our bodies so that we would roll, I needed the advantage of being on top to get the chance of ending his rampage over me. The thirty pounds that he had over me was used against me I attempt again to shift our bodies but I only succeeded in pulling out my shoulder.

A flow of cold water hit my temple then sprayed across my face. We both looked to my right and saw a long hose turned full blast in Shannon's hand. Words barely came out of our mouths as the water blasted into them anytime we opened our lips.

"What do you think your doing?" Both Eric and I said together. As our voices vibrated with water in the back of our throats. We blocked each new flow with our hands.

"I want this to stop." Shannon cupped the hose in her right hand as her left rested on her hip. "No more fighting or I will drown you both." Shannon turned the nozzle on the end of the hose and the flow from the tip went full force into our faces.

We made a silent united front as we stood up. Shannon took a cautious step back from us never letting up on the water flow from the hose on us. Eric's stance on the ground wasn't steady as he slipped down the cement. We started laughing as we clanged to other to steady our balance.

Helping the other up reminded us that we were friends and that we shouldn't let a few dents get in the way of our friendship. His parents were away on vacation and would not be back until late in the week. This information gave me an idea that he could hide the dent from them until I could think of a way to get some money and fast.

Fast money was plentiful but honest money was lacking in our small town. There was only two things I had going for me was my charm and I could fix anything with wheels. I walked over to Joe's Garage the only mechanic I knew who would give me a chance at working at his shop. I had in fact learned everything from him from the time I could walk I snuck over there. Joe was my father figure since my own had ran away when I was six and only sporadically came into my life after that.

A oily, darken by grease hand reached out to me and pulled me in for an embrace. I
was glad I had change into some old jeans and t-shirt when his hands released me.

"Cole. Where have you been? I thought you might of fallen into a man hole or something."

"Mom has kept me real busy around the house that's all." I saw the disappointment in his eyes. Joe was the nicest of the men my Mother had dated and was sad when he didn't come around anymore. The Paul and Derrick's she chose now might wear suits but would take a dozen of them to equal one Joe.

"Well I don't know if I have anytime to work on your bike for you this week. I'm backed up right now." Joe gestured to all the vehicles in the yard.

"That is why I'm here. I wanted to see if your interested in hiring an assistant for the shop." I pointed to myself.

"Does your mom know about this?" Joe looked up with a glint in his eyes when he mentioned her mother.

"Sure." I said hesitantly. Joe saw through my lie.

"Start on that Ford over there it needs the front brakes done. And we can go from there. Tell your mom tonight when you go home and see what she says about working for me."

"Thanks Joe. She won't have a problem with it." My face beamed up knowing I would be able to fix the car.

I worked up enough courage at supper to talk to my mom about my new job. This was the first night that it would be just us two for dinner without Paul or was it Derrick eating with us. I stopped remembering their names since they never stayed around for long. My mother could only make two things toast and chicken soup from scratch and tonight she made soup. The table was set up with the barn design place mats along with the rooster salt and pepper shakers. The corn on the cob napkin holder was my favorite and I set it up to put on the table.

I had asked my Mom on different occasions why Grandma never taught her how to cook and she told me that her mother never had time to take out of her busy schedule to teach her.

Ladle full of chunky bits of soup went into my bowl and smelled great with the celery and carrots swirled in with the chicken. I looked to the side of me and reached for the steaming bowl of rice.

"The reason we are just the two of us tonight is that Paul is moving out."

So, I thought that was his name. Eric loses the bet. He put ten on the line that his name was Nick, I thought to myself. He only been around for two weeks.

"Okay." I said not sure if I should jump up and down or go into a little dance. The best times we ever had were when it was just her and me. But Mom being mom she couldn't go without a man in her life. And soon there would be a replacement for Paul before the change of address card got to the post office. Wouldn't you know it. I would remember his name now that he is gone.

"We have been on our own before and we can get by." Mom added as she slurped from her spoon.

"You don't have to worry I'm going to help out with money. I have a part time job after school."

"Slinging French fries around and burgers? Don't you think your face is greasy enough." My mom always had a way of reminding me that my face was a nesting ground for pimples.

"I got a job working on cars." I wasn't going to look up into her face and let her see that she had hit her target. I might have a face full of zits but I also had my pride.

"What shop would hire a sixteen year old girl?"

"I went over to Joe's Garage and he said it was alright if you didn't have a problem with me working with him."

My Mom's face scrunch up. She looked as if she had been sucking on a lemon. "You went to Joe's?"

"Yeah. You never said I wasn't allowed too." I defiantly looked at her to deny me this.

"You're right I never said you couldn't. But now I am." My Mom continued to eat.

"Who do you think you are to tell me that I can't see Joe?"

"Your Mother." Her spoon went slamming into the dinner table.

Joe was the only decent guy you had around and you don't want me hanging around him, I wondered to myself. "If I could just have an ounce of his character rub off on me. I would be a better person."

"I'm not going to say it again. No." My Mom's eyes were flared up.

"We need help around here. I have to get myself out of some trouble." I saw the concerned look on her face. "Nothing illegal. I just have to fix something I broke and that would only be right."

My mom look at me searching to see if there was truth to what I was saying. "You always tell me I have to do right by my actions."

"As long as your school work isn't hurt right now and your grades are kept up. We can give it a try. I want Joe to give me a call tomorrow and I want him to know the ground rules."

"If you treat me like a kid you'll scare him off."

"He loves you like you were his own. I doubt that he would deny you anything." I saw in her eyes that she was telling the truth.

For the next few days I worked on all the cars on the shop and when I got most of the work caught up I called up Eric to bring his parents' Tercel into the shop. I ordered the bumper with an advance that Joe gave me and told Eric by tomorrow his parents car would look brand new. I had talked to Shannon since our incident almost every night and she said no one came around looking for her car. I was glad I made a few other cars look like they had been tampered with so they couldn't tell which car had been taken. And a few tickets and files came up missing. I sort of knew that it would be her word against the mechanics. She had the car in her possession and he would have to show a work order that didn't have her signature on it. Working with Joe I knew all the tricks some mechanics pulled and that this one would just cut his losses.

I hummed to my favorite song 'My Girl' that was playing on the radio. Thoughts of how great Shannon smelled or her laugh on the phone ran through my mind as I listened to the words. I had to remind myself that Shannon was off the market for me and that was alright. From that day on I had tucked her away into a certain part in my heart that she was just a friend.

That Thursday I had the bumper attached to the car and Eric was shocked how perfect a job I had done. To anyone who hadn't seen the bumper before would of never known something had happened. Eric was now worried that the bumper looked too new. Did I ever get a chance to tell you how anal retentive he was?

All three of us decided to get something to eat and drop Shannon off afterwards. The café down the street was the place that had become a second home for me if I didn't feel the need to get my stomach pumped from my Mom's cooking.

Sitting down at the circular table Eric got in and I sat on the edge expecting Shannon to sit on Eric's half of the table. The waitress came over to take our orders and Shannon scooted over on my side of the table. A menu in front of each of us. I couldn't think of what to order with the thought of her so close by.

"Shannon." A male voice said from across the room.

We all looked to the big hulk of muscles that walked to our table wearing Century Cove's College red and black football jersey. The big, muscle bound meat head wrapped his arms around Shannon and drowned her with a kiss. Breaking away from the kiss Shannon attempted to introduce him.

"Eric and Cole this is my boyfriend Nathaniel." His big arms held her with a possessiveness that showed he wanted to let everyone know that she was his girl.

I stared at familiar eyes and it flashed all back to me the "terrible two" Nat and Pat I hadn't seen them since they left for college a year ago. And now I had Nat in front of me.

"I know Eric." Nat's hand came out and shook Eric's. "Cole how have you been? Your hearing get any better?" A big evil grin grew on his face as he stared at me.

I remembered the last time we had seen each other with me upside down with my head in the school locker room with the toilet flushing constantly in my face. "Much better. Well you know I did have Mary Ann to nurse me back to health."

That statement wiped the grin right off his face and Nat leaped across the table to slam my head against the table. Well I know I deserved that one, but he had it coming even though Mary Ann was a nice kid and a good friend.

"What is going on Nathaniel?" Shannon asked as she pulled him off of me.

"This freak better stay away from you and Mary Ann or else I'm going to get Pat to take care of her."

"Do they let him have over night vouchers from county?" There I went opening my big mouth again. Nat was ready to charge me again in attack.

"She is a pervert and was probably trying to infect you."

"It's not contagious and if it was Mary Ann was the one who gave it to me. So how is your sister?" The fire red look in Nat's eyes blared up at me.

"She likes girls." Nat shouted.

I saw the look of confusion then of clarification on Shannon's face.

Eric stood in front of Nat and led him to the door. I saw the sad look on Shannon's face and concern she whispered she would call me later that night. I watched the one girl I liked walk out of the café with the one of two people I couldn't stand in the world.

The entire month of September I worked and went to school and tried to not think about Shannon but couldn't get her out of my head. She hadn't called and I figured she couldn't handle it and she wasn't as calm as she seemed that day at the café. I played over and over in my head the rejection she might feel towards me since learning the truth about me. The phone ranged and I heard the one voice that could make me turn to putty.

"Come over to my place I want to thank you for helping me with my car and apologize for what Nat did."

"You don't have to thank me and you don't have to apologize for Nat's actions." I wanted to see her but every bone in my body told me it was wrong to want her. She took the choice out of my hand.

"Dinner is at eight bring some desert." Shannon hung up the phone and I was quishy and wanted to faint from what might happen if we had dinner together.

Shannon had the cutest apartment and yes I did say cute. That was done up with lavender colored frilly window curtains and pillows on the sofas. She had told me she had made each one in home education class in the tenth grade. I had attempted to make a stuffed penguin and the nose and eyes just hung on it drooping down the fabric body. The project got an F grade that if I had taken the time to fix the teacher said could have been raised to a C grade but I didn't want to sew more than I had too.

"I hope you like lamb chops?"

I had never ate anything past hamburger, hot dogs, and my Mom's chicken soup. But I wasn't about to disappoint her. "Sure. Can I wash up before we eat."

"The bathroom is the second door to the left."

The bathroom even smelled good with lavender drowning my senses. I turned the faucet placing the soap in my hand I could see the fish shape and sea shell design the soap bars were in. She even made her own soap. I knew that there couldn't be any woman more perfect than if I had went to a wishing star and pulled her from it. Okay she smells good, makes me feel warm inside, loves my jokes, sews her pillows and curtains and makes her own soap. If she cooks as good as the food smells I don't care if Nat is around. I'm going to make her mine.

A wailing buzzing sound sounded in a high pitch. The noise was continuous in half a beat pitch. I opened the bathroom door and was over come with smoke. I heard hissing sound come from the kitchen as a white substance intermingled with the black smoke. The red canister in Shannon's hand let out the last of its contents into the oven. A smoked covered Shannon looked at me with her white teeth beaming out from the smoke.

"I might of over cooked the chops." She closed the oven door with her oven mitts. "But we still have salad."

"Let me help you." I grabbed the pan forgetting that it was out of the oven. Sizzling of my flesh and the smell of my skin cooking alerted my senses.

"I love salad." I had hated green leafy vegetables since I was six and my mother had tried to shove spinach down my throat after I said I wanted to be like Popeye. But I wasn't going to let a few smoky rooms and burnt up food keep me from her company.

Shannon had told me about majoring in English and wanting to be a teacher which I thought was great. She adored kids and wanted to teach kindergarten. I wished I had an goal that would make a difference. I had only six more months before I would graduate and still hadn't decided what I wanted to do.

The fork swished around my plate as we talked. "How do you like working at the shop?" Shannon asked me I looked up and couldn't take my eyes off of her.

"I've been doing this since I could walk and I don't know what else that I'm good at."

"You have something that you already love doing and do well. I wish I could have something tangible to work with now." The hope in her eyes was evident.

"My church has a volunteer daycare that I volunteer working at." Her face looked as if she had been hit by headlights. "What I don't look like I go to church?"

"I didn't mean anything by it." She looked at if she didn't know what to say. "I just thought that with your situation and the church you might not fill comfortable."

"That whole brimstone and fire thing. Has nothing to do with me and my connection to the church. Just some people think that it should." I looked to her to see where she stood.

"You don't have to worry about being accepted by me or anyone else. To me your just Cole." Shannon held out her hand and I held on to it for most of the night.

I had never told anyone about my Mother and how she treated me since my coming out. It was like a silent non-topic when other kids could bring up dates and crushes I learned to shy away from them. The constant revolving door in my Mom's life with her boyfriend's made me feel like I didn't count or matter and I never told anyone not even Eric how I felt. Shannon put her arms around me and led me to the couch and I told her about the arguments and the throwing that had gone in my house in the past and that for the last week since the last boyfriend left it had been quiet. Shannon wept a tear for me I was touched no one before in my entire life ever cried for me before. She shed the tears that I couldn't allow myself to shed.

During the years after graduating I had kept close contact with Shannon first with letters and then phone calls.
I had met a great girl named Karla I had been seeing for two months and Shannon was still seeing Nat. My Mother was going out every night but hadn't brought in a new housemate since Patrick or Peter what's his name left. At twenty I wasn't proud to still be living at home, but I had been putting away some money and was going to move out in a few months. Karla and me had talked about moving in together which I thought a lot about but something didn't feel right when I thought about her and me living together.

My church had a baseball team Wild Hills Tornadoes that I coached and we were having our first game at the park. I asked Shannon to join me to watch our game against the Methodist Sharks. The group of seven to nine year olds were all wound up about going to their first game.

I had Steven Beamer, whose dad was All-American in high school, up as pitcher he had a great fastball that could win us a couple of games. The rest of my team was made up of kids that hadn't had much baseball experience. They reminded me of myself when I first tried out for the team my Dad hadn't spent the time like he promise to work with me on my pitching, but Joe came out every day after closing shop to toss the ball with me and run the bases.

A pop up went out to right field to Kenny O'Brien who was out there. I cheered along with the crowd for him to catch the ball. Kenny was even small for a nine year old and could easily be mistaken for a six year old. A mitt two sizes too big for his hand laid outstretched to the skies. The leather wrapping of the baseball landed into the glove and bounced upward, but hesitant and unsteady fingers clasped at the ball and held on tight.

"Whooh!" A familiar voice shouted. "Go number twenty three."

I looked towards the bleachers and saw Shannon sitting down wearing a tight v-neck shirt and short pants that showed her tanned legs. I pulled my eyes away from our newest fan and back to the game. I was glad that she went ahead and came to the game without Nat.

Up next was Shelly Hernandez number four, who was the only girl on the team and the shakiest hitter we had. Being the only girl I shared a kinsman ship with her. "Shelly I want you to keep your eye on the ball for the first pitch. Now if you strike out I want you to look to me and I'm going to tell you what I want you to do next pitch." There was a man on first and one on second I definitely wanted Shelly to get some playing time but knew that she wasn't going to hit the ball far, if, at all.

First pitch screw ball. Strike one. The pitcher set up to pitch again and I signaled knowing I wanted to try something, I thought might work out since practice. The two weeks the Tornadoes had practice number four hadn't hit one ball but we were working on it. Second pitch spit ball. Strike two. I didn't give her a signal and I saw the sad look on her face grow and her confidence sink. Shelly stood in position with her bat in the air waiting for the ball and for my signal. Third pitch fast ball. I signaled for her to bunt it. The ball came towards the bat as she pushed it forward at an angle and allowed the ball to do most of the work. Once leather made contact with wood Shelly was off and running. Her long legs jotted to first base as the catcher, who took his mask off and the pitcher raced to the no man zone between the home plate and the pitcher's mound. The second base player ran to third as first shifted to second and as the ball was now in the catcher's hand. He looked towards third base but the runner was safe. He glanced towards first base eyeing his target and he threw the ball with all his force to first base. As the ball inched towards first base Shelly moved her legs up higher and swung her arms back and forth and as if feeling the breeze of the ball sweeping by her. She dove down towards the first plate her hand touching the plate. The first baseman tagged her leg after she touched the mound. The umpire watched as the runner and baseman collided. "Safe." He shouted.

I watched as Shelly stood up and dusted her uniform off with the widest grin she ever seen with her two front teeth missing. The score was Sharks 4 Tornadoes 3. We didn't win but we showed we could be a challenging force this season. Shannon walked down the bleachers as I talked to some parents who saw the game. I kept taking quick glances up to Shannon's way hoping she wouldn't notice my staring at her.

The last parent to congratulate and to give advice was gone and I made my way towards Shannon. "Would you like to grab a couple of sandwiches and go have a picnic back here." I suggested. I gestured to emphasize the shade from the trees and the now quiet area we were at.

A tuna sandwich with mustard was still her favorite and I ordered a salami cold cut sandwich. We sat under the row of trees sipping on our drinks of soda. "Great game." Shannon started the conversation off. It was as if we had nothing to say or were to scared to say anything to each other. "Good choice to have her bunt. And sacrifice for the team."

"That was just what she wasn't doing. I didn't want her to think that she would just be giving up a play for the good of the team. The point of the game is so everyone can play. I knew she couldn't hit, but in practice I saw how long those legs were and she could run down a cheetah in a race. I knew how to use our secret weapon." I enjoyed the smile that was on Shannon's face.

"Still saving damsels in distress?" Shannon nudged me.

"She's not in distress. I just had to show her she was a valuable player for the team." Shannon scooted closer to me and placed her head on my shoulder. The closeness of her body made me feel funny, but I didn't know why. I cared deeply about Shannon but any romantic feelings had long ago been tossed to the side. I decided either way I needed to change the mood of our conversation. "How is Nat."

"Nathaniel." Shannon corrected me. "He hates it when anyone calls him that."

I did take to much pleasure in annoying him. So I changed the subject. "Your job?" I didn't need to ask her. I had kept tabs on her through the years. Everyone in town knew about the after school projects that she had organized. The book and food drives and the walk for school uniforms intended for needy kids whose parents couldn't afford the clothes for their kids.
"Good. We are having a bake fair this Thursday." She informed me.

"Has your cooking improved?" The words tumbled out of my mouth not quite sure why.

"That was a faulty oven you saw that the thermostat was broke and I haven taken a cooking class since then." Shannon swatted my shoulder. Through the lunch she kept finding ways to touch me and get closer. I didn't know what was going on so I just left it alone and finished my lunch. "I'm going to have to invite you over again to show you that I know how to do more than boil water."

"And spend time with Nat. No way." I cringed at the thought of the ex-football player and me at the same table.

"You can bring Karla and make it a foursome." Shannon insisted.

"I don't know."

"Come on there is safety in numbers. The three of us against Nathaniel. He will have to be a good boy and just eat his meal. He can be quite the charmer when he wants to be."

My mind raced back to his charms. The time he chased me into a janitor's closet. Flushed my head down a toilet in eight grade. Or when I was fifteen and he caught me in his sister's room and chased me two blocks in my boxer shorts and bra. Yeah, I knew of his charms and had seen enough of it to last a lifetime.

"Good you're still here." A tall blonde shouted from the diamond plate walking towards them.

"It was time you met Karla." I beamed to Shannon. I stood up bringing Karla into my arms.

Karla extended her hand out to Shannon and with hesitation Shannon held back her own hand. I didn't understand why that day, but just shrugged it off as her avoidance in being introduced to new people.

"The Shannon. I have heard so much about you."

"The Shannon?" Shannon raised an eyebrow up as she looked to me for answers. "It's just Shannon." She corrected Karla.

"I was just going by how Cole had describe you." Karla put her arm in between my arms pulling me closer to her.

I guess hindsight is worth its weight in gold and if I knew what was going to happen I wouldn't of said what I did afterwards. "Shannon invited us over to her house for dinner."

"Thank you. We would love to go. I heard from Cole what a wonderful cook you are." Karla snuggled up closer into my body.

"Did you now?" Shannon gave me a curious look.

"After the smoked cleared and the parts that weren't covered with extinguisher fluid had a tangy flavor." Karla added.

I had told Karla about the fire extinguisher and the fire department coming out and wanting to break through the apartment door once the smoke had cleared out.

"How is Sunday next month?" Shannon asked. I knew the look she gave that I was going to pay for critiquing her cooking and discussing it with my girlfriend.

Both me and Karla looked at each other and nodded our heads to eating at Shannon's house on Sunday

TBC