Section 2	Section 3	Section 4	Section 5
Section 6	Section 7	Section 8
Epilogue

Chapter Five

1999

I.

Get carts? What do you take me for? A stockboy? Micah thought as he walked out of the store and into the parking lot. I'm the tech support guy. I'm s'posed to be answering questions, not bringing in the carts.

Oh well, a paycheck was a paycheck was a paycheck, and he got it no matter what he did. Bringing in carts was better then dealing with stupid people.

He walked down to the far end of the parking lot, and felt something wet hit his sock. He looked down. He was standing a puddle of water from the rainfall the night before. Of course, he wouldn't even have noticed the puddle if he had been able to find his proper shoes this morning.

They had straight up disppeared on him, and though he searched high, low, and everywhere in between, he couldn't find lace nor sole of them anywhere. They were just totally and completely gone.

So he then had a choice. He could have worn his old pair of shoes (which would have been bad, seeing as how it rained the night before) or not gone to work at all(which would have been worse).

He hunted up his old shoes, and put them on. Amazingly, they still fit, adn they were comfortable. LIke old friends reacquainted.

Now he was regretting it. His socks were cold and wet, and if he didn't get sick off of that, he would get sick off the cold bite to the air.

He brought in a set of five, and then a set of six. He was just heading back out to get the last set of carts when he paused at something he saw. A lady a couple rows back was getting out of her car, and as he watched her, he had the weirdest sense of Deja vú. He knew her, but from where he didn't know. It was at that point that the front end manager stuck his head out the door.

"Hey Micah!"

Micah stopped, and turned around. "Yeah?"

"I need you to jump on a register. We're backed up in here." Then he was gone.

Register now? Bring in carts, and then run a register? What the hell do you take me for? I'm TECH SUPPORT.

He took a deep breath and walked inside, and signed onto a register. He signalled a customer over and rang him through.

He continued working for fifteen minutes, and then the lady he had seen earlier came through his line.

"Hey, how are you today?" he asked.

She smiled at him. Again, that sense of Deja Vú swept over him. "I'm doing okay. How are you doing today?"

"Well, I'm alright."

"That's good."

"You bet," he said.

He scanned across a couple of floppy disks, and then a few zip disks.

"Is that it for you?" he asked.

"No, I've got this thing down here," she said, kicking a big box underneath her cart.

"Ahh, okay. Just a sec, then." He grabbed his scanner gun, and walked around the counter. He crouched down to scan the item, and then stood back up.

"Excuse me," the lady asked, "but... do you mind if I ask what your name is?"

He looked at her, and felt somethign in his gut, but he didn't know what.

"Micah Koch. Why?"

She blinked. "Micah Koch? Are you sure? I mean, i mean... you're not playing a game with me, are you?"

He grinned nervously. "Uh.. no, I"m not. That's really my name." He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to show her his drivers liscense.

She covered her mouth. "Oh. My. God."

"What?"

"My name is Shawna Pope," she said.

All at once, the pieces fell into place. That was where he knew her from. It was Shawna!

He felt his mouth fall open, and his brain temporarily disengage itself.

"Are... You're.... For reals?"

She smiled even wider. "Yes!"

He reached across the counter and held his arm out. She stepped into it and hugged him. they held each other for what seemed like a long time, and then they let go.

"How did you know I was me?" he asked.

"Well, I saw your shoes..."

"My shoes?"

"Yeah.. those are the ones you wore when we were in high school. I can't believe you're stil wearing them!"

"Yeah, well.. I did get new shoes, but I couldn't find them this morning. I was glad I kept this pair around, otherwise I wouldn'thave been able to come to work today. Oh, by the way, you owe me two hundred thirty five dollars and seventy-seven cents."

"I... Oh! Right! I got so caught up..." She pulled out her check book and began writing. She looked up at him. "So how are you? How have things been?"

"They've been alright. I've got me a good job, where I'm actually the tech support/repair guy, but they have me running register right now. What about you? How have you been?"

"I've been alright. Really good, actually. My fiancé and I are getting married at the end of the year, just before New Years."

Micah felt a small pang of jealousy at the mention of her fiancé. He hid it from her, though. "Oh, you have a fiancé? That's cool. I do too, actually. Her name is Jessica."

She finished writing out her check, and handed it to him. He took it and ran it through the MICR reader. It started processing.

"My fiancé's name is Jason. He's a real sweetheart. I love him very much." She smiled, and he felt his heart leap. The smile wasn't for him though, and that thought brought him back to earth.

"Yeah, I understand that feeling. I love mine too." The check was approved, and he removed it and dropped it into a slot on his register. "Well, it was really nice seeing you again. If you're here for a while, would you like to have dinner with me tonight, or tomorrow night?"

She smiled as she took the receipt from him. "Well, I'm here visiting my fiancé. He's out here on some sort of three month business trip or something, and I decided to come visit him. But yeah, I would love to have dinner with you tonight, and catch up on old times. What time?"

He began ringing up the next customer as he considered. "Well, lessee... I'm off at seven, so howzabout I pick you up at 8? Where are you staying?"

"I'm at the Knights Inn, a couple exits up the freeway."

"Right. I know where that is. I'll call for you at 8 then."

She smiled, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Alright. Sounds great. I'll see you then."

And just like that, after 10 years of wanting to go out with Shawna Pope, Micah Koch had a date with her.

II.

She got back into her car with a goofy smile on her face, and a flutter of excitement in her stomach. She had a date with Micah! How exciting! Well, not really a date. She shouldn't think of it that way. She was, after all, engaged to be married. Jason was a sweetheart, and she wouldn't ever want to break his heart.

But still, a date with her high school crush, ten years after the fact. How exciting!

When she arrived back at her hotel room, she sat down on the bed and flipped on the television, trying to kill time while she waited for eight o clock to roll around.

Around six o'clock, Jason called her.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe. Whatcha doin'?"

"Not much. Watching television right now."

"Oh, anything good on?"

"Nah, not really. Same old stuff. Though, there were a pair of cross dressing neo-nazi porn star dwarfs on Jerry Springer. God knows where they got the idea for THAT episode."

Jason laughed on the other end of the line. "Well, there's one I'm glad I missed."

"Yeah. It wasn't pretty. So, what are you doing?"

"Not much. Just finishing up work here. Getting ready to knock off for the day. You up for a movie tonight? I was gonna go see Arlington RD. Did you want in?"

"Oh, well, I... umm already have plans."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I ran into one of my old friends today. We're going out to dinner tonight."

"Oh. Well, that's fine. What about tomorrow night? Would you like to go see it tomorrow night?"

"Yeah, tomorrow night would be fine, hun."

"Great. So where are you going to eat tonight?"

"I don't know. We didn't discuss that. He's going to pick me-"

"He?"

"Uhhh, yeah. I told you, he's an old friend, and we're going-"

"You never said it was a HE." His voice was growing suspicious now.

"Jason, baby, relax. He was an old friend back when we were in high school. That was like eight or nine years ago. He didn't even really mean anything to me back then." The lie left her lips easily.

"He didn't?"

"No. Like I said, just a friend. More like a brother then anything else."

"Alright. If he was like a brother. I wouldn't want you going out with some old boyfriend or something."

"I know Jonny."

"What?"

"What what?"

"You called me Jonny."

"I-" She didn't know what to say. Why had she called him Jonny? She hadn't thought of him in years. She had tried valiantly NOT to think of him since that night in March. So what had awakened that thought now?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Jonny was another guy I knew back in High school. He and I dated briefly."

"You never told me about him." There was now anger mixed in with the suspicion.

"No, I haven't told anyone who didn't know then. It's not something I want to talk about, or relive, for that matter."

"Is he the guy you're going out with tonight?"

"No. God, no. I wouldn't go out with him if someone offered to pay me ten billion dollars."

"So who are you going out with tonight?"

"I told you. An old friend. His name is Micah, and he's like a brother to me. That's all."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Jason."

"And you're going to see a movie with me tomorow night?"

"Yes, Jason."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow night then."

"I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

Click.

She had to admit to herself, though, she sometimes wondered if he did.

Seven o clock rolled around, and she began to get ready. She showered, and dressed in jeans and a nice shirt. Not too formal, not to relaxed. She could fit in in almost any restaurant. She wondered where he was going to take her.

She was ready by seven forty-five, and ten minutes later, there was a knock on her door.

She went to it, and opened it.

Micah stood, with a hand behind his back, smiling.

"Hey," he said. "Ready to go?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I am."

He brought his hand out from behind his back and held out the white roses to her. Her smile widened as she took them, exclaiming over their beauty.

She stepped back into her room for a moment, and filled a glass with water, and put them in. She arranged them on the table, just so, and then stepped back.

"Thank you, Micah. They're beautiful."

"I hoped you'd like them," he replied.

They stepped out the door, and down the walkway to his car.

She turned to him as they walked. "So, where are we going to eat?"

He looked at her. "You mean you haven't decided?"

"Well... no... I mean... I..."

"I thought I would give you the choice tonight."

"You mean, I could choose where we eat?"

"Yeah. Isn't that what your fiancé does?"

"Not really. He usually picks where we eat..."

"Ahh. I see."

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"I want to eat at Longhorns."

"Longhorns? The steakhouse?"

She nodded. "Mmhmm."

"You got it, darlin'. Longhorns it is."

As they drove down to Longhorns, the conversed quietly about nothing in particular. They talked about where they had gone, and what they had done in college, and how they had gotten through. They talked about movies they had seen, or plays they had seen, or whatever came to mind.

When they got to the steakhouse, they got a table in a quieter section of the restaurant, and started talking again, this time about more important things.

"Did you ever hear what happened to Jared and Marie? After I left the school, I didn't hear from them anymore." She tried to keep the emotion from her voice, but couldn't quite manage it.

"Well, last I heard, they were both going to the same college, somewhere in Ohio, and near the end of my senior year, I got a wedding announcement in the mail. They were getting married on.. uhh.. shoot. I don't remember. It was sometime in September though. September of '95. I know that. I didn't make it to the ceremony, though."

"Oh, that's too bad. You would have been his best man."

"You would have been her maid of honor."

"I know, I know. Circumstances wouldn't let me, though. You know how it is." She suspected he actually didn't, though.

He nodded, and then changed the subject to something more upbeat.

"So, how did you meet your fiancé?"

"Well, we knew each other from college, and we went out a couple of times, but then we decided we should see other people. So, while he found someone else, I tried, but didn't succeed.

"She... well... she dumped him for another guy, and he was really broken up about it. He talked to me about it, and I helped him through his depression. I guess that's why we started going out again. because we realized we needed each other, and we were happy with each other.

"What about you? How did you meet your fianceé?"

He chewed his food thoughtfully for a minute, and then swallowed.

"Pretty much the same as you. Only we didn't break up. We stayed together."

"Ahh. I see."

the conversation continued along that vein for the rest of the meal, each catching the other up on old times, and remembering things they had all done together.

When the bill came, Micah took it, and looked over it. Shawna reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. She pulled out twenty five dollars, and handed it to Micah.

Micah stared dumbly at it. "What... what's that for?"

"For what I ate."

"No. That's not how this is supposed to work. Put your money back." She put it back into her wallet. "I'll pay for the bill," he said.

She sat back, surprised. She always paid her own part with Jason.

He pulled out his wallet, and plunked down the money, and then some.

As they walked out of the restaurant, she looked at him. "Was that extra for the tip?"

He looked back at her. "Of course that was the tip. Haven't you ever been to a restaurant like that?"

"Well, yes, I have, but... Jason... I don't know. It just seemed strange is all."

He drove her back to her hotel room, and walked her to her door.

"I had a nice time this evening, Shawna. Thanks for going with me."

"I had a nice time too," she said. She almost appended that it was a better time then she had ever had with Jason, but didn't.

They stood at the doorway for an awkward moment, and then Micah reached out and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, tightly.

They held each other for a few moments, and then she slipped out of his embrace.

"It was nice seeing you again."

"Yeah," he said back, "very nice."

"Well, good night."

"Will I get to see you again?"

"I... I don't know. I would like to see you again, but Jason, he's very possessive."

"I see. Well, I hope I can see you again. I work all this week, so feel free to stop by." He grinned at her. She smiled back, then, on an impulse, reached up and kissed his cheek.

He blinked, but then she was through the door, and it was closed, and she didn't see the rest of his reaction.

She wasn't even sure why she had kissed him.

III.

The following day, Micah and Jessica went out to eat.

They talked for a while about nothing in particular, how was your day, how was yours, what have you been doing, and other little formalities like that. Then, she asked him a question.

"Where were you last night?"

"Where was I?"

"Yes, I called you, but you weren't home. I left a message on your machine, but you never called back."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't even check my messages when I got back last night. I was out with an old friend I ran into yesterday."

"Old girl friend?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it was a girl friend, but not a girlfriend. You don't need to worry, I'm not going to leave you for her."

"Oh, I wasn't worried about that, darling, I was just curious where you were. And now I know you were out with another girl... It just makes me wonder."

"Jessica, sweetie, I would never cheat on you. You know that. It's not me. I could never do it."

She smiled. "I know. I just want you to know who has your leash."

She leaned in and kissed him.

The conversation shifted after that to less important matters. Neither of them had noticed the pair of eyes at a table a few rows over. Eyes that were watching with a disbelieving sheen.

Soon, those eyes made a connection, and then rose from where they were at a table a few yards away. They moved over to where Jessica and Micah were seated, deep in conversation.

"Jessica?" The voice of their owner said.

Jessica jumped and looked up behind her. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and turned white. "Jack!"

Micah looked up at the newcomer. "Jack? Jessica, who's-"

"Who's this guy?" Jack demanded.

Jessica swallowed. "This... this is uhhh, Micah. He's a ... uhhh... friend."

"Yeah," Micah said. "I'm her boyfriend. Her Fiancé, as a matter of fact."

"Fiancé?" Jack roared. He turned his attention to Jessica. "What the hell is he talking about?"

"He's... He's my fiancé," she admitted quietly.

Slowly, the pieces began to come together in Micah's mind. They formed a picture he didn't much care for.

"Wait a minute," he said, but no one paid any attention to him.

"Your fiancé? But you're my girlfriend!"

"Yes, I am. Well, I guess it's 'was' now."

"Damn straight it's 'was.'"

"Jack, please, don't be angry...."

"Too late. What the hell made you think you could date two of us?"

"Jack please, people are staring."

"I don't care! What the hell made you think that?"

"I don't know! I was selfish!"

Micah was taking all this in, not really believing it was happening.

"Jessica, were you... were you... cheating on me?"

She lowered her head, and looked at the table.

"Yes, I was."

"Why? I loved you! I was true to you. I never cheated on you. I never even thought about it. Never even came close to thinking about it. I asked you to marry me. Were you going to cheat on me through our marriage too?"

"No! I wasn't! I was going to stop when we got married, i swear it."

"But you were still cheating on me now! How am I ever supposed to trust you again?"

"I... I don't know."

Micah stared at her. "Neither do I," he said. The he turned on his heel and strode out. He never saw Jessica again.

He took a long walk that evening. Trying to sort out his feelings. Anger was there, and mixed with anger was hurt, and sadness, and frustration. They all made sense, except for frustration. What was that about?

Why am I frustrated? he asked himself. It's not like I've been a loser all my life. I had love, which is more then most people in this world. Well, a sort of love, I guess. Still more then most people get in a lifetime. I've had several loves. Shawna was the first. Carla was, sort of. For the two months we were together after school, and before college....

Then Jessica. I loved her, she loved me, only she loved other people too, and that's why the hurt, and pain and anger, but why frustration?

Does it have something to do with Shawna?

He thought about that for a few minutes. it might. It very well might have something to do with Shawna. Becuase she was with someone else. Someone not as good as he was. Someone who didn't deserve her, but had her anyway.

A new wave of frustration washed over her, and he knew that was it. It was because Shawna was with someone else, and he didn't deserve her.

But what could he do about it? If she loved him as she said she did, he had no right to break that up, no matter how much he wanted to be with her.

On the other hand, that was what had lost her to Jonny, way back when. Could he stand by and let it happen again? Did he want to? He found he didn't, but also found that if Shawna felt the way about him that she said she did, he couldn't do it.

He was torn. He wanted to, but didn't dare.

Decisions like this should never have to be made.

IV.

The next day, Jason picked up Shawna for their date. He had no flowers for her. Didn't have any sort of surprise for her.

"Hey babe. You ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said smiling. She kissed his lips. "Let's go."

"You got... wait a sec... What are those?"

"What are what? The flowers?"

"The flowers. Where did they come from?"

"From.. uhh.. from Micah."

"Micah. The guy you went out with yesterday?"

"Yeah. It didn't mean anything though. I mean look, they're white roses. White. White roses are for friendship. Don't you know that? God, you are being so suspicious. It would be funny, if you weren't so serious about it."

"White roses. Friendship huh?" He seemed to be trying to put the pieces together.

"Yes Jason. It's fine. Nothing will happen, I promise."

"Better not."

"It won't. Now c'mon, let's go hun." She took his arm and pulled him away. He went grudgingly. When they got to the car, he didn't open her door first, like Micah did. He simply got in and waited for her to join him.

On the way to the movie, she asked what they were going to see.

"Well, I figured we would go see Arlington Rd, since I wanted to see that last night."

"Really? I kind of wanted to see the new Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy. It looks like it might be a good movie."

"C'mon baby, it's Adam Sandler. Sandler is only funny when it comes to stupid comedy. I can pretty much guarantee you two things about that movie. One, it has little or no plot. Just Sandler being his usual stupid self. Secondly-"

"In his defense, Adam Sandler wasn't stupid in The Wedding Singer. He was actually pretty good in that one. That was a good movie."

"Yeah, if you're a loser like he was. No offense, hun. But like I was saying, secondly, All the funny parts in that movie were shown in the preview. There's nothing else to that movie. These two things I guarantee.

"Now Arlington Rd, on the other hand, has a plot. A rather good one, and I've heard it has a plot twist at the end too. Now, which one would you rather see now?"

She could see there was no point in arguing with him. When it came to movies, you couldn't argue against him. He could twist and turn anything.

"I guess we'll go see Arlington Rd, then."

"There. I knew you'd see it my way." He took her hand in his, and held it as they drove. "Trust me, babe. You'll like it. If you don't I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Okay."

When they got to the theater, he paid for his ticket, but must have clean forgotten about hers, because she had to pay her own way. Seems he forgot about small things like that sometimes. Micah never did though.

Don't think about Micah. You can't afford to start thinking about cheating on Jason. He needs you.

But she was wondering. Did he?

The movie was okay. It wasn't the best film she had ever seen, but she thought it was alright. Jeff Bridges' voice, however, began to get on her nerves after the first hour of the movie.

Jason thought it was the pinnacle of cinematic achievement. He loved it. Shawna didn't think it was that good, but she played along to keep Jason happy.

After dinner, they went to Carrow's, and ate. Again, it was Jason's choice. Jason never seemed to give her any choice about what they were going to do. That was a bit saddening, but it had always been that way. Nothing to get upset about this late in the relationship.

Still, Micah had always given her the choices.

Yes, but Micah is engaged, in case you forgot, and you can't have him anyway.

I know.

So just stop thinking about him.

So she stopped.

When the meal ended, Jason took the bill, and told her how much she owed. She paid it without saying anything, and left with Jason. He didn't leave a tip, as usual.

When they got back to her hotel, she invited him into her room, and they sat and talked for a while.

After about an hour, he got up to leave, and Shawna saw him to the door. At the door, he gave her a goodnight kiss, and they stood locked for a long time kissing.

When they finally broke the kiss, several minutes had passed, and they were both breathless.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "It would be better if you didn't."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then. I love you."

"I love you too. Tomorrow."

She turned and closed the door to her room.

She seriously doubted she would see him tomorrow. Not with the decision she had just made.

V.

The dream had something to do with Jessica, and her turning into a monster. That was all he really had time to realize before the phone woke him out of his dream.

He grabbed for the receiver, and missed. He grabbed it again, and dragged it over to his ear.

"Koch center for the study of the severely depressed. We are unable to answer your call right now because most of us just want to curl up in a ball and die. If you want to leave a message, please feel free to do so at the sound of the click."

Micah dropped the phone back onto the receiver.

Three seconds later, the phone rang again. He picked it up, prepared to recite it again, but a voice broke in before he could.

"Micah... what's wrong?"

"Shawna?"

"Yeah, of course. Now what's wrong? Did something happen between you and Jessica?"

"How could you tell that? Did i give it away somehow?"

Ignoring the sarcasm, she continued. "What happened?"

"We broke up, She was cheating on me with multiple guys."

"Oh no... that's horrible."

"It is, really? No way."

"Micah please, do you even know why I called?"

"Ummm, you realized the error of your ways, and you broke up with Jason, and want to come over to my place so we can wallow in our own freakish misery together at three a.m. in the morning?"

There was a moment of silence. "No, but that's closer then you know. I'm going to break up with Jason tomorrow, because he doesn't... he isn't... he isn't... you."

"Not me?"

"No. You're sweet, and nice, and you. And he's... not. God, I know this sounds lame, but it's how I feel."

"Ummm... you'll have to forgive my underwhelming attitude, I'm still mostly asleep, and wishing i was dead."

"Micah! Listen to me! When we were in high school, how did you feel about me?"

"Feel about you?" He was in love with her. He wanted to be with her more then anything in his entire life. "I liked you."

"Well, I liked you, too. I wanted to be with you very much. I loved you then, and I love you now."

"So, wait.. are you saying that..."

"I'm saying I want to be with you. I want to be your girlfriend. Your lover. Please, don't turn away forever."

"You're gong to reak up with Jason, is that what you said?"

"Yes."

He rubbed his eyes, coming awake.

"This isn't a dream that my delusioned mind is giving me to make me feel better for a few scant minutes until I wake up again?"

"No, Micah."

"Mmm. Okay. sounds like a deal. I'm yours if you'll have me."

"Oh, thank you Micah. I'll be over there tomorrow to see you. Right after I break up with Jason."

"Sounds good."

"Yeah." He could hear the smile in her voice. "Goodnight. I love you."

It was strange hearing those words in her voice. "I love you, too," he replied.

There was a click as she hung up. Micah dropped the receiver back onto the phone and lay back on the bed. In seconds, he was asleep again, and this time, his dreams were much better.

VI.

She called up Jason, and asked him to meet her at Hops, one of the local bar and grills. He agreed that he would be there.

When she got there, she was anxious. Jason would probably not understand why she was doing what she was doing, but hopefully he would figure it out in time. If he did, it would make him a better person. If he didn't, well... He would just have to find some other girl who wasn't as lucky as she was.

She sat at a table near the door, so he could see her when he came in. She sipped her water, just enough to keep her mouth moist. She felt like throwing up, she was so anxious.

He came in, and she felt her stomach go twang.

"Hey, babe," He said.

"Hey Jason," she says kind of quietly.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I think you could say that."

"Hmmm. That's not good. What's wrong?"

"Jason.. I... I... I cant't think of any good way to say this. I... think we need to break up."

He blinked, and sat back, disbelief showing on his face. "Ummmm, okay. Any particular reason why?"

"Because... you aren't the kind of guy I want to be with. Not anymore. You were, but... things have changed."

"Changed? Why have things changed?" She could see a suspicion beginning to grow in his eyes, and she knew he knew. Or at least suspected.

"Because I've met someone else, and I would rather be with him then you."

His eyes narowed, and he regarded her disdainfully. "It's that Micah idiot, isn't it?"

"See? That's exactly why I don't want to date you anymore. You have no regard for anyone. For God's sake, I'm your Fianceé, and I still pay my own way! What the hell is wrong with you that you can't pay for your own fianceé? Micah paid for me, and he was just doing it because he was being nice."

"This is about money?"

"No! It's not about money. It's about respect, and signs of love, and how you never give me either. You say you love me, yeah. You can talk the talk, but you have never, ever, walked the walk."

"What about all those... sessions... on the couch? Doesn't that prove something?"

"No! That's not love! That's just sex!"

"We've never had sex!"

"You know what I mean. It's different. Besides, that's not a sign of affection. You could probably kiss any girl that way and feel the same way, couldn't you?"

He had nothing to say to that.

"That's why I'm breaking up with you. Micah actually shows me he cares. You... you don't."

"Fine," he said. "Fine. Go ahead and be with your little friend. I don't care. I could have any girl I want. Just remember that. I'll have someone within a week, and when he dumps you for the next best thing, which he's bound to do, you'll come crawling back to me, and I won't take you." He got up and stormed out of the bar and grill, and she sat and stared at the water ring that had formed on the table.

Well, that went better then I thought it would.

She sat for a few minutes, then she also left the table.

VII.

Micah was back working the Tech Support/Repai desk when he was interrupted by a rather unusual question. One he didn't get all the time. In fact, this was the first time that he had been asked, and it would also be the last.

"'Scuse me," a man said. Micah looked up.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?"

"Well, I've... uhh... got a flat tire."

Micah nodded slowly. The man leaned in and whispered.

"I don't know how to change it."

Micah blinked. "Seriously?"

The man nodded, clearly embarrased. "It's just one of those things I never managed to get down."

"Okay, well... I'll see what I can do."

Micah got out from behind the desk, and walked outside with the man.

They walked over to his car, and at first, Micah didn't see the flat tire.

"It's over on the far side," the man said. Micah walked around the car, and looked at the tires on the other side.

He started to turn to the other man. "I don't see-" His thoughts were cut off in midstride as the man punched him in the face. Micah's head jerked back, and he staggered a couple of steps.

"What the hell was that-"

The man punched him again, this time in the stomach, and Micah collapsed to the ground, his wind gone. What was going on?

"That was for general principles," he said. "This," and he kicked him in the stomach, "is for taking Shawna."

Taking Shawna? Was this Jason? He tried to get back, and out of range of Jason's kicks, but he only succeeded in getting kicked elsewhere.

"Jason," he managed to say when he got some breath back, "Listen to me..."

"No. Shut up you piece of shit." He kicked Micah in the ribs. Micah cried out, and it was probably that cry that saved his life. Jason might not have killed him, but then Micah managed to fight back, and that would have pretty much sealed his fate, if not for that cry.

"Yeah, cry baby," Jason taunted him. "Cry for help." He stood over Micah, and then laughed.

Micah looked up at him. "I don't cry" was all Micah said, but Jason was too busy laughing to hear him. Micah lashed out with his foot, and caught Jason's legs, sending him down to the ground also. On the way down, he hit his head on the trunk of his car (if it really was his car- he could have just selected a car at random for this task), and collapsed next to Micah.

Jason got himself up on his hands and knees, and crawled over to Micah. His nose was bleeding, but that was all. He wasn't even dazed. He grabbed the front of Micah's shirt, and shook him. "That was not a good move. And now, you're gonna pay for it."

His grip switched from Micah's shirt to Micah's neck, and he began to throttle him.

VIII.

After leaving the bar and grill, Shawna went to see Micah, but he wasn't home. She wondered where he could have gone, and then remembered that he was probably at work.

She got back into her car, and drove to where he worked. She got out of her car, and started walking toward the door.

She was halfway there when she heard someone cry out. It sounded like they were in pain.

Then, another voice said something, and that voice was familiar to her. A chill ran through her and she stepped slowly in that direction, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

If that was Jason she heard, then he couldn't be here to wish Micah good luck. She moved towards where she had heard the sounds coming from, and looked around one of the cars. She hadn't seen Jason's car, but that didn't mean he wasn't here.

There was no one around that car, or the next, but she was drawing closer. Around the next car, she could see some movement through the window. She hurried her step, and saw them just as Jason started to throttle Micah. She ran over, and grabbed his shoulders, trying to pry him off of Micah.

He swung one fist around and caught her in the ribs. She fell back, and he returned to throttling Micah.

"Jason!" she said in an authoritative tone of voice. He stopped, but didn't release his grip. He turned halfway to look at her.

"What do you want?"

"Let him go."

"No."

"Do it, or so help me, I'll beat you senseless."

He laughed at her.

"You? Are you serious? You've never fought a day in your life! You wouldn't be able to hurt me!" He began to turn back to Micah. She came forward and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned again.

"What the hell-"

She punched him right in the side of his face. He fell back, letting go of Micah, who let out a rough sounding cry as he fell over. Jason held his cheek in one hand.

"You bitch," he said, and got up. She took a step back. "You are so going to regret that."

"Not today Jason. Now you have a choice. If you go away, and leave us alone, I won't press charges. if you persist, I will beat you senseless, and then I will press charges. Your choice."

Jason swung at her.

She ducked under it and swung her own fist into his stomach. He let out a whoosh of air, but didn't fall over.

"That was the wrong answer, Jason. Care to try again?"

He charged her, trying to get her on the ground where his superior weight would be an advantage.

She sidestepped, and slid her foot out, tripping him up. He went sprawling across the asphalt, slicing his body up in a dozen different places.

"Strike two, Jason."

He got up again, visibly wavering and came forward again. he swung his fist, which she dodged easily, then swung again. She dodged that blow too.

"That makes it strike three, Jason. You're out."

She dodged his next blow, then punched him in the face. His head snapped back, but he managed to keep his balance. He punched again, but she deflected it, and punched his face again.

His nose was disfigured, and bleeding, and his lips were cut from the blows against his teeth, but he kept coming. God, he kept coming, he was like a man possessed.

He swung again, but she ducked under it, and the momentum swung him around. She kicked out and caught him in his lower back. He let out an "uuuurp," and then collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. She knelt down next to him, prepared for anything he might try, but he was out of it.

She went over to Micah, and helped him up.

He opened his eyes, and looked at her. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Yeah, I thought I heard yours too. That's why I'm here, instead of inside asking about you." He managed a smile.

"Can you walk?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm more or less okay. Just a few bruises on the ribs is all. I'll be alright. Just needed to get my breath back. I coulda taken him."

She laughed and held him, and from that moment, everything was fine.

By Popular Demand, I have added an Epilogue to this story.

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