Letofan07's Journals

Update

Hello, Everyone!

It has been a long time since I have posted anything significant on Buzznet, but I guess Facebook has occupied my time. I will try to spend more time on Buzznet over the summer, and post more stuff.

As for my fanfic Interrogative...I will be discontinuing it in its present form. That means that I am still going to be writing, but I am turning it into a piece of regular fiction. I see a lot of potential in completing it as something more than a hobby. This means that I am changing names, events, etc. to make it accessible to a regular audience who knows nothing about 30 Seconds to Mars. If you would still like to read it, visit a website called FictionPress.com and search for author KellyVirg. I have kept the title so it should be easy to find once you get to the page. You do not have to sign in to view the writing, but you do have to register to comment or review. If you have a Live Journal page, you can also visit me there. My user name is adrienneeidric and Interrogative chapters one and two are already posted. You do have to have an account to read and to comment.

Along with converting the piece to fiction, I am also doing a lot of grammatical corrections and plot changes with a Betareader on FictionPress. If you guys can read it and come up with any comments that you didn't mention before, it would be great. Even if you can't comment on the page, just message me here or drop me a note. I really look forward to your new opinions.

For some of you, you might not want to wait for me to finally catch up to chapter 42, where I should be starting if I were to continue on with the story today. I am going through the rest of the story so I can make any major changes along the way and not have to fix them all later. I will post another announcement once I have reached the chapter 42 mark. That will be several months though. i've got a lot of chapters to go through and I will not be posting more than twice a week. I would not plan on that announcement until September at the earliest. I also have hopes to start other works, so your update may be delayed.

I hope you all will read my posts on one of the two sites and tell me what you think.

Thanks. :)

Letofan07

A Flick of Fire, Rough Draft #2

Here is the second rough draft. It is worth reading again because I added a couple paragraphs, fixed most the spelling and grammatical errors and deleted/rephrased many sentences. Tell me what you think! :)

We split into groups in search of Ms. Babcock. The lights had flickered intermittently, but this time they remained off. Hours before I had been called down to receive final instructions from Ms. Babcock. I observed patently that Ms. Babcock would not be coming down from her chambers when, two hours after nine that night, she still had not descended the tall stairs leading to her grandiose ballroom. Others around me wondered if her illness had finally killed her or rather stupidly if the thick sheet of ice blanketing the steeply sloped driveway triggered a â�œtragicâ� fall. Without warning, the lights had begun to blink until they blinked for the last time, showering me in the devilâ�™s darkness.

Now only the iridescent glow of the moon showed light through the towering, angelic windows of Ms. Babcockâ�™s grand ballroom. Whispers engulfed the room, some hysteric, others curious. Not too far from my person I saw the warm, harvest glow of a cigarette lighter riser into the air. I could sense the crescendo of mutterings from the other guests slowly hush and turn to the only comforting source of light: the flick of hellish fire.

The man holding the instrument waited only a moment before he spoke, â�œSo no one has seen Ms. Eugenia Babcock all day?â� His voice had a rich resonance, deep in thought and trippingly smooth. No doubt he was a member of elite society. Only a man of such despicable status could portray such evil pride.

The guests released a universal utterance of agreement and echoing murmurs. I regressed to my usual patient self. Calm. Collective. Just watching.

â�œLadies and Gentlemen!â� he called, grabbing the crowds attention, â�œMy name is Jonathan Anderson. I know we all came here with the hope of receiving the 250 million dollars, but unless we find Ms. Babcock, the money is going nowhere. We need to split into groups of no more than six and cover as much ground as possible.â�

The crowd became restless again.

â�œMs. Babcockâ�™s staff has a large supply of flashlights. If you could come over here, they will pass them out,â� he said, waving a flashlight in his hand instead of the fire.

The guests stumbled to the fireâ�™s glow and one by one white lights scattered on the walls and people split into groups.

It ever amused me, chaos. I could not help it. Inevitably, I would grin and revel in the fluctuating timbre of the human voice. Of course, amidst the chaos, I could not speak. Calmness overrode any irrational thought and directed all of my energy to relishing the sights and sounds around me.

I joined a group headed north out of the ballroom. Staying comfortable in the back, I kept up with them at a speedy pace. A flash of a fiery glow caught my eye. I was with the man from hell. The shadows of the night revealed the identity of the others in the groups. There were two insignificant men I spotted by their broad shoulders and a beautiful black silhouette of a woman directly in front of me.

â�œWhere are we looking for her?â� the woman asked breathily, trying to keep up with Jonathan. â�œHow do you know where we are going?â�

Jonathan replied nastily, â�œWe are looking anywhere lady. In case you havenâ�™t noticed, we split into groups because no one knows where the hell they are going. We have a better chance of finding her split up.â�

â�œMy name is Christy, by the way,â� she retorted. â�œYou do not have to be so rude about it.â�

He sighed irritably, shrugging her off. â�œJust follow me.â�

What a brute.

We turned sharply left and were at two clear glass doors leading to an indoor swimming pool. I entered last just behind Christy and the blue glow of the chlorinated water reflected on the walls and glass ceiling.

Jonathan proceeded to the end of the room, leaving Christy, the two men, and I behind. He was too eager of a man. Wonderful.

Christy pivoted facing the opposite end of the room and stepped gently, impossibly slow.

I heard a thump come from behind me. As I turned, Jonathan shined his flashlight on Christy. I smiled. She had fallen. Gasps filled the room and Christy, getting to her feet, looked down, bewilderedly at what had caused her fall.

â�œAh!â� she screamed and jumped back from the body of Ms. Eugenia Babcock, fidgeting. It must have been all of the excitement.

The lights blinked back.

Ms. Babcock lay dead on the marble floor, stretched out; skin slightly translucent, and a pale blue. Her eyes were empty, lifeless. Her middle-aged face no longer occupied by fine wrinkles.

The expressions of my peers brought me delight. Which one of them could have expected to discover a dead corpse on their hopeful vacation of sorts? Let alone one so deserving of death as Ms. Eugenia Babcock. True, she would have died in several months, but finding her dead before her timeâ�¦. That must leave a person in sheer amazement.

Everyone knew Ms. Babcock, the great philanthropist and the charitable one, but they overlooked her evils, her sins. How she cheated her way to greatness, through methods unclean. When she found she only had months to live, she knew she had to cleanse herself. If not, where else would the afterlife take her but to dine with fire. She knew she must buy her way into the light. But she could not be allowed to. The money was evil, fortunes of sin. A moment of repent could not change a lifetime of unholy deeds.

But, the human soul is weak. We are too easily tempted. I knew I had to cease the desire she inspired in her admirers. She had to die! There was no other way. The money could not be found. It could not fall into the hands of weak humans.

So the night before, early in the morning, I lured Ms. Babcock on a tour of the estate. I complimented her. Appeased her. Degraded my person to flirt with the witch, for she would not follow if I did not. I led her to the site of her murder in the darkness of the night. She fell for my charms and revealed the secrets of her sins and whispered the location of her indulgence in my ear. At this proximity I brought my arms around her back, closer and closer to her white neck and jerked my palms around that column of flesh. She struggled at first. I saw the sin in the endless black pools that were her eyes. Forcing her down to the marble floor, I felt the convulsions dim; the demons die in her eyes. At last she was still. A bloodless death. Finally, an end to her pride and cheating ways.

Grinning, I spent several minutes staring at her frozen form, admiring my approaching sainthood. I knew God would take me now. My mother and father would be so proud.

Back through the palatial estate, up two flights of stairs to the door of her chambers, I entered the sinnerâ�™s sanctuary. A fire was ablaze twenty feet away from me. I dared not touch her infested belongings. They were too far-gone. I had one goal: to find the moneyâ�¦and burn it. She had hidden it in the holy book. The witch. Only she would dare. The fallen book lay on her beside table and I gently lifted each page until I saw a thin, rectangular card. Plastic. Black. I tore it from the book, broke it in half with my bare hands and thrust it into the fire.

My suite then called to me and I waited anxiously until we were called to the ballroom at nine the following night. Excitement filled me. I could not wait for everyone to applaud me. I had saved them from inevitable sin. They would be so proud of me.

Now, as Ms. Babcockâ�™s dead body lay before me, I saw the awe in my peers. A grandiose smile occupied my lips. They couldnâ�™t take their eyes off me; they were so thankful. I began to laugh, a rich, joyous laugh not be compared. I could not stop. God would take me now.

English Mystery Short Story

Hey, guys! I've got a journal for you to read although, unfortunately, it's not for my fanfic. This is for an English assignment that is due next Friday. I just want some input. :)

Basically we had to write a short story about a rich business executive, Ms. Babcock, who is murdered at a party she is throwing to give away 250 million dollars. However, the reason she is giving away her millions is because she has just found out that she has a few months to live. So my character is invited randomly and after she is murdered we are supposed to build up suspense to when the killer is revealed.

I took a different twist on the story because as the prompt is written it is like a cheesy dramatic mystery, so I hopefully strayed far away from that feel. If any of you have read Edgar Allan Poe, I went for a feel like he has in most of his work, mainly "The Cask of Amontillado." It's supposed to be very intense, and psychological and time jumps a few times. Please let me know if you are confused at all with the time jumping! Also, let me know if you think the side characters are developed enough. Other than that, ask me any questions that come to mind. I'm letting my English teacher read it, but I want outside opinions as well. Thanks. :)

We split into groups in search of Ms. Babcock. The lights had flickered intermittently, but this last time they remained off. Now only the iridescent glow of the moon showed light through the towering, angelic windows of Ms. Babcockâ�™s grand ballroom. Whispers engulfed the room, some hysteric, others curious. Not too far from my person I saw the warm, harvest glow of a cigarette lighter riser into the air. It cast distorted, dark shadows on its holderâ�™s fiery face. I could sense the crescendo of mutterings from the other guests slowly hush and turn to the only comforting source of light: the flick of hellish fire.

A man, another guest, was holding that instrument and waited only a moment before he spoke. â�œSo no one has seen Ms. Eugenia Babcock all day?â� His voice had a rich resonance, deep in thought, and trippingly smooth. No doubt he was a member of elite society.

The guests released a universal utterance of agreement. The man paused for a moment. A twisted frown appeared on his face. The room filled with echoing murmurs.

The crowd became restless again.

â�œMs. Babcockâ�™s attendees have a large supply of flashlights if you could come over here,â� he said, waving a flashlight in his hand instead of the fire from hell.

The guests stumbled to the fireâ�™s glow and one by one white lights scattered on the walls and people split into groups.

Amidst the chaos I joined a group headed north out of the ballroom. I stayed comfortable in the back and kept up with them at a speedy pace. I saw a flash of a fiery glow again. I was with the man from hell. The shadows of the night revealed the identity of the others in the groups. There were two insignificant men I spotted by their broad shoulders and a beautiful black silhouette woman directly in front of me.

â�œWhere are we looking for her?â� the woman asked breathily, trying to keep up with Jonathan. â�œHow do you know where we are going?â�

Jonathan replied nastily, â�œWe are looking anywhere lady. In case you havenâ�™t noticed, we split into groups because no one knows where they are going and we have a better chance of finding her.â�

â�œMy name is Christy, by the way,â� she retorted. â�œYou donâ�™t have to be so rude about it.â�

He sighed irritably, shrugging her off. â�œJust follow me.â�

What a brute.

Jonathan strutted to the end of the room, leaving Christy, the two men, and I behind. He was too eager a man. Wonderful.

Christy backtracked to an opposite end of the room, stepping gently, impossibly slow.

I heard a thump come from behind me. As I turned, Jonathan shined his flashlight on Christy. I smiled. She had fallen. Gasps filled the room and Christy, bewildered, looked down.

â�œAh!â� she screamed and jumped back from the body of Ms. Eugenia Babcock. She began to fidget. It must have been all of the excitement.

The lights lit up around us.

â�œAnother groups must have found the generator,â� Jonathan mumbled in awe.

Ms. Babcock laid dead on the marble floor, stretched, skin slightly translucent, and a pale blue.

The expressions of my peers brought me delight. Which one of them could have expected to discover a dead corpse on their hopeful vacation of sorts? Let alone one so deserving of death as Ms. Eugenia Babcock. True, she was diagnosed with fatal familial insomnia and would have died in several months, but finding her dead before her timeâ�¦. That must leave a person in sheer amazement.

Everyone knew Ms. Babcock, the great philanthropist and the charitable one, but they overlooked her evils, her sins. How she cheated her way to greatness, through methods unclean. When she found she only had months to live, she knew she had to cleanse herself. If not, where else would the afterlife take her but to dine with fire. She knew she must buy her way into the light. But she could not be allowed to. The money was evil, money of sin. A moment of repent could not change a lifetime of unholy deeds.

So the night before, early in the morning, I lured Ms. Babcock on a tour of the estate. I complimented her. I appeased her. I degraded my person to flirt with the witch, for she would not follow if I did not. I led her to the site of her murder in the darkness of the night. She fell for my charms and revealed the secrets of her sins and whispered the location of her indulgence in my ear. At this proximity I brought my arms around her back, closer and closer to her white neck and jerked my palms around that column of flesh. She struggled at first. I saw the sin in the endless black pools that were her eyes. I forced her down to the marble floor and felt the convulsions dim; the demons die in her eyes. At last she was still. A bloodless death. Finally, an end to her pride and cheating ways.

I grinned and spent several minutes staring at her frozen form, admiring my approaching sainthood. I knew God would take me now. My mother and father would be so proud.

I crept back through the palatial estate, up two flights of stairs to the door of her chambers. I entered the sinnerâ�™s sanctuary. A fire was ablaze 20 feet away from me. I dared not touch her infested belongs. They were too far-gone. I had one goal: to find the moneyâ�¦and burn it. She had hidden in the holy book. The witch. Only she would dare. I found the fallen book and gently lifted each page until I saw a thin, rectangular card. Plastic. Black. I tore it from the book, broke in half with my bare hands and thrust it into the fire.

I headed back to my suite afterward and waited anxiously until we were called to the ballroom at 9:00 PM sharp. Excitement filled me. I couldnâ�™t wait for everyone to applaud me. I had saved them from inevitable sin. They would be so proud of me.

Now, as Ms. Babcockâ�™s dead body lay before me, I saw the awe in my peers. I smiled bigger than ever. They couldnâ�™t take their eyes off me; they were so thankful. I began to laugh, a rich, joyous laugh not be compared. I couldnâ�™t stop. God would take me now.

p.s. I am also stuck on a catchy title, so if anything comes to your mind...let me know. God, I've said that so many times! :)

Two Months?

Has it actually been two months since my last post?

I have been so busy with school and chorus that I haven't even thought about writing. My exams are in less than four weeks and that's all that's on my mind.

Except the fact that I made Barbershop in my 3rd period chorus and I am also completely preoccupied with working with two of my friends on an a cappella piece for our school's talent show auditions on January 7 or 8. But, guess what that piece is??

"The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars. I found a fellow 30stm fan in my chorus and we are working another friend on a 3 part harmony to the Kill. I'm singing soprano (the highest part).

The catch? We haven't really started on it. We decided to do it last Wednesday, and turned the form in the next day. We worked on it a little on Friday during class, but our first real rehearsal was today. It doesn't seem that hard to write a 3 part harmony (meaning soprano, soprano 2, and alto)...but it is.

We actually have to arrange the piece. Not to mention there isn't a choral version of the song. Essentially we are adding the alto and soprano 2 parts. I'm basically singing what Jared sings, but an octave (eight notes) higher. Obviously he goes too low for me to sing. We worked 6 hours straight today on it, and since we also have to figure out note duration in the 3/4 or 6/8 time signature, it's taking a while. My friend is using software online to neatly print out this music. It will take a while.

I just thought this would be great to share with some of favorite 30stm fans. I will post the music if I can. I just can't believe we are actually arranging a piece of music. It's a good thing my friend took AP Music Theory (this would be 10 times harder without her). I've got a hard two weeks ahead of me. There may not be any Interrogative updates this break. I hope there will be, but who knows.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and New Year and any other holiday you may celebrate! I'm celebrating my birthday on New Years (15 years of life on Earth).

Letofan07

Harassed

Harassment Statement 10/21/08

So, today I was harassed. Whether itâ�™s sexual or physical I am not sure, but I know for a fact that I was. To describe how I feel right now, Iâ�™d say itâ�™s anxious, overwhelmed, self-conscious, angry, and confused. I feel like I want to cry, but the emotion just wont come out. I will go through my day so far.

5:30 am. I wake up and get ready for school.

6:19 am. I go out to the bus stop.

6:45 am. I arrive at school. Libby, Kayla, Isaac, and I head to our normal table in the cafeteria and talk for a few minutes. Libbyâ�™s friend wants her to sit with her at another spot in the cafeteria. Kayla decides to go sit with her friends since Libby had gone. She leaves. Isaac goes to look for a girl named Courtney and he leaves. I decided to go to the gym since everyone else had left. I was alone. Healthful Living is my first period class and Iâ�™ve been there before early with no one else. I walk in and the lights are on and I set my backpack and jacket down and lean against the right side bleachers.

6:55 am. I see the guy walking past the gym and suspect nothing of it. He is a Special Needs student and has come randomly in the gym before and has walked right back out. He has also done that during class. This time he comes in and walks toward me. I lean away from the bleachers and walk to my book bag to find a book. I didnâ�™t think he would actually talk to me. I had been planning on reading. I like quiet in the morning. He starts talking to me and fires questions at me back to back. Some include: â�œDo you know me?â� â�œDo you like my shirt?â� (It said â�˜NC STATEâ�™ and I said â�œyes.â�) â�œDoes your sister go here?â� (I said â�œno.â�) â�œWhy not?â� (I said, â�œSheâ�™s in college.â�) â�œDo you know my brother?â� (I said â�œno.â�). The questions continue and I canâ�™t remember all of them. He has a Spanish accent and I canâ�™t fully understand every thing he said. I had to ask him several times to repeat himself. He asks if we can walk and I say unsteadily, â�œSure.â� We take a few steps, stop, then he motions to my leg and says, â�œI like that.â� After that, he touches my arm and asks, â�œWhat is that.â� I replied that it was my arm. Then, he takes my hand in his and says that it is pretty and that his brother thinks Iâ�™m pretty. He asks for a hug then and I anxiously say â�œsureâ� and give him one. At this point Iâ�™m officially â�œfreaked outâ� and just want to get away. Every time I take a step back, he follows me and continues to get closer. He asks if I can come over to his house and I tell him that I didnâ�™t think my parents would like it very much. He asks me again two more times and I say the same thing.

7:03 am. A girl suddenly comes in the gym. I tell him that I really need to talk to her, that I have a big project that I need to discuss with her. He tells me, â�œNo, just two more minutesâ� several times. I get nervous as I watch her leave the gym. I am alone again. I try to get around him but he blocks me. We are very close to a wall now and I try to get around him, I end up getting closer and closer to the wall until I am standing against it. He gets extremely close to me and looks me up and down several times as he talks incomprehensibly. He puts his hands on the wall, one on either side of my head, blocking me entirely from seeing anything else. He is about an inch or two from my face.

7:05 am. I tell him to let me out, but he says, once again, â�œNo, just two more minutes.â� When I ask again, he grabs my wrists and holds me against wall. I say twice calmly say, â�œCan you let me go?â� He ignores me and grips a little tighter. My voice becomes more panicked and desperate and I start pushing away from him trying to get around him and toward the door (which is 50 steps away). He pulls me back to him. A janitor comes in and hears me say, â�œLet me go!â� and yells at him to get away from me. I walk, away, irritated and stressed, wanting to groan and shake my shoulders. Three people in my health class come into the gym then, confused.

7:12 am. The janitor waves me over to him and leads me out the gym doors where two Assistant principals are coming towards us. One is Mr. Chang. We head back into the gym and they question us about what happened. The guy is standing right there. I tell a brief summary including the fact that he pinned me against the wall. The guy says, â�œI have classes with her.â� I dart my eyes to the assistant principals and shake my head subtly, â�œNo.â� One leads the guy out to another class and Mr. Chang tells me to follow him. We walk through the cafeteria and I pass Henriette who I give a small smile to. I suppose I was trying to keep up a good appearance.

7:16 am. We reach Mr. Changâ�™s office and he talks to me a little about what happened. I tell him the basic story, although a little more in depth than I had in front of the guy. He gives me paper and pen to write the statement on. He looks at my record and notices my straight â�œAâ�™s.â� He asks if he should call my parents and I say that I probably should. He says that he knows the kid and that heâ�™s almost positive that he had no mean-spirited intent. As to that, I am not sure I agree. He asked if I thought it was a single incident type thing and I said, â�œprobably,â� although, now that Iâ�™m thinking straight I have doubts about that too. When dealing with special needs people, itâ�™s hard to know what they are thinking. What are they going to do? They donâ�™t think like I do and I canâ�™t read the intent on their faces as I can with others. What would have happened if the janitor hadnâ�™t stopped it? Who knows what he could have done? And now, Iâ�™m not sure if it will really be a single incident. If Iâ�™m ever alone again, whoâ�™s to say he doesnâ�™t have an infatuation that heâ�™ll want to pursue. I have no way to be sure if it will or will not happen again. All I know is that I was extremely uncomfortable and felt (and still do) violated of my personal space and confidence. Anyway, Mr. Chang called my mom after my dad was unsuccessfully contacted and I told her the story. My mom asks if I think she should come take me home and I said no. I didnâ�™t want to miss school because of this. Mr. Chang said that he would arrange the appropriate punishment and keep my statement on file. He gives me a pass to my first period class.

7:30 am. In first period, I give Ms. Oâ�™Connor the pass and ask if I can talk to her about what happened. I tell her a little bit and I get emotional. She remembers the janitor telling her about it and asks me if I think I should talk to a counselor. I say, â�œYes.â� She takes me down to the guidance office and we find Ms. Taylor after some searching. In her office, I retell the story and she lets me talk with another counselor, whom I also retell the story with. After a few minutes, I tell her that I should call my mom and ask her to pick me up. All I would do the whole day is think about what happened. I go to the attendance office and call her.

7:53 am. I report back to health, where everyone is dressed out. We go outside for gym and do tennis.

8:15 am. My mom picks me up.

Now my whole family knows. Great. And there's going to be rumors circulating now. It'll turn from sexual harassment to rape. Awesome. I'll update you later.

The Bank Vault, Pt. 2

YELENA (sighing)

There are exceptions to every rule. And sometimes itâ�™s necessary to do worse things.

NATHAN

Have you killed anyone?

(YELENA stands and quickly replies.)

YELENA

Yes. I have. But, donâ�™t glorify it. I donâ�™t have pride in that. I did what I had to do. At this point, they will kill me if I donâ�™t.

(The walkie-talkie beeps. YELENA pulls it off her belt loop.)

YELENA

Vinn? What is it?

VINN (frantic)

YELENA! GET MOVING NOW! I donâ�™t know how they found out. The cops.

YELENA

What? We canâ�™t get out. Edik hasnâ�™t come yet.

VINN

He said heâ�™d be there in a second. Just be ready!

YELENA

Okay. Got it. Out.

(To NATHAN)

YELENA

Weâ�™ve got to leave. They found us.

(A cracking, drilling sound begins, starting quiet and increasing to a single, loud roar. EDIK, dirty all over, in another black ensemble and heavy boots, enters up stage left, coughing.)

EDIK

Come on, weâ�™ve got to go.

YELENA (rushing to EDIK)

Are you okay?â�

(OFFICER HAUSEN and MR. FREI enter up stage right and walk to the vault door. HAUSEN is man in his early to mid 50â�™s with gray, slightly balding hair. FREI is a cold man in his late 30â�™s with a â�œperfectâ� appearance.)

EDIK

It doesnâ�™t matter. Come on!

(Bangings are made my HAUSEN and FREI on the other side of the vault door.)

HAUSEN

Open up! We know youâ�™re in there, thieves. Thereâ�™s no way out. Give it up.

FREI

You idiot, Hausen. They arenâ�™t just going to come out. Move!

(FREI shoves HAUSEN downstage and starts on the keypad.)

EDIK

American, come here. NOW! â�”Unless you want to be caught.

(NATHAN runs over to EDIK and YELENA. EDIK grabs YELENAâ�™S arm and pulls her closer to him. He points offstage, up left.)

EDIK

Go down that tunnel. Go as fast as you can and donâ�™t stop. The floor is going to have so stay open.

NATHAN

They can follow us?!

(EDIK pushes YELENA and then NATHAN offstage. He notices the backpack on the floor near the stool YELENA had been sitting on and grabs it before running off behind them.)

FREI (angry)

Why wonâ�™t this door open!

HAUSEN

Mr. Frei, do you have the right combination?

FREI

YES! I own this bank. Of course I know the combination.

(The door suddenly starts cranking open. HAUSEN and FREI step back until the door is fully open, and then rush inside to see a mess of paper and security deposit boxes everywhere.)

FREI

Damn! The jewels. They got the jewels.

HAUSEN

You mean the crownâ�™s?

FREI (calm, then furious)

No. YES, OF COURSE THE CROWN JEWELS HAUSEN!

(FREI kicks a stool over and slumps down against the upstage wall of boxes. The curtain closes.)

That's it. Once again, tell me of any typos or confusing parts. :)

The Bank Vault

Okay, guys, this thing is messing up so it's centered, but anyway, this is the midterm project for my Theatre Arts 1 class. We basically had to write a ten-minute play with one setting. I wrote this all of Saturday so I'm sort of sick of writing now. And today I started and am about to finish my World History project which is to make an African mask and then do a "research" paper. She gave us all of the information though, so it's not that hard. I just had to make sure it was phrased smoothly. Anyway, I'm totally relaxed now because I don't have to worry about another project until December when my big World History project is due. Now, just enjoy:

The Bank Vault

A Short Play

(The curtain rises and dim lights come up to create a night-like effect. It is 2:25 am in Amsterdam, Holland. We are at the national bank in the most top-secret sector. Center stage, we see a large vault door placed on a diagonal so that it is almost vertical to the audience. A crank and electronic combination pad are located on the door. Lights snap to reveal a cold, sterile, metal room, and a fluorescent effect. NATHAN pops into view up stage left in a secretive, nervous pose. All lights black out, except for a white spot light on him. NATHAN is wearing a black ensemble, tight fitted, with a backpack on his shoulders. His head is uncovered to reveal brown hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. He is slender, but not very fit. The spot follows him as he slowly, cautiously creeps to the door. He digs in his pocket to find a small slip of paper. He read it and punches the written combination into the keypad on the vault. A moment of silence, and the vault door cranks, then juts open. NATHAN sneaks inside, keeping a hand on the vault door. YELENA enters center stage left, still in darkness, and stands behind NATHAN, keeping out of the spot light. NATHAN turns around and another spot flashes on YELENA. She is an attractive, very fit woman with dark brown hair and eyes, clad in another black suit. NATHAN jumps and yelps, accidentally shutting the door behind him. A thud sounds.)

NATHAN

Oh, God, Yelena! Itâ�™s you.

YELENA (with Russian accent)

Be quiet! Yes. What took you so long?

NATHAN

Guards were patrolling outside. And you said they werenâ�™t going to be there!

YELENA (grabbing his arm)

Nathan! I said be quiet. I canâ�™t control everything that happens. You need to expect the unexpected.

NATHAN (with attitude)

Iâ�™m sorry. Maybe you could just tell me that next time.

YELENA

That defeats the purpose. I wouldnâ�™t be testing you then would I? I donâ�™t get that opportunity to know ahead. Why should you?

NATHAN

Because I come from nowhere. Itâ�™s not like Iâ�™ve ever done anything like this before. Coming from being a bank accountant in New York to thisâ�”Iâ�™d say thatâ�™s a huge change.

(Full lights come up to reveal the left part of the set. One wall of safety deposit boxes is placed upstage creating a right angle with the upstage side of the vault door and another is at a right angle with the same wall. In the center, two black stools are set up. Upstage right, a tower is standing with a platform up top. VINN is standing there dressed in black, but lights are not fully shined upon him. He is outside keeping watch. YELENA walks stage left to the wall of safety deposit boxes.)

YELENA

Youâ�™re not going to win this argument. You know the deal. Either you do this or you die. Get used to it. Now, come here. And pay attention. Youâ�™ll be doing it alone next time.

(NATHAN crosses.)

YELENA

Give me your backpack.

(NATHAN takes his backpack off and hands it to her. YELENA sinks down to the floor on her knees and digs through the bag.)

NATHAN

What are you looking for?

YELENA

A key.

(YELENA finds a wallet and snaps it open.)

NATHAN

For what?

(YELENA flashes two keys to NATHAN.)

YELENA

Got it! What do you think? Weâ�™re opening these boxes.

(YELENA stands back up and hands NATHAN one of the keys, then heads to the top row of boxes on the wall.)

YELENA

Start trying them.

NATHAN

I still donâ�™t understand why weâ�™re doing this. This is illegal. Donâ�™t you care that weâ�™re stealing the crown jewels of Holland? We can be sent to prison for life. This wasnâ�™t what I bargained for.

(YELENA whips around.)

YELENA (deadly serious)

You didnâ�™t bargain for anything. You brought yourself into this. If you hadnâ�™t stayed late at work with your little girlfriend, we wouldnâ�™t be here. You wouldnâ�™t have caught me and we wouldnâ�™t be stuck with each other, got it? Now, get going.

(YELENA turns back to the wall and NATHAN glumly starts helping.)

NATHAN

I told you I wouldnâ�™t tell.

YELENA

And Iâ�™m supposed to believe you? Be thankful. If it werenâ�™t up to me youâ�™d be deadâ�¦like your girlfriend.

(NATHAN is silent, surprised. He continues working on the boxes. One works.)

NATHAN

I think I got it.

(YELENA instantly stops and steps to him.)

YELENA (gruffly)

Move.

(NATHAN steps back. YELENA pulls the box out and turns around. She sets it on a stool.)

NATHAN

Is that it?

YELENA

Give me a second.

(YELENA sifts through the papers on top, giving them to NATHAN.)

YELENA

Take these.

(At the bottom, she finds a pile of jewels.)

YELENA (smiling, excited)

Yes! Itâ�™s here. Keep unlocking them. The next sixteen should all have the jewels in them.

(NATHAN goes back to the wall, while YELENA reaches for the backpack and dumps the jewels inside. She pulls out a walkie-talkie and stands.)

YELENA

Vinn?

(Lights increase on VINN at the tower, up stage right, keeping at night effect, however.)

VINN (with Russian accent)

Yelena? Yeah, Iâ�™m here.

YELENA

Is everything clear?

VINN (smiling)

Spotless. Everything is normal.

YELENA

Good. Any word on Edik?

VINN

Heâ�™ll be there soon. Last he talked to me, he estimated ten-ish minutes. That was about four minutes ago.

YELENA

Okay. Good. Weâ�™re on schedule.

VINN

Iâ�™ll call you back with any updates.

YELENA

Thanks. Out.

(Walkie-talkies turn off. YELENA puts the walkie-talkie on belt of pants. Lights dim again on VINN. NATHAN has now opened ten boxes. YELENA goes to get the boxes out and starts dumping out the paper, and placing the jewels in the backpack.)

NATHAN

Whoâ�™s Edik?

YELENA (still working.)

My husband. Weâ�™ve been married for five years.

NATHAN

Howâ�™d you meet?

YELENA

I met him on my first job.

NATHAN

Like me?

YELENA

No. I volunteered. Technically, we arenâ�™t supposed to be married. No one else knows except for Vinnâ�”and now you.

NATHAN (sarcastically)

Well, I feel so privileged.

YELENA

Cut the sarcasm, okay. I donâ�™t feel like dealing with it right now.

NATHAN

â�˜Dealing with itâ�™? Itâ�™s not that hard.

YELENA

You Americans. First off, fully understanding what you are saying normally is hard enough. When you add in twists to the language, it makes it ten times harder. You try learning Russian and see how it feels.

NATHAN

Fine. For goodness sake.

YELENA

This is no time to joke around. If you donâ�™t pay attention, youâ�™ll be in prison next time when you fail.

(NATHAN doesnâ�™t respond. YELENA finishes the rest of the boxes that NATHAN had unlocked.)

NATHAN

That should be all of them. So, how are we supposed to get out of here? The door shut when you scared me.

YELENA

Did you just think of that now?

NATHAN

No. I started wondering after you told me how to get in. I thought it was weird that you hadnâ�™t set an escape routeâ�”or at least you hadnâ�™t told me about it.

YELENA (laughing)

Well, I see you did learn something at least.

NATHAN

Impossible right?

YELENA (shrugging)

Who knows?

(YELENA finishes dumping the jewels and zips the backpack up.)

YELENA

No, weâ�™ve got a plan. Been setting it up for a few months now. During the nights, weâ�™ve been digging a tunnel under the floor of the antique shop a few doors down. Itâ�™s leading here. Edik is doing the final digging tonight so they wouldnâ�™t find out--obviously. Speaking of that, he should be here any moment.

NATHAN

Why did you get into this business?

YELENA

If you want to call it that, sure.

(YELENA sits on a stool, pausing as if trying to decide whether or not to answer NATHAN.)

YELENA

Itâ�™s in my family. I grew up around crime. I suppose itâ�™s natural to me. It makes sense for me to carry on the â�œbusinessâ� as you call it.

NATHAN

So, are your family mobsters of some kind?

YELENA

Personally, Iâ�™ve never liked that term. We donâ�™t harm people directly or indirectly. We donâ�™t distribute drugs or guns and we donâ�™t blackmail people.

NATHAN (coughing)

Umâ�¦Me?

The rest is in part 2. Please tell me of any typos. I'm going to be turning in this typed copy, so just tell me...and if there is anything that is confusing, PLEASE ask. :)

Interrogative- Chapter 41

Yes, it has been officially FOREVER!! I'm so sorry. I really don't have an excuse, except that I've been thinking about school more and thus I haven't felt like writing, typing, or even logging on to buzznet as much. Well, at least I've finally gotten to another chapter. I was just bored on Sunday night and suddenly had an urge. I didn't do tons of spellcheck, but it shouldn't be anything you can't figure out. The chapter is pretty simple. So, Enjoy!

It Won't Feel Right

We finally got to my parentâ�™s house at exactly 1:54 pm. I had wanted to get there earlier, but thanks to the hunger pains of Shannon, we had to stop by Wendyâ�™s. I was so anxious I didnâ�™t order anything. Meanwhile, Jared, Tomo, and Shannon all got fries and a frosty. Honestly, it grossed me out. The last thing I want to think about when Iâ�™m nervous is food. Of course, they decided to rub it in by dunking the fries in the frostiesâ�”at least Shannon and Tomo did.

When we arrived, I practically leaped out of the car. As much as I didnâ�™t want to wait for the guys to catch up with me, I did. Only to be respectful. They slowly meandered to the front door and I could feel the frustration building in my chest.

Jared saw it and double-timed his way to my side.

â�œHurry up you guys!â� I complained harshly to Shannon and Tomo.

They quickened their pace only by a fraction, but reached me before I wanted to smack them on the head.

I rang the doorbell. A moment later, my father answered the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

â�œHey, grandpa, is Kelly here yet?â�

I heard Alex yelling it from the kitchen and then saw him walk down the hall to the door.

â�œYep. Sheâ�™s here, along with two new fellows. Well, lets stop standing halfway in and halfway out. Itâ�™s a waste of air conditions and you know how your mom is. Come on it!â�

I stepped in, followed by the guys and gave Alex a hug.

â�œI like your hair, Kelly.â� Alex said.

I laughed. â�œThanks. I just put it up in a ponytail.â�

I heard the door shut behind me.

â�œWell, Alex,â� I continued, â�œI guess I should introduce you.â�

I turned around into the circle. Tomo had just finished shaking my fatherâ�™s hand.

â�œOkay,â� I began, pointing, â�œthis is Tomo, Shannon, and youâ�™ve already met Jared.â�

â�œNice to meet you,â� Tomo smiled.

â�œAwesome,â� remarked Alex. â�œIâ�™ve rally been getting into you music since Jared came over with Kelly.â�

Shannon chuckled. From what I heard it was a little bit more than that. I heard Jared interrupted a quiet evening.

We all laughed. He couldnâ�™t have been more wrong, but weâ�™d rather just laugh it off.

â�œSo, Alex,â� I said, â�œ how many people are here?â�

â�œUmâ�¦several. Mom and dad havenâ�™t gotten here yet. But, Davis and them are here and Lynne too.â�

My dad whispered, â�œShe brought that jerk ex-boyfriend of hers.â�

I sighed. â�œRafe?â�

He nodded and I groaned in response.

â�œHey, wait! What arenâ�™t your parents here?â� I asked Alex.

â�œOh, mom and dad dropped me and Janey and Addison off last week to stay for a while. Plus, they thought we would be good help to set the part up.â�

Jared tapped me on the shoulder. â�œHey, the guys and I are going to get a drink and introduce ourselves.â�

â�œOh, okay,â� I replied.

My father led them to the kitchen.

â�œAlex, what do you mean â�˜set the party upâ�™?â�

â�œOh, it looks really cool outside. Come on, follow me!â�

He led me to the back deck and I was completely shocked by what I saw:

There were a dozen tables spread throughout the yard and a couple of wood piles randomly placed on the outside edges. To the far right I could see a long table obviously meant for the food assembly line. To top it off, there was a square dance floor in the center of it all and overhead strings of lights hung daintily.

â�œOh, my God, Alex. How in the worldâ�”â�œ

â�œDonâ�™t even start it. We wonâ�™t be seeing you for a while so we went all out.â�

â�œAll out? This is like a wedding or something.â�

Alex laughed.

But, I was serious. It looked like I was coming here to have my reception after getting married at the church down the street. It was really unsettling.

All of a sudden, I felt someone pinch my waist and I jumped and yelped and saw who the perpetrator was: Madison.

â�œJesus Christ, Madison!â�

Once I calmed down, I gave her a hug. Alex promptly left, more than likely assuming Iâ�™d want to talk with her.

She was still laughing.

â�œFuck,â� I whispered, â�œyou know I hate that.â�

â�œExactly,â� she said. â�œThereâ�™s no better way to grab your attention.â�

I rolled my eyes. â�œTrue.â�

â�œSo, what do you think?â� she asked, motioning to the back yard.

â�œWell, I love it, but is it just a little over-the-top?â�

â�œOh, come on, little miss pessimist. I designed it and then I sent it your mom after. She did pretty good.â�

â�œAnd here I was thinking it was going to be a simple cook out,â� I said sarcastically, smiling.

â�œIt will be even more amazing once it gets dark. The light fixtures are going to look like glowing starts.â�

â�œMaybe you should be an even planner.â�

â�œIâ�™ve always had a knack for design, but instead of lighting, this time itâ�™s arrangement of furniture and atmosphere.â�

â�œHey, have you met the guys yet tonight?â�

â�œNot physically, no, but I saw them in the kitchen with Lynne. Did you know Rafe wasâ�”â�œ

â�œYeah,â� I grumbled. â�œ I just heard. Iâ�™d better go save them.â�

Back inside, I noticed there were triple the amount of people than there had been moments before. I even saw Natalie and Davey talking with Haden in the formal living room. Instantly, I caught up with Jared and slid my hand into his. Tomo and Shannon were positioned to Jaredâ�™s left with Rafe and Lynne across them. Realizing it was me; he gave me a quick kiss on the lips and squeezed my hand tightly for a second. Madison left to talk with Natalie, I presumed.

When I looked back up, I could see Rafe staring at me, then he jerked his eyes to Jared.

â�œIâ�™m sorry,â� he said, cocking his jaw, â�œI canâ�™t help but wonder if Iâ�™ve seen you before. Itâ�™s just for the past few minutes Iâ�™ve been trying to remember you from somewhere.â� He added a fake laugh at the end and couldnâ�™t help himself.

â�œIâ�™m sure you have, Rafe,â� I responded. Yes, technically Jared should have answered, but I wanted to save Jared from having to talk to the biggest asshole in the world.

â�œItâ�™s always nice to see you again, Kelly,â� he began. â�œI didnâ�™t expect to have to come and talk to you.â�

â�œOh, I feel the exact same wayâ�”more so, I believe. Iâ�™m actually more surprised that Lynne decided to invite you. It was very gracious of her.â�

He simply nodded, stiffly.

â�œBeside that, you might have seen Jared in some films or perhaps some music,â� I said. â�œAnyway, Jaredâ�”guysâ�”thereâ�™s some people I want you to meet. They just got here.â�

With Jaredâ�™s hand in mine, I led him to the living room. Natalie immediately saw me and rushed to give me a hug. It seemed everyone I remotely brushed past was doing so.

â�œOh, my God, itâ�™s good to see you again. And, it feels weird on such casual terms. Normally, itâ�™s just during the work day,â� she laughed. â�œSo, who are these gentlemen?â�

She held out her hand to Jared, who shook hers.

â�œIâ�™m Jared,â� he said.

She twisted around to me. â�œAs inâ�”â�œ

â�œYes,â� I confirmed, â�œhe is.â�

â�œAnd you guys areâ�¦dating? Friends? What?â�

â�œUhâ�¦â� I stumbled.

Jared helped me out. â�œWe havenâ�™t really given it a name. It doesnâ�™t sound right when we say boyfriend and girlfriend, but essentially thatâ�™s what we are.â�

â�œI think your ages probably play a role in that confusion,â� Tomo suggested.

â�œAs it does in everything,â� I joked. â�œThat is Tomo and thatâ�™s Shannon.â�

Haden came up beside Natalie and we both gave each other a hug at the same time. He was really the closest guys friend I had. The only other had now left me and moved on to Kerrang. When I pulled out of his arms, I looked for Davey.

â�œHey, Davey, how are you doing?â�

â�œGreat. Actually, Natalie and I have been seeing each other for a little while.â�

My eyes widened. â�œWhat?â� I exclaimed, turning to Natalie. â�œYou didnâ�™t tell me?â�

â�œWell, youâ�™ve been so busy. You havenâ�™t really been talking to tons of people. Besides, donâ�™tâ�™ even start. You didnâ�™tâ�™ tell me about Jared over here.â�

â�œOkay, okay, thatâ�™s fair I guess.â�

In the corner of my eye I saw Oty come through the front door wit his friend, Barry. I grew up with Barry always coming over, so he knew me pretty well. I really needed to talk to Oty though. We hadnâ�™t really communicated well since Jared first came over. I didnâ�™t want to leave for English with any tension.

â�œHey, guys, can I leave you for a bit? I need to talk with someone.â�

â�œSure,â� they chorused, then laughed.

â�œWow,â� I smiled. â�œThanks for the general consensus.â�

As I turned to go away, Jared touched his hand against mine. He came over with me a few steps.

â�œWhatâ�™s wrong?â� he asked.

â�œOh, nothing. I need to talk to my brother, just to smooth things out with him.â�

â�œOh, yeah, go ahead.â� He pulled me to him and kissed me again, a little bit deeper, on the lips.

â�œIâ�™ll find you when Iâ�™m done. I just wouldnâ�™t feel rightâ�”â�œ

â�œDonâ�™t worry about it.â�

I smiled. â�œOkay.â�

I found Oty with Barry on the outside deck. He didnâ�™t seem to be in the best of moods. I suppose he brought Barry along so that he wouldnâ�™t have to face the family alone. Wren had been at his side for so many months and now that she was gone, he needed his wingman back.

Oty saw me come up to him and went silent in his conversation with Barry.

â�œHey, Kelly,â� Barry said, welcomingly.

â�œHi, Barry. Itâ�™s been a while hasnâ�™t it?â�

â�œYeah. Freshmen year of college for me, I think.â�

â�œYouâ�™re probably right,â� I chuckled.

I glanced at Oty. â�œCan I talk with you?â�

After a moment of uneasiness, he replied, â�œYeah. Upstairs.â�

I nodded. â�œOkay.â�

â�œIâ�™ll go help your mom,â� Barry muttered. He brushed past my shoulder, leaving Oty and I alone to face each other. We didnâ�™t stand long before Oty found his way back inside and wove through the increasing crowd. I followed him up the stairs and we found that Otyâ�™s old bedroom had been converted into a reading room. Plenty of sun shown through the windows, instantly lightening the room and making it feel bigger and more airy. In the corner of the room there was a loveseat positioned against the wall. The sun was directly shining on it, although with the sun dimming ever so slightly, the white pastel of the loveseat became a golden yellow.

Oty sat down first and I quickly followed. This wasnâ�™t by any means a comfortable situation, but it had to be done nonetheless and I felt no regret about what I was going to say to him.

â�œWhat did you want to talk about?â� Oty asked with a twinge of boredom.

I collected my thoughts for a brief second and led his tone pass. â�œI donâ�™t want this tension between us anymore. Without you, thereâ�™s no one I can talk toâ�¦except for Jared, and even we have our problems.â�

Oty cocked his jaw, irritated. I continued:

â�œI know you want to blame what happened between you and Wren on meâ�”and, yes, I should have asked you firstâ�”but itâ�™s not my fault. Do you really think itâ�™s wrong of me to assume you tell your fiancÃ© and thus youâ�™ve told the family as well?â�

He was silent, but he wasnâ�™t embittered.

â�œWhy didnâ�™t you tell them you were moving?â� I asked.

I wanted to be sympathetic, I really did. It wasnâ�™t like Oty to keep such huge secrets. I didnâ�™t feel guilty as if it was my fault in any way for his situation, but at the same time I didnâ�™tâ�™ want the tension between us to exist anymore. I was more desperate than anything else.

Oty turned his face to mine, almost instantly saddened. â�œIâ�™m not too happy about moving. The less people that knew, the less guilt Iâ�™d feel.â�

â�œYouâ�™re still moving?â� I said, surprised. I had thought that after everything that had happened in our family and his break up with Wren, he would decide not to go. Besides, how would he pay for all of it? Wren and her family were supporting him almost fully since they got engaged. How was he going to afford moving up to Seattle and work at a hospital that wasnâ�™t going to pay him? Worse, heâ�™d be there all of the time, so there wouldnâ�™t be time for him to make any extra money.

â�œYeah, I am. I want to be a neurologist. I have to. I need the best training possible and if that means moving to Seattle, two states away, then Iâ�™m doing it. And I hate to say it, but now I donâ�™t have Wren and her family holding me back.â�

â�œBut, what about money?â� I asked.

He sighed. â�œDad is helping me out. Heâ�™s waiting for the right time to tell mom.â�

I smiled. â�œIâ�™m sure mom wonâ�™t be ecstatic about cutting back.â�

I hope you liked it! The next chapter should be finishing up the party and them going on to England. I will just tell you that some pretty interesting things happen in England!!

Letofan07

Who Am I Surrounded By?

This is in response to Echelon92's journal, "Change."

I completely understand where you are coming from and it's interesting because I have been seeing almost the exact same thing from all that people that I thought I really knew. Mine, however, is a mix of drugs and severe depression.

So, to start off, I have two relatives who are bipolar and during their "down" times consider suicide seriously. One is my aunt and the other is my sister. She happens to be "down" right now.

Next, and along the same path, are several girls at my bus stop. One is what some might call "emo" and she has committed suicide before unsuccessfully. Another is a girl who is still severely depressed and is a cutter and was sent to a mental institution the week before last. Yet another is my closest friend at the bus stop who hates living with her mom and stepdad and thus thinks about suicide, and finally is a girl who previously had such thoughts but has gotten better.

Then, there are the druggies I'm surrounded by. Two of the girls mentioned above (the "emo" and "cutter") both experiment with drugs and are sexually active. A guy at my bus stop is a serious marijuana addict and three guys and a girl at my stop are smokers. I see them walk up to the bus stop in the dark and put out their cigarette just before getting there.

Finally, the worst thing infact is the crime that was committed by a guy in my neighborhood. Apparently, he was out drinking one night and got very drunk and ended up breaking into an elderly couple's house. He beat the man to unconsciousness and raped the older lady.

I feel so great to know I'm associated with these people.

That's all.

Letofan07

Interrogative- Chapter 40

HEY!! It has been a while, I know. Believe it or not (and this makes it even worse) I've had this chapter written for over a week. I just didn't feel like typing. I know, I'm bad. lol. Anyway, I'm so excited that I've made it to the fortieth chapter. Time goes by so fast and slow when I'm updating. lol. So, here's the chapter. Enjoy:

Expectations

Jared drove us back to my place. We seemed to subconsciously vary where we spent our nights. It was my house on Sunday, his on Monday and Tuesday, mine again on Wednesday, and Iâ�™d slept over at Jaredâ�™s on Thursday. I guess tonight was my night yet again.

It was 11:25 pm when we finally got back. I was tired, exhausted really, and I just wanted to sleep. I changed as soon as I could into comfortable clothes: pajama shorts and a tank top.

Jared insisted on a movie and I had to yawn before replying that I would fall asleep a quarter through it. He just wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me to him, and he kissed me several times, lightly, on the mouth. It was one of those entirely loving kisses that you give when you only want care and support rather than all-consuming passion. When we drew back, I was still in his arms. I leaned against him, resting my head against his shoulder. In the dim light I could just barely tell that my red lipstick hadnâ�™t smeared onto his face. More than likely it had sunk into my lips or the side of my lime seltzer glass was now a candy-apple red. My lips were slightly dry, but before I had the opportunity to lick them back to life, Jared whispered into my ear,â� Thatâ�™s okay. Fall asleep. I just want you in my arms.â�

I smiled to myself and hugged Jared ever tighter against me. A warm rush spread through my body. I had never felt as safe or loved in my entire life.

We grabbed a bunch of blankets and pillows and snuggled as close as we could together on my black leather sofa. It wasnâ�™t as supportive for normal sitting as it used to be, but for snuggling and feeling as comfortable as possible, it was the best couch in the world. We sank in the cushions and I laid my head on his chest, reaching for the remote control on the coffee table inches away.

â�œWhat do you want to watch?â� I asked. â�œWeâ�™ll order it On Demand.â�

â�œI donâ�™t know,â� Jared said. â�œHow about something light hearted and fun?â�

I thought for a moment.

â�œWhat about your favorite movie as a kid?â� Jared suggested.

I grinned, knowing the perfect movie. â�œThe Wizard of Oz.â�

â�œAbsolutely.â�

Within moments, Dorothy was in the tornado and had landed in the magical world of colorâ�¦and Munchkinland. After we met the scarecrow, I started feeling a little drowsy. My eyes didnâ�™t want to stay open, forcing me to do so.

Jared nudged the side of my head. They had just found the Tin Man now. â�œYou tired?â� he asked.

I nodded slowly.

â�œDo you want to stay awake?â�

â�œYeah,â� I yawned.

â�œI know what we can do,â� he said quietly, running his hand up and down my arm.

It took a minute for me to process what he was saying. â�œWhat?â� I moaned.

Jared rolled me under him so fast I didnâ�™t know what heâ�™d done until his eyes were parallel above mine and piercing through me. We stayed together, eyes locked, then Jared gently pressed his lips to mine. It started innocent, without demands, just a tender, loving, borderline chaste kiss, but suddenly I felt a pulse start within me. Desire. I pushed my lips harder to his own, not erotic, but slightly stimulating. I opened my mouth to his and it took a moment for Jared to finally, delicately slide his tongue into me. I savored the experience of Jared exploring my mouth without my aggression battling his. Jared retracted his tongue, opening himself to me. I slipped past his lips, but instead of exploring him, I begged him to join me.

I rubbed my hands all over Jaredâ�™s back and sides, occasionally grabbing him, yearning to feel his lust in return. He was firm against my thigh.

Jared complied, twisting his tongue with mine, going deeper and deeper to the point I wanted to moan in ecstasy, but he tore away and moved to my jaw line, then neck, and down to my collarbone.

I pulled at him to kiss my lips again and he did so, passionately, while he pushed my tank top from the top of my hips, up my torso and over my breasts, revealing them. Jared jumped down my legs so that his face was level with my breasts. He kissed all about them, making me smiled, as his hands kneaded up my body. He started a trail of kisses down the middle of my abdomen. At the same time, his hands captured my breasts and I gasped. His kisses traveled ever lower, ever so slowly to the elastic band of my shorts and underwear and he tried to use his chin playfully to work them down. It made me laugh and Jared gave a lighthearted sigh against me. His warm breath made me arch my back sharply, overwhelmingly.

My hands, which had been grasping any surface, pillow, blanket, whatever, reached down to my hips and gently began pushing the shorts down, giving Jared an eyeful.

Abruptly, he stopped my hands, gripping them tightly.

I furrowed my brow, confused.

Jared only grinned and led my hands to his belt buckle. I took my time unfastening him; while he hurriedly threw off his shirt to the carpet and watched me, intently, undo him.

Jared lifted himself off of my body and stood next to the couch, divesting himself of his clothes. I sighed in desperation. God, why did he have to do that? I couldnâ�™t help but stare. Lovingly. Devilishly. Passionately.

He knelt down to my face and kissed me hard on the mouth. I brushed through his new hair with my fingers.

I felt one of his free hands travel across my stomach, back to the bands of my shorts and panties and as he began to tug them down my hips, his mouth left mine. We kept eye contact, neither one of us daring to look away, but eventually he had to as he climbed onto the end of the couch and sweepingly removed the rest of my clothing. Now, I was entirely bare for him, except for the tank, pushed past my breasts.

Jared crawled over me, spreading my legs with his body. One of my legs was pressed deeply into the back of the couch, while the other dangled off the side.

I felt Jaredâ�™s warmth against me, between my legs, and I held onto his shoulders, aching for him to enter.

He lifted my dangling leg onto his hips and I held it there, positioning myself just right for him.

He kissed me, tongues twisting, as he slid inside me. I cried out into his mouth, the sound muffled, but reverberating between us.

Jared held himself utterly still inside me, pulled from our kiss, and opened his eyes, as did I, and he seemed to gaze through my eyes and into my being, my soul.

Slowly, he shifted in me and began to move, making a moan escape my lips. As I dug into him, he thrust harder, wordless cries leaving me one after the next. He was propped above me, and both of us moved to opposing rhythms; everything became intensified, passionate, impossibly deep. I could feel a heat growing, building in my center. Small waves spread farther through me with each thrust, until the small waves compiled into one, large and indescribable. I bucked under him, climaxing, screaming, frozen still, while he continued, reaching his own climax. Then he froze above me, shuddering, groaning, and collapsed onto my chest as gently as possible.

Our harsh, laborious breaths intermingled, making me sigh and close my eyes.

The Wizard of Oz still played. The Emerald City was merely feet away.

In the morning I awoke to a blaring TV, replaying The Wizard of Oz for what must have been the fourth time. Once again, she had just entered Oz and Munchkinland.

I blinked several times, forcing myself awake, and let out a slow breath against the heavy, naked resistance of Jaredâ�™s body. I was naked underneath him and warm. Looking down at him, he was still sound asleep. He looked so cute, so innocent. When people watched me sleep, I always felt terribly embarrassed afterward. You never know what deformed face you may be making when you sleep.

Judging by the light outside, I could tell it was probably around seven. I needed to start getting dressed. Jared and the rest of 30 Seconds to Mars would be accompanying me to ourâ�”or myâ�”goodbye party. We needed to pick up Shannon and Tomo on the way, too, so in a little over an hour we needed to be on the road.

I didnâ�™t want to make Jared get up, but there was no other way. Technically, he could sleep for another hour. Itâ�™s nothing for a man to get ready.

â�œJared,â� I whispered, trying to wake him up. I pushed his new bangs out of his eyes, hoping it would help. â�œJared,â� I said again, propping myself onto my elbows. I couldnâ�™t hold his weight, however, and I plopped back down to couch, finally waking Jared up. I heard him inhale sharply, a normal reaction.

â�œWhat is it?â� he moaned.

I smiled. Jared seemed to make the most irritable moment of the day cute. â�œI have to get up,â� I said. â�œWe need to leave in soon.â�

â�œWhy?â� he moaned again.

â�œBecause!â� I cried. â�œWe need to pick up Shannon and Tomo and go to my parentsâ�™ house. Remember?â�

He sighed dreamily. â�œOh, yeah.â�

â�œSo, let me up,â� I said, shifting against him, causing him to jump up and scream.

â�œWhat!â� I asked.

â�œThat tickled,â� he said modestly.

I couldnâ�™t help but laugh, a full laugh, not a soft five-second one.

â�œItâ�™s not funny,â� he said.

I couldnâ�™t stop laughing. â�œYes, it is!â�

â�œNo, itâ�™s not,â� he said, thrusting himself upon me and tickling my waist and neck, making me laugh and scream even harder.

â�œStop!â� I cried.

â�œIs it funny anymore?â� he said, jokingly, almost inaudible through my yells.

In fact, I was about to cry and I could hardly breathe.

â�œYes! I mean, NO!!! Just stop, please!â�

Jared pressed his body down to mine and gazed up at me. I was catching my breath and calming myself down. He craned his neck to my face and kissed me on the lips. It was a moderate kiss. Not too deep or gentle.

â�œWell, now at least youâ�™re up and awake,â� I said as he pulled away.

â�œTrue, true,â� he said, smiling and kissed me again, but lightly this time.

Jared continued to lay heavy atop me.

â�œAre you going to let me up?â� I asked cleverly.

â�œNever,â� he hissed, kissing my chest and shoulders.

â�œCome on, Jare! Iâ�™ve got to get going. Itâ�™ll take me an hour to get ready. It only takes youâ�”what?â�”fifteen minutes?â�

Jared kissed lower, between my breasts, to my stomach. His hands ran up my thighs, to my hips and lower back and he lifted me up in an impossible seated position.

â�œJared,â� I sighed. â�œWe canâ�™t do this right now.â�

â�œWe can be a little late. Itâ�™s your party.â�

He caught my mouth, ravishing me, and laid me back down, looking down my body.

â�œFirst off, that is exactly why I need to be there on time, if not earlier. Itâ�™s my party. And second, this is nothing like you. I think you are just trying to be spontaneous about sex, but itâ�™s really at a bad time.

He situated himself between my legs and it made me shudder.

â�œJared, pleaseâ�”â�œ

â�œWonâ�™t it feel good though? Knowing weâ�™re doing something sort of dangerous? Itâ�™s a secret between only you and I?â�

â�œBut, Iâ�™ll feel guiltyâ�”â�œ

He kissed my words away.

â�œI donâ�™t like being late,â� I began and kissed me again, stealing my breath. â�œIâ�™ll have an anxiety attack or somethingâ�¦.â�

He shushed me and trailed kisses down my body, going lower and lower until I couldnâ�™t take it and grabbed his shoulders, freezing him.

â�œJared, I really donâ�™t want to. Iâ�™m sorry.â�

He slumped against me, making my back arch.

â�œYouâ�™re body wants to,â� he growled seductively.

â�œWell, itâ�™s good that my body doesnâ�™t control my actions.â�

Jared wasnâ�™t upset at me. Maybe a little upset that he couldnâ�™t finish, but he wasnâ�™t mad at me for saying no. When I thought about it, I actually hadnâ�™t ever said no to him. Well, at the beginningâ�¦. No, that was different. Back then I wasnâ�™t just denying sex, but the entire idea that we wouldâ�”couldâ�”be together.

Now we were in the car, driving to pick up Tomo at him apartment. The radio was on and found itself, yet again, in another set of commercials that lasted longer than the music they played. When one, especially cheesy car dealership commercial came on for the third time, I groaned and turned down the volume to zero.

â�œI take it you donâ�™t like that commercial,â� Jared smiled.

â�œHa! Not only that, I despise it. I mainly hate the stupid songâ�¦and the fact that itâ�™s played ten times in five minutes.â�

Jared quirked his brow skeptically.

â�œOkay, thatâ�™s an exaggeration. But, sometimes the commercial will repeat itself three times in a row!â�

Jared laughed.

â�œWhat?â�

â�œI love the little things that drive you crazy. Itâ�™s the only time you seem less mature than me.â�

My mouth gaped open, aghast. â�œWell, you are sort of right.â�

We laughed together and Jared calmed down first to ask me a question.

â�œSo, when did you tell your parents about the trip?â�

I sighed, pondering. â�œFour days ago, maybe? I didnâ�™t want to tell them until I was sure I would be able to go.â�

â�œAnd if Adrian had just said no?â�

I chuckled. â�œWell, then, I would be fired and I would have told them that I was on a work trip, anyway. They are really possessive about my job. Itâ�™s a little weird sometimes. They care about my job more than I do.â�

â�œWell, Iâ�™m sure they just donâ�™t want you to lose the status youâ�™ve gained.â�

â�œJared, I donâ�™t think Iâ�™ve told you this, but when I was an editorialist, my family thought I wrote under Sophia Murreto.â�

â�œWas she your ghost writer?â�

I made an mmnnnnnnn sound, not denying or confirming. â�œSort of. Except Sophia was a real person. But, of course, I had to explain why K. Eidric was writing, so I just told them that there was another person by that name.â�

â�œWhy? Why did you do all that?â�

Exhaling, I answered. â�œWell, as you know, my parents are very conservative and they wouldnâ�™t have approved of my real, brutalâ�”almost bitchyâ�”writing, so I had to tell them I wrote under Sophia so that they would think I wroteâ�¦fluff articles instead.â�

â�œAre you ever going to tell them?â�

â�œI donâ�™t know,â� I remarked rather lightly. â�œI mean, I feel like I should, but I donâ�™t want to feel shamed by them. Itâ�™s hard to be the person they think and want me to be because Iâ�™m not like that at all really, and my writing is definitely not like that.â�

We were quiet for a minute and Jared spoke up again.

â�œWell, I know your mom would probably flip, but she should be happy if you are happy.â�

I nodded in agreement. Yes, she should be happy for meâ�¦but she wasnâ�™t.

â�œEveryone canâ�™t be against it, can they?â� Jared inquired.

â�œOty and you are the only two people on the planet that know. And the only reason Oty found out was because of me being insanely drunk. That was a few years ago. But, Jared, itâ�™s no the raving anger that I canâ�™t handle; itâ�™s the silent disappointment. Iâ�™d get that from Chris and Davis, but mainly my dad and that would be the worst.â�

We were quiet again for a bit and we would be at Tomoâ�™s in about five minutes.

It felt weird stopping the conversation so abruptly. I didnâ�™t want to leave it that way. â�œIâ�™ll probably tell them when I have kids or something,â� I blurtedâ�¦and instantly cursed myself. Once again, I pushed us to the topic of kids.

â�œWhat do you mean?â� Jared asked, curious.

I slapped my thigh, angry with myself. â�œIt doesnâ�™t matter. Iâ�™m so exhausted. I donâ�™t know what Iâ�™m thinking, much less what comes out of my mouth.â�

â�œKelly, you know we never really finished talking about that the last time. I think we should.â�

â�œNow?â� I snapped.

He nodded. â�œIf it will get it off your chest, yes. What did you mean by that?â�

I sighed. â�œJared, youâ�™ve seen Davis and Chris and how they all have their happy little families and Davis just go a new baby, Caroline, and now that my parents have given up on Lynne, they have decided to put all of that on me. They want me to get married and quit my job and stay at home, pop out four kids or something and be content in that role.â�

â�œDo you want kids?â�

â�œYes,â� I said simply. â�œMaybe in my thirties, but not in the next four years. Iâ�™m not ready for it.â�

Jared pulled up to Tomoâ�™s apartment complex and parked the car. He looked at me deeply, understanding, but I could tell he wanted to say something. He was holding he true feelings back.

â�œWhat is it?â� I asked.

He still said nothing, hesitant.

â�œJared, just say it. I want to know how you feel.â�

After a few seconds, he finally spoke. â�œKelly, I donâ�™t know how long you are really wanting to wait, but itâ�™s a little nerve wracking. By the time you think youâ�™re ready, more than likely, Iâ�™ll be desperate. This is where the ten years could catch us. And who says youâ�™re not ready? We arenâ�™t in the fifties. You can still pursue your dreams and I wouldnâ�™t want it any other way from you. Itâ�™s not a handicap. If thatâ�™s whatâ�™s stopping you, thereâ�™s no reason for you to feel that way.â�

Jaredâ�™s phone started ringing. He picked it up, said a â�œhey,â� â�œyeah,â� â�œokay,â� and, â�œbye,â� and turned back to me.

â�œTomo?â� I asked.

â�œYeah. Heâ�™s coming downâ�¦soâ�”â�œ

â�œCan we talk about this later, please?â� I whispered.

â�œYeah,â� he said. â�œCome here.â�

I fell into his harms and he kissed me on my lips lovingly, comfortingly.

â�œIâ�™m sorry,â� I muttered.

â�œMe too,â� he said, hugging me tighter. â�œI love you.â�

â�œI love you too,â� I said softly and kissed him again.

Tomo entered the car as we pulled away and we picked up Shannon a couple minutes later. A five hour drive awaited us.