Stories

[Leitz]

dramatis personae

Thin: Meuddyn Ibnin, "Knight Light" (Me-u-thin Ib-nin)
Mom: Mueddyn's mother
George: Thin's step-dad, and Ris' dad. Medically retired Green Beret
Ris: Munchkin, Thin's younger half-sister
Perry Hoffman: Thin's girlfriend. Mute, parents deceased.
Mister Hoffman: Perry's grandfather, and guardian.

The boy and the storm

It was the best day of Thin's life, and it might be his last. The midday sun was blocked by dark clouds, fierce winds assaulted the three of them as they huddled tightly together. Mister Hoffman's picnic basket had gone flying and was probably in Oklahoma by now. Thin didn't care though, Perry was in his arms. She had run to him, and not her grandfather, for safety.

His tanned arms pulled her close; her chocolate brown skin wet from swimming and her body shivering from fear. She had been in his arms a lot this summer, they were down in Texas to do some work on Mister Hoffman's old family farm. It needed a lot of work, and Mister Hoffman wasn't shy about having Thin carry boards, saw boards, sand boards, and paint boards. Thin had done a lot with boards lately, but he didn't really understand why Mister Hoffman said the house needed to be ready in a couple of years. Mister Hoffman usually said that particular phrase while looking directly at Thin. Perry just giggled and walked away.

Thin liked having Perry in his arms, and he really liked it when she had kissed him. He wasn't very good at it yet, but she seemed to know what she wanted and he was a willing student. Right now, though, dried brush and old logs flew past them. Their swimming pond, what the locals called a tank, was in a slight depression. It blocked some of the wind, but it wasn't blocking everything. Mister Hoffman had told Thin about tornados, how they could throw cards for miles and tear strong houses into splinters. He and Perry had walked to the tank again this morning, it was their last day in Texas. In the morning they were supposed to start the drive back home.

Thin wasn't sure they were going to be alive in the morning. It was normal to be scared in a time like this, they were exposed and he saw the tornado moving their way. It wasn't close yet, but close didn't matter when it could throw a car across two county lines. If their luck was bad then a normal man would die with his girlfriend in his arms and his (if he ever got the courage up) maybe one day grandfather-in-law holding both of them tight. Any normal, sane man would surrendur himself to luck or prayer.

But Thin wasn't normal and there were days he wasn't too sure on the sane bit, either. He was a man, though, and his woman needed his protection. He'd probably lose, and die, but he'd die doing his best. That's what George had taught him. He'd miss George, Mom, and Rissa. Maybe Mister Hoffman would make them understand.

He looked up at Mister Hoffman. The old man's beard was half gray, his broad face showed determination. His basketball sized hands pulled Thin and Perry in tight. Thin would miss Mister Hoffman's cooking, too. The only reason Thin hadn't gained back all the weight he had lost was beacuse Mister Hoffman had kept him working from sun up to sundown. Mister Hoffman needed Thin right now, the not really normal boyfriend of his only granddaughter. They were the only family the two of them had, and Thin loved them both.

"T...t...t..." Thin tried to say. He had to yell over the roar of the storm, and that just made it harder to talk. "T..."

He couldn't tell Mister Hoffman to take Perry. Holding Perry was nice, but Thin needed the other part of him. He could not focus like this, but he had to. He had to. He sighed, closed his eyes, and relaxed the best he could. It felt wrong to do this to Mister Hoffman, but he had to. If he managed to survive, and if Mister Hoffman ever found out, then Thin would apologize. Would tell him how much he didn't want to do this to a man he respected. Would tell him that it was only to protect the woman they both loved.

Thin opened his eyes. His gaze met Mister Hoffman's, and this time he did not stutter. "Take her. Turn away from the storm and protect her."

"I'll protect her. Let me turn away from the storm," Mister Hoffman said as he pulled Perry into his arms.

Thin pushed her away, hating himself for having to do so. He finally understood what George meant about sacrificing one's life for another. George would be proud, if he ever found out. Thin stood, and moved toward the storm as sections of fence and rusted cars from Greely's old junkyard flew at him.




"No!" Perry yelled. The storm had passed and they had walked through the twisted remains strewn across the field. Perry had seen the old house, what she had called "her home". What was left of it, anyway. All of the boards Thin and worked on were scattered about, and only part of the kitchen remained of the two story farmhouse. The ancient wood stove sat in place, unmoved. Perry ran to the house, screaming and crying.

Thin started to run after her, but Mister Hoffman put a massive hand on his shoulder. "Whoa up, son. She needs time and we need to talk."

"Sir?" Thin could see the fear in Mister Hoffman's eyes. Fear, and something else.

Mister Hoffman pursed his lips, and then nodded to himself. "That was a small tornado, but we lived through it. Praise the Good Lord, we made it."

A tear ran down Mister Hoffman's cheek. "I looked up, once. Just once, but I saw you standing here, against the storm. And when it was all done, I saw things piled around us. Cars, trees, so much. So many things that would have killed us outright, but somehow missed us. I don't know how, but the Good Lord spared us today. He took care of us, just like the Good Book says. The Blessed Lord Jesus rebuked the storm on the waters, and I...I don't know, son. I just don't know."

Mister Hoffman sniffled. "The hand of the Lord is on you, son. I don't understand it, and I don't need to. But before you go to comfort my granddaughter, I need you to understand something. Man to man, I'm telling you this, so you understand."

Mister Hoffman squeezed Thin's shoulder. "Someone we both know wanted this old house to be her home, when some gallant young knight mustered up the courage to ask 'bout marriage." Thin gulped, but stayed silent. "You've worked hard all summer, and you might think that this big pile of toothpicks is wasted effort. Don't think that, don't think that at all. You're a man who will do hard work for his family. Your step-daddy said so, but I wanted you to prove it. To show me that I could trust you with her when I wasn't around, and to prove that you would work hard for her. You did just that, and I'm proud of you."

Thin didn't know what to say, but he understood. He came to Texas as a boyfriend, but would be leaving as a man. Mister Hoffman respected him, and that was worth all the summer work in the world.

[Leitz]

Family Meeting

"MmmmMMmmm...mmMMMMMMMmmmmm....." Thin said, it was the best he could do, Perry's lips were pressed into his and her body did it's level best to disprove the physics maxim that 'two physical entities cannot occupy the same space at the same time.' Thin wasn't too sure the physics people were right, and he was glad of it.

But I still, haven't found, what I'm looking for.

It was their typical Friday night goodbye. Dishes were washed and in the drying rack, the radio played the week's countdown, and rain poured outside. Mister Hoffman was in his room, studying for Sunday's sermon, and Thin was glad that the small apartment gave them a few minutes. He really enjoyed being Perry's boyfriend, the whole "lip mashing thing" was sweet icing on a very lovely cake.

Perry leaned her head back, grew a wicked grin, and with snake like speed leaned in and bit Thin's neck. This was gonna leave a mark, and Mom would raise an eyebrow. George would give him a step-fatherly frown, and then wink as soon as Mom turned away. Sunday night was Perry's turn to have supper with them, and as long as Rissa didn't butt in, Thin and Perry had the same routine.

"Ow!" Thin whispered quietly. "Your g..grandpa will hear us! I have to say g..goodbye, and he'll see it."

Perry leaned back again, and looked into his eyes. She brought her right hand up and signed. "Do you mind?"

Thin smiled. One finger pulled the collar of her shirt to the side as he leaned forward and carefully returned the favor between her neck and her shoulder. He kissed the new bruise gently, and then leaned back. He signed. "No, do you?"

Perry shook her head, pulled away, and grabbed his right hand with both of hers. She pulled him into the tiny living room. Thin sighed, usually he got one more goodbye kiss, but they had dallied longer than usual on the dishes and the storm was getting worse. It was Mister Hoffman's fault; that second helping of his cherry pie, buried in ice cream, made it difficult to move.

Thin started to call out his goodbye, but Perry pulled him past the worn loveseat, ignored the television that was turned up to cover their smooching, and didn't stop until they were at Mister Hoffman's bedroom door. Perry ignored Thin's puzzled look and knocked. Her other hand went into her pants pocket, and she glanced at Thin, unsure.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Mister Hoffman said as he opened his door. Thin saw his small bed in the room, and a table with several bibles and study books. An old single bulb lamp and a note pad with multiple pages rolled over sat on the desk.

Perry glanced at Thin once more, turned to her grandfather, and pulled a crumpled green paper from her pocket. She unfolded it and then held up a dollar bill.

Mister Hoffman nodded his head. Still nodding, he glanced at Thin and said, "Yes, I think I'll take that bet. Yes, let me get my dollar, you two have a seat."

Perry tightened her jaw and pulled Thin to the loveseat and then sat down. She looked at him, and then at the empty space beside her. Her hands came up, moving. "Your rear, here. Now."

Thin sat, confused. He liked sitting with her, but usually she and her grandfather had a "family meeting" on Friday's. They discussed the troubles of the week, the victories, and then planned their weekend. Perry had told Thin that the meetings were private, because they were totally honest. She and her grandfather didn't hold anything back between them. He had gulped right about then, wondering how much she had told her grandfather about them. Thin wasn't even sure how much he was supposed to tell himself about them, things were moving faster than he planned. Summer was turning out to be terrifyingly fun.

Mister Hoffman came out, still tying up his bath robe over his pajamas. The recliner on the far side of Thin creaked and complained as the old man sat, he did his own creaking and complaining. Still, he leaned forward and dropped a dollar bill on the scratched up coffee table. Perry did the same.

Thin reached for his wallet, he had a little extra bus money, but Perry pushed him back into the loveseat and shook her head. She nodded to her grandfather.

"My little girl and I have a bet, son," Mister Hoffman said. His piercing eyes looked into Thin's soul. "Now, rightly, most people bet against each other, and they ante up. Our bet is a dollar, but we both think the same thing. So, we're doing it different. If we lose, you get the money. You okay with that?"

Thin nodded. "B..but what d..do I ant..te?"

Mister Hoffman nodded. "The truth. That's it. But sometimes truth is painful to share, and you have to be careful who you share it with. Me and Perry think that if each of us tells you a painful truth, that you will do the same. Our family ain't much, but we stand on the truth together. Are you in?"

Thin nodded as he pulled Perry's hands into his.

"I thought so. I'll start," Mister Hoffman said. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and shook his head. "His name was Billie Ray, I can still see his face. Young, even for us in the 332nd. Eager...too eager."

For a long time, Mister Hoffman said nothing, and a tear rolled down his cheek. "I had stayed up too late. We were called up early and I was still too drunk to fly. Billy Ray hadn't gotten any stick time, but they put him in my plane anyhow. He was too new...too young. He didn't come back."

Mister Hoffman looked at Thin. "My greatest regret is that I never told his parents that I was sorry. That I got their boy killed 'cause of whisky. I haven't had a drop since that day, and I never had a day of peace about it, neither."

Thin said nothing, but Perry shifted and turned to him. She bit her lower lip and brought her hands up. "I asked Grandpa for the house in Texas. I told him that one day you and I would live there. We would raise a big family, and he would have a solid wood desk for all his work. But now the house is gone, and my dream is gone. I was hoping you would move there with me when we got out of school. That maybe..." her hands froze.

"That you would ask her to marry you," Mister Hoffman whispered. Perry stared a the floor, but nodded. "Her parents died when she was just a little girl, and I was all she had until you came along. I'm old, son, and gettin' older every day. We all want love, want to be a part of something. She-"

Perry held up her hands, and faced Thin. Her hands moved slowly. "You are the only boy who was ever nice to me, and I didn't want to lose you. I throw myself at you because I'm afraid I'll lose you. I feel bad, but I'm too scared to think that you would love me as I am."

Thin sat there for a long time, studying the scratches on the coffee table. Perry's hands sat silent in her lap, and Mister Hoffman's breathing moved carefully. There were a lot of scratches, a lot of imperfections. The table understood, they were so alike. Thin talked to the table.

"I c...can't marry you," he whispered. "My d..dad left my mom before I was b..born, I always wond..der if he k..knew I was b.. c.. stutter. Mom is T..turkish, and not married. G..George loves her and t..takes c..care of her. I c..can't t..tell who t..to b..be like, my d..dad or G..George. I c..can never b..be g..good enough."

Thin put his hands on Perry's. "I c..can't marry you until I c..can provide for you. And for your g..grandpa, b..but I will love you f..for t..t.. my whole life."

Perry threw herself on Thin, and they fell to the floor. After several minutes, Mister Hoffman harumphed and said, "Let the boy up for air, child. I'll call his momma, weather is too bad for him to take the bus home. Go get the spare blanket, he can sleep on the loveseat after we have our family meeting."

[Leitz]

Dear Dairy (June 30th, 1987)

June 30th, 1987

Dear Diary,

Thin was stressed out this weekend; he's been doing extra classes to prepare for his SAT test in August. Even though he's a grade behind, he's planning on college. I'm so proud of him! I think he wants to do Astronomy, but I'm not sure what sort of work that is. He spends a lot of time looking at the stars, and talking about the planets, so it's something he loves.

I'm still not sure what his internship is all about, but Granpa and Mom talked about it. Thin will be busy all summer, and we won't see much of each other. That's not what I wanted, but he's so excited! It's difficult to not be excited for him. It's really difficult to call his mother 'Mom', but he calls Granpa, Granpa, so I need to do the same. Mom is really nice, and if I could talk then we'd probably do a lot of girl talk. I don't speak her language, though, and she doesn't know sign language. We just write a lot of notes when I'm there. Thin says she knows Turkish, Arabic, and Pashto, and he wants to learn them all. But I see his eyes when he says that, and he doesn't mean it. I'm not sure he realizes it, yet, but he doesn't mean it. He's frustrated with Mom's parents for kicking her out.

Granpa and I talked about that, just in case. He won't kick me out if I get pregnant, but I'll have to get a part-time job to pay for the extra diapers and baby food. I'm not sure how school would work for that, don't they have a special school for girls like that? How would it feel to lose your parents because you loved a guy? Granpa was pretty clear, though, and we went to the clinic. He loves me, and we are family, so no kicking out. Just extra work.

Did I make Thin get an internship? We had a great Valentines day, and we did talk about kids. After that he started getting serious about finding a job. There are lots of stores that need stockers, and I've looked at some of those. I might as well, since he won't be around as much. It would help Granpa if I brought in a little extra money, and I could use some new jeans.

Granpa enjoyed talking with Dad. Yet again, another difficult word to use. I'm as tall as he is, and he keeps his blond hair cut short. Rissa really looks like him, and Thin looks nothing like him. It was nice to see the three guys talking at the picnic a few weeks ago, Granpa and Dad talked about their time in the Army. Thin listened, except when I gave him some not really subtle signals to pay attention to his girlfriend! He's so slow, sometimes! I wish I could talk to Mom, to see if all guys are like that. Rissa still plays with her Raggedy Ann, so she's not much help.

I keep hoping he will call. Will there be girls there? Will he forget me? I need to get back to jogging, I don't want to gain any weight. He might notice. Should I talk about college too? Could we go to the same one? Will he still want to be together after work, and high school? Will he still love me?

[Leitz]

Making Thin's life a little more complex.

Dear Diary (July 3rd, 1987)

Dear Dairy,

Should I, or not? I'm in a super weird place right now; it started last night.

Mom took Rissa and I to Thin's sword class. The internship keeps him busy, but Rissa wanted to keep going. She's the youngest person there, but the munchkin puts herself into it! She invited me, and Mom picked me up and drove us. Rissa went to change, a lot of them wear brown and tan robes. It seems like they follow a superhero named Knight Light.

It seems like they need to get out more, too. Most of the guys were looking at me, and doing stupid stuff to get my attention. Guys are so weird! Then the munchkin came back and glared at all of them. "She's married!" she growled, and the guys looked scared of her. Then one of them laughed, said I was "Thin's wife", and then they all started talking to me like a normal person. Well, they talked to me, but the munchkin reminded them that I don't talk.

That was super embarrassing, until the one other girl came over and put her arm around me. She said everyone knew Thin's girl couldn't talk, but no one had really believed I existed. She looked a little jealous, too, but was nice to me. Then Rissa pulled me away and stuffed a bunch of scratchy brown cloth into my stomach. Thin's uniform, the one he wore here. It smelled like boy, but it did smell like him.

After I changed into that, everyone was happy to help me learn how to swing a stick. They called them "wasters", and they did look sort of like swords, but it felt odd. Rissa really got into it, and I can't let the munchkin make me look bad!

A couple of the older guys seemed to run the class, and I worked up a sweat. Then someone else brought out a video copied from the news; it was an old clip of Knight Light. Everyone seemed to think he was the coolest hero, and they listened to the police radios to try and find out where he was. That was when I found out how special my "husband" was. Several of them had a hard time looking at me, until Rissa spoke up. "They think he can't talk, like you," she had said. "But I think he stutters, like Thin. They don't believe me, though."

A short boy looked at me, almost scared. "Thin can't talk, but he can punch."

Several of them looked my way, nodded, and then stared at the floor. Rissa told the boy to tell me, and he looked even more scared. Ashamed, too. Thin walks him home after class, because he didn't live in a good part of town. Well, Mom drives them, but Thin walks him all the way up to his apartment. One day the boy's mom was getting slapped by her boyfriend. She was bloody and crying when he and Thin came in.

Crap, I'm crying while trying to write this. My husband took the man into the back room, and when my husband came out, he told the boy to call the police and an ambulance. The boyfriend never came back, and my husband's step-father helped the kid's mom find a better place to live. And some decent friends.

The munchkin and I walked the kid to his front door tonight, then Mom drove us back home.

To Thin's home. To my husband's home. This is super weird. The class was late and Mom doesn't like to drive real late, so Granpa said I could spend the night here. I slept in Thin's bed, wearing one of his t-shirts for a nightgown, and now I'm staring at his diary. Should I, or not? I took a quick glance, he really needs to write better, but I closed it up. I want him as my husband, does he want me as a wife? That's what he said months ago, but this internship might change him. What do I need to do to keep him?

I know what I want, and who I want, but does he want the same?

[Leitz]

10:27 AM Local Time – Friday, July 3rd, 1987

Perry gave Mrs. Jones a smile and stepped off of the bus. Mrs. Jones, the driver, went to Granpa's church down by the mission. This bus stop was a few blocks to her apartment, but there was a small chocolate shop nearby that had her name on it. After last night's workout, she deserved a treat.

She also needed to think about a lot of things, and chocolate helped. That was her excuse, anyway, Thin's diary weighed heavily in her backpack. She had wrapped it in his old t-shirt, too; she liked having a part of him with her. They were going to be husband and wife, he just needed to figure that out. She would do her best to help him see how things were supposed to be.

Into the shop, and she didn't even have to say anything. The guy behind the counter smiled at her, and asked, "The usual?" His eyes went wide when she held up three fingers. "A triple, eh? Must be a rough day. Let me know if you need anything."

Perry brought out the money, and the guy's fingers touched hers. His eyes met hers, but then he looked away. She didn't have a way to tell him she was married, or even engaged. Thin didn't have a job, so he couldn't buy her an engagement ring. Did the internship pay anything? She needed to talk to Granpa, should she get one on her own, to make it easier to keep guys away? Surely Thin would think of it eventually, but there was no telling when he would do so.

She smiled at the guy, hopefully he understood. On the way out, she popped a piece of chocolate into her mouth and looked up. The walls of Thin's room was covered with posters of superheros, though she didn't know any of them. They always seemed to be in the sky. She wasn't even sure who any of them were, but they did look cool in their costumes. The only odd bit was Knight Light, Thin was in the superhero's fan club, but didn't have a poster of him. Maybe she could find one? It'd make a nice present.

[Leitz]

11:05 AM Local Time – Friday, July 3rd, 1987

Lunch in the Park

The two men sat at their usual picnic table. The younger man, blond and muscled, set out potato salad, tea, plates and cups. The older man, chocolate skin and gray hair, opened a basket of fried chicken and said the blessing. Both men dug into the the food, and kept watch on the park. Neither man had a blind eye to trouble, but it was a beautiful Friday and a great lunch.

Children played on the swings or chased each other around trees. Mothers watched with careful eye, and a few ladies grouped together to talk, as their children enjoyed the day.

George pulled out two plastic bags, each one with a wet washcloth. He handed one to Granpa, and took the other to wipe off his hands and then the table. "Great cooking there, sir."

Granpa nodded, and smiled. "You're like my wife, rest her soul; two people to feed and she'd bring enough food for a dozen."

"I had enough meals in bags to last me a lifetime. When I can make good food, and share it, I'll do so," George said. He lowered his voice, "And I appreciate you saying that you don't need it, but I don't care. You and Perry are family, now, and I know churches don't pay a lot."

"You are correct, and if you didn't cook so well I'd put up more of a fight. As is, well, we do need to talk about family." Granpa said. "You said you have some news? I know I do."

George nodded. "Thin thinks this internship is going to get him all kinds of money. I figure he'll get reality on the first paycheck, but he's already asking my advice about cars to by and where to shop for a ring."

"Mm...mmmm...MMM," Granpa said. "It's to the ring, now, is it? I'm not surprised. No, not surprised at all. I told you about Valentine's Day, right? Perry made me take her to the clinic, she's been taking them pills regular now. We had a long talk, on that. She knows she should wait, but she's got a head on her shoulders. She knows how hard it's been to wait this long. I get the feeling they haven't done anything yet, but I'm not sure how long that's gonna last."

"Thin's a good kid," George said. "But he's a teen male, and we know how they are." Granpa nodded, and George added, "He struggles with his dad. Well, the idea of him, anyway. When he was young, every time he got angry with me he'd tell my how his dad was going to show up and make things better. Now, I think he's angry at his dad for leaving his mom. That's probably been the biggest driver for good behavior so far."

"So far. What do you think is going to happen?" Granpa said as he wrapped up the leftovers.

"I think Thin is going to have a hard crash into reality when he sees how little he's making, as an intern. Then he's going to look the picture of Perry that he carries everywhere, and start figuring out how to afford a place for them to live together." George shook his head. "I don't want them living in the sort of place they could afford, do you?"

"Perry's gone looking for a job, these past couple of days. I want her to stay in school, and get some college. But that's going to put a strain on their marriage, and we both know that's what they are aiming for." Granpa nodded. "We're in a good spot, you know. Those two kids are going to follow their hearts, and they're going to have a rough time of it. But they are good kids, and they listen to us. Their hearts speak louder, but when it comes down to it, they will make a family but they will ask us how to do it well. I'm proud of them."

There was a long silence, and then Granpa said quietly. "Something's on your mind, and we're too honest to avoid it."

George nodded. "I'm going to fix up the space over our garage. It's pretty big, and has a high peaked roof. I know a plumber, and you taught Thin how to build. When it's time, I want you to think about moving in with us."

Granpa sighed. "Let's see about that when we have to. Maybe they'll be nice to us old men and wait a while."

George snorted, and then Granpa laughed.

[Leitz]

Talking to Dad: First part

Friday, 3 July 1987

"Hey Mrs. Betty, can you..." Thin's voice trailed off as he actually made it into the construction trailer. Mrs. Betty, the elderly lady who served as George's secretary, office manager, and Chief Cookie Supplier wasn't there. An attractive younger hispanic woman sat in her chair and held her pen over the company large checkbook.

"Yes, how can I help you?" Her accent wasn't strong, but it was still there. Thin couldn't tell the difference between Central America Spanish and actual Spanish from Spain, but he easily understood her. She sat back and closed the checkbook. "Are you here to see Mrs. Betty?"

"Uh, no, ma'am. I'm here to see George. Um, George Blish." He paused. "Is Mrs. Betty okay?"

The lady reached for a large walkie-talkie, much bigger than the ones Thin and Rissa had played with as kids. Lots more buttons, too. "Oh, no. Her grandson is in from Diego Garcia, and she took the week off to go visit him. Here, let me get him for you."

She brought the walkie-talkie close, clicked the talk button, and said, "Senor Blish, there is a young man to see you. He is..." She looked at Thin and asked, "Who should I say?"

Thin took a deep breath, and steeled himself to answer. He had thought about this on the bus ride over, and it really hurt. It was a mile and a half to the construction site, a new building towards the lake. Nothing but several stories of huge steel girders, lots of big men laughing, and several tracked Cats. Thin had focused on the building as he pushed himself to jog the entire way, he'd need a shower before heading to Perry's tonight.

He needed a lot of things, and for a moment he felt as incomplete as the steel structure before him. But men were working on it, and he was working on himself. This was hard work, but it had to be done. He had to answer the lady's question, and he had to talk to George. Thin wanted to build a future, and he had to man up and get to work. He looked directly at the lady, smiled, and said, "Tell him his son would like to talk to him."

She winked at him, and spoke into the walkie-talkie. "Es tu hijo, Senor."

The radio didn't crackle like the kid's toys, Thin heard George's voice clearly. "I'm up top, Elsa, tell him I'll be down in a few minutes."

"He said-" Elsa stopped as Thin waved at her.

He turned to the left wall, picked a visitor's safety helmet off the rack, and opened the door. "Tell him I'm on my way, and thank you."

- - -

The elevator only went so far, and Thin had to climb two floors of scaffolding to get to the top. It was easy to see where George was; the clipboard of checklist items and the air of command made him easy to spot. George watched as Thin stepped onto the I beam, ignored George, and with a half twist faced the flag and saluted. Then he walked forward and stopped, smiling.

"Not a bad salute, for a punk civilian," George said. His grin was as wide as his face could handle. He nodded down to the ground below. "You used to be scared of standing on the coffee table, and now you're ten stories past your comfort zone. What's up?"

Thin smiled. One day he'd be able to tell George stuff. Maybe not as exciting as the things George had done in the Army, but then again, this morning had been fun. Still, that wasn't why he needed to talk. "My mom hangs around this grumpy old geezer, I was afraid he'd fall down the steps if I wasn't able to help him move around."

George snorted, glanced a man doing a spot weld, and the turned back to Thin. "That grumpy old geezer can still kick your a.., butt."

"Probably. He might want to make sure he changes words before he gets home, though. Ris is saying all sorts of stuff that Mom would fuss about."

George nodded, and lowered his voice. "Are you okay? Everything working out at the internship? They treating you well?"

Thin hesitated. Maybe one day he could sit down with George and talk about his day; the adrenaline rush of facing a shotgun and two uzis with a friend. Maybe even have a beer, and laugh at Mom shaking her head. Not real sure on the beer, though. Thin had stolen one and tried it a couple years ago. Nasty tasting thing, he had to brush his teeth five times to get the yuck out of his mouth.

Today was not that day. Besides, there were more important things to discuss. Thin took a deep breath, met George's gaze, and said simply. "It's about Perry, and...and I need some advice."

George lost his playful grin and said nothing for several seconds. Then he nodded, clicked the handset on his shoulder, and said "Alan, I'll drop off today's checklist at the office. Can you finish it for me?"

He paused, and then clicked the handset again. "My son needs some help."


- - -


George had gotten them both a soda, and they sat in his work truck. George looked at Thin, smiled, and said, "I know starting this conversation is going to be tough, so let me help. It's about Perry, do you want to dump her or get her something nice that you can't yet afford?"

Thin had paled when George mentioned dumping Perry, and then blushed when he said 'something nice'. There wasn't anything as beautiful as she was, but he knew what he wanted. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and looked directly at George. "I want to marry her."

"Whoa..." George took a deep drink, and looked out the front windshield. "Honestly, I'm not surprised. In about ten seconds, though, you're going to be angry at me. But I have to ask, have you gotten her pregnant? Do you have to get married right now, so that she's not like your mom?"

Thin almost growled, but he backed off. He had to man up, and have this conversation. He had started it, and now he was in it. "No. We haven't..."

George shook his head and rolled his eyebrows. "Well, you're a better man than I was at your age. I couldn't even get a girl as pretty as Perry to talk to me. If one had, well, I'm not sure what I would have done."

"I'm not sure hearing your teen exploits would help, right now." Thin half smiled, half grimaced. "I have enough on my mind, and thinking about you running around my high school seems weird."

"Yeah, probably for the best. Don't want you to get any ideas." George grinned. "So, marriage. You two seem fit for each other, and it's been two years. What's the rush?"

Thin blushed, but couldn't speak.

"Ah, gotcha," George said. He took a drink. "You know this internship is probably just for the summer, right? Being married, having a family, costs money. Are you planning on working someplace after you go back to school? How do you see that working out?"

Thin nodded. "They say the internship may go year round, if I do well. I'm studying all the stuff they give me, and working as hard as I can. If it can go year round, I'm going to take it. I checked on school stuff, too, and sometimes people can get work credit hours and not have to take as many classes."

George nodded, and they sat there silently. Thin had said what he knew to say, now George had to process it. If he could win George over, man to man, talking to Mom would be a lot easier. Thin finished his soda and waited.

"Are you firmly committed to this action?" George said. Thin nodded, and then George asked "What's your plan?"

Thin took a deep breath. He had to say this right. "There are two things that stop me from marrying Perry. As you said, a family costs money and I haven't even gotten one paycheck yet. A man must be able to provide for his family, though, and I need to get a car. Maybe a van, you said there were always supply runs you needed done, right? If the internship doesn't work out then I could get a job running those for construction sites. You've taken me to the hardware stores enough."

George looked at Thin, and waited. Thin sighed. "And, I need to tell Perry the truth about me. All of it, there's stuff she doesn't know. She has to hear it from me before she agrees to marry me, because I don't want to hurt her. I want her to know the truth."

"Buckle up, we have work to do." George's seat belt clicked in, he started the truck, and his hand rested on the gear shifter. He turned to Thin and said, "Hate me for my opinion or not, I don't care. I love you and your mom, and I think your dad was a f****** idiot for leaving. His loss, my win. Let's get this show on the road."

[Leitz]

Talking to Dad: Part the Second

The tie was tight, and Thin hoped they got all of the store tags off of everything. He pulled at the shirt collar, hoping to breathe a little easier, and George huffed at him.

"Folks in the other apartments are going to want to use the hallway soon, are we going to stand here all day or are you going to actually knock on the door? I'm pretty sure Mister Hoffman can't do thought transference, so you're going to have to ask him a question if you want an answer." George grinned. "Millions of guys have survived this conversation, you're about to join the ranks."

"Did you? I mean..."

George lost his smile. "No, your mom and I didn't do this. I made mistakes and she stuck with me anyway. There's a reason we don't talk about how we met and got started, just know that it's ended up much better than I ever dreamed."

Thin nodded, took a deep breath, and knocked. Two seconds later the door flew open and Perry gave him that "you're late and in serious trouble" look she had perfected. Then she froze, he had never worn a suit over. He didn't even wear suits to church. But the suit didn't bother him anymore, and the shoes weren't too tight. Perry was right there, and his world was perfect.

And then it wasn't, he had a duty. He couldn't look at her. "I need to speak with Mister Hoffman, your grandfather. Is he available?"

Perry paled. George was standing behind Thin, and his face said nothing. She simply nodded, and stepped away from the door, leaving it open.

"The girl was hoping you'd be here early!" Mister Hoffman called out from the kitchen. "You hungry?"

Thin couldn't look at Perry, but forced himself to walk to the kitchen. He reached the door as Mister Hoffman, hands covered in huge kitchen mitts, and carrying a huge pyrex dish with a mounded foil covering. "Watch out, it's...oh."

Mister Hoffman turned back into the kitchen. "This is hot and my mitts are old. I guess we need to keep it in the over a little longer. I'll be right there."

Perry, Thin, and George stood silently, and then Mister Hoffman came out, sans mitts. "How can I help you?"

"Sir, may I speak to you privately?" The tie and collar was back to choking Thin, and the shoes hurt like heck. He followed Mister Hoffman into the older man's bedroom office, and closed the door behind him.

Mister Hoffman slowly sat in the desk chair. "I'm sorry, sir, but I do not have another chair. Would you like me to get one from the kitchen?"

Thin shook his head, and then stood straight. "Sir, I think this will just be a minute. At least, it will only take me a minute to ask my question, but you can take as long as you like to answer."

Mister Hoffman nodded, but said nothing. Thin took a deep breath, and said, "Sir, I love your daughter more than my own life. George has taught me a lot, and he's here to answer any questions you might have. I've asked him to be totally honest with you."

The tie was choking him. Thin felt faint, but he pressed on. "Sir, I would like your permission to court Perry, your granddaughter. Not as a boyfriend, but because I want to marry her."

Mister Hoffman looked at Thin, and said quietly, "And if I say no?"

Thin turned pale, which meant he was no longer red. At least for the moment. He replied, "Sir, then I will honor your wishes and leave. But the day Perry turns eighteen, I will be back, and I will ask her."

"You both are young," Mister Hoffman said.

"Yes, sir. It will be difficult, and I will have to go to school and work as well. Geo...my dad has said that if my internship does not work out that he will help me find work, and that if you consent to the marriage, that he will allow Perry to live with us. With me."

Thin licked his lips, and added, "He will be my best man, and I would be happy to ask Rissa if she would be the flower girl, if Perry wants. You sir, only have to decide if you want to be the preacher or to give away the bride."

Mister Hoffman smiled, and said, "It sounds like this is a forgone conclusion. Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Yes...no, sir." Thin paused, and slumped a little. "I am asking for permission now, but I have to speak to Perry about some things before I ask her to marry me. She has to know what she's getting into, and I will tell her everything."

"Everything?" Mister Hoffman chuckled. "That could be dangerous."

"Not as dangerous as her finding out later," Thin said. He wasn't really smiling.

Mister Hoffman stood, and offered his hand to Thin. "I will permit you to court my granddaughter, and I will decide how to run the wedding. I don't need to talk to your dad, hearing you call him that answers most every question I have. Now take off that tie and let's have some supper."

- - -

Two in the morning, and an old man's body had to answer the call of nature. He quietly stepped into the living room, using the muted television as a light source. Perry and Thin were curled up together on the couch, asleep. Fully clothed, but she looked happy in his protective arms. Mister Hoffman pulled the afghan from his comforter, spread it out, and covered them.

"You found yourself a good man; just like your mama," he whispered.

[Leitz]

10 PM, 5 Jul 1987

Dear Diary,

Things were almost normal, and then they spun out of control yet again. Friday night Thin and I fell asleep on the couch. Together. I'm pretty sure Granpa's old afghan didn't magically move itself over top of us, and that means Granpa saw us.

It was nice, waking up that way. Then super embarrassing. Then Thin pulled me into a hug and sighed, and it was back to being good. Granpa didn't say anything at breakfast, and then he went to do some work at the church. I could tell Thin wanted to talk to me, but he seemed unsure. I kissed him, and he got better.

He started talking about a camping trip, and that I'd need to get some camping stuff. He's still trying to figure out the pay for his internship, big companies are like that. It takes forever for them to figure out how to pay people. I thought that was what was bothering him, and boy was I wrong!

That's why I'm here, in his room, at his house. I have a bunch of my stuff here, and Thin spent the day boxing up a bunch of his boy stuff and putting it into the garage. Dad showed us the loft over the garage, and said that he's already lining up people to make a place for Granpa. Thin did a lot of clean-up in the garage, too, and Dad brought in an old van. Thin said that if the internship doesn't work out, then he will run errands in the van, and deliver supplies to Dad's work.

Somehow it wound up that I'm staying here for the week, and helping Mom and the family clean up the house and prepare for "the thing". That would be a wedding, if someone ever bothered asking me to marry him. He was nervous about it, and I wasn't sure why, but then we talked while cleaning out the van. It needs a lot more cleaning, trust me!

That's what got us back to the camping trip. He wasn't sure if one of the people he works with wanted to go, too, but she (eek!) hadn't really said no, yet. Hadn't said yes, either, so we're not sure. Something is bothering Thin, though, and he seems like he's scared to talk to me.

Maybe I'm scared to talk to him, too? When we were cleaning out his room, he showed me an old photo album. He has really lost weight! I had forgotten about that, I was skinny as a rail when we met, and he was heavyset. People used to make fun of us, and maybe that was what brought us together? He's changed so much in the past two years, and I haven't. I don't have any career plans, besides finish school and get married, if I'm ever asked. Thin is working full time, and he's hoping that it'll continue year round. That means school and work for him, and maybe a second job for him. And here I am, with nothing.

I want to be more than just a wife. Dad says internships don't usually pay much, so I'll need to bring in money for us. Dad was pretty clear that I would need to carry my weight, as part of the family, but he wasn't mean about it. I guess that's his Army background?

So, what does Thin want to talk about? If no one else goes, will we still camp? I told him about seeing his diary, and he asked me to wait to read it. He didn't say no, but I'll wait. I think it's part of what's on his mind.

This is so weird. Dad got us a small table for our room, so we can do our school work. Half of each drawer on the dresser is reserved for my stuff, and half of the closet. Thin put a lot of stuff in the garage, and took even more to the second hand store, to make room for me.

Tomorrow I'm helping the Munchkin clean up her room, doing laundry, and then more clean up on the van. It's going to be a long day.

[Leitz]

Evening, 6 Jul 1987

Perry and George

I knocked on the door, but it was a mousy little girl knock. It sounded like I really didn't want to be there. That was not a great way to start this conversation with my potential father-in-law. I gripped the piece of paper tightly; I had to ask, and George is the only one who might give me a straight answer. I wanted to call him 'Dad', but this was too stressful. I needed George.

Supper had been fun. Mom cooked something, and I never quite caught the name of it. Sort of a batter covered meatball, deep fried. Very filling, though, and I need to watch my weight. Munchkin and I cleaned up, Mom started the laundry, and George had gone to his office, downstairs.

And here I am, still standing here. In front of a closed door. I took a deep breath, and knocked like a woman who wanted to talk. Which is a joke, since I can't talk. Otherwise Mom and I would have lots of girl conversations. But she struggles with English, and my handwriting is a bit loopy and frilly for her to read.

George, though, was a good option. Thin said that George was honest, and sometimes a bit too honest. George was smart, he ran his own construction company. I'm not sure Thin understood how much he said that was good about George.

And then George was standing right in front of me. He's my height, but I'm tall for a girl. He's a lot more muscular, and he still keeps his blond hair cut short. He looks nothing like Thin, but I can see why he caught Mom's attention. His office wasn't that big; a desk like Granpa's, and I swear he had the same green shade lamp. Three filing cabinets, and a shelf full of books. The lamp was lit, and there was a half full bottle of beer on his desk, next to a stack of papers.

I almost panicked right then and there! Maybe I would have run, and I can run fast, but the piece of paper was still in my hand, and George saw it. He probably saw my hand shaking, too, and I'm not sure which of the million things running through my brain caused the shaking. Maybe it was all of them, I was shaking a lot.

George gently pulled the paper from my hand, and read it. It was a simple question, really, and it could do with a "yes" or a "no" answer. My heart was begging for a yes, but if I had the answer, I wouldn't have to ask the question, would I?

"How I answer that depends on who I am talking to." George's face went blank, and he looked at me. He looked at the paper, and then back at me. "Is this from a little girl with a crush, or a woman wanting to plan her life with a man? If it's the first, then I'll just say yes and you can go back upstairs. However, a woman would know that there's more to this than a simple answer, and she'd want to gain a better understanding."

He stood back, and held the door open. I felt like a little girl, right then. I thought it would be so easy; one word and life would be perfect. George's voice said there was more to this. That I needed to be sure, and that he wouldn't hold it against me either way.

Scared out of my skull, I nodded, and then stepped into George's office.

"Grab a seat," George said as he pointed to a small couch and set of chairs off to the right. I didn't see them before, they looked cozy. The small coffee table had papers on it, and George moved those to his desk. He grabbed his beer, left the office door open, and pointed to a small fridge. "Want a beer?"

I stuck out my tongue, made a face, and then sat in one of the chairs. He sat opposite me and put his bare feet on the coffee table.

"Oh, wait," he said, and then got a blank note pad and pen from his desk. "This might go on for a bit, and I don't know sign language yet."

He sat back down, took a drink from his beer, and said. "So, does he love you? I can't read his mind, but let me tell you a few things I have seen."

He leaned his head back, and spoke to the ceiling. "His first day at the new school was interesting. He didn't talk much, the stutter was real bad. On the heavy set side, and not athletic at all. He was happy to stay in his room and read comics, or play make up games with his friends. I knew the new school would be challenging for him, since he's a grade behind. He'd probably come back depressed and morose, he did that a lot."

George leaned his head forward, took a drink from the bottle, and grinned. "Honestly, I think aliens abducted Thin and switched him with a look alike! The kid that came home started asking about sports, and how to pick better clothes, and he even ate his vegetables without a single grimace." George winked, and added, "And he talked about this one girl."

My face got warm. The cheerleaders had been mocking me, and their football playing boyfriends joined in. Then a dorky guy with pale skin and wavy brown hair stood between me and the hate crowd. The quarterback tried to push the dork down, but kept stumbling over chairs and other people's feet, until he landed on top of the head cheerleader.

Someone had yelled about them making out in the lunch room, and everyone laughed. At them, and not at me. No one was laughing at the mute girl for a change. The the dork looked at me, turned bright red, and sat across the table. It took the entire rest of lunch for him to stutter out his name, and I had to write a quick note that I was mute, and that my name was Perry.

He walked me to my next class, his hands jammed into his pockets the entire way. I caught him glancing at me lots of times, but he never said a word. I smiled at him right before I went into my class, and I thought he was going to faint! He sprinted away, but was back at the door when my class was over. Now that I think about it, he did that for months. Didn't talk much at all, but walked me to every class.

George said, "It looks like it was a good memory for you, too?"

My face burned, and I tucked my sock covered feet up in the chair. I nodded, and then pointed back to the paper in his hand.

George drained his bottle and set it beside his chair. He propped his chin up in his right hand. "Whatever changed for him that day, has kept going. He started working out, doing more around the house, and, really, being a man. A good man. My bet is that whatever changed him is you. If he liked you, then it might have lasted a few weeks, maybe even a couple of months. You're almost at the two year mark, and he's nothing like what he used to be."

He put his feet on the floor, leaned forward, and looked directly at me. "That's the best answer I can give, you need to make up your own mind. I think you know the truth. Now, are you woman enough to know the difficult stuff?"

I nodded, and my chest got tight. What was so difficult that he'd have to ask that?

George got up and got himself a soda. I nodded when he held it up to me, and he grabbed another. "One evening beer is my weekday limit."

He sat back down, propped up his feet, and sighed. "Don't tell him I said this, but Thin is terrified. I'm sure you understand the whole guy and girl physical stuff, and that you're a beautiful woman."

I blushed, and George snorted. "If you don't think so, I assure you he does. And that's what terrifies him."

This made no sense, what is Thin terrified of? Why is George looking at me like he's sad? I almost reached for the pen and paper, but George started talking.

"The other day, Thin called me 'Dad'. I'm not his biological father, and he's had all the normal struggles with a new man in the house. His early teen years were tough. And then he met you. I think his ability to call me dad is a result of you. That's a gift I can't ever repay, but maybe I can give you something in return."

"Thin is a normal teen boy, and I'm sure you understand what normal teen boys think most about. But he wants to marry you. He knows what that means; the triple load of family, job, and school. He's committed to finishing high school, and even talking about college. Even if this internship doesn't work out, he's asked me for help finding another job. Personally, I think he'll make it. Especially if he has a good woman by his side. But he's terrified."

George looked straight at me, and a tear ran down his right cheek. "Please understand, I was back in country after a long training exercise. I was young, single, and stupid; Army life and pleasure drove me. My first night back in town, I went to my usual bar, and was looking for the usual thing guys go to bars for. There was a woman there; ill fitting dress, too much makeup, and nervous as hell. I asked Jimmie, the bartender, about her, and he shrugged. No one knew who she was, and she had difficulty with English."

He turned his soda can around several times, it wasn't even open yet. I knew what he meant, about bars.

"My Turkish was good enough to get her story." George closed his eyes, and had trouble speaking. "Her sister had thrown her out that afternoon. She had no money, and a sick child. Selling her body was the only thing she could do to provide for her son."

For a long time, George did not speak. I could not think; Mom in a bar? Like that? Where was Thin? How could her family do that?

George sighed, and we looked at each other. My tears made everything blurry, but George's voice was strong. "Thin desires you as a man desires a beautiful woman. He is terrified of leaving you like his mom was left, and of having a child who has to live through what he has lived through. The internship, the talk about extra work, all of it is so that he can provide for you. So that you don't wind up like his mother. But understand this: if something happens, if he gets you knocked up and dumps you, I will kick his a** twice a day until he accepts his responsibilities. I really doubt that's going to be needed, but I will not let that cycle repeat itself in this family."

[Leitz]

Failed camping trip

Thin spun around, and pushed me, Mom, and Munchkin into the butcher's section of the grocery. Push is a gentle word for it, the three of us were thrown behind the meat counter and then Thin was on top of us.

That's when the shooting started.

This wasn't how the camping trip was supposed to be. At least I hope not; if this is camping, I'm staying in hotels! We had been driving for hours, heading north west in a two car caravan. Granpa, Mom, Dad, and Munchkin were in the family vehicle. They had a working radio and air conditioning. Thin and I were driving in his van, with all the camping gear. We had a cooler of soda and sandwiches, and every window that opened, was open.

Thin was happy about something. I caught him looking at me a lot, and smiling. Every once in a while I had to remind him to watch the road, and to contact the others on the walkie-talkie when we needed a bio-break. This one was in a small country store that also served as a bait shop, and the local bar.

I felt the clunking of the refrigeration unit under the counter, and smelled raw beef. People were screaming, and I heard Granpa shout "He's hit!"

That was not good, Granpa would only say that if George was the one who got shot. I could feel the entire jumble of us tense up. Thin looked over the steaks, out into the store, and then popped his head back down.

"Three men with guns. George is bent over, Granpa is holding onto him. One of the men just hit Granpa, but Granpa wouldn't let go." Thin whispered. "One of the guys is going through the store and rounding up people. He'll be here any minute."

My mind was going a million miles a minute, and then it just disconnected. We couldn't do anything, and George was going to die. Probably Granpa, too; he's stubborn when his friends get hurt. But the weird part was that Mom and Munchkin just looked at Thin. Well, Mom looked at Thin with hope. Munchkin looked, and then said "Go kick some a**."

Thin nodded and quickly pulled his backpack around. Out came his fight training costume, and he had been practicing putting it on quick! Not sure why. He dug out his fake light sabre, reshouldered his backpack, and then he really looked like the super hero.

There was another shot, from a different section of the store.

"Mom, this is a worker's area. That means there's a back door. Get Ris and Perry out," Thin said quietly. He looked at me, mouthed "I love you", and then pulled the hood over his head as he turned away.

It was a sweet, if confusing, moment, ruined by an ugly guy shoving a big gun at Thin's head.

My chest froze, Thin was going to die. I tried to push myself between them, to protect him, but I wasn't fast enough. Thin was still turning when the gun went off.

There was a lot of blood on the floor. And half a gun. Thin stood, holding a light sabre. Not a fake. The bad guy's arm was bleeding, and he looked scared. Thin waved his hand, there was a sparkle, and the bad guy went flying. He went over the shelves of potato chips, bounced off the ceiling, and crashed two aisles over.

Mom and Munchkin grabbed me and started pulling. We stumbled through a thin wooden door, and into a room with shelves and shelves of stuff. Mom ran in front as Munchkin pushed me from behind. There were more shots!

Thin loves me, and I was running away! I stopped at the back door, as Mom opened it. The plan was to turn around and help my husband (if he ever asks), but the plan didn't take into account a motivated Munchkin.

"He's got it, don't worry," she said, as she threw her shoulder into my gut and knocked me through the doorway.

Mom ran to her minivan and started yelling into a walkie-talkie. Munchkin and I were tumbled together on the gravel, and my rear hurt. I looked at her and scowled; she needed to learn sign language so I could cuss her out. Munchkin's face was serious. "It's a secret; you can't tell anyone. Ever. Otherwise we'll all die. You gotta promise!"

I stood up and brushed myself off. My elbows were bleeding from the gravel, and then my knees shook like crazy. I fell down and began throwing up, as sirens wailed in our direction.


- - -

The hospital waiting room was quiet, just me and Granpa. Mom, Thin, and Munchkin were in the room with Dad. He was hurt bad, but would recover. Granpa had eight stitches over one eyebrow, but laughed when the doctor suggested he stay overnight.

"It was the strangest thing," Granpa said, taking both my hands in one of his. He shook his head. I looked at him and shrugged, couldn't ask him 'what' since my hands couldn't move.

"That super fellow, the one that was there. He took care of them boys with guns, and then knelt beside me and George. It was like he cared. I've never met a super man before, but if they are all like him, then they might be okay." He shook his head slowly. "I just don't get it, though. He came over and told me my family was safe, behind the building."

Granpa shook his head one more time, and then squeezed my hands. "How did he know that?"

[Leitz]

The Drive Home

I asked a female how Perry might feel after the last scene. That'll teach me...

"Something is eating you up inside," Granpa said as he pulled into a late night diner. "I need to stretch my legs and get some coffee, it's still an hour before we get home."

He pulled Thin's van into the light near the door. There weren't many people inside, but he said, "Wait. What's going on, child?"

I shook my head, unbuckled, got out. I was sitting in exactly the same seat several hours ago, heading to a camping trip with the guy I thought I was going to marry. Who I thought loved me enough to trust me. Fat chance of that. He lied to me! How can I trust him? Good grief, how does he think I'd want to marry someone who isn't honest?

Who cares! I've been jogging, watching what I eat, and drinking lots of water. Just for him. What a waste! There better be half a pie and a gallon of ice cream in there. I stomped my foot while Granpa came up the three steps and pulled the door open. The little bell rang for him, just as it had for me. I signed him what I wanted and headed to the restroom to wash my face. I had tried a little makeup, but I'm done with that now. Some guy will like me just as I am. Maybe he'll even trust me enough to tell me the truth, unlike someone I used to know.

When I got back, it was just a regular slice of pie and a single scoop of ice cream. It didn't take three bites for me to finish, and Granpa just sipped his coffee.

"Child, I know what we went through was scary. It scared me, anyway, and you've never been in-"

Granpa stopped when I thrust out my hand. I signed hard, pouring my anger into each word. "He. Lied. To. Me."

"I don't understand, what happened?" Granpa looked at my hands. "What did he say?"

"He. Lied." Granpa didn't need to know that he had been lied to as well. I'd spare him that; my life going down the toilet is bad enough. "I want to get my stuff from his house and never see him again."

Granpa sipped his coffee, as I realized that I'd never trust anyone again.

[Leitz]

Late Night at the Hospital

Beeps and boops came from several machines, and the breathing sound George made into the mask reminded Thin of Darth Vader. It was late, Mom and Ris were at a hotel, and Thin was on his fourth soda. He wanted to stay awake, but it was difficult since the room was dark and the hospital was quiet. Drinking soda helped. So did remembering how Perry had looked at him just before she and Granpa left. It was the same look he had always gotten from girls, "Who are you and why are you in my field of view?"

He knew she might not take his secret well. He had hoped she would, hoped she would understand that it was for her. The whole get a job thing, and the dress like an adult thing. The think about wedding stuff thing, too. Her look said that all that was gone. Everything he had done for her was wasted, and he had no clue why. Life as he knew it was over.

"Where..." George mumbled through the mask.

"Hospital," Thin said as he stood up. The chair made that suck-in-air sound as he walked over to George's bed. "Didn't the Army teach you not to walk in front of a bullet? Heck, I think even Ris knows that."

George snorted. "Someone has to, just to keep things interesting. Hey...is...is everyone else okay? What happened after I went down?"

The mask muted George's voice, and for a moment Thin thought about moving it so he could hear better. But if it was there, then George probably needed it. "Everyone's okay. I got Mom, Ris, and Perry out a back door. Granpa has a few stitches on one eyebrow, they hit him with their gun."

George looked at Thin. "Did you...how..."

Thin took a deep breath. He was a terrible liar, and he knew George could see if he even thought about lying. Best to stick with the truth, from a different angle. "One of the Crusaders, the super hero group back home, showed up. The robbers didn't put up much of a fight, according to Granpa. Mom called the police on the walkie-talkie. She and Ris just left an hour ago, to crash at a motel. I can call her, if you want?"

"No, I'm going to fall asleep any minute, those pain killers are strong." George took a deep breath, and started to relax. "You did good, getting the girls out of danger. I'm proud of you."

Thin nodded, as George's eyes closed.

[Leitz]

Early Afternoon, still at the hospital

"I'm the one that got shot, why do you look like you're more deader than I am?" George said.

Thin just shrugged. Early afternoon sun came through the window shades, but didn't help his mood. Hospital monitors continued to beep and boop. Mom and Ris were taking a break and having lunch, he would go back to the hotel when they were done. He wasn't sure what he would do there, but it was just someplace to be.

"C'mon, dying man's last wish; what's got you so down?" George gently pushed himself up a little, and winced as the stitches on his abdomen pulled.

"You're not dying," Thin said, and shrugged again. "I talked to Mr. Hoffman this morning, I wanted to make sure they got home okay. I told him to keep the van as long as he likes, but he said they were going to drop it off today."

Thin paused, and looked unseeing out the window. "He said Perry made him go by our house on the way back, and she got all of her stuff. She's angry with me, and she never wants to see me again."

"Oh, that's not good," George said. He checked his monitors. "What happened?"

"Everything. Nothing." Thin shrugged. "I wanted to tell her some things about me when we were alone this week. I wanted to make it all perfect, even though it was..."

"Tough stuff you're not even telling me, right?" George said. Thin nodded, and then George added. "And somehow she didn't take it like you thought she would?"

"It sort of came out accidentally, and then all of this," Thin waved his hand at the hospital, "Happened. No time to talk stuff out, and she was really mad at me when she left. She took her stuff, so..."

"You're serious about her, aren't you?" George asked.

Thin raised an eyebrow at him, and then dug into his backpack. He pulled out a small black box and tossed it into George's lap.

"Oh," George said as he opened the box. "Nice rock, simple design. It looks like your mother's."

"It's the same pattern, I didn't want to take any chances. Mom likes hers, so I hoped Perry would like the same thing." Thin shrugged. "I don't think I can get a refund."

"Sometimes you can, sometimes not. You can always try to sell it, this isn't the best season for it, but it can be done." George closed the box. "A few weeks ago you asked for my advice, and I was glad to help. Are you still willing to listen?"

Thin shrugged. "What's the point? Everything I planned is falling apart."

George nodded. "I understand that, trust me. What you're going through is tough, but it can be dealt with. I'd like to help, if you'll let me." He held up the small box, and said, "Some guys think this means you're serious about a girl. It doesn't. This is just a thing, but it can be a symbol of something more. You have to decide if you want it to be just a thing, or if you're really about the 'something more' part. I think you are, but what do you think?"

Thin looked at his backpack, and sighed. "I don't know what to think. Everything I've wanted just walked away."

"Then let's walk after it. After her. Don't let go, that's not what she wants." George looked up as a nurse came in. "Go get some sunlight, and then come back. We can talk in a bit."

[Leitz]

"Thank you, sir," Thin said. He climbed out of the jeep, and then grabbed his backpack from the cargo area. "I really appreciate the ride, how much do I owe you?"

Sam shook his head, and grinned. Sam was a little like George; muscular and tanned. On the other hand, Sam was a giant six foot three hillbilly from West Virginia. George had called him, and asked that he give Thin a ride home. George had winked at Thin, and mentioned 'girl trouble', which made Thin blush. Mom heard, but said nothing.

Sam extended his hand, and they shook. "Your dad and I served together through some rough times; we owe each other a lot. He would do the same for me, no question about it. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders, and this is going to be tough. But she sounds like a good woman, and those are hard to find. Do what you need to do, and don't stop until you win."

Thin nodded. George had explained that there was a group of soldiers from his old unit in New Chicago, and they were tight knit. They were also super smart, Sam spoke Vietnamese, Spanish, Latin, and even a bit of ancient Greek. Sam looked at him, and Thin nodded again. "Sam, you did this because of my dad. But I'm a man, too, and I owe you one. For you, for your son, or for your buddies. Just ask."

"Thanks, kid," Sam said. He paused, and the added. "My son will be going to your school in the fall. He's got a medical condition, and-"

"And you and Dad need to set up a camping trip for the one we missed. Invite Jimmie along, and we'll get ready for the school year together. If I crash and burn on this thing with my girlfriend, I'll probably need more friends anyway."

Sam laughed, and waved goodbye as he pulled out of the driveway. Thin went inside the house, and picked up the van keys from the table by the door. It was quiet, no kitchen sounds of Mom cooking, no weights slammed around in the garage. No Ris laughter. He like this house, but his home was wherever Perry was. He simply would not wait, and walked back out the door and got into the van. He stopped for gas, got a soda, and washed his face. Sam's jeep was cool, but several hours of open top riding left a lot of dirt on him. Maybe he should have cleaned up before heading out? Or maybe not, a man deals with the priority items first. That's something George taught him.

Traffic was normal, and it took him forever to get to Perry's apartment building. Yeah, with the heat, and the dirt, he really should have cleaned up. Oh well, no going back now. A quick run up the stairs, a really deep breath, and a knock on the door. He rehearsed what George had suggested; how to get inside, and how to get Perry to talking. If he could get her to talk to him, then he would succeed. Two goals, get through the door, and get her to engage in conversation. Simple, right?

Granpa opened the door, and shook his head sadly. "I'm to tell you that she never wants to speak to you again."

Thin nodded. "I understand completely, sir. But, Perry is a grown woman, she should be able to tell me that herself, right?"

Granpa smiled, and then winked. "I believe you are right, sir. Please, come in."

The first time Thin had met Perry, he was awestruck at her beauty. She was scrawny, hair going out in every direction, and barely looked up from the floor. He had been so shy that he shoved his hands into his pockets because he didn't know what to do with them. He could barely talk back then, and being around her made talking impossible. Speech therapy had helped, but wanting to talk to Perry had driven him crazy for months. He learned sign language, and worked for hours every day on speaking.

She was even more beautiful than ever, sitting on the same couch where they sat for family meetings. Thin wasn't the boy he had been two years ago. He wasn't at all confused about what he wanted. The "how to get it" part was still a challenge, but one he would face. Perry was angry, and he had to let her communicate.

He sat on the edge of the coffee table, she probably wasn't ready to be on the same couch with him. Granpa said something about studying, and went into his room. After a moment, the radio came on, with church music.

"You're upset with me. Why?" Thin said, as he forced himself to relax.

You lied to me. I don't know who you are. How can I trust you. Perry's hands were beautiful, even if they were forcefully yelling at him.

"I'm the guy that's madly in love with you. I'm the guy that's terrified that he's lost the love of his life." Thin grinned. "I'm the guy that saw you in your first bikini, and...wow...that image is never leaving my brain."

Perry scowled at him, but he caught her hidden smile. Why did you not tell me?

"To protect Ris, Mom, and George. There are some powerful supers out there who would hurt them, if they thought they could control me." Thin looked at her. "To protect you, and to protect me."

Why you?

"Because I would kill anyone who hurt you." Thin's voice was serious. "George taught me that being a man means being willing to fight for what's right. But lots of guys fight for pride, or for money. Some fight to be popular, but I fight to protect. If I couldn't protect you, I'd lose my mind. I know what I would do."

Is there anything else you are hiding from me?

"Yes, one thing." Thin dug into his backpack for the small box.

- - -

Some time later, Granpa heard the knock on his bedroom door. He silently prayed as he put the bookmark in place, and then closed his bible. "Lord, give them wisdom."

He tied his bathrobe tight, and opened the door. Thin stood with his arm around Perry's waist, and she raised her hand and splayed out her fingers. The small diamond sparkled, even in the apartment light.

"Thank you, Lord," Granpa thought to himself.

[Leitz]

Teen Supper

"Uh, no," Thin said as he turned to his right and shook his head at Perry. His pale skin contrasted with the deep chocolate face that he loved so much. Her long coarse hair stuck out in all directions as she vigorously nodded 'yes' to him. He shook his head again, "Really, no."

The four teens sat in a booth at Agha's; self-reported to make "the tastiest kabobs". Agha's was a small hole-in-the-wall diner, not in the best part of town. But even on a Wednesday night, things were boisterous. The kitchen staff joked in Turkish, most of the patrons were Middle Eastern or Indian teens, and almost no one spoke quietly. Hundreds of posters and advertisements were splattered across every wall, varying from last year's Christmas parade to faded paper that could barely be read.

It was an eclectic group; a mute African American beauty who made sure any guy looking their way saw her engagement ring. That went double when any girls looked at the muscular fiance sitting in contact with her. Across from her, against the wall, sat Jimmie, a new friend of Thin's. Thin had explained it earlier, Jimmie's dad was friends with Thin's dad, and Jimmie was transferring to their high school this fall. Kadar sat across from Thin, and Perry thought a lot of the girls were rightfully looking at him. Kadar had suggested the restaurant, and explained about his dietary restrictions. He seemed mildly embarassed at first, since Thin said a friend of his mentioned Kadar, and how cool he was. Given Kadar's strength, clear skin, and good mood, those restrictions didn't keep him from getting lingering glances.

Jimmie sat back with a contented smile on his face, and pushed his forearm crutch to the wall. At just into fifteen, he was the youngest of the group, although Kadar only had him by a couple months. "I don't know what she said, and I don't care. I ate too much already, but the smell of that lamb is driving me nuts! You think I could hold another kebab?"

Kadar leaned forward, grinning. His Indian brown skin and straight black hair was a common feature in the room. "If he eats another one, we're going to have to get a cart and wheel him out!"

Jimmie burped loudly, and then blushed. "Um, isn't that a compliment, or something?"

"No." Kadar said, and then laughed. "Depends on where you are. Still, I want to know what Perry said; it's making Thin uncomfortable!"

Perry shook her head, waved her left hand gently, and then pointed to the ring on her finger. The small diamond caught the light just right, and she snapped her fingers at Thin.

"That's to remind me that she calls it a 'Ring of Enslavement'. I'm starting to wonder if it was my wisest choice." Thin grinned, as the waitress put four small cups of strong coffee down on the table. Thin picked one up, sniffed it, and muttered, "Are we sure about this?"

Jimmie picked up a cup, raised it forward, and said, "It is an incredibly stupid idea. Drink up!"

The four teens touched their cups together and then gulped the coffee. Kadar laughed as Thin spewed his. Perry waved both hands in front of her mouth and tried to breathe deeply. Jimmie clenched his lips together and rocked back and forth.

Kadar looked at Perry. "Is that sign language for 'Kiss me you fool?' Is Thin slacking off again? He hasn't kissed you in, like, a whole four minutes."

Jimmie rapidly breathed through his nose. He managed to gasp at Kadar, "Why aren't you choking, dieing, or something?"

"Are you kidding? My dad started me on this when I was nine!" Kadar laughed. "He knew my sister wasn't the stay at home and let the men do the work type, and he figured I needed to learn man stuff so I could provide for the family."

Kadar sighed, and shook his head just a little. "I never expected to have to be the man of the family so soon. I mean, Rhib takes care of me and everything, but she has her own life. I need to be a man, so I can pull my weight in the family."

"Crap, I just figured it out." Jimmie looked at Kadar, and the others. "How could I have been so blind?"

Perry signed at him, and Jimmie shrugged. "Is that 'What the heck are you talking about?', or something close?" Perry nodded, and then Jimmie looked at her sadly. "I just realized that I'm the only one of us who still has a dad. I complain about a stupid bad leg, and miss something that big."

Perry shrugged, but Thin shook his head. "No, you're wrong. I mean, yes, but no."

"Oh, that's clear," Kadar said.

"Look, George isn't my birth dad." Thin looked at Jimmie. "I've met your dad, and he's pretty cool. George is a lot like him, but shorter. The thing is, I used to hate him, because he wasn't my real dad. Because he meant that my real dad was never coming back." His voice trailed off.

As Perry leaned over and pulled Thin's lips to hers, Jimmie and Kadar looked at each other. They both rolled their eyes. Jimmie looked at his watch, and shook his head. "Yup, it was too close to five minutes. She felt deprived. Or depraved. With girls, you never know."

After a minute of letting himself be consoled, Thin came up for air. "Sorry, we're new at the engagement thing. Don't want to mess it up."

He shrugged, and lowered his voice. "A few weeks ago I realized George was my real dad. Not the guy that got mom pregnant, but the guy who took care of his family and stuck with a jacka** of a step-son."

"My dad would have liked you." Kadar said, and then grinned. "Although not some of your language. And all the kissing. He was pretty strict that way."

"Sorry," Thin said. "Well I'll work on the language, but the kissing stays."

"And now that you've avoided the question for far too long, what did Perry say earlier?" Jimmie crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Dang." Thin chuckled, and took a deep breath. "The question was, 'Finish the sentence: Today is the day I change...', and Perry said you two needed to change how you see girls. You're going to have a lot of, um, options, when school starts back."

Kadar laughed. "I don't think so! I can't eat half the food in the cafeteria, and my Friday nights are spent at the mosque."

"Uh, dude." Jimmie lifted up his cane. "You're a sure bet for the football team, and you know how those guys are."

"Yes, the guy who is two full grades ahead is telling me how good I have it." Kadar laughed. "And I assure you, if I make it on the team, at least one of us will not be like that."

Perry signed towards Jimmie, and Thin spoke. "She's reminding you that I'm a grade behind, and everyone in my class remembers that I can't speak. Well, I can, but it's tough." Perry waved her left hand, and winked. "I think she's suggesting that if I'm not totally hopeless, you probably have a chance."

More teens came in, and Kadar nodded at them. "Let's clear out so we don't keep the table. It's getting late anyway, and I have to hit the gym early."

Everyone pitched in for the bill, and headed to the door. They were six steps from Thin's van, when Jimmie spoke. "Guys, something's wrong."

"What? I don't see anyone." Kadar said, looking around.

Thin breathed deeply, and nodded. He grabbed Perry's hand. "He's right, we-"

A terrified scream came from the side street.

Jimmie followed the others to the corner of the building. Instead of huddling at the wall, he stepped out into the street and looked at the press of bodies illuminated by an open door, fifty feet away. He frowned, and said, "It's a gang initiation, that girl doesn't really want to be there."

"How do you know that?" Kadar shook his head, "There's too many of them, what do we do?"

"My dad works with the police, and...he trains me to observe." Jimmie took a breath. "Look, if it's just me, I'll walk down there and get the crap beat out of me."

The girl screamed again, and several of the gang members laughed.

"If you want a plan, though, Thin, give me your keys. You and Kadar make a path, Perry runs and grabs the girl. You said Perry can run, right?"

"No!" Thin hissed. "She needs to-" Perry ran past him, straight down the street.

Thin tossed his keys to Jimmie and sprinted to catch up with the others.

Perry slammed into the back of one of the gang, knocking him forward as she reached the shivering girl. Kadar angled inward, slightly, and then arced out again as he ran through three guys just like football drills. They hit pavement fifteen feet later, all four guys in a tumbled mass.

Thin had held back, just a little. He was terrified of what might happen to Perry. She was with the girl, and holding her close. Thin saw a gang member reach out for Perry. Thin saw the blade of the knife. Thin started his punch, took two long steps in, and connected with the man's shoulder as he tried to stab Perry.

The knife went flying as the man spun around, and then slammed into a dumpster.

Tires squealed from behind him as two men ran from the scene, into the open doorway.

"Kadar, this way!" Thin yelled, and sprinted to the door. He pushed the rearmost man forward into the other, and all three of them tumbled into a cloud of smoke-stench. Kadar ran in, leapt over Thin and the others, and shouldered another gang member through a flimsy wooden door. The door broke in half, one hinge barely held the wreckage in place.

"Thin! Drugs!" Kadar said as a huge man, slobbering through rotted teeth, picked him up and threw him back through the broken door.

"Ooof!" Kadar landed on Thin, and they looked at each other. "He's huge." Kadar said, as the two boys stood up.

Thin rolled up, and held his hand out to Kadar. "No time for slacking, up and at 'em. Can you punch?" Kadar nodded, and Thin whispered, "Follow my lead."

Kadar crouched as Thin took a boxer's stance, facing the big guy but moving away. Kadar grinned, Thin was drawing fire, making the big guy choose between the obvious and the subtle.

Kadar balled up his fist. He knew violence wasn't usually the answer, and he'd talk to the Imam Friday, but right now there were friends to protect and a righteous cause to uphold. He watched Thin draw the big man's attention, barely ducking and dodging massive blows that looked strong enough to punch through a wall.

One of the fallen gang members tried to stand, and Kadar stepped on him. "Stay down."

Thin was backed into a corner, and Kadar heard more people coming down stairs from someplace else. He charged forward and punched the big man in the kidney.

The man straightened up and howled, as Kadar's left hand slammed into a lower rib. Screaming, the big man's elbow swung around and crashed into Kadar's head, throwing him into the wall.

Kadar's head swam as he slid to the floor. The big man pulled his fist back for a punch as Kadar blacked out.

---

"Oh, my head hurts," Kadar said. He was laying down, and rocking back and forth. The earth was moving, his eyes couldn't focus, and he wanted to puke.

"Then don't run into a moving wall," Rhib said sarcastically. "It's not good for your complexion."

"Where am I? How did you get here?" Stars swam in his vision. "Is everyone okay?"

"Ambulance. Motorcycle. Yes." Rhib replied. "You took a heavy hit to the head, and have a concussion. I'm not sure why you thought charging into a drug gang's turf was a good idea, but I suggest you don't make a habit of it."

She switched to Urdu. "Only one of us is that tough, and it isn't you. Oh, and the boy with the cane said to not mention how the van got there, he doesn't have a license. He was going to pick you all up and drive away, but Perry was beating the gang members with an old broken broomstick. You and Thin were inside, busy rousting an entire gang."

"What? There was the one big guy, and then I heard people coming down the stairs. Is Thin okay?" Kadar waited, and he felt the pause in her answer. "Please, is he okay?"

He heard her lean forward, and felt her breath on his ear as she whispered in their native tongue. "He is okay...he is a friend...from work."

"Wow..." Kadar relaxed, and grinned. Football was nice, but fighting beside a real superhero was far more cool. Nothing he could tell anyone, but cool.

Dad would have been proud.

[Leitz]

First Day of School

Jimmie leaned against the short wall outside of the main school building. The morning air was already too hot, and students were screaming at friends they hadn't seen for months. Popular girls had throngs around them, and Jimmie marked those whom everyone else ignored. Kids saw his forearm cane, but didn't really see him. Several snickered, but Jimmie kept his face neutral. Dad had taught him to observe without being observed. To not emotionally engage, even when his gut clenched in anger.

A deep breath, and he looked down the sidewalk. Two of the Fearsome Four came hand in hand from the student parking lot. It was impossible to miss the skin tone contrast between Thin and Perry. If someone did happen to be that oblivious, Perry's hair bounced a foot and a half in every possible direction. Her joy transferred energy to her smile and her can't-be-missed hair. She was tall for a girl, and with her hair straight up she hit seven feet, easily.

The night of "the event" someone had called Jimmie's group the "Fearsome Four". He liked it, though he knew the attention was on the others. Perry swung a stick with skill and vengeance, even the cops talked to her with respect and distance. Kadar was carted off to the hospital, and Jimmie saw three girls try to find out more about him from his sister. She wasn't much of a talker, though. Thin and Kadar had busted up a gang; the open door and calls for help gave the police everything they needed to legally enter.

Jimmie got to protect and console Jessica, the girl that had been trapped by the gang. She was grateful, and they had talked several times since. But dad had explained it in clear terms, a traumatized person should not be taken advantage of. Jimmie knew that, but he had never really had to deal with it. That night was the first time a girl had looked at him, and really seen him. Dad said to be patient, and enforced it by having the Fearsome Four recreate their actions while being critiqued by Jimmie's dad, Thin's dad, and several of they combat veteran buddies.

That had turned into a regular thing, since the dads had decided that if the Four were going to stand up for justice then they should learn to do it right and in a way to survive to do it again. Then Perry had mentioned, through Thin as her sign language interpreter, that there was a Jedi Sword club that met on Thursdays. That led to the formation of an advanced class, overall fitness mixed with tactical analysis of the fights the new super hero group had been in. Everyone cheered the Guardians, it was cool to have a local supers team to fight crime. Dad had talked about the mood of the city changing, people were volunteering a little bit more, and showing the police a little more respect. He called it the "hero effect", and it was a good thing. Jimmie lifted his chin when dad had mentioned that the Fearsome Four had sparked their own hero effect; a group of local businesses had formed a Citizen's Watch near Agha's. One small step forward for human decency. Thursday night workouts left him sore and hurting, but Jimmie wanted to be a hero, too.


Let the kids walking by snicker at the guy with the cane. They didn't know he was two full grades ahead. They hadn't been front and center at Thin's bachelor party; a full day of skydiving, quick showers, and then backstage passes to the U2 concert.

Perry and Thin turned towards him as Jimmie sensed movement close by. He had been lost in his thoughts, a dangerous lack of situational awareness.

"Hey," Kadar said as Jimmie turned to face him. "You ready for this?"

"Hey-" Jimmie choked, and then froze.

"Hi, Jimmie," Jessica said quietly. "I'm not sure if I could hang out with you guys, but Kadar said it was okay. Is it okay?"

Yeah, Jimmie would do whatever it took to be a hero.