On Sunday afternoon, I was laying o

On Sunday afternoon, I was laying out tanning in the backyard when K.C. arrived and plopped down in a chair at the patio table.

“Liam’s been cheating on me,” she cried. Her head was in her hands as she sniffled.

“What?” A shriek sprang out of my throat as I popped my head up. I pushed myself up off my stomach and walked over to sit next to her.

“I saw him last night wrapped around another girl. Apparently, he’s been double dipping for a while! Can you believe it?” She wiped away tears but more fell. Her long, dark hair looked as if she hadn’t brushed it today. K.C. was always dressed to impress and never left the house without hair and makeup done. Red splotches covered her face, so I knew she’d been crying for a while. Probably all night.

“What did you see exactly?” I asked, rubbing circles on her back.

“Well,” she said, wiping her tears and taking a breath, “I was at the Loop, and he was there. Jared said he was racing last night, so I showed up to surprise…”

“Wait, what? Jared?” Confused, I interrupted her. “What are you talking about? You’ve talked to him?” I hadn’t seen Jared for two days. He and K.C. were hardly chummy. What the hell?

“Yeah…no,” she answered vaguely. “I just ran into him at work yesterday. I was at the theater, and he came in to see a movie. He mentioned that Liam was getting a shot at racing last night and that he’d be happy to give me a ride to surprise him.”

Ugh! Was she seriously that stupid? “That didn’t seem a little convenient to you?”

“Tate, what do you mean?” K.C. looked confused as she blew her nose with a tissue from her bag. I instantly felt guilty for taking the focus of the conversation off Liam and turning it to Jared. But I couldn’t let it go.

“Jared, nice guy that he is, offers you a ride to surprise your boyfriend who you conveniently discover has been cheating on you. K.C., Jared knew what Liam was up to.” I’m sure it’s some code with guys that you don’t get them in trouble with their girlfriends. So why would Jared do that?

Looking puzzled and flustered, K.C. threw her tissue on the table. “Okay, but it doesn’t change the fact that Liam was being unfaithful. I mean honestly, Jared seemed just as shocked as me. He was really nice about the whole thing.”

Of course he was. Jared broke up Liam and K.C., which was a good thing considering, but his actions didn’t spring from the goodness of his heart. He definitely wasn’t protecting K.C. So what was his angle?

“Alright,” I offered, “so how do you know for sure that Liam was cheating regularly? Did you talk to him?”

“Yeah,” she almost whispered. “I had gotten out of Jared’s car. He picked me up since you can only enter by invitation, and we circulated, looking for Liam. I saw him leaning against his car with a really sexy looking girl in super-slutty clothes. They were kissing, and he had his hands all over her. There was no mistake.” Her chin started wobbling, and her eyes filled with tears again, so I dug in her bag for more tissues.

She continued, “We got into it, and that girl rubbed it in that they’d been hooking up for months! Months! I’m sick to my stomach. I gave that guy my virginity, and now I have to go get checked for STDs.” She continued to cry, and I held her hand while she let it out.

Liam had always treated me respectfully, and I was a little heartbroken for K.C. What an ass! We’d all hung out for years, and there were few people in this town I could call a friend. Now he was just one more person that couldn’t be trusted. I was jaded when it came to people, but K.C. wasn’t, and I hated that she was being hurt. She was completely blindsided.

Two things could be safely assumed, though: Jared probably knew Liam was cheating for a while but didn’t interfere until now and K.C.’s breakup with Liam served a purpose in his trying to antagonize me.

“Well, I hate to ask a silly question, but how was the race? Did Liam win?” He probably hadn’t raced. Another ploy on Jared’s part to get her to the Loop.

“We stayed for a while, but Jared raced, not Liam.”

Exactly. “How come? It might’ve been nice for you to see his ass left choking in the dust.” I tried to sound like I was just lightening her mood, but I really wanted information.

“Oh, it turns out he wasn’t racing last night. Jared misunderstood.” She waved it off.

Complete. Set-up.

“But Jared did say he would make sure Liam is on the roster for next week, and he’ll beat him for me.” K.C. let out a small laugh, as if that would make her feel better.

“Are you going to be okay?” The end of a two-year relationship by the time you’re seventeen was going to take time to get over.

“I’m sure…eventually. Jared was really attentive and brought me home early. I think he felt bad that I’d had such a horrible time. Really, Tate, even if he did know, he did me a favor.” Leaning back in her chair, she pulled out another tissue.

K.C. stayed a while. We lay under the sun, trying to cheer each other up. She obviously needed to come to terms with the fact that she gave her virginity and two years to that lothario, and I’d had a less-than-stellar first week of school.

Liam had cheated on K.C. I still couldn’t wrap my brain around it. If ever there was a case for longevity in a high school romance, Liam and K.C. were it. So why was I preoccupied with Jared’s role in all of this? K.C. clearly believed he was on the up-and-up, but I knew he had a plan. Would she listen if I tried to steer her away from him?

After K.C. left, I went back to the patio to clean up and water the plants. Decked out in my little red bikini I’d bought in Europe but was only brave enough to wear at home, I grabbed the hose and turned up the speakers on my iPod dock. Chalk Outline came through ear-splittingly loud as I turned the mist on the flowers and bushes.

My hips and shoulders swayed, while my head was lost to the music.

A couple of fruit trees decorated our small back patio area along with bushes and various plants and flowers. The cobblestone pavement and smell of roses made our oasis a great retreat. When the weather was pleasant, my dad and I ate most of our meals out here, and I often read in the hammock. Homework was a no-go though, since the birds, wind, or barking dogs created too much sporadic distraction.

Speaking of dogs…

Excited barking pierced through the music, catching my interest. It was close, like next door close.

Madman!

Jared and I found this crazy little Boston Terrier when we were twelve. My dad was gone a lot, and my grandma was allergic, so Jared took him home. The dog was insane but completely adorable. We named him Madman. I swear he purposely waited for oncoming cars before he tried to cross a street. Picking fights with bigger dogs was child’s play, and he would jump to amazing heights when he was excited…which was a lot.

I switched off the water and walked to the fence separating Jared’s backyard from mine. Squinting through the sliver of space offered between the wooden panels, I felt like I was glowing on the inside. My heart warmed at seeing Madman again.

He did the whole “bounce when you bark” thing that little dogs do and switched between racing the length of the backyard to jumping up and down. Even though he was technically Jared’s dog now, in my heart, the little guy was still partly mine.

I found a small hole to peer—ok, snoop—through. Jared entered my vision, and I flinched, remembering our last encounter. He started tossing miniature chunks of meat for Madman to catch. The dog gobbled them up and wagged his tail anxiously for another morsel. The little animal seemed giddy and well-cared for.

Jared knelt and offered the last piece of meat from his hand. Madman approached and licked his palm after scarfing down the treat. Jared smiled and closed his eyes while Madman stood on his hind legs to lick his master’s face. Jared grinned, and I realized how long it’d been since I’d seen him genuinely happy. His smile hollowed my stomach, but I couldn’t look away.

As my heart tugged at the rare scene of Jared actually looking human, my eyes snapped to his naked back and the faded scars marring his skin. Funny I didn’t see that the other night when he was shirtless in my room, but the light was dim, so I guess I missed it.

Scattered in no particular pattern were welts, about five or so, covering his muscular and otherwise smooth back. He didn’t have them when we were kids. I tried to remember if I’d heard about him getting injured. I came up with nothing.

At that moment, Apocalyptica’s heavy cellos vibrated out of my speakers, and Madman’s head twisted towards me. I momentarily froze before deciding to back away. He started barking again, and the sound of claws scratching the fence got my heart beating faster. Madman loved this heavy metal cello music that I’d been listening to for years. From the looks of it, he remembered.

Grabbing the hose off the ground, I dropped it again when I heard the fence panels shaking. Turning around, I laughed at seeing Madman climb through one of the loose boards and charge me at top speed.

“Hey, buddy!” I knelt down and caught the little dog in my arms as he squirmed with excitement. His panting breath warmed my face, and the slobber was pretty gross. But he was happy to see me, and I smiled with relief. He hadn’t forgotten me.

I stopped dead at the sound of Jared’s voice. “Well, if it isn’t the party pooper disturbing the whole neighborhood with her noise.”

My temper flared. He had no problem with my music, just me.

I looked up and met Jared’s sardonic stare. He tried to look annoyed with his cocked eyebrow, but I knew he wouldn’t engage me unless he got off on it. He hung over the top of the fence, his body perched on something giving him height.

Son of a bitch. Why did it always take me a second or two to remember why I hated him?

His shiny brown hair was a mess.

I loved that.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

Pada hari Minggu sore, saya meletakkan keluar tanning di halaman belakang ketika K.C. tiba dan menjatuhkan di kursi di meja teras."Liam yang telah berbuat curang pada saya," dia menangis. Kepalanya adalah di tangannya seperti dia sniffled."Apa?" Jeritan melompat keluar dari tenggorokan saya sebagai saya muncul kepalaku. Aku mendorong diriku off perut saya dan berjalan ke duduk di sampingnya."Aku melihatnya semalam dibungkus di sekitar gadis lain. Rupanya, dia telah dipping ganda untuk sementara! Dapatkah Anda percaya?" Dia menghapus air mata tapi lebih jatuh. Rambutnya yang panjang, gelap tampak seolah-olah dia belum pernah disikat itu hari ini. K.C. selalu berpakaian yang mengesankan dan tidak pernah meninggalkan rumah tanpa rambut dan makeup dilakukan. Bercak-bercak merah menutupi wajahnya, jadi aku tahu tangisan untuk sementara. Mungkin sepanjang malam."Apa Apakah Anda melihat persis?" Saya bertanya, menggosok lingkaran di punggungnya."Yah," katanya, menyeka matanya dan mengambil napas, "Aku berada di Loop, dan dia ada di sana. Jared mengatakan ia adalah balap tadi malam, jadi saya muncul untuk mengejutkan...""Tunggu, apa? Jared?" Bingung, saya terganggu padanya. "Apa yang Anda bicarakan? Anda telah berbicara kepadanya?" Aku tidak melihat Jared selama dua hari. Dia dan K.C. yang hampir tidak akrab. Apa ini?"ya... tidak," Dia menjawab samar-samar. "Aku hanya berlari ke dia bekerja kemarin. Aku berada di teater, dan ia datang untuk melihat film. Dia menyebutkan bahwa Liam mendapatkan tembakan di balapan malam terakhir dan bahwa ia akan senang untuk memberikan tumpangan untuk mengejutkannya."Ugh! Was she seriously that stupid? “That didn’t seem a little convenient to you?”“Tate, what do you mean?” K.C. looked confused as she blew her nose with a tissue from her bag. I instantly felt guilty for taking the focus of the conversation off Liam and turning it to Jared. But I couldn’t let it go.“Jared, nice guy that he is, offers you a ride to surprise your boyfriend who you conveniently discover has been cheating on you. K.C., Jared knew what Liam was up to.” I’m sure it’s some code with guys that you don’t get them in trouble with their girlfriends. So why would Jared do that?Looking puzzled and flustered, K.C. threw her tissue on the table. “Okay, but it doesn’t change the fact that Liam was being unfaithful. I mean honestly, Jared seemed just as shocked as me. He was really nice about the whole thing.”Of course he was. Jared broke up Liam and K.C., which was a good thing considering, but his actions didn’t spring from the goodness of his heart. He definitely wasn’t protecting K.C. So what was his angle?“Alright,” I offered, “so how do you know for sure that Liam was cheating regularly? Did you talk to him?”“Yeah,” she almost whispered. “I had gotten out of Jared’s car. He picked me up since you can only enter by invitation, and we circulated, looking for Liam. I saw him leaning against his car with a really sexy looking girl in super-slutty clothes. They were kissing, and he had his hands all over her. There was no mistake.” Her chin started wobbling, and her eyes filled with tears again, so I dug in her bag for more tissues.She continued, “We got into it, and that girl rubbed it in that they’d been hooking up for months! Months! I’m sick to my stomach. I gave that guy my virginity, and now I have to go get checked for STDs.” She continued to cry, and I held her hand while she let it out.Liam had always treated me respectfully, and I was a little heartbroken for K.C. What an ass! We’d all hung out for years, and there were few people in this town I could call a friend. Now he was just one more person that couldn’t be trusted. I was jaded when it came to people, but K.C. wasn’t, and I hated that she was being hurt. She was completely blindsided.Two things could be safely assumed, though: Jared probably knew Liam was cheating for a while but didn’t interfere until now and K.C.’s breakup with Liam served a purpose in his trying to antagonize me.“Well, I hate to ask a silly question, but how was the race? Did Liam win?” He probably hadn’t raced. Another ploy on Jared’s part to get her to the Loop.“We stayed for a while, but Jared raced, not Liam.”Exactly. “How come? It might’ve been nice for you to see his ass left choking in the dust.” I tried to sound like I was just lightening her mood, but I really wanted information.“Oh, it turns out he wasn’t racing last night. Jared misunderstood.” She waved it off.Complete. Set-up.“But Jared did say he would make sure Liam is on the roster for next week, and he’ll beat him for me.” K.C. let out a small laugh, as if that would make her feel better.“Are you going to be okay?” The end of a two-year relationship by the time you’re seventeen was going to take time to get over.“I’m sure…eventually. Jared was really attentive and brought me home early. I think he felt bad that I’d had such a horrible time. Really, Tate, even if he did know, he did me a favor.” Leaning back in her chair, she pulled out another tissue.K.C. stayed a while. We lay under the sun, trying to cheer each other up. She obviously needed to come to terms with the fact that she gave her virginity and two years to that lothario, and I’d had a less-than-stellar first week of school.Liam had cheated on K.C. I still couldn’t wrap my brain around it. If ever there was a case for longevity in a high school romance, Liam and K.C. were it. So why was I preoccupied with Jared’s role in all of this? K.C. clearly believed he was on the up-and-up, but I knew he had a plan. Would she listen if I tried to steer her away from him?After K.C. left, I went back to the patio to clean up and water the plants. Decked out in my little red bikini I’d bought in Europe but was only brave enough to wear at home, I grabbed the hose and turned up the speakers on my iPod dock. Chalk Outline came through ear-splittingly loud as I turned the mist on the flowers and bushes.My hips and shoulders swayed, while my head was lost to the music.A couple of fruit trees decorated our small back patio area along with bushes and various plants and flowers. The cobblestone pavement and smell of roses made our oasis a great retreat. When the weather was pleasant, my dad and I ate most of our meals out here, and I often read in the hammock. Homework was a no-go though, since the birds, wind, or barking dogs created too much sporadic distraction.Speaking of dogs…Excited barking pierced through the music, catching my interest. It was close, like next door close.Madman!Jared and I found this crazy little Boston Terrier when we were twelve. My dad was gone a lot, and my grandma was allergic, so Jared took him home. The dog was insane but completely adorable. We named him Madman. I swear he purposely waited for oncoming cars before he tried to cross a street. Picking fights with bigger dogs was child’s play, and he would jump to amazing heights when he was excited…which was a lot.I switched off the water and walked to the fence separating Jared’s backyard from mine. Squinting through the sliver of space offered between the wooden panels, I felt like I was glowing on the inside. My heart warmed at seeing Madman again.
He did the whole “bounce when you bark” thing that little dogs do and switched between racing the length of the backyard to jumping up and down. Even though he was technically Jared’s dog now, in my heart, the little guy was still partly mine.

I found a small hole to peer—ok, snoop—through. Jared entered my vision, and I flinched, remembering our last encounter. He started tossing miniature chunks of meat for Madman to catch. The dog gobbled them up and wagged his tail anxiously for another morsel. The little animal seemed giddy and well-cared for.

Jared knelt and offered the last piece of meat from his hand. Madman approached and licked his palm after scarfing down the treat. Jared smiled and closed his eyes while Madman stood on his hind legs to lick his master’s face. Jared grinned, and I realized how long it’d been since I’d seen him genuinely happy. His smile hollowed my stomach, but I couldn’t look away.

As my heart tugged at the rare scene of Jared actually looking human, my eyes snapped to his naked back and the faded scars marring his skin. Funny I didn’t see that the other night when he was shirtless in my room, but the light was dim, so I guess I missed it.

Scattered in no particular pattern were welts, about five or so, covering his muscular and otherwise smooth back. He didn’t have them when we were kids. I tried to remember if I’d heard about him getting injured. I came up with nothing.

At that moment, Apocalyptica’s heavy cellos vibrated out of my speakers, and Madman’s head twisted towards me. I momentarily froze before deciding to back away. He started barking again, and the sound of claws scratching the fence got my heart beating faster. Madman loved this heavy metal cello music that I’d been listening to for years. From the looks of it, he remembered.

Grabbing the hose off the ground, I dropped it again when I heard the fence panels shaking. Turning around, I laughed at seeing Madman climb through one of the loose boards and charge me at top speed.

“Hey, buddy!” I knelt down and caught the little dog in my arms as he squirmed with excitement. His panting breath warmed my face, and the slobber was pretty gross. But he was happy to see me, and I smiled with relief. He hadn’t forgotten me.

I stopped dead at the sound of Jared’s voice. “Well, if it isn’t the party pooper disturbing the whole neighborhood with her noise.”

My temper flared. He had no problem with my music, just me.

I looked up and met Jared’s sardonic stare. He tried to look annoyed with his cocked eyebrow, but I knew he wouldn’t engage me unless he got off on it. He hung over the top of the fence, his body perched on something giving him height.

Son of a bitch. Why did it always take me a second or two to remember why I hated him?

His shiny brown hair was a mess.

I loved that.

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 2:

Pada Minggu sore, saya meletakkan tanning di halaman belakang ketika KC tiba dan menjatuhkan diri di kursi di meja teras. "Liam sudah kecurangan pada saya," serunya. Kepalanya di tangannya saat ia terisak. "Apa?" A jeritan melompat keluar dari tenggorokan saya sebagai saya muncul kepala saya. Saya mendorong diri dari perut saya dan berjalan untuk duduk di sampingnya. "Saya melihat dia tadi malam melilit gadis lain. Rupanya, dia sudah mencelupkan ganda untuk sementara waktu! Bisa Anda percaya? "Dia menyeka air mata tetapi lebih jatuh. Panjang, rambut hitamnya tampak seolah-olah dia tidak disikat hari ini. KC selalu berpakaian untuk mengesankan dan tidak pernah meninggalkan rumah tanpa rambut dan makeup dilakukan. Bercak-bercak merah menutupi wajahnya, jadi aku tahu dia sudah menangis untuk sementara waktu. Mungkin sepanjang malam. "Apa yang Anda lihat sebenarnya?" Tanya saya, menggosok lingkaran di punggungnya. "Well," katanya sambil menyeka air matanya dan mengambil napas, "Saya berada di Loop, dan dia ada di sana. Jared mengatakan ia balap malam terakhir, jadi saya muncul untuk mengejutkan ... "" Tunggu, apa? Jared? "Bingung, saya menyela. "Apa yang kamu bicarakan? Anda sudah bicara dengannya? "Saya tidak melihat Jared selama dua hari. Dia dan KC hampir tidak akrab. Apa sih? "Ya ... tidak," jawabnya samar-samar. "Aku hanya berlari ke dia di tempat kerja kemarin. Aku berada di teater, dan ia datang untuk melihat film. Dia menyebutkan bahwa Liam mendapatkan tembakan di balap malam terakhir dan bahwa ia akan senang untuk memberikan tumpangan untuk mengejutkan dia. "Ugh! Apakah dia serius yang bodoh? "Itu tampaknya tidak sedikit nyaman untuk Anda?" "Tate, apa maksudmu?" KC tampak bingung saat ia meniup hidungnya dengan tisu dari tasnya. Aku langsung merasa bersalah karena mengambil fokus dari percakapan off Liam dan memutarnya ke Jared. Tapi aku tidak bisa membiarkannya pergi. "Jared, nice guy bahwa ia adalah, menawarkan tumpangan untuk mengejutkan pacar yang Anda nyaman menemukan telah kecurangan pada Anda. KC, Jared tahu apa Liam naik ke. "Saya yakin itu beberapa kode dengan orang yang Anda tidak mendapatkan mereka dalam kesulitan dengan pacar mereka. Jadi mengapa Jared akan melakukan itu? Tampak bingung dan bingung, KC melemparkan tisu di atas meja. "Oke, tapi itu tidak mengubah fakta bahwa Liam tidak setia. Maksudku jujur, Jared tampak hanya terkejut seperti saya. Dia benar-benar baik tentang semuanya. "Tentu saja dia. Jared putus Liam dan KC, yang merupakan hal yang baik mengingat, tapi tindakannya tidak muncul dari kebaikan hatinya. Dia pasti tidak melindungi KC Jadi apa sudut nya? "Baiklah," aku menawarkan, "jadi bagaimana Anda tahu pasti bahwa Liam kecurangan teratur? Apakah Anda berbicara dengannya? "" Ya, "ia hampir berbisik. "Saya sudah keluar dari mobil Jared. Dia mengangkat saya karena Anda hanya dapat memasukkan dengan undangan, dan kami beredar, mencari Liam. Aku melihat dia bersandar mobilnya dengan seorang gadis mencari benar-benar seksi dengan pakaian super slutty. Mereka berciuman, dan ia tangannya seluruh tubuhnya. Tidak ada kesalahan. "Dagunya mulai bergoyang-goyang, dan matanya penuh dengan air mata lagi, jadi aku menggali di tas selama lebih jaringan. Dia melanjutkan," Kami masuk ke dalamnya, dan gadis itu menggosoknya bahwa mereka telah mengaitkan untuk bulan! Bulan! Saya sakit perut saya. Aku memberi orang itu keperawanan saya, dan sekarang saya harus pergi mendapatkan diperiksa untuk PMS. "Dia terus menangis, dan aku memegang tangannya saat dia membiarkannya keluar. Liam selalu memperlakukan saya dengan hormat, dan saya adalah patah hati sedikit untuk KC Apa ass! Kami semua tergantung keluar selama bertahun-tahun, dan ada beberapa orang di kota ini saya bisa menelepon teman. Sekarang dia hanya satu orang lagi yang tidak bisa dipercaya. Aku letih ketika datang ke orang, tapi KC tidak, dan aku benci bahwa dia sedang terluka. Dia benar-benar blindsided. Dua hal bisa dengan aman berasumsi, meskipun:. Jared mungkin tahu Liam berselingkuh untuk sementara waktu tetapi tidak mengganggu sampai sekarang dan perpisahan KC dengan Liam melayani tujuan dalam bukunya mencoba untuk memusuhi saya "Yah, aku benci untuk mengajukan pertanyaan konyol, tapi bagaimana balapan? Apakah Liam menang? "Dia mungkin tidak berlari. Taktik lain di bagian Jared untuk mendapatkan dia untuk Loop. "Kami tinggal untuk sementara waktu, tapi Jared berlari, tidak Liam." Tepat. "Bagaimana bisa? Mungkin sudah bagus bagi Anda untuk melihat pantatnya kiri tersedak dalam debu. "Aku mencoba untuk terdengar seperti aku hanya keringanan suasana hatinya, tapi aku benar-benar ingin informasi." Oh, ternyata dia tidak balap malam . Jared disalahpahami. "Dia mengibaskan tangannya. Lengkap. Set-up. "Tapi Jared mengatakan ia akan memastikan Liam adalah pada daftar untuk minggu depan, dan dia akan mengalahkan dia untuk saya." KC tertawa kecil, seolah-olah yang akan membuatnya merasa lebih baik. "Apakah Anda akan baik-baik saja? "Akhir dari hubungan dua tahun pada saat berumur tujuh belas tahun akan mengambil waktu untuk mendapatkan lebih." Saya yakin ... akhirnya. Jared benar-benar penuh perhatian dan membawa saya pulang lebih awal. Saya pikir dia merasa buruk bahwa aku punya waktu yang mengerikan. Benar-benar, Tate, bahkan jika dia tahu, dia membantu saya. "Sambil bersandar di kursinya, dia mengeluarkan jaringan lain. KC tinggal sementara. Kami berbaring di bawah matahari, mencoba untuk menghibur satu sama lain sampai. Dia jelas diperlukan untuk berdamai dengan kenyataan bahwa dia memberikan keperawanannya dan dua tahun untuk Lothario itu, dan aku punya kurang-dari-bintang pertama minggu sekolah. Liam telah berselingkuh KC Aku masih tidak bisa membungkus saya otak di sekitarnya. Jika pernah ada kasus untuk umur panjang di sebuah roman sekolah tinggi, Liam dan KC kalau. Jadi mengapa aku sibuk dengan peran Jared dalam semua ini? KC jelas percaya bahwa ia berada di up-dan-up, tapi aku tahu dia punya rencana. Apakah ia akan mendengarkan jika saya mencoba untuk mengarahkan menjauh dari dia? Setelah KC pergi, aku kembali ke teras untuk membersihkan dan air tanaman. Mengenakan bikini merah kecil saya saya akan membeli di Eropa tapi hanya cukup berani untuk memakai di rumah, aku menyambar selang dan muncul speaker pada saya iPod dock. Garis kapur datang melalui telinga-splittingly keras ketika aku berbalik kabut pada bunga dan semak-semak. Pinggul dan bahu saya bergoyang, sementara kepala saya hilang musik. Beberapa pohon buah-buahan dihiasi kecil daerah teras belakang kami bersama dengan semak-semak dan berbagai tanaman dan bunga. The batu trotoar dan bau mawar membuat oasis kami retret besar. Ketika cuaca menyenangkan, ayah saya dan saya makan sebagian besar makanan kami di sini, dan saya sering membaca di tempat tidur gantung. PR adalah tidak-pergi meskipun, karena burung-burung, angin, atau anjing menggonggong menciptakan gangguan terlalu banyak sporadis. Berbicara tentang anjing ... Excited menggonggong menembus musik, menangkap minat saya. Itu dekat, seperti sebelah dekat. Madman! Jared dan saya menemukan ini gila sedikit Boston Terrier ketika kami dua belas. Ayah saya pergi jauh, dan nenek saya alergi, jadi Jared membawanya pulang. Anjing gila tapi benar-benar menggemaskan. Kami menamainya Madman. Aku bersumpah ia sengaja menunggu mendekat mobil sebelum ia mencoba untuk menyeberang jalan. Berkelahi dengan anjing yang lebih besar adalah permainan anak-anak, dan ia akan melompat ke ketinggian yang menakjubkan ketika dia bersemangat ... yang banyak. Saya beralih dari air dan berjalan ke pagar yang memisahkan halaman belakang Jared dari tambang. Menyipitkan mata melalui sepotong ruang yang ditawarkan antara panel kayu, saya merasa seperti saya bersinar di dalam. Hatiku menghangat saat melihat Madman lagi. Ia melakukan seluruh "bouncing ketika Anda menyalak" hal yang anjing-anjing kecil dilakukan dan beralih antara balap panjang halaman belakang untuk melompat-lompat. Meskipun ia secara teknis anjing Jared sekarang, dalam hati saya, si kecil masih sebagian tambang. Saya menemukan sebuah lubang kecil untuk mengintip-ok, mengintip-melalui. Jared memasuki visi saya, dan saya tersentak, mengingat pertemuan terakhir kami. Dia mulai melemparkan potongan miniatur daging untuk Madman untuk menangkap. Anjing menelan mereka dan mengibaskan ekornya dengan cemas untuk sepotong lain. Binatang kecil tampak pusing dan baik-merawat. Jared berlutut dan menawarkan potongan terakhir daging dari tangannya. Madman mendekati dan menjilat telapak tangannya setelah scarfing turun memperlakukan. Jared tersenyum dan menutup matanya sambil Madman berdiri di kaki belakangnya untuk menjilati wajah tuannya. Jared menyeringai, dan saya menyadari berapa lama itu akan sejak aku melihatnya benar-benar bahagia. Senyumnya cekung perut saya, tapi saya tidak bisa berpaling. Sebagai hatiku menarik di tempat langka Jared benar-benar melihat manusia, mata saya tersentak ke belakang telanjang dan bekas luka memudar kawin kulitnya. Lucu aku tidak melihat bahwa malam ketika ia bertelanjang dada di kamar saya, tapi cahaya redup, jadi saya kira saya melewatkannya. Tersebar di tidak ada pola tertentu yang bekas, sekitar lima atau lebih, meliputi nya berotot dan halus lain kembali. Dia tidak memiliki mereka ketika kita masih anak-anak. Saya mencoba mengingat apakah aku mendengar tentang dia cedera. Saya datang dengan apa-apa. Pada saat itu, cello berat Apocalyptica bergetar dari speaker saya, dan kepala Madman ini memutar ke arah saya. Aku sejenak membeku sebelum memutuskan untuk mundur. Dia mulai menggonggong lagi, dan suara cakar menggaruk pagar mendapat hati saya berdetak lebih cepat. Gila mencintai logam berat ini musik cello bahwa aku telah mendengarkan selama bertahun-tahun. Dari tampak itu, dia ingat. Meraih selang dari tanah, aku menjatuhkannya lagi ketika saya mendengar panel pagar gemetar. Berbalik, aku tertawa saat melihat pendakian Madman melalui salah satu papan longgar dan menagih dengan kecepatan tinggi. "Hei, sobat!" Aku berlutut dan menangkap anjing kecil dalam pelukanku saat ia menggeliat dengan kegembiraan. Napas terengah-engah nya menghangatkan wajahku, dan berliur itu cukup berat. Tapi ia senang melihat saya, dan saya tersenyum lega. Dia tidak melupakan aku. Aku berhenti mati saat mendengar suara Jared. "Nah, jika itu bukan partai paling menyiksa mengganggu seluruh lingkungan dengan kebisingan nya." Marah saya berkobar. Dia tidak punya masalah dengan musik saya, hanya saya. Aku mendongak dan membalas tatapan sinis Jared. Dia mencoba terlihat kesal dengan alis terkokang, tapi aku tahu dia tidak akan terlibat saya kecuali dia turun di atasnya. Dia tergantung dari atas pagar, tubuhnya bertengger pada sesuatu memberinya tinggi. Keparat. Mengapa selalu membawa saya satu atau dua detik untuk mengingat mengapa aku membencinya? Rambut cokelat mengkilap Nya itu berantakan. Aku menyukainya.