Living in Surreality - 19. Chapter 19

chapter 19:
: edited by viv :

Grey, perpetually dreary, but the dismal state of the skies is what gave the emerald color to the surrounding hills covered in pine. Raul Montega had never appreciated Oregon; too far removed from bright skies and desert sands, he figured it a back-water, filled with people too scared, or too slow, to live in more metropolitan areas. Still, this is where he found himself, driving in circles looking for Bixby Lane.

He had been in Sacramento yesterday, talking with a high school football coach, and learned a great little tid-bit that would have Catherine giggling with malevolent excitement. The day before, Monday, had been spent asking questions around Oak Meadow.

Raul smiled with relief as he turned his Taurus onto the small side street that bore the name Bixby. The street was short, lined with quaint, clapboard sided houses, all painted white or light blue, and it didn't take long to pull to a stop in front of the number he had found in a quick public records search.

Carol Ann Bixby had long lived on the street that bore her husband's surname, ever since the day she'd lovingly said, "I do." Moving into a house he and his father built, she raised five children, and watched with a pang of longing as one by one, they wandered off to five different states. The closest being her daughter Susan, some six hours south in Sacramento.

Unannounced visitors were rare ever since Herbert died two years ago; she received the occasional phone call from one of her children, and entertained the local ladies with a bridge game every Saturday. So, Carol Ann took notice of the dark blue Taurus that stopped in front of her home as she worked on a small flower bed near the street.

"Hello," she said, passing the man who got out of the car a quick glance before she returned to digging a hole in the dark rich soil for a new pansy.

"Hi," Raul responded, sounding friendly enough as he leaned on the short fence that surrounded the front garden.

"If your selling vacuum's or those satellite TV's, I ain't interested," Carol Ann said tersely as she shoved the small flower baring plant into the hole and smooth the earth up to its edge.

Raul couldn't help but chuckle at the old woman's assumptions. "Actually, I was looking for Cody Williams," Raul continued with a helpful smile.

The name caught Carol Ann's attention as she backed onto her haunches and gave the man before her a long stare. "Cody is my grandson," she said giving the stranger a measuring look. "What do you want with him?" she asked.

Raul thought for a moment, thinking of the best story he could to go along with his appearance. In the end, he figured that a twinge of vicarious fame to grease the engines of people would work the best. "One of his teammates has been signed by Notre Dame and I'm doing a story on the kid, he has a very bright future and I want to show my readers how a local boy made good."

"Sacramento isn't such a small town," Carol Ann replied, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Raul chuckled, "True Ma'am, very true, no where near as small as Klamath Falls, but everyone likes when a local boy does well."

"Regardless Mister..." she paused, waiting for the stranger to give her his name.

"I'm sorry," Raul grinned. "My name is Larry Marquez. I write for the Sacramento Bee."

"Regardless, Mr. Marquez," Carol Ann said, rubbing the dirt off her gloved hands. "You're barking up the wrong tree, my grandson lives with his mother and father in Sacramento."

Raul stared at her intently for a moment, wondering if she was boldface lying to him, or if the investigating he had done in Sacramento had given him wrong information. "I find a problem with that, Mrs. Bixby. Everyone in Sacramento is saying he moved up here with you at the beginning of the summer."

"Everyone?" she questioned, becoming ashen.

"Everyone, even the school, they claimed his father signed a release of his records to bring them up here."

Carol Ann stood, looking shaky as she did, "If you'll excuse me Mr. Marquez, I cannot help you."

"I'm sorry for interrupting," he said politely, satisfied that Mrs. Bixby was in fact telling the truth in the way she was reacting to his news.

Raul continued to watch as the elderly woman drifted into her house. This development didn't bode well for him. If this Cody wasn't where pretty much everyone had committed that he was, where the hell could he have disappeared to? Then again, Catherine wanted dirt, and now she had it, but edging on being thorough, Raul decided on using some of his resources to see if the kid's name came up anywhere else.

The ruckus noise of a lawn mower sounded out of place in the quiet neighborhood. The noise usually broke the air on Sundays when it was an endless form of background music that lulled on the breeze, along with the smell of fresh cut grass, as the choreographed show of homeowners mowing their lawns filled almost every front lawn. Matt didn't get to that particular chore this past weekend, spending the time in Jacob's room instead. The whir of his motor had just stalled as Matt released the lever on the lawn-mower. He gave Dan King, who had just pulled his truck into the driveway next-door, a wave as he bent down to retrieve the catch bag, intent on emptying it into the green waste can.

"Hey Kid," Dan said, siding up to Matt as he emptied the catch bag.

"Hey Dan," Matt smiled, genuinely happy to see Dan.

"Funny time to be mowing the yard," Dan commented, looking on the fresh cut lawn. "After school on a Wednesday," he noted.

Matt shrugged, "I didn't have time to do it over the weekend with prom and all," he responded.

Dan nodded, understanding.

"Besides, you went and scheduled both Jacob and Valerie today, so I had nothing better to do," Matt chuckled.

"Speaking of," Dan said, glad that Matt broached the subject so he wouldn't have to. "We've missed you around the shop, why didn't you come to me for another job when you wanted one?" Dan asked, hoping the offer would entice Matt into asking for another job. What he was really hoping for though, was to get Matt and Valerie to spend more time together. He hoped that would fend off the threat he felt Jacob represented to his daughter.

"I've never been too comfortable around tools," Matt shrugged. "I always have to take four or five sockets out before I find the right one for the nut."

Dan laughed; he'd seen trained mechanics that couldn't eyeball a nut for size. He wasn't willing to let go of his hopes of having Matt working with Valerie over that. "You could work in the front with Valerie, bringing in cars and charging people," he offered.

Matt liked the sound of it, working with Jacob and Valerie, no longer having the funk of stale fast-food seep out of his pores, but he didn't give Dan an answer. "I'll think about it," Matt promised.

"Well, let me know either way, you'll always have a job in my shop," Dan smiled taking a moment to ruffle Matt's hair. With that out of the way, Dan took a moment to get serious. "How's Valerie doing?" he asked, looking a little agitated.

The question caught Matt by surprise. "Fine, I guess," he answered, looking bewildered by the question and how it had appeared out of thin air.

Dan sighed, "I know you're her best friend Matt, I just want to make sure she's okay, even in the things she decides not to share with her old man."

Matt glanced at Dan, the confusion still evident on his face, before replacing the catch bag on the mower.

An exasperated look washed over Dan's face, he was obviously going to have to spell it out no matter how much he didn't want to. "She asked me how she could tell she was in love," Dan said.

Matt bolted upright, his eyes wide. Valerie in love, she certainly hadn't said anything to him along those lines, and he wondered idly who it could be that had caught her attention. The last person he had known for a fact that she was dating was Jay, and since then, she'd acted somewhat put off with the rest of the guys that approached her. There was always John or Nathan, both of them had girlfriends though. Then there was Deacon. Valerie had always had a flirty, teasing relationship with the fifteen year-old, but Matt couldn't imagine it being anything beyond that.

"She hasn't said anything to me," Matt offered at a loss.

"I was thinking that it may have been..." Dan paused, not wanting to really dash Matt's hopes even though he didn't know if Matt was just covering for his two friends. "I was thinking maybe Jacob," he said watching Matt intently for the truth.

Matt's eyes widened slightly, but faded along with the small smile that was barely perceivable at the corners of his lips. He wanted to laugh at the notion, but suppressed it well enough as he answered. "Jacob flirts with her a lot," Matt allowed, "but he's just goofing around. Valerie knows it's nothing serious, that's why she plays back."

Dan watched Matt for a second, convinced that he was covering for Valerie and Jacob, either that, or he really didn't have a clue where Jacob and Valerie were concerned. "Are you sure?" Dan asked using his most stern face as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Matt chuckled at Dan's attempt at authority. If there was one thing Matt was sure of, it was that Jacob and Valerie were not sleeping around with each other, which is what Dan was asking in the most polite way possible. Then, Matt got to wondering why Dan seemed so intent on Valerie and Jacob being together. His brow knit as he had a distressing thought of Dan not liking Jacob.

"How's your mom doing?" Dan asked, letting go of thoughts about his daughter for a moment.

Matt looked up, the question ripping him from his thoughts, "Oh, uh, she's back on the anxiety meds," Matt admitted, the furrow on his brow deepening with the admission. He shook his head and looked away from Dan. That was one truth Matt had been trying to avoid for the last several days, feeling in some way as though he was at fault for it. Sure his mother seemed fine with his relationship with Jacob, but she had seemed fine about many things in the past, only to run and hide behind some chemical or another. Matt turned away from Dan, intent on hiding his burning eyes, and trying to busy himself so he wouldn't have to face the possibility that his mom wasn't as fine with things as she played.

He couldn't move after his fists closed around the handle of the lawn mower, all he could do was stand there and try to control his breathing as he squeezed his eyes shut. Matt stood there, telling himself that it had to be something else, thinking if he said it enough, it would be the truth. So lost in his inner mantra was Matt, that the strong hand that collapsed on his shoulder startled him as it spun him around with abnormal ease.

Dan pulled Matt's limp body into a hug, giving him a squeeze for added strength. "Its okay bud," Dan sighed in a gruff whisper.

Matt shook his head, fighting off Dan's notion of 'it', being 'okay', and in effort to chase the sting from his eyes. The reaction worked on neither front. "No it isn't," he said weakly as his arms closed around Dan's back.

Dan pushed Matt away just far enough that he could look into his red eyes, "Yeah it is, your mom is going through a rough spot right now with the divorce and all. So she needs a little help facing that anxiety, so what? At least she isn't polishing off a bottle, or two, a night."

Matt offered a meek nod to Dan's words, he hadn't even thought of the divorce side before, having always figured his mother was just as happy with his father's absence as he was. He still harbored the suspicion that it had, at least, something to do with his relationship with Jacob.

Jacob and he, the abstract of thoughts, one leading to a distant other, lifted Matt's chin as he pulled away from Dan and scrubbed the back of his hand across his itchy eyes. He wanted to ask Dan, to tell Dan the truth, but he was scared of Dan's reaction. Matt knew that he could smile in the face of anyone else who scoffed now, but Dan, his surrogate, his 'Man's Man', Matt wasn't sure he would be able to smile in the scrutiny of that disappointment.

Mustering his courage after a long void filled only with twittering birds, Matt asked, "Suppose Jacob and Valerie were dating, would it be such a bad thing?" It wasn't the question Matt wanted to ask, but hoping Dan felt he was a son, just as Matt thought of the man standing before him as a dad, he would glean some insight to Dan's final reaction.

Dan Scrubbed a hand down his face, not ready for the question, or the inevitable answer he knew would come. Was it a bad thing, no, not if Valerie wasn't his daughter? If she were some other girl he wouldn't care, it wouldn't matter to him, but she was, and he didn't like the prospect of them dating one bit.

Matt took the opportunity of Dan's silence to push the question further, "What if Jacob wasn't a guy, but a girl, and I ended up dating him?" Matt pressed. "Would you feel the same way?"

Dan's shoulders dropped as he sighed. "Honestly?" he asked arching a brow in Matt's direction.

Matt gave Dan a firm nod.

"You're a smart kid, Matt," he said with a small smile, grabbing Matt by the shoulder and pulling him into a single armed hug. "No, and I know it's a double standard and it's not fair, but it is what it is. When you have a teenaged daughter becoming a woman, faster than you want, you'll understand."

"So it would be alright if Valerie was a guy and Jacob was a girl?" Matt asked just to be clear.

Dan pulled away. "I thought we were talking about Jacob being a girl and you dating him?" Dan kidded with a smile, a warm playful smile which Matt readily mimicked.

"Right," Matt said, his smile widening as there was more truth in Dan's statement than he realized.

"Let me put it this way, Matt, if you were a girl, and he was after you, I still wouldn't like him. I'm just looking out for mine," Dan answered, finding Matt's face twisted in confusion. "You and Valerie may not believe this, but I remember what it was like to be your age. It wasn't much later down the road that Valerie was born."

"So you don't actually hate Jacob?" Matt asked.

Dan smiled and ruffled the hair on Matt's head, rocking the youth's head side to side as he did. "Nah, he's a smart guy, good worker. He seems honest enough, other than the fact that I'm worried about him getting Valerie into to more trouble than she is ready to handle, I rather like him. He reminds me of myself when I was his age, and that's what's scary."

Matt's smile beamed brightly, he couldn't hide the pride he felt burst in his chest at Dan's veiled approval. "That's good," Matt admitted, "because I like him."

Surprised that he had just admitted that to Dan, no matter how ambiguous the statement was, Matt watched Dan keenly for any hint of a reaction, but there was none. The meaning of the words failed to penetrate Dan, sliding off instead, like water from a ducks back.

"You should come over more often," Dan said noting Matt's absence in his TV room on Friday nights lately. "The house has too much estrogen without you."

Matt laughed, feeling better about some things and deciding not to worry about others. "I'll try," Matt smiled.

"And think about the job, not that I suffer from too many women at the shop," Dan reminded him as he was walking away.

"I will," Matt chuckled.

"Oh," Dan said again, his look becoming serious, "If you ever need to get away, and maybe talk to someone about stuff, I'm next door, okay?"

Matt nodded as he chewed on his bottom lip, "Thanks Dan, I appreciate it."

"No problem bud," Dan answered with a warm smile before he turned his back on Matt, leaving him to finish his yard work, while Dan found his way into his house to harass his wife.

"You couldn't find him?" Catherine asked in a heady voice as she quickly ran through what Carlos was able to find. It was good, well good for her, not necessarily good for Jacob Keats.

"I didn't say that," Raul replied. "I found him just fine, the old woman lied when she said he was living with his parents. I found him enrolled in the high school."

"You approach him?" she asked rapidly as she set the manila folder containing Raul's report in the center of Richard's desk.

"Yes, he didn't buy the whole story I fed to his grandmother though. The kid took obscene pride in telling me that he knew for a fact that the subject doesn't play football anymore, and hasn't played, since the coach ripped him off his cock," Raul relayed the information using the same phrase Cody Williams had when he spoke to the youth just a few hours before.

Catherine emitted an almost sinister chuckle, finding herself very pleased with the salaciousness of the whole affair. "Any lingering feelings on Mr. Williams' part?" she asked.

"Doubtful," Raul answered, "I had to pry him away from his girlfriend, who looks like a step down on the evolutionary ladder. That, and I asked, he said Jacob was a warm willing body, but that was it." Raul said taking a sip from the glass of water and setting it back on the table before him.

Catherine's face fell slightly with that revelation, but she was no less determined. "Did you put forth our proposition?"

Raul gave a nod, "He said no, but he thought about it for several minutes before he came to that conclusion, I'm sure if the motivation was right, he would."

Catherine had to sit back in her seat and think about that development. Richard was playing it safe, he was planning on confronting his son with the information Raul dug up and hoped his son made the right choice. She didn't take lightly to that approach, so she had a back-up plan. To her it was simple; if the problem persisted, she'd introduce an outside influence to sway one part of the problem. Her only thorn in this improvised outline was the proper motivation for the outside influence. There could probably be budget issues beyond the amount she had already authorized Raul to offer.

"What kind of motivation would be right?" Catherine asked tersely.

Raul gave a shrug, guessing his best, "Double."

"Sixty?" she nearly screamed.

"Hey I dunno, I didn't haggle with the little shit okay?" Raul responded, not liking the way Catherine was staring at him. "I offered like you asked, he said no, but I'm sure if you upped the rate he would be back down here in a second dropping his pants and picking up where they left off in Sacramento."

"Sixty is a major problem Raul. Can't you just go to his woman and tell her about his past?" Catherine scoffed.

Raul nodded, "I could, but when did human wreckage become less important than money?"

"This is politics Raul, it's the assembly in six months, and the senate in two years. I'm not going to let a cocksucker get in the way." Catherine stood and smoothed the hem of her tight Armani skirt, "Forty-five, and if he doesn't bite, tell his bitch. When he comes crawling, throw him fifteen, and put his ass on a plane." Catherine turned and headed towards the office door, "Coach," she added, pausing at the door before she rushed through it.

Raul was quick to follow her out of the office, rushing behind to catch up to her quick pace. "So this re-negotiation, do I start right away or?" he asked.

Catherine turned on her heel, taking a moment to let her scrutinizing gaze wash down Raul's stocky physique. She opened her office door and pushed through, holding the barrier open long enough for Raul to scurry through, before she shut it securely.

"No, let Richard play Daddy first, and when then unreasonable teenager is predictably unreasonable, we'll play it my way," Catherine answered, liking the idea of having Richard owe for more then he could ever possibly repay.

Raul gave a short nod and turned towards the door.

"Raul," Catherine cooed, her demeanor turning three-sixty to sweet and amicable, "You don't work for this campaign, just remember that."

He didn't answer, just stepped out of her office, and out of her life, until she needed him again, and she knew she would.

"Does anyone else work here?" Jacob asked, sneering at the swaying rear of the Pizza-Nazi while grabbing a piece of pizza off the pan that had been dumped in the middle of the glass topped table.

"Apparently not," Valerie said, casting the waitress an annoyed look as she reached across Matt, salvaging a piece of fallen sausage off of Jacob's plate.

"I was going to eat that," Jacob commented around a mouthful of pizza.

"Your dad wants me to come back to work at the shop," Matt announced out of nowhere, determined not to talk about the rude serving wench. The lady had done enough to ruin his life; he didn't see giving her actions any attention as worthy discussion anymore.

"Really?" Valerie asked in a giddy high pitched squeal, while Jacob was busy cleaning his mouth, ready to grab hold of Matt.

Matt nodded as Jacob's arms wrapped him in a crushing sideways hug.

"You said yes, right?" Jacob asked, happy at the prospect of working with the two best people in the world he could think of.

"I said I'd think about it," Matt chuckled, pushing Jacob off of him and grabbing for a piece of the three meat pie.

"C'mon Matty, it would be better then cleaning out grease traps and smelling like a day old hamburger," Valerie said eyeing Matt, having twisted around in the crammed one side of the booth that contained one body more then it was designed to comfortably contain.

"And smell like he does?" Matt questioned, throwing his thumb in Jacob's direction.

Jacob's bottom lip pushed out in a pout, he took a moment to sniff first, the front of his white T-shirt, then his left arm pit. "There's nothing wrong with the way I smell," he observed. "I smell sexy," he finished with a deviant grin.

"Ughh," Valerie choked, rolling her eyes at Jacob's suggestive smile. "Get a room already you friggin' rabbit."

Matt collapsed back into the red vinyl clad back rest, grabbing his chest as he laughed.

"I'd rather push all this food off the table and show these people they're not the only ones that can slam things around," Jacob retorted, the mischievous glint in his eyes the only clue that he was kidding.

Matt leaned forward; trying any position he could to contain the laughter that was wracking his body.

Valerie's mouth dropped with Jacob's comment as her eyes widened in shock, "Pig!" she admonished as she visualized Jacob's threat.

It was Jacob's turn to become slack jawed with Valerie's accusation. "I'm not the one forming mental pictures here. Seeing Matt like that... for shame!"

A weird noise emanated from Valerie's throat, sounding like a startled choke. She was about to respond over Matt's laughter, but his fist pounding on the table drew her attention.

"It's no wonder your dad thinks you two are sleeping together," Matt gasped between his laughter.

"Sleep with a girl?" Jacob asked with a pronounced lisp he'd never had before, "Ewwww!" he cried, holding a bent wrist to his chest.

Matt stopped mid-laugh and just stared at Jacob's camp act. He slowly began to shake his head, "That was just," Matt paused, looking for the right word, "scary," he continued shaking his head, wearing a subtle smile.

"Flamer," Valerie chided from her corner with a smile.

"Jealous-s," Jacob shot back, carrying out the end in a hiss.

"Why would my dad think I was sleeping with that?" Valerie asked Matt, pointing a dismissing finger at Jacob.

Matt shrugged as he grabbed a slice of the pizza, "He said something about you asking about love."

Valerie's eyes squinted and her lips pursed with an annoyed expression, "I was talking about the two of you," she mused.

"Wait," Jacob interjected, "first I stink, and now I'm un-bed-able?" he asked. "The two of you know how to cut down a guys self-esteem, don't you?"

Valerie shook her head and went back to her piece of pizza.

"You are completely bed-able," Matt smiled at Jacob. "In fact, I know of a bed that's empty right now."

"Now you're talking," Jacob said in a restrained shout as he pushed his plate away and grabbed at his napkin.

"Don't you ever think about anything other than sex?" Valerie chided before she took a bite of her slice of pizza.

"Umm..." Jacob said not wanting to make Valerie sound stupid, his eyes searching from left to right, "teenage guys... hello," Jacob answered, holding his arms up in a loose shrug.

Valerie cast him a withering glance before returning to her dinner.

"'Sides," Jacob continued after sticking his tongue out to Valerie's back, "Why would I bed Sweets, when I got you Kid?" Jacob asked.

"Jacob," Valerie commented paying more attention to her plate, than her two friends cramming her into the small booth. "You remember your comment about self esteem? And if you stick your tongue out at me again like some five year old, Matt just isn't going to have as much fun in the bedroom anymore."

"Dan doesn't know?" Jacob asked, figuring he didn't want to challenge Valerie on the whole tongue front, it was best for Matt in the long run.

"It's not my business to tell him," Valerie offered, even though Jacob's question wasn't directed at her.

Jacob's questioning gaze wandered from Valerie, who was busy grabbing a second piece of pizza, to Matt searching out an answer. Matt gave a single shake of his head, and averting Jacob's look, Matt moved his focus to the glass protected red and white checked table-top.

"Why?" Jacob asked, more curious than hurt at this revelation.

"Probably 'cause it's none of my dad's business..." Valerie said, receiving a short glance from Matt, pleading her to go someplace, anyplace else. "Right," she said, picking up on Matt's silent cue before he was finished delivering it. "Out," she said pushing on Matt's shoulder. "I have to go to the bathroom."

Jacob dutifully stood and backed just out of the way, giving Matt room to exit the booth. and Valerie right behind him. Matt and Jacob watched as Valerie trotted off to the bathroom before Matt sat back down in the booth, sliding all the way across the warm cushion until he had claimed Valerie's abandoned seat.

"Well?" Jacob asked, knowing that Valerie had abandoned the booth more to give them a chance to talk in private, rather than any actual claim of having to use the restroom.

"I'm afraid," Matt admitted. "My father took it bad, Mom seems okay with it, but I just don't know if I could handle Dan not being okay with it," he said as he plucked a piece of pepperoni off Valerie's piece of pizza.

"Your mom is fine with it," Jacob reassured him, pressing his side into Matt as he placed his hand on Matt's leg.

"That's what I thought," Matt agreed, pushing his torso into the warmth Jacob provided. "Then she went and got her prescription refilled, I'm not so sure she is as okay with us as she is saying."

Jacob's heart sank. No matter what, he always knew what his mother was thinking. If she was happy or sad, trying her best to hide some disappointment, Jacob always knew, and it pained him that Matt couldn't tell if his mother was truthful in her stance on their relationship. He didn't respond for a moment, just threw his arm over Matt's shoulder pulled him close and kissed Matt's temple before leaning his forehead on it.

"It'll be okay Kid, you'll see," Jacob said, doing his best to reassure Matt.

Matt nodded, "I know, I'm pretty sure I'm just being insecure, but I can't help it."

"Have you talked to her about it?" Jacob asked, releasing the squeeze he had on Matt slightly.

Matt gave a small, bitter chuckle, "No," he shook his head. "I'm afraid of the answer she'll give."

"I can ask Mom to talk to her about it," Jacob offered.

"I'd say yeah, but I have to face it. It can't possibly go any worse than my father, and she hasn't exactly said I can't stay over your place anymore or you can't stay over ours," Matt answered, talking himself into discussing his relationship with his mother.

"So you think you're just being paranoid?" Jacob ventured.

"Yeah," Matt realized with a nod.

"And Dan?" he asked, pressing Matt just a little further.

"I can't," Matt responded in a whisper. "He taught me how to ride a bike, how to hit a ball. He played catch with me, and cheered the loudest when I was in little league," Matt reasoned. "Most kids in my kindergarten class wanted to be fire-fighters or cops. I wanted to be Dan," he chuckled.

Jacob squeezed Matt to his chest again, placing another lingering kiss on Matt's temple. Damn the waitress, if she wanted to make a snide remark, or anyone for that matter. Jacob was simply doing what he knew Matt needed at the moment.

"It's okay," Jacob assured. "He doesn't have to know."

"He'll find out," Matt smiled to himself. "He's smart; I'm just not ready for him to know yet."

Jacob agreed, while thinking it was going to be obvious if Matt did eventually decide to work at the shop.

"Does this mean I can't flirt with you while you leaning over an engine compartment?" Matt laughed, "If Dan doesn't figure it out then," he started but didn't finish.

"He'll be a dad looking out for the daughter he thinks he still needs to protect," Jacob finished.

"He likes you," Matt offered feeling comfortable leaning into Jacob, relaxed as he was.

Jacob chuckled shortly, "I don't believe that, but I'll buy it if you say so."

"Good," Matt said, nudging Jacob off of him so he could actually eat before the food was too terribly cold.

Jacob pulled back and offered Matt a smile. Valerie returned to the table a few minutes later muttering about restaurants with dirty restrooms, as she sunk into the end of the booth blocking Jacob and Matt in. Jacob was quick to slide her plate in front of her, swapping it for his own.

The ride home was short, but filled with all the joking and laughs that the back booth in The Pizza Joint had seen. Valerie was quick to rush inside after she pulled into her drive and parked, leaving Jacob to walk Matt to his doorstep.

Their fingers were laced as Matt and Jacob approached Matt's front door, stopping long enough for Jacob to reiterate his earlier offer.

"She would," Jacob whispered, pulling Matt to him by Matt's pocket. "If I asked her to talk to your mom, she would. She'd prolly tell me we're crazy, that your mom is fine with it, but I know my mom, she'd do it if I asked, she'd do it for you."

Matt imagined that scene, sitting in Jacob's kitchen while Joanne paraded around telling them they were both off their rockers. "Thanks, but I'm gonna go in and talk to her about it," Matt said, realizing he really was going to do as he said. "Right now."

Jacob leaned back on his heels, appraising Matt carefully in the low light. "You want me to go in with you?" Jacob asked.

Matt laughed and shook his head, "Nah, only one blubbering idiot at a time."

"I wouldn't blubber!" Jacob admonished, pulling away from Matt, "Throw myself at her feet and beg maybe, but never blubber."

"C'mere," Matt chuckled, using one of Jacob's tactics and grabbing him by his pockets, pulling him until their chests were touching before planting a soft kiss on Jacob's lips. "Goodnight,"

"Night Kid," Jacob said, surrendering to Matt's wishes as he pulled away.

Jacob lingered long enough on the porch to watch Matt open his front door and slip through. Hearing the deadbolt throw, Jacob sighed, wishing Matt all the luck and courage the world had to offer, before backing away from the house and crossing the street.

Once inside, Matt leaned against the door, fighting with himself to actually do this. Resolving that he had to, no matter how much he dreaded the least likely prospect, he pushed himself off the door and headed through the house, making a bee line for the kitchen cabinet where his mother stored the prescriptions. Opening it, he snatched out the bottle he was looking for, and headed down the hall.

Matt rapped lightly on her bedroom doorsill before he stepped through the open door. Viola was lying in bed watching the news when the light tap at her door caught her attention.

"Hey hun," Viola greeted. "How was dinner?" she asked.

Matt fidgeted slightly, shifting from foot to foot, "It was good."

"That's good," Viola replied, her attention drawing back to the wall mounted television in her room.

"Mom?" Matt squeaked, digging the pill bottle out of his pocket where he had stashed it on the walk down the hallway.

"Yes dear?" Viola answered, looking sideways at the TV after her head turned in his direction.

"Are you," he stammered, "are you okay with Jacob and me?" Matt asked. "Because I found these and I..." the words came out of his mouth like water falling over a steep cliff before they dried up and failed to produce even a squeak.

Viola's gaze jarred from the TV to her son, standing as vulnerable as she had ever seen him. Slowly it drifted to the amber bottle in his hand, before it climbed back up to his worried face. She felt strangled by his question as her head fell in shame.