My New Story~ My Life at a Later Date

Hey guys, I have the intro up for my new story, "My Life at a Later Date".  I hope that you guys will read it!  Here is the synopsis.

Starring Jezabelle Evans, the daughter of Rachelle and Alex.

Chapter 23 (last chapter :()

Note for Tess and Katie:  I would love to help!  Just comment with your email and I'll help as best as I can.

It's been a few months.  A few very strange, fast months.  Xander (it's weird to call my clone that-the guy that looks at me..), is on the move.  He is trying to find a place to live with Marina.  It's almost as if he's scared that Leonora is going to find him.  But I can't blame him.  Because I would feel that way.

Oh, hold on.  I'm getting a ring.

'That's right, you can't blame me because this is exactly what you would do.  We're alike not only in our DNA, but the environment has played only the smallest factor in my personality.  Because I could read your mind and I was there with you at all times in a way, I am almost not even my own person.  We are clones as much as possible.'

There's the explanation for you, courtesy of my clone that knew exactly what I was thinking.

Seems you're going to gain more of your own personality now that you're on your own-with Marina-and not 'with me' at all times.

'Yes, I suspect so.  The environment certainly plays a factor now.  But remember, no matter what, you will never again be alone again.  I am always with you in thoughts-literally.

My clone speaks the truth.  He is with me whenever I want to 'talk' with him, but I also have Rachelle now.  It's nice that someone else besides 'me' gets me (that would be sad if only I got me).

Rachelle has been coming to my house a lot over the past few months, most weekends in fact.  When Jeff and Marshall first saw her, they sorta just stared at her a while.  It wasn't an 'Oh ma freakin llama look at that hotness' stare, it was an 'um...okay...' stare.  Later they told me that she was pretty but 'not the type that they usually go for.'  I never knew that Marshall and Jeff could speak such true words!  They much prefer the stick skinny, non-weird types.  But I don't really care about the size (okay fine, I don't want a hippo for a girlfriend, but certainly not a stick figure either).

I didn't want to tell everyone that I had a clone.  Who knows what they could think what they could do once they discover the impossible is true (and that's considering that they'd believe me, which isn't like me, they'd just give me a look!).

My grandparents already knew, and I would tell my parents and maybe my uncle.  Eventually.  After all, I knew that they would believe me because according to my grandparents, they've gone through some pretty insane things in their lives.

Rachelle hadn't been through those things, but she has been sharing dreams with me for about six months, and she has seen my clone...

We hang in my room a lot.  Not to do you know what, but just hang and talk.  Neither of us are terrified of the bedroom anymore (surely you remember the dream?), we don't want to have sex until after mirage.

"Hey, so...um.  You remember those dreams when there were two me's in them?"

"Of course I do.  Yeah?"

"And how he was always tellin me that he was real outside of the dream world just like you?"

She raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

"Yeah-turns out he is real.  I found him one day...he's my clone.  It's genuine."

I decided I would only tell her about the clone part, not the Leonora and Marina part..a guy's gotta keep his secrets!  Besides-I knew how to prove it with my clone.

"You're funny Alex, you know that?" 

But then, I called for Xander in my head.

'I listen to ya Alex, I listen to ya.  I have the perfect solution!  Tell her I'm going to call in two seconds, I'll call right after you're done saying it.  She would have to believe then!  With the dreams and this, it's fool-proof!  You've never lied to her before anyway.'

"Okay Rachelle, you don't believe me?  He's going to call me in two seconds.  You can say hi to him on the phone."

So, just like he said, my cell phone rang two seconds later.  I gave Rachelle my phone.

After five seconds, she mumbled a 'hi', and stared at the cell phone with the biggest eyes I've ever seen her make-well, probably the biggest eyes I've ever seen anyone make.

She hung up the phone. "Holy crapoli.  You are no liar, Alex."

"No, no I am not."

One day we went to my cousin Stephan's wedding.  He was getting married to a girl named Judith-a very skinny blonde woman.  She's okay I guess, awfully nice, but she just looks plastic to me.

But seeing the way they kissed each other on being man and wife just made me smile.  Maybe I'm just a hidden romantic that never got what he wanted until recently.  I couldn't help but think about Rachelle and me's wedding.  I knew it would happen, it's just a matter of when.  We are so compatible that we have shared dreams together on a regular basis!  Can't get any better than that.

Once the ceremony was over, Rachelle and I went over to talk with my parents. 

"Hey mom and dad!  I would like you to meet Rachelle, the girl I was telling you about."

They both looked at her and smiled. "It's very nice to meet you, Rachelle!"

"Nice to meet you guys too."

So far so good.  The parents aren't showing any baby pictures to her yet-but oh yeah, that's right.  That's why I wanted them to meet her here!  They don't have any pictures with them, and they can't embarrass me so much with people around!

"What do you do for a living, Rachelle?"

"I'm a teacher.  I teach little second graders.  I love kids."

"What a nice career!  Is it a lot of hard work?"

"I suppose so, but it's worth it.  I love to see the kids' faces everyday, and watch them grow and learn.  I've always had a knack for teaching, I guess.  I wasn't exactly a tutor-but I probably could've been."

My parents talked to Rachelle and I for a good forty five minutes.  I could tell that they really liked Rachelle!  But I wanted to talk to uncle Otto about my clone..I could tell my parents another time.  After all, my uncle is more likely to believe me than they are since Xander has confronted him once.

"Hey uncle Otto.  This is Rachelle."

He beamed at her. "Ah, so this is the girl I've been hearin' about!"

How can my uncle possibly be more embarrasing than my parents?

But Rachelle just beamed right back at him, "Oh, so Alex has been talking about me, has he?"

She looked in my direction with an amusing expression.

Uncle Otto himself looked amused, at Rachelle.

"Oh, Alex.  You don't have to get red!  I've been talking about you too."

She barely got red at that statement.  Sometimes she doesn't seem as red-prone as me.

"Hey uncle Otto-what happened that one day when 'I' came to visit your house?"

He laughed. "Why do you want a recount of our visit?"

"Because that wasn't me-it was my clone."

He laughed even harder. "Yeah, that's what you tried to tell me. But I wouldn't fall for it.  You think you're so funny Alex!"

"No, I'm serious."

Xander and I did the same thing as I did with Rachelle.  It was just a good thing that we were on the edge of the party!

"Oh my gosh Alex-I'm sorry to have doubted you.  If you excuse me, I have to use the boy's room."

He was literally shaking!  It was as if learning the impossible made him extra jittery!

Later, Stephan cut the cake and Judith watched him.  It was so cute seeing the way that they looked at each other.  It just brought a smile right to my face!  He wanted to smash cake in her face, but he wouldn't let her.  I think he was only joking because I mean, come on.  My goody two shoes uncle doing that to his bride?  Puh-lease.

Rachelle really loved that cake!  She is nothing like the date that only eats salads when you're with them.  She's perfectly comfortable eating what she wants, and I admire that.  Heck, she acts how she wants whenever she wants.  Her goofy, weird self that I love.

She chowed down that cake to ever last crumb, scraping it off the plate.

"You like that cake, huh Rachelle?"  I laughed.  I've been doing that a lot these past few months.

"Oh yes, I love cake.  Especially chocolate chocolate.  You remember that."

Oh, so I have a hint now to make cake?

'Get used to that Alex, Marina always wants me to buy her ice cream!'

Later, Rachelle and I got groovy on the dance floor.  That's right, I said groovy.  Rachelle has really gotten me into saying any word that I feel like at the moment.  I'm not really into what people think of me, but Rachelle is that way even more than I am!

Rachelle was no shy lady when she was dancing.  At first she just did the basic dance moves by me, but then she started to do some funkier moves around me.  I would try to step in.  By the end, she was moving away from me from the dance floor!  She was doing a lot of moving steps.  She has a really different dancing style!  Which is good.  Better than okay.  That's what she and I are about!

When it was getting late, I took Rachelle to a secluded part of the venue.  This time, her hands were getting a little sweaty, she was nervous for something.  But the walk was beautiful-flowers everywhere!

We were mostly being quiet with our walk, admiring nature and the sunset.

We found a little rocker on our journey, and we sat on it looking at the pond.

I held her close.  I was warm wherever her curves touched my body.

"It's so beautiful tonight", Rachelle can be silent sometimes, but at other times it seems to be hard for her to keep it so quiet.

"Almost as beautiful as you."  The most cliche term in the book, but at least it works.

Rachelle smiled shyly at me, and leaned into me more.  That was better than a thank you or a reciprocal reply.

"I love you, Alex."
"I love you too Rachelle.  More than anyone I've ever loved."

We haven't ever exchanged I love you's, but I think we knew that we loved each other long ago-on the first day that we officially met.  It was never necessary to speak the words, but tonight was the perfect night.  Love was in the air.

I held her as close as I could, and I kissed her hard.  One kiss after another.  Her lips were so warm and perfect tonight.  Our lips went in perfect rhythm.  Our tongues colliding just enough.

I leaned into the kisses.  I put my arm around her, she touched my hand.  It was perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  I can't put it in any other terms.  Everything about this evening was going absolutely perfectly-I couldn't hope for anything better.

We both decided to watch the stars after making out for about ten minutes straight.

As I looked at her, I was confirmed that she was the one.  I wasn't told just then that she was the one, I think I knew all along.

We both stared at the stars for a long time, not speaking.

Naturally Rachelle had to break the silence, "do you think there's other intelligent life out there?"

"I do."

"Yeah, me too.  I figure that if the universe is as big as it is, it would be impossible for there not to be other intelligent life."
"You speak the truth."

"That's why I love science fiction books.  I love to think about the future-what could be.  It's also nice that they're relatively unpredictable.  But I seriously believe that in the future, it won't all be fiction."

"Sounds interesting.  Maybe I should read a science ficion book."

"You should."

We both got up. 

Perfect time.

I got down on one knee, and I pulled out the ring.

"Rachelle, I love you so much, llama knows.  I knew right from the second I first laid eyes on you that you were the one.  These past few months have confirmed that.  You are perfect for me-you are a real catch.  I could never find a girl as perfect for me as you.  I could wait longer, but that would just be stalling the inevitable.  We were meant to be together.  Will you marry me?"

She covered her mouth and her eyes enlarged.

She didn't say anything, but accepted the ring as I slid it on her finger, and she went in to hug me.

"You know, I'm not really a hugger.  But I am with you now," she whispered in my ear.

I was just grinning from ear to ear as I held her.  My life couldn't be any more perfect, now.  It was only six months ago that I was in despair wanting something interseting in my life.  I have overcome the haze in my life-and even in my dreams somewhat.  They are only becoming more clear and more interesting, thanks to Rachelle.

And I know that we'll be having many more adventures in our dreams together.  We will soar above the clouds, exploring our dream world togther.  Could a guy be any happier?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you guys liked my story!  I would appreciate any comment even if you've never commented before.  Don't be shy!

I will be starting a new story soon, and I hope that you guys will read it!  It will star their daughter.  I'll post here when I have the intro done :).

Chapter 22

I quickly made it home, I wasn't quite sure how my friends would treat my grandparents.   They're not exactly nursing home material if you catch my drift.

Well, when I got there, I quickly found my grandparents on the love seat, and my friends were no where in sight.  It's almost like they're scared of old people!  Most likely they let them in (it's not like they have a key to our house), and 'convieniently had to leave'. 

"Hey, sorry if it took me a while.  I'm here now!  How are you guys?"

"I'm not sure.  We'll be good once we determine that you're good, Alex.  What's up with Marina?  You havin lady troubles?"

I hesitated.  I suppose that is what it is in a way, but really it's much more than that.

"Um-it's hard to explain.  I know where she lives, I think it would be best if we'd survey this at her place."

I know that sounded really weird and kinda creepy.  What kind of a guy brings their grandparents to any woman's house?  None that I know of.  But I can't exactly tell them the truth, that she is a sick vampire that changes into this beautiful girl and makes me fall for her, but only when I see her.  Yeah, they're gonna believe that.

They both looked confused, but I think they went with it because they trust me. "Okay, if that's what it takes, Alex.  We both want to help you, however it takes."

I am just a lucky guy that I wasn't being asked twenty questions!"

Then I heard the doorbell ring. "It's okay, I get it.  You guys can stay here."

But they followed after me.

I opened the door and a very strange looking man comes walking inside without an invitation.  He was dressed for a wedding, and a very formal weird wedding at that.  No one wears top hats or bow ties anymore.

But my grandparents' eyes expanded twenty fold.

"You're here!  What seems to be the problem, Wizard?"

Oh my good golly llama.  My grandparents know this guy?

"Hello, nice to see you again Grace and Joel.  But, I suppose that I shouldn't be so glad.  As you two know, I only come when there's trouble.  But you don't know me.  Hello Alex Evans, grandson of Grace and Joel, I am The Wizard.  I help people when in need under extreme circumstances.  Unfortuanatly, I've had to help your family all too often in my history."

I looked over questioningly at my grandparents, and grandpa just mouthed to me 'later'.

"We have to get over to 'Marina's' house immediatly.  I am sorry that I haven't come earlier, but I always have a very full schedule.  Now-we better get moving.  People's lives are on the line."

My mind was racing. 

Who is this strange man, and how does he know that 'Marina' isn't what she appears to be?  How does he know who I am?  What about my grandparents?  What could he have possibly done for them?

My thoughts were forced to stop, because we had to get in the car.  The conversation was non-existent.  It was too weird!

Soon enough we arrived at her place.  Now that I am not alone and it's not night, I contemplated her house.  She is clearly a dangerous woman-I mean, she is a vampire.  But what kind of a cold hearted soul has a house like this?  I guess it's not sunshine and flowers, but certainly a person like her would live in some sort of a dungeon mansion or something.  But, one thing was for sure, she is smart.  She could seduce me, and she has kept whatever it is under wraps that the...Wizard is talking about. And living in such a house if you're a wanted person (well, at least she should be) is smart.  She hides behind a normal house.  Well, I guess it's really not that normal.  Its roof and whole structure isn't really that of a normal house, but at least it didn't look like it belonged to a person like 'Marina'.

The Wizard looks over at us all, "I'll handle this.  Wait outside until I give you a signel."

We all gladly obeyed.

He went inside and she was just standing there as if she was expecting us.  She is exactly the kind of vampire that one would think of.  I can't even imagine her powers.  Because really, she must be telepathic or something to know that we were coming.  It was clear that she knew we were coming.

He went up to her and gave her this icy stare.  She frowned at him and went in to slap him.  But The Wizard was faster.  Once he looked away from her, her hand fell instantly down to her sides, and she did nothing.  The Wizard did something to her.  What that is, I have really no clue.

"You all may come in. Alex-what is it that you need to be here for?"

"Wh-what?  I don't know, I thought it was to take care of Marina."

I guess I really didn't know why I had to be here.  She is creepy and she tries to seduce me when I'm alone in a public place.  That's actually been a while.  Lately I've always been with someone.  But other than her being creepy and trying to make me fall for her, she hasn't done anything.

"Come on Alex, this isn't only about her."

I stared at her.  What was her real name?  Why did she even do this to me?  Why me?  Why ME?  It was strange how beautiful she was, and terrifying at the same time.
I wasn't scared of her lunging at me, because she seemed frozen in place.  She was just staring into the distance with a slightly mean expression.  But there was no way that she was moving.

And then I realized I zoned out.

"Wh-what?"

"Alex, focus.  Open up your mind."

Then I knew exactly what he was talking about.  I heard a little ringing in the back of my mind just like I remember hearing in my dreams.  I laughed to myself.

It can't be.

But I tuned in to that corner of my mind anyway.

Alex, go to the basement. NOW!

I was thinking something in my head, but it was the strangest thing.  I knew I didn't just think that!  I don't know how I could know that, because I'm always thinking random things in my head just like everyone else, but I did know.  But I knew that I could listen to the voice in my head.  I walked, trying to find a way down.  I looked over at everyone-The Wizard nodded.  So I knew that I could do what I was doing.  This Wizard guy knows too much.  He's giving me the creeps.

It wasn't too hard to see a way down.  Then I heard the voice again.

'Don't just go down to the basement.  You have to go two floors down!'

I quickly agreed.  I heard footsteps behind me and I saw that my grandparents were coming.  I could tell that The Wizard was already preoccupied with what's-her-name.  He was clearly making her not do anything, and she couldn't help it.

So I went to the elevator, and down all of us went.

What I saw before me was a scene out of a dream.  But I knew that I wasn't dreaming, I didn't feel my dream's aura.  Rachelle has taught me well.

I saw a broken toilet and dozens of empty toilet paper and its scraps with puddles under it all.  To the left of that was a crappy bed and pattern, and some really old paintings.

But then the being that I didn't want to believe was real started to walk toward me.

My grandma fainted.  Aparently the scene before her was too impossible, too weird, for her old, old heart.
My grandpa hung over her and tried to wake her up.  He put her head in his lap.  They were out of the way, though that is put cold heartedly, I know, but I had to be strong for grandma.  I am not going to faint, because that's kinda part of my history.

"Alex!  Took you long enough.  I told you I was real!"

Holy llama mama with pizza and sauce. Yes, the scene before me was so strange that my mind was making me think weird things. This is really real.  I know it is, this isn't a dream-yet it's still just as impossible.

"Alex, why do you look at me like that?  You should've expected it.  I warned you in your dreams!  Rachelle is real too, and she didn't seem like as much of a surprise as you!"

"Um-who what...when...how...?"

"Alex, chill.  I am your clone.  When you were born, Leonora-yeah that's the lady that claims that she's Leonora-took you and made me.  She put you back in bed before your parents had any clue!  I've been a prisoner here all of my life.  I am as close to you as possible.  You know that clones, supposedly, only have the same DNA as their doner?"

I just had the strength to nod.

"Yeah, well, all of my life, I have listened to your thoughts, and since we're almost the same, it's almost as if I've lived it.  I'm you, Alex.  I feel the same way as you do in everything.  The only reason I'm not as shocked as you is because I am in tune with you.  I've had the time to learn to read your thoughts, just since I have the memory that I am a clone and that you were out there-an exact copy of me, or more precisely, me to you."

I was able to spit out a question. "But how were you able to contact me in dreams?"

"Well, I can read your thoughts and we have the ability to speak through them just like in dreams.  But we'll 'talk' about that later.  My theory is that since we have the same genetic makeup, and as long as we sleep at the same time-I can come into your dreams.  We're so alike that our brain waves are almost in tune.  A lot of the times I'm just the observer in your dreams.  But when you became interested in dreams, so did I, so I was able to teach myself to appear in them.  I am you in your dreams, you are me."

I was starting to feel a little faint, but I stood my ground.  That won't happen again.

"But Rachelle-"

"Surely you know by now that you and Rachelle have SO much in common.  It's the same as with us-you have such a similar brain wavelength that your dreams are able to coincide.  It's a miracle, really."

Then a girl got up.  I was astounded to see who that girl was.

"Hey Alex, it's been a long time.  I was brought here by Leonora some months ago."

My mouth fell open.  But Marina is Leonora...

"You see, Alex, for some reason Leonora became interested in you being intersted in me, so she brought me here and prisoned me up with Alex here.  When we met, she looked me up and down surveying my whole body.  I thought she was a lesbian, but really she was copying me.  Somehow, she was able to pose as me.  She has incredible powers, Alex.  I don't know her motives.  After all, we have been here prisoned.  She is a smart woman.  It has been impossible for us to escape.  Behind these walls and floors is pure concrete all around.  Being two floors underground, it's pretty much impossible for us to leave.  That elevator only comes down twice a day to give us food.  And it's specifically programmed to only go down, unless Leonora programs it otherwise."

I look wide-eyed at her. That doesn't mean that we're stuck down here, right?

She could tell that I was worried, "oh, but don't worry, we'll be able to leave soon enough."

She looked at Alex with big eyes.

"With Leonora being how she is right now, she can't stop the elevator from letting us go up."

Then Alex looks at me. "Alex, I think that Leonora wanted Marina and I to be in a relationship for some reason.  She put down a double bed down here and prisoned us together.  It was hard at first, trust me, but when you only have one person to talk to, things happen if you know what I mean."

Oh my llama...my clone is in a relationship with Marina!

'Yup, that's right Alex.  We have been going out for a while now.  You wouldn't believe what we've done down here...we've been half insane.  It's so nice that you guys have finally arrived to save us!'

"Let's get going-I can't wait to see the sunshine."

We made it upstairs, and Leonora was still giving that blank eyed mean stare into space.

"Ah, so I see you have all figured it out.  Glad to see that everything is working out!  Let's get out of here."

Then I speak up, "But what about Leonora..."

"I can't do anything to her, Alex.  It's not in my power."

My shoulders slumped.  I really wanted him to kill her-why wouldn't he be able to?  He has some power, so couldn't he kill her instantly?  But I figured he must have a reason for not doing so.  He has his reasons, and he knows so much.  I can't even begin to imagine his immense knowledge.

"You guys can go now.  I will not be leaving with you."

We all go without asking him anything.  What a strange, strange man.

We all go outside, other me and Marina in front.

"So, where do you and Alex plan on going?"

You wouldn't be able to imagine how weird it was to see me.  It wasn't a reflection, but exactly me.  Nothing like my clone looked any different.  It gave me chills every time I glanced at him, just knowing that he was there.

Marina spoke for them both, "Oh, we'll go to my friends' house temporarily.  We'll figure something out later."

And then we left, parting ways.  I was parting ways with my clone!  My clone.

When we arrived home, my grandparents could finally explain this to me.  I was glad that they didn't overly mention our previous scene because I just wanted to hear what they had to say!

"I'm sorry that we didn't tell you earlier.  You wouldn't have believed us if we told you!  But now, I'm sure that you will."

Grandma told me this long story of how she was born in another universe, and came back to this universe only as a coincidence because she fell for my grandpa.  He was there to learn a lesson-that he shouldn't be a lady's man anymore.  And, it worked and by chance she arrived back.  The Wizard was the one that set all of this up.  Then they mentioned how they and my uncle Otto were turned into kids at heart by Leonora, and were later saved by The Wizard.  That is when my mother fell for my dad-when uncle Otto was a 'kid'!

Then my grandpa spoke up, "and we're in the nursing home not because of any brain scan...we told someone once our situation with all of this stuff because we thought that she would listen.  We were drunk at the time, not thinking clearly.  She turned us in...long story short, we're in the nursing home because they think we're insane."

It all makes sense now!!

My brain was still processing the information, when I felt a tingle in the back of my mind.  I focused on the tingle in the back of my mind.

'I'm sorry that it had to be this way, Alex.  I didn't mean to scare you like that!  I tried to warn you in your dreams, but I knew it would be futile because I am you, and I knew you wouldn't believe me.  But I did it anyways!  But I'm sort of glad that Leonora did that to you.  Otherwise, I would still be a prisoner. You there?'

Yeah, I'm there.  I wish I could know how it's possible...

'I know, Alex it's all very strange.  Leonora is a very smart woman.  I don't know how she does it, but there it is!'

What are you going to do now that you're free?

'Well, I figured I could talk to your uncle Otto to get a little money, and I know that you'll be okay with that.  Marina and I will have to go somewhere-hide, we can't let Leonora find us.  There is no way that we are going back there again!'

I hear ya.

'By the way, call me Xander.  It would be weird for you to call me Alex...But I want you to know that I will always keep mental contact with you.  We won't ever be able to be seen together, people could think that we're criminals cleverly disguised or something.  Who knows what people would think.'

I tried to process the information of the day.  It was quite challenging-it was almost as if I read a book.  It didn't feel like it really happened.  Only through time will I be able to truly accept this...

Chapter 21

I was dreaming and I knew it right away.  It was strange because from the moment I recalled the dream I was with Rachelle.  Just like when we met in our dream last night, we were in a room pretty high up.  And just like last night with the renaisance type house, this house was weird too, it was clearly the house of a cookoo person.  Some freakazoid inventor.  Well, I guess I shouldn't be one to talk because my grandfather was an inventor.  Supposedly, my grandparents went to the future a long time ago (since he invented a time machine) and gave birth to my mother there, and came back when mom was a little girl.  That's why everyone in school thought she was a freak: because she always said that she was born in the future.  It's insane, I know, but I've seen it before at my grandparents house.  It would be an extreme joke if it were one, and it wasn't.  No one could keep up such a joke.  And, no one in my family are liars.  Well, it was their house, before they were made to go to the nursing home.  They've told me that they went there because a brain test went wrong and they were shown to have some kind of a developing mental disorder, but I don't buy it.  They've been hiding something from me all my life, I just don't know what it could be.  The nurses have them in a special room!  And certainly there are many old people with brain issues!

"Ah, I love that we're having dreams together again!  I think I'm able to be lucid to act dramatic because I can't stop thinking about dreams!  I just know you'll be in them, so it's always on my mind.  Alex, you're amazing."

I smile wide.  "You're amazing too."

"Come on, no time to gawk at each other.  Let's explore."

Ha ha, there she goes.  The confident Rachelle of my dreams, in fact literally.

Then I look out the window.  We're on the moon!

We get out of the house (which looks even weirder on the outside), and I look down over the moon's landscape.  The house is right on the top part of where an asteroid must have landed.  The valley below was amazing-clearly this wasn't just the moon-this moon had people on it!  Ah, what a dream can do.

I could feel Rachelle looking at me as I held her hand.  But I didn't mind.  In fact, I tried to make my face nice with its expression so I'd look especially nice for her.  Nothing like your brows being knit with a frown on your face when a girl you like is looking at you.  Total turn-off.

We continue to walk a little ways as I look at the landscape below, and I have an idea perfect for the environment of a dream and not a good idea in any other situation.

"Rachelle-let's slide down this crator and see what it below."

"Sounds fun!"

So we slide down its side.  Unlike in real life, it didn't hurt at all.  My jeans weren't ripping, I wasn't getting a rash.  I wasn't even flipping or anything.  I just felt the rush of falling straight down, watching the landscape before me move along.

There are some really cool futuristic buildings before me, but for some reason the construction site farther off in the distance caught my eye.

"Hey-let's check out that construction site over there."

"Whatever you like, Alex."

She was really talking to me differently in this dream.  In a good way.

We arrived there, and there was a food truck.  Quite an odd place for a food truck to be!

"I'm going to get something to eat, Alex.  I love eating in dreams.  You can really taste the food, or at least your brain thinks you can.  It's really neat."

She went up and ordered her hot dog.

"That'll be five simoleons."

She just laughed. "This is my dream!  I don't have to pay you."

The person inside just went with it without asking another question and gave her the hot dog."

"You should order something, Alex."

So I did.

"So what, is it your dream too or something?"

"That's right.  I don't owe you a penny."

"Are you kidding me?  That's not possible!  Only one person is in a dream at a time-only one real person."

"Well-here we are."

It's really quite a strange thing.  I don't really know if this dream is mine or hers, or somehow both of ours.  Either way, we were in the same place, that much was clear.  I just wish how I knew it was possible.  Rachelle said that shared dreams can theoretically happen, but I wish I understood the science behind it.  I'm pretty sure if I was told, though, I would just blankly stare at the person telling me, or the computer screen, book, whatever.  I am not smart enough to understand it, I guess.  That's my problem, I'm so curious, and my questions sometimes involve answers that only a really intelligent person would understand.  I'm not stupid, but I am also not a brilliant man that graduated from Harvard.

So Rachelle was just eating her hot dog outside really fast.

"Alex, you have to eat your hot dog fast because you don't know when you're going to wake up!"

She was scarfing the hot dog down, and it wasn't a pretty sight.  But it's just a dream so I gave her some slack.

For whatever reason, I ate my taco (my taco from the food truck the other day was so good that I wanted to taste it again) in this room in the little building leaving Rachelle behind.  Sometimes it feels like you have free will in lucid dreams, but in a way you don't because you choose to do something that in waking life you wish you wouldn't've done in the dream.  Does that make sense?

But anyway, the taco tasted just as good as in real life!  It was amazing how it actually tasted like food and not nothingness-as Rachelle said.  Considering how I was sleeping in bed, obviously eating nothing, it was weird that my brain could think that I was really eating anything.

I woke up from my dream and smiled.  I am just really glad that Rachelle has been back in my dreams.  No one else can say that their lover (she can be considered that by now, can't she?) exists to them in both reality and in dreams, as in, their real self in the dream, not some made up version of them that your brain makes you think is them.

Then I decided to drive home.  I truly adore Rachelle and I want to be with her, but it was time to be home.  I have a life in Longview, and I can't just leave it behind for a girl.  It's not like we're not going to see each other again.  I wouldn't be able to handle that.  Bridgeport is an hour away, and we can drive to see each other.  Naturally, we exchanged phone numbers, and I was already longing for her to call me.  I wasn't worried like a teenager would be, thank llama for that.  I wasn't wondering if she would ever call me again, or if I would be too pushy if I called her, and when it would be okay for me to call her so I didn't have to act desperate or that I was cheating on her.  No.  We already have trust, and besides.  With what's been happening in our dreams, surely we'll see each other every night.  It's not the same as seeing her in real life of course, but it is really her and I'm really me.

When I got back home, I didn't even have to guess where Marshall and Jeff were.  I heard the video game blaring, and not only was it plainly loud, but the tv is right near the entrance.

They were playing the sport video game.  See, I don't even know its title.  Marshall and Jeff play that when I'm not playing with them since I don't like it which directly coincides with me not liking sports.

Clearly, Marshall and Jeff could hear me come in even though their game was pretty loud, but they still weren't answering me.

"Um-Marshall, Jeff?  HELLO?  Your best friend has just arrived home!"

They continued to ignore me.  I assumed it was because I didn't tell them I would be gone as long as I was- I just told them that I would be gone for a day without even knowing that I would find Rachelle and stay longer.  I didn't find it necessary to call them to say that I would be gone longer. When I talked to Mr. Simmons, I told him that I would be gone longer, sure.  But he's my boss and he has to know, and he also wouldn't ask me why I was going to stay longer as he didn't.  But I knew Marshall and Jeff would ask, but what would I tell them, really?  Sure I could tell them I met a girl because that would be technically correct, but I wasn't sure how well it would go.  And now that it's went well...I figured I could tell them, and then surely they wouldn't ignore me.

"Guys!  Earth to Marshall and Jeff.  I met someone."

Both of their heads instantly whipped in my direction.

"Really?  Oh, well it's ok that you didn't tell us that you would be gone longer.  We don't care anymore, just tell us about this girl."

That was also a consideration I made when I decided not to tell them.  They give things up very easily.

So I sat down in the middle of them.  Though I love being with Rachelle, sometimes it's just nice to be home with the boys.

"Did you really meet a girl Alex, or did you just say that so we'd listen to you?"

Marshall has to put in his two cents as well, "seriously, Alex.  We almost decided to file a missing person report!"

"Marshall-really, no you didn't."

"Alex, come on, don't avoid the subject!  Did you meet a chick or not?"

"Yes I really did!"

Then, Marshall and Jeff ask in unison: "Did you guys have sex?"

Of course.  That's what they wanna know. "No, we didn't have sex!  Unlike with your guys' relationships, ours is based on compatibility, and not just sex."

They both laughed.  Marshall and Jeff laughed.  That never happens.

"Alex, you make us laugh!  You didn't even kiss her, did you?  It's all in your head!"

"Yeah I kissed her."

"Did you guys make out?  Oh wait!  I know!  She dissed you, right?"

"Yes, we made out, and no she didn't diss me!  She likes me just as much as I like her.  And she's amazing, actually.  We have so much in common it would knock your socks off."

"You gonna see her again?"  That's one thing I love about them.  After a while, they just believe you.

"Yeah I'm gonna see her again!  It was not just a one night stand.  Well, techincally it was two days.  We exchanged numbers and all that."

"Is she hot?!"

"You'll have to see for youself.  Anyway, I'm gonna make a call."

I really need some new friends.  Don't get me wrong, it's nice to hang out with Marshall and Jeff, but sometimes they're just as sex driven as a couple of sixteen year olds.  Their minds revolve around it.  I need a new guy friend to discuss it with in a mature manner.

I decided to call my uncle Otto to get together.  He would listen to me about this, he has always been good with ladies, and he's a little too old to be a hundred percent sex driven.  But don't get me wrong.  He's not married, so he does still have flings with twenty-something-year-olds.  Marshall and Jeff think of him as llama, since they're all about that kind of thing.  But Otto being fifty something is actually mature about it.

"Hey uncle Otto, wanna go to the beach?"

"Yeah, that sounds fun!  I'll meet ya there in fifteen minutes."

As I've mentioned before, uncle Otto is the person in my family with all of the bucks directly at his fingertips.  He lives in the giant mansion that's been in my family for decades.  All of the men in my family have been CEO's, so that money has added up.  My uncle is no exception unlike my dad (he broke tradition-he's too shy to be a CEO), and he tends to have an open schedule on the weekend.  I mean, we don't really have that much in common, but he still is my uncle and he's good with girls anyway.

Uncle Otto was already there in his trunks by the time I got there.  It's been a while, but when we get together we tend to throw a football at the beach in our swimtrunks (okay, I'm not into sports, but throwing around a football is different than actually playing football).  Of course we only do it when it's warm out, but it is now!  It was made a tradtion because I tend not to like to be in his enormous mansion.  It's quite daughnting to be in such a large, fancy building when I myself am not that fancy.  I am quite casual.

Uncle Otto is also very...athletic.  He always has been, and he has aged quite well and still does excercise which is why he is still able to get young woman.  At one point he was with my mother.  My own mother!  It is kinda creepy to think that my uncle could've been my father, though technically I would cease to exist...My mother fell for my geeky father when my uncle was in a coma from a head injury!  My family's history is full of injuries!

Since uncle Otto isn't only good with the ladies but also athletic (and you know how Marshall and Jeff are about that!), he's pretty much their role model.  It's just a tad creepy that my best friends' role model is my own uncle, but anyway...

We walked closer to the beach. "So Alex, your uncle Stephan and his girlfriend Lesley are going to get married soon!"

Yes, I have another uncle.  My mother didn't have siblings, so he is my uncle and dad's brother, from that side of the family.  Funny thing is, my grandparents from that side died in a car crash soon after my uncle Stephan was born.  He was like two at the time.  But you see, Casey and Otto were in their twenties at the time so they could take care of him!  Somehow my grandparents had a kid at a very old age!  It was most likely an accident, but really I have no idea.  My point it, my own uncle is just a few years older than me.  It's really creepy. 

My uncle Stephan is your classic I-want-to-pinch-your-cheek-you-little-cutie.  He is a goody two shoes, and everyone loves him.  He isn't a tad weird.  He was the teacher's pet kind of guy, and certain women were really attracted to him, all put together and everything.  He isn't a womanizer unlike some people I know.

"Wow that's great!  Can't wait to see it."

Then we started to throw the football around.

"So, what's been up, Alex?  How's the old nine to five?"

"Oh, it's fine.  But I didn't just call you to throw around this football and to bore you to death about my boring life."

"Oh yeah?  You have something you want to tell me?"

"Yeah I do!  I...I think I have a girlfriend."

"That's my man!  Tell me about her."

Oh great.  That wasn't exactly what I was expecting to hear.  Really, I hide part of myself from him.  In other words, he doesn't know quite how weird I really am.  So telling him about Rachelle...yeah...

"Oh-um.  She's nice..."

Lucky for me, uncle Otto let that part slip.

"How did you meet her?"

Oh crap, how could I answer that?

"Um-she was the secretary for a music company I visited in Bridgeport."

Everyone (except Mr. Simmons, of course), thinks I went to Bridgeport to pick up new supplies.  It's not like I admitted to everyone that I went there for a dream presentation!

Uncle Otto made a weird look, but he too let that slip.  It's not exactly cool to meet a girl that's a secretary, I guess.  I wish I could just be more truthful.

"Look, I really like her, okay?  And it wasn't even a one time stand.  We didn't even have sex.  But that's not because I chickend out or she didn't want to have it, but what we had wasn't a hook up.  It's going to be a lasting relationship, I know it.  Maybe it'll even lead to mirage."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that.  Will I be able to meet her?"

"Yeah, sometime.  She should come here eventually.  This isn't just going to blow over.  We're together even though we're an hour away."

Then my phone rang.

"Hey Alex, this is grandpa Joel.  We're at your house right now-why aren't you there?"

So I guess that grandpa finally was able to catch a ride in the Nursing home's van!  That's great news, but...

"Um, why didn't you just call first?  Then I could've made sure that I was home."

Silly old people, not bothering with certain things.

"Oh.  Sorry about that, Alex.  I wanted it to be a surprise.

"Well, I'll get going now."  Uncle Otto should understand.

"We can speak about that lady that you mentioned when we last talked.  What was her name again?"

He thought for a minute.

"Ah!  Marina.  That's it."

My heart sank at her name.  I totally forgot about her.

"Ill be there as soon as I can!  Bye, grandpa."

"Bye, Alex."

What could Marina be up to now?  How could I have forgotten about her?  Oh no, now I have to deal with her, and figure this out.  But will grandpa or grandma even be able to help me?

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Well guys, lots will be revealed next chapter.  You don't want to miss it.  Stay tuned!