Life as It Is

V.Mickaela

When I turned, I happened to see Lisa talking to that girl. The girl had turned around quickly, though, when she saw me, which let me know that she had been looking at me. I decided to make my way through the crowd and say hey. About half way across the room, though, my cell rang so I made my way to the patio to answer it.

Once outside, I pulled it out to see that it was Logan, so I answered it and found a quiet corner.

"Hello?"

"Hey you sexy thing," she replied in her most seductive voice.

"Um, to whom am I speaking?" I was feeling facetious so I thought I'd mess with her head a little.

She nervously replied, "Is this Mickaela's phone?"

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

"This is Logan, is Mickaela around?"

"No she isn't, she's in the shower right now. Do you want to leave a message for me to give to her for when she gets out?"

She started to get upset, "Who the hell is this and why the fuck are you answering her phone?"

I busted out laughing, "Take it easy, baby; it's me. I was just messing with you."

"That wasn't funny! I started to get really upset. Just because I know you sleep with other people when I'm not around doesn't mean that it's ok for them to answer your phone when it rings!"

Still laughing, "Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I get the point. I was just playing around. Do you forgive me?"

"Hell no! Give me one good reason why I should forgive you."

She wasn't really mad at me anymore, "What if I told you I was smilin' at you, telling you I'm sorry and asking you to forgive me?"

I could hear the smile in her voice, "You are such an ass! You always pull that card! I forgive you! So what are you doing?"

I won, "I'm at Rayne's, hanging out, having some drinks. After the news that Allie just gave me, I'm about to start throwing back the drinks to get drunk. Honestly wasn't my intention when I came in, though. Why? What are you doing?"

"Well, I was lonely and bored so I flew in early. Do you mind if I join you? I'm at the airport, I can take a cab since it's not far."

My evening just got a million times better, "You sure as hell can join me! When you get here, go to Allie's bar and call me."

"Sounds like a deal, pickle. So what's this news that Allie has given you that's made you want to get drunk?"

"Well," I sighed, "remember that girl I told you about from high school that broke my heart?"

"Yes, why?"

"Allie informed me just a few minutes ago that she's bought a house out here and will be moving back into town this weekend. To top it off, there is a girl here that is crazy familiar and crazy cute."

"Hmm...sounds like I better hurry up and get a cab and come run crowd control. Are you ok with her moving back?"

"I don't know, I've always wondered what I would do, how I would react. You know? I just don't know how to feel about it. She left me, though, so if she is back, I'm not going to go searching for her. She needs to apologize to me for what she did. Then maybe I'll think about catching up and trying to be her friend."

"I understand that...I'll get a cab real fast and be there soon so we can talk about it if you want."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it yet. I am sure, though, that I'm ready to drink about it, though. I'll see you when you get here. Be careful, ok?"

"Ok, you too. I have a shoe."

I grinned, "I have a boot."

And with that I hung up and set out to find out who that girl was and to get my drink on.

VI.Allie

When Mickaela walked off, I turned back to the back of my bar and let out a huge sigh. Things were about to get crazy around here. I was so surprised to see Trystin for two reasons. First of all because I knew she was a huge porn star now, second was because of Mickaela. Mick had such a hard time after Trystin left her because she was "the one". Or at least that's what we all thought. Mick was so determined to make herself a better person and boost her self esteem when Trystin left her, so determined that we were scared for her. She went into this total zone. She lost about sixty pounds and just toned up really nice. She was never heavy to begin with so we all thought that losing that much weight was a bit extreme, but once we saw her afterward, we didn't think it was extreme anymore. Let me clarify...Mickaela was never big to us, she was a little on the heavy side, I suppose, but we never noticed because that's the way she always looked. Once she lost that weight, we weren't scared for her health anymore, we realized that this was the size she was meant to be. God was she determined to change the way she looked! I think that she felt like if she changed the way she was, like by losing weight and gaining confidence, that Trystin would come back for her. She gave up when it didn't happen. She didn't let herself go, either. She stayed with her diet and her workout regime, but didn't focus on it as much as she had at first; it was habit for her. Instead she poured herself into her work at that damn little bookstore...she managed to save enough money, though, to build and open Rayne's.

Anyway, after Trystin walked off, I had to warn Mickaela somehow, let her know that she might run into her again soon, so I waved her over to me. After she asked for that third shot of tequila, I knew that maybe I shouldn't have said anything; just kind of let them run into each other.

When I turned back around, I saw that Lisa, Trystin's best friend from school was talking to Trystin. I was relieved to see that they picked up where they had left off. Once everyone knew that Trystin was back, she was going to need at least one friend. At first we were all pissed because of the way she left Mick; now they would all be trying to keep her away from Mick because Mick was the best lay in town. I noticed, though, that Trystin looked a lot more nervous than when I had talked to her. I suppose that she had spotted Mick. Lisa was looking this way and Trystin walked away from her, in the direction of the bathroom. Lisa walked towards me.

It probably took her less than a minute to get to me, and when she did, she just started talking.

"Holy shit!! Can you believe she's back? I mean, after five years, she just walks in here, of all places. And on a night when Mickaela is here! What are the odds?"

I poured her a tequila shot and handed it to her, "Calm down Lis, we're gonna figure this out. We're gonna have to if we want to stay sane. We won't purposely let them cross paths when we are with them; we'll just let Mickaela figure it out for herself. She's gonna need time to wrap her mind around this. I'm worried about her."

Lisa downed the shot, "Ok, good to know one of us has a game plan. Thanks for the shot; I'm calm now. Trystin needed a potty break."

"Yeah, I saw that. How is she anyway? She looked damn good!"

"She should, she's a porn star now! She seems to be doing ok, though. Just got out of a bad relationship with the girl she left town with. She says she's back here where she belongs."

I raised my eyebrows, "Really? That sucks, yet it's completely fascinating! I knew she was a porn star now; I've got a few of her films. She say where she was staying?"

"No, but I'm sure it will be close to that lake that they always used to go to for everything. You know, the one that they both said they wanted to build a house and live within walking distance of because of all the memories that they shared together out there. I just hope that isn't where she's living."

"Well, Mark told me she bought a house, but wouldn't tell me where, so we're going to have to find out from her." I pulled out my bottle opener, "So what'll it be for the two of you tonight?"

"God this is crazy! Two Buds and three tequila shots."

"Three shots!" I coughed. "What the hell?"

"Trystin needs them, not me. I'm good after one, you know that."

"Yeah, I know, that's why I was so surprised." I turned to get their drinks and shots and when I turned back around, Trystin was sitting on the barstool next to Lisa.

"So, Trystin, what do you think about Rayne's?" I asked.

She smiled warmly at me, "Allie, I think it's wonderful! We needed a place like this growing up...minus the alcohol and all, you know. Whoever did this must be amazing!"

I handed her the shots and her beer and replied, "Yeah, you'd be surprised. None of us ever thought that it would happen."

Lisa took a long chug from her beer, "Yeah, we were so surprised. All we knew was there was construction going on over on this side of town, where nothing was at, and then they put up this huge partition so we couldn't see what was going on. The partition came down opening night. All we knew was that we needed to dress up and be here...that was three years ago."

"Wow, that's awesome. So who's the owner? I'd love to meet them."

I really didn't want to answer, and I could tell that Lisa didn't want to, either, so I poured all three of us a drink. Jaeger bombs for Lisa and I and a Royal Fuck for Trystin. Then I tried to change the subject.

With a deep breath, I said, "So, T, where are you staying at? You told me earlier that you were back for good, but you didn't say where you were planning on living."

She took a long drink and replied, "Oh, that's a secret until I finish getting everything set up. I guess you both know that I used Mark as my real estate agent...I put him under strict orders not to tell anybody what house I was buying. Let's just say that I had to look hard for the perfect place."

Great! Just what we all wanted to hear, the world's vaguest answer.

Lisa jumped in, "So, what really brought you back? It couldn't have been just a break up. Spill it."

Trystin smiled, "Work. Work is what brought me back. I wasn't supposed to be moving back into town until this weekend, but I got a call and we start shooting day after tomorrow. It's not supposed to be your average flick. It's going to have an actual plot, like they did in the seventies, and it isn't cheesy. There is a lot of dialog, but there's also going to be enough sex to make up for it." She took another long drink, "I'm really excited to start this project, it seems like it will take us a few months, rather than a few days. Plus, it will open us up to more serious films for the future."

"Awesome," I said, "I can't wait to see it. I'm always saying that I'd like to see something with a purpose besides orgasms." I made another Royal Fuck for Trystin and got Lisa another beer. Then we were silent, enjoying each other's company for the first time in five years.

Then Logan walked in.

VII.Logan

The second I stepped off the plane, I called Mickaela to find out where she was at. I missed her so much! I couldn't wait to see her, and I'm glad she was at Rayne's, I love that place. It was an amazing investment for her and it's really done well. That, and she'd be dressed really well. I mean, she dresses well as it is, but when she goes out, she dresses to get people's attention. And it being her club and all, she dresses like everyone else, but just a little bit better. She's just so friggin' hot!

When I got off the phone with her, I was glad to hear that she was surprised and wanted to see me. I was not glad to hear about her ex being back. I mean, I know that we have never really been a "normal" couple, but we were as close as I had ever been. That and she, above all else, was the best friend I've ever had. I could always go to her for anything, no matter what it may be. I just knew that I didn't want to lose her as a friend. It would be good, though, because I had another friend, Trystin, one of my co-stars, that was supposed to be living out here, so maybe I could introduce them and they could be friends and keep each other company. I had told Trystin that I was sort of in a relationship with someone, but I never told her who, nor did I tell her where she lived. But I had told her all about how great of a person she was and about how mind blowing the sex was.

I got a cab and told the driver where I was going. It took about 15 minutes to get there and I walked right in...the door bouncers and cashiers knew me, so I didn't have to go through what everyone else had to go through. Allie's bar was directly across the dance floor on the bottom level, and I noticed that she wasn't that busy; it looked like she only had two customers and they looked pretty quiet, so I went ahead and made my way over.

As I squeezed my way through the crowd, which was pretty heavy for eleven-thirty, I managed to get Allie's attention. She suddenly looked really nervous and poured one of the girls another drink. After a few minutes of saying hey and shoving my way around, I got to the bar. Allie already had my drink ready. One of the girls, I could see, was Lisa, but I had no clue who the other was, she looked new. I decided to ignore it for a while.

Allie smiled as I sat down, "I'm guessing you want one of these?"

"I most certainly do...thank you very much. How are you?"

She still looked nervous, "I'm not bad, just a little on edge...it's getting really busy in here and it's still early. I thought you weren't coming into town until morning, did you miss me that much?"

I laughed, "How'd you know?" I took a sip of my drink, which was unusually strong, and continued, "You're right, I wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow, but I was bored and couldn't stand to sit at home for another second by myself, so I thought that I would come early and hang out with y'all."

"You look really good. I'm glad you came early and sat at my bar. Now I'll be really busy and make lots of money.'

I smiled and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. When I sat back down, I heard the mystery girl speak.

"So I suppose you just come in here like you own the place and don't pay any attention to the newbies in the crowd?"

I'd know that voice anywhere. I knew she looked familiar, but it had been over a year since I'd seen her. When I turned to look, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Trystin!" I squealed. "I can't believe you are here! This is so great! I haven't seen you in forever! What's been going on?"

I could tell she was a little drunk when she coldly replied, "I could ask the same of you. You never told me that you were seeing someone out here, in my hometown!"

To Allie, "How much of what have you given her to drink?" Then to Trystin, "Don't get all pissy with me about it, it's not something that I've told anybody. I don't want everybody on her...she doesn't need the paparazzi that would come with this. We've discussed that."

Allie jumped in, "She's had a couple of shots of tequila and a few Royal Fucks. Do y'all know each other?"

I turned back to Allie, "Yeah, actually, we do. This is Trystin Montgomery. We've done some work together."

"Really now? What a small friggin' world!!" Allie replied. She then turned to Lisa, "Who would have ever though that not only would the two most famous and hottest porn starts would be in this bar with us and we would all know each other? Would you have guessed that in a million years, Lisa?"

Lisa chugged the rest of her beer and motioned for another shot, "Nope, I never in a million years would have imagined that this would ever happen. But I suppose that tonight is just the night of surprises!!"

I was thoroughly confused at this point. "You guys all know each other? It is a really small world. Let me call Mick right fast and let her know I'm here and y'all can tell me the story while she's on her way over here."

All three replied in unison, "NO!!!"

Then Trystin, "We just mean that maybe you should let us tell you how we all know one another before you call her. It's an absolutely amazing story, actually, and we feel that we should have your full attention while we tell you about it."

I frowned and looked at all three of them. This definitely seemed like it was going to be good. "Ok...I'll wait till you're done. Now tell me."

VIII.Trystin

I looked at Lisa and Allie, "Who should tell her?"

They offered me no help. I suppose that I knew I should be the one to tell Logan, she was my friend; and after all life, as the four of us knew it, was about to become one giant cluster fuck. And it was going to be all my fault. I looked at Allie and she nodded.

"Well," I said, "you are going to have to pour me another one of these shots and get me another beer if I'm about to do this. You should also get Logan, here, a shot of the best. I think that we all may need one after this, but she'll need it the most."

"I don't understand," Logan replied. "What could be so damn bad? You didn't kill anyone, did you? Like, the three of you together?"

I laughed, "Logan, you can be such an airhead at times. We didn't kill anyone. Just listen and don't say anything until we-pardon me-I am done telling you. Do you promise to just listen?"

She nodded her head so I began.

"We know each other because we all grew up going to school together. Lisa, here was my best friend. Allie and I were pretty close, too, but I guess we had to be." I took the shot of the artificial courage that Allie had poured me. "When I was in elementary school, I met this absolutely amazing girl. She was beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, independent-yes, even back then she was independent-and incredibly shy. But she was still everything to me. Of course, I had to settle for just being her friend at first because being gay was weird back then. When we hit junior high, though, I couldn't help myself any longer. See, we'd spent the entire summer before seventh grade together. That is when she really broke out of her shell, at least to me she did. We did everything together, swimming out at this secluded little lake that we had discovered, going to the movies together, fishing, picnicking, reading to one another, and telling each other secrets at sleepovers. I mean, we were virtually inseparable.

"It was during this summer and all these sleepovers that I started to actually notice the way this girl looked at me. It was like no matter who was around, she only saw me. I decided to start flirting a little with her, just to see if maybe the feeling was mutual. We were still young enough that I could have passed it off as just joking around. She flirted back, though. I'll never forget the first time we kissed. We were at our little lake, Rainbow Cove, that's what we called it, and we had decided to camp out there overnight because there was supposed to be a meteor shower. God, it feels just like it was yesterday...it was the end of July, a few weeks before school was supposed to start. Anyway, we had built a fire so we could make hot dogs and s'mores and she'd brought her telescope so that we could see the sky better. As the sun went down, we lay back on our sleeping bags and watched as the stars started to streak across the sky. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. I guess we had been watching the sky for a while because when I turned to look at her, I realized that she'd been looking at me. I asked her what was wrong and she replied, 'I have something to say, but I don't want you to think that I'm weird or anything.' I told her I wouldn't and asked her what was wrong.

"I'll never forget the way she looked at me, with the fire in front of us and the stars streaking across the sky above us. That's the exact moment I realized that I was in love with her. Then she told me what was on her mind, 'You are the best friend that I have ever had in my life. I mean, I know we're only twelve, but still. You've made me feel like a different person. I don't really know how to say what I need to say.' I looked her dead in the eyes, put my hand on her cheek, and told her to just say it; that whatever it was couldn't be that bad."

Logan couldn't help herself, "Did she tell you? What happened?"

I fought back the tears in my eyes and smiled, "Yeah, she told me alright. She looked me in the eyes, I'll never forget the tears in hers, and told me, 'Trystin, I think that I've fallen in love with you and no matter how hard I've tried to stop it, I can't. The harder I try, the harder I fall.' Then she leaned in before I had a chance to say anything and kissed me. It was the first time both of us had ever kissed anybody at all. It was so amazing and felt so good. That was the beginning of the best six years of my life. We were with one another when we told our parents, who were unusually understanding. We were there by each other's side whenever anything went bad. We were meant to be together and everyone knew it." I started to cry then, I couldn't help it.