High School Again? Ugh! Ch. 08

"I do the grocery shopping in my house," she replied. "My father thinks the five basic food groups are cake, ice-cream, cookies, candy and anything chocolate." I was about to ask about her mother when I remembered that her parents had split a few years earlier.

"A man after my own heart," I joked. Sure, I was trying to avoid Tara, but that didn't mean I had to be rude. Besides, I was learning that she had a pretty good sense of humor. Tara just rolled her eyes at my comment and changed the subject.

"Have you caught up on your classes yet?" she asked.

"Getting there," I replied. "Believe it or not, I spent an hour at the library last night."

"A Friday night?" she asked in obvious surprise. "You really are trying to catch up!"

"Well, I don't know about that," I grinned sheepishly. "Honestly, it was pretty much the only real time I spent on it. The teachers are being pretty cool about it."

"Of course," she grinned. "After all, you are one of the star football players."

"Have a thing for football players, do you?" I teased before I could stop myself. Why the hell was I flirting with Tara? It didn't make sense on any number of levels. It's not like we got along. Honestly, until recently talking to her generally made me feel uncomfortable, yet here I was cracking jokes with her.

"Not hardly," she snorted and went back to checking out.

I continued to watch her. Maybe my attraction to her had to do with the 'warning' I received last night? Was it simply a matter of my subconscious telling me to stay away from her because the truth was that I was actually interested in Tara? I mean, she was one of the prettiest girls is school. No one argued that. She was just so weird.

"Do I have something on my face?" Tara asked, obviously catching me looking at her. Oddly, I didn't feel embarrassed at being caught.

"You know, I never understood what happened to you after eighth grade," I found myself saying. "Something changed more than the make-up, hair and clothes." I could see that my question surprised her, made her angry in fact, but a moment later she smiled sadly and answered far more calmly then I expected.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," she said. By that time I was putting the few things I had on the conveyer belt and she was checking out. The conversation died again, but I found myself still watching her. I had the feeling she knew, but she didn't say or do anything other than smile slightly.

I walked toward mom's car in a bit of a daze. I was carrying the box of detergent and single bag of snacks. Things had become crazy ever since my coma and just when they were starting to get back to normal last night at the soccer field happens. That was bad enough, but I come up with a plan to deal with it all and less than twenty-four hours later I bump into the one person who could screw it all up and flirt with her.

I'd say it was fate, but according to Nemesis or my subconscious depending on which delusion I chose to go with, the Fates were against her and I being together.

I was halfway across the parking lot when I noticed Tara loading her car. She really was pretty, sexy too if I was being honest with myself. I caught myself wondering what it would be like to kiss her. Would dating her really be that dangerous?

This time she didn't see me watching her so I allowed myself to dwell, so much so that I didn't notice the car, at least not until it hit me. The odd part was that as I went flying I saw the driver. I could almost swear it was the woman from my hallucination, Nemesis.

'I warned you,' a voice said in my head.

I landed pretty hard and pain shot through my body. It was so bad that I forgot about the woman and the voice. The last thing I heard before I passed out was a cry.

"Johnny!" It was heart wrenching to say the least, but for some reason it made me feel better. I knew with a certainty I couldn't explain that somebody loved me, and for some reason that made it all okay.

**********

"Not again," I sighed as I woke up to the smell of the hospital. I felt pretty bad, but still nowhere near as bad as the last time. I wondered if that was progress of a sort.

"You do seem to be making a habit of this." Despite everything I felt myself smile. Someone was holding my hand and I knew that voice. I opened my eyes and there she was, Tara. She looked tired and worried, but also relieved now that I was awake.

"What happened?" I asked, everything was a little foggy.

"You were hit by a car in the grocery store parking lot," she replied succinctly, and then added angrily, "The driver didn't even stop! The police are looking for him."

"Him?" I frowned as my memory of the accident slowly came back. Nemesis. Or maybe not. Maybe my mind just remembered her as the driver. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"Him, her, they don't really know," Tara replied. I was either sane or not, but thinking about it right now wasn't going to help. Besides, I had other things to worry about.

"What time is it?" I asked, letting go of her hand and trying to get out of bed. Pain shot through my ribs and my right arm and shoulder throbbed. It was then I noticed the cast on my arm. I fell back into the bed gasping in pain. "How bad am I?"

"You've been out for about two hours," Tara replied, doing her best to help me settle back into a comfortable position. "And the doctors say you have a dislocated shoulder, two cracked ribs, a large number of contusions and abrasions, a broken arm and a nasty concussion. They're also concerned about internal bleeding."

"I'm going to miss the game, aren't I?" I asked. It was a stupid question considering, but it slipped out anyway.

"Seriously?" she asked, obviously annoyed. "You just got hit by a car and all you're worried about it a stupid football game!"

"It's not the game," I sighed. Finding out about my injuries caused whatever energy I had to disappear. "It's what it means to my future."

"Johnny," she said, suddenly understanding. "You'll have a bright future no matter what. You're not the type to let one little setback ruin everything."

"Little setback?" I asked. "Football was my free ride to a good school."

"So now you'll have to work and pay for it," she shrugged. "It's not like your grades are bad or that you're afraid of work."

"She not wrong," a voice said from the door. I turned and there was mom. She looked relieved to see me okay despite my injuries. Pop was right behind her.

"Mom? Dad? How did you know I was here?" I asked in surprise.

"I called them as soon as we arrived at the hospital," Tara answered.

"We arrived?" I frowned.

"You didn't think I'd let them take you to the hospital by yourself?" She asked in return. "I rode in the ambulance with you."

"What about your groceries?" I asked.

"What about them?" she shrugged. I shook my head, which didn't help the pounding there. I also squeezed her hand in thanks. I don't know why, but I felt better knowing she hadn't left me alone while I was unconscious.

"You're the one, aren't you?" pop asked as he and mom joined Tara at my bedside.

"Pardon?" Tara asked.

"There can't be two girls with hair like yours," pop continued. He wasn't being critical, but even I had no idea what he was talking about. "The nurses said that a girl visited John frequently while he was in a coma, but we never saw you and her description didn't help. John never mentioned a Tara before."

"Yes, he did," my mother interjected as she stood on the opposite side of me from Tara and held my free hand. "In eighth grade." She then turned to me and asked, "Is this the same one?" I was embarrassed, but I nodded. Mom smiled and added, "I thought so."

"Are you the one who visited John while he was in a coma?" pop asked. It was pretty obvious, but I guess he wanted confirmation.

"Yes. I used to come early in the morning before school," Tara replied. "Dad was working late on a project at the time and that was the only time I could borrow the car." She didn't seem remotely embarrassed for being caught visiting me.

"She was here when I woke up the first time," I admitted slowly, remembering. "I never mentioned it because at first I thought I'd imagined it." Tara and I exchanged a look. I had no idea what it meant, but again, just looking at her made me feel better. I noticed mom smile as she watched us.

"So, what happened?" pop asked, thankfully changing the subject. "I mean, I know you got hit by a car, but what do you remember?"

"Well," I sighed. "I was in the parking lot walking toward mom's car when I became distracted. The next thing I knew I was flying through the air."

"Distracted?" my father frowned. "What distracted you?"

"Not what," I smirked despite the situation. "Who." Tara took one look at my expression and released my hand.

"You are not going to blame me for this, are you?" she asked in annoyance.

"No, I'm going to blame whoever hit me," I replied, reaching out for her hand until she took mine. Of course, I couldn't stop myself from smiling and adding, "You, I'm simply blaming for the distraction." She tried to let go of my hand again, but this time I held tight.

"You two sound like an old married couple," pop snorted. This time even Tara blushed. Pop just laughed at our expressions and added, "It's a shame you're not dating. Or are you?"

"He's dating Pamela Steven," Tara said quickly.

"Not anymore," I found myself replying.

"Really?" Tara asked in surprise. "You mean the rumor I heard this morning is true? Did you really call her old boyfriend and get them back together?"

"It was more complicated than that," I sighed. "But essentially, yes."

"More complicated," Tara repeated, looking at me strangely. I had the feeling that she could read exactly what happened from my expression. I blushed again, but after a moment she shrugged and let it drop.

"The doctor said that they were keeping Johnny overnight for observation," she said to mom and dad. She then proceeded to tell them everything else they said. I lay back and rested.

My mind was having problems absorbing everything that had just changed in my life. My football scholarship was history for all intents and purposes, and with it went most of my plans. I should have been devastated, and truthfully I large part of me felt that way, but Tara wasn't wrong earlier. I could still go to a decent college. It would just be harder. College was expensive, but not ridiculously so. If I stayed focused on my grades and got a good job, I probably could do it.

And then there was Tara. She cared for me in ways that no one else ever had. I know it didn't make sense, but I knew it was true. I could see it in her eyes. Things had just gotten a whole lot more difficult now that I was done with football, but with her by my side I just knew it would all work out. You see, logical or not, I was convinced she was the one.

Tara had dropped everything when the accident happened and stayed with me. That meant something. I woke up to her worried and caring face, the same as I had after waking from the coma. That meant something too. She was the one at my bedside every morning during my coma, not my girlfriend who ended up leaving me for another guy.

That was more than just caring. That was love, and I was quickly realizing that it wasn't one sided. Sure, she was strange, but she was also one of the most real people I knew. I didn't understand why she did some of the things she did, but I knew she never did anything to hurt someone intentionally.

Something had changed in her life between eighth grade and high school. That much was obvious. Yet, as I thought back to grammar school I remembered all the conversations we used to have. Sure, back then I wasn't confident enough to ask someone like Tara out, but that didn't mean we weren't something more than friends.

I spent all that summer preparing to ask her out when we started high school, but instead I froze the first time I saw her. She was wearing all black. Her hair was cut short and dyed blue. She had a nose ring and pale makeup. It was like I was seeing some alien who had taken over her body.

It was worse when we finally did talk. She wasn't the same. She talked about things I didn't understand and she looked at me with a sadness that scared me. Frankly, she seemed a little crazy to me at the time, but whatever had cause it must had disappeared over time because the girl I'd talked and joked with this week was much more like the girl I remembered in grammar school. Maybe I had changed as well.

"John, are you okay?" my mom asked. I blinked, realizing I was half asleep.

"Yes," I replied. "Just tired."

"I'm not sure if you should fall back to sleep with the concussion and all," pop frowned. "Let me go find a doctor." He didn't quite storm out of the room, but he was clearly a man with a mission.

"I'd better go after him," mom sighed. "You know how he can be. He'll scare the poor nurses. Besides, they'll be paperwork to fill out and your father hates that."

"Don't worry," Tara said. "I'll stay with Johnny until you get back."

"I know dear," my mother smiled, patting both our hands since they were still clasped together. "By the way, assuming the doctors let John out tomorrow, why don't you come by for dinner?"

"I would love to," Tara replied, but then turned to me and added, "If it's okay with Johnny?"

"Well, I wasn't planning for our first date to be at my parents' house, but I guess it works," I laughed, but only briefly. Laughter was definitely not good for my head.

"Are you asking me out?" Tara asked, squeezing my hand tighter. I was willing to bet she didn't even realize it.

"Of course," I replied. "It's long overdue. I wish I'd had to guts to do it in eighth grade."

"Now works fine for me," Tara said, leaning over and actually kissing me. It was brief, but her lips felt very nice against mine. Of course, that didn't stop me from being embarrassed. After all, my mother was still by the door watching us. I glanced her way. Mom was grinning as she turned and went after my father.

"This will never do." My head snapped back around. Tara was still next to me, but the voice wasn't hers. It was Nemesis's. She was sitting on the window sill with her arms folded watching us. If looks could kill, I knew I'd be dead. She stood and took a step toward me. Tara stepped in front of her.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You mean you can see her?" I asked in surprise.

"Of course," Tara frowned. "What's going on?" Nemesis ignored her and focused on me.

"You were warned," she said pointedly. "And punished, but still you persist. There is only one penalty for that." She reached for me and I remembered the pain in my shoulder from the first time she touched me. I was certain this time her touch would be deadly.

"Stay back!" Tara snapped.

"Tara dear, this is for your own good," Nemesis said in a completely different voice. She touched Tara.

"No!" I cried, trying to get out of bed, but it was too late. Yet, instead of crying out in pain or falling Tara simply froze. Nemesis stepped around her and reached for me. There was nothing I could do to stop her in the state I was in. I was certain I was dead, but then there was a flash when her hand was only a foot away from me and Nemesis cried out in pain.

"Seriously?" My head snapped back around again. Standing in the doorway was the brunette with the blue eyes from my first visit to the hospital.

"Hebe!" Nemesis cried. The name was familiar from my research on Hera. I was pretty sure Hebe was Hera daughter, or maybe her granddaughter.

"What did you expect?" the goddess replied, walking into the room. "Did you really think mother would let you kill him?"

"Your mother is mad!" Nemesis cried. "She's trying to go against the Fates. Tara is the one. They will not let a mere mortal be the father!"

"You underestimate mother," Hebe retorted. "She has worked toward this day just as long as the Fates, possibly longer. John is the one, not the girl, and mother will not let anyone else usurp her role."

"You're wrong and so is your mother!" Nemesis snapped.

"You know," I sighed in frustration. "I'd be just as confused if you were having this conversation in Greek." They both ignored me. No surprise there.

"It doesn't matter," Hebe shrugged. "Time will tell, but you know the rules grandmother gave us and you broke them. That means off to Tartarus you go. Have fun and say hello to father, Hercules and my sons for me."

"Bitch!" Nemesis snapped, but she seemed oddly cowed. That didn't stop her from looking at me and adding, "You would have been better off letting me kill you. You'll regret it by the time Hera gets done with you." I wanted to ask her what she meant, but she literally disappeared.

"You've been a bad boy John," Hebe said. "So no healing for you this time." I watched as she walked over to Tara. She was looking at her rather oddly.

"Tempting," she said softly, more to herself than me. "But I have no desire to deal with grandmother's wraith." I swallowed with some difficulty when she reached out and touched Tara, but all that happened was that my new girlfriend woke up. She looked confused for a moment before focusing on Hebe.

"You!" Tara cried angrily. In fact, I'd never seen her so mad before. Still, the fact that Tara could see the brunette was oddly comforting, at least I hadn't hallucinated the woman. Or was I was hallucinating the whole thing...

"Hello Tara," the brunette smiled.

"You know each other?" I asked, not bothering to hide my confusion.

"Yes and no," she replied, turning to Tara and adding, "Should I explain it or do you want to?"

"I will," Tara said. "But not right now. He has a concussion. Why are you here?"

"I'm just passing through," Hebe replied with a shrug, turning and walking back toward the door. She paused before leaving. "I'd tell you two to stay away from each other, but it's pretty obvious it would be a waste of breath. That's too bad. This isn't going to end well for either of you." She left without another word.

"John, what happened?" Tara asked as soon as we were alone. She was back at my bedside holding my hand. "One second I was standing between you and that crazy woman and the next she was gone and Hebe was here."

"I really hope this is not a hallucination," I sighed to myself before looking up at Tara and adding, "And who is Hebe? How do you know her?" We stared at each other for a few moments. I thought she was going to tell me, but just at that moment my father returned with a doctor. Tara and I exchanged a look. We needed to talk, but not right now.

**********

"Good morning Johnny," Tara said, waking me. She was once again holding my hand, but her expression was almost sad for some reason.

"I take it this is an early morning visit again," I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes," she replied, but she didn't smile. "I didn't sleep much last night. I need to tell you something that I'm sure you won't believe, but after what happened last night you need to hear it. Think you can handle it? How's your head?"

"Fine," I replied, sitting up in bed. My head still hurt, but my brain was functioning once again. That was something. Besides, I really wanted to hear what Tara had to say.

"I'm going to tell you a story," she said slowly, as if gathering her courage. "I want you to listen to it all before you ask any questions. Afterward, I'm going to leave you alone to think and decide how you want to deal with it. We'll talk later."

"Okay," I said settling back. It sounded like this was going to be a long story.

"Once there was a girl," Tara began. "She was a typical young teenager, spending her last summer before high school with nervous anticipation. One day, her mother's brother came to visit. Her uncle Kyle traveled a lot and visited rarely."