End
P.S. DISCLAIMER: NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED. THANK YOU.
Katherine struggled." It's… you know Leeza, you're smart."
Leeza shook her head. " You're talking about…intimacy?…Right?"
Katherine gulped. That was exactly what she meant. She felt so much pressure from her other friends about it… And now she felt that same pressure with Tommy… And didn't know what to do. "I don't want to do anything, but… I feel as if I may have no choice.
Do you understand what I'm saying at all?"
Leeza cocked her head. This wasn't an easy conversation. There was no easy thing Leeza could tell Kat, that would make her feel better, or solve the problem. It was something that had to be done on Katherine's decision . "I've had friends in your situation, Kat… So I can vaguely relate."
"What did you tell them to do? Tell me, and I'll do it." Katherine pleaded. Leeza was always good at making the right decisions. She would come up with the right idea.
Leeza sighed. Ever since she could remember, people had always been asking her for advice…Basically because she gave good advice… But when they got into personal questions like this it was ridiculous. Even if she told them what to do, it didn't necessarily mean they would listen. The choice was up to them.
"Katherine… I honestly can't tell you what to do… That has to be your decision… Not mine… I personally feel that you shouldn't… But that's just my opinion…You have to do what's right for you… Not Tommy, or anyone else."
Katherine sighed. "I suppose your right… I just feel pressure to do that… That's all… Have you ever felt that way?"
Leeza shook her head. "No… Never… And I never will… I'm not about ready to sell myself out for someone…In anyway, not just that."
Katherine slowly, but surely nodded her head. "You're right…I myself don't want to do anything…I just felt like I was obligated to… Thanks Leeza…Now all I have to do is talk to Tommy about it… Bye." And with that Katherine exited out of the locker room.
Leeza sighed. She loved how her friends would ask her serious questions like this and then leave, with her carrying the thoughts…She sighed again." Well, I just hope Katherine does the right thing… And the same for Tommy." She stated gazing upward.
"Billy…" Tommy began casually." Can I talk to you about something?"
Billy was a bit startled by that question. Sense when did Tommy ask if he could talk? He usually came right out with whatever he wanted to say. "You can talk to me about anything you want Tommy… What's bugging you?"
Tommy hesitated. Part of him wanted to get this off his chest… And yet, part of him felt like he shouldn't… Billy had changed a lot the past few months and he wasn't sure if he was the right one to talk to. Billy had really become a godly person, and very strong in his faith and beliefs… What if Billy didn't want to associate with him afterwards? Well, it didn't matter…He had to tell somebody about this… If not he would go crazy.
"Well… How do I put this… Have… Have you ever felt pressured into doing something, that you didn't want to… But felt like you would be considered a wimp if you didn't?"
Billy placed the little gadget in his hands down, and faced Tommy." You mean like pier pressure?" Billy was beginning to catch on a bit, and deep inside wished he hadn't.
"Exactly… What do you do about it?"
Billy bit his lip. He was ninety-nine present sure what this was about… But Tommy had to say it first. " In what way are you referring it to, Tommy? You can tell me."
Tommy shacked inside. He knew Billy knew, the only problem was what was Billy going to say about it. "Well… Com'on Bill, you're intelligent… You know exactly what I'm referring to."
Billy took a deep breath." You mean intimacy?"
"Yeah…" Tommy heaved a heavy sigh." Not like it's something that interests me at the present moment…I'm into to many other things to be interested in that… But you know… I got the guys at school on my back… Everyone's always thought of me as a cool guy…And if I don't give in, I'm not gonna be cool anymore." Tommy sighed again and leaned against a cabinet.
Billy knew exactly how he felt. Not in this situation, but what it was like to have to deal with pier pressure. There were so many things that were hard to fight against. From taking a silly dare, to giving into something serious like this… But no matter how serious or light they were, they all meant on how strong you were as a human being. It really doesn't matter what the other kids thought, what matters is what you thought of yourself, and above all, what God thought of you. Because in reality none of that other stuff mattered compared to this.
"Tommy… I've never known you to care about what other people thought…You can't, because if you do that would mean you'd be giving into everything and be in a lot of trouble…You can't be intimidated by anyone… If you chose to do this willingly, than that's your decision. But don't do something serious like this just to prove that your, cool… Cause in reality all your doing is selling yourself out… You'll be letting those guys at school control your life… Don't sell yourself short Tommy… Not for them or anyone else… Put a price tag on yourself… Your being is worth something. "
Tommy just stared at him in shock. Had Billy actually said all that? Had mister techno talk Billy said all that? Tommy was amazed and speechless… There was nothing that could be said after something like that. Nothing.
Billy was secretly amazed at himself that he had said all that… Than he realized something… He hadn't… He hadn't said a word… His vocal cords were just being used by a Higher Being, just to reach to Tommy.
Tommy had a thought creeping into his mind. "Billy…What do you think of it? I mean, do you disagree with it completely, or no."
Billy was a tad puzzled by this." Do you mean by giving into pier pressure…Or this topic in general?"
Tommy took a breath, fearful of his answer." This topic in general."
Billy paused. He had to search deep within his heart for that answer. He knew what the right thing was, but he had to word it very carefully… It was a very touchy issue, and if he said the wrong thing there was no telling what could come of it.
"Personally… I feel intimacy before marriage is wrong." As Billy said the words they seemed to come out in slow motion.
"Why?" Tommy questioned.
"Because the Bible says its wrong… Tommy let me explain something to you… There are many things in the Bible that I don't understand right now… But I'm not about ready to question what God says… If He says this is right, and that is wrong, I'm going to try my best to live by it…And hopefully in the end, I'll have done what He wanted." Billy ended the sentence with such a vibrant smile it could never be described.
Tommy was silent. He somehow felt that no matter how hard he tried he would never be able to shake Billy from what he now believed in. He had known Billy for awhile. He had seen Billy grow in and out of phases, but somehow he felt, that this phase would never, ever leave him. He was changed forever.
"What you said makes sense…. Everything you said makes sense…. Thanks Billy… I think I know what direction I'm going into now."
Billy put a hand on his shoulder. " I know you'll do the right thing… And no matter what happens, I'll always be your friend… You can count on that."
Tommy was very solemn. Those few words touched him so deeply it was incredible. "What would I do without you, Billy? "
"You'd manage." Billy joked.
"Maybe…maybe not. Look… would you mind if I went to go find Katherine… I need to talk to her."
Billy shrugged. " Go for it… Let me know how things work out!"
"I will!!" Tommy called halfway out of Billy's driveway.
"Good luck, Tommy. "Billy whispered sincerely." Good luck."
"Hey, Leeza… What are you doing here?"
"Well how are you today too…That's not a really nice, or polite welcome." Leeza stated.
Billy sighed." I'm sorry…You see, I had a real intense talk with Tommy… And I'm waiting for him to come back and tell me how things worked out."
"It's okay… I was the same way while I was waiting for Kat to call me."
Billy's eyes shot wide open." You talked with Katherine?… Can I ask about what?"
"Same thing you talked about with Tommy." She swiped her finger on one of the panels. " Billy, you've really got to dust in here more often… You could start scientific analyses with dust mites."
"Will you please forget the dust!!! What happened? Did Katherine tell you what happened between her and Tommy?" Billy inquired impatiently.
Leeza decided to torture him a bit." Promise you'll dust in here and I'll tell you."
"Leeza, I care for you very much… But if you don't tell me what happened between those two right now, I swear I'll strangle you." He said with fake meaning.
"Promise you'll dust. " Then Leeza caught herself. He could always bring Alpha in to do it for him." Promise you'll do it, by yourself."
Billy rolled his eyes. He knew that no matter what threat he gave, if he didn't agree to dust his garage by himself, he'd never find out." Okay, okay. I'll dust the garage by myself… Now will you tell me what happened!"
"You'll dust it tomorrow?"
"Leeza!"
"I'm just joking… Well, not really… Anyway, Tommy and Kat worked everything out."
"Well I knew that!!!! What way did they work things out?" He asked anxiously.
"They just basically decided not to let pier pressure affect anything… They don't care what anybody thinks of them…If people want to make fun of them that's okay…And they'll be cool because they didn't give in… So, that's that… Anything else happen today?" She asked vibrantly.
Billy slightly shrugged. " Nothing interesting." And with that the two broke out laughing.
"Just an ordinary day, right?" Leeza chuckled.
"Nothing out of the ordinary…Honestly though, Leeza… I think what we talked about today was harder then any monster I've ever faced."
"If I can tell you the truth Billy. In a way we faced the toughest monster there is."
Billy looked confused. " What do you mean?"
"We helped Katherine and Tommy face temptation… That's something we all have to face everyday of our lives… And the decision we make from it can affect our life… It will either turn it for the better or… For the worst…That choice is up to all of us… No matter who we are or what we do… We all have to either stand up to temptation or, give into it… And the worst part is… We can never escape it… No matter how old we get or what we learn, we can never run from it."
Billy nodded in agreement." You're right, but if we ask for God's help it's a lot easier to conquer the temptation or fear, or whatever may be happening in our lives at that point… And as long as you know were to turn for help… There's no problem… Right?"
Leeza let out a breath. Billy could really surprise her at times. She was thinking the exact same thing he had just said, and he had said it before she had gotten the chance to say it herself. "Right… Need any help on the new project, which will likely be flown over to Stone Canyon tomorrow afternoon."
"You know, I'm getting a little tired of these comments… I haven't done that in almost a month…" He sighed. She was probably right and he knew it. "What do ya say we go to a movie and than get a bite to eat at Erie's?"
"Sounds great!" She exclaimed.
Billy shut off the light in his garage and the two headed out. He put his arm on her shoulder. " And tomorrow we can go and see the fireworks."
Leeza stopped. " Fireworks?"
Billy looked at her. "Yeah… When my project takes off for Stone Canyon."
She hit him gently on the arm. " You goof… com'on let's go." And with that the two headed off into the future.