Well, nothing can be exactly alike... can it? For example, being SMACKED IN THE FACE SO HARD YOU NEARLY HAD A SEIZURE and being lightly brushed on the cheek by your one true love was TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
**Story 1; Ms. Lyrine's 4th grade classroom
"GET OFF OF ME, YOU #@%$&!!!" I screamed. I didn't mean to swear, but I had read a few- er, inappropriate books for my age, because you know how your mom was all like, "Read only comics and learning books!" Well, mine was all, "Sure, honey, read whatever you want."
Duncan, a 10-year-old boy was looming over me, his red shoe pinning down my stomach, his hand holding down my head, grinning.
"What the hell, Duncan!"
"Shut up, you idiot!" Duncan snapped, his eyes glinting. "Smile."
I almost did, but then I forced myself to scowl instead. "Why?"
"Smile. Smile now."
I smiled my most dazzling smile.
"There now, honey," he soothed. "Are you okay?"
"No," I mumbled, even though I couldn't feel anything, except his blue eyes staring down at me with fake concern.
He called me honey. He called me HONEY!
He smiled back. "Now, Do exactly as I say."
"What the he-" His hand clamped onto my mouth.
"I want you to hug me."
"No!" I screamed, but, against my will, I wrapped my arms around him. "Okay. Okay, there. What now."
"Kiss me." His voice was soft.
"NO!" I yelled. "No, no, NO! Shit, Duncan!"
"Shut up," he whispered. And then, like one, smooth snake striking, his hand brushed softly, slowly, to my face, and for a second I thought he would caress me.
And then I felt the slap.
**Story 2; Cypress, Vancouver, Canada, the top of the BlackDiamond
"Get off," I mumbled almost self-consiously as Duncan, 16 now, leaned over me.
"C'mon, Yuri," he murmured. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
"You're not," I mumbled. "I can't go down. How could you?! I suck at skiing!"
"I'll catch you if you fall."
"If?! Ha!"
"Honey," he taunted me, reminding me of that day in fourth grade.
I stuck my tongue out at him, looking away. "Alright," I agreed. "You have to catch me."
"Well..." he smiled. "I might not let you in on that one."
"Duncan!" I knew he was kidding, but I couldn't take any chances. "Don't," I whispered.
"Yuri?" He was suddenly more focused. "Come on."
"No." I sat down on the snow. I gulped.
"Yuri?"
"NO! I am never, ever going down that hill!"
"C'mon. Honey."
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I played stubborn, though I knew I was going to have to go down the hill anyway. Down the hill, and into hell.
"Look, Yuri." Duncan sighed. "I like you, okay, Yuri?"
I looked at him, surprised. Do you really... mean that? I stared into his eyes. I could tell he meant it.
My heart got all tingly, and despite myself, I smiled.
"There now, honey," he said, smiling mockingly.
I glowered at him.
And I got to my feet, looking down the hill. If it was what Duncan wanted, I would do it.
I started down the hill, with Duncan at my side. I looked once to the ski platform, and a millisecond before I zoomed down, Duncan's cold hand brushed once across my terror-paralyzed cheek.
**Story 1; Ms. Lyrine's 4th grade classroom
"GET OFF OF ME, YOU #@%$&!!!" I screamed. I didn't mean to swear, but I had read a few- er, inappropriate books for my age, because you know how your mom was all like, "Read only comics and learning books!" Well, mine was all, "Sure, honey, read whatever you want."
Duncan, a 10-year-old boy was looming over me, his red shoe pinning down my stomach, his hand holding down my head, grinning.
"What the hell, Duncan!"
"Shut up, you idiot!" Duncan snapped, his eyes glinting. "Smile."
I almost did, but then I forced myself to scowl instead. "Why?"
"Smile. Smile now."
I smiled my most dazzling smile.
"There now, honey," he soothed. "Are you okay?"
"No," I mumbled, even though I couldn't feel anything, except his blue eyes staring down at me with fake concern.
He called me honey. He called me HONEY!
He smiled back. "Now, Do exactly as I say."
"What the he-" His hand clamped onto my mouth.
"I want you to hug me."
"No!" I screamed, but, against my will, I wrapped my arms around him. "Okay. Okay, there. What now."
"Kiss me." His voice was soft.
"NO!" I yelled. "No, no, NO! Shit, Duncan!"
"Shut up," he whispered. And then, like one, smooth snake striking, his hand brushed softly, slowly, to my face, and for a second I thought he would caress me.
And then I felt the slap.
**Story 2; Cypress, Vancouver, Canada, the top of the BlackDiamond
"Get off," I mumbled almost self-consiously as Duncan, 16 now, leaned over me.
"C'mon, Yuri," he murmured. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
"You're not," I mumbled. "I can't go down. How could you?! I suck at skiing!"
"I'll catch you if you fall."
"If?! Ha!"
"Honey," he taunted me, reminding me of that day in fourth grade.
I stuck my tongue out at him, looking away. "Alright," I agreed. "You have to catch me."
"Well..." he smiled. "I might not let you in on that one."
"Duncan!" I knew he was kidding, but I couldn't take any chances. "Don't," I whispered.
"Yuri?" He was suddenly more focused. "Come on."
"No." I sat down on the snow. I gulped.
"Yuri?"
"NO! I am never, ever going down that hill!"
"C'mon. Honey."
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I played stubborn, though I knew I was going to have to go down the hill anyway. Down the hill, and into hell.
"Look, Yuri." Duncan sighed. "I like you, okay, Yuri?"
I looked at him, surprised. Do you really... mean that? I stared into his eyes. I could tell he meant it.
My heart got all tingly, and despite myself, I smiled.
"There now, honey," he said, smiling mockingly.
I glowered at him.
And I got to my feet, looking down the hill. If it was what Duncan wanted, I would do it.
I started down the hill, with Duncan at my side. I looked once to the ski platform, and a millisecond before I zoomed down, Duncan's cold hand brushed once across my terror-paralyzed cheek.
