Beast and Dog-Boy

Chapter 7 - Friday Night

After they had eaten and finished washing the last of the dishes, Valerie looked up at Mr. Wezell’s clock on the wall. It read ten to eight. She had told her grandfather she would be home by ten. They had two hours of freetime.

“I guess it’s bedroom time now,” she said quietly.

Drew looked at her and he said, “Good.”

She nodded her head and they went into his bedroom.

Despite all of his assurances, she was still scared. He took off his shirt and she gasped.

“What wrong?” he asked, as he paused for a moment.

“You are really ripped,” she murmured. The attractiveness inequality between them was going to be even starker than she imagined.

He nodded his head and said, “Wezell make strong.” Then he took off his remaining clothes and her mouth fell open. The rest of him was perfect too, and intimidating, and scary.

“You want Drew help you no clothes?” he asked.

She whispered, “I don’t know what I want…”

He thought for a moment, then he smiled a little. He got into his bed and pulled the sheet over him. He said, “I know I want. Watch you get no clothes.”

Her face felt hot, but she forced herself to start unbuttoning her shirt. Her hands were shaking. She thought that her legs might buckle beneath her.

“You red fire now,” he said quietly.

“I know, I’m blushing badly,” she said.

He said, “No, you fire now. Most red, some orange, some yellow. Like lamp. Like sun. Like moon. You still no see...”

She froze as he said this. Her mind raced. “Am I...lit up...or burning now, like I’m on fire?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes,” he said.

She focused and asked, “Have I always been burning, like I am now, to you?”

“Yes, and no,” he said. “I no know say how. No words. You always bright. But some time no fire, other bright. You fire, first day, first time I see. Drew see, Wezell see, you no see. Drew some bright now too. You no see. Be one way Drew know you no ready be Queen.”

She became animated and blurted out, “So that’s why you two think I’m so beautiful! You see my brightness already, and how’d I’d look in your world!”

“Yes,” said Drew as he lay in bed.

“Why didn’t either of you tell me any of this before?!” she cried.

“Wezell no never tell Valerie so no scare you,” he said. “I no tell same. You no ask either…”

She was mad at this. She shot a finger at him and said, “You should have told me!”

Drew’s eyebrows knit. He said, defending himself, “I tell you thing, you cry. I tell you thing, you fall down. I no tell all thing same time. Too many. Now time tell I see Valerie bright all fire, answer Valerie question.”

She looked at him and she asked, “When I can see this myself, this brightness, then I’ll be ready and I’m supposed to become the queen of your world?”

“Yes, and no,” he said. “More things too…”

“Like what other things?” she asked in fascination and fear.

“You see Drew brightness, other thing,” he said. “You no want be here, you feel it. You want go - that other thing. Many other thing. No tell now. No want you to cry, no want you to fall down. Valerie no worry now to be Queen. You no ready.”

She thought about all this, and then she thought more. “How do I look to you?” she asked.

He smiled and said, “Again I say, you fire. You very beautiful. Most red, little orange, little yellow. Other time look different. Like moon. Or sun. Or...no words explain.” He thought for a moment and said, “Like light switch, on off, on off, on off…”

She thought about this and she cried, “Like I’m blinking?! Or pulsing?!”

Drew smiled and said, “Yes.” Then he lost a little of his patience and he said, “What you look now is too many clothes! You bounce, I want see, and grabby, please. Valerie. I want see, grabby you. Want grabby, kiss much.”

She stood stunned for a moment because this completely confused her. Then she realized that the bouncing thing he was talking about were her breasts, and that in her getting all excited at these revelations, she had jiggled them some. Apparently, this was really getting him going as well.

She couldn’t help herself and all her resentment (deserved or not) for his withholding information from her, left her. Armed with this new information as to her very strong sexual appeal for him, she said teasingly, “Are you saying that you want me to take off my bra?”

“Yes!” he said. “Yes!”

“OK,” she said, smiling. Then she took it off without the least bit of embarrassment.

He growled in appreciation at this, and it was deep and rumbling. This snapped her back to the reality of her situation. It had been a few days since she had heard him growl. It was powerful. Immediately she was a scared, sixteen year old again, and much of her confidence and bravo evaporated.

He saw this in her eyes and said, “I sorry. Forget growl scare you. To us, growl be nothing. We growl much, many times. Come out to Valerie, I no think. No do again.”

She stood in shock at this and had to process this too. Then she said quietly, “Actually, in a situation like this, that growl sort of worked. Some guys might have done that here, in our world too, under these circumstances, with a woman they thought was hot, like a burning fire.”

Drew thought about this and he smiled. He was about to say something, but then he looked at her and his expression changed. “Valerie do too much this!” he cried as he held up his hand and put his fingers together and pulled them apart to make a running mouth. He continued, “Please, please, get no clothes! No own all night! Get no clothes, get to bed! I grabby, kiss you! Talk more later!”

She laughed at this. As she stood without a shirt or bra in front of him, she realized she was feeling things that she never expected or anticipated before in this situation. She felt free, happy, and desired.

“I'm sorry, I didn’t realize how, in your eyes, I’m such a sexy beast!” she said gaily. “Are you saying you want me to take off my pants too?” she teased as she put her hands on her pants button.

“Yes!” he said. “Yes!” said again as he threw up his hands.

“All right then,” she said as she took off her pants.

Then he just stared at her quietly as she asked, “Now the panties too?”

He nodded his head to her and his face looked serious.

Then she took off her underwear and she asked him, “How’s that? Grossed out yet?”

He said quietly, “You burn red there. I very hard try no growl more…”

She laughed at this. He said, “I burn fire there too.” Then he lifted up the bed sheet, and revealed himself to her. She grew quiet and shy at this as she didn’t see any paranormal fire, but instead she merely saw he was ready. But she was brave and she made good on her promise. She got in bed with him as he pulled the bed sheet back over them.


An hour later she laid her head upon his chest and she was so happy. Her checklist of new boyfriend type things had been checked, checked, and checked again. Although they had not had actual sex.

After a long time of kissing and touching one another, she delved into really pleasing him. It wasn’t as scary as she thought it would be, in fact, she was surprised that it was actually a bit of hard, patient work.

She had tried to please him with her mouth, and then her hand. He liked both, but neither did the trick by itself. Only by using both at the same time was she able to give him complete satisfaction.

After that, he said, “Valerie turn now. How make that to you?”

She said, “I don’t know. You can try with your hand or your mouth down there. Don’t ask me how exactly, because this is all new to me too…”

“You have say how help,” he said. He spread her legs apart as he continued, “I need in.”

She looked scared to him, so he gently ran his hands inside her open legs. He kissed them too. “I like when you do me? You like too?”

She relaxed backwards and said, “That feels really good…”

He squinted for a time and said, “You all beautiful fire here. This like bright star.” Then he gently touched her there with his finger and a shock went through her body.

“Yup, that’s the magic spot,” she gasped.

He smiled and continued to stroke her “bright star.”

After a while he asked, “How feel? Need different?”

“No,” she said blushing. “Maybe just a little easier, or slower. But not really, because this is making me feel like I’m going to eventually go.”

Drew’s forehead crinkled and he said, “Good, but something more be miss. You use mouth to me. Think I need mouth to you, right?”

With her legs wide open and quivering a little, she couldn’t believe herself when she said, “Yes, sometimes guys lick there too…”

He smiled broadly as he snapped his fingers and cried, “Yes, that what miss!” And then he slowly began to lick her there.

“I can’t take this,” she said after a few minutes of this.

He stopped for a second and he looked at her.

“Please, keep going,” she said.

He smiled and he went back to licking her.

After a time she started to gasp and her face went deep red. Her breathing became ragged. “Think use hand now too,” Drew said almost clinically as he slipped two of his fingers into her as he continued to lick her.

She started to grind into him and he mumbled without removing his eyes from her’s, “That good call. You no ready be queen. But you ready, be ready, what this be soon.”

“Yes,” she said as she quivered more..

Then she involuntarily clenched her legs hard around his head as she shook and shook.

He didn’t even stop right away. He had her practically convulsing on the bed.

But soon his muffled voice said, “Valerie, no can breathe! Untie legs!”

“Sorry,” she gasped as opened her legs to let him go.

She curled into a fetal position. He spooned up behind her and threw one of his arms over her. “That best, that fun Valerie play,” he said. And although she couldn’t see his face, she could tell he was smiling.

When she caught her breath, which took her some time, she said, “It isn’t supposed to be that good the first time. That was like magic. I loved it. I feel so good now. Thank you so much.”

He sputtered his lips and said, “No need thank me…and be better next time. I new to this. Next time be better.”

She said dreamily, “I don’t think I can handle any better than that was.”

He said softly, “You handle better. This we play. Later, you be ready again, more that.”

She said almost in fear, “If you did that to me again tonight, you might kill me. My heart is racing so fast now. You might give me a heart attack if we did that again.”

He said with disappointment, “That sad. I moved by that. Want more.” And it was true, she could feel his hardness against her now.

“I’m sorry Drew,” she said. “I don’t think I can handle anymore of this tonight. My heart is still racing. Here, feel,” she said as she took his hand and placed it on her chest so he could feel.

He felt her heart for a time. He must have grown concerned because she felt him soften, in every way. After a while, he said quietly, “It be more slow now. Valerie right. No more play that tonight. You no ready that much fun. Tomorrow?”

She smiled and groaned, “Maybe, we’ll have to see...”

“Maybe tomorrow? Maybe Tomorrow?!” he said, goofing around. “It not that good! I already a fan! Need practice too.” She giggled. For a time he just held her, as he felt her heartbeat continue to slow and slow.

Eventually she said, ”I bet I’ll be ready tomorrow for more Drew bed fun.”

He said seriously, “Good. Now know Valerie Queen that keeps word…”

She said quietly, “I try.”

Drew said nothing to this, but she could feel him nod his head. Then they were quiet for a time. The window next to them was halfway open, so she could hear the crickets chirping outside. The coolness of the night came in through it. At first this relieved her overheated body, but then it chilled her a bit, so she pulled the sheet over them tightly and she wrapped his arm around her tighter.

She smiled and said, “This is the part that a lot of guys are bored by, but that most of us girls like so much, so I’m told…”

From behind her, he said, “I think I girl then. I like too.”

She giggled at this. Then she looked at his arm, and she thought - Oh no, you aren’t.

She looked at Mr. Wezell’s clock radio on the nightstand and it read ten after nine. She had less than a hour left with him tonight. She sighed, as she wanted more.

She thought of him and his world. His world, that he thought she was going to become queen of. She asked, “Will you tell me something about your world, please?”

He asked, “What want know?”

She thought and asked, “What do you look like there?”

He removed his arm from her for a moment and drew a circle in the air in front of her. “Look that,” he said. “And no too bright,” he added as he resnugged his arm tight around her again.

Her forehead crinkled at this and she said, “Like an orb, or a sphere.”

He said from behind her, “No know what orb or sphere.”

She smiled and said, “You’re round, like a basketball, or an orange…”

“Yes,” he said.

“That is very cute,” she said. She thought and asked, “Is everyone round like that there?”

“No,” he said. “Some round like Drew, but others...no round. No words to tell you how others be.”

“Could you tell me what Mr. Wezell looks like there?” she asked.

Once again he removed his arm from around her and in front of her face he made a star shape in the air in front of her, then he rewrapped his arm around her and said, “Valerie, no more ask how people look. Have take arm from you to do. No want do that…”

She giggled at this. He really was enjoying this cuddling and holding of her now.

“Alright,” she said. “Will you tell me about you and Mr.Wezell, and why he picked you as the one who was going to help me...become your queen. Have you always known him? Or did you two meet somewhere down the line…”

Drew said quietly, “I no always know him. We meet somewhere down the line.”

“How?” she asked.

Drew sighed and said, “Be more fun talk about fun things, Drew Valerie do tomorrow. Be hard tell Valerie how meet Wezell meet.”

She was about to tell me he didn’t need to go into all that now, but he said, “I try tell. I no baby. We never baby, but I more little, young to when leave. I play friend a game. He name Gurton.” And with this Drew switched to his guttural, deep language.

He continued in his regular voice, “Hard tell game play when small. One be no bright to try no be see, one try see one be no bright. Then flip other way. Other no bright, other try see.”

She thought about this for a moment, and then she smiled and giggled. She cried, “You were playing hide and go seek!”

“What that?” asked Drew. She spent some time explaining hide and seek to him. He nodded his head as she told him.

He said quietly, “It good, people here play same game. Make me smile.”

She smiled and said, “Yeah, I like the idea of you playing with a friend in your world when you were little. So you met Mr. Wezell playing hide and seek?”

He said, “Valerie, be hard to tell. No know if I know words...Drew and Gurton play hide and seek. Much time to now. We little. We good hide and seek. Better to most. We, we, make brightness no bright. Almost no bright, We turn off much. Others no make brightness so dark. You understand?”

She held his arm that was wrapped around her and said, “You could make yourselves dimmer in a way that most others in your world weren’t able to do?”

He said, “Yes,” and again she could feel him nodding behind her. He said, “Others no want play hide and seek Drew and Gurton. We too good. No find. We play just us two most time.”

He continued, “Drew and Gurton play hide and seek a day. Drew hide, Gurton seek. Drew no talk, laugh, growl. I no, no bright. Gurton laugh when look. Gurton say Joey jokes, try make Drew laugh. I dying, fight no make laugh.”

“Now part be hard tell,” he said as he thought. “No know tell you next thing. What you name fight people?”

She said, “Do you mean a war?”

“What war?” he asked.

“A war is a series of battles, where two armies fight each other, and many people in them die,” she said.

“What call people fight in war?” he asked.

“If they are in the military, they’re soldiers,” she answered as her concern grew.

“What soldiers?” he asked.

“Soldiers are people who fight for a cause or for their country. The people they fight are called their enemies,” she answered quietly.

He said, “OK, so soldiers see Gurton. Our people soldiers. Soldiers be eight or nine. Now part hard tell Valerie…”

She said, “I’m listening.”

He continued, “Soldiers mad, very mad. Fight enemies. Lose more again. Enemies strong. Lose more again. Soldiers mad. Get mad Gurton. Lose enemies. Be mad Gurton.”

“Are you saying your people's soldiers lost a battle and took out their anger on Gurton?” she asked in a hushed voice.

“That what I try say,” he said and she could feel him nodding his head behind her. “Soldiers took out their anger on Gurton. Soldiers hurt Gurton.”

He paused for a moment, and then he said. “Valerie, be part much important. Take out anger on people, problem much do our world. Soldiers mad much. We mad much. We much enemies. Enemies all sides. We everyone soldiers. Always fight. Make all mad. Take out anger on everyone. Threaten, menace, bully, fight, hurt our people sometime. Go mad. Do much. No can stop. Too mad. No stop. Remember Drew lunch fight? I very mad, no stop. You understand?”

She nodded her head as she remembered the wild look in his eyes as he started going for Carl.

He said, “Lunch fight first time Drew be mad. No never mad our world. Drew not be mad. Not, thing our world. Most people be mad sometimes. Drew no good soldier. I no be mad. That different. You understand?”

She said, “Most of your people suffer from this madness at times, and so you attack each other in frustration. But you never felt this there?”

He said, “Yes. Few our people same like Drew. Gurton no be mad. No never. He bad soldier too. He no never fight our people. No never be madness. Low bright people often this. More bright people, more fight, more madness. Low bright, be more fear, be bad soldier. You understand?”

“I think I get the gist of it,” she said hesitantly. “It’s weird that the first time you got angry was here, though.”

“No weird,” he said. “Zach, Carl, be mean, hurt you. That kick it off first time.”

“Valerie,” he continued. “Remember what I say you Queen? She stop teasing, bullying, hurt, fight. That Queen job. Queen stop fight, no enemy stop. Our people stop fight our people. Queen no stop enemies’ madness. Queen no do that. Queen stop our people mad, madness. Queen stop that fight.”

She was chilled and shook at this. She whispered, “How does she do this? How does she make you all stop fighting each other?”

“She sing. She burn fire. She say stop,” he said matter of factly. “Same like you say Drew stop lunchtime fight. Queen say no fight, our people no fight. Madness go. Valerie say no Drew fight Carl. Drew stop. Madness go…”

She was quiet while she took all of this in for a time. She was scared. She pulled his arm even tighter around her. If this was what she was supposed to do there, to stop Drew’s people from tearing each other apart in their anger that they felt after they had lost a fight against their enemies, or whatever other reasons they might have in being angry with each other, this terrified her.

She eventually asked, “What if I’m not able to do all that? What if I can’t sing, burn and tell you all of you to stop in the right way?”

He laughed at this and said, “You some Queen now. You tell Drew stop, I need stop. Our Queen sing, burn, power...be from Queen kindness. You very kind. You burn bright. Brightness grow more. More bright today. More bright now. Drew know Valerie no problem make our people stop. Wezell know too. No worry that. That dumb worry. Drew know Valerie be Queen of Queens. You make our people stop bully, fight. No hard you. Easy as whistling to you. Drew wish he could see this...”

And then he stopped on a dime and she could feel him freeze up, as if he had said something he shouldn’t have said.

She lay frozen for a second. Then she threw off his arm he had around her, and she sat up in bed with a jerk.

She shouted in angst, “What is that supposed to mean?! That you wish you could see me do all that?!”

He too sat up, but he did so slowly. He said with regret, “I sorry. I sorry to say that. Forget I say now…”

As he reached to touch her face, she pushed his hand away. She looked into his water blue eyes and they looked...sad. “You say you can’t lie to me, right?” she asked as her heart raced.

He sighed, then nodded his head.

“You have a story to finish,” she barely managed to get out. “So what happened next?”

He said in an almost monotone voice, “Soldiers hurt Gurton. I go bright. They hurt Drew too. We try fight soldiers. No close. Gurton go scare, run off. Soldiers stop Drew run off. Hurt Drew more.”

He paused here and looked into her eyes. She said very quietly, “That is so you. Go on…”

He said sadly, “Queen and Wezell come. Queen sing, burn, talk. Soldiers madness go. Soldiers go. Queen go. Wezell stay. Wezell ask, “You no mad.” I say no. Wezell ask, “You no mad Gurton run off?” I say no. Wezell ask, “Why no mad Gurton?” I say he scared. Wezell ask, “You no never mad.” I say no. Wezell say I go bright help Gurton. Wezell say our people no be that. Wezell say I different to our people. Wezell say I very kind.”

“So that’s when he first got it in his mind that you should be the person to come here and help me get ready to be the queen of your world,” she said. “That’s when he got the notion that you’d be the one who could bring out my power and kindness, and manipulate me into becoming the savior of your violent world…”

“Drew no understand at all that…” he said slowly.

“Yeah, well you understand this,” she erupted as she pointed a shaking finger at him. “You understand exactly what you meant when you said, I wish I could see that!”

Drew nodded his head slowly and sadly at this.

“So you won’t be my king? When I’m the greatest Queen to ever rule your world?!” she shouted hysterically.

“No,” he said.

“Well, that’s weird! Because if I had my way, you would!” she continued as she began to cry and shake. “I mean, I’m going to be Queen of all, highest and brightest! Nobody will be telling me what to do there, right?! Not Mr. Wezell, not the council, not anyone right?”

He said quietly, “Nobody tell you nothing. You highest. You brightest. You tell all, all no tell you.”

“Well, then I say, you’ll be my king,” she said in fear as she cried.

Drew shook his head and said quietly, “You say so, no help you.”

She asked in terror, “How many times has this happened? How many times have one of you guys come to our world, and been so wonderful to us that we’ve fallen in love with you, because we’ve couldn’t help ourselves, because we’ve been so pathetic, and ugly, and miserable, and you’ve all been so smooth and charming.”

He said softly, “I know answer. I count Queens today morning. Eighty six. Eighty six Queens our people know. So eighty six picks be picked to help Queens be ready.”

She grabbed her chest and she was having trouble breathing. She gasped out, “And how many of those picks...died here..., before their Queen went off weeping to rule her new turbulent kingdom, being your world?”

Drew could not look at her now, his eyes were downward.

But he said quietly, but clearly, “Eighty six.”


As she put her clothes back on and cried without relent, Drew put his clothes back on as well. He went to say something to her, but she told him she didn’t want to hear anything more from him. He went silent.

As she left his house, he made to walk with her home. She told him that she didn’t want him to walk her home. As he turned on the porch light, he said quietly, “Please, Valerie. Let me walk you castle.”

She balled as she made her way down his walkway, and she shook her head no.


An hour later she used every bit of self control to get a momentary handle on her non-stop crying. Once she reigned in her sobs as best she could, she called his house. He picked up the phone and said, “Yes?”

“It’s me,” she said.

“Good,” he said.

“I’m sorry I didn’t let you walk me home,” she said.

“It’s OK,” he said, and it sounded like he meant it.

She said softly, “I’m so sorry about everything. I am so self-engrossed. You must be scared. As a pick, you face a death sentence. I mean, that’s the sad deal, right? You’re going to die here, right?”

He said, “You no worry Drew death. That no ready soon too. I mistake that up too. Drew should no tell you that.”

“Yes, you should have!” she cried. “You aren’t supposed to lie to me! Not telling me that is just like lying. It’s the same thing.”

He was quiet at this for a time. Then he said, “I admit, that sound right. You still crying?”

She said, “Yes, I can’t stop. See how this honesty thing works? I should say no to you, but I can’t. I can’t stop crying. I’ve fallen in love with you, so I can’t stop crying...”

He said, “This no help, but say anyway. Valerie no worry about that. Tomorrow no worry about that. Please, no worry, little as can. I see you tomorrow? Please say yes. I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

She shook and cried, “Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good,” he said softly. “You no lie too.” Then he was quiet for a time. Then he asked in levity, “You come Wezell house tomorrow, like dream? Come inside, take off clothes, get in Drew bed?”

“That is not funny!” she said, threw her gasps. “And no way! I’ll come over tomorrow, but I’ll tell you this. That may never happen again. I mean, under the circumstances, how in the world would you ever expect me to be in the right frame of mind for that?”

“No be no frame of mind,” he said and she could tell he was continuing into wise-ass mode. “Drew one who going to die! You no die. You be OK. Forget dark frame of mind. You know time ticking for Drew. Want make every Valerie second count. And I still a virgin, so I was hoping...”

She cried as he said this, and she said, “Again, not funny!”

“I know not funny!” he cried. “Be virgin still, be monkey on Drew’s back!”

She wailed, “That is not funny either! You have to be scared. What will you die of? Is it always the same thing? And how long do we, do you have?”

“No,” he said seriously. “No answer that question. No know anyway when. I need no lie you, but now I no say how die.” Then his voice changed for humor and he potested like a child, “I no say, and you can’t make me!”

She stared at the phone in her hand for a time, and then she said as she cried, “Drew, what you’re doing to me right now is awful, and cruel…”

There was silence from him on the other end of the phone. He said quietly after a time, “Valerie, I’m sorry. I just try get you to laugh. I’m sorry at this news. No know how make better. No try be awful. No mean to be cruel. I scared by this too. But what can do? Eighty six picks help eighty six queens. All picks die here, before Queens go. That the history. I know the history. Wezell know the history. Our people know the history. Wezell very bothered by this in pick Drew. I tell him same as you. That the history. No change that. I tell Wezell, Drew think need be that way…”

She froze as he said this, then she asked, “Why?”

He said, “Queens always want go our world when be ready. When pick die, make want go more.”

She sat absolutely still at this and her heart hurt in her chest. Tears streamed down her face and she tried to say something, but she couldn’t speak.

He said through the phone, “I no get walk Valerie tonight walk to castle. I no get Valerie goodnight kiss tonight.”

“I’m sorry,” she said as she cried.

“Tomorrow?” he asked.

She said, “I like to say yes to that, but maybe tomorrow you’ll lay something else even worse on me, on us, so I can’t promise that. Drew, you can’t imagine how badly you’ve hurt me by all this. Right now I’m such a wreck. I wish I was the one who was going to die right now. You have to come clean with me. I can’t handle this kind of stuff. Is there any other bad news that you’re not telling me as well?”

He was quiet for a time and she was so afraid that he was going to share something else that was horrible and soul crushing. But after a while he said earnestly, “I think that it. No think any other bad thing need Valerie tell. That the truth.”

She sat still and she cried silently at this.

“Valerie,” he said softly.

“What?” she asked.

“I scare to die, but this truth too. I scare more you no want see me no more. But you come over tomorrow, so I be good now. No scare now. You understand?”

“Yes,” she said.

“No be mad at me. No be sad for me. No be sad for you. We have time, and when Drew time done, you be queen. You go Drew world,” he said. Then he added quietly, “Valerie, do you know what Drew world be full of?”

She asked in a whisper, “No, what?”

He said proudly, “Drew world be full of more Drews who love Queen Valerie. Think about it. No never has Queen ever be teased, bullied by Drew people. You no understand how much you be loved. C’mon! That have to be sound great! That sound like heaven, right?”

She said as she cried, “Your world can’t be heaven for me, if you’re not there…”

Instantly she heard him laugh. He said, “Valerie jokes so funny! They going to love Valerie jokes. They going to love you so much.”

Through her crying, she actually managed to laugh at this.

He said quietly, “Like talk you on phone. It calming. Make up part for no good night kiss.”

She froze as he said this, as she was calming down too, distraught as she was. She said, “I’m liking this too. You are so smooth, even over the phone…”

He said, “Want be all day of tomorrow with you.”

“Maybe,” she said, smiling through her tears.

“When come over?” he asked.

“When do you want me to come over?” she asked.

“Now,” he said seriously. “But you no do that. Bus time.”

She laughed and said, “I don’t know about that. My plan is to cry a lot tonight, so I don’t think I’m going to be hustling over there at the crack of dawn.”

He was silent as she said this, and she sensed he was feeling badly for her.

“Eleven o’clock,” she said. “I can’t be running over there right away, or my grandparents might get overly concerned.”

“Eleven o’clock good,” he said. “Thank you for Valerie time tomorrow.”

She cracked up a little at this and she said, “I’m going to hang up now.”

He said, “OK. Thank you forgive Drew for lie.”

She broke up a little at this too, but she managed to say, “We can talk about all this more tomorrow, and you can tell me everything, and I mean everything, about what you know.”

Drew sighed and said, “That be boring talk. But I promise tell everything. Goodnight, Valerie.”

“Goodnight Drew,” she said and then she hung up.

And then, of course, she cried and cried, as she tried to stifle this all, so that her grandparents wouldn’t hear.