It was an early night when Jake finally pulled up in the Shere's mansion drive way and Paul was still quiet. Jake switched off the engine and the music stopped, quietness followed, except for the cha-cha-cha of the sprinkler, irrigating the lawn.

Jake shook his head. His father would always complain that the lawn was not pretty enough. Poor Marie.

"Wait a sec'." He told Melanie when she was about to open her door.

Melanie froze, mute and confused as her eyes begged for clarifications. Jake unbuckled his seat belt, glimpsed at Paul through the rearview mirror wondering, for a second, what other judgmental opinion went through his mind, before he got out of the SUV, jogged around it, just to get to Melanie's door, to open it for her.

Melanie got off with a slightly embarrassed and slightly amused look on her face. She thought it was weird and funny that Jake did that. She was going to say something that would point out the hilarious aspect of his actions and turn it into a joke, something of mockery and ridicule; but then Jake drew closer to her to shut the door, but then he stayed there, so close he could almost feel Melanie's breath on his face and leaning towards her, hand supporting his weight against the SUV.

Reflexively, Melanie tilted her head backward to maintain space between them. She was startled, obviously, and it amused Jake. He smirked - a sexy smirk. They stared into each other's eyes for a seconds, and something about the way he looked at her and smiled felt overwhelming and provocative for Melanie.

"What?" She asked, with a feigned relaxed tone.

Jake shook his head. "I don't know. I was gonna ask you the same thing. You had that look like you need to tell me something."

Melanie squinted and avoided looking into his eyes to let herself think clearly for a second. "What? No. I - I didn't." She breathed.

"You sure?" Jake raised an eyebrow. "You got nothing you need to say to me?"

"Um. . ." Melanie bit her lip. "Thanks." She said and it sounded more like a question or even a suggestion.

Jake smirked. "You're welcome." He said and was going to attempt a higher, riskier stage of flirtation. He was going to say something about her eyes, something witty and charmingly stupid, like how it made him want to question God for being so unfair that he would give one person such charming feature of beyond-terrestrial extent of beauty, but then the backdoor of the SUV opened and Paul stepped out to ruin the mood. "Come on, let's get you freshened up." He said instead and took her by the hand; pulling her gently.

They entered the ground floor hallway from the side of the building that made way toward the garage then the driveway and warmth welcomed them.

The red carpet that made the interior look like a medieval palace helped with the warmth and also was to be credited for Drew's sudden appearance which slightly startled Jake. They did not hear his footsteps when he entered the hallway from the stairs that led upstairs.

"Drew!" Jake voiced.

"Jake, boy," Drew smirked, but knowing him that was a friendly gesture. "Where have you been?"

"Out!" Jake replied in a hurry, and grinned in amusement of seeing Drew in a black tux again. He did not gallivant in one of his big hoodies and shorts on a pair of white Jordans anymore, because Dr. Shere was in the building and so - it was time to work. "How about Josh?"

Drew's demeanor fell and he breathed, indicating reluctance to deliver a bad news. "Nothing."

With his, Jake looked saddened.

"Who's Josh?" Melanie asked, pushing herself into scene.

"I had a brother." Jake said to her without turning around. "Now, we can't find him." He sighed.

"Oh . . . Sorry."

"It's fine."

"hi, I'm Melanie." She turned to Drew, offering a handshake.

"Drew." He took her hand.

Paul cleared his throat, pulling attention.

"Whoa! My man." Drew grinned widely, turning his whole attention to Paul. They slapped hands in a custom handshake that was a little high above shoulders and clutched their fingers to make one big mighty fist, and; Jake watched. "hope you're good?"

"I try" Paul snickered."

Jake did not see the need to stand there and watch them seem to be much fonder than he ever was with Drew even though he had practically known him for his entire life. He needn't be constantly reminded that Paul was apparently more important than he was. He took Melanie's hand and pulled her with him. At lease, she seemed to see something, anything at all, in him.

"That doesn't sound very good." Drew continued, his attention completely focused on Paul.

"yea well;" he shrugged. "California might not be for..."

-

In Jake's bathroom, Melanie washed her face with water over the sink, and Jake sat on his bed waiting, twiddling his thumb nervously. He stood as Melanie turned off the tap and began pacing back and forth contemplatively.

Melanie entered the room with his towel, wiping her face. She approached where Jake was, and he stood at place, not understand why she approached him to such proximity. It made him nervous, but in the way he liked. But then, she reached him, stopped and motioned him to move aside.

"Oh!" he interjected and side stepped.

Quietly, she handed him the towel and in that moment, he caught a glimpse of her countenance and realized that she too was in a mood, with a mind, perhaps more preoccupied than his. It was a little disturbing, the way she could be so vital one moment, and then the next - like as soon as they entered his room - become so cold that she sucked vitality from the atmosphere around her.

She reached past him and grabbed her skirt, which she had wrapped carelessly and placed on that bed when she removed it. Jake would have asked her what was on her mind, but immediately, before him, in the privacy of his room, she began to loose the rope that helped fasten the pants she borrowed from him around her waist.

Startled this time, by her carefree undressing tendency, he spun quickly to back her. He would not let himself get tempted, he could not possibly even thing about it with his father in the same building. The thought of it induced fear in him rather than entice him.

He swallowed, his chest thumping against his chest. His father always - ALWAYS had that effect on him.

"I'm nervous." He blurted without turning around. "I'm excited . . . but I'm still nervous."

"about?" Melanie asked, absentmindedly.

"About meeting my Dad." He paused, inhaled and continued. "It has been weeks since the last time I saw him."

"So? Must be the millionth time that happened."

Jake's lips twitched. Melanie did not understand. He wouldn't blame her.

"Yes, yet each time he returned from . . . wherever. I'm normally so excited as if it means he's really back for good; like he's gonna come back one day and realize that I'm actually the only family he's got now . . . I don't know how to explain it, but the thing is . . ." He drew a breath. "He is here sometimes, but . . . he's hardly ever really here with me, like . . maybe, he'd rather be somewhere else, anywhere else than here. I think - I disgust him for who I am, naturally."

"Hey..." Melanie pulled him to face her and then she held his hand in hers and squeezed them gently. He found her dressed up in that skirt again and again, she was stunning. She looked into his eyes deeply and something about the concern in her tone, the look in her eyes, and the warmth he felt from her hand made him feel a lot better. "...don't talk like that" She scolded. "Maybe he doesn't know how to show it, but he loves and misses you, I mean, why wouldn't he? You know these physics geeks. They pretend they don't have emotions, but the fact is they are confused. They suck at being people. They don't know how to show their feelings, heck, they might not even know what they want. It's plausible he loves you over all things but then, he goes ahead to show someone else the love, or in this case, his career. But the important thing is that the feeling, the love is there and its's true; right?" she questioned, not only Jake, but also herself.

Jake gave a faint smile and nodded. "I guess so."

Melanie dropped his hands and held his face, pulling his face and focusing his gaze into her eyes. "Promise yourself that you won't give up just yet, that you will fight for what is yours." She said.

Jake chuckled. "I promise."

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a supportive squeezing hug.

Warmth overwhelmed Jake as he put his arms around her also and melted into the hug. Something in him refused to let go. He wished everything would just freeze for just a while, so that the moment could last. Something about that hug made feel better than any ecstasy could. He felt, in that moment, like he needn't any other thing, not his father's love, not even the green pills under his mattress. This trumped any other source of pleasure, quenching his unsurmountable thirst, filling the bottomless hole in his heart. He craved it even, afraid to let go of it, but then . . . someone knocked at the door.

Shit!

They broke their embrace.

Jake got to the door, opened it and there, Paul stood with some kind of suspicion in his eyes. He peered over Jake's shoulder to look at Melanie and then his eyes darted from one to the other until Jake's voice queried him with a single word, the word that did more than query, the word with a harsh tone that singularly reprimanded, instructed and cautioned at the same time.

"What?"

"I want to go meet your dad and..."

"Thought you'd be there already, revolutionizing the computer age with magic wands and incantations."

Paul frowned, but in his eyes was intrigue as he contemplated what Jake said for a moment and then chuckled. "I'm too nervous to go alone. I might pee on myself if care is not taken." He chuckled alone nervously.

"Oh!" Jake's voice came soft this time. Something in him melted and made him feel mushy. He straightened and smiled, there was no more need to keep up this hostile shenanigan; frankly it may have been stupid of him to grudge against Paul all the while Paul had a mindset towards him that called him 'Bro.' and needed him to confront matters together as a team. It took some self-restraints to keep himself from giving him a hug. "Okay. Don't worry too much. I'm fairly sure . . . he will like you. You're smart - I think."

"Am I supposed to come along?" Melanie asked.

Jake turned to her. "I don't think that is a good idea. . . for now. My dad was notorious for grounding me, just for saying 'hi' to a girl through a phone. I think I need to talk to him first. Introduce him to the idea of you, then later, introduce you."

"Okay!" Melanie responded and actually seemed glad, like she had dodged an obligation happily."

"One time, he caught me with a..." He stopped and after observing their inquisitive stares on him he firmly said; "Never mind."

"Ehe! that reminds me." Paul blurted. "Have any of you seen Ashley? I got a text from her that she's in the mansion, but I've searched everywhere."

"We haven't seen her and you better hope, for your sake, that we don't." Jake answered. "but don't worry. As long as she is not stupid enough to climb to the top floor, we are safe. It's a big house and my dad does not leave his floor."

Paul nodded optimistically. "Okay." He said and repeated. "Okay."

"Let's go." Jake suggested. "I will be back in a jiffy to take you home." He said to Melanie as he stepped out into the hall.

That absentminded look was on Melanie's face again, but she said "alright" and shut the door softly.

-

Up the stairs they climbed silently, and each step reeked of hesitation, fear lingering in their feet, but together they marched bravely heading to Dr. Shere's room at the penthouse, the highest point in the mansion, like one, like an undisputable team.

Jake took a deep breath and whispered to himself with his eyes closed. "Inner peace. Inner peace." He recited hopefully before he knocked, softly.

"Who is it? Come on in... It's unlocked."

Paul and Jake were shocked by the voice that answered them. It wasn't of Dr. Shere; it wasn't even of a man. It was flamboyantly familiar and effeminate. It was a girl's. . . It was Ashley's.

Ashley?