Days of Destiny

by Aiden Vaughan

  While Jason seemed eager to make up at the time, Laura instinctively knew that inside Jason was very offended by what she did. It had taken her a long time to figure it out, but eventually Laura realized that she was being too possessive of Jason. The problem was that Laura had always had been the pursuer in their relationship. As early as eighth grade, she had her eye on Jason, and did everything she could think of to get his attention at social events like dances and mixers. As the two of them entered high school, Laura could sense that Jason was taking more of an interest in her, something that she continued to encourage.

  Then came the summer after their freshman year, when Jason was suddenly kidnapped in broad daylight in City Park. That week was one of the most frustrating and horrible times in Laura’s life. As did Daniel, and many of Jason’s other friends, she moped around the house most of the week, not quite understanding why someone would want to harm such a pleasant, outgoing boy like Jason. His parents were well off but not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Laura realized that she was a more likely victim of kidnappers for ransom; her father was a wealthy investment banker, and they lived in a huge home with an Olympic sized swimming pool.

  When Jason was ransomed, Laura did everything she could to get Jason refocused on normal things, and especially her. She hosted a pool party for Jason and his best friends as part of that recovery process. But at the time, Jason was swimming in a sea of self-doubt. Nothing about his kidnapping made much sense to him. The fact that he was so brutally victimized caused him to lose his normal self-confidence. His best friend Daniel Holmes realized that Jason was struggling to cope with what happened, and needed some answers. Otherwise Jason would never be able to return to the carefree lifestyle he had before the kidnapping. Daniel put their whole friendship on the line, challenging Jason to work with him to solve the mystery of why he was kidnapped, and then go after his kidnappers. The fact that they were successful was a turning point in Jason’s life. Soon he and Daniel were involved with helping other teenagers who were the victims of predators.

  Then another amazing thing happened to Jason. His great grandfather, Winfield Hunter, had left a fortune in diamonds, hidden away since the end of World War II, to his great grandson. Winfield Hunter had so much trust in the honor of his family bloodline that he left this fortune to someone he would never meet, since Winfield Hunter had passed away nearly twenty years earlier. Through documents left with his attorney, Winfield had charged his great grandson to use the fortune for the greater good, and Jason had done that.

  Again he had received the best possible advice from Daniel. “Put the money away into a foundation. Don’t use it for personal enrichment and don’t let it take over your life!” Jason did just that, and the result was he still acted and dressed like a normal teenager, didn’t put on airs or talk about money. But now he had the wealth and power through his foundation to pursue any case that interested him. That was why he was able to rescue Jonathan Kowalski. Once Jason and Daniel figured out where they believed Jonathan had been taken, they could rent a rescue helicopter for the afternoon like it was no big deal — just another daily expense for the Whatever Foundation.

  When they had decided to go steady, Jason admitted to Laura that one reason he had kept her at arm’s length for a while was because he didn’t want her to be in any danger from the criminals he would deal with from time to time. The most positive thing that Jason had expressed was that despite this concern, he realized that his love for her was continuing to grow. In the long run, he could not deny it. When he finally said, “I love you, Laura,” it was one of the happiest moments of her life. She wanted to totally possess him after that. Unfortunately, Jason’s life was much to complicated for that to happen.

  Many times Laura had expressed to Jason how worried and fearful she was anytime he put himself in harm’s way during one of his cases. Jason would counter that he had to live his life the best way he could, that he would not deny help to someone needing it, even it meant putting his own life in danger. To be fair, Laura wasn’t the only person worried about his activities. His parents and Captain Garcia had told Jason the same thing many times. Somehow they seemed to deal with it a lot better than Laura could. They could see the big picture while Laura could not. Still Laura could not understand why Jason continued to do dangerous things when he didn’t have to. To her the common sense way to act was to stay in the background and let the authorities do the chasing after criminals and their victims.

  Luckily for Laura, Jason hadn’t let this disagreement get in the way of their relationship. So far he had not expressed an interest in any other girls at school, which was a great relief to Laura. She knew that among all of the teenaged boys she knew, Jason was a true gem. If they actually broke up, there would be lots of girls interested in pursuing him. Though her fears were real and caused her great concern, Laura dreaded the thought of them drifting apart. She loved Jason so much as a person yet hated it when he would take up another case with Daniel. These conflicting emotions were constantly running through her head and heart.

  Then a surprising conversation with her mother, Dorothy, changed everything. About a week ago, Dorothy said, “Laura, we need to sit down and have a long talk about things. Are you willing to do that now?”

  Taken a little off guard by what her mother was asking, Laura agreed to do just that. “I can sense that you are still having doubts about your relationship with Jason,” Dorothy began. “I know that he is your first real boyfriend, but Jason is not an average person by any stretch of the imagination. You two have expressed your love for each other, and it seems true. While that may be good in one sense, you don’t have much experience in love relationships, so I would like to tell you a story and maybe give you some advice that might help you deal with things.

  “When I was your age, well actually a little older, I also went steady with my first true boyfriend. And no, it wasn’t your father! Stan and I were both involved in the swimming program at school, and we knew each other casually from attending the various swim meets and water polo games during the school year. One day, Stan asked me out on a date, and things clicked between the two of us. Soon we were an item, declared our love for each other, and decided to go steady. We had a wonderful time together for about a year.

  “Then when we became seniors in high school, we started to drift apart. It wasn’t necessarily because we didn’t still feel an emotional attachment to each other but really because our life goals were different. Stan wanted to live a carefree and casual life by the water somewhere. He had no particular professional ambitions other than to have an income that would allow him to spend a lot of time in leisure activities. I, on the other hand, wanted some upward mobility. Getting a college degree was very important to me so that I could meet like-minded people, and get a good paying job. I wanted to live in a dream house like we have now, raise a family, and not worry about money. The summer after we graduated from high school, Stan moved to the coast, got a job working in a store, and spent the rest of his time as a beach bum. I visited him a few times, but by then our relationship was pretty much over, and after I went away to college, we stopped seeing each other entirely.

  “I don’t know what will happen between you and Jason. Only the two of you can determine that. I do know that you should enjoy each other’s company right now, and not stress about the future too much yet, because both of you have a lot of growing up to do. While Jason is very mature for his age, and has an amazing set of accomplishments for someone so young, both he and you are still teenagers. Expect plenty of changes in your lives. Don’t be surprised or too upset if things don’t work out between you in the long run. I’m not trying to discourage you in regards to your relationship with Jason, just give you some perspective that I feel you are lacking.

  “I know that you feel the need to possess Jason as much you can, but you never can entirely do that. Everyone needs some space in their life, and if you are too controlling, eventually the other person will rebel in
some way against that. If in the long run you cannot accept Jason for who he is, you must realize that it isn’t his fault or your fault. A long term relationship depends on more than just physical and emotional love.

  “You made that mistake with Jason once already when you broke up with him after that dinner party. As it turned out, his excuse for not being there was a noble one, and he did try to contact you. Yes, his absence ruined your dinner party to introduce him to our family and friends, but while a party can always be rescheduled, you can’t ask for a rain check when someone’s life is in danger. Imagine how horrible you would have felt if Jonathan Kowalski had not been rescued from that evil man who had kidnapped him, injected him with methamphetamines, and was attempting to make him into a drug addict against his will! That’s why I allowed you to go over to Jason’s house late that night to try to make up with him. The fact that he did immediately reconcile with you was important also. It showed that he had genuine feelings for you, Laura.

  “So my advice to you is to let Jason know that you accept him for who he is. He may end up doing something foolish, or get into a situation that he can’t get out of, but you can only advise him so much. He still is going to live his life the way he wants regardless of what anyone else says. And in the long run, if you can’t handle that, it’s not your fault and it’s not Jason’s fault. Things weren’t meant to be in that case. In the meantime, enjoy your relationship and love for each other. Look toward the things that you have in common, not the things that tear you apart!

  “Now I have one more little surprise for you. Next Sunday, we are going to have that dinner party again. I have already invited Jason, and he has accepted. Pretty much the same guest list will be there!”

  Laura thought about her mother’s advice all week and realized that she was right. Laura was very grateful to her mother for taking the extra step to smooth things over with the party. Now Laura was going to tell Jason that she had gotten over her fears about his detective work. In a way it was a big relief. Worrying about Jason was occupying way too much of her time. Sure she would continue to express her concerns to him, but now it would be in a positive way that would express honesty, not a demand that Jason stop being Jason.

  A few minutes later, a green Explorer pulled up into the driveway, and soon Jason was knocking on Laura’s front door. Laura opened the door and looked at Jason with a big smile on her face. Jason was wearing his usual winter outfit of tee shirt, hoodie, jeans, and red high top chucks. Over that he was wearing his Merriam High School varsity jacket.

  “Hello, Jason, it’s so good to see you,” Laura began. She pulled Jason into a hug and gave him a passionate kiss.

  When Laura was finished with her kiss, Jason looked back into her eyes and said, “Wow! What a great welcome. I hope the rest of our weekend will be like this!”

  “I hope so too!” Laura continued. “I am really looking forward to some quality time with you, Jason. You are so special to me! Would you like to come inside for a few minutes before we go?”

  “Oh sure,” Jason replied. “You look great today, Laura.” Laura was wearing a navy blue long sleeved mock turtleneck sweater, tight fitting navy blue designer jeans, and Ugg boots. She was wearing the locket Jason had given her on a thin gold chain around her neck and had matching earrings.

  “Won’t you sit down for a moment while I get my jacket and purse?” Jason sat down in an easy chair in the living room while Laura went back to her room. A few minutes later she was back wearing a black velour jacket and carrying a small purse. “I’m ready to go now, Jason.”

  “Okay, babe. Where would you like to go first, to the mall or should we get some lunch?”

  “Let’s go get lunch first,” Laura replied.

  “Sounds good to me,” Jason replied. “Would you like to get fast food or go somewhere more formal?”

  “Let’s go to a nice family restaurant where we can sit in a booth, have a nice lunch and leisurely conversation. We have a lot to talk about and I hardly get to see you much during the week.”

  “I know just the place!” Jason said.

  They went out of the house and got into the Explorer. Jason drove them to the Country Inn, a restaurant about a mile from the mall. Soon they were seated side by side in a plush booth. After the waitress took their order, Laura took Jason’s hand and held it.

  “I am so looking forward to being with you this weekend,” Laura said looking into Jason’s eyes. “Especially this Sunday evening when I can show you off to my relatives and friends.”

  “Me too, Laura. Hopefully nothing will come up to spoil it! Right now my calendar is clear. No rescues to get in the way this time!”

  “Even if there were, I would understand, Jason. I still feel terrible about the way I behaved toward you last time.”

  “That’s all water under the bridge, babe,” Jason replied. “I plan to be there on time, eager to meet your other guests.”

  “I want you to know, Jason, that my attitude about your detective work has changed. What you do for other people, and especially troubled teens is very special and important. I’ll never stop worrying about you, because I love you so much, but I’m not going to try and get in your way any more. I want you to know that I support what you are doing, no matter what happens!”

  Jason’s eyes widened a little and he looked back at Laura with a surprised look on his face. “You know that coming back safely to you and my family and friends is what inspires me when I am on a case or in a difficult situation. Every time a new case comes up, I try to be more careful, just for that reason! But what you are telling me is totally awesome! The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you in any way. Yet it was really tough to deal with the thought that you didn’t want me to actively help other people in trouble or actual danger. Because I have the resources to do something about it, I feel obligated to do whatever I can when I see someone in need of my assistance.”

  “I know, Jason, and I know I have been a real thorn in your side about this issue for a long time,” Laura said in an emotional voice. “Recently I had a long talk with Mother about this very topic, and she helped me to see the light. Now I am your biggest supporter no matter what happens!”

  Jason smiled at Laura and gave her a kiss. “You have made me the happiest guy in the entire Silicon Valley! Your encouragement means so much to me!”

  “I trust you to do the right thing, Jason. Your willingness to help people in need is one of the things that makes you such an extraordinary person. I love you just the way you are!”

  “What you just said really makes me feel good inside, Laura. Already you have made this day special. Now I can’t wait for Valentines Day!” He gave Laura another long kiss.

  While Jason and Laura were embracing, their waitress came to their table with their lunch orders. “Which one of you two lovebirds had the club sandwich?”

  Chapter 8

  The Bike Ride

  (February 12)

  Daniel Holmes was up by 8:30 AM that same Saturday. His normal Saturday morning routine during the school year was to meet Eric at the local Y for a workout and swim. After their exercise regimen, they would work on music issues for their band usually at Daniel’s house or sometimes in the lower level studio at Tim’s house. But today they both were taking a break from working out. Eric had been involved in a series of exhausting league swimming meets all week so he wanted a day off from swimming. And Daniel was planning a special bike ride with Diana. Because it was the weekend before Valentine’s Day, they wanted to go on a bike ride in memory of the first time that they declared their love for each other.

  Daniel’s relationship with Diana had been very good all year. Diana had a mellow personality most of the time, and they hadn’t had the same kind of conflicts that Jason and Laura had been experiencing. Partly that was because Daniel tended to be a lot more cautious than the headstrong Jason, who was the leader of their forays into detective work. Sometimes Daniel thought that his initial encouragement for Jason
to try and solve the mystery behind his kidnapping had opened a Pandora’s box. Jason and Daniel’s success in that case had led to a series of other adventures. In several of those cases Jason had taken great personal risks to solve the cases and rescue other young people in harm’s way.

  But Daniel could not fault the results. All of the other members of his band at one time were victims of predatory adults who needed to be stopped before more damage was done. Jason had been incredibly bold and brave in accomplishing that, with Daniel by his side. Eric, Tim, Nick, and Jonathan were all good friends now —talented musicians with excellent teamwork skills. They were his Second Chance All Stars. Daniel’s world was a much better place because of their presence in his life.

  Now it looked like they were about to take on another case to help young Jian-heng find and rescue his older sisters. Daniel knew that Jason would be calling on him soon to do just that. Despite his feel inner fears and even dread about taking on new criminals, Daniel knew in his heart that he could never deny one of Jason’s calls for assistance. Jason now called Daniel his brother and constantly relied on his advice. And they were brothers after all they had been through together.

  Still, today was about Diana and their romantic relationship. They had been going steady for over eight months now and Daniel liked both the comfort of their pledge to each and the intimacy with Diana, who was so sweet yet so direct in their relationship. Even though the two of them seemed very committed to each other at present, there were clouds on the horizon. Ultimately their lives were going in very different directions, mainly due to the career paths that each of them had chosen. Diana was determined to become a professional chef and work in her mother’s catering business. Already she was spending much of her spare time working for her mother when large jobs came in. And her mother had already agreed to send Diana to a cooking academy for her professional training.