Prequel

If you ask anyone, they will give you a whole bunch of things not to do to avoid bad luck. Personally I think that you make your own luck. That’s why you should pet every black cat that crosses your path. Walk under any ladders that you happen to walk by. Always check you umbrella for holes, in the house. Don’t fret over a broken mirror, it doesn’t guarantee bad luck. Throwing salt over your left shoulder, it’s a little too messy.

The story you are about to read, is about just that. Well the opposite of that actually, Mary, she’s actually looking for trouble. Who knows maybe someday she’ll find it; maybe someday soon.

Chapter 1

“Mary, you coming,” Jason called. Jason is Mary’s boyfriend, he’s a smart guy, well liked; but for all the things he’s good at he lacks in adventure.

“Yes,” she said as she sighed.

“C’mon,” he said, “were going to be late.” Jason hated to be late; he had to be on time for everything, even the things that didn’t have a schedule.

“What’s the rush,” she asked, “it’s not like we have to be there at a certain time.”

“Well,” he said, “I just want to get there, its better to be there early.” Jason was one of those people that thought it was better to be 20 minutes early, he didn’t believe in being to early for something.

“Geez,” she sighed, “where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Mary,” he said, “what’s with this, since when do you ask such questions?” Jason was one of those people that like consistency. He didn’t believe in doing things out of character, and this was definitely out of character.

“Well,” she said, “we do the same old things the same old way, its getting a little boring. I just thought maybe we could spice things up a bit.”

“What do you mean by spice things up?” he asked.

“I mean why don’t we go and get a bite to eat, before we go. I mean it’s not like we don’t have the extra time,” she said, “and I’m starving.”

“Hmm,” he said tapping his chin with his index finger. “How about we just wait till after, I mean you’ve waited this long. What’s another couple of hours, right?”

“Yeah I guess,” she said. she was upset that he didn’t take her bait, God he wouldn’t even kiss her if it wasn’t in his schedule; she was surprised that he even put ‘kiss Mary’, in he precious schedule.

They were stopped at the red light; Mary wanted to get his attention; so she did something way out of character. She scooted over to him and put her arm around him. She knew that she had at least 25 more seconds before the light turned green; she decided to go for it. She used her other hand and turned his head towards her and kissed him passionately; well until he pushed her pack over to her side of the vehicle. He didn’t say a word, until the next red light.

“Mary,” he said in a harsh voice, “what’s gotten into you today?” Jason was one of those people that didn’t like to be touched unless he initiated it. Every one knew this; so did she.

“I’m not going to apologize if that’s what you want,” she said crossing her arms across her chest. “Its just that, the only time you let me touch you is when you say it’s ok, or if it’s in you damned schedule.”

“Mary, look,” he said, “I’m not going to change the way I do things. This is the way I am, you know this. You’ve known this since the day we got together, 2 years ago.”

“Well you sure are consistent,” she said, “I’ll give you that, but that’s all I give you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked. Jason was one of those people that didn’t like to be confused, not that it happened all that often; and he hated confrontation, even when it mattered.

“it means that if you don’t do something different to change up the schedule of yours,” she said, “then you can schedule the day we break up.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” he asked. He said stopping in front of their destination.

“I think you know what it means,” she said, “and when you figure it out, let me know.” She walked into a place that read, ‘Boutique’, on the sign above the door. She signed in and started at the first painting that she came to. She loved being able to see her name in white lettering on the black plaque under it.

The painting she stopped at was named, ‘winters kiss’, the painting held a loving couple, they were sitting on a bench. It captured what looked like their first kiss; the only part of them that touched was their lips.

x X x

Jason stood there on the other side of the room looking at a painting, when his friend came up to him, “Dude,” he said, “what’s wrong?”

“Ah I don’t know, Jesse” Jason said, “I think Mary may have just given me an ultimatum.”

“Really,” Jesse said, “that doesn’t sound like her at all.”

“She all of a sudden asked to change up the schedule a little bit, and then she got all huffy when I said no.” Jason said, “she said if didn’t change up the schedule, then I could start planning the day we broke up.”

“That’s harsh,” he said, “maybe you should, you know. You do love her don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Jason said, “it’s just that, the schedules already ready and done, I can’t just change it.”
“Then you don’t love her as much as you think you do,” Jesse said, “how hard could it be to just add in a couple of things in the spare time you have going from one thing to another.”

“She got angry cause when she kissed me in the car I pushed her away,” Jason said.

“Well no wonder she’s pissed, I don’t see how hard it is to be a little spontaneous,” Jesse said, “have you even gone past kissing?”

“No,” Jason said, “I don’t think were ready for that.”

“Then maybe you should just let her go,” Jesse said, “it would be for the best.”

“You think?” Jason asked, “You think it’ll be that easy just to let her go?”

“No,” Jesse said, “but knowing you, you wouldn’t even notice she’s gone.” After that thought, Jesse walked away in the other direction.

x X x

“What’s wrong?” her friend asked.

“Oh I don’t know what to do anymore,” Mary said, “Shelly, do you think he’ll break up with me?”

“Sweats,” Shelly said, “he would be a total moron, if he just let to slip away.”

“The problem is that I gave him a choice today, and I’m afraid,” Mary said, “I’m afraid that when its all said and done that the last 2 years will have meant and been for nothing.”

“Look on the bright side,” Shelly said, “if he dumps you, we can go guy hunting.”

“Oh, well that makes me feel a whole lot better,” Mary laughed.

“I’m going to go sweetie,” Shelly said, “I’ve gotta meet someone on the other side.”

“Well,” Mary said, “try not to get lost on the way over.”

“Oh,” Shelly said with a wink, “I won’t.”

Mary just laughed, “I’ll see ya then,” she said, “have fun, but not too much.”

“Ok,” Shelly said, walking off deeper into the crowd. “Now where did he go?” she said to her self.

“Hey Shelly,” Jesse said, “Were you looking for me?”

Shelly just laughed, “hmm,” she hummed stepping in to give him a kiss, “what gave you that idea?”

“Oh I don’t know,” Jesse said, “but I think the kiss was a dead give away.”

“Oh really?” she sighed, stepping up beside him, and looping her arm through his, “where to?”

“Hmm,” he hummed tapping his chin with his free hand, “how about we walk straight ahead and look at which ever painting we run into first?”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Shelly said.

After a few minutes of silence, “Jason said that Mary gave him an ultimatum today,” Jesse said.

“Well it’s been coming for a while now,” Mary said, “I’m just surprised that she finally mustered up the guts to do it.”

“Yeah, he said that she kissed him at the car at one of the red lights,” Jesse said.

“Hehe,” Shelly giggled, “that would have been a sight to see.”

“Yeah,” Jesse said, “he said she got mad when he pushed her back to her side of the vehicle. That’s when she gave him the choice.”

“I hope things work out for the better for them,” Shelly said, “I hate seeing her unhappy.”

“me too,” he said,” me too.”

After that they took their time looking over the painting, they came by the one in which Mary had started out at. Sometimes Shelly had a hard time imagining that her best friend was an artist. She still couldn’t get over seeing her best friends name on the plak with the name of the painting written above it. “This is where she was standing when I got here,” Shelly said, “I still can’t believe that she painted something this awesome.”
“I know,” Jesse said, wrapping his arms around Shelly from behind, “sometimes I wish I had half her talent.”

“But you have things that you good at,” Shelly said.
“Like what?” Jesse asked.
“Well I especially like the way that you hold me,” Shelly said, “and the way that you comfort me when I’m feeling down.”

“Aww,” he said, “I just wish there was something that we could do for them.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent in silence, they wondered around looking at the other paintings. Afterwards they went and got a bite to eat. All in all it was a rather nice day, and knows one knew what tomorrow would hold. But hopefully Mary would get the answers she was looking for.