A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,12

I'm afraid of him." Jake replied.

"So?" His father asked.

"So? So?!" Jake said incredulously. "Dad, be real. I don't want to be seen as a big coward that people can push around."

"Look, Jake." His father sighed. "I'm not asking you to be a coward or to allow others to pick on you. I just want you to think these things through. I want you to look at courage in a different way. I know that walking away from a fight can seem to be the hardest thing to do at your age, but as the saying goes, 'discretion is the better part of valor'. Look, I hope you are able to live your life without having to fight anyone, but if you have to fight, just be sure you are fighting for something more than just your pride."

"Dad, you don't understand..."

"Son, I understand." His father interrupted. "Don't you think that I sometimes feel the urge to rap someone upside their head? However, as you get older, you will realize that letting some things go is better for your health. It doesn't mean you are a coward."

"So, you are saying to never fight." Jake replied stubbornly.

"No, Jake. I'm asking that, if you have to, you should always fight for something important, not over silly stuff like what other people think." His father paused. "Look, I try to live and let live, but if someone tried to hurt your mom or you kids, I would do everything in my power to stop them, even if it meant having to kill them or it cost me my own life." He said, his voice turning harder as he spoke.

Jake, startled by the sudden passion in his father's voice, looked over at his face. He was surprised to see something in his father that he had never seen before: dangerousness. As his father imagined someone threatening his family, his body and face had tightened and his eyes were full of dark thoughts. Jake was taken aback and a bit awed by this side of his father. His father noticed his look and gave himself a little shake.

He smiled ruefully. "Well, hopefully, we'll never have to cross that line. You understand what I am trying to say here, Jake?" Jake nodded.

His father's expression turned serious. "Jake, I'm going to call Donald's father." He held up a hand when Jake began to protest. "No arguments. We'll discuss what happened and how to make sure it does not happen again. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Good." His father smiled again. "Let's talk about something else. Tell me about this girl you like so much."

Caught up in the closeness he felt with his father at the moment, Jake surprised himself by talking about his feelings for Sabrina. He had never really spoken of this to his parents.

"Well, Jake, I know you think your old man was born old, but believe it or not, I was your age once. One of the things I learned from that time was that it's exciting to have these feelings and desires for someone else, but you should be sure that the feeling is returned. Otherwise, you'll just drive yourself crazy for no good purpose. Trust me, I know." His father paused, a small smile on his face, eyes distant, accessing some memory. He shook his head slightly and looked his son in the face. "Do you know if Sabrina even feels the same way about you? She is dating Donald, after all."

"Well, I never really asked her." Jake replied, feeling a little sheepish. "She seems to like me."

"I know that you don't want to hear this, but 'like' is a long way from where you want this to be. You should be sure of her feelings before you commit so much effort in your pursuit. You may just miss other opportunities." His father paused. "What about this Tina? She clearly seems to like you as more than a friend. Honestly, she sounds like a kick in the pants to me."

"She's fun to be around, Dad, but she is not Sabrina. I mean, if you saw Sabrina, you would understand."

His father shook his head, bemused by that answer. "I guess you'll have to learn the hard way. Just remember that your old man warned you."

His father stood up and opened the door. He glanced back at Jake. "Don't forget. You owe your mother an apology. One last bit of fatherly advice: The quicker you do it, the better off you will be." His father headed back towards