Read Pisces: From Behind That Locked Door for Free Online

businesses, you know. People who were running the shops and restaurants their parents started with a few new places sprinkled in. Now it's completely... artificial. Everything is for their benefit. Nearly all of the places I used to spend time are gone, replaced by galleries and stores that sell scarves for five hundred a piece."
    "We don't have to go there if you don't like it," Stephen said.
    "Oh, no, I still like it just fine. Especially on days like this. It'll be at least ten or fifteen degrees cooler up there. It's just... not the same."
    "I know what you mean. The neighborhood where I grew up in Phoenix was completely different by the time I was fifteen. It grew really fast. It was supposed to be a good thing, but I hated it. I don't mind change, but I like it when it happens so slowly I barely notice it."
    "That's exactly how I feel. I wish there were two versions of Park City. One for all the tourists and Hollywood people, and another that's mostly just full of ski bums."
    "A town full of ski bums sounds charming."
    "Doesn't it, though?"
    "Why do you know so much about Park City? I thought you didn't ski?"
    "I don't. But I had a few jobs there. And my parents both worked for the resorts, so I spent a lot of time around town."
    "So you could have learned to ski for free?"
    "Yeah, I guess so. I think the employees got free or reduced lift passes. But I never felt that suicidal."
    Stephen frowned, and Jay realized it wasn't so much the words that gave him away as the tone. The words could be written off as a figure of speech, but he didn't sound like he was joking. Afraid of what Stephen might think of him if he lingered over the implications, Jay quickly said, "You should have seen it up here during the Olympics. It was insane."
    "Oh, I bet. I wanted to come up here and watch the snowboarding at least, but my parents wouldn't let me."
    "My mom made me volunteer to work the Games."
    "That sounds like fun."
    "It was pretty much the opposite of fun. I was stuck cleaning up the Ute Stadium after every event. Do you have any idea how filthy and disgusting people are? And all those stairs... "
    "But it helped build character, right?"
    Jay snorted. "Yeah, that's what my mom said. I let it build my character for about three days before I had enough of that bullshit. Fortunately, when I told her it was distracting me from school, she didn't fight me."
    "Did you at least get to go to any of the events?"
    "No. Just watched them on TV like everybody else."
    "I know this sounds really lame, but I love the Olympics. I wish I could go to London in 2012."
    "You love the Olympics?"
    "I do."
    "Wow. That does sound really lame. Do you like the summer or winter sports the best?"
    "Summer. Like everybody else."
    "I like the horse events the most," Jay admitted. "Even though I don't really understand what's happening."
    "Do you mean like dressage?"
    "Yes."
    "I love watching dressage. And no, I don't understand it, either. I keep hoping that if I just keep watching it, I'll figure it all out sooner or later. I should just look it up on Wiki, I guess."
    "I did," Jay said. "It didn't really help. Maybe it'll make more sense to you, though. If it does, explain it to me."
    Stephen chuckled. "I will. So, what's in those mountains?"
    "What?"
    "Is there like another town back there somewhere?" Stephen asked, gesturing to the mountains on the north side of the road.
    "Nope. Just more mountains."
    "But there's an exit here off the freeway."
    "Yeah, there's a reservoir down there, and that road goes to Emigration Canyon, which just cuts back to Salt Lake. I don't know what's beyond that though, honestly. Probably nothing."
    "We should go explore."
    "Where?"
    "Everywhere. Aren't you curious about where all those roads go?"
    Jay wasn't. Plus, if he ever got curious about it, he could just check out Google Earth. But Stephen seemed really enthusiastic about the idea, and even though it was somewhat dangerous to spend too much time with Stephen, his