erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Jun 5, 2007 12:11:19 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 16: Mistake
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Lucas sped down the stairs with Marshall following slowly behind. The plane ticket still tightly in his grip.
"Lucas," Marshall breathed.
Lucas pretended not to hear him. If he couldn't persuade his best friend he was making a big mistake, he knew someone who would. He opened the door, motioning Marshall to hurry up.
That same moment, Grant came passing through holding a stack of envelopes. He eyed the two boys curiously. "Where are you two going?"
Right when Marshall was going to answer, Lucas quickly stepped in. "To talk some sense into your brother,"
Grant nodded his head in approval. "Great,"
Marshall rolled his eyes. "I'll be back," and turned back towards the door.
He knew exactly where they were going. "Well, while you're there can you give this to him?" he searched the stack of envelopes in his hands, "hold on it might be in the other one."
The two watched Grant walk back into the dining room, where Lucas noticed the littered table. There were papers, pens, and boxes everywhere. "Here it is," they heard him say. He walked back out into the foyer where he handed it to Marshall.
Marshall looked down at the envelope and back at Grant. "It's your job," he protested.
"C'mon Marshall? You're going there anyway,"
"So?"
"It'll help us get more done. Do you know how many of these we have to deliver?"
"Then stick a stamp on them and drop them at the post office!"
Lucas watched as the two brothers argued over a single, flammable, water soluble item.
"We can‘t do that,"
"I don't care,"
Lucas sighed. "I'll give it to him,"
The two brothers paused in their argument and looked over at Lucas. Grant smiled handing over the paper. "Thank you Lucas," he said looking over at Marshall.
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The only thing he could think about was Corrine moving out. It came all too suddenly, though he knew it would happen sooner or later; he was only wishing it would be the latter.
He smiled as he reminisced about all the times they'd spent together at his apartment. Though the past few weeks weren't as enjoyable as the others, they still had their fair share of good times.
Like the one time he decided to help her study a set of note cards, and they ended up talking about everything but what she was supposed be reviewing. He remembered her coming home a few days later saying she aced it anyway.
Then there was the time they stayed up all night in his room looking over Josie's scrapbook, and talking about what their perfect partner would be like. He remembered his description fit both Corrine's personality and appearance. And even though he might have had a drink that night, he was definitely not teasing, though she thought he was.
And of course the night they had attempted to cook dinner. Even though the night went awry, with the electricity going out, and with Greg disrupting their conversation, it was still the most memorable time he spent with Corrine.
He looked at his professor who was still lecturing, and down at his empty notepad.
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The navy blue door finally opened on the third ring.
"Lucas? Marshall?" He was surprised to see them standing outside his door. He hadn't seen Marshall since that evening Corrine left for London, and he hadn't seen, let alone spoken with Lucas since Graduation. He greeted them with a weak smile.
"Hi Z," greeted Lucas as he pushed through the door impatiently and stepped into the living room.
Marshall nodded his head in acknowledgement, as he followed Lucas in.
Z, surprised from the unexpected intrusion, shook his head, and glanced back outside wondering if Josie would appear, before closing the door behind him.
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Elizabeth was passing though the Burlington arcade, when she spotted Vaughn coming from the opposite direction.
"Vaughn?" she said trying to keep her volume down.
Vaughn looked over, and noticed the familiar face waiving at him from across the arcade. He smiled as he made his way up to her, his hands tucked away in his pockets. "Hey, what are you doing here?"
She stood there awkwardly, contemplating whether or not to greet him with a hug. "Just got out of class, thought I'd do a little shopping," she looked over at his hands, which were neatly hidden from view. "What about you?"
He scanned the window they were standing in front of. "Same," he simply answered. "without the shopping part," he added as an afterthought.
Elizabeth smiled. "Would you, maybe, like to accompany me?" she asked hopefully. She was feeling lonely and wanted some male company. It was always nice to walk around London with a smart, handsome boy at your arms.
"Actually," he thought about going back home and hopefully catching Corrine sans Greg, but he soon concluded that the chances of that were slim. "Yeah, I'd love to." he watched as her eyes lit up. He was secretly hoping she didn't have any other plans besides shopping up her sleeves.
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It wasn't long after Z shut the door did Lucas started rambling on about what sounded like nonsense. He didn't even get a chance to ask how their summer was going, or how excited they were for college or even offer them something to drink, like a proper host would do.
"Tell him he's wrong. Tell him he's wrong and I'm right!" exclaimed Lucas pointing to Marshall with the plane ticket.
Z looked questioningly at him then over at Marshall who was shaking his head disapprovingly. "What is it we're talking about?" Z used a finger to push up his rimless glasses.
"Here," he handed over the paper for Z to examine. "Tell him he's making a big mistake," He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched.
Z scanned the ticket twice for good measure, and in an audible whisper said, "London, England. This is a one-way ticket to London, England." When it dawned on him, he looked over worriedly at Marshall. "I'm hoping there's another part to this?" he flipped it over twice, and double checked for any folds or signs of a missing page. There were none. "Or perhaps you're buying the return ticket there?"
Marshall shook his head.
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"I hate my bloody professor," Elizabeth confessed as she started searching through a rack of cashmere cardigans.
Vaughn yawned, as he ran a finger down the side of a purse. He felt grooves in the leather, and ran his finger over it again and again, until he realized it was alligator skin.
"Did you hear me?" she asked when she didn't get a reply the first time.
Truthfully he hadn't heard half of what she was talking about the minute they walked into the store. He heard parts about her cousin Lily's birthday party, and about her hating her professor, but other than that, he was completely lost. "What?"
She sighed. "You weren't listening to a thing I said," she said sadly moving on to a table, where there was a colorful array of scarves neatly arranged on top.
"No, I was," he assured. "What about your professor?" He followed her over to the table, taking long strides. He noticed his blurred reflection in the polished black granite floor.
"Well, he stuck me with the new girl as a partner," she said loathingly.
He was going to try to make an effort to stay in the conversation. "And what's wrong with her?"
"Everything," she answered matter-of-factly.
"Oh, couldn't you at least give her chance?"
Elizabeth scoffed. "I did, and she ruined it,"
That was what he didn't like about her, or any girl for that matter. They were always hating on someone for no apparently good reason.
"You should see how she dresses too, it's appalling," she added, picking up a brightly patterned silk scarf. Suddenly she started giggling. "I bumped into her on purpose today, and let my ice cream cone smear all over her hideous dress,"
She giggled some more, as Vaughn thought about going home.
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He was a foolish schoolboy in love, Z thought, one who was too much blinded by his feelings to distinguish a wise decision from a foolish one. He shook his head as he tried to listen to his former pupil, but ultimately he couldn't help but think about the failure that would become his life if he went on with his plans. "Are you positive about this Marshall?" he asked a third time glancing over at Lucas, who cared enough to try to help his best friend.
"I really want to go. I think it's best for me. I mean, I've picked out a college and everything," he tried to explain, but it wasn't nearly scratching the surface of persuading the two other men sitting in the room.
Just then there was loud knock on the door. Z looked up curiously.
"That must be Josie," said Lucas voluntarily getting up from the couch to let her in. He called her not long after they settled into Z's cozy apartment.
Z nodded, and focused his attention back on Marshall. He heard the door close.
"Hey," Josie greeted. She wasn't going to bother trying to persuade him nicely. She knew he was making a big mistake and she was going to let him know as bluntly and harshly as she could. "Can I talk to you?" she looked at Marshall.
Josie pulled him outside, and onto Z's balcony where there was a clear view of the surrounding apartments, and of a lake. The fountain provided the scene with the soothing sounds of running water, but it wouldn't help the grave mood of the party.
"Do you really think she's gonna take you back?" she asked with arms crossed leaning against the railings.
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Hope you guys haven’t lost interest. As always, please review!!
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Jun 14, 2007 0:23:09 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 17: Closer to Perfect
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! You guys are the reason I have kept writing. Thank you!
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As much as he liked Elizabeth, he couldn't have been more happy to be back home far away from the shopping and gossip.
He walked into his makeshift bedroom to find Greg standing in front of the full length mirror, decked out in 19th century attire. "Check this out," he said spinning around for Vaughn to see. He had on a dark blue coat that extended in the back down to his knees. Under that he wore a brown vest over a white ruffled shirt tucked neatly into off-white breeches. "Just imagine it with the shoes and stockings," he added giving his bare toes a wriggle. "Of course, this is only one of the costumes I get to wear,"
Vaughn wasn't really in the mood for chit-chat, but decided to compliment him anyway. "Yeah, it's very," he searched his brain for something appropriate. "historical." He nodded.
Greg furrowed his brow as he watched his roommate throw himself on the bed with a loud thud. "You okay?"
"Mmhmm," he responded. But he really wasn't.
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"I need to know you're not bullkookyting us," said Josie.
Z looked over at her with a stern glare. He was never used to hearing his students--former or not--use such words, and often he forgot they were no longer in school.
"Look we need to know your not screwing us over," Josie continued. Out on the balcony she had successfully made Marshall rethink his plans, and even agreed to let him go on the terms that he return a week later. Now they were debating whether or not they could trust him to buy a return ticket before his plane left a week from now.
Lucas nodded his head in agreement, letting Josie do all the of talking.
"You can turst me guys," Marshall replied in a relaxed tone.
"Can we?" Z asked.
The once heated conversation turned into silence afterwards. Marshall leaned back into the couch and scanned the room at Josie, Lucas and Z, who were all there out of concern for him. He was touched by their thoughtfulness, but was ultimately still angered by their successful persuasion.
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They both heard the door open. Vaughn lifted his head from his pillow. "Corrine," he said to Greg who was still in his costume. He got up and walked into the living room to greet her.
"Hey," he said groggily, leaning against the door frame.
"Hey," she said back. She had her back turned to him, as she sat down her things on the dining table. Vaughn could sense something was wrong. "Where's Greg?"
Vaughn wasn't surprised, though he still felt his heart hurt just a little more. 'Of course,' he thought. Of course the one time they're coincidentally home at the same time, she'd go and ask for Greg, despite their obvious lack of conversation during the past weeks. He let his head drop, regretting he ever came home early. And as he was about to turn back into the room, he got a glimpse of something brown across the front of her white dress.
That same moment, Greg brushed past him into the living room, where he spun around for Corrine. "Ta da," he started but stopped short when he noticed the exact same thing Vaughn had his eyes on. "What the hell happened there?"
Corrine sighed heavily. "Don't ask," she simply answered.
Vaughn watched the interaction between his two friends, and listened closely to their conversation.
"Did you take your ice cream cone and smear it all over yourself?" Greg joked, but wiped the smart smile off his face when he saw Corrine's glare.
"More like someone else did," she retorted.
"Who?" asked Greg.
"Oh, you know who," Corrine was starting to sound irritated. "Ugh! She treats me like trash every chance she gets. And you know what makes matters worse? She's my partner. I don't even know what I did to deserve this."
Vaughn, who was feeling forgotten in the corner, watched her from the doorway realizing he heard something similar before. He furrowed his brow in thought, as he recalled the conversation he had with Elizabeth earlier that afternoon. He distinctly remembered her ranting about a girl she hated, and how hideous her dress was, and how she ruined it with her "ice cream cone," he heard himself saying aloud, as he pieced together the information. Of course, neither of the two heard him.
Elizabeth couldn't be the same person Corrine was talking about, Vaughn concluded. 'Elizabeth is kind, caring, and...' his thoughts trailed off as reality dawned on him.
Greg had hopped onto the back of the sofa and was now nodding his head. "She's just jealous Corrine." He started unbuttoning his vest with one hand, while the other kept him balanced. "Remember the first day she saw us together. The look in her eyes. That was pure jealousy there!"
She shook her head. "Why should she be jealous? She's rich, she's pretty, she's smart, everyone loves her. The girl's perfect, and I'm sure her boyfriend's perfect too!"
Vaughn balled his fist in his growing anger. Corrine was wrong, maybe Elizabeth was rich, but she was none of the those other things, at least, she wasn't any more. He wanted to walk up to her, and take her into his arms and tell her how wrong she was. He wanted to whisper into her ears that she was pretty, and smart. But the next thing he saw made his heart plummet.
Greg hopped down, and strode over to her. And with a gentle hand lifted her chin up. "You are closer to perfect than she will ever be," he whispered just loud enough for Vaughn to hear.
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Z motioned for Josie and Lucas to step out of the room and join him out in the balcony.
"I don't believe him," started Josie the second the sliding glass door closed behind them.
"Yeah, neither do I," Lucas added.
Z sighed, as he nodded his head in agreement. "Some one should go with him," he suggested half jokingly.
His two former students looked at him in bewilderment. "You're kidding?! We're not made of money Z," said Josie.
Z put his hands up in defense. "I know, I know, I just though maybe--"
"I have some money saved up," Lucas added in.
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It was the side of this she had never seen before. Corrine looked up at Greg uneasily. Never before had she stood so near him, but after his affectionate words, all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him, but she hesitated afraid what Vaughn might think. She glanced at the doorway wondering if he was still standing there taking in the scene. It was disappointment she felt when she found that he was gone. "Where's Vaughn?" she asked withdrawing from Greg's nearness.
He pinced the bridge of his nose as, he too, turned away. "Uh, I think he left," he answered with a hint of irritation in his voice.
It took Corrine a few seconds to realize the slight transformation in Greg's mood. A few seconds earlier he was standing mere inches from her body, whispering the sweetest thing into her ear, and now he was making his way across the room to look out the windows. She felt bad, for not even noticing his costume.
Below the third story windows, walking briskly out on the sidewalk, Greg saw Vaughn. But he made no attempt to let Corrine know. He watched as the solemn figure of his roommate disappeared in the distance. 'You fool,' he thought to himself.
After awkwardly standing still, wondering why Vaughn left, and where he could have possibly gone off to, Corrine remembered her still soiled dress. "I, I'm gonna go change," she said to Greg, who turned around and nodded his head silently in acknowledgement.
When he heard the bedroom door close, he returned his gaze back out into the streets.
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Marshall, Lucas, and Josie crowded behind Z to get a view of the computer screen. Their eyes followed the cursor as it clicked its way through online booking.
After much deliberation and persuasion, it was decided that Lucas would accompany Marshall on the trip. 'I feel like I need to get out of the country anyway,' he remembered saying before getting the approval of Z and Josie. He would be going off to college in a month, and he wasn't particularly excited. But the idea of traveling to a new place on an altogether different continent sounded more and more appealing. Now he watched the computer screen closely, contemplating whether or not he'd want a seat by the window or aisle.
Despite their unwavering gaze at the screen, Lucas and Marshall were deeply lost in their own thoughts, and neither of them noticed the quantity of tickets that ended up being booked.
"I think you made a mistake," Josie pointed out on the screen.
Z looked up at her from his chair. "You might want to call Corrine." he said. "we might need a place to stay,"
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I've been having more time to write the story thanks to summer. So it shouldn't be a long wait for the next chapter.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Jul 18, 2007 22:31:02 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 18: Favorite Science Club
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
I wholeheartedly apologize for the long wait. As I have mentioned before, I was unavailable during the time, as I was on a little vacation.
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The clock was nearly close to striking midnight, and Vaughn was still not home. Corrine had readied herself for bed, and was lying down staring up at the ceiling as she replayed the days events.
Vaughn's sudden disappearance wouldn't have boggled her mind so much if he at least had said a goodbye. Instead he took off, without her even knowing. While they haven't exactly been communicating all that much the past week, it was still uncommon for him to leave without telling her. Every day for the last two weeks he'd been letting her know whenever he was leaving. In the mornings when he'd come into his room for clothes, he'd pause by the bed and softly whisper he was off to class. While it was the smallest of gestures, it still left her smiling for hours.
She dozed off only moments before the front door opened.
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He went all over town, sitting in parks, walking through empty side streets, anyplace where his mind could think. He even found himself at Elizabeth's door, ready to give her a piece of his mind, but he shrugged off the idea and left her door unknocked. 'What good would it do anyway?' he had asked himself.
As he set his keys down, he glanced over at his bedroom door, ready to go in and tell her how he felt. He wanted to pour out his heart and soul and tell her everything, and for a moment he seriously contemplated on doing it, until Greg's door opened.
"Hey, where've you been?" he asked in a low voice scratching his shirtless torso.
"Studying," he lied. He wasn't in the mood to talk, much less to the person he didn't exactly want to see at the moment.
"Hmm," Greg scratched his arm, as a yawn escaped his lips. "Well she was pretty worried ya know,"
'Worried?' he thought to himself, as the thought of Corrine worrying over him made him smile. "Yeah," he said trying to sound apathetic. He walked over to his door, and quietly turned the knob.
Inside the room was completely pitch black, and as his eyes adjusted the darkness, he soon found himself looking at Corrine, who was sound asleep. His eyes lingered on her motionless body for a few seconds, until he forced himself to snap out of it. The dresser was only a few steps away, and he quietly tiptoed his way to it, careful not to wake her up.
On the way out the door he had a sudden urge to kiss her, just a gentle, friendly kiss goodnight. 'Friendly?' he scoffed in his mind, as he forced himself out the door. It would mean everything but.
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The next morning Corrine woke up to the smell of fresh coffee. She lazily opened her eyes, inhaling in the deep rich aroma, to find Vaughn sitting on the edge of the bed, holding onto a nice tall mug. A smile tried to surface it's way up, but Corrine still felt too groggy. "Leaving?" she assumed.
Vaughn shook his head. "I'm free today," he announced. There was hope in his voice that wanted her to get the hint.
And it was all he needed to say to get her to understand just exactly what he had in mind. And as he waved the cup temptingly in front of her eyes, Corrine could only smile. Her heart raced at the idea of spending time together.
------------------- 1 WEEK LATER -------------------
With bags checked in, and tickets in hand, the two of them sat patiently waiting to board the plane, while the other pair sat restless in their seats.
Marshall dug through his carry-on relentlessly, looking for his mp3 player, while Lucas impatiently tapped his foot on the carpeted floor as he felt a cold sweat dot his forehead.
"Are you alright?" Marshall asked pausing from his search.
Lucas nodded. "Yeah," It was a lie.
Josie sat scanning over her boarding pass. It still hasn't hit her that she was going off to London to see Corrine and Vaughn. And she had only one person she had to thank for it. Ever since last week, she hadn't gotten a chance to show her former teacher the proper gratitude he clearly deserved, and now, she thought, was the perfect time.
"You didn't have to all do this, you know," she began slowly.
Z, who had been watching planes come in, looked to his right. "I know."
"Well, my mom says she'll pay you back," There was something in his voice that told her there was no point in arguing, but she thought it was the rightful thing to pay him back for all the trouble he went through to buy all four of them tickets.
Z lifted a hand in the air. "Don't worry about it," He shook his head. Getting his money back didn't exactly cross his mind when he was purchasing them, and it still hadn't. "Only for my favorite science club, right?"
"Well, thanks," Josie smiled as she settled back into her seat. It was awfully nice of him.
After over hearing the conversation, Marshall took another pause from his search and stood up, setting down his bag on the chair. "Oh come here you," he exclaimed with his arms reaching out for a hug.
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It had been nothing short of a miracle, as Vaughn wanted to believe. After their outing last week, he and Corrine became practically became best friends. And it couldn't have come at a better time too, now that Greg had school and the play to juggle, there wasn't much of him hanging around as before. And less Greg meant more Corrine.
It was a selfish thought, but Vaughn was thankful for the turn of events.
Although they were practically inseparable, the matter of Vaughn's feelings had yet to be expressed. Now as he watched her apply a liberal amount of cream cheese to a bagel, he wanted more than anything to let her know.
"Did I tell you I got a call last night from Josie?" Her voice was cool, as she kept her eyes fixated on the round peice of bread.
The name caught his attention. 'Josie,' he repeated silently. It had been over a month since they exchanged any form of words. She hadn't bothered to call, email, or send him any letters so communication was difficult, but then again neither had he. "No? How is she?" he wanted to sound apathetic, yet slightly interested at the same time.
She took a bite from her breakfast, then sipped from her coffee. "You won't believe what she had to say,"
The cafe was packed now, mostly with businessmen, with their classy black suits and shiny shoes. Vaughn had been distracted by a father who had hauled in his three kids, who are all jumping, screaming, and running around. Somehow they were a refreshing sight amongst the formal suited men and their briefcases. He turned back to give Corrine his undivided attention. "Try me,"
After another bite she attempted to deliver the news. "Well, guess where she is right now?" She wanted to sound composed when she told him, but she could feel the excitement rushing through her body.
"Hawaii?" he guessed without effort.
"Nope," she smiled flashing her perfect set of white teeth. "Guess again,"
He didn't like guessing games very much, but for Corrine he endured another try. "Florida?"
She rolled her eyes. "No. She's with Marshall, Lucas and Z," she paused for added suspense. "on a plane,"
The idea as perposterous as it first sounded, started to become a likely situation. He could imagine the science club, or what was rest of it, going on a trip together. He imagined them heading to some science museum, with Z lecturing the entire time. "to where? Florida?" he joked.
"Vaughn," she scolded and without giving it much thought her hand reached forward and landed lightly ontop of his. "they're coming here!"
It was the last place he would have thought of. Not that he never imagined them coming to London for a visit, he could, it just felt so sudden.
The surprise left him literally speechless as he sat there drinking in the news. -------------------
I had a bad case of writers block for this chapter. I think it turned out great though, even on the short side. Hope you guys do too.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Aug 12, 2007 8:27:08 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 19: Breaking News
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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It hadn't occurred to him that his hand was still covered by hers. The news of this visit literally pushed everything out of his mind, so that all he could concentrate on was Josie, Lucas, Marshall and Z.
Josie. He lingered on the idea of seeing her again. It would be nice he decided, and it would be the chance, he realized, to finally gain closure to their relationship. Not that it wasn't already over, but his lack of an explanation left him feeling guilty from time to time, or whenever the name 'Josie' was brought up.
As Vaughn sank deeper in his reverie, Corrine couldn't help but feel like the bearer of bad news. He hadn't shown any signs of excitement, or happiness, as she had when she first found out. Was seeing their friends that bad? Was that the reason why he moved to London? To escape from all of them? Did that include her? She gave his hand a frim squeeze, but started to feel hesitant at the thought of him not genuinely liking her.
It curtly brought him back into reality, and he noticed for the first time how soft her hands were.
"You don't seem too excited," she observed.
When he looked up, he met her worried gaze. He didn't like seeing her worried, especially if he was the cause of it. He sat up straight, and to his surprise squeezed her hand back. And he secretly wondered how they appeared to everyone. "No, I'm very excited," he paused when she withdrew her hand. "It's...doesn't it seem...sudden?"
So he wasn't excited, she detected, from the last part of his statement. Corrine sighed. Maybe he wanted to avoid them after all. And maybe that included her. 'Ridiculous,' she scolded herself for even thinking it. If he didn't like her--as a friend, she added--then he wouldn't be having breakfast with her, or any of those other times. And if he didn't like her, he would definitely not have come to pick her up at the airport, and given her that rose.
She lingered on the memory of the white rose. How special she felt when Vaughn pulled it out for her. How her heart raced then, despite her denial.
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Marshall tilted his head as far as he could from Z, but the fact that he had the window seat, and because Z's head had been tilted towards him, prevented him from escaping his loud and obnoxious snores. He glanced back regretfully at the seat that should have been his. If he wasn't such a good friend, he would have left Lucas the seat next to Z.
He tried staring out the window hoping it would be relaxing; but it was anything but. The wing was right beneath the window, and he could hear the slight whooping noise the air made outside. Curtly he brought down the shade and decided to join Z in his nap. But after 20 minutes of failed attempts he brought out his mp3 player and decided to listen to music instead.
The soothing voice of Michael Buble only intensified his thoughts of Corrine. He closed his eyes imagining what would happen when he arrived; he'd come off the plane, she'd run up to him, give him a hug, and beg him to take her back. A smile appeared on his lips, and after a few more ridiculous fantasies he finally nodded off to sleep.
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"I was thinking since I had class when their flight arrived, that you could go pick them up,"
He could imagine it now, him meeting up with Z, Josie, Lucas and Marshall. He'd be forced to have long, endless conversations with them. What a disaster that would end up being. "I've got class too," he lied. "We can ask Greg,"
Corrine appeared to give it some thought, then nodded her head in agreement. "I guess," then added as an afterthought, "He'd have to hold up one of those signs though," she giggled at the image of Greg holding up a cardboard sign with 'science club' scribbled on the front in big bold letters.
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I know, this is the shortest chapter, but since the science club's arrival happens next, I wanted to make that into a new chapter. Just bear with me readers. And as always read and review.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Aug 22, 2007 22:21:37 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 20: Awkward Reunions
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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It was a quarter past noon when their plane touched ground. An air of excitement hovered over the group as they left the plane and waited at baggage claim.
Josie's eyes followed the revolving belt and a particularly bright pink bag. The boys were behind her chatting about something called The London Eye, but she hardly could keep up with their conversation as her thoughts kept drifting back to Vaughn.
"Isn't that yours?" she heard Marshall ask.
She looked over to where he had been pointing and spotted her faded leather suitcase. "Yeah," she nodded and attempted to follow it out of the crowd. After retrieving her luggage, she headed back to the group who likewise had found theirs and were ready to head out.
"Anyone know how to get to Corrine's?" Z asked as he led his former students out of the airport.
"I've got her address," Marshall said somewhat breathlessly. He quickened his pace to catch up with Z.
But suddenly Z stopped in his tracks, and looked at the three of them. "Josie, you sure she said we could stay with her?"
The question failed to reach her ears. She was stuck in her own reverie, thinking about what she'd do when she'd see Vaughn. Would she give him a hug? Or would she just say hi? Or maybe neither. 'You're here to see Corrine,' she scolded herself. But the ridiculous thought of Corrine being with Vaughn suddenly plagued her thoughts. 'No,' she thought. She decided her best friend wouldn't do anything like that.
It was then that she heard snapping in the distance, but realized it had been coming from Marshall. "Josie?"
"Yeah?" she asked feeling lost.
Z merely looked at her with an inquisitive expression.
Before she could ask what was going on, Lucas grabbed Z's attention. "I think that's us," he said slowly, motioning to a dark haired guy holding onto a sign just outside the glass doors of the airport.
"Science club," Marshall read aloud. "Yup, that's definitely us," he nodded and started to head out.
Z, Josie and Lucas looked at each other questioningly.
"Aren't you guys coming?" Marshall called out when he realized he was walking alone.
The rest of them hesitated, but after a few moments of standing they decided to follow.
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He had to get out of the house before Corrine did to make his lie a little more believable. He decided he'd stay at the library for an hour or two, then head out for lunch, and by then Corrine should be home from class. And also by then his friends would have arrived.
As he strolled through the long shelves of books, he suddenly noticed a familiar girl browsing on the opposite side. The mere sight of her caused a rush of anger in him now knowing how badly she has treated Corrine. What had he been thinking when he took her out on a date, and then spent the night at her place?
He looked behind him, and realized he had walked more than half the length of the shelves, and a speedy exit was out the question. His only option was to keep walking, or turn the other way. But with either solution there was still that chance she'd notice him.
He sighed, and braved on forward keeping his eyes glued in front of him. If she called him, he decided, he'd give her the cold shoulder. He nearly cringed when he reached her knowing for sure she'd notice him, but strangley she didn't utter a word, nor did she even look up from the shelves.
With a sigh of relief Vaughn sped out of the library and decided to take his lunch early.
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"So Vaughn and Corrine couldn't come, so they asked me to pick you guys up," Greg explain.
Marshall secretly didn't like how he referred to Vaughn and Corrine as 'they', and he also didn't like the fact that neither of them couldn't come. In his mind he thought of it a little suspicious. "Exactly where are they?" he asked approaching Greg with an eyebrow arched up inquisitively.
"They've got class," Greg simply answered stepping back.
"And exactly who are you?" Marshall kept prodding not letting Greg out of his sight.
The science club stood behind him rolling their eyes and sighing impatiently. "Leave it Marshall," said Lucas.
"No, no, that's alright. Where are my manners? I'm Greg, Vaughn's room mate," he smiled and extended his hands to all four of them. Marshall looked down hesitantly before shaking it.
That's when Josie noticed his accent, or lack thereof. "You're not British?" she surprised her self by asking.
"Uh, no, Seattle," he walked over promptly and took her bags from her hands. "Shall we? I didn't park very far,"
-------------------
Corrine was anxious, and could hardly concentrate on her professors lecture. Her mind kept drifting back to her friends. And her eyes kept glancing up at the clock. Time couldn't move any slower.
When class finally wrapped up, Corrine did her best to get home as quickly as possible. Usually she'd leisurely stroll through the park near Vaughn's apartment, but this time she decided to cut corners and take the shortest way back home. She was anxious, excited, and frightfully nervous.
When she finally reached the top of the stairs, and the front door, she was breathless. Quickly she composed herself, and straightened out her clothes. Then slowly she slid her key in, and turned the knob.
And there was Vaughn.
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"This is it," Greg said picking out the key from his chain.
Josie watched him in admiration as he opened the door with little effort even with both hands full with her bags. She looked down at her empty hands and started to feel guilty for letting him struggle with hers, although, she noted there were no signs of struggling coming from him. When she looked back up, the door opened to a wonderfully spacious and modern apartment.
Greg turned around, "Mi casa es su casa," he said playfully, and stepped aside for them.
The apartment was quiet and appeared empty. The Science club set their belongings down and stood awkwardly by the front door and kitchen, it wasn't long until one of them found Greg's sculpture.
"Bought that at an auction," he told Lucas who looked up and smiled politely not knowing what to say. "Please, make yourself at home,"
As the four of them hesitantly made their way across the room to the couch, one of the bedroom doors suddenly opened, and out popped a familiar face.
-------------------
Her eyes brightened up at the sight of her old friends. "You're here!" she exclaimed running up to give them all hugs and welcome them to her temporary home. In her excitement she had utterly forgotten about the pair of boxers in her hands that she had gotten for Vaughn from his room.
"How was you're trip?" she asked motioning them into the living room. Marshall watched her hand curiously, wondering what she was holding.
"A nightmare," he answered. He remembered how little sleep he got, but regardless he didn't feel the least bit tired.
"I thought it was tolerable," Lucas objected.
Everyone watched Corrine who seemed restless as she paced relentlessly, picking up little bits of trash and dusting off seemingly clean surfaces with her free hand. "I'm sorry it's such a mess," she apologized brushing off an arm of the sofa. "You guys want anything to drink? Or maybe something to eat? I'm sorry, I bet you're all tired. You guys feel free to get some rest."
Lucas and Marshall looked over at Z for assistance. "In due time Corrine," he simply said.
"Yeah, we're not exactly tired. Or Hungry," said Lucas.
"Or thirsty," Marshall added.
"Corrine, don't worry about it. Everything is perfect," Josie assured.
Corrine nodded and smiled. She just wanted everything to be perfect. "Alright," she said and let her hand fall to her side.
"When exactly will we be expecting Vaughn?" Z asked quickly switching subjects.
At that moment, even before Corrine or Greg could give an answer, the second door on the other wall opened. Everyone's eyes curiously shot in that direction. Behind the curtain of steam emerged a Vaughn clad only in a solitary towel. "Corrine, whatever happened to my..." he trailed off when he felt his mouth suddenly go dry at the sight of seven pairs of scrutinizing eyes staring at his semi-nude body.
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So much is going to happen in the upcoming chapters, I'm certainly excited about this part of the story. And as always, I'd love your feedback.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Aug 29, 2007 20:55:47 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 21: Silence isn't Golden
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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It was suspicious enough that he was half naked, with Corrine holding a pair of his boxers, but after he hastily excused himself, without even a single word of acknowledgement to any of them, suspicions rose even higher.
Josie and Marshall looked at each other, but neither said a word.
After pulling out two chairs from the dining table into the living room for him and Corrine to sit on, Greg promptly excused himself. Suddenly everything became quiet.
Everyone looked around in silence.
This was not how she pictured their arrival. Firstly, she would have been ready when they walked through the door, and she would have definitely not have been caught dead in the middle of fetching Vaughn a pair of boxers. And secondly, she would have tried harder not to make things seem awkward between her and Marshall.
It was all just wrong timing.
Josie smiled at Corrine, who smiled back in return. "Nice place," she complimented.
Greg who was busying himself in the kitchen came out with an armful of snacks and drinks. "Thanks," he answered.
"Yeah, this is pretty much all Greg," Corrine added. She looked up from her seat and smiled.
"But wait till you see Corrine's new apartment. Now that's a looker,"
"Yeah, when do we get to see it?" It was the first time since their arrival that Marshall spoke to her directly. And when she answered she could hardly get herself to look him straight in the eyes.
"Soon, hopefully," She focused her attention on the red bag of chips on the coffee table, since her eyes refused to look at him. "They're still finishing up construction."
"Whatever happened to the one you were so excited about?" Lucas asked. He remembered her showing him and Josie a photo of a homely brick building, with a picturesque garden and window shutters while they were at the airport. She had sounded excited about moving in.
Greg chuckled, but let Corrine answer.
"False advertisement," she simply put it, glancing at Greg who took the seat next to her.
Z nodded in agreement. "Never can trust the internet,"
Lucas objected immediately. "Not exactly," and afterwards, they stayed on the subject for several minutes as Corrine sat back and took in the scene. She would have never imagined having all of her friends with her in London.
"So who was the lucky guy?" she heard Greg whisper into her ear, and she blushed when she saw Marshall glance in her direction.
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After a few more minutes she excused herself, as Greg bragged about his new role in a play; everyone seemed genuinely interested, and hardly noticed her leave.
It took several knocks, until she heard a voice on the opposite side. Quietly she let herself in.
She found Vaughn sitting on the edge of her bed--his bed--slipping on a pair of socks. He looked up, and smiled reassuringly. "Well, that was awkward," she leaned against the door.
"You have no idea,"
"You don't have class later do you?"
He shook his head, "No. Why?"
"Well I figured we'd take them out, you know show them around of course," Just as when she was talking to Marshall, she was looking everywhere but at Vaughn, and when she finally locked eyes with him, she found her knees feeling week under his gaze, just as it had been that night the power went out.
She scolded herself for acting so...unlike herself.
"Yeah, definitely," he said, not taking his eyes off her.
"Okay,"
Their conversation was quick and to the point. And when she turned around to leave, she felt Vaughn get up and move behind her. "Maybe you should wait a few seconds before you come out," she said quietly to the door.
He realized she didn't want anyone suspecting anything especially after the previous incident. He understood, but it wasn't like there was anything to suspect anyway. He hesitated and stepped back wanting to respect her wishes.
-------------------
She was already seated for a good minute when he came out, all smiles--an act, she figured.
"Hey," he greeted as if nothing embarrassing previously happened.
Everyone looked up. "Vaughn!" Marshall cried out, and surprised Corrine, by getting up to give him a hug.
Obviously, everyone else was surprised too.
"H-hey, Marshall," he hesitantly hugged him back, patting him lightly.
Corrine suppressed her laughter. It was truly out of character for Marshall to sound so excited to see Vaughn.
Marshall stepped back, and as quickly as he got up, took his seat again. As if embarrassed by his unexpected actions, he promptly buried a hand in chip bag, and stuffed his mouth with a handful of chips. Corrine noticed Lucas scold him, as some crumbs flew on his lap.
"Nice of you to finally join us," it was Z who got up next to greet him. He extended a hand out formally as if he was meeting Vaughn for the first time.
Vaughn smiled wholeheartedly at the sight of his favorite science teacher. Ignoring the outstretched hand, he reached out and gave him a hug. And unlike the one he gave Marshall, it was a genuine hug that he felt was long overdue. "I should be saying that to you guys. I hope you're not too tired out from the flight?"
"I feel strangely...younger," Z teased, and sat back down. "I think London's just what I've been needing,"
"It certainly grows on you, I'll tell you that," he let his eyes linger on Corrine who was coincidentally looking back at him.
He was looking at her again with that same strong piercing gaze, although this time there was a touch of uncertainty--a touch of tenderness--that made her heart beat faster. He smiled in satisfaction when he thought he saw a hint of color rise to her cheeks. She looked away, and he was forced to return to his friends.
He looked over at Lucas, and noticed he wasn't wearing those ridiculous goggle glasses anymore. "Love the new glasses Lucas," he complimented the newer sleeker brown frames.
Lucas sat there awkwardly not knowing whether or not to get up and hug him like Marshall and Z did. "Thanks," he simply said. "I like the new apartment," he added to equal out the sides.
"Thanks,"
As his eyes wandered over the littered coffee table, that he remembered Corrine clearing off minutes before they arrived, he knew that the only person left was Josie. He desperately didn't want to make things awkward between them, and he wished saying 'hi' didn't have to be so much trouble. He swallowed, as he slowly moved his gaze in her direction.
Corrine sensed his anticipation, and watched with sympathy as their first physical conversation since the day Vaughn left unfolded before her.
"Hey Josie,"
It became suddenly dead silent, even as everyone did anything to make it appear like they weren't listening. Marshall and Z appeared to study the ingredients list on the back of a chip bag, and Lucas played with a Big Ben keychain he found in the airport. Greg sat silently, with his head tilted up towards the ceiling.
"Hey," she returned.
"I'm glad you could come," he literally had to forced himself to say it, as it wouldn't come out freely on its own.
She smiled. "Me too,"
There was a moment of awkward silence where everyone looked up from their doings, but it quickly passed. "You know, I really enjoyed that scrapbook you made,"
It took a second for it to register in her brain. "Yeah, it was just something I threw together."
Vaughn cleared a spot on the coffee table, and sat down. "No, it was really good," he continued. He seemed genuinely engaged in the conversation.
Suddenly, it wasn't sympathy she felt as she watched the two converse like old friends. It wasn't anything close to being sympathy.
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I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Feedback is always greatly appreciated.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Sept 12, 2007 19:55:26 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 22: Nosey
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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Trafalgar Square was their first and only stop that afternoon--not including the 20 minutes they wasted waiting for coffee--, as the sun was already beginning to set. With the seven of them sharing a single bathroom, getting ready wasn't an easy task.
When they arrived, everyone had unconsciously wandered off in pairs, except Z who rested at the edge of the fountain reading a local magazine and sipping coffee.
"So how's London treating you?" he asked. He had his hands in his pocket, and as he talked he didn't bother to look at her.
When Corrine looked up she saw Marshall watching Vaughn and Josie, and she too let her gaze linger on them before answering, wondering what they could be talking about. They looked happy together, almost as if they never broke up. "Great,"
There was an odd sense of uneasiness between them, and it served as a type of force field against any attempts at a stable conversation. So far, they managed to exchange at most, 3 lines each in regards to the weather. But when it came to personal matters, one word answers seemed to sum it up.
She saw him nod, but he didn't bother to say anything else. "I hear Grant's back at home," she started, hoping to spark a little interest. She glanced again over at Vaughn. They appeared to be in their own world. And she wish she could say the same about her and Marshall.
"Yeah," he simply said with sigh, which irritated her that he couldn't even try to keep up a conversation.
They were strolling leisurely around the fountain for several minutes more, when they ran into Greg and Lucas.
"Hey," Lucas had a suggestive grin, as his eyes moved back and forth between her and Marshall.
Corrine narrowed her eyes playfully and shook her head. She wouldn't be lying if she said there was nothing going on between them. In fact, it would be the truth. She couldn't say it though; Marshall was always the kind of guy who took things to heart.
Instead, she looked over at Greg.
"Took any good pictures?" she asked. Greg brought along his camera and had been taking random shots of the surrounding metropolitan scenery. The sky was turning a beautiful orange red when they arrived, and she had no doubts that the pictures would turn out amazing--as always.
"I always do," he teased.
It then suddenly turned into silence as the four of them looked around awkwardly; Marshall especially looking uneasy.
Thankfully it was Vaughn's voice that broke the tension. "How about some dinner?" he asked rubbing his hands together. He came up behind Corrine, and the sudden sound of his voice startled her.
She heard him chuckle between his words, and she had felt his hand resting on her back. It was the slightest touch, but it was noticeable neverthless and whether or not it had been intentional, it still slightly weakened her in the knees. She figured it must have been obvious, because she saw Marshall watching her questioningly, then glance down and then up at Vaughn.
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Dinner had gone smoothly, or as smoothly as it could have gone. At everyone's request, Greg found a place that served exceptional fish and chips, and even voluntarily picked up the bill at the end of the meal. Corrine remembered Vaughn giving him a hostile stare as he slipped his wallet back in his pocket.
During the meal, Marshall had finally started to open up, not just to her but to everyone as well. She thanked the alcohol partially for it.
He brought up Grant's upcoming wedding and how his new sister-in-law to be was the most annoying woman he had ever met. It was then that Lucas admitted he forgot to give Z the invitation he promised Grant he'd deliver. It really didn't seem to matter, as Z said he'd personally pay him a visit when they got back home.
And while there were still some awkwardness between her and Marshall, Corrine couldn't be happier that he finally started acting a little more like himself, and a little less strange.
"Is the girl playing Elizabeth a hottie?" Lucas asked. Somehow as they all walked back to the apartment conversation drifted back to Greg's play.
"You would ask," Josie playfully slapped him on the arm.
Vaughn chose to walk a few paces behind; he already heard enough about the play. And he was thankful when he saw Corrine look back, and intentionally fall behind to walk with him.
"Why are you back here?" she asked joining him at his side.
He purposely slowed down so they'd fall back a few more steps from the group. "Just thinking,", he said.
"About Josie?" She didn't know why she asked. It just seemed to come out on it's own.
Honestly he had been thinking about Josie here and there, but nothing serious. Mostly about how much she had changed over the summer. 'About you,' he imagined saying, but could never get the nerves to. "Just everything," was his answer.
Corrine looked up. The sky was clear, and the stars shone perfectly bright above them. There was dip in the sidewalk that she hadn't noticed and carelessly stumbled over it.
Instinctively Vaughn brought an arm around her to catch her fall. "Are you alright?" he glanced over at the group, who hadn't even suspected anything.
"Yeah," she managed, bringing a hand up to her forehead. His arm was still around her, and she remembered the moment at Trafalgar square when she felt his hand on her back.
"What?" she heard him ask. And then she noticed how she was smiling like a fool.
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Back at the apartment everyone started getting ready for bed. The bathroom was once again in full use for a straight 2 hours, until it's light's turned off at midnight at last.
Vaughn gave up his make-shift bed for Josie, and settled for the sofa bed in the living room, which he had to share involuntarily with Greg who had given up his bed for Lucas. Z was persistent that he didn't need a bed, and could settle for two chairs or the floor even, but seemed to be in hurry to accept when he found there was a chaise lounge in Greg's room.
"Marshall can sleep with me," Corrine said lightly, not realizing the under meaning until several moments later.
Vaughn's ears shot up, and he literally almost dropped the glass of water in his hands. He listened to the conversation closely.
Z had shook his head in disapproval. "As an adult chaperone," he began emphasizing the word adult, "I think it would be best if Josie bunked with you instead,"
"But Josie's already asleep. And you know how cranky she gets if you wake her up,"
For a moment, Vaughn couldn't believe what Corrine was saying. It hardly sounded like her at all. Why, just a few hours ago they she and Marshall were hardly talking, and now they wanted to share a room together? After a moment of silence, he heard Z sigh in defeat, and he suddenly felt genuinely concerned.
"But you leave the door open," Z added looking especially at Marshall. "And tomorrow it will be Josie instead,"
Corrine and Marshall nodded obediently. They had shared the same bed on their backpacking trip. It definitely wasn't anything new.
After Z left, Corrine chuckled to herself.
"What?" Marshall asked.
She wanted to tell him how ridiculous Z sounded assuming what their--or Marshall's--"real" intentions were that night. It wasn't like that. It was nothing like that. They were just two friends sharing a bed. And, Corrine figured she could use the alone time with Marshall to talk certain things over.
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When all the lights went out, Vaughn lay wide awak staring up at the ceiling with his ear perked up in hopes to hear the conversation in the next room. But all he could hear was Greg's loud, and irritating breathing.
He nudged him with an elbow, maybe a little harder than necessary.
"The hell?" Greg propped himself up with his elbows and glared down at Vaughn. The room was dark, but he could tell he was giving him a nasty look.
"Breath like a normal person. You don't have asthma!" Vaughn replied icily.
Greg didn't say anything back in defense. He merely kept his equally cold stare fixated on his roommate. Then suddenly as if giving up, lay back down. "Quit being nosey," he said after a few minutes.
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Had major writer's block. Hope it all turned out fine. Have a nice day guys.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Oct 21, 2007 11:08:16 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 23: What Corrine Saw
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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He eased out of bed, careful not to stir his roommate--although he wouldn't mind disrupting his peaceful slumber. He deserved it, anyway for all the troubles he caused him. And for acting like the epitome of a perfect gentlemen, and making him look bad.
The clock over the tv set read a quarter past 3, and still he had no luck of finding sleep. His thoughts were constantly on Corrine.
What was she thinking? Are she and Marshall still awake? What could they be talking about? Maybe I should go check up on them? were some of the questions that plagued his thoughts. That along with the occasional recollections of the past days. And even when it seemed he finally let his mind rest, he would imagine hearing Marshall's whispering, and then Corrine's laughter, and then the questions started all over again.
He figured a trip to the kitchen for a drink of water would help, but his body made a slight detour and unconsciously headed for the opened door to his left instead.
He let his head poke in. The room was still and dark like the rest of the apartment, but he saw them--or their bodies, as clear as day. It relieved him to see that they were as far apart from eachother as his king bed would let them. And as far as he could tell, there was not a single sound he could hear. It was obvious that both of them were already sleeping.
Just as he was about to to start his way back to the kitchen he noticed movement coming from the bed, and at that split second, as ridiculous as it may sound, his heart started to beat a little faster with curiosity and anticipation. His eyes grazed over the two lumps on his bed, and realized one was shifting ever so slowly to the other.
He swallowed hard. And his eyes narrowed. It couldn’t' have been anyone else but Marshall, or he assumed.
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That morning everyone woke up to the inviting aroma of a fresh pot of coffee, courtesy of Greg, who unfortunately for everyone else but Vaughn, left early for class and merely left a note on the fridge. "Enjoy your day," it read.
"So what's the plan for today?" Josie asked.
Corrine spooned in some sugar into her straight black coffee and was stirring it around. "I've got class in a few hours," she answered as she dropped in another spoonful of sugar. She was oblivious to the fact that from across the kitchen Marshall watched her longingly.
"Me too," Vaughn added glancing over at Corrine from the brim of his cup.
"--Gonna be breezy one today," Z shouted from the couch.
Everyone seemed to pause and look over in his direction, although no one seemed to have anything to say in return.
"I guess you guys will be on your own today. At least untill we get back." she smiled reassuringly at Vaughn, before walking over to the living room where Z sat and watched the local news station.
When she left, everyone looked around in awkward silence.
Vaughn stared down at the the counter where the spoon Corrine used in her coffee lay on a paper towel. He could hear her voice hovering over from the living room as she talked to Z. He caught bits and pieces of their conversation, but nothing substantial, and nothing really important. It didn't really make a difference to him that some man rescued a crippled dog, or that the high for the day would be in lower 60's.
He also started to hear the distinct voices of his three friends talking about museums and bus tours.He disregarded their typical tourist plans, and let his mind wander.
He didn't feel like going to class; truth be told he never did, but today he felt exceptionally unwilling. All he wanted to do, surprisingly, was spend the day with his friends.
"What do you think Vaughn?" he heard Josie ask a minute later.
He hadn't been following with their conversation, but he knew enough to know that they were still on the subject of attractions. Personally, if he were to make a decision for them, the last place he'd send them to would be to a museum. Or a bus tour for that matter. "Can't go wrong with museums," he said anyway.
"What about a bus tour?" Lucas asked.
"Or a boat tour?" Marshall asked.
Vaughn simply nodded in silence, appearing to give their questions some consideration, when really he could care less where they ended up going. But the three pairs of eyes stared back at him expectantly, and he felt pressured to give them an answer. Luckily, however, Corrine was there to interrupt.
"--Hey Vaughn," she called from the living room.
And like a lightning bolt, he sped into her direction.
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An hour later Vaughn emerged from his room with hardly anything in his arms that might have suggested he was leaving for school. "I should be back around three," he announced. But the only person that seemed to hear it was Lucas who was watching the news; Corrine who was washing her hands in the kitchen couldn't hear his words due to the running water. "Where's everyone?" he asked looking around at the empty apartment. It was awkwardly clean, and there didn't seem to be a single trace that guests existed in the vicinity--except Lucas.
"Well, Marshall is in Greg's room, I think Z's taking a shower, and Josie mentioned something about satisfying her sweet tooth--you just missed her." It was all explained by Lucas who hardly took his eyes off the TV set.
"Right, I'll see you guys later." Vaughn walked briskly to the door hoping maybe to catch up with Josie, and along the way he paused by the kitchen and watched Corrine. She was dressed in dark jeans and a white ruffled blouse. Vaughn thought she looked classy as she sashayed around the kitchen trying to tidy up; no wonder the apartment was so clean. "Hey,"
"Hey," She spun around, and in the act she dropped the roll of paper towels she had in her hands. But before she could bend down and pick it up, Vaughn came forward and stole it.
"Just wanted to let you know I'm leaving," he smiled and returned the towels to her. "And I'll see you later,"
She nodded. "Yeah, okay,"
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Out in the hallway Josie finished up retying her shoes. The same shoes that her mother had bought her specifically for her trip London. They weren't anything special just a new pair of Chucks to replace her old ones.
"Josie!" his voice called out.
She could hear a door being shut and then footsteps getting closer, and when she finally looked up he was already standing there beside her. "Hey Vaughn," she stood up and smoothed out her track pants, which her mother had also bought specifically for London.
"Come on, I'll give you a ride," He offered.
Josie smiled but shook her head decidedly. "That's okay. I don't want you to have to go out of your way for me."
"I don't mind,"
"Really Vaughn, I can walk. I don't want you being late," she reasoned.
"And I don't want you to having to walk and then getting lost. London's a big city," he argued back.
She was staring straight into his eyes, thinking he had always been so stubborn. Suddenly she felt his hand wrap around hers. "C'mon," she heard him say as he pulled her with him down the hall.
Behind them Corrine came out with her bag slung over her shoulders, and a few books neatly in her arms. As she shut the door and began to head down the hall, she noticed two familiar figures hand in hand making their way down the stairwell. She shook her head, hoping to clear out her assumptions, but there was no mistaking who the two figures had been.
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It was around three when Corrine finished lunch with a fellow classmate, and began to head back home. Her mind was so hung up on everything that happened that day, that she hadn't noticed the car slowly riding beside her on the street.
"Hey sexy," a voice from the car shouted out.
Initially she hadn't heard it, and after a second shout from whoever was in the car, Corrine turned her head and noticed him with his head poking out of the rolled down window. "Hop in," he made a gesture with his head and pulled the car over to a stop.
At first she thought she had been dreaming. Had he just called her sexy? She stood still, contemplating whether or not she was just being delusional, or if in fact it was real--and he was real.
All this time he had been smiling, but he must have sensed something was wrong when she didn't move, or say anything back to him. "Hey," he called out, his voice suddenly sounding concerned.
Before he could leap out of the car, she flashed him a quick and reassuring smile and hopped into the passenger side.
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"Are you okay?" he asked glancing over at her.
She hadn't said much since she got in, and it suddenly made Vaughn worry.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Just a bad day at school is all," But it wasn't all of it.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm accused of plagiarizing,"
"Really?" she quickly tore her attention away from the window and looked at him with concern. "Vaughn?"
He was able to keep a straight and serious face for a good 10 seconds. And then he cracked a smile. "I'm kidding okay?"
She sighed. "Good, because that wouldn't have made me feel any better."
"Really?" he glanced over at her, curious to what her reason for that might be.
"Yeah, I think it would make me worry even more,"
He chuckled. "What could you possibly have to worry over?"
'You and Josie,' she thought. "Nothing, forget it"
It quickly became silent afterwards. And Vaughn started to wonder if what she could be worrying about is her and Marshall. Which then lead to the reminder of the scene he witnessed earlier that morning.
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Z stepped forward and plucked two tickets from Marshall's grip. "Here," he handed one to Corrine and Vaughn.
"Oh, right," Marshall stopped waving the tickets around and looked over at them. "Looks like you guys are joining me and the Lucster tonight" he put his arm playfully around his friend's shoulders, who in return did the same.
Corrine stared down that the ticket and noticed the price printed on it. It was too much to take, considering how much it really cost once you did the conversions. She looked up from Z to Josie, and back again to Z. "I couldn't, these are yours"
"No, well they're yours now," Z said, using his hand to close hers around the slip of paper when she tried to hand it back to him.
"Greg invited us to go see a play with him anyway," explained Josie.
"And I'm not into all that stuff you young people get all excited about. I'd rather sit down, enjoy some good theater, and have a calm and quiet night,"
"Talk about boring," Marshal drawled, pretending to yawn and fall asleep on Lucas's shoulder. "Z, you don't know what you're missing out on,"
Corrine glanced down at the flyer Lucas had previously showed them. She cringed, and wished she would be missing out on it too. Then she felt a comforting arm wrap around her shoulders, and she looked up smiling weakly at Vaughn.
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Despite my inability to come up with ideas for this chapter, I was surprised how much I ended up writing. I actually even wanted to add a little more, but decided to keep it for the next chapter. Regardless, I still feel as if this chapter was a little hurried, and I apologize if it doesn't satisfy you. But I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Sorry again guys for the long wait.
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Post by josiebhgirl on Nov 26, 2007 7:58:31 GMT -5
i'm still waiting for you to continue! it's been a month! you know the story is going great!
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Dec 6, 2007 21:20:50 GMT -5
Ch. 24: The Dungeon -------------------
The sun was still up when they got to The London Dungeon. Oddly the four of them were in a perfectly straight line, with Marshall leading the helm, followed by Lucas, then Corrine and finally Vaughn as they walked up to the entrance. No one uttered a single word.
Corrine swallowed hard when she spotted a hooded man hunched back pacing to and fro by the entrance. She didn't want to be there, but she told herself it wouldn't be so bad, it was still daytime afterall. She glanced over her shoulders and for a quick moment her eyes met with Vaughn’s. He smiled at her reassuringly.
"Lucas, look. Meet yourself in ten years," Marshall pointed to the hooded man and then started laughing hysterically. His diseased skin was visible from across the street where they came from, but as they got closer, the patches of rashes and scattered boils on the man's face became more apparent. It was disgusting and hilarious all at the same time--at least for Marshall.
Lucas rolled his eyes, "Very funny,"
"Isn't it?" Marshall laughed throwing his head back like a madman.
The hooded man approached the group. He had an obvious kink in his step, and when he smiled he exposed his yellow decaying teeth. Vaughn could see Corrine tense up at his nearness. "He's just an actor," he leaned into her ear and whispered.
She knew well enough it was just an actor, but with the costume, and all that make-up it still got her jumpy.
"Yeerhaftagutodeeindodeeloin," the hooded man spat out almost indistinguishably as he leered his eyes in Corrine's direction.
The others didn't even seem to mind him. "Well, at least it's moving quickly enough," Marshall pointed out, as he led the way not even bothering to acknowledge the man.
Through his rotting smile Corrine could see dark liquid seeping out between the cracks of his decaying teeth, and despite the fact that she knew it was all the master trickery of make-up, it still chilled her bones. She darted past him, even reaching out to grab hold of Lucas's arm.
"Corrine, chill," he replied coolly as he followed Marshall to the end of the line.
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They were the last to arrive, and once the doors shut behind them everything went pitch black.
"Jaysus," they heard someone say behind them.
Corrine clutched her sides making sure to stand as close as possible to Lucas, Marshall or Vaughn. But she could only feel cool air around her and realized how far away she was from her friends. “Lucas?” she called out desperately hoping she hadn’t been separated. He didn’t answer back, but she could vaguely hear his and Marshall’s voice, and unfortunately the voices appeared to be trailing away.
Reaching out desperately with hopeful effect, she landed her hand on an arm—Vaughn’s arm, she hoped, and immediately she felt reassured even in the complete darkness.
"Ey babe," she heard, but dismissed it, knowing it wasn't directed at her.
As her eyes started to get adjusted to the darkness, she suddenly realized the arm she was holding onto belonged to a complete stranger. She pulled her hand back feeling her cheeks grow intensely warm. "I'm sorry," she apologized.
The guy chuckled. "Don't worry about it, I like having pretty girls on my arm," he smiled and even from the darkness she could see his white teeth.
She smiled back at his compliment and for split second as she gazed in the stranger's eyes Corrine suddenly felt as if she had nothing to be afraid of, as long as he was in her company. In fact, she felt ready to face her fears.
"Come on Corrine, we're heading over to 'Jack the Ripper,'" she felt a hand tug at her elbow, and realized with bitter sadness that her time with the handsome stranger had come to an end. She would have very much liked to have returned his comment with something equally flirtatious, but couldn't think of anything worth saying that didn't sound unnatural. She simply smiled and regretfully walked away.
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As they strolled down the reproduced 19th century English streets, Corrine could feel a brush of cold air chill her spine.
Around them the stench of rotten eggs wafted heavily in the air adding to the authenticity of the reenacted scenes. The streets were dark, and gloomy, littered with refuse of all varieties, and besides the occasional limp body here or there they were completely alone. Behind opened doors and windows were dimly lighted or sometimes completely pitch black rooms providing the perfect setting for the disturbing images just behind them.
A few feet ahead, a man stood motionless under a dusky street lamp. His face obscure from the darkness. Corrine could feel her heart race imagining what sort of scares he had in store for them. She quickened her pace and caught up, even slightly bumping into Lucas.
“Sorry,” she whispered, as she looped her arm in Marshall’s.
Just a few steps behind was Vaughn watching with forced indifference as Corrine huddled closer to Marshall.
Corrine shut her eyes and tightened her grip on Marshall as they neared the mysterious man. She decided to start running at the very first sign of anything suspicious. But to the groups utter surprise nothing happened. The man neither moved, nor said anything. Everything seemed completely calm and silent.
Marshall came to stop. “I wonder if he’s real?” he asked, and then slowly approached him.
“Don’t. Let’s keep walking,” Corrine pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears.
She broke her mighty grip on Marshall’s arm and stood back watching in fear as the other two began poking and prodding the man.
“Hey, look, a cell phone,” Lucas announced triumphantly after pulling it our from the man’s jacket pocket.
Other groups of people started to walk by. All of them curiously eyeing the group; their eyes especially hovered over Marshall and Lucas.
“He must be real then,” Marshall concluded stepping back to examine the otherwise mannequin like body, and almost bumping into hefty sized bald man in his attempt. He looked back apologetically. “Corrine, you got any of that stuff you put on your lips to make it all shiny?” he then asked.
Corrine quickly glanced at Vaughn in askance. “Lip gloss?” she asked doubtfully.
“Yes! That. Let me see it?” It was more of an order than a question, and Vaughn did not like his tone, nor did he enjoy waiting for them to finish their childish acts.
“No! Let’s just go,”
“Come on, let’s just see how long he stays put like this,”
There was no getting around it, if she wanted any hopes of leaving anytime soon, she would need to surrender it. Corrine dug in her purse and hesitantly handed over a tube of cherry red lip gloss.
As they continued their investigation and abuse on the poor man, Corrine and Vaughn watched impatiently behind them.
“Idiots,” Vaughn mumbled under his breath as he pulled out his phone.
As she stood watching in utter disbelief it occurred to her that her fear of the place seemed insignificant compared to the irritation she felt towards Lucas and Marshall. Even the screams drowned out by the building’s simulated eerie ambiance were of no great concern. All that was on her mind was getting out, before they got caught and kicked out.
It was a few minutes before the two gave up their foolish escapade, and the group started back walking through Jack the Ripper’s lair.
The streets turned and snaked around in all different directions. There were some turns that led to dead ends, and darkened corners—both a sure fire way to get trapped and possibly scared out of your wits by some massacred victim with a hanging limb, or by Jack himself.
The lack of fear Corrine had felt moments ago seemed to dissipate at the sounds of screaming and scrambling feet farther up ahead. She looked around uncomfortably. “Where did everyone go?”
“We’re all here,” Vaughn answered.
“No, I mean, everyone else. There were other people besides us,” she looked behind her to double check, but all she saw was Vaughn.
“Well, the place closes at five, I guess they stopped letting people in,” Lucas replied as he whipped out a map from his back pocket.
The group was divided into pairs—or rather, pair, as Lucas and Marshall led the way huddling over the map, and bickering like siblings. And then there was Corrine and Vaughn who were neither walking together nor part of the other half. They were simply drifting along, silently, and quite alone.
Suddenly Marshall snapped his head back “Get ready to get the kooky scared out of you,” he warned jokingly as he and Lucas turned into a new street.
There were no lamps now, not even the faint flickering of candles in windows that lined the streets. A realistic wind howled in the background. There appeared to be no end, just a blackened abyss of horror. Corrine swallowed, and looked back reproachfully at Vaughn, who in response quickened his pace to walk beside her.
She felt his arm wrap around her shoulders. “Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly. And for a moment, she wasn’t—she felt completely safe in his arms.
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I actually based some of the events in this chapter and some of the following ones from my own experiences. And the descriptions of The London Dungeon were of my own imagination as I have never had the liberty of visiting the famous attraction.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Dec 24, 2007 14:16:19 GMT -5
Ch. 25: Mr. Mysterious ------------------- The deeper they walked into the darkness, the more frightening the silence became. “How far does this go?” Lucas asked in a bare whisper as if almost afraid to disturb the “things” hiding in the darkness. And as if answering his question, the street curved and revealed what appeared to be the end of their walk—an old deteriorating brick facade, with an appropriately rotting plaque that read “hospital”. At first sight, Corrine breathed in relief at the glowing exit sign that hung above the door. The end to all her fears was just beyond that plank of wood. “Shall we?” There was a mischievous smile tugging on Marshall’s lips as he cautiously approached the building. “Try not to look,” Vaughn whispered into Corrine’s ear, and pulled her slightly closer to his body. The simple action left her heart beating faster than it already had been, but left her wondering why she shouldn’t keep her eyes open. And with a slight turn of the knob, their quiet darkness was suddenly transformed into frightening world of gore and psychological disturbances. Once inside the putrid building, an ear shattering, and bone shilling scream echoed a rather unwelcome greeting. The scream took the group by surprise, so much so, that they hadn’t realized the shockingly small room they were in. Or that sitting right in front of them guarding the only other way out was a stretcher draped in blood stained sheets, and under it appeared to be a body poking out, ready to grab any unsuspecting person walking by. The walls, just as the sheets were discolored, and marked with splotches of blood. “I don’t like this,” she whispered just loud enough for Vaughn to hear, and buried her face into the arm of his jacket. She should have known well enough it wasn’t the end, it was far too easy to have walked down the street without the least bit of a scare. No, it was definitely just starting. And what was more frightening than an empty street in the dark, was being stuck in an enclosed building knowing there are definitely others inside. “At least it’s a little brighter in here,” Lucas observed the dim sconces on the wall simulated to look like flickering candles. The group eased their way closer to the sofa. “Give you five dollars if you look under the covers,” Marshall said to Lucas who declined his offer. “Ten,” he raised the price, hoping to tempt him, but failed. The lights, at that same moment, began to flicker wildly, until finally burning out completely, followed by another more terrifying scream. Corrine shrieked, and Vaughn felt her grip tighten around his arm. “I wanna get out of here!” “Ho—“started Lucas, but was abruptly cut off by a loud pounding on the door from which they just entered from. Their options were clearly limited to heading forward past the corpse, and into the adjoining room, and try to follow their way out, or stay in the foyer a little longer, and welcome “the guest”. “Finally, this is getting good.” Marshall said in a rush of excitement. Corrine couldn’t see the good that he was talking about in the situation. Frightening was what it was. She couldn’t fathom how people thought this was fun? She was ready to get out of there. “Let’s see who’s at the door,” suggested Lucas. It was Vaughn who finally got them to start heading out of the room. His easy calmness was a reassurance, and proved refreshing against Marshall and Lucas’s immaturity. Although the body on the sofa started to shake violently, it did nothing else close to what wild ideas that haunted Corrine’s imagination. It didn’t jump up exposing what mutilations happened to his body, with a pick axe gripped in one hand, or grab any of them as they walked by. Vaughn led the way into a tight corridor. The narrowness of the passageway forced Corrine to move behind him. While her heart was beating frantically from fear, she felt a trace of sadness as he easily let her go. The safety she felt from their physical touch vanished, and she was suddenly alone. Behind her Lucas repeatedly stepped on the backs of her shoes. “Sorry,” he apologized. There was an opened doorway in the hallway where suddenly a “patient” appeared screaming in an incomprehensible language, his head thrashing ferociously back and forth. Corrine leaned her head into Vaughn’s back, shielding herself from the terror. Moments before the surprising episode, Corrine felt Vaughn’s hands seeking hers out in the darkness. The group squeezed their way through the doorway, leaving behind the unusual patient. And it was then that the front door slammed shut. Whoever was knocking was finally inside. The darkness of the foyer and hallway was replaced by an iridescent glow emanating from glass jars that lined the shelves of the room. Inside them were dismembered body limbs and other odd bits and ends. In the center of the room lay a metal table layered with a thick coating of rust. On it laid various instruments, all appearing to have been taken right off a horror movie, complete with an appropriate layer of rust and the remnants of blood. The indistinct ramblings of their previous encounter were replaced with involuntary screams of torture, and then a deafening silence. It was the signal to keep going before whatever it was caught up with them. But the treading feet came all too fast. “Stay with me, okay?” It took a few seconds for it to register, and for Corrine to realize it came from Vaughn and that it was directed at her. She looked up and nodded even without knowing what she was getting herself into. His wonderful honest eyes stared into hers for a delightful moment, and she would have said yes to anything he would have asked—no matter how absurd. “You guys go ahead,” Vaughn told Marshall and Lucas, motioning to the next room. At the first sound of his proposal Corrine protested, insisting to tag along with them and increase her chances of getting out faster rather than staying behind. “Okay, but as a concerned ex-boyfriend, I think Corrine should come with us,” Marshall said haughtily “She’s already scared to death. Why prolong the torture?” Vaughn didn’t have to say much for her to reconsider. “That’s fine, but it’s still up to her to decide,” Marshall was never one to ask for her opinions, he just always seemed to assume. Of course it wasn’t always like that, but they stood out more prominently than the times when he let her have her say. It must have been telling her something. When Marshall and Lucas left, Vaughn took hold of her hand and led her back through the doorway. “Don’t worry we’re getting out of here,” His words served as a sweet endearment, and she found herself smiling even in the midst of everything. He actually wanted to get her out; instead of wanting to keep going for his own entertainment. In a modern way it seemed almost like a selfless act. She awarded herself with a smile, until they met face to face with “the guest”, who wiped her triumphant smile off her face. His clothes were normal enough—trousers and a white collard shirt only stained with the smallest spots of blood underneath a vest. He wasn’t all too scary, Corrine decided until she looked up at his butchered face. But shockingly enough what came out of the man’s mouth wasn’t anything foul or threatening. It was a ‘hello’ in the cheerful British accent. “Is this her?” he asked in a casual tone addressing Vaughn. He nodded. The man smiled brightly showing off his rows of perfect teeth. “Nice to meet you Madam,” he gave a curtly bow and brushed his lips softly across her knuckles. ------------------- I actually based some of the events in this chapter and some of the following ones from my own experiences. And the descriptions of The London Dungeon were of my own imagination as I have never had the liberty of visiting the famous attraction. I apologize a million times over for the delay in updates. I've been having the worst case of writer's block, as I've probably repeated for the hundredth time already. I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! I appreciate everyone who has remained loyal to this story even despite the long waits for updates.
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Jan 23, 2008 22:41:05 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 26: You're Cold
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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“Might I add, these are the softest hands my lips have ever touched.” The mysterious guy spoke quite intimately as he looked up from Corrine’s hand. His eyes, Corrine noted, were dancing from the flickering wall sconces. And they were burning the most unique of colors—a mix between green and hazel.
Corrine knew she should have said thank you, but instead she stood there completely still like an idiot all the while trying to keep her composure. It wasn’t exactly easy to keep one’s poise in the midst of all the commotion and confusion she had witnessed. Particularly when there was a strange man appearing to be several years her senior paying her compliments with an unusually friendly tone.
Vaughn could sense her uneasiness.
“Come on, knock it off,” He attempted.
He raised his bushy eye brows. “Knock what off?”
At this point Corrine’s hand was set free, and in attempt to stop other efforts of any other means of physical contact she crossed her arms tightly over her chest and took a generous step back.
“You know,” he started but couldn’t seem to find the appropriate word to describe his friend’s behavior, so he left it at that.
Mystery Man eyed him questioningly, his eyes behind the make-up almost puppy like in their confusion. “I really don’t,”
“Well, for one stop talking like that.”
“I’m in costume, I’m supposed to talk like this,” the man reasoned.
“I don’t believe you’re allowed to talk at all,” Vaughn retorted quite quickly initiating a few seconds of silence from his friend, lending the appearance that Vaughn had won the argument.
But suddenly both broke into laughter.
“I was just kidding,” Mystery Man apologized between chuckles.
She stood there completely dumbstruck trying to produce a genuine smile that said otherwise. Moments ago she was terrified to death, and now she was just confused. She looked over at Vaughn who gave her a quick smile and then attempted to do introductions.
“Corrine this is Robert—“
“Sebastian,” Mystery Man added.
Vaughn cleared his throat, “Robert Sebastian.—“
“That’s my middle name,” he interrupted. “Not my last. Actually I’m not particularly fond of my last name, that’s why I never really use it. But I haven’t ever considered changing it, which is actually very troublesome, since if I ever marry I wouldn’t want my wife--”
Corrine smiled in amusement.
“Yes, we understand it’s complicated,” Vaughn said hastily. Knowing Robert, he could go on talking about his name for hours. Once he remembered, he had gone an hour and ten minutes straight debating with a fellow classmate—although he did most of the talking—over whether or not to get a name change. The debate, however, failed to give Robert an answer as he was still clearly undecided.
Robert breathed a sigh of relief. “You have no idea—“
“Back to the point,” Vaughn continued.
“I work here at The Dungeon,” Robert took the liberty of finishing it off, as if it wasn’t already clear that he did. “Not only that, but I’m also here to help prince charming save his damsel in distress,” and in a whisper he added, “That’s you sweetheart,”
A knowing smile crept its way to Corrine’s lips. She was starting to warm up to him. Suddenly he didn’t seem so creepy, or that old even.
“Think we already know who prince charming is,” he concluded pocketing both hands in his front trouser pockets. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he glanced over at Vaughn.
Before the conversation could go any further Vaughn needed to change the very sensitive subject fast. “—So, Seb, where did you say the exit was?”
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There was an exit conspicuously hidden in the wall of the hallway. It led to another corridor where the character changing rooms lined the walls. At the very end was a door that led to a side alley.
The alley was surprisingly well lit and they were only a short distance away from the street. But before they even took a step forward the door suddenly opened again, and out popped the charismatic Robert Sebastian.
“I just remembered I found these inside,” he handed Vaughn a pair of tickets. “I guess someone must have dropped them,”
“Shouldn’t you have taken them to the front? Someone is bound to be looking for these,” Vaughn scanned the tickets in his hands. They were for The Eye.
The Eye was an observational wheel much similar to a ferris-wheel you’d find in a carnival; but on a much larger scale, with glass encased capsules holding up to 25 people at a time and soaring up to 440 ft. It was one of the places Corrine had always wanted to visit during her previous trip with Marshall but never had a chance to.
“Nah, I found them this morning. No one claimed them, so they’re all yours,”
Vaughn felt a little hesitant to accept them. Robert must have seen it in his face as he said, “I’m stuck here all night. Wouldn’t have any use for it, so you two have fun,”
As Vaughn examined how the early evening light struck the pair of cardstock he remembered how wonderful the view of the city was at night. And how coincidental it all seemed.
Before either Corrine or Vaughn could say anything, Robert disappeared and the door slowly closed shut.
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They spent an hour strolling at an easy pace through the winding side streets before any mention of food arose.
“I didn’t realize I was this hungry,” Corrine said as she scooped a generous amount of pistachio gelato onto her spoon.
“Maybe we should be eating something a bit more wholesome,” Vaughn who was craving something along the lines of a three course meal, particularly one including steak, suggested. He poked his spoon dubiously at the brown speckled frozen dessert in his cup.
“Nonsense; don’t you like it?”
“Mmhmm,” he nodded imagining the cold mass slithering down his throat something resembling succulent lobster. If it wasn’t for the god-awful flavor he chose, it wouldn’t be so bad, even on an already chilly night, he figured. He watched Corrine walk ahead to the railings overlooking the Thames.
As he approached the railings himself, he noticed a couple passing by. They appeared to be in their own world, laughing and gazing into each others eyes. He tore his eyes away from the two and set them on a nearby trash can wear he tossed his gelato in.
“That view alone can make you fall in love with London,” she said when she saw Vaughn join her from the corner of her eyes.
He followed her gaze over the waters. Indeed, the scene was dazzling. A halo of light glowed on the edges of the skyline from the impressive lighting in the city emitted and standing majestically above the waters stood the Tower Bridge, presented with artfully positioned spot lights.
It remained silent between them as several minutes passed, during which Vaughn ended up wondering about Josie and Z; and how their night was going with Greg.
But his thoughts were quickly put to rest as the sound of Corrine’s gelato cup hitting the sides of the trashcan broke the silence.
“I guess we should get going?” she asked.
And he simply nodded.
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The downside of dressing improperly was starting to catch up to Corrine as she and Vaughn strolled briskly through the sidewalk and up to The Eye. The cool wind was penetrating the thin layers of her hoodie, t-shirt and tank top and her hands and cheeks felt icy. Try as she might to rub her arms in hopes of generating warmth, it yielded no satisfying result.
“You look cold,” she heard behind her.
She made no attempt to deny the fact. “I guess that gelato didn’t do any good after all. Maybe we should have had a nice big bowl of hot soup,” she teased bringing a smile to Vaughn’s lips, who had been thinking the same thing all along.
Behind them they heard a woman’s voice and the hasty footsteps of children. “C’mon guys,” they heard her say, “It’s the last flight of the night; we don’t want to be late,”
Corrine looked over her shoulder, and Vaughn responded with a look at his watch. Indeed it was already close to nine.
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It was unusually cool in the capsule, particularly for a cold night.
“You’d think they’d have the heat on,” they heard the same mother complain as she secured one of her children’s hats. It was fortunate they had heard her earlier, as the last capsules were being filled when they arrived. It was also mere chance that they were loaded into the same one. Thankfully, her children were somewhat quiet, and aside from them the capsule was completely silent.
The mother looked over her shoulder probably in search of her other two offspring, but instead found Corrine hovering close by the window. “First time?” she asked curiously.
She nodded, “It is,”
“It’s William’s first too,” she said smoothing her fingers over her son’s soft cheeks before letting him run off to join his siblings on the other side. “We should be on our way any minute now—Sarah!” she motioned over her daughter who appeared to be clearly older than the other two boys. She was obedient and smiled politely at Corrine. “Keep an eye on your brothers,” the mother whispered.
And sure enough the wheel began its slow ascent.
After zipping up the top portion of the jacket her daughter undid, the mother turned back to Corrine. And it was also at this same time that Vaughn had finished talking on the phone and joined them.
The mother smiled sweetly at Vaughn. “My husband proposed to me on one of these. Rented out an entire one for the evening.” An assuming glint in her eyes appeared as she darted back and forth from Vaughn and Corrine, though neither made any effort to put the assumptions to rest.
“Certainly would consider it,” his words startled her more then the sudden sound of his voice. Thankfully the sound of his phone interrupted the conversation. “Excuse me,” he said as he took a few steps backwards to take the call.
Corrine swallowed, not sure how to take the mother’s innocent supposition, or Vaughn’s perplexing statement. She understood how her and Vaughn’s relationship could easily be mistaken for something a little more than friendly terms especially when their seen gallivanting off alone at night. But she didn’t come close to grasping what Vaughn meant. Or if it meant anything to begin with.
She tried to focus on the mother’s words or the outside scenery that she couldn’t wait to see, but now it all seemed a faint blur as her head started to spin with wild and quite impossible thoughts.
“…how long have you two been together?” Corrine caught the last of her question, and suddenly felt her mouth go dry. What was she supposed to say?
As if on cue, her daughter started calling after her mother, pointing excitedly out the window. “I’m sorry will you excuse me?” she apologized with a genuine smile that was warm and inviting.
Corrine stepped back from the window and seated herself on the bench located in the middle of the capsule. As she breathed she could feel her heart beating frantically under her thin clothing. What was going on?
It wasn’t for another few minutes before she felt Vaughn sit next to her. “That was Marshall,” he explained as if he felt obligated to let her know.
“Oh,” was all she could gather.
His eyes scanned over her. She didn’t seem curious about what he and Marshall could have been talking about, or why it took over five minutes. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Don’t you want to see London?”
She brought a palm up to her forehead. “I was just feeling a little dizzy. I’m feeling better now,” with a smile she got to her feet and slowly walked over to the windows.
But Vaughn was not convinced. He wasn’t convinced he was feeling all too well either. He looked over his shoulder at the mother they were recently talking to, and then let his eyes wander thoughtfully over Corrine.
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“Listen it was nice talking to you two. I hope everything works out,” the mother said before carting her three children away.
The ride lasted far too long, or so it felt to Corrine and Vaughn who spoke but a few string of words to each other at a time. Phrases like, “How are you feeling now?”, “Fine.”, “Good.” And “Isn’t it lovely.” Were the only words that passed between them during the duration of the ride. As far as real conversations went, they had none.
Their capsule was the last to be emptied, and now the crowd of people they saw exiting below dwindled down into the single digits.
Corrine looked around curiously trying to keep occupied, because she suddenly felt obligated to say something, but didn’t know what.
“Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” he asked again.
“Mhmm,” she answered.
It had gotten much colder than before and even crossing her arms didn’t help.
It took several minutes for him to find the courage to bring up the matter they both knew was the issue. “What I said up there,” he said “I was just playing along,” the words escaped so fast he hadn’t gotten a chance to realize what his words meant before it was too late.
“No, I know,” she turned around to answer him, quickly flashing him an understanding smile—but a fake one, he soon realized.
In his hands were the ticket stubs he had forgotten to throw away on the way out due to his distractions—mainly a girl named Corrine. Along with the stubs was a small sheet of yellow paper with a number scribbled on it from a girl he had met on the way to the bathroom at the gelato shop. As they approached a nearby trash can, he paused by it, crumpling the paper up and tossing it into the bin. The tickets, he decided, he’d like to keep.
He looked up and there she was—a shivering heap of wonderful personality, curly hair, and soft skin. She smiled hesitantly in his direction before sliding her slender hands into the pockets of her hoodie.
And in an instant, as if by mutual action, their bodies met, and in a single sweep their lips locked.
“You’re cold,” he whispered against her lips, and she made no attempt to deny it.
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“Did I just see that?” he asked almost dropping his coffee in his disbelief.
“We should go, they might see us,”
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So how was it? Bad? I hope not. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I actually based some of the events in this chapter and some of the following ones from my own experiences. And the descriptions of The London Dungeon and the London Eye were of my own imagination as I have never had the liberty of visiting the famous attraction
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Aug 14, 2008 10:02:47 GMT -5
Odd Couples Ch. 27: A day with Lucas
Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, and even added this fic to your favorites!! Thank you!
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She lay on her side staring into the empty darkness, her mind a tangle of vivid thoughts; she would not find sleep tonight, not anymore. Not after...
She found herself, for the third time already, lifting a finger up to her lips brushing its softness with its tip, as if to confirm their existence. But mostly to assure herself that she wasn't dreaming. At least not anymore. The kiss, she had thought, felt so real, so perfect. She could almost feel his mouth on hers, the heat and the excitement. But she knew better than to believe that something of that nature could ever happen between her and Vaughn, at least not in reality.
The truth was that after the ride on The Eye they simply walked home--not a single word passed between them.
She closed her eyes replaying the scenes from her day with Vaughn, and how seamlessly the dream kiss blended in. If only...
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The next morning Corrine walked into the kitchen half past eight, surprised to find out from Lucas that everyone left.
"Z went for a jog I think," he took a bite from his toast.
She leaned against the counter opposite of him and helped herself to the plate of beacon beside her. Besides the mornings she opted to buy breakfast, she rarely ever has the chance to eat it, usually because her schedule seldom permits anything but coffee and a breakfast bar. She took a generous bite from the strip, enjoying the salty crispiness of the fat. Thank god she wasn't the type of girl who watched her diet like a hawk. "Where's Josie?"
He swallowed. "She and Marshall went to some museum,"
There were tiny specks of golden brown crumbs scattered on the front of his white shirt. How she had the urge to brush them all off, like a broom sweeping up spilled cornflakes on alabaster marble. "Why didn't you go?"
"Who would be here with you?" His eyes searched hers for a moment before darting quickly to the plate of beacon.
--
"Okay, you have to imagine it with furniture and everything, or else it won't work," she warned Lucas as she slipped the key into the lock.
Lucas took a deep breath, and nodded obediently. "Okay," He was feeling particularly honored for being the first of the science club to see Corrine's new abode. He decided he wouldn't mention it to any of them, he knew how jealous Marshall would get, even if he wouldn't admit it.
The chocolate brown double doors opened into a dreamy pink haze, with picturesque floor to ceiling windows, exquisite crown molding, rich mahogany flooring, and a decadent crystal chandelier to tie it all together. "Wow, I feel like I've just walked into Barbie's penthouse," Lucas commented, and then quickly added, "No offense, I mean, this is really impressive."
He heard her sigh. "I knew the color was bit too much. I was trying to go for a, a, a...I swear it didn't look this pink when I picked it out,"
"No, no. It's nice," he let a hand stroke the sugar pink walls. "Very feminine. Reminds me of--"
She leaned against the front door. "Barbie?"
He chuckled. "No I was gonna say it reminds me of you,"
"Oh please. Liar. Maybe if it was green,"
He chuckled again, moving over to the kitchen island, casually opening a drawer. "Okay, yeah, you're probably right." he looked up, grinning. "Greens a nice color,"
"So I should change it?"
He studied her for a moment, letting his eyes search hers. He was wearing the contacts his mother bought him for the trip; in the unfortunate event he loses his glasses. Without those tiny shields covering his eyes, Corrine could see clearly into the depths of his brown irises. How sad and honest they appeared just then under his equally scrutinizing gaze. "No," he finally answered in an almost bare whisper that could only be heard between them.
She looked away suddenly, aware of their compromising situation that seemed to have developed out of thin air. This was Lucas. Lucas. She reminded herself.
After clearing his throat, he made his way over to the fridge at the lack of any better ideas. "Wanna get buzzed?" he asked peering from the edge of the door mischievously.
It took a moment for it to register for her. "Those are Greg's" she answered, remembering how he left them in there the day they came to check up on the chandelier installation.
"I'm sure he won't mind," he reassured, quickly pulling out two bottles of malt liquor.
--
"I can see why you bought this place," he said leaning coolly over the balcony railings. "You can see all of London!" he pointed to the city with the bottle in his hand.
She smiled up at him from where she was sitting. She almost wanted to laugh at the unfamiliar and somewhat ridiculous image of a drunk Lucas she envisioned in her mind.
He took a generous swallow from his drink. "This must've cost you a fortune,"
"Not me," she simply answered.
"Oh, yeah,"
For a moment neither spoke. And all that could be heard was the distinct ambience of city life, and the occasional clinking of glass.
"So what's up with you and Vaughn?" he finally asked.
She looked at him unsurely. But just the mention of his name caused her heart to beat just a little bit faster. "What do you mean?"
He was grinning "You know what I mean Corrine,"
At the lack of anything to say that wouldn't justify any sort of assumption, she took a long hard swallow from her drink. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Was it that obvious that she had feelings for him?
"You guys have a little something going on?" he continued. By now he was on his third bottle. The third and last one out of the pack. Corrine looked down beside her and frowned at her single half empty bottle.
Maybe it was the alcohol that was getting into Lucas's head and making him think these ridiculous things, she thought. "No, of course not. Vaughn and I are just friends," she declared.
Lucas nodded, still grinning mischievously. "Okay, but if you ask me, you can't find anyone better than Vaughn Pearson,"
Yes. It was definitely the alcohol.
Corrine raised an eyebrow "Weren't you always the one who hated him?"
"Never hated him. It was more of a misunderstanding," He sat down his drink beside his other two bottles, and stretched out his arms. He looked so cool and calm, while Corrine sat tense and slightly embarrassed, hoping the truth wouldn't unravel itself. "Really, he's a good guy though."
Corrine could tell he was giving her his honest opinion of Vaughn. She couldn't figure out why though.
"Kind of guy who wouldn't stab you in the back," he suddenly said turning back around to look out into the city.
Corrine looked up expectantly at Lucas. "What?"
He sniffed, and looked out towards the city. From the 22nd floor he could easily see the distinct division of the old traditional London, and its new contemporary counterpart. He wishes he had a view like this back at home.
"What?" she asked again.
There was a short moment where it appeared he hadn't heard her. But not long after he turned around, and slowly sat down beside her. The way they had their legs crossed reminded him of big soft pretzels and elementary school. He looked at her again, the same sad way he had looked at her in the kitchen.
Corrine searched his glasses less eyes.
"Last night I saw Marshall kiss Josie," he said it slowly as if it hurt to speak the words. "Or Josie kiss Marshall. Well, it doesn't really matter, they still kissed."
--
I do apologize for the terribly long wait. Busy life, lots of problems, missing motivation, lacking inspiration. But most of that is over. So with that said,
How was it? Bad? I hope not. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.
I actually based some of the events in this chapter and some of the following ones from my own experiences. And the descriptions of The London Dungeon and the London Eye were of my own imagination as I have never had the liberty of visiting the famous attraction
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Jul 29, 2012 13:31:25 GMT -5
Hello readers! If there are even any of you left out there. Alas, an update! After years (yes, years) I bring you a new chapter to this ongoing saga. Let’s hope this rekindles some of your fandom. I know writing this new installment sure has gotten me all worked up again about BHH. The series was such a great part of my growing up, as I’m sure it was for many of you too. So let’s keep these stories alive!
And finally, I present to you chapter 28. Enjoy! And as always feedback is welcomed and greatly appreciated. CH 28 Not a dream
"I'm sure they didn't." Corrine gave her head a decisive shake of disagreement. It was hard to fathom that such an occurrence could even happen; they were talking about Josie and Marshall after all. They had no business kissing. It was understandably established that they were just friends, and "just" friends don't kiss each other.
"Me and Greg saw them with our own eyes, Corrine."
"Greg and I," she corrected. Her voice tainted ever so slightly with annoyance.
"Huh?" He had his legs pulled up to his chest now, and his head dangled above his knees. He looked sad and sullen.
"You said 'me and Greg', it's Greg and I," she explained rather indifferently. Her mind wasn't exactly focused on lecturing about grammatically correct English at the moment.
Lucas stretched out his legs before him, and with a dubious expression studied his sneakers. They were brown--the sort of rich, chocolate pudding shade of brown and looked identical to a pair of Converses, much like the ones Josie wore, but they weren't. "All the same," he simply said.
"I guess." She stared out at the sky.
Lucas scoffed, "Doesn't matter anyway; I'm over her."
Was she over him? She liked to entertain the thought that she was one hundred percent over Marshall Wheeler, but was that really the truth? Was Lucas telling the truth, even? Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity. Marshall would never kiss Josie, and Josie would never let him. Or would they?
-----
After taking Lucas over to see her new apartment, Corrine found herself wanting to be alone; she wanted some time to herself to think. After parting ways, she unconsciously headed towards her University. It was the only place she could find solace.
There, she sat down on a bench overlooking the lake that all the main buildings lined. The sky had turned a dusky rose, and up in the sky Venus finally graced the world with her short lived presence.
Across the lake, in full view was the library. It’s modernized large, glass windows was a nice contrast to the building’s otherwise classical architecture. Half a semester in and she still had a hard time believing this was her school. How lucky she was to be studying abroad at such a prestigious university!
A couple walked by, hand in hand, and it prompted Corrine back to the problem that initiated all her contemplation.
She didn’t know how she truly felt about Marshall and Josie kissing. Strangely it didn’t bother her as much as she’d imagined it would; she wasn’t hurt nor was she the slightest bit jealous. If anything, she felt a strange mixture of relief and uneasiness. Perhaps, Marshall kissing Josie meant he was finally over her? Or maybe it was Josie who was finally over Vaughn?
Her deep thoughts were interrupted by the quick electronic beat of Foster the People. A glance on her phone indicated an unknown number was calling.
‘telemarketer,’ she thought and let the ringtone loop.
----
That night Corrine came home to find Vaughn sprawled out on the sofa. The lights were all off except for the glow of the television set that lit up all four corners of the room. Quietly, she locked the door behind her.
There was no indication that anyone else was home. Josie’s Converses usually thrown haphazardly by the dining table was nowhere in sight. Perhaps they all went out for dinner?
She tiptoed easily to the living room and peered over the couch. Vaughn was sound asleep. In his left hand he clutched the remote. Corrine found herself smiling and wondering if she should try to pry them out of his grip, but decided otherwise. How peaceful he looked, and how warm he must feel. Suddenly, as she made this observation a chill ran down her spine; her dress with its low cut back did zero justice against the AC vent right above her.
After switching the TV off and turning on one of the lamps, she found herself walking back to the couch and sitting on the coffee table opposite Vaughn. She sat there and watched. So close she was to him. How easily she could slide right next to him and feel his warmth against her body. How badly she wanted to not feel so alone. How she yearned for some perspective.
Vaughn stirred, and finally looked up to see Corrine watching him ever so tenderly. “Hey,” he said.
Surprisingly he didn’t wake up alarmed to see her dark figure hovering over him so closely. “Hi,” she straightened her back.
“Was wondering when you were gonna get home,” he propped himself up on his elbows. “Everyone went out to Dwight’s; it’s taco Tuesdays.”
She tried to return his smile. “Why didn’t you go?”
He’d gotten himself to sit up; even half groggy he still had the nicest eyes.
“Lucas said you guys went to check out your new apartment today. Afterwards, he said you took off like rocket. Didn’t know where you went,” He paused. “I tried calling, but it just went straight to voicemail. Is everything okay?”
“You called?” She sounded perplexed. She hadn’t had a missed call from Vaughn all day.
“Yeah. Here, look, I can even prove it you,” he pulled out his cellphone and quickly pulled up his call log. He pointed to her name. “See, right there. 7:12.”
“That looks like a new phone,” she observed.
“It is. Dropped my old one sometime today and didn’t realize it until after class was over with. Had to cancel my old number and get a new one, and all that crap.”
It then registered to her. “Oh my gosh! You were the one calling from that 647 number. I’d thought it was someone from that stupid raffle I entered. I would’ve picked up had I known it was you!”
Vaughn chuckled. “It’s okay, at least I know it wasn’t because you were held against your will or anything like that.”
“No, I was just…thinking.”
“Is everything okay? You still haven’t answered my question.”
Corrine sighed. Everything wasn’t okay. A few hours ago she didn’t care that her best friend kissed Marshall; she was practically okay with it. But now, as she’d sat there in the dark watching Vaughn sleep all the bitterness and real emotion came crashing in. She was heartbroken, she was furious, and above all else she felt terribly alone.
There must have been something in her disposition that indicated something was wrong because a moment later she was in Vaughn’s arms, tears running down her smooth cheeks. The musky fragrance of his cologne filled her nostrils and gave her sense of comfort and security. She could stay like this forever, and for a while they did. Vaughn kept her close, and she, never wanting to let go, rested her head on his shoulders.
After a moment, she looked up at her savior. Why did it have to be Vaughn? Why did he have to be so good to her? His fingertips came up brushed the last of her tears away. He smiled tenderly. Suddenly the memory of their kiss came flooding back. It wasn’t a dream, and this very moment wasn’t a dream either.
----
Ta-da! And that's the end of ch 28. How was it? Was it as good as your imagined? could it have been better? let me know!
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erika
Junior Member
Posts: 56
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Post by erika on Jan 4, 2015 15:07:55 GMT -5
Chapter 29: So Close
She remembered their kiss at once. So soft, so warm. She felt him pull her to the edge of the coffee table where her knees met the insides of his thighs.
“I don't like seeing you this way.” He brought up a finger to rub away the last of her tears. Their bodies were so close. Her fingers instinctively reached for his hair, and he drew her into an embrace once again. She could feel all of her worry and pain melt away. His lips searched for hers. And when he found them, she couldn't resist.
The door knob jiggled, and their lips unlocked so quickly, it left her dizzy and drunk. It didn't occur to her to even move away from Vaughn—away from their close embrace, away from all of the feelings.
Marshall was the first to step in. “What's going on in here?” His voice was loud and accusing, and Corrine was afraid he'd seen everything.
He walked in with a staggered limp, clutching on to a set of keys that rattled from every step. His feet made contact with the floor in clunky, awkward patterns as if his shoes were two sizes too big. He made a sharp left at the door and was headed into the kitchen.
Greg appeared just behind him and with a solid grip on Marshall's shoulders said “This way, pretty boy.” He guided him back into the living room where Corrine and Vaughn watched with guilty temperament. Greg suggested he take a seat on the sofa. And he did. “You need to sit, my friend.”
After helping him to the couch, Greg took notice of Corrine and Vaughn who was still sitting
“I know what's going on,” Marshall slurred. He raised a finger and pointed it between Corrine and Vaughn.
She could feel the blush warming up her cheeks and her nerves clamming up her hands. Immediately, she got up on her feet. The sudden void of Vaughn's body so close to her's felt foreign. She could feel the cold air from the A/C vent again.
“I thought you loved me.” Marshall accused. There was heavy scent of alcohol and sweat from his end of the couch.
“Are you drunk?” Corrine asked as quickly as she could.
“You bet I am!”
“He had two beers,” Lucas corrected as he entered the apartment. “I don't understand.”
Marshall lifted two fingers up and wiggled them around until Greg gave him a glass of water and a handful of crackers. He sloppily pushed the squares into his mouth, crumbs breaking off into the crevices of the sofa.
“I thought you loved me,” he repeated. Some of the dry cracker spewed from his mouth and landed on the floor.
Josie came up to watch. “Apparently he's a lightweight.”
“Apparently,” Vaughn agreed.
After some minutes the apartment door opened again and Z walked in. The science club immediately took the opportunity to ask him his whereabouts to which the professor explained he had gone for a walk while the rest of them went out for drinks. He described a little bookstore he stumbled into with a painted ceiling. He'd been there since admiring the collection of vintage editions and analyzing the mural. “I simply lost track of time.”
That night Jose slept in Vaughn's room with Corrine, and Marshall was designated Vaughn's make-shift bed, a foldable cot next to Greg's bed.
The door to the bed room was left ajar and shuffling could be heard from the living room. Corrine wondered if it was Vaughn and if he was still awake. She imagined, just then, what it might be like to lay next to him. She'd shared a bed with Marshall before, but it wasn't nearly as exciting as she imagined sharing a bed with her boyfriend might be. There weren't any long mornings goofing around between the sheets, no breakfast in bed, and no midnight tv marathons snuggled up together. In fact, she couldn't even recall a time they'd made out in bed.
“You have to set him straight,” she began.
Corrine was lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Josie.
She never admitted it, but she often wondered what it would be like to make love. Everyone—even Josie—always assumed she and Marshall had already done it, and she'd always done her best to neither deny or confirm those speculations. It was no one's business what she did or did not do in private, after all. But the absolute truth was that she wondered what she was missing.
“Did you hear me?” Josie asked.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
Josie let out a sigh. “Marshall,” she enunciated. “You have to talk to him. He's not over you, and if you have no intentions of getting back together, you need to set him straight.”
It bothered Corrine that Josie felt some kind of authority to say that about her relationship with Marshall. It was almost as if she sympathized with him, as if he were some kind of victim, and Corrine was the criminal.
Corrine didn't say a word.
“Corrine? Did you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“He was planning on moving here to be closer to you, did you know that? It would be a waste if you weren't planning on taking him back. He's such a good guy, Corrine. Doesn't he deserve more than that hasty break-up?”
All she could focus on was the idea of Marshall following her around London, begging for her to come back, to be his again. She wanted desperately to end the conversation. Their relationship was no longer salvageable. Did Josie not understand that love—if it was even that—can just simply fade?
“He'd do anything for you.” Josie continued.
She fell asleep thinking of Marshall. She was angry that Josie's last words had impacted her to the point that she was questioning her own. What if she gave him a another chance? Would it be better the second time around? Can her love for him be rekindled?
Readers,
I meant to post this up along with several other chapters, but I couldn't resist from immediately sharing it with you guys. It brings me so much joy to know that some of you still want to read this little work of fanfiction, even after all of these years.
I just recently graduated with my BA in English and Creative Writing (soon I shall be going for my MFA), and returning to this story was actually refreshing and quite fun. This story is part of my early roots as a writer, and I have every intention to nurture it to the end.
With love, HL
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