This is my first fic so I hope that it's okay. It's Sandy and Kirsten when they were in college. They are my favorite couple and there aren't nearly enough fics about them. So I decided to go ahead and write one. The song is by David Gray. Please review and tell me what you think and how I did. Thanks!
Disclaimer: The characters, sadly, are not mine. It's a serious bummer.
This year's love had better last
Heaven knows it's high time
I've been waiting on my own too long
But when you hold me like you do
It feels so right I start to forget
When that hurt gets thrown
Feeling like you can't go on
I'm sorry.
That was what Jimmy had said to Kirsten when he called her to break up with her in the middle of the night.
"Please understand. I'm doing the noble thing here, Kirsten. I'm trying to do my best not to hurt anyone."
Right, she thought bitterly. And he was doing a hell of a job. And that's why she was sitting there with her friends, who were trying desperately to cheer her up. It wasn't working. Her mind inevitably wandered back to Jimmy, the only boy who she had really loved. The boy to whom she lost her virginity to. The boy who decided that being faithful to her while she was away at school really wasn't his thing. The boy who was going to marry the girl that he got knocked up. She sighed heavily and stood up.
"Thanks for this you guys, but I have to get back. I have a test to study for," she said. Her friend Trish frowned at her.
"Kirsten…" she started. Kirsten knew what was coming. A lecture. He's moving on, and she should to. But she didn't want to move on. She didn't want Jimmy to move on either. Of course, that just wasn't a possibility. Of course he had to move on; he had a pregnant girlfriend now. Fiancée, actually. They were going to get married before the baby was born. Apparently she was only five weeks along, plenty of time, Jimmy had said to Kirsten. Why had he shared all these details? Oh that was right, he wanted to be friends. It was just another way for him to dig the knife in deeper and twist it around.
"No, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm just going to go back and study for a little while and then get some sleep," she said again. Trish looked like she was going to argue again, but Kirsten tried her best to give her a solid smile. Kirsten didn't wait for Trish to argue anymore, she just grabbed her purse and bolted. Concentrating on getting out of there before she broke down and started crying, she ran right something solid. Someone solid.
"I'm sorry," she muttered. She was immediately met with the most intense set of eyebrows that she had ever laid eyes on. He had playful blue eyes and a great smile. A really great smile.
"It's fine," he said. "I didn't even spill my beer. So it wasn't that much of an impact otherwise it would have sloshed over the side and I would have gotten it down my pants and that would have not been good because I don't have many clean pants back at my apartment…" Sandy was well-aware that he was rambling now. It was his habit when he was nervous or flustered, especially with a girl, and especially with a girl who looked like this. She nodded and tucked a piece of blonde hair behind her ear and offered a small smile.
"Well, I'm sorry again," she said. Kirsten was desperate to get out of there now. She just wanted to go home and curl up with a book under her covers and cry.
"I'm Sandy," he introduced sticking out his hand. He knew that if he didn't at least learn this girl's name he would regret it for the rest of his life. The girl looked like she wanted to leave, and looked so sad. He wanted to know what had made her this sad and fix it for her.
"Kirsten," she offered. "I'm sorry, but I was on my way out."
"Well, then, that makes two of us," he said handing off his half-full beer to one of his friends. His friend raised an eyebrow and Sandy gestured to Kirsten and the friend nodded in understanding. "Can I share a cab with you? Or walk you home? It's not safe for a girl to be walking around alone out there." Kirsten was going to argue that she was okay getting home, but she suddenly found herself wanting company. Not just any company, but this boy with the crazy eyebrows that liked to ramble.
"Sure," she finally said. "That would be nice." He silently congratulated himself on this small victory and they started walking home. It was a gorgeous night, and Kirsten was suddenly very glad that she wasn't alone. It was really the last thing that she wanted. Actually, the second to last thing that she wanted. She hadn't really wanted to go out either. She would have preferred that one of her friends stay at home with her and rent movies and let her cry her heart out.
"So…" Sandy started. "Where are you from?"
"Newport?"
"That's in California?" Sandy asked.
"Yeah," Kirsten gave a little laugh. "It's in California. Orange County to be exact."
"Ah. I'm a New Yorker myself."
"I love New York," Kirsten said. "My father keeps an apartment there and we go every year in the fall. To see the leaves change and everything."
"I miss the seasons," Sandy admitted. "I used to love snow."
"Do you go back often?" Kirsten asked.
"No," Sandy said. "I don't." He didn't offer up anymore details, and being as perceptive as she was, she didn't push. They walked in silence for a block before Sandy spoke up again.
"Why are you going home so early?" He asked glancing at the watch that he had purchased from a street vendor in New York for four dollars before he had left. The one that said Rolexx. It was a dangerous question, this he knew, because she immediately became guarded as soon as it was asked, but then she relaxed and gave him a sad smile.
"I guess I could tell you the same things I told my friends, which was that I had to study," she shrugged.
"But the truth?"
"The truth is that my boyfriend of four years just broke up with me because he got his new girlfriend pregnant and I didn't feel like staying out any longer and pretending to be happy and having a good time, because I wasn't." It looked like he had rubbed off on her and it was her turn to ramble now. He looked at her in surprise, amazed that she had actually answered his question. She looked sheepishly at her feet. "Sorry. That just sort of came out."
"No," Sandy said. "Don't be sorry. I'm sorry. That he did that to you." Not really, Sandy thought, or else he wouldn't be walking down the street with her. Her shoulders started to heave and instinctively he reached out and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm so sorry," she wailed. "I don't even really know you and here I am crying my eyes out on your shoulder."
"Hey," he said rubbing a hand over her back. "This shoulder is here anytime for you." Kirsten finally let out a shuddering sigh and regained her composure.
"Thank you," she said softly. She pointed to the building that they had stopped in front of. "This is me."
"Okay," Sandy said smiling at her. "Can I call you sometime?" Kirsten let out a shaky smile.
"That would be nice," she consented and rummaged through her purse until she found a piece of paper and a pen. She quickly wrote down her number and handed it to him.
"Thanks Kirsten," he smiled at her and once again she was struck by the thought of what a fantastic smile he had. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she repeated and turned to go into her building. "Sandy?" He stopped and turned around.
"Yeah?"
"Would you like to come up for some coffee?" Grinning, he nodded.
"That would be great," he told her sincerely. Nodding, Kirsten repeated that sentiment.
"Great," she said softly.
Turning circles when time again
It cuts like a knife
If you love me
Got to know for sure
Cause it takes something
More this time
Than sweet, sweet lies
Kirsten nervously pulled back her long blonde hair. Up or down? She scrutinized herself in the mirror and finally sighed and let it fall down. This was her first official date with Sandy. He had finished his cup of coffee, they had sat and talked about everything it seemed, and just like the gentleman that he was, kissed her goodnight and left it at that. He had called her the very next day and asked her to dinner. Kirsten almost laughed at his enthusiasm.
"So dinner? You and me? Maybe a guy playing a violin? What do you think?" Sandy had asked.
"Okay," Kirsten had said.
"Okay?"
"Sure," she amended. "That would be nice."
"Great," he said and she could practically feel the grin through the phone. "How about tomorrow night? We'll go out for a nice dinner?"
"That sound great," she had told him. And now he was going to be there in less than twenty minutes and she could not decide on what to wear. It was not like she had to really impress him. He had first met her in jeans and a Berkeley sweatshirt, completely void of makeup with her eyes red and puffy from the excessive amounts of crying she had done.
Once more she pulled her hair up and then once again let it fall down. She was amazed at the effort that she was putting into her appearance. She had lived in a mail truck with her best friend Trish during the past summer, something that both her father and Jimmy had disapproved of. Then again, her father was disapproving of everything she had done lately, starting with her choosing to go to Berkeley instead of Harvard like he had so long dreamed. The idea of being all the way across the country had not sounded appealing to her, and despite the fact that she had gotten in, she had ultimately decided on Berkeley, sealing her father's disapproval. He threatened to cut her off, and when he did, it was her mother who stepped in and began to pay for Kirsten's tuition.
It was the summer that Kirsten blamed for her and Jimmy's break up. If she had gone home for the summer like he wanted instead of seeing the country from the back of a mail truck, he probably would not have so easily cheated on her. He had an excuse. Kirsten was no where to be found, in one of the Dakotas somewhere. She wasn't thinking of him obviously, so why should he think of her?
A knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts and she hurried to answer it.
"Hi," Sandy said. "You look….gorgeous." She blushed and turned to grab her purse.
"Thanks," she answered. "So where to?"
"Oh, this little restaurant in San Francisco that I know of," he said. "Don't worry; you don't have to wear flowers in your hair." She had to grin at his horrible joke as he started to hum the song.
Sandy was nothing like Jimmy. She tried desperately not to compare the two, but it was difficult not to. Sandy was….well, he made her laugh and he made her smile. He was smart and sweet and talked about saving the world. She liked that, she liked that he wanted to save the world, and the fact that he thought that he could do it. Jimmy, he was the typical trust fund kid. And that had been okay, because she had been the typical Newport Princess. She had been the lead debutante in her cotillion and had been slated to go to any number of Ivy League schools. And maybe if she had gone to Harvard, or even Stanford like her father had conceded to, she would have stayed with Jimmy and she wouldn't have met Sanford Cohen who was ready and willing to fight for the poor and powerless. She wouldn't be heading towards San Francisco for the night, and for the first time since Jimmy broke up with her days before, she realized that Jimmy breaking up with her may have been the best thing he had ever done for her.
Before I open up my eyes and fall
Losing all control
Every dream inside my soul
And when you kiss me
On that midnight street
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet
"I'm sorry again," Sandy said glancing at Kirsten's pink dress which was now covered in spaghetti sauce. She waved her hand to dismiss it.
"Don't worry about it," she told him. "The look on your faces was priceless and worth some silly stain on a dress." When they had brought out their meals, Kirsten noticed that the waiter had forgotten to bring her salad dressing, Sandy had turned to get his attention and knocked into the waiter's arm and as if in slow motion, the plate of spaghetti went flying and landed all over Kirsten. Sandy had braced himself for her reaction, and when all she did was laugh, he knew that he had found the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
"It was just that….I wanted tonight to be perfect," he said sticking his hands in his pockets as they walked back to his car.
"It was perfect," she said softly looking at him. He met her eyes and gave a small smile.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "It was." She leaned up and gave him a deep kiss. He ran a hand through her hair, and she thanked herself silently for keeping her hair down. They eventually made it to the car, and somehow made it back to her place, when they closed the door and Kirsten forgot all about Jimmy and her father's disapproval.
This year's love had better last
This year's love had better last
Cause whose to worry
If our hearts get torn
When that hurt gets thrown
Don't you know this life goes on?
Won't you kiss me on that midnight street?
Sweep me off my feet
Singing ain't this life so sweet
This year's love had better last
Okay, please review and let me know what you thought. Thanks a whole bunch. There will be another chapter after this one, continuing on Sandy and Kirsten's relationship and meeting the respective parents, but only if I get some reviews! Hop to it! Thanks.