Chapter one - One Last Kiss

As he stepped out of the car he realized that it was a cold night out as they made their way up the street to her apartment. She held his hand tight as if she would never let go. He felt the warmth in her hand and he remembered it just like it was so many years ago, where he messed up and made a huge mistake, losing her had to be the most misabrel moment of his life; it was as if he could still see her walking down that deserted hallway with that red mark still imprinted on his face, and you were right to be mad and right to publicize the whole thing. But in his defense he was a stupid 15 year old high school boy, he played with some people's hearts and messed up a lot, but she still forgave him and then the next year they once again plunged into the water known as romance which had hurt them so much before but it was wonderful. But then the new of his bipolar caused her too much stress and it was if the tables had been turned and it was him who had to chose to either forgive her or forget her, but he never got the chance they once again went their separate ways and only got a glimpse of each other at the graduation but they never got to talk.

Now so many years later they meant again, this time at a coffee house. He had walked in and set down knowing that someone he had meant in many years pasted, he could not tell it was her by just her profile alone; but he knew she would find him as she stood up to get a refill. She glanced his way and he saw her eyes bulged out of her eye sockets. She ignored him at first, which he knew she would and she went on with her business, after maybe 30 minutes she finally stood up trying to walk as fast as she could out of the café' but he was faster. He made his way to her side and open up the door. She now had on her coat and looked like she had worked hard that week, there were dark blotches underneath her eyes, but those jade eyes of her still shown through as if they were from a cat. She opened her mouth to protest at first but then decided against it and walked (pushing her high hill shoes hard against the cement outside.)

He closed the door behind himself and then followed her as she made her way off the side walk, she sat in a bench and he knew the cue, he knew that she didn't want to talk, that her life was probably perfectly fine and it would not do much help if he messed with it; but he could not ease himself away from the situation at hand for it had been so long since they had even said two words to each other and he just couldn't give up the chance for a conversation between the two of them.

"So nice day outside, isn't it?" Craig said as he let out a great big bucketful of stress oxygen.

Ashley looked at him, he saw what looked like a stern unhappy face, she didn't want to be put in this situation he knew that for sure, but still he pushed on in effort to make her talk and in the hopes of doing so he let it all out.

"So I can tell from your stern face that you're not so fond of the conversation at hand, and I know that, but Ash, or do I not have a right to call you that anymore? Ash we need to talk, we haven't seen each other in years and as that might have been a good thing for you it wasn't for me. So let's start talking. I'm not leaving…" He saw Ashley pick up her cell phone. "Even if you do call the cops."

Ashley put the phone down and looked down right horrible as she graphed in the defeat she had inhaled. Ashley looked back at Craig eyes, she could see the moons reflection bouncing off into her very own eyes, and then she said in response "Okay Craig you have my attention now." Craig looked up at the sky and smile in relief as he repeated the words that she had said, it had been on 7 words, but they meant a lot to him.

"Why?" Ashley looked questionably back at Craig, she was trying to look confuse, she didn't want to start the conversation with what she had done. "Why what?" she asked innocently and looked away from him, she could feel his eyes burning a hole in her face.

"Oh come on Ashley, were grown adults we don't need to play silly little game anymore. You know fully well what I'm talking about. You know what the why means so why not just get it over with, this is the only way that we can ever have a friendship together again." Said Craig

"You call that a silly little game, there's nothing silly about life. Craig I really just don't want to talk about the pasted and I would really rather not like to have you as a friend either. If you don't mind I think I might leave now."

The insult hit Craig sourly across the face. He couldn't believe that she was trying to belittle him, after such a long time she still thought only of him as a kid. Well if he was a kid, he had surly been through a lot and he was damn sure that she wasn't going to not be a kid as well. This whole stupid conversation was about her decision to run away half way around the world, if that didn't scream immature he must have missed that in his childhood memories.

He now had a stone like face that looked as if any comment would be unbreakable to his anger stranded inside of him. Ashley tried as she had said to get up, but Craig grabbed her arm, and stood up himself."Look at yourself Ashley, you're yet again trying to run away, but haven't you learned by now that you can't run away from the world when it gives you problems. You have to face them and I'm sorry but glad at the same time to say that I am now one of those little problems as well, except I weight like 154 pounds so maybe I more than a little problem." Then Craig laughed.

"Fine if you not going to let go of me, were at least riding in my car. It's freezing out here!" said Ashley. So she and Craig made their way towards the automobile, as they got closer he could make out that it was a Chevrolet Corvette, it was scarlet and the windows were tented with what looked like a gray mist or fog.

Ashley pulled her purse from her arm and then began looking for the keys; as soon as she found them she went to the vehicle and pressed the red button.

Craig heard a faint click and as she went to the driver's side he ran around and got in the passenger's side. He flung the door open, set down inside and closed the door.

A waterfall of silence hit both of them, as it had been at least 20 minutes since they had last talked to one another. Craig didn't want it to be this way; he wanted any way but this one. He decided that at the next red light that he would try to make conversation. They rammed at a stop and Craig saw that Ashley was breathing fast.

"So Ashley, I seriously would like to know why you left me and went off to London and then dumped me through third party e-mail." Ashley looked anything but ready to speak, she put her eyes at a haulght as she glanced upward at the red light; she almost looked as though she was trying to make it change to green with her mind. Finally when she had come to ascent of not being able to get out of this. She looked at Craig and then took a big gulp of air.

"You ask why, as if I really had a choice. I had intended upon returning to Toronto the following year, but things changed. Why I left and didn't allow you to follow me it was as I have already said, I needed to get away from you Craig. It was as if the bipolar was not only just controlling you but it was the same to me too. I would get extremely stressed at the idea that you might not have taken your medicine and were going to take a crack at anyone at the school or even me. I know that it was selfish of me to just run off leaving you to run away as well from your family and friends, but I just couldn't bring myself to come back." Ashley said.

Craig saw that that the light had changed to green. Ashley floored it. Craig could see that she was spooling out droplets of tears which had resided to her cheek bone. He didn't want to make her cry, he never liked it when she cried.

"Look Ash I'm really sorry if I made you cry, I never meant to do that, I just wanted answers." He said as he took her hand into his own. Ashley had finally stopped at her apartment complex. She step out of the car, and acted as if him holding her hand had not fazed her at all.

Finally Ashley sai"Its okay Craig, I deserve to cry for my stupid teenage dreams and mistakes, I screwed up and I'm sorry. I realize that sorry doesn't always cut it but I really am sorry."

She now hold on to his hand even tighter as if she was reassuring him about her decision. He felt the truth and honesty inside her and he from now on would learn to trust her. It would be a work in progress for their friendship, but what they would earn at the end would be worth it.

Ashley got her keys out again and opened her apartment door. She walked in first and Craig followed. It was pretty, the kitchen had a black stone oven and the refrigerator was also black. Her dining room had a glass circler table and soft and comfy chairs to set in. Her living room had a plasma screen TV and the room had a nice fire place, Ashley went over to it and turned it on. Craig made his way to the black leather couch and set down, Ashley followed.

Craig grabbed for the remote and found his favorite channel Phuse.inc. One of his favorite songs had just come on. He started bopping his head side to side and he saw that Ashley was fond of the song as well. "So" said Craig "So…" said Ashley. And they just set there in silence.