a/n: This is the sequel to 'About a Girl and a Boy'. It's not required to read that to understand this, but I highly recommend it. There are quite a few references to that story whether it's small details or inside jokes, it definitely adds an extra layer to the story in my opinion. You also really get to know these two when they were 15 in that story and their personalities. I also am posting this earlier than expected. I wanted to have a few more chapters banked but it's looking like this hurricane is going to have me without power for awhile. So you guys are getting the first chapter early! So on we go, lets see how our pair has changed or even stayed the same over the past ten years...

Chapter 1

Eric's POV

-This isn't giving up, no, this is letting go-

I got home from work tired as hell. I spent the entire day arguing over job estimates with one of my coworkers. Usually we all got along great but today we simply did not see eye to eye. So I drove home still pissed off and turned up the radio to try and ease my mind. I flipped through the stations and all I got was hip-hop garbage. Where was the real music? Eventually I settled on some indie station and continued home. The calm and winding roads were familiar and felt like home now. It was not too long ago I thought this small town was insane and wished for the city. Actually it was awhile ago, it just did not feel that way to me. Out here the roads had no streetlights or sidewalks, they just narrowly sliced through the forest. It was late summer so the trees were thick with foliage. I was definitely looking forward to fall and the cooler weather.

When I reached my house I stopped my truck by the mailbox at the end of the driveway. I grabbed the mail and then pulled my truck into the garage. Then I headed inside to scrounge up something for dinner. There was certainly no wife hanging around to do that for me so that meant cooking for myself every night. Not that I seriously expected a woman to always cook for me... but it would be nice to not have to cook every night. I had been single for a long time now and it did not seem like that fact would change soon. My only serious relationship had been in high school when I had dated the same girl for all four years of it. But now I was 29 years old and had not been in another real relationship. I had dated in college and after...but no one ever made me want to settle down.

I put a pot of water to boil on the stove. I'd just make some pasta because it was quick and easy. I wanted to watch some television and collapse in bed for the night. While I waited on the water I browsed through my mail. I paused as I came across a green and yellow flyer. It was an invitation to my 10 year high school reunion. I cringed as I read who had organized the event: Nan and Bill Compton. First off they both never stopped being annoying as hell and second everyone was shocked when after high school those two got together. It was the strangest thing ever.

Normally I would not bother attending something like this. I kept in touch with the people I cared about. But there was one person's name my brain had been screaming since I spotted the flyer... Sookie Stackhouse. I didn't even know if she would go but I checked off yes on the invitation and put it in an envelope to send back to Nan and Bill. I supposed I could ask Sookie if she was going it was not like we ended on bad terms and hated each other. It was really quite the opposite, but we definitely were not best buddies now. A Facebook message from me would probably seem very out of the blue to her. Nah, if she was there I would just surprise her rather than come off as a creeper. It was insane how my mind was flooded with memories of her instantly. I remembered how good things were between us and definitely wondered why we ever ended it. Actually I wondered that numerous times over the past few years.

Once I completed my engineering degree and finished college, still without ever meeting anyone who really sparked my interest, I started thinking about her again. She had always been in my thoughts and I hoped she was doing well but after college it was different. I thought about how I had yet to meet someone who made me feel the way I felt with her. But I tried to push it to the back of my mind and told myself I was imagining it better than it was. After all I had been a teenager at the time and to top it off you always tend to remember things better than they were. But I always thought about her even if it was only for a second when I flipped by The Sandlot on TV.

So of course this reunion seemed like a second chance. It was the perfect casual way to really reignite our friendship and hopefully something more. There was no doubt in my mind Sookie was still the same person she used to be. Even though she was shy she never let anyone influence her life choices or how she treated others. As I continued making dinner I couldn't help but remember my last memories of her.

Flashback, 10 years ago...

"That's really what you want?" I looked into her eyes and could tell she was trying not to cry. Sookie slowly nodded.

"I just think... it might be for the best." She said quietly and wiped away a stray tear running down her cheek.

I sighed and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Okay"

Sookie seemed stunned and sat down next to me. "Really? That's all you have to say?"

The truth was I had been thinking about what she just said for awhile now. It was the summer after our senior year of high school. In fact it was three weeks before we both started college. "I've kind of been thinking about this too. We both know we love each other but you're right. We owe it to ourselves to at least try and experience new things."

She nodded silently. I hoped I had not hurt her feelings by not putting up more of a fight. Maybe she wanted me to say no and fight for her? Nah, Sookie did not play mind games like that. She always said what she meant. Even if she was sad just like I was over this, it was something we both needed. Sookie and I had been dating since I moved to town when I was fifteen. Now we were eighteen and neither of us had ever been with anyone else. In our high school we both knew there was no one else we were interested in. But in three weeks we would be going to different colleges in different states. It would be hard to have a long distance relationship and apparently both of us were wondering if we should explore what else might be out there.

We both had gotten pressure from our parents to not be insane and get engaged right after high school. They all were seriously worried about us making our life choices based off of each other. Sookie and I weren't stupid though. I knew if we let ourselves base our lives off each other then someday we might resent one another for it. I did not want that. I was pulled from my thoughts when Sookie finally spoke up.

"You think we'll find our way back to each other?" She looked over at me and I could see the fear in her expression.

I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her closer, which was very easy to do. Sookie pretty much stopped growing at age fifteen and finally at the end of our freshman year I started to grow up. Right now I was 6'3" but still a bit on the skinny side. My poor weight could not keep up with my height.

"If it's meant to be we will." I said quietly and could hear her sniffling and probably getting snot on my t-shirt. I didn't care though. "And I definitely think it's meant to be Sookie, I have faith in us." We just had to let go of each other for now, to make sure we did not end up hating each other. I felt her nod and her arms wrapped around me, hugging me closer. I would find my way back too Sookie someday. I just knew it.

Present day...

I remembered that conversation like it was yesterday. At the time I was rather frozen. That's how I tended to get when tons of negative emotions were swirling around in me. It was either I got numb or I lost my temper. The temper thing was rather new though and I was pretty sure it had to do with stress from work.

Me and a temper had never gone together unless I was around my father, you could ask Sookie and she would agree. But lately things at work had been getting to me. It was tough being the only person working for a family business that was not a part of that family. They hired me to get a successful engineer in their office yet I had to sit and watch as they let family drama get involved in what should be business issues. Don't get me wrong they were all great people but... yeah... work issues. I guess it comes with being an adult.

I went to bed that night thinking about the past and dreamt of only one person in particular. Hopefully I'd be seeing her again soon.

a/n: So this chapter is just an introduction really to try and establish the setting. We'll be getting to more E/S interaction soon. At the moment it's also looking like this story might have more of Eric's POV than being 50/50 like the last one. Also please review and let me know your thoughts! I hope I still have some of my readers from AGAB! Love it? Hate it? What do you think Sookie's up to?