"I thought I was dating the elephant-man"

Kirsten Nichol. What could he probably say about her? Beautiful, definitely. Probably even the most beautiful girl he ever saw on campus. Probably the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Intelligent. She always had her own opinion on a subject and felt strong about it, but she was never too stubborn to listen to new opinions or to think about suggestions. She was not the best student in class, but definitely one of the most intelligent girls in her year. Her test-results were always good, but Kirsten's marks weren't the things that fascinated him most about her intelligence - it was the way she spoke, the way she made you feel when she talked to you. He was not stupid himself and still, no matter what they fought about or what they discussed he was amazed by her and most of the time he simply lost their little arguments, because he fell in love with her over and over and over again even if she was just explaining her opinion on the recycling-system of Berkeley. It was weird, but she had something about her that send you head over heels for her, not only because of her breathtaking looks or the way she walked, talked or looked at you, there was something fascinating about her- something mysterious and Sandy knew from the first moment he saw her, he wanted to find out what she hid from everybody around her.

Rich. Not that it mattered to him, but he was stunned the first time Kirsten showed him her house in Newport. Their pool house was twice as big as his mother's apartment and her father, Caleb Nichol, owned practically the whole of Newport.

Another thing he could say about Kirsten Nichol: They were from complete different worlds. At the beginning of their relationship, he had doubts. "I can't give you what you were used to, Kirsten" he had said. It was one of their first arguments, but Sandy found out that very night that she was the right girl for him. Arguing with her was more intense than having sex with one of his ex-girlfriends – there was a tension between them, even when they fought, that made it almost painful for him to not be close to her.

He realised as well that no matter how different they were and no matter how long they'd fight, they'd end up together sitting cuddled on the sofa, lying close to each other on a small bed or simply walking together along the campus' lake.

Special. He never met a girl like her. Not because his ex-girlfriends weren't gorgeous or intelligent, but because he didn't feel this thing he had with Kirsten. He couldn't exactly point his finger on it, but he knew she was something special and had a side only he could ever see. She was a girl that combined fashion with class. A girl that combined intelligence with humour. A girl that combined opposites with each other – A girl that made impossible things possible.

And he loved her. He loved her with all his heart and he knew even if they were still two most of the time drunk young in love students that his feelings would never change.

Yes, Sandy Cohen could say more about his girlfriend than he thought, but what did he know about himself? He was a senor year law student at Berkeley. He was happy, bright and had a worrying mother that was still waiting for his return in NYC, a beautiful girlfriend that was currently sleeping next to him and he couldn't complain about the amount of friends he could count on. But he was young and still had no idea what he'd do after college. Before he met Kirsten, he planned to go back to New York to satisfy his mother, but he knew then that it would make him unhappy sooner or later so it was just a short pit stop of the long journey to…well he didn't know where this road would lead him, that some people like to call 'Life'.

Sandy Cohen was a different person before he met Kirsten and the both of them knew it. Kirsten changed Sandy, Sandy changed Kirsten and they both enjoyed their carefree, adventurous life and their young love, but both knew that they couldn't go on like this forever. Eventually they needed to think about their future if they wanted or not and Sandy had no idea if there was something to talk about if he didn't know what he wanted.

"What are you thinking about?" Sandy was startled out of his thoughts when he heard his girlfriend's small sleepy whisper.

"Nothing" he answered and smiled down at her. He was about to move the arm behind her neck in a more comfortable position when he felt a terrible pain in his back and shoulders. It was then when he realised that he lay in that uncomfortable position all night long- he might be young and sporty but his back was killing him. He winced lightly and Kirsten quickly lifted her head from him, thinking she hurt him by lying on his chest all night.

"You okay?" she asked frowning and smiled relieved when he nodded and found a much more comfortable position, if you could get comfortable in one of those hard, stiff, small Berkeley beds. She may be Kirsten Nichol but she had a dorm room like every other student on campus, which was including sleepless nights because of the terrible beds.

"Yup, I'm great" Sandy said sighing and pulled Kirsten a little closer to his body.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Cohen?" she asked after a while yawning and made Sandy giggle.

"Why aren't you sleeping, Kirsten?" he replied and she smiled, before leaving a kiss on his bare chest. She muffled a 'funny' before answering "I asked first".

"Well and I asked you after" Sandy said and Kirsten rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I'm not sleeping, because my boyfriend keeps watching me while I'm sleeping" she said and giggled lightly. She felt Sandy's chest move up and down while he laughed before he put on an innocent face and pouted, saying "That's not true. It was a coincidence that you woke up and I was watching you the last time" he lied and Kirsten smiled up at him, thinking he was cute "Yeah right. What a coincidence that this happened every night we spent together in my dorm room or the mail truck, my dear" she said mockingly before she reached up to catch his lips in a quick peck.

"K I admit it – guilty for stalking my girlfriend" Sandy said and tried to look like he was really sorry for his 'crime'.

"Uh huh. Well handsome not that I want to upset you, but if you want to be a lawyer some day you need to stop doing those silly things or I need to press charges against you" she answered him and giggled lightly when she saw him smirking.

"Fine whatever" he said and kissed the top of her head.

Kirsten suddenly began to smile at her own thought before she looked up at her boyfriend's face. Immediately after seeing her grinning face, he asked "What are you smiling at, gorgeous?".

Kirsten's smile only seemed to widen, before she told him "I was just thinking about the first time we met. Remember? I let you know that I don't like it when somebody stares at me".

Sandy thought about it for a moment before he started laughing. However when he realised how this night that he could remember like it was yesterday really went he quickly stopped himself and pouted "Ohh you were so mean to me".

"Kirsten you'll love it" Alison her roommate said excited.

"Uh huh" the gorgeous blonde next to her said.

"You know, Paul will be there too" Ally smiled mischievously at the mentioning of her new boyfriend's name.

"No. Really?" Kirsten asked sarcastically. She knew Paul Glass was the only reason her friend wanted to go to this Halloween-Party in the first place. And thanks to her, Kirsten was invited, too, because Paul wanted to bring one of his buddies. "That's gonna be fun" Kirsten said under her breath, while she tried to fix her blonde mass of hair.

"I heard that" Ally said, referring to Kirsten's sarcastic little comment.

"Good that was my intention" her friend answered and stuck her tongue out. Ally laughed at her before looking her up and down "you look hot, baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

Kirsten blushed lightly and looked down at herself before saying a polite, but quiet "thanks you too".

"This guy with this girly name is gonna fall in love with you the second he sees you in that" Ally said motioning to Kirsten's short black dress.

"I already told you I don't want a serious relationship right now" Kirsten told her friend for the millionth time, before starting to fix the messy make-up she still wore after a long day at college.

"Come on Kiki, you and Jimmy are so over" Alison said, while doing her own make-up.

"It's not about – Jimmy" Kirsten said strongly and glared at her friend in the mirror.

"Well then what is it about?"

What is it about? Let's think about it. It could be about the abortion I had only a month before I went to college without the baby's father as I , or my father, planned my whole life. It could be also about the stupid boys in their year that just want to get a good lay.

"Don't wanna talk about it and I'd suggest if you want me to come you better be quiet and glad I do this for you" Kirsten said smiling because she really wasn't in the mood to argue with her friend over something like a stupid junior year guy.

"Alright, you think Taryn will be there?" Ally said looking at Kirsten a little nervous- it was no secret that the two of them hated each other.

"Don't worry today's Thursday which means she's gonna find a strange guy and quickly disappears with him in one of the toilets" Kirsten said and giggled- Taryn's swinger-day was really today. Ally gave her a "are you kidding look" before bursting in giggles herself.

"Alright Kiks we should really get going to meet Paul and…uhh his weird friend" Ally said and took her friend's hand in hers to make her move.

"Wow thanks for making his friend that is just by the way my date sound so incredibly appealing".

-

Oh Sandy come on, she looks hotttttttt" Paul told him for the millionth time.

"Do I seem that sorry that you think you need to set me up with a junior-chick?" I asked him rhetorically but frustrated .

"Do you really want me to answer that?" my so called best friend asked me and gave me a look of sympathy that could make me vomit and cry in once. Was I really a sorry ass and so ridiculous because I couldn't get a girl myself so my friend has to help me?

"Okay I definitely will not go" I said and turned around, heading towards my new home- the old mail truck a few metres away from campus.

"oh come on Sandford, take a chance, have fun or did you forget how to do that?" Paul yelled after him. Sandy never stopped walking away while his friend yelled different things after him, trying to convince him to give him company.

"HER ROOMATE IS HOT"

"I don't care"

"SHE IS NOT A SILLY JUNIOR YEAR CHICK"

"Good for her"

"COME ON SANDY"

"Have fun buddy"

"SANDY SHE IS ummm…BLONDE"

"Not my type"

KIRSTEN NICHOL IS EVERYONE'S TYPE"

"Kirsten Nichol?"

-

"Believe me you did the right thing by joining me" both Paul and Ally said to their friends.

"Do you think I'm looking okay for a costume party?" Kirsten asked her friend nervously. She always loved costume-parties when she was younger because she could be what she wanted for a few hours, but now she was in college, almost an adult. She asked a few friends what they'd be wearing and the only clue she got was "just wear something hot- Halloween is the only day of the year when you can dress up as a slut and nobody can say anything against it". Right, very helpful. So Kirsten decided on a short, but not too short, black dress and bought cat-ears so she looked at least a little bit like, well a cat?!

"Of course babes , you look hot in that dress. HrHr" Alison said and looked again up and down her friend's dress before making a cat-sound. Kirsten laughed and decided to relax- she was Kirsten Nichol and not used to being insecure about her appearance.

"alright buddy, are you ready?" Paul asked and looked at me obviously trying not to burst into tears of laughter because of the great costume I had chosen.

"Let's do it" I said and felt myself getting incredibly excited when Paul rang at the door. I'd be at a party with KIRSTEN NICHOL. I was sure that she was probably a stupid, slutty Newport-chick-Barbie, but I couldn't help but being curious about her- even if it was just for one night and she'd be really as stupid as I thought.

-

Paul hit my arm when he saw his girlfriend, Alison. "She looks hot doesn't she?" Paul whispered to me and I just nodded politely. Even if his girlfriend was really pretty, she was a typical junior-year-chick, but his friend was obviously drawn to her type.

"Heey princess" I heard my friend say to Alison, who wore a princess-dress indeed, and was more than shocked how quickly the two girls must have went over to us while I was lost in my thoughts- alright Sandford Cohen, you can do it, I reassured myself before I started to wonder where the beautiful blonde had disappeared so suddenly.

"Baby, this is my friend Sandy, Sandy this is Ally" Paul introduced us and I smiled politely, before I noticed that she couldn't see me smile underneath the paper bag.

I held my hand out instead and saw her taking it hesitantly- what was wrong with me? Did I smell? Nope I only took a shower before we went to the party. Okay so my costume wasn't as amazing as I thought.

"Hi Sand…y?"

"Yeah, Sandy. Hi" I replied uneasy.

"Where is Kirsten, didn't I see her a few mins ago?" Paul asked the question I was too embarrassed about to ask.

"Yes…umm….she is here…and uhmmm she went to the toilets because she wasn't feeling well. Now, Glass do you want to get me a drink or do I need to do it myself?" Ally asked, changing the subject before she and Paul went to the bar, leaving me standing there like an idiot.

Great party, I thought to myself and went to the kitchen to get myself a real drink, I could definitely need it.

-

Kirsten saw him from across the room and didn't know if she should be either mad at her friend for thinking he'd be good enough for her or laughing at the poor guy that looked like the elephant man himself with his ridiculous paper bag. She quickly excused herself from Ally, telling her she really needed a hard drink to survive this party before she disappeared in the kitchen to flee from this Sand-whoever.

-

"Are you staring?" The blonde girl asked that he was looking at.

"Me?" I asked and shook my head quickly. I didn't mean to be rude I just didn't know something better to look at while I had my 3rd drink and still not the courage to talk to any girl at the party- maybe this bag wasn't a good idea after all..

"Your staring again" the gorgeous girl said after a few moments and I blushed- God why couldn't I just look away?

"Sorry" I said and looked away from her until I heard her giggling.

"Are…are you laughing at me?" I asked her and felt like an idiot. The girl opposite me raised her eyebrows and then said "Are you alone here?". Was it that obvious?

I nodded and answered "you" before I even thought about it. What was I doing there? Talking to a girl that was obviously a junior chick and had fun laughing at him.

"No. I'm here with a few friends" the girl replied and started giggling again. Why was she laughing at me? "What is so funny?" I asked, starting to get a little annoyed.

"What are you supposed to be? A paper-ghost? The blonde girl asked and suddenly I had to laugh too. I had almost forgotten about my stupid costume.

"Well Kitty-Cat that was my creative last-minute-costume" I mocked. I was never someone that held his tongue.

"Hey. At least my costume is a real costume" the girl said back and I looked her up and down "that's debatable".

The girl's jaw dropped exaggerating before she said "who do you think you are?"

"Sandy Cohen, 22, studying law at Berkeley, living currently in a mail truck" I said and smiled, this time knowing she couldn't see my smirk.

"A mail truck?" the girl opposite me asked in disbelieve and I just nodded- was that a problem?

"You mean a dirty old mail truck?" she asked again and suddenly I knew who I was talking to. "Wait I know who you are" I said and this time I was the one that laughed at the other.

The girl raised an eye brow, clearly not impressed..

"Kirsten Nichol"

"Wow now you know something every other student already knew- congrats smart-ass" Kirsten said, turning around. Woo a difficult one, I thought and grinned. Interesting.

Before I could say anything else she said "Kirsten Nichol, 18, studying Art History at Berkeley, currently living in a too small dorm room with a horrible bed and a friend with an annoying boyfriend called Paul Glass that is – almost forgot- your friend". When she finished I smiled at her spontaneity but was a little upset that she didn't turn back around to face me.

I took a few steps closer to her and immediately felt something change around me. I felt something I didn't feel a few seconds before. This tension took almost my breath away and I wasn't even looking her in the eyes. I took another few steps towards her, my eyes fixed to the hair on the back of her neck. When she didn't move I dared to take another step until I was almost standing directly behind her.

"Why don't you look at me?" I asked her quietly and she started to giggle again- I realised how much I loved her smile and the sound of her voice.

"I'm not looking at you, because you are wearing a paper bag which makes it impossible to look you in the eyes and I hate it when I can't look somebody in the eyes when I'm talking to him or her" she stated and I had to laugh. I really should get rid of this damn bag soon.

"Alright, I have a deal. I get rid of this ridiculous bag and you look back at me" I said and wanted nothing more than looking into those deep blue eyes I could make out from across the room.

"I never said I wanted to look at you" Kirsten mocked and giggled again.

"Ummmm" I muttered, not knowing what else to say. This girl really had the ability to make him blush. He wasn't used to a girl being just as spontaneous and cheeky as him.

"I was joking" Kirsten said and turned around. It was then when we both noticed how close we were really standing. Maybe a little too close for comfort for her, I thought and stepped a few steps back. She smiled at me and I smiled back. Get rid of that bag idiot, I told myself before I slowly lifted my hands to the hem of the brown bag.

I was surprised when Kirsten stopped my hands and replaced them with her own. Maybe surprised was an understatement when I felt my sticky palms and my quick pulse. What was if she was better off not knowing what was underneath this bag? What was if I was not her type? Not to forget I had very…powerful eye brows. Too late, I thought to myself when I looked at her grinning face and felt her lifting the bag inch by inch over my head.

"I wouldn't call it mean" Kirsten said and kissed her boyfriend's shoulder. "Just…not.."

"Nice?" Sandy asked and laughed at his pouting girlfriend. "Hey we just met, what did you expect? That I say 'Please kiss me paper-bag-man' and fall in love with you?" she asked and laughed at her own words. Sandy giggled and said "yup that would've been nice".

"Well at least we ended up together didn't we?" Kirsten asked and smiled up to him.

"Yes we did" her boyfriend answered and leaned down to kiss her. When the kiss deepened, Kirsten rolled over on top of him to make herself a little more comfortable on the small bed.

Before they knew it, Sandy's boxers were back down on the floor like earlier that night and Kirsten's panties quickly joined them. Things were just about to really heat up and lots of moans were escaping their throats when Kirsten's roommate was standing suddenly in the door frame with a tired look plastered across her face "Kiiiiiirsten". The couple quickly stopped their kissing when they heard Alison's voice and pulled the sheets closer around their bodies. "What what what" Kirsten asked shocked. Alison had to stop herself from giggling when she saw Kirsten's surprised look and flushed face before she continued "Look guys, everyone needs a sex life but pleeease. The first three times were loud enough, could you maybe try and be a little quieter or I'll leave and sleep at Paul's" she said yawning and Kirsten and Sandy looked at each other surprised. "You heard us?" Kirsten asked embarrassed looking down when she heard her friend's answer "Baby I think everyone that isn't completely deaf in Berkeley heard you".

"Um Sorry" Sandy said, speaking up for the first time. "Good night, Al" Kirsten yelled after her friend and got an "uh huh have fun and be QUIET" in return which made Sandy chuckle.

As a result of his laughing, Kirsten slapped him. "Ow" he said rubbing the spot on his chest where she had hit him. "Not funny" his girlfriend mouthed to him, before she giggled because he had turned them around and resumed kissing her neck up and down like he did earlier.

Every time they did this, it was like the first time all over again and it was another memory the both of them would never forget…

-

K so I really don't know what's gotten into me, but I kinda wanted to try to write a different Kandy- the young Kandy :D

Plus I thought there are so many little hints the O.C. gave us and I bet everyone had another image in his/her head when they thought about the few situations they mentioned in the o.c. – like the "I thought I was dating the elephant-man" or "stop him from singing Grease lightning" or "Having crazy sex with a total stranger" and that Thursday was Taryns 'swinger'-day and Kirsten goes like "for you maybe" and I think everyone imagined even the little flashback of young Kandy Josh gave us differently, so I thought I'd like to write a Berkeley-fic and show you how I pictured those little moments and their fresh relationship in general so if you want to read more- tell me :)

But I want to know your opinions on this chap anyway so please leave a review and let me know what you think. Thankies and much love xxx

Jen