Author's Note: Soo, first two chapters up in a day...It was a light homework weekend, what can I say? Something that I didn't count on for this story, but seems to be happening is that it's going to be a lot more Tammy/Fulton focused. Which is great, because I love writing them. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and keep those reviews up!
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Chapter 2: Indian Summer
"Hi," Tammy smiled walking up to a woman in a sleek black dress in the gallery. Since the new publishing phenomenon that was Tell Me About The Girl, The DEV Gallery had gone from the kind of place where grungy grad students drank cheap liquor and often got high to the kind of place where upscale art collectors came to pay too much to discover artists. This bothered Emily, made Dave indifferent and was great for Tammy, who was, if it continued at this rate going to be able to pay Tom back for his "investment" in her future by the end of her sophomore year. "Can I help you with something?"
"What can you tell me about this artist?" She was looking at Tammy's canvas.
"Um," Tammy said, "A lot. She's me." The woman looked at her.
"You're very young." She said, incredulous.
"I'm 18," Tammy said. She hated when people refused to believe how good she was. "I'm a design student at Parsons."
"These figures you use," She touched the painting and then gestured to a few of the surrounding sketches, "What do they mean?"
"They're symbolic of the people in my life." Tammy swallowed, "I'm the tree." The woman nodded.
"Tammy," Emily walked over, "Can you go on a coffee run? We're going to have a late night, with the sculptures coming in."
"Of course," Tammy nodded gratefully, and Emily winked. She walked outside and took a breath. She liked it downtown, but she didn't mind where the townhouse was either. Uptown or downtown were both fine, she didn't care much for midtown, but for the shopping. She headed to the nearest Starbucks.
"Hey," She stopped seeing a guy approaching her, his arm around a girl's waist. She cocked her head, he looked like Steve Callins, but she wasn't sure since his blue eyes weren't focused on Julie and he was smiling, something she had never seen him do. "It's Tammy right?"
"Uh yeah," She nodded, "Steve?" He nodded. "Don't you have a girlfriend?" He laughed awkwardly.
"You have a girlfriend?" The girl said pushing him away.
"Her name's Alicia," Tammy nodded, "She's in high school and has had a crush on him since she was twelve."
"A high school girl?" She said, "How old are you?"
"He's 18," Tammy smiled. The girl raised her eyebrows.
"Ew," She said and walked away. Steve looked at her.
"Thank you," Steve nodded, "That was really nice of you. How do you know that I didn't break up with Alicia?"
"Because Julie would have told me," Tammy shrugged. He sighed. "She would have, Taylor would have told her, she would have told me."
"You talk to her?" Steve asked.
"Every day," Tammy said. "You don't?"
"Not really," He said. She smiled. "Oh what?"
"I just remember one time," She sighed, "You saying something about how I'd never be her best friend over you." He rolled his eyes. "So why are you cheating on your girlfriend?"
"Because its none of your business," He shrugged. "And I'm not cheating. Alicia and I are still together but we're having an open relationship."
"That's retarded," Tammy said. He shrugged. "Look, I told her that if I ran into you, I'd keep you out of trouble. I know women like that one you were with, they're in the gallery I work at all the time. They're trouble."
"Maybe I want trouble," He shrugged. She sighed. "Have you gotten into any trouble since you moved here?" He stepped closer to her.
"I have a boyfriend." She said.
"I remember," He nodded. "Big guy, could kill me as soon as look at me." She nodded. "Not to mention your step brother."
"And you're in love with my best friend," She said. He nodded.
"I'm not in love with her," He said, "Not anymore."
"And that's why you're in an open relationship with your girlfriend?" She snorted. "Whatever," She pulled a business card out of her purse. "I work at The DEV gallery. Stop by." She walked into the Starbucks. He smiled.
"Hey," Tanya jogged over to Fulton. He smiled. "Listen um, Dean's going up to Minnesota this weekend."
"Yeah," He nodded. "And?"
"I don't know," She shrugged, "Are you going with him?"
"There's not really anything in Minnesota for me right now," He said, "Tammy's in New York." She nodded.
"You have parents though right?" She asked.
"Not worth commenting on," He said, "Tammy and Tommy and Ana have been my family for a long time." She nodded. "Why, what are you thinking?"
"Well, if you don't have plans, I was kind of hoping," She sighed, "This is so weird."
"Are you like asking me out?" He said.
"Yes," she nodded sarcastically. "I'm asking you out, because I'm so into guys who have serious girlfriends and are best friends with the guy I lost my virginity to." He laughed. "No, I'm on David duty and I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said hang out with you." Fulton laughed. "You have surpassed both me and Dean possibly even Patrick as his very favorite person in the world. So you up for it?"
"Yeah," he nodded, "sure, definitely." She smiled. "So what does David duty entail, like videos and popcorn?"
"Oh my God," she laughed, "You have a lot to learn about babysitting."
"Hey," He said, "my babysitting experience is with Eva, that's what it involves." She smiled.
Kelly walked out of class and saw Scooter sitting outside of the library, no doubt enjoying the last of the sunshine. She took a deep breath and went over to say hello.
"Hi," She said. He looked up from his book and smiled. Her mind flashed to the dream she'd had the night before. Her legs wrapped around him in her pool, screaming in pleasure as he entered her. It had been so beyond sexy that she when she inevitably woke up sweating and panting she had to shake Liam awake and have sex with him immediately. This was not an issue since Liam was pretty much up for it anywhere anytime.
"Hi," He closed the book. "You look freaked out." She laughed. "Is everything alright?"
"Of course," She nodded. You want him! A voice in her head was screaming. He loves you, just go someplace and scratch the itch. No one would blame you. "I just wanted to say hello."
"You did that," He said. She laughed. "Anything else you want to say?" Her face flushed red. She wanted him to press her against a wall, she wanted his hands on her body. It had to be Indian summer. That was the only way to explain it.
"No," She said, "Just hi." He nodded. "Um, I'm going to New York next week, to see Tammy. I'll probably go to the gallery, so if," She sighed, "I mean, if you need to get something to Dave or Emily."
"I'll call you," he nodded, "if I think of anything." She nodded. He snickered as she walked away. He knew that look on her face, she wanted something. He had a feeling Liam Nichols was having a good time lately, if it was what he thought. He shuddered. He hated thinking of that. Of his Kelly, her graceful limbs wrapped around another man, her head thrown back in pleasure, moaning any name but his. But he also knew, at least based on Emily, Dave and Janet's reports from her summer in New York that it seemed like Liam and Kelly's relationship didn't have anything to it but sex. She would need more than that soon. That was the time he was counting on.
"Hey," Casey walked into a literature class and sat down next to Julie. She smiled. "Um, so I know this is kind of stupid to ask, but are you planning on coming with me to dinner on Sunday."
"That was stupid to ask," She said. "No, I'm not going. Jaime can't just expect me to come play happy family all of a sudden. She hasn't done anything to earn it."
"She's your mother," Casey said, "She really misses you Gaffney."
"She should have though of that," Julie shrugged. "I can't spend my whole life forgiving her." Casey nodded.
"She has something she needs to tell you," He sighed.
"Are they getting married?" Julie said, "I'd show up for that, cause I love Josh, but,"
"They're not getting married," Casey said. "But you should talk to her."
"Are you going to be in Newport all weekend?" Julie perked up at the thought.
"Yes," He groaned, "You and Jimmy can mate like bunnies if that makes you happy." She giggled. "I do not recall you being such a nympho before."
"I think we're still recovering from this summer." She laughed. "I mean, we did it every night."
"God, how do you two do it?" He shook his head.
"We're in love," She shrugged. "You understand, you're in love."
"I'm in love with Jack yeah," He nodded, "That doesn't mean I want to spend every waking moment with him."
"We do not spend every waking moment together!" Julie frowned.
"Uh, you kinda do," Casey said. "I love you, Julie, I mean, we're family right?" She nodded. "You need a life outside of Jimmy Riley."
"You sound like Cal," She muttered.
"Cal's a smart guy," Casey shrugged. "Come to Newport with me, please? You really do need to talk to Jaime. Jimmy'll get it, he wants you to make up with her too." He picked at his notebook. "And I miss you, you know how we were that time you were here for Spring Break, and at Christmas time last year. Back when you were fun."
"I'll think about it," She said and then stopped and glared at him.
"What?" He asked.
"You wanna drive the Jeep!" She said. He laughed, and nodded. "I should have known you had ulterior motives."
"You don't appreciate that car," Casey shrugged, "It's phenomenal!"
"Elena!" Angela squealed and ran over to her friend at her locker. "Oh I'm so happy you're back!"
"I am too," Elena smiled and hugged her friend. "I missed you."
"You must have made friends there," Angela said, "You make friends everywhere."
"Yeah, but its not the same," Elena shrugged. "How was everything here? I got the Tommy and Brad version last night."
"You got my letters right?" Angela whispered.
"Well, yeah," Elena said, "But I mean, you just said you were lonely. It's not like you didn't have Tommy."
"Well, the first half of summer was great, really," Angela sighed as they walked to class, "I mean, we hung out and played with Eva and we visited Brad in Rhode Island, remind me to tell you that story sometime," She laughed humorlessly. "But then," She looked down, "Well, every one went to college, you know? Tammy and Fulton left, and Kelly stopped coming home for a few days here and there like she had, Rick and Cassie were out of the house, so Eva was around less, and he just got sad. I don't know how else to explain it." She sighed, "I'd never seen him like that, you know? Really, really, unhappy." Elena nodded, she had, only once, the night that he found out about Angela and Nick. Angela shuddered. "I didn't know what to do, how to make him happy again. I wanted to, but," Elena hugged her.
"Honey," She whispered. "No one expected you to be able to fill that hole. Before you Tommy's whole world revolved around taking care of Tammy and his mom. With Tammy gone and Ana happily married, that's gone, he just needs to readjust." Angela nodded.
"Hey Ellie," Nick walked past them. "My needle's dirty can I borrow yours?" He snickered and walked away.
"Up yours," Elena shouted after him. A teacher walked out. She smiled her most charming smiled.
"Miss Cole, Miss Hardy," He said, "I suggest you both get to class." They nodded and started walking.
"So have you heard from Dean?" Angela asked, much more perky.
"He's coming up this weekend," Elena giggled and hugged herself in excitement. "I've missed him so much!"
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