For Floopy

On the snowy path, Angela impatiently tapped her feet. Where was he? Frowning, Angela checked her watch one more time. 6:37 PM.

He claimed that he would arrive by six sharp. Angela frowned, concerned about her date's whereabouts. This wasn't good. If she got stood up on this, she'd literally slap him the next morning. He especially failed to show on their date on Starry Night! That was just horrible.

Starry Night, to Angela, symbolized romance and everlasting bonding. That was so not happening with her and Luke now.

Angela blew on her hanging brown bangs, to push them off her forehead. Before she moved to leave, she noted the pretty orbs shimmering above. Brilliantly they gleamed, everlastingly glittering against the black atmosphere.

Her ears picked up on the sounds of footsteps, but she had yet to see Luke looming in her gaze. Twisting in her spot to check over her shoulder, Angela hugged her thick jacket closer to her chest. Sure enough, her friend Renee was ambling down the path, iron fishing rod in hand.

"Evening, Angela," Renee smoothly said as passing. She stood tall as she slipped past Angela, head tilting towards to sky. If Angela looked closely, she could see the stars reflected in Renee's glassy brown eyes.

"Nice stars out tonight, huh?" Renee paused in her tracks, spotting something extraordinary.

Nodding, Angela replied, "They are." She smiled at Renee, surprisingly not feeling alone anymore. She wasn't that close to Renee, but that didn't mean tonight she could take the opportunity to get to know her.

Renee turned and Angela saw the usual dreamy look etched on her friend's face. "I think it's absolutely mesmerizing, the way they twinkle and shine on such a dark night..." Letting out a long sigh, she let the rod twirl between her thin hands.

After Angela makes no sign to comment, she added, "So what are you doing at this fine hour?" Plainly, she was referring that Angela didn't hang around Flute Fields often, and that it was different seeing her.

Making a noise of disappointment, Angela raised her eyebrows. It was clear she didn't want to say anything about her so far missed date.

"Oh, darling!" Renee sympathetically said, laying a hand on her shoulder. As quickly as it was there, it was gone. "Now who would want to stand up a nice gal like you?"

Miserably, Angela mumbled, "Luke..." She was close to tears. They were welling in her eyes, threatening to slip out.

"There, there." Renee took Angela's hand and led her towards the bridge. She allowed herself to be pulled towards the river. "Dear, you got nothing to worry about."

Angela stifled another cry.

Then, encouragingly, Renee asked, "Wanna fish?"

First thing the next morning, winter the seventeenth, Luke was knocking on her door. It was about ten, the morning sun gleaming high for Angela to see through her window while luxuriously sitting on her bed.

"Angela!" he called. The edge of his tone was frantic, pleading. "I'm sorry!"

The moment she heard his voice, she scowled. "You don't have anything to apologize for!" she yelled, slamming her book shut, making her way towards the door. "I can't believe you, Luke! You, out of all people, had to-"

"Ditch my girlfriend because Dad had an accident," Luke finished on the other side of the wall. In his voice there was unbearable pain that even Angela could decipher behind closed doors.

She was at loss for words. Desperately she wished to reach out, and her mouth to shape the words, "What happened?" But that would get too personal, perhaps too personal for Luke to handle.

"I'm sorry," Angela said, leaning on the cold door. Dear goddess, he was probably shivering out there in winter's chill, arms and legs tensing under the numbness beginning to rack his body.

For a moment, he choked, and then cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, babe."

One moment, the door was swinging open and the next moment, Angela was hugging him. Suddenly, she was sad, sad for Dale and sad that she almost didn't give Luke a chance.

"It's fine," she whispered, rubbing circles on his hard back. "Don't worry about a thing anymore."

Luke said back, "I'm sorry I ruined your Starry Night." Then he pushed into her hands a basket of freshly made cookies. "But happy late Starry Night." Luke bashfully tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling.

Slightly skeptical, Angela looked at the basket. "Luke..." she began, biting her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"By the way, I didn't make these cookies. I was supposed to bring them yesterday, and I dunno if you want them anymore, but..."

Angela pressed her lips against his. When they pulled back for air, she said with a reassuring smile, "All I could ever want is you anyways."

No comment. Hope you enjoyed, Floopy. Merry Christmas!