A/N: First off, a big thank you to every one! All of you have been so patient and understanding. These shout-outs up here are for the reviews on the last chapter. At the end of the chapter are some more shout-outs. These are in response to those of you who left reviews on my Author's Note Chapter. Thanks for your words of encouragement!

This chapter has a little bit of everything. A bit of a glimpse into the life of Gregory and Sara Harding, and quite a bit more about Cathy. Yay! You get to learn more about one of the McGill girls.

Disclaimer: No. I won't say it. You can't make me.

SHOUT-OUTS:

Love books: Yes, I'm alive. And I am sorry for such a long wait. I guess I just needed an extended vacation of sorts from this story. Hopefully, things will go smoother now.

Gufa: Well, I'm not a medical expert or anything. But that sure sounded good, didn't it? Real life is going okay. Except for the no money part. But I'm supposed to get a bonus next month and I'm going to try and use part of it for my car fund and the other part to put some sort of laptop on layaway. Yay! A portable computer! I'm glad Will's arrival surprised you. Originally, it was going to be Alex, but Will insisted on showing up. I guess he missed Chris. And you liked my Sara? But there wasn't enough of her, I gather. Well, fear not. She'll be in more chapters soon.

Strawberry Lip Gloss: Yeah, it was sappy. But I like sappy, too. Besides, even I was beginning to miss Will. And I'm the one who sent him away! Now, I wouldn't put him in danger, would I? Would I?

Ruby: I have been eating your stories up! I just can't get enough of them! My book is still playing out in my head. As I mentioned above, I'm going to attempt to get a laptop. Just something I can write on. That way, I might even be able to write if I'm traveling somewhere! Yay! Writing, writing, writing. The only thing I like more than that is reading.

Steph: Oh, thank you! The interaction between the girls was what I worried about the most. I was so afraid it would come across as stupid. And my characters are likeable? Good. They're supposed to be likeable, you know. I'm glad you care about them.

Stella Maynard: I had quite a bit of fun writing about Chris and her fear of Lorelei marrying Peter. Nothing is worse than worrying about your best friend's boyfriend. Especially when you're that age. And we're not done with Chris's fears on that subject, either. Not by a longshot. You know, I was telling Ruby Gillis the other day that I was considering killing Will off! And all because his last name was giving me fits. I must have been having a Jonah day. Fear not, my friend. He is in no immediate danger. I will assure you of that much.

MarieChristine81: Thanks for reviewing! Your compliments really do take my breath away. Really! You're going to give me a huge ego if you keep giving me reviews like that. Now you know I can't give away the endings of all the romances. That wouldn't be fair. Obviously, Eric is, indeed, a snake. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve, although not necessarily for him. And we're not done in the romance department either. In fact, there's a new one on the horizon!

Beck: No, not abandoned. Just progressively harder to write. I am trying, though. I think I hit a mountain, but I believe I'm at the peak and going down the other side now. I hope. And thank you for paying my characters such a wonderful compliment.

Silver Stockings: Oh, it's never too late to review! Thank you! And thank you for the lovely compliments, too. It is difficult to do the research. It's also frustrating and overwhelming at times. Aha! You're not the first one to call me on Chris's name, my friend. Poor Chris. Truth of the matter? Loved that name since I saw 'Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway when I was thirteen. Never thought it was fair of LMM to give such a beautiful name to Anne's archrival. And, when I was writing the first chapter, the name 'Chris' just came tumbling out. I posted it before I could think and the rest, as they say, is history. Que sera, sera. But I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Miru: No, I haven't forgotten about Tom. I'd say he'll be back in about five or six chapters maybe. I don't think anyone will be expecting the storyline I'm gonna give him, though. (grins evilly)

Marzoog: Of course sappiness is a good thing. And LIFE cereal does things to me, too.

Emma: I'm sorry if I made you cry. Don't get too far ahead of me, now. It isn't Operation Overlord. You'll find out soon enough. Actually, it will probably be at the end of the war. But you will find out, I promise.

Rebecca: I'm glad you like the story. After re-reading the chapter you reviewed, I did see where you were coming from. Thanks for being so constructive. I love that constructive criticism. Really, guys, I do. Just ask Gufa! Hope you keep reading and reviewing, Rebecca!

Lauri: Yes, I have thought about it. Actually, I have a storyline already, but I'm not too sure it's going to be a Christian romance novel anymore. More of a Christian novel. Not so much romance. I don't know. I'm so confused! I think the sequel to it might be a romance, though. Wow! I'm kind of getting ahead of myself, aren't I? Yeah, I am. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

''''''''''''''''''May 25, 1942

The days after Will's second departure found Chris rather mopey. She wasn't interested in doing anything or going anywhere, preferring instead to stay in her room and read. The copy of 'Gone With the Wind' that Will had given her for Christmas of 1940 was already beginning to look worn and well-used. Chris had read it over and over, maintaining that it was the best book she had ever read. This was partly true, but she also read it so much because the book itself made her feel closer to Will. It had been his last Christmas gift to her.

Lorelei knew all too well how Chris felt. She was also upset over having to say goodbye to her brother again. But, as the days passed, she began to notice that Chris simply didn't seem to be able to shake her morose moods. This was completely unlike her friend and Lorelei began to search for ways to snap Chris out of her melancholy.

She started slowly enough, trying to coax Chris into running downtown for a soda with the girls or going for a walk in the nearby park. When she failed to get through to Chris on that level, Lorelei became a bit more desperate. She stooped to using underhanded tactics.

Underhanded tactics, in this case, involved the Donnelly twins. Particularly Elena. For it was in Elena that Chris had found her closest friend in the small circle of girls that Lorelei had introduced her to. And it was Elena that finally convinced Chris to go out on the town with them as a last hurrah before they all headed home.

They decided that Saturday the 25th would be the best day for this little get-together. The last day of school, strangely enough, fell on the following Tuesday. Cathy would be the first of the girls to depart and her train was leaving for Calgary on Thursday. Natalie would be returning to Edmonton on Friday. Lorelei, Chris, Elena, and Isabella were all leaving that Saturday. So it was their last chance for any fun time together.

All the girls met that morning and gathered in Sara Harding's front parlor. Gregory Harding, who was not above spying on unsuspecting young girls in his home, watched with amusement as Isabella, the self-appointed coordinator, stood in front of the group and wrote down suggestions for the day's activities.

"We're going to go see a movie today," was the first thing Isabella said. It was also the first thing she wrote down.

"What movie?" Natalie inquired.

"'Babes on Broadway'," Isabella replied. Natalie rolled her eyes. She wasn't a big fan of musicals. But she knew it would do no good to argue on this subject. There was only one other girl in the room who didn't care that much for musicals and that was Elena. But 'Babes on Broadway' starred Judy Garland and Elena, rather paradoxically, did like Judy Garland. Besides, no one in the group had seen this movie, yet. It was brand new.

"What else?" asked Isabella as she finished writing 'Watch a movie' with a flourish.

"We could spend some time in the soda shop," Cathy offered. Isabella fixed her with a rather bored glance but Cathy, for once, defended herself.

"You know we're going to wind up there anyway, Isabella."

Chris hid a smile at this display of a backbone from meek little Cathy. Isabella looked slightly taken aback at first, but she finally smiled and wrote that down as well.

"'Soda shop'," she repeated, then looked back up at the group. No one said anything. Isabella pouted slightly in frustration. How were they going to have fun today if no one suggested anything? Elena read her twin's thoughts and spoke up.

"Isabella, why don't we just leave our firm plans at 'watch a movie' and let the rest of the day take us where it will? Let's not put any restrictions on the day, alright?"

Isabella pouted a bit more in an almost playful manner before silently agreeing to her sister's suggestion. Chris watched the whole exchange with a rather bemused look on her face, wondering when Elena and Isabella had switched personalities. Normally, Elena was the one who wanted order and organization. She could often be heard lecturing Isabella on the virtues of planning things out. Isabella was the one who liked to 'let the chips fall where they may'.

"Well," Lorelei said, rising from her seat. "Cousin Sara wants us to meet her in the kitchen before we go. She said she has a surprise for us, so I vote that we head in that direction before we go and terrorize the unsuspecting city of Montreal."

As it turned out, they didn't terrorize it at all. Not immediately, anyway. The city was fairly safe until the afternoon, thanks to one Mrs. Sara Harding. Relishing the chance to show off the cooking skills she had managed to learn under the tutelage of her Aunt Janet, Sara had packed a lovely picnic lunch for 'her girls'. Fried chicken, sandwiches, potato salad, even a cake!

Gregory, who had made for the kitchen as soon as the girls had mentioned that room, sniffed the air appreciatively as he passed by the two picnic baskets his wife and their cook were packing.

"Smells like you've outdone yourself this time, Mrs. Steele," he said.

"Begging your pardon, sir, but I didn't do anything. Mistress Harding did it all and it's a wonder she hasn't dropped from exhaustion. She'd cook all the time if I let her," Mrs. Steele finished with a sniff. She had been with the Hardings since little Janet was born and was fiercely protective of Sara. Sara merely laughed as she began to put the cake into the basket she was packing. Gregory's eyes widened when he saw it.

"You made the cake, too?" he asked incredulously. Sara frowned at him.

"Of course I did! You think I can't make cakes? I made you one for our first anniversary, remember?"

"Yes, but it wasn't quite so...so...round," he finished lamely. Mrs. Steele swallowed a laugh as Sara put on an affronted air.

"Well, my dear sir, if you will say things like that, you certainly won't be getting a cake like that anytime soon. At least not from me."

"Mrs. Steele will make one for me," Gregory argued, not concerned in the least over this threat. "Won't you, Mrs. Steele?"

He flashed Mrs. Steele his most charming grin, the very same grin that had won Sara Stanley's heart twenty years before. But it did not have the same effect on Cornelia Steele.

"Indeed I will not, sir. Not until you apologize to the mistress."

She left in a pretend huff, knowing perfectly well that Gregory Harding would have a cake on the table that night. But she wouldn't be the one to bake it. Cornelia Steele wasn't a psychic by any means, but she knew her employers inside and out. Gregory turned his charms back to his wife.

"You look just like a moonbeam in that dress, Sara."

His comment was rather ill-placed, considering the fact that Sara was wearing an old, faded blue dress that had a few stains on the skirt and even a tiny tear on one sleeve. It was the only dress she had that Mrs. Steele would let her wear into the kitchen, for fear she would ruin her other ones. Sara looked down at her dress, then back at her husband.

"You must want a cake rather badly, my love, to be complimenting me when I'm wearing rags," she said rather coquettishly as she made sure that everything was secure in the baskets.

Her husband didn't respond but, after a moment, Sara felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and she momentarily forgot about the basket when he began to kiss her neck softly.

"Royal gowns or rags?" he whispered in her ear. "One doesn't notice the difference when a queen is wearing them."

Obviously, cake was not the top thing on Gregory Harding's list. At least, not at the moment. But fate seemed to be against Gregory that morning. The very loud clearing of a throat, followed by stifled giggles, worked like an electrical shock on him. He was at least two feet away from his wife as soon as he heard it. Gregory was shy by nature, not prone to public displays of affection beyond a simple kiss.

"Don't you ever knock?" he inquired, half-teasingly. His gaze was directed at Lorelei, who wasn't at all inclined to take his discomfort seriously.

"On the kitchen door?" she replied, her wide eyes full of innocence. Gregory stared at her for a minute, then grinned, winked, and began to whistle a jaunty little tune as he walked out.

Once he was gone, Sara showed the girls their surprise. They were, indeed, very surprised. Plans for lunch had been to eat at a little cheap diner in downtown. A picnic was much better. Since it was already late morning, they decided to head for the park right away. After thanking Sara again, they trooped out the door and on to the unsuspecting streets of Montreal.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''Mount Royal Park

"What a beautiful day it's been so far!" Isabella exclaimed, stretching out on the green grass.

"Isabella, you're going to get grass stains on that new skirt if you're not careful," Elena said absentmindedly, not even looking up at her sister. Isabella frowned and started to argue, but thought better of it and sat back up on one of the blankets the girls had brought for the picnic.

It had been a beautiful day. There had been no arguments to mar the mood. No one had attempted to discuss the war or the fact that they all had finals on Monday and Tuesday. The girls, at Chris's suggestion, had made a pact early in the term that they would not study on weekends. They found that weekend study sessions made them nervous and they usually did worse on exams if they studied for them the weekend before. Besides, with finals there was more than enough notice and all of them had been studying for at least two weeks, if not more.

After picking out a picnic spot, Elena had volunteered to stay with the food while the others walked around in the park. Natalie had remained behind as well, ostensibly to keep Elena company. But she was scribbling furiously in her ever-present notebook when the others had returned and they knew that inspiration had hit her while they were gone. In the meantime, Lorelei had shown Chris, Isabella, and Cathy around Mount Royal Park. It was a grand, beautiful old place and Chris thought privately that it would be nice to come and read some of her letters from Will here.

When the leisurely, somewhat lengthy stroll was over, the girls were more than ready for lunch. They did Sara's cooking justice. Even Elena and Natalie, who hadn't gone for a walk, ate more than they usually did. Now, they were recovering from said meal. Isabella looked around, curious as always to see what everyone was up to.

Natalie was writing in her notebook. Again. Isabella wished she could get a look inside that notebook just once. What if Natalie was writing about them? That was an exciting thought! A book with her before she was famous! For there was no doubt in Isabella Donnelly's mind that she would be a successful actress someday.

She switched her gaze to Lorelei and Cathy. Apparently, those two had reverted back to the age of ten. Lorelei had taken her two hairpins out and was sitting with her back to Cathy. Cathy was sitting on her knees and....well, Isabella wasn't quite sure what Cathy was doing to Lorelei's hair. Whatever it was, she hoped it would come out easily. Isabella let her eyes wander again until they fell on Elena and Chris.

At present, Elena was leaning up against a tree, reading a slim novel. She had wanted to bring 'Pride and Prejudice', but Isabella had refused to let her. Chris was stretched out with her head resting on Elena's legs, just below the other girl's knees. She seemed to be looking up at the sky. Isabella looked up, too, and decided that Chris must be deciphering shapes in the clouds. In reality, Chris was wondering if Will would be looking at those very same clouds in a few hours. Or had he already seen them? Was she looking at clouds Will had already seen that day? Had they already sent him back to Europe by now, where there would be stars in the sky at this moment? Thoughts like this would get her nowhere. Chris abruptly shook her head and sat up, causing both Elena and Isabella to frown slightly.

"Cathy, what are you doing to Lorelei's hair?" asked Chris, desperately latching onto any topic for conversation.

This innocent question brought a look of sheer panic to Lorelei's face.

"It's just a braid. It'll come out easily enough," Cathy replied, pouting slightly.

"Oh."

Lorelei relaxed visibly.

"I'm bored," Isabella proclaimed. Elena rolled her eyes, irritated with her sister's inability to stay still for more than ten seconds. Chris saw the expression and jumped in before the twins could argue.

"Well, what shall we do? We need to take the picnic baskets back to Ashford Crest first."

She was, of course, referring to Gregory and Sara Harding's home. The house, when they bought it seventeen years ago, had been called Ashford Crest, and Sara had refused to change the name. 'I'm not going to name a house,' she said, 'until I'm back at home on the Island'. And so it remained Ashford Crest. Rather unpoetic when all was said and done, but it was better than referring to it as 'the house'.

Reluctantly, they began to pack up the remains of the picnic lunch. Cathy looked longingly at the last piece of cake before shaking her head and placing it in the basket. Hadn't she noticed David Harris looking at her just the other day? And was it her imagination or were her dresses just a bit looser than they used to be? So, due to the willpower of Cathy, Gregory Harding got his cake that afternoon. And Sara didn't have to lift a finger.

Window shopping seemed to be the main activity of the afternoon. Just as Cathy had predicted, they wound up in the soda shop. The soda shop was actually called just that, only with a more poetic spelling. 'The Soda Shoppe.' It was a favorite of the McGill crowd but, surprisingly, it wasn't terribly crowded that afternoon.

"There aren't many people here today," observed Natalie as they took their seats in their usual booth.

"Oh, they're all panicking," Isabella replied, waving her hands around. "Cramming for those last few exams at the library. I'm so glad we made that pact. Chris, that really was a smart idea you had. During finals last term, I was just a complete wreck. I don't think I've ever been so calm!"

"Chris has a lot of good ideas when it comes to studying," Lorelei smiled at Chris, who returned it as she finished ordering a chocolate soda.

"Let's see. I think I want a strawberry milkshake," Isabella told the girl who was taking their orders.

Elena ordered a vanilla milkshake, Lorelei got a Coca-Cola, Cathy got the same, and Natalie followed Chris's example with another chocolate soda. They also decided that window shopping was hungry work and, since it had been almost four hours since their picnic, they ordered a basket of fries (chips?) as well.

"Well, girls, I don't think we could've asked for a better send-off than this," Natalie sighed as she closed her eyes and took the first sip of her chocolate soda. Chocolate, to Natalie, was not a mere taste. It was an experience, something to be savored and never, ever rushed.

"And the day's not even over, yet!" exclaimed Lorelei triumphantly. She and Isabella had gotten the most fun out of the window shopping and Chris watched her friend admiringly. Lorelei's cheeks were flushed, her eyes were sparkling and her hair was windblown. For a moment, she looked almost like the young girl back in the Haunted Wood. How long ago that seemed!

"That's right! We still have the film to look forward to. And after that, Elena and I have something planned for all of you back in our room."

Isabella's eyes were full of mischief that instantly had everyone on full alert. Well, everyone except Elena. She already knew what was going to happen.

"What's going on?" inquired Chris, her eyes going from one twin to the other.

"Never you mind, Christine Ford," Elena said, in her best motherly tone, which was quite good indeed. "You'll find out soon enough. For now, let's just be wild and carefree. We've nothing to worry about except how to split the ticket."

"There'll be no splitting the ticket because Chris and I are paying for it," said Lorelei.

"Oh, no you don't. Cathy and I have this one!" Natalie cried.

"Nonsense! It's our turn, isn't it, Elena?"

"What's all the fuss about, ladies?"

The voice served to distract them from their good-natured argument, but Chris could've done without the distraction. It was Peter Jamison, along with some of his friends from McGill. She had hoped to get through the day without running into him. Chris risked a sidelong glance at Lorelei and was somewhat relieved when she saw that there was no change in her friend's expression. No sudden flush of color, no sudden paleness. Well, that was good. Or was it?

"Hello, Peter," Lorelei said. Chris happily noted that she said it in the same tone that she would have used if she were saying hello to Matthew or perhaps even Mrs. Spurgeon. Well, no, not Mrs. Spurgeon. But definitely Matthew. A friendly tone, but no more.

Meanwhile, Isabella's date from the dance had already made his way over to Isabella's side of the booth and was greeting both her and Elena. Andrew Medlin really was a sweet young man and quite handsome. Isabella, who had known how to handle boys since she was twelve, actually found herself at something of a loss when it came to Andrew. She felt tongue-tied and shy around him, an unfamiliar and somewhat unwelcome feeling for someone like her. So she tended to snap at him. If it hadn't been for Elena's interference, Andrew would've given up long ago. But he was still persisting.

At this moment, he was asking how their day was going, Isabella was giving him a terse response, and Elena was smiling at him encouragingly. Natalie was watching the whole scene with interest, Chris was fixated on making sure that her best friend didn't respond too favorably to Peter, and so no one was paying any attention to Cathy. Therefore, nobody witnessed the first spark between two people who would be keeping all of McGill in an uproar for the next three years.

It was just a moment, just two simple words. But sometimes that's all it takes to change the course of a life, or even two lives. Cathy found herself looking into a pair of dark blue eyes quite unexpectedly and then found that she couldn't look away. The owner of these orbs was equally spellbound by her own hazel eyes and, eventually, he spoke up.

"Hello," he said, his voice very quiet.

"H-hello," she stammered back, before tearing her eyes away. Her cheeks flushed and she suddenly decided that her Coca-Cola was quite interesting. But she knew, for she could feel it, that his eyes never left her. She felt them burning into her. Cathy was the only child of very conservative parents. Perhaps a bit too conservative at times. At the moment, she felt as though she should be ashamed of something. But she wasn't. Not a bit. In fact, she felt....flattered. There was, however, a sort of roaring in her ears. It was as if her mind had blocked everything else out. All she could think of was the fact that he was still looking at her. Dimly, she heard the boys leave. It was only when she saw the group pass by the window that she was finally able to focus on her friends again.

"I said Chris and I are paying for it and that's the end of it," Lorelei was proclaiming. Apparently, she and Chris were winning the battle. Elena was signaling to Isabella to give up and Cathy's sudden lack of interest in conversation had cost her and Natalie the victory. At any rate, Natalie was giving Cathy a rather nasty glare while Lorelei and Chris happily counted out bills. But Cathy didn't care. Cathy had a secret.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''That night

"I like New York in June, how about you?"

"I like a Gershwin tune, how about you?"

"I love a fireside when a storm is due."

"I like potato chips, moonlights and motor trips. How about you?"

Elena and Isabella sang back and forth as the girls made their way to the dorms after the movie. The twins led the way, their arms linked, and Natalie and Lorelei, who were sharing the last of the popcorn, were right behind them. Bringing up the rear were Chris and Cathy.

The other girls laughed at the twins' antics. Obviously, with Isabella wanting a career in Broadway musicals, she was the possessor of a wonderful voice. Elena also sang well, although her voice wasn't quite as rich or as full as Isabella's. Isabella maintained that this was because Elena had never taken any lessons while she had. But Elena said that Isabella just had more talent. Usually, it was like pulling teeth to get Elena to sing. But today was a special day. She had thoroughly enjoyed the movie, she loved Judy Garland, and, as everyone knows, it really is difficult to not sing along with a Gershwin song. Even Natalie had to admit that the songs had been lovely.

Chris laughed as Elena hit a note wrong on purpose, just to irritate Isabella. Her laugh drifted away on the night air and she clasped her hands behind her back as she walked. Glancing sideways at the silent Cathy, she wished fervently that Lorelei wasn't so crazy for popcorn. Then Cathy and Natalie would be walking together, she and Lorelei would be walking together, and all would be right with the world.

A star winked at Chris slightly, as if it was laughing at her predicament, and she scowled. Then she felt guilty. Scowling at a star? Is this what she had come to? What would Grandmother Anne say? She had nothing against Cathy! Indeed, she hadn't even gotten to know Cathy! Maybe this was Providence. Maybe this was her chance to get to know Cathy. After all, it wasn't her fault that she had a horrid roommate. Besides, sophomores at McGill always got to choose their roommates and Cathy and Natalie had already decided to room together next year. This way, Chris would get a head start on getting to know her.

"Cathy?"

Chris laid a gentle hand on Cathy's arm as she spoke and was surprised when the girl practically jumped out of her skin at the touch.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No. No, that's alright. I was just....thinking, I guess."

Thinking? Hmmm. Somehow that didn't fit the situation. But Chris didn't argue. Instead, she went on with her original statement.

"Cathy, I've been doing some thinking of my own. And I don't think I've really been fair to you."

"Oh?"

The reply was distant. Not cold. Just distant. As if Cathy was in another world.

"Yes. I've held you off because of your roommate. You know, because she's such a good friend of Anna's. And that's not fair to you. I'd just like to apologize for that."

"Oh."

The same distant tone. Chris risked a glance at Cathy and saw that the girl seemed to be staring into space. Oddly enough, instead of irritating Chris, it just amused her.

"I'd also like to apologize for telling Millicent Parsons that you were a liar and a sneak. That was wrong of me. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, of course."

"Cathy, did you know there's a giant black spider on your head with pink and purple polk-a-dots?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Your dress is on fire."

"Is it?"

"David Harris is coming towards us right now and your hair's messed up and there's a giant stain all down the front of your blouse."

"That's nice."

Chris arched an eyebrow. Where was Cathy? If the name of David Harris wasn't bringing her back to earth, then something was definitely going on. She waited until she was sure the others were out of earshot and then brought Cathy back to reality.

"Cathy! Cathy!" she exclaimed, waving her hands wildly in front of the other girl's face. Cathy stared at her as if she had gone mad.

"Christine Ford, what are you doing? Have you just completely lost your mind? You're in public, for heaven's sake!"

Cathy started to quicken her pace towards the other girls, who still hadn't noticed the two lagging members of the group, but Chris grabbed her arm and started to walk with her slowly. Obviously, Cathy was back in reality. And Chris wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"So, Cathy, tell me all about him," Chris said. She was never one to mince words, of course. And she had come to the conclusion, correctly, that only a male could make Cathy behave in this manner.

Catherine Parnell was never good at lying. It was one of her chief flaws, or virtues as the case may be. She knew she was a horrible liar. She also knew that Chris was very intuitive. Sighing, she told the secret she had been able to keep for a few short hours.

"I don't know him. I just saw him for the first time this afternoon, in The Soda Shoppe. Is that silly?"

"No, I don't think so," Chris replied, linking her arm through Cathy's as the girl walked.

"It is silly. Mother would think it was. She's so sensible. She and father both are. That's why I'm here, you know. They thought that it would do me good. Get all those foolish notions out of my head."

"What foolish notions?" came the inquiry.

"They didn't like my....choice of career. So they sent me here to become a teacher. Mother was a teacher before she married father. There's nothing wrong with being a teacher. That's what Lorelei is here for, after all."

Chris simply stared at Cathy as they continued to walk. She was babbling!

"Cathy, I know why Lorelei is here. But if you didn't want to be a teacher, what did you want to be?"

Cathy was silent for a long time and Chris began to wonder if she would ever answer. But she had inherited the patience of the Blythes, so she didn't really mind waiting too much. Finally, Cathy answered.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a....a designer."

"A designer?"

"Yes. A designer of clothes. I've always loved clothes, even though I really don't fit in all of them that well, do I?"

Chris frowned.

"Why do you always say things like that?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you're always making references to your figure. You're always saying that you're too big. I don't see anything wrong at all with you, Cathy. I've never thought you to be too big. In fact, you're about the size of my cousin, Emily."

"It's hard in a family like mine, Chris. I'm an only child, but both my parents have several brothers and sisters and I've loads of cousins. They're all just as thin as rails. Even more slender than you. I wish I could look like you, Chris. You're so tall and queen-like. And I'm so short and, well, you know. Anyway, up until today, I didn't think any boy would ever give me a second look."

"Up until today?" Chris prodded, her eyebrow arching again. Cathy blushed.

"Oh, Chris, I've never felt anything quite like that before. He was with that group of boys. And he had the most incredible pair of blue eyes I have ever seen. When we looked at each other, I just sort of stopped breathing. And I couldn't look away! I just couldn't look away, Chris! He said hello, and then I said hello. And then I finally managed to tear my eyes away from him. But, Chris, he didn't look away from me once! I could.....feel his eyes on me."

She whispered this last part so quietly that Chris had to lean in to hear. Chris bit her lip to keep from laughing when she saw that Cathy's face was nearly as red as the blouse she was wearing today. Cathy really did look lovely in that shade of red. She wasn't nearly as plain as she made herself out to be. She wasn't exotic, like the twins, or beautiful, like Lorelei and Natalie. But she had a soft loveliness and Chris became determined right then and there that, before Cathy graduated from McGill, she would see that she was a lovely young woman.

But that was in the future. Right now, what Cathy needed was reassurance. Chris didn't know who this young man was. She could find out by asking Elena, who could ask her friend, Andrew. Another route would be to ask Lorelei, but this would mean that Lorelei would have to talk to Peter. No, it would be better to ask Elena. Chris made a mental note of this before ending her conversation with Cathy.

"Cathy, I see nothing to be ashamed of in what you've told me. You've had a perfectly innocent encounter with someone in a soda shop. Why, for all you know, he might be the love of your life! Your future husband!"

"Or I might never see him again," Cathy said glumly.

Chris scowled at her as they neared the dorms. The other girls were standing on the steps, waiting impatiently for them to catch up.

"Or he might be your future husband. Catherine Parnell, you must learn to be more optimistic. Start looking at the brighter side of life, for heaven's sake. After all, he kept looking at you, didn't he?"

"Yes."

Chris lowered her voice.

"It felt just like his eyes were burning a hole through you, didn't it?"

Cathy stared at Chris in surprise. Chris just laughed.

"I've been on the receiving end of a look like that several times, my friend. But it's only come from one man. And he's the one who gave me this amethyst."

She flashed her engagement ring in front of Cathy and waited for a reaction. Slowly, Cathy began to smile.

"Do you really think that he might be....?"

"I don't see why not. It's fun to imagine, isn't it? Come on, Cathy. Let's go. The others are waiting. Let's see what this surprise is all about."

The two of them linked arms and marched up the steps and into the dorm building. Down the street, two young men watched them go in.

"She's the one, Jamison. She's definitely the one."

"Forget it, Jack. She's engaged. Met the guy a couple of weeks ago. She's head over heels for him."

"Really? She didn't give off the air of being engaged when we met in the soda shop this afternoon."

Peter Jamison laughed.

"There's an 'air of being engaged'? Really? Jack, I'm glad you've decided to join me here at McGill next year. You'll help educate me. So, what did you think of Lorelei?"

"Who?"

"Lorelei. Geez, Jack, where were you this afternoon? I introduced you to her and everything."

"Oh, yes. Lorelei was the girl with the blond hair?"

Peter stopped and stared at Jack in dismay.

"'Lorelei was the girl with the blonde hair?'" he mimicked. "Oh, Jack, what's wrong with you?"

"Well, she was pretty," Jack said, trying to soothe his friend's obviously ruffled feathers. He had, in truth, been rather taken with an altogether different girl.

"Pretty?! I should say so. Come on, Jack. You're the artist, here. I thought you'd have more taste than that. You're supposed to be a professional. Isn't this what you're going to college for? Lorelei's one of the...No, THE prettiest girl in Montreal. And the smartest, sweetest one, too. Oh, she's a wonderful girl, Jack. I mean to marry her someday. If she'll have me. I have the feeling that friend of hers has it in for me."

"What friend?"

"Her best friend. The one you said was so wonderful. The one that's engaged. By the way, she's engaged to Lorelei's brother."

Jack passed a hand over his eyes.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. This is all getting too confusing for me. Are we talking about the same girl?"

"I guess. You were talking about Chris earlier, weren't you? The one with the dark, dark hair and the grey eyes?"

"Dark hair? No! Although I do remember her. Very beautiful girl. No, I was talking about the other girl."

"Cathy?!"

"Cathy," Jack repeated the word like it was a holy mantra.

"You mean to tell me you spent the entire time in the soda shop staring at Cathy? She's the least alluring of the entire group!"

But Jack didn't reply. He just kept repeating the name 'Cathy', letting the word roll off his tongue as he walked. Peter gave up and shook his head. Obviously, Jack was besotted with the girl. He'd get over it. He always did. Jack would pine away over the summer, Cathy would come back, and there would be a torrid romance, during which Jack would declare his never ending devotion and undying love. Peter had been friends with Jack Loren since they were kids. He knew this game. The same traits that made him such a good friend also made him a horrible boyfriend. His 'artist's temperament' entitled him to change his mind. After a couple of months, he would end the relationships. Within a few weeks, he would find another soulmate.

Peter was slightly uncomfortable with this development. He knew Cathy well enough to know that she was a slightly sensitive girl. Then again, she was tougher than she looked. And she had her friends to protect her. Isabella, Elena, Chris, Lorelei, and Natalie. If they thought Jack might hurt her, it would be Jack who would need protecting. Yes, Cathy would be alright in the end. It was Jack that Peter probably needed to worry about.

Peter gave it until October. Yes. Late October would be when it would all end. By mid-November, everything would have blown over and by early December, no one would remember anything about it. He had no idea just how wrong he was. Oh, was he ever wrong.

Author's Note:

Hoping to have another chapter up really soon. This one was a huge headache! Biggest struggle I've ever had, believe me! But I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be in Avonlea! Back home, yay!

P.S. My new kitten still doesn't have a name. We're at a loss. Any ideas? She's pure white, but her little ears are tinted orange and the tip of her tail is orange. And her eyes are blue. Anyone? I keep calling her Tippy, but even I know that's a dumb name for her. It just doesn't fit. Help!

Replies to reviews on Author's Note chapter:

Gufa: Boy, you've got that right. 'Don't get excited' is an odd chapter title, isn't it? LOL I'll have to keep that in mind for one of my humor fics. Thanks for the encouragement!

Steph: How to Break A Window With Your Elbow 101: First, you need an old back door with a big window in it. Next, the dead bolt in the back door needs to be slightly out of line with the door frame. This way, you have to push extra hard to get the dead bolt to lock into place. Finally, as all women do, use your hip to push door in the rest of the way. As you are pushing with your hip, stupidly use your elbow as well. Result: broken window and (thankfully) amused husband.

On-fire-for-Christ: I'm sorry I got you all excited for no reason. Will you forgive me?

Strawberry Lip Gloss: I hope everything went alright for you at orchestra camp. You sounded so stressed. You were in my thoughts, though. And I'm sorry about the cute guy. Did you really get humiliated in front of him? I hope not.

Stella Maynard: Thanks for your concern. It has been hectic. Luckily, I have come through unscathed. Not even a scratch from the window. Although the kitten has some pretty darn sharp claws.

Ruby: Yes. The worst thing out of all of it was the kittens. I hated losing them. But I do have one left and she is an absolute doll. Just don't know what to name her. I wish you lived near me, too. Then I'd have someone to talk to about Anne and LMM.

Silver Stockings: Funeral? Well....not exactly. See, we live in the country and there's a lot of stray dogs around. We used to have two cats and one died a couple of years ago. My husband buried her in a shoe box and the dogs.....well, let's just say that burying her didn't do the trick. My husband has disposed of the kittens in the only way we could dispose of them given the circumstances. Yes, you can really break glass with your elbow. Although you can't break the glass that's in our back door now. It's plexi-glass. He-he. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter.

HavilyGrace: Thank you! Thank you so much! I've been feeling so guilty! I really appreciate you making me feel better.