Disclaimer: The West Wing belongs to Aaron Sorkin and all the other rich guys

at the studio where the wonderful show The West Wing is taped.

Authors Note: This isn't my first story but it is one of my first so please

be kind. I would like to thank Paris919 for the support.

~* The Old Flame *~

The lake was beautiful in upstate New York like Josh knew it would be.

The cabins were scattered along the shore with areas for each of the

occupants for the summer or however long they were staying.

"Josh come over and eat your dinner," his mother calls from over by the

picnic table. His Uncle is over by the Bar-B-Q flipping the remaining

hamburger patties.

"Yeah I'm coming." Josh makes his way over to the table next to the

summer cottage where his family is vacationing. His mother insisted he come

along with her sister, her sister's husband and their children, 14-year-old

brown hair and eyed twins, for a vacation over the summer of his senior year

of high school. Josh's father, like always, was too busy but would try to

come next week. Josh tries to eat his hamburger while his aunt banters with

his cousins. His uncle tries to make conversation with him but Josh all but

ignores him and stares out across the lake. He looks down at his half

finished hamburger and abruptly stands up saying to no one in particular,

"I'm going swimming."

The boy twin clamors to say he will go with him but his mother, a kind

soul, notices Josh's troubled spirit, and insists that her son stay and

finish his dinner. After going inside to change into his swimming trunks Josh

strides down the shore to the narrow wooden pier, which spreads out about 10

feet across the water. He reaches halfway across the pier, thinking and not

really paying attention to where he is going. Out of nowhere a voice says,

"Hey."

Josh is so startled that he almost drops the towel he is carrying. The

girl that spoke is sitting on the edge of the wooden pier with her feet

dangling in the water. She has on a t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts and a

pair of light blue flip-flops are sitting beside her. After several seconds

of observation Josh replies, "Hey."

"You're new around here. I mean I've never seen you before," the girl

smiles and her blue eyes sparkle.

"Yeah. This is my first time here. I'm Josh."

"I'm Anastasia. Stacy for short," she offers him her hand to shake and

after staring at it for a couple of seconds takes it. She moves to one side

of the pier and pats the wood of the other, "Come sit down. I won't bit.

Much."

Josh sits next to her and smiles along with her.

"So where are you from?" Stacy asks.

" Connecticut. You?"

"Southern California. LA actually. When we come out here it seems the

whole world is turned upside down. It so different but so beautiful, isn't

it?"

"Yeah," Josh answers and they stare across the lake watching the boats

and the kids on the other side play.

"Are you going swimming?" she asks gesturing to the towel beside him.

"I guess. Are you?"

"Nah. I don't have my swimsuit on."

"Oh."

"Its okay if you want to. I just don't want to get wet because it's

getting cold," she says as she rubs her hands against her arms, which are

getting goosebumps on them. Josh stands up to get in when a disembodied voice

calls, "Stacy!"

"That's my cue. I gotta run. Maybe I'll see you around."

Josh murmurs "yeah" under his breathe and watches as her long tan legs

run down the pier and across the shore. He continues to watch her as she jogs

up some wooden steps and through the door of one of the other cottages along

the lake. He thinks to himself 'I hope I really do see you around.' After he

can see her no longer he strips off his t-shirt and jumps into the water.

Josh starts to swim out to the platform in the middle of the lake. While

doing that he thinks about his father and his latest conversation, no battle,

with him.

"You will go to Harvard and there is no disagreements about it."

"It's My Life! I want to go to college where I choose not where you want

me to go. Can't I at least try and get into other colleges?"

"Josh, Harvard is the best and I only want the best for you. No

arguments, this is my final decision."