*
"All right, fine! You have a nice life, too!" Chris Ramsey yelled
into the phone before slamming it down into the cradle.
"Bad day, Ramsey?" Eve asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee
in the staff room at the hospital. She resisted the urge to laugh. Chris
had such awful luck when it came to love.
"Aw, no. It's her loss," he said sarcastically, referring to Betsy,
the pretty blonde he'd broken up with moments before.
Eve poured a second cup and sat down across from Chris. She slid the
coffee in front of him, and he offered a small grateful smile.
"You know what you need?" she asked kindly.
Chris chuckled.
"Yeah, a girl as wonderful as you," he said, tracing the rim of the
cup with his finger. Chris had asked Eve to marry him once, a long time
ago. She'd said no right away. But it hadn't mattered. Eve wasn't his true
love anyway.
"Well, thanks, but no. I was going to say you need a dog, but yeah,
maybe a girl as wonderful as me might help you out," Eve said jokingly.
"I'm beginning to think that there aren't any more of you out there,
Eve. I mean, Betsy was my twelfth failed relationship in nine years. Nine
years! Nine years of my life, wasted, on these ignorant women," Chris said
cynically.
"You know, maybe you ought to just stop trying so hard. Someday, when
you least expect it, Miss Right will come into your life," Eve said
cryptically as she stood up. She pushed in her chair, and punched Chris
lightly on the shoulder.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am trying too hard," he said, staring
into his coffee.
Eve washed out her cup and set it in the dish dryer. She shrugged her lab
coat back on, picked up her clipboard, and headed towards the door.
"Just give it some time, Ramsey," she said, giving him an encouraging
look before pushing the door open and returning to her duties.
* "Get out of here, now, Caleb," Jack said, trying to hide his fear. He knew, deep down, that once Caleb came into your life, it wasn't so easy to get him out. "Fine, Jack. I'll leave-for now. But you know I'll be back. And you know it, too, Olivia." Caleb grabbed Livvie's hand and kissed it. Livvie was too shocked to do anything except shiver. With that, Caleb walked off the porch. He waved at Eli, who was still in the trees, as he went down the driveway, and disappeared. Eli clambered out of the woods, and went around the back of the house so it looked like he had come from the garage. He noted that the band had left. "Who was that?" Eli asked, trying to sound casual. He ambled onto the porch with his hands in his pockets. Jack wrapped his arms around Livvie and rubbed her back. "Just someone we used to know," he said, staring out at the driveway. "But he's been out of our lives for a long time now, and it's going to stay that way," Jack finished. The tone in his voice perturbed Eli as much as the terrified look on his mother's face. He had to find out who this guy really was, and why he'd upset his mother so much. He had a feeling his parents wouldn't be of much help. The strange man in black was obviously not something that either of them wanted to discuss. Eli would just have to find out for himself. Somehow.
* "Hi, honey. Home so soon? I thought you were going to Christina's?" Alison said, surprised, confused, and happy to see her daughter all at the same time. Alison was watering the plants in the kitchen when Raven walked in, looking positively green. "Yeah-I mean, I was, but, I'm just not feeling so good. Well, Christina wasn't either, so we decided to do it another time," Raven said, disoriented. She got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. "Oh, that's too bad. But you two see each other so much anyway, especially in the summer. So what's wrong? Headache, stomachache, what?" Alison said, sounding both chipper and sympathetic. She'd sat the watering can on the counter, and stood now with her hands folded across her chest. She still looked young and radiant in her mauve sundress. "I-I'm not sure. I just need to lie down for awhile and have some water, okay?" Raven said. It was obvious she didn't want to talk right now. Alison was mildly hurt. "Okay, sweetie. Let me know if you need anything," Alison said, and resumed her flower watering. Raven nodded as she went to the living room and slowly eased onto the plush couch. She sighed as she rested her head on the arm, and closed her eyes. Before long, she fell fast asleep.
* "Get out of here, now, Caleb," Jack said, trying to hide his fear. He knew, deep down, that once Caleb came into your life, it wasn't so easy to get him out. "Fine, Jack. I'll leave-for now. But you know I'll be back. And you know it, too, Olivia." Caleb grabbed Livvie's hand and kissed it. Livvie was too shocked to do anything except shiver. With that, Caleb walked off the porch. He waved at Eli, who was still in the trees, as he went down the driveway, and disappeared. Eli clambered out of the woods, and went around the back of the house so it looked like he had come from the garage. He noted that the band had left. "Who was that?" Eli asked, trying to sound casual. He ambled onto the porch with his hands in his pockets. Jack wrapped his arms around Livvie and rubbed her back. "Just someone we used to know," he said, staring out at the driveway. "But he's been out of our lives for a long time now, and it's going to stay that way," Jack finished. The tone in his voice perturbed Eli as much as the terrified look on his mother's face. He had to find out who this guy really was, and why he'd upset his mother so much. He had a feeling his parents wouldn't be of much help. The strange man in black was obviously not something that either of them wanted to discuss. Eli would just have to find out for himself. Somehow.
* "Hi, honey. Home so soon? I thought you were going to Christina's?" Alison said, surprised, confused, and happy to see her daughter all at the same time. Alison was watering the plants in the kitchen when Raven walked in, looking positively green. "Yeah-I mean, I was, but, I'm just not feeling so good. Well, Christina wasn't either, so we decided to do it another time," Raven said, disoriented. She got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. "Oh, that's too bad. But you two see each other so much anyway, especially in the summer. So what's wrong? Headache, stomachache, what?" Alison said, sounding both chipper and sympathetic. She'd sat the watering can on the counter, and stood now with her hands folded across her chest. She still looked young and radiant in her mauve sundress. "I-I'm not sure. I just need to lie down for awhile and have some water, okay?" Raven said. It was obvious she didn't want to talk right now. Alison was mildly hurt. "Okay, sweetie. Let me know if you need anything," Alison said, and resumed her flower watering. Raven nodded as she went to the living room and slowly eased onto the plush couch. She sighed as she rested her head on the arm, and closed her eyes. Before long, she fell fast asleep.