Title: Who Believes in Happy Endings Anyway?
Author: Ducky*
Rating: PG – 13 for some of Aileen's choice words.
Summary: Lily, a senior in high school, knew her mother was going to arrange for her to have a housemate or two over the summer but the two grows into a larger number. Can Lily handle it? Aileen's job is no dream. She hates it but it pays well and her best friend Thom is there. Thom has an interesting past and it still haunts him. Can Aileen help him face it before everything falls apart for both of them?
Disclaimer: I own the characters and general plot but there are elements blatantly stolen from other fairytales. I don't own those elements.
Author's note: Does writing a new story when you still have one to finish make me a bad writer? I still have to finish Melena and I might soon.
If you like, leave me a review or send one to dragontamer_15 @ hotmail.com with out the spaces and the title in the subject heading.
The endings may or may not be happy. I haven't decided yet. If there is confusion, just ask for clarification in a review/email and I'll be happy to clear everything up.
It will get to the fairytaleness in the next chapter I expect. Right now this is more introductory.
* I am now Ducky. I still respond to Keley though, if you've been reading my other story.
Plans for Sometime
~
Aileen Jameson walked into the 'James and Hewitt Attorneys at Law' building with a look of disgust on her face. 'What the fuck else can you be an attorney of?' she asked herself as the loud clomp of her lace up boots died. She had stopped in front of the elevators and as she waited she fixed her clothing noticing the looks she was getting from male receptionist. She glared at him over her small square glasses and he immediately looked away.
Aileen smiled; a job well done. She straightened the long red and black plaid skirt that covered her white legs. Her black boots went up to her knees and a black sleeveless turtle neck covered her tall frame. A black blazer covered her arms and hands. She picked up her brief case and walked into the elevator as the machine emitted a loud, annoying, ringing sound.
~
Lily Linnet's fingers flew across the key board of her black laptop. She hit the enter button slightly harder than was necessary as the lunch bell rang. Cursing she gathered her laptop and book bag jumping up from the grass she had been sitting in. She absently patted the tree she had been leaning against and then joined the rush of students hurrying to get to class on time.
The high school senior pushed her way through the crowd toward her fourth period class. She slid into a seat in the back row and set up her laptop again. Looking at the board she realized that it was American Government, a class she had taken the summer before and passed but the school councilor refused to change her schedule. She had a habit of drifting through the school day but still was able to pass all of her classes.
"Hey Linnet! Good to see you baby." A male voice behind her called.
"Hey Markson, leave me alone." She yelled back not looking up from her frantic searching for her document.
Finding it she put on her little head phones that went in her ears and began typing again.
~
When she reached the fifth floor Aileen let herself into her employer's office and gathered the papers he had left for her on his desk. Walking back into her own office she began reading through the papers and making notes. As she sat down behind her desk a young man, the floor's coffee runner, walked in but she didn't look up.
"Good morning Thom." She said still not looking at him.
He walked over to her desk placing a tall, heavy coffee cup on her desk. "Good morning Miss Jameson." She looked up and smiled at him. His chin length strawberry-blonde hair continually fell into his emotionless gray eyes.
"How is life treating you?" she asked compassionately. He was having a hard time at home if she was to believe what he told her.
He looked down slightly. "Actually, it's better than it was last week Miss Jameson."
Aileen stood and walked around her desk. Gently she embraced him and smiled. "We're the same age you know. It's weird you calling me, Miss Jameson. Aileen will be fine." She whispered to him.
"I know, but it's much more professional." He returned.
"Always the professional aren't you?" she answered still smiling. She let him go and walked back to her desk. "Hey, if you're not busy, do you want to go to lunch with me? I could use the company."
"I don't know if it would be professional." He hesitated.
"It's only lunch silly. Besides neither of us is looking for relationships are we?" she asked.
He smiled and shook his head. "Well, then you see, we can go to lunch after all. I'll meet you in the lobby at twelve-forty-five if that's alright with you."
He smiled and left. Aileen sighed. Thom was a good friend when he let himself talk to people. He had a hard time opening up to people but Aileen didn't blame him. She didn't like talking to people either. It was one of the reasons she liked him.
She smiled to herself and then went back to work. She was only twenty-one after all and she needed to pull her weight.
~
"L.L.! You're back!" a voice whispered excitedly, interrupting her American Government writing jag.
"James, it's Lily. L.L. reminds me of the clothing company. If Lily is too hard for you, you can always call me Linnet." She turned to the boy behind her. In her impatient haste her long tawny ponytail narrowly missed slapping him in the face.
"Hey-hey, slow down there, L." he grinned.
"I actually happen to like the fast pace of my life. Thank you very much."
"I know but well, you wanna go out to lunch with me sometime?" James asked her.
"Ummm, actually I have plans for sometime. Sorry." She said and turned back to her computer.
"Alright, will you go out to lunch with me today?" he asked.
"Good puppy," she patted his head, "Yes. I will go."
"See you at lunch." He turned back to the board and Lily decided that paying attention might not be so bad.
~
Aileen waited quietly in the lobby at twelve-forty-five for Thom to come down. She tapped her lace up boots impatiently and glared at the receptionist again. He was practically staring at her, drooling all over his desk.
She waited until one-fifteen but Thom still hadn't shown up so she decided to go by herself. Walking to the nearest Baggins took only a few minutes and then it only took a few more for her sandwich to be ready. Walking back to her office she decided to stop in the park outside of her building to eat her lunch.
She was blissfully alone and she relished the solitude. Her sister would be coming to town soon and Aileen would get no solace while she was there. It wasn't that she didn't love her sister; it was just that Bethany was a loud person.
Aileen sighed. The perfect Bethany Maryanne Jameson was coming to visit her dear sweet not perfect sister. Aileen wasn't perfect. She knew her family never said that she wasn't perfect; they never said that Bethany was either.
~
End chapter one.