Author's Notes: Once again, I would like to dedicate this to a great author
and a good friend of mine, Sparkingdiamond. If anyone that reads this gets
a chance, I recommend that they read some of her stuff. I hope she doesn't
mine me saying that. If you haven't read Past Lives yet you should read it
before reading this one because this is continuation of that story. Please
enjoy!
Present Lives
Terry was in a state of utter dismay. Nicole had found a photo of his old girlfriend in his wallet; his first love actually. He'd never meant for her to see the picture and he'd also planned on getting rid of it. The hardest part about the whole situation was that Terry and Emily, that was her name, hadn't ever actually broken up.
They were still together when he left for work that morning. A pain in his chest started to form when he thought about what probably had happened to her. They were high school sweet hearts and had been voted by their class as the most likely to get married. So much for that.
He sat alone in the "Reflex Sports" store. He was trying to think of a way to make it up to her but she made it know right away that she was not speaking to him. Whether it was the fact that he hadn't told her or that he had a girlfriend that he loved before her, it didn't matter. Anger was the key to all of it, regardless of why.
"What's up Terry?" Ana walked up behind him. He turned his body slightly to see who it was and then he was back to looking at the floor between his feet. "Something to do with Nicole?" Picking up on dramas within the group seemed to be one of Ana's new found skills. She was turning out to be something of a R.A. for the Crossroads survivors.
"Yeah. She found a picture in my wallet of my old girlfriend. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I just want to be with Nicole more than anything in the whole world and I wish I could find a way to tell her that I love her with all of my heart without her thinking that it was just me trying to apologize to her." He closed his eyes again. "I never was very good at the whole romantic thing."
Smiling a bit, Ana sat down next to Terry, looking at the floor as well. "Well, you've got all the time in the world to work on that." She was right in a way. "Why don't you just try really hard to let her know what you think of her? Come right out and lay it all on the line."
"And you think that will work?"
"It would on me", she said.
He looked over at her for a second and a smile started to spread across his face. "You are actually a lot of help. I just wish I could tell--" He stopped. His eyes drifted to something behind her. She spun around to see that a camcorder had been taping them the entire time.
"What the hell?" Ana asked to no one.
Terry hoped up and walked over to the camera, switching it to a viewing mode. He rewound the tape to the beginning and began to watch. "It appears that Steve and Monica made another homemade movie and forgot to turn the camera off", he said with a snicker. He fast-forwarded for a few minutes until he came to the conversation that he'd had with Ana.
"I think I just got an idea", he said.
"For what?"
"I'm going to be romantic. I'm going to need your help as well as some of the others."
***
"Nicole! Nicole, come here!" Michael yelled from the furniture store. The sound of urgency rode heavy in his voice. She came running around a corner until he was in her site. A look of fear was spread across her face.
"Where's the fire?" She asked in an almost pissed voice.
"I think you'll wanna watch this with us", he spoke as he motioned her to walk into the dark furniture store.
The setup of the store was different that what it had been when they'd first shown up to the mall and it had been moved recently. All of the chairs, love seats, and couches were made into a small semi-circle around the largest television that had been in the electronic store. The TV was turned on but nothing played on the screen. A small camcorder sat next to the TV with wires connecting the two.
The entire group, with the exception of Luda, her boyfriend, and Terry was there. She didn't even care that Terry wasn't there because she was still pissed at him. Michael led the way to the couch where she had a center seat saved for her.
"What's going on?" She had a puzzled look on her face as she looked around at everyone hoping to get an answer.
"You'll see in just a second." Ana said it with a smirk on her face.
"Nicole," it was Terry's voice from some unseen place, "I know that you are mad at me and this isn't to make it up to you. I did this so that you would know just how much you mean to me."
She wanted to get up. She wanted to leave right then. Looking at all the faces as she sat there she knew that she couldn't just get up and leave. She decided that she would just sit this one out and see how things ended up.
Terry walked out of from behind some tables off to the left and walked over to the TV. "You once told me that your favorite type of movies were action with a little romance, although it made you sad to know that you wouldn't ever see that kind of movie again."
Everyone started to do a drum roll with his or her mouths and by slapping their hands on their legs. Surprisingly, even Kenneth and Steven were chiming in. This took Nicole by surprise. She had absolutely no idea as to what was going on.
Terry started speaking again. "Terry and Ana productions presents, a Michael and Kenneth film. Produced by Terry. Directed by Terry. Written by Terry. Staring Terry, Michael, Kenneth, Ana, and Tucker as drunken fighter.
Terry's little speech made everyone but Nicole laugh; she was trying very hard not to. He hit the play button on the camera and the movie started. As the first scene started they all whispered, "The Action Romance Movie".
Nicole let out just a bit of a chuckle to this. The movie opened up with Kenneth standing guard in front of one of the stores. He was holding a large piece of pipe that he'd probably gotten from the hardware store. Terry walks into the shot with a pipe as well.
"I need to see my queen!" He shouted out in a lame acting voice.
"I am truly sorry to--" He forgot his line. Someone off stage whispered something to him and he started up again. "I am truly sorry to inform you but you may not pass without fighting me first. This will surely be full of action." He said it in an even more lame voice.
Nicole started to laugh almost uncontrollably. She was very surprised that Kenneth would act in a film like this just to make her feel better. But, then again her motto was always there is more than meets the eye.
Terry pulled out his pipe and so did Kenneth. After a few minutes of very slow and very lame fighting, Terry killed Kenneth by placing the pipe under his arm. It almost looked like he'd stuck him in the gut. Almost.
Terry walked into the store and was met by Michael and Tucker. They were standing guard next to a lawn chair that sat facing away from him.
"My queen!" He yelled.
"You must get through us first", Tucker said as he stumbled a bit.
"Hiya!" Terry said as he plunged at them. Another fighting scene that looked almost identical to the first one broke out and Terry beat the both.
Nicole was really enjoying herself and she didn't even notice that Terry was staring very intently at her.
In the movie Terry ran up to the chair and turned it around to find Ana setting there. Terry smiled very wide at Ana then he dropped his pole so he could put his hands over his heart. He went to one knee and continued with the horrible acting.
"Nicole, my queen." He spoke to Ana. "You may never know how much I care for thee. You are my queen and will always be. I wish I could make you understand."
Nicole figured it out now. She watched with her beautiful blue eyes and a tear almost fell down her face.
"I will do my best to let you know", he continued. "If you will just give me a chance I will make your life the best that it has ever been."
Suddenly it flashed to someone holding up a piece of cardboard that said "To be decided!"
Just as she thought that it was over and she was ready to get up and give Terry a hug the shot flipped over to a dimly lit sports store. The shot consisted of Terry sitting next to Ana.
"Yeah. She found a picture in my wallet of my old girlfriend." The tape recited his words. "I just want things to go back to the way they were. I just want to be with Nicole more than anything in the whole world and I wish I could find a way to tell her that I love her with all of my heart without her thinking that it was just me trying to apologize to her. I never was very good at the whole romantic thing."
By this time Nicole had too many tears in her eyes to see the rest of the video. She stood up, walked over to Terry, grabbed his around the waist and kissed him with everything that she had. Most of the room applauded as if it were a scene from the movie.
After they finished kissing, with everyone still watching, she whispered to him. "Promise me that you love me with your entire heart."
He didn't even have to think about it. "I promise you that I love you with my entire being. I wanna take care of you forever."
Present Lives
Terry was in a state of utter dismay. Nicole had found a photo of his old girlfriend in his wallet; his first love actually. He'd never meant for her to see the picture and he'd also planned on getting rid of it. The hardest part about the whole situation was that Terry and Emily, that was her name, hadn't ever actually broken up.
They were still together when he left for work that morning. A pain in his chest started to form when he thought about what probably had happened to her. They were high school sweet hearts and had been voted by their class as the most likely to get married. So much for that.
He sat alone in the "Reflex Sports" store. He was trying to think of a way to make it up to her but she made it know right away that she was not speaking to him. Whether it was the fact that he hadn't told her or that he had a girlfriend that he loved before her, it didn't matter. Anger was the key to all of it, regardless of why.
"What's up Terry?" Ana walked up behind him. He turned his body slightly to see who it was and then he was back to looking at the floor between his feet. "Something to do with Nicole?" Picking up on dramas within the group seemed to be one of Ana's new found skills. She was turning out to be something of a R.A. for the Crossroads survivors.
"Yeah. She found a picture in my wallet of my old girlfriend. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I just want to be with Nicole more than anything in the whole world and I wish I could find a way to tell her that I love her with all of my heart without her thinking that it was just me trying to apologize to her." He closed his eyes again. "I never was very good at the whole romantic thing."
Smiling a bit, Ana sat down next to Terry, looking at the floor as well. "Well, you've got all the time in the world to work on that." She was right in a way. "Why don't you just try really hard to let her know what you think of her? Come right out and lay it all on the line."
"And you think that will work?"
"It would on me", she said.
He looked over at her for a second and a smile started to spread across his face. "You are actually a lot of help. I just wish I could tell--" He stopped. His eyes drifted to something behind her. She spun around to see that a camcorder had been taping them the entire time.
"What the hell?" Ana asked to no one.
Terry hoped up and walked over to the camera, switching it to a viewing mode. He rewound the tape to the beginning and began to watch. "It appears that Steve and Monica made another homemade movie and forgot to turn the camera off", he said with a snicker. He fast-forwarded for a few minutes until he came to the conversation that he'd had with Ana.
"I think I just got an idea", he said.
"For what?"
"I'm going to be romantic. I'm going to need your help as well as some of the others."
***
"Nicole! Nicole, come here!" Michael yelled from the furniture store. The sound of urgency rode heavy in his voice. She came running around a corner until he was in her site. A look of fear was spread across her face.
"Where's the fire?" She asked in an almost pissed voice.
"I think you'll wanna watch this with us", he spoke as he motioned her to walk into the dark furniture store.
The setup of the store was different that what it had been when they'd first shown up to the mall and it had been moved recently. All of the chairs, love seats, and couches were made into a small semi-circle around the largest television that had been in the electronic store. The TV was turned on but nothing played on the screen. A small camcorder sat next to the TV with wires connecting the two.
The entire group, with the exception of Luda, her boyfriend, and Terry was there. She didn't even care that Terry wasn't there because she was still pissed at him. Michael led the way to the couch where she had a center seat saved for her.
"What's going on?" She had a puzzled look on her face as she looked around at everyone hoping to get an answer.
"You'll see in just a second." Ana said it with a smirk on her face.
"Nicole," it was Terry's voice from some unseen place, "I know that you are mad at me and this isn't to make it up to you. I did this so that you would know just how much you mean to me."
She wanted to get up. She wanted to leave right then. Looking at all the faces as she sat there she knew that she couldn't just get up and leave. She decided that she would just sit this one out and see how things ended up.
Terry walked out of from behind some tables off to the left and walked over to the TV. "You once told me that your favorite type of movies were action with a little romance, although it made you sad to know that you wouldn't ever see that kind of movie again."
Everyone started to do a drum roll with his or her mouths and by slapping their hands on their legs. Surprisingly, even Kenneth and Steven were chiming in. This took Nicole by surprise. She had absolutely no idea as to what was going on.
Terry started speaking again. "Terry and Ana productions presents, a Michael and Kenneth film. Produced by Terry. Directed by Terry. Written by Terry. Staring Terry, Michael, Kenneth, Ana, and Tucker as drunken fighter.
Terry's little speech made everyone but Nicole laugh; she was trying very hard not to. He hit the play button on the camera and the movie started. As the first scene started they all whispered, "The Action Romance Movie".
Nicole let out just a bit of a chuckle to this. The movie opened up with Kenneth standing guard in front of one of the stores. He was holding a large piece of pipe that he'd probably gotten from the hardware store. Terry walks into the shot with a pipe as well.
"I need to see my queen!" He shouted out in a lame acting voice.
"I am truly sorry to--" He forgot his line. Someone off stage whispered something to him and he started up again. "I am truly sorry to inform you but you may not pass without fighting me first. This will surely be full of action." He said it in an even more lame voice.
Nicole started to laugh almost uncontrollably. She was very surprised that Kenneth would act in a film like this just to make her feel better. But, then again her motto was always there is more than meets the eye.
Terry pulled out his pipe and so did Kenneth. After a few minutes of very slow and very lame fighting, Terry killed Kenneth by placing the pipe under his arm. It almost looked like he'd stuck him in the gut. Almost.
Terry walked into the store and was met by Michael and Tucker. They were standing guard next to a lawn chair that sat facing away from him.
"My queen!" He yelled.
"You must get through us first", Tucker said as he stumbled a bit.
"Hiya!" Terry said as he plunged at them. Another fighting scene that looked almost identical to the first one broke out and Terry beat the both.
Nicole was really enjoying herself and she didn't even notice that Terry was staring very intently at her.
In the movie Terry ran up to the chair and turned it around to find Ana setting there. Terry smiled very wide at Ana then he dropped his pole so he could put his hands over his heart. He went to one knee and continued with the horrible acting.
"Nicole, my queen." He spoke to Ana. "You may never know how much I care for thee. You are my queen and will always be. I wish I could make you understand."
Nicole figured it out now. She watched with her beautiful blue eyes and a tear almost fell down her face.
"I will do my best to let you know", he continued. "If you will just give me a chance I will make your life the best that it has ever been."
Suddenly it flashed to someone holding up a piece of cardboard that said "To be decided!"
Just as she thought that it was over and she was ready to get up and give Terry a hug the shot flipped over to a dimly lit sports store. The shot consisted of Terry sitting next to Ana.
"Yeah. She found a picture in my wallet of my old girlfriend." The tape recited his words. "I just want things to go back to the way they were. I just want to be with Nicole more than anything in the whole world and I wish I could find a way to tell her that I love her with all of my heart without her thinking that it was just me trying to apologize to her. I never was very good at the whole romantic thing."
By this time Nicole had too many tears in her eyes to see the rest of the video. She stood up, walked over to Terry, grabbed his around the waist and kissed him with everything that she had. Most of the room applauded as if it were a scene from the movie.
After they finished kissing, with everyone still watching, she whispered to him. "Promise me that you love me with your entire heart."
He didn't even have to think about it. "I promise you that I love you with my entire being. I wanna take care of you forever."