xX… Well, I'm trying to update, so bear with me! Enjoy! …xX

Tired and exhausted, Katie opened the door to her dorm violently and threw the keys on the sofa, after thinking it over for another split second; she threw her coat to meet her keys. She opened the fridge and pulled out a Red Bull from her six pack and gulped it greedily. She plopped down on the sofa and flipped the TV on.

She turned to get her coat and jumped. Sitting there next to her was Kirsten. Not moving, eyes straight ahead, looking very serious.

"Katie- you know that we are pretty much pals, right?"

This statement from the non-moving Kirsten made her jump,

"Yeah, I think… what's the matter?"

"You know I would never ask you to do anything that was stupid, right?"

"Um."

"Katie, what I'm saying is, I don't trust any of my other friends to come with me to the hospital."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm so screwed up, Katie, it's horrible."

"Kirsten! TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"She stood up and removed some papers from her pocket, she tossed them down to Katie, she turned to go to her room,

"And I need an abortion," she added and disappeared.

Katie unfolded the note and it read Kirsten had tested positive on some new experimental HIV/AIDS testing and she needed to come in to get a real test.

"Oh my god. Kirsten! How did you not know!?"

Kirsten came into the room, now looking angry, tears streaming down her face,

"OH! YEAH! THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! YOU ARE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, LOOKING DOWN ON ME, CALLING ME NOT RESPONSIBLE! WHY DID I EVEN BOTHER, YOU'RE JUST SOME HICK FROM INDIANA!" she screamed knelt down on the floor crying, her voice softer she said, "Katie, I'm pregnant, and I have an incurable disease, please, I'm… I'm…"

Katie, surprised at the outburst but recovered now got up and hugged Kirsten tightly,

"Hey, Kirsten, c'mon, it'll be ok, it was an experimental test, it has a huge margin of error, and I'll come with you, everything will be ok."

Kirsten whimpered a little, "Katie- you are so awesome to deal with someone as screwed up as me,"

"Oh- don't say that, you don't mean it, come on, we'll go have some dinner tonight, I'll pay, I just got a show,"

Kirsten looked up and smiled faintly. And although all Katie REALLY wanted to do was crash and order Chinese food, she needed to take Kirsten somewhere that would make her feel special. Unfortunately, she had no grasp of Manhattan, so she grabbed the Zaggats Food Guide and flipped it open. She knew she had to get out of the Village.

Forty five minutes later, Katie and Kirsten- dressed to the nines, arrived at One CPA. The upscale, trendy restaurant in the Plaza Hotel. They had a table that overlooked central park and all the people and carriages coming and going. Katie told Kirsten to order whatever she wanted, so they agreed on a four course meal, to celebrate, what they were celebrating was a mystery. Kirsten ordered Ham with Melon for a starter, a green salad, filet mignon and crème brulee. While Katie countered with sushi, a Waldorf salad, seared mahi mahi and a make your own fried banana split.

Two hours and two hundred bucks later, the pair were happily sitting on the steps of the Plaza, watching the world go by, after a moment or two Kirsten placed her head on Katie's shoulder,

"There is no place I'd rather be right now, Katie, you are an angel."

………………………………………………….

Angel or not, Katie had foolishly put all her classes on Mondays and Thursdays. So Katie was up at the crack of dawn, getting ready for her Inca Studies class. She would have to hurry out of that one to make it to the clinic for Kirsten; she'd be missing a math class.

She allowed herself an hour to make her way, across the square and park to the building where her class was. Of course she stopped for the Freshman Breakfast, but she didn't socialize. She grabbed a cinnamon bun, some coffee and sugar and was off.

She daydreamed through must of Inca History, trying to remember where everyone in her little circle of friends back home had done for College. She knew that Zack was at Tufts, Summer- Yale and Freddy was at a total party scale- Palm Beach Community College. His parents were pretty upset. As she was racking her brain to remember where her best friend, Marta, had gone. The door opened an older man came in, he whispered something to the Professor who turned white and immediately left, the man turned to the class,

"Professor Mann, has a family emergency, class dismissed."

The students looked around, still in a haze, Katie got up and didn't even notice that she was walking straight… toward… a… student! BAM! Her books went flying, everyone laughed. Katie turned bright red and scrambled to collect them. The guy she ran into hurried to pick them up,

"God, I'm so sorry," he said. His eyes were emerald green and his hair tied back in a pony tail. His jeans looked worn and his shirt was a plain, faded white one.

"Oh, it's ok, I wasn't paying any attention,"

"I feel horrible," he said, handing Katie her last book, which was the script to Hair, "Are you in the play?" he asked.

"Yeah," she blushed.

"I knew I recognized you, I'm Toby's friend- Marc. Nice to meet ya,"

"Same," she said, shaking his hand, "I'd love to stay but I really have to pick up a friend,"

"Oh," he said, looking a tad dejected, "Alright, see you at rehearsal than?"

But Katie was already out the door.

…………………………………………….

Her phone rang, she cursed and picked it up.

"Yo."

"Katie?"

"What?"

"Hey, it's Toby,"

"Yeah, hi."

"Well, you see…" he stammered.

"What?"

"You know, I was, well, kinda, you know, wondering if…"

"Yes?"

"You'd like to have dinner with me tonight?"

Katie gasped and quickly removed the phone from her ear,

"Um… Ok?"

"We can meet at Café Bianco at seven than?"

"Uh…"

"Bye!" he said quickly and hung up. Katie had a little time to kill so she went up to the apartment and took a shower before going to the clinic in Midtown to meet Kirsten.

…………………………………………………

"God, I'm so nervous, thank goodness that this is still legal," Kirsten said, the moment she caught site of Katie.

"Yeah, for now it is, at least, you ready?"

"No."

"Good, than let's go,"

Katie saw a tear swell up in Kirsten's eye as she was escorted into the operation room. An hour later Katie was allowed to see her in the recovery room.

"How was it?" Katie asked quietly as she approached the bed.

"Horrible, but it's gone," she said, looking tired.

"What would you have named it?" she asked.

"Taylor- the name goes both ways."

"That's nice," Katie says. She HATES the name Taylor.

xX… well???? …xX