Chapter 8

Coop was preparing for his date with Lizzie, which was in about an hour. She was supposed to come to Company after closing hours, but he had decided he was going to surprise her and climb up the ladder to her room, like old times, and get her from the Spaulding mansion.

As he was buttoning up his shirt, Frank walked into the upstairs apartment with an angry scowl on his face. Coop knew something was wrong with him and he hoped that he didn't find out about his date with Lizzie for that very night.

"Hey bro, what's up?" Coop asked, trying to thaw his mood.

" Nothing except those damn Spauldings. They think they are so much higher than us," Frank mumbled.

Coop figured he had had a confrontation with a Spaulding just recently, and if he had to take a guess, he would say it was Alan.

" So, which Spaulding did you get into it with this time?" Coop asked.

" Alan. There are no words to describe how much I despise him. I almost wish Phillip was still alive. At least Harley wouldn't be on trial and as much as I hate to admit it, Phillip was a prince compared to his father." Frank continued. " Now remind you, I said ALMOST," he finished.

Coop mentally gave himself a check for being right on the money about Alan. " So what did you two fight about this time?" Coop asked.

" The usual. We, the Coopers, are responsible for Phillips demise." Frank said.

Frank finally noticed that Coop was dressed up for some special occasion. " So, Coop, going on a hot date tonight?" Frank asked.

Coop got a little red, but continued to play it cool. " Yeah. Got a date with one of the waitresses at the restaurant." Coop said, hoping his brother bought it.

" Well, have a good time. At least you have finally given up on Lizzie. I swear, I don't know what you were thinking when you were fooling around with her," Frank said.

Coop was getting a little irritated with his brother. As much as he himself disliked the Spauldings, Lizzie and Gus were the only exceptions. He liked Gus because he knew that Gus loved Harley with every fiber of his being. And Lizzie, well, he hated her one minute and liked her the next, and finally the liking won out.

" Well, Frank, if you don't mind, I think I am going to get going. Don't want to leave my date hanging." Coop said grabbing his jacket and heading out the door before his brother could get another smart comment in.

Lizzie was in the midst of getting ready for her first and last date with Coop when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and it was Tammy.

" Hey, Tams," Lizzie said, painting her nails with one hand, while using the other hand to balance the phone under her ear.

" Hey Lizzie. What are you doing?" Tammy asked.

" Well, I am in the middle of getting ready for my date with Coop tonight," Lizzie said. " But then you called, so I am kind of doing both," she finished.

" Wait a minute. You and Coop? Going out on a date?" Tammy questioned. " When did this happen? Yesterday you were determined never to see him again," she finished.

" Look, Tammy, I am going on my first date with Coop which is something that, well let's face it, I have been wanting to do for like forever. But this is also going to be my last date with him." Lizzie said, putting the lid back on the pink nail polish and finally using her hand to hold the phone.

" So, are you going to tell him tonight?" Tammy asked, hoping her friend would do the right thing.

Lizzie had climbed onto her bed and laid back against the pillows. " Tammy, he can not know. He will want to stand by me and help me through this. If I wanted that for him, then I would have told him a long time ago." Lizzie said, blowing on her nails, trying to dry them.

" Look, Lizzie, I want you to understand this situation from a guys point of view. So I want you to talk to Sandy. He's right here, and I will warn you, he already agrees with me." Tammy said, handing the phone to Sandy.

" Lizzie?" Sandy said, grabbing the phone from Tammy.

" Hey Sandy. I'm sure Tammy has filled you in on the situation. I trust you because we were friends once upon a time and I know you will not tell anyone, especially Coop." Lizzie said.

Coop had arrived at the Spaulding mansion about half an hour early, but he just couldn't wait to see her. Sure enough the ladder was outside the house and headed straight up to her bedroom. He started the climb up to her window. As he continued to climb, he got closer to her window and room. He could hear her talking to someone. He got up to the window and looked in, careful so that she would not see him. Her voice was loud and clear.

" No, Sandy. I have not told him yet. If I tell him this it will break his heart," Lizzie stated, trying to make Sandy understand that if she told Coop about her cancer, she would drag him down with her.

" Lizzie, if I was your boyfriend, and I was in this situation, you better believe I would want you to tell me," Sandy said, trying to change her mind.

Coop was listening. She was talking to Sandy, her best friends boyfriend. He continued listening. He felt guilty, but he was very curious.

" Sandy, I can not tell Coop, okay. I will not hurt him like this. I have to let him down gently tonight after our date," Lizzie said.

Coop suddenly froze. He knew what her secret was. She was dating Sandy on the sly and hadn't even bothered to tell him about it. He was furious. He was not going to be played, especially by Lizzie Spaulding. He started banging on the window, and Lizzie turned around and saw him in mid sentence.

" Um, Sandy. I gotta go. Coop's here." Lizzie said, hanging up the phone and running over to the window.

" What is wrong with you?" Lizzie said to Coop, opening the window.

Coop jumped in her room and slammed the window shut. " What is wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me. I know all about your little secret, and to think, it had me all concerned like something was wrong with you." Coop yelled very meanly.

Lizzie was a little taken back. How had he found out about this? He didn't act very concerned and that bothered her a lot.

"Coop, how did you find out?" Lizzie asked.

" Come on Lizzie, I was coming up here to surprise you for our first date…" Coop started but then got interrupted.

" But we were supposed to meet at Company. I never expected you to show up here." Lizzie stated.

" Oh, I bet you didn't. Then you wouldn't have been on the phone with lover boy when I showed up to pick you up, would you?" Coop yelled.

Lizzie realized Coop had gotten the wrong idea about this whole thing. It was sort of a relief, but then she realized he thought she was cheating on him and using him.

" Coop, I was just talking to Sandy," Lizzie said, trying to explain.

" Yeah, I know that, Lizzie. But you know the worst thing about that? Sandy happens to be your best friend's boyfriend. After you two started being friends again, I thought you had learned your lesson, but I was wrong about you as usual, I think that makes about the hundredth time I have been wrong about you. You think I would have learned by now the type of person you are." Coop rambled on, yelling at her the whole time.

Lizzie was totally speechless. She had never seen Coop like this before. He was so mad his face was turning red. " Coop, if you would just listen, I can explain.." Lizzie started to speak again, but Coop interrupted her, still yelling.

" I don't want your lame excuses anymore, Lizzie. You were using me this whole time, and to tell you the truth, it's a huge relief that I found out. Now I won't be wasting my valuable time on a selfish, scheming, lying, no good Spaulding that my brother warned me about." Coop finished, finally glad that he got that off of his chest.

Lizzie was shaking now and crying. He was being so mean to her. He had the whole thing wrong. She knew now she had to tell him the truth. She couldn't take anymore emotional beating.

" Coop, you have this all wrong, would you please just listen?" Lizzie said.

Coop was pacing around the room, and when he stopped, he still wasn't through with the yelling. " I am through listening to you, Lizzie. I am so sick of trying to find the good in you, when the truth is, there is none. You are a cold hearted monster and I haven't seen anyone like you since your father.." Coop was yelling and rambling on so long now he didn't even know what he was saying.

" Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Lizzie screamed, with tears streaming down her face so hard that she couldn't even see him.

Coop immediately realized how harsh he had been with her, and he didn't know why he was reacting this way. Well, yes he did, he was jealous. He was 100 percent jealous of Lizzie's new boyfriend, because amongst all of their fights he had actually ended up liking Lizzie a lot more than he should have.

" You don't even know what you're talking about!" Lizzie said, screaming at him back. " You have no idea how much I have been through these last few days. You know nothing!" Lizzie continued screaming.

" What I do know is that you have been messing around with your best friends boyfri…" Coop was interrupted by a screaming Lizzie.

" You want to know the real secret I have been keeping? Well for your information, I have not been fooling around with Sandy Foster and I have not been cheating on you." Lizzie said, her voice getting louder and louder.

" Then what do you call it?" Coop said, getting angrier.

" Fine. My Leukemia is back! I could die in the next month or maybe two years from now, nobody knows. So There! Are you happy?" Lizzie yelled.

Alan Michael was still at his home working on his plan to take down his father. He had gotten a plan in the works.

He picked up his cell phone, and called his father.

" Hello?" Alan said, sitting in his office at Spaulding Enterprises.

" Dad, it's me, Alan Michael," he said.

" Yes, son. I have been expecting your call. Listen, I have the next step in the works." Alan said.

" Look, dad, how about you hold your plans for a while. I am coming down to Springfield in the next few days. I have got a plan that will work like a charm." Alan Michael said, biting his lip.

" Sounds perfect. This will be just like old times, son. Me and You running the business," Alan said.

" Yeah, sounds great. Listen, I gotta go. Se you in a few days," Alan Michael said, hanging up the phone.

" Lucy!" Alan Michael yelled to his wife. She came running out the front door in a hurry.

" Pack your bags, honey. We are headed to Springfield." Alan Michael said.

Spoilers For Chapter 9

Coop regrets everything he said to Lizzie once he knows the whole truth

Lizzie has an emotional breakdown, where she admits to Coop that she can not handle this by herself

Coop promises to stand by Lizzie through this as well as not tell her family about her condition

Alan Michael and Lucy arrive in Springfield a little early, so AM can get his plan started before greeting Alan

Whitney