Thank you all so much for your feedback.
Lil Aussie Alias Chick: Of course I watched it! I was quoting all those lines to my friends the next day and they were looking at me as if I was insane! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one. I have to say though that my favourite would have to be Jack's "Get in now- you can be stubborn later." I love him so much!
In regards to the fic, I wasn't expecting the Lauren twist either. I had no plans to do that, but when I was writing the chapter it suddenly came to me that Ainsley knew Lauren.
oddie562: If you are still having problems getting chapter 26, I can email it to you.
Glad you are all looking forward to the apartment search. I'll give you a hint now- it will get, how should I say it? "Interesting." ;)
"I don't get it." Ainsley said to Sydney and Francie. It was Tuesday afternoon and the three of them were sitting out on Sydney and Francie's patio. "The change was just so sudden. One second we were both having a great time and then bam! Eric couldn't get away fast enough."
Ainsley wasn't the only one who was confused. Sydney and Francie knew how much Weiss liked her. They couldn't believe he had ended the date on such a sour note.
"What were you talking about?" Sydney asked.
"You know the typical stuff." Ainsley shrugged. "Most embarrassing moment, favourite memory etc."
"So what exactly was said just before Eric went schizo?" Francie asked seriously, leaning forward, ready to listen intently to whatever Ainsley was going to say.
"He didn't go 'schizo', Francie. He just went weird." Ainsley paused. "I think I was telling him my stupidest moment."
"What was it?" Francie pressed. Sydney wondered if she was going to get a pen and paper and start taking notes.
"Falling off a horse and breaking my arms." Ainsley smiled sheepishly at the looks on Sydney and Francie's faces. "I was trying to look better than Lauren."
"Who?" Sydney asked.
"A friend of mine from high school- Lauren Reed."
Sydney and Francie glanced at each other. The confusion over Weiss's behaviour suddenly vanished.
"Did you say Lauren Reed?" Francie asked.
"Yeah." Ainsley looked at Sydney and Francie. They had the same looks on their faces as Weiss did last night. "Do you know her? She actually lives in this area now."
"I don't know her," Francie looked at Sydney through the corner of her eye. "Are you still friends with her?"
"Not really. It's been a long time since we've spoken. She met a guy not long after she moved- I think that was one of the reasons we lost contact. Lauren was so wrapped up in him."
"Uh," Sydney cleared her throat. "Did she mention his name?"
"Oh god, I can't remember- it was years ago." Ainsley's confusion was only getting worse. Why were Sydney and Francie so interested in Lauren? "I think it was Matthew, or Michael, or Marcus, or something like that."
"It was Michael." Sydney said quietly.
"Pardon?"
"I said it was Michael." Sydney repeated. "Michael Vaughn."
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Ok! I'm coming!" Vaughn yelled as he ran to his door, a sixth sense telling him that it was Eric Weiss on the other side.
"What took you so long?" Weiss demanded after Vaughn had opened the door. He stormed in and flopped on the couch. Before joining him, Vaughn went straight to the fridge for two beers. He guessed that the date with Ainsley hadn't gone so well.
"What happened?" he asked, handing Weiss a beer and sitting down.
"You are not going to believe it." Weiss buried his head in his hands. "I can't believe it."
"What?"
"You know what Mike?" Weiss looked up. "It really is a small freaking world after all. A small, cruel world that thinks it's funny to knee Eric Weiss in the balls."
"OK, Weiss, do you want to explain or should I just start guessing?"
"Ainsley mentioned an old friend last night."
"A friend?"
"Yeah. Can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah." Vaughn was feeling slightly exasperated at the way Weiss was talking- jumping from point to point.
"Do you think that female friends are like each other? Like if one is a bitch, do you think that the other is a bitch?"
"Everybody is different Weiss. Look at Syd and Francie."
"Yeah, but they have to share some common ground, don't they?"
"Weiss, how about you just tell me what this is all about." Vaughn said, rubbing the nape of his neck.
"Ainsley was friends with The Bitch."
"Pardon?"
"Lauren. Ainsley knows Lauren. They had a little competitive thing going on at high school."
At first Vaughn thought Weiss was joking. What were the chances of this happening? But as he looked at his best friend's face he realized that this was no joke. "You're serious." He said, slumping back into the couch.
"Damn right I am."
"So did Ainsley know about Lauren and me?"
"I don't think so. She said they hadn't spoken in years."
"What did Ainsley say when you told her?"
"I didn't tell her. After hearing that she used to associate with Satan, I kinda ended the date."
"Why?"
Weiss looked at Vaughn surprised. He'd thought his reasons would be obvious. "Well, because…I thought…you…"
"Are you trying to say that you ditched Ainsley on my account?"
"Yeah."
"Weiss." Vaughn sighed. "That wasn't the smartest thing to do."
"I know, but it took me by surprise. I mean it's only in these past months that you've managed to exorcise your Lauren demons. Then I go and fall for a person who can bring her back into our lives."
"Weiss, I don't care. So what if Ainsley knows Lauren. Just as long as she doesn't start inviting Lauren to start socialising with us, there's no problem."
"But I thought…"
"Well, there's your problem right there. You thought." Vaughn grinned at Weiss and took a mouthful of beer. "I think it's about time you called her."
Ainsley sat stunned, listening to Sydney's voice. After hearing all this she now knew why Weiss had freaked out the night before. She was freaking out now. Never would she have imagined that the quiet little Lauren she had known in high school was capable of being such a horrible person.
"How long ago did all this happen?" she asked, when Sydney had finished talking.
"Well, when I met Vaughn, they'd broken up about four months prior, so about seven months ago." Sydney replied. "Though Vaughn said that she'd been going behind his back for most of the relationship."
"Ok…I don't think I'll be making that catch-up phone call." Ainsley let out a short laugh. "This is crazy. I move away from a good friend, become friends with the person who will eventually date and dump the boyfriend of the friend I moved away from."
"Sydney you should write this down." Francie said. "This would be gold for your novel."
"I think I'll let you have it for Dragonflies of the Summer." Sydney turned to Ainsley. "So, now you know why Weiss went nuts, do you think that you two could patch things up."
"I would love to go out with him again. We were having a fantastic time until I mentioned Lauren." Ainsley smiled shyly. "I really like him."
"Awww." Sydney sighed while Francie made kissy faces.
"Oh, come on guys." Ainsley blushed.
"Ainsley and Eric, sitting in a tree," Francie started to sing, but was stopped by a strategically placed elbow on Sydney's behalf. "Ow! What was that for?"
"For being a dope." Sydney replied, poking her tongue out. Francie gave her a slight shove in response. Their little fight, however, was cut short by a phone ringing.
"It's mine." Ainsley announced, looking at her caller ID. She glanced at the other two. "It's Eric."
"Come on Fran," Sydney dragged her inside. "Let's give them a little privacy."
"Hello." Ainsley answered the phone tentatively after Sydney had shut the patio door.
"Hey, it's Weiss...Eric..."
"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm fine. I just wanted to call to apologise and explain about last night."
"You don't need to explain. I've been talking to Syd- she told me everything."
"Oh, ok. I still owe you an apology though. I shouldn't have acted the way I did last night."
"No, that's ok. It must have taken you by surprise. If I were you, I probably would have freaked out to."
"But I want to say I'm sorry." Weiss insisted.
Ainsley smiled. This guy was so sweet. "Your apology is accepted."
"Good. So...umm."
"Please don't ask me how I am again." Ainsley said, thinking back to the park. "Try asking me out."
"Huh?"
"Well, I think we should go out on a date that ends well, don't you think?"
"Ok." On his end of the line Weiss was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He hadn't totally ruined things. "When are you free next?"
"Sunday night."
"Ok. I'll pick you up around eight?"
Ainsley laughed lightly. "How about we figure out where we are going before designating a time?"
"Ok then. Where did you want to go?"