Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

And to EKJ, thanks for noting my consistency! I try hard to keep a story going at a steady, even pace. One thing I will promise is that if I start a story, I will finish it, so any time you see something new from me, you can always begin to read, confident that I will not leave you hanging. It's a point of honor with me.

Talking about something new from me, I got an idea today for a little Christmas story. It will be a one-shot super sweet LG called The Perfect Gift. It's about half written at the moment. Look for it in the next day or two to help get you in the holiday mood!

And now on with Ethan and Veruca...and the mysteriously approaching figure...

-

-

"Crap," Ethan said. "It's Tudgeman."

Veruca looked. "Tudgeman's okay," she said. "He's different. He's not like the others."

"Yeah, he's okay," Ethan agreed. "And I think he's got a little crush on you."

Veruca gasped. "He does not!"

Now Ethan laughed, and his laughter was music to Veruca's ears. Let Tudgeman have the most hopeless crush he possibly could, if it could make Ethan laugh like this, she was all for it.

"Yes, he does," Ethan insisted. "He's crushin' on you, Rookey. It's like in middle school when he---"

"Quiet! Here he comes," Veruca said quickly.

They both looked over the back of the bench as Tudge drew near. When he was close enough he said, "Hey."

"Hey," Veruca said.

Tudge came around to the front of the bench. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

Ethan smirked. "Why the fuck do you care?"

Veruca smacked him. Hadn't he just agreed Tudge was okay? "Why do you have to be so goddamn difficult all the time?" she demanded. Then she looked at Tudge and said, "It's okay. We're okay. Ethan is okay."

"I just wanted to apologize," Tudge said.

Ethan smirked. "Why? You didn't do anything."

"I know, but I'm apologizing for my friends."

"Why don't they apologize for themselves?"

"They're too busy cleaning the soda up from all around the table," Tudge said flatly.

Ethan smirked again, then stood up.

"Where are you going?" Veruca asked.

"Home," Ethan said. "Which home? I don't know. I'm supposed to be with Dad, but Mom is closer. But I don't think either really cares if I show up. I'll just start walking and see where I end up."

"Ethan…" Veruca said carefully.

He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. "Don't worry, Rookey. I'll be okay."

"You promise?"

"I promise," he said softly, and Veruca nodded. There were times when the very tone of Ethan's voice could reassure her, and this was one of those times.

Ethan stood up. "I'll call you tomorrow, Rookey," he said. "See you later, Tudge. It's been….real…"

As Ethan turned to go, loping down the dark street, Tudge took up residence on the bench he had just vacated. He and Veruca sat in silence for a few moments, watching Ethan disappear down the street, then Tudge turned to his companion and said, straight-out, "Gordo is aware, of course, that Ethan has a thing for Lizzie. That makes him a little possessive, a little jealous. He's not usually such a jerk, really. He just finds Ethan a bit threatening, if you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean," Veruca said. "But that still doesn't change the fact that he hurt Ethan. And when he hurts Ethan, that hurts me too."

"And you and Ethan are…you know…?"

Veruca sighed heartily. "No," she said flatly.

Tudge smiled. "Well…good then. Because actually, Veruca, I've been thinking about asking you out."

Veruca felt a wave of shock run through her. "Tudgeman," she said. "Don't make fun of me."

"No, Veruca, I'm dead serious."

"And so am I," she said. "There are so many things wrong with that, I don't even know where to begin."

"Go ahead," Tudge smiled. "Begin. Start somewhere. I can't wait to hear this."

"Well…" Veruca began, feeling very strange. "What about Miranda?"

Tudge snorted. "We're dating. A little. We're not going steady. And to tell the truth, Ethan hit the nail on the head. She is still a bit of a popularity junkie, and…well, I'm not really interested in someone like that. I'm interested in a woman who knows her own mind, a strong, independent I don't give a shit about the world type of woman."

Veruca sighed glumly. "The very thing Gordo so vehemently accused me and Ethan of. But he sees it as a negative thing."

"I see it as a positive thing," Tudge said. "I see it as an exciting thing. Before, when you accused me of not being true to myself---"

"Oh, Tudge," Veruca said. "I didn't mean anything by that. I was just trying to get the focus off Ethan."

"Well, you peaked my interest," Tudge said. "Nobody ever challenges me anymore. Everybody likes me now because I can hit a ball a long distance and run around in circles stepping on sandbags. I need someone who will challenge me, question me, make me look at the big picture."

"Tudge, you're weird," Veruca said, shaking her head.

"Be that as it may," Tudge said with a smile, "Gordo talked a lot of trash tonight, but he did say one thing that was absolutely right on."

"Oh yeah," Veruca wondered. "And what was that?"

"That I have a thing for redheads."

Veruca felt her face turning as red as her hair. What was this she was feeling? Could Larry Tudgeman the jock really be winning her over?

Tudge kept looking at her, smiling at her, and finally he laughed a little. "So what will it be, Veruca? What do you say?"

"What do I say? I say you're crazy! Do you know what kind of trouble you'd be getting yourself into? How all your friends would react if they saw you going out with that Goth girl? The Goth and the Jock. Are you a masochist, or what?"

"I don't know," Larry said. "Are you? I mean, I hear some Goths are into that kind of thing."

Veruca found herself laughing. Tudge sure did have a way of making her laugh. "No," she said finally. "I'm not into that kind of thing." She sighed, thinking mometarily about Gordo. "Well, at least not usually," she amended.

"Then come on!" Tudge encouraged. "Take a chance, why don't you? Do you really want to change the world? Take the first steps into anarchy? Then go out with me, Veruca. We'll stand the world on its ear."

What Larry said did indeed make a certain amount of sense. Veruca would love nothing more than to see everybody's reaction to the Goth and the Jock. And she really did like Tudge. It wouldn't be so bad to hang out with him a little.

"But…but…" she began. "I'm going away to school soon."

"So am I."

"I'm going to Ohio State."

"I'm going to Minnesota. So what? I'm not talking about a lifelong commitment. I just thought it would be nice to go see a movie or something. What do you say?"

Veruca looked at Tudge and smiled. She could not help smiling. This had been one damn crazy night so far, and it was about to get crazier, because she could not think of any really good reason to say no. So instead she said, "Yeah. Sure, Tudge. Let's do that. Let's go see a movie or something."

After that they talked a little while longer, but soon realized they should go back in the restaurant with their friends.. "After all," Tudge said, with a wry smile, "Miranda will be wondering where I've gone."

Veruca rolled her eyes and laughed. "Tudgeman…"