To TJ or not to TJ

Summary: Sandy and Kirsten in college. There's a TJ trip but they've just broken up and don't feel like going, what happens if their friends persuade them…

Disclaimer: If I owned the OC I'd have a yacht with a swimming pool on by now.

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How absolutely CRAZY generous am I? THREE chapters at once. You better leave reviews for at least one of them or I will be ANGRY!

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Chapter Three

'So how's the Sandman?' Paul asks jovially 'You've been unnaturally quiet lately.'

You shrug.

'I rest my case. Methinks this strange silence may be directly attributable to the departure of a certain blonde.'

'Paul, Shut up.'

'Oh, it speaks. Did you guts hear that?' he turns to the guys in the back and gesticulates wildly at Sandy. They laugh.

'What's made you so chirpy?' you growl at your friend.

'I my friend, unlike you, am getting some.'

'I know that. I've seen her sneak out your room every morning for the past week. I've made her coffee when you're too lazy to get up.'

'Aha, but this is different.'

'Different how?'

'We're sleeping together.'

'But that's nothing new.'

'It is if we're dating as well.'

'Dating? But…wh… Since when? How come?'

'Since we decided to.'

'Oh…well, you have liked her for ages I guess.'

'You're not jealous are you?'

'Me? No! Why would I be?'

'Because we never seem able to have girlfriends at the same time.'

'That's strangely true but I'm fine.'

'Biggest four letter lie in the world,' someone says and you glare out the window. 'I'm doing ok,' you amend.

'Hmm. Well I guess you're doing better than Kirsten,' one of your friends from the year below observes.

'Why?' you ask a fraction too quickly.

'Uh, well…' they mumbled, watching all the eyes in the car turn to focus on you.

'She sort of…broke down in the middle of the psychology exam, had to be taken outside.'

'W-what day?'

'Wednesday.'

'Shit,' you mutter under your breath, running an agitated hand through your unruly hair.

Wednesday. The day after that horrible fight. The night she'd slammed the door of your apartment almost as hard as you did ten minutes later when you went out to find solace at the beach. The day your favourite law professor offered to talk. How the hell could you tell the father of your long-lost once fiancée that the reason you're so distracted is another girl?

'She's doing better now I think,' they continue, trying to offer some comfort in the wake of your aghast facial expression.

'If you can count being constantly pissed as being ok,' someone else interjects.

You sigh. Kirsten is a little too partial to alcohol. You hate to think you made her turn to it even more. Suddenly Paul gives an exclamation and you look up. In the distance up ahead you can see what appears to be the girls' car very definitely off the road and standing at an uncomfortable angle; the front wheels considerably lower than the back. Your heart jumps straight into your mouth, forcing you to recognise how much Kirsten still means to you. The girls had passed you a couple of hours ago, singing raucously. Kirsten was driving, fast. Then again, she always did. Drove fast, drank fast and made you fall for her so damn fast you were still spinning six months and one hell of a break-up later.

The car full of couples had dawdled at the start, unable to decide who should stop kissing first and actually drive so it had to be the girls up in front. Having sped up at the sight of the stranded car, Paul slowed again to park hastily on the side of the road. The boys piled out and hurried over the hot tarmac and rusty dirt towards the crowd of girls.

'Is everyone okay?' was asked as a breathless shout from a hundred paces and on hearing the positive reply, you all slow from a sprint to a jog. Friends great each other with relief and couples join in cinematic embraces. You stand at the fringes of this activity, scanning the faces for the one you want to see most. It's missing.

Swallowing you listen to your shallow breathing in the hope of calming yourself as you search properly. What if everyone wasn't okay? People just say that when no one is obviously injured…or dead. Paul prevents your mind running away with itself by clapping a hand on your shoulder. 'Relax Sandman, she's fine.'

'I wasn't…' you begin but realise it's pointless as your best mate just gives you a look which says he knows you're lying.

'Kirsten was driving so she's pretty shaken up. She's with my girlfriend,' he pronounces the new title a little proudly. You follow Paul round the empty vehicle. Sure enough, Kirsten is crouched on the ground beside one of the tyres, her friend vainly proffering water and being stoically ignored. Paul approaches him and the girl smiles, relief edging into her eyes amidst the worry. Kirsten has her head between her knees as though she might be sick, hiccoughing sobs issuing intermittently from the huddled form. You wish you could off some kind of comfort. Hate knowing that you can't.

'Hey,' Paul says, squatting down in front of your ex and tilting her face towards him. 'Hey! Don't cry; no one's hurt.'

Kirsten continues to cry and you realise from your position, skulking by the wing mirror, that she's shaking. 'She's in shock,' you mumble, watching her head jolt up at the sound of your voice. 'Try and make her drink that water.'

She doesn't look at you but complies when she's offered the bottle, teeth chattering against the neck.

'You alright?' Paul asks gently.

'I almost killed us all,' she moans.

'No you didn't,' you insist, even before you realise you're speaking.

'I drove off the road, it would have been a terrible accident.'

'But it wasn't.'

'It almost was and now the car is screwed.'

She is fast becoming hysterical and it's natural to try and calm her down.

'Shh, it's okay.'

'No it's not okay,' she spits, voice unnaturally hard. 'It's so fucking far from being okay…just…go away. Go away!'

Her friend smiles sadly at you. 'Sorry Sandy, but right now isn't the best time for all this. We'll talk later okay?'

You nod and back reluctantly away leaving Kirsten with both your best friend and hers.

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How's it going?

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