Disclaimer: I own nothing. Enjoy!
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That Endless Summer
Chapter Fourteen: There's no such thing
"Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gunna take a superman to sweep me off my feet"
- Holding Out For A Hero, Bonnie Tyler
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"Ric, that's amazing." Parker said to me as James walked away. I was grinning, and nothing could wipe that grin off my face. My dream job had practically landed in my lap, and I had ages to make up my mind. Not that I would need much convincing. There was just one MAJOR thing… or person, that I needed to run it by. And while it could possibly be the hardest thing I've ever done, I knew in the end Cassie would want me to be all that I can be. And we'd work around it. We'd work through it, because we were past throwing our relationship away because of a few minor issues. We trusted one another. We could work this out.
"We should celebrate." Luke said to me, which snapped me out of my thoughts "We need to tell Cassie and Maddie and have a night out, with an expensive dinner and lots of dancing. It can be formal, so they can get all dressed up…" He said, before noticing the crestfallen looks on Parker and Lily's face. "Oh, you two are more than welcome to come." He said as an afterthought "Of course, there is that little problem of them claiming that you're after us…" He trailed off before apparently coming up with an idea "But if you turn up with dates, then they won't feel threatened by you, and they'll give you a good chance." He said, obviously happy with himself.
Parker looked towards Lily and smiled, "Sounds like a brilliant plan. Tell you what, we'll meet you back here at eight. We can have a late dinner at this awesome place Lily and I know." She said
"Yeah, and we'll even shout you guys." Lily said, "For being some of the coolest guys we know, and of course, to celebrate Ric's job offer." She said, smiling at Luke, who grinned back at her.
"Sounds like an awesome plan to me." He said, as everyone nodded. "See you at eight. And don't forget to bring the guys." He yelled as Parker and Lily turned around to give us the thumbs up.
"Now, all we need to do is convince Maddie and Cassie everything will be fine." Luke said, turning to look at me, but stopped when he saw my worried face.
"Cassie is going to hate me for this." I said, as Luke nodded his head. "I mean, we already had the problem with her wanting to go to Sydney, and me staying in the bay. But that's a two-hour drive between us. Queensland is a whole other state. She's going to hate me."
"Cass could never hate you." He said, as we walked towards the elevator "She's too in love with you." He continued "And if you're upfront with her, she'll have some time to get used to the idea. You're strong together, you'll make it through this." He said, as we walked inside and pushed our floors button.
I nodded at him and leant back against the wall. We were that strong. Luke was right. I just had to trust in us. And I did. I just hoped she did too.
"Look dude, its going to be fine." Luke said, as the door opened and we stepped out into the hallway "We're going to tell them, and Cass is going to be ecstatic. And then we're going out to share good food and good company. Life will be good." He tried to sound like he was already convinced, but neither of us really were.
We'd ditched the girls that morning. Too afraid of what we'd say when they woke up. When Cassie had slapped Parker last night, I'd been shocked beyond words. Then when they'd attacked Lily and Parker, it had been too much to handle. After we'd put them to bed, I'd voiced my fears to Luke who'd agreed. It was like we didn't know them any more. And that scared us. So we'd gone out this morning to apologise to Parker and Lily, and to give Maddie and Cassie time to cool off. And I hoped they were very cool, because I didn't know how they'd handle it if they weren't.
"The moment of truth arrives." Luke said as we reached the door.
Swiping the card, there was a click, and the green light flashed, allowing me to slowly push the door open.
"Cassie?" I called timidly into the empty room "Maddie? You guys here?" I said, as I entered and walked into a dead living area.
There was a bang and a crash that came from my room, and suddenly Maddie appeared at the door, shutting the cautiously behind her. "Hi guys." She said, grinning nervously.
"What's going on?" Luke asked, not missing a beat.
"Well…" Maddie said "If you must know, Cassie really isn't feeling well. So she's in bed, and she's asked me to ask you two to kinda… go out and have fun tonight so she'll be able to rest."
The pit of my stomach fell.
"If she's sick, I'll take care of her. You and Luke should be out enjoying yourselves." I said, making a move towards the door before Maddie stopped me.
"You can't." She said quickly.
"Why not?" I replied, "I'm worried about Cass, and I just want to see her." I said, pleading with Maddie. Her face softened momentarily, before it became like stone again.
"Because… Cassie said she feels like an idiot because of last night. She just wants to be left alone so she can deal with it before seeing you. That's why she wants you two to go out and have a good night. So you'll have the night you should've had last night." She said quickly, her eyes darting between Luke and I.
"Maddie," Luke said, "We had something great planned. I really, really wanted to take you out and spoil you." He said, and I thought he almost had her convinced.
"Maybe tomorrow night Luke." She replied, somewhat sadly, walking over to him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "But for tonight, it's going to have to be hoes over bros. Sorry guys." She said, before disappearing into the door once more.
We both looked at that door for a long time, before Luke came over and said "I guess its just us and Parker and Lily, and whoever they plan on bringing."
"Funny, I don't feel like going out now." I replied, as Luke nodded.
"Me either. But we can't ditch them. That would just be cruel." He said, as I nodded.
"Come on, let's get ready and go."
Somehow, I didn't think tonight was going to go to plan at all.
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"I think they're gone." Maddie said to me finally as a door was shut quietly in the distance.
I sighed, and pulled the doona up around me further. Considering it was the middle of the summer, I sure felt cold.
"Oh honey." Maddie said, pulling me into a hug as the tears welled again "Its not the end of the world. Everything will turn out for the best, you'll see." She said, trying to reassure me, but it wasn't exactly working.
"I know you mean well Maddie, but its not the same for you. Your boyfriend hasn't been offered a job in another state." I began, when I saw her face drop.
"No, he hasn't. Mine has his first University preference in another state to me. He wants to move away from me." She said, her voice quivering. "And he doesn't know how much that actually hurts." She continued, as she climbed under the covers with me. "Do either of them even know how much they are actually hurting us?"
"You know Maddie?" I said, as she looked up at me "I think, deep down, they do." I said, and I literally saw her heart break. I think I actually felt mine break too.
After a few moments of heartbreaking silence, Maddie sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You know what we need?" She said, as she stood up and walked over to the chest of drawers and rummaged through a few things.
"Season Three Gilmore Girls?" I asked as she shook her head, before grinning and turning to me.
"The end of Season Four Gilmore Girls." She said happily as I smiled a little, "And then," She continued, pulling a DVD from behind her back "The Princess Bride." She finished. "A classic for all ages, with a giant, with sword fighting, and the best love story of all time." She grinned, as I smiled back.
"It sounds perfect." I replied, as she pulled out the DVD remote and stuck a disk into the player.
"Luke Can See Her Face." We said in unison as the opening credits rolled.
A while later, we sat while munching on some chips I'd found in the kitchen. Luke was dancing with Lorelai at his sisters wedding, and Maddie and I sighed together. "Do you ever think they'll get together?" I asked, as I watched them move closer together, their chemistry undeniable.
"You mean, get back together after Season Six?" Maddie asked me, as Luke walked Lorelai home.
"They're supposed to be destined." I said, "She turns to Christopher because she knows without fail, he'll let her down. But Luke, Luke was never that guy, and he became it. What if it screws up their destiny, the fact that she ran to Chris, who might not let her down this time?" I queried, as we both sat up in the bed.
"You can't fight fate kid." Maddie replied seriously. "It'll hunt you down and make sure you fulfil it no matter what." She said seriously. "That's why Luke and Lorelai will be together. Because from the first moment in this show, it was there."
"What is this 'it' you speak of?" I asked her.
"Everything that is supposed to be there in relationships. The spark, the bite, the friendly banter, and the gazes. God made them for one another. That's how I know there will never be another like Luke. And that's how I know Luke shall redeem himself during season seven, and they shall get married and have twins."
"Those Lazy Crazy Hazy Days" We said, smiling.
"See?" Maddie said, putting an arm around me "Fate. Its something you can't fight, so don't even bother baby."
"What are you doing?" Came from the TV, which caught our attention.
"Would you just hold still?"
And then it happened. Luke pulled her towards him, and her hands went to his chest, and he kissed her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Maddie and I gushed as she melted into the kiss momentarily before backing off. They held that gaze, before she stepped forward again.
"What are you doing?"
"Would you just hold still?"
"See Cass" Maddie said, "In that one moment, they confirmed everything the viewers had known for three, almost four seasons. With that one kiss. And sometimes, that's all it takes for some of us to believe in fate, or true love, for that matter."
"I think its time for The Princess Bride." I sighed, as Maddie smiled at me "Just so I can reiterate the fact that men in all black outfits are the epitome of hotness. And that sword fighting turns me on. And, of course, that all any guy ever has to utter to me is 'As you wish' and I'll melt like a puddle at their feet."
"I agree whole heartedly," Maddie said, as she skipped over to the DVD player and changed the disks.
At least for the moment, Ric was being pushed to the back of my mind.
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"It sucks that they couldn't make it tonight." I said to Lily as we walked along the boardwalk "I was really looking forward to seeing the guys again. Seeing as we haven't really had a chance to get to know them, but they seemed really cool."
"Yeah," she replied distractedly.
"Why does it seem as if everyone is ignoring me tonight?" I cried, as Lily turned to me and laughed.
"Oh no, its not that. It just seems as if Ric is a bit down. Is he okay?" She asked, sounding truly concerned for him.
I sighed before pausing, and sitting down on a near by bench. "Ric's just in a tough place at the moment. But he'll pull through and be fine. Besides, he's got my support, and that counts for something, right?" I asked, as Lily smiled back at me.
"Yeah, it does." She agreed "And you've both always got Parker and I, you know that right?" She said, and I nodded and smiled.
"What about you Luke?" She asked abruptly, turning to face me "How are you doing? You seem to be forgotten in everything that happens."
"I'm… alright" I said finally "I'm just kind of floating right now, waiting for the Uni acceptance letters. After that, well, everything changes, doesn't it?" I asked Lily, who shuffled closer to me.
"Everything's already changed Luke." She said, taking my hand. "Everything always changes after school finishes." She said sadly, which made me feel immensely sorry for her.
"Hey" I said "Not everything changes. And sometimes change is a good thing." I pulled her into a hug and felt her relax a little. It felt good knowing that I could make someone smile these days.
"Oi" I heard Ric scream, and I looked up to see he and Parker waving us over "We found this GREAT club, you guys have got to come and check it out."
I smiled at a glowing Ric. Apparently something was agreeing with him. Maybe it was the great company, maybe it was the Jelly Shots Parker had been pouring down his throat. Either way, I was happy for him. I was actually feeling a little bit happier too. But nothing could take away from the fact that Maddie and Cassie weren't here to share it with us.
Except for maybe this.
I walked into through the door into the upstairs of the club. The light was dimmed, and the music fast. And underneath me, was a dance floor covered in what seemed to be… foam. And smelt like strawberries. I looked up, bedazzled, at Ric, who was grinning back and stripping down to just his jeans. Parker and Lily had pulled off their shirts to reveal bikini tops, and I had to wonder what exactly was going on here.
"Oh calm down sparky." Lily said, as she made her way over to me "Its just so we don't get our clothes ruined. There is no ploy to get your hot, naked body rubbing up against mine." She joked, "I'll even stay a full meter away from you. Now, come on." She said, motioning for me to strip off my top
I groaned before tearing it off and handing it to her, as she smirked, a mannerism, which was typical of Maddie. And thinking that instantly made me miss her, and wish she were here, experiencing this with us. It make me think that everything about this holiday had been ruined so far, because of misunderstanding and such, and that Ric and I shouldn't be out having fun while Maddie and Cassie were couped up in a hotel room, feeling alone… abandoned.
But, I thought, hadn't it been Maddie who declined coming out with me tonight? Hadn't it been she who insisted that Ric and I go out and have fun. I suddenly became determined to make the most of tonight. Because I wasn't just enjoying it for me, I was enjoying it for her.
"Come on." I heard, as Lily grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bar. Ric and Parker were already sitting there, with eight jelly shots in front of them. I had never been a fan of the Jelly shots, but now seemed like an excellent time to start. Pulling one close, I raised it in the air and said, "To having fun." Before downing it.
The liquor hit my throat and sent chills down my spine, and I shook my head, trying to help the feeling pass. When I looked up I met the eyes of my companions, all showing their approval by raising their own glasses and repeating my toast.
Smiling at Lily wickedly, I grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. She passed me another shot, and as soon as my body hit the cool foam I downed it, before sitting it on a bar we passed while moving towards the middle of the dance floor.
I saw that Ric and Parker had followed us, both of them swaying slightly to the music already. Or maybe it was the effects of the alcohol, I thought to myself as I began to feel the alcohol work its magic, my body relaxing into the beat, moving more freely than it would without its influence.
Tonight was about letting go of the inhibitions that had always held me back. I was doing this for her, I thought, as I moved to the music with Lily next to me. Because its always about her.
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Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Westley around.
Farm boy. Polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.
As you wish.
"As you wish" was all he ever said to her.
Farm Boy. Fill these with water -- -- please.
As you wish.
That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying, "As you wish," what he meant was, "I love you."
And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.
Farm Boy, fetch me that pitcher.
As you wish.
"One Westley to go please" I said, as Cassie giggled from next to me.
"Wouldn't we all love one of those?" She marvelled, as Westley pulled Buttercup close, his coarse hand caressing her tender cheek.
I fear I'll never see you again.
Of course you will.
But what if something happens to you?
Hear this now: I will come for you.
But how can you be sure?
This is true love. You think this happens every day?
"See Cass." I said, poking her "That's why Luke and Lorelai are destined for one another. Because he said it. Because someone said it. True love." I sighed wistfully "Everyone has it once. And Luke and Lorelai have it." I said triumphantly, as Cassie looked away.
"What about us?" She said, and it came out as barely a whisper "Do we have true love?"
I realised the fatal mistake I'd just made. I mean, with a TV show, it was easier to tell who were the chosen couples, with the exception of Dawson's Creek. With TV, it was easier to see that, despite all the hoops they had to jump through to be together, they would always end up together in the end. Because that's what was meant to happen.
"Honestly Cass?" I asked of her and she nodded. I paused the movie, so as not to miss anything. "I don't know if love even exists outside the TV screen. I mean, on there, in movies, or on shows, it always end up… perfect. But out here, in the real world… there's no dream like reality. All there is, is pain and suffering." I said gravely, as Cassie nodded.
"We came up here," She said "to have that one ultimate holiday. I'm not stupid Maddie. None of us are. We knew it was our last chance to act, to function, like a normal, average couple. Not that we ever were. But when we go back to Summer Bay, our fate will be waiting there, in orange envelopes, and it's going to tell us that we can't be together any more." She continued, taking in a shakey breath "But none of that mattered, because this holiday, so far, has told me more about us not being able to be together than what's in that envelope ever could."
"Awww no Cass, you can't think like that." I said, trying to convince her, trying to keep her optimistic, but failing miserably.
"You can't say that Maddie." She said, pulling away from me "Because you heard them. He got a job offer Tilly, a flipping job offer to live here and teach, and do, surfing. The one thing he could possibly love more than me. He's not going to pass up on the opportunity of a lifetime. He's not that dumb." She said, sighing "And I won't let him pass it up." She added, and it sounded so final, that I was afraid to ask what she meant.
But I had to. Because that's just what best friends do.
"What do you mean Cass? You're not going to do anything that we would define as drastic, are you?" I asked, swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in my throat.
"You stress too much Maddie." She replied, taking the remote off me and pressing play, essentially ending all conversation on the subject. But I would not let this go.
Towards the end of the movie, with tears in our eyes, I finally realised what she meant.
"You're going to tell him that everything is fine, that you'll try at the long distance relationship, and then end things when you claim it all became to hard." I said, sitting up and looking at Cassie.
"So what if I am?" She replied, sitting up and looking me straight in the eyes.
"Because its unfair on Ric, that's why." I cried, before slapping my hand over my mouth, realising I'd broken the cardinal rule of Hoes over Bros. I'd defended the boyfriend before the best friend.
"It's okay Maddie." Cassie said softly "I know it's unfair on him. But when has it been fair on me? When he forgot to mention the offer he got about the mechanic apprenticeship? When he ditched me to hang out with Parker? Or when he practically kissed Parker in the hallway before when she was there by his side, cheering him on about the other job offer?" She said sternly. "You said it before, it's not like in the movies. And this is just another one of those things that snaps us back into reality, out of our dream world." She said, sitting back and watching the movie.
I lay back with her, and while I watched the movie, my thoughts strayed.
Were we ever going to get that fairy tale ending we all believed we deserved? Or had movies such as The Princess Bride, and the various Disney movies that I'd spent my childhood mimicking, lied to us all along?
Was I just kidding myself in my relationship with Luke? Had we all been kidding ourselves, for this entire summer?
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AN: Okay seriously, no throwing of objects because I'll get hurt and not be able to finish the story. Only four more chaps to go… bites nails what's going to happen? Well, something big. We're leading up to it. Have a little faith, would you? As always, I love your reviews. And now I have to write the next chapter… I hope you enjoyed it guys!