"Well I'm just sick of it!" Rebecca, Portman's girlfriend was informing Fulton.
She was downstairs in the kitchen stomping around in her gold silky dressing gown.
"Rebecca its not her fault" Fulton was trying his hardest not to lose his temper at her. Of all the girls Portman could have, he had to go and pick the worst one ever. This girl was even worse than Mindy, Luis' girlfriend in Freshman year who'd pulled him away from the team at every opportunity she got, that had driven an enormous wedge that took three years to get rid of.
He had seen what Portman did for Connie last night and thought it was best to tell the princess that her beloved had gone for an early morning run rather than comforted one of his best friends in a time of need.
Fulton ran upstairs to see if Portman was yet awake.
Portman was just leaving Connie's side as Fulton opened the door.
Connie was still asleep. "Port, Rebecca's in a foul mood this morning and I thought it was best not to tell her you were in here all night. You've been running okay so start jumping around to make it look real" Fulton warned.
"Thanks man" Portman replied knowing that Fulton was right about Rebecca.
If she found out that he'd been with Connie all night – no matter how innocent things were – she'd assume the worst and make sure everyone knew about it.
Portman didn't like to lie to his girlfriend but sometimes he just couldn't take her moods.
He snuck downstairs and slipped out the back door where he felt the rush of fresh sea air hit his face. He thought 'to hell with lying' he was really going for a run now. He picked up his sneakers from the back step and slipped them on feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he ran.
Meanwhile back at the house Rebecca was now complaining that Portman was taking too long on his run.
"Perhaps he needs to be alone to get his head around the recent events" Fulton offered hoping she'd shut up.
"Well I'm here – he can just get over it with me can't he" she responded.
Fulton stared at her in disbelief as Julie dropped her spoon.
What goes on in that head of hers? They both wondered.
Before either of them was obliged to respond a knock at the door saved them.
Rebecca rushed to get it saying "Its probably for me anyway".
"Is she under the impression she actually lives here?" Julie whispered to Fulton who was strangling the dish rag he was holding pretending it was Rebecca.
She opened the door and saw the last person she expected to see standing at the door.
"What are you dong here?" she demanded. It was no secret that Rebecca really didn't like Ken Wu for reasons unknown to anyone other than Rebecca but Julie strongly suspected it was because Ken was of Asian descent and that didn't sit well with Julie.
Fulton had come up behind Rebecca and saw Ken standing on the porch.
"Ken come in you're just in time for breakfast" Fulton knew this would send Rebecca off in a huff and he was right, much to Julie and Fulton's relief.
"Thanks dude, I was about to strangle her" Fulton whispered when Rebecca was out of earshot.
Ken smiled awkwardly, he didn't like Rebecca all that much but he assumed Fulton got along with her simply because she was Portman's girlfriend. Well I guess I was wrong! Ken thought.
"Come in" Fulton said standing aside.
Ken entered holding a bunch of flowers.
"Aw Kenny man you shouldn't have!" Fulton laughed giving Ken a fake " lovey dovey look.
Ken burst out laughing, something he never thought he'd do again so soon.
"Sorry sweetheart not for you today" he said as he playfully slapped Futon's backside.
Fulton in turn giggled like a schoolgirl "Oh you naughty boy!" neither man noticed Connie coming downstairs and into the kitchen.
"What are you two idiots on about?" she asked but stopped when she saw Ken. "Oh Ken hi! Sorry I thought you were Charlie for a minute there!" she apologized, blushing a little. She knew she could get away with calling Charlie an idiot but she wasn't too sure about Ken.
"Does that mean I'm not an idiot?" Ken teased forgetting his usual uptightness around her.
Connie shook her head. "No sorry, that's reserved for this big bozo and the snorer upstairs" she laughed.
"He brought me flowers Cons!" Fulton joked putting on a high pitched voice.
Ken remembered the bunch of flowers in his hand and his smiling stopped. "I um, brought them for you" he said to Connie handing her the bunch.
Connie smiled and accepted them "Aw thank you!" she said giving him a hug.
Ken smiled knowing that he'd just given Connie a good start to her day.
Connie let him go and ignored the glare she was receiving from Rebecca who was on the couch pouting.
"Kirsty gives her love too" Ken said knowing his fiancé Kirsty would kill him if he didn't pass on her message.
She was sorry she hadn't been able to get some time off to come with Ken but her editor at the paper was really pushing for her to meet the deadline on an exclusive.
"How's she doing?" Connie asked. She'd met Kirsty a few times and she really liked her. Plus she was so grateful for the chance to have a normal conversation without being reminded of Guy's death.
"Yeah she's good, I still don't know how she's finding the time to write her exclusives and plan the wedding but yeah she does" Ken beamed, proud of his fiancé.
Connie smiled and said "I'm so glad, us Ducks deserves some happy times now".
"Yeah we do" Ken agreed.
Connie was concealing the hurt behind her smile. She remembered how Guy used to get that proud look on his face whenever people talked about her. She wanted nothing more than to have him back again. To be his wife for at least one day. She would never forgive his mother for what she did but dwelling on things wouldn't help either.
Guy was gone and his mother was dead but it still didn't make things right.
Fulton was just about to ask Ken if he wanted to stay for a coffee when Rebecca's voice interrupted the invitation.
"Where have you been?" she screeched.
"Portman's home!" Fulton whispered much to Connie's amusement.
"Poor guy" she whispered.
"Wanna go out for that coffee?" Fulton asked Connie, Ken and Julie.
They all nodded "We're going out be back later" Fulton called out to the living room where Portman was getting the ear bashing of his life.
Kane stood there awkwardly amazed at what he was seeing. This definitely wasn't the Portman he knew back in high school.
………………………………………………………….
"Where'd you run to Portman? You were gone an awful long time. What about me? I was waiting for you" Rebecca was talking a mile a minute. She was angry at him for being out so long. Didn't he know she needed him here.
"Just clearing my head" Portman said thinking this was the easy answer.
He was wrong.
"Clearing your head?" Rebecca mimicked placing her hands on her hips.
"What on earth do you need to clear your head about? You don't love me anymore is that it?"
the tears sprang to life.
"Oh my god, you don't LOVE ME ANYMORE" she burst into tears and ran out of the room.
She stopped in the kitchen waiting for Portman to follow her.
Portman rolled his eyes and did as he was expected. "Becca of course I love you. I'm just a little bummed about Guy that's all. He was one of my best friends" Portman thought she would understand this but no, he was wrong again.
"I thought I was your only best friend!" Rebecca accused, her green eyes seemed to be glowing.
"You are Bec but the Ducks are my good friends too" Portman knew he wasn't going to win this argument. He needed to get out of that house as quickly as possible.
"Hmph, just adds proof to the fact that you don't love me anymore" Rebecca sniffled and pouted turning her back and folding her arms waiting for Portman to come and hug her. She was not expecting what came next.
"You know Rebecca, if you keep acting like this then maybe I don't love you anymore because I'm finding it incredibly hard to like you right now" Portman said and walked out of the door leaving the princess stunned.
"DEAN! GET BACK HERE!" Rebecca screamed as she ran out onto the lawn still in her dressing gown. Portman ignored her and continued walking. He was fuming.