Ginger sat back and took a deep breath. It was the day after Christmas and she was enjoying a cup of hot chocolate while having the house to herself. It was a good Christmas, she enjoyed spending time with her family for the holidays. The main focus for her lately had been on colleges, she needed to decide what she wanted to do after high school. Ginger had so long be encouraged to be a writer she wasn't sure there was much else for her out there.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. "Hello?"
"What did you do?!" It was Dodie and she sounded mad.
"What?" Ginger sat up, rather surprised, she hadn't heard from Dodie all of break.
"Darren broke up with Simone, what did you do? I know you did something!"
Ginger sighed, cheerleaders... "Dodie, did you ever think Darren isn't happy with her?"
"They were just fine until you got in the middle, you're so self-fish!"
"Hey! I am not self-fish! I didn't go after him, he came to me and just because Simone says everything is ok does not mean it is ok, the sun does not shine out of Simone's ass!"
"You still can't get over the fact that Darren broke up with you to get with Simone..."
"And you've always been jealous of Darren and I, you tried to break us up in middle school. Now you're defending Simone when you don't know the whole story!"
"You're defending Darren."
"I am not! I'm defending myself! I didn't do anything! Simone isn't perfect, stop thinking she is!"
"Simone is my best friend and I..."
Ginger cut Dodie off. "I thought I was your best friend...nice to see how easily I can be replaced!" With that Ginger slammed down the phone.
Ginger had been sitting on the back porch, curled up next to Orion softly crying as she told Orion everything that had happened. It felt so good to be held and it was all she wanted, Orion had always been good for that.
Orion rubbed her back softly. "Calm down Ging...you'll be ok."
Ginger sighed as she sat up, wiping her eyes. "Maybe I'm not meant to have friends...you know?"
"Then what am I?"
"That's not my point Orion! I just feel like this whole thing has spun out of control and all I wanted was to be friends with Darren again."
Orion looked Ginger in the eye. "Is that really all you wanted?"
Ginger sighed. "I guess I had hoped for more..."
Orion laughed and hugged Ginger to his chest. "I told you not to fall for him again."
"What can I say? First love dies hard."
Ginger stayed curled up to Orion. Orion just sat there holding her, he still cared about Ginger and hated to see her hurt. Neither of them heard Darren walked up. "Hey guys..."
Ginger looked up. "Darren? What are you doing here?"
"Am I interrupting something?"
Orion sighed as he sat up. "Just mending another broken heart...what's up Darren? Heard you and Simone split."
"Yeah..." They were silent for a moment.
Orion sighed again as he stood up. "Well I feel out of place...Call me if you need anything Ginger."
Ginger smiled. "Thanks Orion..."
Orion looked Darren up and down as he walked out. Darren looked back then turned to Ginger. "What's up Ging?"
"Mmm...nothing...Dodie and I had a fight and aren't talking, it's pretty stupid."
Darren sat down next to her. "Cheerleaders only seem to know how to fight over stupid things."
Ginger laughed. "Guess you would know..." She looked into the dark night of her backyard. "Everything happens for a reason..."
"Ginger...I'm sorry for everything that happened."
"Darren stop, there's nothing to be sorry for."
"Yes there is..." Darren took a deep breath and it made Ginger turn to him. "Every time I'm with Simone as of lately, I wish she was you. I think of you, I dream of you, I miss you, I want to be with you."
Ginger smiled softly. "Are you sure you aren't just looking for a rebound?"
"No, I'm looking for commitment, I could never get that with Simone."
Ginger looked back out into the night, but this time she looked up into the stars. "I could never get it from Orion either and I don't think it was because of him, it was me. There was always...something missing, I can never explain it."
"There was something missing between me and Simone too. I think it was friendship. You were my neighbor for so long and we were so close...I miss that, I miss you. I love the way you talk, I love hearing you say my name...Ginger, I think I love you."
Ginger smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek and she turned to Darren. "I love you too Darren...always have..."