I just realized that there are actually only about three or four chapters left of this story, depending on whether or not I want to break up the last one, and then maybe an epilogue. So, this will be the last update until next week and then I'll continue to post each chapter every Sunday.

Again, thank you so much to everyone who has shown an interest in this story. I've got a Crellie one shot in the works as well!

18 June 2011

Los Angeles was incredible. Everything she'd hoped it would be and so much more. The beaches, the weather, the shopping. Angela had died and gone to heaven.

As a part of her agreement with Joey, she was staying with Craig, taking his bedroom since the only spare room was occupado by a certain petite redhead. She'd felt bad about putting her brother out of his own room, but he'd insisted that he'd be fine on the couch, so she complied without further argument.

Her favorite part about staying with Craig was that his apartment was just across from the beach, offering the most beautiful view of the sunset from his balcony. It also gave her something to do when both Craig and Ellie were too tied up with work to take her anywhere since she was forbidden to wander off any further than a 1-mile radius alone. She couldn't complain too much about that; it took her long enough to convince Joey to let her go to L.A. without him. It was fair enough.

Craig and Ellie took her out to a quaint Italian bistro on her first evening in the city. The air was warm, the breeze cool and comforting, and Angie promised herself that when she was older, she was definitely moving here. Or at least buying a summer home or something.

At first, it had been kind of strange seeing Craig and Ellie together again (not 'together' like that, or at least so they've said). She may have been young when the whole cocaine thing went down, but she was old enough to understand what was happening.

Looking back on it now, though she didn't consider herself to be much older or wiser, she understood it better. And while she loved Craig, still respected him, even, and was proud of him for being able to overcome so much, but she couldn't quite understand why Ellie had forgiven him. She eavesdropped on enough conversations to know how much she'd been hurt, how horribly Craig had treated her (and though she could forgive the lying and the drugs and everything else, Angie could not forgive this. He used his best friend, used her own weaknesses against her, for a synthetic thrill.), so she couldn't fathom what made her even want to be his friend again.

Maybe it was the little feminist she slowly felt herself becoming, or maybe she still had a lot to learn friendship and forgiveness, but in her opinion, no self-respecting woman should allow herself put up with that kind of shit.

"So," Angie addressed Ellie from across the table, "do you have a boyfriend?" Though a part of her did wonder, naturally, if she and her brother had anything more than a platonic thing going on but mostly, she was just curious.

Ellie glanced at her, her left eyebrow raised slightly. "No," she spoke after a brief pause. Her voice was even, almost indifferent.

Hmm. "Really? But you're so smart and pretty! Has no guy in all of L.A. caught your eye?"

Ellie smiled, shaking her head. Her eyes returned to the menu in her hands. "Uhh, no," she sighed. "If any stereotype is true, Ange, it's that it's impossible to find love in this here City of Angels."

"Well that and the one that says the thing about gingers having no souls," Craig chimed in, laughing. Ellie glared at him and shoved his menu out of his hand.

The conversation shifted to Angela; how she was liking California so far (though she had only been there for a few hours), what kind of souvenirs she planned on getting for her friends back home, what other things she wanted to do and see before her trip was over – your average, run-of-the-mill small talk.

Much later that night, as Angie laid awake in bed, unable to sleep, she decided she'd check a few of her social media feeds on her phone and then probably get an early start on her summer reading. After about a half hour, she figured since reading wasn't really tiring her out, she'd head to the kitchen for a cup of tea.

Stepping out into the hall that opened up into the living room, she noticed the empty couch. She almost missed it, and had to take a few steps back to do a double take to be sure, but yes, the couch was undoubtedly empty. Which begged the question, where was Craig?

Maybe he stepped out to buy milk or something?

She glanced at the time on the cable box at the other side of the room. Ten past one in the morning. A little late to be running errands, but it was Los Angeles. Surely there were stores in the area still open. Probably.

She went to the kitchen and made her tea as quietly as she could, careful not to wake up Ellie, who was asleep in the next room. Taking small, careful sips of the hot beverage, she slowly made her way back to her (well, Craig's) room. As she passed Ellie's room again, she noticed it was slightly opened a crack, and out of the corner of her eye as she walked, she noticed her brother (!) asleep on one side, arm lazily resting over her as she slept with her back turned towards him.

Angie squealed under her breath, shocked and confused (although she wasn't sure why she was so surprised). She sprinted back to her bedroom, certain now that she would get no sleep at all.

They were probably talking and just fell asleep, she thought. Or at least that's what they'd probably say if she were to say something about it in the morning.

She debated whether or not she would bring it up nearly all day, unsure of which side to give into: the nosy little sister, or the image of the mature young adult she was trying to create for herself.

The next night, she noticed checked, and Craig was indeed asleep where he said he'd be, on the couch, so in the end, she decided to drop it.

And then it became a pattern.

o."