Chapter Four

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Bridget pulled her freshly blown out hair away from her face as she rubbed on liquid foundation to prepare herself for another night out with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend. She was giddy with the mere thought. Tawnie sat in long cotton pajama pants, her hair cascading her shoulders in sections of blonde. She looked distracted. "Are you alright sweety?" Bridget croaked, examining her newly covered skin to check the tones.

"Yeah." Tawnie sighed. "Just distracted." She flopped onto her back, eyes fixed upon the ceiling.

"By what." Now Bridget had turned, her arms crossed, and propping her hip to the right, she stared at Tawnie's form, awaiting the answer.

"I got all dramatic on Jesse. I don't even know why." Tawnie bit her lip shakily as she thought of the few moments where he had taken his chances in confessing his feelings, and had to swallow back tears. "I just…shot him down. Completely. No explanation, merely pointed. I think I may have lost him forever."

"Jesse is more mature then that." Bridget was fixated on applying blush. "Just talk to him. I mean, you were still a little messed up, and hung over, he should understand hunny." She glared at herself, finishing what was left of her make-up applications and smiling to herself. Her mind was caught up in the upcoming event.

"I need to talk to him." Tawnie sat up briskly. She quickly pulled off her sweatpants and pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans. Clipping her hair up, she pulled on a gray sweatshirt she pushed her feet into her tennis shoes and disappeared out the door.

"She so loves him." Bridget made the note to herself as she pulled a black Chanel scarf around her neck. She was wearing a short black v-neck dress with tiny slits at the thigh. Slipping her feet into her black Gucci stilettos she picked up her tiny clutch and turned off the lights. Frankie was waiting for her at the front doors of Hamilton, and grinned when he laid eyes on her. She was sparkling, glowing, anything you can think of to define the most glorious beauty imaginable. He pulled open the passenger door to his 2006 sleek black Lexus and waited for her to step in. Bridget's eyes sparkled as she put one foot in and dipped into the comfortable leather seat. Frankie took his place on the drivers side, and they were off. Their destinations was a little restaurant with candle lit tables and red satin table cloths. He had made reservations early that month, in hopes that Bridget would agree to meet him, and if she hadn't, he was going to give the reservations to someone else. His plan had worked, he thanked the sky. The atmosphere was quiet, and romantic. A single rose loomed between the two as they talked, giggled, stared, and kissed. Things seems to be going as one wonderful thing after another.

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Lani sat in the lounge of Gregory, Chris at her side. She was busied with her cell phone and the messages she had missed the night before. Her hair was pulled back in a messy pony tail and she wore Chris' sweatshirt and a pair of blue sweatpants. Chris sat quietly watching the flat screen TV, not actually taking in whatever it was that was playing over the system. Landon caught his attention as he stumbled in with a girl, drunk as usual. The girl had dark hair, and light eyes. She wore a short white tube top and a black mini skirt. She smiled and then liked her lips, the ball of a silver tongue ring visible.

Shorty got a tongue ring, and you know that could only mean one thing.

She moved forward, and Landon pulled her back, settling her on his lap, the string to the left side of her underwear visible, along with a small tattoo of the devil with a broad grin.

Shorty got a tattoo, a little devil on her hip smiling at you.

Chris couldn't help but stare. He loved Lani, but this creature was so interesting. He hadn't seen many girls like her here and Banington. Most of them were Prada loving blondes with rich parents and a huge ego. Lani had most, minus the blonde and ego, but she was still a lot like everyone else. This girl caught his attention. He blinking moved his gaze back to the tv as he noticed Lani was finished with her fixation on her cell phone and was stretching as well as yawning. "Let's go to my room babe." He heard Landon whisper in a drunken way to the girl. He watched their movements out of the corner of his eye and closed his eyes when they were gone.

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Whitney sat under a large Willow tree and had her IPod on. She rested the back of her head on the trunk of the tree and her eyes closed when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to see Ricky from earlier. "Hey." He cooed before sitting next to her. "You rushed off so quick earlier, I didn't know what to think." Whitney blushed and looked at her sneakers.

"Sorry, it was nothing against you. I just had to get out of there." She looked at him and smiled to reassure him.

"I heard about..him." Ricky looked at her with a little frown on his face.

"Oh my…" She looked down and blushed. "I wouldn't have ever…I was drunk."

"I know..he's a real asshole." He smiled at her. "It wasn't your fault. At least nothing happened." He put his hand on her arm, and she felt a tingle at his touch.

"Wait..who told you?" She looked at him, searching his eyes.

"Landon himself. Right after you left. He was all like 'I'll get it next time.' I didn't say anything, just walked away." He kicked at a leaf. "He's pretty much a major ass hole." He laughed a little, flashing white teeth.

"Yea..yea he is." She muttered with a half smile.

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Jesse was sitting at his desk, his laptop opened and papers sprawled around it. He was looking out the window at the leaves blowing in the wind and the red-orange sky of the sunset.

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The wind blew and he pulled the blanket tighter around them. He could smell the scent of lilac protruding from her hair. "Jesse! Look, snow." Tawnie had exclaimed so suddenly he had jumped.

"I hate snow." He had said teasingly. She looked up at him and scowled playfully.

"Well, I love it, so I win." She giggled and shivered a little. "I love the sky when the sun is setting. It's so beautiful. It makes me forget all the bad things going on, and makes me want to smile all the time." He didn't really know what she meant, but he smiled at this and watched the sun recede below the horizon silently.

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A loud knock on the door startled him from his thoughts. "Hold on." He voiced roughly as he stood up and walked to the door. Opening it he eyed the form standing in the hallway. "Can I help you?" He asked coldly. Tawnie's eyes were a little wet, and she frowned at his tone.

"Jess, I'm so sorry." She said as she slid past him, uninvited.

"I really don't have time for this." He left the door open and sat back in his chair, his vision fixed on the computer screen. Tawnie crossed her arms self-consciously.

"What happened to us Jess?" Her voice quivered. "I didn't mean it this morning, I wasn't thinking clearly." Jesse's head raced, he didn't want to give in. He was still mad that she had been so cold, so distant. How could she have responded like that. He had never done anything like that to her. "Jess, please." His back was still to her, and he refused to turn and look.

"What do you want?" He spoke roughly. "I can't just forget you could do that to me."

"I can't forget you confessed your love for me. You have to understand how hard that is to fathom." She wobbled a little as she stepped towards him. "Jesse, you have been, and always will be, my best friend. I just don't know if I can take that step. You know how I am with relationships and boys. I never want to hurt you like that."

"What makes you think our relationship would be like all the others?" He swiveled in his chair and faced her. "We know everything about each other. I've never been able to connect with anyone like you Tawnie." He stared at her, his face blank yet serious.

"Jesse.." She stood in front of him, hands at her sides. "I feel the same way, but I never want to loose what you and I have." She bit her lip.

"We could take it as we go…" He looked at her, hope in his eyes this time.

"I..I.." She stumbled with words. Jesse stood, and put his hands on her sides.

"Don't say anything." He smiled, and put a finger under her chin, lifting her lips to his. They stood lip-locked, their bodies a matching combination of jeans and sweatshirts. She had finally given in to her feelings, and he had finally won his love.

"What the fuck?" A girl's high voice said demandingly.