Next chapter is here! Archie might seem a little OOC here, but bear in mind what he's going through? Sniff, sniff. Anyway, enjoy and please tell me what you think?
As Archie walked downstairs to find his car, he found himself passing Greg's apartment. His hand hovered over the door for a while, as he debated what to do. He knew Lexi was there, Greg had left countless messaged on his cell saying sorry for what had happened, and he had told him on one of them that Lexi was really upset too. Archie decided against going in, he would probably end up just getting angry again and he really didn't need that right now. Besides, it was already time to meet Hodges. He quickly peeked in the window instead, and then wished he hadn't. When he had left Lexi, she was wearing sweatpants and a baggy jumper, but she had changed into shorts and a very low cut tank top. He noticed that next to her, Kelly was in a very similar outfit. Both girls were cuddled up to Greg, their hand resting on his chest while the three of them watched T.V. Greg was obviously asleep, but the two girls weren't, and Lexi definitely looked wide awake enough to know exactly what she was doing. He knew then that he had been right. That even if Lexi had said she'd only ever been physically attracted to Greg, that she never had real feelings for him, somewhere deep down she always had. And probably always would. And so, suddenly not caring if he was late, Archie went back up to his apartment, took a pen from his desk and a pad of paper from a drawer, and began to write to Lexi. He didn't bother with a greeting, because 'dear Lexi' or 'to Lexi' seemed too formal, a strangely impersonal way of ending a relationship that had meant more to him than any other he'd ever had. But suddenly he realised he would always be second to Greg. But he had to explain things to her first. He owed her that much. So he began a letter to his wife, although it hurt him to do this, because it would result in the loss of his marriage, and what might be his only shot at love. But Archie knew it was the right thing.
I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was angry and couldn't think straight and I was wrong. You are not a slut. You are the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, honest and caring girl I know. That's why it hurts so much to write this letter. I couldn't leave things the way they were, couldn't let those things we said to each other be the last ones we ever said. But this is the end Lexi. It's over. You love Greg. You may not see it, you may try to insist that you don't, but trust me Lexi, you do. I know you. I can't quite bring myself to tell you to go after him, but I can't do that to Kelly or myself. All I'm saying is to follow your heart. And don't look back on me. For what it's worth Lexi, I loved you. And I could have gone on loving you forever. But we're finished now Lexi, the end. And hopefully one day, you can love again. I know I won't. Archie
He shoved the letter into an envelope, along with his wedding ring. He paused for a second and almost laughed when he thought of what Greg would say to him in this situation. He would probably tell him that he was acting like someone out of one of those films the girls were always making them watch, where you could tell from the first five seconds which two people were going to end up together. Rom-Coms. Sadly though, his life wasn't a movie. He didn't even know himself where he was going to end up. Funny actually, when even a day ago he had been so sure.
Archie slipped the envelope under the door as he passed Greg's flat, and then decided despite being twenty minutes late already, he might as well go meet Hodges. He drove his old black car, realising how long it had been since he had actually driven in it. They normally went everywhere in Greg's Ferrari. He switched on the radio, and almost laughed at the song that came on. Taylor Swift 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' How fitting.
I remember when we broke up the first time
Saying this is it, I've had enough, 'cause like
We haven't seen each other in a month
When you, said you, needed space, what?
Then you come around again and say
Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change
Trust me, remember how that lasted for a day
I say, I hate you, we break up, you call me, I love you
Oooh we called it off again last night
But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever getting back together
We are never ever ever getting back together
You go talk to your friends talk
To my friends talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together
Like ever...
I'm really gonna miss you picking fights
And me, falling for a screaming that I'm right
And you, will hide away and find your piece of mind with some indie record that's much cooler than mine
Oooh you called me up again tonight
But Oooh, this time I'm telling you, I'm telling you
We are never ever ever getting back together
We are never ever ever getting back together
You go talk to your friends talk
To my friends talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together
I used to think, that we, were forever ever ever
And I used to say never say never
Huh, he calls me up and he's like, I still love you
And i'm like, i'm just, I mean this is exhausting, you know
We are never getting back together, like ever
We are never ever ever getting back together
We are never ever ever getting back together
You go talk to your friends talk
To my friends talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together
We, oooh, oooh, not back together, we
Oh, getting back together
You go talk to your friends talk
And my friends talk to me
But we are never ever ever ever getting back together
It was odd though, the song really wasn't anything like him and Lexi. They'd never broken up or even come close to it before. It wasn't like they were always breaking up then making up again, or constantly coming back to each other. They had never left in the first place. Until now, he reminded himself. He couldn't say that she was ever picking fights. In fact, the only thing Archie could relate to in this song was that they weren't getting back together.
He finally arrived, Hodges was sitting outside waiting for him. Archie suddenly felt guilty, Hodges had been treating him completely normally and he should really appreciate having a friend right now. And yet he'd kept him waiting for nearly an hour.
"Sorry." Archie said sadly, parking the car.
"S'okay." Hodges mumbled back.
They stood there awkwardly for what felt like hours, until Archie finally said "do you want to go and get a coffee?"
"Sure." Hodges replied, and they wandered into the coffee shop, taking the only available table in the middle.
"What can I get you guys?" an annoyingly perky waitress asked them.
"Can I have a low fat caramel frappacino with semi skimmed milk and two and a half cinnamon sticks on the side?" Hodges asked her.
"Yu-huh… And you?" she asked, turning to Archie.
"Um…. Just coffee. Black." Archie said.
"Sure thing. Any thing else you'd like?" She asked the two of them, although she maintained eye contact with Archie the whole time.
"I'm fine." He told her.
"Okay so that's a frappacino caramel fat free thing with two cinnamon sticks….." she read back
"Actually…" Hodges begun, but she cut him off.
"And then a black coffee. You like it strong." She said to Archie, winking.
And then she left, her strawberry blonde ponytail swinging behind her.
"She was flirting with you." Hodges told Archie.
"She was? Never noticed." Archie shrugged.
"And she got my order wrong." Hodges moaned.
"Yeah…." Archie trailed off.
"So listen, you have to tell me about what's going on with the others." Hodges reminded him.
"Mmmm…." Archie said.
"Archie?" Hodges called.
"Sorry. What?" Archie asked.
"What were you telling me earlier?" Hodges repeated.
"Oh right. That. Well…." Archie begun.
Nick and Abby, leaving the hospital, decided to stop off and get a coffee first. They went into the same shop as Archie and Hodges just as Archie had finished telling the story of the mornings events to Hodges.
"Hey guys." Abby called as she saw them.
"Oh. Hi." Archie attempted a smile as he turned around to see her and Nick.
"We've just been visiting Mandy, are you guys going to see her?" Abby asked them.
"Yes, we're…" Hodges said.
"….Just going now. Come on Hodges." Archie finished.
"Bye guys." Abby smiled at them as they hurriedly left. She nudged Nick, who eventually muttered. "Bye" and awkwardly raised his hand in a half wave, half salute gesture.
"What was that all about?" Abby asked him as soon as he'd left.
"I'm Greg's best friend. And after what just happened between Archie and Greg….that was awkward." He explained.
"Oh. Well come on, are we going to get some coffee?" Abby asked him.
"Sure." Nick nodded.
"What was that all about?" Hodges asked Archie as sson as he'd been dragged out.
"Nick is Greg's best friend. And after what just happened between me and Greg….that was was awkward." Archie explained.
"Oh. Well come on, are we going to go see Mandy?" Hodges asked him.
"Sure." Archie nodded.
Then everybody went their separate ways. And not just the way they were walking. The lab rats were slowly falling apart.
Just realized how short my chapters are getting! Sorry guys! My laptop is broken so I have to use our downstairs computer and it takes me twice as long to type stuff on that so that's why. Forgive me? Anyway, next chapter I SWER we will have Mandy, Henry and Wendy. Well, not so much Mandy, who knows if she'll ever be back again (sadness) but the other two. I also promise that soon these storylines are going to begin merging. As sson as this horrible Friday the thirteenth is over (still one more bad thing to go) then people can start going back to work and they'll all be in the same building at the same time so it will be much easier to keep track of them. So after the Henry Wendy etc chapter, I'm gonna have another one of Greg, the one more of Nick, Abby and the new OCs! Excited? I am! (squeals) And then, everyone will be back at work. This story is taking much longer than I ever thought it would, too many characters I guess. Anyway, until next time…. Review?