AN: Thank you again for everyone who is reading. Big hugs for those of you leaving reviews. I will be leaving the poll open till the end of the week so please go vote on who Sookie's rebound guy should be. If you can't make up your mind you can pick three. So far Preston is in the lead but if you don't want to see that happen let me know by voting. Now enough of that and on to the new chapter. Please read, enjoy, review and vote.

Chapter 3 Cherries and Sunshine

After Eric left I made biscuits and sausage gravy like Gran taught me for breakfast. Amelia roused from her cave of blankets and pillows when the smell wafted to her. I made up plates for all of us and we watched what was left of the Today Show.

"I think I have the best idea. We should go out tonight it will help you get your mind off things. Oh we can even go shopping today and get you a new dress." Amelia burst out during a commercial break.

"I don't know if I am up for going out. I don't want to deal with drunken idiots." I tried to dissuade her.

"We can drag the twins along as body guards and we don't have to go to the bars we could go dancing." Pam piped in. My phone started blaring Before He Cheats announcing the beginning of day to of desperate Bill. I ignored the call.

"I guess dancing would be ok but are you sure Jacob and Johann want to hang out with us?" I questioned. The twins were like younger doppelgangers of Eric. They were extremely tall at 6'7" and where Eric had long light blond hair they both had it cropped short. Johann's hair was a little bit shaggy but otherwise they were identical.

"No but I bet if you asked they would say yes." Pam retorted offering me her phone.

"You do it that would be weird." I shook my head.

"Fine but you are going to come out and we are going shopping this afternoon." Pam declared calling her brothers. They agreed quite readily. My phone went off again so I put it on silent I actually liked the song but I knew it would start getting on my nerves before long.

"I don't really need a new dress. I have plenty." I tried to reason with Amelia.

"No I knew you would say that so I already called Lafayette and he is on his way over." I groaned there was no way I was going to get out of it. I love Lafayette but his taste in clothes was way different from mine. He was also an ECE major and was one of my dear friends. However if he had his way I would be dressed like a call girl. My style was more classic. I loved dresses from the 1940's and 50's. I always thought that they were more flattering to my figure. I am not fat but I do have curves which I don't want on display for the world. My phone buzzed this time signaling a text. I knew that I shouldn't have read it but I wanted to see what he came up with this time. His first text of the day was basically a rehash of last night but with an apology. He was sorry that he hurt me and need to know that I understood, begging me to call him. I finished eating and took my dishes out to the dishwasher. It was the thing that sold this place for Jessica and me, well that and the closet space along with the washer and dryer. I went and took a shower while they waited for Lafayette to show. I got out put my hair up in a messy bun and wrapped myself in a towel. I had learned from previous excursions with these three that I needed to dress comfortably and have ease of getting in and out of quickly. I put on one of my sun dresses that flared out at my hips. It was cerulean blue and had little cap sleeves. I slipped on a pair of ballet flats and headed out. The girls and Lafayette were chatting away in the living room. He whistled when he saw me.

"Sug single looks good on you." He came over and gave me a hug.

"Thanks?" I mumbled not quite sure what he meant. "Are we heading out?" I asked.

"Yea' we are going to head to Tara's cause she just got in some cute new stuff." Tara is Lafayette's cousin and she owns a little boutique. She is in her mid-thirties and is married to JB Du Rone. They had two toddler twins. I picked up my purse, slipped my phone in and followed everyone out to the bus. This was one of the few things that I loved about going to school here was that we had an amazing public transportation system. Part of the reason for that is some of our tuition and fees help to fund it. You could get on a bus flash your school id and go wherever in town. Blue #3 was the bus that stopped right outside our complex. We all piled on and road it north to the mall. For being a Friday afternoon the mall was not too crowded. We meandered our way to Tara's boutique.

"Hey girl what's this I hear about you finally being free of that stick in the mud?" Tara greeted us. "So what do you all need today?"

"She is in desperate need of a new dress to go dancing in." Amelia exclaimed.

"Well we got all sorts of new stuff. What do you have in mind?" She asked leading us over to one side of the store. After a brief discussion over that fact that they all wanted to put me into something shot, tight and sexy. I on the other hand saw a dress that I liked right when we came in. It looked like that white dress Marilyn Monroe wore only it was the color of sunshine. I made sure that I would be trying that one on even if it was not the dress I got for tonight. They all picked a few dresses for me to try on in just about every color. I had to laugh at some of their choices. One was a deep red number that was more form fitting they I liked. Lafayette said that it looked like it was painted on. Next I tried on one that both Amelia and Pam thought was hysterical. It was a bright white dress with little cherries all over. A few of them I nixed before even putting them on. They were all strapless and my girls are just too cumbersome to go in a dress without straps. I didn't want to spend that night readjusting every few minutes. They all really liked one that was black with ruffles and a one shoulder. I put it in my small maybe pile. One that I loved was a yoke neck handkerchief dress that looked like sunset in pink, orange and yellow. It moved beautifully. When I tried on the yellow one that I had first picked, everyone just smiled as I exited the changing room to stand in front of the three way mirror.

"I think that might be the one. You look innocent and sexy all at once." Pam said snapping a picture on her phone.

"Honey child I might have to reconsider my datin' habits you look tasty." Lafayette said fanning himself. I knew he was just teasing he had been dating a guy named Jesus for almost a year now and they were perfect for each other. I ended up with that one and the sunset one. We got lunch and then went to Target and just walked around getting random necessities. When we got back to my apartment, it was a little after five. They all took off to go get something to eat and change for later. On the breakfast bar there were four bouquets of different flowers none of which were my favorites. Jessica was back by then and had started on making diner.

"I think he is getting a little desperate." She said motioning to the flowers.

"I don't know why he is trying so hard. If I actually meant anything to him he wouldn't have done that in the first place." I put my dresses in the washer on quick just to get the store smell out of them. I would have plenty of time to get them dry before we would be heading out at eight. Having nothing to do I took out my phone and looked at all the messages. I had 7 more texts and 15 voicemails from Bill all the same as before begging me to talk to him or that he was not sure if he could live without me and my personal favorite was the voice mail that told me that it was my fault he cheated because I was "frigid". As I was going through deleting them my phone rang again. It seems he just would not give up.

"What do you want Bill?" I answered the phone know at too well what he wanted.

"Sookie please just talk to me please. I know I messed up but I can't take this. I love you so much Sookie. Please forgive me." He cried.

"If you really loved me you wouldn't have done that. There is nothing you can do to change my mind. You need to leave me alone, stop calling, don't send me things. And like I said last night I may forgive you someday but it isn't gona happen right now." I spoke my peace and hung up. I know that it's not good phone etiquette but he was on my last nerve.

"Sookie I made stir fry do you want some?" Jess asked leaning out the kitchen.

"Sure, how was your day?" I asked taking a bowl and fork.

"It was alright. I started a landscape in my studio class. Nelson is given me crap about not showing in the fall art show." She answered taking a bite of her food. Nelson is one of Jessica's class mates who thinks that his art is above and beyond anything anyone could ever do. His stuff is real good he's just real full of himself cause he had a piece shown in New York over the summer. What he did not know was that they approached Jess first she just told them no. "What did y'all do today?"

"You could shut him up real easy but I know you are too nice to do that. Amelia and Pam took me shopping Lafayette. They are dragging me out dancing tonight. Did they invite you yet?" I had to stifle a moan. I don't know her secret when it comes to making stir fry but it is incredible.

"Yeah Pam texted me while you were out. Did you get the yellow dress?" She gave me a knowing smirk.

"She sent that out? Yes I did along with another one." I gasped.

"No it's up on Facebook." She burst into a fit of giggles. I might have to kill Pam. Facebook is one of those no-no's when you are looking to become a teacher. Most of us in the education majors had two pages, one that we had for our friends and family and one that was a bit more professional. I only had one but I made sure nothing was posted that could make life difficult down the road. We talked for a bit longer and then I put my dresses in the dryer. I decided that I should take another shower so that I could get the grim of trying on clothes off. I always felt a little dirty when trying on stuff cause who knows who had that dress on before me. After my shower I sat on my bed reading for a while. I knew I needed to keep up with the readings for class or I would be in trouble come Monday. Around seven thirty I got dressed and did my makeup. I took my hair down and it had a nice bit of wave to it from being up in a bun most of the day. I dug in my closet to find a pair of shoes I could stand to wear tonight. I have learned from past experience that heels might be real nice looking but if it is a cheap pair of shoes than my feet would be killing me at the end of the night. About two years ago Jessica and I had the brilliant idea that we needed to learn how to ballroom dance. We went as far as buying the fancy shoes and getting private lessons. The only thing that I really felt like I got out of it was a pair of heels that I could dance in for hours. Now don't get me wrong I am good dance but ballroom does not seem to be my thing. Jess was dressed and waiting for me in the living room when I walked out shoes in hand. She had her long red hair pulled back with a set of hair combs and curled. She was wearing an emerald green chiffon dress that flowed beautiful when she moved.

"You do know that if you want to come home early tonight I am fine with that? Just tell me and I come up with an excuse for us to leave." Jessica offered.

"I said I would go so I am going to enjoy it." I said in a determined voice.

"I hope you do you need a good night out." She smiled at me. There was a knock at the door I got up to answer it.

AN: So what do you think? Please tell me and go vote. Up next dancing and maybe a little bit of flirting.