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Original Poster
#1 Old 12th May 2007 at 5:55 PM
Default *** A New Chapter - Elliot's Story *** [FINISHED]
*AUTHOR'S NOTE*

Earlier this year, I took part in Auroraspirit's "A New Chapter Cycle 2" Contest. I admit that I was quite reluctant in the beginning to join, but I'm so glad I did. The characters of this story have become dear to me and I thank Aurora for her constant support and listening to my bickering when I got writer's block.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to go beyond the guidelines and structure which already exists due to family matters (I'm out of state and away from my sims )

To all of you who are reading my story: Thank you for reading. A lot of headaches, keyboard bangings, tears, happiness, satisfaction and frustration went into this story, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

- FireAzor =)

PS: Comments and constructive criticism welcome! I love reading them =)
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Original Poster
#2 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:12 PM
Default CHAPTER I: Elliot Graham, Junior Casanova

*CHAPTER ONE*
Elliot Graham, Junior Casanova




6 am. *Brrriiiiing* "Good morning ladies!" I say as I spring out of bed and wink at the´posters on my wall. Just thinking of the new school year and the new potential babes I might meet would make any junior casanova tremble with excitement. Maybe high school is boring or tedious where you come from, but for me, it's a year more of parties, friends, girls, swim meets and fun. Oh wait a second, how rude of me, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Elliot Graham, I'm 18 years old and attend Penbrooke Academic Institute (which you'll see in a few), I like girls, swimming and rock music.... I don't want this to get too "MySpace-y", so I guess you'll have to read a bit more to get to know me a little better.



Time for my everyday morning swim. Nothing better than this to get my blood pumping and keep my body toned than swimming... and also good practice for the school swim team meets and competitions. Tomas Getty (my number one rival) has been getting quite good lately, allthough I think he's on steroids. I'd hate to lose the team captaincy to a loser like him.



After some 50-ish laps around the pool, anyone needs a nice warm shower to feel clean and not reek of chlorine. I learned the hard way that chicks don't dig that certain smell when you're trying to hit on them. Bad story that ended up in a date anyways. She did ask me to restrain from skipping the showers. Apparently it's a turn-off for most, but then again, I still have to meet a girl I can't charm.



After some goops of hair gel and getting Maria (one of our maids) to get my freshly ironed uniform out for me to wear for the day... Well I think that I look like a million bucks, don't you think?



Breakfasttime is always a bit chaotic but I like it. It's usually one of the small moments I actually get to talk to my dad who is an important businessman. He also asks Maria not to make breakfast for us (but she does anyways and leaves it ready for me to eat, all I have to do is heat it up) so we can have our morning time together. After breakfast I'll usually be way too early for school but I hop into my Porsche anyway and drive myself over there.



Penbrooke Academic Institute. Welcome to my high school. Here I am waiting for the lazy valet to get off his butt and drive my Porsche over to the student parking lot. I wish he'd hurry up, I still have some algebra homework to finish. Darn summer school!
Original Poster
#3 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:27 PM
Default CHAPTER II: Elliot the... klutz?
*CHAPTER TWO*
Elliot the... klutz?


After grooming in the boys bathroom and going to Mr. Zimmermann's office (the principal) for my schedule, I walk up the staircase to my assigned classroom for the year.
As I climb up I see my best friends Darius Hoffman and Forsythe Drake (better known as Drake). Darius waves from the distance and motions me to come and hang out, but Drake makes a face and points out a warning. I'm confused for a second but then I see the reason. *Groan* Amy Goldstein was walking in my direction. She's had a crush on me since we were in kindergarten and isn't too discreet about it. I mean, she's pretty and a nice person, but she's also a book-hugging nerd who snorts when she laughs and wears pocket-protectors. And those glasses of hers! Sheesh hasn't the girl thought of hiring a fashion consultant? If her parents have enough money to send her to Penbrooke, then they have enough to do her a favor and hire an entire team of them for her.



"*Giggle Snort* Hello Elliot!" She says as she walks by, flashing a smile full of metal. I respond her greeting by yawning loudly. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Darius and Drake laughing at the whole scenario. I'm the only person who can pull off these kinds of stunts with Amy and still ask her for help in chemistry. I guess she thinks I'll come around someday and actually date her... Fat chance! I'm into blonde bombshells thank you very much.
I walk over to my friends.



"I have a cellphone you could have called me on to tell me she was up here." I scowl at Darius, while Drake tries to control his laughter.
"Sorry dude, Drake saw her coming from the west hallway just as you were climbing up the stairs." he answered. "Anyways, that was a good laugh to start the year." As he says that, I can see Germaine Blake looking over at us and whispering to her friends.
We chat some more and then Darius spots Jacqueline, his girlfriend, and goes to say hello. After a few moments of listening to Drake about his summer over in Europe, I spot Miranda Browning, my blonde of the moment. We're nothing official, though I know she wants to be. I like to keep my options open.
I walk up to her just as she notices me.



"Hey dollface, how's it going?" I ask as I kiss her on the cheek.
"Not bad, I got home yesterday from my summer in France. I missed you."
"Well why don't you and I have a nice welcoming party over in the back courtyard after lunch?". Just as I say that the bell rings and I remember I forgot my books in my locker. I grumble and take off, leaving Miranda to go to class. I run down to my locker and get my books, remembering that I have English class with Professor Donahue. Donahue's allright but she knows me a little too well to fall for my antics. I walk up to the classroom and peer in the door window, hoping that Amy isn't in my class this year. Sure enough, all of the good seats and partners are taken (Drake and Darius sitting together) and the only seat left was next to Amy Goldstein *sigh*



"Why the long face Mr. Graham?" I hear a sweet voice say behind me. I turn to see the sweet but stern face of Prof. Donahue. I smile up at her.
"Nothing, I'm just savoring the excitement of the first day of our junior year Professor."
She and I go inside and I look reluctantly at the seat infront of the class next to Amy. Amy looks around and beams at me, patting the chair next to her. I roll my eyes while my friends repress (unsuccessfully) their laughter. I'll have to have a chat with them later *grumble*.
Prof. Donahue looks over her shoulder as she writes something on the blackboard.
"Mr. Graham please take your seat in an orderly fashion."
I comply, grumbling. I pull the chair out, turned around to sit and...



*BAM!*... I missed my chair. Since when am I such a klutz?
All you could hear in the classroom was silence and then some giggling from the girls. The guys were smart enough not to laugh, you know, out of respect. My butt hurt. I was still surprised. Things like this don't happen to Elliot Graham, captain of the swim team, winner of the Mr. Popularity awards and both Homecoming and Prom King. That sort of stuff just doesn't happen to people like me. I turned around to see who was behind me and just saw Amy with a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her giggling. I scowled and was in the process of getting up, when I see a hand in front of my face. I follow the hand with my gaze up the arm and then I found myself staring into the most gorgeous blue eyes I could ever imagine. Her lips were a luscious and thick, covered in pink lipgloss, her skin creamy and soft and her hair was long, a beautiful shade of gold, carefully air-blown and clean smelling. I could not stop staring.



"Are you ok?" a voice asked me. I answered that I was. Why did I all of a sudden feel like if I were dreaming?
She helped me up and smiled at me.
"My name is Giselle." she offered, before I could ask.
"My name is Elliot." I answered.
"I know. That's what girls have told me anyways. You're sure the popular one around here, aren't you?" she said.
"Allright Mr. Graham and Miss-" Professor Donahue checked her list before continuing. "Vanderbuilt. Settle down and save the chitchat. Now class, please turn your English books to page 65. I want you to..."
I took my seat and opened my English book and stole a glance at Giselle... what a beautiful name... she glanced back at me and winked.
Original Poster
#4 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:41 PM
Default CHAPTER III: New Paths lead Somewhere
*CHAPTER THREE*
New Paths lead Somewhere

After that klutzy first day of school, things went back to normal. I was Chief Casanova of my school once more. My week mostly consisted of hanging with my friends, swim meets and random "rendez-vous" with the new girls behind Miranda's back. I had not seen Giselle outside of class, even though Darius told me that she mostly hung out in the library or with Jacqueline. I had not plucked up the courage to actually talk to her or ask her out. This was a first for me. Giselle was exquisitely intriguing and I actually respected her for it. The first week, Drake introduced me to an italian exchange student that was staying at his cousins house and I had a date with her on friday. That fateful friday evening I got home from my swim meet and hopped into the shower to get ready for my date with Alessandra the italian girl, when my dad barged in. He had come home early, for a change.



"Son, I've been thinking... that maybe you should get involved in another activity than swim team, you know... as a complement. I'm sure Harvard will smile upon a smart kid like you if you take some more extracurricular activities. I talked to one of my business associates today and his son is taking horse-back riding lessons over at Fleming Stables-". I cut him off.
"Sounds great Dad. Why do we have to be having this conversation while I'm in the shower trying to get ready for a date?"
"I'm sorry, just think about your options Elliot. I have to fly to New York first thing in the morning, I'm leaving some money for you on your nightstand. And don't come home too late please." He said to me as he walked out of the bathroom.
I finally got dressed and ready, went to give my dad a good-bye hug and drove over to Alessandra's place. We went to dinner and a movie... and then to Lovers Lane for some dessert.




After dropping Alessandra back at her place, as I was walking down her porch I was thinking that maybe horse-back riding lessons wouldn't be bad. Animals like puppies and horses are chick-magnets and I've always wanted to learn how to ride properly.

The next morning I woke up early to swim some laps and call Fleming Stables to see if they had any afternoon classes available. They did, so after lunch I took a shower and drove over there to check things out. When I got there I was pleased to see that they had remodeled the place. I had taken horse-back riding lessons when I was little, but didn't remember the place being so big.




A little overwhelmed, I walked into the main area and was surprised to see that there were a lot of kids my age milling around, grooming horses or taking lessons. I walked around and asked a girl who was brushing a pretty-faced bay mare where the office was. She said that Millie (the coordinator and owner of Fleming Stables) was checking on another horse that had a vet appointment. I thanked her and walked over to the stall she pointed me to. Millie hadn't changed a bit. She greeted me with a warm hug and told me that Zach (her husband) would be ready for my lesson in a while and that I should wait. So I did. I wandered around, petting horses and scoping out all of the hot chicks there until I heard my name being called over to the main corral. I went over there to get started.



Zach was nice and helpful during the lesson, and I was lucky enough to get a pretty tame gelding to ride, but I feel I made a dork out of myself. Even so, Zach assured me that I would get better with time and that the pain in my upper thighs and buttocks would go away eventually. I hopped off, said thank you and went to the office to work out my horseback riding lessons schedule with Millie. Afterwards I was just about ready to leave when a hint of blonde hair caught my eye. 'Is that Giselle?' I asked myself and walked over to the girl to get a better look. It was! She looked as beautiful as ever in her riding gear. She looked up in surprise as she saw me walking over to her.
"I had no idea you took horseback riding lessons here!" I blurted out as she waved me over. So much for being a suave gentleman.




"I used to horseback ride back in Boston. I've been riding since I was 4 years old." She replied. "I saw you out there, you're good for a first-timer." I felt my face getting hot.
"Oh, thank you." I said with a sheepish smile. "Hey, do you want a ride home? We could stop over at the mall for a milkshake and a movie if you like. My treat." I said, hoping I sounded nonchalant. She smiled at me.
"I wish I could Elliot, but my mom is coming to pick me up so I can babysit my brother, my mom has tickets for the theater tonight. I have to go over to the front, you can wait with me if you want." I nodded and followed her to the parking lot to sit on a bench and chat. A while later a beige Escalade pulled into the parking lot.




"That's my mom" Giselle said as the woman in the driver's seat climbed out and let a little boy out, whom I supposed to be her brother. Wanting to give a good impression, I plastered a smile on my face as Giselle introduced me to her family. Her mom was nice and he brother was cool for a little kid. He looked a bit on the hyper side and I noticed Giselle trying to talk to her mom, so I pulled him over to play a round of Rock, Scissor, Paper with me. I could feel their eyes on me and knew then and there that Giselle felt something more than friendship for me and her mom didn't seem to have a problem with it.
After they left (Giselle gave me her number!) I smiled from ear to ear as I made my way over to my car.
Test Subject
#5 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:44 PM
Your story is genius.
Can't wait for more!
Original Poster
#6 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:48 PM
Default CHAPTER IV: Not everything is as bad as it seems...
*CHAPTER FOUR*
Not everything is as bad as it seems...


Monday rolls around yet again, but I was psyched to go to school today. I would be seeing Giselle again. I had not gotten the courage to actually ask her out again after that fateful day at the stables and felt like a complete idiot for it. Then again I liked the challenge and wondered if she was worth the wait and agony.
After my shower I hopped down to breakfast and saw my dad sipping his coffee with a stern look on his face.
"Elliot," he said once I was in the kitchen, "my car is at the mechanics for a tune-up, I'm going to need your car today. I've asked Juan to take you to school and then go pick you up."
"Aww man! Why doesn't Juan chauffeur you around so I can take my car?"




"Elliot, you get everything you want from me, all I'm asking for is your car for one day. The last thing I expect from you is a hard time."
"Whatever." I grumbled as I sat down to enjoy Maria's pancakes.
Eventually Juan drove me to school. The morning went by really quickly, and before I knew it, I was headed towards the cafeteria for lunch. I walked in and scanned the cafeteria to see that my friends weren't at our usual table. They were bunched around one of the corners of the cafeteria, next to one the buffet tables. All of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder and Darius's voice in my ear.




"Dude! Last minute news man! Miranda found out about your crush on Giselle! Word says she cried herself silly last weekend and dyed her hair red. She had actually dyed it blond so you'd notice her. She's having a showdown with Giselle right now." Shocked, I looked over at him.
"Crap! How did she find out about that?" I asked him with a worried tone.
"Don't know. The only people that knew about her were Drake and I, and you can bet on your life that I wasn't snitching on you with some girl. Not even Jackie. You know that man, we've been friends for a long time now and I've never stabbed ya in the back." I looked at my friend.
"Ok dude," I said. "Go get a teacher, anyone, because this is gonna get ugly really fast". Guys I can deal with, but girls are a whole different story.
Darius took off towards the teacher's lounge like a rocket.




I knew Miranda, even before her blonde phase. She had a bad temper and wouldn't be hesitant to use it when offended. What I was really worried about is what she had said about me to Giselle. I watched part of the drama unfold from the doorway before stepping in. She was accusing Giselle of being a "blonde bimbo" and a boyfriend theif. I could see Jackie with a worried face and Drake looking amused. I was a bit confused by this and then I remembered. Drake had a crush on Miranda before I started to "date" her, Darius had told me about it after I had started to go out with her, but there was nothing I could do then.
So this is what this was all about. So much for considering Drake as a friend anymore. I would deal with that issue later, first I had to get Giselle away from my mess. I crossed the cafeteria and stepped in.
"Miranda, what's going on here?" I asked.




"It's all your fault Elliot! I know what you're made of now! And her fault too" she said hysterically. "She was going to steal you away from me!"
"Miranda I don't understand." I said, cocking an eyebrow. "I'm not your boyfriend and I never will be."
"Yes you are, and you cheated on me with her and other girls too! I just wanted to let your new girlfriend know what she's in for."
"For the fifth time Miranda, we're friends. Get over yourself." Giselle sneered.
"No you're not! Look you stupid blonde, if I ever see you go near Elliot again-"
"Miranda, ok hypothetically if we were dating, then I'm breaking up with you. I can't stand scenes like this over me having friends who are girls." I interrupted. My statement brought a complete silence to the cafeteria. Miranda looked at me with shock. Then...




"You inconsiderate ba*tard!" she screamed along with an array of other insults that I'm embarrased to repeat. Giselle and I just stood there, dumbfounded. Where the heck was Darius? And then out of the corner of my eye I saw him give me the thumbs up sign. When I turned my head back I saw Professor Donahue looking at Miranda with a semi-amused face.
"Miss Chutney, you should know the school rules by now. They state that no foul language will be tolerated within Penbrooke walls." Miranda spun around and started giving lame excuses, but Donahue waved them off.
"Miss Chutney, Mr. Graham and Miss Vanderbuilt please follow me to the Headmaster's office. Quickly and quietly now." Giselle looked at me but I guess we were too worn out to protest. Donahue escorted us to Zimmermann's office and took Miranda in first. Giselle and I wandered around the hallway.



"Thanks for sticking up for me Elliot."
"You're welcome Giselle, that's what friends are for." I smiled at her.
And to my surprise, she gets close, leans over and plants a kiss on my cheek! After she pulled away, I could still feel my skin tingling on the spot where she had kissed me. My smile grew wider. I looked at her intently and she looked right back, but before I could say anyting or do anything, Prof. Donahue's voice broke the silence.
"Mr. Graham?" Donahue's head poked out of the office. "The headmaster will see you now." I sighed, and turned over to Giselle. "Wish me luck. I'll see you later." I said before I turned to walk towards the office door.
Original Poster
#7 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:49 PM
Aww thanks Zukoislove =) I'll have it all up today or tomorrow =)
Original Poster
#8 Old 12th May 2007 at 6:55 PM
Default CHAPTER V: Breaking Points and Heartaches
*CHAPTER FIVE*
Breaking Points and Heartaches


The day after Giselle's kiss I felt great. Nothing could go wrong now that I finally had a real confirmation on her feelings towards me. since I had been getting along and seeing Giselle more often, I decided to stop going to Flemings for classes. I got up and decided that this would be the day that I would have one girlfriend and stick to her. I got to school a bit late, but knew that Donahue would be running late so it really didn't matter. When I got there I looked around for Darius to plan what we were going to do about Drake, but I couldn't find him anywhere. So I climbed up the stairs planning to get some unfinished homework done and found the hallway full of people gossiping. I suddenly knew something was terribly wrong.



Before I could actually go in the hallway and ask someone for an explanation, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Amy, and by the looks of it she was worried.
"Amy, what do you want?" I asked, and noticed that there was something different about her, but I couldn't really point out what.
"Elliot, if I were you I wouldn't go in the classroom right now." She said, rather painfully.
"What are you talking about? I need to get in and finish our math homework."
"Elliot, please don't go in there... Look, come with me to the library and I'll do the math assignmentfor you, but please just get away from here." She said, almost pleading.
"No way! Amy please get out of my way if you're not going to tell me what's going on." I said huffily as I walked away from her and rolled my eyes.




I walked toward the classroom doorway, thinking about Amy's warnings and reactions and was well aware of my classmates staring at me, whispering and giggling. I took no notice on this though as I was in a fairly good mood. As I stopped at the class door, the kids bunched next to it cleared the way as I passed (which was nothing new, as they usually do it out of respect). I opened the door and saw the most horrific scene ever. I felt my good mood wash away and my feelings grinding in a blender as I took in the image before me.



Giselle was holding hands with Tomas! Everything happened in slow motion as Giselle and Tomas looked around to see who had rudely invaded their privacy. Giselle's startled face and the laughter in the hallway. Tomas snickered.
"Hey Elliot, have you met my new girlfriend Giselle? She just accepted to go steady with me." He said as Giselle looked away from me.
"Really?" I said, trying to hide my hurt feelings, which were beginning to morph into anger. "Congratulations Giselle, I didn't know you had such bad taste in guys." I continued in a harsh tone, abruptly turned around and left the classroom. I ran down the stairs and bumped into Darius and Jackie. "Hey man!" he said cheerfully.
"Shut up." I said and left them behind with a quizzical look as I darted into the back courtyard.




Once I was there, I rummaged my backpack and took out some cigarettes. I hadn't done this in a long time, but it felt good for my feelings. I felt a tear roll down my face and felt worse. I ran my fingers through my hair and felt the gel crackle, messing up my hair. How could I have been dumb enough to waste my time on her! I can have any girl I want and here I am crying over her? I remembered the last time I had been played before, when I had promised myself that I would never again cry because of a girl... and here I was, my self-promise broken.
I stayed in the courtyard all morning, that horrid image of her with Tomas playing and rewinding itself in my head.
Eventually the lunch bell rang, I got up and headed over to the cafeteria with a heavy heart.
"Someone is lacking a comb this morning." I heard Drake sneer as I approached the table. I felt my face get hot as I ran over and pushed him.




"Woah! Woah! Elliot! Calm down!" I heard Darius's voice in a distance. Drake snickered and brushed himself off, as if my hands left dirt on his uniform.
"If I were you, I'd be smart enough to keep away from my cousin Giselle."
"Your cousin?" I said through clenched teeth. I was a milimeter away from giving him a knuckle sandwich for lunch.
"Yeah, my cousin dumbwatt." Drake hissed. "I'm not going to let you hurt her like you hurt Miranda." Darius, Jackie, her friends and the whole cafeteria was in awed silence, watching our friendship shatter to pieces. I looked at Drake and smirked.
"Face it Elliot, you're pathetic! Heck, I'm going to sit over with my cousin and her boyfriend." Drake said as he stomped off. I looked over at Darius. "I'll see you later dude." I walked out of the cafeteria, wanting so bad to punch something. I didn't want to top off my bad day with another trip to Zimmerman's office.


-*-*-

I ran as fast as I could back to my morning hiding place and just collapsed there waiting for the adrenalin in my veins to fade away. I was aware that I had missed all of my morning classes, but at the moment I didn't care.
"Elliot?" A voice asked. I spun around to see Amy looking at me with concern.
"Amy? What are you doing here?"
"I saw you come over here from the library window, and I followed you here." she said, as she sat next to me.



"Have you ever felt this way?" I asked her as my eyes welled up again. I had finally reached my breaking point.
"You'd be surprised at how familiar your words are to me." she said as I let her pull me into a hug, my tears soaking her sweater.
Original Poster
#9 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:02 PM
Default CHAPTER VI: A New Hope in the Not-So-Far-Away Distance
*CHAPTER SIX*
A New Hope in the Not-So-Far-Away Distance


After talking to Amy and missing the rest of my classes, I decided to go home. Seeing Tomas brag about being Giselle's boyfriend during today's swim meet was the last thing I needed. I hopped into my car and left the school without a notice (I had to bribe the valet to bring me my car without a permission slip).
I was so lost in my thoughts while driving that by the time I woke up from daydreaming I noticed that I was lost. The road was framed with pine trees. Crap. Now to pull over and fiddle with the GPS system on this thing as I had no idea where I was.



As I pulled over, I saw that there was a small parking lot about 500 meters up ahead. I was curious to see this 'unexplored' (to me) park, forest, whatever it was. And I needed some time alone. I drove over and parked the car to call Maria back at home telling her that I would be home a little later than usual.
After my phone call I got out and walked up the small path between the pine tress. It was quite a hike, but I was enjoying the endorphines from the exercise and my solitude. It gave me time to think. "There are more girls in the world than Giselle, Elliot." I said to myself and giggled. "Sheesh, Elliot, if anyone saw you talking to yourself your reputation would be worst than it is now!" That just made me laugh harder.



"Stop laughing you moron!" I said to myself as I controlled my laughter and walked on. Eventually the path I was on opened up to this gorgeous clearing with a cluster of weeping willows in the center and was somehow divided by a pile of enormous smooth rocks. I walked over to the edge of the tree cluster and sat down to think and enjoy my own company for a change.



As I was lost in my thoughts about Giselle not telling me about Tomas beforehand and Tomas' secrecy about the whole thing, some weird thumping noises interrupted my pondering. It sounded like they were coming from the other side of the rock pile, so I climbed over the rocks, tripped, and landed face first. Ouch! As I was picking myself up, I saw a girl kicking one of the rocks like if she wanted to kill it if she could. Despite the angry expression I noticed she had eyeliner streaks on her face, like if she had cried recently and not bothered to wipe them off.



"I hope you don't hurt your foot on one of those." I said. She stopped kicking the rock and spun around in surprise.
"What is it to you?" she asked in a rather snide tone. "You guys are all the same, always thinking about yourselves and your needs." she scoffed as she crossed her arms and gave me a defiant look.
""I just thought you might like a punching bag that actually feels squishy," I said with a smile and pointed at myself. "I'll at least complain about you hitting me and I won't hurt your foot." She laughed and gave me a hint of a smile.
"My name is Margo." She offered and extended her hand. I was a bit unnerved by her sudden change of attitude but I took her hand and shook it.
"My name is Elliot." I answered. "Why don't we sit here and you can tell me why you were practicing your kung-fu on that rock over there."
As soon as she sat down, I reached into my pocket for a kleenex and, to her surprise, wiped off the eyeliner streaks from her face.



"You're one of those Penbrooke snobs aren't you?" She asked with a skeptical tone. I looked down at my uniform and smiled.
"Yeah, but we're not all snobs. What about you?"
"I'm from the school up the hill." she said as she blew her nose.
"So what's wrong?" I asked.
"Well, to make it short. My boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend, I'm flunking algebra and my parents are getting a divorce." she said as her eyes darkened. Woah! Now this girl did have a good reason to cry... In exchange I told her her about Giselle, Tomas and the whole situation.
"I guess misery loves company." she said.
"Hey, can I have your phone number?" I blurted out before even thinking.



"Sure." she said as she took out her own cellphone. We exchanged information and smiled at each other.
"I can't believe that I just gave my number to a Pensnob Academy guy." she said with a laugh. I faked mock horror.
"And I can't believe I asked a Hillbilly High girl for her number." We both cracked up.
"So, it's getting a little late, do you want a ride home?" I asked.
"No thanks. I'll walk home, it's not far. As a matter of fact, I'm going now. I'll see you later Pensnob!" she said,
and to my surprise pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back and caught a small whiff of lavender.
"There is an allmighty being after all." I said to myself as she walked away.
Original Poster
#10 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:16 PM
Default CHAPTER VII: Discovering and Defending What Really Matters
*CHAPTER SEVEN*
Discovering and Defending What Really Matters

Some weeks had gone by after I met Margo. The rest of my so-called friends had teamed up with Drake and booted me from the "cool" group, all of them except Darius. I had started to hang out with Amy in school a lot more, she turned out to be pretty cool for a person I once considered as a geek. The guys at school still had some respect for me (after I punched one of them for giving me some lip a few days after the "Giselle" situation) but Tomas Getty and Forsythe Drake now were the "it" guys. I was kind of glad this had happened, I could finally be myself and not live up to everyone's expectations.
My friendship with Margo was really unexpected as I wasn't going out with her with any more intentions than being friends, she was a great listener and everytime we went somewhere we'd end up in fits of laughter.



So what happened today was totally unexpected as I thought I was off Pënbrooke's "cool radar".
It was another ordinary school day and after Donahue's extensive exam and some other tests we were free to go early. My dad had borrowed my car again, so I needed a ride home. Margo called me and told me she could pick me up in her dad's car and then later we would be going to a party over at her high school. I thought I was alone in the guys bathroom, but someone bolted out just as I was finishing my call. He ran so fast that I didn't get to see who it was, but I knew it had to be nothing good. I walked out into the hallway that lead to the stairs so I could leave and wait for Margo but I saw Drake and Tomas whispering to each other. They heads flew up when they saw me coming.
"Well look who looks cheerful today." Tomas said in a rude tone.
"Yeah Tomas whatever. You should try it someday." I said as I walked by.



As I got to the corner of the hallway, I stopped to listen at what they were saying.
"He looks far too happy for comfort" Drake said. "Bernie, are you sure he was meeting his hillbilly today?"
"Yeah, he was talking on the phone with her just now. she's coming here to pick him up." Bernie said.
"Let's follow him," Tomas said with a snicker. "Bernie, go get Giselle over at the library. I want her to see what kind of a loser Elliot really is."
I suddenly realised what they were going to do, but I figured Margo would take a while to drive from her school to mine, so by the time she got here those jerks would be (hopefully) gone. I walked out of Penbrooke's main building. Imagine my surprise to see Margo waiting for me, leaning on her dad's dark blue pick-up... and she looked great! I guess she had decided to snazz herself up for Penbrooke's sake, because I already knew how she was and what she looked like when she hung out with me.



"Hey! What are you doing here so early?" I said and smiled at her.
"You're welcome!" she said with mock sarcasm. "I skipped last period to be able to get here in time."
"Hey Elliot! Who's the skanky hillbilly?" I heard a male voice call out and laughter. I spun around to see Drake, Tomas, Giselle, Jackie (Darius was nowhere to be seen) and the rest of the bunch. I felt my face get hot and my hands ball up into fists.
"Who the hell are you calling a hillbilly?" Margo said with a snide tone. Drake and Tomas just laughed. "Let me handle this." I said to Margo, what I didn't count on was Giselle walking up to us.



"Hey Elliot, so this is that new girlfriend of yours everyone has been talking about." she said with a nasty smile and looked Margo up and down. "I'm surprised to see that the great Elliot has now gone down to dating skanks in tacky last season outfits. And you," she said, pointing at Margo, "was it really necessary for you to go through my trash looking for an outfit?"
This was met with everyone's laughter and a smug look from Giselle. I looked at her and wondered what I had ever seen in her. She was a fake and a snob, just like everyone else I dated and used to be friends with. Margo just seethed, looking at Giselle.
"Also, I wanted to see my replacement, but now that I've seen it, I just want to barf." Giselle said.
"Replacement?" Margo and I said in unison. "Yes, replacement Elliot. Because, as far as I remember, you had a crush on me." she smirked.
I was about to answer, when Margo exploded.



"It's kind of ironic to hear you trying to teach me a lesson on having class because you have none. You're just a stuck up snob, and if it weren't for all of that money in Daddy's bank account, you'd be in the same boat with me financially. So, with all of those pennies floating around, go buy yourself a life and a clue."
"Ooooh! Elliot has to have his girlfriend defend him." Drake said in a loud voice, Tomas, Jackie and the rest of the group laughed.
"I see that even if you pay for top notch education, some skulls are just too thick." Margo said, which just made them laugh harder.
"You'd better shut up Drake, I may not be part of your lame 'popular' group, but I can still bust your lip if I want to." That made them all shut up. "Let's go." I told Margo. She was shaking of anger. "Give me the keys and I'll drive."
"Bye hillbillies!" someone said as we pulled away. "Hope you don't get an infection from riding in that thing!"



We drove away from Penbrooke. "Are you ok?" I asked Margo, who was looking out the window, chewing on her thumbnail.
"Why do they think that just because they're rich they're better than most people? Why do they care who you hang out with?" she asked me.
"Because usually they're spoiled rotten since they're kids and most of their parents think that way so the philosophy gets inherited. And they care because they're jealous, I used to be one of them." I said.
"Well I'm glad you're not a jack*ss anymore." she said with a giggle.
"I owe most of it to you and Amy. Darius usually keeps it real. His family wasn't always rich." I said.
"Ell, you really need to introduce me to your friends." she said.
"I will, don't worry!" I said with a smile and drove on. As long as she was on my side, everything would be ok.
Original Poster
#11 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:23 PM
Default CHAPTER VIII: Twists and Turns
*CHAPTER EIGHT*
Twists and Turns



In the months following Margo’s snubbing at Penbrooke, we grew closer and unexpected things happened. After her father’s divorce, He got custody of Margo and his mom got custody of her sister Annika. A few months after the divorce, her dad got a big promotion at work which involved a billion dollar contract which made the Jensens rich beyond their wildest dreams. The first thing they (Margo and her dad) did was go on a trip to Asia, buy a new house with a set of new cars and enroll Margo to Penbrooke (to Giselle’s shock and dismay).
I couldn’t have been happier for my friend’s good luck and I was even happier to see her in class with me. Darius and Amy hit it off with her right away, and before you knew it we were the best group of friends anyone had seen in a while.



The months rolled by and before we knew what hit us, it was the end of the school year. Sure summer was great to look forward to, but what really was on people’s minds was Penbrooke’s Debutante Ball. Everyone was gossiping and talking about it, every conversation (even some teachers) revolved around the Ball and on who would take whom to the big event. But first things first: we had to go to the End of Year Assembly first. Zimmermann’s speech was boring as usual, and no one cut the last day (mainly because Zimmerman had placed a school policy so that the tickets for the Ball would be sold on the same day, to ensure the student body’s attendance).



The speech was boring as usual, but we managed it pretty well.
After the Assembly, I got in line with my friends to buy our tickets. Since Darius and I had said we were going to cut back on having girlfriends for a while (to many girls' dismay) we would be taking Amy and Margo as our dates. They left early to go to their final dress fittings, leaving us to buy their tickets and pick up our tuxedos downtown.
"Amy hasn't even told me what color her dress is dude, I don't know what color carnation to buy for her." Darius whined.
"She said it would be blue... just get her a white one, white goes with everything." I shrugged. I was clearly not cut out for that kind of stuff.

-*-

Later on in the evening, riding in Darius' limo, we went to pick the girls up at their houses and they both looked stunning.
Amy's dad took pictures of us before we left.



After Amy’s dad giving us the “be good” talk, we piled into the limo and headed to Penbrooke for the Ball. It was going to be held in Penbrooke’s main ballroom, just like every other year. Amy had been on the decoration committee but mostly kept the details to herself, but when we finally got to see the fruits of her hard work, we were amazed on how well everything just came together.
After our delicious dinner, speeches and nomination awards, we finally got to go party on the dancefloor. Before she could protest (as she’s a die-hard punk rock fan) I pulled Margo out there to dance to some hardcore techno (my favorite music) and to my surprise, her rave turn was even better than mine!



Everyone there seemed to be in their best behaviour. Even Tomas, Drake and Giselle were civil to us. I saw Darius chatting with his ex-girlfriend Jackie while Amy was in the ladies room, and after a while, they were hugging and making out. I was definitely going to have a chat with him later.
Eventually our great night was over, and after getting the scoop on Darius’s escapades with Jackie (we all had a good laugh over that), we said good-bye to Amy (she was going to France for a summer abroad) and also said good-bye to Darius (he would be going on a cruise in the Caribbean with his family). I took Margo home and told her I would call her the next day once I got rid of my hangover.

-*-

The next morning, I didn't wake up until early in the afternoon. I got up and had Maria make me some lunch. My dad was nowhere in sight, I guessed he must've gone on another business trip.
After a few laps in the pool and a long deserved shower I picked up my cell and dialed Margo's home phone number.

Original Poster
#12 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:28 PM
Default CHAPTER IX: My World Crumbles to Peices
*CHAPTER NINE*
My World Crumbles to Peices

“Hey! I told you I’d call you. What’s up for tonight?”
“Hey Elliot,” she said with a sad voice.
“What’s wrong sweetie?” I asked, and she burst into tears. “Gosh Margo, if I did anything to hurt you, I’m sorry.”
“No,” she said between sniffles. “It’s not you… directly at least. I’m not in the mood to go out.”
“Want to talk about it?” I asked, sensing something was wrong, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“Yeah, but not right now.” She said.
“How about we meet over here and I’ll rent a movie and order takeout… pizza, Chinese, your choice.” I said. I knew Chinese food was her favorite. I could picture her smiling on the other end. She giggled.
“Ok. I’ll see you there at seven.” She said, we said good-bye and hung up.

Seven in the evening came by and she showed up right on time. I ordered some chinese food for her and a pizza for me (as I hate chinese food). We settled down in the tv room to eat and watch the movies I had rented.





We mostly talked about superficial stuff when the movie ended and the food was gone. I was bursting to know what was wrong with my friend, but I didn’t want to pry. Eventually we ran out of things to talk about and we just sat there. Margo was chewing on her fingernails, which meant she had something on her mind but wasn’t quite sure on how to say it. I was being patient but I was going to explode soon if she didn’t hurry and tell me what was wrong.
She jumped up all of a sudden and said.
“Elliot, my dad got a big contract this month….” She began, I looked at her and feared the worst.
“Well that’s good right?” I said wearily as I got to my feet.
“Well, yes, he’ll be making at least twice as much money with this contract as it is… The thing is that he wants me to come with him… to England. I don’t know for how long, but by the looks of it it’s going to be for at least a year.”
I felt my world crumble apart.
“Noooooooooooooooooooooo!” I wailed as I fell to my knees, tears spilling out of my eyes.



“Elliot,” Margo said. “That was the same reaction I had when my dad told me his plans. He had just broken the news to me when you called, that’s why I was crying.”
“Margo… you can’t leave! You’re the best friend I’ve ever had… I don’t hold even Darius in such a regard as I hold you.”
“Elliot, I’m not going forever, and now that I’m a ‘new rich’ girl I can come here on my vacations or you can hop on a plane and visit me over there.”
“It’s not the same and you know it.” I said, hiccupping between my tears.
“Do you actually think I want to leave you behind?” she said with an exasperated tone. “You were the only one there for me that day I thought my life was over. I never told you this before Elliot but if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be alive today.”
That made my sobbing come to a screeching halt.
“Come again?” I said as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. She nodded and looked away, not before I saw her trying to hold back her tears.
“That day I thought my life was over. My family was breaking apart, and when I went to look for Travis or Jill for comfort, I find them in the mall parking lot making out. I was planning on overdosing on my moms sleeping pills that night.” She burst into tears. “And then you found me, and comforted me, and made me realize that not all guys are scumbags, and that my life didn't suck so badly. You gave me something to look forward to. You made me realize that my parents divorce was the best thing that could happen to my family, and my relationship with my parents and sister is way better than it used to be. You introduced me to Amy and Darius, good honest people that I know that they won't stab me in the back.”
She knelt down and looked into my eyes and stroked my face. I couldn't stop my tears from falling.


"Please don't leave." I said.



“I don’t want to, but I have to.” I suddenly felt a surge of anger from within.
“You don’t have to leave Margo. You’re just going to forget about me and make new friends over there, and never come visit me. I don’t want you as a pen pal, I want you to be my friend… like it always has been. No one else understands me the way you do. No one knows what I’m afraid of, or what my dreams are, or what I feel about you. It’s more than just an ordinary friendship, and it’s not love either. I feel like I’m losing the sister I never had and always wanted. You’re just going to forget about me! Now that you have money I’m not good enough for you or what?!” The rage took over me, as it always did when I’m in psychological pain. What I was saying didn’t make any sense at all.



There was an eerie silence as Margo looked at me with hurt in her eyes.
“That was uncalled for Elliot.” she said, her voice wavering as tears slowly ran down her cheeks.
“Margo… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that…”
“You’re only thinking about yourself Elliot, I don’t want to leave you behind, you’re irreplaceable to me. You should know that by now. I thought you knew better.”
“I’m sorry.” I was repeating myself but I didn’t know what else to say.
“I’m leaving, I can’t stand your selfishness right now. That hurt a lot.” She said and ran out of the room.
“Margo!” I yelled and followed her, she was halfway out the front door by the time I got up and sprinted out of the room after her.
“Margo wait!”



“Leave me alone Elliot!” she said as she ran. I stopped in my tracks; I didn’t want to make things worse.
I watched her get into her car and take off. I wanted to follow her, just to make sure she got home alright, so I went in the house, yelled at Maria where I was going and took off. I followed her at a safe distance, and when I made sure she was safely in her house, I drove back to mine and picked up the phone to call her, but decided against it, sighed and put the phone back on its cradle and made my way over to my room. I didn't sleep well that night thinking about what my life would be without Margo by my side.
Original Poster
#13 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:32 PM
Default CHAPTER X: The Realization of my Feelings
*CHAPTER TEN*
The Realization of my Feelings


A few days later after my nervous breakdown, Margo finally forgave me (but not until after I sent her a dozen white roses and a box of Godivas). She had invited me over to her house to watch some movies or play a board game, the important thing was that we were spending time together. I arrived there a little early and caught her father leaving the house with a pretty blonde woman. They looked all snazzed up, him in a suit and her in a pretty cocktail dress. I inmediately sensed some tension, but decided to wait for Margo's reaction before placing a judgement. After going by security, I rang the doorbell. Margo answered and, before I could say or do anything, she hugged me.
"Hey," I said as I stroked her hair. "Is everything ok?"
"Yeah," she said, "it's just that I can't stand that woman my dad is seeing."



"Well sweetie, I brought over the whole Matrix trilogy... and some chocolate popcorn to keep your mind off things." she giggled and let me in the house.
After watching the first movie, I noticed she was a bit restless.
"What's wrong?" I asked. "Nothing," she said. "Hey why don't we take a late night swim in the pool?"
"Erm... I didn't exactly bring a suit with me Margo."
"Don't worry, my cousin Andrew was here last weekend for a barbecue and he forgot his swimming trunks here. They might fit."
I knew this was a lost battle, so I let her pull me into one of her guest rooms to change and, to my dismay, the suit fit perfectly. Afterwards we went out to the pool and dived in. The water was a bit on the cold side, so I swam around with Margo until I got cold and got out to watch her. I couldn't help noticing that she looked really good in that pink bikini... wait a second... did I just say that out loud?



I couldn't believe I was having thoughts of those about her, my best friend. I decided to ignore them, as Margo swam up to me.
"I'm getting cold," she said as she heaved herself out of the pool. "Want to go into the hot tub with me?"
"Sure why not?" I answered, wanting to feel warm. I followed her to her front porch, and after waiting for the hot tub to heat up, we jumped in there, both of us holding glasses of fruit punch.
We sat there and made small talk about our friends and her dad's newest girlfriend. We both tried to avoid talking about the inevitable, but after a while we had run out of small talk and just sat there amidst the bubbles and drank our punch. Then I heard sniffling and turned to see Margo crying into her glass. I took it from her, set our glasses aside and hugged her.



"what's wrong?" I said in a soothing voice into her ear and rubbed her back. She just kept sobbing.
"I don't want to leave you. I don't want to loose you. We have to think of something so I can stay." she managed to answer between sobs. I pulled away from her and looked into her eyes.
"You know you're never going to loose me. Whatever you have in mind, that's what we'll do, ok?" I said as I brushed her hair out of her face with my fingers, and tucked it behind her ear. I felt myself getting lost in her eyes, and before I knew it I kissed her softly on the lips.



I realized what I was doing and pulled away to see Margo's shocked face, she didn't say anything or protest, so, feeling a bit braver this time I kissed her again. This kiss was a bit longer than the first one and a little more intense, until I pulled away from her.
"We really should stop doing this." I said to her. She just looked at me with a mischevious grin. "Are you scared of me Mr. Graham?" I smiled at her. "Quite the contrary Miss Jensen, I'm very attracted to you. I just don't want any of us to get hurt later on." She pulled me close to her and said to my ear "I don't care about that right now. Tell me Elliot, are you waiting for background music to kiss me?" I looked at her and before I could stop what was happening, we were locked into a toe-curling passionate kiss. It lasted several minutes, quickly becoming a make-out session. Normally I would have been all over the girl in question, but with Margo it was different. I respected her, and would only do whatever she wanted to do.



After a while, I pulled away from her, afraid this would lead to something else... after all we were alone in the house. She noticed my concern.
"what's wrong with you?" she asked as she sat on my lap and kissed my cheek.
"I just don't want this to go anywhere you're not comfortable with. And to be honest, I don't trust myself with you right now... so I suggest we stop this and talk about it later when our heads are clear. We need to talk about what we're going to do-"
After hearing my words, she looked a bit disappointed and got off my lap and sat next to me. "We could run away for a few days to make a point." she said. "Do you really think that would work? We could go to my beach house in Hawaii or to Aspen-" before we could continue with our planning, we looked at each other and... everything was a blur from there, the only things that mattered at the moment were her, me and our feelings.



Eventually, by the time it was so late it was early, I pulled away from her, helped her out of the hot tub and followed her to her room, waited for her to change (as I changed into my clothes in the bathroom down the hall), and climbed into bed with her, we discussed our plan for her to stay, and after what seemed an eternity of brainstorming, I looked up to see the sun rising. I kissed her good-bye, promised to call her and quietly climbed out the window (not wanting to wake her father up by going out the front door), and drove home, my thoughts wandering to my memories of that night, pushing myself further into confusion.
I was more determined than ever to keep her close, but I had no idea yet how we were going to make whatever plans we decided on to actually work out for us.
Original Poster
#14 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:36 PM
Default CHAPTER XI: The Escape
*CHAPTER ELEVEN*
The Escape


After many days of planning, we were finally ready. We would be going to my mom's villa in Hawaii, my mom was in Europe for business but said that I was welcome to the house for as long as I wanted. I hadn't necessarily explained what was going on, just that I needed some time away from my dad. I had gotten Margo and I tickets for the Honolulu red-eye and; since for obvious reasons I couldn't take my car, I asked Darius (who had to cut his trip short and come back to the U.S for a family function) to give us a ride to the airport. He´picked me up, early, I wasn't supposed to be over at Margo's place in some time, so in the small time we had I explained to Darius how I had fallen in love with her. He drove me then to her house and I was pleased to see she had managed to sneak out with no problems. I got out of the car and kissed her.
"Come on you guys!" Darius said with a chuckle. "You can kiss later, you're going to be late for your flight!"



"Yeah, ok" I said absentmindedly as I smiled at Margo. She looked beautiful. All I wanted in that moment was to be with her, but first things first. I took her bag and put it in the car trunk, and opened the car door for her.
We sped off to the airport, said good-bye and thank you to Darius and walked off to our gate. After an hour's wait, we finally got on the plane. Margo complained that she was sleepy, and a while later was fast asleep with her head against my shoulder. I was too nervous to sleep. It was now 2:30 in the morning, if my calculations were correct, our dads wouldn't find out we were missing until 8 or 9 in the morning. I must've drifted off on some point of the flight because I woke up to one of the stewardess' voice over the loudspeaker announcing our landing. We promptly landed, bolted to get our luggage and soon found ourselves outside of the terminal looking for a cab. I was smiling ear to ear. Margo looked over at me.
"What are you smiling for?" she asked in a sleepy voice.



I looked at her and kissed her cheek. "I'm happy to be here with you."
Soon afterwards, A cab decided to give us a ride. We hopped into the cab and it sped off to the address I gave the driver. We got there half an hour later. I gave Margo the keys and the security number for the burglar alarm so she could open the doors while I got our stuff and paid the cab. I tok her bag and mine and walked in the house, the smells of salt air and coconut potpourri invading my nostrils. I breathed in the heavenly scent.
"I'm kind of sleepy," Margo said as she tumbled on the couch. "Do you mind if I sleep for a while?" she asked.
"No, go right ahead." I said. "I need to go into town to get some stuff. Go make yourself comfortable in the bedroom". As she walked in the direction I pointed to, I walked into the kitchen and found my mom's car keys. I took them and drove her convertible over to the nearest grocery shop and got everything I thought we needed. I drove back and began to make some brunch, my stomach was rumbling.



I made a large batch of belgian waffles and as I was putting the last touches on Margo's plate I felt her behind me. I turned around and hugged her. "I made waffles for both of us," I said as I pulled out a chair for her to sit. "We can go to the beach later on and rent a boat or something if you want."
"I'm kind of tired Elliot, why don't we stay here for the day and at night we can go out somewhere?" she said, taking a bite from her waffle.
"Sure, whatever you want." I said and gazed at her.
After brunch, I set the dishes in the dishwasher and pulled her over to the small (but cozy) living room to watch tv. She hadn't changed out of her pajamas, but I thought she looked beautiful even then. I looked at her in awe. I had forgotten how good loving someone could feel. She noticed me gawking at her and gave me an embarrassed smile.
"I guess I should have combed my hair at least." she said.



"No, no not at all. I was just thinking... that it's been a long time since I've felt this way for anyone." I said as I kissed her cheek. She pushed me away in a huff.
"You mean you've felt like this before about someone?" she said narrowing her eyes at me. I chuckled.
"No, sweetie," I said as I pulled her back on my lap and into my arms. "I did love someone before, but not enough to run away with her. Right now I can't imagine a future without you. I don't know why I never realized my feelings for you earlier." I said and held her even closer to me. I could fell my eyes watering up... I felt her arms around me, looking for my warmth, and soon we found each other and kissed like if there was no tomorrow.



"Margo, there's something I want to tell you." I said and pulled away, but still held her close. She looked at me with a quizzical expression on her face.
"I feel silly for telling you this," I continued as a tear rolled down my face. "I'm in love with you, it's a feeling I haven't had in a long time, and it's more intense than ever." She smiled and hugged me.
"Why would you feel silly for telling me that?" she asked as she wiped my tears with the tips of her fingers. "I feel the same way about you. I would not have run away with you if I didn't love you Elliot."
I smiled and kissed her forehead, then kissed her hands and hugged her.
"I just don't want to loose you. Ever." I whispered in her ear.



"You won't." She answered and hugged me tightly.
We spent the rest of the afternoon there until we drifted off to sleep on the couch, holding each other, my face buried in her lavender-scented hair.
Original Poster
#15 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:48 PM
Default CHAPTER XII: Erasing The Past
*CHAPTER TWELVE*
Erasing The Past



I woke up to the sound of crickets chirping, the smell of salty air. It was dark, I had a crick in my neck and my left arm was numb. I was a little confused at first, a little stunned from waking up in such a sudden, but I felt Margo next to me, her breathing calm and heavy. I eased my way off the couch we had slept in together and knelt down beside her to watch her sleep. She seemed like an angel, a million miles away. I looked at her and realized that this was who I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, incredible as it may seem. Now that I thought about it, I had never really felt what love actually is, I had felt obsession, infatuation… but nothing as deep as what I felt for her. Watching her sleep so peacefully made me feel happy inside. I promised myself that as long as she was with me nothing would harm her.



I took in the image of her in peace… Every imperfection, every mole, the contour of her eyes, her cheeks, her mouth… In my eyes she was sheer perfection. It’s funny how people change, how I had changed. I closed my eyes and thanked God for letting me find her in time, as a tear escaped and slid down my cheek. Margo must’ve heard the sniffling in her sleep, because she stirred a bit, and her eyes opened slowly.
“Hey sweetheart,” I said with a smile. She looked at me and stretched out on the couch. She did a double-take and sprang up.
“What’s the matter? Why are you crying?” she asked in an alarmed tone. I chuckled and shook my head.
“Nothing, I was watching you sleep, and thinking of what a lucky guy I am.” I pulled her up from the couch and hugged her tightly. She responded to the hug but her confusion was so strong I could feel it.
“Elliot, if you’re regretting running away with me… just tell me. I don’t want to live in a lie or a dream.”
“I love you Margo. I don’t know what I would do without you. Because of you I found out that I can love… Before you, love was just a game to me, I played with so many girls feelings that I can’t keep track of all of them… and I’m sure that deep down you resent me for it, and wonder if I’m doing it to you.” She looked at me, smiled and hugged me tighter.



“Where did you get all of those crazy ideas? I don’t think that. You know what I think and what I feel and what my opinions are.” She let go and held my face in her hands. “Don’t ever think that again. I love you.” I nodded. I had this feeling, this urge to be as close to her as possible. I guess she felt my desperation, because she didn’t let go of me. In what seemed to be a good while I felt her grip loosen. She pulled away.
“Elliot, I’m a bit hungry. Why don’t we-“ she couldn’t finish her sentence. I had pulled her into a long searing kiss.



She was a bit surprised at first, but followed my suit. I felt her kisses get hungrier, and felt my blood boil along. I started to feel a bit dizzy, as the adrenalin rushed into my veins, making me more aware and alert. Then all of a sudden a horrible image came to my head. I pulled away from her, let her go and turned around.
“Elliot, what is the matter with you?” she asked in a bothered tone. “I don’t know what you want. I’m getting mixed signals from you… You’re confusing me and freaking me out.”
“I just don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do. I don’t want to hurt you or do something you might regret later.” She looked at me and smiled. “I do want to.” That caught me by surprise.
“But I thought you wanted to wait until we’re married…” My voice trailed off.
“You’re the guy I love Elliot. The guy I chose. The only one I want to be with.” She said as she approached me and hugged me. I hugged her back and looked into her brown eyes. Her statement pained me. I was not new to the world of sex, I had lost my virginity a while back. She, on the other hand, had gone through high school wanting to save herself for the right person. I didn’t feel right, and told her so.
“Elliot, I know you’ve been with other girls, but it’s not the same. From the moment you admitted to yourself that you love me, all of that has been erased for me.” A taer escaped out of the corner of my eye.
“Thank you.” I said, as I pulled her down to the couch and curled up in her arms. She kissed my forehead and ran her hands through my hair. She then reached for me and pulled me towards her...



That night, after I had carried her up to the bedroom and she was asleep in my arms, I took some time to think. She was right. That night my past was erased from our collective memory. It was a first time for both of us.
Original Poster
#16 Old 12th May 2007 at 7:55 PM
Default CHAPTER XIII: Cold Reality
*CHAPTER THIRTEEN*
Cold Reality



The next morning I woke up to the phone ringing downstairs in the kitchen. I got out of bed to put my clothes on, hoping the noise wouldn't wake Margo up. I stumbled down the stairs and ran in the kitchen and picked up the phone.
“Hello?”



“Elliot! You are in big trouble!” my mom’s searing voice yelled into my ear. “I had no idea your father didn’t know about your trip to Honolulu, I thought he knew. I called him this morning to tell him you had arrived safe and sound to the villa and he tells me you’ve run away! And with a girl no less! He’s worried sick, so is the girl’s father! You’re lucky I’m not there right now or I would have put you back on the plane home the minute after you landed!”
“Mom, I can explain-“ I said before she cut me off.
“You can explain later. I’m in London right now, trying to close a contract. Your father wants you home, as do I. I can’t leave right now because I’m in the break of a business meeting, but I’m on a plane back to Boston first thing next morning. Your girlfriend’s father, your own father and I expect to see you both back home by 3 pm the day after tomorrow. You need to go down to Becky, my travel agent’s office. I’ve made reservations for you both for tomorrow. Use your credit card to pay. I hope you have a good explanation for everything young man, because you’re in boiling water.”
“I love you mom.” I said, trying to ease her anger, but she had hung up already. We were due home in a day. Margo was going to leave for England after all, and I would lose her.



I had to think of something quick. And it suddenly dawned to me. Then I heard Margo coming down from the second floor. I ran up to her.
“Hurry, there’s no time to waste!” she looked at me quizzically.
“What’s going on?” she asked. I filled her in on what had just happened. She burst into tears.
“What are we going to do?” she said between sobs.
“Go get dressed. I know that there’s a chapel that will marry us today if we pay enough.”
“What?! Elliot have you lost your mind?”
“No, sweetheart, but I don’t know what else to do. I’m going to lose you forever if we go back and I can’t let that happen.”
“But Elliot-“
“If you don’t think it’s the right thing and have another option, then I’m ready to hear it.” I said in a huff. She looked at me, her tear-stained face full of determination.
“No, I don’t have any ideas, but I love you, and I will do anything to stay with you.” I smiled and kissed her.
“Ok, then let’s go get dressed and get over there as quick as we can.”
We both bolted for the bathrooms, and when we were ready, we sped off to the chapel.
After dealing with the priest, he married us, in exchange of a very generous donation.
I felt like the happiest guy on the face of the Earth.



After Margo Jensen became Mrs. Graham, we sped away in the convertible, giddy from the adrenalin rush.
“I can’t believe we’re married!” Margo exclaimed excitedly, as the wind blew through her hair.
“Me neither. I love you!” I shouted back. “Let’s go celebrate.”
“Darius and Amy will be so surprised!” she said as she leaned over to kiss my cheek.
“We’ll call them later, or tell them when we get back.” I said as my good mood darkened. It didn’t last for long though. I took her to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. Afterwards we went to a grocery store to get some wine to enjoy over at the villa. When we got there, we settled into a quiet evening together, enjoying music, the salty air, the sounds of the ocean waves crashing against the shore and our company.



-*-

Our honeymoon came to a screeching halt the morning we had to leave Honolulu. We had to wake up early in the morning to be on time for our flight back to Boston. It felt like we had just taken off when the flight attendant announced our landing. We went through customs and got our luggage, hailed a cab and in no time at all we were parked in front of my father’s mansion… my home. Maria must’ve been put on the lookout because before I could look for my house keys she opened the door in a rush.
“Dios Mio Elliot!” she said as she pulled me into a hug. “It seems like you’ve been gone an eternity. Jesus te bendiga muchacho (God bless you boy), your father is in the main living room waiting for you coughing up a storm. I’ve never seen him this angry before in all of my years of working for him.” She said quickly, as she ushered us to the living room.
“This is it sweetheart,” I said to Margo. She looked back and gave me a weak smile. She was just as worried as I was. She grasped my hand as we picked up our luggage and walked past the semi-open doorway into the living room to see our parents glaring back at us with daggers in their eyes.

Original Poster
#17 Old 12th May 2007 at 8:00 PM
Default CHAPTER XIV: Denial, Acceptance and Life
*CHAPTER FOURTEEN*
Denial, Acceptance and Life



They all just stared at us like that for what seemed like forever. Margo and I both hung our heads in shame.
“We can explain.” I said in a weak voice, cutting the silence.
“Do you have any idea of how worried we’ve been?” My father said in an icy tone.
“I trusted you Elliot-“ My mom started to say.
“Margo I expected better from you-“
And then they all started yelling at us at the same time.
“Hold on!” My dad’s booming voice managed to cut through the chaos. “Let’s see what they have to say.” Margo’s dad stood up.
“I’ve had enough of this nonsense. Margo Elizabeth Jensen, pick up your suitcase and get in the car. I’ll deal with you later. And as for you-“ he said, pointing a bony finger at me, “I don’t want you near my daughter again.”
“I can’t leave Dad.” Margo said.
“And why not young lady? I’m not asking you if you want to leave, I’m ordering you to.”
“We’re married.” She said. There was silence, and then chaos took over the room again.
“Is this the way you’ve raised your son?!”
“What kind of a girl are you?!”
“You’re throwing your lives away!”
“You’re too young to know what kind of commitment marriage is!”
“We love each other!” I yelled to no one in particular. Silence reigned over the room. My father went to pour himself some whiskey and Mr. Jensen massaged his temples.
“Let’s all calm down and settle this in a civilized manner.” My mom fumed. “Explain yourselves.”




We explained our feelings, our decision to run away, and (almost) everything that had been happening since we found out we loved each other. By the time we were finished, I could see tears glistening in my mother’s eyes, my dad and Mr. Jensen’s expressions softened, but were still stern.
“And what will you do for a living?” Mr. Jensen asked skeptically. “You two are barely out of high school.”
“My God Elliot, why didn’t you open up and tell me this?” my mother said as she walked over to me and kissed my forehead.
“Now Eleanor, this isn’t the time to be permissive. This is serious.” My father said.
“John, They’ve already done it, they’re young and in love. People usually do crazy things in those circumstances. All we can do as their parents is accept the situation and help them out as long as we can.” My mother reasoned. My father massaged his temples and went to get another drink.
“I don’t care how long it takes, I will hire the best family court attorney in the country if I have to. You are not staying married to this bum Margo. What are you going to do for a living? Do you have a job Elliot? How will you support Margo? My daughter deserves the best.” Mr. Jensen said.
All chaos broke loose again. Margo and I just looked at each other with desperation.
“We’re not getting a divorce.” I said. “We don’t need your help, I’ve always wanted to study photography, and Margo is a very good writer. I could get a sportsman scholarship anywhere in the country thanks to my wins on the Penbrooke Academy swim team, and Margo has a good GPA to get into any college she wants with a full paid scholarship too. We can find a place to rent and both get jobs in our fields”
My statements brought them to silence yet again. I picked up our suitcases from the floor and proceeded to walk out the door. Margo followed me.
“Margo, Elliot, wait!” My mother said and turned to my father. “We might as well accept hem now than regret them leaving later,” she turned to Margo and held he arms open. “Welcome to the Graham family on my side.” Margo burst into tears and accepted the hug. My father and Mr. Jensen approached us, my father said the same to Margo and gave her a hug. Mr. Jensen looked hesitantly at me.
“I just want the best for my girl.” He said in a choked voice.
“I love your daughter more than anything. I would never hurt a hair on her head.” I said.
“Take care of her.” He said as he shook my hand and pulled me into an embrace.



-*-

Our parents had always wanted lavish weddings with at least 200 guests and a reception to match but since we were already married and we didn’t want a big wedding or to make a lot of a fuss with strangers (like my dad’s employees and business contacts or my mom’s friends) we decided to have a nice get-together to celebrate our marriage. We called up Amy and Darius and they were shocked and happy for us. We tried reaching Margo’s mom and her sister, but apparently they had left the Boston area and were nowhere to be found. We proceeded without them and had a nice reunion with our close family and best friends. We were also shocked to find out that Amy and Darius were dating! That was a shocker for everyone.



We spent some quality time with our friends and family, and symbolically got married (we just put the rings on in front of everyone) and enjoyed our party.
Our parents gave us some very shocking (and useful) wedding gifts: since we already had cars, they had all got us a fully furnished apartment in downtown Boston, close enough to the university district and other necessities. They also gave us their blessing, and to ask them for help if we needed anything.
Original Poster
#18 Old 12th May 2007 at 8:04 PM
Default CHAPTER XV: New Beginnings
*CHAPTER XV*
New Beginnings


The next months flew by for us, we were living alone as a married couple and enjoying our love. We couldn’t have been happier. Money was a bit short at first, since Margo was taking Literary courses as an open option at Boston University and was specializing in Creative Writing and working part-time as a salesgirl in the University bookstore and I was taking photography courses, practicing my swimming and working with a freelance photography group, things got better with time.
One Sunday morning we were laying in bed as we usually do, Margo got up and went to the bathroom, then came back and started to pace around the room. I looked over at her groggily.
“Sweetheart, come back to bed, we don’t have to get up early today.” I said and pulled the covers open for her. She just crossed her arms with a worried look on her face.



“Elliot, there’s something I have to tell you so I’ll just say it straight out. Two weeks ago my period should have come and it didn’t. I got worried after the first week, but then remembered that we’ve had close calls before, but yesterday I decided to get a test… and it came out positive. I’m pregnant.”
I bolted out of bed.
“What?!” I said.
“I’m pregnant Elliot, I don’t know what we’re going to do.” She said and looked down to the floor.
I jumped for joy and hugged her.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, we’ll figure something out. Oh my…! I’m going to be a dad!” I danced around the room. Whoever saw me would’ve thought I was crazy, but I was just so happy.
“You mean you’re not mad at me?” she said bewildered.
“No,of course not! We have to tell our parents that they’re going to be grandparents!” I hugged her again. “Everything will be alright sweetheart, don’t worry.”

-*-

The months went by and Margo’s belly swelled in time. Our parents were ecstatic to know that they were going to be grandparents. Margo had managed to finish her Creative Writing course and was now in the process of staying at home working on her first novel. It was great how everything had turned out so far. I was coaching a local high school swim team and working as a photographer now, so money was good. And since Margo didn’t have to go out for her courses anymore, she could stay at home to work on her novel and take care of herself while I was out. I got promoted in time and was in charge of the photography agency while the owner was out, so our income increased, but that meant I had to work longer hours and not see my love as often as I would have liked. But every evening when I got home to see my wife sitting at our computer typing away while munching on something, I felt all of my worries and stress leave my body and be replaced by pure bliss.



She was getting bigger by the day and I loved her more and more everyday. We immerged ourselves in the baby and everything that had to do about them. I bought our baby a set of toys and furnished the spare room in the apartment which would be the baby’s nursery, and took care of Margo as best as I knew how. I would buy Margo baby books for her to read in her spare time, and once I caught her watching some documentaries and baby programs on television. After Margo’s first ultrasound, we found out that we were going to have a girl. I couldn’t have been happier. Margo called me at work to tell me the good news. I in turn called my family and friends, Darius and Amy were happy to be “aunts and uncles”.
All in all, we couldn’t have been happier with how everything was working out.



A few months later we invited over our fathers and friends over for dinner (my mother had gone back to Europe to work, but she wished us all of the best for our beginnings and promised a gift). Margo was bigger than ever, as the due date for our baby’s arrival was coming. She was just pulling her scrumptious dessert out of the oven as I was setting the table, when I hear her yelp in pain. I dropped what I was doing and ran to her.
“Elliot! I think the baby is coming!”
“Oh my…! What do I do?” I said frantically.



“Anything! Just do it quick!” She managed to say between cries of pain. We had practiced what we would do when the baby arrived, but when the time came, we forgot our plan of action and just went with what we thought was best. I took her to my car and drove as quick as I could to the nearest hospital. We were admitted immediately, and five grueling hours later, Ada Evelyn Graham was born.

Margo stayed in the hospital for a few days under observation as the doctors said she was weak, I called our friends and family (including my mom in London) that our baby girl was born finally, but I was worried about Margo, she was pale and slept most of the time she was there, I didn’t leave her side for a minute, fearful that something would happen to her in my absence.

-*-

Margo was fine after a few days under the doctors watchful eyes and care, and Ada was big and beautiful, and most importantly, healthy. Our moods were a bit darkened by the fact that the reason why Margo had gone through some complications was because Ada's umbilical chord was coiled around her foot, so when she came out she injured Margo's womb. Because of the scar, we would never be able to have another child again. Margo and I were heartbroken by the news, but after thinking it over, we figured that maybe it was for the best. There are many homeless, starving children that needed a loving home. We would certainly be considering adoption in the future if we felt like having a new addition to the family.


.
We took Ada home the next day after Margo was given the green slip to go. My father and Margo’s father had gone to visit us numerous times, but we hadn’t seen our friends yet. I was pleased to see Amy and Darius at our apartment, happy as can be to meet our Ada.



We we’re in the midst of celebrating, whe my cellphone rang. I answered it quickly.
“Elliot?” my fathers voice boomed over the phone. He asked how his granddaughter was and told me he was in New York again for business. “I have a gift for you,” he said. “Go over to your desk, there should be a yellow envelope next to the computer.” I went over there to see. Sure enough there was a yellow manila envelope with Margo and my names on it. “Open it,” my dad said, I could hear sniffles. “That’s your mother and my present for you and your family, to celebrate your beginnings like a Graham should. Enclosed in that envelope is your shares of my stocks of the business, a deed for a house in our neighborhood close to my house and the Jensens, and your mother and my will, stating that 75% of our belongings and finances are yours with the condition that the rest of the 25 percent be split between Maria and Juan.” I was close to tears as I opened the envelope and discovered not only everything my father had stated, but three letters for Ada to be opened when she was older.
“From the bottom of my heart, Thank you Dad.”

-*-

A lot has happened in the last two years. Margo, Ada and I moved into our new home, it was a 5 minute drive away from both my father and Margo’s father. They were close by, so every Sunday if the time permitted and they were both in town, we would have a barbecue and invite our closest friends.
Margo’s novel was published a few months back and has become a best-seller nationwide. I, in turn, bought off my old employer’s photography agency and transformed in into a booming business with many franchises out of state. Sometimes I had to travel for weeks at a time to manage every detail and make sure everything is how it should be. Even though I love what I do, sometimes I get frustrated and angry, like every other human being does at times, but when I go home to my family and see my daughter growing, learning and laughing, and my wife smiling at me… every bad feeling in my body goes away and I remember the reasons why I work so hard. I never thought I would have enjoyed being a faithfully married man a few years ago; I was too selfish and self absorbed by my ego to even think that something so good and beautiful could happen to me or even come my way. My daughter Ada, who is now in her "terrible two's" and my wife Margo have truly been blessings for me. They are my inspiration and my only meaning of existence.



Test Subject
#19 Old 12th May 2007 at 10:04 PM
so i just finished reading this story and i LOVED it. it made me smile. Your a great writer. I loved elliot to!
#20 Old 13th May 2007 at 12:42 AM
Oh.
My.
Gosh.

I LOVED it! Elliot is quite a looker, hehe :D
Instructor
#21 Old 13th May 2007 at 1:52 AM
I so enjoyed reading your story Fire, its lovely to see it formatted as how you please and the end result is beautiful

Auroraspirit :angel:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Lab Assistant
#22 Old 13th May 2007 at 3:07 AM
I originally got hooked on this one when it was in the contest thread, and I'm please to see it reprinted here. Pure win, all around.
Instructor
#23 Old 13th May 2007 at 8:35 PM
Awww, that was so cute! (I'm a sucker for romances and kids. :D) They're all so beautiful. Fantastic story! I'd love to see pictures of Ada when she's older. :D
Original Poster
#24 Old 14th May 2007 at 7:14 AM
Aww thank you everyone that has posted comments. I love reading them!

nikki: Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

Dragon Guardian: I think Elliot is hot too he's based on someone I know in RL and like a lot :lovestruc, but well, unfortunately his head seldom turns my way... meh

Aurora: If it weren't for you, Elliot wouldn't exist Thanks for asking me and putting up with me over at the contest

osenmark: I did see you lurking around there I'm glad you liked it. Thank you for the kind comment

Loco: I'm a sucker for romances and happy endings too =) Ada is a teen right now, but i really don't have any pics of her available right now. As soon as I get home I'll take some pics and post them here... and I might even add some more chapters to Elliot's story, but we'll have to see
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