"I think it might be time for us to go.  What time do you want to do something tomorrow?" Emily stated.  The three made plans for the next day while Emily and Ryan grabbed their shoes and coats.  While Emily was hugging Deanna good-bye, she silently whispered, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?  I can stay here if you want."  Deanna shook her head no, and gave Emily a squeeze.

"I'll be fine.  Just don't forget to come back." she teased.  The three walked out of the dorm over to the elevator.  As they walked through the floor, they heard loud music coming from dorms as if there was a party in every room.  Knowing who’s rooms they were, Deanna would regularly enter without a knock, moving to the beat of the music. This time she wasn’t in the mood, not even a room full of friends could change her disconsolate mood. Lightly waving her fingers in a goodbye, she watched as the elevator doors closed, masking her friends up while descending. Turning around, Deanna hung her head and began to sulk while dragging her finger tips against the wall and doors where the music was coming from.

As soon as the door was shut safely behind Deanna, her feet grazed against the cream colored carpet while making her way to a desk against the back of the room. Sitting down in the squeaky chair, her head fell back with her face opposed the ceiling.  Being the sensitive person that she is, inside her heart cried but outside she couldn’t admit it to herself to let another tear drop. It had been over three months since she’s last seen JC, she should have known that nothing as great as what they had could have lasted. It wasn’t a mistake though, it happened for a reason.

Deanna’s mind came back to the present as she lifted her head upright making her eyes wander across the opened drawer. That was when she noticed it, the lasting memory of her and JC. A letter with a tape rubber band together was slipped out of the drawer as Deanna placed it in front of her on the desk, pulling in her chair. She slowly unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and scanned JC's scribble on the page. As soon as she read the first line a batch of tears sprang to her eyes.  It was involuntary, Deanna had no control, they just kept coming.  The letter seemed so sincere, but how could she be so blind? Tears dripped onto the paper, smearing the writing but she could still read the letter perfectly.  Memorized in her head were these words:

Deanna
I have written this letter a million times and I still can't think of the right words to tell you how lucky I felt this summer to have met you. My career was taking over and you broke that stress to put some fun in my life. Ever since I saw you in that mall, I knew that we were meant to be to together, and I know that if I woke you up this morning that we would never be able to part. But we have to, and I didn't want to leave seeing you sad, though with that picture of your smile I always waited for each morning. We WILL be together once again. I hope that you wait for me, because you should know in your heart, I will be right here waiting for you. I Love You.
~Josh~
P.S. Don't forget to listen to the tape!!

Before she could even reach for a Kleenex, her cell phone began to ring giving her a shock. Wiping her eyes quickly and placing down the letter, Deanna crossed the room to reach her phone which was nestled between the blankets on her bed.  Sniffling against her will, she picked it up, pressing the send button and placed it against her ear.  She managed to choke out a hello into the phone.

"I'm sorry." a voice whispered. 

Deanna instantly knew who it was and she didn't feel like talking to him. With the sound of his voice that came from the lips that she use to kiss, it made her so angry to know that those malicious words came from the same place. Taking a deep breath making him suspect that she’ll say something, Deanna continued to stay silent. When she didn't respond, the voice spoke again.  "I know you're probably no going to talk to me.  I know I don't even deserve to talk to you right now, but I had to say I was sorry.  I didn't mean what I said, I don't even know why I said it.  It just....oh forget it....there's no excuse, but I am sorry."  Deanna didn't want to hear it, she didn't know what to believe.   How could she believe he was actually sorry?  How could she believe any part of their relationship had meant anything?  She had no reason to believe JC, so she did the most logical thing she could think of.  Tearing the phone away from her ear, she forcefully pressed the end button, getting rid of JC's voice.  After her action, for a brief moment, Deanna actually felt good.    

"Ah shit.  She hung up on me.  Now what am I supposed to do?" JC shouted in frustration to his friend.  Justin sat on the other bed in the luxury hotel room shrugging his shoulders.  "Oh thanks.  You're a real help."  Justin just smirked and fell backwards onto the bed.  "And why are you so happy?"  Again, all that JC received was a simple gesture.  He was in the middle of a crisis and all Justin could do was lay there.  After staring at Justin for a minute, he gave up and sprawled out on his own bed.  How could he let those words come out?  They were in no way what he felt, but for some reason they just popped out.  It seemed like the right thing to do at the time; he was with Vesteva now.  Did it really matter whether or not Deanna and he were still friends?  "Arrgg." JC sighed in frustration, and closed his eyes.  This wasn't going to be solved tonight. As if he had come out of a coma, Justin sat up and started reasoning with JC.

"Look JC, here's what I see.  You said something that you didn't mean to spare your ass with Vesteva.  So what's more important, Vesteva or Deanna?  That's what you gotta decide.  Either way, someone's going to get hurt. Besides, how do you even know if Deanna still has a thing' for you?" Justin, proud of his words, finished and flopped back down on the bed. 

JC thought for a moment, letting Justin's words sink in.  He was completely right.  How did he know that she didn't have a boyfriend?  JC even had his own girlfriend.  But for some reason he had to know.  He had to find out if something still existed between them.  "You know what Justin you're right."

"I am?" Justin questioned, surprised.

"Yea, I need to find out whether Deanna still likes me.  And I know just the person that's going to help me find out." 

"Oh no....I am not getting involved in this." Justin protested.  But JC just nodded and smiled.   A plan began to develop in his mind knowing that it was going to work. He had to know and Justin wasthe person that was going to find it all out.

Vesteva sat on the bed, dodging a flying hair brush.  Ever since they had come home from eating, Abby was tearing her room apart, looking for something.  Vesteva had tried asking what she was looking for, but dropped the subject when a little container of baby blue eye shadow had come flying at her head.  Right now, Abby's dresser was completely clean, the contents scattered around the room. 

"I know I left them right under the magazine that I just bought....now where are they!" Abby groaned, walking over to her desk and pulling out the top drawer. After ten more minutes of failure, she walked over to her door, grabbing her purse, while putting on her shoes and coat.  "Come on Vessie, we're going to the store."

" What for?" she replied, grabbing her own coat off the chair. Vesteva could not imagine what Abby would need at 11 o'clock at night so desperately that it couldn't wait until tomorrow.  But whatever, she didn't mind going for a little walk.

The two walked into the bitter night, shielding themselves against the wind. Vesteva's eyes watered with every blast of cold air that hit her face.  Even though it was spring break, the weather was still freezing at night.  They followed a tiny path of cobblestones through the quad and across Main Street.  As they strolled along the sidewalk, Abby made a little small talk.

"So did you enjoy seeing JC today?" she grinned.  Vesteva glanced at her smiling friend and couldn't help but smile back. 

"You knew he was coming?" Vesteva shrieked at her friend.  Abby giggled, looking at the ground.  Of course Abby must have known, or how else would JC had known that she was coming there for the break. "Well...," Vesteva started, recovering from her outburst, " I should be saying the same for you.  Did you enjoy seeing Justin today?"  Abby stayed silent.  "Right??" Vesteva urged.

After a moment, Abby answered.  "Well, yes.  I WAS happy to see him.  I didn't know he was coming with JC, but then after the whole thing with Deanna and Emily, he seemed different.  Especially at dinner, he seemed, not his usual self.  More like the way he was when I first met him.  I don't know. I'm babbling.  Maybe it's just me, but something happened today and it's bugging me."

The girls reached a small convenience store, shortly after.  Hearing the ringing of the bell on the door, the cashier looked up at them as Abby approached the check out counter. Vesteva stumbled over to the aisle right next to the register, glancing through the candy.

"How may I help you?" He asked, smiling at the at Abby.  Abby cleared her throat. With a bag of M&M’s in hand, Vesteva began to wander over to the cash register before Abby began her sentence.

"I would...um like...a pack of Virginia Slims." the guy turned around and reached for the pack.  Over hearing what Abby was getting, Vesteva marched over to the counter, slamming her M&M bag down, her brown eyes glared widely in Abby’s blues. Was Vesteva hearing right? Vesteva’s mouth dropped open, her eyes following as her friend handed the man a five.  Abby didn't look up to receive the glare and calmly stuffed her change back in her purse.

Quickly paying for her M&M’s, Vesteva traveled a couple steps behind Abby. A word wasn’t said between the two of them on the walk home. Abby smacked the pack against her leg, before opening the seal.  Shaking it so one popped up, Abby snatched the tiny cigarette and stuffed it between her lips.  After scrounging around in her purse for her baby blue lighter, Abby held up the flame to her mouth.  Taking in her first breath, she felt the stress of the day going way.  The smoke trailed behind into the black sky and also into Vesteva‘s face where she coughed vigorously, dropping the hint that she despised what Abby was doing. As they came to the quad again, the feeling was so relaxing, Abby didn't understand why had she ever quit.