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Post by smile♥ on Jan 18, 2007 23:26:23 GMT -5
I started college at a local community college in Washington D.C. I also had a new job at a coffee/bagel/soup & sandwhich shop owned by a woman named Joan. She was a great boss: fair, honest, and kind.
I mostly worked the night shift, which started at five and ended at ten. Joan was nice enough to let me bring my books along so that I could study while we were on the slow side. She didn't want me failing, after all.
Teddy had been in town all week to visit, as promised, and after having him in my house everyday, I was thankful for the break from him.
The tiny bell above the door dinged as someone stepped inside, and I looked up from my history book. A rather attractive guy dressed in a sweater with a collared shirt underneath, with a bag slung across his body made his way to the counter and smiled at me.
"Hi, I'd like to get a coffee, regular, and a ham sandwich, please." He has such a unique-sounding voice that was attractive all on its own.
"That will be.. ten fifty," I smiled back at him as he took a seat at the counter inf front of me.
"What are you reading there?"
He pointed to my book, which I had temporarily forgotten. "Oh, History."
"So you're in college?" I gave him a curious look but nodded.
"And you? You're not wearing a long black coat, so you're not a government agent, and you're not carrying a brief case, so you're not a lawyer..." I said and smirked at him as another customer, to whom I didn't pay attention to, entered the restaraunt.
"I'm a professor of psychology." He said before taking a sip of his coffee. "Late night, I have to grade about a hundred papers by eight in the morning."
"Psychology, huh? I have that class tomorrow," I told him. "What's your name?"
"Jonathan Ryan," He said.
I smiled at him. "Maybe I'll have you for class?"
He smiled back. "Yeah, maybe so."
"So, how much do you know about history?"
"I'm actually pretty good, but psychology is my forte," He smiled and I could help but smile back as the other customer cleared their throat from the end of the counter.
"Sorry," I said as I gestured to them, again without looking and made my way to them.
"So I see flirting is something you're still bad at?" It was Teddy.
"I thought you were sleeping when I left?"
He shrugged. "I got bored. Oh, and I was so bored, that I called Bonnie and broke up with her."
I nodded. "Good boy. I'm telling you, you're so better off without her. She's a player."
"I was just kidding," he smiled. "I did that before I left."
I rolled my eyes at him. "Coffee?"
He shook his head. "Bagel and a... soda."
I retrieved his drink and put in his order before returning to my book. I wanted to know more about Jonathan, but at the same time I didn't want to ignore Ted, since he was my closest friend.
"Just so you two chatterboxes know, we close in ten minutes," I poked fun at how quiet the whole place was, despite the music playing through the stereo system.
They both let out chuckles as I retrieved a rag and began working on my side work.
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"A professor, huh?" Teddy laughed. "I didn't think you went for the older, intellectual type."
"You saw him! He was in his twenties." I told him. "And I am twenty-one, just so you know."
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm well aware."
"Goodnight," I said as I headed to my room for some much needed rest.
"Night," he said as he shook his head and entered the spare room.
I liked having Teddy there. It got lonely when I was alone every day, and it was nice that someone had finally decided to visit.
I also liked Jonathan. Sure, he was a little nerdy, and a little skinny, but he had gorgeous brown eyes, and I liked that he was smart.
But I couldn't help but wonder about Teddy and how he would react, I mean, we were friends, and I didn't have the same feelings for him as I did when I was eighteen.
Eighteen is gone...
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faith18
Step Laddering Up
Posts: 51
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Post by faith18 on Jan 18, 2007 23:35:51 GMT -5
Oh man another guy! I hope he doesn't turn out like Riles! haha Get Ted and Bailey together! She still wants him!!!
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Post by possibilities909 on Jan 18, 2007 23:48:21 GMT -5
ahhh geez i need moreeeeee!
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Post by alyssa duhhh on Jan 19, 2007 6:56:21 GMT -5
holy crap! i met a guy, in his 20's who was skinny graduated from college brown eyes NAMED JOHNATHAN hahahahhaha
thats freakin awethome man. MOREEEEEEEE!
ps. i wouldn't mind having teddy in my apartment. i get lonely. and i would love to have someone try and beat me with my video games.
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Post by smile♥ on Jan 19, 2007 14:59:03 GMT -5
"Another cup of coffee?" I laughed as Jonathan came in for the second time that day.
He laughed and nodded. "Well, I was wondering if... You'd like to go on a date."
I wasn't surprised. Joan had pointed out numerous times that he was flirting with me, and that I was also flirting back.
Teddy had left a couple days ago to head back to New York, but Tallie and Jerome were supposed to visit later this week.
I smiled. "Sure. But won't that cause some sort of student-teacher controversy?"
"Well, considering you're not in my class..."
"Not yet," I corrected him.
"So where would you like to go?" He asked, and looked up at me from his coffee.
"Well, that depends. When are we going?"
"When do you want to go?" He asked, and I threw my towel in his face.
"I asked you first." I laughed. "But how about... Now?" I looked at the clock to make sure it was time for me to get off work.
"Now? It's like, ten o' clock." He laughed at me as I grabbed my purse and pulled him towards the door.
"Yes now. It's not that late."
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"Hello?" He answered his phone as it rang. "Oh wow, congratulations. Yeah, I'll see you at Mom's tomorrow. Bye."
I looked at him questioningly.
"My sister is pregnant," he informed me. "Tomorrow is our Mom's birthday and she's going to tell her then."
I nodded. "Sounds like fun."
He nodded. "Then she'll turn to me and ask: "And when do I get little grandkids from you, Jon?" Not exactly my idea of fun."
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad." I laughed. "My best friend, Tallie, was pregnant like, not even six months after graduation and they had this rushed marriage, and I mean, Lorelei is a beautiful, sweet little girl, but things might've worked out better if that hadn't happened."
"I'm twenty-four and she thinks I'm too old to get married." He laughed and I couldn't help but laugh along.
"It's better to find that special person, even if it takes a while, than to rush into something and end up unhappy." I told him and he looked at me.
"Do you want to come with me tomorrow?"
"To your Mom's birthday?" I asked. I wasn't so sure about that. "Are you sure?"
"Well, yeah." He said.
"I don't know," I said. "That's, totally unlike me. I'm never this... Spontaneous."
"Maybe you're not spontaneous because you're afraid of it and you just need someone to push you into what you already want?"
"Ok, ok. You got me. I would like to be able to do what I actually feel or think without worrying what people will think of me." I said and looked at him. "I like you."
"I like you too." He smiled back at me. "See? What was so bad about that?"
I shook my head. "Nothing at all." I said as my phone began to ring. "Hello?"
"Hey! What are you doing?" It was Teddy.
"I'm on a date."
"No seriously, what are you doing?" He laughed.
I rolled my eyes and flipped off the phone. "I just told you what I was doing. What are you doing?"
"Well, do you remember Shayla?"
"Yeah. She's my cousin. Duh, Ted." I laughed and I heard a little snicker come from Jon. "What about her?"
"We're back together."
"Oh, well good for you. Tell her I said hello. Bye, Ted." I hung up the phone and shut it off before he could call me back.
"Ted?"
I nodded. "He's a good friend. He's dating my cousin."
He laughed. "I kind of got that part."
"Where are we going?" I asked and he laughed.
"You'll see."
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He was covering my eyes from behind me as he lead me somewhere. "If I didn't know you better I'd think you were leading me to a dark alley."
He laughed. "I would never do that."
He removed his hands from my eyes and we stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, looking at the Washington Memorial's reflection in the pond between the two.
"I like to watch Abe up there," he told me. "When I was little, I used to think that statues came to life at night, and now, when I look at them, it's almost like they're about to get up and move at any minute."
I felt the left corner of my mouth curl up. "Sometimes when I look at pictures, I can see the person's lips moving out of the smile they have plastered on their face for the camera. It's like I can see what they do after they snap the picture."
He smiled at me, and I smiled back as he moved closer and grabbed my face with his hands: pulling me into a kiss. He was much braver than I could ever be.
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Post by smile♥ on Jan 19, 2007 16:14:41 GMT -5
Anyone??
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Post by alyssa duhhh on Jan 19, 2007 16:23:19 GMT -5
i like him but i don't. i think he's going too fast though. i want her back with ted and i don't want ted with the skank face. and i want to be famous hahaaha
ahh MORE
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Post by Carie on Jan 19, 2007 17:31:41 GMT -5
i like it a lot. but she needs to be with Ted. more?!
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Post by [[ariane]] on Jan 19, 2007 18:12:03 GMT -5
gahh. ted with shayla?uhhhh ewww. him and bailey? now thats a match made in heaven. more please?
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faith18
Step Laddering Up
Posts: 51
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Post by faith18 on Jan 19, 2007 18:36:26 GMT -5
This guy seems kind of creepy! I hope her and Ted get back!
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curlykt
Underage Thinker
I thought I loved you. It was just how you looked in the light...
Posts: 497
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Post by curlykt on Jan 20, 2007 1:25:27 GMT -5
geez he comes on strong doesn't he? see what makes this weird to me is that I had a REALLY hot professor last semester named Johnathan....and so this whole story is making me think of that...but I definitely like Ted better. Haha, and I have to say, her flipping off the phone was pure literary genius, I loved it! and I can't beleive the crazy ADHD cousin is back in the picture! ah!
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Post by live.love.laugh on Jan 20, 2007 4:19:17 GMT -5
ted is soo stupid!!! ahh so good!
MORE!!!
please!
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Post by Kourtni on Jan 20, 2007 15:48:22 GMT -5
AH! I miss this fic. I haven't read it in forever, stinky internet not wanting to act right. But you know I love it! It's one of my faves.
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Post by smile♥ on Jan 20, 2007 21:20:37 GMT -5
YAY! I'm glad you guys all love it.. OH! By the way, the person I think of when I write "Jonathan" is the guy in my avatar. He's, like... got that smart person look, ya know?? But yeah, I'll have more up later!!!
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Post by smile♥ on Jan 21, 2007 0:32:09 GMT -5
I almost forgot that I had to pick up Tallie, Jerome and Lolo at the airport today, which I realized as I was getting ready to go with Jonathan's Mom's birthday (something I wasn't too thrilled with).
"I am really, really sorry," I told him over the phone. "I seriously just now remembered I have to pick them up. I swear to you that I'm not making this up."
He laughed at me. "It's ok. I mean, it is a little awkward... I mean! Not that me and you together is awkward, I just think you know... Things need to be a little slower."
I nodded to myself. "I know what you mean. Why don't you call me later and we'll meet up with you somewhere?"
"Ok. Sounds like a plan." I could hear him smiling. "Bye."
It seemed that as soon as I hung up, my phone was ringing again. "Hello?"
"Hey, it's Tallie, where are you?" She asked impatiently.
"I'm about to leave. I'm really sorry, I over slept."
She laughed at me. "That sounds like you. We'll wait for you near the baggage claim, k?"
"Sounds good. Bye." The drive was at least thirty minutes there and thirty minutes back, which meant I was going to be sick of driving this week.
"Hello?" I asked again after my phone began to ring for the third time that morning.
"Hi! What are you doing?" A rather perky Teddy asked.
"Going to pick up Tallie and them at the airport." I laughed. "What's got you so excited this morning."
"I'm engaged!" He sounded like a mouse.
"Oh."
"Yeah... And I sort of lied about Shayla." He said. "I was just sort of mad that you were on a date and I wasn't." So what was this, competition? "But yeah, I met this totally awesome girl, Alyssa. She's so cool, Bai. She reminds me of you. She goes to that college you went to."
"Well, I'm really happy for you," I told him, and honestly, I wasn't lying. I just wanted him to be happy, but why wouldn't Alyssa tell me herself?
"Thanks. That was what I was hoping to get from you," he confessed and I rolled my eyes. "And I'm happy for you too, even if it is with that... professor guy." I snorted and laughed at him. "No seriously, I talked to him one night at your work, he's really cool. A little lacking in social skills, but that has to come with the territory of being a twelve-year-old high school graduate, right?"
"Did you say high school graduate?" I laughed. "Where did you come up with that?"
"He told me. What did he not tell you?"
"Wow. No. Thanks Ted. Tell Alyssa I said hey, and that I want you two to come visit me." I told him just as I was about to pull off the interstate.
"Ok. Bye, Bai."
"Bye... Ted." I said as I hung up and placed the phone in my cupholder. Ted and Alyssa? I could see it. I could be happy with it.
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I had just finished showing Jerome and Tallie their room when Jon called.
"Hey you," I said into the phone as I stepped into the hall.
"Hello. What are you up to?"
"Well, I just got my friends settled in, and we're just... hangin' out." I said as I looked around me.
"Oh. So what are we going to do later."
"Oh! I forgot to mention it. Let me call you right back, ok?" I mentally kicked myself after we hung up. "Guys! We have plans later!"
"What is it?" Jerome asked as he stuck his head out the door.
"Pizza?" He stuck his head back in to ask Tallie if that was ok with her.
"Sounds yummy," he said. "When?"
"Um... Six?" He stuck his head back in and I rolled my eyes.
"It's a date. Who are we meeting?"
"What makes you think you guys are meeting anyone I know?" I laughed.
"Hellooo," he said in a childish manner. "You just told somebody you would call them back after you told us about it. And plus, you're all googly-eyed."
"I am not googly-eyed." I said as I threw my flip flop at him, but he closed the door just before it hit him.
"Googly-eyes!" He yelled from the other side of the door.
"Oh yeah! Well you're... You're..." I growled. "Nice hair!"
I snorted and giggled at myself as I made my way to my own bedroom to call Jon back to work out our plans.
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"Wow. He's skinnier than that anorexic girl that was in our fourth block." She laughed.
"Emma?" I laughed and she nodded as Lorelei cooed from her car seat.
Jon opened the door and sat in the driver's seat. "Jon, this is Jerome, Tallie, and Lolo -- Lorelei, I call her Lolo."
"Hey, I'm Jon," he said and smiled at everyone. He had a really great smile.
The ride to the restaraunt was filled with conversation. It seemed that Jerome and Jon hit it off rather well, which I liked. They would get along in the future - Not that I was thinking too far ahead or anything.
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"So did you hear about Ted?" Tallie asked and I nodded. "I mean, first he's like 'Yeah, I met this cool girl named Alyssa' and then the next day it's like 'Oh, we're engaged, by the way.' "
"Yeah, he called me today and told me and I was like... Ok.. Have fun." I laughed.
"I thought you of all people would disapprove." Tallie told me as she took a bite of her pizza.
"Me? Why me?"
"You're the shy, quiet, reserved girl that was... you know... in love with this guy," She said and I felt panicky. I hadn't exactly told Jon everything about Teddy.
"I thought I was in love." I said. "Turns out I was just trying to live out a high school fantasy. Trust me, you have no idea."
"A high school fantasy?" Jon asked and I turned to him.
"He liked me, and he asked me on a date, then, I went on a date with this other guy later that week, Ted was sort of hurt because I told him I really wasn't ready for a relationship, then turns out I liked him too, but he was already dating my cousin..." I paused. "Umm."
"Oh don't forget Spencer!" Jerome said and I rolled my eyes to fight back the nerve to reach across the table and smack him.
"Spencer was an old boyfriend who moved to New York because his brother was dating my sister, then... I moved to Colorado for him, but he was cheating on me, I was kidnapped, I came back, I moved back to New York, Ted was dating this girl named Bonnie, he said he broke up with her, we made out, he told me the truth, I realized I was over him."
"Yeah, that pretty much covers it," Tallie laughed and again, I wanted to smack someone.
"Wow. You have an... interesting life."
I nodded. "Yeah, and it's all in the past. I really hate talking about it. I'm ready to just... Move on. Start a new past."
He smiled and nodded as he took my hand underneath the table.
"Not to break up this mushy moment here, but I have a daughter over here who is really hungry, and unless you want to see my boob in public, I suggested we get in the car, where you can actually not face me." Tallie said, breaking up our little moment.
She had been like that all day, and I planned on calling her out on it later.
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Jon ended up staying over, and it almost scared me the next morning when I woke up with someone next to me, who was watching me sleep.
"I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he smiled and rubbed his left eye. "You made me sleepy again."
"No, don't go to sleep." I said quietly. "Let's just lay here and listen to the rain."
It had started raining sometime during the night, and I was pretty sure that by the sound of things, it had been raining pretty hard all night long.
"What about our friends?" Did he just say our?
"Trust me, they sleep way later than this," I giggled as he played with the ends of my hair.
"I like your hair. I wish I had red hair," he said thoughtfully and I giggled again.
"Boys don't look good with red hair. Besides, I like you hair just like it is," I told him as I patted his head and he smiled.
He sat there with a quiet, thoughtful look on his face for a while before he said anything. "So this Teddy... Are you sure you're a hundred percent over him? I mean, it's totally fine if you want to be friends with him, and I'd like to meet him, but I just want to make sure you're... Ready for this."
I smiled at him. "I am."
"Good, because, I know you're probably not going to say anything back, and I know I'm lacking in this department just a tiny bit, but I think this is what love is... Being able to just wake up beside someone... It's so, beautiful. Like a picture."
I smiled at him.
"You smell really good," he added. "Like strawberries and a hint of perfume."
I giggled at him as there was a knock on the bedroom door. "And you smell like a guy. A very clean guy. Come in!"
"Just so you know, we have plans in, like, an hour to go shopping," Tallie said as she stuck her head in the door.
"Oh yeah. Thanks. You can go ahead and get a shower, I took one last night," I offered and she accepted as I turned back to Jon, who was playing with my hair again.
"Are you sure I wouldn't look good with red hair?" He asked as he ran his fingers through it.
I laughed as I got out of bed and headed to my closet to find something to wear before I fixed my hair.
I had never felt this way with Teddy, and I guess it was for the better. I mean, we just had way too much drama between ourselves for any of that. I loved him, that was true, but I also loved Tallie and Jerome the same way. They were like family. I always wanted Teddy as family. Always.
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