[IC] SinfullSkills & CatBee

[CatBee]

It had been a long day for Monica. Searching for work wasn’t exactly her favorite activity; it was made worse by that fact that nearly all her potential employers looked down on her with a mix of pity and disdain when she hobbled into their place of business with a bulky brace. She had learned that the best way to handle such people was to show them that she was still normal; she could still function and work. The woman had left her wonderful city for the army as soon as she got out of high school. It was days like today that made her wish she hadn’t of. However, for Monica there hadn’t been much of a choice. The army was the only place she could’ve made a reasonable name for herself; her parents lacked the funding most of the other kids at her high school had for college. Monica had been a proud girl, she would never have admitted to any of her friends that she couldn’t attend college.

It was on days like today that she wished she had told some of those friends; it would’ve been nice to still have a few. Monica hadn’t kept in touch with any of them after graduation, not even her best friend, Gray Yin. He had been her first love, she knew that to be true. The two had never dated; Monica was sure her crush on him was completely one-sided. They spoke about everything; drama, friends, school, and the future; even in her time in the military she hadn’t forgotten him. Monica sighed as she made her way to the small apartment building. She checked out the piece of paper she was holding; she was in the right place. The army was paying for her livelihood temporarily while she looked for a stable job. The apartment number had been rented out to her already, so she was told. It was kind of the government to pay even just a little for an injured soldier like her. It had only been a few months since her accident, and she had only come home a few weeks ago.

Monica hadn’t even been in a combat zone. Soon after her accident, though, the small town of Deir Atiyah in Syria had become one. A roadside bomber had slammed into the small hut she was in, killing her companion and severely injuring her right side. Her leg had been the only part of her that was seriously injured, she had been in surgery for hours for all the shrapnel and other materials to be removed. She now had to wear a brace, and beneath that a cast. If one were to remove her leggings they’d find many scars, both small and large, where the doctor’s instruments and the bomb shards entered her. Naturally she'd been dismissed from active duty. What she was going to do now was still a mystery to her.

The woman made her way into the elevator, deep brown eyes scanning the floor numbers. She pulled her crutches in close to her, tying her shoulder-length brunette locks into a quick ponytail. The door was taking awfully long to close; she hoped the apartment she was given was at least in reasonable condition.

[EasilyAmused]

“So… much…. Paperwork!” A young man complained as he pulled files and folders from his car and set them on his hood. Running his hand through his messy black hair, his caramel eyes squinted down at the sun reflecting on the black hood, as if to make all the papers all the more displeasing to look at. Gray we need you to do this, Gray give your input on that, read over these and sign them, Gray blah blah blah. The young man’s life had turned into an insane rat race ever sense he joined his father’s company.

Gray Yin is the son of a famous software engineer and recently graduated from Harvard University with his PHD in software engineering ready to take over his father’s business. While he would much rather be working on his own things, as the up-and-coming CEO of the company when his father retires in the fall he had been charged with a lot of different things he was now required to look at.

Why do you live in such a rundown apartment building? People would ask him whenever they would come over to visit. Well, I haven’t found a house yet and no one would ever guess I’d have so many electronics inside. Was always his reasoning and it wasn’t far from the truth. He was just waiting for the right house to come on the market, or until he decided what plot of land he wanted to purchase so he could build his own. As he thought about his so called ‘friends’ he really missed Monica, his friend from high school, she was always a lot more level-headed than he was and also seemed to have his best interests at heart. He missed her a lot and couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her after all this time. He even still had some of their childhood photos hanging up on the wall. But that was a thought for another time.

Stacking his folders and papers onto a box of yet more papers and documents to look over, he struggled to get it into his arms and it blocked most of his line of sight. Quickly he hurried into the building before hearing the elevator. “Wait!” He called out in desperation as he hurried towards the elevator. Sticking his foot in, he saw walls retract and he nearly tumbled inside. “Phew!” Relief filled him as he didn’t have to wait for the elevator to take the stairs with all this stuff. “Can… can you hit the top floor button for me please?” He asked the individual blocked by all the boxes and papers. Please, please let this person be nice!

[CatBee]

“Woah,” Monica spoke the exclamation in a rather monotone, unexcited voice. This man was clearly in a hurry to get into the elevator, and the woman stuck her non-braced foot out to stop the doors from closing so he could get in. The woman took a hobble backwards as he reached his destination, clearing some room so he could put his stuff down should he wish to. Combined, him, her, his boxes and her crutches took up most of the space in the slightly run-down elevator. She always had been rather clam about situations; something told her the mysterious elevator-man was her polar opposite. Gray had been her opposite too, and they’d gotten along perfectly, so she decided not to judge the man by his somewhat scattered state. Who knew, they may even be neighbors.

“Sure thing,” she poked in the top button. There weren’t all that many floors in the place, only about six if one didn’t count the lobby. Monica checked her papers again. She was on floor five, room twelve. Seeing as the man couldn’t be her neighbor in that case, and that he would be living above her, she decided to try and be friendly. It would be quite awful if he decided to stomp around all day and night just above her. She hadn’t always been bothered so much by other people, but the thought of having neighbors, more people to pry into her life, sounded downright terrible. If she introduced herself now, perhaps he wouldn’t be so curious later.

Monica tried to peer around the papers so she wasn’t talking to a box, to little avail. She could see only a mess of dark hair, and settled for that. Better than talking to a pile of papers, anyway.

“My name’s Monica, I’m new around here. What’s your name? Seems like you've got a lot to do,” The woman half-smiled at all the papers. She hoped she didn’t sound rude or disinterested.

[EasilyAmused]

A scatter-brained genius, that’s what a lot of people referred to Gray as; especially when it came to school. Somehow and in some miraculous way, he would get his homework done and pass all of his tests making him a straight A student. Little did the world know that Monica was the gift that kept him on track. ‘Gray you need to finish this’ and ‘You can do that when you’re done with blank’; she was one of the few individuals he would actually listen to and it was because he held her to such a high importance that what she said would be something he’d actually listen to and take into account.

“Thanks!” He said in a bright and cheery attitude as he tightened his grip on the box in his arms. When he said her name he paused for a second; nah. “I’m Gray, been here all my life.” He said with a nod as he attempted to try and look at her over the large amount of papers and folders but to no luck. Sure maybe not here in the apartment but in the city all of his life. But there was no reason to get specific with someone he didn’t know. “Office work, gotta love it when you have to take it home.” A chuckle rose and fell his shoulders, “I’ll give you some advice since you’re new. One, Mister Anderson is weird, he’s in on third floor in room three, don’t talk to him if you can avoid it. And if Mrs. Hammerstain finds out your room number; she’s the old lady with the black curly hair and always carrying her chiwawa, she’ll be at your door every Saturday at 2pm asking for sugar. I’m still not sure why but she does it to everyone she knows the room number of. Oh and the guy on 6th floor in room 12 is really loud and quite the jerk so most of us just grin and bear it.”

[CatBee]

Monica’s eyes narrowed for a split second as Gray introduced himself. She couldn’t see his face, but she’d make sure she did when she left the elevator. If the man’s name had been anything else, she wouldn’t have cared what he looked like. She wanted to get a little more information out of him before she had to get off, but in a happy-go-lucky voice he continued to tell her all about the other residents of the apartment. She couldn’t just interrupt; he seemed like a nice guy and she didn’t want to get on his bad side. When she’d gotten back to the states, her doctors told her that making a couple good friends could be really helpful for her. She ‘needed someone to talk to,’ they said, and offered her their numbers. Monica really didn’t want to call her doctors on the phone; if she could help it, she wouldn’t go to the doctors ever again.

“Sounds like a fun bunch,” the woman frowned, “I get the loud guy right above me, huh?” she half laughed, a sign of defeat more than anything else. Perfect. She had tried and failed to peer around the boxes once more. Her attention was pulled away from the man by the ring of the elevator; they had reached the fifth floor. Monica did her best to evade his paperwork with her crutches, but accidentally knocked into him and sent a stack falling to the ground.

“I’m so sorry,” Monica put a single crutch to the side, “Let me get that for you,” her eyes had stayed focused on the stack of papers, and she struggled to get down to grab them but managed to recover most of the stack anyway. She kept the door open with her other arm as she balanced the papers and began to hand them back to Gray. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the man’s face for the first time. He hadn’t aged a day since high school.

“Gray? Gray Yin?” Monica hoped he recognized her; she had been through quite a bit. Her eyes were almost always darkened around the bottom due to a usual lack of sleep, and he athletic form she had had in high school had slimmed down with the loss of muscle, her occasional refusal to eat and her rough days without food in the Middle East. The woman smiled, hoping her friend would remember her. She didn’t blame him if he didn’t, and she didn’t blame him if he did and just didn’t want to talk to her. She had left without an explanation after all.

[EasilyAmused]

“Oodles of fun.” Gray responded with a grin. Though when she said she was in 12 on the fifth floor his mouth dropped into a frown. Poor girl she probably won’t get much sleep considering the man could be loud late into the evening. The poor girl! The elevator dinged and he could see that they were on the fifth floor. Oh well, she was nice to talk to compared to the other people in the building.

It wasn’t until some of the papers feel that he realized the poor girl was on crutches. “Oh no it’s fine I got it as long as it’s in the elevator.” Great now he was the jerk that made a girl on crutches pick up papers. That’s so nice for him to do… He cringed watching her attempt to pick up the papers. Whoa he felt like a jerk for making her do that.

The moment they made eye contact he lost all the grip he had on the box. SLAM! The heavy box hit the elevator floor. Papers exploding out of the top of box and filled the elevator but the look on his face said he didn’t care, he was staring in the face of his long lost best friend. She didn’t look too much like herself then she did back in high school. As a matter of fact she looked like she had been through hell, and she was on crutches; man, what happened to her!

“Monica Grey.” Gray’s voice sounded almost in a daze as he looked directly at her. Without giving her any warning he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Silence filled the elevator and he slid his foot to keep the door from closing. He couldn’t help it, she was one of the few people who he got closed to who didn’t care where he came from or who his parents were. She treated him like a normal person instead of some rich kid and that meant the world to him.

After a good while, he let her go giving her a bright smile. “It’s great to see you again. 5, 12 right? Let me put away my stuff and I’ll come by.”

[CatBee]

Monica couldn't help but smile as her old friend rushed her into a warm embrace. She wrapped the arm that wasn't stabilizing her crutches around him, a genuine smile spreading across her lips. It had been a long time since someone was hugging her that she actually wanted to hold. The way he felt in her arms; it was the same feeling she'd had the night of the senior prom, the night before she headed to the army recruitment office. She had been close to confessing her feelings to him then, but in doing such a thing she would've felt rather selfish. She had wanted him to know how she'd felt, but had she told him it only would've hurt the both of them when she disappeared.

"It's good to see you again, too," she hugged him a little longer and a little closer than she would've liked to. She let him go after what felt like only seconds to her but in reality they had embraced for a couple of minutes. The woman gathered her other crutch and pulled herself out of the small elevator.

"Sounds good. It really is wonderful to see you again, Gray," the woman smiled at him as the doors closed, and made her way to the very end of a dark hallway. She fumbled with her papers and finally found her key, sliding the old thing into an even older lock.

The room was in good enough condition; Monica was surprised. The rent included the furniture, and the woman inspected each piece of it as she waited for Gray. The floors were nice, she was surprised to see real wood. Her bedroom was simple, just a bed and a dresser. The living room consisted of a small table, a couch and a chair, and a television. A small, very small kitchen sat adjacent to the living room. It could've been worse, a lot worse.

Monica had left the door unlocked, hoping Gray would remember to come and see her. The woman flopped back onto the couch, her hands covering her eyes. She sat up again; she was hungry, and there was nothing in the room's mini fridge. Lucky for her she had purchased a couple sets of denim shorts, simple t-shirts, and some instant dinners at a shopping center before she showed up. She figured it would be rude to eat without Gray, especially if he was coming over. She settled for pacing; she could put limited amounts of weight on her braced leg, but with each step she felt a little stronger.

[EasilyAmused]

It was hard to watch her go, was she going to disappear again… and it wasn’t until the doors shut that Grey frantically collected his papers. Holy crap holy crap holy crap! The young man was practically jumping up and down in the elevator. Ever since Monica disappeared, he had never found someone to be able to replace that friendship. She had meant so much to him and was someone he could really rely on, her sudden disappearance took a toll on him. After all these years he managed to overcome his depression but, there was always something missing in his life. Who would have thought she would be back?!

Ding The elevator opened to the top floor, floor six and Gray took off down the hallway. Thud thud thud thud eeerrrsssshhhhhh, he skid in front of the door to his room. Struggling he pulled his keys from his pocket and stuck it into the door. Room 12, Thud Thud Thud Thud. THUMP! Walking only a few steps in he dropped the box and all its contents onto the floor before turning right back around. Thud Thud Thud Thud, SLAM Slamming the door shut behind him he locked it and ran back to the elevator with the same hurry as he did getting to his door. Nothing on this earth was longer than the elevator at this point in time.

Gray found himself impatiently tapping against the elevator wall even though he was only going down on level. He practically squeezed through the opening doors and made a be-line for the end of the hallway. Screeching to a halt in front of the door, he ran his hands through his hair. Just like when he was younger, his hair was an untamable mess but it fit his personality. Raising a fist up he hesitated, it’s been so long since they’ve seen each other, was he rushing into this? Who did he expect to find on the other side of the door? The same girl that disappeared after prom… was he that bad of a dancer that she couldn’t be around him anymore? Nah… she knew that when she agreed to go with him. But she just left… not a word, no letter, no phone call, nothing.

His fist hit the door with a few knocks before checking the handle. The door was unlocked and he stepped inside. “Mon? It’s me?” Oh yes, the nickname was back. “You got some explaining to do, I hope you know that.” His voice was in a teasing tone as he shut the door behind him and stepped inside.

[CatBee]

Monica perked up from her position on the couch as she heard the knocks, and ran her fingers through her hair before standing when Gray entered. She supported herself with an arm on the end of the table, "Mon," she tasted the name to herself. It had been awhile since she'd heard that name. To her fellow enlistees she had been called simply "Grey". It was nice to hear her friend call her by his own, special, made-up nickname once again. She had only tolerated Mon from him, to her teachers, parents, and other friends she was always just 'Monica'.

The woman limped over to Gray, a smile spread across her face, "I know I do. But first, let me just look at you," she grinned, her eyes roaming up and down her friend. She ruffled his hair, "You're such a mess," she teased. He always seemed to be a little disheveled, but it was alright. It was one of the things that drew her to him. She was organized, quiet, and calm. He was wild, funny, and carefree. They had been a perfect pair. She wrapped her arms around him in another hug, this time she was able to use both arms instead of just a hand. The warm, fuzzy feeling was nice, it had been far to long since she'd had a proper hug.

The woman made her way back over to the couch, "Take a seat. I was just about to get some food going," she pretended to think, "Let's see, I have some gourmet instant macaroni," she snickered, "Or some microwave lasagna. Your choice. You're the guest, after all," she teased. The woman turned and headed toward the kitchen, just so Gray didn't have to see her face as she winced in pain. Occasionally, a piece of shrapnel that was buried too deep in her flesh to remove would irritate her, and combined with the dull, throbbing pain that was always present in her healing muscles and tendons she almost had to sit down.

"Hand me one of those," she motioned to her crutches, and when he obliged she tucked it under her arm and entered the kitchen. Two or three people was the very max the small island could fit comfortably, so it was a good thing Monica hadn't planned on having much company.

"I know you're curious," she popped the food in the microwave before leaning back against the counter, "Fire those questions away," she sighed. It was time to come clean.

"But hey, I also want to know what you've been up to," the woman smiled, "Got yourself a nice pretty wife, maybe some kids?" She half-teased. She expected him to at least have a girlfriend, he wasn't a bad-looking guy and his personality was flawless.

[EasilyAmused]

When Monica said she wanted to look at him, Gray gave a cheesy spin before she wrapped her arms around him in a hug and he returned it. It was as if the stress he was once holding melted off of him feeling her back again in his life. A small soft sigh left him and he buried his face into her shoulder as if trying to remind himself that she really was there. There’s nothing more stressful than going through college without your best friend to talk to. Sure she probably had her reasons and he wasn’t going to make her feel like crap for choosing to leave, but he really did miss her.

Gray looked down at the couch before looking back at her. He had no reason to leave her side and sliding his hands into his pockets he followed her into the kitchen after handing her one of the crutches. He was still baffled that he ran into her, in the rundown apartment building of all things and locked in a small elevator. Would they have ran into each other at another time? One the street? In the elevator? Would that happen?!

When she asked about the wife and kids situation he laughed, and he laughed hard. “Not a chance. Still getting shot down by girls I asked out and my mom’s still trying to set me up on dates. It’s as awkward as ever.” Shaking his head he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall of the kitchen. “I’m fine with whatever want to make or we could order pizza, or go out to eat. I’d be happy to drive.” A nod rose and fell his head before he leaned forward, placing his hands on the island and staring her directly in the face.

If there was one thing that Gray was never good at, it was tact. He really should think before he spoke. But that’s what makes him one of the more honest individuals out there. “Why did you leave? Why didn’t you contact me?”

[CatBee]

Monica peered into the microwave as Gray spoke. The stupid thing wasn't cooking very quickly, and she hadn't stopped to eat in over a day. She laughed out loud as she listened to her poor friend's tale, "Sounds just like you. You haven't changed a bit. You're still scaring off all the ladies," she gave him a playful punch in the arm. Monica had dated boys left and right in high school; she had tried desperately to find someone to care about more than she cared about Gray, but it hadn't worked. After a couple of dates she was either dumped or did the dumping. And his mom, she was naturally trying to set him up with a woman of fortune to continue the family legacy. Monica knew Gray was rich, very rich, but she had never let that bother her. She had him over to her house, which was of course dwarfed by his own when they were younger, but she couldn't quite bring herself to tell him about the situation they were truly in financially when they were in high school. Her stupid pride had gotten in the way, and that same pride was most likely going to cause her to do foolish things for the rest of her life.

"I haven't had pizza in ages," Monica smiled wistfully, "Is Sergio's downtown still open? That place was great!" She smiled. Many an afternoon had been spent at the place by her and Gray, "I remember when we tried to eat their extra extra large by ourselves," she beamed, "We were sick all weekend!"

Monica stopped laughing at all the memories as Gray asked the sobering million-dollar question. She searched his face, leaning in to hold his gaze as she prepared her answer.

"I didn't know what to tell you. My parents couldn't send me to college. I was embarrassed. I joined the military, and I've served ever since," she hobbled out of the kitchen, and grabbed her jacket from the hook on the wall, "Let's get some food now, okay? It'll be just like old times. Plus, I'm starving."

[EasilyAmused]

Although the playful punch in the arm didn’t hurt at all, he pouted over-dramatically and rubbed the spot where she punched. “And I’m still a delicate little flower.” If you asked what young Gray’s favorite place to be was, you’d hear it was at Monica’s house. Despite them coming from completely different lifestyles, he appreciated the small homey feel of their house and enjoyed the company of her family. They really made him feel like he belonged there and always welcomed him whenever he would come over. They were such fantastic people, it was no wonder that he would find a best friend in their daughter.

The mention of Sergio’s made his stomach grumble, he hadn’t realized how hungry he actually was. Funny how excitement can make you forget things. “Oh yeah it’s still open. I also remember having my birthday there and you beating me in the Mortal Kombat game. However! I have you know that my skills have improved... kinda…”

Her answer was simple, and the fact that she held his gaze was rather impressive, that meant she was serious about her choice and she didn’t regret it. Keeping straight face as he listened to her speak he couldn’t help but nod at the end. Okay, that made sense. And no matter how he felt about the situation, he couldn’t change the past but he could help the future. “Next time don’t lose my number.” His voice was playful and he even shot her a goofy wink but he knew her well enough to know that he’d get his point across without her being offended.

Once they were outside Gray practically skipped to his car before turning around and stretching out his arms. “Look! I still have it!” The it he was referring to was his beat up old car. “Lucky is still alive and kicking!” This was the first car he ever purchased with his own money. Working hard at a cannery for the summer to get up enough money to buy his first car; and yes, he still had it! He was never one to flaunt his money, nor did he like to remind everyone that he was very well off. Instead he lived below his means and never really felt the need to give a reason why.

He stuck the key into the passenger’s side door and unlocked it opening the door for her. “Want me to put your crotches in the back seat?”

[CatBee]

Monica thought back to the time when she did indeed beat him in every video game, and almost every normal game that they played. The girl had been incredibly athletic; she even played football on the team her freshman year. She would've kept playing had there been other girls on the team, but being on the field everyday after school for months with a large group of completely unhygienic boys was enough to drive fifteen year old Monica into quitting. The days when herself and Gray would spend time playing catch and capture the flag in the park near her house, and would come home to a warm mug of hot chocolate (or a cold glass of lemonade, depending on the season) were some of the best memories she had. She thought back to her parents; she hadn't seen them in years, and had only occasionally called them. They hadn't been happy about her decision, and her plea for them to keep quiet about it. They'd listened it seemed, but she was still a little afraid to go home.

"I still don't think you can beat me," she grinned slyly, "In Mortal Kombat or in anything else!" she motioned to her leg, "I could beat you in a race with this cast on," she teased. She most definitely could not in fact beat him in a race in her present condition. She nodded at his remark, "I'll keep that in mind next time," she smiled. She didn't know what she was going to do in the future, but disappearing again wasn't in the plans.

Monica followed Gray out to the parking lot, and laughed as he ran over to his pride and joy, Lucky. Lucky had to be the ugliest car Monica had ever laid eyes on, and it still was. However, the thing was worth more than a Porsche to her friend. She climbed into the passenger side, thanking him for holding the door. He always had been a gentleman.

Monica nodded, and stuck her crutches into the back. She reached out and touched her friend's hand, "You still haven't told me what you've been up to for the past seven years!" She sighed to herself as she spoke the last words. Seven years. It was an eternity. The woman let go of Gray's hand quickly when she realized she was still holding it.

[EasilyAmused]

Gray couldn’t help but chuckle at her question, he knew it was coming and it was only a matter of time before he had to spill the beans for what he was doing for the last seven years. Despite the cosmetic appearance of the car, it made a beautiful clean sound of a car when he started up the engine. Appearances were never something Gray thought too hard about. He never dressed like a rich kid, he never walked around with flashy expensive items and he never went out of his way to get pretty items or girls. However, he had his standards.

“Well,” He began as he put the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. “After high school graduation, my parents tried to convince me to go to Yale. You know, following in my father’s footsteps and blah blah blah. But the admissions welcome letter came to much faster than dad’s special school, so I packed up my things and moved into the dorms at Harvard. That didn’t last for very long, I ended up on the Alpha frat house. It was insane but fun at the same time. I didn’t die but I did wake up in some weird places. But that’s stories for another time. Anyway picked my major and my minor and got to work.” He turned the corner and started towards their favorite pizza place.

“I kept myself in line… most of the time.” A chuckle left him as he checked his mirrors, “Around my last year of college mom tried to push me into a marriage with his strange woman who is the daughter of one of dad’s partner companies. She was… odd to say the least and it was always awkward to be out with her. Anyway, I graduated college last year with a Doctorate in Software Engineering and a Masters in Psychology. I’ve been working on a new program to help hospitals share collected data and link hospitals from all over the world; however it’s turned out to be more complicated than I expected. The language barrier, the sentence structure and making it un-hackable are the top three things that are difficult right now.”

Pulling into the parking lot of their pizza place he parked the car and turned it off. “So you’re story next?” He asked playfully as he climbed out of the car and shut the door. He hurried around to her side and pulled open her door.

[CatBee]

Repeat Post

“Harvard, huh?” Monica chuckled. She knew her friend would do big things, but it all just seemed so surreal. In high school she had joked with him about the “nerd-school” he’d go too, but she couldn’t believe that it all had actually happened already. He had moved on with his life, and she had moved on with her own. She told herself as they drove that she couldn’t just go back to the way it had been, just her and Gray. It was nice to see him again, but it was just that: seeing each other again. Nothing was going to happen, they weren’t going to stick together or become best friends once more. Gray had been living his life just fine without her. He had already moved on, and she would have to as well.

“Sounds like you had a wild time,” a small smile crossed her lips. Had she gone to college, she would’ve loved to move into a sorority house. In high school she had been a bit of a partier, but her loyalty to her parents and her want to stay on good terms caused her to leave before things got too crazy. That would’ve changed if she had left the state for college, but it didn’t really matter now. She smirked as she listened to his story about the woman he had been paired off with.

“It sounds like she was just out of your league,” she playfully teased him as she grabbed her crutches from the back. Her mouth nearly dropped open as she listened to his degrees and his explanation of his project, “You really are something, Gray.”

Monica sighed and shook her head with an almost sad smile before thanking Gray for holding the door and clambering out of the car, “My story isn’t much compared to yours, you nerd,” she ruffled his hair.

Monica was about to follow Gray into the building when the squeal of breaks and the loud revving of an engine from the street caught her attention. Her mind threw her back to Deir Atiyah, to the vision of a car approaching fast and the sight of one of her best friends glassy-eyed beside her once the entire building had been blown apart. She glanced down at her throbbing, bloody leg only to see the cast that she had been in for weeks. Monica had broken out into a cold sweat, and with a quick “excuse me” to Gray she pushed past him and into the single bathroom at Sergio’s. She gripped the edge of the sink until her knuckles were white and tried desperately to bring herself back to reality. She was home, not in battle or in pain or in some mobile hospital in a tent somewhere in the desert.

Her face was flushed of color and her eyes puffy when she returned to the main room of the diner, and she quietly sat down across from Gray at the booth, "Sorry about that. Sometimes the memories," she struggled for the right word, "They're a little strong."

[CatBee]

“Harvard, huh?” Monica chuckled. She knew her friend would do big things, but it all just seemed so surreal. In high school she had joked with him about the “nerd-school” he’d go too, but she couldn’t believe that it all had actually happened already. He had moved on with his life, and she had moved on with her own. She told herself as they drove that she couldn’t just go back to the way it had been, just her and Gray. It was nice to see him again, but it was just that: seeing each other again. Nothing was going to happen, they weren’t going to stick together or become best friends once more. Gray had been living his life just fine without her. He had already moved on, and she would have to as well.

“Sounds like you had a wild time,” a small smile crossed her lips. Had she gone to college, she would’ve loved to move into a sorority house. In high school she had been a bit of a partier, but her loyalty to her parents and her want to stay on good terms caused her to leave before things got too crazy. That would’ve changed if she had left the state for college, but it didn’t really matter now. She smirked as she listened to his story about the woman he had been paired off with.

“It sounds like she was just out of your league,” she playfully teased him as she grabbed her crutches from the back. Her mouth nearly dropped open as she listened to his degrees and his explanation of his project, “You really are something, Gray.”

Monica sighed and shook her head with an almost sad smile before thanking Gray for holding the door and clambering out of the car, “My story isn’t much compared to yours, you nerd,” she ruffled his hair.

Monica was about to follow Gray into the building when the squeal of breaks and the loud revving of an engine from the street caught her attention. Her mind threw her back to Deir Atiyah, to the vision of a car approaching fast and the sight of one of her best friends glassy-eyed beside her once the entire building had been blown apart. She glanced down at her throbbing, bloody leg only to see the cast that she had been in for weeks. Monica had broken out into a cold sweat, and with a quick “excuse me” to Gray she pushed past him and into the single bathroom at Sergio’s. She gripped the edge of the sink until her knuckles were white and tried desperately to bring herself back to reality. She was home, not in battle or in pain or in some mobile hospital in a tent somewhere in the desert.

Her face was flushed of color and her eyes puffy when she returned to the main room of the diner, and she quietly sat down across from Gray at the booth, "Sorry about that. Sometimes the memories," she struggled for the right word, "They're a little strong."

[EasilyAmused]

“Hey hey hey!” Gray said quickly, placing his hand over his heart and stared at her with wide eyes. “I am a proud nerd.” His nod was firm thought his dark eyes twinkled with a playfulness that only Gray could emphasize. However, as quickly as they had reunited, she vanished; seeming almost in a panic. The view of her stumbling off and struggling with her inner turmoil pulled at his heartstrings. Sighing softly he stood outside for a few moments before entering the pizza café.

Inside he placed an order for the pizza and a few snacks and drinks before going to sit down at a booth. A sigh left him as he ran a hand through his crazy hair. She had been through a lot and it’s become apparent that she didn’t want to talk about it but PTSD was no laughing matter. His hand went from his hair to his face as he pulled on it. There’s no way he could relate to what she was going through but maybe he could help in his own… special way. Pulling out his phone he began to do a little research before the sound of crutches pulled him away from his phone.

Locking the screen and laying his phone down he turned his gaze to her doing his best to avoid giving her a worried look. A simple nod rose and fell his head as she explained that the memories can be strong. “If you don’t feel comfortable let me know and we’ll leave okay?” His voice filled with concern but his smile was reassuring and comforting.

Without too much delay the food arrived and they began to dig in. “So is the boyfriend still enlisted or is he moving in with you soon? I gotta check and make sure this guy is alright.”

[CatBee]

Monica forced a smile as Gray told her they could leave if she had to. "No need, I'll be fine," she didn't want to admit it, but she was still a little shaken up. The whole side of her body that the explosion had effected was nearly trembling, and she was afraid to look down at her cast for fear that the wound would open itself and she would come close to bleeding out once more. She instead forced herself to focus on Gray; his smile, his messy hair, his sparkling eyes. With each breath she felt herself coming back to her current reality. She was sitting in Sergio's with her best friend, and she was happy.

Monica let Gray take the first slice, and soon after watching him start it she realized just how starved she was. The woman smiled as she grabbed a slice and chuckled as the gooey cheese stretched from the slice to the whole pizza.

"Mmmm," Monica covered her mouth with her hand, "This is just as good as I remembered it!" She took another couple bites, and chased the pizza down with a sip of the drink in the cup. She looked at Gray with a smile in her eyes, "You remembered my usual! Cherry Coke," she chuckled, taking another drink. Monica almost spit out the liquid as she laughed at Gray's suggestion.

"Boyfriend?" She patted her lips with the napkin before continuing, "I haven't had a boyfriend since Jason Maize during the second half of junior year. Remember him? He was a jerk," she smiled. It was easy to joke about it now, but back then she had been heartbroken. Jason had been incredibly handsome, tanned and tall and athletic. He had also broken up with Monica through his friends, and had cheated on her with some of the other girls. Gray had helped her through that, just like he had helped her through every other breakup.

"I only had a few relationships while serving that could be considered deeper than just the bonds you form when you're suffering together," she stirred her straw around in her cup, "There was a man named Dan Brown," she continued, "He was around our age, and he was a really great guy. He was selfless and kind," she took another drink, "There was one village we were in, and he made a scared little girl a doll out of straw. It was touching how happy it made her. Those people have next to nothing and here everyone's complaining about whether or not leather shoes are Italian," she leaned back and crossed her leg over the wrapped one.

"Dan and I were in another small village when a roadside bomber drove a car and detonated it just beside the building we were in," she sighed, "I got off easy," she continued, "At first the doctors thought I'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, but I proved 'em wrong. Dan, well, he took the blunt of the blast and was killed instantly." She stayed silent for a moment, thinking back into any other relationships. Her squad leader had been kind to her too, a man by the name of Austin O'Connell. She wasn't sure what had happened to him; she hadn't heard anything from him since she returned to the states.

"Long story short, no boyfriend," she repeated with a small laugh, "I'm still surprised you don't have a girlfriend or a fiancée or whatever yet," she teased him, "A good looking nerd like yourself," she smiled.

The two had demolished the pizza in a fairly short amount of time. Monica met Gray's gaze and with a smile, "Let's drive around the town! I want to go to all our old spots," she said, "The lake, those old hiking trails," Monica sighed at the wonderful memories.

[EasilyAmused]

He listened to her story with intensity. His dark eyes focused on her and her alone as he leaned on the table in a very undignified manner. Oh his parents would be furious if they saw the way he was sitting. For those who caught a glimpse or two of Gray they would just think he was some nerdy crazy guy who was obsessed with computers and electronics. But for those who know him on a different level they know that he was raised in a well groomed well-mannered household full of society’s highest expectations and requirements. To some it would be shocking to learn that you can sit Gray, yes Gray Yin, down at a table with royalty or the highest end of society and his manners and actions would match those of a higher class.

Yet here he was his elbows on the table, napkin crumpled beside his plate and his face covered in the ranch sauce he had poured onto his pizza. Who would think he could be such a classy, classy guy. This is the defining reason why his parents got so annoyed with him when he was little and even more so, now as an adult. They couldn’t take him ‘anywhere’ according to his mother; because he would refuse to put on a face for the people his parents insisted on him meeting. So it didn’t come as a shock to him when his parents stopped inviting him to super fancy parties. And as you can imagine when the invites stopped coming he became a lot happier.

“I’ve never been one to listen to people or let others tell you what to do.” Gray said with a chuckle when she responded about the fact that she wouldn’t be able to walk again. That in itself wasn’t surprising, she was never one to listen to closely to what people had to say if you weren’t high up on her ‘important’ list. Took Gray a while to get there but for the most part she listened to what he had to say.

Again she turned it back to him not having a girlfriend and he couldn’t help but shake his head as he downed the last bit of his soda. “It will probably still be a while before I get one of those; even a good looking nerd like myself has trouble with women. Especially those who find out the amount of money I have. Then it evolves into a problem so much larger than I’d expect and it’s…” An exhausted sigh left him, “just frustrating.”

A shrug rose and fell his shoulders as he dropped the payment and tip onto the table and stood up. “Yes let’s, I got a full tank of gas so we can do.” With that and not really giving it much thought, he offered her his hand to help her out of the seat. Hopefully it didn’t come across as ‘rude’ or that ‘she couldn’t do it herself’ because that’s not who Gray is.

[CatBee]

Besides her own problems, it seemed like Gray had his own set of struggles to deal with. Sure, the two were struggling with different things, but they both had their downfalls and their hardships. Gray’s just happened to be the pressure that was put on him by his parents and his inability to be seen by may people for more than his money. Monica had never realized how much money he really had until she visited his house one day. He had almost seemed embarrassed by the grandeur of it, but she had been wowed.

“Poor little nerd,” Monica ruffled his hair once moe once he helped her up.The woman couldn’t help but reminisce back to a time when she could’ve dated him She willing took his hand; the sensation of skin on skin had been one she hadn’t felt for a long while, and it was wonderful to have someone kind and not someone who was just there to pity her helping her. Throughout their friendship Gray had always supported her. At the beginning, she would push him away and ‘do it herself’, but as time passed she came to the realization that she wasn’t better off on her own. Her time in the army had come to help her support this conclusion.

Monica followed him out to Lucky, the old beat up car that no one dared to even attempt to steal or break into. It was so ugly, who would want to drive it anyway? Besides quirky Gray. Monica fumbled with the radio once the car started before settling on a station. When there was a break in the music, even the weatherman’s voice or the various car dealership advertisements sounded peaceful and refreshing to Monica. The whole drive was wonderful, the open, old road up to the lake trails and the gentle orange glow cast on it by the setting sun was a sight to see. The moon was almost full, and was almost fully emerged over the horizon when the two reached the lake. Appropriately called “Star Lake”, the beautiful body of water reflected the many stars that twinkled in the deep blue velvety mass of sky above.

“Oh, Gray,” Monica breathed out a sigh as she eased herself down on the bank, “It’s lovely, isn’t it?” It had been a long time since she’d seen a sight so wonderful. She turned to smile at her best friend, “Since I never got to tell you in high school, I’ll tell you now. I was,” she paused, “I am so grateful to you, for being there for me,” she smiled once more before turning out to watch the soft waves once more.