[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220717/0aaccb0581aecd00ae179279814defb9.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/4Bqg1hL.png[/img]
[color=darkgray][sub]A [@BrutalBx] and [@Venus] Collaboration
Featuring [color=BFA65C]David O’Hara[/color] and [color=C81935]Caitlin Cleary[/color][/sub][/color]
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[color=gray][indent][indent][center][i]Friday, February 10th, 2017[/i][/center]

Another day gone.

It had been two months since Allison Davies’ death, and the town of Edenridge, MA still seemed to be in a deep state of mourning. Not only that, but there seemed to be a giant shift happening within the context of the people in David O'Hara's life. As many lamented the loss of the town’s golden girl, others were busy looking to the future and their potential place in it. College admissions. Career opportunities. What comes next? Those were the words haunting the O’Hara boy and his friends. 

Where did David fit into all this? He didn’t know.

Down by the lake in his truck, with the powerful words of [url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RIdfPBmUAXc]Foreigner’s ‘Waiting for a Girl Like You’[/url] ringing out through the speakers, Duke sat with his arm out of the driver's side window as he watched Caitlin Cleary dance in front of the water. They had been meeting up in secret ever since the night of the Shining Star competition and Ally’s death. A lot of thoughts had drifted through his mind since that evening, not all of them good. 

At first it was guilt. David had kissed Caitlin, the baby sister of literally one of his closest friends, and he kept it hidden. He wondered if maybe this whole thing was just his way of dealing with Allison’s death; throwing himself at the first girl he saw in some twisted need for love and dependency. Then her age factored into his thoughts. She was a freshman, he was a senior. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t legal! He tried to rationalize it that they were both in high school and that it was fine but in a court of law, if what they were doing carried on beyond his graduation then he would be jailed immediately and probably shanked in the showers. Of course he told Jamie, and his twin did what she could to reassure him-- she always did. But she would be gone soon as well. Everybody he needed was leaving. For once, The Duke had to make a decision on his own.

The problem of it all was that in spite of his clear thoughts, the young man didn’t want to stop. David had been the one to name the girl CeCe when she was young, to the point that few called her Caitlin anymore. [i]He[/i] did that. The girl he had known forever had very swiftly become such a big part of his life. They texted almost constantly. They stole away brief hours together down by the lake in a place that only two other people knew about. Looking at her in that moment, the moon bouncing off the water and her bright red hair, he was in awe. She danced where angels feared to tread and it was intoxicating. He loved it… And he loved [b][i]her[/i][/b].

[center][i]So long
I've been lookin' too hard, I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find
I only know it's a matter of time

When you love someone
When you love someone
It feels so right, so warm and true
I need to know if you feel it too
Maybe I'm wrong
Won't you tell me if I'm comin' on too strong?
This heart of mine has been hurt before
This time I want to be sure

I've been waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you
A love that will survive
I've been waiting for someone new
To make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life

You're so good
When we make love it's understood
It's more than a touch or a word we say
Only in dreams could it be this way

When you love someone
Yeah, really love someone
Now, I know it's right
From the moment I wake up 'til deep in the night
There's no where on earth that I'd rather be
Than holding you tenderly

I've been waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life
I've been waiting for a girl like you
A love that will survive
I've been waiting for someone new
To make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you
To come into my life

I've been waiting
Waiting for you
Ooh-ooh
I've been waiting
I've been waiting, yeah
Won't you come into my life?
My life?[/i][/center]
Climbing out of the old Ford, Davey held open the door and used it to hold himself as he watched the flame-haired young beauty in all of her glory. [color=BFA65C]“I’ll convert you into a rock goddess yet, kid.”[/color]

While David had been agonizing over his secret meetings with her, Caitlin had been floating on cloud nine since that night he kissed her for the first time. After four excruciatingly long years, her darling Davy had finally seen and treated her like an equal, and Cece couldn’t be more thrilled. The hours they spent together on their own had helped them discover that even with the years that separated them they weren't so different after all, and only accelerated the process of strengthening their bond and bringing them closer. In her mind, age was nothing but a number. A three year and nine month gap wasn’t [i]that[/i] big of a deal. There were plenty of couples at Edenridge High composed of a senior and a freshman, and nobody said anything about it. Hell, some of the most respected adult couples in town had similar or even bigger age gaps as them! What was the big deal if she and David were to be one of them?

Cece knew what was the big deal. Or, more exactly, [i]who[/i] the big deal was. In their particular situation, the [i]real[/i] problems had a shared first and last name: Garrett Cleary Jr. and Garrett Cleary III. While her father wasn't a strict man that would prohibit things, he had been very clear in his stance about his children not dating until they were at least sixteen, and had been even clearer in his expectation that they were to at least finish high school before they reproduced. Gary had it easy with his first two kids-- with Rhett not being even remotely interested in dating and Brogan coming out as gay on top of her sole focus being her sports. In Cece's case, even with her crush on David, she had been certain she could live up to her father's expectation. She wasn't interested in any other boy, David wasn’t paying attention to her in a romantic way, and Rhett had been fantastic in assisting his father's cause by not letting any potential prospects penetrate the defenses he manned so well. The thought of what they would do to David, someone that they knew and trusted and who was older than Caitlin, if they found out he'd slipped through the cracks to cause the third-born child to steer away from the set family expectations was slightly terrifying… But not enough to deter the redhead from wanting to stop their liaison. 

She loved David. Plain and simple. And her love would always be stronger than her fear of disappointment.

David’s comment about turning her into a rock goddess brought a smile to the dancing Caitlin’s face. [color=C81935]"I don't think anyone can turn me into anything other than a Swiftie, but I can appreciate your taste in music,"[/color] she said with a loud laugh, allowing herself one last twirl before prancing over to the lone audience member watching her body movements. [color=C81935]“Did you bring me over here so you could just stand there and watch me make a fool of myself? Or are you going to come dance with me?”[/color] the short girl inquired playfully, wrapping her smaller hand around the young man’s larger one and looking up at him with those bright blue eyes that shone with the excitement of first love.

[color=BFA65C]“I don’t dance unless it’s air guitar,”[/color] David chuckled as Caitlin held onto his hand. She really did have a way of easing all of his stresses and his fears with but a glance from her baby blues.

[color=C81935]“That is a [i]lie[/i],”[/color] Cece retorted, playfully tugging at his arm. Even when he was sober, David always had a knack for being the life of the party. But when he was tipsy? It was truly a sight to see. [color=C81935]“Four beers into whatever party or barbeque we’re at, and you put Mick Jagger to shame with your dance moves,”[/color] the girl teased, going as far as to imitate the moves he’d become so famous for. 

[color=BFA65C]“I will neither confirm nor deny this,”[/color] David laughed along with Caitlin before his smile fell into a more serious face.

[color=BFA65C]“The truth is, I brought you out here, CeCe, because…”[/color] The words were there on his lips, while she looked at him expectantly. [color=BFA65C]“I wanted to ask if--”[/color] The Duke had the words-- he had them. They were there, but he was struggling to say them. His heart knew exactly what he wanted to speak but his mind was preventing it. Davey was in a constant battle with himself, especially when it came to Caitlin. Life had thrown him a curve ball, and he was struggling to make the hit for a home run. Jamie understood; but who else would? Would anybody else even care? Maybe they’re relationship wasn’t as big a thing as he had made it out to be in his head? Perhaps everyone would understand? After all, in today's society, love is love: no matter the gender, color or credence, right?

He looked out across the water at the Elder tree and thought of the forbidden love that was the impetus for the founding of the town itself. It ushered a level of faith into his soul that previously hadn't been there. One must fight for the one they love. [color=BFA65C]“CeCe, I want this to be real. I want it all. Be mine? Be my girl?”[/color]

The way David was tripping over his words and the anxiety exuding from him initially made Caitlin nervous. She knew he had doubts about what was happening between them, but she didn’t think they had been that serious. Had he brought her here for one last night of fun to put an end to their involvement? Had someone found out about them and was advising, blackmailing or threatening him against it? Had he realized she wasn’t as great of a match for him as he’d thought before? Had he found someone else he liked better than her? Another girl who was older, prettier, smarter, funnier, more extroverted than she would ever be? God, she [i]knew[/i] she shouldn’t have gotten so attached so quickly... It was too good to be true. She had held onto this far-fetched fantasy of becoming his girl for so many years, and now that he had thought about it he was getting ready to pull her back to reality. How could she have been so stupid and naive?

But it turned out that Cece’s panicked thoughts were mere figments of an overactive imagination and deep-rooted insecurities. Because when the O’Hara boy’s words finally came out and reached the redhead’s ears, they were what she had dreamed about hearing all along.

David didn’t have to wait long for Cece’s reply. The young woman released an excited giggle and wrapped her arms around his tall frame, burying her face in his chest. [color=C81935]"Of course! Of course I'll be your girl!"[/color] she shrieked, happy tears rapidly flooding her eyes as she succumbed into jubilant sobs, without a care in the world about how positively pathetic she looked. After so many years of silent prayers and wishing upon stars, her greatest desire had finally materialized itself.

[color=C81935]“I’m sorry for getting so emotional like this. It’s just… This is like a dream come true for me...”[/color] she began to explain as she pulled away from David, taking deep breaths to steady herself while wiping her flushed cheeks to make way for more tears. [color=C81935]“There were so many nights that I would lie awake crying because I'd heard that you were seeing someone new. I was terrified to think that you would find love in one of those girls, and that I'd have to watch you be happy with them and pretend to be okay while I was left having to take care of a heart torn to pieces. Knowing that you're choosing me out of all the other girls you can have makes me feel so lucky and special and just…"[/color] she trailed off, shifting her eyes to look into those that belonged to her [i]boyfriend[/i]. [color=C81935]“I prom-- no, I [i]swear[/i]: I’ll do everything that I can to love you, take care of you and make you happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for me, and all I’ve ever wanted for you..”[/color]

Hearing her words caused butterflies to rise in the pit of his stomach. She said yes! David still had his concerns, and they would still have to keep it a secret. But his heart wanted what his heart wanted, and it wanted Caitlin. God, it wanted her.

David gently placed his hands on her face and just looked at her, starting into her beautiful blue eyes and smiling. [color=BFA65C]“Then I guess we’re doing this.”[/color] He smiled widely, [color=BFA65C]“You’re my girl.”[/color] Duke leaned in and pressed a kiss to the young girl's lips, pulling her body close to his.

The redhead nodded in agreement. [color=C81935]“Till death do us part,”[/color] she declared with the utmost conviction, resting her forehead against his for a moment before locking her lips with his. It was quite a strong statement to make at fourteen-- some might even call it clueless or even downright ignorant. But one the very few things Caitlin was sure of in her life was that the day she stopped loving David was the day she drew her last breath in this world.

The newly formed couple stood together embracing tightly under the moonlight by the lake, a warm breeze carrying electricity and fate through the air. She was his. He was hers.

[indent][color=BFA65C][i]In the end, it’s her and I.[/i][/color][/indent][/indent][/indent][/color]