Without thinking, Sam’s fingers began typing in response.

Subj: Re: Apologies

Date: August 25, 9:01:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time

From: Sam Moleson

To: Brooke Loran

Brooke,

Do I think I’m up for the challenge? It’s not a challenge but more like destiny. Things happen for a reason and that’s why I’m matched up with C.C. It’s fate, believe it or not, that I’m here to meet you. I’m not sure why or how but I do believe that there is a reason. Crazier things have happened, you know. I’m not trying to rush anything here. I’m just saying that things will happen along the way to show us.

Where do you think this is taking us? I don’t think that you can really say that you didn’t feel something. I saw the looks that you were giving me at your family’s dinner. The question remains…what did you feel?

I’m open for suggestions. How about you? Let’s talk about it next weekend…say Saturday at 8 PM, okay?

Oh, and that kiss…it may have been impulse but my heart knew it was right.

Later,

The blonde read it over once, then sent it without another thought. She paused only long enough for the message to be transmitted before shutting down the computer and climbing into bed.

“God, who would have thought waiting for an e-mail could be so tiring.”

She lay on her side facing C.C.’s empty bed and wondered what trouble the brunette was wreaking on the male population of the small college town. Then in a hushed tone, she muttered out her last words of the night.

“G’night, C.C., where ever you are.”

The blonde shut her eyes and let sleep fill her soul.

Checking her e-mail one last time before bed, Brooke saw the name that was becoming so familiar to her, Sam Moleson. Taking in a deep breath, she opened it and ran through the lines, stopping every so often as her mind tried to comprehend what really was being said.

“Destiny…fate…rushing things…open for suggestions…?” asked the stunned woman, “What’s this about? One series of kisses?” Brooke pushed her chair back from the computer as if to put some distance between her and the words on the screen. “What the hell am I getting into here?” Both hands ran through her long, dark hair as her legs pushed off to raise her body from the chair. She did what she always did when things started closing in on her. She paced.

“Maybe crazier things have happened, but not to me.” She shook her head letting the long tresses cascade freely around her shoulders. “Not because of me either, not any more. I am nobody’s destiny.”

The woman looked back to the computer screen as her nerves felt the tingle of a good panic attack coming on. She knew how they felt; she’d been in that same situation before when she was forced to choose between her true self and what everyone made her out to be. Deciding to give it a rest, she did exactly that.

“Come on, Mario. It’s time for bed.”

The sound of six feet shuffled out of the room and headed toward her bed. Dropping down onto its edge, she rolled over, pulling the comforter in place as her faithful pet climbed in beside her, expecting his nightly routine of ear rubs and gentle hugs.

Feeling the dog’s cold nose on her skin, Brooke just grunted, “Not tonight, Mario, I’ve got a headache.”

The animal whimpered for a moment then laid his head down and snuggled closer to his mistress.

It was late Thursday morning by the time Sam had left for her first class at 10:30. The young girl had been moping around since she sent that e-mail off to Brooke Saturday night, waiting for a reply. She hadn’t heard anything from her since.

Finally, alone in the room for the first time all weekend, C.C. sat staring at the computer screen, feeling in total need of a break from the assignment that she was working on. Leaning back in the chair, she did a slow swivel and let her eyes take in the changing view of the small room. When the ride had come to a stop, she found her eyes gazing on the numerous posters above Sam’s bed that proclaimed Anti-Zero number one, and acted like a shrine to the band’s drummer, Brooke Loran.

“Hmm…I wonder how Brooke is doing.” She pivoted and reached for the phone. After punching in a quick succession of numbers, she leaned back again and waited for the voice of her sister.

The sleep-filled voice croaked out a monosyllable answer to the lively ring. “What?”

“Good Morning, sunshine. You have a late night?”

“Bite me, Chase,” came the automatic reply.

“Ah…must not have been a good one.”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t we coherent this morning.”

“What do you want?”

“Just checking in on my favorite sister. You know I haven’t seen you for over a week. Not to mention that someone hasn’t been to work all week or she would have returned my phone calls. Besides, I’m bored and need someone to tease.”

“Why can’t you tease your roommate?”

“Well, she’s not here and you are…well, at least I think you are.”

“You thought wrong,” Brooke sighed. “Maybe later tonight but not now.”

“Is that an invitation for dinner? It sure sounded like one to me.”

“Whatever…when and where, C.C.?”

“Pick me up at the room and we’ll go from there,” C.C. giggled. “I don’t think you’ll remember any more than that.”

“Are you happy?”

“Sure, why?”

“`Cause you’re spending my money again.”

“Awww… but I’m you’re baby sister Brooke. Don’t you love me?”

“If you say so.”

“Okay, think you can be here by six?”

“What time is it now?”

“Eleven.”

“Better make it six thirty.” She pulled in a deep breath, “It’s going to take me a while.”

“Gee, sis, I forgot how long it takes for old people to crawl out of bed. I wouldn’t want you to rush and break a hip.”

“C.C.?”

“Yeah.”

“Bite me.”

“Hopefully you’ll take me somewhere that will serve enough food and I won’t have to. Bye, Brooke.”

“Hmphf.”

C.C. listened to the sound of the phone being thrown to the floor ending the conversation. “God, I hate when they just toss you away.”

The long strides of the tall woman carried her exhausted body down the carpeted hallway of the dorm until she stopped at the designated room. Leaning up against the doorway, Brooke rapped on the door and waited. She closed her eyes and let her head lean onto the surface of the door, while she let her knuckles tap out a rhythmic sound as she tried to get the attention of the room’s inhabitants.

“Come on, C.C., you’ve got wheels. Why do I always have to come to you?” She eyed the doorknob and reached for it, starting to rotate her wrist as she gripped it. “What am I doing? Remember what you found the last time you opened that door.” She let the go of the doorknob, like it was on fire, and knocked even louder again.

“C.C. open the GODDAMN door.” She pounded the smooth surface of the door with her open palm.

There was a muffled voice from the other side of the door that got louder by the second, until the door was yanked open, almost causing Brooke to fall in the room.

“Been waiting long? I was just finishing my make-up.” Taking a good look at her sister, C.C. reached out and offered her a hand into the room. “Good God woman, you look like shit.”

“You want to explain to me why you call me to set this up and when I get here seven and a half hours later, you’re not ready?” Brooke came in and sat down on the chair at the desk. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“Well, I can see that coffee is the first order of the dinner.” She headed back over to her closet. “I just have a few things to do.” Looking over again at Brooke, she voiced her opinion. “I guess jeans are the order of the day.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

The older woman made herself comfortable in the low-backed chair, tilting it backward as she let her head hang over its edge. Her blood shot eyes roamed from the ceiling to the wall behind her. She was surprised to see her own upside-down image on the wall next to Sam’s bed. Brooke blinked, then blinked again. The image didn’t change. Sitting bolt upright, she spun the chair around and stared directly at her image gazing back at her with that sultry bad girl look.

“C.C.! What in the name of hell is this?” Her long arm stretched out and narrowed down to the single index finger that pointed at the images on the wall above Sam’s bed.

The girl turned around with a shirt in one hand and jeans in the other. “I think they call it a collage.”

“I know what it’s called, smart ass. Why is my face the center of it?”

“Hey, I didn’t put it there. Ask Sam. She’s the one who downright worships Anti-Zero.”

Brooke rolled her eyes and in that action, noticed that the bathroom door was closed. She got up from the chair and crossed the small room in two steps until she held her sister’s shoulders in her hands. Through clenched teeth she loudly whispered, “And it never crossed your mind to warn me about this?”

“About what? Why the hell are you whispering?”

Brooke stole a look at the bathroom door. “You don’t find it the least bit odd that your new roommate,” her head motioned to the collage, “has my rock star face plastered all over that side of the room?”

“Actually, I find it quite funny. I thought I wouldn’t see you as much when I moved out.”

“This isn’t funny,” Brooke whispered. “Shhh, she’ll hear us.”

“Of course it is. She’s still got a crush on Loran…deal with it. Why do you care anyway? Besides, those pictures of you were up when you came here for the movie. You mean to tell me that you didn’t see them then?” C.C. pushed away from her sister and started to change her clothing. “And Brooke, I wouldn’t worry about her hearing us. She’s not here.”

Brooke stuttered around her answer before shyly and quietly admitting, “I…I was…was…ah…preoccupied with something else.” She could feel a slight blush slowly creep up her neck, before stopping suddenly as she realized what C.C. had said. Besides, those pictures of you were up when you came here for the movie. You mean to tell me that you didn’t see them then?

“Speaking of which, Chase…why in the hell did you tell me to pick you up for a movie, if you knew you wouldn’t even be here?”

C.C. quickly tried to change the subject so her sister would not figure out her plan. “Whoa… look at the time. You know, Brooke, I’m really getting hungry.”

Brooke rolled her eyes, deciding for the moment to let it drop. “Whatever. Hurry up, let’s get going.” Brooke waited until the clothing was in place, then opened the door. “I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Hey, I gave you an extra half hour and you can’t even give me another five minutes.” C.C. shook her head. “Guess she’s at that stage of her life when she feels the clock is running out.”

The restaurant was crowded, the service was slow, but Brooke was even slower as she sat with her head in her hand, pushing her food around the plate in front of her.

“You going to eat that food or wait for it to decompose first?” C.C. watched, as her sister didn’t acknowledge her words. She tapped the handle of her knife on the table, then waved her other hand in front of the woman’s face. “Your battery dead or what?”

“Huh?” Brooke looked up and tried to fit into the conversation. “Good food, but you’re right. The service sucks.”

“Are you ignoring everybody in general, or is it just me? Who the hell threw you for a loop?”

Brooke’s eyes darted from C.C. to her plate and stayed there. “Had a lot on my mind lately,” she mumbled, “and your roommate didn’t help any.”

“What did Sam do?”

“You tell me. What kind of crush does she have on Loran?”

“Why? Your inbox low on fan mail?”

Blue eyes glared at the younger woman across the table. “I’m not ready for that stage to start up again.” She tossed her fork down onto the plate. “Damn it, C.C., you could have warned me,” she growled out.

“Hey, keep it down.” C.C. motioned with her head to the people around them. “You want everyone to know that you’re acting like a crazed lunatic?”

“I am not a crazed lunatic. I’ve…I’ve just been in a piss poor mood for thirty years,” came the instant response.

“Brooke, what’s the big deal? She’s got a crush. It’s not like she’s stalking you.”

The older woman’s eyes widened as she leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “Maybe she is.”

C.C. let her arms go limp at her sides and rolled her eyes. “Oh, pleeease. Sam’s as harmless as Spider Woman.” The brunette thought for a moment then added teasingly, “Just stay away from her kisses.”