Story Notes:
Okay I went back through the story and fixed as many of the mistakes I could find. I also changed a few things so they would make more sense and extended a few scenes. Enjoy.
School Days Pt.2
Latter in the day Paul and Blake were in their photography class doing an outside exercise. It always amazed Paul that for as close as they all were they had very few classes together. Paul watched as the Umbreon went about his business and set up some white sheets and other things to reflect light on to his subject. When it was all set up Paul took a few readings and made the proper adjustments. Once they were sure that every thing was right they started to photograph their little scene. Paul decided to see if he could pump Blake for information. Luca and Cream had done a great job of avoiding him all day, even at lunch the three of them had managed to disappear leaving Paul alone in the cafeteria.
"So I asked Ela to the dance this morning."
Blake gave him a sideways glance and went back to taking pictures.
"So I heard."
Paul snapped a few shots before he talked again.
"Is that all you're going to say?"
"About what?"
"Anything. Me asking her out, Luca and Cream giving me the cold shoulder all day, you guys disappearing during lunch. Anything."
Blake heaved a deep sigh and snapped a few more pictures.
"Man I hope you know what you're doing is all I've got to say. Ela is beautiful, I'll grant her that. But she hides a lot."
"Like what?"
"Like the fact that she and the rest of her friends and family for that matter can barely tolerate humans. Like how she has banked on her good looks and cleverness to position her self in rolls of power and prestige. Like how she hates your best friend."
Paul thought about this.
"And what about Cream?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"But you do know what's going on."
"More or less."
Blake held up a hand to fore stall any further questions.
"Look man this is truly some thing your going to have to figure out on your own. I can't help you. Other wise you will have learned nothing."
Paul knew that Blake was like that too. He liked to point people towards the answers and see how long it takes them to come to the same conclusion.
"Any advice?"
"Keep your eyes, and your mind open."
"That's really helpful."
"I thought so."
With that they both went back to taking pictures. When school was done Paul waited for Cream at the front of the school. He really wanted to get things with her worked out. But when two hours passed and Cream didn't show Paul left angry and even more confused. For a second night in a row the two eighteen year olds had difficulties sleeping because a familiar presence was missing from each others beds.
The Rest of the Week
If either one thought that Monday had been hard, Tuesday was even worse. Following Lucas advice Cream went out of her way to avoid Paul. When ever he would get close to her she would turn her back to him. When ever he tried to touch her she would shrug him off. On the rare occasion he got to say anything to her, her answers were short, to the point, and very impersonal. The mental anguish tore them apart almost as much as if they were physically beating the crap out of each other.
After school Paul cut class early so he could catch Cream on the way home. They argued. Paul's concern for his friend grew exponentially. They had never been this cold to each other much less argued.
"What do you want from me?" Paul pleaded.
"What have I done to make you so mad at me?"
Cream gave him a very hurt look.
"If you haven't figured it out Paul than there is no hope for us."
Paul actually had to force himself to shut his mouth. Leveling his stare at Cream he just heaved a deep sigh, hung his head and walked away. Cream watched heart-broken as Paul walked away. She watched as he brought a hand to his brow and rubbed, his steps faltering in the process. Cream knew those signs all too well and made to run after Paul to help him, to forgive him and tell him what was wrong. But Luca placed a hand on her shoulder and prevented her from running after Paul.
That night Cream sat in front of her computer all night waiting to see if Paul would jump on and try to talk to her. But as the night went on and Paul didn't come on Cream got even more worried. What she didn't know was that as soon as Paul had gotten home he had gone to bed, his head had hurt that much.
Wednesday was the worst yet. Paul arrived to school an hour late and was as white as a ghost. His head was killing him, but he had to see Cream. But he had no morning classes with her. As the lunch hour approached though Paul could not see straight and had his mom come and get him. Cream watched as Paul was helped to the family car and driven away. Cream wasn't even aware that Luca had joined her on the front steps. Neither one had noticed Ela was also on the steps with them.
"Hey slut-bunny where did my man go?"
Both Cream and Luca spun around to see Ela and her group of friends standing right behind them.
"He went home sick." Luca replied for Cream who was still watching the car fad away in the distance.
"I wasn't talking to you bitch, I was talking to the slut-bunny."
Luca was about to say something, but Cream beat her to the punch, literally. Cream spun around and slapped Ela across her smug face as hard as she could. Ela recoiled holding her cheek. Ela's friends were about to attack Cream when Ela stopped them.
"That is enough."
Ela turned back to Cream and glared her right in the eyes.
"I'll give you that one slut-bunny. But know this your man is now my man, and I won't give him up that easily."
"He isn't your man, you'll see."
With that Cream went back into the school to get her bag. She gave her mom a call to see if she would come and get her so she could go and see Paul. However her mother told her no that she needed to stay at school. She promised she would call over to Paul's and see how he was doing, and text her the results.
It didn't take long for her mother to text her back telling her that Paul was just having one of his really bad headaches and was at home resting. The rest of the day crawled by at an agonizing pace. As soon as class was done Cream quickly dumped her books and rushed over to Paul's. When she got there she was greeted at the door by Paul's mom.
"Mrs. Timmons how is Paul doing?"
"He is still sleeping Dear."
Cream was instantly crest fallen.
"Can I see him?"
"I don't think so Dear. You guys have been fighting as of late and I don't want his headache getting any worse. I'll have him call you when he wakes up."
Cream could only hang her head and nod. Slowly she made her way home. More and more she was regretting not telling Paul right away what had bothered her. And even more so she was regretting ignoring Paul.
When she got home her parents had already left for work. Cream knew that her mother had made dinner and it was waiting for her in the refrigerator, but she wasn't hungry. Instead she grabbed a glass of water and went to her room. Once there she sat heavily in her computer chair and just stared at her monitor. She watched with a vacant expression on her face as her picture slide show continued to cycle through her photo file.
She watched as the pictures slid by, each one showing her a different moment from her life when things hadn't been so complicated. She watched as a picture of the four of them at the beach enjoying a picnic lunch. It was replaced by a picture of Luca and herself at last years Halloween party. They had gone dressed as an angel and a devil, Paul had helped her make her wings. After that was picture taken a few years ago at Thanksgiving, Paul was accepting a bite of pie from her.
Each new picture was another violent slap in the face. She should be with Paul right now, like she was supposed to be. If she had been than he wouldn't have such a bad headache right now. If she had been open and told Paul how she truly felt, they both would not be suffering now. Cream looked at her monitor again and was shown a picture taken just this last Christmas. It was once again Paul and her self. Paul was wearing the sweater that she had gotten him, and she was wearing the bracelet he had gotten her. It was a very simple picture, Paul was in the fore ground and she was standing behind him, arms gently draped around his shoulders and neck. Their fore heads were touching, their eyes were locked on each other, and they were smiling deeply at each other.
Cream couldn't stand it any more and buried her face into her hands and started bawling uncontrollably. Where had it all gone wrong? Why was she sitting here feeling sorry for her self, and why was the man she loved more than any thing else laying in his bed alone and suffering. Why couldn't she just come right out and say how she felt. If she had none of this would be happening right now. A small chime from her computer let her know that some one was trying to start a video conversation with her.
Cream was expecting it to be Luca trying to find out what was going on. Instead she was greeted by the sight of Paul's icon. Quickly she attached her microphone to her collar and aimed her webcam at her self and accepted the video chat. When Paul's image came into focus he was very pale and disheveled.
"Cream, what's up, you look terrible."
Cream could see that Paul was still suffering his headache. She desperately wanted to go to him. She burned to be by him.
"You don't look so good either."
Paul gave a weak chuckle.
"Is that why you wanted to see me?"
"No its not, I am worried about you."
"Why?"
Cream was taken back.
"What do you mean why?" Cream asked more than a little upset.
"Why are you worried about me now? I've been trying to talk to you since Monday and you have blown me off."
"I'm worried about you because you are my best friend, and I know your suffering greatly."
"I'm suffering because of you! I've been trying to figure out what I did so terribly wrong on Sunday night that you lied to me and than have ignored me, pushed me away, and given me the cold shoulder for the last three days!"
"It's not what you did Sunday night, it's what you did Monday morning that has me upset!"
"What?! What did I do? I can't figure it out!"
"If you can't figure it out why should I tell you? You..."
Paul held up a hand to silence her, he had grown whiter.
"My head is killing me, can we please, please, please, please stop fighting. I just want to sort this out. I can't stand..."
It was Creams turn to silence him.
"Fine, go and get some aspirin and we can continue with cooler heads."
Paul took his microphone off his shirt collar and stood up to go and get his meds. However Paul didn't even take one step away from his computer before he fell over holding his head. Cream shot to her feet, as if looking at her monitor at a different angle would let her see into Paul's room better.
"Paul?"
No answer.
"Paul?"
Still no answer.
"This isn't even remotely funny."
Nothing.
Absolute horror washed over Cream. Before she had completely comprehended what she was doing Cream had grabbed her keys to Paul's house and fled from hers. She ran with all her might, but the two blocks that separated their houses had never been longer. What took her less than two minutes felt like two hours. She felt like she was running through a Ditto. Of course when she did get to his front door her fingers refused to co-operate and she fumbled with the key. It was the only damn key on the ring. Once the door was open she didn't even bother closing it. She was up the stairs in two bounds, and in front of Paul's door with the third.
Cream rushed through the door and found Paul where he had fell, lying in a puddle of blood. Cream did not remember crossing the room, or scooping Paul in to her lap. She just found him there. He was very pale and very unresponsive.
"Paul! Paul! Please wake up! I'm here now please just open your eyes." Cream whimpered as she sobbed.
Still Paul didn't move. Quickly she fished her cell phone out of her pants pocket and for the first time, truly cursed herself for wearing too tight of shorts. Once out of her pocket though she dialed 9-1-1.
"9-1-1 emergency services this is Jenny what, is your emergency?"
"Officer Jenny, yes, my boy friend has collapsed in his bedroom and I need an ambulance immediately." Cream sobbed hysterically in to her phone.
Cream heard some tapping that could only be the officers' fingers flying over a key board.
"An ambulance is on the way. What I need you to do is take a few deep breaths and tell me what happened."
"We were arguing during a vid-message and he said his head was hurting, and when he got up to get some aspirin he collapsed. He has a family history of really bad headaches."
"Okay sweetie, are you in the house with the open door?"
"Yes."
"The paramedics are there, are you down stairs or up stairs?"
"Up, his room is at the end of the hall."
"Okay sweetie, they are on their way up. Do you know where his parents are?"
"They are at work." Cream rattled off the information as fast as she could just as two guys came in with med packs.
"They are here now."
"Okay what is your name Dear."
"My name is Cream."
"Cream listen up, I want you to go with the paramedics and answer their questions as good as you've answered mine. I'll call his parents and have them meet you at the hospital."
Cream ended the call and relinquished Paul to the paramedics. It was at that time that her adrenalin finally gave out, and a sick queasiness filled her. Cream once again found her self crying.
"So I asked Ela to the dance this morning."
Blake gave him a sideways glance and went back to taking pictures.
"So I heard."
Paul snapped a few shots before he talked again.
"Is that all you're going to say?"
"About what?"
"Anything. Me asking her out, Luca and Cream giving me the cold shoulder all day, you guys disappearing during lunch. Anything."
Blake heaved a deep sigh and snapped a few more pictures.
"Man I hope you know what you're doing is all I've got to say. Ela is beautiful, I'll grant her that. But she hides a lot."
"Like what?"
"Like the fact that she and the rest of her friends and family for that matter can barely tolerate humans. Like how she has banked on her good looks and cleverness to position her self in rolls of power and prestige. Like how she hates your best friend."
Paul thought about this.
"And what about Cream?"
"I'm not at liberty to say."
"But you do know what's going on."
"More or less."
Blake held up a hand to fore stall any further questions.
"Look man this is truly some thing your going to have to figure out on your own. I can't help you. Other wise you will have learned nothing."
Paul knew that Blake was like that too. He liked to point people towards the answers and see how long it takes them to come to the same conclusion.
"Any advice?"
"Keep your eyes, and your mind open."
"That's really helpful."
"I thought so."
With that they both went back to taking pictures. When school was done Paul waited for Cream at the front of the school. He really wanted to get things with her worked out. But when two hours passed and Cream didn't show Paul left angry and even more confused. For a second night in a row the two eighteen year olds had difficulties sleeping because a familiar presence was missing from each others beds.
The Rest of the Week
If either one thought that Monday had been hard, Tuesday was even worse. Following Lucas advice Cream went out of her way to avoid Paul. When ever he would get close to her she would turn her back to him. When ever he tried to touch her she would shrug him off. On the rare occasion he got to say anything to her, her answers were short, to the point, and very impersonal. The mental anguish tore them apart almost as much as if they were physically beating the crap out of each other.
After school Paul cut class early so he could catch Cream on the way home. They argued. Paul's concern for his friend grew exponentially. They had never been this cold to each other much less argued.
"What do you want from me?" Paul pleaded.
"What have I done to make you so mad at me?"
Cream gave him a very hurt look.
"If you haven't figured it out Paul than there is no hope for us."
Paul actually had to force himself to shut his mouth. Leveling his stare at Cream he just heaved a deep sigh, hung his head and walked away. Cream watched heart-broken as Paul walked away. She watched as he brought a hand to his brow and rubbed, his steps faltering in the process. Cream knew those signs all too well and made to run after Paul to help him, to forgive him and tell him what was wrong. But Luca placed a hand on her shoulder and prevented her from running after Paul.
That night Cream sat in front of her computer all night waiting to see if Paul would jump on and try to talk to her. But as the night went on and Paul didn't come on Cream got even more worried. What she didn't know was that as soon as Paul had gotten home he had gone to bed, his head had hurt that much.
Wednesday was the worst yet. Paul arrived to school an hour late and was as white as a ghost. His head was killing him, but he had to see Cream. But he had no morning classes with her. As the lunch hour approached though Paul could not see straight and had his mom come and get him. Cream watched as Paul was helped to the family car and driven away. Cream wasn't even aware that Luca had joined her on the front steps. Neither one had noticed Ela was also on the steps with them.
"Hey slut-bunny where did my man go?"
Both Cream and Luca spun around to see Ela and her group of friends standing right behind them.
"He went home sick." Luca replied for Cream who was still watching the car fad away in the distance.
"I wasn't talking to you bitch, I was talking to the slut-bunny."
Luca was about to say something, but Cream beat her to the punch, literally. Cream spun around and slapped Ela across her smug face as hard as she could. Ela recoiled holding her cheek. Ela's friends were about to attack Cream when Ela stopped them.
"That is enough."
Ela turned back to Cream and glared her right in the eyes.
"I'll give you that one slut-bunny. But know this your man is now my man, and I won't give him up that easily."
"He isn't your man, you'll see."
With that Cream went back into the school to get her bag. She gave her mom a call to see if she would come and get her so she could go and see Paul. However her mother told her no that she needed to stay at school. She promised she would call over to Paul's and see how he was doing, and text her the results.
It didn't take long for her mother to text her back telling her that Paul was just having one of his really bad headaches and was at home resting. The rest of the day crawled by at an agonizing pace. As soon as class was done Cream quickly dumped her books and rushed over to Paul's. When she got there she was greeted at the door by Paul's mom.
"Mrs. Timmons how is Paul doing?"
"He is still sleeping Dear."
Cream was instantly crest fallen.
"Can I see him?"
"I don't think so Dear. You guys have been fighting as of late and I don't want his headache getting any worse. I'll have him call you when he wakes up."
Cream could only hang her head and nod. Slowly she made her way home. More and more she was regretting not telling Paul right away what had bothered her. And even more so she was regretting ignoring Paul.
When she got home her parents had already left for work. Cream knew that her mother had made dinner and it was waiting for her in the refrigerator, but she wasn't hungry. Instead she grabbed a glass of water and went to her room. Once there she sat heavily in her computer chair and just stared at her monitor. She watched with a vacant expression on her face as her picture slide show continued to cycle through her photo file.
She watched as the pictures slid by, each one showing her a different moment from her life when things hadn't been so complicated. She watched as a picture of the four of them at the beach enjoying a picnic lunch. It was replaced by a picture of Luca and herself at last years Halloween party. They had gone dressed as an angel and a devil, Paul had helped her make her wings. After that was picture taken a few years ago at Thanksgiving, Paul was accepting a bite of pie from her.
Each new picture was another violent slap in the face. She should be with Paul right now, like she was supposed to be. If she had been than he wouldn't have such a bad headache right now. If she had been open and told Paul how she truly felt, they both would not be suffering now. Cream looked at her monitor again and was shown a picture taken just this last Christmas. It was once again Paul and her self. Paul was wearing the sweater that she had gotten him, and she was wearing the bracelet he had gotten her. It was a very simple picture, Paul was in the fore ground and she was standing behind him, arms gently draped around his shoulders and neck. Their fore heads were touching, their eyes were locked on each other, and they were smiling deeply at each other.
Cream couldn't stand it any more and buried her face into her hands and started bawling uncontrollably. Where had it all gone wrong? Why was she sitting here feeling sorry for her self, and why was the man she loved more than any thing else laying in his bed alone and suffering. Why couldn't she just come right out and say how she felt. If she had none of this would be happening right now. A small chime from her computer let her know that some one was trying to start a video conversation with her.
Cream was expecting it to be Luca trying to find out what was going on. Instead she was greeted by the sight of Paul's icon. Quickly she attached her microphone to her collar and aimed her webcam at her self and accepted the video chat. When Paul's image came into focus he was very pale and disheveled.
"Cream, what's up, you look terrible."
Cream could see that Paul was still suffering his headache. She desperately wanted to go to him. She burned to be by him.
"You don't look so good either."
Paul gave a weak chuckle.
"Is that why you wanted to see me?"
"No its not, I am worried about you."
"Why?"
Cream was taken back.
"What do you mean why?" Cream asked more than a little upset.
"Why are you worried about me now? I've been trying to talk to you since Monday and you have blown me off."
"I'm worried about you because you are my best friend, and I know your suffering greatly."
"I'm suffering because of you! I've been trying to figure out what I did so terribly wrong on Sunday night that you lied to me and than have ignored me, pushed me away, and given me the cold shoulder for the last three days!"
"It's not what you did Sunday night, it's what you did Monday morning that has me upset!"
"What?! What did I do? I can't figure it out!"
"If you can't figure it out why should I tell you? You..."
Paul held up a hand to silence her, he had grown whiter.
"My head is killing me, can we please, please, please, please stop fighting. I just want to sort this out. I can't stand..."
It was Creams turn to silence him.
"Fine, go and get some aspirin and we can continue with cooler heads."
Paul took his microphone off his shirt collar and stood up to go and get his meds. However Paul didn't even take one step away from his computer before he fell over holding his head. Cream shot to her feet, as if looking at her monitor at a different angle would let her see into Paul's room better.
"Paul?"
No answer.
"Paul?"
Still no answer.
"This isn't even remotely funny."
Nothing.
Absolute horror washed over Cream. Before she had completely comprehended what she was doing Cream had grabbed her keys to Paul's house and fled from hers. She ran with all her might, but the two blocks that separated their houses had never been longer. What took her less than two minutes felt like two hours. She felt like she was running through a Ditto. Of course when she did get to his front door her fingers refused to co-operate and she fumbled with the key. It was the only damn key on the ring. Once the door was open she didn't even bother closing it. She was up the stairs in two bounds, and in front of Paul's door with the third.
Cream rushed through the door and found Paul where he had fell, lying in a puddle of blood. Cream did not remember crossing the room, or scooping Paul in to her lap. She just found him there. He was very pale and very unresponsive.
"Paul! Paul! Please wake up! I'm here now please just open your eyes." Cream whimpered as she sobbed.
Still Paul didn't move. Quickly she fished her cell phone out of her pants pocket and for the first time, truly cursed herself for wearing too tight of shorts. Once out of her pocket though she dialed 9-1-1.
"9-1-1 emergency services this is Jenny what, is your emergency?"
"Officer Jenny, yes, my boy friend has collapsed in his bedroom and I need an ambulance immediately." Cream sobbed hysterically in to her phone.
Cream heard some tapping that could only be the officers' fingers flying over a key board.
"An ambulance is on the way. What I need you to do is take a few deep breaths and tell me what happened."
"We were arguing during a vid-message and he said his head was hurting, and when he got up to get some aspirin he collapsed. He has a family history of really bad headaches."
"Okay sweetie, are you in the house with the open door?"
"Yes."
"The paramedics are there, are you down stairs or up stairs?"
"Up, his room is at the end of the hall."
"Okay sweetie, they are on their way up. Do you know where his parents are?"
"They are at work." Cream rattled off the information as fast as she could just as two guys came in with med packs.
"They are here now."
"Okay what is your name Dear."
"My name is Cream."
"Cream listen up, I want you to go with the paramedics and answer their questions as good as you've answered mine. I'll call his parents and have them meet you at the hospital."
Cream ended the call and relinquished Paul to the paramedics. It was at that time that her adrenalin finally gave out, and a sick queasiness filled her. Cream once again found her self crying.