| �Pretend With Me� Chapter 1 February 27, 2000 � 12:59am *Ring Ring* �Hello,� Crystal asked groggily into the phone. �Hello?� �Crystal,� A deep male voice said. �I need you.� �Lance,� Crystal said sitting up in bed wide-awake. �What�s wrong? What happened? Are okay?� �Well�� Lance hesitated. �I just want you to hold me and to be there for me tomorrow. Is that okay with you?� Crystal smiled to herself and listened to him breath for about 10 seconds or so until she snapped out of it. �Yes,� She finally said. �Do you want me to come over there?� �Please,� Lance begged. �I really need you�� �I�m on my way,� Crystal said hanging up the phone. Crystal flung her legs over the side of her double bed into the cold air of her still white room. She carried herself to the bathroom and turned the light on. Her eyes adjusted to the light as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a total mess as were her sheets on the bed. �Bad Dream,� Crystal said out-load and she brushed her hair back into a bun and she held it together with a big clip. �Get it together, Crystal. Why don�t I just move in with him?� Crystal threw a pair of wind pants in her duffel bad with a small blue short sleeved shirt that was kind of big on the chest area. She put an extra pair of underwear and an extra bra in along with a set of socks. She put her toothbrush and hairbrush in a bag with her toothpaste and hair ties. She put her running shoes on and grabbed her bag and keys. The night air was crisp and cool. Her Maroon Jetta was parked under the pine tree and she unlocked it and threw her bag in on the passenger seat. Crystal slowed when she saw 2 pairs of eyes on the side of the road. She continued slowly making sure that the mother and baby deer didn�t cross in her path. Heavy fog lay on the road like a hen on her eggs. It was about 20 minutes after Lance had called that Crystal pulled into his driveway to see his lights on. Crystal parked the car in the garage and headed up the stairs to his kitchen door. Lance smiled to himself. The movie he wanted to watch was in the VCR and ready to go. He heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. �Crystal,� Lance said taking her duffel bag as Crystal put her purse on the table next to her. �Thanks for coming angel.� �Least I could do for my best friend,� Crystal said as she fell into Lance�s arms. �Are you okay?� As Crystal spoke, she blew a little hot breath on Lance�s bare neck. It sent shivers down Lance�s spine. Nobody had ever had this kind of effect on him before. He shook of the feeling and took Crystal�s hand. He led her upstairs to his bedroom and he left her alone so she could get situated while he got a glass of water. Crystal climbed into Lance�s king sized bed and looked at 3 pictures in a golden metal frame on Lance�s bedside table. All 3 had something to do with Crystal. One taken of just Crystal on a couch at his mom�s house. One of Lance, Crystal and Winnie the Pooh at Disney world about 5 months ago. The last one was just Lance and Crystal. It was taken on the beach at sunset. Lance�s one arm was around Crystal�s neck while the other was around her waist being held by one of her own hands. Crystal had tears in her eyes when she remembered that special day. Warm sun, cool breeze, ocean front property for one week and Lance was all to Crystal. No working, no nothing. |