The Trials of That Thing We Call Love

Chapter 4

It had only been a couple of weeks since Abigail and Cassidy made the pledge to each other that they would use one another to better each other's life, and to the surprise of them both, it was working.

Abigail had reached out to her mother. They had been talking daily, almost like they never stopped. She had also reached out to her childhood best friends, Elizabeth and Maxine, who chose to break Abigail off from their group in order to save themselves from the inevitable heartbreak that would come from the relationship with Abigail's ex.

As much as they had moved on, and as much as Abigail had harbored anger towards them for the words they had spoken on her relationship (and then not reachinging out when they found out they were right, when she had no one), that anger had passed with one conversation. As soon as the three had entered a room, even with as many reservations as they all had it was like a weight had been lifted from each of them. They were whole again, and for the other two to have this moment, to see Abigail not only alive but happy, words couldn't describe what it meant to them. As for Abigail herself, to see her best friends had grown all while being the same as she left them was like walking into a time capsule.

But that was a good thing, change is good. So is familiarity.

Abigail even had a plan. She was going to not only mend fences but take back the life she'd missed out on. With that came a fresh start.

In a turn of events, not only did Cassidy still have his best friends in school, but they got in because he had family in the applications department. He was well liked amongst those in his family who still talked to him, so he was able to flex some of that charm of his. He explained her situation and at 24, better late than never, Abigail was officially a college student and on her way to proving herself and to her dream job, whatever that may be. A lot had changed since she'd last thought about it, so she thought she'd figure that part out as her journey carried on.

Cassidy had launched Abigail to the new heights he knew she would surpass. As for him, well, he kept putting it off, and putting it off, and, of course, putting it off. However, him being such a procrastinator led to Abigail, being the good friend she was, to maybe have put a plan in place so that he couldn't just push his life off forever.

A plan that included talking to the aforementioned family member of his, getting him enrolled in classes as well, and getting a special arrangement made for him to be in a three person rooming agreement with his best friends; the ones that he still hadn't made contact with. Abigail felt like a sneaky bitch but it was for his own good and they did say it was up to the other to lift them up, so she felt completely justified. However, she didn't really know how to break the news, so she was going to wait until the day before and kinda unload it all at once, but hey, that's what friends are for.

And so, the time had come. Everyone had been informed of the life plans and the fall semester started Monday, but moving day was tomorrow. Abigail did one more thing to assure that he couldn't say no, and because she knew he wouldn't drop the cool guy act, she was arguably, well maybe not even arguably, she wasn't only manipulating him into a new life and making him face his problems head-on she had the deck so stacked that she's not allowed in a 50 mile radius of a casino out of fear she'd stacked those decks, too.

But was she exploiting a trusted thing he'd told her in confidence? It wasn't in a hurtful or bad way, she tried justifying herself. At least not in her mind. She believed it would be for the best and everything would turn out fine. Everything happens for a reason, she thought to herself, sometimes you just have to push the plot along yourself.

So, what did Abigail decide to do? Nothing other than announce a going away party for her that her new best friend decided to join, so that they could both have a fresh start and he could watch over her and reconnect with his best friends like she did with hers. In shock and with everyone cheering him on for being the perfect best friend, he held up his drink in a sign of cheers while internally he was thinking, I wish I would have left her at the bar. A side comment from the part of his brain that clearly wanted more than a friendship said, all this work and trouble for a girl I'm not even fucking. What the hell is wrong with me?

He shook that off quickly and settled on the, I should have left her at the bar feeling while still trying to shake that champion of sucking dick comment she had made so long ago out of his mind. Friends, he thought to himself, we are friends and you don't have to put your dick in every pretty girl you see, even if she is the most beautiful and the sweetest and you love her. And fuck, he thought, I guess I'm going to college. Hey, at least I will be right by her side, bunk mates. But bunks can be pushed together... I need to fucking stop.

His inner monolouge continued as her argued with himself. He didn't know why tonight of all nights he was so focused on her sexually. That wasn't like him. Luckily he prevailed and shook it off.

The party wrapped up and he had a good time, as did she. It meant a lot to her that he just went with it, even when she knew that he knew she'd stacked the deck. She knew he truly cared and she knew that he knew she did it with his best interest in mind. Even past that, they both knew it meant they would still be together and that was love. Neither of them had ever known maybe it was, even why the hormones were off the chart when prior to this. Sex had never been on the table.

The world can all agree that there's nothing in the world a person finds more attractive than a selfless act of love. However selfish this act may have been on paper, despite a tone of we need to talk about this the whole time at the party, both had accepted it and they were ready to have fun. That was, until after the long night and they got back to their apartment. She had moved in, 'a downgrade from the park' she had joked, because she had more square feet there, but it was only that: a joke. This place had become home.

It was in that moment that it started setting in to both of them. They were about to leave their home, without the party goers, without the adrenaline pushing them and keeping them going, without having a moment to think about it. The realization sat in that this was a day where everything was about to change.

Tomorrow was the start of a new life, and for better or worse, by choice or not, it was happening and they were both scared. It's why Cassidy had always put it off, trying to delay it from ever happening. It's why Abigail had put it in place for Cassidy to go and be at her side.

Change is good, but so is familiarity.