Thinking of You... (Chase and Open)

Sterling had started to make a habit of sitting on the dock alone, letting his legs dangle off the end every time he was distraught about something. Right now it was about Chase.

They had broke up... he had to accept that. But it was still hard... to see her when he passed in the hall, surrounded by her adoring fans, being coddled by Jesse. Every time he saw it it made his heart sink and he couldn't focus on anything he was trying to study or anybody he tried to talk to for hours at a time. He decided not to fight it this time. He just retreated to the dock. He was debating just letting his body go limp and fall in... maybe the shock of the freezing cold water would awake him from the dreamlike confused state he was in. He was staring into its depths, debating...

Chase was singing loudly, an MP3 stuck into her ears. "Oh e Oh oh e oh!"She hummed along. She spun in a circle, her short fluffy skirt flying out around her. Jesse had just taken her on a date and it was the most amazing thing she had ever done. She laughed and spun around by herself walking to the lake. Then she saw someone sitting all alone on the docks. She would have to fix that! Not knowing who it was she plopped down onto the dock beside him. "Hey stranger!"She said turning to face the boy. "OH! Hi Sterling!"She exclaimed and hugged him. "Long time no see!"

Sterling's heart jumped a fluttered when he saw Chase. What were the odds? He leaned into the hug gratefully. He gestured toward her MP3. "How is that working?" he asked, having remembered that it said in Hogwarts, A History that electronic devices didn't work in Hogwarts.

He felt his old exhilleration and excitement when he was around Chase. An involuntary smile raised itself on his face. He was happy again. There were half a million things he wanted to say to her... things he had imagined saying to her, but now that she was here, his mind was wiped blank, as if every single thing that had happened since their last encounter hadn't mattered nor happened at all.

"There are certain spells you can do to make it work, like the spells you put on you're watch."She said smiling. "It works with the magic, not against it!"She said laughing throwing her head back like it was the funniest thing in the world. "How are you?"She asked smiling at him. He always looked so happy when she saw him, it just made her happy that he was happy without her. She smiled at him and started to bounce up and down. "I love this song!"She said smiling at him. She put her hand on his shoulder and grinned. "I haven't seen you around much!"She laughed.

Sterling was about to say Really? Because I see you all the time... but didn't, because he didn't want to come off as some kind of obsessed stalker, so he just smiled feebly when she mentioned. His heart melted when she laughed... she had such an adorable full body laugh.

He took one of the earbuds out of her ear and placed it in his own. The song was fast and upbeat... exciting... it fit Chase perfectly. Sterling smiled and started bouncing along to the rhythm.

Chase laughed and hugged him. "You're so much fun to talk to Sterling!"She said smiling at him. "I'm so glad we're friends!"She said laughing. "Are you ok?"She asked looking at him. "You don't look to happy!"She said shaking her head.

Sterling stopped bouncing to the music. Didn't he? He was never as happy away from Chase as he was with her... but now she was saying he always looked happy when she saw him and now he didn't? He was a little confused. He laughed a little. "Yeah, friends." he said.

Chase looked at him startled. He seemed so down, so unhappy. "Are you ok?"She asked putting her hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him and patted his shoulder. "You always seem so happy, well sometimes, sometimes you're like, unhappy."She said looking at him. "How are you and Cat doing?"She asked looking him in the eyes.

Sterling shrugged at the last comment. "Okay, I guess." he said. The truth was, he was starting to think she didn't have any feelings for him at all and he was just overworking himself... kidding himself. "We're still just friends." he said.

"And I'm happy, I pinky promise." he said, offering her his little finger while smiling.

Chase shook her head and hugged him again. "You don't look to happy at the moment."She said looking him in the eyes. She tilted her head down to look at him through her eyelashes. Like that would help, but she thought he needed at least a little attention.