Urge for New York

Chase smiled. "Remember this?" She asked softly holding out the rock to him. "I polished it." She said softly holding it out to him. "And.. carry it around." She said her cheeks going red. "I mean.. you were a big part of my life, and it's really the only thing I have from you to remind me.." She said softly. "Sometimes I need reminding, you know how I get.." She said laughing. "I forget things easily." She smiled at him and pulled the rock back to her chest, her finger tracing the side.

Sterling pulled out the much smaller pinkish purple rock she had given to him and blushed likewise. "I really don't think I could forget you if I tried," he said as he clutched the stone in his fist.

Sterling felt infinitely awkward in the situation... he was sure people would be staring at them if they could see them. Not to mention, he hadn't really been alone with Chase since he'd started going out with Catalina...

Chase smiled at him for a long moment and then shook her head. "You know, I do know that this is awkward." She said softly staring at him. "Sterling.." She stopped and shook her head. Then without thinking she reached over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I still want to be you're friend." She said staring at him hard in the eyes trying to show what she meant.

Sterling stiffened at the touch of her lips. He couldn't deny... it felt good... really good. "Yeah... friends..." he said dismissively. He inadvertently touched his cheek on the spot. He shook his head as though trying to rid water from his ear, although in reality trying to rid the thoughts that were arising from his head. He scooted a little farther away, then offered her a hand for a handshake, smiling. "Yeah, friends." he said.

Then he lowered his head sadly. "Why... why did you leave me? I mean... what did I do wrong?" he asked. He had been incessantly wondering that... and this situation was already awkward, why not make it more so?

Chase looked at him for a long moment and then shook her head. "Sterling.." She said softly. "These days, I have no idea why I did anything." She said shaking her head and pulling her knees to her chest on the rock she rested her forehead against her knees. "Every moment of everyday I'm stuck thinking back on why I did what I did, and I.. I honestly don't know." She whispered not looking at him.

Chase sighed and stared at her hands in her lap, the rock in the hand. "I just don't know Sterling." She said softly gripping the rock in her hand letting it fall out of view behind her normal pale skin.

Sterling looked down at his knees, feeling hot eventual tears stinging the corners of his eyes. He wouldn't let them leak... he started blinking quickly to keep them at bay. He tried to keep his voice as steady as he could. "So just no reason? You were bored?" he said. On the last word, his voice cracked. He lowered his head even further, ashamed it had done so.

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. He had never believed it from the beginning and it turned out he was right. It was too good to be true. Fortunately, the unfortunate turn of events actually turned out for the better. He had an awesome girl as a friend, and the perfect girl as a girlfriend...

Chase shook her head looking up at him. "I did not get bored Sterling!"She said angrily. "How can.. how can you even think that? Is that how you see me? Someone who just cheats because I'm bored!" She suddenly felt her hands start to shake. "But..you're right, but not for you." She said softly.

"I loved you Sterling." She said her voice cracking. "I was not bored with you." She whispered feeling those familiar tears leak down her face. "I hate that I hurt you, and it hurts to know that... you actually think that of me." She said softly. "Even though.. you're right, I cheat on Jesse... with Danny Valantine, because I hadn't seen Jesse for a while." She whispered tears trickling down her face.

She felt horrible and she clutched her stomach holding the stone tight. "I almost lost Jesse, and it made me realize how so very right you were about me.. I am a slut." She whispered.

A hot tear trickled down the side of Sterling face. No... No, Chase wasn't supposed to cry! "No... no, Chase..." he said sympathetically. He scooted back toward her hand held her hand firmly in his to comfort her. "No... you're not... I didn't mean any of those things I said that day... I'm so sorry..." he said. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

"Don't cry... please..." he said, running a finger through her hair as he used to do so often. He looked away from her for a fraction of a second and caught sight of something large, black and round... upon further examination, he realized it was a camera lens. They had both been oblivious to it... Click! it took a picture of Chase's tear streaked face, and Sterling looking into the camera lens, surprised and still a trace of his sympathy for Chase in the shot.

Sterling pulled out his wand, not even bothering to take the Trace off of himself as he knew how, and simply said "Reducto!" the camera exploded on the spot. Seething with anger, Sterling followed up with [i]"Depulso!"[i] the paparazzi went flying backward away from them. Sterling didn't really know how to handle the situation... He grabbed Chase's hand. "Let's go." he said in a business-like tone... anger frothing more powerful than his sympathy.

Chase shook her head when he came closer and grabbed her hand. "But you were right.." She whispered looking up at him startled when he kissed her cheek. Then he was shouting spells at something in the bushes and grabbing her hand pulled her to her feet. "What was it? What happened?" She asked spinning around and seeing someone with a broken camera. "Oh Merlin's beard!" She yelped and jumping down from the rock she held onto Sterling's hand and walked away.

"I am so sorry Sterling." She whispered her hands shaking. "I know somewhere we can talk if you still want to talk to me." She said softly. "And we won't have to worry about stupid paparazzi. "

Sterling squeezed her hand a little tighter and started sprinting back toward her car, dragging her along behind him. "Well... that was a bit of a buzz kill," he said matter-of-factly.