Title: Dark Shadows
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Characters: Fran Callahan, Nathan Davis, Leslie Callahan
Prompt: 037. Sound
Word Count: 949
Rating: PG
Type: Series: 24 of 33
Summary: Fran goes home and the sounds of the present take her back to the past.
Warnings: Brief Language
“Yeah, that’s all…for now.”
Fran exhaled as Nathan’s voice ran over and over through her thoughts, that sly grin vivid in her memory. She had an idea what else he wanted to discuss and just the thought of it made it hard for her to breathe. Why couldn’t they just stay good friends? Anything more would just complicate things and she knew what a risk it would be to admit to him she had any feelings for him other than platonic.
Did she have other feelings for him? No, they were just very close, nearly lifelong friends. At least that’s what she told herself. The memory of him brushing his finger against her cheek that day in his office, simply tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear, why would such a simple gesture cause her stomach to knot and make her pulse race? She knew the answer.
She walked along the sidewalk to her apartment and literally groaned aloud, receiving some strange looks from a passerby. She could care less, she barely noticed the man she was so lost in thought. Why did she have to have feelings for him now? Why, why, why? Things were great with Chaz, sure they had arguments but nothing to make her want to end it. He had been so good to her, she couldn’t just drop him like a bad habit and ride off with Nate into the sunset.
She took the elevator up to her floor, feeling confused, scared and most of all…alone. She overheard the neighbor’s two children playing in their apartment, the sound of laughter as they chased one another filled the small hallway.
Squinting her eyes, she thought of a time when that was her and Nathan, playing until dark in her backyard, chasing fireflies, tossing around a football.
She heard the boy shout as she opened her door, “Ha ha! I got you, I win!”
She laughed as she had heard it before, a long time ago but she still remembered those summer nights as if they were yesterday, the best years of her life.
“Tag, I win!” Nathan yelled as he tagged her just as she was about to reach the tree they had made the base.
“Ugh! You always win! I’m done with this game.” Fran pouted as she flopped down on the grass. She felt too old to play anyway if she were truthful, but he could always con her into almost anything.
He sat down next to her, looking up at the sky, a brilliant pink and orange sunset covering its vast space. “Hey Frannie,”
“Yeah?”
“What do you want to do when you grow up?”
She thought a moment, her father’s constant reminder of what she couldn’t do always in the back of her mind. “I guess I want to be a model.”
“Oh. That’s cool. I know what I’m gonna be, a cop just like my dad.”
“Yeah…” her voice trailed off, she could have guessed that’s what he would want to do, if only she could convince her father it’s what she wanted too, maybe someday he would let her.
Her mother Leslie broke the silence, calling them in for dinner. As they walked side by side, Nate tagged her shoulder and ran ahead, “You’re it!”
“Hey, no fair!”
Fran laughed to herself at the memory, her apartment a stark contrast, cold and empty. Chaz was working, she would be alone for a few more days while he finished his long shift. The thoughts of Nathan brought a smile to her face, that was what she loved about him. He could always make her laugh, knew what buttons to push to get a rise out of her, knew what made her uneasy and worst of all, what made her cry.
“God, why can’t I stop thinking about you, damn it!” She sat down at her dining table and buried her head in her arms, letting out another sigh, she had let out so many since seeing him at her office, she had lost count.
The tears came, against her will. She was trying so hard to push him out of her mind but somehow he just kept coming back. That didn’t make it any easier, the fear of ruining their friendship loomed over her constantly. She couldn’t bear to think of losing him, she didn’t want to imagine a life where he wasn’t there to lean on, to laugh with, to share things with. He had been her best friend for as long as she could remember and now it felt as if it hung in the air by a thin thread, threatening to be severed at any moment.
At some point, she knew they would have to deal with whatever it was that was happening, she could tell he was reaching the end of his patience to wait. But there was no way she could make the outcome good in her mind, if she let him know how she felt, even if she could put it into words, that would be awkward enough. If he accepted her feelings, and they tried to have some sort of relationship, what happened when things didn’t work? She would never see him again, there’s no way they could go back the way things used to be. Was she willing to take that chance? Was he?
She groaned and went upstairs, cursing the next door children for triggering such a frustrating train of thought. She ran a hot bath, lit some candles, climbed in and let the tears flow. If only her father were here to tell her what to do. If only Nate hadn’t started looking at her differently, if only…
Friday, October 14, 2011
037. Sound
11 comments:
OMG BEST UPDATE EVER!!! Thank you Emily :D
Sorry, I got overexcited..
To clarify, the shots are amazing especially the shots of Fran and Nate as kids, and an amazing confession of feelings from Fran <3
Looking forward to some more romantic bits and maybe an encounter with the killer!
Take care :)
What a perfect use for this prompt! I love how you contrasted the childhood shots with the present. The difference between the warmth of the summer day, of the childhood memories compared to the colder more stark present was wonderful.
It is a very complicated and difficult decision to go from friends to more than friends. She is right - you can't go back. Wonderful insight into these two.
Youmna, thank you! I love the first comment, made me laugh! You're welcome. :)
I was so excited to take a breather and really let Fran's thoughts and feelings take center for a change, I realized I haven't exactly spent a lot of time clarifying how she feels about Nate.
No spoiler but your wish is granted! That was easy, huh? The killer is coming up again, next part!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment and for reading!
Gayl, thank you! This part got completely changed, I had written something else but decided to take it out, it did not fit at all.
Great observation of the contrast, it's exactly what I wanted to show, her uneasiness surrounding him but the warmth he brings her she can't deny.
Yeah, it is a huge decision and the main reason for her holding back, she would hate to ruin things between them and what an uncomfortable conversation that would be!
Thank you so much for reading and leaving a comment, I always appreciate it!
Wonderfully done Em!
Finally she actually admits feeling something.
Insecurity about Nath and her feelings mixed with his feelings, 1+1= ?, but hey, at least it's something.
(Okay that sentence twisted my head a bit, I hope the meaning came across)
That's the first step: Admitting! Let's see how she deals with the rest of it.
PS: Love Little Frannie And Nath!
What a fantastic use of the prompt!
I love this. I love the flashback, both for the difference in tone, the nostalgia, the slight melancholy, even the way you use the warmer lighting to point out how cold Fran's place is in contrast. It's beautifully done.
She's pretty much down for the count, though. She's in love with Nathan and there's not much she can do about it. All the guilt and regret and 'if only' in the world won't fix it.
Beautifully, beautifully done.
She finally admitted she has feelings for Nathan.
The way you described the guilt she felt and the pain is just beautiful. The happy memories of her and Nathan (they were so cute btw) were also enough to confuse her.
Just wonderful. Great job, Em.
Jean Marie, yes finally! It is a small step in the right direction but the end result is scary for her, trying out a relationship has absolutely no guarantees!
Thank you so much for reading, glad you enjoyed it!
S.B., thank you! I really enjoyed showing more into Fran's thoughts and emotions, this story is going by so fast I don't feel like everyone is getting to know the characters like I do.
Ha ha, down for the count! Yep. Whether she likes it or not, it is there!
Thank you. *blushing*
RedRose, finally, I know! She tried to suppress it for a while but this is something that is not going to go away.
They were cute, weren't they? I really wanted to show more of their past relationship to help everyone understand the current situation, it's very awkward to see your BFF in a new way like that!
Thank you for reading and leaving a comment, I appreciate it so much!
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