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("Footprints")Tj
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(Episode #262)Tj
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(Previously ...)Tj
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(- Jason was floored when Courtney announced that she is going to skate w\
ith Dylan )Tj
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(Carrington. He questioned how she could toss away their history together\
, but she )Tj
T*
(countered that he already did that by keeping so many secrets from her.)Tj
T*
(- After learning from Diane that Molly and Brent were dining together at\
Windmills, Sarah )Tj
T*
(confronted her sister at work and vowed not to be made a fool. Molly lat\
er discussed the )Tj
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(situation with her boss, Camille Lemieux, who urged her not to give up i\
f Brent truly )Tj
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(makes her happy.)Tj
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(- Diane and Sarah reconciled, then made a pact to face the lingering iss\
ues in their lives: )Tj
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(Sarah's uncertainty over Matt's past and Diane's mysterious break from B\
rian.)Tj
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(CASCADE RIDGE APARTMENTS)Tj
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(Jason fingers the key again as he stands in the open doorway, drinking i\
n the naked )Tj
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(apartment. )Tj
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(His)Tj
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( naked apartment. Not for long, though: The clean white of the walls and\
)Tj
T*
(the subdued beige of the carpet are just calling out to be furnished, to\
have someone's )Tj
T*
(life breathed into them, and he's more than happy to oblige. Excited, ac\
tually.)Tj
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("Dude, I cannot believe this place is ours!" he exclaims, eyes still rov\
ing all over the )Tj
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(place.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("I know!" comes Alex's response from the kitchen. Jason hears a few cupb\
oards open and )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(close and smiles at the knowledge that Alex must be as pumped about this\
as he is.)Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("We gotta go shopping for furniture and stuff really soon," Jason calls \
back. )Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Yeah, I'm really, really excited about all that stuff," Alex says as he\
emerges from the )Tj
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(kitchen. He walks to the middle of the small dining area, where a chande\
lier is hanging )Tj
T*
(from the ceiling, just waiting to have a table beneath it. "This is so a\
wesome! I can't )Tj
T*
(believe we have our own place.")Tj
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("It's gonna be really annoying to sleep at my parents' house for the nex\
t couple of days, )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(knowing that this place is just sitting here.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
(Alex nods vigorously. "Yeah, I am dying to get out of that apartment wit\
h my mom. )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(Especially since she's got that boyfriend over all the time now.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("We should totally just camp out here with, like, sleeping bags or somet\
hing. At least for )Tj
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(one night before we get moved in. It'd be funny.")Tj
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(He can tell that Alex likes the idea. "Count me in. Even though that mak\
es us huge )Tj
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(dorks.")Tj
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("Huge dorks with our own apartment!" Jason cries out as a huge grin spre\
ads over his )Tj
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(face. He turns and heads down the short hallway to the bedrooms, turning\
in at the one )Tj
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(on the right. This one's going to be his. Even though the other one has \
an adjoining )Tj
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(bathroom, it doesn't really matter. He's just as happy to let Alex have \
that one. His )Tj
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(fingers still wrapped around the key, he studies appreciatively the plac\
e that he'll now be )Tj
T*
(able to call home.)Tj
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(He hears Alex's footsteps coming down the hallway and, in a moment, his \
new roommate )Tj
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(joins him in the entrance to the bedroom. "This is so awesome, huh?" Ale\
x asks.)Tj
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(Jason doesn't turn as he answers, still too busy gazing around the room.\
"Hell yeah. I )Tj
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(cannot )Tj
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(wait)Tj
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( to get moved in!" He shuffles over to the closet and opens it up, again\
)Tj
T*
(surveying it as he considers what will go where.)Tj
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("Maybe this sounds weird, but ... don't you love how, like, fresh this w\
hole place feels? )Tj
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(Like we get to have this whole new beginning and start a new chapter her\
e?")Tj
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(Now Jason shifts his attention to his friend. "Yeah, I guess you're righ\
t.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Alex shrugs. "I dunno, I get really excited about stuff like that. Fresh\
starts are so nice. )Tj
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(It's just such a cool idea -- even if you can't really ever just start f\
rom scratch.")Tj
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("But we can damn well try! I think a fresh start is exactly what I need,\
after that bomb )Tj
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(Courtney dropped on me before.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("I don't know if this helps," Alex says after a pause that Jason is sure\
feels very heavy to )Tj
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(both of them, "but maybe you should look at that as a fresh beginning fo\
r your skating. )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(Don't think of it as the end of something -- look at it as the start of \
something new for )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(your skating career.")Tj
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(The idea doesn't sound as repulsive to Jason as he would have thought it\
might. "Yeah, )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(maybe. It's like, I don't even know where to go from here. I don't wanna\
quit, I know )Tj
T*
(that.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("So don't.")Tj
T*
("Well, yeah, but what do I do? Get a new partner? That still seems reall\
y weird.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Then just keep practicing and training. Get better. If you want to go a\
nd get a new )Tj
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(partner and go somewhere with that, then you can. You have the option, t\
hat's the nice )Tj
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(part.")Tj
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("I guess you're right," Jason says softly, still trying to wrap his mind\
around the idea that )Tj
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(his future -- both on and off the ice -- now has nothing to do with Cour\
tney.)Tj
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(MOLLY FISHER'S APARTMENT)Tj
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("Come in!" Molly calls out, too consumed with trying to get her hands ar\
ound the overly )Tj
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(energetic puppy to deal with answering the door.)Tj
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(The door opens swiftly and she smiles when she sees who it is, but the l\
ook that greets )Tj
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(her is less happy than she would have imagined. )Tj
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("What's wrong?" she asks as Brent closes the door behind him.)Tj
T*
("I don't like the idea of you leaving the door unlocked. And yelling for\
people to just )Tj
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(come in? I would've thought you'd be more worried after Craig ...")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Craig was one maniac," she says lightly, although inside she is simulta\
neously scolding )Tj
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(herself for being so careless and trying to convince herself that there \
really isn't any )Tj
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(reason to worry.)Tj
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("Just be careful," Brent says, a grave expression still dominating his f\
ace. Molly can't help )Tj
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(but find his concern charming.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(He walks to the middle of the living room, where Rex the pug has momenta\
rily fallen )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(quiet, watching both of them with eyes full of intensity. Brent chuckles\
.)Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Has this guy been crazy lately?" he asks.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Is he ever anything but?" Molly counters with a laugh. She moves to swe\
ep the puppy )Tj
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(up into her arms but he darts to the left and tears a quick, frantic cir\
cle around the coffee )Tj
T*
(table.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Brent shakes his head in amusement as he watches. "Someone told me they \
grow out of )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(this eventually.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Good! He likes to do this at the absolute most inopportune times.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("That's a puppy for ya," Brent grins. "Just ignore him, he'll calm down.\
I got your )Tj
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(message -- what's going on?")Tj
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(Molly plops down onto the sofa. "Well, guess who had to open her mouth a\
bout seeing us )Tj
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(at dinner last night?")Tj
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("Diane?" he guesses with an annoyed roll of the eyes.)Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Of course. She must've made a beeline for Sarah. I swear, that woman ge\
ts off on )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(stirring up trouble.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("I don't doubt it. So what kind of trouble did she stir up?")Tj
T*
("I got a little visit at the office today. From Sarah.")Tj
T*
("Oh, jeez. What'd she do, make a big scene? She must be taking lessons f\
rom Diane.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Well, she didn't attract too much attention," Molly says, inserting a s\
igh of relief as she )Tj
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(recalls how nervous she was that people were going to realize what was g\
oing on )Tj
T*
(between the sisters. "Thank God. But she gave me the usual lecture about\
how she'll )Tj
T*
(never believe that you and I are just friends and that it must have been\
a date.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(His jaw clenched tightly, Brent moves a few throw pillows out of the way\
to sit down on )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(the sofa. He seems to be wrapped deeply in thought, or at least concern.\
)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("I told her that it wasn't a date and that whether she likes it or not, \
we're still going to be )Tj
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(friends," Molly continues. "Basically she demanded that I admit I was in\
the wrong and )Tj
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(then stomped away when I refused to get into the same argument with her \
again.")Tj
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("I don't even know how we deal with this. Do we just ignore it? Or give \
in and stop )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(spending time together? Either way, it seems ridiculous.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Yeah, it does. Anyway, I went in and talked to Camille about it -- oh, \
my God, guess )Tj
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(what else?")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("What?" he asks, obviously jarred by the sudden shift in her tone.)Tj
T*
("When I went in the office to talk to Camille, she was working on a sket\
ch, and it was )Tj
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(giving her a ton of trouble. So I had a look at it and made a suggestion\
, and she loved it! )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(She was so happy with the way it turned out.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Excellent! At least you got to have an up-point in your day.")Tj
T*
("Yeah, it was really exciting," Molly says. "But this Sarah thing ... Ca\
mille thinks we )Tj
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(should just stick it out and hope that Sarah gets over it eventually. On\
ly thing is, I'm not )Tj
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(so sure she will.")Tj
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("With Diane around? Even fatter chance than before. Those two are not go\
od for each )Tj
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(other." He leans back as Rex reappears and leaps onto the couch. "Appare\
ntly trying to )Tj
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(be subtle about it and not throw anything in her face isn't really doing\
much.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Yeah, but we can't exactly just say screw it and say we're 'together,' \
either. My parents )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(would kill me. And I don't want to do that to Sarah.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Neither do I," Brent says, scratching under Rex's chin as the puppy yaw\
ns. "But I'm )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(feeling like no matter what we do, someone's going to get hurt in the en\
d. There's no )Tj
T*
(clean way out of this.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("No, there isn't. And I don't want to be selfish or pathetic or anything\
like that, but I )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(don't think I could just walk away and forget about us, you know?")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Same here." He stares straight ahead at the blank television, holding R\
ex in his lap as )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(he thinks for a long moment. "I don't plan on doing that. We're gonna ke\
ep doing things )Tj
T*
(exactly the way that we have -- we can spend time together without being\
tasteless )Tj
T*
(about it. And," he adds with a smile, "we're gonna enjoy it, dammit.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Sounds good to me," Molly says, savoring the fleeting moment of peace t\
hat they are )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(fortunate enough to share. )Tj
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(VISION PUBLISHING)Tj
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(Diane eagerly pulls the last piece of paper from the printer's tray and \
places it face-down )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(on top of the others. She turns the stack over, flips through it once ju\
st to confirm that )Tj
T*
(she's done, and evens out the pile as she sets it back down on the desk.\
)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(She leans back in her leather chair, feeling it stretch back so that eve\
ntually her gaze is )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(directed up at the ceiling. She's been waiting to get out of here for tw\
o hours, but she )Tj
T*
(wouldn't allow herself to leave until that last task was all finished up\
. Now it is and she )Tj
T*
(just wants to sit here, relishing the freedom and, even more, the accomp\
lishment of )Tj
T*
(having a big project completed ...)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Drawing a deep breath, she sets down her feet so that her weight moves f\
orward and )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(brings the chair back to an upright position. Her eyes slingshot right f\
rom the ceiling to )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(the phone.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Damn. Thoughts of another task flood her mind, unable to be ignored.)Tj
/TT2 1 Tf
T*
("Well, if I look into Matt's family, then you have to go try and settle \
things with Brian.")Tj
/TT0 1 Tf
T*
(The deal with Sarah. This isn't something Diane especially wants to be f\
acing now -- or )Tj
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(ever, for that matter. But especially now, since all afternoon she's bee\
n entertaining )Tj
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(thoughts of picking Samantha up from the babysitter, changing into somet\
hing )Tj
T*
(comfortable and completely inappropriate for wearing out in public, orde\
ring Chinese )Tj
T*
(takeout, and spending the night relaxing on the couch with her daughter.\
)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Now that the possibility of trying to get Brian on the phone has crossed\
her mind, )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(however, she knows it won't leave easily. Not that it ever really leaves\
: Despite her best )Tj
T*
(insistences even to herself, she knows that she thinks about him or abou\
t what happened )Tj
T*
(at least daily.)Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
(For a moment she attempts to shove the thought aside, filing it into the\
'things to do )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(tomorrow' category, but she's always been like this. Once she gets one t\
hing )Tj
T*
(accomplished, she is usually more motivated to do another. When an idea \
hits her, she )Tj
T*
(likes to run with it. Even an idea as generally unappealing as addressin\
g her time in L.A. )Tj
T*
(seems a little more manageable right now ...)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(She glances at the phone uncertainly. Can she really handle hearing his \
voice -- or, )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(rather, the things that she is pretty sure it is going to say? What woul\
d she say in )Tj
T*
(response? Or to begin, for that matter? They're all questions that she h\
as pondered time )Tj
T*
(and time again, but definitive answers never become any clearer.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Her hand reaches out and picks up the receiver, then drops it back into \
its cradle almost )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(instantly. She goes into the top drawer and emerges with an address book\
. Flipping to )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(the H's, she finds Brian's number, then sees that it is exactly the same\
as she thought it )Tj
T*
(was. She never realized that she'd memorized it.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder, she sets her index finge\
r to work )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(dialing, first very slowly and then very quickly. As she listens to the \
phone begin to ring )Tj
T*
(on the other end, she brings her thumb nail to her teeth, but drops it b\
efore she can do )Tj
T*
(any damage.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Two rings ... three ... four ... and the machine.)Tj
T*
(The machine. Dammit. She hangs up before the beep, having no intention o\
f leaving a )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(message. She doesn't want this out there hanging. She doesn't want to be\
on edge all )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(the time that he might return her call whenever he feels like it. )Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(She doesn't want the ball in his court.)Tj
T*
(That's how this whole mess got started, she recalls bitterly as she repl\
aces the address )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(book in the top drawer. It never would have gotten so ugly if he hadn't \
been the one to )Tj
T*
(push that damned Serena Scott in the first place. )Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(She only did what she felt she had to do. It wouldn't have been a big de\
al had Brian not )Tj
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(found out the way he did.)Tj
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(You can't change the past,)Tj
/TT0 1 Tf
( her mind asserts boldly. Agreeing with it, she rises and begins )Tj
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(gathering her things, hoping to leave the unsuccessful phone call attemp\
t here at the )Tj
T*
(office and have a relaxing night at home.)Tj
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(CASCADE RIDGE APARTMENTS)Tj
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("Guess you're right," Jason says as he shuts the closet's sliding doors.\
"Court's made her )Tj
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(decision. I've gotta live with it one way or another.")Tj
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("That's right." Alex studies his friend, who has leaned against one of t\
he bare walls and is )Tj
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(staring off at some point on the ceiling. "Hey, Jason -- I know she didn\
't go about this )Tj
T*
(whole thing the best way she could have, and that has to hurt, too. Righ\
t now she's )Tj
T*
(playing a lot of games, it sounds like. But it won't be like that foreve\
r.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Jason lifts one shoulder in half a shrug. "With Courtney? I don't know a\
bout that.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("There's more to her than that, you know that," Alex counters. "You care\
about her for a )Tj
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(reason. She's just still acting out of hurt right now, I think.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Yeah, I know, I get it, I screwed up." Jason clasps his palms to his fa\
ce and lets out a )Tj
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(weary sigh. "When do we get to move past that?")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("We are moving past it. Maybe you don't see it yet, but we are. Everybod\
y's getting on )Tj
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(with their lives, wounds are healing ..." He trails off, caught up in a \
tangle of thoughts. )Tj
T*
("Jeez, it's so weird to think about how all of this shook out. When this\
whole thing blew )Tj
T*
(up, I didn't think Lauren would be the one helping you through it. And w\
ith the way )Tj
T*
(Courtney reacted to you, I never thought she'd turn around and be so sup\
portive of me.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Yeah, you said she took you out clubbing. How'd that go?" Jason's words\
carry a definite )Tj
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(sense of wanting to move away from the present topic and Alex is happy t\
o oblige the )Tj
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(silent request.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("It was good, I mean, we had fun and everything.")Tj
T*
("You meet anyone?")Tj
T*
(Alex can feel his cheeks start to burn a little bit, although he's not e\
ntirely sure why. )Tj
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(Instinct, probably. "Um, I danced with this guy--Jeremy--for a little wh\
ile and we talked. )Tj
T*
(Nothing really big there ...")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("And?")Tj
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("And what?" )Tj
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("Well, I get the impression that something at least a little bit excitin\
g happened," Jason )Tj
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(goads him, with a playful grin that makes Alex want to share the most in\
triguing -- and )Tj
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(baffling -- part of the night. )Tj
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("Nothing, really," he finds himself shrugging. He can feel a familiar ba\
ttle playing out )Tj
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(inside himself: Part of him wants to spill all, but the other part is sh\
aking and ready to )Tj
T*
(curl up into a ball and drop the entire thing.)Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("And by nothing you mean something, I'm guessing?")Tj
T*
(Somehow Alex manages to push the timid part of himself aside long enough\
to begin )Tj
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(recounting the story, and once he begins, it flows with increasing speed\
and ease. "Okay, )Tj
T*
(so a couple weeks ago, I had this little run-in with this guy at Cassie'\
s -- nothing big, he )Tj
T*
(just grabbed my drink and thought it was his and he was kind of an assho\
le, actually. )Tj
T*
(But, like, I swear to God there was this weird moment where our eyes cau\
ght or )Tj
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(something.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
(Abruptly he stops, as the words have made their way from his mouth to hi\
s ear and a )Tj
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(sharp pang of self-consciousness strikes him. )Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("And does that connect at )Tj
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(all)Tj
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( to what we were talking about a minute ago?" Jason asks. )Tj
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(Alex knows it's more of a prod than a question, because obviously Jason \
knows that it )Tj
T*
(does connect. )Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Well, yeah, I just--I dunno, it sounds kind of stupid. I mean, nothing \
really happened or )Tj
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(anything.")Tj
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("Yeah, but there's some kinda point to the story, right?")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Alex concedes that much with a shrug, then forces himself to go on. "So \
the point was, I )Tj
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(guess, that while I was dancing with that Jeremy guy at the club, I saw \
the guy from the )Tj
T*
(coffeehouse there. We made eye contact for, like, a split-second, but I \
looked away and )Tj
T*
(when I looked back, he was gone. Couldn't find him anywhere the rest of \
the night.")Tj
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("Weird." Jason folds his arms and leans with his shoulder against the ne\
arest wall. )Tj
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("Maybe you just caught him on the way out or something.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Maybe, yeah. But it was pretty early. Who knows?")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("So when you saw him at Cassie's -- was it like he was interested?" Jaso\
n asks. Alex )Tj
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(thinks he detects a note of cautiousness in his friend's voice, not that\
he necessarily )Tj
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(blames him. The conversation is pretty much uncharted territory for both\
of them. )Tj
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(Nothing wrong with moving slowly.)Tj
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("I don't know about 'interested.' I mean, it was like ten seconds, and i\
t wasn't like a )Tj
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(friendly moment.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("You think he was checking you out, though?")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(Alex shrugs; his shoulders seem extra-heavy, as though his body is resis\
ting all )Tj
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(participation in this strange, new arena of discussion. But he glances u\
p from the carpet )Tj
T*
(and sees Jason grinning again, that same goofy grin that he almost alway\
s wears. It's not )Tj
T*
(mocking or threatening, Alex knows that. It's accepting, maybe a little \
awkward but )Tj
T*
(ultimately just excited for Alex. )Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
(A wave of tingly excitement floods through Alex as he admits, "Maybe, ye\
ah.")Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("So you had him pegged, at least.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Yeah," Alex laughs. )Tj
T*
("Maybe you should go back there next week and see if he's there again. Y\
ou never )Tj
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(know ...")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("Guess not." Alex steps aside as Jason makes his way out of the bedroom \
and begins )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(walking back down the hallway.)Tj
0 -2.67023 TD
("Let's get out of here," Jason says. "I wanna go fill my parents in on t\
his deal.")Tj
0 -2.67024 TD
("I should go tell my mom, too," Alex says, taking his first steps down t\
he hallway as )Tj
0 -1.2 TD
(Jason reaches the front door and opens it. He can't help sprouting a smi\
le that he knows )Tj
T*
(must look completely dopey, but he doesn't care and even allows it to li\
nger for a )Tj
T*
(moment. Maybe something exciting -- and )Tj
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(good)Tj
/TT0 1 Tf
( -- really is going to happen.)Tj
/TT2 1 Tf
16.44426 -2.66956 Td
(END OF EPISODE #262)Tj
/TT1 1 Tf
-15.877 -2.67093 Td
(Come join us in the Footprints Forum to share your thoughts on this epis\
ode and all the )Tj
16.569 -1.2 Td
(stories and characters!)Tj
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(Next Episode)Tj
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3.15401 -2.63039 Td
( )Tj
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