“And the Brady Bunch?” I pushed suddenly intrigued by her theories.
“Don’t knock the Brady’s.” She teased. “They managed to slip in a few social issues. Besides your favorite Brady can reveal a great deal about your personality.”
“Really?” This I had to hear.
“It’s true.” She responded brimming with over confidence.
“I don’t believe you.” I teased in return.
“Your favorite Brady was Jan.” She returned in a cocky manner.
“Yes!” I was stunned. “How did you … lucky guess.”
“It is simple really.” Allison’s over confidence could really be annoying and yet somehow down right adorable. “Jan was the middle child often overlooked an outsider. She didn’t bother with attracting boys the way Marcia did. She just tried to fit in. The only person in the family she was close to was Alice … an older women who felt the same way.”
“I still do not understand how did you know that I …” I felt an uneasiness. How could Allison know that I felt like an outsider? “You will have to explain this theory of yours over tennis.”
“Some other time.” She answered in a serious tone.
“Are you canceling?” I was more than a little disappointed. I could only hope that my voice did not betray how truly hurt I was. Of course I knew that I was being silly. After all classes would start soon and I know I had a great deal of work to do. “So why am I upset that Allison has other plans?”
“No.” Allison smiled back at me. “You are.”
“I am?”
“Have you found an apartment yet?” She questioned me.
“No.” Now I was intrigued.
“Stephanie classes start in two days and you cannot work out of that motel that you are staying in. Taking a taxi every day must be adding up.” She began to explain. “There is a very small and I mean very small apartment that has just opened up in my building. It is not much but it will do for a semester and it is a five minute walk from campus.”
I was overwhelmed by her friendship. Without thinking I jumped up and hugged her. She gently pushed me away. Somehow her reaction left me feeling cold and confused. I couldn’t look at her, I ran my hand through my short blonde hair and stared at my shoes. “So does that mean you would like to see the apartment?” She said softly. I looked up and was captured by those baby blue eyes and her bright smile. “A girl could get lost in those eyes. What am I saying anyone would get lost in those eyes. Hell Barney Frank’s heart would probably skip a beat. Whoa! Get a hold of yourself Stephanie. She is a woman. You have Peter. So why is my heart racing. It is the apartment … yeah that’s it the apartment. Think about baseball … the Red Sox …baseball …baseball …they could did it this year if Pedro’s pitching remains consistent… . and if … .”
“Stephanie?” Her deep voice called me back from my wanderings.
“Sorry.” I awoke tearing my gaze away from her. My God I was staring!
“Are you all right?” She said softly.
“I’m fine.” I answered firmly as I dispelled the thoughts that were about to break through. “I was just thinking about the Red Sox.”
“The Red Sox?” Allison answered in puzzlement. Then with a shrug she seemed to accept my lame explanation. “Yeah too bad they didn’t make it to the play offs this year. So … did you want to see the apartment?”
“Yes.” I felt my composure returning as I brushed away the thoughts of what may have transpired moments ago.
As we walked away from the sprawling campus I noticed that Allison was strangely quiet. Something about her silence disturbed me. Never having been one to just let things lay, I decided to break the ice. “So tell me why you and Stan don’t get along?” I asked trying to make conversation.
“He didn’t like my T-shirt.” She answered plainly.
“Well Stan is very old fashioned.” I added knowing that there had to be more to their on going feud than Allison choice in clothing. I also wanted to keep the conversation going, even though it was more than apparent that Allison did not. “I mean jeans and Tshirts are not his style. After all he is Mr. Bow tie.”
“It was what it said.” Allison stated simply without explaining it further.
“Oh.” I answered in confusion. I desperately wanted to keep the conversation going. There was something so painful about her silence. “And just what did your t-shirt say that started a battle between you and Stan?” Allison did not appear to be forth coming with any more details. So I decided that it was time for a new tactic. There was an issue that I needed to air and now was a good of time as any. “Allison … wait.” I said suddenly stopping her in her tracks. I was thankful that she had stopped her long legs was making it more than difficult for me to keep up. “I have something to tell you.” She stared at me deeply with a startled look that could only be described as fear.
“Whoa.” I gasped wondering what I did to cause this strange reaction from my new friend. “What’s with the look? You would think that I was about to tell that your favorite pet died.”
“Cheep Cheep?” She gasped in mock terror.
I playfully swatted her on the arm and received the trademark Allison Kendell raised eyebrow in return. I laughed at her attempt to intimidate me with her glare. Granted ten years ago that look scared the bee Jesus out of me. “Allison.” I shot back with a glare of my own.
“Nice try.” She smirked. “But it needs work. So what did you want to tell me?”
“Allison we have met before.”
“You mean … ” She looked at me strangely as she spoke. ” … like in a past life? Are you from LA.?” She began to laugh.
“No.” I laughed along with her giving her another playful swat on the arm. “You are such a jerk.”
“I am sorry.” She smiled trying to stifle her laughter. “So when did we meet?”
“It was a long time ago.” I began slowly. “You were a lawyer then.”
“I didn’t sue you did I?” She asked in a serious tone. “Or cheat your Grandmother?”
“She is not joking?” I thought. “No it was nothing like that.” I said quickly hoping to erase the guilty expression from my friend’s face. “But I was a real bitch. Wasn’t I.” She said quietly. I noticed that it was an admission and not a question.
“I thought so at the time.” I confessed.
“I probably was.” She muttered as she stared at her feet unable to look at me. “Whatever it was I’m sorry for what I did. I’m equally sorry for not remembering you.”
“It’s not important.” I lied. “I just wanted to say something just in case you did remember.”
“Boy I must have been in rare form to forget you.” She shook off a chill as she spoke.
“It was a long time ago.” I said softly gently resting my hand on her arm. She looked up at me the guilt still visible. “I was a kid then and my hair was long. I looked totally different. Forget it Allison.”
I watched as some of the tension left her chiseled features. “I ‘m so sorry Stephanie.” She apologized again. “I wasn’t a nice person back then. I will tell you about it sometime.”
“Later.” I said firmly as I linked my arm in hers. “For now I want to see this apartment and on the way you can tell me all about cheep cheep.” Her laughter warmed my heart as we started walking again.
“I don’t know.” She teased. “It’s really a tragic story. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“Definitely.”
We walked the short distance to Essex Street, while Allison spun the tragic tale of poor little cheep cheep. Cheep Cheep as it turned out was her younger brother’s first pet. The poor little duckling suffered from epilepsy caused by inbreeding. Her parents had been forced to have the duckling put down. But they did not have the heart to tell their young son. So they did what all parents do they told David that cheep cheep went off to live on a farm. It wasn’t until David was in High School that he learned the truth. Allison explained that he did not take the news very well.