Text Message to Eddie

[Jude Sheffield]

Jude paced her room, fidgeting with her phone as she contemplated on calling or at least texting Eddie for a repeat of last night. Would he think it's completely inappropriate for her to make the first move? So far, they haven't really even decided what they are to each other. Friends don't date each other...

Oh screw it. Jude giggled to herself for swearing before she looked through her phone book for Eddie's name before typing in a message.

I'd like to get to know you better...meet me at the beach? I'll be at the entrance. Hope to see you there. She wasn't satisfied with her answer and almost changed her mind five times before she finally decided to put a little smiley face at the end. Before she could change her mind again, she hit send and let the text gods handle her dangling heart. She just hoped Eddie wouldn't think she was being pushy.

Throwing the phone on the bed, she sat at the edge, staring at it.

[Eddie O'Flaherty]

The Saturday so far has seemed wasted. After spending a wonderful night with Jude again, Eddie had been looking forward to a day off. It seemed like he just started here and was already incredibly busy with schoolwork, South Pacific, and just generally getting settled in. His mother, however, had different plans. He was woken up early to the sounds of a vaccuum, and it wasn't soon after that the dreaded machine was left in his room. It could only mean one thing: his mother was in a cleaning mood. Eddie wished there were some sort of women's sporting event at UCLA today, if only to keep her busy and out of his hair.

Thus is was that the first few waking hours of Eddie's free weekend were spent cleaning his room. He didn't even eat anything until late afternoon. As he was sitting down to a lovingly crafted sandwich, Eddie felt his phone buzz. He glanced at the name of the texter and grinned widely. Ignoring his meal, he quickly responded to the message.

Sure! Which beach and when? I need to jump through the shower quick, so give me a little bit.

It wasn't until after Eddie hit send that he began to ponder the meaning of Jude's message. Get to know him better? What exactly did that mean? One thought crossed his mind, something that both excited him and made him nervous. Jude wasn't that kind of girl, was she? He had only hung out with her a few times, really only twice before. So tonight would be the third date...

Eddie had seen many a movie or television show that made reference to the third date being the one where it was okay for girls to put out without seeming too slutty. As awesome as that was, Eddie wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to sleep with Jude. She was really nice, super pretty, and seemed normal for a girl. In fact, she was just about everything Eddie wanted in a girl! But he still wasn't sure if he was ready for a relationship. Hanging out with Brittany yesterday only seemed to make him even more unsure. If even her stupid awesome boyfriend cheated, anyone could. Eddie didn't know if he could put himself out there like that so soon after Jessie. And if he slept with Jude, he would either have to start dating her or look like a total jerk. He pulled out his phone to send another text.

Hey, I completely forgot I have plans with my parents tonight

Eddie glanced at the message, pondering the implications of sending it. He wanted to hang out with Jude, but he also didn't want to give her the wrong idea. Maybe he could just talk to her about it, as scary as that sounded.

He pressed the end call button, erasing the message. No, he wouldn't send it. He would go, hang out with a pretty girl, and enjoy himself! Plus, if he stuck around here any longer he might get stuck doing some more cleaning.

[Jude Sheffield]

All five minutes of waiting for the phone to sound the message ring tone, Jude had managed to bite her nails down to the finish and rearranged her little movie collection alphabetically. Halfway through the Ds, she heard the ring tone and she all but dashed across the room to get to her phone which resulted in her banging her knee on the edge of the bed before tipping forward face first on to the springy bed. Her muffled ow was followed by a stream of other muffled words as her hand sought blindly for her phone which had dropped to the floor in her fall.

Moving a little, she finally found her phone facing upwards, flashing a blue light which indicated a waiting message. She picked it up and read the message with her smile widening with each word. So the boy didn't think she was weird after all. Yay to Jude! Now all she had to do was get an outfit together and she'd have an awesome Saturday night with an awkwardly charming boy who actually liked her!

Replying with the location and time, Jude went to her closet to look for clothes. Her mother peeked in to inform her that her parents were going to be late coming back from the dinner party they were invited to. She also informed Jude that her little brother was going to a sleepover at his friend's house so Jude asked permission from her mom to go out to which she was allowed. It was all running smoothly and Jude was getting more excited by the minute.

When her father came in to drop off the keys to their Honda, Jude was already over the moon. She grinned and tousled her father's well-groomed hair with a laugh. Mr Sheffield grumbled about having to run a comb through it again. Laughing, Jude went and got herself an outfit that didn't give away any kind of statement. Or so she thought. It was a simple light blue halter neck baby doll dress over a pair of jeans and new grey sneakers, which she thought would at least say she was trying to look casual.

Once she was done, she went downstairs with her sling purse and noted how silent the house was without anyone in it. She could even hear herself think. Which made her panic when she remembered that this was her third date with Eddie. Didn't that mean that the boy would be expecting...something? It was like a rite of passage for a girl to give herself to a boy on their third date but Jude was a virgin in all senses of the word. She had never been a girlfriend to any boy...she had never even kissed one! The furthest she got was that peck on the cheek with Eddie!

What if she refused him and then he left her? She really liked him, he was genuinely nice and so sweet. Would he really just dump her if she said no? She almost picked up the phone to cancel on Eddie but a little voice in her head told her not to. So far Eddie had never shown signs of being like so many guys Jude knew could break a girl's heart, based on her girl friends' experiences of course. So maybe he was different. He may not even want to do it. But he was a guy, she reasoned. Guys are just programmed that way, weren't they?

Jude scratched the back of her head as the thoughts ran through her mind. This was not good. She shouldn't be overthinking this, should she? She just wanted to get to know Eddie better that's all. He's just such a nice guy! It would be awful to lose him as a friend. So before she could change her mind again, she rushed out of the house, not forgetting to lock up, and drove to their meeting location and waited for Eddie, nerves and all.

[Eddie O'Flaherty]

Eddie flew through the shower and got cleaned up and ready to go as quickly as he could. He was very much excited to hang out with Jude again, though he was still quite nervous about her intentions. He didn't think she was a very aggressive girl, so his plan was to avoid any physical stuff by just keeping his distance. She had surprised him with a kiss on the cheek last night after their date when it was obvious he wasn't going to kiss her. Perhaps it was only obvious to him. Still, as much as he would like to kiss her he was just so unsure about anything that he knew it wouldn't be a good idea.

He flew down the stairs to grab his mom's keys, hoping she wouldn't mind. To his disappointment, he found she had gone out while he was in the shower. He was carless! He thought about trying to call Jude quick, but realized that might seem lame, having her pick him up. A taxi seemed wasteful, so it seemed his only option was the bus. He quickly checked the bus schedule on his mom's computer and found that a bus was coming soon that would get him near the beach where he would find Jude. He left his mom a quick note using Word and left the bus schedule up so she'd know what he was up to.

He decided that even though the weather looked like it was going to rain, flip flops would be fine for the beach. He also grabbed a hooded sweatshirt in case it did start to rain, as it might get cold in a t-shirt and cargo shorts. Eddie hustled to the bus stop, hoping he wouldn't miss his best chance to not make Jude wait too long. He turned the corner and cursed, watching the bus whiz past the bus stop that was yet a block away. Eddie slowed his pace, no longer in a hurry, and eventually made it to the bus stop. He checked the schedule that hung inside the small pavilion to find that another bus would be coming in about twenty minutes. He looked at his phone, resigned himself to his fate, and sent Jude a message.

“Hey, I missed the bus so I have to wait for the next. I'll be there in about half an hour. Sorry.”

[Jude Sheffield]

Checking her phone for the time, she sighed when she realised that she had been waiting for only five minutes. It felt like forever so she went inside her car again and started her car. Rolling the window down just a crack, Jude settled into her seat before turning the volume on the stereo up. She smiled when the song playing was something her mother used to sing to her during those nights she couldn't forget about the monsters in her closet. She figured she was going to be fine as long as her mother kept singing the song.

Closing her eyes for just a moment, she was starting to calm down from her initial nerves until her phone rang out her message ringtone. Her smile widened when she saw who the message was from but changed a bit when he said he was going to be late. Shrugging, she thought it was better than him standing her up so she smiled again before replying to the message.

It's okay, Eddie. Nothing to apologise for.

She was surprised he was taking a bus since the last time they hung out, he had taken a car. Maybe someone was using it, she thought to herself before changing the song. She leaned back on her seat and her fingers started tapping to the song and her mouth mumbled to the words. Soon she was singing along to the songs playing on the CD, her worries melting away and she found herself getting more eager to see Eddie.

[Eddie O'Flaherty]

Clouds grew dark above as Eddie sat and waited for the bus, the hue reflecting his growing irritation at not having a car. He wasn't mad at his parents, as he understood it wasn't the easiest thing in the world to just have the money to buy and insure and license a car, but it was annoying that he should be hanging out with Jude by now. Instead, she was no doubt waiting somewhere filled with all sorts of good looking guys running around with their shirts off ready to steal her up at any moment.

And not that Eddie could really say anything about it, as he hadn't really made any moves on her himself. He wasn't even sure if he was ready to date her! But the thought of her with some other guy did really get under his skin. He liked her, he liked he a lot. That much was certain.

The bus finally arrived after what felt like an eternity of sitting underneath the small shelter. Eddie climbed aboard, paid his way, and took a seat near the rear exit. The bus lurched forward, and he was now on his way to the beach. The vehicle's tinted windows only served to make the sky look darker, however, and Eddie started to worry that it might be raining by the time he reached the meeting spot. What if the weather got so bad Jude decided to leave? The boy was starting to get anxious; to him, the bus could not go fast enough.

Eventually the destination was reached, and Eddie practically flew out the door. He walked the last block quite briskly, keeping his eye out for his very pretty friend, but he did not see her standing anywhere. He was sure this was the beach she had said to meet on, and he was now standing underneath the large wooden archway that signaled it's entrance. There were cars spread out in the parking lot, but he wasn't sure if Jude even had a vehicle of her own. Perhaps his fears had come true, and she had already left? Eddie took a seat on a bench, waiting, and hoped that wasn't the case.

[Jude Sheffield]

It was excruciating, the wait but Jude wanted to see Eddie again. And at least he told her why he was late instead of just not showing up but the longer she waited, her initial worries started to seep back into her thoughts. The distant sound of thunder made her bite her lip. What if Eddie's bus got held up because the rain had started elsewhere first? This had not gone according to plan. They were supposed to have met half an hour ago when the weather was a bit pleasant and stay on the beach just to talk and maybe grab a bite. Now the weather seemed to start getting a bit menacing to Jude.

The thought of going home now seemed a very good idea especially since the weather just doesn't seem right to her for a date. Sighing, she decided to text Eddie but as she turned to get her phone, she saw Eddie looking around before sitting on a bench just a few feet away from her car. She immediately killed her engine and shot out of the car only to fall on the floor, scraping her knees and the heel of her palm. "Shoot." She grumbled before getting up and slamming the door shut. She dusted off her knees and palms and walked to Eddie.

Tapping him on the shoulder, Jude walked around the bench and sat beside him. "Hi...thought you'd never come." She smiled widely as she took in his look. He looked so cute in cargo pants and a shirt. Well...he really just looks cute in anything he wears. Jude shut her inner monologue and looked at Eddie expectantly.

[Eddie O'Flaherty]

Eddie was really starting to get worried when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun to see Jude come around the bench. His instinct was to give her a hug, but that was something that might be a bit awkward, so all he managed to do was stand and smile. “Hey! Yeah, sorry it took so long but my parents have the cars, so I had to catch a bus.” He shrugged, and for probably the twenty millionth time since moving to L.A. Silently wished he still had his car.

Jude was pretty. It was a simple fact that made it very difficult for Eddie to not want to hug and kiss her, especially since it was pretty obvious by this point she liked him. She was dressed fairly simply today, but she still was crazy cute. Eddie noticed, though, a scuff on the knee of her jeans. He also saw a slight bit of red on the palm of her hand. “Are... are you okay? Did you fall?” He reached out for her hand and found the heel was scraped up a bit. There wasn't blood, but it was quite raw and there were flecks of sand still lingering.

“We should get this cleaned out,” he stated, looking around for a restroom. Down the beach a little ways was a small pavilion, and Eddie hoped it contained a sink or drinking fountain, something that could help them. He escorted Jude in the direction of the shelter, gingerly holding her hand palm up. It wasn't quite the same as actually holding a girl's hand, but it still affected his heart rate just the same, and he couldn't help but blush a little.

Luckily, the small building had a drinking fountain, and Eddie helped Jude wash away the bits of sand. He tried carefully not to cause her pain, but he could see her grimace slightly a few times. “Sorry,” he said, though he knew it couldn't be avoided. When it seemed all the particles were washed away, he patted her hand dry with his hoodie. “There, that'll keep it from getting infected. Hopefully.”

[Jude Sheffield]

His simple explanation had Jude nodding and smiling, just happy that he hadn't stood her up just as she had initially thought. She was just relieved that he was there, she could just hug him. And that was what she did. She couldn't have cared less that they have only met a few days ago and that they've only had a couple of dates before. She just felt like squeezing him. "I'm just really glad you're here." She said softly before letting him go, a soft blush colouring her slightly pale cheeks.

When Eddie took notice of her wound, she tried to play it cool but his concern over it made her fall silent and her heart beat fast at how sweet the boy was. This was the second time she was put in the damsel in distress role and she kind of liked it just because Eddie was 'saving' her. She quietly followed him and while he cleaned her up, she tried hard not to cry out when the cold water hit her sensitively raw skin. It burned but she just let him clean it, acknowledging the fact that he was doing his best not to hurt her.

She couldn't help but notice the blush on his face had stayed since they started walking. Why was he blushing? He was the guy making her heart thump like mad, he had no right blushing and looking all cute! The way he handle her hand so gently, patting it dry made her bite her lip from grinning too widely. "Thanks Eddie...it wasn't a big deal but...thanks anyway. You're really sweet..." Jude hesitated for just a second before moving forward to press her lips on to his cheek, holding his other cheek with her dried hand.

Pulling away, she felt slightly awkward so she moved back a step. "Um right so uh..." she stammered softly, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

[Eddie O'Flaherty]

“Umm, thanks,” Eddie mumbled, the crimson in his cheeks deepening in hue. This was now the second time Jude had kissed him on the cheek. He enjoyed the feel of her lips on his skin, and had she gone in for a real kiss Eddie wasn't sure if he'd have had the willpower to back away. He even almost went in for a kiss himself, though luckily he was able to resist the urge.

Because it would be a bad idea, right? Eddie was starting to get quite confused. He was no longer sure why he was resisting this potential relationship so much. Yes, she could hurt him. He might even hurt her. But if the whole of his being feels so great around her, why wouldn't he go for it? She was very much into him. The smiles, the blushes, the awkwardness. He could feel her racing pulse through her hand it was so obvious.

Eddie put the thought out of his mind and gazed out at the ocean. It was not the stereotypical beach view one might expect from Los Angeles, but there was still a beauty about it. The grey sky was mirrored by the water, enhanced intermittently by crest of white foam. Eddie hadn't been in the ocean once since the move, and though it wasn't the ideal time, he suddenly had the urge to feel the salty liquid on his feet. He kicked his flip flops onto one of the picnic tables and grinned at Jude.

“Come on,” he insisted, taking Jude by her good hand. He waited for her to remove her footwear then began running towards the water, grinning the whole way. He wondered if the water would be cold, since it was so dreary out, but he was about to find out soon.