The Student

Chapter 25 - Confrontations

I stayed at Ian's for three days. For three days, I didn't step outside, touch a phone, or talk to Orlando. Ian had taken word to my uncle that I was fine, but Vigg was the only one who had any idea where I was, as far as I knew. And, that's the way I wanted it. I didn't need people from the cast crying about Orlando to me.

Orlando. I smiled bittersweet at our last confrontation. I had slapped him and he had called me a bitch. What was the world coming to?

On my third day, after watching some odd British movie for the fifth time in 72 hours, I made my decision. I was running away . . . I was going back to Auckland. Maybe then back to Michigan. Maybe I would never see Orlando again. The thought filled me with a great relief and an even bigger dread. I was still in love.

Someone knocked at the door, loudly. I looked at the clock. It was only 3, so it couldn't be Vigg, who had stopped by every day for a few minutes, bringing art supplies and school-work. Maybe he had the day off. I snorted. After the trip to LA, the cast had been kept on a strict schedule. They were supposedly behind, but I didn't believe that. The way Petah ran the show, it was a tight ship. I pushed off the couch and crossed to the door. I was in my most favorite of all lounge wear. Sweats and a tee shirt. Tres comforable.

"Who is it?"

No one answered me for a second and I thought that maybe I was hearing things again, but the knock sounded once more. I frowned. This was getting creepy. I peeped out the eyehole before sighing. It was my good friend Elijah. He had found me.

"You know Lij, you aren't supposed to come and find someone when they're in witness protection." He smiled back at me, catching my joke during the opening of the door. His smile faded though, when he was fully faced with me. "What can I do for you my dear Frodo?"

He wasn't in a light-hearted mood. Looking to the ground, he cleared his throat. "He misses you. He wants to talk to you, but he didn't know where you were."

"Does he know now?" Lij shook his head no. "Good. That's the way it's going to stay. If he wants to talk to me, tell him to go back to Auckland. I've already scheduled my flight to leave at 2 tomorrow afternoon. He can talk to me when I bloody well feel like it."

"But, you don't understand Laura. He feels horrible. His acting absolutely sucks now! He just walks around like a zombie, staring into space and not acting. It's a sad thing to see. You have to help him!"

"I will not help a man that has insulted me unless he first apologizes for his words and begs for my forgiveness." Lij started to protest, but I held up my hand. "Don't argue on his account. Just tell him where I'm going. And tell him that I most likely won't be back so he can pack up all my stuff."

"Where are you going to go Laura?"

"Home." I leaned against the door ever so slightly, getting ready to slam it in his face. "Look, I still have to make arrangements with Vigg about the house and I am obviously not dressed to do anything right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going to change now." I smiled slyly and launched the door closed.

Lij's outstretched hand stopped it a few inches before it shut completely. "He misses you Laura. You shouldn't leave him like this. He loves you. We all know it, and I think you do to. No, I know you do. Because I can tell you love him too."

"Elijah, you've known me for what, three months? Maybe three and a half? You don't know what I'm like. You have no fucking idea."

"No, but I know Orlando, and that is a man who is loved and who loves. It's plain as day. Please, just talk to him before you go. Don't just disappear from his life."

"I don't have time for this. Please let go of my door and leave Lij. Don't make this any harder for me or for you or for him. At least give me that. Please?" He sighed before backing away slowly, letting his hand slide down the smooth wood.

"You've grown close to me Laura. You've grown close to us all. If I do this for you, you have to promise that you won't disappear."
oddeodded as the thought of truly, finally leaving the cast and crew, who I had come to love like family, behind. It was a painful one at that, and it was almost a horrible idea. I would find a way to say good-bye. I had to.

"Alright. You've convinced me. I won't disappear. You don't have to worry about that. But, I don't know if I can talk to Orli just yet. I just don't know."

"Okay, fair enough. Well, I guess I better be going. Petah doesn't know where I am." We both laughed and I smiled at Lij through the cracked door.

"I'll see you later." He nodded, and turned, leaving for the studio.

I clicked the door shut closed behind him. I turned and leaned against the wood, letting my head fall against it with a bang. Why did love have to be so hard? Why did I have to fall in love with an actor? Why did I have to fight with him?

A million horrible 'whys' ran through my head like a never-ending steam of dead ends. One in particular was bugging me to the very extremes. Why couldn't I just suck it up and forget all of his shortcomings? Orlando was an honorable, loving man and I had never, ever had the chance to become so attached to one before. The emotion at the thought of losing him and everything that we had together welled up in my mind. Tears leaked out and my head fell forward in defeat. I was abandoning everything that had become close and dear to me over the last months.

"God Dammit."

I slid to the floor as the tears threatened to spill over in a torrent of pain. "God Dammit." It was the cry of a defeated woman. One that knew that she was doing something stupid and completely wrong. I hiccuped once before the tears began their onslaught and I was thrown into a wave of racking sobs and cries of pain. "GOD DAMMIT!"

There was a knock at the door. I couldn't stop crying. The knock came louder and louder until it was almost pounding. I couldn't get to my feet. I couldn't stand. I couldn't think. All that was there was pain and suffering, at my own stupidity and callous behavior. I loved him.

"LAURA! OPEN THE DOOR!"

I heard Orlando's voice in my head, telling me that he was there and to come to him. I smiled through the liquid emotions running down my face.

The pounding grew louder around me and my body hit the door every time the fist on the other side was brought down on the wood harshly. "LAURA! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN THE GOD DAMN DOOR BEFORE I BLOODY BREAK IT DOWN!"

It wasn't in my head. Orlando was on the other side of the door. Hope and a shiver of gratefulness ran through me as I pulled myself together enough to stand and turn the knob.

He was crying too. I had failed to notice it in his pained yells, but he there he was, standing there and crying in front of me. He smiled, faintly, as he noticed my similar state. I managed a half-smile in return.

"Laura-"

"Shhh, you don't have to say anything. I'm sorry too."

He gave me a long, hard look before he pushed through the doorway and swept me into his arms. I grabbed frantically at everything I could get a hold of. His silly mohawk, his tee-shirt, his arms, his back. I pulled him as close as possible, the need to be as close as possible. "Oh god, I am so so sorry." A sob racked my boddy as his arms squeezed tighter.

His voice was like honeyed silk in my ear as he smiled against my flesh. "Not nearly as sorry as I am." We both laughed from relief of the moment. His hand buried itself in my hair at the back of my head. Pulling away, he looked into my eyes with a deep conviction. I stared back at his blue orbs and smiled. "Laura, will you forgive me?"

"Aye, but only if you forgive me."

With those words, his mouth crashed down on my own in a kiss of redemption and of sorrow and of hope. His lips devoured my own, and I yearned to feel tvelvvelvet surface on my skin for all time. Forever. I broke the kiss, taking a deep breath before pulling his head down and leaning my forehead against his own.

"Let's never fight again Orli. All right?" He nodded mutely and we both smiled. "I don't think I will ever love anyone as much as I love you."

!~!~!~!

Dear Laura,

Howdy Stranger! Long time no chat! I guess that's why I had to drop a note and say Hi! I miss you!

It's really beautiful in England.new new ranch is a beautiful 20-acre spread about three hours north of London. It's hilly and green and I'm in love. Sean says that it won't be so green once winter rolls around, but that has yet to be proved. Either way, it's all good because I LOVE THE SNOW! As you know . . . lol

Sean has been a doll. I moved right in with him because they haven't finished my house yet at the spread. I'm waiting not so patiently for the work to get done and gone with. It's weird ya know. I want my farmhouse, but I want Sean. If only I could have both.

If you have any ideas on this situation, I would just LOVE to hear them!

So, when is Orli gonna pop you the question? It better be soon dammit because I think another visit to that beautiful country known as New Zealand is in order! Grrrr **mental message** Get hitched sooooonnnn! **end of mental message**

ANYwho! That's all I have to say for now. I'll fill you in on the particulars later on the phone! TTYL!

Love and kisses,

Kat

PS: **SINGS** HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR GIRL WITH THE BEST FRIEND EVER! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! **STOPS SINGING**

You didn't think I'd forget did you? Jeez, took ya long enough to reach the big Two One! I didn't think you'd ever make it! Lol. Your present is in the mail, no worries! Okay, TTY
Ka
Katya the Cool

!~!~!~!

"So, what does your fearless friend have to say?"

I jumped a mile, actually clearing my chair, as Vigg's voice shattered my silent reading. The computer screen in front of me flickered before the reply box popped up on my mail service. My head whipped around and I audibly sighed as I realized it was just him.

"She's in UK. She just bought a new 20-acre spread in Scotland, 3 hours north of London, or something like that. I don't know. She is just tearing up the horse scene!"

Viggo chuckled behind me, kissing me lightly on the top of my head. "And you are tearing up the newspapers in America."

My typing stilled and I looked, confused, at the man behind me. He didn't say a word, but brought a magazine out from behind his back. It was an issue of People magazine. He had it opened to a page and handed the whole thing to me. Looking at the page, I gasped.

'Orlando Bloom, who is playing the elf Legolas in this winter's upcoming Fellowship of The Ring, has found love Down Under with an unknown local girl. The two have been making a sensation at the scenes lately with their wild dancing and crazy outfits. The girl, whose name is not known at this time, is thought to be an art major at the University of New Zealand Wellington.'

There was a full-page photo of me kissing Orlando, in his elf gear. My hand was grabbing his ass. I turned white before I turned bright red and gasped. They had gotten a camera on set and had taken a picture of me grabbing Orli's butt.

"Oh God, my father is going to flip out."

My uncle chuckled and I turned a glare on him. "Your father is the one who sent me this, along with a note saying that he expects a wedding announcement soon, or a tear-filled phone call from you detailing your break-up with this actor."

"My father really said that?"

"Yes, he did."

"While I'll be damned." A smile broke across my face. If my father went through all the trouble of sending the magazine and actually writing a note, then that meant that he had at least semi-forgiven me for moving not once but twice. After all, he had even mentioned me in a note. This was an odd development. "My father speaks."

I looked at Viggo, outright surprised and amused at the same time. Hee a e a grin on his face as big as my own.

"Yes, and your parents also sent some rather large looking packages that were strangely wrapped in decorative paper. Is this a strange family custom that someone had forgotten to inform me about or something?"

I smiled even wider. "Yay! Birthday presents! Gimme gimme gimme." I grabbed at my uncle comically with my hands. He winked and waved for me to follow him, which I did. Right out of the room and down the stairs to the front hallway.

There were three or four packages and I ripped into the paper with gusto, my cries of delight growing louder after each conquered present. My mother had sent along a beautiful silk dress and three shades of my favorite lipstick that was impossible to come by in New Zealand. She wrote a little note saying that both presents had also been from her father and I mentally rolled my eyes. My father might have communicated about me, but had not talked directly to me in over half a year. I didn't expect him to buy me something.

In the other two boxes lay a multitude of silk sheets (which I had requested from my older sister Margaret), Another dress, this one a simple cotton number, from Jesse, with matching shoes. I smiled at her thoughtfulness. On the very bottom was a small sketchpad, hand-bound with a wooden cover. My name had been etched into the front and tears came to my eyes at the thought of Margaret slaving over such a piece for her bratty little sister. She always had been the sculptorthe the writer, and Jesse the painter. Three sisters, enormous talent (sort of).

After donning the silk dress, Orlando linked his hand around my waist and I leaned back into his chest. The top of my head hit his cheekbone ever so slightly and he smiled at me through the mirror in front of me. I was so happy. I couldn't even imagine what was going through my head when I had decided to leave. I could have never, ever done a thing like that. And when I looked back on it, my only consolation from the pain of my stupidity was that I hadn't run away. I had stayed, and I woul for forever glad.

"Hey honey. Let's go get dinner. I'm starved." I nodded at him. I was also starved, and it was my birthday, and I knew that Orlando's present would be the best one of all.