Drop Dead Fred Sequel...

by peoples poet

“No, Janie… look I don’t know”

“Come on, I thought it was going well? You’ve been happy haven’t you? One last try maybe?”

“Well…” Lizzy began. Janie sighed. “I really don’t know, something doesn’t feel right, something’s missing…. I’ve tried Janie, to make it work. I just…”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter, I have to go or I’ll miss my flight.”

“Oh yes! The business trip… good luck, and try to cheer up.”

“I’ll try, thanks Janie” she mumbled doubtfully, and hung up the phone. She looked at her watch; the taxi should be here by now. As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Lizzy answered and the taxi driver took her bag.

“Oh!” she exclaimed all of a sudden. “I’ve forgotten something.”

Lizzy rushed into her bedroom and picked up a small wooden box. The taxi driver raised an eyebrow at the jack-in-a-box, and paused his constant chewing on gum.

“That important is it?” he asked, flashing her a cheeky grin. Lizzy nodded sadly. He smiled and gestured towards the door. She placed the box carefully inside her bag before taking a last look around the flat, making sure she hadn’t left anything.

“Don’t be so silly, you’re only going for two nights!” she thought, before closing the door.

Staring out the plane window, the evening was drawing in. The sky was a canvas of pink and orange clouds, the sea a shimmering blanket of red glistening in the last few rays of the sun. Lizzy took her steaming cup of tea from the stewardess and stirred it slowly, frowning in deep thought. After flicking through all the magazines, not finding anything much to her taste, Lizzy found herself thinking back over the past four months. She thought about her job as personal assistant, which meant she had a lot of meetings to attend and paper work to do. Not really sure if she liked it, the constant meetings she had to attend alongside her boss, she came to the conclusion that it was a job which paid well, and that it meant she was on her own two feet again.

Wouldn’t be so bad if he spoke to me once in a while, instead of just avoiding me like the plague, Lizzy thought, referring to her boss. She thought about Mickey. How she was with him for two months, before ending it. It was turning more serious, but she couldn’t help but feel that the relationship was one-sided. Mickey seemed to be keen to make it work, and did his best for Lizzy, hoping it might progress further. Despite her efforts to see Mickey as a possible life time partner, her mind was elsewhere, she couldn’t focus on seeing him as a future husband, or even being a major part of her life for very long.

“No matter how hard I try,” she thought. “I can never feel as intensely for any man as I do for…”

“Stop it!” she cried out loud, and hit herself in the forehead. The man sitting next to her turned to give her a strange look, then continued to read his paper nervously as though she might snap at any minute.

“You’re crazy Elizabeth Cronin” she told herself. “Just crazy.”

Setting her bags down in the hotel room, Lizzy sighed, exhausted. The room was plush and looked expensive. She was on a high floor, and looking out the window she could see the New York city still busy, cars beeping, and red and white lights flashing past in rows. The room was a soft peach colour. She found it warm and inviting. Still, Lizzy wished she were back at home. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the jack-in-a-box. She ran a hand over its smooth wooden sides, the colours faded from the bright cheerfulness it was over twenty years ago. Some of the paint had been taken off where she removed the tape that had caused so much grief and pain for her as a child. Smiling as some memories came flooding back, she placed it on her bedside table.

“There, feels more homely now.” she concluded, before yawning and collapsing on the comfy bed. She always took it with her. It bought with it a feeling of safety and confidence, just to have it close at hand. Her thoughts changed to the impending meeting tomorrow morning, then to Mickey for a brief second, then back to him. Lizzy felt her eyes getting heavy and the warm, soothing feeling of sleep approaching.

“Oh, where are you?” she mumbled un-consciously, before drifting into a restless sleep.

“Elizabeth, give me that!” her mother stood, towering above her, her eyes glaring coldly down at her daughter, she was holding a roll of tape in one hand. The angry expression on her face made Lizzy freeze with terror, her wide, innocent eyes staring up awaiting her punishment. She was five years old again. They were in a large white room. There seemed to be no walls, no ceiling, no objects, nothing, just a door on one side of the room. It was the only way out. Lizzy look up at her mother. Suddenly the fear seemed to drain out of her body, standing there with the jack-in-a-box clutched tight in her hands.

“No, you won’t take him away from this time.” Lizzy walked towards her, her mother didn’t move, but Lizzy passed right through her. She reached out a hand to open the door, looking behind to find her mother gone. Looking back to her hand on the solid gold door handle, she was grown up again. Slowly opening the door, Lizzy found herself face to face and taken into arms of Drop Dead Fred. A tear fell from her cheek and onto the ground when she looked up and realised he wasn’t there anymore.

Lizzy sat up straight in bed and brushed a tear away from her face.

“It was just a dream," she told herself. Reaching out to turn the bedside lamp on, she rummaged around on the table before realizing she couldn’t find it. The lamp was gone. She sat up, puzzled, and felt something under her feet as she placed them on the floor. It felt like broken china. Lizzy swung round to the other side of the bed, and got up to turn on the main light. Leaning over the bed, she found the lamp, smashed on the floor. Next to it was the jack-in-a-box, lid wide open. She picked up the box, and held it for a moment, looking round the room.

“Fred?” she called out in a brief moment of hope. There was no answer. Lizzy waited a few minutes, shrugged it off with a sharp feeling of disappointment, and concluded that she had knocked them both off the table in her sleep.

Placing the briefcase neatly in front of her, Lizzy clicked it open and retrieved a pen and notepad. She stared nervously at all the serious faces round the table. She felt out of place. They were all so experienced. This was her first meeting with all the top businessmen and women. She ducked behind her briefcase to try and gather her thoughts, making it look as though she was searching for something. Hearing a sharp cough, Lizzy looked up, and for a split second she saw Drop Dead Fred sitting in the opposite chair, grinning at her cheekily. She yet out a gasp of surprise, but in a blink she found herself staring wide eyed at the head of the meeting. He was looking at her, seemingly not too impressed.

“Are you ready Ms. Cronin?” he said, tapping his pen on the desk impatiently. All faces were looking at her as she fumbled with her notepad. She nodded sheepishly.

“I’m sorry Mickey…” she had said before opening up and telling him her honest feelings, something she never did with Charles, and leaving his house with a feeling of release. Lizzy shuddered at the thought of her ex-husband, quickly dismissing any images that came to mind. Her thoughts were then switched to another significant man who had re-entered her life for a brief moment, and stood out the most. Her relationship with him was innocent, and had never been more than friends. Her heart leapt when she thought of their parting kiss, before he had disappeared from her life. Lizzy sighed and closed her eyes, the usual result when thinking about him, and which was a frequent occurrence.

For the rest of the meeting, Lizzy was distracted, her mind constantly returning to the idea of whether it actually had been Drop Dead Fred sitting there, and had to be prompted many times. Lizzy forgot what they were talking about half the time, and answered the questions with something totally irrelevant. As they left the room, she began walking up the corridor towards the lift.

“Ms Cronin” she felt herself wince at the severity of his voice. It was her boss. His arms were crossed and had a frown on his face. He was a good looking man, with a professional air about him, always looking smart and ready for business.

“I’m sorry Mr. Fry” she cringed. “I… I mean, I’m just going through a bad time, I’ve recently broken up with my boyfriend” his face seemed to light up.

“Please, call me Roger.”

“Ok, Roger, I just…”

“Don’t worry about it, we all have bad days,” he smiled briefly, before turning away and heading down the corridor. Lizzy shrugged, surprised he hadn’t told her today was her last day at work.

Slamming the door of the flat was satisfactory.

“It’s good to be home” Lizzy sighed. She entered her bedroom, and dumped her bag down in the corner. She sat down to re-gain some strength. Thinking back, she began to wonder if it was just the lack of sleep playing with her imagination, and making her see Fred there in the meeting, or whether he really was there and playing a game.

“No, don’t be silly Lizzy, you know he’s not coming back,” she told herself firmly. Feeling like the room was empty, she pulled the jack-in-a-box out her bag and placed it back on the windowsill where she always kept it. Turning to un-pack the rest of her belongings, she cried out as her foot caught the side of the bed and she tripped, falling forward with a shriek, straight into someone’s arms.

“Do I always have to pick you up when you fall, Snotface?” said the voice. Lizzy looked up, though she didn’t have to see the face to know whose voice it was. It was a cheeky voice, yet this time it had an edge of smoothness. Her eye’s met his. Bright blue cheerful eyes, a huge wicked grin and a mess of orange hair.

“FRED!” she cried and threw her arms around his neck. He was so surprised at this welcome he fell back onto the bed pulling her down with him in-voluntarily. They laughed both in surprise and joy. Lizzy was lying on him; they were face-to-face, noses almost touching. Their laughter ceased and for an intense moment they just stared at each other before Drop Dead Fred gathered himself and squirmed away.

“Yuck, yeeeeuuuk!” he yelled, “I always knew you were a girl” Lizzy looked at him, waiting for him to realise what he’d said. He thought for a second.

“Oh, yeah! You are a girl! Well, I’m not, I’m Drop Dead Fred.” he said proudly. Lizzy sat up on the edge of the bed and stared at him in amazement as he examined her bedroom, pulling faces of disgust at the frilly curtains and perfumes. He picked one of the bottles up and sprayed it. It went in his face and his hands flew to cover his face in horror and stumbled round the room, knocking things over.

“Argh! Dis-gus-ting! That smells like the mega-beast!” he coughed and spluttered. Lizzy couldn’t help but laugh.

“So, was it you who smashed the lamp in the hotel?” she asked. Drop Dead Fred grinned, pleased at his recognition. She took that as a yes.

“But, I’m confused, how, why? I mean, why… I thought…”

“Why do you think I’m here?” He knew what she was trying to ask. “You’re unhappy, and all that…” he trailed off, sounding un-sure of himself, about why he was here. He frowned and then noticed the jack-in-a-box sitting on the windowsill and a look of sadness crossed his face, his eyes softening from the mischievous glimmer they usually had. He picked it up and sat on the bed next to her, examining it and playing with the handle.

“So you kept this then?” he spoke in a serious tone, for once, Lizzy thought.

“Of course I did… it was all I had left to keep when you left…” she told him. He smiled. A gentle smile, Lizzy noticed, a smile that didn’t have a hidden plot or wicked game behind it.

“You miss me?” he asked, a grin crept to his face.

“Like you wouldn’t believe…” her eyes met his eyes, gorgeous blue eyes, filled with emotion, a look that Fred rarely let pass.

“Snotface…” he began.

“Yes?” her eyes still on his. He paused for a moment or two, and then leaned in closer to her, their lips almost touching. The doorbell rang and he immediately jumped up, looked awkward for a moment, then continued to explore her room, making puking noises at everything pink or girly.

“Where’s all the weapons then? Do we get to harpoon anyone this time?” he whined.

“I’ll get the door.” She grinned at him, leaving him to his own devices.

“Janie!” she greeted her friend with a hug.

“How did the trip go?” She immediately began bustling around the kitchen, making tea and cleaning away anything that looked untidy.

“Oh, you know…” Lizzy began.

“No I don’t, that’s why I’m asking… are you ok Lizzy?” Lizzy was looking round the room for Fred, but he seemed to have gone. Janie looked round behind her when she noticed Lizzy was distracted by something, then turned back to face Lizzy, shrugging.

“I saw Mickey today,” Janie went on.

“Oh?” Lizzy tried to sound interested.

“He looks really un-happy, are you sure you two can’t sort things out?” Janie looked at her hopefully. Lizzy sighed.

“I told you already Janie…” Fred appeared behind Janie, he had been listening and immediately exploded.

“Oh god! Not Mickey fart pants again!” he screwed up his face, leaning against the kitchen counter with a look of utter disapproval on his face. “Are you still with that complete girl?”

“No, I’m not.” She replied at Fred coldly. He mimicked her and she shot him a look to warn him not to mess about. Janie looked at her friend, confused. Drop Dead Fred rolled his eyes as if to say ‘typical’ and disappeared suddenly in a green mist.

“What? You’re making no sense Elizabeth… I think you need some sleep.” She said patting her on the shoulder and placing her teacup on the side. “Besides, I have to meet someone.” She grinned wickedly at Lizzy.

“Who?” Lizzy asked.

“Who do you think? John of course.” John was her new boyfriend - her new rich boyfriend Janie had added when telling Lizzy the news. Janie suddenly cried out in excitement “Oh!”

“What is it?” Lizzy jumped in shock at her friend’s sudden outburst.

“I almost forgot.” She rummaged around in her bag and handed Lizzy a piece of paper. It was a flyer announcing John’s unveiling of his new artwork at the art gallery. “You have to come!”

“Oh, ok” Lizzy nodded, not really wanting to go as she had no one to accompany her, but going to support her friend. “I’ll think about it.” Janie rolled her eyes.

“I’ll phone you tomorrow, you look tired, must be exhausted.” She bid her farewells to Lizzy, leaving as briskly as she had entered.

Lizzy sighed, leaning back against the door as soon as Janie had left. She rested her head back and closed her eyes, a million thoughts running through her head. Fred appeared in front of her. Lizzy tried not to act surprised, by casually moving towards the sofa and placing herself there.

“So? What’s going on then?” Fred asked, his face full of confusion and impatience.

“I don’t know what’s happening anymore Fred… everyone seems to think Mickey is the answer for me, yet I…” she put her head in her hands. “I don’t quite know what to do” Fred noticed she was truly upset and seemed to show some sympathy. He sat beside her and put an arm round her clumsily, squeezing her arm. This surprised her. She was expecting Fred to start moaning about love and romance rather than comfort her.

“I felt so alone until you came…” she looked at him, her eyes shining with tears of desperation. “Even with Mickey, nothing felt right.”

“He’s not right for you then, Snotface” he said, his expression hardened, he seemed really serious - not a usual occasion for Drop Dead Fred, he thought

Lizzy didn’t answer. She yawned, emotionally drained from thinking about it.

“It’s been a long day… I need some sleep, it’s getting late” she yawned again, managing a smile as she leaned her head on Fred’s shoulder. Drop Dead Fred sighed in despair and lay back on the sofa with his hands behind his head. Lizzy lay back too, placing her head on his chest, and snuggling up to him sleepily. A warm feeling of comfort crept over her as she felt the warmth of him against her face. Lizzy gently flopped an arm over him, squeezing his side with her hand briefly as she adjusted herself to feel comfortable. Not really sure what to do, he opened his mouth to protest, then shut it again when he realised she was already asleep. He didn’t have the heart to move her. He thought about it for a moment, before letting his arms embrace her. She smiled when he did this and snuggled closer. Fred watched her for a while, before eventually falling asleep himself, with a look of contentment on his face.

A loud ringing noise woke Lizzy up. It took her a while to realise it was the phone. Still lying on the sofa, she saw Drop Dead Fred was still asleep next to her. She smiled at his peacefulness, his steady breathing, the calmness of his face. She’d never seen him sleep like this before, and deciding she liked this side of him, Lizzy wished she didn’t have to answer the phone. She wanted to watch him for a while longer. Carefully she got up off the sofa so not to wake him.

“Hello? …Oh, hi Mickey, how are…. Umm, I’m not sure if it’s…… oh yes I suppose, what time? Midday? Ok… well, I’ll see you then…” she hung up, lingering for a second, pondering on whether she had done the right thing, then put the phone back on the hook. She turned back to watch Drop Dead Fred sleeping, but he had gone. Her face dropped in disappointment. He must have heard the phone call , she thought. Before she had a chance to think much about it, the phone rang again. Lizzy rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh of annoyance. It was Janie, reminding her of the event in a couple of nights. Better hurry down to the mall and pick something out before meeting Mickey, she thought, rubbing her eyes. Panicking about what to wear and whether she’d have enough time she rummaged through the wardrobe, cursing to herself for being so forgetful.

She arrived at the mall in a fluster and went into the first clothes shop she could find, she only had an hour to find something. Looking through the racks of clothes, Lizzy shrieked when Fred appeared beside her. A shop assistant looked at her puzzled, along with a couple of customers.

“Shopping again Snotface? Who’s it to impress this time? Mickey fart-pants?” he snorted.

“No Fred, for your information, it’s for the art gallery.”

“Oh! Bor-ring!” He cried in disappointment. He looked around for something to do. A wicked thought crossed his mind when he noticed two shop assistants standing around with skirts on, then thought twice, scowling at himself for doing so.

“Where did you go this morning?” Lizzy asked him, holding up a dress, assessing it thoughtfully with her eyes.

“This morning?” Feeling uncomfortable about the night before, he shrugged “Around.”

Lizzy headed towards the changing rooms with a couple of dresses, obviously annoyed at him. Drop Dead Fred followed her and stood outside looking guilty up as she closed the curtains.

“So you decided to go to lunch with Mickey then?” he grumbled.

“Yes actually. I’m going to sort things out once and for all.” She stepped out the changing room a few moments later to show Fred the dress. He had gone again. She raised her eyes towards the ceiling, before deciding on a dress for the gallery.

Lizzy ran to the other side of the mall. As the dress had been handed neatly to her in a bag, she had noticed the time on the clock above the counter. When she realised she had five minutes to meet Mickey, almost falling over twice on her heels, she had rushed from the shop. She hated to be late, seeing as it caused her to loose her last job. The thought make her grimace. Mickey was taking her to a posh restaurant. A grin came upon Lizzy’s face. She hadn’t been to the restaurant since the spaghetti incident. Whenever she and Mickey had been to lunch, they dined at the smaller restaurant on the other side of the mall. They always used to giggle when walking past the other place, half-expecting one of the waiters to come out and warn them to stay away. She had time to catch her breath before hearing a familiar friendly voice, tinged with a saddened tone.

“Lizzy!” said the voice behind her. Mickey approached, with his warm smile, and kissed her on the cheek politely. There was a tension in the air, not knowing how to react since the discussion they had the last time they had seen each other. They had spent a good couple of hours that night, talking at Lizzy’s flat, going over the reasons for why it wasn’t working. Mickey had finally decided to leave when the possibility of a second chance was thought about, leaving Lizzy to have some space and think it over.

They were shown to their table by the window. It was a modern restaurant, recently opened. It had a metallic sheen to it, with glass tables and single rose in a vase on each table. Lizzy sat, thinking of what to say or where to start.

“So…” Lizzy spoke. Mickey stared at her nervously for a few moments before staring back at the menu for a good three minutes, a blank expression on his face, then looked up and smiled his warm smile. The waiter took their orders and served a glass of white wine each.

“So… how have you been?” he said, deciding to lighten the tone. “How was the business trip?”

“Oh, well, it was ok, was a bit distracted though, had a lot to think about recently…” she said, her thoughts going back to Drop Dead Fred. Mickey nodded, hoping she was talking about him. There was a long silence.

“What about you?” was all she managed to say.

“Yeah, fine.” He played with his fork nervously. The waiter arrived with their food. They barely spoke during lunch, just the occasional question and a short reply.

“Lizzy, why won’t you give me a second chance?” Mickey asked all of a sudden. Lizzy paused. She had been half-expecting this question, why else would he have asked her to lunch? She had been dreading the question all through the awkward silence of the meal, her planned answer, and now she had heard it she wasn’t sure herself. His warm smile and eyes still looked cheerful even through all the worry. Lizzy thought back to the romantic and happy memories she’d had with him. The memories churned in her head, eating away at her, making her feel even more confused.

“Well…” Lizzy thought. Mickey seemed to wait on her next sentence. “I…” she began, then noticed something out the corner of her eye. It was Fred. He was sitting across the room, staring across at their table. His face expressionless, yet his eyes giving away how he felt. They were full of longing and pain. He made eye contact with Lizzy, and stared at her for a few moments, then disappeared in a mist of green smoke, the expression on his face not changing. Suddenly Lizzy knew what she had to do.

“Truth is Mickey, I didn’t feel it was going anywhere… I think it’s better for both of us if we ended it. After taking into consideration everything, like I said I would, I still feel this way.” And that was that, he didn’t ask for anything more, just accepted her choice with a look of disappointment and a slow nod of the head. He knew it would be like this. He just needed to hear it from her as an end to his emotional suffering. She glanced over to where Fred was sitting beforehand, hoping he might still be there. Lizzy got up from her seat, and gave Mickey a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m sorry… I have to go.” She quickly left the restaurant, leaving Mickey nodding to himself and gulping down the last of the wine.

Once home, Lizzy ran through the house looking for Fred, checking all the rooms, under the bed, even in the cupboards. She called out his name a few times. Having the feeling he wasn’t going to show, she slumped on the chair, leaning her chin on her hand. The haunting look on Fred’s face when she had spotted him in the restaurant surged through her. It bought butterflies to her stomach. It was either a feeling of fear that he might never come back, or the fear of what she might say if he did return. The phone rang, frightening Lizzy out of thought with its shrill and annoying tone. She picked it up.

“Lizzy, it’s Janie”

“Oh”

“Well! Hello to you too!” Janie replied indignantly

“Sorry Janie… just got a lot on my mind at the moment.”

“Are you referring to Mickey by any chance?”

“Yes, and no.”

“Well first explain the ‘yes’”

“I broke it off with him, completely.”

“What? Why?” Janie sounded surprised, hoping they would be happy together for years to come.

“It’s not working Janie, my minds elsewhere, I don’t feel for him as he does for me...” Lizzy imagined Janie nodding on the other end of the phone as she accepted it.

“So…? Explain the ‘no’ to me?

“Well…” Lizzy lowered her voice.

“Well, what?”

“Janie to be honest, I have feelings for someone else,”

“Oh!” Janie paused “Oh! It’s not Charles is it?”

“Dear god no!” Lizzy gasped at the thought. “No chance.”

“Well who is he then? Does he know? How does he feel?”

“I have no idea,” she said after a long pause. “I’ll tell you about it later,”

“I don’t get you sometimes Lizzy… but you know where to find me if you want to talk… Are you still coming to this art gallery?”

“Oh! Yes, of course…” Lizzy agreed reluctantly. She had forgotten again and was hoping to have the evening to sort herself out.

“Well I’ll see you there then.” They said their goodbyes. Lizzy put down the phone. Looking at her open bedroom door, she could have sworn she saw a green mist. Shaking her head, in the next instant it was gone, and she was left feeling confused.

Arriving at the gallery, Lizzy looked around frantically for someone she knew, finally laying her eyes on Janie and John. She felt silly turning up on her own, wishing Drop Dead Fred was there with her. Even though no one else could see him, she felt safe in his company, as though she could tackle any obstacle in her way. Offered a glass of champagne by a smart looking waiter in a suit and bow tie, she made her way over to Janie. She tried to concentrate on the conversations about new art and about the revealing of John’s latest art masterpiece.

“What, or who, on earth are you looking for?” Janie whispered, when she noticed Lizzy staring across the room.

“Oh, nothing, just thought I saw someone.”

“That new guy of yours no doubt… what was his name again?”

“Oh…err” Lizzy told her.

“Great name, tell me, what’s ‘err’ like?” Janie asked her, smirking in friendly fashion.

“Umm…” was all Lizzy replied to Janie’s question.

“Umm? Well he sounds very, interesting.” She joked, turning away when John asked her to meet some of his fellow artists, obviously tired of the way Lizzy was being so patchy with her about her new man. Fred then chose that moment to appear next to her.

“WOW, this place is posh isn’t it?” He made an effort to be himself. Lizzy tried not to act surprised, and smiled at him, not sure if his company was making her more relaxed or anxious.

“Where have you been?” Lizzy whispered to Drop Dead Fred with an edge of concern and anger on her voice. She took his arm as he pranced around nodding at people who couldn’t even see him. “I wanted to talk to you…”

“Let me guess? You want to tell me about your new man,” He said coldly, bowing courteously at a lady who looked as if she was addressing him. Lizzy wondered for a moment whether she actually was, but turned to see her greeting a man behind Fred.

“So you were listening to my phone conversation?”

“I expect he’s a complete girl like all the other blokes, rambling on about love and flowers.” He snorted, ignoring her question.

“Actually, Fred…” she started, undignified by his comment, but was interrupted by the loud speaker announcing that the painting would be unveiled. Fred yawned loudly all the way through the speech by John, checking the watch he didn’t have and tapping his wrist. Receiving a jab in the ribs from Lizzy.

“Well thank you v… Oh my god!” he exploded in laughter as the painting was unveiled. “What is that?! Did he just get someone to throw up on a bit of paper?”

Lizzy held her response in for as long as she could, before she found herself bursting out in laughter and the whole of the crowd turning to look at her in horror.

“FRED? Fred where are you?” Lizzy kicked her heels off and marched around the house, finding him sitting crossed legged on her bed with his head in his hands. He looked up in when she entered the room. Then went back to looking down. Lizzy raised her hand towards the light switch.

“Don’t. I like the darkness.” He murmured sadly.

“Why did you go? You left me on my own after making me laugh like that!” Lizzy sat down opposite him.

“I figured you’d be angry at me, so I left to save you the bother of telling me to go.” Fred mumbled. Lizzy laughed. Fred looked at her wondering why she was laughing.

“Well it was true… that’s exactly what the ‘painting’ looked like!” A grin came across Fred’s face, and then he frowned.

“When were you gonna tell me about this guy?” he asked, a jealous spark in his voice. Lizzy picked up on it.

“Earlier, but you weren’t here.”

“So, what’s he like?” Fred tried to act interested, after all he was supposed to be her best friend, he frowned even more at the idea.

“He’s… the sweetest guy I’ve ever met.” Fred turned away, not really wanting to hear it. “He can be so charming sometimes, even if he is the craziest guy I know. Most of all, the way he knows me better than anyone… he knows how I’m feeling, and he’s always been there for me.” Lizzy put her hand on his; he jumped in fright, looking up at her.

“Well, what’s his name?” Fred looked confused, staring at her hand, then her face, and back again.

“Oh Fred, you’re so silly!” she giggled. Pausing, a few moments of silence passed with tension that you could reach out and touch. She leaned forward and pressed her scarlet lips against his briefly. The soft touch of her mouth and the sound of his own heart beating, the prospect of the situation dawned on him. Staring into his eyes in the darkness, she saw the look of sadness behind the blue innocence of his eyes, change to surprise and full adoration. Lizzy had never seen such emotion from Fred.

“Me?” he whispered. She reached her hand forward, trailing her thumb tenderly down his cheek, sensing the soft yet rugged feel of his skin. The innocence, the fear and longing in his eyes made her feel more for him. She stroked his face, running her hand back to caress his neck, looking into his eyes that were shining bright blue even in the moonlight. He paused, not really sure what do in this situation. She leaned in, pulling him towards her gently and kissed him again. He knew the answer to his question, his eyes widening and pulling away in surprise, pleasure and terror at the same time.

“I can’t!” he cried breathlessly, crawling back against the headboard of the bed. Putting some distance between him and Lizzy. “It’s not… we can’t!” he stammered. She crawled closer to him, stroking his hand, wrapping a hand behind his waist, and looking up at him with her dark eyes, shining in the darkness of her room. He couldn’t resist the temptation. This feeling was new to him and he felt it taking over him in a way he didn’t know how to control. This time he kissed her. It was slow and passionate, and went on for a several minutes, their breathing quickened. He pulled away, looking into her eyes, frowning with both pleasure and fear. He felt the pleasure take over his feeling of fear and he smiled fondly. Then their lips met again and he pulled her into his arms, they lay together kissing. Fred ran a hand through her hair, her soft black hair, his heart thumping at this new over-whelming feeling that enveloped him as he stroked her neck softly. His stomach turned at the pleasant feeling of Lizzy caressing his back and holding him close in her arms. Fred pulled her closer, making the final decision that would change everything.

Fred awoke. He looked down to find Lizzy asleep, her head on his chest and his arms around her. He smiled, kissing her forehead softly, remembering the night before. He lay there for a few minutes, stroking her soft skin, before moving her carefully. He needed to go for a while, to gather his thoughts on what to do. He looked at Lizzy as he got dressed. She looks so peaceful, he smiled to himself. The thought of what to do bought a look of terror to his face. He knew it was against the rules, yet he had to face up to the fact of what he’d done. Maybe they won’t find out? This idea seemed more appealing than confessing. A last look at Lizzy and he left to return to Limbo, the place where imaginary friends go.

Lying on the floor, Fred went over in his head what to do, but found himself smiling constantly as his thoughts returned to Lizzy.

“Fred?” he heard a familiar voice, and yet this time it wasn’t cheerful and happy, but sincere. A shadow appeared over him. It was Namby Pamby.

“What?” he put his arms behind his head and grinned at her.

“We know Fred,” a second voice sounded, this time it was Velcrohead.

”Know? Know what? That I’m so great?” he joked.

“No Fred, we know”

“You know?” his voice shook as he realised what they meant. “How, what, I mean, what do you…”

“They want to speak to you.” Velcrohead said, a look of concern on his usual smiling face. Fred got up.

“They don’t scare me.” He said, an edge of un-certainty in his voice. “They want to see me now?” Both his friends nodded slowly. Drop Dead Fred sighed and entered the room, bringing himself together to face them.

Rubbing her eyes, Lizzy slowly woke and stretched out in bed smiling. After a moment or two she realised something was wrong and sat up in bed, looking around frantically.

“Fred?” she called out, “FRED?” She waited. No answer. Tears pricked Lizzy’s eyes. Would he really just leave like that? She thought, un-sure. After pulling on some clothes, she ran around the house, double-checking that he wasn’t hiding. Falling back on the sofa she felt tears pricking her eyes.

“Fred please show yourself… I love you.” She cried in a desperate attempt for him to show.

“I love you too, Snotface.” Fred sat, tears rolling down his face at his beloved Lizzy, watching as she held her head in her hands and cried. He could see and hear everything she said or did, but couldn’t answer back. I’m never gonna get to make her jump in fright, or see her laugh, hold her in my arms and tell her I love her, he thought. Even to have her tell me off, I’d give anything.

The judges of the imaginary friends council had been tough. They hadn’t had to deal with this situation before. Lizzy’s was an exceptional case considering she was adult. Fred looked back on how they had frowned at the case, and took a lot of time to think about it before they had let him return to Lizzy when she had been unhappy with Charles. After checking over the rules carefully, the court had told him he could remain an active imaginary friend as long as he didn’t return to her life.

“You’ve gone too far, she needs to get over it and carry on with her life. The only way to ensure this is for you not to be a part of her life.” Fred had cringed at this, holding back the tears, before resorting to anger.

“You… you can’t do this!” he had cried. “We cant help how we feel for each other, you’re all just heartless! It’s not like you’d understand, you, you…” On of the judges interrupted him with a final warning, the others raised an angered eyebrow and dismissed him from the room. If he ever returned to Lizzy’s life, he would be banished, forced to stay in Limbo for years, before they thought about whether he was fit to be part of the imaginary friend group once again.

Now I’ll never be with her again, he thought, letting tears splash on the floor silently as he watched through his window.

“Janie, it’s me, I need to talk…” Lizzy choked her tears back, clutching the phone tightly in her anxiety. Janie sensed her urgency and tried to calm her down.

“Ok, come on, what’s happened. This new guy?” she asked calmly.

“Yes.”

“You still didn’t tell me who he is?”

“Fred.”

“Fred? Fred who? Do I know him?”

“Kind of… remember that guy who sank your houseboat?” There was a silence. Lizzy could imagine Janie shaking her head in utter confusion.

“Drop Dead Fred? The guy who doesn’t exist? The guy who you said had gone forever?”

“Yes.” Lizzy tried hard to hold back the tears.

“Is he back? What’s happened?” Lizzy then went on to explain about the previous night, after she had left the art gallery.

“Now he’s gone.” she began to sob.

“Are you sure?” Janie sounded concerned but not convinced.

“Yes. Something is wrong. I can sense it. I don’t what… maybe… oh I really don’t know Janie.” She found a tissue and wiped her face.

“Just give it time, how long ago did he leave?” Janie asked. Lizzy looked at the clock.

“I woke up an hour ago, he wasn’t there… I’m not sure.”

“There you go you see, you’ve only given it an hour, he’ll be back…” Janie said in an attempt to cheer Lizzy up. Lizzy, not entirely convinced, but felt it was better to have some hope than none at all, she hung up, after apologizing for laughing at the art gallery.

Looking at the clock, Lizzy realised it was late. 11pm. She rubbed her eyes, looking at the paperwork in front of her, but seeing blurry marks on the page.

It’s late, I should go home, I can’t read I’m so tired, she thought. It had been just over a week since she had last seen Drop Dead Fred. The thought of returning home to an empty house and crying herself to sleep made her heart sink. She had buried her head in her work since he had gone, and ended up staying late into the night at the office. Glancing around, she was the only person in the building. The hall was dark, and sitting at her desk, with only a small desktop lamp to lighten the room, it was somehow peaceful. Her home seemed dark and haunted. A place she didn’t feel relaxed in. Every time she looked around the room she remembered things about Fred, which made her smile, then break down and cry.

Fred was sat, legs crossed, head rested on his hands, watching through his window. He hadn’t even thought about finding a new case to work on.

“It’s unhealthy Fred, you need to do something to take your mind off it.” Velcrohead stood behind him, shaking his head, trying to encourage his friend.

“Oh piss off.” Fred had snarled, not taking his eyes off the window. Velcrohead shrugged, and walked off after failing his attempt. Drop Dead Fred frowned. Watching Lizzy walking alone at night, he felt a funny feeling in his stomach. He watched her walk along. She was obviously deep in thought, as she brushed into two lampposts as though she hadn’t seen them. Something’s not right, Fred stared closer at the window, becoming increasingly worried about the alarm bells ringing in his head.

“Hey watch it!” an angry pedestrian cried out at Lizzy as she walked straight into someone. She barely noticed. Raising her head towards to sky, she felt the first few drops of rain start, before the heavens seemed to open and she was completely drenched within minutes. All she could hear was the steady beat of the rain on the floor, the refreshing water running down her skin, her hair dripping. Lizzy’s expression was blank, trying not to think about stepping into her flat and staring at the emptiness. She stepped out into the street and marched a couple of paces forward before she was suddenly aware of a yellow light in the corner of her right. The screeching sound of breaks and the harshness of the car horn startled her. Everything seemed to stop for a second as she turned to stare at the two bright lights. Lizzy heard someone screaming, a high-pitched noise piercing her eardrums. It took her a moment to realise the noise was herself, screaming petrified. A sudden jolt knocked her sideways and she fell on the road with a splash.

Am I dead? She thought, her head throbbing, she felt numb and wasn’t aware someone was lying on her. Daring to open her eyes, she found herself staring into two shining blue eyes.

“Is it you…. or am I dreaming. Am I dead?” she managed to stutter.

“No, you’re fine.” Fred’s voice sounded back at her, he managed a grin. She could feel his heart beating and his breathing quicken as he stared into her eyes. He rolled off and lay in the rain for a moment, before dragging himself off the floor and offering Lizzy a hand. She looked at him, not sure if she was more shocked to see him standing there or to be alive. Opening her mouth to speak, she was interrupted.

“Are you ok miss?” it was a taxi driver. “Hey it’s you! With the jack-in-a-box.” She squinted in the darkness, her eyes blurred by the pounding rain, and realised it was the same guy who had driven her to the airport.

“Can’t believe you’re ok, I thought I was gonna hit you.” he said shakily. “You want a lift home? You’re drenched?” She barely had time to think before he helped her into the cab. Fred got in with her and she rest her head on his shoulder and cried in the shock of everything that had happened. He said nothing the whole way back, just tried to comfort her.

“Snotface, I can’t stay.” He stuttered once she shut the door to the flat.

“What?” Lizzy staring at him in utter amazement that he’d just said that. “So you just appear, then go again? What the hell is going on Fred? I thought I meant something to you.” she turned angry. “I’ve been waiting here, wondering whether you were ever going to return…”

“If I could stay I would,” he interrupted her. She looked at him questioningly, water dripping from her soaked hair. “They know about us, about what happened. I can’t be here, I don’t know how long I’ve got.”

“You’ve come back now though!” she cried, confused. He looked worried and upset.

“Against the rules Lizzy, they threatened to banish me if I returned… I just, I couldn’t…” she suddenly realised what he meant and it dawned on her what he was risking, for her.

“Oh Fred.” She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. He buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes, tears rolling down his cheek, disguised by the water running down his face from his wet hair.

“I love you so much, Snotface.” He whispered in her ear. She began to cry too.

“Don’t leave me Fred.”

“I’ll always be with you Lizzy.” He leaned back, holding her face in his hands he kissed her forehead tenderly. She managed a weak smile.

Suddenly he jumped back, a look of terror in his face his eyes rested on something behind Lizzy. She swung round. There was no one there. He looked at Lizzy, then back again behind her.

“I love you Elizabeth Cronin.” He whispered before disappearing in a green mist. Lizzy dropped to her knees, realizing he was gone forever, and cried into her hands.

Lizzy looked up from her desk to see her boss looking over at her. He smiled. Lizzy barely managed to smile. Annoyed at the way he’d been following her around a lot recently, making every effort to bump into her in the corridor, before returning to her paper work. He seemed to think that her extra hours spent at the building were because of him. How wrong he is, she thought bitterly. Putting pen to paper for the fifth time that day, she paused before slumping her head on the desk. Not able to switch her thoughts off and concentrate.

“Are you ok Lizzy?” she looked up, bleary eyed from lack of sleep to find her boss standing over her with a look of concern.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” She said, yawning.

“You don’t look fine. Tell you what, take an early lunch.” Roger suggested. She managed a pathetic smile before reaching for her coat.

“Thanks.” She muttered, and made her way out the door, almost sure she could feel Roger’s eyes watching her.

“You’ve got to move on!” Janie almost shrieked at her. After leaving the work building she had rung Janie to meet her for lunch. Seated at the same table that she and Mickey had used previously, Lizzy found herself glancing at the table that Drop Dead Fred had been at. A couple were there this time, happily chatting away, staring at each other adoringly. Lizzy felt sick, wishing it were she and Fred sitting there.

“But…” her friend looked at her.

“Seriously Lizzy, you’ve done nothing but work, or mope around the house.” Janie said quietly. “I mean. I’ve never met this guy, and no one has seen him. Can’t you see how difficult I’m finding this?” Lizzy nodded slowly. Janie then decided to change the subject when she noticed tears welling up in Lizzy’s eyes. They spent the rest of lunch talking about work, Janie’s boyfriend, among other things. Lizzy just nodded and hummed in agreement, before noticing the time and departing from the restaurant.

Returning to her desk, Lizzy rummaged around for something to do. She’d practically done everything and began inventing jobs to do to take her mind of things. Putting her head in her hands in frustration she found herself staring at a note that had been left on the desk.

‘Be ready at seven o’clock, I’m taking you out’

It was anonymous, signed with a kiss at the bottom. Lizzy thought for a moment. Then looked at her boss. He was busy talking to a colleague. It’s got to be him, she sighed, not impressed by it.

“Oh Lizzy, did you get that note?” Janet, the secretary, peered at her over her spectacles. Lizzy nodded, rolling her eyes. Janet shrugged, forcing a smile before trotting off to answer the phone.

Glancing at the clock. It was quarter to seven. Lizzy had spent ages choosing a dress to wear, then hunting around in her wardrobe for some shoes to match. Selecting some perfume, Lizzy grinned sadly when seeing the perfume Fred had made such a fuss about. She decided against wearing it. Applying some lipstick, Lizzy heard the doorbell. Bit early isn’t he? She got up, sighing in annoyance, and answered.

“Lizzy! Ooh you look nice, where are you going?” It was Janie.

“Not good timing.” Lizzy muttered.

“Why, what’s going on?”

“There was a note left on my desk this afternoon.” She pulled it out her bag and showed it to Janie. Janie’s eyebrows raised and she showed a look of approval and delight.

“Who wrote this?” Janie asked.

“Not sure… the only person I can think of is my boss, but I hope not.” She grimaced.

“Secret admirers now? Whatever next?” Janie giggled. Lizzy went back into her room and brushed her hair idly, listening to Janie calling out her latest news about John’s painting selling for a good deal of money. Lizzy had changed her mind three times since arriving home, not wanting to go on a date. Something, possibly curiosity, had kept her focused on getting ready for the meeting. Hearing the doorbell go, her heart thumped. She looked at the clock. Exactly on time, she thought.

“I’ll get it!” she heard Janie cry, her footsteps quick across the carpet and towards the door. She heard mumbling, but couldn’t make out any words. Janie’s head popped round the door.

“There’s a guy here for you, a rather good looking guy,” She winked. “Where’d you find him?” Lizzy looked confused.

“Not my boss?” she whispered nervously. Janie shook her head. Lizzy rose from her bed and entered the room. Sitting on the sofa, the man turned round to look at Lizzy, and got up immediately. She gasped.

“Fred?” she stared at him, then at Janie, who was looking at her with confusion.

“Hey Lizzy.” He grinned. He was wearing a dark green suit, a white shirt and black shoes. He had even made an attempt to tidy his hair, failing of course.

“Fred?” Janie said. He looked at her. “Not the Fred?”

“That’s me,” he introduced himself to Janie.

“You… you can…” Lizzy fumbled with words. Fred grinned cheekily. Janie looked at them both and broke the momentary silence.

“Well, this is all very nice, I’m glad you two could sort things out, but John awaits.” she smiled and winked at them both. “Have a nice evening.” She shook Fred’s hand and waltzed out the door. Lizzy was still standing there looking at him with utter amazement. The door slammed. Fred approached her, taking her hands his and holding them close to his face. He smiled. Lizzy opened her mouth to speak, but he seemed to anticipate her question.

“Short story is…they took into consideration that I risked my freedom of my own will, to save you. It turned out there was half a heart between them and they gave me two options.” Lizzy listened in amazement. “I could either have all my record wiped and start again as an imaginary friend, or I could be granted the gift of human life and stay here with you, the catch being there is no return ticket to the imaginary friends world.” He grinned.

“You gave it all up for me?” She asked, tears in her eyes. He scooped her up in his arms and she gasped in surprise and joy, giggling.

”I’d give anything up for you, Snotface.” He kissed her on the lips gently. She smiled, over-whelmed with happiness.

“So, where were you going to take me?” She grinned at him, her arms around his neck. They couldn’t take their eyes off each other. A wicked grin came across his face

“Well,” he carried her into the bedroom, closing the door with his foot. “I wasn’t planning on going far.”

THE END

By Jo Eyre © 2003