Title: All the Chocolate in the World

Author: Love the Chocolate

Summary: Cass Lowell has an “Every Guy is Only My Friend”-complex. Enter Matt, the very much male best friend. And of course, she fell slowly in love with him through the years. Ah, the pains of unrequited love… One-shot.

November, 2008

Cold.

It was so, so cold.

Cass shivered as she once again realized how utterly stupid it was to go out running in 36 degree weather with only her shorts and tank top on. She pumped her legs faster, feeling the air whizzing by as she sprinted the home stretch of the trails. Her breathing was even and her eyes set. She ignored the sweat that had formed in places she didn’t know sweat could form. Finally, she saw her house in sight and her lips upturned slightly.

There was home.

Oh the bittersweet memories it held within it…

May, 2001

“Cass!”

Cassandra Lowell turned her head and grinned as she spotted her best friend Matt Williamson rounding the corner that separated her house and his. Putting down her bag stuffed full of books, she ran towards him as he encompassed her in a warm hug. Standing at a mere 5’5, she was short compared to Matt’s 6’0 frame. She breathed in his scent and sighed happily.

Cass had known Matt since she was nine years old. Matt was the class clown in elementary school, always cracking jokes and portraying himself as the fool. She was always the wisecrack who would be making the fool of him. They were an odd pair, but they were as close as anything could be. They had never gotten into fights, as surreal as it would seem to Cass. She had been mad at him plenty of times. He had readily apologized, and she would accept his apology. It was very much the same vice versa.

The familiarity of the situation made every inch of her tingle with contentedness. These moments were the moments she would treasure most before she moved away.

Speaking of moving away…

“Cass, I was wondering…” Matt began speaking, loosening his grip on her. He settled for an arm draped across her shoulders and Cass slipped an arm around his waist. “I saw moving trucks in front of your house. Is Dean finally getting off his lazy college-boy ass and moving out?”

… She hadn’t told him quite yet.

His smile was easy and his tone amused. Cass hated to ruin his jovial mood.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that…” Cass started uncertainly. Her hands dropped to her sides as his grin slipped downwards into a frown. This was what she was afraid of. “My family’s moving.”

November, 2008

Stepping out of the bathroom and letting the chill spread over her, she moved towards her dresser. As she opened the drawer, she spotted a picture of her during her childhood shoved in the very back. Wrapping her fingers around the slightly aged photograph, she slipped it out and was immediately plunged into a thicket of sweet memories.

January, 1996

“So what’s your typical dream guy, Cass?” Cass’s other best friend, Hailey asked her mischievously. Matt, Logan, and Ryan all groaned, turning away. Cass’s 13th birthday party consisted of Hailey, Cass, another friend of Cass’s whose name was Elaine, Matt, Logan, and Ryan. All night they had been doing “covert operations”. These included sneaking past her brother Dean’s bedroom. Dean – who willingly went to military camps on Spring Breaks, Winter Breaks, Summer Vacations, and whenever else possible – was a light sleeper, which gave the six thirteen-year-olds more incentive to play.

But now that her parents had awoken and soundly scolded all of them for bothering Cass’s brother, they had settled into their sleeping bags.

This was thirty minutes ago.

Ever since then, Hailey, Cass, and Elaine had gathered around for a good round of “girl talk”. The guys, being the atypical males, rolled their eyes and pretended they weren’t interested in the “girly crap”. However, Cass knew they were eavesdropping and as equally interested in what someone had to say as the girls.

“Hmm… my dream guy?” Cass pondered the idea quietly, tapping her thighs in contemplation. “He definitely has to be Italian. I am in love with Italian boys. Dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin… Now that’s love.” All three girls giggled in delight. Cass didn’t notice Hailey glancing discreetly at Matt, who was very much full-blooded Italian on both sides of his family.

“I am also in love with bad boys,” Cass continued. She paused, and then snorted. “Watch me end up with an Italian mafia mobster.” They all laughed, even the guys, which caused some raised eyebrows on the girls’ parts. She blushed slightly and poked Matt’s side. “So what’s your dream girl look like?”

“Hot,” Matt said immediately. Cass rolled her eyes heavenwards at his density, but was quite stunned at his next words. “She has to have some depth, though. She also has to be willing to accept my male tendencies.”

“In more ways than one,” Ryan jibed good-naturedly. The six of them laughed, albeit slightly disgusted at the insinuation.

“In more ways than one,” Matt agreed heartily. Cass slapped him upside the head, and Matt pouted. Cass blinked and she felt as if her insides could melt.

“Please don’t hurt me?” Matt pleaded rather cutely, gazing up at her with his chocolate brown orbs. Cass rolled her own green/gray/blue/violet (she could never decide what color it actually was, it kept on constantly changing to fit her mood) eyes and threw her hands up in exasperation.

“Aw, thanks, Cass,” Matt grinned, shoving a fluffy pillow squarely at Cass’s face. After being smothered by four other pillows, Cass finally came up for air. She was out for revenge.

“PILLOW FIGHT!” she shouted, and havoc ensued.

November, 2008

Fully dressed in her satin nightwear, Cass headed downstairs. She was unaware she still had the photograph clutched tightly in her hand as she padded quietly to her kitchen. She prepared a cup of hot chocolate and spotted the latest issue of an entertainment magazine laid open on the kitchen counter. She took a dainty sip of her hot cocoa and moved silently closer to the magazine to be able to read the article better.

“MATT WILLIAMSON: GONE OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH?”

Twenty-five year-old superstar actor Matt Williamson seems to have disappeared off the sidewalks of Hollywood. His usual trips to Kmart were suddenly not made. We talked to his butler, who refused to say anything of Matt’s location. Could it be that Matt is off gallivanting around the world with suspected girlfriend Louise Ferer? Only time could tell. Starz&Glitter will definitely find it out for you!

Suddenly, the hot cocoa she was gulping down became unbearably bitter.

December, 2000

“Hey, Matt, ever think of what you’re going to do when you graduate?” Cass piped up suddenly. She and Matt were sharing the hammock in his backyard. She was nestled in the crook of his arm and they were both staring at the stars in silence. Before her outburst, of course.

“I rightly don’t know,” Matt replied honestly. “I think I’m going to pursue the acting career.”

“Won’t your dad be mad that you don’t take up the family business?” Cass asked quietly. Matt was mute for a few minutes and Cass was beginning to believe she had angered him in some fashion by bringing up his father.

“Of course he will,” Matt eventually answered tersely. “But I’m just the first of three boys. I’m sure either Kyle or Howie can pick up the family business.”

“I’m sorry, Matt,” Cass intoned in a small voice. “I know you’ll be a great actor. You’re so expressional. Your face and hand movements portray what your words can’t. That’s what I admire about you.”

“Thanks, Cass,” Matt whispered in gratitude. “You’ll be with me while I work my way up there, won’t you?” His eyes suddenly met hers, pleading and vulnerable.

“Of course I will, Matt,” Cass promised, lowering her tear-glistened eyes. “Of course I will.”

November, 2008

She was jolted out of her thoughts when her cell phone suddenly rang. She neatly placed her cup of hot chocolate on a coaster and hurried to answer it.

“Hello?” she spoke into the phone.

“Cassy-darling!”

“Oh my God, Gerard! It’s been a while!”

“It simply has been too long, Cassy.”

“I told you to call me Cass, Gerard.”

“But I still call you Cassy.”

“Which defeats the whole point of me telling you to call me Cass.”

“Exactly.”

“You were just as confusing as the first time I met you.”

“And you know you love me for it, darling.”

“I appreciate everything you did that night, Gerard.”

“Damn right, you better.”

“Gerard!”

“Well, you do!”

“…”

June, 2001

Cass buried her face in her pillow, letting loose heart-wrenching sobs. It was hard, it was so, so hard…

A knock sounded on the door of her hotel room and a voice yelled, “Room service!”

Well there was the massive tub of chocolate ice cream she had ordered. She drowned her sorrows in ice cream like drunkards did with their alcohol. She rushed to the door, wiping her tears on the backs of her hands in an attempt to look semi-normal.

Cass opened the door and there was her gigantic tub of chocolate ice cream, melting tantalizingly in the moonlight.

“You know, all the chocolate in the world can’t drown away the pain of unrequited love.”

Cass looked up and gazed at the room service man.

“I’m Cass.”

“Gerard. Gay.”

“Oh okay. Want some ice cream, Gerard?”

“Want to tell me what’s breaking your heart, Cass?”

“Sure.”

“Sure.”

November, 2008

“It’s been great catching up with you, Cass, but I have to get off the phone. Oh the pains of actually recharging a cell phone.”

“Ah yes, what a terrible thing that’ll be, for you to actually work!”

“Hey, I do too work!”

“Of course, Gerard. If you keep thinking that hard enough, it may just come true.”

“Meanie.”

“I love you, Gerard. Enjoy your night and go find yourself a guy.”

“Back atcha, Cassy-darling. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Cass closed her phone with an inaudible snap and gazed at the picture still in her hand. She and Matt had been smiling in this picture. His arm had been around her waist and her head was cradled against his shoulder. It was in his hammock and they had fallen asleep one night. His mother, ever the hopeless romantic, snapped the picture and kept this copy. When Gina Williamson died, she had left this on her dresser on the night of her funeral. Cass couldn’t stand not having something that Gina had not touched had secretly stolen the picture. Gina was her second mother, and she was deeply aggrieved that night.

In that picture, everyone was smiling.

Those were the happy days.

Before the shit inevitably hit the fan.

May/June, 2001.

The ride on the way to the airport was silent as a grave. Cass and Matt had been avoiding the subject of Cass moving away for the past two weeks. Now Matt had taken the liberty of taking Cass to the airport instead of making her rent a car.

Matt pulled up to the drop off lanes and put the car in park. They both simultaneously stepped out of the vehicle. Matt pulled Cass’s luggage out of the trunk and placed it in front of her.

“So I guess this is it, Cass,” Matt said, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah,” Cass murmured, her eyes beginning to sparkle with moisture.

“Don’t forget to write, god knows you do enough of that,” Matt joked weakly.

“Yeah,” Cass repeated with a feeble chuckle. Matt shuffled his feet uncomfortably and Cass’s shoulders slumped. She glanced around and spotted the police man making his way over to where they were. She had to make this quick.

“Matt,” she began. She opened her mouth to speak but found she couldn’t. After opening and closing it for a few times, she finally regained the ability to speak.

“Matt… I love you,” she finally blurted out, the last part coming out in a half-whisper. Matt’s head snapped up and his eyes met hers in shock. “I know, I know. This isn’t the best time to confess this… But I do. I think I have for a while now. I wasn’t sure if you returned my feelings or not. Since I’m moving away, though, I figured we’d lose touch eventually and I would never pluck up the courage to actually say this to you. So. I love you.”

“Cass, I—“ Cass placed her finger over his mouth.

“Sh. You don’t have to say anything. I’d rather leave not knowing than with the knowledge that you don’t. Just hear me out.” Matt shut his mouth in obedience.

“You’re going to be a great actor. I know I promised I would be there for you… But I will! Just not in the way that you were hoping for. I’ll be keeping up with everything that you do. I’ll videotape every single episode or movie that you appear in. I’ll go to every Broadway show that you might possibly get into. I swear it.

“Just please let me leave with the knowledge that I’ve told you how I really feel. Don’t say anything. Please don’t. You’re going to move on. You’re going to have a happy family. With the white picket fence I’ve always fantasized about, but you secretly wanted. You know you do.” By this time, Cass’s face was streaked with tears. “And yeah, I’m going to be at every important event of yours, whether I’m busy or not. I will risk getting fired from any future job to be at any event you have. I love you. And goodbye.”

With those words, Cass passed through the revolving doors into the airport, leaving behind a still silent Matt Williamson.

November, 2008

Cass, reminiscing upon that particular memory, was mutely weeping. Tears fell from her eyes, but she gave no indication of what she was thinking otherwise.

The doorbell rang, its high-pitched vibrations resounding through the house. Cass made no move to wipe her tears and opened the door. Her tears immediately dried.

“Matt?”

There he stood, in all his Italian glory.

“Hello, Cass. May I come in?”

December, 2009

An excerpt from Cocoa by Cassandra Lowell-Williamson…

“… And all the chocolate in the world could never cure her broken heart, but it only took the chocolate brown in his Italian eyes to fix it right up…”

END

Author's Notes: To those who might be confused as to how old they are in each event, here's the key: (told in Cass's age)

November, 2008 - 25 years old

May, 2001 - 18 years old (end of senior year in high school)

January, 1996 - 13 years old (Cass's 13th birthday)

December, 2000 - 17 years old (senior year in high school)

June, 2001 - 18 years old (previously June, 2008, sorry about that mistake..)

May/June, 2001. - 18 years old (previously May/June, 2998, again, sorry about that mistake..)

December, 2009 - 26 years old (the release of Cocoa)