****
Sitting alone in at his desk in Whisper was one of Eric's only traditions. But he wasn't supposed to be alone; he was waiting for Breslin to show up. As the door creaked open behind him, he merely reached for his fancy overpriced coffee sitting next to him and smiled.
“You’re late.” Eric said as deleted another paragraph from his paper.
“I didn't know you were expecting me?” Laci said with a smile as she draped her arms around Eric.
Instinctively jumping up, Eric spilled his coffee as he made some distance between them. “What do you want?”
“Oh, don't act like you don't miss me. Miss us.”
“There is no us. And I can't believe anything you say.”
“I’m hurt. Really.” Laci started as she took a step closer to Eric. “But I need a favor.”
Eric couldn't frown any harder. His normally relaxed frame was now tense and pensive. He could care less about Laci; at this point he wanted her to just disappear.
“I am done doing favors for you. Every-time I do, somebody I like gets hurt.”
“Would you open up your eyes to the bigger picture E,” She all but screamed at him. “Who needs friends when you have worshippers?”
Laci's long dirty blonde hair twisted and curled down her back as he stood in front of Eric. Her light green eyes stared straight through him. To her, Eric was just another tool in her arsenal. She was just as feisty as he remembered her. It was something that drew him to her to begin with. He just never knew how dangerous she actually was.
“I’m not like that.”
“Well you might as well be. All those pictures you've taken off Breslin and Daisy without their permission. Do you really think you’re any better than me?”
“Yes, well no I...”
“Let me let you in on the dirty little secret. Once you start playing the game, you’re no better than the rest of us. You’re no better than Daisy. You’re no better than Wesley. And you’re no better than me.”
Laci's position was firm, and she was close to what she wanted.
“So one more favor, and I won't tell your little friends what you don't want them to know.”
Looking out of the window of the newsroom he whispered to Laci. “Just one more.”
“Good,” She said while reaching into her purse. “Scan this then send it to Jack, and I’ll leave you alone to wallow in you self pity.”
Snatching it out of her hand, Eric glanced over it then met her icy stare.
“And what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this.” He asked, to afraid of what might be lurking in her mind.
And as she turned to walk out the door, she threw her answer over her shoulder. “Fun.”
As Laci stepped outside of Whisper, she caught Wes leaning on a locker in the corner of her eye.
“You always did like following me around.” She said as she pulled out her cell phone.
“You know what I don’t get.” Wes replied, now giving his full attention to Laci.
“How someone as arrogant as Jack could be captain of anything?”
“Funny, try how even though you’re the clear winner, you’re still pushing for more damage. Daisy lost, you’ve broken her. She’s nothing. So why are you still trying to prove a point. It seems like a waste of time.”
Slamming her phone back into her bag, Laci stepped into Wes’s face. “Daisy took everything from me!” She screamed. The intensity of her voice was so strong it was as if the walls themselves were quivering.
Wes backed up, adjusting his sunglasses and his smile. While stepping out of the girl’s restroom on the side of Whisper, Avalon walked up the hall but then stopped before being noticed by neither Laci nor Wes.
“Instead of finishing off Daisy myself, I’m just going to have someone else do it for me.”
“Oh yea, how so?” Wes asked.
“I still know a secret or two about little miss imperfect. And come tomorrow, she won’t want to live in this town anymore.”
Upon hearing than, Avalon went down the opposite hall, as to avoid the demonic duo all together. She didn’t know what she was going to do. Daisy hadn’t been answering phone calls all day. And even if she did, what was Ava supposed to say. She had just gotten Daisy back on her feet. She didn’t’ want to tell her something that had the potential of putting her out of commission for good. All she knew for sure was something had to be done. And if she wasn’t sure about Daisy. At least she could trust Breslin.
Careless Whisper
“There’s no need to complicate, our time is short…”
I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
The light from Conner's TV flickered off his face as faded into the darkness that was his room. Within that darkness, also sat player two, otherwise known as Dex. Conner wasn't really paying attention to what he was playing. It was serious, and it had shooting. That was good enough for him. As the final score was presented on the screen, Dex put down the controller and leaned further away from the light.
“What now?” Conner asked.
“Another round.” Dex replied.
“You know what I mean man.” Conner said as he tossed his controller at Dex. “What now between you and Jade?”
“Nothing, I’m tired of her crap.”
“You have crap too.”
“Yea, but she doesn't hear about it every day.”
Leaning over to turn on the light in his room, Conner nodded in agreement. “True.”
“So what are you going to do about that random chick you started trying to talk to but never really got anywhere? Huh?”
“Hey hey hey, were not talking about me.” Conner defended. “Were talking about you.”
“And now we’re talking about you, magical isn't it.” Dex replied, a pillow went flying in his direction. “Keep this up and you won't have anything else to throw.”
“Fine,” Conner said while putting down his graphing calculator. “So what do you want to know?”
“Why did you give up?”
“She wasn't interested.”
“Try again.”
“She won't listen”
“Try again.”
Conner leaned over his bed to find his phone. “And apparently you won't either.”
“All I'm saying is the Conner I know wouldn't just give up. He would save the world, recover the missing artifacts, and get the girl all before bedtime.”
“You play to many video-games.” Conner responded.
“Maybe so, but you don't want to live your life with regrets. If she won't listen, find a way to make her hear you.” Dex said and then backtracked. “A nonviolent way. I don't need to see you on the six o clock news.”
“Right.” Conner mumbled. “Like how you made Jade listen.”
Smiling at him, Dex stood up. “Jade listens all too well.”
“Ok, ok. But where am I even going to find her.”
“She’s at the movies.” Dex responded while pulling out his car keys.
Conner gave him the strangest look he could muster, “How did you know that?”
“Magic. Or Facebook. Facebook magic.”
“Well than, let’s go.” Conner said as he rushed out the door, Dex following on his heels.
Chloé swerved through traffic with ease. In her front seat sat a very patient Dex and a very impatient Conner. He didn't know what he was going to say. He didn't know how he was going to say it. He tried the smooth approach. Got blown off. He tried the romantic approach. Failed miserably. He tried giving her space. And now, he was about to run out of options. He didn't even know if she was worth all this trouble. But he never had to fight for something so hard in his life. He was an easy come easy go kinda guy. But there was something about her that made him want to fight. And fight he was going to do. Dex swerved one last time, this time slowing down so he wouldn
't hit a car in the mall's theater parking lot. Chloé fit comfortably in between a scuffed up truck and a red beetle. Before Conner could get out of the passenger side Dex slammed him in the arm.
“Really.”
“What. Slugbug.”
Conner still managed to hop out of the car and practically run into the movies. Before he opened the door, he could have sworn that he saw Wes leaning on the side of the building. His signature dark blue beanie covering up his messy hair. But he was in such a rush that he wasn't sure. What he was sure of was he was going to be successful, he had to be. Shooting up the stairs he made it into the reception area of the theater and slowed down. Even from where he was standing, Natalie looked beautiful. So here he went, it’s now or never.
“Natalie.” Conner spoke.
She turned around slowly.
“Can I speak with you alone?”
“You’re not going to embarrass me again are you?”
“Not this time.” Conner replied with a smile.
Natalie returned his shy smile and slowly allowed herself to move away from her friends.
“I’m listening.” She said.
“I like you. And I came here to ask you out on a date.”
“Oh.” Natalie said slowly. At first, she thought Conner was just a clown. Then, she thought he was just embarrassing. But now, now she could tell he was serious. And she liked that about him. It was charming. Different. No guy has ever come to her in serious fashion. She felt like he really wanted to be with her.
“Yup. So will you go out on a date with me?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“I’m thinking pool,” Conner said. He felt really in control of the situation. This being a first.
“I think I would like that.” Natalie said as she pulled out a slip of paper from her bag.
“Here's my number so you can give me more details.”
Conner couldn't hold back the permeant childish grin on his face, and he didn't even try. He couldn't wait to see how things were going to unfold. And in the moment that Natalie walked away to rejoin her friends, Dex came up behind him and put his hand on Conner's shoulder.
“I believe this is score one for Dex,” He said as he made an air basket.
“Well I guess were about to be even.” Conner said as he pulled out his phone.
“What do you mean?” Dex replied, but deep down inside he knew the answer.
Conner dialed Jade's number and handed Dex the phone. “Fix it.”
“Hello.” Jade's voice rang on the other end.
Dex looked at the phone for a second, and then lifted it out of Conner’s hand. If he could give great advice, the least he could do was follow it.
“Conner?” Jade asked
“It’s me.” Dex said, allowing the words to fall out and float around his head.
There was silence on the line, and he feared that she hung up.
“Dex?” Jade asked after some time.
“Hi.”
Silence again
“How are you?” Dex asked, trying to breathe life into a dying conversation.
“Good.” she replied.
“Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did; I just wanted to vent some of my frustration. It shouldn't have been directed at you. I apologize for hurting you.”
“It’s ok.”
“No its not.”
“No really, its fine.”
“Jade?”
“Dex, it takes two people to argue. I said something’s I didn't mean either.”
Silence a third time.
“So what now?” Dex asked, again not truly wanting to know the answer.
“We move on, either as a couple or as friends. But we move on.” Jade responded. Her voice wasn't shaky. She was ready to get past this. “But there is one thing I need to do first.”
“Do whatever you need to do, and I will be by your side.” Dex said as he got ready to end the call. “I love you, and I will talk to you later.”
And for once, she believed him
Handing Conner’s phone back to him, Conner slugged Dex in the arm.
“Ow.” Dex said.
“Now were even.” Conner said as he began to walk off.
“Whatever, I'm thinking Chinese food,” Dex said as he followed behind Conner.
“Great, you’re paying.”
“No I'm not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“CONNER!” Avalon screamed from behind the two boys, bringing their good time to a halt.
Conner was taught that if a girl screams, you listen.
“What?” Conner said as he rushed to her side. “Whats going on?”
Laci's trying to hurt Breslin. “You've got to help him.”
“Where is he?” Dex asked.
“They’re here.”
We Tear It Up
“I believe, this is heaven to no one else but me…”
Elsewhere by Sarah Mclachlan
The outside of the Gunn house was supernaturally quiet this evening. Jack sat on the porch and lifted hand weights while watching the cars fly by. Despite Conner's little fiasco on the field, the Chameleon’s reputation remanded unscathed. And Jack remanded on top. And even though he really didn't like being cruel, he had to play the part. He was a football captain, always expected to be a drill sergeant even when he didn't want to. And he hated being angry. Because when he was angry he couldn't control his actions. He just wanted to hit somebody or something until he felt better.
There was only one girl who he was truly himself around. Daisy. But they were over, and he accepted that. That was, until he got at blocked message.
She cheated on you, the text read. Complete with a picture of Daisy kissing Wesley. He wasn't moved by it. This picture could have been taken way after they broke up. But then that’s when he spotted the bracelet she was wearing on her arm. It was the bracelet he gave her on their first date. And the one he made sure he took back when they broke up. There was no way she had it, unless.
Jack at that moment was completely shaking. His eyes couldn’t focus. He was having a hard time breathing. Only one thing kept running through his mind. How could she?
A figure appeared in his peripheral vision and it took all of the control Jack possessed not to toss the 35 pound weight at Wesley’s head.
“What do you want?” Jack growled and he stood up, effectively towering over Wes.
“Just seeing how you were holding up.” Wes said as he looked up into Jack’s eyes.
“I’m not buying this; you’re just trying to use me.”
“I assure you that this is one hundred percent true.”
“Oh really Wes, and when did you become a beacon of honesty.”
Wes flashed a polite smile, “When I realized that Daisy hurts everyone she touches.”
Jack thought back to the day that Daisy broke up with him. They were sitting in the grass just above the pier together as they always did after school, and he was holding her hand. He was surprised that she didn’t want to bring any of their friends with them, it being her birthday. A day by the water sounded like a Clearveil summer dream. But she wanted to be alone, and right then and there he should have known it wasn’t going to end well.
She said that they didn’t have any chemistry. That they were too different, but deep down inside he knew that there was something wrong. He always speculated that there was a guy on the side. She never wanted to be seen in public together. She didn’t tell her friends that they were exclusive. She just always made it seem like they were having fun. But Jack wanted more than fun. And she ended it. After she finished talking he took his bracelet back and chunked it into the lake in front of them. She didn’t deserve to have it, and she didn’t deserve to have him.
“Why did you kiss her?” Jack asked Wesley in a calm voice. He was trying to control his emotions.
> “I’m not the one you’re mad at.”
“Really now, because it feels like I’m mad at you.”
“I didn’t know she was your girlfriend.”
“LIAR!”Jack yelled as he lifted Wes off his feet by his shirt.
“Seriously.” Wes gasped out. “She kissed me, I didn’t know.”
Jack hesitated; Daisy wasn’t the most trustworthy person in the world when they dated. It was very likely that she did cheat on him.
“Are you lying to me?” Jack asked, still lifting Wes into the air. “Because if you’re lying to me swear to god I’ll...”
“I’m not lying. She is at the mall right now, go and ask her yourself.”
Releasing Wes, Jack ran inside and got his brothers keys. Jack’s car was in the shop, so instead he took his brother faded blue truck.
Jumping in the car, Jack pointed at Wes. “If I find out your lying to me, after I deal with her, I’m going to kill you.”
After he was far out of sight, Laci’s black mini cooper pulls up next to Wesley. Jumping in the car, Wesley fixed his crown.
“He looks pissed.” Laci asked as she began to follow him.
“He is pissed.” Wesley responded.
“So I’m guessing it worked.”
“Like a charm. Daisy won’t know what to do.”
Laci grinned “And I’ll be there to watch.”