Chapter 1
Fridays were always good, well, the people in the town of Bay Wood enjoyed Fridays. Bay Wood got it's name for two reasons, it had a bay and a wood, which is now a forest. It doesn't have much of a history, most of it's records were destroyed during a freak storm that lasted a whole day. People were forced underground into shelters and when they came up the next morning most of the town was destroyed and the records office and library was slowly smouldering.
On Friday at three O'clock the Yen Sid High School pupils would scatter as fast as they could for their weekend, except for those few students who were dubbed "weirdos," "homos," "freaks," "creeps," "saddos" and one is called Terrence Sage, but he was invisible and he never got a name as from his own.
The adults in Bay Wood also loved Fridays because at between five O'clock and seven O'clock they were released from their work and they could do whatever the Hell they wanted, but that was mostly watch T.V., eat junk and drink until they puke, except the parents, they do that in private.
It was half past four on Friday in late autumn when Terrence Sage was opening the door to his house. His house was at the end of Fantasia Lane, the first street to be built. The house was large, old and seemed as if it was haunted. The walls were painted white, the metallic bits were a shiny grey and the roof, window linings and door was jet black.
Terrence Sage pulled out his key and opened the door, making sure no-one seen where he put it back where he took it from. He pushed open the door and stepped in and heard the thick Scottish accent call his name, "Terry!"
He sighed, looking to the heavens and sighed, he turned on his heals. "Hello Merida," he said with his thin smile.
"Are ya comin'?" she asked, dismounting her bike.
Terrence looked at the young girl, she was an average height with wild curly ginger hair and shiny ocean blue eyes, full of excitement. Her smile was almost taunting Terrence to say "yes". He walked down the porch and on to the street.
"Where's Peter?" asked Terrence.
"At Mona's" said Merida.
"But I told you both I was going to Mr. Grimm's writing class later" said Terrence.
"That's at seven, ya have three hours. Change inta somethin' more casual, you look like a prick" she said.
Terrence was wearing a shirt with braces and slacks and pointy toed shoes. He looked down, "I think it's fine" he said.
"Not for a weekend, now get changed," said Merida as she mounted her bike, "I'll see ya at Mona's" and she rode off at an incredible speed.
Terrence went back into his house, he shut the door, locked it and ran up the stairs and changed into something more casual, a jumper and jeans. He wore white shoes and was tying the knot tightly when he heard a knock at the door, not on the front door, but the door to his study. He looked at the door and waited for another knock, but nothing came.
With curiosity he ran the tips of his fingers across the brass knob and keyhole. He then retracted his hand and walked of the house, locking all the doors and windows before he did.
The walk to Mona's was no more than ten minutes, which was good because by now it was ten to five and Terrence was watching the time carefully. He walked in and looked around for Merida and Peter, the two gingers stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the brunettes, blacks, blondes and the unnatural colours, such as white and red, there were far more in school, but those were the only ones there.
Terrence walked over to his friends sitting in the booth. Merida stepped out, allowing him to sit in between them. He thanked her and greeted them both.
Peter was sixteen, as was Merida, they were both gingers. Peter had a snub button nose and a playful smile with elf eyes and mischievous brown eyes. He wore a lot of green. His jacket, T-shirt and shoes were green, but his jeans were a dark blue. Merdia wore three-quarter length dark brown khaki trousers, her T-shirt was as ocean-like as her eyes.
"I told you guys it wouldn't stop," said their waitress, Cindy, a blonde, kind girl with a nice smile. "You might all have things to do, but Fridays will be your guys' time."
"I suppose you did say that," said Terrence, "we should order differently just to annoy you."
"Too late, Peter here already ordered the usual" said Cindy.
"Then why are you over here?" asked Terrence.
"To tell you I was right" said Cindy and she walked off to get the milkshakes and fries.
The three ordered strawberry milkshakes with cream and sprinkles, with a portion of fries between themselves, and while they ate they would talk and laugh, every Friday at roughly this time for an hour or so. And as all teenager conversations do lead to, they began to talk about relationships and gossip in the school. There was nothing new; there never was.
Peter began to daydream and Merida watched his smile grow, it wasn't his cheeky smile, but his love-sick one he adopted every month or so. Terrence was downing his milkshake so he didn't notice until he felt something rub against his leg.
"Whose foot is that?" he asked.
Peter snapped out of his daydream, "Sorry, dreaming" he said.
"About who?" asked Merida. "Hercules? Shen? Kristoff? Mr. Grimm? Hiccup?"
"Jack" said Chistian.
"Oh yeah, Jack" sighed Peter wistfully.
"You're so gay" chuckled Merida.
"Says the girl who gawks Mulan and Astrid" said Peter.
"Says the boy who gawks everyone," retorted Merida, "also, I like Hercules."
"And I liked Wendy, then she left and I was back to being bent" said Peter.
"Speaking of Jack and Astrid," said Terrence, subtly nodding to the scene before them. He has observed everything and explained, "Hiccup was walking in and was staring at Jack, then bumps into Astrid."
The tough blonde girl stood and hoisted Hiccup by his brown sweater vest and snarled at him, "Watch where yer goin'." She pushed him into the counter and stormed out, thuggish as ever.
"I wonder if she has a tattoo" said Peter.
"A bleeding dragon head on her lower back" said Merida.
"Want to explain that or just going to let me assume innocence and let Peter have more ammunition?" asked Terrence.
"He need it with the nuke I have waiting" said Merida.
"Do you think I'll have to fight Hiccup for Jack?" asked Peter.
"Oh yes," said Terrence, "the homosexuality in our school is almost crippling."
"What does that mean?" asked Peter.
"In due time" said Terrence.
"Are we still good for that sleepover?" asked Merida.
Terrence nodded, "as long as your parents are okay with it and Peter doesn't try anything, we'll be fine" he said.
"What do you mean try anything?" asked Peter.
"Oh please," tutted Merida, "like you're not gonna try anything."
"I promise I won't."
"Fine, we can have the sleepover, but just one rule: no going into my study" said Terrence .
"Why?" asked Merida, "is that were your victims bodies are?"
"Ha ha, no. It's my study and I like it to only be inhabited by me. It's just one of those things" said Terrence.
"All right, we won't do anything that you don't want us to," said Peter, he raised his hand up and put the other over his heart, "I promise."
"Aye, me too" said Merida.
They finished off the fries and their milkshakes and all left for their homes. Merida going to richer part of town were her mother questioned where she was, and her three brothers would tease her. Peter would go home to his orphanage with all the younger boys and the head carer.
Terrence Sage went home. The ground floor was made of three rooms. When you open the door, to your left is a mirror and coat rack; to your right is an umbrella and cane bucket and shoe rack. In front of you is the staircase. Walking forward to your bring you to the hall, to your left is a living room with a sofa, television, coffee table and book case. To your left is the same thing, except with a door leading to the kitchen. Which had another door leading to the conservatory, leading to the patio and garden.
Up the stairs was the landing which lead to three rooms. The one to the immediate right was Terrence 's study, and to the immediate left was a bathroom. The other door was a spare bedroom which Terrence had done up to look like a prison cell.
Terrence Sage went into his bedroom and looked at the door of the study, his hand hovered over the door knob when a noise came from behind. It was indefinable, but it definitely was a tap or a knock.
Terrence retracted his hand.