Author's Note: Just a quick note to say that this is predominantly a romance fiction. It's not got huge amounts of plot, and every chapter is almost a story in its own right. It follows Fillmore and Ingrid through their final year of X MiddleSchool, and may have a somewhat Shakespearean theme to it. Not always, but sometimes.
It's NOT related to "Shattered" in any way. It's just a bit of fun. It's been a while since I've watched Fillmore, but I'll try to keep everyone as in character as possible. If any facts are wrong then I can only apologise. I'm also British, so 'single speech marks' are normal for me.
Please see my profile if you want more information. Updates will be infrequent, but long. Feedback, as always, is loved, but no flames please. :)
"And all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." William Shakespeare: As You Like It
The morning sun was climbing through the clear blue sky, warming the sidewalk beneath the soles of my trainers as I walked towards X middle school. It was the last day before school was out for the summer, and I could almost taste the freedom. The empty months stretched ahead of me unblemished by education, and I felt a strange jolt when I realized that next time I started classes again it would be my last year of middle school.
My gut twisted sharply at the thought and I kicked a can along in front of me, scowling as the blissful thought of an endless summer faded away. Just one more year. After that - junior high school. It wasn't the thought of that itself that turned a good mood bad; it was the fact that I'd be leaving the Safety Patrol behind.
I adjusted the orange sash absently and looked up as I approached the familiar squat building of the school. Before the Safety Patrol I'd been on the wrong side of the law. Cornelius Fillmore: a two-bit delinquent going nowhere fast. I'd turned things around, but I knew I hadn't done it alone. Partners and friends had helped me to get where I was, and when things got tough one partner in particular kept me grounded.
I smiled when I saw Ingrid Third leaning against the stop sign, her pale arms crossed and her green eyes narrowed against the bright sunlight. Ingrid was my partner in fighting crime and a genius, literally. Her photographic memory meant that there was nothing beyond the grasp of her mental abilities, and even if she hadn't been gifted with the rare skill she would still be the brightest kid in school.
She was practically a prodigy. A lot of kids resented her for that, but I knew Ingrid was not some stuck-up smart girl, too good for us lowly beings of an average IQ. Sure, she was prickly and defensive, but once you got passed that she was the best friend I could have. I wouldn't trust anyone else to watch my back.
She glanced at her watch pointedly as I approached, before shaking her head and giving a small lopsided grin. 'You're late.'
I glanced at the time and groaned in disbelief. 'By two minutes, Ingrid, and not for class.'
'The meeting with Vallejo starts in fifteen minutes,' she warned me, her smile widening as I frowned in thought.
'Wait. Yesterday you said that the meeting was at seven thirty, which is only five minutes from now.'
'Fillmore, I knew you'd be late.'
'You lied to me?' I asked in mock outrage. 'Dawg, Ingrid. I'm hurt!
My partner laughed softly. 'Oh Fillmore, I'm sorry.' Her voice was soft and low, and her hand brushed quickly on my arm in apology. I just grinned and shook my head as she walked up the steps and into the air-conditioned corridors of X Middle School.
Our footsteps echoed in perfect unison as we made our way to the Safety Patrol office. For once the halls were almost empty. Most students were too busy enjoying the sunshine to bother getting to school so early. They were either still at home preparing for the day, or lying on the scraps of grass at the front of the school, sunbathing. Some of the more studious were studying for the exams that littered the day ahead, but most kids were too busy talking to their friends or eating a lazy breakfast to hit the books.
The office of the Safety Patrol was already bustling. Karen Tehama sat at her desk typing up a hasty report while Anza read over her shoulder, murmuring advice about their latest case. Vallejo had a text book open on his desk and was staring at the pages with a look of horror.
Danny was muttering to himself and scribbling his way through some science homework. Trust Danny to leave that kind of thing to the last minute.
'Ingrid, your boyfriend dropped by,' Anza called out, a smile dancing on his lips as Ingrid's back stiffened and her eyes narrowed. 'He wanted to say thank you for last night.'
I raised an eyebrow in my partner's direction, feeling my heart sink as the pleasure of her company faded. It had been like this for nearly two weeks, ever since she'd started helping an older boy called Marcus with his Calculus. She said they were just friends, but even I wasn't so sure any more.
For a moment I thought Ingrid would deny it again, the same as always, but her icy cool demeanor didn't crack. 'Thank you, Anza.'
This time even Tehama looked up from what she was doing. 'What, no protests?' she asked incredulously, hitting the print button.
'There's no point,' Ingrid sighed. 'Every time I try to tell you the truth you all just roll your eyes. I'll save my breath.' Ingrid poured herself a hot drink and blew on the liquid to cool it before taking a luxurious sip. Her lips left a dark lipstick mark on the rim, but she either didn't notice or didn't care.
'Ingrid, you know we're just teasing you.' Karen looked at her and smiled. 'Although I think you and Mark go well together.'
'It's Marcus, Karen,' Ingrid murmured, flicking on her computer and sitting her chair.
'Well, whatever his name is, he left you a note. It's by your pen pot.'
I sat behind my own beat-up desk and tried to sort through the landslide of paperwork that seemed to have gathered on its surface. After weeks of chasing a ring of forgery artists the crime scene at X had finally fallen quiet, giving us a chance to catch up on reports before the office closed for the summer.
I tried to read over one of the Principal's latest memos, but found that after no more than a few words my mind had wandered. Anza had been teasing Ingrid about Marcus for days. In the beginning she'd denied everything they threw at her, but as time went on her protests became less frequent. Maybe it was because she knew she couldn't convince Anza about the truth, but I'd noticed a change in my partner, and I wasn't sure I liked it.
She smiled more, and seemed to be having a bit more difficulty concentrating than usual. Girls and their behavior were a mystery to me, but I couldn't help but suspect that there was more to her and Marcus than she was letting on. I looked over at her and frowned to myself. Her chin was resting on her hand, but it didn't hide the smile on her lips or the slight flush in her pale cheeks as her eyes skimmed over the note.
If I didn't know better I would have thought that my unshakeable partner had fallen, and fallen hard.
I scowled at the report in front of me, giving the monochrome words the full force of my annoyance. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, I wanted Ingrid to be happy - but with Marcus? He was such a - I failed to think of any polite words to describe him. He just wasn't right for her. A blind man could see that, but obviously Ingrid hadn't worked it out yet.
Some small, rational part of my mind was trying to tell me that the smiles and blushes could be nothing. Perhaps just a crush, or something totally unrelated. Whatever it was I couldn't stop trying to second guess the reasons. Why did it bother me so much that she was happy?
I looked up from the report again and saw that both Anza and Tehama were casting glances in Ingrid's direction, their curiosity roused by the note. Whatever plans were running through their minds were cut short when Vallejo opened his office door and called everyone's attention back to business.
'Now look,' he said, his dark eyes fierce as he surveyed each one of us. 'I know that everyone's going to be studying, or too busy thinking about vacations to get much work done. I'm not going to ask much, but we've got to get those reports sorted out before school ends. When the bell goes this afternoon you won't be setting foot in this office for months. Not even if you want to. All paperwork has got to be finished by then. With any luck no new cases will come up, so we can end school in peace for once. Any questions?'
When no one said anything he vanished into his office again, returning to whatever studying he'd been doing. I watched for a moment as he wiped a hand across his forehead, sweating despite the air con. I'd known Vallejo a while, and I could see the stress wearing him down.
The Safety Patrol had become divided into two factions. There were the pros, like me and Ingrid. We worked in perfect harmony, and we knew the ins and outs of solving crime in the school. Then there were the new officers, the starch barely worn out of their sashes. They'd been on the job since the Fall, and they were learning, but the process was slow. In another year us pros would be moving on, leaving a whole new set to take our place, including a new Junior Commissioner.
If Vallejo was this stressed now I didn't want to think about what next year would be like.
Pushing my thoughts aside I got down to work, focusing everything I had on the reports at my desk. Gradually the things that needed to be done diminished. I'd just signed the last document when Ingrid put a small sheaf of papers in front of me.
'Just sign it, Fillmore,' she said with a smile when I pulled a face at the densely typed page.
'What is it?'
'The Madison report.'
I scribbled my signature where she'd left a space, knowing that Ingrid would have done a top grade job. The Madison case had the pair of us running around for days, and it was only a stroke of coincidence that we caught the perp. That was not a fact that either Ingrid or I were proud of. No doubt she'd have used her usual skill to make it seem like we'd done as good a job as ever.
'Are you ready for the science exam this afternoon?' she asked absently, reading through the last paragraph again before putting the report in my "Out" tray.
'As ready as I'll ever be. Have you brought a book to read when you finish early, or are you going to leave?'
'I'll probably go. I think I upset other people when I sit in an exam room and do nothing,' she replied with a grin before looking at the clock. 'You ready for class?'
I nodded in agreement and we said our good-byes to everyone else before heading towards English class. The corridors were packed with people now, some talking exuberantly while others sat in quiet corners, whispering their study notes to themselves over and over.
'That'll be us next year,' Ingrid said quietly, looking at a group of girls desperately trying not to panic as they waited for their exams to start.
'I can't wait,' I grumbled sarcastically, feeling the anxiety and the stress in the air. It was contagious, and my already bad mood got worse when I noticed someone waving at us. I tried not to scowl in his direction as I said, 'Ingrid, Marcus wants to talk to you. I'll meet you in class.'
'Okay, Fillmore.' Ingrid cast me a funny look, and I realized too late that she was beginning to notice my behavior. I braced myself for questions that I couldn't answer, but instead she smiled and said, 'I won't be long.'
I told myself to turn away, that whatever Ingrid and Marcus were up to was none of my business, but something had me locked in place. Marcus said something I couldn't hear and rubbed his hand softly along her bare arm. It was not the gesture of a friend to a friend. It was too intimate for that, and I felt the feeling that had been plaguing me since she'd got the note came back full force. Now I knew why it bothered me so much.
I was jealous.
I turned away sharply and shook my head to myself, heading towards class as fast as I could. This could not be happening to me. Ingrid was my friend, nothing more, but that didn't change the fact that I was jealous of Marcus, and it shook me up bad.
I'd have to be dead not to notice Ingrid's more attractive qualities, but we were just friends. We always had been.
I sighed as I took my seat and stared vacantly at the chalkboard as other students filed in around me. Their vacant chatter seemed distant and unintelligible as I sat there, trying to work out what had changed, and when.
Finally I gave up and sat back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. I felt my lips curve into a mirthless smile as I thought about my situation., trying to reassure myself that I was just worried that a relationship with Marcus would affect Ingrid and me. If she was going out with him then the harmless comments we shared would stop, and so would the accidental touches. Flirting with Ingrid was nothing new. It was a kind of game about how far we could push the limits with each other. About who could make who blush first.
I scowled again. It seemed that where Ingrid was concerned Marcus won that game hands down. All she had to do was see him and a soft pink crept into her cheeks.
'Fillmore, are you all right?' Ingrid's voice startled me, but I covered up my surprise as she slipped into the seat next to me an unpacked her books. 'You look upset.'
'I'm fine,' I said curtly, trying to stop her pursuing the subject. 'Just worried about exams.'
I risked a glance in her direction and almost grinned when I saw the expression on her face. It was one of complete disbelief. One eyebrow was raised questioningly, and her eyes were watching my face for any clues in my expression.
'Okay,' she finally replied. 'Well, when you feel like telling me what's really wrong, I'm right here.'
We sat in silence as the teacher came in and began to talk to us about the literature of revolutionary America. Ingrid had her head propped on her hand and was chewing her lip in thought as she listened to what the teacher was saying. She pushed her fringe out of her eyes and rubbed at her forehead, as though trying to stroke away a headache at her temple.
Suddenly she looked across at me, and I realised I was staring. With an apologetic grin I dropped my eyes to her desk, and froze. I could see a small bit of paper poking out from between the pages of one of her books and in a flash I knew it was the one from Marcus. I recognized the untidy scrawl, although I couldn't make out the words.
For a minute the temptation to snatch it from its hiding place and read it was almost overwhelming. I grappled with myself for a minute before waiting for the teacher to turn her back. When I got the chance I reached out and tucked it back into the pages, removing it from temptation. Ingrid noticed the motion and raised her eyebrow in question, leaning closer to hear my whispered warning.
'Anza and Tehama would do anything to get their hands on that. Be careful with it.'
Ingrid smiled her thanks and nodded, leaning back just as the teacher turned around and continued to lecture us. For the rest of the lesson I concentrated on the underlying themes of liberty and freedom to be found in American literature, falling into a protective daze as the teacher's words washed over me.
When the bell finally rang I grimaced, knowing that my science exam was only a couple of hours away. They didn't bother me as much as other people. Danny had a nervous breakdown at the tiniest test, while Anza went around shouting at everyone. Tehama was a quiet study, but had been known to cry when things got too much. There was only one person in the office that was cooler about exams than me, and Ingrid didn't really count.
'Fillmore, I'm just going to see how Marcus' math exam went. Can you take my stuff back to the office?'
I struggled to hide a grimace as I took her satchel from her. 'Sure, don't be long. We've still got word to do.' I smiled despite myself as Ingrid pulled a face before making her way through the crowded corridors. Watching her go I couldn't help admire the gentle swing of her hips. She was graceful, although she did everything in her power to hide it. It was hard to look elegant in boots with their laces trailing, but she managed it somehow.
I was almost at the Safety Patrol office door when Anza came hurrying up to me, Tehama just behind him. 'Fillmore, where's Ingrid?'
'With Marcus, why?'
Anza grinned and Tehama raised her eyebrows in surprise. 'I don't care what she says, something is going on between those two,' Tehama stated, a smile tugging at her lips.
'Actually, Fillmore, it's you we wanted to talk to. Ingrid tells you everything. You've got to know more about this whole Marcus thing than we do,' Anza said confidently.
I sighed to myself. There was nothing worse than a Safety Patrol officer with no crimes to solve. All the time and effort usually spent in interrogation and puzzle solving had nothing to do. Tehama was a terrible gossip, and even Vallejo seemed to know more about what was going on in the school than Folsom.
'I don't know any more than you two. I've got suspicions, but that's it.'
'Fillmore! That can't be true. You're her best friend!' Tehama shook her head in disbelief before her eyes fell on the bag in my hand. 'Wait a minute. The note's not on her desk, so it's probably in her bag. Perfect!'
'No. There's no way I'm going to let you look in her bag,' I said firmly, opening the office door and putting it down under my desk. 'Tehama, it's none of our business. So what if she's dating Marcus? For all we know she's telling the truth and they're just friends.' I tried to keep the doubt out of my voice, but Tehama rolled her eyes.
'Just friends? Friends don't behave the way those two do.' She sighed before giving a shrug. 'Fine, Fillmore, be like that, but you can't expect me to believe that the idea of Ingrid hooked up with someone doesn't bother you.'
I sat at my desk and flicked my computer on, only looking up when Anza perched on the corner. His expression was grim, and he stared into space for a moment before speaking. 'I know you think we're just being nosy about Ingrid's private life, and maybe we are, but I've asked around about Marcus. He's not exactly a good boy scout, if you know what I mean. He's got a bit of a bad reputation. I just want to make sure that Ingrid knows what she's getting in to.'
'What kind of reputation?' I asked, feeling my heart sink uncomfortably.
'A bit of a Casanova,' Tehama answered. 'He's left a lot of girls hanging, and two-timed a lot more. There's some rumors that he can be a bit rough, too, although that might be exaggerated.' She sighed and rubbed her hands together nervously. 'Fillmore, you know her best. You can warn her, and she'll listen to you.'
'She'll think I'm interfering. Besides I don't know her that well. I don't know her favorite color or anything like that.'
Tehama snorted and even Danny looked up from his work with a grin. 'That's not a sign of how well you know someone. It's knowing their habits and routines, and it's knowing how to make them smile again. I mean, come on, Fillmore. You know better than any of us when she's really down, and what will cheer her up.
'That's easy,' I replied dismissively.
'How then?' Anza asked. 'I can never tell until she gives me the "ice queen" glare.'
I shrugged and stood up, going over to her desk and opening the drawer. Inside was a thick book, bound in leather. The pages were very thin, like the bible. Ingrid turned to a different kind of book for solace. 'On bad days she reads Shakespeare. If she's got her nose stuck in the pages of this then you know she's going to be in a bad mood. The same way you know if Tehama's eating Hershey's she'll bite your head off.'
Around him his friends looked at him in amazement, and only Danny broke the silence. 'And you think you don't know her any better than the rest of us? If you ask me you and Ingrid have got the tightest friendship of anyone here.'
I put the book back carefully and shut the drawer, before nodding in reluctant agreement. 'All right, I'll tell her some when today. Right now I've got to study.'
Twenty minutes later and the office had settled into a semblance of quiet. Anza and Tehama were whispering enthusiastically about their vacation plans, unable to concentrate on their work. Danny would join in now and again, and I was clock-watching.
Ingrid should have been back by now, and Anza's warning about Marcus was laying heavy on my conscience. My partner was a smart girl, but sometimes she had difficulty seeing the evidence that was right in front of her. I knew she had the sense to think things through. It's not like she was the kind of person to let her heart over-rule her logic, but I was still worried.
I was just debating whether to go and look for her when she walked through the door, a book open in her hands. 'Sorry I took so long,' she said quietly, looking up at me for a moment. 'I needed to get this out of the library, and I was going past so I thought I'd do it now, rather than after school.'
She took her bag from under my desk wordlessly and reached into it for a pen before perching on my desk and continuing to read.
I noticed Anza making "tell her" gestures and shook me head imperceptibly, trying to make him understand that now was a bad time. Tehama broke the quiet with a sigh as she stretched in her chair. Seamlessly she continued with her previous conversation. 'Hey Ingrid, are you going away this summer?'
'Hmmm? Oh, yeah. My family and I are going to New York for a while, and I might be going to California for a couple of weeks.'
'Seeing family?' I asked absently as I tried to memorize the periodic table.
'No, if I do end up going it'll be with a friend.'
There was something about the way she said it that made me go tense, and I saw Karen frown as she reached the same conclusion. Her eyes flashed with something like disbelief, and she narrowed her eyes at Ingrid.
'Marcus?' she asked, her tone completely innocent.
'Mm-hmm.' Ingrid didn't lift her eyes from the pages of the advanced Physics book, so she didn't see Anza and Karen exchange a glance, nor did she see the frown on my face deepen, which was just as well. There was no doubt that Ingrid and Marcus were an item. My frail excuses for her behavior melted away, useless against the fact that she was going away with him for the summer.
Before I could dwell on it any further Danny's sound of alarm made us realize that the exam started in a few minutes. In a flutter of anxiety and panic the office emptied out, leaving Ingrid and I to lock up. The keys jangled in the lock as Ingrid turned the keys swiftly. The lock clunked into place heavily and she stood back with a sigh.
I tried desperately to find the right words to warn her, but they all seemed to sound too stupid, or too jealous. I wanted to tell her that he was all wrong for her, but I didn't have the evidence. I wanted to say I was worried, but didn't want to leave myself vulnerable like that.
In the end I said nothing and followed her along the corridor, my trainers squeaking loudly in the quiet. Just before we went into the exam room she nudged me to get my attention and smiled. 'Good luck, Fillmore.'
'You too, although I doubt you'll need it.'
'Hey, you never know.'
I paused for a moment, grabbing her arm to stop her walking into the exam room. 'Hey, Ingrid, can you hang around until the exam's over? I need to talk to you after school.'
She frowned, puzzled by my request but nodded anyway. 'Of course. I'll see you after.'
As soon as I took my seat time seemed to fly. The minutes slipped past quickly as the room was filled with the whispering sound of pen on paper. I didn't even notice Ingrid leave as I worked my way through the questions, reaching the end of the test with only five minutes to spare.
When the teacher finally released us there was a palpable sense of relief. People were talking, laughing and cheering the joy of a long summer break. The thrill of freedom was like electricity in the air, but it faded rapidly when I noticed Ingrid waiting for me and remembered my promise to Anza.
She held out my bag as I approached and I took it, shoving my pens away gratefully and falling into step alongside her. I was half expecting Marcus to interrupt us, but there was no sign of him and I took a deep breath as I tried to find the right words to say.
'Just say it,' Ingrid advised, hugging a book to her chest like a shield. 'Whatever it is, just spit it out.'
'It's about Marcus.'
She blew out a stream of breath and shook her head, her voice full of disappointment. 'Not you too, Fillmore.'
'Look,' I said hastily, trying to get her to listen to me. 'I don't care if you're dating or just friends or what. I think I know that you're more than just friends, but that's not what I want to say.'
'Are you telling me Karen and Anza haven't demanded that you find out one way or another?' she asked in disbelief.
'They did ask, but I said no.' I breathed a sigh of relief when her icy gaze softened a little 'I just want to give you a heads up. Marcus doesn't exactly have a shining reputation. I want you to be careful - I don't want you to get hurt.'
'Fillmore, I'm always careful. You know me well enough by now. Don't you think I've found out about his reputation on my own?' Ingrid asked, pursing her lips.
'So you're going out with him in the full knowledge that he'll probably cheat on you?' I asked in confusion, shaking my head in disbelief.
Her cool hand touched my arm, making me look up at her. Her green eyes were honest, without a trace of a lie. Her words were gentle, but serious. 'It's my choice , Fillmore. Whether I go out with him or not, whether we're more than just friends or not; it's my choice.'
'I know that. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you might be getting in to.' I forced a smile onto my lips before looking up at the stop sign. This was where we always went in our separate directions home. With a resigned sigh I dropped the subject. 'Whatever you do, have a good time, okay?'
'You too,' Ingrid said with a sad smile. 'If you get bored of cartoon marathons call me.'
'I will. Bye, Ingrid. Have a good summer.'
She waved good-bye before turning away and wandering off towards home. I watched her go for a moment before putting my headphones in my ears and turning the volume up. Maybe the music would wash away the nagging sense of uncertainty I felt, or drown out my thoughts that seemed to revolve around Ingrid far more than they should.
Either way I had months to forget about her and Marcus, and to lose the gnawing painful ache of jealousy that had come out of nowhere.
I tried to tell myself that at the start of term things would be back to the way they were. Ingrid and I would just be partners, and just good friends. That was all.
I didn't believe a word.
End.