Chapter one- The man in the hat.
Rylee sat in the store room, devouring every word of Dark Days for the sixth time today.
There was a loud knocking on the door which made her jump, and the book thumped onto the floor.
"Rylee?" Rylee's boss, Shauna, enquired in her squawky voice, "Rylee, get out of there and serve people! Are you reading that damned book again? Out! Now!"
Rylee rolled her eyes and got up off her stool, picking her book up and tucking it under her arm. She opened the door and stepped out.
"Sorry, Shauna," she said, stepping around her and taking a seat behind the counter, putting her book in one of the dusty shelves under the counter for safe keeping.
Shauna sighed and smiled thinly.
"You and your reading," she said, ruffling Rylee's long fair hair.
Rylee smiled back. Shauna was a sharp featured business type lady with her dark red hair cut in a bob. She had a soft spot for Rylee, and horrible taste in décor, proven by the 1980's American themed diner, all baby blue and pink, with a stupid jerky Elvis. Rylee had sworn she would burn it one day.
Shauna bustled off to boss about some of the waiters, and Rylee sat, her arms propping herself up at the counter, as she stared dreamily out the big windows, listening to Shauna give everyone jobs and orders.
"Johnny! Serve those three over there!" Shauna was saying
"What three?" Johnny asked back
"The three with the man who's all covered up with the hat"
"Oh right"
Rylee jerked up. Anytime she saw someone who was wearing a hat and was all covered up, she was instantly alert. Being an avid Skulduggery Pleasant reader it was just a habit she had acquired. Just like when she saw a black Bentley she would peer in and squint to see who its passengers were. She knew it would never be them. They were characters in books, but she still liked doing it.
This time she looked up and over to the table where the three sat.
She gasped, and could feel the shock clear on her face and knew her big blue eyes, lined with black eyeliner, were wide as she stared at the three…at the young girl with dark hair, who sat beside a man who, as Shauna had said, was all covered up, a fedora hat dipped low over his eyes. They sat facing a teenaged boy with daft blonde hair, who looked bored. She watched Johnny approach and the man in the hat waved him away.
"Oh. My. Fucking. God," Rylee said, and then she froze again.
If this was real….if this was actually happening and Fletcher Renn, Valkyrie Cain, and Skulduggery Pleasant were sitting in this diner, then…then they hadn't gone against the Faceless Ones yet. Skulduggery hadn't been sucked into the portal. Valkyrie hadn't became a necromancer and…ugh...kissed Fletcher. Oh hell.
Rylee knew what she had to do. She didn't know what would happen when she did it, but she had to.
She stood up, pulled off her work apron and flung it on the floor; her hands were visibly shaking from the excitement.
She grabbed her leather jacket and put it on and grabbed her bag, then grabbed her copy of Dark Days out from under the counter and walked around the counter and up to the three.
They stopped talking and Rylee took a deep breath. She had no idea what she was doing.
"You're Skulduggery Pleasant," she said, pointing at Skulduggery.
God, she was an idiot. She mentally kicked herself.
"…I am," Skulduggery said, and Rylee knew now what Valkyrie had meant when she could listen to his voice all day. So could she. It sounded like velvet.
"And you're Valkyrie Cain, and you're Fletcher Renn"
"Yeah," Valkyrie said
"Yep," Fletcher said, nodding.
"Oh my God," Rylee breathed.
"Are…are you ok?" Skulduggery asked.
"Yes, yes I'm fine," she said, snapping out of it, "You guys need to come with me right now. Like, right now. I know some things that can help you. My name's Rylee by the way."
"Hi" Valkyrie said.
"We better get going then," Skulduggery said, standing up. He walked to the door and held it open for Valkyrie and Rylee then shut in Fletchers face and he scowled.
Rylee's face broke out in a huge grin when they approached the most gorgeous car she'd ever seen. It was sleek and black with the Bentley badge glinting in the sun light.
"That is the most gorgeous car I have ever seen," she said, running her hand lightly over the bonnet.
Valkyrie grinned and nodded in agreement, and she knew Skulduggery was grinning too.
"It's his baby," Valkyrie teased
Skulduggery laughed and shoved Valkyrie lightly and she grinned back and smacked his arm.
Rylee was so glad right now that she supported Valduggery. Her heart soared and she climbed into the back seats with Fletcher. She paused. She had just gotten into Skulduggery Pleasant's Bentley, along with Valkyrie Cain and Fletcher Renn. She grinned and then frowned.
Usually Skulduggery would question people for ages before he concludes that they were not an enemy. Maybe he just didn't find her intimidating. Rylee pouted. She thought all black leather and black eye liner would be intimidating, even if only slightly. Apparently not.
"So," Skulduggery started, turning around in his seat to face her, "Where to?"
Hi guys! I have SO many stories on the go at the minuet, but I HAD to upload this :B
Just to clear a few things up-
Firstly, in this fic, there will be no Rylee/Skulduggery or Rylee/Fletcher or Rylee/ any of the actual characters. This is Valduggery.
Secondly, this is not centred around Rylee, I just need to introduce her and stuff but it'll be in Fletcher/Skulduggery/Valkyrie's POVS for the rest of it, with the occasional Rylee POV.
Thirdly, Rylee is in this to tell Valkyrie and Skulduggery about the books and help them defeat the Faceless One's and hopefully stop Skulduggery getting stuck in the Portal, or at least help Valkyrie find the skull. She is also trying her best to get them together.
Sorry, Fletchyrie fans…really. But there will be some Fletchyrie in a chapter somewhere, but it won't last *cackles*
And finally, Rylee is a girls name; it is not a boy's name. So there. :B
Thanks, guys! ^.^
Xxxoxox