CHAPTER TWO
MAIN CHARACTER LIST:
Ted Stahr
A hardworker and a perfectionist. People who know Ted also know how capable and responsible he is. He doesn't really smile much, but when he does, it's genuine. Did I also mention he's from Alabama?
Darren Beville
Shy, quiet and adorable. Doesn't really interact much in public. Prefers socializing with people through the internet. Likes historical fiction.
Kurt Madry
Cocky, arrogant, and dirty-minded. Loves to recite cheesy pick-up lines to pretty girls. Kurt's a cool guy… that is, if he doesn't brag about himself so much. A prodigy in the field of sports.
Nicole Grave
Brave, smart, funny and can be quite sarcastic. The heroine of the story.
RECURRING/OTHER CHARACTERS:
Chandra:
Nicole's roommate and best friend forever. She's also an amazing cheerleader.
Jeff Ryan
Mysterious, strange, and quite diabolical. Has a side only few people know. Currently serving three years in prison.
Lillie:
Calm, sweet, and nice. Rarely gets angry at people. Nicole's new lab partner and friend. She also loves cats and writes for the school paper.
A/N: Thanks for the love! My fic has received really nice reviews and I couldn't thank you people enough. Special thanks to fleetp (from the Winter Wolves forum), trussarditonio, inucase (both from tumblr), and hazellife (from fanfiction) for reviewing/liking/following my story. Your feedback has motivated me to write another chapter. As for that mysterious person who sent me an anon message in Tumblr, thanks to you too. 3
Nicole's POV:
"Meow!"
Ted gave the cat a sideways glance. "Well, ain't ya the cutest little thing I have ever seen today?"
I watched Ted give the cat an open can of sardines. He watched the cat eat from the can for a while before posting three fliers on the window of the new convenience store in town. He sighed nostalgically. I bet he misses his old store.
"Feeding strays now, are we?" I said. "What about your hungry girlfriend?"
"We ain't cooking in the middle of the road so you're eating bread." He said. "I told you to eat breakfast 'fore meeting up with me."
He handed me a loaf of bread and a plastic cup filled with my favorite frap coffee from Stardoes. Hunger made me eat the bread two times faster than usual so I brought the freezing cup to my lips in order to wash the bread down my throat.
I crinkled my nose as soon as I felt the cold steam of my Frappuccino tickling my face. It was seven in the morning, and Ted and I posted about a hundred fliers all around the campus.
"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" Ted yelled, handing me a new set of fliers to post around school. "C'mon, we still have lots of ground to cover. These fliers ain't gonna fly and post themselves, y'know."
We briskly walked towards the gates of the campus. Ted walked slower than usual, probably because he noticed that I had difficulty keeping up. After a while we stopped walking and he told me to finish my coffee. Then we had a brief argument about proper waste disposal. Anyway, we finally entered the gates and arrived in the Social Sciences department. I quickly located the bulletin board and tacked two fliers on it.
"Why are they called fliers if they can't fly?" I asked, stifling a yawn.
Ted muttered something unintelligible then resumed posting fliers on walls. I was about to post some too, but was interrupted by a light tap on my shoulder.
"Nicole?" a familiar voice said. I whirled around and faced a brown-haired girl wearing an oversized gray sweater and black skinny jeans.
"Well if it isn't the smallest girl on campus." Ted said. "Hi Lillie."
Lillie frowned. She hates it when people poke on her height but she likes Ted as a person, so she shrugged it off. "Hi guys!" she said, "What are you up to?"
"Just posting these fliers." I answered. "We're looking for mysteries to solve."
She daintily took a flier. "Stahr Team Alpha…" she read, raising her brow a bit. "Is this a new club?"
Ted suddenly grabbed the flier on Lillie's hands and crumpled it quickly. "Th-that's not supposed to be there!" he exclaimed. "Here," he said, handing Lillie another flier.
"We decided to go with General Services Club – since that's what the school suggested aaand it sounds less conceited." I said, giving Ted a stern look.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about." Ted lied.
She blinked, then resumed reading the flier. "We provide services that help those who are in need, locating lost items… ah! This is perfect!"
"Perfect?" Ted momentarily stopped posting fliers and faced Lillie.
"You see…" Lillie twiddled her thumbs. "My cat got lost, so I'm looking for her right now."
"Hold on, are you saying that you have a case for us?" I said, a little too excited than usual. I even used the word case. Hey, this means I don't have to post these stupid fliers anymore!
"Thing is, I don't have money yet." She said, looking quite apologetic. "I used my money to buy new gym shoes 'cause they got stolen."
"You too?" Ted asked. She nodded. That's the second time I've heard about gym shoes getting stolen. We should really look into that. I was about to tell Ted, but judging from the look on his face, he seemed like he's thinking the same thing.
Lillie sighed. "I really should look for Cat now. The more time I spend hanging around here, the chances of not finding her soon get higher."
"You named your cat Cat?" Ted asked, like it's the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard.
"Well, I couldn't think of a better name, so I went with Cat!" Lillie answered. "I have to go. I really need to find her. She ran away before eating her breakfast, you see."
"W-wait!" Ted said, grabbing a hold of her hair. "We can help you find your cat!"
Lillie flinched, and Ted let go. A thick strand of straight brown hair attached to a small metal clip followed Ted's hands. "Whoops, pardon me." He apologized, returning Lillie's hair extension.
She furrowed her brow a bit, and sighed. "Great, now I have to reattach it again."
"Sorry, but please. Hear me out." Ted said.
Lillie nodded then reattached the extension on her head. Girls with extensions normally get angry if their hair gets messed up but she's too chill to even get mad at all. That's what people love about Lillie. She's very calm, even in situations that provoke her.
"Does it look okay?" she asked, tilting her head over to the side. Her hair looks a bit skewed, but I nodded anyway. I figured she'll adjust it as soon as she finds a mirror.
"I don't have money." Lillie reiterated. "But I write for the school newspaper."
"Bingo." Ted said, "We find your cat, you write about us. Fair deal, if you ask me."
Lillie's face brightened. "Deal!" she exclaimed. "I'll send Nicole a photo of my cat then." She took out her phone and fiddled with it. Moments later, I felt my pocket vibrate.
I took my phone from my pocket and flipped it open. "Yup. Got it."
"Kk, thanks! I'll go to class now." Lillie said, waving goodbye.
I looked at the cat. It seems… fat. Light brown spots decorated its creamy white fur. I grinned. Honestly, I'm not that fond of cats – but this cat is really cute. Aside from that, its spots match the shade of Ted's hair. For some reason, the cat sort of looks like Ted… cat… Wait a minute…
"Ted!" I said, waving my phone around to get his attention.
"Whaddaya want?!" he snapped.
"After two cups of coffee, you're still cranky?" I pouted.
He took a deep breath before he asked the question again – this time, in a very kind voice. "Yes? What is it?"
"Remember the cat earlier?" I said, tapping on the screen of my phone. "It strangely looks like this cat."
"Hand that over." Ted ordered. I did what I was told.
He carefully studied the cat. He looked up, as if he was trying to remember something. After a while, he handed the phone back to me and said "Darn tootin', it is the cat." He checked his watch. "I figure we don't have much time left."
"It's almost time for our next class." I informed him.
"We can't skip it too because we have an exam." He added.
"We can always hope that the cat stays near the convenience store." I said.
"Y'know," Ted said. "We can always make a break for it if we finish ahead."
I gulped. Criminology's very difficult. I doubt we'll finish ahead of time. I don't even want to risk my chances of passing the test because I'm worried about the cat leaving the spot where we last saw it.
We arrived in our building. I made sure to tack a flier on the bulletin board before following Ted to our classroom. There were still few people sitting up front so we hurried to get there before others would. As soon as Ted and I grabbed seats, I cracked open my notes. Ted did the same.
A minute after studying, I am bothered with thoughts of Lillie's cat. We both know where it was and it would be extremely difficult to look for it in the afternoon. We can't also look for it in the evening since we're supposed to be in Darren and Kurt's dorm by then.
Unless…
I took out my phone and tapped the Rollr app on the screen.
Ted glanced at me, giving me a disapproving look – but decided to say anything against it. He probably thinks that I'll waste my time away gawking at incredible photos of underground beaches –Holy shit this is awesome!
Focus, Nicole! You're supposed to be focused on getting the cat ASAP. I hurriedly opened Darren's blog and checked the sidebar. He copy-pasted a code that lets people know whether he's online or not. I never appreciated it 'til now.
I saw a green dot next to Voix is online. Perfect.
Darren's POV:
I poked Kurt's sleeping face.
Normally he gets testy if I wake him up by force but I believe that he'll be jolted upright by an unknown power that re-energizes better than caffeine as soon as he hears that Nicole gravely needs our help. I chuckled to myself. "Gravely…" I said aloud. The quip wasn't intended – but it fitted the occasion.
My cellular had been ringing ever since I received Nicole's texts. She even contacted me by means of Rollr. It must be a very important task and as a gamer – I am tremendously well-versed with the fact that primary quests shouldn't be ignored.
Now, the prince needs to wake the princess up… or the beast rather, since I'm referring to Kurt here.
"Kurt." I whispered, pushing my glasses up the bridge of my nose nervously.
"Mmphgh?" Kurt mumbled, burying his face deep into the pillows.
Good. The lion is tame.
"You see… uh, well Nicole—"
At the sound of Nicole's name, Kurt's eyes abruptly fluttered open. "Grave!" he exclaimed, jolting into action, as though he was struck by lightning. He looked at various directions before turning his gaze at me. "You're not Grave."
"My apologies." I sheepishly raised my hand to say hello. "It's just me. Darren."
"Darren! Is this some lame attempt to wake me up again?"
"I understand that you're still in a… grumpy mood" I told him, placing a hand on my neck. "Please get dressed." I said.
Kurt started grumbling while rubbing his eyes. He squinted at the clock next to his bed. "It's just eight in the morning. My class starts 'round ten."
He was about to pull the covers back up his head and return to sleep but I hurriedly grabbed the sheets to prevent him from doing so. "Before you decide to go back into your deep slumber, I highly suggest you listen to me first."
His reply was a yawn. I'll take it as a yes.
"Nicole wants us to help her get her friend's cat. She last saw it by the convenience store." I carefully told him.
"What's a cat doing by the convenience store?"
"Beats me, but Nicole said they gave it sardines before they left." I said. "Besides, who helped you tutor for your Economics class? This is your chance to make it up to her." I said, grinning.
Kurt sighed. "I guess it is." He said, quite convinced. He slowly got out of the bed and grabbed a towel from the floor. The door shut with a loud thud as he entered the bathroom. Moments later, I heard the sound of running water coming from the shower.
Fantastic. That means I must wait for a while.
I sat on Kurt's bed and looked at my side of the room. If you judge us by our personalities, you could really say that it's Kurt's side of the room that's messy. Unfortunately, half of the shirts on the floor are mine, and I haven't properly folded the sheets of my bed yet. Oh, and I forgot to pick up the clothes from the dry cleaners last week!
We're supposed to have guests tonight, too.
Rollr, what have you done?!
I remember nagging Kurt to clean his side of the room, but I…
Embarrassed, I hastily started picking clothes from the floor. I'm no basketball player, but I managed to shoot a big ball of clothes in the laundry basket.
"Score!" I exclaimed, pumping my fist victoriously – the way Kurt does whenever his team scores a point.
"Eh, you missed a shirt." Kurt said, closing the door from behind. He crumpled his shirt into a small ball and threw it into the laundry basket. Naturally, he scored three points – judging from his distance.
"Score!" Kurt exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air like he's trying to punch a hole in the roof. His arm displayed well-toned muscles from two hours of exercising every day. "Now that's how you do it Kurt-style."
I grimaced. Show off.
"Shall we go?" he asked, grinning triumphantly.
"We shall." I muttered, walking out of the room before he does.
"Oh nooo." I wailed. The cat's practically gone.
Kurt crouched on the ground and pointed at an empty can of some sort. "This looks like a can of sardines. Maybe Nicole gave it to the cat?"
"Maybe. If it's on the ground, it's possible it was given to the cat." I answered. "Judging from my assumption that the sauce in the can still looks fresh."
Kurt's mouth formed a big O. "You totally sound like a cool detective, bro! All you need is a trench coat and a magnifying glass." he excitedly said, touching the sticky sauce inside the can.
"Ew, gross." I said, wincing away from the sight. "Don't… don't do that, man. That's really disgusting."
Kurt stood up and wiped the sauce in his dark pants. He looked around. "Hey, Detective!" he said, pointing towards the pond where the ducks were swimming. "Would you go over there if you were a cat?"
Wait. Detective? Was he referring to me? I guess he was since he's still looking at me, expecting a reply. Instead of pursuing the topic any further, I shrugged it off and decided to answer the question anyway.
"It seems like the most likely conclusion. That is, if I'm tremendously hungry. I would." I answered. "What about you?"
"I… don't really know? Cats are supposed to be afraid of the water, right?" he said, rubbing his chin. "But if I were a cat, I'd be hungry all the time and I wouldn't be afraid of the water. In fact, I'd be an athletic cat that can swim and eat all of the ducks in that water!"
My mouth fell open. Totally not helping, Kurt.
"Do cats eat ducks?" he asked.
"Cats eat birds."
"Then I think the pond is worth checking out." Kurt said before running off into the direction of the pond.
"W-wait!" I stammered. I absolutely can't run that fast!
I arrived at the scene with sore legs and plenty of sweat. I spread my arms wide and allowed the wind to knock the heat off my body. How refreshing. I should consider running quite often so that I can keep up with Kurt the next time he decides to train my stamina or something.
Speaking of Kurt, where is he?
I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose and searched for any signs of Kurt's golden hair. It didn't take me a while to look for him since he's over there at the other side of the pond waving like crazy. I gawked at my friend, wondering how the heck did he get there so fast?
But then again, that's Kurt for you.
"BRO! DOES THE CAT HAVE BROWN SPOTS?!" he yelled. "AND IS IT ME BUT… DOES THE CAT REMIND YOU OF TED'S FACE?"
Now that you mention it. I checked my phone and tapped on the photo Nicole sent me. Goodness, it does look like Ted.
"Y-yes!" I shouted back.
"WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOUUU!" he bellowed, then shook water off his hair. His clothes seemed drenched. Heavens, did Kurt swim across?! How did the cat get there in the first place?!
I noticed several people looking at us and giving us annoyed looks. I felt my cheeks flush as a consequence of embarrassment. God, Kurt puts me to the test sometimes.
Instead of shouting back, I raised both hands and signaled a double thumbs-up.
Now, the only way to get there faster (and without getting myself wet) was to cross the pond riding a boat. I took out my wallet as I approached the boat rental booth. 25 dollars for a boat ride. Brilliant. There goes my lunch money.
As I surrendered the money, my phone vibrated in my pocket, and I hastily picked it up. It was a phone call from Nicole.
"Darren, did you find the cat?" she asked.
"I think Kurt did." I answered. "I'll have to embark a boat and attempt to rescue the castaway that foolishly swam across the pond in order to fetch a creature that is notable for its dislike towards water."
I could hear a slap across the phone. She facepalmed herself.
I approached a blue boat that's good enough for four passengers. Nicole wasn't speaking on the other line so does that mean it's safe to disconnect the call?
But it might be rude to disconnect without saying goodbye so I tried talking to her again.
"Nic-"
A blonde jumped into my boat, and I flinched back, almost letting go of my phone.
"Nicole! Please stop giving me a fright!" I begged. I swear, this girl has a terrible habit of frightening me. I'll probably die early if I keep on hanging out with her.
"Madry, that idiot!" Nicole yelled, ultimately ignoring what I had just said.
I sighed, disconnected the call, and got in the boat.
Kurt's POV:
"Here kitty-kitty-kitty…" I said, reaching out into the kitty.
The cat recoiled and hissed at me.
I frowned. This feline is playing hard to get. Maybe it needs to be coaxed more. But then again, I know this cat wants the Madry… she just doesn't know it yet.
"I can see through you, cat. You like me and you don't wanna make it seem easy." I said to it, trying my best to invite the cat into my arms.
"Meow." The cat rudely replied, turning its tail and walked further away from me.
I sighed. "When it gets too hard I quit. I move on to the next girl. But, you're no girl. You're a cat."
The cat didn't seem amused. It faced me and maintained a defensive stance.
"Girls and cats seem to share the same traits. First, the girls I dated were selfish and love attention. Plus they need affection and demand much of your time. Lastly, they are cute. Yes, like you, cat."
The cat hissed again, possibly trying to convey that she's not interested in listening to the Madry. Go away, loser! It seemed to say.
Hey! I'm no loser and neither do I quit, so I did the next best thing.
Nicole's POV:
"You tackled the cat?!" I yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Kurt.
Kurt sheepishly smiled. "It was playing hard to get."
"You're wet! Of course it wouldn't want to be near you." Darren chimed in, quickly taking the tabby in his arms. The cat shook water off its fur, and then melted into Darren's arms, like it was heated cheddar.
"At least I got the cat." Kurt said begrudgingly. I felt little droplets hit my face as he whipped his hair back using his hand. I flinched in response.
"Madry!"
"Hahaha, I made you wet!" Kurt teased, pinching my rib.
"Bad joke!" I yelled.
"You shouldn't make jokes like that about Nicole!" Darren scolded, hugging the cat closer to his chest. The cat raised its head disapprovingly.
"It depends how the both of you interpreted it." Kurt said, smirking triumphantly. "I wasn't even implying anything…"
"Yeah right." I muttered. He's the king of cheesy pick-up lines and double meanings. Of course he's implying something!
Darren examined Kurt's face. "The cat definitely left its mark on you."
"What can I say?" Kurt said, "She likes me!"
He reached for the cat but the cat hissed at him before snuggling deeper into Darren's chest.
Kurt's eyes narrowed into little slits. "When I'm dry, I'll make you love me." He warned the cat.
Darren laughed. "You should have waited for me." He said. "Cats like me a lot."
While they were bickering with each other, I carefully hopped in the boat. I sat on the farthest part and gave the boys a cue that it's safe to embark. Darren gently flung the cat in the boat and it landed gracefully between my feet. Before I knew it, the boat jerked violently. The cat shrieked loudly and jumped into my arms.
Thank goodness Kurt was able to hold the sides of the boat and steadied it to prevent the cat and I from catapulting back into the land. He looked just as shaken as I was, but relaxed as soon as Darren settled his butt right next to mine.
While Darren profusely apologized to us, Kurt carefully entered. Still wet, he decided to sit in front of us and took the oars.
The boat gradually moved and we smoothly sailed back to the park.
"Thank goodness the cat is alright." I said, slowly stroking the cat's fur. It mewled in response as it leaped from my lap to Darren's.
"It likes you, man." Kurt observed, frowning at the sight.
"You're just jealous!" Darren teased, then he held the closer to his chest. "This is one fat tabby."
I took a photo of the cat using my phone and sent it to Ted. I typed:
Got the cat. Bring a towel please.
It didn't take Ted a while to reply.
K.
"K?!" I read aloud.
"He's a man of very few words, Nicole." Darren said, leaning over my shoulder and reading my text.
I gave him a funny look. "It takes one to know one?"
Darren raised a brow before muttering "Touché." Kurt just laughed as he rowed the boat.
"Howdy ya'll." Ted said, wth hands crossed and a towel over his shoulder. He eyed the cat, grinned for a second, then said. "Mission accomplished, I take it?"
"It was no easy task, but the Madry managed to sweet talk the feline." Kurt said, proudly putting his thumb on his chest.
"Right." Darren muttered, "last I checked, the cat couldn't wait to get out of your arms."
"Meow!" The cat said, seemingly confirming Darren's statement.
"I think the cat is trying to tell you she doesn't like you, Kurt." I point out.
Kurt's smiling face turned into an angry frown. "Are you the Cesar Millan of cats?!"
"Of course not!" I said, laughing at Kurt's reaction. This cat sure is provoking the poor guy.
"Here, take this." Ted said, handing Kurt the towel around his neck. "What, tryin' to find your grade?"
Kurt didn't know how to respond to that, but only Darren seemed to get the joke. "Kurt, C-level. Get it?"
"H-hey!" Kurt yelled. I finally laughed. Buuuurnnn.
Darren slowly handed the cat over to Ted. "Careful, her claws are quite sharp."
"I believe you." Ted said, peering at Kurt's face. "It's… apparent."
"Uh-pay-runt." Kurt muttered, attempting to mimic Ted's southern drawl.
I patted Kurt's back. "There, there."
"Can't believe the cat likes you, bro." Kurt told Ted, carefully eyeing the cat. The cat watched Kurt warily, ready to strike in case he comes any closer.
Kurt leered at the cat as he stepped away from Ted. "We'll be best friends, you stupid cat. Just you wait."
Darren sheepishly laughed at Kurt's folly. "Cats don't like dogs to begin with…"
"Who you callin' a dog?!"
While Kurt and Darren were busy wrestling - more like, Darren struggling to get away from Kurt, Ted took this as an opportunity to shock the both of them with his words.
"Thank you."
"Wh-whaaat?" Kurt gawked. Darren just clenched on Kurt's arm and blinked rapidly, like he was trying to comprehend what Ted just said.
"D-don't make me repeat myself!" Ted yelled vehemently.
Both boys were silent for a minute, then broke into fits of laughter.
"S-sorry I wasn't able to help." Ted continued. "I wanted to make sure my answers were right…"
"No, no, no! It's okay, bro! No worries!" Kurt said reassuringly. "You had an important test. You did the right thing."
Darren seemed to laugh at Kurt's words, but nodded anyway.
"Come to think of it," I began to say. "What do you say we make them permanent members of our club?"
"Good idea," Ted said. "Whaddaya say?"
Darren shifted uneasily, as if contemplating something. Kurt started to focus on squeezing the edges of his damp shirt.
"Sure, I think." Kurt managed to say. "I need to do something else besides football anyway."
"I guess… I guess it wouldn't hurt." Darren answered. "But what is it that you do?"
"We're called General Services Club." I said. "Basically we help people in any way we can."
"We can also solve myteries as a sideline." I said. "Find out who's been stealing gym shoes from the girls' lockers."
"Just join the ride and see if you like it." Ted added.
The cat mewed in Ted's arms.
"I'm in, then." Kurt said, grinning.
"If Kurt's in, I'm in." Darren chimed in.
"Alright!" I exclaimed, doing a little happy dance. The boys watched me with awkward smiles, but I didn't care. Our club is slightly growing! Super happy!
"Cat!" Lillie exclaimed, smothering the cat with kisses. The cat snuggled in Lillie's arms before jumping down. It then went to the sofa.
She faced all four of us. "Thanks guys!" she said, giving Darren and Kurt a tight hug.
Darren jerked back violently. "Uh…"
Lillie gasped. "Oh, right. Sorry Darren." A little blush crept on her face as she backed away. I sighed. Darren's still not comfortable with physical interaction, I see.
Darren's face was as red as a tomato. "Per…perhaps some other time, Lillie." he muttered.
Ted and I shared a look. "Perhaps some other time?" Ted mouthed. My mouth fell open. Ooo, this is juicy!
Kurt's arms spread wide open, "Ahem."
Lillie laughed as she pulled Kurt into a quick hug. "Yes Madry. I'll give you a hug. Just this once, though."
"Meow!" the cat said, giving Kurt a warning look. Kurt moved away from Lillie as soon as he caught a glimpse of the cat.
"Sorry about your face," Lillie apologized. "Cat's not really fond of cologne."
Before Kurt could say anything, she took Ted's hand and shook it firmly. "I remembered the deal." she said. "I'll write about your club now."
"Great, thanks." Ted said, giving Lillie a little handshake of his own.
"Y'know," he added, as he let go of her hand. "I find it hard to believe you're Jeff's half-sister."
My hand covered my mouth. "Y-you're Jeff's half-sister!?"
Kurt and Darren seemed to be just as shocked as I was.
Lillie waved her hand, like she heard it so many times already. "I'm not too fond of him either, but he's family. I have great faith he'll learn his lesson and hopefully come back as a nicer person, you know?"
We nodded, even though we doubted what she said.
"Anyway," she said, "I gotta write an article. Eeee, I'm so happy. Thanks a lot, you guys!"
Before I could reply, the door shut with a loud thud.
"Did… Did we offend her or something?" Darren asked.
"I… I think we did." I answered.
"Damn straight, we did." Ted said. "Huddle up. I have a plan."
A/N: End of Chapter 2. Please do leave a review here or here. 3 Thanks!