HEY-YO! Wow...this third chapter is pretty intense. It may seem slow in the beginning, but it gets better! I DO NOT own TDI or the TDI characters!
I sighed as I got into my mom's car the next afternoon. Duncan still wasn't home, so I was going to visit his family. Actually, Mom thought I was going to Target. Oh, well. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. I'll still go to Target...just later.
I looked over my shoulder and backed out the driveway carefully, straightening the car and speeding down the street. Of course I wasn't really speeding. I was going exactly 25. I rested my elbow on the door and propped my head up, taking a big, drawn-out sigh. What would make Duncan just get up and leave like that? Sure, he's been gone less than 48 hours, but I have a really bad feeling about his disappearance. I drove with one hand as I stared blankly out the windshield.
Maybe I should try calling him again. But is he gone for good? Was I not good enough for him? Did I freak him out too much with my powers? All these questions swarmed around in my head as my mind-hands reached over to my purse on the passenger seat and brought out my phone, setting it in my palm.
I grasped it tightly and flipped it open. No new messages or calls. Damn.
I pressed the 1 and speed-dialed him. Straight to voice mail again. When it beeped, a left a very bitter message. "Duncan Ford Michaels, you better get the hell off your lazy ass and call me already. You're really starting to piss me off. If you don't call I'm going to have to hunt you down, and you know I will." I snapped it shut and tossed it onto the floor.
I was so mad I–
"Whoa!" I gasped when I saw my hands, then sighed and started taking deep breaths. "Duncan was right," I mumbled as they started to dim. "I have go to learn how to control this."
When I pulled up to his house, I smiled at the scenery. Not a place you'd expect a badass to live; there were many potted flowers, the grass was mown neatly, there were little stone animals sitting in the rocks beside the brick path up to the front door. It looked so homey and warm, so welcoming.
I walked up to the door and knocked five times in a little pattern, ringing the bell once after that. I looked up as I waited for someone to answer the door. Above the small patio was a beautiful swirly light fixture that looked to be about 50 years old.
When the door finally swung open, I wasn't surprised to see Dana. "He's not here," she said.
I sighed, barely looking at her. "I know. I, um...like your outfit."
She glanced down at her purple dress and green sweater, then back up to me, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks?"
I stood there awkwardly for a minute, glancing around uneasily.
She pursed her lips. She pulled the door open wider and made a sweeping gesture. "Wanna come in?"
I nodded. "Yeah." I stepped around her into the entryway. Coming in here always jolted me a little. Definitely not a place you'd expect a badass to be living. There were decorative chairs and pillows everywhere, giant bookcases lining the walls, along with many (and I mean many) photographs and paintings on every flat surface available.
I sniffed and grinned when I smelled Duncan's Mom's famous Choco-Raisin cookies baking in the kitchen. Okay, they weren't famous, but in this house they were.
Dana was pulling her long, wavy black hair back into a ponytail in front of a mirror by the door as I breezed into the country-style kitchen in the next room.
"Oh, Courtney!" Sheri set down a sheet of cookies and came over to hug me. "What a nice surprise!"
"Hi, Sheri." I stood back and looked at her. Oh, how I longed for a mother like this; all about family, cooking non-stop, cleaning and spending time with everyone. My mom was certainly the opposite. My whole childhood she had just hired people to do the things that needed to be done. The cooking, the dishes, the laundry, the garden, watching after me. You name it.
The thing that I loved about Sheri was that she was so kind, and never stopped giving. Her golden, graying hair was always brushed neatly and in a loose ponytail at her back, and she was always wearing beautiful, elegant floral skirts that were flared and were layered.
"You look great," I said politely, folding my hands in front of me.
"As do you, dear." She smiled, but it faltered. "He isn't back yet."
"Oh, I know!" I grinned and looked past her to the living room. "I just thought I'd pop in for a visit, see how everything's going."
Her eyes sparkled. "Oh, how thoughtful! Well, don't be generous. Take as many cookies as you like."
I grabbed two of her creations and set them on a napkin, following her out to the living area. "Boys, say hi to Courtney."
Josh and Seth looked up from a boring ol' football game and immediately stood when they spotted me. "Hello, baby." Seth came up and wriggled his brow at me, his shaggy jet-black hair covering his brown eyes.
"Ugh." I scowled at him and wrinkled my nose. "You wish."
Josh got on my other side, making kissie noises. "Give us some sugar, sugar." He had jet black hair, too. Only it was styled more appropriately and was shorter.
"Boys!" exclaimed Sheri. "You know that Courtney is currently seeing your brother. Please! Try not to act perverted around guests!"
"Yeah, please," I agreed when they slumped and plopped back down on the floppy couch. "Aren't you guys a little too old to be acting like stupid high-schoolers?"
"Apparently not," Sheri muttered loudly. "21 and 26, but they still live with their mother."
Josh and Seth grinned at each other, giving knuckle-touches.
"And to think, I could've had all girls." Sheri rolled her eyes, walking back into the kitchen.
I kept behind her. "Where's Will?"
She groaned, starting the water in the sink angrily. "I do not want to talk about him. He is an ass, and I don't even want to hear his name."
"Oooh, I hope I didn't come at a bad time," I whined, rubbing my forehead. Well, it wasn't too big pf a problem. Sheri and her husband often got into regular fights.
"Oh, no, dear, not at all." She grabbed my hand and patted it reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll accept that I was right sooner or later, as he always does."
I laughed. "Always."
She laughed along with me, only for it to be interrupted by Dana calling from the front door. "Later, Mom. Be back by nine."
Sheri and I looked around the wall leading to the entryway just when Dana slammed it, the little hanging decoration saying HOME SWEET HOME by the door shaking and fall to the ground.
"Oooh," Sheri grumbled, stomping over and picking it up.
I stared at the door then peeked out the window. "What was that all about?"
"Oh, she's got something secretive going on," she replied, placing the decoration back on its nail. "Hell, what did I expect? All my kids have been badasses since they were born."
I laughed hard at that. "Tell me about it. I'm dating one." Then I thought about what she had been saying about Dana. "So, you don't know where she's going?"
Sheri shook her head. "She won't tell me. It could be a date, meeting up with a friend, sneaking off to the stripper club and–"
"I don't think she'd go that far, Sheri," I interrupted. I didn't want to think about Dana pole-dancing. Ew.
Seth came in and eyed me up and down, stopping intentionally at my chest. He leaned casually against the wall and licked his lips. I snorted. "Taken," I reminded him.
"Not for long." He smirked. How did these Michaels boys do that?
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that if Duncan never comes back, you'll be mine."
I froze. "Wh- Whadda you mean 'if he never comes back'? Do...do you know something we don't?"
He shrugged, and my hands started to tremble. "Dunno. But I'm pretty sure he's dead. Probly got snagged by some gang-bangers lookin' for a fight."
I scowled deeply at him. "Don't say that. He's fine."
"How do you know that for sure?" he asked, staring at me questioningly.
Fire was working it's way through my lips. "I–I just do, alright?" Did Seth possibly have anything to do with Duncan diappearing? No, that's impossible. But what if it isn't? What if he wanted me so bad, he'd kill Duncan just to do it? Suddenly, I wanted to bad to sock him in the face. I mean, Duncan's gone, I'm obviously upset, and he tells me he's dead. What a great freggin' big brother.
"Seth, I think it's time for you to leave the room," Sheri hinted. She didn't want to have this conversation just as much as I did.
"Just saying he's probly as good as dead." He slowly walked past me to the stairs. "Just lettin' ya know, Princess." Then out of the blue, he grabbed my butt and squeezed it.
I gasped, heat burning in my hands, and I lunged for him.
"Oh my god!" Sheri was squealing as I wrestled him to the ground. It wasn't hard. These powers gave me extra strength when they were activated. And it was easier trying to hurt someone you didn't consider family or a friend.
My hands twitched and quickly snapped into two hand-shaped flames. I lifted up my arm to punch him, but he shifted away quickly so I couldn't get a good land on him. I aimed for his face over and over and over. I was just making burnt spots on the Michaels' carpet.
He shoved me off and started crawling away, but I grabbed his leg and pulled him back, swiping at his calf repeatedly, making burning nail marks through his jeans into his skin.
Out of nowhere, three sets of hands grabbed me and tugged me back. I wasn't expecting it, so I was taken by total surprise. Sheri, Josh and Will yanked me back and I landed on my butt, still growling at Seth. He was sitting against the wall, shocked. Totally, totally shocked, while Duncan's mom, dad and brother held my arms together at my back and held me in place.
"Courtney!" Sheri shouted. "What the hell is going on?!"
"What the hell's up with your hands?!" Will was barking.
Seth inched along the wall, towards the opening as everyone was questioning me.
"Where do you think you're going, dickwad?!" I picked up a big, red chair cushion and pounded on him with it using my telekinesis.
Everyone gasped behind me. "Are you doing that?" Josh yelled excitedly.
"Yes, I'm doing that!" I gasped out. I threw the pillow back against the chair, then flipped it over and neatly put it back in place.
Seth stayed where he was, staring. The other guys were silent, too.
"Oh, Courtney," Sheri chastised. "Why didn't you tell us?"
I sniffed, trying to wiggle away.
"Yo, chill Fire Babe," Josh said. "You're hands are, uh...glowing?"
Then I snapped back into myself. Oh my god. I just tried to kill Duncan's brother. I just showed his whole family my powers. What had I just done? The only people who've known about it are me, Duncan, and Miss Autumn...wherever the hell she might be.
"Let me go," I said. "I'm okay now."
They hesitated, but released their grip on my arms. I took my hands back, spinning around and looking at the three of them apologetically. "I'm so sorry! You weren't supposed to see that!" Then I turned for Seth. "Holy crap, are you okay, Seth?! I'm so sorry! I can't really control it!"
He glared at me for a moment, then grinned, weakly standing. He limped as he approached me. "No wonder Duncan says you're a pain in the ass."
"Courtney, honey, who else knows about this?"
Sheri was sitting at the kitchen table with me, munching cookies and chit-chatting.
"Duncan," I mumbled. Then I started whining. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. I try to keep it hidden for a reason. I just...can't control it some of the time." I picked up the Minne Mouse mug that had been placed in front of me a moment or so ago and took a sip of the cocoa. "Thanks, Josh."
Josh nodded and sat down next to me, eagerly staring. "So, what other powers do ya have, Fire Babe? You can pick stuff up with your head, right?"
I glared at him. "Yes."
"Holy shit, that'd be awesome."
Sheri and I rolled our eyes in unison. "Do they tire you out? Is there a limit to them?" she asked me.
I shook my head. "I'm not too sure."
"Lemme see it again!" Josh said. Sheri and I both glared at him. "Can you pick that up?" He pointed to a pitcher of fruit punch Kool-Aid on the counter.
I made a face. "You're so stupid. Of course I can." It had already floated over by the time I'd finished talking.
"Holy god, this is sweet."
I groaned, slamming my head down on the table. "God, how can I be so careless?"
"Oh, sweetie, you didn't mean to," Sheri soothed, rubbing my arm gently.
"Did you see how freakin' bad you beat up Seth?" Josh blabbered on. "Dad's still upstairs helping him bandage up his scrapes and burns."
I groaned again, it being muffled by the table. "I'll pay for the damages, Sheri."
"A few dark spots on the carpet aren't that bad," she said. "Josh, could you fetch me the Motrin?"
"Sure," he said, standing. But he hesitated, sitting back down and poking me. "But how 'bout Courtney gets it with her eyes closed?" He chuckled, as if being oh-so clever. His laugh only faded as the bottle of Motrin flew past him and was set down next to Sheri, my face still on my place mat.
"Thank you, dear."
I mumbled something that was supposed to be a thanks. I lifted my head when I heard Seth on the stairs with Will. I hated Will's hairpiece. It was so totally fake. And you could tell it was, too.
He grunted when he saw me looking at him, turning his head and ignoring me. Seth made a shhah! noise with every step he took, collapsing in a chair a few over from mine.
"Oh, Seth, you look awful," I whined.
"So do you. You didn't just commit murder, sweetheart."
"I know, but I still hurt you. And I'm sorry." I tried not to look at the gauze on his leg and glanced away uneasily. Then my phone started ringing, making everyone jump. It wasn't my incoming-call-ring, it was my 1-new-text-message ring.
Without thinking, my powers reached over and snagged my phone out of my purse on the floor beside my chair. I grabbed it while it was in the air and flipped it open. "It's from Duncan!" I said excitedly. Everybody crowded around as I clicked on the message, opening it.
Is this Courtney?
I frowned and quickly typed back, Of course it is, silly. Where have you been? I've been worried sick. I waited a moment for him to reply. When it came in, I turned white.
Good. Listen up and listen well; we've kidnapped your boyfriend. Yeah, that's right. And we're gonna kill him, too. Don't think that we won't. You got yourself some, what, freaky powers? Why don't you be a good little girl and come down and act all big and brave and save him? It'll be a true test of your power. If you ain't willing to risk ya life, eh. We got a gun pointed at his head right now.
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