Chapter 3

Week 2, Day 11 Wednesday

Today I started my first day working on the school newspaper. It's actually really fun, and to top it off, Percy's there too. After I got home, I got a call from Bella.

"Cindy! Everyone's been talking about you and Percy. Are you guys a couple or what?" Bella asked.

"Well, not officially, but I did go out on a date with him yesterday." I told her.

"Oh, my, gosh, you guys are totally a couple! Have you guys kissed yet?" she asked excitedly.

"No, no, we haven't done anything like that." I told her.

"Well you never know, my parents met and got married on the same day. It all depends on what your PlumbBob wants." she said.

My PlumbBob, I didn't really think about it that often anymore, but it did control my every move, even if it doesn't feel like it. I mean, right now I'm seeing what to say to Bella on my action menu. I wonder, what was it like to not have a PlumbBob?

"So, what about you? Are you snagging any dates?" I asked, turning the conversation over to her.

"Well, no, but I do like someone…" Bella snickered, keeping me from all the juicy details.

"Oh? Who is it?" I pried, trying to get her to spill.

"It's Mortimer." she answered, giggling.

Mortimer Goth? Of course she liked him, they've been best friends since they were kids. Who else could it have been?

"Are you going to ask him out?" I asked.

"No, I don't think I can." Bella admitted.

"Well why not?" I asked.

"Because, we've been friends for so long, it would just be too weird not being friends." Bella explained.

"Oh, I see." I said.

We didn't say much after that and soon hung up. Bella and Mortimer could be the perfect couple, why couldn't she ask him out? Oh well, at least they're friends, right?

Week 2, Day 13 Friday

Friday at last! Although working on the school newspaper is fun, it felt good to come home and rest. But apparently, that wasn't what my PlumbBob had in mind. The minute I got home, I spotted the couch in the living room. I nearly ran over to the couch and sat myself down. But just as I was about to turn the TV on, my PlumbBob told me to go and work on my latest book. I honestly didn't want to work on my book, so I canceled the order from the PlumbBob and turned on the TV, thinking I would have the whole weekend to work on it. The next thing I knew, I started feeling really numb, until I couldn't feel my body at all. Then, I see my hand lift itself up and turn off the TV. I couldn't feel my body at all, so I could only watch as my body stood up on it's own and walked itself over to the computer. I became anxious, why couldn't I control my own body? And if I wasn't controlling it, who was? My body sat itself down and turned the computer on. That's when I realized that it was my PlumbBob controlling me, since the PlumbBob is a powerful green gemstone floating over my head, and it's making me feel numb with it's radioactive waves that control my mind. Once the computer turned on, my hands mindlessly pecked away at the keyboard. I tried to regain feeling in my body, but I couldn't. I just couldn't move at all by myself. I heard the front door swing open and Tommy walked in from school.

"Hey sis." Tommy mumbled.

"Hello Tommy." I heard myself say.

I wanted to tell Tommy that my PlumbBob wasn't letting me control my own body, that I needed help regaining control of it, but I couldn't. Tommy's face looked blank, expressionless. I watched him, as he sat down on the dining room table and started on his homework. Wait, Tommy was doing his homework? Tommy would never start his homework right after he got home on a Friday. Then I realized, his PlumbBob must be controlling him to. And there was nothing we could do about it.