Chapter 4

When high noon came, the Werites Beacon residents assembled at the Fountain Plaza to see the play...the Valentine's Day play that Norma had thrown together.

"Okay, everybody!" Norma called. "It's time to start a play with puppy love and jealousy! A classic love story that will touch your heart for years to come! Welcome to the Valentine's Day play! And now here are the stars, Senny Coolidge and C Valens!"

The audience applauded as Senel and Chloe entered the stage from opposite sides. They both had facial expressions as if they had been struck by lightning.

Senny Coolidge just doesn't sound right, Senel thought.

He cleared his throat and began his performance. "Chloe...it does my heart good to see you again."

Chloe blushed. "Wh...what's this about all of a sudden?"

"Chloe...I need to tell you something really important...I love you."

"Coolidge..."

I feel like an idiot, Senel thought.

"I never want to be without you," he continued. "You mean everything in the world to me. That's why I have only one question to ask you."

This isn't like Coolidge at all, Chloe thought. I don't know how I should feel.

Senel pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a diamong ring snug between the satin cushions. He got down on one knee and bowed his head, holding the ring towards Chloe. "Will you marry me?"

Chloe staggered back. "I...I..." She turned around and threw her head into her hands. "I don't know what to say..."

"Come on, C, say yes!" Norma whispered offstage. "Say yes!"

My mind has gone blank! Chloe thought. I can't remember my lines! Was I supposed to say yes?

"Say yes!" Norma called. "YYYYEEEEEESSSSS!!!!"

Senel stood up, still holding the ring towards Chloe. "Chloe, please...I...I..."

Damn, I forgot my lines! he thought. I guess I'll just have to make it up as I go along.

Senel cleared his throat as he struggled to make up a line. "Chloe...you are my life fulfillment..."

That didn't sound right...

Chloe turned to face Senel again. "Coolidge..."

"Wait, wait!" Senel cried. "I need you! I love you!"

A look of disgust spread across Chloe's face. "Despicable!"

Senel staggered back, surprised. "Whoa! Don't stab me again, okay?"

The audience snickered softly.

"Hey, it's not funny!" Senel told them.

"Coolidge..." Chloe said.

Senel turned back to her. "Chloe...you are very..."

He paused as many compliments rushed through his mind. Magnificent? Glorious? Gutsy? Busty?

"Busty!" he blurted out.

"Busty?" Chloe choked up.

The audience gasped in shock.

"Oops..." Senel said.

Where did that one come from?

"I mean...beautiful!"

Chloe blushed again. "Coolidge..."

Come on, C! Just say yes already! Norma thought.

Chloe shook her head. "I...can't. This is...it's going too fast for me. I need a break...so let's just go our separate ways for a while. Goodbye..."

She turned and calmly walked off the stage.

"Aww..." the audience murmured with sympathy.

Moses wiped some fake tears from his eye. "This is so touchin'!"

"No, no, that wasn't how it was supposed to go!" Norma whined.

Senel reached out in Chloe's direction, collapsing to his knees! "Chloe! Please don't go! Don't leave me here!!"

"Oh, poor Senel..." Grune lamented.

Meanwhile, Shirley was hiding off stage as Chloe walked past her. "I guess it's my turn now..."

She walked onto the stage and stopped in front of Senel, who stood up.

"Oh, Shirley..." he said.

However, that was all he said. He and Shirley merely stood there staring at each other, not saying a word.

"Uh...are they gonna do somethin'?" Moses asked.

"Oh my, Senel and Shirley are in love," Grune said.

"Hey, what are you doing!?" Norma called.

Another pause.

"Um...Senel, what are we supposed to do?" Shirley asked.

Senel dropped his head. "Honestly? I have no idea..."

"Grr!" Norma growled. "You're supposed to fight!"

Senel and Shirley looked at her in shock. "Fight!?"

"That's right! Shirl's the witch, remember!?"

"Um...I don't remember anything about a fight," Senel said.

Norma stormed onto the stage with her script in hand and flipped to the right page. She held it out in front of Senel and Shirley, pointing to the line.

Senny and Shirl fight.

Senel scratched his head. "So we are supposed to fight."

"Right!" Norma walked off the stage and assumed her position in front of the audience. "So start fighting and make it good!"

"Uh..." Senel and Shirley exchanged nervous glances.

Then Senel had an idea. "Okay, Shirley, here's what we'll do..."

He moved close to Shirley, whispering something into her ear.

Shirley nodded. "Okay."

They both faced each other, raising their clenched fists. Senel began by planting a series of light jabs to Shirley's arm. Shirley giggled after three shots.

"That tickles!" she cooed.

"All right," Senel responded.

On that cue, they both switched stances, and Shirley returned the light jabs to Senel's arm.

Norma looked appalled. "What kind of fight is that?"

Senel and Shirley dropped their heads, once again aware of how foolish they felt.

"Norma, your play sucks!" Senel exclaimed.

"Don't blame me!" Norma responded. "You're the ones who can't act!"

Senel gave an exasperated sigh. "She's got a point there..."

"I feel so...embarrassed..." Shirley said, her face turning bright red. "I guess I just can't be a witch."

Norma walked in front of them and addressed the audience. "Okay, thank you very much; you've been a great crowd. This is Norma and the Fun Bunch signing out!"

The audience began to break up, talking to each other randomly as they left the plaza. Senel's party remained, facing each other. Chloe returned as well, and joined the others. Norma glared at all of them.

"You totally ruined it!" she growled.

"Well, what were we supposed to do?" Senel asked.

Norma pointed at Chloe. "It's all your fault, C! You were supposed to say yes to Senny's proposal, and then you were supposed to live happily ever after!"

Chloe's eyes widened. "I was?"

"Didn't you read the script? I even told you from the beginning that you were supposed to say yes! Even during the play, I told you to say yes! But noooo, you had to say, 'Noooo'!"

Chloe found that she had nothing to say in response.

"And you two!" Norma addressed Senel and Shirley next. "You were supposed to fight to the death, and Shirl was supposed to be the one to die!"

Shirley looked at her oddly. "Really?"

Senel glared at Norma. "And that's why your play sucks!"

Norma sighed. "Fine. I'll let you off easy this time. But next time, when I write a play, you'd better play it right! You got that!?"

Senel, Shirley, and Chloe became intimidated. "Yes, ma'am!" they said in unison.

"All right, settle down," Will said.

Senel looked at Moses. "Moses, you've been awfully quiet this morning."

"I don't see Jay anywhere," Moses responded.

Everyone looked around, and sure enough, the little information dealer was nowhere to be seen.

Well, my play didn't work, but it looks like my 'secret admirer' letters are working like a charm, Norma thought.

"Oh, he's probably still on a date with his secret admirer," she told the group.

"Oh yeah...secret admirer..." Moses turned his back to the group and sighed.

"What is it, Moses?" Senel asked.

"It's nothin'," Moses told him. "I hope that Jay's real happy and all."

Norma nudged Senel. "See? I told you he was jealous."

Senel looked at Moses in disbelief. "Is that really what it is?"

"Don't worry," Norma said. "I'm sure JJ will come back soon and show us his new girlfriend."

"Oh look, here comes Jay now!" Grune gushed, pointing down the road.

The group turned as Jay and Thyra walked up the road, entering the Fountain Plaza.

"Thyra?" Shirley asked.

"Huh...so Thyra was your secret admirer?" Moses asked. "I feel so sorry for you, Jay."

"Be quiet, Moses," Jay snapped.

Norma gestured to Jay and Thyra. "You see? This is what a happy couple looks like."

Will folded his arms. "Norma...they don't look the least bit happy."

"Um..." Norma looked at the couple. Sure enough, both Jay and Thyra were glaring at her like snakes about to strike.

"Thank you, Will," Jay said. "I'm not happy at all. I'm slightly furious. Only slightly..."

"Only slightly?" Norma asked.

"No...I'm extremely furious!" Jay yelled. "I've never been so furious in my life! You set us up! You wrote those love letters to both of us, claiming to be each other's secret admirer!"

"Indeed!" Thyra added. "Why!? Why would you do something like that!?"

"Because...because I thought you'd make a cute couple," Norma replied.

"Cute!?"

"What gave you the slightest inkling that we would make a cute couple?" Jay asked.

"Well duh! It's so obvious, it's right in front of your face!" Norma said. "Can't you see it?"

"See what?"

"I can tell how Tulip really feels!" Norma walked over to Jay, tracing circles on his chest with her index finger. "She totally digs you, JJ."

Jay blushed. "Wh...what?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Thyra asked.

"You can't hide your true feelings," Norma said. "Underneath all that anger, you really love JJ."

"Impossible! There's no way I could love someone like him!" Thyra insisted. "All he does is make fun of me!"

"Fun?" Jay interrupted. "Believe me, there's nothing fun about it. I just don't like you because you're a buffoon."

"Wh...what did you call me!?"

"That's enough," Will said.

Norma shrugged. "Okay, but the fact still stands that Tulip is in love with JJ."

"I said I'm not!" Thyra nearly screamed. "And I thought I told you to stop calling me Tulip!"

"She calls everyone by these nicknames," Chloe said. "You might as well get used to it, because you can't make her stop."

"Do you think I'm just a fool to play with?" Thyra asked. "I'll never trust you, ever! I'm leaving!"

She turned and stormed out of the plaza. Jay turned around, folded his arms, and let out another exasperated sigh. Will walked over to Norma, bonking her on the head.

"Ow! What was that for!?" she cried.

"You're ruining Valentine's Day for all of us!" Will told her. "You're also ruining the chance to make peace with the Ferines!"

"What? But..."

"Indeed!" Chloe agreed. "If you upset Thyra, it'll destroy her trust towards us. And trust is not something that can be restored easily once it's been broken."

"If there is to be peace between our races, people like Thyra don't need to be alive," Jay said.

Everyone turned to him in shock.

"Jay, I know you didn't just say that!" Moses said.

"That woman obviously doesn't share our goal," Jay continued. "She may even try to prevent us from reaching that goal."

"Jay, do you really believe that?" Shirley asked. "Thyra may not trust the Orerines now, but she respects the will of Nerifes, just like all the other Ferines."

"Perhaps...but she said she was going to kill me."

The others looked at him in disbelief.

"Come on, JJ!" Norma said. "You're not really worried about that, are you? You can take her down with no problem!"

"I don't want to. I'm not like that freak Solon; I don't enjoy killing people. But I will not fall to Thyra. If she does act on her words, I will not hesitate...but killing her will leave a bad taste in my mouth. A threat on my life is not something I can take lightly."

"You should try talking to her," Shirley said.

"I wouldn't know what to say. Even if I did, I doubt she'd let me say it."

"Why don't you try doing something nice for her?" Norma said. "Actions speak louder than words, you know."

"That's a good idea," Jay admitted. "I suppose I could do that."

"Great! And don't worry, JJ; I'm sure she won't try to kill you. I know, because she's in love with you!"

"Please stop it."

"All right, everyone," Will said. "Let's call it a day. I'll see you all later."

The group began to leave the plaza. Jay remained behind, thinking hard about the whole situation. Moses stayed as well, noticing that the boy looked quite disturbed.

"Jay," he said.

Jay turned to the bandit. "Yes?"

"Do you mind if I talk to ya for a bit?"

"My, you sound so serious, Moses."

"Come on, Jay. I know something's weighin' on your mind. Just let big brother Moses set you free."

Jay sighed again. He hated to admit it, but his situation with Thyra really was weighing on his mind. He also hated the feeling that Moses may be the only one who could comfort him.

"Fine, fine..." he said.

Both he and Moses left the plaza.