It's been just two days. The fastest in pigeonattack history, due mainly to the reviews that gave me a stomachache.
I think it IS possible to die of laughing.
One word, with three syllables, that starts with a W, ends with a Y, and rhymes with "bee"… cuz I've been neglecting this most epic of pairings.
By the way, I found out how to do line breaks. Yay. Let me know if you like the xxxxx better.
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"
-Albert Einstein, the other BOSS, and my idol. He readily defied authority in EVERY way. Plus, the guy's hilarious.
Shelby grimaced, shifting her weight off of her sore side. From her vantage point, she had a stunning 360-degree vista of Grappler Cavern 6's famed décor. Dr. Nero's cleaning teams, with all their high-tech maintenance methods, couldn't ever scour off the lab-concocted permanent concoction, and his attempts to have it chiseled off were much more time and trouble than the time and trouble it took students to redecorate. HIVEmind was supposed to watch over the area, but he never ratted on the kids. He thought it made HIVE more colorful, which Shelby agreed with, in more ways than one.
Thus, generations of knowledge and wisdom were posted high and bright, mostly for the benefit of the innocent minded.
The blonde Alpha, however, was in no mood to appreciate it. Her right side hurt like hell. She'd been smoothly gliding through the concrete forests with the mechanisms that now rested by her side. Her mind drifting elsewhere, she had failed to notice a small block as she rounded a corner, and bam, her right side was on fire. She'd stopped to check the damage, relieved to find that she hadn't broken anything.
Unfortunately, she'd probably wake up tomorrow feeling (and maybe looking) like a broken grape, at least on her right side.
A bad mental image of a Shelby-headed grape with human legs in black leggings cropped up in her mind. It was a terrible memory from first grade that churned her recently eaten dinner.
She sat on the edge, swinging her legs a bit. At least those had escaped damage.
Aside from her, the water seventy-five feet below, and her concrete friends, the cavern was empty. Otto was gallivanting off with Annie, most likely. Laura was probably moping behind some jargon-inscribed tome in the library. Shelby was thoroughly fed up with her, having tried unsuccessfully to reason with her several times since the day that albino idiot blabbed away.
And Wing… She couldn't honestly say she was fed up with him. That would be an understatement. He was probably cuddling up with Hourglass at that very moment…Her insides boiled at the thought.
She was too deeply immersed in the murky realms of Thinkland to hear the fwip fwip fwip 's approaching. The fact that she was no longer alone was lost on her until a voice behind her softly greeted, "Hello, Shelby."
An uncharacteristic hard jump of surprise threw her over her already precarious perch on the platform.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze as she hung suspended over the drop.
Shelby could not comprehend the fact that she was falling, and without grapplers.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a hand snapped around her wrist, gripping it tightly to the point of bruising. Shelby barely had time to mentally grumble before its owner pulled her over the edge, helping her to her feet.
She twisted her wrist away, rubbing the bruise. "Great. More sore spots."
"Sorry," said Wing. "I should've known you'd rather take the drop."
"You could've been more gentle." Shelby sat back down, hard, gritting her teeth to keep in the yelp that would've accompanied her sore bottom's complaint. She stared straight ahead as Wing sat down next to her. "Where's Hourgl— that girl who asked you. You said yes, didn't you? Why aren't you snuggling up with her?"
Her voice was approaching borderline accusatory.
Wing was silent for a long time. "I never agreed with her. And snuggling?" His voice had a clear note of hurt. "How could you jump to these conclusions?"
Shelby felt a pang of guilt mixed with relief, but quickly retaliated. "She grabbed your hand. You didn't object. I had every reason to believe—"
"Unlike some people, I try to be gentle." There was a pause before he said, "I'm sorry about your wrist."
"It's not just that. The whole right side of my body is killing me."
"Is that my fault?"
Shelby bit her lip. It hurt because she'd smacked into the block, and she'd collided because… "Yeah. Indirectly."
"I'm sorry," Wing said quietly. He turned away. "I never meant to hurt you—"
"Well, you did! Those girls hankering after you, and you letting them like you don't mind, that hourglass, that…that…the…" Shelby had made it to her feet, and now she stood, at a lost for words, because there was one other thing… "Dividing my mind when I'm trying to concentrate, getting my hopes up everyday, and sending them crashing down 'cause you're just so…so… thick. Obtuse. Oblivious."
Only after it was all out did she realize with dawning horror what her outburst had been implying. Neither of them moved.
"Forget I said that," she muttered, snatching up her grapplers and strapping them on. She moved to the edge, and was about to aim a grappler, but what Wing said next froze her in mid motion.
"I don't want to." He swiftly stood up and strode over to her, grasping her arm. "Please, Shelby. Turn around."
Slowly, she did, her eyes focusing raptly on the concrete.
"Please look at me."
Shelby settled her eyes on his feet.
She found it so damn frustrating that Wing was the only guy she was ever like this around. Every other guy was a total piece of cake. After all, she had twenty-three—
"At my face, if you don't mind."
She didn't move.
Wing took a deep breath. "Fine. I just want to let you know… I would never ever hurt you on purpose. I'd give anything to take back the things I unintentionally did…but I don't know how to fix it. So, please, instead of fuming when I try to heal things between us, could you… tell me what to do?"
Her heart was pounding madly. The way he spoke…it was like he really cared deeply for her. He always had, but she'd assumed it was just because they were extremely close friends… and here she was accusing him of stuff that was never his fault…
Steeling herself, she moved her gaze two inches higher. "Wing."
"Yes?" His eyes didn't waver one bit.
"Just answer me three questions."
Wing nodded.
Shelby's eyes locked on his. "Have you ever loved anyone, not as a sibling or family member, but as… someone you'd want to be with for the rest of your life?"
Wing didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Shelby's gaze intensified. "Really? How many people?"
Again, Wing's answer was immediate. "One. There, that's three questions."
" 'Really' doesn't count." Shelby snorted.
"It was your second question."
"Not funny, big guy." She did her best to ignore the grin that returned to his face at the returned usage of the pet name. She did her best to ignore the flopping in her stomach. Damn, their faces were so close...
"Just one more question," she demanded.
"Go ahead."
"Is that person... me?"
Thou must forgiveth me, sweet readers. I don't mean to keep thee hanging so. (Yeah, right…)
This chapter's been on my mind since the beginning of this story's bunny's life. I was super excited to write it. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, and I hope you're relatively satisfied.
Review quickly, people, an' I'll get all y'all out o' dat dair cliff.
Peace.
:)pidge
Oh yeah. I've recently sort of disentangled a huge mass of plot bunnies and sorted them out by pedigree, which led me to contemplate my future plans. If anyone's curious, check out my bio, towards the bottom. While you're there, I've posted a convenient list of nicknames I currently accept.
Just thought I'd mention.
