A/N: Thank for the reviews again you awesome little anteaters :D Two updates tonight (which makes three today - I know, I need to do something else with my time :P) So enjoy!
Chapter IX:
"Bullhorns Score"
'Um… Elliott? Can you pass me that pencil?'
Elliott was too deep in her thoughts to hear Beatrice's request. She continued to stare down at the desk, squeezing the pencil in her fist. She was wondering what Gary had in store at the equipment shed and if she should even go there. It couldn't be anything good…
'Elliott? Earth to Elliott?'
Elliott screwed up her nose a little. Yeah, she would accept help from that medicated little sociopath and end up with the same reputation as him. People would think she was so nuts they wouldn't dare bother with her. Which could work in her advantage she supposed, it would mean that she would have some peace and quiet…
Beatrice nudged her. 'Elliott?'
She jumped, snapped out of her thoughts and in the process managed to snap the pencil. She blinked at Beatrice, who was looking a little wary. 'Huh?'
Beatrice glanced at the broken pencil and then shook her head. 'Y'know, it doesn't matter. I have like, a hundred more of those.'
Elliott looked down at the broken pencil in her hand. It had cracked neatly between Beatrice's first and last name, which was embossed neatly in gold on the side. Still a little disorientated from her thoughts, Elliott just dropped the remains onto the desk and sat back.
'Bea?' she said, frowning slightly.
Beatrice glanced around warily to see if Ms Phillips had noticed them talking, but she was too busy gushing over some bully's photograph of Bucky being stuffed into a rubbish bin. Apparently it was a brilliant representation of how everyone is so insignificant…
'Hmm?' Beatrice replied quietly, satisfied that she wasn't going to be pulled up for disrupting.
'Have you ever been in the situation when you want something really, really badly but you know that the only way you can get it is by ignoring all your gut instincts meaning everything will probably blow up in your face and make everything a million times worse?'
Beatrice pondered this for a moment. 'Well, there was that time that I wanted to take off the plastic cover from one of the library books because it kept making the book flip shut but I knew if I did that it would never go back on again and in this place it would be destroyed within a few hours…'
Elliott frowned vaguely. 'Forget it, Bea.' She sighed. 'It doesn't matter.' She leaned forward, picked up one of the broken pieces of paper and began doodling glumly on the already heavy vandalised desk.
Beatrice regarded her for a moment, and then leaned forward. 'Didn't you find Jimmy last night?'
Elliott shot her an annoyed look. 'After what he's been saying about me? He's nearly as bad as Mandy.'
'What was he saying?'
'It's not important. At least to you it's not. It's okay, Bea just forget it. I've kind of already got someone who can help me. At least I think so…'
'I really hope it's not Gary Smith.' Beatrice whispered worriedly.
Elliott glanced to her without moving her head. 'Who?' she lied, not wanting to let on that it was him.
Beatrice nodded. 'That sociopath with the eye scar. Seriously Elliott, you keep away from him. Pinky said she saw you both hanging out outside the school and she says the two of you went to torture a hobo on the beach last night. I'm sorry, Elliott, but if you're like him then…' She puffed herself up a little but still looked terrified of what she was saying. 'Then I'm afraid that we won't be able to be friends anymore.'
Elliott had sat up a little and was looking directly at Beatrice silently. Beatrice started to get fidgety and nervous.
'Well… y'know…' she stammered. 'We can still be friends if you want… just I wouldn't really want to hang out, if you know what I mean…'
'So you think I shouldn't go?' Elliott asked.
'What?'
'Gary said he would help me sort Mandy out. Do you think I shouldn't go?'
Beatrice snorted loudly with laughter, attracting curious glances from some of the surrounding students. She blushed and lowered her head and her voice. 'There's a few things you need to know about Gary Smith,' she told Elliott quietly. 'If he's offering to do something for you then you know it's because you've got something he wants. He never does anything just because it's nice. He's not a nice person at all. If you accept his help there's no knowing what he might want you to do in return. It's not worth it, Elliott. Trust me.'
Elliott looked down at her hands. 'So… I shouldn't go?'
'No, you shouldn't.' Beatrice told her.
Elliott nodded. 'Right. Thanks Bea.'
Beatrice nodded and straightened up, clearing her throat. 'Um, do you think you could use my proper name…?'
Elliott ignored her. 'You haven't got another pencil I could use, have you?'
Beatrice managed a smile before going to fetch another pencil, and Elliott drifted off into deep thought again.
Elliott stood by the large statue of a bull-headed figure with a football and fidgeted with the camera in her hands. Ms Phillips had sent them out to take photographs of flags, but she hadn't bothered. She had come straight to this spot and stared down the steps into Jock territory, trying to decide whether to take Beatrice's advice and steer clear or go down and see what Gary had done for her.
Elliott had been born with a problem of being far too curious. Once it was roused then that was it really, all rational thought went out of the window. If she didn't find out what something was then it was likely to bug her for the rest of her life. If she turned and walked away now without finding out what was waiting for her inside that equipment shed… well, she would probably go mad thinking about it. She felt herself moving forward, her feet taking control of the situation. She was already down the steps by the basketball court when her brain decided to step in and tell her that this was a really, really stupid idea.
Too late, she was already on her way.
She moved quickly with her head down, managing to go unnoticed past a pack of Jocks who were too busy hurling a huge leather football at each other. She reached the top of the bleachers and ducked behind a tree, peering down onto the massive football field.
She spotted Mandy almost immediately. She was storming along the sidelines, arms rigid by her sides and yelling for Ted. She stopped and asked the odd person if they had seen him but they all just shrugged. Elliott bit her lip thoughtfully. She hoped Ted's absence didn't have anything to do with Gary…
She headed along the bleachers and climbed down them, avoiding passing Mandy and the others completely. She dropped down onto the field, glanced around to see if she had been spotted, and then ran up towards the equipment shed.
Inside it smelled musky and of old, stale sweat. Elliott screwed up her nose against it as she closed the door behind her. The light was off and most of the windows were blocked with old gym mats and large exercise equipment. There were so many places for someone to hide… Was she really this stupid? Gary was probably lurking in here somewhere, just waiting to jump out at her. He certainly hadn't given her any reason to trust him – he had even said himself that they didn't need trust. She paused thoughtfully, hand on the doorknob to leave again.
That was when she heard a strange noise from behind the gym mats. She listened hard, and then realised that it was snoring. Gripping her camera tightly, Elliot moved forward, peering around the mat.
What she saw stunned her. She stood and gaped at the two naked bodies on the floor, eyes practically bulging. She recognised both of them immediately and in that moment she decided that she didn't give a damn what anyone thought about Gary, she owed him big time for this. She had to stifle a belly laugh in case her hysterics woke either of them up, and quickly raised her camera.
The boy in front was unmistakably Algie, wearing nothing but his suspiciously stained pants. His glasses were wonky on his face from where he was laying and he snored deeply, thumb half in his mouth. Draped over his fat waist was Ted Thompson's arm. He lay behind him – spooning, Elliott thought was the correct term. From the angle she was at it didn't look like Ted was wearing any pants at all.
It was all too much. Elliott turned away, hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. If she started laughing she wouldn't be able to stop. This was just brilliant. Gary was a genius. She turned, camera ready, and snapped twelve photos, making sure she had every detail. When she was satisfied she had enough evidence she began to back away, chuckling. She stepped on something that cracked under her foot and she glanced down, lifting her shoe to see an orange tube. She picked it up and turned it over, reading the label. Sedatives. Elliott chuckled and tucked the crushed bottle in her pocket.
This was brilliant. Probably not so brilliant for Algie when he woke up but, well, sacrifices had to be made. When Mandy saw these pictures… Elliott just hoped she was there to see her face.
'You seem happy.' Beatrice commented, watching Elliott warily.
Elliott grinned as she straightened out the cover on her bed. 'Do I? Makes a change, doesn't it?'
Beatrice continued to watch her, frowning slightly. She clutched a heavy physics textbook to her chest, ready to leave for the library. She just didn't want to leave while Elliott was being so uncharacteristically happy. 'Where did you go during photography?' she asked. 'I thought we were going to take pictures together.'
'Oh I had to go and do something.' Elliott replied. 'Ms Phillips said it's okay if I take the pictures next time.'
'So you didn't take any?' Beatrice queried.
'Nope.' Elliott replied, pausing to check her reflection in the small mirror by her bed.
'But your film was full when you got back.'
'It was? You sure?'
Beatrice regarded her for a long moment. 'You know, Elliott, I can't help but think that you uh… you might not have taken my advice…'
Elliott just glanced at her, smirking. 'You seen Algie today at all?'
Beatrice blinked. 'Um… actually, I haven't…'
Elliott laughed. 'Poor guy.' She mumbled.
'Where did you go during photography, Elliott?' Beatrice asked again. 'Please, I don't want you to get into any kind of trouble…'
'Don't worry about it, it's over.' Elliott told her with a smile. 'Just go to the library. I'll see you tonight, okay?'
'I'll see you in English, won't I?'
Elliott shrugged. 'Oh yeah… yeah English, right.' She was already distracted by something in the top drawer of her desk. Beatrice half nodded, not wanting to leave her in this peculiar mood but having no choice. She headed out of the room after a failed attempt at a wave. On her way out she bumped into Christy.
'Watch where you're going.' Christy spat.
Beatrice muttered an apology and then hurried away. Christy stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Elliott glanced around, her smile abruptly disappearing.
Christy folded her arms and looked around the room. 'You've made it okay in here, even though you're sharing a room with a nerd.'
'Beatrice is okay.' Elliott told her. 'Probably the only decent person around here, actually.'
Christy sighed and sat on the edge of the spare bed by the door. 'I know what you probably think of me. You think I'm a bitch like Mandy.'
Elliott shrugged. 'Well… yeah actually. I do.'
Christy pushed some of her hair from her face and leaned back. 'Well I'm not.' She sighed. 'If I was then I would have told Mandy that you were plotting some horrible scheme with Gary Smith last night on the beach.'
Elliott froze, eyeing her. 'Did you hear that from Pinky?' she asked, recalling what Beatrice told her about Pinky saying her and Gary were torturing hobos.
'Pinky?' Christy chuckled. 'Why would she know anything about it? She was being yucky and inbred with her cousin… No, I was there actually. On my way to meet Kirby at the Carnival. I saw that little psycho hanging over the side of the boardwalk and… well, I had to see what he was up to. I have to admit I was surprised to see you there. I never pegged you for being into crazy guys.'
Elliott crossed her arms over her chest. 'I'm not into him. We were just… discussing something.'
'Scheming, more like.' Christy smirked. 'After hearing Gary telling you to check out the equipment shed I just had to go and have a look for myself. Brilliant. Really brilliant. Algie of all the people… The thing is…' She stood up and approached Elliott, mocking thought. 'If you tarnish Ted's image, Mandy's likely to go down with him – but I guess that was your intention, right?'
Elliott said nothing.
'I'll take that as a yes.' Christy nodded. 'Okay, I'm going to be square with you, Post- I mean Elliott, I don't like Mandy either. In fact I pretty much despise the skinny little bitch. The only reason I'm nice to her is because I want to stay on the cheerleading team so I can keep on seeing Kirby. She keeps puking in the bathroom and that's, well it's gross, especially when other people have to use it too, y'know? Anyway, what I'm getting at is that if Mandy somehow ended up being dropped from the cheerleading team, I would be promoted to head cheerleader.'
Elliott frowned. 'So you want her off the team. In other words, you want to help me.' She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. 'Oh that's just great.' She muttered.
Christy just grinned, eyes sparkling. 'I want to be at the top. I'm sick of just being another non-clique student. As long as Mandy's on the team I'll never be anything but that.'
Elliott turned away, shaking her head. 'How do I know you're not just trying to get the photos for Mandy?'
The other girl laughed. 'So you did take pictures! Oh great! I love that. This is going to be so awesome.'
Elliott cursed her self for allowing that information slip out. She sighed and leaned on the bed frame. 'Look, I appreciate that you want to destroy Mandy's life too, but I don't need any help. I've pretty much got in covered, thanks.'
'No, you haven't.' Christy told her. 'You've got photos. They're nothing, unless you just want to do some blackmailing. I'm talking all out humiliation. Like on billboards and stuff. To do something that big you're going to need some help.'
Elliott mused over it for a moment. 'Okay. I'm listening.'
Christy grinned. 'Great. Look, I've got to go meet Kirby for lunch but we can talk more later, yeah? Not here of course, we don't want anyone overhearing.'
Elliott nodded and drew her eyebrows together. 'Yeah, seems like that happens a lot around here.' She commented flatly.
Christy nodded and headed for the door. 'Well, see ya later, Elliott. I'm looking forward to our chat.'
Elliott sat down heavily on the bed, her good mood now nothing but a memory. This was just going to be complicated with Christy involved. She breathed heavily out of her nostrils. 'Shit.' She muttered, and fell back on the bed.
