I do not own anything in this story except my OCs and the basic plot line. Everything else belongs to DreamWorks. I do not. I am not that awesome. Not even close.
Author's note: Hey. Hey guys. Guuuuuys. Guess what? I'M BACK! That's what! *crickets heard chirping in utter silence* uh... Thanks? Lol JK! Wow my first chapter 10! I reached a milestone! And speaking of milestones, I WON NANOWRIMO! Yay! The beginning of this chapter is a little darker than the last two, probs cuz I'm still in NaNo mode and my original book is really gritty and messed up lol. It'll perk up again, don't worry! Thanks a ton for all the reads, faves, follows and reviews! Y'all rock! I really don't know what else to say lol!
Mouseygirl1411: Who's the mean ferret? Well, I'm not saying right now because spoilers. You'll find out soon. What I will say is that she's important and you'll probably not like her. Well, I hope you don't anyway. Yep, Heather's being sneaky! She found new friends and a scary slide, but who knows what else she might discover... Yay haha it's cool you liked my description. I love extreme rides (total thrill ride and coaster girl here!) and I wouldn't wanna go on it! Thanks once again, you crazy mouse!
Crackers414: Once again I smiled stupidly over reviews! Thanks! Now, to answer your questions. Yup! You guessed it, he was the "Cat Food - 1.00" guy all along. As for why: Jade really hated (and still sorta hates) him, but she didn't wanna wreck that picture as it meant a lot to her. Instead of ripping it or drawing on it, she put a sticker over him so when she looked at it she only saw herself and Blake. Obviously not the most effective thing, lol. I'll be explaining their backstories further throughout the fic. I never really though about their first kiss, but it probably would have been cute. After all, Jade wasn't always cold enough to rival Elsa! Right now Chase is probably curled up somewhere crying for his mommy XD I'll totally add that in a later chapter, I think everyone here would like to see Chase get his butt kicked! Yay so glad you loved it, that makes me smile so much :) I'll try and speed up the updates for ya! Nyxy awaaaay!
Hanging by a Thread (Chapter 10)
Jade
"For the record, I blame you for this."
How exactly had my life gotten this screwed up? The question hung heavy on my mind as I stood in the dingy hotel hallway waiting for a pathetically slow elevator. Two days ago I'd had everything figured out, and yet here I was, standing right beside my sworn enemy. No, not the pack leader. Honestly I'd take a crazed dog any day. At least they didn't make me feel all weird and mixed up inside.
The cheap fluorescent lights flickered above, and more than once I turned around thinking there was something behind me. Of course there wasn't, and all I saw were the towering old hotel doors and ripped, faded wallpaper.
"It's not that big a deal, you know."
For a glorious second I'd forgotten about the loser next to me, and before I could stop myself I was staring right at him, my eyes wide with surprise. He was leaning against the cheaply panelled wall, looking confident as ever. Despite how dim the lights were, his eyes gleamed. He caught my gaze and gave me a flirty smile. I looked away quickly, shaking my head in an attempt to clear my mind.
I heard the elevator ding and I stepped forward, keeping my eyes on the ground. It felt like my thoughts were full of static, and it was getting harder and harder to focus. Sighing, I took a deep breath... and walked right into the still-closed metal door. It was freezing cold and I jumped back, making myself look even more stupid than before. This entire mission-gone-haywire was officially the worst mistake I'd ever made. Note to self: Kindness doesn't pay.
"I though you said you'd done training! Really Jade, you gotta chill out."
Beside me I could hear RJ trying not to laugh. I clenched my fist and hoped I wouldn't snap. Murder is wrong, Jade. You know that. Honestly, it wasn't helping much. It dinged again, but I waited until the door was fully open before climbing in and taking my place against the darkest corner.
"You know what would happen to me if Heather got in trouble?" I asked, avoiding him as best I could. Badly patterned green carpet had never looked more interesting.
The cheap light hummed as a bug flew around it, occasionally slamming into the wall. I though about getting up and pressing the button, but I couldn't be bothered. My distorted reflection glared back at me as I felt the floor beginning to drop. Hopefully he hadn't screwed it up too badly. Not that it mattered at this point. The silence was blissful, but of course nothing that good could ever last.
"What happened to you anyway? You used to be so reckless and crazy. Now you're about as much fun as Verne!"
I didn't even bother to look up. There was nothing to see anyway. Just a lot of denial and a dirty old elevator wall.
"Dogs. That's what happened."
"Aren't you going a bit overboard? I mean sure, they're-"
Anger clouded my thoughts. Dogs had ruined my life. They'd killed my best friend, made me the way I was now. At least that's what I'd told myself when things got rough. Revenge would set me free. Everything else was a waste of time.
"They took away what little I cared about in this world."
"You mean they were the ones who..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say next.
"Yeah, they killed him. No point trying to pretty it up. Now shut up, ok?"
It was a demand, not a question. If he didn't I'd... what? Do nothing, as usual. I made empty threats all the time, but to be fully honest I didn't want to hurt him. Not that I'd ever admit that in a million years.
"Wow. I can't imagine how much that must've hurt."
I hated sympathy. If you didn't kill my friend, you didn't have to apologize for it, or even grieve over it. I didn't blame anyone for that except the pack leader.
"Then don't," I snapped, "Just go away and leave me alone."
I glanced over quickly, the small space now eerily silent. There was hurt in those blue eyes. I'd finally gotten the reaction I was going for. So tell me, why did I feel so freakin' awful? I had a headache and I just wanted to curl up and forget about everything. My reflection stared back at me, her blurred face mocking my pain. I'd forgotten just how cold I could really be. Hurting others wasn't gonna make my issues go away. Why had it taken me this long to figure that out?
"I'm sorry, RJ," I said, "I didn't mean to go that far. Really. That was low."
Why did I have to screw up every single thing that didn't involve fighting, smashing or destroying stuff?
"Look, I get it. If you want me to leave, I'll leave. But wasn't it you who said we had to stick together, and not to wander off alone?"
He smiled at me, but I wasn't fooled. It wasn't hard to tell when someone was faking when you'd been doing the same for three years.
I laughed, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Oh sure, use my rules against me!"
He joined in, and I felt some of the misery fade away. Bandaids weren't the solution, but they were the first step in healing.
"Never though there'd be a day we were making rules."
I rolled my eyes. We hadn't been that bad back then, had we? Ok, so me and my little group of friends had done a few things that probably should have killed us, but it sure had been fun. No, I don't suggest jumping off a roller coaster while wearing a superhero cape. You'll still fall on your face, trust me.
"Me either. Things change, though."
I watched the shadows on the wall flicker, hoping Heather really would have headed to the pool, and not some other slightly less slimy place. That water was a nightmare, or at least it had been last time I'd stayed here. Yeah, I was trying to tune out the conversation.
"They sure do, though some will never change." His signature idiotic grin had been traded in for something a little more serious. I couldn't figure it out.
"Like what?" I asked lazily, watching the buttons light up and go dark as the floors went by.
He hesitated for a second. "I don't know, really."
The button labeled "POOL" lit up, and I felt the elevator come to a stop. This time I was careful to wait until the doors were all the way open. I was never going through that again.
Once they were, I dashed out. The grey walls and bright lights were a bit of a shock after the darkness of the elevator, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. The hall was long and illuminated, the familiar smell of chlorine hanging in the air. I stepped over the shattered glass, wondering how long it'd been left sitting there.
I heard hushed talking coming from a darkened supply room. Curiosity once again got the better of me, and I crept up to listen in. The door was half shut, a sliver of light reflecting off dusty lifejackets, empty boxes and pool toys. I couldn't see who it was, but there was definitely someone in there.
"I found your target," a smooth female voice said, "though the other one might be on to me."
Target? That was not a normal conversation. I'd expected either a teenage couple or some antisocial nut job, but this? Something was going on here.
I heard yelling coming from what sounded like a cell phone. The nearby voice gasped, and either dropped something or slammed the phone down. A few seconds later I could still hear the faint screaming on the other end of the connection. Whoever it was, they were mad.
"No! Don't! It's a slight complication, that's all. Who's to say we can't take them all out?"
I shuddered. What exactly was I witnessing?
"Jade, where are you?"
I could hear RJ getting closer, and I turned away from the mysterious room. Before I looked away, I caught a glimpse that would haunt me for nights to come. Long, shiny black claws pressed up against a sparkling silver blade. Before I could even be sure I'd seen it, the room went dark and I was left wondering if anything I'd just seen had been real.
"What were you doing?"
I froze, trying to think of an answer. There was no way I was telling anyone what I'd overheard. It had nothing to do with us, and there was no use causing panic. On the other hand, I'd be on the lookout for Chase's ferrety girlfriend.
"Oh, you know, just looking around," I stuttered, not making eye contact, "being paranoid like I always am." I laughed nervously. What the heck? I'd always been really good at stuff like this, but now I couldn't even lie properly!
He looked at me like I was crazy, but we continued down the too-bright hall to the pool entrance. I sneakily peeked in all the supply closets, but other than the occasional undead rubber duck, they were empty.
Once we got to the windowed part, it didn't take me long to spot Heather. At least we'd gotten that part right. From the looks of it, she'd made a bunch of new friends. I recognized the fox she was sitting next to as Chase's brother. Oh, great. I really didn't need another one of those things tonight.
I stepped out on the cold, glossy tiles. The old slide was still standing, though it looked worse for wear. I remembered all those stupid stunts I did on it trying to catch someone's attention. It had worked, too. There was probably still in imprint of my face at the bottom where I'd slammed into it at about a hundred miles an hour. Teenage stupidity at it's finest, sadly.
I overheard Heather telling the other kids about how much she missed her old home. I had never really thought of that, to be honest. I'd seen the whole thing as impersonal mission-favour hybrid I'd done to prove RJ wrong. I had been distant, careful to avoid getting too involved with anything. Or anyone. Now I almost regretted it. I'd be a little less harsh on them next time.
I heard loud cheering, and looked up at the top of the slide. There was Chase, bowing for his 'adoring' fans. A bunch of animals screamed his name, and I nearly gagged. Since when was he a freakin' celebrity?
"I wonder of he's gonna die!" A mud-colored cat yelled, his tail flicking off the chlorinated water.
The sullen young raccoon girl next to him nodded slightly. "Probably."
"He's so not gonna die, Cat! He's done this a million times, remember. Don't be stupid." Chase's brother quipped, and Heather watched him carefully.
"Whatever. I could use a little action." The cat answered, looking to the raccoon for a response. She ignored him.
"Wow." Heather said as Chase climbed into the yellow plastic tube, leaving only his white-tipped tail visible.
"I hope he's ok," An otter said, her expression worried.
The younger fox grinned. "Of course he's fine."
He stood up and waved to his brother, who popped out of the tube and gave him a thumbs-up. Heather stayed seated on the edge of the pool, though she smiled up at Chase's brother, her eyes sparkling in the vibrance of the lights. From the looks of it, she had a crush on him. That was so not going to go over well.
The entire room went silent as Chase returned to the tube and let go of the handle, his orange fur blurring together with the faded yellow of the slide. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. After a minute he shot out of the tube at lightning speed, landing in the water with a loud splash. Water sprayed everywhere, soaking a few unfortunate animals who'd been lounging nearby.
He surfaced a second later, and the screaming and cheering returned. I gritted my teeth. He didn't deserve it. Despite all the fuss over him, his ferret friend was nowhere to be seen. I couldn't blame her, really. This guy was so overrated.
"Still can't do a backflip, huh?" I called to him, grinning slyly. He gave me an annoyed look, and I shrugged dramatically.
"Ja- I mean, wasn't that cool?" Heather asked, keeping her gaze on the local loser's sibling, who was still clapping louder than a demented seal.
"Hey, isn't it that Jade chick?" The scrawny cat asked, looking me up and down.
The raccoon girl sighed. "Yeah." Her voice was bored and flat, and it was clear she didn't care either way. She glared moodily at Heather, and for some reason that annoyed me. Had I really started to care about these weirdos in two days?
"Are you gonna do the Skull Smasher or not?" she asked, her dark eyes narrow.
I pressed my hand to the side of my face as I remembered how the slide got its name. I certainly wasn't the first one to learn, and I'm pretty sure I still have a scar from the second time I hit that evil plastic wall.
"Of course I will." Heather said defiantly, holding the raccoon's stare.
She stood up boldly, walking toward the other side of the pool where the face-ruining hunk of plastic was located.
"Awesome!" The fox called, and she skipped happily.
Ignoring the "no running on deck" sign, I caught up with her next to the rusted black stairs. It was taller than I remembered, though most of it still looked stable. Her eyes were wide as she took it all in, from the dented mesh steps to the cracked yellow form looming above.
"Listen, I've done this a million times. Lay down flat, don't lift your head at all. You'll go faster, and it'll hurt less."
"Less?" She asked, still staring at the top of the platform.
"Well, yeah. Cross your arms for more speed, and flip over at the last second if you want flair."
She smiled determinedly, grabbing one of the buckled, rusty railings.
"Thanks, Jade."
I laughed a little. It was only fair I passed on these tricks after I'd spent so many hours and concussions figuring them out.
"Anytime. Now go teach that girl a lesson."
"Totally."
She nodded sharply, her eyes fixed on the stairs. Standing tall, I noticed she was nearly the same height as me. Oh how I hated being short!
"I'll be watching, now have fun!" I said, turning back toward the small gathering that had formed where her friends were waiting.
It took her a while to navigate the rusted-out stairwell, and I made it back with plenty of time. The other animals were whispering amongst each other, but only her friends cheered. Everyone else just muttered about wipeouts and Chase. It really ticked me off. I joined in with the teens, and after a while most of the others got the idea. I noticed the sulky raccoon girl was completely silent, feigning boredom. She was watching intently, though.
Suddenly someone wrapped their arm around my back. Visions of long, black claws filled my mind, and my hand flew to my knife. In a few seconds I had flipped it open, spinning around to face the ferret princess.
"Someone's a little high-strung!" RJ said, backing up a bit.
I sighed in relief, my shoulders slumping. I could still feel my heart pounding, but my breathing had returned to normal. I shoved the blade back in its hilt and reattached the weapon to my leather strap, wondering how many animals noticed my little outburst.
"Sorry," I said sheepishly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Chase walk past. He received a few adoring glanced as he strode through the crowd, but most of them were more interested in Heather. All hope wasn't lost after all.
"No problem. Care to try again?" RJ asked, eyeing Chase, who was glaring coldly at him. I rolled my eyes. Why not? It didn't have to mean anything. I stepped back, this time knowing he wasn't a killer weasel diva.
As much as I hated to admit it, it was nice being so close to him. That's what friends were for, I guess. I mean, he was just a friend and that was a good thing. Better than being enemies, no?
"So what'cha think of a second chance?" Ok, maybe it did mean something.
"Uh, what?" I asked, playing dumb.
"Y'know, giving us another shot. I know you have to act all cold and distant, but at least consider it. It's pretty obvious now, Jaded Lady."
"Right," I said sarcastically, "In your dreams. I'll think about it."
Heather had reached the top of the slide, and beside me Chase's brother was yelling out encouragement. She waved to him, and he jumped up and down, nearly knocking over the otter.
She grabbed onto the handle, surveying the room below. I wanted to cheer her on and wave, but there was no way I was gonna have her see me that close to RJ.
"Ew. What a freak." It was the apathetic raccoon girl again. Next to her, the cat laughed, though it sounded forced and incredibly fake.
"Cut it out, Gia!" The fox said, giving her a warning look. She ignored him and continued to slouch next to the cat and otter.
Something in the corner of the room pulled my attention away from the teen drama. There was Chase, and he was talking with the ferret girl! In her hand was a pale sword, thin blade nearly glowing in the light. She looked around suspiciously before kissing him. At first he looked shocked, but after a second he went along with it. My eyes returned to that shining, reflective metal. Whatever was going on here, it couldn't be nice.
AN: Thanks for reading! Remember to fave, follow and review if you liked it! I could have made this chapter longer but I want to write the rest of it from Heather's POV. Jade is her usual loveable self XD, but who IS this ferret, and what's her problem? Even more importantly, how's Heather gonna do on the slide? Probably awesome, but stick around to find out! I BEAT NANOMIGRAINE AND ITS FREAKIN DECEMBER! Yay? *ninja vanish*