"Ow . . . bright lights."
Faye clutched her head, eyes squeezed shut. Her voice was rough and crackling, as if she had spent a month in the desert without water.
She had made the mistake of opening her eyes too fast. She'd had a similar reaction to the offensive light when she was hung over for the first time. The only difference was that this felt like a hang over that covered her entire body.
Cautious this time, Faye opened her eyes. The light did not hurt as much but it took a few blinks before Faye's eyes would focus.
She gingerly sat up to inspect her surroundings. "I've got to start waking up in my own bed."
"Where's the fun in that?"
Faye looked over to the other side of the room. Reid stood in the doorway with his trademark smirk and a glass of water.
"Reid!" She threw the covers back and lunged at him.
He lost his hold on the glass as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging Reid like her life depended on it. The glass shattered on the hard wood floor but neither seemed to notice.
For once, Reid did not know what to do with his hands. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging Faye back. He leaned his cheek on the top of her head. She felt so warm and alive. He inhaled deeply, savouring the feel of her in his arms. She smelled sweet, almost like cotton candy with a hint of vanilla.
"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Faye did not even look up when she spoke to him.
He frowned and held Faye out at arms length so he could look at her face. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"
Faye looked away from him, avoiding eye contact. "Don't know what you're talking about."
Reid was baffled. He had never met someone worse then him when it came to being reckless and avoiding a conversation. Reid was finding Faye impossible . . . which just happened to be one of the things that attracted him to her. "Look at me."
Refusing to look at him, Faye attempted to push herself away but Reid's grip on her arms tightened. Keeping his grip on one of her arms, Reid gently clutched her chin with his free hand. He forced her to look at him. Reid's face was serious as he frowned at Faye. "You died, Faye. If we hadn't been there, you'd still be dead."
Confusion was clear on Faye's face, traces of fear in her eyes. "I . . . I know. Chase told me what he'd do if I crossed him . . . how did you save me?"
Reid went to answer her but a crash from behind them stopped him.
Both of them looked at the doorway. Caleb, Tyler and Pogue stood just inside it, frantically looking around the room. Their eyes were black as night and their bodies stiff. They were searching the room but when they found nothing, they seemed to relax.
While Caleb and Pogue's eyes returned to normal, Tyler's remained dark. The three turned their attention to Reid and Faye. What they saw made them falter.
Reid held Faye close to him, one hand around her arm and the other holding her chin as if he was about to kiss her but was interrupted. Faye's hands lay flat on Reid's chest. From the observers point of view, it actually did look like they had interrupted an intimate moment between Faye and Reid. The 'deer in the headlights' look only added to this portrayal.
"What's going on," Tyler's voice held no emotion to it, as if it was dead. His eyes remained black until Pogue elbowed him from behind.
Faye and Reid frowned at them. They both had that 'huh?' look on their faces. Faye and Reid exchanged glances and then looked at their hands. They both paused, still staring at their hands until they regained eye contact.
"Oh God!" They both pushed away from each other. Faye and Reid stood a few awkward steps away from one another. Faye clutched her arms around herself while Reid shoved his hands into his jean pockets.
Neither would make eye contact with anyone. Suddenly, Reid glanced at Caleb, Pogue, and Tyler with a frown. "What are you guys doing here?"
Caleb watched Reid from under his eyebrows. "We heard something shatter."
"We thought Chase was back." Tyler was calm with a threatening feel about him.
Faye still refused to make eye contact with any of them. She rocked back and forth on her feet. Reid just blinked a few times but then he realised what they were talking about. He pointed to the puddle full of shattered glass that was a few steps away. "Dropped the water . . . with the glass."
Silence filled the room. The tension was thick enough that you could almost see it. Pogue kept staring at Faye, making her feel uncomfortable. Finally, she could not take it anymore, "What?"
Pogue did not even have the decency to be embarrassed. He continued to watch her intently. "Can you Use?"
Not expecting the question, Faye stood dumbstruck. She was not ready to tell them everything yet and the others probably were not ready to hear it. Faye went with the best possible answer. It was like choosing the better evil. "Yes . . . but I'm not as powerful as any of you."
"Who's older?"
Faye's attention went to Caleb. Him being the reasonable one, Faye knew Caleb would be the one to ask the necessary questions to figuring out how she had the Power. "Um, not sure."
"How can you not be sure?" Reid was at a loss. Tyler remained silent, listening and taking in everything.
Faye just shrugged. "It was a c-section. I guess you could say we were born at the same time."
"Boys!"
Everyone turned toward the door. Evelyn Danvers stood in the doorway, a pile of neatly folded clothes in her arms. Her face was stern but you could see the amusement behind it. She attempted to scold them, "I can't believe you boys. Didn't we raise you better? Barging in on a girl when she's not decent."
"Not . . . decent . . ." Faye frowned at Mrs. Danvers and slowly glanced down at her clothes. Where she would have expected to see her school uniform was actually a giant t-shirt. It was charcoal and hit her at around mid-thigh. Faye caught the delicious scent of baked goods when they're cooking in the oven. The smell was all Tyler and Faye frowned as she realized she should have noticed his scent before.
Faye paused, as if she was frozen in time. Everyone in the room watched her, waiting for any reaction. They jumped as she yelled out. "Holy shit! Where'd my clothes go?"
Reid looked at Faye in awe, "You just noticed?"
Not exactly the best thing Reid could have said but then again, Reid was not known for thinking before speaking. Faye got in his face and poked his chest with her index finger. "I was too busy worrying about YOUR stupid ass! I got Tyler safe by sending him for the others but you! Oh no, you have to be the Knight in Shining Armour and practically get yourself killed!"
"More like Knight in Tarnished armour," Tyler muttered. Pogue was the only one who heard him and he gave Tyler a calculating look.
Faye jabbed Reid one last time in the chest and turned toward the others. "Where are my clothes!"
"Dear, don't be so testy. Your clothing was torn and bloody so we had to change them. I couldn't possibly allow you to wear that filth. Tyler always wears layers, even under his uniform so he was kind enough to offer one of his shirts. We didn't exactly have anything that would fit you." Faye could not believe how matter-of-fact Mrs. Danvers was as she explained things.
"So you're telling me that you jacked one of Tyler's shirts . . ." Faye blinked at Mrs. Danvers. The shirt being Tyler's definitely explained why it smelled like him. Faye was actually enjoying the smell. She always was a fan of baked goods . . . they always smelled so yummy when they were baking.
Mrs. Danvers raised a single eyebrow, "I suppose you could put it in those terms."
A large grin broke out on Faye's face as she turned to face Tyler. He avoided eye contact as he blushed. Now that she was fully aware of how she was dressed, Faye was a little more cautious as she made her way over to Tyler. He watched her make her way to stand in front of him and raised both his eyebrows. She embraced him in a gentle yet firm hug. Returning it, Tyler's body seemed to finally relax. For the first time since he had ran from his room to get the others, he felt at peace.
"Thank you." Faye leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, holding the back of the shirt down so she would not flash anyone.
Both Mrs. Danvers and Pogue watched everyone in the room as if they were drawing a picture in their minds. They were the only one's to see the flash of fire in Reid's eyes and his jaw clench.
"Hold up . . ." Faye frowned. Crossing her arms over her chest, Faye looked at the others. "Who changed my clothes?"
"Sara and I, of course. I was not about to let these boys ruin your virtue." Mrs. Danvers stood straight and tall.
"Right, virtue," mumbled Pogue. Tyler elbowed him, returning the favour.
Faye glared at Pogue. If looks could kill, Pogue would be dead a thousand times over. Hell, with this bunch looks probably could kill. She turned her gaze to Caleb and smiled sheepishly, "I forgot Sara knew."
Before anything else could be said, Caleb's mother ushered the boys out. "Let the girl get changed in privacy." She shut the door after the last boy left the room and turned to face Faye.
It felt to Faye as if this women was analysing her every move, even though she had not made any. She felt like squirming but had a feeling that you do not do that around Mrs. Danvers. She would probably see it as sign of weakness. Before Faye could speak or do anything, Mrs. Danvers walked up to her and handed Faye the pile of clothes she held in her arms. Faye clutched them to her chest.
"My clothes would not fit you and I do not believe you would appreciate my taste anyway. These are Sara's. She thought you could use something to wear other then Tyler's shirts."
Faye walked over to the bed and placed the new clothing on it. She turned around to find Caleb's mom almost directly in front of her. "Woah."
"I have known those boys their entire lives and have never seen Tyler and Reid so worried. They seem oddly fond of you. I'm sure you're aware of how . . . unusual that is, considering you've only known them for a short while. You're a peculiar one, Faye Goodwin Pope. I don't trust you yet. The evil is in your blood, but so far, you have been loyal. Loyal to my family and the others, even after what we all did to your family. I think I can learn to trust you." Mrs. Danvers turned around and walked toward the door.
Staring in a dumbstruck manner, Faye was at a loss for words. She watched the strong women open the door and pause. Mrs. Danvers looked back at Faye, "There's something special about you. Your Power is different from the others and it draws them to you. Be careful."
With that, she was gone. Faye shook her head, turning around to look through the clothes she was given. "Don't think I'm going to survive this."
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"So if Caleb went to get Sara, where did Pogue disappear to?" Reid lounged in the large chair Mrs. Danvers tended to spend her nights drinking in. He looked over at Tyler.
No answer came from Tyler. He stood with his back to the room, leaning on the mantle and staring at the stuffed leopard.
Reid turned back and gazed into the fire. He was use to Tyler's silence. However, this time the silence held a completely new meaning. Reid continued talking, not caring if Tyler responded or not, "And why didn't I get the kiss. I was the one who saved her life after all. Hell, I deserved that kiss after being worried about her."
"You weren't the only one worried."
Turning toward Tyler, Reid did not hear the threat in Tyler's voice. Tyler had never talked like that his entire life and besides, Reid could be oblivious at times. "I didn't see you acting very worried. You seemed pretty calm to me."
Tyler continued to look at the leopard, his voice remaining calm and threatening, "I know when to keep my emotions in check. Letting my anger or worry control me would have done nothing but make the situation worse. It only weakens you, ruins your concentration."
Not responding, Reid continued to stare at Tyler's back. He knew Tyler was right. Someone had to be thinking clearly around Chase. It would not be Pogue. Pogue's fear and anger radiated off of him and was clear to everyone. Caleb would try to stay calm but his own anger would quietly consume him, making him miss something. That left himself and Tyler. Reid understood that people saw him as impulsive and reckless. It only made sense that Tyler would come to the conclusion that he had to be the sane one.
"Why were you so worried, anyway? You don't really like Faye." Tyler still had his back to the room.
Reid's expression became sombre. He looked as if he was mesmerised by the flames in the fireplace. "She's different. I feel drawn to her. An attraction I can't really explain. Kind of like a moth to a flame." The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smirk. "I know it's sudden but I like her. It's not just lust this time . . . Besides, I can't stand to see a girl hurt. You know I don't like feeling helpless, Tyler, and I felt completely helpless."
Emotion finally found its way onto Tyler's face. He sneered but faced Reid with a faint warmth to his eyes. "How do you think I felt? You were able to save her while I couldn't do anything. I understand how you feel, better then you think."
The shock was clear on Reid's face. He had been oblivious to Tyler's feelings. Looking back over the events of the past few days, Reid could clearly see evidence of Tyler's attraction to Faye.
Not wanting to ruin their friendship because they liked the same girl, Reid had a brilliant idea. At least, what he considered a brilliant idea. "Let's see who gets her, shall we? Starting with what panties she wears. Mrs. Danvers gave her a skirt."
Tyler visibly calmed. He treasured their friendship. Out of all the guys, he was closest to Reid. Deciding to make this a competition instead of a ruined friendship was a good idea to him.
Pulling a ten dollar bill from his pocket, Tyler held it up. His grin was almost identical to the cat from Alice in Wonderland. "Pink lace."
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A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in ages but as I said before, I have a really heavy workload. Who knew second year university is the actual year they try to weed people out. I've had a test every other week in Criminology, many assignments in Math and Stats, and a huge essay in another course. Not to mention a butt load of reading. My eyes are officially doomed. I'll most likely be blind by the time I finish school. Plus you add work to the mix and you get a very tired, very cranky me. For Christmas I asked Santa to bomb the school but obviously I wasn't a good girl this year. Meh, who wants to be good when bad is so much better.
Anyway, unfortunately, I still won't be updating much in the last three months of school. I love writing but getting decent grades is my priority right now. Also, I hope I didn't lose all my readers . . . actually I hope I didn't lose ANY of my readers . . . but I gained some new ones recently! Yeah to me! Ok, enough rambling. On to the reviews.
A big thanks goes out to Mrs. St. John Allerdyce, La Rose Noir, RIP MuM I love you so much, HopelessRomantic44, mangoskin93, and blackcat1199.
HyperSquishy: Yeah . . . kinda had to stop if I was planning on updating soon. I am absolutely thrilled that you find it addictive. Very nice compliment.
Philyra: Good to know you found it amusing. The punching thing is a true story too. Nothing like using the fun parts of real life in a story. I am so glad you like the cryptic line. I've seen too many movies lately that love being cryptic.
xBrokenDreamerx: Oh yes. The Book of Damnation is definitely incomplete. They even said so in the movie, that 'noone knew how the power came to be not even the book of damnation recorded it.'(loose quote . . . don't remember it exactly). Besides, what fun would it be if all the answers were in a book.
Miss.Allerdyce: Maybe Reid knows about the mysterious light . . . or thinks he may know something about it . . .
Draco's Secret Lover: Is that a fanfic? Because it sounds funny and I'll have to look it up for a read. Yeah, I know all about ADHD and ADD. He's more ADD . . . ADD isn't strong on the hyperactivity or compulsiveness. Trust me, I'm ADD even though it is now both classified under ADHD. I re-watched the movie again and noticed this aspect about him. He seemed still and not hyperactive, especially the scene at the pool where he asks Caleb if he cares to elaborate. Oh, and I am the master at avoiding . . . good to know I can use it for a story.
Ash: We'll see. I seem to be going back and forth. A few chapters with Tyler, a few with Reid. . . there will be an explanation soon . . . but it's only half-true . . . I think.
twotoe: Thank you! Thought the same thing about Tyler . . . obviously by how I wrote him so never mind. After hanging with Reid for so long, being the 'peacekeeper' and being picked on the most (since he's youngest and underestimated), he had to have some bite. It's nice to see new readers review. Even if it is only a one time thing (hint hint to other readers). LOL.
Daydream1: Yeah!!!!!! I haven't lost MOST of my regular reviewers! No such thing as too wicked. And yes, we DO have the power. Women have an amazing power over men . . . most of the time it is called boobs. ANYWAYS, glad the slower pace isn't so disappointing. I'll try to keep going. It was become hard since I couldn't see the movie anymore but now I own it . . . and there is a new yummy on Smallville who I am obsessing over. This eye-candy will make you LOVE the colour green. But I am still trying my best.
rorykins: YIPPEE! Glad to see more reviewers who like my story! Was it Really almost three months? Wow... Well, that was school time. But I am blushing sheepishly if that makes a difference. C2 Group? Cool. I don't mind at all and I'm glad you told me. I just found out someone else did too. I think it is neat!
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"Bits That Just Didn't Make It" (kinda like deleted scene... kinda)
Chapter 9
"She's not breathing." (Reid)
"Does she have a pulse?" (Tyler)
"Barely, what should I do?" (Reid)
"It's called 'Mouth to Mouth' dumbass." (Pogue)