Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharon stared at the ceiling above the bed. She was in one foul mood, and with good reason. She counted off on her fingers, every bad thing that had happened to her this day, her expression growing more furious by the second.
"Wally ditches me," she spoke out loud to the stillness, "even worse, he leaves me to go off with Jade," she sneered ferociously, "I get ridiculed as soon as I get here, and my twin goes off with the other girls leaving me here, all…by..my…self." She sniffed, filled with pity for her sorry state. "What am I going to dooo?" Sharon wailed, but her self-wallowing was cut short by a sharp knocking at her door.
Now who could that be? Sharon scowled as she walked toward the door; she couldn't even be allowed the privilege of privacy?
"It's Mara." Her cold, harsh tone made Sharon almost afraid. She paused warily behind her door. "I presume Jade is not a friend of yours?" A pause. "She certainly isn't mine." Sharon's eyes narrowed, "What are you trying to say, Mara…"
"I have come for a little business arrangement involving a certain pink-haired girl." Sharon's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Are you interested? Because now is the only time I will make this offer. I have ways that will leave her as a rival no longer." Certainly, I'm afraid of her, and yet… After pondering for a few seconds, she made her decision. Mara was welcomed in gladly. After all, Sharon told herself, Jade shouldn't have gotten in my way.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jade went running blindly through the amusement park. Running just to get away from her so-called friend. How dare Rachel suggest that she liked the bachelor? Friend? Hah! She reached the exit of the park, and stood uncertainly. She didn't have a way to get home, or to the manor. Either way she was stuck here in this cheerful, joyful, happy-go-lucky place! Jade let out a frustrated yell, startling passers-by, and continued on her rampage, now on a mission to find some sugary goodness. Cotton candy. She needed some delicious satisfying fluff to calm her nerves. But before she could pay the vendor…she was grabbed by the arm, and dragged off. No…No…NOO!
"NOOOOOOOO!" Whirling around on her "enemy" Jade looked like a villainness once again. Her anger radiating off her in waves, her eyes sparking fury, and her hands clenched, she was one scary person indeed. "Buy me some cotton candy West." Hearing no consent on his part, "You owe me…" followed in a singsong voice, the evil glint in her eyes telling him she wasn't joking One. Little. Bit. However, he wasn't bothered at all.
"Too much sugar is bad for you…" He bent his head, and whispered in her ear, "Jinxie." Jade punched him. He winced. Jade kicked him. He let out a yell. The third time she lunged, ready to throttle him, but by this time, he learned he better move it, and dodged. Losing her balance, she flipped in the air, and landed in the dirt, her pride and back both injured. Slowly counting to five, her anger ebbed away slightly, and she looked calmly up at the sky, although refusing to meet eyes with the boy. "Are you just going to lie there?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"…"
"Hmm?" He waggled his eyebrows.
Jade leapt up and took off running, pushing the red-haired speedster aside, and sprinted as fast as she could. Perhaps, perhaps if she ran fast enough she could get away. Jade rolled her eyes. Who was she kidding? She couldn't outrun the fastest guy alive. She squinted at the dark figures in the distance…Rachel and Gar.
"Hey Jade." Wally grinned. As expected, he was easily keeping pace with her labored running. Jade gritted her teeth and kept on sprinting, she figured if she reached Rachel, Wally wouldn't dare to bother her. At least, that's what she hoped.
Upon reaching them, Rachel just smirked at Jade's bedraggled state. Realizing that her friend would be no help at all, she grabbed Gar's ear, and pulled him towards her.
"Oww.." She ignored him.
"Get your buddy away from me." As she was saying these very words, she could feel his presence behind her. She rounded on him. "Stop it!"
"Stop what?" Wally looked at the furious Jinx; he was grinning of course. Making her angry had become his new favorite way of entertaining himself. And…what better way to make her angry than to annoy her, just a little. He smirked, his eyes were dancing with laughter when she jabbed him harshly.
"Now Jade, why would you hurt me, you're supposed to get on my good side remember?"
"You have a good side?" He heard a very unlady-like snort. Apparently the witch believed her comment was hilarious, as did Gar. His laughter rang out loudly enough, so that Wally asked Rachel rather sharply if they could leave.
She solemnly nodded, and led them to an empty lot where the four of them were transported back to the bachelor home.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the large room, everyone was impatiently waiting for Wally and Jade to return. In the midst of polite conversations, Ahn noted that Sharon and Mara were sitting together, unlike before. Why was that?
When the doorbell rang to announce the bachelor's arrival, there was a stampede.
"WALLY'S HERE!" A chorus of voices screamed with excitement. Finally! Ahn shrugged off her observation of Sharon and Mara as a result of Shirley ditching her sister, and also hurried off to greet the bachelor. She was here to try and marry the guy after all.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the door swung open, Wally was greeted with the many eager faces of the contestants.
"WALLY!" He was swamped with women who wanted him for her own. Finally, he was surrounded with attention from women, and this was not the negative kind. As he sank comfortably into a couch, he glimpsed pink hair exiting the room. Why did she have to insult him all the time anyway? Wasn't he every girl's dream? He smirked; of course he was.
"Wally that's so cute! Let's take pictures!"
"Wally…" He turned to look at Katherine. "Can you give us a hint where we're going tomorrow? Please?" She pouted.
He was dying to tell her, the problem was: he didn't know. He leaned close, making her turn red, "It's a secret." He winked at her, and then made as if to leave the room, "It's late now ladies, I'll see you tomorrow…"
"Please just a little longer…" He gave in easily; he figured it would be rude to refuse.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jade was about to sink into a deep sleep, when she heard a knock at her door.
"Ug." She hesitated, but gave into the temptation as she let a bolt of pink fly toward the doorknob. Click.
"The door's not locked. Come in if you want."
"Did you…just use your hex magic to unlock the door Jade?" Ahn looked at Jade with reproving eyes.
"I'm tired." Jade snapped at her. Ahn laughed.
"You're as nice as always. How'd it go?"
"He gives me a headache, and don't laugh. I bet you'll get one tomorrow."
"Can you help me pick an outfit?" Jade sat up with wide eyes.
"You actually want to impress him?"
"You're the weird one, not wanting to." Ahn looked at Jade carefully; maybe she was forced to be on this show somehow. Well, she certainly didn't want to be here, although it may just be a façade.
Jade roughly sized up Ahn. "A long braid. A cute hat. Something green. There." She pushed Ahn out with a wave of her hand, and collapsed on her bed. She was so tired.
Running around an amusement park all day will do that to a girl.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anh's date with Wally ended up being the baseball game. Wally was sitting between Katherine and Annabelle, and she ended up next to Annabelle. Neither of the three was paying any attention, and she wasn't the type to force her way into conversation with others. Bored, she tried to make the best of the baseball game, but it too was boring. She liked sports that had more action, boxing, wrestling, but especially martial arts. Compared to those, baseball seemed bland.
Sighing, Ahn walked away from the grandstand. "I'm going to get some fries…" she slipped away easily, and walked quickly up to a booth shining with a sign: FOOD, FRIES AND MORE.
She ordered fries. Jumbo size. The game wasn't going to be over anytime soon, and she knew she'd be bored every minute of it.
"That would be $10.50." Ahn slapped a $10 bill on the counter, and then began to rummage through her purse for extra change. At the impatient fidgeting of the people behind her in line, Ahn began getting frustrated. She just needed $0.50!
A tall man behind her procured two quarters from his wallet, and pushed it forward on the counter. She couldn't read his expression because sunglasses covered his eyes, while a winter hat, covered his hair. "Who are you?" The man shrugged and walked away, and as he did, Ahn pulled him back and demanded his name. "I don't want to feel obligated to anyone. I should at least thank you properly." She explained when she noticed that he looked uncomfortable.
"No, it's not that…aren't you on The Bachelor?" Puzzled Ahn nodded.
"How do you know?" When he shrugged in response, Ahn answered her own question. Those cameras. "Are they…" she hesitated, "Showing the footage to the public already?" He grinned at her, some of his flirtatious nature beginning to show again.
"Yes, and I must say, you're much prettier now." Ahn's eyes narrowed, she felt it more as an insult than the compliment it was. He continued, "I've met you before." Her annoyance disintegrated into curiosity. She was about to ask where, when he seemed to read her mind. "That's for me to know, and you to find out," he teased, "But don't worry you'll see me again."
"How reassuring." Although Ahn's remark was sarcastic, in truth she was a bit concerned with the fact that he knew her, and she didn't. And glancing at him, she thought he seemed to be pleased by all the confusion he was causing. He suddenly looked down at an invisible watch.
"Xin chào ba Ahn Ngyuen. See ya."
"How do you know I'm Vietnamese?" And more than that… "How do you know my name?" Shocked at this strange turn of events, she stood in place as he walked away. Then a thought struck her, suddenly and painfully. Is he my stalker?
The man strode quickly into a large crowd of people, out of her sight. He grinned in memory at her bewilderment. He hadn't known for certain if she was Ahn Nguyen, but she had just confirmed it. Interesting. Very interesting. He should let Wally know.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xin chào ba means good-bye in Vietnamese.
Hopefully, you didn't mind that this chapter concentrated on a bunch of different characters, rather than the main two. And as always - thank you for those awesome reviews.
