Welcome back, to chapter 26 of What Have You Done?! Yes, I know that it's been four months. Apologies, but college and life got in the way. Hope you enjoy, and you probably haven't read this.
Disclaimer: I do not own VicTORious, or the characters. I simply own the idea.
Visit to the Geek-Jade's POV-Van Cleef Residence
I rapped my knuckles on the front door, silently praying that Sinjin's sister would answer instead of one of the parents. She wasn't as strange as the rest of the group, but she certainly wasn't normal. Luck was on my side today seeing as the door swung open to reveal a ginger, curly haired girl with glasses. Blue eyes blinked rapidly, showing their owner's confusion.
"Jade? What are you doing here?" She asked, voice conveying her surprise. I opened my mouth only to be stopped by a raised hand. Quirking an eyebrow I waited for her to continue. "How do you know where we live?"
"It's not that hard to look up "Van Cleef" in the phone book and do a trace on your phone. Plus, google works wonders for me." I gave her a sly grin, hoping to ease the tension in her bunched shoulders. In my attempts to appear as non-threatening as possible, she relaxed and leaned against the door jamb. "Um, I'm here to talk to Sinjin. Is he here?"
"Yeah, he is, but he's not talking to anyone right now." My smile quickly turned to a frown and I saw Courtney flinch. I know that I was trying to turn over a new leaf, but it was definitely hard to ease people's habitual fear of me.
"What? Why not?" I took a deep breath and stilled my rapidly changing heartbeat. I couldn't let this new information trip me up already. Courtney's nerves were showing when she started twirling her already curly hair around a slim digit and chewed on her bottom lip.
"Well, he got hurt really badly back in April. It's not that he isn't speaking to anyone, it's that he can't. They had to wire his jaw shut." I could see the fear cloud over her eyes and I scratched the back of my neck. "He was in the hospital all of May and got back last month. We're not sure if he'll be able to attend Hollywood Arts for his senior year."
"I'm really sorry, Courtney, but I have to talk to him. It's about something important that happened a while ago. I won't push him too hard, but I need to know why he did it. Is there any other way he can communicate?" With that, Courtney grinned and nodded her head excitedly. She ushered me inside and closed the door quietly. She started to lead me through their house and I noticed it getting darker.
"My brother is so smart. He managed to put together a speaking program much like that Stephen Hawkins guy." I snorted at her mistake and she turned around to give me a quizzical look.
"It's Stephen Hawking…But I digress.." I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to put too much effort behind my correction. She continued to our destination, stopping in front of a door decorated with the greatest minds known to science. I wasn't too surprised, seeing a picture of Sinjin in the middle with a stained lab coat and two Erlenmeyer flasks in his hands. He truly was in his element in that photo, and I couldn't imagine him anywhere else. Courtney knocked on the door hesitantly, placing her ear against the wood.
"I heard some form of movement, so I think he's awake. You can go on in, just don't freak him out or stay too long. He tires easily." She twisted the door knob and waved me inside and shut the door behind me. I blinked, trying to get my eyes to adjust to the darkness that enveloped the room. After a minute or two, I could make out a lump on what I assumed was his bed. The room was trashed, and it looked like a small lab had exploded in a strange experiment. Stacks of paper were scattered about the premises and his bed was covered in them. I saw him flip open his laptop, mainly because his face became illuminated because of his actions.
"Hey, Sinjin, it's me, Jade. I just came here to talk to you about something, and I think you know what it is I'm talking about." I heard him typing away at his keyboard. Taka taka taka tak. Well, at least he's willing to talk.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Jade. Please leave." An automated voice emanated from his spot and I sighed. I took a step closer to him with my hands raised palm out to show that I wasn't trying to be threatening this time.
"Sinjin, don't be coy with me. I know that you put something in my coffee so long ago. And I know that you are probably responsible for my changing back. Now, I want to know why you did this to me, and who did this to you. Honestly, Sinjin, you think I'm here to hurt you even worse than what has already happened? I may not have liked you that much, but I wouldn't do this to you." I came to the foot of his bed, seeing his injured prone form. He had casts on his legs, a neck brace, and wires holding his mouth shut. I winced, feeling sympathetic towards the ostracized geek. Taka, taka, taka, tak.
"I wouldn't blame you for wanting to hurt me. What I did was wrong. Look at what it cost me." I heard him let out a pained sigh. He continued typing, that being the only noise in the room. "I'm sorry, Jade. I never meant for that to happen. I was trying to make you fall in love with me."
"Oh really? You do know that love can never be forced without consequences right? That's kind of a big deal in fairy tales." I shook my head, knowing that he was purely a man of science. I heard him give something akin to a scoff and smirked at the mop-haired teen. His fingers typed away across his keyboard, filling the room with its staccato rhythm.
"I am not one for fairy tale endings, West. However, I believe that I have learned my lesson. Your boyfriend made sure of that." My eyebrows raised at that information. He tapped out more words and answered my silent question. "Yes, Jade, your loving boyfriend broke my bones and my jaw. Now how am I supposed to graduate from Hollywood Arts and continue my education if I cannot function normally?"
"Trust me when I tell you that he is not my significant other, Sinjin. He's fallen off the deep end, ever more so now that he's done this to you. Sinjin, you have to tell me what you put in that serum. I need to know if it will cause any health related problems… " I left it at that, hoping he didn't ask any more questions and let it be. His resounding typing started again, and I anxiously awaited the program's computerized voice.
"I'm ashamed to say that I know of your nighttime activities that night, Jade. The serum I slipped into your drink must have given you an increased libido which resulted in…that. I am not proud of what I have done. I am simply bewildered that it was not you who decided to skin me alive. Why do you not wish to harm me?" His blue eyes shimmered with tears from his stilled position. I sighed and picked at the flannel material of my shirt.
"Believe it or not, Sinjin, I'm grateful for what happened to me. It made me realize what I was missing out on, and what I was stuck with. I didn't come after you because it made me be a better person. I'm still suffering from what I used to be, and I'm trying to change that past. Thank you, for giving me this experience, while unexpected, I do appreciate it. It's given me a different outlook on life, and I've realized who my real significant other is." I gave him my best earnest look, not used to sounding grateful to someone who has stalked me ever since we started out freshmen year. His fingers glided over his keyboard again, easily typing out another message.
"You are welcome, Jade. I truly am sorry that this happened. I only wish I could have fixed it without being threatened and punished." I walked up to his spot on the bed and pressed a chaste kiss to his temple. A blush crept its way up his cheeks and he looked away. His fingers trembled and nervously tapped out something. "What was that for?"
"For being your natural curious and creepy self, Sinjin. Don't worry. I won't hold this against you." He sighed, and I messed up his hair. "And, Beck won't get away with this. I'll make him regret what he did, Sinjin."
"Thank you, Jade." The laptop spoke what his own mouth couldn't say. He blinked a few times and I waved my goodbye before leaving his room. I bumped into Courtney as soon as I stepped out, causing her to squeak.
"So, is he okay?" She asked nervously. I patted her on the shoulder reassuringly, keeping my expression kind.
"He'll be fine, but I want you to do something for me." She nodded, anxious to hear what I had to say. "I know who did this to your brother, and I'm going to get him back for this. I want you to get a restraining order against Beck Oliver to make sure he never steps foot inside this house. Right now, he is enemy number one for your brother, and he might come back to finish the job. I'm going to do what I can to keep him safe, but I can only do so much. Promise me that you'll do this?"
"Y-yes, of course. Anything to help Sinjin." I gave her a sharp nod and she left to go do whatever she thought she needed to do. I made my way out of their house, glad to have gotten some answers. Now, the real work was going to begin.
Yeah, yeah, probably not enough to satisfy you guys, but hey. It's something, is it not? I'm starting back up after a hiatus, and I hope to get another chapter up soon. It's going to be a busy summer. Hope everyone has fun. Blue Wolf Leader~ Out.