Let The Chaos Ensue...

Chapter 20: Nightmares In The Basement

August 7th, 2:09 AM, Arcadia CA

Indi and Jim were in his room, Jim hanging by his tail and Indi sleeping on the bed when his phone started buzzing.

It was Ophelia and an obscene hour of the night so Jim realized it had to be important.

"Yes?" He asked, still upside down.

"It's Claire," she said, panicked. "She's having another nightmare."

He dropped to the floor. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

He shook Indi's shoulder and made sure she was awake before he left. "Calire's having a nightmare, I need to go make sure she's okay."

"Alright, I'll just stay here." She said then fell back to sleep. Jim nodded then jumped out his window.

He made it to her house not two minutes after he'd hung up. He knocked on the door, and it opened before his hand fell to his side. He met Javiers' face.

"Where's Claire?"

"She's' upstairs, go ahead."

He dashed up the stairs and down the hall to Claire's room. Ophelia had Claire held tight, the girl was screaming with tears running down her face.

Her mom let her go and made room for Jim. He was at her side in a second. He held her tight to his chest and wrapped his tail around her and her arms.

"Shhh. It's alright… Claire, it's me, Jim."

Claire was still struggling in his arms, he glanced between Ophelia and Claire, then proceeded to lick the side of Claire's face. The startling action pulled her out of her dream, she stared at Jim with wide terrified eyes, she touched her face where he had licked her.

For a moment Jim thought she was going to get mad, but before he could brace for any kind of retaliation, she latched onto him, hugging him and burying her face in his T-shirt. In response, he pulled her closer and nuzzled the top of her head. "It's alright, Claire. I'm here, Morganna can't get to you. And I won't hurt you, ever."

She nodded, and a look of relief came over Ophelia. She mouthed her thanks and left the room.

After about an hour, and Claire seemed asleep, Jim moved to leave, but his hand was grabbed as he made his way to the window.

Claire's large brown, pleading eyes, looked up at him. "Please stay," she said.

Jim laughed quietly. "I've got to get back, my mom might freak if she wakes up and I'm not there," he said. "Plus Indi won't remember that I told her I was coming here."

Claire's look saddened, and Jim rolled his eyes, walking back to the bed.

"One hour, that's it."

…

(My seven year old brother helped me with this part, so bear with me.)

Jim left back to his house after Claire fell to sleep. When he climbed back in the window, he found Indi waiting for him.

"Hi," she said with tired eyes. "I want food."

Jim was slightly taken aback. "You want food?"

She nodded. "French toast."

Jim quirked a brow. "French toast? That's oddly specific."

She pressed her lips and nodded again. "Yeah, I also want to talk."

Jim frowned. "Oh, okay."

After Jim made her food, they sat down at the table and she took a bite of her toast.

"It is delicious," she smiled.

Jim nodded. "Thanks," he said. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Claire." She stated.

Jim's ears fell, and his eyes changed to their dark blue shade. "Oh."

"Look," Indi said. "I just don't understand why she has to be so sour to me."

"I… I don't know. I want you guys to be friends, like you are with Toby and Steve, and the others. I want her to get along with you, and I don't know why she's acting like this."

"If you don't know you're more of a dumb boy then I thought," She smiled as she shoved more of her food in her face.

Jim gave a small laugh. "Well I did go into hell all by myself."

"That you did, and you learned from your mistakes."

"Okay," he said. "I do understand she wants to be my girlfriend again, and you're stopping her from accomplishing that. But she's normally a lot better at being civil then this."

"Remember what I told you at the zoo?"

"You hate drama?"

"I hate drama, and this is nothing but drama. Schools starting in eight days, Jim. And I want things to be good too, but I can't be friends with someone who doesn't want to be friends."

"I'll talk to her," Jim said. "So this isn't about the fact that I went to her house to help her with her nightmare?"

Indi shook her head, finishing her toast. "You were friends and girlfrined with her before me, I don't expect you to just drop your relationships because I'm in the picture. Hopefully we'll be able to work everything out."

"I hope so too." Jim said.

…

August 7th, 12:36 PM, Arcadia CA

Jim finished the food he'd been preparing and smiled at his girlfriend. "Ready?"

She smiled and nodded as the front door chimed.

Jim and Indi stood in the doorway and smiled at their group of friends.

Toby entered first and the rest followed. "So, what was the rush with the emergency lunch?"

"We've got a problem, and her name is Claire," Indi said.

"Claire's the problem? Or is Claire's attitude the problem?" Mary said.

"We tried talking to her," Darci said. "But she's got it out for you," she said, looking at Indi.

"I'm well aware," she said. "Hopefully, this will put an end to the drama."

"Eh, I don't like the look on your face," Mary said.

Jim ran his hand up his horn and smiled and gave a nervous laugh. "It's a bit extreme, but I think it will work."

"If Jim thinks it's extreme then it must be really wack," Darci said.

Jim tilted his head. "What? Why do you say that?"

"You skipped town dude," Toby said.

"No! Because, Jim's a troll." She rolled her eyes, "Jim skipping town was not all that extreme given the circumstances."

"So what's the plan?" Mary said, texting away on her phone.

…

"I don't see why we're needed for this," Darci said.

"Technically you're not, but Jim and I thought it only fair to let you in on this." Indi said.

"That and if she tried to contact you and you came to her 'rescue' it would ruin it."

Another knock at the door came.

"Alright," Jim said, "Show time. Everyone hide."

Toby, Darci, and Mary ran out the back door, Indi made her way to the basement and Jim went to the door.

Past the frame stood Claire, beaming. "Hi Jim," she smiled. "I was really happy to get your text. So what is it you wanted to talk about?"

Jim led her toward the kitchen, then stopped next to the basement door.

Holding in a breath, he spoke. "It's about Indi."

Claire's demeanor changed quickly. "Ugh, Indiana this, and Indiana that! Why is it always about her? Why can't this be about you? Or me? Or us?"

Jim's eye twitched, and he gave a small snarl. "There is no us, Claire." he pinched the bridge of his nose. Since all this started, from the first night when everything started going wrong, he let out a breath. "You're going to work this out, and you're not leaving till you do."

He opened the basement door and led Claire part way down the stairs.

"Figure this out," he said. Then walked back up the stairs, shut the door and locked it.

Panicking, she ran up and tried the knob, then began banging on the door. "Jim! Let me out! This isn't funny, what are you doing?"

The light at the bottom of the stairs turned on, showing Indi leaning against an exposed 2X4. She stared up at her with an unwavering gray gaze. The look caused Claire to stop and sigh.

"What are you doing here?" she bit.

"I don't want to fight," Indi said. "School's starting back up in a week, and I don't want you to… to have this… grudge against me."

"What? It's not like you stole my boyfriend or anything," she huffed and crossed her arms.

Indi pressed her lips. "He was single for a solid two months before we were official. So you're right, I didn't steal him."

Glaring down the stairs before making her way down the flight. She wandered around the basement before finding the tunnel gone, just as she'd suspected. After a long moment she sighed and turned with an iron stare.

"So Indiana, what do you want?"

Indi dropped her shoulders and restrained herself from glaring. "First, not to be called Indiana."

"Why? It's your name isn't it?"

"Personal reasons…"

Claire scoffed.

Gaining a sneer, she continued. "Why do you have so many nightmares."

Claire turned with new anger. "That's none of your damn business!" She yelled.

"So you understand where I'm coming from."

"Fine, truce on that. What else do you want."

"I want you to not hate me! It's like I've wronged you somehow. Like my very existence is a bain to your life."

"You are! You come here and take the love of my life, take my friends, take my place!"

"I didn't come here to replace you. I came here to escape my life. Not to take yours." she let out a shaky breath. "I came here for a new life, to make my own, not take someone else's. I didn't take your friends, they just gained one."

"Oh yeah, and what was so bad about your life before?"

Indi was more than dumbfounded that she wasn't aware, she hadn't kept it a secret. She'd actually explained it in full to Darci and Mary and the others.

Shocked, she explained. "I ran away with Jim after he sent my father to prison. He was an abusive monster, and my mother disowned me when I was seven. So since I was about four years old, my dad would beat me."

Claire looked down, unsure what to say. "I… I'm sorry."

"I'm not as eager to take your life as you think. I just want to be away from my old life."

"It's still not fair." Claire bit.

"I don't get what's not fair." she said, not all that happy that she hadn't gotten through to her.

"Jim was my boyfriend."

"Yup, now he's mine." She said. "Wanna take a wild guess at why?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I care about him."

"I could still care about him. I do still care about him. Even though he looks like that." she threw her arm towards the stairs.

"That's the problem, you think about his looks like they're some hindrance."

"Are they not? He's a troll. Not human."

"No! They make him special, they make him… HIM!" Her face was red and her eyes were tearing up. "It's your fault you made him run away. If anyone is to blame for him breaking up with you and finding me, it's you!"

"Don't you think I know that? I hate myself for it. Because now I have to deal with you!"

"UGH!" she screeched then marched up the stairs. "Jim it's Indigo, let me out."

There was the sound of the lock and the stomping of her feet out the back door.

Slow and careful steps made their way down to the basement. And the unsure look of the half troll scanned his friend.

Claire glared at him. "Did you really plan to lock me in here with her?"

"It was her plan, she wanted to get along with you. She was going to stay in here with you till you two could come to an agreement."

"All she did was yell at me."

Jim sucked in a sharp breath and hardened his gaze. "You know, you weren't all that much help either. At least she's trying to find a solution to the problem."

"What problem, there is no problem!"

He tightened his fists and walked up the stairs. "No there is, and it's name is Claire. You can let yourself out."

Jim left to follow Indigo, feeling all the more frustrated with Claire.

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