Tuesday, June 3rd
The Graveyard
The Beach
"That's the only logical place? That's the only freaking logical place? Then why the hell isn't Cassie here, damnit!?" Adam glared, and looked like he was about to jump Nick, who only stared coldly back at him. The grave was normal. Undisturbed. The plain stone still read "Kori Anne Henderson", listing her dates of birth and death, but, there wasn't even a tiny little magical footprint, or a thread off of Cassie's jacket.
"It seemed logical at the time." he said, icily.
"You bastard. You really are made of stone. I thought you might at least give a shit about what happens to Cassie, of all people." Laurel made a note to herself: Adam's temper had gotten worse over the school year.
"Stop it, Adam."
That must've been Di or Melanie. It wasn't Laurel, that's for sure. Despite the fact that it sounded...
'Oh holy shit. I just said that.' Laurel thought to herself, and had the urge to giggle. Her little sentence had stopped everything, but, she really had to follow it up.
"Stop it." she repeated. "No one else had any idea where to go. It was logical." Laur turned around, and glared at Adam. "Stop taking everything out on Nick. I'm sick of it."
Nick glanced at her. "Thanks, Laurel." He and Melanie exchanged surprised looks, in some way conspiratal, and Laurel glared at them, too.
"And you, two, stop being so damned cozy with each other. There are other members of the Circle, you know. I am going to go and find Cassie. I'd like if y'all could kindly leave me the hell alone while I try and do this, yes?" Wet. Oh, great. Laurel realized she was crying. "No, I do not want to talk, I will see you all tomorrow, have a lovely evening."
This was the bit where Laurel was to stalk off into the night, and she did it rather nicely, until the bit where she noticed a dark-clad blonde figure leaning against the gates of the graveyard. She stopped, openmouthed, until the figure looked up at her, and she sighed in relief. "Chris."
"Laurel." The tone was stony and defensive, not like what she usually heard from one of the Hendersons. "Whatcha doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same." Laurel answered, wryly, wiping the tears from her cheek. "I kinda got pissed off at everyone and did that storming off thing. What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't go." These words obviously took a good deal of effort. "I've never been there since she died, y'know. Not after the funeral."
Idiot. Laurel had forgotten, after everything, that Kori was Chris' sister. She sighed. Kori was a person. The little blonde haired one, who'd always thought they were so cool, who always wanted to play with them, and idolized Diana while being terrified of Faye. Kori = Person. Kori does not = nameless corpse girl. "I'm sorry, Chris." Oooh.. real way to sympathize, Laurel. She sighed, and hugged him in a manner most platonic and comforting. "We were.. not thinking. As usual."
Chris hugged her back, mechanically, and then, with a wee bit more emotion. "It's okay, Laur. Everyone's messy. Are you okay?"
"I'm getting to it." Laurel replied, frankly. "I was planning to treck around the island on a Cassie search. Wanna come?"
"Will it involve fast driving and loud music?" Chris looked almost amused
Laurel smiled in a manner most twisted. "Considering my mood, I do believe it will."
"I'm there."
And they were. The hike back to Laurel's was a short one, but, as she got into the car, she paused, and glanced to Chris, her dark eyes widening. "We're idiots."
"Yeah, I know. But, we gotta try and find Cass."
"No, really. We all are. Where does Cassie go when Cassie is upset?"
"Ummm.. Adam?" Chris looked confused
"Yes. But, also, the beach." Laurel grinned a bit at him.
"Hey. You're right."
"Thank you." Laur stepped out of the car. "So, Chris, care to join me at the beach?"
Chris grabbed his beat up jacket. "I'd be delighted, shall we have a spot of tea?"
"Yes." Laurel replied, a ridicolous edge coloring her tone. "Tea and crumpets."
"Then, let us gather by the water, Lady Laurel." Chris grinned a bit, and bowed, offering a hand to her.
Laur took it greatfully. "Thank you, Sir Christopher." she curtsied, and giggled nervously.
The walk down to the beach was a long one, and they took it silently. Laurel, for one, was full of apprehension about the possibility of finding Cassie, or the lack thereof. Whatever occupied Chris was a mystery. Laurel never had thought him to be quite close to Cassie, but, she could very well be wrong. It seemed like everyone had bonded with Cassie, at least once. Even Suzan didn't speak of her in a catty manner. Amazing, that. The perfect girl.
Finally, they reached the beach, which looked only as a New England beach can. Imposing rock cliffs, black against the evening sky, a cold ocean, one part gray, one part translucent black. It was awe inspiring, and yet, somehow, human. The sand was smooth, and cold, the beach empty except for Cassie and Kori, who were chatting quite cozily over in one corner.
Laurel tugged on Chris' hand. "Erm.. look."
"Yeah. I did. Um.. did we like, do a lot of drugs and did I forget that?" Chris looked confused. Duh.
"I don't believe so." Laurel replied, eeriely calmly.
"Oh. Damn. Then.. um.. hey, Cassie!" Chris shouted. "Come here, would ya?"
Cassie complied and Kori followed her. Chris glanced at them, and then, spoke again. "Uh.. yeah.. that's my sister, right?"
"Yes." Cassie nodded, and smiled.
"And, uh, wasn't she dead yesterday?"
"Yep."
"And may we explain this?" Laurel cut in, kind of annoyed at Cassie's smug little air. "Or at least get you back before Adam kills Nick and then Melanie kills Adam?"
Chris, Kori and Cassie all looked at Laurel. "Melanie and *Nick*?" They said, as with one voice.
"It's called platonic friendships, but, really, Cass, Adam's being an asshole. You may explain everything to me and Chris in the car. Kori, it's lovely to see you again." Laurel sounded kind of put-out, and Chris gave her a sympathetic glance.
"Thank you, Laurel." Kori sounded... older. Being dead did that to you, Laurel guessed. "Drive slow, it's a long story."
The Graveyard
The Beach
"That's the only logical place? That's the only freaking logical place? Then why the hell isn't Cassie here, damnit!?" Adam glared, and looked like he was about to jump Nick, who only stared coldly back at him. The grave was normal. Undisturbed. The plain stone still read "Kori Anne Henderson", listing her dates of birth and death, but, there wasn't even a tiny little magical footprint, or a thread off of Cassie's jacket.
"It seemed logical at the time." he said, icily.
"You bastard. You really are made of stone. I thought you might at least give a shit about what happens to Cassie, of all people." Laurel made a note to herself: Adam's temper had gotten worse over the school year.
"Stop it, Adam."
That must've been Di or Melanie. It wasn't Laurel, that's for sure. Despite the fact that it sounded...
'Oh holy shit. I just said that.' Laurel thought to herself, and had the urge to giggle. Her little sentence had stopped everything, but, she really had to follow it up.
"Stop it." she repeated. "No one else had any idea where to go. It was logical." Laur turned around, and glared at Adam. "Stop taking everything out on Nick. I'm sick of it."
Nick glanced at her. "Thanks, Laurel." He and Melanie exchanged surprised looks, in some way conspiratal, and Laurel glared at them, too.
"And you, two, stop being so damned cozy with each other. There are other members of the Circle, you know. I am going to go and find Cassie. I'd like if y'all could kindly leave me the hell alone while I try and do this, yes?" Wet. Oh, great. Laurel realized she was crying. "No, I do not want to talk, I will see you all tomorrow, have a lovely evening."
This was the bit where Laurel was to stalk off into the night, and she did it rather nicely, until the bit where she noticed a dark-clad blonde figure leaning against the gates of the graveyard. She stopped, openmouthed, until the figure looked up at her, and she sighed in relief. "Chris."
"Laurel." The tone was stony and defensive, not like what she usually heard from one of the Hendersons. "Whatcha doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same." Laurel answered, wryly, wiping the tears from her cheek. "I kinda got pissed off at everyone and did that storming off thing. What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't go." These words obviously took a good deal of effort. "I've never been there since she died, y'know. Not after the funeral."
Idiot. Laurel had forgotten, after everything, that Kori was Chris' sister. She sighed. Kori was a person. The little blonde haired one, who'd always thought they were so cool, who always wanted to play with them, and idolized Diana while being terrified of Faye. Kori = Person. Kori does not = nameless corpse girl. "I'm sorry, Chris." Oooh.. real way to sympathize, Laurel. She sighed, and hugged him in a manner most platonic and comforting. "We were.. not thinking. As usual."
Chris hugged her back, mechanically, and then, with a wee bit more emotion. "It's okay, Laur. Everyone's messy. Are you okay?"
"I'm getting to it." Laurel replied, frankly. "I was planning to treck around the island on a Cassie search. Wanna come?"
"Will it involve fast driving and loud music?" Chris looked almost amused
Laurel smiled in a manner most twisted. "Considering my mood, I do believe it will."
"I'm there."
And they were. The hike back to Laurel's was a short one, but, as she got into the car, she paused, and glanced to Chris, her dark eyes widening. "We're idiots."
"Yeah, I know. But, we gotta try and find Cass."
"No, really. We all are. Where does Cassie go when Cassie is upset?"
"Ummm.. Adam?" Chris looked confused
"Yes. But, also, the beach." Laurel grinned a bit at him.
"Hey. You're right."
"Thank you." Laur stepped out of the car. "So, Chris, care to join me at the beach?"
Chris grabbed his beat up jacket. "I'd be delighted, shall we have a spot of tea?"
"Yes." Laurel replied, a ridicolous edge coloring her tone. "Tea and crumpets."
"Then, let us gather by the water, Lady Laurel." Chris grinned a bit, and bowed, offering a hand to her.
Laur took it greatfully. "Thank you, Sir Christopher." she curtsied, and giggled nervously.
The walk down to the beach was a long one, and they took it silently. Laurel, for one, was full of apprehension about the possibility of finding Cassie, or the lack thereof. Whatever occupied Chris was a mystery. Laurel never had thought him to be quite close to Cassie, but, she could very well be wrong. It seemed like everyone had bonded with Cassie, at least once. Even Suzan didn't speak of her in a catty manner. Amazing, that. The perfect girl.
Finally, they reached the beach, which looked only as a New England beach can. Imposing rock cliffs, black against the evening sky, a cold ocean, one part gray, one part translucent black. It was awe inspiring, and yet, somehow, human. The sand was smooth, and cold, the beach empty except for Cassie and Kori, who were chatting quite cozily over in one corner.
Laurel tugged on Chris' hand. "Erm.. look."
"Yeah. I did. Um.. did we like, do a lot of drugs and did I forget that?" Chris looked confused. Duh.
"I don't believe so." Laurel replied, eeriely calmly.
"Oh. Damn. Then.. um.. hey, Cassie!" Chris shouted. "Come here, would ya?"
Cassie complied and Kori followed her. Chris glanced at them, and then, spoke again. "Uh.. yeah.. that's my sister, right?"
"Yes." Cassie nodded, and smiled.
"And, uh, wasn't she dead yesterday?"
"Yep."
"And may we explain this?" Laurel cut in, kind of annoyed at Cassie's smug little air. "Or at least get you back before Adam kills Nick and then Melanie kills Adam?"
Chris, Kori and Cassie all looked at Laurel. "Melanie and *Nick*?" They said, as with one voice.
"It's called platonic friendships, but, really, Cass, Adam's being an asshole. You may explain everything to me and Chris in the car. Kori, it's lovely to see you again." Laurel sounded kind of put-out, and Chris gave her a sympathetic glance.
"Thank you, Laurel." Kori sounded... older. Being dead did that to you, Laurel guessed. "Drive slow, it's a long story."