Chapter 2
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" Hey John, I'm assuming that Nikki's out back?" Ella asked the butler.
He nodded curtly, and showed her in. Nikki's house never failed to impress Ella. Her living room was about the size of Ella's entire house. One day, she wanted to live in something like it. She took off her cover up to reveal her brand new blue bikini that she bought for the occasion. Setting her bag down, Ella walked out back to the pool, where many people were gathering already. School was almost out for the summer; never the less, this was New Jersey. Most of the time it was freezing. Which was one reason Ella loved being Nikki's best friend. Unlimited access to an indoor heated pool with a Jacuzzi the size of Ella's living room. She waved at Nikki, who was surrounded by boys. Nikki, who was intent on cooking hamburgers, waved back, beckoning her over.
" Hey El! Glad you could make it! Now you can help me with the burgers!" Ella lifted an eyebrow.
" Nik, are you feeling alright? I could of sworn you just asked me to help you make a burger. Do you remember last time I tried to bake a cake?"
" Oh, it tasted fine. So what if it looked like macaroni and Cheese. And it had a nice, smoky flavor." Nikki told her, choosing to ignore the fact the Ella had started a miniature forest fire in Nikki's kitchen.
" Nikki; Your cook cussed me out in French. I think that must mean something about my cooking talents."
" Pierre's a load of Shit. He wouldn't know American cooking if it bit his pasty white ass. Start flippin, Ella girl." She tossed Ella a spatula.
Oh god, This should be interesting Ella thought to herself.
" It's not that bad once you get the hang of it. See, look at me." Nikki flipped the hamburger several feet up in the air.
" God, you always do your good tricks when I don't have my camera." The hamburger fell into the pool. Nikki ignored it.
" You mean, you left your oversized Kodak at home? No more Mr. Camera?" Ella laughed.
" God, Nikki, you make me sound obsessed!"
" Only to the trained eye. Anyway, without the camera you can spend more time with guys instead of just looking at them."
" Yeah, Nikki. And while I'm at it, I can start a catering business." Before Nikki could reply, a piercing shriek shot through the house. Ella cringed, surprised that the glass hadn't shattered.
" What the hell was that?" she asked Nikki.
" I don't know, but I'm going to go find out." It turned out that before Nikki could take another step, none other then the famous Charisse walked in. Standing in what had to be nine inch heels, the bleached blonde focused her honey colored eyes on Nikki, with pure rage in them. The girl stood there with a smirk that reminded Ella of Barney gone demented, minus the male factor. The entire pool suddenly fell silent, now aware that the nastiest bitch in the Senior class was in their presence. Nikki put her hands on her hips.
" What are you doing here?" She snapped. Charisse's eyes darkened.
" I do not know what you are saying, but if you are telling me to get out of here, then you will regret it." Nikki glared right back.
"Fine. Take it all, Mother bitch and get out of my house." The entire pool was literally silent for that moment. Charisse's face began turning purple, making her look more like the purple dinosaur. Finally she calmed down, turned to walk away, but before she did that she said loud enough for the entire pool to here, " At least I have a mother." for a full six seconds, no one said anything. Charisse stood over the pool and smiled. " So am I invited to your little party or not?"
" Fuck you, bitch." Ella said before she could catch herself.
" What did you say?" Charisse whirled around. Did I actually say that, Ella wondered, mentally kicking herself.
" Nothing."
" Well, it sure sounded like something to me, don't you think?"
" She told you to Fuck off, like half the pool wants you to do." Mike told her.
Charisse's eyes snapped to Mike and it was almost like a shield that came down on the poison that lurked within.
" Mike! How are you?" she squealed like a pig getting it's breakfast.
Ella suppressed a laugh. Did that girl actually think that Mike would fall for that? After the bitch had just insulted her best friend? Yeah right.
" Cut the crap, Charisse. We're through, and you better get the hell out of this place." Her eyes flashed.
" Fine. I'll get out of 'darling Nikki's little pool party.' This has to be the sweetest thing that I have ever seen. Well, I'll go, but let me tell you something, honey." Charisse stepped right up to Nikki, her eyes flashing.
" I'd watch your step. Because it is a big, bad world out there, and you are not going to get places with an attitude like that."
Nikki found her voice.
" Yeah, and your going to go places because in two seconds my butler is going to throw you by your bitchy little ass out." Charisse laughed curtly. Her glare went to Ella, and the poison oozed more.
" I'd watch your step too. I mean, one day you might just walk in the school and find that no one gives a Shit if your there or not."
" Is that a threat?" Charisse smiled.
" Might be." With that, she glided away. Nikki rushed out from the pool deck, leaving Ella there by herself.
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" I'm sorry Miss, no one is allowed in without a ticket. This isn't a place anyone can just stop by." a tall woman with dark hair.
Ella's hair was swept up into a neat bun; she was wearing one of her nicer outfits, her pearl earrings, and looked better then her average t-shirt and jeans uniform. So that was why she was pissed off at the woman. Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out her ticket and showed it to the woman. Her eyes studied it, as if she suspected that it was a fraud. Like any normal teenager would want to break into the MOMA. Finally, the woman spoke.
" You may go on in." she said reluctantly. Ella smiled curtly, and walked on in. God, she hated women like her. Ella seemed blessed to live in a world of people that would probably starve to death if you locked them in the grocery store. She studied the photographs. They seemed to be like movies, dancing with life still. The Old African man playing chess against a young white kid showed how races could cooperate together. If only Ella was half this good........
" Do you like this picture?" A voice came from behind her. Ella was about to reply that yes, amazingly, she did have a ticket and she not stolen anything yet, when she realized someone was talking to her.
" Yes. It's incredible." Ella replied, taken back. The man smiled at her. His hair was a dark blonde, and he looked thirty something. Black trench coat and a black hat. A little odd on a such a warm day, but who cared?
" You have fine taste. What do you think of this one?" he motioned to another one. Ella wondered why he hadn't asked where her grandmother was yet. This man was actually seeing her.
" It's good too, but the color's a little off. It needs more light." the man nodded, and smiled.
" Good, good. What is your name?"
" El. Uh." was all that she managed to get out. Who was this person that realized that she enjoyed Leibowitz's work.
" Ella? Beautiful Fairy woman, the name means." he told her. Ella shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't flirting with her, was he?
" Uh, I really should be going. There's a lot to see, and I have so little." The man laughed.
" Here's my card, Ella. I would like to offer you a job. You'd have your own office, and you would help me select art. Are you interested?"
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" Nikki, he offered me a job! He has to be the most sophisticated, wonderful man I have ever met!" Ella exclaimed, falling back on her bed. There was a pause on the other line.
" Ella, girl. He didn't sell you drugs, did he?"
" No, Nikki, he would never do something like that! His name is Loki, and he want's to see my photographs, and he wants me to help him pick out art, and he is sooooo"
" Ella, hon, I don't want to burst your bubble. But this guy sounds creepy to me. Who calls themselves Loki? That's what that Greek underworld God called himself."
" Norse. I'm sure it was just a coincidence. And since when do you remember god names? Your memory just holds info. on Gap's latest style."
" Ella, girl, it says in my Little cousin's mythology books that the guy sucked out souls. He tried to overthrow the good gods. If he's not twisted, his parents are. Either that, or they were drunk when they named him."
" Oh come on Nik. From just what I've told you, you should be able to tell that he's a wonderful man."
" A con man more like it. ' beautiful fairy woman.' what a load of Shit! Your name means Elf, or something like that. Oh god, he's not one of those male prostitutes that's always lurking around the MOMA, is he?"
" Nikki! Loki is not a con man, he's not a soul sucking god, he's not a crack dealer, and he is not a male prostitute!"
" I've had men try to sell themselves to me before at that place. You shouldn't hang around there."
" Yeah, knowing you, you probably told them only if it was a Clearance."
" Damn you, girl. I still say Loki's a creep."
" Nikki, you don't even know him. He's wonderful! He's going to give me a job, I'm going to make a big salary, and I won't ever have to worry about passing Physics again!" There was a pause at the other end.
" El, big men like him that carry company cards and offer them out to pretty young girls usually means that they're looking for cheap whores. I'd love to see you 'office'....."
" God, Nikki stop it! You know what, I think your just jealous!" Ella challenged. There was another pause.
" Ella, you know I love you like a sister. Besides, I hate photography. I'm worried that your slinking around with Norse wannabees trying to make my best friend into a prostitute, when she is going to be a photographer. Promise me that if you have to meet this guy again, you'll at least let me come with you." Ella sighed.
" I suppose."
