Chapter Three ~ Meet Me At The Barn
Time and place: Cassie's barn, Sunday evening.
Jake wheeled the rusty squeaking bike through the open doors of the barn. He'd left his house with ears burning red and Tom's howls of, "Jake's going to make out with Cassie again, just like yesterday, and the week before, and the week before…" echoing through his mind. At least that sort of thing gave him a cover. If he were going to Marco's… well, they were meant to be dead. He broke himself out of his thoughts and into the sight of Rachel and Marco smiling smugly at him. Something was up (since Marco's always smiling smugly, but Rachel isn't).
"What's up? Did it work? Where's Ax?" were the first words out of his mouth.
"I'm here, Jake," came a new voice from behind him. Jake whirled, and completely lost his composure. His jaw dropped. Standing before him was a stunningly handsome boy (not that Jake's gay or anything) wearing garments that epitomized the definition 'street kid'. Baggy pants, a camouflage tank top and a sawn-off jacket over that. Jake's gaze traveled to Ax's face. He actually had his hair in spikes, and - was that a cigarette?
Ax lifted the cigarette and took a long drag (and the rating goes UP…) and smirked. "What's wrong, Jake? Don't like the look of Darren Smyth?"
Jake found his voice. "What the HELL?!?!" he screeched, directing his anger at Rachel and Marco. "You were supposed to teach him to act like one of us, not some… some… URCHIN!! And who the heck is Darren Smyth?!?!"
Rachel opened her mouth to retaliate in kind, but Ax stepped in. "Calm down, Prince Jake," he soothed, sounding at once much more like his old self. "We aimed for unapproachable. This way, the Visser will not see even a scrap of… potential in me and there will be absolutely no chance that he will deem it worthy for me to be taken."
Marco spoke up. His voice had a hard, cold edge to it and his eyes glinted malevolently as he ticked off points in his individual, bright-clear-line-from-A-to-B mode. "We can't use Philip anymore. That name is sure to be recognised. We were NOT going to risk using something similar to Ax's real name - the Yeerks know it too well. Thus - Darren Smyth. New to town. We even worked out an entire background story, but I won't bore you with the details, oh hostile one. Satisfied now?" He dropped his hands. "Twenty-four hours of work not enough for you?"
Jake was stunned. "I… I didn't know… I didn't think…"
"That's right," Marco snapped. "You didn't."
Cassie spoke up, quiet voice pouring oil on the roiling waves. "Marco, I think Jake understands. And he's sorry. Right, Jake?"
"Right," Jake mumbled. "Sorry, Marco."
Cassie was going on. "We have to stick together, Marco. If we fight amongst ourselves, how are we going to be able to defeat the Yeerks?"
Murmured assent. Ax, looking ashamed, stubbed out the cigarette (it was beginning to burn his fingers) on his jeans (ouch!) and looked startled when a hole appeared.
Rachel and Tobias were silent, perhaps having a private conversation. Then Tobias's voice entered their minds It'll be alright. Nobody lose sleep over this. If something goes wrong, then we'll think of a way out. We always do Rachel, always one for the last word, pumped her fist and hollered, "Let's do it!"
Jake laughed, "Meeting dismissed" as the six of them exited the barn and strode confidently into the sunlight.
Time and place: Cassie's barn, Sunday evening.
Jake wheeled the rusty squeaking bike through the open doors of the barn. He'd left his house with ears burning red and Tom's howls of, "Jake's going to make out with Cassie again, just like yesterday, and the week before, and the week before…" echoing through his mind. At least that sort of thing gave him a cover. If he were going to Marco's… well, they were meant to be dead. He broke himself out of his thoughts and into the sight of Rachel and Marco smiling smugly at him. Something was up (since Marco's always smiling smugly, but Rachel isn't).
"What's up? Did it work? Where's Ax?" were the first words out of his mouth.
"I'm here, Jake," came a new voice from behind him. Jake whirled, and completely lost his composure. His jaw dropped. Standing before him was a stunningly handsome boy (not that Jake's gay or anything) wearing garments that epitomized the definition 'street kid'. Baggy pants, a camouflage tank top and a sawn-off jacket over that. Jake's gaze traveled to Ax's face. He actually had his hair in spikes, and - was that a cigarette?
Ax lifted the cigarette and took a long drag (and the rating goes UP…) and smirked. "What's wrong, Jake? Don't like the look of Darren Smyth?"
Jake found his voice. "What the HELL?!?!" he screeched, directing his anger at Rachel and Marco. "You were supposed to teach him to act like one of us, not some… some… URCHIN!! And who the heck is Darren Smyth?!?!"
Rachel opened her mouth to retaliate in kind, but Ax stepped in. "Calm down, Prince Jake," he soothed, sounding at once much more like his old self. "We aimed for unapproachable. This way, the Visser will not see even a scrap of… potential in me and there will be absolutely no chance that he will deem it worthy for me to be taken."
Marco spoke up. His voice had a hard, cold edge to it and his eyes glinted malevolently as he ticked off points in his individual, bright-clear-line-from-A-to-B mode. "We can't use Philip anymore. That name is sure to be recognised. We were NOT going to risk using something similar to Ax's real name - the Yeerks know it too well. Thus - Darren Smyth. New to town. We even worked out an entire background story, but I won't bore you with the details, oh hostile one. Satisfied now?" He dropped his hands. "Twenty-four hours of work not enough for you?"
Jake was stunned. "I… I didn't know… I didn't think…"
"That's right," Marco snapped. "You didn't."
Cassie spoke up, quiet voice pouring oil on the roiling waves. "Marco, I think Jake understands. And he's sorry. Right, Jake?"
"Right," Jake mumbled. "Sorry, Marco."
Cassie was going on. "We have to stick together, Marco. If we fight amongst ourselves, how are we going to be able to defeat the Yeerks?"
Murmured assent. Ax, looking ashamed, stubbed out the cigarette (it was beginning to burn his fingers) on his jeans (ouch!) and looked startled when a hole appeared.
Rachel and Tobias were silent, perhaps having a private conversation. Then Tobias's voice entered their minds It'll be alright. Nobody lose sleep over this. If something goes wrong, then we'll think of a way out. We always do Rachel, always one for the last word, pumped her fist and hollered, "Let's do it!"
Jake laughed, "Meeting dismissed" as the six of them exited the barn and strode confidently into the sunlight.
