Would he regret it?
Zack stood right outside the bedroom window. He had heard. He had heard everything. He witnessed first hand the manipulating ways of the group. He watched as Michael tried to slither into his sister's confidence.
It was sick.
Zack stepped behind the pine tree and thought hard. Could he walk away? Could he take the chance?
This is
a fork.
It didn't mean anything would happen. It was a gamble.
A what?
Russian roulette?
A fork.
The insanity of the never-ending circle continued to chant in the background. Zack pressed his temples. The goddamn game was stuck in his head.
A what?
A fork.
It was driving him crazy.
Oh, this is a fork.
Cold chills spread from his arms to his back and spider walked up to his cheeks.
'What am I thinking?' Zack turned and extended his arm up to reach the glass that sat on the window ceil.
It was too late.
The door opened and a blond kid stepped into the room.
'I can't be seen,' Zack held his breath. Maybe the kid would leave. He peered around and quickly moved away. The blond kid was heading towards the window.
Zack jumped the fence and headed home.
Maybe nothing would happen.
Maybe.
Jonny took some slow steady breaths. His lungs ached for air and his torso still felt the ghost like pressure of Jessie's fist as if it was still there.
Jonny smiled despite himself. Jessie was always tougher then she looked. He eased back on the carpet and rubbed his stomach. It could have been worse.
If we weren't friends her aim could have been lower. Jonny took a deep breath and was hit by the painful reminder that made him ball up slightly.
It could have been a lot worse.
Jonny looked around the dark room. Large obscure objects barely gave recognizable shapes in the darkness. It was enough to know that he was in another bedroom. 'Probably Claire's mother's room.'
He placed his hand on the bed and used it to anchor himself up. His fingers trailed the mattress.
That was odd.
Jonny carefully walked in the dark and felt along the wall. It had to be here . . . some . . . where. . . there it was.
The pathetic yellow light barely woke the room up. The depressing surroundings surprised Jonny. The room was empty. Furniture was there, but the bed was bare and the closet was empty.
What's going on? He turned his back on it and turned the light out as he left. He stood in the hall and looked at the door across from him.
Claire's room. The room the group had been in.
'Do I?' Jonny grabbed the silver knob. Somehow it didn't feel right walking into a girl's room. Even when the girl was like a sister to him. 'Come on Quest.'
The room was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
"This is definitely Claire's," Jonny decided out loud.
The wall standing across from him and the door was completely covered by restaurant menus. Completely. Not a centimeter of space revealing the color of paint could be seen. Claire must have been stealing menus from every restaurant she ever went too from the time she was three to acquire such a collection.
'Well,' Jonny smiled to himself. 'That's different.'
Different, like Claire.
Jonny was about to leave when he saw a shadow move outside Claire's window. He squinted his eyes and quietly inched closer. Was it the tree outside? He stepped closer.
Someone took off running. Jonny leaned out but all he saw was a shadow clear over a fence and disappear into the bushes.
'What was that?' Jonny frowned. He didn't know but he had a bad feeling. Worse then the physical one Jessie left in his abdomen.
"Oh, sorry,"
Jonny turned around and recognized the kid immediately. The nervous smoker of the group.
"It's okay," Jonny assured.
"You're girlfriend left?" The kid smiled as he looked around. "Thought maybe you wanted to move to a better location. Girls get jumpy when they get caught making out. Like they don't start it half the time anyway, you know what I mean?"
"Yes," Jonny ran his fingers through his blond hair and cringed slightly as the stretch made his muscles hurt. "We had a falling out . . . so to speak."
"Red heads really that quick to get angry?" the guy asked.
"I'd rather not say," Jonny smiled. "I want this falling out to be temporary."
"I understand. I'm Eric." Eric extended his hand and Jonny shook it.
"Jonny Quest," he replied.
"Quest?" Eric got that glazed over look. The one Jonny saw every time he said his last name. "The Quest? Scientist/ inventor Dr. Quest?"
"Yep," Jonny shook his head. "Dr. Quest is my dad."
"Pretty cool," Eric walked past Jonny and over to the window. "I forgot my drink."
Jonny looked past the window again. He looked out into the yard and heard the hushed voices of his classmates drift in. The game was over.
Eric brought the cup to his lips and drank. He sighed.
The shadow.
"Stop!" Jonny knocked the cup out of Eric's hand.
Eric's brown eyes became clouded as the two stared down at the split Dr. Pepper on beige carpet. Michael rushed in. His eyes moved from Eric to Jonny.
"Oh, shit," Eric's voice cracked.
"What?" Michael over to them and stopped abruptly at the stain in the carpet as the soda began to sink into it.
Eric looked like he was going to cry. He backed up and ran into the dresser. He began to shake.
"I've been poisoned," his voice quivered.
Michael picked up the cup that was covering a piece of cardboard cut out. The cardboard had been in the glass. On oneside was a picture of a rat with a line drawn through it. On the other side, written in red marker, were the words: Rule #1.
"I'm going to die," Eric croaked.
"Just stay calm," Jonny commanded. Jonny could think of only one thing to do. They would have to move fast. He turned to Michael.
"Dial 911," he ordered. "We need an ambulance."
Jessie sat in bus and did her best to ignore the side ways glances she was getting from the old guy sitting to her right of her.
'I'm not in the mood grandpa.' Jessie closed her eyes. She wanted the night to be over.
'I should have it him harder,' she decided. 'I should have aimed lower. That jerk.'
The bus moved the right and came to a complete stop. Jessie opened her eyes and looked around. What could possibly be happening now? Was it too much to wish for to make it home without an event?
Jessie strained her neck and soon caught site of the flashing lights. An ambulance was going the direction the bus had come. To Jessie's relief the bus pulled back onto the road and they were off again. She sighed and closed her tired eyes. All she wanted was to get home, get in bed and just forget the day. Forget about the stupid group and the pranks being played on them. Forget about Ivy and Brook. Forget. . .
It began to rain. Jessie watched the lines run down the window. The wipers of the bus moved rhythmically back and forth. Jessie watched in a hypnotic trance.
Wipe her mind clean of Jonny. Wipe away the heat of his mouth on hers. Wipe away the feeling of his arms around her. Wipe away the force in his kiss. Wipe it all away.
'He doesn't have the right to make me feel this way.' Jessie turned her mind off and waited for her stop.
The Quest Compound was not dark as Jessie had expected. She walked up the steps and realized her father was leaning against the banister, he was waiting for her.
"Before I ground you," Race began slowly. "I want to know what happened. Jonny just called."
"What?" Jessie's jaw dropped. Did he know he upset her? Was he worried about her?
"He called from Main Eastern Hospital," Race's voice was even and controlled. "There was an accident."
End Chapter Ten