It Could Be Worse (2nd Season)
Episode 2: Best Friend
By Sulia Serafine
[Finished. A Protector of the Small fanfic set in an alternate universe; all credit goes to Tamora Pierce. I'm broke, so you can't sue me. Any other copyrighted things that don't belong to me in here in fact belong to other very businesslike people. Yup. Could you believe that? I guess that's why I'm broke.
Oh, one more thing: BAD LANGUAGE (I. E. cursing, swearing…). You have been warned!
E-mail me at
Brush, brush.
Glance.
Brush, brush, brush, brush.
Gargle. Spit.
Glare.
Keladry and Joren silently battled for bathroom space while both brushing their teeth. Joren gargled again with some water and spit once more. He moved aside to find the floss. Each glared at the other, elbowing each other on purpose to make them move over. The bathroom had turned out to be smaller than they thought-- but they hadn't been in it at the same time before either.
Normally, they wouldn't be fighting for space, but each of them had something to do early that morning. Keladry had signed up for water skiing because Lalasa was now there and wanted to ski. She had excitedly grabbed Kel and Roald by the arm and led them to the shore the day before to watch the water skiers. Joren had to go into town and haggle with his supplier over some parts that cost way too much. Then he had to work with some mechanic on it, either adding some new things or repairing old things. In a nutshell, the two unlikely roommates were both pressed for time.
Keladry spit and rinsed her mouth. She tried to move past Joren to reach her towel, but he blocked the whole way. She cleared her throat. "Ahem?"
He cast her a nasty look before pressing up against the counter so she could slip by. As she went, she grabbed the tooth floss dispenser and took some for herself. They shared three more minutes of time in the small, enclosed space before exiting and parting ways.
Being roommates had not been as bad as Keladry thought it would be. They frequently avoided being in the room at the same time. This excluded sleeping hours. Neither had any real complaints over whose stuff was in which drawer and where it was scattered across the counter of the bathroom. Kel was naturally organized, and Joren hadn't many possessions to leave around.
At first, she thought she wouldn't be able to stop conspicuously avoiding looking at him when he was changing shirts-- which he did out in the open, but with pants, he went into the bathroom. Then it got easier to just stare down at her feet or fiddle with her bags. She did everything personal such as changing clothes within the shielding confines of the bathroom, or the walk-in closet they shared. It was like constantly being under scrutinizing surveillance, hearing scoffs over her shoulder every few minutes.
She often woke him up by accident. He was right. He really was a light sleeper around other people. So, they started getting into the habit of telling each other when they'd expect to be in at night, and when they wanted to leave in the morning. It was one of the few times they actually talked. Conversation was very limited. Keladry had given up on small talk with him. It was absolutely impossible without sparking an argument over the other's chosen attitude and personality.
"I'll be back around 4:00, but I won't be in the room until around 8," Joren informed her in a monotone voice as he yanked a sleeveless black T-shirt over his head. She caught a glimpse of his bandages. There were still a few small red dots of blood staining them.
He never did go to the clinic for that ripped stitch. "Okay. Um, I'll be back in tonight around the same time. If I'm late, I'll call," she said in the same tone. He nodded, picked up a small duffel bag with some things that he needed, and went out the door. She gazed after him until the door shut, then went back to putting on her shoes.
But only two minutes after Joren had left, there was a buzz from the door intercom.
"Who is it?" Keladry called. She finished tying her shoelaces and stood up to answer the door.
"It's Lalasa. I got a present for you!"
She half smiled as the door opened. Keladry welcomed her older friend inside. The other girl had on a blue baby tee on that was ripped at the bottom to allow a midriff, and a matching skirt wrap. It was a crime the only thing that didn't match was the sandals. She held up a bag with the resort's store logo on it.
"Um… what is that?" She eyed the bag with distrust. She had some intuition that she wasn't going to like it.
Lalasa handed it to Kel. "I'm so not impressed with that one piece and girl's surfer shorts you wore yesterday. I mean, it's like you're afraid to expose some skin." She squeezed Kel's arm and kindly told her in a lowered voice. "I don't think girls wear baggy shirts into the water anymore, Kel."
Keladry glared at her. "Some do as far as I'm concerned. And sorry, 'Lasa, but I'm not into two pieces like you are. Really, it doesn't matter as long as we're having fun, right?"
She snorted. "Oh please! The appearance is the whole deal! For crying out loud, I'm never going to get you a man out here if you keep dressing like that." She nudged Kel. "So, open the bag…"
Hesitantly, Kel did what she was told. She didn't like Lalasa's idea of playing matchmaker, but seeing her this peppy pleased Keladry. She bit her lip while peering inside. When she caught sight of the proffered swimsuit, her eyes widened and she shut the bag again. Lalasa burst into laughter.
"Oh, come on. It's not that bad. You look like there's a severed head in the bag," she guffawed. "Ooh, and I bet there are blood and guts everywhere. A doggy bag of a zombie lunch-- that's appealing, don't you think?"
"'Lasa…"
"I made sure there was no chance of cleavage because I know you'd burn it then."
"Thanks," she dryly replied. "But Lalasa, I am not wearing this. I mean, it's too… too…"
"Whatever! You're wearing it. Now come on. Roald is waiting for us downstairs," Lalasa insisted as she gently pushed her younger friend towards the bathroom. "I'm not budging an inch from this room until you put it on and get ready to stun the world with your new look."
Keladry opened the bag again and stared. "New look? What was wrong with my old look?"
Lalasa shut the door before there could be any more protesting. She sat down on one of the beds and started to inspect her nails, waiting for the other girl to finish putting on her new swimsuit. An hour and a half had been spent the night before in the resort's gift shop, browsing through things she might have her only female friend to wear. Back in Carthak, she'd never shopped for other people except maybe for her father when he asked her to.
And then they all came along and turned her world upside down. Searching for Thom Trebond-- her Uncle Thom-- and looking to arrest her own father, it was like they'd put her life into a blender and hit frappe. Then she had to get on her father's bad side, and endure Vinson's immature antics.
But of course, her father and Vinson were dead now.
I have Roald. I have him.
Overcome with a surge of impatience she stood up and knocked on the bathroom door. "Are you done yet?"
"I am not coming out! You can't make me, Lalasa, I'm stronger than you!"
The older woman bit back a laugh. "I don't doubt that you're stronger than me. But if it makes you feel better, you can wear your tomboy shorts."
This time she got no answer.
"Hey, take or leave it, girl. You have to come out of there sometime. If you choose to wait until nightfall, then Stone might see and could you imagine the embarrassment then--" she cried out as the door suddenly opened. Kel grouchily stepped out. She went to her drawers and put on the shorts she'd worn the day before. Lalasa rested her hands on Kel's shoulders. "Hey, it's a cute look."
"I don't want a cute look. I want my look."
"What… jeans, sneakers, and a bulky vest?"
"Yes."
Lalasa grabbed Keladry by the wrist, picked up the other's beach bag, and pulled her through the door. Keladry barely had time to lock it behind her before she found herself tugged down the hall. It was then that the older one noticed that Kel's face was turning red.
She stopped and let go of her arm. "It does show off those abdominal muscles you strive to have. Isn't that a triumph, hmm? And no cleavage, just as I promised."
"'Lasa, I--" Kel froze and stared hard over her friend's shoulder.
"What is it?" Lalasa turned around. "Oh. Stone."
He stood in the middle of the hall, but two feet away from them. He glanced from one to the other. Kel stared down at her feet, wishing she could crawl into a hole and die. Waves of relief washed over her when he heard his departing footsteps from the direction they had just come from.
Lalasa boldly called out to the icy blonde. "You do realize you still owe me another dirty martini, Stone!"
"What are you doing?!" Kel hissed. Thankfully, he ignored them and entered the room again.
"Oh, relax. I was just having some fun. Let's go. Roald's paged me twice since we've been up here." She tapped her wrist where the thin wristwatch looking device was. Civilian pagers/ identification badges were much smaller than those of the DJPF were. Kel wished she had one.
"Hey, at least you don't have to anticipate that embarrassing moment again," Lalasa consoled.
"Do I have the choice of jumping off a cliff or drowning?"
"Neither. Now come on!"
Downstairs, Roald had been waiting on a concrete bench when Neal approached him. The taller man sat down and also set down his beach bag. Both men were clad in swimming trunks. Other guests of the hotel and employees walked past them, filling the area with noise. The two seated guys had to speak up to hear each other.
"So what are your plans for the day?" Roald asked over the roar of the crowd.
"Oh, Cleon and I are gonna play volleyball with these girls we met at the Sand Piper last night!" he answered enthusiastically. He elbowed his companion playfully. "So what do you think of Seastone so far?"
The vice president's son, for once, was not serious-faced and broke out into a wide grin. "I can't believe you guys have been here for two weeks already. I can't imagine staying here for three days without getting tired from all the stuff we've done! And I just practically arrived!"
Neal patted him on the back and stood up. "Well, I can't imagine leaving. It's going to be so tough going back to work after this. I'm pretty sure Wyldon would feel the same way. I called back the other night and heard from one of my old classmates that Wyldon's been having himself a holiday in his office. He actually went around HQ in some golfer's outfit, can you believe that?"
They had themselves a good laugh, each one tearing up of the idea of the DJPF Commissioner strolling around the HQ elevated walkways with a putter in one hand and a pair of golfing gloves in the other. For a few more minutes, they talked. The loud noise of the morning crowd faded as people got directions to where they wanted to go and cleared out of the main complex. An entertainer went around, juggling coconuts and singing.
"Hello, boys," Lalasa crooned as she hugged Roald from behind and planted a kiss on his cheek. He returned the show of affection and moved over so she could sit. The deeply tanned, dark haired girl also gave Neal a friendly hug.
"Where's Kel? I thought you said she was coming with us," Roald said.
"What are you talking about? She's right h--" Lalasa stopped mid-sentence and sighed. "Excuse me for a moment." She went behind the arrangement of tropical plants. Neal and Roald could hear some sort of tussle behind the greenery, but they didn't want to say anything.
"Come on! It's not… so… BAD! AH!" Lalasa yelped as she stumbled backward, bringing her shy friend with her. Roald darted forward to catch her.
"Whoa! Kel!" Neal exclaimed. He moved to stand by Roald, and whispered something into his ear. At once, both men started making wolf whistles to the blushing female officer. They clapped and grinned.
Lalasa took Kel by the hand again and led her forward. "See? That wasn't so bad."
Neal nodded. "Yeah, Tough Stuff. Nice abs. You would do a good deed to make all these skinny girls feel jealous. I mean, thin and slender girls are nice, but muscle is better. Isn't that right, Roald?"
Roald blinked. "Uh, yeah, I guess." He quickly added, "Except for you, Lalasa. You're fine the way you are."
She folded her arms. "I've trained you well in the ways of flattery."
"I'd be surprised if she hadn't," Kel inserted. "Ouch! 'Lasa, I was kidding!"
~~
Cleon quickly gulped down the orange juice, tossed the plastic cup in a bin in the hall, and started jogging. He slowed down when he could feel the liquids swishing around in his belly. Oh, that was smart.
"Hey, Kennan! Wait up!" Faleron called as he ran to catch up.
The redhead smiled. "Hey, man. I haven't seen you around these last couple of days."
He nodded. "Yeah. That's why I was wondering if you wanted to go hang out with some people that I met last night playing poker. No money involved. Just plastic chips and good intentions."
The taller laughed. "I bet you won, though. Right?"
"Of course. So, do you want to come?"
"Oh." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I already made plans to hang out with these really fine girls Neal and I met last night." He shrugged his shoulders. "Aww, you know. That kind of stuff. I'm really sorry we can't hang and all, but I'll make it up to you."
Faleron nodded. "It's okay. Go ahead. We'll hang some other time."
Cleon nodded. "Cool, man. You've been so cool about this. Catch ya later!"
He ran down the hall, no longer bothered by the beverage he'd drunk a few moments before. Faleron remained standing where he was, watching his supposed best friend desert him once again for something more appealing. Not once during the duration of this vacation had Faleron been able to hang out with Cleon or even Neal for that matter. They were always busy flirting with girls.
Even the few times the tall redhead had promised to meet Faleron somewhere to do stuff, he'd forgotten and went to do something else. It was horrible. The only person Fal could count on for company was Kel, but now that Lalasa and Roald were here, even she seemed too occupied to spare some time for him. It wasn't the same, even when he was with her. She was Kel. Not one of Lalasa's Stooges.
Roald had stayed with him the night before. Lalasa had gone to go find something for Keladry to wear instead of the baggy shirt and surfer shorts. That left the boyfriend to find another means of entertaining himself. It just so happened that he ran into Faleron at the poker tables.
The former thief had been so overcome with loneliness that he was just throwing out all his charms and tricks to win every single game he played. He was relentless, not even giving the others a chance like he used to when he played cards with strangers. It was just shuffle, deal, bluff, bet, and win. It was not always in that order, but it seemed to go by so fast. Roald watched Faleron for a few minutes, surprised at the usually calm and placid young man's new impatient and mocking attitude.
"What are you doing?" Roald asked as soon as he was capable of bringing Faleron away from the tables. A large amount of people glared at the short, dark haired man as he was pulled away. That time they had not been using plastic chips, but actual money. And now they had empty pockets.
"I was winning. What did it look like?"
The two slowly walked to the main deck, looking over the main complex below and some of the boardwalks. They sat down and leaned on the guardrails. Roald cleared his throat. "You don't usually play like that. You have more finesse and style when you play poker. All of us know that."
"Your point?"
"Is something wrong?"
Faleron snorted derisively. "Of course not. You're imagining things."
Roald didn't push any further. He simply sat and waited for his companion to speak again. And he did.
"You're too serious, Roald."
He nodded. "I know. And you're always charming and fast-talking your way out of everything. Faleron."
"No, I don't."
"Yes you do. What the hell are you talking about?" Roald frowned, starting to get a little more hostile in his voice. "I'm always the serious one who rarely jokes around, and spends all his time with his girlfriend. You're the one who always likes to make the best of an opportunity and have some fun while you're at it. So what's with you?"
Faleron looked at him and shrugged. "I don't know. Just feeling really left out."
After that, he forced a smile for his companion, got up, and strode away. They hadn't talked since.
~~
Kel stretched her arms over her head. Things had been absolutely fantastic that day. She done so many activities with Lalasa and Roald until finally Numair came by and asked the couple for some help. Kel had almost forgotten that the Councilman had decided to come over the Seastone Resort as well.
After a while, the swimsuit Lalasa had given her was not as bad as it first started out to be. She got accustomed to it and even forgot she was wearing it when she got to the third floor and a man going into the elevator gave her a very deliberate once over.
I can see myself liking this vacation even more and more, she thought as she reached her door and slid the key card through the scanner. The light blinked green and she entered. It was almost six o'clock, and Lalasa had told her to hurry up and change so they could have dinner together with Roald and Numair.
Joren turned his head when he sensed the door opening. "You're early," he said and looked at his pager for the time. "You said you'd be back around 8."
She pouted. "Well, you said the same thing, so why are you here early?"
"After two weeks, the mechanic finally sees it my way, Ms. Nosy."
"Humph," Keladry folded her arms and marched past him into the bathroom. A few seconds later, she marched back out, picked up some clothes from her drawer, and went back into the bathroom. Her roommate with held another biased comment, thinking he'd already won that innocuous argument.
When she came back out, she said, "I'll be back in late. Sorry if I wake you up."
"You always wake me up," he muttered.
As she stood in front of the open doorway, she stopped to think. "Hey… why did you train yourself to wake up at the slightest little thing?"
He sat down on his bed and started removing his jacket. "I don't like people getting the element of surprise against me. And that is another one of the top ten reasons I do not like roommates."
"Well, by Glory, you weren't my first choice either," she retorted and left.
~~
Cleon yawned. Then he fell back flat onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. The only bad thing about the Resort was that the channels on the holo screen, for lack of a better word, sucked. While waiting for his companion to get ready every night, he had to either choose between weather reports or the plaster dots on the wall. Or maybe crossword puzzles book that he'd found under the bed. Neal was busy posing in front of the mirror, practicing his smile for whatever girl he happened to meet tonight.
He does this every night. Fal wasn't even this bad.
Cleon smirked when he elaborated on the thought. Fal doesn't even think about women everyday. Well, not that Neal does but when given an opportunity for a whole month, I can see how his attitude would change. He propped himself up on his elbows and sighed conspicuously. "Hey! Man, are you done yet? Let's go already!"
Neal ducked his head out of the bathroom. "Why don't you go ahead? I'm trying to figure out which cologne that girl from last night might prefer. She said something about it last night, but I can't remember just what it was she said." He hesitated. "Do you remember?"
"No. But I'll go ahead downstairs. See ya," he called and leapt up from the bed, happy to escape boredom. Before Neal could speak again, he heard the door slide shut.
Out in the hall, Cleon hummed as he walked down the hall. He stopped to admire some pointless decorative painting set on the wall. It was of the crashing waves against the shore, with a typical rosy sunset in the background. He turned his head when he heard footsteps coming from down the hall.
It was Faleron, fiddling with a brown jacket in his hands that had its zipper stuck. He was so focused on the task he didn't even hear the tall redhead approach until a hand clapped down on his left shoulder.
"Ah!" he cried out, surprised.
"Hey, man, it's just me," Cleon smiled jovially. "Here, let me help ya." He took the jacket from him and started working on the problem. Faleron first held out his hand to take the jacket back, but let it go. They quietly walked down the hall toward the cluster of elevators.
When the reached the end of the hall and the zipper was still stuck, Cleon handed the jacket back to Faleron. They stood waiting until the doors to an elevator opened and they went inside. Faleron pressed the button for the ground floor and leaned back on the rail.
"So, um, what are your plans for tonight, man?" Cleon asked, trying to strike up a conversation.
The other shrugged. "There's this night tour of the cave that starts after the scheduled dinner in the restaurant. Tour guide said to meet him out in the middle of the complex that overlooks all the boardwalks."
The elevator came to a stop and they both stepped out. Cleon nodded. He was trying to act interested, but he really didn't know much about caves except the one at the resort had some supposed ghosts in it. "That's cool."
Faleron rolled his eyes. He didn't know why he should even bother doing what he was about to do, but he always did it anyway. "Do you want to come?"
"Actually, yeah. That sounds pretty, um, neat. I guess. It starts right after dinner you say?"
"Yeah." Not that I expect you to actually keep your word and show up.
Cleon caught sight of Maura Dunlath from afar. They'd been seeing each other regularly ever since that first meeting. He awkwardly looked back and forth between her and his companion. "Yeah, I'll see you later. I have some people waiting for me." He coughed. "But I will be there after dinner. Scouts' honor."
"You were never a scout," the other replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, you get the idea. Later!" He ran off.
Faleron started walking in the other direction. He slung the jacket over one shoulder.
He and the clown named Cleon had been friends for a while. During the Immortals crisis, things happened that told him that Cleon was a trustworthy and loyal friend. But that crisis was over. The times when Faleron was convicted and set to be executed in Scanra… the frantic search for Roger in President Jonathan Conté's mansion… times like those were not likely to happen again. Everyone lived normal lives now. Day after day, the friendship that was formed between the inseparable 'Three Stooges', as Lalasa had dubbed them, was growing weaker and weaker. Roald had left the triad long ago to stand by his girlfriend. Cleon had deserted for people who had more things in common with him, such as a wild personality.
Faleron was still standing there, wondering what had happened to the three of them-- or more in particular, him and his best friend. Roald was great and all, but somehow the former thief always knew that he'd never again be a close buddy after Lalasa started to hang around.
For a moment, he wondered if he should just give up and start looking for a girlfriend of his own. But the problem was, every time he was able to attract a girl of his desire, he had also been using his charms. He didn't want to have to use his charm all the time. He wanted to act how he usually did. Snappy remarks that made him look smart, and-- well, he guessed he should just call himself a smartass.
Not many girls are attracted to an ex-thief and one time murderer, let alone a smartass.
He closed his eyes and sighed.
~~
"How is everyone, you ask?" Numair put down his fork. "Oh, well, Thom's been going crazy ever since Jump accidentally used some blueprints for um… indoors doggy purposes. The tough little guy was paper trained after all."
"Which tough little guy, Uncle Thom or Jump?" Lalasa asked.
"Good one," Numair grinned. "But both he and Advisor Alanna are the same height, so you shouldn't say that. You just might get a nasty surprise from them."
She laughed. "Oh, but I have no intention of making either an enemy. I'm working for Ms. Sarassri now, but who's to stop me from climbing up the ladder?"
"Me! Who says I won't retire and take the Advisor's place when we're all older?" Kel interjected. This won her a light-hearted shove from Lalasa and a rueful shake of the head from Roald. They had been talking like this for about an hour now. All of them had noticed how much more friendly and outgoing their favorite female DJPF officer had been acting. The vacation had a good effect on her after all.
Before they'd arrived days previous, Keladry had been doing a lot of outgoing things with complete strangers, such as the group hikes, and scuba diving. Sure, Lalasa had intensified this new sense of emotional freedom with that day's water skiing and silly ideas. But, even without her closest friends, Kel seemed to be getting the hang of it. Fun, that is.
"Has anyone else besides me noticed that this place is on constant holiday?" Numair asked.
Roald nodded. "It's odd, but very nice. Takes off a lot of the tension we arrived here with."
"Hmm. Daine should have come. If anyone needs to get stress and tension out of her system, it's that stubborn woman." He sipped from his drink. It was almost empty, so he waved to a waitress a few feet away who held a pitcher.
Later, when Numair had gone to the restroom, the rest of them started talking about less than noteworthy topics. Lalasa dabbed her chin with a napkin. She pushed away her plate, having finally finished. She liked savoring her meal, and therefore was always the last to finish. The spaces in front of Keladry and Roald were already cleared. They ate quickly and preferred no dessert.
"Why do you think we always see Councilman Salmalin and Councilwoman Sarrasri together? It's not like their divisions are related. I mean, you know," she winked.
Roald coughed, nearly choking on the Coca-Cola he was drinking. He turned beet-red. "Lalasa, that really is none of our business."
"Oh, stop being so gentlemanly and tactful all the time. People gossip around the office building about those two, " Lalasa said nonchalantly. She sipped some of her ice water and set the glass back down. When she realized both her table companions were staring at her with shock, she yielded. "Okay, okay. It's none of my business. I'll butt out. Sorry."
Keladry shook her head. "It's not that. It's just… I don't think they'd be involved. I mean, they both know what kind of effect that would have on politics."
"That's exactly what I was going to say," Roald agreed. "I've been around politics my whole life, remember, Lalasa? Last time two very important people turned out to be having a fling behind the media's back, there was a whole explosion of bad publicity everywhere. Tabloids fabricate things on the spot. It's already assumed to be that way." He lethargically traced designs on the soft white tablecloth. "Or at least that's what my dad said."
"Your dad also said there's a conspiracy in the coffee market when I talked to him last time on your cell phone," Lalasa sighed.
~~
A little over a dozen men and women were assembled in the dimly lit complex overlooking the boardwalks. The guide was wearing high water trousers and beaten up tennis shoes. He said something about having to walk through some water, but it didn't apply to them. It was chilly at night, a stark contrast to the scorching day. The wind blew more liberally, causing people to wear sweaters or extra shirts if they had no cold weather clothing.
Faleron had finally given up on the zipper and pulled the jacket over his head like he would a shirt. At least it would be warm. He protectively held his beaten up old black New Yorker hat to his head (he had never known of a place named New York, so he figured the company had made up the name). There was a good chance a gust of wind might rip it from his head. He was determined not to lose it. This was his second hat. Cleon had gotten it for him to replace--
"Forget about it," he mumbled. While he'd been thinking to himself, the group had formed a less-than-straight line in pairs down the wooden stairs that went down to the shore. He shivered when the cool breeze tickled an exposed part of his neck. He went to the back of the line, no partner to be had.
"This way! Please keep up. Hold onto the handrail. Thank you!" The guide projected his voice rather than yelled. Experience probably showed him how his voice would get hoarse very quickly if he yelled all the time.
Faleron fell into step behind the rest. He did as instructed and gripped the handrail through the material of his long jacket sleeve. He had no gloves, and his hands were freezing. Also, long ago, he had slid his hands down an old wooden rail while going down a flight of stairs. He had gotten a painful splinter that caused him two hours trouble under the sewing needle of his mother, who tried to gently remove it.
This would father a lifelong abhorrence of wooden rails and needles in general.
He heard panting and heavy footsteps behind him. He wanted to ignore it at first, but when the group came to a stop, he was obliged to turn and stare as everyone else was. His eyebrows arched in mild surprise.
"Uh, sorry I'm late!" Cleon nervously called to the front. The guide rolled his eyes in a 'whatever' way. He whistled for the group to continue down the stairs. The late redhead wiped a small sheen of cold sweat off his brow. He smiled apologetically at him. Faleron glared back.
They walked in silence for the entire trip to the cave. Cleon was still catching his breath, and Faleron did not want to talk to him. The rest of the line felt amiable enough to chat with each other. They provided enough droning noise for the both of them.
Amazingly enough, the cave was mostly turned away from the crashing waves, so there was less chance of flooding. A natural walkway with man-made rails indicated the path they would walk. A metal box was planted stationary on the outside of the cave. The guide opened the box with an old-fashioned metal key and started passing out flashlights.
"Be sure not to lose them. It gets pretty dark in there, even with the fixed lighting inside," the guide explained as he got to the end of the line and started walking back up. The line moved into the cave.
Cleon held his bright yellow flashlight up to the moon so he could see the switch. When he found it, he flicked it on. He shined it in his companion's face. "Ah, there we go!"
"Stop that," Faleron commanded sternly. He moved ahead of him as they went into the cave.
Drops of water could be heard dripping from the ceiling and onto the puddles of water below. Every now and then, there was a lantern found stuck in the wall, providing a ghostly glow of light in a radius of two to three feet. They went in and out of vague 'rooms' in the cavern. Each one was different from the last. There were deeply carved designs in the rock from the first room, signs that the cave had been around for a very long time. In others, there were odd formations, and even odder distributions of water.
In a particularly large space, the guide allowed everyone to break up into groups as small as two. They snapped pictures and looked around with curious minds like that of explorers.
Cleon tilted his head back when he felt a drop of water on his head. He frowned when another hit his forehead. He stepped to the side and nudged Faleron with his flashlight.
"Hey, look at this. Wow, here I thought this place would be boring. Guess I was wrong, huh?" he chuckled and leaned slightly over the rail to look at miniature glowing lakes beyond the rail, all raised above the ground level they were standing on. He could barely spot the planted lights below that caused the water to radiate such a pleasant glow. When he realized Faleron was not looking, he cleared his throat. "I wish I had come down here with ya when you went the first week. This place is cool to hang out in. Why is it slightly warmer in here?"
Faleron didn't talk. He only leaned his back on the secure metal rail and looked at his watch. The guide wouldn't call for everyone to proceed for another ten minutes. Low tide lasted for a while, but there was still a certain time everyone had to be off shore during the night.
When he didn't reply, Cleon tried to lighten the mood and jokingly flashed the beam at Faleron's face. The shorter young man turned away, his face set in a serious and temperamental expression. The taller man didn't know what to do. He fiddled with his flashlight for a few seconds, then looked up and said, "Are you mad at me?"
This time, Fal did respond-- just not verbally. He turned, stared at Cleon for about fifteen seconds, then turned away again.
"Was it because… I was late getting here?" Cleon said with uncertainty. He was truly confused about his friend's attitude.
Faleron spun around. "No. I was just surprised you showed up at all."
"What's that supposed to mean? I said that I'd show up, and… I did," Cleon said with a wave of his hands. "I mean, here I am! What the hell…?"
"Yeah, I supposed just like last time and the time before that," Faleron grated. "You keep saying you'll show up, and you don't. For the last couple of weeks, it's gotten to the fucking point where I ask out of politeness, you say yes, and I make deliberate plans to do idle chit-chat with complete strangers the whole night because you didn't show up." He cursed under his breath. He didn't mean to let it all out like that.
Cleon gulped. "Hey, now. It… it wasn't like that."
"Yeah, it was. Man, you're so busy being Neal's shadow that it's pathetic! I know. You're into flirting with girls all the time, too. And I could've handled you ditching me this whole month to hang out with your new best friend. But you didn't have to go making empty freaking promises." He shook his head. "It's just…" He searched his mind for the right words. "I don't have many close friends. You know that. I'm not very good at making friends. Allies, yes. Cronies, maybe. Well, I mean, not after Rogue Bay." He gripped his flashlight so his knuckles became white.
"And…?"
"And let me finish!" he angrily burst. He looked around, afraid someone had overheard them. They still had a few more minutes before the group moved. "The friends I have now are all because we went through the same grueling situation, and we've grown together that way. Otherwise, people tend to get scared off by my cutting remarks. I can't help it. That's who I am." He sighed. "I miss the Three Stooges. Roald and you… I'm never gonna have company like that for the rest of my life. And I'm not likely to get a girlfriend anytime soon unless she's as shrewd as I am. The point is…"
"I made you feel left out," Cleon finished. "Made it worse by breaking promises. Dude, I… I didn't know."
Faleron moved ahead when he saw the guide whistling and waving his flashlight around his head. Cleon walked behind him, a little ashamed.
"You were supposed to know. Not even you are that big a moron."
"Yeah, well I didn't. You should've spoken up, Fal."
They continued walking. Once again, they were at the end of the line. They didn't bother lifting up their flashlights anymore. The beams from the other men and women, as well as the flashes from their cameras, worked as good lights to guide their way.
"So, are you saying it's all my fault and I've been wrongly blaming you?"
Cleon scratched the back of his head, trying to justify the guilt he felt and the accusing look Faleron was giving him. "Okay. So Neal and I have more in common than you, Roald, and I. To tell you the truth, I've been pretty bored clubbing every night. I don't see how he could keep up with all that. Anyway, that doesn't make him more important in my life than you guys. You, Roald, and me-- we're the original Three Stooges." He paused when he realized he violated a copyright. "Okay, not the original… I mean, that was Moe and--" he growled softly. "You know what I mean."
"Do I?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow, meant to provoke further frustration.
The redhead reacted accordingly. His eyes softened. "You should. You're supposed to be my best friend."
"I should say the same to you, moron."
"Moron? Is that all you can come up with? You used to be great at finding stupid names to call me."
"No, that was you making fun of me."
Cleon shrugged. They stopped in another room. A photo session began again with the huge stalagmite formations in the spotlight. He gazed up at one while talking. "I said you're my best friend, okay already? And Roald after you. Just like that."
"It's hard to tell when I'm stuck by myself, with no one to talk to but thirty-five year old former philanthropist spending her before mid-life crisis years splurging on the Home Shopping Network."
He blinked. "A what?"
"Never mind." The other sighed. "So, that's it?"
"What do you mean, that's it?"
Faleron shrugged. "After all the hell insecurity brings, I'm just supposed to clap you on the shoulder and say, 'I forgive you. Want to get a beer?' This isn't a fucking sitcom, you know." He gave him a look like a teacher did a misled student. "That stuff doesn't happen."
Cleon threw his hands up into the air. "What do you want me to say?! I don't know what to do to make it up to you unless you tell me, smartass!"
"Ah. There's a name I missed."
"Forget it. For…get… it. This is giving me a headache! Too much stuff! Brain overloading!" Cleon cried. This time, half the persons in their tour group turned and gaped at him as if he were crazy. He nervously laughed and ducked behind Faleron. The former thief smiled.
The path started to loop around. They were exiting the cave. As they did, there were a few more available chances for photographs. Cleon squinted at a cavern wall, trying to determine if a steady flow of water washed over it, or if it was just damp. He reached forward, but his hand was slapped away.
"Hey, what was that for, Fal? I didn't do anything!"
Faleron nodded. He nodded his head toward the departing group again. "I know. Come on. I'll tell you about it."
"Okay."
"So, water drips down from everywhere, depositing bits of mineral on rock, right? This makes the rock kind of… grow. Get bigger at least. The oils from your hands stop the water from flowing over the rock the right way. No bits of mineral can be deposited on the rock. And it stops getting bigger. That's how all those hanging stalactites are made."
"Um… so what happens again if I touch the rock?"
Faleron leaned over and whispered. "You'd be a rock murderer."
"Oh. Hey, wait a second! That's pretty cool!" he grinned. "People could hear me the wrong way and think I killed a rock-star. Wow…"
They were now out of the cave. The guide took back their flashlights and locked them away into the metal box again. He also flipped a switch that would turn off all the lights within the cave. The group stared walking along the shore back to the wooden steps that would lead them back up to the complex. Faleron pulled his sleeves over his hands again, warding off the cold and any potential splinters.
Cleon frowned. "Hey, isn't the guide supposed to tell the ghost story that goes with the cave?"
"That's only when there's a full moon, like there was the week we got here. We can go again to hear it at the end of the month," Faleron reassured.
"So… are we cool now? You're not mad at me anymore?"
"No. I don't think so. Besides, you need somebody to keep you from being taken advantage of with a mind like that," he said.
"Hey! Ice Cream Pants!"
"Ouch, Kennan. That hurt. Almost as much as if I were a vending machine, and you'd just lost your money to me." He ducked a careless punch and hurried ahead. "Wait! I take that back! I don't have to be a vending machine for you to lose money to me!"
"FAL!"
~~
Two days later:
Brush, brush.
Glance.
Brush, brush, brush, brush.
Gargle. Spit.
Glare.
"Is there a particular reason you're up early again? This sharing-sink thing is starting to get annoying," Joren said as he rinsed his toothbrush. He dropped it into a plastic cup at the edge of the sink and tried to move past her to the door. Keladry rolled her eyes and pressed herself against the counter so he could move by.
She spat and rinsed her mouth. "Lalasa wants to go fly a kite."
Joren froze where he was and leaned back into the bathroom. "Come again?"
Keladry smirked. "She saw some people flying kites down at the beach yesterday. So, Roald and I have to fly kites with her."
"And I thought you were weird," he muttered.
"Hey, leave Lalasa alone. I don't make fun of your precious bike any more these days, do I?"
He picked up his small duffel bag and searched the nightstand for his sunglasses. He called back, "That's because I bought my bike back from you and got parts for yours as well."
She shrugged. "I'm just saying--"
"Yeah, yeah. Heard it before, Mindelan. I'll be back some time this afternoon."
The door closed. Keladry looked out the bathroom. The room was empty. He'd left. She sighed. There was a little bit more than a week to go. Feels like an eternity.
~~
"Hi! Cleon!"
Cleon turned around. "Maura, it's you. Want to join me for the continental breakfast?"
"Sure." She took his offered arm, and they headed over to the restaurant.
~~
Faleron distractedly sipped his coffee while watching the holo screen for the news. He paid no attention to his surroundings. After a while, he began to ignore the fake whales and dolphins hanging from the restaurant's ceiling, though strange they were. The length of the whales was about 13 feet, as were the dolphins. The proportion did not matter as long as the diners were entertained.
It was fun for the employees to watch guests come in and cower at the sight the first time a person set foot in the Seastone Resort's restaurant. By now, Fal knew that they made bets in the kitchen how many people gasped that night. The second busboy usually won. Faleron played gin rummy with him a few times.
The employees could tell Faleron had been at Seastone for a while. The whole "under the sea" theme went straight over his head. Literally. He was more occupied with the report on the declining ground vehicle market. More people were getting steady incomes, and therefore purchasing hover vehicles. The local government stated that it would keep the ground lanes for the old fashioned cars. A number of these machines remained to be reckoned with.
He did avert his eyes from the screen when he heard a well-known laugh.
"Cleon?"
Just entering with a girl latched to his arm, his friend walked over to the food table and picked up a plate. He handed another to his female companion. They started to pick up samples of food. First they stopped by the bacon and sausages, then moved straight to the toast and scrambled eggs.
For a split second, Faleron hoped to go over there and introduce himself. But something inside him bade him to stay and listen in on their conversation. They had moved closer to get fresh squeezed orange juice, but they lingered in that spot. He was sure they did not see him.
"Where were you last night? I saw your friend Neal at the Sand Piper, but…" Maura trailed off. She pitched a suspicious expression to him. He couldn't help but shyly react the way she was hoping he would.
"Oh, right!" he laughed nervously. He sipped a bit of orange juice to wet his dry mouth. "Sorry about that. I, um, had some catching up to do."
Maura laughed. She playfully tweaked his nose. "Eathan Iakoju, my cousin, remember him? Yes, he was on that cavern tour last night and told me you were there with this geeky-looking brainiac. Is that true?" Before he could speak, she giggled. "Because that would be so… scandalous. I mean, I heard the guy was short and dressed in some bad threads. Even this freaky hat."
Faleron gripped the table edge instead of making a fist. Making a fist would probably lead to something else and he didn't act that way. But that girl really pushed it. Pushed it a little too far.
Cleon will defend me. He wouldn't let her trash his best friend, would he?
"Oh, uh, Fal? Um… he's this friend of my friend's, and well, she was busy so I had to hang out with him. You know, so he wouldn't be alone all the time," Cleon lied with a jittery smile. "I don't really know him that well. Yeah, you're right. He is a little weird." He added another laugh to secure his words. "But I'd do it again, because that's the kind of guy I am. I'm always there for other non-popular people. Heheh…"
She smiled and laid a hand on his cheek. "How sweet! You are such a sweetheart!"
Yeah, well I'm going to rip that so-called sweetheart's HEAD off, Faleron mentally seethed.
"Now, now, you just have to come with me after breakfast to the surf shop. Eathan and the rest of my friends will be there. You fit in with them so well. It's amazing," Maura gasped. They left the refreshment table and claimed booth on the other side of the divider. Faleron could still hear their chatter, but it didn't matter anymore. He dropped some money onto the table for the coffee and left the restaurant.
~~
"Ah! Watch out!" Keladry screamed as her green kite took a nosedive toward some innocent bystanders. The two men held metal detectors in their hands, probably combing the sands for valuable treasure. They dropped their things and fell to the ground on purpose to avoid getting hit by the berserk kite.
Lalasa tried hard not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. Soon, she was pointing and laughing in amusement. Roald kindly smiled and jogged over to retrieve Kel's kite.
"Oh, sorry," Lalasa said when she calmed down. "But hey, you're better than me. Mine won't get off the ground." She held up her bright red one for Kel's inspection. "Do you think there are some kite gods I could pray to for guidance?"
Kel shook her head ruefully. "No, but you're welcome to try my kite."
Roald came back. "I don't think any kite would help her."
"Roald!"
"Just being honest," he shrugged. She tried to slap his arm, but he caught her wrist and pulled her close for small peck on the cheek. The two flirted with each other for a few more seconds before noticing Keladry's boredom.
"Sorry. So, anyway, where were we?"
~~
Directly after lunch, Cleon sought out his shorter friend. For bribes, he brought along a small box of Lucky Charms cereal. The sharpshooter remembered Faleron's fondness for the colored marshmallows. It wasn't long before he caught him in the lobby.
"Hey! Fal!"
Faleron turned around. He strained to keep his anger hidden. "What?" he barked. "I'm busy."
"Whoa, dude! No need to get uptight," Cleon stepped back. He offered the plastic bag with the cereal inside. "I was wondering if you could help me out with this--"
"I'm not helping you out with anything. I'm just a dorky looking guy with bad threads." He shoved the taller guy away, leaving in the other direction.
The animosity was clear in his voice. Cleon gulped. He jogged to catch up, dropping the cereal onto the floor. "Hey, man, what the hell…? What's your problem?"
"My problem?! Why don't you ask your cool friends and find out my fucking problem!" Faleron yelled as he spun to face him. Winding his arm back, he let loose a hard punch to the redhead's jaw. Cleon's head whipped to the side as he found himself sprawled on the floor. The former thief sneered at him before stalking off.
Joren watched from the glass doors. His eyebrow arched in curiosity. Something was drastically amiss here. He watched the remaining man pick himself off the floor. Cleon showed a look of understanding as he wiped blood from his lip using the back of his hand. He shook his head regrettably and left.
The icy blonde operative decided to follow the thief and get to the bottom of things. Maybe this affected him as well. But he could guess by the short and fueled dialogue that it probably didn't. Still, he followed.
On one of the lower huts, toward the beach shore, Faleron had found an old tennis ball. He was now throwing it at the wall, watching it bounce, and catching it. The only sounds he heard were the faint music of parties nearby and the crashing waves on the glistening sand.
Faleron couldn't believe it. After that whole deal in the cave, Cleon would go and be ashamed of him for the sake of some girl. I mean, sure, Cleon and him had not always been on good terms… and it certainly wasn't as bad as when they first met. But it should've been better than that.
…
Faleron licked his chapped lips, wiping the sweat off his brow and standing calmly in front of Cleon. He crossed his eyes slightly to look at the gun barrel pressed to his forehead. He smiled and said in a very unfazed voice. "So! I see you have your guns back…"
…
"What about my guns?" Cleon snorted.
The young man chuckled light-heartedly. "I'd be lying if I said I intended to return them. Nice merchandise, my good man. I applaud you on your tastes." He paused. "You must be a good shot, hmm?"
…
They stayed in Rogue Bay for one last night. Each officer took shifts for guarding the band of thieves and then returning the stolen goods from the warehouse. It was two hours past midnight when Keladry woke up to take over for Cleon. She entered the room where the four were still restrained. Cleon yawned. He was sitting on a chair that he tilted on its back legs by pushing off the wall.
"You know, you could fall."
"Aww, no I won't."
Faleron stomped on the old floor, causing it to shake. Before he knew it, Cleon was tipping backwards, falling out of his chair. He landed with a thud. "Ow! Hey, you--"
"Cleon, go to sleep," Keladry said and helped him off the floor.
…
"What is that stuff?" Cleon pointed to Faleron's cereal.
"Marshmallows. Lucky Charms to be precise with some powdered sugar I added myself. They are very tasty. Care for any, Mr. Kennan?"
"Uh, no thanks." Cleon stabbed at his eggs again. "You know, for a guy who talks like a dignitary of Mithros, you have some weird food preferences for sugar."
…
"It's okay, man. I'll think of something," Cleon said. He scratched his forehead. "So, there's no trial?"
"No trial. The law here is harsher because crimes are hardly committed in this utopian society. They know the real criminal is dead," Faleron said quietly. He shrugged. "I'm just their scapegoat."
Cleon couldn't believe his ears. "And you're going to let them do this to you?"
The guard moved forward. The tall redhead held his hands up, backing away from the cell door. Faleron stood up and grasped the iron bars of his holding cell. He pressed his cheek against the door. Faleron looked so strange, pale and quiet like a ghost. There were no witty remarks made toward him. There were no calls of 'grasshopper' or tips of his hat. His hat was forever gone, cleared away by the police as they investigated the crime scene.
There were five more minutes of silence before the guard cleared his throat. Cleon sighed, folding his arms. "Leave it up to me, Thief-Boy. Everything's going to be cool. You can teach me your poker face when you get out of here."
"You think?"
"Oh yeah. And while you're at it, use the stupid face while you're in here. Don't let them think you want to deserve this. That's just crazy, pal. Crazier than getting chased down 34th street by a couple of cheated thugs."
Faleron chuckled. "I didn't cheat them. They were just really, really bad at poker."
"Sure they were."
"Is this your attempt at cheering me up? Because you're doing a lousy job."
"I know. Hang tight, man. I'll see you later."
Faleron waved weakly as the guard escorted him away. Cleon found out from a woman at the desk about Faleron's sentence. It was indeed execution. The redhead cursed silently, and left. He lingered outside the building for a while, concentrating on the predicament. Scanra was vicious in its laws. He guessed that's why everything appeared so perfect from an outward glance. All the people were kept in line. The city was unbelievably clean and orderly. If something bad happened, they didn't even examine the evidence. They just destroyed all that was connected with disturbing their perfection.
Namely, his best friend.
"This is so screwed up," he muttered.
…
"I'd have been better off if I'd been killed by that burglar." Faleron's hat fell a little too far over his eyes. He yanked it off and stared at it before tossing it to the side.
"Freaky hat, huh? It's a classic!" he vehemently claimed to himself while throwing the ball again. He threw it a little too wildly that time. It bounced off to the left, too fast for him to catch. It rolled down the pathway around the corner. He sighed and started toward the path to retrieve it, but stopped short when Joren came in range. The silent one held the tennis ball in his hand. He took off his grease stained over shirt and tossed it by Faleron's hat.
Then wordlessly, he tossed the ball at the concrete wall. It bounced onto the similarly built ground and into Faleron's hands.
The ex-thief stared at the newcomer with shock. Joren rolled his eyes, and gestured impatiently for him to throw the ball. Faleron obliged, feeling perplexed at the turn of events. Joren caught the ball and tossed it back.
They did this for a long time before Faleron spoke up.
"What are you doing here?"
Joren lowered the arm that was preparing to toss the ball. With no flicker of interest or care in his face, he replied, "What does it look like I'm doing?"
That caused him not to bother talking for the rest of the afternoon. Neither spoke. Neither tried to speak… Though the other resort's guests would pass through the area next to the hut, the two unlikely companions still bounced up the old tennis ball, which had probably been used to play fetch with a dog once upon a time.
For an hour, a sea gull came to watch the two, perched on a ledge just atop the hut. It's head jerked in motion with the ball's movement, keeping a watchful eye on the strange object. Faleron paused before tossing the ball high, hitting right under the ledge. The bird flew away, making those sounds that gulls were prone to make. Joren caught the ball again, glanced at the other man with some strange thought in his head…
And they continued their comfortable silence. There were no attempts to cheer up the ex-thief. It was just what he needed. Some straightforward time to think, with no pressure at all. He wished that he'd done that some more in his jail cell instead of linger on death and wallowing in self pity.
~~
Joren moaned into the mattress. He groped blindly for the lamp switch and flicked it on. "Mindelan! Why the hell are you in so late?"
Chagrined, Keladry surrendered and sat down in the chair next to his bed. He reluctantly lifted his head and propped it up with one arm. He awaited an answer while noting that her eyes were trying to focus on his face instead of his bare chest. Heavens above, he found it so inwardly amusing to watch her squirm.
"Well?"
Keladry sighed. "Cleon was on a long guilt trip and he decided to drag Neal and I along. That was after the relentless teasing from Neal on how I was actually showing some skin. Lalasa's fault."
Joren blinked. "I think you're mistaking me for someone who cares. Get to the point. Is that all?"
"Yeah. I think I fell asleep at the table around 1:45. As far as I can tell, Neal carried me up here and woke me up just outside the door. It's 2, isn't it?"
Joren twisted around to see the digital clock. "Yeah."
She nodded. For approximately a minute, they stayed the way they were with Joren's drooping eyelids and Keladry's quiet contemplation.
"Hey."
He snapped awake the instant the word left her mouth. "Now what?"
She studied his face. "I saw you playing wall ball with Faleron this afternoon."
He rolled over onto his back. "And how the hell did you see that?"
"Oh, I was just climbing a tree trying to retrieve my kite--" she inwardly winced and shook her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter how I saw. I just saw. And I have to admit, I'm… impressed."
Joren grabbed a pillow that was almost falling off his bed and put it over his face. "Oh, here it comes. 'You know, Stone, you might actually have some heart.' "
She smirked. "You know Stone, you might actually have some heart."
"Feh."
She snickered and sat back, stretching her arms behind her head. "Would you mind helping out with the two idiots?"
"I'd rather spend the day drinking motor oil."
She nodded. "I thought you might say that." Keladry stood up and walked to the bathroom. She leaned against the doorway languidly, taking her time to speak. He could sense her eyes were on him and knotted up a little inside, wondering what the hell she was doing. She spoke. "But I just wanted to make sure that you knew… if Cleon keeps doing these guilt trips, I'm gonna have to come in late every night… and wake you up every night. At 2:00 am, to boot." She shut the door.
He removed the pillow from his face and sat up.
~~
Faleron paused from throwing the beaten up tennis ball when he noticed Joren was standing there with his trademark sunglasses and an irritated expression. He blinked. "Uh, you look a little hostile today."
"So?" Joren barked.
"Er, right." He started tossing the ball. The two resumed their game from yesterday. After five minutes of the scorching sun on their heads-- Faleron had for once left behind his hat-- Joren purposely threw the ball so hard that it bounced over their heads and over the wooden fence behind them. He held up a hand to stop Faleron from going after it.
"What are you doing, man? I'll go get it."
"Just stay here."
Joren waited patiently, tapping his foot. After half a minute went by, there was a scuffle heard behind the fence. The ball was thrown back over. Joren caught it easily and strode over to where the fence ended. He cleared his throat.
"Just go, ya idiot!" Neal ordered as he shoved Cleon forward. The redhead stumbled in front of Joren, his eyes wide. Neal grinned triumphantly and went on his way.
"Uh, hi."
Joren put the gray tennis ball into Cleon's hand. He glanced over at Faleron, whose arms were folded. A look of malice dominated his face. The blonde shook his head. He removed his sunglasses and stared imposingly at the slightly taller man. His iceberg blue eyes were hard to stare down.
"Between Thief-boy and me, I believe I only have to say this once, Kennan." Joren also folded his arms. Cleon gulped nervously. It was intimidating for the operative to do that with such a fed-up expression on his face. He could tell Joren did not want to be there, doing this. Whatever had made him must have been something. Joren was fighting all urges to just walk away and head for the garage.
Joren pointed at Cleon's chest. "What you did, was very… very stupid. Now go." He shoved him in the right direction, and left the same way Neal had.
Cleon stood uneasily beside Faleron. "Uh… hey man."
Faleron didn't speak.
"Um, nice weather, huh?"
Still no words.
"You think high tide will come soon?"
"Just throw the ball, Kennan."
He shrugged to himself and tossed the ball at the wall. It bounced. Faleron caught it. Taking his hint that there was to be no talking, Cleon remained quiet. He wondered what the hell they were doing. At least, he should have to apologize for what he did.
Or maybe the apology had already been made.
"Hey, guys. Can I hide out here?" Roald called out as he ran onto the plaza. He looked out of breath. "Lalasa is at this bird show in the Auditorium, and she's already taken Kel for prisoner. Personally, I love her and all, but I'm kind of tired of all these activities."
Faleron glanced at Cleon before nodding. "Sure. Catch."
…
"You've really got to stop with the nicknames."
"What? You want me to go back to Faleron? Just plain Faleron?"
"It would be nice. Yes."
"But it's so boring! Right, Roald?" Cleon's eyes lit up. "Hey! Did I tell you Roald's new nickname?"
"Oh, no, here it comes," Roald sighed.
"Mr. Black and Blue! Ha! Lalasa will probably smack me in the head every time I say it, but I think it's worth it."
"You are way, WAY too much Kennan. I narrowly escape unjust execution and you're cracking jokes?"
"Somebody needs to keep the humor alive in this group." Cleon grinned
"I think I see why my girlfriend calls us the three stooges," Roald muttered.
"I'm not just a stooge!"
Faleron snickered. "That's right. Cleon, my hero."
"Yes! I'm a hero! All hail the almighty--"
"Grasshopper!"
Roald and Faleron burst into laughter.
"Hey now…Bruise-boy, Ice Cream Pants…"
"You're such a dork, Kennan."
"And you're not?"
"No, we're stooges like Lalasa said."
"Can I be Curly?"
~~
Keladry and Neal were waiting at a table under a blue and white striped umbrella for shade. Joren joined them, picking up the bottle of water set for him and unscrewing the cap.
"Thank you, Stone. We owe you," Keladry smirked.
"Yeah. You see, man? It wasn't that hard," Neal chuckled.
Joren glared at them both, then sat down.
Kel tapped her straw on the lip of her cup thoughtfully. She squinted through the bright sunny light at her partner. "You know, Stone, I believe I don't want to kill you so much as I did at the beginning of this trip. Especially on the ferry."
He arched his eyebrows slightly in sarcasm. "Oh, now I can die a happy man."
"Mind you, I'd still like to punch you. A lot. Just because you did this does not mean I no longer consider you a downright asshole. You are, you are. I'm just being lenient."
Neal winced. "Considering this is you we're talking about, Stone, you should take that as a compliment."
~~
Author: I hope you liked that! Man, these chapters are a bit long! Did I ever regularly do them this long last season? I can't tell. All the chapter word counts add up instead of individually. Aww, it doesn't matter. As long as you, the reader, are entertained, I will be content.
I sincerely thank every single one of you who wished me happy birthday, or at least read the words.
And now, something I have not done in a very, very long time.
To readers from the beginning, and I mean the very beginning, for when I made my debut at ff.net doing A Life Less Ordinary (ALLO). That was around late autumn of 2000, and you have stayed with me thus far. Should I be brutally honest, these people are the ones who have caught my eye, not because they made the best reviews, but because you were there. You were there when I was new to this world.
Umm, whose name still reminds me of Escaflowne- no matter what. I think I reviewed you before I started writing for ff.net, wasn't that so?
To Juniper, who I believe I saw first at ALLO threatening me to finish Chained. You would not believe me if I said I stared at the epilogue for twenty hours this last week, trying to get the nerve to type. I'd love some inspiration.
Lanna, whose reviews for ALLO came one after another so quickly, my head was spinning. How did you manage such work? I applaud.
Laurie Makensri, a righteous mix of outrageous and proud. Has it been so long since I last read you attacked Jon in a story? Bravo, I say only to you and perhaps one other for such bold things.
To Comicstar, who I have seen many sides to. Calm, honest… and impatient. But, then again, everyone was, when I frequently left cliffhangers as if they were my legacy in ALLO.
Kestrel, I do not remember much of you in the early days, but I have your name here. You were there. Were you detailed in response, or quick and witty? You'd do me a great favor by filling me in.
Caitie. You are the first I ever remember hearing the phrase "So when's the next one?" from. (Sorry, Jae, but I do believe she called it first. I know, I know. You wanted that title.)
To mE, who I'm not really sure is the original 'me' that reviewed my story back in 2000, but hey! The lack of a proper name always makes me smile.
And Quartz, the most moderate in reviews. Not too much, not too little. Always candid, encouraging, and sometimes the maker of reviews, short and sweet.
Many thanks, I say to you. And blessed gratitude in the future.
Some of you, I did not meet until ICBW. Some of you read ICBW and went back to my earlier work, A Life Less Ordinary. You are not forgotten. You are cherished. Perhaps another six, seven months from now, if you are still here and still telling me your impressions of my story-spinning… well, we'll just see.
~~Remembering:~~
A Life Less Ordinary, Chapter 23
They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes. Joren suddenly spoke, breaking the tranquil glass built around them like a hammer. "Hey, do you think we'll ever get home?"
"Don't say that. I hate it when say that," Keladry said in a heartbeat. She could have kicked herself for betraying her uneasiness.
"I've never said it to you before," he corrected in a nearly inaudible voice. She turned away. A pang of sorrow settled somewhere in his chest. He ignored the ache and stood up.
Present time and place:
"I am home," she said to no one in particular. "It is over." She frowned. "Then why can't I stop feeling sad?"
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HELP!
Anyone who can help plot a map of the ICBW world using the first couple of chapters of the first season and now please, please email me. Address is at top. Please, hurry! I will pass on sneak peeks to chapters and possibly pictures of the characters I made myself! HURRY!
-Sulia