3:45pm
As he walked toward the school parking lot, Merton noticed somebody sitting on the curb. On closer inspection, he recognized the person as Lori's would-be demon Avery Ulric.
"Hi," Merton said quietly.
Avery looked up at Merton and then back at his shoelaces, his thick black hair swishing out of place.
As Merton closed in on the hearse, the wind picked up and the sun covered with clouds. Merton shivered and glanced back down at the other teen.
"Where you going?" Merton asked.
"Home," Avery said cryptically, never looking up.
"Who are waiting for?" Merton asked.
"My mother," he said, "She's picking me up. She always picks me up after school."
"What time was she supposed to get here?"
"Three O'clock."
Merton blinked, "It's almost four."
"So?"
"Do you want a ride?"
Avery looked up, shocked, "A-a ride?"
"Sure, hop in."
"Are you sure?"
Merton nodded and then Avery did something unexpected.
He hugged Merton.
Pulling away instantly, Avery's face was a stark white. "I-I'm sorry... I-I-I.... I don't know what I was thinking! I'm sorry..."
"Shhh," Merton mumbled, "It's alright. Hop in, tell me where you live."
Avery's eyes widdened and he ran over and threw himself into the passanger seat as if afraid Merton would change his mind any second.
Avery's house, a modest apartment building on Beddingfeild Avenue, was one street over from Merton's house. A quiet street.
"Do you want to come up?" Avery asked timidly, even fearfully.
Merton suddenly felt exactly like a guy at the end of a first date.
"Ahh jeez," Merton muttered, "I have some things to do. Raincheck?"
"Okay!" Avery jumped out of the car, "Bye Dingle!"
"It's Merton!" Merton called from the hearse.
8:53pm
Merton, Lori and Tommy sat around a table at The Factory that night sipping on a rootbeer float each.
"Lori," Merton said, "You're crazy. Avery is not a demon. No way, no how."
"Sorry Lor," Tommy said with a small nodd, "I'm going to have to go with Merton on this one. The kid is strange, no doubt, but I don't think he has demon quality."
"He's off the radar Lori," Merton said, pointing a finger to the side of his head, "I just don't feel it."
"Fine," Lori snapped, "I'll do it on my own!"
Lori quickly moved to stand, a pissed-off expression on her face, as Merton spoke once more.
"You'll be at the lair Friday Night for the movie marathon though, won't you?!"
In response, Lori dumped her leftover float onto Merton's head before storming out of The Factory.
"Guess that's a no," Tommy stated, handing the annoyed Merton a napkin. "She'll go. you know she will."
Merton thought for a second, licking the spilled rootbeer float off of his lips, "Hey Tommy. mind if I make it a party of four?"
"Go ahead man," Tommy replied, "Your lair."
"You don't mind?"
"No."
"Lori might though..."
Tommy shrugged, "She can deal. Not like it's Avery or anything."
"Uhhh..."
Friday. 2:45pm
"Your project," History teacher Mr. Lewis started. He paused, awaiting the groans to die down before he continued, "is to pick your favorite historical event and present a bristol board presentation on it. Pick your partner wisely."
Merton started to turn around to face Tommy when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Merton turned and saw the hand connected to an arm which, if followed, evidently lead up to the face of Avery Ulric.
"Do you... uh... do you..." Avery stammered.
"Sure I'll be your partner."
"Really!?"
Merton nodded.
"Oooo," called a voice from the back of the room, "Dingle's got a boyfriend!"
Merton and Avery both blushed while Tommy looked confused as he was dragged by the arm towards the back of the room by a random blond.
"So what did you want to do it on?" Merton asked, "Personally..."
"I wanted to to do it the Salem Witch Trials," the two said in unison.
"Well, it's settled then."
"Hey Avery," Merton said slowly, "What are you doing tonight?"
Avery shrugged.
"You wanna come over to my house? I'm having a movie marathon with a few friends and I..."
"Yes."
"Oh well, I understand. I mean.... Wha?" Merton was almost dumbstruck. "Yes? That's great. Do you want me to pick you up or...?"
"No," Avery said, "I... I can get there myself."
"Seven o'clock alright?"
Avery nodded.
Merton quickly gave Avery directions and the bell rang, signalling the end of class and the end of school for that day.
As he walked toward the school parking lot, Merton noticed somebody sitting on the curb. On closer inspection, he recognized the person as Lori's would-be demon Avery Ulric.
"Hi," Merton said quietly.
Avery looked up at Merton and then back at his shoelaces, his thick black hair swishing out of place.
As Merton closed in on the hearse, the wind picked up and the sun covered with clouds. Merton shivered and glanced back down at the other teen.
"Where you going?" Merton asked.
"Home," Avery said cryptically, never looking up.
"Who are waiting for?" Merton asked.
"My mother," he said, "She's picking me up. She always picks me up after school."
"What time was she supposed to get here?"
"Three O'clock."
Merton blinked, "It's almost four."
"So?"
"Do you want a ride?"
Avery looked up, shocked, "A-a ride?"
"Sure, hop in."
"Are you sure?"
Merton nodded and then Avery did something unexpected.
He hugged Merton.
Pulling away instantly, Avery's face was a stark white. "I-I'm sorry... I-I-I.... I don't know what I was thinking! I'm sorry..."
"Shhh," Merton mumbled, "It's alright. Hop in, tell me where you live."
Avery's eyes widdened and he ran over and threw himself into the passanger seat as if afraid Merton would change his mind any second.
Avery's house, a modest apartment building on Beddingfeild Avenue, was one street over from Merton's house. A quiet street.
"Do you want to come up?" Avery asked timidly, even fearfully.
Merton suddenly felt exactly like a guy at the end of a first date.
"Ahh jeez," Merton muttered, "I have some things to do. Raincheck?"
"Okay!" Avery jumped out of the car, "Bye Dingle!"
"It's Merton!" Merton called from the hearse.
8:53pm
Merton, Lori and Tommy sat around a table at The Factory that night sipping on a rootbeer float each.
"Lori," Merton said, "You're crazy. Avery is not a demon. No way, no how."
"Sorry Lor," Tommy said with a small nodd, "I'm going to have to go with Merton on this one. The kid is strange, no doubt, but I don't think he has demon quality."
"He's off the radar Lori," Merton said, pointing a finger to the side of his head, "I just don't feel it."
"Fine," Lori snapped, "I'll do it on my own!"
Lori quickly moved to stand, a pissed-off expression on her face, as Merton spoke once more.
"You'll be at the lair Friday Night for the movie marathon though, won't you?!"
In response, Lori dumped her leftover float onto Merton's head before storming out of The Factory.
"Guess that's a no," Tommy stated, handing the annoyed Merton a napkin. "She'll go. you know she will."
Merton thought for a second, licking the spilled rootbeer float off of his lips, "Hey Tommy. mind if I make it a party of four?"
"Go ahead man," Tommy replied, "Your lair."
"You don't mind?"
"No."
"Lori might though..."
Tommy shrugged, "She can deal. Not like it's Avery or anything."
"Uhhh..."
Friday. 2:45pm
"Your project," History teacher Mr. Lewis started. He paused, awaiting the groans to die down before he continued, "is to pick your favorite historical event and present a bristol board presentation on it. Pick your partner wisely."
Merton started to turn around to face Tommy when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Merton turned and saw the hand connected to an arm which, if followed, evidently lead up to the face of Avery Ulric.
"Do you... uh... do you..." Avery stammered.
"Sure I'll be your partner."
"Really!?"
Merton nodded.
"Oooo," called a voice from the back of the room, "Dingle's got a boyfriend!"
Merton and Avery both blushed while Tommy looked confused as he was dragged by the arm towards the back of the room by a random blond.
"So what did you want to do it on?" Merton asked, "Personally..."
"I wanted to to do it the Salem Witch Trials," the two said in unison.
"Well, it's settled then."
"Hey Avery," Merton said slowly, "What are you doing tonight?"
Avery shrugged.
"You wanna come over to my house? I'm having a movie marathon with a few friends and I..."
"Yes."
"Oh well, I understand. I mean.... Wha?" Merton was almost dumbstruck. "Yes? That's great. Do you want me to pick you up or...?"
"No," Avery said, "I... I can get there myself."
"Seven o'clock alright?"
Avery nodded.
Merton quickly gave Avery directions and the bell rang, signalling the end of class and the end of school for that day.