Chapter 15: Something Priceless
"What's with girls and shopping? They're never lacking anything, but it's this primal urge to continuously scourge the malls for more," Jerry grumbled
"I've heard it's rooted in their role as like foragers in the cave days," Ken explained as they trailed behind the girls in a vast shopping complex.
"No one told you to come with us. We'll be fine on our own. Take the other car and go…do something," Shelly shot over her shoulder. The guys shrugged and turned towards a different wing of the mall shouting a meeting time before departing.
Eventually the girls split up amongst themselves too, just as Becca had hoped. "Hey Chastity, why don't you come with me? It'll give us a chance to get to know each other. Not that I don't adore you two," Becca directed her last comments to a pouty Shelly and Kiki behind her. Now browsing the racks of a Banana Republic, Becca and Chastity had at last a chance to chat.
"Are you going to be in Cali in December? Doesn't winter break start the first week?" Chastity asked.
"Yeah, I finish up around the 6th, but I will stay in LA for an extra week if you want me to."
"I'm flying out right after my last exam, the 17th. My family will fly over a few days after me," Chastity explained.
"I'll pick you up from the airport then. Just call me with the flight details. Did you want to stay at a friend's? Your old house? You know my loft is always open to you."
"Thanks, yeah I haven't decided that yet. Lucky there's never a shortage of places to crash in Cali."
"Chas, how are you holding up? You've been vague in your emails. Tell me about school, them, everything," Becca stared hard at Chas, willing her to spill the details.
"I had a nightmare this morning, and Vic was around. That's as much as anyone knows about the incident. Work has been going really well for me, and I have interviews lined up for overseas internships. I haven't told anyone about the California trip, summer plans, in fact, they don't know anything outside of school stuff. P2 has finished beta testing and is out in various states for the final trial period. But, you know that don't you?" Chastity brushed a hand over some sweaters as she spoke.
"I did the paperwork for Stanford's copy of the program, and it should keep the pesky grade changing hackers out. Chas, I know business is going well, but socially…"
"I really like them all. Even your pig of brother is such a dynamic person. They still have a chance you know, and the funny thing is, I'm not all that upset about this. I can't say I blame them, and it really isn't too late. I'm hopeful."
~
"Well? How'd you do?" Chastity smiled, seeing the bags that Shelly was struggling to carry.
"Christmas shopping, so don't peek!" Kiki said with emphasis. Just when the girls were comparing their expenses, they heard the other half of their group calling for their attention.
"Shelly! Chas! Kiki! Becca!!" Vanness sprinted to where they were standing, a mischievous grin plastered to his face.
"What…is…THAT?" Shelly pointed at the enormous pile of bags that the boys were now depositing at their feet. Ken laughed, Jerry was running a hand through his hair, and Vic simply tucked his hands into his pockets.
"We bought stuff. This mall isn't bad," Jerry declared.
"Yeah, we kept seeing all these Christmas-y things all over the place, and suddenly remembered that we should buy gifts," Vanness added as explanation.
"Gifts for…other people?" Becca scoffed. She eyed the names printed on the bags strewn about.
"Some," Ken responded. The boys had actually spent fortunes on themselves in the "holiday spirit", and Becca could only sigh at their foolishness.
~
"I'm bored. Why are we sitting around here?" Ken anguished on the couch in the toasty den.
"So get up," Vic teased in a pointed monotone.
"Shut up. You're bored too. I can tell you're about to droop off," Ken bit back.
"Sleep is good."
"There's got to be a point of too much sleep, and it's bad. You've probably passed that point. Twice."
"So?"
"Hey, there's a small concert tonight. Why don't we go?" Chastity was flipping through the month's recommended attraction book, faintly amused by the bickering going on next to her.
"What kind of concert? Symphony?" Ken asked from his spot on the couch, suddenly perking up.
"Yup. Interested?"
"Can I see that?" Ken reached for the colorful magazine, hoping to find another event to attend.
"Awesome! The Blue Man Group is in town. Chas we HAVE to go to that! I was out of town the last time they were in Boston!" Ken was already dialing for tickets enthusiastically.
"But…" Chastity started to say that she saw the show in California already.
"Let's go to the concert. They can go to the Blue Man Group," Vic offered quietly to Chastity, sensing her disinterest in the other performance. He'd prefer a night of tasteful music to watching painted blue men dance around anyway. Curiously, Vic hadn't spent any time alone with Chastity all day.
"It's a date! Well, that's not what I meant. Never mind," Chastity was a bit embarrassed at her own excited response. Her choice of wording was, perhaps, poor in this situation. What if Vic asked about last night or this morning? She shook away the worry and perked up.
~
"Wow, these are really nice seats. And we got our tickets so late too," Chastity looked around from her seat smack in the middle of the hall. She wouldn't be surprised to hear that they had connections for shows in Whistler too.
"The middle seats have the best acoustics, a surround sound effect," Vic added. Leaning back in his seat, he shut his eyes. The sounds of people shuffling through the aisles and whispering to each other filled his ears, but his mind was debating with itself on top of all the noise. So many conversations and images replayed in his mind, hazing his usual perceptiveness that he did not hear Chastity calling him.
"Viccc? Hello?"
"Yeah," he opened his eyes.
"Tired? Worn from the escapade at the mall?" Chastity smiled teasingly.
"Yeah." The exchange stopped as Chastity turned her attentions back to the room around her.
"Chas," Vic started at last.
"Hm?"
"Why aren't you and Ken together?"
"Haha. You've been stewing that one for a while huh? In brief, we're best as really good friends. It wasn't a messy break up because it wasn't a serious relationship. Kinda like an experiment with the "friends with benefits" type of relationship. It just didn't work out," Chastity explained gently. She didn't regret the brief fling she had with Ken. In fact, it had brought them closer, and he was more open to her since then. Chas was glad that she kept her connection to the boy infamous for terminating all contact with one-week relations.
"Best as friends huh?" Vic whispered again.
"No point in retracing the path already taken. Since when do you care about other people's business?" Chastity's face gleamed with mischief.
"You two aren't other people."
"Right. We're 'your people'?"
"Hm."
"Well, why aren't you dating anyone then?" Chastity spun the interrogation around.
"No point in repeating the mistakes once made," Vic gazed up, his eyes darkening with the statement.
"Well it's obvious you're pretty torn up about someone from the past, but does that mean you just won't date again, ever?" Chastity pushed the question.
"Think I'd make a good monk?" The gloom on Vic's face diminished, and his composed aura returned.
"Doubt it. You can do the silent thing, but they have restricted diets. You'd starve for sure. O! and neutral tones really don't suit you," Chastity laughed, seeing Vic nod his head in serious agreement.
"Wonder why you haven't had the "Jerry" affliction yet," Vic's lip curled into a slight smirk.
"Should I have?"
"The Jerry affliction is defined thus: all girls that come in contact with us will inevitably develop feelings for our brave leader before giving up hope for him and turning attention to another one of us. Most of the girls flock to him but get hurled back with the impact of colliding against brick. Ken and Vanness are typically the ones that help them 'recover.'"
"Hahah!!!" Chastity was laughing so loudly now she had to cup a hand over her mouth. Vic's dictionary definition of the "affliction" was just too ridiculous.
"Whatever. Ken and Vanness get enough girls on their own. They don't need Jerry's leftovers."
"Jerry doesn't have leftovers because he's never taken from anything served to him."
"You're telling me, our student body president, the resident hot boy, the school heartthrob, has never had a girlfriend?!" Chastity cried in disbelief.
"Not one."
"Why not?! Is he.."
"He never found anyone worthy…yet." Vic added quietly, cutting off Chastity's suspicions that Jerry wasn't into girls, at all. He and the rest of his friends knew that Jerry's stubborn refusal to date the "brainless brats" that crushed on him didn't apply to their new friend Chastity. Everyone could see his interests had turned in her direction, particularly lately.
"Wow. Um, no I can't say I have been afflicted yet. But none of that would count anyway since I dated Ken first."
"True. Very true. But be sure to tell me if you feel at all 'sick' alright?" Vic smiled gently.
There was a hesitation before Vic spoke up again, "Chas." She focused her bright eyes on him.
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
"Vaguely. I guess I had a little too much to drink," she said sheepishly.
"Oh."
"Should I remember anything?" Chastity asked innocently. ::Go on Vic, ask me about last night. The kiss, the bed, the dream. Aren't you even a bit curious?.::
"Yeah, I think you were just a bit tipsy yesterday. This morning…"
Chastity held her breath, expecting the next question. Finally, the conversation had breeched truly personal topic.
"Did you wake up with um, a headache? Hung over at all?"
"No actually, I think I slept it all off." ::Well, that wasn't the right question, you chicken.:: Chastity knew exactly why Vic was evading the real topic he wanted to address. His being anxious, nervous, apprehensive about it meant only one thing to Chastity. Vic had obviously developed some sort of feelings for her. Was that guilt she perceived gnawing inside of him? But what about herself? How did she feel about this boy next to her? They were with each other more and more regularly, but could something genuine be found in the midst of a heap of lies? Chastity could hope, but it was a question of wanting to.
:: "Do you trust easily knowing people can betray you at any time?" Vic asked.
"Yes," came her swift response. ::
::sorry about being so slow with this update!!!!! I went on vacation unexpectedly.::
"What's with girls and shopping? They're never lacking anything, but it's this primal urge to continuously scourge the malls for more," Jerry grumbled
"I've heard it's rooted in their role as like foragers in the cave days," Ken explained as they trailed behind the girls in a vast shopping complex.
"No one told you to come with us. We'll be fine on our own. Take the other car and go…do something," Shelly shot over her shoulder. The guys shrugged and turned towards a different wing of the mall shouting a meeting time before departing.
Eventually the girls split up amongst themselves too, just as Becca had hoped. "Hey Chastity, why don't you come with me? It'll give us a chance to get to know each other. Not that I don't adore you two," Becca directed her last comments to a pouty Shelly and Kiki behind her. Now browsing the racks of a Banana Republic, Becca and Chastity had at last a chance to chat.
"Are you going to be in Cali in December? Doesn't winter break start the first week?" Chastity asked.
"Yeah, I finish up around the 6th, but I will stay in LA for an extra week if you want me to."
"I'm flying out right after my last exam, the 17th. My family will fly over a few days after me," Chastity explained.
"I'll pick you up from the airport then. Just call me with the flight details. Did you want to stay at a friend's? Your old house? You know my loft is always open to you."
"Thanks, yeah I haven't decided that yet. Lucky there's never a shortage of places to crash in Cali."
"Chas, how are you holding up? You've been vague in your emails. Tell me about school, them, everything," Becca stared hard at Chas, willing her to spill the details.
"I had a nightmare this morning, and Vic was around. That's as much as anyone knows about the incident. Work has been going really well for me, and I have interviews lined up for overseas internships. I haven't told anyone about the California trip, summer plans, in fact, they don't know anything outside of school stuff. P2 has finished beta testing and is out in various states for the final trial period. But, you know that don't you?" Chastity brushed a hand over some sweaters as she spoke.
"I did the paperwork for Stanford's copy of the program, and it should keep the pesky grade changing hackers out. Chas, I know business is going well, but socially…"
"I really like them all. Even your pig of brother is such a dynamic person. They still have a chance you know, and the funny thing is, I'm not all that upset about this. I can't say I blame them, and it really isn't too late. I'm hopeful."
~
"Well? How'd you do?" Chastity smiled, seeing the bags that Shelly was struggling to carry.
"Christmas shopping, so don't peek!" Kiki said with emphasis. Just when the girls were comparing their expenses, they heard the other half of their group calling for their attention.
"Shelly! Chas! Kiki! Becca!!" Vanness sprinted to where they were standing, a mischievous grin plastered to his face.
"What…is…THAT?" Shelly pointed at the enormous pile of bags that the boys were now depositing at their feet. Ken laughed, Jerry was running a hand through his hair, and Vic simply tucked his hands into his pockets.
"We bought stuff. This mall isn't bad," Jerry declared.
"Yeah, we kept seeing all these Christmas-y things all over the place, and suddenly remembered that we should buy gifts," Vanness added as explanation.
"Gifts for…other people?" Becca scoffed. She eyed the names printed on the bags strewn about.
"Some," Ken responded. The boys had actually spent fortunes on themselves in the "holiday spirit", and Becca could only sigh at their foolishness.
~
"I'm bored. Why are we sitting around here?" Ken anguished on the couch in the toasty den.
"So get up," Vic teased in a pointed monotone.
"Shut up. You're bored too. I can tell you're about to droop off," Ken bit back.
"Sleep is good."
"There's got to be a point of too much sleep, and it's bad. You've probably passed that point. Twice."
"So?"
"Hey, there's a small concert tonight. Why don't we go?" Chastity was flipping through the month's recommended attraction book, faintly amused by the bickering going on next to her.
"What kind of concert? Symphony?" Ken asked from his spot on the couch, suddenly perking up.
"Yup. Interested?"
"Can I see that?" Ken reached for the colorful magazine, hoping to find another event to attend.
"Awesome! The Blue Man Group is in town. Chas we HAVE to go to that! I was out of town the last time they were in Boston!" Ken was already dialing for tickets enthusiastically.
"But…" Chastity started to say that she saw the show in California already.
"Let's go to the concert. They can go to the Blue Man Group," Vic offered quietly to Chastity, sensing her disinterest in the other performance. He'd prefer a night of tasteful music to watching painted blue men dance around anyway. Curiously, Vic hadn't spent any time alone with Chastity all day.
"It's a date! Well, that's not what I meant. Never mind," Chastity was a bit embarrassed at her own excited response. Her choice of wording was, perhaps, poor in this situation. What if Vic asked about last night or this morning? She shook away the worry and perked up.
~
"Wow, these are really nice seats. And we got our tickets so late too," Chastity looked around from her seat smack in the middle of the hall. She wouldn't be surprised to hear that they had connections for shows in Whistler too.
"The middle seats have the best acoustics, a surround sound effect," Vic added. Leaning back in his seat, he shut his eyes. The sounds of people shuffling through the aisles and whispering to each other filled his ears, but his mind was debating with itself on top of all the noise. So many conversations and images replayed in his mind, hazing his usual perceptiveness that he did not hear Chastity calling him.
"Viccc? Hello?"
"Yeah," he opened his eyes.
"Tired? Worn from the escapade at the mall?" Chastity smiled teasingly.
"Yeah." The exchange stopped as Chastity turned her attentions back to the room around her.
"Chas," Vic started at last.
"Hm?"
"Why aren't you and Ken together?"
"Haha. You've been stewing that one for a while huh? In brief, we're best as really good friends. It wasn't a messy break up because it wasn't a serious relationship. Kinda like an experiment with the "friends with benefits" type of relationship. It just didn't work out," Chastity explained gently. She didn't regret the brief fling she had with Ken. In fact, it had brought them closer, and he was more open to her since then. Chas was glad that she kept her connection to the boy infamous for terminating all contact with one-week relations.
"Best as friends huh?" Vic whispered again.
"No point in retracing the path already taken. Since when do you care about other people's business?" Chastity's face gleamed with mischief.
"You two aren't other people."
"Right. We're 'your people'?"
"Hm."
"Well, why aren't you dating anyone then?" Chastity spun the interrogation around.
"No point in repeating the mistakes once made," Vic gazed up, his eyes darkening with the statement.
"Well it's obvious you're pretty torn up about someone from the past, but does that mean you just won't date again, ever?" Chastity pushed the question.
"Think I'd make a good monk?" The gloom on Vic's face diminished, and his composed aura returned.
"Doubt it. You can do the silent thing, but they have restricted diets. You'd starve for sure. O! and neutral tones really don't suit you," Chastity laughed, seeing Vic nod his head in serious agreement.
"Wonder why you haven't had the "Jerry" affliction yet," Vic's lip curled into a slight smirk.
"Should I have?"
"The Jerry affliction is defined thus: all girls that come in contact with us will inevitably develop feelings for our brave leader before giving up hope for him and turning attention to another one of us. Most of the girls flock to him but get hurled back with the impact of colliding against brick. Ken and Vanness are typically the ones that help them 'recover.'"
"Hahah!!!" Chastity was laughing so loudly now she had to cup a hand over her mouth. Vic's dictionary definition of the "affliction" was just too ridiculous.
"Whatever. Ken and Vanness get enough girls on their own. They don't need Jerry's leftovers."
"Jerry doesn't have leftovers because he's never taken from anything served to him."
"You're telling me, our student body president, the resident hot boy, the school heartthrob, has never had a girlfriend?!" Chastity cried in disbelief.
"Not one."
"Why not?! Is he.."
"He never found anyone worthy…yet." Vic added quietly, cutting off Chastity's suspicions that Jerry wasn't into girls, at all. He and the rest of his friends knew that Jerry's stubborn refusal to date the "brainless brats" that crushed on him didn't apply to their new friend Chastity. Everyone could see his interests had turned in her direction, particularly lately.
"Wow. Um, no I can't say I have been afflicted yet. But none of that would count anyway since I dated Ken first."
"True. Very true. But be sure to tell me if you feel at all 'sick' alright?" Vic smiled gently.
There was a hesitation before Vic spoke up again, "Chas." She focused her bright eyes on him.
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
"Vaguely. I guess I had a little too much to drink," she said sheepishly.
"Oh."
"Should I remember anything?" Chastity asked innocently. ::Go on Vic, ask me about last night. The kiss, the bed, the dream. Aren't you even a bit curious?.::
"Yeah, I think you were just a bit tipsy yesterday. This morning…"
Chastity held her breath, expecting the next question. Finally, the conversation had breeched truly personal topic.
"Did you wake up with um, a headache? Hung over at all?"
"No actually, I think I slept it all off." ::Well, that wasn't the right question, you chicken.:: Chastity knew exactly why Vic was evading the real topic he wanted to address. His being anxious, nervous, apprehensive about it meant only one thing to Chastity. Vic had obviously developed some sort of feelings for her. Was that guilt she perceived gnawing inside of him? But what about herself? How did she feel about this boy next to her? They were with each other more and more regularly, but could something genuine be found in the midst of a heap of lies? Chastity could hope, but it was a question of wanting to.
:: "Do you trust easily knowing people can betray you at any time?" Vic asked.
"Yes," came her swift response. ::
::sorry about being so slow with this update!!!!! I went on vacation unexpectedly.::