Ch. 5: Old Acquaintances Renewed
"Nice shop you have here," Lorelei commented. I could see it in her eyes that she was lying. She was just trying to be polite. She's probably afraid I'll go home and tell Oliver she's a mean woman. Not that I wouldn't do that anyways.
"Hi there, I'm Alicia," Alicia said, walking over to Lorelei and holding her hand out, smiling congenially. Lorelei looked at Alicia's hand, before taking it weakly.
"Pleasure, I'm sure," she says. I never quite got the meaning of the comment. Does it mean that Alicia has the pleasure of meeting her? Or does it mean that she thinks she has the pleasure of meeting Alicia? Gah! So confused!
"So do you want any help or do you just want to look around yourself?" I hear Alicia ask. I turn and see Lorelei fingering a black tank top that laced up on the sides, frowning in distaste. Hey! I like that shirt!
"Oh, I'm fine. If I need any help I'll be sure to ask," she says as if trying to reassure us.
Lore turned her back to us and made her way over to look at the black skirts that I had hung up the week before. Alicia walked over and gave me a knowingly glance. I put up a finger to my lips. The boutique is too small to chance any whispers whatsoever. Alicia nodded and looked over my shoulder, looking at Lorelei with a stony gaze.
Fifteen minutes later, Lorelei was still puttering about, this time she was fingering a black pinstripe jacket. God damn, I think the woman has fingered every article of clothing in the store! She held up the jacket, her gaze unreadable. She set her bag on the ground and took the jacket off the hanger and pulled it on.
"How does it look?" she asks, looking at Alicia and I for opinions.
"Looks great on you," Alicia says amiably. Oh Alicia, you should have become an actor!
"Yeah, the color is just right," I say. I wasn't lying either. I knew from experience that blonde hair and black jackets went well together.
"Alright then, I'll take it," she said as she took it off and put it back on the rack. She handed to Alicia who rang the dress up.
"That will be 12 galleons," Alicia said. (AN: In American currency, that's about 89 dollars) Lorelei kept her mouth in a firm line as she handed over the golden coins to Alicia, who placed them gently in the cash register. I put the jacket in a special hanging bag to keep it from wrinkling, then handed it to Lorelei.
"Thank you," I said, trying to sound as polite as possible, which was quite a feat for me. Hey, you try being nice to a girl that's currently holding the gaze of the man you want. Wait...I thought I only liked Oliver, and now I want him? Hmm, I'll think about this more later.
"You're very welcome," Lorelei said as she took the bag quickly and began to exit.
"It was very nice meeting you!" Alicia called after Lore.
"Likewise," Lore murmured as she exited the store. As soon as Lorelei had passed by the window, Alicia turned to me.
"Oh my gosh, what an icy bitch!" Alicia exclaimed. I started cracking up again. Usually Alicia was the one to think highly of most everyone. Haha, I guess she can't like everyone.
"Now you know how I feel," I say.
"Cha. You wanna close early?" Alicia suggests. Oh Alicia, I never thought you'd say that! Of course I do!
"Let's," I say, holding my arm out to her. She takes it and we march out the door, which was quite a squeeze if you ask me. We lock up together and apparate back to our apartments, promising we'd talk later.
I got inside the apartment, and found it empty. Surprise, surprise. I look out the window, and see a large grey owl sitting on a chair on the balcony, a letter tied to its leg. I slid the sliding glass door open and made my way over to the owl. Dang, that's a huge owl! I untie the letter and give the owl a few pats on the head.
"Sorry buddy, but I don't have any treats for you," I apologized to the bird. It hooted angrily. At least, I think that was an angry hoot. I held the letter clutched in my hand, and wondered about my own bird.
Oliver and I used his kestrel as an owl, although I'm pretty sure his family was using it as well, to send letters to and from Oliver's various brothers and sisters. Hmm...I think Keep is in Scotland right now. Yes, our birds' name is Keep. Don't ask; it was Oliver's idea.
I sat down on one of the lounge chairs and opened the letter.
-Katie
Enclosed are the two tickets for the game tomorrow evening. Game starts at 5PM, but gates are open at 4. I suggest getting there as soon as possible. Also, your ticket doubles as a pass to the player lounge, where you'll meet a friend of mine there after the game. Bring a jacket, for if the game runs long, it'll get a bit nippy out. Hope to see you there!
-Nick
I can't help but feel a mixture of emotions after finishing the letter. I'm happy because I get two free tickets to a Professional Quidditch match, but I feel a little weird about the thought of meeting some stranger afterwards. I get up and walk to the edge of the balcony, looking at the street below. The sun has almost completely set, and I can see people scurrying about like ants. I see what appears to be a mother and child rushing down the street and disappearing down a corner. An elderly man walks leisurely below, tipping what appears to be a brown bowler, at everyone he meets. Then next to him is a couple...Oliver and Lorelei to be exact. Oliver is looking the other way while Lore is clinging to his arm possessively. He looks up, and we share eye contact for a minute, but Lore breaks it as she tries to pull him into a kiss. I see him turning his head at the last second so that Lore catches his cheek. Trouble in paradise? I can only hope.
A soft gust of window blows, and I can feel myself growing colder by the second. I slip into the apartment and look at the tickets. They look authentic, so I guess it'd be OK to use them. I hold up the spare, eyeing it carefully. I can't invite Alicia or Angelina, so I guess I'll invite my dear old captain. I pick up a pad of sticky notes and lick my quill before dabbing it in a bottle of ink.
Captain, my captain-
I got an extra ticket for tomorrow nights Magpie/Caterpillar game. And I know for a fact that you don't have practice, so no excuses mister! Hopefully I'll see you there.
-Love, Katie
PS- They double as passes into the player lounge, so if you want to join me in meeting a friend of Nicks, I would greatly appreciate it.
I stuck the note to Oliver's door, making sure the ticket was stuck there as well. I went off to my own room to read my muggle romance novel. I forget what it's about, but it's about this girl Lita who likes her neighbor Zack and he likes the 'town bicycle', Marietta. (AN: I just made this up, so don't ask about it, mmk?) Weird little book, it's so much like the problem between Oliver, Lore, and I. Ew. Even I'm calling her Lore now. Blech. I think I'll go scrub my tongue now. Wait...bah! I didn't say it aloud...Oh well, good hygiene.
Wow, it's the day of the game and I am so nervous but at the same time excited. I can't explain it. I pulled on my favorite pair of dark denim jeans, the ones with the flared bottoms so they cover most of my shoe. I can't help it, I'm such a new age hippy, I say to myself while pulling on a jersey tee with a white chest and blue on the sleeves and collar. Now standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, I check over my appearance, my hair is getting on my nerves so I opt to pull it up into a loose ponytail then slip on my favorite Nike sneakers. I walked out of my room, picking my ticket up off of the counter, as I pass, I check Oliver's room. The door was left open and I notice the ticket was gone. I smiled to myself, so he is going, yippy!!! Take that Lore! I hold my own small victory celebration inside then leave for the stadium, a loud pop sounding as I disappear.
Oh God, the crowd is freaking huge! I push past a large crowd of fanatical girls and find my way at the head of the line. The ticket taker eyes me and holds his hand out for my ticket. I slap the little piece of paper down and he eyes it as he tears a corner of it off.
"Nice seats," he comments.
"I know," I gloat. Heheh, it's good to have friends in high places.
Speaking of which, I finally find my seat, in my own secluded area right at the center of the field. I have a spectacular view of the pitch and can see each side perfectly clear. I look over to my left and eye the empty seat longingly. When will that blasted Wood get here? Maybe if I sit here and close my eyes, the time will pass by a littler quicker.
::Yawn:: A small nap wouldn't hurt, after all, I did wake up at bloody 5 in the morning to get to the shop extra early. I close my eyes and I can feel my eyelashes tickle my cheeks. I smile and start to nod off.
"Here comes the ref!" a loud voice booms across the stadium. I jumped in my seat and my chest is crushed against the railing. My eyes fly open and I see a black robed team hovering opposite a team wearing light green and scarlet striped robes. I scan over the black team with white birds on their chests and backs and try to spot the guys I knew. I could tell straightaway that it was Flint shaking hands with the other captain, with Nick on his left flank.
I hear the ref blow her whistle and off go the boys. The quaffle is grabbed by Flint who streaks towards the Caterpillar keeper, dodging a bludger aimed at his side. He sped up then slowed down as he paused to chuck the quaffle into the right ring. The keeper dove, but was unsuccessful. The crowd came to life I could feel the tower I was sitting in shake, but only very lightly. Ugh. I'd hate to see what would happen if it was a really tense match. The foundations would probably crumble and it'd be considered a massacre!
So we're two minutes into the game and the Magpies are up 10-0. This could prove to be a slaughter. Ugh, at least it's not one of those really rough games where the ref has to blow the whistle every time one of the teams makes an offensive move. Those games suck because it's just stop and go, stop and go.
Oh! There goes Nick!
"Go Nick!" I yell. Haha, man I miss going to pro Quidditch games. Barely being able to hear your voice when you know you're yelling is kind of exciting! Oh, Oh! There goes Nick and-
"THAT'S A FOUL!" I scream, jumping from my seat. Stupid bloody Caterpillar beater smacked him in the back when he was trying to score! I quiet down to hear the judgment.
"A warning?!" Grr, sometimes referees just piss me off. Then again, being one for a few years made me realize it's really quite hard. But still! She should have had enough sense to realize that was a blatant attempt to hurt him.
"What's this? Look at Starks go! It could be a Wronskei Feint, but I don't think it is," the announcer commented. I turned my attention to the defensive zone of the Magpies side of the field and see two figures dive-bombing the ground. Go go go! Just reach, boy! Reach!
"Starks has got the snitch! The match is over!" he announced. I screamed and fell back into my seat, kicking wildly. It was a short match, but it was still exciting.
"The Montrose Magpies defeat the Caerphilly Caterpillars 170-10! Ten? I didn't even see 'em score. Musta been during an internal rant. I shrug to myself and stand up. Wow, that whole match I was in my own box. Oliver hadn't even come...I feel a sigh building up and I have no choice but to exhale loudly. Oh well, there's always next time.
I make my way to the locker rooms where a bunch of burly-looking wizards glare down at me. I hand the brunette on the far left my ticket and he takes it. Ew, he has veiny arms too! What is with guys who are overly muscular? Do they think it's cool or something? Well it's not! Girls really want men who are built like Oliver; long, lean, and perfect...Shut up, Bell. You might drool.
"Miss?" the guard says in a gruff voice.
"Oh! Sorry," I say as I take my ticket back from his huge, outstretched hand. Ew, even his HANDS have muscle. Gross, gross, gross. I trudge down the cement hallway, which is surprisingly similar to the one at the United stadium. It's dank and smells like a mixture of sweat and other yucky stuff. Humph, they should bottle it. I'm sure the crazy fan girls would go crazy over 'Eau de Quidditch.'
To my left I notice an overwhelming pair of metal doors, looking ahead of me I also notice a long staircase flowing upwards with sunlight streaming down it... Against my better judgment, I think I'll go after the light at the end of the tunnel. I look back and see two guys exit what I can only assume are the locker rooms. Agh! They're huge! Must be beaters...
Wow, nice club house! Lots of circular tables scattered about with a few square ones pressed up against the glass looking out onto the pitch. Ooh, full service bar. I casually make my way over to the bar and sit down a cushy stool. Oh! Squishy! I can't help but bounce on my seat for a few seconds while the bartender looks at me curiously.
"Can I get you anything?" he asks, one eyebrow inching higher and higher towards his rather high hair line. I cease my bobbing and look at him innocently.
"Appletini," I say. He nods and gets to work on my drink. Ooh! The chairs swivel too! Yay! So of course, I spend the next three minutes spinning around. The nameless bartender sets my drink down in front of me and I finally stop turning. I lick my lips and place them on the edge of the glass, taking in the smooth taste of the sour apple and vodka. I smack my lips together and let out an appreciative breath.
"Katie?" I turn expectantly. Maybe it's Oliver! My hair twirls around me, and I open my eyes slowly, kind of like how a supermodel would. The hair clears from my eyes and I see...
"Flint?!" I practically yell. Oh, geeze. I grip the edge of the bar tightly – almost fell outta my seat there! That would've been graceful. My eyes flicker back to his, and I can see he's changed a lot. He smiles, and his teeth are no longer yellow and beaver-like. They're "normal-sized" and white. His eyes flicker in the light, and I can tell there's a lot more emotion held behind those black orbs.
"How have you been, Katie?" He asks. Wow, flint. Did you have a makeover? Hehe, a small smile flashes across my lips.
"I've been great. What about you? Hah, obviously doing well. You're famous after all!" I exclaim, waving my hands about. Hmm, I should put these in a safe place before I smack someone upside the head. I tuck my hands under my butt and look up at him.
"You want to move over to a table so we can talk?" he asks. Hmm, he hasn't said anything mean yet. Maybe he had a mental makeover as well...Is that possible? Oh right! He asked me a question!
"That'd be nice," I say as he leads me over to a booth in the corner. It's secluded and nice, with a single ceiling light above us. I scoot into the leather seat and he comes in on the other side. I place my hands on the edge of the table and look across at him. He's looking at me closely and I feel a small blush coming across my face.
"So what's up, Flint? Why'd you wanna meet?" I ask. Might as well see what he's after before I get over my head.
"Well, ever since you kicked our Slytherin asses, I just couldn't get over it, that a girl beat me. I've been thinking for a long time, Katie. I respected you as a player, but never really as a person. A friend of mine recently died, his lasts words were pleading for me to get to know the enemies I've made for no reason before my time was up. He told me I would regret it if I didn't, he was probably right," he says. Wow. Just drop a bomb on me.
"Wow, Flint-"
"Call me Marcus,"
"Alright. But yeah, wow Marcus. That's really deep," I admit. Man, takes a lot of guts to get to know someone that you've always considered an enemy. Marcus smiles across at me and I smile back. He leans forward.
"So what've you been up to, Katie? Got a boyfriend or anything like that?" Hmm, interesting. I saw him tense a bit when he said the word 'boyfriend.' Interesting indeed.
"Well. You remember Alicia Spinnet, right?" I pause to see him nod. "Well I own a clothing boutique with her. And no, I don't have a boyfriend. I share an apartment with Wood, but we're not involved or anything. I mean, he's got himself a girlfriend, so I'm just the roommate!" I say. Blah. It's kind of how I classify myself now. I'm 'The roommate' to the great Oliver Wood. I'm not even 'Oliver Wood's best friend' anymore. I'm just 'the roommate.'
"That sounds like fun. But by Wood, you mean Oliver?" he asks. No, some other Wood. Who else?
"Yeah. Oliver and I have been living together for a few years, but like I said. Nothing happening between us. But enough about me, what about you? What's it like being a famous Chaser?" I lean forward, remembering reading somewhere it's a turn on if you look intrigued. Not that I'm trying to turn him on, I'm just trying to be polite. That's right. 'Polite.'
"Well I'm sure Wood would know all about being famous," Marcus laughs. Ahh, nice rich laugh he's got. "But it's really fantastic. I get paid for having fun, so if there's a downside, I sure as hell don't see it," he says. I smile and nod. He relaxes back into the seat and looks at me. A strand of hair falls into my face, and I blow it out of my face. I look back into his eyes, and...are they darker? Nah. I'm just imaging things. He just leaned out of the light.
"What I can't understand, Katie, is why you didn't stick with Quidditch. You were a natural!" Marcus said, leaning back into the light.
"It just...didn't want to happen," I say, looking away.
"What?" Blah, he's being persistent.
"I tried to get on a few teams, but no one was willing to take me at the time. I just shrugged it off and began working as a business worker and owner, and well, here I am today," I say. Even now, it stings to hear myself say that nobody wanted me...
I look up when I feel my hands covered with his warm ones. I look into his eyes and see sympathy.
"Well they're a bunch of prats. I'm sure that the Magpies would love to have you," Oh, Marcus. You flatter me so...Hey! Don't stop!
"Oh Marcus. I wish I could, but I'm just really involved in owning my shop and I really love doing it," I laugh. Sure it'd be fun to play Quidditch again, but there's something special about owning your own shop.
"I like your nails," he comments offhandedly. I blink and look down at my long, pink finger nails. Oh yeah, I painted those a few days ago when I got bored at work.
"Thanks. My favorite color," I mutter as I examine the coat of varnish. Wow, first time I didn't get color all over my cuticles! Congratulations to me!
"Nice," he says. I nod and look up for the first time. The club house is still pretty much empty, but I see someone coming up the stairs now...
"Oliver!" I call out, waving my hand energetically. Marcus looks up quickly and sees Oliver as well. Looks like my roommate has spotted me 'cus here he comes! He stops at the edge of the booth and looks at Marcus.
"Flint," he says coolly, nodding down at Marcus. Marcus smiles and nods back.
"Wood," Marcus says. Oliver turns to me, and his eyes are unreadable. A long pause follows, and Marcus coughs. Oliver and I look over and see Marcus getting up.
"It was really nice talking to you, Katie, but I have to go now. Maybe we could get together sometime," he says as he slides out of the booth. Leaving so soon? Eh, whatever. Man, that bartender makes a good appletini! I swallow another mouthful of the liquid poison and nod.
"Sounds good to me," I agree. Marcus turns to Oliver and looks up. Geeze, does Ollie tower over everyone?
"Wood,"
"Flint,"
They nod and Marcus walks off. Oliver tilts his head in the direction of the staircase. What? I want to enjoy my appletini, dammit! He throws me an impatient look and I down the rest of the glass.
Once we're outside the stadium, Oliver and I apparate into the hall of our flat. He opens the door and throws his keys on the coffee table and turns to me as I close the door.
"What were you doing, talking to Flint?" he asks. I frown at this question.
"Just that. Talking. He told me he wanted to get to know me, so I agreed," I say, making sure Oliver can hear the annoyance in my voice. I sit down on the black leather couch (Yes, Alicia and I got ours from the same place, so don't ask) and I cross my legs.
"Wants to get to know you? That's bullshit, Katie, and you know it. People like him don't just want to get to know people like you," Oliver says bitterly. He begins pacing around the room, throwing me angry glances every now and then. What's he so mad about?!
"What do you mean, people like us?" I ask. This is getting old, Wood. Real old.
"Katie. He's a big famous Quidditch player, and you're well-,"
"I'm well what?"
"You're my innocent little Katie Girl," he says. The bitterness drops out of his voice and I flare up in anger.
"People DO change, Wood," I start. Oliver and I usually only use our last names when we're mad, so that explains that, "And news flash! I'm not your innocent little Katie Girl. I'm a grown woman! I can make my own choices! I own my own business for crying out loud!"
"Katie-"
"No, Oliver. For once, sit down, shut up, and listen. You have no right to lecture me about my choices, especially when Marcus just wanted to meet me again. He bought us spectacular tickets, but oh, I almost forgot. You wouldn't know. You weren't there! So tell me, Oliver dear. Where exactly were you?" I yell. I can feel all my emotions flowing into this argument, and I'm verbally attacking him with all I got. He messed with fire so now he's gunna get burned. Too bad for him they'll be second or third degree...
Haha, I really like that chapter. Lots of good voice. But oh my gosh guys, I checked my email when I got home and I had like 15 reviews! Made me a happy chick :-) So keep it up, and I'll continue to update everyday! Now onto the ch 4 hall of Fame!
-Crying Pixie (hope you don't get detention!)
-Inu-Kokoro
-Katie
-Kathy
-Creep susie
-ShadowStar21
-lindalee4
-Random person
-p0pptart (yes, there IS a sex scene (i've already finished it) but sorry, won't be for a lonnnng time :- but there are some small consolations here and there!)
Thanks for everything guys! And until 2morrow!! Lots of love to everyone!
English-Foxlette