A/N: Heh, sorry about the wait, I've been lazy. I'll try and update sooner this time. Oh yeah, I added little quote thingies to the last two chapters that I didn't add before, so yeah, I had to repost those chapters, go look if you want. They don't always have something to do with the chapter directly, but their still fun to read. :D
A/N2: Scott has helped a lot with the plot development of this story, and has beta read the last few chapters, along with helped me to write this chapter. So from now on just assume he beta read and/or helped, so that I don't sound like a broken record thanking him every chapter. Thanks again. :-P
Ch. 6: Clio's in Town
Take a good look at yourself
before you start putting
other people down
when you judge someone else
it doesn't define who they are it
only shows who you are
---
Lars looked at the girl standing in front of him. She was wearing an unzipped gray Von Dutch sweatshirt with a tight white tank top underneath and baggy gray pants, on her feet were hot pink flip flops. She had a silver figaro chain around her neck, and big silver hoop earrings that must have been at least two inches in diameter. Sitting on the stairs next to her were two Burberry suitcases, which matched the purse she had over her shoulder. It took Lars a few minutes to realize that this girl was Clio, his cousin.
"What are you doing here?" Lars asked.
"That's no way to speak to your cousin, Lars," she responded. "Aren't you going to help me with my luggage?"
Lars mumbled something to himself before picking up her bags. "Wait here," he said. He took her things and went upstairs, but instead of putting them in the guest room, he went into his own bedroom and hid her bags under his bed. He walked back downstairs, Clio was sitting down on the couch playing around with her cell phone.
"We need to talk, Clio." Lars said.
"Okay, what do you wanna talk about?" Clio answered without looking up.
"Not here," Lars opened the door, "let's go."
Clio got up off the couch, "Where are we going?"
"I don't know yet," Lars picked up his roller blades and walked out onto the porch to put them on.
"Wait, I can't roller blade, I might get dirty or something," Clio replied. "I'm meeting someone later. Let's take your car."
"I'm not supposed to use it, it hasn't been inspected yet."
"Then let's stay here and talk."
"Aaaaaaaargh!" Lars complained as he walked back inside and returned a few minutes later with the keys to his car. "So, do you wanna drive?"
"Yeah right, and when we get pulled over for not having a sticker I'll get in trouble," huffed Clio.
"Oh well, you can't say that I didn't try," sighed Lars as the two of them got in his car. Lars drove for a while before parking at a Starbucks in a town about 10 miles into the countryside.
There wasn't anybody waiting at this hour, so the two of them just walked up to the barista and placed their orders, Lars getting something simple and strong, but with some chocolate and cream; Clio something very elaborate. They sat down at one of the empty tables in the establishment.
"You coming back so...soon. That's a bit of a surprise. So, what's going on? Shannon to LAX is a heck of a long ride to take on a whim," asked Lars.
Clio drew a long breath and looked into the surface of her drink, then answered. "Well, at first it was cool being at St. Agnes, having no guys around. But, ultimately, I didn't fit in...I mean, we're well off, but not that wealthy, at least since Cleotilda's investment portfolio started heading spaceward. It started to suck when I noticed that a lot of the girls spent a lot of time talking about one's mom owning this humongous corporation and another's dad being the prime minister of some gorgeous island in the Caribbean or the South Pacific..." She sighed visibly. "You and I have had to do things by ourselves. I hate seeing my reflection in other people's silver platters. You have such a simple but enjoyable life here...surfing, skating, hockey--things my classmates couldn't do in a hundred years without personal training and a five-hour plane ride."
"But," Lars asked, now even more perplexed than ever, "you could have stuck it out another what, couple of months? You could have graduated and then be able to do whatever you want." Still, he empathized with her on one level; even a palace of luxury could still be a prison if one wasn't allowed to leave.
"Anyway," she continued, "I've been in correspondence with a...a guy who turns out to live close by here, and I'd like very much to meet him."
"And who would this guy be?" asked Lars, a look of concerned puzzlement on his face.
"Tim Francis."
"Tim Francis?!?!" Lars repeated Clio's answer, wigging out. "That guy is baaaaaaad news, girl! I'd let you date Pi before I let you within ten feet of ol' Greaseball."
"Well, first of all, I never said anything about dating him. And I'm not asking your permission, I'm telling you I'm going to meet this guy."
"But--but what do you see in that guy? Even Rocket Dork's twice the man he is, and I know the two of you have a history of sorts."
"Have you even talked to the guy? I mean besides trash talk and rumors, do you even know him? He's not a bad guy if people would just give him a chance."
"Do YOU even know him Clio? You've only talked to him online right?"
"I did get a picture of him once," Clio replied. "And not a staged portrait--I got a candid shot of him goofing around by his pool, so at least I know what he really looks like!"
"So, his looks can't tell you much about his personality."
"But his mind can. And I think we've shared enough of ours to...justify a meeting."
"Well, where do the two of you plan on meeting?"
"At this...video arcade out by the old tuna factory. I told him I'd send him a message once I got into town," Clio continued, "and he'd meet me there like an hour later."
"That's a baaaaaaaad part of town," Lars observed. "Who'd ever wanna meetcha there's gotta have...ulterior motives." He naturally searched his vocabulary when speaking with her.
"I know how to protect myself, my mom had me attend a self-defense class after she heard about a string of assaults on girls attending my school. Plus I'm not stupid, and I'm almost an adult, I can take care of myself, little cuz."
"That you are," admitted Lars, raising his cup. "But that doesn't stop me from being a gentleman and worrying about you."
"Anyhow," Lars continued, "'til we figure out what you're gonna do later, I hope you brought your bathing suit, cuz there's one heck of a south swell headed this way."
"I brought everything with me, I'm not going back to that place."
The two of them paid for their drinks and went back out into the parking lot.
"Hey Lars let's go get your car inspected." Clio said pointing at a gas station across the street.
"Can't. I don't have the money, and my parents are going to be home soon and I need to get the car back there."
"Well, you said the only reason you can't use it is it's not inspected, and I have money, so let's go," she insisted.
"Alright, but I still think you shouldn't be hanging around with Tim!"
"Okay." Clio laughed.
---
Marisa and Sam went back to Sam's house, to avoid being seen by any of Sheri's friends. Paula wasn't home so the two of them were alone, making out on the couch.
"Do you wanna go to a movie?" Marisa asked, not wanting things to go too far between them.
"Uh, sure." Sam replied, sounding a little disappointed.
Reggie needed to ask Sam something, she figured Sam would be the one who could best keep a secret, she wanted to ask him a 'hypothetical' question having to do with Twister being abused. She was surprised when just as she was about to knock on the door, it opened and Sam and Marisa were standing there.
"Hi Reggie," Marisa said after an awkward silence.
"Hey... uh... where are you two off to?" Reggie asked.
"We're going to see a movie, you should come." Marisa smiled.
"No way, I'll be the third wheel!"
"So ask Twister to come too."
"Alright," Reggie wasn't really in the mood to see a movie, but she wanted to find out what was up with Sam and Marisa.
After getting Twister, they all went to the movie. The movie they saw was Romeo and Juliet staring Leonardo Dicaprio and Claire Danes. Once the movie was over they left the theater.
"That movie was so sweet." Marisa said dreamily
"Yeah, the way the two of them die together is so sad, but sweet." Reggie added, "So, Ris, when did the two of you get together..."
"Oh, we were just hanging around, we saw each other on the Pier and neither of us had anything to do so..."
"Riiiiight... I guess what Sherri doesn't know won't hurt her." Reggie said, thought she was a bit upset with Marisa, one friend messing around with her other friends boyfriend. Big no-no.
A friend of Sherri, named Kristen, was also at the theater that night, with her boyfriend. She saw Sam with Marisa, she watched them the whole time the movie was playing. She couldn't wait to get home so she could call Sherri on her cellphone to tell her what she had seen.
---
A/N3: Don't forget to review. Thanks.