The Horror of Popularity

Chapter 7: Red, Flashes, Hair and Blood.

(Same Night at 9:00pm)

"What!" Chad's mother exploded, "they can't do that to people's children!" she shrieked, "don't worry Mrs. Tang," she said, "Goodbye," she said and hung up.

"So it's everyone?" Chad asked.

"From second grade upward," Chad's mother said with a sigh, "I'm just blown away by how fast and underhanded they did this," she stated, "using the Boil Chester alert to take away people's children without their permission," she snarled, "worse not even telling their parents where their children are," she said, "Mrs. Tang now regrets sending her daughter away (to Veronica's house)," she told him, "she wishes that she got to kiss her daughter goodbye one more time before she got taken away," she whispered, "I'm so glad that you decided to come home!" she cried suddenly and grabbed her son to her bosom.

"So am I mom," Chad said honestly, "I'm still worried about Tad being at his house," he confessed, "but his parents want him home during this crisis."

"It's so wonderful that his father decided to take a vacation and stay home with him," Chad's mother said with admiration, "I'd do the same if...."

"It's alright mom," Chad assured her, "Aunt Helen is good company really."

"I can always count on my sister in times of crisis," Chad's mother said softly, "at least she'll stay here to look after you while we're at work," she said, "I'm going to sleep," she said tiredly, "good night and don't stay up too late."

"I won't," Chad said as she headed upstairs, "good night," he said happily and went into the kitchen.

(Meanwhile at a hospital in a small neighbourhood)

"How is she?" a male doctor asked as a nurse gave the moaning girl another injection.

"She'll be okay," the nurse said as she ran her hand through the unconscious girl's blonde hair, "any idea who she is?"

"No," the doctor said, "but she's been pretty banged up," he stated as he looked at her heavily bandaged body and swollen face, "at least the culprit had the decency to drop her off at the hospital's steps instead of leaving her in the road or wherever he hit her."

"Red........ Flashes," the blonde girl started to mumble as she started to thrash violently, "Hair..... Blood," she continued as the nurse hurried to get to restrain the flailing girl, "Beware the curse!" she cried suddenly and then became still.

"What was that about?" the doctor asked himself softly as the nurse hurried in with two large men and one big woman.

(Meanwhile at A.J.'s house)

"I'll never forget you Chester," A.J. whispered holding a picture of his dead friend, "I also miss Stuart but I met you first and besides Timmy, you were my best friend," he said tearfully, "I can't continue with you gone," he whispered and reached into his dresser drawer.

He took out a pistol. His father's pistol to be exact. His hand didn't tremble, no it was long decided that it might come to this. Timmy never noticed how depressed he was getting, short attention span and whatever else kept his other best friend from noticing how down in the dumps he was. Chester would've noticed.

He chuckled slightly as he held his father's prized pistol in his hands. His father was more interested in this pistol than he was with him. His dorky son who'd rather read about cellular structure than play American Football. His mother was nicer but not very different, work occupied her life and she only cared that he didn't tarnish her reputation.

That's how Chester was a problem. Trailer trash his mother called Chester. Future Garbage Man his father called Chester with disdain. A.J. remembered telling his parents that Chester died, their uncaring indifference. But with Stuart it was different, his parents loved Stuart. In fact Stuart was the only smart kid that his father liked. Great in school work and American Football plus soccer, his intelligence was second only to A.J. Stuart was hated by Popular kids because he made it clear that he didn't like them. A.J. had been his friend for barely two years since he transferred from San Francisco Prep and even though he liked Timmy. He hated Chester. Stuart was top middle-classed but he didn't like anyone lower than his level and Chester was definitely lower. He used to hate the jokes Stuart made about people living in trailers and Chester made peace by just avoiding him (Stuart) all together.

A.J. sighed sadly as he remembered how upset his parents were about Stuart compared to how they were when Chester died.

"I'll be seeing you soon Chester," A.J. whispered, "Sorry Timmy," he said softly as he placed the gun to his temple, "sorry that you had to join up with a monster like Mr. Crocker and becoming a monster yourself," he added then pulled the trigger.

(Midnight at a Boarding House)

Trixie Tang jumped out of her sleep. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed.

"Britney," Trixie whispered to the sleeping girl in the dusty old bed beside her, "Britney," she said a bit louder.

"What?" Britney snapped as she turned to Trixie with a face filled with fury, "I'm trying to sleep on this scratchy thing," she said and pointed to the coarse gray material that covered the moldy smelling cot.

"I just remembered something," Trixie whispered, "at Veronica's house from four nights ago she started to mutter strange things in her sleep," she told Britney.

"Like what?" Britney said with boredom, "don't tell me she's starting to hallucinate because she can't have the school watch her do triple back flip," she said sarcastically.

"No," Trixie responded, "she kept muttering about red, flashes, hair and blood," she said, "between each word she'd mutter incoherent words or her mouth would move wordlessly and she'd start thrashing like crazy," she told Britney who raised an eyebrow.

"Do you think that it has something to do with the curse?" Britney asked curiously.

"I don't know," Trixie said, "but after she's already escaped...."

"What," Britney whispered in disbelief, "you allowed her to get away?" she asked incredulously, "what if she caused the curse to happen?"

"Veronica would never do such a thing," Trixie said firmly, "In fact," she continued, "that whole thing with 'red' points towards you," she pointed out, "red hair and all," she added.

"Don't you dare repeat that," Britney said seriously, "I'm not going to get interrogated even worse because of the crazy words of some blonde cheerleading broad," she spat.

"Veronica's not a broad," Trixie said angrily, "and since when do you call us names?" she demanded, "you're one of us, remember?" she reminded her.

"(I) wasn't always," Britney muttered then turned her back as she tried yet again to fall asleep, "just get to snoring and shut your yap," she hissed.

Done.

Death's Soulmate: Not very long but still, Review.