-1Extraordinary- Chapter Eight: Hauntings
plummet: 'Ello, luvs. I'm back! Aha…haha…yeah. Really sorry it's been so long since my last update. I've been exhausted (and still kind of am) from my writing finals and the last minute essays we just 'absolutely had to complete' for English 9. But then, I am only on the eighth chapter…and it's not really fair to those of you who were sorta awaiting this update…Okay, I know the first couple of chapters aren't that great, and I hope my writing's been progressing…So, with out further ado (aside from the disclaimer and the song excerpt), proceed to read…! Lols.
Disclaimer: (Do I really need one of these…? Ah well…) I don't own the characters or plot of Sky High, but anything you don't recognize, such as my OC and this story plot, strictly belong to me. El fin.
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Hello again, why so old,
Wasn't time your friend? I must be told
Hello again, it seems so long
Since we last met, how has it gone?
…Just say, "Hello again"…- Hello Again; Lost Prophets
-
'I cannot believe I'd ever be insane enough to actually get in a car with Layla in the driver's seat…' I thought somewhat cynically.
It was a little more than an hour 'til lunchtime, and Layla was currently driving her sea-foam green buggy (with me in the backseat) to pick up Maj at her house on Coal Street. Now, Layla wasn't subconsciously playing favorites by having me sit in the back. Really, I'd volunteered (I was still a little sour about being forced into this little excursion). Oh I know I'm immature, but who wouldn't be? I mean, having someone you knew you could take down threaten you with a guy you didn't even really like all that much and-
Haha. Riiight, Ammie.
"Hey Ammsters, you're not mad at me, are you?" Layla's wounded voice decided to cut off my rant.
She did sound a little hurt. Maybe it was because of my decision to remain childishly taciturn for an estimated, oh I don't know, five hours? I'd scoff at myself, really, I would if I could, but I can't, so I- Oh, the heck with it.
Che.
"No, not angry…Just a little nervous, ya know?" I lied through my teeth.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't a downright lie. I was nervous. So much so, in fact, that I almost dreaded when the car ride would end.
'And the car stops right about...now. Grand-diddly.'
We had pulled up into the driveway of a gray bi-level house. No porch, I noticed with dismay. Oh well. The nice landscaping made up for it.
"Alright, Maj's house!" Layla exclaimed happily.
So many mood swings, so little time. Anyway, that seemed to be Magenta's cue to open her front door and come outside.
Impeccable timing, I must say.
When she reached the buggy, she opened the front, side door and plopped herself onto the seat, her intricate up-do bouncing slightly. She took her time smoothing out her layered checkered skirt before greeting us with her usual, 'Yo, chickadees. Whaddup?'. Layla and I responded accordingly, her with a 'Hey, nuttin' much', and me with a 'Heyyah' and a shrug.
After Maj had buckled herself in, we were off again, backing carefully out of the driveway and onto the street. Layla tuned into some punk/rock radio station, much to Maj's delight. The radio host's raspy voice had just announced some song titled 'Hello Again' by the artist Lost Prophets. The guitar started its slow, tinny chord, and my brows furrowed in contemplation.
As the lead singer's voice drifted eerily throughout the car, a shiver crept its way down my spine.
Layla and Maj took no notice of my attitude shift. It wasn't their unawareness that bothered me, though. The lyrics…They gave me this ominous feeling…
Just say "When" and you'll stop the pain
Of your life, bring it to an end
Just say "When", and you could make ammends
Just say "Hello",
Just say "Hello again"…
I closed my eyes and willed the voices in my head to just shut up…
There, silence reigned supreme. I gave my head a small shake to expel the resurfacing memories. The end. No harm done.
"Hey Ams, you aiight?" Maj's voice rose over the radio.
I glanced up at Layla's bobbing head and smirked. "Yeah, no worries. Just a small headache."
"You want us to tune it down?" Maj had to yell this time. Her voice shook a little from banging her head in time with the beat.
"Nah, it's 'k. It's going away now!" I had to shout, too. But then again, I always had trouble hearing myself talk…
Maj didn't respond. She and Layla were too caught up in the chorus:
"When", and you could stop the pain
Just say "When", and you could make ammends
Just say "Hello", Say "Hello Again"…
"Hello again, hello again, hello again, hello again…" Maj and Layla sang in unison. "It's not the end, if you just say, 'Hello again'…"
My head hit the back of the leather seat, and the pulse in my head ceased along with the song. I couldn't think. My mind had forgotten how, and I would not remember this later.
Hopefully.
-Warren's p.o.v.-
I was lounging, bored, in my driver's seat for about twenty minutes now…Not that I was counting. I peered out through my dark shades at the occasional passerby. Blonde-haired, preppy girls…Giggling uncontrollably. I fought the urge to hurl and grimaced instead. Why was I here again? Oh right, the Sky High Saints had asked me to come…
Alright, so they weren't that bad. They were probably the only people in the school that I wouldn't shut down immediately. And I guess…Yeah, they're my friends. Surprised? Me too. But anyway, I needed a new pair of Converse. As if to demonstrate that fact, I tapped my left shoe on the door and felt the seams flex a little too freely. Yeah, they'd definitely seen better days.
My fingers had just begun to drum impatiently on the steering wheel when Layla's green Volkswagen Beetle pulled into the parking lot, Stronghold's silver BMW not far behind.
I slipped my shades off and into my jacket pocket, jumping out over the door of my jeep. I always preferred shortcuts. They made life so much easier.
Pulling out my keys, I locked the jeep and exhaled. I needed to prepare myself for the day. You have no idea how scarring malls can be. …Truth be told, I was loathe to all the stares I was sure to receive. Seriously, people act like they've never seen a punk/rocker before.
I slid my hands into the pockets of my tattered jeans and leant back on the hood of my jeep.
"Hey, Warren!" I heard Layla shout as she sauntered over to me. Maj and, to my surprise and somewhat annoyance, Amelie followed. The slight surprise faded out fast. The two girls were quick to make friends, after all. The annoyance remained, however, and a frowned tugged at the corner of my mouth.
After the BMW dispensed Stronghold and Co., I watched the events unfold. We walked as a group into the mall, me automatically taking the rear. I would always be a loner at heart, it seemed. Not that it bothered me much. And I was a year their senior, after all.
My eyes fell upon a head of strawberry-blonde, and finally, my annoyance evanesced. I noticed for the first time how weighted down her shoulder were, the emptiness in her kind smile. A new emotion came over me, one I couldn't for the life of me identify. It wasn't pity, of that I was sure. I tried to shake it off, but to no avail. It just…stuck.
As I ran a hand through my hair, I was able to ignore it. Good thing I was never one to over think.
-Amelie's p.o.v.-
I was still clueless as to why we invited the guys in the first place. I mean, what guy in their right mind would want to go shopping with three gals, anyway? My observation had proved itself true as soon as we walked through the mall entrance. Layla and Magenta had grabbed both my arms and drug me off to some clothing store, leaving the guys standing there somewhat flabbergasted and putout. Really, I'd be too if I were them.
Apparently, as I found out later, Layla had told Will beforehand something about us needing an hour of 'girl time' before we met up again, which would occur at the food court. And that left me where, exactly? In the store Rave with two surefire shop-a-holics.
Oh joy.
"Hey Ams, How d'you like this top? Sassy, eh?" Maj asked as she sashayed out of a dressing room wearing a yellow, angled-cut tunic dress. She even twirled in it for emphasis.
"Hmm. I like the dress, just not the color. Yellow's not you," I replied honestly after some thought.
Layla popped her head out from behind a dressing room curtain. "Yeah, she's right, Maj. Yellow's a 'no'."
"Huh, I thought so," And back went Maj into her dressing room.
It was Layla's turn to come out next. She was modeling a sheer, blue tank and a medium length jean skirt with frayed fabric sewn rather haphazardly on the bottom.
"Whaddya think?" She questioned over her shoulder, posing with a hand on her hip.
"Ooh, I like, I like. Put that in your 'yes' pile," I decided, resting my chin on my fist in an almost pensive manner.
Layla smiled, turning on her heel and practically skipping back into her dressing room.
Our time spent in Rave proceeded like this for awhile, Layla and Maj trying on random skirts, tops and dresses, until they decided on a couple of outfits. I acted as a kind of fashion critique. It was…fun, to say the least.
The two of them were standing in line at the counter, me browsing through some jeans on a rack, when Layla's question came:
"Hey Ammsters, aren't you going to try anything on?"
My eyebrows rose almost up into my hair. They expected me to…?
"Uh no, I didn't really think to. After all, I have no money," I turned one of my jean pockets inside out to further justify my point.
Layla's smile turned sinister. Oh no, what did I say?
"Hey Maj," She said as she lifted her bags off of the counter after checking out. The cashier had just begun to ring up Maj's items.
"Hey what?" Maj asked back curiously.
"Whaddya say," She paused here to look me up and down. "we take Miss Amelie to your favorite store?"
Maj's eyes lit up. "I'm game."
After her things were rung up, she did just that. She grabbed onto my arm, bags in hand, and began dragging me excitedly through the mall. I glanced over my shoulder at Layla behind us, and she flashed me a mischievous smile. What had I gotten myself into…?
The three of us were now practically running (two willingly, one not) towards our destination. We climbed onto an escalator, rather unceremoniously, I might add. I had almost tripped. The slow moving escalator was a change from the serious exercise we'd just been doing. I looked down over therailing and thought I'd spotted Warren and Zach in a shoe store. I blinked, and they were gone. Must've been imagining things…
Layla tapped my shoulder. "Watch your step."
I stepped off the escalator just in time. Phew. I didn't need to really fall down. I glanced at the floor. Ouch. Granite would hurt.
I guess the ride on the escalator had calmed them some, 'cause now we were traveling at least at a normal pace. We hadn't gotten far, however, when Maj and Layla stopped in front of a dimly lit store titled Hot Topic. The walls were black, the floor was black, the clothes were mostly black…It was awesome.
A navy blue shirt with a fairy decal caught my eye. I scoured for it on the rack beneath the display shirt and found it in my size. I held it up against my chest in front of one of the mirrors. It'd look good on me. But then I sighed.
'If only I wasn't broke…' I thought wistfully.
I was about to put the shirt back when Maj stopped me. "Hey, whatcha got there, pally?"
"Eh, nothin' really."
"Oh really?" It was Layla's turn to join in. "Nothin', huh? Well, why don't you try that navy blue shirt on, then." She snatched the shirt out of my hand before I could put it back.
Alright, now I was confused. "Er, I already told you guys that I have no money. What's the point in trying it on?"
"Who said anything, my dear girl, about you buying it?" Layla held up her credit card between two fingers.
"No," I refused immediately. "No, you've been kind enough already. There's no way I'm letting you buy me clothes…"
"Too bad you have no say in what I chose to do with this card, little missy." She shoved me and the shirt into the dressing room in the back. "And you're not to come out until you have that shirt on!"
I made a face at the door. Too bad she couldn't see it. I had just slipped my shirt off and over my head when Maj's sly voice drifted into the dressing room.
"Oh, and Ams."
"Yeah…?" I responded timidly.
"Layla and I will be dressing you today."
Their insane laughter faded away as they undoubtedly went to plot my doom. I sighed. So much for fun. I pulled the fairy shirt over my head and turned to look at myself in the tri-fold mirrors. I smiled goofily. It did look good on me. It wasn't long at all (probably about ten seconds) when I heard Layla's voice drawing near. An unidentified, flying object came soaring over the top of the dressing room door, and, to my surprise, I actually caught it.
"Put that on before you come out," Layla commanded smilingly.
I held the clothing item out in front of myself. It was a skirt, of that I was sure. It was light blue with a triangular cut and a celestial design in a darker blue that nearly matched the shade of the shirt. I put it on grudgingly, but not before turning away from the mirrors. I never looked good in skirts. My excess lower-back kind of threw off my figure, if you know what I mean.
Despite my fears, I found myself opening the door of the dressing room. Layla and Maj squealed. Was it that bad…?
"Oh, my gosh…Maj, you and I are geniuses!" Layla was practically dancing in her happiness.
"Holy crap, yeah! Go look in the mirror, Ams!" Magenta exclaimed with equal excitement. She and Layla guided me to the mirror on the side wall.
I blinked. Then, a smile crept onto my face. I…I liked it. A lot. And maybe that was an understatement. The hot guy at the counter whistled, and I blushed madly.
Layla high-fived Maj. "You are so totally getting this outfit!" And back into the dressing room I went. I was like their life-size Barbie doll or something.
Forty-five minutes and five outfits later, the three of us stood in front of the checkout counter. Handing me my bags, the cashier winked teasingly at me. A light blush spread across my cheeks. I had just thanked Layla for what seemed like the one-hundredth time when Maj checked her cell to see when we'd have to meet the guys.
"Hey chickadees, it's quarter after noon," Maj announced gravely.
"Oh, pish-posh with the time. The guys can wait. This is fashion we're talking about here!" Layla flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically.
I bit my lip to keep myself from giggling. Layla linked arms with Maj and I, our bags dangling between us, and we began walking in the general direction of the food court.
'How nice it is to have friends…' I thought offhandedly.
-Warren's p.o.v.-
The guys and I were waiting for the girls for about twenty minutes now. For some reason, they always seemed to have me waste exactly twenty minutes of my life waiting. It was irritating, to say the least. Oh well. I'd gotten my new Converse. They were nearly identical to my old ones, black with white rubber tips and a red star, except they had red laces. Hey, I never said I was exciting or anything.
Sure enough, not even a minute later, the girls came skipping up to our table near the center fountain. They had their arms linked and everything. I raised my eyebrow in question. Alright, when did this happen? Then, I sighed. Whatever.
"You're late," I said accusingly, crossing my arms over my chest.
"We know!" exclaimed Layla and Maj in unison. Amelie just smiled slightly.
"What? Did us guys take a backseat to fashion or something?" Zach asked with a half smile.
All three girls just giggled. For some reason I don't want explained…I found myself wanting to hear Amelie laugh again. Clear like a bell, her laughter. It rang in my head even after she quieted.
I got up then, choosing instead to put my hands in my jacket pockets. Having poetic thoughts at the mall just disturbed me.
"Alright," said Will with a hint of finality. "Who wants what?"
"I'm getting a salad," stated Layla. "Who wants to come with?"
"I'll come," said Maj. "I'm definitely up for some salad."
And they exited stage left. Two down, five to go.
"Well, I'd for one like to try the new taco place over there," Ethan jerked his thumb at a rather festive looking food stand near the back.
There were a couple echoes of 'Yeah, me too'. I wasn't one of them, however.
"I'm getting Burger King." And, with that, I walked away in the direction of said fast food place.
I heard light footsteps following me. I thought nothing of it at the time.
"I'll take a Jr. Whopper and an order of fries," I said gruffly.
"Anything to drink?" the woman behind the counter asked kindly.
"Uh yeah, a small Coke."
"That'll be $3.50."
I got out the amount I owed and paid her. After a couple seconds had passed, I began tapping my foot impatiently. Let's just patience was never one of my virtues.
"Here's your order, sir," said a male worker as he handed me my tray of food and drink.
I took it with a quiet 'thanks' and was about to walk away when I noticed Amelie standing next to me.
I gave her an odd look. "Wouldn't you rather try something more original than fast food?"
"I figured I'd play it safe," she stated simply with a small smile. She turned to the cashier, "I'd like an order of chicken nuggets and a small iced tea, please."
I don't know what compelled me to wait for her, but wait I did. I'd been doing a lot of that lately; waiting, watching. It was getting repetitive, but strangely…not annoying.
Amelie picked up her tray with a soft 'Thanks very much', and her and I began to look for everyone else: me to the left, her to the right. When we'd spotted them, my eye began to twitch. They hadn't been able to find a table big enough, and all of the other tables were already filled. The both of us, to my dismay, would have to eat standing up or find a bench of some kind to sit on.
Amelie was already on it, to my surprise, and I followed her silently to a table in the café across from the food court. We sat down simultaneously, and I started to unwrap my burger. We ate in silence, for the most part, except for the occasional comment here and there. I surely wasn't a conversationalist, and I guess neither was she.
As I sipped on my Coke, I took in my surroundings. The ceiling was a fair rendition of a summer sky, complete with white, fluffy clouds, a shining sun, and various birds. The walls were painted with rather detailed trees and grasses. It was…quaint, I guess you could say.
And having Amelie as a dining partner was, dare I say it, almost…nice.
I had nearly finished off my fries when I saw Amelie drop her drink out of my peripheral vision. Confused as to why such clumsiness would chose to come out now of all times, I faced her fully, only to watch the color drain out of her face. I followed her line of vision, and my eyes fell upon a dark-haired man in his late forties.
"Amelie, what…?"
I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence because she chose that time to faint, her body slumping back in her chair. I shoved back my chair with a screech and caught her limp form just before it hit the ground. It was then that the man she'd been staring at looked over at us. I gaped up at him from my spot on the floor, and suddenly everything clicked.
Violet eyes. He had violet eyes.
A special thanks to:
Thank you inTHEgrid is where i live, Readerfreak10, rootbeergirl19, Kara Adar, shadowphoenix101, and Element Girls for reviewing Chapter 7. I apologize again for this chapter's lateness. I hope its length makes up for it! Heh. Any comments, suggestions, please leave them! Ttfn.