This chapter is dedicated to BlackGothFaerie for noticing that the first chapter, and indeed a good deal of the story, draws inspiration from "Violet&Claire"
I believe that book is a modern retelling of the fairy tale 'Rose Red, Rose White' which is the MAJOR inspiration for this fic. I shall begin this chapter by warning you it's going to have foreshadowing of loooong off plots.
This is in no way shape or form a romance fic. If there are any relationships to come, they will be vague as hell. I know I'm hinting a bit at BB/Rae, but that is ONLY for my sister. It will not go beyond hints of him liking her, since as you might have pulled from this chapter, I say it's Joey/Rae all the way.(Begins chanting to self 'Let's go Jericho!')I also am making vague hints at Wally/Jinx. That might go on to mutual attraction, but it's doubtful it will be anything but minor.
The biggest possibility for relationship is a shoujo ai between two mentioned characters in this chapter, and the shounen ai referanced at the end of it. Scratch that, the shounen ai WILL be in there, but it's minor, just something Jinx likes to watch.
"Miss Murphy! I would appreciate it if you would stop drawing and answer the question!" Mrs. Ellsworth was saying to me in a voice like nails on a chalk board. I always picture her as a dirty harpy. A wretched beast with a woman's head and breasts, ragged wings flapping madly trailing to a bird's body and taloned feet. She's always screeching at me, even though I've usually memorized the material. It's just English, why should I pay attention when it's nothing new to me?
"What question was that?" I asked calmly, not looking up from my sketch.
"Pride and Prejudice." Yeah, you have both in excess. I thought rudely, barely keeping from voicing my opinion.
"I read it." I replied, keeping quiet the fact that when I bought the book for the class I already had a report on it written on my iBook. So what was the question? If I had heard it I'm sure I'd know the answer. Oh, fine. Don't tell me then. Ellsworth's nostrils flared are she looked around the room with disdain. "The overall theme presented in this chapter is the fakery and acting that accompanies love."
"No." I interrupted, standing up. "Pride and Prejudice is a satirical novel on young English ladies of the day. It portrays the worst and most comical faults of society at that time, most of which have survived to today. Anyone who takes it at face value not only misses the point completely, but is severely misinformed about history."
"I am glad you have such a strong opinion, but you are incorrect."
"Oh, give it up you old windbag. Satire is Satire. Don't worry; it takes an intelligent mind to comprehend it. Maybe when you're older." I was pushing it; the ancient hag wasn't too pleased at that line.
"Miss Murphy! Detention, after school today." I rolled my eyes. Yeah, goody goody, I get detention.
I hate detention. Whoever (or is it whomever?)thought of it was an idiot. Most kids just space out like they do in class, some read, and Oh look! Wilson must've picked a fight with a teacher too. She's a smart one, I'll give you that, head of the debate team. But I swear to Brahma, ok, Amma wouldn't like that. To Durga then, when I hear "Rose Wilson" I groan. So sweet and innocent, with her platinum hair and cherub face. Then she baits you into a debate she knows she has the upper hand in and WHAM, leaves you humiliated and angry. Let's see who else is here. Nobodies, nobodies, some heavily attitude endowed jock I've never bothered to learn the name of, couple of the Goth crowd; probably got caught smoking; GODS I'm so sick of this same old pack. Nothing interesting ever happens.
Last year this guy, Jason, I think his name was, blew up a good six foot circle of the lab. When he got expelled he went around telling people what to do with their lives, like he was so superior and everything. He asked me what I was doing here, said the suburbs were no place for art. I told him if that was his idea of a pick up line, he was in for a lot of rejection. He laughed and tossed me a flyer for some club and rode off.
I almost wish I'd gotten to know him more, this guy looked like he honestly couldn't care less about what people thought. I think I could have gotten some good paintings out of him. Those shadowy ones, so the face is just a skull with darkness for flesh. That's what he reminded me of, skeleton face.
And Flinders is trying to get my attention. Oh, goody, his partner in crime is here too. That kid who skipped three grades, the little freak child. Not a freak child in the good sense either, just the creepy.
"What?" I hissed, not appreciating this in the least.
"What're you in for?" I made a rude gesture in reply. "Bitch." I heard him mutter under his breath before returning to plotting with egghead. Something tells me they were the ones who spiked the spaghetti sauce to the point the PE coach got tipsy. Those two must live in detention. It's funny, what they do, and I get a kick out of it, helped 'em out a couple of times.
This is so pointless! Best years of my life? Balderdash! Wait, where did that word come from, it's practically archaic! I pondered that until a wadded up ball of paper hit me in the back of the head. I opened it, having nothing better to do anyways.
"Tell your girlfriend
That if she thinks
Her fancy limo
And better than thou
Attitudes are enough
That she can try to
Show me up and
Shove into the team
She's got another
Thing coming."
Beneath it was a (poor) sketch of a rose. What was she talking about anyways? Girlfriend, limo, shove into the team? Whatever, not worth my time, I'm sure. Still, it's not exactly a good sign if Rose is ticked at you. She leads one of the big groups, the politically or scientifically inclined kids, you know, the leaders and thinkers of tomorrow. Besides them and the partiers, pretty much all you have left are the Cali classics. You know the type, the guys with permanent sunglass tan lines, the would-be starlets, the trust fund babies who can complain about anything and everything. Ok, so I exaggerate a bit. But that's the main powers, and Rose has cred in her scene, which can mess things up for you seriously.
Finally, freedom! I usually only get home as the sun sets, so I figured I could waste some time at the elementary school playground. I climbed up onto the jungle gym to hang upside down for a while. Some days I'd go to the farmers market, others I'd make the trip into the city and just soak up the ugliness. Usually I just go to the beach and watch the surfers, spot a couple of guys snogging. I have a couple I like to watch, under the pretext of sketching a bit of the beach beyond their usual spot. After a few minute with the blood rushing to my head, I flipped over and to the ground, shaking out my hair. I decided to go down to the market for some fruit on the way home.
"Ah, the little Jinx is here, how is your mother?"
"I can't give you a definite, you know Amma. She's got some new recipes. I'll bring the leftovers tomorrow, if you want." Amma is always cooking new things, and sometimes she sells the leftovers cheaply or donates them to shelters. That doesn't bring in money, but there is a book deal in the works. I'm a bit worried she might need a book tour to promote it.
"No, no, that's ok. Just make sure you aren't in detention on Friday, the gallery interview won't wait for you." Miz Suzane; you have to spell it M-I-Z S-U-Z-A-N-E; is Amma's business partner and best friend. She liked my art and found a gallery owned by a friend of a friend where I could work cashier at. She's pretty cool for a Lanka witch-woman. I gave her an 'I will' and sped home.
"Jinxie! Where's your new friend?"
"I dunno, I hung around the school for a while with the Wilson girl."
"The banshee girl?" Amma asked, breezing about the kitchen, cooking up dished such that my taste buds have never dreamed of.
"Amma!" I scolded, laughing and trying not to get in the way. "She's not a banshee. A siren maybe, but not a banshee."
"You young vixen! Don't speak ill of your peers." Oblivious to the fact she had just a moment ago sad something much worse. "You should call her, you do have her number?" Who? Oh, she was talking about Raven again, just changing topics in the blink of an eye. I snapped a bubble in my gum, then nodded, pulling down my stocking to my ankle, where I kept my phone book scrawled on my leg. "Dinner in fifteen minutes." I heard as I grabbed the cordless and wandered into the garden.
"You've reached the Roth household, Angela speaking." A soft voice, delicate, like crystal glass that has been cracked and is now held carefully, scarcely allowing breath, answered.
"Can I speak to Raven?" I asked quietly, subconsciously trying to seem polite. The response was one of mixed shock and joy.
"Oh, yes! Who should I say is calling?"
"Tell her it's Jinx." Even over the phone, I was sure Angela raised an eyebrow. I heard the fumbling clatter as the phone was passed off, followed by a tentative "Hi?"
"Don't sound so excited. I want to get some sketches started of you as the Morrigan. Just concept stuff, but you have to be there." I talk too much when it's about something important to me. "I was planning to do them today but I got thrown into detention. Oh, did Logan an Markov give you any trouble?" Suddenly remembering who I'd initially saved her from.
"The annoying kid with the chlorine green hair?" She asked, obviously understanding.
"That would be Gar Logan for ya."
"Right. Is there any way to turn off the jokes?" I grinned. So he liked her, if he was starting the lame jokes. It's his way of shaking hands, forcing a pity laugh out of you.
"Usurp his punch line with something scathing. Or, I've found death threats work. But that requires him to actually believe you'll follow through." Raven thought that over for a moment, obviously planning something. "So, if I were to walk away when he comes over and backhand him if he follows…?"
"Should work. Tara, that's the blonde; his on again off again girlfriend, actually I think she's into a whole 'nother type; she'll likely snicker and either compliment you or insult him." "Huh?"
"They may cuddle and hold hands, but I suspect Tara's not into guys like him." I ever so slightly emphasized 'guys'.
"Or, the easy way is just to hang around Joey, that's Wilson's brother. They aren't close so Logan and his girls usually keep clear."
"Is he the quiet blond with the guitar I saw across the courtyard?"
"Mute, yeah. Something when he was young, medical. I've never asked about it. But easiest way to get jokester off your back is to keep in earshot of his music."
"You seemed to scatter them quickly." She observed calmly. Jeez, this is weird; it's like she doesn't know how to express emotion in her voice. Or, no, like she's been overly trained to hide it.
"Ah, but I have my own problems. That West kid, for one."
"Oh?"
"I know, killer looks, but his mother must've lived at Starbucks while she was pregnant."
"That much energy?" It was just a hint of disbelief and sarcasm, but that's better than nothing.
"You have no idea. Oh, and have Flinders and O'Jeneus gotten on your radar yet?"
"The stomach and the mouth, Pinky and the Brain, midget and mammoth? Yeah. The short one's in my chem. class. Spent all of today showing off all he knew about how certain poisons react to certain solutions. A bit morbid." I chuckled, that's Mikron for ya.
"I'm just glad he's in my algebra two, or I'd still be failing."
"…"
"Ooooh! Smells like dinner's ready, I'll find you at lunch, don't bring anything, I'll have leftovers enough to feed an army."
"Uhm, ok. Thanks?"
"Ciao!" I inhaled deeply, jasmine mint rice, and do I detect raspberry marinated lamb? Heaven! I took my seat at the kitchen table. Only one person is allowed to 'work' in the kitchen at a time. House rules. Mostly to keep me from ruining dinner or my appetite, I gather. "Amma, this looks incredible! A gift from Brahma I'm sure."
"Just eat, you. And tell me about the beach boys, did you see them today, you think the little tiff is over?" Dinner conversation, as usual. That's life in my chaotic household, she asks about how my spying on a couple I don't even know the names of is going. Tomorrow I'd try and see how those two were doing. I'm such a rotten gossip.
whoo. I put that together while putting OFF work on Shreya to Jinx. Don't kill me. I'm not slacking... it's HARD. Trust me when you see chapter 13 of Shreya to Jinx, you'll understand the work that went into it. This, on the other hand, was just a lot of FLB reading and fun. Felt a bit dialoge heavy, but thats just me. Review review review. See the legnth of this chapter? This should be the adverage for this fic. two thousand words. Hopefully that will make up for the wait. Olivia, you have to beta.
Olivia - Haha. She has beta'd. She is so awesome.
So she thinks. Well, there it is. Chapter two. Reviews are the only way to get more, plus I like to talk to you guys .