AN: I claim no ownership of this song which I use a few lines from.
"Simple and Clean" -Hikaru Utada
-Another Way-
"There is one method that is said can destroy a covenant. If one of the descendants agrees willingly to allow someone to take ownership of the covenant, all members will be under the power of that person. They would be slaves."
-?
Tuesday 8:32 a.m. Spenser Academy
It seemed stupid to be wasting his time attending school with the crap he dealt with in recent days. Family and strangers trying to kill him, a friend confessing love while his girlfriend broke up with him, and joining a covenant of warlocks. But sure, better attend that old literature lecture and chemistry lab class.
A significant donation lessened questions about his abrupt months long absence. Polite words and stacks of completed essays and assignments the Sons helped him out with eased concerns for catching up. Sick family he needed to care for, he claimed. The staff was against allowing a student's return without actual attendance for so many weeks, but the chief administrator was happy to have him back. Well, his money helped the welcome mat roll out a whole lot more.
Yawning through the rest of the lecture, he stood and ignored the professor staring after him. Nobody approved of his disappearance and reappearance. They all assumed he ran away on some rich kid joyride. He couldn't argue when the wealth was the reason he was granted permission to return. There was a lot to make up for so he could graduate on time. It sucked.
The next classes passed uneventfully. He was relieved for the lunch hour and as usual, Caleb found him at the entrance to the cafeteria. He understood the most how strange it was to be living a normal life when things were far from normal. They also remained connected on a deep level since the soul search, which was odd. It kind of felt as though he never had a moment he could be certain was private. It worked the other way around too, and could sense when Caleb's emotions were heightened. It hadn't happened too many times in the weeks passing by, so it seemed all right for the time being.
He opened his mouth to ask him how long he could expect the effects to last when Reid practically hopped onto Caleb's back in greeting. Sidling over to shove in between them, hooking his arms around their necks to walk with them, he grinned.
"What's up, my dudes?"
Chase cringed. He sounded that way sometimes as well. High school would be best left in the rearview mirror. Tyler quietly said hello from behind. Entering the cafeteria, he spotted Pogue in line with Kate and Sarah. Jealousy for Pogue and Caleb struck him just the briefest of moments. The longer he thought about Selene telling him she was leaving, the more he desired calling her. Nope. She was long gone and it was because he was an awful friend and person. Leave it at that. Yeah. He might call her. No.
After making it through the line and sitting at the rectangle table, he was sat next to Caleb. Pogue quickly sat on his right side when Kate seemed like she might sit beside him. To her credit, if that was ever her intention, she hid it well by sliding into the seat across from her boyfriend. Tyler was there, Reid on the other side of him, and the former smiled politely before beginning to eat his sandwich.
Sarah squeezed Caleb's thigh from the side and leaned behind him to Chase. "There's a swim meet on Thursday. Are you going to join the team again?"
"Nah. I'm pushing my luck already being back in class."
She nodded and sat proper, opening a bag of chips. Plopping the small bag between her and Caleb, they shared the snack food. Cute. Chase shared his food with no one. His food was his food.
"I'm not that good at swimming anyway," he admitted. "Not a natural."
The Sons picked up on his meaning but only Reid gave him a comprehending glance.
"He has to go to the library after school to study," Caleb pointed out. "No time for sports after all he missed."
He barely restrained the eye roll. "Yeah. Good thing I've got you, Mom."
Caleb smirked and smacked him on the back, not gently. "You're welcome."
Chase popped open his can of soda and took a drink. The remainder of lunch conversation was nothing special and classes resumed. His final two classes were with the other four boys and once school concluded for the day, the four headed to swim practice and he headed to the library. Sarah got there before him, ready and willing to help him study as she had done since he came back to school.
Caleb arrived to get her a couple hours later and he spent another five minutes before deciding he was finished for the day. Closing his books and shuffling papers together, he shoved them into his bag. He put his coat on and slung the pack over his body, hands in his pockets. He was not surprised to find Reid and Tyler hanging around. He was a little surprised to see Pogue was with them today. Sometimes he was, but not usually.
"Hey, guys."
"Chase," Pogue greeted with a nod.
"Finally!" Reid pointed at him with both arms lined up. "Man of the hour. Ha ha."
Tyler waved while walking to the black hummer he was proud of. "Let's drive around."
Reid headed for the driver's side. The two of them must have been pretty close for Tyler to let him drive his car all the time. Well of course they were close. These guys were brothers in all but blood. He wished he had that. Although they invited him in, feeling he could one day be on the same level as kids who grew up together was an impossibility.
Heavy shit was for a different time. He wanted the day to remain a good day. Thinking he smelled coffee in the air, he grumbled to forget about it and the urge welling up. Today was a good day. Let this be another way to live.
/
Friday 7:45 p.m. Durnom. Varsity Club
Kate listened to the woman's beautiful singing voice. Wow. She was good. Girl could recognize talent when she saw it. Sipping her diet soda, she looked around for Sarah. The blonde was coming over from the bar with a lemonade in hand, grinning at something Caleb must have said. Or just grinning because it was Caleb. Either was equally probable.
"Hey, guys. Sit down already. You're missing Selene's solo."
"..Is the way that you're making me feel tonight. It's hard to let it go."
"Wasn't she leaving?" Caleb asked, distracting her from listening.
"What? I don't know."
Sarah hummed thoughtfully, appearing in a cheerful mood. "Let's invite her to the party tonight."
"Ah, the guys are bringing Chase."
"So?"
Kate agreed. "Yeah. So?"
"You don't think that's..."
"What, Caleb?" Kate questioned, and Sarah chimed in to echo, "Yeah. What, Caleb?"
The guy shook his head, staring down at his drink. "I do not understand women. I'm not touching that one."
Sarah shrugged a shoulder, smiling amusement and patting him on the back. "Eh, you do just fine."
Sighing at Selene finishing the song, she listened closely for the last of it. "Hold me, whatever lies beyond this morning, is a little later on. Regardless of warnings, the future never scared me at all. Nothing's like before."
Some clapping and whistles. Someone yelled she was hot. Idiot. Kate followed her leaving the stage pondering on her outfit before shaking out of such vapid thoughts. Right. She wanted to talk with her and see if insights on Chase could be acquired. Hopping up, she took a sip of her drink and told Caleb and Sarah she'd be back in a few minutes. Selene Rogers was headed for the front exit after a brief stop at the bar to chat with the bartender.
Outside, the air was chilly and she shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. The coat she wore was hanging open and she zipped it to her chin. Winter was not her favorite season. Selene was walking along the road to the sign farther ahead indicating the bus stop. Kate intended to catch up to her but then a black limo pulled up by the other girl. Frowning, she slowed to a stop to see why a limo was here of all places.
She thought it was the same limo seen outside Nicky's, however, no guy with a cigarette to be seen. The driver exited the vehicle and came around to speak to Selene. He was a man in his thirties, maybe, short brown hair and sunglasses regardless of the poorly lit street at night.
"How do you feel, Miss Rogers?"
"What? You know me?"
"In a way. Do you know your family history?"
Selene's hands went to her hips and Kate had the urge to go to her side in case she needed back-up with this creep. "You know my parents? Is that what this is about?"
"No. You should talk to your parents though. Perhaps you'll learn something enlightening."
"Where's your boss? Did he tell you to come talk to me?"
The man adjusted his sunglasses in her direction and straightened, peering past his shoulder to where Kate stood uncertainly. He looked at Selene again. Kate settled on coming over and crossed her arms more out of hope for a tough appearance than the cold.
"Have you made your decision? New or old family, my dear girl. Which matters most?" He glanced to Kate and nodded acknowledgment before walking around to the driver's side. "Have a nice night, ladies."
The limousine pulled away from the curb and down the road. A bus drove past the girls a moment later, breaking at the bus stop. Kate waved at Selene, lowering her arms. "Hi. You okay?"
"I've gotta go."
"Caleb was wondering why you haven't gone home yet."
Caleb? Why didn't she just admit she was wondering too? Ugh. Smiling politely, she studied Selene's troubled and perplexed face. The woman's feet were pointed toward the bus stop where the bus idled but she did look at her to answer.
"I want to make it home on my own. I sang at the club to earn bus money. I didn't really think ahead when I came here for... I have to go."
She turned away and Kate turned in the opposite direction when a familiar voice called out.
"Kate! Hey. I was hoping to find you hanging around here. Nicky's is kind of small so I figured you might check out my club of choice lately instead." Chase's words dropped off when he noticed the back of the girl a couple yards away. "Selene?"
Silence. The bus drove forward, away from the curb after a single person got on. Exhaling annoyance, she spun to face them both. "I missed the last bus. Great."
"Oh. Sorry. Uh."
"Don't apologize, Chase. You didn't make her miss the bus."
Selene put her hands on her hips again. "I'd take an apology. If it actually meant anything."
Chase appeared appropriately confused, because Kate was confused too. Coming to sling an arm around Chase's shoulders, she smiled at him. "What brings you to the club? Shouldn't you be with Pogue and the Wonder Twins?"
It was clear by his expression he didn't know who the Wonder Twins were, but he knew enough to know who she was referring to and shook his head in the negative. "They went to the party ahead of me. I came by to pick up my check."
Selene stalked past them looking cranky. Kate shrugged, trying to maintain the cheerfulness she likes to think she evokes in others. "Let's go back inside."
"How are you?"
Strolling after Selene to return to the club's front door, she smiled all teeth. "I'm good, Chase. You gonna give up on her?"
"Give up?"
"Playing dumb? Oh boy. You've got it bad for her."
Caleb and Sarah came through the door. He was helping her into her jacket as they did and both saw Selene stopping a few feet away because of them. They smiled in greeting but didn't get a word out before she seemed to literally throw her arms up in dismay.
"How do I get away from you people? Really? I-"
"Selene."
"What?"
"I know you're upset."
"Good for you. Am I supposed to be impressed you could suss that out?"
"Could you not be a bitch for like, five seconds?" It just blurted out. Kate lifted her eyebrows, wishing she could rescind what she said.
Chase chuckled. "Be a bitch. I love it."
He wasn't joking. The three women and Caleb stared at him wondering what he was saying. Or so she assumed. It was what she was wondering at least.
"Selene. You know, I love everything about you. The way you can never leave the house without your first cup of coffee. How you can't breathe without your coffee."
The girl looked away, scanning the road for no magical bus arrival. "I'd say you have five smiles."
That got her attention. "What? Chase? Five smiles?"
"One when you're laughing, one out of politeness, one when you're at work..."
"Chase."
"When you're uncomfortable, and..when you're talking about your friends."
Selene groaned. "Fine. I'll stay."
She was smiling. Huh. So romantic. Kate didn't think high school boys were capable of true romance. Pogue was a sweetie and super hot, but courtship and extra gestures? Yeah, not exactly in his wheelhouse.
A police car was parked on the street near the gravel parking lot. Kate only noticed when two police officers leaning on the front bumper of their car hollered over to them.
"You wouldn't be underage drinking, now would ya?"
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "No, officers. Thank you for your service!"
Sarah giggled at her not quite sincere gratitude. They straightened and started over. The thought it was her fault for showing attitude to cops faded when their gaze was settling on Chase.
"Collins."
Chase looked instantly annoyed to see them. He must have had run-ins with them in the past. She pondered what that could have been about.
"Where have you been? Parents die and you disappear. Suspicious."
"Coincidence."
Sarah glanced between Chase and the police. "Correlation doesn't equal causation."
"Uh huh." The bald of the two adjusted his cap, chewing noisily on gum. "There was a report you attacked some students a few months back. Out at the Putnam barn. Burned it down too."
The officer with a shaved head had removed the ball cap to scratch his skull before tugging it back on. A takeaway coffee cup in the opposite gloved hand. "Come to think of it. You're the boy who reported the assault, aren't you?"
Caleb shook his head. "Don't know what you're talking about."
He smiled bemusement at that. "Oh come on now. Danvers, wasn't it? You and your girlfriend were attacked by some crazed kid in a black jacket."
Chase shifted and Kate noted his jacket was green, not black. Pogue told her everything about what was happening with them and Chase and some family pact she didn't understand. Sins of the father and all that supposedly compelled Chase to come after them and hurt them to avenge his father for what their fathers did. Or their fathers' fathers or distant ancestors or..something. Ipswich had a lot of history, most of it vague or contradictory.
"It was nothing," said Caleb. "I didn't actually see who attacked us. I was mad at my friend and accused him to get him in trouble. You know, rich kids being entitled assholes. Forget the whole thing."
"Mhm." He exchanged glances with his partner, who was drinking from his paper coffee cup. They looked to Chase. "Collins, why don't you accompany us to the station? We can clear this up."
"No thanks. I'll make a donation to your chief or something. Don't wanna waste your valuable time, fellas."
"It's Officer Murphy," the guy with a buzz cut told him sternly. "That's Officer Sullivan. Pretending you haven't had frequent issues with law enforcement to your friends, is that it?"
"Boy is trouble," Officer Sullivan warned. "You know, makes me think. If you boys say you're friends, maybe it was you who set the fire and destroyed that barn, Danvers. Maybe you blamed Collins to protect yourself."
"Sounds like you're telling tall tales," Sarah insisted, uncomfortable and defensive of her boyfriend. "Caleb?"
Officer Murphy sneered. "You a pyro, kid?"
"He's not," Chase declared. "You got a problem, get some evidence and come talk to me."
"You know, there was a fire at an abandoned warehouse not far from this area. Know anything about that?"
"No." Caleb said it in a tone clearly trying to end the subject.
Forcing a laugh, the bald cop hit his partner in the arm with the back of his hand. "Let's go."
He nodded and walked around to the driver's door while Officer Sullivan stood by the passenger side. He inclined his head in Caleb's direction. "Watch your speed, Danvers."
He muttered something about goddamn rich kids flaunting their expensive cars and got inside the vehicle. Kate sighed internally, wanting to forget this disturbance. Everything felt so dramatic of late.
Chase had to go in to grab his check yet and Caleb went with him. That left the three ladies awaiting the men. Nothing new there. She smiled at Sarah and Selene standing uncertain but not uncomfortable.
Sarah caught Selene's eye. "Why Chase?"
"Why what?"
"Why do you like him?"
"He do something to you?"
She nodded. "He didn't hurt me but he threatened to. He was after something he thought Caleb could give him. That doesn't seem to be him anymore. But that's not why I ask. I'm just wondering why he can get you to stay when you were set to leave."
Selene smiled a bit, her gaze going through Sarah while she fondly thought on the curiosity. "Every time he looks at me, he sees me. Not my appearance, not what others might think of me, but who I actually am. The real me. The one you fear no one will ever truly know. He knows. He can see me."
Kate smiled. "That's so romantic."
Sarah agreed. "Caleb tries hard to be mature and responsible. He's nothing like other high school boys either. I think it's because they take their lineage and upholding family honor or whatever really seriously."
The boys joined them outside to find them waiting in companionable silence together. They didn't look like they'd been much up for talking either. The night was in dire need of salvaging.
"Woo!" She grinned, prepared to lighten the mood again. "Let's party!"