A/N: thank you all for reviewing, especially OliviaVertigo on the CB board. -.- as for the rest of you lot, either get workin' on those reviews or you're going to face an angry and vindictive me. XD as in… no story… well.. if I feel like doing that.
: puts new BSB CD on random:
Chapter Five
Going to school wasn't a problem, however, Charlie had to bring Asa's trunk since he forgot it at Charlie's house. Charlie felt like handing Asa over to Morgan right then and there if he could find him. However, Morgan helped get Asa's trunk onto the bus and then his trunk as well.
She was silent when she sat down; quite the opposite of what she usually was when she was on the bus with him, Fidelio and Gabriel. Gabriel prodded her in the side. "Are you all right, Morgan?" he asked the older girl.
"She's been through a bit," said Fidelio, smiling at Morgan pleasantly. Charlie told Gabriel about what had happened, including Morgan telling him that she'd slipped into the tub by accident. Morgan's cheeks went bright red at that.
"Do you HAVE to tell them that?" she growled at Charlie.
"Sorry," he mumbled and turned back around in his seat.
They approached the school and got off the bus with everyone else. Charlie spotted the red haired Rosemary Lace heading for the art cloak room with Joshua Tilpin next to her. He saw something on the ground next to him and picked it up. It was a light blue and white friendship bracelet string that hadn't been tied together yet to make a bracelet.
He held it in his hand and felt a strange sensation. His body felt lighter and his heart gave a strange thump in his chest. He walked toward the blue cloak room and found he was already there without trying. Everyone else was behind him. He then found himself in the coatroom and put the string into his pocket. Time seemed to go back to normal, his body going back to normal as well. He frowned as he thought. The string had made him faster than everyone, like he stepped outside of time and went to his destination, going back into time when he put the thing in his pocket.
Fidelio ran in, panting as he doubled over on his knees. "What… what was that! How did you run so fast?"
Charlie showed him the string and told him about what had happened when he wrapped it around his hand. Fidelio looked like it was making his head spin. "You endowed, I swear… you'll be the death of me one of these days. I had to run as hard as I could to get over here before Manfred and Asa."
Just then, Manfred walked in. "Bone! What were you trying to pull back there!"
Charlie shrugged. "I was racing Fidelio."
"No, running in the halls, Bone, same goes for you too, Gunn!" He grunted and stalked out, panting slightly.
Fidelio sighed as he put his cloak up. "I hope he doesn't give me detention."
Charlie felt bad now, since he hadn't intended for Fidelio to get trouble as well. It was all right if HE got in trouble, but his friend was another matter. "Don't worry about it," said Fidelio, reading his friend's concerned expression. "If we do get detention, at least I'll keep you company while we're stuck here with the Bloors."
Charlie smiled at his friend and they walked out into the field for the morning run.
Morgan was outside alone in the woods. She was hiding in the ruins, really. She didn't want to talk to her friends, since Charlie would only tell them about the whole embarrassing episode.
Well, she hadn't told him everything, but she wished she hadn't told him about slipping in the tub. That alone made her feel the most uneasy. She could still feel Asa holding her against him. It was scary and fascinating all at once how that made her feel.
She made a rock fall down the entrance hallway, listening to it bounce off the stone walkway before making a stop not far from her. She saw a pair of shoes in her vision and looked up the long legs of Asa Pike as he stood in front of her. "Leave me alone, Pike," she said.
"And what happened to that spark, MacGregor? Lose it so quickly?" Asa grinned at her in an animalistic way.
"You're still here," she said as she stood up and glared at him.
Asa grinned evilly at her and walked closer toward her. He felt her phantom hands close around his lapels and then he was on his back in an instant. He coughed and got back up. "That isn't nice, Morgan."
"Who said I was being nice! I don't want you anywhere near me!" She had her hands up, ready to make him pay for every move he made toward her.
He moved toward her quickly this time, lashing a hand out to grab her wrist, however, he landed on his back again and rolled. He felt a couple of ribs were broken from the fall on the rock she'd made move earlier. He coughed as he shakily got onto his feet again, holding his side in pain.
"Don't… ever… call me Morgan, Pike. We're not friends," she said in a rough voice. She was shaking with adrenaline, her body trembling as she watched him gaze at her with those yellow eyes.
"Friends? No… I wouldn't call us that." He grinned faintly at her, eyes dancing even though he was in pain. "I'd say we were getting to be more than that very quickly."
Then, he turned and walked out the way he came. Morgan shivered as she leaned against the wall. "More? How can we be more when we haven't even reached the bottom level?"
She looked up at the ceiling with a look of fear in her eyes. "I don't think I want to be more, either."
Olivia skirted around corners, avoiding all her friends. She had even taken to looking rather drab, not a speck of decoration on her. Her hair was even unwashed looking. It was Charlie that spotted this. He saw her walking away into the woods during break on Wednesday, looking agitated and nervous. He frowned and trotted after her. "Livy!" he called to her.
She turned around to see him coming and started running. Charlie jumped up his pace and then remembered the string in his pocket. He pulled it out and wrapped it around his hand, finding himself in front of her, almost ahead of her before he pulled the thing off and stuffed it back in his pocket.
Olivia panted as she shied away from him. "Go away!"
"Liv, what's wrong? You've been avoiding everyone since Monday," said Charlie as he looked to his friend.
Olivia looked like she was going to cry. "Leave me alone!"
She started to run away again, but Charlie got in her way. "Livy! What is wrong? Did you get the audition?"
Olivia started crying right there, almost hysterical. "NO! I didn't!" When he asked about it, she launched into a story about her talking to some girl who was already a teenage, but looked younger than her getting the part instead of her. Charlie looked around desperately when she hugged him and started crying into his shirt. "And the worst part is I yelled at mum! She was trying to cheer me up, but I yelled at her that I couldn't even get the part because SHE was so famous!"
Charlie patted Olivia on the shoulder and pulled her off of him. "Hey, it's not so bad, y'know? You can make up with your mum when you get back home, right?"
Olivia sniffled and nodded. Charlie smiled at her and put his hands back into his pockets. "Good, then come back to us, Livy. Fidelio and Emma are worried about you."
Olivia nodded and wiped her face, though she still looked like misery. Charlie wanted to do something to cheer her up back to being Olivia Vertigo again, but he didn't know what to do. Suddenly, he felt like he was on fire.
He leaned against the tree next to him, panting as he slid down. Olivia gasped and stared at him. "Charlie! Are you all right?"
"I feel like… I'm on fire! I'm hot," he groaned. He was sweating and shaking as he crawled on his knees toward the ruins
On the cold stone floor on the entrance to the ruins, he laid his hot head down, feeling steam come up from his face. He really was burning up! Olivia was behind him, trying to help him, but she shot back when she touched him. "Ah! You really are on fire!" she gasped.
Charlie groaned as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the forest canopy. Almost as soon as it had started, the burning stopped and he was left panting on the cold stone covered floor on the entrance.
Olivia watched him carefully. "Are you all right?"
"I'm not burning anymore, but now I feel as though something is missing." Had his wand been burned? Manfred wouldn't be able to use it so he would get rid of it as quickly as possible. Maybe that was why he suddenly started burning himself.
He got to his feet warily and wobbled slightly as he walked. The hunting horn sounded for everyone to get back inside. "Time for class," he said. Olivia nodded and walked behind him as they went back to the castle. He saw something flutter in the corner of his eye as he walked in the garden. It disappeared as soon as he moved his gaze toward the direction he had seen it.
He ran right into Cathrine Pest and Billy. The nausea washed over him like a waved and it seemed to happen to Olivia as well because he saw her double over onto her knees. Billy looked pale and smaller than usual. Quite frankly, Charlie wondered how the poor boy could even stand to be around her.
Cathrine smirked at them. "I'm sorry, is something the matter?" she said in an unconvincingly innocent tone.
Charlie groaned and felt like he was going to vomit into the grass. However, he heard someone walk up behind them. "Being a pest, Pest?" snorted a familiar tone.
Cathrine looked up at Asa and went bright red. "Go away, Pike!"
Asa lifted Olivia and Charlie by the backs of their shirts. "Aren't you going to be late for class, Pest?" he said in a tired voice. Charlie saw that Asa was having as much difficulty as he and Olivia was having; his jaw was clenched and he had sweat forming on his forehead. Why was Asa Pike helping them?
Cathrine grunted and grabbed Billy's hand roughly, walking away quickly. Asa set Olivia and Charlie on the ground and jammed his hands into his pockets as he walked away. Charlie ran up behind him, still recovering from Cathrine's onslaught. "Pike! Asa, why did you help us?"
Asa stopped, but he didn't turn. He gave a snort and shook his head. "Don't really know. Get to class, Bone." Then, he walked off, leaving Charlie staring at his back.
Charlie told the others about what had happened with Asa and Cathrine, leaving out Olivia's outburst, so she could tell the others when she was ready. "Asa… Asa Pike? Are you sure you're talking THE Asa Pike?" said Fidelio with his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.
Morgan was silent as she listened. Both Morgan and Olivia were acting unusual, the complete opposite of what they normally were. Both were normally chattering away, Olivia dressed lavishly and a lot of the times weirdly, Morgan being just plain cheerful. Now, Olivia looked miserable and nervous while Morgan was contemplative and looked more than a little afraid to speak what was on her mind. She was especially quiet since Charlie talked about Asa rescuing them.
When it was time to go into the King's Room, she walked ahead of Charlie, staying as far away from him as possible. However, he noticed that Asa brushed right past him just as quickly. He looked to Gabriel with a raised eyebrow. "What is going on, do you suppose?" he said.
Gabriel watched them thoughtfully, brown floppy hair getting in his eyes. Ada came up behind him and smiled at him. "Gabriel! Would you sit with me in there tonight?" Gabriel went pink and nodded quickly as he stared at her. She giggled and hopped up the steps to bounce into the King's Room.
"It looks like someone likes you," grinned Charlie, watching his friend fumble and twitter until he finally left in a bit of a huff right into the King's Room.
Charlie sat down where he usually sat, right in front of the portrait of the Red King. The wide, pleasant smile on the man's earth colored features gave him a warmth that Charlie appreciated, even if he couldn't get past what ever prevented him getting into the portrait.
Charlie also noticed Morgan and Asa were sitting across from each other as usual. Morgan looked even more nervous and stiff than she had earlier. She deliberately stared at her notes when Asa started up with her in his usual manner.
He kicked her shin gently and grinned at her as he looked up from his paper. He was working for a reaction from her, wanting her to get angry at him. At least then she would stop being so quiet. As much as Charlie thought Asa was being mean to her, right now, he felt what he was doing was the correct move. The only way to snap Morgan back into action would be to get her irritated, and Asa was dumb enough to suffer the consequences himself.
Morgan grunted and stiffened a little more, deliberately ignoring Asa. Manfred saw the action and frowned. "Pike, stop being a bother and do your work."
Asa looked to Manfred. "I'm not doing anything wrong, Manfred. I'm doing my work, see?" He held up his paper and grinned evilly at the older boy.
Manfred growled. "Do… your… work… Pike," he ground out before going back to grading papers.
Things were quiet for a little bit before Asa kicked Morgan's shin again. She grunted and glared at him. Charlie swore he could see a strange red glow around her as she trembled slightly. "Stop that, Pike," she growled.
Asa grinned at her nastily. "Make me," he challenged then, added in a softer tone, "I want you to."
Morgan's eyes went wide as her cheeks went red and she immediately buried herself in work. "Pike! I told you to stop being a bother. If I have to warn you again, both you AND MacGregor are staying here on Saturday for detention!"
A pencil hit Morgan's head from the direction of one of the Branko girls. That seemed to do it, and it wasn't Asa's fault either. Charlie saw the red glow around Morgan flash a little brighter in the dim room as she turned her gaze very slowly toward the twins. "Which one of you did that?" she said in a calm tone. It was closer to being the calm before the storm than an actual rational tone.
Another pencil shot at Morgan. She put up a hand and it was caught in her phantom hand, the other coming up in front of her as she brought both fists up. The girls' eyes widened in shock. Apparently, they didn't know they had another telekinesis user among them that wasn't directly related to them.
"Leave me alone, or else these will be you," she growled as the pencils suddenly broke in half and fell to the floor.
Asa grinned. "Looks as though she has you there, girls," he said to them with a snarky grin on his pale face.
"PIKE! MACGREGOR! DETENTION!" growled Manfred.
For the first time, both Asa and Morgan grinned at each other, a silent well done. Then, for the rest of the night, they were quiet and did as they were told.
