The New Kid
Chapter 6: Enter Menardi
I'm back with another chapter!
Isaac: Run for your lives!!
Ha ha. Everyone's a comedian. Anyways, I've saved any review responses for the end of the chapter.
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The next day was Friday. Garet called Isaac's house while Isaac was still getting ready. Isaac had overslept and was running late, so he finally accepted Garet's carpool offer. They met up with Felix and Jenna at the school parking lot and found Mia at her locker, which was next to Jenna's and only a little ways up the hall from Isaac's.
The day went by without much excitement. At lunch, Ivan performed a few card magic tricks where he guessed what card the person was thinking of. While everyone else was entertained, Sheba didn't seem nearly as thrilled, saying she'd seen Ivan do those stunts a million times and already knew how it worked.
It was during the last class of the day, English 3, when Jenna mentioned the plans for the evening.
"Garet and Felix still have that project, but they want to put that off till the weekend so we can all go to the park after school. You should see the park we have here in Vale. It's pretty big. Garet has his basketball in his truck, and Felix brought his soccer ball, so we can play whatever games we want when we get there."
Isaac thought about it for a moment, adding a comma to sentence #11 on the worksheet on the desk before him. "Okay. Sounds like fun. When do we meet?"
"Right after school!" Jenna grinned. "If you want to get anything from home, I'm sure Garet could drive you."
"Naw. I'm good to go."
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"Pass the ball here, Isaac! I'm open! I'm open!"
Isaac kicked the soccer ball with his left leg, sending it past Jenna and straight to Garet who ran the ball the rest of the way to the goal. But the kick that sent it towards the goal was blocked by the goalie Mia, who picked it up and, dropping it, kicked it halfway to the other goal where Felix was waiting. Since Isaac and Garet were all the way at the other end, there was nothing to slow him as he chased the spotted blur.
"Ivan! Heads up!" called Isaac, but Felix had already kicked it right past the freshmen's fingers.
"And the Invincible Duo takes the lead, 3 to 1!" shouted Felix, his hands in the air.
"You mean the 'Invincible Trio', ri-ght?" called Mia from her goal.
"Er…Break time!" Felix brought his hands down and ran over to where Sheba sat on a bench. She had decided not to play since she was the only girl wearing a skirt.
"You got her mad at you again?"
"Drop it, Sheba." He sat down next to her.
Sheba giggled. "Well, nothing I can really do. Thanks for inviting me along, but I need to get going."
"Same here," said Ivan as he came to stand before them. "Mom wants me home before 5:30 to help with dinner, so I'd better start walking."
The remaining five teens waved as the younger two left, and they were soon out of sight as they rounded a corner created by a wall of vines on a fence.
Isaac glanced around as his friends seated themselves on the two metal benches that sat back to back. Jenna hadn't been joking when she said the park was big. The area they were in was a secluded area surrounded by tall hedges and chain-link fences that were hidden by the masses of vines that covered them. It was also big enough for the teens to set up a makeshift soccer field.
Isaac sat and listened to his friends talking and arguing, sometimes being dragged into the current conversation. Garet and Jenna were quoting some of the jokes they were constantly e-mailing back and forth, and Isaac was laughing along with them when he felt a shiver run up his back. He could hear inaudible whispers all around him, as if the very earth itself was trying to tell him something. His sudden stop in laughter didn't go unnoticed.
"Isaac? What's wrong?" came Jenna's voice, but Isaac just continued to stare past her and didn't answer. The feeling that he was being watched was growing, and the whispers got louder as more joined into the chorus.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" The murmurs stopped abruptly, and Isaac spun around to see a woman standing only a short distance away. She had long blond hair waving down to her lower back and wore a pale pink dress that was sleeve-less and came down just below her knees. Over her right shoulder she carried an umbrella the same shade as her dress.
"Who are you?" demanded Felix, noticing Isaac's reaction to the woman.
"I believe that is none of your concern," she answered coolly. Garet stared at the woman, convinced that there was something familiar about her. "Well, Isaac. I see you have managed to fit in somewhat. That's far more than you could ever say about your last school."
Isaac could feel some color draining from his face as he jumped to his feet and hurried to get between her and the benches, praying that he didn't look as scared as he felt. "What do you want, Menardi?" he said boldly.
At the sound of her name, Garet realized how he knew her: she had been the woman that had called looking for Isaac the day before.
Menardi grinned evilly. "It's not a matter of my wants, dear boy. It's all about what my boss wants."
Isaac clenched his fists. "If that's all, then you can tell your 'boss' that I'm not interested and he can just go back to his other guinea pigs in Tolbi."
"Oh, but that's the problem. The boss doesn't have anyone else to take your place. Also, he doesn't quite accept 'no' as an answer. Of course, you already knew that. You even have the scars to prove it!" She let out a high pitch laugh that sent chills down everyone's back. (If you can think of Emerald from Sailor Moon, you've got the idea of Menardi's sounds: majorly bad!)
Isaac gritted his teeth, glaring knives at the pink clad woman before him. "That's enough, Menardi! I'm not gonna be some maniac's science project! So you might as well just pack your bags and go back to Tolbi, 'CAUSE I'M NOT GOING!"
Menardi cut her laughter and sneered at the boy before her. "You talk a good talk, but I doubt even you are as brave as you pretend to be. You're just a weak little child with no past, present, or future. The only family you have left is your dear mother. You're still scared by your own strength, rightfully blaming yourself for everything bad that's ever happened, for every person that you've ever hurt. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, then your father's death--"
"I SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!"
But Menardi's sneer only grew larger. "Tell me something, boy: does your arm still ache? I daresay that I doubt, even with your abilities, that you will ever be able to fully heal such an injury, or at least, without leaving any mark." The smile left her face. "So, will you come with me now and save yourself from more injuries, or will you refuse? I feel I must warn you that it won't be pretty if we must force you. For one, if you thought it hurt the last time we met, then you'll wish you were never born next time! Of course, if you've ever wanted to sleep at the bottom of a river like a certain someone, I'm sure it could be arranged…"
All fear had left Isaac, and he was now shacking with rage. How dare she refer to his father like that. "I said," he started through gritted teeth, "that I'm not going. Take a hint: nothing you say or do will ever make me agree!"
Menardi shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. My, don't we have an attitude today?" She stared back at the boy before her. "Very well then. I'll just leave you to your little games. But don't get too comfortable," she lifted her left index finger, "If my boss wants your powers, then, one way or another, he'll get your powers."
Menardi strolled past him to the right and didn't even glance at his friends as she walked by. Isaac straightened himself, but continued to face forward. "Have a nice day…Isaac Wood," she called over her shoulder as she left.
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The four teens that still sat on the benches had silently watched the whole argument, and now they could only watch speechlessly as Isaac continued to stand in that one spot, even long after Menardi's departure. Isaac's fists were still clenched at his sides, and his eyes stayed focused straight ahead of him, almost as if he expected Menardi to pop back up in the same place any second. Jenna was the first to break the silence.
"I-Isaac? A-are you…okay?"
Again, Isaac didn't answer her. His mind was already racing with his anger and hundreds of questions.
Mia stood and took a step towards him. "Isaac?"
"H-how c-could she h-have known?" Isaac didn't move, but his voice was shaky and quiet.
Felix and Jenna were now standing, and all four were now exchanging curious glances.
"How could she have known what?" questioned Felix.
"O-only I should know the t-truth behind it…"
Garet nodded to himself. Standing, he started towards Isaac.
"G-Garet?" mumbled Mia as he passed.
But Garet kept walking until he stood less than a foot behind Isaac and placed a hand on his right shoulder. Isaac shuttered and his body tensed for a moment before relaxing, his eyes finally falling to the ground.
"There's alotta kids at school that will tell you I'm just a big goof. That I'm never serious about anything and I'm just a waste of their time," he said calmly. "I know this probably sounds really dumb, but, no matter what happens, or what kind of trouble I get into, I know…my friends will always be there to back me. Even when I have to do something by myself, I know they still support me. Um…I guess…what I'm tryin' to say is…you've got us for friends now, and, while we may not know exactly what's goin' on with ya, I know I for one…and I'm sure Felix, Jenna, and Mia agree…will support you all the way."
Isaac continued to stare at the ground for a moment, Garet's hand still on his shoulder. After a moment's silence, Isaac took a deep breath. "Thanks Garet," he said quietly, turning around.
Garet stepped back to allow him room. Isaac's head was down, his messy hair hiding his eyes. He raised his head, looking truly depressed, but then he smiled slightly and looked from Garet to the others. "Thanks for inviting me along, everyone," he said cheerfully, his smile broader, walking back to the benches and closing his book bag. "I guess I ought to be getting home myself."
"Are you sure it's really safe for you to go home right now?" asked Mia.
"You can stay and hang out with us," said Felix.
Isaac tried making himself look as happy as he could. "Don't worry about me. I really should get home. Thanks again." He turned to leave, but Jenna and Garet blocked his path.
"If you think we're gonna let you go off by yourself after that show, you're sadly mistaken," stated Jenna, her arms crossed.
"So, how's 'bout we all go over to my house and we can all hang out overnight there? My folks are away on business until Monday, so the house will be all ours," suggested Garet.
"Uh…"
"Hey! That's a great idea!" exclaimed Felix.
"Okay then," started Garet. "Felix; you and Jenna take your car and get your stuff from your house. I'll take Mia and Isaac in my truck, and we'll see you at my house. You know where the spare key is, right?"
Felix nodded. "Yep. In the lock box by the steps. As long as the combination hasn't changed since last time, I should be able to get it."
"Then what are we standing around here for?" questioned Jenna. Everyone seemed in a much happier mood than they had been moments before. "It's already a quarter till six!"
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Mia's home was on the way to Isaac's, so they left her off there to get ready and would return later to pick her back up. Garet waited on a couch downstairs while Isaac packed a few items for the night.
Garet looked at his watch. Isaac had been gone ten minutes already. "How long does it take to stuff a pair of PJ's and your toothbrush in a bag?" he thought to himself. He stood and made his way up the stairs. "Hey Isaac?" he called as he reached the top. "You almost rea--dy…"
He stopped one step into Isaac's room. Isaac was standing by his dresser next to the right wall. On the dresser, among other things, was what looked like a 5" x 8" picture frame with its own stand, and Isaac stood before it, staring at it with an expression of mixed emotions that Garet couldn't identify. His school bag was on one shoulder.
"Isaac?"
Isaac started and turned his head to see Garet at his open door. "Oh, uh…" He looked back to the picture, then started towards his friend, looking just as cheerful as he was when they had arrived. "Sorry to keep you waiting. We'd better hurry so Mia doesn't fry us."
Garet didn't answer right away, but decided to go along with Isaac's attitude and grinned himself. "I doubt she would. She's more of the fixing type. She's got a great temper."
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"What took you guys so long?" Mia demanded as she closed the front door behind her and followed Garet back to his truck. "I've been ready almost ten whole minutes! I was almost ready to just have Felix come 'n get me!"
"Yeah, great temper alright," thought Garet. "Me and my big mouth!"
"Garet, what's wrong?" she demanded.
"Wha! What makes you ask that?"
Her tone didn't lighten. "Well, usually you're so defensive. It's not like you to let me say stuff like that without you making up some crazy remark back."
Garet glanced from her to Isaac in the truck ahead of him. Then his gaze fell to ground. "I'll tell you later."
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And there's chapter six for ya. I would've kept on typing, but I think this is a good place to stop. Next chapter: the sleepover. And, for anyone who may be wondering as too why two girls and two guys (Jenna, Mia, Felix, and Garet) are 17 and still have sleepovers at one another's houses, it's because they've all been friends since probably before any of them could talk. (This is rated PG)
Isaac: Why is everyone after me?
Felix: What? You mean how Yuja joked about you being her boyfriend, and then how you were nearly strangled by Rain Child in a hug?
^-^ Hee hee… Oh well. There's always Felix…
Felix: Uh…I…just…remembered something…gotta go! *runs off*
Drat. Oh well, he'll be back next chapter.
Jenna: Are you sure? He's running awfully fast.
Yep. I'm the author, so I'll make sure of it. And in response to dog-eared hanyou's review question, yes, there will be more GS characters. The rich guy that's tracking down Isaac is one character that really annoys me. And everyone knows that, where there's Menardi, there's Saturos. Same goes with Agatio and Karst (see chapter 1). And I've already promised that Picard/Piers will be in here, and I'll probably have it where he's called both names.
Picard: Yes!! I finally get an entrance!
Are you kidding me? If Yumi found out I was writing fics without you and Alex, she'd probably strangle me or make me say "Malik is the best character in Yu-Gi-Oh" again! (Yumi is not someone on FanFiction.net. It's a nickname for a friend at school. And she once made me say that because I called "Malik" his dubbed name "Marik" just to bug her.)
Jenna: Now that you mention it, it was pretty funny.
Shut up!