Over the next week, Tara continued to ask herself why Peace had told her that so much only to make her believe he was lying. She thought at first that he may have just been stupid enough to keep his guards down. However, the rational part of her brain said otherwise. Peace wasn't that stupid. She finally decided on Thursday night to find a way to ask him during school on Friday.
When Friday came around, Tara had absolutely no clue how she would get around to figuring out how to talk to Warren. She had foolishly forgotten about a paper she was supposed to have written, and skipped her Power Training class to hole up in the library and hopefully finish the work. So, that left class out of the question.
By the time Tara had finished her paper and was printing it out, she realized that she was fifteen minutes late for her English class. Deciding it would be pointless to just go for ten minutes of class, she headed out to the front of the school, hoping she wasn't stopped by teachers. Thankfully, and to her surprise, she met no one on the way. She proceeded to the tree that she and her friends sat at during free period.
Tara sat down and took out her guitar, which she had brought for her and Cassidy to practice their song later. After getting out of view of windows so that teachers wouldn't see her, she started to play. Minutes passed and soon she was in her own world, drowning out all her surroundings. She was so out of tune with the world that she didn't even notice someone coming over to investigate where music was coming from.
"Langley?" a voice beside her said, startling her off key.
"Ugh, Peace." She said realizing who it was. "What do you want?"
"Just trying to figure out where that awful racket I was hearing was coming from." He responded, nodding to her guitar. "Found it."
"Go screw yourself." She said, going back to her playing and drowning him out.
"Look," he said with a sigh. "Sorry about insulting your playing. You're not completely horrible at it."
"I take it that's as close to a complement that you'll give, huh?" Tara said looking up at him.
"Pretty much." He responded. "Mind if I sit?"
"Long as you don't give me whatever horrible disease you have." Tara said, going back to strumming out her song.
"You play a lot." He said. "I hear you every night. You must really love music."
"Its my life." She said. "Ever since mom. She had bought me my first guitar."
"Hmm." He said as he leaned his back against the tree. "Figured out whether or not you believe me yet?"
Tara shrugged, "Don't know. Thought you didn't care."
"I don't. Not completely." Warren said. "But I would like to know whether or not I should stop trying to piss you off or not."
"And what if I just agreed to get you to leave me alone?" Tara asked, looking him directly in the eye.
"Well, Langley," He said looking back. "I can tell when you're lying."
"Really, and how's that?" She asked, looking at him questioningly.
"When you lie, you always roll your eyes." he said. "You've done it around your brother. Also, if you're lying to a teacher, I've seen you bite at your bottom lip just before answering."
"Wow." she said amused. "You're a stalker aren't you?"
"Not really. I just notice things." He said as he looked up at the sky.
"Right. Again, stalker." Tara replied. "Weird since we're enemies and all."
"Enemies?" Warren asked confused. "Wouldn't go that far. I mean we don't get along but we shouldn't say enemies. That implies deep hatred."
"Then what exactly would you call it Peace?" Tara said. "Sure seems like hatred to me."
"Call it….involuntary disliking." He said thoughtfully. "You didn't seem to have a problem with me before your brother told you who I was, and I didn't until you mentioned my dad. So, its involuntary disliking."
"Call it whatever the fuck you want. I'm out of here." she said gathering her stuff and heading inside just as the bell rang. She didn't know why he was trying to be so nice, but part of her wanted to find out. So, she spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a way to talk to her 'enemy' again outside of school.
That afternoon, during her and Cassidy's practice through of their new song, Tara found herself continuously going off-key something that rarely ever happened.
"T, what's wrong?" Cassidy asked as they stopped for the sixth time in a row. "You're never this off when we play. What's on your mind."
"Nothing. I'm just tired is all." Tara said. "Power Training was really draining today. Top that with Save the Citizen and I'm basically a walking zombie Cass."
"Mariette said you missed Power Training." Cassidy said looking at her friend suspiciously. "You know you can tell me anything Tara, I've been your best friend since kindergarten, when we both got our powers."
"Nothing's wrong Cass, I promise. Just thinking too much again I guess." She said. "You know me."
"I also know that you don't think this much unless something is really up." Cassidy replied. "Now spill it, it's a boy isn't it?"
"No Cassidy, its not a boy." Tara said rather quickly. Realizing what she said she added, "Just thinking of the best way to get you and Demitri together." "Oh." Cassidy responded, blushing deep red. "In that case, how bout we start practice up again later. I'm pretty tired myself."
Tara laughed, knowing that she'd just embarrassed her friend. "Cassidy, just tell him you like him. Seriously you won't burst into flame or anything. That's me, remember."
"I know." she said shyly. "Its just that its more complicated than that. What if he doesn't feel the same?"
"Dude, I know my brother. And trust me Cass, he does." Tara said seriously. "And if he said no to a beautiful chick like you he'd be out of his mind! That and I'd kick his ass for it."
The last statement caused Cassidy to burst into laughter and say, "And that is why you're my best friend T."
"I know you'd do the same for me Cass." She said, packing up her guitar. "Now, how bout we go before we miss our ride home. Neither of us know how to fly."
The whole way home, Tara had her green SkullcandyÔ headphones turned up to drown the noise of the bus out, while Mariette and Cassidy sat in the seat in front of her. She listened to Three Days Grace for the majority of the ride, but towards the end she turned her iPod to Shinedown. She had her music up so loud that she didn't even notice that someone had sat beside her when the bus took off. The particular person in question gained the two of them stares from most of the passengers, as well as many hanging jaws.
She finally realized that he was there when she turned to grab her bag from under her legs, and gasped at who it was. Warren Peace, yet again. What was he trying to do, give her a heart attack? Or was he really just stupid enough to not pay attention to where he was sitting.
"Don't worry Langley, I only sat here because there were no empty seats." He said, reading the look on her face. "You can breathe now."
Tara didn't even realize until then that she had, indeed, held her breath by reflex. As the boy beside her stood up and walked to the front of the bus, she slowly stood and finally saw all the stares of the other students. At least her brother wasn't there, she'd have to come up with some explanation if he was. She made her way to the front of the bus and got off right behind Warren.
"Hothead." She said, using Coach Boomers name for him, as the bus drove away.
Warren sighed and turned around. "Yeah. What do you want?"
"Working tonight?" She asked him.
"Yeah, why?" He asked, now very confused.
"When do you get off?" Tara asked again, ignoring his facial expression.
"10:30. Why are you wanting to know Langley?" He asked, now putting up his 'tough guy' façade.
"Calm yourself." She said, noticing the change in tone. "Just be in the park at 10:45 ok? And make sure nobody knows you're there."
"I'll think about it." He said, turning to walk towards his house.
'Perfect' she thought 'As long as he shows up, hopefully I can figure all of this out.'
The pyro-kinetic girl headed to her own house to find that, again, it was empty.
'Gah dad, where are you going lately?' She thought reading the fake note on the fridge. She opened the fridge, grabbed a soda, and headed upstairs to do her homework.
That night, Tara dawned on her favorite maroon hoodie and a pair of slip on Vans and headed out her window, and onto her back deck. She went the same way she'd gone the previous Friday night, except going out her own yard rather than Warren's. She followed the road down to the park, and found that she was fifteen minutes early when she arrived.
Tara spent her extra waiting time by swinging. She didn't have to wait long, after a couple of minutes, she saw the leather jacket wearing guy she was waiting for. He walked over to her and sat down in the swing beside her.
"I got off early." He said shortly.
"Noticed." she replied.
"So, what is it? What do you want?" He asked, not making eye contact.
"Well, um I've been thinking of our past couple of conversations." She said.
"What about them?" He asked.
'She believes me? After that what I had to think because of her brother, she still knows I'm right? Impossible.' Tara heard him think.
"God Peace! Why do you have to let your guard down around me? I can't control my telepathy yet." She said irritably and rubbing her temple, causing him to turn and face her quickly. Loudly blasted thoughts always hurt her head.
"I, I didn't know I did Langley." He said seriously. "Honestly I didn't."
"Like you didn't know Friday when my brother showed up?" She said repeating what she'd just heard in his head.
"I had too. You're brother, he knows the truth. If he even suspected you believed me," Warren started defending himself.
"I know." Tara said with a nicer tone in her voice. "I didn't come here to argue."
"Then what did you meet me here for?" he asked, as he was now facing her while still sitting in the swing beside her.
"Well, I wanted to let you know that I do believe the story. I mean it just seems like my dad." She said. "Which is weird to say about your own father, but yeah."
"So, that's all this was about?" Warren said.
"No, not completely." she said quietly. "That was just the main part."
"What's on your mind Langley?" he said standing up, as she was slightly swinging.
"Well, after hearing everything you said, I started to notice these patterns at home." She said as he stepped behind her swing, causing her to get a small cold chill.
"What kind of patterns?" he asked as he began to push her on the swing.
Tara, slightly confused at what had just happened, continued, "Um, like the fact that my brother and my dad are gone a lot lately. Mostly dad though. And he never says where he's going, just leaves a note and comes back at like midnight or later."
"So he's out late doing something, you're brother's gone a lot, ever figure it might be normal?" He said. "You're brother's a teenager and maybe you're dad's dating or something."
"No, Peace." She said sharply, then in a nicer tone added "I mean Warren, I know my dad. But you could be right about Demitri."
"Ok, on second thought, your dad could be planning revenge on the Commander maybe?" Warren suggested.
"Maybe. He's been kind of distant for the past few weeks. Especially since I started at Sky High." She said as he continued pushing her on the swing.
"Any ideas on what he could be doing?" Warren asked.
"No, I mean something tells me Demitri knows. But I'm not too sure." Tara replied. "The two of them talk a lot, and when I come around they change the subject quickly."
"That's not suspicious is it?" Warren said sarcastically.
"I know." She said agreeing. "But what should I do? I don't really have any proof that they're planning anything. And I don't think I can trust Demitri anymore."
"What about your friends?" Warren asked.
"Well, Mariette's engrossed in Frank all the time." Tara explained. "And I guess there's Cassidy, but I'm afraid to say anything because of dad's power, plus she's crushing on my brother."
"Another good point." Warren said. "Seems I'm the only one you got right now."
"Crazy huh?" she said thoughtfully.
"There's a lot of crazy going on lately." He said. "That hippie girl Layla was at work asking advice about Stronghold."
"She's crazy about him. Everybody knows that." Tara said.
"Yeah, everybody but Stronghold." Warren replied.
"Not the brightest crayon in the box is he?" Tara said smiling.
"One of the dullest." Warren said, also smiling.
There was a small silence, in which all that was heard was a faint dog bark, and the sound of the swing moving. It was peaceful. The first completely non-arguing conversation the two of them had had. Tara had to admit that she liked it, which she did.
"This is surprisingly nice." she said quietly, breaking the silence.
"What is?" Warren asked.
"Well, we're actually getting along." Tara said. "Completely getting along. We haven't insulted each other even once."
"You know what. It is nice." Warren agreed.
"Too bad its over." a deep voice said from the road. "Tara Christine, you're coming home now."
Tara gasped. "Dad?"
"Now Tara." He strictly said glaring at Warren.
Tara got up and sighed. "Every fricken time." She said to herself as she walked over to her father. As she walked, she glanced back at Warren only to see that he was gone.