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"Friday at last! Friday at last! Thank Harold almighty it's Friday at Last!"
Skinner's statement garnered a few laughs, smiles and rolls of eyes as students exited campus at the end of the week, he had just said what was on their minds, and done it ever so cheerfully.
"You have no inner monologue, do you?" asked Jekyll as he caught up with him.
"Jekyll! Where have you been?"
After Edward left Skinner two days ago, that was the last he saw of either twin.
"I got into a bit of weird stuff, please don't ask"
"What do you mean don't ask"
"Please, Skinner, It's private"
"Alright. Are you though, alright I mean"
"I'm in one piece, the truth is Skinner, I'm sick"
"Oh dear! Venereal diseases, is it"
"What? No! It's nothing really. Where are we off to?"
"I was heading home, but I figure we can swing by Nemo's"
"I'm up for that."
Skinner and Jekyll changed their direction towards the dorms and were briefly silent.
"So, what's gone down in the past few days?" asked Jekyll.
"I met Edward."
"Edward, huh?"
Jekyll then suddenly realized what might have happened between the two.
"Oh, Skinner, did you cold clock him"
"No, I wanted to though"
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Look, he's just an asshole, don't ever give a damn about a word he says"
"He said you called me a ponce and an ignorant buffoon"
"Well, that makes him a lying asshole"
"Henry, are you saying you didn't say those things"
"Yes, Skinner, I didn't say them. I swear"
"Alright, then. What've you got down for the weekend"
"Nothing, why"
"I invited the guys over to just hang, Alan and Nemo that is"
"Skinner, I was hoping to just relax and sleep it through. I've been having a rough couple of days"
"Mina will be there too." said Skinner with a smug grin.
"Oh?" said Jekyll, then tried to not sound so eager, "Ummm, why...I mean why would I, you know, care"
"Henry, m'boy. Contrary to appearances, I am an authority on matters of the heart. And my grasp on the labyrinths of the male cerebrum tells me that you're quit smitten"
"Smitten? No. Slightly turned on, maybe."
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The following day saw Alan, Nemo and Mina come to Skinner and Jekyll's apartment, Jack and Utterson came by as well and played for a bit before running off to do something or another. While Nemo, Skinner and Alan started drinking beer like there was no tomorrow, Jekyll stayed sober as to not totally blow it with Mina who was finely dressed and remained sober as well.
"You know, I bet you're still pondering what went on with me that night at Lucy's party"
"Not really. You were... under the influence, weren't you"
"Under the influence?" asked Jekyll suspiciously, "Whose influence"
"Umm... Lady Opium"
"Opium... you mean you thought I was stoned?" asked Jekyll then burst out laughing, "That wasn't the case at all. Who told you that"
"Dorian, he saw you"
"Dorian? I'm gonna kill 'em. Listen, I don't do that stuff, either Dorian was taking a mickey or a he saw someone else"
"Really"
"I swear on my Les Paul guitar, my mother's grave and God almighty."
Minutes passed as Nemo played the drums and Alan attempted to sing God save the queen with a Scottish accent. Mina and Jekyll then started having several conversations regarding art, chemistry and other rubbish like that.
"I should leave." said Mina as she straightened her dress and put on her coat as Jekyll fetched he purse.
"Where to? The Night's just getting started"
"I have a date"
"Dorian"
"Yeah, we're going to see a musical"
"Which one"
"Spectacular, Spectacular"
"I've seen it, It's rubbish! Hippies and talking sitars all in one show. Don't go see it, stay here with us!"
Mina laughed, "I can't keep him waiting, we'll do this again sometime"
"Okay, see you Monday"
"See you."
Jekyll dropped the smile as the door closed and Mina left, he had spent the past six hours using his best moves and lines and it didn't work.
"Oyo, Jekyll!" called Skinner, "How did it go"
"Well, she doesn't think I'm scary anymore. But she's still going to date Dorian."
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Dorian and Mina left the theatre, laughing and discussing the musical as they attempted to hail a cap.
Sybil watched in alarmed puzzlement as Dorian and Mina stood closely together, in an intimate manner that reminded her of herself and Dorian when they first started dating over a year ago. She had managed to get two tickets in a nosebleed section of the theater and was looking forward to using the to surprise Dorian with, after he had claimed to fail at acquiring the tickets they wanted, she came here after she couldn't reach him and had no time left, to see him in their seats with some new tart.
How could he? She wondered. She done things to her she never thought she'd do to another man, she'd refrained from doing some things that would have served her dreams for his sake, and this was how he repaid her.
"This won't fly." she said as her tears started to stream down her cheek.
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"Well, I guess this is goodnight." said Mina as she and Dorian stood at the door of Stoker Hall, her place of residence, "Would you like to come in? I think my flat mate is out."
Normally, Dorian would vigorously respond to her invitation and only leave after "breakfast", but he preferred to further delay it all.
"No, I should get back home"
"Alright, call me."
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"Don worrry, Jekyll." said Alan with a twisted tongue as the four college students sat on the floor, drunk and playing video games at midnight in Jekyll and Skinner's apartment, "You'll get laid, eventually... Hey, ye should meat this girl I know, she's no bad to look at and is sort of... what's the word? Oh yeah, a Tart"
"Sounds like a plan," said Jekyll as he was being thrashed by Nemo as they fought on the screen in a martial arts game, "What the hell does Gray have that I don't?"
"Well, there's..." started Skinner.
"Rhetorical question."
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Dorian turned on the lights as he walked through the door of his flat and head directly to the phone and dialed Mina's number.
"Hello, It's Dorian"
"That was quick." said Mina with a little laugh.
"I know, I just felt like calling. I'm not coming on too strong, am I"
"I don't think so, and I don't mind"
"Listen, I know the common protocols of dating state that we should wait for a while, but would you like so dinner tomorrow night"
"I'd love some."
Someone then started ringing Dorian's doorbell so he decided to cut the call short.
"I've got to go. Goodnight"
"Goodnight."
Mina smiled from ear to ear as she sat up in her bed and smiled from ear to ear, much to the pleasure of Lucy who was taking a strong interest in Mina and Dorian's relationship.
As Lucy and Mina started recounting and discussing the date, Dorian went to answer the door and saw an obviously disarrayed Sybil standing in the doorway, her eyes were red from crying and dry tears marked her cheeks.
"Sybil, what's wrong"
"How was the musical?" asked Sybil calmly with an undercurrent of wrath, "Did it live up to its name?"
Dorian didn't try to lie or deny anything, he realized she knew what she saw, and realized she saw that he wasn't alone.
"We're over, Sybil"
"Why?" asked Sybil as she pushed Dorian angrily into the apartment and came in after him, "Why did you do it?"
Dorian closed the door to stifle the screaming that was going to happen momentarily.
"Didn't I do anything you wanted me to do in bed? Did I-" Sybil raged on.
"Keep your voice down"
"What was it"
"Nothing, Sybil. You were the best girlfriend a man could have, isn't that what you wanted to hear"
"I want to hear why did you do it"
"Free Will, look it up. I'm sorry you had to know this way, Sybil. You did nothing wrong, I just don't want to see you anymore."
Sybil broke down as she couldn't believe what he was telling her.
"This can't be it!" said Sybil as tears started to stream again.
"I'm sorry, Sybil, I don't see a future for us"
"But, you love me! You've said it"
"I lied Sybil, you're a great girl. You've made me very happy on occasion, I enjoyed the times we spent together, but I never really loved you"
"No no no no, you're lying"
"We're over, deal with it."
"I love you, Dorian! I love so much it physically hurts me to hear you say this, do you think that Bitch will treat you half as great as I did"
"I don't know, but I'm not going to give her up for you. It hurts me to say this," said Dorian lying through his teeth in the last part, for he didn't care about her feelings, "I can never feel anything like what you want towards you"
"You bastard!" said Sybil as she beat his chest with her fists, he held her close to his chest.
"Calm down, dear, don't make such a fool out of yourself. You'll learn to live without me, it'll hurt for a while then you'll cope with it. There is no reason why we can't all be friends some-"
Sybil couldn't bring herself to listen to him, she pushed him away and ran out the apartment.
He felt no remorse or guilt, just mild discomfort, and it didn't take long for him to forget about it all.
Hw turned on his TV to watch something before going to bed, he hadn't used it in three days, and he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to switch the DVD player off and that the short film that Basil had shot had been continuously playing ever since.
He watched as the forty second film played, the Dorian on the screen spoke.
"My names is Dorian Gray, I am... Basil, what am I really supposed to say? Should I just keep yammering on? Talk without actually saying anything? Alright, I'll do it... Yada yad yada gobble gobble gobble. I'm a male chauvinist pig, and I'm a cold hearted bastard, god save the queen she is no human being."