A character concept picture for Elle is now up on my concept page. Just visit my profile and click on my 'homepage' to see, and even comment, if you so desire. BE WARNED: There are some more suggestive themes going on.
Read on:

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Chapter 9:

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That night, Caleb and Pogue sifted through the ancient books down at their place of meeting: the Pentagram. Thus far, their search for what was making their powers act this way had not been successful.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Caleb said in frustration as he flipped through yet another book. "There's no record of this ever happening before?"

"Whatever it is, we can rule out that is has something to do with Ascension," Pogue said. "Because it's happened to both Reid and me. That eliminates all the books on that shelf, at least."

Caleb sighed, and leaned his weight on both hands against the fiery table, as if very reluctant to throw out his next theory.

"What if it's some sort of spell?" he said unwillingly. "What if Chase'd had the last laugh after all?"

"Or what if he's doing this while he's still alive?" Pogue countered. "Postmortem curses are highly unlikely, Caleb, you know that."

"He can't be alive," Caleb said, shaking his head resolutely. "No one could survive that last blow I gave him."

"Could you?" Pogue challenged. Caleb knew what he was trying to say: that Chase had the same amount of power as Caleb, so if Caleb thought he could survive it, why couldn't Chase? It was a good point, so good it made Caleb sigh in defeat.

"If he's alive, why hasn't he shown himself?"

"Biding his time," Pogue replied smoothly. "Waiting for this curse to get the better of us—who knows? But we have to expect him being out there, Caleb. We have to take the necessary… precautions."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Kate is already taken care of," Pogue said, counting off the fingers on his hand. "Since she's living with me now," --he couldn't help but smile broadly in pride when he said that-- "And your mom is fine with you. What about Sarah?"

"Until she finds a roommate she'll have to stay with me and Tyler at my house too," Caleb said with a nod. "Mom trusts me; she'll let her stay in a guest room."

"What about Tyler's girl? Elle?"

"Chase hasn't met her before," Caleb argued. "He wouldn't go after her, I don't think. I'll have Tyler keep tabs on her, just in case."

"If you say so," Pogue agreed, then grabbed his jacket to leave. "I'm going to go get ready for the party tonight. You going?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting Sarah there," Caleb said. "I wouldn't want to miss Reid's date with Kira, either."

Pogue laughed.

"That's definitely going to be a highlight of my night."

"Yeah," Caleb agreed, chuckling at the thought as well. "Isn't Karma great?"

-

Tyler pulled up to Elle's house in his hummer, and stopped for a mirror check before he stepped out.

Before he could go to her door to ring the bell, she was already on her way out, wearing a tight pair of charcoal straight-leg jeans, a dark tank top and an oversized white beaded necklace. The clothes brought out her every curve, so much that it was hard to ignore. Tyler tried his best not to stare. He simply smiled at her broadly, though nervously, knowing what task laid before him in the near future.

"Hi!" she said like nothing was wrong in the world, and walked over to his car with a preset mind. "Sorry I'm such a mess… I've been packing all day. I'm lucky to have rounded up a decent outfit for tonight, really…"

"You look—you look great," Tyler stammered. How was he ever going to confront her?

"Why were you packing?" he asked worriedly. "You're not running away from something, are you? Or maybe someone?"

She laughed.

"No, nothing that exciting, I'm afraid," she admitted. "I'm just packing so when I find a decent roommate I can move right away into the dorms for the rest of the school year. With my dad gone, he refuses to let me stay in an empty house… not since what happened…."

Tyler nodded understandingly.

"Anyway, how he expects me to find a roommate this late in the year—I do not know."

He opened the door for her politely, and she hopped right in.

Tyler jogged around the front of the vehicle and got in the drivers seat, but sat still for a moment, trying to decide on the right words to say. Elle frowned at him with confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern.

Tyler looked at Elle and opened his mouth, but nothing would come out. He had practiced the entire way over, but those rehearsed words now refused to be spoken.

"I like you," he said instead. He could have kicked himself at how stupid it sounded.

Elle looked back at him fondly.

"I know…" she replied with a warm smile.

Tyler remained silent and frozen stiff, and she twiddled her thumbs and looked out the window anxiously.

"So are we going to go?" she asked with wonder.

"Oh!" Tyler said, breaking out of the hindrance in his brain and turning on the ignition. "Right, yeah…"

"Tyler," she said, putting a hand on his arm, making him fall paralyzed once more. "It's okay."

She said it with such deep meaning behind it, such full and comforting understanding, that it calmed Tyler immediately.

"Really?" he said to be sure. "You mean about--"

She put a finger to his lips and shushed him.

"It's okay," she repeated. "I rather not know for sure, but even if it is true, it's okay."

Tyler stared at her as she slowly released his lips from her finger's hold. He smiled at her lovingly and sighed in relief.

"Well, alright then," he said happily, and proceeded to put his hummer in gear.

-

Since Kira herself was holding the party, Reid thankfully didn't have to go and pick her up and suffer the few moments of alone time driving there. He was ready to shoot himself as it was, and was thankful for small favors.

He found Caleb, Sarah, Pogue, and Kate quickly in the midst of the party, going just where he expected to find them: out on the patio overlooking the lake. It was a wonderful little balcony, and the moon was full enough to provide a useful light, reflecting off the lake beautifully and giving everything a soft glow. Sarah especially, looked wonderful under the moonlight. Reid frowned at how pretty she looked, that old feeling of longing he once bore for her creeping in on him again. She really was a good-looking girl…

"Hey, Reid," Pogue said, slapping his hand and ritually pulling him close to bump shoulders in greeting. "When'd you fly in?"

"Just now," Reid replied casually, doing the same with Caleb and tipping an invisible hat to the girls. "Tyler come yet?"

"Naw," Caleb said, shaking his head sadly. "He'll give us the report when he gets here, don't worry about it."

Pogue laughed and playfully tugged on Caleb to get his attention.

"Something tells me that's not what Reid is worried about."

This immediately set Reid off and he got in his friend's face.

"Keep it up and I'll give you something to worry about," Reid challenged.

"Cut it out, Reid, he's just yanking your chain," Caleb refereed once again.

Kate hit her boyfriend on the shoulder threateningly.

"What?" Pogue asked with confusion.

"You behave!" she commanded with a sternness only skin deep.

"Anything for you, babe," Pogue replied happily, leaning to kiss her. Reid rolled his eyes, thinking of nothing worse than staring at Pogue's disgusting display.

"Have any of you guys seen Reid?" Kira said loudly to her friends from behind him.

Reid winced at the sound of her voice.

Oh, yeah… that was worse…

"Looks like your date is looking for you," Caleb said with a smile. Reid knew what was coming next and pleaded with his friend against it.

"Caleb, you had better not--"

"—Hey, Kira!" Caleb called to get her attention, then started waving her over to them.

"--No, don't--!" Reid tried desperately.

"--Look who I found!" Caleb said, ignoring him completely. Pogue turned Reid around and shoved him Kira's way.

"Have fun!" he teased.

Soon Reid found himself bombarded by Kira and her squealing girlfriends, much to the amusement of his own friends, to whom he shot the 'finger' behind his back. His displeasure only seemed to amuse them all the more. Reid gritted his teeth every time Kira opened her mouth, and his body fell tense at her every touch.

"Hey you," Kira crooned, trailing her fingers along his shirt. "You're late."

"Well, I can't imagine why," Reid said, his voice dripping with disdain. "You know how I just can't wait to see you…"

Pogue snickered, but Kira didn't seem to catch the sarcasm.

"Aww, isn't he sweet, girls?" Kira boasted to her friends, then began to tug on Reid's arm. "Com'on, you have to dance with me."

"No, I don't," Reid countered firmly. Dancing would give Kira all the excuse she needed to grind up on him—and he didn't need that sort of temptation right now… not from her. He'd never live it down.

"Reid," Caleb urged almost tauntingly. "She wants to dance… Dance with the girl."

Reid shot him a threatening glare, warning him against interfering again.

"I don't dance," he growled to Caleb through his teeth.

"That's okay," Kira said, leaning close to Reid to whisper in his ear. "There are other things we can do… like I can take you upstairs… and show you my room…"

Reid looked at Kira in stunned silence, blinking back the surprise on his otherwise blank expression. After a moment or so, he sighed and reluctantly muttered:

"You wanna dance?"

"Oh..." Kira said with a knowing smile. "I'd love to."

Caleb laughed as Kira led Reid away, then turned his attention back to Sarah.

"You want something to drink?" he asked graciously. Sarah smiled, and nodded.

"Oh," she added. "But get me something sealed, like a can of soda. I think I saw someone spike the punch earlier."

"Good call," Caleb agreed, as he nuzzled Sarah in the ear with a grin. "You wouldn't want me taking advantage of you, now, would you?"

"Now, Caleb Danvers!" she scolded playfully. "I had thought better of you. Shame… Shame on you for thinking such things…"

He smiled at her joke and left to fetch the beverages, and happened to spot Tyler making his way through the foyer with Elle attached to his hand. Tyler met Caleb's eye and smiled broadly and gave Caleb a thumbs up. Caleb shook his head in reply, relieved and a little amused, and made his way back over to where his girlfriend stood.

"Tyler's here," he told Pogue. "Looks like the Elle situation is under control."

"Well, that's a relief," Pogue replied. "Otherwise we'd have to kill her."

Kate slapped him on the arm again.

"What?" Pogue asked in genuine confusion.

"I said behave," she retorted.

-

Tyler observed Elle as she drank her drink, noticing her attention was not on him. Rather, she seemed to be searching the crowd for something, or someone. Tyler frowned at this, wishing desperately he could be more entertaining to her.

"Looking for a friend?" he asked above the pulsing bass of the hard rock song. She seemed a little jumpy when he spoke, and shrugged it off quickly.

"No, just wondering who made it to the party," she replied coolly, so Tyler let it go.

-

Reid wasn't much of a dancer, but he knew enough to get by out on the floor. His lack of enthusiasm didn't help matters either, but thankfully in this kind of dancing the girls dominated, and he didn't need to do much besides hold a beat.

Kira did just as he expected of her, and danced a little too sensual for his liking, her butt grinding into his pelvis in movement to the beat. He was about to stop and make up some lame excuse for why he needed to go, if he hadn't spotted Elle coming in with Tyler off to the side of the dance crowd. He managed to catch her gaze for a moment, but she was quickly distracted by the greetings of various friends.

She was soon thrust in the midst of a group of jocks and various boys of interest, Tyler fuming a bit from having to hoard them away from his girl as best he knew how, but didn't seem to be having much success.

In hopes of aggravating some kind of jealously in Elle, Reid held Kira's rear and danced just as suggestively back, much to Kira's delight.

"Ohh," she hummed back in pleasure. "That's it. Give it to me, boy…"

But Reid could barely register her words. All he saw were the boys hanging around Elle, one rubbing her back flirtatiously, two holding beers and laughing with the rest, and Tyler with his arm around her shoulders territorially, letting them all know she belonged to him…

And there Elle was, in all her splendor; the overconfident, unattainable fox, surrounded by handsome men that were hanging on her every word…

And she was staring at Reid.

-


Ooo… Intense, huh? Please review.
Signed,
--RedRogue