The High Life
Hey, guys. Well, it's been about a week since I last posted. Consider yourself lucky. I just can't help it. Loving the reviews. They're great. Thanx.
I own everyone you don't recognize. Blah, blah, blah.
Chapter 6.....Tragedy In Your Blood
Sitting in the mess hall with nothing much to do was a common thing for the kids at Horizon. Kat and the group were no exception.
"All right, we should have a party", she said out of the blue.
"Ah, sure cos we know Peter and he would just love that", Shane said in her usual sarcastic tone.
"Mac's leaving on Friday", Kat told her, "We should do something".
"I really doubt that Peters gonna go for it, I mean, come on, everything that makes a party fun. We can't do it", Mac said matter of factly.
"She's right, you know", Charlie begun, "No drinking, no dates, Peter's probably even got some kind of rule for dancing".
The girls chatter as the guys watch in awe of how much crap they can actually say in one sentence. As Charlie walks in the room goes silent.
"I'm sorry, I'll go", Charlie wasn't in the mood for causing trouble.
"No, no, stay", Kat assured her. "We could use your expertise".
"What?" Charlie asked in a non-tone kind of way.
"We want to have a going away party for Mac", Kat informed her.
"A party? Here?" Charlie was quite amused. "You guys are crazy".
"Thank you", Mac agreed. "I'm telling you when you have a party, you need alcohol, I don't know about the rest of you, but I need a packet of cigarettes, not to mention guys...
"Oh and what are we?" Patrick said, he's Irish accent coming out clear, "A couple of dimwitted fairies?"
"I mean, guys we haven't met," Mac pointed out.
"You're serious? You're seriously telling me, you can't have fun without a beer, a packet of cigarettes and some dexter feeling you up", Charlie said.
"Hey, what happened to the whole party being crazy thing?" Shane asked.
"It is crazy, because this place is like summer camp for delinquents", Charlie explained, "It's not exactly a place to get your groove on". She used her hands to demonstrate her sarcastic interpretation of "grooving".
"Well, guys, if we can convince Peter, are you up for it?" Kat asked everyone.
Everybody agreed that it would be a nice change to have a party, or at least Peter's idea of a party. The group starting converging in there own separate conversations until Peter came in.
It took Kat no hesitation to ask peter straight out.
"You serious, Peter, your gonna let us have a going away party for Mac?"
"Yep, but its not going to be completely what you expect. First of all, everyone comes, Red backs, Trackers, everyone".
"Blah, blah, blah" Cristina shrugs him off, "I think the real question we wanna know is if we get to have dates".
"Yes", Peter answers simply.
"Yes?" Cristina wasn't sure if she heard right.
"Yes. But I will choose them".
"Oh Peter come on, do you have to turn everything in to a group session", Binna complained.
"Binna and Mac, your our first couple", Peter continued. "Patrick and Kat, number two. Uh...Cristina and... Ezra..."
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding, I'm stuck with that leach", Cristina complained.
"I think E.Z would be more worried about being stuck with a skank", Damien said half joking, half not. Charlie laughed as Peter just looks at her.
"You two", Peter pointed at her and Damien.
Cristina laughs, "Looks like ya got the other one, huh Damo'?"
"Shut up skank", Charlie snapped.
"Or what?"
"Or I'll cripple you", Charlie said with a merciless look.
"Wait a minute, what about me", Shane asked.
"It just so happens that we have a new admit coming tomorrow, just in time for the party", Peter explained.
"What's his name", Shane asked.
"Ryder Silverton. He's from London. I'll let him tell you the rest", Peter replied, "I'll leave you to it". Peter leaves.
"An accent", Kat says.
"An English accent", Mac repeats.
"English accents are definitely the coolest", Cristina says.
The girls are obviously excited.
"D'ya know what? I beg to differ", Patrick speaks up.
"Oh Pat, your no longer the guy with the cool accent", Shane teases.
"Oi, I'll have you know, the Irish accent, is much more interesting, than any English git. I am still a very cool guy, this guy, however, could turn out to be a complete and utter pratt. And besides, we don't know him, everyone who's new acts like a complete pain in the arse", as Pat rants people start to leave. "Look at Charlie here. Until a couple of weeks ago she a was a bitch, no offence, Charlie"
"None taken", Charlie said simply.
"Now she's changed a bit but this twat could actually be, a complete twat, don't you guys agree", Patrick turns around to an empty room. Charlie who is amused by the whole thing is still there.
"Yep the interest level was just, overwhelming", she laughs.
The next day, while most kids were probably getting ready to party, Charlie sat in the mess hall by herself reading. Damien comes in with sweat pouring off of him, huffing out of breath.
"Jeez, don't dir on me boy", Charlie jokes.
"I wouldn't leave you in that situation", Damien grins with cheek. She smiles back.
"You know, you should do that more often".
"What?" she is confused.
"Smile. People wouldn't know what to think"
"You forget. I don't care what people think", she corrects him.
"Yeah, you do", he argues
"No I don't"
"You know this wall that you put up around yourself. People here can see right through it", he informs her.
"Really?" she stands up challenging him.
"Really", he challenges her back, meeting her eyes. All of a sudden he notices that they are quite close.
"So tell me, what do you see?" Charlie says. She feels uncomfortable but she won't let on.
"I see you", damn it if she won't let on, neither will he. Charlie is taken a back.
"And?"
"And your scared", he keeps it up.
"Of what", they are so close now, that she can feel his breath on her face.
"I don't know yet", Damien's face softens and the two let on that they realize what's going on. Before Damien can say anything Charlie hardens up again.
"The wall seems to be working", and with that she walks off leaving him stunned.
The party was exactly what everybody expected. Fun in parts, but still ruled over by Peter's over protective eyes. It was still early when Charlie and Damien got there. There were people dancing, the food was average and the music wasn't too bad.
"Well this is just a laugh a minute", Charlie remarked.
"The party's barely even started yet, the rest of the groups not even here", Damien pointed out.
Charlie and Damien look in opposite directions, doing everything to avoid each others eyes.
"Hey guys", Mac was standing behind them with Binna.
"So this is it", Binna scoffed.
"Yeah, its really happening man, this party rocks", Charlie sarcastically put on the most up beat voice she could, "I'm gonna go get high on sugar". She walks to the food where she can see a stack of jelly babies.
"Isn't she hopeful", Damien said following her sarcasm. At the same time Shane arrives with the new admit.
"Hey guys", Shane said, obviously not in the mood for partying, "This is Ryder, the creep from London". She walks off leaving the newbie standing there.
He was tall, with jet black hair. He looked very upper class.
"Hello, lads, ladies, Ryder's the name", he said with every bit of confidence. The group greeted him.
"I'm Mac, this is Binna and Damien", Mac introduced him.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mac", he said, like he had specifically made it sound like he was only pleased to meet her. Not the boys.
Charlie comes back with a handful of jujubes.
"So where is this English git anyway? I just saw Charlie", she said not seeing Ryder. "Hmm...so I'm guessing you're him. Oh damn", she says insincerely. With that she walks off again stuffing her face.
"Well, that was charming", Ryder announced.
"Charlie", Damien informed him, "She's a newbie, she came about a month ago, and nobody's been able to crack her yet".
"Hey guys", Kat walks up behind them with Patrick.
"You must be Ryder", Patrick said looking him up and down.
"A fellow UKer, Ireland right?"
"Born and bred", Patrick told him.
"I'm sure we'll get along fantastically, Patty, now where was that scrumptious date of mine", Ryder said leaving as the others cringed at his confidence.
"Is that guy for real", Binna said.
"Did you here how he said, pleasure to meet you, Mac", Damien said using a fake British accent, "Like we weren't even there".
"Forget that", Patrick complained, "he called me Patty".
"We always call you Patty", Mac remarked.
"Well that's not the point is it", Patrick continued, "that guy is an English twat and he should not have the right to call me Patty".
Mac rolls her eyes as Charlie comes back for the third time.
"So, what I miss", she stuffed a jujube in her mouth.
"I told you this would happen didn't I", Patrick said.
"So a lot?"
"I knew it, it happens all the time. It's just how it goes; you can't have two lads from the UK in the same school. One of them always tries to be better than the other and he turns out to be a prat", Patrick said. Ezra and Cristina walk in.
"Where is he", Cristina said excitedly.
"Who?" Mac said acting like she didn't know what she was talking about.
"Uh, Ryder"
"His probably brushing up on his makeup", Patrick commented.
"What? I don't get it", Cristina was confused.
"The guys an ass", Charlie pointed out.
"I bet he's fine, your just not educated enough to understand him", Cristina said.
"Yep", Mac laughs, "that's definitely it"
"Why don't you go over there and see for yourself", Kat points to Ryder and Cristina is off.
"Honey, wait up", Ezra taunts looking back at the group with a cheeky grin.
"10 bucks by the end of the night Cristina will have in a headlock", Charlie betted.
"Come on Pat", Kat urged, "Let's go tear this place up". He smiles and they walk off. Binna holds his hand out gesturing for Mac to join him on the dance floor. She smiles and they go, leaving an uncomfortable Damien and Charlie. They stand, awkwardly silent, neither of them knowing what to do next.
"Oh god", Charlie finally speaks, "Lets just go dance".
"Since you seem so happy about it", Damien leads off.
Now they are closer and both wonder if they were better just stand there and do nothing.
"I'm gonna go get a drink", Charlie breaks the silence for the second time.
Later the party is in full swing. There doesn't seem to be a lot of enjoyment going on. The group sits watching the happenings of the night.
"So, no offence Mac, but your party sucks", Shane points out.
"Oh come on, it wasn't all that bad. I got to meat the ladies, the ladies got to meat me", Ryder said in a sleazy voice.
"What are you doing here anyway?" Charlie asks, "Community service for stealing your dad's Ferrari?"
"Actually, I caused a little trouble for my dad, you see he was having an affair with the maid and well him being such a public figure back in Britain, I thought it'd be a right laugh to tell the authorities, see him squirm a little".
"I think stealing the Ferrari would have been better", Mac said.
"So, poor little rich boy got tired of being second place to his fathers mistress so you set out to destroy him. That's why you're here? Man, that's pathetic, have you met princess peg yet", Charlie muses.
"Princess Peg, now which one was that", Ryder asks.
"Cristina, the skinny one?" Kat said.
"Oh, that one, yes lovely girl, from the neck down", Ryder said as the others cringed at his need to be such a pig.
"You're pretty insecure aren't you?" Charlie asked. "I mean under all that...fake self assurance."
"Why don't you help me, I know just thing to help me get more confidence", Ryder said in his sleazy voice again.
"I'm sorry, your not my species", Charlie said.
"I think your into me more than you want to admit", Ryder told her.
"Oh god, you caught me, our high self assurance is really turning me on. Excuse me I'm gonna go get some jujubes, try calm myself down a bit", Charlie left the table. As she walks over to the sweets, Peter looks at Damien, giving him a "get over there with your date" look.
"Well, that's my call", Damien leaves and goes to Charlie who, again is stuffing her face.
"Careful there, you might get another addiction", Damien joked.
"Wouldn't wanna get crazed on jujubes now would I?" Charlie retorted back. As she looks at him she couldn't help but stare. He catches on that she's staring and the two find themselves making eye contact.
"Uh..." Charlie breaks it off, "So this is uh...boring".
"Yeah, yep, pretty boring", he said awkwardly.
"But, you know it's had its highlights", Charlie began.
"Yeah, you giving Sparkly Silverton over there a run for his money, which was definitely humorous", Damien agreed as she looked over her shoulder at Ryder. She turns her head back spotting someone she recognizes. It looks like he's spotted her too.
"Um, let's uh, go outside", she said. Damien couldn't help but notice that she sounded worried.
"Sure", he follows her out. They sit down on a bench outside. "Is everything ok?"
"Yeah, yeah, its fine", she said not convincing him. But he wasn't going to push her.
They sit in silence, the feeling of awkwardness and them being alone together came back again. For Charlie, she was more worried about the guy she had just seen. She was scared.
Damien looked at her; she gave the best smile she could do.
"How could he be here", she whispered not realizing she had said it out loud.
"What?" Damien didn't hear her.
"Um...it's cold out here", she said hoping that would cover it up.
"Oh, you could use my jacket if you want, here", he takes off his jacket and crouches down in front of her pulling the jacket around her. She smiles at his generosity.
"Thanks", she whispers. He is still on the ground in front of her. He looks up, seeing a vulnerable side of her, he hasn't seen before.
She looks down at him. Without hesitation he reaches up and kisses her. To her surprise she kisses him back. He sits back on the seat not breaking the kiss.
"I'm sorry", he says suddenly, and walks away, leaving her confused and scared.
"Well, well, well, Charlottes got a little boyfriend, does she?" she hears a guy say from behind. She knows who it is. She doesn't turn around. Instead, she sits there frozen.
"What not talking to your ol' pal Brian?"
"You can't hurt me", she whispers not turning around to show a tear forming in her eye. He smiles.
"You owe me", he whispers in her ear.
"I got caught, I couldn't do it", she told him clearly.
"And now where back together again", he says sleazily, reaching her face. He kisses her cheek and she cringes. "Isn't it funny how life works out"? She can't hold back her tears any longer.
"Now where shall we meet tonight", he says.
"I'm not meeting you", she cries softly.
He grabs her chin and holds it as if he's about to choke her.
"You'll do what I tell you to. You know why. Because I own you", he lets go of her chin and touches her face. "Why are you playing so hard to get, you know how this is gonna turn out. I could kill you", he says softly.
"The docks, at 1", she says hesitantly.
"The docks it is. See you Charlotte", he kisses her cheek again and walks off. After his gone she cups her face in her hands and cries. Harder than ever. How did he know she was here? And how did he get in here? She thought this place would be safe, free of all the street scum she had to deal with back in California.
The party is over and now Kat and Mac have to clean up. The last song is playing. Brick by Ben Folds Five. Mac was slightly disappointed that the party wasn't a huge success but she was still grateful that Kat and the others tried.
Kat was happy with it. She knew that Peter wouldn't have gone for anything bigger.
Binna, Patrick and Ezra had gone to sleep already. Across the room from them, Ryder was unpacking his things. He liked this place. The people were real, not pretentious like all the people he had to put up with back at home.
Getting ready to also go to bed was Cristina. She was exhausted. She was probably the only one who had a lot of fun tonight. She had been dancing with the girls in the Trackers all night.
Walking up the path to the cabins was Shane. On her way she saw someone sitting on the bench. It was Damien.
"Hey, Damien, lights out in 5", she yelled. He gave her a smile and she walked off.
Damien felt embarrassed about the earlier event. He knew he shouldn't have kissed Charlie but he couldn't help it. She was sitting there so quietly and he'd wanted to kiss her for a while. He just couldn't deny it anymore.
With a sad face, Charlie walked quietly to the dock where Brian was waiting. She had nothing more to do. She couldn't tell anyone. She was out of answers. She sat down next to him.
"Oh you made it", Brian said calmly. She nodded as he unbuttoned her shirt.
'I hate this', she thought.
Yeah that was kind of crap. Review and tell me what you think
Coming up: How does Charlie handle Brian? How does Charlie handle Damien? When will I stop asking questions I already know? You'll find out, next Chapter.