Ok, here we go, chapter 5. As promised, this chapter will have lots of cool stuff, and cover more of a broad range of characters. First, we see Devin and Gina hanging out, as well as Missy and Elijah, and of course Jessi, Natalie and Lola. But also in this chapter I want to introduce a few new POVs, to broaden the scope of the story, so we will also see Leah's POV for the first time, as well as Greg adjusting to his new Monster team, as well as show what's going on at the Puberty Division office in the Monster World. Don't worry, even though this chapter has many POVs, it won't be as long as some of the previous chapters. Hopefully.
Anyway, let's start this sucker. As y'all know, the only things I own are my original characters. Everything else belongs to Netflix.
Chapter 5
Devin's POV:
As her and Gina walked from Bridgeton to Jamie's school, Devin kept looking behind her, nervously checking to see if the Depression Kitty had followed her, fearing she would magically appear behind or beside her. She was so preoccupied she almost didn't hear Gina when she spoke up beside her.
"So, Devin, what do you usually like to do at home?"
Devin snapped back to reality. Trying to push her fear of the Kitty out of her mind, she replied. "Um, I don't know. Read. Listen to music. Watch tv with my sister. "
Gina nodded. "Cool. Me too. Remember The Rock Of Gibraltar? I heard they're making a movie, and the author is working on a sequel. "
Devin pretended to be interested, but her thoughts were still on Devon and the Depression Kitty. "Really? Interesting. Wonder if they'll arrange a school trip to see the movie, or if we'll read the new book in class. "
Gina laughed. "Yeah, that'd be great. Oh is this the school?"
They stood in front of a school, smaller than Bridgeton, with a big playground, and a jungle gym with a swing set. Younger kids, of ages 6 through 9 were rushing out of the doors to meet their parents or guardians as teachers looked on. After a minute or two Jamie came running up to Devin and threw her arms over her older sister.
"Oh Devin, you came for me!! Awesome!!!"
Devin smiled. "Of course, sis. I I promised. This is my friend Gina", she said, pointing. Gina shook Jamie's hand. "We're going to hang out at her place for a bit. She has a little sister too, so you'll have somebody to play with. "
Jamie jumped up and down excitedly. "Really??! Let's go, let's go!!"
Devin laughed again. "Ok, ok, calm down, sis. Let's go. "
As they walked, Gina turned to Devin again. "So, what other books you like, Devin? PLEASE don't say Twilight. " She laughed.
Devin laughed. "No way. I really like Goosebumps. I have lots of the old ones. Me and Jamie used to watch the show on Netflix. The movies kind of ruined it for many people, but I still like the classic series, and have read some of the newer ones. "
Gina smiled. "I like Goosebumps too. I always wish something exciting like that would happen here, at our school. It'd be scary, but at least it'd be an adventure. "
Jamie turned to Gina. "What's your sisters name? What is she into?"
Gina laughed. "Her name is Tanya. She likes wrestling. She's pretty strong, so be careful. Speaking of, my place is coming up. "
They stood in front of a row of apartments. Gina pointed to a door up the flight of stairs. "That's ours up there. Let's go. "
Soon the three girls stepped into Gina's apartment, where they found an old woman and two boys several years older than Gina sitting down in the living room, watching a game on the TV. They looked up as Gina and her friends entered.
Gina introduced everybody: "Hey, Abuelita, these are my friends. Devin, Jamie, this is my grandma, and these are my brothers, Mike and Carlos. Carlos, sorry for yelling at you on the phone earlier today, and for hanging up so abruptly. I actually was almost roadkill, but Devin here pushed me out of the way, she saved me. "
Devin laughed modestly, embarrassed at being the center of attention. "Oh it was nothing, really. Some creep wasn't looking where he was going, that's all. "
One of Gina's brothers translated the whole thing to Gina's grandmother, who then said something to Gina in Spanish. Gina replied back, and for some reason grandma and the two boys laughed. Devin and Jamie looked at each other, feeling left out.
Finally Gina started walking out of the room, beckoning Devin and Jamie to follow. She turned toward her grandmother and brothers one final time, telling them Devin and Jamie would be staying a couple hours, and led Devin and Jamie to her room, finally closing the door.
As soon as she closed the door, a little girl about the same age as Jamie jumped out from a bundle of clothes on the floor and tackled Gina.
The two girls fell to the floor, and the girl pinned Gina's arms behind her back. Gina struggled to push the girl off as she laughed, while Devin and Jamie watched, totally puzzled.
"Ok, Tanya, you win, you win!!", Gina said, still laughing. "Get off, sis, so I can introduce you to my friends!!"
The little girl let go of Gina and the girls stood up. Brushing herself off and checking her elbow to make sure it didn't get more banged up, she turned to Tanya and introduced her to the two strangers.
"Tanya, this is Devin and Jamie. Devin is a friend from school. Jamie is her sister. I think you two are the same age."
Devin waved to the girl. "Hello, nice to meet you. Gina's mentioned you at school before. I hear you like wrestling?"
Tanya smiled at Devin but didn't reply. Walking over to Jamie, she held out her hand.
When Jamie reached out her hand, Tanya grabbed her arm and pulled her to her chest in a headlock. Pinning her other arm behind her back as well, Tanya tried to shove Jamie to the ground. But Jamie wrapped her leg around Tanya's leg and kicked back, unbalancing Tanya enough to twist free.
"Tanya, enough!!", Gina yelled. But Tanya regained her balance and charged at Jamie headfirst like a bull. This time though Jamie was ready, and grabbed Tanya's head, trying to stop her. But Tanya was stronger, and kept charging, forcing Jamie back, so she switched tactics and tried to move behind her to put her in her own headlock. But once she'd grabbed Tanya's head and tried to pin her arms, Tanya leaned back, putting her full weight into the lean, and using Jamie's weight against her, and they both fell to the floor, rolling around, each trying to pin the other.
Gina and Devin both ran over to pull their sister off the other. During the struggle, Tanya had somehow got Jamie's head between her legs, trying to choke her out with her small but strong thighs, while Jamie had a firm grasp of Tanya's wrists. Both girls were yelling, urging the other to yield. Finally Gina and Devin managed to yank their respective sister off the other.
Panting hard, Gina restrained Tanya, who was still shouting in Spanish. Devin held Jamie, who was massaging her neck where Tanya's legs had clutched them. "Are you ok?", Devin asked her sister. Jamie nodded.
Gina shook Tanya, who finally stopped yelling. "Tanya, apologize. NOW!!", she said, shaking her again.
Tanya scowled, but walked over to Jamie and stretched out her hand. "Good fight", she said, speaking English for the first time.
Reluctantly, Jamie held out her hand again. This time, the two little girls shook hands for real. Jamie smiled. "Good fight", she echoed. "Where did you learn those moves?"
Tanya laughed. "Tv, of course. My brothers usually hog the tv, but sometimes late at night I watch wrestling. Sometimes Bolivian Cholita wrestling, other times NWA. Sometimes just YouTube videos of people wrestling at home. What about you?"
Jamie laughed too. "Same. Except for the Bolivian stuff. I sometimes practice in my room. I'm working on my piledriver, but can't quite master it yet. I tried it once on my mom's old CPR dummy, and broke his head!!"
Devin gasped. "So THAT'S what happened to it?!! Jamie, how could you?!!"
Jamie ignored her. "I do some Tae Kwon Do too, but I think my wrestling is better. Maybe we can spar some time. How old are you? I'm 7. I turn 8 in a couple months. "
Tanya smiled. "I'm already 8. Turned in December. And sure, I'll teach you some moves. Your reflexes are good, but your holds could use some improvement. "
Jamie laughed. "No way!! I had your legs pinned. You couldn't have gotten free!! I also want to learn sword fighting one day too. That'd be so cool. "
The two little girls walked over to the side of the room chatting away, now totally ignoring their older sisters. Devin and Gina exchanged a 'Well-That-Just-Happened' look, and headed to the opposite side and sat down on Gina's bed. Both girls sighed before finally turning to each other.
"So, what do you want to do?", Devin asked. She forced herself to smile, but inside she was still nervous about the Depression Kitty showing up again. She hadn't seen her since the bathroom at school, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the Kitty was watching her even now, waiting for the perfect time to reemerge.
Gina shrugged. "I guess we can just talk for a bit. Sorry again about that thing with Tanya. She tried practicing her wrestling moves on Nick too when he came to study."
Devin laughed. "Really? That's crazy! But it's great that Jamie has finally found a friend."
Gina smiled. "Yeah, Tanya too. She spends too much time on the tv. Another few years she'll be like my brothers. It's great she might finally have a friend her own age to hang out with. "
Gina's expression suddenly turned serious. "So, how are you doing? I mean, after this morning, and that whole thing at the memorial, I've been kinda worried. How are you hanging in there?"
Devin frowned, looking at the floor. "Fine, I guess. Getting up there on stage, in front of the whole school, it... it wasn't easy. I honestly thought it would help me, to be able to talk to the whole school, sharing the loss with everyone, actually talking about it. But... I just couldn't. I was too scared. Maybe that's why I've been such a bitch: because deep inside, I'm just a scared little girl, a coward. I pick on others to seem more brave,so they'll be scared of ME. Devon didn't have to do that, because people genuinely liked him. "
Gina nodded. "Yes, he was a nice guy. But you're obviously not a coward, Devin. A coward wouldn't have pushed me out of the way of an oncoming car, at the risk of her own life."
"Yeah, but it actually took LOSING him to make me look at my life, and realize I HAD to change. Until today, Jamie was the only true friend I had, besides Devon. She was the only person who knew the REAL me. I'm always just so terrified of people seeing into me, and seeing how scared and vulnerable and sad and angry I am. Devon, I think he saw all of that, but never talked about it, asked me about my life, how things were. He respected my privacy. But I mean, if I can't open up, can't let people in, if the only way I can make it is putting up an angry, bitchy facade, how will I ever make it out there in the real world, when I'm an adult? I'm afraid I'm going to be just like... like my mom."
Gina frowned again, but reached out and took Devin's hand, holding it gently but firmly. " Devin, you don't have to go through this alone. Like you said, we all share your loss. It's OK to let your guard down,to let people see your grief, your sadness. That's how you HEAL. I don't know your mom, but you're still young, you have your entire life to be your own person. You don't have to follow her path."
Devin nodded sadly. "Maybe. But it just hasn't been easy living with her since... since dad. I was only 6 at the time, a year younger than Jamie is now. "
"What happened to him? How did he die?", Gina asked. She had been curious ever since Devin had mentioned it back at school, but had been afraid to ask, not wanting to seem rude.
Devin looked down at the floor again, lost in thought. "A brain tumor. I was too young at the time to really understand what was going on. One day he just got sick, and he couldn't play with me and my mom anymore like he used to. I wanted to hug him, sit on his lap and watch movies like we used to, but he spent most of his time in bed. The tumor spread so quickly, and the doctors discovered it too late. The day he... he died, most of his and mom's family came over to see him off, but they mostly kept little kids, like myself and cousins, out of the room. I snuck in once, but couldn't see him in bed, there were too many people. One lady, an aunt I think, grabbed me by the arm and lead me out, told me to go play. So I did. And then, a bit later, he was..." Devin started sobbing, and Gina pulled her against her in a hug.
"Oh Devin, I'm so sorry!! That must have been hard for you. Only 6 at the time?! That's so terrible." She hugged Devin tighter.
Devin nodded. "After he died, my mom sent me to my cousin's house for a bit, told us to play video games or in their treehouse. I realize now she just wanted to have his body removed without us little kids seeing it. When I got home mom told me the usual thing parents tell little kids: 'daddy's gone to a better place, but if you're real good you'll see him again, one day.' But of course in the back of my mind, deep down, I knew. Little kids DO understand death, we just don't want to process it because it terrifies us, cause it makes us realize WE'LL die one day too."
Gina nodded, feeling tears in her own eyes. "That's so sad, Devin. It must have been tough, growing up without your dad. "
Devin pulled herself up and wiped her face. "It was. To make matters worse, mom was pregnant with Jamie when this happened, but was only a month along. But after dad, that's when mom started to change. She barely went to work, and when she did left me at my cousins. Sometimes she stayed home and her sister, my aunt, came to help care for her. But from the moment Jamie was born I was pretty much the caretaker. After Jamie was born mom pretty much stayed home, locked in her room with her booze, pills, her bed and the TV. "
Gina shook her head sadly, and placed her hand comfortingly on Devin's hand again. "I'm so, so sorry, Devin. "
Devin looked at her and Gina's hands together, and realized how much she liked the feeling of Gina's hand on hers, and realized that she also liked it when Gina hugged her, liked the way she said her name soothingly. Looking at Gina's face, she realized how BEAUTIFUL she was, inside and out. She was very pretty physically, yes, but also had a kind soul: she was forgiving, having forgiven Devin for EVERYTHING, welcoming her into her home, giving her a shoulder and bed to cry on, and was willing to listen to her problems. Devin was sure she could tell her ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. She WANTED to tell her anything and everything. She realized she could stay right here, in this room, this spot, forever, as long as Gina was here by her, for her to look into her eyes, her beautiful face.
Devin forced herself to look away from Gina's beautiful face and captivating eyes before continuing. "Yes, and the worst part is of course Jamie never knew her dad AT ALL. She always asks me what he was like, but of course me being only 6 at the time, and 6 being a lifetime ago to a 13 year old, I only have a handful of memories of him. Mainly sitting on his lap and watching movies and tv, playing board games, going trick-or-treating, stuff like that. I wish I could tell her more", she said, as she watched Jamie sitting in the corner with Tanya on the opposite side of the room. The girls sat facing each other, and seemed to be playing a card game. Devin shook her head sadly, lamenting Jamie only having an emotionally absent mother and a wretched sister in her life.
But Gina wasn't about to give up so easily. "Well at least YOU have those memories, Devin. That has to count for something. And one day you and Jamie will grow up and make new memories, BETTER ones, with each other, AND other people."
Devin smiled weakly. " Thanks Gina. Hopefully. What about YOUR dad? Are your parents still together?"
Gina laughed. "Yes, they're still married. But they both work so much, and have different shifts, so they're hardly home together during the week. That's why grandma lives with me and my brothers and Tanya, cause my mom and dad are almost constantly working or away on business trips, so she looks after us, but ONLY if it's an emergency, cause she loves tv so much. Plus she's been lonely since grandpa passed away, so we give her somebody to talk to. "
Devin smiled again. "That's very sweet. Did Devon ever meet your brothers or Tanya?"
Gina shook her head. "The only boy I've ever had over was Nick, and we WERE supposed to study, but we all just ended up watching Netflix."
The two girls both laughed. Devin suddenly jumped up and took out her phone. Gina watched, confused, as Devin's fingers rapidly flew over the screen. There were many beeps and bloops as her fingers worked.
"What are you doing?", Gina asked, curious.
Devin turned to face her, her pale face serious. "I'm deactivating ALL my social media: Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, EVERYTHING. Hanging out with you today, this has been one of the best days of my life. I feel like us becoming friends, it's a fresh start, so I'm making it official: I'm severing ties with everything that helped fuel the old, toxic me. Without that fuel, I'm hoping the last flames of the old Devin will wither and die. I want to be reborn."
As Devin spoke, she felt more empowered with each word. Despite all the grief, anger, and fear she'd felt over the past two days, she felt her determination overpower those other emotions and drive them away like hounds driving off marauders. She MEANT what she'd said, and would stick to it.
There was a new Devin Leseven, and she was here to stay. Or die trying.
Gina's POV:
As Devin sat back beside her on the bed, she stared, thunderstruck, at the girl beside her. In just barely a day, she had watched her former worst enemy transform before her eyes. At times she'd been tempted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, that this was still DEVIN, that Gina wasn't starting to... ADMIRE her?
'Well, she DID save my life only a few hours ago', she reminded herself. It was only natural to feel some sort of reverence.
Devin smiled at her. "What's wrong?", she asked.
Gina shook her head, trying to stop the flood of strange thoughts Devin's actions had stirred in her head. "Nothing. It's just... Devin, you've just... CHANGED. In only a day, you've become such a different person. And I... well, I like it, but it's just so sudden. But it suits you well. Besides, you're better off without social media. I mean, who needs it? Maybe I should unplug too. "
Devin nudged Gina with her shoulder playfully. "Copycat. But no, I seriously need this. Wanting to be the most pretty, popular, coolest girl in school has consumed my entire life, and worse, it turned me into a fucking MONSTER. Well, today, that monster dies, even if I die too."
Gina was further moved by Devin's words. She nodded. "It's your choice. I respect that. But don't change TOO much Devin. I mean, you weren't ALL bad, before. You WERE cool, just a bit mean."
Devin smiled. "Thanks. It's just that now, I have you, so I don't need social media to hang out with people. I can hang out with YOU, Jessi and Missy, and just be social. Plus I need to start spending more time with Jamie. Perhaps after school tomorrow we can do this again? She seems to really like your sister."
The two girls turned again to watch their sisters playing their card game. Gina nodded. "That's a good idea. At least with a friend Tanya will stay out of trouble and won't try wrestling the neighbors dog again. " Just then Gina's phone rang and she took it out of her pocket and answered. "Hola? Oh, hey mom." Motioning to Devin to stay put, she walked over to the other side of the the room, talking in Spanish. After a few minutes, she hung up and turned to Devin, frowning.
"Sorry, that was my mom. Apparently she's coming home soon and is having some work friends over for a business dinner. Usually when that happens my brothers go to their friends and me and Tanya just stay in our room. If it was up to me, you and Jamie could stay, but..."
Gina saw a look of brief hurt flash across Devin's face, but she nodded understandingly. "That's ok. I should get home anyway. At least we didn't get any homework today. But can we still come over tomorrow? "
Gina nodded and smiled. "Absolutely. My mom usually only does this once a month. My mom likes doing business dinners at home, dad just goes to the bar with his buddies. But sure, after school tomorrow, for sure."
Devin got off the bed and walked over to the little girls on the floor. "Hey Jamie, sorry but it's time to go home."
Jamie frowned. "Awww, but me and Tanya are having so much fun!!"
Devin smiled patiently. "We can come back tomorrow, after school. I promise. " She reached out her hand. After a second, Jamie grabbed her hand and let Devin pull her to her feet. Jamie smiled at Tanya.
"See you tomorrow then, Tanya. Maybe sometime you can come over to my place. I'll show you my ninja stars, and we can have some target practice in the backyard. "
Tanya jumped up and hugged her new friend. "Sounds great, can't wait!! See you tomorrow!!!"
Devin lead her little sister out of the room, Gina behind them. She was fixing to ask Jamie exactly where she got ninja stars when she was interrupted by Gina calling to her brothers on the couch.
"Carlos, Mike, mom's coming home with a couple of work friends. If you guys want to bounce, now's your chance. I'm walking these two outside. Be back in a few minutes. "
The three girls stepped out of the apartment and started walking to the street. Gina turned to face Devin. "I better stay here and wait for my mom. Will you two be ok walking home by yourselves?"
Devin nodded. "Yeah it's cool. We've always done it. So, we'll see you tomorrow, right? "
Gina smiled. "Sure. If I get time, maybe I'll call you tonight before bed. Is that ok? Did I give you my number already? Here."
Gina pulled out her phone and the girls exchanged numbers. They promised that one would text or call the other before bed.
Gina smiled at Devin and pulled her into one final hug. "Thank you again, Devin, for what you did this morning. And for the talk, and, well, for everything. I really, REALLY like the new you. "
When they broke apart Devin smiled. "I hope so, cause she's here to stay. C'mon, Jamie. Let's get home. See you tomorrow, Gina. "
Jamie turned to wave at Gina as the sisters walked off. Gina waved back.
Gina did INDEED like the change she saw in Devin. In fact, she couldn't exactly explain it, but she wanted, NEEDED, Devin around more. If she couldn't come tomorrow she felt like her heart might shatter. But at the same time, she knew there was something Devin wasn't telling her. Why did she seem so nervous at school, and on the walk here? Why had she been looking over her shoulder? What was REALLY going on in the world of the enigmatic Devin Leseven?
Leah's POV:
Leah felt a bit nervous as she followed Val home from school to his house. They had made the plan on the phone the night before. Val had visited the Birch home the past Thanksgiving, but she had never set foot in the Bilzerian home. But she had heard many things about things that went down here, mainly from her brother Nick, and his perverted friend Andrew. She shuddered to think of half of them.
Still, if she was brave enough to let Val steal her virginity on the ski trip only a few months before, she was surely brave enough to spend a few hours with his family.
As soon they approached the house, Leah heard loud rock music coming from inside. Val's brother Kurt was obviously already home. Leah followed Val into the house.
Leah could tell at once that Val had made his brothers help him clean the house, because the living room had cleaning materials in the corner, and several bags overflowing with garbage lay in another corner. The carpet was stained, and several areas had been pulled up completely, exposing wood and nails. She was about to joke that he didn't have to do this on her behalf, but bit her tongue and sat down on the weathered couch, which was missing a cushion.
Being in such a new environment, in the same house with Val and his crazy brothers, Leah wished she had her Hormone Monstress, Bonnie, but she had to leave to attend a new client since Leah had had her cherry popped, but she had promised to drop in when she could. Leah missed Bonnie, missed their conversations. Bonnie had been a source of knowledge and wisdom for Leah, and a shoulder to cry on. Ever since she'd first shown up in Leah's room one night soon after Leah had started middle school, she'd been a constant in her life. Almost as much as her parents and brothers.
Val smiled as he took out his vape pen. "Just sit tight, I'm going to go in the back yard and have a quick vape. When I get back, you want anything from the kitchen or fridge? "
Leah shook her head. "I'm good, don't want to spoil my appetite. Hurry back babe. "
Leah sighed as he walked off. She didn't exactly regret losing her virginity so soon after her and Val had started dating, but she really wished she'd waited nonetheless. She was pretty sure he had been with lots of other girls before her. After all, Val and his older brother Kurt were a lot like her own brother Judd: wild, kind of reckless, and masters of chaos. The kind of bad boys girls go for. She didn't want Val to feel like he was dating just another loose bimbo. She wanted him to know that she was real. Smart. Independent. The kind of young woman who required true investment. And most importantly, to be sure she was his ONLY girlfriend, not just some side piece of ass.
Leah was snapped out of her thoughts as footsteps approached the living room. She looked up as Jay entered the room. Leah smiled as he saw her on the couch.
"Hey Jay, what's up?", Leah said. Leah didn't know Jay that well, but he had stayed at the Birch house for a week while his parents and brothers went on vacation, having "forgotten" him at home. He was a bit weird, but she had to admit she liked him a bit more than Andrew, who she had caught masturbating on her bathing suit in the bathroom, and had also recently ejaculated in their living room. If Leah had to choose to babysit one of them, she'd probably choose Jay.
Jay smiled back. "Oh hey Leah, didn't know you were coming over. Where's Val? "
Leah pointed to the back yard. "Out back. How you doing, Jay? Been a while. What you been up to? "
Jay sat down on a chair facing the couch. "Ok, I guess. My boyfriend dumped me, for no good reason. " Seeing Leah's shocked expression, Jay hurriedly added. "It's cool, I'm still into girls. I'm bi, remember? It's just, Matthew seemed so perfect, and I thought he'd make me feel great, but instead he pulled out my heart, like a rabbit out of a hat, and left me feeling cut in half, but didn't put me back together. In a way, it's like you and Val: you're so perfect, Leah, but Val is... well, Val. But I know you'd never do what Matthew did to me. You're a good person. After all, you're one of my best friends sister. "
Leah smiled again, but then sighed. "Well, Val DOES make me feel good, but at the same time I feel like if I can't fix him, I should move on. I know he was with other girls before me, and I HOPE I'm the only one he's with NOW. Sometimes it feels like I'm dating my own brother, when I see or hear some of the things he and Kurt do. "
Jay gasped. "That's the exact reason Matthew dumped ME. Because,in his own words, he couldn't "fix" me. But I don't WANT to be fixed, I want to be loved, appreciated. Matthew had me brainwashed, believing that magic is for losers, that my fellow magicians WERE losers. It took an out-of-body experience to make me look inside myself and see that changing for somebody who didn't appreciate the real me was wrong."
Leah sighed again. "I don't WANT to change him, I just want to make sure that, by being who he is, it won't end up hurting me. Or somebody I care about. And yes, I don't want to ask him to change, and end up hurting HIM. He's a great person, deep down. In fact, I can see a bit of YOU in him." She smiled as she said this last part.
Jay laughed. "Yeah, do what makes you happy. Fuck what your parents or friends at school think, you do you!! But I got your back: if Val DOES end up hurting you, I'll put him in my magicians box and saw him in half, and will NEVER put him back together!!"
Leah laughed too. "Yeah, and I'll get my brother to sic his raccoons on him!! Good luck Jay, I'm sorry about Matthew, but I know you'll find somebody else, somebody who appreciates the REAL you."
Jay smiled. "Thanks Leah. Well I should get back to my room, I was practicing a new act for my pillows. See you later!!"
Jay ran off just as Val re-entered the house. He went to the fridge and grabbed a couple of sodas and handed one to Leah.
"I know you said you didn't want anything, but have a soda anyway. Me and Kurt know how to hack the vending machine by the gas station. That's how we get our sodas and bottled waters! So, like, I was thinking, our school is having that play soon. You're auditioning, right?"
Leah nodded. "Of course, the female lead. You know it's my dream to be a stage actress. "
Val smiled. "Well, I'd like to help out. If i can't land a role, maybe i can help backstage. Craft service or something. Anything to be near the beautiful leading lady. " He grabbed her hand and kissed. Leah laughed.
"Sure, Val. Just ask if there are any open spots in the show, or for backstage stuff. It would certainly be nice to have you around. "
Just then the front door opened, and Guy- Val, Kurt, and Jay's dad-walked in. Seeing his son and his girlfriend on the couch, he smiled. But his smile didn't reach his eyes. Leah only knew Guy by reputation, as a shady lawyer and owner of the seedy Guy Town, which her dad had once visited with his friend Greg. Leah was thankful her dad had a more respectful job as a doctor. Still, she knew she shouldn't judge a person based on heresay. So she smiled back.
"Hello Mr Bilzerian, I'm Leah. I'm sure Val's mentioned me. Val just wanted me to come hang out for a bit. I hope I'm not imposing. "
Guy laughed. "Nah, it's cool. I'm just stopping by to take a shower and change. I got some business in town later. But say hello to your dad for me. He saved the life of one of my Guy Town tenants, you know. If he ever needs anything, tell him to give me a call. "
He turned and walked up the stairs, presumably to his room. Leah looked at Val.
"Are any of the rumors about him... true? Like, the things they say he does?"
Val laughed. "Which ones? The sex slave ring? The drug deals? Golfing with Roman Polanski? Who knows?! As a Bilzerian, you build your OWN story, and do your best to make it unbelievable. He has HIS, I'm trying to make MINE. Who knows? Maybe I'LL do even crazier stuff. But for now, i just want to be the male lover of the beautiful heroine in her story. "
Leah rolled her eyes. "Oh you. You always know just what to say. Well, we DO have a little bit of time till i have to get home. Mom said as long as i get home before 7. What do you say we go up to your room, and i can... practice my lines?" She winked suggestively, letting him know what she REALLY wanted.
He got the message obviously, cause he smiled and held out his hand. "After you, my leading lady. "
She took his hand and they headed up the stairs. Sure, she missed Bonnie, but she had to admit, she was starting to feel comfortable making her own decisions. In a way, real life was LIKE a play: saying your lines carefully, watching the reaction of your audience, and waiting for the reviews. Bonnie had always given her a good script when it came to romance, but now Leah would have to write her own. All the world was a stage, and Leah was on her way to claim the spotlight, Monstess or no Monstress.
Missy's POV:
Missy and Elijah went straight to the church after school. As Elijah had said, the youth were packing boxes for another food drive. Missy had called her dad to let him know she'd be home in at least an hour.
As soon as they got to the church, the other kids were already at work packing boxes. The young man in charge of the drive assigned Missy and Elijah to an unoccupied pile of cans and boxes.
As they worked, Missy decided to tell Elijah the good news she'd gotten during school.
"Oh hey, by the way, my dentist called. I'm supposed to be getting my braces off next month. I can't wait!!!"
Elijah smiled. "Wow, that's great!! I know it must be tough having them. My cousin has braces, and he said his parents won't let him eat stuff like popcorn or candy cause they think it'll get caught in his braces and mess them up."
Missy laughed. "Yeah my parents don't let me eat stuff like that anyway. They're totally against sugar or high carb stuff. Good thing they don't know about my secret stash!!"
The young couple shared a laugh. Missy started to feel a bit more relaxed as they worked. Mona seemed to pick up on this, because she materialized at her side.
"Wow, that will be great, cause he'll finally be able to french you without worrying about cutting his tongue. Ask him for some snogging practice right now in front of everyone!! Make them jealous!!!"
Pretending to move to the corner to grab more cans, Missy whispered to Mona: "Mona, you KNOW Elijah isn't into physical stuff!! You gotta be cool! He'll come around when he's ready!!"
Mona scowled. "Well, don't take that tone with me!! I'm just trying to help!!"
"Well, please, help by NOT helping!!! I know you're sad about Devon, so am I!! That's why I'm doing this to distract myself!!! To keep myself busy, but I CAN'T pressure Elijah!!"
Mona frowned. "I'm sorry, Missy. It's just been hard lately. You're my ONLY client right now, plus Elijah is with my cheating ex, also I've been struggling with depression since Gavin died, and NOW Devon. It's all very overwhelming. "
Missy frowned. "Who's Gavin?"
Mona looked sad as she glanced at the floor. "He was... somebody I used to work with. That's all. " Missy could tell Mona wasn't telling her the whole truth, but decided to drop it as she grabbed the cans and walked over to Elijah.
Elijah smiled as she approached. "Hey Missy, took you a while. You know, I keep thinking about last time we were here, when your dad flipped out at the dad-daughter dance. I haven't seen him since then. I hope he still likes me."
Missy thought for a moment. Her parents didn't intrude much into her personal life, for which she was thankful. They wanted her to be one of those new-age, independent women, making her own decisions. When the girls had protested the schools (temporary) new dress code last year, her mother had encouraged her to wear whatever she chose. When she had changed her style thanks to Lena and Quinta, they had originally been worried her braids might be hard to manage, but had eventually grown comfortable with them. The only thing they had ever been upset about was when she had gotten high with her cousins at Thanksgiving, and gotten into the fight with Ali. You'd think boys would be something her parents might have reservations about, but they didn't set boundaries with her dating life either. She wasn't sure whether to be happy, or wish they would at least ask about her dates, or even ask if Elijah wanted to hang out at their house. But apparently Monica had grown up in such a free household that she wished to push the same independence on her 13 year old daughter, and Cyrus simply went along with whatever she thought best.
Missy finally shrugged. "They honestly don't talk much about you, or even ask. I guess they just want me to be independent, do what I think is best. But that's ok: I know I'm in good hands with you. " She reached out and patted his hand.
Elijah smiled again. "Indeed you are. The best. I guess you could call me Allstate, cause with me, you're always in good hands. "
They both laughed and went back to work.
Elijah's POV:
As they continued working, Elijah thought. Missy was actually his first girlfriend. He did, after all, consider himself asexual. Sure, there had been plenty of girls at both school and church who he knew had crushes on him. But he had never really given them a thought. It wasn't until he'd met Missy that he'd started to actually feel something. But what? Love? Infatuation? He couldn't really say. He'd been kind of surprised when Missy had told him she masturbated almost daily, but he was ok with it, even though he'd never done it. Not because of his religion, or cause the church thought it was a sin, simply because he'd never had the urge.
It wasn't until his ex-Monsters, Gil and Joe, and now Tyrese, showed up, that he'd thought about trying to step out of that comfort zone. He had never had any sexual urges, but he knew that relationships required emotional and occasionally PHYSICAL investment. But how much of an investment would he need to make, to be sure that Missy stayed with him? He had to admit he was a bit nervous she would grow bored and meet another cute boy, one who wasn't afraid to be more intimate.
As if he'd heard his thoughts, Tyrese appeared at his side. "She touched your hand. Maybe try holding hands as you work. I think she WANTS to be touched!"
Elijah shook his head. "Tyrese, you KNOW they look down upon public displays of affection here. " Elijah said as he got up to grab more food for the box. "Besides, you know I'm not exactly comfortable with doing too much of that...yet."
Tyrese laughed. "Most kids AREN'T. That's why you've got to try. Look, you don't understand how LUCKY you are to be able to do these things. I first started working as a Monster during the slave trade days, back when little kids like yourself were practically born and bred for the purpose of working in cotton fields, in the hot sun. Do you think there were any pretty, eager girls like Missy around? Hell no!! Or if there were, and you got caught holding hands or snogging, you either got the whip or stuffed in a hotbox!! Do you see any guards with rifles standing around? Any rabid bloodhounds? No!! So what's stopping you? Least you'd get here is a stern "stop that!!" Now, go to your woman, and HOLD HER DAMN HAND!!!"
Elijah groaned. He'd thought Gil and Joe were annoying and pushy, but Tyrese was on a whole other level. In a way, he reminded Elijah of his uncles, who Missy had met at the family barbecue a while back.
Reluctantly, he walked back over to Missy, and, setting down the cans and boxes he'd grabbed,took hold of her hand again. Thinking of something to say, he added: "I can't wait till you get your braces off, Missy. I bet your beautiful smile will be even more dazzling without them. "
Missy covered her mouth with her free hand as she laughed. "Oh you. You're making me blush. I'll be sure to send a pic as soon as they're off."
He smiled. "That'd be great. " 'Wow, maybe I AM getting the hang of this.', he thought. 'Maybe eventually I'll grow more comfortable being intimate. ' He just hoped for the time being this would be enough to keep her happy.
Mona's POV:
Mona watched as Missy and Elijah held hands as they finished packing the food with their free hands. She was happy that Missy was happy with the boy, and Mona definitely liked Elijah, but she had to admit that perhaps she was pushing Missy too far, and she certainly wasn't happy that Tyrese, who she loathed working with again,was pushing Elijah out of his comfort zone.
As if he had heard her thoughts, Tyrese walked up beside her. "See, Mona? They're happy. Just like we used to be, when we worked side by side, then, at night,slept side by side."
Mona turned and glared. "Till you decided that my bed wasn't warm enough, and cozied up with that Talent Siren tramp!! What did I tell you, Tyrese? I'll work with you if I HAVE to, but do NOT try and be buddy-buddy with me!!"
He shook his head. "Mona, Mona. You always did hold a grudge. You ever think that's WHY I started hanging around with Lyra? Because she was fun to talk to, and actually LIKED my family and friends? YOU never liked my family. Every time I invited you to a party or event with my family, you'd make an excuse, and I actually heard you talking to Connie about my parents, saying they were snobs, and..."
Mona growled. "Oh, fuck off, Tyrese!!! You know damn well your mother couldn't stand me, and I couldn't stand that icy bitch either. She probably never told you, but she actually tried bribing me to dump you, saying she'd pay me just to piss off and never come back!!!" Seeing his shocked look, she went on. "That's right, she never mentioned that, huh? Looking back,I wish I had taken the bribe, spared myself the years of headaches and trauma the memories of you have caused. My brother tried warning me about you, saying I deserved better. Well, he was right, for once. Now, go away,I have work to do!!"
Turning her back on Tyrese she watched Missy and Elijah finish their work, still holding hands.
Mona had grown up in the UK branch of the Hormone Division (hence her accent) and had worked exclusively with British children. Missy had been her first ever American client. Originally she had found Missy annoying, nerdy and somewhat boring, but over time she had to admit she'd grown fond of her. Perhaps due to Mona's influence, Missy had become more outspoken, slightly rebellious, occasionally short-tempered, and,best of all, romantic. Back in England it had sometimes taken Mona at least a year to get those tight-assed prudes to even kiss a boy. But with Missy Mona had turned her from a shy bookworm to a horny, popular tween within only a few months. All in all, some of her best work.
'Mom always said I'd never make it working in America ', Mona thought, smiling as she watched Missy and Elijah taking their finished boxes up front to the man in charge. 'If only she could see me now.'
End Of Chapter 5
First off,I am SO so sorry this chapter took so long. So many things happened that delayed it. First, several cases of writer's block. I usually come up with scenes in the heat of the moment,as I write, and just type out what comes to me next as I finish one scene. But for some reason, that hasn't been happening lately. I know writing in the heat of the moment isn't the traditional way, the best way,to write,most writer's plan a story before they write,but this has always worked for me. Till now.
Second, I've been sick on and off: nausea, dizziness, headaches. And even when I try to write to distract myself, staring at the phone screen too long just makes my headaches worse eventually. As if that wasn't bad enough,my glasses broke, and I had to wait a couple weeks to get my new ones. So yeah, my luck just keeps rolling.
Lastly,I confess, lately I've just been distracted with my new PS5. Been playing a lot, and haven't really had the time to do anything else. At least playing keeps me distracted from being chronically ill.
But I promise to write faster. Unfortunately I'll have to add some of the stuff I mentioned in the introduction to this chapter - Greg meeting his Monster Team, Jessi hanging out with Natalie and Lola, the scene in the Monster World - to chapter 6, cause at this point if I tried to add it all to THIS chapter,I wouldn't be done until next month.
But I PROMISE chapter 6 will come faster. I'm starting to feel a bit better, my new glasses are working great, and I feel like I got my groove back.
Again, I'm REALLY sorry for the long, long wait, and like I said, next chapter we'll see more of the stuff I promised earlier - Greg and his Monsters, Jessi and Natalie and Lola, and parts in the Monster World. Plus next chapter I'm planning on showing more of Nick and Lucinda, building up to them meeting at his school.
Anyway, see y'all next chapter. Coming SOON!!!