Holy Hell! I haven't updated this story in FOREVER! I'm so sorry to my amazing reviewers! here's an extra-long chapter for ya, and I should be updating regularly now! :)
Mel led the way out to the alley behind Nicky's, where Reid and Aaron looked like they were going to start in again, while Tyler tried to appear brave in front of Aaron's goonish friend. Mel had to shake her head at that. Baby Boy might be good in a fight, but he hated confrontation and hurting people. All Mel was thinking was how happy she was that she wasn't working that night. She had just recently gotten a job as a waitress at Nicky's. (She liked having her own money; she just felt better buying something with money she'd earned.)No doubt Nicky would have had her kick them out, and she didn't even want to think about how Aaron or (especially) Reid would react to that. Caleb pushed past her, putting on his calm "I'll save Reid's ass now so I can kick it later." face.
"Alright, what's the problem?" he asked, apparently straining to keep his voice even.
Of course, Reid had to say something smart.
"He bet me I couldn't make a combo shot and…I did." He said with a laugh, which was accompanied by the easy, cocky smile Mel loved. She had to grin, too, because she knew Reid had used to make that shot. She always beat him at pool, because she knew when he was about to use, and she could deflect it.
"Well, we're not paying you shit, so you can-"Aaron started, but he was cut off by Nicky appearing in the doorway, a ball bat over his shoulder.
"Take it somewhere else, ladies. Now." The way Nicky said it; it was decidedly not a request.
"Whatever you say, Nicky." Aaron said, pushing past Reid, deliberately knocking into him. As soon as Aaron and his goon were gone, Caleb instantly rounded on Reid.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Caleb yelled.
"Come on, Caleb, we were just playin' 'em." Reid said.
"Yeah, they were suckers for it." Tyler piped up, hoping to avoid a fight.
"Why don't you quit being such a -" Reid began, starting to walk past Caleb.
"I'm not finished with you, yet!" Caleb said, grabbing Reid's shoulder. Reid grabbed Caleb's arm, a scowl on his face.
"Reid, stop." Caleb sounded like he was in pain, and Mel quickly saw why: Reid's eyes were pitch black, and he was gripping Caleb's wrist in a crushing grip.
That was enough for Mel. Caleb may be overprotective and no fun and annoying, but he was her twin brother, and no one messed with him but her. She launched herself in between them, a hand on each of them, keeping them away from each other.
"Hey! Cut it out, Reid!" Mel yelled, glaring at Reid as she shifted her eyes to black. Reid looked as if he was going to say something, and his eyes were still dark with power, too.
"Oh, you wanna fight me now?" she asked him, one eyebrow raised. "Let me tell you how very dumb of an idea that would be."
Pogue must have seen something that Mel didn't, because he grabbed her arm and dragged her out from the middle of the fight, pushing her behind him and Tyler. She opened her mouth to object, but two seconds later, Caleb sent Reid flying into a wall.
"What is it gonna take for you to get it? It's addictive, you moron!" Caleb shouted, throwing his hands up in disgust. "You've seen what happens when you abuse it. You want that, that's fine, but if you Use in the open like you did tonight, you risk exposing us all. And that I won't let happen.
Reid staggered to his feet, an angry scowl on his face. He used to levitate an empty beer keg, getting ready to launch it at Caleb.
"DUDE!" Mel yelled from behind Pogue, who was attempting to hold her back.
"Stay out of it, Baby Girl." Pogue said.
"My power is greater than yours." Caleb said, holding up his hands.
"Not until you ascend." Reid spat back at him, barely even able to get the words out, he was so angry.
"Okay, tough guy, go for it." Caleb said, taking a stance. Mel struggled under Pogue's grip, trying to stop the fight, but she didn't have to worry. Reid launched the keg at Caleb, but Caleb easily deflected it and slammed Reid into a stack of empty beer bottles.
"Whoah, whoah…" Pogue yelled, running to stop Caleb, who had started towards Reid again. Tyler went to help Reid out of the mess of broken glass. "Caleb, stop! This is crazy!"
"It's for his own good!" Caleb shouted, struggling with Pogue. "Keep using like you did tonight, like you did last night, and when you ascend you'll be as good as dead!"
"So I fixed her car, big deal." Reid said as he staggered out of the glass, brushing shards off of his jacket.
"Don't play me, Reid!" Caleb was still struggling with Pogue, who was trying to hold him back. "I'm talking later, and you know it!"
"The hell I do!" Reid retorted, getting into Caleb's face. "I didn't Use later."
He started past Caleb again, turning towards Mel. "You about ready to go, Mel? I don't think I can stand hanging around Golden Boy here for very much longer."
"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec." Mel said, her eyes still fixed in a glare. "Meet me at the car, if you think you can do that without getting into a fight."
"Whatever."
Tyler turned to follow Reid out. "It's not right, Caleb, using on each other."
"Yeah, tell it to Reid." Caleb said, wiping his face, looking like he had a bad headache.
As soon Reid and Tyler were out of earshot, Caleb turned to Pogue, still rubbing his temples.
"Reid's lying. It had to have been him." Caleb sounded extremely tired.
"How do you know?" Pogue asked.
"It wasn't you. I knew where Mel was the whole time, and Tyler doesn't have the balls to lie to me." Caleb reasoned.
Just then, the back door to Nicky's opened, and Sarah appeared in the doorway.
"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her eyes on Caleb.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He responded, forcing a smile.
"Let's get out of here." Sarah said with a smile. Caleb nodded and followed her back through the bar. Mel followed, and by the time she'd reached the Mercedes, Caleb was already pulling out of the parking lot, Sarah in the passenger seat.
"Sometime tonight, Baby Girl." Reid's loud voice broke her out of her reverie. She'd forgotten that he and Tyler were already out in the car. Reid lounging on the front seat and Tyler sitting in the back, and he did not look very happy about it.
This should be fun...Mel thought, letting out a sigh and praying that whoever was up there would give her the strength not to kill Reid. Opening her door, she slid behind the wheel and turned the key. The Mercedes snarled to life. She sped down the quiet street towards Spenser, staring straight ahead and gripping the steering wheel in a death grip.
They finally pulled into the parking lot in front of the Spenser dorms. For some reason, Tyler seemed to be in a big hurry to get back to the dorm, and he got out of the car almost as soon as Mel pulled into a parking space, making a beeline for the dorm with barely a "Bye, Mel!" called over his shoulder. Reid seemed to want to stick around and talk to her.
"Look, I'm sorry I acted like such a douche, Mel." Reid began, staring out his window, the opposite direction from Mel. "Aaron just pisses me off to no end, and when Caleb acts all high and mighty…it got to me, you know?"
Mel was shocked. "Wow. Reid Garwin, admitting he was wrong and apologizing! Oh, now I know the apocalypse is coming!" she joked, but gave him a grin that let him know he was forgiven-until the next time he pissed her off.
He laughed. "Always the tome of surprise, huh, Baby Girl?" Mel punched him on the shoulder, laughing.
"Right." Mel laughed, wondering how in the hell Reid could make her go from contemplating stabbing him in the eye with a pencil to laughing her head off at something he said.
"And, just so we're clear, you don't like Abbott, right? 'Cause he was saying some stuff. That's why we got into it." Reid said, as always putting it very bluntly.
Mel gave him a look. "First of all, don't ask stupid questions. If Aaron Abbott and I were the last two people on earth, I would welcome the zombie apocalypse. Hell, I'd prolly show them where he was."
"Good, good." Reid said, "Just checking. Just as long as I'm still your favorite. "
Mel rolled her eyes. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid."
Reid just laughed, but Mel had a feeling he was getting around to telling her the reason why he'd hung back to chat.
"So, um, anyways, are you goin' to the Fall Fest this year? I think it's on Caleb's birthday this time." Reid ran a hand through his white-blond hair, a nervous habit he'd had since he was six years old. (His mother had once cut all of his hair off, since he refused to cut it. When it grew back, he would always put a hand on his hair, as if making sure it were there.)
"Yeah, I guess. Kate, Sarah and I were talking about going into Boston this weekend, to look for dresses and go shopping and stuff. There's not much of a mall here in Ipswich." Mel was getting a little nervous, wondering what Reid was getting at, and hoping he was going to say what she thought he was going to say.
"Well, um, do you want to go with me? I mean, Tyler's probably gonna end up driving all of us anyways, and it's not like any guy has the guts to ask you out, you're always hanging around us, and Caleb's kind of scary." Reid was looking at her dead in the eyes now; an emotion she couldn't quite place was just beneath the surface. She couldn't place it because it just didn't belong on Reid Garwin: he was nervous.
"Sure, I'll go with you, I suppose. You, at least, I know I can take in a fight. Plus I've known you since, what, birth?" Mel said, trying to lighten the moment with a wisecrack.
"Heh, pretty much." Reid said. "Well, that's settled. See you tomorrow at school, Baby Girl. And thanks for the lift."
"Anytime, Reid. Thanks for asking me to the Fall Fest."
Reid opened his door and turned to get out. He hesitated for a second, then turned around and kissed her on the cheek. Getting out of the car, Reid leaned in through the open window and, with a grin on his face, said "Sweet Dreams, Baby Girl." And then proceeded to make his way up the stairs and up to his dorm.
Mel sat there in her car for about ten minutes, her jaw dropped.
"What. The. Hell!" she said to herself, throwing the Mercedes into gear and peeling out of the Spenser campus, speeding through Ipswich towards home.
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