Chapter Twenty-Five
Victoria opened her eyes slowly and blinked. She looked up at her alarm clock. It was quarter after five. She rolled on her back and looked at the ceiling. She ran a hand over her face.
It had been a rainy afternoon in England... Victoria sat up, taking a deep breath. It was her fourth dream as Lady Anne Danvers, but by far the most intimate. She and Henry had been sitting in a living room. They had snuck away from all the lords and ladies, all the chaperones who hovered around them constantly.
Just to sit in a quiet drawing room together. Talking. He was reading her poetry. She had looked out the window, the morning sunrise was bright orange, and fiery. At Henry's request she had let her hair down from her unbearably tight hair cap under the ridiculously structured bonnet, that was evidently the height of fashion in French style like their Queen Ann Boleyn.
How the world had changed... Victoria couldn't really imagine anyone she knew reading poetry and only talking after getting to be alone with their boyfriend. She couldn't imagine suggesting to Reid they read Chaucer instead of make out or more. But Lady Anne had been just as happy to listen to Henry read her poetry as Victoria was to do anything really….
Victoria swallowed.
It was like cold water running down her back. The realization she was coming too. It made her feel …. awful. She buried the thought deep down in her chest. Folded it up and put it in a tight box and locked that box in her mind. To be forgotten about.
Victoria got up off her bed and grabbed Caleb's hoody, pulling it over her bra. She reached on the ground and found a pair of fleece pyjama bottoms, discarded only to be worn to the bathroom and back in this unusually warm spring. She pulled them on over her x-men panties and left her dorm room, trying to avoid waking her room mate.
Victoria slowly walked up the stairs to the boys dorm. "Vicky!" She turned at the half hushed call of her name. She stopped and turned to find Sarah dashing up to her, tying up her house coat around her waist. "Wait up,"
Victoria obliged on the stairs, waiting for her, "Morning," Victoria offered as her brother's girlfriend caught up with her.
"Morning," Sarah smiled at her brightly, her smile genuine. Victoria kind of marvelled at Sarah. She kind of reminded Victoria of sunshine. She just seemed so happy all the time. Made perfect sense she was with Caleb and even more sense that they had been named Spencer's Prom King and Queen. Much to Keira and Aaron's chagrin. "You going to say good bye to the boys?"
Victoria considered giving a snide remark about how she had started wondering the halls at ungodly hours for fun but decided it was to early for that level of sarcasm, so instead she just nodded.
Sarah was watching her closely though and soon asked, "How you doing?" Sarah asked her face showing signs of concern.
Victoria shrugged, "Oh ya know," Caleb had told Sarah everything, which was fine with Victoria. He had asked her permission before he told Sarah, but Victoria had told him she didn't want to be the reason Caleb kept secrets from Sarah. "Getting by,"
Sarah watched Victoria out of the corner of her eyes, "Must be pretty hard for you." Victoria looked at Sarah, "I mean, to be going through everything."
Victoria shrugged, "Somethings are easier than others." Was the only vague answer she was able to muster at this early hour.
They turned the corner and headed up the last flight of stairs to the boys dorms. "How are things with Reid?" Sarah asked. She tried to make it sound like she was asking one of her girlfriends about their boyfriend, like everything was normal. But her voice was too overly concerned sounding to really pull it off.
Victoria's instant natural response would have been to get defensive and snap something at Sarah but she took a deep breath as they stepped onto the landing of the boys floor to see Caleb, Pogue, Tyler and Reid all coming out of their rooms at once.
Victoria knew his eyes were on her as soon as she stepped onto the floor. She didn't need to look, she didn't even need to glance, she just knew, like a sixth sense that Pogue was looking right at her. Like he knew she would come up the stairs. But Victoria stayed looking at the ground before looking up. Her eyes instantly went to Pogue but only for a second before she forced them to look at Reid who was talking to Tyler and hadn't noticed her yet.
Victoria looked at Sarah. Sarah instantly looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be prying into your life." She said hurriedly.
"No, it's fine. I just don't know...what to...say, to that question." She stuttered.
Sarah nodded, like she understood Victoria's non-answer, "Wanna just say goodbye to them right now and then talk later?"
Victoria nodded and they started to walk towards the boys, "Hey, Sarah?"
"Yeah?"
"You're coming up to Boston for State, right?" Sarah nodded at Victoria's question, "Do you wanna...do you wanna maybe drive up together? My new ride is sick."
Sarah nodded smiling, "Most definitely!" As they came up to the boys, Caleb effortlessly put his arm around Sarah and kissed her hello.
"Most definitely what?" He asked.
Reid smiled at Victoria and came over wrapping her in a hug as well. Victoria laced her hands up under his arms and held him close. Breathing in the smell of him. Remembering when all she ever wanted was to be in his arms. It felt so long ago now... Had it really only been a week and a half? "Morning," he said into her ear. Victoria mumbled the greeting back but more into his shoulder than anything else. She tried not to consider just how sad his voice sounded to her now.
As he let her go, Victoria heard Sarah explain, "Well, Victoria and I made the executive decision that we are gonna drive up to Boston together."
"Ah," Caleb simply said, raising his eyebrows.
"That sounds like trouble," Tyler said without looking up. Victoria looked at him from where she was standing beside Reid, and punched him in the arm. "Ow,"
"Serves you right," Sarah snapped sassily.
Victoria's eyes glanced over the boys whose bags were just outside their respective doors. "You guys going up together?"
"Yeah," Reid answered her, she looked at him but his eyes were trained on the ground.
Victoria felt suddenly out of place. Which was ridiculous but she suddenly very much felt like an intruder, like she didn't belong here. Like she didn't fit in Reid's life any more, in Spencer, anywhere. She suddenly wanted to turn and run back down the hall and out the front doors and not stop, just keep running.
She looked away from Reid's form back down the hall, suddenly she felt his eyes again and looked up and saw Pogue looking directly at her, leaning against his doorway. And it was like time just stopped.
Everything just fell away when their eyes locked. Except for them.
'We could do it ya know,' Pogues voice echoed in her head and all at once it was the most jarring sensation and yet felt completely natural, like something that had always happened.
'Do what?' Now it was Victoria's voice that filled the silence they seemed to be in.
He gave the slightest of shrugs, 'Just go.' She stared back at him unable to think anything, unable to believe this was happening, 'We don't fit anymore. I don't want to fit anymore. I don't want to have to try so hard. I want us to be free.'
Victoria felt her heart stop at his words, the possibility...
"Victoria!" She jumped nearly clean out of her skin, she shook her head and blinked, gasping as Caleb's voice broke into her consciousness. Her eyes surveyed Caleb who was looking directly at her, along with Sarah and Tyler, whom all looked concerned. "Are you all right?"
She took a deep shaky breath and looked over her brothers shoulder at Pogue, no one was looking at him like he was losing it. But she saw him as he had stood up off the door frame, blinking his eyes hard and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.
It did happen. It hadn't been in her imagination. That had just happened. She had heard his thoughts in her own mind, she took a gasping breath and Pogue looked up at her, he met her eyes and she knew he knew too. "Tori?!"
She jumped again and looked at her brother. "I'm-I'm fine! Just spaced out, it's fine. Jesus, Caleb, don't call me that." She looked at Reid concerned at what his expression might hold but instead of looking at her, he was glaring at Pogue. Victoria swallowed, had he seen her looking at Pogue? Had he seen that Pogue was using as well?
"You were using," Caleb said in a hushed tone.
Victoria looked at Caleb and she noticed Pogue's eyes go to Caleb as well. "I-What?"
Caleb stepped closer to her, "Not a lot, but I saw your eyes flash. What were you doing?" He was concerned for her. Caleb had been asking her daily about her power, if she was using it and if so, what for. It seemed to her to be her most recent adjustment he was most concerned about.
"I-" Victoria felt Reid's eyes slide from Pogue back to her. She looked at him and his eyes were hard. She swallowed, "Nothing, Caleb. I'm fine." A door down the hall opened as some of the other swim team got up as well and forced them to stop talking.
Caleb was glaring at Victoria obviously not believing her. But Sarah was actually the one to step up to him, place a hand on his arm and say, "She's fine Caleb." Caleb glanced at his girlfriend like he didn't believe her, "We'll be fine!" She smiled up at him.
Caleb took a deep breath, nodded and kissed Sarah on the forehead. "Alright, look after each other. See you in Boston?"
Sarah smiled up at him and nodded as they kissed. Victoria turned to Reid but his expression was closed off. "See you up there," He said in a cold tone, turned and grabbed his bag and started down the hall.
Victoria swallowed and glanced at Tyler. He gave her an awkward, apologetic sort of smile, and picked up his bag heading after Reid. Caleb was watching them with a hard expression. He turned to his sister, with a well meaning shrug.
"He's just-"
Victoria's eyes snapped to her brother, "I know what he is." She looked at the ground, "Leave it alone, Caleb." She shook her head. "I'll see you up there." She turned to walked down the hall but hesitated when she stepped in front of Pogue. He took a step towards her but didn't say anything and she decided against looking at him, she simply wanted to get back to her room so she kept walking.
"I'll see you this afternoon." Sarah kissed Caleb on the cheek and took off after Victoria.
The four boys sat in complete silence as Tyler's SUV rolled down the old highway. Tyler looked at his best friend in the passengers seat. Reid was staring out the window watching the lush greenery pass by. Tyler glanced into the rearview mirror at Caleb who was sitting behind Reid. Caleb raised his eyebrows and Tyler's eyes glanced directly behind him at Pogue who was looking out of the other side of the vehicle.
"Well, this isn't awkward at all." Tyler said, unable to handle to the uncomfortable silence any longer.
Reid glared at Tyler, "Thanks for the update."
"Oh, leave him alone, Reid," Pogue snapped.
Tyler and Caleb both felt the tension rocket up in the crammed space of the SUV. Suddenly, Tyler wished he had just gritted his teeth and dealt with the silence.
Reid turned and glared into the back seat at Pogue, "Oh yeah, now you are gonna tell me how I am supposed to act as well?"
Pogue shook his head, nostrils flaring, "Wouldn't dream of it. Clearly you always know best, Reid."
Reid turned facing into the backseat, "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Pogue?!"
"Guys," Caleb said sitting up, trying to defuse the situation.
"How about you just sit there and leave me alone for the rest of the drive?" Pogue said looking from Caleb's stern eyes back to Reid's face, still talking to Reid in spite of Caleb's interjection.
"How about you tell me what the hell your problem is right fucking now?" Reid yelled.
"My problem?! My problem with you?" Pogue yelled back.
Reid shook his head, giving Pogue a manic looking smile, challenging him, egging him on, "Did I stutter?"
"Guys, the Hummer is supposed to be a place of calm reflection!" Tyler said also trying to relieve the tension.
"Shut up Tyler!" Both Reid and Pogue said in unison.
"And yeah, I do wanna know what your problem is with me. Exactly. I am tired of this pretending that everything is normal bull shit!" Reid said turning back to glare at Pogue.
"My problem with you Reid is your goddamn attitude. The fact you take nothing seriously. My problems with you started when you goddamn took Victoria to Nicky's when she first got home and I didn't pummel the shit out of you when I found you there when I had the goddamn chance."
"Pogue!" Caleb hit his friend on the chest but Pogue didn't take his enraged eyes off Reid.
"No, don't worry about it Caleb, the truth finally comes out!" Reid said also not looking away from Pogue.
"Oh, stop with your vindicated rhetoric Reid. You're just an ass, a pathetic pouting little boy who is treating Victoria like shit because you're not first priority any more."
"Dude, that's unfair," Tyler said into the back seat. But it appeared that neither Pogue nor Reid were aware of either Caleb or Tyler anymore.
"Don't you dare talk to me about Victoria!" Reid growled his voice getting dangerously low.
"Really? Or what? What are you gonna do?" Pogue taunted.
"This is ridiculous! This isn't you guys!" Caleb tried to yell over the din, but it fell on deaf ears.
"Oh, I would just love to put you in your place."
"Go ahead, Reid!"
Tyler slammed his foot on the break bringing the SUV to a fish tailing stop as he saw both Reid and Pogue's eyes turn jet black. "No! This is ridiculous! And definitely NO USING IN THE HUMMER!" He yelled.
Reid and Pogue stared at each other. Caleb opened his mouth to say something when Pogue broke the silence first. "Forget this," Suddenly he opened the door and was out of the SUV in a flash.
"Pogue!" Tyler called after him.
"Oh, what, you gonna run away from me now?!" Reid called after him as well.
"Reid! Stop! Not helping!" Caleb growled struggling with his seat belt before getting out after Pogue.
"Who says I want to help." Reid growled crossing his arms and sinking deeper into his seat.
"Pogue!" Caleb dashed up the road after his friend, "Pogue! Wait up man, what are you gonna do? Walk to Boston?"
"I would rather walk then get back in a car with him." Pogue barked over his shoulder as Caleb caught up with him.
"Dude, we are all just a little keyed up from everything, I think-"
"No Caleb, no, I'm done. Did you not see how he treated Victoria this morning?!"
"Yeah, but-"
"And just like then, you are gonna make excuses for him!" Pogue snapped interrupting Caleb, shaking his head, his hair catching in the breeze.
"Look man, I did the whole interfering with him and Tori when she first got home and I nearly lost my sister. So I am not about to go and do it now. Besides, this is between them-"
Pogue looked up, his expression unsettlingly calm. He shook his head, "But it isn't anymore. Look, you guys go. I'll see you in Boston."
"What are you gonna do? Walk?" Caleb asked scoffing.
"I'll be fine Caleb." Suddenly Pogue looked at him, his eyes jet black and he kicked off hard from the ground, launching upwards. The force of his take off made Caleb stumble back a few steps and Caleb could do nothing but stare up into the blindingly bright blue sky where he thought he saw his friend disappear into.
"Shit!" Caleb turned and stormed back to the Hummer, hating that he felt powerless.