SKULDUGGERY AND VALKYRIE 14

(VCPOV)

To break the silence I thought I should say something, but what? 'hey, so um…don't get weirded out, but I think you're cute', oh god no I sound like a 13 yr old. Maybe should ease in the thought. Or not.

"hey, uh… Skul?"

"hm? Yeah?"

"uh… I like y-" god I couldn't finish. Why should I? I doubt he'll feel the same about me. I don't want to ruin our friendship. So I went for something different, something probably stupid, "y-yogurt. Yeah I like yogurt how about you?"

"um I guess? I haven't had anything in over a century."

"huh. Ok. So what's our next plan?"

"for once I don't know, give me sometime to think"

We finally got into the car. Man, Gordon's house is big. On our way back to the pier we had different conversations, none of them worth mentioning.

We got to the pier. I got out, before he left he bowed his hat than he drove off, blurring into the fog. I thought of flying to my window, I can already propel my self to the window and I've been doing that since I was 13. I was ready to carry myself through the air. I clear my mind, place my hands by my sides, and try. I could feel all that power getting ready to surge through my palms. With in moments I was aloft for a few seconds even though I was only 3 feet off the ground. I felt the difference between floating and propelling. But then I crashed down, with a good thud. My reflection opened the window.

"what are you doing? It's 1 am. Get in"

With out arguing I propelled myself to the window and got in.

"are you ready to resume?" it said, stepping into the mirror. I touched the surface. 2 days of memory flowed into me. Nothing much happened, it went to school, did some gossiping, came home, baby sat Alison, ate dinner than went to bed. And again there's another blank in my memory. Over the years I swear its becoming its own person. It always says our parents, our sister, my teachers, or my cousins. It's annoying, irritating and creepy. It found a way to hide memories from me. I decided to ask why it was always doing this.

"are you no hiding stuff from me?"

"no. I am not meant for that though I am also not meant to be used for more a year. If you do find missing blanks it might just be glitch. Maybe you should have gotten an extended warranty." it chuckled.

"what did you just say?"

"the last sentence? Oh that's something you would say around skullduggery, wouldn't you? I am just performing a response you would say to lighten the mood."

"are you using my 'Val Kyrie' life in yours?"

"no. I am living your 'Stephanie' life and I say what Stephanie would say but since Stephanie is now a reflection 95% of the time I have to adapt to changes in your personality. By the way you should really talk to him some time."

Normally I would be mad, but it was right.

"I know, ok? What time do you think I should ask him?"

"well, maybe wait till your 18th birthday it'll give you some time to think"

"maybe I will. *yawn"

"you should go to bed, I cant tell you have a big day ahead of you. Good night."

"yeah ok"

The lights went out and I fell asleep. I dreamed about my 18th birthday party. I'm in a dress, skullduggery isn't there nor was Fletcher. There's ghastly, vendetta and Tanith. Why is she here? She's a remnant. All is normal, happy even. Something happens everything goes dark, I cant move neither can I talk. I feel like something is overtaking me, Darquesse. I cant stop but set everything on fire. My family and my friends are burning. Their screams, their pain, their agony. I ascend upwards than fly I don't know where, I couldn't remember. I was shot down with a bullet to my leg. I didn't care, I didn't feel it. I kept going some where. Right in my path was skullduggery at point blank range with a gun targeting my chest. He spoke without fear.

"Valkyrie are you there?"

"I'm still here, I'm just a mood swing, as you put it"

"no, no Val wouldn't do that, but you would. In fact I'm guessing your rein of terror has begun."

"you're right. And I'm also too strong for you to bring back Valkyrie."

"fine." he's pulling the trigger. Darquesse wants to kill him, but I don't want to. I don't hide I let him pull the trigger. The bullet lodges into me.

I fall to the ground hard.

I wake up to find it's morning. I checked my cell, turns out I have 3 new messages. 1 from vendetta and 2 from Skul. Vendetta's read 'hey Val why aren't you here? It's 9 am! :0' Skul's first message read 'Val its 8:00, you up?'

The last one read 'k its 10, you ok?'

The text I sent was, "ya im good hey can we meet at Gordon's house?"

"sure what time"

"how about 2pm?"

"Val, its 3, what did you do last night?"

"nothing really I just woke up. Can we meet at 4?"

"fine with me"