Chapter 2
Stacy woke up the next morning and looked around with slight uncertainty. She was lying on her side in a bed, but not in her bed. She was in a room that was not her own. She also felt a slight weight bearing down on her and the memories of the previous night suddenly dawned on her. She turned slightly to face Schemer, who was still sleeping peacefully. He had her in a tight embrace, and was curled around her body, the sheets wrapped tightly around both of them. She sighed contently and settled in, trying not to wake him.
It was only minutes before he started to stir however. She felt his eyelashes flutter against the bare skin of her shoulder.
"Morning Stacy," he said drowsily, loosening his grip slightly.
"Good morning Schemer," she responded gently.
The evening's events had opened up into a slight awkwardness as they became more aware of the situation. Schemer propped himself up on one elbow.
"Did you sleep okay?" he asked, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.
"I did, your bed is comfy," she replied with a smile, easing the tension. They were in bed together, last night's clothes discarded haphazardly onto the floor. There wasn't much to be bashful about right now.
He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and settled back down beside her. "As much as I don't want to leave here, did you want to go downstairs for breakfast?" he offered.
"Sounds good to me. Do you have anything more comfortable for me to wear than last night's dress?" she teased.
He smiled into her hair. "I liked last night's dress," he murmured, "But I have a robe you could borrow."
They headed downstairs. He put something together quickly and they began to eat in silence. They both felt uncomfortable in the silence, it wasn't like them to not speak freely. However, the awkward tensions that had settled in made it so that it wasn't until they were nearly done that Schemer finally cleared his throat and began to speak.
"So... Did you want to talk about it?" he ventured awkwardly. It wasn't the greatest conversation starter, but it at least broke the silence.
She placed her fork down and wiped her mouth on a napkin. "I think we should talk about what happens next," she suggested.
He blushed and laughed nervously. "Yeah, that's what I meant. So where do we go from here?"
She didn't answer immediately and looked at him with a thoughtful expression. "It... depends," she said vaguely but not ominously.
"What do you mean?" he asked, looking puzzled.
"Well, it depends if this is a one time thing that is never going to happen again. You know, something unspoken that we never acknowledge aloud because it never meant anything. Or if it meant something more," she said while looking away and not reaching his eyes.
Schemer looked disheartened. "Did it mean something to you?"
"It did!" she said, startled by his question, "I just wanted to be sure that you meant everything you said last night, at the event."
He reached forward and put his hand on hers. "Stacy, I meant every word. I promise," he said sincerely.
She looked up to meet his gaze, staring into his warm eyes, she felt herself be moved by him.
"Thank you Schemer. I also need to know, you didn't turn down that job just for me, right?" she asked seriously.
He shook his head slowly. "No, I didn't. There are lots of reasons to turn it down. You're one, of course, and I can't lie about that, but I do have others."
"I guess I'm just afraid, if you did, and this doesn't work out, you'll regret not leaving," she explained, worry evident on her face. "We've been through so much together. I mean, we were... we are such good friends. Aren't you worried about all that being ruined?"
"Do you think that you could just go into work tomorrow, pretend nothing happened and just go back to the way things were before? And would you be okay with that?" he asked her abruptly.
She was a little shocked by his forwardness, but she realized how valid it was. "No," she said honestly.
He smiled at that. "Neither could I. Even if I took the job, it wouldn't change how I feel, or what happened last night. Whether I stayed or left, I couldn't be okay with pretending there was nothing between us."
She nodded in agreement, again saying nothing.
"And I'm not worried about anything being ruined. Nothing changes what we've been through together. I'd like to give this a chance." His eyes seemed to glitter with hope. "Do you?"
She looked away, feeling slightly uncertain. She did want to give it a chance. Last night is when she finally acted on her growing feelings for him. But still, there were risks to what they were potentially getting themselves into. She looked back to him, feeling like she wasn't brave enough to say yes. Feeling like ignoring everything and just letting it go. But when she looked at him, she couldn't deny what she felt for him. His roguish looks and attitude appealed to her. He had a sort of charm that made people forgive his mishaps. He made her laugh and smile when she was grumpy at work. And despite their rivalries in the past, he had always been in her corner when things looked down. His best qualities were shining through and she couldn't help how she felt about him.
"I want to as well," she admitted with a small smile. He smiled happily and was about to lean forward to kiss her. "But first, there are some things that I have to say." He leaned back and nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"First of all, I can't promise what giving us a chance will look like. Only time will tell that for sure. And secondly, and most importantly, we have to take it slow," she said, looking deep within his eyes. "Very slow," she added for emphasis.
He smiled his trademark crooked grin, but a slightly softer version. "I promise. Slow works for me," he said and lightly pressed his hand over hers.
She smiled softly back. "I'm glad."
"I need something from you too though," he said quietly, "I need you to be patient with me. I don't know how or when I should bring this up to Schemee. Slow is definitely good for me, but I want to make sure we're open with each other. We've been friends for so long, it might be hard to become something different, especially where other people are involved."
"Yes, I can promise you that. Now, next question, what do we tell Billy?" she asked wryly.
He chuckled. "I think, out of everyone, we can trust Billy."
"Okay that's good, because I couldn't come up with an excuse for us leaving him there so early," she said with a gentle smile, "Now let's organize this place before we have to leave."
They cleaned up the kitchen, side by side, until Stacy went upstairs to get dressed. Neither of them were scheduled to be at the station until noon, but Stacy wanted to get home and get ready and Schemer still had to pick up his nephew. Schemer drove her home before heading to Dan's house. When he pulled up to Stacy's driveway and parked, he turned to her before she could exit.
"Hey Jonesy. I know you're a little anxious, but I am too! I think it's something we'll be able to get through together," he said with a kind smile. She was suddenly aware of a warm feeling in her chest. She was attracted by the way his smile suddenly lit up his face. He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face before leaning in to kiss her goodbye. They paused for a brief moment to enjoy the serenity before they began the day.
"Thank you Schemer, for everything," she said sincerely as she climbed out of his car, "I'll see you at the station in a few hours."
"In a few hours then," he responded, feeling a slight sense of longing as the moment ended.
She turned back to wave to him before she went inside. As Schemer watched her, he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Standing in the sun with a light breeze blowing through her soft, brown curls.
He waited until she was inside before pulling out of her driveway and driving towards Dan's house.
"So when are we going to be allowed to hang out at your place for the night, Schemee?" Kara asked from her perch on the couch arm. The group of four, Kara, Schemee, Dan and Becky, were spending some time together in Dan's basement. The girls had come over the morning after Schemee and Dan's sleepover.
Schemee shrugged nonchalantly. "Hopefully soon. I don't see why we wouldn't be allowed to just hang out there with the place to ourselves when my uncle isn't there," he explained, despite understanding very well why this would be an issue, "Problem is, he's always home."
Becky nodded. "I mean, it's completely fine if he is there. Besides, he doesn't really bother with us. But Schemee, if we did manage to get his permission, it's not like it would get out of hand. It'd just be the four of us, right?"
"Yeah, I mean, unless we invited just a few friends from school. What's the worst that could happen?" Schemee asked casually.
"I don't know Schemee, things can get out of hand. I would say there's a lot that could go wrong," Dan said nervously.
Schemee snorted. "Ha! I don't think it's anything I can't handle," he said arrogantly. "Besides, I have this great idea for a casino night. We could use plastic chips and have people buy into a few games, maybe Poker and Blackjack. The winner would receive a fixed amount and I'd keep the rest!" he exclaimed excitedly. Kara looked at Becky and rolled her eyes.
"Please don't get in trouble again Schemee!" Becky pleaded. "You know that gambling is illegal, let alone you being underage, and besides, your uncle would never allow it. We think anyways."
"I doubt he would care very much," Schemee shrugged again.
Kara was not so easily frightened, and immediately challenged him. "Okay big shot, if you are so sure that Schemer wouldn't care, here's what you need to do. The next time you have the house to yourself, which I sincerely doubt will ever happen, invite a few people over. Plan something, anything," Kara dared.
Schemee scoffed. "I'll do one better, Kara. The next time my uncle is out for the night I'll throw a party! And trust me, I will have the house to myself, and I'll bet I can do it by the end of the year." Her provocation had easily worked as he responded, abandoning all reason.
Becky's hands flew to her mouth. "Schemee! You wouldn't lie to your uncle, would you?" she pleaded, but she knew the answer.
He folded his arms across his chest. "I would, and I will. Besides, I could probably charge a cover and make a killing. How could he be upset, especially if I split the profits with him," he looked away thoughtfully, Becky smacked her forehead with her palm.
Dan shook his head, "Come on Schemee, you don't have to prove anything," he tried reasoning with his friend.
But his words were lost on Schemee, who was currently staring into space and coming up with more money-making schemes. Kara was looking at him with undisguised smugness. Becky looked as worried as Dan. Becky and Dan's eyes met, but Dan just shrugged in defeat indicating that he was out of ideas. "Hey Schemee, are you going to the Station with your uncle today?" Dan asked, trying to change the topic.
Schemee finally broke out of his reverie. "I wasn't planning on it, I'm not working for my uncle at the Arcade today. But maybe I could get a ride with him."
"Well we're heading out now, Becky and I were planning on visiting Stacy, would you two like to come?" Dan offered kindly.
"I would go but I have to work later, sorry guys," Kara said.
Schemee shrugged. "Sure, I'll come, why not?"
Dan inwardly sighed with relief, maybe they could talk some sense into Schemee to derail his plans. It was much easier for him and Becky to be the voices of reason when Kara and Schemee were separate. They were all good friends but the two of them were equally hot headed and stubborn to a fault. When they fought or disagreed, someone always needed to step in. At least now he and Becky could get to the Station ahead of Schemee to ask for Mr. Conductor's help.
"Schemee! Your uncle is here!" Dan's mother, and Stacy's sister-in-law, called from the top of the stairs.
"That's my ride, I'll see you two at the station. Have fun at work Kara!" he said as he raced up the stairs. After thanking Dan's mother he made his way out to the car where his uncle was waiting.
For the second time in one morning Schemer sat through a silent car ride. He cleared his throat and tried to make some sort of conversation.
"So how was your night?"
"Oh it was alright," Schemee replied nonchalantly. Schemee was staring out the window, seemingly deep in thought.
"I know you're upset, or maybe disappointed, but I'll make it up to you," Schemer said, assuming his nephew's disinterest was directed at him.
"You'll let me stay alone overnight by myself?" Schemee asked, turning his head with interest.
"Well, we'll see about that one," Schemer replied, "Why are you so eager to get rid of me?" Schemee turned his head back to the window with a shrug. Schemer frowned as he looked on at the road ahead of him. He struggled to find something that might curb his nephew's disappointment.
"Look, I know you may not understand. And you may think I'm being unreasonable. But I have my reasons, and I'm not doing it to spite you, or make you mad," Schemer tried to explain, but still felt it falling flat.
Schemee felt a brief pang of guilt, but his disappointment still persisted. "I know, but... I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need constant supervision."
Schemer nodded. "No, you're not a kid," he agreed, at which point Schemee looked up. "And I'll think about certain privileges. But I'm not making any promises. If you can prove to me that you're mature enough to be left alone, then I will allow you to stay alone at the house."
"With friends over?" Schemee asked excitedly. They had just pulled into the driveway.
"Let's not get ambitious," Schemer said with a smirk as he exited the car before Schemee could protest.
As noon arrived at Shining Time Station, both the staff and patrons were very busy. The arcade was bustling, Stacy had her hands full with passengers buying tickets, and Billy was busying himself with a broken down engine.
Mr. Conductor sat with the teens in a far corner. It was so busy that he would have likely gone unnoticed or mistaken for a doll, but for an added precaution he was blocked by the teenagers who had angled themselves around him.
"Schemee, I know you and Kara have this 'friendly' rivalry, but I believe the best thing to do would be to not let it break your uncle's trust," he said solemnly.
Schemee sharply looked at Dan and Becky who feigned innocence by pretending not to meet his gaze. He was annoyed that they spoke to Mr. Conductor behind his back. He turned back to their much smaller friend.
"But Mr. C., do you really think that he would care? I mean honestly, let's just consider this for a moment, shall we? It's my uncle. You all know who I'm talking about, right? Or am I going crazy? It's my Uncle Schemer ."
Mr. Conductor made a show of pretending to ponder over Schemee's words. "If your Uncle Schemer had no concerns with any of this, why hasn't he allowed you to do it yet? Surely it wouldn't be a problem to ask him," he countered slyly.
Schemee looked over towards his uncle. He was currently counting out what he had made in the past fifteen minutes in nickels. Schemee turned back to face them. "I don't see why it wouldn't be," he said finally, accepting the bluff.
"Oh for the love of God, Schemee!" Becky snapped. The three turned to her in shock, getting Becky to the point of an outburst was a difficult feat. "Will you just quit it? He won't let you, and if you keep pushing it then you're just going to get into trouble."
"Your uncle loves you very much, and I have no doubt that he trusts you. But he is an adult, and although he sometimes doesn't act like one, he would never allow you to do something that would jeopardize yourself in any way. This party will not go as planned if you go through with it, and you're risking getting into much larger trouble. Don't break his trust in you Schemee, especially if he starts giving you more freedom," Mr. Conductor chimed in.
Schemee shrugged. "I guess you're right," he said sullenly, trying to ignore the conflicting feelings of guilt and wanting to prove that he was right. "I'm going to help my uncle in the arcade now. I'll you guys later."
After he was out of earshot, Dan turned to Mr. Conductor with a smile. "Thanks."
"No thanks necessary Dan, I just hope I got through to him," Mr. Conductor admitted.
"I hope so too Mr. C," Becky agreed.
"Hey," Schemee greeted his Uncle quietly, "Did you need any help?"
Schemer had just finished counting his profits. "No thanks, I'm actually good for now. Why aren't you with your friends?" he asked as he looked over at the group with curiosity.
"Oh, they're just talking about homework and I'm already finished," he fibbed, "I figured I would stay around here if that's alright."
Schemer beamed at that. "Sure Schemee, stay as long as you like."
Despite his friends' concerns, Schemee had to admit to himself that he hadn't fully let go of the idea of the party. Even if his uncle wasn't onboard, it might be a good way to show that he could handle himself in adult situations. He also felt a bit lonely as of late. His uncle used to be more involved in planning schemes and pranks, but those activities had become less and less frequent over time. In fact, ever since his uncle had accidentally caused a runaway train he had effectively slowed his schemes to a stop. Not to mention, Schemee felt more and more suffocated every time Schemer exercised any parent-child dynamic over him. He felt he was now being disciplined for something that used to essentially be fair game.
"Want to go play baseball after work?" Schemer asked suddenly, as if sensing Schemee's boredom.
"I thought I was kicked off the team," Schemee said sardonically, reminded of yet another recent life lesson resulting in actual consequences. Accepting bribes to throw the baseball game against the Snarlyville Slashers was yet another event that Schemee couldn't believe he was in actual trouble over. Yet that's exactly what happened, his uncle had immediately removed him from the team.
"Well if you're going to ever be allowed back on the team you'd better start practising," Schemer said wryly.
"Okay, but what about them? Shouldn't we also practise with the rest of the team?" Schemee asked, jerking his head in Becky and Dan's direction.
"No, just the two of us. I feel like we haven't had a chance to do that for a while," Schemer suggested, "It's okay if you'd rather not."
Schemee considered it for a moment, but eventually acquiesced. "I would. When are you finished?"
Schemer squinted at the clock across the room. "Well…. NOW! Race you to the car!" he shouted, playfully shoving Schemee as he passed him. Schemee quickly collected himself, slightly shocked at the sudden outburst and ran after him.
Stacy shook her head, amused at the sight. She caught the wink and wolfish grin Schemer gave her as he passed, and had to busy herself to hide the sudden blush that came over her cheeks.
The slight tension between Schemer and Schemee didn't go unnoticed by her, especially after the conversation she had with Schemer yesterday. Usually, the pair was almost inseparable and watching them never failed to entertain. But be it teenage rebellion, or something else entirely, there was a slight strain there. Regardless, it was obvious that Schemer and Schemee were a package deal; where one went, the other followed. She hoped that with whatever happened between herself and Schemer that it wouldn't be too difficult of a transition, and more importantly that she wouldn't inadvertently add to any potential cracks in that relationship.
After playing baseball with his nephew, Schemer returned to the station once more to finish up a few things around the arcade. Not to mention the fact that he was also hoping Stacy would still be there. He strode in but was disappointed to see she had left for the day. No matter, he could finish his work quickly and head back home again. He only just started conducting his inventory when he heard the door open. He swivelled his head, hoping that she might have come back. Ever since last night, the floodgates of his heart had truly broken down and he could no longer stifle the feeling of wanting to be with her.
Unfortunately he was left disappointed when she didn't walk through the door. However, he was surprised at who entered the Station.
"Schemer, I was wondering if anyone would be here. Don't mind me, Mr. King told me to take a self-guided tour."
It was Paul. Schemer grinned, feeling uplifted that he could show off his arcade at the very least. "No problem at all. Where in the arcade would you like to start your tour?" he asked, cocksure.
Paul smirked in response, and obliged him by starting with the arcade. He seemed no less impressed than he had in their conversation last night.
"Schemer, I still think you need to consider expanding your horizons. Now I won't ask where you disappeared off to last night, nor will I ask about your lady friend's disappearance either, but I do think that regardless if you are intending on staying here, you still could continue to be successful, locally or otherwise," Paul said as Schemer concluded his tour.
Schemer took pause to think about this suggestion. He was suddenly struck by all the times he had tried to rise above his current position and failed. There was the Nickelaire Club, and to his credit he had been the one to reject their offer, but it still occurred to him that he never would have fit in anyways. There were all the times he tried to take over the station, either through buying, cheating, or scheming. None of those had panned out. Then he thought of Stacy again. She was never impressed by any of his long-term attempts when it negatively affected the station. Come to think of it, did his arcade even impress her?
He frowned as he considered this. None of his previous attempts had worked to gain her attention. But she had been impressed after Paul forced his hand into mentioning the corporate job offer to her. He still didn't intend to take Paul up on that offer, knowing that his previous reasons still held true. But maybe Paul was right yet again. Maybe there was something he could look into.
"Don't worry too much about it. Like you said yesterday, you love it here. This is your home," Paul said reassuringly.
He didn't stay for much longer, and bid Schemer goodbye without inspecting much more of the station. Schemer tried to return to his inventory but was heavily distracted. He eventually gave up and wandered towards Stacy's desk, thinking of an idea for a surprise. He borrowed some paper and carefully wrote a note for her to find tomorrow. He folded and set it in a place that was discrete and hidden from prying eyes, yet easy for her to spot from her desk.
Then he saw it.
There on the corner of the desk was a call for applicants and a stack of blank applications. The Indian Valley Railroad was looking for a new member to sit on the board of directors. The successful applicant would be appointed and eligible to choose any station or location as their home office.
His interest piqued, he carefully tore off an application from the pad and reviewed it. It was directed at those with a business background. Interesting, he hadn't seen it here earlier in the day. Perhaps it was a sign, if his previous attempts at impressing Stacy had failed, maybe something like this was exactly what he needed. Besides, Paul's encouragement had certainly painted him as a strong candidate.
He placed the application in his pocket and was about to head out when Billy walked into the station.
"Goodness, that engine wasn't doing me any favours today," he grumbled slightly, "How was your day Schemer?"
"Busy, but good," Schemer replied, yet feeling reserved as he thought about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours.
"Well, I'm going to go home and try and relax, I suggest you do the same. It's getting late," Billy said in a friendly manner while heading towards his office.
Schemer was surprised that Billy hadn't said anything about the night before. In fact, he was downright shocked.
"Oh, and Schemer," Billy said in a serious voice as he re-entered the main atrium. He moved quickly until he was just stopped short of bumping into Schemer's chest. "As your friend, I'm just going to say that you better treat her well."
There it was.
"You don't have to worry about that," Schemer confirmed, backing down slightly, intimidated by Billy's height.
Billy's face broke out into a friendly smile once again. "I know."