Chapter 5 - Sunset Wilds
Author's Note: I apologize to all of my followers for the lack of updates/activity in general. I had a family tragedy occur in the past few weeks, and it's been a bit difficult to get any writing done. However, I'm trying to get back to my old self and try to escape into some Climon. This chapter will start the weekly updates. I own nothing, save for Dahlia and Amanda.
"Amanda Swan, huh?" Dahlia asked both Simon and I, all of us on our way back to the dorm. My mom and Luke ended up leaving, having a six hour drive ahead of them, though they were more than likely going to stop in the middle of Pennsylvania for the night before heading the rest of the way back to Manhattan tomorrow.
"Is it bad that we were talking to her?" I asked her in return, giving her a sideways smile.
"No." She answered me quickly. "But, I'm your roommate, which means I get first dibs as far as hanging out and getting to know you. It's the rule of college."
"What does that make me, then?!" Simon spoke up, looking playfully outraged at her.
I watched her as she thought, probably coming up with an answer that would be meant to hit home over anything else. "You're the high school friend. You're going to be important now, but as time goes on, she'll forget about you and your existence entirely until you end up alone and die a virgin."
I was laughing so hard I snorted by the end of that, and Simon just nudged me in retribution. "Spitfire would never let that happen to me, would - oof!"
Now it was Dahlia's turn to laugh as I thwapped Simon in the stomach, pitching him forward a bit. "Oh god, did I hit you too hard?" I asked him, though I couldn't help but laugh myself, grinning a bit as he joined in with a few chuckles, however weak they were. "I'm sorry! It's been awhile since I beaned you in the stomach! I kinda forgot how hard I could and couldn't do it."
Giving off a cough, he grinned at me weakly. "It's fine." He told me, sounding honest about it. "Payback for making you scream your head off in the cafe, right?"
Pondering that for a moment, I gave him a nod. "We're even." I held out a hand, which he gladly shook before standing up to his full height.
Dahlia just watched this exchange with amusement and a grin that I couldn't place. "What?"
"Oh, nothing!" She answered quickly, a bit too quickly for my tastes. "Just, you know, admiring the great friends from high school, that's all. So, you guys have really known each other since you were five?"
I gave her a simple nod, while Simon answered her verbally. "Yeah, I know pretty much everything about her, just like she knows pretty much everything about me."
She gave him an arch look, as I turned to him and did the same. The expression on his face told me that we were making close to, if not the same, expression...especially when we both asked, "Pretty much?" at the exact same time. The result caused us to burst into laughter, like we were old friends.
"Well, that couldn't have been any better even if you planned it..." I heard Simon say, laughing a bit himself. I tried to calm myself down enough to the point where I could tell him that he hadn't answered our question in all seriousness, but it was proving difficult. I hadn't really had a girlfriend I could laugh like this with in...well, ever. It was new, and I was enjoying it.
"Really, though. Just pretty much?" I heard Dahlia say, having managed to calm herself down enough to ask him in a serious voice, even though I had a case of the giggles that was causing Simon to not take his eyes off me. "If you know her so well, tell me five things about her that I'll come to know just by living with her."
"Well, I could tell you more than five..." He tried to hedge, only to bend like a reed to avoid the playful swat I sent his way.
"Continue." Dahlia told him, watching the both of us with barely-disguised interest.
"She's not a morning person." Simon started off his list, with a grin, because he was watching me and my every move...which was setting alarm bells off in my head. It could only mean that he was going to play the embarrassment game and try to make every thing he listed more embarrassing than the last
"None of us are." Dahlia informed him dryly, folding her arms across her chest.
"She likes to raid a fridge or make midnight trips to get food, because she eats like a sumo wrestler despite her size." His grin was still in place, and if I had something to throw at him, I would.
Even Dahlia had a grin on now. "I'd actually like to see that. Note to self, invest in a mini fridge. Bonus question: what are her go-to midnight snacks?"
"Chips. Onion rings, both bagged and battered. She can eat her way through a sub from Subway easily." Simon supplied for her. "Oh, and leftover Chinese food."
My roommate and my best friend were ganging up on me! What the hell?! "I have dinner tonight, then!"
"I'm going to murder you both in your sleep!" I proclaimed at them both.
They were unfazed by this entirely. "She likes her hot chocolate with two shots of french vanilla creamer and three marshmallows in it."
"Apparently, she also like to keep the dentist in business..." Dahlia muttered under her breath, giving Simon her full attention, whose grin had changed into a smile.
"If you like horror movies, make sure you've got a pillow around that's big enough for her to hide behind, because there are times she likes to think she's tough and watch them, when, really, she hides behind me or a pillow for nearly the entire movie." Simon's smile was still in place, his eyes never leaving mine...mainly because of my gobsmacked expression. Dimly, I heard Dahlia snickering next to me.
"And make sure you have her stay away from tight spaces. You'll be surprised what she can fit into."
Simon's expression immediately clouded over as he took in the speaker of the accented voice from behind me. And whatever emotions I was feeling from Simon answering Dahlia's inquiry (the want to smack him, the want to hug him for knowing me so well and just being here) was squashed by the asshole I know was standing behind me.
"What the HELL do you want?" Dahlia's voice was a snap, and if looks could kill, then I have a feeling Jace and his designer jeans would be laid out on the sidewalk. And I hadn't even braved a look at him yet.
"Just contributing. Since you were asking about the Cowgirl, I thought I'd contribute." I winced at the memories that name invoked, an involuntary shudder working it's way up my spine. It'd been a name, more than a name, really; that I'd had bestowed upon me by Jace from my sophomore year of high school. Simon knew the extent of it, but not the whole story.
But, he knew enough for the livid expression to make it's way onto his face. "Don't you call her that around me."
"Or, you'll what? Zap me to death with your nerd powers?" Jace's voice was full of contempt, as if Simon couldn't really take him down if he wanted. Which, really, I didn't think he could. I finally turned around, and faced him, though it took all the effort I had.
"He might." Dahlia spoke up, stepping next to me and placing hand on my shoulder. "But, I'm not above landing a shot between your legs. trust me, with the way you've been treating her, I might relish it."
"You can count me in on that, too." The voice surprised all of us, as Amanda made her way over, still in her work uniform, a messenger bag slung over one shoulder. "And I don't even know who the hell you are, but I can tell that I'd stand with these guys over you any day."
"Oh look, Fray has a friend that's about her height. Glad to see she's hanging around people her own size." Jace was unfazed by Amanda's word, or even Dahlia's threat.
"And since I'm shorter, so's my fuse for dealing with pretty boy assholes like you." Amanda retorted just as quickly, not stepping down from Jace at all. "Given that I had a very bad day at work, and now I see you accosting a group of new friends I've made, my patience is very low. I suggest you leave before I take this..." She gestured to the bag hanging off her right side. "...very heavy messenger bag and see how good it works as a weapon."
His blue eyes looked all of us up and down. "Glad to see you've made friends, Fray. It makes for a fun time, rather than just having you take everything. Keeps it interesting, you know?" With a smirk, he turned his back, walking away at an unhurried pace. Despite any and all threats, no one made a move to follow him, though the collective expression on our faces was that we got a whiff of something unpleasant.
"Who does he think he is?" Aside from a pretty boy asswipe, I mean." Amanda snarked, before turning to me, a smile on her face as she looked us all over, starting with Simon. "You alright?"
"We're fine." Dahlia answered for us, left arm arm around my waist since Simon's right one found a home across my shoulders.
"And he thinks he's still in high school, the king of the place, and this one..." Simon's arm gave me a squeeze, making me smile. "...is his whipping girl."
"I can't wait for him to get a reality check..." Amanda muttered, shaking her head as she scrubbing a hand across her face.
"I can't wait until I get to kick him in the nuts." Dahlia retorted, her tone of voice sounding dead serious, like she was waiting for Jace to push her so far that she actually couldn't hold herself back from kicking him between his legs.
"Enough talk about him." Simon said to them both, effectively ending the conversation. He gave Amanda a jovial grin. "We were actually gonna head out to dinner...or at least made plans to. Wanna join us if we do?"
The shortest of our group gave him a smile, her green eyes lighting up a bit. "Sure. I'd love to."