Taylor woke up feeling like someone had taped anchors to her limbs.
It took a few tries to extract herself from the inviting warmth of her covers. Of course, the reward for her success turned out to be a blast of sunlight straight to her eyes. Taylor groaned, trying to shield her face from the harsh morning rays.
"Should have remembered to close the blinds." She grumbled.
After a few minutes spent freshening up, Taylor stumbled down the stairs to the familiar scent of breakfast.
"Morning, Taylor." Her dad yawned as she practically sleepwalked into the kitchen, just as tired as she herself felt. "You hungry?"
"Famished." Taylor took a seat, trying to wipe the sleepiness from her eyes. Her dad set a plate of eggs, bacon and toast down in front of her. This kind of breakfast wasn't one he often had the time to prepare, so she was prepared to savor every bite.
Taylor's nose picked up an unfamiliar scent. It was certainly food, but one far removed from what she would consider breakfast fare.
"Did you make something else, Dad?" She asked, cutting into her bacon.
"I made lunch and dinner ahead of time." He replied, sitting down with his own plate on the opposite side of the table. "I need to head to the office today and I don't know when I'll be getting back. It's all in the fridge."
"You need to work? On a Sunday?" Taylor frowned.
Her dad grinned. "It's more of a voluntary thing, but this could be huge. Apparently, there's a big contract on the table if we play our cards right, so it's all hands on deck right now."
Taylor couldn't help but smile at his obvious excitement. "That's great. Hope everything goes well."
"Don't worry about us, kiddo. We've got this in the bag." He started to dig into his breakfast. "I made meatloaf since we haven't had it in a while. Just hope I didn't mess up the recipe."
"Dad…what time did you wake up today?" Taylor asked, looking at the clock on the wall. It must have been much earlier than she had gotten out of bed.
He shrugged. "I couldn't get much sleep last night." He admitted, taking a bite of a fried egg. "Was feeling a bit nervous about the negotiation. So, I figured I'd channel that energy into something productive." He yawned again. Looking closer, Taylor could make out bags under his eyes.
"Dad, you don't need to run yourself ragged like that. We could've ordered a pizza or something."
"We can't rely on pizza for everything, Taylor, as much as I'd wish otherwise." Her dad chuckled. "Besides, it's my responsibility to make sure you're eating well. I won't compromise on that."
Taylor managed a weak smile. It wasn't like she wasn't grateful, but it hurt to see him look so exhausted. She resolved to pick up some of the chores around the house before he got back.
"Anyways," Her dad was quick to change the subject. "Were you planning on going out today?" Her dad looked out the window, where a bright, cloudless morning greeted them.
Taylor shifted in her seat. "I haven't decided yet." She said, poking at one of her eggs.
"Taylor, you can't just stay in your room all day. Why don't you message some of your friends and see if they want to meet up?"
Taylor did her best to keep her face level. The notion of her having friends had been thoroughly curtailed by Emma and her cronies at Winslow. It'd be more accurate to say she had a lot of enemies. Of course, there was no way Taylor was going to tell him that she was a social pariah at school, even if her heart ached with guilt for lying.
What about Lisa? Isn't she your friend?
Taylor bit her lip. The subject of Lisa was a puzzling one. It's strange how one person can cause so much upheaval in her life in just two days. Lisa seemed like a good person, and Taylor did enjoy speaking with her once it became clear the girl had no bad intentions, but she couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy. The promise of friendship had almost felt too good to be true, like it was an offer tailor-made for Taylor to accept.
She had planned on calling the blonde-haired girl yesterday, but the fatigue from her late-night excursion had left her feeling practically dead that day. Of course, today wasn't much better, but she didn't have much of an excuse anymore.
"I'll give them a call. See if they're free." She finally said. Of course, that was assuming Lisa did want to be her friend and wasn't just being polite.
"Stay safe, alright? You have your pepper spray?"
"It's in my jacket upstairs."
"Good." He picked up his plate and walked over to the sink before setting it down. "I'll see you when I get back, all right?" He gave her a kiss on the forehead before heading out the front door.
Taylor watched him leave. As the sound of the car engine began to run, Taylor picked at her food a bit. For some reason, she wasn't feeling very hungry anymore.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Thankful for the distraction, Taylor went to open the door and was met with a pair of seafoam-green eyes.
"Lisa?" Taylor didn't quite shout, but her voice did ring rather loudly. "What're you doing here?"
The blonde-haired girl grinned, "What?" She replied. "Can't I visit a friend?"
She was dressed casually, but even with that caveat, Taylor couldn't help but be a bit envious at how well she pulled it off. Fashionable, but not in a way that screamed for attention. By contrast, Taylor felt rather drab in her hoodie and jeans. They were her go-to outdoor clothes – which she now realized she hadn't changed into yet.
Her pajamas weren't exactly scandalous, but that didn't stop Taylor fighting the urge to hide away from Lisa's view, leaving her shuffling awkwardly in place as the blonde's face turned rather amused.
"Um. Do you want to hang out today?" Taylor's voice cracked as she spoke, ruining her attempt at a poker face.
After Taylor had gotten changed, Lisa insisted on coffee.
"I'm just saying." Lisa said, as they waited in line at one of the local cafes on the Boardwalk. The appearance was standard for the Boardwalk, with a fancy, boutique atmosphere. It was also relatively popular, judging by the line of customers in front of them waiting to order. "I'm surprised you haven't turned to coffee yourself. It's practically a ritual for me."
Taylor shrugged.
"It never appealed to me." She said, tugging at one of the strings of her hoodie. "Tea also has caffeine in it, and it doesn't give me the jitters like coffee does."
"Well, you haven't tried this place yet. Maybe we'll turn you into a coffee lover yet." When they got to the front of the line, Lisa ordered and paid for two cups of iced coffee, ignoring Taylor's protests.
"It's just coffee, Taylor. I'm not breaking the bank here."
"You didn't have to pay for mine. I'm not broke, you know."
"I'm not going to make you pay for something you don't like." Lisa accepted the drinks from the barista, handing one to Taylor. "Just give it a shot. See what you think."
Taylor took the cup. Despite her earlier apprehension, the aroma did seem rather pleasant. She gave a hesitant sip.
An intense, bitter taste flooded Taylor's mouth, and she couldn't help but grimace. The coffee was sharp and heavy, with a flavor that could have been adjacent to tea if it hadn't come at her like a punch to the gut. It was like comparing roiling ocean waves to a gentle river stream.
"Not a fan, I see." Lisa noted, as they walked out of the café. The crisp sea breeze was a refreshing relief to the sweltering heat from the sun. The weather recently had been rather all over the place, even as days passed well into September.
"It's a bit strong."
"Yeah, that place is known for its strong roasts." Lisa took a drink from her own cup, seemingly unbothered by the bitter flavor that was currently choking Taylor's taste buds. "Apparently, it's meant to enhance the flavor of the beans. Honestly, for fifteen dollars, that's the least they could do."
Taylor eyed the blonde-haired girl. "Fifteen dollars for two cups of coffee seems pretty expensive."
"Fifteen dollars each."
Taylor nearly dropped her cup. "Really? Was it distilled from gold?"
"You'd think, right? Not quite worth it, but hey, coffee's coffee." Lisa said. Taylor couldn't help but note a mischievous undertone to Lisa's words. Clearly, she was taking joy in Taylor's reaction.
"Why did you even buy it?" Taylor asked. "Are you rich or something?"
Lisa wagged her finger. "Oh, Taylor. Don't you know that being rich and making poor financial decisions don't always go hand in hand?"
That wasn't a yes or no. Taylor had no idea what to make of that, so instead she took another sip of her coffee.
Lisa watched with amusement as Taylor made another face. "You know, it's kind of a waste to drink the coffee if you're not going to enjoy it." She said.
"You paid for it. I'm drinking it." Taylor stubbornly took another sip.
"I meant it's a waste for me." Lisa made exaggerated grabbing motions at the cup in Taylor's hand. "That's liquid gold right there. If you're not going to appreciate it, gimme!"
"But I already drank from that cup!" Taylor flailed her arms as Lisa lunged for her.
"Don't care~"
"Lisa!"
Taylor nearly fell over as she fought to keep her beverage out of Lisa's reach, all while batting the other girls' hands away. So caught up in this, Taylor didn't realize that their antics were drawing eyes over until a couple of bystanders began to laugh. Taylor nearly froze, her face turning red, before she grabbed Lisa's hand and dragged her away from their impromptu audience.
Once they were a bit aways, Taylor thrust the coffee into Lisa's hands, her face rather heated. "Here. Take it." At this point, the coffee was more trouble than the fifteen dollars it was apparently worth.
Lisa grinned, taking a sip of her newly acquired coffee. "Ah, tastes like victory."
"You're impossible."
"It's part of my charm." Lisa gave Taylor a conciliatory pat on the shoulder before her eyes focused on something. Taylor followed her gaze, spotting a bookstore sitting at the end of the Boardwalk. It was a cozy little two-story building. Compared to the rest of the boutique shops on the Boardwalk, it was rather humble, but there was a nostalgic charm to it.
"Wanna check it out?"
Taylor nodded.
A little bell chimed as they walked in. The inside was just as cozy as the building's exterior suggested. Row upon row of books lined the walls. Cardboard boxes occupied much of the floor, leaving the space cramped and uneven. There was only one employee busy organizing some of the shelves, but he gave them a wave as they walked in before going back to his work.
Lisa waved back, while Taylor was preoccupied with mentally cataloging the sheer amount of knowledge crammed into a single, tiny room.
"Do you read a lot, Lisa?" She asked, a bit absentmindedly.
"Not as much as I suspect you do."
Was it that obvious? Taylor took a swift peek at the clothes she was wearing and decided not to answer that question.
"Come on. Let's look around." Lisa began to wade her way into the bookstore. Taylor followed, careful not to knock over any of the stacks of books sitting on the floor. As she did, Taylor felt a pang of regret that she didn't bring more money with her.
I'll have to keep my spending light today.
Lisa had to admit that hanging out at the bookstore was a lot more fun than she'd first anticipated. She'd pointed the place out for Taylor based on what her power told her, but even then, there was a good deal of entertainment to be had.
Though the fun she was experiencing right now was only tangentially connected to reading.
"Maybe we should get a wheelbarrow."
Lisa couldn't help but giggle as Taylor glared at her. She had only been partially joking. A wheelbarrow would be apt given the enormous stack of books she'd assembled in a corner of the store.
It'd made some sense in the beginning. Not wanting to overspend, Taylor had opted to organize the books she was interested in into a 'Maybe' pile and a 'Definitely must purchase' pile. Apparently, the girl's appetite for reading was more voracious than they'd both thought. The result was Taylor combing through her potential purchases with the eye of an analyst and Lisa basking in the unfolding chaos.
"What about this one?" Lisa lifted a random book off the table and flipped through a couple pages. "It looks pretty interesting."
"Stop that." Taylor said.
"Stop what?"
"Stop adding more books to my pile. I'm already having enough trouble deciding as it is."
It certainly was a big pile of books. Part of Lisa wanted to ask how Taylor had managed to stack them so high. Though, knowing Taylor, she'd probably accounted for that when she'd started.
"Also," Taylor continued to speak. "Please stop spoiling things for me."
Lisa gave her friend an innocent look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Taylor held up two hardbound books that Lisa recognized. "I don't think it's store policy to have sticky notes detailing major plot twists on the front of books, Lisa."
"Why would you think I did it?"
"We're the only two customers here, and I'm pretty sure the cashier doesn't hate me that much."
Well, he certainly won't be happy when he sees how much restocking he'll need to do once they leave, but she wasn't going to tell Taylor that. Regardless, Lisa did her best to look nonchalant.
"Just think of it as me narrowing the number of books you'll have to choose from."
Taylor buried her face in her arms. Lisa fought the urge to snicker. Teasing the poor girl was just too much fun.
Of course, at this point Lisa's curiosity got the better of her, and she gave Taylor a little poke with her power.
Feels anxious. Unable to decide on purchase. Insecure about her relative poverty compared to others. Compares herself unfavorably to others. Compares herself to a specific individual.
Lisa's smile dropped off her face. Had she taken things too far?
Refuses to accept charity. Will feel guilty accepting gifts when it's perceived as unearned.
"Hey." Lisa strode over to Taylor and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take things a step at a time."
Taylor looked over at her. "What do you mean?"
Lisa took one of the books in Taylor's pile and held it up to her face. "What do you like about this one?" She asked.
"What are you going on about?"
"I want to know. Why did you put it in the pile? Why is it in the 'Maybe' pile? What's keeping it from being a must-pick?"
Taylor eyed Lisa like she was searching for something that would give the game away. Lisa couldn't help but compare her to a frightened doe. Hesitant. Untrusting. An unshakeable feeling that every kind gesture was meant to obscure the pain lurking beneath. She's seen it before, in both Taylor and herself.
Which meant she knew how to get a handle on it.
"Leave everything on the table. Keep yourself open, honest, and inviting. Offer but don't push, let her come to you. No tricks. No mockery. Not here. Not ever."
Slowly, Taylor began to relax.
"It's a classic." She admitted. "I read it when I was a kid. I guess I was feeling nostalgic."
"You've read it before?" Lisa asked. "Why buy it again then?"
"…My old copy was damaged."
Part of Lisa was tempted to ask further, but she clamped down on that instinct. "Offer, but don't push. She'll tell you when she's ready. When she wants to."
"Sounds like a good reason as any." Lisa placed the book on one of the few empty tables before picking up another one. "What about this one?"
"One of the librarians recommended it. Apparently, it's popular with people our age. She said it had an interesting perspective on some new trends, so I…"
Before long, Taylor's voice lost some of its' hesitancy, becoming less guarded. Lisa couldn't help but note the way Taylor's voice seemed to change when she let go of her reservations and began to speak with confidence. There was a magnetic quality to it, a boldness. She was like a battlefield tactician laying out an innovative new strategy.
As she listened to her speak, Lisa found herself leaning closer like a moth to a flame.
"Please, Taylor. Tell me more. Tell me everything about you."
For Lisa, curiosity was a powerful thing, easily satisfied at the drop of a hat. For once, she let her power rest.
After a couple of hours, the two of them walked out of the bookstore with lighter wallets but satisfied expressions. Taylor had a couple of bags in her arms while Lisa held a package wrapped in brown paper and string. Taylor had bought it for her as a gift. Apparently, the contents were a secret until later, though it was obvious it was a book of some kind. Lisa did her best not to squeal at the way Taylor had shyly handed it over.
Taylor's voice piped up. "Thanks. I had a great time. Honestly, I was a bit worried…"
Worried that you were just being polite. Worried that you didn't want to be her friend.
"I had a great time, too. Hadn't had this much fun in a long time." Lisa savored the way Taylor perked up at that statement. Just for that, she'll be happy to say it again and again.
Taylor's eyes glanced towards the horizon, where the sun was beginning to dip from its peak. "I should get going. I don't know when my dad's getting back, and I need to get some chores done." Her gaze flickered from Lisa's face to the clock, conflicted.
Lisa made the decision for her. "You should get going then. I'll see you around?"
Taylor gave a hesitant nod. "Definitely."
Lisa waved as Taylor walked away. Her hand clutched the package. The anticipation was killing her, but Lisa kept her wits about her. All good things come to those who wait, after all.
Of course, her phone had to ring at this point, and shatter her good mood. There was only one person who'd call her, and the ringing was enough to make her blood run cold.
Lisa answered the call, her hand gave a slight tremble as she did so.
"Miss Wilbourn. I require your services."
"…What do you want?"
The voice – Coil , chuckled. It sounded genuine, but she knew better by now. "I'm a bit hurt, Miss Wilbourn. Didn't I grant you my assistance with securing a place of residence? I understand we met in…less than ideal circumstances but mutual cooperation stands to benefit us both, don't you think. The hostility is unwarranted."
Lisa knew how this worked. Her power had kept her well informed of Coil's modus operandi, but it was obvious even without it. Coil may give out honeyed words and rewards easily, but she'll never forget the fact that there was a barrel pressed against her head.
Talking with Coil was like navigating a jungle filled with razor wire. There's never a point when you are sure you're safe, and you'll never know where or when you'll get cut. And Lisa's been cut more times than she could count.
Lisa's eyes made a discreet scan of her surroundings. Nothing stood out, but she's been wrong before. She knew Coil had mercenaries on his payroll, but little else. She had no idea if he was having her watched, or when. She would have gone to the police or the PRT, but Coil made it no secret that doing so would be a bad decision on her part.
It was strange how easily her good mood could shatter to pieces. She'd been genuinely having fun with Taylor today, to the point that she'd almost been able to forget the danger she was in.
Lisa's heart sank. How much danger had she put Taylor in? Did Coil know about her?
"I'm sorry." The words dragged out of her mouth like sandpaper. "I was having a rough day. What can I do for you?"
She could practically feel his smirk on the other side of the call, as if to say, ' That's better. '
Infuriating, but Lisa held her tongue. At this point, damage control was all she could do. She'd been playing with matches, not realizing that she'd been standing inside a paper mill.
"There are some files I need you to review. I am putting together a team, and I need details on the potential candidates that have been selected. Names, occupations, locations, things like that. I believe your specialty will be of great help with this."
"That's going to take some time, depending on how many people you're thinking of."
"I can be patient, but I would advise against testing that patience, Miss Wilbourn."
Lisa swallowed. "Guess I'll get to work, then."
"I'll contact you at a later date, I hope you can provide me with some satisfactory results. Our goals are aligned, you'll do well to remember that."
The call dropped.
Lisa collapsed against a nearby park bench, the phone almost tumbled out of her hands.
She'd made a mistake. A huge mistake.
She thought of Taylor's smiling face. How happy she seemed today. An image flicked through her mind. Taylor's fearful expression as masked men held her to the ground, a gun pressed against the back of her head, with Lisa being forced to watch.
The gift she was holding felt a lot heavier now.