Cheater [Watty Awards 2011]

Chapter Thirteen [Part One]

-ONLY A TEASER, at the moment. So, so sorry guys, but due to my massive pile of French homework, I'm not able to put up the full piece. For now, I hope you'll enjoy the latest dose of Cheater.

15-09-11: I'VE JUST UPDATED A LITTLE MORE OF CHEATER. It's still not a complete chapter, but hey, it's another piece of the puzzle. It's the start of the weekend tomorrow so expect the full update then. I'll put a star next to the updated bit!*-

16-09-11: THIS CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE SPLIT INTO THREE PARTS. Hope you enjoy them all. :)

Chapter Thirteen [TEASER]

 

“I don’t remember.”

“Oh, come on. I stopped buying that three chapters and a half ago.”  Valerie sighs, insinuating that they are in some kind of story. She feigns yawning, rolling her eyes.

“I honestly don’t.”

“Well, what’s the last thing you remember? Pick up the pieces from there.”

“I swear, I don’t-”

“It’s no fun when you don’t remember,” Valerie slips out the knife from her boot and starts to tease him, feeling every edge very delicately, “It just makes me want to kill you more.”

He gulps, tries very hard to think back. He squints his eyes and thinks...

            “A group meeting.”

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“Ok, something is definitely after us.”

“Not something,” Joe states, roughly rubbing two shaky hands all around his face, “Someone is trying to kill us.”

“Shouldn’t the police be trying to do something?” Natalie bats away tears, “Like witness protection, or some shit.”

“Exactly.” Cole has just had a light bulb moment; it’s so clear, so obvious, from the sudden twinkle in his eyes to the way his whole posture is raised.

“What are you thinking?” Natalie’s eyes light up a little. Maybe Cole will be their saviour.

“We’ll get through this. We’ve just got to be our own witness protection.”

“Good thinking.” Joe nods, exhaling with relief.

“Natalie, you’ve got Joe’s back. He’s got mine and...” He trails off.

“Look after me, Cole.” Natalie says, almost like a command.

*They sit in a field of flowers, while a bright rainbow provides a colourful background, and are so close that they can hear one another’s hearts beating,

“I love you.”

“I do too.” They embrace and begin to kiss; their lips make loud, smacking noises with all the aggression of the smooch.*

Meanwhile, in real life, staring up at the enormous screen in utter disgust, “Why would you do this?”

“Do what?” Natalie queries, reaching for some popcorn without taking her eyes off the screen.

“Bring me here!” Cole whispers, through gritted teeth, “You know that I hate these movies.”

“Hate them? You can’t hate them all.” Natalie shakes her head, still focused on the screen, “They’re not all the same.”

“Bullshit.”

“Exactly.” Joe agrees, interrupting his own smooch session with a date. He goes back to it immediately after, adding even more sound effects to those in the film.

“What are you talking about?”

“Boy meets girl, or girl meets boy, it-it doesn’t matter which way around,” Cole stammers through the sentence, “All you need to know is they fall in love,” Natalie’s eyes brighten in the darkness of the theatre, “Then something tragic happens,” Her eyes shoot down at this, “Then true love conquers all.” Cole finishes, and before she can argue back, he adds,

“Yuck.” Just for emphasis on how horrible they are to him.

"Totally." Joe agrees once more, pausing the "session" and then going straight back in. Cole wonders how he it is possible that Joe can hold his breath for so long; but then again, he's heard things about the wonder that is 'Lana Goodman's kissing'.

After a few more lines of sentimental, tear-inducing dialogue, Natalie says, “It’s not always about that. Sometimes there are sad endings.”

Frustrated still, he sighs.

“Sometimes, the boy and girl do fall in love.” Natalie looks at him for the first time since they began watching this movie, since they travelled to the theatre; for the first time since they started talking again, “Then something tragic happens. And it doesn’t get resolved.”

Cole knows it’s not a metaphor.

It’s me. It’s my fault.

 

I did this.

 

“They just... move on.” Natalie manages, her voice almost breaking. She clears her throat and forces laughter, “But I guess you’re right. Majority of these things are pretty shitty.”

“I’m right. Finally, you admit it.” Cole laughs quietly.

She hits him playfully and they start arguing over the top of one another, causing the audience to give them both a huge, simultaneous, ‘shush’, and even a few echoes of ‘shut up’ and ‘be quiet’ came from all over the dim room. Cole and Natalie both giggle like kids in trouble.

“Joe, let’s get outta here.” Cole taps the side of him, but finds he hits nothing but air.

“Joe?” Natalie, fearing the worst, feels her already fragile heart instantaneously pumps double its speed.

Where did he go?

Cole jumps out of his seat and rushes for the door, clutching onto Natalie’s wrist with a vice-like grip and tugging her onwards.

From their experiences, they didn’t have a lot of time...