Life Lines

29: Broody and Moody

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I stood there, pretty much like an idiot, and watched as this mystery girl kissed the boy I'd been in love with for as long as I could remember. My reality and perception had just shattered and I didn't know what to do. My hands gripped my arms where they were crossed and before I could start seeing red, I averted my eyes.

Someone out there must really hate me in order to put me through all of this.

The sound of disengaging suction sounded through the room and Cecil cleared his throat. I still didn't look up, just kept my eyes focused on the dark blue carpet. The only thing that was running through my mind besides a constant chanting noise of "stupid, stupid, stupid" was Schylar's oh-so-famous words. I was holding out for stone boy and he was completely oblivious to that. How many times did I have to have it slammed into my face before I finally realized it? I felt a tugging on the inside of my left wrist and I didn't have to look in order to know it was my love line again.

I was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I'll just...um...I'll go," I muttered, definitely not leveling up to my normal amount of intelligence but there wasn't much else I could say. I would save face even if it killed me. "You two obviously..."

A soft snicker accompanied by giggling filled the room after I'd trailed off unable to come up with the right amount of words. They were laughing at me. Just great.

"Tally, what are you talking about?"

Anger washed away the shame and the feeling of stupidity. I looked up at him, completely pissed, and met his gaze. I wanted him to know that I could do this. There was nothing wrong. Calm and composed.

"I'm pretty sure if you're going to suck face with someone, you'd want some privacy."

"What are you talking about?" He walked over, leaving the girl in the doorway. When he caught sight of my death grip on my arm, he gently pried one of my hands off and squeezed it gently. "Tally, this is Sally. Sally, meet Natalie Abernathy, our newest addition."

My frown deepened and an eyebrow cocked unbidden. I looked at the girl, who was smiling at me, and then looked back at Cecil. "That's..."

"Yeah. She's a bit...overzealous sometimes. She kisses all of us like that about three times a week."

"This one sure knows what he's doing!" she exclaimed making me jump a little. "And I haven't seen him in what's felt like weeks. Cyrus! I just couldn't contain myself." She turned her gaze on me and I grimaced. "So this is Tally." She came into the room and held out a hand. A perfectly smooth, caramel hand. A hand you'd probably find in a Dawn commercial rinsing oil off ducklings. "It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you. Not too much, though," she added on after she saw me frown. "Solemn this one. He hardly ever says a word. Always has a frown on his face. He's usually broody and moody."

I looked at him and mouthed, broody and moody? All it got me was a shrug from him. Why Cecil would be broody and moody was beyond me. He'd always been happy and cheerful before the whole Sickness thing. Maybe becoming Elite changed more than your outward appearance. I turned my attention back to the girl and studied her for a second. "You're..." I shook her hand. "You're...Salmacis?"

She continued to beam at me. "The one and only. You're a smart one. Normally the newbies ask me if I'm Princess Jasmine. You wouldn't believe how many fourteen year old boys dream about her. Exotics, I guess." Her eyes darted down my form. "And you're cute too. Although, I have to say you'd look better if you were properly dressed."

"Yes, well, there was a bit of a commotion outside her room," Cecil said. "What she's wearing will be fine for now."

"Says you. You're not the one who has to wear clothes that are not your own. Boy clothes at that. I highly doubt you'd be content to wearing girl clothes. I'm sure she'd be much more comfortable in clothes her own size. You're like a mountain compared to her mole hill, Cyrus. I think it's time you come to terms with the fact that you're a beast."