Welcome to the Land of the Crazy

Chapter Nine - "Honestly, Rube, where do you meet these guys?"

Hello there, lads and ladies. Well, this chapter is different. More thinking than the usual Cal and Noah banter. I’m just in a sombre mood today, and I WANT TO BARE EMOTIONS PEOPLE! Next chapter they’ll be back to their normal, witty selves who don’t bring jumpers with them, eat cake and shoot people. =D

Chapter Nine – “Honestly, Rube, where do you meet these guys?”

Cal’s Point of View:

I’m a jerk. I only just realized what a twat I am. I’m an idiot. I should be pelted with tomatoes for being the knob that I am. I mean, first of all I kill someone because I feel attracted to them.

What the hell is WRONG with me?!

And then I feel the same about my childhood best friend who my parents kind of adopted. Who lied about her identity? Who is a government agent? Who is Orson’s sister? Geez, I’m a man-whore. This is like a bad soap opera that only gets aired on television at four in the morning, and in a bad way.

Michael pulled over into an overgrown ditch roughly, his eyes wide with pure, undiluted terror. The look that Noah gave me, the look that Ruby gave me. The car made a scratching noise as it ran over something and shuddered to a stop. Michael just stared at me as I broke down in the backseat of my own car. He didn’t understand what I felt like.

“Cal, it’s going to be okay, I promise.” He muttered, clambering into the back of the car to sit beside me. He landed with a huff on the leather seat, and for once I didn’t yell at him for spoofing up the seat beside it.

“Mike, I’m a murderer, how the hell will everything be okay?!” I tentatively asked. Mike always had the answers, he was the smart one. I was the rash one. We all knew that. And he didn’t shun someone away for what they were; he still kept in contact with Lorraine. What was with us and anything female and Delacruz?

“Cal, you’re going to go and apologize to Ruby, honestly. And then you’re going to suck up so badly it’ll make her sick. Then you’re going to make her pancakes and buy her shoes. Then you might be forgiven. Maybe.” Mike commanded, his tone light, like he knew something I didn’t. He probably did too. Mike noticed things, what made people tick, their vices, virtues, motives.

“Mike, what’s it like to have someone love you?” I probed unsurely.

Mike sighed through his nose sadly, “It’s the best thing ever. Better than a swimming pool full of that chocolate sauce you drink straight from the bottle. You’re lucky Noah didn’t see you doing that, she would have started doing it too and drank all your sauce.” I wanted to slap Mike for bringing Noah up again. And my sauce, my precious sauce.

“What if she doesn’t forgive me? I like her, Mike. I’m not losing someone else.” I asked, as if Mike had all the answers.

Mike cynically arched an eyebrow at me, “Cal, you idiot, you got your words mixed up. You love Noah, not like. Dude, she would slut slap you if she was here.” Mike teased. He was uncomfortable, discussing this with me. Hell, I don’t blame him. I never talk about my feelings, not since Elisa.

We sat in silence for a minute, before I spoke again, “What about Ruby? What if the guilt never lets up, the guilt for killing someone because I felt intimidated? If I could take it back, I would.” I stammered slightly, even though I felt close to Mike, this was still awkward for me.

“Go ask Noah. She’ll tell you what to do; girls always have this kind of intuition about that kind of thing.”

I clucked my tongue, “And how’s Lorraine? And Jack is it?”

Mike smiled softly, “They’re okay, and it’s Jake. Not Jack, he’d slut slap you for that, and so would Noah.” I paused, why would Noah slap me?