Fairytale Rebels

Always the Mastermind

Dan

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and pulled it out to see I'd received a message from Pete. It said: 'Found her. Meet outside Lido Cafe, 10 minutes.'

I replied with a quick: 'Thanks, mate.' I hopped off the bench outside the school and stretched my arms above my head. I had been waiting here since school ended, while my friends searched around town for Brooklyn.

I walked up to the bus stop and checked the timetable. Luckily, the next bus into town would be here in a couple of minutes, so I wouldn't have to wait for much longer.

~•*•~•*•~•*•~•*•~

"About time you showed up," Harry grinned when I approached the four of them. They were sitting on a bench near the bus stop, drinking cans of coke.

"Yeah, yeah," I chuckled, hitting him across the shoulder. His Coke nearly flew out of his hands. "Where is she?"

"Still at the Lido," Pete shrugged, pointing at a little cafe on the corner of the street. The windows were tinted, so I couldn't see inside very easily, but I trusted Pete.

"What's she doing in there?" Harry asked curiously.

"She's just talking to some ranga guy," Pete said breezily.

Hah, I thought, some little twerp's moving in on Brooklyn? I'll snap him like a twig.

"Sounds boring," Joey yawned. "I think Dan might have to, you know, spice things up a little?" He grinned wickedly, and the other guys laughed.

"I agree," I smiled. "Well, I'll try to talk to her. If something happens and I need back up, I'll signal you. Yeah?"

My friends agreed with nods and mumbled okays. I nodded at them, then I walked into the cafe. Just like Pete had said, Brooklyn was in there, sitting across from a guy with red hair. Unfortunately, I had guessed wrong when I thought he was a 'little twerp'; he was actually reasonably fit, and he looked at least twenty. That didn't mean I couldn't take him on, though.

"Hey Brooklyn," I smiled, strolling up to her table.

The two of them looked at me differently; while the guy stared at me curiously, Brooklyn gave me a tight glare. "Daniel," she nodded. "I was wondering when you'd turn up, after Pete came in here."

"I don't know what you mean," I said innocently. "I come here all the time."

"No, you don't," the guy frowned.

"Yeah, I do," I said to him sharply. "How would you know anyway, Ginger?"

The ranga laughed, making me even more irritated. "I work here, Smart One." He raised an eyebrow, challenging me. I had to remind myself that I was here for Brooklyn, not this annoying loser.

"Oh, whatever," I said sarcastically to him, then I turned to look at Brooklyn. "Look, I'll admit, I came to talk to you. Is that really a crime?"

She looked at me carefully, then she gave a tight shrug. "I suppose not. What do you want from me now?"

Wow, there were so many things I could say in response to that. Instead, I kept my control and smoothly said, "I was just wondering if you wanted to go out with me again tonight." I put my right hand in my pocket and fiddled with her keys. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ginger look at me suspiciously, but I shrugged it off. What Brooklyn and I did was none of his business.

"Oh...well...I kind of just agreed to go to a party with Ben tonight," she said slowly.

I looked at Ginger through narrow eyes. I didn't even know this guy, but he was already getting on my nerves. "Oh, really?" I asked dramatically. "What a shame. And you wouldn't believe what I had planned."

Brooklyn kept a straight face for a few seconds, but her curiousity eventually got the better of her. "What did you have planned?"

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" I sighed.

She continued to look at me curiously, but then she shook her head and looked down at her drink. "You're right," she nodded. "It doesn't matter at all."

"Good," I said, hiding my smile. I reached into my left pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "But, could you just do me a favour?" I slid the paper across the table, watching as it stopped right in front of her. "Could you at least read this?"

She looked down at the paper cautiously. "What is it?"

"You'll see," I shrugged. "Just..." I looked down at Ginger. "...do it somewhere more private," I finished. I gave her a small nod, then I walked out of the cafe. Well, that was my part done. The rest of the plan depended on her curiousity.

I laughed under my breath. This was going to be easy.