FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter. 12

"Hmmm."

Mordecai looked down at Charla mainly at the back of her head. "How are you feeling by the way?"

She turned to look at him. "I told you I was okay; I mean it's been a week already."

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "What I meant to say or ask, if you were thirsty, you probably are after running so much. There's a convince store close by."

"Oh..." that's what he meant. I really need to get used to the concept of people that worry other than my father. "Sure, I guess lead the way." And then began to follow him. this isn't the city, but... Charla eyed his back with a slight wary stare. Why do I feel like I know him from somewhere? If only I could, maybe I can't because of the accident? But he isn't saying anything so maybe I'm wrong...

The walk to the ocean side connivance store wasn't all that long, but on the way they did pass a number of people that spoke openly to Mordecai, most of them seemed to be elderly asking how the new school year was treating him and how his older brother was with his new job as a detective.

Charla would back away slightly and look at her surroundings of the town but also listen in to the conversation. When the old women were gone on their way Charla and Mordecai continued on when he said.

"You don't have to walk away from us you know; you're more than welcome to join the conversation."

"I figured you'd want some kind of privacy."

"And yet you were still close enough to hear everything that we were saying." She looked at him with slight surprise in which he added. "My brother and I do the same thing sometimes, he told me about it since he came back from the city been doing it ever since."

"You don't think it's rude?" she said with a questioning stare.

"There are tons of people on the planet that would find anything rude; some people are just over sensitive. Besides, here in a town like this people will talk about everything, to everyone regardless of what it might be." he turned to look at her. "Like you for example."

She frowned. "Me?"

"Yes, you're the Liebert's granddaughter, a lot of those in this town are wondering about you and what your like."

"What I'm like, good question." Mordecai looked at her as she put her hands in her jacket pockets. "I honestly don't even know myself now. What I'm like, who I'm supposed to be like, or how I should act. Things like that just elude me now." She offered him a slight warry smile. "But that might just be the head trauma talking."

"I guess, though I'm not sure what I really want to do either. Some have it all laid out, but I know I have options, like my photography, painting or music, but I enjoy the first and second one now much more then I had the third."

"Why?"

He stopped to stare at her, something about the look in those golden eyes made her think that she really did know him from somewhere. "Because I lost my only rival..."

Lost his rival? "In what way?"

He paused for a moment before speaking. "He died. After his death and the like I saw no point in continuing on even though it was something my parents wanted I rebelled against it. He gave me the challenge I needed, that's what I always felt I needed and he gave it to me."

"Were you and him friends or just enemies?"

He gave a short laugh. "I wouldn't call us enemies; we were friends in a sense since we were both doing music for our own personal reasons. He would never tell me what it was but I could guess as to what. And in truth I thought of him better for it. But when he died, I no longer had interest; I guess because of that it opened up my mind to that of the camera and art. I do still play though from time to time so feel free to ask me to play something for you I can."