Hey guys! I will hopefully get back to a steady updating schedule now that I am settled into college and getting used to the workload. Please tell me what you think because I love getting feedback and I love hearing your thoughts, opinions, predictions, etc. I will hopefully be updating every Sunday and that will start with the next Sunday (not the upcoming one). Thank you to everyone that reads this, it really means a lot to me! Hope you like it.
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I didn't see Spitfire for a while after that. He was off being a hero and I was trying to deal with Penn. He apologized profusely for what happened that night, he wouldn't stop apologizing. Penn was especially horrified when he learned that I got lost. I left out the whole Spitfire thing and claimed I had simply found a bus and got off at the stop close to my house.
Penn bought it, of course he had. He would probably never forgive himself if he learned Spitfire had to save me again because of something he did.
Everything pretty much went back to normal, except that I got an internship with The Advocate. It is the biggest newspaper in Belhurst, and they only take on one intern each year.
This year, I am that intern.
I will be working directly with the Photo Editor, which was an honor in itself. Trevor Matthews is a three time Pulitzer winner, the most famous photo of his being the death of Rapid Remix. Somehow, he had captured the moment so beautifully, so artistically that he made the moron look like he died a hero instead of a stupid asshole.
Trevor Matthews is that good.
"Hey! Wallflower!" Murphy's voice cut through the air.
I didn't need to turn around to know he was smirking. Our...interactions had somehow become normal again. We fought just as much as ever, I called him Murphy and he called me Wallflower and whatever weirdness that had been present during our drive together had dissipated.
The locker door slammed a lot harder than I had meant for it to. Murphy just had that effect on me.
"What do you want Murphy?" He just stood against the lockers with that stupid smirk on his face. "Come on. I haven't got all day."
"What big plans could you have little Wallflower?"
I swear, one of these days. One of these days if he doesn't wipe that stupid grin off his face I am going to let all this pent up frustration out on him and he is never going to smirk again.
"I'm not little." I managed to grit out. Seeing the kick he got out of getting a rise out of me, I calmed down a bit. "I have work today."
Murphy rolled his eyes. "You're an intern."
"At the biggest paper in the area." I pointed out.
"You don't get paid anything."
"I get paid in experience."
"What experience?"
"I get to see firsthand how a major media empire operates."
"You're like seventeen, what could they really have you doing?"
"I'm eighteen." I bit out, so ready to take off his head, "and I do lots of things."
"Like what." He challenged me.
Murphy took a step back and watched me. I hated that grin on his face. That is right people, the once small smirk had been overtaken by a huge grin that told me he knew he had already won the argument.
"I...I got coffees dammit." He let out a little giggle. "Shut up, it's more than you're doing."
"Whatever you say Wallflower."
Murphy turned his back on me and started towards the doors. I took the distraction as my chance to finish packing my things. Penn and I were meeting at the football fields so I could bum a ride from him to The Advocate. One of the perks of having a friend with a car indebted to you.
I had the last binder almost in when I heard Murphy ask, "Are you coming?"
My head shot up. "What?"
He bit the right side of his lip. "I said, 'Are you coming?'"
"Where?" I asked perplexed, until it hit me.
No. Not again.
I scooped my backpack up and strode over to where he was leaning. Despite the substantial height distance, I looked up at him as ferociously as I could and asked, "Penn asked you to give me a ride, didn't he?"
"Bullseye."
Of course the one day I need Penn to take me to the city he sends Murphy instead. It seems like I'm having terrific luck theses days.
The walk to the car went by way too fast. Before I could blink, we were pulling out of the parking lot and on our way to the city.
The question just popped into my head and I couldn't seem to curb my curiosity. "Why do you agree?"
"Agree to what?" Murphy asked his eyes trained on the road.
If there was one thing about riding with Murphy that made all of it tolerable, beside being in the nicest car I had ever seen, it was the fact Murphy was an impeccable driver. He didn't drive too fast or too slow, he always stopped in time for the stoplight and he was relentless about everyone wearing their seatbelts.
"Agree to chauffer me around, and don't say it's because you are friends with Penn because I know there has to be more than that."
Murphy was silent for a few moments, his eyes trained on the road. Eventually they looked over at me and he gave me a rare, gentle smile. "I like to think of you as my friend too. Sure we have our ups and downs, but I've known you my whole life; I've known you longer than even Penn. You're not exactly the most unpleasant person to chauffeur around, you don't stick your smelly feet on my dashboard like Penn."
"You also seem to be the only person not charmed by me." He observed, not taking his eyes off the road.
"Is that a good or bad thing?" I inquired.
Murphy and I have never really talked like this. It was strange to see anything but that smirk on his face. And the way he spoke, he had never spoken to me before like this.
I was starting to like it.
"I haven't decided yet." He flashed a genuine smile in my direction. "Plus, I owe you some of my best memories."
"Like what?"
Murphy paused for a moment and got a strange look on his face. If I didn't know any better, I may have thought he looked a bit troubled. The expression was fleeting however, it was replaced by that gentle smile and a crinkle in his eyes.
"Do you remember when you challenged me to a dance off?"
His question shocked me stupid with silence. "Why in the hell would I challenge you to a dance off. I cannot dance for my life."
"That's completely untrue but we can get to that later..."
~~~~Flashback~~~~~
Today is not a good day.
I was in Ms. Kim's class when I heard all of the kids talking about it. According to Hannah Rogers, Penn and that stupid, icky-faced, snot-eater are now best friends. That can't be true because Penn is my bestest friend in the whole wide world and I hate that sandy pants.
Hannah wouldn't shut up about it. She said that Penn gave that butt face one of his oreos during snack time, the very oreo he always saves for me on our ride home. My mommy drops us off in the morning and his mommy brings us home after second grade ends. They say it's very... I can't remember the word.
It would be a very bad thing if they became best friends.
One, if Penn and that noodle nose are friends then my mommy will force me to be friends with him and play with them.
Ew.
Two, Penn is my bestest friend in the whole universe to infinity so there is no way I'm letting that red crayon thief steal him too.
So, while we were outside during recess I decided I had to make my move. He was known as one of the best dancers in the second grade. I realized during Math that the only way to get my best friend back was to challenge him to a dance battle in true knight fashion to retrieve the best friendship of my best friend, Penn.
Daddy started reading me Don Quixote.
"You want to what?"
He is so stupid.
"I, Nova Reiner, challenge you, Red Crayon Thief, to a dance battle. The winner gets to be Penn's bestest friend in the eternity." I sounded super positive I was going to win but slowly, I remembered I can't dance.
"Okay." He nodded his stupid head and we walked over to the blacktop.
All of the kids on the playground, even the fourth graders, crowded around so they could watch us. One of the coolest fourth graders was made the judge and he flipped a coin to see who was going to go first. He won.
He started to dance, without music, and I saw that I was going to lose. There is a reason he is the best dancer in the second grade. Everyone around us was cheering his name as we finish with the worm. He can do the worm. How can I beat that?
I gave it my hardest. Mommy put me into dance class so I would dance better. It didn't really help but, I still remembered some of the moves. Everyone was really quiet as I danced so I had no idea if it was going well.
Everyone was staring at me when I stopped. The fourth grade judge just looked at me but, before he could say anything, Murphy smiled and said, "You win. How can I compete with that?"
I won? I won!
Penn smiled at me with his toothy smile, he was only missing one of his front tooths. We did our super secret handshake and then ran over to play on the playground.
~~~~~Flashback Over~~~~
"Oh, I remember now." I got a smug smile on my face. "I beat you, right?"
Murphy just laughed. "You still can't dance, can you?"
I smacked him in the shoulder. No matter what he says, he gave up and I beat him. I don't know why I don't hold it over his head to this day. Then again, I don't know why he gave up in the first place. He clearly beat me with his dance, how can you beat the worm?
"Shut up, will you? I can dance a little." I immediately groaned, "The Mayor's Ball is coming up, isn't it?"
That stupid smirk was back. "It's tomorrow Wallflower."
"Shit, I'm going to need to get a dress after work. Is Penn going to be picking me up or do I need to take the bus?"
"Penn will be here at a prompt eight." Murphy pulled over to the side of the street.
"Alright," I groaned again "tell him to make it nine-thirty; I have to buy a damned dress for the City Ball. Mom yelled at me the last year for going in all black"
"So you're going?" Penn asked.
"Yeah, I go every year."
I looked out my window and was met with the daunting sight of the skyscraper that housed The Advocate. Cecil, the building's doorman, stood rigid at the glass revolving door as he checked each person that passed. He only moved to check the id badges of everyone entering the building.
I gathered my things, doubling checking my makeup and that I did in fact have my id badge.
Hesitating for a moment, I slid out of the car. "Thanks for the ride Murphy."
"No problem Wallflower." I shut the door tight, and Murphy pulled out of the spot and disappeared among the traffic.
Cecil looked incredibly intimidating and I was incredibly nervous. I took a deep breath anyway and, trying to push any vestige of fear away, strode confidently over to the front door. Maybe if I act confident, that faux confidence will rub off and all my nervousness will dissipate.
"First elevator on the right." Cecil said in a gruff, monotone voice that did nothing to calm my shaking hands.
"Th-thanks." I said, stuttering ever so slightly.
"Don't be nervous kid." Cecil shook his head and sighed. "Whatever you're here for, I'm sure you'll be just fine. Take a few deep breaths and don't let your nerves get you."
That may have helped a lot however.