Chapter 18 :
Talks
|
|
Would you blame me for being completely irresponsible and impossibly stupid if I said I made up a plan in my head for meeting the clingers? Well, I did. I had to clear things up. I can't just leave it like that. When I thought I'd never meet them again, Clary and I ran against them at MCs. Then I thought it was the last time and soon enough one of them tried to slice my throat out. Then I thought that was it and one of them almost raped me in that alley. What now? They'll kidnap me? Shoot an arrow in my window with a letter? Deal with a serial killer? I had no idea, and having no idea was killing me.
Of course, I wasn't that irresponsible and stupid to go on my own. I'd have two boys that I love the most by my sides, but I still felt uneasy. That was guilt; I was being selfish. What if there was a fight again and they got injured? I couldn't let that happen. On the other side, I wasn't planning on having a fight there. We would just have a little chat. About why were they following me and how we could make them leave me alone.
And on another side, I couldn't announce it by myself neither to Nick, nor to Billy. So I called Clary.
"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!" she screamed as soon as I finished my sentence about how I wanted to meet them. "Didn't you get enough of them? Do you feel brave because you weren't completely raped? Or that your head's on your shoulders?"
"Chill for a second," I told her, "You don't know what I'm saying. I've met them at random places for enough times by now to know they're not normal. They're not gonna just leave it. We have to clear things up. I'll have Nick and Billy by my sides. No fights, no cursing, no shouting. Just a chat. We'll ask them the reason they're following me and politely ask them to leave me alone. And if that won't work, we'll beat the crap out of them."
"That's the whole plan? You've got two boys, and they're two, too. What if Billy and Nick get beaten?"
I roll my eyes, "Please, I can deal anyone from my contacts and they'll be anywhere in five minutes. It's not a problem. Two of them live quite close to the MCs we're going to, so we'll have help if something."
"You are insane."
"Now, I need you for tonight. I can't tell it to boys on my own, so I need you to stand near me."
She nods, "Okay, I hope they'll change your mind."
"No, they won't."
That evening Clary and I went together to the park where we had to meet Nick and Billy. We saw them standing near the road as soon as I parked my car.
"Hey babe," Nick said as soon as we approached them. Grabbing my waist, he pulled me closer as I wrapped my arms around his neck, our lips connecting.
"Eww, guys!" Clary said, "We have a work here."
Nick pulled out, "Yea, what was it all about? You got me quite nervous, you know?"
I smiled, stepping back and giving Billy a quick hug, "Don't worry, let's have a seat, I have a talk."
We sat near the fake forest. Well, boys sat, Clary and I were standing in front of them.
"So?" Billy said, his eyebrows jumping in waiting for my answer.
I brethed deeply before glancing at Clary that was already staring at me. And then I spoke, "Don't interrupt me at any case, I have to finish my speach and then you can argue with me, but let me finish."
"Just talk!" Billy said, short-tempered.
I exhaled deeply, "I want to go to MCs to meet those clingers. I want the both of you to be with me. I want to ask them why are they following me, and to ask to leave me alone. Because I am already exhausted from them! We will just talk with no fights and no threatens. So what do you think?"
Billy was a little surprised, but both of them looked completely at ease. Suddenly, Nick stood up from his seat and stepped closer to me. I thought he was going to do something to shut me up like knocking me out or something, but instead he hugged me. Slightly surprised, I wrapped my arms around his body, resting my cheek on his chest, hearing his calm heartbeat.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of this," he told me, If that's what you want, we'll go for it."
I pulled back a little to look at him, "Really?"
"Really, babe," he said with a smile, kissing my forehead.
I let him go and turned to Billy, "Billy?"
He seemed to snap out of trance, "What?"
"What do you think of it?"
He nodded, "Fine with me. I'm curious which one will die first."
I looked at him with disapproval, "There won't be a fight. I don't want either of you injured."
Billy scoffed, "Who's going to injure us? Them? Please... If that's what you want, I'll try, but it'll take all of me to not to throw at them straight away."
I smiled at him, "And I'll be grateful for that."
"Try searching them at MCs?" Nick asked from beside me.
I nod, "Yea, I guess."
"It's 10 minutes walk from here," Nick said, "Or should we catch a cab?"
"Oh I'm with a car."
"You have a car?"
I smirked, "Yep."
"I sometimes miss this baby," Billy said, running his hands on the doorknob as we climbed in my red Ford Kuga.
I laughed at him, having boys seated at the back and Clary at the front, with me driving.
"I feel stupid," Nick complained.
"For what?" I asked, firing up the engine and driving away.
"For sitting in the back with my girlfriend driving."
I laughed, "Girls always at the front."
I saw both of the guys roll their eyes from the mirrors, and Clary smirking from the corner of my eye. It took us five minutes to reach the MCs.
"I'd be laughing at my luck if they weren't there," I said, parking the car and killing the engine.
"They'll be there," Billy said, "They sure as hell are always there."
Rolling my eyes at clingers and not Billy, I unbuckled myself and climbed out with others following. Locking the car, we went up the front steps and entered. The warm air greeted us, filled by the smell of fries and hamburgers, the kind of smell that never leaves MCs.
I started breathing shakily out of nervousness, my hands trembling at my sides. I felt my left hand stop, as someone else's fingers laced through mine, and I knew by touch that it was Nick. Looking at him, I thanked him with my eyes for comfort and searched for the clingers with my eyes.
"Guys," Clary said, "They're over there."
All our heads turned to the direction where Clary was pointing, seeing clingers calmly eating their fries. Taking on my best poker face, I led the guys to their table in the corner, Nick's fingers never leaving mine.
Standing already a meter away from them, I coughed, driving the clingers' attention to us. Both of their heads snapped at me, and I saw the blonde one having a black eye and a broken nose by Nick. I barely held my smirk away.
"Well, well," said the brunette one while the rapist just smirked, "Who do we got here? You surely missed us a lot."
"Have a talk," I said, crossing my armd over my chest that was half covered with my black leather jacket.
"Fine," said the blonde rapist, clicking his knuckes.
"We haven't come here to fight," I replied with my poker face, "By talk, I mean talk."
"And what do you want to talk about, babe?"
Nick stepped forward dangerously, but I stopped him, holding his hand from the back. Glancing at me, his rage seemed to calm down and he stepped back. "Have in mind," he said, "Plans might change."
The rapist smirked again as they stood up, brunette saying, "What's the subject?"
"We want to know the reason," Billy stated, "The reason you're following Zoe."
Glancing at each other, the clingers laughed quietly. Blonde rapist said, "Why not?"
"We just want to know what do you want from me," I say, my chin up, "Money?"
The blonde one snickered, "Just you, babe."
"Whoa whoa," Nick said angrily, stepping forward once more, "Watch your mouth. Don't you dare calling her babe ever again."
"Protective, are we? Is she that good in bed? I bet she's 9 points the least."
I could see Nick's face redden from anger as he stepped forward, calling the clinger "son of a bitch" as he was just about to attack the clinger.
"Nick, no!" I said a little louder than usual, "We haven't come here to fight. But the plans might actually change if you try it so hard."
"What's the deal, babe?" the brunette clinger answered, "Scared I'll kill your little boyfriend?"
"No, scared he'll kill you."
He snickered, "Right. But then you wouldn't try sex with me, which would be sad, because I can see the way you're eye-raping me."
"Enough of me," Nick said, fisting his right hand and aiming it at the pervert as he kicked him.
"Of me, too," Billy added, his fist flying through air as it hit the brunette one.
There goes my 'talk without a fight'.
"Guys!" I shouted, already knowing there was no point in it, "Stop!" my voice sounded bored, they would never listen to me.
"Boys!" Clary shouted.
I was hearing gasps and screams now and then as people at MCs distanced theirselves from us as much as possible.
Nick had the blonde one glued to the floor as he kicked him over and over again in the face; I could see blood dripping from his once more broken nose and cheek.
"Nick! Enough!" I screamed, now worried, "You don't want to kill him."
"Actually," he answered, still kicking the pervert, "That's what I want."
"No, enough!"
I looked over at Billy. The brunette one kicked him in the face, but Billy hit him in the stomach with his fist and then his knee and he fell on the floor. Looking back at Nick, I saw how the clinger made his way to the top of Nick, now him kicking my boyfriend fiercely.
"Stop! Oh my God, stop!"
The blonde was about to kick Nick again, but he caught his fist and knocked him over with his other hand. It took Nick three more kicks to knock the clinger off. Now he lied unconscious on the floor. Nick kicked him again just out of anger and stood up, stepping to me. I glanced at Billy, who was on top of the clinger and was kicking him. Looking back at Nick, I wrapped my arms around his neck, whispering, "What were you thinking, idiot?"
I felt him sigh in my shoulder as I let go, going back to Billy.
"Billy, enough!" I said loudly, "Billy!"
He listened, standing up from the clinger that barely stood up and came to me as I hugged him, too.
"Another idiot," I say, letting Billy go, "You two are truly brainless."
"I guess that was expected," Billy replied.
"Nick?" I said, "Is your nose broken?"
He touched his nose before wincing, "Yea."
I frowned, "Your hospital's near."
He snickered, "No way."
"Way. Or you want me to do it again?"
"Better than a hospital."
I sigh, waving over at the manager that stood in the corner, angry and scared at thr same time. "Have a first aid kit?" I asked him.
"No," he shouted, "I am done with you at my MacDonald's! Get out!"
I rolled my eyes, "I'll pay twice as much as needed, just give me the first aid kit."
Wordlessly, he backed away and brought the kit.
"Maybe you shouldn't throw your money like that, babe?" Nick said as we sat on an island, I was already starting to clean his cut.
"Don't worry about that," I told him, "My father has that ultra golden card, I'm always giving it's number."
He chuckled, "Should've known."
He screamed like a little girl as soon as my hand with a medicine touched his nose bone.
"Ow! Zoe!"
"What? Just be a man I need, Nick."
He smirked and in one quick motion he grabbed me by my waist and pulling me over to his lap, "So you don't need me?"
I smirked back, "Not if you keep screaming like a little girl."
His face went closer to mine, the tips of our noses touching. "Repeat that," he whispered in a charming voice.
I whispered back, "I don't need you if you keep screaming like a little girl."
He smirked, "Liar."
Our lips connected as I smiled through the kiss, being cought lying. I needed him any way, was he acting like a little girl or an old man - I needed him no matter what.
I pulled back and sat back on my chair. "Now, I need to clean that cut," I said, going serious.
He rolled his eyes, "You almost forgot."
I laughed, "Almost doesn't count."
***
At 9 we were already back in Academy and Billy was back home. Having already paid for the harm that boys made, I calmly collapsed on the top of my bed, exhausted.
"Where were you?" Ellie asked, sitting on her own bed.
"Leave her alone, Ellie," Nina said, digging in Ellie's magazines, "She never feels like we're worth her time."
I sat up with disbelief, "What?"
Nina shot her head up to glare at me, "You heard me. When was the last time you spoke to us? It's like we don't even exist."
My eyes widen and my mouth falls open as I say, "Wh-what? I- I didn't even think you wanted to chat with me... I- It's not like that, I promise."
"What do you mean it's not like that?" Ellie spoke.
I sigh, "Girls, lot's of things were happening around me, really, so I never even got the time for making friends and all that."
"What about when you're in the room? Barely ever, but you sometimes are, and you never even glance our way," Nina said, "You think you're too cool for us?"
I frown, "It's not it! I promise I have nothing against you, my life's really overwhelmed right now."
Really? I had no idea they wanted to talk to me!
"With what?" Nina asked.
I sigh, "Lot's of things. And when I say it, I mean it."
"Like what?" Ellie asked.
"Like- like... I can't tell you, I'm sorry."
"You don't trust us?" Ellie asked a little too loudly while Nina just looked offended.
"I do, but it's... It's complicated."
It was Nina's turn to sigh, "You know we're not children, right?" she asked, "We're quite aware of problems in this world."
"We want to help and share those problems with you," Ellie added.
Wow. Really, wow. They wanted to share my problems? To help me? I honestly had no idea. I didn't think they gave a damn about me.
I smile at them gratefully, "Thanks, guys. But everything that happens around me is a huge secret. And it can take me into very, very huge problems. So if I'm going to tell you a thing, you can't tell it to anyone. Don't even talk about it to each other in public. Do not even think about it!"
Nina laughed, pleased as she stood up and came to sit cross-legged like me at the end of my bed as Ellie did the same. "Go on," Nina said, "We won't tell."
I looked at Ellie and she nodded, saying, "Not telling a soul."
I exhale deeply, starting my story with Nick. I mentioned that Ellie was with me. I told about all the great adventures I had with Nick and all the disguisting ones with clingers. I told about Billy, how he found out who Lestrade was and practically everythung that happened in the past month of me being here.
I watched their reaction carefully after I finished talking. I watched as their shocked faces were changing from surprise to pity, from pity to understand, to anger, and back to shock.
"Wow," Nina finally spoke, "I wasn't expecting anything like that."
"Yea..." I say, looking down at my lap.
"Yea..." Ellie repeated, "I thought you broke up with boyfriend or something like that, but nothing like that!"
"I hope you're smart enough to keep your mouths shut," I say.
Both of them frantically nod, saying "Yea, sure," in unison.
"So what was it about Lestrade?" Nina asked, her face flashing from realization.
"He had supernatural powers of all kinds."
"Never heard even a myth like that," she replied, "So he was a... Perfect magician?"
"I suppose so."
"Weird..."
"Tell me about it!"
"So..." Ellie piped in, wriggling her eyebrows as she said, "Nick and you are meeting every night?"
"Yea."
"Pregnant yet?"
My eyes widen as a pure shock is seen on my face, "What? No, of course not!"
"Oh my God, Zoe," she said, "Are you virgin?"
I roll my eyes, "Practically, no, but it was a party and I was drunk, so I consider myself a virgin."
"Thank God!"
I laugh at her and then I see Nina blushing. "Nina?" I said, "You look weird."
She dropped her head even lower than before, "It's nothing."
"Oh my God, are you virgin?" Ellie squaked.
Nina blushed even harder, "So what?"
I interrupted Ellie's speach that was just about to spill, "Nothing, it's normal. Even better."
"How is it better?" Ellie asked as Nina looked up at me with hope.
"We've lost our v-cards in the age of stupidity, but now she is already mature enough to choose that man correctly and don't worry about pregnance that may occur because of the silly mistake and destroy her life."
"Yea, at some point," Ellie replied, "But she's a virgin!"
"And there's nothing bad in it."
"Can we please stop discussing my v-card?" Nina said.
I chuckled, "So I guess we're friends now."
"Not yet," Nina said.
"That was your part of the story," Ellie added, "We have ours, too."
"I'm listening."
"So," Nina begun, "My best friend was taken to the mental asylum last year. She started talking nonsense about how we were all demons from hell and how we all had to die, including herself. She was normal until one day she was called to the principal's for one reason: she was seeing the boy from the second part of this school, just like you!"
Shivers were sent down my spine. Was it going to happen with me?
"She wasn't expelled," Nina continued, "But she found something out that made her go mad, literally. And the fact that she was always too strong of a catholic didn't help, either. Whatever she was told, it made her believe we were all demons sent from hell without our knowledge and we all had to burn. She also said that all the teachers and principals are the main devils that are hiding everything from us."
Teachers were devils no doubt, but not that literally.
"I'm still in touch with her mom," she kept on, "We were always really close, she's a cool mother. I heard that two months ago - after being in the asylum for a month - she almost died. All of a sudden her pulse fell close to zero and she had an austhmatic attack for the first time in her life. After principal saw her, she made that boy she used to date to come and see her and as I know, as soon as they met she already felt better."
"Wow," I said, unable to think of anything else, "Is she alright now?"
"She doesn't really look healthy," Ellie replied.
"Have you visited her?" I asked, my eyes going wide.
They shook their heads, "Vice versa," Nina said, "She has visited us."