Chapter #8New Friends, Old Friends by: rugal b.   You look around at the assembled group: three for, three against. You're not quite sure of how you should go because either way is going to lead to disappointment, possibly to anger or resentment, from one side. And you wonder why it should fall on you? You only just got here and yet you're already making a decision. You have to choose what path they'll go down and you don't even know these people. But being here in the home of Andrea Varnsworth you think that you'd like to; even Hartlein. And the book... So you make your decision.
"If it means anything I'm with them." you say motioning towards the Yays.
Sienna gives you the stink-eye, "I don't see why it should. You're only here because Smokey decided it was time for his bi-weekly barge in session."
"I resemble that remark!" Dane jumps in, "And Will is good people; you all are good people. I just wanted to show him a good time."
"Despite how he got here the book is his." Andrea replies as she leans back against the front of the couch. "And I don't know if I believe it but there is something weird with that book. I want to see whether that's just someone's idea of a joke or what."
"And you don't think that could be dangerous?" Fatima asks, the unease evident in her voice. "Look what he had to because of it."
You notice your thumb and pull it up. You had been keeping it pressed against your jeans to try and stop the bleeding a bit leaving a big, dark thumb print. Jelena notices this too and reaches over to hand you a paper towel that she had gotten from the kitchen. Meanwhile all you're hoping is that the stain will wash out; you really like this pair of jeans. Just the right amount of worn-in to be comfortable.
"Well I mean magic isn't real... right?" says Andrea and you notice her face twist up a bit at that. "But either way this thing has got me interested and like I said I want to see it out." She looks from Fatima to Sienna and back again. "But you guys are my friends too. Whatever this book is it's interesting and I want us to share in it together. So what do you say?"
The two of them look at one another, both internally debating what to do while wordlessly debating with one another in that way that only the closest of friends can really do. Finally Sienna grumbles out an answer. "Fine, I'll go along with you but only so I can laugh at you when it turns out to be a load of horseshit." She says it with conviction but you get a sense that under her surliness she's as uncomfortable with it as Fatima seems to be.
"What about you, Fatima?" Andrea asks.
"You know how they ask if you'd jump off a bridge if everyone else was going to do it?" Fatima asks rhetorically, "I guess what I'm saying is that they teach you the dangers of peer pressure for a reason." You almost want to mentally laugh at that given that it's the same thought pattern you had in regards to even showing the book.
"So you'll jump off that bridge with the rest of us." Andrea says and Fatima nods an affirmative. "Well then, I guess that's settled."
"Me too! I'll do it too!" Dane excalims.
"Yep, settled." she repeats trying her best to ignore Dane. "So... what now?"
"I guess we check out that next page." Jelena states plainly as she flips to the now "unlocked" page.
And you do. You and the rest manage to figure out, or assume you do, it's for making one of those disguises mentioned in the introductory page. Further investigation reveals a variety of ingredients that seem odd at first though a little bit of jotting down, you're surprised it's letting you, and looking up translations on Jelena's laptop allow you to work out what they are and you're a bit relieved. It's all material that's a little odd but definitely not uncommon. It'll just require a bit of shopping at various types of stores is all. After you all feel that you have the translation and ingredients correct and copied down you spend the rest of the late afternoon into the late evening just hanging out.
You find it a bit relaxing and ultimately very pleasant; much more enjoyable than hanging out with Caleb and Keith though you wonder if ti's just because it's something new and different. You're a bit disappointed when the group starts dispersing for the evening. You perk up, however, when Sienna and Fatima invite you with them on a Friday evening pizza run, an offer that you eagerl--perhaps too eagerly--accept.
* * * * *
The one unfortunate part is that you have to drop Dane off at school to get his car as he tells you that he has a thing he has to do early in the morning. You try following his train of thought but apart from a name here and there such as Justin Roth or Sutton Forest you're not able to really follow. Some kind of gathering, you guess, but you don't probe beyond that. You do, as you say your goodbyes, thank him for taking you over to Andrea's place and introducing you to that group. Dane, for his part, responds with a friendly hug that you yourself don't know how to respond to beyond awkwardly returning it.
After the two of you part you then head over to Balducci's, a place that might be a bit of a hole in the wall but is known for serving the best pizza in town, to meet Sienna and Fatima. After pleasentries and a bit of light conversation Sienna decides she has a question. "So really, why'd Dane bring you over?" she asks.
"Like I said, he wanted to show me a good time." you reply. You notice her arch an eyebrow and you wilt under that, "Okay, he did it because we wanted to hang around some girls." you state looking down.
"I knew it! I told you Fatima, right?" Sienna grins, "Don't sweat it, dude. Dane's predictable and guys have urges. Girls have 'em too, of course, but you know double standards and all so you get labelled a slut if you act on them. Not that I think you would've had a chance."
"Why's that?" you ask suddenly feeling more than a little self-conscious and a tad slighted.
"Well no offense but Andrea and Jelena... well they're out of your league in the sense that they're not even playing in your league." she replies giving you a moment to let that simmer, "Me?" she eyes you, sizing you up, "Maybe if you showed some more confidence or something, I dunno. You're not a bad looking guy but a girl doesn't want to be witha drip, ya know?"
"What about Fatima?" you ask, "Um, not that I have designs on you all or anything but if we're playing hypotheticals and whatever..."
Fatima, at that, goes quiet. Well, quieter anyway, and looks down. "Dude!" Sienna exclaims but Fatima puts her hand up.
"It's fine, Sienna. It's not like he would've known." she says before looking over at you. "I had a boyfriend. We were going good for a while and then suddenly he just stopped really paying attention to me. Then Yell told me he saw him hanging around with someone else. Then I ended it. It hurts but..." she sighs, "It's just a dumb high school thing."
"I get you." you say as you vacantly stare down at your slice, "I had something similar over the summer. She's a really nice girl and everything but around the same time, I guess, I just saw her hanging out with someone else. Then she told me we were never 'for real' dating anyway."
"Ouch." Sienna replies, "Honestly, she sounds like a bitch. Like she was using you for a quick thing inbetween guys."
You want to say something but Fatima speaks up. "I don't think that's fair." she says, "But yeah, that's really terrible Will. I'm sorry."
"Well, same." you reply in kind, "Not that it means anything but I think a guy would be crazy to toss you aside like that. Like I've only known you all a few hours but you seem really nice and you're obviously attractive so..."
She goes a bit wide-eyed at that but a quiet smile breaks out on her face as she tells you that you seem like a very nice person as well. The conversation continues as you finish your food and before you go Fatima takes out a pen and small piece of paper writing her phone number down. You're surprised but she tells you that you'll need to keep in touch with them somehow. She also mentions that she has to go get some art stuff anyway so she'll knock out that part of the supplies tomorrow and then the three you of you part for the night.
* * * * *
It's late Saturday morning and you wonder what it is you're going to do today? Caleb mentioned Friday during school that he's got to help his mom with something. Dane's out as well. Keith... yeah, you're better off looking elsewhere. Hanging around the house means you're wasting the day as well and like you want to deal with Robert's general brand of bullshit or your mom's relentless cleaning. And then you look over to the desk where some of your books and papers and other assorted items are. Among them is Fatima's number that she gave you last night.
She said she had to do some shopping to get supplies today. She gave you her number to keep in touch with them. Maybe you should call her up to help her out; that's a way to kill a day. But you wonder if you do that if you'd give off the wrong impression and look like some lovelorn dork instead of someone wanting to hang out with a new friend for something to do. Maybe it's a bad idea. Maybe you should just hang out with Keith.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline  · Recent Additions © Copyright 2025 rugal b. (UN: rugal at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Seuzz has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author