". . . just tell her . . . seriously, just say it - "

"Sssh, not so loud,  she might hear - "

"She's not focusing, she's been out of focus the whole day . . ."

If I had been paying attention, or as Leila put it, focusing, I would have heard the very interesting conversation that they were both having, which I only found out about much later. As it was, I was barely avoiding the people around me, simply because a much more interesting thought was busy circling and circling and circling around my head. It had been doing that the whole day long, breaking up my concentration. Half the time I wanted it to just get the heck out of my subcranium, and the other half of the time I wanted it ingrained there . . . because it made my lips twitched and my heart unburdened.

Something I hadn't felt for a very long time.

I think I'm starting to like you, for real, and this time it's by choice.

It didn't matter whether he meant it or not. It didn't matter whether it was yet another one of his elaborate lies. It didn't matter whether I believed or not. All that mattered was that it made me feel, that he made me feel, and that, in light of what I was doing, of what I had done, was just - unacceptable. 

I climbed out the window shortly after that.

It was an awkward silence after his confession, though he tried to make the atmosphere light. He left to use the bathroom and I looked around his room, taking in his movie posters and collection of games, namely this - 

- and this - 

A retro guy. 

I liked it.

It reminded me just how normal he was. It reminded me that he had a different life. Danger-free. Privileged. Happy. Safe.

He shouldn't be dragged into this. I couldn't drag him into this.

So I jumped out the window.

Well, climbed mostly. My headache decided to make a comeback and I fell the last few feet to the ground. 

Above, the curtains shifted, a shadow casting itself. I waited with bated breath. Part of me wanted him to ignore the noise, pretended he didn't hear it, and let me go. The other part of me wanted his warm arms around me, drawing me in, deluding me into believing that normal was all I was, and that Hayley Banner was all I would ever be.

The shadow retreated.

I picked myself up and back to my apartment, relieved to see that Jasper's goons were nowhere near. I'd had enough drama for one day.

"Hayley. Hayley, you can come back to Earth now, Hayley. "

I came back to the present. Leila was pushing the class door open for William and I to enter.

"So anyway, " Leila was saying, "we decided that the sleepover will be at Roxy's. She actually gave us the green light - and it only took us three days to persuade her to come around! Well we also had to promise her that we were in charge of bringing over food but still, small price to pay! At least we fixed the venue now!"

I placed my books down at my table while Leila slipped in beside me. "What happened to going over to Emrys'?"

Leila rolled her eyes. "Emrys is a selfish cad who insisted that his servants were not for sharing. He did, however, promised to make up for it by bringing over dinner that's cooked by his household chef . . . and I heard that the dude graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, so we can expect a fine gourmet feast for the night."

"Nice," I remarked.

Leila frowned. "Hayley, when did you get that?"

I reached up, self-conscious, as I touched the bruise at my temple. "Uh, I fell. The apartment stairs - apparently they'd just been mopped."

I made to open my book but Leila slammed it down. "Hayley Banner, " she hissed, "does your fiance " - it was remarkable how much venom could be squeezed out of those two syllables - "hit you?"

"No! Leila, no - he doesn't." 

He does a good torturing session though, and some pretty fine strangling.

"Hayley, I swear if I find out you're lying and that man - "

"Leila, look, you don't have to worry about me. Okay? Jasper - He's just a businessman. That's all. Please, please don't ask me anything more about him. Please?"

She opened her mouth like she was going to continue arguing, but I beat her to it. "I don't like talking about him. I'm still trying to figure out a way to break off our marriage, and . . . I'd appreciate it if I don't have to think or talk about him every moment of the day."

Leila's lips closed. I looked at her, eyes beseeching. The less she knew, the better - for both me and her.

"Okay," she finally relented.

I smiled at her, grateful, and turned back to the front as I tried to act normal for yet another day.

|*|

The mouth of the bottle pointed straight at William. 

"Your turn!" Leila gave a hurrah. "Okay, truth or dare?"

It was the night of the sleepover, and since we were already halfway through the project, Leila as project manager had called for a break. When she took out the used 100 plus bottle Emrys had gotten all excited thinking we were going to play spin the bottle.

Well, we did spin the bottle alright, it was just what we did after we spun it that was different. Needless to say Emrys was rather disappointed. 

William pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "Um, truth."

Something close to mischief entered Leila's eyes. "Since I spun the bottle, I get to ask."

She leaned forward. "William, do you have a crush on someone?"

Roxy let out a long, slow and suggestive whistle. Emrys' eyebrows flew right upwards and he shuffled closer excitedly. I looked at William.

Boy does he ever.

His face was flushed red, the tips of his ears like tiny buds of roses, ready to burst into life any second. The boy looked as if he'd just came back from a full day at the beach. 

He gave a nervous cough, and then mumbled, "Yes."

Roxy raised her hands in slow applause. Leila looked pleased, as she leaned backward. "Hmm. Interesting. Your turn, William."

"Wait, what?" Emrys looked flabbergasted. "We're not going to ask him who it is?"

"One question per turn, Emrys. That's the rule."

"B-but we were just getting to the exciting part!" He looked like a kid who'd heard that  Christmas had come early, only to find out on the day that it had been cancelled.

"You'll have to wait until it's his turn again then," Leila said cheerfully. "Spin the bottle, William!"

William spun the bottle. 

"Aw great," Roxy said. She took a sip from her can of beer. "I pick truth. Go do your worst, nerd."

"Well uh . . . tell us your darkest secret."

"She's secretly lesbian," Emrys offered.

Roxy gave him a cool look. "Funny how either way I swing, I ain't ever gonna be interested in you, boy."

"Oooooh! Burn!" Leila yelled. I laughed.

Roxy tapped the side of her nose. "Darkest secret, eh? How about . . . I'm of the opinion that boys should be extinct."

Leila waved that away dismissively and even William let out a sound resembling a snort.

"That's hardly a secret, Roxy," I said. "You made it pretty clear since the first day I met you."

She grunted and narrowed her eyes. "A secret, huh? You guys want a real secret?"

"Spill it, Goth girl." That was Emrys.

With that hawk-like stare she carefully appraised each one of us, as if determining whether we were worthy of what she was about to divulge. With a crooked finger she beckoned us closer, and we obediently did. 

There were bated breaths all around as we waited.

She finished her drink in one shot and said, "I have a first cousin."

You could have knocked us over with a feather. Emrys actually did fall forward, as all the suspense turned out to be nothing.

"That doesn't even - "

Roxy continued, "And her name is Brandy Simmons."

I choked on my apple cider.

 "Say what?" Leila screeched.

"You're related to that bi - "

"Jesus Christ," William breathed.

"That actually explains why you hate boys," Emrys chose this moment to say.

"And why is that, O Great Magician?" Roxy did a clumsy little bow, looking slightly tipsy.

In fact, we were all tipsy. We all drank alcohol at some point. Even my apple cider had alcohol, even though it was only 4.5 percent.

"I mean, if you're cousins with Brandy, she's gotta be always stealing the spotlight. And I'm guessing any crushes or potential boyfriends of yours were all seduced by her before you could even say Jack Robinson. So in the end you just end up swearing off boys forever. You know, like the fox calling the grapes sour. 'Cos he couldn't get 'em. So he said he didn't like them that much anyway," he finished.

"That - actually makes sense," Leila commented.

"Why, thank you for that astute analysis, Emrys. You should really consider a career as a therapist. For now though, why don't you be a good boy and help clean up the rubbish." Roxy tossed her empty can his way. "Thanks."

"How can you stand being related to her?" I asked, incredulous. "I mean, you guys don't even say hi in school."

"Oh, she warned me to keep it a secret. Thought it'd bring down her reputation or something if people found out that she was related to a nobody like me."

"You're not a nobody, Roxy," Leila said firmly. "If anyone's a nobody, it's her. Have faith in yourself. Don't let her put you down."

Roxy cocked her head. "My my, are all of you turning into therapists now? Don't try treating me. I'm not a good patient. I don't listen."

"So . . . you're Roxy Simmons? Or are you guys related on your mother's side?" William asked.

Roxy tossed a potato chip in the air and caught it with her mouth. "Do I look like a Simmons to you? She's on my ma's side. Thank God."

We played the game a few more turns and then Leila called an end to our break, inciting several groans. Halfway through the project, Roxy yelled from the kitchen, "We're out of chips, y'all! And beer too!"

I looked around. Leila was lightly snoring. Emrys had gone strangely quiet for the past hour, and when I looked it was to find out that he had spent that past hour trying - and failing - to draw a circle on paper. I contemplated telling him that the pen cap was still on, but nah.

I waved a hand to Roxy. "I'll get it."

Emrys tilted his head upward as I stood. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Are we going somewhere? Yayy, we're going somewhere!"

He scrambled up and fell all over me, both hands wrapped around my shoulders for support. He grinned, wide like a little kid. 

"Leggo, Hayley. Leggo!" He raised one hand in the air, still holding on to that pen. "LET'S GO! Let's go let's go let's go - "

I placed a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. "We're going, Roxy!" I called, and dragged him away before he could wake up Leila and the entire neighbourhood.

We ended up taking a night bus to a convenience store six blocks away because Emrys insisted the alcohol there tasted better. Naturally when I first heard of his suggestion I refused; we were already in Walmart, but it was hard to do much else when you had a 5 foot 8 immature teenager sitting on the floor kicking his legs, demanding that we go to his inconvenience store, because his inconvenience store was so much better.

"You don't understand, I only drink from that inconvenience store!" Emrys flailed his arms. "I'm their loyal customer, how can you possible ask me to betray them? The receptionist is there is like family to me; are you asking me to betray family now? I can't do that! I won't do that!"

"Oh for Pete's sake! People are looking," I hissed, trying to pull him to his feet. "Get up."

"I won't! I won't betray them! You may kill me, but you will never have my heart! My heart is with them! Now and forever more! Forever MOORREE!" He batted my arms away and pulled his knees to his chest, burying his face in it and shaking his head non-stop, refusing to budge. Abruptly he glared at me with a look of sulky dislike. Pointing - he had the pen the whole time? - at me he yelled, "You're evil! You're nasty! You're an evil, nasty, hot witch!"

I raised an eyebrow. He hiccuped, and frowned. "What did I just say?"

I sighed. "Get up. We'll go to your damn convenience store."

He perked up at that, and a sly happy little smile crept on his face. Dragging himself up from the floor he placed his arms around me. 

"Hayley. Hayley Hayley Hayley. Did I ever tell you you're the best? You're awesome! You're wonderful! You're a goddess! You're - "

I clamped another hand on his mouth and made a fervent exit out of there.

Emrys' inconvenience store turned out to be a small, family-run business, and when he entered he made a beeline straight for the old man behind the counter.

"Sean Connery!" Emrys exclaimed, arms wide. The old man laughed and clapped him in a tight hug. Grinning still, Emrys turned to look at me. He gestured at the beaming shopkeeper. "Isn't he good-looking? He's grandpa goals. This is the look that every man must have when he gets older. This is the epitome of old, but gold."

Sean Connery scoffed. "Someone's been drinking, haven't they?" He ruffled Emrys' hair. 

The old man looked at me and I smiled politely as I picked a can of chips off the shelf. He looked back at the foolishly grinning Emrys. 

"You guys a couple?" he asked. 

I nearly dropped the chips. Emrys burst out into laughter. "Um, no," I said. "Not at all. Not in the slightest."

"Of course we're not a couple," Emrys said, twirling a lazy finger in the air. He looked at me. "I haven't asked her yet."

He winked. I rolled my eyes. The beer was at the back of the store and I ducked there to avoid further embarrassment. When I emerged five minutes later Emrys had gone missing. 

"Uhm, do you know where did he go?" I asked, as I paid at the counter.

"Oh, Emrys? He said he was going to grab some stuff. Said he'll be back real quick." The shopkeeper bagged my purchases. "That will be 22.5 dollars, please."

I went outside the store, the night air nipping at my nose. It was getting fairly chilly these days. Vehicles rambled past, kicking up dust from the road. I coughed and waited on the pavement.

I must have been standing there for two minutes when I heard a slight sound coming from the alley behind me. A shifting of footsteps. I turned, just a casual look.

And I froze.

Storeroom Stalker stood at the end of the tiny little corridor, a blanket of darkness surrounding him. He tilted his head slightly as he saw me looking, and his arm came up from his pockets as if to throw something. There was a soft, plastic clink as that something landed on my feet.

I looked. 

It was Emrys' pen.

|*|*|*|*|*|*|

GASP! SUSPENSE! GASP!

This one's for  ShayneIrisBelgica! Thanks for all the support :) Keep rocking! *fist bump*