Summary: Is the glass half full, or half empty? At the darkest hour, when
CeeCee and Adam can taste death, what truths will be divulged? Near death
experiences can bring out the worst in people. This is CeeCee's story.
Disclaimer: No ownership here. Meg gets it all, aaah poo.
Authors notes: THIS IS BY ANGELIC HALO AND MYSTIQUE ANGELIQUE. Majority of the Mediator stories are written from the point of view of the beautiful ass-kicking babe, Suze. But what about the people in the background? What do they see? What do they feel? Here's how it is to CeeCee Webb. This is Post-Haunted. Enjoy!
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Another day of school. Just fabulous.
Don't get me wrong. I like school and all. Just, you know . . . you know? Okay, you don't know. Great. Well, I'm only explaining once. It's too annoying. And it'll probably waste your time, you know, something this unlikely . . .
You know how at school, there's always that one guy? The guy that you go to school for? Who makes your day to see? Who stands out from the crowd, to you? Who makes you smile during class, just to think about him?
Well, that's Adam McTavish.
But oh, it gets worse.
He's my best friend.
Yep. Classic case of anti-cliché.
Oh, it's not what you think. I'm not a pretty peppy cheerleader who lives in her cherry-pink lipgloss. Ha. That's funny. Tell another one, please. Nah, I'm CeeCee Webb. The nerd. The one with the really, really, really white hair. The one who would be disappointed with a B. Who always has her hand up in Chemistry. What can I say? Science fascinates me, almost as much as gossip. I just love to write about facts and scandals. They are just so intriguing, the fact that some people could do such inglorious things. Real people! Getting caught up in things that they can't control, or can, and chose to do the wrong thing! It's just so –
. . . Sorry. I know. I suck, don't I? Well, don't I know it. Yeah, I'm not exactly the kind of girl to run up to a guy and snog him on the lips. No, I seem to have more dignity than that, damn it. Which is probably why Adam barely knows I exist, except the friend he bums his homework answers off. It really eats me up the way he flirts with Suze.
Oh yeah. Susannah Simon.
Don't call me bitter or anything, but when Suze Simon came to the Junipero Serra Mission Academy, well, things with Adam got a whole lot worse. He is TOTALLY into her! It's not fair! Just because she's the tough brunette from New York with the black clothes and the punk attitude, the gorgeous figure and stuff? Well, it sucks how he's hanging of her every limb, half the day. He's like her chauffeur or something. Drives Suze everywhere, like a lap- dog. I know, I'm a bitch. I know it!
I don't blame Suze, I don't! I mean, she can't help that Adam falls over himself when he walks in the room. She can't help that he gets goggle-eyes all the time, just thinking about her. Trust me, I know when he thinks about her. He tells me enough. "Doesn't Suze have the cutest smile?" "Do you think Suze would say yes if I asked her to the movies on Saturday?"
What am I supposed to say? "No, because you're too much of a joker and Suze would never be interested in someone who thinks that George Bush is possessed by a monkey."
He'd looooooove that . . .
Adam, I mean, not George Bush. Well, him too. And I was being SARCASTIC.
But yeah. It's hard, with Suze here. Adam still trips over his words, even though she's been here for a whole year. And I know secretly that Suze wouldn't ever go for Adam. She's totally hung over this other guy, I think his name's Jesse, and Jesse's a –
Never mind.
Well, yeah, okay. I'll tell you, if you promise not to tell. I mean, it's some really good scuttlebutt, I gotta tell! Suze can talk to the dead. No, I'm serious. Full on "I see dead people." It's totally explaining a lot, let me tell you. Especially lately, from this party at Brad's house. Brad Ackerman's her step-brother. He's a total jock. But yeah, Suze totally went flippo at the party, and kept yelling out to this guy Jesse, who clearly wasn't there.
Hence, Jesse is a ghost.
A spirit. A ghoul. An ooglie-booglie-boo! You know? I know, it sounds totally spastic. But it's true. I saw it with my own eyes. And I'm not someone who would believe this kind of thing unless I have visual, oral and aural proof at the ready. But there's no other way to explain how this other guy, Paul Slater, was being held underwater by seemingly nothing. Yeah, Jesse was doing it.
So yeah. Suze is not into Adam. She was just telling me how badly it's been going for her and Jesse only recently. Bastard apparently moved out. Damn him, she's been really bummed out lately. But anyway. Only, Adam still tries to impress her. You can tell. He spouts the CHEESIEST pick up lines some times, like "You look like an angel. Welcome to Earth," all the way to "Hey...somebody farted. Let's get away to my place." And then there was the "Can I take your picture? Because I want Santa to know exactly what I want for Christmas" one . . . We didn't stop laughing . . .
I mean, Adam, my friends, has no shame.
But I love him.
I really do . . .
No, this is not hormonal. It really isn't. We've been in school together our whole lives. We've lived in Carmel since forever, and every moment, we're always hanging with each other. It's just . . . I dunno, I just wish it were more. I just wish he'd stop seeing me as the science geek. Because, serious, that's probably all I am to him. The best friend who is just there. That's all I'll ever be, with Suze here. She doesn't even know how much Adam talks about her. She hasn't got a clue. She's too busy babbling on about "Oooh, Jesse hates me" and "Paul's trying to get me."
Again, who's bitter?
. . . Stop looking at me.
NOW.
But . . . you know. It's hard to compete with her on something she doesn't even know she's in the prize draw for. God, I don't hate her. No way. In fact, Adam aside, she's my best friend. She really gets me. She doesn't even care that I'm an albino freak. Serious, I have WHITE hair! It's not cool! It's alien!
But Suze doesn't care. She's totally cool with it. Like I'm just like everyone else. It feels, you know, nice to have a friend – that's a girl – that I can hang with.
I just wish ADAM would open his eyes, and see me, not the pretty brunette who threatens to break peoples' fingers when they piss her off.
I . . . I dunno. I just wish he'd see me. Me, CeeCee Webb. I wish he'd see me, staring at him.
But that's not going to happen any time soon, is it?
Oh well, school calls.
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'Hey CeeCee. What's been up? You're looking pale today. I mean, your hair's white and everything - oh yeah, the albino thing. Me observant, yeah, me am.'
This is the greeting I get from the guy of my dreams. Isn't he a charmer?
I rolled my eyes at him boredly. 'Whatever, Mac. Did you even get that essay for World Civ. done?'
'Yes, mum,' he snapped.
Oh God . . . HOW DO I MANAGE TO ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SCHOOL?!
. . . It's natural, damn it.
I groaned inwardly as we were walking out around down the hallways, lined with endless lockers. Clumps of girl were standing around, chatting loudly about leg waxes and facials. Was that what I needed to talk about to get Adam to like me? Did I have to become one of these girls? Be insensitive and egotistical? I didn't want to be like that. I cared about other people, and about issues and stuff, outside the world of cosmetics, you know? I was smart. And uncle says I'm lucky. He says that, for an albino, I'm stunning. But I still don't exactly know if that's a compliment, or not, so strike that from the record, right?
Again, I rolled my eyes. What? Force of habit, so beat it.
'Glad to see you've still got the eye-rolling thing happening there,' he remarked with a wide grin, staring at me sideways. 'You haven't done it for a while. I was beginning to think I'd lost my touch. You know, the "piss- the-shit-out-of-Spider-Webb" touch. You see, us McTavishes work as laxatives. We annoy the shit out of you. Cheers!' he chaffed loudly, spreading out his arms boldly.
A few people turned and stared a little.
Um . . . yeah. That other thing about Adam? He draws a lot of attention to himself. Not in the best way, either. Yeah . . .
'Don't call me "Spider Webb",' I snapped at him. 'Ha, McTavishes? It's only you that drives me insane.' I gave him a pointed glare as we rounded the corner of the locker-lined wall, heading no where in particular, just waiting for a stimulating day of school. Oh, the sarcasm.
'Nah, trust me. It's totally genetic,' he said. 'I mean, with my brother, you can totally tell we were wading in the same gene pool. You know, the laxative effect is very obvious. People shitting them selves all over the place.'
Joy.
'Family reunions must be barrels of laughter then,' I drawled.
'No, Cee, not laughter. Shit,' he said with emphasis on his term for defecation. Man, this guy is not a turn on, by any means. Sheesh . . . 'Aren't yours?' he asked suddenly.
'What?'
'Family reunions,' he simpered. 'You know, that old bat?' He then said, in dramatic mockery of me, '"Aunt Pru? Will I EVER be able to parallel park?" Ha! Cleopatra my butt.'
I glared. Yeah. Go the glaring, argh.
'Hehehe, whoa Cee. Quit with the glare scare. SO not attractive. You're frightening the infants,' he mused. I kind of went red there. He just said the word "attractive" in reference to me . . . of course, it took a moment or two to realize that the word "not" had been oh-so-nicely chucked before it. To cover up my embarrassment, I scowled.
'You're the only baby here,' was my witty come back. 'Fear me, foolish earthling. Yeah.' I glared some more.
He snickered. Which was totally fair. Because that had been so lame, sheesh . . .
'Me, a babe?' he asked slyly.
'Baby. Immature, young, naïve,' I snapped, and stopped in front of the Chem. classroom momentarily to check if Miss Phillips was in there. I needed to see her about an assignment that I wanted to redo. I so had not come up to standard with it, and it really needed repeating. I mean, I'd only got 80%. That's bad for me, and I knew all my stuff on this, too. It was all about, you know, molecular study and atomic explanations and stuff. I mean, I couldn't BELIEVE that I'd gotten the neutrons and the nucleus mixed up! That was like science suicide, it was BASIC stuff. I felt awful about it.
But nah, Miss Phillips was AWOL. Joy.
'. . . Baby,' Adam shrugged thoughtfully. 'I can live with that. So where's my dummy then? Hell, my bottle. I wanna suck something.' He shot my an impish grin, 'I'll just settle for my –'
'Adam!' I hissed in disgust.
' –Thumb,' he replied, smirking. Oh God, you're kidding me, right?
But noooo. He promptly did just that.
Only for show, mind. I swear, I'm gonna kill him one day, which would be kind of a shame, as that tends to obliterate all romantic possibilities.
He sniggered, 'Aaah, Cee, I saw that fear in your eyes, don't deny it, Cobwebb.'
I whacked him on the back of the head, turning away from the door of the Chem. class. Oh well, I'd see her later. I couldn't just let a mark like THAT stay. It was diabolical!
'Don't call me that,' I snapped at him. 'Immature idiot.'
He looked a little shocked for a second, but then settled for a pout. 'Well, I see someone's got knotted panties today.'
And swiftly blew a big fat raspberry.
Niiiice.
I rolled my eyes, and kept walking.
He ran up to me. 'Aww, come on Cee, what's got you all moody? I mean, you were fine . . . ' he suddenly grinned evilly, 'It's not that "monthly" thing, right?'
I made a huge face. 'No! Just shut up, I'm not happy. Get over it. I've got a story due in for the school paper today on the injustice of having no canteen facilities, and I haven't done NEARLY enough research to write a persuasive –'
'Cee? Would you relax?' he drawled boredly. 'I mean, come live in my head. It's lovely and mellow. And yellow, too.'
His brain was made of . . . cheese?
He must have terrible mice problems.
'I'd hate to see what runs though your brain,' I said, in reference to the cheese thing. He raised an eyebrow, but then a corny grin claimed his face, and he burst into song, "If I only had a brain! Well, I would while away the hours, confirmin' with the flowers–' he sang loudly and proudly, prancing around in a pretty good impression of that Scarecrow guy from Wizard of Oz. You know, with the clumsiness and the manifest lack of coordination. You know, if the way he slipped on the tiles and landed on his butt was evidence enough.
I snorted, and he beamed up at me.
'If you only had a dick,' I said. 'Without it, well Adam, you haven't got a brain at all.'
'Oi!' he snapped, 'Do I mock your lack of certain anatomical features? NO,' he replied.
What was that supposed to mean?! I mean, sure, I didn't have a chest as impressive as Suze's, but I wasn't, well . . . without, or anything. I sneered at him, and displayed my dazzling intellect with a mighty fine 'Screw you.'
He stood up, smirking at me. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you?' he demanded.
I didn't get what he meant. 'Huh?'
'To screw –'
But thankfully, I was saved the embarrassment of denying this in outrage, by none other than the Femme Fatale herself.
Suze Simon.
'Hey,' she grinned at me, her curly dark hair falling down her shoulders. She was wearing a red cashmere sweater and black capris. Our school, the Mission Academy, had this stupid anti-jeans thing. It was kind of annoying, but at least it put a stop to Kelly Jelly-for-brains Prescott showing of her latest denim buys everyday. But whatever. I shrugged at her. 'Hey Simon.' I turned to Adam, and instantly felt very depressed.
He had this playful little glint in his eyes, and he was smiling at Suze in a very insinuative way, like he'd like nothing better than to –
Um, yeah. But as usual, Suze was totally oblivious to this. She looked around wearily, with a soft smile on her perfectly sculpted features. Her eyes shone, like vibrant green glitter. It wasn't fair. She got these totally beautiful eyes. And what did I get? Sun-sensitive purple ones. Oh, I'm so proud.
Adam leered at her, as per usual. 'Hey Suze, nice sweater. But damn, it's just so suppressing.' He gave her a pout, and grinned at her wickedly.
Suze raised her eyebrows cynically. 'Um . . . you really need a girlfriend, McTavish.' She shot me a warm look, to which I responded in with an accusing blush. She smirked at me.
'Well, that was the point, Suze,' Adam grinned widely at her, crossing his arms in a really cute way. Well, not cute. No, not, um, cute. He was totally pissing me off. "Oh Suze, how high should I jump? Can I tickle your tummy? Do you want me to drool just a little bit, or a lot?" It was gross. You could totally tell that he wanted her.
It kind of hurt me, the fact that he was just so blind.
Like, hello? Honey, I'm standing right here?!
Instead, I just settled for whacking him hard over the head. He jumped in shock, and his hand shot to the base of his neck. 'Whoa! Ow, God CeeCee!' he yelled, falling away from me in offense. I rolled my eyes at him, and sniffed at Suze.
'Jesus, Cee! Easy with the PMS, okay?' he groaned.
Suze snorted, but gave me a straight face when I glared at her. Oooh, this was awkward. But what? She was SO siding with him. Playing with him, knowing that she had him around her little finger.
While I was left there, completely, um, little-fingerless.
'That was actually my next instinct, Adam,' Suze drawled, shifting her weight onto her left leg so her hip stuck out in this total "Get me while I'm hot!" pose. 'Thumping you, I mean. I think I'm affected by PMS twenty- four seven.'
'Moody bitch, and still attractive,' said Adam in delight, beaming at her with clasped hands.
'No, run. Run now. While there's still time,' she urged, tossing her deep brown curls casually.
Oh, this was sad. In a corridor, just before school started, discussing PMS. Oh, captivating, really. Kindly observe how privileged I feel, not? I mean, you do NOT want your all-time crush picking up on your less-than benign tendencies, let me tell you now. It's not cool. It was embarrassing. And he was gabbing to SUZE of all people about it. Floor, be generous. Eat me now . . . yeah. Now would be good.
Feeling weird, and pissed at the both of them, I turned around and shuffled to my locker to grab my textbooks for the day. Classes were about to start. And I needed to look at something that would stare back at me and underestimate me. I didn't want to see the two of them so friendly.
I grabbed out my Chemistry book hurriedly, and flicked through it to find a page that was less condescending. Aaah, there we go. Periodic table. I could memorize that. Lovely.
Hydrogen.
Helium.
Lithium
Beryllium
Boron
Carb –
'Oh, great. She finds elements more fascinating than us. We're flattered, really,' Adam growled. 'We're not up there with americium, are we? And your good ol' buddy, fluorine? Live a little, Cee. Jesus . . .'
I glared at him angrily. He was teasing me for being smart. What? It was embarrassing, just standing there. At least I could hide behind my books. Hide in the pages of knowledge and facts. Hide my freakishly white hair, and my beady, sun-delicate eyes. I felt a lingering blush creep onto my face, and Suze gave me a sympathetic look, smiling in clemency.
Her eyes twinkled magically. I felt a pang on envy . . . why couldn't I have eyes like that?
'Aaah, Cee. Question?' Adam piped up, leaning against my locker and shutting my locker door pointedly do I couldn't bury myself away in more volumes, 'I was wondering, when you fart, is it carbon dioxide, or oxygen still? I mean, breathing is carbon dioxide, but farting ain't breathing. And while most farts are totally unbreathable – well, mine are – are they still oxygen? I mean, you'd know,' he shrugged, keeping his face perfectly straight, his straight brown hair falling into his impish eyes.
Suze elbowed him 'He means, you'd know because you're a genius. Not because you fart a lot, CeeCee.'
Adam pulled a face. 'Nah, I meant the farting thing,' he nodded indifferently to Suze, who rolled her eyes. He stuck out his tongue at her, and crossed his arms against my locker. I flushed a little more.
My mouth set in an angry line. 'Yeah, Adam. Bringing us back to our little theory of you being an immature idiot. I mean, sparing thought on what type of gas a fart is? That's totally sad, McTavish. Your personal best. And by the way . . .' I added in a mumble, 'I think it's methane. Not oxygen.'
Suze snorted.
That was when Adam jumped forward and brazenly threw both his arms around mine and Suze's and pulled us in so all of our heads just about bashed together. Suze gasped sharply, and so did I . . . but for a completely different reason to her.
But damn it.
'Aaah,' he proclaimed in a voice burdened with lazy satisfaction, 'this is the life. Parleying the amazing concept of flatulence on a cool Friday morning. And Suze is wearing a really hot sweater. And I'm childish. And I smell really good. Life is fine, my dear ladies.' He beamed ahead at nothing in particular, still cradling my face whimsically with his warm hands. Oh, what I wouldn't have given for him to be doing that under totally different circumstances . . .
Suze's forehead was kind of squashed against his chin. 'Um . . . let go, much? Ew, Adam. Who knows where your hands have been.'
Adam, looking scandalized, shoved both of us away in mock outrage. 'I wash them afterwards, Suze, I swear!' he declared.
Oh my God . . . do not explore the questionable hazards of that statement . . .
Suze was grossed out.
'Okay . . . ' she said slowly, stepping back with a grimace, 'I'm going to . . . um, go. You can, er, stay here Cee, and have a jolly chat with Mr McTavish about the wondrous joys of farting and possible masturbation.'
I burst out laughing.
She was now horrified with herself. 'I just said that, didn't I? Oh my God, I did . . .' She scowled scarily at Adam, 'you TOTALLY bring out the worst in me!'
Adam looked completely smug. 'And you love it . . . '
Suze scoffed at him, and gave her hair a trademark toss. The curls picked up the dull morning light to gorgeous effect. That was, of course, when Paul Slater sidled up behind her, grinning in this totally weird way. 'Hey, Suze,' he whispered into her hair.
I stared in fascination as Suze completely jumped, and jerked away from him. Whoa . . . Suze, scared? That was new.
'Hey, weren't you suspended or something?' Adam said coldly. He obviously could feel the friction between the tall, tanned new guy and his blatantly obvious crush. He stepped forward, looking meanly at Paul.
I backed him up with some mild glaring. I mean, come on. This was they guy that totally almost beat us in the Student Government thing. He would have whipped our asses, we all knew it, if he hadn't have been suspended at the very last minute for saying that, um, that thing to the novice. What he said to Kelly, well, that was fine. Any humiliation she undergoes is A-okay with me. In fact, I was kind of cheering for him when that was betiding, but the little Vice President conflict was still fresh in our minds. But really, there was no doubt that Paul was one of the hottest guys to ever set foot in the Mission Academy. Six something feet of strong, muscular perfection, with a mysterious appeal to him, light eyes that hid secrets from everyone, and a smile that would make any woman with eyes melt. I mean, he was even affecting me.
And I'm not usually falling over people, ever. But still. It just further proved the fact that Suze got all the luck. She had everything a girl could ever dream of. Sizzling guys chasing after her, back and fourth, power in her school, the looks, the atttude. And me? I had ultra-white hair.
Suze's grin dropped like a hot potato.
Paul stood taller, and smirked at Adam. 'Finished yesterday. I'm back, and I'm ready to pick up where I left off,' he added hintingly to Suze, who looked suddenly very pale. Adam was staring at Paul in not such a nice way, but I was staring at Suze. The happy smile that had been on her face had now been replaced with an expression of random dread. Had . . . had something happened with them? I gazed at her even more intently
Suze stared at the floor. 'Um, Cee, I'll um, see you later.' She walked away quickly, and with no more than a shrug, Paul quickly followed after her with a sinister gleam in his eyes.
Okay, that was weird . . .
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Okay, chapter one. This isn't going to be a terrifyingly long story, so yeah. PLEASE REVIEW, NICE AND LONG!!! Criticism or praise, we totally don't mind.
Love Kat and Lolly,
Aka Angelic Halo and MystAngel.
Disclaimer: No ownership here. Meg gets it all, aaah poo.
Authors notes: THIS IS BY ANGELIC HALO AND MYSTIQUE ANGELIQUE. Majority of the Mediator stories are written from the point of view of the beautiful ass-kicking babe, Suze. But what about the people in the background? What do they see? What do they feel? Here's how it is to CeeCee Webb. This is Post-Haunted. Enjoy!
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Another day of school. Just fabulous.
Don't get me wrong. I like school and all. Just, you know . . . you know? Okay, you don't know. Great. Well, I'm only explaining once. It's too annoying. And it'll probably waste your time, you know, something this unlikely . . .
You know how at school, there's always that one guy? The guy that you go to school for? Who makes your day to see? Who stands out from the crowd, to you? Who makes you smile during class, just to think about him?
Well, that's Adam McTavish.
But oh, it gets worse.
He's my best friend.
Yep. Classic case of anti-cliché.
Oh, it's not what you think. I'm not a pretty peppy cheerleader who lives in her cherry-pink lipgloss. Ha. That's funny. Tell another one, please. Nah, I'm CeeCee Webb. The nerd. The one with the really, really, really white hair. The one who would be disappointed with a B. Who always has her hand up in Chemistry. What can I say? Science fascinates me, almost as much as gossip. I just love to write about facts and scandals. They are just so intriguing, the fact that some people could do such inglorious things. Real people! Getting caught up in things that they can't control, or can, and chose to do the wrong thing! It's just so –
. . . Sorry. I know. I suck, don't I? Well, don't I know it. Yeah, I'm not exactly the kind of girl to run up to a guy and snog him on the lips. No, I seem to have more dignity than that, damn it. Which is probably why Adam barely knows I exist, except the friend he bums his homework answers off. It really eats me up the way he flirts with Suze.
Oh yeah. Susannah Simon.
Don't call me bitter or anything, but when Suze Simon came to the Junipero Serra Mission Academy, well, things with Adam got a whole lot worse. He is TOTALLY into her! It's not fair! Just because she's the tough brunette from New York with the black clothes and the punk attitude, the gorgeous figure and stuff? Well, it sucks how he's hanging of her every limb, half the day. He's like her chauffeur or something. Drives Suze everywhere, like a lap- dog. I know, I'm a bitch. I know it!
I don't blame Suze, I don't! I mean, she can't help that Adam falls over himself when he walks in the room. She can't help that he gets goggle-eyes all the time, just thinking about her. Trust me, I know when he thinks about her. He tells me enough. "Doesn't Suze have the cutest smile?" "Do you think Suze would say yes if I asked her to the movies on Saturday?"
What am I supposed to say? "No, because you're too much of a joker and Suze would never be interested in someone who thinks that George Bush is possessed by a monkey."
He'd looooooove that . . .
Adam, I mean, not George Bush. Well, him too. And I was being SARCASTIC.
But yeah. It's hard, with Suze here. Adam still trips over his words, even though she's been here for a whole year. And I know secretly that Suze wouldn't ever go for Adam. She's totally hung over this other guy, I think his name's Jesse, and Jesse's a –
Never mind.
Well, yeah, okay. I'll tell you, if you promise not to tell. I mean, it's some really good scuttlebutt, I gotta tell! Suze can talk to the dead. No, I'm serious. Full on "I see dead people." It's totally explaining a lot, let me tell you. Especially lately, from this party at Brad's house. Brad Ackerman's her step-brother. He's a total jock. But yeah, Suze totally went flippo at the party, and kept yelling out to this guy Jesse, who clearly wasn't there.
Hence, Jesse is a ghost.
A spirit. A ghoul. An ooglie-booglie-boo! You know? I know, it sounds totally spastic. But it's true. I saw it with my own eyes. And I'm not someone who would believe this kind of thing unless I have visual, oral and aural proof at the ready. But there's no other way to explain how this other guy, Paul Slater, was being held underwater by seemingly nothing. Yeah, Jesse was doing it.
So yeah. Suze is not into Adam. She was just telling me how badly it's been going for her and Jesse only recently. Bastard apparently moved out. Damn him, she's been really bummed out lately. But anyway. Only, Adam still tries to impress her. You can tell. He spouts the CHEESIEST pick up lines some times, like "You look like an angel. Welcome to Earth," all the way to "Hey...somebody farted. Let's get away to my place." And then there was the "Can I take your picture? Because I want Santa to know exactly what I want for Christmas" one . . . We didn't stop laughing . . .
I mean, Adam, my friends, has no shame.
But I love him.
I really do . . .
No, this is not hormonal. It really isn't. We've been in school together our whole lives. We've lived in Carmel since forever, and every moment, we're always hanging with each other. It's just . . . I dunno, I just wish it were more. I just wish he'd stop seeing me as the science geek. Because, serious, that's probably all I am to him. The best friend who is just there. That's all I'll ever be, with Suze here. She doesn't even know how much Adam talks about her. She hasn't got a clue. She's too busy babbling on about "Oooh, Jesse hates me" and "Paul's trying to get me."
Again, who's bitter?
. . . Stop looking at me.
NOW.
But . . . you know. It's hard to compete with her on something she doesn't even know she's in the prize draw for. God, I don't hate her. No way. In fact, Adam aside, she's my best friend. She really gets me. She doesn't even care that I'm an albino freak. Serious, I have WHITE hair! It's not cool! It's alien!
But Suze doesn't care. She's totally cool with it. Like I'm just like everyone else. It feels, you know, nice to have a friend – that's a girl – that I can hang with.
I just wish ADAM would open his eyes, and see me, not the pretty brunette who threatens to break peoples' fingers when they piss her off.
I . . . I dunno. I just wish he'd see me. Me, CeeCee Webb. I wish he'd see me, staring at him.
But that's not going to happen any time soon, is it?
Oh well, school calls.
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'Hey CeeCee. What's been up? You're looking pale today. I mean, your hair's white and everything - oh yeah, the albino thing. Me observant, yeah, me am.'
This is the greeting I get from the guy of my dreams. Isn't he a charmer?
I rolled my eyes at him boredly. 'Whatever, Mac. Did you even get that essay for World Civ. done?'
'Yes, mum,' he snapped.
Oh God . . . HOW DO I MANAGE TO ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SCHOOL?!
. . . It's natural, damn it.
I groaned inwardly as we were walking out around down the hallways, lined with endless lockers. Clumps of girl were standing around, chatting loudly about leg waxes and facials. Was that what I needed to talk about to get Adam to like me? Did I have to become one of these girls? Be insensitive and egotistical? I didn't want to be like that. I cared about other people, and about issues and stuff, outside the world of cosmetics, you know? I was smart. And uncle says I'm lucky. He says that, for an albino, I'm stunning. But I still don't exactly know if that's a compliment, or not, so strike that from the record, right?
Again, I rolled my eyes. What? Force of habit, so beat it.
'Glad to see you've still got the eye-rolling thing happening there,' he remarked with a wide grin, staring at me sideways. 'You haven't done it for a while. I was beginning to think I'd lost my touch. You know, the "piss- the-shit-out-of-Spider-Webb" touch. You see, us McTavishes work as laxatives. We annoy the shit out of you. Cheers!' he chaffed loudly, spreading out his arms boldly.
A few people turned and stared a little.
Um . . . yeah. That other thing about Adam? He draws a lot of attention to himself. Not in the best way, either. Yeah . . .
'Don't call me "Spider Webb",' I snapped at him. 'Ha, McTavishes? It's only you that drives me insane.' I gave him a pointed glare as we rounded the corner of the locker-lined wall, heading no where in particular, just waiting for a stimulating day of school. Oh, the sarcasm.
'Nah, trust me. It's totally genetic,' he said. 'I mean, with my brother, you can totally tell we were wading in the same gene pool. You know, the laxative effect is very obvious. People shitting them selves all over the place.'
Joy.
'Family reunions must be barrels of laughter then,' I drawled.
'No, Cee, not laughter. Shit,' he said with emphasis on his term for defecation. Man, this guy is not a turn on, by any means. Sheesh . . . 'Aren't yours?' he asked suddenly.
'What?'
'Family reunions,' he simpered. 'You know, that old bat?' He then said, in dramatic mockery of me, '"Aunt Pru? Will I EVER be able to parallel park?" Ha! Cleopatra my butt.'
I glared. Yeah. Go the glaring, argh.
'Hehehe, whoa Cee. Quit with the glare scare. SO not attractive. You're frightening the infants,' he mused. I kind of went red there. He just said the word "attractive" in reference to me . . . of course, it took a moment or two to realize that the word "not" had been oh-so-nicely chucked before it. To cover up my embarrassment, I scowled.
'You're the only baby here,' was my witty come back. 'Fear me, foolish earthling. Yeah.' I glared some more.
He snickered. Which was totally fair. Because that had been so lame, sheesh . . .
'Me, a babe?' he asked slyly.
'Baby. Immature, young, naïve,' I snapped, and stopped in front of the Chem. classroom momentarily to check if Miss Phillips was in there. I needed to see her about an assignment that I wanted to redo. I so had not come up to standard with it, and it really needed repeating. I mean, I'd only got 80%. That's bad for me, and I knew all my stuff on this, too. It was all about, you know, molecular study and atomic explanations and stuff. I mean, I couldn't BELIEVE that I'd gotten the neutrons and the nucleus mixed up! That was like science suicide, it was BASIC stuff. I felt awful about it.
But nah, Miss Phillips was AWOL. Joy.
'. . . Baby,' Adam shrugged thoughtfully. 'I can live with that. So where's my dummy then? Hell, my bottle. I wanna suck something.' He shot my an impish grin, 'I'll just settle for my –'
'Adam!' I hissed in disgust.
' –Thumb,' he replied, smirking. Oh God, you're kidding me, right?
But noooo. He promptly did just that.
Only for show, mind. I swear, I'm gonna kill him one day, which would be kind of a shame, as that tends to obliterate all romantic possibilities.
He sniggered, 'Aaah, Cee, I saw that fear in your eyes, don't deny it, Cobwebb.'
I whacked him on the back of the head, turning away from the door of the Chem. class. Oh well, I'd see her later. I couldn't just let a mark like THAT stay. It was diabolical!
'Don't call me that,' I snapped at him. 'Immature idiot.'
He looked a little shocked for a second, but then settled for a pout. 'Well, I see someone's got knotted panties today.'
And swiftly blew a big fat raspberry.
Niiiice.
I rolled my eyes, and kept walking.
He ran up to me. 'Aww, come on Cee, what's got you all moody? I mean, you were fine . . . ' he suddenly grinned evilly, 'It's not that "monthly" thing, right?'
I made a huge face. 'No! Just shut up, I'm not happy. Get over it. I've got a story due in for the school paper today on the injustice of having no canteen facilities, and I haven't done NEARLY enough research to write a persuasive –'
'Cee? Would you relax?' he drawled boredly. 'I mean, come live in my head. It's lovely and mellow. And yellow, too.'
His brain was made of . . . cheese?
He must have terrible mice problems.
'I'd hate to see what runs though your brain,' I said, in reference to the cheese thing. He raised an eyebrow, but then a corny grin claimed his face, and he burst into song, "If I only had a brain! Well, I would while away the hours, confirmin' with the flowers–' he sang loudly and proudly, prancing around in a pretty good impression of that Scarecrow guy from Wizard of Oz. You know, with the clumsiness and the manifest lack of coordination. You know, if the way he slipped on the tiles and landed on his butt was evidence enough.
I snorted, and he beamed up at me.
'If you only had a dick,' I said. 'Without it, well Adam, you haven't got a brain at all.'
'Oi!' he snapped, 'Do I mock your lack of certain anatomical features? NO,' he replied.
What was that supposed to mean?! I mean, sure, I didn't have a chest as impressive as Suze's, but I wasn't, well . . . without, or anything. I sneered at him, and displayed my dazzling intellect with a mighty fine 'Screw you.'
He stood up, smirking at me. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you?' he demanded.
I didn't get what he meant. 'Huh?'
'To screw –'
But thankfully, I was saved the embarrassment of denying this in outrage, by none other than the Femme Fatale herself.
Suze Simon.
'Hey,' she grinned at me, her curly dark hair falling down her shoulders. She was wearing a red cashmere sweater and black capris. Our school, the Mission Academy, had this stupid anti-jeans thing. It was kind of annoying, but at least it put a stop to Kelly Jelly-for-brains Prescott showing of her latest denim buys everyday. But whatever. I shrugged at her. 'Hey Simon.' I turned to Adam, and instantly felt very depressed.
He had this playful little glint in his eyes, and he was smiling at Suze in a very insinuative way, like he'd like nothing better than to –
Um, yeah. But as usual, Suze was totally oblivious to this. She looked around wearily, with a soft smile on her perfectly sculpted features. Her eyes shone, like vibrant green glitter. It wasn't fair. She got these totally beautiful eyes. And what did I get? Sun-sensitive purple ones. Oh, I'm so proud.
Adam leered at her, as per usual. 'Hey Suze, nice sweater. But damn, it's just so suppressing.' He gave her a pout, and grinned at her wickedly.
Suze raised her eyebrows cynically. 'Um . . . you really need a girlfriend, McTavish.' She shot me a warm look, to which I responded in with an accusing blush. She smirked at me.
'Well, that was the point, Suze,' Adam grinned widely at her, crossing his arms in a really cute way. Well, not cute. No, not, um, cute. He was totally pissing me off. "Oh Suze, how high should I jump? Can I tickle your tummy? Do you want me to drool just a little bit, or a lot?" It was gross. You could totally tell that he wanted her.
It kind of hurt me, the fact that he was just so blind.
Like, hello? Honey, I'm standing right here?!
Instead, I just settled for whacking him hard over the head. He jumped in shock, and his hand shot to the base of his neck. 'Whoa! Ow, God CeeCee!' he yelled, falling away from me in offense. I rolled my eyes at him, and sniffed at Suze.
'Jesus, Cee! Easy with the PMS, okay?' he groaned.
Suze snorted, but gave me a straight face when I glared at her. Oooh, this was awkward. But what? She was SO siding with him. Playing with him, knowing that she had him around her little finger.
While I was left there, completely, um, little-fingerless.
'That was actually my next instinct, Adam,' Suze drawled, shifting her weight onto her left leg so her hip stuck out in this total "Get me while I'm hot!" pose. 'Thumping you, I mean. I think I'm affected by PMS twenty- four seven.'
'Moody bitch, and still attractive,' said Adam in delight, beaming at her with clasped hands.
'No, run. Run now. While there's still time,' she urged, tossing her deep brown curls casually.
Oh, this was sad. In a corridor, just before school started, discussing PMS. Oh, captivating, really. Kindly observe how privileged I feel, not? I mean, you do NOT want your all-time crush picking up on your less-than benign tendencies, let me tell you now. It's not cool. It was embarrassing. And he was gabbing to SUZE of all people about it. Floor, be generous. Eat me now . . . yeah. Now would be good.
Feeling weird, and pissed at the both of them, I turned around and shuffled to my locker to grab my textbooks for the day. Classes were about to start. And I needed to look at something that would stare back at me and underestimate me. I didn't want to see the two of them so friendly.
I grabbed out my Chemistry book hurriedly, and flicked through it to find a page that was less condescending. Aaah, there we go. Periodic table. I could memorize that. Lovely.
Hydrogen.
Helium.
Lithium
Beryllium
Boron
Carb –
'Oh, great. She finds elements more fascinating than us. We're flattered, really,' Adam growled. 'We're not up there with americium, are we? And your good ol' buddy, fluorine? Live a little, Cee. Jesus . . .'
I glared at him angrily. He was teasing me for being smart. What? It was embarrassing, just standing there. At least I could hide behind my books. Hide in the pages of knowledge and facts. Hide my freakishly white hair, and my beady, sun-delicate eyes. I felt a lingering blush creep onto my face, and Suze gave me a sympathetic look, smiling in clemency.
Her eyes twinkled magically. I felt a pang on envy . . . why couldn't I have eyes like that?
'Aaah, Cee. Question?' Adam piped up, leaning against my locker and shutting my locker door pointedly do I couldn't bury myself away in more volumes, 'I was wondering, when you fart, is it carbon dioxide, or oxygen still? I mean, breathing is carbon dioxide, but farting ain't breathing. And while most farts are totally unbreathable – well, mine are – are they still oxygen? I mean, you'd know,' he shrugged, keeping his face perfectly straight, his straight brown hair falling into his impish eyes.
Suze elbowed him 'He means, you'd know because you're a genius. Not because you fart a lot, CeeCee.'
Adam pulled a face. 'Nah, I meant the farting thing,' he nodded indifferently to Suze, who rolled her eyes. He stuck out his tongue at her, and crossed his arms against my locker. I flushed a little more.
My mouth set in an angry line. 'Yeah, Adam. Bringing us back to our little theory of you being an immature idiot. I mean, sparing thought on what type of gas a fart is? That's totally sad, McTavish. Your personal best. And by the way . . .' I added in a mumble, 'I think it's methane. Not oxygen.'
Suze snorted.
That was when Adam jumped forward and brazenly threw both his arms around mine and Suze's and pulled us in so all of our heads just about bashed together. Suze gasped sharply, and so did I . . . but for a completely different reason to her.
But damn it.
'Aaah,' he proclaimed in a voice burdened with lazy satisfaction, 'this is the life. Parleying the amazing concept of flatulence on a cool Friday morning. And Suze is wearing a really hot sweater. And I'm childish. And I smell really good. Life is fine, my dear ladies.' He beamed ahead at nothing in particular, still cradling my face whimsically with his warm hands. Oh, what I wouldn't have given for him to be doing that under totally different circumstances . . .
Suze's forehead was kind of squashed against his chin. 'Um . . . let go, much? Ew, Adam. Who knows where your hands have been.'
Adam, looking scandalized, shoved both of us away in mock outrage. 'I wash them afterwards, Suze, I swear!' he declared.
Oh my God . . . do not explore the questionable hazards of that statement . . .
Suze was grossed out.
'Okay . . . ' she said slowly, stepping back with a grimace, 'I'm going to . . . um, go. You can, er, stay here Cee, and have a jolly chat with Mr McTavish about the wondrous joys of farting and possible masturbation.'
I burst out laughing.
She was now horrified with herself. 'I just said that, didn't I? Oh my God, I did . . .' She scowled scarily at Adam, 'you TOTALLY bring out the worst in me!'
Adam looked completely smug. 'And you love it . . . '
Suze scoffed at him, and gave her hair a trademark toss. The curls picked up the dull morning light to gorgeous effect. That was, of course, when Paul Slater sidled up behind her, grinning in this totally weird way. 'Hey, Suze,' he whispered into her hair.
I stared in fascination as Suze completely jumped, and jerked away from him. Whoa . . . Suze, scared? That was new.
'Hey, weren't you suspended or something?' Adam said coldly. He obviously could feel the friction between the tall, tanned new guy and his blatantly obvious crush. He stepped forward, looking meanly at Paul.
I backed him up with some mild glaring. I mean, come on. This was they guy that totally almost beat us in the Student Government thing. He would have whipped our asses, we all knew it, if he hadn't have been suspended at the very last minute for saying that, um, that thing to the novice. What he said to Kelly, well, that was fine. Any humiliation she undergoes is A-okay with me. In fact, I was kind of cheering for him when that was betiding, but the little Vice President conflict was still fresh in our minds. But really, there was no doubt that Paul was one of the hottest guys to ever set foot in the Mission Academy. Six something feet of strong, muscular perfection, with a mysterious appeal to him, light eyes that hid secrets from everyone, and a smile that would make any woman with eyes melt. I mean, he was even affecting me.
And I'm not usually falling over people, ever. But still. It just further proved the fact that Suze got all the luck. She had everything a girl could ever dream of. Sizzling guys chasing after her, back and fourth, power in her school, the looks, the atttude. And me? I had ultra-white hair.
Suze's grin dropped like a hot potato.
Paul stood taller, and smirked at Adam. 'Finished yesterday. I'm back, and I'm ready to pick up where I left off,' he added hintingly to Suze, who looked suddenly very pale. Adam was staring at Paul in not such a nice way, but I was staring at Suze. The happy smile that had been on her face had now been replaced with an expression of random dread. Had . . . had something happened with them? I gazed at her even more intently
Suze stared at the floor. 'Um, Cee, I'll um, see you later.' She walked away quickly, and with no more than a shrug, Paul quickly followed after her with a sinister gleam in his eyes.
Okay, that was weird . . .
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Okay, chapter one. This isn't going to be a terrifyingly long story, so yeah. PLEASE REVIEW, NICE AND LONG!!! Criticism or praise, we totally don't mind.
Love Kat and Lolly,
Aka Angelic Halo and MystAngel.