"We only part to meet again."

John Gay

Brooklyn, New York

The screen on her phone is lit up and a text message awaits.

Sightings of Claire Bennet were reported from various locations around the world at times that coincided with the first reported in New York. Several hours after they stopped streaming in, an illusionist was brought into Primatech who confessed to having made enemies with the girl and, being overcome with anger at the mention of her death, decided to get revenge on Miss Bennet's family. She was taken care of immediately, and the conclusion of the mystery was enough to satisfy anyone who might have considered asking questions.

You're safe for now, Claire. Don't let this happen again.

It leaves her feeling queasy, knowing that an unnamed and forgotten about someone is paying for her freedom–but guilt doesn't keep her from relaxing just a little when she hears she's safe.

Ob. Ses. Sion. Three syllables. Familiar word.

Obsession. To obsess; preoccupy or fill the mind of (someone) continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent.

Troubling. Cute–like he cares. It's an old friend with a new face. Pretty girl, young and troubled. Brown hair, blue eyes, that smile that lit up the room with her relief, reflecting bits of sunshine off his newly acquired shining armor. He's gone over meeting her so many times the planes of her face are welded into his memory. Memorized. If he closes his eyes, she's there. Waiting.

And so is he–it's a puzzle, Rubik's Cube in mind's eye, wondering how long it'll take her to wander back into his little shop of timepieces and secrets. Maybe she'll ask for a refund on hers.

No, no, not making sense, thinks to himself. Take a step back, this isn't you.

New school, new life. New personality that really doesn't suit her. Trying-to-be-someone Claire Bennet is attempting to fade into please-don't-notice-me Carlie Smith. Never been a brilliant actress, and the urge to stand up in a cafeteria full of unfamiliar faces and scream out all her secrets so that they'll just ache for a glimpse of that ever-so-interesting Claire Bennet is nearly overwhelming.

But this is a new world, and the price of popularity is her head on a silver platter. Bright side is, Carlie has to have some friends, per daddy's orders, or she sticks out like a psycho/sociopathic timebomb waiting to go off. That girl who sits by herself and glares at the normal people with lives is quickly making friends with the school counselor, whether she wants to or not, and that just means difficulties for Bennets who need to blend in. Higher-ups ask too many questions.

"Ugh," and flop, down she goes, onto a bed that could be full of rocks or feathers, for all the sensory perception she's working with.

A long day, to put it lightly. Classes were hard, the only people who would talk to her happened to be the plainest Jane's this side of the 19th century, and, to top it all off, being a pretty-wallflower-new girl somehow spells out 'trouble' more clearly to Miss Queenie than the girl who actually wanted to steal her throne ever could have, resulting in a more intimate relationship with bleu cheese dressing than she'd ever cared to consider beforehand.

The wonders of life, the cliches of high school, whatever you feel like labeling it–Claire is going for a walk to find herself a very large cup of coffee and a job, hoping to whoever might be listening that hellish first days only happen once per circle in the Underworld.

Hair pulled back in a ponytail, jacketless, coffee cup in hand, and her bad day is melting away into the distance. The cool air of mid-fall bites at her cheeks and she feels awake for the first time since she got here–well, disregarding the first night, and that was so beyond awake that it was absolutely insane. Walking down the streets dotted with houses that have their own sort of charm to them, Claire thinks she might be able to survive the transition into Carlie, girl who floats around at the edge of group pictures and keeps to herself until that's the only company she's keeping, wherein she feels like she can do anything. Carlie, innocent of the ways of the world with Ma and Pa there to protect her–

But Claire is lost again and Carlie fades out of the picture, because Carlie always knows where she's going with her parents to guide her, and Claire's are hundreds of miles away. Innocence is useless when the dark alleys are looming in ways they weren't when Claire saw the world through a strangers' eyes, so she drops it even though the thought of no responsibility is enticing.

Self-pity is useless, too, so she moves on to things that'll get her out of this situation as quickly and cleanly as possible. Even Invincible Girls don't like the stains blood leaves on a new shirt. Turn around, retrace your steps and–

Ha! Isn't this funny? Hysterical. Look-e here, you're not lost, Invincible Girl. Isn't that clean-cut little store ever so familiar? Gray & Sons, with hands waiting at seven minutes to midnight. Well, if Chance is going to such trouble to set up a second meeting, might as well keep the appointment.

Keep ahold of the basics, Claire, she thinks to herself. Breath in. Out. Left foot, right foot.

Ding! goes the bell, and she's inside. Breathe in. Breathe out. The store is the same as it was a week ago, well lit, merchandise gleaming, and that door at the back, managing to look inconspicuous even though it exudes a bit of the 'which one doesn't go with the others' vibe. Claire is attempting to put it out of her mind, because disrespecting the privacy of one 'night in shining armor' might not be the best idea. So she'll wait, look around.

Something is niggling at the back of her mind, something she should be remembering but can't seem to quite grasp–something... She's bending over to get a better look at one of the more expensive models of watches, and the door at the back clicks open.

Just as she's turning around, she hears him say–

"Welcome back, Miss Bennet."

Freezing up, deer in the headlights moment, so that's what I forgot–

Breath in. Breath out.

Apologies, apologies, terribly sorry for the (two month?) delay. I was lazy. And then I went to Disney World and 'accidentally' left my laptop at home. And now, I will be attempting to write a 50,000+ word novel in 30 days for NaNoWriMa, so that'll be another full month without updates. I'm very sorry. I'll try and get as many chapters out as I can before the end of the week.

Forgive me, someday?

WildeJunkie96