Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Deceptive Guise (Ookami & Sumi)

Jared had tried to seem unaffected by Chloe wanting to move away from him, but apparently he wasn’t all that skilled in hiding his disappointment. Either that, or Chloe saw right through him, the same way he saw through her when she was lying or hiding something from him. It made him even more jealous of Trent as he thought about how perfect Chloe and he could be, but being jealous of the red head would do nothing in his favor since the deciding factor wasn’t Trent, but the cute young woman who just threw a rather amusing comment his way. A genuine smile tugging at the corner of his lips when Chloe mentioned how he seemed disappointed. A normal guy might have quickly gone on the defensive, explaining that her words weren’t the cause at all. But Jared didn’t feel the need to, knowing full well that despite the serious tone, Chloe didn’t actually believe the hug to be the cause of his disappointment… on the contrary, the lack of a proper embrace was what had him upset. But saying that to her was unfair, and too childish for Jared to consider.

“You know, you’re starting to sound like my mother now” Jared laughed, trying to imagine Chloe with white frizzled hair, and glaring at him from beneath thick spectacles. What he hadn’t expected was the next part. A part of him had automatically assumed Chloe had pulled away from him and used Trent as an excuse. But if there was going to be a ‘next time’ maybe she really was just uncomfortable doing something near Trent? Jared couldn’t really relate, but he supposed it was a bit similar to the feeling that he got whenever Chloe and Trent would openly mess around with each other infront of him. Getting lost in their own little world of two. They’d both been great childhood friends, but he’d always felt a bit like an accessory to what would have already been a happy duo even without him.

“Speaking of mothers, I probably need to hurry home soon anyway, if I don’t get her something to eat soon, she might start digging around in the cat food again.” Jared shook his head, the expression on his face making it hard to determine whether he was being literal or, just exaggerating with the cat-food thing. “I’ll stop being moody, but you owe me a phone call then. If I don’t get it, I’ll probably be so upset that I’ll specially make up a surprise in-class test for your class only.” Jared winked. Already burying his disappointed self. It wouldn’t be the first time Chloe called him, but the times she did was always special to him. And knowing that she was checking up on him, instead of calling him to get his help felt refreshingly nice.
 
Chloe did have a point there… It really wouldn’t be a surprise since he’d already told her about it, but as Chloe had figured, but while Chloe probably wouldn’t mind an easy test. He knew she wouldn’t feel too proud knowing that she’d caused her entire class some grief. Trying to picture what Chloe’s friends would say to her, Jared found himself strangely stumped, wondering which one of the students he could even consider a friend of Chloe’s. It wasn’t like the others were ignoring her or excluding her as something distasteful, but now that he’d given the idea some thought, he made a mental note to check up on the matter. His fingers secretly crossed in hopes that they’d be all female. Trent was a impossibly huge wall to overcome by himself. And Jared honestly didn’t need some young brat popping up out of nowhere and claiming to be closer to Chloe than he was. Time had always been his advantage, but it wasn’t like he’d gotten any closer to having Chloe return his feelings.

Raising an eyebrow as a sudden unlady-like sound growled out at the world around it. Green eyes glanced over at Trent, wondering if the redhead had prepared anything for dinner… unlikely. Last time Jared had checked, the fridge had been nearly empty, and the pantries bare of anything edible…. But perhaps things had changed? Frowning he was about to invite Chloe out to dinner with him, yet his plans were shredded before he could even make the first move. A quick reminder not to be reckless accompanied by her hands pressing against his body, ushering him out. It wouldn’t have been hard to shake Chloe off. She wasn’t exactly muscular nor athletic. But then again, she had a completely different power working over him. An emotional attachment, he doubted he’d ever manage to overpower. The moment of bliss only lasted until he was outside the door, taking no more than a few seconds, he did feel a bit disappointed that his time with Chloe had come to an end, but he managed to hide his feelings this time. Smiling and waving lightly back at her
“Bye…”

------

Exhausted, Trent had managed to sleep a good portion of the events that had unfolded between Jared and Chloe, but it was impossible for even him to sleep through it all, and somewhere along the line he’d scowled at the racket they were making, wondering if he should kick them both out. Trent had no intentions to kick Chloe out, but throwing her out with Jared wasn’t quite a hostile act. If anything Chloe would likely live much more comfortably with Jared than him. In fact that option had been the first that had come to mind when his father had called regarding Chloe, but Jared had declined the offer, saying that as much as he’d love the opportunity, Chloe would want to live with him over anyone else. An unwelcome statement that even Trent knew was fact.

Sensing Chloe looming over him, Trent hidden eyes glinted with curiosity. Her quiet movements clearly intending to check if he was genuinely asleep, he couldn’t help but wonder what his little sister would try if he continued to feign sleep. Her actions ignited a long forgotten playful feeling inside him. The nostalgia of their childhood washing over him internally as he waited. He figured it’d be something bratty like sneaking his wallet out of his pocket… or perhaps she hadn’t outgrown her childhood and she’d play with his hair or poke his cheek?

If only Trent had known that he was the one thinking childishly, he would have moved his hand away and glared at Chloe coldly. Asking her what she was doing before pushing her away with more harsh words that she didn’t deserved to be attacked with. His body instinctively flinched the moment some soft pressed up against his lips. His body going tense with shock as the seconds ticked by. He’d known for years that Chloe had special feelings for him, in fact it’d been the driving force behind him leaving her behind. Hoping that she’d find some nice guy and live happily ever after with him. He never expected her to brood over him for four years. After all, silly little teenage crushes weren’t supposed to last that long were they. His mind going numb as a unfamiliar yet pleasant feeling swept through him. It wasn’t his first kiss by any means, but it felt oddly different. A bit shy, a bit clumsy, but mostly filled with a heart warming heat that forced Trent to quietly accept her actions. Subconsciously parting his lips a bit to allow her better access. If Chloe had been in a right state of mind, she’d have noticed Trent, who was supposedly sleeping had also held his breath the whole time. But before she could notice she pulled away, turning her back on him and quickly retreating into the kitchen.

Unable to move or breathe, Trent simply sat there. His hand slowly sliding off his eyes to reveal his cold eyes. A forced look of anger and disgust. It felt horrible yet comforting when he scowled and rubbed his lips with the back of his hand. Irritation being directed straight towards the kitchen were Chloe undoubtedly was. Trent wasn’t exactly the most moral person around, but he knew what was and wasn’t appropriate, and what Chloe had just done to him was not only cowardly, but unfair.

Taking a few brief moments to think things over, he silently picked himself off the couch, slinking quietly over towards the kitchen. His mind had been completely blown by the kiss, and not in a good way either. He’d tried moving away, he’d tried verbally abusing her, and neither had worked. If Chloe wanted him that badly, she’d could have him… for a degrading horrific price of course. Creeping closer to Chloe as she rummaged through one of the cupboards, trying to distract herself, it wasn’t hard at all for Trent to sneak up right behind her, wrapping a threatening hand around her waist, while the other hand lifted her chin upwards, one thumb pressing against the side of her chin, while all four fingers brushed against her neck.

“Pillaging my kitchen now huh?” Trent whispered dangerously, kindness and affection completely absent from his voice as he grazed his lips against her earlobe. “That aside, what did Jared want? Not causing my dear friend any trouble are you little sister?” he hissed, tightening his hold on her waist and pulling her back into him.
 
Chloe could act as tough and resistant as she wanted, but the blush on her cheeks was something Trent couldn’t possibly miss. Not when the tip of his nose was just barely touching her cheek. The warmth of her body felt amazingly good against his own which had woken up only a few minutes ago, and laid dormant in an almost hibernative state. And there was a distinct scent coming off her body that was both alluring and nostalgic. “Perhaps? While I’m at it, I suppose I should point out that you stink” Trent snickered cruelly.

Refusing to remove his hand, and pressing even harder into Chloe, he was basically grinding himself against her in a way that would be considered inappropriate by anyone watching. To an extent he almost resembled a horny animal that had awoken to find an attractive young woman in his lair. Though his words were neither longing or desperate, simply cruel. “I could ask him, but I don’t really need to, I already know what he wants from us” he paused, slipping his tongue out and over his lips hungrily, looking over at her from behind with predatory eyes that reflected nothing more than a quick snack. “I was asking what he wanted, you know, the thing you found so awkward” he continued, letting his slick tongue wander closer to her neck, lingering in mid air for a moment indecisively before being withdrawn and away from Chloe. Smirking at her reaction, knowing that Chloe had no way of escaping him without lashing out at him.

“And I should also ask if you know who’s responsible for leaving a foul taste in my mouth a few seconds ago” he asked, his words clearly indicating that he already knew more than Chloe would hope. His fingers slowly slithered upwards, the tips of his long firm fingers brushing her neck softly once more before creeping over her lips. The forefinger and middle finger tracing the upper and lower lip respectively, before nudging at her oral entrance, forcefully pushing past her lips and pushing against her front teeth before slipping between even them. Arrogantly confident that Chloe wouldn’t dare bite him. He playfully moved his fingers around inside her for a bit, coating his fingers with what saliva before pulling them out and smearing it on her cheek. “Well?”
 
Silently cocking his head to the side at her question, it took him a few seconds to register what exactly she was saying, and a few more to come up with an answer that not only sounded right, but also felt right. Shrugging his shoulders as best he could with both hands tied, he didn’t seem the least bit offended or annoyed by her snapping at him. Instead expressing a bored look along with a simple tone of voice as if he were stating the most obvious thing in the world. “I find your feeling for me to be amusing” he admitted. Neither accepting or rejecting them, his words were distant ones, sounding as if the feelings didn’t affect him in the slightest, and were just emotions he was viewing as an outsider watching someone else. “It’s not like a kiss has any significance to me, just need to wash my mouth out afterwards and it can’t do me any harm.”

Seemingly not even the slightest bit guilty for his tasteless words, he continued on. Changing the topic to address the other part of her whiny rant. Apparently not caring about the events from the night before. “What it can harm though is our relationship” he stated, his voice suddenly going from amused boredom to the familiar cold hateful tone. “I’d rather not live with a selfish slut that thinks she can take advantage of me when I’m not looking, last thing I need is a scandal ruining my reputation…” Pausing to let the words sink into Chloe’s mind. He’d intentionally chosen hurtful words, and shifted the blame on Chloe, fully intending to repeatedly point out her poor judgment over and over again until she finally gave in. Kissing him was a simple act, but a breach of trust nonetheless, and while Trent claimed that the kiss meant nothing to him, it was probably more symbolic to him than he’d ever care to admit.

“You’re not welcome here as a sister…. But if you’re that interested in kissing me, I suppose I wouldn’t mind accepting you as something else.” Weakening his hold on her waist, his hands wandered downwards, slithering over her nether regions with carefully aggressive hands, openly rubbing against her thighs through the fabric of her garments. “If you’re looking for a loveless relationship I’m happy to give you what your body wants, it’s been awhile since I tasted a fresh virgin” he snickered cruelly, curling his fingers and tugging at her thighs, his other arm still snaked around her upper torso holding her neck in a choke-like hold. “The only catch is that you’re required to do anything and everything I tell you to do, be a good girl for me and I’ll let you sleep beside me each night as Chloe, my cute little pet sister.”
 
Soaking in each and every word she spat out, Trent calmly waited for her to finish, making no effort to reassert his hand or continue the unloving molestation of her body. His expression blank and unreadable as he simply listened, only grimacing when Chloe accused him of being selfish. Being told that he wasn’t much better than her managed to crack his mask of apathy for just a brief second before even that faded away. A cold steely silence filling the room, the sound of heavy aggravated breathing and the Chloe upset beating heart being the only sounds Trent could make out from his surroundings. He waited. Staring down at her without uttering a single word in response, though the emotionless look said more than Chloe would ever need to know. He didn’t love her, and he didn’t care if she was emotionally hurting.

“Is that it?” Trent whispered quietly, that cruel empty tone of his dampening for a moment… or perhaps the quietness had concealed the venom that had been so prominent in his words before? Either way, his words were short, but uncaring enough to deal another blow to her. Further emphasis on a message that had already been made quite clear. “If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you” he stated, taking a deep breath before looking straight into Chloe’s eyes. Bright blue eyes reflecting freezing cold eyes. “I don’t love you Chloe, and these feeling won’t ever change. I think of you as a nuisance in my life, and you’re right. I’d rather not deal with your feelings for me.” His words weren’t hateful nor intended to heart. He was stating facts. An official statement that completely rejected everything Chloe felt for him, and any chance of Trent returning such feelings. He hadn’t outright stated he hated her, but it was probably close enough.

“Happy now?” he asked, relaxing his hold on her just a bit more. Chloe was a nuisance, but as stated countless times, Trent didn’t want to have to deal with knowing that Chloe had gone off and done something stupid because of him. “If there’s anything else you want me to clear up for you tell me now and I’ll answer. The next time we’ll talk to eachother is when you’ve found somewhere to move to, or when you’re willing to become my property. Got it?” he asked, maintain his official attitude, stating one thing after another matter in a way which left no doubt in anyone’s mind that Trent had no intentions of returning to the kind loving brother Chloe had looked up to and adored. Despite her request to be let free, Trent maintained his hold on her, albeit a weaker hold which could be broken if Chloe tried really hard. He seemed to have something else on his mind that he wanted to say, though the determined look was tainted with hesitation.
 
Gritting his teeth at Chloe’s feeble attempt to taunt him. He didn’t know what was worse. The fact she’d seen through his emotions and picked out his indecision, or the way Chloe pointed out that his words were nothing more than hateful words meant to hurt her. The two things they had in common were that they were both brutally true. What mattered the most was that Chloe got it into her head that a relationship with him of any kind was just not happening… for both their sakes. Even his suggestion of making her his personal sex toy had been a crude insult hurled her way, with Trent fully knowing that proud little sister he knew would never succumb to such a dog-like position. Though regardless of his intentions, he was surprised to find himself a bit annoyed at the rejection he’d fully anticipated.

He didn’t know if it was the irritation, or something completely different that forced him into action next. His fingers gently sliding along her smooth neck and up to her cheek, caressing it almost lovingly before forcefully pressing his lips against hers in a skillfully forced kiss. Taking advantage of the surprise situation and biting lightly on her lower lip, before slipping his tongue inside her to savagely assault Chloe’s tongue with his own, tasting her hungrily and lovingly. His hold on her had was still present, but his hands were so much more gentle, holding her gently the same way a lover would. It was almost like an exact replica of something Chloe would have imagined if her brother somehow felt the same way she did.

But such fantasy’s were impossible to obtain, and if it was somehow obtained, it lasted only a few fleeting moments before the illusion crumbled and reality reared its ugly head. “As of this moment you’re no longer my sister” Trent declared, breaking away from Chloe and releasing his hold on her completely. His feet carrying him a few steps back away from Chloe to emphasize the distance between them. “You’re just a pesky tenant, and I’m the landlord, you’re free to do whatever you want as long as you don’t interfere or intrude into my life. That includes getting yourself in trouble and making other people complain to me about what you’ve been doing.”

Trent only waited a second before turning his back on Chloe and marching back over to his room, a shaky hand reaching out for the door to his room and turning the knob. Though not before taking one last glance towards Chloe, whispering his own personal farewell to Chloe “Goodbye little sister.”

And with that, he was gone.
 
Hiding away in his room once more, Trent slumped over his bed. Completely exhausted despite having been in a light sleep only a few minutes ago. He could hear Chloe outside, yelling and making a fuss about what he’d done to her. Trent himself wasn’t entirely sure why he’d done it. The kiss was supposed to symbolic in the sense that he no longer saw her as a sister. Part of it was also get revenge on Chloe for stealing a kiss. And lastly it had simply seemed like a good idea at the time. Though all things considered, even Trent knew that he was making up silly excuses to conceal how he really felt about Chloe. He could only hope that Chloe would learn to keep her distance from him now that he’d made it absolutely clear that he wasn’t interested in her as a lover, a sister, or even as an individual person.

The moment he heard Chloe bang her foot against his door, he jumped out of bed. Taking a few steps towards the door, his hand outstretched and floating in the air. His mind suddenly shutting down the urge to go check if Chloe was okay. The only thing that separated them was a thin wooden door, a door which Trent hadn’t even bothered to lock when he’d made his retreat. But after what he’d just done, and what he had to do from now on, going out would not only be confusing for Chloe, but could also shatter the determination he’d worked so hard to build up.

Shaking his head, and holding back the urge to at least confirm she wasn’t hurt too badly, Trent made his way back over towards his bed. Burying his face in his hands and trying to calm the pumping adrenaline in his veins. He’d managed to stay calm the whole way through, but after the kiss… his entire body had warmed up intensely. The warmth of Chloe’s body still lingering on his chest along with the cheap smell of perfume…. Well cheap by Trent’s standards anyway seeing as the women he knew wore expensive brands that even Trent had heard of a few times during his career. What got his body excited the most though was the delicious taste still swirling around behind his lips. His body craving more of that delicious nectar only Chloe could provide. The thought alone made him scowl, his mind trying to imagine how sweet her ‘other’ lips would taste. He didn’t know when the last time Chloe had eaten was, but unlike most kisses, Trent could only describe his first deep kiss with Chloe as tasting like Chloe…. Whatever that meant.

Laying still in bed as Chloe declared that she was leaving, Trent was once again tempted to voice his opinion. Asking the typical questions a parent or guardian would ask their child if they were leaving home and possibly staying out until after dark. But Trent had already made up his mind not to get involved, and backing out now was completely out of the question. Not with what was at stake at least anyway. Plus, it wasn’t like he could stay awake for much longer anyway. With Chloe gone, sleep was quickly moving in to claim him, lulling him into a dark abyss that he couldn’t resist no matter how hard he tried.

---------

Amber golden eyes scanned the store, a bored yawn escaping Chris’s lips as he headed towards the checkout. A basket full of vegetables, pasta, and various meats shoved all into the one plastic basket that looked as if it’d break at any moment. The hand that held the basket was also unusual, the knuckles of his hands speckled with dried blood. Something Chris had failed to notice after his altercation with a former client of his that figured Chris was just some typical brat trafficking drugs for spare change. The day had been full of bothersome events, first an annoying math test, then the little dispute during lunch, and then a dumbass drug addict who was probably a bit gone in the head anyway. He’d only just started to wonder what sort of disaster awaited him on the way home when he thought he saw a familiar face in the other isle. A curious frown crossing his face before he hurried down the isle and over the next, staring at Chloe who was picking through groceries with a rather dull look in her eyes.

He could have left her alone. She didn’t look like she wanted company… but Chris, being Chris casually walked over to her, lifting his hand up at her to catch her attention “Strange time to be shopping” he stated walking closer to her and smirking casually as if the events from earlier that day had never happened. Though that too only lasted a moment as the topic quickly shifted, “School spoken to yet? About the detention with me I mean.”
 
Shrugging her initial remark off, it wasn’t like Chloe was the first one to point out that he wasn’t likely to do his own shopping. But being a firm believer of doing the important things yourself was simply how Chris was. In honesty, he’d tried to get one of his lackeys to do it in the past… but they’d rocked up at his place with all the wrong brands, and ingredients. He supposed he couldn’t blame his kitchen incapable cronies, but when he asked for asparagus and got bean sprouts… well… he didn’t feel like thinking back on the experience. A slight throb pulsing in the back of his head to remind him how fed up he was with all the ‘idiots’ in the world.

“Better things to do? Not that I’m aware of” Chris snickered, rolling his eyes at how clueless Chloe seemed to be. “I don’t want to get expelled or anything do I? My education is at stake” he joked, clearly not thinking much about the boring classes that were repeated day in, day out.

Reaching over and grabbing the bag of rice out of Chloe’s basket and tossing it back on the shelf, at first it seemed like the most immature, yet annoying thing anyone could do in a grocery store. But a moment later the blonde grabbed a different bag and put it in Chloe’s basket. Muttering a quick “Cheaper, and better quality.” His hands moving mechanically, acting as if nothing had happened the next second.

“You’re not planning to ditch are you? Henry wouldn’t be happy if you didn’t turn up” he sniggered, raising an eyebrow a moment later noticing the confused look on Chloe’s face. “Henry Goldfield? Scrawny little man, beetle black eyes? The Principal of the school you attend?” he repeated, frowning a bit, irritated that he’d have to explain to Chloe who he was talking about.

“Anyway I’m sorry to- that’s expired, check the date before you decide to buy something” he cut himself off, pointing towards the item Chloe was about to throw into her basket. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve got no intentions of ditching detention this time round, and I’m hoping you’re not dumb enough to skip it either, wouldn’t want to cause any more trouble in your last year now would you?”
 
Chris couldn’t care less about his education, but having his little ‘playground’ taken away from him wasn’t something he wanted to happen, and while his friends and lackeys meant very little to him, he supposed it’d be bothersome to start from scratch. Plus, even if Chris didn’t care for his own education there was someone at home waiting for him that cared enough to make Chris accept the casual imprisonment by his educational overlords. It was an hour or two wasted at most, and it really wasn’t like he had much else that really needed doing. A few people would be upset, but the few people could go screw themselves.

“Does that mean you’re in a worse mood than usual? As far as I can recall, you don’t really have a happy side.” Chris pointed out, casually stating how Chloe never really seemed happy about anything. She might have been a diligent and hardworking student to some of her teachers, but her peers tended to avoid her for a variety of reasons. As Chloe had pointed out, the cause was partially Chris’s own, and he was well aware of that. But at the same time, he’d eavesdropped on enough social chatterings to know that many people didn’t like Chloe for who she was. Some regarded her as an arrogant bitch who thought she was too good for everyone else. While others thought she was a suckup to the teachers. And of course, some just found her plain dull.

“I mean exactly what I said, last time I skipped detention… actually nevermind, I’ll leave it up to your imagination” seemingly changing his mind at the last moment. It shouldn’t have come as any surprise that Chris himself had things he wasn’t quite willing to share with others. And while Chloe was a puppet dancing to his tune as far as he was concerned, he didn’t really have any reason to be taking risks and having some stupid bitch from school peeping into his personal life.

“Right, you don’t have a choice” he reaffirmed, nodding his head a bit childishly, content that Chloe knew her position well. He did notice how she was acting differently from how she usually acted in school, but he just passed it off as a mood thing. Chris himself had to admit that he wasn’t in the best of moods when he was required to stay in some crowded building used to quarantine children from early in the morning to mid-afternoon each day based on their year of birth.

Chris himself had finished shopping and had been heading out prior to noticing Chloe, so he was technically done shopping too. Despite Chloe seemingly wanting to leave him behind, Chris absent mindedly followed her to the front counter. Waving at the young college-aged woman at the checkout and exchanging a brief smile with each other. “Seriously Bec, this is like the fifth night this week you’ve been here, get kicked out of college or something?” Chris smirked, motioning for Chloe to go ahead and have her groceries ‘blipped’ first. “Or did you finally realize managing this cheap little shack would earn you more than a degree in the creative arts?”

The woman wore a light green tag on her uniform, the word ‘Manger’ written in fancy cursive writing, with the name ‘Rebecca’ scrawled in an almost illegible way. “Hah! Says the twerp that could get locked up tomorrow, who’s this pretty anyway? Wait, wait! Let me guess, ain’t a girlfriend since no one could love a jerk like you ‘sides Tessy, don’t look like a cousin… hmm” the woman’s eyes looked over Chloe curiously, though her hands moved quickly in the meantime, scanning each item and professionally placing them in the right bag…. A skill only a few checkout people seemed to have these days.
 
Chris scowled the moment ‘Tessy’ was mentioned, an obviously unwelcoming look being shot Chloe’s way as if to tell her to pretend she hadn’t heard anything. The fact he’d stopped himself from mentioning that name only a few moments ago didn’t help the situation in the least. And the ensuing glare shot towards Rebecca made the woman cover her mouth with her hands in an exaggerated motion, that really couldn’t be interpreted as her taking the rather unhappy glare seriously. The sentiment only emphasized when Rebecca turned her attention to Chloe, ignoring Chris’s protests as she began scanning through Chris’s items.

“Haha, I know what’cha mean, but really, should see how big and tough ol’Chrissy here is when Tessy’s around he-“
“Shut it Rebecca, keep spewing crap like that and you’ll learn to shut up the hard way” Chris spat, the friendly attitude completely gone. The cold hateful scowl somewhat resembling Trent’s, it actually looked like Chris would jump over the counter at any moment now and brutally beat Rebecca until she was quite clearly deceased. But the young woman seemed completely unbothered by his comments, giving Chloe a cheeky wink before whispering “-he wouldn’t be talking to me like that, that’s for sure.”

A giggle later, Chris slammed his money on the counter, clearly wanting to leave as soon as possible. He didn’t even bother to say farewell to the manager of the store before grabbing his bags with one hand, and grabbing Chloe’s hand with the other, dragging her out of the store without giving her a chance to object. It only took two or three seconds until they were out the door, and before Chloe could really start resisting, Chris had already released her hand. His face dangerously close to Chloe’s, though not at all in an sexual or attractive way.

“What you just heard, forget it. You heard nothing from that loud mouthed whore, got it?” Chris demanded, looking more desperate than commanding. Chris himself seemed to have realized how desperate he sounded, shaking his head to deny her a question before it was asked. “Not that I care or anything, it’s just that I don’t enjoy having strangers prying into my personal life” he grunted, looking around the deserted street before letting out a reluctant sigh. “You probably couldn’t care less what I want, but unless your some sadistic bitch that likes ruining people lives, you won’t tell a single soul. And if you do…” going quiet, Chris showed no signs of finishing his sentence, leaving it to Chloe’s imagination to determine what he was implying.
 
Chris was a bit puzzled himself when Chloe stared up at him, fear reflecting quite clearly in her eyes. Less than half a day ago she’d been an obnoxious little girl that seemed to think herself invincible, and yet here she was treating him with the same fearful look that everyone else wore. A glint of hurt shone in his amber eyes before he pulled away, disappointed in Chloe, and also annoyed that his one favorite toy in the school would become so useless after one little confrontation. Her reaction was normal, as anyone in their right mind would prefer not to be beaten up, or sexually assaulted by someone they had no romantic feelings for. “You too huh” he whispered quietly, biting his lip in irritation before pulling away. He’d gotten the answer he’d wanted, and the anger in him seemed to have abated a bit. Yet he now seemed disappointed. The look in his eyes closely resembling the look Chloe wore when Trent had first left her, and again when she’d been told that Trent didn’t want her around.

“Whether I ruin yours or not depends solely on whether you learn to enjoy it or not” he grumbled, his snarky comments sounding less lively and menacing than usual. It almost sounded like some really bad western voice actor, reading from a script and having no idea what they’re reading, and no connection with the character they were voicing. Noticing the lifelessness himself, he quickly shook the dark feelings away, smirking at her confidently and shrugging his shoulders to indicate he didn’t care if she left. “Sure, go ahead… just don’t ruin her life…” Chris repeated, not caring how unfair his demand was. If Chloe wanted to ruin his life, he’d welcome her challenge with open arms… assuming it didn’t involve ruining someone elses life first. There were many reasons Chris wanted to keep ‘Tessy s’ existence a secret, but that wasn’t something he was willing to divulge at the time, nor did he ever plan to tell Chloe, or anyone else.

Jerking his head to tell Chloe to get going, no longer wanting to continue taking about his special someone. Chloe had only taken a few steps when Chris suddenly stopped her. His tone sounding strangely alien to even Chloe who’d experienced his constant pestering for nearly a year now. “Hey Chloe…” he paused, not quite knowing what to say next, he tried to work out some acceptable way to express himself, but eventually settled for the direct approach, not being all that great with faking his emotions and thoughts. “Take… care, I guess… Hopefully when I see you in detention tomorrow you’ll be feeling better than today” Chris scoffed, his cheeks still a bit flushed, though whether it was from the anger or a new emotion entirely remained indiscernible.

Turning away and stuffing his hands along with the plastic bag handles, he headed down the opposite side of the street, not wanting to be questioned over his words, he didn’t really care if Chloe was in a good or bad mood. But he definitely liked Chloe better than when she was rebelliously defying him. Reminding him that not everyone in the world bowed to his every wish and whim. Obviously he didn’t enjoy people making his life difficult… but obedience could easily get boring, and if Chloe ended up being like all the others, Chris didn’t know if he had any reason to look forward to going to school in the mornings anymore.
 
The phone had only dialed once before Jared’s familiar voice responded with an excited, nearly childish voice. His eagerness flooding through the phone wiring and into Chloe’s ear. It was almost comical in a way, and it didn’t take much to imagine Jared waiting in front of his phone, wondering and waiting patiently so that he could respond to Chloe’s call even a single second earlier. Jared himself must have realized his own childishness, as his voice turned a bit more stern after a few forced coughs. “Err, I mean I was wondering when you’d call, was about to start drafting up that test” Jared stated in mockery. Trying to regain his composure as much as possible, only to have the moment ruined a high pitched shouting from the other side.

“Jared! The cat food’s run away again!” the voice called, the shrill slightly batty sound of Jared’s mother sounding loud and clearly. Chloe’s and Jared’s mother didn’t really know each other that well, though there’d been a few times during her childhood that the frizzy white haired lady had watched them while they played. She wasn’t an unpleasant person… well not intentionally, perhaps a bit senile and just a bit more unreserved in her opinions than most people.

“Bottom left cupboard, where you always keep it mother” Jared called back, sounding a bit annoyed at being disrupted. “Sorry, about that-“

“There’s no cat food in the cupboard, just some dirty little cans with a picture of someone elses cat on it!” The woman shouted though her tone was less distressed and more playful than it should have been. It was already dark outside, and an awkward time to be feeding a pet, butJared didn’t seem to notice, responding back with a quick “That’s the catfood mother, and before you ask, you don’t need a can opener, just pull the tab.”

“Jared!”
“What now?” the brunette shouted, his irritation starting to show in his voice. He’d been waiting for Chloe’s call ever since he’d gotten home. The batty old hag hadn’t bothered him at all for the past hour, yet the moment he got a phonecall things suddenly seemed to have gotten hectic.

“Tell your little childhood crush that she’s expected to visit, I haven’t seen her in what…. 40 years now?” The elderly woman joked slyly, not knowing that Chloe could hear everything she was saying.

“She’s not- I mean she is, but not…. Ugh, just feed your damn cat and leave me along you stupid hag!” Jared called out, the embarrassment in his voice obvious; it didn’t take much to imagine how red in the face he’d be right now.
 
There was no denying his excitement, but having someone else point it out to him wasn’t exactly the best feeling in the world. But then again Jared wasn’t brave enough to acknowledge the fact and admit it to Chloe, but at the same time he was too honest to deny the truth. He probably should have been a bit concerned about how much respect one of his own students were showing him, but the day Chloe addressed him as ‘sir’ in private would unmistakably be the worst day of his life. Plus, he sort of liked Chloe the exact way she was at the moment. Though if he were permitted to be a bit greedy, he wouldn’t mind a bit more intimacy between him and what his mother described as his childhood crush…. Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure which came first. Acknowledging his feelings himself, or having his mother tell him that he was in love with Trent’s little sister. Jared himself had been a brat at one stage, somehow thinking that falling for Chloe would make him less ‘cool’ but more worried that Trent wouldn’t react positively to such a revelation, years of keeping quiet had eventually resulted in sticking him in a rather uncomfortable yet pleasant position. Close enough to be a close friend, but far too distant to be anything more. It was pleasant because he enjoyed being someone she could confide in, but that last extra step needed to close the gap between them and become something more was far too big for Jared to overcome without some sort of trigger.

Wishing that the old woman would just shut up and leave him alone, he honestly didn’t know how to continue the conversation after the last comment his mother had made. Secretly… or not so secretly, Jared wanted Chloe to come over as well, but again, he couldn’t quite do that without a proper excuse, and his mother wanting to see her again was far from being important enough. Hence it came as a great surprise when Chloe suddenly told him she might visit soon, A confused stutter coming from the receiver of the phone as Jared tried to think of some way to explain his mother’s truthful but unwanted instructions. He’d know that Chloe would have heard him talking to his mother, but never had he expected Chloe to actually be able to hear his mothers ranting and raving as well…… Wait…. Soon? Going quiet as his mind registered what Chloe had said, the irritation immediately vanished from his voice, rebounding to sound grateful “Y-you know you don’t have to come over just because she wants you to…. I mean it’d be great if you could, but ….. trying to focus in on a specific part of what his mother had said, Jared decided it was best to pretend the first part of his mothers shouting hadn’t been heard until Chloe asked him about it.

Whether it be a good or bad thing, Chloe didn’t ask about it. Instead turning the conversation into a typical topic between Chloe and himself. Jared himself had heard about the little rumors flying around, but he’d passed it off as highschool chitchat. Fictional rumors that had been concocted up by students that had nothing better to do with their time. As always he listened to everything Chloe had to say before giving her his opinion, though he couldn’t help but sigh beforehand seeing as he was about to tell Chloe something she probably didn’t want to hear.

“First off, if you left the house at midnight then you probably owe Trent an apology, the idiot probably won’t admit it, but you probably had him worried sick. I’ve already told you that I don’t believe he thinks you’re a nuisance, and I’m hoping you’ve got enough sense to figure out he doesn’t mean it if he really is saying it….

But that aside, I don’t think you’re going crazy, though I’d guess the person you met probably is if they’re hanging out at night waving colored candle flames in your face. Probably just someone trying to capitalize on the rumor and make it seem more real. It’s not even hard to color flames, simple science experiment where you mix metals with heat to give off a certain color, magnesium or copper for example… can’t remember the exact colors myself, but I can have one of the science teachers show it to you tomorrow if you want?”

Jared was certain that Chloe wouldn’t lie to him about something so bizarre, but it was pretty hard to believe a witch was out there, cursing people at random for whatever sick reason she had. Obviously Jared was interested in what the wish was, but seeing as Chloe hadn’t mentioned it, he figured he might as well ask the opposite. “Fine, I won’t ask, but at least tell me why you think you’re cursed? A lot of supposed curses end up being simple tricks of the mind where you start reading too deeply into things.”
 
Jared was taken aback by the string of unfortunate events that Chloe claimed to have experienced. In truth, he hadn’t really considered the situation to be all that serious, and figured Chloe was simply over exaggerating after not meeting eye to eye with her brother and being picked on at lunch time. Unlucky? Sure. Coincidence most likely. But the way Trent was acting seemed a bit over the top for even Jared who felt as if he knew more than Chloe did. He could understand why Trent wouldn’t want Chloe living with him. He could even understand why Trent would say he didn’t want Chloe as a sister. But not speaking to her?

Deciding that he probably should have a word with Trent in private, he decided to leave that matter for another time and focus on the other issue… or rather what Chloe was perceiving to be the cause of all her misfortune. “Are you sure it was an old lady? Not a kid wearing a mask, or maybe makeup? It was pretty dark last night right?” Jared offered, trying to move things away from the ridiculous concept of curses and witches. “Or it could have been some crazy old woman getting a kick out of it, I know my mother would probably copycat the prankster if she found out about it.”

What was most alarming though was the mentioning of Chris. While Jared tried to be a fair and understanding teacher, there were also kids like Chris who Jared simply saw as a lost cause. The ideology of all students being equal and all having potential was a nice one, but even an idiot would quickly realize that it wasn’t a very practical one. Chris turning up again near Chloe was neither curse nor bad luck in Jared’s opinion, but a carefully calculated attempt to drag Chloe into trouble that neither Chloe or Trent would want to deal with. “As for Chris, I can’t even begin to imagine ‘that Chris’ being anything close to normal, but what I can say is that you’re better not getting involved with him. I hate to sound like one of those crazy parents, but a girl like you shouldn’t be associating with the likes of Chris” Jared snarled. Personally he’d never liked Chris as a person. Something about him just seemed off, and when Jared learned the rumor of Chris and Chloe being together he’d have been overcome with anger and jealousy if disbelief hadn’t struck him first.

“Detention isn’t that bad…. Normally, I mean it’s not like it’ll scar your academic record or anything. But If I’m to be completely honest with you, I don’t really want you turning up for school tomorrow. Telling the school you’re sick, and that I’ve received a phonecall from your parents should be adequate enough to convince the school to let you off until the detention’s over, but I’m guessing you’re not exactly in the mood to be holed up at home at the moment?” Jared asked, realizing that Chloe probably didn’t want to stay at home with Trent being the way he supposedly was. And having Chloe wandering around on the streets wouldn’t look good on her, especially if someone reported her to the school.
 
Figuring that Chloe was dead set on pointing the finger at something paranormal, Jared let out a quiet sigh. He knew from years of experience that it’d take more than just words to convince her otherwise once she made up her mind. But there was no way to prove, or disprove the existence of witches lurking in alleyways without catching the crazy freak Chloe had come across, and the chances of coming across said figure without any further clues was not only unlikely, but near impossible. The problem though was that Chloe would likely blame everything bad that happened to her on the supposed curse. And once people started looking for signs of bad luck, they were bound to notice more, or potentially even lead themselves blindly into more trouble.

“You’re the dumb-head if you genuinely believe Chris was being nice to you, Jared snapped. Losing his temper for a moment. He didn’t exactly know why he’d snapped at Chloe, but the idea of her actually taking a liking to Chris was one Jared didn’t want to come to terms with, and at the same time was something he’d go out of his way to prevent. But perhaps snapping at her was going a bit too far?... “Sorry…” he murmured, the irritation still showing in his voice as he spoke. “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt, and that’s the only thing you’ll get from Chris if you fall for his trap and get too close” Jared warned, trying to seem as professional and helpful as he could, but sounding more jealous and upset than anything else.

Changing his tone, he decided to change the topic, figuring he should support at least one of the things Chloe was saying. “I guess I’d miss you as well if you didn’t turn up for school, pay isn’t good enough to drag me there each morning unless I’ve got something to look forward to” he joked, not realizing how his comment could be interpreted in a much more personal/intimate way.

“Right… Dinner…” Jared repeated shortly after, sounding a bit disappointed that his time had run out so quickly. He was disappointed, but he understood that he couldn’t keep the call going on forever, and their little chat wasn’t going anywhere productive or positive at the moment. “I guess it’d be cruel of me to keep that growling monster of yours waiting” he joked, chuckling before going quiet. Waiting a few moments before speaking again. “But in return I expect you to be waiting outside your apartment at half-past seven tomorrow morning, I’ll come pick you up and we can continue this discussion then…. And if you’ve got time after school, I wouldn’t mind taking a look at the alley where you met this supposed witch” he offered, realizing how he’d be spending more time with Chloe, and liking the idea the more he thought about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom