Chapter 4
He never thought he'd fall for a goth girl.
Cole felt he already knew the person who'd fallen into his arms. He'd dreamt of her, had dreams of falling in love with a girl he met at a wild party. Is that normal? Of course, Dylan always say it was because his brother had had too much ice cream before bed- which was somewhat true- but Cole, for the most part, had just found interest in the dreams. He never thought they were an omen.
Then again, the dreams hadn't had the girl falling into his arms from a thirty foot railing. She must have been really lucky to land like this, and Cole because he'd finally found… err, well, he didn't know her name yet…
Kray wasn't so lucky.
She had missed the Sprouse by about ten feet, landing instead on a thin carpet. Her head made a sickening crack as it made contact with the ground, and other partygoers panicked. But Kray wasn't even unconscious.
No, the girl was sitting upright, delirious. Blood trailed from her lip and more of it ran through her hair, coming from her scalp.
She had a soft, knowing smile on her face as she stood up. Her eyes weren't normal anymore- they were a washed out tone of grey flecked with a little gold, reminiscent of their previous color.
Nobody knew what to do. Thinking she was relatively okay, the panicked people scattered- civilians- not wanting to get involved anymore.
Tumbling down the stairs the loud footsteps of Davis filled the air, but no one even noticed him. He spotted Kray and figured out instantly.
Damaged.
He could tell by her eyes she had hit her head, hard. Deranged people were easy to spot out. He used to work with the insane, his job as a physiatrist had driven his thirst for murder. Insanity was contagious, wasn’t it, Gavin?
He knew some deranged people were extremely gullible.
“Hey! You!”
Kray looked up to see a man on the stairs. “Hi,” the girl said faintly, watching him with interest.
He walked down the rest of the stairs. He knew this girls name, he heard someone yell it as she fell.
“Come with me, Kray.”
Surprisingly, she looked confused.
“Who’s Kray…?” she asked finally.
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"You know you're mine anyway."
Natasha shook her head. She wasn't owned by anyone, she knew. Did Aaron know?
She now remembered fully just what it had been like being Aarons girlfriend monthes- years?- ago. For a brief moment, she had forgotten it slightly, only a vague memory of a twisted man- although he wasn't over 25, for sure- and being beaten when Kevin ran in and started yelling. That wasn't anything like this; this was what she had been missing all these years- months?
And this time she didn't think she could count on Kevin saving her.
Natasha sat up. Aaron, meanwhile, stood up and looked down to her.
"There's easier persuasion then this, you know," he said, and the girl was momentarily confused. "I don't need to tell you to get back with me."
You don't? Pssh, of course you don't. I could kill you…
"As I said, there's an easier way."
Like what- wait, is he saying-?
"Kevin isn't coming for you this time…"
I know that!
"…so maybe it'd just be easier for you to get back." He finished, not realizing the last two words were part of a song. "Before anything- worse happens." He threatened. Natasha heard his knuckle crack. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! If Kevin was anywhere, she silently begged him to get here faster, because she was sure she couldn't take on Aaron herself. Natasha hated the idea of herself as a damsel in distress, but what was worse was being Aarons girlfriend.
That reminded her, what about Jade? Was she really…?
"I'm not getting back with you." She said firmly, decisively, cutting out of her own thoughts. "Why are you even asking, when you know what I'll say?"
"Out of politeness."
Nat stifled the urge to laugh at the hypocrisy of his comment. Is it polite to nearly kill people?
But then, before she realized, she felt herself hitting the wall again, much more roughly and much more painfully. Who knew walls could be weapons? Well, she hadn’t, anyway.
She fell to the ground slowly and only then realized how badly she'd been hit.
That was right before she passed out.
"You know," Aaron muttered, after the girl had fallen, "You don't have to be this way."
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Kevin was hiding.
The only place Jade couldn't follow him into was the boys’ bathroom. In most homes, bathrooms were multi-gender. But apparently the Moonstones were too elitist for this and instead insisted on different-gender rooms. There were several multi-gender bathrooms scattered around, the largest of which was not very pleasant after the knife incident, and so Kevin found himself here.
But he knew Jade was waiting near the door. She's gotten a lot clingier…
Maybe she's afraid of losing you again?
Kevin shook his head, and in doing so suddenly spotted another door. What restroom has two doors? He wondered, but didn't question it. Either way, it was an escape. The Moonstones were so weird.
He ran through the door and found a stairwell. Apparently this led to the second floor. He dashed upstairs, passing a couple kissing- wait, was that Joe?- and down several more rooms. Where are they? He thought, if I were Aaron, I would go…
He stopped at guest bedroom number 15 and saw two figures.
One was on the floor.
The other was Aaron.
“Nat!” he gasped, his girlfriend was unconscious. Had he gotten here in time? Kevin sprinted to her, his dash taking a split second to get to her in the small size of the room- I feel sorry for the guests. The man- boy?- knelt next to her and shook her slightly, when he realized that shaking someone wouldn't wake them up if they were unconscious. Would it?
Aaron saw him, of course.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, “Shouldn’t you be with Jade?!”
Kevin had almost forgotten he had to do something about the other one.
That guy nearly killed your girlfriend! You don't even know if she's okay…
He came back, that jerk freaking came back!
And he set you up with Jade! It yelled, emphasis on Jade, because her name drove him crazy, and in a very bad way.
He was furious. Quickly, he got up and stormed to Aaron, wanting to finish this- and fast, too. He let all his rage funnel into a single punch that went whirling into Aarons face, knocking him backward, because no one was there to stop him, no one to take pictures and sell them online- "Look, Kevin Jonas is such a jerk for hitting this guy!"
Then, to finish it off, he kicked Aaron right in the crotch.
Hard.
The man hit the wall roughly on his way down. “Get. A. LIFE!” K2 yelled, punching him again. He’d have to remember that whenever he was angry now Aaron could be his own personal punching bag.
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Of course it was easier to get someone to stir up a crowd for you. That way, if someone gets killed, you won’t be the one who gets arrested…
Kray felt like she was going to die.
For one, she couldn’t see, her vision reduced to a green blur, dots swarming the edges. A killer headache deluded her, she felt like she was going to throw up. Movement took an eternity and sound echoed, reverberated, in her mind, partygoers’ screams repeating themselves over and over again. And so she swayed, both arms clinging to a small chain dangling around her neck, the cord half broken. There are too many people! Her subconscious screamed; nowhere to go!
“You’re Kray,” a male voice said. Kray shook her head. What’s wrong with me? She thought. You’re Kray…
“Okay,” the girl whispered, not caring if he heard or not. Standing took effort. Okay…
“I need some help.” I need some help. “Will you help me?” Will you help me?
She didn’t have the strength to even think to ask what type of help he meant. Thinking took effort too.
“Yes,” Yes…
“Good. Take this,” the man said, handing her a small blade. Who first? Good, take this… “…and go find someone for me…”
And go find someone for me…
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Not so seductive now, pretty boy…
Damn…
Natasha, meanwhile, woke up to the sound of her boyfriend yelling to someone, “GET A LIFE!”
She bolted upright and saw a figure in the closet and Kevin standing nearby, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. If anyone finds out I knocked out Aaron, I’m so screwed… he thought, calming down slightly.
“Did you… is that Aaron…?” she started to ask.
Kevin jumped. "Nat! You're okay!" he said, so relieved. He went to her again, sitting next to her. Even if she's injured, she really is gorgeous…
She's injured, right; she's injured… not that badly. Kevin only saw a few cuts, which in themselves were bad, but it was better then broken bones and bruises- although if she'd gotten any, he wouldn't know until later. But she was smiling, so that was good, right?
He somewhat nodded. “Well, err, yeah…” he said. Way to overreact on your punching bag! His conscience yelled. Of course, he didn’t regret beating up Aaron, but apparently his subconscious did.
Natasha started to laugh.
He did that for me! She thought, He did that for me…
“What, what’s so funny?” Kevin asked, for a second worried. A strange thought of Nat laughing because she was about to turn him in crossed his mind- he knew she’d never do that, but his subconscious was apparently very annoying.
“You… you did that for me…” she stuttered and trailed off.
No one said anything. Did couples even have awkward silences? Awkward…!
Natasha didn’t know yet, but Cassie always said that awkward silences made for the best kisses…
The two inched closer and pulled together, as if some random cue had just gone off. He held her, he didn't want to let go… a hug? A kiss?
The bad guy, meanwhile, was unconscious.
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“So… what is your name?”
There’s your groundbreaker, Cole.
Autumn dropped to the floor, her feet hitting the polished floor with a successful thud. The girl was a few inches taller then the Sprouse, but she ignored this- how old was he again? Which one, Cole or Dylan? No, this had to be Cole, she could tell.
“Autumn Rush.”
“Ah… Cole Sprouse,” he said. Autumn felt a surge of satisfaction; she had guessed him correctly, apparently.
“And thanks for saving my life,” the girl said before she started to walk away, Kray and Gavin already on the other side of the room, out of view.
“Wait!” Don’t let her go, you idiot!
Autumn spun around.
“I… uh… do you… uh… want to, err, dance…?” Smooth, Cole.
Autumn turned red, her cheeks blushing a pale pink. “Well, I…”
“Okay, let’s dance!” he said, taking her arm and dragging the girl to the dance floor- apparently the Moonstones could afford a dance floor as well, but was that even surprising?- Cole couldn’t let his dream girl get away.
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Ophelia Crobe climbed into the cellar.
Gretchen followed.
-And Ophie groaned. Not looking back, she muttered, “You know, you don’t need to follow me around all the time,” she said, annoyed. The girl dropped to the floor and her fall echoed in the small space.
“But didn’t you say you were summoning aliens?” Gretchen let the trapdoor swing shut behind her, and the room darkened. Ophelia lit a flashlight and looked around.
“It’s dangerous for humans to summon,” the blonde tried to explain.
“And what are you, non-human?” the other girl asked, adjusting the glasses on her nose. “Hmm?”
Ophie rolled her eyes and struck the cigarette lighter as well. “Earth goods are tricky to summon with…” she muttered.
“Huh?”
“Nothing.”
What, do you think you’re some kind of alien?
Cherry groaned. Ophie was so… weird. “So, how do we summon them?” She failed to ask why.
“You really aren’t going to go away, are you?” Ophelia snapped. Gretchen flinched.
“Is… something wrong?”
Ophie shook her head, “In here, in here, I can feel it…”
Gretchen looked confused, as always.
The blonde rolled her eyes again. “They always said that at the base of something you can learn everything about a place. This would be the very center base of Sapphires house. And I can feel something’s wrong. It’s giving me a killer headache.” She finished. Ophie didn’t mention just who ‘they’ were.
“So you came down here to figure out what it is?”
Ophie nodded.
“It could be the knife thing. Or those two girls who fell from the railing earlier,” Cherry mentioned.
“Two girls fell from the railing?! Are they okay?!”
“I thought you’d know! You said you could sense this!” the brunette argued, protested. What kind of sense is this?
“I can only sense things to come,” Ophelia said, “It’s kind of annoying, actually.”
“Are you really an alien?” Gretchen asked, confused again, and changing the topic as she commonly did.
Ophelia didn’t say anything, she couldn’t. Was she really so insane to think she was a different species?
Was she?
“Someones here,” the girl said, “Someones in this house, and they really shouldn’t be.”
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Dance, dance! Impress her!
He accidently stepped on Autumns toe.
She pulled back. “Uh, may I ask why you asked me to dance…?” she asked cautiously. Cole shook his head.
“I… err… I know you…” he stuttered. No you don't! Well, in a dream. Kind of. Uh…!
“You know me?”
Cole was confused on how to explain this to her when a strange song started playing itself in his head.
I know you… I walked with you once upon a dream!
Get out, Sleeping Beauty!
“Kind of…”
Autumn nodded slowly, wanting for him to continue.
But there was no way he could sing that song. He blushed, feeling his cheeks grow hotter. This was something unusual for him to do, which of course surprised him, and threw him off guard.
“Uh…”
The girl sighed. “You know what, forget it…” she started when Cole shook his head again.
“To explain it to you, I think I’d have to… err… sing.”
This is just like High School Musical…
Autumn blushed, “Oh, um, you don’t have to-“
“Good, I’m not singing,” Cole laughed. Not that song, anyway.
“Do you like me?” she suddenly asked. The dance, him and a song, it kind of fits, actually…
What kind of a question is that? Cole wondered, Pssh…! Girls…
“Yes,” he said after a moment. This was exactly like his dreams. Dreams plural. He had to like her…
“Uh, I saw your show.” She added, breaking him out of his thoughts. “You’re really cute in it…”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Wait, what do you think I’m saying?”
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Cassie pulled away.
“I can’t do this,” she said, shaking her head, red hair swaying around her face.
“Why not?” Joe asked affectionately, playing with her hair again. That look in his eyes…
“Taylor, Taylor Swift, you can’t cheat on-“
“I broke up with her.” the Jonas said, cutting her off. “I don’t cheat on people, that’s just wrong.” And I think I really like you. “And I really like you,”
Cassie looked up.
“You do?”
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“Wait, what do you think I’m saying?”
“Whatever you want it to be,” Cole said with a smile.
“You’re a good flirt,” Autumn whispered.
Autumn and Cole, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-
Grr…
First comes love, then comes marriage, then- okay, I’ll shut up now. Go ahead.
Kiss…
Meanwhile, Gavin had turned to see Autumn and Cole talking together.
And he grinned, because he knew someone that, if they died, would break a certain celebrity’s heart.
And so he gave the knife to Kray.
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An hour passed, tick tock, and Hannah Montanas singing blare faded into Taylor Swifts, ironically.
What time was it now, nine? Ten, even? It was getting late, yes it was.
Autumn and Cole sat behind a couch facing one of the larger windows, the view was pretty, there was a small pond in the back and trees… wait, were ponds romantic? The party refused to die down, and Autumn was beginning to wonder if this was one of those all-nighters.
Are ponds romantic? Cole wondered, They should be…
“Uh, I’ll go get some punch,” he said. He figured Dylan would be near the refreshments, and he needed... he…
He’d never admit it to anyone but his twin, but he needed girl help.
He trailed off awkwardly and walked off, as Autumn hadn’t said anything. I really like her, he thought, how do I impress her?
Meanwhile, Autumn was thinking about other things.
No, she was thinking about the same thing, really.
He really likes me… I’m actually attracting celebrities…
What do I do, what do I do?! I can’t do this…
Somethings wrong.
Autumn felt different all of a sudden, and it wasn’t love. What’s going on now?
She felt colder, hollower- was it like the dementers kiss? Of course, Harry Potter dementers didn’t exist, but at the thought the girl jumped up and looked around. Of course, even if by chance there was a dementer, being a muggle, she wouldn’t have been able to see it, but she didn’t think of that, did she?
Well?
Autumn looked around again. Where did everyone go? The room looked darker, grayer.
Is this a nightmare?
CRACK!
She woke up on the floor, Cole watching her worriedly.
“I got you punch,” he said, “You uh, had a nightmare…”
Why was it so vivid?
Wait, when did I even fall asleep?
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Ophelia shook her head. “No… no! No, someones going to get killed…”
Gretchen looked alarmed. Ophelia kept shaking her head, stumbling and holding onto the wall. A strange thought crossed her mind, was she being possessed? Would that even make any sense?
“Ophie, stop, I’m sure it’s not-“
“Someone’s going to get killed!” Ophelia shrieked. By now she was breathing heavily, in sharp breathes. What’s wrong with you?! She didn’t feel drunk… she hadn’t drunk anything anyway…
Something was coming over her. Thoughts, too many thoughts…
You think you’re an alien… that’s idiotic! How could you not be sure?
Doubts, doubts, too many doubts… why now? Ophelia groaned, stumbling still. What is going on?! This didn't make any sense, not like it ever did.
She felt sick, very sick.
“Are you okay?” Gretchen voice filled her mind, but Ophelia wasn’t listening. Was this some sort of alien side effect?
For a moment, that excited her, an alien side effect meant the girl really was alien, but she had no way of proving…
“You’re a Seer, so you’re seeing this…” Gretchen tried to think. Is she a Seer? Is she an alien?
What if she just thinks shes an alien… what if she’s insane?
“Ophelia!”
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Dawn, meanwhile, had formed the angry mob. They had all found pitchforks up- err, down?- in the garage, and about twenty of them stampeded after Sapphire, now in tears. This is fun!
She was the only one not having a major dramatic moment right now.
That might have been soon to change…
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Cole suddenly dropped the punch.
“Whoops! I’ll get a new one,” he said artificially, his cheeks practically radiating a red-pink color all over the room. He needed more girl help; he needs to impress her, giggle!
Dylan better still be at the refreshment table… he thought hopefully. Err, how do you romantically help a girl with a nightmare? I’ll be right back…!
Autumn suddenly had a ton of questions.
Where the heck does Cole keep going?
She’d have to ask him later…
What about the nightmare…?
It seemed so vivid…
Wait, do you feel like someone is watching you?
She didn’t know it yet, but Kray was lurking in the shadows with Gavin’s knife, blending in well with the grey walls, her figure merging with the colors, almost.
Anyone who saw her- which would be none- would have said she looked creepy, but no one saw her, of course.
Autumn jumped again. What’s got you so fritzy?
“Autumn!”
A singsong voice cooed behind her, and Autumn saw a deranged girl holding a knife. Kray! Kray, what’s happened to you…?
“I don’t want to do this… but some guy said I should…” the girl said softly, her comments real meaning hidden in the strange tone of her voice.
The knife was so sharp…
What the hell? Autumn stepped back, should she have seen this coming?
“I’m sorry, Autumn,” Kray said like a drunk three year old- clueless, innocent and unaware, but now a killer. What’s going on?
Something’s off.
Autumn felt colder, like in the nightmare. Was she dreaming again? She pinched herself, no, not dreaming, oh shit.
Something was coming over her, something… supernatural?
What?
Autumn took in a sharp breath. At that moment a breeze ran through the back of the house, it shattered several windows into hundreds of little pieces that fell onto the carpet.
Autumn hadn’t been hit, but suddenly, she collapsed.
How could she die if nothing had hit her?
Kray looked confused, knife paused in midair- she hadn’t done anything. Cole walked back and turned pale, then turned to Kray.
“You killed her! You actually killed her!”
--
People, civilians, alien species and government authorities:
CONCRIT IS FREAKING LOVED.
Not only do I need help on the romance scenes, apparently I’m screwing up the death one too…
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