WARNING: This story contains graphic depictions of violence and other mature or controversial themes/topics that not all audiences will find suitable. Please continue reading at your own risk.
***
♪ Yes, I didn't talk to anyone. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEafAIIcKKL
♪ I was made fun of by everyone. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsFgv9ZM4t
♪ It's something I wish could be undone. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsWZmIdRbp
♪ She asked me. I wish I'd had respond. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKnCXWEgnE
♪ But hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfUrmVlNq8
♪ Please hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡci5jj4CTnT
♪ I'm crying out: We're all worth being loved! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmmXkxzcKL
♪ I have no doubt we're all worth being loved! ♪
♪ Please, I beg you all, let's become friends! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGyAXmoGLTO
♪ Let's not judge each other by what's been! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrjKSjxJQ5
♪ It was years ago! It came and went! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctpN0RvMun
♪ That's a past chapter! New one begins! ♪
***
Something
***
In our last chapter of Something... Herbertia suspected that 1098 was hitting on Ikjot.
Somer and her groupies role-played as Herbertia, 1098 and Ikjot's parents—in order to get them accepted into Ikjot's old school.
Vicky and Somer's other groupies, minus Julian, were plotting to make Somer pay for, supposedly, stealing Julian away from Vicky.
And Herbertia hooked up with Ikjot! 9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYl7GLTi3lq
Wow! Sounds like a lot happened!
On their first day of school, Ikjot, Herbertia and 1098 quickly made new friends—yes, even Ikjot, the guy who was once an introvert! But thanks to that pebble, he could finally express himself without fear. His only mission now: Set things right with Xandra. But does he want more than just a friendship with her? And what about his girlfriend, Herbertia? Doesn't he know that whatever relationship he wishes to have with Xandra can't go beyond a friendship... because he's already spoken for? Find out the answers to these questions and more... in today's chapter of Something!
***
Something9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokpa88exNh
59Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwb9xyQGck
Ikjot Learns About Rye
***
Back in Sanne, Marta and Ram were having lunch in their school cafeteria.... Well, Ram was at least. Marta, on the other hand, was too sad to eat her meal.
"Oh, come on, Marta!" Ram told her while eating a buffalo sandwich. (Marta could tell what type of sandwich it was via the horns that stuck out of Ram's bread.) "Cheer up! It's not like you'll never find a boyfriend!"
Marta sighed and said, "...Yeah..." and Ram smiled until Marta continued, "right," pretty much saying Yeah, right to Ram's advice. Ram realized this while Marta continued, "Face it; this island probably doesn't even have a hot guy on it to be found."
Ram said, "But there's plenty of hot guys on Sanne—!"
"To you, yes. To me, no," interrupted Marta. "I guess I just have a different taste in guys."
"Hmm..." wearisomely puzzled Ram with a smile... before showing Marta her lunch. "Does my buffalo sandwich count as a taste you'd have in guys?"
Marta shyly replied, "Uh... yeah, sure..." even though she secretly felt Ram was a weirdo at times.
"Hey there, squirt!" teased an all-too familiar voice to Marta from behind.
"Oh, great..." said Marta, rolling her eyes and turning around to see her older sister Tiane (who was accompanied by her two gal pal colleagues—the first, a blonde cheetah; the second, a brunette light-brown bear—and they both wore the same clothing as Tiane). "What do you want?" Marta asked her.
"Oh, nothing..." said Tiane while she and her colleagues approached Marta. "Just, uh..." and she pulled Marta to the floor in her chair, "THIS!" Then Tiane and her colleagues laughed as Marta laid on the floor.
"Ow!" yelled Marta.
"Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?!" Ram told Tiane.
Tiane looked to Ram and said, "Gee... good point, Ram." She got up in Ram's face. "Would you like to volunteer?"
Seeing Tiane and her colleagues close-in on her, Ram gulped with fear.
"Hey!" said Marta, getting up. "Leave her alone!" she demanded while she punched Tiane in the back.
Tiane, unharmed by Marta's assault, turned around with a vicious growl and was ready to hurt Marta.
Penelope came flying in from above and landed in front of Tiane. She said, "Hi-YAH!" while slamming Tiane to the side with a karate chop.
Tiane was sent flying across the cafeteria. The big bully screamed for her life before crashing into the nearest wall.
Penelope then growled viciously to Tiane's two colleagues who now trembled in fear from what they saw happen to their leader. They immediately ran off, knowing Penelope was not a person to mess with.
From there, the other girls cheered on Penelope for her heroics—much to her liking the attention.
"Wow!" Marta exclaimed, gently holding onto Penelope's left arm and looking up at her. "Thanks, Penelope!"
"No prob, kid!" said Penelope before flexing her right arm and admiring it. "Just standing up for my friend, as always!"
"You were amazing, Penelope!" exclaimed Ram.
"No kidding," proudly replied Penelope. Then many girls surrounded her like excited fans.
"Can I have your autograph?!" one of the girl bears asked while holding up a pen and small paper for Penelope to use.
"Me too?!" a girl deer asked while doing the same thing.
"Sure thing, ladies!" Penelope said, starting to sign their autographs one by one.
Now watching from the distance, Marta puzzled with saying, "Man.... How can Penelope be so proud all the time if she doesn't have someone to love?"
"Maybe she loves herself..." said Ram.
Marta nudged Ram's arm and happily said with disbelief, "Yeah right, Ram!"
"Ow!" said Ram, rubbing her arm.
"She just... finds joy in life itself, I guess."
"Well..." said Ram, still rubbing her arm, "maybe you should too. After all, it's not like a girl needs a guy just so she can be happy. You should try to be more like her."
Marta shrugged her arms. "Yeah... I guess you're right." She looked to Ram with worry. "But can I live like that?!"
Ram nodded with a smile. "It's easy! I mean, just look at you and me! We're friends! We don't need a guy to make us happy. All we need is each other!"
"Yeah... I guess you're right," said Marta, scratching the back of her head.
Little did Marta and Ram know, however, of the planning going on between Tiane and her two colleagues.
"That was some fall, Tiane..." said Tiane's first colleague while helping up her leader. "Are you okay—?"
"Get off me!" Tiane commanded while moving that colleague's hand away from her.
The first colleague looked down with sadness and said, "I was just trying to help."
"So are we gonna let your sis get away with embarrassing you like that?" asked Tiane's second colleague.
Watching Penelope, Tiane replied, "It wasn't Marta who embarrassed me; it was Penelope. But Penelope wouldn't have punched me in the first place had it not been for Marta provoking me." Tiane pounded a fist to her palm. "I'm gonna make sure I cream the face... uh... off Marta's face for this!"
"Yeah!" cheered Tiane's first colleague.
"You show her!" cheered Tiane's second colleague.
"Oh, I will," said Tiane with a mean smile.
***
At three p.m., all the girls came running out of the school (due to their dismissal from classes that day). Marta and Ram remained at the exit, briefly exchanging words with Penelope (who was accompanied by her stooge, Simona).
"Thanks again for helping me today, Penelope," Marta said while shaking Penelope's hand.
"No problem, Marta!" said Penelope. "Want me to drive you home today?"
"You have a caaaaar?!" exclaimed Marta and Ram with shock (since Penelope was still just a kid like them, yet already had a car)!
"Oh, sure!" replied Penelope. "My keys if you will, Simona...?" she asked her stooge.
"Yes, Penelope," Simona said while she took out Penelope's car keys and unlocked her vehicle in the distance.
"Wooooooow!" Marta and Ram awed with amazement.
"Since my dad's the president and everything," Penelope told them, "he made a bill that allows anyone in his family, no matter what age, the privilege to drive. How cool is that?!"
"That's so cool, it's cold..." said Ram, much to Marta giving her an awkward look. "What?" Ram asked Marta, not realizing how lame her comment was.
"Ram and I will just walk home, as usual," Marta told Penelope. "We wouldn't have any money to contribute to gas anyway."
Penelope shrugged her shoulders and told Marta, "Suit yourself!" Then she said, "Simona!" and snapped her fingers.
Simona, in response, came to Penelope and carried her to her car.
"Come on, Ram," Marta told her friend. "Let's go home."
"Neat!" Ram exclaimed before showing an all-too familiar sandwich to Marta. "Now I have someone to share my other buffalo sandwich with!"
Marta laughed shyly in response.
***
Later, the two were walking home. While Ram ate her sandwich, Marta talked about her all too typical problem: Love.
"I know patience is a virtue..." said Marta, "but I still wish I had my boyfriend now."
"I thought you said you were over that!" said Ram while chewing her sandwich.
"I was trying to get over it, but..." and Marta sighed. "I can't. I need a boyfriend... bad. I'm just... down bad for it, you know?"
"Lighten up, Marta!" said Ram, taking another bite out of her sandwich. "I told you, it's not like the search is over. And it's not like boys are the only thing that makes a girl happy either."
Marta immediately grabbed Ram by the collar and said, "What, are you crazy?!" She wildly shook Ram and continued, "Boys ARE everything and MORE!"
"Okay!" said Ram, now dizzy. "Whatever you say, Marta...."
"Well-well-well..." teased an all-too familiar voice to Marta from behind. Marta turned around as Tiane, accompanied by her colleagues, continued, "If it isn't my little sister and her dumb country-fried friend, Ram!"
Ram regained her stability and said, "Hey! If I were fried, I'd be dead!"
"Whatever..." said Tiane, rolling her eyes. "Let's get Marta!"
Marta gasped with fear, running away as Tiane and her colleagues chased after her.
"Hey!" said Ram. "Leave her alone, you jerks—" but she was quickly flattened by the three girls as they ran over her. "Well..." said Ram, "so much for me!"
Marta kept running and found an alley between two buildings. She ran inside the alley, hoping that there would be a fence for her to jump over... but found that a brick wall (that was part of a two-sided building) stood in her way. Unless she could climb all the way up to the roof, then jump down on the other side, she was trapped. "Oh no!" she exclaimed with fear.
"Oh, look..." teased Tiane, still accompanied by her colleagues and closing in on Marta from behind. "Little sis is stuck." Then Tiane laughed.
Marta tried to climb up the wall, but kept falling down.
"Give up!" Tiane told her, keeping a smug smile. "There's no way that you'll get out of this one!"
Realizing she was truly trapped, Marta fearfully shedded a tear, trembling and whimpering before trying to run past Tiane. This, however, proved useless; Tiane only pushed her back, making Marta fall on bags of trash. Marta quickly quivered with fear against the wall while Tiane and her colleagues closed in on the defenseless girl.
"Wait!" Tiane told her colleagues to stop in their tracks, then cracked her knuckles. "Let me handle this one...." She pushed Marta down and teased, "Come on!" much to Marta growing even more afraid. "What are you? Scared? Come on!" She rolled her hand into a fist and gently wiped it across Marta's face, drying away one of her little sister's tear drops. "Yeah... you're scared, alright." Again, Tiane brushed up against Marta and said, "Come on!" only striking more fear into her little sister.
Though Marta shook her head with fear again, this time even crying, it didn't stop Tiane from showing her no mercy. She picked up her little sister by the collar to hold her up in the air. Then she punched her in the stomach, which made Marta cough in pain. Tiane and her colleagues laughed while Tiane said, "What a wimp! She can start fights, but she can't finish 'em! Ha!" Tiane dropped Marta to the ground and kicked her side, which caused Marta to yell in pain again. "Get up, wimp!" teased Tiane.
Now very hurt, Marta weakly quivered in agony while Tiane once again commanded, "Get up!"
"She's no fun anymore," said Tiane's second colleague. "Let's go, Tiane."
But Tiane kept her mean smile and told that colleague, "No way. This kid had that Penelope girl make a fool out of me in front of everyone. She's gonna pay." With that, Tiane leaned down and lifted Marta by her shirt collar. "Hey, brat..." said Tiane while Marta kept her eyes closed, continuing to cry in pain. "Aren't you gonna open your eyes and face me?" She slammed Marta against the ground, then held her up again. "Huh?!" she asked Marta. "Aren't you gonna fight me?!"
But Marta kept crying. Perhaps she was just hoping for the pain to be over already.
Just then, Ram came and shouted, "STOP!" She ran towards Tiane, only for Tiane's colleagues to grab Ram and pin her to the wall, holding her back. "NO!" yelled Ram. "LET ME GO!"
"Keep her still so she can watch her friend get beat up..." Tiane kept her mean smile and told her colleagues.
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Ram, struggling to break free—but had no success. "NO! MARTA!"
"Hi-YAH!" yelled Tiane, punching Marta right in the face and causing her nose and mouth to bleed.
"NO, MARTAAAAAAAAA!" wearisomely cried Ram while Tiane's colleagues laughed.
Grunting with glee, Tiane punched Marta in the face, over-and-over again. Despite Marta's loud cries of pain, Tiane showed no remorse while she viciously beat her little sister to a bloody pulp. The punches continued until Marta was bleeding from the eyes, nose and mouth, and fell unconscious to the ground.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" cried Ram while Tiane's colleagues finally let go of her, allowing Ram to run to her brutalized friend's aid.
Tiane laughed again and looked down at her handy work on Marta. "Let's go..." she told her colleagues.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDfpNne0da
With that, the three bullies walked away, leaving Ram to sob over a friend she wasn't even sure was alive anymore....
***
The following night, Marta was still unconscious; but she was at least in a hospital that was giving her treatment for her wounds. Ram stayed by the side of her friend's bed, still crying in fear for Marta's life while two doctors worked hard to patch her up.
Ram sniffed and asked, "Do you think she'll be alright, doctor?"
"Don't worry, Ram," replied an orange cat doctor with glasses and her brown hair in a bun, holding more bandages. "She's going to be fine—"
"Don't worry?! DON'T WORRY?!" Ram couldn't believe what she said and was angered.
Before Ram could say anything else, a tall and round pelican doctor with a gray mustache came to the room and told her, "RAM! If you make one more outburst like that, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"
"HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO BE CALM ABOUT THIS?!" Ram asked that doctor. "MY FRIEND COULD BE AT DEATH'S DOOR, AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BE OKAY?!"
And of course, the inevitable happened: Ram was kicked out of the room until further notice. All she could do now was stand outside the door, cry her eyes out and say, "Marta... please make it.... Please be... okay...!"
***
Back in my city and state (Righteous Korrigan, Unxiane), Somer and Julian were home while Herbertia, 1098 and I were at school. The two were accompanied by their usual pals—Mike, Vanessa, Vicky and Derick—all in the same room and eating lunch, but had no idea of the scheme that was planned.
"Thanks again for fetching us lizards and bugs!" Mike told Somer.
"No probs!" said Somer, eating some flies.
"This is a real delicious dish, Somer..." said Vicky, carefree as usual while eating a lizard tail.
Somer smiled and said, "I'm glad you all like it!"
"Yup!" said Julian, eating a fly. "Somer here sure knows how to whip up a tasty meal!"
"I'll say..." said Vanessa to Derick, but in a way that showed she thought Somer was a fake.
Mike, taking a bite from one of his lizards, sinisterly smirked and said, "So, uh... Somer?"
"Hm...?" puzzled Somer to Mike. A lizard's tail was sticking out of her mouth.
"Uh..." Mike responded, a little freaked out by the sight but knew he had to stay focused. "How long were you planning to keep it a secret?"
Somer puzzled again while swallowing her lizard. And she asked him, "Keep what a secret, Mike?"
"Oh, nothing..." said Mike, rolling his eyes. "It's just that... well... we heard you and Julian talking..."
Somer scoffed and said, "As usual!" She rubbed Julian's arm. "Julian and I are always talking...."
"We just can't keep ourselves away from one another, y'know?" said Julian.
"Oh, I know!" said Mike. He looked down with worry. "But... what I don't know is why I overheard you and Somer talking about putting poison in this food you gave us." Mike immediately winked to the others, signaling for them to play along.
Now with a shocked expression, Somer was at a loss for words.... "WHAT?!" she exclaimed, standing up from her seat.
"POISON YOU?!" said Julian, also standing up in disbelief. "MIKE, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!"
"ADMIT IT!" said Vicky while angrily standing up. "WE ALL HEARD YOU, SOMER! NOT JUST MIKE! ALL OF US!"
Still in shock and not knowing what to say, Somer noticed Vanessa who also got up from her chair.
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO US?!" shouted Vanessa.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" shouted Julian.
Trying to calm the situation, Somer said, "GUYS, LOOK! There must be a misunderstanding here! Julian nor I would try to poison you—!"
"YOU DID TRY TO POISON US!" shouted Derick, standing from his chair.
"NO!" said Julian.
"LISTEN, GUYS!" said Somer. "I WOULD NEVER TRY TO DO SUCH A THING—WHAT-WHAT WERE YOU HEARING?!"
Mike slammed his fist on the table and said, "WE TOLD YOU WHAT WE HEARD!"
"WE KNOW YOU TRIED TO POISON US WITH THIS FOOD!" said Vanessa.
"WE-DID-NOT!" angrily shouted Julian.
"YOU-DID-TOO!" Mike shouted back, even angrier.
Continuing to keep her patience, Somer shouted, "HEAR ME OUT, GUYS! HEAR ME, LOUD AND CLEAR! WE DID NOT TRY TO POISON YOU—!"
"YOU'RE A LIAR, SOMER!" said Mike.
Julian practically jumped across the table and said, "DON'T CALL SOMER A LIAR!"
"OH YEAH?!" said Mike before throwing an empty can of soda at her.
"AH!" yelled Somer, covering her face from the hit.
Julian hopped over the table between them and pinned Mike to the floor, ready to beat him senseless. He didn't, however, expect Vanessa, Vicky and Derick to jump him from behind—nor for them to team-up in pummeling him.
"GET OFF OF HIM!" Somer demanded, grabbing Derick by the back of his shirt.
Derick quickly slapped Somer to the floor, getting her off of him.
Seeing him do that, Julian pushed Vicky and Vanessa off of himself and reached for the back of Derick's shirt, only for Mike to get up and punch Julian down to the floor from behind.
Julian got up and punched Mike across the face, only for Vanessa and Vicky to pin Julian to the floor from behind this time.
"NO!" yelled Somer, running to Vicky and Vanessa as she punched them both, one after the other.
Vicky jumped up and slapped Somer across the face, only for Somer to slap her back. And just as suddenly, the two were rolling on the floor, hugging each other tightly.
Vanessa grabbed Somer by the back of the shirt and threw her aside, only for Julian to grab Vanessa in a chokehold from behind.
Mike ran up behind Julian and pushed him to the floor, freeing Vanessa while Derick ran to Somer and pulled her by the hair.
"Come get her!" Derick told Vicky who ran up to Somer and punched her in the stomach.
Somer snarled viciously at Vicky and kicked her in the jaw, sending her falling back.
After jumping up to punch Mike down again, Julian ran to Derick and slammed his fist into the back of his head, knocking him down and freeing Somer.
Julian immediately grabbed Somer and ran to the corner with her, while the others closed in on them.
"GET OUT OF OUR HOME!" said Mike. "YOU'RE LIARS!"
"YEAH! GET OUT!" said Derick.
"No...!" said Somer, struggling against them with fear and disbelief.
"FINE!" said Julian. "WE CAN GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! NO PROBLEM!"
"But, Julian, where else can we go?!" asked Somer with great worry.
Julian held Somer's face, looked her in the eyes and calmly said, "Listen to me; we'll find a way. Don't worry...."
"GET OUT OF HERE!" said Vanessa.
"FINE!" said Julian while walking to the door with Somer. He opened it, walked out with her and closed it back.
They all paused, waiting for Somer and Julian's next move....
"Is he gone...?" Mike asked Derick.
Derick walked to the window and peeked outside, watching the two head into the deep woods. "Yup..." he said. "They're gone."
Vicky took off her shoe and pitched it at Mike's head.
"OW!" shouted Mike, rubbing his head.
"YOU IDIOT!" Vicky complained, walking up to him. "WHY IS JULIAN GONE?! I ONLY WANTED TO GET RID OF SOMER!"
Mike was stunned... and said, "But... Vicky, I—"
"I DON'T CARE!" angrily said Vicky, slapping Mike across the face. "YOU FIND JULIAN AND YOU FIND HIM NOW!" she demanded while Mike angrily held his cheek.
"But Vicky," Mike replied, "Julian probably won't even want to come back—now that we've told him we hate him! Don't you think he'd find it a little suspicious if we wanted to forgive him and not Somer?"
Vicky said, "Here's how you do it: Make Julian believe that we accused him too only to get rid of Somer. Then we tell Julian that it was only Somer we heard about planning to kill us, and only involved him as part of it so Somer wouldn't feel entirely suspicious."
"But, Vicky, do you really think that'll work?"
Vicky slapped Mike again and said, "IT BETTER, OR I'LL KICK YOU OUT! The last thing I'd want is to live with YOU instead of Julian!"
Derick walked to Vicky and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Hey!" he flirtatiously told her. "How about me, sweetie?"
"IN YOUR DREAMS, DUNDERHEAD!" Vicky said while slapping Derick across the face.
"Yes... sweetie..." said Derick, annoyed while rubbing his cheek.
"NOW GO OUT THERE AND RETRIEVE JULIAN!" Vicky commanded them both. "NOW!"
"Yes, ma'am," Mike said while heading for the door. "Come on, Derick!"
"Right!" said Derick while following Mike out the door.
Once they were gone, Vanessa asked Vicky, "You wouldn't really kick out Mike... would you?"
"Hey, you try living with a guy who leaves empty soda cans all over the place," Vicky replied, much to Vanessa looking down with pity for Mike.
***
Meanwhile at school (my school), it was our recess period when those two agents were spying on me, Herbertia and 1098 from across the street. I guess I was too distracted by wondering how I'd approach Xandra (who was playing with her friends) to notice them watching me.
"Look at him..." said the first agent. "Just standing there, watching some girls. What a loser...."
"Indeed," said the second agent. "He really knows how to entertain me with being pathetic. But he'll be put to good use once we catch him."
The first agent nodded to that statement with a soft chuckle.
Xandra, Piper and Wynfred were playing basketball. I always remembered that Xandra would have a basketball to bring to the wood chips field, as did other people.
"CATCH!" shouted Xandra, throwing the ball to Piper.
Upon catching it, Piper whooped, "WOOOOOOO!" with Xandra. "Catch, Wynfred!" said Piper while throwing the ball to her next.
Upon Wynfred catching it, all three of them whooped, "WOOOOOOO!"
I saw what they were doing and, with my new extroverted self, I approached them and said, "Hey, can I join?!"
"Sure, Ikjot!" said Xandra while Wynfred walked to me and handed me the ball. Xandra stood in front of me and bent over with her hands out. "Ready when you are, Ikjot!" she said with a straight face, signaling for me to throw it.
"Alright!" I said, throwing the ball to her. "Catch!"
She missed it (on purpose, unknown to my knowledge) and the ball hit the ground. "Oops..." she said before making a shy chuckle. "I'm sorry; I can be so clumsy at times! Nice throw though!"
"Thanks; and it's no problem, Xandra!" I replied while Wynfred went to pick up the ball. "We all make mistakes!"
Just like your parents did by having you as their offspring, loser, thought Xandra without changing her smiling face at me.
With the ball in her hands, Wynfred prepared to throw it to Xandra.
"No, throw it to Piper!" Xandra told her.
Wynfred nodded and looked to Piper. "Catch!" she alerted and threw the ball to her instead.
Once more, Piper whooped, "WOOOOOO!" with Wynfred and Xandra upon catching it.
"WOOOOO!" I whooped too, just to fit in. Normally, I would have been too shy too cheer so loudly, yet alone cheer at all; but... this pebble was really helping me. And with its help, I wanted to make some sort of conversation with Xandra. I Interrupted the game by saying, "Hey, Xandra?!"
Still playing and missing the ball when Piper threw it to her, Xandra noticed me and replied, "Yeah, Ikjot?"
Running to the ball, Wynfred said, "I'll get it!" and picked it up.
Little did I know that the reason why Xandra kept missing the ball was because she didn't want to touch it after I did. She feared she'd get contaminated by 'loser' but I didn't know this at the time.
I continued to Xandra, "I was wondering... well, what's it like being a ten year old girl and all?" That was her current age at least. And I only asked because I wanted Xandra to see me as someone who... felt she was worthy of being relatable.
"Um...wow..." chuckled Xandra to Wynfred and Piper—I hoped that they didn't have the urge to make fun of me for saying that. Xandra turned back to me and continued, "Well, it's not easy."
"Yeah! It is so hard; you have no idea," added Piper.
Man, I didn't need three girls talking to me at one time. I wish I could've had a moment where it was just Xandra and I exchanging words! Sheesh!
"Really...?" I asked them.
"Just curious, why do you ask?" said Xandra.
But then, I realized that... she might have seen me as creepy for trying to relate to her like that. I just... simply couldn't reveal that as the reason. It wasn't a matter of being shy... because I certainly no longer was. Rather, it was a matter of me finding the right strategy to start gaining her approval of me. And I quickly got the idea to say something that I knew would make Xandra like me.
I told her, "I was just wondering... because lots of guys bash girls just for being... well, girls. But I don't think a lot of the stereotypes that guys give to girls are even remotely true."
"Oh my gosh!" Xandra exclaimed. "I know, right?!"
"Guys are stupid," said Piper. "Not you though, Ikjot—you're cool!"
"Aw, thanks, Piper!" I happily responded. "You are too!"
"Aw, Ikjot, you're so sweet!" Piper happily responded once more, folding her hands in front herself.
"Yeah! You're a really nice guy, Ikjot!" Xandra happily told me. "You're so cool!"
YES! FINALLY! They were taking a liking to me for a change! They were seeing the heart that I really had for people and not some creeper who'd keep to himself without wanting to socialize with anyone! Thanks again, multi-colored pebble! And thank YOU, Dr. Blitz, for inventing it!
I told her, "Not as cool as you, Xandra!"
Xandra giggled, covering her mouth as she said, "Oh my gosh, are you flirting with me?"
To that, I quickly froze and looked down, blushing. Come on, pebble! Now was NOT the time to not help me out here!
Xandra leaned down and told me, "Anyway, about these DUMB guys, right?! Don't you just hate it when they treat us girls terribly?!"
"Hey, it's not right! I'll tell ya that much!" I responded, thankful that she changed our subject. Phew!
"Oh my gosh! Yeah!" said Xandra. She then whispered to my ear, signaling her eyes to Rye and his boys (Kip and Graysen) on the other side of the yard. "Actually, you see that boy over there?"
"Yeah," I responded to Xandra, knowing all too well who she was telling me about. And... I favored the heat of her breath to my ear as well.
"Don't get friendly with him," she told me.
Wynfred came to me and also whispered, "Yeah! He's a real jerk!"
Oh my gosh.... They were entrusting me with their secrets for the very first time! I felt so special! Eeeeeeeeee!
"He is?" I asked them, even though I already knew the answer. I did live through this time period before, after all... but hey, still making conversation with these cool gals meant everything to me!
"Yeah!" Wynfred replied while Piper walked to me as well. "One time, he slapped Xandra across the face."
I was shocked.... "Oh my gosh..." I said.
"There's this girl in our class called Nydia," Piper whispered to me. "I think you've met her, right?"
"Yes," I said while nodding, remembering that I did meet her... in the original 2005. In fact, I knew that Nydia was soon to be my sister's best friend at this place... once my sister would arrive to and attend this school, of course. But again, only I knew this. Again... time travel. Heh.
"Yeah," Piper continued, "he pulled her hair at recess one day and made her cry until the end of school."
"Wow!" I said. "What a jerk!" I supposed for now, I wasn't going to get Xandra as my close friend—unless I took Wynfred and Piper with her. So I decided to up my ante with them and said, "Well, don't worry. I'll never be friends with those guys. I don't like people who treat girls like dirt. You three are, so far, my coolest friends at this school!"
I was going to say closest friends; but if these chicks were anywhere near as paranoid about certain words as Orabel was, I had to watch my footing; I mean talking, I mean—oh, whatever....
"Well, thank you!" Xandra told me while her straight mouth became a smile again. "You're ours too!"
Little was I aware, however, that Herbertia, while she sat at one of the outside picnic tables with 1098, was once again spying on me. "Why are those girls constantly hanging around my Ikjot?" she told 1098.
Between knowing how much I wanted to keep my true feelings a secret—and also knowing how dangerous Herbertia could be if she got angry—1098, to keep the peace, simply said, "Look, it's not like Ikjot has feelings for any of them or something."
"BUT WHAT IF HE DOES?!" Herbertia said while grabbing 1098 by the collar.
"I would appreciate it if you'd let go of me..." 1098 told her, unamused.
With a shy smile, Herbertia said, "Oh, right!" and released 1098. "Sorry!"
"If you really want to secure Ikjot, you need to hang out with him more."
"But he told me to stay away. If I don't, I'll embarrass us both, he said."
1098 folded her arms and suggested, "A good girlfriend doesn't always do what her man wants, Herbertia. Sometimes she has to go against her boyfriend's wishes for his own safety."
"But what if he—?"
Herbertia was then interrupted by Ilana (who was accompanied by her girls). "Hey, Herbertia!" Ilana greeted her. "Wanna play some soccer with the boys—?"
"CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY?!" Herbertia viciously told her.
Ilana was now confused and said, "Herbertia, we just want to talk—!"
"Well right now, I'm talking to 1098," said Herbertia. "So beat it."
"Pushy..." said Ilana as she rolled her eyes and walked away.
"Man, that Herbertia's a real jerk..." one of the girls (Hyacinth) told Ilana.
"Nice going, Herbertia," said 1098, once again unamused with her. "Wait until Ikjot finds out about this. He'll flip!"
"Eh... I'm not worried about it," Herbertia nonchalantly told her. "Ikjot would never side with anyone over his girlfriend."
1098 thought to herself, But deep down, he doesn't consider you his girlfriend. He wants Xandra....
Then Xiomara (who was accompanied by three girls) came to Herbertia's table. "Hey, what's up with you being mean to Ilana?" Xiomara asked Herbertia.
"Wow; suddenly I'm the bad guy, right?" remarked Herbertia, making a cross-eyed and mocking face at Xiomara that said she didn't care.
"You've got issues, you know that?" Xiomara said, displeased with her.
Before Herbertia could reply, the next girl (Gylda) told her, "There's no need to be mean to Ilana."
"She's really nice," said the next girl (Zine).
Yeah, right! If Ilana were so nice, how come she made fun of me behind my back before... right to my sister's face?!
Still not caring, Herbertia told them, "Hey, I don't care how nice she is. I just don't think she needs to go around being a crybaby just because I don't want to talk to her."
"She's not being a crybaby; you're being a jerk," said the fourth girl (Yida Villamar); and the other three girls nodded in agreement.
"Look, if Ilana's got a problem with me, she doesn't need to send her lackeys to come and tell me off," said Herbertia. "What? You think I'm intimidated?"
"Now, Herbertia..." 1098 tried to calm the situation, seeing how Herbertia was being tough as usual.
"No one's trying to intimidate anyone," said Xiomara. "We just don't like you being mean to Ilana for no reason."
"It's not cool, so why are you doing it?" said an annoyed Yida Villamar.
"Uh, because I can?" replied Herbertia. "Ilana's just gonna have to learn how to toughen up and stop crying over people who don't like her."
"Ilana doesn't have to do anything, but you have to stop being mean to people," said Xiomara.
1098, knowing where this was going—and the fact that I wouldn't be happy about the outcome—told the girls, "You'll have to forgive my friend Herbertia. I'm her counselor. She has a disorder where she can't—"
"Oh, come off it, 1098!" said Herbertia. "I don't have a disorder!"
Now, you would think that Xiomara and the girls would say, So you lied to that teacher this morning then?! But I guess they weren't aware of that event.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAyc4ivcge
"You obviously do if you're mean to people for no reason," said Xiomara... while Hyacinth and Zine suddenly noticed their friend (Ilana) in the distance.
"You know what?" said Herbertia. "Tell someone who cares, 'cause you're wasting your time if you think I'm going to be nice to Ilana. All I told the brat was to get lost. If she can't take that, then she certainly isn't ready to take on the world."
"Why should she when she's in a school of people who are supposed to treat her like a friend?" said Xiomara.
"Buzz off," said Herbertia. "If I wanted to spend recess debating with someone, I'd be a politician."
"I'm not saying debate with anyone," said Xiomara. "I'm just saying be nicer to Ilana."
"For Ikjot, Herbertia...?" 1098 reminded her.
Herbertia gave it some thought, knowing how much it meant to me that she and 1098 were on their best behavior at this school.... "Well, okay..." Herbertia told them with a smile, offering them her hand. "I'll go apologize to Ilana."
Xiomara took Herbertia by the hand, helped her stand up and said, "Well, I'm glad to hear that." Xiomara then walked her across the wood chips field, making her way to Ilana who was sitting on a swing and crying to Hyacinth and Zine... about Herbertia's behavior.
Herbertia rolled her eyes, seeing right through Ilana's fakery.
"Hey, Ilana!" Xiomara alerted and stood before her with Herbertia. "Herbertia has something she wants to say to you...."
Watching Ilana continue to shed fake tears, Herbertia said, "Ilana? I'm... sorry."
Ilana—with her faking—happily hugged Herbertia and said, "Thank you, Herbertia...."
"No problem," Herbertia said while patting her back... but refused to reciprocate that hug.
***
Meanwhile, Mike and Derick continued their walk, hoping to find Julian and Somer—or so Vicky and Vanessa would've thought....
"Hey, Mike, we're not really gonna find Julian, are we?" Derick asked Mike while both of them stood outside of a coffee shop.
"If we were gonna find Julian, why would we be standing around here?" Mike replied before giving him a sneaky chuckle. "Besides, you said my plan needed to involve getting Julian out of the picture too, just so you could have Vicky instead."
Now with a sneaky smirk, Derick replied, "Yeah, no kidding! And I intend to have her...."
"You will have her if we can't find Julian. Think about it. If Julian's nowhere to be found, she'll have no choice but to be yours instead."
"No doubt about that." Derick then looked at the time from a clock inside the shop. "Well... we've been gone long enough. What do you say we go back home and tell Vicky the bad news?"
Mike laughed and said, "Sounds like a plan to me!" Mike took out a soda and started drinking it; then started walking away from the coffee shop with Derick in the process.
"Man, do you ever leave those things behind?" Derick jokingly asked him.
"As tasty as these babies are, I'd have to be crazy to do that!"
***
As for Somer and Julian themselves, they were now walking the streets of Righteous Korrigan. Though they'd done this before when it came to bringing Herbertia, 1098 and I to the school, walking by themselves was risky because they were in plain sight for police officers to see—and they were still wanted for the whole jailbreak thing. Maybe they were just lucky the other day that no one at our school seemed to recognize them.
"I don't feel safe walking around like this, Julian," said Somer. "The other day for helping the kids enroll was one thing; but... constantly doing this, y'know?"
"Yeah..." said Julian, completely getting her point. "We'll have to get disguises somehow, but we don't have any money."
"Well, that lender we're friends with pulled through for us when it came to giving us the money to pay for Herbertia and her friends' tuition at the school. Maybe he can loan us some more money to buy some disguises now."
Julian looked to Somer with a smile. "Well, he is pretty nice; I'll give the old man that. Maybe you're right." He grew a stern expression with looking forward. "But what I don't understand is why would Mike and the others lie on us the way they did today?"
"Maybe they don't like us anymore.... But it doesn't make sense. I mean, what did we do wrong?"
"I guess you never know who you can trust in this world, even if they are your friends." Then Julian looked to Somer again. "We still have to be at the school by three to pick up the kids."
Somer chuckled and lightly punched Julian's arm, saying, "Dude, don't say we're 'picking up the kids.' Say we're 'picking up Herbertia and the others.' You're making us sound so old! Haha!"
"Ahahaha!" laughed Julian, looking aside embarassed. "Yeah, good point!" He then stopped laughing and looked back Somer's way, saying, "What should we tell them in regards to where we're staying for the night?"
Somer puzzled... and said, "That's a good question. I mean, it would break Herbertia's heart to know we can't return to the shack. And don't even get me started on telling her it was the others who kicked us out! She'd go and try to take them out personally, knowing her."
Julian chuckled and said, "No kidding! That girl is strong as an ox and tough as a lion! She's quick to attack even if you look at her funny."
"I will agree with you on the 'tough' part, Julian. But as far as 'strong' goes, I'm not so sure...."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what if she's not strong enough in the event that Ikjot does break her heart?"
Julian set his hand on Somer's shoulder. "Somer... we've been over this. Ikjot's not going to hurt Herbertia."
Somer looked down with a sad face. "I know, but... I still have my suspicions. Y'know, after my last relationship and all...."
Julian paused... and said, "I remember. You told me about that."
"Yeah...."
"But that doesn't mean that all guys are like that. I mean, look at you and me. We've been together way longer than you were with that other guy. He'd be jealous if he saw how happy you were today."
Somer smiled weakly. "Yeah... I guess you're right." She looked to him and continued, "After all, you are the kind of guy who could make many others envy you."
Smiling with closed eyes and a blush, Julian told her, "Aw, stop!"
"It's true! I mean... you've been at my side through everything, even when we were in jail. When the officers came to arrest us in the first place, you told them everything you could to make them take you instead of me. You even went as far as saying that you made all of us do it, just so we wouldn't have to go to prison. I don't think any man would've done that, especially not my old boyfriend—but you did, Julian...."
Julian could only smile, feeling happy that Somer was proud of him. "I did that because I love you, Somer... even if Vicky and the others don't."
Somer teased, "Vicky and the others don't seem to like you much either, nowadays."
Looking forward again, Julian said, "No kidding.... But it doesn't matter what they think. All I know is what we know of each other; and that is that we would never do anything to hurt anyone."
"I guess our friends just felt it necessary to betray us.... What jerks."
"Yeah.... Well, I guess we'd better head over to that lender before we go to pick up... the kids!"
"Julian!" laughed Somer, playfully punching his neck.
And Julian just laughed, turning right with Somer at a street corner and headed in the direction to meet this lender they spoke of.
***
Back at the hospital in Sanne, Ram continued to wait outside, still wiping tears from her eyes and hoping for a positive response from the doctors. Just then, a fox doctor with long dark-brown, middle-parted and fluffy hair walked out of the room with closing the door behind her. She sat down next to Ram... and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Hey..." she told Ram, "I'm sorry about what happened to your friend."
"It's just not fair..." said Ram, still whimpering with tears. "Marta didn't deserve this."
The doctor paused and looked away... then said, "Lots of things aren't fair in this world... which is why people do them. They do unfair things because they know they'll get pleasure out of ruining other people's lives."
Ram paused... then looked down and said, "Yeah...." She looked back to the doctor. "Do you think Marta will be alright...?"
The doctor sighed, much to Ram's suspicion. "Well, actually..." she said, "that's what I came out here to talk to you about...."
"Ah...?" puzzled Ram.
"You see, Ram... Marta is..." The doctor then paused and looked to Ram. "Well, she's in a coma."
Ram was stunned with shock. She couldn't believe her ears. What would this mean for Marta...?
***
Back at Marta's house, it was eight o'clock at night when Tiane finally arrived home.
Standing at the door, Mrs. Grey sighed and said, "As usual, Tiane, you're home late... again."
Tiane nonchalantly said, "Aw! Relax, mom...." She then jumped on the couch and kicked back. "I'm sixteen. I do what I want."
"Oh...?" said Mrs. Grey. "Well, if you're so responsible, then can you tell me why Marta hasn't come home yet? She's always here before you."
"She's always here by four, now that you mention it..." said Mr. Grey as he came into the room.
"Maybe she decided to have a little night on the town. Who knows?" responded Tiane, maintaining her relaxation.
"Tiane, this is serious!" said Mrs. Grey. "Where's Marta?!"
"Look, if you wanna know so bad, why don't you go find her yourself?" Tiane replied.
"Because we weren't the ones leaving from the same school with her, that's why!" said Mr. Grey. Tiane played with her fingers while he continued, "As her big sister, it's your job to look after her, Tiane!"
"What?" said Tiane. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Could you try saying something more logical that I can understand? Because saying that Marta still needs a babysitter at her age is kind of dumb; don't you think so, dad?"
"YOUNG LADY, GO TO YOUR ROOM!" commanded Mr. Grey.
Tiane jumped up from the couch and approached him. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and said, "Listen, old man..." and threw him to the floor.
"AH!" screamed Mrs. Grey, fearing for her husband's safety.
"I'm the boss of this joint," Tiane went on to tell her own father. "Not Marta. Me! And I would hope that's the last time you'll talk to me like I'm some kid... because I'm not!"
"That's your father, Tiane!" said Mrs. Grey—before Tiane slapped her across the face. "AH!" screamed the mother.
"Hey!" shouted Mr. Grey.
"SHUT UP!" Tiane commanded Mr. Grey. "And as for you," she told Mrs. Grey, "you're not even half the woman I am." Mrs. Grey now cried as Tiane continued, "So let's remember around here... who the real big cheese is."
"You can't treat her like that, Tiane!" said Mr. Grey. "She's your mother—"
Tiane's foot quickly interrupted her father's words when she slammed it in his face, knocking him to the floor with a bloody nose.
"AH!" yelled Mr. Grey in pain.
"CHAD!" screamed Mrs. Grey, calling Mr. Grey by his first name.
Tiane watched him with a smile and said, "Look at him.... So weak." She walked up the stairs. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my room...." Then she chuckled.
"Are you okay, Chad...?" Mrs. Grey asked her husband, leaning down to him.
"I'm fine, Miriam..." Chad called Mrs. Grey by her first name. He stood up, holding his face and still bleeding from the nose. "I think...." Then he groaned from the pain.
Later that night, after Mr. Grey finished washing his face to remedy his nose, Mrs. Grey—who stood beside him—sighed and said, "What are we going to do about Tiane?"
Mr. Grey wiped his nose with a cloth. "I don't know, Miriam..." he told her. "But she's becoming too violent to live with. We may have to..."
Mrs. Grey paused, knowing all too well what he was prepared to suggest. "Chad... no! We can't move out! Where would we go?!"
Mr. Grey looked down with a sad sigh. "I don't know, sweetheart.... But we have to do something or Tiane will terrorize us for the rest of our days." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "But let's not worry about that right now. Right now, we need to go out there and find Marta."
"Right!" sternly said Mrs. Grey.
***
Back at the shack, Vicky kept watch of the time on the wall clock. She groaned angrily and said, "I'm getting impatient.... They should be here by now."
"Let's hope they're not goofing off or anything..." said Vanessa. "You know men...."
Just then, the door opened as Mike and Derick came walking in.
"It's about darn time!" said Vicky before noticing something. "HEY! Where's Julian?!"
"Sorry, babe..." said Derick, closing the door behind Mike and himself. "We couldn't find them."
Mike dropped his empty can of soda to the floor and said, "No matter where we looked, Somer nor Julian were anywhere to be found."
"SO GET OUT THERE AND SEARCH AGAIN!" angrily demanded Vicky. "I DON'T CARE IF IT TAKES YOU ALL NIGHT! I WANT JULIAN BACK!"
Mike and Derick then looked to each other with sly smirks. Derick looked to Vicky and said, "Look... we've tried everything. There's nothing else we can do—"
"DON'T MESS WITH ME!" warned Vicky, tossing one of Mike's empty cans at Derick, causing him to flinch and block his face. "I WANT JULIAN AND I WANT HIM NOW!"
"Whatever happened to your calm and collected personality, Vicky?" teased Derick.
"I SAID DON'T MESS WITH ME! LOOK, IF YOU CLOWNS WON'T DO IT, THEN I WILL!" Vicky immediately stormed towards the door, only for Derick to purposely stand in her way. She grew even angrier and said, "That's very funny, Derick.... Now get out of my way!"
Derick shook his head and told her, "Nah.... I don't think so."
Vicky's eyes widened as Mike said, "Yeah, I think we're gonna keep you here. It has been a long day, after all."
"What are you talking about?!" said Vicky. She pushed Derick aside and kept heading for the door. "I SAID GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Derick immediately grabbed Vicky by the shoulder and said, "You're not going anywhere!"
"HEY!" shouted Vicky, struggling to break free. "LET GO OF ME!"
Derick wrapped both his arms around her and said, "Sorry, baby; but it is kind of late out there."
"IF I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE LATE, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO DO IT!" She kicked his knee and shouted, "LET GO OF ME!"
Derick, having more strength than her, managed to pull Vicky away from the door. "No," he said. "You're staying here."
Vanessa decided to intervene. "Look, if Vicky wants to go outside and find Julian, let her do it," she told them.
"Vicky's not going anywhere!" replied Derick, much to Vanessa's shock. "She's staying here!"
Vicky continued struggling to break free of Derick, only for him to continue escorting her even further away from the door. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" she asked him. "LET ME GO!"
Derick had no choice but to hold her tighter as she was becoming increasingly harder to maintain.
Vicky continued, "DERICK, STOP! YOU'RE STARTING TO HURT ME!"
Vanessa, realizing that Derick was holding Vicky too tightly at this point, ran to him and said, "Let her go! Stop!"
But Mike stood in Vanessa's way with his arms spread out as a barrier. "Let them handle their business, Vanessa!" he told her.
"TELL DERICK TO LET VICKY GO!" commanded Vanessa.
"No, I think we'll keep things the way they are right now," said Mike.
"Look, no one's playing around here!" said Vanessa. Then she ran past Mike, only for him to grab her in a hold from behind. "HEY, STOP!" she commanded him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"I guess I'm tired of you always swiping my sodas!" laughingly said Mike.
"This isn't funny, Mike! Let me go!"
"VANESSA'S RIGHT!" said Vicky. "STOP THIS!"
"Why do you always wanna resist me, babe?" Derick laughingly asked Vicky.
"DERICK, COME ON!" pled Vicky, feeling his grip get tighter as she continued struggling to break free. She started elbowing him in the gut (multiple times), only to make him angry enough to throw her to the floor.
"VICKY!" yelled Vanessa, still being held by Mike.
Vicky immediately started running, only for Derick to once again grab her from behind. Once more, she struggled to break free. But that was really starting to get on his nerves.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBlQuMeeRfg
"LET GO OF ME!" she told him. "I WANT TO FIND JULIAN!"
"JULIAN ISN'T COMING BACK, VICKY!" said Derick. "DON'T YOU GET IT?!"
Vicky quickly bit Derick's hand with all of her might, forcing him to let go.
"AH!" he yelled before she punched him in the face and ran for the door again.
Derick then grabbed Vicky and threw her to the floor.
Vicky kicked Derick in the pants, which made him mad enough to... lean down and punch her in the face. "STOP IT!" he yelled.
"DON'T HIT VICKY!" Vanessa commanded Derick. "I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"
"You can't call anyone if I'm holding you!" Mike told Vanessa, still struggling to maintain her.
Vicky took off her shoe and pitched it at Derick's face, only for him to quickly pick it up. Vicky once again tried running away, but Derick grabbed her by the arm and started hitting her face with the shoe, over and over again.
Vicky then punched Derick in the gut before he grabbed her in a chokehold, once again ensuring that she couldn't escape.
"You're gonna be mine, Vicky!" Derick told her. "Julian doesn't WANT you! HE WANTS SOMER! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?!" But Vicky's only response was another bite to his hand, forcing him to punch her in the nose.
"VICKY, NO!" screamed Vanessa, fed up with Derick striking Vicky. She repeatedly elbowed and kicked Mike while she yelled, "I'M SO CALLING THE POLICE!"
"YOU'LL CALL NO ONE!" Mike said while he threw Vanessa to the floor.
Vanessa jumped up and slapped Mike across the face.
Mike retaliated with a punch that struck Vanessa to the floor.
"VANESSA, NO!" panicked Vicky, still confined by Derick. "THAT'S IT! I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"
"YOU GUYS SURE LOVE TO REPEAT EACH OTHER'S STATEMENTS, DON'T YOU?!" teased Derick. "You can't call the police because we're running from the police, remember?! If you call them, we're all going to jail; not just me and Mike!"
The girls knew they couldn't argue with that logic.
But Vicky still struggled to break free of Derick's grip, forcing him to have no other choice but to say, "Fine...." Derick then released Vicky from his arms, much to Mike's curiosity.
Vicky then ran across the room, heading for another door to exit the shack. Little was she aware, however, of Derick who would also run across the room and pick up Somer's gun—which Somer left behind upon leaving the shack with Julian earlier.
"FREEZE!" commanded Derick as Vicky reached for the doorknob.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRZ2JzSjbI
Seeing the gun that Derick held.
Vanessa yelled, "VICKY!"
Vicky slowly turned around with fear, trembling as she too saw the pistol in Derick's grip.
Pointing the gun at her, Derick said, "If you try to leave... I'll kill you."
Vicky couldn't believe this... and said, "De... Derick, you wouldn't...!" And she still couldn't believe it.
"Oh, yeah...?" he questioned her question. To prove his point, Derick shot a hole in the wall beside Vicky. She jumped back in fear while he continued, "I don't think you wanna call me a bluffer; not on this one, Vicky."
Mike walked away from Vanessa and grabbed a soda off the counter. "Look at them..." he told Derick before drinking the beverage. "They're scared now."
"I don't understand..." said Vanessa, now with tears in her eyes. "Why are you doing this...?"
Mike crushed his soda can and dropped it to the floor. "Should we tell 'em, Derick?" he asked him.
"Yeah, might as well..." replied Derick, watching Vicky with his gun still aimed her way.
"Tell us what...?" asked Vicky, still trembling with fear.
"We never even tried looking for Julian..." Derick told Vicky. Vicky's eyes widened with fear as he continued, "Yup! Mike and I stood outside a coffee shop for most of the day, just so you'd think we were spending that time trying to find your little man."
"So then... you lied..." suggested Vanessa.
Derick nodded and said, "Yup!" He approached Vicky who still fearfully quivered in the corner. "You see, Vicky and I were meant to be together; not Vicky and Julian." He rested his arm over Vicky's shoulder, but didn't drop his gun in the process. "Julian is with Somer, Vicky. All you need is me."
"YOU CAN'T FORCE ME TO LIKE YOU!" Vicky told him.
"CAN'T I?!" Derick challenged her. Then he used the gun to knock her to the floor.
"HEY!" said Vanessa. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO HIT VICKY, AND YOU MOST CERTAINLY HAVE NO RIGHT TO USE SOMER'S GUN TO DO IT!"
Derick aimed the gun at Vanessa and told her, "I don't think you're in much of a position to debate with me."
Vanessa trembled with fear in response.
Derick told her, "I hold the cards here, Vanessa."
Now bleeding from the nose, Vicky leaned up and begged, "Derick... please... stop this! Just let us go—"
"SHUT UP!" Derick shouted while kicking her in the face, making Vicky fall to the floor again.
"YOU WILL STOP THAT!" Vanessa told him.
"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Derick shouted, aiming the gun at Vanessa again. Both Vicky and Vanessa trembled in fear while he continued, "If you two want to live here from now on... you'll do as Mike and I say."
Vanessa's eyes widened when she realized something... and soon said, "What about the kids? Who's going to pick them up?"
"Let them fend for themselves," said Derick. "No friends of Somer and Julian are allowed in this shack anymore."
Mike paused... and said, "But, wait, we can't leave them out there—"
"Any accomplices of Somer or Julian will be on their side," interrupted Derick. "If those kids find out Somer and Julian are missing, they'll try to bring them back."
"We could tell them that Somer and Julian just took off and left because they didn't want to be bothered with Herbertia or her friends anymore," suggested Mike.
Both Vicky and Vanessa gasped with shock. "NO!" shouted Vanessa.
"No, I think we will..." said Mike, trying to spite Vanessa by going against her wishes.
"I thought we were friends, Mike!" said Vanessa.
Mike leaned down to her with innocent eyes. "Vanessa, we are friends..." he told her. "We just don't want Julian here—"
"DON'T TELL ME THAT!" interrupted Vanessa. "YOU'RE JUST WORKING WITH DERICK TO MAKE SURE HE HAS VICKY BEFORE JULIAN CAN!"
"JULIAN IS TAKEN BY SOMER, VANESSA!" shouted Mike.
"BUT JULIAN COULD HAVE BEEN MINE HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SOMER STEALING HIM FROM ME!" shouted Vicky.
"WAKE UP, VICKY!" said Derick. "I'M BETTER OF A MAN FOR YOU THAN JULIAN WILL EVER BE!"
"You're a monster..." growled Vicky in a low, angered voice.
Derick kicked her across the face in response.
"AH!" screamed Vicky while holding her face.
"HUH?!" dared Derick. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Vanessa got up and ran towards Derick, only for Mike to grab her from behind.
Realizing that Vanessa was trying to attack him from behind, Derick turned around and aimed his gun at her. "WHAT DID I SAY?!" he reminded Vanessa.
Vanessa trembled in fear while Derick continued, "NO ONE'S LEAVING THIS SHACK; NOT UNLESS THEY GO THROUGH ME! You girls are staying where we can watch you... for now."
"...You won't get away with this, Derick," said Vicky.
Derick looked back to Vicky and aimed his gun at her. "Who's gonna stop me?" he asked with a confident smirk.
***
As for Julian and Somer, they finally made it to a small building across the street. Upon crossing the street, they made it to the building's front door. Julian rang the bell as a man from inside asked, "Who is it?!" but in a happy tone of voice.
"Uh, Somer and Julian, sir..." Somer responded.
Before she'd say anything else, the voice interrupted, "Hold it! Just wait right there while I let you in!"
Somer and Julian did just that and, within seconds, the door slowly opened for them.
Standing before the two was an elderly yet seemingly humble black bear. He wore a dark suit. "Come right in!" he said while showing them his office.
"Absolutely, Mr. Bourdon!" Julian called the man by the name he apparently liked to go by.
"Alright!" said Somer.
Minutes later, they were sitting in the office and had discussed their terms with the elderly fellow.
"So... let me get this straight; you want me to loan you some money to help you buy disguises that will ensure your safety from the police?" Mr. Bourdon asked them.
"That's right," said Somer, nodding.
"And..." Mr. Bourdon continued, "Vicky and the others turned on you guys this morning?"
"Right..." said Somer and Julian in unison, nodding their heads.
"I'll make sure not to do business with them anymore," Mr. Bourdon said while rubbing his chin.
"Wow!" happily exclaimed Somer. "No way!"
"You mean it?!" exclaimed Julian.
"Awesome!"
"I was once backstabbed too, you know!" laughed Mr. Bourdon. "I know exactly the kind of pain you guys are going through...." Then he slid open the drawer from his desk and took out nine thousand dollars in bills. He handed the money over to Somer and Julian. "Here you go... I believe this should cover your expenses."
"Wow..." said Somer, taking the bills and counting through them. "But... Mr. Bourdon, this is a bit much. All we need is some money for the costumes."
"I know it's a bit much for costumes," Mr. Bourdon told her with a smile. "But if you two are homeless now, you'll need some place to stay. Plus you two have a daughter to feed."
"So true," said Somer, smiling.
"Indeed," said Julian, smiling as well.
WHOA! HOLD THE PHONE! SOMER AND JULIAN HAVE A DAUGHTER?! No one told me about this!
Meanwhile, after hearing the news about Marta, Ram is even more worried about her friend than she was before. Beaten and brutalized by her own sister, will Marta make it out of her coma? Will she live? As Marta's mother and father search the streets for their daughter, they too know the source of their own troubles: Tiane. Can they escape her clutches before she becomes anymore of a problem?
And what about Vicky and Vanessa back at the shack? How will they fair against Derick and Mike who now hold them hostage? Is there any hope for them?
Lastly, let's not forget Ikjot, Herbertia and 1098. While Ikjot continues to carry out his plans of getting close to Xandra, he still wishes to keep his relationship with Herbertia in the process. The question is, can he? And how much longer can Herbertia keep up her polite routine for the sake of Ikjot? Could discovering Ikjot's true feelings for Xandra make her call off the deal and get herself thrown out of the school? There are many questions to be answered, and only one way to find out what happens: Don't miss the next chapter of Something!
***
In the next chapter of Something... Ikjot wants to make time for Xandra, but his already-established relationship with Herbertia poses a problem to that.
Ikjot told Herbertia, "Well... it's just that..." and scratched the back of his head, "when you dragged me away from Xandra today..."
"Well, I had to..." said Herbertia. "I thought she was getting too close to you...."
And look out, Vanessa and Vicky! You might want to run away, but it's easier thought than acted upon with Derick threatening your very lives!
"Looking for this...?" asked Derick, aiming his gun at Vanessa from behind.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkugEA8vQI
Vanessa and Vicky both trembled in fear, with Vanessa slowly turning her head to find the worst had happened: Derick was awake.
There's a lot of suffering going around! And one thing's for certain—evil must be stopped! Don't miss out on the next Something!
***
Something9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUNLEBtxGp
69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkyZhn2xWv
Ikjot Goes to the Costume Store
***
♪ Yes, I didn't talk to anyone. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCeqvW7igb
♪ I was made fun of by everyone. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogXACtHBqu
♪ It's something I wish could be undone. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJR6FzMeQG
♪ She asked me. I wish I'd had respond. ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzdVuHyWMMW
♪ But hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS16cv3quEy
♪ Please hear me out: We're all worth being loved! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr5fPFSxJc
♪ I'm crying out: We're all worth being loved! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI54B551jJF
♪ I have no doubt we're all worth being loved! ♪
♪ Please, I beg you all, let's become friends! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQX2IOcrCa
♪ Let's not judge each other by what's been! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTMRsjh8cg
♪ It was years ago! It came and went! ♪9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6lOynzYum6
♪ That's a past chapter! New one begins! ♪
***
© 2013 Trerchry.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7hsF9LvG1n
All Rights Reserved.
