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Chapter 9
Nick
I had an immediate dislike of Cameron after her little speech. Who did she think she was? Certainly not Aphrodite. Maybe Hades, funny I always thought he was a he, not a she.
"Brian, how do you meet these women?" I asked as Brian entered the front of the bus where the TV was. The other guys had retreated to their bunks for the night, but I had too much sugar. I couldn't sleep right now if my life depended on it.
Brian shrugged and sat next to me. "Whatcha watchin?"
"Some cable mystery."
Brian yawned and put his hands behind his head, stretching out his legs.
"So where'd you meet her?"
"In a bakery. I was helping out a friend."
"Oh yeah, how is this 'friend' that we can't know about?"
Brian seemed to be thinking how to answer that and finally did. "Could be better. A lot better."
"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, what's done is done." Brian smiled. "That sounds like Cameron, don't you think?"
"I don't know, I guess. 'Screw you' sounds more like it."
Brian laughed. "That doesn't sound like her, that is her."
I shook my head. "Why can't you find someone sweet. You always find the witches."
Brian looked at me, knowing what I meant. "I like Cameron and I did mess up with her and I do owe her one. But that's not why I'm helping her. I'm helping her cuz she has no one but me and her dog."
"It sure didn't sound like she wanted you."
Brian shrugged. "She'll probably never 'want' me around, but she needs me around."
"And how do you figure that? She seems pretty capable to me."
Brian shook his head. "Not in the caring department." He grinned at me. "Letting her know someone cares annoys the crap out of her and tickles me pink."
I don't get him sometimes. "You're too strange."
"Thank you."
And he looked thoroughly pleased with the insult.
"So have you at least kissed her?"
Brian laughed. "I never kiss and tell, you know that."
"You're a liar, I know that."
"Maybe so, maybe no." He stood. "Good night, Nick."
"Brian." I called.
"Night."
"You suck."
Brian's laughter faded as he went to the back of the bunk.
He's kissed her. And more than once from the smile on his face.
Lucky moron.
Cameron
When I woke up the next day I wanted to be sick. Everyone on this bus was...perky. I ignored them all and went into the small bathroom. If you could call it that. The toilet was practically in the shower and the sink was on the toilet, practically.
I was in and out fast since I had been warned the water was heated by the engine... meaning extremely limited hot water supply for 6 people.
I brushed my hair up into a pony tail after I blew it dry and then I pulled an orange tank and kaki shorts. Thank goodness we were getting away from New York and it's cold weather. Now it was just chilly. So I pulled on a sweatshirt over the tank and exited the bathroom.
I bumped into Nick and we both stood their. Apologize, a tiny voice said. I ignored it and walked into the kitchenette.
"Morning sunshine." Bran smiled through his yawn.
"Morning." I looked for a seat, not really hungry, but for some strange reason wanting to be around these people. The only open seat was next to Brian.
Bruno barked, saving me from sitting next to him.
"Good morning Bruno." I bent down to Bruno's level and scratched behind his ears. "Such a good boy. Did you sleep well last night? Huh?"
Bruno barked repeatedly and I smiled. It was like he was talking to me.
"Are you hungry?"
Bruno got up and walked towards the exit of the kitchenette and then back and then the same motion again.
"Guys my dog needs out."
"We're on the freeway." Kevin said, eyes still tired.
"So pull onto the shoulder, it'll take him two seconds." I was already walking to the front of the bus, Bruno at my heals, to talk to the driver. "Can you pull over real quick. My dog needs to be let out."
"Yeah, no problem. We'll be taking an exit in two minutes. Can he wait that long?"
I looked at Bruno, who was looking at the door. "Um, can you drive really fast?"
"No problem."
AJ
"So we have to be a dog for her to like us, is that it?" AJ asked, poring himself some coffee.
"She seems to tolerate Brian, so I guess you don't have to be a dog." Nick stated.
I shrugged. New topic. "What are we going to do about Nancy?"
"Who?" Came the four responses.
I rolled my eyes. "Nancy is the dancer I dance with most. She broke her ankle. There are a few girls who know some of her moves, but that's about it."
"So we'll have to have the one who knows the most be trained."
I sat there, thinking on it until someone questioned me. "How long would it be to train someone brand new?"
"Too long," was Kevin's response.
"I don't think so. If we get a quick learner who's light on her feet we should be able to."
"That's hard to find." Howie stated.
The bus rolled to a stop, as did the conversation.
Everyone headed towards the back of the bus to get decent enough to leave the bus.
~
"So Bill where's this new girl that's a miracle worker and so light on her feet'?" I asked with a mock tone of voice and a roll of my eyes.
"She's right over there." Bill, a 20 year-old Kenue Reeves look alike, worked the dancers and the talent before the shows. So I guess you could call him a coreographer/bookie. Or something like that.
I walked over to the brown haired-blonde streaked girl and tapped her shoulder. She turned around and immediately started flirting with me with her smile and the way she looked me up and down.
Here we go again.
"Hi, I'm AJ and if you're as talented as Bill says you are, you're my dance partner."
"AJ, what a wonderful name." She gushed. Did she even hear anything else I said?
"Thanks." I looked at Bill who just pretended to be readied a tablet. Too bad there wasn't even a blank piece of paper on it.
"So what's it stand for, or is that just your name?" She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and smacked her lips like she had gum in her mouth. She didn't though.
"Alexander James." I said simply.
"Ohhh, that's sooo cute. Can I call you Alexander?"
"No." I rolled my shoulders, trying to relieve tension. "Please don't."
"OK."
Cameron walked by and I prayed she'd save me. No such luck. She just waved a little wave and walked away.
"Who was that?" The blonde looked insulted.
"Um...my girlfriend." OK, that was the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life.
"Really? You two in love, or is it just sex?" She asked bluntly.
"Love, yeah, um, it's love." OK, now that was the stupidest.
The blonde seemed to think on it a minute and then looked as if she believed me. "My name is Kit, most call me Kitty."
I'm sure. "That's nice. Shall we get started?" God help me...PLEASE!
"Sure." She smiled and took my hand, dashing a look at Cameron who was talking to one of the security guards, not in the slightest paying attention to me. "She's awfully flirty." Kit said in a sing song voice.
"Let's try my solo first."
Cameron
That was an amusing sight, I had to admit. I had more important things to do than help AJ out of a jam some blonde bimbo put him in. I had to figure out this dream. It was driving me crazy.
Nick didn't wear a watch, so it wasn't a watch ticking. Back to the metaphorical ticking. His life ticking away.
OK, so he was losing his life, and soon no doubt. He looked healthy, running around in shorts and a tee shirt, practicing dance moves. He looked pretty happy too. Well, except for his eyes. They were just like in my dream. Sad, alone, scared.
I couldn't figured that part out. Brian hadn't said anything about Nick being depressed or feeling lonely or scared. To Brian he probably seemed pretty normal and happy.
Nick walked over to a chair and picked up his water bottle. I saw him look at himself through the reflection of the window. His face was faded, but his blue eyes seemed to stand out.
I felt my shoulder twitch and I ignored it. My fingers were twitching yesterday. He's calling me again.
Nick saw me watching him and he glared. Obviously I made a friend with my speech yesterday. Suits me just fine.
Nick put his water down and walked back over to the other guys without so much as another glance at me. The blonde, however, was starting right at me. Like I needed this now.
I walked over to her. "What?"
She looked startled, like I had just walked up behind her, although she had seen me coming. "I, um, will probably be performing with your boyfriend."
I just stared at her. Boyfriend?
The girl just seemed to get more nervous. Good. "He said I was really good."
He who, I wondered.
"Will you quit starting at me? I didn't try anything with him, I swear!"
This girl was tripping, but very amusing.
"AJ, come get her away from me." The girl shrieked.
I turned to look at AJ. He had a 'help me please' look on his face over an 'oops I just got caught' smile. I turned back to the girl. "So you'll be dancing with AJ, my boyfriend?"
"Uh, yeah." She said, weary of me.
"I see, you know I'm the jealous type. I won't take very likely to finding out some girl has been putting the moves on my man."
The girl was shaking her head like I was screaming orders she didn't like at her, even though my voice was almost as low as a whisper.
"Just stick to the dance routine and away from these five. Understand me?"
"Wait, what authority do you have on the other four?" The girl asked suddenly.
I took a step closer, my voice just a bit lower. "Consider me half bodyguard a quarter girlfriend and a quarter family. It's a very dangerous mix for just one person."
She nodded and then just thought she insulted me so she shook her head. She didn't seem to know what to do.
"So you'll do your job and stay away from them otherwise."
She nodded. "Yeah." Her voice was nothing more than a high pitched squeak.
I smiled. "Good. Now we won't get along at all. I'm not much of a chat, but you should get along fine with everyone else if you remember what we've talked about today." I turned and walked away. "I hate spineless women." I murmured to myself. I sat on a chair against the wall and pulled my feet under me. Reaching for Brian's bag beside me I pulled out a notepad I had been writing in and had put in there. I pulled out pen as well and dropped the bag onto the floor.
I looked over my latest entry. After a few of these 'dreams' I had begun to write things in them down. It helped me sort my thoughts. I started calling the victims 'game pieces' because that's what they were.
It was sort of like a chess game to him. There was strategy, planing, the moving of the game piece and then the consequences/rewards of that move. He was the one who moved the game piece forward, I was the one who tried to make a consequence for him and not for the 'game piece' and most defiantly try to keep him from getting a reward for his move. It was like chess all right only when he declared 'Check Mate' it wasn't just a plastic piece that fell to the floor. Somebody has to die.
~
Latest Game Piece (GP): Nick Carter
Dream sequence: Blue eyes, ticking sound in background, later (after meeting
him) his whole face.
Noticeable facts about the GP: His eyes look depressed and alone but his personality
and the way he acts is totally different. He's very healthy, keeps the other
ones on their toes.
~
I wondered if Nick's parents would notice anything strange about him. Probably. I made a mental note to find out who his parents were, where they lived, and how to get into contact with them. I realized suddenly that if I really wanted to get to the bottom of this I was going to have to be nice to Nick and talk to him. Heaven help me.
"Hey sugar pie." Brian murmured into my ear and I jumped out of my chair. He laughed, I wanted to choke him. How did I not hear him coming?
"Brian, do that again and I swear you'll regret it." I calmed my breathing and closed my note book.
"Sorry, I just wanted to come say hi and see how bored you were." He grinned, sitting in my seat. "So what's up with AJ?"
"He told some bimbo I was his girl."
Brian grinned. "And you went along with it?"
"I'm not totally indifferent."
Brian scoffed. "You so aren't indifferent. That would require you to be neutral. You're for the other team." Brian grinned again.
I rolled my eyes and put my note book back into his bag along with my pen. "I need to check on Bruno." I heard footsteps getting closer behind me.
I turned to walk out side and sidestepped being run into by Nick.
"You got raider?" Nick asked, not seeing me until it was too late.
"Something like that." I said. OK, that was fairly nice, wasn't it? I left before I got into any trouble.
After getting out side I took me a second or two to find Bruno. He'd wandered off, not too far, looking at things.
"Hey there buddy. You find anything interesting?" I scratched Bruno's ears and walked with him away from the building.
There was a surprisingly nice amount of grass and trees around this area for it being a business type setting. It was like a park, only no benches. The trees were fairly dense as well.
I sat down with Bruno against a tree and tried to ignore the twitching in my wrist joints. I shook my wrist and rubbed it.
Bruno licked my wrist.
I smiled and pat his neck. "I'm OK."
Carrie
"Charlie what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to hide the worry in my tone.
"I'm here to see my baby." He answered gruffly, a smug smile playing on his lips. His breath reached of whiskey.
"This baby isn't yours." I said, my hand absently stroking my well rounded stomach.
"I wasn't talking about your bastard kid."
"Watch your mouth." I felt anger boil up in me.
"Don't back talk me woman." His hand smacked across my face with a sharp stinging sensation I thought I'd forever be able to forget.
Charlie was my first real boyfriend. Longer than a week that is. He was my first love. My first lover.
That was the mistake that did me in. Once I let him in my bed he thought he owned me. That thought never seemed to leave his mind either. Not even after we had broken up.
If he felt like smacking me around he'd do it when he pleased where he pleased. Most the time it was after a few shot glasses.
I don't think I'd ever forget the first time he beat me. I had told him I wanted to break up with him.
"You think you can just walk out on me?" Charlie's voice was dripping with venom and an awful stench of whiskey and wine mixed.
His fingers dug into her forearms like knives.
"Charlie you're hurting me." Tears stained my face. I thought they'd be permeant. I'd never cried so much so hard in my life.
He ignored my plea for release. He shook me so hard it felt like I got whiplash. "I won't let you leave me. Do you hear me? Answer me!" He didn't give me time to answer though.
He smacked me down so hard the bruise formed on my face almost instantaneously. There were four fingers, a tiny piece of a thumb and a palm print all on one pink, purple and blue cheek.
He picked me up by the throat when I couldn't get up on my own. He slammed me against the wall. I hit a picture frame and it broke. Little jagged pieces of glass ground into my scull as he kissed me.
He was completely out of his mind. He had raped me then. I told him things he wanted to hear. Things to get me out of there. Then I went straight to the police station.
It would take a few more beatings but finally the police got the picture and arrested him. He spent the next 15 years in prison.
And now he was out. And back for me.
"Did you forget everything I taught you about being a woman?" Charlie asked, his fingers lightly caressing my hair and then yanking it so that it felt like it would come out into his hand. "You're not to speak..."
"Unless spoken to." I rested, sobbing.
"You're supposed to be where when I get home?"
"In bed, waiting for you." I wasn't crying anymore. I felt humiliated. Forced to recite the same set of rules he had taught me when I was so young and stupid.
"And what's supposed to be waiting for me on the table?"
"Your manhood, chopped into pieces." I had to pay for that remark. I didn't care anymore. My baby was going to die. If I didn't die soon then he would kill me slowly. In my head.
He punched me and I heard the familiar sound of my nose cracking. He'd broken it a time or two before. "I'm gonna kill you this time woman."
He beat her and killed her.
He did all those things while someone watched on with interest on how a species kills one another in rage. It fascinated. Now it was time for part two of this game.
He couldn't wait.
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