CLICK- Chapter 12

It was almost lunch time. I sat in my dull cubicle, spinning in my chair while dangling a pen from my cold fingers (freaking cheapo’s needed to up the budget and get a heater). I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. What a boring shade of gray. Bored bored boredddddd. Even more boring now that Anjali wasn’t there to tease. I really didn’t care if she was gone. That sleazebag could be dead for all I cared. She had probably taken a vacation. Honestly, I had no idea why people were so hyped up about her absence, to the point where they had issued an investigation. After all, it wasn’t like she was, you know, kidnapped or anything.

I blinked. My eyes had become dry from staring up too long. My thoughts were broken when a mass of red jumped up from behind my cubicle wall. Cally Whitworth, the imbecile.

“God, I’m so worried about Anj! What if she’s really not okay? What if she’s hurt? What if she’s dying? WHAT IF IT’S CANCER AND-”

I looked up lazily, swinging one crossed leg over the other. I gave her a look that said, “frankly, I think you’re a jumped up bunglicker”. Cal didn’t get the hint though.

“Geoffreeyyyyyy! Come on!!! You have to help me look for her! The last time I saw her was when she ran after you that night at my party.”

“No, I don’t have to help you look for her,” I said. “Honestly, do I look like your slave?”

“Yes.”

“Shut up.”

“MAKEE MEEE! Geoffrey Indiko, you are a right foul custard bunion. You are going to help me look for her, or I swear to God that I will make your life a living hell!”

I laughed breezily. “Alreadddyy is one with you in it, darrlinnggg!”

“Okay. Fine. Then I’ll come to your house with a baseball bat and break your mirror so you can never gaze longingly at your stupid fat face again!”

“I happen to be under the impression that my face is rather spectacular looking, as you seemed so enamored with it just a few days ago,”

“SHUT UP! That was before I knew how stupid you were and how much product you put in you hair, stupid!”

“I put barely any product at all. What you see is in fact just a byproduct of my awesome-ness.”

“Stay right there. I’m going to find a stapler to bash your head in with.”

I gave her a slight bow. “Very good, milady,” I added sarcastically.

Then, out of nowhere, an actual stapler came flying at my head. A huge, black, metal one. I ducked but....not in time. Damn thing hit the side of my head.

“WHAT’D YOU DO THAT FOR??”

“I told you I was going to do it!”

I groaned, gingerly feeling the side of my skull. “You twit! I’m bleeding!”

“Oh, don’t be a baby.”

“HARK WHO’S TALKING!”

“ME? LOOK AT YOU! TOUCHING YOUR FACE ALL THE TIME, BENDING OVER TO STICK OUT YOUR ‘CHISELED’ BUTT, ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW EVERYTHING’S TOO COLD, MAKING LEWD COMMENTS ABOUT OUR BOSS-”

“Ahem. I understand that you are...clearly occupied...but it would be appreciated if you two would take your rather boisterous conversation outside, or even better, elsewhere.” Our annoying boss stood by the doorway. Irritated, I stood up. I did not say lewd things about our boss, Jesus Christ! (Okay, so maybe she was particularly bodacious and- BUT I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT)

“No problem! I was getting tired of speaking with this IMBECILE!” I emphasized the “imbecile”. Cal looked outraged.

Pushing past my boss, I stormed outside, slamming the door behind me, also attracting the attention of a few young children.

“What are you looking at?” I snarled. This caused them to flee into the arms of their mothers, who in turn gave me a look of disgust. I just felt so frustrated! Why did everyone expect me to help find Anjali???? IT WASN’T LIKE IT WAS MY FAULT THAT SHE GOT HERSELF KIDNAPPED OR WHATEVER!

And why should I? She was a freaking killer!

Well, so was I...

Whatever.

I still had in my hand a letter opener from when I was working in the office.

Wouldn’t hurt to go for another round with some unlucky idiot...

The lights of the dinky little apartment (well, like I said, it was more of a ...shack, if you will) were all off. Kent must be asleep. All the better. I was drenched in blood.

I had been out for a couple of hours. Think it was 3 a.m. It had been three days since I left the office in a storm. The police hadn't found out anything about me, couldn't figure out why. Of course no one got much further on Anjali’s case either.

Sometimes Kent commented on my absences in the morning, but I was mostly still asleep. I had the feeling we were growing more and more distant. Sometimes I could almost see the frown on Kent’s face behind my closed eyes. I felt bad but...now I learned not to care. Killing made me feel good.

Quietly, I unlocked the door, inching it forward, everything, even the dead wood, tense. Closing it behind me, I walked further into my apartment. Crashing straight into the bed sounded good. But washing up and burning the bloody clothes should be taken care of-but it was so much work.

I took a quick scan of the apartment. Didn’t hear anything, didn’t see anything... the coast was clear. Couldn’t see anything, really in fact. It was that dark. Wasn’t scary though. It was comforting. Good thing the place was so tiny- it was easier to memorize. The living room’s carpet was beat up and stained, and pretty much felt like matted fur on an underfed dog. The kitchen was horribly messy and smelled like trash half of the time, Kent probably had half of his stuff lying around rotting somewhere or whatever. I mean, besides the bathrooms, our house had pretty much only four rooms. Feet still padded by socks, I started to make a dash for the washroom. Bloody architect. Who in their right mind would honestly make a house in which you have to cross the family room, living room, and kitchen to get into the bathroom??

Oh god, I sincerely hoped Kent would not wake up. What if he found out about my...”late night sprees”? That would put him in a compromising situation- he would be torn. Tell the police or let his roomie go free and let innocent people die? I couldn’t do that to him. I couldn’t! And it would be such an awkward situation to explain, and he would never look at me the same way again, he would kick me out of the house...

More importantly, I would’ve let him down.

More than anything, I couldn’t do that.

The floor creaked under my weight. Jeez. Kent, please, please do NOT wake up. Oh god. I tentatively placed another foot on the cold wood. No creaks this time. Breathe. I was holding in my breath. Hadn’t even realized it. I breathed out, huskily, trying to even out my nervous, sporadic, and very loud breath.

Then something brushed my leg.

OHMYGOD. OHMYGOD... My heart plummeted and I felt about 30 degrees colder. Every inch of me clenched together and at the same time felt like exploding into a, a oh god I don’t even know oh god this was how it was going to end I was going to throw up all over this bloody floor and pass out in it and this thing, the thing brushing past my leg what the heck was that oh my god it was definitely after me and it was taking it’s sweet time, teasing me, killing me slowly and driving me insane, and I was and going to be carted off to prison and Kent, oh my god Kent-

It brushed my leg again and it was all I could do to not to let out a muffled whimper when I bit down on my lip and clasped my frozen hands against my mouth.

...And then the thing mewed.

Mewed?!

I wasn’t given enough time to ponder this. Footsteps fluttered down the hallway to my right. Kent.

Oh god. Kent. Did I have enough time to hide? The kitchen was really messy, maybe there- but I was much too tall to hide behind anything, except the counter. And even then, I would make too much noise trying to clamber behind it. Kent was coming closer...

There was no way I could explain my way out of this one. Oh geez. I wanted to scream, to cry, to just vaporize all together on the spot and die over and over just not to face Kent!...

It was too late. I was done for. I was over. I couldn’t face Kent. I was facing the wall, so he would see my back side first.

The lights clicked on. No peaked gasp of breath. No sound of shock at all, in fact. Nothing I could register.

“Kent?”

He didn’t move for a second.

Sound of movement. I saw him through my peripheral vision, walking ahead of me. He bent down, and picked up a kitten (that’s what it was?!). All without looking at me. I wanted to scream.

LOOK AT ME DAMMIT. KENT PLEASE. JUST LOOK. I’M A MESS. I’VE LET YOU DOWN. I CAN’T. DO YOU SEE WHAT I’VE BECOME. A MONSTER. I’M HORRIBLE. I’M WORTHLESS. LOOK AT WHAT I’VE DONE TO YOU.  I’M UNLOVEABLE. LOOK AT ME AND ACKNOWLEDGE MY BETRAYAL AND SHAME, EVERYTHING. GET IT OVER WITH ALREADY. I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE OF THIS. KENT, PLEASE. PLEASE LOOK AT ME KENT.

...Look at me and tell me everything is going to be okay...

Because by now, I’m willing to believe in any lie, just to believe in something.

Kent slowly pivoted around, looking at me directly, in the eye.

“Kent, say something.” Silence. “Please.”

His eyes sank deeper into mine, pried into me, took a good look at exactly all the filth that I was and had been in.

I cautiously, slowly, walked over to him. Would he be okay with that? I was a bloody mess. Did he even like me anymore? Even regard me as a person anymore?

“Kent, oh god, I’m sorry, I-”

“I knew what was going on. It’s okay Geofferey.”

I stumbled back. “What?”  His reply was not at all like...him.

“I know why you’re missing every night. Why you’ve skipped work. And why you’re covered in all that blood.” I searched his face. Was he furious? Disgusted? No, he just looked disappointed. Like I had let him down.

“Kent, buddy, what the hell are you saying? Go to bed. You’re tired.”

“No, no. Hear me out. D’you remember anything from when you were little? Like, five, maybe.”

“No...” Come to think of it, I couldn't remember anything starting from about two years ago.

“Can’t remember anything from two years ago and back, can you?”

The hell- “Kent, the heck, what’s going on-”

“Shh. It’ll make sense. Just listen. You know Anjali, and you know Daphne. This is how you know them. When you were young, like maybe, ten, you met them. You guys were friends.”

I backed away, frantically shaking my head.

“No no no no! You’ve got it wrong, Kent! I never knew Anjali up until a few weeks ago. I hate Anjali, for God’s sake! No way we were friends! I--”

“Geoffrey, just listen. You guys were all kidnapped by the MEM. They wiped your memories. That’s why you don’t remember anything.”

“Kent, shut up. Memory wiping? What the hell, are you from the future? I think not!”

“No. I’m your friend-”

“But I don’t remember you, ohhh I see,” I shot at him sarcastically. Kent was freaking crazy. I was going to bed. This was all dumb sh-

“Right,” Kent said, passing right by all the sarcasm. “But I can help you remember.”

I sighed. “Okay, say I did get wiped. What now? Huh Kent? What crazy stuff are you gonna try on me now?”

“Close your eyes.”

“The h- What for??”

“Just listen to me. Do it.”

So I closed my eyes.

Then Kent farted in my face.   

“KENT WHAT THE F-”

Kent was laughing hysterically. “OH GOD THAT WAS TOO GOOD TO PASS UP OKAY I’M SORRY BUT SERIOUSLY JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES.”

“NO! NOT AFTER THAT YOU MORON-”

“Stop being a party pooper and do it you baby.”

“Ugh. I hate you man. Fine.”

Kent started talking.

“You were about three. I think you told me you were just playing on the sidewalk, and then somehow or another you blacked out and woke up. Somewhere weird. Somewhere foreign. Somewhere where no one could ever find you.”

“You were in the desert. Middle east-ish. You were surrounded by people in gray, all the time. It was a strange little camp. Everyday these people would force you to do whatever they wished, and you did it. Not out of love. Out of fear. If you didn’t obey, you didn't’ have any food for perhaps three days, or you were chained to a post, surrounded by rats, or you were beaten.”

“For the most part, you obeyed. What other alternative did you have? You couldn’t remember the warmth of a touch, or a kind face, or what a smile looked like. The memory of your parents was barely even there. That changed though. You met me. You were about seven. To be more accurate, I met you. You didn’t know me at all. I blended in with the rest of them. I was kidnapped, like you. But the kidnapped had turned to be the kidnapper, as I was forced to keep you in control.”

“One day, you forgot to attend to someone. Nobody can blame you. You were in servitude for four or five years by then. But those guards-they were strict. They chained you up in one of the bigger outhouses. You hated the dark. It was so smelly and stinky and....”

Kent’s voice started to fade away. I realized I was starting to remember. I was back there again...

“PLEASE! Let me go! I promise I won’t do it again, I promise, I swear, I’ll do anything-”

Someone in the darkness just laughed. I heard something swish and-

The snap of pain across my back wasn’t like anything I experienced before. I couldn’t stop screaming. I screamed and I screamed and I screamed and I kept getting more and more hurt and the blood was caking all over or oozing slowly down and everything was so horrid and stars started appearing at the corners of my vision and I was fading in and out of consciousness and the worst part was hearing the swish and bracing for the impact and the thing slashing further and further I was probably going to get an infection and ughh my raw skin being chafed against the rope and I wasn’t sure how much more I could take-

“STOP!”

No more swishing sounds.

“The hell, Pete! Go back to your quarters! Not done with the boy yet!”

“You are now,” the voice said quietly.

“Ahhh, shut up.”

The swish noise again! I became tense, waiting, waiting-

But nothing.

I heard it crack against something else...

I heard “Pete”, apparently, groan. “Ahhh...” he stopped with a sharp intake of breath. Then a gunshot. My captor had been killed.

“Good thing I decided to smuggle this-expensive thing, MEM doesn’t even like guns. Can’t see why. It was so much faster this way.” He was panting. “Geoffrey, go! Before they come back!”

I didn't say anything. I couldn’t. I scrambled to my feet and ran.

That wasn’t the end of it though.

A few nights later, one of the guards came up to me. He was smiling. That wasn't a good sign.

“Hey Geoffrey! We’re going to see a little something special tonight! I know you’ll like it, little baby,” he grinned savagely.

He dragged me along, to one of the horses. He trundled me up, blindfolded, while we rode  for perhaps ten minutes or so,. As we got closer, I could hear someone crying out. The more we rode, the worse it became. The screams were unbearable. I felt myself being slid off the horse, blindfold undone.

What I saw was....

Peter was there, tied against a post. The cries were his. He was being whipped.

“See that there? He’s doing it in your place. We found him, all right- ass tried to high tail it. We asked him- ‘We’re giving you a nice choice here, Pete. Either you whip the boy or we whip you,’ and of course he chose to get whipped in your place! Ha, nice people. They’re so stupid.” the guard said.

“Let him go,” I whispered.

“He’s been here, say, maybe three days now. First he was silent. Didn’t cry out at all. Now he’s been a real nuisance! Won’t shut the ‘ell up! Keeps passing out too, and puking all over the place. ‘s disgusting,” he chuckled.

Crack. Another scream.

I couldn’t watch him and leave him there. I had to do something!

“LET HIM GO! LET HIM GO LET HIM GO LET HIM GO” I screamed, running toward Peter. I didn’t exactly have a plan, except to run. Or something. I got as far as almost untying Peter’s bonds when the guards decided to act, dragging me away, hauling me like a sack of potatoes over one shoulder.

I was forced to watch Peter’s torture, while I hit, kicked, and bit the guard and sobbed at them to let Peter go.

“Geoffrey! Snap out of it!”

I woke up, startled.

“How long have I been out?”

“Ten minutes. Ish. Screaming bloody murder.”

“Of course I was! I had to relive- relive that! Kent, they called you Peter, and- and oh God, Kent, it was horrible how are you still alive??”

He shrugged. “Not so sure myself. Not too long after you came around they finally had enough of me...Anyway, I’m not done. I’ve got to keep explaining to you-”

“Kent, no way, I’m not done talking about this, they nearly killed you-”

“Yeah yeah yeah. Okay. Anyway, so there you were, the little torment toy. After our incident, they decided it wasn't safe to keep you there anymore. We might’ve been in cahoots. Some head guy bosso honcho decided to move you to some little pansy place- there, you would have some school and crap or whatever it was you guys did, actually have real food, and dress up in some prick uniform-”

“Wow, tell us how you really feel about the place, Kent-”

“I kid you not! Geoffrey, I never forgot you. Never. Even after you left I watched out for you,”

I was about to chip in some snide remark about how stalkerish he was, but...looking at him, I couldn’t do it.

“That place was so crap, Geoffrey. Compared to what you had been through? You were going to school with a bunch of pansies. I don’t know how you could stand it. Me? I would’ve went insane. No one to understand you, no one at all. And then there you were, learning the ABC’s from some prissy fat teacher, when you were probably getting debilitating flashbacks from your time back at Camp Lots-o-Fun!”

Everything was dark.

When I woke up, I was sitting in a chair. A very soft chair, more comfortable than anything I’d ever sat on. I was dressed in a white uniform. Across from me an elderly man sat with a pipe between his fingers. Once he noticed that I was awake, he smiled at me.

“Well, well, it seems that you’re alright. Well, Geoffrey, m’boy, welcome to your new home! Here you will be trained everyday, and you will go to school. Your term starts tomorrow. For now, the guards will take you to get your ID.” With that, he left. What? My mind was buzzing. School seemed like such a foreign concept. And training? More training? Whatever, at least I was gone from that other place. They couldn’t hurt me anymore. But I was so confused. Who was that man? Was I still going to work for the MEM? The guard grabbed me by the elbow and pushed me through the door, in what seemed to be a completely metal hallway.

We walked and walked, passing a large window. I was astonished to see more kids like me, playing outside. Having fun...

After walking for what felt like hours, we reached a dead end. Or more of a station. I could see that that was where I would get my ID. While I walked up to it, through the corner of  my eyes that there were two figures huddled in the corner. I turned my head, and looked at two small girls. The smaller one with brown hair was holding the older one’s pants. Her eyes sparkled with interest and childishness. I somehow felt myself aching, wishing that I could be as free as her. But when she backed away, I knew at once that my eyes were just dull and dead, like my spirit, and that they couldn’t be free. I looked up at the older girl, the one with black hair and almost golden skin; instead of fear I saw curiosity. I stared at her, silently daring her to say something. But she stared back, holding my gaze. It wasn’t until the guard pushed me that I continued walking.

I met her again, during lunch, and what was my first real meal. Clearly she didn’t like me. And I didn’t like her either. But I discovered that the younger girl was called Daphne, and at first I thought that Daphne and the other girl were sisters. Rather, they were friends.

Our fates must have been intertwined, because later that week, she saved me from a bully. Of course, she also passed out from the sight of blood, but I had made a new friend. Her name was Anjali Izumi.

Years passed on. Daphne became my ...well, more than just a friend, and Anjali was my right-hand man...er...woman....or girl.

We were an inseparable trio. But then one day, something changed. Daphne was absent from lunch. Anjali went to go look for her, but hours passed and she didn’t return. So I went to look for both girls.

My heart stopped when I saw my Daphne on the floor. It was Anjali.

I remembered that moment so vividly. Like it was yesterday. I shot her. I shot Anjali. I killed her. And that was all I remembered.

“It wasn’t her.” I was startled to see Kent standing over me.

“What?”

“She didn’t kill Daphne. Anjali loved Daphne more than she loved you. You killed the wrong person.”

I stared down at the table. It wasn’t Anjali. I shot the wrong person. I shot the wrong person. I killed my precious Anjali, my best friend. But-

“How is she still alive?”

Kent laughed at me.

“Stupid, the MEM can do anything. They just slowed down her death time, gave her some stuff, and shipped her off to her parents  house. It was easy, especially since you had helped them speed up the termination process. But they didn’t count on her living. And you. They had to deal with you. They wiped your mind, and sent you here.”

“B-b-but...Daphne?” I instantly regretted my words. Kent wore a look that I was not accustomed to seeing. I could feel chills resonate through my body. He looked like he could kill.

“Daphne? DAPHNE?! JESUS CHRIST, GEOFFREY! IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT? DAPHNE IS GONE YOU IDIOT! NOW ANJALI’S THE ONE MISSING!!! AND YOU’RE SITTING AROUND KILLING POOR BLOKES! HOW ABOUT, INSTEAD OF WALLOWING IN SELF PITY, YOU DO SOMETHING AND GO LOOK FOR ANJALI??? SHE LOVED YOU SO MUCH! IT’S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT SHE’S GONE. GOD. I KNEW IT. YOU ARE SUCH AN ARROGANT PIG! I’VE HAD IT. I’ve been patient enough. I waited for you to do something, and be the old Geoffrey, the one who would just be WAITING to take action. But now I see that you’ve changed. You don’t care anymore. I’m done, Geoffrey, I’m done.” With that outburst, he turned around, heading towards his bedroom, leaving me close to … nope. I was a man. I WAS A FREAKING MAN AND I WOULD NOT FREAKING CRY.

He was right. I didn’t want to admit it. But it was true. Daphne was in the past. I still had Anjali. But she was gone too. And yes, it really was my fault. If only I hadn’t left her at the party. Kent was right. The old me would have immediately done whatever I could to get her back...but...is there really anything called an old me and a new me? Aren’t I just...me? I had come to a decision.

I put my hand on Kent’s shoulder.

“How about you help me get back that Wimp Girl?”

Kent turned, and flashed me the biggest smile I had ever seen.

“Glad to have you back, Jeffy-Jeff.”

To read chapter 11 click here --> http://www.thetellury.com/2012/12/18/click-chapter-11/

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Click- Chapter 11

Code blue, four sixty-seven....code blue.....467....blue...codes.......AJHDKASJHFAJHJASHFSAJ!!!! My brain was completely messed up. I had no idea what was what. Code blue? What the heck was that? I didn’t know, but it must have triggered something in my body, because instead of continuing my rant on Mr. King, I was sitting as quiet as a rock. Yes, a rock. Mr. King had left the room a loonnnnnngggg time ago, leaving me alone. He had removed all sharp objects, which was probably a good idea as I had, minutes before, looked like I could kill. So I sat on the desk, twiddling my thumbs. Hmm, I guess I was gonna miss the appointment at work.

I wonder what Geoffrey was doing? He had been so....normal back then. All those years ago. We had been friends. Us and Daphne. Daphne, my baby sister. Well, not really. But she was as good as since I had no family. I laughed silently, thinking about how I had changed so much. I had once been a lethal killing machine. Yes, me the clumsiest girl alive. You see, the MEM had started as a group of scientists, looking for ways to enhance human abilities. But along the way, they had gotten carried away. They had started taking kids from families, injecting them with a special serum while they were still young. Some kids died immediately, and others grew to be miniature FBI agents. Geoffrey and I, we had been a part of that. Funny. He had once been so serious. And now, I’ll admit, he was pretty weird. And I can’t believe I’d liked him...maybe love comes once in a lifetime, because I sure didn’t like him now. In fact, I was pretty pissed that he had tried to kill me.

And although it had been years, there was still a hole inside my chest. Daphne had been my best friend and sister. How could she have just gone? How? How could a person be alive and laughing one minute, and then lying motionlessly on the ground the next minute? Why was the world so cruel?

Another tear slid down my face. I looked down blankly staring at my feet, my mind empty. I helplessly observed the room. A stool. A giant cord attached to a computer. Some test tubes. Weird colored liquid. A window.........a window? A window! Immediately, I perked up. Jumping off of the desk, I ran to the window, peering down. The distance to the ground wasn’t very far...I quickly pried open the window. Thankfully it wasn’t locked. Grabbing the computer cord, I attached it to another desk that was attached to the floor. I walked to the edge of the window, standing on the sill, tightly holding the cord, I crouched. Though I was scared out of my wits, I felt no uneasiness. Looking around once more...I jumped. I fell and fell-

And landed on the soft grass. I jumped up, looking around. Woah. I had done it! I had done it! I had-

“Well, well. It seems like once a MEM agent, always a MEM agent.” A very cold voice stopped my inner glory. I slowly turned around, gasping. A very tall girl stood towering down at me. But it wasn’t just any girl. She had long, brown locks pulled back into a ponytail. Wearing dark sunglasses, an outfit that looked like it had come out of G.I Joe, and holding a gun, she looked like someone that was not to be crossed. She grabbed her glasses, pulling them off. Her eyes pierced mine, a fiery green against her porcelain skin. Though it had been so long, and she had changed so much, I knew who she was. But how was it possible? How-

“I trust you know me?” she said with a very nasty grin. What a stupid question. Of course I knew her. How could I forget? How could my brain ever erase my angel, the one and only, 

Daphne?

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Christmas Vacation

It's almost here. You can almost hear it. See it. Taste it. Feel it. Live it. That's right.

Christmas is nine days away.

And with that comes a beautiful, extraordinary thing described often as, "Christmas Break." For some unlucky few, none will ever experience such a paradise. For others, this small relief lasts only a day or week. But for most, and for me, Christmas Break is a glimpse of what heaven on Earth would be like, lasting an entire 14 days.

So what will you do?

Vacation in the Bahamas? Climb Mt. Everest? Meander through the streets of Italy?

Or stay home, watch T.V. all day, lie on your couch, think about what other people are doing, eat ice cream, order pizza, wear the same clothes for the next two weeks, try to hang out with your friends only to find out that you can't because most of them are in France eating crepes in the Eiffel Tower or are eating dumplings as they breeze along the Great Wall of China?

Do something special. Don't just do the plain old boring things that you've done every single Christmas.

If you've already visited France, go tour England! If you've already blazed through the wild Amazon, relax in Hawaii! And if you've already louched around at home for the several past Christmas', go adventuring someplace else!

It can be several blocks down your street, 30 minutes bus drive away, or 3,000 miles distant from your home place; it doesn't matter, just go, have fun, and do something special.

Now some people may laugh,"Haha. That's funny. I wish I could do that except I don't have the time/money/guts/money/experience/money/money/money. I would do that every day if only I had the time/money/guts/money/experience/money/money/money."

To these people, I must reply,"You don't need any of that to vacation outside your comfort zone, certainly not money! If out of time, then I'm sorry that you can't do the things you love. But no one needs money to have an adventure. Just do it!"

Christmas is still nine days away. That's plenty of time to plan out your next escapade. Go hear it. See it. Taste it. Feel it. Live it. That's right.

Go have some fun!

T_L

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Birthday Problem

Birthdays are special occasions meant to celebrate the fact that," Hey, you're still alive. You're one year older. Let's throw a party before you die!"

That being said, birthday invitees are expected to bring thoughtful, expensive presents for the birthday person, so the person may use and have those presents, ostensibly, before they die. Invitees will know whether or not their gift passes the birthday person's criterion for gifts when they hear either,"Oh wow! Look at that! So nice of you to get that for me! I love it! Thank you!" or "WOOHOO! YEAAAA!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! THIS IS AMAZING! HOW DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED?!!!!!!"

The latter response indicates that you met the birthday person's requirements.

But either way, invitees will always hold a special place in the birthday person's heart. The ones with cool gifts will have a better place, but those without gift will have a place nevertheless.

Which brings me to my concern. I have a birthday party for a good friend of mine, and I...completely forgot about it. However, being someone who always focuses 90% of the time on solutions and only 10% on the problem,  I am working out a solution to my crisis. At the current time, I have only three scenarios that I can think. 

I either come with a present, come without a present, or run away to Mexico.

But my friend's party is always a great time and I just can't not go. So I guess Mexico is out of the answer. 

The last time I came without a present my friend kicked me out, too... and the last time I brought just a gift card or a bad present, I faced the guilt and sadness of not caring enough about my friend.

So it seems that I must think of some suitable gift. One that'll inspire that "WOOHOO! YEAAAA!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! THIS IS AMAZING! HOW DID YOU KNOW THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED?!!!!!!" response.

(Thinking Time)...

Got it. Of course. It's incredibly simple. My friend loves chocolate. I'll just buy a whole bunch of chocolate, and maybe a little gold statue that says,"Best Friend" and she'll be to busy eating to care about the present! Of course! 

Rule of Thumb for Birthdays: Distract the birthday host for as long as the party goes, party hard so they forget about any gift, and enjoy the experience of being with friends.

T_L

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2010, 2011, 2012... Will There be a 2013?

            Each sunset and sunrise signifies the passage of time. As with the passing of each day, the crisp, vibrant leaves that fall away from their trees and powdery snow that delicately blankets the roofs of neighborhood houses are both signals that tell us that the winds of change are sweeping through our country.
            It seems like just yesterday when the beaches were crowded with the vivid coloring of bathing suits and the sun was focused on tanning the innocent people who strolled by. Looking at my calendar, however, the word “December” is stamped in bold, black letters across the paper. It is already the last month of the year.
            Yet, this year, 2012 is a special year. In 2007, José Argüelles, an American author, coined a certain theory that proceeded to convince the rest of the world that Earth would be destroyed in the year 2012. Argüelles’ theory sparked a chain reaction: the birth of thousands of other theories that elaborated on possible deaths of the world. Ultimately, they all led to one day: December 21, 2012, the day the world would cease to exist.
            Almost everyone has heard of the 2012 theory at one point. Countless science fiction films have also been produced over the years, exploring the countless events that could eventually lead to the demise of humankind. But what exactly is the 2012 phenomenon, and how did it come to be?
            When the man who started it all, José Argüelles, began receiving “prophecies” from ancient Mayan priests, he became convinced that the world would soon end. With the help of other religious men, their theory became a thickly woven prophecy.
            Although they all agreed that the world would end on 12-21-2012, their theories differed. The most famous and most publicized idea, the Mayan Theory, focuses on the Mayan calendar. A highly sophisticated and technologically advanced race, the Mayans created an accurate calendar that, despite the extinction of their ancient civilization around A.D. 900, continued on for thousands of years. That is, until the date, December 21, 2012. After the 21^st of December in the year 2012, the Mayan calendar reverts back to the beginnings of time, August 13^th 3114 B.C. It is hypothesized that December 21 marks the end of time, or possibly the end of the world.
            Another prophecy, the Galactic Alignment Theory, suggests that the world will end due to the alignment of the sun and the Galactic equator. The December solstice sun (when the sun is one-half of a degree wide) is predicted to be perfectly in line with the Galactic equator (which is the line that divides our galaxy, the Milky Way, in half). This only happens once every 26,000 years. The next time it is supposed to occur is December 21, 2012. Due to the disruption of the gravitational force of the sun in the middle of our galaxy, a massive black hole is predicted to open up. The disruption is suspected to throw off the gravity that pulls the moon to Earth, causing larger, monstrous tides. Subsequently, Earth will become flooded. Other natural disasters, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, are supposed to vanquish the remains of life on our planet.
            Yet another theory deals with volcanoes. The Super Volcano Theory reflects back about 74,000 years. Back then, a huge volcano had erupted, blocking out the sun and wiping out two-thirds of life on Earth. That catastrophe also marked the extinction of the dinosaurs. Due to geological changes and the ever-moving tectonic plates, many people believe that the “super volcano” in Yellowstone is long overdue for a big eruption. After analyzing scientific research, these people predict that the volcano will conveniently erupt on December 21^st and wreck havoc everywhere.
            The theories listed above are just three of the millions of theories out there. It is up to you to judge whether December 21^st will be Doomsday, filled with terror and death, or a day when the disbelievers of this theory sit down and laugh at the rest of the world. Are these theories realistic and all-too-possible or are they silly and imaginative sci-fi tales? The facts and science is laid out in front of you. It is up to you to judge the truth value of these theories.

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Lebron: Sportsman of 2012

To his surprise, NBA superstar Lebron James was awarded the Sportsman of the Year award by Sports Illustrated today. James believed that his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat would have affected his chances to win any award.

But make no mistake, Lebron is not in it for the accolades. He says,"I do what I do because I love it and I want to continue to get better at it."

Past winners of the Sportsman Award are famed athletes such as Muhammed Ali, Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, and Michael Phelps.

Perhaps one small justification can be found for Lebron's award; he won all the awards an NBA player could win in one year.

This year, Lebron captured an NBA championship ring, helped the USA win gold for basketball in the Olympics, earned another NBA MVP award. But it was his charity work for children in his native home of Ohio that cinched the award for him.

Lebron: "Sportsman of 2012" will be just another title for him, along with "The King," and "The Chosen One."

Lebron James however, always modest, said,"Do I need it? I don't need it. I don't ever look for individual accolades."

Maybe his humble personality is the reason he earned the Sportsman Award of 2012.

T_L

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The Art of Fangirling

THE ART OF FANGIRLING

For the 64-ish million people using Tumblr, we know what fandoms are. Simply put, they’re cult-like obsessions that wreck your life with all of the deliciously handsome men and badass girls that you could go gay for. Heck they could all of your feels with one wink or sultry slip of the tongue. There are fanfictions, fanwars, and fanart. And they all consume your life until the only thing you’re left with is a tissue box and your own sobbing self. In the fangirl/fanboy world, there isn’t even such a word as sleep (although there is plenty of food). For many of us, our esoteric behavior puzzles our friends and family. This is the article to refer to when your only emotion is ASDFGHJKL and your parents demand to know why you’re acting like you’re on drugs.

First off, one must understand a fangirl. For the most part, fangirls are creatures of the dark who feed off of fanart and fanfics (with the occasional supplement of some crappy junk food), who seem to be into self-inflicted pain. After all, most Tumblring and “asdfghjkl-ing” seems to be done in the wee hours of the morning, when everything is as black as the bottom of porta-potties. Our lives are, sadly, diminished enough to be centered around posts about our fandoms. And then we always watch movies and T.V.’s with our favorite celebs. Funnily, the same celebs seem to have a penchant for playing angsty/depressed/misunderstood/villainous/creepy/heartbroken characters that make us squee, scream, and sob at the same time. It’s an emotional, roller-coaster mess that requires copious amounts of tissues. Fangirls have been known to become mentally unstable and run around the house in a fit during these T.V. shows/movies as well, when it all becomes too much. We love to watch our favorites act, but the movies just slay us. We physically cannot go on because of the feels. It’s a vicious circle. And then we obsess over their laugh, smile, even fingernails…but we really know, inside, that our chances of meeting them, much less dating them, are as likely as pigeons deciding to poop on something besides humans. My theory is that since most fangirls are single, godforsaken people forced to live on Oreos and cat food, they project their romantic fantasies into their fandoms. All the things fangirls like about a fandom, all the fanfiction and fanart they read are the manifestations of their loneliness- what happens in these books and tv shows and movies are what these fangirls dream of. The only problem with my theory is that I can’t figure out if being in a fandom makes a person lonely or a person is in a fandom because they’re lonely.

                Furthermore, a person could easily get lost in a fangirl discussion if they didn’t know the lingo. Here are some must know words:

-SHIP: verb. To desperately, obsessively, and unhealthily believe and endorse a romantic pairing. The word ship comes from the word relationship. Variations include shipping (v.) and shipper (n. a person who ships) EX: I ship Johnlock; Sherlock and John should obviously get married and have beautiful babies together!

-asdfghjkl:  interjection. An indescribable emotion of any kind. EX: OH MY CRUMPETS I JUST MET JAMES MCAVOY ASDFGHJL WHAT IS AIR I CANT EVEN WHAT IS ENGRISH AAAAAAAAA DEAD DEAD DEAD DYING HELP

-OTP: noun. An acronym for “One True Pairing”. This would be your favorite people together in a romantic relationship. EX: “STARK SPANGLED BANNER IS MY OTP!” yelled the rabid fangirl, foaming at the mouth. She had not slept in three days and had obsessively reblogged everything Tony/Steve related from Tumblr.

-fanfiction/fanfic: noun. A story written by fans, using characters from their fandoms. Usually written in third person. May include genres such as smut and fluff. More likely than not to be slash.  EX: I read the most heartbreaking, horrible, spirit-crushing fanfiction a year ago! YES IT WAS A YEAR AGO TO THE DATE EXACTLY OF COURSE I STILL REMEMBER IT IT WAS THE MOST TRAUMATIZING THING TO HAPPEN TO ME IN MY LIFE OH MY GOD ALL THE DEAN/CAS FEELS
note: can be abbreviated to fanfic of simply fic

-slash: noun. Can be used in place of yaoi or yuri. Abbreviated with, yes, a “/ “ A type of fanfiction or word used to denote something of a homosexual sort. EX: I mean seriously slash is more common than straight stuff I MEAN LOOK AT TUMBLR

-fanart: noun. Any form of art that uses characters from a fandom, drawn by fans. EX: Oh god most fanart I see is SO SMUTTY nothtatI’mcomplaining. Oh wait, look! This Merthur fanart! THE FLUFF.  I CAN’T

-fandom: noun. A group of people with an “unhealthy” obsession for certain T.V. shows, books, movies, etc who may or may not be emotionally compromised and in need of immediate psychiatric help. EX: OMG GUYS I JUST WATCHED BATMAN IS IT TOO LATE TO JOIN THE FANDOM ASDFGHJKL

-canon: adj. Another word for official; mostly used in fanfictions to distinguish made up fan writing from actual story lines. EX: This Avengers fanfic is horrible; the twat that wrote this can’t even distinguish her own trash from the canon storyline. Loki is definitely not married to a person named Lola! OR: OMG OMG OMG MY OTP JUST WENT CANON THERE IS A GOD

-feels: noun. Emotions on steroids. They make you feel like vomiting and hugging and eating and hysterically crying and screaming and jumping for joy all at once. Not necessarily in that order. EX: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD ALL THE FEELS I CAN’T WATCH ATONEMENT THIS IS TOO MUCH BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AND JAMES MCAVOY AND SO SAD NO

There are many more words in the vocabulary of the average fangirl, but of course there’s just too many.  I’m terribly sorry. But anyway, now that you know a bit of the vast lexicon of words fangirls use, it’s time to move on to some deeper stuff.

Fangirlism is considered by many to be a disease. These people go on Tumblr anywhere from three to 24 hours a day, depending on how obsessed they are. They may not sleep at all in general. How to detect a fangirl: a pale pallor from lack of sun; unhealthy aura about them from too much junk food; inability to talk properly or articulate anything’ social distress; drool stains on shirt from overexposure to certain celebrities; blinks a lot in bright sun or sun at all for that matter. Is there any cure for this? No. HAHAAAAA. Is there any way to prevent this? Sure, become a monk.

                 Now, how do you fangirl? Good question. Each of us has our own special way. It can be shown through appreciative fanart, fanfiction, gif sets, you name it. For the most part, however, fangirling is a cocktail of masochism, sadism, mind in the gutter thinking, and eccentricities. Whenever you conduct an in depth analysis of something in the fandom, be sure to make it horribly gut-wrenching and emotional.  And use Comic-Sans. For everything. Use it to spread your bread and butter. Use it as a soothing herbal remedy. Use it as a laxative. But be sure, of course, to use it.

Need some jump start tips to get you started in a fandom? No problem! I’ve got ALL (most) of them listed right here for you!

MERLIN FANDOM: Currently, now is a very bad time to join. All is chaos and everything hurts. It’s something like an exploding mess of baby hippos and nothing to feed them with except tuna fish sandwiches. The last series, series 5, is ending. On Christmas. Yes we don’t want Christmas time to come this year either, we’re perfectly happy with the cold weather and no holiday to enjoy it with. IT’LL BE LIKE NARNIA. Biggest OTP’S? Merthur/Brolin of course! Can’t you just taste the homoerotic tension?? There’s also Mergana, Arwen (no not the elf in LOTR-oh god I’m such a nerd Chuck help me), and Gwaine/Percy.  Although this fandom isn’t as big as the others, you’ll find it on must (fangirl-oriented) tumblr blogs. Also, lots of very steamy fanfiction including “Arthur discovering the magic”. Big, feels killing fanfic? “ Looking at You looking at Me” http://munchinglunch.livejournal.com/25822.html

KPOP FANDOM: possibly the craziest and most obsessed. Obsessed with all things Korean, ever. Has really awesome chibi fanart. Probably also has the most straight ships. Except when it comes to EXO.  Some fans may tend to get very intrusive and are generally considered to be the most stalkerish. (Hahaha, sending menstrual blood to celebrities? OH WAIT YOU’RE SERIOUS OKAY) Guys tend to be very effeminate looking and often wear impossibly skinny clothing, because they’re about the size of sticks. Very, very skinny. There’s also a major use of guyliner. Strange, claustrophobic MV’s filmed in small green screened rooms may scare off potential fans. These MV’s can vary from black and shiny and emo to bright and really weird and neon-y. Fangirls often tend to speak in Korglish. (Ahnyong! Saranghae! Nomu kwiyeowo! Oppa! Unni! Dongsaeng! Hajima! Kajima! Are some commonly used words.) The spirit animal of this fandom could be either a fuzzy panda or a hyperactive chirpy bird. Famous fanfics? Uh…I only know “Absolute Chanyeol”. YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN DUDESSS!

                SHERLOCK FANDOM: Now is a bad time to join this fandom also. Series three might start filming in August of next year, and may be released in January of 2014. QUOI?! Indeed. Also, Sherlock jumped off a building, John is in therapy (because he thinks Sherlock is dead) and our homicide-investigating couple is on hiatus. There’s a lot of fanfic too (seeing as they have all this time), and for every episode there is, there’s 4,000 fanfics. Kinda crazy. You should see what they do with their gifs. Biggest OTP’s? JOHNLOCK ALL THE WAY! And of course Sheriarty, Mormor, and John/Moriarty. (And even if you aren’t a fan of bad guys, you will be when you watch Sherlock. That accent, that voice- yum. Basically yum. ) It’s easy to spot people in this fandom- just find the girl staring at building ledges and high skyscrapers. They’re probably also hysterical and wearing a black trench coat with a blue scarf. Maybe a jumper. Fanfic that will require a trip to Costco for some tissues? Alone on the Water http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6914974/1/Alone_On_the_Water

SUPERNATURAL FANDOM: The most masochistic. Loves to cry. All the time. Intentionally goes out of its way to hurt other people part of the fandom. If an episode of SPN isn’t sad, then it’s on crack. Is always making head canons about horrible, horrible, sad things. Plenty of gay fanart. May carry around packets of salt and eat copious amounts of pie. And coo over mooses. (What’s the plural of moose anyway? Meese? Like, goose to geese? I dunno) From the outside, the Supernatural fandom may look like a bunch of devil worshippers. And they have no good explanation for that. Biggest OTP’s? DESTIEL AND WINCEST! Oops and Mishalecki. Can’t forget that. To find Hunters at a place near you, simply scream, “SAM! SAMMY!” in a deep, gruff, growly voice. Guaranteed success. Terrifically awful life ruining fic? Twist and Shout. http://archiveofourown.org/works/537876/chapters/955176
note: Although I am trying to find time to read these other famous fanfics, this is the only one I’ve gotten to so far. GOD IT’S HORRIBLE I CRY EVERY TIME BE SURE TO HAVE A PILLOW TO MUFFLE YOUR CHOKED SOBS

DOCTOR WHO FANDOM: They hate Steven Moffat. And people jumping off of buildings (but the same can be said for the Sherlock fandom). May write in Circular Gallifreyan and scream, “EXTERMINATE!” at people they hate. Is deathly scared of statues, especially angel statues. Cannot watch “Doomsday” or “Journey’s End” or “The Angels Take Manhattan”. If hungry, feed them fish fingers and custard. Or a banana. But definitely not a pear. Has some seriously awesome Tenth cosplays and is often in tears because of reasons or laughing hysterically at the doctor’s antics. May treat blue boxes like people.  Is quite a cute and devoted, tight-knit fandom…MADE OF WARRIORS! OTP’s?  TenthxRose, AmyxRory, EleventhxAmy, EleventhxRory, and Captain Jack HarknessxEverything. Famous fanfics? Well…none that I can think of. (I may be mistaken)

TEEN WOLF FANDOM: …I’m so sorry. Sterek?? That’s the extent of my knowledge L GOOD LUCK! Oh WAIT. "Slipping Away"? http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8447714/1/Slipping-Away
Of course, there are many more fandoms. Of which I am much too exhausted to research. Perhaps I'll add them if you'd like??

 Any questions? Message me! And good luck with your fangirling quest! May horrible feels plague you the rest of your life J

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Clippers Win Against Lakers

Clippers somehow beat Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash. Well, technically Nash was out on the bench because of an inflamed lower leg.

But still. It didn't matter that Kobe managed to score 40 points for the Lakers; that didn't stop the Clipper's Jamaal Crawford from breaking Metta World Peace's ankles over and over again.

 It didn't help that Dwight Howard put up only a dismal 13 points before being benched after his third foul. And it certainly didn't do anything for the Laker's spirits when Clippers DeAndre Jordan tipped in a missed three pointer with two defenders around him. With only one hand, Jordan dunked it, jumping so high that when he fell, his leg kicked out and touched the net!

Contrast the Lakers to the Clipper's stellar performance, with Chris Paul dishing out 15 assists  to all of his teammates. Their teamwork simply stopped the supposedly best team in the league, the Lakers.

It just doesn't make sense.

Of course, this may be due to the lack of the Laker's point guard, Steve Nash, and thus lack of ball distribution in the team. Kobe, on one bright note, had two steals to beat Magic Johnson's all-time record for steals. Kobe is now the leader for all-time steals on the Lakers. 

The Lakers trailed behind the Clippers in scoring all the way until the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. The Clippers won 105-95.

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CLICK (A Drama) CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

======================================================================================

Geoffrey POV

“You’re sleeping in your cereal bowl agaaaaiin” sang Kent. He really did sing when he said that. He sounded like a bird. A bird getting tarred, that is.

For someone so smart like Kent, he could be really oblivious at times. He did find me sleeping out on the street, slumped against a mailbox. (He took pictures and posted them on Facebook. Idiot) Of course I was going to fall asleep at this ungodly hour! It was only 11:45 in the morning!

I looked blearily at Kent. “It tastes better this way,” and I dunked my face back into my Cheerios. Kent sighed and said, “You have a party to go to, you know. You were mumbling about it to me on the walk home from the mailbox. Maybe you should start getting ready?”

“Do I look like a girl? Who gets ready at 12:00 to go to a party like nine hours before?!” “Me. That’s why I’m so good looking and you’re not, my little cabbage!” Kent was squealing. I swear, he really was a girl. He even gave me a back hug before hopping away.

Alas, my peace and quiet was short lived, because Kent came back into the kitchen holding up two pairs of jeans.
“Jeffy jeff! Which pair of jeanie-jeans?! The slim fit black ones would look really good on your figure, but super tight blue skinny jeans are so cute right now! And they pretty much go with anything, so no worries about matching there. But if you do chose the black ones, make sure to wear it with a black v-neck or something, girls LOVE it. But I can also really picture you with a trenchcoat with the blue jeans, I’m not sure-”

I cut him off right there. No need to let him get into his inner diva zone. God forbid that. I put my cereal bowl in the sink and grabbed the black jeans and made a beeline for the bedroom.

...But of course Kent followed me in and flopped on the bed. “We’re gonna have to do something about your hair, and maybe even some waxing! And then we could go shopping and get some lunch together, and-” 

“OKAY KENT THAT’S FINE,” I yelled at him. Didn’t want the poor guy to have a spazz attack-he gets uh, excited easily.I pulled on a shirt after getting on the jeans. I didn’t brush my hair, which upset Kent. But at least I brushed my teeth. 

We hopped into Kent’s car-I owned only a bike- but he let me drive. Actually, I made him let me. The guy really could not drive for his life. Last time he drove, I think he managed to drive through one of our neighbour’s house...and land on the roof. Don’t ask me how, I haven’t quite figured it out myself. Idiot. TOTALLY helpless.

Suddenly, Kent squished his face against the car window slammed his palms onto the pane and screamed, “GEOOOOFFREEEYYY! BLOW OUT SALE! OH MY GOD WE JUST-WE HAVE TO, OKAY?!”

“No. Oh my god, no.”
“Oh, you are so unfun. Fine. Drive me over to Wendy’s, will you?”
“Excuse me? WHO IS WENDY?"

Kent looked at me, annoyed. “She’s my girlfriend, stupid!”
“YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND SINCE WHEN-”
“Since the last couple of mo~oooonths....” he sighed.

I rolled my eyes, but I drove him over anyway. Poor Wendy.

After I dropped Kent off, I looked for something to do. I still had about 5 hours to kill, and that was after eating some lunch. The library, I guess?... There was a really big one near where I was. Kent said it was “awesome”. Apparently the library attracts some “really cute squirrels”. Whatever.

After the encounter with Anjali this morning, I really felt like I knew her. If I were in a movie, I probably would know her. She would probably be my long lost fiance or something and then we both got amnesia and we had some “~thwarted love~” and blah blah blah. But I mean, this wasn’t a movie. This was real life. But what if?...Weird. Well, libraries were for research, right? It wouldn’t hurt just to humor the thought.

...Aaaaand, as soon as I got there, I felt like an idiot. What was a silly idea like mine doing in such a serious, somber place? The library was absolutelyly massive. It wasn’t all new and shiny and sparkly. Haha, nooo. It was gloomy. It was stuffy. It was dark. And I loved it. It had this grandiose feeling and it was so...old fashioned. Sure, you could almost smell the denture cream and prunes, but I don’t think anyone had died there. Yet.

I walked up to the front desk. Alas, there was no stern, butthurt old woman. But there was a highly obnoxious looking teenager. She had stringy light brown hair and rectangular, bright red glasses. Which didn’t necessarily make her obnoxious seeming. But the loud laughing and texting sure did.

“Hi...could you tell me if you keep records of the paper here?”

Surprisingly, she was nice. “Hm? Oh yeah, we do! How far back are you looking for though? We only have back up to the last ten years, the rest got eaten by moths or something. Sorry!”  

I shrugged. Ten years, yeah I could start there. “May I have a look at them please?”

“Mhm, no prob! Follow me,” she said, flouncing away.

The girl led me to a thick door behind the front desk, into a hallway (which, unlike the rest of the library, was white with some faint tinges of blue green from the lights. It almost had a ..detached, clinical feel to it) and stopped in front of a door on the left.She swung inside and a moment later reappeared with about three boxes of (presumably) newspapers.

“Oh geez, you’re gonna fall over let me help you with that,” I said, stooping down to pick up the boxes.

“Nah, it’s fine I got thi-NOPE NOPE NOPE MAN GOING DOWN MAN GOING DOWNNNNNNN!” and she toppled over. Sigh. There were a lot of newspapers to put back in order...I picked some up and shuffled them back in order, placing them back in the boxes.

“Geez, I’m so clumsy, I’m sorry. Like I trip a lot and stuff it’s sooo embarrassing. Aaaah!” she cringed, laughing.

I wasn’t really listening. “Right,”

It took awhile, but finally, all the papers were stuffed back into storage. The girl brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“So uhm...thanks for helping me-?”

“Oh. It’s Geoffrey.”

“Well, thanks Geoffrey! It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Jessica. Any chance I could maybe see you again?”

I blinked and stared. After clearing my throat I said, “I-I don’t think that’s legal.” And I rushed off, leaving her with the boxes. Maybe not the smoothest parting, but I was not expecting that. I felt a bit bad. Poor kid.

I checked my watch. Only half an hour had gone by. And I was still perplexed (and maybe frustrated) because I couldn't figure out how exactly I felt like I knew Anjali

Maybe I should ask a doctor to check out my head? Meh. Nah. Too expensive. 
Well, looks like I’ll be paying Anj a visit.
It wasn’t until I got back into the car that it occurred to me that I had no idea where she lived. And I already came off as a stalker, why keep the impression?
...But ooh, this was gonna be good. I could almost picture what her face would look like when I showed up unannounced. Come to think of it, I could probably find her address via the workplace. Yeah, the boss sent out a text message with everyone’s phone number, email, and address.
Everyone’s, that is, except Anjali’s. Figures. I sighed. I would just have to see her at the party. 
So I found myself in the park, feeding pidgeons. I bought some bread from the grocery store a block down from the library. It was on sale because it was stale. The city has such a nice park. They’re all old; the newest one was built at least twenty years ago. Some of them are cleaner than others. But I love them all the same. They all seem to have a background. Cryptic carvings on trees, old park benches, cracked sidewalks...I love it. And that’s how I spent the rest of the afternoon. Feeding pigeons. The sky wasn’t blue (it was more like a white gray) it was a bit damp (whatever) and the park was a bit more depressed looking than usual. All the same. All the same...

“GEOFFREY! KAT, KAT! LOOK WHO’S HERE!” 

The face of Callie Whitworth turned about three shades redder. 
“Um, I mean, hi! Come in! Do you want something to drink?”
“Uhmm...”
I glanced behind the door left ajar. The party wasn’t like one of those super loud ones in the movies, where everyone gets drunk or is getting laid in the weirdest, most uncomfortable spots. It was...an Asian party. And I wasn’t Asian...
I think I saw some people playing DDR. And then there was a clique of some really gossipy girls, and uhm...some really nerdy guys. They were all crowded around a computer playing Starcraft.
“Nice, uh, party,” I said lamely, gesticulating behind her. 
“Hm? Oh yeah, thanks! Hurry up, get in, you’re gonna get cold!”
“Right.” I stepped in. Anj popped up.
“Hey, Cal, there’s a bunch of guys on the phone insisting that you stole their boxers,” she commented, raising an eyebrow.
“WHAT?! That is just CREEPY! HOW?! That was sooo not me, it was all Francesca’s idea!” Cal whined, exasperated. She went off to answer the phone. Girls are so weird...
“Yeah, too many admirers Cal,” Anjali grinned. “Hey Geoffrey!”
Hm? “Oh. Hey Anj.” 
“How are you?”
I shrugged. “Tired.”
“Yeah? Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“Oh, sure, I guess.”
“Seriously! You look awful!”
Before I could say anything, some girl walked into the room. She had long hair, but it was pulled up in a braid (I think girls call it a fishtail- I see no resemblance whatsoever). She was obviously pretty. Long, skinny legs, big wide-set eyes... all that jazz and more. She looked at me scrutinizingly, but brushed it off in a smile. What was her name?..Oh yes. That was right. Kat, I presumed (I had heard about her from work-Cal was very loud).  
Not sure what to say, I looked at Anj for a few pointers, but she simply had her jaw squared and looked akin to a grumpy garden gnome. 
“Uhm, hullo!” I gulped.
She whipped around. 
“Can I help you?” I asked
“Oh...oh yeah! Have you seen someone named Aiden? Kinda looks like a neanderthal?”
Anj snorted. I laughed nervously.
“Wow. He your ex?”
“Oh he’s more than just an ex. He’s dead...AS SOON AS I FIND HIM!” Evidently, she had found him, because she ran off in the direction of a guy who was unsuccessfully hiding behind a potted plant half his size. Almost felt bad for him. 
“Wow. She’s, huh, feisty,” I said, half laughing.

Anjali huffed angrily.

I cleared my throat. “I’m sensing some bad blood between you two...” 
Anjali didn't have any time to answer this either, because Kat came huffing back. 
“Hey..guys...whew! Well that scared him away real good! Good thing I always keep a gun or two handy. Yep. That jerkwad was a lying, cheating, hor-” and then she burst into tears. I offered her a tissue (the box, conveniently, was placed right behind me on a little stand). Kat didn’t even want the tissue. She ended up shredding it to pieces and tossing it to the floor and sobbing even harder.
“I-I’m sorry,” she sniffed, trying to regain a bit of her composure. 
“No problem!” Anj chirped, who was definitely enjoying this. I looked at her. She gave a little shrug and a “I am so not passing up this opportunity” look. All the same, I felt sort of bad for Kat, so I awkwardly patted her back.
“There...there...”
Anj snorted derisively. Kat didn’t notice. 
“I just- I thought we were gonna have it all and- BUT WHATEVER I DON’T CARE ABOUT DIRTY PIGS LIKE HIM! I AM A STRONG, INDEPENDENT, BLACK WOMAN!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Anj silently mouthing “black woman?”, shaking her head. 
“Right!” I chirped as cheerfully as possible. What the heck was I supposed to say now?! 
“Awww, Kat, don’t cry! Me and Wendy’ll cheer you up!! Let’s go raid the kitchen because I smell some COOOKIIEESSS!” 
I stumbled back. Ah of course, the person who had perfected his skill for bad timing. What the heck, WHO INVITED KENT?!
“GOD KENT! I’M HAVING A HEART ATTACK SOME ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE YOU POUNCE PLEASE!” 
By now Anjali was shaking, unsuccessfully trying to stifle her laughter. Buttwipe. 
“Sorry Geoff, thought you knew I was here,” without so much as glancing at me, he grabbed a wrecked Kat and his equally bizarre girlfriend, and sped off to the kitchen, calling back, “Toodles, Jeff Jeff!” Ugh. Was he even a man? I glanced at Anjali. She smiled. Huh. That smile- it seemed familiar. Like I had seen it, before, a lot. Everyday maybe. Which reminded me, I wanted to ask her something...
“Sorry. Er, Anj, not to be a prude, but you don’t remember me? At all?”
“Should I?” she looked at me quizzically.
I chuckled. “Really, though. Do you remember me?"

Unconsciously, I found myself staring down at her, closer then I had been a minute ago.A tad too close. She looked up, probably thinking I was some creeper. Well, I am a creeper. So there. What was this anyway, a cheesy romance movie? Was there someone up in the clouds, playing puppeteer?

“Boop.”

Startled (I was spacing out), I looked down at Anjali. She had a finger poking me away.

“Ever heard of personal space?”

“Uhm...”

She laughed and I backed away.

“Oh well, you know, maybe you don’t. It was almost a year ago anyway, and you were really drunk. I just came back to tell you I have a kid and it’s yours.”

She waved her hand offhandedly, not missing a beat. “Oh well, it’s not the first time it happened. You all just blend together.”

Anj bit her lip, tapping her fingers. Her face grew darker, and she looked like she was debating whether to tell me something. All right, she definitely had some answers.

“Go on,” I encouraged her, trying my best to look as open and innocent as possible.

“Well...” she started, “don’t laugh. Promise not to laugh? Okay good. Um. Well I’ve been having these dreams. Well, they feel more like memories than dreams really, but that can’t be right, I mean this stuff doesn’t even happen in real life, I’ve got a hyperactive imagination anyway and I really maybe too much coffee I dunno but you were in uhm it and you er well you shot me you see maybe it’s all just crazy but if that’s the answer you were looking for-”

I froze. Shot her? Suddenly, I felt very aware of everything that was going on. Anjali was still talking away, the DDR game had some 8-bit 70’s music playing, there was the sound of people talking and glasses clinking and people yelling at the computer angry because of something Starcraft related and someone was having a fight and another person had knocked over a glass dish and it was so hot and yet so cold at the same time and the lights were so bright and-

I had to get out of there. Slowly, I turned away from Anjali and walked away. When I heard her trying to catch up to me, I broke into a jog, then a run. I was already out the door and three flights of stairs down from Cal’s dorm when she gave up chasing after me. Man, I was so gone. I exited via the side door and ran off into the muggy night. Forget the car. Geez, what idiot thought to put so many street lights out here? I mean, the whole place was orange from all of the streetlights! Ugh, no. There was a deserted little alley not too far from where I was. Well, now, wasn’t that just perfect. A dark little corner where I could be by myself and most probably get brutally murdered. All fine by me.

Actually, there wasn’t so much of a creepy psycho lurking on the side as there was a creepy couple making out. Like honestly, really going at it.

“There’s always tomorrow kids! And don’t forget to use protection!” I yelled, walking past them and moving further down the constricted path. They gave me a brief glare and walked off somewhere else. Now I was all alone...and I liked it. I could revel in the darkness. No one could see me, no one knew me, and I liked that too. Most of all, and most importantly, I couldn’t see anyone. I sniffled and wiped my nose, because even if it was hot and humid out here, I was still cold. My mind was still buzzing and numb. I stood there for a while, not thinking, not hearing, not listening. Just standing.

“Hullo,” a person to my left murmured. I hadn’t noticed him. Wow. He was pretty quiet. Was I supposed to be scared? Probably. Whatever.

“Hey.” I answered gruffly.

“What’s up.”

I looked at him. I couldn’t really see his face.

“Dunno.” Didn’t feel like answering him. He walked ahead two paces, so that his back was turned to me. He swiveled around.

He smiled in a sort of knowing manner, looking at his shoes. Then he looked back up at me.

“Should I, ah, put you out of your misery?”What? What was that supposed to-

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” I choked, too scared to scream. The guy-HE HAD A KNIFE! A FLIPPING KNIFE! God oh god oh god geez-

I was pinned to the wall in half a heartbeat, like a shot rabbit in its death throes. His hands gripped my hair and tilted my head back. The psychpath grinned insidiously, slowly cutting a thin line under my throat. I struggled to breathe, I was too scared too feel anything yet, I was going to get-

“Don’t worry, I won’t make this...too long,” he chuckled, pressing just the smallest fraction of an inch harder.

“Oh god,” I said, groaning, “God. What do you want? I don’t have any cash, any thing of any value-I don’t have anything! There’s no one you could get a ransom from-”

“Oh, stop complaining! I don’t want any money! I just wanna see you squeal!” he licked his teeth, pausing over each grime coated yellow nub. Oh, where was the justice in such a cruel world?

By now, I was cursing creatively in my head (couldn’t risk moving my throat and getting cut any deeper) and my heart palpitations were no more than fluttery beats inside my chest, even though I had enough adrenaline to keep me going for days (good use that went to though, I was too scared to do anything). The guy was twice my size too. Oh god. This was how I was going to die. I was going to die I was going to die I was going to die-

I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it would be over quickly. But suddenly...something clicked in my brain. I kneed him and although he didn’t double over, he let go of his grip on my hair and neck, giving me enough time to punch his head and his stomach, which did (in fact) make him double over. I snapped into position behind him and grabbed his wrists, twisting them so he dropped the knife onto my shoe. I kicked it back up into my hands and shoved him to floor, placing a foot on his chest. Slowly, I leaned in and said, “Any last words?” and slit his throat before he could let out a sniveling mew.

It all had happened in a matter of seconds.

Justice had been served.

…I had killed a person.

Moreover, I had killed Anjali. Read chapter four here! -->

http://www.tellury.com/2012/10/anjali-pov-bam-i-yelped-as-i-felt.html

:) 

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