The Spider Diaries [FIRST DRAFT]

Thursday, 01 June, 2000: Unexpected Phonecalls

This is not good! I am so dead! I forgot to give Cole his phone yesterday. He is going to skin me alive.

It's on charge now. He let it go flat. Who even does that? Well, someone who leaves their phone in their locker, obviously. But who does that?

I know, Cole.

I'll just have to give it to him this afternoon when I go visit him.

I hope he won't kill me for forgetting.

***

I walk into Cole's hospital room. "The fuun hass arriiievduh, thank you very much." I repeat my favourite part of Tarzan.

"What?" Cole asks, confused.

"Have you never watched Tarzan?" I answer his question with another question.

"Aren't you too old to watch cartoons like that?" he does the same.

"Aren't you young enough?" I retort quickly. Ha. I get the last laugh.

"Are you seriously turning this into a competition?" dammit. He's good.

"Are you?" I raise my eyebrow, daring him to carry on.

He opens his mouth to respond but is cut off by a girl two beds down from Cole. "You two are so adorable!" she squeals.

I feel my cheeks heat up as I turn to her. "We aren't adorable. We aren't together. We're just friends." I manage to get out with minimal irritation.

"I never said you two were. I just think the way you two interact is amusing." she grins, oblivious to my irritation.

"You think what you want to. I need to help this boy with his maths." I roll my eyes and turn on my heal and head over to Cole while trying to ignore the girly giggles coming from two beds down.

***

After about half an hour of trig, I decide I need to give his phone back to him. His phone's been going insane with all his messages.

I place the phone on the push-table we use to do homework. "Uh... Cole." he looks up at me. He hasn't seen the phone yet. "I kinda found your phone in your locker and I thought I'd be nice and bring it to you. But I forgot yesterday. You let it go flat, so I charged it at home. I didn't read any of you millions of unanswered messages, I promise. I'm no snoop. I'm sorry I forgot." I rush out before I lose my nerve.

He looks down at the phone that vibrates against the fool's-wood table top. "Thanks." is all he says then goes back to the maths problem he was working on.

"Aren't you going to check those?" I feel a bit indignant. He isn't checking those messages. What if it's important? Who does that? Only Cole.

"No. They aren't important. They're from people who don't matter anymore." he says blankly, still going at the maths problem.

"Oh... okay." I feel like I'm a balloon that's been let go, scattered and deflated.

"When are you released?" I inquire.

"Tomorrow. In time for exams."

Just then my own phone screams to life, blaring I Knew I Loved You and on reflex I pull it out of my back pocket.

The caller ID gives me a moment's pause, then I answer it and walk over to the other side of the room and sit on the free bed right by the closed door, ignoring the intrigued looks from the girl who thought Cole and I were so amusing.

"Hi, Mom." is all I can manage in my dazed state.

"Hello, sweet daughter of mine own blood. How doest thou?" she sounds Shakespearian. But isn't she in Egypt?

"Uh... I'm okay, I guess, with everything that's happened. But aren't you in Egypt?" I had to ask or it would bug me.

"Oh, no! I'm on my way home. But I'm in London for now. It's cheaper from England, home. I had eight hours. So, I went to a museum here. It's amazing here, you should really come here for a while." typical mother; I'm going through hell and she's planning a vacation to England. I mentally roll my eyes.

"Sure, Mom. I'll definitly do that... wait! You're coming home! But it's only been a week!" I say shocked.

I hear a distant "who's coming home?" from Cole's bed but I wave him off.

Unfortunately my mother doesn't do the same.

"Who's with you? I don't know the voice." she inquires and I mentally facepalm.

"No one, Mother." I say with minimal annoyance.

"Don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady. Now... tell me, who is it?" Oh my God! She is not going to let this go.

"I'll tell you when you get back." one last ditch attempt to get her to drop it. No such luck.

"No. Tell me now." she demands.

I sigh and relent, "Cole." I whisper. "Now tell me why you're coming home so early." I make my own demand.

"The Hounds got there first! How could they?! I worked so hard for that piece, then they rip it out from under me! It's not even worth it. I promise you, I swear I should just retire and write a novel at home or something!" she rants.

I don't let myself feel any giddiness because I know what's going to happen next. She says that's she's going to quit, that she'll write a novel, then when she gets another phone call from the office it's off to the next story that could or could not already be pissed on by the Hounds.

It's the same every time she doesn't get a piece.

"Okay, Mom. I've got to go, I'm tutoring a matric. Chat when you get back?" I'm anxious to get this conversation over with.

"Yeah, sure. Love you." she says into the phone.

I hang up. A relieved sigh escapes my lips.

I turn to Cole. He's about to ask a question when my phone goes off again.

I hold up my index finger in a give-me-a-minute gesture.

I don't recognise the caller ID.

"Hello?" I answer cautiously.

"Hello, Jane. It's me, your father."

I hang up.

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A/N: Okay, guys.

How cool is it that she's that good at maths? Okay, maybe 'cool' is the wrong word, but isn't it weird how some people are amazing at maths and others aren't?

And isn't the girl from two beds down creepy? Do you get that vibe, or is it just me? She's not important, but she is. Understand? She's not an important character, that's why I didn't go into detail about what she looked like or anything, but she plays a big role as a prophet.

Okay, and those phone calls? What d'you guys think? Creepy how they phone the same day, almost the same time? What do you think about the mother's rant about retiring? And Jane's reaction? What about her father? Her reaction to him?

Let me know.

I'm still one comment short before posting the Forbidden Hearts description, next time?

The first to post a none-update, none-hate comment gets the commented on chapter dedicated to them.

xoxo Bianca M. M.