And here we go... chapter two! :)
---o---
Chapter 2.
--Max--
My eyes quickly skim through Pacioni’s menu as shock of red hair catches my attention and a familiar pair red stiletto knee-high boots walking with him. I quickly realize the owner of said boots and slam down my menu, startling Ralph. “Who the heck is Veronica with?!”
Ralph cranes his neck to try and catch a glimpse of Veronica and her Mystery-Man. “I have no idea, but DAMN look at that boy’s fine...” he looked up to see my eyes staring narrowed at his face “...jacket. That looks like a damn fine jacket.” He slowly lifted the menu to cover his face.
I pushed the chair back and got to my feet.
“Where are you going? We haven’t even ordered yet!” Ralph said, his blue eyes shining.
“We,” I hauled him up out of his chair, “are going to find out who this boy-man person is.”
“But-but-but pizza.” He whimpered.
“I know, dude. But this is more interesting than watching fat Italian men throw pizza dough.” I dragged him out of the restaurant and onto the old brick laid streets of old downtown Mount Vernon. We followed Veronica and Mystery-Man into this old place called “The Lincoln Theater”. Ralph was going on and on about the architecture and how the colors blended so well together.
I stopped him “Can you turn down the gay just a couple of notches, bro? Please?”
Ralph held his hands up in surrender, then pointed “Look, they’re going through the curtains!” I covered his mouth with my hands.
“Can you say that a little louder I don’t think they heard you in Israel,” I say sarcastically.
Ralph ignores my snide comment and dashes over to the red-velvet curtains then peers through them. His eyes grow wide as if he’s seen a ghost and he turns to me. “Oh my Lord, Maxie! You just need to see this!”
“What, are they making out or something?” I sneer as I walk down the aisle way. I knew that they weren’t - Veronica is never one to kiss on the first date.
At least I hope she wasn’t. There was no way I would be cool with her kissing Gingerbread.
“No!” Ralph exclaims, twisting his hand in a get-your-ass-over-here sort of way. “Don’t be silly...” he giggles. “...bro.” he adds making his voice more gruff-like.
“Right.” I walk up the conveniently-placed stairs. My eyes scan for an opening in the curtain and I spot a dark crest. I grab it and pull it open. I nearly jump out of my shoes. A white, chalky clown face is staring at both Ralph and I. His smile is charming, but I can’t help but feel as though he’s burning a whole in my soul.
“That thing is fucked up,” Ralph shivers.
I just freeze as if the clown is hypnotizing me with it’s giant black glass eyes. I quickly turn and run away, plowing into Veronica and Gingerbread.
“Ow!” Veronica said, massaging her shoulder “Watch where you’re go- Max?” She stops and helps me up. “What are you doing here?”
Ralph pops out behind me, “We want to ask you the same thing, Missy! Who is this?” He eyes Gingerbread in a discreet ‘come-hither’ look.
“I’m Westley Vince, but you can call me West if you’d like.” Mr. Westley Vince said in a very slight accent that I couldn’t place. He stuck out a hand that should’ve belonged to blacksmith, I just eyed it. Ralph on the other hand was all too happy to take that man’s hand into his.
“Well, hello there! I’m Ralph Gaston, which is French, but the way.” He places a hand on my shoulder “Mr. Pouty here Maxwell Bennett. And you already met the fabulous Veronica Haynes.” Veronica blushed slightly.
“It was nice meeting you, Mr. Westley Vince. But we have to go now.” I linked arms with Veronica and Ralph steering them towards the doors of the Lincoln Theater.
“Oh where are you goin’?” Mr. Westley Vince asked trailing along behind us.
“We’re going to get on our train and head to Seattle.” I said, through clenched teeth. Why won’t that poor farm boy leave us alone?
“So, West. How’d you end up in this little dump?” Veronica asked.
“Mount Vernon, Washington maybe small and not flashy. But, miss, this ain’t no dump.”
I hear Veronica’s beautiful giggle. “Well, maybe if our train breaks down again here, you can show us all of the great things about Mount Vernon.”
I roll my eyes and grumble to Ralph, “She never giggles like that to me.”
Ralph chuckles. “Not to your face, anyways.”
We arrive at the train-station a few minutes later and Ralph tells the group he’s gonna go see when the train is heading out. Much too quickly he returns, sweating and pulling at his collar. “Um...”
“What?” I get up from the wooden bench and walk up to him. Veronica is too busy laughing with Gingerbread.
“Well...” Ralph’s eyes look everywhere but my face.
“Just spit it out, bro!” I smack him on the shoulder.
Veronica giggles again. Oh, that giggle was getting annoying now.
“The train isn’t coming for a while. We missed it.” His smile bends into a low, awkward frown.
“WHAT.” I didn’t even say it as a question. It was a flat out sentence.
“The train that comes here was taken for repair. It isn’t coming for a few days. They’re not sure how long. My guess is three to four. And my parents texted me that they needed to go home to LA, and I told them that we would be okay staying here with Westley!”
“WHAT.” Damn, I did it again.
“Oh, sure, that’s fine.” Veronica says sarcastically. “We really did ask West for his opinion.”
“It is fine! Nothing better than some Pacific-Northwestern hospitality!” Westley jumps up from the bench and slaps me on the back.
The hit makes me spit out my gum. It was my last piece.
This day just went from bad to worse.
Just fucking FANTASTIC.
