Blank Girl - (Book One)

Chapter 10 - Not My Competition

Greg

Waiting is not one of my strong suits. I know that. My mom knows that. So, why did she tell Cassie to get girled up before coming downstairs. Didn't she realize that Cassie wasn't the type of girl who did those sorts of things? 

"If you don't sit down, I will do this debriefing individually." My father all but growled at me. 

I sat, crossing my arms, and proceeded to begin tapping my foot in a deliberately nonrhythmic fashion. My father glared at me. "What? I'm sitting."

"You are trying my patience."

"I just wanted to talk to her. She's been sleeping for almost three days. You can't blame me for being worried about this situation. I mean, it's not like Jack has been a wealth of information. Seems like Mika taking him to the dog park is more insulting than inspired if you ask me-"     

"No one asked you."

"Voices as loud as yours do tend to carry." My mother walked in and sat on the vintage King Louis XV love seat next to my father. 

"But I couldn't even wait in there with her until she woke up." I knew I was pouting, but it really had been torture waiting for the last three days. Mom only let me in to change the water glass at her bedside table in the mornings.

"That's because no sleeping beauty wants to wake up to your ugly mug. Besides Kid, your mom shouldn't have to tell you that watching a girl sleep is creepy." Emily said, arriving out of no where as per usual, ruffling my hair. She sprawled out on the love seat opposite my parents and nodded her head towards the stairs. I slouched further down. "So when is the newest freak going to grace us with her presence."

"I do wish you would stop referring to our kind as freaks." My father pinched his brow to keep from frowning any further. "We are Psychics. It is perfectly normal for a species to undergo continual evolution and we are that continuation."

"Please, Psychic is corny as hell. I'm sure not going to call us mutants or evo-humanoid as you attempted to coin. So freak is where my flag flies." She smirked. "What can I say, I call it as I see it Mike."

If there is anything my father hates more than Emily calling us "freaks," then it has to be her calling him "Mike." Before he could begin his newest tirade. I saw Cassie peek her head down the stairs. 

"Eavesdropping is for losers new girl." Emily called up. "I won't bite, but I can't speak for lover-boy over here."

She descended and I felt myself straightening up. She was wearing black cuffed bermuda shorts, a fitted lace white tank top, a blue baggy plaid hoodie, and black vans slip ons. The girl really did have a great sense of style. Casual and pretty without being overdone and her hair let down as it was, looked amazing. I smoothed my own hair back and smiled. Emily, crass as she may be, had done me a service by taking up that entire love seat to herself. It meant the only place to sit was next to me.  I looked to the empty seat beside me and back at her. 

She blushed and I melted. 

"Stop touching me! I'm not your pet!" An angry male voice yelled as the front door slammed.

"Don't be such a spoilsport. I got you your own matching leash and collar with my own money! You're supposed to thank me!" And that was Mika yelling back. 

"I'm not doing it! I'm a person dammit!" Jack yelled and came into view. He stopped hard as he saw Cassie and Mika slammed into his back. "Cassie, I'm so glad you're okay! It's me, it's-"

"Jack?" She frowned and clutched at the spare fabric of her hoodie.  I leapt out of my seat and ran over to her. By the time I crossed the distance, tears were beginning to fall. I wrapped my arms around her and she fell into me without hesitation. She whispered into my chest. "He lied."

I'll never lie to you. I thought to her. She looked up at me with tear-stained eyes. 

Don't promise, if you don't intend to keep it.

That's the thing, I do intend to keep it. I smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Jack growled, much like he did that day on the bus. I wasn't scared or startled this time, because I'd seen Jack over the last few days. He was tall, not as tall as me, and Euro-Asian. His black hair was long and shaggy and I guess he was athletic looking. But he was no terrifying monster-dog now. Nope, now he was a kid just like me. I knew I was better. He was younger than me, smaller than me, and definitely less attractive. When Cassie saw me for the first time, she liked how I looked. I saw it in her eyes. When she looked at Jack, all I saw was betrayal. This kid was not my competition. He'd be lucky to ever be her friend again.

"Cassie, you have to listen to me. They made me do it. They said they'd let you live a normal life as long as you never found out about your ability."

"Make him stop." She said, looking at me again. The tears were gone, but her eyes were still shining. There was a fierce, cold determination within. "Or I will."

"My parents are going to want to grill dog-boy anyways, so let's go for a drive. I'll show you around." I led her out the front door wrapping my arm protectively around her. Jack could've been spitting nails, he was so mad.

Emily and Mika stopped him from following us and my mother spoke. "You're going to need to tell us everything."

"And we mean everything." My father's voice was low and stern. 

After three days, Jack had finally let it slip that he had been working under the Order. My parents were not about to miss an opportunity to gain intelligence on the enemy. If my father had to rip it from Jack's mind, I had no doubt that he would.

I waved a good bye and grabbed the nearest car keys.

Author's Note

Promises are important... I think it shows your true character. What do you guys think about Greg's promise to Cassie? Maybe more importantly, do you think he'll keep it?

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