Lockwood and Co. book 4: The Creeping Shadow

Chapter 3

            When I went back down to the living room Lockwood, George, and Holly were all sitting down looking rather solemn. 

              "I called a taxi for you," Holly said softly. "It's waiting outside now, so you can go ahead and leave if you'd like."

                 'If I like she'd said.' A slight smile tugged at my lips at the subtle invitation to stay that she'd given me. After everything I'd did to her, every petty argument or fight we'd had, Holly of all people should have been relieved for me to go. And yet she had been willing to hand me an olive branch. Heh. There really was more to her then what I'd ever given her credit for. I wish I had tried to get to know her better. But it was much too late for that. Not if I didn't want the spirit's prophecy to come true. 

             "Thank you Holly," I say, and I truly mean it. She was much nicer then what I'd allowed myself to see. 

             George cleared his throat. "We'll escort you out," he said, his voice still sounded a little rough, and to my shock, I realize that he was actually a little choked up.

              He and Holly start to follow me out the door. But we stop when we see that Lockwood hadn't moved.

              "Lockwood. We're escorting her out." George said.

               Lockwood blinked as if in a daze, but still didn't move. 

              "I was the one who ate your Choco Leibniz." George said matter of factly. "It was quite good, but the one you left open tasted rather dry. I had to drink most of your hidden soda stash with it to wash it down. Had a bad case of gas for about a week."

                The sound of the taxi driver honking his horn blocked out what Lockwood said next. He chased George out of the house with his rapier. I had never seen George run so fast. It wasn't a pleasant sight.

                 Two minutes later George was a sweating, panting mess, holding his already too loose pants in an effort to keep them from sliding off. His black leather belt laid on the grass sliced cleanly in half, by Lockwood's rapier. Lockwood, of course, had barely broken a sweat. The only the only thing out of place was the tear in his dress shirt, from George's poor attempt to use a stick as a rapier to parry a blow from Lockwood's blade, and the fact that his hair looked a bit more unruly then usual from his wild run.

             Lockwood smoothed his hair back in place. "I'd appreciate it if you refrained from snacking on the items in my room in the future George," he said with a bright smile on his face. "The brand I buy takes a lot out of my wallet."

             "You could have just said that instead of chasing me like a madman with a blade in your hands! You could have damn well killed me! Over some bloody sweets!" George fumed.

              "Nonsense," said Lockwood. "I used the flat of my rapier at all times...well besides when I sliced your belt. But you could do without it anyways. It was rather hideous." 

               It really was. The belt was very faded, and chipped away from use. The leather with the holes for the belt buckle was slightly cracked from being bent around George's rather large waist. The buckle looked dull, and had scratches on it. George was a tad cheap when it came to clothing. He would wear it till completely fell apart. 

               Before they could bicker any more, Holly cleared her throat pointedly. I simply raised an eyebrow. We had both decided it was better to just wait by the door and let the scene play out.

               The taxi driver honked his horn again. He opened the door of his car,and leaned against the roof of his car, pulling his cigarette out his mouth with a puff of smoke. "If you kids are done trying to stab each other, can the girl get in the car so I can get the bloody hell out of here? My buddies are binge watching Game of Thrones and I want to be there so I don't miss the more recent episodes because of bloody idiots like you again," he said irritably.