High Energy Collision [Completed]

Chapter 23 - Hypothetically

"Argh, stop it," Viola groaned and tried to reach for her ringing phone.

Her movement pushed sleeping Rose's head off her back. Viola regretted losing the connection to her girlfriend. It had been a long and tedious day, dealing with all these foreign reporters and trying to figure out who the members of Black Hand were.

She had four of the five members pinned down pretty solidly, but the last one was eluding her and she didn't like it.

There was Rom, the guy who had made a fool of himself in front of the cameras of all the important international TV stations – but it would probably grant him meme status, if they only used a few soundbites from him. So, the fact that he was a bumbling idiot might not entirely be to his disadvantage.

Then there was Cameron, the guy who thought he was God's personal gift to womanhood – who had also already made trouble for them even before Black Hand had been announced.

There was a girl named Peach, who thought she was a victim of everything and everyone – and who also thought this made her a better artist than Rose.

And some jock named Bernie, whose only accomplishment in sports was to fail to make it onto the youth national team in football – claiming it wasn't due to his lack of skills, but due to bribes paid by his competitors. Normally, Viola would have had sympathy for such a claim, knowing how corruption could mess things up – but like all the other Black Hand people, Bernie seemed to be driven by his hubris more than anything else.

Viola suspected that the fifth person was the brain behind the operation, the person who had written the article attacking Mean's leadership skills – and she hated the fact that she hadn't found their identity, yet. That person clearly was the most dangerous of the five, and it could be anyone.

Luckily, Rose had been able to distract her tonight, and make her see all the good things she had going for her in her life.

Viola had drifted into sweet dreams... until now, and that fucking phone.

The caller could only be one of two people: she had her phone on silent except for Rose, obviously, her brother Vic, and her best friend Mean. Since it clearly wasn't Rose, who had only turned around, covering her ears, and was already drifting back to sleep next to her – it had to be one of the others.

Either Vic was in boy trouble and wanted her to get him out. Or Mean had another gay panic.

She rolled her eyes when she saw that it was indeed Mean.

It was almost midnight. They had talked about preparations for the foreign reporters and protecting Mean's genius crush for half the night last night. Why couldn't he sleep like normal people?

"What is it, Meanie," she groaned into the phone, letting him know she was sleepy and cranky.

"Sorry to disturb you, Vi. I just... I wanted to ask you something."

Ah... there he went again. It was high time Mean got his boy and let her rest properly. Though... he sounded suspiciously chipper and awake for someone who likely hadn't slept at all last night.

"Argh... What? Just ask."

"Hypothetically..."

Was he seriously calling her right now to ask hypothetical questions?

"If I wanted to date... him without people finding out, like Rose and you... how would I have to do it?"

"Did something happen?"

Mean sounded too cheerful for the time of day. He was either drunk – or the question wasn't hypothetical.

Viola sat up, now more awake.