Love Me Crazy

23. When Darkness Overcome The Shadows

"So…you're a cheerleader…perhaps?"

When he spoke, every word stood on its own. Every utterance had a certain devious tone. Each statement underlined disingenuous intents. It made me cower in a distant corner even though I was trying desperately to be confident; to be Chelsea Vintner, Roy's new girlfriend. It was the first slutty name I could think of when I was standing sullenly on the porch. Only a cheerleader would come to stalk Bastion at his home. Only those girls had the gumption…or bra size.

So I stood there, trying to sound like a completely different person. This man scared me with each icy statement that rolled off his tongue. I was too frightened to be Mary Brighton.

"I am a cheerleader," I murmured in a sugary, overly stupid voice, "And I came here to like…invite Beanie to a party."

"Beanie? Who might Beanie be?" the man inquired, lurching over me like a hawk. His body was tall but it didn't lumber. He was slender but broad. He was sleek yet terrifying.

"It's what me and the girls call him at school…you know…Bastion," I murmured, still trying to add a feminine flair to my voice. I usually sounded like 12 year old boy.

"Ah," he said, as I inched out of the corner and back into the opening of the foyer, "Well…I think Bastion is completing his studies at present…would you like me to transfer a message?"

I stood there, completely frozen. He spoke just like Bastion, both of them similar to a 17th century citizen lost in time. And when they spoke that way, I was completely deaf to what they were actually saying.

The only thing that aided me was being a ditz. And a ditz didn't have to concentrate on the conservation…she just had to acknowledge it.

"Sure!" I blurted, throwing my hands in the air.

The man nodded as he tip-tapped his way around the room. He gazed at me as if he could see within. And when he did, I knew he could tell I was lying.

For one, I looked nothing like a cheerleader. My ripped blue skirt and black blouse made me look more like a deranged goth/emo. And my hair wasn't in two perfect pigtails bouncing against the nape of neck. No, my locks were strewn against my back.

And even more…I was Mary Brighton. How could I ever be…anything more?

"You live near?" he questioned blatantly.

"Nah…I'm like…half across town," I murmured. I felt stupid for actually saying something truthful. From then on, everything needed to be lies.

"So your parents must be in the manufacturing business?"

The questions were obviously not coming to an end.

"I don't know…my dad's the CEO of…some big company." I smiled. That sounded dumb.

It made the man frown and smile all at the same time.

"Well…" he continued, "Do you have any siblings?"

"Not that I know of," I said with a mendacious giggle.

He gave a small, irregular and offbeat laugh as well. "So…what was your name again?"

I actually had to think a moment. "Chelsea…Chelsea Vintner."