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actionreactionBased on how this one ends, I didn't dare let it be posted without finishing part Eleven at the same time. Y'all would have killed me. Enjoy Part Ten.
Ball's in Your Court
It didn't take long to determine the nature of those rumors. It just depended on who you asked. Some of them were highly exaggerated, but none were really wrong…
Except the bleeding heart story Daphne had managed to get most of the girls to believe. She now had this sympathetic following, girls who threw both Torrance and Wyatt dirty looks for 'breaking Daphne's heart'. These were countered by those who snickered behind her back, or even right to her face. Torrance had the good fortune to overhear one student boldly say, “Suck it up, Daphne; you're just jealous that he picked a boy, a boy who's prettier than you are, over your cold, frigid ass." Eyebrow lifted smoothly. Just barely glimpsing a girl, nearly as tall as Wyatt, hair blacker than Torrance's or Daphne's with bluish overtones, heavy black eye makeup and as many black accessories she could manage to amend her uniform without piling on detentions. Lily Van Buren, goth queen of Pembroke high. Obviously one of the few girls who wouldn't kowtow to Daphne Pfeiffer. Her and her best friend, little redheaded Sarah Pfeiffer. Daphne's younger sister. Barely as tall as Daphne herself, but round and curvy as Daphne was slender and dainty. They'd never quite managed to resolve their differences.
Wyatt was missing quite a show. Not that Lily needed any excuse to bitch out Daphne, but this was a golden opportunity. “Why don't you take your little bimbo cheer squad and find something else to occupy your tiny little minds?”
Daphne’s mouth set into a very unattractive smirk. “Oh my god, does the Queen of Darkness actually have feelings? What, are you burning a torch for our beloved king? Better snuff it now, he's a bigger queen than you are.”
Lily snorted. “Please. You're the only person more stuck up and conceited than he is. Not to mention you've got the added bonus of being two-faced and bitchy. And you can't deal with the fact that he threw you over for a boy.”
Sarah stepped forward then, pinning green eyes on Daphne's - the same green. “It's really kind of pathetic, Daphne. You trying to turn the school against him for something like this. You two weren't even really dating and you know it. So why are you trying so hard to spread these rumors, true or not? I bet you just want him to get angry at Torrance Storm for disrupting his perfect little kingdom and ruining whatever might be between them. And if that's true Daphne, you're even less a person than I thought you were. I'm ashamed to even share your DNA.” She whirled around, not even sparing Daphne's companions a glance, and left, followed by Lily who just laughed.
Daphne remained, flanked by two friends, who had nothing to say. They rarely did, not on their own.
Torrance leaned against the wall, out of sightline but not earshot, catching Lily's eyes as she passed. He smirked at her and walked away, looking for Wyatt.
--
Wyatt was in the library, someplace he rarely went, but where he would have little chance of running into masses of students. He'd already snapped at junior who cornered him in the hallway and point-blank asked, “So Eckart, who's the bottom?” Wyatt didn't hit him. His locker did. Repeatedly.
Now Wyatt sat, ignoring the stifled giggles behind him, until finally a sophomore ventured up to him, looking half-afraid to even approach. But she did and asked quietly, “Um… Wyatt? I just… I wanted to know… because people are saying things… and it's not fair to believe them unless they're true right?”
Wyatt gave her a caustic glare. "Just spit it out, Melanie.”
Flushing just a little, because he remembered her name, Melanie coughed once as asked, “What they're saying about you and Torrance Storm? Um… well is it true?”
Wyatt said nothing. Melanie so far was the only person who'd actually come right up and asked instead of just believing and spreading. Still… “What's it to you?”
“Um.. nothing I guess…” She chewed on her lip and took a step back. “I'm sorry I bothered you.”
She'd just turned around when Wyatt said, “Probably. Depends on what's being said. But yeah, probably.” And then he turned back to his book, ignoring the expression on her face. A shame really. It matched the interested expression the two girls near his locker had had just a few days before. In fact, more and more were started to display that intrigue. It wasn't too surprising considering just how attractive both Wyatt and Torrance were.
“Well. They're not all true. Like the one about us fucking in the pool after hours. Hasn't happened yet.”
Wyatt's face flushed red and he snapped his bock shut, glaring up at Torrance. “One; keep your damn voice down. Two: what, do you have me on fucking Lo-Jack or something?”
Torrance slid into the seat across from him. “Why should I? It's not like they're not already imagining it anyway.” He cocked an eyebrow at them and Wyatt finally caught Melanie's expression as well as the three other girls she was sitting with. “You mean…?”
“C'mon, Eckart. Some guys get their kicks off lesbians. You telling me you never considered there were girls who think two guys together are hot?”
Silence.
Torrance grinned. “You chew on that. Meanwhile, what do you know about Daphne's sister?"
Wyatt gave him an odd look. “Sarah? She and her friend Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, absolutely hate my guts. I couldn't care less. Why?”
Torrance reached out and traced a pattern on Wyatt's left hand. “Mm.. only the fact that they seem to hate Daphne even more than you. Sisters fighting in the hallways. Over something that has nothing to do with them at all. Amusing, isn't it?”
Wyatt shook his head. “I swear to God, Storm, you showed up here and everything went insane.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
--
It seemed like mere minutes before the bell rang, And Torrance materialized at Wyatt's locker. Reis and Larsen were getting slightly more accustomed to his presence, though they never quite met his eyes. Or Wyatt's anymore.
“Got plans, Eckart?”
Wyatt glanced at Larsen and Reis and shook his head.
“Good answer. Get in your car and follow me; I have something I want to show you.”
--
Black Lexus followed silver Mercedes until it turned into a wide sprawling driveway, trimmed with fanatically neat hedges, framing a large, beautiful house. Torrance got out then, and led Wyatt inside.
“Your house? You wanted to show me your house?” Wyatt raised an eyebrow.
“Among other things. The full tour can wait. I’m sure you can think of a really good reason I brought you here.” Torrance started leading Wyatt upstairs.
Wyatt froze. “Y- I- You- Bu-”
“Pick one word and stick with it, Wyatt,” Torrance replied with an amused smile. He leaned forward, hands on either side of Wyatt’s head, against the wall. “Your choice. Your car’s here. You can leave. But if you stay…”
Wyatt gaped at Torrance silently. The ball was entirely in Wyatt’s court. He could duck out from Torrance arms, and jump in his car and go home. Or he could stay… and… “If I stay…”
“A few more of those rumors will be true.”
Screw the eternal Are you ready for this question. Wyatt just met that deep golden gaze and said, “So. Which way’s your room?”
Don't get on my case. Part Eleven picks up right here.
Ball's in Your Court
It didn't take long to determine the nature of those rumors. It just depended on who you asked. Some of them were highly exaggerated, but none were really wrong…
Except the bleeding heart story Daphne had managed to get most of the girls to believe. She now had this sympathetic following, girls who threw both Torrance and Wyatt dirty looks for 'breaking Daphne's heart'. These were countered by those who snickered behind her back, or even right to her face. Torrance had the good fortune to overhear one student boldly say, “Suck it up, Daphne; you're just jealous that he picked a boy, a boy who's prettier than you are, over your cold, frigid ass." Eyebrow lifted smoothly. Just barely glimpsing a girl, nearly as tall as Wyatt, hair blacker than Torrance's or Daphne's with bluish overtones, heavy black eye makeup and as many black accessories she could manage to amend her uniform without piling on detentions. Lily Van Buren, goth queen of Pembroke high. Obviously one of the few girls who wouldn't kowtow to Daphne Pfeiffer. Her and her best friend, little redheaded Sarah Pfeiffer. Daphne's younger sister. Barely as tall as Daphne herself, but round and curvy as Daphne was slender and dainty. They'd never quite managed to resolve their differences.
Wyatt was missing quite a show. Not that Lily needed any excuse to bitch out Daphne, but this was a golden opportunity. “Why don't you take your little bimbo cheer squad and find something else to occupy your tiny little minds?”
Daphne’s mouth set into a very unattractive smirk. “Oh my god, does the Queen of Darkness actually have feelings? What, are you burning a torch for our beloved king? Better snuff it now, he's a bigger queen than you are.”
Lily snorted. “Please. You're the only person more stuck up and conceited than he is. Not to mention you've got the added bonus of being two-faced and bitchy. And you can't deal with the fact that he threw you over for a boy.”
Sarah stepped forward then, pinning green eyes on Daphne's - the same green. “It's really kind of pathetic, Daphne. You trying to turn the school against him for something like this. You two weren't even really dating and you know it. So why are you trying so hard to spread these rumors, true or not? I bet you just want him to get angry at Torrance Storm for disrupting his perfect little kingdom and ruining whatever might be between them. And if that's true Daphne, you're even less a person than I thought you were. I'm ashamed to even share your DNA.” She whirled around, not even sparing Daphne's companions a glance, and left, followed by Lily who just laughed.
Daphne remained, flanked by two friends, who had nothing to say. They rarely did, not on their own.
Torrance leaned against the wall, out of sightline but not earshot, catching Lily's eyes as she passed. He smirked at her and walked away, looking for Wyatt.
--
Wyatt was in the library, someplace he rarely went, but where he would have little chance of running into masses of students. He'd already snapped at junior who cornered him in the hallway and point-blank asked, “So Eckart, who's the bottom?” Wyatt didn't hit him. His locker did. Repeatedly.
Now Wyatt sat, ignoring the stifled giggles behind him, until finally a sophomore ventured up to him, looking half-afraid to even approach. But she did and asked quietly, “Um… Wyatt? I just… I wanted to know… because people are saying things… and it's not fair to believe them unless they're true right?”
Wyatt gave her a caustic glare. "Just spit it out, Melanie.”
Flushing just a little, because he remembered her name, Melanie coughed once as asked, “What they're saying about you and Torrance Storm? Um… well is it true?”
Wyatt said nothing. Melanie so far was the only person who'd actually come right up and asked instead of just believing and spreading. Still… “What's it to you?”
“Um.. nothing I guess…” She chewed on her lip and took a step back. “I'm sorry I bothered you.”
She'd just turned around when Wyatt said, “Probably. Depends on what's being said. But yeah, probably.” And then he turned back to his book, ignoring the expression on her face. A shame really. It matched the interested expression the two girls near his locker had had just a few days before. In fact, more and more were started to display that intrigue. It wasn't too surprising considering just how attractive both Wyatt and Torrance were.
“Well. They're not all true. Like the one about us fucking in the pool after hours. Hasn't happened yet.”
Wyatt's face flushed red and he snapped his bock shut, glaring up at Torrance. “One; keep your damn voice down. Two: what, do you have me on fucking Lo-Jack or something?”
Torrance slid into the seat across from him. “Why should I? It's not like they're not already imagining it anyway.” He cocked an eyebrow at them and Wyatt finally caught Melanie's expression as well as the three other girls she was sitting with. “You mean…?”
“C'mon, Eckart. Some guys get their kicks off lesbians. You telling me you never considered there were girls who think two guys together are hot?”
Silence.
Torrance grinned. “You chew on that. Meanwhile, what do you know about Daphne's sister?"
Wyatt gave him an odd look. “Sarah? She and her friend Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, absolutely hate my guts. I couldn't care less. Why?”
Torrance reached out and traced a pattern on Wyatt's left hand. “Mm.. only the fact that they seem to hate Daphne even more than you. Sisters fighting in the hallways. Over something that has nothing to do with them at all. Amusing, isn't it?”
Wyatt shook his head. “I swear to God, Storm, you showed up here and everything went insane.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
--
It seemed like mere minutes before the bell rang, And Torrance materialized at Wyatt's locker. Reis and Larsen were getting slightly more accustomed to his presence, though they never quite met his eyes. Or Wyatt's anymore.
“Got plans, Eckart?”
Wyatt glanced at Larsen and Reis and shook his head.
“Good answer. Get in your car and follow me; I have something I want to show you.”
--
Black Lexus followed silver Mercedes until it turned into a wide sprawling driveway, trimmed with fanatically neat hedges, framing a large, beautiful house. Torrance got out then, and led Wyatt inside.
“Your house? You wanted to show me your house?” Wyatt raised an eyebrow.
“Among other things. The full tour can wait. I’m sure you can think of a really good reason I brought you here.” Torrance started leading Wyatt upstairs.
Wyatt froze. “Y- I- You- Bu-”
“Pick one word and stick with it, Wyatt,” Torrance replied with an amused smile. He leaned forward, hands on either side of Wyatt’s head, against the wall. “Your choice. Your car’s here. You can leave. But if you stay…”
Wyatt gaped at Torrance silently. The ball was entirely in Wyatt’s court. He could duck out from Torrance arms, and jump in his car and go home. Or he could stay… and… “If I stay…”
“A few more of those rumors will be true.”
Screw the eternal Are you ready for this question. Wyatt just met that deep golden gaze and said, “So. Which way’s your room?”
Don't get on my case. Part Eleven picks up right here.