December 20 | Friday #15
“By the way, why is it offensive?”
Liam thought for a moment.
“It has to do with our past. In the old days, people justified a lot of the harm done to werewolves by comparing us to animals. The term wolf coming from a human is seen as an expression of contempt.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“You sure? You’re not mad?”
“Did you want me to be?” Liam asked with a hint of amusement.
“No!” Will assured him. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“And you didn’t. Don’t look at me like that. For your own safety, you shouldn’t use terms like that with others, because some are still very sensitive about it. But don’t worry about me. I don’t care who says what.”
“And mystery solved,” Will announced.
“Hm?”
“I mean, how you manage to be friends with Blake. Now I get it.”
Liam smiled broadly.
“Learning to not give a damn is the secret to a happy life.”
Will chuckled.
Talking with Liam put him in such a good mood that he didn’t remember the mess with KC until he got home, when the business card Kubrick had given him fell out of his pants pocket.
He picked it up and looked at it with a quiet sigh.
For a moment, he’d really thought something in his life was heading in the right direction.
As usual, he’d been disabused of that notion.
He was about to throw the card away, but then he realized that if Kubrick was really that determined to get a test subject, Will simply not showing up for the meeting might not be enough.
So he decided to call.
“Nathaniel Kubrick speaking.”
Will was speechless for a moment. He hadn’t expected the number on the card to connect him directly to the owner of KC. He’d figured he would get an automated menu or at least a secretary who would then transfer him to the right department.
“Good afternoon,” he said, a little awkwardly. “This is Will Morgan.”
“Hello, Mr. Morgan. Do you have any questions?”
“No. I’m calling to inform you that, unfortunately, I won’t be able to accept the internship at your company.”
“For what reason?”
“I just don’t think I’m a good fit.”
“But you are, I assure you. Please, give it a try. If the conditions don’t suit you, you can always back out.”
“Thank you, but I really have to decline.”
“May I ask what led to this decision? During our conversation, you seemed interested.”
“I just got an offer that suits me better,” Will said, which was an exceptionally easy lie to see through. There wasn’t an organization in the city that offered better conditions than KC.
“I see,” Kubrick replied nonetheless. “Well, Mr. Morgan. All that’s left is to wish you the best of luck. It’s a shame it didn’t work out, but please remember that our doors are always open to you.”
“Of course. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
Will bit his lip. Kubrick hadn’t been particularly insistent. What if he’d just thrown away the opportunity of a lifetime because of Blake’s paranoia?
He would probably never know.
December 7 | Saturday
It was a pleasant afternoon. Will was tidying up the kitchen when a loud shout rang out.
“Oh my God!”
He immediately stopped cleaning the sink and peered out of the room.
“Danny?” he called out anxiously, afraid his friend had been hurt.
The sound of hurried footsteps on the stairs followed immediately.
“Oh God, holy shit, oh fuck me!” Dan yelled, but his tone held no alarm. On the contrary, it practically vibrated with joy. “I don’t believe it! It’s impossible! Totally impossible!”
“Did you score or what?” Will asked playfully, watching his friend skid to a stop right in front of him before pulling him into a tight hug.
“Better!” Dan announced, pulling away from his roommate. “Much, much better.” He grinned happily. “I’ll be scoring once I’m a billionaire. Oh, and of course, rent money shouldn’t be a problem from now on.”
“Did you get a good job?” Will asked, smiling as well.
“I got an internship!”
“Since when are internships so well-paid?”
“Since they’re organized by KC.”
Will went pale.
“Man, I can’t believe it!” Danny was as happy as a kid. “I didn’t even apply! They just called me and said they’ve had their eye on me for a while! That they’re impressed with my progress. Man! I think I’ll go tell my mom.”
Danny raced back upstairs. Will leaned against the wall, panic washing over him.
He was starting to come to the conclusion that Blake had been right.
December 9 | Monday
Will got to school almost an hour before classes started. He went to the gym and stood in the doorway, watching the basketball practice in progress. He’d texted Liam yesterday that he needed to talk about something important, and this was where they’d agreed to meet.
For a few minutes, Liam was too engrossed in the game to notice him, but when he finally glanced toward the entrance, he signaled to his teammates that he was stepping off the court and then jogged over to Will. His friends grumbled something, but Liam paid them no mind.
They went to the locker room. Will told Liam about the situation with Dan.
“That sucks,” was Liam’s summary of the story, looking only moderately concerned.
“What’s this about experiments at KC?” Will asked.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Liam replied, to his surprise.
“There are a lot of stories circulating in our community about Kubrick’s organization.
I have no idea how much truth there is to them.
For example, they say that Kubrick selects some of the interns based on their special abilities and conducts some kind of research on them.
I’m guessing this all sounds less than convincing,” he added, seeing Will’s doubtful expression, “but if Blake says Kubrick is to be feared, then he is. The Aldens always know best what goes on in this town. It’s always been that way. ”
Will was surprised by his words. Didn’t that imply Blake was hiding something from his friend? But Liam not only seemed to be aware of it but also clearly had no problem with it. Will wondered why.
“If they really want to experiment on people like us, then Dan is safe,” Will pointed out. “He doesn’t have any abilities.”
“It’s not about him, it’s about you. It’s no coincidence that they chose your roommate, of all people. They want to use him to watch you.”
“Danny would snitch on me? Never.”
“No one’s saying he’d do it knowingly. They could plant a bug on him. Or they could present the whole situation in a way that makes it seem harmless, maybe even necessary. You have to talk him out of it.”
“How?” Will snorted helplessly. “It’s an internship at KC, for crying out loud! Who wouldn’t accept?”
“You have to try.”
It wasn’t particularly helpful advice, but time was running out. After classes today, Danny was supposed to go to KC to finalize the paperwork. If Will was going to talk him out of it, it had to be now.
He tracked his friend down before third period.
“Hey, Dan,” he said nervously, stopping by his locker. “Can we talk?”
“Now? I’m in a bit of a hurry. You know Robins hates it when we’re late.”
“It’s important. It’s about your internship.”
Danny looked at him expectantly.
“You shouldn’t take it,” Will blurted out.
“What?” Dan snorted in disbelief.
“KC has a bad reputation.”
“Meaning?”
“They supposedly promise payment, but they don’t actually pay.
And that’s not even the worst of it. Apparently, they fire a lot of interns just like that, because they don’t like something about them.
They give them bad recommendations.” Every word out of Will’s mouth was a lie, but what else could he say when the truth was off the table?
“They’ve treated a lot of people that way. ”
Danny narrowed his eyes, studying him.
“How do you know?”
“I heard.”
“From your new best friends?”
“Wh-What?” Will stammered.
“Liam used to bully you, and now you’re walking around everywhere together like you’re best fucking friends,” Dan hissed aggressively.
“That Norma girl is from another planet, and Blake… You’ve always had a thing for Blake.
Everyone has a thing for him, but not so long ago, you claimed you couldn’t stand him, and now you’re fighting in public like some couple having issues.
It’s fucking pathetic. Just like your jealousy, you know? ”
“I’m not jealous,” Will protested firmly. “I’m saying this for your own good.”
“Great. I’m touched,” Dan stated flatly, his tone chilling Will to the bone. “Except I have a few brain cells, and that’s enough to not turn down such a good offer just because of the supposed concern of a so-called friend. So leave me alone,” he snarled, then walked off quickly.
Will sighed quietly. What if he told him the truth? It would be risky, but there was no other way to get him to change his mind.
“Don’t even think about it.” A whisper sounded right by his ear.
He turned to see Blake standing behind him.
“Can you read minds, too?” he snorted, irritated.
“No, but I know exactly what’s going through your head. You want to tell him. It’s idiotic and dangerous, especially in this situation.”
Apparently, Liam had filled him in.
“If I don’t, he’ll accept. Anyone would.”
“Make him move out.”
Will looked at Alden in shock.
“What?”
“You won’t make him refuse, so separate yourself from him, at least for a while. That way, he can’t function as their observer. He’ll become useless to KC. You’d be doing both him and yourself a favor.”
“By kicking him out of the house?” Will seethed, incensed by the idea. “Are you out of your mind?”
“It’s the only way to keep you both safe.”
Will was so frustrated he wanted to hit something, preferably Blake, but his self-preservation instinct told him that hitting a vampire was not a good idea.
He had planned to talk to his friend again during lunch, but he didn’t show up at the cafeteria.
Norma did, however, and she fundamentally agreed with Blake.
And although Will had no desire to hear it, she pestered him for the rest of the day, trying to convince him that he needed to distance himself from Danny.
Finally, Will’s last class of the day ended. He was just putting his textbooks in his locker when he heard a soft voice behind him.
“Will.”