February 17 | Monday #2
“Blake…” Will took a deep breath, trying to get the situation under control. “Maybe someone did play a prank on you, but it definitely wasn’t me.”
“It was you! I recognized your voice.”
“Then you were mistaken.”
“I don’t make mistakes.”
“Oscar.” Will looked over at his guest. “When did you get here?”
“About half an hour ago, I think,” Oscar answered uncertainly, then reached for his phone to check the time. “Actually, at least forty minutes ago.”
“Did you see me call anyone?”
“No.”
“And were we ever apart for a long time?”
“No.”
“What about for a short time?” Blake interjected.
“Definitely not half an hour ago!” Will exclaimed in frustration. “That’s when we started the movie.”
“I’m not really sure what’s going on, but Will didn’t call anyone,” Oscar declared. “It’s some kind of mistake.”
“Did you hear that?” Will whispered. “There’s your rational explanation. Now you can go. You’re ruining the moment!”
“I know it was you,” Alden insisted.
“You don’t know shit, Blake,” Will shot back.
“You’re vulgar.”
“And you’re insufferable. I don’t make mistakes,” he repeated, mocking Blake’s haughty tone. “Seriously? Who even says that? Do you think Oscar is covering for me or something? That we called you for fun so you’d burst in right when we were about to… you know,” he added in a low voice.
“He might not be lying, but you are,” Blake stated harshly. “You didn’t have to call in front of him. I know your tricks.”
“What tricks?” Will scoffed. “I think the blood deficit is getting to your brain.”
“I can remedy that right now,” Alden threatened.
“Try me!” Will snarled.
“What’s going on?” Oscar asked, growing more and more confused by their conversation.
“Someone called Blake and pranked him, and he’s blaming me,” Will explained.
“It wasn’t someone, it was you,” Alden corrected him.
“I’d deny it, but I’ve already done that several times and it’s clearly not getting through, so I’ll save my breath. The door’s over there.”
“I’m not leaving until you explain yourself. And apologize.”
“What?” Will sputtered, outraged.
“Or at least admit it!” Blake clearly wasn’t going to back down. “I won’t let you make an idiot out of me!”
“You are an idiot, Blake!” Will scoffed, losing his composure.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes! Because you know what? I don’t even have your fucking number!”
That argument was the first thing that seemed to give Blake pause. He froze for a moment, clearly thrown off balance.
“What? Suddenly realized you never gave it to me?” Will taunted.
“Someone else must have,” Alden stated with complete conviction. “Liam or Norma.”
“No. They didn’t give it to me because I didn’t ask for it. And I don’t intend to.”
“Prove it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Prove you don’t have my number. Show me your phone.”
“I’m not going to prove anything to you!”
Blake held out his hand, his gaze a challenge. Will narrowed his eyes. He had the strongest urge to tell Blake what an irrational asshole he was, but that would only prolong the argument, and he wanted to end this unpleasant visit as quickly as possible.
So he reached for his phone, which was lying on the table, and handed it to Alden.
“How do I unlock the screen?” Blake muttered.
Will showed him the pattern, and then… The screen lit up with the last page he’d been looking at right before Oscar arrived.
Anal Fingering—How to Prepare for Sex?
Will turned bright red. Blake shot him a judgmental look before opening the call log. Finding nothing he was looking for (of course!), he scrolled through the saved contacts.
“See?” Will muttered, still embarrassed, as Alden finally handed back the phone.
“This doesn’t mean anything. You could have deleted the call, and you probably have me saved under a different name.”
“Did you check under Asshole, Scumbag, and Mr. Never-Wrong?”
“You’ll regret that.”
“Instead of making threats, show me your phone.”
“What?”
“Go on,” Will said provocatively. “Let’s see what number was playing games with you. If it turns out to be mine, I’ll admit to anything you want.”
Blake took a phone from his jacket pocket, unlocked the screen, and went to his call history. Will looked at the display.
“Your last call was at noon,” he noted condescendingly. “From your mom,” he added, out of pure malice.
Alden looked completely stunned.
“That’s impossible.”
“And yet, here it is. So not only did I not call you, but nobody called you. You’re delusional, and instead of dealing with it, you barge into people’s homes for no reason because, after all, you don’t make mistakes.”
“You called,” Blake repeated stubbornly, though now he seemed neither angry nor self-assured. He was just confused. “I know it. You said…”
“I didn’t say anything,” Will cut in harshly. “Maybe you dreamed it. I hope so, because if not, you’ve got much bigger problems.”
Blake looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself.
“Are you leaving now?” Will prompted.
Alden finally moved toward the door. Will slammed it shut behind him pointedly.
Blake really was the worst.
January 6 | Monday
Will came to school sleep-deprived, even though things with Oscar hadn’t worked out. They’d finished the movie, and it had been pleasant enough, but after Blake’s intrusion, the mood had evaporated and they couldn’t seem to get it back.
Will had expected to see Dan, but his friend wasn’t at their first class. He concluded that Dan was avoiding him and had skipped the class they had together, but according to Norma, Danny wasn’t at the next two either. Will grew more and more worried.
During the third break, as he was pulling a textbook from his locker, Liam appeared beside him.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” Will replied.
“Everything okay?”
“No. Danny wasn’t in class. I’m scared.”
“Come with me,” Liam said unexpectedly.
Will looked at him, alarmed.
“Where? Why? What happened?” he asked nervously, assuming it was about Dan.
“It’s nothing like that. Blake sent me.”
Will bristled at the very sound of the name. Alden hadn’t bothered him today, but he had been staring. As usual. Someone really needed to tell him how rude that was.
“Because?” Will grunted.
“Because he said that if he asked you to come himself, you’d definitely refuse,” Liam explained calmly.
“Well, now that I know you came because of him, I’m refusing anyway.”
“He’s worried.”
“He should be worried about himself!” Will burst out. “He’s not right in the head!”
Liam didn’t argue the point, just looked at him expectantly. As Will gazed into those warm, hazel eyes, it was genuinely hard for him to stick to his guns.
“Okay,” he finally relented with a heavy sigh. “Fine.”
Liam led him to an empty classroom on the second floor. Blake was already waiting there.
“What’s this about?” Will asked defensively, holding on to a sliver of hope that Alden had gathered the courage for a proper apology for his scandalous behavior.
“I wanted to talk about yesterday’s phone call,” Blake stated instead.
“God…” Will hissed in annoyance. “I’m leaving.”
“Wait! I realize how this looks, but I’m sure you called me.”
“Okay.” Will tried once again to explain the situation, hoping it would get through to Alden this time.
“There are two possibilities. Either I actually called you for some unknown reason and then magically erased all traces of the call from my phone and yours, or… you were mistaken. You dreamt it. You misheard. It was part of your fantasy. Whatever.”
“Right, because I have nothing better to do than fantasize about you calling for help,” Blake scoffed, infuriated.
“Apparently, and that worries me a lot.”
“There are other possibilities.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know,” Blake replied helplessly, and Will rolled his eyes. “But they exist. Some phenomena are hard to explain, but that doesn’t change the fact that someone called me yesterday, and it was definitely you.”
“For God’s sake! Where did you even get the idea it was me? Besides supposedly recognizing my voice, did this person introduce themself? Hey, Will Morgan here? Because if they didn’t, I don’t know what this is about, and if they did, you should be even more aware that it was some kind of joke.”
“I answered. I heard you scream my name. I didn’t know what was going on, so I asked who was calling. You said Will and you told me I was right.”
Will was struck dumb.
“Uh-huh,” he finally muttered. “Now I’m sure it was your fantasy.”
Liam snorted under his breath.
“…then you said a bunch of other things,” Blake continued with unshaken gravity. “I was trying to figure out where you were, you were talking about trucks and a warehouse, you were rambling, yelling that he was chasing you, that I had to help you…”
“He who?” Will asked, not understanding.
“I don’t know!” Alden hissed. “But it happened, I’m not making it up.”
“And then what?”
“Then…” Blake hesitated noticeably. “The call dropped.”
“Okay. So why exactly did you drag me here?” Will asked, confused.
“I already told you I didn’t call you. I don’t know anything about a warehouse.
I don’t know who he might be, unless Dan has awakened some murderous instincts, which, I guess, can’t be ruled out…
Anyway, you weren’t talking to me. Maybe there really is an explanation.
Maybe it’s the result of some magic trick, but you should discuss that with Norma and Abby, because I really don’t know anything about it.
Or you could look for a witch you first charmed and then pissed off with your assholery.
” Alden’s face twisted, clearly irritated by the comment.
“Besides… No offense, but if I needed paranormal support, I’d call Norma or Liam. ”
The conversation ended there, because Blake couldn’t find any arguments to support his claims. It wasn’t that Will didn’t believe him. He believed that something had actually happened, but it certainly had nothing to do with him. Alden had to accept that eventually.
During fifth period, they had shop class together. Mr. Lorne was reading out the project assignments. Will wasn’t really listening. He was still thinking about Dan.
“…pair number thirteen, Blake Alden and William Morgan.”