February 17 | Monday #3
Will snapped to attention when he heard his name, and then it hit him that it had been said right after Blake’s. Their eyes met. Neither of them was happy with the pairing.
When the class was over, Will caught Blake in the hallway.
“Looks like we’re doing a project together,” he began, wanting to figure out how to divide the work.
“No,” Blake cut him off. “I’m doing the project.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll do it. Alone.”
“Why won’t you work with me?”
“It’s not about you. When it comes to things like this, I don’t work with anyone. I’ll just do it better, faster, and neither of us will have to suffer through the other’s company.”
Alden started walking away. Will immediately fell into step beside him.
“I want to be a part of it.”
“A part of what?”
“The project. I want to do it with you.”
Blake stopped and looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“I heard, and I disagree.”
“You don’t get a say.”
“I think I do, because if you don’t let me work on it, I’ll go to Lorne and tell him you decided to do it all yourself and won’t even let me near the project,” Will threatened.
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Blake scoffed. “You can sit on your ass and get a top grade, but instead of accepting that, you’d rather insist for no reason?”
“Not for no reason. I want to make sure it turns out right.”
“It will turn out perfectly. If I’m the one doing it. If you start meddling, mistakes are sure to creep in.”
“Tough luck.” Will shrugged. “I still want to do it.”
“Why are you being so irrational?” Blake snapped at him.
“Oh, I’m the irrational one?” Will asked mockingly. “Okay.”
“It’ll be easier this way. Otherwise, we’d have to coordinate our time and a place to meet.”
“Not a problem. As you know, I live alone now, and you know the address, so come by after school.”
“I’m busy.”
“We have until mid-February. You’ll surely find some free time. You found time yesterday,” Will reminded him maliciously. “Unless you’d rather we meet at your place.”
“No!” Alden’s reaction was surprisingly sharp. “Never come to my house, you understand?”
“Uh… Sure,” Will replied, slightly thrown off by his vehemence. “So my place it is. Just give me a heads-up before you come. I’ll give you my number.”
Blake held out his hand.
“What?” Will muttered.
“Your phone.”
“I said I’d give you my number.”
“Give it,” Alden hissed.
Will handed him his cell.
“You don’t know how to unlock it,” he said, watching Blake maneuver his finger across the screen.
“I do. I saw yesterday.”
Ah, right. Will recalled that Blake had seen a little more than he should have. He felt himself blush.
“Are you giving me your number?” he asked, astonished, watching what Alden was doing.
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll pass it on to one of your fans?”
“Try,” Alden said grimly.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you just took mine?”
“I’m not going to be calling you, begging to meet up.”
“Oh, so I’m supposed to do that?”
“Exactly,” Blake confirmed, as if there were nothing strange about it. “If you have a free afternoon, let me know. I’ll tell you if I have time too.”
Ah. So that’s how it was going to be? Great.
“Give me back my phone.”
Blake was about to, but he suddenly froze.
“What is it?”
“I gave you my number,” Alden announced, frowning.
“You can delete it, be my guest.”
“That’s not it. I gave you my number.”
“And?”
“So you could have called me.”
Will gave him a look of pure exasperation.
“No, I couldn’t have. Because I got it about ten seconds ago. Do you not understand how time works or what?”
“What if you didn’t call yesterday?” Blake whispered, more to himself than to Will. “What if you did it today?”
“Blake. You seriously have something wrong with you.”
“You have those… electric abilities, right? What if you somehow used them on the phone? And if you connected with me not in the present, but in the past?”
“What are you rambling about?” Will scoffed, getting more and more lost in Alden’s reasoning.
“It’s possible.”
“Not only is it not possible, it’s totally unbelievable! The only thing I can do is cause a few shorts. I haven’t gotten around to controlling time yet.”
“Yet,” Alden echoed, then handed him back the phone, turned on his heel, and walked away.
“Blake!” Will called after him, disoriented by the exchange.
He didn’t see Blake again until his classes were over. Leaving the school, he noticed Alden standing in front of the building with Abby and Liam. When they spotted him, Will waved goodbye, but Liam immediately started walking toward him. Will guessed they had been waiting for him.
“Hey, Will,” Liam said.
“Hey,” Will replied warily, leaning to one side and glancing suspiciously at Blake.
Alden was talking about something with Abby, looking at Will.
“I’ll walk you home,” Liam said.
“That’s not necessary.”
Just then, Blake came over to them.
“I think you called today,” he announced.
“Uh-huh. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. Or in a year,” Will said with a note of irritation. He’d thought about what Blake had told him and was starting to grasp what he was trying to say, but it sounded completely irrational.
“No. I think it was today,” Blake insisted.
“Why? Because you think so, and you’re never wrong?” Will said sarcastically. “Except for yesterday, of course.”
“Listen…” Surprisingly, Blake didn’t seem like he was about to argue. “Go straight home with Liam, and then lock all your doors and don’t go out again today.”
“This is absurd! Don’t you understand that…”
Blake grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. Will instinctively fell silent.
“You may not believe me, but you really did call me.”
“I believe that you think so, but…”
“And I didn’t just hear you calling for help. I heard… I think I heard you die,” Blake finished after a long moment of hesitation.
Will stared at him, shocked. He felt uneasy.
“There was a loud bang… like a gunshot,” Blake recounted.
A shadow crossed his face, revealing these were not pleasant memories.
“And I heard you scream. And then a crack… like the phone hit the ground. And I called for you, but you didn’t answer.
Someone, a man, said enough. That’s when the call ended. ”
Chills ran down Will’s spine.
“You don’t have to believe me, but if I’m wrong, the worst that will happen is you have a boring evening at home,” Alden continued. “But if I’m right… Do you really want to take that risk?”
Will shook his head, too overwhelmed to speak.
“Go home,” Blake said. “Don’t go out for any reason, and don’t let anyone in. Understand?”
“Yes,” Will confirmed weakly.
“Good. I’ll try to find out what’s going on.”
*
Darkness had already fallen, though it was barely eight in the evening.
Will felt on edge. He shouldn’t have, really.
After all, he still thought that whatever Blake had experienced had nothing to do with him, and a “phone call from the future” seemed like an absurd explanation.
Still, a fear flickered within him that something might actually happen.
Suddenly, he heard a strange clatter. Will shifted uneasily, then got up from the couch and listened intently. The sound didn’t repeat. Until, suddenly…
Someone pounded on the front door.
Will nearly had a heart attack. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then walked into the front hall.
“Who’s there?” he asked uncertainly, with no intention of opening the door. Blake had forbidden it, after all.
“Liam.”
For a moment, Will was about to open it, but he stopped himself. He was surprised and skeptical. He thought he recognized Liam’s voice, but he’d heard enough about mimics, masking spells, and that sort of thing to play it safe.
“Okay…” he muttered slowly, moving closer to the door. “How did you torment me over the last year?”
“What?”
Right, Liam might not know that. Or rather, theoretically he knew, but practically he might not understand the question.
“When we were at Norma’s party…” Will offered instead. “What did you suggest? I mean, with Oscar.”
“To make him jealous?” Liam answered, or rather asked, clearly confused.
Will opened the door and let him in.
“Did you not recognize me or what?” Liam snorted in amusement.
“I wasn’t sure,” Will replied, shrugging. “It could have been some mimic with a penchant for murder or something.”
Liam chuckled softly.
“I see your supernatural education is coming along nicely,” he commented, taking off his jacket. Will watched him attentively. “Except a murderous mimic probably wouldn’t impersonate a guy like me, but some snobby pretty-boy. Like Blake.”
“Then he’d be out of luck, because I wouldn’t let Blake in.”
Liam laughed even louder.
“So… what’s up?” Will asked uncertainly, watching his friend take off his shoes.
“Nothing. I thought I’d hang out with you, make you feel safe.”
“I do feel safe.”
Liam raised a corner of his mouth in a smile that seemed to say: bullshit.
“Okay, fine, I felt safe,” Will corrected himself. “A few hours ago, before Blake started talking about phone calls from the future and murder attempts. Do you believe what he was saying?”
“I believe that he believes it. I have no idea if he’s right.”
Will hung up Liam’s jacket.
“Want something to drink?” he offered, glad to have someone with him.
“No, thanks,” Liam replied, looking around with curiosity.
“Okay. So… living room? Or do you prefer the kitchen?”
“Can I see your room?”
That was… a strange request.
“Why?” Will asked, suspicious.
“Just because.” Liam was as casual as ever. “I like seeing other people’s rooms.”
“Okaaaay… It’s just that it’s a huge mess, so…”
“Doesn’t matter. Upstairs?”
“Uh… Yeah.”
Liam was already heading up the stairs, so Will followed him, then pointed him to the right room. They went inside.
“It’s not messy at all.”
“You sound disappointed.”
Liam chuckled. He looked around Will’s bedroom with interest.
“So what’s the verdict?” Will asked, feeling self-conscious under the scrutiny.
“I like it,” Liam declared, then walked over to the shelf where Will kept his manga collection. “Do you like horror?”