Story: Tattered Petals in the Wind (chapter 4)

Authors: Bonta-yuki96

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Chapter 4

Title: Realizations and Intrusions

[Author's notes: I apologize profusely for not updating for so long. I have every intention to finish this story, but I got kind of sidetracked. Well here it is now, and I hope you will forgive me for the delay. This was an interesting chapter to write. There’s a major shift in the story and now I’m free to pick up the pacing. And Claire and Holly’s relationship is constantly evolving. I swear, it’s like they’re actual people who just happen to live inside my head.]

Claire frowned as her pencil hovered over the drawing she was working on. She bit her lip as she examined it for several moments before turning the pencil around and using the eraser to erase part of the sketch. No, she hadn’t gotten the angle of the cheekbone right. It was more subtle than that. Holly’s hair also fell forward differently; her bangs almost covered her eyes but not quite. Claire was so focused on her work that she didn’t hear her teacher walk up behind her and look over her shoulder.

“She must be somebody important to you.” Claire was startled and dropped her pencil and looked up.

“Miss Ritter! I- I didn’t hear you come over.” Miss Ritter shrugged and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear which was already occupied by a pencil.

“No you didn’t. You were so caught up in your work. That’s a good trait that all artists should have.”

“Um… thanks,” Claire muttered somewhat embarrassed. Miss Ritter walked over to Claire’s side and sat down next to her to get a better look at the drawing. Claire had drawn a pencil sketch of Holly. Holly was sitting under a tree near a pond. She was looking off in the distance and smiling one of those small and subtle smiles that Claire always loved to catch. Miss Ritter nodded approvingly.

“This is good. Who is this girl? She’s obviously someone you’re close to.”

“How can you tell?” Claire asked. Her teacher merely smirked.

“Claire, art is about capturing feelings and giving them visual form. I can tell from the detail and effort you put in.” Claire blushed.

“She’s just a friend, a good friend.” Her teacher smiled.

“Well that’s good. You go through life with only so many true friends.” Claire shrugged.

“I guess.” Her teacher sighed.

“I’m sure you hear this all the time, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but you’ll understand when you’re older,” and with that Miss Ritter walked off to see how her other students were progressing. Claire’s attention returned to her drawing once more as she sharpened her pencil with a plastic pencil sharpener and paused to consider what to do next. Her thoughts turned to the subject of her drawing as they often did these days. It was hard to believe that she had first met Holly three weeks ago. It felt like it had happened just yesterday and ages ago at the same time, a confusing paradox. She normally didn’t become this close to someone this quickly. With Holly it was different.

Claire could tell that Holly was involved with something dangerous. Why else were those men looking for her? Why did she have those weapons and how was she able to take on three men with a broken leg? It also had a lot to do with how she acted. She always seemed on edge and alert, on the lookout for some unseen danger. After the shopping incident, Holly had still refused to tell her anything else and eventually, Claire had stopped asking. Holly would tell her when she was ready, not a moment before then. Everyone had their secrets. What right did she have to pry?

The bell rang and Claire gathered up her art supplies and pushed in her chair before filing out the door along with everybody else. She had lunch this period. Claire walked over to the cafeteria, took out her lunch bag, and sat down with a sigh. School always seemed to drain her of so much energy. She reached into lunch bag and pulled out a sandwich. She took a large bite, savoring the taste of lettuce and mayonnaise.

“Claire!” Claire glanced up at the sound of her name and saw her friends rushing over to her. They both seemed rather excited for some reason; their breath coming heavily as if they had run a marathon. They came to a stop at the table and attempted to say something, but quickly thought better of it and devoted their attention to catching their breath.

“What’s gotten you two so excited?” Claire asked as Becky and Miranda both plopped down in their chairs. They both started chattering excitedly.

“Becky met this really-”

“Totally perfect! Absolut-”

“Cute too! I-”

“Tomorrow at eight-”

“Make sure you-”

Claire held up a hand for silence.

“Woah! Slow down. One at a time. Slowly.” She added as she saw them ready to explode into another maelstrom of chatter. Becky glanced over to Miranda who nodded quickly. Claire raised an eyebrow at this silent exchange.

“Well,” Becky began. “The other day I was at work and I met this really hot guy.” Claire grinned. Becky went through guys like some girls went through clothes, often and always on the lookout for the next new style.

“Good for you,” Claire congratulated her. Becky shook her head.

“No, he’s not for me silly! I just so happened to mention that a certain friend of mine was single and might be interested.” Claire had been about to take another bite of her sandwich when she paused and put it down. She sighed and put her head down, her blond hair spilling all over the table.

“Tell me that you didn’t,” Claire mumbled from her position. Becky shrugged.

“That depends on what you mean. I definitely didn’t, not set you up on a date with him, if that’s what you mean.” Claire gave weary moan before sitting up at to glare at her friend.

“You two have to stop doing this. All these blind dates are starting to become a real pain in the ass.” Miranda just shook her head.

“Claire, Claire, Claire,” she slowly and sadly. “At this rate you’ll always be single. Do you want to become an old maid? Is that that what you want? To live alone in some attic as a seamstress weaving threadbare clothes to be sold at a discount price?” Claire just looked at Miranda for a moment.

“What are you talking about?” she asked incredulously. “This isn’t the 15th century. I don’t have to have a guy for my life to be complete.”

“Yeah, you kind of lost me with that one, Miranda,” Becky agreed.

“Fine,” Miranda huffed. “I guess Becky will just have to cancel the date.” Becky looked at Claire one last time.

“Are you sure Claire? I’m telling you I picked a winner this time, I can tell.” Claire shook her head.

“No, go ahead and tell him that I won’t be able to make it.”

“Alright…” Becky sighed as she pulled her own lunch out of her bag. Miranda did likewise and the three of them began to eat their lunch.

“Is there a reason why you don’t want to go on this date?” Miranda asked several minutes later. “If it’s an issue of an outfit, I can lend you something if you want.” Claire shook her head and swallowed a bite of her sandwich.

“No. It’s not that. I just… Life’s a little complicated right now. I don’t have the time or the energy for dating. David’s already off at his university and in the fall I’ll be calling off to college too, and my mom… I don’t know. I’m just worried about her. She’ll be all alone.” Becky and Miranda nodded sympathetically.

“Don’t worry Claire,” Becky told her. “Your mom is a tough lady. She’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

“And besides,” Miranda said, “That’s not the whole reason for refusing the date. Someone else has already swept you off your feet, and this only confirms it.”

“What?” Claire exclaimed in surprise. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” as she looked down and studied her sandwich. It had a lot of sesame seeds.

“Don’t think that we didn’t notice. You’ve been busy these last couple of weeks and haven’t had any time for us. You’re smiling more and there’s a spring in your step. I can’t remember the last time you were so happy.” Claire frowned. She had been spending a lot of time over at David’s apartment with Holly. Before she even realized it, it had become a routine.

“You’re putting words in my mouth. I just said I met someone, that’s all. It’s definitely not what you think it is.”

“Alright then,” Becky said leaning forward. “You’re just friends and nothing more, right?”

“Yes,” Claire said as she leaned back in her chair, relieved to have cleared up the misunderstanding. She reached for her juice bottle and took a sip.

“Do you want to be more than just friends?” Claire sputtered on the juice that she had been drinking, spilling it on her shirt and on the table. She hastily grabbed a few napkins and began to mop up the mess, her face flushing pink. Becky smirked. “I’ll take that as a yes then?” Claire let out an angry breath, bunched up the napkins, and threw them at her alleged “friends.” They ignored them. By this time Miranda had joined Becky in her self satisfied and smug smile.

“I think that’s the only answer we’ll need,” Miranda informed her. Claire sighed wearily.

“You two have to stop jumping to conclusions.”

“Are we wrong then? Do you want be more than friends or not?” Claire stopped for a moment and considered the question. She almost immediately began to berate herself for even considering it. They were both girls. Besides, even if she felt that way, Holly definitely wouldn’t return the same feelings. Then why was she hesitating? If someone had asked the same question about her and Becky or Miranda, she would have laughed it off without any doubt. With Holly it was different. There was a connection between them. Claire had never felt what she felt with Holly with anybody else.

“I… I don’t know,” she finally answered truthfully.

“Well, if you’re hesitating at all, you must feel something,” Becky pointed out sagely. Miranda nodded in agreement.

“Yeah Claire, it should be a simple yes or no.” Claire sighed in defeat.

“Okay. Let’s say I did have feelings for this person. I said if!” Claire said as she saw smirks begin to slowly rise even higher on their faces. “It wouldn’t work out anyway,” she muttered somewhat more subdued.

“What? Why not?” Becky asked in confusion.

“Yeah, I mean, this is the first time I can remember you taking an interest in a guy. You shouldn’t let this chance slip you by,” Miranda pointed out. Claire couldn’t help her lips curling into a small smile. Guy? If only they knew. Claire’s smile widened as she imagined what their reactions would be if they found the “guy” she had feelings for wasn’t a guy at all.

“What’s so funny?” Becky asked suspiciously. Claire quickly hid her smile behind her hand.

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

“Well go on!” Miranda implored impatiently. “Tell us a little about him. What’s he like? Is he cute? Claire hesitated a moment before clearing her throat.

“Well, um… you see… he, is very cute, short black and brown eyes. His bangs come down just to his eyes. He probably should get a haircut soon,” Claire thought out loud. Becky and Miranda merely nodded.

“Go on,” they told her.

“He’s very stubborn. One of the most stubborn people I’ve met. He won’t ask for help even if he needs it, and refuses to rely on anyone else. I can tell that he’s had a difficult life and it shows in the way he acts. At the same time there’s… something fragile about him. I don’t know how to explain. It’s like he’s… almost not there. If you breathed too hard, he would probably shatter, but at the same time he’s really strong. Is any of this making sense?” Becky and Miranda looked at each for a moment before turning to face Claire.

“I think so,” Becky told her. “How does he make you feel?” Claire hesitated for a moment.

“I don’t know. Lots of things I guess. Happy I suppose. I’m always glad to see him. My heart pounds whenever we’re close together. Whenever our hands brush accidentally, it burns like fire. And sometimes, when she looks at me, it’s almost like… I’ve forgotten how to breathe.”

“She?” asked Miranda confused as she scrunched her brow. Claire quickly realized her mistake and laughed nervously.

“I mean he, it was just a slip of the tongue. It happens a lot when I’m nervous.” Claire let out a small sigh of relief as she saw her friends accept this answer. She hadn’t intended to reveal so much. It was just that… saying what she felt aloud and having someone to listen to it… had felt good. A burden had been lifted off her shoulders. Becky and Miranda had gotten her to admit that she liked Holly (not that they knew that) and Claire could decide what she should do next.

“I don’t know Claire,” Becky said. “If he makes you feel like this, I say go for it. You’ll never know how he feels unless you ask.” Claire shook her head.

“It’s not that simple.” Miranda frowned and chewed her sandwich slowly and thoughtfully before swallowing.

“I suppose you could always go for the more indirect approach,” she said.

“Indirect approach?” Claire asked in confusion. Miranda nodded.

“Of course, you just need to hint at it. Flirt with him a little bit. Tease him. Let him know you’re interested in a few little ways. If he responds back, he likes you.” Claire nodded.

“I understand that part, but… what exactly do I do?” Miranda glanced at Becky and sighed.

“I almost forgot that you have absolutely no experience in using your feminine wiles.”

“Thank for you understanding and putting me at ease so nicely,” Claire said with sarcasm as her two friends leaned in expectantly.

“Okay,” Becky began, “here’s what you want to do. Find excuses to get close to him. Maybe mention that you’re feeling a little chilly and scoot closer to him.”

“Compliment him,” Miranda continued, “especially on things that he’s good at, but that you’re not necessarily interested in. Like sports.” Becky nodded.

“And don’t forget to smile and bat your eyelashes, works every time.” With that they leaned back and returned to their seats. Claire digested the information for a moment. She couldn’t imagine doing any of those things with Holly. Would those sorts of things even work with another girl? Maybe she should have some guys for advice. No, that would be too weird. They’d get suspicious. Besides, she didn’t have any guy friends that she felt comfortable asking. Well, there was David, but from what she knew, he was just as inexperienced with women as she was. Hold on, she was a girl. Shouldn’t she have some sort innate knowledge about this? Then again she hadn’t really paid attention to the things that girls said or did to get guys. Well, at least now she knew why that was. There wasn’t anything wrong with her. Well, some people would argue otherwise but she wasn’t going to follow that train of thought.

“So… these things let someone know you’re interested?” Miranda nodded.

“Or you could just right out and tell him,” Becky reminded her. “But short of that, this is the most effective method.”

“I’m not sure if those things would work,” Claire admitted. Miranda shrugged.

“Well they’re not one size fits all. Every guy is different. You just need to do a little trial and error until you find something that works.” Claire nodded thoughtfully. There was so much whirling through her head. She needed a while to sort it all out. At least she admitted to herself what she had been trying ignore or brush off.

“Alright, thank you. You’ve really helped me figure a few things out.” They smiled.

“What are friends for Claire?” Becky said. “Just promise to introduce us to your mystery man one of these days. I want to see who has you in such a flutter.”

“Same here,” Miranda agreed. Claire shrugged and looked down.

“Maybe one of these days.” She didn’t give voice to the unspoken question that she deliberately avoided thinking of. Would they still be this eager and supportive if they found out that her mystery man wasn’t a man at all?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11, 12, 13, and 14. Holly let a grunt as she slowly lowered herself from the metal bar, and carefully got her footing, being particularly careful of her leg. 14. Her number of pull-ups had gone down a little. With her leg broken in three places, there was a limit to the types of exercises she could perform. Fortunately pull ups only required your arms. Besides, it was her lacking in the upper body strength department that had caused her to fall and break it in the first place. That wasn’t going to happen again. Holly grabbed a nearby towel and wiped the sweat from her brow. In the past few weeks she had gotten weaker, she was sure of it. Her profession required her to be in tip top shape. Not that had helped much when events had come together to conspire against her. No amount of physical training could overcome gravity. Holly glanced around for her crutches. Where had she put them? Just then David decided to walk into the laundry room.

“Hey Holly, do you know where the remote is? I can’t find it anywhere and CSI is going to be on in-” David stopped short when he saw that Holly was standing beside his seldom used exercise bar. The one that Claire had gotten him for his birthday, but had not any application since being set up. “What were you just doing?” Holly groaned inwardly. The last thing she wanted to hear was a lecture from the Major Surgeon General. “Where you doing pull-ups again?” Holly sighed.

“So what if I was?” David shook his head in irritation.

“Holly, how many times do I have to tell you? You’re supposed to be resting. You’re in no condition to be working out! You could strain something! What if you lost your grip and came crashing down? Then you’d be worse off than before!” Holly ignored David’s chastising as she picked up her crutches.

“There’s no reason to worry,” she told him. “I know my limits and I’m careful. My leg being broken doesn’t give me an excuse to slack off.”

“Some people would argue that it does,” David pointed out. “Some would even milk it.” Holly frowned as she shuffled pass David into the living room.

“Well not me.” David followed.

“Do I have to tell Claire about this?” Holly flinched and came to a stop. David was annoying, but she could deal with that. Claire was another matter entirely. She could already hear Claire scolding her. David grinned with triumph.

“You might not listen or care what I say, but my sister is another matter entirely.” Holly sighed and slowly turned to face David.

“Don’t tell Claire. Please.” The last word came out with a little difficulty. It was another admission of weakness, something Holly had always worked so hard to purge from herself. It seemed to well up more often than ever, particularly when it came to Claire. David sighed and adjusted his glasses on the brim of his nose.

“I suppose I don’t have to tell her about this time if you promise to not do it anymore. Besides, Claire should be popping in later today.” Holly’s heart beat quickened, though she tried not to show it.

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” said David as he walked past her to grab his backpack. He sat down on the couch and began to riffle through the contents. “She never came over this often when it was just me living here. She’s taken a liking to you.” Holly opened her mouth several times, but no sound came out. She hastily covered this inaction with a cough.

“I suppose,” Holly said in response to David’s statement. “I mean… I like her too.” David finally found the book he had been looking for, opened it, and began flipping through the pages. He glanced over at Holly.

“I’m glad. You and Claire seem to get along pretty well. You’re a good kid, but a bit too stubborn for my liking.” Holly let out a breath indignantly.

“Who’re you calling a kid? I’m 18. You’re only a few years older than me.” David shrugged as he took a yellow highlighter and accented a passage in his textbook.

“I’m just calling it as I see it. You’re about Claire’s age, and Claire is my kid sister. Therefore, you’re a kid.”

“Nice syllogism,” Holly scoffed, “but I think you shouldn’t just judge age by years. What about experience? How old you are isn’t always accurate. Many years doesn’t always equal experience. There’s a difference between a 40 year old man who’s lived a sheltered life compared to a kid growing up on the street.”

“So that’s the category you’re placing yourself under? The kid who grew up on the street?” Holly turned away at shuffled over to the kitchen for a glass of water.

“That was just an example,” she said as she filled up a glass of water and quickly drained it.” She placed the glass down on the counter carefully before reentering the living room.

“There are plenty of other examples. Why did you pick that one? Do you have a connection to it?”

“I thought you were studying to be a doctor,” Holly pointed out. “Not a psychologist.” David shrugged.

“Mental health, physical health, they’re both connected.”

“I guess.” David leaned back on the sofa.

“So, do you want to talk about it?” Holly raised an eyebrow.

“With you?” she asked skeptically. David nodded. Holly turned away.

“Not really, no.” David’s face fell. He returned his attention to his book, licking his finger before turning the page.

“Fine. Why do I even bother reaching out if you’re only going to slap me down?”

“Enough with the self pity,” Holly called over her shoulder as she used her crutches to shuffle out of the room. “It doesn’t suit you.”

“Bite me,” David retorted. Holly shook her head. He might have meant well, but his methods just didn’t put her at ease. She wasn’t going to tell him anything. It was bad enough that she had already let so much slip to Claire. The first mistake had been telling Claire her real name. It was stupid mistake with no excuse. Maybe she had been a bit rattled by the fall, but she should still have known better to not give her name to a complete stranger. It was best for all parties if her identity remained secret and they didn’t become involved. Holly came to a stop and leaned against a wall, supporting herself with her right hand.

“But that’s just exactly what I didn’t do.” She closed her eyes and winced as a twinge of pain shot up her leg. She gritted her teeth and waited for it to subside. The pain was something she could focus on. Something that made sense. Something she could deal with. She let out a breath slowly as the pain receded for the moment. It was funny. Holly would rather focus on a broken leg than what Claire made her feel. At least there was a logical explanation for why her leg was broken; she fell. There was no logical explanation about how she felt about Claire. While Holly might not have had a vibrant social life, that didn’t mean she had been completely isolated from the world. She knew terms. The one that immediately came to mind was lesbian. Was that what she was? A woman attracted to other women? No one had ever caused such strange stirrings or feelings in her before, male or female.

Holly continued to shuffle forward with the aid of her crutches until she came to David’s bedroom. She came to the foot of the bed and carefully sat down, leaning the crutches against the side of the bed. She leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. So much had happened in the last few weeks. Holly had gone from being an active field agent to an injured girl staying at home. Holly had to admit that though she was anxious to return to headquarters, she was enjoying her time at David’s apartment. This was mostly due to Claire. She almost wished that it would never end; this reprieve with Claire as company.

“Everything comes to an end,” Holly muttered under her breath. Bad things and good things included. The truth was that Holly could have contacted Titan. Although her transmitter had been destroyed in the fall, there were other methods of contacting them. Risky methods, but methods all the same. Holly had refrained from them because they might draw unnecessary attention to Claire and David. At least that’s what she told herself. What she really wanted was to pretend a little longer. To pretend that she was just a regular girl. To pretend that she had grown up loved and hadn’t had to fight for survival. To pretend that maybe Claire felt the same way that she did. That of course was the most ludicrous delusion of them all.

The doorbell rang and Holly sat up. She glanced at her watch. 3:30. Claire got out of school at 3:00. From the other room Holly heard David getting up and setting his book down as he approached the door.

“I’m coming. I’m coming,” David called. “Jeez. I thought I gave Claire a key.” As soon as Holly heard those words she froze. David had given Claire a key. That was how Claire how had always come to visit her while David was in class or just spending time with his friends. It was possible that she had lost it, but that would not persuade the sinking sensation that she felt in the pit of her stomach. Holly bolted upright and hastily grabbed her crutches. She nearly tripped as she rushed to the other room

“David!” she called to him. “Don’t open the door!” It was too late. David’s hand was already on the knob and he had just begun to turn it when Holly burst into the room. David turned and looked at Holly in surprise.

“What’s the matter?” he asked confused. “It’s probably just Claire.” A muscular hand jutted out from the small gap between the door and the door frame and gripped the door tightly. It then began to force the door open completely. David jumped backward as the door swung open to reveal someone who certainly was not Claire. The man stood about six feet tall with sideburns covering the sides of his face. His nose looked as if it had been broken one too many times and small piece of white ivory was embedded in his right earlobe as an earring. He smiled a canine like grin and Holly felt a chill run down her spine. David smiled nervously.

“Oh! Hello sir. How can I help you?” The man shook his head ruefully.

“I can think of several ways that you could help me Mr. David Reed. The first most of them being handing over the fugitive that you’re harboring.” David took a step forward in order to obstruct the stranger’s view of his apartment. Holly quickly and silently backed out of the room. Holly heard the rest of the exchange in the bedroom as her brain furiously tried to come up with a plan.

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about.” David’s voice echoed from the room. “And how do you know my name?”

“Details, details. We have information to believe that you are hiding a criminal who has stolen something quite valuable, and we’re prepared to overlook any of your possible involvement if you will let us apprehend her.”

“I’m sorry, but you must have the wrong address. Unless you have a search warrant, leave.” David tired to say firmly, but even from the other room, Holly could hear the slight tremble in his voice.”

“I’m sorry that it’s had to come to this Mr. Reed.” The next thing Holly heard was David crying out in pain, a large crash, and the thud of many heavy footsteps. Holly shuffled over to the heating vent by the bed and began to remove the cover. She reached into her bag and pulled out a smoke grenade and concealed it in a strap under her sleeve. She had just pulled out her gun when she felt something cold press against the back of her neck.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” It was the man from the door. Holly’s grip on her gun tightened until her knuckles turned white. “Put it down,” he told her. Holly let go of her gun, and it hit the bottom of the heating vent with a dull, metallic thud. “Good. Now get up slowly and turn around.” Holly began to rise with great difficulty, leaning against the wall heavily as leg protested, but she wasn’t about to reveal that weakness to her enemy. She turned around and glared at him defiantly. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo, never once lowering his gun from her heart. He held it out in front of him and compared the likenesses. He grinned. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person, Agent Holly Collinger.” Holly glared at him.

“As long as we’re doing introductions; why don’t you tell me who you are?”

“Names aren’t important, and you’re in no position to be demanding anything, but I suppose you can call me Talon.” Holly bent over slowly and grabbed her crutches, never once letting her eyes waver from Talon or his gun. Talon adjusted his aim accordingly and waited for Holly to take the crutches under her arms. “Move,” he ordered her. Holly placed her crutches forward and began to shuffle out of the bedroom Talon walked her back into the living room. David lay on the ground in a heap, quiet and subdued. His arms were bound behind his back and his mouth gagged with a rag. His glasses were broken, the left lens shattered and the right one cracked. Blood dripped down his nose lazily and his face was already beginning to swell from bruising. Five other men hovered nearby him. One of them took a step forward at the sight of the two of them.

“Is she the one?” Talon nodded and shoved Holly over to David, nearly causing her to fall.

“She’s the one alright. The one we’ve been looking for these past few weeks.” Talon turned to Holly. “Looks like you took quite a fall back there. We initially thought that you didn’t survive the fall, that it would be a recovery instead of a search.”

“I like surprising people,” Holly responded slowly taking in her situation. It wasn’t good. She was outnumbered, had a broken leg, a helpless civilian was on the ground, and she was going to assume that all the other men were armed as well. How could it possibly get any worse?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The subway came to a stop, and the doors slid open with a hiss of compressed air. Claire stepped out onto the platform and began making her way up the steps to the surface. She took a deep breath and tried to steady to herself. It was just like any other time. Why was she so nervous? Was it because she had acknowledged her feelings towards Holly? Claire let out a low groan and she traced the safety railing as she climbed the stairs. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

“I’ll just walk up to her, look her straight in the eye and tell her…” Claire hesitated. “What do I tell her?” Despite the illuminating conversation with Becky and Miranda, Claire was nowhere closer on deciding what to do. There was no way that she could try the flirting that Miranda suggested. She would just look stupid. Maybe Becky was right. Perhaps the direct approach was best. What if Holly didn’t feel the same way? Claire stopped in her tracks as she tried to imagine it. It would be incredibly mortifying and would ruin any kind of friendship they might have had. Claire closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. No, it was too risky. She wouldn’t say anything, at least not now. Maybe she would eventually work up the courage. It was better to take these things slow right? Or to admire from afar?

Claire waited for the crossing line to light up before crossing the street to David’s apartment complex. She wrapped her coat more snuggly against herself as a brisk wind blew, scattering bits of litter down the street. Claire glanced up at David’s window. It was dark. That was odd. Maybe Holly was taking a nap. She usually had so much energy, and it was hard to imagine her staying still for more than a few moments. Why, just the other day Claire had walked in on Holly doing pull ups of all things. It seemed like Holly had to do something to burn off all the excess energy. Every since the shopping incident, Holly had refused to venture out of the apartment. She avoided Claire’s eyes every time Claire brought up the subject and would just purse her lips and shake her head.

Claire had hoped that over time Holly would open up a bit more, but the just the opposite seemed to be happening. Ever since they were followed that day, Holly’s entire demeanor had changed. She would whirl around at the slightest sound, and her eyes would always dart around the room, as if memorizing escape routes. Every question that Claire asked went unanswered. One specific time immediately came to mind.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Claire! Just drop it alright!” Claire shook her head. She leaned in closer from her position next to Holly on the couch.

“I’m not giving up this time until you give me an answer. You’re in trouble, and I want to help you.” Holly shook her head bitterly.

“There’s isn’t anything you can do to help. I can handle it on my own.” Claire let out an angry breath and clenched her hands tightly together.

“Just like you handled it last time when you broke your leg?” Holly grimaced.

“That was an accident,” she admitted. “I was being reckless and got in over my head. It won’t happen again.”

“But what if it does,” Claire persisted. “And what if it isn’t just your leg next time. What if it’s your arm? Or your other leg? What if you aren’t as lucky next time?” Holly went to grab her crutches and started to get up to leave, but Claire caught her by the hand, just above the wrist. Holly just stood there facing away from Claire, motionless as Claire took her hand in her own and squeezed it gently. Holly’s hand was calloused and littered with little nicks and cuts that had healed long ago. Claire paused as she tried to think of what to say.

“Holly,” said Claire breaking the silence that had filled the empty apartment, save for the television which buzzed softly. “I… I don’t mean to pry. I mean I am curious, but that’s not why I’m doing it. I know we’ve just met and all, but I care about you and worry about you. You’re involved in something dangerous and there’s nothing I can do because I don’t know what’s going on. I feel helpless as I sit back and watch you try to deal with by yourself. I keep telling you that you don’t have to go it alone.” Holly said nothing for a moment before sitting back down next to Claire.

“You know what Claire?” Holly said smiling softly. “You’re too caring for your own good.” Claire’s face lit up red as she tried to decide whether it was a compliment or not. Judging from the amused look in Holly’s eyes, it was.

“And you’re too stubborn for your own good!” Claire retorted. Holly laughed. Claire looked up surprised. She could count the number of times she had heard Holly laugh on one hand. It was nice.

“We make a good pair then, don’t we? The selfless one and the stubborn one.” Claire allowed herself a small smile.

“I suppose we do.” And that was that. They returned their attention to the movie. Although it wasn’t a conscious decision, they still held hands from when Claire had grabbed Holly. In a few minutes Claire would suddenly realize it and let go quickly, blushing red as a fire hydrant and Holly would clear her throat several times and get a glass of water, but until then, their hands were interlocked, their fingers intertwined. And it felt right.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Claire opened the door to the apartment complex and shut it gently behind her. She unzipped her coat as she began walking up the stairs to David’s floor. When she got there, she noticed something odd. The door to David’s apartment was slightly ajar and the lights were off. Even stranger were the voices she could hear coming faintly from the room. Men’s voices and David’s wasn’t among them. Claire narrowed her eyes and cautiously walked up to the door as quietly as she could. Was it a robbery? Was Holly still in there? Claire pressed her ear against the door and closed her eyes as she listened carefully.

“I’m not going to ask you again, Collinger,” a rough voice said. “Where is the information?”

“Go fuck yourselves,” was Holly’s brusque reply. Claire heard the sound of something heavy connecting with flesh and Holly grunting in pain. Claire opened her eyes and tried to control her breathing. They had found her. Whatever trouble Holly had gotten herself into had finally caught up. Claire tried to keep from panicking. What should she do? Should she call the police? Would they even get here in time? All she knew that Holly was in danger and she didn’t know what to do. Unfortunately, Claire no longer had the option of taking action because suddenly the door slammed open, and a massive hand drew into the dark room and shut the door behind her.

Claire tried to take in her surrounding as she was roughly manhandled, put in an ironclad grip, and had a gun placed against her temple. David lay on the floor, his hands tied behind his back and his mouth gagged. Upon seeing her David began to squirm and tried to say something, but this only resulted in one of the men kicking him hard in the ribs. David ceased his efforts and became still and quiet. Claire looked over to Holly who stood against the wall gripping one crutch for support. Her left eye had begun to swell with a black eye and there were traces of blood in the corners of her mouth. Holly looked up at Claire and froze. All the color drained from her face and what shocked Claire the most was her expression. Holly was afraid. Claire had seen her worried, panicked, and even angry, but never afraid.

“Claire,” Holly choked out in a whisper. Talon grinned menacingly.

“Now we’re getting somewhere. A friend of yours Collinger?” Holly shook her head.

“She doesn’t know anything. Let her go!” Talon shook his head as he slowly walked over to the man who was holding Claire and roughly grabbed her by the hair, causing Claire to cry out.

“I think she might know something.” Holly took in a shuddering breath.

“If you hurt her,” she said her voice trembling with anger, “I swear to God! I will-” Talon shook his head.

“A threat, but an empty threat all the same. I’ll tell you what. You tell me where the disk is within five seconds and my associate won’t blow hole in your friend’s head.” Claire’s eyes widened and her knees buckled. She would have sunk to the floor if the man holding her hadn’t had such a strong grip. She hung limp in his arms. Claire’s thoughts were crystal clear and she seemed to be able to process everything so quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that this man wouldn’t hesitate to shoot her. “Five.” Holly made to move forward, but several of the men pulled guns out of their jackets and pointed them at her. “Four.” David had resumed his struggling on the ground and was slowly inching his way to a broken piece of glass that had been created from the earlier altercation.

“Holly.” Holly looked up to see tears in Claire’s eyes. Claire looked at her and… tried to tell her something with her eyes. Holly didn’t know what it was, but whatever it was, that pleading look dispelled any doubt that Holly may have had. All of her training, the lesson that had been drilled into her: never negotiate, was now null and void. At that moment Holly didn’t care about Titan, or even Iverson for that matter. It was like she was in a vacuum. All there was in the world was her, Claire, and the danger towards Claire. In the end the decision required no thought whatsoever. Holly would endure any consequences as long as Claire was safe.

“Three.”

“Stop!” Talon looked at Holly expectantly.

“Oh? Have we come to a decision?” Holly glared daggers at him.

“It’s in the album collection. Weird Al Yankovitch, Running with Scissors.” Talon nodded to his men and one of them went over to the large album collection and began carelessly tossing them on the floor. David repressed a moan of indignation as his fingers carefully grasped a sharp shard of glass and began to try cutting his restraints, being sure to angle his body so that the activity went unseen. Talon let go of Claire’s hair and went to stand by Holly.

“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Holly remained quiet. They had a few more moments of usefulness before they became expendable loose ends. Holly doubted that she would be able to escape with her leg and David with his restraints, but maybe Claire could at least get away. The man bent over the album collection ceased to throw albums on the floor and carefully took out the Weird Al album. He brought it over and presented it to Talon. Talon opened the case and examined the content. He turned to Holly.

“Is this the disk?”

“Yes.” Talon nodded.

“We’ll just have to verify the content on the disk and then we can put all of this unpleasantness behind us.” Talon took out a laptop from a bag and popped the disk into the computer. It began to read the disk’s content and various indiscernible characters began to run across the screen. Holly looked at Claire and then glanced at the door with her eyes. Claire nodded her head almost imperceptibly to show that she understood. Holly looked down at David and was surprised to find that he had almost finished cutting through the rope binding his hands with a piece of glass. Who knew he could be resourceful like that? Holly glanced once more at the computer screen; the disk reading was almost complete. Holly tried to relax. She took a deep breath and held it. She then reached into her sleeve for the smoke grenade with one hand, unhooked it from its strap, pulled the pin, and allowed it to lightly fall to the floor.

Within seconds the room was filled with a white hazy smoke that obscured nearly everything. Holly immediately rushed forward and grabbed the arm of the man who was holding Claire. She forced his gun down and fired a bullet into his foot. He dropped to the ground, swearing profusely as he held his foot, releasing Claire in the process. Holly relieved him of his weapon and knelt beside Claire. Several gunshots rang out, but Talon’s voice rose above them, ordering them to not fire. With visibility so poor they would end up hitting each other. David finally cut through the rope binding his hands and crawled his way over to the door.

“Get to the door!” Talon cried out. “There’s only one way out. We’ll wait for the smoke to clear.” Holly grabbed Claire and put her lips to her ear.

“Get David and get out of here. It’s me they want. I’ll catch up to you.”

“But Holly!” Holly shook her head and shoved Claire towards the door. Then picking up a book, she hurled it across the room. The sound attracted the attention of several of the men and they headed toward it. Claire took one last look Holly before starting to move. Within seconds Holly was lost in the cloud of smoke. Holly closed her eyes and imagined the layout of the room. Taking her crutch she silently made her way to the location of the computer as fast as she could. She came across someone along the way, but applied pressure to a pressure point to knock him out before he could alert the others. She reached the computer, ejected the disk and slipped it into her pocket.

A hand came out of the smoke and gripped her by the throat, slamming her against the wall. Holly gasped as her vision faltered and Talon’s face swum into view.

“You little bitch!” He snarled. Holly weakly raised her gun and shot him in the kneecap. He immediately dropped her and Holly landed hard on her broken leg. White hot pain shot up it. It was almost as bad when she first broke it. She gripped her crutch and abandoned the gun. Holly made her way over to a window and opened it. Smoke began to pour out of it and bullets ricocheted off the side of the wall as Holly climbed through and made her way to the fire escape. She descended the railing as quickly as her leg would allow. As she came to the last one, she swung the railing down. She began to climb down, which was no easy task with a broken leg. All around her she could hear cries of alarm as residents stuck their heads out the window and saw smoke rising from the apartment. Holly could even hear a few sirens off in the distance.

Holly landed on the ground as lightly as she could and wondered what to do next. A car pulled up in front of her and the back door opened. Holly took a step back, but was relieved to discover that it was only David and Claire.

“Get in!” called David roughly from the driver’s seat. Holly made walked up to the backseat and Claire helped her in. Claire slammed the door shut behind her and the car took off down the road. Holly allowed herself a small sigh of relief. She turned to Claire.

“Are you alright?” Claire looked at her for a moment and opened her mouth. Nothing came out, but eventually Claire shook her head.

“No. I’m not. I’ve never come that close to dying before.”

“It doesn’t get any better the more it happens.” Holly told her. Claire brushed a strand of hair from her eyes.

“I have no attention to see if you’re right about that.” There was quiet in the car for a while. Eventually Holly spoke up.

“I’m sorry. To both of you,” she added looking at David. “I never meant for this to happen. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but…” David shook his head angrily.

“Maybe it would have been better if you had.”

“David!” cried Claire cried out.

“No! Listen to me Claire,” he said angrily. “We were almost killed back there. I was attacked in my own apartment. It was beaten and tied up. Someone put a fucking gun to your head! I don’t care if Holly intended it to happen or not. It happened because of her.” Holly looked down at her hands. He was right of course. Try as she might to deny it, all that had transpired had happened because of her. Now David and Claire were involved. Claire reached out and took Holly’s hand and held it.

“Holly. I think now it’s the time to tell me what’s going on. No more secrets okay?” Holly looked into Claire’s green eyes and nodded solemnly. Claire had a right to know what she was a part of now.

“Alright. I’ll tell you everything.”

[End notes: Thank you everyone who has reviewed this story so far. You’re advice, criticism, and praise is always very much appreciated. Please don’t hesitate to review and tell me what you think. And I’ll try to find a more regular update schedule. You can also find this on fictionpress.com on my account Mirror of Remembrance.]

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