Story: Middle Part 25
[[Continuity Note: See note for part 24]]
They still hadn't given up on stalking Damien, even if they had given up on tracking him magically. Despite this, Alf and Jessica felt that they hadn't had any just plain hanging out time in so long that they weren't even stalking Damien when the mystery of his money was revealed to them. They were sitting in the window of their local gelato place, eating out of plastic cups with plastic spoons when Alf noticed Damien walking past.
"Do you think we're ever going to find out what's up with him?" Alf asked Jessica, scraping the last of the dessert from the bottom of his red cup then pushing it aside.
Jessica shrugged. "Does it even matter anymore?" she asked with a frown. She still hadn't finished half of her cold treat.
"Kind of," Alf said. "I mean, it's suspicious. What if what he's doing is illegal?"
"What if it's not?" Jessica countered, leaning forward and raising her spoon to emphasise her point.
Alf shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know why it was suddenly so important to him. If he was just jealous or if it was some sort of magical sixth sense. "What made you go along with this in the first place, again?"
"I had a feeling," Jessica responded, immediately sticking her spoon in her mouth afterward, as though afraid to say anything more.
"Don't you still have this feeling?" Alf asked.
"It's died down a bit."
"Are you sure that's not just because you want it to? Because your rational mind says you shouldn't be listening to feelings?"
Suddenly, the sound of laughter broke into their conversation. Alf and Jessica looked up to see who was laughing. Standing beside their table was Rock.
"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," he stated with a malicious smirk.
Jessica frowned. "I never picked you for an eavesdropper," she told him.
Rock smiled. "And I never picked you for an idiot."
"Hey!" Jessica protested, not entirely certain if she was supposed to be offended or not.
"But if you're not going to be polite, then I'm not going to tell you what I know."
"Who says we even want to know what you know?" Alf asked with a frown.
"Because it concerns your little friend and his big secret."
Alf and Jessica shared a look. How had he known that that's what they were talking about? How had he known that that was what he was going to do? And how did he even know what Damien's secret was anyway?
"Why would we believe anything you say?" Alf asked.
A sneer curled Rock's lips. "Well, you see," Rock leaned forward placing his hands on the table, as though sharing some huge secret. "You'll know if I tell you."
Jessica had enough of this and smacked her hands on the table, standing as she did so. "Look, either tell us or don't. There's no reason for you to drag it out."
Rock stood straight, trying to use his height to intimidate her. It didn't help. Jessica still remembered a time when she was taller than her cousin. Seeing that he hadn't worked, he just laughed. "He's a freak like you guys are." And with that comment, he walked away.
Jessica was beyond furious. "Don't you dare call us freaks when you know perfectly well that you're the one who's freakish beyond repair." She chased him out of the gelato place, leaving Alf staring at abandoned plastic cups.
Was it true? And had Rock meant what Alf thought he meant when he used the term 'freak'? Did he really mean that Damien was in fact like Alf? That his best friend had scorned him for something he had himself? Called him a liar when he must know it was true?
Alf stood, following Jessica's path out the door. He found the two cousins on the corner, obviously occupied throwing names at each other. Too occupied to noticed that Damien was coming back around the corner kicking a footy. A football that mysteriously always bounced back to his foot.
Alf walked over to Jessica, not taking his eyes off his ex-best friend. He tapped her on the shoulder and merely indicated with his head when she looked at him furiously.
"Oh," she said calmly.
"Told you so," Rock stated, then walked off.
Alf thought about following him, but that wasn't usually well received so he just stood there next to Jessica. Then Damien made eye contact with him. The look that passed over Damien's face revealed all to Alf. He knew that he knew. Damien let the ball slip away and all but ran from the street.
"I can't believe Rock was right," Jessica muttered.
"I can't believe Rock told us," Alf commented.
They looked at each other, and in silent agreement began walking toward Jessica's house.
[[Random note: back-up friends.]]
posted by Cedric @ 2:53 pm
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