TIME & TIED: ESCALATION

ARC 2.1 - From the Past

PART 27a: FLASHBACKS 1

It was hate at first sight. Then again, no, perhaps hate was too strong of a word, Corry mused. But this was at least mistrust. Yet before the male Veniti twin could think any more about it, his thoughts were interrupted by his sister.

"Golly, isn't this exciting?" Laurie said, clasping her hands together. "High school. Grade Nine. A brand new school, with new teachers, new friends, new everything, even a new school notebook for me, I hope I don't misplace it or get lost in the halls for that matter and oh what about classes, how hard do you think they'll be I'm a bit worried about that but I can probably ask for extra help if I have to, or you could help me out if I run into real trouble I mean that would be all right, wouldn't it, Corry? Corry?" She tugged on his shirt.

Corry sighed softly. "Laurie, not right now. I’m trying to size up the crowd.” He turned to look for the brunette girl again, but she had disappeared.

***

Laurie sighed back at her brother. Here they both were, standing out in front of THE school, the only secondary public school in the small Canadian town where they lived, finally as high school freshmen... and he was fixated on people watching.

She knew they both looked similar - at least in terms of their heights, their shoulder length red hair and freckles, and the fact that they were both wearing red shirts and dark pants. But the similarities ended with appearances. Laurie simply had no idea how the both of them could have ended up with such different outlooks on this pivotal moment in their lives.

"Geeeezzz Corrrrrryyy,” she retorted. “If you'd stop your resizing for a minute or two maybe you'd realize how cool this moment is. I mean why are you getting all wrapped up in recruiting followers already, we haven't even made it to homeroom yet to see who’s there, why don't you relax and have fun like you used to?”

"One can't start too early with this,” Corry explained tersely, even as he turned once again to scan the crowd of students milling about the high school grounds. "Being in Grade Nine at the bottom of the social order is already a disadvantage. Add to that the fact that our middle school isn't the only one with students coming here, and I can't take anything for granted any more. Besides, I saw someone... some girl..."

“Corry, there's more to life than position and statues!"

"Status," Corry corrected absently.

“Ugh, whatever," Laurie said, gesturing dismissively. “Look, this is our youth, we’re supposed to enjoy... oooh, golly, there’s Chartreuse, I recognize the green hair. Look, I'm gonna leave you to your moping and go say hi before the bell rings and all that, 'k?"

Without even waiting for her brother to respond, Laurie hurried off to talk with her friend.

***

Corry took a moment to watch his sister go, smiling despite himself at her enthusiasm before he resumed his inspection.

“Okay, that guy looks influential, could be someone to have in my corner," he muttered to himself. "While the girl there with the glasses could be roped in once I've gained some prestige. The guy heading for the doors looks to be a senior - I'll deal with them through music extra curriculars, at least at first..."

Corry stopped abruptly as he caught sight of THAT girl once more. She had long curly brown hair, and was wearing a conservative looking sweater. Again, he felt that sense of mistrust. There was something about her that he didn't like.

When he finally put his finger on exactly what that thing was, the answer surprised him: she appeared to be sizing up people in the same way that he was. Even as he realized this, she turned, and their eyes met. For a split second, it was as if they were the only two people standing in the area.

‘Who are you?' Corry thought. He took a step towards her, but a group of people chose that moment to disrupt his line of sight. By the time he reached her former position, she had once again disappeared. Corry pursed his lips. He decided he didn't like this turn of events.

"Yo, Corry! High school, how about it?"

"Tommy, I have a job for you."

Tommy blinked. "What, already? Man, don't you ever relax? We haven't even started classes yet.”

"There's a girl, a brunette with curly hair down to about here," Corry said, turning to his former middle school ally and motioning partway down his back with his hand. "I think she'll be in our grade. I need to you find out everything you can about her. But make sure no one knows I'm the one asking.”

"Uh, okay," Tommy agreed. "She some new love interest?"

"Just do it, please," Corry sighed. He glanced quickly around at the crowd of high school students once more, hoping to pick her out again.

'Where did you come from?’ he wondered. 'More importantly, what's your angle?'

***

"Julie LaMille!"

Julie turned to regard the red haired boy, who was leaning up against the side of the school building, right next to the door she'd exited. "Corry," she said simply. It was his name, after all.

Corry pushed himself away from the wall. "You're quite the mystery, you know that? All I’ve got after a week of asking around is that you’re part of the rich family who moved into the area about a year ago, after buying that mansion from old Linquist. A year, during which there's never been any mention of the LaMilles having a daughter. Yet despite that, here you are.”

"Are you coming to a point?"

Corry shrugged. "Maybe." He walked slowly around Julie, allowing her about a metre of space. She simply stared back at him, coldly, impassively.

"Forgive me," Corry said at last, "But as far as I can tell, you haven't had the opportunity to make many friends around town yet. Now, I can help you out in that respect. I know people. I'm hoping to know more people. If you sign on with me, my friends can be your friends. We might even make a pretty good team, the two of us."

A corner of Julie's mouth quirked up. "Why Corry, are you proposing some sort of camaraderie between us?"

"Interested?"

Julie cocked her head to the side slightly, in order to make him think she was actually considering it. "No," she said at last. "You see, I'm afraid I’ve determined that our motivations are fundamentally different."

Corry blinked. "Different? How so?"

"Mmmm, that would be telling." Julie now took the opportunity to pace her own circle around Corry. "Corry Veniti," she began, upon completing the circuit. "Fraternal twin to Laurie Veniti. Former student of MacKenzie King Middle School, with a reasonable number of followers, though most known in musical circles. Instrument of choice, the flute. Birthday, May 21st. Parents' names..."

"Stop." Corry's eyes narrowed. "You've been busy."

Julie allowed herself a small smile. "Being enigmatic is not without its advantages,” she explained. “People seeking to resolve that sort of a mystery can be coaxed into talking."

"So it would seem." A silence descended upon the two teenagers. As their eyes met, they practically dared the other to blink first. "You realize that if we cannot be friends, we will become enemies,” Corry said.

Julie lifted an eyebrow. "A threat?"

"An observation. You know, you have no dependable followers here yet, Julie. I do. I strongly urge you to reconsider my offer of partnership. I won't make it again."

"In that case, we have nothing further to discuss. You might as well run along home."

Corry shook his head. "You're making a mistake."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Julie remarked, mouth tightening. "However, you may find me a more formidable opponent than you think."

"What, because your family is rich? I wouldn't pin all your hopes on that."

"Don't worry. I won't."

Corry turned away first. "Fine then, have it your way," he concluded, a sour expression on his face as he walked off.

"Until next time," Julie said, continuing to watch Corry's retreating form without so much as batting an eyelash. "Until next time."

***

Julie tapped her foot absentmindedly on the floor as she leaned back against the row of lockers. Much as she hated to admit it, Corry had been right about something during their encounter the previous week. She didn't have any dependable followers yet. And sooner or later, people's interest would wear off.

Meanwhile, Corry had taken the opportunity over the last seven days to start planting hints, if that boy Clarke’s remarks to her in the hall earlier today were to be believed. Phil Clarke had seemed a candid guy too, so she had no reason to doubt his word... being someone else not from this area, he could even be a good person to win over in the future.

However, in the here and now, Julie needed to find herself a more devoted follower. Someone others in the school would know, perhaps trust, hence someone who had lived in the area for a while. Someone who was also reasonably intelligent, thus could take direction, yet at the same time be sufficiently self absorbed so as to not to pick up on everything that Julie was doing. If that someone was of questionable conscience it would be all the better.

Julie had spent her first two weeks at school keeping an eye out for just such a person, and she now believed she had located a girl who fit most, if not all, of her requisite criteria.

"Hello Carrie," Julie said with a half smile as the blonde with the long hair walked up to her.

Carrie Waterson stared back. "Julie?" She glanced up and down the hall before looking back to the brunette. "Why are you at my locker?"

Julie’s smile widened. “Because I have a proposition for you."