NOVEL NEXT Loophole (Part 8)
THROUGH MANNY'S EYES
MANNY
You might be right, but that doesn't matter.
ADAM
You're cool with that?
Lou takes the water that Adam showed off and opens it. He takes a sip. I wonder if he has a spell to block germs as he doesn't know Adam but trusted the bottle to not carry any diseases, or what if he can't get sick from human germs?
I am overthinking it, and I am not the only one. Adam wants to get mad, but he controls his emotions. Well, the best he can, as it's clear that ticked him off, but he isn't going yell...yet, that is.
ADAM
I'm charging you for that bottle.
LOU
I get it. Little things like that don't bother
you once you have someone
important in your life.
ADAM
That's little? It must mean your
relationship's going great.
LOU
We're going good, been going
good for three years. We...
MANNY
Is there something going on?
Lou grabs the collar of my shirt. My feet are a few centimeters off the ground as I dangle. i expected a face full of rage and fury, but Instead, it's one of panic. His eyes look bigger, and his stern expression softens.
LOU
I need your help!
Kate and Marcy turn from the table, hearing the outburst. My feet are reunited with the ground as Lou lets go of my collar. He throws his arms around my shoulder and pulls me in close. He flashes the table a smile. I pick up the context, wrap my arm around him, and smile.
KATE
Are you guys good there?
LOU
Yeah, I just uhh.. got a little hyped.
MANNY
We were just getting excited by a magic trick he
was showing us. Dude can make clams sing.
MARCY
You can make clams sing?
Lou turns his head to me, still smiling. His eyes scream as they glow. I said the wrong thing, but my mind was blank, and I let out a...
MANNY
Yup, he has to show you later.
LOU
Yeah, I'll... show you the singing clams.
Manny will have to be there, of course.
KATE
Well, we missed the concert.
I guess that can be a make-up one.
What music do they play?
LOU
Metal?
MANNY
Folk.
MARCY
Sounds... cool I guess.
Marcy and Kate turn back around to continue their conversation. Lou and I turn back to Adam, who is holding back a laugh. A few chuckles seep out. He opens his mouth, but Lou leans in close and whispers.
LOU
Don't you even.
MANNY
I'm sorry I panicked. I just made something up.
LOU
And now I need to teach clams, Folk, and Metal. There goes my month.
ADAM
Wait, thats possible?
LOU
That doesn't matter.
What does is Manny now volunteered
himself to help me since I will have less
free time to tackle it later.
I need you to distract Kate for me
when we eat. She always clings to
Marcy, and I want a second alone with her.
MANNY
That's hard to do. What for?
Lou takes out the doll of Marcy from his jacket. He places it gently on the counter, supporting the neck and back. He looks at the doll with a gentle smile. Even though it's a doll, he gives it the same look he does when he is sitting across from her.
LOU
I own her organs. Technically, she gave them to me to fulfill some contracts.
MANNY
Oh god, I can see the heart beating. Are those her real parts?
LOU
No, these patches represent what she owes.
Her heart is still in her body, but what happens to
the doll happens to the debtor.
Think of it as a bank having a
title to the house. You sleep in the home,
but the bank owns it.
ADAM
But if the bank rips the title,
the house doesn't get destroyed.
Lou nods uncomfortably. I can see it in his face, the cracks forming in his words. They aren't lies, but he isn't being honest with us or himself.
LOU
That's why this must stay with me.
Can't risk it getting damaged.
There's no place safe enough for this.
MANNY
Does that mean you can collect on her
debt whenever? That is a lot
of power over someone.
LOU
Technically, yeah, but she
knows I would never do that.
ADAM
Can I pick it up?
Adam reaches for the doll. The shift in Lou's face was instant. He went from a gentle smile to his eyes burning red. His teeth are sharp, and the wrinkles on his forehead bend the scales growing there. A turquoise-scaled hand with sharp coral nails slams down on Adams's wrist. He doesn't touch Adam but traps his wrist like a cage. His nails imbed on the counter, causing further damage that I will not pay for.
Adam looks up to meet Lou's stern gaze. The air is filled with the intent to kill as I can see Lou's mind crack. Making sure not to make sudden movements, Adam lifts his head and pulls back. He treats Lou like a wild animal ready to pounce, but he doesn't. Lou raises his hand as he starts to return to normal.
ADAM
Got it, no touching.