NOVEL NEXT Chapter 69 - Friendsgiving Part 1
"Yes. I'm sure you're beginning to understand the complicated dynamic you have wiggled your way into," I said.
"It might have been an impulsive choice in the moment, but I welcome the challenge. Let's get started," Emma responded.
"Alright, then let's start with names, powers, and relationships between people. Hey, are you listening?"
Emma's staring at the wall-length windows that encompass an entire side of my apartment, completely ignoring me. She's hyper-focused and perfectly still, like a cat poised to pounce on its prey. A tense couple of minutes pass before she visibly relaxes, finally paying attention. What the hell was that?
"Sorry, I could've sworn I saw a woman outside your windows, watching us. But I guess I must've imagined it," Emma said.
A woman outside of my window? Was it Violet spying on me? She did say in her text that she swung by, so was she doing it again? If that was Violet, it's probably for the best that she witnessed us. That saves me the trouble of having to tell her myself. And now she won't be surprised when Emma shows up tomorrow.
"I wouldn't discount your instincts or your senses. Quinstin has a good amount of Capes and Cowls capable of flight. They could've been flying by and snuck a peek at us. They might just be a voyeur who flew away as soon as they were noticed by you," I suggested.
I could mention my suspicions about Violet, but that might just make her more inclined to fuck with her. The chance that nothing happens tomorrow is barely above zero, and if I can prevent or delay the conflict, I'll do whatever I can. There's no proof it was Emma beyond a conjecture on my part.
"You're probably right. I just can't shake the feeling that someone's watching us," Emma paused, peering at the windows again. "Anyways, you were saying?"
"As I was saying, the party will consist of the following people: Violet, Doug, Sydney, Aubrey, Rafael, Jean-Luc, Doug's Date, Myself, you, Vivienne, Sy, and Anika. Oh, Anika is Vivienne's girlfriend, by the way. The Neuvohumans are," I started to say.
"Wait! Don't tell me, I want to figure it out on my own. Tell me how many people are Neuvohumans, and then we can make it a fun little guessing game," Emma said gleefully, clapping her hands together.
I reflexively go to shut down her idea, but I hesitate. If I think about her as a partner, a real one, not like Maria, would I deny her a bit of harmless fun? She doesn't have to be an enemy. I don't need to tiptoe around her. We haven't spent enough time together for me to be sure if I can develop feelings for her. For anyone. But I need to give it a chance, because love is a potent drug and powerful motivator. Maria was willing to kidnap a woman for me. If I fell in love, what would I be willing to do?
"Sure, I'll tell you. Eight Neuvohumans, including us, are going to this party. If you want to try to figure out who does or doesn't have superpowers, which you won't, then have fun," I said.
"You think I can't figure it out?" She asked incredulously.
"This isn't me trying to egg you on; you won't be able to do it. That's just a fact. The only way you'd be able to do it is if you attacked people, forcing them to use their powers. Which, to be clear, is not an acceptable form of investigation," I said.
"I can and I will. In fact, let's make a bet of it," she suggested.
"How much do you want to bet? Because last time I checked, you don't have any money."
Emma puts her glass down on the kitchen island, glancing at me. I don't recognize the face she's making; it's one I've never seen before. Her lips are pursed together, and her eyes are narrowed at me. She shakes her head, the dyed red ends of her hair swaying as she does so. She places both hands onto the granite countertop and transitions into a handstand, twisting and landing on the other side of it. She sits down on the counter, crossing her legs in an unnecessary display of modesty, given she's wearing her lace lingerie again.
"Please, I would never bet something as paltry as money on such an importance wager with such a dignified gentleman," Emma said, the innocent look on her face contrasting with the erotic lingerie.
"Get on with it, Emma. Flattery gets you nowhere but the bedroom," I bluntly said.
"You live in a studio apartment, I'm already in your bedroom. But back to the bet. I bet I will find out who the other six Neuvos are, without endangering your reputation, your relationships, or any of the guests. If I win, you take me on a real date and let me stay here for the next six months. If you win, I'll do any three tasks you ask of me. If you want me to leave and never return, I will. If you want me to die, I will," Emma said, her face back to the ice queen look I know all too well.
"You're that confident that I wouldn't kill you?"
"No, I think you would. But I'm extremely confident in myself. I can do this. So, do we have a deal?" Emma asked.
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"You've got a deal. Oh, that reminds me I need to send a text," I said.
Emma picks up my Cowl phone from the counter behind her.
"No, not that one," I smiled.
"Of course, you have two phones. Why wouldn't you?"
"I was going to get a third to use with you, but I didn't have time. I told you, I like my life divided into chunks and kept separate," I responded, walking over to my nightstand and pulling my Eryk Blakely phone out.
(E.B): Hey Aubrey, just wanted to let you know that Vivienne and her girlfriend are coming.
(A.I): 🙂YAAAAAAY. THATS FANTASTIC!!!11!
(E.B): Yes, she was quite happy about being invited.
(A.I): whats her gfs name?
(E.B): Anika, they met at the Delta Sigma party we went to. I also invited another friend, Sy, who I met at that same party.
(A.I): ♥️♥️♥️♥️the more the merrier♥️♥️♥️♥️
(E.B): I did want to give you a heads up that I'm planning to bring a date. I know Douglas is, but I wanted to make sure that it wasn't a problem to bring a last-minute person.
(A.I): WHAT?!?!?!? CALLIN U RN.
My phone starts vibrating immediately, and I pick up.
"Hey, Aubrey, what's up?" I asked.
"What do you mean you're bringing a date?"
"I mean that I'm planning to have a woman I'm seeing come to the party; that's normally what bringing a date means. You said plus ones were welcomed, we'll have plenty of food. Don't worry," I assured her.
"What about Vye?" Aubrey asked angrily.
"What about her?"
"Holy shit, Eryk. How can you be such a dick? I know that your first date got interrupted by the Syndicate, but not to reschedule and then immediately show up with another woman is insane douche behavior. Even Dappur wouldn't do that," Aubrey admonished me.
What the hell is she talking about? We didn't go on a date; we went shopping for clothes and a new phone.
"There seems to be a miscommunication here. I never went on a date with Violet. We went out for breakfast the morning after the Delta Sigma party, and she brought up her feelings for me. I politely replied that I did not feel the same way. Then we had breakfast, as friends, and haven't revisited the subject at all. What you're talking about was just two friends going to the mall together. I needed a cell phone, and she wanted to, quote, fix my wardrobe," I said.
"But Vye said."
"What did Violet tell you happened? Aubrey? What did she tell you?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Emma grinning ear to ear. She's using her enhanced senses to eavesdrop, I'm sure. You must be loving this. She starts kicking her feet in giddy excitement. Tomorrow is going to be a shitshow if Violet told everyone we were dating. Why the hell would you lie, Violet? You took the rejection so well. Why now do you have to do some shit like this?
"Sorry, I got confused. You're all good to bring your date. I-I-I gotta go," she said quickly.
"Wait, what's the address, and am I still good to head over in the morning?" I asked before she could hang up.
"I'll text you the details; you're good to show up whenever," she said before she hung up.
Aubrey POV
What the fuck? Why the fuck did Vye say that? My roommate isn't around for me to question her, but I'm ripshit. Vye lying to all of us about Eryk is not cool. That's my guy, my dude, my day one, and she knows that. I knew him before I knew all of them, and if it comes down to it, I'd pick him. Especially after what we went through together. I pace around our dorm room, stewing in my anger. I can't think of a single reason that isn't incredibly pathetic for why she'd lie. The buzzing of the overhead light is getting to me, my clothes feel itchy, and I'm just so fucking mad. I want to hit something, I want to hit someone. Hitting Vye wouldn't even do anything; she wouldn't feel it, and I'd probably break my hand.
I did not need this shit, especially not right before Friendsgiving. I've been so excited for this, planning for weeks and making decorations. I look over at my desk, covered in the banners and trinkets I made for tomorrow. The heat in my head is making me grind my teeth so hard I can hear it. Why is Vye so fucking stupid? This is the type of shit that fucking ruins friend groups. I can't believe I just accused Eryk of being that kind of person. I'm no better than Maria. Ew. She kept accusing him until he finally ended things with her. I won't lose another friend.
I need to scream and shout. Why am I spending so much time making decorations when Vye is undermining the fucking group? Stomping over to my desk, I sweep all the stupid shit onto the ground. Colored pencils, scissors, construction paper, markers, glitter, and other art supplies rain down on the floor. Open to a random page amongst all the supplies is my sketch book, the one I brought home to Quinstin for Thanksgiving. When I think about what I did while I was back home, my anger ebbs.
The Heroes' Union meeting jostled my brain, bringing memories I thought lost forever to the surface. Sequence inadvertently helped me, making me realize I had been there at the docks the night the Lightning Dragon died. So after eating Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, I took a trip to Crimton. I needed to see whether the docks held the answers I've wanted. When I made my way to the site where the Lightning Dragon attacked me, I had another wave of memory fragments come back to me. Not much more than what I remembered at the Union meeting, but I did make a shocking discovery. Flashes of that night revealed that a second person was with me at the docks. I crouch down, picking up my book and flipping to the page I need to show her. I sketched something from those recovered memories. I don't know if it's the same, but I have a bad feeling it might be, and I don't know what I'll do if it is. There's no telling what will happen when I show it to Vye. On the page is a man dressed in muted black clothing and wearing a curved black helmet, faceless, featureless, and dark beyond belief. He was with me that night, or rather, I was with him. But why? Somehow, I know the man in the black helmet.