Battle of Genre Round Six: Romance
SpacePunk Versus Boomerang
Click me for the BoG R6 Main Thread for additional info!
Welcome to a Round Six Battle Thread for the BoG Tournament! Be mindful now, as your votes are the determining factor to who takes the win!
For a few reminders though:
Spoiler for REMINDERS:
Show
Votals
Simple. 5 points per vote.
Comment and Critique
CnC is important for a writer to flourish and grow in his craft. Giving some will benefit the writer and you as well! A point will be given to you and tallied overall at the end of the tournament [this is a separate tally]. If your CnC proves to be substantial [ergo something that helps the writer improve rather than just saying its good or my favorite part is this] an additional point is awarded.
Now without further ado here are the works of our would-be Masters of Genre!
SpacePunk
Spoiler for Betting on Lucy:
Show
The sun was low on the horizon, turning the clouds a cotton candy pink, and casting an orange glow over the world. The lake twinkled in the sunlight, and the grass danced in the slight breeze. Everything was serene and perfect.
Tyler looked over at his companion and smiled. She smiled back. “The sunset is so beautiful,” she said, looking back out over the lake.
“This sunset’s got nothing on you.” The girl blushed and looked down. Tyler smirked and lifted her chin, locking eyes with her. Slowly he leaned in and closed the space between them. The girl leaned into the kiss, and Tyler pressed his body close to her. He slowly began to move his hand down her back, but she stopped him, breaking away.
“I-I don’t think I’m ready for that,” she said.
“Come on, I’ve got protection. And I’m a very gentle guy. You’re safe with me.”
“I don’t know…”
“Let’s try it, and if you want me to stop, I will.” He resumed kissing her and soon the two got lost in the moment. At one point, Tyler was on top of her, and after a heated moment of passion, they rolled off of each other and sighed, the sun almost gone now.
The girl’s chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. “Wow.” Tyler smirked. That’s what they all say.
***
The gravel crunched underneath the tires of the old Chevy Cobalt. Tyler pulled into his driveway, and turned off the car. He went inside his house, quietly closing the door behind him. He walked to the kitchen, his stomach growling.
He flicked the lights on and was greeted by the sight of his sister sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. He sighed in relief. “Shit, I thought you were mom.”
“Nah, mom’s asleep.”
“Already?”
“She had a long day.”
Tyler shrugged and grabbed a bowl, joining his sister at the table. He poured himself some cereal and began to eat.
“So what was her name?”
“Whose?”
“The girl you fucked.”
Tyler frowned. He had met her a week ago, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember her name. “I honestly don’t remember.”
His sister rolled her eyes. “You are a literal piece of shit.”
Tyler pretended to be hurt, putting a hand on his heart. “That hurt, Grace. That really hurt.” This produced another eye roll from Grace. “Nah, but you’re just as bad as me! How many girls have you fucked?”
“Three. Over the course of two years. Because I actually know how to be in a committed relationship.”
“Committed relationships are lame. You don’t need to be in love to have sex.”
“I can’t believe we’re twins.”
***
Tyler walked into the noisy cafeteria, which was packed to capacity. He sat down at a round table with a group of four other boys. “’Sup Ty?” one of them greeted.
“Nothing much, nothing much.”
“So how was the girl yesterday?”
Tyler held up his fingers, making the “okay” symbol, smirking. “Fucking solid, bro.”
“Dude, I’m surprised you don’t have an STD by now,” said another boy, and the others laughed.
“I use protection, it’s all good.”
Another boy at the table snapped his fingers, his eyes widening in excitement. “Bro, you think you can get any girl, right?”
“I don’t think, I know.”
“Wanna test that theory?”
Tyler raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “How?”
“You gotta date the school’s most undateable girl—Lucy Diaz.”
“Why is she so undataeble?” The boy shrugged.
“No one knows. She’s never had a boyfriend since middle school. All she does is read.”
“What do I get if I win?”
“I just got paid, so if you date her and take her to prom, I will give you a thousand bucks.”
“Dude, isn’t that like, your whole paycheck?”
“Yeah, but here’s the thing: you can’t have sex with her the entire time. None, no blowjobs, no handjobs, nothing.”
Tyler thought about it. It was the end of March, so that would be three months of no sex. Normally he wouldn’t even consider no sex for three months, but it would be the easiest money he ever made. He couldn’t pass up such a glorious opportunity. Besides, he knew a few girls who wouldn’t mind being his side hoe. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
“And if you back out, or can’t get her, I’ll tell your mom you’re not a virgin.” Tyler’s heart skipped a beat. If his mom ever found out, she’d cut his dick off and take him to church. She was a stickler for waiting until marriage, it’s what the Bible said. And in her mind, going against the Bible was worse than murder. He shuddered at the thought. But he held his hand out anyways.
“Alright, it’s a bet.” The two boys shook on it, making it official. Tyler then got up from his seat and walked over to the girl.
“Hey, you’re Lucy Diaz, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Tyler. What are you reading?”
“Why are you talking to me?” Tyler faltered for a second. That was the first time a girl didn’t welcome his presence. It confused him.
“Well, I’ve never really seen you around before, and someone as beautiful as you shouldn’t be all by herself.” Lucy scoffed.
“I’m a lesbian.”
Tyler blinked. He didn’t see that coming. “I’m sorry?”
“I. Am. A. Lesbian. As in, I like pussy.”
Tyler nodded. He walked over to his seat at the table, stunned into silence.
“What happened?” the boy asked.
“She’s a lesbian.”
The entire table erupted into laughter.
***
And so for the next week, Tyler would use every trick in the book to try and woo this girl. He bought her flowers, recited poetry, sang songs to her, but it was no use. Lucy Diaz wanted nothing to do with him. Finally, out of desperation, he decided to tell her the truth.
He ran up to her in the school parking lot one day, however she completely ignored him. Instead, she just stared at her car. “What’s wrong?” When she didn’t answer, he followed her gaze to the front tire. It had a giant gash in it and was completely void of air. It looked quite sad really, all deflated and whatnot. Tyler let out a low whistle. “Damn, that sucks.”
“Unless you can help me, I suggest you leave me alone.”
Tyler’s lips curled into a devious grin. He just thought of the perfect plan. “As a matter of fact, I can help you.”
Lucy eyed him suspiciously. “And just how do you plan on doing that?”
“Well, I have a proposition for you. You see, I too am in need of assistance. And you can help me out. I scratch your back, you scratch mine.”
“I’m gonna scratch your face if you don’t tell me what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Relax, I’m gonna tell you. My friends made a bet with me. I have to date you up until prom—mind you, I’m not allowed to have sex with you—for a thousand dollars.”
“Well that explains a lot.”
“Listen, listen, listen, if you help me out, I’ll let you have half the prize money, and you can fix your tire problem.”
“You can’t be serious. Why would anyone in their right mind agree to that?”
“Because you need a new tire, or else you’ll be using the school bus. Think of all the annoying middle schoolers reciting outdated memes, the potheads smoking weed in the back seats, the rednecks blasting country music…it’d be Hell on Earth. But all that could be avoided if you pretend to date me. I’d give you rides to school for free until your car got fixed, buy you books, and you don’t even have to have sex with me.”
Lucy thought about it. She actually thought about it. Of all the people that could be involved in her life, it just had to be this fuckboy. She sighed, shaking her head. “Alright, fine, I’ll do it. But the moment you try and get in my pants I’m out.”
“Oh my god, thank you so much!” In his excitement, Tyler pulled her into a kiss. Both of their eyes widened in shock. Lucy because she wasn’t expecting it. Tyler because he felt something. His heart fluttered and fireworks went off in his head.
Lucy pushed him away, appalled. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing!?!”
“Holy shit…”
“Please warn me when you plan on kissing me.”
“Can I drive you home?”
“Well how else am I gonna get there?”
***
That night, Tyler Googled what he had felt when he kissed Lucy. Unfortunately, his search got him nowhere. He sighed and leaned against the back of his chair. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. “Come in!” he called. The door opened and Grace poked her head in.
“Dude, you okay? Mom made chicken alfredo and you didn’t even leave your room. She’s refusing to let me eat until we all pray together, and I’m starving.”
“Is there something wrong with me?”
“What?”
“I kissed someone today—”
“Shocker.”
“Shut up. I kissed someone today and I felt something weird. Like, my heart sped up and my hands got clammy. WebMD said I was having a stroke.” Grace laughed. She leaned on the door frame for support as she held on to her stomach. Once she finally calmed down, she wiped away a tear and looked him dead in the eyes.
“You’re in love.”
“No, nope, no way, not possible. Tyler Johnson does not fall in love.”
“Look up the science of love. Symptoms of the first stage of love: sweaty palms, increased heart rate, both due to raised levels of serotonin in your brain. Suddenly she’s all you can think about, every love song you hear you think of her. Face it, broski, you’re more in love than Ron and Hermione are.”
Tyler put his head in his hands and groaned. This was literally the worst thing that could ever happen to him. Grace walked over to him and patted his back. “Lemme give you some advice. If someone makes fireworks go off in your head when you kiss, that’s a person you need to keep in your life.”
“You’re probably right. But how do I make her fall in love with me?”
“Well, there’s the usual things: flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep—”
“No, no she’s special.”
“Well, what does she like?”
“Um…She likes books. She’s always reading.”
Grace thought for a moment before snapping her fingers. “I got it. Get her a personalized bookmark. That way she doesn’t have to bend the pages and ruin the book.”
Tyler thought about it, nodding his head. “Yeah…Yeah, that’s good. And I know just how to give it to her.”
***
Monday morning, Lucy got up and got ready for school. She showered, did her hair, put on her make-up, and kissed her parents good-bye. It was a normal start to her day. Of course, she wasn’t at all expecting the surprise that waited for her outside her door.
She stood on her front steps, jaw dropped, eyes wide. “Oh my god.”
Waiting for her on her front lawn was none other than Tyler Johnson, wearing nothing but briefs with a rose in his mouth. In his hand was a small box with a little bow on it. However, she was more focused on Tyler’s solid six pack and huge biceps. Not to mention the fact that there was also a bulge in his briefs. Either he’s got a boner, or his dick is fucking huge.
“Good morning, my love,” he greeted, winking at her. If his body couldn’t turn her straight, then nothing could.
“Tyler what the fuck are you doing?”
“I bring you a gift. Unfortunately, the gift is not my rockin’ body, however after prom, that can always be an option.”
“Get off my lawn! And where are your clothes!?!”
“In the car. Just, come here, I have a gift for you!” Lucy rolled her eyes and walked over to him. He stood up and handed her the box. “Open it.”
“No, I’m just gonna stare at it.” They stood there for a solid five minutes while Lucy just stared at the gift.
“Lucy, seriously, just open it!”
“Fine.” She tore into the box and gasped when she opened it up. She took out a bookmark with her name written in heavy black ink done in Calligraphy. Around her name were vibrantly colored flowers, and hanging off the bookmark was a blue tassel. “Oh my god, this is beautiful! Where did you get this?”
“I uh, got it off this site called Etsy. They like, make personalized gifts and stuff, and I know you like to read and stuff, so I thought you’d like it. It was like, 15 bucks, but it’s no big deal.”
Lucy was absolutely baffled. This fuckboy bought her a 15-dollar bookmark for no damn reason. Although his presentation could use a little work, the gift was perfect. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all…
“Do you like it?”
Lucy smiled a genuine smile. “Yeah, I do. Thank you.”
“Oi! ¡Blanco! ¡Fuera de mi propiedad o llamaré a la policía, mierda!” The two looked behind Lucy and saw her father standing there with a shotgun.
“What’d he say? Why does he have a gun?” Tyler asked, panic in his voice.
“’Get the fuck off my lawn or I’ll call the cops’ pretty much.”
Her dad cocked the shotgun and took aim. “¡Vaminos, muchacho!”
Tyler put his hands in the air and quickly scurried off to his car. Lucy sighed in relief and shook her head.
***
Over the weekend, Lucy decided to go to the bookstore, since she had just finished her last book. She walked inside, the cold air conditioning making her shiver a little. The place was pretty spacious with a cozy vibe to it. She walked over to the YA section and perused the selection. Eventually, she picked up a book called Misquitoland by David Arnold. The cover depicted a girl riding on top of a bus writing in a journal.
“Dude, that book is fucking amazing.” Startled by the random voice, she flinched and dropped the book. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” They both bent down to retrieve the book, and their hands overlapped. Lucy looked up and met the beautiful brown eyes of a girl. Butterflies filled her stomach and she just stared for a bit, the other girl smiling.
After a moment, they both slowly stood up, not breaking eye contact. Finally, Lucy regained the ability to speak. “Uh, really? What’s it about?”
“This girl hears some really bad news about her mom, so she goes on this cross country road trip to go and see her. But like, it’s got lots of cool characters and the main character, Mim, writes letters to one of her family members explaining her reasons and like, she’s really weird and surprisingly human. It’s the best road trip book I’ve ever read. And don’t worry, it’s nothing like John Green.”
“Sounds pretty cool.”
“Yeah, it is. And it’s pretty new too, so like, it isn’t cheesy. You should totally get it.”
“Well, thanks to your persuasion skills, I think I will.”
The girl smiled. “Awesome. It’s my favorite book, so tell me how you like it, okay? Here, lemme put my number in your phone.” Once they finished exchanging contact information, the girl bid Lucy goodbye and left the store. Looking down at her phone, she read the name belonging to the number. “Grace, huh? What a pretty name.”
***
Tyler waited outside Lucy’s house, Grace sitting in the back seat. She had missed the bus due to over sleeping, and therefore, was in need of a ride. While they were waiting, Grace was telling him about the girl she met at the bookstore. “She was beautiful, dude! Like, Galadriel from The Lord of the Rings beautiful! And she had a really good taste in books too. I told her to buy this book and she was like, “yeah I think I might” and so I told her to tell me what she thinks when she reads it.”
Tyler chuckled at his sister’s excitement. “Oh yeah? What’d she look like?”
“Uh…Like that.” Tyler frowned and looked at the direction Grace was pointing. To his disbelief, she was pointing directly at Lucy. Tyler shook his head.
“No, no way, that can’t be her. What book did you tell her to buy?”
“Misquitoland by David Arnold.”
Lucy got in the passenger’s seat and smiled at Tyler. However, the smile faded when she saw the look of panic on his face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Is this book Misquitoland?”
“Uh, yeah, why?” Tyler dropped his head on the steering wheel, the horn blaring. Lucy frowned, confused. However, when she turned around, she was able to comprehend the problem. “Grace? What are you doing here?”
“I’m Tyler’s twin sister.”
They were interrupted by Lucy’s father as he started angrily towards the car. He had his shotgun in hand, cursing at them in Spanish. Tyler lifted his head and quickly slammed on the gas, speeding off down the road. Once they were pretty far from the house, he slowed down.
“Okay, we have a problem,” Tyler announced.
“Clearly,” Lucy replied.
“No, we don’t,” Graced chimed in. “There is no problem. You’re dating my brother, therefore, you’re off limits to me.”
Lucy’s heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. She really liked Grace. From the moment they met, she felt an instant connection. She knew Grace felt it too, she could see the longing in her eyes. She wanted with all her heart to tell her that she and Tyler weren’t really dating, but she needed the money. She turned away from Grace and looked out of the window.
***
Over the next month, Tyler and Lucy continued their charade, Lucy and Tyler growing closer as friends, which Lucy didn’t see coming. Beyond the layers upon layers of fuckboy, was a pretty cool guy. Grace also hung out with Lucy, the two bonding over their love for books.
One day, Grace invited Lucy over while Tyler was out with his friends. The doorbell rang and Grace excitedly ran to answer it. “Hey Lucy!” She hugged the other girl in greeting.
“Hey. Can I come in?”
“Yeah of course! I got popcorn in the microwave, and Star Wars: Episode IV in the DVD player. I hope you’re ready to marathon all of them, because that’s exactly what’s happening.”
Lucy chuckled. “It’s so weird that you and Tyler are twins. You’re like polar opposites.”
The microwave beeped and Grace went to go grab the popcorn. In the kitchen, as she was filling up a large bowl, she began talking to herself. “Grace, get your shit together. She’s dating your brother, and that’s a big no-no.” She then scoffed at herself. “Well, that’s never stopped you before.” She vigorously shook her head. “Grace, don’t be a homewrecker, this girl’s different. Tyler loves her, and that’s never going to happen again. So don’t be a hoe. Don’t be a hoe, don’t be a hoe…” As she went back to the living room, she kept repeating the phrase in her head.
“So, which do you like better, Star Wars or Star Trek?” Lucy asked upon Grace’s return.
“Oh, uh, Star Trek. It’s got that sense of adventure and exploring the unknown. It’s like, pure, y’know? Just a bunch of friends exploring space. But with Star Wars it’s got space battles and so many layers. I love them both, really, but I’d go Star Trek any day. Which you like?”
“I uh, I’ve never really seen either.” Grace gasped.
“Well, we’re just going to have to fix that!” She pressed play on the remote and the movie began.
“So wait, if this is Episode IV, then why are we starting with it and not Episode I?”
“Because the first one was literally the worst movie, and there’s an order in which you have to watch the movies. It’s weird.” Lucy nodded.
They spent the entire day watching Star Wars, taking bathroom breaks, and breaks to restock on food, each time, the girls got more and more flirtatious. Grace completely forgot about her little mantra, and was in fact, being a hoe.
They sat together on the couch, having finished all the movies. They turned on Netflix, though they weren’t really watching it. Grace kept giving sideways glances to Lucy, and when she caught her, she quickly looked away, blushing.
“Hey, Lucy?”
“Yeah?”
“How’s my brother been? Y’know, to you.”
“Oh, uh, he’s been really nice to me. He bought me a bookmark, and he takes me on dates to fancy restaurants. He’s really great.” Lucy meant what she said, however, she only saw him as a friend, and nothing more. She was, after all, a lesbian.
Grace nodded. “So uh, have you guys…frick fracked?”
“Have we what?”
“Y’know, doodily oodily, scoodily-pooped, done the do, the sideways tango—”
“Grace, you are a senior in high school and you can’t say the word ‘sex’?”
Grace rubbed the back of her neck nervously. “Well, have you?”
“Nope. We kiss, we hug, we hold hands, we cuddle. That’s it. Why? Are you okay?”
A tear ran down Grace’s face. He was really in love with her. There was no way she could take Lucy away from him. But, she was in love with her too. Don’t be a hoe.
“Grace…” Lucy lifted her chin and they looked into each other’s eyes. Timidly, they both leaned in, closing the gap between them. When their lips made contact, they both felt a wave of joy. The world melted away and it was just Grace and Lucy. Everything seemed right in the universe now, and neither girl wanted to break apart.
“Grace,” Lucy said when they finally separated. “I have to talk to Tyler.”
***
“You what!?!” Tyler cried. Lucy shushed him, looking around to see if anyone heard them. “You kissed my sister?!?”
“Wow, you really don’t know how to be quiet.”
The two were by the bathrooms at school, since they had both told their teachers that’s where they were going. It wasn’t exactly the most private spot, but this was the only time that worked for them.
“How can I be quiet when you kissed my goddamn sister!?!”
“I told you I’m gay!”
“But we’re in a relationship!”
“A fake one!”
Now it was Tyler’s turn to shush her. Lucy rolled her eyes.
“Lucy, I love you, I thought we had something.” She crossed her arms and sighed.
“Tyler, I like girls. Specifically, your sister. It was never going to happen between us. I like you as a friend.”
Tyler could feel his heart shatter into a million pieces. A look of pure anguish formed on his face. He knew it wouldn’t happen, but a part of him had hoped and prayed.
Inside the bathroom, Grace was washing her hands at the sink when she heard Lucy’s voice. A smile broke out on her face and she hurried to the door. But when she heard Tyler’s voice, she stopped short. Curious, she pressed her ear to the door and listened.
“Look, the bet’s off, Tyler. I’m not going to lie to Grace anymore.”
“Come on! Don’t you need the money?”
“Yeah, but I can get it some other way. I’m not gonna keep lying and end up hurting your sister!”
“Look, if you don’t do this, I’m in deep shit.”
“What’s so bad about your mom finding out about your lost virginity?”
“Clearly you don’t live with a born-again Christian.”
“Look, I’m not doing it. I’m not playing her.”
“We just have one more month until prom, then once it’s over, you can do whatever you want, just stick with it a little longer.”
In a burst of fury, Grace threw open the door and confronted the two. “So that’s what this was? A bet?” Hot angry tears ran down her face, staining her cheeks. “You’re nothing but a bunch of fucking liars!”
“Grace,” Tyler said, “Calm down—”
“Shut the fuck up, Tyler! We’re family! Family doesn’t pull this kind of bullshit! You both played with my emotions for some goddamn money! I loved you, Lucy!”
Lucy didn’t realize it, but she was crying too. “Grace, please, let me explain!”
In a voice laced with venom and hatred, Grace said, “You’ve said enough. I don’t ever want to see you again.” And with that, she pushed past the fake couple and stormed off.
“I knew this was a bad idea,” Lucy sniffled, pacing back and forward. “This was a horrible idea, and now I lost the girl I love.”
“You love her?” Tyler asked. Lucy snapped her head at Tyler, shooting daggers at him with her eyes.
“Yes, you piece of shit! I was head over heels in love and I fucked it up! I’m done with you, Tyler Johnson. I hope you have a nice life.” Lucy ran in Grace’s direction, leaving Tyler by himself.
In a fit of rage, he punched the wall over and over until his knuckles bled. He ignored the throbbing pain in his hand. He’d rather feel physical pain than the emotional pain he was feeling at the moment. He regretted everything, but it was too late.
***
The night of prom came, and even though he didn’t have a date, Tyler had bought a tuxedo and planned on going. He tied his bowtie and put on his most expensive cologne. He opened his sock drawer and shoved a condom in his pocket. There was no way he was leaving prom without banging someone.
Grace was in her room, putting on her dress. She too was going, even though she didn’t have a date. She put her hair up and put on lip gloss and eyeliner. She wasn’t one for make-up, but since this was a fancy event, she decided a little was necessary.
The twins walked out of their room and down to the door. After an endless photoshoot from their mother, she finally let them go. The tension in the car was suffocating. Neither spoke. Grace glared out the window, not even acknowledging her brother’s existence. After the most uncomfortable ride in history, they finally pulled into the venue parking lot.
“We’re here.”
“I have eyes.”
“Grace, can we talk?”
“No.”
“Grace, come on, if you just let me explain—”
“I don’t want to hear it. You lied to me, she lied to me. I don’t like liars.”
“Let me ask you this, then: If I was in love with her, why would I want to let anyone else have her?”
“Because you’re a fuckboy.”
“Grace, be logical. WWST, remember?”
“What would Spock think…”
Tyler nodded and got out of the car, Grace following in his footsteps. They both entered the venue where the lights were dim, the music was loud, and the place was crowded. Hormonal teenagers danced erotically to the thumping music, while the teacher chaperones watched with visible disgust.
“Yo, Tyler!” He looked up and saw his friends approaching him. He put on a fake smile and greeted his friends. “Dude, where’s your date?”
“We uh, we didn’t make it.”
“Really? Well I guess that means you lost the bet!” Grace frowned. She shoved Tyler out of the way.
“Um, excuse me, what bet?”
“The bet I made with your brother. He had to date Lucy Diaz up until prom, no sex, no nothing.”
Grace’s eyes widened in realization. It all made sense to her now. “I have to find Lucy.” Grace took off into the swarm of sweaty teenagers.
“Dude,” said the boy. “Why do you look like you just got your heart broken?”
“I loved her, bro. I straight up loved her. Hell, I still love her.”
“Man, I’m sorry. Look, if it helps, I won’t tell your mom. I didn’t think you’d fall in love.”
“Neither did I.”
***
Grace found Lucy sitting at a table reading a book that just so happened to be Misqitoland. Grace walked up to her, smiling. “What part are you at?”
Lucy looked up, surprised to see Grace standing over her. “Um, Mim, Beck, and Walter went to the Cubs game.”
“Oh, you are in for some serious shit, my friend.” Lucy smiled and gestured to the open seat next to her. Grace sat down and pulled Lucy into a kiss. When they broke apart, they touched foreheads, smiling at each other.
“I’m sorry I lied to you,” Lucy said.
“You don’t have to apologize, I misunderstood everything. I jumped to conclusions and I’m sorry.”
Lucy pecked Grace on the lips. “Will you dance with me?”
“Hell yeah, I will.”
***
Tyler sat by himself at a table, watching all the couples dance. The music had slowed down, and the people were swaying back and forth. Tyler’s eyes landed on Grace and Lucy, and he smiled a sad smile. He was happy that Lucy found someone, and he was glad it was Grace. She’d treat her well. He let out a sigh and slumped back in his chair.
“Um, Tyler?” He looked up and saw a girl who looked vaguely familiar.
“Yeah?”
“It’s me, Abby. Remember, you took me to the lake?” Tyler nodded slowly. So that was her name. He smiled at her. “Is it okay if I sit here?”
“Yeah of course. You look beautiful, by the way.” She blushed, though it was hard to tell in the dark.
“You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“Well thank you. Would you like to dance?”
“That would be wonderful.” Tyler offered her a hand, which she took, and he led her to the dance floor. As he passed by a trash can, his discreetly tossed his condom in it. He had no intentions of having sex with anyone tonight.
Boomerang
Spoiler for Partners in Crime:
Show
There was a distinct smell of burnt rubber as the sports car raced down the street with a vengeance like no other. People ran to the sidewalks and cars veered out of the way as the hood splattered in crimson sparkled against the late afternoon sun. The harsh sound of a sharp turn was followed by a myriad of blaring sirens as blue and white vehicles came charging behind. With the chaos that had been left behind, however, they were forced to go much slower.
His pale red eyes glared in front of him as he pushed his foot harder to his right, his white tanktop now stained with pink and dirt. His left hand gripped the steering wheel, his right reached around in the passenger seat. His palm brushed across his assault rifle before grasping his phone. He granted himself only a moment of reprieve from the road to type in a number before placing it at his ear, looking forward once again. He wiped some sweat from his brow as the shrill ring in his ear droned on for a few moments.
Standing in front of a lonely Bank of America was a woman. She held the tommy gun close to her chest, her lithe figure swaying back and forth while clicking her tongue in rhythm. Around her were multiple corpses, blood pooling around their torsos and heads. Her hair reached to the middle of her back; half of it was cotton candy pink, the other a sky blue. Her face was painted with thick vertical lines, each representing a color of the rainbow with black lipstick to match. Her giddy ocean blues opened wide as she felt a vibration in her pocket.
She put the phone to her ear, just barely remembering to answer it, "Hello?" she gasped, as if she had just ran a lap around the building.
The man's low, smooth voice came through on the other line, "I'm gonna be coming down the street in a second," There was a moment of silence as the screech of tires came in the distance, "Where are you?"
The girl grinned at the sound of his voice, shifting a bit, "Just waiting on you, sugarpop," She watched the car slow down and suddenly halt just in front of the bank. She kept the phone to her ear, walking over to the car as her grin widened, "Oh no! A handsome stranger is kidnapping me!"
The muscular man unlocked the door and she stepped in, brushing his assault rifle away as she sat down. He smiled as well--he had played this game before, "That's weird, what's he look like?"
She giggled like a high school girl, leaning closer to him. She ran a hand down his bare arm, "He looks pretty fine; feels fine, too."
She leaned completely over the center console, pressing one hand against the dashboard for balance as she pressed her lips against him, holding the soft embrace for a few seconds as her free hand ran through his shaggy black hair. When she pulled away, there was a trace of black on his own lips. She giggled again as a mischievous smirk crossed her face, "And he tastes delicious."
He opened his mouth, however quickly closed it as the noise of the sirens broke across the horizon; they were getting close. Looking behind him, he frowned as his precious moments of reprieve had run out. Both hands gripped the wheel before he pressed his foot harshly against the gas, "Hold on, baby girl," He exclaimed over the sound of the engine.
She sat back in her seat again, pressing her body against it and screaming like she was on a rollercoaster ride as the couple went flying down the street. Butterflies floated in her stomach--there wasn't anybody she wanted to be in a cross-country police chase with more than Carmine.
****
Nick sat back in his chair, placing his arms behind his head and exhaling. He sat around a full group of police officers; rookies, veterans, and everything in between. All of them were bustling around having idle conversation as Nick remained silent, eyeing his partner as he walked to the front. He smacked a hand against the desk in front of him, "Hey, hey, listen up!" He called. The room fell silent rather quickly.
Carlson shifted, grabbing a laser pointer from one of the drawers, "Now--Unless you've never watched the news a day in your life, I'm pretty sure you know why I've called you all here."
Flicking the laser on, he pointed it to a picture pinned to a whiteboard. A man with pale red eyes and messy black hair stared at the camera, sporting a grin. Carlson looked over at Nick for a moment, "Carmine Alec!" He looked forward again, "Alias: The Desert Wolf."
Moving the pointer to the picture next to him was one of a woman with blue and pink hair. A toothy, wild grin enveloped most of her face, "Marrissa, last name unknown--Alias: Sugar High."
Flicking the laser pointer off, he threw it back onto the desk. He didn't need it anymore; he just really had been wanting to use it for something. "Otherwise known as this millennium's Bonnie and Clyde"
Carlson's eyes locked with Nick's once again, and it was clear that his exterior movements were holding a growing anxiety. Nick shifted, looking down as Carlson continued his speech, "Robberies, collateral damage and a whole lot of murder! Now they're making a run for our neighbors down south, otherwise known as Mexico" Carlson noticeably pronounced Mexico as 'Meheeco'.
Nick scoffed, "Typical criminals," He spoke in an attempt to regain his composure, and the laughs that he drew gave him comfort, "And I'm assuming good old Arizona State Police is gonna put a stop to it?"
Carlson clapped his hands together, "Damn right we are!" The room began to cheer, however Carlson quickly shushed them, "I've already had a little talk with a few guys down in Highway Patrol--the lovely couple is gonna have to go down the back roads to get to where they wanna go."
Carlson clapped Nick on the shoulder, "You know what that means, bud."
Nick exhaled, looking up at Carlson, "A stakeout?"
"A stakeout!" Carlson quickly looked back up to his coworkers, "We're gonna send a couple of groups to any back road on this map that leads to the border, and when we find those suckers, you'll be damn sure they won't get very far--right?"
A collective cheer ran through the room again, "I can't hear you!" The cheers grew in volume and Carlson nodded with a chuckle, "Alright--let's get this party started!"
Nick stood up and followed Carlson as he stepped outside. His tune suddenly changed as he turned to his partner and friend. He made sure that nobody was in the hallway before he spoke, "Listen, Nick," He was soft, sincere, "I know that you and Carmine are close--or, were close."
Nick nodded, raising an eyebrow as his expression attempted to brush off his emotions, "Yeah?"
Carlson sighed, shaking his head, "Just--if you don't wanna do this, I get it, alright? I can lead this thing on my own if you don't think you can handle how this might end."
"What do you-"
"Come on, man..." Carlson looked over his shoulder again before his voice was brought down to a nearly unintelligible whisper, "You really think they'll come quietly?"
Nick looked away from Carlson, away from his problems. He stared at a tile on the floor--he knew Carmine well enough to know he wouldn't come quietly, which meant his girl wouldn't come quietly either. It made the possibilities of what could happen virtually endless, and all of them were negative. He shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, taking in a sharp breath, "No," He opened his eyes, "I have to be the one if it comes to that. Besides...I might be able to talk to him."
The look in Carlson's eyes told Nick that there wouldn't be a possibility to talk, but he pretended not to see it. Carlson nodded, putting an arm over Nick's shoulder, "Well then, I guess we gotta get ready too, huh? We got a long trip ahead of us."
****
Her lips tasted sweet like a lollipop, her body was soft like cotton candy; and yet her touch was electrifying.
Carmine's arms were wrapped around Marrissa, holding her close as their lips clashed violently. One hand rested on her hip, the other ran through her hair. Their clothes rested in a terrible stack in the hotel room, bodies hiding underneath the complimentary white towels as steam from the shower billowed toward them. Marrissa's face paint had been washed away, revealing a beautiful babyface.
Carmine pushed forward, sending her back first onto the bed with him on top of her. Their lips never broke apart--it was as if their souls were intertwined, bodies becoming one. She rolled on top of him, cupping his chin with her delicate hand. She pulled away slowly, opening her eyes fast enough to see him puckering his lips like a fish. Marrissa giggled, locks of pink and blue surrounded her face.
As he opened his eyes, he smiled too. Marrissa watched him carefully for a few moments, resting comfortably on his body, before a frown crossed her features, "Carmine..." Her words were nearly breathless, "What if they find us?"
Carmine thought about this for a moment. He remembered walking into the hotel with Marrissa at his arm, and the way the man at the counter stared at them when he requested a room somewhere in between the first and top floor. When he opened his mouth to say something as a look of remembrance came across his features, Carmine had thrown forward a messy stack of hundreds and asked for the honeymoon suite instead. He was able to bribe that man, but they couldn't get away like that forever when they were all over the news. That's why they had to get to Mexico by tomorrow. They were close, so very close.
He reached a hand upward, caressing his lover's cheek. Her frown dissolved into a faint smile as she nuzzled his palm, "We'll be in Mexico living the life by this time tomorrow," He brushed a strand of pink away from her eyes, "They'll never take us alive, baby."
This was enough to make Marrissa grin fully. She leaned in once more, pressing her lips against his own as her hands reached over, untying the towel at his waist. Carmine reached a hand over to the only light source in the room, shutting off the lamp. As the lights went out and they were put in pitch black, the white towels were the only sight to see as they hit the floor. Their eyes met, his pale reds colliding with her ocean blues, and on that night they became a purple sky.
****
Carmine's dreamless slumber was put to a screeching halt at the sound of a shrill voice in the back of his mind.
His eyes shot open, quickly alert as his hand reached over to the nightstand beside him. He held a vice grip on his revolver, looking back and forth in the hotel room for a few moments as the light of early morning shined through the large window that lead to the fire escape. It took Carmine a few moments to escape the daze of sleep enough to realize that the shrill voice was not an intruder.
Gingerly taking his hand off of the weapon, he instead moved it forward to the vibrating phone. With his body completely in the blanket, the only thing visible was his large arm reaching over and then reclining. He glanced at the number; for some reason, it seemed very familiar.
Looking over at Marrissa for a moment, taking her in as she slept peacefully, curled up at his side. He pressed down on the phone, placing it to his ear while he sat up softly, "Hello?" His voice was quiet for the sake of his sleeping lover, but still held a firmness to it.
"Carmine?" The voice on the other line paused, "Carmine--listen to me, you need to turn yourself in."
His eyes widened as the last of his haze was swept away. He frowned, his voice now a snarl, "What? Who the hell is this?" There was another silence, but this time it was much longer. Carmine pressed further, his voice growing louder, "I know you heard me!"
The voice was now strained, "It's--It's Nick." The words made Carmine's blood turn to ice. Now he was the one who was speechless. The voice and number were both familiar, but he never thought that Nick would talk to him again.
Nick seemingly understood the surprise over the other line, and took his chance to pounce on the palpable emotions, "Just turn yourself in, man," He prodded, exhaling, "Things can't escalate anymore. There's too much bloodshed already."
Carmine grit his teeth, his expression darkening as Marrissa moved around next to him. Her eyes softly opened as she let out a long yawn. She turned to look at him with a sleepy smile, however upon seeing his face she frowned and grew alert, "Carmine?"
Nick continued on the other line, "Carmine...please. I don't wanna see you die."
At that moment, there was a harsh knock. Carmine turned to the door, suddenly enraged once again. He grabbed the phone, hurling it into the wall with all of his might as the device shattered into hundreds of small pieces. Marrissa jumped a bit, rolling out of bed as her naked body was illuminated by the fresh sunlight.
Another knock, "Carmine and Marrissa, we know you're in there! Open the door!"
Carmine grimaced, "Hang on man, I gotta get dressed!" He practically jumped out of bed, slipping on his boxers and rapidly putting on his other clothes. Marrissa stopped for a moment, eyes glued to her lover's back. She bit her lip, suddenly entranced by her child-like ability to divert her attention away from important matters.
When Carmine was fully dressed, he turned and Marrissa blinked. He looked at her and exhaled; she had only managed to put on her bra and panties before getting entranced by her man, "God damn it," He muttered under his breath. He turned again, watching the door knob jingle--it wouldn't be long before they picked the lock.
Grabbing her other clothes in one hand and clasping her hand with the other, he placed the gun in his pocket and pulled her toward the large window, "Come on, we gotta go!" he whispered, opening the window as the both of them simultaneously slipped on their shoes. Carmine ran down the metal steps with his hair every which way from the night before--meanwhile Marrissa was in her underwear.
As the dynamic duo made it to the ladder, Carmine could see from up above the men clad in blue glaring down at them. One of them pointed, and the others began to rush down the steps. Already halfway down, Carmine jumped from the ladder, landing gracefully on the concrete. Marrissa did as well, but Carmine caught her even though she could have made the jump.
Still pulling on her by her hand, Carmine lead his lover to the car only a few yards away, quickly opening the door and slipping into it. Quick to put in the keys and start the engine, Carmine now threw Marrissa's clothes to the back and placed his revolver on the center console. Looking behind him, he saw the assault rifle and tommy gun resting neatly in the back seat as well.
As he closed his door, Marrissa entered from the passenger side. He didn't have to tell her to hang on this time--she already knew damn well what was going to happen. With the screech of tire against asphalt and the smell of burning rubber, the duo drove onto the streets and sped away just as the policemen made it to the ground.
****
With the highway patrol all over, Carmine had no choice but to take the back roads--much to his dismay. He felt the sports car bounce against the rocks both large and small, plumes of dirt flying up behind them. Instead of the pleasure of woods and tunnels like in the other states, the two of them had to go down a long dirt road surrounded completely by desert. However, at the end of this road was an intersection--one lead to a small village, and the other lead to a nearly unknown entrance through the Mexican border. Carmine had the passport and the bribe money--Marrissa just couldn't be seen. His eyes were focused on the road ahead, however they would quickly turn to the rear view mirror every few seconds.
Meanwhile, Marrissa was fully clothed once again. Her feet were against the back of the seat as her head hung from the bottom. She hummed while kicking her feet, her hair spread all over her face. There was a content grin on her face as she turned to her lover, waiting for him to notice her.
As soon as he did, Carmine let out an exhale, gripping the wheel a bit tighter, "Can you please put your seatbelt on?" He asked softly.
Giggling, she grabbed the seat belt, placing it on herself and clicking it in without moving her body at all. He looked at her again, a faint frown forming on his face. He turned forward, "And sit the right way, for Christ sake! I don't want you getting hurt," He didn't look at her as he continued, "C'mon, Marrissa, I'm trying to get us away from all the cops and you've been taking your attention away from what's important and just messing around! You're gonna get you and me both killed!"
It wasn't much, and Carmine didn't even mean half of it, but hurt still crossed her eyes. Slowly, she took off her seatbelt and sat upright, placing it back on herself. She crossed her arms, pouting her lip and staring at the dirt in front of them. She was hurt and angry at him, but under all of that she was ashamed of herself for making her Carmine upset.
There were a few minutes of choking silence as the glance that had been moving toward the rear view mirror now went to Marrissa. Every time he looked over, her expression and position hadn't changed. Eventually he exhaled, "Babe, I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's fine," She said dismissively, sniffling for good measure.
"No, I mean it. I just wanna give you the life in the clouds you deserve. I love you, my little goofball," He turned to her, his smile returning as she fought to keep a straight face. She looked away from him as her face flushed with red. He held out his hand, placing it on hers, "Please forgive me?"
A few moments of silence later, and Marrissa turned suddenly, embracing him tightly as Carmine kept one eye on the road so they wouldn't crash, "Okaaaaaay I forgive you sugar pop!" She was giddy again, sitting back in her seat, "I promise I'll be good"
As Carmine's attention was half to Marrissa and half to the road, he didn't pay much attention to the lonely vehicle that sat down a secluded trail shadowed by large rocks a few meters down. The vehicle came in behind him, and sirens went off as Carmine went to say something else. He nearly put his face on the steering wheel, "I'm getting sick of that noise," He commented, accelerating as larger plumes of dirt followed in their tracks. They were too close to give up the whole thing now.
****
Carlson leaned back in the front seat, looking outside the open window into the blistering desert as a glowering cigarette hung idly from his mouth. His expression was hard and his eyes were halfway open as he exhaled smoke. He turned to Nick, holding out a pack with his other hand, "Sure you don't want any?"
Nick looked from the pack to his partner and shook his head, "I told you I quit smoking months ago, man."
Carlson shrugged, dropping the pack of cigarettes back into one of the empty cup holders as he blew another puff of smoke into the scorching air, "They should be here soon," Carlson broke the silence reluctantly.
Nick nodded, resting his chin against his fist as he stared at the endless road, waiting anxiously for the appearance of a vehicle. Carlson continued, flicking the cigarette against the window as a burnt piece fell to the asphalt, "I told you they wouldn't go quietly, man."
"He's too stubborn," Nick replied monotonously, "He always has been, since we were kids."
Nick didn't want to continue, but the words seemed to come out, "Carmine was a good kid, y'know--he just ended up in the wrong crowd. I pursued my career, and he pursued a quick thrill," Carlson was surprised--Nick had never opened up this much about The Desert Wolf before, "I just brushed it off until he started the big time crime. I couldn't be surrounded by that anymore so I..."
"I cut him off--and I thought I never would have to see him again--but y'know, here we are."
Carlson placed the cigarette back in his mouth, waiting a while before breathing a long exhale. He coughed slightly looking to Nick for a few moments before continuing, "You sure you wanna do this?"
On Nick's lap was an assault rifle, fully loaded with the safety off. He tapped it fervently with his hand. Slowly, he turned to Carlson and shook his head with a faint smile, "No...I'm not."
The roar of an engine tore their attention away from one another. Much further down the road was a beat up sports car with a police car not far behind. Nick grabbed his assault rifle and stepped out of the car nearly in sync with the rest of the police officers. Carlson opened the front door, throwing the cigarette to the ground as he grabbed his megaphone. As he stood, he crushed the cigarette under his heel. He held a 12-gauge with his free hand as he turned the megaphone on.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Carlson's booming voice echoed forth as the vehicle screeched to a halt.
****
"Damn it!" Carmine slammed his calloused hand against the steering wheel before running it through his slick hair, sighing heavily as he quickly pressed on the brakes. Marrissa nearly smashed her face against the dashboard before catching herself as she looked from him to the group of police cruisers blocking the road. His grip on his weapon was firm as he stared through the windshield, suddenly surrounded.
"Carmine...?" Marrissa's concern was palpable as she tried her best to reach out to him. His reply was a loud scream aimed at nobody in particular as she winced in response. She placed a hand on his shoulder, holding tight, "Sugarpop, stop!"
"We were so close!" He now literally put his head on the steering wheel, suddenly getting quiet, "So close."
The megaphone startled them; "Mr. Desert Wolf and Ms. Sugar High!" Carmine lifted his glance to the older man holding the megaphone in one hand and the shotgun in the other, "Step out of the vehicle before we make you get out!"
Carmine watched as another man walked toward the older one, speaking with him for a moment before taking the megaphone as well, "Carmine!" He stopped, grimacing at the voice he had heard on the phone a few hours before.
"This is your last chance," He continued, a surprising calmness in his voice "Step out of the car"
Now it was Marrissa who was beginning to get anxious, her hands visibly shaking as she gripped Carmine for dear life, "W-What do we do? Baby, I'm getting scared."
Carmine looked down at the weapon in his grasp. The idea of launching an offensive against the police was near suicide, and the fact that Nick was one of the men in the crowd did nothing to ease that thought. He didn't want to hurt him--not again.
He looked over at his lover who shook, awaiting his leadership. He couldn't handle the idea of going to jail and being separated from her for the rest of his life--even if it meant that he would have to give his own up. If they were together in the afterlife, wouldn't that be just like the life in the clouds she wanted anyway?
His words were as soft as his blackened heart, "I told you they'd never take us alive, right?"
It took a few moments for the words to process, and then Marrissa smiled. She leaned forward as Carmine did the same, their lips meeting for one last embrace. She never wanted to leave his strong arms again, and she hoped that soon she wouldn't have to.
Pulling away reluctantly, Carmine opened the front door, gripping his gun with one hand and holding Marrissa's with the other. She followed through the other door, holding her tommy gun. They pushed the door shut and stood in front of it. Marrissa lifted the hand holding the tommy gun in the air; Carmine lifted his hand holding his own gun, however the hands connecting them as one never broke apart.
Nick was reluctant with his next words, "Put your weapons down," When there was no movement, he snarled, "I SAID PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN!"
Their weapons didn't come down but forward, pointing at the group of officers as the both of them shared a loving look before pulling the trigger. Smoke billowed in the sky as gunshots rang across the barren desert land. Vermillion pools formed around the police cruisers as Carlson and Nick both took one in the shoulder. Some of them tried to move behind their cover, but only a small amount succeeded as blood splattered against the blue and white vehicles.
The surprise attack had done nothing to stop the inevitable, however, as the officers quickly regained their bearings, "FIRE!" Carlson yelled from the ground as Carmine and Marrissa stood together. The blistering bullets cut into the two, filling them with lead as they fell back against the hood of the car. Within seconds, they had met the fate they chose.
It was shorter than they had envisioned; within 15 seconds half of the police force on the scene and two criminals were dead. Their guns lay empty on the ground as the rest of them got their bearings.
Nick checked the bodies of his fellow comrades, shaking his head in shame. “They didn’t have to die,” He muttered to himself.
He moved slowly to the two corpses aside from the rest, clutching his shoulder that was spilling with crimson blood. The car, now dented and stained, was totalled after multiple bullets pierced the hood and the engine. He looked down at this man, one that he used to consider a brother, now reduced to a mess of holes. A lone tear ran down the length of his face, coalescing at his cheek and colliding with the asphalt below. The sunny sky had become a cloudy day, marking the mood.
Carlson trotted up behind him solemnly, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing, “I’m sorry, bud,” He said, “We did what we had to do.”
Nick nodded, turning over his shoulder to his longtime partner and friend, “I know, man,” He exhaled shakily, “I know.”
There was a monumental silence before Nick looked back to the two bodies. Carlson broke it with a scoff, crossing his arms, “Hmph...see that?”
Nick blinked, “What?”
“They’re still holding hands.”