Clare rolled her eyes. “Not you too, Jeff! I don’t like him. I just like… some things about him. I mean, none of us know him that well.”
“Max does,” Jeff put in. “Speaking of which, he said you were pretty harsh to him over the internet the other day.” Jeff was looking into her eyes with an unrelenting truth-detecting gleam.
Clare tripped up, but he caught her. “No,” she said. “He hasn’t sent me a message in a couple days now. What did he say?”
“The one thing that makes him angriest.” Jeff waited for her to confess. “Says you poked at the gay-topic,” he offered when she didn’t answer.
“Oh, please!” she burst. “I would never.”
“He has it on a message, Clare. He showed it to me last night.” Jeff had his serious face on. It was one that always made people listen because he hardly ever wore it. “I know you’re into this whole he-man barbarian guy, but don’t abandon your old friends.”
Clare had to stop. She sped for the nearest exit and collapsed onto a bench with Jeff close behind. After he sat down, she asked, “Who has been saying this stuff? I hardly talk to him.”
Now Jeff’s lips pursed and his brow wrinkled. “If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’d rather not say now,” he sighed. “Something’s up then.”
Looking back out on the rink, Clare saw that Max, Lance, and Alice were out on the rink now. They had come in from the other side and hadn’t seen them yet. Clare waved to them and Alice saw, pointing them out to the others. As they neared, Clare noticed with a groan of agony that Dwyerstoph and his troll goons were leaning up against the wall on the rink as well. They let Lance and Alice pass without so much as a wink, but when Max went by, one of the goons stuck his long leg out, taking his feet out from under him.
“Oh, and that’s going to be one bloody vampire!” the DJ said in a sing-song voice from his perch.
Lance and Alice wheeled around and dashed at the trolls. While Alice chased them all the way to the other side of the rink and off into the boy’s bathroom, Lance helped Max to his feet. Jeff motioned for them to meet in the café.
They all congregated at a large round table that was covered in chipped red paint. Max was holding his nose and leaning his head back to stop the bleeding.
“I will have troll horns mounted on my walls!” Alice screamed as she planted herself by Clare. “And teeth for a necklace!” She grabbed the front of Clare’s shirt and said this into her face to emphasize her point. She sighed loudly and slumped down. “Sorry, everyone.”
They all smiled at their warrior friend’s enthusiasm. No one was a troll-friend.
As they spent time in each other’s company, Clare did come to realize that she giggled a significant amount in Lance’s presence. He was extremely charming and funny and to Clare’s surprise, he made highly intelligent conversation.
“Not to be offensive or anything,” she added after accidentally making this observation out loud. “It’s just that the football stereotype is a hard one to dispel.”
He nodded generously. “I got over stereotypes long ago. Alice and I would have never met without them. She was nerdy and smart and I was failing history class.”
Alice smiled at the compliment, raising her slushy to her friend. “And Max would be dead if Lance couldn’t look past the black veil. And he owes me for that B+ I helped him get.”
“You cheated?” Clare gaped at Alice.
“No,” Lance corrected her. “She tutored me.”
“Oh,” Max laughed. “What kind of tutoring?” He wiggled his black eyebrows at Alice.
“Wrong team,” Jeff and Lance said at the same time.
“What?” Clare and Max gasped.
“Not into guys?” Max’s eyes were wide as he looked across at Alice.
Alice smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Lance and I get along better when we can both gaze longingly at Natalie Portman.”
Clare guffawed at her ignorance. Alice was so demure in real life. So smart and bookish with modest clothes and inexpensive accessories. She was always clean and pretty. This new discovery didn’t change a thing somehow. To Clare, it didn’t changer her opinion. Alice was wise and so grown up. Nothing else mattered.
Lance shifted a little and made a quick glance at Max who shook his head and mouthed “no” urgently. Lance also shook his head.
“Clare,” he said directly. “Were you on the message board last evening?”
“Nope,” she said through a mouthful of nachos. “I was at my dad’s boss’ house suffering through white wine and scallops, I think. Not sure what the food was.”
All the others exchanged glances that Clare could not read except for a big “told you so.”
“What?” she asked.
“Someone was on your account then because you said some unkind things,” Max explained.
Clare gaped, horrified. “Maxey, what’d I say?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Lance cut in. “In other news, I got a job at the game shop. I run tournaments now and am getting used to the crowd.”
“Our boy has now fully immersed himself in our world of childish fantasy,” Jeff proclaimed merrily. “You are a battle-master? Glad you have seen the light, my friend.”
“I didn’t take much convincing,” Lance laughed. “I was into LARP before the board games. And I wouldn’t call it childish. You can make a living off that stuff.”
Clare thought. “You think so? We shouldn’t grow up and get real jobs?”
Lance shrugged and ran his hand through his long yellow hair. “What is a real job anyway? Who decided that definition?”
The conversation continued on with happy stories, groans about graduation, dividing up homework, and family life until Al and Stella finally showed up a couple hours later. Al wedged his way in between Alice and Clare while Stella flounced in a frilly gothic dress with purple peeking from the bottom. She stopped, posed, and twirled for her friends.
“I got a job,” she announced as she sat down next to Max. “I hate it, I hate the people, and I hate my boss, but I am making money now.”
“You look nice,” Max said kindly. “I thought you said your parents were too rich for you to work?”
“Yeah, but they won’t buy me these clothes. I had to do it myself. Oh and guess what?” Everyone perked up at her dramatic voice. “Al got into the state university!”
Everyone clapped and congratulated him. He beamed and thanked them all.
“If I do fine this last year, I’m in. I can graduate in four years and really start my life.”
“Don’t forget to enjoy this life, tiger,” Alice said, slapping him on the back. “Halloween soon and that means parties and more costumes!”
Al shook his head through everyone else’s cries of excitement. “Guys, don’t you think we should concentrate on midterms by then? Real life awaits!”
Everyone stopped and waited for him to go on. Lance and Clare shared a winking smile at the mention of real life.
“Listen,” he said. “Stella and I have been talking and we think that it’s time we put our online gaming and maybe even Sun Age on the shelf.” He caught Clare’s sudden, wide, horror-struck eyes. “Nothing against you, Clare. I know you worked hard on Sun Age, but the park will be gone soon and we need to…” He made eye-contact with everyone without any fear. “I’ve been wanting to say this for a while. We need to grow up.”
When no one outright reacted, he kept going.
“I want a job when I graduate from university. I want a house and a family. I want to be able to raise kids and get them all nice things. Those are my secret dreams. What’s wrong with that?”
Sensing the unfamiliar tension, Lance said, “Nothing, Al. That’s great and really mature of you.”
When still no one spoke, a few more awkward minutes went by. Clare felt like Al had reached into her chest and pulled out her heart and it was still beating in his hands. She tried to control her breathing so as to not pant and panic. She was not scared of gr
owing up, but it sounded like Al wanted to disband the friendships as well.
“You want to stop hanging out?” Max asked.
“No,” Al sighed. “Just not go out every weekend for camping.”
“Yeah, get a grip, Max,” Stella said as she twirled her eyelashes with the back of a spoon. She tried to give him a comforting smile, but he was immune to it.
It was clear the conversation was going to spiral out of control. Clare stood up and announced it was high time they all skated. She led the way, as she had so many times before, out onto the rink and started to glide around the court.
Jeff went to Al’s side and tried to patch things up with a few more congratulations on the university and inquired about his future plans. Fortunately, this did placate him a little. Unfortunately, he let slip to Jeff that Clare was a big part of his future dreams in the house he wanted a family in. Jeff knew Clare had other plans, even if she didn’t announce them to the world like Al did.
“Have you even asked her out once?” Jeff inquired in a business-like manner. He knew it was the best tone to use with Al.
“A million times!” Al sighed. “She keeps saying no.”
Jeff shrugged at this. Didn’t no usually mean no? “Not to throw a stick in your spokes, but don’t you think Max is rather into her? Come on, we’re guys. You’ve seen him around her.”
He had a point, but not one Al was worried about.
“I’m not concerned with Max.” He smiled smugly. “Do you really think he’s any competition with me?”
Here was an opportunity for Jeff to let Al have a piece of his very well informed mind. But his better judgment kicked in and he held his tongue. Jeff was no expert, but something told him that Clare would not be the type of girl to wilt under a man and be nothing but a cook and house cleaner when she had so many dreams of her own. She would even say there was nothing wrong with the idea and it was, in fact, a noble pursuit. It was just not what she wanted to do.
“You should find out what she wants to do,” Jeff suggested. “She’s a pretty cool girl. She has a lot of ideas about life and the education system. Stuff like that.”
“I know she does,” Al replied enthusiastically. “That’s why I know she’s the one for me.”
In Jeff’s mind, that didn’t make sense. Why would someone so passionate and alive and inventive as Clare drop all that in a few years for a man who wouldn’t listen to her answers to his dating calls now?
Clare sped up to Lance and Alice and took her hand as girls often do on skating rinks.
“I suck at this,” she panted trying to keep her feet under her.
“I think we all know now who was on your account the other day,” Alice said. “I’m glad that wasn’t you.”
Clare was listening but only half-heartedly. She wanted so badly to talk to her now about her adventures. Of all the people, level-headed Alice would be the one to not judge her and to actually believe her. But in theory, the conversation had been easy. Clare didn’t even know how to bring it up.
“I like the necklace,” Lance called to her over the music. “Looks real.”
A perfect opportunity and she was shaking in her skates. She just had to try! There was no way she could go at it alone again.
“They are,” she said and her voice quivered. “I was given them.”
No questions appeared on either of her friend’s faces. Maybe she needed a launching pad.
“Have you guys ever thought about other worlds?” she tried.
“Like Mars?” Alice asked.
“No, like the worlds in science fiction and fantasy books. Those kind.”
Lance nodded. “Isn’t that what we do? We think about them all the time.”
Clare couldn’t hold it in any more. She had to tell someone!
“Please, don’t laugh me!”
Alice smiled. “We’re not. We’re just skating. What’s up?” Clare clamped her lips closed and raised her eyebrows, scared. “We won’t laugh. Right, Lance?”
“We dress in fake leather and animal skins to run around half-naked on the weekends. We won’t laugh.” He nodded with a faux serious expression on his face.
“Ok,” gasped Clare. “I’ve been to another world. A magical one.”
They both stared at her, slight frowns pulling their faces down and their eyebrows together. Now they were listening.
“Remember that night when you all found me in the woods? I had literally fallen into another world. And I went again! This necklace was from a real barbarian warrior I met.” She pointed to the bones around her neck. “Oh, how I want to tell you everything!”
Despite the hopes Clare had for telling her fantasy-loving friends about the world and the hopes they’d understand, Lance and Alice exchanged frowns masquerading as concern. She held her breath to stop herself from screaming the truth of her adventures at them. Lance looked more confused than Alice did worried.
“Clare, do you mean when we were LARPing that weekend?” She had adopted her authoritative tone that always made Clare’s hackles rise. “We were playing, right?”
“During that,” she hissed as a group of young kids passed by. She pushed off to keep skating with the crowd. “When I fell, I woke up in a place I’d only seen in dreams, I swear. I thought I was dreaming, but I wasn’t. It’s some kind of world that’s being destroyed and others like us have been there!”
“Is this something you guys do?” Lance asked, honestly confused. “Talk about LARPing outside of the camp? Because I thought that was kind of against the rules.”
“It is,” Alice sighed. “Does this have to do with our lucid dreaming conversation? Did you reach your goal?”
“I’m not talking about that!” Clare slid in front, stopping their progress. “I talked to a queen, who said she’d seen other earthlings, but they had lost hope in us. I was a ranger there and I met a prince named Gwen.”
“Like another world inside our own?” Lance asked.
“Yes!”
Clare shouted as Alice scolded, “Lance, don’t encourage this!”
“Why not?” Clare crossed her arms and wouldn’t let Alice around her.
“Think about it logically, Clare,” Alice said in her tone again. “Unless you had some kind of world-leaping device, there is no way you beamed to another planet. Be realistic.”
“World-leaping devices are realistic?” Clare dropped her arms. “You sound like Al.”
“You believe in world-leaping devices?” Lance chuckled to Alice. “Thing is, Clare, I think maybe you play too much. Maybe you do need time off. Just to get settled in. And maybe take time off of planning college?”
Clare addressed Alice first. “Al is realistic, but you, you’re smart. Would I make this up?”
She looked at Alice’s unchanged face then to Lance.
“Maybe if you showed us?” he tried.
She held up the necklace again, but knew that was weak. “Have some faith, Alice. Not everything can be learned in a textbook. You are smarter than that.” She emphasized every word.
Alice kicked off and slowly continued to skate after Clare let her pass. She wasn’t watching the scene before her, her brown eyes misted in thought. She crossed her arms, something she only did when she felt threatened.
“I took a chance, I guess,” Clare sighed.
“Some just don’t like the unknown or unusual, Clare,” Lance said. They skated again, in-sync with each other, Lance shortening his strides to fit Clare’s. “I don’t know what to believe with you guys sometimes. It’s very confusing and I don’t like it. Alice is so reality based. Not like Al, but she’s definitely grounded.” He smiled to lighten the mood. “But I like this stuff you guys are into. Even though I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. My job is a nightmare on that point because even the customers beat me at the games.”
“Then can you like this even though you don’t understand?” she asked sadly. “I’m not crazy and the last thing I’m going to do is try to be realistic about it. I
don’t get the feeling that’s what this place needs.”
“I don’t know. I can try.” He sounded so unsure.
Ahead of them, Alice turned to face Clare and stopped skating. “Can you show us?” Her voice was cautious. “Tell us everything.”
Beams of light shot up inside Clare. She didn’t call her crazy again. She didn’t question her. She just wanted to see. It was like a miracle.
“I don’t know how to get there,” she confessed. “It always happened by accident.”
“Just take us to the places,” Lance suggested.
Nothing could have prepared Clare for the joy and relief she felt when Lance and Alice looked at her eagerly now. Either they were playing a very mean trick or they honestly wanted to look into it.
“You don’t think I’m crazy now?” She was almost too relieved to speak.
“Do you want us to judge you?” Alice asked. Clare shook her head. “Then show us.”
Clare knew they were not convinced, but the fact they had decided to take a chance on her was more than she could have asked for. They started to whisper plans for visiting the quarry when Stella and the others said they were ready to leave as it was getting late. Some of them had work the next day and others had school assignments to finish. No plans were made for them all to get together again. Normally, they would have planned out the next camping trip, but no one was bold enough to bring that up again.
Instead, they all simply said goodbye and Lance promised to make plans with her that week. Clare was so brightened up by Alice and Lance’s acceptance of her confession that the uncomfortable secrets of the message board conversations and Al’s remarks about growing up didn’t bother her any more.
She was halfway out of the parking lot when Max called to her. He had ridden to the rink with Al and didn’t feel like driving back with him.
“I was wondering if you could give me a ride?” he asked shyly.
A sudden thought kicked Clare in the brain and she blurted out, “Yes, but I have to tell you something. And I have a question to ask you.” Max waited, his blue eyes eager and wide. “What would you name an under elf who is normally feared by all races for their mischief and villainous nature, but is now enslaved to the heroin?”
Revary Page 13
