Aberrant: Mutant High - How Do You Like Them Apples [Complete]

[Atomicweasel]

Back in his room, Ren's thoughts kept drifting to Oneca. He thought about her silly green cloak. He thought about her cynical and reluctant little grin--did she know how cute that was? Was it cleverly calculated? He thought about her clove cigarettes--trying so hard to be sophisticated. That was cute too. He thought about getting into her pants.

Probably it would be prudent to play the game. To wait a few days before calling her, Ren thought. And it was then he realized that he couldn't call her right now even if he wanted to, which he did, because he didn't have her number.

Fuck. That fucking meddlesome amazon. Fuck. Ren straightened up in his bed. There has to be a way to get it. Someone would know it. But he couldn't go through Sonja or her friends; that crazy bitch would come after him with a pair of pruning shears no doubt.

"Curtis!" Ren said aloud as he bounded off his bed. That little shit knows everything. He swept out of his room and down the stairs, all but skidding into the common room, looking around frantically for Sasha.

The Russian mutant was still sitting in front of the TV with another boy, who Ren ignored entirely as he strode over. "Sasha, you got some tutoring fro--"

"Ren!" Sasha turned to look at him. "I have found way to defeat Nimzo Larsen opening in only fourteen moves."

Ren blinked at Sasha. "That's...that's great Sash, but--"

"Let me show you!" Sasha turned away from the TV. On the low flat coffee table in front of him, a chess set materialized, coming together from nothingness, summoned by Sasha's out-stretched hand. Ren watched as the black and white marble pieces arranged themselves, trying to follow the Russian mutant's moves.

"See?"

"I see that part, but why are you exposing your left diagonal when he could just--"

"Yes, Ren, because he is moving here, right?"

"Yeah, okay."

"And then I must move here."

Ren nodded.

"The sacrifice now is key. In five more moves I have his queen. In eight, check-mate."

"You lost me Sash..."

"I can show," the pieces moved quickly across the board. When a piece was taken, it simply disappeared, breaking up into little particles that swirled away like sand.

"Okay. I think I get it." Ren straightened from where he crouched by the sofa. "But, listen, that Curtis guy, he tutored you, right?"

"Yes. Arrogant boy. I wanted to break nose."

"Well, that's cool...but what's his number?"

"You need tutor?" Sasha gave Ren a suspicious glance.

"Something like that."

"Okay, number is four zero two. Two seven six. Nine nine, three seven." Sasha enunciated carefully.

"Thanks, Sasha." Ren headed for the kitchenette, pulling out his iphone and dialing up the numbers.

"Ren, we play soon?"

"You always win, bud." He glanced back over his shoulder at Sasha's hopeful expression. "Yeah, okay. Tomorrow. I promise." Ren held the phone to his ear, listening to it ring...

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis heard his phone ring and glanced at caller ID. Not a number he recognized, which probably meant another student looking for first-time tutoring from him.

"This is Curtis."

[Atomicweasel]

"S'up, Shane." Ren picked his bowl off the counter, turned it over and scowled at the gunk collected at the bottom. Fucking gross. "This is Berren Weiland. I've got a little favor to ask you..."

He set the bowl down and leaned up against the kitchen counter.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis was somewhat intrigued. Ren was not someone who he got along with well, but his asking for a favor sounded profitable. Of course, he'd heard about the incident with Oneca from Sonja, hence that could be the reason after all.

"The favor being?"

[Atomicweasel]

"I need some digits, paisano. I know you're handy with imacs and whatever the fuck...can you dig something up for me?" Ren leaned over to sniff thoughtfully at his bowl where it sat on the counter. What is that shit? Kim chi?.

"There's this girl, Oneca. New student, nice kid. Can you take a peek at her records and make sure she doesn't have aids or some shit? You know what I'm saying? Just green light me, bro. No big thing. And get me her cell. Do me this solid, Shane...and I'll hook you up." Ren promised vaguely.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis scowled unseen by Ren. He knew that his suspicions had been confirmed. And he had no current interest in relationships, nor angering Sonja. So his voice turned annoyed as hell.

"You know that's Super Barbie's sister right? Check that, I know that you know. Do you think whatever you're suggesting would be worth risking a super-pummelling?"

[Atomicweasel]

"Listen, Home-queso, I'm just asking for some basic standard info shit. I just wanna know is she safe enough to, you know..." Ren trailed off uncomfortably. For some reason discussing sex, or even the possibility of sex, with Curtis made him queasy. "Like has she got some fucked up mutie...shit...thing..." he went on articulately. That melts balls. "...that melts balls."

"And her number." Ren put his bowl under the sink and proceeded to drown it in hotwater and dish-soap. "Barbie's not gonna fuck with you. You're probably the only reason she passes any of her fucking classes, amirite? It's not like she'd ever fucking find out from me. C'mon, dude. Bring the rain. I know you can do it."

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis did not agree with this at all. But... a nasty idea formed in his head. Ren would not like it, but Curtis didn't really care.

"What are you willing offer? Spell it out clearly." As he said this, he calculated how soon he could tell Sonja about Ren's interest in her sister. And maybe Oneca. Double trouble for Ren would make a good bit of entertainment.

[Atomicweasel]

Ren paused to think about this. What exactly was he willing to offer? What would Curtis want? Did the kid even have desires?

"I dunno. What do you want for it, Shane?" Maybe I'll luck out and he'll ask for a pocket protector.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis smirked. This seemed easier than he thought. "Leave 20 dollars in the dorm of your's. I'll stop by later to pick it up. Then I'll do the searching for you. I'm sure you'd do the same in my place."

[Atomicweasel]

Ren frowned. "Leave twenty bucks in my dorm? Uh, that's not gonna work, champ."

He scratched the back of his head. Why was Curtis making this into a spy game?

"Here's what I'd do. I'd walk up to you and say, 'hey, got my twenty bucks?' and you'd say 'yeah,' and I'd say, 'cool, here's the number you wanted and by the way, she's not contagious or whatever.' Doesn't that sound a fuck lot easier? I leave twenty bucks lying around and someone's getting a pizza."

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis internally groaned. "Well, unlike you, I can't make an illusion that I was somewhere I wasn't. Frankly, I insist on getting the cash first, so that it's worth going forward. No money, no info. Understand?"

[Atomicweasel]

"Wait, what?" Ren asked, confused.

"You afraid I'm gonna bilk you? Look, just call me when you have the info, and I'll come settle up with you. Cool? It's not a drug deal, bro. Chill."

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis thought hard for a moment, then decided that the entertainment would make up for the lack of money. "Fine. Bye."

He hung up the phone, then dialed Sonja. Time to thicken the plot.

[Sonja Bahaar]

Sonja was in the second gymnasium, exercising on the weight-lifting equipment, when she heard the musical ringtone of her iPhone. She got up and stretched - even maxed out, the weights didn't really push her, but they were adequate. She looked at the number displayed and raised a brow. I didn't call him for any tutoring, and I'm all payed up.

"What's up, Curtis?"

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis grinned. "News flash, Sonia. Ren is out for sex with your sister, and stalker-like, may I add. I know, cause he told me and wanted my services for getting her phone number. So, please restrain your urge to beat him to a pulp, till I deliver fake goods and get paid for it."

[Atomicweasel]

Meanwhile, haplessly unaware that he'd just been double-crossed, Ren shrugged at his iphone and lifted his wrist to check his sleek black-face Movado watch. Almost time for another family reunion with Father Gerald.

He took his last remaining peach Snapple out of the fridge and took one long thirsty gulp from it before leaving the empty glass bottle on the counter for some other punk to clean up.

Returning to his room he tugged on a black turtleneck and pulled out his Hugo Boss coat then, glancing down at his Levis, opted to swap those out for the Bennetons. He neatly folded and returned his used clothes to the closet, then ambled unhurriedly down the stairs and back out into the snow.

There was no sign of the kids playing in the quad anymore, and the once sprawling and beautiful fortress looked quite worse for wear. Maybe Glacia would make another one. It almost made him wish he was ten years old again...but then his prospects with the Onecas of the world would be bleak indeed, so maybe not.

He blew on his hands to keep them warm, regretting the oversight of leaving his gloves back at his room, and quickened his step as he crossed the campus toward the chapel. Father Gerald should just be winding up his sermon by now.

[Sonja Bahaar]

"Is he?" Sonja said, her voice cool, colder than Curtis had ever heard it. Curtis had heard the Amazonian girl make threats before, but she said them without any real heat. Now her voice was so cold it could burn, would do Glacia proud.

"I'll wait if you want, Curtis. Pray tell, where can I find him?"

[Curtis Shane]

"Let's wait for an hour or two," Curtis replied, obviously holding all the patience in the world. "I'll buzz him, say I got the info, then tip the meeting place to you."

[Sonja Bahaar]

"Fine," Sonja agreed reluctantly, using the dreaded female word that all males feared to hear, and could never interpret. She obviously did not hold all the patience in the world. "I'll be waiting." Curtis winced as she hung up with a thunderous silence.

[Curtis Shane]

After a couple hours of waiting and internet surfing, Curtis phoned Ren back. He told Ren to meet in the quad as soon as possible, to which Ren agreed promptly.

Then he printed a sheet with the bolded words 'Better luck next time', folded it and placed it into a envelope which he sealed and then set out for the quad.

Just as he left the dorm, he left a similar message for Sonja, including a caution to let him get the money first.

[Atomicweasel]

Ren arrived at the quad some ten minutes after Curtis's call. He was hungry and a little impatient as he looked around the snow covered campus and breathed into his fists to keep his hands warm. For the second time that day, he chided himself for having forgotten his gloves.

It's cold as Glacia's tit out here, Ren thought, untucking and retucking his scarf round his neck, giving it a little twist so it sat more jauntily across his collar. He checked his watch and burried his hands in his jacket pockets, tilting his head back to stare up at the sky and the bright spattering of stars.

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis waited till he could see Ren coming, then jogged over in winter clothes and the envelope, acting as if in great haste. "Listen, I got the info here, but there's a session I need to reach, so here," he passed over the envelope to Ren, then stopped cold.

"Christ! I'm late, just give me the money later. Bye!" At that point, he shot off as fast as he could. Sonja was coming from behind Ren in the near distance, and he didn't want to get mixed up in the coming beatdown.

[Sonja Bahaar]

As soon as Sonja got the location of the deal, she got ready to head there. Quickly, she dressed as inconspicuously as she could. She bound down her breasts as much as possible (no very) then put on the loosest coat and pants that she had. Stuffing her long hair under a floppy hat, and slipping on her raybans completed her ensemble. Looking in the mirror, it was still obviously her, but it was the best she could do - that wasn't many girls over six feet at LHA, despite the unique students that attended.

She made it to the quad, and cursed, Ren was already here, and Curtis was walking right up to him. Damn it! Why did I even bother trying to be sneaky? She quickly moved to the alcove of a door, hoping that Ren hadn't seen her yet.

[Atomicweasel]

Ren glanced down at the envelope Curtis had shoved at him, scowling after the running boy. "Curtis? What the fuck?" He started to open the envelope, but something stopped him, maybe it was the look in Curtis's eye when he handed him the envelope. Maybe it was the long shadow that suddenly stretched across him. Maybe it was Sonja's red and angry face coming right at him.

"Sonja!" You little motherfucker! "Woah, there, hold up, listen...let's talk reasonable like, okay?" Ren was stepping back, holding the envelope up like a shield. He sounded scared at first, or maybe just flustered, until his voice suddenly thickened, grew heavy, and seemed to seep straight into Sonja's bones.

"Wait. Let's talk."

[Sonja Bahaar]

Those tones, light honey poured over thunder, cut right through Sonja's overly-protective sisterly wrath. Only one day here, and already Oneca was causing her grief. She had destroyed the cafeteria doors and got the 'tether' talk for the first time, she didn't need to see Ms. Childs again for turning Ren's face into abstract art - she didn't even understand abstract art.

"Okay, I'm listening. This better be good, Ren," Sonja said, her voice low, unaware of her parted lips or the light in her indigo eyes.

[Atomicweasel]

"Kay, here's the thing, Sonja. I really like your sister." Ren said sincerely. He gulped back the thickness in his throat and went on in a mild self-effacing tone, his voice still keyed to that deep intimate frequency that made it feel as though he were sharing his soul with Sonja.

"I know you hate my guts, and you don't want me to like your sister, or call her or try to do shit with her or anything--and I get that," Ren ploughed on, speaking more quickly, his words urged on by honesty. "But it's not your call, Sonja. It's not my call either. It's her call. So, okay...this..."

He held up the envelope and shook it for effect. "This was lame. I shouldn't have asked that little fucker to get me Neca's number. I should've just waited and asked her myself. But, and maybe this part you don't get cuz you're gorgeous and you don't ever have to worry about getting rejected, but...when you like someone, really like someone, and you're scared they'll just turn you down, you do stupid shit like this." Ren handed Sonja the envelope.

"So, all I'm saying is...gimme a chance. And let Neca make her own choices. You can always break my face later if I turn out to be half the jerk you think I am." The truth was something organic. Something that lived inside of you. And when you let it free, it felt good, Ren found. It made him brave. Brave enough to extend his hand to Sonja and add...

"Cool?"

[Sonja Bahaar]

A very strange look crossed Sonja's face when Ren mentioned being rejected and the stupid things that people can do, which turned to surprise as he handed her the envelope. She looked at him as if she had never seen him before, wasn't even what he was. What said, well, she couldn't do everything for 'Neca, only be there when she fell. She wanted to punch in face right now, just for how right he sounded.

"Don't call her 'Neca, she hates that." After a long moment, she took his hand, gripping with more force than was strictly necessary. To Ren's credit, his grimace looked more like a genuine smile, but that may have just been a trick of the light.

"We're cool," She said, then suddenly yanked him close with irresistible strength, her lips close to his ear. "But I'll hold you to the potential face-breaking though. 'Neca can be a bitch, but she is my sister."

With that, she casually shoved him back and left, her steps just a tad unsteady, adding a little extra sway to her hips. What the fuck just happened?

[Atomicweasel]

Ren stumbled back as Sonja shoved him, scrabbling for purchase in the slick snow and planting his left arm to catch himself from a fall. He straightened out, reached down to brush the snow off his jeans and flexed his hand a few times to work out the stiffness.

After watching Sonja pad away across the quad, Ren turned and headed towards the cafeteria. His near brush with death had left him hungry...or was that an appetite for revenge he felt growing like a clenched angry fist in his belly?

You are so fucked, Shane. So. Fucked.