Home » The Archives » Chapter 12 » Playing with Fire
| Re: Playing with Fire [message #442 is a reply to message #441] |
Mon, 23 July 2012 20:55   |
artisticrainey
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Registered: July 2012
Location: Northern Ireland
Karma:
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Field Commander
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Thursday, October 11, 2068, 8:35 p.m., Christchurch, NZ.[/i]
"Hey, Cherie!" Anneliese called as they packed up their art supplies. "Jen, Manjari, Aroha, Tim and me - we're going to the ice cream shop around the corner. Want to come?"
Cherie glanced at the others who had looked up when their names had been mentioned, then at Airini. The bodyguard put her hand to her ear, pinky and thumb extended. Cherie got the message and turned to smile at Anneliese.
"I'd love to, but I have to ask permission first. Let me call my brother." She pulled out her phone, and dialed Virgil. At the same time, Airini was doing the same thing, but as a text message.
Virgil was leaving a costume shop. He had emailed his RSVP to Elise; he would have done it in person, but by the time he returned home, the exhausted rescue crew was resting, and there had been no response when he'd buzzed her door. He'd browsed around, but nothing had really smitten him. Maybe I'll see if Elise and I can go as a couple, he thought, smiling. When the phone sounded off with the ring tone he'd reserved for his sister, he was still smiling. "Hey, there, Cherie! Time to pick you up?"
"Well," Cherie said, biting her lower lip, "I've been invited to an ice cream shop around the corner with a couple of my friends," she paused, enjoying the idea of the word "friend', "and I wanted to know if it was okay."
A chime sounded in Virgil's ear, notifying him of a text message. He brought the phone away from his ear and glanced at the screen. It read: "All chk out OK. Will follow. Airi."
"Sure, Cherie, go ahead. I'll run GPS on the address and will pick you up in an hour or so, okay?" Virgil was mindful of the fact that it was a school night, and that his parents wouldn't be happy if Cherie was up extremely late. "I'll give Dad a call and let him know." He paused, and added, "Airini will be following, but she'll be discreet."
"Yeah, that's okay. Thanks so much, Virgil!" Cherie all but squealed. "See you later!"
"See you soon, Sis." He made sure he replied to the text message with a, "OK 2 follow" before cutting the connection and putting the phone in his pocket again. Whistling, he headed back to the car and decided to check out the music shop in the mall before picking up his sister.
The ice cream was good, and the conversation was even better. Cherie got to know Anneliese a bit more and became acquainted with a couple of the other students that she hadn't had a chance to speak to before. Aroha's tattoo fascinated her, as did Manjari's very different accent. They in turn wanted to know where she was from. "I can tell you're a Yank," Jen said, "but where in the States? I mean, to me, you all sound the same."
"I'm from the Southeast, state of South Carolina to be precise," Cherie replied.
"Does that mean you say 'y'all' all the time?" Tim asked, grinning.
"Only when it fits... y'all," she responded, returning the grin. The group laughed.
"Is Tennessee close to South Carolina?" Jen asked.
"Not far," Cherie said. "It borders North Carolina and Georgia, both of which border South Carolina. Just a couple hours drive, really, to get into the southeastern part of the state."
"Where is the Mississippi river in Tennessee?" Manjari asked.
"It's on the western border," Cherie responded. She took a bite of her sundae, then asked, "What's so interesting about Tennessee?"
"You mean you didn't hear about the earthquake there today?" Tim asked, sounding somewhat sarcastic. "I'm surprised this lot hasn't bent your ear about it before now. Earthquake equals disaster and disaster equals International Rescue, doesn't it, Liese?"
Aroha gave Tim a little push. "Of course it does, you pakeha! And International Rescue means the dreamy bloke with the yellow sash."
"But they don't wear sashes any more," Tim argued.
"Doesn't make him any less minty," Anneliese said stoutly.
Cherie's eyes went wide, and she fought hard to stifle a laugh. When she was sure she could speak without bursting into giggles, she asked, "Um, what's this all about?"
"Haven't you heard of International Rescue?" Aroha asked, eyes wide.
"Well, yes, of course," Cherie said hastily. "Everyone's heard about them. But who's this guy with the yellow sash?"
"Oh, you shouldn't have asked that!" Tim exclaimed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Now Liese will tell you the whole sad yarn."
"Quit whinging and being a wet blanket," Manjari said, giving him a shove in the other direction. "Cherie's interested, aren't you?"
"Yeah, sure," Cherie said, nodding. "Go ahead, Liese. Tell me your story."
"Well," Liese began. "It was almost two years ago when it happened. My Mum and me were driving down the motorway to the mall when this mad boy-racer went past, doing the ton. He..."
"Excuse me," Cherie said, her tone apologetic. "But 'boy-racer' and 'doing the ton'?"
"He had a really loud stereo and was driving too fast -- like 200 kph," Jen supplied.
"Oh, okay. Thanks." Cherie nodded at Anneliese. "Please continue."
"Ta." Anneliese sounded a bit miffed about the interruption. "As I said, he was going really fast, and got into a prang with another car. Not that it mattered to him; he just kept going. The other car hit a lorry carrying chlorine, and started a huge prang. Twenty-three cars! My Mum and me were in one of them. The chlorine kept spreading, killing people, even the plods -- the police - who had come to help."
Cherie nodded. She was beginning to remember the incident in question. It was the first time Thunderbird Seven had gone on a rescue. "Wow! That sounds scary!" she said, her eyes purposefully wide. "What happened next?"
Anneliese's former pique was gone with her new audience's rapt attention. "Well, my Mum and me couldn't get out. The doors were smashed shut. The chlorine was like a cloud, coming closer. Gave me the colly-wobbles, it did! Then this man appeared. He was wearing a HAZMAT suit, but I could see he had brown eyes and brown hair and his face was... oh, sweet-as!" She smiled widely. "He cut us out, and got us away from the chlorine. Later, I saw him with a yellow sash on." She looked down at her hands. "My Mum and me went for counseling, and the counselor told me I should write him a letter. To thank him and all."
Jen laughed. "She did more than that! She started a fan club!"
The light went on inside Cherie's head. Anna talked about this at dinner one night! Virgil was sooo embarrassed! "So," she asked, "you started a fan club?"
"Yes!" Manjari said, her eyes shining. "We have a website, and messageboard, and we have members from all over the world! It's beaut!"
"But what about the other guys?" Cherie asked. "Aren't there more than one?"
"Yeah, and what about the girls?" Tim asked. "I hear they're flash, too!"
Anneliese sighed. "He was the one who rescued us, so he's the one I fancy."
"There are other clubs," Aroha said, "for the other pilots and rescuers. We have links to them on our site."
"But none for the girls," Tim complained. Manjari gave him another shove.
"Our site?" Cherie asked. She pointed her finger first at Anneliese, then swung it around to include the others. "You're all involved?"
"Well, not Tim here," Jen said, sticking her tongue out at the only male. "But we believe that International Rescue should have everyone's support."
"And the men -- they look so minty! That makes it even easier," Anneliese said with a dreamy sigh. She perked up and asked Cherie, "Hey, would you like to belong to the club? We have meetings once a month..."
"I just might; it sounds like fun," Cherie replied, smiling. This is rich! Wait until I tell Virgil... uh oh, what time is it? She glanced at her watch. "Uh oh. When I called him, my brother said he'd pick me up here in an hour. He'll be looking for me." She ate a last few bites of her sundae and rose from the table, gathering her things. A sudden thought hit her. I can't let them see Virgil! How am I going to warn him?
"Can't you ask him to let you stay a bit longer?" Jen asked. "My mum could drive you home."
Cherie was about to say no, when she got an idea. "I could ask," she said, fishing out her phone. With a keystroke, she dialed Virgil again.
Virgil was already sitting outside waiting, reading a book. He answered the call with, "Hey, Cherie, where are you?"
"Uh, I'm in the ice cream shop. My friends would like to know if I can stay a little longer," she replied.
Virgil frowned. "Sorry, Sis, but we're going to be squeaking it on the trip home as it is. I'm waiting outside. You'd better make your apologies and gather up your things."
"Oh, but Virgil, we were just having the best conversation!" Cherie said, adding a little whine to her voice. "I wanted to hear more about the fan club that my friend Anneliese started for one of those International Rescue men! They'd like me to join it!"
Virgil blinked. His sister's words threw up a warning signal in his head. "Uh, Sis? Would that happen to be the club Anna mentioned not long ago at dinner? And the girl who founded it is there, with you?"
"Yeah, uh huh." Cherie hoped none of her friends could overhear Virgil's end of the conversation.
"Ohh-kay," he replied, starting the car and switching on the window tinting. It was usually triggered by daylight conditions and shut down after sundown, but there was an override switch, which Virgil used. The windows darkened and showed an almost mirror surface on the outside now, which he hoped would hide him. "Just come on out. I've got it covered."
Inside, Cherie pouted. "Hrmph," she muttered. "You're not being fair!" She ended the call decisively and popped her phone in her bag. "He says I have to come now!" she groused.
"Well, maybe we'll talk more about it next time," Anneliese said, giving Cherie a sympathetic smile. "Wait!" She ducked into her own purse, and pulled out a card, stopping to write on the back. "Here's the address for the club's site. Check it out, then ring me up, just to talk if you want."
"Thanks, Liese." Cherie slung her art supply bag over her shoulder. While doing so, she looked around for Airini, who had been reading a book and drinking soda in a quiet corner while the conversation was going on. Out of the corner of one eye, she saw the older girl leave, and knew she'd be waiting outside. "I'll call sometime this week, and I promise I'll look at the site." She stopped at the front door and waved, "Bye, y'all!"
There was laughter, then a chorus of, "Tata!" "Cheers!" "Cheerio!" She stepped through the door and into the night.
Airini was standing to one side, checking through her purse, and Virgil's car was waiting on the street before her, hazard lights flashing. She ran over, and hopped into the car, giving her bodyguard a quick wave before climbing in. The door closed, she fastened her seat belt, then dissolved into laughter.
"Was it really that funny?" Virgil asked, his tone skeptical as he pulled away.
"Yeah, it was!" Cherie said gleefully. "Let me tell you all about it!"
Posted by Tikatu on February 23, 2008
  
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