Well, this picture’s for all the secret (or not-so-secret) Cale lovers. xDI’d just like to tell you guys a few things before we get started. I have a tendency to do that, huh? First off:- The story’s always in Saph’s point of view, unless otherwise specified. (ex. [JJ] means it’s in JJ’s POV.)-- Chapter One took place near the end of August, and, (if I remember) the date will be at the beginning of each page. I think that’s it. Enjoy! ^^

September 3, 2013[Saph]

School had just ended and I leaned against the wall, waiting with Val for Janae to get her butt out of the building. When she showed up, she looked sheepishly between us. “I’ve gotta go to the bathroom real quick, you guys. Wait for me?” she asked pleadingly.“Sure,” I said with a brief nod.Val just rolled her eyes a bit and nodded, too. Janae then rushed off, likely knowing that Val wouldn’t wait for too much longer.

[Zane]I looked up in surprise from my spot at the wall to see the girl that I’d “saved” from JJ last month -- Janae, wasn’t it? – scowling at me.“May I help you?” I asked her gently.She didn’t answer; just took a step closer to me.

And then she shoved me away, trying to look… threatening? I think that was it, though she didn’t look like it. Just sort of like she belonged in a mental asylum.“What are you --?” I started to ask, but she cut me off.“Don’t interfere with my plans. I’m warning you now, child,” she growled in a voice that sounded nothing like her usual one. I was a bit scared, freaked out even, but I didn’t show it as she walked away.What was going on?

[Saph]“Okay, I’m ready,” Janae said cheerfully as she came back out of the building. She glanced over to Val. “Glad to see you haven’t left yet.”Val’s expression stayed the same – blank. “Any longer and I would’ve,” she remarked sarcastically. Well… it was probably sarcasm. I wasn’t completely sure. I never really was with Val.Either way, I pushed myself off the ground and started the walk back to my house with them. We’d decided earlier today that they’d come over to my house to hang out for a while.

[Zane]“Uh… JJ? Who’s this?” I asked when I finally found her.“Oh, this is Cale! He’s gonna visit us for a while,” she said happily, nodding. I just looked at Cale. I didn’t like him already. Of course I didn’t. JJ was like my little sister, so it was only natural I didn’t like other guys around her. Especially not this guy… I got a bad vibe from him. Nothing sinister, but… bad.Shaking my head at myself, I walked along behind them as we all headed home, then went into the bathroom when we got there.

[JJ]When we walked through the door, I looked over to Cale. “So what do you think?” I asked him cheerfully.“Uh… it’s… kind of old-fashioned, to tell the truth,” he murmured, looking around the room with wide eyes, likely wondering how two teenagers could afford all of this stuff.That… was probably better left unexplained. I looked over to the arch as Zane appeared in it. “Well, I’m gonna go change, too, then,” I said, leaving the boys alone in the living room.

[Zane]“So…” Cale said awkwardly after JJ had left.I didn’t say anything, just sort of stared him down. “Alright, man, what’s your problem?” he finally asked, giving me a weirded-out look.I didn’t even answer him. He raised an eyebrow when I stared straight ahead and shook his head a bit, turning around when JJ entered the room again, changed into her more comfortable clothes.I kept looking ahead as she seated herself next to Cale.

“Well, what’s got you all tense?” JJ asked with a grin. I just shook my head.“I’m fine,” I replied, cracking a smile.She raised an eyebrow at me a bit, obviously not believing me, but let it go. “Whatever you say, kid.”I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at JJ’s annoying tendency to call everyone – even people that were older than her – “kid”.I sort of sat there, staring into space as JJ and Cale talked, waiting impatiently for him to leave. Eventually, he did.“I’ll see you around, okay, JJ?” he murmured as he stood up and headed for the door. She just nodded.

“Now tell me what you’re being all pissy for,” JJ demanded as soon as Cale had shut the door behind him.I rolled my eyes a bit and explained what had happened with Janae behind the school.Her eyes widened. “And what, may I ask, were you two doing behind the school?”I slapped her lightly on the arm, eyes narrowed. “Would you be serious?” I muttered.“Alright, alright, I’m sorry. So… do you think…?”I frowned. “Yeah. Seems like it.”

[Saph]“I can still read thoughts, Val. When I’m trying to block them out. Why? It worked so perfectly with you!” I said dejectedly, turning my gaze over to Val. Her expression stayed the same: uninvolved, detached. But I saw her almost… gulp…? Was that it? Weird.“… I was blocking my thoughts from you, Saph. I wanted you to think you’d accomplished it,” she admitted.I grimaced, then looked at her curiously. “How did you do that?”She shrugged, then started to say something, but shut up immediately as Janae came into the room.

“Guys, I have to go,” Janae mumbled, looking down at the ground and frowning.“Aw… okay,” I said, giving her a quick hug and nodding.“I should get going too,” Val said, heading straight for the door.“Alright, I’ll see you guys tomorrow!” I called after their retreating backs.Once they’d left, I went into my bathroom and changed into my normal non-school clothes.

After changing, I flopped down onto my couch, procrastinating from going downstairs. I didn’t want to do anything, and I didn’t have homework, because we always had time to work on it in class, and I just read the answers from my teachers’ minds, but made sure to get a few wrong. If I got everything right all the time, people would, of course, get suspicious.

All of a sudden, my door opened, and I leapt up from the couch, seeing that JJ girl. I looked at her, eyes wide. How had she gotten my address? Let alone, how did she get in my room?“Uhm…?” I said. Intelligent, huh?She had a very serious look on her face. “I need to talk to you, Sapphire,” she said, eyes boring into me.

Ooh, what are they gonna talk about?Hard hats and wrenches, of course!Okay, but seriously?Anyways, yeah, y’know, leave a comment and stuff. Yay to Christie (omggchristie on Boolprop… and my site. Yes, that was definitely an advertisement xD) for helping me to figure out GIMP. :D I can (sorta) make stuff now! ^^Ooh, turn the page for TWO, yes TWO (man I sound like a commercial) bloopers. :D

Yeah, I was like, “WTF?” when I saw this, but then I unpaused the game and figured out that Saph…

… was practicing being a mime.

*headdesk*

And that’s what I get for turning free will off while I take my pictures.That’s all, folks! *tips hat*