It's Complicated

Chapter 2

Annnnd...here's the next update! I haven't got anything to say, so...

Enjoy! (Still working on that)

Because Antonio's mind only functions in one direction, the first thing he said to me when we got outside was: "So. This girlfriend. Is she hot?"

"Nah, she's real ugly," I drawled, walking toward the Avenpath. Yes, like the Valispath, but Aven isn't original enough to make up a proper name for it, so we're stuck with Avenpath.

"Seriously, dude. I wanna meet this girlfriend," Antonio insisted, following eagerly behind me. I raised an eyebrow at him. That reminded me of when Alex had a dillyberry overdose, in her first year, and said she looked liked a demented monkey when she tried it. Ah, the good old days.

"Dude, I don't have a girlfriend," I snorted. "I wish." He perked up. Oh, crap. Here come the questions.

"So you like someone? Who is it? That girl Aven tried to get you to kill?" He pressed. I pressed my fingers against my face.

"Who even brings up something like that? Great conversation killer, bro," I deadpanned. He held up his hands.

"Hey, just wondering how my boys doing. I gotta look out for you whippersnappers," he said seriously. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, then burst out laughing.

"'I gotta look out for you whippersnappers', Ant? I'm not even that much younger than you! One year," I pointed out. He pointed a finger at me.

"Don't lie, Sparky. You're seventeen, I'm nineteen," he explained slowly. I scowled.

"I'm turning eighteen soon! In like, three months! One year," I argued. He shrugged.

"'I'm turning eighteen soon!' But you ain't eighteen yet, son, so it's two years."

"But-"

"Come on, Sparky. Let's get going before Aven's on our butts." So I followed him onto the Avenpath, and flinched as it picked us up. It wasn't like the nice, magical force-field protected Valispath. Oh no, Aven's twisted version was open to the elements, and I was pretty sure that when we stepped off of it, my face was raw and scratched from...stuff hitting it. I rubbed my cheeks to try warm them up.

"Ow," I groaned. Antonio just nodded. His hair was considerably longer than mine, and his curls were blown up over his head. I tried to stifle my snicker. His eyes snapped to me. Damn that boys good hearing.

"Anything wrong, Sparker?" I stuck my hands in my pockets, and walked past him, whistling.

"Nice hairdo," I said nonchalantly, and kept heading towards the academy, since the path had dropped us off about a mile south of it. I mentally counted to five.

One, two.

"Hey, what's that mean?"

Three, four.

"What the hell's wrong with-"

Five.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH MY HAIR!"

"So, do we take the direct approach, or the stealthy method?" Antonio asked seriously, back pressed against a tree. I looked over at him from my own tree.

"You make it sound like we're planning an assassination. 'Do we go straight for the kill, or wait a while, gain their trust?'" I replied.

Antonio scowled. "Ha ha, Sparker, you're quite the wit. And I don't think you'll be gaining anyone's trust, since they know you're Claimed." I shrugged at him.

"Hey, it's not like I actually have to hurt them. Aven just said to 'stalk them with whatever means necessary' like some dodgy-"

"I think he actually said 'stake them it'," Antonio corrected.

"Whatever," I said absentmindedly. "But I could go back, tell them what my orders are, and make sure they don't do anything too get-killed-by-Aven-worthy, and it'd still be cool!"

"Yeah. Assuming they don't lock you up so you can't go back to Aven," he replied dryly. I raised my palms.

"Hey, I don't have anything to lose, so why not have them lock me up? Actually, that's a good idea, then I won't 'unintentionally' hurt anybody," I announced, and began walking towards the academy entrance. Antonio reached out and pulled me back.

"Why am I even friends with you?" He muttered quietly. I sent a wink over my shoulder.

"'Cause all the other people Aven Claimed are boring pricks? Because I actually have a personality and sense of humor? Because of my charming good looks?" I suggested. He gave me the stink eye.

"I've got a better idea." Which is why, ten minutes later, I was back in my old dorm room. See, Antonio can teleport, and he brought us both back here, so I could open the door. Of course, since it was still only halfway through Kaldoras, no one was there, which Ant had to remind me of before I freaked that Bear might be inside.

"It's still Kaldoras, Sparky. I know that in your depressed state you may not have noticed what's been going on in the outside world, but I got Claimed before you and I brought my calendar." I glanced at him from the sides of my eyes.

"Worst Kaldoras ever," I grumbled.

"Hear, hear." Inside, we invaded the wardrobe for 'clever disguises', so we could pass as transfer students. Of course, we'd need Marselle to clear it for us...well, one person knowing couldn't hurt, right?

Famous last words.

I really hoped not. I really didn't want to die any time soon, and if I did, I wanted my last lines on Medora to be something witty and tragic, like maybe-

"Why did your principal give a boys dorm dresses?"

That wasn't it.

I shrugged, sifting through my old clothes. "Maybe they wanted to stop gender discrimination, one dress at a time." He gave me a dry look.

"Oh, I'm sure that's it." A few minutes later, we were decked out in wigs and weird outfits. I now had brown hair, and I'd managed to even find some green contacts! 'Cause if I had brown, I'd look too much like Bear. Except less tan. Well, I could always hope. Antonio didn't have to do anything, since nobody knew him, but he didn't want to take any 'unnecessary risks', so had blue contacts. Like that's gonna help. I tried telling him this, but he just waved me off.

"I hate blue. No one's suspect me to have blue eyes," he'd defended. I stared at him.

"No one knows who you are! You think Aven knows your least favourite colour? He'll still know," I reasoned.

"Ah, but Aven already knows who I am and can control my every whim. So therefore, he doesn't count." He winced after he said that. "I really, really hope he doesn't have listening devices in here."

"Because him knowing we hate him, even though he most likely already knows, is our biggest problem right now, yeah? Why don't I add that to my list-"

"You need to stop making lists, dude. It's unhealthy."

"Writing lists is unhealthy?" I clarified.

He nodded seriously. "They contaminate your brain. You get addicted. It's unsafe." I snorted at that.

"That'll be my downfall for sure, writing too many lists," I said agreeably. Antonio's hands flew up.

"Hey, when someone's discovered all your weaknesses through one of your lists-"

"I make them in my head."

"How do you remember them, then? You got some super megabyte storage up there?" He tapped his skull.

"Yep," I replied.

"Well, that's even worse! Your brain'll be too full, and you'll die of thinking too much because you're living inside your own head and not interacting with real people and you'll go crazy so your girlfriend will dump you," he explained matter of factly.

"Ah, right. Why didn't I think of that?" I asked sarcastically.

On that note, we headed off to find Marselle.