Teen Ink

The stand off

“What do you mean, it’s time?” Fay asked.

“You know the time, when Wolf would send me to come get you, you know, to begin your training?” he asked.

“Well yeah, but I thought you’d come in the dead of night or something!” Fay said, her voice rising.

“No, that’s dangerous without your gear. . .” he replied. At that moment Colt came trotting down the stairs, and turned towards them. His eyes went wide at the sight of Beck who was clearly a foot taller than he was. He slowly approached them, came behind Fay, putting an arm around her, while surveying Beck. Beck gave him a sideways glance.

“Who’s he?” Colt asked, staring threateningly at Beck.

“He is Beck.” Beck replied for Fay, extending his hand. “And you must be jealous boyfriend number 3.”

“Beck!” Fay reprimanded. Now Colt pushed past Fay and was up against Beck nose to nose, staring him down. However Beck would not back down.

“Guys this is stupid, stop it now!” Fay said as the tension grew. When neither would back down, and Colt seemed to slowly lift his arm as if to strike out at Beck, Fay jumped into action. Grabbing Colt by the arm, Fay pulled him away from Beck back into the house. She gestured at Beck to stay, and he did so with a little smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes.

“Look Colt, let me explain . . .” she started, however he cut her off right away.

“What the h*ll Fay?! You never told me that was coming, and why! Is he taking you out on a date or something!? Do you even like me at all!?” he ranted, giving Fay enough time to devise an elaborate lie.

“Colt, listen. I like you a lot . . .” she started, however he cut her off again.

“Oh here we go!”

“Listen to me! God Colt if I wanted to break up as fast as we became a couple I never would have said yes in the first place! Now listen!” That made him silent, and sour. She continued before he could interrupt again.

“Beck, is just a friend Colt. My mom and his mom are friends, so she asked me if I could help him with a computer problem at his house. You know how my mom taught me everything she knows about computers! He figured I could help him work out a glitch in his system.” He stayed silent for a minute, then spoke, desperately trying to find a way out of the dilemma.

“You know I’m also good with computers . . .” he started, however it was her turn to cut him off.

“Not like me, and you know it.” Fay replied. Now showing the desperation in his voice he spoke, in anxiety and desperation.

“But what if I walk you guys to his house then leave? Then . . .” he begged, but her decision was final.

“No Colt. I can take care of myself, and you should trust me to make the right decisions! We’ve been friends for long enough! We know each other well enough! Why don’t you trust me?” Fay argued back.

“I do.” Colt gave in. “But it’s that guy I don’t trust. Beck, or whatever.” Fay put her hand affectionately on his arm, and stared up into his eyes.

“You don’t have to trust him. Just trust me when I say I can handle him.” He smiled at her. Slowly he leaned in gentle pressing his mouth to hers. She felt the spark of it, however it seemed a little dimmer then it was before. He pulled away grinning, she smiled back but she had to put effort into it, unlike before.

“Well I guess I’ll go now then, don’t beat up that guy too much. I want to have a crack at him when your finished.” He said happily.

“Alright I will.” She said laughing, and opening the door. They kissed each other goodbye, a little peck on the cheek and parted their separate ways, while beck stood awkwardly in the background. As Colt passed Beck he eyed him through the corners of his eyes. Beck just smirked at him as he passed. Then Colt was off down the street back to his own house. As soon as he was out of eyesight and earshot Beck turned back to Fay and raised his eyebrows.

“Well . . .That was interesting . . .” he mumbled. However, all of a sudden Fay stepped out of her doorway and slapped him hard.

“That was for being a jack*ss in general!” she shouted, then hit him harder again. “And that was for pissing off my boyfriend!” She hit him a third time but didn’t explain why, he looked up at her with big sad confused eyes, like a puppy. She wasn’t falling for it.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“That was just for fun.” She said smiling. He laughed.

“Well if that’s your idea of fun then I’m sure you’ll enjoy being a bridge.” He remarked, chuckling. The word Bridge was when it all flooded back to her. Now she began to realize what she was getting into.

“So this whole bridge thing, what’s it really all about? Like why are we even called bridges in the first place?” Fay asked.

“Well we are technically bridges for the lost souls to cross over into their havens. There they are free to go or stay as they wish. We can only guide as a bridge guides but not follow.” He replied.

“Okay, then what's the haven?”

“The haven is the place where spirits are supposed to go after they die. They can’t go into the abyss, which is the epicenter of all evil in the world so the other opposite side would be. . .”

“Heaven?” Fay asked.

“Well sort of . . . depends . . .” He replied.

“Okay?” Fay said, unsure of what to say next. The way they referred to the haven she thought it was heaven, but the way he said it now, it was as if the haven was evil almost.

“Look I shouldn’t be the one explaining this to you so let me take you to people who can.” He said. She gave him a skeptical look. As he extended his hand to her. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course not!” Fay said backing up towards the door. “Besides I can’t leave, my mom’s not home for the weekend. I have to guard the house.” Beck snorted in laughter.

“What are you? A watch dog?” he laughed.

“No, I’m responsible.” She snapped back.

“Well good for you!” He said sarcastically. “I bet being responsible all the time really does it for yah.”

“Yes! It does!” she argued back. However he eyes her, wore down her walls. “Well sometimes, I mean . . .”

“Just say no.” he cut in.

“Alright fine! Sometimes I just want to tell my mom screw you and run away, but I can’t. She needs me, and I need her. Sometimes I want to scream at her to stay home for once in her life, and actually pay attention to me and what I have to say! But she’s not home often enough for me to get a word in!” Fay ranted.
“Okay Okay, I didn’t ask for your whole like story!” he said defensively. Fay looked at him, her eyes sad, and tired. He lightened on the sarcasm a little.

“Just take my hand, for your own sake.” He said, extending it again. She looked at his hand, then into his eyes skeptically, and slowly reached out.

“Don’t make me regret this.” She said, taking his hand. He smiled, and closed his eyes, and before Fay could get another word in there was a big flash of light, so blinding that she thought her eyesight would never recover. Beck’s grip on her arm tightened as it flashed. The door was left wide open, just begging someone to step inside.