Chapter 48
Addison sprang up from her seat, throwing herself at Jenn and scooping her into a hug.
“Oh my god, it’s good to see you,” she said excitedly, but pulled back a moment later as it hit her that the last she’d heard, Jenn was in prison. “What… what are you doing here?”
“Ben must have changed something,” Sam contributed. “But…”
“Uh, I appreciate the love, but what’s this all about?” Jenn asked, perplexed, as she continued on to Sam’s desk. “Magic wanted me to give you these security reports. That’s all I’m here for.”
Brow furrowed, Sam took the reports, scanning over them briefly. “So… you’re in the security team?”
Jenn squinted, turning to Addison. “Uh, don’t tell me he’s lost his memory too?”
“Jenn,” Addison said, trying to come up with the words, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but you… you didn’t work here an hour ago. You were in prison, actually.”
Jenn laughed nervously. “W-what are you talking about? I’ve worked here for eight years. And my youthful indiscretions aside, I’m… uh, mostly law-abiding these days.”
Addison’s eyes flicked to Sam for help, but he was busily typing on his computer.
“Head of security…” he mumbled as he read the records on the screen. “But that was Janis’s job, right?”
“Jenn…” Addison said slowly, meeting the eye of her friend, “where’s… Janis? Is she still in the Imaging Chamber?”
“Who?” Jenn looked back and forth from Sam to Addison, half laughing. “You mean the girl Ben leapt into? Al’s daughter?”
Addison’s blood ran cold. “You… don’t know Janis?”
“How can I know someone I never met? Are you guys high or something?” She grinned. “Whatever it is, I want some.”
“If Janis isn’t here, who’s in the Imaging Chamber?” Sam asked, scrambling to his feet.
Jenn frowned. “Well I was gonna ask Addison why she’s out here instead of in there, but—”
“What happens to Janis, Jenn?” Sam demanded. “What’s the… ‘original’ history, as you know it?”
Jenn folded her arms, humouring them. “Well—she originally died, but isn’t that what Ben’s there to stop? Don’t you already know this…?”
Addison exchanged a horrified look with Sam, and they both bolted past a bewildered Jenn and out the door.
“Should I tell Magic you approved these?” Jenn called out as they ran towards the Imaging Chamber.
* * *
A little earlier on…
As the Prom King and Queen moved to the dance floor, and Sam returned to his post at the front entrance, ‘I’m With You’ by Avril Lavigne began to play. A slow ballad that caused Kat to move in uncomfortably close to Ben as they danced.
“Well, we may both be a li’l bit drunk, but I know this is gonna be one of our best memories together,” Kat murmured into his ear. “Who’da thought some rich guy would come save the day, huh?”
“Yeah, pretty random,” Ben said, chuckling.
She nuzzled his neck, making him tense up.
Janis, if you could please tell me what to do here, that’d be great.
But no such help came.
And as Kat leaned in to kiss him, Ben involuntarily recoiled perhaps a little too obviously. Kat’s lips landed on his ear, and she looked at him with a creased brow.
“Again with the cold shoulder?” she asked, pouting.
“I…” Ben didn’t know what to say to make this situation better. His head was swimming way too much to find the words, and he assumed even if he did think of something, it would fail to be eloquent and probably make things worse. “Sorry, Kat, it’s just…”
“Come on Janis, what the hell’s goin’ on here?” Kat met his eye with a suspicious look. “Is it that girl, Addison?” Something must have flashed on Ben’s face, because she pointed an accusing finger. “Oh my god, it is!”
“No, it’s not like that—”
Kat pressed a finger sharply into his chest. “Oh please. Don’t think I didn’t see her kiss you today.”
“You—you saw that?!” He held up his hands defensively. “That was all her, okay? I had no idea she was gonna do it, honest! Took me by complete surprise.”
“Oh, I wanted to believe that, I really did. That’s why I didn’t say anything—but Janis, you’ve been acting so weird. Avoiding kissing me and keepin’ me at arm’s length. And then she showed up to the protest with you and it started to make sense.” Kat took him by the cheeks. “Look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t have feelings for Addison. That you wouldn’t rather be here with her than me.”
Locking eyes with her, he opened his mouth, but no words came out, just a garbled mess of vowels.
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t lie about his feelings for Addison, even if it wasn’t exactly the same Addison that Kat was talking about.
Kat shook her head. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
She shoved Ben aside, making for the nearest side exit. “Going for some air. Don’t follow me.”
“Wait!” Ben made a move to chase after her, but without warning, he felt alarmingly dizzy and weak-kneed, as a wave of nausea overtook him.
Always with the bad timing.
She disappeared out the door as he keeled over, clutching his stomach shakily. He held a hand over his mouth, weaving inelegantly through the dancers and towards the door. If he could just get out there before the inevitable…
* * *
Addison brushed a loose leaf off her shoulder, yawning. What a boring night it had been so far. Not even Adult Janis had come to visit her yet. She was beginning to think this guard duty wasn’t so exciting—or important—after all.
Feeling a tickle on her neck, she prayed it was merely another leaf, rather than a bug or spider. She reached back to brush off whatever it may have been, when a loud thunk was heard from the double doors.
If this is just some guy coming out to smoke, I swear to God…
But it wasn’t. To Addison’s delight, Kat burst out of the doors, slamming them shut behind her.
Boy, she looked upset.
With a snapping of twigs, Addison emerged from her hiding place. Kat froze at the sound.
“Hey Kat! Remember me?” Addison announced as she passed into the dim light. “You okay?”
The look of fear on Kat’s face abruptly morphed into anger. “You!”
“Uh, me?” Addison said nervously, taking a step back. “Yeah, it’s me. Listen, I—”
“You… hussy, you!” Kat stomped clumsily towards Addison. “You keep your hands off my girlfriend! Were you hiding in the bushes just to get a quickie with her on the side, or what?!”
Completely off balance now, Addison glared at Kat. “What in the world are you talking about?”
Kat let out a frustrated groan, shoving Addison aside as she walked towards the front of the building. “I’m sick of all the damn lies!” she announced.
Whatever had just happened inside, Addison figured, must have been the cause of this behaviour. Just what had Ben said to her in there?
Well, I have a job to do. Even if she doesn’t want to talk to me.
Addison followed behind her closely. Presumably once she reached the front, Sam was going to be there to help stop her from wandering off. She still didn’t know exactly what they were all trying to prevent.
* * *
Finally reaching the door, Ben leaned on the bar and spilled out into the night air, where the contents of his stomach finally flowed freely onto the dirt. He stumbled out a little further, and threw up again in a bush.
Kat wasn’t here. And neither was whoever was supposed to be watching this door. Surely that meant they were taking care of her.
Well, in that case, he was free to finish retching. He dropped to his hands and knees, gagging like a cat with a hairball. His vision spun like a kaleidoscope, as sweat poured down his pale face. His makeup was probably not looking so good, he thought with a laugh.
Finally, he slumped to a sideways lying position, feeling like he’d lost all strength in his arms. Maybe he needed to just take a breather for a minute.
If there was a problem, Janis would be telling him about it, right?
Yeah, he was okay to lie here for a little while, surely. Just until he could see straight enough to orient himself.
He shut his eyes, hoping when he opened them he’d feel a little more focused.
Then he heard crunching footsteps approaching. Like big, practical boots. Ben smiled. She was still here.
“Kat, I’m really sorry,” he mumbled, rolling over and opening his eyes, squinting them in an attempt to focus on Kat’s looming face.
Wait. That isn’t Kat.
A hand pressed against his mouth, and he was roughly pulled to his feet.
“Look at you,” hissed Mary-Sue. “You filthy reprobate. Passed out drunk like this after cavorting with your fag lover.” She kneed his lower back sharply, keeping him upright by his neck. “But you still have a chance at salvation.”