Sidestory:
Moving Day
Frowning, Rayya studied her room. She'd lived with it like this since day one of this school year and, quite frankly, it was beginning to bore her. Even shifting the many posters and masks around wasn't helping any longer. "I think it's time for a change," she announced.
Julius looked up from the magazine he was attempting to read. Not having thumbs made things very difficult, he decided. "Oh, yes?" he drawled. "Planning on studying tonight? Planning on cleaning this place properly?"
She stuck her tongue out at him childishly. "Not a chance. I was thinking more along the lines of moving about the furniture."
"And who's the poor sap who's going to do that for you, huh?"
Rayya grinned devilishly and reached for the phone. "You'll see, my dear little piggy." Quickly, she dialed a well-known phone number...
... which was soon picked up by one of the members of the household, whose voice was much lighter than the intended's deep bass. "Salter Morgue. You kill 'em, we chill 'em. We worked with the Aislings!"
There was an ever so slight pause and then a sweet alto replied, "May I speak to the head coroner, Wade? I have a question about a stiff."
"Oh. Okay." The phone was held away and there was interaction between some people, and then a harried Wade picked up the phone.
"'Lo?"
"Hello, Wade, sweetie. How you doing today?" Rayya's affectionate smile was audible in her voice.
An immediate goofy smile was instantly audible in his own. "Hey, 'ayya! I'm just fine! How 'bout you?"
"Just peachy." Rayya giggled slightly. "Actually, I'm calling for an honest-to-goodness purpose this time," she replied. "I was wondering if I could coax you into doing me a favor today."
"Don't need any coaxin'. Wade Salter at y'service for anythin' you need, y'know."
Rayya laughed. "Just remember that you asked for this," she warned teasingly. "Okay, I was just thinking that maybe you'd come over to my room and help me move around some furniture. Please? With sugar on top?"
"Jus' so long as it doesn't require thinkin', I'm there. I don't want you movin' anything heavy, hokay?"
"Yes, sir! So shall I pick you up or do you want to make your own way over?" She paused for a split second and then added, "And I'll treat you to dinner, by the way. As way of thanks."
He blushed. "Aww, y'don't need to do that. S'very nice of you, though. I'll drive over - just sit tight an' I'll be there in a tick."
"Yes, sir. Just call me on the intercom and I'll fetch you at the front door. See you soon." She blew a playful kiss over the phone lines and hung up before he could respond.
Blushing even harder - this time, a tasteful shade of magenta - he put the phone back on the hook and made his way out into his car, fumbling for the keys.
"Thank you so much for agreeing to help me," Rayya cooed as she led Wade down the hallway. "It shouldn't be too bad, though. The room's not so big. Oh, hey, Sarah!" Rayya raised a hand in greeting to her oncoming friend.
The slender blonde scooted by the two, paused for a second, gave Wade an obvious once-over, and then sent a thumbs-up to Rayya. "You go, girl," she snickered.
Rayya giggled and waved the other girl off down the hall. "That's just Sarah," she explained.
Poor Wade, not used at all to that sort of thing, nervously brushed his spiky bangs back and tried to control his blush. "Ah," he noted. "Hokay."
Rayya bit back another giggle and shook her head. "She's completely harmless but an even worse flirt than I am. I think she's made her way through the entire male population on campus in the past year." Reaching a door, she reached for the knob. "Here we go. We'll protect you from other prying eyes, okay?"
He grinned at her. "Hokay. I'll let y'protect me, then. Jus' save me from all the people here." Wade chuckled to himself and held the door for her, letting her move inside her room.
"Even me?" she asked innocently. Then she squeaked and dove into the room, grabbing something red and frilly off a chair and spinning to shove it in the nearest drawer. "Julius, I am -so- going to kill you for that."
Wade averted his eyes politely. "Hey, Jules," he called out, shutting the door behind Rayya. "How're you doin'? Livvy sends hello."
Julius inclined his head slightly. "Send my regards back to her," he replied smoothly. Then he turned to Rayya and smirked. "I didn't leave that out, girl. You did." He indicated her slightly rumpled bed with a short movement of his head. "As well as that little black number you wear to bed that's been conveniently left out for all to see."
"You are, without a doubt, the most horrid little piggy in the world," Rayya replied slowly as she crossed to collect the indicated piece of clothing. Slipping it into another drawer before Wade could get a good look at it, she suddenly smiled affectionately. "Brat."
Wade laughed. "Aww, he reminds me of Livvy. Only Livvy's sorta more high-pitched." He beamed, taking a good look around the room, moving forward and rolling up the short sleeves of his t-shirt. "So, what needs doin'?"
Rayya studied the room, finger to her lips. Finally, she shrugged and pointed. "Think we could get the bed over there under the window?" she asked.
He looked over at where her finger was directing. "Against the wall,
right? We could do that. It might get sorta cluttered with that desk, though, so
we'll
move that too. Where could it go?"
"Hmmm..." Moving the finger and replacing it with a strand of hair, Rayya hummed thoughtfully. Finally, she said, "I suppose it could go where that dresser is and put the dresser where the bed was."
"Can do. I'll move it now." Wade moved over to the dresser, carefully placed all of the top items next to it on the floor, and wrapped his arms around it, lifting it up slightly off the ground. After hefting it to the middle of the room, he then moved the bed, turning it around and rearranging it so that it lay against the wall and the window, face serious and huffing slightly with the medium effort.
Rayya grinned. "Wow," she murmured. "Looks like I got the right guy for the job."
He grinned at her, pushing the bed in neatly. "How's that look?" he suggested, pushing the dresser over to slot in neatly where the bed had gone. "S'nice and sunny where the bed is now."
"That was the point," she replied. "It might encourage me to get up at a decent hour in the morning."
He laughed at that, setting the dresser in place and moving back to look at his handiwork before angling it to a degree he appreciated more. "Wish I had that problem. I get up at five in th'mornin' 'cause I suddenly get a hankerin' in the night to play."
"Which reminds me... I've yet to hear you play anything." Rayya grinned at him. "We'll have to fix that sometime soon, right?" Not waiting for an answer, she crossed to her bed's new location and studied it. "Let's see then," she muttered. Suddenly, she leapt up on it and peered out the window. "Good view there," she commented. Then she performed a tentative bounce and jump routine. Giggling, she beamed down at Wade. "Works for me, by the way."
Wade beamed himself. "Good. Looks nice, y'know. What else needs heavin'? I'm your muscle, right here."
Carefully, Rayya bounced herself down into a seated position on the bed. "Well... I really don't want to take advantage of you, you know," she said slowly.
"Hmph, could've fooled the rest of the world," came the sour grumble of the pig lounging in the corner.
"Julius!" She rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure. What do you think about the room?"
Wade took a quick look around. "I dunno," he said thoughtfully after a while, pushing another stray lock of blue behind his ear. "You got a bit more floor space with the bed move, though. If you wanna move anythin' else, just hoot."
"Just like an owl." Rayya grinned and took a few steps around the room, studying the remaining furniture.
"A screech owl," Julius muttered. Then he quickly scampered towards the half-opened closet, slid through the small opening, and tugged the door shut on himself with difficulty.
"Julius!" Whirling around, Rayya scooped up a stuffed toy rabbit from the floor and chucked it against the door. "Why don't you just stay in there until you learn to be nice, huh?" Then she turned back to Wade with a smile. "I really should just lock him in there," she giggled. "Anyway, come on. You've gotta have a suggestion or two about this room."
Wade grinned at the pig's predicament before taking one last look around the room, biting his lip unconsciously as he thought. "If you wanna get all the floor space y'can, you might wanna move that bookcase over to the dresser side. It's a big thing; it'll make the floor seem way bigger, I bet. And uncluttered and stuff."
Rayya thought for a second and then nodded. "If you really don't mind," she answered. "Just let me pull some of the stuff off of it, okay? The last thing I want is for you to brain yourself with my Intro to Psych book." Suiting actions to words, she strode over to the bookcase and started pulling some of the books from it, precariously balancing them on one arm.
"Let me help y'there. Some of those look heavy." Taking them gingerly from her arm, Wade set the books down on the floor. "S'okay if I get brained. Nothin' inside my head but fluff, y'know."
"You say that again and you -will- get brained," Rayya answered, spinning and putting her balled fists on her hips. "You're pushing all the right buttons, Wade Salter."
He grinned and held his hands up in truce, shaking his head and laughing a little. "Hokay, hokay. I won't say it any more. Promise."
"Good." A smile broke out over Rayya's pretty face and she went on tiptoes to kiss his cheek swiftly. "You're far smarter than you think you are." Briskly, she turned away again, oblivious to Wade's subsequent reaction to the kiss. Pulling another armful of books from the shelf, she added a porcelain doll to the top of the pile and eased it all over to her bed. "Do you think that'll be good enough?" she asked.
Wade's complexion turned from tan to burgundy, and he turned away from her to the bookcase to hide it. "Uhh, y-yeah," he stammered. "Yeah, that'll be fine. Now we just have to move this big lug."
Rayya rolled up her sleeves dramatically and bowed. "Just direct me where you want me," she replied. "I've never been good with balancing out weight."
"-You- aren't doin' anythin'," Wade remonstrated, looking at the heavy case. "You're movin' back so that Wade doesn't have to worry about you gettin' hurt." He moved away from the bookcase to size it up. "Man, this is a big one. I'm gonna get hot and bothered doin' this. Hope you don't mind me bein' sweaty."
"Not at all," Rayya grinned. "Anyways, there’s ways around that, right? One of the reasons man created showers."
He blushed. Again. "Don't wanna smell like a pig, though - oh, sorry, Jules - so d'you mind if I just take off my shirt? I won't do it for long."
"Go ahead," Rayya replied with a mock-gracious curtsey. "Mi cuarto es su cuarto at the moment. I should be -begging- you to make yourself comfy while you help me out like this."
"Thanks." The blue-haired self-titled mover turned around shyly and pulled off his t-shirt, setting it down neatly on the ground before turning back to pull the bookcase from against the wall so that he could get more of a grip on it. He didn't exactly have anything to be shy about, having a golden tan and a swimmer's physique, but he was still blushing over the entire thing.
With his back turned towards her, Rayya felt free to indulge in a bit of eyeing. He really is damn hot, she thought with a slight smile as she studying the play of muscles over his back. Suddenly, she started and grinned guiltily. Snap out of it, Rayya, she scolded herself. He's only eighteen! Bad cradle-robber. She giggled softly and corrected herself. No, not cradle-robber. Corrupter of the innocent. Sarah's favorite nickname for her.
With an almighty heave, Wade got a hold on the bookcase and very carefully made his way over to its designated destination, heaving with white knuckles as he hauled it over. It was an arduous process, and when it was finally down and in its rightful place, Wade emerged rather red-faced and looking quite pleased with himself.
"There we go. D'you like that?" He suddenly grinned. "Please say y'do. I was never made t'lift things this big. I'll have to go Neptune if you want me to lug it back over, an' I don't think you'll like th'spandex."
Rayya giggled as she waltzed over to the small refrigerator in the corner and withdrew a bottle of water. Then she picked up a small hand towel. "And we’ve made a pact not to put you in spandex unless absolutely necessary. Anyway… I believe it’s time now for part of your reward," she grinned, crossing back to him and handing him the bottle. Then, with a few economical movements, she slipped behind him and rubbed the towel over his shoulders and back. "Better?" she asked as she moved around to his front again and handed him the towel.
"Much," he sighed happily, taking a quick sip from the cold water. "That feels way better." Wade grinned at her archly, taking the towel, hoping that the red on his face could be passed off as exertion. "'Specially as I didn't even do much an' I get a pretty girl fussin' over me."
"Thank you for the pretty and you should always have someone 'fussin' over you. You deserve it." Clearing off a space on her bed, she motioned to it and smiled sweetly. "Have a seat and take a rest," she suggested. Then she shoved more of the bed clutter around and perched herself at the foot of the bed expectantly.
Partly to her disappointment, Wade pulled on his t-shirt before joining her back on the bed lightly. "T'anks. What d'you think of the room now?"
Rayya surveyed the room with an appreciative eye. "I like," she finally announced. She pointed down at the floor with an infectious grin. "And now I have way more room for when friends crash here overnight," she added.
Wade laughed at that. "Yeah, that's one up 'bout it. You could fit three people on that floor."
Rayya's eye sparkled as she added her laughter to his. "Or just you and a rather small other person," she teased.
He winked at her. "Hey, are you dissin' my height?" he teased.
"Nope, just jealous." She bounced off the bed and pirouetted in the center of the room. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the person they call to get things off the high shelves."
"S'not all it's cracked up t'be," Wade said, almost wistfully, watching her. "I think you're jus' the right height, 'ayya. Like a fairy." He blushed immediately, but that seemed to be the norm with Wade.
"Sweet," Rayya commented as she flopped back onto the bed with a chuckle. "But my wings are in the shop."
"Sailor Fairy, eh? I'll haveta tell Livvy 'bout that one." He beamed at her comfortably.
"Just don't call me Tink," she warned, wagging a teasing finger in front of his face. "And I refuse to put on that little leaf dress and the slippers."
"You won't?" He tried to look wounded. "Oh, but you'd look so cute with the wand an' everythin'!"
"I'll 'wand' you, buddy!" Mock-growling, she shoved him backwards and sprang up from off the bed again. At the surprised look on his face, however, she capitulated, sinking to her knees on the hard floor, giggling madly.
After his initial shock, he began chuckling too, eyes bright. "Fairy violence," he accused. "Tink's on the loose n'stuff!"
Rayya managed to raise an eyebrow at him despite the laughter shaking her slim shoulders and stuck her tongue out. "Yeah but this fairy knows how to use an honest to goodness, six foot bullwhip so watch your short jokes," she replied quickly.
"I'm cowerin', honestly I am." Wade made an attempt at looking terrified. "Please don't hurt me."
"Oh, that's it, wise guy. You're just asking for it." Grinning, Rayya slinked over to him and sat down next to him, crossing her legs demurely. "You just don't know when I'm gonna give it to you," she added with a wickedly raised eyebrow.
Wade winked at her. "I'll jus' have to make it up t'you by bein' your humble servant, then," he said cheerfully.
Rayya smiled. "You sure you want to make an offer like that to a girl like me?" she asked archly.
He made the best equivalent of a bow. "From now on, I am your faithful slave n'stuff, Miss Veritas," Wade said pompously, trying not to giggle. "I dunno what collar size I am, though, y'know."
Suddenly, she laughed. "My tape measure is right over there in the drawer if you're that curious," she giggled.
Wade shook his head. "Naah. Flea collars are adjustable, aren't they?"
"I’d assume so since dogs come in all sizes. You, however, are not a dog at all." She smiled, an eyebrow rising saucily. "You are a gentlemen and everyone knows they don’t have fleas." Playfully, she leaned towards him as if to land a quick kiss on his cheek. At the last second, however, she brought her hand up to cover his heart. "No fleas," she repeated teasingly. Her hand rested on his chest for a fraction of a second longer than might have been necessary and then she pulled it back, rocking backwards on the bed.
Wade blushed, although he wasn't quite sure why. "I don' have ticks, fleas, lice, or worms," he said, half-smiling at her and remembering the warmth of her hand on his chest. "Aren't y'lucky?"
"I'm feeling very much so." Rayya beamed at him, a grin tugging at the corner of her full mouth. "You have any idea how hard it can be to find a non-dog on a college campus?"
He nodded wisely. "Especially one who's had all their shots n'stuff?"
"You bet." Rayya leaned back on her elbows and studied Wade. "You know what, handsome?" she suddenly asked. Not giving him a chance to answer, she went on, "You're something else entirely."
He leaned back on the part of the bed that wasn't pushed against the window, against the wall, sapphire eyes looking at her in contemplation. "What d'you mean?" Wade asked gently.
Rayya motioned slightly and meaninglessly with a hand and then rolled onto her side to meet his eyes. "You're special," she said simply. "Comfortable. Relaxing." She grinned broadly. "I can sit in a room alone with you and not have to worry about you trying something deve. I like it and you."
"T'anks, 'ayya. That means a lot to me." He looked rather sad. "S'not a nice age when girls don' feel safe around most guys, is it? Not good. Not good at all."
"You got it." She reached out to rest a warm hand on his arm and smiled. "That's why we travel in packs, don't you know? Now you have the great secret of why girls go to the bathroom together."
He chuckled at her. "So it ain't some big female conspiracy?"
"Well, that's the second part but you didn't hear it from me, mister." Giggling, Rayya grabbed a star-shaped pillow from behind her and chucked it at him playfully.
He attempted to duck it, but there was a lot of Wade to duck and it ended up hitting him in the face. "No beatin' up the poor defenseless boy, Tink," he teased.
Picking up another pillow, this one a patchwork mess, she rose to her knees and grinned. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."
"Cause I'm only small?" he suggested, raising his hands in front of his face. "An' to beat me to a pulp would be traumatizin'?"
Rayya giggled. "That's not something I really need to know, sweetie," she managed to just about get out between the laughter. Suddenly, she swung the pillow lightly at him. "Have at thee!"
Wade caught it gamely and held it like a shield. "Avast! Um, I challenge thou - um... thee... to a duel, y'know!"
Slipping off the bed to stand in front of him, Rayya faked a look of complete shock. "You'd man-handle a lady?" she asked, putting just the right amount of breathy anxiety into her performance.
"Aww, not really," Wade said cheerfully. "I'd jus' hide and stuff whilst you threw things at me. You get t'win." In response to his solution, she merely stuck out her bottom lip and looked at him with huge eyes. "Aww, no," he groaned. "Don' do the eyes. Not the eyes. That's cheatin', 'ayya. Aaah!"
Julius’ voice, gruff and muffled, issued from the closet at this declaration from Wade. "Oh, face, boy. Rayya doesn’t know the meaning of fair. Oh, and that’s her normal face. Pathetic and puppy dog-ish."
Spinning, Rayya stuck her tongue out at the closet door and her guardian. "Like you’re in no way, shape, or form puppy-ish?" she retorted. "Silly piggy." Then she turned back to Wade, just barely suppressing a grin that threatened to take over her face. "Fine, spoil sport," she murmured. Quickly and without warning, she bent, grabbed a pillow off the floor, and swung it at Wade's shoulder with a burst of laughter.
Wade was laughing too hard to dodge, uselessly batting his hands at the pillow, grinning at her. "No fair!" he grumbled teasingly. "You have a violent streak in you, Miss 'ayya."
"Only when bedding is involved," she retorted with a huge smile. "Cry mercy, Wade!" Again she swung the flimsy pillow at the taller boy.
"Mercy," he agreed, lying flat on his back from the merciless assault. "End the sufferin' and stuff."
"Nope, I lied," Rayya snickered, swatting at him again.
"No mercy shall be had. I take no
prisoners." With a giggle and a wink, she knelt on the bed and threw
a leg over his lower legs, coming to rest in a semi-sitting position atop his
knees. "See?" she teased, menacing him with the pillow some more.
He began getting slightly pink again. "Aww, but I submitted an' everythin'. Now I'm captured by savages!" Wade made a healthy attempt at wriggling.
"Hey, stop that! You're gonna knock me over," she protested. Wobbling slightly, she grimaced through her giggles. "You really will." Her warning was too late, however, as he gave a particularly violent wriggle and sent her forward with a yelp.
Wade immediately half-sat up as she landed with an oof on his chest, cheeks flaming, bracing himself with his hands and looking down at her worriedly. "Darn, I'm such a jerk! Are you okay'n stuff? I didn' hurt you or anythin', did I?"
"Of course not," she responded quickly. She pushed herself upright, using his chest for leverage, and ended up sliding back to straddle his lap. "You make a nice landing pad," she added lightly. Her face lit up with a sincere grin, her way of reassuring him. Then she cocked her head and indicated his burning face. "You okay?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah," he reassured her. "I was jus' worried that I'd hurt you or something." Wade inwardly willed his blush to subside.
"Nah, I've fallen on much worse things than a good-looking guy's chest in my life." She smiled sweetly.
"You're a good sport, 'ayya. If I was you I woulda thought I was just a big dumb lummox."
Affectionately, she slid an arm around his shoulders and hugged him towards her. "You're wonderful."
Through the resurgence of his blush, he managed to wink at her. "Geez, 'ayya. You say the nicest things."
"Only the truth, believe you me." Rayya leaned back on her elbows and gazed around the room. "So now I need some truth from you, handsome."
He put his hand over his heart, or at least the equivalent. "The whole truth, the full truth, an' nuthin' but."
"Right-o, then." Rayya smiled and waved her hand around vaguely. "You like the room?"
Wade nodded fervently. "S'a great room. Nice. Airy. Big 'nuff to swing cats in, if you like swingin' poor cats around. Nice colors, too."
Chuckling, Rayya shook her head. "I actually mean the furniture but what the heck. Now the only question that remains is what do you want to do for supper?"
He grinned at her. "I'm not picky. Jus' feed me somethin' that's actually edible an' I'll love it. It'll be a nice change from feedin' myself."
"That helps a lot. What's your favorite sort of food, huh? You've gotta have one!"
"I'll do you one better. Y'tell me what your favorite food is, then I'll help y'cook it, so that I know how to do it properly next time. Hokay?"
"Okay, you think of your favorite type of food, I'll run to the rest room and straighten out my throat, and then, when I get back, you can tell me what's on the agenda? Sound good? Great." Planting a very quick kiss on his cheek, Rayya spun on her heel and was out the door after grabbing a washcloth and hand towel.
He frowned for a moment, knowing by now her capacity to cover up self-injury, but eventually reasoned that she might very well have an allergy to dust and that she wasn't about to collapse on the floor with double pneumonia or something.
Hee, but she was certainly cute, though. Bouncy and sweet. Didn't even seem to mind that he was completely dense. Wade sat down and twiddled his thumbs.
Luckily, he didn’t have long to wait before Rayya came breezing back into her room with a smile. "So did you make up your mind, handsome?" she asked as she draped the washcloth and towel over the bar fixed to the back of the door.
He grinned at her. "Yeah. Whatever's closest."
Rayya giggled. "That would be the school's cafeteria and I wouldn't even take Hyperion there. Help a little more?"
"Hokay. Closest and edible."
"That rules out everything within a three block radius so we've got a bit of a walk." Rayya grabbed her purse from the back of the desk chair and shouldered it with a smile. "How do you feel about Indian?"
"Indian sounds great, y'know." Wade smiled at her gently. "Whatever suits."
"You suit," Rayya chuckled as she held out her hand. "Now come on. Let me introduce you to the best chicken vindaloo in all of Roanoke."