“That breakfast was soooo boring!” Remi complained loudly.

Jason, Jessica, and the red demon girl ascended the train station’s front steps. They were still a few minutes early for the train Jason normally caught to school. The trio reached the top of the steps and Jason led them towards his usual spot near the back of the platform.

“I get that she’s trying to be polite towards you while you’re going through things, but where was the action?” Remi tugged and pulled on Jessica’s outfit but the other girl remained oblivious to the demon’s touch. “I had hoped to see one of you throw the other against the bathroom wall and have some actual fun. Instead, all I got was you two making googly eyes at each other and chatting about ‘old times’.”

Remi blanched.

“You’re more uncomfortable with simple eye contact than intense public intimacy?” Jason’s question was barely audible to his own ears but Jason could tell from the way the demon girl scowled at him that she heard what he said.

“Demons don’t do romance.” Remi folded her arms across her chest.

Jason took a seat on a bench at the end of the platform and Jessica sat directly next to him. Jason could feel her toned legs brush against his own. He coughed and readjusted in his seat, intending to give Jessica a bit more room. The gesture proved worthless, however, as Jessica simply moved her legs in sync with Jason’s own, maintaining the contact.

“Now just start feeling her leg and let things go from there.” Remi’s tone made it sound like the only logical action Jason could take at this moment.

Jason ignored the advice, instead, he busied his mind by looking everywhere but the flushed face of his childhood friend sitting next to him. Much to his relief, Jason spotted Hayden stepping up onto the platform from the nearest set of stairs. He lifted his hand and waved him over. Jessica let out a disgruntled sigh at the intrusion to what she perceived as one on one time with Jason.

“It might be a bit wrinkled.” Hayden announced as he pulled out a plastic bag from his back pack. “But that’s not my problem.”

Jason smirked, stood, and accepted the spare uniform.

“Thanks man. I’ll be right back.” Jason walked off to find the nearest bathroom to change in.

“How come you’re friends with someone so much more attractive than you?” Remi asked as she followed Jason away from Jessica and Hayden. “Doesn’t that just make you depressed?”

“As luck would have it I don’t make friends based on appearances.” Jason grumbled.

Remi shook her head. “Weird. How did you two become friends then?”

Jason’s mind was cast back to last year when he transferred into their current high school.

“Well that’s a funny story actually.” Jason smiled. “Hayden transferred to our high school a bit before I got there. Neither of us had any friends or relatives at school so we were both kind of loners.”

“I can see it now.” Remi threw herself against the nearest wall dramatically. “Two lost souls sharing a night of intense passion to vent their pent up frustrations.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “No. He actually knocked me out during a softball game. That’s how we met.”

Remi lifted an eyebrow. “Interesting way to flirt. Are you into that kind of thing?”

Jason ignored her comment and continued to retell the experience.

“His bat slipped in his hands and hit me right in the head. Hayden carried me himself to the nurses office and apologized profusely once I woke up.” Jason laughed. “Hurt like crazy but I met one of the closest friends I’ve ever made in my life so I’m willing to accept the minor concussion.”

Remi pursed her lips but didn’t make any further snarky remarks. Jason found the nearest bathroom on the station floor just below the platform. He paused at the door and Remi ran into him.

“Hey, watch it.” She growled at him.

“You’re not coming in here while I change.” Jason stated firmly.

Remi smirked and placed her right hand over Jason’s chest.

“What’s wrong? Afraid to disappoint me?”

Rather than push her away or feed into her teasing, Jason decided to do something he would never attempt with anyone else. He was starting to figure Remi out and had a good idea as to how to throw her off her game.

“Okay then.” Jason grabbed Remi’s hand and pulled her into the bathroom.

“Wha-” Remi’s red and black eyes widened considerably.

Jason glanced around once he was inside and confirmed that they were alone. Swinging Remi’s arm around, Jason pinned the demon girl to the wall and leaned his face towards her.

“What was that you suggested before? Some actual fun?” Jason gave her a sly grin.

Remi’s mouth was agape and Jason could feel her skin blazing like it was on fire. With a sharp jab of her fist, Remi freed herself from Jason’s grasp with a punch to his gut. As Jason doubled over from the unexpected blow, Remi covered her face in her hands and sprinted from the bathroom.

Went about how I expected it to. Jason groaned.

It didn’t take him long to change into the borrowed school uniform now that he was alone. Jason didn’t see Remi again until he left the bathroom. The demon girl was across the hall, slumped against the wall, with her head tucked into her legs. She looked up as Jason exited the bathroom.

Remi’s eyes narrowed at him. “Idiot.”

Jason chuckled and walked back the way he had come, back to the train platform. Remi followed but not close enough to chat with Jason. She was clearly going to need a bit more time to overcome her embarrassment. As Jason stepped back onto the train platform, he noticed that Jessica and Hayden were having a quiet discussion. Jessica was still seated on the bench and Hayden stood in front of her. From the slightly perplexed but mostly annoyed look on Jessica’s face, Jason assumed they were having some type of serious discussion. Assuming that he was the only real factor both parties had in common with one another, Jason had to guess that he was the subject of their discussion. This conjecture seemed all the more likely once the pair stopped talking just as he entered earshot.

“Everything okay?” Jason asked as he approached.

Hayden glanced back and gave him a pained smile.

“Yeah. Everythings fine.”.

Jessica frowned but also nodded. An awkward silence fell between the group.

What could they possibly have talked about? Jason searched through his mind but couldn’t make any connections.

Jason liked to think he knew both Hayden and Jessica rather well. Out of all of the information he had in his mind about both of them, nothing indicated they would have any shared past or history between them. 

Why then are they having private discussions that they refuse to discuss in front of me?

Jason felt a sting of annoyance and betrayal strike his heart. There were far too many mysteries surrounding him these days, he didn’t expect his best friend to add to the pile.

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“He’s with her then?” Courtney asked aloud as she made a few last minute adjustments to her highlighted hair before she would leave home for the day.

“Yes ma’am. They had breakfast together and met up with the guy friend at the train station.” A gruff man’s voice echoed out of her phone that was set on speaker on the counter of her luxury bathroom. “You want us to grab him?”

“No!” Courtney snapped.

She snagged the phone and spoke directly into the microphone. “You do not make a move on Jason until I give you the order. I thought I made that clear when I first tasked you with this assignment. Do I need to have you replaced?”

“No ma’am.” The man rushed to respond. “I just figured, you know, this early in the day might be a good time to do it.”

“What’s your name?” Courtney’s free hand gripped her bathroom’s sink counter hard enough to make her knuckles white.

“Simon, ma’am.” The man audibly swallowed.

“Thank you Simon.” Courtney spoke with feigned regret. “I’m sorry for being short with you. Is your partner there by any chance?”

“Uh.” A rustling sound suggested simon was turning his head to look. “Yes he is.”

“Okay. Could I speak with him as well? I just want to stress the fact that you are both to wait for my say so to make your move.”

“I, uh, I could just tell him for-” Simon started, clearly unwilling to hand over his phone.

“Now. Please.” Courtney ordered.

After a brief moment, a new voice took over the phone line.

“What can I do for you ma’am?” The new voice asked.

Courtney took a deep breath and looked up at her reflection. She could see smoldering anger in her eyes from Simon almost tipping her hand before the time was right. There was really only one remedy for the situation.

“I want you to execute Simon, your partner, and dispose of his body.” Courtney’s tone could freeze lava. “I will then send you two replacements who you will then explain exactly what the plan is and how I expect it to be carried out. There are not going to be any more suggestions or mistakes, am I understood?”

The man, much to his credit in Courtney’s mind, didn’t hesitate.

“Yes ma’am, of course.” He said without a hind of remorse. “I’ll take care of that right away and we’ll wait for your word.”

“Good.” Courtney nodded. “See to it then.”

She ended the call and took a final look at her school outfit. Though there wasn’t too much she could do to touch up the unflattering school uniform, Courtney had done what she could to make herself enticing to Jason’s eyes. The next few days were going to be critical to secure Courtney and Jason’s future together so everything had to be perfect. Courtney smiled at herself in the mirror. Her blood red highlights now seemed extremely appropriate for the events that were about to unfold.

JTNestman

I live in the US so chapter releases this next week may be a bit sporadic as I'll be traveling around to visit family for Thanksgiving. As always, thanks for reading.