Post by SomethingAboutTheStars on Jan 16, 2012 14:34:44 GMT -5
Thank you so much to my readers and commenters, walktherainbows, greysonluvsme13, greysongal, and Shinichi17CP. It means a lot to me, thank you! Also, walktherainbows, tell me if it gets to be too much (Check your PM and we'll talk there).
Prologue: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=822
Chapter 1: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=823
Chapter 2: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=824
Chapter 3: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=825
Chapter 4: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=826
Chapter 5: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=827
Chapter 6: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=828
Chapter 7: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=829
Chapter 8: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=844
Chapter 9: www.thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=899
Chapter 10: You're already here!!
But then, Barney’s computer dies. I moan. Barney comes over and checks it out. He moans, too. “This is the second time this month,” he grumbles. I apologize quickly.
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s completely fine. This computer is just old….”
“If you need anything, just call,” I say. “I need to scam.”
Barney looks up at me. He has a plug in his hand. I wait around for a moment. He plugs it back in, flicks some switches, presses some buttons. I hear a fan blow. It’s good, so I start towards the door.
“I got it!” screams Barney as I leave.
At home, I log on and the message reads:
Lorence,
I thought it was funny how when we first met, I offered you coffee, and you accepted it. But I could tell that you hated it, you kept wrinkling your nose at the smell and when you took a sip, you’d hold your breath. I know where you spend your days when you’re not signing books and hiding from flashing cameras. You like hot chocolate. With mint. If you don’t want hot chocolate, you take Earl Grey, given to you by the owner’s son.
The owner’s son? Stephen?
I’m baffled. “What are you doing?” I whisper to myself. I’m sitting on the ground in my kitchen. I had put some potatoes in the oven and the fan feels warm on my back. My fingers touch the word ’mint.’ It makes no sense. Why wouldn’t Stephen have told me?
I decide that I want another piece to the puzzle, and I’ll bother him later.
“Hey, guess what, Greyson?” Barney pokes me in the shoulder when I walk into the Spotlight through the back. He’s hiding next to the computer.
“Jesus, Barney!” I shout, jumping away from him and nearly falling into a shelf that holds old records. I catch it before it falls over. Taking a deep breath, I ask, “What do you want?”
“You have to guess,” Barney says. He walks out of the back room and weaves out of the employee area. He starts up the stairs.
“Can I have Laurie’s number yet? It’s been weeks!” I complain, following him.
“Days,” Barney corrects. “It’s been two days. And anyways, you haven’t even guessed?”
“Fine. Did your ostrich come yet?” I say sarcastically.
“Funny. No. Keep guessing,” Barney grabs a box from behind a display and is starting to shelve them. I follow him around like a dog.
“Oh, come on. You have to give me a hint, a category,” I beg.
“Oh, come on. You’re smarter than that,” he mocks me.
“Barney!” I nearly shout.
“Greyson!” he mocks again.
“Fine. Okay. We’ll play twenty questions,” I suggest.
“Sure. But you’re making this way more complicated than it needs to be,” Barney warns.
“Really?”
He nods.
“Then just tell me!”
“You need to guess…how about…” Barney taps his chin. “Two more times.”
I’m relieved. “Okay.”
“Go on, I’m not getting any younger.”
“Uhm…John Lennon has been reincarnated?”
“No.”
“There’s going to be more Harry Potter?”
“No.”
I wait. Then, “That’s two times, Barney.”
He huffs and sets down the box. “Laurie dropped by earlier.”
“Really?!” I nearly scream.
“Yup.” He’s acting like he’s all high and mighty.
“Did she talk about me? Did you give her my number? Can I have hers yet?” I ask eagerly.
“Calm down, kid,” Barney tells me. “Okay, she said, I quote, ‘Was it your flirty co-worker stalking me,’” he says. “At least, I’m pretty sure. You should probably stop stalking her, my friend.” He waves a record at me.
“Was she creeped out though?” I pester.
“No, she actually seemed amused,” Barney laughs and puts the album on the shelf.
“Hey, Barney, would you like me to do that?” I ask.
“Now that’s how you brownnose,” Barney nods with approval and hands me the box. I expect my knees to buckle and to fall over but it’s light. I peer into it. It’s empty.
“Stephen, can I have a cup of Earl Grey tea?” I ask.
“Earl Grey? You sure you don’t want mint hot chocolate?” Stephen’s drying a mug. His face is confused. I realize I’ve never asked for Earl Grey tea before, despite my taste for it.
“Please?” I feel bad; I don’t think I have the money to spare. But I know I can work it off.
“Sure, of course, Laurie,” he says, placing the mug he was drying on the counter. He brews some Earl Grey. When the tea is done, he pours it into my cup and then puts a metal box on the counter next to the mug. “Merry Christmas, Laurie,” he says.
I thank him, smiling, and then leave.
It’s a puzzle. Inside the tin, there’s three more charms. A coffee mug, a puzzle, and a heart. I attach these to my bracelet and then I turn to the puzzle. It’s small, probably only a hundred pieces. I used to be a puzzle whiz, and I test my skill now. I find that I haven’t lost much time in doing a hundred piece puzzle. It turns out to be a plain white puzzle with writing on it. But what’s weird, there’s writing on the back too.
The front is glossy white with numbers on it.
The numbers are:
405 – 118 – 2018
On the back, I find, after carefully turning it over, is:
—John
My heart begins to pound. Is it the account number? I have to find out. I leave kitchen and so I open my laptop and start searching.
Prologue: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=822
Chapter 1: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=823
Chapter 2: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=824
Chapter 3: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=825
Chapter 4: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=826
Chapter 5: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=827
Chapter 6: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=828
Chapter 7: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=829
Chapter 8: thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=844
Chapter 9: www.thegreysonchanceforum.com/index.cgi?board=stara&action=display&thread=899
Chapter 10: You're already here!!
Chapter 10
Lorence
But then, Barney’s computer dies. I moan. Barney comes over and checks it out. He moans, too. “This is the second time this month,” he grumbles. I apologize quickly.
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s completely fine. This computer is just old….”
“If you need anything, just call,” I say. “I need to scam.”
Barney looks up at me. He has a plug in his hand. I wait around for a moment. He plugs it back in, flicks some switches, presses some buttons. I hear a fan blow. It’s good, so I start towards the door.
“I got it!” screams Barney as I leave.
At home, I log on and the message reads:
Lorence,
I thought it was funny how when we first met, I offered you coffee, and you accepted it. But I could tell that you hated it, you kept wrinkling your nose at the smell and when you took a sip, you’d hold your breath. I know where you spend your days when you’re not signing books and hiding from flashing cameras. You like hot chocolate. With mint. If you don’t want hot chocolate, you take Earl Grey, given to you by the owner’s son.
The owner’s son? Stephen?
I’m baffled. “What are you doing?” I whisper to myself. I’m sitting on the ground in my kitchen. I had put some potatoes in the oven and the fan feels warm on my back. My fingers touch the word ’mint.’ It makes no sense. Why wouldn’t Stephen have told me?
I decide that I want another piece to the puzzle, and I’ll bother him later.
Greyson
“Hey, guess what, Greyson?” Barney pokes me in the shoulder when I walk into the Spotlight through the back. He’s hiding next to the computer.
“Jesus, Barney!” I shout, jumping away from him and nearly falling into a shelf that holds old records. I catch it before it falls over. Taking a deep breath, I ask, “What do you want?”
“You have to guess,” Barney says. He walks out of the back room and weaves out of the employee area. He starts up the stairs.
“Can I have Laurie’s number yet? It’s been weeks!” I complain, following him.
“Days,” Barney corrects. “It’s been two days. And anyways, you haven’t even guessed?”
“Fine. Did your ostrich come yet?” I say sarcastically.
“Funny. No. Keep guessing,” Barney grabs a box from behind a display and is starting to shelve them. I follow him around like a dog.
“Oh, come on. You have to give me a hint, a category,” I beg.
“Oh, come on. You’re smarter than that,” he mocks me.
“Barney!” I nearly shout.
“Greyson!” he mocks again.
“Fine. Okay. We’ll play twenty questions,” I suggest.
“Sure. But you’re making this way more complicated than it needs to be,” Barney warns.
“Really?”
He nods.
“Then just tell me!”
“You need to guess…how about…” Barney taps his chin. “Two more times.”
I’m relieved. “Okay.”
“Go on, I’m not getting any younger.”
“Uhm…John Lennon has been reincarnated?”
“No.”
“There’s going to be more Harry Potter?”
“No.”
I wait. Then, “That’s two times, Barney.”
He huffs and sets down the box. “Laurie dropped by earlier.”
“Really?!” I nearly scream.
“Yup.” He’s acting like he’s all high and mighty.
“Did she talk about me? Did you give her my number? Can I have hers yet?” I ask eagerly.
“Calm down, kid,” Barney tells me. “Okay, she said, I quote, ‘Was it your flirty co-worker stalking me,’” he says. “At least, I’m pretty sure. You should probably stop stalking her, my friend.” He waves a record at me.
“Was she creeped out though?” I pester.
“No, she actually seemed amused,” Barney laughs and puts the album on the shelf.
“Hey, Barney, would you like me to do that?” I ask.
“Now that’s how you brownnose,” Barney nods with approval and hands me the box. I expect my knees to buckle and to fall over but it’s light. I peer into it. It’s empty.
Lorence
“Stephen, can I have a cup of Earl Grey tea?” I ask.
“Earl Grey? You sure you don’t want mint hot chocolate?” Stephen’s drying a mug. His face is confused. I realize I’ve never asked for Earl Grey tea before, despite my taste for it.
“Please?” I feel bad; I don’t think I have the money to spare. But I know I can work it off.
“Sure, of course, Laurie,” he says, placing the mug he was drying on the counter. He brews some Earl Grey. When the tea is done, he pours it into my cup and then puts a metal box on the counter next to the mug. “Merry Christmas, Laurie,” he says.
I thank him, smiling, and then leave.
It’s a puzzle. Inside the tin, there’s three more charms. A coffee mug, a puzzle, and a heart. I attach these to my bracelet and then I turn to the puzzle. It’s small, probably only a hundred pieces. I used to be a puzzle whiz, and I test my skill now. I find that I haven’t lost much time in doing a hundred piece puzzle. It turns out to be a plain white puzzle with writing on it. But what’s weird, there’s writing on the back too.
The front is glossy white with numbers on it.
The numbers are:
405 – 118 – 2018
On the back, I find, after carefully turning it over, is:
—John
My heart begins to pound. Is it the account number? I have to find out. I leave kitchen and so I open my laptop and start searching.