Death Screams by Tamara Rose Blodgett Page B

out my window where I saw Halloween had come in clear and cold. The sky an irreverent blue, snubbing its nose to summer. I turned over on my back and pulsed Jade.
     
    I swiped my thumb over the pad and the luminescent green characters floated and collided, errant flakes of color coming together to form:
     
    Jade LeClerc - Hot One.

    Seeing my pulse customization I laughed. I had changed everyone. Terran's had been the first to go (with his lame last name add). When pulse customization came out, I sucked up the application and it had been so worth it.
     
    Hey babe smiles , you're the birthday boy. Or...should I say the emancipated boy? JLeC
    Yeah, I feel pretty profanity-block! emancipated after last night .- CH
    I know, right? It was horrible. What about Clyde? JLeC
    Mom let him stay in the back until I could get him to the cemetery today .-CH
    Really? Is he... hanging around the separators again? JLeC
    Yeah stress in voice modulation pattern - CH
    Sorry, I have this dumb thing on hyper-sensitive emotive response.- CH
     
    I turned my pulse to "none." I didn't need every little tweak of emotion rippling through the pulse to the girlfriend. Duh.
     
    Idk if that's okay, Caleb. Remember last year when Carson and them jumped you? It was because your pulse was on high I was able to feel their intent ... JLeC

    She was right. I left it on "none." I wasn't some kind of candy ass, as Gramps would say.
     
    Did you tell Andrea? CH
    No way! She'd ground me forever and make us break up again. - JLeC
     
    I didn't want a repeat of that. It caused a panic to stir in my guts, uncomfortably churning. I looked at my pulse controls that rode the top of my screen and saw emotive control, with a check mark in the box "off."
     
    Right. Well, I guess I'll see you at Gramps. After I take care of Clyde sighs -CH
    Don't be sad, Caleb. It's your birthday. Forget Parker. He's just trying to intimidate you. -JLeC
    I don't think so, Jade. He knows something. His tactics are lame and scary but he's right. If he'd wanted to hurt me, or incapacitate the guys, he would have brought more... everything. Profanity-block! he could have brought twenty zombies and we would have been in for it. He knows something, and it's bigger than some loser after the girls, somebody with DI. It's bigger. And I want to find out. -CH
    I was afraid you'd say that .-JLeC
    Don't worry, I won't bring you into it .-CH
    How can you not? I am part of it. I'm like an island in a sea of danger. Threat to me, threat to our group. I'm scared. I've been raised with fear and the potential for violence my whole life and I don't want to choose that path. Not if I can avoid it, Caleb .-JLeC.
    I understand Jade. But sometimes there's necessary violence. There's your dad's profanity-block! , it doesn't make sense. He just does it because he can, like automatic. Then there's people that are premeditated. Well, we gotta be too. We gotta beat them at their own game .-CH
    You know I love you. -JLeC
    Yeah, I do. You're starting to worry me. -CH
    No... don't be. I just, I want a quieter life where I feel safe and happy... JLeC
    I can do that .-CH
    I believe you think you can. But I don't know, Caleb. I don't want to be with anyone else. I do feel safe with you. Then this stuff happens... JLeC
    The stuff that's happening now has to do with that sample you touched and the AP creeper that's gunning for the girls. For once, I'm not in the middle of the cause. -CH
    But ya will be .-JLeC
    Yeah .-CH
    See? JLeC
    What do ya want from me Jade? I'm not going to stand back while some murderer sets his sights on my girl. Sophie's not my problem but she's your best friend. And whether Jones wants to admit it or not, he loves her. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her. We can't stop being guys because you girls get cold feet or feel like things may get outta control.- CH
    I know, it all makes sense. -JLeC
    Then what is it? You're killin' me! CH
    Just try! Just try not to be violent. Promise