“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Angela said calmly, pointing the gun at Dunstan, “but perhaps you’re just not getting what I’m trying to say. I’m not asking you to do this, I’m telling you.”

“When Charise finds out, you’re the one she’ll be angry at, not me,” Dunstan yelled, his eyes fixed fearfully on the gun. “Besides, you wouldn’t dare use that on me. They’ll put you away, and then your plan will be for nothing.”

“I’ll cry my eyes out on the witness stand and tell them every little thing you’ve done, and not just to me, but to Charise as well.” Angela smiled a little and added, “They’ll say I did a great service by killing you, maybe even make a movie about me. Jodie Foster could direct it…”

“You’re ****ing insane!” Dunstan gasped out. Angela smirked a little, pointed the gun, and then pulled the trigger.


Two weeks earlier…

“What? But why?” Mark asked. “You’d believe some French Quarter phony over me?”

“Why Tacita, though?” Jade cried out. “She’s like the damn community bike, everyone’s had a ride. Now give me the key. You’ve lost all access to my apartment… and to me.” Mark sighed, pulled out his keychain, and pulled a key off of it, then handed it to Jade.

“Now, get the hell out of my apartment,” Jade growled, pocketing the key. “You feel lonely, you go to Tacita. I swear, I don’t get how you and Paul were friends; you guys are polar opposites. He thought we were in a relationship, but never said anything about us being a couple and basically made me think I was just a FWB. And you… well, you’d think-- an outsider would think-- you and I were a couple. I mean, you even had a key to my place. I’m sick of this.”

“You knew what you were getting into back when we first started,” Mark protested, but feebly.

“And I’m sick of it. I’m sick of it being all action and no emotion. I need more substance, more… more than just a casual thing. I mean, yeah, it was great for a while, but, well, things have changed. I’m too old for hookups--”

“You’re, what? Twenty-one? Twenty-two? Twenty-three? That’s not old.”

“And you’re pushing thirty. That makes you way too old for this kind of thing. Look, you might not want commitment, but ever think that maybe I do?”


Mark smiled a little, knowingly. “It’s that Graham guy, huh? That’s why you’ve been acting so different.”

“He was more like the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Jade snapped. “You’ve known for a while now that I’ve wanted more than just a good time.”

“You’re going this to make me jealous, aren’t you? ‘If I make him think someone might replace him, he’ll commit.’ Is that it?”

“It’s over, Mark. I’m tired of holding on to a feeling I know is gone.”

Mark smirked a little and said, “So, it’s time for me to fly, then?”

“Preferably off the top of the Superdome.”

“So, that’s how it is, then. Fine. You ever want me to come back, you know how to get in touch with me,” Mark said, shrugging. He took Jade’s hand and lightly kissed it. “I give you a week before you start missing me.”

“I managed to survive without you before I met you, and it’s not going to kill me to not have you around now,” Jade shot back, pulling her hand away.

“I’ll leave you to Graham’s care, then. Nothing like a wannabe rocker, eh?”

“Get the hell out of here.”

“As you wish.”


Emily dropped the last of the items into the bag, then sighed. “That’s it. That’s all of it,” she muttered. “If I’m careful, I can sneak this into the kitchen without Mom or Dad noticing.” She went over the list in her mind, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything: vinegar, lemon juice, peppermints, Tums, several “instant broth” packages, large bottles of vitamins, energy drink mixes, a half-empty box of baking soda, and several cans of V8. She listened quietly to the activity outside her bedroom. The last thing she needed was her parents, or worse, AJ, to find out what was going on. Silence. Good.

Emily took a slow, deep breath and picked up the bag. She slowly made her way over to her bedroom door and opened it very gradually, then peered into the hallway. No one was there. She smiled a little and quietly but quickly scampered down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she carefully set everything where it should be.

No one will know now, she thought, pocketing the bag and walking out of the kitchen. She almost ran into AJ, who was heading toward the kitchen.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were up,” he said, rubbing his eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve been up for a while,” Emily replied.

“Got any plans for today?”

“Not really," Emily said. I just did what I planned to do, she thought.