The Ex

The Ex(Rachael Roper) “The Ex”
“Stacey, Will you show our new student around please? He is just starting today and you are always so happy,” the school secretary asked Stacey. Stacey smiled at her, nodding.
“Hi. I am Stacey. What is your-” She looked at him startled. “Tom! What are you doing here?”
“You know Tom, Stacey?” The secretary asked happily.
“Yes. What is your first class? You should not be tardy for it.”
“It is Algebra two,” he said staring at her.
“Oh man. Come on.” Stacey went to first hour with Tom on her heels. She took her seat by Nate. Tom stood in front of the class waiting to be seated. Lance came in and took the other seat next to Stacey.
“Who is that new kid? We should talk to him at lunch.” Lance looked at the new kid then glanced at Nate who was looking at Stacey, “Stacey? What is wrong? What happened so early that made you mad? Jessica?”
“Class! Class! Quiet down. We have a new student today. I would like all of you on about your best behavior as he introduces himself.” She smiled at Tom. “Tom would you please tell the class a little bit about yourself. And then all of you tell something about yourselves. OK. Tom, take it away.”
“Hi, I am Tom Flaker. I like sports and hanging out after school. My favorite food is pizza; candy is m & M’s. I came here yesterday. I live in a temporary home. Thank you.” He looked at all of the students sitting in the chairs. Nobody wanted to speak.
“Hi I am Lance Torrgerson. I like sports but I don’t play. My favorite candy is Skittles. My favorite person is Stacey. I am adopted. And I love the color blue.” Lance smiled at Stacey. His blue eyes lit up. They sparkled, happiness spilling out of them. His brown hair not long but long enough to be spiked a little. Lance remembered his childhood. Nobody could ever forget it. It had been very cruel. His real parents were killed. He got away with a few scrapes. He was adopted a few months after that.
His adopted parents were horrible to him. He finally stopped breathing one night, the final night he saw them. They beat him so badly that no one could tell he was white. The neighbors called the cops for the hundredth time. When they came the parents were so tired they couldn’t hide any weapons. It was all there. Lance was in the hospital for months recovering. While he was there, he met Phillip. Phillip told Ben and Ben came to see Lance too. Ben adopted Lance when Lance was six.
“I am Stacey Winchester. I love the color pink. I also love Lance. I am a single child. I was raised by my grandma.” She looked at Lance. Stacey had lived with her grandma until she was fifteen. She had to obey Grandma’s rules. Clothes were old-fashioned, School was in two pieces (an earth quake hit and broke the school in half). It had been horrible. When she moved in with her dad, everything was different. She had her own room with a bathroom (which was really big) and a walk-in closet. When she shook Lance's hand she knew it was love. She instantly fell for him. Lance also fell for her.
“I am Nate Winchester. I love my family. I have two blood-related brothers. My brother, Phillip, raised me.” He looked at Stacey and Lance with a smile on his face. Nate’s dirty blond hair was messy. His blue eyes also sparkled, flowing with happiness.
Nate always lived with Phillip (his older brother but not his oldest brother). Phillip loved Nate very much. They treated each other with respect. The rest of the class finished while the three teens listened politely
Stacey stared at her blank paper until the bell rang. Lance grabbed her hand squeezing hard. Nate watched them. Both boys look worried.
“Stacey is everything okay?” He watched her as she moved her head to look at him.
“No. I don’t feel good at all Lance.” She had an upset look an upset look on her face. “Will you take me home?”
He looked at her pale face. Her curled blonde hair just below her shoulders added to her paleness. So did her bright blue eyes. He looked at Nate. Nate nodded. Lance smiled at Stacey.
“Of course. Let’s just get some things from our lockers. Nate will you go to the-“
“Yeah. I will be out as soon as I can.” Nate walked down the hall.
Lance got one book out of each locker, and met Stacey in the hall, and helps her rest of the way to the truck. Nate came out as Lance threw their backpacks in the back of the truck. When they went in the house, Phillip came to Stacey’s side helping her to the couch.
“She passed out, I have no idea what happened.” Lance sat on the other couch with Ben and Nate. “She was fine this morning, but we split and she was mad when I met her in class. Is she okay?”
“Yes. She seems a little nervous, but mostly scared. I can tell that whatever happened made her body freeze up. She is in shock.” Phillip looked at the boys. His hair was short and dirty blonde. His blue eyes showed determination.
“Well something that might help us is the new kid. She took him to first class. She looked shocked, though. I think she knows Tom.” Nate looked at Phillip. “She didn’t talk to me at all. When Tom told us about himself, she gave him a look and I thought he would die then and there.”
“Tom. He doesn’t look familiar. But she must know him. Interesting I thought Tom was nice.”
“Well let’s just ask her when she wakes up.” Ben looked at Phillip. Ben’s short hair was brown and his eyes were blue. “Also you should make cookies.”
Phillip went in the kitchen. Lance and Nate got their homework out. Ben started reading. Dominic came down the stairs with Austin. Dominic’s brown hair was cut short. His brown eyes shining playfully around the room. Austin’s dirty blonde hair was also cut short. His blue eyes were darker than Dominic’s. He was Dominic’s best friend. He also supported Nate most of the time. Dominic teased everyone in the house. His family thought it was funny sometimes and annoying other times. Dominic was the first to be adopted. Then Austin. And Ben. They all became friends fast.
Phillip loved helping people. He had begged his mother to adopt Ben. He'd told her Ben would die if she didn’t. Phillip went to college to become a doctor. He was a great doctor. He was also a great cook. And it all tastes delicious.
Two hours later, Stacey woke up startled, breathing hard. Lance appeared at her side. He grabbed her hand and calmed her down. Phillip came out of the kitchen to Stacey.
“Stacey, are you ok? How are you feeling?” Lance asked. “It’s ok, Stacey. You are safe.”
“Lance! Where is Tom? Where is he? Don’t let-“
“Stacey! Calm down. He is at school. Do you know him?”
“Yes. But Lance he is not at school! He is waiting! Gun! Lance!” She started to cry. “Don’t leave me alone. Please. He is watching us.”
“I won’t leave you alone. What do you mean he is watching us? What does gun mean?”
“He is watching us. He will shoot us. Darts.” She sobbed into his shoulder.
“It is okay, Stacey. Are you hungry? You should eat. Let’s go in the kitchen.” Lance helped her up. She was weak and needed his support. She wiped another tear away. “Sh. It’s okay.”
Phillip was looking across the room at nothing. He was piecing it all together. He had most of it, but there were still blank spots.
“Nate will you go help Stacey? Then send Lance in here? Thank you.”
Nate walked into the kitchen and Lance came back out.
“You want me?” Lance knew the answer.
“Do you know anything I don’t? Anything like how she knows Tom, why he is trying to shoot us or anything at all?”
“I will go find out. Phillip, she is a little hungry which means she might be hallucinating just a little.” Lance smiled at Phillip “She might not even know him. You can’t assume things yet.”
Stacey called Lance to the kitchen. Nate ran out as Lance walked in. Stacey ate and felt a little better. Lance sat in a chair next to her.
“OK. I am just wondering how you know Tom? I mean I might be getting jealous here.” He smiled at her. Kindly but looked worried.
“Tom is my only ex-boyfriend. He was a jerk and threatened me every day to not break up with him. Daddy made me come here. I never wanted to see him again.”
“Is he dangerous?”
“Yes. He went to jail a lot. I've heard he got kicked out of the state. The FBI was going to get him but he escaped.”
“Um. How did he get into our school?”
“Fake identity. He is good at fake ID.”
“Ok. So why is he here?”
“He is going to kill me. He never wanted me to leave, but I did. Now he will get revenge.”
“I won’t let him get to you. I promise.”
“It’s not a choice. He will take me! He has two guns and tear gas! Lance! I don’t want him to hurt us!” She cried into his chest. He hugged her. He thought Tom was just another teenager. But Tom was deadly.
After Stacey fell asleep Lance called the adults in. They sat down around him.
“I know a lot more now. Tom is a deadly threat to us. He is going to try to kill Stacey. Two guns and tear gas. He won’t let her go unharmed.” Lance looked at the table.
“How do they know each other?” Phillip asked.
“Ex-boyfriend. Threatened her about breaking up with him. Horrible boy. We have to do something.”
“I can take him.” Dominic offered.
“No. We do this together. Tear gas is deadly.” Phillip stared at the table.
“Yeah. I don’t think we can win this by ourselves. Tell him to block off the roads. It is going to be a tough fight. We need to get Stacey out of here.” Phillip said. “Let’s make a plan of action.”
“I think Stacey should go with Carisa. It won’t hurt either of them and Carisa is already here.” Austin said. “I can go with them too, so they will be safe.”
“Are you taking Stacey?” Phillip looked at Austin. “I don’t like this situation. You follow Stacey everywhere until this battle is over. I will call you.”
“Phillip, what are you talking about?” Carisa sat down in an empty chair next to Austin. She smiled brightly at Phillip. Her blonde hair was waist-length and her blue eyes shone brightly. She was Phillip's crush and Phillip is hers and she is his best girl friend. They have known each other forever. She is a nurse and helps him a lot in the hospital. “I don’t want to be a part of a battle.”
“Carisa you aren’t Stacey needs shelter. Don’t worry I am sending Austin with you. You just have to get Stacey away from Tom.”
“That guy who everyone has been talking about? Wants to steal Stacey away from Lance. I heard he is going to terrible things to you guys. He has been training himself for this fight since she left.” Carisa’s blue eyes shone with worry. “He studied you. All of you. Apparently he has been kicked out of the state because he kept breaking out of jail. But I just heard this from everyone in the hospital.”
“Carisa, we will be okay. Trust me.” Philip looked at Lance as he came inside the back door. He looked shocked but a little relieved. “Lance, what did he say?”
“He is sending some people down. Phillip I think Tom has studied us really well.”
“Why do you say that? Have you seen him?” Phillip looked concerned.
“Um actually, I don’t think I am going to be able to fight Phillip. Rachael knows what she is talking about. He has guns.” Lance turned to show his back. Two darts stuck in him. He slowly sank to the floor. Phillip came to his side. “There is something I need to tell Stacey.”
“Stacey! Lance needs to tell you something.” Phillip called to Stacey.
“Stacey, I love you” Lance said before he passed out.
“Lance stay with me.” He had a fever and looked just as pale as Stacey when she came home from school. Phillip looked at his family.
“The battle has begun. Carisa take Stacey and Austin and go. Everyone else get ready to fight.”
Carisa, Austin and Stacey left for Carisa’s house. Phillip looked out the window at the forest. Ben looked out from behind Phillip.
“They know what they are doing. We lost Lance for this battle. Let’s take them and tell them who the boss is around here.” Ben smiled towards Phillips.
“We haven’t really lost anybody. He was passed out.” He turned to Nate, Dominic, and Ben. “Let’s do this.”
The family went outside to the tree line. Looking in the darkness of the trees, they saw figures moving towards them. One figure held a riffle pointed directly at Dominic. He looked directly at the man with the gun.
“Tom?” Phillip asked to the crowd of five. “I would like to talk to you.”
“About what? Your death.” Tom laughed at his joke. “I don’t think talking will help this case at all. Surrender now or I will not only kill Stacey I will kill all of you. You can’t stop me.”
“Tom, Stacey is not here. She is in town. You can raid our house but she is not there.” Phillip looked at Tom. “Why don’t we talk in Private Tom? Or you can go home and we can forget this ever happened.”
“Stop! This is happening. You are all going to die. Nothing can save you now.”
“Well I am sorry Tom but you are wrong. See we have already won.” Phillip said. Six figures in camouflage grabbed all five boys. They dragged them back to the jet they came on. Phillip called Austin and told him to come back. Lance awoke after Carisa, Austin, and Stacey came back to the house. He hugged Stacey sitting beside her on the couch. He felt a little better. Phillip told him to drink a lot of water for the rest of the day.
“So I am guessing you lost.” Carisa teased. She sat on the couch by Phillip and Ben. “We never heard anything. So what happened? Everything looks normal.”
“We went out there and he had tear gas. But there were some army troops here behind him. They took him to a special place.” Phillip smiled at Stacey. “I am glad you are safe. I don’t know what would have happened if he had tear gassed us.”
“Phillip, I really didn’t want to find out.” Ben said.
“Yeah. I am fine with the way things worked out.” Austin smiled at Phillip. “But you can do what ever you want by yourself.”
“ Okay you guys, I am totally bored. So let’s go celebrate! Pizza and bowling!” Carisa said Ben and Austin’s wrists and dragging them to the garages.
“Sounds great.” Phillip said. He grabbed his car keys and shut the door behind him.