Monsterhearts:King Cobra

Friday August 15th, 2:40 PM
Elsinore High School, Mr Hammer's Class
**The class is fairly silent, but laid back as it's a Friday and class is pretty much over at this point, everyone is packed up and waiting for the bell. Mr. Hammer is walking up and down the aisles, handing back homework to students from the last two nights and saying something to each student, most of it is derisive or has an irritated tone. Not very students seem to care, and he's moving too quickly for them to even respond. Most everyone is clearly anxious to get out of class.**

**Mr. Hammer**: **He nears Chris and puts his paper in front of him, a 78/100 on it.** Satisfactory, but it doesn't inspire my confidence. **He looks at Chris from behind his sharp black-framed glasses and then looks to Odie, who is sitting next to Chris.** Brendan, you never disappoint, except when you do. Which is *always*. **He puts a paper on Odie's desk that has a 58/100 score on it.** If *this year* is going to be a repeat of *last year*, I look forward being perpetually disappointed with you *next year*. **He turns to Shane, pulling out another paper with an 89/100.** Very good work, Shane. **He turns to Liam and pulls out a fourth paper.** Exemplary work Liam, I'm impressed you were able to grasp the language... **He drops a paper with 110/100 on Liam's desk.** Your answer to the extra credit question is of particular interest of me. **His tone sounds almost suspicious.** I expect to be... *Continually impressed*, with your aptitude for the remainder of the semester. **He turns and walks to the next aisle over.**

**Chris**: **He waits for Mr. Hammer to move farther away before he looks at Liam.** You got 110 out of 100? **Chris admits to himself that he doesn't pay attention in class, but the homework seem to have been purposely difficult, especially for the first few days of school.**

**Liam**: **He looks to Chris and smirks.** Yep. **He looks back at the paper and doesn't say anything else.**

**Shane**: Damn. Hot shot in a fight, hot shot in English. **He sounds genuinely impressed.**

**Liam**: If only I could be a hot shot at swimming. **He drops his paper and turns in his seat.**

**Chris**: I'm sure you'll get on the team. **He shrugs slightly.** Kyle said you show potential.

**Shane**: Yeah. You'll get in. You'll see. **As he finishes speaking, the bell rings and everyone in class immediately gets out their seat and heads for the door. He gathers up his stuff and stands up to head out.**

**Odie**: **As he grabs his backpack and throws it around his back he looks at each of them.** So you swim jocks are staying the night at Murdoc's with me right?

**Chris**: **He shoves his paper into his backpack.** Yeah. I gotta swing by my house first and pick up some clothes though. **He starts walking out of class.**

**Liam**: **He pats his messenger bag after he stands up and throws it around his shoulder. It looks more full than it has the passed two days. He follows Chris and Shane closely.** Mine are packed already.

**Shane**: I have to go home first, I'll be by later, but I'm not sure if I can stay all night. My parents are going to this dirt bike contest near Sun City, and they haven't decided if I'm allowed to miss it yet.

**Odie**: Well as long as I have my *best* friends with me, I guess I don't need you. **He raises an eyebrow at Shane and shakes his head in mock disappointment.**

**Shane**: **He ignores Odie's comment.** You drove here today, right Chris?

**Chris**: Yeah, my car got here last night so I'll drive Odie and Liam.

**Shane**: Heard is was a bitch'n car. **He smiles.** Wish I could get a nice car.

**Odie**: I just wish I could drive. **The four of them leave the halls and walk out into the quad, making their way towards the student parking lot.** Seems like everyone I know can drive except me.

**Liam**: I can't drive. **He looks to the side.** No car, no license.

**Shane**: I thought you could drive? **He looks at Odie with a bit of confusion.** I remember you had that run down brown dotson during sophmore year.

**Odie**: Yeah, well, they don't let me drive anymore because I got the brain problems... **He rolls his eyes.** Anyway, I wanna see Chris's nine story castle-mansion.

**Chris**: **He shakes his head slightly.** I think the size of my house has been overstated...

**The four of them make their way out into the parking lot, following Chris. Shane breaks away to go to his own car which is parked all the way on the other side of the lot.**

**Chris**: **He looks happy as he sees his car. He pulls out his keys and unlocks it. It's a Ford Cobra Mustang GT, green, with double black stripes that run up the center. He quickly moves towards the driver's seat.**

**Liam**: Holy crap! This is your car? **He walks around it and looks at it, he's only seen cars like this in magazines or movies.**

**Odie**: Interesting color choice. **The green paint seems to almost reflect glowingly in his eyes.** This a Cobra... GT? How'd you get this? **He walks up and bends down, looking the hood over to get a better idea of the make and model.**

**Chris**: **He responds with obvious sarcasm.** Well I clearly stole it. **He gets into the car and starts it up, the engine hums into a loud roar and then settles down. The interior is black and grey, with various green detailing that matches the paint job, the seats are extremely comfortable, almost like they're made out of that space-age memory foam.**

**Liam**: **He gets into the back and sits down, slowly sinking into the comfy seat.** ...I like this car. **He puts his seat-belt on.**

**Odie**: **He walks around and gets in the passenger's side, shutting the door. He looks around the interior. He narrows his eyes and quietly says.** I always wanted a Ford Cobra.

**Chris**: It's a King Cobra GT. Bought it at a car show in Florida last year. 600 plus Horsepower. **He nods as he pull the car out of his parking space and drives towards the lot exit.** Because I need that much, driving down the road goin eighty.

**Odie**: Remind me to tell my friend *not* to melt this one. **He keeps looking around the interior.**

**Liam**: So did the twins really melt those cars? **He seems to be slowly sliding down into the seat in comfort as she speaks.**

**Odie**: One of them did. **He pauses.** Allegedly. Supposedly. **He looks out the window.**

**Chris**: So are these guys just schoolyard legends or something? Seems like they get brought up a lot. **He turns out onto the road, then drives around a few cars by making a very wide turn and hits the gas as soon as he sees an opening between two other cars. He drives up onto the dirt across the street from the school as he weaves passed another car, and then hits the gas again he speeds passed Shane's run down truck. It's quickly obvious that he's a very good, but borderline reckless, driver. Chris doesn't seem bothered at all by his driving, it's apparently business as usual for him.**

**Odie**: **He slowly glances over at Chris as he practically stun-drives through the afterschool traffic.** ...Umm... Yeah. I guess you could say they're legends of some kind. I mean, everyone knew who they were, and almost all of the popular kids didn't like them, which is why you hear so much about them from everyone. All the popular kids except me of course. They're good friends of mine.

**Chris**: **He turns onto the next road and hits the gas, speeding up to eighty-five as soon as they leave the school zone.** Maybe I'll get to meet them some day? So why didn't your boss want them stay'n over with you?

**Odie**: Uhh, they made a mess... Like a big one. **He narrows his eyes as he seems to remember.**

**Liam**: They're a pair of trouble makers, so that's not surprising. **He obviously has a lot of contempt for them.**

**Odie**: They're alright once you get to know them... If they actually *let* you get to know them... **He looks to the side for a moment.** ...Anyway, the mess wasn't entirely their fault, it was just a result of them being... Present. Kinda thing. Like me and those skaters yesterday.

**Liam**: We showed them. **He nods slowly.**

**Chris**: **He turns onto the freeway on-ramp.** You and Shane did. I think all I did was get punched in the stomach. **He rubs his stomach, remembering what happened makes him aware of how sore his stomach is.**

**Liam**: Shane's got a mean punch. He must be really... Strong... **He looks out the window and smirks dreamily as he remembers Shane, dressed only in his speedo briefs, during swim class earlier today.**

**Odie**: Well he was a quarterback on the football team, now he's in water polo. Gotta be strong to do that kinda stuff. **He's leans back in his chair.**

**Chris**: You don't play any sports Odie? **He keeps his eyes on the freeway as he hits his indicator and speeds up to switch lanes.**

**Odie**: Uhh... I played basketball for about ten minutes once, does that count? **He shrugs.**

**Chris**: I don't think so. You're pretty tall, I'd think you'd be good at it. **He hits his indicator, speeds up to over ninety, and then switches lane in front of the semitruck before turning onto the offramp.**

**Liam**: **He looks around, wondering how Chris hasn't gotten a ticket if he drives like this, he then silently slinks further down into his seat.**

**Odie**: I wasn't bad, I'm just, you know... Lazy. **He pauses.** I'm thinking of taking track next semester though. Running is usually a pretty good thing to be good at.

**Liam**: Especially if you need to get away from something. **He says it like he's tried to make a joke, but it's very awkward and not very funny.**

**Chris**: **He pulls onto the road and drives towards his house. He speeds up passed a mini-van full of kids.** I'm not sure I'd like running. I think I'd rather just swim. **He steps on the gas and speeds up as he barely makes a yellow light. It turns red as he's halfway through the intersection, but he doesn't seem to care.**

**Odie**: **He watches the light turn red.** ...So who the hell taught you how to drive?

**Chris**: Self taught. **He smiles.**

**Liam**: **He murmurs quietly to himself.** I guess that explains some things...

**Odie**: How does that work? **He looks at Chris in slight confusion.**

**Chris**: I kept crashing cars until I learned to stop crashing them. **He says it in an ambiguously sarcastic way that Odie and Liam aren't sure if he's joking or not. Afterwards he turns into the closed community of rich snobs that he lives in. He steps on the gas again and speeds down the street until he pulls into the long driveway to his house.**

**Odie**: **He looks up at the large grey house. It's blocky shape, high walls, and tall towers making it look almost monolithical.** Holy crap, I've seen this place from a distance, but jesus...

**Chris**: **He hits the electric garage door opener and pulls into the large garage. There's four other cars parked inside, one of them is a Dodge Charger, painted the same green color, and a dark black and green Rolls Royce is in the corner. After he parks he gets out of the car.**

**Odie**: **He scratches his head as he gets out of the car and looks around at what the large garage houses.** There's gotta be over three million dollars worth of cars in here. **He sounds almost distraught, his friend's Lamborghini seeming less impressive.**

**Liam**: **He gets out of the car, more impressed by the amount of money it would cost to buy these cars, than of the cars themselves, since he doesn't know anything about most of them. He feels uncomfortable, like he might somehow break one of the cars and he'll spend the rest of his life paying for it.**

**Chris**: **He's already headed for a pair of double doors.** This way guys. **He doesn't really like people being impressed by his wealth, but in this case it can't really be helped.**

**Liam**: **He quickly runs to Chris until he catches up to him.**

**Chris**: **He leads them up the stairs and through another set of large double doors, out into a huge entrance hall.**

**Liam**: **He looks around the interior, the ceiling is so high up it almost makes him dizzy.**

**Odie**: **He turns and follows after Liam.** So does your family sell cars?

**Chris**: **He laughs.** Nope. **He turns and walks up the large stairway that leads to the second floor.**

**Odie**: Cocaine? Are you guys drug lords? **He says it jokingly.**

**Natalya**: **Her off-puttingly soft, yet aggressive voice echoes through the large house. Its almost inhuman properties make it difficult to discern the source at first, but they notice her standing atop another floor, in what looks like a small library that overlooks the entrance foyer.** We are the second largest producer of coal in the United States and the third largest producer of raw ore in North America. **She's glaring down at Odie in a way that makes his skin crawl, at the same time he's enthralled by how beautiful she is, and can't look away one he his eyes meet hers. Her long gleaming blonde hair is down, hanging pin-straight down her back, she's dressed in a simple grey sleeveless dress adorned with sequenced emeralds at the neckline. She begins to descend the stairway, her long grey dress making it look like she's almost sliding down the steps.**

**Chris**: **He looks uncomfortable, like he's waiting for his mother to throw his new friends over the banister to send them crashing to the foyer below.** Mother, these are my new friends. **He looks at Odie, who seems to have been mesmerized.** Odie, and Liam. **He motions to each of them as he says their name.** ...Guys this is my mother, Natalya.

**Natalya**: **She moves towards Odie so strangely that she appears to move slowly, but somehow she's already within arms reach of him in an instant. She raises her hand to Odie's face, her metallic nails glistening like oil in the dim daylight cast by the mansion's tall windows.** Such curiously green eyes. They shine, even in the dark... **She withdraws her hand, and tilts her head, as if she senses something. She breaks her gaze and her terrible green eyes immediately fall to Liam. She looks him up and down, almost like how a predator sizes up its prey.** The company you've chosen... Is... *Curious*. **Her eyes seem to pierce through Liam, as if she were looking just passed him, to something right behind him. Though her gaze lasts only a moment, it seems to linger on with each second stretching out longer than the last, when suddenly she turns and looks to her son.** I thought we might throw a social event soon. It would help to better acquaint us with your peers and their parents... **She looks at Odie, and then Liam.** You friends are invited... Of course.

**Chris**: **He meekly shakes his head.** Uhh... Yeah, yeah maybe. **He seems to becoming increasingly nervous and uncomfortable with his mother's close proximity to his friends.**

**Natalya**: I will leave you with your... Friends... **She turns and walks passed Liam, down the steps and then down into the foyer, vanishing into one of the large rooms below.**

**Liam**: **He clears his throat.** ...*That's* your mom? **He looks at Chris, his nerves are a bit shaken by her overwhelmingly creepy presence.**

**Chris**: Yeah. **He turns and opens a door, which leads into a short hall.** Try not to get too weirded out. She has that effect on everyone.

**Odie**: **He doesn't say anything, too spooked that she seemed to hone in on his eyes almost immediately.**

**Liam**: No offense, **He whispers quietly as they walk down the hall.** But she gives me the creeps. Like holy shit.

**Odie**: **He nods in agreement with Liam.**

**Chris**: Yeah. I'm used to it, but she's still weird. **He pulls out his keys and unlocks the door to his room, opening it up, revealing the large grey, white, and black modern-style room.** We're safe from her in here though. **He breaths out a long sigh of relief, looking around his room. It somehow feels more homely with friends.** Alright. I'm going to grab some clothes, anything else you guys think we should bring? **He walks to the left into his walk-in closet.**

**Liam**: **He whispers to Odie as he looks around the room.** Chris's room is bigger than my house.

**Odie**: **He looks up at the loft above the small living room area.** His bedroom is so big it has a spiral staircase in it that leads to more bedroom. **He narrows his eyes.** I know what I want to do with my life now. I'm going to be rich.

**Liam**: **He walks over to the TV and starts looking at the cabinet full of games and movies.**

**Chris**: **He walks out with a folded up shirt, some boxer briefs, and a folded up pair of pants in his arms.** You guys think of anything else we should bring?

**Odie**: I know a place on the way where we can pick up some beer.

**Liam**: **He looks at Odie with a bit of nervous surprise.**

**Chris**: Me too, and it's a lot closer. **He smirks at Odie.** There's a fully stocked bar right below my room. **He shrugs innocently as he sets down his cloths and then shoves them into his backpack.** Just take those stairs down.

**Odie**: **He lets out a quivering gasp, before he immediately runs for the spiral stairs and down.**

**Liam**: You guys drink? **He starts to fidget with his hands. He's never had a beer.**

**Chris**: All the time. **He zips up his backpack and then follows Odie down.**

**Liam**: **He hangs his head a bit and follows after Chris and Odie.**

**As Chris gets down into the Bar, Odie is already looking through the bottles.**

**Odie**: So what are we allowed to take from here?

**Chris**: Whatever we want. My mom doesn't care about the bar. Doubt she even knows it's here. **He walks behind the bar with Odie.** Most of this is hard liquor, I'm not sure that's a good idea for a sleep over.

**Odie**: We'll just take one bottle. Who needs beer then, huh? **He looks at Chris, almost pleadingly.**

**Liam**: **He feels like this is going to end badly and he stays by the stairs, completely out of his element.**

**Chris**: **He grabs a bottle of Jack Daniels.** Alright, anything else?

**Liam**: Board games? Video games? **He gulps slightly, not wanting to sit around drinking all night, and doing nothing else.** Movies?

**Chris**: Grab whatever you want to watch or play. We'll bring it. **He holds up the bottle of Jack in front of him.** Hopefully Shane shows, I don't want the three of us drinking this, because somehow, I'm sure, we'll drink the whole thing.