Stockholm Syndrome? - Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Archer's POV
My morning jog was refreshing. I loved the feel of the air on my face and the sound of my faster-than-normal heart rate. It was as if I could feel the oxygen being delivered to my tissues; refreshing them and making them work better. I loved the sound of my workout playlist, which drowned the world and helped me focus on me.
I was glad Stella had declined my offer. We wouldn't have gone a second without her complaining about one thing or the other.
I loved jogging for two reasons. It helped keep me fit and healthy, which was essential for me as a soccer player. As a midfielder, I was an integral part of the team. I did most of the running, making sure the ball got to the strikers. I jokingly told Len the reason he was the top goalscorer was because I fed him the ball.
Besides keeping me fit and healthy, it helped me think. The only thing on my mind that morning was Len. I hadn't heard from him since his text message. I had even retorted to stalking his Facebook page. He didn't post anything after his vague post. I still couldn't figure out what it meant.
"You try so hard to shut the feelings out"
What the hell was he talking about? What feelings? Was he talking about me? Was it a random quote? It was all just confusing it made me want to pluck my hair out. I wished that he would just talk to me, get me away from the direction I was taking. I hadn't lied to Stella. I wasn't feeling much of the connection with Len as I had once felt.
I didn't call him. I didn't want to push. While I was with Stella I texted him back and said it was okay that he couldn't make it even though it wasn't. I was trying my outmost not to push him over an edge I couldn't even see.
After my jog I showered and ate breakfast that mom prepared. She wanted me to stay and just chat with her, but I told her I was meeting up with Stella. I had promised Stella I'd accompany her shopping.
At around 11 am I heard the sound of a car horn. Stella was waiting outside with her brother Leonard. I kissed mom on the cheek and ran to the car. The drive to the mall was smooth, filled with Stella's murder plans. Georgina had done 20 wrong things in the time Stella had spent with her and she couldn't wait to tell me how much she wanted to slice her sister into pieces.
Leonard didn't object though he was just as upstanding as his older sister. But unlike Georgina, Leonard didn't tell Stella what to do and who to be. He accepted the crazy almost-psycho girl she was.
"Okay boy and girl, I'll be back here in 3 hours", Leonard said as he parked the car outside the mall. "I'm sure you'll be done spending daddy's money by then", he said to his little sister, grinning.
"Make that 4 hours. I need Converses in every color imaginable", Stella said grinning back.
"Good luck Archer, you are going to wish you went to gym for this", Leon said as Stella and I got out of the car.
Stella grabbed my arm and pulled me close. I raised a brow.
"Just so you don't run for it. My brother's words seem to have scared you", she said.
I grinned as Leon left the parking lot.
"Right. I need new jeans, socks, shirts, t-shirts, underwear, shoes, make-up and a new phone cover", Stella said. She seemed to be in seventh heaven as she said her words. It was going to be a long day. Stella wasn't a girly-girl, but she sure loved shopping.
"We can start by getting me a jacket", I said.
"Uh-uh, not yet. That jacket is my insurance. You help me shop and I'll get you that jacket", she said.
By helping her shop she meant 'carry the shopping bags'. This was going to be fun.
Stella spotted the first shop she wanted to go into. I scurried along. Shopping with Stella wasn't all terrible. She tried on things that looked ridiculous on her to make me laugh. She bought all sorts of clothes, from multicolored leggings and dark beanies to bohemian tops and skinny jeans. She tried on funny dresses and hats.
We went to several shoe stores. Stella had a thing for boots and Converse sneakers, and she got more than one pair of each. She even tossed in a pair of black heels, a type of shoe she didn't like. If your dad was as rich as Stella's dad, you could afford to buy things you didn't like for "emergencies, like Geo's funeral".
We got her a new cell phone cover and makeup. Last on the list was underwear shopping. I was tired, not only because I was dragged to almost every shop in the mall, I had to carry her bags too. She was carrying some of her own, but even spread between us the bags were heavy.
"You know Stella, you should go underwear shopping with your boyfriend, not your gay best friend", I commented as we entered the store.
"What boyfriend?" she said as she gave me a quick shrug and set her bags on the floor.
"The one you insist on not having. You've turned down more guys than I have cared to count", I said.
She smiled, "Because I don't need a boyfriend".
"Girlfriend?" I suggested.
She chuckled. "I need brand new underwear right now".
"You just dodged my question", I said as I put my bags down and took a seat.
Stella was already looking at matching bras and panties.
"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. What do you think of this set?" she asked holding out a black lace bra and panties.
"They all look the same to me", I lied. "Back to the important stuff, why did you dodge my question?"
"Answer mine first!" she ordered.
"I like them. They look good. The ones with the hearts look better though", I said.
"I'm taking both then. What about the striped ones? Too complicated?" she said.
"What about the pastel pink set? Looks good. The stripes are weird", I said. "Can you now answer my question?"
She wasn't even looking at me when she said. "I'm not lesbian. I just don't find any guy interesting".
"I have a theory", I said.
"Let's hear it", she said as she walked over to the stockings display.
"You don't get to know any of the ones who ask you out, so that can't be the reason. I think you have your eye on someone", I said.
She turned to look at me. "I would laugh but I don't want to draw attention to your pathetic existence".
I smirked. "You can tell me, I won't tell".
"Who is this...person you think I have my eye on?" she asked, her tone indicating that she thought I was crazy.
"DC made a comic about him", I said.
"Superman?" she asked with a quizzical look on her face.
"Who is Superman?" I asked.
"Clark Kent", she said quickly and realized what I was getting at. "Clark?? You think I have a crush on Clark Wilson? Our Clark? Like the guy I call an idiot every day?"
"Well they do say lovers are fighters", I said relaxing into my couch.
"Who the hell says that?" she yelled a bit.
"Me and it fits. You guys fight because in your opinion getting along will put you in situations that will reveal your feelings...which would be bizarre, because why should two good-looking people who have a lot in common fall in love?" I said confidently.
Stella chuckled. "Trust me; I am not interested in Clark. He's too much of an idiot for this", she said and flipped her long hair.
"Yeah, I agree he's an idiot. He's an idiot enough to miss signs that you are into him. I mean, of all things you could have done, you told the girl he kissed he was gay", I said.
"You are kidding me, right? It felt like the best way to get revenge. It doesn't bother me that he goes around kissing random sluts!" she said. The anger was palpable in her last word.
I bit my lip.
"Okay, maybe you don't have the hots for Clark", I said.
"Thank you! Now can we focus on what I came here to do?" she said.
"Sure", I said quickly.
"Do you think I should get navy blue or maroon stockings? I like them both".
"Both. And those brown ones will go well with that skirt you bought", I replied.
"Taking all three then", she said. "I think we are done. I'll just pay for these and we'll get your jacket".
I smiled as she left to pay for her items. I was surprised that she was still considering buying me a jacket after our argument about her feelings for Clark. Her prerequisite for buying me a jacket was me not pissing her off. I know she didn't feel guilty about the one she'd thrown up on. I didn't mind anyway. Maybe she wasn't that pissed off about Clark.
She returned to me with two plastic bags which she threw to me. I shook my head at her. Stella was abusing me. Why did I choose the same college as her?
Buying my jacket didn't take long. I spotted the one I liked and she paid for it. She refused to let me see her credit card balance, but I knew there was still a lot of money in there. Stella was a princess. Well, sort of. She'd get thrown out of any royal family. She was royalty to her father, who spoilt her rotten. With three kids, two of which earned their own money, top businessman George Moreno had a lot to spare. He threw it at his youngest child, who got shocked reactions whenever it was revealed she was one of the wealthiest men in the neighborhood's daughter. Stella just didn't scream 'rich'.
After shopping, we got some milkshakes while we waited for Leon. We talked about the party the next day.
I got a text from Clark saying he wasn't coming back yet. He'd gone to visit his uncle who lived in the next town.
I was about to call him when my phone rang. I got a glimpse of the caller ID before I answered.
"Hi babe", I said.
"Finally", Stella mouthed and I scowled at her.
"Hey, how is your day?" Len asked. His voice was...dead.
"It's okay. I'm with Stella. The stingy princess bought me a jacket", I said trying to inject cheer into our conversation.
"Say hi to her", he said.
"I will"
"What are you guys doing right now?"
"Still at the mall. Just having milkshakes and talking about Caleb's party"
"Are you going?"
"No", I said. I didn't know why I lied to him, I just did. "Are you?"
"No. I'm sorry I couldn't make it last night", he said. I waited for him to continue but he didn't.
"It's fine, I was with Stella most of the night. She wasn't bad company but she's not you", I said.
Stella gave me the middle finger.
"I uh..." he said and I heard the dropping tone.
I removed the phone from my ear and just looked at it. What the fuck had just happened?
"What happened?" Stella wanted to know too.
"He just hung up!"
"Reception?" she offered.
"If he's in a cave!"
"Battery?"
"Why on earth would he call me on a dying phone?"
"Because he's in a cave and can't charge it? I don't know", Stella said.
"I'll just wait for him to call again then", I said.
"Or you can call him! Maybe he was walking and got hit by a car...not too badly though, because that's bad".
I sighed and called Len's phone. It rang and rang but he didn't answer. I called twice after that before I gave up.
"He's not answering", I told Stella.
Her eyes enlarged. "Call Sue"
"Why?"
"Because he could be incapacitated. Sometimes I swear you are an idiot like your other friend. I wonder whose genes you have", she said and grabbed my phone.
"Me too", I said quietly.
Stella called Sue, who was Len's cousin. She stayed at the Young house and had been staying there for years. She was older than us, but liked being with us. She was a fun person, and probably the only person in that house who wasn't introverted.
"Hi Sue, it's Stella. Are you home?" Stella said, presumably when Sue answered.
I listened to her side of the conversation quietly.
"Is Len there with you?"
"Is he okay?"
"Oh. Okay then. Thanks".
She handed me the phone quietly.
"And?" I said.
"He's home. He's 'sleeping'. Sue tripped over the word", she said.
"That's bullshit. Unless he has some kind of sleeping sickness he can't have fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation".
For once in her life, Stella was speechless.
"I told..." I started but was interrupted by Stella's phone ringing.
Leon was outside. Stella and I grabbed her shopping bags and went to the car. As soon as we arrived at the house, I realized just how much of a task I had. Stella's condition for spending the night with me the previous night was that I helped her tidy her room. Looking at the mess in front of me, I probably shouldn't have agreed. The bags we brought from the mall didn't help the situation.
"How did you even sleep in here?" I asked Stella as we set her bags down.
"I didn't sleep in here. Anyway, we just need to get some of these clothes out of the room. I was thinking maybe donate them?"
I picked up a top. "You've barely worn this".
"Which makes it perfect for donation. Do you think people want clothes I've worn a million times?"
"Makes sense", I said as I weaved my way into the room, trying to avoid stepping on clothes.
I took my phone out and proceeded taking pictures of the room. It would be perfect for my "before" and "after" section of Stella's friendship page of my scrapbook.
I tried taking a picture of myself with the mess. Stella saw me struggling and took my phone from me. She took several shots, not at all embarrassed about having her mess recorded.
"My non-existent Gucci, who is this?!" Stella screeched.
I was just about to push her pile of clothes off the bed. I stopped, turning to her. She still had my phone in her hand.
"Your non-existent Gucci?" I said shaking my head slowly. It was the first time I had heard that one. Stella had way interesting choices of words to make her shock or surprise felt.
"Yeah well, I can't exactly say my Gucci when I don't have one. Never mind my attempt at sounding like Gracie Pollock, who is he?" she asked bringing my phone screen to my attention.
I stared at a picture of a guy I had met during my jog that morning. I'd shared my water with him after he nearly collapsed from what I gathered was exercise-induced asthma.
"Just a guy I met at the park this morning", I said and shrugged.
"He's freaking hot!" Stella exclaimed. "Did you get his number?"
"For what? I have a boyfriend, and that guy is old", I said.
"For me, not you", she said.
"No, I didn't. Sorry about that. I didn't think to randomly ask a man his numbers for a friend who he doesn't even know exists. And oh, your fake interest in him won't dissuade me from thinking you have the hots for Clark", I said.
"I wasn't...I'm not romantically interested in him...this guy I mean. Clark too. Anyway, he just seems mysterious. This guy, not Clark. Why did you take his picture?"
I shrugged. "I randomly take pictures of people. You know about my collage".
"I know about that, but there's always a story with every picture. Why him?" she asked.
"We were both jogging. He had some trouble and I offered him water. We sat together. We didn't talk about much. Honestly, I don't know why I would rather have that memory. Maybe it's because I shared water with him. Silly reason?" I said.
She shook her head. "Ready to tackle this monster?" she said looking around the room.
"Bring it on. Get snacks first though", I said.
"You didn't even have to say it", she said as she left the room.