Go Home and Let Trent Have Ella

I still had some time to spare before the scheduled meet up with Emma, enough time to implement my change of plans relatively easily. I went back to my house and used the computer to text Mike.

Me: Hey, change of plans. Can you just bring my phone over to my house right now instead?

Mike: Why? What happened?

Me: Nothing, just a slight change of plans. Can you come?

Mike: Sure, if that's what you want. Will Emma be okay with it? I'd rather not have her mad at me.

Me: No worries. I'll make sure she knows you had nothing to do with it.

Mike: Okay, if your sure it's what you want.

Me: It is

Mike was at the house in less than ten minutes.

"Want to tell me what's going on?" He asked as he handed me my phone.

"Depends," I said. "Do you want to tell me what happened with you and Emma this week?"

I didn't really think about it when I said it. It had kind of stung me all week long, to be honest, knowing that Mike and Emma had gotten together numerous times during the week, and knowing that I wasn't allowed to know what they did together. Still, I couldn't really blame Mike for that. We had sucked him into our little game. I couldn't expect him to take a pass on what Emma was offering him, now could I? What's more, I am sure he didn't want me to know what they were doing because he figured it would hurt worse for me if I had all the details. For all I know, he may have been right about that. I **** him into this, reluctantly, and he did what he could to protect my feelings all along the way. It wasn't really fair for me to turn that back around on him.

I saw him wince a little as I said those words. I knew the words would sting a little. I think they stung him even more than I intended.

"Oh God, Mike, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. I only half meant it to begin with. Thanks for bringing me the phone here instead of at the park."

"It's your funeral," he said to me. I could see the return of a hint of a smile. Perhaps he wasn't too badly hurt by my choice of words. "I'm not sure I'd ever want to cross Emma in one of her schemes, but I guess you know her better than I do."

"Well, except that I think you know her better than me, in your own way."

Yes, I emphasized the word 'know', clearly indicating that I meant it in the biblical sense.

"Touché," he said. "seriously though, are you sure this is what you want to do?"

I nodded enthusiastically, perhaps far more enthusiastically than I really felt.

"Okay," he said, "good luck."

"Thanks."

I watched Mike head out and took a deep breath. He was right. I wasn't sure exactly how Emma would react to this. It might be a bit of a dangerous move, but I was determined to see it through.

I waited until a few minutes after the scheduled meeting time because I knew it would have taken Mike and I a few minutes to meet and return my phone to me. Then I opened up the phone and sent my location to Emma.

There was a little bit of a delay before she texted back.

Emma: What are you doing at home? That wasn't one of the location choices.

Me: I know, I just got to thinking about it, and decided I wanted to let Ella have Trent.

There was an even longer delay, and then my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Isaac, what in the hell are you doing?"

"I don't know," I said, "I just got to thinking after talking with Sarah, and I think this is what I really want. I really want Ella and Trent to get together."

"But that isn't how this was supposed to work, Isaac."

"What do you mean, supposed to work? I thought we were figuring it out as we went."

"Let me ask you this," she explained, "when you were playing poker that night with the guys. Did you lose on purpose?"

"No, of course not," I answered.

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't see the point of playing the game if I was just trying to lose."

"And yet," she went on, "you're more than happy trying to lose when it is my game you are playing? Are you the only one that gets to decide when we can play a game to determine an outcome?"

Damn. I guess I hadn't really thought of it like that.

"Ummm ... I guess ... I guess I didn't really think of that."

"No, obviously you didn't. And that's a big problem. We can't play this game at all if you are going to make decisions without thinking about the repercussions. I spent a lot of time and effort and thought coming up with this, and you just discarded it like it was nothing."

"Geez, Emma," I said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Okay, you're sorry," she answered with obvious anger in her voice, "but since you're going to choose to make decisions without thinking about the consequences, you're going to have to deal with the consequences. You really should be more careful what you wish for, Isaac."

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, you’ve done something that’s made me mad at you, while simultaneously admitting that you would rather just uncage Ella. Do you think there won’t be consequences for doing that?”

I didn’t. I knew there would be some kind of consequence. In reality I was both scared by and intrigued by the potential consequences.

“What kind of consequences?” I asked.

“Well,” she said, “this little game was supposed to last for three Saturdays, up through prom night. You picked Ella instead of the game. That means that Ella is all your going to get at least until after prom night is over. What’s more, you’ve made me upset with you, which means I may not put any effort into holding Ella in check. I once pointed out to you the sound of her claws being sharpened. Apparently those claws were not nearly sharp enough. I intend to remedy that, Isaac. I’m going to fuck all your friends. Trent and Ben and Owen, and Mike. You won’t see Emma again until after I’ve fucked them all until they are starting to get tired of me. You asked for me, Isaac. You are going to get me. I hope you'll enjoy Ella unleashed, because I am going to have a hell of a lot of fun.”

And then the line went dead.

Oh, God, what did I just do?

Mike warned me that it might not be such a good idea to get in the way of Emma’s plans. Perhaps I should have listened to him.