Unpredictable Turn of Events

by Sabs, RubyTrinity, pretendergurl, and Twin2of3

Disclaimer: sighs w/ boredom Yeah, yeah, yeah... the Pretender characters are not ours, don’t sue us poor college students, can we get on w/ the fanfic now? Thank you... grumbles Those stupid needless laws about stuff most of us don’t care about anyway... brightens YAY!! Now time for more fanfic!

CHAPTER 1: A New Discovery

It was a dark night, with a full moon and a large amount of cloud coverage, so no stars were visible. Jarod sighed at the depressing thought. He did not need this now. Things in his life were so dark and ominous already, he needed something to cheer him up.

"OK then," he said to himself, getting up from his bed. "It's time for a discovery adventure!" He perked up at the thought, his smile widening. Definitely time for a new discovery! He picked up his leather jacket from the back of the chair and left his latest lair, leaving the life-packed DSAs behind for a day. Walking along the street, he paused.

An unsettling feeling come over him as his gaze drifted over the street behind him. He could swear he was being followed. He shook his head, he had been working too hard. He needed a break, which is why this little midnight adventure was so important. His pace quickened as he imagined the sugar-filled confectionary he could fill himself on. And maybe, just maybe, he could find some new discovery. He had been out in the world for five years but there was still so much to discover. And with all the atrocities he dealt with, to have the simple pleasure of discovering a childhood toy or treat brought a pure sense of joy to his life. The white flourscent lighting greeted him as he entered the shop. He couldn't help the grin that grew on his face, even as the prickling sensation on the back of his neck returned, indicating he was being watched.

Jarod shook his head to clear the nagging feeling. Oh well, he thought. Must be the wind. He greeted the sales clerk with a "hello" and a comment about the weather before venturing into the Land of the Aisles. As he went through each aisle, he scanned each item in turn, recognizing a good number of them. He passed the Reese's Pieces, the Skittles, and the Gummy Bears. His memory of the yummy gummies made him relish the thought aloud. OK, candy aise done, he thought. Next, the packaged drinks! His eyes stopped at an orange and green plastic container claiming "100% Daily Value Vitamin C" on the label.

"Hmm." he thought aloud, taking the container from the shelf. He walked over to the counter and asked, "Is this as good as it is nutritious?" with a curious expression on his face. The clerk gave him a curious expression of his own.

"You've never heard of Tang before, mister? Geez, where've you been?"

"I-I've been busy." Jarod replied, his genius-mind reluctantly having to wake up from its slumber.

"I guess so," the teenager replied with an odd look. "You want it?"

"Oh, yeah. Sure." Jarod smiled.

"It'll be $1.49." The clerk replied.

Jarod finished his purchase. "Thank you very much-" Jarod read the nametag on the teen's shirt "- Sean! Have a good night."

Sean smiled. "You too, mister. And, you enjoy your Tang."

"Oh, I will," Jarod laughed. "I'm sure it will be very good!" He opened the door with a jingle and went again out into the seemingly not-so-dark night.

His step was lighter as he walked back to his latest lair, the distraction of Shop-n-Go proving effective. But just as he thought his evening free from troubles he felt the back of his neck prickle for the third time that night. This time he stopped and looked around. Nothing stirred in the street. Running from the Centre was finally making him paranoid, he thought as he turned back around and stepped forward. He bumped straight into something warm and solid.