Chapter Twenty-Five: Tates Revenge

Tate. She was here.

“TATER! What are you doing?! Get
outta here!” Webster cried, running to her.

“Webby!” Tate couldn't help but
brighten up at the sight of her beloved Webster. For a moment, her
eyes mirrored his for colour and wildness and they could have been
siblings for all anyone else knew.

But then the darkness returned and the
sick smile came with it.

“When are you coming home Webby?”
She asked coolly.

“Pleasantville is my home now Tater.
I'm not going back.” Webster replied.

“Pleasantville won't exist very
shortly.” Tate frowned.

Realisation dawned on Websters face.
Tate was behind the destruction of the University. Tate. The girl
who had followed him around like a little lost puppy, pumping him up
when he felt down, annoying him at every opportunity. Who always
smiled and wanted to help the world.

“Why are you doing this?!” Maddy
cried.

Tate glared at her.

“Tater, please, I'm not going back.
If you're really that upset, why don't you come to Pleasantville too?
You can live with Maddy and I.” Webster tried.

That was too much. Tate stormed off.

“Tate! C'mon Tater, don't be like
this – ARGH!” Webster tried to run after her, but was cut off by
a bulldozer.

“We have to get out of here Webster!”
Maddy cried.

The exit now blocked, Webster pulled
Maddy towards a broken fence. That was blocked off by another dozer.

They were trapped.

“Darn it Tate!” Webster tried to
look for another exit. Suddenly he felt himself being pulled up
alongside Maddy.

“Webster! Is that your Tate?”
Giggles asked as she lifted them to safety.

“Yes. It is.” Webster sighed.

“Oh dear.” Giggles dropped them
outside of the fence.

“You're going back?!” Webster
cried as Giggles prepared to take off again.

“I have to try and stop them.”
Giggles replied.

“Where's Chuckles?”

“I don't need him.”

“Let me go and talk to Tate. She'll
listen to me. She always did.” Webster begged.

“It's too dangerous.” Giggles
replied.

“Please Giggles. She's not a bad
person, she just needs help.” Webster began to tear up. Giggles
sighed.

“Fine, but keep out of my way.”
She warned.

They both went back to the war zone.
Webster ran off to find Tate, and Giggles resumed taking down the
bulldozers.

“YIKES!” Giggles slammed her body
to the ground as a large crane swung at her. “Where did THAT come
from?!”

She rolled out of the way of a few
bullets, trying to scramble to her feet. The crane swung at her
again, clipping her leg as she got to her feet.

“Darn it!” She cried, trying to
get away from the constant barrage.

The crane was coming again for a third
shot. Giggles was doomed. There was no way it was going to miss
this time!

She closed her eyes and prepared for
the worst. A loud clang made her open her eyes.

“CHUCKLES!” She cried. The Arm
Scythes had been strong enough to deflect the crane.

“The others are here too. What were
you THINKING taking this all on yourself?!” Chuckles scolded her.

“Whatever.” Giggles scowled.

The Knights were busy disabling the
bulldozers as Giggles had been doing, only with a little more
difficulty owing to the fact they can't fly.

Giggles watched Sunny expertly jump
from one bulldozer to the other, kick the driver out of the cockpit
and steal the keys. No wonder Charlie liked her
better.

She got up and flew
around trying to find Webster. She found him trying to talk to Tate.

“Tater,
call this off! You're going to get someone killed!” He begged.

“Come
home to Brisvegas.” Tate replied.

“Tate,
this is ridiculous.” Webster got angry. “I don't love you. I
can't love you – not someone who will throw temper tantrums just
because she can't get her own way! You've always been a brat, and
enough's enough!”

Tate glared at him.

“I
gave you everything I could. I would have followed you anywhere.
You were my hero.”

“I
never asked for any of this.” Webster replied.

Giggles flew down
and stood in front of Tate.

“I
know how you feel Tate. The man I love doesn't want me either.”
Giggles sighed. “Please call this off, it's not going to change
anything.”

“Definitely
not.” Webster glowered behind her. “Not ever again. You let me
down, and I have nothing left for you.”

Tate looked at
Webster. Her heart shattered. He would never love her. He couldn't
love her.

She picked up her
phone and pushed a few buttons. Soon, the bulldozers had left,
leaving a ruin where there had once been a proud University.

Giggles hugged Tate
tightly. “I'm sorry Tate. I know it hurts, but you're going to be
okay. You and Webster will be brother and sister, the way you were
meant to be, and you'll both be happy.”

Tate stared blankly
into space. Her eyes were dead. Her body slumped.

“I
know I'll be okay.” She said hoarsely, before pushing Giggles off
and walking away.

“Webster!
Are you okay?” Maddy ran over and hugged Webster. Webster kept
his eyes trained on Tate, who disappeared into the dust.

He began to cry.
He DID love Tate, just not the way she wanted him to. Now she hated
him.

His heart was
broken too.

–

Belle walked with
Webster and Maddy to Tates hotel room the next day, hoping to talk to
her and cheer her up a little. The plan was to talk her into going
home to Brisvegas and getting some counselling.

“Poor
Tate.” Webster knocked on the door. “I didn't mean for any of
this to happen.”

“I
know. It's not your fault.” Belle replied. She thought of
Charlie and Sunny and cringed.

She still hadn't
spoken to Charlie. In fact, he was the LAST person on earth she
wanted to talk to. She just wanted to hide away and not see anyone
ever again.

“TATER!
It's me!” Webster banged on the door. “Open up!”

“BELLE! Get out here now! Talk to
me! I'm not going until you come out here! BELLE!” Charlie banged
on the door of Belles room the previous night.

No way had she been
getting out of that room and talking to Charlie.

“TATER!
Come on! Let me in!” Webster kept banging on the door.

“What
if she's not in?” Belle pointed out.

“She's
in.” Webster assured her. He grabbed the door handle and was
surprised to find it unlocked.

“TATER!
I'm coming in!” Webster called out, opening the door. The room
was huge and very nicely kept, decorated in blues and whites. It had
a tidy little kitchenette and a massive bathroom with a huge tub.
The curtains were drawn, but the room looked out onto Lake Pleasant.
There was a large four-post bed against the wall.

“TATE!”
Websters scream would haunt Belle forever. Hanging from the top of
the four-post bed was a limp Tate.

She was dead.

Webster pulled her
down and laid her on the bed. “No…no Tater no…why?! I loved
you Tate. Please don't leave me. I'm so sorry. Please don't be
dead Tate. I love you!” He sobbed into her chest, holding her
hand tightly in his own. “Please don't leave me.”

Maddy had her hands
over her mouth in shock. Tears began to fall from her eyes too.

Belle felt cold.
Cold and sick. Webster was devastated. Tate had supported him,
encouraged him, helped him, and now because of him she had taken her
own life.

“You
were my baby sister and I was supposed to look out for you. I'm so
sorry Tater. I'm so, so sorry.” He sobbed.

–

Webster cried
through the whole funeral, Maddy holding his hand. He couldn't speak
when it came time for the eulogy, and could barely hold up the coffin
as he helped carry it out of the church.

Belle could feel
Charlies eyes on her throughout the whole ceremony. It made her
uncomfortable. He should have been doting on Sunny, not thinking
about what he would have done if it had been Belles funeral they were
attending. If Belle had died fighting away the bulldozers, that she
had so stupidly taken on by herself. All she'd had to do was push in
the button on her watch, and they would have all been there and
fought as a team.

Charlie kept a firm
eye on Belle. He was angry with her for nearly getting herself
killed, angry with her for not talking to him and angry at her for
being jealous.

It hurt him that
he'd hurt her. It hurt him that she now hated him. Their friendship
had now changed, and he didn't think he liked it.

After the ceremony,
Sunny went to speak to Belle, who was sitting near the creek.

“Hey
Belle.” She sat down next to her.

“You
don't need to say anything.” Belle replied. Sunny sighed sadly.

“It's
fine Sunny, really. I'm okay.” Belle quickly added.

“Please
talk to Charlie. He misses you like crazy.” Sunny said.

“Why
would he miss me when he has you?” Belle sighed.

“You're
his best friend!” Sunny protested.

“I
know.” Belle looked at Sunny. “I'll get there. I promise.”

“I'm
sorry Belle. If I had known-,” Sunny started.

“It's
okay Sunny. He wants to be with you.” Belle interrupted.

Sunny couldn't
think of anything to say. She got up to walk away.

“Sunny?”

She turned back to
look at Belle, who was standing up.

“I'm
glad you're happy, if anyone deserves it, it's you.” Belle hugged
her tightly. “And thank you for making Charlie happy.”

Sunny gripped Belle
tightly. “Thank you.” She whispered.

“Besides,
you're pretty much my sister. Which would make Charlie my brother.”
Belle joked.

“Yeah.”
Sunny smiled.

“Well,
it's nice to see you two cooperating.” Charlie walked over and put
his arms around both of them.

“I'm
sorry for being a brat.” Belle looked down.

“It's
okay.” Charlie hugged her closer. Belle pulled away.

“You
ARE allowed to hug him y'know.” Sunny joked.

“I'm
going to go and see what Dad is doing.” Belle excused herself.
Charlie sighed.

“C'mon,
let's go find the others and cheer her up.” Sunny suggested,
taking his hand.

“Yeah,
okay then.” Charlie went with Sunny, sending one last wistful look
after Belle.