Chapter 2: Nostalgia
It was a quiet day on the penthouse, especially knowing the boss and how she acts now, about how quiet and reserved she has gotten. All she does is surf the Internet in hopes of finding God knows what. I was still amazed that even spending days on the Internet couldn't change how gorgeous she looked. Her look never seems to change, other than her clothes, and at times her makeup, but other than that she never breaks out, or really any blemish at all. It was a bit freaky how inhuman she was, and I honestly wondered what she was underneath the exoskeleton. Kinzie monitors her Internet from a safe distance, but it is always the same searches switching between dumb cat videos, old Saints footage, and psychic mediums. All of us were concerned about the boss, but she never broke another facial expression apart from her slighted smile that you could tell would never have been there before. It was all a façade, and it was easy to tell she was putting on a show of some kind.
Still I knew this phase she was going through better than anybody, denial, self-loathing, depression, and doing anything it takes that will put a smile on your face if even for the slightest second. I went through this phase anytime the boss didn't call me up after Johnny's death, but I knew the look on her face was much different from mine. Mine was a scowl, and hers was that smile that could fool the people who didn't know her, but all of us knew. Losing Angel took a toll on Viola, and in all honesty I had no idea she would be so worked up over it, seeing as they always had opposing views, and Angel resented anything she even said. All of us had to move on somehow, and of course out of all people Pierce has the idea that changes the penthouse from its doom and gloom to a plethora of lights and blaring music.
That would go on at about six this afternoon, and will continue until all of us are too drunk to talk, or too stupid to think. In all the drama I had anticipated for Pierce to throw a party again, and it finally took him long enough. I was tired of seeing him playing chess with Oleg, and them literally never finishing a game. They were always interrupted at the wrong times. Kinzie was always busy spying on just about everybody within a countrywide radius, Zimos was having fun of his own, and as for Viola I really had no idea. She always said that she had errands to run, people to see, places to go; the whole BS she could give to leave. Keith David was always busy, between the campaigns, and working with Ben personally on a movie about Ben King's short time of running Stillwater under the Vice Kings, Keith always had something to do. The weird part of the movie though, is Ben actually cast Keith to play Julius, opposite Ben of course, but it was strange how similar they were.
I saw old videos of Julius with the Saints, and comparing his voice with Keith's, it was strange that they were basically alike. Luckily, the movie was premiering tonight at the penthouse exclusively before theatres, and that is why Pierce was out getting supplies for the pre-party, and the after-party. In the midst of all the Saints running around town, or otherwise, here I was just sitting by the pool and feeling the water run around my legs. I was in my purple two-piece, the top hugging my bust tightly, and the bottom carefully resting close to where my tattoo used to be. I still wasn't sure about swimming, and it felt nice feeling the cool water caress me. It was the perfect temperature to have on such a hot day. This felt like the only serenity I could get out of all the chaos surrounding the election, and it felt like this might have been my earthly element in some way. Sure blazing a joint was relaxing at times, but it felt like nothing could beat the calming water. I let out a sigh as I stared out over the city that we had just taken over, and almost wished there was some way to have fun doing it again. I guess I shouldn't curse myself again since this was probably the most relaxation I would get for a long time.
Though this relaxation would be cut short since even through the glass windows I could hear Pierce make his way up the elevator. I decided to hop up out of the pool before anything could happen, like Pierce bringing in another camera crew at the wrong moment. I turned to see it was only just Pierce this time with boxes on a cart, and his dumbass talking to somebody on the phone. I wrapped my Saints towel around my entire figure so Pierce would stop eyeballing me. I opened the door to the penthouse and saw Pierce make his way around the various obstacles in his way.
"Yeah I'll talk to you later. See ya!" Pierce yelled as he ended his call. He looked over at me and nodded his head.
"What no hello?" I asked. "I figured you'd want to get dressed before talking to me." He said.
"It's not like this is the worst thing you've done. You've had me at worse times." I said.
"I'm aware of that. Still I would rather not take my chances." Pierce explained as he started unloading the boxes onto the tables on the far side of the crib. I walked over to him and sat in one of the barstools. He gave me sort of a questioning look before he started cutting the boxes open.
"So what did you get?" I asked. Instead of answering he simply started pulling various objects out of the box and showed me instead. Of course plenty of Saints congratulatory balloons, plates, napkins, and a lot of other merchandise graced my presence. He also got plenty of liquor and managed to bring in some party favors for anybody interested, though I doubt it would slide with Ben. He wanted it professional more than anybody else. Pierce would probably never abide by that rule more than anybody else I knew. I picked up one of the party "favors" he picked up and looked it over. "Meth? You're bringing that to Ben's party?" I asked.
"Yeah, a bunch of angry white celebrities was in his movie too. You know what they always get more than anything? Meth." Pierce explained. I tossed it onto the table and held my head in my hand.
"Pierce you can't bring Meth to this party!" I said. "Why not?" He questioned. "Do you plan on selling it at least?" I asked. "No." He stated.
"Then what is the point of going out and buying it?" I asked. "Look I know you're paranoid, but trust me it will be fine. If it makes you feel any better I will only put out half of it." Pierce said. I grabbed the various bags of Meth that I could gather within the timeframe it would take Pierce to realize it and him to actually act on something. "Hey!" He yelled. I then ran to the bathroom at the far end of the penthouse and realized Pierce was trying to chase me down.
"Shaundi don't do it!" He yelled. I threw myself into the bathroom and locked the door as fast as I could and started to throw all of it in the toilet. He started pounding on the door as soon as he reached it. "Shaundi please! Don't flush that shit!" He yelled. I ignored his pleas for help and I continued to shove as many in there that would go down. "Shaundi you've got to listen to me!" He began again.
"Why should I Pierce? Are you trying to kill everybody here?" I asked as I packed the last of it in there before Pierce burst through the door. I then flushed all of it down and put the seat down and sat on it. "Shaundi move!" Pierce tried moving me. "No!" I yelled. At this point we were yelling over one another to the max until the boss finally made her way into the bathroom. She threw Pierce off of me and held us both back from each other.
"Both of you shut the fuck up! Pierce go finish your party throwing, and Shaundi stay right here." She said softly to me after yelling at Pierce. Pierce then stormed off back to the kitchen and the boss held me in the bathroom. "Take it easy okay." She said. I just nodded my head as she began to walk out. "Boss." I said. She turned to look at me and waited. "Where have you been?" I asked. "How do you mean?" She asked.
"You've been flying idle for so long I don't even know where you are anymore. I miss you." I said. "I haven't been anywhere. I just have a lot to think about." She said while putting on her slighted smile again. It was so odd how she acted like a mother figure when she could. "Like Ryker?" I asked. She looked down at the floor when I said that and looked back up. "Don't worry Shaundi. I am okay, but it is you I am worried about." She explained sincerely.
"I don't sit at a computer contacting psychic mediums boss." I said. She let out a deep sigh and just nodded. "I know. I'll join you guys tonight when Benjamin arrives. I do hope to see Matthew and Asha as well." She said while putting on a more warming smile. It looked like she was getting better, if she was hurt at all, but this was progress.
"Are they coming tonight too?" I asked. "I'm not sure. I hope they will though, it would be nice to see them again." She said as she left after smiling again. I got up from the bathroom floor and walked out the door and went to find Kinzie. I found her, not surprising, on the computer, but this time she had a giant accomplice with her, of course being Oleg.
"Greetings Shaundi. You look a little flustered, are you doing well?" Oleg asked. "Yeah. I'm doing okay." I said. "That is good. Are you here for a reason or just visiting?" Oleg asked. "Oleg I live here." I said. "My mistake." He said. Okay weird.
"Kinzie who is on the guest list for tonight?" I asked. "Why are you asking me? I thought Pierce was handling that." She said. "Can I just see it?" I asked. She groaned at me as if she were a teenage girl just being told that her parents wouldn't let her go out with friends. "Fine." She said as she pulled up the file and showed me the people attending. "Why are you so concerned?" Kinzie asked.
"Kinzie answer me this… Why exactly is every person in the movie invited, every Saint on the list, and even Asha Odekar herself is on this list, but Matt Miller isn't?" I asked. "Because… I forgot?" She questioned. "Kinzie you're a terrible liar." I said. "What do you expect? He had me taken out of the FBI, captured me, and tried to kill us with technology and you still want him here? I sure as hell don't, I don't know the logic behind your reasoning for wanting Miller here, but I don't want him here." Kinzie explained.
"Kinzie please put him on the list. Invite him and make sure he and Asha are here on time." I said. "Now I can handle bringing Asha, but I really don't want that child being here." Kinzie said. "Kinzie just do it. It would mean a lot to the boss if she got to see them again. I mean both of them, not just Asha, but Matt as well." I explained. "Why does the boss want Matt here?" Kinzie asked.
"Perhaps it is for nostalgic reasoning. A way to feel connected with a piece of her past that left her tame. Matthew especially since he was the last person along with her and… Well our old friend, that experienced the same fear of death. Perhaps she wants the most important person that comforted her indirectly at the time of his death. I have seen many people experience this type of pain, and the only thing that comforts them is the last person experiencing the same thing as they did." Oleg explained. "English please." I said.
"She is comforted by Matthew's presence because he is the only other person with the same connection felt by her. Matthew may not feel the same connection as she, but it is strong enough for her to sense it." Oleg explained again. "You think that's why she wants a psychic medium? She wants to bring have Matt here with her to get a stronger connection." I said.
"Please. Psychics are giving you the grand illusion of contacting those beyond our world. It is much like placing a person in a simulated experience where they feel connected to a world unlike reality, but truly there is nothing beyond our world that has an existence such as this. We are truly the only creatures that exist in this world, and life beyond death is an illusion created by man. We may feel entities around us, but in reality it is our own paranoia and sense of longing for the old days with the person who has passed on that gives us the light sense of hope." Oleg explained. "That sounded like bullshit even coming from you." I said.
"Then would you believe that psychics are only in it for the money, and really anybody who visits a psychic medium is most likely the same person who believes in a certain belief system connecting our world to a nonexistent imagination?" Oleg asked. I just decided to leave that conversation to rest by nodding and moving on. "Either way just get Miller here." I said. I took my leave and went back to find my clothes before the party would begin.