SKINS – GEN 4 – SERIES 8 – 8.01: KEN
Hey all! Now you're probably all wondering… what took me so damn long to write this chapter! I apologize so much for my laziness, I have been doing a fair bit, but I still should've made a bit of time and it's for my own disappointment in myself that I am now up at 1 am writing it, I probably would've been up at 1 am anyway but still I'm pushing myself, so here is chapter 4.
Sam walked hand in hand with Ken staring at the musky building ascending up into the skies. Ken rounded the corner where the stained double glass doors awaited him, he looked around the corner quickly but as far as he could tell… No Castaldi Boys, just sunny old Bristol.
"Where exactly are we going?" asked Sam.
"When I said 'You'll See' I said it for a reason, I was implicating a surprise." Said Ken.
"I don't want a surprise," said Sam, "I just wanna know."
Ken took her through the double glass doors into the same old foyer. The rickety fan above them span around in slow circles, while the receptionist sat at the computer, she didn't bat an eye at either of them so Ken dragged Sam further along up to the elevator.
"Are we even allowed to be up here?" asked Sam.
"Look," said Ken turning around, "To be plainly honest, I don't think anyone gives a fuck, every single time I've come here for the past 4 months, I've seen a total of 2 people, 1 person walking along that corridor in an old suit and that same receptionist who has never even asked me what I'm doing here."
Sam shook her head, "Hold up a minute… 4 months? Why have you been coming here the past 4 months?"
"It will all make sense," said Ken nodding his head. Sam sighed and pushed her head up against the elevator wall.
The doors gently moved open to the empty corridor on the 8th floor again. Ken covered Sam's eyes as she let out a yelp and was led out onto the ledge.
"…and presto…" said Ken moving away his hands. Sam opened her eyes to look out over Bristol. She scurried back against the wall and smacked her hands up against it, "Holy shit." She said, "What the… what is this place?"
Ken dragged her along to the end room, "This… is my secret place." Sam looked at the place, Ken had already added a few touches, he had dragged up a couch, stuck up a few meaningless posters. Plus there were empty bottles and cigarette butts lying all over the floor.
"You see, I use to grafitti down there," said Ken pointing down towards the playground below them, Sam had to almost step off the edge to see it. "and I saw this place one day and I just kind of stood there for half an hour and I thought… I could use a place like that just to get away and you know… be on my own. So I made my way up here and it just worked… The sun sets and you look out over Bristol and it's just… warming… in a sense, I even brought a couch up here."
Sam smiled looking out over the sunny afternoon Bristol, "And you'd show all this… to me?" asked Sam.
"Well of course I would," said Ken, "You're special and every moment up here would be 10 times better with you up here."
Sam let out a small smile and then looked back out across the city. "You don't look too happy," said Ken.
"I want to be… but…" Sam couldn't force the words out of her throat.
"But…?"
"Us," said Sam turning to Ken, "You, Me… what is it?"
Ken frowned, "I thought it was a relationship."
"Well… me too," said Sam, "But relationships don't feel like this."
Ken's heart had dropped into the bottom of his carcass, "feel like what?"
"Like I'm falling away from you, like you know so much and you've got so much going on inside you head and inside your heart, but you won't tell me any of it. I mean what did our relationship even start on? You liked me, I was intrigued and said yes, I don't know anything about you Ken… you don't tell me these things and right now you're more hurt than ever…"
"I'm not more hurt than ever," said Ken walking out to the ledge.
"But you are," said Sam, "Something's really troubling you and you won't tell me what."
Ken didn't respond, he hadn't paused, he just wasn't gonna respond he stood there listening to the wind and Sam's silence.
Sam sighed, "I'm gonna go." She said.
But before she could move Ken turned around, "The moments up here would be better with you."
Sam looked up into his eyes for an answer, "What moments?" she asked.
"These ones," he said. Ken moved in and placed his lips directly against Sam's. Sam shut her eyes and threw her hand up around Ken's head and into his thick hair.
Ken picked her up just below her waist and placed her down on the couch. Ken pulled off his shirt and climbed on top of her. Sam unbuttoned her shirt, looking up at him and pulled it off and threw it on the floor.
As their lips met again Ken moved his left hand through her hair and his right down her side. Sam rolled Ken to the bottom and got on top. She spread her legs over him as they removed the rest of their clothes.
Sam spread her legs over the top of him and as their flesh slowly moved together, Sam let out smiles of pleasure with short and raspy high-pitched breathes. She clutched on to Ken, pressed against him with her back facing the sky, while he moved against her and sweat beat down his chest.
Their lips met one more time and Ken felt himself connect with her all over. As the sun glistened above them, the whole of Bristol was in front of them, but not one of them could see.
The sky burnt orange, beating down upon Sam and Ken who lay naked next to each other on the couch. It was such an unusual thing, but they felt sort of shameless and it wasn't like there was a blanket or anything like that. Sam curled up next to Ken and she found herself comforted as she sat there with her sunglasses looking up at the sky.
Ken looked up as well, one arm around her, sharing a spliff with her. He removed it from his mouth with his right hand and pointed up at the sky with it, "A London Bus." He said.
"Ah…" said Sam, "Yeah a bit, and those, pinky bits are the wheels?"
"Yep," Said Ken nodding.
"Ok," said Sam, she took the spliff from his mouth and let out a blow from it, looking up into the sky, "A Rooster! That one there… definitely a rooster."
"Ooo, very good." Said Ken, "Ah!" he exclaimed. He took the spliff off Sam again and pointed to a funny shaped splotch of a cloud on the left, "Gemma's loo after a Friday Night."
Sam burst out laughing, "Hahahaha!" It faded out and she looked over to Ken still staring at the sky. "Can we do it now?"
"Blimey we were just going for half an hour, I'm exhausted! Are you british girls that energetic?" he asked.
Sam giggled, "Not that," she said, "You know… the after-sex talk… the deepest of meaningful conversations, the DnM to end all DnM's." Ken paused as he looked at Sam. "I wanna know what there is to know about you Ken," she said, "I want you to tell me about everything that's been upsetting you, cause that's what I'm here for."
"I'm fine," said Ken looking up again, "I promise."
Sam sat up, "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"What? No!" said Ken.
"Then why won't you tell me what's going on?" asked Sam. "I'm trying really hard to love you, but I can't do that if you're gonna shut me out. What am I here for if not to help you with your problems? Am I just here to fuck you?"
"No!" yelled Ken, "Never! You know that's not true!"
"Then what?" asked Sam, "What can be so bad that you won't let me know!"
Ken got up, walking towards the edge, "Nothing," he murmured.
"Fine, fuck it then." Said Sam as she got up and started looking for her clothes.
"Don't do this," said Ken.
"I'm going home Ken," said Sam not looking at him.
"Let me walk you home." He said, reaching for his own pants.
"I'm fine!" yelled Sam, "Oh great…" she said looking out in the distance, "Now some old lady has seen us and is shaking her head." Sam gave her the finger, "Yeah fuck you!" she screamed, "You're just jealous cause yours don't look like this any more!"
Ken smirked and Sam smirked back at him before realizing and looking away from him, doing up her bra.
"You don't have to be mad with me." Said Ken.
Sam slid on her shirt, "I'm not being fucking mad with you!" said Sam, "If only I could find… my fucking panties! Where the hell are they?" Sam shook her head, "You know what, I'm sick of my ass being on display just keep em," she said as she slid on her blue shorts and buttoned them up, "and I promise if someone per chance dacks me on the way home, I will push you off this building onto a 6 foot iron pike."
Ken grabbed Sam by the shoulder before she could head off, "Don't leave on a bad note," he said, "Just… please… don't make this a bad memory."
Sam turned around and kissed Ken on the lips, "Just let me in Ken, I want to carry your burdens and deal with your problems… please… let me in."
Sam stared into Ken's eyes and noticed for the first time, he looked truly lost, he didn't have a purpose, he couldn't see any help to telling her his problems, he couldn't see any help to anything.
Sam eventually broke the stare and walked out back into the corridor, leaving a half-dressed Ken standing alone on the outlook.
Ken walked in the door to see his Mum at the kitchen bench on the phone, she hadn't noticed him, she just chatted away, looking quite distraught. Her hair was a mess and her face more saggy than usual.
She spoke rapidly and in a hushed tone as opposed to her usual loud and angry voice.
His brother and sister were nowhere to be seen, but Akio stood in the hallway watching. Ken walked over to him without dropping his bag, "Who's she talking to?"
"Your Uncle," said his Dad, "She's been talking for 2 and a half hours. The family back there are in all sorts and are pleading to your mother."
"Pleading what?" asked Ken.
Akio looked at Ken, "To come back home. They're saying there is a war on, now whether there is or whether there isn't, regardless there is still tensions between the countries and all of us feel far from home and far from family."
"I don't," said Ken.
Akio looked over to Ken, "Come over to the next room with me," he said. Ken and Akio walked into his parents bedroom where Akio closed the door and began to speak English.
"Now listen to me, I know you've made yourself a home here, you've found friends and a girlfriend and all sorts, but…"
"I'm not leaving Dad," said Ken, "I'm not going back to Japan."
"I'm not saying we're going," interrupted Akio, "…but… I'm not saying we aren't. I don't know what's happening yet and I doubt we are gonna make a quick decision, you have to remember this is a traumatic time for all of us and you need to be prepared to accommodate for changes. What I am saying is watch yourself, you need to take extra care at this time not to do anything stupid, I mean… I doubt your gonna get yourself arrested again, but it is things like that. If you went and got arrested again, at this state and time I don't know if we can vouch for you, your mother will not be able to handle that at all, keeping in mind she still doesn't know about the other arrest, cause I've kept my word."
Ken nodded looking sternly at his father.
"I love you Ken, but it's essential at this time, I can't express this enough, don't do anything stupid."
"Like get arrested?" said Keiko from the door. Ken looked over his shoulder to see his mother standing in the doorway.
"When did you get off the phone?" asked Akio.
"Soon enough to hear your deceptive little chat," said Keiko, "You got arrested…"
"Now Keiko just listen." Said Akio rationally lifting his hands up.
"You got FUCKING arrested." She said and a silence hit the room as Keiko's anger flared up. "When?" she asked.
"November just last… just last year." Said Ken.
"What for?" she snapped.
Ken paused and said in the quietest voice he could, "Vandalizing the school in the middle of the night."
Ken prepared for his mother to erupt but her voice remained at the same pitch and actually slowed down. "Get out," she said, "I mean it, get out of the house, do not grab your things, just take the bag on your shoulder and go."
Keiko pulled Ken with enormous force up off the bed and out of the room. "Keiko lets be rational, we don't need this," said Ken's father.
"Get out, Get out, Get out! Don't ever come back again you disgraceful boy! You are not my fucking son!'
Akio tried to grab her but it was effortless. Keiko slammed the door and Ken was shut out in the cold night, all on his own.
Ken sat down outside the house and slid down the wall letting out a sigh. It would be ok… he thought to himself, it would be ok… actually… he wouldn't let this stand. Ken got to his feet and marched off down the stairs, if he was going to get kicked out for vandalism, he might as well do the vandalism properly.
Things don't look so good for Ken :( Then again he just got told to do something stupid and now he is going to do something stupid… better watch out Ken… troubles about! Chapter 5 up soon.
