Chapter 4 – Homecoming

"Guess who..." Chase called out as he pushed open the door to Blake's house, pocketing his key and shaking the snow from his coat. "It's your favourite brother..." he tried in a sing song voice.

Blake, who had been upstairs, started to walk down them with a heavy frown. He had heard Chase's booming voice from the other end of the house, and couldn't pretend he was not happy to see him. He managed to forgo his smile, however, when he saw him.

"You're getting snow everywhere," he said sternly, folding his arms as he reached the bottom.

Chase grinned and grabbed his brother in a big hug, knocking an 'oomph' out of Blake and covering him in wet snow droplets. Blake laughed weakly, patting Chase on the back to signal for him to let him go and stepped back, adjusting his tie.

"Is that any way to greet me, bro?" Chase scolded. "I've had a long trip. Glad to see you haven't changed the lock," he added.

"It's good to have you back," was all Blake could offer, stepping away from the doorway and heading for the kitchen. He'd missed him, but it did no good telling Chase that – his ego would explode and take his dignity with it. "Don't forget to wipe your feet."

"Blake," Chase sighed, pulling off his Nike's and – as soon as he was sure Blake couldn't see him – banging them, scattering melting slush everywhere. "I'm not a guest. I lived here, man. Even if I wanted to, the rules of this house are firmly ingrained on my membranes," he muttered with a smirk, swaggering through into the kitchen after his brother.

"How was the flight?" Blake asked, opening the fridge, and chucking his brother a can of Diet Coke. He'd gotten them in especially, seeing as Chase was coming back. His brother looked at it gratefully but didn't say a word, merely opening it with a soft click and a hiss, and taking a greedy gulp. He glanced around to see that very little had changed; there were no bananas in the fruit bowl – with Chase gone there was no one to want them, since Blake hated them. He was glad to see that the magnetic letters and photographs had not vanished from the fridge with his departure either.

"Lame," he said, putting the can on the side. "The plane was half empty, surprisingly. So no one to talk to. And the stewardesses ignored me."

Blake rolled his eyes; Chase's romance with Andie had proved incapable of lasting across the states – Chase was in Washington, and Andie had upped and pitched her tent in New York, working for a contemporary hip hop dance company. They'd parted well, as far as Blake could tell; they were still friends and spoke as often as they could. He could be called a cynic, but he had always been conscious that their relationship had been founded on unstable ground – emotions running high from dance and all that – and while he had accepted Andie and grown to like her greatly, it was obvious they weren't going to be walking down the aisle.

And now Chase was a free agent again, he was on the prowl. Not that his brother was a terrible ladies man but he was certainly young. The world was his oyster. And Chase had such a way with women.

"You're...dressed up," Chase said slowly, taking in Blake's shirt and cufflinks, and the new tie. "You're not going out are you?"

"Unfortunately," Blake said gritting his teeth. "My presence is required at Fell's Point Academy's Annual Christmas Showcase."

Chase let out a laugh and stared at him disbelievingly. "You're kidding right? Fell's Point? Come on Blake - the two schools are still at each other's throats?"

"Oh, you know it's not that overt. It's all cloak and dagger, and one upmanship. A masquerade of pomp and circumstance," he spat bitterly, knowing his brother was the only person he could show his true opinion to. He'd needed a chance to let some things off his chest; now Chase had left school, Blake often found himself discussing his pupils down the phone, knowing that his conscience wasn't in danger because of breaking confidentiality. "And my attendance tonight is a prime example as to why. If I don't go, they as good as suggested it would look as if I was uncooperative."

"That's ridiculous."

"I know!" Blake said, exasperated.

"I was talking generally."

Blake narrowed his eyes.

"Seriously!" Chase laughed. "This fight is decades old and stupid. We're better at different things. Anyway I thought you weren't so bothered about carrying the torch of Mom and Dad's irrational hatred. I thought you didn't really care."

"I didn't. I don't," Blake sighed, clenching his fists as he leant on the counter. Chase watched him shrewdly, pulling off the jacket he hadn't taken off yet and hanging it on the back of a chair.

"Then what's changed?" he asked with a frown.

"They got an evil witch to direct FPA who likes nothing better than watching me squirm," Blake said wryly. Chase pulled a confused face, blinked and waited for Blake to elaborate.

Blake crossed his arms. "Jesse Harper, the new Director –"

"No way! Jesse Harper? The Jesse Harper?" Chase exclaimed. Blake paused and looked at him with surprise.

"Yes...you know who she is?"

"Er...yeah Blake," Chase snorted. "I wasn't hatched out of an egg, and neither were you. Come on, we went to see a performance she was in a few years back...with Mom and Dad? The Nutcracker – put on by the New York City Ballet. She was the prima. That was the night you ate some bad seafood and got really sick and had to keep running out..."

"Thank you, Chase," Blake said coolly. How had he missed that? He had read in his research on her that one of her principal roles had been in the Nutcracker – he'd been so intent on fleshing out the enigma that lay before him, he had missed what was right in front of his eyes. He had seen her dance – amidst going to the bathroom – and she had been very good.

"Is she hot?" Chase asked with a grin.

"I'm not dignifying that with a response."

"So she's hot?"

"Chase!"

His brother shrugged and looked a little wearisome, but smiled anyway. "So what's the problem with Jesse Harper?" he asked.

"Besides the fact that she's a manipulative liar? She constantly addresses me as 'Director Collins' in this condescending tone. She's taken the Mayor's dance grant from the school – as if Fell's Point needs it. And, the first time we met, she pretended to be someone else and tried to prize information out of me, and baited me to see if I would put Fell's Point down."

"Neat," Chase said, sounding a little impressed.

His brother glared at him. "Your support is...overwhelming."

Chase blinked. "Whoa. She's really got to you hasn't she?"

"No," Blake said frowning, and lifting his chin a little haughtily. He paused. "She's just infuriating. It's like she's made it her personal mission to try and give me a nervous breakdown. And we've only spoken three times. She broke into my office too."

Chase's jaw dropped. "No way – she broke in?" He let out a low whistle. "That's pretty gung ho."

Blake grimaced. "Well, not exactly. She used her charm to convince Lisa that she should wait in my office – as if she'd take no for an answer - and I walked in and found her there – you know she told me she stopped by just because she knew it would irritate me," Blake replied, relaying the events with a bitter temper.

"Urgh...Lisa," Chase muttered. Blake closed his eyes and shook his head. Chase had never liked Blake's receptionist much, and took little pain in concealing it, though he wasn't rude. "She's still there?"

"She's a good filer, and she makes nice coffee. Her ability to communicate is a little...lax, but she's working on it," Blake assured him.

"Yeah, and she also has a crush on you the size of Texas. No wonder you keep her around, Mr. Ego," Chase snickered, rolling his eyes. But his brother didn't seem to be in the joking mood; he was leant with his back against the counter with a gaze staring off out of the window, into the snowy December evening.

"I just shouldn't have to do this," Blake said blankly. "When did being held to ransom by a woman whose intent on my downfall become part of my job description? Why do I have to spend my Friday evening, sat in an audience being made to feel this small," he sighed, pressing his finger and thumb together, "for the sake of keeping up appearances?"

"Well, I guess that's what comes with being Director," Chase shrugged. "You know, schmoozing, and kissing a few butts to make the school a better place. No one ever said it was fair. But you never know, you could enjoy yourself. They might not be that good. And as for Jesse Harper," Chase sighed with a smile. "Sounds like someone round here's finally giving you a run for your money, which no doubt you've missed with me gone," he said with a wink. Blake put his tongue in his cheek. "I'd relish in this opportunity to show her exactly what you're made of." He walked over to his brother and punched him lightly in the chest. "Come on. Are you Blake Collins, or are you Blake Collins?"

Blake gave him a weak smile and glanced over his shoulder at the clock. A look of panic spread across his face. "No, I'm late," he groaned, grabbing his suit jacket and storming out of the house.

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