Hey everyone. We just want to take this time to thank you all for the reviews for the previous chapter. Its great to be back writing this story, here's the next installment.
Could It Be Any Harder
Chapter 9
Wyatt listened to the morning weather as he lathered himself up in the shower. He was accustomed to this now, something he got used to after trying to drown the noise of his next door neighbour's rhythmic panting of morning sex. Wyatt shook his head as he turned the shower back on to wash himself off, only to his surprise the water didn't shower upon him, it spat only a few sprays before dying on him.
"No… not again," Wyatt hissed, turning both valves for water but all he heard was a gurgle emanating from within the pipes. Grabbing the towel, he wiped his face clean of soap before wrapping it around his waist and making his out. This was the fifth time that this had happened since he had lived here, yet the landlord seemed to be doing absolutely nothing about it.
Wyatt made his way out of the apartment, without a care in the world that he was just in his towel and tried to see whether his luck was completely out. Making his way down to the end of the corridor, to a door with a gold star above a number 1, he went to see the landlord and rapped on the door.
"Who is it?" came a reply as Wyatt heard the bolts and chain unlock from inside before the door swung open to reveal Marina the apartment owner, stood there in her night robes, "Wyatt…" Marina said in her seductive voice as she leaned on the door frame with a huge smile on her face, "What brings you here?" She said as her eyes scanned Wyatt's wet and smooth body, the soapy foams slid down his abs. The smell emanating from him made her nose tingle, she wanted to pull him into her arms and never let him go.
"Water pipe." Wyatt said in two words looking at Marine, who smiled before pulling a distressed face.
"Oh my god, not again. I'm so sorry Wyatt, I don't know what to do," Marina said looking at Wyatt who folded his arms, seeing his chest muscles flex behind him made her think of things she could do with the hunk.
"How about calling a real plumper?" Wyatt said shaking his head as Marina shrugged.
"But my brother…" Marina started but Wyatt cut her off.
"Who can't even fix a pipe under a sink, yet you expect him to fix the shower?" Wyatt asked as Marina looked down, not knowing what to say.
"Maybe, you would like to use my shower, just this once," Marina said in an apologetic tone.
"No thanks," Wyatt said looking at the woman. "I just want you to fix those god damn pipes."
"I promise I'll ring up the plumper right now and have him come over to check on those pipes." Marina said fiddling with her robes, highly embarrassed at the situation she was in with Wyatt.
"Thank you," Wyatt said with a nod, before walking off. Marina let out a laboyred breath as she watched the hunk of her dreams walk away covered in soap and water.
Wyatt made his way back to his flat, fuming under his breath, how once again he has to go to work without his usual shower.
"Hey, I didn't know you were in the 'Parade Your Stuff Down the Halls' club," Lauren voice called out as Wyatt saw all three of his worker friends were now in his apartment. Liam was raiding the cupboards, Lauren sat at the breakfast counter and Jade was on the couch, which seemed like she had cleaned the place up a little. That actually made him slightly embarrassed, after the talk he had had with her in the lift he had become much fonder of the girl.
"So what…? I don't get you, Wyatt." Liam shook his head as Wyatt explained to his friends of what happened.
"I think she is doing that on purpose," Lauren said looking between Wyatt and Liam before Wyatt could say anything. Wyatt simply sighed and made his way to his room to get dressed.
"Yeah, how many chances does she get to see you half-naked." Liam voiced from the living room as Wyatt grabbed another towel to wipe away the soapy substance from his body.
"Guys, shut up and hurry up, we are going to be late," Jade voiced as Wyatt smiled at the little outburst before pulling on his t-shirt.
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Lauren and Liam made their way into the Pizza Kid parlour ahead of Wyatt and Jade. As usual, the cool air engulfed protected them from the summer sun's rays shining through the windows. The summer vacation was only around the corner which meant soon the parlour would be packed with children running around for their freebies and ice creams.
As the four made their way down they saw the hologram of Fairy Barbie had been replaced by Mermaid Barbie, who was sat waving from a large rock. As the four reached the counter they were expecting to see their manager jump up from behind as usual to yell at them, however to their surprise, he wasn't there.
"Hey, Nate, where is Jun Shun?" Lauren asked a dark haired male behind the cash register.
"Its Jin Shun Shon," Nate said even though every one has trouble remembering his real name, they call him whatever name as long as they just about sound righ. "He is at the back with Hye-Young."
"Hye-Young is here?" Lauren asked as Nate nodded, so she turned to Wyatt with a mischievous smile, "Hey Wy, this might be our lucky day, see if you can butter her up into letting us go early today, in fact, try to get few days off with pay."
Hye-Young was Jin Shun Shon's one and only beloved daughter. Whatever she would ask, Jin shun Shon would do it since the promise he had made to his wife on her death bed. However, Hye-Young was deeply infatuated with Wyatt Halliwell, so anything he asked from her, she would get her father to do for her.
Wyatt has to admit, Hye-Young was indeed a very beautiful girl, he often admitted that he liked her innocence, her passion for helping other and her childishness. In fact, he liked everything about her, she was a big contrast from her own father. However, he only ever saw her as his little sister, someone that he felt the need to protect rather than date.
Just then Hye-Young came through with huge grin but stopped when she saw Wyatt, she quickly tried to hide behind her short father in shyness.
"Oh there you three are," Jin Shun Shon said as Hye-Young leaned in and whispered something in his ears. "But honey, he is the delivery guy." They heard him reply as Wyatt looked at others.
Hye-Young leaned in and whispered something else again, little whining this time as Jin Shun Shon shook his head in defeat.
"Fine, sweetheart, whatever you want," Jin Shun Shon agreed as Hye-Young looked at Wyatt and giggled, which only made Wyatt gulp of what she may have told her father.
"Nate, you'll be delivering pizzas today, get changed." Jin said as Wyatt smiled, she has managed to give him the day off without him even asking.
"What?" Nate said in confusion as Jin raised his eyebrows, "Alright." He sighed as he trotted out, while the other three looked surprised and taken back, wondering how Wyatt had managed to pull this one off without getting them involved and without asking anything first.
"Halliwell," Jin Shun Shon called out.
"Yeah," Wyatt called almost excited to hear those words come out of his mouth, only for him to crash to the ground, almost screaming.
"You'll be working behind the counter today, get changed," Jin Shun Shon said as Wyatt eyes widened while the other three laughed while Hye-Young giggled, "By the way, Nate hadn't changed into his uniform, you'll find it in the back.
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Wyatt stood behind the counter, his face bright red as he thought once again about the costume that he was wearing. He should have guessed that it was 'Under the Sea' day, after seeing the Mermaid Barbie hologram. Luckily, the costume that Jin had ordered for Nate did not fit him, with being much taller and broader, so instead of being a merman, he was half merman, half human, almost as if his legs were slowly turning into scales with blue scaly legging tights that clung to him below the knee. He would have admitted that it looked cool if it wasn't for the fact that everything above his waist was exposed. He felt all eyes in the room on him and he was some were drooling and others were disgusted in the theme of the day.
"Can this day go any worse that it already has?" Wyatt thought to himself.
"You know this look suits you honey, especially the tights" Lauren said dressed like one of Mermaids, with fake green wig, clams around her bra with long silver tail. She could just move enough to serve the pizzas, "You are already attracting in customers." Lauren said nodding towards a group as Wyatt turned around to find bunch of school girls standing around whispering and giggling at Wyatt.
"I sometimes wonder where the hell he gets the money to hire these costumes, better yet, why does he have these sort of themes?" Wyatt said straightening the shell crown that sat on his blonde curls.
"Welcome to our world," Jade said as she rollerbladed to the counter to give in an order and take back the orders that were ready.
Jade was Ariel, with a red wig and green and purple outfit. Thankfully for her, those who rollerbladed around the parlour has the excuse of not having a tail. Instead she wore scaly pants that fanned out at the bottom. They looked like two tails, instead of one.
"At least you can move around like them, unlike me," Lauren said taking mini-steps through her full tail outfit. "Here you go, three hamburgers, one tub of coslaw, one tub of baked beans and two kid's lunches." Jade nodded as she grabbed the two trays and skated out. "I feel sorry for Liam," Lauren said as Wyatt saw his friend through the parlour walls.
Liam stood outside in a squid outfit, which he could barely see through since it was double the size of him. It had the group of friends wondering whether Jin did this on purpose, because he hated Liam so much. The poor boy was left to hand out leaflets, with the public passing him and laughing. Just as Wyatt was watching, Liam spun around causing his four fake limbs to spin him even more and Liam fell to the gorund.
"One cheese and pepperoni pizza please," said a voice as Wyatt looked away from his friend, with a smirk, towards the counter to find three of the school girls from the group that sat in the circular table nearby. They all seemed to be giggling and whispering.
"Coming right up," Wyatt said as he charged the girls for the pizza, as Lauren shouted out the order to the kitchen.
"My friends were wondering where you keep your trident?" Asked one of the girls as Wyatt looked confused.
"My what?" Wyatt asked as the girls giggled, while Jin Shun Shin appeared with Hye-Young who seemed to be quarreling about something.
"Your trident, the three headed spear?" The girl said as Lauren handed him something.
"Here it is," Lauren said with a smile as Wyatt looked at the fake gold pitch-fork before him with an eye roll, however his eyes caught something on the screen above Jin Shun Shon and Hye-Young. Without thinking he dashed out to get a clear view of the screen and the person on it.
"With temperatures raising high as 30 Celsius, New York is facing what seems like the first real hottest month of the year. So don't forget your sun block when you go out. This is Charles Hampton with the weather from Central Park, New York City. Back to you Bob."
"Thank you Charles…" Bob said on the screen as Wyatt looked shocked, taken back, stunned, he could not believe what his eyes just saw, it was not possible yet his heart was racing, his head was pounding, his blood was rushing through his veins, his throat was dry and he almost close to passing out. Jade skated by him.
"Wyatt, what's wrong?" Jade asked the stunned Wyatt, however Wyatt only managed to spit one word out.
"Chris…."
