I know it's been a long time since the last update to the main story. For that, I am very sorry. My recent spare time has been spent trying to finish off Hairdresser so that this route can continue as smoothly as possible. Not to mention I've been tweaking some of my other projects.

If you're new to this series I'd recommend reading 'Hairdresser' as well. It's the prequel to this story, and it serves to give some extra detail to the plot. Now then, shall we begin the chapter?

Blondie – Part VII

Regrets – to say Mike didn't have them at this point was an outright lie. Inside there was a bitterness he struggled to contain beneath that suave smile of his. After all, he'd given everything he could, only to be met in return by mistrust at the hands of somebody who supposedly cared about him. Now – he knew his best choice was to regroup and get some proper advice.

"Kyu… have I been wasting my time with her? I mean… I put everything on the line and it doesn't feel like Tiffany has a single shred of faith in me."

A stiff whiskey – the refreshing twinge of bronzed liquid slithered down his throat as his alluring leer of green fixated upon her. "I'm serious. Stop twiddling your thumbs and listen to me."

Yet the fairy didn't seem to respond much beyond a disinterested yawn. She drew her every movement out to a painstaking level, finally drifting up from the couch with a stiff flicker of those bug-like wings of hers. "That's what ya get, dude. You wouldn't listen to me when I warned ya about Blondie before… You even ignored me when I warned you about Kyanna, too."

With a sharp clap of the hands, Kyu pulled a cloud of pink smoke from the nothingness. It wafted across the expanse of the lounge, finally settling after a many a moment. There, in the aftermath, the pink beauty sat, legs crossed in a skimpy outfit of lace and leather.

"This is why you're supposed to listen to me, dumbass," She chuckled with a sinister wink, "I was sent here to help you! Kinda goes with the territory… you know… taking my advice to heart? I mean, fuck knows… I only say half of this shit for your own good."

That expression of hers made Mike feel uneasy. He kept the glass pressed against his lips in quiet thought. Kyu buzzed across the lounge and perched herself upon the kitchen counter, wiggling her peachy little behind and scooping up a shot glass. "It's a little late to start asking for my help now things start going downhill… don't ya think?"

"Easy for you to say," Winters slid the bottle across to for his magical friend. "Up until just the other day I thought I was doing the right thing. Fuck it… even when I try to be a decent guy things start backfiring on me. It's pushing me to the limit."

Kyu slinked the bottle of alcohol between her fingers. For a moment, it looked as though she pondered something.

"You know," she began with a giggle, "I might just have something in mind to give your little relationship problem a push… move things in the right direction."

"Oh? Enlighten me." Mikey ran a hand through his freshly gelled peroxide hair. Right now, any idea was better than no idea at all. "I thought I could see you cooking something up in that crazy little head of yours."

"Haha! You know me well, playa!"

The little ball of winged energy downed her glass of liquid fire – spinning upward in a flare of sparkles. "All I ask is that you put your trust me in, Mikey."

"Let's me put it this way." Kyu let out a playfully sinister giggle from the back of her throat. All the while, her fingers snapped and shimmered with little rays of otherworldly power. "I don't think Little Miss Perfect is takin' your feelings into consideration. So, before you go away for your show I think we should do something to make her see just how important you are."

"You thinking about making her feel jealous?" The thought hadn't occurred to Mike in the past. Up until now, he'd never seen the need – and perhaps that short-sightedness in terms of Tiffany was his biggest failing.

"Nope, a little more than that." With a clap of the palms Kyu switched back into the usual attire of pink fabric and dainty white panties, her wings beating harder with excitement. "If you really are serious about coming out of this one with a halfway happy ending - you've gotta play hardball. Let me explain…."

The fairy hummed to herself for a moment – yanking a chalkboard from the strange hammer space she seemed to possess. Mike focused his eyes hard. Bizarre, scrawled across the face of it was a crudely drawn picture that resembled Tiffany and a bunch of overly complex equations.

"Alrighty!" With a snap of the fingers, Kyu materialized a pointer from pink smoke – jabbing the board with vigor.

"Tiffany Maye – age twenty. Dainty little virgin with a cooch tighter than a bank vault…. She falls into your classic 'B Category' on the love fairy scale. She's gentle, caring, and has the potential to be a great candidate to any guy looking for something long-term. Don't be fooled though, Mikey dude. She has some interesting quirks outside of her template."

"Quirks?" Mike could only wonder what she meant.

"Yep." Kyu tapped the board with her pointer. Just like that, the chalk drawing erased itself and formed into a fresh image. This one depicted a man with blond hair. A squiggly blue aura pooled around him. "Then there's you… and that's where things get super complicated."

Something inside the singer dipped as the tone of Kyu's words sank in. He gave a mocking frown - making his way across to the couch, glass and bottle in hand. "Now you're saying I'm the difficult one? Way to hurt a guy's feelings."

"Let me explain." Kyu fluttered over and perched herself atop the glass of the coffee table. With one slender leg crossed over the other, she continued. "You don't really fall into any category. You're what we in the love business call a 'Wildcard'. In other words... you're somebody with crazy potential… but you're high risk to work with."

"Oh wonderful." That made Mikey feel even better. He eyed the arm of the leather couch, letting out a cynical scoff. "Here I thought Tiffany was the one with the issue."

"Hehe," Kyu chuckled, reaching out with one of her delicate hands to ruffle Mike's hair. "Don't take it as an insult, homie. It's a lot more simple than it sounds. True, you have some mad skills, especially Talent and Charisma… but you also have that big ol' ball of Sensitivity swirling around inside you. Combine those three and the mix becomes pretty interesting... Pushed hard enough, guys like you have the power to become playboys."

This line of conversation gave birth to a tiny flame of discomfort inside the young vocalist. He couldn't stand people trying to analyize the way he worked. He knew why – though he'd never admit it openly, even to somebody as close as Kyu. He'd struggled his whole life when it came to making sense of himself or committing to the bigger choices in life.

'Ironic. I don't think playboy power is what I need here. Ever since Tiffany and me became an item I've tried my best to be good to her. I couldn't stand having to deal with another repeat of the Audrey situation… but it feels like I can't win even when I have good intentions. Fuck it…. Why can't things go my way for once?'

A poke from one of Kyu's messily painted toes brought Mike back from his thoughts. Plugged back in finally, he caught the sight of the slender vixen leaning over with a provocative smile. His eyes, despite his best attempts, couldn't do anything but wander toward the pair of small but shapely breasts that almost spilled from her loosely fitting outfit.

"Sorry… I was in a world of my own for a second there!"

"Looks like you're still in a world of your own right now, perv." His fairy gave a snorty giggle and clasped her hands together, head tilted with the gentleness of a puppy. "It's okay though," she winked, "I forgive you. Now… my point to this whole thing. Listen up!"

"A girl like Tiffany is damn entitled when it comes to a being with a guy. Blondie in particular wants a perfect relationship. Prince charming, nice house, no external threats from other women. You know… the shit where you settle down, have kids, and live happily ever after in the end."

All of those things combined were a lot to comprehend. Mike brought a hand up to his chin in pondering as Kyu carried on talking. His viewpoint was much simpler. He was taking things steadily and staying committed. However, settling down, and the idea of the super long term? To say he'd thought that far ahead would've been untrue.

'Is that really what Tiffany wants? It sounds like she's grooming me to find the perfect 'forever' partner. Not just dating while she goes through college. I suppose this is why I could handle Audrey and Kyanna so much easier. Belrose was too chaotic to think of the long term… and all Kyanna wanted was a stable boyfriend. Hell, she flat out told me she didn't want me to move in together.'

As much as Mike didn't want to admit it, quiet alarm bells were starting to ring. He'd never looked at the scenario from such a wide point of view until now. "….I should've listened to you sooner, Kyu. You were trying to tell me this from the moment I decided to keep pushing forward with Tiff. Hell… I even cast aside Audrey to get this far… and now I'm feeling a little shitty over it."

Kyu slid her behind off the table – sitting down beside Mike. "Well you're in luck, because this beautiful fairy of yours just so happens to have a trump card waiting in the wings. True, it's pretty risky, buuuut… I figure it should work out pretty smoothly… so long as you don't let your ego fly too far out of control."

Right now Mike was willing to take a gamble. To say he'd been shaken with the latest developments was an understatement. Indeed, if he wanted to salvage something from this situation before it was too far-gone, he'd need to act now. However, he at least wanted to know what Kyu was planning. The bright glow in her magical orange eyes spoke volumes of her mysterious intent.

"Care to tell me what you have planned before you start revving the engine? You have such a strange look on your face… The last time you had an idea it involved me singing improvised song lyrics on stage in front of two-hundred people. No, I didn't forget that, Kyu Sugardust."

"Simple, Mikey!" Kyu placed a hand upon the singer's shoulder – an innocent giggle sliding out. She was trying to be disarming, clearly. "I'm going to do a few little things to put you and Tiffany through the paces. We're going to find out just how strong your bond really is... and who knows?"

The fairy sprang up from her spot on the couch – clapping her hands together. An orb of deep pink magic floated and pulsed within the confines of her palms. "You might end up with a surprise twist by the time everything plays out…"

Risks? Practically the last eighteen months of Mike's life since moving to Glenberry had been nothing but a wild ride of events. If there was one thing the whole spiral of circumstances had taught him, it was that sometimes you had to make difficult decisions to get anywhere in life.

'I want a relationship. I enjoy the comfort of having someone beside me… it also helps keep me grounded now that I have my music career in full swing. I've had to face hard choices before… Kyanna is proof enough of that… but now that I've got my priorities in line it's time I give my love life a little attention. I'll go along with whatever Kyu has in mind. She has my best interests at heart.'

A nod of resolve from the vocalist - it was his showing of desire to seal the deal. Eyes bright with surety, he placed a hand upon Kyu's shoulder. "Do it. Whatever you have in mind… I'll roll with it. You said this is a trump card, right? A backup plan?"

"Yep! I like to keep my angles covered. Makes things far more interesting." Kyu squashed the sphere of power into her hands. A wave of bright pink pulsed and swirled across the tips of her fingers. She linked her digits together in a tight clasp – and slowly but surely, a powerful aura glowed from her body. "Okay… time for a little magic. Keep cool and don't distract me."

Mike's body took in the warmth of Kyu's power. He needed to breathe – and be sure he stayed collected as instructed. The sensation was beyond anything he'd experienced before, so warm and heartfelt, a power of love and wonderment in its purest form. His thoughts raced in overdrive. There he wandered, seeing himself in a place most strange – a room filled with doors. It only lasted for a second – vanishing just as quickly as it had arrived. When it wore off he took many a long moment to steady his breathing.

"That was… a little strange. I swear… your fairy powers never cease to amaze."

"There we go. I'm all charged up and ready to rumble.," Kyu explained, exhaling loudly and opening her eyes. Damn she looked tired all of the sudden. "That was fun, but a little trippy, am I right?"

"No shit."

With that, Kyu ascended from her spot on the couch – fluttering across to the kitchen area. "Damn… I'm beat! Gonna crank up your washing machine, jerk one out for a sec. You got any plans tonight?"

He had to think back – so much had happened over the past couple of days that his internal calendar was strongly out of order. "I was thinking of heading for a coffee or two.. After everything that's happened these past couple of days I need a relaxing atmosphere."

"That sounds like a good idea. Seriously, bro… don't overthink things too much." Without so much of a shred of remorse, Kyu mounted the household appliance, cranking it to full before spreading her legs wide. Absolutely no restraint as always, she never changed. "Have fun. I'll kick around here for a while longer… then I'll be heading back home for a little while. Have a good night, and leave everything with Blondie to me."

It certainly didn't seem that way at a glance. Mike laughed, heading in the direction of his room. It was time to change in preparation for leaving. "I'm starting to wonder if that's a good idea... considering you're rubbing one out in my kitchen."

"Trust me, Tiger. What could possibly go wrong?"

Something felt very off in Nutmeg Café this evening. True, it wasn't far from closing time, but even so, there wasn't a soul inside. The comfortable couches, beanbag chairs and booths sat empty – with not even the sound of a voice or the whirring of an expresso machine from behind the counter.

"Hey," Mike called out in a gentle voice, "Anybody here? I'd like to grab an expresso."

His next course of action was to see if he could find a member of staff. Making his way across the hardwood, Winters came to a stop just short of the glass case filled with pastries. Plenty of them were still there, the light aroma of croissants and Danish filling his nostrils. He leaned across, trying to get a look into the employee lounge in the back. The door was open - but he didn't see anyone at a glance.

For many a minute he waited, but nobody came.

"No… there's not even a single barista, either. Who knows? Maybe because it's the late shift there's only one person on right now? They could be using the bathroom. Yeah… that must be it."

Nodding to himself in clarification, Winters popped the buttons on his shirt, basking in the gentle sensation of the air conditioning against his skin. The best part of Nutmeg? They always kept it cool. It was time to find a seat, at least until somebody with the capacity to take his order turned up.

'I hope they hurry, though. It's closing time in a little over twenty minutes.'

A spot in with a view would do nicely. He laid claim to a table beside the window, draping his jacket on the back of his chair as a marker. It wouldn't particularly matter with the scarcity of other people, but it never hurt to be careful.

Sighing, Mike clasped his hands together. His thoughts, grayed in film grain, flickered back to his recent encounter with the mysterious cougar he'd met - Jessie. Something about her resonated strongly for a reason he couldn't explain. "Our conversation from before keeps coming back. I'm still so tempted to follow her advice. It's been so long since I stopped worrying and took it easy. Always worrying about consequences is such a drag."

However, the events of the past still acted as a constant reminder to keep things in check. "Then again… maybe this is Karma's way of paying me back for everything that happened with Kyanna…. It's not like we ever had closure… we just drifted apart… and since then it's been nothing but an awkward mess for us both."

The chiming of the bell above the door – such a loud sound amidst the silence snapped Mike from his innermost with a flinch. He turned back – thankful that he wasn't alone anymore, and that was when the force of a storm swept over him.

A plaid skirt with a neatly buttoned top, and all too familiar pristine white leggings. Mike's eyes panned upward – taking note of long golden pigtails and the ocean blue serenity radiating from two deep orbs of light.

"Tiffany," Mike felt the word catch tight in his throat. She was the last person he was expecting to see tonight. "….Are you doing okay? Didn't think I'd see you for a while, especially with your deadlines right around the corner."

"Hey," Miss Maye shuffled forward on two nervous feet, hands rested in her lap neatly. "I got your message… rushed over here as fast as I could. You said you were in trouble, right? I'd never forgive myself if something happened and I wasn't there to help…."

Mike's eyes widened – he had to rip his glance away in an attempt to hide his surprise.

'I didn't even send you a message, Tiff. What in the fuck is going on here? First I turn up and the coffee shop looks outright abandoned, and now this? Feels like someone is going out of there way to mess around with me… and right now I don't need it.'

By now Tiffany was already sat down in the chair oppisate. Her expression bore a seriousness – eyes shining in tow. "What's going on, Mike? If you really are in trouble then I want you to know… I'll do as much as I can to-"

A bright pink flash filled the room. In an instant Mike felt his senses flare in fear. An omen, something most insidious crawled forth from the back of his thoughts. The brief surge of light he'd just seen, with its pattern and almost surreal glint, seemed very familiar.

Another violent pulse of the same hue – this one far more intense than the last. Winters watched in confusion as loud thumps cascaded all around him - the shutters of the establishment rolling down over the doors and windows. Mere seconds later, the locks clicked into place with an audible CLACK.

Tiffany yelped, sprang up from her seat, and tottered across to Mike – looking into his eyes of green with her rippling pools of blue. "You're seeing this, right? Tell me I'm not the only one who can see this. That pink flash was so bright..."

This whole thing felt awfully suspicious. More than that, it reeked of Kyu's handiwork. Mike's body temperature soared – his breathing becoming tighter and more oppressive. Tiffany's voice was all but a whisper in his chaotic mental landscape. This couldn't be happening.

'C'mon... really, Kyu? You know my deal about locking doors. If this is your master plan to throw Tiff and me together then it's not funny!'

"Oh no…. No no no no NO!" Without so much as a thought, the musician took off across the room. Something inside him screamed – a monster of epic proportions. Skidding to a stop just short of the door, he reached out with two clammy hands and yanked at the handle repeatedly.

"….Open! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE JUST-"

It was no use – no matter how hard he tried, the lock was stuck firmly in place. Indeed, by some freak twist of fate, he was trapped. Just like that, the atmosphere in the quaint little venue became far more heavy. Every breath from his lungs filtered out, becoming nothing more than a painful rasp by the time it left his mouth. Sweat pooled around his forehead, hands jittering madly in a sea of blind panic.

"Can't get out… need to find a back door..."

"Mikey?" Tiffany's hand upon his shoulder did very little to distract from the gravity of the situation. He found himself staring at her fearful expression. She'd turned him around and had a grip on his shoulders by this point, but he was so wrought with terror that he hardly noticed. "Listen to me!"

"Mike! Are you- What's wrong? You have to breathe!" The cheerleader's instructions were shaken – the entire assortment of her expression melted into a pool of worry. She clasped her hands upon his cheeks and locked their eyes together. "Look at me… focus on nothing but me. Now… I want you to tell me what the problem is."

"I'm," it took a miracle just to choke out a single world. It was no use – despite his best efforts the vocalist couldn't fight against the sum of his mounting horror. He reached out, snaking his arms around Tiffany's shoulders and squeezing as if his very existence threatened to fizzle out.

"I'm Cleithrophobic.. I can't… can't," Winters choked, his airways slamming shut with unforgiving cruelty, "Tiff... Call someone! Help me!"

"Oh God," Tiffany cried. She slinked her fingers around Mike's waist, moving to hold him supportively. With a light grunt of exertion, the student moved her boyfriend back to the nearest seat – kneeling at his side. "Stay still… I'll grab a paper bag from the counter. You're going pale! You'll faint if we don't get some air inside your lungs."

How long had it been now – minutes, hours? By now, Tiffany had completely lost track. With Mike calmed at last, she took a moment to think everything over.

'Cleithrophobia - a fear of being shut inside a room with no way out. I've read about it in books before... but this is my first time seeing it up close. Oh, Mike... Hang in there, okay?'

The young lady sat on the floor at her boyfriend's side - with arms wrapped around his middle in a gentle, heartfelt cuddle. "You'll be alright," she smiled warmly, leaning up to place a kiss upon his forehead. "I've already buzzed the fire department. They should be on their way soon. Keep your breaths steady, Bacon..."

Miss Maye wanted more than anything to comfort him – especially in his time of need. Not only that, but she felt a little spark of regret over their confrontation in the days prior, especially as she saw him in such a fragile state. Eyes closed, she sighed in reflection.

"I bet I look like such a dick," Mike growled with frustration. "I'm a singer… feels like I rule the world when I'm on stage… and yet every time something like this happens I shake like a leaf. When I was little I got locked in my uncle's music store in Greenville. No matter how many times I called for help, no one came. One of the temp staff finally found me the next morning, but the damage was already done..."

Tiffany listened intently to the vocalist's words. If there was one thing she couldn't figure out - it was that strange pink light. It barely felt real. "I get the feeling someone's playing a prank on us..."

A scowl twisted Mike's lips - it was so bitter that Tiffany felt a shiver down her back. "You might be right. Either way, I feel like such an idiot... Tiffy, I'm so sorry for freaking out like this..."

Tiffany didn't think any less of him for it – not in the slightest. "We all have phobias and fears, Mike. It's part of being human, ya know? I mean, take a look at me." Tiffany opened her eyes of blue. It was time to bare her soul a little more. "I'm afraid of being cheated on… and people breaking my trust…. A lot of that goes back to my home life. Mom? She wasn't exactly a role model. Far from it, actually."

"Tiff…" The sensation of Mike's hand against her shoulder was a comfort. Good, he was listening. "Is that what you were trying to tell me the other night?"

A nod from the cheerleader. "We aren't very close… and I suppose that's why I didn't want you to meet her. She's self-obsessed and she manipulates people. Worst of all is that she thinks it's okay... so long as she throws money at you to make up for it."

"Well," Mike took a hard breath – it looked as though he was fighting hard to keep himself calm. "Soon as we get out of here… would you feel comfortable coming back to my place? I'll make you a drink and we can talk about it. I know it's late… but you can sleep in my room if you want, and I'll take the couch."

Progress – Tiffany had been quietly hoping for months that an opportunity like this to come up. She couldn't hold back Jessica too much longer, so this would likely be the best chance she'd have to open up about her estranged mother-figure in preparation for the dreaded meet.

"I'd like that." The blonde gave a smile to match her warmth inside. "But in return… can I ask you a couple of things, too?"

Mikey gave a short nod of agreement – easing back from their shared embrace. For a second he seemed lost in deep thought, but it didn't take long for him to come back. "You want to know about Kyanna, am I right?"

"Yes…. I Bet you think I'm mean for being so pushy… but ther-"

"No," Winters leaned in to place a soft kiss on the cheerleader's forehead, "I wouldn't say that. You have a right to know. It's just a bit of a difficult topic for me. A lot happened between Kyanna and me... Like I said before... it's complicated."

'I care about you, Mike. So long as you're honest with me… even if I don't like what I hear… I'll do my best to stick with you. I mean, you're one of the nicest guys I know…. I just hope that when you find out the truth about Jessica… you'll still want me in your life. You must think I'm so stuck up, but I can't help myself. Her life choices… they make me feel so dirty.'

To be continued….

I hope this part was worth the wait. Please feel free to leave some feedback if you like. I value the thoughts and opinions of all my readers. Is there anything in particular you'd like to see in future? Let me know. There's also a poll on my profile for all the Hairdresser followers. Should Kyanna get her own story in the series? Cast your vote and tell me what you think.

As always, keep on supporting the official releases of Huniepop and Huniecam Studio. I'll see you in the next instalment!