SEYRUUN HIGH JINX -- 10 year Reunion Story –-2004-07-04

"Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." – C. S. Lewis

Note: We do not own or claim any rights to the Slayers characters; we just wish to borrow them a little while longer.

This story is intended to follow Seyruun High Jinx NEXT. Please be patient for all the parts of this story to unfold. I know you will be, to have made it through all the other stories up to this point. But unlike the previous Seyruun High Jinx stories, this one is told and retold from different characters' points of views; so that before we reach the ending, different versions of the story have been chronicled revealing new facts. The reading, then, becomes a kind of guessing game—how will it all turn out? Hmmm, but then, doesn't that just sound like all the other stories? Well, yes and no, because this one is a romance...

Chapter One: After the Musical

"We are all so much together, but we are dying of loneliness." -- Albert Schweitzer

–- We begin with the Ten Year Reunion Preparations...–-

The plan was to do a concert for charity, monies to be distributed by the Mayor's Fund. It was ten years since our musical, our 'coming out' as a band of Syndicate Slayers as well as well as a band of musicians...and one drummer (Ha, ha! Gotcha again, Xelly-bean!)

To be completely accurate, only nine and one-half years had passed, but for some reason, some secret reason of Xelloss' it was being held now. He said it was ten years from some other momentous occasion, and since he had arranged and funded the entire thing, no one argued. Lina helped with the planning too, but she was equally tight-lipped concerning any of the details.

Before the concert, though, was a mini-gathering of all of us to 'settle' something, Xelloss said. He was always a secretive bastard!

I was the first to arrive, having been there all day supervising his arrangements, so I was able to greet each one as they entered. Amelia, buoyant and bubbly as always was first to help me out. She was still the youngest of us twenty-somethings, not that it mattered any more.

"So they let you off today?" I asked her. She was working for a Sairaag law firm.

"Kinda..." she hedged and looked aside. "I'll tell you about that later. Right now, I want you to tell me where to get started."

She and I were hanging banners until the party store delivery service arrived with the tables and the balloons. Her evasiveness, when it came to talking about her current personal affairs, piqued my curiosity more.

"When is Sylphiel coming?" she asked before I could interrogate her further.

I checked my watch. "About an hour. That's when the catering people are due and her job is to supervise them. Here, toss me that roll of crepe paper."

"And Gourry?"

"He might come sooner and help us; depends on whether or not he feels that the new kid he's hired as supervisor can be trusted at the job site alone."

Amelia smiled, "Must be something running a company as large as that. So many projects going at once! Is he bringing his brother?"

"Joey? That, he didn't tell me. Doubtful." The two brothers were not on the best of terms lately, I understood. "Yeah, Gourry is busy. Any word from Zel-bob?" I hoped Amelia had reached him for his latest update.

"He had his patient list cleared for today, of course, but then after that fire last week..." her voice trailed off. There were several young people with serious burn injuries still hospitalized after a fire ripped through a rundown apartment building. Psychiatric help was critical for them, and specialists like Dr. Zelgadiss Greywords were in short supply. "He'll make it to the concert, I know it! So will Lina."

"I told Lina not to be late or she'd miss the hors d'oeuvres."

Amelia laughed, "Then she should show up pretty soon! Oh, and Val called right before I left to say he'd be here earlier than he first thought. Julian worked out whatever the problem was at the country club so he didn't have to stay after all. He almost caught a ride in with you."

"No, he couldn't have. I was staying here in town last night so I could get an early start with this...first thing when the owners opened the building. Anyway, he should be here any minute."

That left only one other. I spoke up before Amelia could ask about him. "I-I don't know when he'll show. Late for a dramatic entrance, you can be sure."

Amelia gave me a sweet understanding look. "I know. Xelloss has been very...excited about all this...and something else."

Whether Amelia knew or not about the 'something else' I didn't know. My stomach tightened as painful thoughts intruded on my previously serene ones. "How about streamers from here to that far corner?" I asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Sorry, but we must diverge a bit... --

You know, I just realized that I can't tell you the ending to this story without going into the important parts leading up to it—the background information. No, that doesn't mean retelling our story from the very beginning; Lina already did that in her three books: The Seyruun High Jinx Trilogy-- as its current repackaging markets it.

I'm telling this part because, well, I wanted to. In a funny way, I've been central to many of the changes to our band of misfits, called the Slayers. And have there been changes! Lots since the musical that changed the world!

So, to start with, after the musical was over and school and all...everyone moved, mostly as we entered college, but it didn't stop us from keeping in touch. The band still met for practices and jobs, of course. Okay, so for the story of the band you can read about that in just about any magazine or find a few hundred websites– some factual and others nearly devotional, but both kinds highlighting the history of the Slayers band. But I won't bore you with that stuff outside of how it pertains to our emotional connectedness.

That's right; this is the story of our relationships from that amazing high school musical to our ten year reunion. Much more interesting. And especially with me telling it. Hi, I'm Filia Ul Copt and have I got a story to tell you!

Let me begin with a quick run down of the way things stood after the musical. Oh, and to set things straight, despite the comings and goings and moves and chaos surrounding our lives, our friendships have endured. Just so you know.

Okay, then first, there was one constant to my life which was that every six weeks Xelloss would visit me wherever I was for a hair cut. Funny huh? Peculiar guy with odd habits, yes, but it was also a good thing because it kept me informed of what was happening with the others. I just loved news, and not just the gossip kind either, and Xelloss loved to talk so it worked great and to our mutual benefit. Usually. Then again he also left out a few key things along the way, as you will see...but enough of him for a bit.

I was aware that Zel and Amelia were dating as a couple, but it wasn't glaringly obvious at first. At some point during the musical (great timing Zel-bob) my dear, sweet, stubborn Zelgadiss finally broke down and told Amelia that he didn't want to monopolize her, but that he hated the idea of her dating others. Thankfully, Zel hadn't used that dreaded 'L' word at the time. Amelia was starry-eyed enough without dreaming of his 'love'. Nothing seemed different between them at first, but Xelloss assured me it was, which was possible since he and Val lived with Zel. Oh, and Val never gossiped about Zel or Xelloss, his two roommates; he was a loyal friend to them. Well, it was a good thing Xelloss had warned me about the new couple's closeness or I might have burst out laughing the first time I saw Zel-bob and his little princess (we over heard him call her that once and the nickname stuck) together holding hands. Zel looked so uncomfortable and happy at the same time. But, I was good. I didn't tease them at all.

Immediately after the musical was over, Xelloss took Lina and Kiki to France to see Kiki's estate. Amelia's father had explained to Xelloss that it would be unseemly for Kiki to go with Xelloss alone. Xelloss asked here knowing that Lina would love the traveling and that it would keep everything 'above board'. And they did go and had a great time, I guess, but you'd have to ask them to tell you that story another time. I can say that Lina had thought it was a come-on from him. She had considered saying 'no', but couldn't pass up a free trip. Was she surprised to find she and Xelloss would have company? You bet! I couldn't tell if she hadn't been just a little disappointed, or not. She and her pride hid it well.

The point being, the band didn't get together until they got back, then there was graduation for Val, Gourry, Lina (who had been 'excused' from finishing up the last few weeks of work, lucky girl), and the principal allowed Zel and Xelloss to be in the ceremony as well. Somehow it didn't end up being as lame as I thought it might be. All I remember any more about it was that Lina gave a speech and the crowd kept crying out to her to 'Sing, Lina, sing!'

Anyway, after that the band was on the road selling CDs and making some money, which was good because I knew I would need some spending money for our trip to Japan. Oh yes, we did that. Xelloss arranged it all, and paid for it, for our band and Kiki and Subaru too. Subaru, ostensibly because he spoke the language fluently, the real reason was because Xelloss was always looking out for that weird kid.

Yep, Xelloss took care of that odd duck; still does to some extent. The Clamp Campus Detective trio got him enrolled in the Clamp school and Count D gave him a part time job in his pet store. Xelloss paid for it all, of course, including the kid's veterinarian license. Today, Subaru works for Count D and out at the Clamp school zoo and seems happy and content for once in life. But once again, I'm getting ahead of myself here...

In the first year after the musical...–-

I was still in high school, my last year I remember, when Xelloss started bringing some girls around to our practices. Fans, I think; nothing special in my book. No girl lasted long with him. After awhile he seemed to focus on just one, but I wasn't noticing much. Back then, Zel was still going out with Amelia, but because she was at the high school and he was full time at the university, they didn't see much of one another. She told me one day that they had broken up, kinda. She could see others and so could he, but they would still be close.

So, anyway, that was going on and Val and I, well, he got into both the Art Institute of Atlas City and of Seyruun, but because of the band, he chose to stay in town. I think the other one suited him better, and he probably did too, but the band had to come first. It was another dream of his, to be in a rock and roll band, and we were bigger than ever! He'd come to the settlement on some weekends and holidays, but aside from a band practice or job, I rarely saw him. Soon, we were drifting apart, glued together by the band, the clan, and not much else. He never brought any girls around to show off or even talked about them, although I'm sure the guys heard about his conquests. It was okay. It wasn't like we were ever in love or anything. We were close friends then, and still are.

Gourry continued working for his father's construction company after graduation. I think he said he became an equal partner around the winter holidays that year. I can't recall now when, but he was pretty happy. I think what made him the happiest guy on the planet that year, though, happened during spring break. It was a shocker for us all.

"I'm getting married!" Xelloss announced at one of our gigs.

Zel and Val knew, apparently, since they alone managed to not scream– that and Gourry, who grinned and never stopped for the longest time. I was stunned. I knew Xelloss still had a thing for Lina and generally dated different boring girls, including the one he was about to marry, but it always seemed that he did so with an air of disinterest. This one I didn't think would last any longer then the rest. Just another pretty brunette, his type, I guess.

But right after our graduation- for Sylphiel and me– there it was...a wedding. A big flamboyant affair. It was as if he was trying to convince everyone that he was in love. And this time Zelgadiss didn't stop him. I was hoping he would again, just for fun, but he stood by his best friend's side and looked solemn. So, maybe it was for real this time. I guessed I was wrong about Xelloss...yet again. Maybe he had found true love at last.

What else? Xelloss moved out of the shared house, of course, and into a townhouse downtown. I think it was one of his syndicate-turned-upscale-condos-and businesses buildings that Gourry had fixed up. Actually, Xelloss always had a few building projects going on and entrusted the work solely to Gourry (which made Gourry a millionaire, but that's getting ahead of my story again.) Once Xelloss was married, he and Gourry got along just fine, I think.

After Xelloss moved out of Val's place, Gourry moved into his empty room. Val was out most of the time 'visiting' fans, folks on campus, and occasionally the settlement, apparently only using his house to store clothes changes, so I think Gourry moved in as much keep Zel company as as to make an excuse to get away from his countless siblings. Zel-bob really missed his best friend; I could tell. He started spending more time on campus after that and less time with Amelia. He was pouring his heart into getting his degree over and done with. Lina called it 'the fast track to the grad pack,' but I think he was lonely.

Other than that, it was a boring year filled with school and band and finally my graduation.

–- It was during the second year after the musical that... –-

Sylphiel got a part time job at the Seyruun General Hospital for that first summer out of high school. She spent one year getting her dietitian's license at the local community college and then became a full time dietitian there. Of course, that didn't last long. She got married, and not long after she quit work as soon as she found out she was pregnant. Grr...there I go jumping ahead again! I'll get back to her later.

Amelia had one more year of high school left by the time fall rolled around. Poor thing, still in that miserable crumbling high school. Actually, from what I gleaned from her conversations, she was having a blast and dating quite a few cute guys. Still, I know Zel-bob was the recipient of many special looks from her. The two went out once in a while, once (that I know of!) on an over-night to the coast, but neither would share a single detail!

I was starting at Seyruun University, humanities major, nothing special. I'd run into Zel and Lina; mostly Lina. I moved into the dorms there, but only for the first quarter. You see, Luna and Julian got married during winter break. She was a full time lawyer for the clan and he was still co-running the Seyruun Country Club with Val. That left Lina in her house alone, or would have if I hadn't moved into her sister's room.

What a blast that was! No baby brother to get into my stuff. We were both careless housekeepers, but who cared? The freedom was wonderful.

So, keeping count here... Xelloss was married the following spring after the musical, then Luna in winter, then, when spring rolled around again, Sylphiel was engaged to... guess who? Okay, that's my next tale.

See, Gourry knew Xelloss was out of the running for Lina for good now, so he decided to make his move. Because we were roomies, I knew that Lina was not interested in getting married. She didn't really even date. Lina met people at places on campus for university related events. Period. As she explained any chance she could, "Why pair up? We all just hang around with one another all the time anyway."

She and Zel went out, but just as friends with common interests. I thought they were perfect for one another, but as Zel put it, "We are both too alike and indifferent at the same time– a deadly combination."

Humph to that! I said that they were both too self-absorbed and overly dedicated to their school work to bother.

Anyway, Gourry had a terrific job and since he had long ago set his sights on Lina, he decided to propose. Just like that! No in-between girlfriend/boyfriend stage.

She turned him down.

Point blank.

"No. Not until I'm done with college and maybe not even then...maybe never. Yeah...most likely never."

She must have said a lot more, because Gourry never asked her again. A few months later, he and Sylphiel began seeing each other exclusively and by the summer, a little over a year after Xelloss was married, we all attended the lavish wedding in the Great White Shrine of Gourry and Sylphiel. They both looked fabulously happy, so who was I to say 'too young, too soon'?

In the meantime, our band was really popular and we were busy all the time when we weren't working or going to school. It was a wonder any of us could keep relationships going outside of the band. I tried.

It was nearly winter of the year Gourry and Sylphiel were married. I was home with mom and dad and little Quentin, my brother, for Thanksgiving weekend. Lina came with me too, to visit her sister and brother-in-law. For the first night back, Lina was eating with them and staying at their cozy house on the settlement. So, it was just my family and me finishing dinner when there was a knock on the door. My father left the table and answered it.

"Probably Val don't you think?" my mother asked. "It's too soon for Brad to arrive."

"No-ooooo," I sighed. Mom could never keep everyone's schedule straight. Brad was my current boyfriend-in-the-making. "Brad's not coming. He's staying with his clan this holiday. Val's not likely to make it until tomorrow. The Art Institute gets out a day later than Seyruun University." I knew that Val would come to the settlement to stay over the short break and I expected him to arrive the next day to lap up the autumn festival food. "Could be Lina, though."

I could hear my father's voice in the front hall and the pounding of rain outside as he closed the door. "Well, get out of those wet things and I'll go get Filia."

I left the table and met him at the dining room door. "Who is it?"

"It's Xelloss." Dad gave me a serious look. "I think he's been drinking. He doesn't seem right. If he wasn't such a close friend, I'd send him packing."

"He doesn't drink," I assured him. I might have been wrong; I didn't know everything about Xelloss. However, I did think it was odd for him to be dropping by this day.

He was hanging up a dripping wet coat when I approached him. "I just did your hair, Xelloss. Shouldn't you be home, having dinner with your wife?"

Okay, I was harsh, but sometimes I just let anger take over and he always had gotten under my skin. I regretted those words the moment he turned his face toward me. Dad had been right. He looked terrible. Water dripped from the tips of his matted hair, his face was drawn and pale, eyes dark as he made no attempt to hide the pain in them. "I'm sorry to bother you. Maybe I should leave. I'm not very good company tonight."

I sucked in my breath holding back anything else I was about to say. I was overwhelmed by his naked pain and loneliness. "Hey, you're soaking wet and standing in a puddle with your shoes off. Come on into the den. I'll get you some dry socks and..."

"Go ahead, dear," my mom called from the other end of the hall, "I'll bring in some tea for you."

Xelloss shrugged, "Thank you. I don't want to be a problem here..."

"You've always been a problem," I tossed off without thinking. He winced, and then his eyes slid to his hands. His whole body drooped. I guess at that minute I realized just how often I'd said such hurtful things to him, probably everybody, in the past. "My turn to apologize, Xelly. I was being insensitive."

I caught his eyes with mine briefly. "I'll be right back with those socks."

He seemed dead.

We sat without talking until my mother came and left. He had exchanged pleasantries with her in a strange clipped fashion more like Zel than himself. He sipped at the hot tea and leaned back, closing his eyes.

"What's happened to you? Your clothes look like you've been sleeping in them and my dad thinks you've been drinking." Well, someone had to get it started.

"S-she left me."

"She...who? Your wife? Xelloss...?"

He chuckled without smiling, "Actually, she threw me out a few months ago." His eyes looked up, tear-filled, then quickly looked away.

"Oh, Xelly...I didn't know... None of us did, I don't think. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Gods Filia..." he was trying to stem the tide of tears. "It's humiliating. I'm such a f-up. I fail at...everything."

I wrapped my arms around him and felt him sink onto me. "Oh, Xelly-bean...no...that's not true."

He totally fell apart after that. I just held him and let him cry it out until he could talk again. "I had n-no where to go so I rented a place downtown w-where I've got some renovations going on, and just t-tried to get on with my life. I really thought the separation was temporary at first. That she'd m-miss me and ask me to come back. So I said nothing and just tried to bear it like a man."

"She wasn't good enough for you."

"I dunno, but she filed for divorce and I didn't fight it and it just came through today."

"That was fast. How much?"

"How much...? Oh...um...She keeps the townhouse and she accepted a cash settlement. It was in the pre-nuptial agreement. Oh, and in case it ever comes up for you, an uncontested divorce settlement can be had in two weeks time."

"You made her sign a pre-nup? Well, that's the most intelligent thing I heard you do in the past few years." Okay, it wasn't too nice a thing to say, but it did make him smile a little. The rest I just brushed off as bitterness.

"My lawyer's idea. She really didn't know how wealthy I was. Zelgadiss told me to wait until we'd been married a couple years, and then let her in on it bit by bit."

"Thank the gods for Zel-bob. He didn't care for that girl either."

Xelloss gave me an amused smile, "No. Just me. Zelgadiss said that I was the only one that really mattered when it came to whom I should marry, but as it turned out, that wasn't quite true. The band was and is a part of me and a part I couldn't share. She was jealous of it, of Kiki, of Lina... of you..."

"Of me? Why me? It's not as if you and I had anything going..."

"You cut my hair. You've known me a long time...we have shared a lot, Filia. She knew that and hated how I never had enough time for her..."

"Why was that?"

"I don't know. I like to travel. I have contacts all over the world."

"Were you unfaithful?" I waved him to silence. "No, it's not my business. I'm sorry for being so nosy."

"It's okay, Filia. It's good for me to talk about it for a change. And, no... I wasn't...I kept my marriage vows...really. I just felt smothered and needed to get out and about occasionally."

"You and Zelgadiss are alike that way, and I don't mean the travel thing either. I'm talking about how you both avoid getting close."

Xelloss scooted closer so we were touching and draped an arm around me. "I like getting close..."

I slapped at his arm, which he didn't remove, and laughed, "Xelly-bean! I'm not talking about...that either." I was relieved to see a ghost of a smile return to his mouth. His eyes were another story. They flickered over me in a way I wasn't used to, lingering on my lips before rising to meet my eyes.

"Close is nice and, as I recall, you like to dance," his voice lowered to a purr.

"On my feet!" I clarified, as opposed to with my lips.

And then he kissed me. It had been a long time since he'd kissed me, but my memory of his particular feel was revived immediately– a special combination of tenderness and passion-- and I was in a reverie of my high school days up in his loft. He had been receiving brutal beatings as part of his syndicate training and I had offered, or been coerced by him, I forget which, to apply the clan's healing arts. He was stripped to his boxers and I gave him a full body massage to rub in the salves, starting with his back. Gourry, bless his kind soul, joined us to 'chaperone,' I think, and to cover Xelloss with his kimono, somewhat, when he rolled over onto his back. That was to mask his obviously aroused state-- something I know about now but hadn't an inkling of at the time, innocent that I was. Xelloss wouldn't have given a damn, of course. Nothing embarrassed him then or now; except for this new thing, his failed marriage.

His tongue slipped past my teeth and gently flicked at mine. This was no brotherly kiss or 'practice' kiss. He tasted of alcohol. That struck me to be very odd. Even after he had discovered that he hadn't inherited a liver disease and learned he could drink, he rarely did. And after finding a new drug combination which truly helped control his ADD, he told me that alcohol was absolutely prohibited.

Further comparison of Xelloss' past and present kissing styles was halted when I felt a warm hand push under my blouse and another on my shoulder pressing me hard into the sofa. Whoa... this was no tentative boy. These were the deliberate moves of an experienced man, I was sure of it. He had my bra unhooked and was crushing me into the pillow-back of den's convertible sofa-bed.

"Xelloss..." I gasped and broke away.

Our eyes met and something of the old familiar friend returned for an instant, before his eyes widened. "F-filia! Oh...I-I'm so sorry. I have no right."

He sputtered a few other things as I righted myself and he sat back a-ways. His eyes held mine, pleading, and then all the blood rushed from his face and I could see the sheen of sweat break out across the bridge of his nose and above his upper lip. His eyes found the door. "I'm gonna be sick," he muttered.

He dashed out of the den and across the hallway to the bathroom.

Mother stuck her head in. "Everything all right, honey?"

"I don't think he's well."

"I see. Your father thought he smelled alcohol on his breath when he came in."

"It's really bad for him, too. Stupid idiot..." I murmured.

"Well, when he comes out, he must leave. He may be of legal age, but you're not and I won't have him..."

"His wife divorced him, mama!" I cried out. "He just got the papers and... Val's not back and I don't know what's up with Zel but he's got no one-- no place to go. I think he was really sad and just needed someone to talk to. He feels awful!"

"Oh,the poor dear..."

"If he drank enough, it could kill him, mom! He takes some medication and the two don't mix."

My mother stared at the door to the bathroom, then walked to the door and tapped lightly. "Xelloss, I'd like to help."

I could hear the sound of running water, and then the tap shut off. Xelloss came to the door. "Just a minute, please."

The door opened and an ashen-faced young man peered out holding a wash cloth to his head. "Um...I'm better, in a way. No more queasy stomach." He smiled at her weakly, and then winced.

"What is it? If you describe how you feel, I can help you more." Good old mom, she wasn't about to let him squirm away.

"Migraine," he whispered. "I, um..." He closed his eyes, clearly in pain and leaned against the wall. "Drank my medication on an empty stomach. Bad thing. Plus stress."

"It's a liquid? Alcohol-based, I'll bet," I said.

He nodded as my mother added, "So, you weren't drinking wine or anything? That's a good thing, then. We have a wonderfully effective migraine treatment here in the clan. Were you staying with Val?"

"I left my things at his place. He's not in. It's okay; I'll go back over there..."

"What kind of a person would I be to send you out into that storm tonight...and when you are hurting?" Mom held him in a big hug and said in a near-whisper, "Filia told me, dear. I'm so very sorry to hear your marriage is over. Now, just relax and don't worry...We'll take care of you tonight." To me she said, "Make up the sofa-bed, would you dear?"

"Sure, mom. I'll make the infusion, if you'll find the candles. I don't know where you moved them to. And the lavender eye pillow!"

Mom had walked Xelloss back to the den and left him in an over-stuffed chair with the washcloth over his eyes, "Thank you..." he sighed.

A little later, I walked back into the room, after having left to let him undress and slip under the covers. His face appeared healthier in the warm glow of the healing candles. He was sipping at his tea and made a face as I entered.

"Bitter?" I asked.

"Nasty, Filia. You trying to poison me with this stuff?"

"I could, but no, my mom made it. Drink it all then lie down with this eye pillow thingee. It's filled with lavender and flax seeds. The pressure on your eyelids plus the scent will help. What?"

"What I did was inexcusable, nearly attacking you, and then you come back and show me such kindness. I don't deserve it, but thank you. I'm just so..."

"Horny," I finished.

"Lonely. Really... lonely." He tossed back the last of the drink and sank into the bed. "I could sleep forever."

I placed the eye pillow on his face. His warm hand caught mine and he kissed my palm. "You're incredible."

That came in a gasp.

"Hope you're better in the morning, Xelloss. You're pretty loony right now," I jested as I stood to leave.

I was rewarded with an anemic smile, and then I left the room.

Lonely. I wondered how it could be that one of the richest, smartest, handsomest, most famous rock singers was so terribly lonely and resting in my den?

End -- SHJ Ten Year Reunion-- Chapter One.