Chapter 8
These past few days have been nothing short of heaven, all we did was enjoy our lives, and enjoy each other's company. I had some time to get to know my brother better and it turns out that Matt actually remembers one of us, I suppose it would be Kyle since I was never there. And Christy had pretty much moved into my room, and my closet is completely filled...with her stuff of course. Oh well it's a more than fair trade off for Christy. I just haven't had the guts to talk to Julie yet, something about her keeps me away, and something about me keeps her cold to me. Maybe because of how much I look like Kyle, and how once again Christy gets [Kyle], or me in this case. Oh well, I think I'll try my luck with her today.
"What are you thinking about?" Christy asked beside me.
"Hun? Nothing, in fact I'm not even awake yet." I joked.
"Oh, well then I guess I'll have to shower alone." Christy laughed, a pretty sound that I enjoyed.
"I'm awake I'm awake, I was just joking."
"So was I, see you downstairs after I shower, alone." Christy left with a smile on her face, she knew I felt disappointed.
"Aw..." But I laughed too, Christy was more to me than just that, so it didn't really matter. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"You're offering to cook?" Christy paused at the bathroom doorway, a little bit surprised.
"I'm offering to try." I dressed quickly and waited for her answer.
"Hm...something easy to make I guess, bacon and eggs, the perfect meal for guys who are trying to impress a girl." She laughed again and closed the door behind her.
I walked out into the hall and right into Julie, I narrowly avoided ramming into her.
"Whoa...sorry," I said. "So...what's up?"
"Nothing," Still that cold look from her. "So you're making breakfast today?"
"Yeah, should be good eh?"
"I'll remember to have a glass of water nearby." She left after that, and I stood there for a second recovering from the blow to my pride.
"Ouch..." I mumbled.
"You know, this isn't that bad." Christy said between bites of my bacon, which I managed to only char on one end. "A bit crunchy and weird tasting but it ALMOST tastes like bacon, pretty good for your first time."
"Thanks...I guess." I picked up a piece and tried it, well it really wasn't that bad, as long as you got used to the taste of coal. "Not hungry Matty?"
"No, I'm hungry, except when I'M hungry I eat food not coal, that's why I ordered IHOP pancakes."
"Wow, you can get those here in China?" I asked.
"Yeah if you know where to look." Matt relied slyly.
"Wanna try one Julie?" I smiled at her, "I promise you won't die."
"No thanks, I don't feel like becoming flammable any time soon." She went back to reading her newspaper, the funny thing is, that it's in Chinese. And I don't recall Julie ever being able to read it.
"So...trying to learn some Chinese?" I asked, trying to start a conversation with her.
"No, just trying to avoid taking to you."
"Oh," Wow I was shot down in flames. "Might I ask why?"
"No," That's 0 for 2 now, gotta use another approach, the direct approach.
"How come you hate me so much?" I saw Matt raise his eye brows and Christy picked up a copy of the newspaper herself, she then hid her face behind it.
"How come you ask so many questions?" Julie put the newspaper down and looked me in the eyes, I was finally getting somewhere.
"Because I want to know the answers." I pressed on. "Is it because of what happened between you and Kyle?"
Matt stood up, "Um...I got some gardening to do, see ya." Matt ran out pretty fast for a guy whose had no breakfast.
Christy followed his lead, "I'm gonna go help him."
"If you really want to know, yes, I do hate you because of your brother." Julie stood up but I grabbed her arm. The look in her eyes almost made me piss my pants but I still fought on with the questions.
"What happened?" I asked, I was starting to get real curious about Julie's past with my brother.
"He left me, and went with Christy instead." I had long suspected this but here it is now, out of her mouth. The doubt left my mind and I finally believed it.
"Well, I guess that's an ok reason to hate Kyle but why me? It's not like I could date you, you're with Matt." This was the only thing I didn't understand, how come I had inherited the hate?
"I don't know ok? Maybe just seeing some one like Kyle be with Christy again."
"Wow, you get jealous pretty easily, but at least you're open about it. That's a start I guess." I let go off her arm and she sat back down, I am making good progress. "You wanna talk about it? Maybe it'll clear up if you do."
"Maybe," Julie looked at the table for a few moment then she started talking again. "It's not that I hate you or Christy or Kyle, I just feel left out when Kyle left me. Then Christy came, and it was annoying how she pretended like nothing was wrong, and trying to be my friend."
"Maybe she doesn't know."
"What?"
"Maybe she doesn't know about Kyle and you." Her face showed that she never really thought about this before.
"Oh, wow, I feel like such a bitch. You're right, I don't think she ever knew. And even now she's still trying to be friends."
"Well, don't worry to much about Christy," I laughed, "She gets over things pretty easily, unlike another girl I know."
"Haha, well it's just the way I am. I guess is should apologize." She finally doesn't hate me anymore, and it only took ten minutes, man I'm good. And Christy says I don't know how to handle girls...I just can't handle her.
"Well, you can start with me." I smiled.
"Sorry," She picked up a piece of my bacon and bit on it. "Holy shit, what the hell is this?!"
"Charcoal, freshly made charcoal." I sighed and dumped the rest of my bacon into the trash. I put all the dishes into the sink and started scrubbing the coal off of them. Julie moved to help me and we washed the dishes together. We talked about Kyle mostly, I was still curious about him, and what he did. She told me about his early days in the Elite force, then about how Durden sold them out. She also told me about how she met Matt.
Christy and Matt poked their head into the kitchen cautiously when they heard Julie and I laughing. "So, problem solved now?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, how come both your little brothers are more charming and funnier than you?" Julie laughed.
"They may be funnier, but I'm much more handsome and definitely cooler than them." Matt said in defense.
"Sure Matty what ever you say." Christy said from behind him, then she gave me a wink.
We all laughed, all except Matt who stood at the doorway with his broken pride.
"Aw...Matt, I got something to make you feel better, but you can have it later." Julie gave Matt a smile then left, and Matt instantly felt better.
Matt walked by me and laughed. "Haha, I'm gonna get some, thanks man."
"Damn, didn't expect that." I said. Then I laughed. "Oh well, you deserve it, Julie's actually pretty nice after you get past the fact that she hates you."
"Hey, she was in love with me from the beginning." Matt boasted. I see that his pride was already back.
"Hm...I thought at the beginning she loved Kyle." Matt's face dropped for a moment but then he recovered.
"Naw...that was just puppy love, until she met the real deal, moi." Damn Matt was a pain in the ass when you tried to argue with him. Oh well.
"Well, never mind." I put away all the dishes. "Do you have any news on the triad movements? Anything we need to be involved in?"
Matt got serious instantly, something I've always admired, he could be a goof one second then the next he was completely in charge. "Well, actually there might be one. Some of my boys have been telling me about how the guys of Chan's gang have been more aggressive and moving in our territory, seems like Chan wants to start something."
"So what do you want us to do?"
"End it before it starts." Matt said quietly. "I don't want Christy involved in this again, so it'll just be you and Julie, thank God you guys made up today."
"Sure, so where is this guy Chan?" I asked. I was really itching for some action.
"Not today, now's not the best time to kill him, we'll see about tomorrow." Matt gave me a knowing smile, and I gave him one back. "We give the fucker one last night with the hookers."
"Right, its common decency and we're decent people." I laughed then left Matt there in the kitchen finishing reading his newspaper.
These past few days have been nothing short of heaven, all we did was enjoy our lives, and enjoy each other's company. I had some time to get to know my brother better and it turns out that Matt actually remembers one of us, I suppose it would be Kyle since I was never there. And Christy had pretty much moved into my room, and my closet is completely filled...with her stuff of course. Oh well it's a more than fair trade off for Christy. I just haven't had the guts to talk to Julie yet, something about her keeps me away, and something about me keeps her cold to me. Maybe because of how much I look like Kyle, and how once again Christy gets [Kyle], or me in this case. Oh well, I think I'll try my luck with her today.
"What are you thinking about?" Christy asked beside me.
"Hun? Nothing, in fact I'm not even awake yet." I joked.
"Oh, well then I guess I'll have to shower alone." Christy laughed, a pretty sound that I enjoyed.
"I'm awake I'm awake, I was just joking."
"So was I, see you downstairs after I shower, alone." Christy left with a smile on her face, she knew I felt disappointed.
"Aw..." But I laughed too, Christy was more to me than just that, so it didn't really matter. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"You're offering to cook?" Christy paused at the bathroom doorway, a little bit surprised.
"I'm offering to try." I dressed quickly and waited for her answer.
"Hm...something easy to make I guess, bacon and eggs, the perfect meal for guys who are trying to impress a girl." She laughed again and closed the door behind her.
I walked out into the hall and right into Julie, I narrowly avoided ramming into her.
"Whoa...sorry," I said. "So...what's up?"
"Nothing," Still that cold look from her. "So you're making breakfast today?"
"Yeah, should be good eh?"
"I'll remember to have a glass of water nearby." She left after that, and I stood there for a second recovering from the blow to my pride.
"Ouch..." I mumbled.
"You know, this isn't that bad." Christy said between bites of my bacon, which I managed to only char on one end. "A bit crunchy and weird tasting but it ALMOST tastes like bacon, pretty good for your first time."
"Thanks...I guess." I picked up a piece and tried it, well it really wasn't that bad, as long as you got used to the taste of coal. "Not hungry Matty?"
"No, I'm hungry, except when I'M hungry I eat food not coal, that's why I ordered IHOP pancakes."
"Wow, you can get those here in China?" I asked.
"Yeah if you know where to look." Matt relied slyly.
"Wanna try one Julie?" I smiled at her, "I promise you won't die."
"No thanks, I don't feel like becoming flammable any time soon." She went back to reading her newspaper, the funny thing is, that it's in Chinese. And I don't recall Julie ever being able to read it.
"So...trying to learn some Chinese?" I asked, trying to start a conversation with her.
"No, just trying to avoid taking to you."
"Oh," Wow I was shot down in flames. "Might I ask why?"
"No," That's 0 for 2 now, gotta use another approach, the direct approach.
"How come you hate me so much?" I saw Matt raise his eye brows and Christy picked up a copy of the newspaper herself, she then hid her face behind it.
"How come you ask so many questions?" Julie put the newspaper down and looked me in the eyes, I was finally getting somewhere.
"Because I want to know the answers." I pressed on. "Is it because of what happened between you and Kyle?"
Matt stood up, "Um...I got some gardening to do, see ya." Matt ran out pretty fast for a guy whose had no breakfast.
Christy followed his lead, "I'm gonna go help him."
"If you really want to know, yes, I do hate you because of your brother." Julie stood up but I grabbed her arm. The look in her eyes almost made me piss my pants but I still fought on with the questions.
"What happened?" I asked, I was starting to get real curious about Julie's past with my brother.
"He left me, and went with Christy instead." I had long suspected this but here it is now, out of her mouth. The doubt left my mind and I finally believed it.
"Well, I guess that's an ok reason to hate Kyle but why me? It's not like I could date you, you're with Matt." This was the only thing I didn't understand, how come I had inherited the hate?
"I don't know ok? Maybe just seeing some one like Kyle be with Christy again."
"Wow, you get jealous pretty easily, but at least you're open about it. That's a start I guess." I let go off her arm and she sat back down, I am making good progress. "You wanna talk about it? Maybe it'll clear up if you do."
"Maybe," Julie looked at the table for a few moment then she started talking again. "It's not that I hate you or Christy or Kyle, I just feel left out when Kyle left me. Then Christy came, and it was annoying how she pretended like nothing was wrong, and trying to be my friend."
"Maybe she doesn't know."
"What?"
"Maybe she doesn't know about Kyle and you." Her face showed that she never really thought about this before.
"Oh, wow, I feel like such a bitch. You're right, I don't think she ever knew. And even now she's still trying to be friends."
"Well, don't worry to much about Christy," I laughed, "She gets over things pretty easily, unlike another girl I know."
"Haha, well it's just the way I am. I guess is should apologize." She finally doesn't hate me anymore, and it only took ten minutes, man I'm good. And Christy says I don't know how to handle girls...I just can't handle her.
"Well, you can start with me." I smiled.
"Sorry," She picked up a piece of my bacon and bit on it. "Holy shit, what the hell is this?!"
"Charcoal, freshly made charcoal." I sighed and dumped the rest of my bacon into the trash. I put all the dishes into the sink and started scrubbing the coal off of them. Julie moved to help me and we washed the dishes together. We talked about Kyle mostly, I was still curious about him, and what he did. She told me about his early days in the Elite force, then about how Durden sold them out. She also told me about how she met Matt.
Christy and Matt poked their head into the kitchen cautiously when they heard Julie and I laughing. "So, problem solved now?" Matt asked.
"Yeah, how come both your little brothers are more charming and funnier than you?" Julie laughed.
"They may be funnier, but I'm much more handsome and definitely cooler than them." Matt said in defense.
"Sure Matty what ever you say." Christy said from behind him, then she gave me a wink.
We all laughed, all except Matt who stood at the doorway with his broken pride.
"Aw...Matt, I got something to make you feel better, but you can have it later." Julie gave Matt a smile then left, and Matt instantly felt better.
Matt walked by me and laughed. "Haha, I'm gonna get some, thanks man."
"Damn, didn't expect that." I said. Then I laughed. "Oh well, you deserve it, Julie's actually pretty nice after you get past the fact that she hates you."
"Hey, she was in love with me from the beginning." Matt boasted. I see that his pride was already back.
"Hm...I thought at the beginning she loved Kyle." Matt's face dropped for a moment but then he recovered.
"Naw...that was just puppy love, until she met the real deal, moi." Damn Matt was a pain in the ass when you tried to argue with him. Oh well.
"Well, never mind." I put away all the dishes. "Do you have any news on the triad movements? Anything we need to be involved in?"
Matt got serious instantly, something I've always admired, he could be a goof one second then the next he was completely in charge. "Well, actually there might be one. Some of my boys have been telling me about how the guys of Chan's gang have been more aggressive and moving in our territory, seems like Chan wants to start something."
"So what do you want us to do?"
"End it before it starts." Matt said quietly. "I don't want Christy involved in this again, so it'll just be you and Julie, thank God you guys made up today."
"Sure, so where is this guy Chan?" I asked. I was really itching for some action.
"Not today, now's not the best time to kill him, we'll see about tomorrow." Matt gave me a knowing smile, and I gave him one back. "We give the fucker one last night with the hookers."
"Right, its common decency and we're decent people." I laughed then left Matt there in the kitchen finishing reading his newspaper.