Finding Cloe

Beaner-Bop

A/N: READ THIS! à The book I have in here is not the title of a real book, or at least not that I'm aware of!

Disclaimer: If I owned this - it would mean that I went across the world to recruit people around my own age, but mostly older, to act in this and not place myself in it…Are you telling me that I was there and never met up with the guys of The Tribe! (hehehe)

Chapter Five: Dinner

We are all born mad. Some remain so. - Samuel Beckett

Ved knew something happened to Cloe, and knew even more so that it was something he wasn't going to like. As long as he knew Cloe, she was headstrong and willing to fight for what she believed in. She didn't let stronger opponents scare her and if it came down to it, she would probably be willing to fight.

That was not the girl in his room.

Dinner was a large affair in the mansion, and somewhat formal. All the girls had on white dresses with black patterns or ribbons on it, and all the boys were dressed as he was - white shirts, black pants.

Glancing around the table, Ved figured he had to be near the youngest person sitting at it, though he wasn't quite sure about the one he was sitting across from…he looked a little younger than he was but he wasn't sure.

There were about fifty of them around the table, Ved couldn't get an exact head count because the talking of everyone at the table stopped. Ved wondered why but his question was answered soon enough.

'Miss Tea' came through the doors, wearing a blue gown that shown through all the other clothing in the room. Ved watched as she clapped her hands and a boy came in, dressed in blue like the older woman. He went over to the large chair at the head of the table an pulled it out, bowed to her and waited.

Miss Tea went to the seat and took a slightly long time in sitting down, but when she was seated as she wanted to be, she nodded and the boy pushed her chair up to the table. She looked back at him and nodded.

"You may leave now." She told him. He nodded and walked out of the room. She looked around at everyone at the table before clapping her hands happily again. Ved watched as more children came in, carrying platters and platters of food, depositing them all on the table somewhere. It took them a total of one minute to get all this done before leaving the room silently. Ved wondered what was wrong with them but didn't get much of a chance before Miss Tea began talking to everyone.

"Let's eat, shall we?"

He watched as Ved sit at a table, writing something. He got closer to the younger boy and his mouth opened in shock at the tears coming down his brother's face. He tried to call out but it didn't work - Ved wasn't answering him. He watched as his brother kept writing on something. He looked at Ved's hands and winced as he saw the blood flowing from them. He tried to stop him but he couldn't, Ved just kept writing something with a quill and ink…since when did Ved write with quill and ink? He kept watching. After a while, Ved made a big blot on the paper - something he couldn't help but remember seeing. He saw Ved grab something - more ink, and pour it into the inkstand. What was happening here? He watched as Ved loaded a gun and began to point it at his head. He began to run forward, to stop Ved from what he was going to do to himself - his brother couldn't leave him like this! He couldn't!

BANG!

Jay's eyes snapped open and he got out of the bed quickly in a cold sweat. He looked at the mumbling body of Ebony, making sure that he didn't wake her up. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before heading out of the room for a walk - Ebony stopped him.

"Jay…where are you going?" She mumbled quietly.

"Nowhere you need to know." he whispered. "Go back to sleep." She did as she was told - something he was extremely grateful for. He walked down the steps of the mall and stopped when he saw Amber sitting there, nursing a cup of what looked to be like tea, and a book beside her. She looked up at him and grinned, something he returned.

"You couldn't sleep either?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Depends. Would waking up from a nightmare count." Amber snorted.

"That's sort of ironic, isn't it? You wake from a nightmare…I wake from a dream." Her voice got slightly wistful before she looked away from Jay guiltily.

"Amber, what's wrong?" She looked as though she wasn't going to answer his question - something he knew was common, but she surprised him.

"Jay…do you think its bad if I…if I start looking at other men…romantically? Even though Bray is…-"

"-gone?" She nodded and he leaned back, thinking about it carefully for a minute.

"In my opinion," He started, "It's fine. He's been away for a long time - it's only natural that you start…looking again." He hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. He looked at her, trying to hide how stupid he felt. "Why do you ask?" She shook her head.

"I've been having so many dreams lately and they never stop. They're so strange…" He expected her to stop here, knowing she didn't like people knowing to much of her own business, but she didn't. He expected she was to tired to keep wearing the mask that she usually does. "Some are like I'm being unfaithful, others have me being in bed with the same person, sometimes I see Baby Bray in trouble, completely hopeless trouble, but then suddenly…he walks in and…Bray's okay again. Or when I'm kissing him is so perfect and-" She looked at him and looked away, embarrassed. Jay smiled at her, seeing that she was feeling as uncomfortable as she was. "Anyway…" She continued, she waved her hand at the book beside her. Jay took a look at the cover. Dreams and Their Meanings. He looked at Amber confused. "It's one of Taisan's books that's lying around." she gave as explanation. Though he never met her, Jay understood. He'd heard a little about her and this seemed to fit with everything else he'd heard.

"Well…what do your dreams say about this…mystery person?" He asked. She glared at her cup of tea for a moment before answering him.

"That…that it's a good thing. That there's good affection there, that's there is love, or a chance that there could be, but…" Jay asked her 'but what?', "…but if I did…it'd mean the end of the Mall Rats. The end of everything I'd ever worked for." She fell silent again before whispering. "The end of me." Jay shook his head.

"Who could do all of that to you?" He asked her. Amber stood up and shook her head.

"I told you to many of my problems already. I shouldn't have worried you with all of this. I'm sorry about all of that Jay." He shook his head at her answer.

"No…don't worry about it." He said. He watched as she picked up before pointing at the book. "Mind if I borrow that? Who knows, maybe I can figure out what my nightmares mean." He told her. She nodded and handed the book to him.

"You're going to want to give that back to me as soon as possible later. Lex will be hells on wheels if he even thinks something of Taisan's missing."

"I thought he has a good thing going with Siva…" Jay asked. Amber nodded in agreement.

"He does. I think it's more habit now than anything." Jay nodded.

"I'll get this to you bright and early then…Good night." Amber nodded to him.

"Good night."
-fin chapter-