Part 2 Of Among Brother's And Sisters

Chapter 17

A few weeks have passed and the Mall Rats have settled into their comfortable lives in Linua. Some are not as comfortable as others…

A grin swept over Lex's face as Ebony entered their bedroom. She had just come back from taking a shower and had a light glisten over her body. God that woman has beautiful legs. He thought this as he appreciatingly gazed over her legs. It was moments like this that he was happy they now shared a room.

Lex slowly stirred in bed willing himself to wake up. As he did the memories of him and Ebony's incredible night came back to him. Another in a series of wonderful nights and equally incredible mornings. He opened his and smiled as he saw Ebony peering at him over the blankets.

"Good morning" She said as she smiled and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. Lex grinned as he started to nuzzle Ebony's neck.

"A very good morning. I wish I could wake up like this every morning." Ebony pushed Lex slightly away from her so that she could look him in the eyes.

"Lex are you asking me to move in with you?"

Lex chuckled as he remembered the moment. He didn't mean to ask her to move in with him. But he knew if he said otherwise he would be in for some trouble. Ebony caught the smile on his face.

"What are you grinning at?" She asked and plopped down on the bed next to him.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am."

"Very Lucky." Ebony smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

I was just about to go catch up with Ebony for breakfast when Ram entered the room.

"Wassup man?" I greeted him cheerfully. He looked at me sardonically for a moment and then continued to his side of the room. "So, where have you been staying these last few nights?" I asked.

"Ruby's"

"Ruby's eh?" All those times I tried and what she was really looking for was a sick psycho like Ram. Who would have figured?

"Yeah. Don't ask. It's complicated."

"What's so complicated about getting some?" He had me confused. I mean what in the world is complicated about getting laid by a hot blonde?

"Because she's a nice girl."

"And…."

"Nice girls need love and I don't know how to be in love."

"Look that's not a problem. You just got to pretend. It's not that hard once you get the hang of it." I could tell by the look on his face that my expertise was a waste on him. "Say Ram, have you ever accidentally asked a girl to move in with you?"

"What? You asked that cow to move into our room!" Ram was screaming now and practically foaming at the mouth. Now I know I've called Ebony a lot of things in the past. A lot of them worse than cow. But for some reason I felt Ram had crossed the line somehow. If he was calling her a cow what was he saying about me? How could he say I would mess around with a cow?

"Man, that was uncalled for."

"Lex, go ahead shack up with her! But you are going to be one sorry bastard!" Ram then stormed out of the room.

As Ebony got up from the bed I my eyes fell upon those legs again. Thank God I didn't listen to Ram.

t was a mild day, so Amber decided to take Baby Bray to the playground nearby. She loved going there almost as much as her son did. Playing in the sand and on the swings was relaxing for her. Her mind just seemed to clear.

Bray peered from his hiding spot at the playground. Amber looked so beautiful as she smiled. The knots in her hair seemed tighter than the last time he had seen her. He loved it when she let her hair loose to hang around her face. She was still beautiful nonetheless. Her smiled radiated as she created mounds in the sand with their child. A child as beautiful as it's mother. His heart ached as he watched his child laugh. He wanted so much to reach out and hold both of them. If only they were real.

Bray decided it would be best if he headed back to his quarters. When he arrived he found Tea there laying out his lunch. His sweet patient Tea.

"Where have you been" Tea asked concerned. "You know you're not supposed to leave the building."

"I didn't. I swear Tea. I was in the garden on the roof."

"Alright well you better go wash your hands." Bray smiled. He was happy to have someone like Tea to watch over him. In the beginning he had wanted her. He had thought of her as the perfect woman to fulfill the empty void in his life and be a pretty face to wake up next to. That was before he became himself again. That was when he couldn't remember anything before his time in the camps. He wished he still couldn't remember those times before. His eyes started to water as the vision of Amber and his child flashed in through his mind. He let out a tortured groan. He felt sick and went to lie on the couch. Tea hurried to his side and held his slumped head in her hands.

"I saw them again." he sobbed. "They looked so real. It's not fair! Isn't it enough that I have to live without them but I have to constantly see mirages of them as well?"

Ruby went out into private yard that was adjoined to their dorm building hoping to find Ram there. She knew he was hesitant about their relationship. But she sensed it wasn't because he didn't care about her. She never thought she was the type of woman who could have an effect on someone like Ram. But she noticed the subtle differences when he was around her, even if he didn't. She knew what Ram was like but she felt… She knew there was something else. He could be so much more. Besides wasn't it every woman's dream to change a man by introducing him to the most powerful force known as love? She wanted him and was ready to take him on as a challenge. He'd always been a challenge since he first day they had met. She smiled as she spotted Ram on a bench with Slade. Ram had changed his appearance. Finally ditching the techno uniform he replaced it with a different one, jeans and a t-shirt. In this new age of style he was definitely making a statement with his old fashioned style. His makeup had been toned down as well, losing most of it while keeping his techno T. He had lost the red tips and horn like curls. He now had blonde highlights and his hair lay in curls around his head. He looked almost innocent sitting there and for a moment she forgot they were not a happy, normal couple.

Ruby jumped on Rams lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Ram's body suddenly went ridged. He had an obvious look of discomfort on his face.

"Ruby, get off!" he grunted. A look of hurt spread over Ruby's face and she pushed herself off him and stalked away.

"Woman troubles?" asked Slade. Ram put on a fake crooked grin.

"No troubles here", he retorted and got up. He soon found himself in the room he shared with Slade ever since he was forced out of his previous room by that scum Lex.

Ram glowered as Ebony entered the common's room that morning. He had been waiting for her to make an appearance. Now that she was getting breakfast he knew the room he shared with Lex was clear for him to go in.

As I entered the room Lex acted like everything was just all hunky dory. Even if he could get it through his thick skull that I was pissed beyond belief at him he probably wouldn't even care. He asked me the question I had been dreading. I had thought of a hundred explanations for where I had slept the many nights I had been so rudely thrown from my room.

But of course I said "ruby's" I flinched as I said it. Once I let it slip I tried to recover myself. But oh no Lex can't let that sort of thing happen. No Lex has to know

"What so complicated about getting some?" I could feel the anger tingle in my throat. I thought even Lex could understand that girls like ruby needed love. As he suggested I fake love I thought maybe him and Ebony deserved each other. Finally the rage that had building up broke loose.

"What? You asked that cow to move into our room!" I'd had it. Find another room I thought because no one could be worse than having a Lex as a roommate. I gathered my things and headed for the door. Lex deserved whatever trouble that witch Ebony got him into. He could burn in hell for all I cared.

Ram heard a polite cough to see Slade leaning in the doorway. The renovation that their building had been going through when the first arrived was almost complete. This meant that he would finally be allowed peace and quiet in his own room.

"So what is going on with you and Ruby?" Slade asked again.

"If you didn't hear me before I said nothing"

"Well in that case I'll just go and give her some comforting" Said Slade as he turned to leave.

"You wouldn't dare." Grumbled Ram under his breath. "I doubt she'll have anything to do with you after Ebony. Speaking of Ebony how did someone as pathetic as Lex take her off your hands so easily?" Ram spoke harshly trying to goad Slade as hard as he could.

"Don't talk about what you don't know." warned Slade darkly.

"But I do know Slade. The whole tribe does. We all saw how that little skank of an Ex of yours started crawling the Lex's bed every night." Slade swiftly crossed the room and pinned Ram down by the neck. \"I warned you not to talk about what you don't know. She left me and she had just reason too. I betrayed her and I was lucky she let me off as easily as she did. " He released Ram and left the room.