AS: Ok, this chapter may be a little confusing when it comes to lay-out, time frames etc, but I hope it works. The stuff in bold type is the contents of the letters, the italics in these marks /are song lyrics, also.

This chapter doesn't really carry the story on much but fills it out a bit. A lot of character stuff in here! Next chapter will be the plot thickening!...well, not thickening, its already as fat a beach whale in my mind, but you know, itll quicken up again!

Enjoy!


"Tyson Granger. And you are so flipping stupid!"

Rei stared at the boy as he pressed his ear to the door.

"I don't think they'll chase after us," he said, turning back to Rei.

"How…how do you know Morgan?"
Tyson sighed and looked to the floor, scuffing the toes of his red trainers against the cracked tarmac.

"Look…I'll walk home with you. Come on, I'm freezing,"
Rei staggered to his feet and followed him as he set off, hands dug deep inside his pockets.

"Was it you that sent me that note?"

"The one telling you not to go to your lesson? Yeah. I knew Morgan would be waiting to jump you. And I was watching him for you when you blundered in!"
Tyson's teeth chattered with the cold and he sucked in breath, pinning his arms closer to him.

"Why do you think I was acting like that back in there? I'm not that scary in real life you know,"

He gave Rei a grin, his teeth white in the darkness. Out of the red light of the club, Rei could see his eyes were a deep brown and he must have been about Max's age.

"Sorry about that. Being so pushy. I just didn't want you to stumble in on Morgan. Which you did,"
"Is that why you called me stupid?"

Tyson rolled his eyes. The swish of the waves was all they could hear apart from their footsteps. They had left the clubs behind them and as Rei looked to his right, all he could see was the broody, inky expanse of water. It looked as cold as it probably was.

"You were stupid! I mean, I know the last thing you want to do is meet Morgan, but then you go and walk into the biggest fighting club in town. Surely you knew Morgan was around. And I bet you know he fights. I thought you would put two and two together,"

Rei felt stupid enough as it was and hunched further into his jacket.
"I was just interested,"
"Well, now you know," Tyson said. He gave Rei a smile, "It's fine,"
They carried on in silence for a few more minutes, then Tyson said, "That's how he's been getting down here, you know. With the fight clubs. Touring, all the way from Connecticut down to here,"
"Connecticut? So he is supposed to be with his Mum on holiday,"
"Yeah. I don't know how he got out, but he'll become a missing person if he's not careful,"

"He always was,"
"Yeah. He didn't care about having to be dragged home by the police,"
"Tyson…how do you know Morgan?"

"Nevermind," Tyson said, quickly, beginning to beam again, "It's nothing. Hey, you live on this street don't you?"
Rei glanced up the road. The journey had gone way too fast. Rei still had questions. But Tyson was already moving off now, waving over his shoulder. He called, "Don't worry, we'll talk again later! Just don't do anything stupid!"
Rei watched him disappear. He had a strong sense to follow him but decided against it. He'd had enough for one night.


Lee stared vacantly at the television. He had been sat like this for the past hour or so, and just didn't feel like moving. He was thinking.

"Lee, have you had anything to eat?"

"What?"
"For dinner. Have you had anything to eat?"
"No, I'm fine,"
His Mum rolled her eyes and went back into the second lounge which she and her husband occupied the most. Lee hadn't even looked away from the TV, and the images began to blur into a pinkish blob. He squeezed the remote in his hand and gritted his teeth.

'Idiot,' he thought, throwing the remote onto the pillow next to him, 'I let him get away with so goddamn much! Idiot. I should have stopped him. It shouldn't have mattered about my….animosity towards Rei, I should have paid more attention to that weird Morgan guy. That guy is deranged. How does he charm people, sensible people like Rei, into doing things and being his friend? God, how can I say that, I was convinced by him. I beat Rei up because Morgan told me Rei ordered him to knock me about. I'm an idiot,'

Lee stood up and shut the television off. A car dove past the house and flooded orange light into the dark living room and over his face. He turned quickly and left the living room, running up to his bedroom. Upstairs, he dug around the drawers of his desk. He yanked them opened them onto the rug one by one, going through their contents.

"Where are they?" he mumbled, throwing an old magazine into the bin. "Aha,"

In the bottom drawer, was sat a thick envelope, worn at the folds. It had cellotape bound heavily around it, keeping it closed. Lee grabbed a pair of scissors and began to cut the many layers of cellotape away. He shred and ripped and cut, hoping he wasn't damaging the contents. After finally ripping off the last few brittle layers, he emptied the contents on his bed.

There was about ten other envelopes inside, all decorated with stickers and drawings. He picked out the oldest, with his home address written out in a childish scribble. He opened it and stared at the stickers and pictures adoring the sides of the letter. Then Rei's scribbled handwriting:

'Hello Lee!

What is it like in America? Is it odd? I think your really brave, I would be really scared! Have you started school yet? What is an American school like? Mum says it's not like it is in the village. What is it like then?

I really miss you. Mariah cried a lot when you left. She's going around sniffing and using Kevin as a comfort toy! He misses you too. So does Gary. Your our big brother and you've gone! Anyway, we hope you are OK, and we all want to know what America is like! Is it big? Mum says you get lots of television there! What is it like? I've got to go now, sorry. I have to go and help Kevin with his writing homework! And then we're going up to Cat Rock to play daredevils! I hope Kevin doesn't try to fly again.

Bye, bye Lee!

From Rei….and Kevin and Mariah and Gary!'


Lee stared at the letter and then settled it gently down onto his bed. He picked up another, a newer one. The writing was more ordered and neat, and didn't need to add so many stamps as it didn't come from China.

He closed his eyes momentarily before opening it, as if bracing himself. Lee knew what it said, but it had been a while before he had read it.

The letter was on simple plain paper, with the message written in the middle:

'Lee.

I know you may have heard this now, but Len died. I wanted you know it was from complications through food poisoning, nothing else. I didn't want you to hear something else at school. I don't know why I'm telling you, I know you won't reply.

Rei'

He put his head in his hands and groaned, 'I'm such an asshole. What the hell is wrong with me! I've got to be a better friend towards Rei,'

/Is my imagination running away with me?

Or is this really happening to me?

Am I a prince in a far away land filled with fantasy?

Where is reality and what are the actions that will define who I am?

I am holding onto the visions that I've seen of what I could be,

It's what I should be.

More than it seems these dreams inside,

Blur reality's line,

If I could believe the dreams aside,

I am capable more than it seems.

Passing through darkness into my own world,

Will I be more than when I left,

Never letting go of those lessons I learned,

This will make a change,

A change within me.

More than it seems these dreams inside,

Blur reality's line

If I could believe the dreams aside

I am capable more than it seems.

This time I won't run away,

I found the strength to face life's long days.

This time I won't run away,

More than it seems these dreams inside,

Blur reality's line,

If I could believe the dreams aside,

I am capable more than it seems.

'Til there's nothing left of me,

Show me the way to these dreams/


(same time frame, different place)

Morgan was lying draped across his mattress, half asleep, drifting in and out of dreams. One of his friends snorted as they breathed in and coughed. He tossed, his duvet wrapping tighter around him.

Dream/Flashback

"Morgan! Morgan! Where are you!"
A five year old Morgan poked his head around his wardrobe door. He grinned as his Mum entered his room, searching for him. He pulled the door shut and put his hands over his mouth to stop himself from giggling. His mother searched for a few more moments, and after checking under the wardrobe, she finally opened the doors.

"Boo!" Morgan cried, throwing his arms out. His Mum smiled distractedly and started smoothing the clothes out around him.

"Morgan you're going to crumple your shirts darling, come out,"

He crawled out around her as she continued to smooth out the crease and re-hang a few clothes. Morgan shoved his hands in his pockets and pouted, "You didn't jump,"

She wasn't listening.

End of Flashback

Start of Dream/Flashback

"Mum I'm going out,"
The woman at the ironing board eyed him dubiously, "Where? And have I ironed that shirt for you?"
"I don't know. I'm going out with my friends, now leave me alone!"
"If you don't come back at an earthly hour this evening Morgan I swear I will-"
"You will what! You can't do anything to me Mum!"
"I'll get your Dad to sort you out!"
"Oh yeah, and how is he going to do that! Is he going to forcibly ground me all the way from Prague!"
"Shut up!"

The argument was escalating ridiculously fast, as their arguments had had a tendency to do over the past four years.
"It's true! He's not a part of my life anymore Mum, and he shouldn't be a part of yours!"

The iron began to burn a hole through the cardigan she was ironing.
"How can you say that! He's your father-"
"I don't care anymore! I've given up caring! You may want to hang onto his memory Mum, but for me, it's too late! He's gone, and there's no point holding on to the memory of a guy I hardly knew anyway!"

"He's still your Dad!"
"Shut up! Shut up! He's not my Dad! He's non of my business anymore! Stop bringing him up! If you love him so much, go over to Prague and fight his floozy girlfriend for him, but don't get me involved!"

Morgan excited the house, grabbing his phone from the hall table, and slammed the door shut so ferociously the glass shook in the door panels.

End Flashback

Morgan cracked open eye. He rolled onto his stomach and buried the side of his face into the pillow, staring across the large drafty warehouse floor. Was his Dad even in Prague anymore? He thumped his pillow angrily to try and fluff it up, wrapping it in his fists and shoved it against his rudimentary headboard with more energy than was truly needed to make a pillow more comfortable.

'Why am I thinking about where he is?' he thought bitterly, slamming his head down into the over-plumped pillow, 'Like the hell I care,'

He brought his finger up to his mouth and began to bite his nails.

/Memories are just where you laid them

Drag the waters 'til the depths give up their dead,

What did you expect to find?

Was it something you left behind?

Don't you remember anything I said/


AS: This chapter may be a bit confusing, sorry! But I like it. So, I've got a song for Lee, from the 'Music Inspired by The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe CD' by Kutless, called More than It seems. And I've got a verse form Haemorrhage (In my hands) by Fuel.

I like this chapter because it shows the two main…well, jerks (I know Lee is realising the error of his ways but go with me here people) of the story being human.

…..

Don't ask why I enjoy doing that and I insist on doing it just do!
TTFN!