Note:/ It took a while and is not that good but I am trying to start writing again and it has been half finished on my computer for a while.
Thank you for the reviews.
Chapter 13 Jealousy
There were curtains at the window, there was carpet on the floor, all of the furniture matched and there were cushions. You can probably tell already that this was not Kai and Bryans apartment. The normality or the comfortable apartment was starting to worry Rei, ok so there were little pockets of mess, clothes hanging on curtain rails, off shelves and on the chin up bar that Julia had installed but never used.
He was beginning reconsider his plans for the evening but Mariah had already locked the door and was smiling at him in a way he was sure she thought was encouraging. He should have taken his concerns elsewhere but he had been thrown out of his own apartment for the evening and he would not even attempt spending the night in Tyson's mad house.
"So Rei how can we help?" asked Mariah handing him a mug of warm tea. "And why did you insist that we called Emily?"
"I think I am going to need her help with some computer stuff." Rei said avoiding eye contact.
"What about Kenny?" she asked.
"He's helping too. I'll explain when Emily gets here."
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Half an hour later…
The girls sat in a line their mouths hanging open in shock at the plan Rei was unfolding.
"And you see Emily that's where you come in. Kenny is monitoring the video feed back at the apartments and has signalled a live feed to the laptop on the table. I need you to help me set it all up and if possible record it."
"All to see if Bryan is cheating on you with Kai?" Emily clarified shocked.
"Rei you jealous freak aren't you going a bit far?" accused Julia honestly disgusted, "If you don't trust him just dump him."
"I'll do it." smiled Emily, "But are you sure both Kai and Bryan will be in?"
"All the Demolition boys will be they are celebrating the anniversary of the Abbeys destruction. They do it every year. Usually I stay with Johnny and Robert, but they have gone to Scotland to sort something out and it seemed like the perfect time to settle things."
"And if Bryan is cheating on you?" asked Mariah sadly.
"Then I guess it's over…I just though that when we finally got together properly and agreed that the relationship would be closed it would be closed. I even convinced Bryan to send Kai to Sex Addicts Anonymous to try and stop it happening by drunken accident."
Emily creased up laughing, "What the hell have you lot been up to? I was only in America for 6 months!"
It started in silence, they always started in silence. Silence for the death. Silence for the day. Silence for respect and finally silence for the fact that in this ceremony nobody could remember who was supposed to speak first.
It was Tala's first experience of the ceremony and he was confused. He'd been away when they had made this tradition.
"They are just sitting there." complained Emily, "This is rather dull."
"I think maybe we have interrupted something very private." tried Mariah staring through the screen at the silent solemn boys.
"Please just let me make sure." begged Rei sounding slightly too desperate considering the circumstances.
Julia raised her eyebrows.
Kai's hair was half way between spikes and the straight style from the Halloween party, it was literally the 'just got out of bed look.' It might have looked cute if it wasn't for the ashen pallor of his skin and the blood shot sheen of his eyes. His hoodie would have fit Spencer (and may have once belonged to him as well, Kai had a habit of stealing other people's clothes) Swallowing his body to the knee's and completely hiding his arms.
Bryan's hair was a greasy mess that desperately needed a trim. His clothes were crumpled like he'd slept in them and his jeans had passed what was considered fashionably warn. There were huge reddish blue bags under his eyes making them look tired and flat.
Tala wore his hair flat to his shoulders it was wet and beginning to curl slightly at the ends. His long blue jumper that slipped over one pale shoulder, bringing out the glassy quality in his fragile blue eyes. Cheeks high and effeminate tracked with the dirt left by dry tears.
Spencer was stony faced, grim lines denting his cheeks next to his tightly pursed lips and defined crows feet at the corner of each eye. He was wearing a singlet with a red stain close near the collar his defined arms tensed and resting firmly on the table before them. He wearing an Alice band pushing his un-brushed hair away from his face, it would have looked humorous if it wasn't surrounded by such quiet misery.
Ian's expression was hard to read (even though he had finally at least partially grown into his nose), he looked like he was trying to read a book with microscopic print, crouched forward in his chair and squinting. He was wearing two layers of t-shirts (long and short sleeved) decorated with faded band prints and holes. His hair was in a short pony tail, his old goggles perched on his head.
They were alone in the apartment sat together around the rather battered plastic kitchen table five unlit candles, five unlabelled spirit bottles and one packet of cigarettes before them.
Bryan lit a match and lit a candle, "I light this for those that died."
Spencer lit a match and lit a candle, "I light this is for those that survived."
Ian lit a candle and lit a match, "I light this for memories of the past."
Kai lit a candle and lit a match, " I light this in hope for the future"
Tala looked back and forth before picking up a match himself and lighting a candle, "I light this for the Abbey and it's demise."
There was a moment of inactivity before Bryan grabbed the packet of cigarettes taking one for himself and passing them around until everybody held one. They lit them and then picked up a bottle each pouring drinks into the shot glasses provided.
"Should have used pint glasses again" joked Bryan as he tipped his drink back jerkily.
"Yeah because getting my stomach pumped last year was so much fun," Ian quipped sarcastically.
The glass looked tiny in Spenders large gentle hands. "The pint glass was easier to hold but harder to do in one go."
"Valodya and Alexsei sent cards" said Ian getting up and retrieving some cards from his bag.
"There really is a card for everything" Tala joked.
"Most of the cards we get from other students are just adverts for their Beyblade services" Spencer remarked handing his used bottle and half smoked cigarette to Ian, who in turn passed his to Tala and so they went again round the circle.
"Hey Ian, remember the time Boris caught us smoking?" said Bryan wearing a washed out smirk.
"Remember it? It was my first time smoking! He made me smoke the whole pack and I have been smoking ever since."
"What's so bad about that? He could have done much worse." reasoned Spencer.
"I was nine."
"Oh god Tala do you remember the time that we tried to make homemade alcohol using some chemicals we stole from the lab?" smiled Kai painfully.
"No. I was in the infirmary for a week and my memory was blank. I know when it was supposed to have happened."
"You tried to count all of the stones in the Abbey and punched a chair because you thought it was calling you names." supplied Kai helpfully.
"What did you do?" asked Tala glad he didn't remember.
"Nothing, you had it first and I chickened out." admitted Kai laughing slightly, "Boris was so pissed off that you had to miss training that I had to clean his shoes with my tooth brush."
"Remember the time that Spencer broke the door using his head as a battering ram so that Boris couldn't confiscate our hair gel." asked Bryan.
"Hair gel was the best thing about the Abbey man, we had an unlimited supply" Tala cut in truly laughing. "Sorry kids no food today but your hair will have volume!"
They all chuckled a little and passed the drinks around again.
"I think Rei wants to dump me." Bryan sighed scratching the back of his head and running his fingers through his fringe,
"Why?" asked Tala already feeling the affects of the alcohol. "And what the hell are we drinking?"
"A mystery mixture," quipped Bryan having another shot of his own, "Rei just seems off with me, like the getting arrested thing really bothered him."
"Well that does bother some people." joked Ian sarcastically.
"You shut it, it was your fault." Kai ordered, "Do you really think something as small as that would put him off? I mean he has forgiven you for more in the past."
Bryan nodded, "Something has changed. Suddenly there is all this pressure. We used to have fun."
"You sound married." muttered Tala, "Not that I am a good judge on relationships of marriage considering my last choice of boyfriend."
Kai nodded, "Yeah you need the advise of someone who actually has managed to make a relationship work."
"Hey!" Tala complained then shrugged and drunk another shot.
"I've had the same girlfriend for the last two years," bragged Ian.
"She's in Russia." Spencer deadpanned.
"She still loves me and least I'm not a man-slut like the rest of you!" argued Ian.
Bryan, Kai and Tala had to give Ian that point but Spencer was outraged. "I am not a man-slut!"
There was a Communal nod, "The rest of you except Spencer" Ian amended.
"Damn right!" Spencer agreed.
"Yeah you be proud of all that sex you don't have!" laughed Bryan.
"Hey at least I'm not so sexually active with all my friends that only one of us needs to be STD tested to know what we all have!" Spencer argued.
"I made that joke once!" Bryan argued, "One time and suddenly…it would probably work though…well maybe not recently unless Kai's been shagging Rei too…"
"Or you've been shagging Kai again…" Ian added helpfully.
"Nope in Kai addicts anonymous I have my thirty day chip." Bryan smiled fully now, the conversation and the company helping ease the pangs of the day.
"Huh?" Tala this time.
"He means that he's spent thirty days sober of Kai love." Ian cleared up laughing, "I got a thirty day chip on my gambling once."
"Well done, that didn't last." Spencer pointed out.
"Addictions hard. Besides not gambling was really boring."
Mariah smiled and turned from the screen ignoring the loud bickering from the speakers, "There you go Rei no affair."
Rei's face looked stoney.
"Come on you invade their privacy for your peace of mind and your not happy that he has done what you asked?" huffed Julia pushing Rei out of her way as she walked to the kitchenette.
"Rei what's wrong?" asked Emily looking worried.
"He hasn't had sex with Kai in thirty days…" Rei practically mumbled.
"That's good isn't it?" Mariah asked confused.
"he promised me he would be faithful five weeks ago."
Note:/ Below is something that was just in my mind when I started writing.
There was a rhythm now. Lessons were unattended,
Nobody acknowledged the day until it was time. Nobody had to grieve alone.
It wasn't just about the Abbey anymore it was about their entire lives.
They didn't just mourn anymore they celebrated.
Five candles, five bottles and a pack of cigarettes to share.
It wasn't much but the Abbey had put them off real religion years ago.