Thanks to Lady of the Damned Land, Meghan, and Le Swan for reviewing.

Here's the long-awaited chapter with speech...should be exciting.

Please Note: This story is not done in real time, meaning that if I take 6 days to update, only one has passed according to the timeline that is set up. So unless I say specifically, know that it has only been one day for the characters.

Warning: May contain strong language

Part 02

The chirping of the birds may be peaceful to some, but to a certain red-headed boy, they were damned annoying. How could anybody enjoy waking up to this noise?

Tala glared from under his duvet towards the direction of his window. The sun was shining in, making it hot and suffocating in his bedroom. The dark blue walls didn't exactly help, seeing as how they seemed to suck in the heat and hold it, turning the room into a personal oven.

Deciding that further sleep was impossible, Tala threw back the blanket that was not a security blanket. It was a manly, dark, bold colour...yellow is manly, dammit! No matter what Bryan says

He lay for a moment, letting the colder air circulate and cool off his body. Even in the dead of winter it was hot in his attic room. He slept in loose black pants and a blue shirt-no sleeves- and still he was hot.

Living in this house with his four childhood friends was possibly the only positive experience Tala could remember. Bryan, Spencer, and Ian...they were probably the only three people that did not make him feel uncomfortable when he mentally told himself he loved them.

Ever since they'd met in the orphanage in Russia, they had been together. They slept together (in the innocent way), ate together, played when it was allowed, and protected one another from the older children and the sometimes-abusive director.

It's not like they were ever beaten so badly they were in danger of dying; the man just flew out of control and attacked the orphans under his care. Besides the usual cuts and bruises, the worst injury Tala could recall personally sustaining was a broken wrist.

That had been his own fault; he hadn't gotten out of the way of the raging man and consequently was kicked down the stairs. Bryan had found him weakly holding his hurt hand close to his body, and had taken care of him.

Tala smiled to himself at the thought of Bryan; even though he may not seem like it, he was probably one of the most humourous and caring people Tala knew. His was a subtle, sarcastic wit, that only those who listened for the hidden meanings would hear, and appreciate them.

Shaking his head to wake himself up and raise himself from his reminiscent stupor, Tala sat up and stretched, yawning hugely as he did so. He glared down as his t-shirt rose up as his arms did, revealing a pale flat stomach. Too pale, just like the rest of him. Bryan always told him he was lucky for his vibrant shade of hair, otherwise he would have been lost in the snow banks long ago.

Lowering his left arm and glancing at his watch, he groaned inwardly as he saw it was already 8:37am. He and the rest of his house mates were meeting Tyson and his boarders-as well as Kai- at the dojo around 10.That meant he only had an hour and a bit to get ready.

Sighing heavily, he finally swung his legs over the side of his bed and stepped onto the cool floor, wincing as he did so. Why the hell did the floor not heat up with the room?

Grabbing a towel and his special shampoo from his bedside cabinet, Tala crossed over to his door, playing with the snap lid on his bottle as he did so. Flick up, flick down, up, down; open, close, open, close.

"Are you up yet, you damn slow–" a voice spoke up as suddenly as the door burst open; Tala gasped and jumped back to prevent a collision, namely between the door and his foot. He clenched his hands as he did so; the right hand closed around the soft terry-towel, while the left tightened on the shampoo.

The open shampoo, that is.

A large cool dollop of mango-scented shampoo entered Tala's gasping mouth, which in turn caused him to begin choking in an effort to get the annoying-yet refreshing- substance from his mouth. He heard a snort and glared over at the smirking Bryan, who calmly leaned against the doorframe as though all was well.

Capping the lid and throwing the bottle at him, Tala proceeded to bring the towel up to his mouth and desperately drag it across his tongue, in an attempt to rid his orifice of the sticky stuff. Bryan watched in amused silence, twisting the bottle around in his hands as he did.

"Go wash your mouth out then, fool," he told the disgusted Tala, who glared before pushing past him and down the stairs that led up to his attic room from the second-floor corridor. Passing Spencer then Bryan's empty rooms, Tala was nearly at the bathroom door when a blur shot past him.

"I'm in first!" Ian yelled at Tala over his shoulder as he dashed madly to the bathroom. Once Tala got in there, Ian knew, there was no way it would be free for at least an hour. Tala was proud of his glossy hair, and he worked hard to maintain its "beauty'. Ahem.

Beauty is work.

Tala narrowed his eyes and stepped after Ian, easily overtaking the shorter boy with his long legs. With a grunt muffled by the towel, he was able to force Ian from the path of the door and redirect him into the wall.

Continuing on his way, Tala triumphantly entered the bathroom amid protesting cries of "Tala! You broke my nose, you stupid fu–AH!"

"Now now Ian, no need for such talk," admonished Bryan, his hand clamped around Ian's mouth.He had appeared when he heard the bang of Ian's body. He threw the shampoo more at Tala than to him, who caught it and momentarily glared at it for its betrayal.

As Tala closed the door to finally have his shower, Bryan led away the distraught Ian with the promise of "running the water in the sink downstairs."

It was a placated Ian that allowed himself to be brought down to the kitchen where Spencer sat waiting for an explanation from Bryan as Ian ran to the sink and turned it on full blast.

And so began the usual morning routine in the household of the four Russians.

It is thought by most that when one is gathered in a group with people, they are not alone. That is the typical and most common thought. Widely accepted too, for isn't that right?

When, say, a dozen friends are together, they socialize with each other. They talk and laugh, or sometimes just sit and enjoy one another's company. None of them are alone. Not really, for how can one be "alone" when they are surrounded by people?

Simple answer: they aren't alone physically when with a group, but how about mentally? Emotionally?

That kind of alone is not something that can be seen. It cannot be helped either, sadly enough. The one that feels alone, even when accompanied by people they know, can never feel not alone, for lack of a better word.

Emotional problems sure are difficult to assess. First they must be noticed by someone; hopefully by one who is kind enough to the one suffering to care and help them in a positive way. Worst-case scenario: said issue can be discovered by one who thrives off seeing someone in a vulnerable state of mind.

They prey upon the victim when they are angered, or confused, or even just depressed. Thus the fragile state of mind is shattered, much like the proverbial egg balancing on a spoon. Control is lost, trust is gone, and hope can not be restored.

At least, not at first.

These are the bad things that can occur if a less-than-favourable person learns of a precarious mental state. What if it is found out by a friend? Or at the very least, not someone who wishes one ill will.

Embarrassing situations can follow, for isn't it always a bit awkward to learn that someone you care for may have problems? Sometimes it's best to ignore it. And some do. They allow their friend to continue a downward spiral of misery until that cold place called Rock Bottom was met.

Comrades who care: not an after-school organization, but people that are ready to help you when it is required of them. They find out what's wrong, they talk with you about it, and they help you solve it.

It takes a bit more effort to do that, admittedly; it's one of those "easier said than done" cases. For those who make the effort, it is greatly appreciated when one is able to recognize that help is being offered. Not harm or interference. Nobody likes to have imperfections, and they like it all the less when others know about them.

So what do they do? Only what they can think of doing. They act on instinct, and hide away the physical signs that may try to show themselves; they push down and bury their problems under fake airs of indifference, and hope that if ignored, it will go away.

So in a sense, they are like those that would prey on them, and manage to convince themselves that they are doing the right thing and it is not hurting them or anybody else. Somewhere in the furthest depths of their subconscious, they know what they are doing is wrong; they know that one day it will all unravel and everybody will be able to see what they tried for so long to suppress.

When they are found out, it can be a relief, for they no longer feel the pressure of denying the truth to themselves and others.

Until then, they keep silent and pretend. To those observant around them, they pretend too, until the friend is ready.

Leaning against the cool, smooth wood of the back wall of the dojo, Kai reflected on the fact that he was indeed grateful that it was sanded, and provided comfort in the shade, hiding him from the Sun. The shade was a friend, he had come to learn. It hid what needed to be concealed, and cooled down the day when it was affected by the Sun.

Especially on days like this one, when the albedo (1) was so bright on the snow's surface that it was too blinding to see.

Wiping a hand across his tired eyes, Kai was relieved that he couldn't be seen clearly by the others. Tyson and Max were busy in the snow, making what Kai thought were called "snow men", but he wasn't sure. Rei was talking to Bryan and Spencer, a bit away from the flinging snow that would burst out every few minutes. Tala and Ian were glaring each other down from opposite sides of the yard. Evidently neither had forgiven the other for their morning incident, which had been explained to all who did not live in their household.

They were just waiting on Kenny then they were going to an "awesome place", as Tyson put it. Damn, but that kid could be slow when he wanted to be. Probably wrapping up his precious laptop that provided him with the facts of life.

Tch. Weirdo.

Not, Kai silently berated himself. He had not had exactly the best sleep the previous night, or a particularly good wake-up either. After his shower he had come downstairs with the full intention of leaving before Voltaire was around, but just his luck. His grandfather, who in retrospect was not so grand, was sitting up in the foyer on one of many polished oak chairs.

These had led to his current bad mood; not to mention the fact that he had been given the third-degree by Voltaire before he was finally able to leave. They both had been less confrontational than usual, Kai realized. He knew for him it was because he felt sick every time he thought of what Voltaire had done, and those memories plagued him still.

Perhaps Voltaire was tired of the mind games as well; instead of engaging Kai in painful conversations like he had done every November, he seemed content to let Kai wallow in his memory flashes-for now, at least.

Another reason, he guessed, was the fact that Voltaire was extremely involved with his business. He was coming home later and later now, and he left earlier. Kai thought back to his talk with Voltaire that morning, and how he'd been acting.

FLASHBACK

"Where are you going now Kai?"

Cursing silently, Kai turned to his left and saw Voltaire sitting on one of the corner chairs, eyeing him with a blank face. Kai knew he couldn't tell him that he would be spending the day at an "awesome place" -Tyson's words-, or that he would be in the company of people.

"I'm going to go into the city." Kai answered straight to the point. He knew if he blurted out a quick response full of detail, then his grandfather would get suspicious. Even he wasn't that dense.

"Again?"

"Yes."

"Sigh...I have meetings today. So don't expect me to be here. If you need anything, get it yourself."

"I always do."

Voltaire only nodded slightly, then he stood and crossed to the front door and pulled it open. Outside Kai could see the sleek black car waiting, the driver standing at the back holding the door open. Plumes of exhaust worked their way out of the pipe and hovered over the pure white snow that lined the drive, and indeed the entire landscape.

"Such white, clean snow..."Kai heard Voltaire say. Then he turned his head a fraction over his shoulder, so Kai would know the next words were directed to him.

"Your parents loved the snow."

Then he stepped out and the heavy door swung shut behind him, leaving Kai alone in the darkened foyer to compose himself.

END FLASHBACK

Still, that wasn't as bad as Voltaire could be other times, when he was in his twisted, bitter, sadistic mood. Which he usually was; it was like his 'Default' setting. Oh well. Kai knew he still had plenty of time for Voltaire to unleash his wrath on Kai. What day was it now?

Right...November 13th. Twenty or so days left, then Kai would be safe for another year, excluding the occasional nightmare that would rouse him from his sleep at non-sequential times of the year, used just to remind him of everything, making sure the memories were never lost.

As if that could happen.

"How goes the egg laying?"

The sudden voice startled Kai inwardly, and he lifted his gaze from the snow to make eye contact with a leering Tala.

"What?"

"The look you had on your face," Tala explained," reminded me of how a hen would look when it was laying an egg. Concentrated. Mind on the task at hand. Like a–"

"Shut up. I get it." Kai cut him off in the midst of his ramblings. He'd once made the mistake of allowing Tala to get into his groove, and that had continued for far too long for Kai's liking.

"Well well, aren't we snippy today?" Tala sniffed, giving Kai a mock-offended look. Kai sighed and glanced down again; the fiery red of Tala's hair was doing nothing for his headache.

"CHIEF! There you are!" The call rose from Tyson and Max as they scrambled to their feet to meet the brainiac that had appeared at the yard's entrance. Rei, Bryan, Spencer, Ian, then Kai and Tala stood/pushed themselves from a wall as they went to group around Kenny and Tyson and Max.

"Sorry I'm late guys," Kenny said, hoisting his laptop to the safety of his and pushing his glasses up higher as he continued in his matter-of-fact tone. "I had to help my mom open up the shop before I could come, and then I–"

"No need Kenny. Now that you're here, we can go!" Tyson said happily. He beamed around at the lot of them, as though expecting them to jump for joy and demand to know where they were going. He was sorely disappointed when he was met with two amused looks, courtesy of Rei and Kenny, and from the 5 Russians: bored stares.

"Where? Where? Where are we going Tyson?" Max cried, eyes shining in the hopes that it would be somewhere FUN and EXCITING.

"We are going-"Tyson paused for dramatic effect"- to the abandoned mansion outside of town!" Max clapped his hands at once, while the others remained the same.

The applause stopped as Max's brow furrowed. "You mean the big one past Schooler Rd.? Um...is that even abandoned?"

"Well duh! I mean, you only need to look at it once to know that there's no way anybody lives there. And if someone does, well then we'll just say we're selling something...like vacuum cleaners!"

"Hey smartass, how are we getting there anyhow? It's, like, a two-hour walk, plus it's a bit cold," Ian pointed out with a sneer at Tyson's idea.

Tyson rolled his eyes. "Obviously we aren't walking, Ian. Spencer's driving us in Grandpa's car. He's out for the day with his kendo friends, so he doesn't need it anyway."

Tyson spun around and exited the yard, heading towards where his grandpa's van was parked. The rest followed, save Kai and Tala.

"You coming Kai?" Tala asked, seeing that his friend had not moved. Kai stayed silent, choosing to glare at the ground.

Why did Tyson have to pick such a stupid place to visit? Kai knew for a fact that the mansion wasn't abandoned; maybe it was for the day, but that was just until he went back there after spending the day there with his...acquaintances.

Fingering the mansion's front door key in his pocket, Kai sighed as he finally acknowledged Tala with a nod. Heading towards the van, he ignored Tala as he began to talk about their planned destination. He faintly heard Tyson arguing with Max and Rei about their seating arrangements, as he wondered one thing.

Would he, if faced with the need or opportunity, tell them that the mansion was his? That that was where he lived with Voltaire? That it was where–

No. Only if the need absolutely called for it would he reveal that, Kai decided as he climbed into the back row, sitting between the window and Bryan.

Only if it absolutely called for it.

1) Albedo- the reflection of the Sun off of snow, ice, water, etc.

That part at the start up there...yeah, that was my attempt at humour. Don't know how it worked out though...you can tell me what you thought of it and if I should ever try it again.

It's been 5 days since my last update, so I hope this isn't too long a wait. I used to wonder how people could write such long chapters. Wow. Now I know.

Please Review.