A/N: I'm a little disappointed with this chapter but anyways, here it is. Next chapter will be Everyone because… (Drumroll, please) It's Emily and Naomi's wedding!
Strobe lights. Flashing green, red, and blue lights moving to the rhythm of the music. People dancing to the beat, sweaty and hot but they never wanted to stop. The music blaring at a thunderous volume that one person could not hear the person next to them. His music. Thomas stood onstage with his laptop and DJ equipment and adjusted the sound and he moved to the music, himself. He loved the energy of this club and the people loved him too.
It was 6 in the morning when the club finally closed. Thomas was exhausted being a DJ was surprisingly tiring but every morning he went up to the roof of the building where the club was and looked at the sunrise. He loved that for a brief moment of time the oranges and yellows and pink could color the usually gray sky. In a way it gave him hope that things could be okay. Things had been difficult at home. His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Daniel's health improved drastically since he was a child but at 20 he has gone to a University in London. Thomas was taking care of his 17 year old sister, Fumi.
He went home and slept until 3:00 pm and then he went to pick up Fumi from college. He waited in the car at the parking lot. Fumi was 20 minutes late and he was getting worried he got out of the car and walked to the front of the college. He spotted her. She was snogging some sandy haired boy. He approached them but they were too caught up in the moment. Thomas cleared his throat to effectively get their attention.
"Thomas!" Fumi looked furious.
"Fumi, are you ready to go visit Mama?" Thomas asked raising his eyebrows.
"No. Now leave." Fumi turned back to the sandy haired boy but the boy pulled away.
"You should go, "the sandy haired boy pulled back he looked at her lovingly and then turned to Thomas. "HI I'm Jonah."
"Thomas. It is nice to meet you." Thomas extended his hand and Jonah shook it.
"Go visit your mom, Fum. I'll be here tomorrow." He kissed her cheek and she smiled and nodded.
Fumi went with Thomas and got in his car.
"He seems nice, "Thomas said awkwardly as he drove.
"Yes. He is." Fumi said monotonously with her arms crossed.
"Listen, Fumi, I know it's hard to see her like this. But you know it is the right thing to do." He said after he pulled in to the parking space of the hospital.
"I just don't see the point. She doesn't even recognize us half the time, Tommo."
"I know." He said solemnly. "But she is our mother." They both got out of the car and went up to their mother's room. Their mother's nurse smiled and turned to the woman she was trying to feed.
"Look, Kasoke," the nurse said cheerfully "it's your kids!" Kasoke turned to them.
"Those are not my children." Kasoke said sternly.
"Oh, Christ. Not this again. " Fumi muttered. Thomas ignored her.
"Hi, Mama." Thomas said softly as he approached her. "It is me, Thomas."
"No you are not Thomas!" She was getting frustrated. "My Thomas was a happy boy. You are not. You are a sad, sad man."
Thomas was speechless. "Tell me, why are you sad?" Kasoke showed compassion to this "stranger".
It had been 3 years since he and Pandora broke up. The had lasted 4 years together for the entire duration of Panda's stay at Harvard but eventually the pressure of a long distance relationship was too much and the two broke up. Thomas in the meantime had focused on his job and taking care of his family, his mum had recently been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease and she was getting worse very quickly. Since learning of his mum's diagnosis Thomas could not stop thinking about Pandora. He could not stand it anymore. He NEEDED to see her and tell her how he really felt.
He got on the plane and arrived at Boston. He still had her address from when he used to come down and visit her. He stopped by a flower shop and bought her a bouquet of white lilies; they were Panda's favorites. He got to the apartment and knocked. The door opened and it was a tall skinny man with a plaid shirt and a bow tie. He looked like he was in his late twenties he had brown silky hair that was combed back and he had light brown eyes behind black ray ban glasses.
"Uh-"Thomas said, "Is Pandora here?"
"Yeah! One second…" The guy said in an American and turned around. "Panda!"
She came rushing down. "Look babe, someone brought us flowers!" He handed Thomas a five dollar bill and took the flowers. Thomas stared at the five dollar bill confused.
"No, Dean. This is Thomas he's my friend from England." Pandora explained.
"Oh! Right!" The man said. "Hello, I'm Dean Lockhart. I'm an archeology professor." The man outstretched his hand. Thomas took it hesitantly.
"Thomas. It is nice to meet you." There was an awkward pause. "Alright. I should go." Thomas said and started walking away. He reached a nearby park and sat on a bench.
"Hi." He heard Pandora's voice behind him.
"How did you find me?" He asked.
"We used to come here all the time when you visited. I know this is your favorite spot in all of Boston. Also, there is a donut shop a couple of meters away. Or rather I should say feet. Seriously, why hasn't America changed to the metric system, already?" She was rambling…
"I love you, Pandora." He said. That stopped her incoherent babble.
"What?" She was shocked. "Thomas," she sighed, "I'm with Dean. I- I love him and stuff."
Thomas nodded.
"I'm sorry." She frowned.
"Don't be. Does he make you happy?" He asked.
"Yes. Very happy." She admitted.
"Then I am very happy for you." It physically hurt to say that but it was the truth.
"Thomas?" She asked.
"Yes?"
"We can still be friends, yeah?"
"Of course, Panda. Always." He tried to smile.
"C'mon." She took his hands. "Let's go get you some donuts."
"Ah." Kasoke mused after Thomas told her what had happened. "That girl missed out on a very special man."
Thomas smiled it felt good to be complimented by his mother even if she did not know who he was.
"Do yourself a favor, boy. Forget about that girl. You deserve someone much better. You deserve to be happy."