Clean up

"I can't study with this mess." Ryan announced. "You need to clean it now."

The others groaned.

"But Yang said we can do it later…"

"I don't care. Clean it." Ryan demanded again. The Achieve Men all groaned in unison, not having got much sleep with Yang yelling at them. They all got up off of their comfortable positions on the couches, and grudgingly bent over to pick up any trash. It took them near an hour, but they eventually removed any sign of a brawl. Glass was picked up, scratches were painted over, and, to their disappointment, the swords were thrown out. After the hard work was over, they sat down and watched TV.

"Ummm, excuse me? You don't deserve TV." Yang, who had slipped into the room unnoticed, snatched the controller from Geoff's hand and turned the TV off. She looked around. "I must say, you did quite good. But I expect better."

The jaws of all the Achieve Men dropped to the floor. Ray shook his head, as if confused.

"What?"

"You heard me. I want it all done over. This is a crap job. While you're at it, paint the walls." She told them. A bright expression came on her face, as if remembering something, and she ran off. For a second the Achieve Men were left to their gloomy thoughts, until Yang came back in the room with buckets of green paint.

"While you're at it, why don't you repaint the walls?"

Even Ryan had been forced by Yang to paint and help out. For her, there was no mercy, whether you did it or not, you had to pay. Yang had been in the next room, occasionally coming in to check if they were doing it the 'correct way.'

"Correct way my ass. She just wants to make sure we're not talking behind her back." Michael muttered to Gavin.

"Yeah…" He agreed.

By the time one side was finished, it was already nightfall. They still needed three more walls to repaint.

"Should we even be doing this? IT's not our apartment…" Ryan thought aloud.

"This hole of an apartment? I think they'll be happy to have the wall repainted."

Ryan shrugged, and they all continued to paint incessantly. There reached a point where they could not reach a certain area, so Jack was burdened with the task of hoisting Gavin into the air to paint the little patch. He took the bucket in one hand and his brush in the other, and climbed on Jack's hand. Gavin wobbled, barely keeping his footing, and only seconds after he got on Jack's hands, he collapsed in a heap on the ground. The paint went with him, and suddenly the floor was splayed with green wall paint. Ray exclaimed, and quickly attempted to clean up the paint before it would stain. This was to no avail, for the floor had absorbed the paint. All the others merely stood looking over Gavin, who lay on the ground with the most scared and humiliated face. Surprisingly, not even Michael said anything to him. They all just shook their heads and went to help out Ray.

"We're screwed!" Geoff shouted, trying to scrape off the paint, hope fleeing his eyes.

"Clean it before Yang comes!"

"Ahhhh! Why won't you clean up!"

"I don't know if I even want to live anymore!"

Were just a sample of the shouts that came from their mouths as all the life In them was drained at the realization Yang would kill them.

"Ummm, what's going on…. Woah." Ruby had slipped into the room, and had seen the mess. "Oh. Bye!"

She did not want to get in trouble with Yang, and quickly darted back into her room. Geoff shook his head.

"We-We're dead! WE'RE DEAD!" He shouted. Michael calmed him.

"She might hear!"

"Hear what?" Yang's voice came. She was wiping her eyes, and for the moment, could not see the mess. Jack took quick evasive action, and stood up in front of her as she opened up.

"Oh. Hello Jack. How's the paint coming along?" She asked.

"G-good. We've almost finished."

"May I look?"

"Uhhh, not now. Geoff spilled some water, the guys are cleaning it up."

"Ok…. I'll step over the puddle? Let me see…"

"Eheheh…"

Jack did not know what to say next. Yang had backed them into a corner. They would never get out of her evil clasp.

Suddenly a small hand appeared on Yang's back.

"Hey, Yang, can you help me out with my scroll, I don't think it's working." Ruby's voice rung. Yang turned around.

"Let's see."

As the two sister walked back into the room, Ruby gave a thumbs up and winked at them. They all smiled back, thankful for Ruby saving their asses.

"Woah. Close."

Ray nodded.

"Yeah."

They all sat around the paint, looking at it, not doing a thing about it. The elephant in the room. Would they ever address the elephant? Should they ignore it? Hide it? Pretend it's simply not there, or not their fault?

"NOPE." Ray suddenly kicked the can across the room, and jumped up. "We gotta clean this. IF YOU WANNA LIVE!"

The other gulped, got up, and nodded.

"Use your nails! Use your everything! Just clean it!"

They all complied to Ray's order, and used everything they had to clean the huge mess. Within ten minutes, the paint had been gone, and all that was left was a small green stain, and a lot of paint in their fingernails.

"Oh, this'll take forever to get out!" Michael shouted, looking at his nails.

"It was worth it though." Ray reminded him. They all collapsed on the floor, and next thing, they all fell asleep.