"Carie?! Carie IHOP won't wait forever I think this one closes! It's like eleven o' clock." Sidney gave one knock, the improperly closed door creaked, cracking open slightly.
"Erie yet enticing . . . lets go!" Janet without a second thought welcomed herself in the hotel room. It appeared abandoned but you could hear the shower running.
"Carrie? Kane?" Sidney called out for any sign of life. "She snoozes she loses, that's what I'm going with. Maybe that finally means some waffles for the rest of us." Sidney spoke in a hushed tone as they crept through the bedroom.
"Janet don't!" Lizzie warned, seeing mischievous look on her friends face. Janet was taking small steps twords the bathroom.
"What?" Janet played dumb, as she inched her way to the door.
"Do you remember the last time you walked in on Carrie in the shower?" Sidney knew where this was going, Janet brought shower crasher to a whole new level.
"Two trips to home depo well worth it. We both learned how to Spackle, sanding is a bitch . . . but I digress . . . she'll get over it." There's was no turning back now. Janet tiptoed across the bathroom floor and with one fell swoop she whipped the shower curtain to the side. "Boo!" She barely got the words out before she realized she had made a horrible mistake.
"Oh shit! Oh Jesus! Run! Run! Women and children first! Move move move!" Janet came sprinting out of the bathroom like a gazelle, a look of sheer terror in her normally calm chestnut eyes. She slammed the bathroom door behind her before scrambling for the exit, the door didn't stay shut for long.
"I told her not to . . . Oh no." Lizzie started with a laugh but ended with a gasp as Kane's head popped from the side of the half cracked door. One couldn't tell if the steam leaving the room was from the blistering hot shower or the fact that Kane's blood was boiling and emitting it's own steam, either way it made the monster nearly foaming at the mouth look even more terrifying. The three friends didn't wait and try to explain themselves instead opting to bolt out of the room Scooby Doo style.
After a slight head start Kane began chasing after them, his heavy feet stomping through the hallways. He tugged the waistband to the pants he barely pulled on he began the hunt. "Fuck we're dead! Janet you would think you'd notice the difference between those two!" Sidney yelled as they took a sharp turn, none of them had any idea where they were going, all they could do was keep a few steps ahead of Kane whose footsteps could be heard charging after them.
"I did notice the difference idiot! So sue me I didn't notice the slight hight difference but I caught on to the only difference that really matters! By then it was too late!" Janet snapped back, her face flushed, she was running out of energy.
"Your eyes immediately went to his dick?! You could have saved us a few seconds and bolted once you realized that giant muscle rage machine was loofaing!" Sidney grew louder.
" You know me! Of course my eyes immediately-"
"Guys less arguing more running!" Lizzie at the back of the pack could hear Kane's death threats. "He's catching up . . . he's angry . . . and I think we're running in circles!" Lizzie looked over her shoulder, she couldn't see Kane yet, but by the sounds of it he was getting closer, and unlike them, she was sure he would endure till he caught every last one of them.
"I say we B- line it back to Carrie's room, I doubt he took time to close it, and try to just lock him out!" Janet's legs were burning, she was used to being chased but not in such a literal sense.
"Oh good! Great idea Janet, piss him off more! He's a human bulldozer do you think a door is going to stop him?" Sidney was angry at Janet for getting them in this mess in the first place. 'He'll kill us, and enjoy it too!' He imagined the horrors of what Kane would do if the monster got his hands on them. 'I just hope he lets Carrie burry the bodies!'
"Well big shot, what's your hail Mary play?" Janet gave Sidney a shove as they ran. ' I didn't barge in on him on purpose!'
"Carrie's room it is!" Sidney relented when no remarkably better plan came to mind. They used the last of their energy to sprint towards the room. When Lizzie turned around again, she could see Kane, and he was gaining momentum, there was no escaping. ' I wish I hard started up cardio at the gym . . . or started going to the gym at all for that matter.'
Kane's embarrassment and anger levels were off the charts. He didn't care who they were, Carrie's friends or not, he had all intentions of making them pay. 'She can get new friends, smarter friends. What the hell were they thinking?! Can't people understand? Can't people just LEAVE ME ALONE!' Kane's pessimistic mind simply could not comprehend the playful nature of Janet's ambush. He saw it as an attack, as being made a spectacle. 'I'll show them . . . show them what it's like. I'll rearrange their faces! Then who will be ugly?! Then who will be disfigured? Then who will be shunned? Be a freak?' Every question made him more and more angry, both at the three musketeers, and at the world as a whole.
"I can't seem to face up to the facts. I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax. I can't sleep cause my bed's on fire. Don't touch me I'm a real live wire. Psycho Killer Quest que cet-" Carrie paused her ipod as familiar faces entered the room in a blitz. "Janet Lizzie I thought-"
"Kill her not me she has nothing to live for!" Janet dragged Carrie from the bed and cowered behind her as the door nearly flew off it's hinges. Kane had arrived and his seething eyes were scanning the room for his first victim.
"I go get skittles from the vending machine, come back to an empty hotel room, shower running. Four minutes later you three come in screaming like idiots and you come in half naked looking for blood. You got no shoes on man! Defeats the purpose of the shower." Carrie pointed down to Kane's bare and still damp feet. "What the hell happened?" Carrie paused to spin around to Janet, breaking from her death grip. "And I have plenty to live for thank you very much!"
"Get. Them. Out of here. Now!" Kane huffed angrily. Self restraint was not one of Kane's virtues and he was straining what little he had to keep from painting the room red.
"Not till someone tells me what's going on!" Carrie knew she couldn't defuse the ticking time bomb that was Kane until the full picture was laid out for her. Kane was not in a sharing mood, he parked himself in a chair far away from the group, stewing with malice. Clenching his teeth he tried hard to concentrate on anything other than punching one of Carrie's miserable friends in the face.
'I'll kill em' I'll kill them all.' His anger had not weigned an ounce.
"Remember that time . . . Janet stormed in on you in the shower." Sidney shook his head in disappointment that Janet had not learned her lesson. Carrie hadn't taken the surprise attack much better than Kane. Four years prior Janet had taken it upon herself to make sure Carrie wasn't late for a job interview. She did so by interrupting Carrie's shower, invading her privacy and joining her in the cubical sized spot, laughing the entire time. Carrie had screamed bloody murder, proceeding to punch and claw at Janet, a full on brawl ensued as the water ran. The wash rag handle had been torn from the wall in the scuffle. None of this seemed to have phased Janet, to whom till this day found it a hilarious moment captured in time. Her attempts to relive the memory had failed miserably.
"Long story short . . . I kind of thought Kane was you and-" Janet shrugged but before she could continue any words were drowned out. Carrie had fallen to the floor laughing, rolling to her side she could see Kane's scowl deepen, his fists clenched tight, his whole body rigid, visibly uncomfortable.
'Carrie too? They're all laughing at me.' His breath went from slow and controlled to rapid and shallow. 'Do I teach them ALL a lesson?' Closing his eyes he contemplated his options.
"I'm not laughing at you Kane." The statement fell on deaf ears, it did nothing to calm the monster. He simply turned away, opening his eyes he stared blankly out the window.
'I can't take much more of this.' His knuckles squeezed harder still, his nails now digging sharply into his palms, causing him to wince ever so slightly.
"I'm laughing at you!" Carrie pointed at Janet as her laughter slowly fizzled. "Idiot! Serves you right!" She stuck out her tongue at her still rattled friend. " I don't know who should be more insulted, me or Kane. Because obviously you don't know either of us very well, or at least not our silhouettes."
"Kane." Janet answered with no hesitation, sticking her tongue out right back.
"Rhetorical question." Carrie tried to assert, but again her words fell on deaf ears as Sidney chimed in.
"Definitely Kane." He nodded thoughtfully as if he was truly pondering the question. "Any day someone gets mistaken for all this, it must be a bad hair day for them." Sidney waved his hands in front of the now upright sitting Carrie as to symbolize all this.
Kane had heard enough, without a word he stood from his seat, taking the chair in his hands he slammed it against the wall, effortlessly shattering it to bits, commanding everyone's attention. "Kane it's alright." Carrie stood to approach him but he moved to maintain distance between the two of them.
'I don't want to hurt you.' His eyes were deranged, almost a pleading madness exuded from his eyes as he looked at Carrie.
"Whoa relax big guy I was on your side." Sidney gave an uneasy chuckle. Kane looked down at the mess he had made, then over to Sidney, the demon wasn't done, his rage unsatisfied. Still wordless Kane approached Sidney, he stared down at the smaller man for a minute, cocking his head to one side as he inspected Sidney's uneasy demeanor, till finally he decided on what to do.
'But I do want to hurt' Kane punched Sidney square in the nose, sending him reeling. Sidney fell to his knees, holding his face as if he feared his nose would fall straight off.
"Sidney!" The three girl's ran to the crumpled man's side.
'You shouldn't have laughed at me.' Kane had a sick smirk on his face, that went unnoticed by the group.
"Fuck! I think it's broken!" Sidney croaked as he tried to hold back manly tears.
"The hell was that for?" Janet bolted up and gave Kane a shove, his hand quickly perched upwards for a punch.
"Kane don't!" Carrie shouted, unsure how this had devolved into chaos so quickly.
"He didn't peep on you I did! Just because you won't hit girls-"
"I never said. . ." Kane glanced over at his own fist. "That I don't hit women."
"Kane please she didn't mean to-" Carrie tried to talk some sense into the livid monster, her voice was all but white noise to him at this point. He still had the vaguest amount of control, and he brought his fist down, leaving it still balled up at his side.
' I have to . . . I won't let them take her from me.' Kane realized that their friendship was on thin ice, that her more tenured friends would surely rip her away after this attack. "And I never said that was for the shower." He finished bluntly.
"Then the fuck was it for? Shits and giggles?" Sidney groaned still wallowing on the floor.
"You don't seem to understand." Kane's desire for companionship would only keep the thirst for blood subdued for so long. He walked over to Sidney and lifted him by his collar, making the two of them eye to eye.
"Kane let go of him!" Carrie pulled on one of Kane's arms in a failed attempt to get him to release Sidney.
"I don't need a reason." Kane paused watching Sidney dangle and squirm. "To do what I want. When I want." He paused again, trying to collect his thoughts. " You have all just been provoking the monster!" Letting one hand go while still clutching Sidney he pointed forcefully against his own chest. "Do you know what's worse than a monster?" He waited for an answer. "DO YOU?" His thunderous voice came out like a snarl. Sidney couldn't find his voice and simply shook his head no. "I'll tell you, a caged monster. Everywhere I turn there you are! Following Carrie around like some mother hen. She's protected you this long but your time has run out. All the shouting, all the mocking all the indifference you show-"
"This isn't about you. This is about Carrie isn't it?" Sidney stopped flailing as a lightbulb went off in his head. "Cause think about it Kane. Carrie wouldn't want you to pummel me! Carrie tell Kane you don't want him to pummel me." Sidney turned to his friend for help.
"Kane I-" Carrie started but was quickly shut down, this was apparently not her fight to fight.
"There you go again, not listening. If any one of you could shut your mouth and listen for ten seconds maybe I wouldn't have to repeat myself. I do what I want, whatever I want." He repeated with emphasis. "Whenever I want. I'm not on a leash at her command. Despite that, even now you're using her, helpless without her. Do you . . . do any of you. . . " He looked over at Janet and Lizzie. "Ever think of anyone other than yourselves?" The slower and more calmly he spoke, the more fuming he grew.
"I think about Carrie all the time if that's what you mean, don't understand why you're taking this so personally hell I don't even know why you care but-"
"You don't understand anything about me." Kane spat.
"It's an unfair question though." Sidney tried to make a counter point. "Carrie's not the one hoisted up in the air with a broken nose. But trust if she was, I'd find a way to save her. No pressure." He glanced back at Carrie, signaling with his eyes that she had to do something before the situation got worse.
"He's right Kane. They were just joking around. I know it might seem mean but they-" Carrie tried to explain that her friends had no malicious intent.
"Joking around? No Carrie, you're blind! They're laughing at you. Everyone is laughing at you. They're using you, sucking you dry. I've been sitting back as long as I could for you to stick up for yourself but I can't stand it anymore!" Kane knew what it was like to be teased, to be laughed at, to be used abused and tormented, even by people thought to be friends. To Kane it was black and white, either you're with me or against me, there was no playful in between.
"Kane it's not like that." Carrie shook her head, she scrunched her brow trying desperately to think of a way to make Kane understand.
"He's right. Not one hundred percent." Sidney refused to give Kane full victory. " But sort of the smallest bit right."
"You have all just been laughing at me this whole time?" Carrie's shoulder's slumped and her eyes saddened. Kane knew that look, the look of realization when you find out your friendship, which you pumped your heart and soul into was based on a lie.
Don't worry Carrie I'll make them pay, they won't get away with this.'' There was something different in Carrie's look though, it took Kane a minute to realize it, but once he did it was all he could see. "And you!" Kane pointed over at the defeated woman. "Stop that!"
"Stop what?" Carrie sounded meek and drained.
"Smiling like that!" Kane stared in awe, perplexed at how despite learning her friends weren't who she thought they were, she could still hold a smile on her face.
"What I can't smile?" It was taking most of Carrie's effort to keep said smile on her face, Kane was not making the task any easier.
"Not like that!" Kane grimaced, the awkward smile made even the demented monster feel uncomfortable.
"Like what?" She looked down her nose trying to see her lips. 'I'm trying, but trying isn't good enough. Got to keep the smile up girl.' She fought harder to force a better smile across her face.
"Like . . . nevermind forget it." He shook his head. ' Like it's all your good for Carrie. No one can be happy all the time. . . or even just content . . . Not even you! Do you think I can't tell? You don't have to hide from me. I'm the last person you need to wear a mask around. It makes me so . . . angry-' It was the only emotion he could feel at the moment. 'When you pretend like that. These two faced friends might only want you around when the going is good, but I'm . . . different.' He was determined to hold himself to a higher standard than the three stooges in front of him. "Just your face will get stuck like that if you keep making stupid faces." He finished, he had bigger fish to fry. ' Don't smile all the time Carrie, just when you mean it.'
"Speak for yourself Sidney! Kane must've scrambled your brains. Don't listen to him Carrie he's loopy we aren't like that and you know it." Lizzie stomped her foot on the ground to emphasize her point.
"Liar." Kane directed his attention to Lizzie. 'Even the quiet one Carrie, they're all no good for you. Attachments always hurt in the end Carrie. The sooner you learn that the better. We have each other, and that's all we need. Everyone else is out to get us.' Had he spoken those words aloud maybe Kane would've noticed how paranoid he sounded.
"No we weren't laughing at you . . . well we were but you know what I mean." Sidney began to try and explain what he meant by agreeing with Kane.
"I don't . . ." Carrie bit her lip, she just wanted to be alone, but there was no escape in the crowded room. "I really don't know what anyone means right now." She gave a weak chuckle as she shook her head.
"The only thing I agree with is maybe . . . since we got here we haven't had your back as much as we should have, we've been coasting around eighty six percent, unacceptable. Maybe we were a bit hard on the joking side. We figured you could take it, you've been handling yourself pretty well so far. Striker . . . this guy!" Sidney pointed at Kane's chiseled angry face.
"Striker?" Kane dropped Sidney like a ton of bricks. This opened a whole new realm of possibilities. He could go after Striker for whatever it was he had done, take his frustrations out on him with with no ramifications. At the moment it didn't matter whose face he was breaking so long as he could release all this rage.
"Ok Phew!" Carrie put a hand to her head and rolled her eyes. "Don't scare me like that." Carrie sat on the floor next to Sidney. "That's not nearly as bad as what I thought you meant. Sure you guys take a laid back approach to friendship . . . but you always have. It goes well with my young and stupid, reckless abandon, take on the world solo mentality." Carrie's forced smile had been wiped clean and replaced with a fresh vibrant one. "Even you Kane . . . though you don't want to admit it . . . we tease each other . . . not to be mean just because you know . . . that's what friends do!" Carrie could not believe the level of misunderstanding.
"Our definition of friends . . . is very different." Kane scoffed. 'She does make a point.' He frowned, unsure how he believed their bickering and ribbing was anything different from what she shared with her other friends. The truth of the matter was he had tunnel vision, an us versus them view of the world. Carrie was on his side, she had all but won his trust, everyone else was a liability, a threat. Their friendship was unique, to Kane it was superior in every way.
"Kane?" Carrie looked up at the still riled machine.
"What?" His response was short and gruff. Was this the betrayal he was dreading, was this when she picked them over him. 'Why wouldn't she? Idiot you ruined it . . . just like you always do.'
"I'll sign the papers." Carrie let out a deep sigh.
"Papers?" It didn't register with Kane what Carrie was doing.
"I didn't mean to put you through all this. You won't be a caged monster for much longer. The match was called as undecided but we all know you were dominating, you were wining. I'll go talk to Mr. Mcmahon tomorrow, let him know I'm willing to cut my contract in half. Two more weeks or so I think." Carrie shrugged. 'He's right. I'm more trouble than I'm worth.'
'She's agreeing to that? She's still not listening, she's still not sticking up for herself. Or is that what she wants? I just broke her best friend's nose.' He glanced over at Sidney, partially placing the blame on him. 'She's still here, but I'm losing her because I can't keep control. I've let my madness take over me. I let the monster win.' He outstretched his palms looking down at them as if they were foreign bodies. After a moment of self reflection he snapped his hands back into fists. With the chair out of commission he sat on the edge of the bed instead. ' And monsters are always meant to be alone. If I'm going to be a monster I have to act the part . . . I have to go back . . . to wanting to be alone.' He slowly outstretched on the bed, his feet hanging over the end.
"Kane did you hear me? I thought you'd be happier about this." Carrie listened as Kane let out an elongated breath. 'What is it Kane? Friends or enemies? You have to pick one, and soon. This back and forth is growing old. . . . fast.' Carrie waited for a response.
"I'm going to sleep. Keep them quiet it. Or since they can't shut their mouthes, show them the door." Kane lifted a hand to point towards the exit. He did not address Carrie's statement at all, his anger had drained him and he had no desire to pick a fight with Carrie at the moment. Shutting his eyes he laid motionless, waiting hopefully for tiredness and silence to creep over him, hoping for his racing mind to get some rest.
Carrie didn't know what to do, she hadn't expected to be brushed off like that. After a momentary daze she took her eyes off Kane and turned to her friends. "I think we can agree you guys have caused enough mayhem and foolishness for one night. You should probably go now." With embellished hand motions she began to shoo them away.
"Are you going to be OK?" Sidney had reservations about leaving Carrie with a man so willing to bring violence to the table. Carrie looked over at the resting monster before responding, watching his chest rise and fall, he finally looked as if he had reached a level of normalcy.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Carrie nodded. As crazed and aggressive as Kane was, Carrie was fairly confident she was not in harms way.
'I wouldn't hurt her, she knows that, don't fill her head with garbage. You smug idiots don't understand me and you never will. I would never hurt Carrie.' Kane frowned in his 'sleep'. With some hesitation the group started to move towards the door.
" I'm sorry we . . . mostly Janet ruined our plans. Goodnight Carrie!" Lizzie gave a wave as she moved into the hallway.
"Good-"
"Where do you sleep? Do you two sleep in the same bed?" Janet lingered in the room.
"Janet it's none of your business where I sleep, now please go before you cause anymore trouble." Taking Janet's shoulders in her hands Carrie began to forcefully escort her friend out of the room.
"Just curious." Janet scoffed at what she thought was an overreaction. It was a valid question, just one not needing to be answered in this tense environment. Carrie and Kane did share their communal bed, at polar ends of the mattress, an unspoken agreement to all but ignore the other's presence.
"Well after the stunt you just pulled, I think Kane probably wants some space. I'll probably be sleeping on the floor, happy now?"
"You can stay in our room. Sleep in Sidney's bed." Lizzie offered, and Sidney shrugged in agreement.
'What?' Kane's eyes sparked open in disbelief, then quickly squeezed shut, tight as he could. 'Sleep . . . don't slaughter . . . sleep.' He tried to calm himself.
"Yeah . . . no funny business though!" Sidney warned. The group rambled on with small talk for a while longer. Kane felt an increasingly familiar ache in his gut. He didn't want to share her constantly with them. They would have her forever, he had to soak in every moment he got to spend with Carrie.
"Ok. Ok, I'm sold. Room one twenty six Averse Inn. I shall see you there squirrelfriends." Carrie finally succeeded in sending her friends on their way.
In a dramatic nature Carrie collapsed to the floor, letting out a slight chuckle. "Tiring barrel of monkeys those three." After making two or three carpet angels Carrie finally stood and walked over to the bed. "Well goodnight Kane. I'm sorry for the whole breaking and entering fiasco . . . kind of my bad . . . I apparently didn't close the door all the way. In my defense I REALLY needed those skittles." Carrie seemed somewhat foolish speaking to someone who was passed out but she hadn't gotten to explain herself, and it was imperative that she did so.
'Food . . . as always.' Kane found her one track mind somewhat endearing. Her light heartedness contrasted his brash personality, he saw in her an outlook he could never share, a window into a different world. 'How many slurpees do I have to invest in to get out of this dog house?' Kane knew he had dug himself a deep hole, one he was unsure if he could climb out of.
"Don't be too mad at Janet and them . . . I mean the shower thing sure hold that over their heads till the day they die, but for the other stuff. . . I'm not sure why you have such a chip on your shoulder when it comes to them but . . . they're my best friends. I only have four to seven real friends so that means their top of the top. As much as they tease me they really do care."
'Four to seven?' Kane questioned the odd numbers. 'So friends . . . in Carrie's world taunt, endanger and give . . . what was it eighty six percent? And that's accepted? Even expected? Maybe that's why we became fast friends, I'm a perfect match for those requirements.' Kane's few and far between 'friends' over the years never had the bravado to tease him, not even the nutcases in the asylum. Perhaps that was why he was having such a tough time understanding the nuances of Carrie's friendships, he had only been in one on one friendships and even those were bumpy to say the least, a whole group was too much for him to handle.
"But they grow on you!" She paused, placing a finger on her chin wondering if there was anything she had left out.
'Doubtful.' Kane's eyes rolled under their lids.
"Oh! Don't worry about Sidney's nose. I mean the right thing to do would be to apologize."
'When hell freezes over.'
"But somehow I don't realy think that's in the cards." Carrie chuckled knowing if the tables had been turned Sidney wouldn't have apologized either. 'Men and their egos . . . such a pain.' Carrie let out a soft sigh. "Sure he's a bit steamed now . . . blah blah blah broke me face! Me me me my problems! So forth and so on." Carrie chucked again, no one found Carrie Lories funnier than herself. "But you guys seemed to have had a bro moment there for a minute. I think he secretly gained some respect for you."
'Over punching him in the nose? Does he know I dismantle people for a living?'
"I guess that's it. Now that I've heard myself talk it out maybe there's a chance I can condense that four part mini series sized speech into something you'd have the patience to hear. Again goodnight Kane." Carrie bit her lip as she hovered over him for a few moments. 'Oh what the hell he's already mad. You know what? Carpe diem.' Carrie leaned down and kissed Kane on the forehead. His eyes jolted open as if he had been struck by lightening. "Ahhhh!" Carrie shrieked out in surprise.
"I scared you." He frowned before shuffling his weight to one side turning away from her. 'Idiot.'
"You surprised me." Carrie not to be ignored got on the bed contorting her neck so that her face was inches away from Kane's. "Pretending to be asleep, quite sneaky of you!" Carrie shook a satirical finger at Kane. "So . . . you've been awake all this time huh?" Kane was surprised to see Carrie's cheeks grow red, she was blushing.
"Mostly." Kane gave a short nod. Inside he was panicking, despite sharing a bed for weeks Carrie had never seemed closer, he could feel her body heat as she laid awkwardly over him. 'Say something idiot.' He just stared at her wide eyed till he thought of something. "Your friends are waiting." He reminded her begrudgingly. 'Sidney's bed is waiting. Are they more than friends? She shouldn't be with him.' The pedestal Kane held Carrie on would not be within the reach of any man, not even himself.
"They can wait a while longer, it won't kill them." Carrie did her best to shrug. Though more familiar with physical closeness than Kane, this felt taboo, even dangerous. ' I shouldn't be doing this.' It felt right to her, resting over Kane's body, but she felt she was walking on egg shells, that the monster could at any moment throw her off with force. 'What are you thinking Carrie? What is he thinking?' Her brow scrunched as she tried to figure out what was going on in the mind of the monster, wondering, even hoping that it felt right to him too.
"An hour away from you? I'd be surprised if they haven't spiraled into withdraw." Kane rolled his eyes, he couldn't help but grin slightly when the sound of Carrie's laughter hit his ears. 'She's not mad . . . she doesn't hate me. I haven't lost her.'
"And whose the jokester now?!" Carrie reached out her finger and playfully bopped Kane on the nose. "This guy." She could feel they were both growing more comfortable with their present position.
"It doesn't bother you?" He asked hesitantly. This question was Kane opening up the slightest bit, risking a heavy blow to his new found feelings. 'I have to know . . . what she sees when she looks at me.' He wanted to tell her to look past his appearance, to give him a chance to prove her right, that maybe he was a man, and perhaps even a man she could grow to care for even after her contract expired. He wanted her more than ever, as pessimistic as always he figured he had no chance, and part of him would never shake the paranoia of betrayal but still he wanted her all the same, he wanted this closeness to last. Kane decided against defending his image, he wouldn't force his opinion on her, he needed to hear from her own lips that he wasn't an abomination.
"What doesn't bother me?" The only thing about Kane that truly bothered Carrie was his indecisiveness, one day they were thick as thieves the next he wanted nothing to do with her, she couldn't take it much longer. But she was fairly confident that wasn't the 'It' he was speaking of.
"My . . ." Kane was beginning to let nerves take over, he was beginning to back out, but before he could, Carrie caught on. Moving from her lounging position she sat up, reaching out she placed her palms delicately on his cheeks.
"This?"
"Yes. Most of the scars have healed but still. . . . there's a reason people stare, there's a reason I wore a mask for so long."
" It doesn't bother me Kane, not at all, and it's a shame it bothers you so much." Carrie began to run her thumbs along the features of Kane's face. Kane was in a state of literal shock, try as he might he could not move a muscle.
"I'm sorry . . . I'm so sorry." For a second time her face grew bright red. " I had promised, I would respect your boundaries and here I am all up in your bubble, touching you all weird and unwanted." She took her hands back, shoving them shamefully in her lap. 'Dummy what are you doing? He asked you a simple question and you went and took it to a whole new level. Look how uncomfortable he is. You fucked up Carrie . . . you fucked up.' Carrie swore at herself before popping out of the bed. 'He won't look at you the same after this. I ruined everything I worked so hard to get. I carpe diemed too hard.' She couldn't look at Kane instead she took two or three strides to get to her luggage in hopes to make a hasty escape, to avoid the awkwardness as long as she could. She didn't make it far, her wrist was wrapped in a thick grasp. Turning around she saw Kane standing stoically a somewhat blank look on his face. She could see uncertainty and apprehension stew under Kane's surface as he closed the gap between them.
"Kane?" The silence in the room was deafening as neither one of them knew where to go from here.
"I just want you to know. . ." Kane ran his free hand over his head before resting it on Carrie's shoulder. "I won't hurt you . . . no matter what anyone says . . . what anyone thinks. Carrie I will never hurt you." He stepped closer still, he leaned down to met her face hoping to see that she believed him. Carrie didn't speak, and as she tried to form a reply in her head something bizarre happened.
"Did you just sniff me?" She wasn't sure if she had seen it right, but she had watched Kane take some of her hair in his palm and hold it to his face.
"You smell different than you usually do. I'm not a dog I wasn't sniffing you for the hell of it! It's just I haven't been this close to anyone . . . without punching them in the face for a long time, it made me notice-"
" What do I smell like? I got a new shampoo. If it's over powering or like you know terrible, I can always change it. I have an abysmal sense of smell I didn't even bother really looking at the bottle, I wasn't expecting anyone to sniff . . . er notice a change in my smell."
" It doesn't bother me." Kane shrugged as he gave Carrie's wrist a slight squeeze. "And it's green apples."
"Huh?"
"You smell like green apples." Kane smirked a level of confidence blossoming. Mustering up some of that confidence Kane let go of Carrie's wrist, placing his palm against her back he pulled her closer still, he could feel her face against his bare chest. His free hand trailed from the top of her head down to the ends of her hair, his fingers weaving in between loose strands embracing it's cotton like texture. Kane was taken by surprise as he felt Carrie's arms do their best to wrap around him.
"You're too big of a dude sometimes." Carrie looked up at him bright eyed and bushy tailed.
"You should see me get into a cab." They both laughed briefly. Kane seemed less than excited to ask his next question. "That reminds me. Are you still going to your friends' place? It's late I can give you a ride." Kane pulled away not wanting Carrie to leave, but not wanting to make her feel boxed in by his large frame. Carrie could see by the way Kane's eyes shot to his feet that he was holding something back.
"What? Is everything ok?" Carrie figured that once again Kane was going to change his tune, that something she had done or something in Kane's head had caused him to hate her.
"Everything is . . ." Kane took a minute to analyze what had just happened. 'Great . . . this moment is perfect.' It had gone better than he had expected, not only was she not repulsed by him, she was willing to get close, willing to embrace him for who he was. "I don't want you to sleep in Sidney's bed." He voiced a thought that had been pestering him since he first heard the proposition. "I know you two are closer than the two of us." Despite their hug, he knew he was making a mountain out of a mole hill, that Sidney had more than likely shared an infinite amount of hugs with Carrie. "But I don't trust him . . . I don't like him." The mere thought of Sidney annoyed him.
"Got that loud and clear when you broke his nose." Carrie couldn't help but laugh. "He'll grow on-"
"No." Kane replied sternly. "That's why I'm telling you . . . asking you to not sleep in his bed." Kane tried to shake his demanding tone, but it was one of reflex. "That nose of his will be the least of his problems if I find out he was inappropriate with you, jokingly or not. I'd break every one of his fingers if I knew he didn't keep his hands to himself. You . . . I don't want other people to-"
"Find out I smell like green apples?" Carrie tried to beat around the bush.
"Yeah." he chuckled. "That you smell like green apples."
"Well I can't guarantee that if not this time, there won't be another time Sidney and I share a bed. Hell all four of us slept in one bed our first night out of Oregon." She sped up her speech as she saw Kane's jaw begin to clench, his nose wrinkle and his shoulders rise in disapproval. "What I can guarantee is that there is absolutely NOTHING going on between Sidney and me. He'd rather stick his hand in a bear trap than get that up close and personal with me. Sidney's more of a brother than my friend, it'd be like incest or something. Trust me we are hands off to the highest degree." Carrie laughed as she pressed her point home.
"Why would you all sleep in one bed?" Kane and Carrie had a hard enough time sharing a bed, he couldn't imagine throwing two more people into the mix.
"Because we're poor." Carrie stated as if it was obvious. "Necessity is the mother of invention. We're less poor now though, we can afford two beds." She raised her hand for a high five but was left hanging.
"If you insist on staying with them I'll pay for-"
"Don't get all chivalrous on me now. You're not paying for anything relax. Jeeze I wish Lizzie hadn't opened her mouth in the first place."
"That's what I've been saying all along, they don't know when to shut up." Kane scoffed. 'It'd be a worthwhile investment. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that Carrie was laying next him. I'd spend the next month's pay if that's what it took to guarantee he'd stay away from her.'
"Lets make it easy. Assuming you're not still mad about . . . you know . . . that misunderstanding earlier, I'll stay here tonight. Kosher?" Carrie sat down on the bed and threw a pillow at Kane.
"I had calmed down until you started talking about sleeping with Sidney." He pelted Carrie back with the pillow hitting her dead in the face.
"Holy tits that hurt." Carrie laughed rubbing her nose. "And don't try to blame that on me you brought it up!" Carrie stood and sprinted over to Kane whacking him over and over with the pillow. "Do you even feel that?" Carrie laughed as her arms grew tired and she slowly ended her assault.
"You're ridiculous." Kane shook his head at her. He yanked the pillow from her, tossing it over to the bed. He proceeded to lift Carrie off her feet, holding her a solid two feet off the ground.
"You do that a lot you know? Ever notice that?" Carrie quite enjoyed being literally swept off her feet.
"If people don't move . . . I move them." Kane gave another heavy shrug.
"Where am I moving?" Carrie was grinning ear to ear and it brought a warmness to Kane's iced over, blood thirsty demeanor.
"To bed. You need to sleep. You're always so tired. Like I said you don't take care of yourself. I don't want you to burn out . . . you just need to . . . I want you around ok? Alive and well, not down in the dumps taking shit from anyone who walks by." He placed her softly on the bed.
"I get what you're saying." Carrie nodded, Kane was not the first person to believe she was short sighted and ambivalent to the tole on her body and mind her actions were taking. "But need is a strong word. One time I went four straight days . . . no sleep, I'm pretty sure my blood was transfused with caffeine." She proved Kane's point, she was either unable or unwilling to take care of herself correctly. Kane had little room to talk though, the hell he put his body through, the torturous labyrinth his mind had become, was mostly of his own doing.
"What am I going to do with you?" Kane could see the hint of bags under Carrie's eyes, he had noticed all the tossing and turning she did in her sleep, he hadn't witness a seamless full night rest from Carrie. 'And I'm sure that Sidney thought it was a great idea, encouraged it, then mouthed off when she didn't make it to day five.' All the attempted convincing in the world would not sway Kane's opinion on Sidney, it was set in stone.
"I can tell who you're thinking about just by the lemony look on your face. We can argue about all this in the morning OK?" Carrie let out a yawn before squirming herself under a bushel of sheets and covers. "Can we just sleep now?"
"I thought you didn't need sleep?" Kane walked over to his respective side of the bed and laid down next to her.
"I don't need to just want to." Carrie smirked before getting lost in a stare.
"What?" Kane felt uncomfortable with the elongated eye contact. Carrie leaned over resting her head on his chest, lightening to his heart beat, noticing as it sped slightly. "Is this ok?" She wasn't sure if she was overstepping those boundaries she had mentioned earlier.
"It's . . . just go to bed." Kane snaked his arm around Carrie's waist and in short order the pair fell asleep.