Chapter 14

"Yo, man! What the hell was that?" Rocky growled as he grabbed Adam's shoulder.

"This isn't your concern! Just back off," Adam said, pulling away from Rocky and keeping his pace ahead of him. He had made it to the grass just before the parking lot and was headed to their Jeep.

"You have my keys to my car! It concerns me until you drop them!" Rocky belted out, stepping in front of Adam to face him.

"Your car? I pay half the car note!" Adam said, glaring back and meeting Rocky's eyes.

Aisha, on Rocky's heels, stopped at the bottom step watching the two. She knew Rocky was now angry, as well as Adam. "Adam," she called to him calmly, before either could swing at the other, "why did you bring that up?"

Adam looked up to Aisha and met her eyes. His anger began to fade and he softened his grip on the keys, dropping them to the ground.

Rocky relaxed his own gait and leaned in to pick up the keys. He placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, seemingly surprised himself. "Where did all that anger come from? I thought you and Tanya were okay. You tore into her with a rage like I haven't seen in…years."

Aisha came down to the grass, leaning against the car next to Adam. "Yeah," she said, still keeping her voice even, "I didn't tell you about that for you to go back and throw it in her face."

Adam looked at the two and leaned back on the car, palming his face in his hand as if in pain. "I don't know what came over me. This wave of anger, resentment and pain took over my mind. Aisha, I wasn't even angry last night after you told me about Tanya. But when I saw her—I saw the last three years without you here…then this idea that she manipulated me and…I went blind."

Rocky looked at him, curiously. "Do you remember any of what you just said in there?"

Adam rubbed his brow and took a deep breath. "No, all I can remember is anger."

Aisha and Rocky exchanged glances and Rocky put an arm around his shoulder. "Dude, you said some really evil stuff. I don't think you're gonna come back from this."

"I just don't know where it came from," Adam said, "I felt like the anger blocked my mind. Guys, I barely remember walking down the stairs."

"Well, you are going to have to apologize to her. And I guess I should, too. I should have never told you about those conversations," Aisha said.

Rocky smiled, "He's gonna need a cake, balloons, card, candy, fireworks-"

"I get it, Rocky," Adam stopped him, his face stern. "I can't go back in there right now and face everyone. Besides, my head is pounding from all of this."

Aisha looked at him with concern, "Where does your head hurt?"

Adam shrugged, "Between my eyes and sort of around the back of my head"

"Adam, that's the same pattern you guys had when you were recovering from Hate Master," Aisha said.

"But Aisha," Adam said, still holding his head in his palms, "Rita, Zedd, Master Vile, Mondo—they're all gone. Are you starting to believe Rocky's crazy theory that his fraternity brothers are Cogs?"

"I don't even know what a Cog looks like," she said, putting her hand up for emphasis, "But, considering the way our lives have played out…is it really that far from reality?"

As Aisha, Rocky and Adam walked back into the apartment, Aisha scanned the living room. She looked over to Tommy and Billy who were both boxing up the last of Katherine's books as Kim held a roll of tape at the ready. Katherine and Tanya were nowhere to be seen. The others all paused as the three walked back in, Adam closing the door behind them.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Adam said, putting his hands in his pockets and looking down to the floor so as not to meet his friends' eyes.

Tommy exhaled, not sure where to start "What happened, man?"

"I don't know. I felt this emotion swell in me and then it just poured out," Adam said, sitting on the floor next to Tommy.

As they were talking, Katherine and Tanya walked back in.

"I thought you guys left," Katherine said.

Adam looked to Tanya and felt his heart ache. She was avoiding his eye contact and general direction.

"I came back to apologize," Adam said, looking to Tanya, then to Katherine. "Look, I didn't mean any of what I said. I don't even know what I said-"

"You want me to repeat it for you?" Tanya snapped.

"No," Adam sighed, putting his head in his hands, "Tanya, I'm so sorry. It felt like something came over me. I really didn't mean what I said."

Tanya exhaled loudly in the tense and quiet room. Everyone looked from Adam then to her, waiting for a response.

"I'm sorry, too. It's my fault for telling him about our conversations. I shouldn't have betrayed your trust in me as a friend." Aisha said as she walked over to Tanya, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Tanya seemed to tense slightly as she considered Aisha's apology. "Guys, forget it. We have to get this stuff out of here. Let's finish up so that we can take the last of our things over to the apartment and clean up." She paused before adding, "It's been two years since Adam and I broke up. Don't think I haven't moved on," she said, glaring at Adam with her last sentence.

"Tanya's right. We really need to finish up here. Maybe the guys should go help Jason unload some of the truck with the movers and we can finish cleaning up. It may give us all a chance to cool off," Katherine said.