Heartaches
Chapter 20
By Kellyq
After Jack and Yusei left, Rally sat in a corner and watched Blister work on the computers. The poor boy wanted to help but knew better than to intervene. Blister looked over his shoulder to see Rally sitting there with his bag crushed to his torso and his knees bent up to his chest. Rally's thin arms wrapped under his legs, and his head rested on his knees.
"Why don't you go play with the other kids?" Blister spoke up. "It will keep your mind off whatever happened to you."
"That's not it," Rally said, his voice above a whisper. "I'm more worried about Yusei than anything else."
Blister couldn't help but smile. "You don't have to worry about Yusei. Jack won't let anything happen to him."
"I'm sure, but Rudger seems like one of those who likes to prey on people before he hurts them," Rally explained, remembering Rudger's look when he stared at Yusei.
Blister frowned.Hmm,he thought. "You just gave me a good idea." Rally blinked a few times and watched the older man do some typing. Blister 'hmmed' again when he was done.
Rally continued to watch Blister type and transfer from his computer to Yusei's. After a moment of silence, Rally spoke up. "Uhh … how did you meet Yusei?"
Blister stopped typing and looked over his shoulder. "I met Yusei and Jack after a horrible drag racing accident. I turned out okay, but mypartnerspent 8 months in the hospital," he explained. The accident profoundly impacted his life and his perspective on things.
Rally nodded his head. "Was that your partneryou were talking to a few moments ago?"
Blister went back to the keyboard. After a few moments of silence, he stopped, reached into his pocket, turned fully, and tossed his wallet to Rally. He caught it and stared down at the cover. It was a picture of Blister and Aero. Aero had dark orange hair spiked off to the side and honey-brown eyes that sparkled with kindness and compassion.
Rally had to admit thatAero was pretty. "Yusei and Jack helped you two get back together?"
Blister turned and started typing once more. After a moment, Blister stopped, swirled in his chair, and extended his hand. Rally got up, walked over to him, and returned the wallet. "Why don't you go play with the other kids? he stopped, tur"
All Rally did was nod his head. He turned, walked over to his bag, put the strap over his shoulder, and walked out.
Carly stepped out of the fitting room, a blush on her cheeks. She had on a black tank top with a shawl. The tight leather shorts passed her hips, and the boots went to her knees. Misty, standing there, had to admit that Carly looked delicious. Carly stared at her reflection.
"What do you think?" Misty murmured. She gently held Carly's hair, liking the texture as she ran her fingers through soft silky strands.
"I ... It looks fine, but where are my glasses? I can't see without them."
"Do the contacts I gave you not work?" Misty asked.
Carly bit her lip, her eyes shifted, and looked at Misty's reflection. "It's not that I'm ungrateful that you're being nice to me," she commented, her voice tinged with self-doubt, "I was thinking of Jack and comparing myself to Yusei. He's nothing but a homeless street boy. I'm no different from him in some ways, but he chose Yusei over me." Carly's vulnerability was palpable, making her relatable to the audience.
By this point, Misty's expression darkened with hate as she brushed Carly's hair.Jack, I'll make you regret shattering Carly's heart!Her feelings for Jack were complicated, a mix of love and resentment. She couldn't understand why Jack chose Yusei over Carly, and it fueled her hatred towards Jack.
Kiryu looked over his shoulder and saw Crow rubbing his head as if he had a headache. Kiryu pocked Crow on the cheek, getting his attention. He glanced at Kiryu to see him doing the same gesture.
Crow frowned. "Do you have a headache, or something?" he asked.
Kiryu shook his head, reached out, and pocked his friend on the forehead. "Bad," he said, rubbing his head and making the same facial expression and then poking Crow's head again.
He blinked a few times, and it took him a moment to understand what Kiryu was trying to say. Crow was about to say he had a migraine when Yusei and Jack walked in. Kiryu's face lit up, and he reached out to Yusei.
"Yuse," Kiryu spoke up. He mimicked the same movements Crow was doing a moment ago and pointed at him. "Crow. Head." Yusei glanced at his childhood friend.
Crow sighed. "I have a headache. I'll be right back."
Yusei stepped up and placed a hand on Crow's shoulder. "Why don't you take a break." He then glanced at his boyfriend. "Why don't both of you go have some fun? I'll handle things from here."
Kiryu watched the whole thing with curiosity. Kiryu wasn't the only one watching the scene; Martha, who stood in the doorway, was watching too. Martha cleared her throat. Everyone turned their heads to see her standing there.
"I'm glad to see you guys together," she explained. Martha walked in. "I remember how you four used to play together." Martha's eyes then shifted to Yusei and Jack. "Especially you two. And I hopeyou're both behaving yourself." Yusei caught what she meant and saw a teasing glint in Martha's eyes. Her playful teasing added a warm and familiar tone to the scene. Yusei squirmed a little, and a childish pout made it to his face. Martha laughed. She stepped up and patted Yusei's back in a motherly fashion. "You know that I'm just playing around. You are a good kid andone of my favorites!" The four had a long history, filled with shared experiences and memories.
Laughter filled the room, and when Kiryu joined in, they stopped and stared at him. A light blush approached Kiryu's cheeks as he looked shyly at them. Crow couldn't help but walk over to Kiryu and hug him. This was a far cry from their initial meeting, where they were at odds with each other.
To Be Continued …