42

a Dianna and Brooke collab :awesome:

 

 

December 16

 

 

 

"What in the hell are we doing here at 7 a.m.?" Guy asked, sliding his sunglasses down to reveal bloodshot eyes as he looked around the studio at Will and Jonny.

Neither one heard him.

Jonny was snoring loudly on the sofa.

Will was watching a documentary on the mating habits of the extinct dodo bird of Australia.

"Hey!" Guy yelled.

Jonny jumped a little but kept snoring.

"What is your problem?" Will asked.

"I haven't seen this time of the morning in ten years," Guy said, "If I am awake, the least you two can do is notice how good I look."

"What about that time you were arrested for streaking on the Metro during rush hour?" Will asked.

"I was not streaking," Guy said, deliberately, "I just misplaced my clothes. That was a rather interesting night."

The door to the other room opened and Chris came out with a short, squat man carrying a briefcase. Chris rubbed his hands together and jumped around the room a bit.

"I see that you are all finally here," he said looking at Guy.

Guy ignored him but asked "Who's the suit?"

"This gentlemen," Chris said, dramatically, "Is my personal lawyer."

Will and Guy blinked but neither said anything.

Chris looked down and saw Jonny sleeping.

He kicked Jonny in the leg.

"He has been fucking useless since he got married," Chris said.

"Wha...." Jonny asked, sitting up.

"I have just updated my will," Chris said, as if he was making a statement of importance to the world.

Will went back to the documentary. Jonny went back to sleep. Guy started to walk out the door.

"Don't you even care that I am going to die in a few months?" Chris asked.

"No offense, Chris, but we are kind of sick of hearing about it,"Will said.

Chris took a deep breath.

"I need two witnesses to sign the new document," the lawyer told Chris.

Guy walked back to the man. He grabbed a pen from the lawyer's hand and said, "Give it here. I'll sign it."

"Don't you want to read it first?" Chris asked.

"Nope, I just want to sign it and go back to......to....I can't remember her name right now."

"Don't you want to know what I am leaving you?" Chris asked.

Will and Jonny jumped up from their respective spots and hurried over to Chris.

"You are leaving us something?" Will asked.

"Not you," Jonny said, trying to elbow Will out of the way.

"Why not?" Will asked.

"I'm his best friend," Jonny said, smiling a broad smile.

"Now you are interested?" Chris asked, handing them each a copy of the document.

 

 

 

January 1

 

 

 

The men were gathered in the Bakery, celebrating the new year.

There was a table against the wall filled with snacks and drinks, though the men were all just watching TV.

"You guys, this is so sad," Chris announced, dramatically holding his hand over his chest.

Jonny looked up from his position on the couch.

"Oh no, are we out of dip??" he asked.

"No," Chris said, rolling his eyes. "This is my last New Year's Day. Ever."

"Is this more of that dying business?" Will asked.

"Business?" Chris asked with wide eyes. "This is my life, Will! Well... it's my death, really."

"Chris, stop it, you're not gonna die," Guy said.

"But it's in the stars!" Chris exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "My presence on Earth was not meant to last more than 42 years."

"It's not even gonna get to that point if you don't shut up," Will threatened.

Chris narrowed his eyes and turned to Jonny.

"Jonny, you believe me, don't you?" he asked.

Jonny awkwardly sat up and looked apprehensively at Chris.

"Yes," he calmly said, "I certainly do."

"I know you're lying," Chris shouted. "Why doesn't anyone believe me??"

Chris buried his head in his hands and made fake crying noises.

"Oh, please, Chris, we know you're not crying," Will said.

Chris's head shot up.

"You're only proving my point," he snapped.

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"You guys don't believe me, not even when I'm crying!" Chris said.

"But you weren't crying," Guy pointed out.

Chris narrowed his eyes again and stood up.

"I'm sick of you all. I'm going home," he said, walking towards the door.

He stopped before he opened it, though.

"And I'm burning everything I was going to leave to you."

As soon as he opened the door, the other men started to shout.

"Wait!" Will exclaimed.

"We believe you, we really do," Guy said.

"Chris, come back here so we can savor your last moments on Earth!" Jonny shouted.

Chris wasn't fooled in the least, but his egotistical half told him to stay anyway.

"OK!" he chirped, shutting the door and plopping down on the couch next to Jonny.

"This is going to be the best last New Year's ever."

 

Six hours later, they were all still in the Bakery.

They'd all fallen asleep while watching The Bucket List, except for Chris.

He was still wide awake, and completely inspired.

"Jonny, wake up," he said, nudging his elbow into Jonny's side.

"Ow! What do you want?" Jonny asked, grumpily.

"I need to make a bucket list, like those guys did," Chris whispered.

"You know where the pen and paper are," Jonny said, closing his eyes.

"Jonny!!" Chris whined. "I need you to help me think of things."

But Jonny was already asleep.

Chris sighed, and walked into the other room where they kept the writing supplies.

He pulled out a sheet of paper, grabbed a pen, and sat down.

'My Bucket List' he wrote on the top of the paper.

"Hmm, what should I put first?" he mused. "I've already been in a band, and sold lots of records, and become famous, and..."

He looked around the room, not necessarily expecting to find anything.

But one thing caught his eye.

"I need to learn to play the sax!" he exclaimed, immediately writing it down.

"I wonder if Jonny actually knows how to play?" he asked aloud, tapping the pen against his chin.

"Well, I guess I'll find out."

 

 

 

January 15

 

 

 

Guy was lying on the sofa, smiling to himself as he sent obscene text messages and photos to his various friends around the world.

Will was bent over the table, silently and methodically beating his head on the flat shiny surface.

Jonny came flying down the stairs from the second floor of the studio.

"Someone's torturing an animal...." he said, excitedly.

Guy just kept smiling and Will kept beating his head.

"Don't you hear it?" Jonny asked them, covering his ears against the horrendous noise.

"Guy!!!" Jonny slapped him on the head.

Guy sat up and glowered at him.

"What's the big idea?" he asked.

"Don't you hear that awful noise?" Jonny shrieked.

Guy pointed to his ears.

"I started wearing earplugs ever since Chris decided he needed to learn to play the trombone."

Jonny looked around as another blast of the ear-bleeding squeak filled the room.

"Is that what that horrible noise is?' he asked, shrinking away from the sound, "I thought someone was torturing a moose."

He walked to Will.

"Will," he said, tapping him on the shoulder, "You have to talk to Chris. He is driving us nuts with all these instruments."

"Why me?' Will asked, as he continued to pound his head.

"He's scared of you," Jonny said, "Couldn't you just beat him up a little?'

"Not until I found out what he left me in his will," Will continued.

"Bullshit," Jonny said, "He isn't really going to die, you know."

"Are you so sure about that?" Will asked, keeping the rhythm of beating his head.

"Of course," Jonny said, "It's just more of Chris and his destiny and stars and crap like that."

"I don't know," Will said, looking at Jonny long enough for him to see a large bruise that was forming on his forehead, "He seems pretty convinced."

Jonny crossed his arms and twisted up his mouth as he considered if it might really be true.

"Well then we have to do something to prevent it, don't you think?" he asked.

"That depends, I guess," Will said, finally ending his relentless pounding on the table.

Jonny looked at him in horrified shock.

"What do you mean? It depends on what??"

Will stood up and swayed just a bit as he grinned an evil grin at Jonny.

"That depends on whether or not I can find out what the little bastard left me in his will."

The door of the room opened and Chris came hopping out.

"Look what I found!!" Chris said, excitedly holding up a set of bagpipes.

Will sat back down at the table.

"I'm going to learn to play these, Jon!! Just like I learned all those other instruments."

Jonny looked at him for a moment.

Then he sat down at the table with Will.

In unison they began to beat their heads on the wood.

"That sounds great," Chris said, putting the pipe in his mouth and beginning to blow.

 

 

 

February 2

 

 

 

"I swear to God, if we're here just to amuse his crazy ass, then I'm... I'm..." Will began.

He, Jonny, and Guy were standing outside in the freezing cold, waiting for Chris.

"You're what? Gonna punch him?" Guy laughed.

Will shot him a look.

"Maybe," he said.

At that moment, Chris came bustling down the sidewalk.

"Happy Groundhog Day, guys!!" he exclaimed, a grin stretched across his face.

"Happy what?" Guy asked.

"Groundhog Day," Chris repeated with a slightly obvious tone.

"... What the fuck is Groundhog Day?" Will asked.

"It's only the greatest day in February!" Chris shouted.

"I think you're forgetting Valentine's," Guy said, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh," Chris said. "Second greatest, then!"

"That doesn't explain what it is," Will complained.

"Isn't it an American thing?" Jonny asked.

Chris looked at him and nodded happily.

"Let me get this straight," Will said. "You dragged us out here, in the freezing cold, to celebrate something that doesn't even exist in this country??"

"I suppose I did," Chris apologetically said. "I... I just wanted this to be... special!"

Chris covered his eyes with one hand, and fake cried, "Because I'll never get to celebrate this again!"

"So, you've never celebrated it before, right?" Guy said. "What's the big deal?"

Chris sighed and said, "Guy, Guy, Guy. Maybe if you were dying, you'd understand."

"You're not dying," Will snapped. Chris ignored him.

"See, when you know you're on your death bed, you start to think about the things you've never done, and how you'll soon never get to do them," he said.

"And this is one of those things?" Guy asked, a bit outraged.

"It sure is," Chris smiled.

"You still didn't tell us what Groundhog Day actually is," Jonny said.

"OK, if the groundhog comes out of its hole thingy, and it sees its shadow, then winter will last for six more weeks," Chris explained. "If it doesn't see it's shadow, then spring will be here sooner!"

"Why do you care then?" Will plainly asked. "You'll be dead anyway."

The words seemed to hit Chris harder than Will thought they would.

"That's right.." he sadly whispered. "I'll be gone in a month."

Though Chris was often annoying with his predictions of death, Jonny still felt bad for him.

"Chris," Jonny began, "I'm sure spring will be here just for you."

"It would be nice to see spring one last time," Chris said. "I can't believe I didn't think about that last year!"

"Or maybe you won't die," Guy said. "And then none of this matters, and we can all go home, where it's warm."

"I am going to die, Guy. I can feel it," Chris said. "And now I'll never get to experience another spring, or summer, or fall, or winter, or anything."

"Well, let's go celebrate this groundhog thing, then," Jonny said, placing his arm on Chris's shoulder. "Your first and last Groundhog Day."

"Thank you, Jonny," Chris whispered, gratefully placing his hand on Jonny's. "You're the best friend I ever had."

Jonny smiled, and Will obnoxiously coughed.

"Come on, I think I'm getting frostbite," he whined. "Wait... are there even any groundhogs in England?"

Chris looked at him with wide eyes. "I didn't even think about that..."

He slowly backed away from Will, flamboyantly threw his hand in the air and said, "Haha, oops!"

Then he turned and ran away.

 

 

 

February 11

 

 

 

"We are gathered here to celebrate the life of and death of..." the minister was droning along very slowly.

"NO....NO...No..." Chris said, standing up from the front pew and clapping his hands, "That won't do."

He approached the front of the church and began to demonstrate what he wanted.

"Like this," he said, dramatically placing one hand over his heart and one over his eyes.

In the foyer of the church, Will, Jonny and Guy were watching him.

They were all wearing dark suits and matching dark sunglasses.

"Do you believe this shit?" Guy asked.

"He's really flipped his lid," Will said.

"What about us?" Guy said, looking at the three of them, "We look like the fucking Temptations or something in these get-ups?"

Will burst out laughing.

But Jonny was standing still, hands in his pockets, watching Chris try to coach the minister.

"What if something really is going to happen to him?" Jonny asked.

"I don't know," Guy said, "I say we drop the damn coffin on him."

He nodded toward the coffin that stood behind them.

"Can you believe he is having us practice with a real one?" Guy asked, laughing.

"Hey," Will said, "I just thought of something, there are only three of us. We need someone else to carry the other corner."

"Maybe Chris is going to get Elvis to come out of hiding and carry it," Guy said, as they both laughed.

"Or Michael Jackson," Guy said.

A serious look came over Will's face and he said, "Don't even joke about My Man, Michael."

Guy turned away and looked at Jonny as he said, "Apparently, Chris isn't the only one around here with a screw or two loose."

"Hey!!" Chris yelled, "Will my pallbearers please pay attention!!! I don't want to be late for my own funeral."

"Who gives a shit?" Guy yelled back, "You are dead. It isn't like you will know."

Jonny slapped him on the arm and said, "Come on, man."

The three of them picked up the coffin with some difficulty and started to carry it down the aisle.

"What the fuck is in here?" Will asked.

"Maybe it's his ego," Guy said.

He started to laugh.

Will started to laugh.

Jonny started to laugh.

They couldn't stop laughing and they couldn't hold on to the coffin either.

Guy dropped his side first.

Then Will dropped his corner.

The coffin flew open in the middle of the church aisle.

Jonny was standing staring at it.

"Look at this," he told the others', pointing into the coffin.

Inside was a perfect replica of Chris, in wax.

Chris flew down the aisle, hands to his head.

"Oh no," he said, "You guys have ruined my perfect funeral."

 

 

42

a Dianna and Brooke collab :awesome:

 

 

February 20

 

 

 

"Less than two weeks. I'll be gone in less that two weeks."

Chris was alone in his apartment.

He'd spent months preparing himself for the day he knew he was going to die.

But it never felt real until now.

Sure, there was no guarantee that he'd die, but he believed that it was going to happen.

Less than two weeks.

Chris looked around at the empty room. Everything he owned would soon belong to his friends.

It would be all they'd have left of him.

A single tear dripped down his cheek as he thought of his friends living on without him.

He wondered if they'd really be affected by his death.

"Of course they would," he said to himself. "They love you, even if you're a pain in the ass sometimes."

He found himself unable to stay in the apartment for much longer.

He grabbed his keys and headed outside.

It was still cold, but the icy air felt relaxing.

He walked for what seemed like hours, just enjoying being alive.

He didn't really walk anywhere in particular.

As it grew darker, he couldn't help noticing the sunset.

That will be me soon he thought. The sun will set on me... I'll be gone.

He continued to walk, thinking about the short time he had left.

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Jonny's door, knocking as hard as he could.

He wasn't really sure how he got there, but he figured his subconscious must have carried him there.

Jonny opened the door, shocked to see Chris standing before him.

"Hey," Jonny said. "What's up?"

He could see the sadness in Chris's eyes.

It wasn't the fake sort of sadness that he'd seen over the past two months.

No, this was real sadness.

"Are you OK?" Jonny asked when Chris didn't answer.

Chris still didn't reply, though, he just wrapped his arms around Jonny and buried his head in Jonny's shoulder.

"I don't want to die," he whispered through his tears.

Then it hit Jonny. Chris had been insisting that he'd be gone soon.

Now it showed that he really, really believed it.

That sort of scared Jonny.

He still wasn't convinced that Chris would die, but now he was frightened by the prospect of losing his best friend.

"I don't want you to die, either," Jonny finally said, holding tightly onto Chris. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Chris buried himself deeper into Jonny's shoulder, a little relieved to know that at least one person would miss him when he's gone.

 

 

 

February 29

 

 

 

"Hey look at that Chris," Jonny said, trying to cheer up his best friend.

"What?" Chris asked, glumly.

"It's leap year, so you get another day to live."

"So what?" Chris said, "I am dreading it so much I am just ready to get it over with."

Jonny looked at his friend and truly felt sorry for him.

"What are you writing?" he asked, looking at the paper that Chris was doodling on.

"I'm making a list of all the ways that I could die," Chris said.

Jonny picked up the list and read it over.

"Eaten by an alien?" Jonny said, "A bit over the top isn't it?"

Chris' eyes flashed at him.

"It could happen," he said, angrily, "I think any alien would find me particularly delectable."

Jonny smiled at him and unconsciously slid his tongue across his lips.

"What else is on that list?" Guy asked, jerking it out of Jonny's hand.

"Car accident," Guy read, "That is a good one."

"Guy!!" Jonny said.

"What?" Guy asked, "Car accidents happen all the time."

"Crushed by falling statue," Will mused, as he looked over Guy's shoulder.

"Not bad," Guy said, "But sounds kind of messy."

"I'm not cleaning it up," Will said.

He looked over Guy's shoulder and read down the list.

He pointed at something Chris had written and he and Guy both laughed.

"Worshipped to death?" Guy asked.

Chris stood up and yanked the paper from them.

"It could happen," he said, angrily.

"Not if you stay around here," Guy said, laughing again.

"That's the meanest thing you..." Chris stopped in mid-sentence.

"Oh my God," he said, "Why didn't I think of this before?"

His eyes were sparkling with excitement as he practically ran to Jonny.

"Jonny, I've got it!!!"

"What have you got?" Jonny said, drawing back in fear as if Chris was diseased.

"I'm not going to sit around here in this place with these goons and just wait to die. I am going to take a trip and you, my Jonny boy, my bestest friend in the whole world, you are coming with me."

Jonny looked at Chris and then he looked at the other two.

Guy and Will both shrugged.

"Can we come too?" Will asked, smiling a smug smile.

Chris turned and glared at them.

"Okay," he said, "But you are paying your own way."

"Road trip!!" Guy and Will said at the same time, while high-fiving each other.

 

 

 

March 1

 

 

 

"That's all you're bringing?" Jonny asked, pointing to Chris's bag.

"Jonny, this is all I'm going to need. Tomorrow's my birthday, and... you know," Chris replied.

"Right," Jonny said. "I can't believe that's tomorrow already."

Chris noticed how sad Jonny looked, so he hugged him.

"Aw, Jonnyboy, don't be sad. We will always be together," he said into Jonny's ear. "Even when I'm gone, just look in your heart and you will find me."

"Chris, stop being so cheesy," Jonny laughed, though he greatly appreciated Chris's comforting words.

"Now, come on, we've got to get going if we want to get there before you kick the bucket."

"Shotgun!!" Chris yelled, and jumped into the car.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Guy asked. He and Will were crammed into the back seat.

Chris turned around in his seat and said, "We are going to... Actually, that's a good question. Jonny, where are we going?"

"You mean you didn't have a place in mind?" Jonny asked.

"Not really, I just thought we could drive somewhere," Chris replied.

"Chris, you are so... sooo," Will began, fuming. "You're lucky you're already gonna die tomorrow."

"Will!" Chris exclaimed.

"Whatever," Jonny said, "Let's just get going."

Jonny started up the car and drove off.

They were driving for no more than five minutes when Chris realized he had to pee.

"Chris, you're how old now and you don't know to use the bathroom before you leave for a road trip?" Guy said, outraged.

"I'm almost 42, thanks," Chris said. "And I did go before we left!"

"Well, you can hold it in," Will said.

"No, I don't think I can!" Chris whined.

"Didn't you once say we never believe you?" Guy asked. "Well, now we believe you can hold it in! Shouldn't you be happy?"

Chris was far from happy. He shot a look of disgust and both Guy and Will.

Then he suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"That's how I'm going to die," he said.

"How?" Will asked.

"You guys are gonna make me hold in all that pee, and then I'll just explode tomorrow," Chris replied. "What a horrible way to die!"

Chris sobbed into his hands.

"Chris, you aren't going to explode with pee," Jonny said. "Trust me, I'll definitely make sure that doesn't happen."

"Oh, Jonny," Chris said, lifting his head. "You are too good of a friend."

Jonny laughed, "Oh, it's nothing."

Will and Guy just rolled their eyes.

 

 

 

March 2

 

 

 

Guy was driving down the highway at top speed.

Will was riding shotgun,but he was asleep.

Jonny and Chris were in the back, also asleep.

Or so Guy thought

"Turn here!" Chris said, all of a sudden.

Guy threw on the brakes and made a turn.

Will cursed mightily as his head almost made contact with the windshield.

Jonny groggily sat up.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Chris said turn so I turned," Guy said in self-defense.

Chris was sitting, wide-eyed staring out the window.

"It's pitch black," Jonny told him, "What are you looking at?"

Chris pointed across the way.

The sky was just beginning to lighten in the East.

"Today is the day," Chris said.

Guy looked at Will and started to laugh, but didn't.

Will looked at Guy and started to roll his eyes, but didn't.

Suddenly they were both overwhelmed with the thought that maybe Chris was right.

Maybe this was going to be his last day alive.

Guy concentrated just a little more carefully on driving.

"Stop at the top of that hill," Chris directed.

Guy did as Chris asked.

At the top of the hill, they all piled out of the car and stood looking at the coming dawn.

"It is beautiful," Chris said.

Jonny reached into the car and took out a bar of Chris' favorite chocolate and a bottle of water.

He broke the bar into four equal pieces and handed one to each of them.

"Happy Birthday, Chris," Jonny said.

They all ate their treat and shared the same bottle of water to wash it down.

"Listen." Chris said, "I just want to say.."

Guy groaned, "Not another long speech."

Chris just smiled at him.

"I just wanted to say that I love you all. And this is the perfect way to spend my birthday. Whether it is my last one or not."

Guy wiped away a single tear.

Will patted Chris on the shoulder.

Jonny didn't say anything.

He didn't need to.

The four of them stood there on that hill with arms locked around each other facing toward the dawn and whatever was to come.

 

 

Okay this is the last one and it's your choice to see the whole chapter. Part 2 is optional;)

 

With or Without You

 

 

Chapter 9

 

Part1

 

 

 

 

 

Chris woke up suddenly, sweating and breathing heavily.

 

He looked to his right to see Guy sleeping quietly next to him, his arms spread out like always, his bare stomach on the mattress and his left leg slightly next to Chris’s own leg. He was always like that when he slept. He would get almost on top of Chris unconsciously but Chris always argued that he didn’t mind. He loved it. He loves the feel of Guy’s leg pressed up against his own.

 

They had wasted so much time away from each other that Chris felt the need to make up for that. He wanted nothing more than to spend each and every day with him.

 

“Were you having a nightmare?” Guy mumbled, sleepily, one eye open to see Chris.

 

Chris almost jumped out of his skin once he heard Guy’s smooth voice. “God, you scared me… Yeah, I was.” He admitted.

 

“About what?” Guy asked, sitting up, rubbing his eyes and stretching his arms over his head.

 

“About… About us.” Chris told him.

 

Guy looked at him and smiled tenderly. “Well, I had a marvelous dream about us.”

 

Chris smiled in spite of himself. Looking at Guy’s happy countenance, he couldn’t do anything but smile. It may be cheesy but Chris believed Guy was sent to put a smile on his face. Like a divine creature. An angel.

 

“We were in Venice and you took me on a gondola and the whole city was just ours to see. You and I were the only ones there… Every canal had a different story you made up along the way just to please me.” Guy smiled, as he told the dream. “And then we were beneath this bridge and everything seemed to slow down as you kissed me. It was perfect.”

 

Chris couldn’t help but feel a tear sliding down his face.

 

“Why are you crying, Chris?” Guy asked, catching the lone tear as it reached the blue-eyed man’s mouth.

 

“It just seemed so beautiful.” He simply answered.

 

“Like you.” Guy replied.

 

“Cheesy.” Chris laughed.

 

“Sincere.” Guy said.

 

Chris planted a kiss on Guy’s lips. There was not a single morning where they would get up without their good morning kiss. The whole time they had been together, the only day where that didn’t happen was the day Guy had to go into surgery in order to do the liver resection. The one that saved his life. The one that saved Chris’s life.

 

Guy stood up and headed for the bathroom. Chris glanced at his bare body and he could see the scar that marked his otherwise perfect, silky skin. In a way, he was so much more beautiful now, in Chris’s eyes.

 

Guy turned around as he was about to enter the bathroom. “You know what we never did?”

 

Chris shook his head, slyly smiling. There Guy was, naked, in all his majesty with a serious look on his face, completely unaware of the effect he was having on him.

 

“We never had a honeymoon…” Guy said.

 

“We never really had a wedding either.” Chris said. “We did that little ceremony for the two of us… but maybe we should make it legal. Make it more… real.”

 

Guy didn’t say anything. He walked around the bed until he was at Chris’s side and stopped there to look down at the man he had come to love more than life itself. He couldn’t conceive life without him or even imagine a world where Chris wasn’t by his side.

 

To Chris’s delight and surprise, Guy slowly kneeled down and took his left hand and kissed it tenderly before looking up and whispering the four words Chris never expected to hear. He always thought he would be the one in Guy’s position.

 

“Will you marry me?”

 

Chris could hear his heart beating against his chest, his eyes were now wider than ever and his smile got bigger by the second.

 

He jumped from his place at the bed and into Guy’s arms, both landing on the floor. Chris was speechless so he decided there was only one way to give the answer Guy was waiting for: he kissed him with all the love and passion that he could muster. He was overwhelmed with every feeling that threatened to come out all at once. This was the closest to feeling like he was having a heart attack.

 

I would die and go to heaven as happy as I could ever hope to be. Chris smiled in between the ardent kisses shared by the two men. Guy thrust his tongue inside his mouth, passionately. Lovingly.

 

They lay on the floor, not caring about the appointments they had for the day, not caring about the showers they still had to take. Time seemed to halt as soon as their skins touched, their lips met and their bodies became one. They worshipped each other, savoring each part of their perfectly imperfect forms. Their bodies moved in a synchronized rhythm, something they did innately, no words needed.

 

The pace quickened and they felt like they might explode right then and there. Guy couldn’t control himself, he just let out moans of pleasure, as he wrapped his legs around Chris’s waist, making Chris move even more fervently, even more eager to give Guy everything he deserved. All he had to offer him.

 

Then everything faded, in a moment when they felt the union that would forever keep them together. There was only Guy and Chris and everything else disappeared. They stayed like that just gazing into each other’s eyes, not saying a single word.

 

For the first time in their lives, they understood the true meaning of forever and as they looked in each other’s eyes, they saw nothing but admiration, amazement and love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2

 

 

 

 

“I wished I was here with you.” Guy whispered.

 

“I wish you were here with me too.” Chris whispered back. As soon as the words left his mouth, the image of Guy faded away and his eyes opened in fright.

 

He looked to his right to see the bed empty.

 

Guy wasn’t here anymore.

 

Nothing he could do would make him come back. He could only wait till the moment he was taken to a place where they could be finally together again. Where forever wasn’t just a promise. Where he didn’t have to dream he was with the man he loved. With the man that got taken away from him too soon.

 

 

 

 

The Promise

 

Chapter 1

 

 

 

 

"I am telling you that she was totally checking me out, not you!" Guy said laughing, and smacking Will on the shoulder.

"You always think the girls are after you!" Will said, opening the door of Guy's apartment building.

"Just because you look good in those football shorts, doesn't mean anything," Guy said, following him into the building.

"Maybe it means she wants a real man, not a toothpick," Will sniped at him.

"Ha," Guy said, "Race you up the stairs. We will see who is the real man."

He started up the stairs taking them two at a time.

Will stood at the bottom and shook his head.

"Why does he have to be so damn competitive all the time?'

He shrugged and then followed Guy up the stairs.

Will was almost completely out of breath when he reached Guy's apartment.

He expected to find Guy inside the apartment relaxing on the sofa and laughing at him as usual.

But he didn't.

Guy was standing in front of his apartment door, just staring at it.

"What's up?" Will asked, "Decided to wait out here to rub it in, did you?"

Guy didn't answer.

He was just staring at the doorknob.

Will followed his gaze.

Hanging around the doorknob was a silver chain.

On the chain was one of those little half-heart charms.

The kind of charm that teen-age couples usually wear.

Each one wears one half of the heart and when put together it forms one complete heart.

"Hmm," Will said, "Where did that come from?"

Guy reached over and unwrapped the chain from the doorknob.

"Never mind," he told Will, as he opened the door and went inside.

"Oh come on," Will said, following him, "Spill. Is that from some long-lost love or something?"

Guy didn't answer.

He just walked into the kitchen.

He came back with two bottles of water and handed one to Will.

"What?" he asked.

Will took the water and smiled suspiciously at Guy.

"Aren't you going to tell me what that is about?" he asked, pointing to the charm.

"No," Guy said, "It was just.....a long time ago. I had forgotten about it."

Will raised an eyebrow.

"Well, apparently someone else hasn't forgotten," he said.

"Let it go," Guy said.

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

 

Guy stood outside the pub for a long time.

He just kept looking at the door and and wondering what he was going to say.

It had been so many years and so many things had passed unresolved.

He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Inside the pub it was as dark and chilly as he remembered.

He squinted and pulled his jacket up closer around his neck.

His eyes searched around the small building.

Finally he saw a face that he recognized.

"Hi," he said, sliding into the booth across from her.

"Hi," she said.

"You look so much different," he said, quite amazed by the change.

She smiled.

"Well, I was about sixteen the last time you saw me." she said.

"I guess that is true," he said, putting his hands on the table.

"You look different too, but the same too."

Guy looked away across the pub.

"Where is your brother?" he asked, "I was expecting to see him here."

She pursed her lips.

"I brought you something," she said, reaching into her pocket and taking out a charm.

Guy's eyes grew large.

He took out the matching charm from his own pocket.

Quietly, he took the one she offered and laid it down on the table.

Then he placed the one that had been left at his door next to it.

They matched each other perfectly.

He looked up at her with a pale face and glistening eyes.

"Thank you," he said, "I often wondered what happened to both parts."

She crossed her arms.

"Well, I had to keep them hidden for many years. So that my parents wouldn't find them."

A look of hatred came across Guy's face.

"And how are your parents?" Guy asked.

"Dad died a long time ago," she said, "Mom died last week."

Guy's jaw worked very hard, back and forth.

"I wish I could say I am sorry," he said, "But I am not."

She looked at him and nodded.

"I know," she said, "I don't expect you to be sorry that they are both gone."

"Maybe you and Jack will have some peace now," Guy said.

"And maybe you will too," she told him, squeezing his hand.

 

 

Chapter 3

 

 

 

 

Guy was seventeen when he met Jill.

She was just fifteen.

They met at a mixer between the two boarding schools that they attended.

She was a little spitfire.

She had blonde hair and green eyes and she never stopped talking.

She never stopped moving.

Everything and everyone served as a source of fascination for her.

She was like a whirlwind of excitement and she seemed to always be living on the edge.

Guy was the complete opposite.

He was quiet and shy and reserved.

First he admired her ability to be so free with her thoughts and her emotions and her life.

Then he found himself hopelessly attracted to her.

She took one look at him, with his unruly brown hair and shy smile and beautiful features and instantly decided that it was her destiny in life to release all the pent up emotions that he had.

She was convinced that there was a wild passionate spirit lurking around just underneath his so carefully guarded surface.

Soon they were at each other's side constantly.

She took him home to meet her parents and her brothers.

He was the polite, socially acceptable, refined boy that her parents dreamed she would meet.

Sure, she was young but her parents had given up any notion of trying to control her actions when she was about five-years old.

With Guy, they hoped she would tame down just a bit and learn some proper rules of behavior for a young English lady.

Their relationship was all that kept Guy going sometimes.

He hated school.

He hated studying.

He wanted to be a musician.

He spent hours and hours practicing playing the guitar.

He wrote a few songs.

Jill encouraged his lackadaisical attitude toward the future.

She told him that it would suit her just fine if they lived in a cardboard box and he played guitar on the streets of London.

She had a modest talent for art and painting and figured maybe she could support the two of them that way if everything else failed.

She had the most sunny and bright outlook of any person he had ever met.

Yes, she was a one of a kind girl.

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

 

 

Guy didn't know much about girls.

He knew they giggled alot and they smelled nice.

He got his first kiss when he was seven years old and his sister's best friend trapped him in the hall during a slumber party.

She laughed and ran away leaving Guy feeling like he had done something wrong.

Since then he had kissed a few girls but he mostly kept his distance as they were something to be admired and appreciated but scared the hell out of him.

Jill wasn't having any of that.

She grabbed him and kissed him hard the first night they met.

She kissed him while they danced.

She kissed him when he brought her punch.

She kissed him when he nervously tried to hold her hand.

That was a relief to him as he had no idea how he would have made the first move.

It was a likewise situation the first time they were intimate.

They were taking a walk down by the pond on visiting day at her school.

She grabbed him, pushed him up against a tree and began to unbutton his shirt.

It felt kind of strange to him, but he decided that he liked it.

However, he, being unaccustomed to such intimacy had no idea what to do with his hands.

He stood there with his arms plastered straight down at his sides until Jill stripped off her own shirt.

He didn't even have time to appreciate her youthful beauty before she grabbed his hands and placed them on her breasts.

Guy was quite surprised by the way they felt.

He thought they would be soft and squishy.

But they were firm and tight.

He decided he could figure what to do from that point on.

She laughed and giggled as he began to kiss her on the neck.

"Finally!!" She told him, "I get a sign of life from you."

They had sex alot after that.

Still, Jill was the one who always initiated it.

Guy told her he didn't want her to feel like he was using her.

She lifted one eyebrow and said, "But I want to be used by you."

Their first Christmas holiday, her parents invited Guy to spend a weekend at their cabin in the mountains.

It was more like a mansion in the mountains to Guy.

It was a two-story log cabin with a pool, a jacuzzi, a bowling alley and its' own theater.

There were animal heads from trophy hunts hanging all over the walls.

Guy had never seen such a place.

"Do you hunt much, Guy?" her father had asked.

"No sir," Guy admitted, "I never have."

"Well we are going out tomorrow morning early," Jill's brother, Nicholas, told him, "Why don't you come too?"

Guy looked to Jill for the appropriate response.

"Don't look at me," she told him, "I am going shopping with mom and dad in the city. And I never get up that early."

Nicholas looked at Guy and laughed.

"Shopping or hunting?" Jill's other brother, Jack, said, "Which one will it be?'

Guy thought both choices sounded awful, but he smiled and said, "Hunting it is."

 

 

Chapter 5

 

 

 

Guy was sitting in the tree stand watching for deer.

He was watching for them through the lens of his camera.

He wanted to photograph them, not kill them.

He understood the need for a civilized program of hunting.

He knew that it prevented overcrowding in the wild animal herds, but it still seemed barbaric to him.

Nicholas looked at him.

"Have you ever used a gun before?" he asked.

Guy blushed a little.

"I've never even seen a rifle before," Guy admitted.

Nicholas smiled quietly.

"I thought not," he said, "You look too...too..."

"Too what?" Guy asked, feeling a little angry.

"Too kind," Nicholas said, "You look like a kind-hearted person."

In the distance a shot rang out.

"Jack must have got one." Nicholas said.

"That's good, right?" Guy asked.

Nicholas didn't answer as his gaze shifted and his eyes widened.

"Look at that," he whispered.

Guy followed his gaze and saw the most amazing buck coming out of the tree line.

"He's gorgeous," Guy said.

Nicholas lifted his rifle.

Guy lifted his camera.

Guy flinched as he waited for the rifle shot.

Nicholas slowly dropped his gun and laid it down on the floor of the stand.

"Why didn't you shoot?" Guy asked.

Nicholas looked at him.

"I couldn't shoot that animal with you sitting there looking all disapproving and everything."

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." Guy stammered.

Nicholas looked back toward the buck.

"Did you get your shot?" he asked, indicating Guy's camera.

"Yes," Guy said.

"Good," Nicholas told him.

"That was a very kind gesture," Guy told him.

Nicholas shrugged and stood up.

"Let's go see what Jack shot," he said.

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

 

 

 

Back at the cabin, Jack was cleaning and gutting his kill.

He asked Guy if he wanted to watch, but Guy politely declined his offer.

He was just sitting alone in his bedroom when Nicholas knocked on the door.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" he asked Guy.

"Sure," Guy said, "Come on in."

Nicholas sat down in one of the chairs as Guy closed the door.

"What are you doing with my sister?" Nicholas asked.

"Excuse me," Guy said, starting to regret closing that door.

It was not in his plans to get beaten up by the older brother.

"My sister," Nicholas said, "She isn't anything like you. You don't belong with her. Are you just after her money or what?"

Guy was completely taken by surprise.

"I...didn't know she had money," he said, "And if I did...it wouldn't have made a difference. I like her."

Nicholas smiled.

"I don't want to see her get hurt," he said.

"Neither do I," Guy told him.

Nicholas sat forward in his chair.

"Here's the situation then," he said, "She and my parents won't be back until later tonight. By then I want you to be gone."

"What?" Guy couldn't believe his ears.

"Gone," Nicholas repeated, "I don't want you here when they get back."

"But why?" Guy asked, "What did I do?"

"It isn't what you have done," Nicholas said, "It is what you are going to do, if you stay around."

Guy stood up and walked toward him.

He wasn't a particularly brave person and he hated confrontation, but he didn't like being treated this way either.

"Listen," he said, shaking a little bit from sheer fear, "I haven't done anything. I am a decent person. Your sister is a wonderful girl."

Nicholas stood up as well and stared at Guy.

"I thought we were friends," Guy continued, "All these months...we went to football games and movies. You and Jack and me and Jill. We hung out and spent time together. I've never treated her with anything but respect."

"Don't make me do something I will regret," Nicholas told him.

"Like what? Make up some lies about me cheating on her or something?" Guy asked.

Nicholas just looked at him for a long time.

Then he turned around and started to walk toward the door.

"Answer me, dammit," Guy said, in a low but firm voice.

"I won't have to make up lies," Nicholas said.

"What do you mean?" Guy asked, "I've never cheated on her."

"No," Nicholas said, "But you are about to."

Guy narrowed his eyes.

"I don't understand," he said, even though he did understand completely.

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

 

 

It took Guy several weeks to muster the nerve to tell Jill that he wanted to end their relationship.

When he finally did tell her, she took it well.

"No big deal," she said, "I had a great time. My parents will be crushed though. They thought you might tame me a bit."

Guy smiled at her.

"Don't let anyone tame you," he said, "You are perfect just the way you are."

"Oh don't worry," she said, "Once a wild child...always a wild child. Life is for living, isn't it?"

He kissed her on the cheek and she wiggled her fingers at him in a sly way as she walked away.

Guy felt sure that she would be fine.

 

Nicholas appeared at the door of his dorm room two days later.

"So, you finally did it," he said.

"You should be happy," Guy told him, hatefully.

"I am," Nicholas said.

"Then why are you here? Did you come here just to gloat or to rub it in or what?"

Nicholas shook his head.

"Do you want to go to the city and get a bite to eat?" he asked.

Guy looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Why would I want to go anywhere with you?" he asked, in a strident tone.

"Just to show that there are no hard feelings," Nicholas said.

"Go to hell," Guy told him, turning away, "And get out of my room now."

Nicholas didn't move.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked.

"Yes," Guy said, "Get out."

Nicholas turned to go and Guy heard him open the door.

"Last chance," he said.

Guy turned around slowly and looked at Nicholas.

"What is your problem?" he asked, in a soft voice.

"My problem is you," Nicholas said.

"You are rid of me now," Guy told him, "Jill and I are over."

"That may be so," Nicholas said, "But I am not rid of you."

"What does that mean?" Guy asked.

"I will never be rid of you," Nicholas said, "I haven't had a moment's peace since the first time Jill brought you home and I suspect I won't have a moment's peace again."

"I don't understand," Guy said, but he knew he did.

Nicholas closed the door and walked back to Guy.

"I am hopelessly in love with you," he said.

 

 

 

Chapter 8

 

 

Guy graduated from boarding school and soon after moved to London.

He studied and practiced his guitar and worked in a bar.

Nicholas was also attending college in London.

He and Guy spent every free second together.

Jill had moved on and was seeing two or three guys, probably all at the same time.

She and Guy often saw each other and had become extremely good friends.

They often met on the weekends to have dinner or just to talk.

"You look incredible," she told him.

"Thanks," he said, "So do you as always."

"Yeah, but something about you is different," she said, "You sort of glow and sparkle."

Guy laughed in his embarrassment.

"Are you seeing someone?" she asked.

Guy blushed.

"Aha!" Jill said, "So you are!! Good for you!!"

"Can I tell you the truth?" he asked.

"Of course," she said.

"It's kind of complicated," he began.

"No it isn't," she interrupted, "You and Nicholas? Right?"

Then she laughed at the shocked look on Guy's face.

"Don't worry," she said, "I don't care and I won't tell anyone."

"It isn't like that," he said.

"Oh no?" she asked, "I think different."

"Really," he said, telling the truth, "We just like to spend time together."

"You haven't...." Jill was never one to use polite terms and Guy was not interested in what her next words might be.

"No!" he said.

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"I don't know," Guy said, nervously tapping his beer mug, "We both just seem to be too afraid, I guess."

"Of what?" Jill asked.

"Well it isn't like either one of us have experience at this," Guy said.

Jill shrugged.

"Did you learn nothing from me?" she asked, "One of you just has to make the first move."

Guy smiled as he remembered her first brash move.

"He says he loves me, you know," Guy told her.

Jill smiled a sweet smile.

"Well then I am sure he does," she said, "Nicholas has never been the flighty type, unlike me. If he said it, then he means it."

"Does this bother you at all?" he asked.

"Not in the least," she said, "I just want everyone to be happy."

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

 

"Hey," Nicholas said, looking surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"You don't mind, do you?" Guy asked.

Nicholas smiled as he walked to Guy.

"No," he said, sliding his hand behind Guy's neck," That's why I gave you a key."

Guy kissed him gently.

"I made dinner for us," he said.

"Well, okay, I ordered dinner for us and picked it up," Guy corrected as he saw the look of surprise on Nicholas' face.

"Wow," Nicholas said, "That's wonderful."

"Taste this," Guy told him, holding an appetizer up for Nicholas to eat.

"That's wonderful," he said, "I am starved."

They talked as they ate.

They told each other all about their day like usual.

"My history class is a bitch," Guy complained.

"So is my physics class," Nicholas told him.

"I got some great tips at the bar this afternoon," Guy said.

"My parents are coming to the city tomorrow,"Nicholas said.

"Oh," Guy said, "I guess that is my clue to get lost, huh?"

"Not necessarily," Nicholas said, "They know we are friends."

Guy looked at him and thought back to his conversation with Jill.

"I'm not your friend," he said.

Nicholas looked up.

"You aren't?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not just only your friend," he said.

"I know that," Nicholas said, smiling.

"What I mean to say is...I love you."

"You've never said that before," Nicholas said, staring at Guy.

"I know," Guy said, fidgeting in his chair, "And I should have. All these months and I should have."

Nicholas leaned across the table and kissed Guy.

It was a short sweet kiss like usual.

"No," Guy said, when Nicholas started to move away.

Nicholas looked at him.

"Not this time," Guy told him as he pulled Nicholas closer.

"You do know where this is going to lead, don't you?" Nicholas asked, as Guy kissed him gently on his throat and neck.

"Yes," Guy said, "And it is about damn time, don't you think?"

Nicholas laughed a hearty laugh.

"Yes," he said, standing up and pulling Guy after him.

 

 

 

Chapter 10

 

 

 

Two weeks later Guy was working at the bar when Jill came rushing in.

Her face was flush and her eyes were wild.

"Guy....you have to come with me NOW," she said, pulling on his arm.

"I can't leave. I am working," he told her.

"You don't understand!!" she said, crying and gesturing wildly, "My parents.....Nicholas...."

Guy's heart rose into his throat.

"What about Nicholas?"he asked.

"My parents....they found out....about you and Nicholas....and now....they are at his place. You have to come!!!"

Guy took off his apron, threw it on the floor, jumped over the bar and left with her.

 

As they entered the apartment building, they heard screaming and yelling.

"Oh no," Guy said, flying up the steps with Jill close behind.

"I am not going!!!" he heard Nicholas yelling.

The door to the apartment was open.

Guy took a deep breath before he looked into the room.

But he still was not prepared for what he saw.

Jill's parents were standing in the room, both stone-faced.

Nicholas was standing with his hands behind his back, a large, guard positioned on either side of him.

"Guy," Nicholas' eyes showed extreme fear, "Go away, Guy," he said.

"No," Guy said, walking into the room, "I'm not going anywhere."

He tried to walk to Nicholas but one of the men stopped him.

"Take him now," Jill's father said, to the two men, indicating Nicholas.

They each took one of his arms, but Nicholas tried to move away from their grasp.

"Where are you taking him?" Guy asked.

"That's none of your business," the father said.

"Some place where he can get the help he needs," Jill's mother said.

"What kind of help?" Guy asked.

"They are taking me to a hospital," Nicholas told him, "They are committing me to a mental institution."

"What?" Guy asked, "Why?"

"Because I am a freak," Nicholas screamed, "I am a freak because I love you and they want to "fix" me."

The rage and fear rose up in Guy and he attacked Jill's father.

"You son of a bitch," he growled.

The last thing he heard before the guard hit him was Nicholas yelling his name.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 11

 

 

Guy woke up hours later with a terrific headache.

He could hear the sound of quiet crying.

When he moved just a little, Jill appeared at his side.

"Thank God you woke up," she said.

The previous nights' events came crashing back to him.

"Where's Nicholas?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, wiping tears from her cheeks, "Those men took him somewhere."

Guy started to stand up, but couldn't.

"Don't," Jill told him, "Those men hit you pretty hard."

"I have to find Nicholas," he said.

Jill was shaking her head.

"There's no way to find him," she said, "My parents....they know everyone.How do you think they got a judge

to sign off on a committment order? My dad is a powerful man."

"I have to find him," Guy said, "I have to find a way to save him."

 

Guy never saw Nicholas again.

He tried many times to find him.

Jill's father had him arrested on several occasions because he threatened his life.

But one day Jill showed up.

"I got a letter from Nicholas," she said.

"Where is he?" Guy asked.

"I don't know," she said, handing Guy the letter in a plain envelope.

There was no address or postmark.

"It was just slipped under my door," she told him.

Guy opened the letter and read it.

"What have they done to him?" Guy asked, as he read the letter.

"I don't know," Jill said.

"It sounds like it was written by a five year old," Guy said, starting to cry.

"I'm so sorry," Jill said, crying too.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Guy asked, "The Nicholas that we both loved. He's gone. Those bastards...They've destroyed him."

"Yes," Jill said, as she embraced Guy, "He's gone."

 

 

 

Chapter 12

 

 

 

Present Day

 

 

"So," Guy said, looking at Jill, "Why bring the charm to me now?"

Jill looked as if she might cry.

"When mom died, I was going through her papers and I found out where Nicholas is," she said, "I thought maybe you would want to know. It's been a long time and I wasn't sure if you still cared or not. That's why I just left it at your door. I knew if you wanted to know you would come here and if you didn't show up, that was okay too."

"Of course, I want to know," Guy said, "I never got to say good-bye."

She smiled at him.

"Come on. I'll take you to him," she said.

 

"I was so sure I would be able to give this back to him one day," Guy said, holding his half of the heart charm as they walked.

"I think he thought the same thing," Jill said.

"It was kind of you to take care of them for us all these years," Guy said, looking at her with genuine gratitude.

She laughed.

"I remember the day Nicholas bought them. He told me about it and I thought it was the silliest thing I had ever heard of," she said.

Guy laughed.

"It was silly. And it was cheesy and it was...." his voice cracked a bit, "And it was the sweetest thing ever."

"Here it is," Jill said, stopping in front of a granite marker.

Guy stood still as he read the name and the dates.

"Did they ever find out why he died?" he asked.

"Not really," Jill said, "It might have been the drugs or the treatment. God knows what they did to him in that place."

"He was everything to me," Guy said.

"And you were everything to him too," Jill said.

Guy knelt down in front of the marker and placed his hand on Nicholas' name.

"I love you, Nicholas," Guy said, "I will always love you."

 

 

 

THE END

SPRING & WINTER

chapter 15

 

A sort of long chapter! :o

 

 

 

 

The next evening, I was still deeply distressed by what my mother had asked the previous day. After she had crossed that particular line, I had excused myself very quickly and ran into the confines of my room. There I had stayed until the morning. My mother seemed to realize that she had upset me, so she kept her distance at breakfast and lunch. Now it was time for dinner.

 

We had just sat down at the table when the smell of roasted chicken and rosemary slapped me across the face, making me realize how hungry I was. But, the moment I got excited about the prospect of eating, Mrs. Bennett rushed into the room, red in the face. “A man is here, from the Berryman household…he says there’s been an accident!”

 

My mother’s jaw dropped in surprise, and my eyes widened in shock. “What?” I choked out. “What kind of accident?”

 

“I don’t know, he didn’t say. But he did request that you come with him, as you are a physician.”

 

So it was a physical accident, of course. What other kind could it be? My throat was tight with fear and apprehension as I threw down my napkin and pushed myself to my feet. All thought of food had been completely banished from my mind, and all I could think about was what might have happened to Guy…or whomever had been hurt.

 

“Did he say who had been injured?”

 

“Yes, he did. It’s the young master Berryman, it is. But he did say that it wasn’t as serious as it could have been, and that it isn’t life-threatening.” Right after she finished, I asked William (he’d appeared from the kitchens to see what the commotion was about) to fetch my medical bag from my study. Without questioning, he ran up the stairs and disappeared down a darkened hallway.

 

“Thank you, my friend,” I murmured quickly as he returned.

 

“So it’s not life threatening,” I repeated to myself, my voice trembling. “Wonderful.”

 

The carriage ride was bumpy and a bit too fast for my liking, but I managed to keep my anxiety at bay by replaying Mrs. Bennett’s words over and over in my head. Not life threatening. Not as serious as it could have been. There were about seven miles between our estates, but the road seemed to drag on forever.

 

When the manor finally began to come into view, I felt my eyes widen, but my surprise seemed dull. Their home was…a chateau. It was beautiful, elegant, and really quite large. The family was obviously quite a bit richer than mine was. The outside walls looked like stone, but I couldn’t be sure through all the darkness. Everything was silent except for the hammering of horses’ hooves against the pathway, and the soft sounds of crickets singing and water trickling. Nothing sounded out of the ordinary.

 

As I stumbled out of the damned carriage, I was caught off guard by how fragrant the area was. I detected the faint scent of herbs and spices, being carried across the cool breeze. Perhaps someone had just been cooking, or there was some growing…somewhere.

 

The servant who’d driven me over beckoned me up the stairs as another rushed to get the horses. Inside, the house was just as impressive as the exterior. And it was surprisingly bright. There were many lamps, fireplaces, and candles that were alight.

 

Eventually, I saw him. Guy was lying on one of the couches in the living room, spread out from one end to the other. He had propped himself up on one elbow, and was holding a large glass of golden-colored liquor. His face was pale, and sweat glistened on his brow. Apart from that, he looked all right. “What happened?” I asked, looking from him to the mass of people surrounding the couch.

 

Guy appeared deeply embarrassed, and partially annoyed. “I didn’t want them to call you,” he said quietly, glancing at his father.

 

“But I thought it would be best,” said the older man, his handsome features marred with worry. “You have been complaining nonstop until now, when Martin walked in!” Guy’s lips drew back slightly, baring a few perfectly white teeth.

 

“I was in pain; I apologize.”

 

“What seems to be the issue, friend?” I asked, receiving my bag from the coachman.

 

“It’s…”

 

“His ankle. He said it feels like it’s broken,” said a man I believed to be his brother.

 

“It’s feeling better now,” he snapped, throwing a glare at the younger man. However, when I knelt by the couch, he winced and followed my movements carefully. I risked a quick glance into his face, and I was surprised to see his eyes so narrowed.

 

“Relax,” I said smoothly. “Sprained joints are often misleading. I’ll have a look.”

 

Noticing that he was about to swallow another mouthful of the liquor, I frowned. “That’s not a good idea. I suggest you hold off.”

 

Guy gave me a piercing look, but finally held out the drink for his brother to take. “Enjoy it,” he laughed weakly.

 

“How did this happen?” I asked, staring at his leg.

 

“I fell off my horse.”

 

“On purpose, I take it?” Obviously I was joking, but instead of answering, Guy merely twitched nervously.

 

By the time I finished examining and treating the sprained ankle, I felt the need to run outside or bury my face into a pillow and scream. I managed to keep myself cool and collected like a proper practitioner of medicine, but being so close to Guy was difficult.

 

“I should be going back soon…” I managed to say.

 

“Nonsense,” Guy interjected quickly. “I need you. Or…I mean, I need you to…What if it gets worse?”

 

I could barely form words. “It won’t, as long as you keep it, you know…elevated.”

 

“Stay,” was all he said.

 

“All right,” I agreed. I was unable to refuse. Besides, he was a patient.

 

 

 

:surprised:

All You Ever Wanted

1

 

 

"Wake up, Chris Martin," a monstrous voice demanded. It was pitch black- 2:00 A.M., in fact- and Chris was peacefully sleeping until someone (or something) jabbed its finger in his arm. "Wake up!"

 

Chris swatted at the thing and grunted. Then his tired mind awoke, and he opened his eyes to see a familiar purple face with giant eyes that were staring into his soul.

 

"Retaw?!" he nearly screamed, until he remembered that Jonny was still sleeping next to him. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

 

"I have a mission for you," Retaw replied, not bothering to quiet down. His giant eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, but the same was not true for Chris.

 

"No, no more missions. Please!" he added, and turned onto his other side, facing away. Retaw didn't take the hint, and he jumped into the space between Chris and Jonny.

 

"Please, Chris Martin? It's not the same sort of mission, I promise," he pleaded. "It will be fun, not like last time at all."

 

Chris sighed and whispered, "Will you sit somewhere else? You're gonna wake up Jonny."

 

"I'll move if you say yes." Retaw's shining eyes were glossed with hope, and a pleasing grin was dancing upon his purple face. Chris carefully weighed his options.

 

"Fine," he groaned, throwing the blanket off his body and standing up. "Come on, you can tell me about it out here."

 

In his tired and agitated state, Chris charged into the kitchen, pulled a cup from the strainer in the sink and filled it with tap water. Retaw tailed him closely and watched with his giant, hopeful eyes. Chris pulled out two chairs that had been shoved in the corner, but Retaw chose to hop on top of the counter. The action placed him at eye level with Chris.

 

"So, you'll do it?" Retaw grinned. Chris had never really noticed how creepy Retaw could be. It had always been hard to see him from such a high angle, but now Chris could see that not only did his eyes take up two-thirds of his face, his mouth did almost the same. Looking at Retaw was almost like looking at some sort of illusion.

 

"What's 'it', exactly?" Chris asked, sipping his water. Though Retaw was a kind alien, Chris really did not want to help him again. The last time was a near disaster, and Jonny had almost been killed. Although, Retaw did say it wouldn't be like last time.

 

"Help me," Retaw answered. He stood still, smiling, teasing Chris with vagueness.

 

"With what?" Chris was drawing closer to the point of annoyance where he would throw the cup over his shoulder and grip his hands around Retaw's neck, if he had to. It wasn't a place he wanted to be.

 

"Blending in. I want to be a human, like you and Jonathan!" Retaw jumped to the floor and began to dance in circles. Chris thought it was a bit odd for him to do such a thing.

 

"You want to be a human?" Chris bit his lip to smother the laughter that was bubbling inside of him, and instead decided to amuse Retaw. "All right, but aren't you a bit short? People will notice that."

 

"Oh, that's not a problem!" Retaw stopped his movement and closed his eyes. He was like that for several moments, and Chris noticed no change whatsoever until he blinked. Then, suddenly, a six-foot Retaw was standing in front of him.

 

"Whoa, how did you do that?" Chris asked with wide eyes.

 

"It's not hard," Retaw chuckled. "I can change my height whenever I like."

 

"How come you've never done that before?"

 

"Because, Chris Martin, I have never needed or wanted to. Now, will you teach me to be human?" Retaw asked. Chris set his cup down on the counter and dragged his hand over his eyes.

 

"How about tomorrow? I need to go back to sleep," he said, stifling a yawn. For a moment, Retaw looked shocked, then pleased as he nodded his head.

 

"Tomorrow shall be excellent!" he beamed. "Shall I be staying here with you and Jonathan?"

 

"Um, I guess. The couch in there pulls out into a be-" Chris began, gesturing towards the living room, but Retaw had run off to God knows where. Chris tried to remain calm, and decided the best way to do so would be to stop caring and return to bed. Of course, who should happen to be laying in his spot but Retaw, who had even gone as far as placing the blanket over himself. Chris repressed the urge to smack Retaw, and said, "Get up! That's my spot."

 

Retaw frowned slightly, then obeyed Chris's order. He laid down on the floor and cradled his head in his hands. "I will sleep here, then," he muttered, and closed his eyes. Chris took one quick look at him, making note of how crazy he was, before drifting back to sleep.

 

-

 

Chris opened his eyes and looked down at the floor. To his surprise, the floor was empty.

 

"Oh, God," he said, a little too loudly.

 

"What is it?" Jonny sleepily mumbled.

 

"Retaw's gone." Chris scratched at his scruffy chin, and he felt Jonny move in the bed.

 

"What?" Chris turned so that he and Jonny were facing each other.

 

"Retaw... he was sleeping on the floor," Chris replied, finally aware that Jonny had no idea what he was talking about. Jonny propped himself up on his elbow and stared questioningly at Chris.

 

"Retaw? Chris, that was, like, two years ago," Jonny said, a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you feeling OK?"

 

"He was here last night. He woke me up for some stupid mission thing." Jonny furrowed his brow, then placed his free hand over Chris's forehead.

 

"Hmm, you don't feel feverish," he said. "Maybe it was just a dream?"

 

Chris sheepishly looked away. He hadn't considered the possibilty that it was all just some weird dream. After all, it had been two years. Why would Retaw suddenly pop up now?

 

"Sorry for waking you," he said quietly.

 

Jonny shook his head and said, "You didn't wake me up. Plus, I'd better be getting ready for work soon."

 

"Oh, right," Chris halfheartedly smiled. He and Jonny had worked together in the same office at one point, but due to a rule forbidding interoffice relationships, they were forced to either leave or split. The second option was null, so Chris ended up quitting. He wasn't too upset to leave, especially since he thought his new job stocking shelves in the grocery store was fairly enjoyable, though he did miss his old coworkers. "Say hi to everyone for me, yeah?"

 

"Chris, I always say hi to them for you."

 

"Good, keep the tradition going." Jonny laughed and kissed Chris.

 

"I'm gonna make some coffee, do you want any?" Jonny asked as he got out of the bed and began to leave the room.

 

"Yes, please," Chris answered. As soon as Jonny had disappeared, he began to think back on the night. It felt real; it didn't seem like a dream at all. And why would he suddenly dream about Retaw? That was actually just as peculiar as the thought of Retaw visiting them out of the blue.

 

Then, from what was presumably the kitchen, a startled scream penetrated the walls. Chris jumped up and ran to see what was the problem. As he reached the room, he heard Jonny speaking with someone.

 

"Why?" Jonny was asking. Chris slowed his pace and peered into the doorway.

 

"Chris Martin is going to help me become human, he promised," Retaw replied, beaming.

 

"Why would you want to do that?"

 

"I want to stay here on Earth." Retaw's smile faltered. He continued, "Because I missed you two."

 

Chris involuntarily let out an, "Awww!" and unintentionally made his presence known. Retaw looked over at him, his smile returning as he waved.

 

"Good morning, Chris Martin!"

 

"Good morning, Retaw," Chris replied, making his way into the room. He leaned over to Jonny and whispered, "And you thought I was crazy."

 

"Yeah, sorry about that," Jonny whispered back. "So, Retaw... you're gonna be human, then? Is that why you look so... tall?"

 

"It sure is! I even tried to fix my face a little this morning," Retaw said, pushing his cheeks back with the tips of his fingers. "It appeared that my eyes were far too large for a human."

 

"You can say that again," Chris muttered.

 

"Even compared to yours, they are large," Retaw laughed, and Chris was unsure of whether or not that was supposed to be an insult, so he brushed it off.

 

"Do you drink coffee, Retaw?" he asked. "Jonny was just about to make some."

 

Retaw immediately opened his mouth to reply, but he stopped himself. He thought for a few moments, then asked, "Is that a human thing to do?"

 

"Sometimes," Chris shrugged. "Not everyone drinks coffee."

 

Retaw sighed in relief and wiped his brow. "OK. No, thank you."

 

Chris chuckled to himself and turned to Jonny. Jonny raised his eyebrows in a way that said, We need to talk, and Chris nodded.

 

"Retaw, would you mind waiting out in the living room?" Chris asked. "I'll be out in just a few minutes, and you can watch TV, if you like. It's a pretty human thing to do."

 

"Gladly, Chris Martin." Retaw nearly skipped out of the room, and Chris had to contain his laughter for what seemed like the eightieth time.

 

"You're really gonna teach him to be human?" Jonny laughed, messing with the coffee pot.

 

"I guess so," Chris replied, leaning his back against the counter. "It should be... interesting."

 

"To say the least," Jonny added. "I just hope he doesn't drive you crazy."

 

"I've lived with myself for thirty-four years now, and I'm not crazy. I think I can handle this."

 

"Chris Martin!" Retaw shouted from the other room. "I need your help."

 

"You better go check on him before he breaks something," Jonny said. Chris chuckled and left, dragging his hand across Jonny's back as he did so. "What is it, Retaw?" he asked as he entered the living room.

 

Retaw was sitting like a perfect little child on the sofa, legs pressed together and hands clasped neatly in his lap. It was just the thing to cause suspicion.

 

"Is this how I watch TV?" he asked, staring at the set. It was off, though, and Retaw was merely admiring his reflection.

 

"A little," Chris said, picking up the remote and hitting the power button, "but it helps if the TV is on." The light clicked on, and Retaw was astounded by the technology before him.

 

"Oh, my," he gasped, wide eyes fixed on the screen. "This is marvelous!"

 

"Don't you have TVs where you're from? I remember on the spaceship..." Chris stopped himself from saying, "I was watching the Hills with some other alien dude," and instead said, "... one of the workers was watching TV."

 

"Yes, we do," Retaw replied, "but not like this."

 

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it," Chris said, sitting down beside Retaw. He tossed the remote around in the air. "There's not much else to do around here, really."

 

"This is very educational," Retaw stated. Chris looked at him sideways, eyes slightly narrowed.

 

"iCarly is educational?" he scoffed. "If you say so."

 

"I can learn a lot about humans from this, I think," Retaw added.

 

"I suppose so, but this show is mostly about teenage girls, and their... web-show thing."

 

"You guys are watching iCarly?" Jonny asked as he entered the room, two steaming mugs in his hands. He took the seat next to Chris, then handed him one of the cups.

 

"Yep," Chris answered, taking the mug from Jonny. The two then proceeded to have a silent conversation regarding the sanity of Retaw, put across solely in facial expressions. Chris would raise his eyebrows and widen his eyes, then Jonny would crinkle his nose and his twist mouth to the side. They laughed and laughed, and eventually they had given up the conversation and were just making faces at each other, until Jonny realised that he really needed to get ready for work.

 

"We'll continue this later," he said, winking as he left for the bathroom. Chris smiled, then turned to Retaw, who was studying Chris very carefully.

 

"Is that something humans do a lot?" Retaw inquired, his purple hands still clasped in his lap. "Do those things with their faces?"

 

"Oh, um... well, you know, not all the time," Chris nervously replied. "But sometimes, yes."

 

"When you don't want other humans to know what you are talking about!" Retaw exclaimed, an understanding swelling in his smile. "Very clever, indeed!"

 

"Yeah, indeed. You're really serious about this human thing, aren't you?" Chris nearly laughed.

 

"I want to stay on Earth and be among the humans. I missed you and Jonathan dearly over the previous two years, and..." Retaw looked down at the floor, sadness filling his giant eyes. "Well, I wish to stay here, on Earth." Chris could see Retaw's genuineness, and something got to him.

 

"OK," he said, seriously. "I'm not really sure how to teach you, but I'll try."

 

"Thank you, Chris Martin. Humans chose those who are closest to them to be declared their... 'best friends', yes?"

 

"Yeah," Chris slowly replied. "Why?"

 

Retaw showed a sincere kindness in his smile as he said, "You and Jonathan are my best friends."

 

 

Diagnosis: too much James Patterson. :P

 

Deranged

Part 1

 

 

Chris could feel the adrenaline running through his veins. He raised the knife high above his head and grinned when he heard the cry of terror coming from the woman lying on the concrete.

 

“Help!” she shrieked, her scream bloodcurdling. Chris ignored this, though; he was too aroused. He wasn’t going to let her ruin his fun any time soon. He put a hand to her mouth in an attempt to muffle her sobs.

 

”Could you be quiet, yeah? I don’t want anyone to know we’re here.” Chris looked around the murky alley, checking to make sure no one was watching. He could make out a slight figure shifting in the darkness.

 

Chris sprinted to the person whose face he couldn’t see. The person seemed to shake their head a little, in shock, probably. Chris tackled the man to the ground, and hit him over the head with a nearby hammer.

 

Chris dragged the man a few metres up the alley, and dropped his body adjacent the woman’s. She had tried to crawl away, Chris noticed. Her body had shifted a few inches, but her movement was most likely restricted by the severe injuries she suffered.

 

He decided to stop dillydallying, and searched the ground for his knife. When he retrieved it, he clutched it in his hand, which had started shaking a bit.

 

“Who’s first?” Rhetorical questions seemed like good ones to ask the helpless. They know its coming; they know they can’t stop it. It makes it more enjoyable to see the fear on their faces.

 

“Please…spare us,” gasped the man.

 

“You talk, you die.”

 

Chris let himself get a better grasp of the knife before plunging it deeply into the chest of the man. Blood flowed from the gash, forming a small pool on the cool concrete.

 

The female tried to squirm away, realising her fate. She didn’t get far before Chris dangled the knife over her head.

 

“Don’t.”

 

Chris lowered the knife and looked into the woman’s eyes.

 

“Don’t kill me.”

 

“OK,” he shrugged.

 

“Really?” Chris could see a glimpse of hope in her eyes.

 

He laughed. “What do you think?” Sarcasm, another great tool when killing someone. It plays with their feelings, makes them optimistic. When people are close to death, they don’t bother to listen to tones. Anything that comes out of others’ mouths they believe.

 

Chris lowered the knife into her stomach, stabbing repeatedly and evenly. Hey, if you’re doing something you may as well do it right. The woman turned on to her side and froze. Her blood fell into the man’s, the pool now a large river. Chris grabbed the female’s hand and put it into the man’s.

 

He salvaged his torch. It gave a rather dim glow; perfect, considering he was dead meat if anyone witnessed his wrongdoing.

 

He shone the light over the bodies.

 

Lying on the concrete, fingers entwined, were Britney Spears and Billy Ray Cyrus.

 

A photographer’s dream.

 

 

Deranged

Part 2

 

 

Chris awoke to the sound of birds singing. Sunlight shone through the blinds, and this comforted him. Just knowing that no matter how shady a thing he did in the darkness could be forgotten with the rising sun made him feel better.

 

He rolled over to check the time, and realised Guy wasn’t lying next to him. He had returned home after killing the two celebrities. Guy was already in bed when he got back, sleeping peacefully. Chris just lay down beside him, watching him in his slumber.

 

Chris sauntered to the kitchen, hoping to see Guy there.

 

“Oh, did I wake you up?” Guy frowned. He put down his coffee mug and newspaper and made his way into Chris’ arms.

 

“No. I have to go to work soon,” Chris said. “Hey, can I have some coffee… I’m a little tired.”

 

Guy smiled. “Of course.” He made his way to the kettle. “Guess what?”

 

“What?”

 

“Well, Britney Spears and Billy Ray Cyrus were killed.” Guy shrugged his shoulders, facing away from Chris. “There’s a big conspiracy surrounding it now. The news anchors are claiming they were having a secret love affair.”

 

Chris raised his eyebrows. “Really?” He had almost mastered the art of lying. It’s an essential skill in murder. If you’re being questioned down at the police station over manslaughter, what are you going to say? Yes? Or would you deny it but then crack up into fits of laughter?

 

“Really.” Guy handed Chris a cup of coffee. “They were lying on the concrete in an alleyway off Smith Street holding hands. Apparently Billy turned to Britney after his cash cow daughter Miley was murdered. He wanted to steal her money or something like that.”

 

Chris laughed. “His career is washed-up, I guess,” he said, trying to make light of the situation, trying to be convincing.

 

Guy, on the other hand, didn’t seem to get the joke. “Was. And these celebrity murders are awful. How many have there been in the past fortnight? Eight? I mean, I don’t – didn’t – like Charlie Sheen, but would I go and kill him?”

 

Chris took a seat at the table, being careful not to slop the coffee over the white lacy tablecloth. “If you saw one more episode of Two and a Half Men you would have.”

 

“Your jokes aren’t funny.” Guy leaned against the archway, arms crossed. He checked his watch. “And you better start heading to work. You don’t want to be late again.”

 

Chris downed the coffee quickly and slammed the mug onto the table. “I guess I better.” He walked toward Guy and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you soon,” he said, before heading out the door.

 

Chris strolled to his car, getting ready to drive. Nowhere in particular, in fact.

 

He actually didn’t have a job. Each day he’d drive to Starbucks or the park and sit down, planning who his next victim would be. This usually depended on Chris’s mood. If he was happy, he’d kill an old eighties motivational band member. Sad and he’d execute someone from The Bold and the Beautiful, because that show made him feel so depressed.

 

Today, Chris was sitting in the corner of the jumping castle at the theme park. It struck him as odd that the people in administration would let him enter. He didn’t have any kids with him; he could be a paedophile for all they knew. Or a serial killer.

 

“Excuse me.” Chris raised his eyes from his pad of paper to see a small child standing in front of him. “What are you doing?” asked the little girl.

 

“Making a list,” Chris mumbled. “Hey, what’s your name?”

 

She laughed. Kids – they find almost anything amusing. “Molly.”

 

“Well, Molly,” he said, “what music artists do you listen to?”

 

“I love Daughtry,” she smiled. “And he’s touring here at the moment. I’m eager to see him perform.” Chris was impressed. For a four-year-old, Molly had an unusually wide vocabulary.

 

Chris cringed. “Daughtry, huh?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Thank you, Molly. Why don’t you go back to jumping now?” he suggested.

 

“Okay!” She bounced away from Chris. Molly reminded Chris of a younger version of himself, so energetic and hyper.

 

Chris grabbed his pen and wrote one single word – or name, rather:

 

Daughtry.

 

 

 

One Day Like This

Chapter 14

 

 

Jonny stared off into space, expressionless.

 

That did not go well. I don't understand, what did I do? I thought I was taking a good approach to this.

 

"You didn't do anything wrong Jonny, if that's what you're thinking."

 

Jonny quickly fixed his eyes on Chris, surprised.

 

"Chris, you know me just a bit too well."

 

He rested his head on his hand.

 

"How did this happen? I thought things were going well. Okay, maybe not well, but I didn't think they were going that badly."

 

"Jon, Guy is just sensitive because he loves that girl, I mean Emily; I need to get used to saying that. He probably feels you're trying to keep him from being happy."

 

"I would never do that!"

 

"I know you wouldn't, at least not intentionally. We were simply trying to get him to think things through before making rash decisions. But Jon, I think he's really thought about this, and now he's made his decision. And if we were to keep on like this, we'd be trying to keep him from happiness."

 

He laid his head on the table dramatically.

 

"Oh Jonny, how can we be selfish, and take back our bassist, when he clearly belongs somewhere else? He belongs with Emily, Jon."

 

Jonny lifted up his head.

 

"Hey, did you say 'love'?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"Before, at the beginning of what you said, did you say Guy loves her?"

 

"Oh, well yeah."

 

"I was wrong Chris, completely wrong. You're right. Guy does love that girl, he must. Otherwise, he'd never go to these lengths. But the funny thing is, he doesn't even know he's in love with her. He kept saying he couldn't describe what he was feeling. He obviously has no idea what love is."

 

"Yeah, it's so sweet how oblivious he is."

 

Jonny nodded, silent for a long moment.

 

"Chris I think I may have an idea. I'd never consider this if I didn't think the relationship was really serious. And I think this may be our only option if we want to keep the band together. But....I don't think Guy is going to want to talk to me."

 

"So Will then?"

 

"Yeah. He's our last hope."

 

"OK well let's go talk to him then!" chirped Chris, getting excited.

 

"Alright, but you can tell him about what you said that reinforced Guy's convictions to leave."

 

"Fine."

 

"But Chris, just between you and me, I thought what you said was sensible and sweet."

 

"Aww I love you Jonny-boy!" he chuckled, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Now let's go tell Will of your genius plan!"

 

* * * * * * *

 

"So you're telling me that Guy got up to leave, and you basically told him to go ahead and follow his dreams?"

 

"Not his dreams Will," huffed Chris, rolling his eyes, "his heart."

 

Will sighed and massaged his head.

 

"Well that's just lovely. Jon, why'd you let this idiot talk?"

 

"Well, it was partially my fault too Will. My methods weren't exactly effective. I don't know what I did wrong, but I sure did it. Actually I'm fairly certain he hates me now."

 

"Stop it, you sound like Chris, geez Jon! Now what was this idea you had?"

 

"Oh, well I was just thinking, if Guy cares about her so much, why don't we let her join us on tour as an assistant? I mean, if she wants to of course. If she does, which I think she will, then it works out quite well, because you know we've been needing another assistant."

 

"Jon, that makes a lot of sense. I can't believe we didn't think of it earlier. But we're going to have to get Guy to agree to this. It won't be easy, he can be very stubborn when he's got his mind set on something."

 

"I know Will. And that's why we need you" Jonny replied. "You're the voice of reason, you always have been. You're the only one who can do this. Guy will listen to you, he respects you."

 

"Alright, I'll do it then."

 

"What are you going to do Will?" Chris questioned.

 

"I highly doubt he'll agree to meet me anywhere, so I'll have to go to him. I'll go to his place first this morning, around 8 AM."

 

"Good luck Will." said Jonny sincerely.

 

"You can do it, you're the Champion!" voiced Chris enthusiastically.

 

"Thanks guys. I'll do my best."

 

 

One Day Like This

Chapter 15

 

 

"Please tell me what happened Guy."

 

"Nothing happened."

 

"Don't be ridiculous. I saw the way you came in here. You look troubled. I wish you would just tell me what's wrong."

 

Guy sighed.

 

"Please Guy, I want to be able to help you."

 

He made the mistake of looking into her eyes.

 

"Alright fine. I'll try and explain. But please don't judge me."

 

"Never," replied Emily gravely.

 

"Okay, so I showed up at the bar and joined Jonny and Chris in some casual conversation-"

 

"Chris was there too?"

 

"Yeah." Guy smiled to himself, remembering what Chris had said to him.

 

"Anyways, the conversation took an inevitable turn towards me and my....recent decisions." His face became pained. "I don't know what came over me Em. Jonny was trying to be understanding, but....but....I....exploded on him."

 

"Oh Guy."

 

Emily leaned against him and laid her head on his shoulder. Guy jerked away.

 

"Stop it! Stop.....liking me! Emily, I told him.....to stay out of my life. That....that I didn't...that I didn't need him," he replied shamefully, his voice cracking. "You shouldn't be here, liking me like this. You should hate me; I don't deserve anything more." He broke down, sobbing. "And now I'm crying like a fucking baby! You deserve better Emily!"

 

He jumped up from the couch and made his way to the balcony top the glass doors and out to the balcony. He leaned over the edge and stared up at the sky, drying his embarrassing tears. It was dark and covered in clouds.

 

Perfect. I don't deserve a good view.

 

Emily followed him outside, but he didn't notice her until she spoke.

 

"Listen here Guy. What you did was pretty low; you hurt your friend, and you shouldn't have done it. But I'm not going to let you beat yourself up about it and I'm certainly not going to stop liking you. You're right to regret what you did, but you need to move past it. You can't change it now. But you can move forward Guy. You can fix this."

 

"But Jonny...he...he hates me now....he's got to."

 

"He doesn't! Correct me if I'm wrong, but Jonny doesn't seem like the kind of person to hold a grudge. And he's your friend. He would never hate you."

 

"Yeah, you're right. Buut what am I going to do? I can't face him again."

 

"You're going to have to face him eventually Guy," she replied gently, laying her hand on his shoulder.

 

"I know," he whispered. "But not yet. I need....time. Time to think. I've got some things to sort out."

 

"Of course," she replied in the same gentle tone.

 

"Let's go back inside. I'm tired. And Emily?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Thank you. For everything."

 

He grabbed her and hugged her tightly to his chest. She kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear.

 

"Anything for you."

 

 

All You Ever Wanted

 

2

 

 

"OK, Retaw, let's see it!" Chris said through the bathroom door. Retaw had been in there for nearly an hour, sculpting his face to look as human as possible. Chris wasn't too sure how well it would work, but he figured it couldn't hurt to let him try.

 

Retaw opened the door, and Chris was astounded by what he saw. Despite his purple skin, Retaw looked exactly like any other human male. His cheekbones stuck out a bit, and his jawline was very prominent. His eyes no longer took up two-thirds of his face, rather they took up about a fifth of his face, and left a nice space for his long, pointy nose to fit.

 

"Do I look human?" he asked, a sort of insecurity apparent in his tone. He placed a hand to his cheek, feeling the smooth skin that stretched across his face.

 

"You look very human," Chris replied in amazement. "Except for your skin color. People aren't usually purple, unless you're from Doug."

 

"From Doug?" Retaw dumbly repeated.

 

Chris shook his head, "Never mind. The point is, you should change that. But otherwise, you're fine."

 

"Oh, right," Retaw smiled, and closed his eyes. Slowly, the purple faded to a light peach. "Is this all right?"

 

"That is so cool that you can do that," Chris said. He took a step back and observed Retaw's new face from afar. He was so convincing that Chris nearly forgot he was talking to an alien. "This is amazing, Retaw."

 

"So, it is all right?"

 

"It's perfect," Chris told him. "I mean, you don't have any hair, but that's OK. It works for some people."

 

Retaw smiled, then walked backwards into the bathroom to check himself out in the mirror. "I look wonderful."

 

Chris walked up next to him, clapped him on the back, and laughed, "You might not want to say that too often, people will think you're conceited."

 

"Ah! I will make note of this," Retaw said, lifting his hand and tapping his index finger twice on his temple. "Look, Chris Martin, you've already taught me something!"

 

"So I have," Chris smiled. "And, listen, you might want to stick to calling me just Chris. It's a little weird to call people by their full names all the time."

 

Retaw's face fell a little, and he sighed, "Oh. This might be hard for me." Retaw seemed a little pained, and Chris looked at him questioningly. "You see," he continued, "your name is not one that my people can say. It's hard to explain, but I think you understand."

 

"Not really," Chris said, shaking his head. "And I'm sorry, but if you want to be convincing as a human, you're gonna have to try."

 

"All right, I will try. For you." Retaw took a deep breath, his torso and shoulders rising half a foot as he did so. "Thank you, Chris M-" Retaw caught himself, and bit down on his bottom lip to stop himself from finishing. His eyebrows were lowered and his lip began to tremble. He almost looked like he might cry. They both stood still for a few moments, Chris staring at Retaw, wondering why it was so hard for him.

 

Then, an idea popped out of nowhere into Chris's head. "Retaw, just call me Martin."

 

"Refer to you by your surname?" Retaw asked, a little bewildered. "Isn't that strange?"

 

"No, actually, it's pretty normal," Chris replied. "Like, people call each other by their surnames a lot. It's sort of a friendly thing, sometimes. Plus, Martin is a first name, too, so if someone doesn't know that's my last name, they'll think you're as normal as..." Chris trailed off, looking up ponderously for a few seconds. "I feel like there should be an end to that simile. Anyway! It'll be fine."

 

Retaw's smile returned, and he placed a friendly hand on Chris's shoulder and said, "Thank you, Martin."

 

"You're welcome, Retaw. Oh!" Chris exclaimed, eyes widening and fingers covering his mouth. "We're gonna have to give you a different name, I think."

 

Rather unlike the previous time, Retaw seemed to take this news kindly. "I'd like to be called Walter."

 

"Walter," Chris repeated, tapping his finger lightly on his chin. "I think that works nicely. Plus, it's almost your name backwards. If you took out the l..." Chris's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped. His breath even ceased for a few moments, and Retaw began to wonder what was happening. Chris noticed the worried look on his face, though, and immediately shouted, "Your name is 'water' backwards!!"

 

"Water," Retaw quietly chewed it over. His eyes narrowed slightly, then he opened them back up and smiled brightly. "So it is! How wonderful."

 

Chris merely shook his head in disbelief. "This is wrinkling my brain."

 

"Maybe you should iron it," Retaw said, completely with a straight face. After a short while, though, he leaned forward and whispered, "That was a joke, Chr- er, Martin."

 

Chris stared at Retaw for a few moments, then laughed, though mostly out of his own stupidity. "Good one. Walter," he added, with a wink. Somewhere, a few rooms down, the opening of a door sounded. Momentarily, Jonny was striding down the hallway towards Chris and Retaw.

 

"Hey, how's it going in- Whoa." Jonny stopped and did a double-take. He gave Chris a small nod and said, "Nice work."

 

"Actually, it was all Retaw," Chris smiled. "Who, by the way, is now Walter."

 

"It's fitting, almost," Jonny said, glancing back at Retaw. "I'm sure you'll be a hit with the ladies."

 

"So, how was work?" Chris asked, casually changing the subject. Jonny shrugged to signify that it was nothing new, and Chris chuckled a little. It was one of the things Jonny did that still made Chris's heart flutter, even after two years.

 

"We had a meeting," Jonny mentioned. "I guess tomorrow we'll be introduced to our new supervisor."

 

"What happened to... whats-his-face?"

 

"He got fired or something. I don't really remember. Anyway, this new guy's a real tight-ass apparently. Not really looking forward to tomorrow."

 

"Maybe you could call in sick," Chris laughed.

 

"I don't think that would work," Jonny said, shaking his head. "They might make me meet with him one-on-one. I think that'd be worse."

 

"That's a good point." Chris looked around for a few moments, then asked, "Hey, um, what time is it?"

 

"It was almost five when I shut the car off," Jonny replied. "Work time, huh?"

 

"Yeah," Chris meagerly replied. "There's some, uh... leftovers in the fridge from the other night." Chris looked at Jonny with sad eyes and apologized, "Sorry, I didn't have time to make anything."

 

"It's fine," Jonny shrugged it off. He lifted his hand and grazed Chris's arm. "Don't work too hard, all right?"

 

"Don't worry, I wont," Chris smiled and gently kissed Jonny. "Take good care of Walter," he whispered, making sure to put a ridiculous emphasis on 'Walter'. Jonny silently nodded, they spouted their, 'I love you's , and Chris quickly left. Retaw was still standing in front of the bathroom mirror, admiring his new visage.

 

"Are you hungry at all?" Jonny asked. Retaw stopped his narcissism, and turned to Jonny.

 

"A bit, yes," he shyly replied. It seemed as though something was bothering him, but Jonny didn't think too much on it.

 

"Well, let's go in the kitchen and see what's in the fridge, then." Jonny started to walk, and Retaw soon followed. There wasn't much food left in the fridge at all. Jonny cautiously took out a container with a red top and examined its contents. They seemed to pass whatever test he was giving, so he threw it onto the counter and pulled a few plates out of the cabinet. "Is chicken parm all right?"

 

"Sure!" Retaw chirped, the smile on his face an obvious sign that he had no clue what chicken parm was. Jonny saw it, but he obliged Retaw's affirmative answer anyway. He turned his back and began to dish out the food, so he missed Retaw's change of expression from happy to uncertain.

 

"Jonathan?" he quietly asked.

 

"Yeah?" Jonny answered, not breaking his action whatsoever.

 

"You and M-Martin really love each other, don't you?" Jonny dropped the fork in his hand onto the plate in front of him and turned to face Retaw.

 

"Of course, why?" he asked, finally noticing Retaw's worried frown and frightened eyes.

 

"Do you think I will ever have something like that?" Retaw continued in his quiet voice.

 

Jonny walked over to him, placed both hands on Retaw's shoulders, and said, "Of course you will. There's someone for everyone in this world." Retaw halfheartedly smiled, though Jonny's words really did make him feel a little better. "Now, come on, it's time for you to learn all about the most crucial thing in any human's diet. Leftovers."

 

 

How Long Before I Get In??, part 3:

(props to MILICA for helping me think of my IDEA for doing a CROSSOVER with COLDPLAYING MEMBERS<3)

 

 

So, we had arrived at Genith's House in America. It looked poopy. It didn't smell too hot either.

 

Then, I noticed there was a British man! He was Mark, from Coldplaying.com. "Hello, there, sir," I said politely. "Who are you?"

 

"WHO IS THAT?" Chris asked, beaming. "HI I AM CHRIS MARTIN FROM COLDPLAY HOW ARE YOU DOING?"

 

"Oh, I remember meeting you because I am a total whore who got that SPECIAL CHANCE back in 2009!" said Mark happily.

 

"Oh, I don't really remember," said Chris. Guy slapped him. "Retard."

 

Suddenly, a young man with incredibly sexy hair stepped out of the shadows. "Hello," he said sveltly, "I am Nathan Miller. That is Mark. He is a cünt." He pronounced it like "coont," with an umlaut over the u, so the silly censoring police wouldn't be mad at him. "I am going to beat him up," he said, rolling up his sleeves.

 

"OOH," said Jonny, fetching some Jaffa cake-flavored popcorn. "Sounds HAWT."

 

"Oh dear," said Mark, "that's a really biased thing to do."

 

"I don't give a fuck, you sad little fucknutter," gritted Nathan, and then he took Mark's tennis racket and beat him over the head with it.

 

Then Aaron came in. He couldn't decide if Nathan was being chill and hilarious, or not. So, he started to leave. But then, that Scottish fellow, How You Saw The World, came in, also. It was quite odd.

 

"I'LL SAVE YOU, MARK!" he yelled, and then he started pulling on Nathan's sexy hair. But Aaron decided Hystw was quite annoying, and not chill at all, so he used his strong muscley sexy arms to drag Hystw away. "But wait," cried How You Saw The World tearfully, "I didn't even get a small taste of Mark's penis. Or even his vagina!"

 

"I don't care," said Aaron. "I don't like you very much. Sorry."

 

So they left. All it was now was Nathan beating up Mark. Mark kept ignoring Nathan's punches and calling him a meany, so Nathan was basically winning (it was pretty obvious to everybody but Mark). They kept at it for a really long time, until even Jonny had run out of Jaffa cake-popcorn, so we left them there and went into the house. (It was surrealist n stuff.)

 

But Genith wasn't in the house, sadly. We did find Brookey, though. She had gotten a present of chocolate for Chris. "NOM NOM NOM" said Chris hungrily. He ate it. Then he gave some to Jonny, but decided he didn't want the chocolate in Jonny's mouth, he wanted it in HIS mouth. So they made out for a while while Chris tried to get his yummai chocolate back. (Brooke thought this was delicious.)

 

"I have an idea about where she is," said Brooke cheerfully. "You just have to follow this map. See, you leave this city and go to Antarctica, and then you take a left turn at this ice floe, and then you go north to Uganda, and then skip across the ocean to Las Vegas." She looked quite pleased with her work.

 

"Brooke," I said, "...can't we just take a plane to Las Vegas?"

 

"Um... well... I guess so."

 

"Brooke, you're retarded," said Chris endearingly. "Here, have another harmonica."

 

"Merci pour beucop, and shit!" cried Brooke happily.

 

"Wait," Will said, "Before we leave, I want some sex."

 

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

 

"Um, Will..." said Guy finally, "... uh..."

 

"...see..." added Jonny, "...nobody really likes sex... from... you know..."

 

"You," finished Chris bluntly. The rest of us went "PHEW" really loudly because we didn't want to break it to him. Will sat in a corner and cried. Poor Will, I thought, It isn't his fault he has the smallest amount of fangirls. So I gave him a peck on the cheek, which at least was nothing close to sex.

 

Then Chris said, "Hmm, I would rather like some sex too." He was still munching furiously on his block of Jonny-chocolate. So he had sex with Jonny, because they go really cute together. There was a lot of moaning. (Coz it was sexy.)

 

Then Carlton drove the plane to the driveway, and we got back onboard. But I am leaving all the sexy sex in that trip to the next chapter. ;)

 

 

 

:gorgeous:

For Lizzy.

 

ДPPAЯATJIK

 

 

 

“We need a creative Bandname,” Jonas said.

“It has to be creative… different, you know?” Martin added, pushing his black glasses up his nose with one finger.

“Apparatjik.” Mags turned around from the blackboard he was looking at.

“What?!” three voices asked in unison. Mags watched his bandmates carefully.

“What? What what?? There’s no what. There’s just Apparatjik.” Mags said with such certainty that Guy was creeped out a little.

“What does it even mean? Is there, like, a story behind it? I can’t even say it correctly, Apparat – tchik – it sounds like you just put the words Apparat and chick together!” Jonas complained.

“The latter speaks for Guy…,” Martin chuckled. The next thing he knew was a little colourful rubber ball hitting his head.

“Ow!” He covered behind the backrest of his chair.

“That’s for being an ass,” Guy mentioned rather secondary, because he was way too interested in all the little robots that were walking around him, producing all kinds of electronic and buzzing sounds. He loved the fact that the band, now called Apparatjik, was made out of four random guys with a weakness for crazy little technically things. Every one of them agreed on the rule to buy any robot they see, may it be a little cheep one from a shabby old store, or a kickass expensive one out of a geek shop. If they were taking a walk outside, through the city, no robot was save from them. They got instantly bought and taken to the studio, teamed up together to create a big robot family.

Guy already had a favourite robot, it was a big white one that could copy and mimic human face expressions. It had giant blue eyes, eyebrows and a friendly looking mouth. When Guy was alone in the studio, he oftentimes sat in front of this robot and made funny faces to it, just to laugh at the facial responses the robot gave him.

Mags bought this one, and programmed it to welcome everyone of the band if one of them walked past it. Mags was greeted as “Master”, Jonas as “Neo”, Martin got the name “Snowman” and Guy was just called by his name. Why Martin got such a funny name was still a secret Mags wouldn’t share.

“Apparatjik,” Guy scratched the little stubble on his chin, “Apparatjik it is. Sounds special enough to me”

“A-P-A-RAH-TCHIK,” one of the little robots on the ground responded.

All four men stared at the little metal human that laid one the floor, face to the ground.

“And it already freaks me out,” Guy added, worryingly eyeing Mags.

 

 

All You Ever Wanted

 

3

 

 

 

“OK, everyone, if you could gather around please,” Jonny's boss announced. The office workers all stopped what they were doing and spun around in their chairs. A rather tall man with a shaved head and scary eyes was standing next to the boss. “I'd like to introduce to you your new supervisor, Mr. Champion,” he said, clasping his hand around the new man's shoulder. He pushed Mr. Champion forward and muttered, “Go get 'em, Bill.”

 

Mr. Champion shot him a look as he walked forward, obviously uncomfortable with being called Bill. He cleared his throat as he stopped in the middle of the gathering. “Hello, everyone. As previously mentioned, I'm your new supervisor. Really, I don't think there should be any problems- you all seem like hard workers, eh?” he chuckled, winking at one of the workers. “So, basically, just do your jobs and everything will be fine. 'K.”

 

He flashed what Jonny thought was the most fake cheesy smile ever, and began to leave as the workers returned to their work. He stopped though, and turned around to Jonny.

 

“Um, Mr. Buckland, is it?” he asked. Jonny looked up from his desk to see the new supervisor peering over his shoulder.

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Can I have a word with you?” he said, nodding in the direction of his office.

 

“Um, sure,” Jonny replied, standing up and following Mr. Champion into the room. He had never been in the supervisor's office before, though it was nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he couldn't help looking around as he sat down in the seat in front of Mr. Champion's desk.

 

“Well, Mr. Buckland,” Mr. Champion said, sitting in his own seat and opening a folder that had been laying on the wooden surface. “Mind if I call you Jonny?”

 

“Not at all, sir,” Jonny replied. Mr. Champion smiled.

 

“Right, Jonny... it seems as though there have been some, uh, minor incidents involving yourself and... a former employee. Is that correct?” He put down the folder, placed his elbow on the desk, and rested his chin in his hand as he stared accusingly at Jonny.

 

“Yes,” Jonny said, unashamed.

 

“You were aware that your relationship was against company policy?” Mr. Champion interrogated, not changing his gaze one bit.

 

“Yes.” Mr. Champion let his hand fall on top of the desk and sat back in his chair.

 

“I can trust we wont have any more problems with you?” he said, the cheesy grin returning.

 

“Of course not, sir. I've been here for quite a while and that was the only time-”

 

“Jonny, it's OK. You seem like a very nice man, and I'm sure you're a very hard worker.” He winked in a creepy sort of way that sent shivers down Jonny's spine. In fact, nearly everything about this man gave Jonny a bad feeling. “Keep it up, and there should be no reason for us to chat like this again. You may go back to your work, now.”

 

“Right,” Jonny muttered and he left the room as quickly as he could. As he headed back to his cubicle, the eerie feeling clung to his body, making him twitch with anxiousness. There was something about Mr. Champion that just didn't sit right. It was as if his niceness was all an act of sorts, an attempt to cover his true intentions. It didn't seem as though any of Jonny's coworkers felt that way, though, so after a short while he shrugged it off as him just being paranoid. Which was silly, really, as he actually was a hard worker, and had never done anything wrong with the one exception. He had absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

So, when he arrived home that night, he didn't tell Chris that he thought his new supervisor was terribly creepy. There was no need for it.

 

“He talked to you about us?” Chris asked after Jonny had told him about his day. The two men and Retaw were in the living room, eating the delicious meal of spaghetti that Chris had prepared.

 

“Yeah, he just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to break any more rules,” Jonny said, twirling his fork in the noodles.

 

“How thoughtful of him,” Chis sneered. “Did he act like a jerk about it?”

 

“No, he was pretty cool about it. He seems like a nice guy.” Chris stopped eating and stared knowingly at Jonny. “What?”

 

“You don't think I can tell when you're lying? What did he say to you?”

 

Jonny sighed, “It's not really what he said, it was how he said it. I don't know, he just kinda creeps me out.”

 

“Oh.” Out of nowhere, a loud knock pounded through the room. Chris turned to the door, wide eyed and startled. “Who the hell could that be?”

 

“I don't know,” Jonny shrugged. The knocking was very urgent, and whoever was behind it had the patience of a five-year-old.

 

Chris stood up and walked to the door, saying, “I'll get it.” He pulled back the door to reveal the source of the knocking. In front of him was a fit man about half a foot shorter than Chris, with dark hair, dark eyes, and sunken cheeks.

 

“Hello, I'm your new neighbor,” he said, quite pretentiously. He held his hand out to Chris.

 

“Nice to meet you,” Chris said, shaking his hand. The dark-haired man's grip was firm and formal, and Chris almost wished that he hadn't answered the door.

 

“Likewise,” he droned. He quickly pulled his hand back and pressed his open palm against his pant leg. “Now, I must request that you not be loud and obnoxious and please don't steal my mail.” He spat out every word like it had some disgusting flavor. He nodded his head once, then muttered, “Good day,” and left. Chris watched as the man hastened into the adjacent apartment, then he headed back to Jonny and Retaw.

 

“Who was it?” Jonny asked, casually eating his food.

 

“We have a new neighbor,” Chris replied, taking his seat. “And he seems a little... crazy.”

 

“Oh. Well, that's good.” There was another knock on the door, and the repeated amount of persistence gave the originator away. Chris once more opened the door to find his suspicions were correct.

 

“Sorry to bother you again,” the dark-haired man said with a mock smile. “Do you live alone, or are there other occupants in this...” He paused to search for a word he thought fitting, and settled on, “apartment?”

 

“There are other people, yes. Would you like to come in?” Chris politely asked, though the look of disgust on the other man's face was starting to annoy him.

 

“Fine,” he scoffed, pushing his way through the door. He stopped only a few feet in and squared his shoulders in the most pompous manner possible.

 

“Hey, you two, come meet our new neighbor,” Chris yelled across the room, gesturing to the dark-haired man. Jonny put down his food and tapped Retaw on the shoulder, then the pair made their way to the other two men.

 

“It's a pleasure to meet you,” the dark-haired man said, forcedly. He shook each of their hands, just as displeased as he was with Chris. He pulled down the hem of his shirt as said, “I must be going now.”

 

The dark-haired man headed towards the door, but stopped as Jonny said, “Bye... neighbor guy.” He turned around, a look of horror on his face.

 

“What did you say?” he scolded.

 

“I said bye,” Jonny innocently replied. The other man's expression changed to anger.

 

“You said Guy.”

 

“He said, 'bye, neighbor guy,” Chris interrupted. The dark-haired man's eyes bulged, and Chris thought they might just fly out of his head.

 

“Are you spying on me or something?” he shrieked, storming out the door and slamming it behind him. Moments later, another door slammed, and Chris concluded that the dark-haired man had returned to his apartment.

 

“Oh my God, he's psycho,” Jonny gaped. “Do we really want him as a neighbor?”

 

“No,” Chris answered, “but there's not really anything we can do about it.”

 

Jonny stared at the ground, preoccupied by something. “Do you think it's odd that the two new people I've met today are... well, strange?”

 

“Maybe it's a sign,” Chris gasped. “Maybe... no, I don't know. It is a little odd.”

 

“Perhaps this is the beginning of an adventure,” Retaw suggested.

 

“Certainly a strange beginning,” Jonny said. Chris lifted his arm and placed his hand on Jonny's shoulder.

 

“Well then, my love,” he said, “it will be a strange adventure.”

 

 

It's kind of long...and crap. Sorry :P

 

Deranged

Part 3

 

 

As the waiter strolled past him, Chris grabbed a glass of champagne. He took a seat on the lush sofa next to Daughtry.

 

“Oh, hello. Aren’t you a sexy young thing?” Daughtry winked at Chris.

 

Chris giggled and put a lock of blonde hair behind his ear. It was actually quite easy to adopt female mannerisms, he found. Basic etiquette is a must; flicking your tresses around a little helps. Seal the deal with a jaw-dropping outfit like Chris’s – satin dress, sky-high stilettos, a long-haired blonde wig – and you’ll be set to go.

 

“Thank you,” Chris laughed. “You’re not too bad yourself.” He managed a smile, but he was gagging on the inside. He knew he had to maintain the act, though. It was the only way to lure this idiot to his death.

 

“How’d you enjoy the show tonight?” Daughtry had a mouth full of caviar, but he was still determined to talk. Why would caviar even be served at a bogan’s after party? Chris had no idea.

 

Chris cringed, and said the words he never expected to come out of his mouth. “It was great. You were amazing out there.”

 

“Thank you, darlin’,” Daughtry wrapped his arm around Chris’ shoulder. Chris moved back a little, but, realising he had to act convincingly – as a lady would – he scooted back to Daughtry. “What’s your name, honey?”

 

“My name is…” Chris actually hadn’t thought about names. Chris thought he would just seduce him and kill him. He didn’t recognise that there was another step before the wooing. “My name is Jane.” It was the first one that popped into Chris’s mind.

 

“Jane. Pretty name.” Daughtry’s eyes lit up. Chris didn’t know why, though. Maybe Chris was doing a good job at charming him. “That rhymes!”

 

An awkward smile spread across Chris’s face, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It does…”

 

“I have to write a song about you.” Chris grinned wider, and chuckled a little. “Or your name, at least.”

 

“Well,” Chris grabbed the idiot’s hand, “why don’t you get to know me a little better.”

 

Daughtry hesitated. Why? Chris was smokin’… Well, he thought he was, at least. Chris began playing with his hair; a girly thing to do. “I don’t really-”

 

“Nonsense.” Chris grasped Daughtry’s hand and led him out of the hotel. They kept on walking until Chris came to a stop at a nearby bench.

 

It was dark out, and there was no one around. Chris wanted this though. He wasn’t about to murder someone in broad daylight. Even an infant would know not to do that.

 

“So, how old are you?” Daughtry inquired. “You don’t look a day past twenty.”

 

Chris lay down on the damp grass. “I’m twenty-two, and you should come and sit here with me.” He spread his body out over the lawn to demonstrate its comfort.

 

Daughtry began to bend down. By all the groaning noises he made, Chris inferred Daughtry either wasn’t very fit, or just older than he Chris thought he was. Or a mixture of both.

 

“It’s lovely,” Daughtry murmured when he finally reached the ground.

 

“You know what else is lovely?” Chris looked over at Daughtry, batting his eyelashes like a young schoolgirl. Daughtry returned the expression. “Killing.”

 

Daughtry still seemed to be mesmerised by Chris’s eyes, and he hadn’t realised what Chris had said. This brought Chris some time, which he needed for it to work out well.

 

Chris removed the brown belt from around his waist. He moved closer to Daughtry.

 

“Killing? What?” Daughtry looked around, panicked. Finally he pays attention.

 

“That’s right,” grinned Chris. He put the belt around the idiot’s neck. “You heard correctly.” He took the wig from his head and the heels from his feet off. No need to be uncomfortable.

 

Daughtry’s eyes widened. “You’re…a man.”

 

“A man that’s about to murder you,” Chris corrected. He wrapped the belt around Daughtry’s neck a few times.

 

“No!”

 

Daughtry sat up and grabbed a nearby stick. He began poking Chris with it, but it didn’t hurt him a bit.

 

“Since you’re impatient,” Chris snapped, “you can get the quick option.”

 

Chris opened up his purse and collected the shotgun. He cradled it in his hands, before dropping the rifle onto the grass. Intimidation works fantastically, as well. Just like rhetorical questions, it creates a look of hope upon their faces. But when they reach out for the gun and see it’s already in your hands, the hope disappears. It’s really quite hilarious, Chris found.

 

“Time to die.”

 

And with that, Chris pulled the trigger of the shotgun, leaving a single hole in Daughtry’s head.

 

The idiot dropped to the ground and blood started pouring out of his head.

 

Chris wandered over to the carcass, and pulled out his makeup bag. He grabbed a tube of lip gloss and spread it on Daughtry’s lips. Chris placed the wig he was previously wearing atop Daughtry’s head, and slid the dress on his body.

 

Chris could imagine the headlines already: American Idol Alum’s Secret Double Life.

 

Chris laughed, and grabbed a list from his purse.

 

He crossed off a name. Daughtry.

 

 

 

One Day Like This

Chapter 16

 

 

It was exactly 8AM when Will knocked loudly on Guy's door. He figured, or at least hoped, that Guy would be up by now. He was prepared for this. No crap; he was going to be straight with Guy. There was no room left for another screw up. He wasn't, however, prepared for a thin redheaded girl with piercing green eyes.

 

"Hello Will."

 

At first Will was surprised she knew his name. Oh wait, Guy met her outside the venue, she's a fan.

 

"Hey, um....Emily right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Is Guy around? I really need to speak with him, and I don't have a lot of time, so could you hurry up and get him?" He realized that sounded rude. "Please?"

 

"Yeah of course." She smiled widely and disappeared back inside.

 

She seems relieved.

 

In fact she was relieved. Guy needed to sort things out with the band, and this was an ideal opportunity to do it. Truthfully, guilt was beginning to eat away at her. If it wasn't for her, Guy wouldn't have left the band and the others wouldn't be on bad terms with him. She hated being the cause of their problems. She quickly woke Guy up and forced him out of bed. Ten minutes later, Guy was glaring at Will from across the kitchen table. Will glared back.

 

"Well, I'm going to go shopping Guy. You two work things out while I'm gone."

 

"Okay. Bye Em." He sounded defeated. When he heard the door close he sighed heavily and returned to glaring at Will. "Alright, just spit it out already. Get all the criticism over with already, so I can join Emily."

 

"Guy listen, I'm not here to criticize you. I actually want to offer you a viable suggestion that could solve this entire problem. But, it's kind of a stretch so I first want to make sure that Chris and Jonny's assumption that you love Emily is correct."

 

"What? Why would they say that?"

 

"Hmm, well my first guess was because it's true. But why don't you tell me how you feel?"

 

"I feel that you should stop being so sarcastic."

 

Will sighed. "Okay I'm sorry. However, I would honestly like to know-what are your feelings for her?"

 

Guy shifted in his chair. "I....all I know Will, is that I want to be with her all the time; follow her wherever she goes. I've never felt happier than I feel when I'm around her. And I want to make her happy. And-" He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Even though I've only known her for 2 days I don't want to leave her, ever." Sitting back in his chair with a sigh, he added ruefully "I just wish I had a word, one word-any word to describe what I'm feeling."

 

"Love" replied Will quietly.

 

"I want you to understand Will, I really do. If there was just-"

 

"Love, Guy."

 

"Well what about it!? Can't you see I'm pouring my heart out to you!?"

 

Will resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Love is your one word."

 

"What?"

 

Will could no longer resist the urge; he stared at the ceiling a long moment before looking at Guy once again. "You" he said, speaking slowly "love Emily." Noticing Guy's shocked expression, he added, "I'm surprised you couldn't draw that conclusion yourself. Were you scared by the thought?"

 

"Scared? Yeah right! Why would I be scared of it?"

 

"I don't know, you tell me, since I can tell you're lying about being afraid."

 

"I have nothing to tell you! It's hardly your business anyhow!"

 

"Normally you'd be right, but since your feelings will influence all your decisions about your future in the band, I'd say it is my business."

 

Guy sighed, relenting. "That's true. I'm sorry."

 

"It's alright mate. But really now, why is love such a bad thing?"

 

"S-stop saying that! I never told you I loved her!"

 

"You didn't deny it either."

 

Guy stood abruptly and started to pace about the table. "H-how can you know what I'm feeling? Do you think you know me that well?"

 

"It's clearly expressed by your actions. I'm fairly certain that anybody would be able to tell. Even Chris could tell, and you know how oblivious he is."

 

"Don't be stupid Will!" Guy noticed with surprise that he was trembling.

 

Will stood, and placing his hands on Guy's shoulders, calmly replied "There's nothing wrong with love Guy. Sure, it's a scary thought, but it's also beautiful. And you've got to allow it to enter your life to reap the benefits."

 

"But.."

 

"Listen, just look into my eyes and say it. Tell me you love Emily."

 

"You're right. I do, I do love her. I really do. But what am I supposed to do about it?"

 

"Well there's nothing to be done. You're already together." Guy smiled as though a humongous weight had been removed from his shoulders.

 

"Thanks Will." His smile grew wider as he took in all that had just happened.

 

Will thought for a moment. "Oh, and since you can admit your feelings now, I know that your relationship is truly serious, and so I can tell you my proposition. If Emily would be open to it, we've decided among the three of us that it would be alright for Emily to join us on tour as another assistant. Phil had been talking about getting another one before, and we weren't really into the idea. But this is different, because you know we'd do anything to get you to stay Guy."

 

Guy's face lit up immediately. "Are you serious? You'd actually do that?"

 

"Of course. You're our friend-you're my best friend."

 

"I'm going to hug you now."

 

"Thanks for the warning."

 

 

A Message

 

 

 

(From Jonny's point of view)

 

Time seems to go more slowly these days. I have nothing to look forward to, I usually feel as though I’m waiting for something because, in a way, I am. I never really know what time of day it is anymore. The sun tells me to rise, the moon tells me to sleep. It’s funny isn‘t it? Time used to me so fucking important. Everyday something was to be done on a certain date, on a certain time.

 

“I don’t have enough time right now.”

 

That was the last thing I said to you. I always thought my last words to you would be different. I knew it was coming of course. You had been getting weaker and weaker everyday, but that never stopped you. Coldplay had broken up years ago, but you still wrote. I kept every single thing you wrote, even the things hastily written on napkins that were barely legible. You still had that same goofy smile on your face (I loved your smile). But when you called me and asked if I wanted to visit, you sounded so tired. I told you that you should sleep. I told you that I didn’t have time to see you. The truth was, I didn’t want to see you. you seemed so fragile, you could barely talk. I always loved the way your voice sounded, it was so soothing, but now it was hoarse and came out in whispers. Every time I looked at you, it reminded me our time together was running out and that hurt more than anything. I thought if I didn’t see you that day, I didn’t have to be reminded. It wouldn’t hurt. It’d go away, we would still have more time. It didn’t go away and time ran out. I was always one of the first visitors at the hospital you know. The nurse always let me visit, even when visiting hours were over or had not even begun. I went the morning after you called. She said you were still sleeping. I went to your room. Your chest wasn’t moving. I shook you gently. Nothing. I already knew what had happened. I’m sorry.

 

I don’t care for time anymore. I’m just waiting for the day I finally get to see you again. See you smile and hear your voice. I’ll see you soon Chris. Hopefully.

 

 

SPRING & WINTER

chapter 16

 

...and you actually thought we had left drugged Guy behind in Violent Waters? :P

 

 

 

 

Earlier, Guy had requested that he be allowed to sleep on the couch, giving the excuse that he didn’t want to have to walk up the stairs. I had invited myself to stay with him, and assured everyone else that they could go up to bed. Guy had seemed fine and lucid for the most part.

 

Halfway through the night, however, I began to wonder if I’d given him a little too much medicine for his pain. He’d become quite relaxed, a little sweeter, and very out of sorts. He leaned against my shoulder, incoherently mumbling about how beautiful the fire was. I told him over and over again to stop staring directly at it, but he ignored me each time. “Christopher, I do say...about right there...I wish you would stop doing that...”

 

“Doing what?” I growled, rubbing my eyes vigorously. We were alone, so I didn’t have any qualms about snapping at him.

 

“Stop being so...damned pretty.”

 

My head snapped up so quickly that it hurt. “What?” I gasped, shrinking away. Guy snorted, rather ungracefully, and pinched my cheek.

 

“You’re quite handsome,” he muttered, immune to my internal struggle. “How I wish you were a woman. We could be together, then.” Did he really feel that way about me? Was he serious? I wanted badly to believe that he was, but how could he be?

 

I felt my jaw drop in horror. “I think I gave you too much medicine,” I stammered. Before I could say another word, Guy pulled my head forward and pressed his lips to mine. I was too shocked to do a single thing, but he succeeded in kissing me, even if it was more of a messy, halfhearted attempt.

 

My mind went blank, and for a moment, I was in heaven. Then I realized that the strange taste in his mouth was whiskey. And then I realized that he was kissing me.

 

Finally, I pulled away and pushed him back onto the couch. He just lay there, licking his lips and trembling. “Definitely too much,” I choked out, switching over to the armchair. “Don’t worry,” I continued. “I won’t let anyone know you did that.”

 

Guy groaned. “I would do it again.”

 

“Don’t. You know no good could come of that.”

 

“It felt good,” he protested weakly. His dark eyes were unfocused, and his breathing was a bit quick.

 

“Relax,” I said slowly. In truth, my heart was beating so fast I thought I might explode. But thankfully, Guy was too preoccupied to notice. I ran the scene over in my head a couple of times, and each way I looked at it, the situation was bad. After tonight, I would prefer never to face him again. But then again, I loved him. I had given up on trying to deny that. And on the other hand, he had just admitted that what he felt was somewhat similar to what I did.

 

But there was no future or hope for us; I knew that. Oscar Wilde had just recently been made an example of what would happen to us.

 

By dawn, Guy had finally fallen into a deep sleep. I checked his breathing regularly, and I was relieved to find it back to normal. Apparently, my slight error in dosage hadn’t caused any damage. But I dreaded the thought of having to face him. Part of me still wanted to never see him again for as long as I lived, while the other part wanted to lean over his beautiful form and kiss him gently on the lips. I shuddered and shook my head.

 

“Don’t even think about it, Chris. Don’t even think about it...”

 

Eventually, I sought out his father and excused myself from having to stay any longer.

 

Lucky for me, the elder Mr. Berryman graciously sent for a coach without asking any questions.

 

 

 

All You Ever Wanted

 

4

 

 

 

The minutes slowly ticked by as Chris stocked shelves. Lift up a box. Put it on the shelf. Lift up a can. Put it on the shelf. Lift up a bottle. Put it on the shelf. Every single one was another piece of his soul gone.

 

And nearly every night for two years, this is what he did. It was all dreadfully dull, but by now so much of his soul was gone that he had become numb to it. He was a mindless zombie, replacing empty spaces day after day so that people could get their precious macaroni and cheese. They didn't care about the hard work Chris put into it. But Chris didn't care about them, either. He just picked up another box.

 

This particular box contained white cheddar macaroni and cheese, with noodles shaped like dinosaurs. It didn't make the job any better. Chris put it on the shelf with its brothers, and out of the corner of his eye he saw a tall man walk towards him. Being a mindless zombie, he paid it no attention and simply continued his work.

 

The figure stopped a foot away from Chris and stayed there. Chris kept going while the figure bore holes in him with its eyes.

 

“You're very good at this,” Retaw said. Chris stopped, hand half-way to placing a can of raviolis on the shelf, and looked up.

 

“What are doing here?” Chris said in a hushed tone.

 

“Watching you work,” Retaw innocently replied. “You're very good at this!”

 

“Yeah, well, there's not much to it.” Chris dropped his hand and looked around to see if anyone else was around them. He pulled Retaw closer to the shelf, as though it would hide him if there were other people. “Why are you here? Where's Jonny?”

 

“He is at your apartment.” Chris sighed and practically threw the raviolis onto the shelf.

 

“Why aren't you there with him?” he asked in a stern voice.

 

“He fell asleep.” Chris narrowed his eyes, and Retaw looked at him rather apologetically. “Listen, Chris Martin, I know you love him, but Jonathan is so boring! He doesn't let me watch TV, and he doesn't talk to me, or anything. He just falls asleep!”

 

“Re- uh, Walter, he wakes up at six every morning, and it's, like, eleven o'clock now. Of course he's asleep!” Chris exclaimed. He looked around the area once more. At least Retaw looked like a human now, and not a tiny purple alien. Still, Retaw wasn't exactly close to being ready to go out and interact with other humans. It was late at night, so there were not many people out and about, but there was still a risk of him running into someone. “Can I trust you to get back to the apartment safely?”

 

Retaw beamed and nodded. “Of course, Ch-” Retaw stopped, sighed, and said, “I'll get this eventually. You can trust me, Martin, I will be absolutely safe.”

 

“Please go to the apartment, stay there,” Chris began slowly, then quickly rattled off, “and tell Jonny not to fall asleep on that couch, it's bad for his back.”

 

Retaw looked contemplatively at Chris for a moment, then nodded his head. “Affirmative! Bye, Martin!” he chirped as he stalked off down the aisle.

 

“Bye Retaw,” Chris muttered in a near-laugh as he turned back to his work.

 

Retaw managed to stay true to his word, and entered the apartment about ten minutes after he left the store. Jonny was still sleeping on the couch, and Retaw thought about jabbing him sharply in the side to wake him up, but then he remembered that Jonny and Chris were doing him a huge favor, and it would be considered rude to wake him up in such a manner. Instead, he gently pushed Jonny's shoulder.

 

“Retaw?” Jonny asked sleepily. “What time is it?”

 

“Um... Eleven?” Retaw shrugged. “Chris Martin wanted me to tell you not to sleep on the couch, because it is not good for your back.”

 

Jonny laughed in his half-awake state and said, “Chris is always looking out for me, eh? Even when he's not he-” Suddenly, Jonny was wide awake, sat upright, staring big-eyed at Retaw. “When did Chris tell you this?”

 

“When I went to go see him,” Retaw mumbled. Jonny turned onto his knees, hands gripped firmly on the back of the couch.

 

“You went to see Chris? You left the apartment?” Jonny shrieked. Retaw cowered back a little, eyes big and slightly frightened, and spurted an apology.

 

“I'm sorry, Jonathan, but I was bored and there was nothing to do! You were asleep, and I just thought I'd visit Chris Martin. I promise it wont happen again, I've learned my lesson.”

 

Jonny took one look at Retaw and realised that he couldn't freak out completely. Retaw was still in training to be a human, and honestly, Jonny was most certainly a boring person. He was willing to admit that. “OK,” he calmly replied, relaxing his grip on the couch. “But you better not do that again.”

 

“I wont.” A knock on the door broke up the moment, and Jonny scrambled off the couch and over to the door.

 

The dark-haired man stared viciously at Jonny. “You're making too much noise,” he spat. “Some of us are trying to sleep. Have you no decency?”

 

Jonny stared back at him, unintimidated, when he noticed what the dark-haired man was wearing. “Whoa, whoa,” he said, holding up his hand. “You stomp up to my door in the middle of the night, in your underwear, and you have the nerve to ask if I have any decency?”

 

The dark-haired man self-consciously looked down at his half-naked body. He started huffing, then looked up at Jonny. “I am wearing clothes, you know! It's not my fault you woke me up.” He screamed, and bolted to his apartment, but he stopped halfway and turned back. Luckily, Jonny was too dumbfounded to have moved at all. “Please, keep it down,” the dark-haired man said through clenched teeth. He turned around again, and this time he made the complete journey back to his apartment.

 

Jonny shut the door and walked back to Retaw, still shocked at what had just happened. “Retaw, he's psycho.” Jonny began to laugh, though it was rather nervously. “Completely psycho!”

 

“He does seem a bit strange,” Retaw agreed. Jonny nodded, then placed his hand on Retaw's shoulder.

 

“Come on, man, I think it's time for bed,” he said, leading Retaw to his own bedroom, which had once been a sort of storage room. He and Chris hadn't done much to it, though, just threw down a couple of blankets and pillows, but Retaw was more than pleased with the minor renovation.

 

“Jonathan,” Retaw whispered as Jonny was about to leave the room. “I'm very sorry for leaving. And I'm sorry that I thought you were boring.”

 

“Don't be, I am boring,” Jonny reassured him. “I'm certainly not as fun as Chris, anyway.”

 

“Chris is not always fun,” Retaw said. “He didn't like that I visited him, either.”

 

Jonny stared at the dark space where Retaw was laying. After a few moments he sighed, “I'm sorry, Retaw, for freaking out earlier. You're still new at all this, and-”

 

“Jonathan, you should not be apologizing to me!” Retaw exclaimed. “There is nothing for you to apologize about, I deserved it. I was foolish and simply acting on impulse. If I had thought my idea out for a long time, I would have realised just how foolish it was.”

 

“I guess I shouldn't have fallen asleep like that, too, huh?” Jonny laughed. “Listen, this whole thing... water under the bridge, right?”

 

“I don't know what that means.”

 

“It means we forget about this whole thing, OK?” Jonny said. “It's no one's fault, and it's all in the past now, so it doesn't matter.”

 

Everything was silent for a few moments, but then Retaw smiled and said, “Jonathan, you are all right!”

 

Jonny laughed, said, “Retaw, you're all right, too. 'Night,” and left. Retaw shouted a farewell also, and rested his head comfortably on the pillow beneath him. Although he had acted like a complete fool, Retaw was glad that Jonny wasn't holding it against him. The whole night had been a nice learning experience for him, which he was very grateful for. And soon enough, he believed, he would have enough knowledge to finally be a human.

 

Quick, pointless one-shot! Word count: 666 :shocked2:

 

Like A Virgin

 

 

 

 

 

Guy entered the studio, dressed in black from head to toe. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top and loose, his black pants equally loose-fitting. He looked effortlessly charming, his light skin glowing.

 

Looking up from their instruments, Will, Jonny and Chris all whistled at the same time in the same manner, their eyes transfixed by Guy’s exuding beauty.

 

“Whoa! Someone is begging to be screwed.” Jonny said, admiring his friend’s appearance.

 

“You know what? You’re right.” Guy admitted. “I’m done with that celibacy deal I made with once we started the last tour. It’s over.”

 

“Well, it’s about time. I was getting worried for you.” Will told him. “You have needs, man.”

 

“Geez, Will. Listen to yourself with the encouraging speech…” Chris chuckled. “But yeah, I was really worried too.”

 

Guy was surprised. “My God, you guys need to get a life. Worrying about a friend’s sex life like that is weird.”

 

“It’s not weird.” Chris argued.

 

“Yes, it is.” Guy retorted.

 

“No, it’s not.” Chris insisted.

 

“Stop that, ladies.” Jonny raised his voice. Chris and Guy kept looking at each other, glaring, a mocking expression on both faces.

 

“It’s not weird.” Chris mumbled, quietly.

 

“Yes, it is.” Guy mumbled back.

 

“I give up.” Jonny threw his hands up in the air, sighing and sitting down on one of the stools next to his amplifier.

 

Guy and Chris just laughed. “We were just trying to piss you off now.” Chris said, grinning.

 

“Anyway,” Will said “do you have a date tonight?” He turned to the bassist.

 

“As a matter of fact, I do not.” Guy admitted. “That’s why I need you to come with me. I need a wingman.”

 

“Fine, let me just go by my place to take a shower first.” Will nodded.

 

“Oooh, can I come too?” Chris asked. “Please, please, pretty please.”

 

Guy raised his eyebrows. “Pretty please? Seriously?”

 

Chris blushed.

 

“Okay, you can come. But you have to change.” Guy said, pointing at his clothes.

 

“What’s wrong with these clothes? They’re cool.” Chris said, defensively.

 

“They were cool. In 1994.” Guy said, disapprovingly. “Come on, suit up for once, Chris!”

 

Chris looked down at his outfit and the bright colors screamed at him in accusation. He loved mixing things and he didn’t care if they were mismatched or if they simply weren’t appropriate according to the fashion world. He just went with his mood. And right now, his cheerful mood was being shot down by Guy’s observation.

 

“Look,” Guy said, putting a hand on his shoulder “I can help you with that, don’t worry. But right now, let’s go to your home to see what we can get there that doesn’t say ‘8 year-old’, okay?”

 

Chris nodded his head, relieved. He wouldn’t know what to wear anyway.

 

“Oh, Jonny, I have one thing to ask you, now that you’re the only married man of all of us: Do chicks really dig nerd boys or is that just total bullshit?” Guy asked, his hands in his hips.

 

“Well, from what I know, you know, from the occasional conversations I can’t help hearing, because women just talk and talk and they do it loudly sometimes, oh and they giggle and squeal a lot…” Jonny rambled.

 

“To the point, Jon.” Guy said.

 

“Right. Well, some of them do but it helps if you’re cute. So, you’re fine, man.” Jonny answered.

 

Guy smiled. “Thanks. I was getting worried I’d be dead on arrival.”

 

“Nah.” Jonny shook his head, then snapped his head up with his eyes wide. “Tell them your story and they’ll want to have sex with you even more. I mean, there are a lot of pigs around here. You’ll be like… a virgin!”

 

“And that’s a good thing?” Guy was curious.

 

“Oh man, it’s great! Just say you were waiting for the right person and you got yourself a girl.” Jonny told him, snapping his fingers.

 

Guy nodded in comprehension. “Okay, okay. Now, Will, Chris! Let’s go! We have chicks to seduce!”

 

 

 

 

It's short, but I wanted to update :P Plus, it's relevant.:D

 

Deranged

Part 4

 

 

“You didn’t think you’d end up here, did you?”

 

Chris shook his head, one of the only ways to communicate when your mouth is taped shut.

 

He tried one more time to project his voice through the boundaries of the masking tape, but to no avail. His cries were lost.

 

“Hmm?”

 

The man sat down on a chair opposite Chris’s. His eyes glowed an unnatural shade of red as he raised his arm.

 

“Do you want me to take the tape off?”

 

Chris nodded eagerly.

 

“OK, then. You’ve been a good boy,” the man said. He grabbed onto the piece of tape concealing Chris’s mouth, and pulled it hard, removing a few hairs.

 

Chris gasped. He tried to stand up, but, to his disgust, discovered he was tied to the seat. He sunk back into the chair, hitting his head on the way down.

 

“Th-th-thank you,” Chris managed to blurt out.

 

“That’s no problem, Christopher. But–” the inevitable word; it’s always bound to show up in any conversation “–I need to tell you something first; before I free you.”

 

Chris bit his lip. “OK.”

 

“You need to know that you won’t live much longer,” the man replied.

 

“What?”

 

The man gave Chris a grave expression. “My boss has put a hit out on you,” he said. “You’re going to die.”

 

------------

 

“Guy,” Chris said. “I have to tell you something.”

 

Guy smiled. “Sure, Chris. What is it?”

 

Chris sighed deeply. There really isn’t any gentle way to tell someone you’re going to be murdered. “Someone is going to kill me soon.”

 

He watched a tear form in Guy’s eye. “Really?”

 

“Yes,” Chris said, sighing. “I was held hostage by Samuel L. Jackson today. He told me.”

 

“Look.” Chris rubbed Guy’s shoulder. “I’ve done some regrettable things in my lifetime… But I need you to promise me something.”

 

“Of course. Anything…” Guy left his sentence unfinished.

 

Chris cleared his throat. “My grandfather…He was an assassin. He passed it down to my father. My father…He passed the job down to me. Guy, we don’t have any kids…no one to pass it down to. This is an important part of my family.”

 

“Yes…” Guy was confused.

 

“Will you take over my role?”

 

Guy looked up at Chris. Guy could see the pain in his eyes. “For you… Yes…”