See Me - 4. Chapter 4: Games

Kane sat his lunch tray down and took his usual seat beside Talia and sent an up-nod Liam's way across the table from him. "Now lunch period can really begin." He paused and noticed that Merit was sitting off at a table by himself. "What's up with that?"

Siera frowned. "Just...something happened and he's giving me some space." She looked up. "Don't give him a hard time, okay?"

Liam looked over at Siera with an odd look and then his eyes shifted towards Merit.

"Don't worry...Kane knows if he pulls some stupid shit...I'm going to smack him over the head...and at lunch, that could mean with a lunch tray." She grinned.

"Very funny...not." Kane scowled at the memory. "All because of that..."

"Because of him?" Liam nodded towards the entrance to the cafeteria.

Kane looked up. "Holy hell...and he hasn't left bad boy behind...even though he totally screwed it up." He started laughing.

Merit heard Kane's obnoxious laughter and looked over towards their table, noticing the group and then his eyes shifted towards the entrance of the cafeteria and his eyes slightly widened.

And there Emry came in wearing a pair of black leather boots and faded and washed skinny jeans with rips and tears here and there, on his upper frame was a simple white form fitting tank top, solid at the top but see through along the midriff, and a short black leather biker jacket over that.

He headed over to a couple of outcasts who were known to play chess at lunch every day, and without so much as a falter in his step, he observed the board as he approached. His tongue rolled and he leaned down, from parted lips, a pink bubble bloomed as he took the king and made a move, knocking the queen out.

The bubble burst and his tongue rolled out and circle, taking the gum back in and he grinned, stealing the queen piece. He shifted from his lean and walked around the table and headed over to one of the circular tables in the far corner where Trillian stood up, almost as if in honor of his approach.

Emry grinned and brought a hand around the back of Trillian's neck and he pulled him close and kissed him while sending a foot back, kicking a chair out, letting Trillian go as he fell back into the chair and he clasped his hands over his stomach as Trillian reclaimed his own seat.

"Oh man...Talia...if you don't take advantage of this...man...after all Asia has done..." Kane laughed. "She must of not been putting out!"

"I don't go to Asia's level." Talia shook her head.

Emry grinned at Trillian and his head shifted off to the side, seeing Asia and Miki staring at them and Asia looked as if her eyes could pop out of her head. That was when Emry laced his foot through the strap of Trillian's back pack and yanked it towards him. He leaned down and reached inside, his eyes remained focused on Asia.

"Oh that's it!" Asia stood up and headed towards the table. "Now what the fuck is this?! Fucking around at a party and now humiliating me?!" She looked at Trillian. "And what's wrong with you?!"

"Nothing is wrong with me..." Trillian looked up at Asia.

Emry pulled an X-Box 360 controller out of Trillian's back pack. "Asia...you know...I figured I would give you this..." He held it out. "Since...I got a better joystick to play with and all...Might not be as big...but at least it has two."

Asia looked at Emry. "You do not want to get me pissed off...I'll send you into an attack so fast..."

"Ah..." Emry lifted his other hand, waving his finger at her. "And if I die? Might be considered murder...I'd at least get some legal advice first." He stuck his arm out, offering the controller. "Until then...enjoy."

She glared at him and slapped the controller out of his hand and it hit the wall. She spun around and headed back towards her table.

"Next one...incoming." Trillian said, trying to make his voice sound like it was coming over a walkie talkie, even cupping his hands around his mouth and making static sounds.

"Emry!" Merit walked over. "First! You're lucky she didn't kick your ass! And second...what are you doing?"

He looked over at Merit. What was he doing? Why had he made the decision he made? For the same reason he chose to do what he did at the party, attention. "Well...I was giving Asia new joysticks to play with. Now I'm talking to you..."

Merit started to speak up again until Kane and the others approached the scene and Emry smiled. "Oh look...the whole gang is here." His gaze shifted towards Trillian. "It happened just like you said it would."

"Okay...I still think you're a disgusting fag...so don't take this for more than what it is...but popping Asia with my game controller was the high light of my party." Kane grinned. "Thanks for that...and it got even better once the ambulance shipped you off and away."

"Merit..." Liam looked over at him. "Why are you freaking out? So...he's hooked up with Trillian. Why does it matter to you?"

Kane's attention shifted towards Merit.

Emry's eyebrows lifted and then he narrowed his gaze on Liam and pushed himself up from the chair. "Maybe...he's just protective and...wants to make sure I don't end up face down...and back up so soon in my new relationship." He paused. "That is how you described it, right? Face down...back up?" He looked at Kane. "You're looking at Merit, take a look at Liam."

Kane looked at Emry. "That makes no sense. What? What does that mean?"

Emry stared at Kane and then he looked at Liam. "You explain it...and if you don't make it clear...then I will."

Trillian frowned and that was when he stood up and pushed his way through the group that had formed. "Okay...people back up, you're all up in his personal space."

Liam frowned and an angered look appeared. "We were talking cards." He said.

"Cards...and what positions they could go in...front up back down...or front down, back up..." Emry's grin returned. "And if you decide to just throw them in the air...some might land lips on lips." He shook his head and grabbed Trillian's hand and shoved his way through Kane and Liam as he headed off to leave the cafeteria.

"Emry!" Merit ran out of the cafeteria only to suddenly find a hand grasping his shoulder.

Trillian felt a sudden yank on his arm and he turned around to see that Emry had stopped at the sound of a loud bang. Emry turned around to find Athen had slammed Merit back against the lockers.

"What the hell?!" Lana's eyes widened. "Athen! He's Emry's friend! He got him to the hospital!"

Athen's eyes narrowed and the football star, almost a match to Kane, though he held a candle that was slightly smaller in physical build and stature, released Merit. "Then why the hell was all that crap going on in there?"

"You don't even know what was happening." She sighed, they had only been walking by the cafeteria. Her eyes shifted to Emry. "What's going on?" She looked at Trillian and then down at their hands. "Wait...aren't you supposed to be with Asia?"

"No one is supposed to be with anyone." Emry spoke up. "And what was going on...was I tried so hard to be nice...give Asia some new joysticks to play with, girl has anger management, threw the controller at the wall." He shrugged ever so innocently.

Lana's eyes narrowed. "That has innuendo written all over it."

Emry grinned at her. "Maybe so..."

Athen looked up. "So...what the hell am I doing with this guy?" He asked, his hand still held a bunch of Merit's shirt in a closed fist.

"Uh...let him go?" Lana turned slightly to look over at him and then she looked at Emry. "Okay...this guy clearly likes you, why are you with him? Someone is playing mind games, clearly you are a someone."

"Look...I just realized there are some things that I want to do before I settle down serious...and one of those things is being with a fun guy."

Athen grinned and he looked at Merit. "Walk away...the siblings need to talk."

Merit stared up at Athen and then he looked over at Emry. "I don't know what happened...or what he filled your head with..."

"Hey!" Athen snapped. "I said...go, march...left, right, left, soldier." He let go of Merit's shirt and stepped back.

He glared at Athen and when his shirt was released, he turned around and without another word, he headed back off into the cafeteria.

Lana walked over and she grabbed Emry by the arm and yanked him back and then she looked at Trillian. "You heard him, sibling time." She looked between Trillian and Athen. "So you both can go...or better yet...we're going."

"What?!" Emry looked at Lana when he stumbled towards her. "I'm capable of making my own decisions, mother!"

"Hey, I act like a better mom than our own does, someone has to do the dirty work." Lana lead Emry off down the hall.

Athen watched the two siblings head off and then he walked over to Trillian. "I'm making my mark...and that can be as cryptic and vague as the clouds over the moon or as obvious as the suns light from a clear blue sky...just don't stand in my way." He patted Trillian on the shoulder and headed off in the same direction, though he took his time to keep the distance.

Lana stood to the side as Emry stepped out into the empty courtyard and she let go of the glass door, allowing it to glide shut and she turned around and followed him towards one of the wooden benches. It was a pretty good private spot, no one usually went to the courtyard unless they needed a private meeting spot.

"Okay...so what exactly do you want?" Emry turned around and he looked at Lana.

"First...to know what the hell you're doing." She crossed her arms. "I mean, you run away from home...then move in to this guys house, and I know you like him because I know you that well..."

"First..." Emry interrupted her. "I ran away and moved out because I hate mom." He paused. "Of course...moving away from you and dad was a price to pay, and secondly...high school will be over for you after this year. So what exactly am I supposed to do?"

Lana almost wanted to laugh. "Seriously? Like I'm going to move out of our single-wide trailer and go off to some fancy college? With my grades, I may get a community college at best." She paused. "And sure, I may move out, get an apartment somewhere with Athen."

"It's not the same, all I will have in that place is dad...and he works and then I'll have to deal with our mom alone."

She slightly narrowed her eyes at him. "And you're changing the subject."

He looked up at her. "It was for shock value." He sat down on the bench and sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "I just wanted to have some fun for a while."

"At the expense of your life?" Lana's eyes widened. "You could of died getting in that fight with Asia!" Her voice raised and then she took a second to calm herself. "And you mess with Trillian again?"

"I'm not worried about Asia." He said, looking up at her. "I mean...if she hurts me and causes me to die, she gets in trouble, right?"

"I...don't know how the law goes when it comes to that." Lana said. "I mean...a seizure is a disorder, she technically didn't cause it, she simply punched you, it happened after the act, maybe she triggered it, but she didn't intend to...and she might see it that way eventually."

He frowned and sat back. "I like Merit, I really do and I feel like...in my mind...that's where I should be but...I just feel this pull."

She sat down and grinned. "Oh...the bad boy allure." She nodded. "I know that one...I think it happens to everyone at some point or another, it's the excitement, the adventure."

She looked at Emry. "Truthfully? You're still young, you have so many things to experience and...if Merit cares about you at all, he'll let you go through them, he'll wait, if it's worth that much to him. He has to understand that you have many things to go through, some of which, he might have already been through."

"You think he'll wait?" Emry looked over at her. "Do you think I should tell him that?"

"If it's the truth." Lana nodded. "Tell him, if it's the truth, you need to experience it, you need to go through the stage...and if he cares enough, he will understand. This is the kind of thing he signed up for when he decided to like someone younger than him."

Emry slightly smiled. "Thanks for putting it all into perspective for me, clearing the picture."

"Not a problem, I'm good at it." She wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him forward and kissed his forehead. "Now enjoy yourself, and avoid Asia, I mean it." She grabbed her bag and stood up, heading off and away to leave the courtyard.

He watched Lana walk off, having come into the courtyard from the door on the opposite side. That was when he suddenly leaned in close, his hot breath washing over Emry's ear as he whispered. "So, it's excitement and adventure that you want?"

Emry's eyes widened in surprise and his head jerked around to see Athen standing there. "What...what are you doing here?"

He grinned and sat down beside Emry. "Wondering if you'd be willing to throw a little bit of risk into the mix."

"What do you mean?" He stared at Athen.

His head twisted and he grinned at Emry. "Do I really have to spell it out for you?" He shifted, twisting slightly to the side at the waist, bending his arm and throwing it over the back of the bench. "Sleeping with the girlfriends little brother, it's always been a fun thought, doesn't hurt that you're as adorable as you are."

His eyebrows lifted and his eyes widened. "You're joking..."

"No..." He leaned closer. "I'm not joking." His grin remained. "It's really a compliment, Merit wants you...and you got Trillian wrapped around your finger, hell..technically you have them both. Not many get that kind of luck."

"And you? What am I supposed to think about this?" He asked Athen.

"I don't wrap around anyones finger. I think the idea is fun...and I want to play it out, take the risk, give you the excitement and the adventure...and then forget it as quick as it began." He paused. "Not you...just what might happen, I've always had special feelings for you, as undefined as they are, you are almost like part of the package."

Emry grinned and started to laugh. "Oh...so you want me to be a fetish?" He stood up and tilted his head to the side. "I'll do you a favor...I won't tell anyone this conversation ever existed." He turned around and headed out of the courtyard.

"Nice..." Athen grinned and then it slowly faded when Emry walked off. "I don't give up that easy, if I did...I wouldn't be a very good...challenger."

Asia and Miki walked up to the table and a grin appeared on her face as she fell into the seat across from Talia and Siera. "Sit down, girl." She kicked the chair out next to her as she crossed one leg over the other, watching Miki take a seat.

"What is she? A dog?" Talia looked over at Asia. Kane and Liam had taken off by this point.

Asia looked at Talia. "What do you want her to do? Stand?" She grinned and looked at Miki. "You want to see what I hit that bitch with? My baby got it for me this summer."

"Spring it on me." Miki grinned.

Asia smiled and had a fit of quiet laughter as she dug into her purse and pulled out gold knuckles that had diamonds around the four fingers. Her eyes shifted over to Siera and then Talia as she slipped it on. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Talia's eyes narrowed. "That's really subtle, Asia, so subtle."

"Isn't it though?" Asia grinned at Talia. "Would you like to get a little more personal with these diamonds? I can show you a good look at how many karats they are."

"Without a microscope." Miki laughed.

"Yep." Asia grinned.

Merit headed over towards the table, seeing Asia and Miki. "Can I hope everyone is playing nice?"

"Oh...some don't want to play at all." Asia looked up. "I wanted to give Talia a good look at my new jewelry..."

"I'm sure Talia can see it, Asia..." Merit said, his eyes slightly narrowed. "And I don't really want to see it myself, after you gave Emry such a close look."

"She wanted to show her the karats..." Miki laughed. "Talia has to get real close to see."

"I don't want to see the karats." Talia frowned.

"See? She doesn't want to play." Asia shrugged. "And Emry wanted to show me his toy, I just showed him mine first."

"Okay..." Merit sighed. "Look, what happened was really dumb, and I know the drama continues and I really can't say where it's going to go."

Merit looked at Asia. "It all depends on how you feel, I'm guessing...and on the other hand, whether or not Emry continues to push your buttons. I don't think Trillian has to do more than just exist within it."

Asia shrugged. "I do what I want, when I want, when I think of it. I'm impulsive...and when it hits me.." She grinned. "No pun intended, I sometimes get the urge to hit...a who or an it." She glanced at Siera. "In her case..Merit's bimbo, Barbie, blow up bitch." She trailed off.

Siera looked over at Asia and frowned, glad that Asia, nor anyone else knew the truth yet, but it was bound to come out eventually.

"Yeah, well...it got Emry in a seizure and put in the hospital, he has conditions, as I know you all know." Merit closed his eyes and put his hands together. "I'm not exactly clear on how the laws actually work, which is kind of lame for me since my own dad is an attorney, but if he died...I don't know what they would do with you, Asia."

Merit paused. "Not to mention, if you did kill him, it would take attention and resources away from my own sisters murder, which by the way, Kane stole Emry's medications and they ended up there and I don't know how, it certainly wasn't him and I don't think Kane could do it either."

Asia muffled a laugh. "Horny jock...How do you know he didn't do it? All he had to do was smooth talk her with his pretty face, then drug her, and yank himself out of his jockey strap and do the deedle dum bum bum!"

Miki grinned and reached up to idly toy with the gum that she clutched between her teeth, stretching and pulling at it a little with her fingers.

"Funny...real funny Asia, read my sarcasm?" Merit stared at her. "He didn't do it, he might be a big dumb bully..." He frowned. "And I don't appreciate you talking about a guy doing..." He trailed off.

Talia interrupted him. "Asia...he didn't fucking do it and you know it! You might not give a fuck about anyones life but your own...and if that is the case, and I know it is, at least leave everyone else's lives alone!"

Asia looked between Merit and Talia. "Yeah...I might do that...but last I checked...Mia has no life..." She grinned wickedly.

"That's it!" Talia stood up. "You take a blow at me if you want to, but that is unfair!"

Merit's eyes widened. "Woah! Okay, Talia! Chill! The last thing I need is more fighting!" His eyes shifted down.

Talia moved around Merit and her eyebrows lifted. "Come on...let me see those karats, now, bitch. Let me fucking see them, I bet by the time I get close to those diamonds, they will be a gift to Merit because you fucking owe him after that!"

Asia stood up. "Talia...you stupid bitch...you would regret it if I came close to you with these diamonds." Asia then added. "Talia and I will never be friends again!" She then turned around and stormed off.

Siera headed over to Talia. "Well, as a blow up bitch, at least I can say my air stays in, all of hers comes blowing out!" She said, ever so dramatically.

Liam sighed and turned the switches off and the sound of running water faded. He was always the last one out of the locker room after showers, but he didn't care. Why not enjoy it? He reached up and ran his hands over his face and then turned around and reached for the shower curtain, however, before he could even grab it, someone else had yanked it to the side and out of the way.

"Liam..." Emry grinned.

"What are you doing here?" Liam looked to the side and reached for the towel.

"Looking for this?" Emry held up the towel and he quietly chuckled. "I think I prefer you hot and wet."

He looked over at Emry. "Seriously? Give me the towel." He reached out for it.

"Why? You're the one that wanted to play cards." He stuck his arm out and held the towel away.

Liam leaned his shoulder against the side of the shower and crossed his arms. "I'm not chasing you."

"Did I say I wanted you to?" He grinned and held the towel behind his back and stepped closer. "Maybe...I want to get on my knees and play Russian roulette...see if you blow the bullet in my face."

He stared at Emry and grinned. "And where would you want me to shoot? I could aim for your mouth. Would that be your preference?"

"Right...to the back of my throat." Emry brought his arm around and swung the towel.

It was in that moment that Liam's arm jerked out and he grabbed the towel and because Emry refused to let it go, the smaller boy was yanked towards him and Liam's arms wrapped around him and in a quick spin, he lightly slammed Emry into the back wall of the shower, pinning him to the wall with his body. He then yanked the towel from Emry's hands.

"How are the odds now?" Liam started to pull away.

"No...don't..." Emry suddenly said as Liam started to pull away, his knees bent forward and he started to fall forward, his arms draped over Liam's as he clung onto him.

"Oh fuck...look what you did now." Liam stared down at him and then quickly pulled him forward. "What is this?" He pulled him out of the shower.

"Partial cataplexy..." Emry mumbled and he clung tightly as Liam pulled him away from the showers and over towards the nearest bench at the closest row of lockers and sat him down.

"What the hell caused that?" Liam stepped back and he wrapped the towel around his waist, tying it.

"The surprise...the sudden motion...I guess." He looked up at Liam. "Why did you do that? You could of just took the towel, but you took me with you."

Liam grabbed another towel from the rack and started drying his hair. "You wouldn't let it go...being stubborn as you are." He paused and wrapped the towel around his waist, tying it securely.

His eyebrows lifted as he stared at Liam, noticing how he paused, almost as if he was hesitating, as if he was reconsidering the answer he had given. "You know...not to imply anything...but you don't have to lie, I can keep a secret."

Liam suddenly grinned and he turned around. "Like you keep Merit's secret? He's not even good at keeping his own secret, I guess I should give you props there."

Emry stared at Liam and his eyes slightly narrowed. "What secret?"

He leaned back against the lockers and slid down to sit on the floor in front of Emry and he chuckled. "And you're even convincing..."

"How do you want me? Back down face up? Or the other way?" He asked.

Liam stared at Emry, not sure as to what to say or how to answer him. He knew the answer he should give, the answer that was to be expected of him, but for one time, he wanted to share himself.

A smile slowly appeared. "What secret...Liam." He slightly leaned forward and his eyes started to slightly flutter.

"Are you okay?" Liam started to lean forward and he reached up and placed his hands on Emry's upper arms to lightly steady him.

"It would be nice...to know what secret...exists before I make it not exist..." Emry's eyes then fell shut and he completely collapsed and fell off the bench and right into Liam's arms in a cradle like fashion. Full cataplexy? Or a sleep episode? One could never really tell, it certainly wasn't a seizure, as most of the time, in fact every time, his seizures were always tonic-clonic in nature.

"Emry?!" Liam pulled him close and then lightly shook him. "Emry?" He looked up and around and then his eyes drifted down as he stared at him, he didn't seem to be in any harm, in fact, he looked peaceful and ever so innocent and as Liam was suddenly coming to find out, he was attracted to that, even more so, attracted to Emry in such a vulnerable state.

It was disturbing to think about, but the thoughts ran through his mind. He continued to cradle him with one arm while his other hand moved and lightly caressed Emry's cheek, noticing how soft his skin felt, his eyes then traveled down as his mind started to wander into curious lands, places he knew his mind shouldn't be going.

His hand then drifted down and slowly moved beneath Emry's shirt and moved across his smooth stomach, noticing not a single sign of hair, just perfected smoothness. His eyes remained on Emry's face as his hand lightly rubbed his stomach and he slowly felt himself becoming aroused beneath the towel.

"I just want you innocent, with me..." A slow grin appeared. "Maybe you could worship me...never had that before." His grin slowly faded and he closed his eyes and quickly shook his head. "The fuck is wrong with you?" He mumbled and quickly started to move and gently laid Emry on the floor. "I've got to go and get help..."

"What the hell happened?" Merit suddenly appeared around a row of lockers. "I came to meet you...for class and...I know you love your showers..." He walked over and looked between Liam and Emry. "The fuck did you do?" He asked, trying not to sound as if he were accusing Liam, but it didn't exactly look good, especially since Emry was automatically disqualified from Gym to begin with.

Liam looked up at Merit and his eyes narrowed. "Well, first you suck at pretending not to be suspicious of me, even if your tone of voice is convincing." He paused. "Which is stupid because you're the one that's hanging out with the fag, not me!" He suddenly stood up, trying to feel angry. "And this happened because your stupid friend decided he wanted to be Mr. Hot Shot and come in and steal my towel and got himself passed out."

"And you know what? Surprise! I'm not as heartless as Kane!" Yet through out his attempts to appear angry, he looked down at Emry and all he could feel was adoration for the beautiful innocence that laid on the floor, so vulnerable for the taking, thoughts that really made him feel fucked up in the head.

Merit frowned. "Well, then I guess you won't mind leaving then? Because I'm here to help him...and I'm going to make sure he gets home, where he should be."

Liam looked up at Merit. "Home? As in where? Your house? Good luck at convincing him not to run back to Trillian...for whatever reason he did all that for!" Liam grabbed his gym bag and headed off to another part of the locker room to get dressed, he had to get away from Emry and the thoughts that he triggered within him.

Merit frowned and he looked down at Emry and knelt down, pulling him up. "That's kind of true." He mumbled, wondering just what it was that made Emry completely change in the way that he had.

Attention? Merit just didn't believe it, he didn't take Emry for the type of person that was attention starved, even so, he didn't take him as someone who would go after attention more than once, if he wanted it at all, maybe a chance happening, but not an on going phase, as this seemed to be turning out to be. There had to be more of a reason behind it.

Asia sat down in the chair in the office and heard the door as Principal Morris shut it. She stared at the man who sat behind the woman's desk. A grin appeared and she pulled out a cigarette. "I won't tell...if you don't." She flicked her lighter and lit the cigarette.

The Investigator rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling. "Lets just get to the point."

"Why?" Asia blew smoke into the air. "So much time in the world. You know...science has yet to measure the line of time. Hell, we don't even know if time is a line, actually time isn't anything, it's intangible. We know what space is...fucking space." She took another drag from her cigarette.

"My name is Trace Morrell, I am the Investigator..."

"Yada yada, you're trying to find out who killed that dumb bitch who didn't know how not to get herself killed. Mia, right?" Asia grinned. "I really hate to see someone die...but if you don't learn how not to...well, shame on you."

"Like the way you're dying right now?" Trace's eyes shifted to the cigarette.

Asia looked at her cigarette and rolled her eyes. "I'll quit before it does me any serious damage, I actually meant how not to get yourself murdered." She took another drag. "So, why am I here?" She waved a hand.

"The gun that shot her...was registered to Kyle Phelan."

She shrugged. "Okay? Have you talked to him?"

"After the police in New York did, yes...I spoke to him by phone. He says that he gave that gun to you last winter as a Christmas gift." Trace paused. "I should bust your ass for having a weapon illegally, however...you could serve a better purpose to me."

Asia stared at him and narrowed her eyes. "I don't serve anyone, get that straight...before we go any further." She leaned forward and flicked her ashes into a candle that the Principal had on the desk.

He nodded. "So, how did the gun you have...end up being the gun that shot Mia and being left at the scene?"

She sat back and crossed one leg over the other, the side of her black leather stiletto boot tapped against the other one, her blue jean mini skirt with designer rips and tears here and there hugged tightly to her thighs and rose higher as she performed this action.

"There was a party the night she died...and some blonde guy...I don't even fucking know how he knew I had a gun, he came up to me and asked me if he could fucking borrow it. He was a teenager too, I figured he went to this school, if he does, I figured he knew not to mess with me, so I let him borrow it, little bitch never returned it." She explained.

"And you don't know his name?"

Asia took one more drag from her cigarette and stabbed it into the candle, smushing it out and leaving it there. "Tyler, and he has shaggy blonde hair, not many of those around here." She rolled her eyes. "And he has some kind of piercing like right at his bottom lip and kinda towards the corner, but not all the way, it's like a little silver button." She stood up and grabbed her bag. "Best I can do, Chief."

Trace was writing all of this down in his notes and looked up when Asia stopped at the door. "Oh...and tell Kyle that people in Texas don't like snitches either...and just because I may be thousands of miles away...doesn't mean I can't..." She looked to the side. "Here's a tip...watch out for Kyle at the border, specifically coming in to Texas from Mexico, then check him out. You might find a lot of bags full of fun.." She grinned and walked out.

"What happened?" Miki asked.

"Kyle fucking ratted me out." Asia said as she started down the hall.

"Who's Kyle?" Miki followed after her.

"My ex baby from New York. You get to know his name now because I don't give a fuck, I hope he gets caught running to Mexico, better yet, coming back with all the evidence loaded on him."

"Wow...okay...confused!" Miki said.

"Know the gun Mucho Mia was killed with? It was the one that Kyle gave me for Christmas, some blonde guy, Tyler, wanted to borrow it and he never gave it back."

Asia continued ranting. "The cop just had to note how he could bust me for it...but apparently he's not going to. And again, some how that gun killed Mia The Explorer and ended up left at the crime scene. How fucking bright is that?"

"You do know...Mia isn't Mexican, right?" Miki asked.

Asia continued to bitch, however as she went on, her tone began to lower into a mumble as she started to power walk. "If I see that skinny little blondie bitch with his anorexic trash...I swear I'm going to show him how to shove something down his fucking throat."

Miki's eyes widened as she followed in silence, simply trying to keep up with Asia.

"China..." Kane rounded the corner, his hands in the pockets of his letterman's jacket. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Asia looked up at Kane and frowned. "You don't have no honor, you don't have no cred, and you by far are to low to go around here actin' like you're elite or somethin'."

"In your world, maybe." Kane grinned. "But our worlds are far different."

"Yeah, I live in the real fucking world while your mommy still powders your baby ass and walks you through the toy aisle to get you whatever it is you want, then she goes home and puts it on a silver platter for you." Asia walked around him and then turned to face him.

Kane grinned and then he shook with laughter. "Oh the images you put in some ones mind." He stared at her. "Maybe you should let me powder your ass sometime."

She grinned. "After your hands been on Talia? I don't think so...but I can do much better than her, obviously." She looked him up and down. "You might look good in a picture, but one of my guys would never dare say that to another girl unless they wanted to be bitch slapped in front of their home boys."

Kane stepped closer. "And that is where you'd be played stupid in front of your girls, I'd know not to get caught. Go ahead, run and tell Talia. You guys have so much bad history, or rather...you have such a bad track record, I doubt she'd believe you." He looked over at Miki and simply shook his head and walked around them both and headed off down the hall.

"Like I'd care enough to tell Talia, fuck him, let him cheat on her stupid ass. She'll stay with him, go through college and end up being a trophy wife with a fake watermelon boob job." Asia turned around, watching Kane leave.

Emry's eyes slowly opened and he looked around, finding himself in that all to familiar bedroom. For once, he didn't seem to have to wait for the rest of his body wake up, for the most part. He was able to move his head as he shifted it to the side to look around and then his hands moved down to push himself up.

It was at that point that he heard voices off in the distance and he quickly grabbed one leg and threw it off the side of the bed, following the other, the motion causing them to wake up as he slid off the bed and headed towards the door, seeing it had been left ajar. He opened it and headed out down the hall, walking towards the voices as they became more clear to him.

"Mia..." Mark looked down. "Mia went there because a school like that was at her level, you have far more potential, you worked really hard over the years and all that hard work shouldn't..." He trailed off. "Why exactly have you thought about this?"

"Well..." Merit looked down. "Okay...I'm going to have to tell you." He looked up. "I planned on telling you anyway, eventually, but I guess I have to now...it won't make sense otherwise."

"Tell me what?" Mark asked.

"That I..." Merit closed his eyes. "I'm gay." He opened his eyes and looked at his dad. "And I love Emry...and I want to stay close to him, I had to tell you because wanting to stay close to him wouldn't of made sense otherwise."

Mark took in the news and he was silent for a moment. "Okay...truthfully...we never expected that, your mother and I. You had a girlfriend...and you seemed happy enough, you didn't seem like you wanted for anything else. Thing is...in private, we discussed it, we questioned it, especially with how strongly you reacted to Emry and of course with how you insisted that he sleep in your room."

"What?" Merit shook his head. "Well, yeah, sleeping in my room...maybe."

Mark took a deep breath. "And the fact that you insisted he not use the sofa bed, you insisted that he slept with you, he always slept with you...and the night we brought him home, it was just little things I saw in the car, things your mother saw."

"So...why didn't you ask?"

Mark leaned back. "We hoped you were just being a really good friend to a young kid who really needed someone. We were disappointed at the thought, especially with Mia gone, the idea of never being grandparents."

"That could still happen." Merit said..

"It would be difficult." He held a hand up. "But you know what, that is an issue that is a little premature right now."

"So? What is it? What bothers you?" Merit asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"Merit...we can learn to accept you, we will love you always, no matter what." He leaned forward. "What troubles me is all that you're willing to sacrifice right now, your entire future. You are on the edge and every decision you make right now could determine everything, I don't mean to make that sound scary, but it's the truth. And he's...well...he's thirteen."

"Dad!" Merit snapped. "Fifteen...he's fifteen." He paused. "Well, he will be...this summer."

"Sorry, my mistake." Mark shook his head. "My point is...he still has so much to go through before he's even where you are now, added his conditions on top of all of that and his background. I'm half tempted to contact social services because of who his mother is, she is unfit as could be, he's lucky he has his father."

"Then adopt him, you could do it...and then I could just take him where ever I go, and we all get what we want, I go to an awesome school and he comes with me." Merit shrugged. "It's simple."

"No, it's actually not. A social worker stays in the picture for a period of time to make sure everything is working as it should."

"Then do it now, dad. If you do it now...then by the time I move away...it'll be set in stone."

Mark closed his eyes and shook his head. "We would have to fight his mother, not to mention his father too, and we would have to prove shes unstable, there are processes, you don't just snap your fingers, tell them that she was acting like a drug addict, that we think she steals his medication and get it done."

"But he said that she does, he can tell them."

"Merit!" Mark opened his eyes, speaking in a raised, but controlled, and firm tone. "It's not that simple."

"So, what are you going to do? Kick him out? Send him back to her? Or just report it to social services, make sure I never see him again?" Merit sat back. "I'll hate you forever if you do that."

Emry listened to the exchange and his eyes shifted to the floor and suddenly he felt weak again and held tightly to the door knob as it twisted.

"Maybe we should discuss this again, another time." Mark said.

"Yeah...maybe!" Merit stood up and headed over to the door and yanked it open, Emry had fallen back and sat on a small cushioned bench in the hall by this point. "Great! He heard everything!" His eyes widened and he looked at his dad.

"I heard enough..." Emry spoke up as he looked at Merit. "You really love me...yet I can't be here." He slowly nodded. "It's okay...I guess I'll get my things."

Merit stared at him. "Don't go...I don't care what he says."

He stared at Merit. "Don't you understand?" He took in a deep breath and he pushed himself to stand up, taking in a deep breath as his face tensed. "Everything, all of it, Trillian...Asia...the whole thing, your dad is exactly right. I have so much to go through, so many things to do."

He shook his head. "I have to go because...before I can really and truly love you...I have to know that I did things and...if I have to rush through them to be at your level, then I will, but they have to happen. Maybe true love does happen quick..but I'm not ready for it."

Merit stared at Emry and he let out a breath in a quiet sigh, and it was almost as if all of his emotions were released in that breath, feeling some kind of pressure lifted off of him, yet he didn't understand why, the love of his life was walking away and yet he was not saying it was the end.

Emry slightly smiled. "When you want to feel me...dream me...and I'll be there, dreaming with you." He turned around and headed off down the hall, turning into Merit's room and disappearing, leaving Merit with his tears.