Karen Keller showed up home well after midnight to a table of drunk and not drunk teenagers. Karen wasn't so sober herself as she stumbled in with Cal assisting her to the door with a kiss goodnight.
"Julia, is that your dad?" Chess asked.
"That's my dad, yes, Chess." She replied.
"Coming over to the dark side, I see." He said sarcastically.
"They were an item way back in the day." Julia informed him.
"Well, they picked up right where they left off."
Cal left Karen step inside. He called inside goodnight and closed the door firmly. The entire table stared at her as she crossed from the living room into the kitchen.
"Nice time, mom?" Tav asked.
"Nice time, son." She smiled, pulling her band off her wrist and pulling her hair up. "Tequila." She stayed smiling. "Chester, is that you?"
Chess rose and gave her a hug. "Hey, Aunt Karen." He said, thinking how awkward it was to be seeing her.
"You grew a little." She said, fluffing his hair. "Mom didn't say you were coming home."
"Mom doesn't know." He replied, separating and taking his seat. "I'll see her in the morning before I leave. I want to surprise her."
"Oh, cool. She'll like that. She's so proud of you."
Instead of vacating the premises, she took a seat next to Kelly and spied her hand. "You know what you're doing there, mommy?" She asked.
"A little." Kelly answered nervously, still unsure about Karen and still uncomfortable around her.
Karen fit in like one of the kids, sat like them, talked like them, drank and smoked like them. Could be they acted too adult. She questioned why they never went out anywhere or had any fun.
"We went to the movies today." Jay replied.
"This is our fun." Julia replied.
"We stay to ourselves." Tavin added.
"We are the friends." Chess chimed in, cracking open another beer.
Karen eyed Macy next. "You are?"
"Macy. I'm with Chess." She said softly, looking at the lap top screen.
"You sure?" Karen questioned, eyeing her oddly.
"Positive." Macy nodded, glancing over the screen.
Julia started to wonder what Cal had told Karen exactly. Had he given her the rundown on the cast of characters and their history. What else would they discuss if not their children? Julia reached inside her brain and understood finally what Kelly described as Julia's drunk brain. Julia started to feel an awkward intoxication. She decided at that moment she did not like tequila. She reached back and straightened up on Jay's lap. Karen looked at her next.
"You're not playing?" She asked.
"No. I was not." She answered, reaching inside again and chipping away at the surface she'd built up. Like a concrete slab, chunking through that she'd need a sledge hammer. Half the slab from prison and the other half was the muck underneath from the life she'd lived. Eww, Julia tensed up, pulled out again. Poor Kelly, she realized what the kid had to go through picking through her very own mind. Maybe if Karen was open to it, she'd get in easier. I give up...Julia sighed to herself. She could sense Kelly jabbing away at her.
"Wow, the mood in here is something else." Karen said flatly.
"How's Julia's dad?" Chess asked, plinking her from the outside.
Great, he's helping us...Julia laughed.
"He's a great guy. Hasn't changed in years."
That's the truth...Julia determined...keep her talking...
"What all did you guys do today?"
"Before or after he took me to bed?" She blurted out, but felt so confident in her statement it rolled off her easy.
She said that on purpose...and the only one unaffected by that statement had been Tavin. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.
"Either." Chess continued.
"We walked around the square. Got to know each other again. Talked, guys. Like I said, he hasn't changed."
Julia seized that moment of weakness, that high she was still riding and kicked her way through the door with Kelly. Tatia...Rose...Keller...Fry...Tatia Rose Fry... She'd almost told him.
Julia gasped at that statement and nearly fell off Jayson's lap. Jay had to hold her from falling. "Oh, sorry. Lost my balance." She stammered, glancing at Kelly.
Julia pushed off Jayson and head upstairs, Kelly was on her heels. They'd both heard it so clearly.
Julia quietly opened Tatia's bedroom door and she and Kelly stood next to her bed. They observed the sleeping child. She'd obviously taken on the Keller family genes. Skin tone, eyes. Nothing about Tatia Rose Keller appeared to be genetically a Fry. Julia was studying the child like she'd never laid eyes on her before.
"No way." Julia said to Kelly. "I don't see it."
"According to her, Julia, it's a possibility."
"Anything's possible, Kell with her. Does she know or think it?"
"I don't know. We left out of there so fast."
"She's my sister..." Julia said quietly. "Why would she not say anything?"
"I don't know."
When Tatia stirred a little, Julia and Kelly backed out of the room and closed the door.
"That's why she lets me do everything possible with her and trusts me with her. She knows I am her sister. She-I'm going to kill her. My dad should have been raising her. Not me and Jay."
"When was she conceived, Julia?" Kelly asked, touching her arm.
"She was born in December and mom died...around Jay's birthday. In August. I'm gonna kill my fucking father after I kill that whore mother of theirs."
"You can't." Kelly snapped, snatching her arm. "You got that thought, not that sentence. Julia, she didn't say it, she thought it." Kelly reminded her. "You may hear stuff you don't wanna hear."
"Secrets..." Julia said under her breath.
"Think, though. Would her life have been any greater or any worse, knowing what you know now?"
"Jay's could have been. You don't know the stress he was under."
"Not Jay. Her. Tatia."
"Nah, she'd be the same girl."
"Then let it go."
Julia agreed, but felt her dad should know the truth. Kelly had a point though. Would it matter? If Cal knew, then what would happen with the girl? Would he want her living with him? Would he leave her be with the people that love her? Not that he wouldn't love her, but would the information matter? Maybe Karen kept her a secret because of Rose. Rose was, after all, ill and dying at the time. She didn't need to know that her father created a life outside their marriage. Would that be the image you'd want of your husband dancing around the morphine soaked brain in the end?
Julia returned to Jay and fought the urge to leap the table toward her. "You ready, Jayson?" Julia asked.
"Nah, I wanna play. You go ahead." He replied, looking around her to his hand.
"I'll go." Macy offered, closing the word pad on the lap top.
-get your girl...
"I fold." Chess stated, placing his cards on the table.
-thanks-
He gathered up Macy and her junk and started toward the steps. "Where you two heading?" Tavin called.
"I'm tossing Julia, too and Alex out of their room." Chess grinned.
"Oh, go on then." Tavin agreed, waving them away.
-Jayson
Julia attempted to connect to him.
-Jayson
"What?" He asked aloud.
-fold the motherfucking hand before I break your motherfucking hand
"Really, it's like that." Jay said annoyed.
"Jay, are you hearing things?" Tavin asked. "Who ya talking to?"
"Huh? Julia." He answered as Julia got up.
"She didn't say anything."
She kissed his cheek and head downstairs to the she-cave, thinking how she gave up good pussy for him. Julia crawled into bed and laid down alone, listening to the muffled conversation above her carry on. In the space between awake and asleep, thoughts and worries churned through her head. How would she keep them alive this time? She need the sketches that dated back to when the premonition dreams started. She felt rather strongly that she had to piece them together in the order in which they were drawn, received. She was hesitant to start the madness all over again. The last time she obsessed over it, she ruined the relationships she had. Is this the right time? It would have been nice to bounce this off Jayson, but it could wait. Like everything else, it could wait till morning.
She tossed and turned all night, couldn't get comfortable in her own bed. When Jay finally came to bed, she slept a little better. She kept waking up, disturbed by nothing in particular. She decided to rise early, made some coffee and sat at the kitchen table with her lap top and her notebook.
"You sleep?" She asked as she got some coffee.
"A couple hours." He answered, taking a seat across from her. "You?"
"A couple more than that." She replied.
"What's going on, Julia?" He asked.
"Damn if I know, Chess. There's a couple things we need to talk about before I call Hayley and Kevin."
"So talk." He said.
Julia told him about the previous night, her abilities that she discovered, that they'd been inside her brain in Philly and Kelly's sense that Kevin was in danger. She visualized them dead. Before she could speculate about the danger that loomed over them in Philly, the incarcerated individual that would bring revenge, Chess warned her to tread lightly.
"Be careful with what you say, Julia."
"You know who I'm talking about."
"I do." Chess nodded.
"When I call them, he'll know what I mean without having to say it, who I mean."
"Yes. Should you do that? Julia, do you know what went on there?"
"No, I don't. But I don't want Hayley hurt either. If it was happening to me I would appreciate some warning."
"What's the plan here, psychic? How do you see this phone call going? What's he gonna think when you go running your mouth about shit that happened that you don't know about?"
"I'd expect him to believe me based on our history. I think that counts for something."
He was quiet.
"Do we need to go to Philly, Chess?"
"I can't go to Philly. I gotta go back to base."
"I was not referring to we as in you and me."
"Do not drag Jayson into this. He shouldn't be there and you know it."
"I don't wanna go to Philly."
"Look, if things were different I would be right along for the ride. You know that."
"Fuck, what time do you need to go back? It's only an hour to Philly, a half hour conversation and then an hour back. It's like 6am and no traffic."
"Julia," He moaned.
"This is us. Me and you." She reminded him. "Should come from us."
Chess got up and walked away, "Get dressed." He called, jogging upstairs.
That hour of the morning the turnpike heading east was nearly empty, especially on a Sunday morning. They were in Philly within an hour and parked by Kev's apartment. Julia had called Hayley and woke her up when they got close to the apartment. Kev had T waiting for them at the door. Their half hour conversation Kev took seriously, he got T working on the release date of a particular individual and once he came back with a mid May date.
"I'll send her home." Kev said.
"I don't wanna go home, Kevin." Hayley complained.
"You'll go where I tell you." Kevin said sternly, which put Julia off, but she understood that was Kevin putting his foot down. Kev didn't explain anything to Hayley. Julia would need explanations and seek to understand the why's and what if's, but to Kevin, business was business. Once business was taken care of, their conversation and reminiscing continued two more hours. They caught up on the missed time.
Prior to leaving, Hayley walked Julia to the door and Chess and Kevin hung back, sitting across from each other in Kev's living room. Julia tuned Hayley out and tuned Kevin and Chess in. Her sober skills were not perfected and she had a difficult time filtering out Hayley's chatter and their banter in the living room. She heard valid threats toward Chess.
Julia pushed in past Hayley calmly to retrieve Chess.
"Let's go, we've been here long enough."
"We having a conversation."
"Don't threaten him."
"Julia, I got this." Chess said calmly.
"I got this, too. I brought you legit information. I brought it to you as a favor to keep your thug ass alive. To keep her alive. You could be grateful for it."
"I am."
"Fucking act like it then. Think we drove here at this hour of the morning. We all have a lot to lose here, so drop the threats."
"That sounds like a threat right there, Julia."
"You can take that any way you want. When the time comes, I will keep us alive."
"Julia Morgan, shut the fuck up." Chess said angrily.
"Look J, I got history with you. That only goes so far."
Julia crouched in front of him. She felt it was important to get on his eye level. She reached for his hands and flashed him the future in a way that usually Kelly could only control. The dead swarmed around him in his wheelchair. His terror as he screamed through their teeth ripping off his flesh was palpable as well as the pain he felt, they felt. "Fuck with me. Cause that's the direction your black ass is heading. Did you see the blond over there inside that scenario? No. Fuck you."
"That can't be real."
"Are you willing to take her down with you?" Julia stood up and backed off him. "Pull it and he will break your neck." Julia mumbled, sensing the gun was about to come out. Kev always had one near him.
"Julia, we're leaving. Nobody's getting shot." Chess stated.
"Kev, think about it." Julia said, backing off him toward Hayley.
He and Chess smoothed things over and all left the apartment breathing. Chess watched their backs though on the way to the car and until they were safely back on the highway home.
"Julia." He stated, unsure about going there. He had a history of letting her carry on, but this went too far.
"I know." She said, holding her hand up at him.
"That is not how we operate."
"That's how I operate." She argued.
"You know the spot you put me in."
"I'm aware."
"Julia, I can handle myself."
"I didn't like him threatening you. You know how that gets me all worked up."
"I can handle myself, Julia." He raised his voice. "You told me before I went in that I knew when to lead and I knew when to fall back. Maybe you should learn that yourself."
"Oh, well aren't you confident now."
"Yes, I fucking am. Julia...please, cool it down. Think before you act."
"Think before-"
"Yes, Julia. Think. You put no thought into anything you do."
"It's gotten me this far." She said, feeling the tears well up.
"That will end you. It might end everything."
"I go with my emotions. I always have. I feel even though you think I don't. That's all Philly was, it was all to feel nothing, numb to it all. Stuck in two worlds and now I am all over again."
"Get over it."
"Ok. I'm over it. It's all on you now." She cried. "I'm handing it down to you."
"That's not what I mean."
"You still don't trust me. You never fucking trusted me."
"You are too emotional."
"I am a girl, Chess. There's a difference between us. Ok. I know I don't like to admit it, but there is. So I can cry and be emotional. You used to be. Did they train that out of you?"
"I was never emotional."
"You had that ability."
"I can't go there with you."
"Why not? Nothing has changed."
"Everything has changed."
"I give up." Julia cried, pulling her legs up to her chest as Chess drove them home. She stopped crying a good 40 minutes into their ride. "I'm sorry, Chess." She started crying again.
"Geeze, are you on your period?"
"No. Why's it always gotta be my period? You're criticizing me and making me feel stupid and small and horrible."
"How did we ever function together, Julia? What on earth were we thinking? How did we pull that nightmare off?"
"We were drunk." She laughed. "I like to garden."
"You have a short fuse."
"So do you."
"Control yourself, woman. You're a mess."
"I am not a mess usually. You do this to me. As soon as we get in the same place together I get all weird in my head. Chess, I don't walk around like this all the time. Is that what you think?"
Chess slowed the car down, caught in a traffic jam, a sea of brake lights in front of them. He scanned the vicinity, looking at the exit off the turnpike.
"Just take the exit, Chess."
"We aren't supposed to be on a day trip, wifey."
"Why do you always do that to me with the wifey thing? Are you that fucking bitter?"
"Yeah. I am."
"Thus the love-hate thing you have going on with me. I wish you'd choose one. At least I know what to expect."
"Julia, I go back and forth between fuck you and I wanna fuck you."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm tired of hearing that. How can you be so 'you' all the time like we never laid down together? How do you fucking do that?"
"I don't know. The same way you turn off the emotion. What good would come of you fucking me? Think about it. This pussy gets me in trouble."
"I love the way you say pussy."
"Chess, do you want to fuck? Would that make everything better for you? Really? Or would it temporarily fix your need? We had more than sex, Chess. But after all of it, it has to come down to sex?"
"I still own that technically."
"You do not own this."
"You want emotion, Julia. There it is. I'm pissed off you gave that away. It wasn't yours to give."
"Carla, Chess."
"Philly, Julia. As if it even compares."
"Oh."
"Oh? That's all you got to say about it?"
"Yes."
"No explanations?"
Julia shut down altogether, closing him out. How did he know about Philly? Which person had violated her trust? There were two possibilities, Tavin or Kevin. How long had he known? She took it hard, never having considered she may have to own that part of herself with the one man it affected.
"Nothing?"
She shook her head, silently looking out the window as the car crept down the packed turnpike. She felt the embarrassment, the shame, the regret as if it were fresh in her mind.
"Why stay married?"
"It feels right."
"Don't bring that up again please."
"Let's pretend it never happened then."
"Thanks. For now. I'd like to know who told you."
"You did, dumb ass."
"When? What? Omg, was I blacked out?"
"Probably." He answered. "So you wonder why, slut?"
"There's nothing you can call me I haven't already called myself."
"Wifey hurts the most. Right, Mrs. Morgan?"
"I hate me too if it makes you feel any better. Oh, you let me walk around feeling like shit and didn't bring it up."
"I really thought about killing you. Truly thought of how many ways I could just end you. I totally understood at that moment why Jay put bullets in you."
"Ugh. Go ahead and get it out."
"And I still married you."
"Why?"
"Fuck if I know." He shrugged.
Chess finally veered off the next exit and drove the back way home. Normally this would take longer, but the standstill on the turnpike was aggravating. Julia watched the landscape as it passed, closing her eyes as she had 4 hours sleep. She awoke when the car stopped, figuring they were home. But they weren't. She saw nothing but empty space out her side of the window. Only green grass. Looking left toward Chess, she saw the building. A massive stone structure that didn't look very ominous during the day. She recognized it right away. "Is this a prison?" She asked, coming around and leaning to peer out the windshield to take in the enormity of this building. Walled up inside the barbed wire fence was the stone encampment. Solid structure. Nothing short of tanks could cut through that stone.
"Franklin F Mastro Boys Reformatory." He said, pointing to the sign.
"Yummy, more boys."
"Picture it at night. Complete darkness. Invisibility. Guard posts. Nothing is breaking in there."
"Ooh, I see the possibilities."
"Julia, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I'm thinking the universe wanted us here. I'm thinking I need to get online and get all over this place like white on rice."
"Welcome home, babe."
"Is there room inside there to grow us food? House animals? Next time, we take our shit. No waiting around for the kindness of others."
"I agree with you. 100%. And those fucking kids, they're gonna be the ones that work it out for us." He said, staring at the building. His eyes scanned across the expanse of it and the land on which it was built. "We need to make a list. How many people are inside at any given time? How many can it house max? What are the weaknesses and the strengths? It's got plenty of beds, a cafeteria, meeting rooms, class rooms with books, bathrooms, everything we could possibly need in one stone fortress. This is what Kelly sketched. How do you feel about it?"
"Nervous. What kind of kids are in there, Chess? A bunch of bad asses, which is a positive, but how would we gauge our safety?"
"The way we always do. Plan the fuck out of it."
"I could research too what's around here. The stuff we'll need to grow and cultivate. Also the animals. What's closest? That's where we go to get our shit. I'll take care of it."
"Have two plans. One for winter and one for summer. And a back up plan for that. Let me know what you find out."
Julia pulled out her cell and snapped a few pictures. "They're coming." She whispered, pulling him to her.
"Who?"
"Security." She said as she pulled him awkwardly toward her. She left him have his fun till the guard banged the window with that ominous stick off his hip, which scared Chess half to death. "Told you they were coming." She said, quickly covering what she and Chess had uncovered.
"Can't park here, kids." The guard sternly said.
"Sure, man. No problem." Chess said back, waving a bit as the guard leaned and peeked in at Julia as zipped her jeans and buttoned up. The eyes lingered a little too long.
"Move along."
"Yeah, ok." Chess agreed quickly.
"Move, Chess." She said under her breath as she put her seatbelt back on. Chess strapped himself in as well and started the car.
When they arrived home, Jay and Macy were waiting for them. A couple hours had turned into the entire morning and each of them were eyed suspiciously as soon as they walked in. Macy and Jay both played a round of 20 questions till they were satisfied that the two of them were doing exactly what they said and where they said they were.
"Can you believe this fucking shit?" Julia whispered at Chess as they both did their best not to piss their counterparts off any more than they already were. "For the last time. We were in Philly. Ask Hayley." Julia said, handing Jay the phone. "You don't believe us. Call her and ask her." Julia dialed Hayley's phone and when she answered she put Jay on the line, which led Jay into a 45 minute phone conversation with the chatty Hayley. She gave good conversation and detailed the visit and the conversation and was mad cause he didn't come along. She then wanted an explanation as to why he didn't join them.
"If I knew they were even leaving..." Jay said. "Next time, Hay."
Another ten minutes, Jay told her the battery was dying and had to hang up on her. "Thanks, Jules. That's why I said no."
Julia took possession of her phone back and showed Jay the pics she'd taken of the boys reform school. She had Kelly show him the sketch she'd made. The similarity was striking.
"Jayson, I didn't fuck any boys at the school either. Miracles do happen." Julia said sarcastically.
"Ditto, neither did I." Chess mimicked Julia's level of sarcasm as the animosity was thick surrounding them.
Jay was satisfied, but still mad at her for even leaving in the first place. Why so sneaky? He thought.
Julia left him cool off and think while she made the kids lunch. Grilled cheese all around and chips on the side. Tatia sat eating and Julia studied the girl again, relearning her features, observing her mannerisms, listening to her laughter and the inflection in her voice. Chess and Macy gathered up their stuff and head out. Chess wanted to visit his parents before heading back to school with Macy before heading back to Maryland. He was pissed that the majority of his day would be spent driving.
Julia suggested to Jayson that they sit and talk about the suspicion without the sarcasm this time. He had valid trust issues. She chose to step around that and update him on everything that she had learned in the last 24 hours. He was shocked, having trouble believing this story she described for him. Parts of it didn't sound very realistic. She quieted, not speaking verbally and she had a small exchange of words with him. The connection was weak with Jay where as with Chess she had a direct link to him and his mind. He stared at her at a loss for words. She reached across the table to him, palms up. -where would you like to go?- she asked as he held onto her hands.
"A happy place."
"Where the fuck is that? You found one?" She asked.
"You're house on Green Street."
"Oh, I see." She smirked, zipping them back in time to her room, her bed, them laying next to each other. The days when they could lay next to each other and say absolutely nothing. The days when everything was less complicated or not complicated at all. Those nights when Jay would drop in after putting the kids in bed and they'd sit or lay next to each other doing absolutely nothing except breathe.
"How are you doing this?"
"Fuck if I know, Jayson. Kelly showed me it was possible."
"You can jump in my head, but I can't answer you. Why?"
"I don't know." She pulled her hands away and broke the memory. "I need to tell you what I heard last night when I hacked into mom's head."
"That could be any number of things I imagine."
"She mentioned something that was completely crazy."
"Like-"
"Tatia's my sister."
"So you're my sister?"
"No, we don't share parents, Jay. Me and Tatia do."
"What? I don't understand."
"My dad is Tatia's father. She thought that when we were talking about her night out with daddy."
Jay sat back in his chair and thought about that a minute. Julia didn't reach in and read him. She chose to wait and hear the response. He could see him adding up the time frame in his head of when Tatia was conceived, which led to when Rose died.
"Wonderful." He said, shaking his head. "I am not surprised."
"You believe this?" Julia asked.
"Do you?"
"I don't see any trace of him or me in her. But that doesn't mean anything."
"Why would she let me and Sandy do all that? And you? If she had a dad who is a decent fucking person, why hold that back?"
"She's not sure or-"
"Or what?"
"My mother was alive. Dying but alive."
"I'm sorry, Julia."
"Why?"
"Cause that means he was going out on your mom."
"I get it. I have thought about it. But like Kelly said, would it have made a difference? Would the outcome be any different for Tatia?"
"What about us?"
"What about us? I would have been just as involved and you too." Julia explained. "You guys always held that 'not blood' thing over my head and I felt like shit for it. I may not be her mom, but I felt strongly that part of me was in that kid. You know it."
"You're going there."
"I'm going there. Where did you get her middle name, Jayson?"
"Karen suggested Rose from the beginning of her pregnancy."
"Why?"
"I don't know, but I liked Tatia better. Her nurse's name was Tatia when she was born."
"So you named her Tatia Rose Keller."
"Yes, I did."
"You never thought to ask who dad was?"
"She should have mentioned it, not me."
"Who is Alex's dad, Jay?"
"Julia, you're reaching here."
"I bet we'll get the same answer, Jayson."
"Julia, enough."
"I'd be willing to bet they run deeper than we think. That my mom was just a woman who got caught up in two people that couldn't let go."
"Fuck you, Julia." He said, getting up. He slammed the chair against the table and walked out the back door. He slammed that shut too.
"I'm not feeling the love, Jayson Keller." She sighed.
She didn't think his anger was justified, but let him have his moment. She wasn't chasing him and she wasn't begging him to calm down or get his shit together. He'd have to do that on his own.
"You pissed him off." Tavin called from the living room.
"You think?"
"I think that was unfair."
"He went too far with his dick and she went too far spreading her legs."
"You don't even know if it's true, Julia. Then all that is for nothing."
"True. I should apologize, but I am sick of apologizing to people."
"Are we the 2 people who can't let go?"
"Yeah."
"Wanna fu-"
"NO." She yelled, cutting him short. "You men get excited over the slightest insinuation of...It's annoying as fuck."
"Well, sis, welcome to the family." He said sarcastically.
"I need a drink or some drugs."
"Where's your happy place? Go there."
"Where's my happy place?" She asked. "I don't fucking have one."
"I could think of 10 happy places."
"You know how far back I would have to go?"
"Well, go. Where is it?"
"It's a fucking illusion is all. That's it. What a waste of time. I fucking swear." Julia said, getting out of her chair. She jogged down the steps to the basement. She felt awful again. She felt pent up and angry and hateful. Again. What the fuck happened? Mothers and husbands and fathers and boyfriends happened. She climbed back up and went outside through the door he'd recently slammed.
"It's one of those days, Jay. Just give it to me. Don't fucking walk away and hide out here."
"I'm angry, Jules."
"You're allowed to be angry. I went too far. Christ, none of that is your fault or your problem."
"It wasn't that." He said calmly. "Two people that can't let go. So I am caught up in the middle of you two?"
"It's over."
"Is it really? For how long?" He asked, looking sideways at her.
"I told you I would fuck this up. I haven't even done anything either. That's the fucked up part."
"Your mouth."
"I know. It's part of the package. I can make you feel about an inch tall. It's a gift and a curse. I got into it with Chess and Kevin. And now you. In case you didn't notice, I don't like being argued with when I know I am right."
"You feel that sure about this that you're willing to pick this huge fight."
"When you put it that way, it doesn't seem fair."
"Kevin?"
"Was threatening Chess. I went after him and scared him to death and threatened him."
"And Chess?"
"You men don't like your manhood challenged. But y'all can walk around all the time completely fucking with our heads. Then he went and brought up Philly and-"
"I don't wanna know-"
"I'm not telling you. Anyway, I told him a long time ago in a black out or some drug binge and he's known a long time. So there's that."
"Bad day all around."
"Philly is something Chess and I share. It's none of your business what we did or didn't do in Philly."
"Why though? Drugs-"
"It's more than drugs, Jayson."
"What the fuck is wrong with you two?"
"Jay, we didn't give a fuck. Not one. We went the end of summer, I was high 24/7. Then we bumped back to weekends for reasons I will not expand on, then after Christmas break not at all. Again for reasons I won't expand on. If you want to know, I will give you every last nasty detail, but you already think low enough of the whore girlfriend."
"I don't like you calling yourself that."
"I didn't, you did. And you were 100% on the money there. If I had fucked Chess today, I would have told you. I have a past and unfortunately you know all about it." She looked away from Jay, scanning the yard for nothing in particular. "You have to deal with my rather long, extensive and mind boggling past. I know what you think when you go to bed with me cause I think it first. You don't think it runs through my mind how I don't deserve a decent guy like you. Jay, you're the opposite of everything I deserve in a guy. I honestly don't know how you make love to me and not feel dirty afterward."
"Oh, my God. Julia, I never would say that to you."
"But that's what I think, Jayson. Like the whore thing you're feeling makes me feel ashamed."
"Oh."
"And I also don't think it's self esteem issues here either. I'm very confident usually. Despite every fault I got."
"What is the point, Julia?"
"Oh, you want more? I could go on all night analyzing this fucked up shit in my head."
"I've heard enough."
"Good, I got dinner to make. Cause you know I do nothing but sit around here with no life. You do realize how ironic it is that I manage to leave the house once and I am accused of whoring around. I never fucking leave the house. Weird." She observed as she stood up. "You went to the movies with Kelly yesterday. Did you fuck her, Jay? Did you? Well?"
He started laughing. "No, Jules."
"How am I supposed to believe this, Jay?" She laughed, teasing him. He opened his mouth to speak. "I'm kidding." She snapped.
"She's pregnant, Julia."
"So what? And another thing, I passed up some perfectly perfect pussy for you this weekend."
"You coulda had the pussy, babe. You know I don't mind pussy. Pussy is harmless. You made out with her at least." He argued. "Julia, let's go inside." He said, holding the door ajar for her.
Jay was so easy.
Julia googled and researched the Franklin F Mastro Boys Reformatory. She had everything from its history to its original design. The reformatory held 120 boys ages 13-18. It had 120 beds in co-shared dorm like rooms and from the website, the rooms were fairly nice for a reform school. There were no criminals held inside the facility, rather the boys were at risk youth and they were kept on grounds 24/7 and were released to the custody of their parents only. The school ran a host of programs both athletic and non athletic, everything from horticulture to art and music to seasonal sports. There were community recreation areas as well as a courtyard and a main cafeteria. On site there was a nurse around the clock as well. The kids led a regimented lifestyle, up at 530am sharp. There was morning calisthenics and then breakfast. A break in between breakfast and first class of the day where there was time to organize and time for self reflection. They were educated on site by board certified teachers. There was even a nondenominational church service held every Sunday at several different times as well as a chapel on site that remained open at all times. The web site made this place sound so appealing she wanted to move at that moment.
Julia clicked on the job opportunities tab and she filled out an application for Jayson. She wanted an inside view of this place. He didn't have to work there forever, but he could be their feet on the ground. He had a clean record, but thought it may be a good idea to clean up his piss if he were to actually make it through to the hiring phase of this job opportunity.
She nearly clicked on the enrollment tab to schedule an enrollment interview and tour for Tavin, but she held back on that until Jay heard back from them in regards to the job opportunity. He watched as she researched the school and rolled his eyes when he learned that being a janitor may be in his future.
"Julia, they are going to make fun of me." He worried.
"So, I need someone in there, Jay. You are nice and you have a clean history and you need to pass the piss test, so no more pot for now."
"I have a job, Julia."
"Babe, you make pizza. It's not that fuckin' complicated."
"But, Julia. Everyone makes fun of the janitor. I don't want to be the janitor."
"Jay, it's not a long term career move. I swear and you can go back to making the best pizza ever as soon as you get what we need on the inside. Babe, it could be home one day."
"Can't Tavin do it?"
"He has a job."
"I have a job."
"You're gonna be the sexiest janitor ever. And you're neat and you're clean."
"I am."
"If you don't get the job, we'll have to do the alternative."
"What's that?"
"The enrollment interview and tour."
"Who's enrolling?"
"Our at risk youth, Alex."
"That might not be such a bad idea."
"You can't afford this place. It's equal to college tuition, but it works, whatever they're doing. The kids come out successful."
"Oh, no. They're rich spoiled kids?"
"Some not all."
"Fine. What do you need?"
"Pictures. Inside, outside, preferably the roof and how to get up there. There's also a tunnel." She said, reaching over his bare back to the opposite side of the bed. "Look. It's old as fuck. Leads from the kitchen out to the loading docks. They don't use it now, but find out if you can still access it and what shape it's in. Me and Chess were thinking it could be used for a breach, out everyone in there and lock them down. Also-"
"Julia, seriously."
"Oh, seriously. This place is the shit, babe. Why do you think I am putting you inside of it? For fun? Janitors have keys to everything. They are responsible motherfucking people. You're not there to clean the fucking place."
"But I will get fired."
"Do not get all OCD on me here. Get us what we need then who fucking cares? You go back to pizza and all is right with the world."
"We're not breaking in though. You really need all this?"
"Absolutely. It's imperative we know who is where and what's where and all that OPSEC stuff he blabbers on about. Chess, gave me a list of specifics."
"Oh, he did?"
"Yeah, it's his specific requirements." She smiled. "Anyway, since the place is not specifically a prison per se, he seems to think since it is a school no one should be armed around at risk youth. It will be easy to overtake."
"Overtake?"
"Sure. They're going to be quite comfy in there till they eat up all the food."
"What if we get there and it's crawling with dead?"
"Oh, it would be easier no doubt. That may be part of the plan. Infect them, take them down. Only the strong will survive and then they will be the ones who get to join or leave."
"I cannot be part of that, Julia. I will not knowingly infect anyone with anything. That's morally and ethically insane and wrong. What if someone had done that to us. That's bad karma, Julia and you know it."
"Ok, we'll tweak that part of the plan." She sighed. "This is different, Jay. We are not waiting around for the kindness of others and be all neighborly. We are taking what we need no questions asked."
"No, you can't do that. You can't steal. That is wrong. Leave me out of this. That would have pissed you off treating people like that, Julia. No, you leave me out of this whole thing."
"You tell that to the marine, then."
"I am telling you, Julia. We do not benefit from the suffering of others. We have common sense rules. You woulda shot someone for that. No."
"You don't understand, Jay."
"I would rather die living the right way than live living the wrong way. We had a system in place that worked. Julia, that is against everything I, that we believe. We can live there. We cannot live that way there. What you're planning is sadistic and mean. That is not what we stood for. That is not how we live."
"Jay, I would prefer to build it with you than not have you there at all."
"I will not blindly sit and accept that as my future."
"It's only in the beginning."
"There is a difference in taking what is left behind and taking the food and livelihood out of people's hands. That is fucked up."
"Jayson, it's not that simple."
"It is that simple. I have died once. I'm lucky to be here. I would rather have a little time with you that's worth it than a life time with you living and thinking the wrong way."
"I'm selfish then." She said, closing up her books, tucking her papers inside.
"If you want us there, find a different way. Am I even getting a say? Is my brother? What about our table? Our house, our rules. We live the way we choose. Not this. Listen to me."
"Ok, fine. I'll scrap it and start over."
"How many plans did we make before we settled where we did? How many times were we wrong before we were right?"
"Remember how we got the fucking house, Jay? The first house. What happened there? Cause that was you and Tavin and Chess."
"We were young and desperate."
"You can't live with us stealing some chickens and some cows and horses? It's animals, Jayson. That's all."
"That's not the Julia and Chess that I know. You wanna have Chesses running the world."
"What's wrong with Chess?"
"He's not our leader."
"There is no table. Here, we're all along for the ride."
"Will you of all people be able to go along for the ride? Especially under those circumstances. You were difficult with us and you loved us."
"That's true."
"What the fuck do you stand for? You were pushy and stubborn and rude, but at the end of the day, we had your back on everything. What about my brother? What's he think?"
"He wasn't there."
"Bullshit. We pulled his ass in enough. You had him killing them on the fence where everyone started. Being a marine does not give you an advantage. Being smart does."
"I get it." She sighed, dropping the book on the floor over the edge of the bed.
"I like the idea. The place is a monster building and strong. It has it's benefits, but all that negativity. Is that the way you want to start off the apocalypse?"
"I'll think of something."
"How about we think of something? We need input from everyone. Don't just do what he says."
"Jay, I'm trying to-"
"I realize what you're trying to do. But who is on your team? Don't exclude us. Why are we being excluded?"
"Because this caused problems before. You know how wrapped up I get in this stuff."
"You think I wouldn't listen to you? I entertain all this zombie madness of yours."
"I told you no one fucking lives."
Julia explained this all over again so it would sink into his head. She gave him the facts as she knew them, trying to remain positive at the same time.
She planned on stringing the sketches together in order. The premonitions should tell a story. The characters in those sketches should be people to watch out for, those to trust and distrust. In order to pull all that together, she needed the sketches from Kelly. She needed to get a feel off them as she'd only seen a handful and not all of them. Kelly needed to do her part, but getting Kelly confident enough to hand them over and delve into the apocalypse was trying and difficult. She couldn't get her head around the reality of it despite having been a party to it for a short time. Kelly had a fresh denial about the whole ordeal despite having sketched the very outcome that had everyone worried. The truth was out there. Chess lived the truth when he went on his missions. He dipped in and out of the hotspots, but eventually those hot spots would flare up and like a fire, would spread out around them. The bonus to the second time around would be the warning. They'd have plenty of warning. Another bonus would be that nothing is written in stone. The path may be chosen for you, but how you walk the path is up to you. The choices you make turn you off the path a little while, but eventually you find your way back to the path. Those diversions are the difference between life and death, health and illness, happiness and sadness. There is a certain amount of control you have over the course you take in life.
"I'll still do it, but you need to change your plan. The whole attitude and direction. What exactly is the end result here? Peaceful coexistence, Julia."
"Immediate goals are safety and security and the basics in life, Jay."
"But the end result, Jules. We were so close to it at the farmhouse house. So close that shit was boring and routine. Safe and secure. We were fine with living there the rest of our lives. We were ok."
"We were. So everything we worked for eventually we achieved."
"Call Chess."
"I don't have to call him. He's listening."
"He can just listen all the time?"
"No. I can pull him in. He's heard you."
"And what's he think?"
"Why do you need to have a conscience?" She asked. She laughed. "He said, what would Tavin do? To keep his kid alive? What would you do to keep your family alive?"
"Is he having memory problems? All that motherfucker wanted to do was grow pot and make alcohol."
"These zoms are different. It's biological warfare. You want to survive but are you prepared to go to war? He says he's right and you're wrong. Minor leagues, this is major leagues."
"Because of what he sees here and now?"
"It's war. It's fucking war. It's fucking war." Julia droned. "Do your fucking job, Jay. You have your orders." Julia said. "He's on a rant now." Julia sighed.
"Is he here all the time?"
"No. Just when I call him. He can't jump me like I jump him. Thank God. Cause he's a perv, you know."
"Can you see there?"
"Sure if I close my eyes and go."
"Why don't we piggyback the next mission?"
"Oh, that would be a great idea. He said no, though. It's classified."
"Who's going to know? Where is he now?" Jay asked.
"I don't know." Julia shrugged.
She held up her hand and he took it. She closed her eyes and she felt the connection lock to Jay. Her energy tickled as it crawled through his nerves to his brain. They sat with their eyes closed and wound up in an apartment. The strange part about piggybacking for Julia was she only saw through the person's eyes as opposed to Kelly who transported them into a situation, a memory, with their entire bodies and they could stand inside and move freely. Not Julia.
As Chess looked down, they saw Katie's giving him the excellent head he had rubbed in Julia's face around Thanksgiving.
"Feel that?" Julia asked Jay. "He wasn't lying."
"Does he know we're here?"
"Yeah, he doesn't care." Julia replied. "You know, she is kinda pretty from this angle."
"Yeah, sure. How long are we-"
"Shut up, Jayson." They heard him say.
"She feels amazing. This is what it feels like?" Julia whispered.
"Yeah." Jay answered.
"Ahh, I like this." Julia smiled, relaxing back on her bed. Jay's palm was sweaty in her hand. Chess grasped her hair and pulled her head back and Kate glanced up at him, still sucking away like she was getting paid to do it. "That's hot." Julia said.
"You do this a lot, babe?" Jay wondered.
"I never know where I'll wind up when I go." She answered.
Chess had, during the silence in his head, forgotten they were even there and looked up at the TV. The game was on, some basketball team dribbling down the court. The body still felt every distinct sensation as she worked magic down below. The ceiling, the clock, back to the game. Being in Chess's head while he got head was not as exciting as she'd originally thought. He held his own personal commentary on the game itself, which player was better, who was overrated. He had a whole conversation with himself while this redhead was on her knees satisfying him.
"Why are you not focusing on the girl?" She asked quietly.
"Distractions make it last longer." Jay answered.
"Yup." Chess responded dryly.
"Well, she can go forever. I woulda pulled off by now." Julia sighed.
"Yup." He laughed. "Get out." Chess ordered.
"Fine, bye." Julia disconnected them and left go of Jay's hand.
"We're going on the next mission." Jay said in his matter of fact way.
"I think so."
"So, why don't you finish what Katie started?"
"Well, that's less work for me. God bless her."
No comments:
Post a Comment