Young Writers Society

Rupert Jean Franz

That was a long flight, really long flight. Like, the longest one I've been on. Maybe because I couldn't wait to see her face. Or because I didn't wanna see her go to surgery. What if she dies? What if her whole body gets paralyized? Either way it's bad. Once the plane landed and I got through security, my heart was on high speed.

It felt like I couldn't breathe. I knew I was gonna see her but that made me so nervous.

But once I walked through those sliding doors and I saw her sitting in that chair with her face so pink, I couldn't help but smile back and hug her as tightly as I could. My lips felt empty until they met hers, the sweet taste of strawberries covered my mouth. I loved kissing her, it felt like nothing mattered but the chemistry soaring between us. Her soft lips comforted mine.

Meeting her cousin was a plus, I wanted to meet more of her family. I don't know, it felt right.

And today was the day. I feel like I was more nervous than she was. The whole thing went in a blur. Transporting her to the hospital, meeting the doctor, the whole talk... I felt like I was out of my body, watching the thing from above.

Right now they left us alone so she could relax into the meds they gave her. I was massaging her hand, unable to control my shivering. Her eyes met mine and I held my breath, unsure of what to say. I was scared shitless.

"It'll be okay Rupert." she smiled.

Just her saying that made me think she was going to die. People who comfort their family members die.

"Stop thinking baby," she sighed, her eyes drooping. "I love you."

I couldn't talk, but I had to. What if she wouldn't get the chance to hear me again?

"I love you so much, you can do this." I whispered.

She had to have heard it, cause she smiled even more before she drifted to sleep. I kissed her forehead, her heat radiated off of me. Adrian was holding her other hand, watching her sleep.

And before we knew it, the nurses and doctors came in, rushing us out.
I watched as they pushed her bed down the hallway and into the next room, the operation room. They had accomidated the rooms this way to make it easier to get her there. I looked through the window of that room and realized I was wrong, it was another hallway and they were running with her bed. They must be headed to the room anyway, we just have no idea where it is.

My heart was suddenly racing even more and I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. Adrian stood next to me, his eyes wide.

"She has to be okay Rupert, have faith." he said with his French accent. "Just love her and she will be okay."

I nodded, unable to speak.

~Merrick~

Her hands were so soft and smooth against my chest as they slid everywhere. I moaned as she rubbed her body against mine, feeling her nipples through the thin Silken fabric of her nightgown. Her hot skin glided across mine as she let out a soft cry.

"Oh Merrick," she pulled my hands to her breast as she continued to rub. "I want you to make me yours."

Her head fell back as she her hips began to rock harder, her long hair brushing across my legs. "Oh Merrick! Yes-"

I jolted upright in bed with a gasp, drenched in sweat and panting. It was just a dream. Moving to the edge of the bed, I tried to catch my breath.

"Jesus." I ran a hand through my hair.

It was only a damn dream. A dream. I shook my head as I stood and headed to downstairs to the kitchen. I didn't realize the time until I saw everyone already sitting down at the table. They all turned to look at me as I walked in. Dad's eyes slid down, then to mom, who just raised an eyebrow. Tamara's eyes bugged as she spit out what she'd been drinking, coughing hard.

"Holy crap Merrick!" she sputtered. "Put that thing away!"

All I had on were my boxers as I looked down, realizing what the problem was. I promptly turned, heading back up to my room.

"I told you he was yours, honey." mom said.

"I used to wonder, but not anymore." dad laughed.

"Ew!! That's so gross!!" Tamara whined, and I had to smile at that.

*************

Deciding a run would be the best way to blow off steam, that's what I did. Who knows long I was gone or how long I ran. I just ran until I couldn't run anymore, and then headed home. Pulling off my tank top as I came in through the kitchen, I wiped the sweat from my face and body, then tossed it over my shoulder before grabbing a drink of water out of the fridge. Just as I closed the door, Mom and Tamara entered the kitchen.

Tamara threw a hand over her eyes. "Is it safe to look, or am I going to get flashed again? I've already been traumatized enough for one day."

I rolled my eyes. "Like seeing you without make-up in isn't traumatizing?"

I ducked as banana was thrown my way, catching it before it hit the ground. "Thanks."

She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Feeling better?" Mom kissed me on the cheek.

"Yup," was all I said.

She looked at me for a long moment, then shrugged. "Ok then."

Kissing mom on the cheek, I scarfed down the Banana Tamara threw at me before heading upstairs. I hadn't checked my phone since I'd woken up this morning, and I still didn't even know what time it was. I had a voicemail from Philip and a text from Rupert. I answered Rup's text before listening to the voicemail.

"Rup probably texted you, but anyway, he's in France. Wanna go for coffee?" he asked.

I texted him back. I can be ready in 30 mins..

Tossing my phone on the bed, I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. A cold shower. That dream I had about Thorne was hard to shake, and the last thing I needed was to walk around flashing people or making myself look like a fool. It didn't take long for me to shower. After a quick dry, I pulled on a pair of Jeans and grabbed an Under Armour shirt. I snatched my keys and wallet off the night stand and headed out, hollering to mom and dad as I closed the door behind me.

************

Philip was already there when I pulled up. He met me by the door.

"Yo," Philip slapped me on the shoulder. "Sup man?"

I just shrugged and he laughed. "C'mon man. Let's get hopped up on caffeine. My treat."

We headed inside. There weren't very many people here, so we were able to get our drinks relatively fast. We grabbed a high table by the door and sat down. We didn't say anything at first, too busy drinking our drinks.

"So..." Philip set his drink down. "What's up with you and that Rose girl?"

I shrug. "Nothing."

"You've been hanging around her an awful lot." he said.

"She's really sweet." I shrug again.

Sweet. Kind. absolutely Beautiful. Amazing. Smart. Adorable. I had it bad, though I would never admit it to anyone.

"Who you want to date." his eyebrow rose.

"I didn't say that." I took another sip of my drink.

I'd like to do a lot more than date Thorne, but i'm pretty sure he already knew that.

"Dude," Philip looked at me. "You've been going to parties and hooking up with chicks who look like her."

Had I? Looking back, I realized Philip was right. The thought made me frown.

"And that's not creepy or weird at all," he shrugged nonchalantly, though it would have been clear to anyone listening he was being sarcastic.

Alright then. "Oh right. Because there's something wrong with having a thing for brunettes."

"Maybe not, but we all see the way you look at her, Merrick. There's no use in trying to hide it." Philip shook his head at me, though he was smiling. "So put us out of your misery and ask her out already."

"Philip?" came distinctly female voice from behind me.

We both turned to see Jesse standing a few feet away. "Can we talk? We really need to talk."

Colette
My eyes opened and my vision was blurry. I was no longer in the OR, they'd moved me to another room. And it was dark out. The lights were out.

I rubbed my eyes with one hand. It felt funny, tingly somehow. Like it had fallen asleep for a very long time. It tickled, so naturally I giggled. I hit the button next to me for assistance and sat back.

The tingly feeling became a steady ache and my back hurt too where they'd most likely done the surgery. The nurse and the doctor walked in and I moved my hand more, waving it at them with a stupid grin on my face. Then the high faded and the pain hit me more intensely.

My eyes widened. I was moving my hand. But pain. I started to scream.

"RUPERT! ADRIAN! HELP ME!" I began to sob as the nurse's held me down, trying to keep me quiet and calm.

"NO!" I shouted, "I WANT TO SEE RUPERT!"

"It is imperative that her blood pressure does not rise!" The doctor called to the nurse.

"What do I do sir?" She asked frantically,

"Bring the boy!" he yelled, trying to hold me down and speak soothingly to me. But I yelled over is words.

"RUPERT! ADRIAN! RUPERT I NEED YOU! PLEASE!" I screamed,

"Please..." I sobbed. The pain shot through my body and it felt like I was splitting open.

They came running around the corner with the nurse. Rupert even smacked into the door frame. I was hysterical at that point. I couldn't feel anything but pain.

"Cole," he knelt by the bed as nurse's rushed around me, getting a vial of something ready. I just needed the pain to stop. "It's okay, baby, look at me." I tried to look at the nurse's but he gently turned my face to is. "The pain will go away in a minute."

"Rupert," I sniffed, glancing at Adrian who stood helpless in the corner. "Please make it stop." I sounded like a little girl with a scraped knee. But my head, my back and even my limbs pounded, I was in agony.

"Shh," he said, wiping the tears from my face, "They're putting the medicine in your IV now. I love you Cole, this will all be over." I wrapped my arms around him, crying into his chest and he looked at me with wide eyes.

"Baby it's okay," he whispered the way my Mom used to, "You're all better now. Just go to sleep." I felt my body relax, unable to cling to him anymore and he gently pushed my back against the bed.

I felt a pressure on my lips and a whispered "I love you" before everything went dark.

Adrian

When Cole had fallen asleep I think both Rupert and I were trying to wipe our tears so the other wouldn't see. I could tell by the way he looked at her that he loved her very much. He loved her just as much as I did, only in a different way.

I held up Cole's phone. I figured we would need to call her Mom, her Dad and her friends to let them know what was going on. Whoever needed to pray for her would pray for her, and the rest would wait.

"I..." Rupert trailed off as I handed it to him. He shook his head. "I don't want to invade her privacy. Would you do it?" I nodded and opened her contacts.

"We need to call Hawthorne and Dafnie first," he said.

"Which one?" I asked him.

"Dafnie took care of Cole when she-" he paused, "she made sure Cole was on time for physical therapy everyday and helped her shower and do her makeup and get dressed and in the beginning she helped Cole eat." I nodded, scrolling down to Dafnie's contact number. The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Right before it would go to voicemail she picked up.

"Cole?" she asked.

"No," Rupert spoke up. "It's me and her cousin Adrian."

"Did something happen to Colette?" She asked this frantically.

"Is Thorne there?" he asked.

"I'm here," Another distinctly feminine voice piped up and I assumed that was Hawthorne.

"How is she?" Hawthorne asked.

"She's in a lot of pain," Rupert said, "She woke up screaming. And from what Hunter told me before, it wasn't unlike her accident in the first place when she woke up hysterical. But she was able to hug me with both arms and the Doctors sedated her. She should wake up in a couple of hours." I stayed quiet. This wasn't my story to tell.

"I'm so sorry," Dafnie said. Even though I'd never met either of them, I had the feeling that Thorne, like me, just wasn't quite sure what to say.

"We're going to be here until she wakes up," I said, "It looks like she's out of danger. The Doctor said that if anything would go wrong, it would happen during surgery. She's awake and she's moving. If she's not in pain when she wakes up, do you want us to have her call you?"

Hawthorne spoke up this time. "Absolutely. And if she is in a lot of pain, just text us. But keep us posted. Please text both of us, I'm not sure what the plan is for tomorrow." She was upset but calm. I admired these girls for that. How ironic that men are supposed to be tough and masculine but when times get tough, it was me who was having a hard time keeping myself together. Not them.

Rupert hung up and we sat in the uncomfortable plastic waiting chairs until the Doctor came up to us.

"The sedative seems to be helping," he said, "her vitals are fine and it looks like the nerves in her left side are beginning to receive signals. I need to have a chat with you two so you guys know what to expect." I nodded, Rupert and I both stayed silent.

"We'll send her home in about a day or two or until she isn't feeling anymore pain. She should feel tingly for a few days but if she starts hurting again at all, even soreness, call me. She'll need to go to physical therapy everyday now so you need to fly her back to the U.S. within the next 2-3 weeks so she can be with Doctors she is familiar with. I have some very trusted associates back in Seattle waiting for her who I've worked closely with in the past. They will keep an eye on her while she recovers."

We both nodded, taking in what he had to say.

"When will she be back on her feet?" I asked.

"Colette will be able to walk very soon, it depends on how ready she is. She should be able to try with crutches when the pins and needles feeling dissipates. Which again, should happen either before she leaves the hospital or very quickly after. Here is what she'll be using to walk."

The Doctor took a pair of crutches from the wall next to him. But they weren't crutches exactly. I'd seen people use these. They had arm braces on them to keep her steady and in place.



"You two will need to take care of her. She cannot be left unattended in the shower or near a hot stove, just like before. Even if she gets used to the crutches. In the shower, she'll still need to use her shower chair but washing up should be much easier for her. And try to steer her clear of sharp knives at dinner. She needs to figure out how to move again and these things will be hazards for her if she has a muscle spasm or something like that."

"I have other patients I need to tend to, if you have any questions, feel free to call me. And like I said before, if she feels any pain at all, don't hesitate. I keep this phone line on 24 hours a day for cases like this." We thanked the doctor before he left, eyeing the crutches.

"Do you think she'll get used to these?" Rupert asked me, eyeing the metal skeptically.

"I know it's not quite what we had in mind. But at this point, we have no other choice."

Jessie

Isabelle chomped down on a Zero candy bar as she used one hand to steer the wheel, as I flipped through the stations until I got to 96.7, where Waterfalls by TLC was playing.

"J, honey, have I taught you nothing about good music?" Bell laughs, and casts a side glance at me, before training her eyes back on the road.

"Hey!" I reach out and slap at her arm playfully, "TLC is great. Plus, Left-eye's rap is amazing."

"We seriously need to have a talk," Isabelle snorts, and tosses the candy wrapper into the back seat before pulling into the Starbucks parking lot. "Seriously."

"Yeah, yeah," I adjust my cardigan after hopping out of the car, and shut the door behind me. "Let's just get some coffee for now, though."

"I like that idea," She sighs, and locks the doors before we begin to walk side-by-side to the entrance.

As soon as we step into the store, I feel bad. Like something bad was about to happen. Isabelle tugged me along until we were standing behind two boys. Two boys that we went to school with. Two boys that...I felt my face warm up, and I wanted to leave. I recognized Philip's lean figure, messy hair, annoying voice. He didn't seem to notice me, though, which made me feel slightly better. He was with someone else I knew- Merrick, it was.

Isabelle elbowed me in the side, and muttered, "What? Why're you all sweaty? You look gross."

I shake my head, and wipe my sleeve across my face, "Shh, just wait."

After receiving their drinks, the two boys sauntered off to a booth. I had to tear my eyes away from the boy who took advantage of me.

"What can I get for you two?" The overly joyful girl behind the counter chirped.

"Caramel macchiato for me, get her a tall vanilla frappe. Extra whipped cream for both, please," Isabelle said, as if she'd rehearsed the line. "Thank you."

Once the girl began whipping up our drinks, Isabelle turned to me, her eyes urgent and questioning.

"I-I," I pause, and gather myself before speaking again. "Philip. It was Philip. He's..."

"The father?" She raises her eyebrows in surprise, and turns to look at the two boys, who looked to be in a very interesting conversation. Merrick was avoiding eye contact, and Philip was smirking.

I nod, and tear my eyes away from the two, again, "I didn't know. I thought...I thought it was Rupert, because we were together the night of my party and I just...I don't know. I was drunk. But it...Rupert told me it wasn't him. And that...I was with Philip that night. I don't remember doing anything with him. I don't even remember him being there. So for Philip to remember that we...we did it, he must not have been very drunk...but-"

"Was the sex even consensual, then? Is that what you're wondering?" Isabelle asks quietly, her voice low. Almost too low to hear. I nod, once again. "I can't answer that for you. Maybe you should...no, you definitely need to talk to him."

"He knows I'm pregnant. And...h-he said he doesn't want anything to do with the baby," I mumble, turning my face away to hide the unforgiveable tears that were surfacing.

"Excuse me? Oh, no he didn't. If you don't go talk to him, I will. And I assure you, I won't be so nice." Isabelle snapped, her eyes suddenly slitting, and her fists clenching.

"Isabelle-" I stop myself, knowing I couldn't argue. "Can I get my drink first?"

The girl shrugs, and we turn back to the cashier. She'd just finished, thankfully, "Caramel macchiato and Tall vanilla frappe with extra whip."

I slid a 10 onto the counter, grabbed my drink, and led Isabelle to the farthest seat away from the two boys.

"Take a drink, breathe, and go over there. We're not leaving until you talk to him." Isabelle says stubbornly, and plops herself down in the booth.

I sigh, take a long of the frappe I'd grown so used to, and with a shaky hand, put it back on the table, "All right. What...what am I supposed to say?"

"Just tell him you need to talk to the Royal Dick," Isabelle says through her straw. "Or just grab a lock of his hair and drag him outside."

I roll my eyes, and turn away from her. After taking an extremely deep breath, I gathered my confidence, and stalked over to their booth. But, of course, as soon as I get even remotely close to them, my legs began to wobble. My confidence began to fade. I stood there, not able to go any further.

"Maybe not, but we all see the way you look at her, Merrick. There's no use in trying to hide it." Philip shook his head at Merrick, but his lips were parted into a smile. "So put us out of your misery and ask her out already."

"Philip?" My voice startled me. When did I decide to do that?

Both of them turned to look at me. I looked from Philip to Merrick, then settled on Merrick, forcing my face to be as straight as it could in a situation like this. "Can we talk? We really need to talk."

"Can we- uh, sure, yes," He says, his smile gone and his brows lowered in confusion.

I waited until he was up to walk toward the door. As soon as I stepped outside, a bitter chill ran down my spill. I shivered, and shoved my hands in my shorts pockets, "I'm sorry for doing that so randomly. I know you were having a good time, and stuff..."

"Yeah, no, it's fine," He says, running a hand through his hair. Blonde hair fell to the side as desperate moans filled the non-sober house; sometimes it wasn't good to put a wanting soul and a giving soul together. "Is there something wrong with, you know...um, the baby?"

I shake my head, and rest a hand on the small bump that had begun to grow, "No, it's...it's not that. My...our baby, Philip, it's going to need a father. I can't do this alone. You can't just...just get a girl pregnant, then say that you're not going to help or-or do anything to contribute. You did this. I was drunk, and you somehow remembered that we had sex. You...remember everything that happened, you know what you did, and I'm not going to let you go with a slap on the hand. As if you didn't fuck up. I'm not doing this alone, whether you like it or not."

"Jessie," Philip sighs, and leans against the building. "I have a life to live. I'm not even done with high school. You can't pin this on me. You didn't tell me to stop. In fact, I remember you throwing yourself at me. If my parents find out that I got a girl pregnant then I'm done for. I won't have a life."

"I'm not even done with high school. But you don't see me saying, 'No, I don't want to, I have a life', do you? I don't have a choice. And neither do you."

"How do I not have a choice?" He suddenly pushed off of the wall, his hands twisting his shirt around and around. "I make my own choices. You don't. So how do I not have a choice?"

"I hate to make this an option, but I will take you to court. If you claim to the jury that you don't want any part of our child's life, you'll still have to pay child support. Which means you have to get a job. Which means you can't party whenever you want to," I firmly place my hands on my hips, and turn back towards the front door. "You choose what you want to do? That's fine. But your choices are limited. I'm not doing this without you, either way."

With that, I saunter back into Starbucks, and find my way back to my seat, a small smile playing on my ruby red lips, "Problem solved."

****

"And you're sure you don't want me to go home? I mean...you're going to be gone for over 2 weeks, Jess," Isabelle frowned down at her cup of coffee in her hands. "I don't want to get in trouble, or anything."

"Are you kidding? Dad said he wanted somebody to look over the house while we're gone, and you're the only person he trusts to do that in this town. The weeks will be over before you know it, I promise." I grin, and wrap her in another hug. "God, I'm gonna miss your grumpy ass."

"And you're sure Michael's okay with this?" Isabelle groans, holding her coffee out to the side.

"Goodness gracious, girl, yes!" I laugh, and pull away from the embrace. "We'll be back in no time."

"Damn, okay. But remind me again, why are you going to France?" Isabelle grumbles after taking another sip out of her mug.

"I'm judging a Fashion Show, because my mom can't make it, for some reason. I was the next option," I smile, and shrug. "Dad thinks it's a great opportunity, so I can have a gateway into the business."

"Oh," Bell frowns, then shrugs, too. "Have fun for me? Also, don't forget to bring me back souvenirs, bitch."

I laugh, and nod once before leaving the room to finish packing.

I'd been given an extension on the project I had due at school, but when I get back I have to make up for the days I'd lost during the weekends.

****

The flight was too long- luckily, I'd slept through most of it. Dad had to wake me up when they announced we'd be landing in 30 minutes.

Everything went by so quickly- getting off the airplane, leaving the airport, going to the hotel, and going out to eat at Le Chantecler.

Several model's, the other judge's for the Fashion Show, and quite a few other's that her father and mother were friends with.

Dad, even though he was against the idea, made me go out and get fitted for something proper to wear to dinner. I wasn't comfortable with what I'd gotten.

It was a beautiful dress, don't get me wrong, but I felt uncomfortable with all my...stuff hanging out. It was a long satin gown, a deep maroon color that, according to the woman who helped me at the store, brought out my eyes. Did the slit that went all the way up my thigh bring out my eyes, too? I didn't think so. But, I didn't argue.

"Jessie, tell me, have you gotten thicker?" Magnus, one of the judges, asked as he studied me.

I flushed with anger and embarrassment- I'd forgotten how much bigger I'd gotten since the pregnancy.

"Jessie's actually doing an article for Fancy Favors. It's about 'The Ideal Hour-Glass Figure', and she's the star of the topic." Dad grins at the people at the table, and leans back in his chair.

"Aw! You must be so proud of her," Coep, the model from London, beamed at me. "I remember when she was a little girl. So adorable, and determined to gmake the perfect fondue for her 6th birthday party. How silly she was, so focused on cooking."

I clear my throat, and force a smile, "Excuse me, please. I need to use the restroom."

I didn't wait for a response- I stood up from my seat, and stalked away from the overly fancy people I was surrounded by. Instead of going to the restroom, I stepped outside of the restaurant. The soft breeze was extremely refreshing.

I didn't know how long I stood there- 5 minutes, maybe even 20. I wasn't entirely sure. But what did I know? I was standing on the sidewalk, admiring the night sky when, suddenly, I wasn't looking at the sky anymore. I was on my knees, looking at the ground. Somebody ran into me, perhaps?

After a second, I looked up, only to meet eyes with...a boy. His dark brown hair fell into his chocolate eyes, and I couldn't stop staring. He was gorgeous. He was the definition of gorgeous. He- oh, who am I kidding? He was out of my league.

The boy held his hand out, and I was scared to take it. Did I deserve to touch him? I- okay, seriously, Jessie? Knock it off. He's offering your hand and you're staring at him like he's a piece of meat! Snap out of it.

I shake my head, and take his hand. I wanted to say something, I just couldn't find my words.

His lips parted in a half smile, and his deep voice rumbled, "S'il vous plaît, acceptez mes excuses les plus sincères, belle."

French- oh, god, his accent was beautiful. He was beautiful.

My French was slightly rusty, but I was sure that he was apologizing.

"Ça va. Je dois partir maintenant." I managed to say, before turning and taking off into the restaurant.

Rupert Jean Franz

Colette was frantic. After the surgery, all she did was cry from pain, a pain I wish I would never feel. She looked pale and her skin was wet from sweat. I wish I could cure her from the pain, cause it hurts me to see her like this.

At least I wasn't alone in this, I had Adrian suffering with me. He could do as much as I could, pray.

They put her to sleep so she could escape for a while, let her body adjust. I had decided to sleep in the chair that stood next to her bed. Being away from her is something I couldn't do.

"Eventually you'll have to eat Rupert," Adrian mumbled when he walked in.

Looking up, I saw him with two coffees and a small brown bag. I sat up and took one of the coffees from him, enjoying the heat it gave off.

"Want a croissant?" he asked.

I nodded as he pulled one out of the bag, handing it to me. It was warm and it smelt like hot chocolate.

"I want her to stop hurting." I spoke as I ate.

"She will, but it'll take a while." Adrian replied, his French accent still startling me.

"I don't know how long I can stay..." I admitted. "I want to stay until she's better, but, school and work won't let me."

There was a short pause as he took in the information.

"But you'll stay, yes?"

"Of course... I don't even know why I said that."

He pulled a chair over and sat next to me, sipping his coffee. Cole and him looked alike, it was the eyes. Innocent yet very alluring. He shook his head and just stared at her.

"You're scared." he said.

It was my time to go silent again and look at her. She looked at peace, and yet, not at peace. The pain still bothered her in her sleep, I could see that, feel that. She was curled up almost in fetal position and her eyes were shut a little too tight.

I had gotten comfortable when my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and read the caller ID.

"Phil?" I answered.

"I'm so fucked." He hissed. "Soooo fucked,"

"And why is that?"

"Jessie is not only pregnant, but she wants me to take responsibility for that devil spawn!"

Wonderful. I looked over at Adrian and caught him looking back at me. Philip tended to be loud, so he had heard that. I just rose my eyebrows in question and went back to the conversation.

"Dude, that's your fault." I said.

"Not only! She got herself pregnant. I didn't ask her to get pregnant!"

"She didn't ask to get pregnant either, dumb ass." I hissed, my heart racing. "Take responsibility for your actions. You had sex, you gave her your sperm and whoops, she's pregnant with your child... did you not take Sex ED?" I tried to keep my voice at a controlled volume.

"Jesus Rupert, I thought you'd be at my side." he paused. "But I guess not."

"I can't make her not pregnant Phillip,"

"But you could support me here. I don't need to take care of that shit."

"Actually yes you do," I paused. "You got her pregnant, you should at least pay child support. I'm done talking." and I hung up.

Taking a deep breath, I slipped my phone back into my pocket and looked at Colette. She was sound asleep still.

"My friend is dumb, sorry," I smiled at Adrian.

"We all have friends like that. Don't worry about it."

I nodded and drank the rest of my coffee.

Isabelle

Jessie had finally left, they had went on a trip to France. I was now alone, at their amazingly awesome house. How could they trust me so much to leave their house to me for a week? Possibly even two.

I sighed, the loneliness set in. Paul has been messaging me so much the past few days, I just didn't know what to even say. I was in love with a guy who was obviously in love with his best friend. That sounded great, right? No. TERRIBLE.

I looked through my pictures of us together, I was so happy when I was with him. A tear left my eye and I just wanted to see him. He hurt me, yes, but it didn't change that I loved him.

I should definitely give him one chance to at least explain himself, right? Yes. Of course.

Lying on Jessie's bed I decided to text him.

I think we should talk. I sent. My hands were already sweating and I just didn't know what I was even going to say.

Immediately there was a text, Good. Because I am outside.

My mouth went dry and my stomach did flips. Why was he outside and how does he know where I am?

I walked to the front door and sure enough, he was outside. I opened it and stepped out.

"Hi.." I said.

I could see that he looked terrible and I instantly wanted to pull him into a hug but I held back.

"I'm sorry.. I never meant to hurt you, Isabelle." He said. There was a sincere expression on his face but I still couldn't let it go that easy.

"Well, you did," I said. "I fell in love with you and yet you are in love with Dafnie. Why'd you do that to me?" I couldn't help but ask.

He walked a few inches towards me and I stopped him, if he would've kept walking I'd probably just fall apart.

"Keep your distance, please." I muttered.

We both sat down on the sidewalk that led up to Jessie's house.

"I miss you. And, the past few weeks have been miserable and it made me realize, I really do love you Isabelle. I want us to be together." He said.

My heart felt like it was about to fall out of my butt, I held in how I was feeling though.

"Well, I never doubted my love for you, Paul. I wanted us to be together... forever.. or at least try and see where it would have went."

Adrian

Today was the day.

Cole gingerly sat up in bed, I could see her hospital gown falling open behind her. I held an armful of clothes, sweatpants, a loose fitting tank top, her favorite high tops and a sports bra. Although going through my cousin's underwear drawer was not my favorite pastime, I included those in the pile as well.

Cole reached out both hands to take the stack of clothing and it took me a minute to get adjusted.

"Do you mind if I get dressed myself?" She asked. Rupert and I nodded, stepping out of the room. But we stayed near the door and left it cracked, just in case she needed to call for help.

"Can I have some help getting on my shoes?" She called through the open door. I nealry kicked myself. High tops were hard for me to put on and I wasn't paralyzed. I should've brought flats or something.

Rupert and I stepped in and he rubbed her lower legs as he gently slid on and tied her shoes. Rupert moved Cole into her wheelchair as I took her crutches and we left the hospital, returning to my apartment.

***

It took some time for her to adjust. About a day after we came home, she said the tingling sensations stopped and she wasn't feeling anymore pain. So we tried to help her with the crutches.

Rupert had been sleeping in her room and helped her with most things like getting up, eating and getting ready for bed. But I drew the line at showers. So the second morning after she got back, I helped her out of the shower but she managed to dress herself once again. And we took the crutches into the living room (which had hardwood flooring) and supported her while she got her bearings.

Cole leaned heavily to her good side and it took her a great deal of effort to get across the small living room. But she was walking again. When the Doctor called to check in on her he said the only reason she was capable of this was all the physical therapy she did so her muscles wouldn't regress over time.

After that small victory, we called Dafnie and Hawthorne to celebrate, having them on a 3 way call.

"Hello?" Hawthorne asked as she answered her phone, Dafnie was already on the line.

"Guess what!" Cole practically yelled, making me grin to myself.

"Cole! You're okay!" Dafnie said, her voice seemed to also get louder through the phone speakers.

"I walked! I had to use crutches but I can stand on my own and get around Adrian's living room now. Pretty soon I'll be faster than you old ladies." Cole's tone was teasing and that surprised me. She had gotten a little upset when we tried out the crutches but that was Colette. Making an effort to be positive, as usual.

"That's great!" I recognized Thorne's voice and I could tell she still wasn't quite sure what to say but she was genuinely happy and relieved.

I checked the time on my watch. "I'm really sorry to cut this short but I have to be at work in a half hour and it's probably late for you guys so we have to go. We'll call you later, okay?" I didn't want to end things but I knew I had to. We could call them later. So we said our goodbyes and I left for work.

***

It was getting late and I was the only one left in the kitchen. I had just been experimenting and making myself dinner, though I wasn't really hungry. My Dad let me cook in his hotel kitchen until I could go to culinary school.

It was all laid out and I was sitting at a counter on a bar stool with food in front of me. I had made a well seasoned gourmet chicken breast with a light sight salad and a creamy souffle to go with it. Everything looked so pretty, I just couldn't help but stare at it. And stare at it. Until the phone next to me rang from the front desk.

"Adrian?" It was Emma. She frequented the front desk and usually called in orders for room service.

"Oui?" I asked, relieved to be speaking my own language since Rupert was living at my apartment. Cole and I had both opted to speak English though he tried to stumble through a little French here and there.

"We got a call from a girl wanting room service. I told her no one was in the kitchen but she seemed pretty upset and said she didn't care what it was, but she really wanted something to eat. You don't happen to have anything on hand, do you?" I stared at my dinner and almost laughed.

"Actually, I do have something. What's the room number?"

"206."

"I'll be there in 10."

I put the food on a serving platter and carried it up the staff elevator. I reached the floor and I softly knocked on the door, not wanting to disrupt other guests this late at night. Especially not in a hotel as expensive as this one.

A teary eyed- but beautiful- girl opened the door. She was the girl who had run in to me earlier this evening. The girl who spoke the clumsy French.

"Merci," She said, letting me in.

"Hello," I said in English. I could detect an American accent a mile away.

"Hi. You're the guy I ran into..." I nodded and smiled as she apologized again.

"I'm Adrian," I said, setting down the platter and shaking her hand. Her blonde hair was messy and she had washed the makeup off her face. She wore loose shorts and a flowing tank top. But she was still very pretty.

"Thank you Adrian," she said, "I'm Jessie."

Colette
"I'm so sorry to cut this short," Adrian said, hanging up the phone. "I've missed a few days of work already and the kitchen usually falls apart without me." I felt bad and I think he could see the guilt on my face because he said:

"Don't worry Colette. It was worth it. I love you, cousin." He hugged me and we kissed cheeks. People saw that as a French stereotype, but that really was our custom when we saw someone we were close with.

Adrian left, locking the door behind him.

"Finally," I said, "Some peace." I let go of the crutches and lowered myself into my wheelchair, happy that I could at least do that.

"When are you going to try drawing again?" Rupert asked.

"Soon," I replied, "But I don't really want to talk about that. For the past 3 weeks my injury has been the only thing anyone has spoken about. I even went to dinner with my parents the day before you came and that's all they wanted to talk about. Can we just snuggle in bed? Maybe watch a movie? I just want to relax and pretend everything is normal."

Rupert nodded and wheeled me down the narrow hallway. We passed the toilet room and then the bathroom. (Yup. In France, the toilet is in a different room) and then Adrian's room before we came to the guest room. It was pretty dark out at that point and we turned off the lights to see the TV better. We left one lamp on, though. It cast a very dim but warm glow around the room.

I snuggled up to Rupert and for the first time, I was able to fully enjoy it. My left side felt like it was still numb, like when your foot first falls asleep. But I could still feel it when he kissed my left hand, smiling wider than I'd ever seen him smile before.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I whispered softly, just loud enough to be heard over the low din of the TV.

"Because even though I have a huge house, this is the closest to home I will ever get." He kissed my nose right after he said that and I giggled.

"You're so cheesy," I teased, "What happened to the bad, party boy?"

"He left, I guess. I thought you hated that side of me."

I shook my head, "Rupert I could never hate you. I don't like your past but even if that's who you were now, I'd still love you." I bit my lip. I just said it, I told him I loved him.

"I love you too," he said, using his thumb to pull my lip out from between my teeth.

"I've never said that to anyone before," He told me before he kissed me.

I had, but I didn't bring that up, I just kissed him, pressing my body close to his. I felt something harden beneath me and I giggled.

"Rupert?" he blushed at this and I could tell that was a first for him. Blushing, I mean. He turned away from me.

"No," I said, "Come back." Usually a boner would scare the crap out of me, but I still felt relaxed. Safe.

"I don't want to rush into anything," he said, "I'm sorry you're just... when a hot girl kissed you in bed, stuff like that happens." I laughed and braced my left hand on my shoulder as I climbed into his lap, straddling him.

"And now?" I asked, though I had my answer. It was getting harder for him to control himself, pun totally intended.

"Cole, you're not ready." I kissed him deeply, biting his lip and making him be quiet.

"I feel ready." And I did. It wasn't just the tingling sensation I had going through my body or the ambiance of Paris: the city of love. I felt ready. I knew that now was the right time.

"But you're so fragile, you just got out of surgery," he said, pushing me back a little.

"I feel fine. In fact, I can actually feel. I want this." I rubbed my hips against his, feeling his boner beneath me, "And you definitely want it too."

He kissed me after that, gently and then deeper. He laid me down on the bed, turning the TV off and kissing me harder. He kissed and bit down my neck but not to the point where he'd leave a hickey. His hands roamed and I didn't mind because mine did too. I didn't feel shameful or dirty. I felt happy and alive. More alive than I'd felt in a long long time.

Our clothes eventually came off and I'm not gonna lie. It hurt at first. Really hurt. But he took everything very slowly. Eventually it was pleasurable, once the pain subsided. But that's how sex is supposed to be, isn't it? I was in sensory overload. The sheets beneath me, his skin on top of me, all the sounds. I was glad we were completely alone.

Afterwards, he pulled me against him and laid me on my side, holding me. His skin against mine with the sheets pulled up. It was too warm for blankets.

"So?" he asked.

"So what? Do you want me to submit a survey?" I giggled as he flicked me.

"No," he said laughing, "Are you okay? You don't have any regrets do you?"

I shook my head. "Never."

Adah Lone

No.

No.

No.

No.

"Not happening."

"Adah, you look fine. I know it's a part of your culture and whatever to not show-" here I give her a sharp look, and Jules sighs. "Right. Sorry. White Adah."

"Jules, I'm not saying I'm white, I just don't like pointing out what I am. You know. People make jokes."

"Okay. Ethnically ambiguous Adah?"

"Jules! Bigger problems!"

"Oh. Ethnically ambiguous Adah with a self conscious problem. Is that the priority?"

"I hate you."

Jules stretches, which only shows how perfectly sculpted her stomach is. She's a runner, and I know she works for it while I'm up to my knees in paint, but still. Next to her, I'm a thin unshapely yam. You can see my acne on my back, and a little between my chest.

I hate swim week in gym.

I love swimming, don't get me wrong. There's some unneeded extra pressure with everyone watching and...

Amy pokes her head in the dressing room. "Guys! You need to come out!"

Jules grabs my hand and pulls me out. Amy gives me a comforting smile. As soon as I can, I wrap my arms around my stomach.

We have to go in alphabetic order for swim tests, and everyone chats away. Amy gets in, and she does pretty well, I think.

"Lone!"

No.

No.

My towel drops to the floor, and the world becomes a sharp haze. I think I hear Jules yelling for me, somewhere in the back of my head. All you have to do is jump in and swim to the other end. That's all.

I jump in, but I don't remember what happens next.

-------------

I wake up somewhere else entirely with a terrible bruise on my head.

"Oh good! You're awake. You hit your head really hard at the pool." Our school nurse, a young women named Miss George, helped me up. "You've been out for about ten minutes. I was starting to get worried."

"I'm fine. Really."

"Still, you need to stay here for awhile. You have some company!"

And there he is, in the boundaries of my clearing vision.

Collin.

What am I wearing? My bathing suit cover-up. Dang it. I blame you, Jules.

"I... was just getting a band aid for a cut. When saw you were hurt, I thought..." Collin does seem to know where to look, and I don't either. "I thought I could help."

"And you have, Collin. Trust me. When Adah gets a little safer here, I think the two of you should go get some ice cream. Help her feel better."

"Skip class?"

They both looks at me. Great.

"At least the rest of gym, maybe longer. You couldn't handle class right now if you tried, sweetie. Nurses orders. It's a short walk to Dairy Queen."

"My teachers?" Collin says, and his clear hesitation makes me like him more.

"I'll take care of it. Have fun! After Adah rests for a little longer, of course."

"Are you even allowed to...?"

"Do it all the time. The cold and the break helps." Miss George replies.

Oh, we are both so in over our heads.

"Call Jules Helsy and get me some clothes, please."

I know what she's doing, and if the nurse is going to ship me and send me on a date, I might as well put on some clothes.

This is weird.

Life is so weird. Teachers should not be allowed to be in their twenties. Okay. Ever.

I'm just going to keep pretending I'm not secretly glad about this.

@Shiney

Ice cream. During school. With Adah. I pinch my arm to make sure I'm not dreaming, and sure enough, I'm fully conscious.

I'd always favored the nurse more than any of my other teachers, mostly because she was so kind. But this? This was another level of kind. Would this be considered a kind thing to do, actually? And what about Adah? What if she didn't want to go get ice cream with me? And what if she just felt bad that I was a loner so she just decided to, out of her guilty conscious? I guess hypothetically speaking, it- what am I doing? I'm thinking too much, that's what I'm doing.

"Adah? Are you ready?" I call out from behind the curtain that separated us, which I was still flustered about. Just a thin curtain covering up this girl while she changed. I felt as if I were invading her privacy. I don't know.

"Almost, hold on," She replies, and about a minute later, she pushes the curtain back and steps out.

Her eyes were shining, part of her hair was wet, acne peeked out from the above the collar of her shirt, her face seemed to glow in the gleam of the sun, and I felt as if I weren't breathing. For some reason, this awkward, shy girl was fascinating. Amazing. Beautiful. Breathtaking.

When I finally realized I'd been staring for too long, I tore my eyes away from her and cleared my throat, hoping- no, praying she didn't see my face, since it felt like it was on fire.

"Are you okay, Collin?" She asks, as she tosses a towel on the counter.

"A-am I okay?" I flick my eyes back over to her, and grin. "Of course. Come on, let's go."



"So you're saying that I jumped and hit my face on the concrete?" Adah laughed, as if it were a joke, as she swirled her spoon around in her slowly melting ice cream.

"Well, I wasn't there, but that's what the coach said," I nod, and stare at my frozen desert. "Does your head still hurt?"

"Huh?" Adah shrugs after a second, and takes another bite of her rocky road ice cream. "Kind of."

Finally, I take my eyes off of the ice cream, and look over at her, "You don't look as pale as you did earlier. I think that's a good sign."

"I do, too," Adah hums, and spoons another mouthful of ice cream into her mouth. "I don't remember hitting it, though. Actually, I just remember jumping. And...yeah, that's it."

"Really? I'm sorry," I sigh, and prop my chin up on my hand. "It's nice to get out of school while schools still going on, though. Don't you think?"

Adah shrugs, yet again, "It's an indifferent feeling, I guess."

After both of us finished our ice creams, we tossed the tiny bowls in the trash, and left the store. The school was a 5 minute walk from here, but I was determined to make it longer than that. After all, I did want to talk to her about something. That is, if I could get the nerve up to.

"Look, I-"

"Collin?" Her soft voice interrupted, and I couldn't help but feel as if I'd done something wrong.

As we walk side-by-side, I observe our surroundings, the wilting flowers, the dead leaves, the faint glow of the sun behind the trees.

After a moment, I glance over at her, and offer a smile, "Yeah?"

"I-" She stops herself, and shakes her head. "Nevermind. Continue what you were saying."

"Oh," I feel my face heat up the slightest bit as I turn away from her. "I was just going to, um...well, you see, my mom wants me to get out more, and stuff, so she's making me go to the movies with my sister next Friday. But, um, my sister's going to be busy, so I...need someone to go with. I was just, um, wondering if you wanted to go with me? I-I mean, you don't have to, of course...um, you were just the, er, first person I thought of."

"I'm the first person you thought of?" Adah giggles, and I know that there's no hiding my crimson face now.

"N-no! Er, yes? Like...t-to go to the movies with, you know? I don't...I'm sorry," I pause, and catch my breath. " You know, just...go to the movies, watch this horror film called 'The Gallows', get something to eat afterwards, walk around town, or, um, we could just go to the movies, and I can walk you home, like in those cheesy romantic movies. B-but, uh, excluding the, um, kissing, because I've never done that before and I've said too much, but I'm confusing myself and embarrassing myself and, um, god I'm already regretting this. Or...I don't know. I don't know what- okay. Um, Adah Lone, would you like to go out on a date with me?"

Paul Jenkins

Seeing Isabelle, being near Isabelle, felt like I could finally breathe. Her face seemed so new, yet so familiar. I just wanted to look at her all day and never let go, never lose sight of her.

Just having her look at me the way she did was lucky for me. I know, our relationship wasn't long lived and we haven't known each other for a while and our separation was only a week... but I really missed her.

"Can we try?" I asked, my throat felt dry, like exposing myself was a threat to my health or something.

Her eyes got wide and I could swear her face went pale. I pulled myself together and tried to make myself look more confident.

"I know, I fucked up. And I'm so sorry Izzy... but, I really love you. I love you so much. I love you more than to the moon and back. My love for you is like the TARDIS, it never ends." I paused, realizing how cheesy I sounded and how much I wanted to shoot myself. "I know, sounds fake, but it's not. I'm being honest Isabelle. Dafnie is my best friend and I will always love her. But I know you're the love of my life, and I will not only love you, I need you."

She listened, took every word I said to heart. I could see it by the way she couldn't keep eye contact with me anymore and how pink her cheeks were. I looked at her and waited as my heart raced.

"Isabelle, if you could please say something..."

I took her hands in mine, noticing she didn't pull them away. Her warm hands worked magic, making my whole body tingle.

Rupert Jean Franz

Colette was always so sure of herself. If she wanted something, she would do anything to get it. Or, she wasn't sure, but somehow she was, and she would do anything to make herself happy, fulfilled.

She would do anything to feel loved, especially in her weak state.

And somehow, this was the right time, for the both of us.

At first, I wasn't sure if I could. Not in the state she was in. She was fragile and on meds, you never know if this won't come and bite you in the ass in the end. And, I fucking loved her, I didn't want to hurt her.

But she could finally feel again, and she really wanted to feel.

She wanted to feel me.

I was soft with her, cautious with every step we took. But it was so hard since I just wanted to toss her around and make her feel like this was the last night of her life.

Her skin was so soft, like silk. Even her legs. I wouldn't expect her to shave or do anything really, she's been through so much. But, she thought this through.

I enjoyed her running her fingers down my body, tracing every inch like I was a work of art. She was just so curious, and I allowed her to be. I was tempted to pull her on top of me again, but she needed to have this time to her self. It's her first, she wants to understand everything.

It was amazing to see her body for the first time, so beautiful, curvy, perfect. Once she finished judging me, I gripped her body, pulling her back on top, caressing her hips.

This was after the sex. We still were up, in awe.

"I love you," I whispered.

She smiled, her pink lips so alluring. "I love you too,"






I had no dreams that night, probably because my biggest dream came true just a few hours ago. Opening my eyes, I saw Colette in my arms, still fast asleep. Her skin was warm, pleasing. Thankfully she threw on some clothes last night, or else I'd be waking her up.

I can't hide my temptations, but she made it easier to stop them. She still looked damn sexy in her pajamas, but it felt wrong to wake her right now.

Sitting up, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and saw a text from Adrian.

We are flying out tonight, get packed.

He's joining us?

Alright, thanks Adrian. Meet up for breakfast?

A few seconds later he replied.

It's lunch time Rupert xD and I already sent room service to you.

I looked up from the bed and to the hallway, there it was, a cart full of silver dishes. I climbed out of bed, stepping onto the cool floor. I heard Cole toss in bed, but I kept on walking, reaching the cart. Pulling it over to Colette's side, the aromas flooded the room.

"Cole, wakey-wakey," I said.

The easiest thing with Colette is that she wakes in an instant.

"What?" She mumbled.

"Babe," I paused. "Breakfast."

Colette Roux

We had lunch together in Adrian's apartment and somehow, Adrian had managed to get room service. There weren't any kitchens in the apartment building but I guess when you're a chef in a hotel... you get to pull some strings.

I understood finally what it meant to have a "glow" after sex. I was smiling so hard my cheeks hurt and my skin felt warm and tingly. And no, that was not an after effect of the surgery. Even though my hair was probably a mess and I wasn't wearing any makeup or even a bra, really, Rupert kept looking at me like I was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. And I'm not gonna lie, he looked like he wanted to throw me on the bed and have his way with me. I was a little tempted to let him but Rupert said we were flying back to the states in a few hours.

So we ate croque monsieurs (grilled cheese sandwhiches with fancy french cheese and baguette bread) before going back to the guest room. I tied back my hair in a messy bun and began taking all my clothes out of the drawers and putting them in my suitcases. Between staying at the hospital and the 5 days Rupert had actually slept at Adrian's, he hadn't had time to unpack. So all we had to do was throw in a small load of laundry of both his clothes and mine.

As I took the clothes out of the dryer and folded them up, Rupert came up and hugged me from behind. His hands rested loosely around my belly as he kissed the back and sides of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

"Rup," I said warningly. We didn't have time to do this. Adrian was going to be back soon to pack up his stuff. Still, I'm sure I wasn't too convincing since I sighed and settled my back against his front, covering his hands with mine over my belly.

"Baby," I pulled his arms off me and turned to face him. He took my hands against his chest and I could feel his heartbeat.

"Yes?" he asked, giving me his sexy grin.

My forehead rested against his. "We can't," I told him, "If Adrian walked in..."

He exhaled. "I know." We stood there for a few more moments, my hands against his chest as I felt his heartbeat.

"Can I ask you something?" he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Sure," I joined him and took his hand.

"When you started school, I mean," He cleared his throat, "Were you always that..." he made motions with his hands in vertical waves. Like an ocean turned on its side.

"Curvy?" I offered.

"Yeah," Usually Rupert didn't get this embarrassed when it came to sex. Maybe it was different with me. Like he didn't want me to think he was taking it for granted.

"No actually. My hips got a lot wider and my chest filled out a lot. I wasn't active sitting in the wheelchair everyday for months so my body changed. It got more feminine. I used to be really skinny. Even now I'm not like Isabelle or Thorne but... you get the point." He nodded slowly as I spoke, playing with my fingers absentmindedly.

"So what now?" he asked.

"Now," I sighed, "Now we go back to the states and deal with everything there."

He smiled wryly. "Can't wait."

Adrian

The flight was long, especially with Rupert and Cole making googly eyes at eachother the whole time. I mostly just put in my earbuds, tuning everything out. But it was a long flight and I needed to save my cell battery so I shut it off once it got to 50%.

My Dad used that apartment a lot to house investors in the hotel business and important business partners. He let me use it for a while because I wanted to be on my own. But that also meant that I needed to make sure the rooms were clean and fresh linens were on the beds. So while Rupert and Cole went downstairs to bring some bags down, I quickly changed the sheets.

There was blood in the middle of the bed sheets in the guest room. Not enough to justify an "oops" from her time of the month, and smack dab in the middle of the bed. Plus the sheets were tangled and when Rupert finally answered his phone, it was well past noon. I wasn't stupid, I figured out they'd had sex while I was working. I usually don't pry into my cousin's love life but I knew enough to know she was a virgin. Part of me wanted to skin him alive but when I saw Cole so happy... I didn't say anything. She obviously had know regrets, I just hoped it stayed that way.

When we landed in the Seattle airport, Cole hobbled along slowly on her crutches through the terminal to get our bags. This was the longest she'd ever walked on her crutches but she insisted on not sitting in the handicapped section.

She sat down on a bench and we walked to the conveyor belt, looking for our bags.

"I changed the sheets in the guest room today," I said, "Before we left."

"Oh," Rupert didn't look at me. He didn't look embarrassed but I think he knew what was coming. The traditional "big brother" speech.

"I think you know me well enough to know how much I care about Cole. And you probably don't want to get on my bad side. There are these things called ceramic knives. They're used to cut things like vegetables, fruit and meat. I once needed to use it to cut through a Turkey Bone," I paused, "I've heard of them severing fingers."

Rupert averted his eyes, giving a slight shudder as he walked up to the belt to retrieve Cole's suitcase.

I stepped ahead of him, taking the bag before he could reach for it.

"I've been using these knives since I was 12 years old. They're not metal, they're sharper than steel knifes. They cut through your flesh like glass. Because they are made of a kind of glass. You really really don't want to mishandle one. Especially not..." Rupert's eyes trailed down to his belt area and looked up at me.

"I like you. And Cole likes you. But I think I've made myself very clear. Knives can be used for more than cooking. It's one thing if you leave her for legitimate reasons, but it's another if you use your 'package' for someone else. Understood?"

Rupert cleared his throat and nodded, "You have nothing to worry about," he seemed earnest enough so we retrieved the last of our bags.

Cole stood up to leave and as we made out way to the raindrop streaked doors, she turned to me.

"What was that about?" she asked,

"Nothing," said Rupert, "Nothing at all."