FrostWalker

THE SARCOPHAGI - BOOK I - FROSTWALKER

Chapter 2 Flatmates & Fairies

As I descended to the hallway at the bottom of the stairs, I looked across to the kitchen and froze in terror. Jax wasn’t alone! My panic subsided as I realised that the girl standing next to Jax wasn’t a fairy, didn’t have green hair, and didn’t have any tattoos! Unless she was a fairy in disguise?

Jax nodded to the girl. “Kel, this is Elytra.”

Elytra was a stunning redhead with green eyes, pale, perfect skin, and was absolutely gorgeous in every possible way. She was exactly the sort of girl I'd trip over my tongue to bring home, so right now my main priority was to work out whether or not I had brought her home? It was almost as if Elytra could read my mind as she grinned wickedly. “Hi Kel, I'm your new flatmate?”

As I sighed in obvious relief, Elytra’s mocking smile confirmed that she’d known exactly what I’d been thinking. I grinned at her. “Hey Elytra, it’s nice to meet you! How was the flight?”

Can fairies read minds?

Elytra smiled, but at the same time shook her head. “It’s nice to meet you too Kel. Our flight was a little delayed, but it was good. Frey’s just having a shower. It looks like you might have had a bit of a rough night?”

Brilliant. She isn’t a fairy! If Elytra was a fairy she’d hardly need a plane now, would she? She’d have wings. But how did she know what I was thinking? I think I’m probably safe however?

I replied suspiciously. “It was a great night, but I’m feeling a bit delicate this morning. Elytra, do you have any tattoos?”

Jax shook her head. “It's afternoon Kel?”

I frowned as I looked at my watch. “Well, it’s closer to morning than afternoon?”

Elytra looked at me incredulously. “No Kel, I’m afraid I don’t have any tattoos. A little advice? Your girlfriend isn't too happy with you right now, so you might want to sober up a bit?”

I stepped forward to take Jax’s hand and kiss her. “I'm really sorry Jax, you’re not a demon! You’re most definitely an angel! What happened last night?”

Jax glared at me, but kissed me back.

Jax didn’t punch me! That’s a good sign!

Elytra looked at us both in surprise. “You two are together?”

Jax nodded. “Yes Elytra, I’m just as amazed as you are. Every day my wonder as to why Kel and I are together increases a little. Some days, like today, it increases a lot!”

Elytra looked at us both in confusion. “So in that case Kel, who was the girl who was just here threatening to kill you?”

I looked around in panic. “Oh shit! Is she in the fridge? Where is she? Was she a fairy? I mean..? Was she a..? Was she a short girl with green hair?”

Elytra looked at me in confusion. “No?”

I nodded in relief. “Thank fuck for that. Wait, was it a tall girl with black hair? With tattoos all over her..? Well? Was it a girl with tattoos..? Did she have a tattoo..? Somewhere? Did she have a tattoo anywhere?”

Elytra was looking at me as if she couldn’t decide whether to be amused or annoyed, but was veering towards annoyed. “I’m afraid not Kel, any more guesses?”

I figured if Elytra realised that I was being entirely serious, she might think I was crazy. I mean I was obviously crazy, but she didn’t need to know that I was crazy. So I grinned. “Sorry Elytra, I’m just kidding. It all got a bit hazy after that point. What did she look like? You’re sure she didn’t have tattoos? And she wasn’t a fairy?”

Jax sighed. “Seriously Kel? What the fuck is wrong with you today? It was Marcy, and she wasn’t happy!”

Elytra frowned at this. “So Kel, exactly how many girlfriends do you have?”

Now there’s a question! And good luck in calculating the answer to that one!

What a great start to the day! Why is my vision shimmering? Marcy is more dangerous than the green haired fairy! Actually I’m not sure Marcy is more dangerous than the fairy, but that would be quite an interesting fight? Forget the fairy! I’m pretty sure Marcy actually exists, and fairies only come out at night? Or was that vampires? Shit, what if she was a green haired angelic demonic fairy vampire?

A warm blanket of Octameth calm descended over me as everything became clear.

It was all just a bizarre dream! None of it actually happened! Awesome! That makes everything simple. I only have one thing to work out. Where is my wallet? Where is my key-card? Why is Marcy so furious with me? Wait, that’s three things? Prioritise! Why is Marcy so furious with me?

As if in answer to that unspoken question, there was a hammering on the front door. It didn’t sound like a sledgehammer, and yet it managed to sound a lot more ominous all the same. As I opened the door, Marcy was looking at me with a mixture of emotions that mostly seemed to be hovering somewhere between fury and hurt.

Marcy was tall, lean, and toned to perfection. She had short brown hair, dark green eyes, and was undeniably gorgeous. Though I seemed to be one of the very few who agreed on that front. Marcy always dressed plainly. You would never see Marcy wearing a dress, or her bare arms or legs. She always wore trousers and long sleeve shirts, and would never wear bright colours. Her only visible scars were a small cut on her chin, another on her left ear, which she usually covered with her hair, and another deeper cut on her forehead. She likewise tried to cover the scar on her forehead with her hair, with absolutely no success.

Marcy wasn’t vain. She didn’t try to make herself look beautiful. She just hated her scars. She tried to hide her scars from everyone, and that was something we’d fought over dozens of times. I’d given up arguing with her over that a long time ago.

Marcy always moved like a cat stalking their prey, and people’s heads would turn when they saw her from behind. However the problem wasn’t Marcy’s physical scars. Other than the three obvious scars, very few people had seen them all, and I knew every single one of them. I had counted Marcy’s scars hundreds of times in an attempt to calm her down. The thing was that I could see past Marcy’s scars, and she was beautiful!

The problem was Marcy’s eyes. Almost everyone thought Marcy was beautiful, right up until they looked into her eyes. After that, things changed, because Marcy was terrifying. People could see the depths of the mental scars lurking behind her eyes, and those scars cut so much deeper than the physical ones.

People could see the pure fury behind Marcy’s eyes. However Marcy’s friends could see past Marcy’s mental scarring! Her friends could see past Marcy’s fury!

Usually! But not today! Marcy’s fury was incredible!

Fuck! Marcy looks hurt, but fury is well in the lead! If those two balance out, Marcy will kill me! More fury please! Wait, that’s stupid? Why would I want Marcy to be more furious with me? Why exactly is Marcy furious with me?

Marcy seemed to see my confusion, and for a second, she softened slightly. She knew I was a fuck up, so she sighed and shook her head at me in misery. Marcy knew that I had absolutely no idea as to why she was so angry with me. Her hurt was now tinged with disappointment, and her fury was starting to ebb. That was a very bad sign!

I was glad of the distraction as the bathroom door opened and I turned to see a girl step into the hallway. However girl wasn’t the right word? And yet my mind had stopped working, so I couldn’t think of any better word?

Perfect? That’s a better word?

Beyond perfect?

That’s two words, but I’ll let you off this time!

My second new flatmate, Frey, had just come out of the shower wrapped in a towel, and she was... perfect. She was beyond perfect. Her hair was still wet, and beautiful black curls spiralled down onto her pale skinned shoulders. A wave of jealousy coursed through me, because at that precise moment I would have killed to take the place of one of the black spirals resting on her collarbone. However that would have been an even greater crime, given every curl was sitting precisely where it belonged!

Frey’s skin glistened, and the two freckles on her cheek offset the perfect symmetry of her perfect face, and that somehow only made her, all the more perfect? I wasn’t really one for legs, but her legs were perfect, and I wasn’t really one for knees, but somehow even her knees were perfect? With some difficulty I fought back another wave of jealousy for the perfect purple towel wrapped around her perfect body.

Beyond perfect!

That’s two words, but I’ll let you off this time!

All of that was processed in a millisecond, the rest took quite a lot longer to make any sense of. I struggled to catch my breath, because I couldn’t comprehend Frey’s eyes? They were the most beautiful dark blue at the edges, fading to a lighter blue in the centre? But it wasn’t blue? It was almost green, with just a hint of dark green at the edges? That made no sense, as the edges were dark blue? Were they green, or blue? And did it actually matter, given they were absolutely perfect?

Then I realised there were other colours in her eyes? Specks of hazel and browns? And even a hint of purple? I cursed the fact that Frey was so far away, but a tiny corner of my mind was screaming at me that stepping forward to gaze into her eyes might not be the wisest thing to do at this precise moment.

Despite the fact that Frey’s eyes were perfect in their darkness, they still somehow lit up? How was that possible given that the sun was streaming in from the bathroom window behind her? I had the sudden urge to step forward and spin her round so her eyes caught the sunlight. Once again I had enough sense to listen to that annoying, yet persistent part of my mind screaming that might not be the wisest thing to do at this precise moment.

Those eyes in the sunlight? No, those eyes in the moonlight? They’d be incredible! They’d be perfect! They’d be beyond perfect!

Frey obviously hadn't expected me to be standing there, but as her dark eyes locked with mine, and despite the fact that Marcy was screaming obscenities at me, I was positive that neither one of us heard a word of it. Well I didn’t anyway!

I must still be wasted from last night! Eyes meeting across a room? What a crock of shit! Hearts stuttering? Gazing into each other’s eyes? It’s just a rush of Octameth! I’m swaying on my feet because I’m still out of my head from last night, and...

...she’s beyond perfect...

...and that’s why I can’t hear Marcy screaming at me?

The connection as our eyes met hit me so hard that my heart stuttered, and I swayed on my feet. It felt like the biggest rush of Octameth I’d ever felt, but it wasn’t Octameth. It was a lightning bolt of recognition for someone I'd never met before? And despite being wasted, I knew it wasn’t just one way. As Frey’s eyes fixed on mine, I knew she obviously felt it as well.

What utter bullshit! It didn’t really happen like that. Speechless? Love at first sight? That’s just crap from cheap romance novels written for teenage girls. It’s just because I’m still wasted from last night. Utter nonsense.

And it happened just like that. I was speechless. It was love at first sight!

After a few seconds of us both just staring at each other like idiots, Frey flushed with embarrassment, and then, to my dismay, tore her eyes away from mine.

Jax and Elytra were just staring at me, and Marcy had stopped shouting. I couldn’t help but note the look of bemusement and hurt on Marcy’s face, or the minute shake of her head in disbelief as I tried (and thoroughly failed) to avoid staring at Frey.

Suddenly I snapped out of it, and everything came back with complete clarity! I opened my mouth to say hello to Frey, with some witty comment on the tip of my tongue. Instead, a single word came out of my mouth. “Oh!”

Marcy immediately jumped to my rescue by slapping me, with what I thought was quite a lot more force than was required. “Oh? Oh? Is that all you've got to say Kel? You fucking waste of space! You're fired.”

I shook my head as I tried (and again failed) to look away from Frey and focus on Marcy. “I don't work for you Marcy? Do I?”

I was aware of Marcy nodding in the periphery of my vision, and she once again came to my rescue by grabbing my chin (again with a lot more force than I felt required) to turn my head to look at her. “That's what I just said Kel! You don’t work for me! You’re fired! Look at the state of you! Your eyes are like fucking saucers! You're still fucking wasted! One fucking thing! All you had to do was get him to sign the fucking contract?”

Marcy leaned forward, and I detected a hint of concern in her voice as she whispered. “What the fuck is wrong with you Kel? You’ve fucked us! We needed that contract! I told you to act like a drunken bum after you scored the contract?”

My hangover was kicking in, and the connection with Frey had left me confused. The only thing I could focus on was trying not to stare in wonder at Frey, and I suspected every one of them knew that single task was taking all of my willpower. Frey was pointedly looking at Marcy in an attempt to avoid my eyes, so I tried to do the same. However something felt seriously wrong; I was missing something?

The fairy! The green fairy stole my key-card? The fairy is in the fridge? No? My wallet in the fridge?

I shook my head in confusion. “The fairy is in the fridge Marcy! You know I work nights? It's only 15:00! The contract’s a done deal, I spoke to Imirizil yesterday.”

Marcy took a deep breath, with the slowness and patience of a teacher. A teacher who’d lost their patience quite some time ago. A teacher trying to explain to someone utterly stupid, exactly why they were so utterly stupid, knowing full well they were so stupid it was a complete waste of time to even start trying to explain just how stupid they were. A teacher who’d just decided that being a teacher perhaps wasn’t the best life decision they’d ever made. A teacher thinking that perhaps they should instead have chosen a job in demolition. No wrecking balls, just explosives!

A teacher wondering just how many times they could fit the word ‘fuck’ into a few short sentences.

Marcy spoke with the slowness and patience of a teacher. “Kel? I needed you to get the fucking contract signed? I needed you to confirm that by getting the client’s fucking DNA signature? The whole fucking point was that we had to get Imirizil to sign the fucking DNA contract in fucking person? So maybe you can explain to me how the fuck you’re going to get the fucking client to sign the fucking contract, in fucking person, when he's currently on a fucking plane, flying to fucking Amur, which is on the other side of the fucking planet? He's already left the fucking country, you fucking idiot!”

I shook my head in confusion. I’d lost count of the word ‘fuck’ but it was really quite impressive. “Yes I know that Marcy! Imirizil has a flight! To Amur! Ah, wait a minute? What day is it today?”

I suspected Marcy was now going for the ‘fuck’ record, and she didn’t disappoint. “Seriously Kel? It's fucking 15:00 on the day after you were supposed to get him to sign the fucking contract! I bet you’ve no fucking recollection of what you decided to do instead? The combination of invoices I’ve just fucking received, the video footage, several fucking complaints, combined with the fucking ear bashing I’ve just taken, all tell quite an interesting fucking story. It seems that you went on a sixteen hour bender, that started yesterday fucking lunchtime? You were out fucking partying until 5am, and the only reason you stopped fucking partying was because you were kicked out of fucking Octagon? You remember Octagon Kel? Because you did some fucking in it last fucking night? Right now, I’m off to meet with Octagon management and try to explain to them why you didn’t get the fucking contract signed, and why they might remain our business partners? After you fucking fucked everything the fuck up you stupid fucking fuck?”

I’ve definitely lost count of the word ‘fuck’ now! If Marcy’s hurt matches her fury, I’m in serious trouble! More fury please!

Marcy’s fury descended into hurt, and was bordering on frightening now. “The good news is that it sounds like you had a great night Kel? Between the five invoices I’ve received so far, and I suspect I’ll receive more, you’ve so far managed to rack up 1,450 credits worth of bar tabs in my name? I’d guess by the looks of those invoices, you went for both lunch and dinner at Central One, the most expensive restaurant in Central? You were drinking cocktails, an insane amount of vodka, and an even more insane amount of champagne? All whilst draped in the arms of two celebrities?”

Marcy managed several sentences without the word ‘fuck’? I’m fucked!

I shook my head. “Don’t talk nonsense Marcy? What celebrities?”

Marcy sighed. “Well they’re celebrities now Kel. Nobody knows their names? I’m guessing you don’t remember their names either, given you’re so high, I’d be surprised if you could remember your own fucking name right now? These new celebrities are currently known as ‘Green Haired Ninja’ and ‘Tattooed Goddess’! They haven’t given you a name yet, but I’ve suggested ‘Fucking Muppet’. The three of you racked up some insane bar tabs and thoroughly trashed the VIP room in Octagon. And I’ve no doubt I'll be expected to pick up the bill for that as well? Your gorgeous five foot tall Green Haired Ninja somehow managed to take out two highly trained, ex-military security guards, twice her size, whilst dressed in nothing but her fucking underwear? I saw the footage myself, and I think security was being somewhat generous in calling what little she was still wearing underwear!”

Oh shit! It was the green haired fairy? She wasn’t a dream!

Marcy glared at me. “Your Tattooed Goddess seemed to forget that she was running for her life from the Green Haired Ninja as she spotted the main bar. Interestingly she was also wearing nothing more than what I might, if I was feeling even more generous, call see-through underwear.”

“Given she had nowhere to hide a wallet in what little she was barely fucking wearing, she then decided to order another bottle of champagne, in my name! She then refused the offer of a champagne glass, and proceeded to drink it straight from the bottle in less than two minutes! Apparently her belch was the cutest thing anyone has ever heard in their entire life!”

“The good news is that by that point, she didn’t need to use my name to buy any more champagne. The entire club had fallen in love with her, and they were tripping over themselves to buy her drinks. She declined several offers of marriage, due to the fact that she was already betrothed.”

Marcy looked up from her data-pad. “Oh and congratulations on your betrothal Kel! However according to her, your wedding was two hours ago in Baracula Bay? You must both be devastated, given neither of you turned up to your own wedding? Seeing as you just woke up, it’s a six hour flight, and the last I heard, she was still in the cells after trashing Octagon and punching a fucking police officer? I saw that footage as well. The police officer seemed more than happy, both at being punched by a tattooed goddess, and having to arrest her. The officer offered Tattooed Goddess a blanket to cover her modesty, but it seems that she didn’t understand the word modesty. I’m sorry Kel, your tattooed goddess is probably married to the police officer by now.”

I looked at Marcy in disbelief as I forcefully rejected memory after memory. “Don’t be ridiculous Marcy, that’s all complete nonsense?”

Marcy looked down and sighed. “Seriously Kel? Feel free to wreck any club in the world apart from Octagon? Have you any idea how much shit I’m in because of the chaos you caused last night? That tiny five foot tall green haired fucking ninja somehow whirlwind kicked six foot tall Burrill, and knocked him out cold?”

I didn’t imagine her flying through the air! She really did have wings! She is the fairy!

I frowned as I tried to reject that memory. “Don’t be ridiculous! Burrill is a fifth dan Jen-Ki! I’ve seen Burrill take out nine people in a bar fight single handedly. And besides, I wasn’t even in Octagon last night!”

Marcy snarled. “Oh really Kel? You weren’t in Octagon last night? You’re just lucky the club is HexSecure! Otherwise we could all sit down, grab some popcorn, and watch the video footage! You’d all be internet sensations, because it was really quite incredible! I would have found it hilarious if it was any club other than Octagon!”

Marcy’s hurt is increasing as her fury levels out. That is bad. She’s using the word ‘fuck’ a lot less. That is also bad!

Marcy said through clenched teeth. “Kel, where exactly did you find a five foot tall ‘Green Haired Ninja’ that could take out two ex-military special ops in her fucking underwear? And where did you find your bride to be? ‘Tattooed Goddess’ is no understatement. She is one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my life! I’m not quite sure why she bothered with her see-through underwear, because I’ve seen all of her in some quite incredible detail. I think I’m one of the hundred who is likewise now in love with her! And nobody knows how the two girls managed to get into the VIP lounge of a HexSecure club? Given how little they were wearing, I can assure you that neither of them were wearing a contract bracelet! Have you any idea how that might be possible Kel? Because I’m guessing that the only reason your good friend Burrill didn’t lose his job is due to the fact that your Green Haired Ninja knocked him unconscious when she flew through the air to whirlwind kick him from seven fucking feet away!”

Marcy’s laugh was so false, it was frightening. “In fact Green Haired Ninja spun so fast, and was so drunk, she held up her hands in defeat when Portillo tried to throw her out of the club. She then threw up quite a lot of champagne, grinned at Portillo, who if I might remind you, is also ex-army special ops and a second dan Jen-Ki, batted her cute little green eyelids at him, then took him out in two punches! Green Haired Ninja then rinsed her mouth out with vodka, put on her jacket, decided not to bother with her skirt, then failed miserably to tie her boot laces.”

Marcy sighed. “Fortunately you came to her rescue Kel! After you’d tied Green Haired Ninja’s boot laces for her, I realised just how lucky it was that she had the decency to take those boots off. They added two inches to her height and looked quite as solid as they were beautiful. If she’d been wearing those boots when she kicked Burrill, she would most definitely have broken his jaw!”

Marcy met my eyes with something like fury, tinged with jealousy. “Green Haired Ninja then kissed you deeply, for some quite considerable time. From there it got somewhat heated, and somewhat inappropriate, as you realised she’d forgotten to put on her skirt. I won’t go into the details there, but have you been working out Kel? Because you have quite a nice ass! Green Haired Ninja seemed to agree with me on that front. Once you were both finished, she whispered sweet nothings into your ear, grabbed your ass, then walked out of the club.”

“Walking out maybe isn’t quite the correct description? Miraculously Green Haired Ninja only bounced off two walls! The first bounce off the wall was that of a drunk staggering home, but then she found her focus! The second bounce involved her sprinting at the wall, pushing off it, then performing a near-perfect somersault to land in front of the rest of the security guards. I’d give her a 9/10, as she wobbled a bit on the landing. Green Haired Ninja looked down in confusion, obviously surprised to see that she was wearing her boots. She must have realised that she hadn’t accounted for the extra two inches those boots gave her, the weight of them, or the weight of the two quite frightening looking throwing knives sheathed in them? Or maybe she hadn’t accounted for the fact that she hadn’t bothered to put on her skirt?”

“Security however gave Green Haired Ninja a 10/10 for her somersault. After realising she’d taken out Portillo and Burrill, and noting same said throwing knives, security had the sense to just step aside, and let her walk out of Octagon.”

“Green Haired Ninja, as you might expect, wasn’t one for waiting in a taxi queue. She held a blade to the throat of the girl at the start of the taxi queue, then whispered. ‘I think this taxi is mine?’ She then left in the taxi.”

“The police arrived shortly afterwards, and being unable to find Green Haired Ninja, they instead decided to arrest your wife to be, Tattooed Goddess. It seems that the police likewise agreed with me that it was somewhat inappropriate to be wandering about the street, with a bottle of stolen tequila in her hand, in no more than what I might, if I was feeling generous, describe as see-through fucking underwear!”

This was obviously all complete nonsense, and Marcy was just screwing with me now. I chuckled. “Marcy, I was trying out a new promotional night for Octagon. Tuesday nights are going to be ‘Green Haired Ninja’ vs ‘Tattooed Goddess’. It seems it was a hit? If word gets out it’s happening again next week, the club will be packed out!”

It had sounded so ridiculous that I’d thought that Marcy must have been winding me up, but I also realised I’d been rejecting memory after memory. Quite a few of those little flashbacks that my memories had drip-fed me were now starting to make some sort of sense. I realised that Marcy’s hurt was about to plateau, and that was seriously concerning.

Marcy’s cool acceptance of my claim was terrifying. “What a great idea Kel, I absolutely love it! It’s just a shame you don’t know what day of the week it is? Last night wasn’t a Tuesday, it was a Wednesday. Today is a Thursday. Today is the Thursday our client flew to the other side of the fucking world without you getting the fucking contract signed?”

Marcy shook her head in despair. “We needed that contract Kel! I’ve been setting this up for six months? Then you just disappear on a five week holiday, without giving me any notice? Or should I say a five week bender? Just when I need you most, you abandoned me? Then you come back so fucking wasted you can barely walk? Just like you’re so fucking wasted right now, you can barely walk? The deal was all set up Kel? All it needed was the client’s DNA signature? I only gave you free reign to spend my cash because I thought you might use your charm to get a better deal out of the client? Not to go charming hookers and find yourself a new wife? I’m going to lose Firefly Kel! I needed that contract! You fucking promised me!”

Jax, Elytra and Frey had been watching the confrontation in shock as I shook my head. I could remember enough, but I was missing something important? Given I couldn't think of anything else to say, I pointed towards the kitchen. “Marcy. This is Elytra and Frey. My new flatmates? They just moved in. Did anyone notice if my key-card was in the fridge? Or my wallet? Though I’d be careful, there might be a fairy in the fridge!”

As I noted the tears in Marcy’s eyes, I realised her hurt had now exceeded fury, and that meant disaster. As if to confirm that, a chilling calm descended over her, and I felt a shudder run down my spine. I could remember full well the last time I’d seen that look in Marcy’s eyes, and the aftermath. I took a step back.

Fuck! Marcy might actually kill me?

Instead Marcy nodded to Frey and Elytra and said far too calmly. “It’s lovely to meet you girls. I do apologise for the bad language. I'm just having a bit of a bad day. I think it’s probably best that I leave now, before I paint the walls with Kel’s blood!”

Marcy didn’t look at me as she left, and the fact that she didn’t slam the door behind her was even more frightening.

Elytra seemed to find the entire thing hilarious however. “Oh dear Kel. It sounds like you had a fun night? However you might be in a bit of trouble?”

As I looked around in a daze, I noted the tears in Jax’s eyes, and what made it worse was I knew Jax’s tears were for Marcy. Jax was one of the few people who could comprehend just how upset Marcy was, and the potential repercussions. Jax and Marcy had been lovers for a while, and although they’d had a recent falling out, they were close friends.

Jax tried to shout at me, but it caught in her throat. “Well that explains a lot Kel. I thought you were out celebrating last night? I thought you said the deal was done? But you didn't even get the contract signed?”

I looked down in puzzlement, because something was seriously wrong here. I shook my head. “Where’s the green fairy? Wait? My wallet’s in the fridge? I can't remember? Or was my key-card in the fridge? It was the blasted fairy! I can’t remember? It really was all a bit hazy last night.”

Elytra said maliciously. “You seem to remember two of the girls from last night Kel? Green hair and tattoos? And you’re getting married? Congratulations. Maybe they were fighting each other in order to win your hand in marriage?”

Jax fumed. “You lost the contract because you were busy with two sluts? You’ve no money Kel! Marcy pays your rent because you're too fucking stupid to do it yourself! And she’s right! You disappear every single week to go on a three day bender? Then you disappear for five weeks and turn up fucked out of your head? Without telling Marcy? Without telling me? We were both worried sick about you! You really don’t give a shit about anyone other than yourself, do you Kel?”

Isn’t that obvious? I don’t give a shit about anyone other than myself! I don’t give a shit about anyone! I’m just surprised it took you all so long to work that much out?

And yet, something was seriously wrong here. They were right, I was drunk and fucked out of my head on Octameth. I was forgetting something? Something important? What was I missing here?

I looked down to scan my watch, checked my pockets, then laughed. “Oops!”

Jax shouted. “Oops? Fucking oops? I always wondered why Marcy puts up with your shit Kel! Did you see how upset she was? Marcy needed that contract more than you! You’ve just crushed her, and yet you think it’s funny? You’re a fucking bastard! We’re finished Kel!”

Chapter 3