by Maurice Hill
Al pointed an authoritative finger at TB4. “Look, I don't know what's come over you all of a sudden, but apparently that little quickie you got back there didn't work its magic. Listen, I don't give a shit what's wrong with you, or what you're going through. No one, and I mean no one...tells me to just give up and leave. Back home we took our beatings like men, even if we knew the other guy was gonna kick our ass. We stood up, took our beating and still lived to see the next day. Now I don't know about the rest of these fine ladies here, but me? If we fight, I may lose, but I'll sure as Hell make sure he doesn't walk again.”
TB4 gulped and said, “That's stupid. It's that idiotic self entitled sense of bravado that's the very reason I left downtown. You'd rather die with your pride than live. Idiot!”
Al chuckled. “Well you know what I say to that?” He pointed at his crotch, puckering his lips. “Coose, coose.”
TB4 ran toward Al and threw a fist. Al blocked and kicked him square in the gut, making TB4 collapse onto the floor.
We then looked on in horror as Al kicked in TB4's stomach again and again as if he were a little kid. TB4 wailed for help like a baby, but we didn't give it to him. I was too scared to get in Al's way.
“Aaaah! Please stop! Stop! Aaaaagh!”
Al kicked him hard once more, calling him a sucker of something and cracked his knuckles. “Piece of shit! All those hours in the gym, in the mirror, they did nothing. You're just another sucker from the streets! Nothing special! If anyone should go home, it's you!”
TB4 looked up at him like a captured slave, his eyes wet with red rings around them. TB4 staggered up from his feet, wincing, holding his sides together and walked slowly out of the lobby and to his room...wherever that was. I heard him moan as he did so.
Al looked me in the eyes, and opened his arms wide. “Ready for a real man yet?”
I said, “Who? I don't see one here.”
Christine let out a “Ooooh. She got you that time.”
Al nodded. “Yeah, whatever. She'll get over it. Everyone's in shock when something too good to be true stops being so.”
I walked past him and turned a left where TB4 went. I saw his feet drag into the room, and took to a run.
I was in front of TB4's front door just as he dragged himself in, scraping and clawing for his bed. His room had four white walls, with nothing but a desk, and a bed.
He put himself up, and laid down. Once he noticed me, he groaned.
“What do you want?”
I stood there, my hands on the door handle like a scared little girl that wants to go into the room to tend to a monster I'm somehow attracted to.
“You. Ever since I laid eyes on you, I couldn't turn away. You're like, the most beautiful thing ever. Everyone's talking about weird stuff like consumption, and life, and organizations taking over the world and-”
“What the Hell are you going on about?”
I cleared my throat. “Nothing. Just, I love you TB4. I love you, I love you.”
He sighed. “Shut the Hell up Mika. You don't know what love is. Love is giving up everything for someone. Why didn't you help me? Why didn't you stop Al?” He sat up, and threw his shoes on the floor. He then crawled back to the bedpost and leaned against it. He winced and rubbed his ribs.
I closed the door and began tearing up. “He wold have beaten me up too! I saw that rabid look in his eyes! He's no worse than Limp. He's just a rabid mafia dog! Now that I have you here, nothing can stop me from loving you Tiberius Balor Four!”
I ran over to TB4 and tripped over his shoes, bouncing my head against the sleek floor.
“You should be more careful. You're a-ha,ha-dunce!” He roared in laughter like some madman, and coughed loudly.
I got up slowly rubbing my head, and took off my shoes. I crawled on the bed to embrace his arms, but he waved his hands away.
“No. Get away, I'm obviously bad for you.”
“But I want you”
“Why? What have I honestly done to make you love me aside from being hot?”
That got me. I looked up to my mind, scoping for whatever answer I could find in that empty space and I found it. I put my finger to my mouth again and said, “Um, well, you have a hot British accent.”
“True. But what else?”
“I like your theme music.”
“I do have nice theme music. Anything else?”
“Ummm. No! I just love the way you look! You look so good to me baby!”
He shrugged and coughed. “Cool. Hey listen, when I was in the tattoo shop I-”
“I know.”
He smirked, chuckled and said, “It didn't feel that good. Want to make it feel better for me?”
I nodded. “Yes! Oh yes! Please!”
He nodded his head and rubbed his ribs again. “Yeah, yeah.” He reached into his desk that I didn't describe before(but trust me, it was there) and he took out a condom, and ripped it open like a wild animal.
He groped my butt and pet my hair, as if I were some dog.
He stared into my eyes like I were some prized deer, and he a hunter. Like I an alien and he a space-hunter from Earth in the year five-thousand.
His breath was hot with sensuality and duality-I learned a new word, despite not knowing what it means-and sent chills like thunder down my spine and into my gaping wet-okay, I'll stop there.
“You know, men these days say they love women with big butts and breasts. Me? I'm more of a...thin type. I love thin women, I love thin butts, and small breasts.”
“But I thought you were in love with Juniper?”
He paused for a couple of seconds and then said, “I was...joking. Nevermind that.”
He started nibbling my ear, with wet smacking sounds.
“But you seemed pretty serious about her. I saw those puppy dog-”
“Just banter Mika,” he said, a bit muffled in between nibbling my ear.
“Oh, okay.”
“This is the part where you turn over and let me take you from the rear.”
I hesitated, thinking that I never did it that way before. “Are you sure it's safe? It's not going to hurt?”
He pet my hair some more. “Oh, no it won't. It shall feel better than the normal way I assure.”
I nodded and said, “Okay, um, what are you so on edge about by the way?”
He sucked his teeth, clearly impatient. “Are you honestly going to keep asking me all of these questions? Do you want me or not?”
“Yes. Sorry for asking too many questions, heh.”
He grinned. “Nothing's wrong with asking questions, but ask too many...ask just the wrong question, well that can topside your world. Come on then. Let's get started.”
---
We both came together.
Oh, I mean...we both came out of the room together once we finished and he was texting on his cellphone. I had all my clothes on and felt my body shake all over. The sensations he sent me were good vibrations, but they made me frail and limp with a step.
“Are you okay?” He said, rubbing my chin.
“Yeah,” I said lightly.
“Okay.” He walked back in his room, put the phone to his ear and closed the door shut, as if I were never there. I composed myself and walked slowly back to the dorm, with shame weighing in my heart.
---
“Told you, he's a dog,” said Christine, turning over in bed, wearing her monkey patterned pajamas.
I was in the top bunk bed across from her, and I felt like her and I were floating in the clouds above everyone else. Well, there were few people left. Limp hadn't made it back yet and all the talking there was in the room was Al flirting with Lisa, and Hailey nibbling on a carrot.
“I don't know Christine. He seemed concerned. Maybe he just has work to do.”
“Or another girl to do.”
I sighed, and looked down at Al. I was so pissed at him for beating up TB4, but something told me it was for a good reason. Maybe he was trying to protect me from a douche. But it couldn't be so. TB4 is too g
ood looking to be a bad guy.
Christine shook her head. “That look you have in your eyes...it's the drapes you're seeing being pulled apart further and further. I'm glad it only took you one day.”
“One day for what?”
She sucked her teeth. “Fine stay in-denial, but Al knows his stuff. I trust him.”
She snapped her fingers. “By the way, did he say anything about him?”
“No. I didn't ask.”
“Weird. He looked like a complete bitch. Maybe he's going to do something and he didn't want to tell you.”
I smirked. “What guy would think of Al when he sees me? Heh, heh. I'm a sex God, be jealous.”
Christine rolled her eyes, and I heard Al say, “Yo, skinny legs, I heard ya!”
He kissed Lisa on the cheek and ruffled Hailey's hair. “Hey, so what happened?”
I notched a brow. “What do you think?”
“I think a tree's happy it got watered tonight, but the gardener's pissed they can't suck anymore sap from it.”
Christine guffawed. “The Hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Not even I know, but I was just trying to say that a man's happy and a girl's disappointed. TB4 got what he wanted, but our little tumbleweed here didn't. How did that walk of shame feel kid?”
“The what?”
“The walk of shame. It's when a girl screws a guy she knows she shouldn't be screwing and once she walks home after the deed is done, she feels this sense of dread take over her body.” He twirls his finger against his head. “That's when little Jiminy Cricket, top-hat and all says in his posh voice, 'Why I do believe you shouldn't have done that.'” He puts his hand down, and expresses himself with his hands. “That's when denial sets in and you keep telling Jiminy that you wanted it, but he's telling the truth. After, there's Anger and acceptance. Right now, you're in stage one, denial. It's like your a...racism.”
I sat up. “I'm not racist! I get along with Christine. I like her, and it's only been one day!”
“That doesn't matter,” Christine said in a stern voice. “Although, I think racism is the wrong word here. Prejudice is a better term to use. You pre-judge way too much. I've only known you for ten hours, and in that ten hours all you've shown me is a girl who prejudges and lives life in vain.”
I pouted. “Well if that's true about me, then all I've seen from you is a pessimist who thinks the entire world is some conspiracy against her!”
“I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist honey.”
“You should tone it down just a bit,” said Al. “Otherwise, I got no problem with you sista.”
Christine gulped and said, “Okay, okay. Got it Al. But as for you, Mika why do you think I keep doing what I do, and say what I say?”
“Because you're on your period?”
Al snorted.
Christine sneered. “Okay I get it, you're pissed. So let me spell it out for you, I see the world beyond the curtain. I see and hear what you can't because you continue to allow the wool to be draped over your eyes. Take in Al's words. Drink them like fine wine, cause this man's smart. He seems like an idiot gangster from the hood, but he speaks true shit. If you can't see what we're saying, you're a tumbleweed forever.”
“But I thought we were all tumbleweeds just rolling by...or whatever it is you said.”
She nodded. “Yeah, but I also said we can turn that around. Let's try to find meaning in this shall we? TB4 is not a progression, he a regression.” She sighed. “I'm bored of sounding like a broken record. Just get it before it's too late.”
With that, Christine turned around and covered the sheets over her body. Within a couple of seconds she was fast asleep. Funny, cause she wasn't showing any signs.
Al frowned, and climbed up to my bed. He whispered. “Damn. Guess I'll have to do it alone. You remember the plan?”
“What plan?” I whispered back.
“Popping a vein in our big guy. That's what.”
“You're still on that?” I say, frustrated.
“Of course.”
“What happened to never backing down and fighting when you know you're getting your ass kicked?”
He shrugged. “That's when I have no choice. Here, we got a choice. Take out the lion before he can kill the sheep is what I say. Limp's not respected. Fuck him. When he comes back...” He smacked his hands together. “Whacked! As Joey Two-Tone would say. Heh, heh.”
Joey Two-Tone. The mysterious mobster being talked about at every direction I went. I would probably meet him tomorrow, but how am I going to leave the Tricker compound without them knowing?
“Yeah, whacked,” I smile back at him.
He says, “So did TB4 say anything about me?”
“No. He seemed concerned about something else.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I was surprised I felled him so easy. I expected at least some fight, but it was like I was Mike Tyson, and he Little Mac.”
“Who and who?”
He smacked his head. “Right, you got no clue...well, most of the time.”
He shrugged. “Someone his stature, with the fighting experience he has...something had to be bothering him. What? I don't know or care. All I care about it getting Limpy.”
He nodded and jumped off my bed.
“You know, when I win this thing, I'll make sure to get you and the rest of the crew here something with Joey Two-Tone.”
“What if I win?”
He chuckled. “You're not going to win. The only foregone conclusion for you is losing. You'll lose here, but I guarantee you'll win at life Mika.”
He blew a kiss to me, and the other girls in the room. “Alright guys. I'll be back. I'm going to get ready.”
“Where are you going? The bathroom's are right behind us.”
“Yeah, but I gotta scope that blindspot once more, and check for any guards. I didn't see them today, but they probably come out at night. All the freaks do.”
“Like our friend Limp?”
He snapped his fingers “Exactly like our friend Limp.”
Lisa got up from her seat, the chair scraping. “Anything you want me to do?”
“Nah, you just sit there. Hailey needs to company. She starts sniffing her ass when she's alone...and it's not a pretty sight.”
Hailey smiled bright. “I love sniffing my ass at random times.”
Al slicked his hair back further and cleared his throat. “Ladies and gentleman...Elvis, is leaving the building!” He played air-guitar, and shuffled out of the room, making us laugh.
He stopped just right in the room's entrance, his hand on the doorknob. “Elvis, has left the building.”
“For good.” BANG! It was loud enough to wake Christine. She jumped up and screamed with us, as Al's blood and brains fell to the floor along with him.
Standing over him was TB4 grasping a gun, with Al's blood splattered all over his face. TB4 stared at me straight in the face and said, “Let's go for a ride. Now.”
CHAPTER 7: THE FREAKS COME OUT AT NIGHT
“Get in the car.”
I stood there in the night, the wind brushing my hair in my face, paralyzed.
“I said get in the fucking car now!” He held the gun up to my head and he was no longer the handsome man I swore I fell in love with. He was the psycho douche Al...poor Al warned me about.
TB4 grabbed my elbow, and shoved me into his grotesquely expensive Chevrolet.
“Raaaargh!” He screamed loud and kicked the bottom of my door. I heard a gunshot, and saw him shoot a window out of a room upstairs in the Tricker facility.
He ran to the side of his car, got in, and started driving down the road.
My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, hammer away, and whatever other cliché I could think of. I had only known Christine and the other girls for a day, even Al and they already felt closer to me than my entire family. I hope they're alright.
Poor Al. Hailey was sobbing and damning TB4. Christine and Lisa did the same. I heard Christine say, �
�Careful tumbleweed,” as TB4 dragged me away.
TB4 sniffed, and swerved the steering wheel vigorously as he passed a red light.
I didn't bother questioning it, I only wondered what was going on.
“Where are you taking me?” I said, my voice low, and filled with fear.
“To your grave bitch.”
I started tearing up. “Why? Why would you-”
“...only if you don't comply,” he said, angrily. “Do what I say, and you won't die. Understand?”
I nodded.
He sighed. “I know what you are. They know what you are, but God forbid if they ever...ha ha!”
He laughed like a psychotic maniac and kicked in his seat. He made the car go faster somehow, and everything was a blur from that point on.
I was sweating in my sweater and desired to tell him to go slower, but something told me he'd go faster, much like our encounter earlier. I said slower, he went faster.
I wouldn't think of this to be any different. That's when I felt my conscious, the one Al referred to as Jiminy Crickett...whoever that was. He was right, I did regret having sex, now I regretted it even more. Which is sad, because I love sex, but with TB4 it was harsh, it was cruel, and I fooled myself into believing he was in it for both of us, when he was only in it for himself.
“Who are they?” I asked him.
“Heh, who do you think?! Jesus Christ? No! Jeanine Wilhart and the Smart-asses! That's who! Everyone knows your test results came up Avirgent!” He turned a corner and I saw a huge Ferris wheel in the distance. We were driving closer and closer to it.
“So they're after me?” I said, looking at the Ferris wheel, and then back at him.
“Do I need to spell it out for you like every God-Damn thing?!”
I shook. “S-s-sorry. So, are you helping me? Is that it? You're saving me from them?”
There was a little hope in my speech. Maybe he wasn't so bad afterall. Maybe he was my hero.
He laughed loud. “Saving? Right. Not because I like you, but because I need you. You're the key to ruling the world and the ticket to what's beyond that damned fence! I don't know why I'm telling you this, but God-Dammit, I feel so honest right now!”
He laughed like a hyena again, and I lost all hope. I looked down at my tattoo and it reminded me of the old TB4 before he suddenly went crazy. Looks like my brother's words were even more true. What a wild ride I found myself in.