Chapter One-hundred Sixteen: Breaking Blair

Chapter 116

Breaking Blair

A Maxx commercial played on TV of Maxx holding up his latest album.

Maxx: “Hey, lady babes! Check Maxxy’s latest album called ‘Survival of da Fatleylist’, drawn by my cool buddy, Blair! He was also betrayed by dat fat asshole, Fatley!”

He stomped his boot.

Maxx: “Also, ladies, if you get wet to dis album, there’s a number inside to call Maxxy for a hookup!”

He opened the album to run his forefinger over his number. The camera honed in on him as he wiggled his eyebrows.

~

Maxx threw a tantrum in his mobile home, kicking trash everywhere, and crashed to the floor, pounding on it.

Maxx: “DAT’S NOT ME, ROCK! DAT’S SOME IMPOSTER! I DIDN’T WANT DAT FAT ASSHOLE ON MY ROCKIN’ ALBUM!! I WANTED MAAAAAAAAAXYY!!!”

He sobbed on the floor. Rock looked down at him, grinning. I know, Maxxy, it was all me, you’re welcome, he thought.

~

Blair’s jaw dropped when he saw his artwork used for Maxx’s album. Demetrio furrowed his eyebrows, glaring at his grandson with disappointment. Vanessa cupped her mouth. Sylvia shook her head.

Blair: “I DID NOT COLLABORATE WITH MAXX!”

He shrieked.

Sylvia: “Of course not, Blair. You were only nastier with Ashley after they rejected your advances. Do you think I was oblivious to this?”

She queried sharply. Blair gaped at her. Demetrio let out a gruff sound.

Demetrio: “I am VERY disappointed in you, Blair. You have talent, and this is what you apply it to?”

He extended his hand out to the TV of Maxx shaking his bony ass in a mankini. Blair furrowed his eyebrows and recalled how Jaxon came to attack him on Ashley’s honor. Jiro, he thought hatefully.

Demetrio: “Ashley has been nothing but kind and supportive to you.”

Blair: “Uh, no?! NO, THEY HAVEN’T, GRANDPA!”

He snapped and rose.

Sylvia: “Blair!”

She chided him. Blair’s eyes filled with tears.

Blair: “Ashley is a fat loser! I treated them like royalty, and they chose a fat feeder fetishist over me!”

He thundered through hot tears. Demetrio rubbed his temples and drew a long breath.

Demetrio: “Blair, for heaven’s sake, that is NOT a reason to treat them shabbily!”

He chastised him.

Vanessa: “Ashley has been very sweet and kind to me during my pregnancy with Hiroto’s and my baby!”

She cried. Blair turned to her with hatred.

Blair: “About that?! Did you see the scandal?! Yeah! Hiroto got another bimbo pregnant! He doesn’t love you! He never has! Now that you’re damaged goods, NO MAN WILL!”

He barked at her. Vanessa drew back and sobbed. Sylvia and Demetrio gaped at Blair, their jaws ajar.

Demetrio: “Blair, you are NOT to speak to your cousin this way! Apologize now!”

He pointed his finger at him in a warning tone. Sylvia put her arms around Vanessa, comforting her. Blair glared at him and shook his head. He slashed his hand through the air.

Blair: “NO! I LOST EVERYTHING! NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME! EVERYONE IS PICKING ON ME!”

He wailed and ran out.

Demetrio shook his head and sighed. He sank into his chair.

Demetrio: “I am sorry, Vanessa. I don’t know what has gotten into that boy…”

He muttered.

Vanessa: “Ivy is, Grandpa! She’s MEAN! She and Blair wanted to kill our baby!”

She bawled. Sylvia looked down at her.

Sylvia: “I know Blair is flawed and so is Ivy, but I don’t think either would commit such an act.”

She said gently. Vanessa closed her eyes and sighed.

~

Ashley watched a segment on TV showing Yvette with her father, Nobuyuki. Nobuyuki wore a blue suit, and Yvette wore a brown minidress with a fur trim on the bodice and waist, fur shoulder pads, boots, and a Viking helmet. She held up her feather sword. The segment stated, “Nobuyuki Nakamura purchases a seventy-five million dollar island off the coast of Pink Keys for his daughter, Noriko, to have her very own Varg amusement park and playland.”

Lazaros entered with a glass of fresh beach lemonade for Ashley. Ashley’s sour mood brightened when they saw Lazaros and tasted his sweet and sour lemonade.

Ashley: “Thanks, Laz!”

They smiled a bit. Lazaros watched the segment.

Lazaros: “Ah, your former friend now owns an island around here… and turned it into her own playland for a deformed character from a show for toddlers.”

He stated and sat with Ashley.

Ashley: “Yeah…”

Their voice trailed off with a hollow laugh.

Lazaros: “How does it make you feel?”

He asked and put his arm around them. Ashley lay on his chest and nestled in his arm with a sigh.

Ashley: “What a waste! It should have been an island for saving cats!”

They pouted. Lazaros smiled and nodded.

Lazaros: “I agree!”

They then saw the commercial where Maxx announces that Blair made the art for his latest album. Lazaros twisted his mouth and gazed at Ashley. They never discussed it and didn’t want to discuss it when they left the mall. Ashley laughed bitterly at the commercial.

Lazaros: “Ashley, we need to talk about this. You’ve been avoiding this all week.”

He sighed.

Lazaros: “I can tell this is bothering you a lot, and I want you to let me in.”

He locked his gaze on them.

Lazaros: “Talk to me.”

His kind, gentle, and caring words cut to them, and their bottom lip trembled, and the dam finally broke. Lazaros knit his eyebrows and held them close.

Ashley: “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t want to burden you with this negativity, Lazaros! I didn’t want to give him power over me! Maxx is gonna Maxx and I know that now, but Blair? I didn’t expect him to do this to me…”

They cried.

Ashley: “He hurt me more than Maxx ever did, and he’s so much worse than Maxx, and he didn’t turn into a monster! Well, not a LITERAL monster, but you know what I mean!”

They cried.

Ashley: “How could I be so blind? I feel stupid!”

They cried.

Lazaros let them vent and held them close.

Lazaros: “First of all, you’re not burdening me, and secondly, feeling what you’re feeling is NORMAL and valid! Anyone would be crushed to see someone they considered a dear friend do this to them.”

He said gently as he caressed their hair. Ashley shivered to his tender, loving touch.

Lazaros: “You’re not stupid, Ashley… You just… met an asshole who was only nice to you to get something from you and turned on you when he didn’t get his way.”

He added with anger toward Blair. Ashley frowned and nodded.

Ashley: “He wasn’t nice to me if it was to get me to date him. I fell in love with you!”

They cried. Lazaros nodded and smiled.

Lazaros: “I even thought Blair changed when he became your friend… but… he didn’t. He hasn’t changed since high school.”

He said with disappointment.

Ashley turned to him.

Ashley: “What was Blair like in high school?”

They asked him. Lazaros looked up at the ceiling.

Lazaros: “Always complaining about others. He complained no one understood him, people didn’t want to be his friend, or complained about people or his home life. Being around him was exhausting. I don’t want to be around someone who does nothing but bitch, whine, and moan about how ‘bad’ they have it and people felt the same. No one wanted to be around Blair, except that nerdy Japanese guy, Yoshi.”

He replied. Ashley frowned.

Ashley: “...You’re right, he didn’t change. He only changed to appease me… but I don’t understand why he wanted to be with me when he doesn’t even accept me for who I am and tears me down for being who I am… I’m fat and I’m in love with you…”

They sighed.

Lazaros put his arm around them. Ashley nestled in his loving and protective hold.

Lazaros: “Blair always tended to speak for others and police what they do. And he holds petty grudges. He’s still resentful of Tristan, Deimos, and Jaxon for not wanting to be his friend.”

He nodded. Ashley sighed and nodded.

Ashley: “...That always annoyed me.”

They confessed. Lazaros raised his eyebrows but wasn’t surprised to hear this.

Lazaros: “I accept you. My brother does, and so do Tristan, Celeste, and Jaxon. Even Vanessa, Sylvia, and Demetrio accept you. You have more people loving you than he does.”

He reassured them. Ashley brightened and smiled up at him.

Ashley: “I know you do! I feel your vibes, and I accept you too!”

They smiled at him.

Ashley: “Your brother and his friends were kinder to me than Blair and I liked hanging around them more than him…”

They confessed and laughed a bit. Lazaros smiled tightly.

Ashley: “I still like Vanessa, Sylvia, and Demetrio, and they accepted me more than he ever did. You’re right, Lazaros. I have more and better people now!”

They added.

Lazaros: “That’s right, and now Blair has Maxx. I hope that works out for him!”

He laughed a bit.

Ashley: “They deserve each other.”

They laughed a bit and shook their head.

Ashley turned to Lazaros and wrapped their arms around Lazaros in an embrace.

Ashley: “What did I do to deserve you?”

They smiled up at him.

Lazaros: “Just being you, Ash…”

He said softly and kissed them. Ashley’s cheeks blushed pink and they kissed him back, softly and passionately. Lazaros raked his fingers through their hair as he kissed them. Ashley shivered at his loving caress.

Lazaros rose and smiled.

Lazaros: “It’s time for me to make dinner. I’m glad we had this discussion, Ash. If anything bothers you, please tell me.”

He said with that twinkle in his eye. Ashley’s eyes lit up.

Ashley: “Ooh! What’s cooking, good looking?”

They beamed. Lazaros reddened.

Lazaros: “It’s a surprise.”

He tapped their nose. Ashley giggled.

Ashley: “Me too… thanks, Lazaros, you always know how to make me shine bright like the sun!”

They hummed softly and smiled at him. Lazaros’ smile remained intact.

Ashley: “You too! You can talk to me about anything, too!”

They added.

Lazaros: “I know.”

He said and went into the kitchen.

~

Celeste, Jaxon, Tristan, and Deimos were in Celeste’s and Jaxon’s house watching Metal Meltdown with Timmy and Tommy reviewing Maxx’s latest album.

Timmy: “Today we have a new turd from Sex Bees!”

He presented the album.

Tommy: “The fuck is with the weird fat fetish art?”

He laughed.

Timmy: “Duh, the clown has a fat fetish! Look at these ‘bangers’ going on about Fatley’s ass and fat.”

He stated. Tommy scrutinized the album artwork.

Tommy: “Is this ‘Fatley’ his ex-girlfriend or a girl who rejected him?”

He pointed to the big, fat blob resembling Ashley.

Timmy: “I dunno, but this Celeste and Filly-babe are mentioned, too, but he goes on about fucking them.”

He pondered.

Tommy: “Let’s just get this over and done with.”

He groaned and held up the CD cut into the shape of his pouty face. They both burst out laughing.

Timmy: “What the fuck is THAT thing?!”

He laughed.

Tommy: “The CD.”

He groaned and laughed, putting it in the CD player.

They both groaned in unison to the sound of Maxx’s wailing vocals, screeching the song titles in repetition for three minutes straight with the backing track of soulless and generic guitar riffs and drum beats.

Timmy: “God, why does this exist?! Why bother!? Turn it OFF! TURN IT OFF! MAKE IT STOP!”

He groaned, blocking his ears. Tommy went over to the CD player, pressing eject, but it wouldn’t budge.

Tommy: “Oh shit…”

His heart sank as he kept trying to eject the CD.

Timmy: “...Are you shitting me?! It’s STUCK?!”

He rasped.

Tommy: “What the FUCK?!”

He growled, not finding amusement anymore, now they were both angry.

Timmy: “Great, fucking Sex Bees ruined our show and now we can’t do anymore CD reviews until this shit is fixed! Thanks a lot, Sex Bees!”

He huffed.

Deimos rolled his eyes and changed the channel.

Deimos: “Someday, people will tire of his stupid joke. ‘Fatley is fat’ being screeched over stock music is only funny so many times.”

He said dryly.

Celeste: “I found ‘Fatley’s XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL Underwear’ funny because it’s stupid.”

She drawled.

Jaxon: “Me too, when he sings the XXXXXXXXXXXXXX bit it sounds like he’s saying sex, sex, sex, sexua-L underwear.”

He added. Tristan laughed a bit.

Tristan: “I do wonder if Maxx is resentful towards Ashley because they rejected him. It reminds me of how Blair is right now.”

He replied.

Jaxon: “Yeah, but everyone rejects that clown. No one wants to fuck him.”

He stated.

Celeste was going to open her mouth, but she saw something in the window. She rushed outside to look at saw Blair ripping out some wooden flowers she had made with Trevor into the garbage. Jaxon looked to where she was looking and saw red.

Jaxon: “HEY!”

Celeste: “What are you doing?! I made those!”

Blair took a wooden sunflower out with a face and sunglasses.

Blair: “They’re an eyesore! Learn how to woodcraft and paint, you talentless hack!”

He threw them in the garbage. Jaxon glared at him and rushed over to the garbage to retrieve them.

Jaxon: “Fuck you, you talentless hack! It’s better than your creepy fat fetish art!”

He hissed at Blair.

Blair: “It wasn’t fetish art!”

He fired back.

Blair: “Cigarette butts?! The ones with lipstick are yours! And I see sticks for lollipops! This place is an eyesore! YOU are an eyesore!”

He snapped at her. Jaxon saw red and delivered a punch to Blair’s eye, knocking him onto the lawn.

Jaxon: “Fuck you! She’s beautiful! YOU’RE an eyesore!”

He spat. Blair sat up with tears in his eyes.

Tristan and Deimos came out. Deimos folded his arms.

Deimos: “Same ol’, same ol’, right, Blair?”

Blair: “Screw you both, too! Screw you all! You’re ALL garbage!”

He snapped and yanked out a green wooden cat Celeste had made, throwing it on the pavement where it snapped in half. Celeste gasped, and her heart sank. She rushed to the wooden cat stand and picked it up. Jaxon furrowed his eyebrows, seeing red.

Jaxon: “YOU’RE garbage!”

He rasped, kicking Blair into the trash bin with full force. Blair wailed loudly.

Blair: “SCREW YOU, JIRO, YOU RED COW!”

He cried, and he scrambled out of it as he sobbed. Jaxon laughed at him.

Jaxon: “Red cow? That doesn’t even make any sense!”

Tristan knelt to Celeste.

Tristan: “I think we can hot glue this together.”

Jaxon: “Yeah, I think we should hot glue Blair to the road, or something.”

He laughed bitterly. Blair shoved Jaxon down.

Blair: “SCREW YOU, LAMB CHOPS!”

He bawled. Jaxon turned around and glared at him.

Jaxon: “Get the FUCK out of here, you SHEEP! Stay the FUCK away from my Green Queen!”

He rasped, shoving Blair onto the road. Blair cried and rose.

Blair: “YOU RED COW, JIRO!”

He bawled. Jaxon laughed in his face.

Jaxon: “Your insults suck!”

Tristan: “Blair, that is quite enough from you. Didn’t you do enough to Ashley? Why do you have to ruin other people’s lives because you’re miserable with your own?”

He challenged.

Blair: “SHUT UP, YOU SNOWFLAKE BEATNIK!”

He cried and shoved Tristan on top of Celeste.

Deimos and Jaxon glared at Blair with red hot fury.

Jaxon: “Oh, you’re dead!”

He rolled up his sleeves and marched towards Blair.

Deimos: “...Run.”

He said menacingly, marching to Blair.

Blair: “YOUR BROTHER IS FAT FEEDER FETISHIST!”

He cried.

Jaxon: “Dude, you drew weird fat fetish art of them.”

He laughed in Blair’s face. Deimos delivered a roundhouse kick to Blair, sending him flying across the road and landing on the pavement.

Deimos: “I know but you don’t fucking touch Tristan!”

Jaxon kicked Blair on the road.

Jaxon: “And that’s for hurting my Green Queen!”

He spat furiously.

Blair wailed loudly and threw up on the street. Fabien came out to laugh at him.

Deimos rushed to Tristan.

Deimos: “Are you okay, Tristan?”

Tristan dusted himself off.

Tristan: “Of course, thanks to you.”

He kissed him.

Jaxon draped his arm around Celeste.

Jaxon: “You okay, babe?”

He asked her. Celeste nodded and leaned into his chest.

Celeste: “Yeah, just bummed about the cat I made.”

She sighed as she held the two pieces. Jaxon frowned and sighed.

Jaxon: “I’m sorry about that asshole, babe! We’ll get that fixed!”

He assured her, stroking her verdant tresses. Celeste smiled and kissed him.

~

The next day on that afternoon, Tristan and Jaxon were on the back patio having a smoke and talking to each other. Tristan wore a white pressed shirt and a tie with a gray diamond-pattern sweater over it, gray trousers, and black wingtip Oxfords. Jaxon wore a leopard print shirt with the buttons undone to expose his dragon chest tattoo, tight black jeans, a leather jacket, and Chelsea boots.

Tristan: “So…”

He shifted in his seat.

Tristan: “They set Chelsea’s tombstone today and buried her… or what became of her.”

He said as his voice trailed off.

Jaxon: “Oh…”

His voice trailed off.

Jaxon: “So, they buried a monster.”

He added.

Jaxon: “The girl they talked about at her funeral wasn’t her, and the thing they buried wasn’t her either.”

He stated. Tristan chuckled darkly.

Tristan: “I had a hunch you could get metaphorical and symbolic when you want.”

He smirked.

Tristan: “Yes, this is the thing about funerals; they use flowery language that drips with praise even if the deceased was a terrible person or led their life under a façade. No, they excluded her making moves on a taken man and drugging his girlfriend.”

He laughed humorlessly. Jaxon twisted his mouth.

Tristan: “I love it.”

He said dryly.

Jaxon: “I don’t.”

Tristan: “I’m being facetious, Jaxon.”

Tristan: “I almost wish I had never intervened when she was going to kiss you… so then when you told her no, you’re not interested and you love Celeste, you could see she was never going to leave Josh and come here to live.”

He laughed darkly and bitterly.

Jaxon: “Oh? You intervened at that moment intentionally?”

He asked. Tristan nodded soberly.

Tristan: “I knew what you would say, but… I didn’t want it to go that far. Looking back, I should have let it get that far so you could see the same thing she did to me.”

He sighed.

Tristan: “Some people don’t want to be helped, so you let them sink.”

He said with bitterness and some resentment in his tone.

Jaxon: “It’s not your fault or problem to fix, man. What’s done is done! If she didn’t die, I would have realized sometime!”

He shrugged. Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “If anyone asks why I am not laying flowers on her grave, I reply that some child will steal it for his or her mother. That somewhat factors into why I am not.”

He hung his head.

Jaxon: “Why would anyone ask about that?”

He asked.

Tristan: “My grandmother would.”

He tilted his head. Jaxon frowned.

Jaxon: “None of her business, man.”

He assured him. Tristan smiled a bit.

Honorine came out to the patio with a small box.

Honorine: “Hello, Tristan. Hello, Jiro.”

She greeted them.

Jaxon: “Yo!”

He nodded politely.

Honorine: “Would you two gentlemen like a Cuban cigar?”

She opened a box of cigars.

Jaxon: “Wow, really? Thanks, ma’am!”

He brightened and picked one up.

Tristan: “Merci beaucoup, Grand-mère.”

He said to her and used the guillotine cutter in the box to cut the tip off of his and off of Jaxon’s. Tristan used his lighter to light it up. Jaxon pulled out his silver dragon Zippo lighter and clicked the lid off, lighting it up. Tristan inhaled a long drag.

Honorine: “Your grandmother and I were very good friends, Jiro. She spoke very highly of you.”

She smiled a bit. Jaxon quirked an eyebrow.

Jaxon: “Really?”

He pressed her. Honorine nodded.

Honorine: “She told me you were very kind, helpful, generous, handsome, and intelligent. I could tell she loved you very much. I was shocked to learn she gave everything to Ichiro.”

She cupped her mouth. Jaxon paused.

Jaxon: “...Wow, she said that about me?”

He smiled a bit. Honorine nodded.

Jaxon: “Yeah, that’s because Ichiro manipulated things.”

He said vaguely and twisted his mouth, expecting not to be believed.

Honorine: “That doesn’t surprise me. She never had anything good to say about him… or that cat he owned. My grandson owns nice cats, but she told me his cat, Lucifer, would spray everywhere and Hiroto secretly got him neutered while Ichiro was on a trip.”

She said, laughing a bit. Jaxon was taken aback by her response. She believes me?!

Jaxon: “Oh, really now?”

He smiled a bit. She nodded and smiled.

Honorine: “If he were your cat, they’d get rid of him.”

Jaxon frowned.

Jaxon: “Yeah… they got rid of my lizards, so they would.”

He sighed.

Tristan: “Oh, you had a cat?!”

He asked excitedly.

Honorine: “He was not a nice cat, Tristan. He was nasty. He bit Chiyo, bit Hiroto, and sprayed everywhere. He would use the house as his litterbox. When he was neutered, it did stop, but still.”

She waved her hand. Jaxon shook his head in confirmation.

Jaxon: “He wasn’t like your cats!”

He frowned.

Honorine rose.

Honorine: “I will leave you two to your discussion. It was nice speaking to you, Jiro. Your grandmother was right about you.”

She smiled. Jaxon smiled.

Jaxon: “Thanks, ma’am, nice to speak to you, too!”

He said earnestly. She went back into the house.

Tristan turned to Jaxon.

Tristan: “What do you think?”

He asked him and inhaled a drag.

Jaxon: “I never had cigars before! They’re quite nice!”

He chuckled, taking a drag. Tristan raised his eyebrows.

Tristan: “They’re expensive, but yes!”

He nodded.

Tristan: “I meant about what my grandmother just told you.”

He leaned forward.

Jaxon: “Oh! I didn’t expect anyone else to believe me and see that Ichiro is a dick.”

He laughed a hollow laugh.

Tristan: “Not everyone thinks as your parents do. You’ll be surprised.”

He smiled at him. He then leaned back into his seat.

Tristan: “I mean, he made a monster to kill them and they still worship him.”

He shrugged.

Jaxon: “Yeah… he made a monster to kill them out of my half-siblings, but they still treat me like trash for saving them.”

He laughed a hollow laugh.

Tristan: “They did?”

He asked him.

Tristan: “What happened? I was occupied with defeating that thing with Deimos and Celeste.”

Jaxon drew a breath.

Jaxon: “That thing had eight baby heads and they called me brother.”

He frowned.

Jaxon: “I dunno why I bothered, but it was about to kill my parents, so I got them to safety and… they didn’t even thank me or care.”

He twisted his mouth. Tristan knit his eyebrows and patted Jaxon’s arm.

Tristan: “I am so sorry, Jaxon. That is cruel.”

He sighed.

Tristan: “You did it because, as your grandmother said, you’re a kind, caring person, and you are. I know how you feel.”

He said softly.

Jaxon: “Thanks, man! That means a lot!”

He smiled a bit.

The door swung open. Tristan turned around and saw Lucas running onto the patio, and was surprised. Jaxon turned to the small boy in the doorway and froze. Is that the kid from Clare View Point?! He thought.

Tristan: “Lucas?!”

He exclaimed. Lucas ran to Tristan, hugging his legs, and then he hugged Jaxon’s legs.

Lucas: “Tristan, Jaxon! I came to see Tristan, but you’re here, too!”

He brightened.

Jaxon: “Hey, kid!”

He greeted him awkwardly, looking around for his temperamental parent.

Jaxon: “Where’s your dad?”

He asked.

Lucas: “He’s at our new house!”

He nodded.

Tristan: “New house?”

Lucas nodded.

Lucas: “Yup! We moved from our old house into our new one, so I can walk here! I wanted to see Tristan, but I got to see Jaxon, too!”

He beamed.

Tristan: “So you all moved?”

Lucas nodded again and reached up for Jaxon’s earring, tapping it.

Lucas: “Yeah, Dad said he didn’t want to be there ‘cause of Leanne and… the other stuff.”

He said with strain. Tristan nodded. I guess he didn’t want to be reminded of Kristen or what Ichiro did, he thought. Jaxon paused and pursed his lips, understanding that decision.

Jaxon: “Does your dad know you’re here?”

He asked. Lucas shook his head.

Lucas: “No, he doesn’t want me to see you or Tristan.”

He murmured. Tristan drew a long breath. Jaxon sighed.

Jaxon: “Ichiro.”

He muttered under his breath. Tristan gazed at Jaxon.

Tristan: “We should get you home to your dad before he gets worried.”

He said gently to him and rose.

Lucas: “I don’t wanna go home! I wanna be with you and Jaxon!”

He whined and hugged Jaxon’s leg.

Jaxon: “I know.”

He sighed.

Jaxon: “But, your dad is going to kill all of us!”

He grimaced and furrowed his eyebrows.

Tristan: “Come on, Lucas. Jaxon and I will walk you home.”

He smiled at him. Lucas pouted.

Jaxon: “Sorry, we have to.”

He said to him gently and walked with him and Tristan.

Jaxon: “So, uhh, what stuff do you enjoy doing?”

He asked Lucas, making conversation.

Lucas: “Playing video games, RPGs, and stuff like that! Sometimes I go to collect snakes with my brother, but my mom hates snakes!”

He said as they walked down the driveway. Jaxon smiled a bit.

Jaxon: “Oh, nice! I loved that stuff as a kid, too!”

He beamed.

Lucas: “Mom and Dad are all over Carmen. It’s her first prom.”

He groused.

Jaxon: “Prom, huh? I never did that.”

He smiled.

Tristan: “That makes the two of us. Deimos took Ivy to her prom.”

He laughed as his voice trailed off.

Jaxon: “Yikes.”

He laughed bitterly.

Jaxon: “What’s with prom anyway? It wasn’t a thing in Shin-Yamato and not a part of our culture.”

He asked.

Tristan: “It’s an American thing. It’s this grand formal dance celebrated at the end of the school year, and the one for the year you graduate is a big deal. You usually give a corsage to your female date and a boutonniere to your male date. Deimos dropped out and never went to his prom, but took Ivy to hers.”

He explained to Jaxon.

Jaxon: “Oh? Wait? How did he take Ivy to her prom if he was finished school?”

He asked.

Tristan: “Deimos dropped out; he never finished school. Ivy and he were dating, so they could go because Ivy went to that school.”

He explained.

Tristan: “I only know about this because of Ivy, actually. It was a big deal to her.”

He raked his fingers through his hair.

Jaxon: “What isn’t a big deal to Ivy?”

He laughed bitterly and rolled his eyes.

Lucas: “We also got a new nanny. I don’t like her.”

He interjected. Tristan paused and heaved a deep sigh.

Tristan: “Oh…, why not?”

He asked him.

Lucas: “She’s not Kristen! No one will ever be Kristen!”

He cried. Jaxon froze and pursed his lips.

Jaxon: “No, this is true.”

He didn’t know what else to say. At least he had a parental figure who cared about him.

They approached a fenced-in two-story colonial house with light brown siding, a Clark Gable roof, and two intersecting roofs on top with windows. There was a covered front porch with steps leading to a French door and rocking chairs on the patio. In the driveway was Christian’s brown Dodge Caravan. The backyard had a grill, a treehouse, monkey bars, and a swingset.

Lucas: “That’s it.”

He pointed to the house.

Jaxon: “Nice! You’re close to your uncle.”

He smiled at Tristan.

Tristan: “Yes, of course!”

A short, fat white woman with long curly dark magenta hair came out. She had thick pink eyeglasses, wore a flower in her hair, and wore a pink off-shoulder shirt, black leggings, and pink jelly shoes.

Woman: “Oh, Lucas! I was looking everywhere for you!”

She said frantically. Lucas made a face and turned to Jaxon and Tristan, and her cheeks flushed pink, finding both men very sexy and handsome.

Woman: “Hello, boys! Thank you for returning Lucas home! I’m their nanny, Rosie Pinkman!”

She greeted them.

Jaxon: “Yo, I’m Jaxon!”

He said politely.

Rosie: “Nice to meet you, Jaxon!”

She reddened.

Tristan: “I’m Tristan Trémaux! Nice to meet you, Rosie.”

He smiled. Rosie turned to Tristan.

Rosie: “Are you related to Christian?”

Before Tristan could respond, Christian came out in a fury.

Christian: “Oh, plotting to kidnap our nanny and my son for your brother, Jiro?!”

He bellowed at Jaxon. Jaxon’s face crumpled at him.

Jaxon: “Excuse me?! I am not my shitty brother!”

He glowered at him.

Christian: “And YOU are helping him!”

He snapped at Tristan. Tristan closed his eyes and mentally counted to ten.

Tristan: “Christian, Lucas came to us. We brought him back.”

He said coolly through clenched teeth.

Jaxon: “Oh, thanks for returning my boy to me. You’re welcome.”

He huffed.

Christian: “BULLSHIT! You were going to take him to Ichiro! You stay away from my family! ALL OF YOU!”

He bellowed. Jaxon glared at him and bared his teeth.

Tristan: “Christian, be reasonable. Jaxon had nothing to do with what Ichiro did!”

He snapped.

Christian: “And you? You’re a traitor!”

He hissed at Tristan.

Jaxon: “I AM NOT MY BROTHER! I HATE THAT MONSTER!”

He snapped.

Christian: “Oh, you’re just like your brother! Raising your voice in front of a child! Now you and Tristan can get off my property! I don’t want your brother here, and you’re going to take him here!”

He barked. Jaxon glared at him.

Jaxon: “Fuck you, asshole. No wonder Lucas ran away from you and likes us better than you!”

He spat, delivering a final verbal dagger as he turned on his heel to leave.

Tristan: “Enjoy your life, Christian.”

He spat and walked away with Jaxon.

Rosie knit her eyebrows at them and turned to Lucas, who glared at his father.