HELLBENT
CHAPTER 14
Blake's Feelings
That night, Makayla and Savannah cleaned up at the bar after Ashley left with Maxx. Makayla paced around as if a stormy cloud hovered above her head.
Makayla: “Why would he do that?!”
She huffed and rubbed her temples.
Savannah: “Because birds of a feather flock together, Makayla.”
She shook her head as she poured her a glass of rum and coke.
Makayla: “...Ashley isn’t like Maxx.”
She pursed her lips.
Savannah: “Then why does he hang around him then?”
She challenged her, handing her the drink she made for her.
Makayla: “...I wonder the same thing, too.”
She twisted her mouth and took a sip.
Savannah: “Girl, he blew you off to go to the strippers with Maxx. You have your answer.”
She rolled her eyes.
Makayla: “It didn’t seem like he wanted to go…”
She bowed her head, glancing down at her drink.
Savannah: “Yeah, but he did. He made that choice.”
She countered.
Makayla: “It wasn’t his choice…”
She frowned bitterly.
Savannah: “He chose to be a doormat, so yes, it was his choice.”
She huffed. Makayla frowned at her statement.
Savannah: “Someone who doesn’t stand up for themselves is not going to stand up for you.”
She said matter-of-factly.
Makayla: “I don’t need anyone to fight my battles. I can stand up for myself!”
She countered.
Savannah: “Nah, you’d be fighting his battles for him because he can’t do it himself. He’ll sink you with him, Makayla.”
She said sternly.
Makayla: “Well, sometimes you need to fight for those who can’t…”
She declared.
Savannah: “Some battles aren’t worth fighting for.”
She shook her head.
Makayla: “I think it is…”
She said, finishing her drink and slamming it onto the table. Savannah drew a breath.
Savannah: “You always do this. You meet someone. You think you know them. You make excuses whenever the red flags show up. ‘Oh, but they didn’t mean it or meant well’.”
She paraphrased, imitating her. Makayla sighed.
Makayla: “...I know I’ve made some bad choices in the past… but Ashley isn’t like the others. I’ve never met anyone like him before…”
She pondered looking reflective in thought. Savannah shook her head.
Savannah: “Yeah ‘cause he’s from a different world.”
She stated.
Makayla: “What do you mean by that?”
She pressed her.
Savannah: “He’s not from our world, Makayla. He didn’t even know what ‘thrash metal’ was until he met you…”
She laughed and shook her head. Makayla paused and pondered how Ashley didn’t seem to understand basic slang and social cues. It was as if he had grown up under a rock or was from another planet.
Savannah: “He’s a spaced-out hippie and you’re a sassy rockstar. What the hell would you have in common?!”
She challenged, with a laugh.
Makayla: “Well, things didn’t work out with other ‘sassy rockstars’ so maybe opposites attract.”
She countered.
Savannah: “Opposites don’t attract, Makayla. Look how well that worked for Craig and Andreas.”
She shook her head.
Makayla: “Craig ruined that by being Craig.”
She twisted her mouth.
~
Craig was driving around in his Jeep, blaring his music at full volume.
Craig: “I’m a wicked sick killer! A fuckin’ thriller!”
He sang along and banged his head to his song. He stopped at the traffic lights when something caught his eye in the rear-view mirror.
Craig: “...Andreas?!”
He gasped, spotting him emerging from the coffee shop he had taken him to many years ago. His smile faded and contorted into a deep scowl when he saw Blake holding the door open for Andreas. Craig revved his engine in fury as he watched them together.
Blake led Andreas towards the Kingswood station wagon parked on the curb.
Blake: “I’ll give you a ride home.”
He insisted, opening the passenger side door for him. Andreas was pleasantly surprised.
Andreas: “Oh, thank you!”
He smiled and got into the car. Blake, beside him in the driver’s seat, started the car and pulled out onto the road. Craig followed behind them.
~
Blake and Andreas drove through the windy roads of Selene Valley. Blake quirked an eyebrow at the swerving car behind them, flashing them with its beaming headlights.
Blake: “What is this guy doing?! Go around, asshole.”
He clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. Andreas turned his head around to see the car behind them.
Andreas: “...Is that?”
He narrowed his eyes to get a closer look at the car.
Andreas: “Is that… Craig?”
He twisted his mouth when he recognized that unmistakable green Jeep. Blake frowned.
Blake: “Are you shitting me? Is that idiot following us?”
He huffed.
Andreas: “There’s nothing more ‘stealthy’ than a neon green jeep with ‘Nuklear Intoxikation’ spray painted on the bonnet.”
He deadpanned. Blake laughed bitterly and floored the accelerator, swerving down the next street. Craig’s tires screeched as he zoomed past the street and turned around to follow them.
Andreas: “What are you doing?”
He turned to Blake.
Blake: “Getting this big monkey off our backs!”
He said doggedly, making another turn down the next street.
Andreas: “He already knows where we’re going. He knows where I live, Blake.”
He reminded him and shook his head.
Blake: “No he doesn’t. He doesn’t know where I live.”
Andreas turned to him. His eyebrows rose surprisingly.
Blake hooked a left down an old dirt road by the woods, kicking up a trail of dust behind him. Craig drew back.
Craig: “OI! What the fuck, dickhead?!”
He whined as gravel and stones bounced off his car and the dust obscured his view of them.
Blake followed the dirt road until it came out at the back of Heathervale Lake Park. He drove into the parking lot, shutting his headlights off. They looked out onto the road, seeing Craig zooming past the park and down the road with his music on full volume. Andreas watched as Craig headed toward Andreas’ home on the other side of the park.
Andreas: “Oh, good thinking, he will think we took a detour to my house.”
Blake nodded and pulled out of the parking lot, heading back in the direction they came from.
Blake: “That’s the plan.”
He nodded and got back onto the dirt road and turned left down a tree-lined street that ascended along the hillside until they reached a properly tucked-in amongst towering pine trees and a long driveway.
Andreas smiled at the sight of their home and garden, admiring the blooming garden beds and lush scenery. Blake parked the car in the driveway and turned off the engine, stepping out.
Andreas: “Thanks for having me over. You have a nice house.”
He smiled, emerging from the car and listening to the windchimes in the breeze on the veranda.
Blake: “...No problem. I didn’t want to leave you alone with that idiot.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and turned the key in the door to enter his home.
Andreas: “Don’t worry, I can handle him. Craig may act like a tough guy, but he’s about as threatening as a poodle.”
He chuckled and Blake laughed as they entered inside.
Andreas: “I appreciate your concern for me anyway… and I appreciate you letting me in…”
He flashed him a smile and placed his hand on his shoulder. Blake blushed and swallowed hard.
Blake: “Of course. Make yourself at home.”
He smiled and nodded, gesturing to the couch. Andreas nodded and sat down on the couch, observing his surroundings around the room.
Blake: “Can I get you anything?”
He asked heading into the kitchen through the archway.
Andreas: “Do you have any tea?”
He asked. Blake snorted and poked his head through the archway again, holding up a large wooden box of various teas.
Blake: “Yes.”
He said dryly. Andreas’ eyebrows rose surprisingly.
Andreas: “...Why do you have so much tea? I didn’t think you drank tea?”
He chuckled. Blake drew a breath.
Blake: “Ashley really loves tea.”
He explained, boiling the water in the kettle.
Andreas: “Really?”
He deadpanned.
Blake: “I don't know why he needs this much though…”
He shook his head at the vast collection of teas that could last a decade, pulling one out and brewing it.
Blake: “Ashley has these… hyper fixations… on things and we somehow end up with hundreds of teas and cat stuff we don't need. I don't understand it…”
He clicked his tongue and poured the boiling water into a teapot for him.
Blake emerged from the kitchen through the archway, carrying a tray with a cat teapot and matching cat mugs, placing it onto the table. Andreas chuckled.
Blake: “This is why ALL of our dishware has cats on them.”
He shook his head. Andreas nodded observing the collections of crystals, feathers, cat ornament, and teas around the house.
Andreas: “I see! For me, it's bones, crystals, spell herbs, and vinyl records.”
He explained. Blake's eyebrows rose.
Blake: “Why?”
Andreas shrugged and observed his surroundings again, noting the tea box and the bookshelf.
Andreas: “Well, why do you build stuff you can buy from the store? And why do you have so many books?”
He challenged. Blake paused and thought about his question.
Blake: “Because I want to learn as much about the world as possible from different books and I like to challenge myself and build things the way I want them to be.”
He explained. Andreas nodded.
Andreas: “Right, you collect various books for different learning experiences, just as Ashley collects tea to experience the different flavors.”
He stated.
Blake: “Huh… I guess that makes sense.”
He pondered. Andreas took a sip of his tea. His eyes lit up to the fruity and deep flavors.
Andreas: “Blackberry, huh?”
Blake nodded.
Blake: “Yeah, Ashley made this one from our garden… I guess he also wants to make things the way he wants them to be…”
He pondered and finally understood. Andreas nodded.
Andreas: “You’re not as different as you think.”
He stated. Blake gave him a dubious look.
Blake: “You think I’m like Ashley?!”
He challenged. Andreas shrugged.
Andreas: “You were cut from the same cloth.”
He nodded to the family portrait hanging on the wall. Blake glanced up at it and frowned.
Blake: “Yes, but we cut away from that cloth.”
He said bitterly.
Andreas: “Yes, but those fibers are etched into you.”
He stated.
Andreas: “You evoke aspects of your parents and your experience in an environment like ‘Sunshire’ affects how both of you function in the world.”
He elaborated. Blake bowed his head.
Blake: “Maybe I am like our dad in some ways? Ashley is like our mother and I’m nothing like them…”
He pursed his lips.
Andreas: “How so?”
He pressed him. Blake drew a breath. Andreas observed how he tensed up at the subject of his mother.
Blake: “Ashley, like our mother, is off with the fairies and sweeps all their problems under the rug. Nooo, everything must be sunshine and rainbows at all times. No ‘negativity’ allowed.”
He huffed.
Andreas: “Is that why you’re drawn to death metal and dress the way you do?”
He questioned. Blake paused.
Blake: “I don’t know. I never really thought about it. Maybe?”
He shrugged.
Andreas: “Well, you need an outlet for those repressed feelings. Death metal is a great outlet for anger. When we bottle things up, they come out in other ways… and can be messy. I hope Ashley finds that outlet, too. You both need to face and work through your feelings.”
He nodded. Blake sighed.
Blake: “Ashley’s outlet is food.”
He stated.
Blake: “Maybe that’s why he’s fat?”
He shrugged. Andreas nodded.
Andreas: “I see that your mother was, too… Who was repressing her?”
He asked. Blake gaped at him.
Blake: “Our mother wasn’t repressed? She was always so damn happy. She just liked to eat.”
He huffed bitterly. Andreas gave him a dubious look and took mental notes.
Andreas: “Well… you know you can open up to me about your ‘negative feelings’ anytime…”
He assured him, reaching over and placing his hand on his knee. Blake reddened and swallowed hard.
Blake: “...Actually, I don’t feel ‘negative feelings’ right now.”
He said softly, turning to him and feeling his heart hammering in his chest. Andreas chuckled.
Andreas: “Oh? What do you feel right now?”
He teased, leaning in closer to him. Blake inhaled deeply and locked his gaze on him.
Suddenly, the door swung open as Maxx barged in with Ashley.
Maxx: “NAH-AH, A-Rad! YOU got us banned!”
He shrieked. Ashley heaved a defeated sigh.
Blake: “Okay, now I feel negative feelings again.”
He groaned and glared at Maxx, folding his arms across his chest.
Blake: “Dare I ask what happened?”
He looked over at Ashley. Maxx harrumphed and cut in.
Maxx: “A-Rad ate all da peanuts at da bar!”
He squawked, pointing at Ashley.
Ashley: “I was trying to protect you from them so you wouldn’t have to go to the hospital again!”
He cried.
Maxx: “Nah-ah! You just wanted to pig out and you got us thrown out!”
He whined. Ashley frowned, looking hurt.
Andreas: “I doubt you got banned for eating all the nuts at the bar… so what really happened?”
He challenged. Ashley shuffled uncomfortably.
Maxx: “Pfft, who da hell is this guy?! Why did you pick up some guy from a funeral home, Doom ‘n Gloom?”
He scoffed and laughed like a hyena. Andreas rolled his eyes and Blake glared at Maxx.
Blake: “Shut your clown mouth! Why don’t you go back to the circus?”
He whacked him over the head.
Maxx: “Owwww!”
He whined.
Andreas: “Watch out, it may be your funeral next.”
He deadpanned to Maxx.
Maxx: “Gosh, you’re an even bigger doom ‘n gloom than Doom ‘n Gloom!”
He huffed, fanning his face.
Andreas: “Doom ‘n Gloom?”
He turned to Blake with a bewildered expression. Blake rolled his eyes.
Blake: “He gives everyone stupid names instead of calling them by their real names. I call him Booze-o-the-clown or Jester fuck.”
He explained. Maxx glared at him and pouted.
Maxx: “NAH-AH! Don’t call me that!”
Andreas: “Oh ok, I’ll call him Glitter cock then.”
He deadpanned. Maxx’s face flared red.
Maxx: “MY NAME IS MAXXY!”
He whined, stamping his feet.
Ashley sighed and turned to Maxx.
Ashley: “Maybe if you call him by his name, he’ll call you by yours, too… I don’t think he likes being called ‘Doom ‘n Gloom’.”
He said firmly but gently to Maxx.
Blake: “Nah, A-Rad is worse. Call him Ashley and I’ll stop calling you jester fuck.”
He folded his arms over his chest.
Maxx: “What?! But A-Rad LOVES his buddy nickname!”
He patted Ashley’s back. Ashley shifted his eyes. Andreas observed their body language.
Andreas: “I think Ashley should speak for themself.”
He challenged. Ashley felt like a deer in headlights as all eyes were on him.
Ashley: “It’s cool! I don’t mind!”
He forced a smile, waving his hands. Andreas scrutinized him, looking dubious. Why does Ashley kowtow to him? He thought to himself.
Andreas: “So, what happened tonight, Ashley?”
He challenged him to see how he would respond and wanted his side of the story. Ashley drew a breath and went to speak when Maxx interjected.
Maxx: “I’ll tell ya what happened! A-Rad cramped my style ‘n he ditched me for da puss! Bros before hoes!”
He pouted, folding his arms across his chest. Andreas arched an eyebrow.
Andreas: “... I don’t follow? Ashley ‘cramped your style’ or Ashley got ‘da puss’? Which is it?”
He pressed him and shuddered at his wording. Maxx scoffed.
Maxx: “Pfft, he didn’t get no puss! Chicks don’t want fatties, not even fat chicks like McKayla!”
Andreas quirked an eyebrow.
Andreas: “McKayla? …You mean Makayla Medeiros?”
He pressed him. Ashley sighed and nodded in confirmation. Blake frowned.
Blake: “Oh, you went and saw her again?”
Ashley looked away and backed into the corner.
Maxx: “I KNOW, RIGHT! Stay away from her, A-Rad!”
He shrieked and threw his arms up. Ashley pouted.
Blake: “For once, I actually agree with Jester fuck on something.”
He twisted his mouth.
Andreas: “Why don’t you want Ashley around Makayla?”
He asked them both.
Maxx: “COS! Nuklear Intoxikation are da biggest assholes ‘n losers in da world! They’re Sex Beest’s enemies! A-Rad BETRAYED ME for some puss!”
He huffed. Ashley knit his eyebrows.
Blake: “Jester fuck is right about the first part. I agree.”
He folded his arms across his chest.
Andreas: “As someone who used to be in Nuklear Intoxikation, I don’t disagree…”
He frowned. They all looked at him.
Maxx: “...YOU played in Nuklear Intoxikation?!”
He scoffed and laughed.
Andreas: “I’m surprised Craig didn’t go on about that to you.”
He deadpanned.
Maxx: “He went on and on about some guy that used to live in my room. It was soooo annoying.”
He whined. Andreas blinked mutely at him.
Andreas: “Yes, that’s me. We’ve met. Do you not remember? I came over one time to collect my stuff and you were in your underwear?”
He reminded him. Maxx paused for a moment.
Maxx: “Pfft, no?”
Blake rolled his eyes at Maxx. Andreas drew a breath.
Andreas: “Anyway, I’ve known Craig and Makayla since high school… and I dated Craig… so I know what they’re like.”
He bowed his head. Blake frowned. Ashley’s eyes widened with curiosity.
Maxx: “...But Craig’s a guy?!”
He asked dumbly.
Andreas: “Yes?”
Maxx: “Isn’t dat gay?”
He scoffed.
Andreas: “Yes.”
He deadpanned. Ashley interjected.
Ashley: “Ooh, what was Makayla like in high school?”
He asked.
Andreas: “Hmm, she was troubled. She was always partying and making some… bad choices. So, not much different to now.”
He stated. Ashley rubbed the back of his head.
Ashley: “Ohh… what kind of bad choices?”
He pressed with some apprehension in his voice.
Andreas: “Makayla always jumped into things without thinking them through… or getting to know someone.”
He frowned. Ashley swallowed hard thinking of those rumors on Larry’s radio show, hoping that's not what he meant.
Andreas: “In many ways, Makayla is a lot like Craig… they’re both explosive and impulsive, have a poor judgment of character, and don’t listen. Both turn to alcohol and partying to cope with their problems and so on. That being said, she’s not as bad as Craig.”
He added.
Ashley: “Makayla isn’t like Craig!”
He cried.
Maxx: “Dats right! She’s got big boobies!”
He exclaimed. Blake rolled his eyes at Maxx.
Andreas: “You don’t know her like I do. Let me give you a piece of advice… get to know who someone really is before you get involved with them.”
He warned him and thought of how he got involved with Craig without truly knowing him when they were teenagers. Blake nodded in agreement with him, glaring at Maxx.
Blake: “I told you she was bad news, Ash.”
He huffed.
Ashley drew a breath.
Ashley: “You’re right Andreas, I should spend more time with her to get to know her better!”
He chirped. Andreas gave him a look. Blake laughed bitterly and shook his head.
Blake: “Don’t waste your time. Save yourself the heartache and just ask Andreas who has known her for several years.”
He huffed and folded his arms across his chest. Ashley flicked his gaze over to Andreas.
Ashley: “Okay… give me a love tarot reading about me and Makayla!”
He beamed full of hope. Maxx scoffed and laughed.
Maxx: “Pfft, I’ll give you a tarot reading, A-Rad; My Sex Beest senses says It ain’t gonna happen!”
Blake gaped at Ashley and shook his head.
Blake: “...That’s not what I meant.”
He huffed and sat forward to rub his temples.
Blake: “Actually… no, you know what? Read him his damn tarot, Andreas.”
He laid back down on the couch and nodded to Andreas. Maybe then he will listen? Blake hoped.
Andreas: “Are you sure about this?”
He pulled out his tarot deck from his jacket.
Ashley and Blake: “YES!”
They said in unison.
Andreas: “Alright.”
He nodded and shuffled his cards as they all sat around him. He placed the cards on the coffee table between them all. He flipped over the first card which was ‘The Queen of cups’
Andreas: “This is you.”
Ashley smiled at the card that depicted a queen sitting on a throne holding a regal cup. Andreas flipped over the next card which was the ‘Knight of Swords’
Andreas: “This is the other.”
Ashley studied the card depicting a knight on a horse riding into battle holding up a sword. Andreas then flipped over the next card which was ‘The Tower’
Andreas: “And this is the outcome of the relationship.”
He explained.
Ashley: “Ah, you told me before that I was stuck in a tower and that something would break me out of it! So, Makayla is my knight in shining armor come to rescue me as I’m drinking tea on a throne?! That’s so romantic!”
He beamed, clasping his hands together. Andreas shifted his eyes. Blake gaped at him and Maxx laughed.
Andreas: “The queen of cups represents someone who is loyal and empathetic, but also gets carried away with their emotions and overlooks facts for the sake of love.”
Blake: “Sounds like someone I know.”
He looked over at Ashley. Ashley pouted.
Andreas: “The knight of swords represents someone who charges ahead directly with high energy and determination, but they disregard the consequences that can lead to destruction and chaos.”
He explained.
Blake: “Sounds like Makayla.”
He folded his arms over his chest.
Andreas: “The tower over them as the outcome means there will be a lot of challenges and chaos with unforeseen changes. If a tower is built on a weak foundation, it will fall. It needs to be built on a solid foundation.”
He stated. Ashley frowned.
Ashley: “Oh… ok, so we won’t live in a tower then, we’ll just live in a regular house then.”
He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed.
Andreas: “...That’s not what I meant.”
Blake gaped at Ashley and shot up from his seat in frustration.
Blake: “Did you NOT hear a word we’ve said tonight?! Why don’t you ever listen to me?! Andreas KNOWS what he’s talking about and knows who that hootchie REALLY is, but you REFUSE to hear it!”
He threw his arms up in frustration. Ashley recoiled and teared up, rising from the couch.
Ashley: “I want to hear it from Makayla herself!”
He cried, grabbing the car keys.
Blake: “Where do you think you’re going?!”
He stood in front of the door.
Maxx: “Nah-ah! You stay AWAY from McKayla, A-Rad! Don’t be a traitor!”
He screeched.
Ashley: “WILL EVERYONE STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO?!”
He snapped through hot tears. Blake stepped back and they all fell silent.
Ashley: “It’s not fair! You get to love who YOU want to, but I can’t?!”
He cried to Blake, pointing at Andreas. Blake froze and reddened. Andreas shifted his eyes and tucked his hair behind his ear.
Ashley: “I want to be with Makayla, and you, you, and your cards can’t tell me what to do!”
He cried, pointing at each of them and storming to the car.
Blake: “ASHLEY! GET BACK HERE!”
He screamed, marching after him as he backed out onto the driveway with a loud screech and took off into the night.
Blake: “GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!”
He rasped, kicking up dirt.
Maxx: “I know! He’s fast for a fatty!”
Blake shoved past him back into the house.
Andreas: “...How am I supposed to get home now?”
Blake froze when he realized the predicament he was in now.
Blake: “Shit… I’m sorry, Andreas.”
He cupped his mouth.
Maxx: “Noooo, now I’m stuck here alone with you gloomy assholes ‘n I have to listen to your spooky goth sex!”
He whined. Blake and Andreas gaped at him and reddened all over.
Blake: “Noooo, we’re stuck here alone with the clown asshole and have to listen to its whining!”
He whacked Maxx with his rolled-up newspaper.
Andreas: “Let’s muzzle him.”
He deadpanned.
Maxx: “Nah-ah! Stay away from me, weirdo!”
He scuttered off to his bedroom with his goon sack.
Blake planted himself down on the couch and exhaled.
Blake: “...I’m sorry you’re in this mess. I don’t know what’s gotten into Ashley.”
He rubbed his temples.
Andreas: “Ashley has never been in love before…”
He sighed, sitting down beside him.
Blake: “That’s not love.”
He laughed bitterly.
Andreas: “What is love?”
He asked, turning to him and locking his gaze on him. Blake paused, taken aback by his question and gaze.
Blake: “...I don't know… I've never been in love before...”
He mumbled and pursed his lips. Andreas rose from the couch and stood over him.
Andreas: “Well… do you want to experience it?”
He asked, holding out his hand to him. Blake glanced up at him and swallowed hard.
Blake: “...I don’t know if anyone would want to experience me and really know me…”
He glanced down at his hand with the Sunshire tattoo on his thumb.
Andreas: “Well… I do.”
He assured him and placed his pale hand over his tattooed hand. Blake felt a spark pulsing through his body.
Andreas: “Do you want to experience me and really know me?”
He asked softly. Blake swallowed hard and nodded, gazing up into his icy blue eyes.
Blake: “...Yes.”
He said breathlessly, taking his hands and pulling him back down onto the couch with him. Andreas shivered with exhilaration and they locked lips in a tender kiss.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Comments