Broken Past, Good Path

The Meaning of Life has No Definition

    Bradley Thomas shook himself away from Morgan, while she did the same towards him, in a simultaneous scramble as the voice interrupted their moment on the floor in between overturned racks of clothing. He looked away, clearing his voice and wiping his hands on his pants. He was doing his best to not look guilty even though he really wasn’t guilty of anything. He looked back a minute later, finding Ryland and Jax with wicked smiles on their faces. Bradley shot them looks, expressing his distaste at having been interrupted in his moment of peace with Morgan. Actually, his heart was still beating crazily, just as when Morgan had been trapped in his embrace and leaning on his chest.

                “Nothing!” Morgan and Bradley said at the same time, their heads swiveling to look at each other with disbelief running through their equally cool eyes. Morgan moved past them, righting her cart and throwing the clothes that had spilled out back into the basket.  Bradley kept his eyes away from her retreating form, listening to the squeaky wheels of the cart to track where she was in the room. He looked up when the squeaking stopped abruptly, finding Morgan at the edge of the room, one foot out in the hall.

                “I will meet you for dinner,” Her voice barely made it across the room to where he was standing with Jax and Ryland. The squeaking started again and Bradley turned his gray eyes on his two shadows that were lingering at his side, both of whom were smiling at him. He turned, bent down, and grabbed the rack that had been overturned. What should I tell them if they ask, Bradley thought, gritting his teeth and pulling the rack upright, and how had Ryland and Jax found the two of them so soon? It was no wonder that they were the best trackers on his team. Hangers with clothing attached were dropped onto the rack beside him. The room became silent again and with annoyance, Bradley could feel that he was being stared at.

                “We got in an argument and she ran, collided with the rack and I saved her. That’s it!” Bradley explained in a rush, annoyed at himself for giving in so easily.

                “We didn’t ask!” Jax said with a coyness in his voice. Bradley gritted his teeth, scooped up the rest of the clothing, and hung them on the rack overzealously.

                “What are you two doing here anyway?” Bradley questioned, his eyes scanning over the other two men.

                “Ah yes, the preparations have been made. Olivia and Noah will take their leave after dinner,” Ryland informed him.

                “And you had to come to find me for that?” Bradley tapped his radio. He did his best to keep his anger at bay, preventing it from coming to the surface.

                “Well… we thought Morgan had gone missing,” Jax added with a note of mischief in his voice. Bradley pushed past them towards the exit. “Hey Ryland, have you heard that new love song?” Jax’s voice followed Bradley as he walked away from the two as quickly as possible.

                “No. How does it go?”

                “Oh, it goes something like… I found a love for me…” Jax’s perfectly in tune voice surrounded the room and trailed after Bradley. In frustration, Bradley sped up, leaving the two far behind and once he was not being stared at Bradley let a smile grace his lips, recalling Morgan’s body against his own. He recalled her lightly perfumed body that had made his brain go foggy. Just as soon as those thoughts came to mind, he shook them away, replacing them with his normal frown.

 _____________________________________________________________

                Morgan Dylan wheeled her cart the entire way back to the room she was given, not stopping once. She entered the room, closed the door, and leaned against it with a huff. Her heart was still beating in a crazy rhythm. She wasn’t able to tell why this time she could not control the feelings that were building up inside of her. She had been angry, but as she was forced to lay in Bradley’s embrace with his hand on her shoulder, she felt another feeling bubble within her. It had almost come to a boiling point before they had been interrupted by Ryland and Jax. Who knew what would have happened if they had not shown up when they did?

                She let her eyes glance over the room. It was large and had mellow tones which were comforting but not as much as the smaller room in the Hall of Letters. She focused her attention on the door of the walk-in closet. The door itself was lifted off the ground on a set of hooks that allowed it to move left and right, unlike that of a normal door.

                Morgan walked over to the door, pushing the cart in front of her. She pushed the door to the right. A light automatically popped on, illuminating the large walk-in. The bottom was lined with endless wooden drawers that noiselessly opened and closed. Some of the drawers were very large for storage purposes. Others were small, for tyes or watches. Morgan took time to explore every drawer, finding each one just as empty as the last, letting her thoughts leave Bradley behind and go to whoever had last inhabited the same room that she was in if there was such a person. Above the endless drawers hung a stainless-steel bar meant for hanging clothes. Morgan set to her task, forgetting all about her previous unexplainable emotions. When she finished, she picked out a new outfit, walked to her personal bathroom, and hurried to step under the warm water of the shower she had started. Under the water, Morgan let the dry, crusted blood wash away along with the other aches and pains she had refused to acknowledge. Her thoughts eventually looped back to Noah. It would be the first time in a long time that Morgan would have to face the world without her best friend. Maybe it is for the best, Morgan thought. He will be able to heal and forget his feelings for me… and in the end, we will be better for it.

                Morgan left the shower behind, dressed in a new outfit, and brushed her hair. She promised herself that she would not be worked up at dinner tonight. There would be enough time for her to be upset after Noah left, she reminded herself. Morgan glided to the door of her room, sighing as she opened it and spied Bradley, in his own new clothing, pacing in the hallway. She hung back, crossing her arms and doing her best not show the new skip in her heart. Her blue eyes followed Bradley’s movements as he turned and paused, letting his own gray eyes settle on her.

                “You have me trapped in our house now. Is there really a need to guard my bedroom?” Morgan asked more as a joke but it came out rather bitterly. Bradley bowed his head politely.

                “I just came by because I was unsure if you knew how to get to the dinner table. If you would like I can let you figure it out on your own or I can escort you,” Bradley answered gently, turning to go. The kind tone in his voice made Morgan feel guilty. She cleared her throat, turning her head to look down the hallway.

                “Lead the way, please,” She spoke, stepping up behind Bradley, refusing to look at his wide shoulders. They moved down the hallway, a torturing silence settling between the two of them.

                “Umm… about tonight…” Bradley shattered the silence when they reached the glass cubicles. His form turned to her and slowed. “I just wanted to warn you that Noah and Olivia will be leaving after dinner… it may be a bit stressful at dinner…” Morgan frowned, just thinking of Noah leaving was scary. She wasn’t sure how she would react when it actually happened.

                “I have tried to come to terms with his leaving. Although, I did not expect it to be so soon… I will do my best to be civil tonight.” Morgan said while they walked past the glass cubicles in a direction that she had not been yet. As they walked side by side the style of the house became gradually older looking, a few paintings appearing on the walls. At the end of the hallway stood a heavy wooden door that opened into a large room that was separated into three areas. At the far end of the room was an updated, modern kitchen that opened up to a grand and long wooden table that was a little less classy looking due to the benches that lined either side of it. Finally, was the area that Bradley and Morgan had just walked into. It was a large sitting area with couches facing an equally large TV.

                “This place is incredible,” Morgan twirled, admiring every bit of the vintage but modern feel of the room.

                “This is the place we spend most of our time when we can,” Bradley informed. “Feel free to use this room to your liking.”

                “You two are together again,” Morgan and Bradley jumped at the voice, even as they recognized it as Ryland’s. Morgan turned to find Ryland and Jax walking briskly into the room.

                “Yes, well… It seems like Bradley is the only one who likes to give people tours of the house,” Morgan shot back. Jax and Ryland both held up their hands in an innocent manner.

                “Oooh… defensive,” Ryland smiled.

                “Did you hear that? I think it was the first time she used any of our names… and it was Bradley’s,” Jax clapped Bradley on the back. He dodged a swipe, passed the couches, and took a seat on the bench, followed closely by Ryland.

                “Ignore them. Sometimes their stupidity reveals itself in the form of words,” Bradley said bitterly, gesturing towards the table. They moved together, awkwardly eyeing the spaces left to sit. “I believe you will want to sit next to Noah,” Bradley inclined his head to the other side of the table as he took a seat next to Ryland. Morgan, without protest, moved across the table, taking a seat gingerly on the bench.

                “Before things get awkward, how about you tell us about you… maybe something secret…” Ryland leaned across the table, cupping his chin in his hand. Morgan laughed awkwardly.

                “You have been watching me for so long, I think you would know everything about me. How about you all tell me something about yourselves? I know hardly anything about you,” organ insisted, following Ryland in leaning across the table.

                “Fair point… In that case, I will tell you something that you don’t know about me. I’m a gamer. I like video games, board games… any kind of game really,” Ryland announced proudly. Morgan’s lips twitched as she leaned back.

                “I know what board games are but… video games?” Morgan asked. She looked around the table finding a similar surprised face on each of their faces.

                “You really don’t know what video games are? I’m coming to realize just how sheltered you have been…” Ryland held a hand over his heart with a pained expression taking over his surprise. “I must teach you how to play later,” Morgan accepted with a nod of her head, turning to look at Jax.

                “I am a book lover… does that surprise you?” Jax mused.

                “I just thought you would say you’re a ninja or good at mathematics… something like that…” Morgan spoke.

                “Ah, typical Asian stereotypes…” Jax held Morgan’s eyes with amusement.

                “I’m sorry… how true you are… Ok, then… What is your favorite book?”

                “The Kite Runner. Have you read it?”

                “I have and I agree with your choice,” Morgan grinned, turning to Bradley. “And you?” Bradley raised his brows, discomfort lingering in his appearance.

                “I-…” Bradley wavered.

                “This guy is only obsessed with protecting you, right?” Ryland jabbed Bradley with his elbow. It was Morgan’s turn to feel uncomfortable.

                “No… that… I’m good at fighting. I am in charge of training,” Bradley blurted, sending Ryland a look of condescension. The room went silent except for the creaking floorboards.

                “Well since you have told me some of your secrets, and I expect, free lessons on video games and discussions about books… I will tell you a secret you probably don’t know about me,” Morgan spoke with a meditative slowness. The table leaned inward, four heads combining in the center of the table. “I assume that you were watching me during our senior year of high school. Do you remember one night where I ran away?” Morgan asked them and watched the collection of heads nod.

                “Which was unsafe, by the way,” Bradley chimed in which was met with a hush from Ryland and Jax.

                “Do you know where I went?” Morgan asked. A shake of the collection of heads gave her the answer to her question. “Beyond our school lies an alley. At the end of the alley was a small restaurant specializing in chili.”

                “Was the chili good?” Ryland interrupted. The others at the table hushed him.

                “I never got to taste the chili, but if you ordered the chili you got a free psychic reading…”

                “Those things are full of crap,” Bradley complained. Ryland and Jax hushed him once again.

                “What was your reading?” Jax followed up.

                “The lady who gave me my reading said… I will lose a person, gain a person and keep a person…” Morgan answered. The four of them looked at each other, pondering the meaning behind the words. The room had gone completely silent now with even the floorboards refusing to make a sound. The creaking of a door and then the bang as it hit the wall it was hinged to made the four of them jump and turn collectively towards the noise.

                “Did we miss something?”