Youngblood

Chapter 8

                                                                                    That night….

Traci

            I was lying beside Rachel in Mario’s bed.  Neither one of us could sleep.  “I don’t understand how I could have imagined that.  He was here.  I felt him breathing on me and everything.  Even my boys, I felt them.  It was so real.”  I looked at her.  “Rachel, its okay to miss them.”  She looked at me.  She nodded her head staring into space.  I tossed and turned a couple more times.  “Rachel, I can’t sleep in here.”  She stared into space for a moment.  “Let’s go play some pool.”  I looked at her as she looked at me. 

We both jumped up and raced for the game room.  “MOVE!”  I said pushing her out the way as we giggled and set up the table.  “YOU MOVE!”  She said shoving me back.  Our laughter attracted a familiar presence as I chased my sister around the table.  “BRING YOUR ASS BACK HERE!”  I yelled tackling her at the feet of Bill, Markus, Jeremy and Kenny at the doorway watching us.  “She’s laughing!”  Bill said smiling at us as Rachel and I wrestled with each other.  I ended up on top of her tickling her to death.  I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.  It had been a long time since I heard her laugh like that.

“MARIO!”  She screamed laughing as everything seemed to stop.  She looked at me as I looked at Kenny.  He looked at me as she looked around for him.  That’s when she looked back at me.  “He’s not here babe.”  I said quietly.  She looked around at everyone as they watched us. 

I understood my sister perfectly and honestly.  In that moment she let her guard down and surrendered to me in her happiness.  That moment felt so right and normal.  How could he not be here?  The denial that read across her face made me sad for her.  Who would want to believe the love of their life, and their beautiful boys, were gone and never coming back?

 “Who’s next?”  She asked making Bill, Markus and Jeremy rush into the room.  I glanced at Kenny wondering what to do.  Do I bring her crashing back to reality or let her retreat in her denial?  He shook his head at me answering my question.

  “I think I can beat you now sis.”  Bill said snatching my attention.  I sat back silently watching my sister.  This is going to be bad, I realized as she beat the pants off Bill.  I nervously glanced at Kenny who was also watching her in silence.  I looked back at Rachel.  She laughed and played around with Bill as if everything was okay.  What was going to happen when she realized everything wasn’t okay?   As she won the game, she looked around the room.

 I knew she was looking for Mario.  In her heart everything was so right, and she was happy.  I know she felt his presence but her beautiful eyes failed to reveal him in the cloud of happiness.   I watched her reality set in her face and her smile disappeared.  She looked at me, her mirror to her truth, through her broken heart.  Everything stopped once again.

 “He’s not here Rachel.”  I said watching her tears stab out her eyes.  She looked around again before looking at me.  “Mario is not here.  Robi and Roni are not here. Mario is dead.  Robi is dead and Roni is dead.”  She stood there staring at me for a moment before she finally took a deep breath as she nodded her head.  “Okay.”  She finally said wiping her tears.

 “You’re okay.”  I reminded her.  She nodded her head again as she continued wiping her tears.  They seemed to overpower her wiping.  “We are okay.”  I said stepping towards her.  “Yes.”  She said trying not to break down crying. 

I hugged, kissed and held her.  “I still feel him.”  She managed.  “Girl, that’s Mario for you.  He’ll never let you forget his presence.”  I smiled as she fell out laughing.  “He’s going to haunt your ass forever.  That’s probably why your hair sticking up like that now.”  We all laughed

                                                            A few weeks later…

Kenny

            I had just pulled up to Lois’s Burgers with Markus, Jeremy, Derrick and Bill.  We had just gotten out the car when we noticed Cameron walking out drinking his milkshake and mean mugging Blood Member Trey.  I gestured for everyone to watch. 

We watched Cameron stand there for a moment watching Trey like he was going to beat the living day light out of him.  Trey stood there a moment taunting him by holding up his hands like he was shooting at him.  I watched the rage fill Cameron’s face. 

“CAM!”  I called making him look at me.  He looked back at Trey before walking over to me.  “What?”  He asked making me laugh.  “You thought about what we talked about?”  He looked at me annoyed.  “What the f**k are you talking about Kenny?”  “Being my partner.”  “Oh, no not really.”  I glanced at Jeremy as he laughed.  “I think you should consider it. You won’t have to start over Cam.”  He stood there staring at me for a moment.  “Hold this.”  He handed me his milkshake.

  He ran over to Trey and punched him in the face.  He fell backwards unconscious with blood spilling out his nose.  We all looked at each other as Cameron walked back to me and took his milkshake.  “Okay, I’m in.”  He said taking another sip.

 I glanced back at Jeremy who was laughing.  I shook my head at him as I returned my attention back to Cameron who was smirking at Jeremy. “I see your ass is still retarded.”  I stepped aside. 

“f**k you Cam.  You need to stop swinging on people.  You’re not in prison anymore.”  “Yeah I noticed.”  “I mean I understand that’s what you had to do in there but,” I smiled at Jeremy as he trailed off making Cameron laugh.  “f**k you Jeremy.  I knew I should have kicked your ass when I found out you was f*****g Camil.”  They both laughed.  “What for?  It’s not like you two were still together.”  “Yeah I know it’s just the principal behind it.”  “There was no principal, we weren’t bros.”  “What the hell were we then?”

We all stared at Jeremy as he thought about it.  “Well hell I was young and didn’t know no better.”  He said making us laugh.  “Didn’t she take your virginity?”  Markus asked making my mouth drop open and Cameron laugh again.  “I was not a virgin!”  Jeremy said making Cameron laugh harder. “You m**********g don’t count.” Cameron said making everyone laugh.  “f**k you!” We all laughed again. 

I glanced at Cameron as he loudly slurped his milkshake as he watched Trey stagger to his feet.  He looked at Cameron as blood steadily dripped from his lip.  “What?”  Cameron asked looking at him making me look away laughing.

  “BABY!”  We looked at Cameron’s truck where a woman was waving him to her.  “I’ll see you later.”  He said walking towards her.  “Yeah, meet me at the spot tomorrow.”  I called after him as he drove off. “He’s crazy.”  Jeremy said still laughing.