Taking A Chance

Shock News

Lance watched Amaya jump up and hurry around the table. She threw her arms around Lance's shoulders and kissed his cheek.
‘It's so good to meet you,’ she said. She then turned to Molly. ‘She's so beautiful, can I hold her.'
‘Of course,’ Lance said, handing Molly to her.
Amaya went to Keith and knelt next to his seat. ‘He's so cute,' she said, reaching out and cupping the kits face. ‘Ohh, his skin is so soft.’ She looked up out Keith. ‘So, can you change your appearance whenever you want?'
Keith change into his Galran form and her eyes widened.
‘Incredible,' she said. She stood and kissed Keith's cheek then returned to her seat with Molly.
Haru, who'd disappeared into the kitchen, came back with a bottle of beer for each of them. From there the dinner took a friendlier turn, and Lance started to relax. He felt warm inside from Keith calling him special.
When dinner finished, Keith and Lance helped clear the table, but Amaya wouldn't let then do the dishes.
‘I don't want you stuck in here,' she said, ‘your only here for a short time, and this can wait until tomorrow.'
They joined the others in the loungeroom. Jaya stood in the middle of the room, a stuffed toy in his hands. He seemed fascinated by it. When Jaya saw Keith he held up the toy to show him.
‘What have you got?' asked Keith. It was a black and white dog with floppy legs and ears. ‘It's a dog.’
‘Da,’ said Molly, holding out another toy and going over to him.
‘What do you have? A giraffe,’ Keith said.
‘Why do you have those?' Adam asked Amaya.
‘We bought them thinking May would have babies,’ said Amaya. ‘It doesn't seem to be working out for her. After seven years, it's not likely to either.’
Keith joined Lance on the lounge, and let the kids play.
‘May must be disappointed,' said Adam, ‘she always wanted kids.’
‘They could adopt,' Shiro said.
‘I suggested that,' said Haru, ‘but she was against the idea. She said if she couldn't have her own, she wasn't having someone elses.’
‘That doesn't sound like May,’ Adam said.
There was a knock at the door.
‘Mum, dad?'
‘In the loungeroom, May,' Haru called back.
Lance felt Keith tense at his side.
May came hurrying in. ‘Keith,’ she cried.
He stood and she launched herself into his arms.
‘It's so good to see you,’ she said, as she hugged him right.
‘What is that ugly thing?'
May and Keith broke apart in time to see, Andy poke, Jaya who tumbled backwards to the floor.
‘Why the fuck did you do that?’ Keith snapped. He pushed past May and Lance, who leapt to his feet, and hurried to Jaya.
The kit looked up at him, tears in his eyes and bottom lip quivering.
‘You're okay,' Keith said, picking him up and cuddling him.
Jaya snuggled into him and burrying his face against Keith's neck.
‘Molly,' Lance said. He held his hands out to her and she went to him, looking frightened of Andy.
Keith moved back to stand next to Lance. He stood so close he could feel him shaking. Lance frowned and looked at Andy and wondered what he and Keith had fought about. From what he could gather, Keith was 12 when May got married. For a kid to punch an adult hard enought to put them in hospital, it must have been something bad.
‘What is it?‘ asked Andy again.
‘He's a Galran kit we're looking after,’ Keith said.
‘God, is that what they look liked,’ said Andy, ‘they should all be drowned at birth.’
‘That's enough, Andy,’ Shiro said.
May's cheeks reddened. ' Um...you must be Lance,’ she said, 'it's nice to meet you.'
‘So, you're the fiance,’ said Andy, studying him. ‘What made you choose this loser?'
‘Are you drunk?' asked Haru.
‘Yeah, probably,’ said Andy, ‘we were at a work function. A celebration for my promotion.' Andy turned his gaze back to Keith. ‘You're certainly all grown up now.‘
'May, we told you not to bring Andy of he'd been drinking,’ Haru said.
‘I know, I told him to stay in the car,’ she said. ‘I was just going to run in and see Keith, then go again. Come on, Andy, let's get going.’
‘Nah,’ said Andy, flopping on one of the couches, 'let's stay and get to know this stringbean.’
Silence filled the room.
Embarassed Amaya said, ‘Keith, is Jaya okay?'
‘Just frightened,' said Keith, as he turned to Shiro. ‘We should go.'
‘So, Shiro,’ said Andy, ‘did you get any of the action with Keith while you were gone, or was that all the stringbean?’
‘Don't be disgusting,’ Shiro snapped.
May hurried to Andy and tried to pull him off the couch.
‘We should go,' she said, quickly. ‘Come on, before you say something you'll regret.’
‘Let's go,' Keith said. He hurriedly started to push Lance towards the door, and dragged Shiro behind him.
‘Aw, that's a shame,' said Andy, laughing. ‘I even broke him in for you.’
The only sound in the room was Andy laughing.
Lance spun to face Keith who closed his eyes, a tear ran down his cheek.
The silence was broke by Adam leaping over the coffee table between the couches and hitting Andy.
‘YOU BASTARD,’ Adam yelled, punching him again.
Shiro hurried and pulled Adam away. Looking over his shoulder he saw Lance drag Keith into the dinning room, and he pulled Adam in that direction too, and kicked the door closed behind him.
Shiro advanced on Keith who backed away.
‘Is this what the fight was about at May's wedding?’ demanded Shiro. 'Why the hell didn't you say something, all this time…’
Keith came up against the wall. ‘Shiro, stop,’ Lance said, pulling him back. Putting himself between them, Lance held Keith tight.
Keith looked up at Shiro. ‘I want to go home,' he said in a small voice.
Shiro's anger melted away and he hugged Keith. ‘Soon, okay. I just need you to give me a minute. I want you to stay here with Lance.’
Adam followed Shiro back to the loungeroom.
Shiro looked at May. ‘Did you know?'
‘Takashi…’ she began.
‘DID YOU KNOW?' yelled Shiro.
She began to cry. ‘Yes, I knew. I found Keith, half naked and bleeding on the floor in a bathroom that was closed for repairs at the venue where we had the reception.’
‘Who's idea was it to keep it a secret?' asked Haru.
May looked away. ‘Keith wanted to tell you, but I convinced him not too.’
‘Two days after your wedding,' said Adam, tears streaming down his face, 'Keith tried to jump off the roof of his school. You should have told us. It was our job to keep him safe and you made us betray that promise to a kid who was already hurting.’
‘He must have liked it,' said Andy, ‘because he came back for more.’
Shiro swung his right fist, and sent Andy crashing to the floor. ‘I don't want to see either of you again,’ he said.
‘Please, you don't mean that,’ May sobbed.
Adam and Shiro collected their things together and Keith and Lance met them at the front door and left.
Amaya and Haru ran down the street after them.
‘Takashi, Adam, please,' Amaya cried.
They stopped while Keith and Lance kept going.
‘You have to believe we didn't know,' Amaya said.
‘I know that,' said Shiro. ‘We'll keep in contact with you, but we won't come to the house, especially with Keith. I won't risk him being anywhere near Andy.’
They pushed past Shiro's parents and followed the boys.
The flight back to Lance's home was tense and quiet, with Keith refusing to say a word, or even look at them.
When they landed Keith ran out of Black, into the house, and straight upstairs with Lance following.
Maria and Jorge shot to their feet and frowned at the odd behaviour, and turned to Shiro and Adam when they came in.
‘What happened?' asked Maria. ‘Did he get into a fight with this...Andy again?'
Shiro ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes, spilling tears down his cheeks.
‘Come sit, both of you,' ordered Maria. ‘Tell us what happened.'
‘It wasn't just an arguement at May's wedding,’ said Shiro, ‘Andy raped Keith.’
Saying the words out loud, was like a slap in the face, and no-one know what to do.