Parallel Lines- *RAYOR*

Chapter 19

Mama won't fall asleep before I come home. She will drag herself to the finish line even if she's dying.

I know he's still alive, just like I knew Chenguang Chiang was dead.

"He's alive."

"He looks dead," says Kyle. It's funny, he talks at a whisper, barely loud enough to hear. It's sort of an endearing trait by now. His mum said that he would grow out of it when he was little, but he didn't.

"Poor thing," I say without much sympathy. "He's a reaper. Give him time."

"But that's the thing," says Kyle, worried. "Did you hear Blake?"

"It was hard not to." She had been screaming her head off. I know she's upset, but still. If someone went after Jade, and almost killed her, I wouldn't start screaming. I'd just kill them.

In the longest, most painful way possible.

"But how's he going to survive this?" Kyle presses.

"He's a half reaper," I point out.

"Huh?" Kyle says. "Oh," he breathes out as he realises. "You're so smart."

"I overheard Death saying that," I clarify.

The door creaks open and a girl comes in, her eyes widening when she sees us. She's breathtaking. Her eyes are the colour of blue orchids, and her skin's white as jade. But her hair's golden.

Wealth, I think. Riches. Prosperity. Mama has drilled this into my mind.

But I don't like her. She looks too nice. She looks too sweet. She looks kind. She would probably-

I look over at Kyle sharply. He looks embarrassed. The girl's perfect eyebrows are arching.

"Oh." She says, and walks over to Gabriel.

"Who are you?" I ask, trying not to be blunt.

"Arielle. I'm Blake's friend," she says. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm Kay," I say because I have a feeling that this girl isn't bright about things she doesn't care for. "I'm looking after Gabriel with my friend." I raise an eyebrow. Why are you here and can you please get out?

"One of the-" she waves her hand. "Er, slaves, sent me."

"They're servants," I say.

"Same difference."

"No," I say, but Kyle's giving me a look that tells me to knock it off, so I let it pass.

An uncomfortable silence ensues.

"What are we supposed to do for him?" asks Arielle. "Do we stay, or-"

"You stay and make sure no one touches him," I say, trying to make it sound like an important task.

"But-" Kyle said, looking confused.

"Kyle and I will go and help Blake with whatever she's doing," I say, and almost drag Kyle out the room.

"But we don't know where she is," Kyle protests.

I smirk. He's so wholesome. "We don't need to. We have the day off."

"But-"

"If anyone asks, Arielle came to take over. We looked for Blake and couldn't find her, so we decided to go home and hang out a bit."

Kyle hesitates. "But... I'd feel bad."

I smirk again, and tug him down the corridor. "I can help with that."

***

It was three o'clock in reaper time- midnight in Tokyo. The air was cool, but pleasant- warmer than it is in the Underworld. The air smelled of spring.

Kyle sneezed.

"My hayfever's getting bad," he said, embarrassed.

"I thought reapers never got sick," I teased.

"It's a family thing," Kyle says. "How's Jade?"

"She must be home by now. Mama's with her but she's sensible. She knows what to do if she's home alone." I wonder if Mama will be annoyed if I come home late. She has good days and bad days. "I'll need to go home," I say. I'm regretting the words even though I have to. Because Mama won't fall asleep before I come home. She will drag herself to the finish line even if she's dying.

"Okay," says Kyle mildly. I sometimes wish he'd care more. We stand up, and, in unison, teleport back to the Underworld. "See you."

"See you," I nod, and we both start walking in opposite directions to home.

I get there faster than usual. Mum's had a good day. I can tell because she's smiling, something that I didn't expect.

"What happened?"

"Jade's been helping with the reaping," she says. "Then I went out with Aster's mum- and one of her reaper friends. I think it was Mike."

"Who's Aster?" We generally refer to woman as so-and-so's mothers, but since reapers are mostly created the 'traditional' way, men remain single. And they aren't supposed to feel anything. Even though it's strictly allowed. For them to like girls.

"Oh- you know, the one with the differently-coloured eyes."

I recall the girl, Blakely, screaming. A boy stopping her from practically murdering Nicco and Levy. Oh- he was their brother. When the Daughter of Death and the twins are around, things tend to be forgotten. "But you haven't gone out in ages," I say, crossing my arms.

"I've been run down with work a lot these days. When I have had a chance to rest, I have," says Mama.

"So- so you only just got back?" I ask.

"Yes. How's Kyle?"

"No, don't. You can't go out with them," I say. "Well. Aster's mother you can, but not... Mike."

"You know I wouldn't do anything," says Mama, flushing.

I'm not just worried. Worried because the neighbours already talk about me, and Mama, and Jade, in a weird way because we're not fully reaper. But fierce. "It hasn't even been that long since he died," I say.

"Nothing's happening!" Mama's getting indignant. "Stop making things up, Chiang Kei! Ni bu zhi dao-"

"Of course I know! And it's fine, it's okay, but it's not fair." I don't know how I feel exactly. I'm hurt because Baba left us before he died. But I also feel a strange loyalty to him.

Mama purses her lips together, and I know I've ruined her mood. She's already getting older, getting wearier, and I've spoiled her first chance at happiness in years.

"Mama?"

Both of our heads whip around. Jade stands in the doorway. Her eyes are green. Her hair is dark, and her skin is the colour of moonlight.

"Yes?" says Mama, softer. We have an unspoken rule. No arguing in front of Jade.

"Why are you shouting?"

"We weren't," I say, because I was the only one properly shouting. "Come on, Jade. Let's go to bed."

I follow her up the staircase.

"Did you have an argument?" she asks quietly. She isn't dumb. She knows what happened.

"No," I say. "You helped me very narrowly avoid that."

"Did you hang out with Kyle?"

"Yes," I say, smiling.

"How is he?"

"Good," I say.

"I like Kyle." Jade looks at me expectantly. I feel something freeze over in my chest.

"Don't."

"Okay. Good night, Kei." She kisses me on the sleep and tiptoes off to bed.

She's only nine. She doesn't think it's wrong. She doesn't think it's weird. And neither had I, for a time.

But other people do. And in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter what you yourself think?