We Are Similarly Different

Je'Kai Arden

When Je'Kai reached home after leaving the school, he noticed the moving truck in the driveway next door. The Preston household had been vacant since Azariah's parents had passed and she'd moved to the U.K. Je'Kai scoffed at the thought and strolled into his house. His mother sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee while she spoke to a feminine figure whose back was facing his.
He effortlessly dropped his bag at the door and walked towards them. "I'm home." He said nonchalantly as he cranned his neck to see if he could recognise who sat across from his mother at the table. "Oh great, you're home. Honey look who the cat dragged in." His mother continued to speak excitedly as Azariah turned to face him. She looked hurt and he couldn't think of anybody else who may have caused her pain but himself. "Hello Je'Kai." She greeted making it all the more difficult for him to nod and walk off.
A few hours had passed since Je'Kai had fallen asleep. His insistently ringing phone had woken him up. He answered and Vincenzo couldn't even wait for him to greet. "There's a drop off tonight, you interested?" Je'Kai liked that Vincenzo only called when he meant business. "It's been a while, Henri needs new minions?"Je'Kai asked jokingly, Vincenzo chuckled. "I'm guessing that's a yes?" Je'Kai agreed and asked Vincenzo for the details. Je'Kai strapped up and dressed well enough to hide it from his parents. "Don't wait up!" He called as he dashed down the stairs and out of the door, he jumped onto his bike and sped off. The late afternoon summer sun smacking his back.
His mind was on Azariah and he needed a distraction.
Je'Kai met Vincenzo at the end of the Boulevard just after Rocco's bar, an hour away from his street. "What's the sitch?" "Well, aren't you willing to play Kim Possible?" Vincenzo joked. "We're expected to sell the entire product at Henri's event tonight. He said because of the entry fee, we don't have to give him any cut of the money we make." Je'Kai nodded in understanding. "So where's my cut of the product?" Je'Kai asked with his hand outstretched. Vincenzo rubbed the back of his neck. "Henri wouldn't give it to me, looks like the old man has some heavy trust issues."
Je'Kai walked ahead of Vincenzo as they made their way into the arena. As they walked, Je'Kai admired his surroundings. He wanted nothing more than to be a fighter. Henri and his minions Reagan and Fiscal knew that he had potential yet they still refused to give him a fight without him doing these little jobs first. Je'Kai didn't mind, he hasn't exactly come up with a name to hide his identity, that was until just moments ago. He wasn't listening to Vincenzo as he rambled on about incoherent things. "Why can't we watch the fight?" Je'Kai rolled his eyes. "It's not a drop until we get the product out of the building, to its destination Vince."
When they reached the office doors, two guards who looked not so familiar to Je'Kai accompanied the entrance. "What's up dudes?" Vincenzo raised his hands up for a high five. When none of the guys reacted he slowly dropped his hands and spoke again. "Let's try this again. Could you let us into Beret's office?" Je'Kai sighed at Vincenzo's weak attempts. "Look, we're one of you guys. Henri called us over an hour ago, he said we should collect and get rid of some product for him." Je'Kai explained. The guard on the right spoke into the mouthpiece attached to his wrist, repeating what Je'Kai said to him.
They stepped aside and pushed the doors open. Je'Kai walked in first. "Ah welcome Arden, Tesco." Henri acknowledged them with his arms open, a cigar in the one hand and bourbon in the other. Vincenzo raised his hand interrupting Henri. "First of all. You need to teach Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb out there some manners." He said pointing at the door.
Henri only smiled. "I take it you accepted tonights job?" Je'Kai nodded. "Yes, but I need a favour from you too." Reagan and Fiscal stepped forward with backpacks. "Speak boy, the first event is about to start." "After tonight's job, I want to fight." Vincenzo squeezed Je'Kai's shoulder. "Arden are you-." "I've got a name too, and you." He pointed at Fiscal. "Said that if I came up with a name by my second job I could fight." Fiscal nodded. "Let's hear what you've got kid." Vincenzo tensed as Je'Kai gritted the name through his teeth.
The three older men laughed. "Alright Jack Frost." Je'Kai went at Fiscal, Vincenzo couldn't hold him back. His left hand wrapped around Fiscal's jugular. "Don't ever let the announcer call me out." Fiscal nodded. He swung a right hook into Fiscal's stomach and slammed his head into the edge of Henri's table. He picked up the backpacks. "Most of the customers are at the arena tonight, sell here." Je'Kai, still upset only nodded and walked out. Vincenzo not far behind.
"Jesus Je'Kai are you crazy?" Vincenzo yelled as they reached the stands. When Je'Kai didn't respond, Vincenzo spoke again. "I mean I'm not against you fighting but I know, first hand experience you'd kill whoever called you out by that name. You don't know how to tame that anger." Je'Kai sighed. "Look I need the distraction okay? Now let's split up so this can sell faster." Je'Kai moved the backpack to his front and walked away from Vincenzo.
Hours had passed and Je'Kai wasn't even halfway through the product. Five fights had come and gone and it was already late at night. He'd met up with Vincenzo after every fight to compare sales, his progress wasn't any better. Je'Kai decided to take post at the concession stands. The sales he was making improved. Before he knew it, it was two o'clock Tuesday morning and the last fight only started. Je'Kai sold all the product by the last round. He raced home before exhaustion took over. He walked around the house a few times before remembering that he'd left the window open.
He climbed the vines beneath the window and stepped in silently. He turned to close the window and saw Azariah sleeping on the window pane, an open book across her chest. He felt a pang in his chest but remembered that him staying away from her was to keep her safe. He turned away from the window and climbed into bed after removing his clothes.
He fell asleep with his back to the window.