Kiss or Kill

Part 05

Rich's POV

The dawn breaks with a chorus of birds heralding the start to a new day. For a moment I forget what happened last night, and my soul soars with joy. Then I see Olli sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, an already half-empty bottle of alcohol in his hand. Maybe this day won't be so perfect after all.

I sit up. "Do you want to talk now or shall I have a shower first?" No answer, so I get a change of clothes for the day and have a long hot shower to soothe away the pain in my muscles from yesterday.

When I'm freshly washed and clothed, I return to Olli and sit at his feet, waiting for him to make the demands he promised to make last night. He just stares at an imaginary point in the distance and sips away at what remains of the alcohol. He eventually looks at me and talks.

"I need revenge for what he did to me. Thats all I wanted. The only reason I had to involve you was the fact that you saw me at the door." So if I hadn't damn well looked up, he would have left me alone. I can't get torn up over that- what happened happened, and can't be changed. " I want to hurt him the way he hurt me. I want to destroy him, and for that, I now want your help. You're going to use your position in that little trio to break up Paul and Schneider- shouldn't be difficult, since it's you he loves. Then abandon him."

I put my head in my hands and try to think this over. Could I do this? Could I hurt someone so much as to destroy them when they've been my best friend for years? I sigh and get up to leave. "I'll have to think about it, Olli. I can't make a decision on this right away."

As I open the door, he calls me back. "Hey, I haven't finished yet." I sit on the edge of the bed. "I said yesterday, if I didn't get a little payment, I would release the film. Let me give a few more details on that. If you don't help me, I will give a special copy to Paul- with an explanation from me about how you were going to use it to blackmail him and Schneider. Even with Pauls forgiving little nature, I think he'll never forgive you for that. And then you'll never have your chance with him. And the rest of the band will be horrified as well, when I tell them. You'll lose everyone. All because you didn't want to help me out." He walks over to where I am, helps me up and opens the door for me, an oddly polite action for someone who's fucking blackmailing me. "But do think about it, won't you?

****

The day feels as if its dragging on. The show goes great, we get rid of all the hangers-on and retreat to one of our hotel rooms. Get drunk, talk shit, listen to music. It's all the same. Paul and Schneider look at me occasionally, signalling with looks that they would like to retreat with each other and me back to their room and have a repeat performance of the other night. I try not to pay attention- I'm too busy trying to figure out in my head whether I can really go along with Olli's plan. Surely there must be a way of getting rid of the film?

When everybody's left and Flake and I are the only people here, we talk for a little bit longer. When the conversation eventually grinds to a halt, I decide that maybe I could go and talk to Schneider and Paul about the film. Maybe they'll help me with Olli? I go quietly over to their room. I hear noises coming from in there. I put my ear to the door. I hear grunts and moans- it's obvious what they are doing. As I listen, my fists clench. I want to burst in there and pull Christoph off of Paul. After that one night with all three of us, after having a little glimpse at what could be mine, after knowing that Christoph doesn't even want to be with him, I can't accept them being together.

The door next to theirs, a little way down the hall, opens. Olli drifts out and over to me. He's got a blank look on his face, and I can tell he's probably had to put up with listening to them since they started. In this moment, I can sort of understand how he feels.

Ive made up my mind.

"Fine, Olli. I'll do what you want."