The True Lives Of The Fabulous Kill Joys

Chapter 22- Holler-point Smile

Em comes up to me after the small meeting, sitting down next to me on the sofa.

"Why do you suddenly smell so good?" She asks, voice hushed.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You could see how everyone was acting, you suddenly smell like beauty and flowers."

I shrug, looking at my hands.

"What did you find by the road?"

She is starting to bug me now. I shrug again, wincing at my shoulder.

"Was it what made you smell good?"

I look up straight into her eyes, she looks eager and excited. I bite on my cheek for a moment.

"Come with me." I sigh.

She grins and follows me to where I have hidden the perfume. I pull it out and hold it out in my palm. She gasps, picking it up between two fingers.

"What is it?" She whispers.

"Perfume. They used to use it to smell good." I say.

She grins, looking through it, her face distorted through the other side.

"Can we hide it now? Its a secret."

"A secret? Okay. Sure. Hide it and it will be our secret."

I smile at her and she brushes a lock behind her ear.

"I really like you. We could be friends."

I smile back, I agree.

***

"Ill stay back with her, Im tired anyway." Gee says with a yawn. "Anyway, Em is a good fighter and can probably replace the both of us."

"But youre party poison from the fabulous four?" Em asks.

"Just go today, Ill stay back."

Em smiles apologetically before following the rest of them out the door. Gee and I wave them off.

"Later!" Ef says.

MK shares a look with Gee.

"Why do you guys keep doing that?" I ask Gee as soon as the door is closed.

"What?" He answers nervously.

"You keep on sharing looks with MK." I cross my arms over my chest.

"We are brothers and talk about everything..." He takes a breath, working out an explanation.

I look up into his eyes and wait. His eyes dart around and his lips are planted in a firm line.

"You smell really nice?" He says.

I dont know whether thats part of it but I take the excuse with a smile.

"Nobody smells nice anymore and its nice to have someone that smells so good." He wrings his hands out.

I try not to blush, "Thanks, I guess."

He looks up into my eyes again with a smile.

"Lets go and sit on the roof." I say to break the silence.

He smiles sweetly and I squint, reading into it. I dismiss it, running outside and climbing the ladder. I let out a small sound every time my shoulder hurts.

We sit ourselves on the roof, on the pillows, in the shade.

"How is life as a BL victim. How did you live?" He asks me.

"You see... I got taken away from my parents when I was eight and put in my own block to care for myself. It had a bed and a kitchen and was decent. I took the pill for a while too, until I realised what it did, then I stopped. School was boring, I was chosen for training as a drac because of talents and what ever. Horribly boring... Blah blah blah." I sigh. "Nobody showed any emotion, affection, no colour, beauty..."

"There obviously was some beauty." He scoffs.

I raise an eyebrow at hum. "There really wasnt! It wasnt even sad, just nothing. My friend Ace loved it, she really belonged there, pretty blonde and probably on the drug too. I left her the note saying Im alive. she may even turn it in."

Realisation falls over me and I pull my body into me, my head in my hands.

"They are going to have my finger print and my DNA." I whisper.

I whimper quietly, trying not to cry. Im as good as dead right now.

"No, no, it will be okay." Gee says, placing his hand on my shoulder, making me flinch. He moves his hand so its not on my injury. "They already have it anyway..."

I let out a long, sad breath.

"Ill save you." He offers. "I mean, I always will."

"You are THE Killjoy, if you cant save me I dont know who could." I say quietly.

I wipe my eyes, I didnt cry. Im strong. I turn to look at him.

"You better be there when Im caught." I say.

He smirks and nods.

"To be honest there was no gut wrenchingly emotional story. Just what everyone else is going through. Im not that special." I take breath, clutching onto my knees. "Why me. Why me?"

"Why we chose you?" Gee asks softly.

"Yeah. Why me and not the other, better people."

"You were the only one that reacted different to the others. The cool badass girl that had her own thoughts and actions. Crazy hair and beautiful eyes-"

He pauses and our eyes lock. He seems on the verge of something. He coughs, breaking the look.

"And anyway, you were the only one to notice the red lock of hair... You chose yourself."

I nod, surveying the sand. Even if our eyes only locked for a moment I confess that I enjoyed it.

"Whats your sob story then?" I ask.

***

I wipe a tear from my eyes.

"I dont tell people that often, or ever... Please, dont talk about it." Gee says quietly.

I dont know what to do, what do people do when they console people? A hug. Thats it.

"Agreed?"

I lean over and wrap my arms around him, like Ive seen others do before. He turns so we are front on and he hugs me back. I hug him for a while, partly because I dont know when to stop, partly because I like hugging him.

"Im sorry." I whisper.

"Its over now, this is the future. And as they say, the future is bulletproof." Gee says.