Bloody Blue Lips

Ch 7: Birthday Boy

The Past: 

     English class was always a bore. Especially when Kubera had it first period. He always hated English but at least today they were watching a movie. To be specific, they were watching Frankenstein from 1931. Fitting seeing as Kubera felt like a monster. He desperately wanted to make up with Freya. He felt dumb for just standing and watching Freya walk away. He knew what he had to do but had no idea how it would be received. 

     Kubera wrote a note that said "Talk after class?" and then two check boxes: yes or no. Freya sat a few desks over from him so after the movie started, he sent the note down to her. He poked the girl next to him.

     "To Freya." He whispers and she passes it down. 

     He can't help but glance continuously at Freya. She was beautiful with her bright blond hair and green eyes. He admittedly had never properly dated someone. Flings. He'd had a lot of flings but never relationships. At least he was trying. That's what he told himself. 

     Finally, the note had traveled across the ocean of hands and made it to Freya. Kubera realized how sweaty his hands were. Stupid nerves. Freya reached up and put some of her hair behind her ear. Then she carefully unfolded the piece of paper. Her eyes darting from one side of the page to the other and then up at Kubera. She nodded and checked off one of the boxes, sending it back. When Kubera got it, the yes box had been checked off. It was as though a weight had been lifted off of Kubera's shoulders. 

     Finally, the class ended after an agonizing hour of waiting. Since he was closer to the door, Kubera was out first. He waited right by some rusty blue lockers. Freya walked out, standing in front of him quietly. Kubera smiled. 

    "What did you want to talk about?" Freya asks.

     "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you last night."

     "I know you didn't." She pauses and looks at the floor. "I'm sorry for letting my anger get the best of me."

     "Wanting to protect your brother isn't a crime."

     "No, it's a chore." Freya laughs and so does Kubera. 

     "So do I get a second chance or is it a third?" Kubera says smiling.

      "I don't even know any longer," she smiles, "What's one more?"

     Kubera smiles. "Tonight then?"

     "Yeah, tonight." Freya blushes. 

      Ring! Ring! Ring! The bell has impeccable timing.

     "Well, I'm off."

     "Bye." Kubera is practically glowing as he walks off. 

                                                                        ... 

     After Chemistry, Kubera strolls out to lunch. Hectic as it was, Kubera finds Freya's brother in desperate need of asking him something. Kubera stands over the table slightly shaking with bags under his eyes from a long night. 

     "Hey man, what's up?" Mercury was sitting comfortably in the company of his many friends. Freya's brother was turning sixteen and therefore was in a very good mood. He smiles at Kubera although on any other day he would've been irritated. 

      "Nothing really just wanted to say happy birthday." Kubera didn't know Mercury personally but he had found out which lunch table he sat at and that it was his birthday from Chemistry class.

      "Thanks but I doubt that's all you want."
Kubera pushes one of Mercury's friends aside to sit at the lunch table. 

      "I haven't seen Selene all day and she isn't answering her phone." He looks around for teachers and whispers, "I seriously need a hit." 

     Kubera hadn't taken anything last night because Freya was there and she was upset about his drug dealing. He cared enough to not take anything and drive sober for once but it had all come back to haunt him. Now, he was going crazy and it was sudden too. He had started to shake in Chemistry. It was a small school with only one major source of drugs and alcohol. That was Selene, so when she was gone Kubera had to improvise. 

     "I wish I could help you," Mercury says unapologetically. 

     "Come on, birthday boy must have something on him." 

     "It's less that and more about you making moves on my girl," Mercury said angrily, a trait that seemed to run in the family. Strange that Selene had said Mercury was okay with being polyamorous when he didn't seem to like it at all. Freya had been right to hate her and Kubera was happy to have chosen the right side. 

     "I don't like Selene in that way. I never have. She's like a little sister."

     "Well, it seems to me like you hang out with Selene more than my sister." 

     What an awkward love square that would be if Kubera really did like Selene, but he didn't. Kubera had a debt to pay which seemed to stay constant with his addiction to drugs. No matter how many deliveries he made he was stuck in an unforgiving circle. One that apparently affected his love life too. 

      "That's what Selene tells me and I trust her," Mercury adds.

      "You trust that? You must suspect at least that she's cheating on you." 

     There's a long pause between the two men. The whole lunch table goes quiet as everyone knows Selene is a cheater. She wraps people up in lies, telling them their the one she truly trusts and loves. It's vicious. Lucky for Kubera, he never fell into that. 

      "Nothing I have is for sale. Look, Selene is probably just home embarrassed by what happened last night." Oh yeah, everyone at school had been talking about how Freya punched Selene. Obviously, Selene wouldn't come to school. "I'd be careful though, she doesn't like being seen when she's ugly." 

     Kubera had definitely hit a nerve seeing as Mercury just called his girlfriend ugly. He probably had conflicted feelings like everyone did when it came to Selene. 

    "Thank you" Kubera replies, "Please don't tell your sister."