The Remainders

Chapter 8

Emoji Word Chart
🐜= A  🐝=B 🐱=C 🐶=D 🦅=E 🦋=F 🦟=G
🦀=H 🌴=I 🥀=J🍃=K 🐞=L 🌾-M 🐉=N
🌑=O 🍑=P ✨=Q💐=R ❄️=S🌵=T🐽=U
🐬=V🐋=W 🦖=X 💦=Y🦎=Z
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One Week Later...
"Luka," Liam spoke into his phone, "would you just think about coming tonight? Please?"
"Why?" Luka answered his brother, sourly.
"Well, maybe Nikala would at least be able to enjoy it. There is supposed to be food, and we both know how much you love food."
"....."
"Well, what do you say, Luka? Will you come?"Liam heard his brother sigh.
In all honesty, Liam would not have been surprised, if Luka hung up on him right then, and there. Everyone who knew Luka Westfield, knew that he disliked parties with a passion.
Suddenly, Luka spoke— "remind me again, Liam, who told you that you could call me?"
It was Liam's turn to sigh, as he thought of the right words to answer Luka's question.
"Luka, I'm your brother, and your only remaining family member... we are all we have..." Liam's voice was tainted with a sadness that made Luka's heart of ice, melt just a bit.
"Fine..." Luka sighed.
"Perfect!" Liam shouted, "I will have Alura put you and Nikala on the guest list."
"Whatever," Luka mumbled, "I seriously do not understand why that Johnny Depp wannabe, is throwing another rally!"
"Luka!" Liam started to chastise his brother, "first of all, Xander does not look like Johnny Depp..."
"Yeah, I know. That was why I said he was a wannabe," Luka interrupted.
"Second," Liam continued, "it is not a rally, it's just a party."
"Whatever," Luka mumbled, "all I know, is that the food had better be worth it."
Liam smiled to himself. If there was one thing that could draw Luka out of hiding, it was food.
"Alura said that she ordered from one of the best places around," Liam assured Luka.
"Fine," Luka sighed, once again, and hung up the phone. Why did he have to like food?
###############
"So, have you heard back from Luka, yet?" Connor asked a bored and sulky looking Désiré.
   "Nope," Désiré answered bluntly, "and I don't really care if I do, and it's not like I gave him my phone number, anyways."
   Connor raised an eyebrow, "I would have to disagree with you on that one, buddy," he said almost inaudibly, as he busied himself with cleaning some of the dishes that had piled up."
   "What did you say!?" Désiré demanded.
   "Oh, you know what I said, Des. I seriously think that you do want to hear from him," Connor said.
    "Why? Why would you even think that, Connor?" There was a noticeable strain in Désiré's voice now, and Connor almost felt sorry about pushing the issue.
"Look, Désiré," Connor began, "Maybe you just jumped to conclusions?"
"How so?" Désiré asked his friend.
"Well, if you were to ask me, I do not think that Luka Westfield has it in him... to be a real useless recruiter. I mean... he just seems... different, I suppose," Connor explained, as he shrugged.
"That is totally NOT likely," huffed Désiré, "Those guys are all the same, you cannot trust someone who goes against everything that you know and believe in!"
Connor rolled his eyes. "You know, that attitude is what nearly drove the human race to extinction, during the COVID-19 outbreak," Connor said, "people lacked trust of each other..." his voice trailed off, as he glanced at his friend.
    Désiré was toying with a piece of a napkin, that Connor noticed he had saved from Luka's table. In all, he looked depressed. If only there was a way... Wait a moment!! There was supposed to be some sort of party going on on the Useful side of the city, and Luka was bound to be there!
"BAKED GOODS!" Connor shouted in the middle of nowhere, causing Désiré to jump.
"What on earth are you talking about, Connor!?" Désiré yelled back, as he tried to regain his composure.
Connor blushed, as he tried to make sense of what he had just did, himself. "Uh... I... I just remembered that I have to deliver these baked goods to some party..." Connor hesitated, and batted his eyes at Désiré.
"What?" Désiré hissed, not liking where this was going.
"Yeah, I recently got recruited as a caterer to the Useful side of the city..."
"No," Désiré interrupted Connor... who ignored him.
"But I just remembered..."
"Oh no... nope..."
"I have to take lunch to my mom..."
"So what!?"
"I would be cutting time really close..."
"No, no, no!"
"I think that I'll have you..."
"N-O! No way! NO!"
"Deliver them to the place!" Here, take my car." Connor finished in one breath, not allowing Désiré to get another 'no' in edgewise.
    "Why-y-y-y!?" Désiré whined.
     It was not that Désiré did not like doing things and favors for Connor and his family. After all, Connor's family had practically raised him. The problem was, that sometimes, Connor could be the worst person ever! And this was one of those times.
"I could make another Blackberry Bonanza cake for you..." Connor said in a sing-song voice.
Désiré thought about this for a moment... was going to the useful side of the city really worth Connor's cake? Hmm. Yes, yes it was!
"Fine," Désiré said, as he rolled his eyes, "don't tell me that I never do anything for you."
"Love you, brother," Connor said, a smug smile on his face.
After Désiré left, Connor waisted no time in contacting the hostess that would be receiving the baked goods for the party...
"Hello, this is Alura speaking."
Connor smiled to himself. He knew that Alura was the president's secretary, as well as the receptionist at the restaurant that the party was going to be taking place at. Although he had never seen Alura, he had called, and she had answered on several occasions... and he knew that he was in love.
"Hi," Connor answered, "My name is Connor Rameriez. I'm the caterer for the party that your establishment will be hosting, later this evening."
"Oh! Of course! How are you, Mr. Rameriez!?"
Connor felt himself blush, and was glad that Alura was not right there, to notice. "Uh. You know, uh... Connor... you can call me..." Connor stammered over his words, as he tried to tell the woman on the other line, that she could skip the formalities, and just call him by his first name.
"I'm sorry?" Alura's confused voice came through the phone.
"Uh! I mean! I'm having a friend fill in for me, his name is Désiré Levine, and he should be there soon... um... BYE!" Connor threw the phone down.
"You are SUCH an IDIOT , Connor Rameriez!" Connor shouted to no one in particular.
          ##################
    Alura sighed, as she hung up her phone. Just as Connor had never met Alura, Alura had never met Connor. But something just clicked between them. Was it Love? Alura shuddered at the thought. If Xander were to ever find out that she did not love him, in any way, there would be more than 🦀🦅🐞🐞 to pay.
When Alura looked up from her phone, she was glad to see two familiar faces, that she had not seen for the longest time— "well, well," she smiled, and stood up to greet the newcomers, "if it isn't Nikala and Luka,"
"Hey, Alura," Luka gave Alura a polite nod, as Nikala brushed past, and gave Alura a giant hug.
"Well, the party should be starting soon," Alura said, as she and Nikala broke off their hug, "why don't you find yourselves a seat in the convention hall, and we can catch up."
"Of course," Nikala gushed, "lead the way."
The two women linked arms, and started to head towards the convention hall, leaving a rather disappointed looking Luka.
"I heard that there was food..." Luka helplessly called after Alura... who really wasn't listening.
"HERE!" A muffled shout came from behind a tower of bakery boxes, "sorry I'm late. I had the hardest time, just finding this... WHOA, WHOA!"
Luka looked towards the voice, just in time to see the tower beginning to topple over. "WHOA! Here, let me help you with those..." Luka said with a small laugh, as he gathered some of the boxes.
"Haha. Thank you... YOU!?"
Luka winced. That voice was unmistakable. He peeked out from his stack of boxes.
"Désiré?" He asked.
Sure enough, there he was... Désiré.
"What are you doing here?" Désiré snapped, as he reached to take back the pastry boxes.
"I was invited!" Luka hissed, as he kept his grip on the box, "what's your excuse?"
"Well, duh," Désiré rolled his eyes, and fought for the box, "I am delivering the food..." Luka just shrugged.
   "You're late," Luka challenged.
   "I already know that!" Désiré snapped, as he surrendered the box to Luka's strong grip. Then his voice darkened— "and I also know that I am going to have to kill my best friend, when I get home."
   "What!" Luka asked, with genuine surprise, "are you talking about Connor?"
    Désiré blushed, "y-y-yeah. Um... i-i-it's n-n-n-nothing..." he stammered, suddenly realizing that he had almost given away his secret.
    "Come on," Luka suddenly declared, "I can help you bring these boxes in, okay? Honest."
    Désiré sighed in defeat. "I guess you are not going to leave me alone until you do?" He asked Luka.
    "Not a chance," Luka said.
    "Well, I guess I have no choice... lead the way, Mr. Westfield." Désiré motioned for Luka to lead him to the convention hall.
    Once the two men arrived at the huge double door entrance, Désiré could not hide an astonished gasp. "This place really is huge!" He declared.
     "Wait," Luka said, glancing over at Désiré, "are you saying that you have never seen the convention center!?"
      "You could say that," Désiré said with a shrug.
      Before Luka knew what he was doing, he said something that shocked him, as well as Désiré— "I could give you a tour!"
     "A tour?" Désiré asked with skepticism.
     "I-I have no idea what I just said!" Luka said, as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
     "No worries," Désiré shrugged, "I'm taking it, that you are not really a fan of parties?"
    "Hehe. Um... you could say that," Luka said, echoing Désiré answer from earlier.
     "Well, I don't know..." Désiré hesitated, as he thought about Luka's offer. However, before he could get any further...
    "THERE YOU ARE!" The impatient voice of Liam, suddenly interrupted Désiré's thoughts.
    "Oh. Hey Liam," Luka acknowledged his brother with a sharp nod.
    "The party is about to start," Liam began to chastise Luka, "why are you even out here?"
     That was when Liam noticed Désiré— "you, you're late, you are aware of this, correct?"
     "Oh. Yes, sir. You see, Connor..."Désiré began to explain why Connor had not been the one to drop off the food, when Liam cut him off...
     "Well, you can tell Mr. Ramirez, that he needs to perform his own duties, in order for him to gain his Usefulness points..."
     Luka's heart dropped. "Wait... Liam... are you saying that Connor is a..."
    "A useless?" Liam finished Luka's sentence, "yes, that is exactly what I mean." Then glancing over towards Désiré, he said this— "and if you had even tried to look at those documents that I gave to you last week, you would know who else is on that list..."
     Désiré felt his blood turning to ice, and his heart jump to his ears. He slowly began to back away from the quarreling brothers.
     "Wha... Désiré?" Luka turned to Désiré, looking for a statement of defense, telling Liam that he was mistaken. But the look of panic on Désiré's face, was all the confirmation that was needed.
     "Désiré..." Luka slowly reached out his hand, trying to keep the panicking Désiré from running. But that seemed to make things worse. "Désiré, I'm sure there's an explanation..." Luka made one last attempt to keep his friend there.
     "I-I-I'm s-s-s-so-sorry..." Désiré stammered. And then he ran.
     "No!" Luka started to chase after Désiré, but Liam held him back.
     "Just let him go, Luka," Liam said, "I have a feeling that you'll be seeing him soon."
     "But... what happened?" Luka asked his brother.
     Liam just shrugged, and said— "maybe Désiré just loves the wrong people, Luka."