A Shadow of the Past Part Ten

Disclaimers: This is fiction, never happened, not true.


The Story:

Davey excused himself from the group session and made his way down the hall. They had just spent the last six hours rehearsing for their upcoming concert next week. Their record label set it up, adding AFI to the list of other new and potential bands from around the Northern California area.

Hunter and Jade were getting coaching tips from musicians on the label�s payroll, helping them sound clearer and avoid missed beats. Adam was on top of his game, as always and was working on getting his equipment set up to his comforts.

Davey. . . well, Davey was just fine. His voice started out a little warble at first, but Karen, a trained vocalist coach, gave him a few warm-up tips that seemed to work. The only thing now was that because of their hour long exertions, Davey�s make-up was beginning to run along with the sweat.

He wiped the side of his face with the Kleenex and saw more of his foundation had come off. Well, he�ll just have to fix that. He made his way to the end of the hall and came to the restrooms. As he passed by the door with the blue circle marked with the little woman symbol, a memory shot through Davey�s mind. A memory he�d rather not think about.

He hurried on to the men�s room, jaw set tight. Two of the three lights were broken, he saw, making the room seem gloomy and ill-kept. He made his way over to the sinks. There were three; one apparently out of order since it was missing not only handles, but also the faucet. The middle one looked fine, but the last one was the one underneath the most light, so Davey went to this one. He set his shoulder bag on the counter just under the dirty, cracked mirror and began rummaging through for the things he needed.

A sound behind him made him pause. He glanced up at the mirror and saw the door to the stall directly behind him was closed. Oh, so someone was here? Okay. Then he�d better hurry and not bother them.

He turned on the water to the sink and felt the water with his finger tips, waiting for the temperature to change. Once again, the memories that were trying to push their way through nearly overcame him. This time, they succeeded. His eyes glazed over and his breath came slow. Under a minute, Davey was lost to the past.

*****************

It was years earlier. So many years he didn�t know exactly when. He was in the restroom, Little Davey. He stood on a small, wooden stool, scratched and worn but still sturdy enough to hold his minuscule weight.

He stood on this and leaned over the sink to peer into the mirror. Oh! How gorgeous he was! Look, the lipstick wasn�t straight, and he might have mixed up the blush and the eye shadow, but the eyeliner was almost straight! He was so. . . pretty! Make-up was fun, yes. It could make even Davey look pretty.

For days he�d watch his mother make-up her face, making sure not to disturb her so she wouldn�t make a mistake. He was sure he knew the secret to blush strokes, and the lipstick thing was easy if you didn�t smudge it the wrong way. But his best efforts of concentration was on the eyeliner. He figured that was the most difficult part of getting pretty was. His mother was such an expert at it.

He would watch her pull the corner of her eye taut, then give one stroke of the eyeliner stick to the upper lid, release the skin, then run a line underneath the eye for the bottom lashes. Easy as cake. She would do the same for the second eye and rub some eyeshadow with the tip of a finger. A few more minutes to fix her hair, and she was heading out the door.

Davey never asked where she left to, he always figured she had a job to go to somewhere. Sometimes his father would bring her home when he got off of work, her make-up smeared and hair messed, her clothes in disarray. He would curse her and they�d get into another yelling match. Other times, Davey�s mother would simply find her own way back home. Sometimes she would come back with a present for him. A new hair ribbon with a few dark hairs still stuck in the clasp. Or a pretty, brand-new dress still in its plastic manufacturers cover. Sometimes, she even brought him secret gifts, ones his father didn�t know about.

These were things like tiny bottles of perfume, containers of fruit-flavored lip gloss and pretty pieces of jewelry. Years later, Davey had managed to keep a few bracelets and necklaces and had them appraised. They were real. This only added to the confusion of where his mother went and what it was she actually DID out there in the world.

But now, little Davey is not concerned with that. Right now, he is still examining his face. He smiles softly. Yes, very pretty. His hair is darkening but that just makes his face that much more noticeable. Maybe he can convince his mother for a hair cut? Or at least to braid it back again. It was such a hassle to keep it out of his face. Adam didn�t mind it, but it was�

Davey gave a small gasp. The front door! Was that his dad? What time was it? He peeked out the bathroom door and heard the unmistakable pounding of his fathers work boots. Shit! That was his dad!

He pulled back into the restroom and locked the door. He turned on the water and hurriedly grabbed the soap. He felt the water under his fingers was still cold. His father�s footsteps were now coming closer. �David!� came the commanding order, �David! Where the fuck are you? Get out here, you little shit head! God dammit, you in there?� three quick raps on the bathroom door.

Davey flinched three times and looked over his shoulder at the door in fright. Why wasn�t the water getting warm? Why was it still cold? Desperately, Davey tried to ignore the temperature and splashed his face with cold water. It froze his skin and sent shivers along his nerves. His father pounded on the door again.

�Answer me, you little fucker!� Frank growled angrily. �What the hell are you doing? I can hear the water. What the fuck are you up to?�

Little Davey began to fill with dread as he heard his father reaching up to get the spare key from the top of the threshold. And now, the sound of the key sliding into the lock on the door knob. Davey whimpered and splashed more water on his face, hurriedly lathering up his hands. He rubbed the freezing cold bubbles on his face just as the door opened.

�God dammit,� Frank began, then saw Davey bent over the sink, washing his face. He grunted and was about to walk back out, finding nothing wrong, when Davey�s elbow accidentally knocked over the still open mascara bottle. The long brush fell out, leaving small lines of back smeared along the counter. Frank narrowed his eyes and looked at the other things on the counter.

Angrily, he stepped over and pulled David up. Most of the make-up had come off, but the eyeliner and the mascara seemed tougher. They stayed, but also smeared, giving Davey a ghostly, hollowed look. The water and soap slipped down his face trailing all the way down to his neck and shirt. As Frank stared at the mess still on his face, Davey felt a drop of soap fall into his eye and sting smartly.

�You. . .� Frank breathed heavily, �you fucking. . . wearing make-up?? Making yourself all slutty like that whore of a mom of yours?? Huh? Think you�re a goddam GIRL??� his grip on Davey�s shoulders tightened, making Davey wince and instinctively pull back.

�Where you going, huh, you fucking little shit! Where you think you�re going?� Frank pulled him back. When Davey came reluctantly, Frank dealt him a dazing blow across the face. �You fucking little creep. You wanna dress like a girl? You wanna fucking wear make-up? Well then, maybe you�d just better BE a fucking girl from now on! Huh, you wanna be a GIRL, Davey? That it? You wanna be a fuckin� sissy? Then maybe I�d better show you how it is! Show you how to be a fucking girl!� He then began dragging Davey out of the bathroom, just the beginning of one of the most horrible days Davey ever remembered.

*************************

Davey was brought sharply out of his memories by the now scorching temperature of the water. He yanked his hurt fingers out of the water and quickly added cold water to balance it out. His expression was hard and his hands shook slightly.

Damn Frank, he thought, damn him and the evil that he was.

Davey pushed aside all and any thoughts and went about cleaning off his face. While he was busy scrubbing his skin with a wet paper towel, behind him, the stall door opened silently and out walked a man. He was handsome, extremely attractive and had an air of femininity about him. He adjusted his shirt slightly and glanced up at Davey briefly before walking out, unnoticed.

By the time Davey straightened and noticed the door behind him was open, Brian had already straightened his own clothing and was now lighting a cigarette as he leaned against the doorway. Today he wore a cute tee with the words �Fuck Bunny� scrawled across in bubbled pink letters. His pants were jeans and hung low on his hips. His eyes were still piercing green as they looked up at Davey with unmasked attraction.

As Davey was still puzzling over exactly why this woman was in a men�s room, he saw Brian�s eyes flick over to the door. He looked also and saw the door slowly come to a swinging stop. Someone else was in here? And they just left? Wait. . . Davey looked back at the �woman�, eyes going wide, faint smile etching his lips.

Brian saw this and chuckled. His voice sounded musky to Davey, who assumed �she� was still deep in the sex sensations. �Fancy meeting you here.� Brian said, voice low. He took another drag from his cigarette.

�Uhm, yeah.� Davey laughed. He folded the towel to find a clean spot and set to work around the dark circles the make-up left around his eyes. �Didn�t think I�d see the pretty woman from the day before again, especially in a men�s room.�

Brian froze, then smiled widely. Oh, he LOVED this game! Always funny to shock unsuspecting dimwits. But it DID surprise him slightly. He always figured transsexuals could spot each other out in a crowd. Maybe this one was just a bit. . . naive. Yes, that was it. This one was naive. Had to be. Just look at that expression, the easy smile. Yeah, this one was innocent. Brian smiled and stepped closer, leaning against the sink to peer sideways at Davey.

�Didn�t quite get your name, handsome.� He said, forcing his voice to continue in a feminine tone.

Davey smiled and blushed slightly. �Er, uh, Davey. Davey Havok.� he held out his hand as if to shake Brian�s.

Brian saw this and chuckled. He didn�t take it. Instead, he took another drag off his cigarette, eyes twinkling merrily at Davey. �First rule, Daveykins,� he said, �when you see two people walking out of a men�s restroom stall, never, EVER, offer to shake their hand. Either of them. You never know what they did behind that door.�

Brian watched Davey�s eyes go wide before he pulled his hand back. �I. . . er. . . uh, okay.� Davey fumbled, then turned back to his make-up.

Brian�s smile widened and he laughed again, catching Davey�s attention. Davey smiled faintly. �What�s your name?� he asked. �I�ve seen you around these last couple of days, but you were too far away for me to talk to. You got a band or do you work with the label?�

Brian�s laughter calmed but didn�t leave his expression. He smiled at Davey and brushed the hair out of his face. �Yeah, I�ve got a band. Lead singer, just like you. Placebo. My name. . .� he reached over and began curling a lock of Davey�s loose hair between his fingers, �I�ll let you guess on that one.�

Davey picked up the stick of eyeliner, glancing up at the other briefly. �A guessing game? Okay! I like games. Uhm. . . Nicole?� Brian shook his head, eyes glued to Davey�s hair. �Anne?� head shake. �Marie? Uhm, Elizabeth? Ooh, that�s a nice name for you. Elizabeth.�

Brian grunted. �Well, you obviously have not heard of me OR my band. Bummer. I was hoping you�d figure it out soon enough. Elizabeth? What kind of crock is that?�

Davey fumbled with the stick, nearly dropping it into the sink. �Oh, well, I�m s-sorry. Just thought. . . uhm, sorry. No, I haven�t heard your band play. I�m really into heavy, hardcore music. Are you guys hardcore or rock?�

Brian let his fingers move away from the hair and pretend to help straighten Davey�s shirt. �Well, you could say that. Somewhat. We�re hard. . . and core. Yes. We�re rock, but more mainstream than anything else. Some papers call us glam rock. You do not know how much I detest that label now. Next paper that reviews us as Glam Rockers, I�ll personally cut off their bollocks and shove them down their throats. Bunch of fucking dumbasses, really. They don�t know good music if it slapped them on the face and pissed on them.�

Davey swallowed, getting nervous but still admiring the abrupt daringness of this woman to speak her mind. It was a minute before he realized her hands were now running across his chest, pausing at his. . .

Davey pulled back slightly as he felt her fingertips graze at his nipples again. �Uhm, I don�t think we should. . .� he nearly choked at the cold look Brian now gave him, �I mean. . . you�re very nice, but uh. . . see, I�m sorta involved right now. . . and. . . uh. . .�

�That tall, lanky one?� Brain asked, voice flat and dead. �He really doing it for you then? Does he have something to offer that I don�t? Because really, I was watching him closely and his package is kinda small. You like the small ones? Kind of figured you�d go for the large cocks. Good for ramming speeds. But you like the small ones, it seems. He give good head?� he peered at Davey closely, critically while he took another drag.

Davey was at a complete loss for words. He didn�t realize how much of a bite this woman had. She was. . . frightening. It was like standing next to a feral cat, one that could attack at any second. What was he supposed to say to all of that? Deny he and Adam were together, as Adam would rather have it, or defend Adam�s. . . capabilities?

Brian watched the expressions on Davey�s face. He loved to goad these ones. They either cowered and whimpered, their tails between their legs, an absolute waste of time. Or they turned out to be fun and fought back. Which one was Davey going to be? Was he going to be a waste of time, or a good time well spent? With a body like his, Brian secretly hoped Davey had a spine under all that muscle.

Davey�s lost, puzzled expression cleared. His mouth closed, lips pressed together so that the line nearly disappeared. His eyes turned cold and indifferent. �Everyone has their own opinions.� he said slowly, calmly. �Whatever you choose to believe in your own mind is your concern, not mine. And I�d rather not go into discussions about comparing anyone of my friends behind their backs. That�s not what a true friend does. Excuse me, I have to get straightened out here.� he then turned away from Brian, dismissing him politely but firmly.

Ouch, Brian thought. Bite? Yes. Polite bite, though. A proper fight with this guy wouldn�t come to nastiness, so that was a good thing. Brian just had to get him out of this rigidness he was in. Get him nice and open. For the kill.

Brian smiled faintly and dragged on the cigarette, the ash nearly reaching the filter. �That�s nice.� he said quietly. Davey didn�t look up. �Glad to hear there�s at least SOME meaning to the word �friendship�. Besides, I was only joking. What do I care about your friend? I�m interested in you, Davey. Don�t tell me you�re not interested back?� he tilted his chin downward and pouted, blinking innocently. Well, not as innocently as he thought.

Davey glanced and saw this through the mirror while smoothing out his foundation cream. His eyes narrowed skeptically. �Interested how?�

Brian laughed. �Friendship, Daveykins! How else? What, you think I�d just hop in your lap five minutes after first hearing your name?�

Well, basically, yeah, Davey thought to himself, hurriedly looking away from Brian.

The other�s laughter died and disappeared, almost as if he heard Davey�s thoughts. �No,� he said quietly. �I might be easy, I might have looser morals than most girls, but I�m not a slut, Davey. You hear me? I�m not.� He paused, then tossed the cigarette into the sink. He turned and headed for the door. This was a waste of time, after all. If Davey thought he was too good for Brian�s friendship, why the hell was he wasting his time for�

�Wait.� Davey�s voice stopped him before he could put a hand on the door leading out. He paused, then looked over his shoulder at Davey.

Why he stopped her, he didn�t know. Just something about her, something she had. . . he liked. He liked her. She had enough self-respect to become prideful of her habits, yet she wasn�t above admitting to having a good time. Maybe if he just got to know her a little more before he made judgements. . . Nobody was perfect. Maybe he was taking her words the wrong wa---

Brian cleared his throat, dragging Davey out of his thoughts. He realized they�d been standing like that for a few minutes. He shifted. �Look, I didn�t mean to be mean. Maybe we started off on the wrong foot? Do you think we could start again?� his eyes looked hopeful and sincere. And insanely cute.

Damn, Brian thought, I�d just about kill for those eyes.

He faced forward again, letting his arm slowly drop back down. He turned and looked at Davey. �You mean it? Start over again?�

�Yes.� he nodded.

�And you�d want to be my friend?� Brian asked, taking one step closer, then stopping. �You�d still want to get to know me, even if I�m a slut?�

Davey�s smile was warm and kind. �You�re not a slut. You said so yourself. You just know how to have the kind of fun that makes you happy. There�s nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with being happy.�

Brian was touched. Truly. He�d never had a friend who was this nice before. Stefan and Steven were great friends, yes, of course, but they�d probably understand what Brian was feeling right now. Davey was just too damn nice. Brian almost felt guilty at staying. Almost. He was a greedy bitch, after all.

Brian smiled faintly and walked back to Davey. He looked up at him, looking carefully at Davey�s face. �All right.� Brian said, then took the eyeliner pencil from Davey�s fingers. �You let me do this. I love doing make-up. Loved it since I was a little boy.�

�You mean girl, right?� Davey laughed, leaning back to sit on the sink.

�Yeah, sure.� Brian waved it off carelessly and popped the top to the stick, moving close to Davey, in between his parted legs.

*********************

Call it sixth sense, call it telepathy. Hell, call it even pure luck. But when Adam looked up from his nearly finished drum set to sneak a peek at what Davey was doing at the time, only to find his secret lover missing. . . He knew almost immediately things weren�t the way they should be.

He looked around hurriedly. Jade and Hunter were in their respective corners, practicing their own way, but no sign of Davey anywhere between them. Where was he? Adam frowned and concentrated on Jade.

In his corner, Jade hit the wrong note and looked up and around in surprise at Adam. Jade saw the look in his eyes and shook his head, shrugging. So Adam asked Hunter. This one was harder, since Hunter was too deep into his practice that he was unconsciously blocking Adam out.

�Hunter,� the whisper touched his mind, �Hunter. . .Hunter. . . HUNTER.� Hunter stopped his hand and let his instrument trail off. he frowned, was that. . .? He looked up and saw both Adam and Jade watching him.

�What�s up?� he asked, even though he was clear across the room where the others couldn�t hear him. Adam sent him a clear picture of Davey, then the feeling of a question, but one that wasn�t clear in words, but emotions. Where was Davey? Damn, Adam was already missing him?

�The restroom,� Hunter whispered, mouth barely moving. He was well aware of the other people in the room. He didn�t think they�d understand about the group�s shared link. �He�s re-doin� his make-up. Said he�d be back in ten minutes.�

Jade nodded and went back to tuning his guitar, but Adam frowned. He sent and image of a clock and another questionable feeling. How long ago?

Hunter frowned, thinking back. His eyes widened in surprise. �Almost an hour ago.� Adam�s expression showed he was expecting an answer like this. Something was wrong. His Davey wasn�t here and something was going wrong. What was it?

Adam stood and set his drumsticks down on his seat. He sent both Jade and Hunter a message that he meant to go look for Davey. When Jade offered to come too, beginning to walk forward, Adam quickly argued against it. They were already getting a few curious glances, what with all their glancing and looking at each other. No need to get any more attention.

Adam made a show of taking out his cigarettes and lighter from his pocket, an easy expression already on his face.  Jade, who had been about to unsling his guitar and walk to join Adam, stopped and made the motion into a slow, graceful turnabout, almost as if he was thinking of adding it to his performance. Hunter simply went over his note sheets and started over again. All three appeared fine at first glance, but there was still that anxiety underneath the surface, that anxiety over their friend.

�You see it now?� Stefan said quietly to Steven. He nodded to Jade, then Hunter. �That tall one, he was the one to notice first. Whatever it was they were talking about, it was quick, and inside their heads. Methinks they have more talent than they put out. What say you, my friend?�

Steven scratched at his thin mustache, peering closely at Hunter. �They were talking about Davey,� he said, barely moving his lips, �they didn�t know where he went. The tall one, as you call him, is Adam. The one that Brian likes is Davey. He�s gone to go look for him, I�m sure.�

Stefan nodded, sipping his coffee. �Sounds right. You always were good at picking up the signs.� he noticed Steven�s attention. �What is it? Something interesting?�

Steven smiled faintly. �Almost. That one. He looks like he could be fun.� he gave Stefan a sideways, skeptical look, �And no, I don�t mean the way you and Bri think, you pervert.�

Stefan chuckled softly. �All right, how do you mean then?�

Steven sucked in breath, looking back at Hunter. �Watch.� His eyes narrowed.

Hunter ran over the notes again, matching the words with key turning points in the song. He heard Davey�s voice in his head, singing along to the music. It was the only way this particular song could stick to him, is if he pretended Davey was still singing it. It helped, also, on the timing.

So halfway through the second stanza, Hunter was surprised to hear another voice singing along with the music. He frowned. Did Jade sing also on this one? Jade was never one to sing outright, but to add back-up more often than not. Why was there a second voice so clearly in his head?

Hunter shook his head, dispelling the song and harmony. He looked back at the sheet and started from the beginning again. And it happened again. Not long into the first stanza, the double voice came again. Hunter bit his bottom lip, frowning as he concentrated. Block the voice out, he told himself, it�s your own thoughts trying to add another voice, just block it out.

But he found he couldn�t. The second voice was still there. And it was soon drowning out Davey�s voice. Hunter stopped playing and listened to the foreign voice in his head, his eyes following the words on the sheet. Then, something even more sinister happened. The words were not the same. Instead of, �Pushed to our knees so let us pray� it became, �Pushed to our knees so let us suck�.   �And all together we�ll bring the real rain,� became �and all together we�ll fuck in pain�. . .

Hunter broke his eyes away from the page as he looked about him. What the fuck was going on? What was happening to him? Was he going crazy? He looked toward the drums, but found Adam was still gone. He looked to see if Jade was laughing at him, some prank he was pulling, but he was busy talking to a woman off to the side. So what the fuck?

Stefan nearly choked on his coffee. He held the cup up to his mouth to block his smile from Hunter. �That�s bloke�s fuckin� gullible!� he chuckled darkly. �Go on, Steve-o, do somethin� else! Make us laugh!�

Steven smiled wanly. �I don�t want to fuck him over too badly. He seems like a good guy, you know. But, wait.� he paused, eyes narrowing. He leaned against one of the building�s support columns in this room, back to Hunter. Stefan waited a few minutes, moving his eyes away each time Hunter made a passing scan of the room.

�Got it.� Steven smiled widely. �Can you guess what this guy�s been thinking about? Very hilarious. Seems he�s got a slight crush on one of his band mates. Pure lust, of course.�

�Of course.� Stefan�s eyes gleamed wickedly. �That�s the best kind. Can you tell me which one?�

Steven grinned widely. �Let�s see. . . well, why don�t I let our pal Hunter tell us himself. Hold on, I�ve got a wallop of a message to send him.� He then closed his eyes and concentrated.

Meanwhile, Hunter shook off the uneasy feeling he was getting. Must be his nerves. Wasn�t a lot that could send him looking for the pepto these days. Not when their first gig as an entire band was just around the corner. His nerves were like wind chimes; they raised a ruckus even in the slightest of breezes. No wonder he thought he was going batty. It WAS all in his head.

�No reason why I�d be thinking like that, though.� he mused to himself and decided on another song. He began flipping pages, then slowed, then stopped. Naturally, when he asked himself a question, part of him instinctively tried to solve it.

Why HAD he been thinking that way? True, he was no saint like Davey. When he had dirty thoughts on the mind, he more than likely gave in to them. Just like Jade. Hunter glanced up at his friend. Damn. Jade was hot. Jade was ALWAYS hot. Just that thing about him, really. He was just one of those lucky bastards born with the ability to bang chicks without much effort. Hunter, however, had to resort to joining a band in order to meet groupies.

He smiled at that. Then lost the smile, his thoughts going back to far and away. His attention sneaked back to Jade. That shirt of his was kind of tight, wasn�t it? Shit, those pants were too. Look at that ass curve! Jeebus! Jade really knew how to watch his figure, didn�t he? Hunter�s acute observations, however began to get a little to acute and a little too. . . friendly.

Damn, Hunter thought, noticing something for the first time. Is Jade wearing a fucking thong?? There�s no line of. . . he looked around nervously, making sure no one was watching him, then narrowed his eyes back to Jade�s posterior. Of course, since his attention was on his being discrete as possible, he didn�t notice Stefan openly watching with glee.

�Oh, lord!� Stefan mumbled, watching Hunter. Steven smiled faintly, eyes still closed. Now was the trickier part.

Hunter rubbed his chin, still trying to think about Jade�s garments, when a new thought came to him. It wasn�t an actual thought, really. More like one of the pictures Adam had sent him. A picture. . . with sound.

It was of Jade, nude and in the throws of passion. His head tilted back and he was moaning with unrestrained lust, voice thick with emotion and power.

Hunter froze solid. He�d had thoughts about this particular friend often in the past, but this was. . . new. Where was this coming from? From his own imagination? That was a hell of a new angle he was seeing, then. Why was he. . .?

Hunter froze. That night. That night of the party! Where he couldn�t remember what had happened?? The one where Jade wouldn�t talk to him for most of the next day? What exactly happened?

Steven gasped and came back to himself. Stefan looked past his friend and saw Hunter turning quickly away from Jade, expression hidden from them. �What happened?� He asked quickly, �what was that all about?�

Steven shook his head, taking deep breaths. �I don�t know. It was all too fast to see. Something happened between them, I think. Something important. At least, he thinks so. I�ll try again.� he frowned, then squinted, but opened his eyes again soon after. He sighed. �No use. He�s got a block on whatever�s eating him. It�s as if he doesn�t even want to see it himself, so he�s not openly thinking about it. But it�s still there, and it�s blocking my link to him.� he looked about and straightened. �Look, I�d rather find better amusement. He�s going to give me a headache soon.�

Stefan nodded. �Sure. Come on.� he gave one last glance at Hunter, then at Jade before leading his drummer away.

*****************************

�Just for make-up, was it?� Adam muttered under his breath as he made his way down the hall. He was sorely tempted to take a peek into the women�s room to make sure Davey wasn�t in there, but he knew Davey wouldn�t be there. Not unless the mirror was bigger.

He decided against it and walked on to the men�s room. Even before he opened the door, he knew he had guessed right. Davey was in here. He could feel him, his Davey.

But as soon as Adam stepped into the room, he froze. Hatred filled him completely. What the hell was this? He couldn�t believe his eyes.

On the edge of the sink sat Davey, face neatly made back up again, and shirt neatly folded over his arm. Before him, and neatly trapped up against his crotch by Davey�s own legs was the woman from the day before. She coyly traced one star on his upper chest, then moved to the heart tattoo.

�And the heart?� she asked quietly. �It drips blood? And fire! Oooh! Did this hurt, Daveykins?� Adam sneered, sure he heard a pout in her voice.

Davey was about to answer when he glanced up, finally noticing Adam standing there. �Uh. . . Adam. . .� he broke off, unable to come up with an excuse to explain why he had his shirt off with this woman so up close to him. So when he drew a blank at Adam�s expression, Brian decided to fill in.

�I was curious to see his tattoos.� he said quietly, giving Adam a faint, teasing smile to match his insincere eyes. Davey couldn�t see the expression so had no idea �she� was making it. �So, you�re Adam. Davey tells me you two are. . . good friends.� he turned and gave Davey an unsure look, as if to ask, �that right? Did I ask him right?� Davey nodded assuredly. But when Brian looked back at Adam, he gave him a sly, knowing look that said, �yeah, FRIENDS. GOOD friends. Right.�

This made Adam even more angrier. Fucking hell. Davey was going around telling people what they did behind closed doors? Shit. . .

Davey saw Adam was steadily getting worse. What was wrong? Why wasn�t he talking? And why was he glaring at Davey? He took his shirt and hurriedly started yanking it back on. But while his head was still inside the material, he heard Adam storm off.

�He�s gone.� Brian said sadly. Davey pulled down his shirt and looked at his friend. She had a sad expression on, one that seemed sincere this time. �Have I made him mad? I didn�t mean to, really! I told him the truth. I said you two were good friends. Didn�t I say it right?�

Davey sighed as he hurriedly threw his make-up back inside his back. �Yeah, honey, you did. But Adam�s just jealous. Really bad. I don�t think it was good for him to see us here, me with my shirt off.�

�And me feeling you up, right?� They smiled at each other. Brian watched him sadly. �All right, Daveykins. I�ll let you go. You need to keep on Adam�s good side, after all.�

Davey paused. �Honey, look, let me explain our friendship to him and once he understands, he�ll like you too! Just give him some time, that�s all. He can be stubborn sometimes. You have my number, though, right?�

�Yes.� Brian smiled. �And you still have mine?� he watched Davey pull it briefly back out of his back pocket.

�Right here. Give me at least a day to make Adam understand, then I�ll give you a call, okay? But if I don�t call within a week, feel free to call me, okay?�

�If you don�t call,� Brian pouted and wrapped his arms around Davey, �I�ll think the worst, Daveykins. You�d better call me.�

�I will, honey.� he smiled down at her.

Brian paused. Damn, he looked like candy. �Kiss me.� he said to Davey. �Give me a smooch, Love.�

Davey paused, then complied. Just as he felt his lips meet �hers�, the door opened. �Davey, I. . .� Adam froze, face still composed in his embarrassed expression, the apology still in his mouth. He looked coldly from Davey to the woman.

Davey pulled back and looked at Adam in shock. �Shit.� he whispered, then hurried after Adam, who stormed off for the second time.

Brian leaned against the sink and crossed his arms. He smiled faintly and closed his eyes to re-live their kiss. . . and the look of pure wrath on Adam�s face.

*********************

�Adam! Adam, wait!� Davey called out, hurrying after. �Please, Adam, don�t do this!�

�I�m not doing anything.� Adam paused to growl back at him, face red and eyes watery. �YOU�RE doing this, Davey! You and that fucking slut!� he turned and began hurrying off again, unable to stay still.

�It�s not what it looked like!� Davey pleaded, whispering harshly so they would gather anymore attention. �She wanted a goodbye kiss, that�s all! I swear! She��

But Adam rounded back again. �Was kissing you Davey!� he stepped up close and whispered even lower, the hurt expression in his eyes locked to Davey�s. �YOU were the one complaining that I looked at other girls and not at you. YOU wanted us to be strictly together. YOU wanted it, Davey, so I�ve kept honest to you.� he inhaled deeply, shaking in rage. �And what do you do? Do you stay true to me? No. You go and hide in the men�s room with a woman. Your shirt off, and her kissing you. Tell me one thing, Davey, just one thing. Did she follow you in, or was she already inside the men�s room?�

Davey knew he had to be honest. There was just no lying to Adam now. It would be pointless to try. He sighed, eyes turning sad. �She was already in there.�

�With or without someone?�Adam demanded.

�With.� Davey admitted, rolling his eyes as if he couldn�t believe he admitted that to Adam.

Adam nodded. �You see? You see, Davey?� he began walking away, �you see now? Now, can you be shocked that I�d be upset? Can you?�

�No.� Davey whispered. His heart twisted in his chest as he watched Adam go back to his drum set, back to him and ignoring him completely. The tears were at the corners of his eyes as he searched about for his only source of comfort, but when he finally caught sight of Jade, it wasn�t a good one.

He and Hunter hurried past Davey, not even glancing up as they continued to argue. �Why the hell would you even bring it up, you dumbass!� Jade hissed at Hunter. �That was a mistake! God! I can�t believe you brought it up!� he walked faster, as if to leave Hunter behind.

Hunter caught up and glared at Jade. �Look, you ass, just tell me if something happened, will you? And be fucking honest for once! What happened that night?�

Jade growled in frustration. He stopped them both in the middle of the hall. �GOD! Hunter! Let it fuckin� go! I told you for the millionth time, nothing happened!! Fuck!�

Hunter paused, then narrowed his eyes at Jade. �Are you sure? Are you absolutely positive?� Jade stared at him blankly for a few minutes, then turned and hurried off, already rambling in a few choice curses. Hunter followed after, neither of them noticing Davey at all.

Well, Davey thought, this IS my problem. I should handle it myself.

He walked into the room and tried to catch a single thought of Adam�s, but he already knew he wouldn�t be able to reach through his friend�s anger through out the night.

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