Another Day

Chapter 17

The Party II

He had to look for a while before he found his master. Tala was talking to a tall boy with glasses and a brown ponytail. He had been in the crowd of boys earlier. Kai headed for them, but then he noticed Bryan sneaking towards the same goal. The pale boy crouched down, before going into a full sprint, straight towards Tala. Kai did not have much time to think so he acted on instinct. He ran.

Luckily Bryan did not seem to be much of a hurry so Kai came just in time. He pushed Tala away before Bryan crashed into him and sent him flying to the ground. He sat up and winced in pain; once again he had managed to land on his back and the new welts were still tender. He rose unsteadily and looked up just in time to see Tala striding towards him. Kai was not sure what he expected to hear, but what he got was definitely not it.

"What did you do that for, you moron?" Tala shouted.

"I was just…but…he was going right for you!" Kai replied, not understanding what was wrong.

Tala growled, "We were playing a game, blockhead! If you hadn't run off I could have told you to stay out of it! Now I am disqualified!"

Kai was getting upset as well, "I was just trying to help, why can't-"

He was cut short when Tala yelled, "No!" and slapped him hard. "I knew he was coming, and I didn't need your help. I might even have won this time!"

Kai blinked away the tears of pain that were threatening to make him look even more pathetic than he already seemed. A circle, including many of the other upper-class boys who had to be in on the game as well, had gathered around the two, watching interestedly. Kai tried to tell himself that he should have known, but it did not ease the disappointment and pain that was slowly spreading in his chest; Tala didn't like him, didn't want him. It hurt like hell.

"I just can't believe you messed up again! I should have kept Carlos; at least he didn't ruin things wherever he went," Tala shouted.

Kai was suddenly struggling to breathe. "C-Carlos?"

No! This was not how it was supposed to be! Carlos had been Tala's first servant? It was like the parting of clouds and the sudden brilliance of the sun burning him to cinders. It all fell into place.

'So that is why he hates me,' Kai thought.

That numbing pain was still filling his chest. Tala looked like he had said too much, but Kai had no sympathy for him. He turned away and began to leave.

"Kai, come back here!" Tala yelled, but Kai did not stop. A hand settled on his shoulder, but the slate haired boy turned blindly and slammed his fist into Tala's cheek. Then he ran.

Behind him he heard Bryan's slightly apraising, "That had to hurt."

He ran around the corner of the house and stopped there, angrily wiping at his eyes and glaring at anyone who looked his way. He kept on walking, but he was so busy with the war of emotions inside him he didn't see the person walking his way with a stack of plates in her arms. They crashed together and the plates went flying in every direction. Kai fell backwards and sat a little dazed on the grass, looking at the girl. She had short, dark green hair and wore a rather revealing dress. She looked angry, but as she watched him her expression changed.

Kai got to his feet and held out a hand to help her up, "Sorry. I should have been more careful."

She took his hand and stood, but she did not let go, instead using the firm grip to drag herself as close to him as she could. Pressing her body against his, she smiled suggestively, "No worries handsome, I am ok, but maybe you could make it up to me somewhere more private?"

Kai swallowed as her realised what she wanted, and she was certainly not one for walking around the bushes, "Um…I haven't even learned your name yet."

Kai had no romantic experience with girls at all, and he faltered, wondering how the heck he was going to get out of this.

His rescue came out of nowhere, "Meredith, you slut, get away from that boy and start gathering plates; the guests are waiting!"

The girl jumped away from Kai as if burned. She began gathering the dropped plates at incredible speed, mumbling excuses and bobbing curtesies all the while.

Kai looked from the distressed girl to the boy that had to be her owner. It was the boy with the brown hair and glasses. They magnified his green eyes several times and made his otherwise handsome face look a bit dorky. Despite his young apperance he had quite a deep voice. He looked about Kai's age.

The slave was studied with equal interest, "You must have some guts, hitting your master that way. Either that or you are new. The new ones are always overconfident."

Kai watched him a bit more wearily, "I can't say that there is much difference between overconfidence, guts and simple desperation anymore."

The boy seemed satisfied with that answer, for he nodded, "You aren't new then."

The boy was wearing a white shirt and lilac pants; there was nothing special to recognice him from, so he didn't think Tala had spoken of this boy before. "I am new enough not to know everbody by name, though; who are you?" Kai said.

The boy adjusted his glasses in much the same way that Emily did now and then, "You can call me Kenny; I am not one for fancy titles."

Kai nodded. He noticed firstly now how Meredith was walking away from them, clutching the plates tight to her chest and darting quick glances back at her master.

Kenny shook his head, "I still don't know why we bought her. She is worse than Michael when it comes to chasing the opposite sex."

Just then an interesting noise reached Kai's ears. It was the sound of a battle. Kenny heard it too, and saw that Kai did, "No worries; it's just the game, and now that I know who is the demon there is no reason to check it out."

He seemed confident in this conclusion, but Kai wasn't so sure, "Unless you let slaves play the game with you, that is not a part of your amusement." Because the cries belonged to Enrique. Kenny raised an eyebrow, shaking his head as Kai ran.

Kai had never been able to easily watch as someone else was exposed to injustice, but in the streets there was only so much you could do to save a fellow thief once he had been caught. Yet after his own imprissonment he had faced many things more horrible and unfair than a rat being brought to the platform and as it was now the thought of staying out of the way didn't even cross his mind.

Enrique staggered back onto his feet just to be dealth another blow. He went back down, and Oliver was kicked away viciously when he tried to reach his beloved. Bryan was seething, furious and merciless. Enrique leaped, and managed to trip Bryan onto the ground. They rolled around on the grass, punching and kicking, with Oliver trying to stop them both.

"Don't fight over me!" He yelled, but no one was listening.

Finally Bryan got in a good hit, sending his blonde opponent sprawling. The purplenet got back on his feet, breathing heavily. He licked his split lip, tasting the blood. Enrique sat up, shielding his badly bruised face with one arm, but as Bryan prepared to kick again something came between them.

The lilac-haired boy sneered contemptiously, "You. Can't you ever stay out of other people's business?"

Kai stood firm, matching the boy glare for glare, "I suggest you leave now, because I am not backing down. And Tala isn't here to drag me away."

Bryan just smiled, "I'll just take you down as well. You are underestimating me, slave." He drew his hand back suddenly, and Kai shielded his face automatically, waiting for the blow.

It didn't come.

Kai opened his eyes to find Tala holding Bryan back, his hand firm around the other boy's wrist. Bryan looked shocked. Kai felt both the old hurt and a swell of pride well up in him as the redhead spoke, calmly, "I will never give you permission to hit Kai, Bryan. No matter what he does. And I believe that my father has told you what he thinks of you punishing Enrique. They are my slaves, and you should have come to me, instead of taking matters into your own hands...again."

The purple haired boy jerked his hand free, but he lowered it and turned to face the young Ivanov. "But Oliver is my slave, and I want that blonde cassanova to stay away from him," he pointed furiously at Enrique, who was looking at the two masters with one hand on Oliver's arm.

Tala spoke again, still calm and composed, "I think it is about time I was honest with you, Bryan. You can't treat your slaves this way! They may be property, and you may be the owner, but the way you go about will leave Oliver unfit to do anything. You are waisting him! I think I have been tolerant of your violence long enough. It is time for a change, Bryan. It is way past time."

Bryan was far from calm and composed, though, and he snarled at Tala, "So this is how you feel. Nice to know what sort of friends I have." He pushed past the redhead, stalking away.

Tala looked after him sadly. Then he took a deep breath and turned his attention to the three other boys. He studied Kai first, "You and I must talk." Then he looked at Enrique, "Why don't you take Oliver back to Mr. and Mrs. Totzanavitz for now."

But the blonde bit his lip and replied, "No. I want to stay here with Oliver." He managed to look pleading and demanding at the same time. Tala sighed heavily and then he glared at Kai, of all things! It wasn't his fault that the blonde had grown a backbone!

"Alright, stay here if you wish, but don't get into trouble. Come on, Kai." He took only a few steps before stopping, "And I mean it too; you'll be following and you will be listening. I have already been ignored more times than I can handle today." He resumed his walking, but added as an afterthough, "And it always seems to be your fault somehow."

Kai trudged after his master, wondering what more would be said. Then he wondered where they were going. They passed Danielle and her friends. Rei had gone back to holding toys, and Mariah was sitting beside the girls on the blanket. The boy, Wyatt, was casting weary glances at Lee, who was leaning on the wall next to Rei, looking amused at something. No wonder the boy was frightened with those fangs showing.

But when he saw Kai, Lee's smile faded. "Um, Kai, wait!" Tala stopped as well, and Lee gave him a distracted half-bow, "I'm sorry, sir, but I really need to talk to Kai, and-"

"It can wait. He'll be free in a bit," Tala replied and walked on. Kai had no choice but to shrug apologetically and follow his master.

Tala stopped in a relatively empty spot with a few garden chairs and a white table. The place was far from empty, but there weren't anyone sitting there at present, and Tala seemed to want Kai to sit. At the slave's sceptic look he explained, "It isn't so easy to storm off when you are sitting, and your fists can't reach my face." He rubbed his cheek which was red and swollen, and Kai coloured.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you, master," he said.

Tala shook his head, "No, it is I who should be apologising. I should have made sure that you knew about the game. It's just that we are all very passionate about this and I was caught up in the idea of winning for once."

Finally Kai got the opportunity that he had been waiting for, "What is this game about, master?"

So Tala began to explain. The game was called Demon. One player was chosen to be demon, and that player would have to tackle all the other players to the ground before it turned night. If he did it he would win a prize. Kai listened with interest. It sounded fun, and Tala told him that the upper-class boys had been playing it for years.

"…so there you have it. I really am sorry for yelling at you, but the next time you hit me like that I will have you grounded," Tala finished. The last threat was disarmed by his smile, though.

Kai nodded anyway, thinking to himself that he would never again hit his master, if only to prove that he could refrain from it. It was odd, this feeling of wanting to please.

He stood, and for a moment he was overwhelmed by his desire for this boy. Tala was a predator; graceful and deadly, beautiful. Before he could stop himself he leaned in, and pressed their lips together.

Tala was shocked at first, but that quickly faded; he let Kai have his way for a few seconds before gently pushing him back, "Kai. We can't."

Kai's mind wasn't quite working yet, but a slow understanding dawned on his face.

Tala smiled at him, "I have a girlfriend now, whom I love. And I think that there is someone else who would be much better for you."

Kai had a feeling that after this there wouldn't be a surprise left for him in the world; every single one of them had been sprung on him today. "A girlfriend?" He asked.

Tala nodded, "I…guess I should have told you, but…I'm an awful coward."

The slave just shook his head, brushing it off, while feeling more confused than ever.

The redhead looked sympathetically at him and put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, Kai."

Together they began to walk back to the others.

"Um, master? Who is it that you think will be much better for me? Master? Master!"