Chapter Twenty Three

A New Truth

                It’s been quiet the past few days. No more signs of the fallen angels, no more random killing of people, or, at least that I’m aware of. The five of us sit in a diner in a small town on the border of Canada and the U.S. The heat lingers in the pavement, even after the sun has set. The diner is lit with sparse dim yellow lights and candles, and the warm interior decorations suggest a seductive feel. I’m lost in my thoughts and the white noise of cutlery clanking against plates and bowls, and the occasional cheering as a hockey game drones over the TV above the bar.

                ‘Excuse me, I've got to take a s**t,’ Rippir stands up without another word and heads to the exit of the diner, the direct opposite direction of the bathrooms. Have I completely lost my sanity? I know he’s probably off to kill another innocent person, and yet I don’t even waste a second shoving more food down my throat. I don’t stop him. I chug the glass of homebrewed root beer in front of me, and make brief eye contact with Phoenix across the table. She puts her fork down and tucks her fire colored hair behind her ear.

                ‘So Cori, I'm very sorry you got dragged into this,’ she apologizes, ‘you do understand why we can’t let you go though, right?’

                I shrug, and down another forkful of noodles. ‘I guess so, nothing about anything we’re doing is legal,’ I look at Fabian, who’s just had another vision, and is slowly adjusting back into calm angsty personality. I like this one better than the f**k boy version of him. He glances out the window occasionally, obviously disinterested in the conversation at hand.

                ‘Who cares anyways,’ he says, ‘Rippir’s probably off killing someone and all you’re gonna do is sit here and b***h about this?’

                ‘Well, to be fair Fabian, Coral has no reason to be here right now,’ Mark says shyly.

                The waitress skips over with a smile plastered across her face. ‘How are you folks enjoying everything?’ she asks for the millionth time, ‘anything I can get you, honey?’ she stares at my empty glass.

                ‘Polar Ice Vodka?’  I say reading the first option I see off of the alcoholic beverages menu.

                ‘Um, I'm sorry ma’am, you don’t look over the age of nineteen,’ she says hesitantly. I sigh, and slouch back against the booth bench.

                ‘I’ll take one,’ Phoenix shoots me a look of pity. The waitress nervously plays with her short blond streaked hair.

                ‘Um, okay, I’ll be with you in a second,’ she smiles that fake smile again, and wastes no time leaving.

                ‘Thank you,’ I mutter.

                She smiles a lopsided, pity filled smile, ‘I got you.’

 

                I think we’re all a little bit drunk now, and Rippir still hasn’t come back yet. I've lost track of how much I've drank, but it must’ve been a lot by now. Mark and Fabian had exchanged a few words, but Phoenix had been focused on making sure I was okay. She really is good to me, even though she doesn’t have to be. The last few times we asked for alcohol, the waitress refused to give us any.

                ‘So, now that you’ve loosened up a little bit, why don’t you talk to us, tell us about your life or whatever. We can help you out,’ she says.

                I stay silent for a few moments, ‘Talk about what? How much of a joke everything is?’

                ‘Coral we’re really sorry you got roped into this mess,’ Mark puts a hand on my shoulder. 

Fabian glares at me from diagonally across the table. ‘I don’t want to hear about your problems. I've got my own to worry about right now.’

                ‘We’re here for you Fabian, you can talk to us.’

                ‘My father’s f*****g dying in the hospital right now, and-’

                ‘So’s mine you a*****e,’ I interrupt. I don’t mean to, but at this point, I don’t mean to do anything. I feel like in watching my life through someone else’s eyes. ‘My brother and mom were visiting in the hospital on the island right before I got dragged into this mess. Mark’s eyes flicker between all of us, and finally lock a concerned eye contact with Phoenix.

                ‘Um, why don’t you tell us a little bit about your dad?’ Mark pries. I'm drunk with no social skills and I can hear the un-subtlety in his voice. What does he want though?

                ‘There’s not much to say, he’s an a*****e and I hope he dies. It’d make life better for everyone. The prick doesn’t deserve the love of a family. He ditched when I was a little girl, and he destroyed my family’s life. To this day I’m still on f*****g damage control,’ the words spill out of my mouth, I don’t know why I'm telling them this, it’s none of their business.  

                ‘My father’s a piece of s**t too,’ Fabian grins holding up an almost empty glass, ‘cheers!’

                I raise my glass and down the last of it. ‘Anyways, Derek defends the b*****d for some reason.’

                ‘Is Derek one of your brothers?’ Mark asks carefully, then glances at Phoenix who nods ever so slightly.

                ‘He’s the only one, but yes, that would be Derek.’

                Phoenix looks at Mark, then Fabian, then back at me. ‘I think you have one more actually,’ her eyes flicker back towards Fabian.

                An overbearing silence falls over the table. My mind goes blank, then quickly fills with hot flashes of a million emotions, none of which I can identify. Then all at once, my mind is blank again. I can’t think at all. It would make sense though. That's why I recognize him. 

                I'm pulled back when the door to the diner flies open. Rippir bursts through the door, and makes a break for the bathroom, gasps and whispers follow him, and frankly, I don’t give enough f***s to figure out why. I slouch into the bench, and look at Fabian. F**k he’s not just Fabian that weird kid with the multi-personality disorder. He’s Fabian my other older brother. Half brother, but that’s still a whole half a brother more than I had yesterday. My head is spinning. I need air.

                ‘F**k you all, I’m out,’ I stand up, and Phoenix matches my movements, except for me stumbling over. She grabs my shoulder and stands me up straight again. ‘Fabian’s not my brother, I only have Derek. Derek is my only brother.’ I glare at him, and he glares back, but with the same shock and anger.

                ‘Sit your a*s down Coral, you’re going to get us kicked out. Don’t make a scene,’ her voice is quiet but sharp as she tries to sit me back down.

                ‘F**k you all!’ I scream, and stumble my way out of her grasp, heading towards the exit. I pull the doors open and trip down the stairs face first onto the asphalt, but I don’t care enough to pick myself up. Footsteps sound behind me. Whoever it is lifts me up from under the arms and slings my arm over their shoulder. It’s Fabian. He sits me down on a park bench just outside the parking lot of the little diner, and lets out a groan.

                ‘What’s his name?’ he demands, pacing back and forth in front of me, ‘Tell me your father’s name!’

                ‘Allen.’

                He looks away, and bites his lip nervously. ‘He had another entire family. Oh my god,’ he was talking out loud at this point. He wasn’t talking to me or anyone. ‘It wasn’t just an affair! I f*****g told her something like this would happen!’ he raises his voice to just below a yell, ‘I Told her!’

                ‘Hey kiddos!’ Rippir yells as he exits the diner, his hands are dyed a deep red, with matching splatters and stains on his shirt. ‘Did I miss something?’