Reaction

For what seems like a small disruption to onlookers, it feels like mad chaos to the five teammates as they’re split up on the run.

Velvet is a safe distance away and simply turns her back at the bar, downing a drink and keeping her head low as the security men and bouncers shove their way by. Seeing Jess and Peter struggling out of the corner of her eye, she hesitates, but knows to stay put and stay out of the mess. It’s not until a quiet settles that she casually makes her way back up to the room.

Sean slinks along the back wall, watching the action and feeling his way to the side door. Too soon though he sees a bouncer coming in his direction, and puts on some speed, making it out the door just in time. Once out, his feet pound the pavement until he vaults over a fence and into a clump of bushes until everything is quiet again. Peeking around the darkness and seeing no one, he finally heads back toward their meeting place.

Carson catches on quickly and is fast to make a beeline for the back door, skirting around a woman who shrieks at him, and whirling into a waiter with a tray of empty drink glasses. Unfortunately, the crash draws more attention, and he’s caught near the back by a tall, broad bouncer who isn’t in the mood for games.

Before Carson knows what’s happening, he’s been belted in the mouth and is on the floor. Being picked up by the collar, he jabs his knee into the other man’s gut. Dropped back to his feet, Carson hits the floor running, stumbling into a table and finally making it out the back door.

But just as he thinks he’s clear, a figure steps out of the shadows, blocking his path. It was an irate gambler who had caught on as to what was happening, and feeling cheated, he wanted his money back.

Carson tries to avoid a fight by dodging around him, but it doesn’t work. A scuffle ensues and Carson hold the upper hand easily until the man suddenly grabs a brick from the ground and slams it into the side of Carson’s head…



Velvet paces the hotel room floor impatiently. “I don’t know where he is!” She throws up her hands in response to Sean’s questioning. “Everyone was out of sight before I came back here.” She looks to Jess, then Peter, then Sean again. The clock on the wall ticked away the minutes. “Maybe he got caught.”



Carson groans and rolls over, feeling the blood oozing down from the gash on his head. Putting a hand to the side of his face, he can feel the blood smear, and he grimaces. How long had he been out? He didn’t think it had been long.

Getting himself in a sitting position, he spies his wallet a couple feet away. Retrieving it proves that it’s empty of all money. His ID was still there, but he was now holding no plastic or cash.

Growling a curse under his breath, he picks himself up and staggers for a moment down the dark alley behind the building. His head felt as if it was splitting in two.

Making his way inside, he’s careful not to see too many people who might gawk at his condition, and finally makes it up to the quiet hall where the room was. Reaching the door, his hand is just resting on the knob when he hears Velvet’s voice.

“I say we leave.”

Sean raises his eyebrows. “What? Leave him here?”

“As if you care?” Velvet crosses her arms as she sits on the edge of the bed. “He obviously got caught, and if he did, then he’s not good enough to be on this team. He could be telling them right now who all of us are and we’ll never be able to come back anywhere near this place.”

Sean paces a little, unsure of this. He glances to Jess and Peter, then back to Velvet. “Give him five more minutes.”

“Why?!” Velvet rolls her eyes. “We’ve been waiting long enough. No-shows are left behind.”

“Even though he’s your boyfriend?” Sean’s words come out a little sarcastically.

Velvet smirks at him. “Was. Isn’t this what you wanted anyway? I told you I was going to get rid of him – this just speeds things up.”

Sean’s face reddens slightly.

Velvet grins. “What? You think you and I were the only ones who knew?” She throws back her head and laughs. “You poor thing. The rest of the world isn’t as naive as you, ya know.” She stands up, slinging her arms around Sean’s waist from behind. “Come on…you know I’m right. Let’s just walk away. Then you can have me without hiding behind corners.” A sly look of arrogance is tossed in Peter’s direction.

She then looks around Sean to Jess. “If Carson still has two feet to walk on, he’ll make it back. Let’s get out of here while we still can. I don’t want any goons coming up here and sniffing around. We’re still at risk here.”


Carson’s hand slips from the doorknob and he stares at the closed door for several seconds. The words he’d just heard shouldn’t affect him, but they sent an unexpected shock through his system.

Velvet wanted to get rid of him? And she’d been seeing Sean? For how long? Had Carson been that blind? And now Velvet was going far enough to just leave him here? Stranded? That was going beyond hitting below the belt.

An anger begins to boil within him. How dare anyone treat him like this. He had half a notion to kick the door in, then go punch Sean’s lights out. It would certainly make him feel better. Not to mention he’d have a few choice words to say to the woman he’d been living with.

But as Carson grabs the doorknob one more time, something stops him. It was a feeling he didn’t recognize, but it was strong enough to hold him back. It was strong enough that it crept up beside his anger, overcoming even that.

Humiliation.

It was a new sensation and one that Carson didn’t like. He’d just been proven to be a total loser in more ways than one, and in front of people he’d just been calling friends.

Gritting his teeth, Carson slowly backs away from the room and goes around the corner to go unseen. He reaches up, wiping away some more blood from the side of his head. What kind of fool had he just been made out to be? What kind of fool had he really been? And how on earth had he let himself get into this vulnerable position? He’d just been put down and outsmarted, by a woman no less. The feelings this all evoked were ones that he didn’t know how to handle.

He’d never been one to back down from a fight. He’d never been one to let something go like this. And suddenly Carson comes to a hard realization. He’d never have let this go before…but…obviously he was not the same man he used to be. No matter how hard he’d tried to slide back into this lifestyle, he had failed. He wasn’t a good guy and he wasn’t a bad guy. He was stuck between worlds, and it was an uncomfortable position to be in…one that evoked embarrassment for his blindness, and an ire for what had happened.

Unable to just stand here any longer, the anger and humiliation drive him to leave the corner and stalk down the back hall to the side exit. Velvet wanted him gone, so be it. She hadn’t heard the last from him, but for tonight…it was to his advantage to walk away. The table was no longer hot, and it was time for him to get out before getting in any deeper. He had lost this hand.


Kyle laughs and shakes is head. "I better not fall asleep behind the wheel."

After grabbing the blanket to throw in the backseat and closing the tailgate of the truck, he slides in to the driver's seat to start the long drive home.

The night is clear with a bright moon lighting their way along with a million stars smiling down on them. Kyle keeps the radio going to help keep him from becoming drowsy as he sings along, especially when they get closer to town and a JetStream song comes on. Making one stop for something to drink, it's on to town. Finally getting back, the truck clock reads one-thirty a.m.

Kyle pulls into the parking lot at Mom and Pop's. It was strange being here at this hour. Everything was dark. There was no activity. He parks next to Misty's car so she doesn't have to walk far, and lets out a weary sigh.

"Well..." He turns to grin at her. "Drive safe." He tosses her a wink. "I had fun. We'll have to do this again sometime."

Waiting until he's sure Misty is safely on her way back home, Kyle pulls back out onto the street to head across town...

Kyle lets himself into the apartment, locking the door behind him and quietly making his way through the living room. The tv was still on, but Phil wasn’t moving on the couch, apparently asleep.

Wrong.

As Kyle makes it to the hall, he’s stopped.

“Welcome back.”

He swings back around to go up behind the couch and lean on it, looking down at his sleepy brother. “Hey.”

“Have a good time?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Where’d you go?”

“Amusement park.” Kyle stands up straight, wandering to the kitchen were he flips on the light to get a glass of water.

Phil sits up, watching him. “Jam session went well.”

“Good, good.”

Phil cocks his head. “So…since when does my brother stay out with a girl until the wee hours of the morning?”

Kyle downs a glass of water, then puts the glass in the sink. Shutting the light back off, he returns to the living room. “Since the girl needed to get away and laugh for a while.”

“And you?”

“What?”

“It was all for her? You, uh…didn’t do it for personal enjoyment either?”

Kyle squints in the dim light at his brother’s face. “What are you getting at?”

Phil grins up at him. “Kyle and Misty…” His tone indicates his teasing. “Don’t think I would have ever guessed that one.”

Now that Kyle sees what Phil is doing, he rolls his eyes and turns around. “Good night.”

“So now what?” Phil calls after him with a laugh. “You be leaving the band so you can spend more time on dates or what?”

Kyle spins around to glare at him. “Drop it, Phil.” His voice warns his brother. “Just cut the jabs and let me be for once alright?”

Phil’s eyebrows shoot up as he watches his brother stalk down the hall to his bedroom. “I didn’t…” His voice trails off, knowing Kyle can’t hear him. “Mean to rile you…” That was strange. Kyle hardly ever snapped at anyone, let alone from being teased about a girl. The guys teased him all the time, and he fed off of it, he didn’t retaliate. Maybe things hadn’t gone as well tonight as he’d indicated? Or…?

Phil shakes his head and shuts off the tv. He’d wait until morning to test those waters again. For now, he’d just let his confusion lie.