Six Months Time...

PROLOGUE

A lot can happen in six months… People can live. People can fall in love. People can gain trust. People can make friends. People can feel success brush their fingertips. Yet success could cloud their judgement. People can die, people can lie and, people can kill. A lot can happen in six months. And don’t you forget it.

CHAPTER ONE, People can fall in Love.
Six Months Ago…

The stranger watched as his subject giggled flamboyantly in front of the swarms of cameras as they flashed, bobbing up and down with excitement. The boy energetically illustrated his storytelling with aside comments and a swaggering charm that oozed effortlessly from every pore, captivating his audience with a dazzling grin. And gradually the teen, as he felt eyes on his back, turned, a lock of hair falling in front of his gaze, he caught the eye of the stranger and the stranger took a sharp intake of breath. Indicating for the man to follow his lead the stranger denied him, with a slight and soft shake of his rampant curls and a shy smile. But the subject insisted, his hand lain high in the air with palm up, his perfectly manicured fingers flicking repetitively until the stranger gave in and walked over with a reluctant limp. The confident boy put his arm around the stranger and the cameras flashed some more. Two seconds passed and his identity was breached, no longer a stranger the man gave a slight wave to the audience and muttered under his breath
“You promised you wouldn’t this time”, angry from the attention,
“I’m sorry, just soak it up, and don’t pretend you don’t want to”, casual and teasing.

That had been last night, now, still angry with his co-star, the stranger, who was no longer a stranger, watched the man-boy as he sat idly by in his train seat, doodling absentmindedly as he stared out of the window, from across the walkway. His atmosphere was so different now; away from the media he was quiet and submissive, docile as a kitten. Stranger watched as the teen pulled out his phone and quietly his fingers danced over the pad, two seconds and a tinkling beep later the stranger flipped open his own phone; either stop watching me or come and sit next to me. Nervously the stranger looked around at his other passengers and co-stars, dozing softly. He heaved himself from his single seat at the front of the carriage, with toned arms that bulged slightly from the simple polo shirt he wore. The boy wasn’t watching, he was still staring out at the clouds, his fingertips playing against the cool glass as he drew invisible patterns atop its surface. A baggy cardigan wrapped tightly around his skinny frame with a shivering arm, his tan skin contrasted greatly with the pale complexion of the boy stranger who lowered himself into the seat beside him, still he didn’t acknowledge the stranger’s presence, except with a quiet muttering voice, a slight American lilt to his accent.

“Sorry.” The stranger shook his head and scratched his wild curls with square fingers:
“No, you’re not” he lent his head back into the cushioned headboard and closed his eyes, trying to hide his awkwardness, the mixed race boy smiled at the following tease
“You’re a good kisser” knowing full well it would agitate the pale teen he watched as the stranger lifted his thumb to lips and nibbled at the receding nail. The mixed race boy pulled his cardigan tighter and lifted one hand to lower his companions “Don’t” the touch was velvet and the pale man struggled to hide the hairs that stood on end across his forearms. He thought back to the scene they had filmed just a week ago, his lips aching from withdrawal of passion. And a soft blush painted its way across his broad neck. “If you’re just going to ignore me, what are you doing here?”
“You asked me to sit here” their voices are as light as air and the tension builds
“No, I didn’t.” the man reinstated and the easily agitated stranger went to lift himself once more from his seat but the high sound of his name being called halted him
“Ethan” there was a confident stroke of skin and wool along his wrist before fingers entwined themselves with his own and he stood, avoiding the coercing eyes of the boy. A slight tug on his hand and he perched once more on the seat.

“What are you worried about? They’re all asleep” Ethan closed his eyes tightly, leant his body back into the luxurious cushions, his fingers tightening as they rest in the other man’s lap. The feel of silky, worn in pale blue cashmere played across his palm
“Jake” his voice isn’t even a whisper, his mouth barely opening. The boy nods “Why’d you always play up to the cameras?” his question is cautious, face anxious
“It’s who I am, sorry but I thought you’d appreciate being in the spotlight for once”
“Then you don’t know me very well” he rolls his head away, limply towards the aisle
“E, you’re going to be everywhere as soon as our kiss episode airs, you know we have shippers already, they’ll go wild for this so what did you expect?” he sounds mocking
“I don’t know, I love acting, especially with you, but I don’t like the media, I’m not good at interviews like you Jake, it just isn’t me so I wish you wouldn’t keep doing it”
Jake avoids the plain as day request and instead smirks flirtatiously, eyes teasing
“So that was acting?” Ethan stares determinedly forward, face flushed, trying to ignore the sudden clammy feel of skin on skin, and Jake mirrors his movement, their hands suddenly pulling apart as a hostess barrels her trolley through the aisle, before their fingers drift together once more with an uncanny magnetism. As the pale man hesitates Jake once more takes control and grabs the tentative hand and his timid friend tries to hide his pleasure.

Half way through the journey friends and fellow co-workers start to drift awake and so their hands break apart for a definitive time. Jake leans forward in his seat and rummages in the rucksack between his feet when Ethan spies the hip tattoo as it peeks slightly from the gap between designer jeans and stylish shirt, intrigued he lifts the hem of the top with a light touch, Jake stiffens and sits straight up, headphones tangled in his grip, his companion mouths ‘sorry’ and Jake shakes his head
“I was just surprised, you normally try so hard not to touch me is all” Ethan flushes once more and Jake admires the rose tinge before refocusing, “Erm, do you wanna hear the story behind it?” any excuse for hearing his voice, the red boy nods and Jake spreads his mouth to a one-sided smirk “It’ll cost you” he teases and Ethan frowns, shaded eyebrows furrowing as his head tilted, Jake pushed out his cheek and tapped it lightly with an index finger twice. Ethan shook his head sternly and the other boy shrugged casually, “Fine, your loss” Instead he starts unravelling and de-knotting the headphones on his lap before plugging them both into his ears and turning up his music so that a slight buzz was audible to his companion.

Ethan crossed his arms over chest, stared once more out into the aisle and requested to the hostess for a cup of coffee and biscuits. Unfolding the tray in front of him he rips open the packet gently with his front teeth and removes the lid of the polystyrene cup- regretfully wishing it to be a mug, he loves mugs, even the word showed affection and a wholesome meaning, ‘mug’.- It consumed all of his attention as he dipped each biscuit into the steaming liquid and gleefully bit at the soggy dough, amused, Jake watched at this display until the four digestives had been eaten and the coffee was left to go cold, removing one ear plug he looks pointedly at the boy,
“Did you really just order that just to dip your biscuits in?” his voice is incredulous and Ethan shakes his head, slightly embarrassed he takes a quick sip of the bitter drink before squirming, Jake sniggers and replaces his headphone in Ethan’s ear. He smiles at the familiar sound of Disney songs and laughs lightly. It was a few minutes later when Jake took a quick peek round to make sure no one was watching, before he planted a gentle kiss on his neighbour’s slightly stubbly cheek.

As they waited at the back of the platform Ethan caught Jake’s eye across the group and they both smiled, one looking down sheepishly and the other trying to hide a laugh. Final members of the crew stumbled over to them with their suitcases and together, they rambled towards the shops of the big station, desperate for some substantial food. Ethan wandered with a flouncy make-up girl, Jess, who was quite taken with him and she hopped beside him as she chattered, her platinum blonde hair flicked out of her eyes every so often as she giggled surreptitiously at his witty remarks that she barely understood. But he enjoyed her easy demeanour and company, she was the kindest of all the staff so far and they’d really hit it off on that first day, so many weeks ago now. Meanwhile Jake dawdled behind, his arm entwined through his russet, elegant, best friends as she stroked it sympathetically and rubbed his back, watching him stare jealously at the couple in front of them she tried to bite back her reassurances, she had to keep him strong, but she failed badly, giving in to his weak puppy dog face,
“Sweetie, you’ll find someone some day” he tries to stop the welling in his eyes at these words and she interlocks her fingers with his, “not every one is so forth right as you Jaky-Baby, so be patient and it’ll happen with someone who recip-” he grimaces
“-I thought he did reciprocate Sadie, that’s the problem” she smiles softly “He’s just shy is all, at least that’s what I thought but now I don’t know whether he’s just too polite to say otherwise, and he’s just awkwardly letting me make a fool of myself” There’s a silence as Sadie acknowledges the topic she knows Jake is thinking of,
“That kiss was when he was in character Jake, don’t forget that otherwise you’ll get yourself all in a muddle” her skinny legs swaggered in her six inch heels and she wiped his tears away softly as a few teen magazine’s photographers showed interest in their party, knowing he’d be annoyed if they caught him like that otherwise.

She pats his leg comfortingly and he rests his head on her shoulder, as they sit at the two bar stools. The group have moved on, through to their hotel’s bar and club:
“So I kissed his cheek” she squirms inside, loving a romance as much as the next
“Then what did he do?” desperate for more she chokes on her drink through her straw,
“He grabbed me by the collar, stuck his tongue down my throat, I felt his abs and we made out before he led me the bathroom and we done it in the toilets for the rest of the train ride… What do you think?”
“Really?! Wow you guys were quiet!” she teases and he stares at the bottom of his glass meekly “Lighten up Jake, go and dance with him for god’s sake, I know you love a party, so why are you holding yourself back for?” he nurses his drink silently until she takes his hand and drags him out on to the floor and he reluctantly gets pushed and shoved to a jumpy bass beat that he can only avoid if he joins. After he has been parted from Sadie he makes his way, steadily, towards Ethan and smiles as if it were a pleasant accident that he happened to appear two feet from him. Ethan smiles unenthusiastically back and turns back to the Blonde bimbow as she bounces around and steals his attention.

“Seriously, you don’t drink?” the pale boy shrugs awkwardly, mouth blown out and neck stretched forward as he leans against the sticky bar’s unit top a few feet from the tan boy who questions him, “Why not?” Jake inquires and Ethan shrugs again
“I’d rather not make a complete fool of myself in front of other people just because I’m intoxicated by a drink that I was pressured into taking because I’m apparently ‘no fun’ without it, sorry but if I’m having fun, I’d rather remember it the morning after”
“Never been drunk have you?”
“Not even slightly”
“Bartender, add five shots of vodka to that drink and I’m paying”
“Jake” the boy protested but Ethan’s hand was covered with a reassuring pat
“Loosen up Ethan, what’s the worst that can go wrong?” and so as the ice cold drink arrives Ethan delays the first sip, drawing patterns in the condensation as it dribbles down the icy glass, but sooner or later the urge for a cool refreshment over takes him and he brings the glass to his lips. What could go wrong?

What could go wrong indeed, Ethan thought as he clutched the boys head to his neck, fingers tangled in previously, perfectly styled hair. His chest rose and fell with something close to hyperventilation as he felt warm lips smother his shoulder with nuzzling kisses he brought the face back in front of him, lifted it slightly with the tip of his finger and stared into the unfocused brown orbs, they both struggled to not smile before their lips collided once more with passionate longing. Finally, as they resisted the urge to continue for eternity, Ethan combed down Jake’s hair with shaking fingers and slowly cupped his hand to his face, Jake leant against him once more in a tender hug and all Ethan was aware of was their proximity, he could feel it in his bones as his arm tightened around the boy’s neck. They stood like that for an immeasurable amount of time, in the nook of the Cleaner’s alcove on the fifth floor of the Hotel. Ultimately they were both still a teeny bit tipsy, with Ethan the furthest he’d ever been on the drunk scale. His lips were numb from making out and his heart light with the carefree feel of someone, well, carefree. And Jake, Jake was just happy that his dreaming was at least based on some sort of realistic feelings.

The next morning, Sadie stared at them from her position on top of her own duvet, feet crossed and knees to chest she thought about how adorable they looked; cuddled and snuggled into each other with their hair all mental about their heads. Both gently snoring as their chests rose and fell in an oddly rhythmic way, she watched as Jake fidgeted from having his arm round Ethan’s waist to curling himself into the fetal position between Ethan’s hunched shoulders and bent knees and the way sleeping Ethan held the boy to him as their hair tickled his chin, just-so. And as Ethan’s phone vibrated once more she, again, silenced it between thick layers of her duvet and blanket, she wanted to prolong this moment for Jake’s sake. She also wanted him to be aware of it and so she proceeded to prod her best friend lightly on his shoulder, face level to his she placed her finger on her lips and widened her eyes meaningfully, the boy, confused, blearily took in his surroundings and the feel of the occasional breeze on his neck before looking down at the arm surrounding him, his heart stopped and nervously he checked to ensure he was in fact, clothed. Thankfully, he was. Sadie smothered her giggles at the boy’s unbelievably gleeful grin and Ethan moaned slightly as Jake accidentally elbowed his stomach. Ethan rose his hands gently to his face and curved his back as he stretched, his neck lulling against his chest he felt the body in front of him and the soft dappling of tuft-y hair against his skin, his eyes stretched wide a few moments after Sadie had retreated back under her duvet (with a leap of faith) and Jake had clamped his own eyes shut.

Shit, he muttered fiercely as he tugged on his hoody over his crumpled cotton pyjamas, struggling to keep back the something that was rising tauntingly up his throat. He was hyper aware now of Jake, as he sat with legs stretched before him against a puffed up pillow, who was intently watching Ethan’s reaction. Wildly throwing his head around, not the best idea, in search of a bathroom, he covered his mouth with a sturdy hand and prayed he could keep it down. Sadie sat bolt upright as soon as the door slammed shut and took in Jake’s shell shocked face, he mouthed to her desperately about what he should do and she shrugged, uncertain that any of her suggestions would in fact help they awkwardly listened to the sounds of their virtual stranger trying to hurl, before they were interrupted by the muffled vibrations of the phone. Jake, confused, raised an eyebrow at his best friend and Sadie, slightly ashamed, threw it smoothly to him, his hands catching it deftly he answered it nervously and swung his legs round to the side of the mattress, to sit upright,
“Hello, Ethan’s phone” the woman on the other end seemed quite surprised replying:
“Oh hello dear, this is Ethan’s mother, is he there please?” Jake chanced a glance at the closed bathroom door, his back to Sadie he smiled softly
“Sure, just a second” dreading how Ethan would now react to him he knocked lightly on the door and called with a tender voice “Your mum’s called, Ethan, can you talk?” a few awkward moments of shuffling later and Ethan appears, his head stuck round the door, he nods and smiles gently, taking the top of the phone between his index and thumb tips he throws it lightly in the air before catching it fully, avoiding touches it seems.

“Hey mum, didn’t you get my text?... I was held up, I didn’t have time to get the train home, yeah, delays… Wait you did geddit? Then why are you so worried! It’s okay, I shared a room with friends… no mum I slept on the floor… no, it probably isn’t hotel policy… yes I know… Mum! No, yep, fine, I’ll be over later… you’re coming to the interview right?... Of course I’m coming home then… It’s sorted, remember? Dad’s giving me a lift… no mum my friend’s’ll probably be busy… They’d be having fun mum, leave them be… Yes I know you want to meet them… Someone special?... Mum… I’ll be home later, really? Roast! You didn’t have to… I know, it’s my favourite… yes, there’s always more than enough isn’t there… enough for another” he repeats, muttering it he rolls his eyes “Who?... The person who answered? No he’s doing something else” Ethan slyly avoids Jake’s eyes as he perches on the end of the bed, his voice noticeably quieter “Yep. It’s certainly a shame. Fine… yes mum I’ve got everything packed… Yep I got those too… I’ll see you soon … Love you Mum” his face is screwed up with cautionary embarrassment, Sadie holds back her grin and tries to play innocent as Ethan looks up, with flaming cheeks, at her voice
“You know who loves a good roast?” Jake tenses, his shoulders stiff as he bites:
“Sadie!” But she laughs, ridiculously amused at the looks on their faces
“Me, I love a good roast” Ethan bites his bottom lip, phone in hand his expression is still sickening, his complexion pallid and damp with sweat “I hear there’s enough” a silence falls until eventually Ethan reluctantly invites her but she shakes her head
“It’s alright thanks love, but I’m going out with Jake, but I’m sure he’d prefer a night in to be honest, surely it’s only fair that you invite him too” Ethan grimaces
“You are a scheming bitch Sadie” Jake grumbles and she shrugs
“That’s the way you love me” and Ethan flicks open his phone, texting his mother about the two new guests. Before he falls backwards onto the bed, arms spread by his sides and Jake leans over him guiltily, mouthing his apologies he swiftly moves a curly black lock from Ethan’s eye and Ethan struggles not to flinch at the cool touch to his burning forehead, before he smiles softly
“Got anything for a hangover?”

Jess pampered his face with a powder as soft as talc, tickling it under his eyelashes in a teasing way he squirms from the brush with a screwed up face and his friends in a three person radius around him laugh at his soft sneeze. They’re all lounging in squishy arm chairs that are positioned in a wide arc around the set of an interviewer’s table and chair, an even squishier sofa beside it. Jess prods him one last time on the tip of his nose before waltzing over to his left, to Sadie who is assembled beside him. With her never ending legs crossed elegantly and her hands crossed in her lap, she’s wearing her usual heels, which she really doesn’t need, and skin tight jeans, a fake fur shrug around her shoulders, over a plain white vest. Ethan could’ve sworn she lived in white vests. But as Jess bent over her to cover her imperfections Sadie puts one slender hand up, perfectly manicured nails almost poking the make-up girl’s eye out
“Bitch, don’t you dare, I’m flawless as it is” Jess starts, uncertain of what to do until after an awkward two seconds Jake roars with laughter and Jess’s face falters slightly, still nervous, Sadie smiles a saint like beam and flaps her hands “I’m kidding gurl, lighten up” and so Jess tries to release a soft laugh, but fails, it’s unnaturally high pitch only deems to cause yet more raucous laughter and the girl’s cheeks flame. Ethan sympathises with a smirking shrug.

Jake is next and he pushes out his face with eyes closed expertly, lips pouted for a quick dose of balm, Jess completes his look in mere seconds, his make up barely needed touching up but she did it to satisfy him, of all the actors on the show, she thinks, I have to say I love Jake the most, for his to the point nature and willingness for her to experiment on his look. After his quick fix Jake poses slyly at Ethan and Ethan nods admiringly, avoiding eye contact and instead acting as if he’s taking in the set. Jake couldn’t help but think that Ethan was looking particularly dapper in his tailored, black jacket and fitted jeans; especially considering he was wearing the t-shirt Jake had bought him as a joke the first week of filming together, two or so months ago. Plain white and baggy it was emblazoned with the words ‘Hi Mum’ in thick bold lettering, one word on top of the other. It had been a joke, poking at the fact that this was Ethan’s first time in ‘showbiz’ and he seemed like the kind of mummy’s boy who could pull it off. But Ethan had refused to wear it, thinking that his new colleagues were just being snide.

The talk show they were being interviewed in had an ‘innovative’ layout; that people had been obsessing over for the past four years, meaning it had gathered quite a dedicated fandom. Initially, the host would request one of ten guests to have a fifteen minute chat with him and then the audience would pick and choose who would be in the final comedic quiz at the end, with the usual team captains of audience members and three guests on each side.

Ethan, nerves a jitter from even being under bright lights like these for the first time, felt the uncomfortable warmth of sweat as it dampened the back of his neck and his face gradually became more flushed, he’d been insistent in the request that he not be picked by the host but it seemed the request had gone unnoticed and he was preparing himself for what was sure to be his biggest humiliation of all time, his first interview. Sadie patted his hand as it scratched and fiddled with the felt covering of the chair’s supports and Jake stood from his own seat and wandered idly over to give him a speech of reassurance, his words carefully sequenced to ensure he didn’t induce a panic attack. He crouched between Ethan and Sadie as the audience filed noisily in, his hand covering his mic he smiled softly, his back to the raked seating.


“What do you do to be comfortable at home?” Ethan, unsure of how this was supposed to help in anyway gave a muffled squeak, his shoulders tense, heart in mouth, “Anything, E”
“I take my shoes off” he muttered, unbelieving of the words tumbling from his lips that yearned to be kissed by the boy.
“Perfect, so when you go up, shake his hand, sit down, slip off your shoes and curl your feet up beneath you, be the picture of relaxation and hopefully your body’ll convince your brain that you’re not nervous-” he was making it up as he went along, of course, not sure of how the audience would react to actions such as these and unfortunately Ethan picked up on the ‘hopefully’. His face squirmed and so Jake stopped mid sentence, “- I know if I tell you to be yourself you’ll just go all shy so I wanna tell you to be yourself in the way you are when you’re alone. Act as if the interviewer is you and you’re asking yourself these questions… what would you say if he asked, erm… what’s your name?” Ethan rolls his eyes, knees wobbling up and down
“I’d say ‘duh, you already know that’” Jake bites his lip nervously and shares a look with Sadie, Sadie shrugs
“It’ll probably be best if you don’t say that” her voice is overly loud and they catch the attention of a few wary watchers in the first few rows. Jake stands, squeezes Ethan’s shoulder and the boy’s head slumps forward, elbows on knees and hair dipping, Jake goes on to kiss Sadie’s cheek and mutters ‘thanks for trying’ before taking his own seat beside her.

It’s twenty or so minutes later, and the tension has almost completely evaporated from Ethan’s body, he is the picture of ease as he clambers excitedly all over the furniture, retelling stories and jokes with enthusiasm the audience laugh along, clearly enticed by his conviction and confidence, almost everyone hangs on his every word. The host grins, coercing and Ethan blushes slightly, embarrassed of the first thing that pops into his head at the mention of his ‘budding romance’ on the show, he looks down and at that moment. And girls who are watching all over the states, crouching before their tv screens, fall in love with his weak and dopy smile as he looks up beneath his eyebrows, his voice teasingly upbeat
“Well, I actually can’t tell you much about that, I mean, I don’t wanna ruin the show for you so you’ll just have to wait and see…but I’ll say one thing, it isn’t who you expect” The host laughs, jolly from the unexpected tease as Ethan shrugs one shoulder, head tilted towards it and eyebrows raised, the picture of innocence. He continues to ask on his relationship with his co-stars. Ethan doesn’t blush, he doesn’t falter or get in a fluster, and instead he launches into another anecdote with the opening line of:
“Well, we’re all quite a bunch of pranksters… see in the first week of my filming I happened to forget my lines, it wasn’t even a complex one it was just-”

The audience vote for him to be in the quiz. Along with a thirty year old woman who plays Jake’s mother in the show, Jake himself, a petite Indian boy with a quick wit, the teenage heartthrob of the moment who stars in the leading role of the show, who alas lacks a sense of humour and a pretty girl with corkscrew blonde curls and a timid smile, her soft nature clear in her gentle features. Ethan comes alive during the quiz. This is the moment he gains his reputation for his easy going character and an undeniable quirk, the half an hour which guarantees he is set for life in way of friends and jobs. Jake is his usual eccentric self and together they play off each other like a well worked in bromance. The blonde, Amelia, bites in a few one liners that shock the audience but play to her favour and the Indian boy comes back with mocking comments of his upbringing, and ‘Asian parents’ The older woman takes the back seat, comfortable in the limelight but letting the youngsters gain their glory she steers them ever so slightly in the right path; giving them leading questions that size up the on coming joke. The only one who fails to be led is the heartthrob, who keeps his mouth shut and throws the occasional smirk or deep-in-thought smoulder, playing up to his reputation. At this point, no one knew what was coming.

CHAPTER TWO, People can die.
Six Months Later…

The boy clutches at his chest as it palpitates wildly, pounding against his chest every half second he can barely draw breath as his eyes take in the peeping tattoo of the corpse, drowned in the puddle of crimson that ripples with diluting rain. His pulse deafens and dulls his senses. He can’t see the face, a navy Macintosh’s hood protecting the head from identification. But as each raindrop pelts his uncovered flesh the name of the deceased rings loud and clear, through his head and heart, he is no longer aware of his surroundings, only the uniformed arms as they try and struggle to hold him back. All he sees is his love. He doesn’t hear the thunder as it rumbles dramatically, hailing the end of his world, he only feels it as it shivers and reverberates through the marrow of his bones. The hairs across his body stand on end, goose pimples are raised clearly on his forearms, chilled despite the uncomfortably humid air. He mutters the name of the dead, failing to comprehend in his fragile mind the magnitude of this sight. The police hear his guttural sob and they take him by the shoulders, observing the tears as they run havoc with the rain down his drenched and dying features. They let him proceed towards the body and his pale skin is illuminated by the bolts of lightening that scar the midnight blue sky. He collapses to his knees despite strong protests by the surrounding officers and his clothes are stained with the life that has drained. His fingers shakily reach towards the tattoo but with the fierce tug back of authoritarian’s hands he only manages to slightly shift the waxed over raincoat and the shirt beneath, but it’s enough. He sees the full tattoo in all its glory as it’s painted so boldly on the pale canvas of the body’s hip. His hands ebb to his face where their cherry red tinge smears across his cheeks and his shrill sobs cut into the night like the blade to his lover’s neck.