Tuesday 3 February 2015

Chapter 38 - Gen 2 - Tapestry


Warning:  Adult content

Strawberry - this chapter was inspired by a dream I had!!  
Sorry but I just had to do it - lol

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Drinking in the dive bar, on top of the drugs that I have been given by River and Dad today, is not the best idea that I have ever had.  Not that I have had many bright ideas!!  I have sedative, those four little white pills and of course my medication swimming around in my system and I am throwing alcohol down my neck.  The funny part about it all, is I know I am being an idiot and probably asking for trouble!!"

The bottle of wine, that I lifted off the kitchen counter, which I sat on the park and drank, has gone straight to my head and has me merrily intoxicated.  Wine is not something that I would normally have drank and I am not even sure how strong it was, but I think any alcohol would not have mixed well with the drugs that have gone into my system today.

I wind River up something chronic over drinking wine, and seriously that bottle of wine of his that I consumed on the park was not nice, it was dry and revolting!!  I do not know what pleasure he gets out of drinking it!!  The closest I have ever come to drinking wine is when my Grandmother occasionally used to give me a drop of hers, probably a teaspoon full in a glass of lemonade when I was little. I thought I was a big boy drinking wine, but of course the amount that she used to give me was so minute it would not even have got a fly drunk!!




While I was on the park I decided to go to the cemetery, very curious about the mess that I have made to Shadow and Honey's graves.  I do not think I am going to rest until I put it right.  I had to pass the dive bar on the way, and as the off license is now closed, I go into the bar for another bottle of dutch courage.

I went into the bar with only the intention of buying a bottle of vodka, but the landlord moaned about it, so I just ordered myself a drink instead.  I am a little irritated because when I was underage he would serve me with bottles of alcohol and now I am an adult he won't sell me a bottle of vodka, he would rather now that I drink on the premises.  Wally is where all the kids go to buy their alcohol when they are underage.  I guess he thinks he might get more money out of me that way, knowing this cheeky old git he will let me buy the bottle before I leave, once he sees I am not buying any more drinks.

I turn round while I am stood at the bar because it is deadly silent in here, I presume because of the time, most decent people are in bed asleep now.  The bar I thought was empty all but for me until I see a guy, who I do not recognize, get up from his seat and walk into the toilets.

I laugh to myself as I throw my drink down my neck, remembering the time that me and Fern came in here and got dragged out in handcuff.  I suddenly stop laughing when I realize, that is what actually started it all.  The very next day, Forrest faded Storm and that was the first time I slept with Honey.  I can not always help but think, if I had not got Honey pregnant, she would never have faded, she would still be here.




"Well if it is not the cute little golden boy himself ... Tapestry Orchid!!"  I hear a male voice behind me  "I need to know what your secret is mate, because I could use a little bit of what you have got!!"

I turn around to stare at the guy speaking to me, he is the guy that I just watched going into the toilets.  I frown at him, I think I recognize him, he looks very familiar but I can not quite put my finger on who he is.  Not being able to see his colour does not help, I can not even take a guess.  He starts to laugh at me as I am stood there staring at him trying to work out who he is.

"Sorry, do I know you?"

"Come on bright eyes!!  I have not changed that much!!  You will break my heart into millions of pieces if you say you do not remember me." 

As soon as he calls me bright eyes I know exactly who it is.  Saffron Shine.  He really used to irritate the hell out of me calling me bright eyes when we were kids.  He never used to call Mosaic and Coral bright eyes, just me, and I could never quite figure out why!

"Oh Berry!!  Saffron!!  I heard you are back in town, but I have not seen you around!!"  I frown at him  "So what is the golden boy all about?"

"You and the old man!!  You are seriously the best thing since sliced bread with him at the moment, even after this mornings performance."  he laughs  "Not quite how I remembered your two's affections for each other being!!  So what happened, have you been sucking his dick?"



I stand laughing at him as I take in how he has changed physically since the last time that I saw him, which was too many years ago.  He looks a lot different in appearance, but his mouth has not changed any, he always used to crack me up with some of the things he used to come out with when we were kids.

"Hell no, you joker!!  I think I just might end up buried next to Storm and Honey if I even tried!!  I think you know all too well, your old man is quietly homophobic!!"  We both stand laughing for a moment.  "Your guess is as good as mine, because I honestly can not work out the sudden change in his attitude towards me either.  Sunny hated me before the abduction, when I returned home, I suddenly had a new best friend!!  I expected him to batter me because of Honey being pregnant!" 

I pull a face at him, he has already dropped in a comment about my performance and outburst this morning, I imagine he will have something to say on the matter so I decide to get in before he says something, and get the ear ache over and done with.

"Listen about my performance this morning at Cinnamon's funeral, I am sorry I ..."

"Forget it Tap!!"  he laughs  "We had bets on you blowing today anyway so it was not unexpected!!  Although we did not predict you would try a bit of grave digging!!  Only you could bright eyes!!  I have seen you pull some stunts but that is right up there!"  

Saffron laughs quietly which surprises me, it actually shocks me that he only seems to be seeing the funny side of it, not that I think there is one myself.

"Hell, I can not even imagine what it must be like to come back from a nine month abduction to find out you have lost your girlfriend and son like that."  he smiles at me.  "You have been through enough shit, you don't need me giving you earache for trying to dig up my sister and nephew!!" 



I am pretty surprised with his attitude, I expected, especially the Shines to start ripping shreds out of me for at least disrespecting and making a mess of Honey and Shadows graves.  I have always found Saffron a very hard one to work out, when we were kids, he was always there quietly in the background, he was never one of the nasty ones like his sister Strawberry, he mostly just used to watch me from a distance.  I used to think he was strange back then, but when he did open his mouth he used to crack me up.  Now that I know his secret, I think I realize I know what his problem was.  We go and sit down in the booth where he has left his drink and phone on the table.

"So, what are you doing in here alone so late, not following the Orchid piss head family tradition I hope!!"  he frowns at me.

"Hell no!!  As a rule I do not drink, I stick to flavoured water because of my medication.  River has given me the night off from Vanilla, and after today, I just needed a blow out!!"  he smiles at me and says he knows that feeling!  "So what has brought you back to Sugar Valley?  Honey told me you love it out in Sugar Falls."  I ask him

"Basically Crystal."  he laughs and I frown at him.

He starts to explain that he was still living at his Grandparents in Sugar Falls with his partner.  When Sunny discovered that Crystal is his sister and that his parents had just dumped her and pretended she had faded.  Sunny went ballistic and told his parents he wants nothing more to do with them, then he decided that Saffron could not live there any longer.  He had not told his partner he is a mixed berry, it is always a secret best kept out in the coded world, and Sunny opened his big mouth and told his partner.

"The bitch went ballistic, moved out and dumped me without a second thought, even threatening to dob me in to the law for being a mixed berry.  So my old man got his way and I had no choice but to come back here, even though I really do not want to be here!!."

"So is this why you are in here this late drinking alone?  Wallowing in self pity over the ex?"




"No not really."  he laughs  "The reason is pathetic really!!  One minute I'm sitting here crying over the bitch, the next I am having my head blown by someone else.  I suddenly see that our relationship was all wrong and I could not see it until I was out of it!!  On my part I think it was more need not love and even though I was not impressed at the time, now I am glad that the bitch has dumped me!!" 

He rolls his eyes and looks a little embarrassed, but I actually understand what he is saying.  I had exactly the same thing happen with Honey, that was more need than love and I didn't realize it until she was gone and I met Crystal.  However, I doubt very much that I should be telling Saffron that so I keep it to myself!!  

"I met someone in here a few nights ago, but we did not exchange numbers.  It was only meant to be a one night stand but I am now going crazy because I seriously can not stop thinking about her. I have stupidly sat in here for the past few nights on the off chance, hoping I might run into her again, but no such luck!!"

"Her? She?  You know you really don't have to pretend with me!  I know your secret!!"  he frowns at me as I smirk at him.  "I have got it on very good authority that you are a gay guy who is still in the closet, and that is why Sunny sent you to your Grandparents in Sugar Falls, and not for the bullshit reason he fed everyone."

"Who told you that?"  he frowns at me "Not the old man!"

"Hell no, he makes out like you are straight and have a girlfriend.  Bay told me."  he pulls a very strange face like he is not impressed. "Don't worry he has not been gossiping or spreading rumours!!   Your secrets is safe with us and I have never told a sole.  I tend to have all the gay boys crying on my shoulder for some reason."  he starts to really laugh at me for a moment.  "Bay told me the story about you and him, and how Sunny caught you two together and how he reacted."  he smiles at me.  "You know you shouldn't be scared of coming out, you really do not need to hide it here, nobody gives Bay, Forrest or any of the others a hard time for being gay!!"

"Oh my old man constantly gives me hell!!  That is why it is a secret, he wants it kept that way, not even my own brothers and sisters know!!  Dad went ballistic when he found out my Grandparents had let my boyfriend move in.  Another reason why he would not let me stay with them, he accused them of encouraging me in my sinful ways!!"  he laughs for a moment  "He thinks me being gay is my choice and I can change it, he thinks he can straighten me out!!"

"Sunny has always avoided Bay like the plague, mind you Bay has always avoided him, he has been terrified that he would tell Alpine about you two"  I roll my eyes  "I bet you would not know, unless you've spoken to Bay since you have been back, Storm was gay too."

Saffron mouths the word NEVER!!! as he sits there with his mouth and eyes wide open.


  

"It was a secret that he took with him when he faded."  I smile at him  "Bay and Storm were in a relationship when he faded, I know it's true, but everyone else thinks Bay is talking shit, everyone struggles to believe Storm was gay!   They both kept being gay hidden, partly because of how Sunny reacted to you, they were scared that Prelude and Alpine might react in the same way.  Obviously now Bay and Slate are out in the open.  Alpine doesn't like it, he would rather Bay was straight obviously, but he leaves him alone and lets him get on with it, he is even okay with Slate!!"

"Lucky Bay!!  I guess his old man is not as narrow minded as mine and he got what he wanted eventually!!"  he laughs  "He fancied Slate when we were kids."

"Yeah, so did Storm.  They both fell for Slate and that is the only reason why Bay and Storm were together and had a voodoo doll with my sisters face on it.  It looks like it might have worked too, the mess Coral has gotten herself into with Gravel and Slate and not knowing who's babies they are!!  I guess you have heard what Daddies little princess has been up to!!

"Yeah I heard, Corals halo is in the same place as Straw's knickers, round her ankles!!"  we both burst up laughing for a moment.  

"So your one night stand guy, does he have a name or is that a secret too."  he just stares at me hesitantly for a moment.  "I might be able to work it out for myself, it is not like there are many gay guys in this town ... Forrest, Granite, Bay, Mace, Atlas, Slate ... so which one is it"   I laugh and he shakes his head  "Okay."  I smirk at him  "It can't be Mace, Granite or Slate unless they sneaked out of the hospital for a quick half.  So that just leaves Forrest, Bay and Atlas. I doubt it would be Forrest or Bay they are two wrapped up in Granite and Slate ... so that only leaves one"  I smirk at him.

"Since when did you become a detective bright eyes."  he starts laughing as he punches my arm playfully.  "Yes, okay, it is Atlas."  he mumbles quietly




"Well you are an idiot, he lives at Forrest's like Bay." 

Saffron knows Atlas lives at Forrest's but is a little confused as to why Bay is living there and Atlas had not mentioned it when they were talking about Bay.  I explain to him that Bay does have his own place but a couple of Granites brothers are crashing there, so Bay has moved in with Forrest, as that is where he will be living anyway with Granite, Forrest and Slate when Slate comes out of the hospital. Mace will also be living there until his trial.

"Now I get why Dad calls Forrest's house, the house of sin!!"  he starts laughing almost hysterically  "All the gay guys in town will be living under one roof, except for me of course."  he smirks at me.

"Just go and knock on for Bay, you are bound to bump into Atlas, Mace is out of the hospital now so Atlas will be at home mostly looking after him."

"I guess I could drop in on Bay, but I don't want to make it too obvious."  he rolls his eyes  "I spent the night there, you know creeping in and out, it might look a bit suss if I just turn up on his doorstep looking for Bay, as well as he knows about me and Bay having history."  he shrugs his shoulders  "And it is not like Atlas has come looking for me is it, he might not even want to see me again, knowing my luck this is all one sided!!"  he sits there and puts his head in his hands  "I am going to just have to sit it out until I bump into him again."

"In the mean time you are going to drive yourself mad by the looks of it!!"  I laugh at him  "I actually had Atlas crying on my shoulder a few days ago when I went to see Slate."  

I roll my eyes at Saffron. I am seriously beginning to wander why I get all the gay boys pouring there problems out to me?




"I am not sure you have time to just sit it out. You do know don't you that he is thinking of taking off and only coming back for the trial.  This Mace thing is really getting him down."  Saffron frowns at me and asks what Mace thing.  "It is no secret, everyone knows there is a right tangled mess going on there!!  Atlas loves Mace, Mace loves Granite, Granite loves Forrest, those boys are really cracking me up, now it looks like you are tagging onto the end of the line!!"  I start laughing then singing  ♪ Saffron loves Atlas ♫  Atlas loves Mace ♪

"Shut up idiot someone might hear you!!"  he says laughing as he looks around then thumps me  "Love is maybe too strong a word to be using right now!!"  he smiles at me "So it is Mace. He told me there was someone, but he did not tell me who!"  Saffron pulls a miserable face and seems to go a little glassy eyed and wonders off into his own little world for a while.

"Oh man you have got it bad haven't you!!"  I laugh at him as he sits there all mopy faced.  "Anyway, Atlas wants to move on and forget Mace, so I guess you have a chance."  he rolls his eyes  "However, you might have to move fast before he takes off and disappear on you completely. "

I can not help but laugh at Saffron as he sits there looking miserable.  I hand him my phone  

"Here, Atlas's number is in my phone, but you will have to get it out yourself, and put yours in there while you are at it.  If you remember I can't read and write, so don't text me, phone."

He smiles at me as he takes my phone off me a little gingerly and stares at it for a moment.  Then he goes into my contacts and puts Atlas's number into his phone then his into mine.  He rings his phone from mine to put my number on his phone which he saves.


"Talking of moving fast ... you and Crystal?"  he frowns at me  "You did not waste any time did you!!  Did you not love Honey?"

"I know it looks very bad, but I did think that Honey faded nine months ago, before she actually had.  Manderine made out she had faded her when she had not.  I think Maizie must have pursued Manderine to let Honey go because she was pregnant and Manderine just wound me up in evil spite telling me she had faded her.   So I have been grieving for Honey and the baby for the past nine months and I had virtually got it out of my system by the time I returned home.  My biggest shock was coming home to Vanilla!!"  he smiles at me  "And Crystal well she is just something else!!  I just could not help but fall for her instantly."

We sat for ages just chatting about Crystal and the life that she has had.  Saffron has only seen her a few times while she has been around at Sunny's but she has been very shy with him so he has not really spent any time with his new found Aunt yet.  We joked about our relationship and how it would change if me and Crystal ever get married.  It would make me his Uncle, which had us howling with laughter.

Our conversation moved away from Crystal and onto other things.  Saffron tried to talk about the abduction but I told him that was one subject I did not want to talk about because it was too painful, but really it is because I do not want to slip up and say something that I shouldn't.  So we avoided the subject of the abduction after that.  In a way it was a good thing that we had so much catching up to do because while we were talking neither of us were really drinking so I was not getting any more intoxicated than I already felt.  I actually felt like I was sobering up.

"Why do you keep calling me bright eyes?"  I ask him after he has called it me for what feels like the hundredth time.  He sits laughing at me




"I have a thing for eyes and your eyes I have always found very striking."  I raise my eyebrows, I guess he must know what I might be thinking, he starts to look embarrassed  "I'm not saying that because I fancy you, don't worry you are safe, I am not about to jump on you!!"  we both laugh  "Your eyes are a lot brighter than Coral's and Mo's, and are almost a different colour."  I frown at him  "Yours are like paper white and bright theirs are dull and have like a grey ting to them.  Yours shine, theirs don't.  Affair, Lilly, Mo, Cotton and Coral their eyes are pale and dull in comparison, and I did notice the other day, Crystal has shiny eyes like you and so does one of the triplets."  I frown and ask which one  "Magnolia, the other two's are dull."  he laughs  "Vanilla has your shiny eyes too."

I have never noticed.  I can not help but let my mind wander, I thought we all had the same colourless eyes.  Something Saffron said struck me, me and Crystal having the white shiny eyes, we see spirits when those with dull eyes don't.  Storm thinks Vanilla can see him, and Saffron says she has the shiny eyes too.  It makes me wander if there is a connection with the shiny eyes and spirits, I also start to wander if Magnolia might be able to see them too.

"It was funny you walking in when you did."  he laughs at me suddenly, breaking my thoughts, as he waves his phone in front of me.   "I was listening to yours and Rocky's song that I had just downloaded off I tunes.  It is really good!!"  he grins at me  "Who would have thought it, Tapestry the rock star!!" he grins at me  "My Dad for one is eating humble pie and choking on his words right now, he always said you would drag Honey down!! Something else he has got totally wrong!!"

"I'm not a rock star yet!!"  I laugh at him  "I could turn out to be a rock flop!!" he frowns at me.

"Have you not checked the I tunes chart?"  he laughs  "Your song has shot straight up to number 1 in the download charts.  I don't think you are going to be a rock flop somehow!!"  he starts laughing as I sit staring at him wide eyed and in shock!!

Suddenly I hear a voice that goes through me instantly.

"Yeah rock flop is about the size of what he is, and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot!!"  Strawberry laughs sarcastically as she walks around the table and sits down next to her brother. "Saffron, he will never make it he is an Idiot!!  It will not take him long to mess up!!  Berry knows what Honey ever saw in him!!"

"Oh here she comes, she is never off my back this one!!"  I snap

"You are a total moron that is why!!  Just look at you, you throw one of your attention seeking tantrums at Cinnamon's funeral, you make a mess of my sister and nephews graves and now you are in here drinking like nothing!!  You are a joke!!"  Strawberry snarls.  "So who have you dumped Vanilla on now?  Is the retard looking after her again?"




"Get lost Straw!!  It is not an attention seeking tantrum, it is an emotional outburst because of my medical condition, one day you might just learn that!!"  I snap at her  "And call Crystal a retard again or any other name for that matter, and you will end up looking like one, because your face is enough to drive me into having an outburst on it!!  Just like you pushed me into it this morning, standing behind me constantly pecking my head with your spiteful crap!!"  I snap at her nastily  "As for my daughter you have been told to keep away, she is none of your business and you are having nothing to do with her!!"  

"That's a bit harsh Tap!!"  Saffron frowns at me.

"That only applies to Strawberry not you or any of the rest of your family!!  You are all welcome to see Vanilla any time, just as long as she is kept away from Strawberry!!"

"You can not stop me from seeing my niece you moron!!"  Strawberry snaps at me

"Just watched me!!  I have warned you, I will get an injunction if you don't keep away!!"

"Hey guys I know you two have never been the best of friends, but there is no need for you to fight!!  Isn't it time you grew up and made friends, we are family now!!"  Saffron tries to but in and calm down the situation, he turns and frowns at me.  "I am really surprised at you Tap using Vanilla just to get at Straw!"

"There is every need Saffron, and I am not using Vanilla to get at her!!  The last thing I want is Vanilla being in the middle of a war zone, it is bad enough that she is having to grow up without a Mother!!"  he smiles at me.  "Your sister here thinks she is a law unto herself!!  She thinks she has more right to my daughter than I do!!  She wants Vanilla and has already broken into our house in the middle of the night trying to snatch Vanilla and take her off to Berry Shores."

 Saffron sits stares at me wide eyed while Strawberry is scowling at me.    

"Ask Cherry about the conversation they had in which Straw told her all about her plans for snatching Vanilla.  If it was not for Crystal overhearing the conversation and locking Vanilla in the bathroom where Straw could not get to her, she would have taken off with my baby during the night while we were all asleep!!"

"Please tell me you are joking!!"  he looks shocked 

"No I wish I was!!  It is not just me telling her, Strawberry has been warned by everyone, including your Dad, to keep away from Vanilla, because she will not drop this she's taking Vanilla rubbish, so none of us can trust her not to snatch off with her!!  Even Crimson has warned her that he will lock her up for baby snatching if she so much as touches Vanilla!!"

Saffron is sat there looking a little shocked as he looks from me to Strawberry.




"Is this true Straw?"  he snaps at her.

"Honey was my twin sister, I knew her better than all of you, and it is what she would have wanted, me to take Vanilla not leave her with that idiot!!"  she snaps at Saffron  "That IDIOT can not even look after himself, and he definitely can not take care of Vanilla properly."  she laughs  "He leaves her with that colourless retard all the time, she is another one, too thick to look after herself, so Vanilla has no hope!!"

Saffron loses it with Strawberry and they start to argue.  I just sit watching and listening as they rip into each other.  Saffron is having a go at her over both Vanilla and Crystal.  I am relieved that he is another one who is taking my side.  Strawberry is out there on her own with this one, nobody agrees with her surprisingly, everyone thinks that Vanilla should be with me and only Strawberry has actually questioned if I am capable of taking care of Vanilla.

I am really also struggling to understand why Coral and Strawberry are so down with and nasty to Crystal!!  She is never anything but kind and sweet with everyone and she definitely has done nothing to deserve their apparent hatred of her.  They keep calling her an idiot when she is far from it, Crystal is actually cleverer and stronger than all of us.  She has survived out in the wild alone since she was six years old, you have to admire her for that, not belittle her because of her ignorance of life, which she is quickly learning.

The way that Coral and Strawberry both keep throwing the word colourless around, like it is something nasty, is also really bugging and annoying me.




"What are you doing out and in this bar at this time of the night anyway Straw? ... on the prowl for your next lay?"  Saffron snaps at her and this really makes me laugh.

"No actually!!  Dad wants you home!!  He sent me in here to fetch you."  she laughs sarcastically  "Someone obviously has been a naughty boy again!!  So what have you done now to upset him some much?   He called you a dirty stop out and Crimson says you two have been fighting again."

"None of your goddamn business!!"  he snaps at his sister  "You mind your own business and I will mind mine!!"

Saffron drains his glass and rolls his eyes at me as he stands up.

"Sorry Tap, I'm going to have to love and leave you.  I will be punching the old mans lights out if he comes in here trying to drag me home!!  He still thinks he can treat me like I am fourteen years old!!"  he smiles at me  "I'll pop round to spend some time with Crystal and Vanilla tomorrow if that is okay."

"Yeah, it's fine!!"  I smile at him  "Just don't bring Straw with you!!"

"Okay!"  he smiles at me  "Thanks for that!" he waves his phone at me and winks, I presume that he means Atlas's phone number.

"No problem!"

"Come on then tart ... HOME!!"  he snaps at Strawberry.




Strawberry tells him she is just using the toilet and she will catch up with him, he just huffs and walks off.  After Saffron has left Strawberry just stays sitting there scowling at me, I doubt she has any intention of using the toilet.  I get up and make my way over to the bar to get away from her.  I decide to order one more drink before I leave to go to the cemetery.

As I stand at the bar I can not help but think it is a little strange that I have not seen Storm or Cosmic since the funeral.  It is unlike Storm not to come tracking me down, but then I guess if he is looking for me, he probably would not expect to find me in here drinking. 

I start to get a little annoyed when Strawberry comes over to the bar and stands right next to me and orders a drink.  I know she has only come over here to wind me up some more.  One of these days I am seriously going to teach her a lesson.

"So when did you and Saffron become so pally?"

"Sling your hook Straw!!"  I snap at her  "I came over here to get away from you and I think you have done enough damage for one day don't you!!  Shouldn't you be going home!!"

"I think Saffron is right, we should quit the fighting and make friends."

"Are you pissed?"

"No this is my first one."  she smiles at me.  Sarcastic cow!!
 


She suddenly steps closer to me and runs her hand down my face.  I try to step away from her but she grabs my jacket and pulls me closer to her.  I lurch forward and wander what the hell she is playing at.  She is not even drunk and I swear she is touching me up!!

"You know I have always wandered what my sister saw in you."  she smiles at me as she runs her hand down my face again and runs her thumb across my lips.  She is making my skin crawl.  "How about you show me just exactly what my sister was getting and what I have been missing?"

"Are you SERIOUSLY coming onto me?!"  I am shocked!! 

"Why not, neither of us are doing anything better right now."  she smirks at me  "You won't be disappointed!"   she says in a sickly voice as she starts playing with my hair. "I think we both know you have always wanted to!!"  I seriously want to slap her filthy hands off me!!  Do men seriously fall for this?!

Like hell do I want too!!  I might be drunk, but I am definitely not THAT drunk!!  I doubt I could EVER be that drunk!!

She is nothing but a dirty whore!!  If she seriously thinks I am going to be her next victim, because she wants to get laid and there is nobody else around or is on a mission to ride every bloke in this town, she is on another planet even thinking of picking on me!!  I would rather turn gay than touch her!!  I actually doubt that I would even be capable of managing it with her anyway, she makes my skin crawl so much!!

She stares into my eyes and starts to run her hand up and down my arm, and even though she is making me cringe and I want to knock her across the bar, I let her carry on while I wander what game she is playing!?  Is this what Rocky warned me about, she is trying to get her claws into me because she thinks fame is coming, or is this a game to trick me into cheating on Crystal so she has got some ammunition to use against me?  Maybe she is trying to get me to slip up and she would go as far as to sleep with me so she can blackmail me into giving her Vanilla.



Whatever her game, I am not that stupid and she definitely is not winning this one.  I start laughing, she is making a very big mistake staring into my eyes!!  She has just reminded me about something.

"Okay, so where are we going?"

"I'll sneak you into mine."  she smirks at me.

Oh boy is she in for a shock!!

I hold her chin and start to move towards her like I am going to kiss her, so that I can get closer to her eyes.  I stop when our faces are inches apart and I stare into her eyes.  She stares back and we make eye contact.  She has just made the biggest mistake of her life!!

I dive through her pupils and straight into her head.

There is no point me having this compelling ability if I do not use it to my own advantage sometimes.  I think teaching Strawberry a lesson is going to come a hell of a lot quicker than I thought.

It does not take me long to tell her, loudly in my head, what I want her to do, and I do it quickly because the last thing I want to do is start seeing pictures of what is in her head.  I imagine it would mostly be pornographic, but I am more worried about who else I might see in there with her!!  While I am in there I tell her to keep well away from me, Crystal and Vanilla in the future.  I am not sure that will have any affect, but I hope it does.

As soon as I break eye contact she walks off quietly towards the toilet where I have told her to go.



While she is gone I go over to the jukebox and stack up as many songs as is possible, and I can not stop laughing all the time I am doing it.  I go back over to the bar and start to badger the land lord for a bottle of vodka.  I am not confident about getting the vodka but I just want to distract him for a while.  I am not so surprised that he actually caves in and sells me one when I tell him I should be making tracks.  I start to talk to him to carry on keeping him preoccupied.

It amuses me when he says he has heard about my recording contract and asks if it is true.  I laugh thinking I bet that bit of gossip flew around town like wild fire!!  He starts asking me questions about my career, he is more curious about how I can go out into the coded world being a mixed berry.  As we are talking I find myself saying I will drop in my CD's to put in his jukebox.  I guess I am about to owe him after what I know is coming with Strawberry.

Suddenly the landlord stops talking mid sentence and pulls a pretty shocked face.

"FOR BERRYS SAKE!!"  he yells  "SHE IS COMPLETELY NAKED!!"

I spin round and I see that she is indeed completely naked and dancing at the jukebox just like I have told her to.  I take out my phone and take a quick picture then turn back around to face Wally who is standing behind the bar blowing a gasket while I am laughing my head off.  I am glad she had her back to us, seeing her bare backside was enough.

I quickly knock back the rest of my drink, because this is my queue too leave.  I am not going to get my kicks from seeing her naked, I have other plans that are going to be way better, the whole town is going to see this!!

I am howling when I put my empty glass down on the bar counter and start to walk towards the toilet where her clothes are.  You just know that I am taking those with me!!

I am almost in hysterics listening to the landlord shouting at her, which she is totally ignoring because she is in a trance.  I have told her she is free to go in one hour, so nobody is budging her during that time.  It amuses me that the landlord remains standing behind the bar while he is blowing a gasket.  He's an elderly guy now, I just hope he does not have a coronary seeing Strawberry dancing naked in his bar.  He sits down on a chair that he has behind the bar and covers his eyes for a moment and starts swearing, he tells me that she just span round.  I am guessing he just had an eyeful of everything.



"Hey Orchid, you can not just leave her here like that!!  Sort your friend out!!"  he yells at me as I am walking away from the bar, so I stop and turn to face him.  "Get her to put her clothes back on and get her out of here ... she is barred!!"

"You are the landlord it is your job to control your customers!"

"Customer, she only bought one drink!!  She is your friend!!  I can not go near her or I might get myself arrested!!"  this has me howling.  "I didn't mean it that way you filthy minded git!!"

"She is no friend of mine so I am not going near her either!!"  I laugh at him  "But I will phone someone, to come and sort her out for you."

"Well hurry up because she is knocking me sick!!  I want her out of here!!"  he sits there on his chair staring at her wide eyed. 

"Well stop looking at her then, you dirty old man, and you won't feel so bad!!"  I laugh at him  "I wouldn't sit there either if I was you, or you might just get a lap dance!!  She might even try to jump you, the town bike will do anything to get laid!!"  I start to howl at him.

"You have always been a cheeky little git Tapestry Orchid!!  I would not be surprised if you have not put her up to this!!"  he laughs   

"You saw her go off to the toilet and just come out naked!!"  I laugh at him  "Would you get naked and start dancing in a public bar if I asked you to?"

"Well no, okay maybe this is not down to you for a change!!  he laughs  "Don't you get going and leaving me in here on my own with her!!"

"Sorry my bed is calling!!"  I laugh at him even though I do feel a little guilty for putting him through this.  "Maybe it is safer if you wait outside for the police to come."


I snap open my phone and dial 999.

"Hello emergency services, which service do you require?"

"Police please."

"Okay sir, I will just put you through."  there is a click then the phone rings twice before someone speaks again.

"Hello, police how can I help you."

"There is a woman running around town, she is completely naked.  She has just run into Wally's dive bar on first Avenue.  We need an officer to come over and sort her out."

"Naked you say?"

"Yes completely stark naked, she is not wearing a stitch of clothing.  Can you please hurry only she is dancing in the middle of the bar and it is knocking the landlord sick and he is an old man, I am worried he might keel over, then we will be needing an ambulance too."

It is killing me trying not to laugh especially as the landlord is now laughing behind me because he is listening to what I am saying.

"Okay sir we will send a squad car straight over."

"Oh and please do not send Crimson Shine if he is on duty, because the naked woman is his sister, Strawberry Shine!"




As soon as I have finished talking to the police, I ask Wally to find a number for me in my contact list.  I dial the number and just hope that Mint is going to answer the phone this late at night.

"Tapestry!!  Do you know what time it is?! You woke me up you Idiot!!"  Mint almost yells down the phone at me.

"Yes, I know I'm sorry, but I have something for you that you are just going to LOVE!!"  I laugh  "It will probably earn you some brownie points at work, plus you get to reap a little bit of that revenge you want on the Tart!!"  I sigh  "And I am sorry for what I did at Cin's funeral."

"It's okay, Dad did worse than you!! This revenge had better be good Tap!" 

"What if I told you I can give you exclusive pictures off my phone of the town bike dancing stark naked in the middle of Wally's."  I start laughing  "The police are on there way as we speak to sort her out!!  So the story is bound to get into that newspaper of yours, as she is going to get done for indecent exposure at least."  she starts laughing  "I just thought between us, we could hurry that news article up a little."

"Strawberry is NAKED in the dive bar?"

"Yep she is not wearing a stitch!!  You know she will do anything to get laid!!  She THOUGHT I was going to be her next victim, but I would rather sleep with your gay brother than touch her!!  She is knocking Wally sick doing her naked slut dance in the middle of the bar!!"  we both stand howling for ages  "There is only me and Wally here seeing this, but I want the whole town to see it!!  A nice full page article would do the trick!!"

"You beauty!!  It shall be done!!  Send me the pics now and I can get it squeezed into tomorrow's lunch time edition!!"  she starts howling.

"I'll have to come round, you'll have to take them off my phone you know I struggle to use my phone, taking pictures is about as far as I go."  she laughs at me  "Give me about twenty minutes, I have plans for her clothes - the Town Hall flag needs a little attention!!  Which I will also be taking a picture of."  she starts howling.

"Just hurry up Tap!!"  she laughs  "You do know don't you that the E.F. are going to come down on us two like a tonne of bricks for this!!"

"I don't care!!  Its time the Tart got a little payback!!  I think you know it is only going to be the oldies who are not going to think this is funny!!  Although I think your Dad might find it amusing, Alpine is always up for a giggle, but I doubt my Dad or Sunny will be!!" 




I slip into the toilets and pick up all of Strawberry's clothes, which are lay in an untidy pile on the floor.  I just leave her phone, purse and shoes behind.  I know the police will pick those up when they go looking for her clothes.  I run out of the dive bar howling in hysterics.  I have plans for her clothes.

I am a little irritated that it is raining when I get outside.  I run across town and I can not stop giggling, because I know exactly where her clothes are going. I do not stop running until I reach the Town Hall.

I run across the lawn in front of the town hall.  That flag has been ripped, weather worn and very tired looking for years and it needs replacing.  I untie the rope that is attached to the flag pole and pull the flag down.  I unclip the flag and attach Strawberry's clothes, the best I can, in it's place.  I pull the 'new' I am guessing yellow and red flag replacement up and tie the rope back to the pole.

I stand back laughing at Strawberry's clothes flapping in the breeze at the top of the flag pole.  I need a photograph of it so I run to the edge of the lawn so that I can get a clearer one, then take off to Alpine and Caramels house to give Mint the photographs.

I knew that Mint would be up for this.  She is a journalist, but she also has a hatred for Strawberry that is probably even greater than mine.  She is pretty much a scorned woman, Mint and Parsley were together until Strawberry lured Parsley away and broke them up.  Mint has never really gotten over it and she has not dated anyone since.



I run away from Mint's house in hysterics.

Next stop the cemetery.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

3 comments:

  1. What an interesting dream that must have been XD

    I'm glad you had it though for this is turning out to be one of my favorite chapters. It's got the perfect blend of plot progression (hints about SaffronxAtlas and the reveal of the 'shiny eyes'), drama, and humor. Can't wait to see how it all wraps up ^^
    I can't believe Strawberry actually tried to come on to Tap! What a nut!

    I'm not familiar with what E.F. means.

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    Replies
    1. I see miss Marple picked up on the hint of the shiny eyes - lol :D

      I am glad you enjoyed the chapter - and yes it was an interesting dream lol
      Strawberry is a piece of work!!

      EF = Extended Family (basically the Shines / Orchids / Forests )

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  2. I think all the gay guys come to Tap because he understands them. They're all judged on things they can't control or change and it makes them outcasts.
    Interesting bit about the eyes, I wonder if Magnolia will have the same abilities as Tap.
    Can't believe Straw tried to seduce Tap. She must be crazy. Good thine Tap has that ability to compell people. He put it to good use and not half of what she deserved.

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