Tyler stares at Kade his face flooding with confusion, "What are you talking about dude?"
Kade ignores him, as do I.
I'm angry with The Kade, I fix him with my new smokey-eyed glare, "You didn't think through the consequences of our break, did you?" I can't help my eyes narrowing, "Who fed you this, 'break,' idea, anyways?"
He takes the bait and gives me his smirk face, "You know I can think for myself, Tan – my ideas come from me, myself and I," he says, holding onto his temper; while Tyler loses his – "Guys, now's not the time for break-up-brawling." He throws a glance around the room, "We're literally locked inside a coffee shop," he throws his hand towards the windows, "and people are are fucking exploding on the street!"
Kade raises his hand, "Please Ty, observe and comment correctly: those who try to cross the margin are exploding; and there's no need for cursing." Tyler sees red, "Quit the talk-shat; and don't raise your hand to me fuckboy!" he shouts, slapping Kade's hand out of the way.
Kade doesn't flinch, instead he looks politely at Tyler, "Can you bare with me a moment please, Ty?" he says, affecting a British accent like Troy's. Tyler snaps back, "The name's Tyler; and no, I don't have a moment, I need outta here, we all do," he grabs Kade's shoulder and yanks him with a force that causes Kade to flinch.
Kade smiles at me sweetly, "Your dates really rude," he spins round, throws his fist back and thrusts it into Tyler's face with force, knocking him out cold. Kade catches him in his arms, and lays him gently on the floor, "Ty, please don't call me a fuckboy again – and with time you'll realise that I really don't talk-shat, I talk truth and understanding," he says, turning him on his side and checking his pulse."
Satisfied, he turns to me, "He'll be out for a while, but I'm sure your date and I will find some common ground when he comes to."
I can't believe this; Kade is actually being all sarcastic and jealous at the most inappropriate of times.
I rail against him, "He's not my date, he literally just came in off the street and asked to join me."
He chuckles, annoyingly, "Oh yeah, and you literally made-up real nice for a total stranger off the street."
"Kade, I had this make-up done for me, only me, for my self-esteem – me, myself and I..."
...The Barista's raised voice stalls Kade's response to me – "FOLKS, LISTEN UP – CHECK YOUR CELLS FOR A SIGNAL – WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SITUATION HERE!"
Kade leaps up onto a table, "Sure we have a situation. And it's a serious situation." He points towards the mayhem outside, "What you're seeing out there is only the beginning – I urge you all to keep calm..."
..."KEEP FREAKING CALM, CAN YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE?" the Barista shouts back, his whole body shaking.
I glance back to see a young woman cross the road, when she reaches the red line, she's hurled back onto the street where she bursts into flames, igniting an older guy who has the misfortune to be hit by her – it's a sight beyond horrific.
I look away and see everyone in the shop frantically tapping at their cells, seeking a connection to communicate or to Google what's happening.
Kade is instinctively taking a leadership role as he call out commandingly from his table, "Folks – I suspect all your cell-services have been suspended, intercepted by a power that resides beneath us. It's their mission to create a world with margins, wherein they will contain all persons they consider undesirables. What you're witnessing outside is their first manoeuvre to achieve this objective – the creation of a margin that will annihilate anyone trying to cross it."
Such is Kade's commanding presence that people are staring at him open mouthed, trying to process the absurdity of his words.
He continues with a fiery passion – "Unfortunately, we are all captured, contained within their margins without the ability to communicate to the outside world – it is they who have terminated all your telecommunication and digital services. Looking at your cells, tablets, and laptops is futile, they are now as useless as a chocolate coffee pot."
When he pauses, I see everyone tapping at cells; their faces contorted into myriad emotions as they try to compute the situation.
Given that I'm in the know, my mind is still mired with Kade – I'm so pissed with him right now.
So I take advantage of the pause, "Anyways Kade, why were you coming here, was it you who had a date and you're trying to project your actions onto me?" I ask.
He jumps down and looks at Tyler who's beginning to make wakening groans, "Trust the Three Surgeons to scupper Ty and Tan's first date, hey." My blood begins to simmer, but I hold back from boiling over, "Answer me Kade, what brought you here?"
"Actually, I was coming to meet Kelly and Troy," he says, smugly.
I look around, "Really, are they here?"
Kade scans the crowd, who are becoming increasingly agitated and vocal, "I guess they got lucky by being late," he says, satisfied they're not in the shop with us.
We both spin around when we hear the refined tones of Troy's British accent – "Actually, we are here."
Kelly and Troy are outside, yet Troy's voice is clearly audible inside. They are standing in a protective booth that shields them from the chaos ensuing around them.
You know dear readers, the truth is what you feel, not what you're told. Whenever I spoke to Kade about my Kelly and Troy concerns, his response was to tell me, "Tan, they'd never do the dirty on us, I trust them both implicitly."
Now, I see the look on their faces and I know I felt their truth – they have betrayed us.
Kade looks at me and I see the hurt and anger in his eyes. He lowers his head and says in a barely audible voice – I should never have doubted you, Tan...
