"the angels never arrived"
[we are young - fun]
VIOLENTLY bright and tacky lights were strung through the halls, spare corners and classrooms decorated with paper snowflakes and plastic Christmas trees and the general spirits of student was lifted at least thirty percent by the approaching break. Mack sighed and closed her locker, turning to face Jo as she filled her in on everything that happened when she was away.
"So who's this mystery guy that keeps coming up then?" Jo urged with a raised brown, poking Mack in the side playfully with her elbow.
"Just that. A mystery." Mack retorted, scoffing and rolling her eyes at the overly invested girl.
"A mystery, huh? Well I do love a good problem to solve." Jo teased. "If I can't know who he is, at least tell me what happened." No suggested. After a long pause to mill it over, Mack finally caved.
"Okay, so - don't freak out, but I may have slept with him." Mack all but whispered. Jo cupped her ear with her hand and said:
"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Mack chewed her bottom lips before repeating.
"I slept with him. Twice." Jo's eyes went wide.
"Twice?!" Mack but her lips and nodded. Suddenly an arm was thrown over her shoulder and Mack turned to see a grinning Kai.
"So what's this?" He asked, mock shock on his face.
"Mack finally found a way to forget Ben." Jo stated.
"Ooooo, so Kenz's finally getting some?" Mack rolled her eyes. "It's about time really, I was getting fed up with her cranking attitude and-" he cut off when Mack hit him in the shoulder and he retracted his arm, shooting her a knowing look.
"It's not like that. It was a spur of the moment kind of thing, I doubt it will happen again." She dismissed, giving Kai a warning look.
"If you say so. Hey, this is me. Catch you guys later!" Jo said as they reached her class.
"Won't happen again, huh?" Kai husked lowly in Mack's ear once Jo was gone.
"Yes. So don't try anything." Kai's mischievous grin worried Mack and before she knew it he had grabbed her hand and pulled her into Janitor's closet and pressed her against the closed door.
"Like this?" He whispered, nibbling softly at her earlobe. She put her hands on his chest and pushed Kai back slightly.
"Yes, like this."
"We have a free period, may as well use it." He shot back with arched brows. He stepped closer to her again. "I know you want to." His minty breath fanned over her face, intoxicating her further. Mack looked away, and before he could get another word in she smashed her lips to his, her arms wrapping around his neck.
Kai was taken back at first but he quickly melted into the kiss, bracing a hand on the door beside Mack and his other settled on her hip after running over her curves.
"This is the last time this happens." Mack mumbled against his lips, gasping as Kai picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist before crashing her back to the door again.
"Okay." He murmured back, knowing full-well it wouldn't be.
...
"So what are you guys doing for Christmas?" Mack wondered aloud as Kai drove her and Jo home.
"Yeah, our family is going to San Francisco to see our cousins." Jo explained. "Well Kai isn't, as usual." she added almost accusingly.
"So you're gonna be on your own for Christmas?" Mack's question was directed at Kai now. he scoffed.
"So?" he seemed completely disinterested. Mack's eyes were wide.
"So?! What are you on about? It's Christmas!" Mack exclaimed, shocked. After a moment of thinking she came up with a solution. "Why don't you join my family for Christmas? It's only my dad, my sister and me but it's normally quite funny and we could always use some extra company." she quickly added, "and you can probably cook better than any of us."
After a moment of no answer Mack spoke again.
"You don't have to, I just didn't think you'd want to be alone. Think about it." She said as Kai pulled up to he house. "Thank you for the lift, bye!" and with that she climbed out Kai's car, slinging her bag over her shoulder and opening her front door.
"Hey dad." she said, dumping her bag on the table and grabbing an apple from the fruit bowel.
"Hey sweetheart." he chimed back, focus still on his notepad in front of him. "have a good day at school? How's Kai?" Mack took a bite of her apple.
"School's..." she trailed off, thinking about the Janator's closet, "fine, I guess. And Kai's good too. Speaking of Kai, can he spend Christmas with us? His family is going away and he'll be alone." Mack put her pleading face on.
"Of course he can, that boy has been a great help to you these past few months and I'd love to finally meet him. Do you want to give him a call?" he suggested, finally looking up from his work.
"I'll call him later. I've got homework to do, so I'll just be up in my room if you need me." Mack said, walking towards the stairs.
"Oh honey," her dad started. she turned back to face him.
"Yeah, dad?"
"Kim's boyfriend is also joining us this year."
"Boyfriend?"
"Yeah, they started going out recently. I think he's younger than her - maybe your age. I am yet to meet him, so she thought Christmas would be the perfect opportunity."
"Okay." Mack walked up the stairs, the cogs of her mind churning, trying to figure out who her sister was dating.
...
"Kai! Finally, I thought you'd never come." Mack greeted cheerfully, smiling widely at Kai would held a few stacked trays covered with tea-towels in his hands.
"And miss seeing you in this little get-up?" He gestured to her red dress and Santa hat, "not a chance in the world, sweetheart." Kai grinned back, placing a quick kiss on her cheek as he walked into the house.
"You must be Kai!" Her Dad said as he saw Kai, Kim taking the plates from him as he mouthed a thank you before returning to her dad.
"Correct. You must be Mr Grace." Kai mentioned, shaking his hand firmly.
"Oh, please call me Ian." Ian waved off, releasing Kai's hand.
"Well, it's good to meet you, Ian. Thank you so much for having me." Kai thanked.
"Oh, it's no big deal. It's nice to have some more company for a change." Ian smiled. Kai turned to Kim.
"Ah, the sister." He said with a tight smile.
"Ah, the boyfriend." She mimicked. Kai had an amused smile at that.
"Not quite, just the best friend for now. I don't think she's quite over-" he was cut off when he heard Mack's horror filled voice whisper.
"Ben." She stood completely frozen, the door wide open and a smirking Ben stood on the other side, a small box tucked under his arm.
"Hey doll, how are you?" He said with a sickeningly cheery smile that made Kai clench his fists. After the moment of awkward silence, Kim walked over, pecking Ben on the lips and taking his hand, leading him into the house.
"So, everyone. Ben is my boyfriend, we started talking a few months ago. And we're really happy." Kim announced, standing hand-in-hand with a grinning Ben. Kai put his hands on Mack's shoulders, looking into her eyes with concern.
"You gonna be okay?" He whispered, thumbs stroking her shoulder soothingly. She swallowed thickly before nodding, still looking straight ahead with a look of emptiness in her eyes. She closed the door, sticky heading towards the sofa and pulling Kai down to sit next to her.
They zoned out the interaction currently happening, Mack's body slumping against Kai until she laid down, her head in his lap. He played with her hair, trying to quell the building anger inside him.
"So, Ben - long time no see?" Ian said with a bright smile and mockingly-sad tone. Ben smiled at the man from where he sat beside Kim, his arm slung over her shoulder.
"Yeah, well, after me and Mack decided to end things, it got lonely for me. Then I bumped into Kim at the diner down the road and we just got to...talking." Ben mused, but Mack could tell by the mischievous glint in his eye they did something, but talking was not it. "And ever since then, we've been practically inseparable." He finished, entwining his hand with Kim's and smiling down at her with warmth, but a dark undertone still lingered in his gaze.
"Well, I hope it isn't awkward between you kids." Ian joked, gesturing from Ben to Mack with his hand, which had a bottle of beer comfortably settled in it. Ben chuckled and Mack forced a smile, but Kai was practically seething, it glare emitting nothing but anger as he shot an icy stare at Ben. Mack noticed this and gently tugged him away.
"We'll go get dinner ready." She said with a small smile as she pulled Kai into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him and looking into his eyes - which remained fixed on the door as his nostrils flared and his face burned crimson. "Hey, hey. Look at me." Mack soothed as she placed her hands on the sides of Kai's face, stroking his cheekbones softly with her thumbs. His gaze broke and he looked down at her, his expression softening at the sight of Mack.
"I'm sorry, Kenz. I just- I can't stand him." Kai seethed and Mack shushed him gently.
"I know, but I need you to stay calm for me." She whispered and he nodded slowly. "Now, how 'bout we get this food ready?" Mack suggested and Kai's anger seemed to melt away at the mention of food, his shoulders relaxing and a wide smile replacing his frown. He leant down, kissing Mack languidly before pulling away and walking over to the oven.
"You do the veg and I'll handle the Turkey?" Kai grinned and Mack smiled warmly.
...
"This is delicious, Kai. Thank you so much for bringing it." Ian commented, mouthful of food as he eagerly wolfed down the plate of Christmas dinner Mack had served him.
"Yeah, I guess you can cook much better than you can throw a punch, huh?" Ben jeered with an amused grin. Mack and Kim grimaced and Kai had to stop himself from dropping his fork. Or stabbing it into Ben's hand, for that matter. Kai looked up at Ben with a fake smile.
"I guess so." He chuckled and Ben followed, the tension melting as they all continued to eat. "But, you know, just for the record." Kai started and Mack put her knife and fork down, burying her face in her hands as Ben raised a brow and Ian looked between the two boys. "I think you're a much better conversationalist than boyfriend." Kai mused.
"And what makes you say that?" Ben prompted.
"Well, from what I can tell you can make it through a whole conversation with out hitting someone, unlike your relationships." Kai snapped and Ian's eyes widened, Ben's jaw ticked and he gripped his fork tightly. "Notting to say to that, sick bastard?" Kai taunted and Ben's jaw clenched and he abruptly stood.
Kai followed soon after. Mack reached out for him, placing a hand on Kai's arm but he shrugged her off. Kim seemed to be frozen and their dad looked completely lost. Ben made the first move, stepping around the table. Kai was soon to copy him but as Ben threw his fist Kai caught it with ease. He smirked at Ben.
"Still wanna tell me I can't throw a punch?" Kai asked with raised brows and Ben's angered face melted into one of fear and he coward away from Kai. "Didn't think so." Kai muttered before twisting Ben's arm round and holding it against his back as Ben cried out in pain. "Now, why don't you leave and stay the fuck away from Kenz, huh? I know how much you like to lay your hands on her.." Kai trailed off and let Ben go, who stumble forward and practically bolted from the house, the door slamming with a bang behind him the reverberated from the walls like thunder.
"Get. Your. Fuck-buddy. Under. Control." Kim spat at Mack before storming off, the sound of the legs of her chair scraping bitterly against the floor was punctuated awkwardly but the slam of the door behind her. A thick tension rose, thick enough that a knife could slice straight through it like it was cutting cheesecake.
"Well.." Ian began but Mack was gone, the last thud of the door causing both Kai and Ian to flinch as the wood smashed against the battered frame.
"I'm sorry-" Kai tried to apologise, turning to face the man but Ian held up a hand, halting Kai's words.
"No. You did the right thing, boy. I can't believe I let that boy in my home - near my daughters!" Ian gritted out and Kai's jaw clenched. "I should have been a better father..." he murmured.
"No." Kai said harshly, making Ian's head snap up to look at him. "You are not at fault. Ben is a vile creature who deserves to rot in hell." Kai spat and Ian nodded. "And if you think you're a bad father, you are strongly mistaken. If you knew how much Kenz appreciates you, you'd-" Kai's little sprang was cut off when a violent buzzing echoed from his pocket. Kai pulled out his pager to see Mack's number and instantly rushed to the phone.
"Kenz? Oh my god, Kenz! You had us worried sick! Where are you? I'll come pick you up-"
"I killed him, Kai. He's - he's dead."