Fear Of The Dark

[[Brian]]

I sat in the comfy chair by the fire place, my feet up on the small stool trays were usually set upon, staring into the dying embers none of us had actually had the chance to enjoy the night before, and twirling a coin between my fingers without really noticing. I didn't know where Zack or Jimmy were; probably trying to pester the cook for more breakfast. The maids bustled around the house before the housemaid came in and looked at me, her hands folded on the white apron.

"Where's Zack and Jimmy?" I asked before she could even speak.

"We're here," I heard Jimmy say from behind me and I sat up slightly and turning to see them entering the drawing room, both with plates of toast. I grinned at them as they sat down, only now taking notice of Rose who was standing watching the three of us. But once again, as she went to speak she was stopped by someone else.

"How's Matt?" Zack asked, pulling the day's newspaper towards him where it was sat on the glass topped coffee and reading it.

"Master Sanders is fine just cuts and bruises, but the doctor suggested rest for the bang he took to the head," she informed us and we nodded. "Is there anything else you would like to be done?"

We all shook our heads without really looking at her. I went back to staring at the fire, twirling the coin and only vaguely hearing the other two in the background discussing something that was in the newspaper. I couldn't help but think how vile some parts of London were and how much I actually missed Huntington Beach. Even the poorer areas there weren't as squalid as they were here and I found it hard to believe people actually survived in them.

After a while I felt a tapping on my shoulder and looked up to see the other two shrugging on jackets. Clearly we were going now. Matt would get plenty of rest without us three here anyway; we were bound to find something to argue about since we usually did. I pulled myself up out of the chair and slipped the coin into the pocket of my waistcoat before shrugging on the jacket one of the maids held out for me.

A glance at the grandfather clock in the entrance told me it was gone ten and sunshine was spilling through the high windows and onto the marbled flooring. The footman held open the door for us and we headed out glancing around us at Eaton and the surrounding houses. I tipped my hat to a couple of women who strolled past, smiling at us as they went before turning right and heading down the path.

Carriages rattled past us as we walked to our destination, the three of us making no conversation save for the few comments we made about conversations we overheard. Yet again London was a buzz with gossip amongst both the upper and lower classes, not that they conversed with each other. It was just it seemed to be only one thing to talk about.

Eventually we were passing from the upper class area into the much poorer areas and thus gaining us curious looks from passers by, and batted eyelashes from many women. I glanced at the other two with a smirk as a group of children sitting on the side of the path began eyeing us up; I flashed them a look and they soon scattered. I wasn't going to let anybody thieve my wallet. Just let them try.

Finally I saw the grassy banks that led down to the Thames and I saw Jonathon. My anger flared up, since I didn't have a chair to sit in and a fire place to stare sulkily into, and rushed over, clenching my fist at my side. When he saw me hurrying up to him, he backed against the wall which I only shoved him against harder.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" I growled at him, lifting him till his face was level with mine. But by then Zack and Jimmy reached us and pulled me back, forcing me to release Johnny. "Why did you let her out of your sight?"

"I didn't know she'd stopped!" He yelled back at me; 5'6 and three years younger than us three but damn could he yell. Not that it got him any sort of forgiveness.

"If you hadn't been storming off the way you were she wouldn't have fallen behind!" Zack now growled, letting my arm go.

"You told me to look after them!" He yelped.

"Yeah, and letting her fall behind and get lost Johnny, is not looking after her!" I went on fighting the urge to shove him against the wall again. "I told you to watch her Johnny, do you even realise how much danger she was in last night? That they were both in because you kept them out so late?!"

"Why are you even getting so worked up about this anyway?" Johnny then frowned in response, glaring straight at me. Then a weird look over came his features and he smirked chewing down briefly on his bottom lip before any of us could answer him. "You're in love with her aren't you?"

"Where the hell did that come from?" Jimmy now yelled. "You know that's not allowed!"

Before I could yell at him some more I felt a nudge in my side and looked at Zack who inclined his head to two pretty girls walking our way, watching us curiously. "Just don't make the mistake again," I hissed at him as the two girls approached us nervous looks on their faces. Finally they reached us and the taller one with exceptionally dark brown hair smiled at Johnny.

"Hello Johnny, did you sleep well after last night?" Glancing at the blonde girl who was looking at the grass sheepishly and he forced a smile in return, aware of the looks us three were giving him.

"Hey Sarah," he began before looking at the blonde girl who I was already looking at, and a look of sympathy came over his face. "You feeling okay Kirsty?"

Finally she looked up, her pale blue eyes briefly catching mine before she rolled them and sighed, sounding frustrated. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. I didn't get murdered, I learnt my lesson, I won't stop for anything at night," she answered quickly, smiling at Sarah who was smiling back at her. If only she knew I thought to myself before pushing the thought away when Johnny responded. Not that I heard what it was because then Zack turned to me and Jimmy.

"Not that it was her fault in the first place," he whispered sotto voce so that the two girls couldn't hear.

"Yeah, so she has no need for learning any lessons," I retorted just as quietly, glaring in Johnny's direction. I then looked back at Kirsty who was watching silently as her friend conversed with Zack; she seemed shy and her eyes looked troubled, like there was something niggling at the back of her mind. I looked away from her though when my ears caught onto Zack's conversation; Sarah was saying something about the colour of his eyes.

I glanced at Jimmy as a panicked looked flashed through Zack's eyes and the two girls frowned. "Yes, quite ridiculous. Well anyway, we must leave, we have things to attend to. Johnny remember what we said," Zack hissed at the short guy before he glanced at the girls and walked away.

I cast a glance at Kirsty who was watching me carefully but looked away when she noticed me looking at her. I chuckled slightly to spite myself before following after Zack with Jimmy beside me. It seemed as if it was Zack's turn to fume now and our business quickly became forgotten when it over took his ability to talk of anything besides the Sarah girl and her talk of eye colour.

I glanced at Jimmy and we rolled our eyes in amusement. Granted, it wasn't good what she had said, but it was still amusing the way he was spurting absolute crap about it as we walked through London to our destination. "Oi, Zack," I finally said and he stopped and looked at me, the three of us tipping our hats to a couple as they passed and greeted us themselves before we looked back at each other. "We tell Johnny to be careful but then you stroll through London going on and on about it without even thinking who is going to hear you."

"He's right," Jimmy agreed. "Leave all that for when we're at home, yeah?"

Zack nodded, fiddling with his green cravat before dropping his hand and glancing around the street. "Sorry. You know what I'm like."

"Yeah, we do," I laughed before giving him a light shove in the back to encourage him to begin walking once more. "Now lets get going."