In a cafe on the same day...Jeremy looked at the man in front of him with a frown.
"I thought everything is settled?"
"Well, my mother doesn"t agree with our plan," Jason sighed heavily. His shoulders slumped down.
"Why did you tell your parents? Just do it," Jeremy groaned. How could Jason be so naïve to tell everything to his parents? He should just do the plan accordingly and let his parents realize how pointless it was to help that family when all they wanted was to take advantage of their guilt.
"I slipped up. So, what now?" Jason gulped his coffee to calm down. He was angry at the family and at himself. How could he be so stupid to tell his mother about their plan? He should just keep quiet when she asked him what he planned to do for the week.
"What"s up with you and Mika? I heard Mika said you didn"t contact her for days?" Jeremy changed the topic. He was sick listening to Mika wailing about her cold-hearted fiancé and even wanted to break the engagement if Jason no longer loved her. He had to spend time and energy to tell Mika to be patient and wait. He did not explain the problem in Jason"s family right now. He did not want his little sister to get involved in this problem. And he preferred for Jason to explain to Mika everything if he wanted to.
"I don"t know. I feel guilty at Mika when I have to accompany those siblings to the party. I actually had plan but…"
"With Mika? You do know she"s going to Switzerland for the filming?" Jeremy was puzzled with these two lovers. They usually were more in sync but now…
"I know. I thought she will go in two more days, not tomorrow. But right now…"
"She"s angry at you and might continue staying there with Ryn," Jeremy finished Jason"s incomplete sentence.
"Hmm… It"s all my fault. I didn"t want her to know about those siblings. I"m worried they will go to her and take advantage of her. She"s so innocent and sweet. She will fall to their scheme," Jason rubbed his head in frustration.
"Do you think it"s easy to fool that silly girl?"
"She"s my silly girl," Jason could not stop from pointing it out with a warning look at Jeremy. He hated it when people said Mika silly. Mika was the most beautiful, clever, bright girl in his eyes. No one could say otherwise. Not even her own brother.
Jeremy scoffed. These two were only engaged but Jason already treated Mika as if she was his wife.
"She won"t fall for their tricks but I don"t want to put her into their game. She"s innocent."
Jeremy reached for his own coffee and sipped it slowly. He knew how frustrated Jason was feeling right now but he too had no idea how to help. If only…
"When is the party again?" Jeremy asked after pausing for several minutes.
"Tonight. I"m supposed to pick them up at 7.00 p.m. and bring them to the club where the party is held," Jason shrugged. He had no mood to go there. He did not like going to the club except when with Mika. He preferred spending time with Mika at hope, or cinema, or a restaurant. A place where no one could interrupt the two of them.
"Why don"t Mika and I crash the party?" Jeremy suggested rather absent-mindedly.
"And to do what?" Jason looked at him in puzzled. "But Mika has a flight to catch tomorrow. She might disagree to come."
Jeremy paused. Then, his eyes shone brightly. He had a brilliant idea about this. But in order for Jason not to jeopardise the plan again. "You just give me time and location. I"ll bring Mika along."
"Are you sure about this? Will Mika agree?"
"Don"t worry. Trust me."
"Ok." Although Jason was sceptical with the idea of cras.h.i.+ng the party, at least Jeremy had an idea. His mind was blank but he knew in order for the family to be free from these parasites, he must do something quickly.
Thank G.o.d he had Jeremy as his best friend.
*~*~*~*
That very night in a very small house just at the edge of the town...
Tank watched his elder sister busy checking her make-up again. Even their mom was giving comments about her outfit, her make-up and hair. Tank was a bit puzzle because Ella looked the same like usual. Thick make-up. Long false lashes. Straight hair. Short dress.
"What time is he coming?" his mother asked.
"He"s on the way," Tank replied. He was already satisfied with his look today. The super extra strong hair gel made his short hair stayed up all night long. His leather jacket made him look cool.
He watched as his mother fussing over Ella"s hair, shaking his head in bemused. What was wrong with Ella"s hair. Her hair was still straight like a plank wood, not a single strand moving.
"Why don"t you check outside? What if he"s already here?" Ella told her little brother, getting more stressed with him here. Her hair did not look right and she needed to redo them back.
"Mom, where is the straightener? I can"t go out looking like this!"
Both the women went into her room to re-straightened her hair, leaving Tank shaking his head more.
He went outside and took out a cigarette. He lit it up and started to suck it deeply. He blew it out, watching the smoke with a grin. Ella always scolded him if he smoked close to her, accusing him for making her smell bad. What bad? She"s like a fishmonger"s wife, always complaining and shouting and so selfish. She always said she would only marry a rich guy and tonight"s party she would be trying to win their cousin"s heart with her beauty.
Tank scoffed. As if Jason would fall in love with her. Their cousin already has a fiancée. Didn"t any of his family members remember the woman who was with Jason on the day they first came to the house? It was clear how Jason cared more about that woman and did not even look at Ella even before the fiancée walked down the stairs and saw them.
And his mother was crazy to support Ella. Well, his parents were crazy. Even his useless father thought Ella could marry Jason and boost their family"s future.
He finished the only cigarette he had and threw it carelessly on the ground. Later, once Jason came, he would ask this cousin to buy two packs for him. Among cousins shouldn"t be too stingy in his opinion. Jason should help him because Jason had all the money while he had none.
His eyes narrowed when he saw lights coming from the main road. It looked like a very expensive car heading toward them.
"Ella, he"s here," he shouted out loud, ignoring the fact that his voice would interrupt their neighbours.
"Shut up, stupid boy," a woman shouted from her own house.
"Stop shouting. This is not your own community," another shouted.
Jason rolled his eyes. He was used with the jeers and shouts from his neighbours. Having an alcoholic and a gambling father made his skin thick enough to care what his neighbours thought about him. Besides, didn"t Jason"s family already paid all the debts? So their family has no more debts to be ashamed of. And his father and even mother could gamble to their heart out with the neverending fund coming from his aunt.
So why should he care?
He grinned as the car stopped in front of him. It was Jason and he did not wear any jewellery, unlike him who was wearing layers of necklaces and rings. Hmm... maybe Jason did not know about fas.h.i.+on. But he did wear branded clothes, the one Tank could only dream of wearing.
Hmm... maybe he could ask Jason to buy him some of those. They are cousins after all.