~January 2012~

Keaton Vaughn and Vivi Tam were far from friends. Some would call them rivals, enemies, opposites wishing for the death of the main antagonist in their retrospective life stories, or you could refer to them as friend and lover competing for the same woman's heart. There was a brief period in their history of association that Keaton wondered if Vivi held repressed romantic feelings for Zoe and resented his role in her life. They eventually made the decision to agree to disagree. They tolerated one another's presence for the sake of Zoe. If it meant biting his tongue during a night on the town, his mouth was filled with blood, but a catastrophic argument had been avoided and he ended his night coaxing a moan from his favorite girl's lips.

That was the past and now Vivi had proven to be a reluctant ally, "Great move trust fund." Keaton's vision was still focused on the swinging wooden door of the mortuary, "You've got a way with the ladies." She eased into the pew beside them. Her face was half teasing and partly concerned. She had developed a certain fondness for him over the years, only she was allowed to berate him with insulting pet nicknames like, trust fund and limp dick.

Now was not the time, "Whatever Viv."

Keaton stood and stepped over the woman to his left. He emerged from the building into the frigid afternoon air. It was the perfect accompaniment for his mood. He pulled the Pall Malls from his back pocket and began to pound them against the palm of his hand. He stopped short of creating a pile of tobacco laced mush and retrieved a broken stick, clicked his lighter, and allowed the days of his life to tick away with every inhalation of nicotine. He took a few steps; sure Vivi would be hot on his trail. She didn't disappoint and soon he heard the click of her heels on the cement. He never understood how she or Zoe managed to run near marathons in their five story stilettos. She caught up to him quickly and fell into stride with his rhythm. She didn't speak, just held her hand out for a cancer stick, borrowed his lighter, and jaywalked her way to their destination.

"Just give her some time." It was an involuntary reaction he had to Vivi's words. His eyes rolled. His stomach turned. His fists formed two tight little balls. He was tired of walking on egg shells and avoiding the obvious.

He removed the woman's arm from his shoulder, "She's had enough time," and continued his trek. "When is she going to be honest?" He hadn't been ready for his relationship with Zoe to end. Everything was a complete blind side; her feigned anger, the fight that quickly grew out of control, and chore graphed escape from their apartment. "She's content to act like I don't fucking know shit." It was time for Zoe to grow the fuck up and admit her wrongdoings.  

One look at Vivi Tam said it all, "Keaton...Zoe doesn't...hell...she thinks you have no fucking clue about the truth behind what happened."

His hand hesitated above the door's handle. He studied the neon lights of the bar's sign. His mouth began to water in anticipation of the Johnny Walker Black awaiting him on the other side, but his stomach continued to churn when he thought about the series of events that culminated into the day's funeral, "I need a drink."

~`~

It was close to midnight when Vivi Tam crept into her apartment. She fumbled with the lock for a few minutes, her hands unsteady from the whiskey coursing through her veins and the dread of what awaited her inside. She prayed for slumber. Heartbroken Zoe was virtually inconsolable. She eased the door shut and hopped around to remove her shoes. A quiet re-entry would go a long way in not waking her guest. The room was unusually bright. The sheers were open and the moonlight flooded the space. Vivi tightened her jacket around her frame when she noticed the crack in the door leading to the balcony. She could see the figure in the moonlight. She recognized the roll of the shoulders and heard the tear burdened whimpers, "Zoe?" The woman in question furiously wiped at her eyes and struggled to regain her composure, "What's wrong sweetie?"

The rumors were always true. She loved Zoe Anders the moment they met. Maybe it was the bright smile or the expressive eyes, whatever the case may be; Vivi was Zoe's willing bitch for life, even if a romance was never meant to be. Zoe was star struck by Keaton at first sight. The Vans, attitude, and long bangs hovering over one eye was enough to steal Zoe's heart with one glance. There would have been no room for Vivi if the girls hadn't cemented their friendship in the sandbox. She never begrudged her the happiness Keaton provided. He was for lack of a better phrase, Zoe's, knight in shining armor. Disappointment, loss, and heartache were all concepts her friend was well acquainted with, she deserved love, but the hardest part was forcing Zoe to accept said affection.

In the early days of her relationship with Keaton, Zoe viewed everything with friendship tainted goggles. Even when the crowd around them saw unconditional love blooming between the two, Zoe ran, but she always found her way back to Keaton. The self inflicted torture she was enduring now was because she refused to listen to her heart and reconcile with the only man crazy enough to tolerate her bullshit.

Vivi cleared her throat and attempted to get Zoe to acknowledge her presence and unanswered inquiries, "You did great today."

Zoe side stepped the hug Vivi offered, "Were you with Keaton?"

There was an argument boiling just beneath the surface.

"We had a few drinks." Vivi tossed her shoes to the floor and dropped her keys in the bowl on the table by the door. She was tired and had absolutely no desire to mediate the war between Keaton and Zoe, "You two should talk."

The shake of a head was Zoe's initial response and then she softly added, "There's nothing to say, it's over."

Vivi took a breath and bowed her head, "Z he knows." Wide, red rimmed eyes met her face, "He knows everything."