Oris pushed through a revolving door. His eyes were immediately drawn to the mural painted on the floor: the red diamond with the seven silver stars on the right side. The same one on the card. He liked it. Thought it was cool. For a company as large as Imperial, Oris was surprised to find that the main floor was empty except for the receptionist. Then it dawned on him that it was seven o’clock at night. James probably would not even be here. Still, he walked confidently over to the receptionist. Her look made him realize that he was in no condition to be asking for a job. He really did not think this through. Still, there was something about the way that James had spoken to him. Something that indicated that either way, he would get this job. Or internship. Or whatever was being offered. He asked the receptionist if James was available. He actually was. He told her to tell him that Oris Phoenix wished to speak with him. Although he could not hear what he said, Oris thought that James sounded extremely enthusiastic. This pleased him. The receptionist informed Oris that James would be down shortly.
Oris kicked his feet as he paced back and forth waiting for James. As he was waiting, a familiar man walked past Oris. “Hey, don’t I know you from somewhere?” Oris said.
Frederick looked at Oris, biting his tongue. “I… don’t think so.” Frederick wanted to say something.
“Nah, I do, just let me think.” Oris stroked his chin.
Just then the elevator door opened and James entered, dismissing Frederick before Oris could remember from where he knew him. James did his best to hide his glee, but he could feel a giant smile on his face that he knew would not go away. “So Oris, what brings you here?”
Oris then explained his situation to James, leaving out the part that he had killed a man. Instead, he said that he was having issues at home and that this was a job that he now knew he wanted.
“That’s great, Oris. I really do think you you’ll be a perfect fit here.” James did his best to mask an evil grin.
James went on to explain what would now happen: Oris would start as an intern in the summer. Then, the Imperial Company would actually pay for his tuition at New York University! After the four years Oris would be promoted to a low level job, and when he could prove his worth he would be promoted accordingly. Of course, he would be paid for internship as well. Also, due to his current situation, James even offered to put up Oris in a decent apartment until he was making enough money to support himself.
“This…” Oris was speechless. “This is unreal.”
James put his hand on Oris’s shoulder. “Here, at Imperial, we take care of our kind. Now, you are one of us. We will take good care of you. I promise.” James then booked Oris a hotel until further living arrangements could be settled. Oris left to his hotel with extreme gratitude.
Frederick walked over to James from where he was standing. “I hope you know what you’re dealing with.”
James laughed. “I hope Oris knows what he’s dealing with.”
* * * * *
Justin tossed a blue stress ball as he sat on his bed. Oris killed a man. Killed. This thought would not leave his head. Could he kill a man? Maybe? No. He did not think so. Maybe if someone he loved was in danger, but there was no one he loved. Justin tossed the ball at the wall and sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked around his one room apartment. The off-white paint on the walls was peeling. His lamp flickered. He wished he could afford another light bulb. Or a better place. He stammered to the window. The view was distorted by the bars on the window. He sighed. His back burned. Justin jumped as the phone rang.
“Hey Justin, it’s Vander, I was wondering if Oris was with you.”
Justin remembered giving Vander his phone number when Oris was hospitalized. He almost called him out for it. “No, he’s not. Should he be?”
Vander sighed. He had been praying that Oris was making a false threat. “Thank you, Justin.”
“Doctor, what’s going on with him?”
“I’ll handle this Justin. Please, try not to get involved any further.” Justin placed the phone down with reverence.
“What?! Did you actually think he liked you?! He told me that you were a worthless piece of shit!” He kicked Justin. Justin fell down, clutching his side crying.
“Donald! Stop it!” Victoria grabbed Donald’s arm, trying to pry him away from Justin.
Justin tried to stand up but Donald kicked him again. “STOP!” Donald shoved Victoria off and into the wall.
Donald laughed as he took a drink of his beer. “I can’t believe you thought he actually liked you! As if a loser like yourself would actually have a friend.”
Justin was concerned the next day when Oris was not at school. And the next. And the next. Oris had missed a full week of school. At the end of the day Friday, Mr. Spatz asked to speak to Justin.
“I noticed Oris hasn’t been at school this week. You’re pretty good friends with him, what’s up?”
Justin shrugged. “Honestly man, I don’t know. A good friend of his called and asked, so who knows.”
“He hasn’t been having a good year, has he?” Mr. Spatz chewed on his pen cap.
Justin bit his lip. “No. It’s been one thing after another.”
“He’s a real case, isn’t he?” Mr. Sader said.
Mr. Spatz took a sip of his coffee. He leaned up against the counter. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s had a pretty tough home life.”
Mrs. Bess cackled. “Please. As if that’s a valid excuse for being an all-around asshole.”
Mr. Spatz held his tongue.
Mr. Sader continued. “He acts as if he owns this school. Too bad Sora acts like we owe him something.”
“He just needs some tough love, that’s all.” Mr. Spatz said. “I know what it’s like not having a father. He just needs some tough love.”
“I want you to do something, Justin.”
Justin got an uneasy feeling. “Okay.”
“I want you to break Oris out of this spiral he’s in, in whatever way possible.”
Justin reared back. “Are you suggesting that I beat the shit out of Oris, after everything he’s been though?”
Mr. Spatz nodded.
“That doesn’t make any sense at all… sir.”
“Of course not. It’s just that I know what it’s like in his position. My father left my family when I was four years old. I was in the same mentality when I was Oris’s age. I joined the army because I want to die. They reamed me, chewed me out. They beat me down. I saw what I had become, and changed for the better. I know Oris has also lost his mother, but he’s not acting out in the appropriate way. He’s being self-destructive. Make him see who he’s hurting, and make him feel the pain he’s causing everyone else. Only then can he put the pieces back together.” Mr. Spatz gave a weak smile.
Justin was confused as to why Mr. Spatz was opening up as much as he was. Even with all their bickering, Justin knew that Mr. Spatz truly cared for Oris. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you Justin.”
* * * * *
Oris twirled his fork in his food. Ariel looked up with a puppy dog expression. “Are you okay?”
Oris snapped out of it. “Sorry. I’m just a little distracted. My life’s been moving pretty fast these past few months. Then the year’s coming to an end, and next year the rest of my life start. I’m graduating, going to college, starting an internship, and who knows where my personal life will be.”
Ariel put her hand in Oris’s. “Just breathe. Take a step back and breathe. Everything is going to be okay.”
* * * * *
Justin sat down in a chair in the Hawk’s apartment. He had called Angela, Sam, and Sebastian to join him and Syce. He called it for an “intervention”. After his conversation with Mr. Spatz, Justin had been plotting the best course of action in confronting Oris. He wanted everyone here, together, to discuss his final plan.
They were going to call him up for a late night dinner. Everyone present needed to go. Justin did not say that he would fight Oris, only that they would explain their feelings about his situation. Everyone said it was a good idea. Saturday night would be the best time.
Angela picked up the phone and called Oris. She let it slip that he had contacted her to retrieve his stuff from the Hawk’s apartment. She asked to meet him for dinner tomorrow and he agreed. She looked nervous as she hung up the phone. Justin assured her that it was for the best.
Oris walked to the restaurant holding hands with Ariel. He had decided to tell Angela that whatever they had was over, and that he was with Ariel now. They stood under a street lamp waiting. He saw some shadows in the distance and said that it must be them. Soon Justin came into view. … Justin? What was he doing here? And then there Angela. And then Syce. And Sebastian. Sam. “Whoa, I thought you were just coming, Angela?”
Justin stepped to the front of group. “Oris, I organized this.”
For a moment Angela did not care about the intervention, but who was with Oris. “ORIS! Who is she?”
“Who is that?” Ariel said, peeling away from Oris in a staunch defense.
“Angela, we were never back together. I’m with Ariel now.”
Justin pushed back Angela. “See? This is the kind of shit you’ve been pulling recently. Enough is enough.” He said sternly.
“What?! So you can sleep with me while you date someone else? AGAIN?!” Angela screamed.
“You’ve been sleeping with her?” Ariel said. “I thought you were different.” Ariel turned to walk away.
“Ariel stop!-”
“See Oris? This is a problem. Your self-destructive behavior is now affecting us.”
Oris grabbed Ariel and reared around to talk to Justin. “What in the hell are you talking about?”
“Oris,” Syce spoke up, “your behavior in regards to the warm hospitality my mother provided was outlandish and absurd. You owe her, at the very least, an apology.”
Oris let Ariel slip from his hand as he stood in disbelief. “So, all my friends come here and gang up on me? I don’t need this.”
“No, you need this.” Sam said. “You need help Oris.”
Oris turned to Ariel, the only person who was not attacking him. “What do you think?”
“All I can think about you sleeping with her!” She pointed at Angela.
“We weren’t going out then, it doesn’t matter!” Oris flailed his arms.
Justin stepped forward. “So, how are we going to do this?”
“You fuck off and I go on and have dinner with my girlfriend.” Oris started to shout.
Justin cracked his neck.
Oris laughed. ‘What, are you gonna kick my ass? As if.”
Oris pounded his fist into his palm.
“Don’t do this, Oris.” Ariel coached.
“Justin…” Angela was uneasy. They had not discussed this. Sam grabbed her to prevent her from getting hurt.
“It’s going to be okay.” Sam whispered in her ear.
Oris pushed back Ariel. She tried to stop him, but Oris shoved her to the ground. Oris popped Justin in the temple. Sebastian saw that this could be a one-sided fight, and wanted to join Justin, but Syce stopped him. It was Justin’s fight. Justin recovered and swept Oris’s ankles. Ariel yelled for it to stop, but Oris pushed her back again. Justin charged and they grabbed each other, trying to wrestle the other to the ground. Oris ducked under Justin’s arms and pivoted around to behind him. Oris grabbed the back of Justin’s hair, moved his leg in front of Justin’s legs, and pushed him forward and shoved him face-first into the ground. Blood splattered up from the ground. “YEAH! NOT SO TOUGH NOW ARE YOU?!” Oris punted Justin in the ribs.
“STOP ORIS!” Ariel rushed over to Oris as he continued to kick Justin.
Oris glared at Ariel. “NO! This is my fight! Back the fuck off!”
Ariel stopped, baffled. Justin grabbed Oris’s foot when he was distracted and yanked him down to the ground. Justin jumped up and socked Oris in the face. Oris was stunned at the sudden change in power, and was rendered defenseless as Justin pummeled Oris in the face. “Justin! Stop!” Angela cried. She broke free from Sam and rushed over and grabbed Justin, trying to pry him away from Oris, but he shoved her off and on to the ground. He continued to hit him repeatedly. Oris brought up his hands to block the hits, but he had no energy to hold them there. Justin pulled back and put all his strength into one final hit. Justin stepped back, letting everyone collect themselves.
“See? This is how we feel. Every day as you destroy yourself. It affects us. The people who care about you.”
Oris groaned as he rolled onto his stomach, trying to crawl away. Justin stepped on the back of Oris’s knee and stopped him from moving. “Listen.”
Oris spat out the pool of blood that had collected in his mouth. “Stop. I don’t need this. I’m not destroying myself. I’ve grown up and no longer need you guys.” Oris spat again. “I told you! I killed a man! Do you not understand that?”
This news shocked everyone else. “So?” Justin continued. “Who cares? You did what the judicial system didn’t. You took that action upon yourself. You did what you felt was right. There is no second guessing in one-off occurrences.”
“I couldn’t take it anymore!” Oris shook his head. “My father abandoned me! My mother is dead! How can you guys not understand that?”
Justin stepped off of Oris. “Oh, I understand that. I know what’s it like, and I know worse.” He turned his back to Oris and lifted up his shirt. Using most of the remaining energy in his body, Oris lifted his head to look. There were six large scars across Justin’s back, the two largest formed and ‘x’ in the middle. “I know what it’s like. You have it lucky that you never knew your father. I wish I could say the same.” Justin’s revelation left everyone in shock. They finally knew why he never spoke about his home life or his life before he moved. “We’re done here.”
Oris rested his head on the asphalt, slowly losing consciousness. Justin turned to face the group: Angela was still on the ground, silently crying; Syce, Sebastian, and Sam all stood still, accepting the course of action that had taken place. It was necessary. It was the only way. “Come back when you’re ready to actually grow up.” Justin walked away in the direction that he arrived in, taking everyone else with him. Only Ariel remained with Oris.
Ariel bent down, crying as she petted his head. “It’s going to be okay.” She said soothingly. He rolled his head on to its side so he could look at her. She could barely see him in his face. Black blood had hardened on his face. His left eye had swollen. His lips cracked, oozing. He was crying. Ariel kissed his head. “It’s going to be okay.” Oris could now feel what Justin was saying. He had brought this on himself. There was no need for pity. His friends had put up with enough of his shit as it was, and these recent events broke the levy. Oris lay in the street, broken, with no idea how to put the pieces back together.
Ariel waited in the street with Oris until the ambulance came to take him away. She held his hand in the ambulance. And waited with him in the emergency room. At one point, Oris regained consciousness. He could feel her warmth in his hand. It warmed his heart. Using all the energy in his body, he forced a smile. He did not care if she saw it, but he needed to express the only positive emotion he was feeling. He did not know if she saw it, but he felt her hand squeeze his sometime shortly after. In Oris’s dream-like state of conscious, he saw the scene play out again and again. He could now see that Justin was right. He could see the crying Angela. He could see Ariel staring in disbelief as he was pummeled for what she thought was no reason. He could see the look of regret on Justin’s face, and how he was doing this because he cared in his eyes. But, the funny thing was, that he did not care in the slightest bit. He was building a new life, at Imperial, with Ariel, but these people were holding him back. It was time to cut loose. But, he still cared for them. He still loved them. In this moment, everything Oris knew shattered. The world as he knew it ceased to exist. There was no recovery from this. But not that he wanted to anyway.
Oris Phoenix was broken.
