Drac Ch11
#12 of Drac
The following week was like a blur. Dienza was at a complete loss as to how to feel, and it was ironically Spiika that helped him hold himself together even as he supported her at the rehab clinic every few days. Nereen had nothing to offer but her unconditional support of them both, doing her utmost to keep them in good cheer to the best of her ability. Dienza had spent two days out of the seven being interviewed by police, being one of the few people who knew Aryan by name. All they were able to ascertain was that the two had gone separate ways after high school and fallen out of regular contact. It didn't take long for them to clear Dienza as a suspect, especially after testimony from his mother. On the eighth day Dienza took a long walk, deliberately passing the house that Aryan had lived in. The same mutt that had become Aryan's boss was still living there. It was then that the leona knew that even if this guy wasn't the murderer, he was still in some way responsible for his old friend's death.
'How do you feel?' Spiika asked. Her arms curled around Dienza as she noticed him waking up. 'I was worried last night... Where did you go?' 'Just for a walk.' Dienza replied, rolling onto his side closer to her so the two were facing each other up close. 'Wanted to clear my head a little. How about you? Is rehab helping?' 'Mmmhm.' She nodded, nuzzling into him. 'Almost as much as having you.' 'Full of sweet talk lately.' Dienza grunted. 'I'm not that fragile you know.' Spiika sighed and dug her claws into his chest. 'Just remember please.' She whispered. 'That he was my friend too. Nip wasn't the only thing that kept me going over there. Please don't hate him for that.' 'I... I don't.' Dienza pulled her close in a tight embrace. 'Just promise me you won't go back again. I don't want you getting entangled with that... guy. Whatever his name is.' 'Red.' Spiika replied. 'It isn't his name, it's just what we called him. It was usually just the two of them, plus whatever clients were around. Not many got to stay. I only did because I knew Aryan. Every now and then a third guy would show up. I'm guessing a higher up in the gang or something, I dunno. I was never in a real good position to judge.' 'Don't worry about it.' Dienza rested his hand on her cheek and kissed her softly on the lips. 'That part of your life is over now.' 'Right.' She nodded. There were a few more minutes of silence as the pair enjoyed each other's company, before finally making the decision to get out of bed.
Day nine after the murder. Aryan had received the bare minimum of funeral service and Dienza had not received notification of the event. The cemetery the mutt was buried in was two towns over so visiting would be a pain. It had been Spiika who received the news from the music shop clerk, something she had been just as peeved about. After all of that, Dienza had stopped by his workplace to inform the boss that he would be back at work the following day. Spiika had settled into her routine, and if all went well for the next week she too would return, albeit in a part time capacity. That afternoon the pair had returned home and Nereen had begun cooking dinner. The aroma of chicken reached them this time, alongside a type of seasoning that Dienza didn't recognize. Clearly his mother was pulling out all her tricks to keep the mood up. As he entered the kitchen with Spiika a few steps behind he noticed her humming as she poured a packet of mixed vegetables into a pot. 'Hello, how was your walk?' She asked, humming softly. 'We're doing okay.' Dienza replied. 'I'm going back to work tomorrow. If all goes well Spiika will be back next week too.' 'That's good to hear.' Nereen sighed happily. She resumed humming as the chicken and vegetables continued to cook. As Dienza sat, Spiika leaned on the counter and looked at the stove top. After a few moments she noticed the small form of Nate, sitting still and looking forlorn halfway across the counter. 'What's wrong with shorty?' She asked. 'Oh, Nate?' Nereen grinned. 'Little dope fell and hurt his leg. It might be broken. So now he has to learn to sit still. I'm going to have a better look at it after dinner. For now he seems to be doing alright.' 'That's not true!' Nate protested. 'I told you it still hurts, it's been hurting the whole time!' He looked ready to burst into tears after the outburst, but looked equally determined not to cry in front of them. Nereen ignored him for a few moments before she answered. 'And I told you to settle down didn't I? Next time I tell you not to jump, don't jump.' 'I thought you would catch me!' He protested, looking a little closer to being bleary eyed. 'Shhh.' Nereen lifted a pea out of the pot and set it in his lap. 'Just be quiet and patient, alright? If your leg is broken I'll try to set it, but you'll still have to be careful and settle down for a few weeks.' The boy sulked, but he ate his pea quietly and mumbled a thank you. It wasn't much longer before dinner was ready and the three leonas ate. Once they were finished and Nereen had left the scraps in the usual place, they settled in on the couch and Nereen began to properly examine the micen's leg.
'It's definitely broken.' Nereen said after about ten minutes. 'I'll have to make a splint or something. And you'll have to behave yourself. Like I said, no running and jumping for a while.' 'What else am I supposed to do?' He complained. 'You could just watch cartoons all day.' Dienza interjected. 'That's what I used to do. Isn't it?' 'Yes.' Nereen rolled her eyes. 'Up until you were eight and I talked you into the guitar. Then you did that all day instead.' 'Ah yes, how many times did you regret that decision?' He grinned at her. Nereen wrapped her hand around his head and pulled him close to kiss his forehead. 'Not even once.' She replied. Dienza fell into his mother's lap and purred with the unexpected show of affection. 'Oh, remember when we used to lie down like this and watch your stupid cartoons all night?' 'They were great.' Dienza protested with a laugh. 'Or at least I thought they were. Remember that one about the micen family that lived on a farm? And those stupid farmers who could never catch them?' 'I remember that!' Spiika chimed in, grinning as she too laid herself over Dienza's body. Nereen leaned back, forcing a cat pile of the three with Dienza in the middle. She held Nate in one hand clear of the pressed bodies and used her free arm to hug the other two tight, feeling a cacophony of three leonas purring. 'I think I'm ready for bed.' Spiika whispered. Dienza murmured an affirmation but didn't move. It took a few more moments of silence before Spiika eventually roused herself and dragged him to his feet. Nereen watched them leave, noting that Spiika was less sleepy than she claimed. The micen in Nereen's hand gave another whimper. She looked down at the boy with a sigh and stood up slowly. She'd have to fasten some kind of splint. 'Alright you little runt.' She brought him to her lips and gave him a comforting kiss. 'Let's get you fixed.'
Dienza exhaled slowly, letting the smoke waft slowly from his mouth. He hadn't lit up a cigarette in years, but tonight it seemed appropriate. The wall behind him was cold as the night air around him and the grass was beginning to get a dew from the ever present chill in the London night. He sighed. He'd been building himself to this moment. So many times growing up he'd wondered if he was capable of this. He'd sneaked out shortly after midnight. Spiika had fallen asleep not long after the two of them had enjoyed a couple rounds of intimacy but Dienza had kept himself awake. Only after he had heard his mother go to bed as well, taking the whimpering little micen with her, that he had begun to psyche himself up for his night's plans. The house he was leaning against had been empty when he arrived. He had kept out of sight, waiting until almost two in the morning before the house's occupant had finally come home and in short order gone to bed. It was time. Dienza stood and lifted the canister from beside him. He walked quietly to the back door of the house and slowly emptied the canister in a trail that led around to the front door before looping back. The ring of flammable petrol was complete, but Dienza wasn't ready just yet. He stood in the backyard for a few more minutes. He remembered the day Aryan had picked up his first bass guitar. Dienza had been right there with him, showed him the basics. The mutt had mastered the instrument in a matter of weeks and had even borrowed Dienza's own guitar a few times to learn more complex riffs. The three of them had dreams of forming a band. There were already a few badly recorded demo track on Dienza's old computer, a dusty thing he hadn't used since he got his laptop two years earlier. But it had all fallen apart. Aryan had turned to helping out a drug dealer for money when he struggled to land an actual job. It had gotten out of hand, landing the mutt deeper and deeper into the cartel until he was a fully-fledged manufacturer and seller. He'd reached the point where leaving the gang was no longer an option. And then Spiika... She had gotten involved. Dienza couldn't talk her out of it, and Aryan didn't even try. It was then that Dienza realized he had begun to hate his old friend, and his relationship with his girl had suffered. Spiika had sunk lower and lower to feed her addiction in those initial months. She eventually managed to regain control but had never been able to kick the stuff entirely, settling into her once or twice a week habit that had dominated her life up until the past week. 'No more.' Dienza muttered and shook his head. The cigarette in his mouth was at its end. He flicked it into the grass beside the house and pulled out his lighter. The lighter had been Spiika's. She'd given it to him almost six months ago, during one of her short sighted attempts to quit. He hadn't believed her and sure enough, she was back to it the next week. Maybe it was his fault? He hadn't believed her. He hadn't given Aryan the time of day anymore. He hadn't stuck by either of them in that time. He'd been too damn angry. Just like he was now. But this time at least he was angry at the right person. Spiika called him Red. He flicked the lighter and tossed it. The flames spread slowly but surely until it followed the ring he'd left around the house. He stayed just long enough to see it take to the doors, cutting off any escape unless Red planned on climbing out the house's chimney. Dienza smirked at the thought before swiftly climbing the fence into the next yard and breaking into a dash. He'd be well clear of the growing inferno before anyone turned up.