Beyond The Tribe - alternative and parallel stories by the fans

Blaze

Episode Sixty Six

There was no way she could possibly sleep; she couldn’t stop hugging herself, it had worked out more perfectly than she could ever have anticipated. She glanced at the picture on the table next to her bed, it was Zoot. She felt Zoot would be really proud of how she’d engineered all this, but then she remembered the reason why she was doing it and suddenly Zoot didn’t look so pleased, in fact he was furious that she let her emotions control her like this. She reached forward and turned the picture around so it faced the wall.
‘Ebony?’ She looked up and to her surprise, in the doorway stood Bray. ‘Can I come in?’
She nodded and he came in a sat nervously on the end of the bed. She opened her mouth to talk but Bray came in first. ‘Don’t say it!’
‘What?’
‘Told you so.’
Ebony sighed, ‘You know I would never do that.’
Bray raised an eyebrow, or at least he would have raised one if there had been any eyebrow left.
‘I’m not like that any more Bray.’
‘Yeah, I.. I realise that now. I’ve come to say I’m sorry. I accused you when you… you were just trying to look out for me.’
‘Yeah well, that’s OK. My record isn’t exactly 100%. But you know what they say? Better the devil you know.’
‘Hey, what happened to Zoot?’ he said glancing at the back of the photoframe.
Ebony shrugged, ‘I guess power and chaos just isn’t me any more.’

When Seth opened his eyes he had hardly any recollection of anything which had happened. All he knew was he felt that awful feeling of guilt and dread and there was the face of that nice girl leaning over him.
‘Seth? Seth? Are you awake?’ Her eyes were wide with concern. Seth took in his surroundings. He knew where he was. He knew what had happened. He shut his eyes again. This couldn’t be happening. ‘Please! Seth!’ she was really worried now and there was a waver in her voice that Seth didn’t want to have to deal with. He opened his eye and rolled them round to look at her. ‘Yeah?’
‘Thank God! You’re OK! And I thought…’
‘Never think. You don’t know where you might end up.’
Ellie smiled, he was gonna be OK. She helped him to sit up and the blood rushed to his head making him feel dizzy.
‘What time is it?’
‘I don’t know. Really late… I mean early.’
‘How long have you been here?’
‘About an our I guess. It was when you stopped moving I got really worried… what happened Seth?’
‘I would have thought it was obvious…’ He paused - it was clear that it wasn’t, ‘Ellie, I’m epileptic.’
‘Oh.’ It was all she could say.
‘So what happened when I passed out?’
‘Well…’ she looked sheepish. ‘Basically Bray left and just stepped over you. Salene tried to help but Bray said not to, he said you didn’t deserve it and… oh, I guess you don’t want to hear this.'
Seth gave the semblance of a shrug. ‘Oh well, I asked didn’t I?’
‘And Bray, he was well out of line. how could he do that to you?! I mean…’
‘Ellie,’ he stopped her, ‘It’s OK. Really.’
Her eyes widened. ‘You mean you did do all the things he said?’
‘Not really, well not on purpose anyway. I was defending Danni because I genuinely believed that she was just friends with Lex,’ Briar’s words came to mind but he pushed them away again. ‘And I did it because I never thought Lex would do a thing like that.’
‘Well I guess you’ve got an excuse then - not knowing what Lex’s really like.’
‘Hey hold on! I thought Danni was saying there WAS nothing going on.’
Ellie raised an eyebrow. ‘But sitting here with you, quietly, inconspicuously… its actually been quite interesting. First I saw Danni going down to Lex’s room, acting all secretive and then Bray went to Ebony’s room - what’s going on there?’
‘No idea.’
Seth was crushed and usually he bore weight pretty well but the picture of Ebony and Bray right now, with Ebony laughing and smiling triumphantly was too much. He convinced himself it was all hate. Jealousy had nothing to do with it.

Episode Sixty Seven

As for Danni, to her amazement, Lex was asleep when she got back and she was too tired to wake him. Besides, she’d been told to leave and she didn’t know if he meant it, so she figured she could just hide out in Lex’s room for a bit. She was awake long before him but the thought of having to endure the day made her just enjoy oblivion time. She saw Lex waking up slowly, and she didn’t know how to tell him what had gone on. He rolled over to face her and then smiled sleepily. ‘Morning.’
Danni didn’t reply and it took Lex a few minutes to realise something was wrong. ‘Danni?’
‘Last night…’ she began.
‘It’s tomorrow night I’m thinking about,’ said Lex with a cheeky grin on his face.
‘That’s not what I mean. Last night… I told Bray.’
Lex suddenly woke up. ‘Told him as in….’
She nodded, ‘well not about us, just that I didn’t love him anymore.’
Lex lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling. ‘So how did he take it?’
‘Not very well.’
‘Hardly surprising,’ murmured Lex.
‘We had big argument.’
‘When?’
‘Last night. I’m surprised you didn’t hear it, everyone else did.’
‘Including Ebony, I’ll bet.’
‘I don’t know, I wasn’t looking, apart from for you.’
Lex took her hand, ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there, I sleep like a… a… something heavy anyway.’

At breakfast the atmosphere was tense. None of them appeared, not Bray, or Danni or Lex or Seth. Ebony sat in a corner hugging her cup of coffee with delight and trying to restrain a smile from spreading over her face.
Alice broke the silence. ‘Interesting night huh?'
Jack glanced around him. Where was Ellie? She was usually up by now and rushing round trying to save the world. He didn’t really want to go down to her room this time in the morning, she might be changing or something and… he blushed at the thought. His face lit up. ‘Ellie! You’re up!’
‘Can’t talk,’ she grabbed two bowls and a cereal packet. ‘Gotta go.’
‘You know, I feel really sorry for Bray even after everything he’s done to me,’ said Salene thoughtfully.
‘But remember, it wasn’t him. It was Seth,’ remarked Alice.
‘So what happens now?’ asked Ryan, ‘Does Danni leave?’
There was a pause. ‘I guess we should take a vote on it but still…’
‘But…’ said Jack hesitantly, ‘Its not like I’m defending Danni or anything, but still we can't throw people out because she… she two-timed her boyfriend, who happens to be the leader. Can we?’
The others looked a bit sheepish. Usually throwing people out was about serious things like stealing or murder but this just didn’t measure up. Still, no one wanted to agree with him.
‘It’s Seth, Seth who’s in the wrong.’
‘Yeah and you know that better than anyone, Salene. If he hadn’t been here none of this would ever have happened.’ It wasn’t true and they knew it, but it sounded good.
‘I wouldn’t trust him so far as…’ Alice trailed off and had a better thought, ‘as far as Patsy could throw him.’ At least that brought a smile to everyone’s faces. ‘But seriously, watch him - he’s probably up to something as we speak.’

‘Thanks.’ Seth smiled gratefully as Ellie handed him the bowl. ‘I just couldn’t face anyone this morning.’
‘Fair enough.’
Ellie tipped some cereal out into his bowl. She looked up to his forehead, there was a bruise really coming through now, bright purple. She put her hand up to his face. ‘You’ve got quite a…’
He blocked her arm aggressively. ‘I know. Alright?’
‘Sure.’ She with drew her hand timidly then opened her mouth to apologise.
‘Just don’t mention it. It never happened.’
Ellie shut her mouth and they finished breakfast in silence.

Episode Sixty Eight

Jack walked past the doorway then stopped and did a double-take. ‘Ellie?’
‘Morning Jack.’
Seth didn’t even look up. Jack shot her a meaningful look saying ‘what are you doing with him?’
‘What, Jack?’
‘Erm… Ellie. Can I have a word? Outside.’
‘Don’t talk to me like that Jack. I’m not your daughter.’
Seth looked up straight at Jack with a faintly amused smile on his face. Jack just did a kind of unhappy movement, half way between a foot stamp and a body twitch. ‘Fine.’ And he walked off.
It was not fine. The don’t trust Seth thing was stuck in his mind. There had always been the way she looked at him. Jack went to sulk.
Jack spent most of that day running out of his workshop to see if he could catch sight of either Ellie or Seth coming and going from Bray’s old room. Finally Dal had had enough. ‘Jack! What is going on?’
Jack returned from the doorway, ‘Nothing. Well no. Its not nothing. It's Ellie and … Seth. She’s been hanging around with him all morning.’
‘They’re friends Jack, and he’s in trouble. She’s just helping him out. Probably.’
‘What do you mean Probably????’
‘Nothing, Jack, calm down.’
‘I am calm.’ He took a deep breath, ‘Its just I don’t trust Seth.’
‘Do you trust Ellie?’
‘Yes… well…’
‘For God’s sake Jack!’
‘I’ve just got one thing to ask you… When you were at the clinic with them. How were they getting on?’
‘Good.’ Dal looked confused.
‘Good?! Good?! Is that it? Can’t you give me a little bit more description?’
‘Jack, you don’t want to hear this. You’ll just get jealous.’
‘Do I look…’ he started, his face turning red as they spoke, ‘Do I look jealous?’
‘Yes.’
‘Just tell me!’
‘OK, so they were getting on really well. I think Ellie really likes him.’
‘Is that really as in really or really?’
‘Really.’
‘But of course you would say that. You’ve always fancied Ellie. You’re just trying to split us up.’
‘Jack!’
‘What?!’
‘Look, I’m not gonna sit here and take this. You wanted an honest answer and you got one.’ He got up and left.
‘So it’s true then.’ called Jack after him with a feeble attempt at being triumphant.

As for Ellie she’d gone a long time ago. Seth wanted to be alone and had said so. Ellie left a little put out, she still couldn’t understand him completely. She saw something was troubling him but she put it down as guilt for splitting Danni and Bray up. But he didn’t and Ellie believed that. Across the hall from the balcony she caught sight of Ebony and Bray sitting in the café having a drink together. Bray was staring at his cup a lot and Ebony was speaking quite a bit and occasionally put her hand on his reassuringly. Ellie moved out of view quickly. She didn’t want them to see that she’d been with Bray. On her way around the corner she met Ebony who must have moved at the same time as her.
‘So how is he Ellie?’ asked Ebony a triumphant smile on her face.
‘Er.. who?’
‘I do know Ellie. Its not difficult if you open your eyes. And subtlety’s never been your strong point has it?’
Ellie scowled, ‘He fine.’
‘Pleased to hear it. So is it visiting hours? Have you finished comforting him?’
‘Finished comforting Bray?’
‘Er… yep,’ she said plainly.
‘Why would he want to see you?’
Ebony smiled to herself. ‘Trust me. He will.’
‘Don’t flatter yourself.’ Ellie said and walked past her.
Ebony was quite amused at the idea that she must have been in contest with her over Seth.

Episode Sixty Nine

Episode Seventy

Episodes 71-75
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