14 Blood

Ray was relaxing on the couch with a glass filled with wine. He was admiring the new carpet currently beautifying his floor. It was a gift from his girlfriend. She had gone to Milan to get hold of that vintage piece of house decor at a crazy enough price. And it would suffice to say that he treasured it.

His peace was disturbed by a loud knock on the front door. Groaning he went up and opened the door. In the doorway, Kai was standing supporting an unconscious and broken nosed Timo.

Ray was horrified at the scene in front of him. It took him a full minute to form a coherent sentence, "What happened to him?"

Kai shook his head and pulled their eldest brother closer, "Let's go in. He is heavy." He breathlessly told Ray.

Ray quickly went forward and lent a helping hand to his struggling friend. Kai was thankful for Ray's thoughtfulness. They dragged the unconscious man inside the quiet house. By the time they made him lie on the couch, Timo was starting to come back to his senses.

Before they could catch their breaths, Vic came barging in. He came looking for Ray regarding some business but he was shocked to see their eldest brother-his idol- hurt.

"What the hell happened to him? Who did this?" Vic forgot his purpose and started to question his brothers present in the room. He was livid.

Kai shrugged his shoulders helplessly, "I too exactly don't know how or why but-"

"Ow! My nose!" Timo interrupted their conversation with his painful groan. He sat up with some obvious difficulty and looked around in confusion.

"Morning sleeping beauty." Ray quickly found some tissues and gave them to Timo, "Here hold this tissue to your nose. I don't want my carpet being spoiled by your incessant bleeding."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of spoiling your carpet." Timo sarcastically replied and he then winced in pain again as moving his facial muscles was a big feat with a broken nose.

"Kai, who did this to him?" Vic who was quiet all the while erupted again. He needed answers.

Kai was thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Remember that girl who gate-crashed our shoot few years back?"

"That beautiful one? Didn't she look frail?" Ray voiced out his confusion.

And as to why they remembered her clearly, it was because Timo hadn't let them forget her. He thought he was subtle but the guys knew him for a long time and understood him better.

Kai shook his head, "Believe me she still looks weak and frail but I am sure she broke our elder brother's nose." He too was finding it hard to wrap his head around the idea.

"But why?" Vic was wise enough to ask the question which was in everyone's mind.

All of them looked at Timo for an explanation. Cheeks painted red in embarrassment he retold the events again.

***

(Flashback)

The thief lay groaning and cursing at his feet. With a victorious smile on the face, Kai turned around to look at Shew.

She looked pale and was breathing shallowly.

"Well now wasn't that heroic?" Timo tried to brag to get her mind off the events that had scared her.

He had not expected it to have a negative effect. Shew looked directly into his eyes. Her brown orbs were filled with fury.

"How dare you!!"

And she had in a swift move grabbed hold of his shirt collar and punched him hard in the face twice. Her blows were strong and he had instantly fallen to the ground unconscious with a profusely bleeding nose.

She had then searched his pockets and fished out his mobile phone. Fortunately, it wasn't locked. she dialled the last number from call log and luckily it connected to Kai.

Within minutes Kai reached the spot where Shew was waiting with an unconscious Timo by her side.

"What happened to him?" Kai was startled.

"Are you sure that your friend isn't a retard?"

Shew replied to a question with a question. Her gaze was filled with annoyance.

"Why?" Kai was like a lost puppy between them.

Shew waved her arms angrily, "Just take him away. Also, tell him to stay away from me."

Kai was a bit taken aback by the ferocity in her voice, he swallowed before timidly nodding, "O-ok."

***

The silence in Ray's living room was deafening.

"So you saved her?" Vic asked.

"And she knocked the daylights out of you?" Ray added.

Timo weakly nodded yes to both the questions.

It was completely silent in the room until all the occupants sans Timo burst out into laughter. He was all set to murder them all after 10 minutes of continuous laughter.

Mui came looking for his gang and saw three of them rolling on the floor laughing and one glaring at them holding a tissue at his bloodied nose.

"Well?" He raised an eyebrow at them all

"Our eldest brother here was beaten up by a girl." Vic calmed down enough to fill Mui in on the recent happenings. He was slightly out of breath.

"Why?" Mui asked once again calmly.

"Because he saved her." Kai said before breaking down into laughter once again.

And they started to laugh again. Shaking his head at their silly antics Mui went in and brought out the first aid kit to patch up Timo.

He was almost happy that at least one person was worried for him until.

"Don't get beaten up again bro, cuz next time I will join them." Mui dashed all good feelings Timo had for him.

Timo removed the tissue for a moment to make a smart comeback but one teeny-weeny drop of blood fell on the vintage carpet.

Ray's eyes flew wide open staring at the spot. His laughter turned into tears in the flicker of an eye.

Timo sat confused and angry while the remaining three immensely enjoyed their two of the friend's hopeless states.