Phantoms

Max frowned and continued to go over the order list of alcohol and supplies for one of his nightclubs. He could already feel a migrane building within his skull as he tried to read over the typed pages. Sighing he ran one of his hands through his long silky blond,tri color streaked hair and pushed the paperwork back into his carry on bag. He just could'nt deal with it right now. His eyes was thobbing along with his heartbeat in perfect harmony. He leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes shuffling his feet in front of him agitated.

'I'm glad I'm sitting in first class and there is'nt anyone sitting near by. I'd probably end up punching someone if they tried to talk to me right now.. God I'm so restless and my mind is to full of memories and the past to focus on anything. I hate it when I get like this'

Honestly he did'nt feel like going to Japan, but he had promised the others that he'd be there. And considering they had helped him finance and open his clubs. He was'nt about to disappoint them all by canceling or not showing up. Besides he had'nt really seen any of them in almost a entire year. And had barely had time to even call them. Not that he could ever get ahold of Tyson when he did try anyhow.

'Jesus he's alot different then I ever would've imagine he'd turn out to be. Pfft who the fuck am I to think anything of anyone else anymore? I mean shit look at me? I'm about as screwed up as a person can get..'

Max rubbed his right hand over his once happy blue eyes brushing his bangs away. He was so damn tired.. And he knew that if anyone looked him in the eye they'd see it, but never understand why. Over the years all of his friends eyes had also seemed to dim like his own. He dug around in his bag and pulled out a old beat up photo album he always kept with him and opened it. The half smile on his face never reached his eyes as he looked at the photos flipping aimlessly and thought about his friends. With clouded eyes he focused slowly on each person in the foreground of his favourite picture he stopped on.

'God what happened to these kids? Look how much we've all changed over the years guys. Tyson you're so thin and quiet now. I would've never imagined you this way. Rei you lost that calm and wise air and seem utterly lost now. You used to know exactly what life was about, and what you wanted or needed to do.. Kenny... You scare me now and that to me seems like the worst thing ever. I can't even begin to understand you now you've changed so much..'

Coldly he focused on the edge of the picture at the red eyed boy that was barely standing with the rest of the group.

'Kai... Where are you? I wish you would come back or show up even.. Or we'd at least find your body... It'd be nice to have some closure even if you just popped up to tell us to fuck off.. At least we'd know you're alive.. You broke us all. In ways I never even knew a person could break..'

The thoughts made Max's chest hurt to think about how dull those gold, green, and deep blue eyes in the photo had became. Kenny had a law degree and handled all the rest of the guys paperwork for that sort of stuff. Out of them all he had changed the most. He was caculating now and could be blunt and cruel. Max gave a mirthless chuckle at his train of thoughts closed, and shoved the book back in his bag and sighed.

'Kai would be proud of or maybe even scared of the Chief now..'

He'd became ruthless with reaching his goals and agressive to meet them. Two years after he had lost Dizzy he had pulled his mousey brown hair back and let it grow out. It had surprised everyone to see him showing he had such a expressive face and vivid green eyes. And he had started to work out to the point of obsession. Quite frankly Max was afraid of him now. The guy was huge and had one hell of a temper and was dangerously smart. But it was the brunettes eyes that scared Max the most.

'Empty. His eyes are so damn hard and empty now. It's like someone ripped out his heart but he kept on living. I wonder if that's how he sees the rest of us? Hell how we all see each other? Heh, it probably is..'

Max eyed the last few people in the picture's background. He surpressed a shudder and closed his eyes and leaned his head back onto his seat with a sigh. Hillary was a dental assitant or something like that now. Not that he'd ever gave much of a damn for the girl. She was loud, pushy, and manipulative. She had tried to seduce him, Tyson, Rei, and Kenny all at one point or another into her bed unsucessfully. She'd ended up moving to the UK and last he'd heard married Robert and settled down there.. Tala and Bryan worked as software designers now for some big robotics AI research company. Last he'd heard Spencer and Ian was doing something simular or the same. He seen them all every so often when they went club hopping which Tala and Bryan was both fond of doing. Mariah had married Gary and settled down in their home village. Squeezed out some kids.. Rei taught martial arts off and on and owned a few natural supplement and herbal stores. He moved around alot and never stayed in one place for very long. It was almost as if he was afraid of someone or thing following him. Lee had went off on some self exploration of the world. Kevin had left to follow him. Hiro was with Brooklyn and Mystel in Egypt with Ty's dad still searching ruins.. Daichi had helped open a outreach program for troubled teens and was helping alot of them. He'd became quiet as well and serious to the point it bothered Max.

'Shit we all changed it ways that it even bothers us when we realised who we are now and who we used to be..'

Max shook his head and got up then walked to the bathroom on the plane. After he shut the door he leaned against it and looked at himself in the mirror. The person who looked back at him made him want to punch the glass to peices in rage.

'Where did I go? My joy of life? My innocence? What happened to that beautiful boy mom and dad loved? Who the hell is this angry and hard eyed man staring back at me? What made him this way?'

The reflection looking back at him was a good looking one. A muscular and lean guy with grown out blondehair the was streakedblue, green, and purple. His complexion was smooth and pale, the freckles long faded away over time. His skin looked sickly pale from never being outside during the day. A sudden thought made him give a mirthless chuckle in the tiny room. He smiled at the reflection then. It looked more like a sneer to him though. The amusement and happyness never reached his eyes, had'nt in a decade even. He was'nt sure if that kid in those pictures was ever really him anymore.

'I don't think Kai or would have jack shit on me in a pale contest now. Or beat me at the brooding angry guy persona. Or win a death glaring contest. I think most of us could back the Ice Prince into a corner now with a look rivaling his own.'

He eyed his clothes then. He wore alot of leather and had a few peircings and tattoos.

'Actually Kai would prolly say he was a bad influence on me if he could see me now..'

For the most part Max was content with his life. Well would've been, if he could sleep like a normal human being. Or if he was on talking terms with either of his parents. He fumbled around in his jacket pocket and pulled out a bottle of antidepressants and swallowed one dry. Then glared in anger at his reflection shook his head and heaved a sigh. The sudden turbulence around the plane made his mood that much worse as he gripped onto the little sink. He turned to exit the bathroom after splashing a little water over his face but froze wide eyed midstep.

"M-master Max?"

It was barely a whisper but he was'nt sure if he had really heard it or not.

"Maxie?"

Max blinked hard and stared back at his own reflection then looked around and shook his head.

"Max, you can hear me right?"

Max felt his knees give and landed outside the bathroom on the carpet on his knees holding his head in confusion.

'No no this is'nt happening. Not again.. The doctors said it was just childish crap. Imaginary!"

A half choked sob echoed through his mind and he could feel the utter dispair from it..

'They said you was just made up, so please please be quiet..'

"Why are you so afraid of me now?"

Involuntarily Max thought about the mental hospital his mom had forced him into for a few years and shuddered.

"What's this place you're thinking about? A hospital? Why was you there Max? Was you sick?"

'You're why I was there Draciel..'

"I-I... I don't understand Max..."

'I don't understand anything anymore either D..'

"You've...You've really changed Max.."

He barely whispered his reply to the friend he was told was all in his head with a true smile..

"Yeah, I know.."

Max leaned against the wall and started to laugh. It was the first laughter and smile that was real and heartfelt in a decade of lost time..