George's Box of Rocks

George's Box of Rocks

Standing George put his hands in his pockets and walked over and waited in silence as Kai thrashed around on the bed.

“...George?” Kai said hazily. “I-is that you?”

“Mhm,” He replied. Kai licked his dry lips and grabbed his stomach as pain coursed through him. “Take your time.” He warned.

“Am I dead?”

George scoffed, his face hardening. “Don’t piss me off.”

“It would be me to survive being drugged, only to get mauled by a man whose smile is probably scarier than his pissed off face.” Watching the serious expression remain on George’s face, Kai suddenly felt like a child all over again. “I should have died. “ He said lowly.

“Yeah, you should have.” George reached out for the glass of water on the nightstand and sitting down, he helped Kai drink. “I’m pretty good at reading people, and I’m far too old to cut cards. You’ve been given more lives than a cat, boy...you ain’t got another one after this.”

Kai processed his words, and he looked away. “I should have died,” he repeated.

“Did you want to?”

“Yes”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Wha-”

George pulled a device from his pocket. Kai's eyes widened the moment he saw the Martin picture on the front. “You know I done seen some things, but I can honestly say I have NEVER seen a phone that hasn’t been charged in weeks, that was tucked away in a box in a closet, SUDDENLY just start to ring up out of nowhere.”

A chill went up Kai’s spine as he read George’s face. “Are you saying that my da-”

“Seems like Sabine ain't the only one whose ancestors are behind her, the difference is your daddy can’t continue from the grave, to push love into someone who believes they’re unlovable.” George folded one leg over the over, “Why are you here hm? What they gave you should have killed you and yet somehow you managed to stay alive long enough to call this phone probably forgetting Diane had it. You stayed alive long enough for Di to call me, even though I wasn’t even supposed to be in California this week, they mixed up my meeting. You remained breathing just enough for Jordan to somehow track you in milliseconds and wouldn’t you know it? When they told me the address I realized it was RIGHT ACROSS from where I ended up because of the wrong turn on the GPS. You made it here because you fought to make it here, whether you realize it or not, and that ancestral magic inside you fought for you to be here too. ”

Kai swallowed his spit. “I-I don’t know what to say.”

“Answer my question, why are you here? I don’t mean alive, I mean HERE because from what I gathered you were originally coming home. Why hm? You came here exuding love for everyone, and in the same breath tried to do everything you could to keep them from doing the same for you. If you think you’re so unlovable that you don’t deserve to have any semblance of a genuine unconditional sort, then why are you here? Hm? If you really wanted to die, why were you coming home? And stop looking at me like you don’t hear me, those ears work as good as your feet.”

Kai felt his body shake, as the residual effects of drugs leaving his body coursed through him. he clenched his teeth. “Doesn’t matter, I keep fucking up.”

George grabbed him by the shoulders and held on tight not caring that he was drenched in sweat. He growled at him, “Ain't what I asked you! I said WHY ARE YOU HERE?! What? Hm? You said it yourself, you’re a fuck up!” He looked him over, “Got track marks all over your skin, you smell like pure vomit and death, your clothes are filthy, your suffering withdrawal...I thought you said this was what made you walk away from everybody before. I thought this was the demon that made you unlovable to everybody, including yourself. Am I about to add liar and coward to the list of shit you CLAIM to make you unlovable?”

He released Kai, who glared at him. “F-FUCK YOU!” He seethed. “YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT ABOUT ME!”

George leaned in close and gave him a hard stare, “I know you better than YOU know YOU.” He said deadly and lifted his sleeve. Through his tremors, Kai saw a faint track pattern on George’s arm that resembled the one on his. “We are one in the same.” He clasped Kai’s face, loaning him his strength as the hotshot remainders worked through his body again.

Kai wailed in agony, “P-please just let me die…everybody would be so much better off if I died.”

“If you believed that, WHY ARE YOU HERE?” Kai felt the chaotic magic shocked his system as it fought against the drugs, and he belted out a scream. Refusing to let him go, George pulled his weakening body to him, “Come on boy, you know it, but you NEED to say it. If you think they’d be better without you, WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”

Kai's eyes burned purple, and through clenched tears, he roared, “BECAUSE I NEED TO BE! If I stayed away, I would have let them down again! Death felt easy, but I NEED to fight. For them, for her-” His words stopped as the magic centered to his heart and jilted it hard. His body almost giving out, tears ran down his face as he looked at the older wolf who refused to let him go. His lips parted and he finally admitted what scared him the most, “I-I’m here to fight for me.” Kai murmured before blacking out.

Exiting the room, George pulled his sleeves down and walked into the commotion in Alexus’s lab.

“WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!” Demetri shouted as they all stared at the beating red heart in the glass.

George tilted his head at Sabine, “Seems like you weren’t the only one who needs to start learning to love on themselves to lift a curse or two.” Sabine's hands shook, and he silenced her, “He needs to sleep, next few weeks will be rough but he’s gonna survive. He starting over, just like you.” He gave her a small smile, “Ain't a damn thing wrong with that either, as long as do START..”

Racing to him, she engulfed him in a hug, “I don’t know what you did, but thank you.”

He patted her arm and pulled away, “You can’t fill other’s cups when yours is empty. You two kept going back and forth because you kept trying to give what you didn’t have. But when you learn to pour into your own cup as much as you pour into others, and you let them do the same…” He pointed, “You fight TOGETHER, not against.” He looked her over, “ One more thing, group chat says the boy did some old school courtin’ on you when he messed up, to win you back?”

Sabine nodded, “Yes sir, he did.”

“Well, kinda looks like this a perfect opportunity for you to eat a little crow yourself.” He handed her a notepad, “Maybe try words again. Can’t take back the hurtful ones, but you CAN put out a lot more loving ones and for this battle, he’s about to go through, he gonna need it.” He looked up to everyone, “From all of you.” Before he could say anything else, he heard a guttural scream.

“GEORRRGGGEEE!”

His face paled. Moving quickly, he returned back to Kai's room, “What’s wrong with you?! You okay?! You done had a come to Jesus moment, you are supposed to rest now. You still have a lot of that poison in you, and it’s only about to get rougher as it comes out.”

Kai laughed weakly, “I know, but uh-because Elijah and Demetri hang out with Terrence and stuff and Klaus kicks it with Jordan and Sterling- and they said I was your box of rocks, though I guess you and Klaus share Jordan and Sterling right?... I don’t know what none of that shi-STUFF means, but it sounds cool, I guess.” He shrugged slightly embarrassed, “I don’t know, there's like the stuff they talk about and you all are so close and stuff, I ain’t never really have somebody to talk to about the stuff yall be talking about. I thought you could tell me about any new designs you are thinking of because I heard you're the creator of my favorite car-I mean if you want to.”

George stared at him, and he started to panic, causing him to unknowingly ramble, “Unless that was a secret because I won’t tell anybody, I don’t be telling people business. I also don’t steal! That shi-STUFFS lame. I’m a creative and know it’s important to hold onto your patents. I get all my songs copyrighted even though copyright is technically already on them when I put them out. Did you know that? I didn’t but seeing how you old-NOT OLD, OLD BUT-dang is that rude? I’m not trying to come off rude. I’m just curious because you look pretty young minus the angry lines, but how old are you? I know you can’t ask women that, but you’re a dude, so it’s fine right? You know what? Never mind, don’t answer...it sounds rude. Hmm but you think I’mma age slow? Do witches and warlocks age slowly like werewolves and vampires? OH MY GOD, HOW OLD IS SABINE?! You think she-”

“GODAMMIT BOY, STOP!” George shouted exasperated. He covered his face, “Fucking hell, all yall ramble. EVERY.DAMN.ONE.OF.YALL!” He stalked to the door irritated and shouted out of it, “Ali?! Can you bring me a fresh pair of clothes for Maestro and please hurry? Boy getting on my last damn nerve, and burning the last good follicle I got in my nostril with his smell.”

Kai mumbled, “You could have at least whispered that last part.”

George let out a low growl and folded his arms to his chest while glaring at his one fifth of the whole stupid. After a moment he spoke, “Got this new idea for a truck instead of a car.” His face reddened as he saw Kai smile in appreciation of the unspoken gesture.