Nothing's gonna tear us apart

 

It sounded like a girlfight to Axton. But he wasn't sure if he wanted to interrupt when he heard it at Em's. But of course, she made him see to it. And he guessed it was the end of something. 

Yuki was out of sorts with Zelli and he warned Zelli if she didn't go he'd call the cops which was the last thing he wanted to do. Instantly, he thought if anyone got shot in the ordeal, it would be him.

But that was days ago. Yuki was still being silent about it. She looked so angry then.

"What actually happened?" He found himself asking Emily but she wasn't one to be forthcoming either. It felt as if it were one puzzle after another. 

Of course, he hadn't found a job yet, either. Yeah, Emily was not happy with him. You could only get by with saying, "It's cool" for so long. He might as well be in the dumpster too.

"I think something is going on with you two," there he said it. He gave Emily a look as if she needed to be honest with him. What was going on? It wasn't exactly a Marvin Gaye song by any means. 

Naturally, she said he was depressed, but he didn't really think so yet he came back with, "Well, if anybody can make one depressed, it's you." He gave her a look. God, he didn't want to get in a spat with her. It was enough to have Yuki out of sorts. 

He did his best to pacify her with, "I'm on it, Babe.." about the job situation. Yeah, he'd done a lot of applications online. Things had fizzled at the art gallery (and it was a blatant lie about getting into medical school, but he knew she enjoyed hearing it.) 

How he wanted to have his own art on display, but he was feeling a bit like that artist who cut his ear off a century or two ago. It was as if he'd have to be dead before anybody took a liking to his stuff. And they didn't really need him at the art place. Or so that's what the snooty staff said. He was evidently not their IT boy.

Yes, maybe that was the story of his life. The ups and downs of being lost in the state foster system. He should be used to it by now. Hell, he was twenty-four. Even so, thoughts of those times still stayed with him long after his adolescent days.

His mother's people were from up in the Dakotas. In fact, she was in a tribe most didn't know about and many considered her African American when in fact she was indigenous. Honestly, he didn't even know until later years, himself. 

After he lost his mom to drugs in the city, he'd been well-medicated when they put him into the system. It seemed he had an attention disorder or maybe he was just too hyper for his own good. Honestly, it did put his stomach through the riggers and teachers didn't take kindly to his farting episodes, either. Yeah, he was a messed-up kid on so many levels. But then he fell into a foster family who put him on a certain diet and no drugs allowed which in the end he was thankful for.

Then again, he got in more trouble at school. It seemed he got enlisted in a gang when he was ten and he didn't even know it. "I was just doing art." But he didn't know it was symbols for something else. By middle school, he was in Juvie. 

He truly felt he was an accident now. But he remembered the good times at Boys Town. And he never forgot Emily. Yes, he'd managed to somehow keep working from one part-time job to another. He got in some art classes. He was so proud to own a car even if it was falling apart. And now to find her again, it was like this lost boy found his true family.

Yet, he knew on their faces now, he was not meant to be here. And really he had no place to go. That was when they told him about the baby.

He couldn't help but laugh. It was kind of a surprise, but he knew he looked pretty silly about this information even if he did say, "You gotta be kidding me." Because to him it might as well have been the immaculate conception. Em was no easy girl to get it on with.

He did his best to keep it together. "Look, just let me live in the basement. I swear I'll come through for you." He looked at Yuki too. Evidently, she would always be Emily's life partner. "I will find a job." He swore. Axton knew he better find one quick.