Destroying A Legacy

Chapter Thirteen: Lafew

The school decided to hold Tybalt White's funeral and pay for the expenses.

Lafew didn't know Tybalt very well, but he remembered him as a scrawny student with colorful clothes. He knew his parents were hippies, or the closest thing to it you could have been in the Noblesse. He'd never been a bully like his friend Peter, and if he'd said some things about Lafew, they'd been forgotten and forgiven.

Arthur's sword, Lafew thought, it's my fault he's dead.

"Hi, erm...," Helen Square approached Lafew. "I was wondering if, before the funeral, you'd like to drink a beer with me. We can take the bus to Penzance and still be back for the funeral."

Helen Square was Gratiano's friend but the two had barely talked before. It didn't help that she was the one who had sent Lafew that corny poem for Valentine's Day.

"Of course," Lafew accepted. Maybe Helen wanted to get tipsy before the event. She could have been a friend of Tybalt --- Lafew didn't know.

Before they left, Tranio walked up to Lafew.

"I didn't know you liked girls, Merman," he smirked.

Lafew felt his ears becoming very red, thinking about the kiss. "What does that have to do with anything? It's not like it's a date."

"Oh, I assure you, she thinks it is," Tranio said dryly, putting on his coat. 

"Well, it's not that way, I..." Lafew tried to reply. But he'd be damned before he told Fair he was gay.

Best if he thought the kiss was just a mistake.

Lafew wondered if Tranio was right. Perhaps there had been a moment when something had changed. Now, if a girl invited a boy out, it wasn't to become friends anymore. Lafew couldn't pinpoint when that changed, or even if he'd do that with a boy. Sometimes the whole dating thing seemed complicated and unappealing to him.

However, the kiss he gave Tranio still lingered on his lips. He couldn't relate to much of what people his age said about love, but he could relate to that. Lafew had never felt that way before, and it certainly wasn't the same feeling he had at the idea of Tranio being his friend.

"So," Helen told him. "I didn't invite you out, Lafew. But I still wanted it to be just you and me. You see, I have very important news to tell you about Driscoll."

Lafew almost spit out his beer. "What?"

Helen smiled shyly. "Don't worry, I know you like Fair. But I have very important matters to relate to you."

Lafew wondered whether he had to correct her. It didn't seem ideal, that everyone thought he liked Tranio.

Helen didn't wait for him to reply. "You see," she said, "The news will be spread soon, but I wanted you to be the first to know."

Lafew noticed Helen's eyes were red and she looked very close to crying.

"When Peter told us the way Driscoll looked... I couldn't help but recall it was the same way my father's killer looked."

"Your father was murdered?" Lafew asked.

Helen looked like she was about to start sobbing. "This summer. If you haven't heard of it is 'cause you don't read the newspapers of the commonfolk. In fact, it was ruled to be a crime outside the Noblesse, and the man wearing a green mask simply a robber."

"So," Lafew said. "You think it was Julius Driscoll."

Helen started crying into her cup. "I know there isn't any reason why my father could have been targeted by the Rebellion. He didn't openly support you and apart from the Valentine card, I've never, either... But a man was spotted at the crime scene. The neighours say he was dark-haired, with a green mask and with light green eyes, almost yellow."