Punch Drunk Gator - JakeParade (2024)

Chapter 1: Enter: Troubled Youth

Chapter Text

September fourth. Year? 201M2023 B.C.

This f*cking blows. Straight out of juvie, and I don't even get time to relax. Nah. Instead I'm shipped straight off to some sh*thole called Volcaldera Bluffs. Whatever, it actually isn't that bad. Mostly. It's primary residents? Meteor dodgers. Of f*cking course. Ain't like it matters to me. They might inherently be stronger but that don't mean sh*t to me. f*ck. Gotta stop thinking like that. The ice ain't even thin at this point. It's microscopic or some sh*t. Already itching to get into brawls? Cool it, Fault. As much as you can anyway, it's hot as f*ck here. Only serves to piss me off even more. Doesn't help that I'm a pasty white motherf*cker. At least I only wear a tank top. Sure, it's black. Absorbs more heat or whatever the f*ck. But it hides any blood that gets on it. Cargo pants might be a little much though... nah, too convenient. I keep a lot of sh*t in these pockets. I keep them cinched on me with a red leather belt, and the urban camo looks good, I think. And my boots? Most prized possession. Some real steel toed mud-stompers. Or teeth stompers- f*ck. Doing it again. Whatever. Apparently it's gonna start cooling down here soon anyway. Maybe I should look into getting a jacket or something. I run my my hands across my perfectly smooth bald head. Did I say perfectly smooth? Sure, aside from the f*cking gnarly scar that travels down the side of my face to my neck. Got knifed by some prick once. Bled like a real motherf*cker. Nearly killed me. Looks badass now, though.

Grunting, I lean back in the hard plastic seating of the metro. Destination? Losersville. Population? Me. First day in a new arena. School. Whatever, same goddamn thing. I should be on my phone looking at highlights from the latest bouts, but I can't stop thinking about all this stupid bullsh*t I've been going through. f*cking dad. Rich ass prick. Threatens to disown me all the goddamn time, and yet he always funnels a stupid amount of money as an 'allowance' into my bank account, like he thinks it'll keep me from doing what I do. Whatever. All he does is put my cigs in my pocket. I guess it's my fault for being such a sh*t kid or something. But, hey. You know what they say. New school, new you... f*ck am I talking about, nobody says that stupid sh*t. It's senior year. Last chance to not f*ck up. Dunno how I'm gonna accomplish that, though. f*ck was this school's name? I reach over to my satchel, digging around in it and pulling out a manila folder. It's full of all kinds of stipulations and other garbage about my accommodations. There it is. St. Hammond High School. Stupid name. Apparently it's some kind of 'gifted school for artists'. That's... cool, I guess. I like to tag sh*t. Think I'm pretty good at it. Who knows, maybe I'll get more into it. I know a couple of dudes that make big bucks off it.

f*cking hell, I didn't realize how far away my apartment was from this joint. Glad I left early, otherwise I'd be late as balls. Maybe I should just start taking taxis or something. Eh. I don't mind the metro. Something about it is soothing. Better get used to it anyway. I look out the window, watching the scenic views roll by. Huh. Yeah, alright. This place was okay. My thoughts drift back to some of my previous schools... or the fights I got in at them, anyway. dickhe*ds. Ugh, why am I thinking about that sh*t now? Get over yourself. Glancing over to my left, I realize a grimy little compy dressed in rags is staring at me. f*cking... hobos. My eye twitches. I give him a few minutes to see if he f*cks off, and when he doesn't, I twist my head towards him and growl angrily. That does it, and I watch with a smirk as he squeaks and scuttles off. Suddenly, I hear a ding, and the car starts sliding to a halt. Standing up, I stretch my stiff muscles and step out. Where's this place again? I glance around, and note a couple of distinctly student looking individuals walking in a direction. Follow the crowd. Over a bridge. I notice some more students showing up, pairing off with their pals. Voices start filling the air, laughing and telling stories about how summer break went. Yeah, cool. Wanna know how mine went? Stuck in f*cking juvie. Pricks.

...

Guess this must be it. The school looms over me, another reminder that if I f*ck up again, this is it. St. Hammond High, my new stomping grounds for the next year. Maybe literally- doing it again. I stop and take a deep breath. Huh. Air's not bad. Reminds me of that disciplinary camp I went to back in elementary school. f*ck. This really is my last shot, isn't it? God. I gotta get a grip. There's no going back. What am I waiting around for? Let's get this show on the road. I round the corner, coming face to face with the school front yard. There's all kinds of folks milling about. This school's big on art, right? Sure. As if that big ass mural didn't make that clear enough... it's actually pretty badass, though. Who doesn't love a big ass dino busting through a wall? You know what? I got a good feeling about this place. That is, until I notice a couple of motherf*ckers mean mugging me. Well... are they actually mean mugging me, or just staring at me because I'm the only skinnie within a fifty mile radius? Fuuuck off. I ignore them, walking in. I hear hushed whispers as I pass by. My eye twitches. The front doors are propped open, and that sweet conditioned air beckons me in. I gladly oblige. Look at all these techni-color c*nts. Good gravy. Scales, feathers, tails. Wings, claws, sharp ass teeth. I've been clawed and bitten before. Ain't fun.

They're all chatting, living it up. Reconnecting, meeting new people. f*ck off. I ain't interested in any of that. I see some of them peering at their schedules. Now that ain't a bad idea. I sling my satchel over to my front side and start digging around in it for the-

"WOAH, IS THAT A HUMAN?!"

What in the fresh funky f*ck? Holy sh*t. They're swarming me. f*ck it, I've taken on 10 motherf*ckers at onc- oh, sh*t. They're just interested in me because I'm a skinnie? What, you've never seen a f*cking ape before, you losers?

"Wow, look at that gnarly scar!"

My eye twitches. Pardon the f*ck me?

"Hey, new guy!"

I whip towards the voice, but I have no idea where it came from. What. The f*ck. Is going on. Jumping Raptor Christ on a pogo-stick. I spot a couple of them taking pictures on their phones. The urge to grind them into the dirt is growing by the second. I see a few of them... drawing me? Okay, that's kind of cool.

"Wow, a human! Are you like, a foreign exchange student?"

You're gonna be exchanged to the hospital in a f*cking second, pal. I feel a couple of the motherf*ckers reach out and touch my hands.

"Woah, human skin feels weiiiird."

Oh. That is f*cking it. A growl creeps into my throat as I bellow out a yell.

"GET. THE f*ck. AWAY FROM ME."

A hush falls over the crowd, some of them gasping. Almost immediately, they start filing away as I'm left there fuming. I hear some mutters calling me a caveman or whatever the f*ck. They're lucky I don't clean their goddamn clocks. I'm left standing there, trying to gather my thoughts when I hear a voice speak up.

"Umm, you're a human, right?"

I whip to the sound of the voice. What the f*ck is this? This is the most bimbo looking triceratops I've ever seen in my life.

"f*ck do you want?"

She doesn't seem phased.

"Heyy, can I, like, get a selfie with you? It'd be great for one of my classes."

I almost tell her to f*ck off, but I just grunt. She takes it as a yes. She puts an arm around my shoulder and I have to seriously keep myself from doing any kind of violent action as she poses dramatically. What the f*ck is this bitch's problem?

"Big smile now!"

I stare into her phone camera with absolutely zero emotion as she takes the picture and thankfully gets the f*ck off of me, looking over it. I give her a deadpan stare.

"You done now?"

She barely glances at me.

"Huh? Oh, yea. No probs! Anyway, I gotta go."

Good. f*ck off. Actually, wait.

"What's the photo for?"

She pauses, staring at me while she chews a wad of gum like a f*cking cow.

"My fashion design class. Those pants are ballin'."

I co*ck an eyebrow, but say nothing. She gives me a stupid little smile.

"Thanks for the pic, hun!"

Hun? What are you, f*cking 54? She turns and sashays away... nice ass, at least. I feel my shoulders sag as the unwanted stress of forced social interaction fades away. What a f*cking pain in the dick. I sure hope that's the only time that's going to happen. I roll my shoulders in an attempt to get my sh*t together. Focus on not murdering the next dumbass to say some stupid sh*t. Yeah.

clickclickclick

Okay, what the f*ck now. I look over to the annoying clicky sound. What even is that? At the end of the hall, there's someone kneeling. Oh. It's just some nerd with a camera. It looks expensive. I briefly think about breaking it, but instead shout at him instead.

"Hey!"

He flinches, but nobody else in immediate earshot seems to care. Or they're scared of me. Latter is preferable. He stands up, looking at me.

"f*ck are you doin', four eyes?"

He seems a little shocked for a brief moment, before he waggles his camera a little bit.

"Getting some shots?"

This little nerdy parasaur double checks his camera's screen and smiles.

"Yep. Perfect. This'll be a fine print for the yearbook."

I chew the inside of my cheek. If he took a picture of me I want to make sure it isn't sh*t.

"Lemme see."

He cracks a little grin. What?

"Of course, here."

He turns the display towards me, showing a shot of the hallway. And me, standing right there in the middle looking pissed off.

"Pretty good, right?"

I narrow my eyes and lean in.

"This sh*t's blurry as f*ck, dude, and you can't see sh*t. There's not enough light."

He glances down at it again.

"Ah, sh-"

He stops and looks back up at me, confusion etched across his features. I look at him like he's f*cking retarded.

"What?"

He shakes his head.

"Nothing! You've just got a good eye, is all. Say, you interested in photography?"

I grunt. I think it was one of the things I randomly ticked when filling out my schedule.

"I guess? I took it as an elective."

He nods.

"With Mr. Iadakan?"

I vaguely remember a goofy name like that on the sheet, yeah. I nod.

"Sure."

He smiles.

"Oh snap, cool. We'll be classmates. Mr. Iadakan's busy, so he just teaches it for one period."

Greaaaaat. He offers his hand out for a handshake.

"I'm Ben."

I stare down at it. I contemplate slapping his hand away, but I remember I'm not supposed to be causing sh*t. I take it begrudgingly and shake it.

"D."

f*ck it. This geek seems harmless. I suck on my teeth as I step back.

"I'm new here. Any sh*t I should know?"

He shoves his hands into his pockets.

"I kinda figured you were, being the only human student this year and all. St. Hammond isn't one of the more popular schools, but the staff put a lot of effort into the Arts programs. Even the campus is-"

And I'm checked out. God. This dude doesn't stop f*cking yapping. He stops talking for a minute, looking at me expectantly. f*ck.

"Uh... sure."

He starts walking along the hallway, nudging his head for me to follow him.

"Great! I'll take you there. I'll point out some neat stuff along the way."

f*ck did I just agree to? Eh. When in Rome.

...

Why am I not surprised? This dude's not only the biggest nerd I've ever met, he's the f*cking school council president. Greeeat. Already getting chummy with the narcs, am I? Every few minutes we'd stop so he could snap some pictures of more lame asses talking. I regret this more and more every second. The worst part? He f*cking doesn't shut the f*ck UP.

"-which is why we still go by the Feather Tails, even though I think it's a tad distasteful."

I can't take it anymore.

"Dude, do you ever shut the f*ck up?"

His jaw hangs open for a moment before it clicks shut. He seems a little embarrassed.

"Uh... sorry. I do tend to yammer on."

His attention is drawn to something else.

"Oh, hold that thought. Hey, Lunara!"

Ben strides over to a black and white raptor chick in a blue dress. Damn, she's kinda hot, too. What the f*ck? When did I get into meteor dodgers? I shake the thought away.

"Oh, hey Ben!"

They start yammering on about summer vacation and decorations or some other garbage while I stare at the vines growing along the ceiling. That seems like a health hazard, but what the f*ck do I know? I suddenly hear a gasp, and realize I'm being talked at.

"Hey, you're a human, right?"

I look down, it's the hot chick talking to me. I co*ck an eyebrow. She immediately starts doing some weird swaying motion.

"Oh, that's a silly question. You should totally join! I just love human culture, there's this amazing set of ancient masks at my place from-"

Oh my god. The yappening. Is everyone at this god forsaken dump going to be like this? Once I hear her stop talking, I glance back down.

"Yeah, cool. You should work in a museum or something."

She co*cks an eyebrow. Oh. Was that not the right thing to say? They both look at me strangely. Yeah, definitely not. I give them a shrug. f*ck you want from me? Ben clears his throat.

"Well, hey, nice to catch up, Lunara. We got places to be, take care!"

They say their stupid little goodbyes as Ben continues hauling me to wherever in Sam f*ck we're going. Like four different people stop and talk to him along the way. sh*t, I thought this guy was just a dweeb but he's actually kind of popular. I guess that's useful. He points out a few more things I couldn't give less of a sh*t about, and stops to greet even more people. At a certain point he looks at me sheepishly.

"Man, sorry for having to stop so much."

I grunt.

"It's whatever."

He sucks his teeth.

"If only it could be whatever without making us late!"

sh*t, is it getting that time?... wait, I don't care. He takes us down a hallway labeled 'administrative offices.' Woah. Look at all this sh*t. Paintings absolutely everywhere. Former students, currently attending, whatever. That's... kinda cool, actually. I imagine one of my graffiti murals plastered against the wall. It only now occurs to me that Ben is still talking.

"-And this is the gala. All of these pieces have been featured in all kinds of articles and presentations."

I grunt.

"Cool."

He looks at me proudly.

"I know, right? One moment."

He turns to the nearest door and gives it the 'ole knick knack paddy wack. A lady's voice asks a question, and Ben answers.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Principal Scaler."

Principal? What the f*ck? Is this dude tattling on me for swearing at him or something? I swear to f*cking god, I'll wring his f*ckin' neck-

An oviraptor in her mid thirties exits the room, gripping a mug of joe and a smile that tells me she would really rather be anywhere else but here. Me too, broad. Me too.

"Good morning, Benjamin."

He returns the favor, and looks at me as he gestures to her.

"D, this is our esteemed principal."

I give her a two-fingered salute.

"Yo."

Her eyes shoot wide mid sip of her coffee.

"Oh. I hadn't noticed. You would be Mr. Dee Fault, yes?"

My eye twitches. The f*ck did she say it like that for?

"Sure."

She smiles.

"How wonderful!"

Suddenly, she looks way more excited.

"I am so happy that you've chosen our school for your final year, Mr. Fauhlt."

More twitching. This bitch needs to lay off the caffeine.

"Ben, be sure to give him a thorough St. Hammond welcome, okay?"

He glances at me awkwardly.

"Er, I already was-"

She cuts him off. Damn bitch. Actually, no, thank you.

"If you ever need any assistance my office is always open, Mr. Fauglt."

Oh. I hate this c*nt.

"Not to mention, the Student Council is always available for help."

Narcs. No thanks. She looks expectantly at Ben.

"Isn't that right, Ben?"

Even he looks done with her sh*t.

"Y-yes, Principal Scaler."

I shake my head.

"Thanks, I guess."

I completely check out of the conversation as she gang-presses Ben and finally gets his annoying ass away from me, dragging him into her office. I have ZERO interest in whatever the f*ck they're talking about. I walk a few feet away, eager to do literally anything else. My eyes are drawn to a striking landscape painting of the city, tucked neatly behind a display case. Damn. That's... really f*cking good, actually. Soulful. I can picture the hustle and bustle. Look at those colors, man. Even the sun is reflecting off the windows. This is some real sh*t, right here. I've never really understood this kind of painting sh*t, but this just speaks to me. I gots to know who painted this sh*t. I look down at the tag. Dreamscape. Artist: O. Halford. 9th Grade. 1st place, 201M2020. Damn bitch what the f*ck? A freshman did this sh*t? That's some real natural talent Picasso type sh*t. This makes everything else in this hallway look like complete DOG sh*t, but it's all still probably better than what I could do. Unless I was spraying a tag. Then I'd beat all these motherf*ckers.

"Hey D, I'm back."

Oh god. I give him the side eye. It's Ben again. I thought I was free. He's about to say some more dumb sh*t before I suddenly hear the noise of a crowd picking up. Oh sh*t. I know that sound. A fight? A scrap? On the first day? Yoooo. I gotta see this sh*t. Dino fights are crazy. Before I can go towards the source of the noise, Ben nudges me back as the crowd gets closer. Oooh, I see. The show comes to us? Badass. A cacophony of voices ring out.

"Hey, watch it jackass!"

"Slow your roll, leatherface!"

"My leg!"

Wait. That ain't the kind of sh*t you say in a fight. I watch as the person responsible for this ruckus rounds the corner and comes streaking down the hall like a flash of lightning. Right towards us. Oh, f*ck that sh*t! I ain't dying today! I stagger back to avoid whatever the f*ck is barreling towards me. For the briefest of moments, my well-honed fighting eyes watch in slow motion as they pass us by...

Green scales, messy hair, and a faded purple hoodie.

Damn. She's working that wheelchair hard. That sh*t must be made of titanium or something. Wait, wheelchair? DAMN BITCH, YOU CAN GO THAT FAST IN A WHEELCHAIR? She looks my way. We lock eyes. Oh. Now that's a f*cking mean mug. God damn. This bitch hasn't slept in like a week! ...I'm not f*cking with her. She'll rip my balls off. Doesn't even seem like she really notices me despite us locking eyes, but... huh. Something about that face. And... there she goes. Later, gator. I puff out the breath I realize I was holding in. I haven't felt like that in a while. I take a step back and stagger on a slightly loose piece of tile, bumping off of the display case of the painting.

"f*ck."

Ben whips his head to look at me, his brow furrowing.

"Hey, watch it!"

I steady myself, stepping back.

"I didn't do it on purpose, jackass."

He nudges me aside and looks over the glass.

"What, you trying to cop my fingerprint or something?"

He shakes his head.

"No, looking for cracks. Usually when someone falls into this thing, they crack it or scratch it."

He steps back, straightening up.

"Guess it's just a dino thing. You humans are lucky you don't gotta sweat over this kind of stuff."

I scoff.

"Sure. Scales work a lot better at keeping a knife out of you, though."

He looks back at me with an expression that falls somewhere between confusion and shock.

"Pardon?"

Oops.

"Nothing."

His eyes flick up to my gnarly head scar and he seems to contemplate something before he shakes his head. He's about to say something else before-

BING BONG DING DONG, DING DONG BING BONG.

You sh*tting me? Late on the first day? God damn it. Not a good start, D. Ben scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ha, whups. Sorry for that."

Yeah, maybe if Yapmeister Extreme here hadn't shut the f*ck up- whatever, damage done. I dig my schedule out of my satchel and read it as I grumble angrily and walk away, not giving Ben a chance to say anything else. First class is PE. Oh. Sweet. That's my favorite class. Hopefully the teacher is cool about me being late. Think I saw us pass by it over this way.

...

On the walk over, my thoughts swirl through my head. This school seems... okay. Bunch of losers, but at least they seem passionate and sh*t. Makes me feel weird, though. I look hella out of place. Everybody loves to yammer on and on about their hobbies and sh*t. If you did that at any of my old schools you'd get the sh*t beaten out of you on a daily basis. It hits me. With how f*cking out of the way this place is, these goons have to be choosing to come here. Is the art schtick really that big of a deal? I guess that's why everyone seems like they actually give a sh*t. f*ck does that even mean for me? I don't want to be here. I give zero f*cks about making friends with anyone. All this means to me is a bunch of annoying motherf*ckers that won't ever shut up. I guess I'll just have to do my best not to snap at anyone. It's not like they mean any harm. I heave out a groan as I approach the gymnasium doors.

...

Gym class. The one place where you get to cut a little loose. I've always been a physical guy, even before I started getting into... trouble. This is gym for a sh*tty little art school, though. Like these paint brush holding puss*es are gonna be doing anything that extreme. Yeah f*cking right. I walk in, and the first thing I notice is that- where is everyone? Oh. I'm not in the gym proper yet. Judging from the sounds of activity further down, they already started a while ago. Damn, I'm late late. Whatever. It's the first day. I glance through the little windows on the door and see a bunch of people standing shoulder to shoulder. And a big ass monkey. The f*ck? A big ass monkey? That dude looks mean as f*ck. sh*t. He must be the gym teacher. Not a chance in hell my ass is getting away with this. Yikes. Whatever. I push the door open and start walking in. What's the worse that could hap-

Something whizzes at me with lethal speed, and as a knee jerk reaction I swing my elbow out to counter it. Something rubbery bounces off of me and goes flying off into some other corner of the gym. It occurs to me at the angle that I strike it, that it would have missed anyway if I had just stood there, but... whatever. I look for the perpetrator and realize it was f*cking King Kong who chunked that sh*t at me. Oh. He looks pissed. My 'this guy will whoop your ass' alarm blares in the back of my head. That sh*t only goes off in true emergencies. That was a warning shot. He strides over to me, and I only just now realize how huge this dude is. King Kong indeed. I'm a tall dude, but him? Woo wee. He crosses his arms and glowers at me from under his baseball cap. I can't even see his eyes under that f*cking thing, how does he even know what's going on? His voice booms out.

"KNOW THIS AND KNOW IT WELL, SON. I HAVE A POLICY. EACH OF MY PLATOONS GETS ONE FREE MISS FROM ME A YEAR. AND YOU JUST SPENT IT!"

I glance past him at the rest of the students lined up. They look scared sh*tless. Whoops? He leans down, continuing his tirade.

"YOU GOT THREE SECONDS TO EXPLAIN TO YOUR SQUAD WHY IN THE GREAT NAME OF CAVY DROCKETT YOU ARE LATE?"

This is a trick ass question. I've done this song and dance before. I narrow my eyes at him and say nothing. He might be able to beat my ass but that doesn't mean I'm gonna bitch out. I can tell from a slight shift of his hat that he co*cks his brow. I figure I'm about to get my ass reamed when he merely turns and starts marching back and forth.

"LISTEN UP, BECAUSE I'M ONLY SAYING THIS ONCE. IN THIS CLASS WE OPERATE ON 'TOUGH LOVE'. WE LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES, SO YOU BETTER PRAY TO RAPTOR JESUS YOU DON'T FORGET THEM. BECAUSE IF YOU DO..."

Suddenly, he comes bounding at me in three steps. I barely stop myself from posting up as he towers over me, glaring me down with even more intensity than before.

"I WILL BE VERY UPSET. IT REFLECTS POORLY ON ALL OF US, AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING I ACCEPT. SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU MAGGOTS SUCCEED, BUT IF YOU DON'T, I'LL MAKE IT UNFORGETTABLE. AM I UNDERSTOOD?"

I slowly nod at him, maintaining my composure.

"FAN-FREAKIN'-TASTIC!! NOW THEN, JOIN THE REST OF YOUR RANKS AND STIFFEN UP!"

This is bringing back poor memories. Regardless, I figure it's probably better to go with the flow. As I walk past the line of students, I feel them glaring at me. I glare back. f*ck around and find out. The coach looks over us, cracking his neck as he figures out what he was doing before my dumb ass stumbled in.

"ATTEN-HUT, MAGGOTS!! YOU WILL ALL DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY OF THE FINEST PUSH-UPS! THOSE GUTS BEST BE AN ANT'S FART OFF THAT PRISTINE GYM FLOOR OR ELSE!"

He blows his whistle, and I hit the deck like a sack of sand as he drops to demonstrate to the other puss*es how to do a push up. They're dinos, so they do okay. Cheating f*cks. Twenty of these are easy street. I breeze through them. Another whistle blow.

"ON YOUR FEET, YOU BIPEDAL SLUGS!"

Up and at 'em. Is this just going to be what this is? He continues bellowing.

"NOW THEN, SINCE IT'S ONLY THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, HOW ABOUT WE HAVE OURSELVES A GOOD OLD GAME OF DODGEBALL?!"

Now you've got my attention, monkey man. I hear a voice perk up besides me. I look besides me. Some goofy looking freak with frills looks absolutely stoked. He looks back at me excitedly. Looking at his outfit, I realize that everyone else is wearing the same thing. Must be the gym clothes. Guess I don't get any because I was late. Whatever.

"Aren't we lucky?! First day of school and we get to play a game!"

Yapping is expected by now, but this guy just seems like a goofball. I nod, and he grins at me while giving me a thumbs up. Huh. Okay. The coach's screeching brings me back to reality.

"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS, PICK A SIDE AND KEEP THE NUMBERS EVEN! THIS IS A SUICIDE MATCH!"

The goofy guy speaks up again.

"And free for all too!"

The coach's gaze whips towards this moron.

"DAMIEN! WHY DON'T YOU SOCIALIZE BY PICKING YOUR TEAMMATES? SCARFACE, YOU'RE ON BLUE TEAM."

Why'd this dumb motherf*cker just say there were teams if it's a free for all? I don't have time to contemplate it further as goofy guy, who I now know is named Damien, pumps his fist.

"Alright! I'm going with the human dude!"

Before I can even muster any kind of response, he wraps an arm around my neck and drags me over to his side of the field. It takes every muscle in my body firing off at once not to clock him out of reflex. As everyone else takes their position, the Coach speaks once again, but this time he's not yelling, and that actually kind of wigs me out a little.

"Oh, and one last thing."

I peer over at him. Sure enough, his gob opens and he starts shrieking yet again.

"WHAT'S THE FIRST RULE!? WE ONLY GOT ONE."

Nobody says anything. He's leering at me. I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Kick ass?"

Some people laugh, but everyone else whips into a frenzy as they roar out the real answer.

"GANG UP ON THE WEAKEST ONE!"

Oh. That's a pretty good one too-

TWEEEEEEEE

It goes absolutely ape sh*t. I'm being forced to dodge and duck and weave all over the f*cking place. These dinos, man. I snatch a couple of wayward balls off the ground and bean a couple of losers in the head. I'm in the zone. This is my element.

"So how's the first day of school treating you, bro?"

Damien appears behind me, smiling. He's in the same groove I am. I glance back at him as I catch a ball out of the air and slam it back into the one who threw it.

"You motherf*ckers yap too much."

He busts out a laugh as he casually weaves a ball and annihilates the poor f*cker that threw it. Damn, okay. He scoops another one up.

"Name's Damien by the way!"

I grunt, deflecting a ball away with one of my own.

"I heard. I'm D."

He tells me it's nice to meet me as he jumps into the air and spikes a ball down onto someone. I think he might have just broken their neck. Coach roars out across the field.

"YOU TWO! SCARFACE AND FRILLS! WHO SAID THAT YOU TWO HAD TIME TO TALK?! DOES MY GYMNASIUM LOOK LIKE A DEBATE STAGE?!"

Damien stops completely, standing stock still as balls whiz by him as he stares off into the distance.

"I mean, maybe if we got some of those stands from the auditorium, maybe!"

I stare at him. This dude's kinda retarded, isn't he? He continues dodging once again, continuing to speak.

"I know a guy's uncle that could make a classy podium!"

Damn. Pushing coach's buttons, huh? Respect. The ape man continues shouting at him, seemingly unphased by this guy's antics. Must have been in this class since he was a freshie.

"DO NOT PLAY SMART WITH ME, SON! KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT AND EYES FOCUSED ON THE ENEMY!"

He just smiles and shoots the ape a thumbs up as a ball nearly skins his top frill off. I roll to the side and grab another one, lobbing it into some guy's gut.

"You got it, Mr. Solly!"

"THAT'S COACH SOLLY TO YOU. SCARFACE, KEEP IT UP! I LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING, SON!"

f*ck yeah you do. I keep it up, locked into a steady pace of pick up and throw, interspersed with a catch here and there. Suddenly, a voice brings me out of my reverie.

"Hey, new guy!"

I snap my gaze to the owner of the voice as I land and stumble from a particularly meaty jump'n'throw. This smug looking crimson parasaurus bitch. She grins at me before shouting again.

"Thinkfast!"

f*ck! I'm exposed! Before I can even adjust my footing, she lobs a ball at me and it comes sailing right for my face.

CRNCH.

I hit the floor face first. It's cold, and there's something wet spreading across my face. I know what it is immediately. Blood. That f*cking bitch just drew my blood. I spin around and sit up like Frankenstein's Monster. The world around me is hazy, but I don't give a f*cking sh*t. You think I haven't been like this before? Blood dribbles down from my nostrils in a steady, gruesome flow. I snap up to my feet and before I can even comprehend what I'm doing, I'm charging at that stupid crimson c*nt. I'm gonna break that bitch in half. She looks shocked. I can't tell if it's the blood, or the fact that I just stood up and started charging her down like a maniac. Before I can even get halfway there, I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around me and lift me off the ground. I don't know who it is, I don't care to look. I try to struggle out of it, to flail wildly. No dice, so I do the next best thing and start screaming bloody murder at the top of my lungs, directed at that smug meteor dodging piece of sh*t.

"I'LL f*ckING KILL YOU, YOU HEAR ME?! WATCH YOUR f*ckING STEP YOU RANCID LITTLE slu*t! YOU'RE DEAD! f*ckING DEAD!"

Whoever's dragging me out claps a hairy hand over my mouth before I can spout more profanities, and before I can even contemplate my next course of action I'm standing outside in the hall in front of Coach Solly. He's staring down at me as I huff and puff, trying to regain my composure. He doesn't say anything as I lean back against the lockers, watching as my blood drips onto the tile at a steady pace. Finally, he speaks. But it's not angry, or stern even. Just firm.

"You got some real anger in you, son. You'd better get a grip on it if you want to stay on deployment in this facility. I know who you are. I've read your file. They specifically wanted me to, actually. I know your history."

I look up at him, venom flashing in my eyes as I lift a finger and plug one of my nostrils, snorting a clotting glob of blood out of the other and onto the floor. He doesn't react.

"So f*cking what, huh? What's your point?"

He merely gestures for me to start following him.

"Come along, son. Let's get you to the nurse's office on the double."

I glare at the back of his head in equal parts rage and confusion, but I relent and follow him. The trip there is wordless, and as we arrive the nurse is completely flabbergasted, wondering what could have happened for me to be bleeding this bad, before she realizes Coach Solly is with me and then sighs. Dodgeball. She cleans the blood off of my face as best as she can and plugs the leak. I sit down and try to relax, staring at my hands as the adrenaline makes it's way through my system. Coach Solly pulls a chair up next to me and sits in front of me, leaning forward. I glare up at him. Stonewalled again. He does actually let out a little sigh, though. What, am I getting thrown a f*cking pity party now?

"You've had it rough, haven't you?"

I stiffen. What the f*ck does that mean? He senses my apprehension, and dismisses it with a casual wave.

"Don't worry about it, son. I'm not going to pry. Once you're calmed down, go ahead and head home for the day. I'll let Scaler know."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"What?"

He nods.

"I mean it. You're not in trouble, but the last thing anyone needs is you blowing a gasket like that again. Go home, decompress. Come back tomorrow with a fresh mind. You don't need to be so on guard here. I understand that fire in your gut has kept you going so far, but that's just not going to work out here, and you know that as damn well as I do. You might be able to have a few little disciplinary screw ups here and there, but if you end up hurting someone like you have before, that's Game Over, kid."

I look away, clenching my fists hard enough to turn my knuckles white.

"f*ck."

He grunts.

"Oh, and try and watch that lingo, too. The vast majority of the faculty aren't going to be as keen with it as I am. Understood, son?"

I don't look at him, but nod anyway.

"Good. Dismissed."

He stands up, marching out of the nurse's office and leaving me to ruminate in my own thoughts. The trip back to my apartment is cold. A lot colder, even despite the sun hanging in the sky blaring down on me. f*ck...

Why am I such a f*ck up?

Chapter 2: The Lay of the Land

Chapter Text

Going to sleep was hard for me. Between chain smoking an entire pack and residual adrenaline, I was up until like two in the morning. I really need to get a punching bag for this apartment, or something. Speaking of, apparently St. Hammond has some kind of special arrangement with this complex. They're the only school with the art programs they have in like, the entire county area or something, so kids from out of district can apply to come live here for their school time or some sh*t. I dunno what strings my dad had to pull to get this to happen, but it's whatever. It's a nice apartment, if a little cramped. It's one of those jawns where pretty much nothing is separated by walls except for the bathroom. Studio? Something like that. It's fine, suits me just right. Easy to keep clean. Kitchen's got everything it needs. But... why the f*ck is it so far away from the school? I mean, it's right next to the metro station I guess, so that's not a big deal, but it's just baffling. I finish the last drag on my breakfast cigarette and stub it out in the rapidly filling ash tray. Gotta remember to dump that later. I might be a violent asshole, but I'm not a slob. Let's have some actual breakfast, yeah? I make myself some eggs and bacon. Nothing extreme. I'm not a chef or anything, but a body like mine needs the right fuel. Especially since I like to smoke. Nasty habit, but it helps keep me sane.

I got some time to kill, so I lounge in my bed watching the highlights of the recent Inter-species Fighting Championships. It's mostly just dinos on dinos, but sometimes a crazy ass human makes it far enough to be notable. There have been a couple of neanderthal champs too, so that's badass. The alarm I set to keep myself from being distracted blares out right as I watch a carnotaurus get brained by an ankylosaur's tail club. I shove the phone into my pocket and stand up, stretching. Gingerly, I feel my nose. Still a little raw feeling, but it's not broken. If I see that bitch again... no, god damn it, D. Get a f*cking grip. You can't do that sh*t anymore. You just gotta keep it chill today. Relax. Nobody's out to get you. They might be annoying f*cking assholes, but it was just gym class sh*t. No reason to keep yourself worked up over it... it's gonna be fine.

...

On the metro again. Looks like a lot of the same folk around. Guess that's how it goes. Everyone's got the same commute, day in, day out. There's this chick on the other end of the car. Real businessy type lady. Skirt's a little short, though... kinda hot, actually. What the f*ck? Again with this sh*t? I must be going crazy. Thankfully, my inner turmoil is distracted by the fact that oh my god why did it get so dark? I hear a throat clear and then the deepest voice I've ever heard rumbles right next to me, shaking my bones.

"How's St. Hammond treating you so far, Mr. Fault?"

I turn to the sound, and crane my neck up. Ho. Lee. sh*t. This is a big motherf*cker. Is this dude's head touching the ceiling? How'd his big ass even fit in here? It's a... whale? Or something like that, anyway. Dude's wearing a really fancy ass suit with a yellow tie and some kind of weird looking symbol pinned to his chest.

"Fine, I guess? How'd you?..."

He smiles.

"You're clearly going to school, the nearest one is St. Hammond, and I'm already aware of a new human student, if you don't mind my profiling."

He extends his big meaty hand for a shake.

"You may call me Mr. Ferris."

Not wanting to get on this titan's bad side, I let him jerk my hand around in his big ass mitt with a nod.

"Fair enough, I guess. Not like there's that many skinn- uh, humans around here."

He co*cks an eyebrow at my near-slur, but doesn't press it. He shakes his head with a smile, and then turns back to me.

"Meetings aside, I'd like to hear some of your opinions of the school so far. I know the year just started, but even early insight such as this is helpful for me."

What, he wants me to narc? I grimace.

"Do I have to?"

He hums quietly.

"No, not particularly, but I would appreciate it quite a lot, as it's important to an assignment of mine."

I narrow my eyes at him. This guy a fed? He glances away, grunting to himself and then looking back at me.

"Oh, what am I being secretive for? I'm here to audit your school. See the teachers, know the students, make sure it's a proper place of learning. I wish it were something worth being secretive about. More often than not, it's just paperwork and office politics."

I stare at him, nodding slowly like I pretend what the f*ck he's saying. What do I think about St. Hammond so far, huh? I chew the inside of my cheek thinking for an answer.

"I ain't used to a school like this. As you can probably tell, I ain't exactly the artistic type. I'm sure every teacher in the buildin' has my file on record. I'm only even here because this is my last shot. One more fu- screw up, and I'm gone to some military camp for the foreseeable future. But... I dunno, I don't hate it so far. I ain't exactly the sociable type so it's been gettin' on my nerves, but everyone is nice I guess, even if they never stop yammerin'. Teachers seem pretty chill."

My throat gets a little hoarse. I haven't spoken this much in a while. Ferris nods.

"I see. Any favorites?"

I uh... I've only met the one. But, hey.

"Yeah. Coach Solly. Real cool dude. Rest of 'em seem passionate about what they do though, which is certainly a real step up from the jacka- jerks from my old schools who were just there for a paycheck."

He chuckles, the sound thumping against my chest like a drum.

"That's certainly good to hear. And what of your fellow students? Made any friends?"

My eye twitches.

"I ain't really the 'havin' friends' type."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"Come now, surely there's one other student you're at least on amicable terms with."

That stupid frilled bastard from gym pops up in my head, doing his stupid grin and thumbs up. Yeah, I guess he's okay. I grunt.

"Yeah, there is. He's fine. Not really interested in makin' friends, though."

He stares at me more intently, his intent look becoming one of clinical neutrality.

"Why do you think that is?"

What? Am I getting interrogated now? I scan his eyes, but there's no judgement. Or if there is, he's hiding it really damn good.

"I'm... just not."

He doesn't seem convinced. My eye twitches again.

"You really think they wanna be friends with me? Some pasty angry kid who clearly has issues the size of the moon? Please. Not even I wanna be friends with myself."

He rumbles in contemplation, staring off into space for a brief moment.

"I see..."

He looks back at me, an eyebrow co*cked.

"And you're really sure about that?"

I open my mouth to bite back angrily, but the words don't leave my throat. I recoil. f*cking sh*t. Is this really happening right now?

"I... no, I ain't."

He nods, as if he expected that answer from me. Great. Wise old asshole.

"Good. It's never too late to give it a shot, Mr. Fault. Loneliness is one of those things that will sneak up on you, and by the time you realize it's a problem, it's far too late. Whatever your past may be, it doesn't dictate your future. But I'm sure you don't want to listen to an old fellow like me give you life advice..."

He peers at me closer, leaning down. Is he... looking at my scar? He leans back, looking at me in a way that decidedly makes me think this doesn't have anything to do with school.

"I... don't mean to pry, but... where did you get that scar from, young man? It's quite... savage looking."

I co*ck an eyebrow. Usually people don't bother asking.

"I kicked some dude's ass and he jumped me with a knife a couple days later. Nearly killed me."

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Goodness! I understood the youth were rowdy, but I've never heard of anything like this happening."

Oh. This dude's that kind of old guy, huh? Heh.

"Oh, sure, Mr. Ferris. But it wasn't anywhere around Volcaldera. Just a couple of cavemen killin' each other over stupid crap. I wouldn't worry about it happenin' at Hammond."

Unless I snap again, that is. Can't stop myself from wincing at the thought. Mr. Ferris hums again.

"I hope."

The rest of the trip goes by quick, Mr. Ferris continuing to try and make small talk with me, and I indulge the old fart. He doesn't seem bad. As we both step out of the metro car, he slips me his business card. You know, for a guy that could pretty easily crush whoever he wanted, he's a stand up guy... I... wouldn't mind talking with him again.

...

Coach Solly stops me on the way into gym class and hands me a bag with a set of the gym clothes in them. He turns to get ready for class before stopping. He turns his head and stares at me, but says nothing. A silent question.

'You gonna be alright today, kid?'

I nod. He gives me a warm smile, which shocks me. Damn. Okay. After I change, everyone lines up like usual while Coach Solly marches back and forth. Naturally, Damien stands next to me, ogling me with his stupid goofy smile. As soon as everyone is in position, Solly starts doing his thing.

"ALRIGHT, MAGGOTS. TODAY WE'LL BE WORKING ON YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM. BY THAT I MEAN A GOOD 'OLE FASHIONED MILE RUN. I WANT EVERYONE OUT ON THE TRACK FIELD YESTERDAY!"

Damien's mouth opens to say some goofy sh*t.

"AND NO, DAMIEN, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WANT YOU TO TIME TRAVEL. UNLESS, OF COURSE, YOU MEAN RUNNING SO FAST YOU HIT EIGHTY-EIGHT MILES AN HOUR!"

That gets a little 'snrk' out of me, and I see Damien side-eye me in amusem*nt as he grins at Solly and gives him a thumbs up. Solly shakes his head and snorts, before he claps his hands together.

"DOUBLE TIME IT NOW, CUPCAKES!"

Out on the track we go. I could probably dust these idiots, but after yesterday I'm just going to keep it on the DL. I intentionally fall to the back, keeping up an extremely casual pace. I'm settling into my lactic acid groove when a voice draws my attention as I jog.

"Yo, D. Nice of you to drop by. How are you doing?"

I glance back. It's Damien. I co*ck an eyebrow.

"What are you doin' back here? Shouldn't you be creamin' the rest of these morons?"

He grins.

"Keeping my new buddy company, of course. What are you doing?"

I snort, looking forward.

"Joggin'?"

I hear him laugh.

"You're doing great then!"

A pause.

"So, uh... about yesterday. Were you actually gonna go beat Mia up?"

Mia, huh? That must be the crimson c*nt. I suck my teeth in annoyance.

"At that exact moment? Yeah, I was gonna go f*ckin' ape sh*t on that bitch."

I glance back at Damien, and he looks a little shocked.

"Uh... well... I'm glad you're doing better today, man. She can be a little testy sometimes, but it was just a game, right?"

Ugh. I face forward again, grunting.

"Yeah. My bad. I got anger issues."

That time, he laughs.

"Hey, so does she! Match made in heaven, right?"

I look at him again, and my glare does nothing to dissuade the stupid grin on his face.

"Hey, I'm just messing with you man. Don't worry about it, I think you're gonna fit in great around here! In fact, you should sit with us at lunch! That way, we can give you the proper welcome and stuff!"

Huh...

"Lunch?... yeah, oka-"

"FAULT! DAMIEN! DON'T FALL BEHIND!"

Solly's voice snaps me out of my reverie. sh*t, we really were just dicking around back here, the rest of the class is way ahead. Damien chortles.

"Whoops! Better catch up with the others before Solly brings out the 'Punitive Measure'!"

I don't want to know what that is. Regardless, I glance back at Damien. A smirk tugs at the edge of my mouth.

"Race you to the finish line, bozo."

He pogs at me. What?

"You're on! Let's jet!"

Before I can say another word, Damien breaks out of a jog into a full on sprint. Holy sh*t this guy's fast. I kick my gear into overdrive and can only barely keep up with him. We keep the pace up the entire time, lapping the class at least once. I never quite manage to outpace him, and by the time we're done I am well and truly out of breath. f*ck. My lungs are on fire. I gotta stop smoking too muc- who am I kidding. I skid to a stop and plant my hands on my hips, raising my head and trying to gulp down as much air as I can steadily. Damien looks peachy f*cking keen.

Solly blows his whistle, stepping over as the rest of the class finishes the jog.

"GOOD JOB, MAGGOTS! KEEP THIS UP AND YOU'LL BE SOLDIERS YET!"

He glances at me. He co*cks a grin, and gives me a thumbs up. I recoil slightly, but find myself smirking back at him, returning the thumbs up. He nods, and returns his attention to the rest of the class.

"OKAY, THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY! HIT THE LOCKERS, CUPCAKES!"

He spins on his heel, walking back towards the school. Damien steps over to me, grinning widely and holding out a fist for me to bump.

"Good work, amigo!"

My breath steadies and I stare at his fist... yeah, alright. This guy's okay. We share a fist bump and join the rest of the male students as we head into our locker room. He chats me up about what my hobbies are and sh*t. When I bring up MMA, he pogs again, asking me to show him some moves some time. I... yeah, sure. He fills me in on recent St. Hammond history, most of itI really don't care about. Our lockers aren't right next to each other so that kills the conversation for the foreseeable future. The bell rings and we're back out in the hallway, dressed in our normal clothes. I give a two-finger salute to Damien as I walk away to find my next class. Damien's voice echoes down the hall after me.

"Don't forget! Lunch with the buds!"

I raise a hand and wave in acknowledgement without turning back to look at him. As I'm walking to my next class, it occurs to me how weird dinosaur architecture is. Obviously most of it looks normal, but there are weird little modifications here and there. Like tall as f*ck water fountains. It's nothing too crazy, but I've really never seen anything like it before regardless. I stare down at my schedule sheet, zeroing in on my next class. AP Art Design. Oh, that's sick. I can work on some tag designs. Looks like it's on the second floor. This wing of the school is like, indoors slash outdoors. Open ceilings and walls. That's also another thing I've never seen before. Drains are everywhere here, and I realize that yeah, rain could be an issue when it comes to a layout like this. This is a cool place. Wonder if I could get away with tagging it somewhere. Soon enough I'm standing at the door to my next class, and perhaps as if fate was reading my mind, the door itself is covered in paint and tags from different students. Not like, actual 'tag' tags like mine, but... hey, that's cool. I step inside just as the bell rings. Naturally, because I'm the last one in, all the seats are taken except for one, which happens to be pretty close to the front. The room's vibe is half and half. Some of these guys look like this is the best time of their lives, while others look ready to check out.

And then there's the teacher. A male pterodactyl, swagged the f*ck out in a white suit jacket, black vest, and red tie. His blonde hair is tied back into a ponytail and a black crest juts out of his head almost like a regal crown. He looks... tired, somehow. Can't put my finger on it. He's definitely not that old, though. He's staring at me, waiting for me to take my seat. Doesn't look like he's rushing me, but I should probably hop to it. I slide into the only available seat, but even as I do, the teacher gazes at us oddly. Nobody but a few people seem to really care about his presence, though. I hear whispers behind me.

"Where was he yesterday?"

f*ckers are talking about me alrea-

"Hey, I'm not complaining about less work."

What?

"Yeah, but on the first day?"

It dawns on me. The teacher wasn't here either? Damn. His first day too, huh? Didn't miss anything yesterday. Baller as-

WHAM!!

He slams his desk with both of his fists, the sound echoing throughout the room. Everyone immediately shuts the f*ck up. I thought he'd look pissed, but... he's... grinning? Damn. Dude's got a champion's smile. He jolts forward, pointing a finger to the ceiling dramatically.

"Right then!"

He holds up a metallic tray on a stick in his other hand.

"Good morning, class!"

It all goes white. I can't stop the groan that slips out of my throat, quickly followed by quietly hissed curses that would make any reasonable person offended. I hear a little 'snrk' next to me. The f*ck? I rub my eyes until my vision returns to normal, but before I get a chance to figure out what that noise was, the teacher continues talking.

"...and welcome to AP Art Design!"

He holds up that f*cking stick again and I wince, but nothing happens.

"This is a flash-pan. Saw it at an antique store yesterday, thought it'd be a good introduction. It's not important. Worthless, actually!"

He casually tosses it into his garbage can and it shatters into a million pieces. Good riddance.

"Excuse my absence yesterday, I had matters to take care of elsewhere. My name is Mr. Iadakan!"

Like some kind of magic man, he whips a marker out and deftly writes his name across the board in some damn good calligraphy. Not bad. I've done a couple tags like that before. He spins, continuing his spiel.

"And, I shall be your guide as we explore the expanse of the creative world! Let's not dilly-dally then, shall we?"

I've never had a teacher like this. Coach Solly is cool, but this guy... he really actually seems like he gives a sh*t.

"This first week, we'll be going in-depth on the history of the fundamentals of art! Perhaps a little trial by fire as well, to get your creative juices flowing!"

A couple of people start murmuring, but I don't care enough to listen. Maybe this is what I needed. I can just... focus on my tags. Hell, maybe people will like it. I rest my chin on my fist, imagining one of my murals in the administrative hallway. A voice snaps me out of my daydreaming.

"For now though, I'd like for all of you to open up your book to page 3."

Book? What f*cking book? I spin around and glance around me. Sure enough, everyone else has f*cking books. Must have gotten them yesterday. Another rousing f*ck up for Fault.

"Now then class, we'll be starting with-"

I shoot my hand up.

"Yo, Mr. Iadakan. I ain't got a book yet."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"You don't have- how? The substitute passed all of them out yesterd-ooooh."

He stares at me, thinking about something.

"The word on the street is that some new kid got floored during dodgeball so hard he almost killed the person that did it and went home early."

I sneer.

"So what?"

He grins.

"Ho! So nothing. You're Mr. Fault, then?"

I nod, which he returns.

"Given the circ*mstances, I'll let it slide. For now, why don't you share with one of your classmates? After class I'll write you a note you can give to the librarian."

Ugh. f*ck. I give him a begrudging thumbs up and turn to the person I'm sitting next to.

"Yo, you heard h-"

Wait a f*cking second. It's her. Oh sh*t. The wheelchair-speed-demon from yesterday. She looks pissed... wait, is she even looking at me? I clear my throat.

"You heard the man. Slide the book over. Only gotta do it for today."

She focuses her vision on me and groans lowly, huddling over the pages like I'm going to steal the f*cking thing from her. I roll my eyes and lean back in my seat. Whatever. Iadakan glances down at her.

"Olivia, c'mon, share with him just this once. I already told him I'd personally resolve the issue, so just help me out here, a'ight?"

She leans back in her chair and sighs, rolling her head around silently. She leans back forward and without even bothering to look in my general direction, barely nudges the book closer towards me. I snort. She listens to him, huh?

"Thanks."

I scoot my desk over so I can actually look at this f*cking thing without breaking my neck. I slide a notebook out of my satchel, flipping a pen out of the metal wire binding. Iadakan starts reading this thing like it's the bible or some sh*t, and I do my best to follow along and note down anything that seems important. Can't afford to slack. One of my stipulations is keeping a passing grade. Jesus, does this guy have to put emphasis on every word he says? I may as well just copy the damn page at this point. f*ck this. My gaze wanders to gator girl's notes and-

scrtch sctrch sctrch

God motherf*cking damn. Look at those claws. They slip back into her fingers as she retracts them, wiping her fingertip on a small towel and- there they are again. She dips her index claw into a little puddle of orange ink on her desk. Holy sh*t. She's using her claw as a pen.

"...badass."

Her silver eyes flick up to me.

"What?"

Oh. Did I say that out loud? f*ck.

"Your claw thing. With the writin'. That's badass."

A small glimmer of crimson flits across her cheeks. She scrunches up and leans over her notes, shielding them from me. Shy gal, huh? Whatever. I should be focusing on my own jawn... but. sh*t. I can't. I'm too interested in what this chick is doing. I watch out of the corner of my eye as her talon continues filling notes out, only leaving the page to get more ink on her claws from a self-made inkwell scratched into the desk. The claws extend again. I become aware of a faint rumbling noise. What, is it about to rain?

grrrr

"Hey."

Ohsh*t. I was totally staring too obviously. I snap my gaze back down to my notes.

"My bad."

She returns her focus to the book. Damn, she really doesn't like being stared at. I get it. f*ck, I really gotta start paying attention. This chick though. Feels like she's gonna shank me any minute. Wait a sec. She ain't writing anything right now. She drawing? I really shouldn't care. I shouldn't. But I gotta see this. I do that fake ass yawn sh*t, leaning back and popping my spine on the chair. Let's see what we've got here... holy sh*t. Is that me? There's no way it ain't. That's my scar. That's... f*cking awesome. Nobody's ever drawn me like that before, all stylized and sh*t. I mean, there were those freaks yesterday, but... they weren't doing it like this. Dude. I gotta get a closer look at this. I lean back forward, hunching over towards her.

"Yo."

She glances up at me.

"That sh*t is f*ckin' ballin'. Can I see it?"

She glares at me again, but slowly slides it out to show me. Dude, it's even better up close. I'm not a particularly muscular guy, but I'm lean, got strength where it matters. She's got all the contours, and my scar. It's like, perfect. Oh. She drew a gun shooting me in the head. That's f*cking classy. Kinda hilarious, though. I smirk.

"Real fancy sh*t."

She rolls her eyes and starts taking the page back, but I start reaching for my pocket.

"Hold up, lemme snap a pic of it on my phone."

She pauses.

"...Why?"

...huh. I don't know.

"I just think it's really cool. Nobody's ever done any sh*t like that for me, wanna remember it."

She continues staring at me, and then suddenly passes the paper over to me.

" 's yours."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"You sure?"

She nods.

"Don't mention it."

I shrug. Ooookay. I leave it out on my desk so the ink can dry. She's... cool. The rest of the period goes by agonizingly slowly. Soon enough, the bell rings. Get me the f*ck out of this graveyard. Gator girl wheels away as I stand up, but Iadakan calls out to me.

"Stay for just a minute, D."

I walk over to Iadakan's desk as a couple of students glance at me while they leave, which I quickly return with an angry glare, causing them to hasten their pace. f*ck outta here. He drafts out a note, handing it to me.

"Just show this to the librarian and she'll hand you your books. On your way now."

I shoot him a two fingered salute as I make a quick detour to the library to pick my books up. Even got myself a fancy schmancy card. I remember something. Oh yeah, I've got Iadakan in two classes. Photography. Something to think about for later. Lunch time. I arrive into the cafeteria, and I can't help but be shocked. It's a f*cking madhouse in here. There's motherf*ckers hanging from the vines. Food's flying everywhere. The security guard ain't doing jack sh*t. Is this normal? Guess it must be. Wonder what you gotta do to get that guy moving. Kinda reminds me of my old schools, in a way. Less actual violence going on, though. I scan the room. Everybody's already sitting with their butt buddies. Whatever, I wasn't looking to get chummy with anyone anyway. I start trying to figure out how the f*ck I'm going to get my way through this crowd when I hear a voice behind me.

"Yooo! Deester!"

Someone tries to shoulder check me, but I stiff arm them and spin around, fist co*cked in the air and ready to clock a motherf*cker. Oh. It's Damien, grinning at me like I wasn't just about to sock him in the eyeball.

"Don't f*ckin' do that."

He leans back sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"What, already forgot about me? You don't got anywhere to be, right?"

I grunt.

"No, not really."

He nods.

"Good! Come on, we're going somewhere."

Fuuuuck it. I already told him yes. He motions at me to follow him through the absolute traffic jam of horns and claws. People try to bump me around and elbow me out of the way, but each instance is met with push back of my own and a growl angry enough to get them to f*cking move. The noise picks up, and I hear something about a turf war as a steel chair clatters to the ground. Holy sh*t, maybe this place is more metal than I thought. Alright, this is getting f*cking ridiculous. I'm about to start swinging. Damien eventually leads me to the far corner of the room, to his usual lunch table. He grins at me excitedly as I exit the throng of rowdy students.

"Hey, you're alive!"

I sneer.

"Someone was about to die, that's for sure."

He sits down, waving me off.

"That's just the school spirit you're feeling!"

Jesus, this guy. I stretch a little back and forth and look down at his table. Empty, save for one other pers-

It's her again. She co*cks an unamused brow at me. I co*ck one back.

"We gotta stop meetin' like this."

Damien's eyes widen.

"Oh, snap, you know Olivia?"

I slide into a chair, leaning forward on my elbows.

"Sure. She's in my art class."

He pogs.

"Why didn't you tell me you met already?"

I give him a baffled look.

"Damien, I went home early yesterday and the class I have her in is after the class I have with you. Are you retarded?"

Olivia tries and fails to hold back a snort as Damien leans back in his chair, seemingly having to contemplate what I said. He then nods as if he just unlocked the secrets to the universe.

"Ah! Okay, I get it now. Still, that sounds awesome! All my lunch buddies are artists!"

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"All? Looks to me it's just you and her here."

He nods.

"Yeah, usually there's a third in our group, but she's out screwing around with school business. She'll probably be back tomorrow. Student council stuff can't take that long, right?"

I grunt.

"What's she need with those f*ckin' narcs?"

Damien laughs.

"She doesn't need anything from them, she's in it! She's the treasurer!"

My expression becomes deadpan. How the f*ck am I finding all the narcs and getting chummy with them? Damien turns to mean and green.

"What do you think, Olivia?"

She just grunts, not even bothering to look up from her tray. Kindred spirit. I bap him on the shoulder with the back of my hand to get his attention.

"Hey, aren't you an artist too?"

He shakes his head.

"Nah, I don't got the patience to sit around for hours like that."

I snort.

"Why, you got ADHD or something?"

He frowns, and Olivia snorts again.

"I don't know what that is."

I wave him off.

"Forget about it. This school seems like it's got really good art sh*t like that, why aren't you takin' advantage of it?"

He shrugs.

"I don't really need 'em. Home's just real close by. Only other artist today here is Olivia then, I guess."

I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Nah, I'm... kinda an artist."

That gets both of their attentions. Damien leans forward.

"Oh yeah? What do you like to do?"

I lean back.

"Tag sh*t. You know, graffiti? Spray paint?"

He frowns. Olivia suddenly looks disinterested again. Yikes.

"Isn't that illegal?"

I snort again.

"If you're a narc. Here, I got a few I saved on my phone."

I slide it out. My phone was top of the line sh*t, so it's camera was really good for what it was. Benefits of having disgustingly wealthy family, even if I hated to take advantage of it. I open my gallery and navigate to the folder I keep some of my favorite pieces in. A couple of Calligraffiti pieces, but mostly a lot of Sharps and Blockbusters. Most of my pieces are accompanied by a moody stylized self portrait of myself, the scar heavily accentuated. I based the style on some Japanese sh*t about boxing I saw a long time ago that I liked. Don't remember the name. It's like my signature, sorta. I slide my phone over to Damien who swipes through the gallery, 'ooo'ing and 'aaa'ing at every single one. He attempts to show Olivia a few, but she just grunts each time, looking unimpressed. She does shoot me a few odd looks, though. Damn, bitch. That's cold. Soon enough, my phone is back in my pocket, and I pose a question to her.

"What's your jawn?"

She looks up at me the same way I looked at Damien earlier. Oops. Jawn is local slang from my home town.

"I meant what you do. Like, art. I saw your sketch earlier but I got a feelin' it's not your main shindig."

Her mouth moves, but I don't hear anything over the din of the room. I lean forward.

"What?"

Her brow furrows, and she tries again. Nada.

"I can't f*ckin' hear yo-"

She slams her fists into the table violently and rips out a snarl, raising her voice as her lips curl back and reveal her rows of giant f*ck off teeth. Yikes. I think the table buckled a bit.

"I PAINT."

Damien jolts back, raising his hands towards her in an attempt to calm her down.

"Woah, hey!"

Damn. She's so raspy sounding. Hadn't noticed before now. Sounds like me after I smoke a whole pack in thirty minutes. She furrows her brow and returns to her food. Damien peers down at it and jolts his head up.

"Oh snap! We've been sitting around for a while!"

He hefts a gross looking steak up and rips a chunk out of it. Ffff*cking dinos. I peer at the lunch line. Not a f*cking chance in hell I'm getting anything out of that. I think I just saw someone do a flying suplex from the vines. Damien hums as he horks down the piece of meat in his throat.

"Oh, I probably should have waited until you got yours. Oops!"

He zips back down and lifts his leg, stomping the steak against the table as he tears at it viciously. Good god. The sound of squeaking rubber draws both of our attentions towards Olivia. She skids the wheel to get our attention? Clever. Damien elects to speak.

"...Oh! What's up?"

She jerks her head towards the courtyard doors, where a few vending machines sit outside. I suck my teeth.

"Great. Chips and f*ckin' soda for lunch. Just what a healthy growin' boy needs."

A ghost of a smile flickers across her face for a brief moment before it fades just as quick as it came. I stand up and head my way out the doors to them. Woah, they accept credit cards? Balling. Oh, neat, sports drinks. At least I can pretend it's healthy. I grab an assortment of things, enough so that I can snack throughout the day to keep my energy up. As I bend down to get my filthy rewards, I spot the gator aggressor looking at me. She spots me having spotted her, and quickly hunches over again. What a weird girl... ugh. I guess I should get them something. f*ck it, they get a couple of sodas. I don't like them enough for candy bars yet. I return to the table with my haul, and slide Damien a soda. Another pog. This guy really likes doing that, doesn't he?

"WOAH, DUDE!"

He immediately snatches it up and chomps on the bottom of the can, piercing it and sending the sugary garbage down his gullet. I roll Olivia's towards her and she eyes me suspiciously. I return the look.

"What? I saw you ogling me. Just drink it."

She narrows her eyes and grumbles as she takes it and cracks it open. Damien finishes his can with a happy huff and lobs the empty can away.

"Mm. Caffeine ambrosia. What were we talking about before? Olivia's art! Right."

He leans over towards me, gesticulating wildly.

"She's REALLY good, Deester! Like, you wouldn't believe."

Is this Deester sh*t going to stick? Whatever. It's not the worst nickname I've had. I nod, encouraging him to continue.

"She's like, won awards and stuff."

My eyebrows raise.

"Can I see them?"

Damien nods, and then turns to Olivia as he goes to take his phone out, but then immediately gets distracted.

"Yeah! I've got some pics on my phone! This guy's pretty cool, huh Olivia?"

She eyes me up and down with a furrowed brow, before it turns neutral.

"...Aren't you the guy that lost his sh*t in gym yesterday?"

I'm about to respond for myself when Damien spurts out a 'Yep!' and I respond by glaring death at him. I sigh, leaning back and crossing my arms.

"Was it really that bad?"

Damien looks at me, his lips pursing into a thin line.

"It was pretty bad."

Olivia co*cks an eyebrow.

"What did he even say?"

Damien crosses his arms, looking pensive. It's like he doesn't want to repeat it as if he'll get punished for it. Bah. I'll save him the trouble. I wave him off and look at her.

"Got clocked real bad in the nose with a dodgeball by some red bitch. Started bleedin' everywhere. Think Damien told me her name was Mia."

Her snout scrunches up in disgust, and I co*ck an eyebrow. Might be something there. I continue my spiel.

"I was pretty f*ckin' pissed off, don't remember exactly what I said, but it was a lot of threatenin' to kill her. Think I called her a rancid slu*t?"

Olivia's eyes jolt open widely and she slaps her hands over her snout, trying, and failing, to hold in a cackle. I can't help but smirk. Yeah, she doesn't like that bitch either.

"Solly had to drag me out into the hallway. I was seein' red. Sent me home to cool off. Glad he did, otherwise I probably actually would'a beat the sh*t out of her."

She looks a little shocked at that, studying my face. Her eyes trace over my scar. Her mouth jitters as if she's about to ask something, but she apparently thinks better of it and leans back, looking away. I hum, leaning forward and peering at her intently.

"It's the scar, yeah? Maybe you thought I got it in some horrible accident and I don't like talkin' about it?"

She gives me a side eye.

"Nah. Nothin' like that. Just some dickhe*d trying to get a little revenge on me for beatin' the sh*t out of him. Almost killed me. Spent a week in the hospital, had to get some surgery."

She slowly looks over at me as I spin yarns of my previous antics. Damn... what the f*ck? I never talk about my life like this. This stupid f*cking school's already rubbing off on me. I stop halfway through a sentence and click my jaw shut. Grunting, I lean back.

"It's nothin'. Old sh*t. Doesn't matter anymore."

Damien studies me intently.

"Dang, dude. I thought I was rambunctious."

I snort.

"Sure, that's a word for it. Say, how the f*ck is everyone findin' out about PE anyway?"

I think I know the answer, but I peer at Damien anyway. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I maaaay have had a hand in spreading the story around?"

I frown at him, and he shrugs.

"I thought it was funny! Not, uh... you getting hit, or anything. Mia was pissed off after that. She really looked like she wanted to go after you, dude."

I co*ck an eyebrow. Really, now? He continues.

"Don't worry though, everyone around here has an embarrassing story. One time I got my frills stuck in the bathroom stall."

He jabs his thumb into his chest as if he's proud to have admitted it. I stare at him dumbly.

"And why the f*ck did I need to know that?"

Olivia leans forward, looking smug.

"It took him an hour to get it out."

He nods rapidly.

"See? Everybody's got something."

Olivia slugs down the rest of her soda, her face looking out into nowhere as if she's thinking about something.

"Hm."

Damien leans forward, one of his frills extending to hide his mouth from Olivia.

"Dude, I haven't seen her talk and laugh this much during lunch since last year!"

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"She's said like four things and grunted like twice. What, is this a state secret?"

He nods.

"Yeah! Like a secret meeting! Those are cool."

This f*cking guy.

"Uh huh."

He continues.

"But yeah, this is something else! She's really warming up to you, I can tell."

He sits back down. What's his f*cking deal? She doesn't want to talk, clearly. Why's this goon trying to get her to speak so bad? Why do I even care, actually? God. I should just sit here and shut the f*ck up. At least I have somewhere I can sit without having to navigate this sh*thole. Suddenly, a voice I dread to hear snaps me out of my reverie.

"Ah, there you are, D!"

It draws everyone's attention at the table. Oh my god. Not him. The f*cking YAPPER. He walks over, lunch tray in hands.

"Glad to see that you've made it to lunch this time!"

Damien waves at him.

"Hey, Ben! I'm guessing you and Deester have already met?"

He nods.

"Yup. We bumped into each other yesterday."

Damien grins.

"Speaking of bumps, you should have seen Deester here yesterday!"

He cackles, slapping me on the back. Rage boils across the back of my neck. Ben gives a smile laced with concern. I swear to f*cking god.

"Yeah... about yesterday."

Ben looks down the aisle of freaks and signals to someone with his head. No f*cking god damn way. Standing ten feet away from us... it's that stupid red bitch. Her dumb blonde hair, sh*tty leather jacket. My fists start clenching, my nails digging into my palms. He motions for her to come closer, smiling and nodding. What. The f*ck. Are you doing. She smiles back, but it's one of those smiles.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses. I'm here."

She makes her way over, and I notice how anyone she passes by quiets down. Out of instinct, I rise to my feet, the chair sliding across the ground with a loud groan. She steps right up in front of me, looking at me like I'm a piece of sh*t. A wild synapse fires in my brain, and my fists clench even tighter. I feel my nails draw blood on my palm. Ben doesn't seem to get the hint.

"D, uh... Mia here has something to say to you."

She doesn't say anything, but she does step closer to me, bringing us face to face. She sucks her teeth, finally speaking.

"...Sorry..."

She starts to smirk, and then raises her fingers into an L position above her head, sticking her tongue out.

"I didn'tmean to knock your lights out."

My vision starts to go red. My muscles tense. Ben winces behind her. She laughs coldly and lays an arm around my shoulder. Before she can even say anything, I stare her dead in the eyes as my pupils shake, remembering the words of Coach Solly as I barely manage to open my mouth and hiss out a threat.

"If you don't get your slimy little meteor dodging c*nt hands off of me, I am going to rip that stupid f*cking tail of yours off and beat you to death with it."

Her eyes widen, and then suddenly she snarls for a brief moment before an odd look crosses her face and she backs off, hands raised defensively as her face returns to a smug smile.

"Sorry, sorry! Just 'tryna be friendly with ya, skinnie! A little joking around never hurt anyone, yeah?"

Ben tugs at his collar.

"Uh, Mia... that's not quite-"

She spins around, giving him puppy dog eyes.

"Ah, boo, you know how I am."

Boo? What? That alone is enough to get me out of my blind rage, instead settling down into a regular one. I become keenly aware of the trickles of blood pooling in my palms. Ah, sh*t. I keep my fists balled up to hide it. Ben continues to look nervous.

"Yes, I know, but- you promised you would be-"

She pats him on the shoulder.

"Nicer, I know. And I tried to be."

She cuts her eyes at me, sneering.

"Maybe you ought to give baldy here a talk about that instead."

A quiet growl escapes my throat as she waves us off collectively, and she continues to shoot me a dirty look as she slinks back into the crowd. Damien nudges my side.

"Dude, I think she likes you."

I whip around and snarl at Damien in my foggy rage.

"Shut the f*ck up before I stomp your teeth in."

His eyes go wide and he stammers out an apology. f*ck. f*ck! I'm doing it again. God f*cking damn it. I slump back into my chair numbly, muttering an apology to Damien as I try to deaden my nerves. Ben sighs, sitting next to me.

"Sorry about that, D. I heard earlier about what happened at PE and connected the dots. Mia's-"

I raise a bloody palm up to silence him, my voice shaky.

"Ben. Please. Not now."

They only just now see the blood, which begins dripping onto the table. All of them look alarmed, even Olivia. Ben, most of all.

"Goodness, D! Are you okay?! You're bleeding!"

I stare into my palms.

"I guess I am."

The next few moments are a blur as both Ben and Damien haul me off to the nurse's office. She looks unamused to see me, almost as if she knows I'm going to be a reoccurring guest in her office. My hands are cleaned and finish getting wrapped right as the lunch bell rings. Can't get out of school that easily this time. I slog my way back up to Iadakan's room. Photography. Yippee. I step back into the classroom, and spy Mr. Iadakan there, standing and staring at me with a camera raised. His finger is on the button, but he peers at me oddly and elects not to snap it. A collective 'awww' goes around the classroom. I'm a little confused, but I go and take my seat next to Ben. Iadakan starts rattling off his syllabus, but I tune him out and just stare out of the window, my thoughts swirling. A bunch of sh*t I don't care about. Ben looks nervous to be around me. Good. Better that way. Just don't talk to me. Iadakan's voice suddenly pitches up, and I find myself listening to him regardless of whether or not I want to.

"Now that you've had a small taste of it, we'll start on your first photography assignment; proper lighting!"

What? Already? Mr. Iadakan starts handing out a bunch of equipment to look over. Lights and sh*t.

"Remember, though, that these are just tools meant to enhance the photo. You can highlight a turd all you want, but it's still a turd."

A few people laugh at the joke. I don't have the energy. Iadakan glances at the clock, and hums.

"Well, I see that we managed to finish this lecture a tad bit early."

Damn, really? I was mega-zoned out.

"Why don't you all take these last ten minutes to compare notes, maybe even consider doing the assignment as a collab piece with a classmate."

The room quickly fills with the sound of yapping. I just go to put my head down on my desk, but stop as a voice calls out to me.

"Hey."

It's Ben, looking apprehensive.

"I, um... I'm sorry for earlier, D. Can I make it up to you by having us do a joint piece? I'll do most of the legwork with the camera, all you have to do is help me out."

I grunt, pulling out the sheet that was given to us and looking it over.

'Present a set of photos demonstrating your understanding of proper lighting. You are allowed to borrow one lighting tool, and must take the shot on school premises. And I swear, I've handed out this assignment for years now; if one more student just takes a picture of the hallway outside the classroom I'm going to personally throw them over the railing. Be original, please.'

I snort, but glance at him, wordlessly telling him to continue.

"I've got the perfect place for it. If we work together, we can even use two items."

f*ck it. I'll take any chance I can get to coast easy, and this geek owes me for the sh*t he pulled.

"Sure."

Ben looks far more pleased. I just want to get this sh*t over with. He ponders something, humming.

"Has anyone told you about the art contest yet?"

I co*ck an eyebrow at him.

"No?"

He grins widely.

"Interesting! The school holds an annual art contest at the start of every new year. You submit a piece on the student website, it gets voted on. If you win first place, you get a small cash prize, but the real deal is that your piece is submitted for publication in a couple of big-time art magazines!"

Huh. That's neat. But...

"Okay? Why're you telling me?"

He winces.

"I... figured you might be interested?"

Ugh. I have no reason to be a dickhe*d, just calm down.

"Yeah, I guess I am. Sorry."

He lights back up a little.

"Fantastic! You'll need a login for the school website since you're new, but... tell you what, can you come to the computer lab after school? I can get someone to help you out with that."

I got nothing better to do. May as well.

"Sure."

He holds up an okay sign, grinning happily.

"Awesome! That makes you competition, though. Submit your best!"

I smirk at him. This dork's positivity is infectious.

"Yeah, a'ight buddy."

He chuckles, resting his elbows on his desk.

"So... aside from the whole, uh... Mia, thing... how's everything else been so far?"

I co*ck my head to the side, thinking about it. You know what, aside from the 'Mia thing' it's actually been pretty good.

"Pretty good, I guess. I don't hate my classes, most people are only slightly annoyin'. I guess I have... friends? Compared to yesterday it's like a f*ckin' miracle."

The word feels weird on my tongue. 'Friends'. Ben smiles.

"That's good!"

I grunt, leaning back in my chair.

"I dunno. Doesn't feel deserved."

He looks confused now.

"What do you mean? Everyone deserves friends, D."

f*cking sh*t, why do I keep bringing this up? Why do I feel the need to explain myself to these freaks?

"You saw how I snapped at Damien, after he was just tryin' to tell a little joke. Friends don't do that."

He chews on the inside of his mouth for a moment.

"Hmm. I guess you're right, but everyone handles things differently. At least you bother to show emotion unlike Ol-"

He stops himself, eyes going wide. What? I peer at him.

"Olivia? What's wrong with her? You got some kinda beef with her?"

He shrinks back nervously.

"No, I just- uh... well-"

Iadakan's voice rips us out of our conversation as he strides over.

"I take it you gentlemen are conversing about your assignment together?"

I give Ben a distinct look that says 'this isn't over' as I nod to Iadakan, and he looks away silently as I respond.

"Yuh-huh."

Iadakan stares at me suspiciously before leaning back.

"Well, that's good then! Good thing you guys weren't talking about something off-topic, like gossip. That would be a pretty embarrassing use of your time right off the bat, I think."

He ogles me with amusem*nt.

"Especially considering you're currently the subject of some fairly dramatic gossip, aren't you, Mr. Fault?"

I shrug.

"Guess so."

Ben looks a little ashamed. Iadakan raises a finger.

"If the air around someone needs clearing, clear it yourself."

Huh. That's some sagely sh*t. Maybe I'll just ask Olivia. I'm pulled out of my thoughts by the bell ringing, and Iadakan waves his hands theatrically towards the door.

"Alright, off you go now. And remember to get your assignment done by the end of the week!!"

Everyone files out, and I'm the last one out. I give Iadakan a two-fingered salute on my way out, and he returns it with a grin. Yeah. I like him. He's a good one. History up next. Oh. Oh man. I can already tell, I'm going to f*cking despise this class. The pictures on the wall are putting me to sleep. Teacher's not even here yet. Must be finishing lunch. Whatever, I got here early. I pick the far left desk in the middle row and slump down as the rest of the class files in. A few minutes pass and everyone except the teacher seems to be in here. I'm wondering what the hell is going on when the door suddenly flies open, slamming into the wall and silencing any conversation going on. It's dead silent. The perpetrator walks in and- oh sh*t. Solly? He stares down everyone menacingly. Except for me. He shoots me a small smirk. I return it. He's the history teacher? f*ck yeah. Suddenly, a bespectacled raptor woman in a purple dress steps around him, clutching a bunch of paperwork in her arm. Oh.

"Thanks for walking me to my classroom, Solly."

He salutes.

"Of course, Miss Prockling!"

He dips out of the classroom afterwards. Damn. Oh well. She adjusts her glasses and steps to the front of the classroom, leafing through her papers as she speaks.

"Looks like we'll have some late arrivals, but let's get down to business. I know that I introduced myself yesterday, but for any of those who weren't here..."

She glances at me. Solly told her what's good. A true homie.

"My name is Ms. Prockling, and this is history class. In this course, we'll be learning about the history of our primeval ancestors-"

Aaaand I'm checked out. I already hated history, but this is even worse. Meteor dodger history. She puts on a slideshow and I busy myself by staring into space in the general direction of the slideshow to make it look like I'm not completely slacking off. I hear a book page get called out and I just absentmindedly flip to it. I'm on autopilot mode for this one.

...

I think I might literally be falling asleep. I'm so bored I actually started reading the book to alleviate myself. God. I need a smoke so bad. My eyes scan the same sentence four times in a row before I jerk my head towards the ceiling, staring at the fluorescent light until my eyes start to water. When that happens, I just start flicking my gaze around the room, looking for anything even remotely interesting. I lock eyes with Ms. Prockling, who has noticed me doing a whole lot of Jack sh*t. She co*cks an eyebrow at me. I nearly do the same thing to her when I jerk myself forward and raise my pen, mindlessly starting to scribble the words in the book down. This blows. I start thinking about everything that's happened recently, and the people I've met. Ben is one-hundred percent a dork loser, but he's the good kind of dork loser. Apparently the kind that can bag bat sh*t crazy c*nts like Mia. The mere thought of her name gets me irritated, so I just pretend to deck the stupid bitch's thoughtform in my head, replacing her with Damien. He's a good guy. Too good, probably. I guess whether I want to or not, I'm making friends. Then there's gator girl. Olivia. Shrouded in mystery, that dame. Even though I desperately want to not give a sh*t and just get on with my life, she's apparently at the very least got some trouble with Ben. Since when did I even care about this sh*t? Gossiping like a-

"And what do we have here, Ms. Halford?"

I glance up at the sudden voice of Prockling. She's looking at... what the f*ck. How did I not notice Olivia was here too? She's in a f*cking wheelchair, Fault. Never underestimate just how boring history is, I guess. She's sitting in the front row, just diagonally from me. That close and I didn't even spot her? Man. I don't even think she noticed. Prockling continues her chastisem*nt.

"Only the second day of the school year and already doodling in class again?"

She picks up the piece of paper from Olivia's desk. Sure enough, doodles all over it. Can't tell what they are though.

"Listen, Olivia. I know history isn't the most exciting subject to learn, but could you at least pretend that you're taking notes?"

The only confirmation that she gets from the green menace is a heavy sigh. Great. As if history wasn't bad enough, the teacher is a despot. Woo-hoo! She steps away from Olivia's desk and starts patrolling around the room like it's a f*cking gulag. Olivia immediately hunches over her notebook, but I know she ain't taking notes. I crack a smirk. Atta'girl. A feel a yawn rising in my throat, and normally I would suppress it but man I really just cannot be f*cked. My jaw cracks open and I at least make the attempt at covering my mouth as Ms. Prockling skulks by my desk, giving me stink eye as she scans my notebook, indeed confirming that I have been taking notes. Yeah, yeah, keep it moving lady. I'm about to start distracting myself again when I notice movement in the corner of my eye. Somebody's watching Prockling while they write something into a paper and then fold it up. Note passing? The person to receive it opens it, doing the same thing and passing it along. sh*t, okay. Little class game? I'm in. Anything to get away from the monotony. If Prockling sees though, she's gonna blow a gasket.

The kid next to me moves to drop the note on my desk right as Prockling looks, because of course he does, but my hands were at the ready and I neatly palm it with Prockling none the wiser as she continues to lecture about how humans gave the dinos smallpox or something. She turns around and gestures intently to the board and- that's my cue. I fold open the paper. Yup. Doodle sheet. All kinds of random sh*t on here... couple of sh*t looking tags, too. Heh. A dick. Classic. Ms. Prockling with stink lines? Uh oh. Better not get caught with this. I contemplate what I want to add. I could just put one of my own tags on here. Nah... not yet. f*ck it, I just sketch a little guy in a full mount position beating the sh*t out of another guy. Yeah. Classic violence. Ready to send it. I glance up at Prockling. Still distracted. Good thing she's sitting right in front of me. I fold it nice and tight and flick it neatly over Olivia's shoulder, landing right on her desk. Aced it. She doesn't even bother looking back, she just takes it eagerly. Is... her f*cking tail wagging? That's hilarious. Whatever, let's see what she thinks of my masterpiece. She's not turning around. Damn, stonewalled again-

Oh sh*t there's Ms. Prockling.

"I'll be taking that."

She snatches the paper from Olivia and glances at it. I swear I see her smile for a minute before she goes cold again, leering down at Olivia.

"So, is this how you view me, Ms. Halford?"

Prockling holds the paper up for all to see. Everyone looks away.

"I know that most of you were a part of this as well. Look. I'm not asking for much. Please do your assignments when you're in class, it's the least you can do."

A couple of narcs speak up.

"We were just passing a note one at a time, she wasn't even paying attention!"

"Yeah, how come all of us are in trouble?"

I sneer. Take your licks and shut the f*ck up, will you?

Prockling glances down at Olivia, and then sighs.

"Look, since it's only the second day I'll let this one slide, but I'm warning you now that I won't be so lenient the next time it happens. Otherwise you'll end up like the last student who decided to be disruptive during class."

Some f*cking guy snorts loudly. There's always one.

"Pfft. What happened to him? Get a detention slip or something?"

She narrows her eyes at him. Ooh, kill 'em. She steps over to the window and pulls the blinds up, pushing it open. Suddenly, she's gripping a walkie-talkie. The f*ck?

"Solly. Yep. ANOTHER hippie. Seat H-4."

Solly? She's calling Solly? Good f*cking bye- oh my god. A dodgeball whizzes through the open window and narrowly creams this kid in the head, and judging from the pants-sh*tting expression on his face, that put the fear of Raptor Jesus into him. Prockling shuts the window, speaking into the walkie-talkie.

"Good job, soldier."

She stows it away, looking up at the class smugly.

"Now, if we can, let's continue."

Aren't we on the second floor? God damn. That woke me up. Solly likes me, but I think he'd still beat the sh*t out of me if I f*ck around in this class. No thanks. Notes, here I come. A lingering feeling of guilt settles in my stomach. Damn. I got Olivia in trouble. Serves me right for trying, I guess. Just another thing to add to my cavalcade of f*ck ups. I should probably apologize after class. Prockling places the note on her desk and continues her lecture for... oh god, half an hour. I'm jonesing so bad now it's crazy. With precisely ten minutes left on the clock, Olivia grabs Prockling's attention, and without any words exchanged she simply nods her head. Olivia gathers all her belongings into her backpack and scoots on out of the class quietly. Huh. Wonder why. Prockling's voice rips me out of my stupor, and I realize she was watching me watch. I think I'm about to get chewed out when she just simply answers my unspoken question.

"Accommodations."

Aaaah, that makes sense. Well, f*ck. Now I can't apologize to her. Uuuuugh. I just focus on my notes for the rest of the class, bouncing my leg up and down, paranoia creeping up the back of my neck. She definitely saw what I drew. Did she just ignore it? More importantly, why do I give a f*ck? The rest of the day swirls by. All of my other classes are unimportant. My nicotine withdrawal starts setting in, and I contemplate several times asking to go to the bathroom so I can sneak a smoke. Get it together, Fault. Soon enough, I'm walking outside the school, the day over. I fumble my pack of smokes out in a discrete location and quickly light one up, trying to relax after this sh*t f*ck day. I gotta go back in to talk with whoever the hell Ben wanted me to so I can get set up for the school website, but I gotta smack this cig out before I do that. Don't want to act like a spaz in front of them. I savor the flavors and mellow out, sighing happily as the nic courses through my veins. Once I'm done, I flick it onto the asphalt and stub it, turning around and walking back into the school. The computer lab is an offshoot of the library, which in of itself is pretty standard. Compared to my last schools? sh*t, might as well be the Library of Alexandria. Thinking about the past again, Fault. A voice snaps me out of my reverie before I can do it myself. A girl's voice.

"Hey there, are you D?"

I spin around, expecting to see face. Instead I see neck. I crane my head up. Oh sh*t. This girl's got a long ass neck. Brachiosaurus, I think? She's got a short little bob of magenta hair, and a healthy heaping of matching eye shadow. I grunt.

"Yeah. You the one Ben told me to meet?"

She bobs her head up and down in a nod.

"Mhm! My name's Liz! Good to meet you! He said I was supposed to help you set up your student portal login, so you could submit something for the art contest?"

I nod, and she steps over to a couple of computers, booting them both. While we wait for them to turn on, she moves her head around me in a wide loop, apparently taking in my features from all sides. That's wild.

"You do that for everyone you meet?"

She giggles quietly.

"No, but you look interesting!"

I'll... take that as a compliment.

"Thanks?"

Once the computers are on, she sits down and cracks her knuckles, typing away at the keyboard with utmost precision, flying through documents and spreadsheets and- I think back to lunch earlier today.

"You're the treasurer, huh?"

She glances back at me, but doesn't stop typing.

"Yup! How'd you guess?"

I grunt.

"Damien."

She eyes me suspiciously. The f*ck?

"Damien, huh?"

She rolls her eyes and mutters something before looking back to me with a smile as if that just didn't happen. Whatever, I'm cool with that.

"So, you're an artist too?"

I grunt.

"I guess?"

She looks a little puzzled.

"Sorry if I was wrong, just seemed that way since you want to enter the contest."

sh*t. Dumbass.

"Oh. Yeah, yeah. I'm an... artist."

It feels weird to say it, but I guess it's true. She smiles.

"Yeah? How are you liking it here so far?"

This sh*t again. Why's everyone so nosy? I'm about to answer when she speaks again. She must sense my frustration because she follows it up.

"Sorry if I seem like I'm going too fast. Collaborations and connections go a long way in the art industry, so a lot of us are pretty eager to share!"

I... hadn't thought about it like that. That makes a lot of sh*t make a lot more sense. Huh.

"Nah, you're good. That just helped me figure out a bunch of sh-... stuff. Anyway, there must be some stiff competition, yeah?"

She tilts her head.

"How do you mean?"

I shrug.

"I mean, you look at all the paintings by the principal's office. If that's who I'm up against, I don't think my chances are so hot."

She nods solemnly.

"Yeah, I get what you mean. I think it's like that by design, honestly. Something about 'breaking the students' egos'. Then you end up wanting to improve like crazy so you can reach your goals. At least, that's what happened to me."

She whips her head around, grinning at me.

"I'm planning on going to University and getting degrees in Design and Business."

Don't check out. Don't check out. Endure the yapping.

"And that's just the start. I'm also starting to become an apprentice for art dealings, getting the right paintings for the right people. My tutors said I'm impressive enough I should start enrolling for any and all of the important Universities around the country I'd like."

Huh. She's passionate. Neat.

"That's cool. Got it all figured out, huh?"

She nods.

"Thanks! I hope I do, at least. What about you?"

Oh. Oh sh*t. I didn't expect her to care. sh*t.

"Honestly? Not goin' to prison."

Her eyes widen. Yeah, appropriate reaction.

"Well... that's... something? Is that actually a worry for you?"

I shouldn't have said sh*t.

"Uh... I don't wanna talk about it?"

She seems to accept that as an answer, thank you Raptor Jesus. Her expression returns to a neutral one.

"Sorry for being pushy. Just seems like half the school may as well be in daycare. That probably sounds rude, but we've got these school programs and even industry professionals coming in for lectures, but all some people care about is coming around to hang out with their friends."

I grunt.

"Thinkin' about your future is hard. Not everyone's got it all planned out."

She sighs.

"I know. Doesn't make it stink any less."

I co*ck an eyebrow, recalling something.

"Sounds a lot like you were talkin' about Damien, to be honest."

Her eyes widen again. Oops? She turns around, her lips pursing together.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have mentioned it."

I wave the notion off.

"Don't worry about it, he's a cool dude. Not trying to sound like a douche or anything. He's been helpin' me out around the school. Got me to sit at lunch with... your group, I guess."

She tilts her head, glancing back at me again with a look of contemplation.

"...Is that so?"

I nod.

"Sure. Dude was thrilled about it."

She rattles off an answer immediately.

"And then he introduced you to Olivia as well and tried to break the ice so she can come out of her shell?"

What.

"Uh... yeah?"

She groans.

"Oh, boy. I'm sorry about that, D."

My eyes narrow.

"What? He's not f*ckin' with me, is he?"

She seems slightly perturbed by my sudden usage of foul language, but shakes her head rapidly.

"Nono, Damien is great! He's just, maybe a little too eager. If he considers you a friend, he wants you to be our friend too. Specifically, Olivia's friend."

What the f*ck is going on with Olivia?

"And why's that an issue?"

She sighs

"It's not, really. But you've seen her, right? She's so... unresponsive. Doesn't like to talk to anyone, not even Damien. I'm not saying you shouldn't try, just don't expect anythin'."

...f*ck that.

"You got beef with her or somethin'?"

She looks surprised.

"Oh, no! No, no, not at all. She's fine. I sit with her at lunch, after all. I'm sure you'll get along with us just fine. And hey, if you're confident about it, I'd love to see Olivia make a friend. All I'm suggesting is maybe... don't get too invested in it? Damien will always be down to hang out, and I don't mind in the slightest. It's just that him and Olivia are nigh inseparable, so if the deal turns you off then it's not your fault either."

sh*t. There's layers in those words. Deep ones.

"What, are they datin' or something?"

She whips her neck back around fully, staring at me and rattling her head.

"No no no! They just live in the same house!"

Huh... okay. She continues.

"Damien's just very patient, and super outgoing. I envy him... But, yeah. I think his greatest wish is everyone just getting along like best buddies. Unless you're like Damien and you can chat up a brick wall, your time is probably better spent elsewhere. So... how serious are you about your ambitions?"

Uh... I don't really have any, but I'll play along.

"Enough for it to matter, I guess."

She nods.

"Something to keep in mind, then. It's a struggle, but like Damien says, we gotta keep trying, right?"

She smiles at me halfheartedly, but there's a deep 'bummed out' vibe around her.

"Anyways, sorry for talking your ear off about private matters. You still wanna get that submission turned in?"

I grunt in the affirmative as she scans the page she's on for one more moment.

"Aaaaaaannnnddd... got it!"

The printers in the back hum to life, and I walk over and grab the paper. Username, password. Damn, these are complicated. I sit down at the other computer as Liz turns hers off.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and go home, D. Hope you get it turned in okay! See you at lunch tomorrow."

I wave her off with an 'uh-huh' as I navigate to the school's website. Guess they got a good web designer, this is pretty good. Makes sense, it is an art school. I follow the links to the submission page. I dig my phone charger out of my satchel and hook it up to the computer, moving a copy of my submission onto the hard drive. It's a photo I took of some homeless guy wrapped up in blankets under one of my old tags. It was a really big blockbuster of the word "TAINTED" in stark white letters outlined with dark red. It was at night in a particularly rough part of my home town. Neon lighting gave it this... ethereal look, and the way the homeless guy was in the frame... looking back on it, this was some good sh*t. I'm glad I took this photo. Never would have thought that before. Thanks I guess, St. Hammond. Whoever the f*ck you were. I title the submission 'Destitute' and send it on it's way. I unplug my phone, delete the wayward file off of the PC, and shut it off.

Man. What a day. I need to get my ass home.

...

Chapter 3: Bloody Knuckled Interlude: I

Chapter Text

I dunno what compelled me to skip out on taking the metro, but apparently I felt like it was necessary to walk across downtown Volcaldera to get to my apartment. It's whatever, I could honestly just call a cab, but... I dunno. I guess I'm just looking for an excuse to think about sh*t. Everything that's been happening has got me feeling all kinds of stupid. My strange readiness to share sh*t about myself and Olivia's weird bullsh*t that Liz and Ben seem to be whining about aren't helping either. I ought to kick the sh*t out of myself for getting involved in it. But it is what it is. Maybe becoming a nosy f*ck will get my mind off of other sh*t. This city's okay. I can tell it's got it's fair share of grime, though. Just like any city. And, of course, because I'm me, I'm attracted to that grime. Well kept streets with open businesses slowly fade to cracked asphalt and condemned buildings. Junkies and other scum start becoming a commonplace sight. Here I am, minding my own f*cking business, when I realize I'm being followed. Tch. Of course. Actually... you know what? Good. I need to let out some steam. This could be just what I needed. Can't start sh*t at school, huh? Works for me. Keeping it cool, I continue on my way like nothing is wrong, like I haven't noticed these freaks following me. In reality? I'm scanning for a spot to make my move. There we go. Nice little alleyway, not too broad, not too narrow either. Nobody in sight. Perfect. I slink into it, walking a ways down until I hit the dead end. I lean against the wall, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up while I wait for my would-be aggressors to show their faces. Or snouts. Didn't see if they were human or dino. Doesn't matter either way.

Sure enough, two figures slink into view. Dinos, go figure. A Utahraptor and a Dracorex, huh? Good. If it was some big armored f*cker I might have been in trouble. I can handle these two. I take one final drag, staring at them casually as they continue making their way towards me, stopping about halfway through the alley to glare at me. I flick the remainder of my smoke at them, the stub scattering across the concrete towards their feet.

"Somethin' I can help you two gentlemen with?"

They sneer at me. The Dracorex co*cks his head back and forth, leaning forward and trying to be intimidating.

"Yeah. I wanna know what the f*ck a nasty looking spear chucker like you is doing out of Skin Row."

I co*ck an eyebrow. Mean one, ain't he? The Utahraptor growls quietly, the feathers on his head undulating gently.

"Yeah, skinnie. Whatcha doing? Stinking up our street, that's what. You gonna be a good little firestarter and get the f*ck outta here, or do we got to rip you up?"

A grin slowly forms on my face.

"You f*ckers sure talk a lot for a couple of strung out meteor dodgers. What, Carfe dealer not in town today, so you gotta pick on the first skinnie you see? Get the f*ck outta here before you get both hurt."

They both let out a snarl, but only the Utahraptor starts stepping towards me with malicious intent. I guess the other guy is confident he doesn't need to help his buddy. Big f*cking mistake. I push myself off the wall and move to meet him. Oh, I needed this so bad. My grin slowly transforms into a violent sneer as we get closer. When we're within swinging distance, I can't stop the feral sounding growl that rips it's way out of my throat.

"You're f*cking dead."

In response to my threat, the Utahraptor bares his claws and immediately makes a swipe for my throat. Carnos are so f*cking easy to read, especially freaks like these who just rely on nothing but their little genetic handicaps. A trained dino is scary, but these f*ckers? Just predictable. A quick sidestep sends it sailing past me harmlessly. I throw a loose jab with my left hand, popping him right on the tip of his snout and sending his head jittering back. Wasn't enough to do damage, but it stuns him for the moment I need as I dart my left hand at him again, gripping the feathers on his head and angling it to the side as I stick my middle knuckle out and jackhammer my other fist into the soft flesh of his eye. I let go of the feathers and step into his new blind spot as he screeches, taking a clumsy swipe at nothing but air out of desperation. I angle my body to the side, latching one hand onto his now exposed wrist and torquing his arm straight as I flatten out the other hand into a palm and smash it against his now straining elbow, which snaps immediately. Scales might be tough, but bones are bones, and I know how to break them. He staggers back, gripping his now disabled arm and shrieking madly. The Dracorex apparently decides to take this as a call to action, roaring as he angles his head down and charges me with his horns. This dude really doesn't know sh*t about fighting. I throw my foot up, smashing my boot into his beak and jerking his head up, killing his momentum completely. I stomp my foot back down behind his leg and give him a rough shove, sending him sprawling back first into the wall and knocking the wind out of him as he smashes against it. Before he can even attempt to get his breath back I swing my boot like a pendulum, cracking him across the jaw with a steel toe low kick and sending him to sleep as he slumps over, arms stiff. The Utahraptor is still staggering around screaming as I slide up behind him like a ghost, gripping his head-feathers once more as I jerk him forward roughly, slamming his snout into the wall with a gruesome crunch as it crumples. He too goes out like a light, his freshly broken snout leaking thick rivulets of blood. I stare down at them, savoring the adrenaline rush and feeling the dopamine spike across my brain.

I step out of the alley, jittering slightly as I look both ways. Nobody came to investigate. I quickly shove my hands into my pockets and get the f*ck out of this slum, speed walking until I'm back to a normal looking neighborhood, at which point I call up a cab to take me home. That was a... damn good walk. Heh. School's gonna be fun tomorrow.

Chapter 4: Stern Beliefs

Chapter Text

Riding the metro again, and I feel like a million bucks after yesterday. That was the first time I'd ever done something like that. Go out of my way to get into a fight like that, I mean. Sure, it wasn't my first scrap, far from it. But usually they come to me. I feel... invigorated. Happy? I guess so. Great. That's kind of bad, actually. Is this how I'm going to get my kicks now? Going out and picking random fights in the street? I'll be lucky if I'm not dead by the end of the year. But if it's going to help me control my outbursts at school, do I really have any other choice? And what if I end up getting f*cked up, am I just going to go to school looking chewed up and wrapped in bandages? That'll get people talking for sure. I gotta be careful. I can't let people find out I'm like that. Well, worse than what they already know about me. It'd be even worse if the cops catch me doing this sh*t. I should start wearing a mask or something... what, like a f*cking superhero? Get real. Not like I'm trying to go out and beat the sh*t out of scumbags for 'justice'. It just makes me feel better. I'm pulled out of my inner turmoil by a heavy thud and a distinct darkening of lights. Mr. Ferris? Nice. My gaze travels up to meet the big 'ole lug's. He nods.

"Good morning, D."

I return it with a genuine smirk.

"Mornin', chief. How's it goin'? School up to code for 'ya?"

He smiles back.

"So far so good, but I'm taking it slow. I like to be very thorough. I hate the idea of a place of learning not being an ideal place to learn. You know, I appreciate our talks. Your perspective has really helped me understand the student body more."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Me? You sure? I ain't exactly the ideal student."

He chuckles.

"Of course! I know you're a rough and tumble sort, but it helps to see all sides, D. St. Hammond should be able to cater to students from all walks of life."

He glances away as he swipes his fingers along his mustache, pondering a question.

"I do hate to be nosy, but... D. Is that your name, or is it just short for something?"

Well, someone was bound to ask eventually. I like Ferris, so I'll just tell him.

"Yeah, it's short for Dorian. Mom was real into Greek history, dad went along with it to make her happy. But I really do prefer D, so just keep callin' me that, okay?"

He nods.

"Of course. Thank you for telling me, D. I appreciate it."

He glances away again.

"And... another thing. You're 'keyed in' to all the young folk lingo, right?"

I can't help the little chuckle that escapes me.

"Yeah, I guess I am. What's on your mind, chief?"

He stares at me intently.

"What does 'yeet' mean? I've heard the term thrown around recently."

I co*ck an eyebrow, a wry smirk tugging at my mouth.

"Yeet? It's, uh... like, when you throw somethin' really hard. But you can also use it as like... y'know, when you say 'yeah' real excited or somethin'. It's like three years old now, though..."

He hums quietly, peering at me with a co*cked eyebrow of his own.

"Well, then."

Mr. Ferris grills me about slang until the metro car finally pulls to our stop. We say our goodbyes as we reach the entrance to the school, and I head off to get ready for P.E. I don't like waiting around in the hallways and it's not like I keep anything in my hallway locker so I just head to the locker-room and get changed into the clothes early, lounging around on the gym bleachers until class starts. Coach Solly catches my attention as he walks up.

"Good morning, Private Fault. I need a favor from you, son."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Sure, Coach Solly."

He gestures a hand for me to follow and I oblige. He leads me into the equipment storage room and gestures to a bunch of rollout mats.

"We're going to be doing a bit of wrestling today, so help me fold these mats out and get them ready."

I immediately go and lug one a piece up under my arms, grinning.

"Wrestlin', huh? Sweet. You splittin' boys and girls apart, I assume?"

He nods, snorting.

"Obviously! That would be a disaster, otherwise. But I assume you're only asking because of Mia. Don't worry, son, I won't force you to go anywhere near her."

I shrug.

"It's whatever, boss. I'm in a real good mood today and I don't even think she could do much to piss me off."

I see him perk up at that.

"Really? I'm glad to hear that. Well..."

I flinch.

"DOUBLE TIME IT AND GET THOSE MATS ROLLED OUT YESTERDAY, MAGGOT!"

I step to it, making sure they're evenly spaced apart until the gym is ready and prepped for a morning of sweaty grappling. Students have already begun filing in, and by the time I put the last mat down the bell chimes out. We do our usual shoulder to shoulder lineup while Solly belts out our activities for today. He files the ladies and gents onto opposite sides of the gym, and pairs us off with partners. Naturally, I end up with Damien. He looks absolutely thrilled sh*tless, and we chat a little while Solly's on the other end of the gym yelling orders to the others.

"Aww, yeah! I love wrestling!"

I peer at him curiously.

"You good at it?"

He nods.

"Yeah, yeah! Super good! I wrestle all the time with my little bro, and Solly's been having us do it here and there since freshman year."

I crack my neck back and forth, a grin creeping across my face.

"Don't get too excited. You asked me to show you some moves, remember?"

Any excitement he had slowly begins to wane as he absorbs my words, studying my face intently.

"Uh... crap."

I belt out a laugh, slapping him on the back.

"Don't worry about it. I won't hurt you too bad."

He co*cks an eyebrow but smiles, recoiling a little from my slap.

"You seem in high spirits today, bro!"

I nod, peering off to the side.

"Yeah, I uh... did some soul searchin' yesterday after school."

He nods sagely.

"That's deep, Deester."

Suddenly, Solly's voice rings out across the room.

"OKAY, MAGGOTS! STEP ON YOUR MATS AND GET READY TO TUSSLE! ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR THIS DAY SINCE FRESHMAN YEAR, SHOW ME THE RESULTS!"

He raises his whistle to his mouth as Damien and I post up in front of each other, crouching low. Damn, this is the most intense I've ever seen the goofy guy. Solly waits for everyone to get ready, and...

FWEEEEEEEEE

Damien and I immediately shoot forward and slam into a clinch. f*ck, this guy's strong. Damn dino strength. I have to batter away intrusive thoughts of slamming an elbow into his face, as usually when I'm doing something like this it's in a dirty fight. I twist my foot and lurch my shoulder in, battering his arm aside as I throw one hand under his armpit and hook it across his back, my other coming up and slamming against the back of his head and locking him into an underhook. I slip my foot behind his and drive forward, but he stomps his other foot back and keeps himself up. Alright. He's not bad. Okay. We do this the hard way. I try to trip him one more time and he expects it, stomping down again. I take advantage of the motion to slip behind him, swiftly wrapping my arms around his mid-section and locking my hands together at the fingers. He grunts, wrenching at my arms as I fall backwards, bringing him onto the ground with me. My legs lock around his waist and he's unsure what to do with his hands as I take my arms off of his midsection and try to wrap an elbow around his neck, but he sees what I'm going for and interposes his own hand in time to keep me from executing a full choke. Even still, I keep his arm locked against his chest. Arm hold it is then. I take my free hand and start wrenching at the now locked joint roughly, causing him to grunt in pain. He wraps his other arm up under my assaulting arm and wrenches it off of him with a heavy tug, freeing up his locked arm. I can't help but chuckle, hissing a friendly little taunt.

"This'd be a lot easier for me if I could just slug 'ya one."

I position my arms behind his back and unlock my legs, shoving him forward. He staggers to his feet as I smoothly rise up, and suddenly we're circling each other on the mat, trying to get a read. He co*cks a grin.

"Yeah, and it'd be way easier for me if I could just spit at you, Deester."

f*cking dinos. I wave my fingers towards me with both hands as I grin at him, taunting him with the old 'come hither' motion. He takes the bait with a laugh, and suddenly we're locked into another clinch. Sorry, my boy. I gotta do it to you. Sweeping my hand across his chest, I ball the collar of his gym shirt up in my fist and pull him close to my chest, and with one giant twist of my hip I heave him over my shoulder and send him ass over head onto the floor. The mat takes most of the impact, but he still hits the floor with a meaty thud and judging from the breathless grunt that just escaped him, he got the wind knocked out of him regardless. Unfortunately, wrestling is a game of submission. I spare him no time as I hit the ground next to him, slipping under his arm and immediately locking it into an arm bar, which I waste no time putting pressure on. Damien struggles vainly for a few moments before I give one final hearty tug and with a decidedly desperate grunt of pain he starts tapping on my leg with his free hand. I let go almost immediately and roll off of him. Standing up, I stare down at him as he looks up me, breathing heavily.

"Haaah... holy crap, dude. You weren't kidding."

Grinning, I reach down and clap my hand into his, helping him onto his feet and patting his shoulder as he works the stress out of his arm with a few shakes.

"No, I was not. Fightin' is kinda my... hobby. My real art, if you will."

He chuckles.

"I can tell, hombre. You're a scary guy. Glad you're my friend!"

That word again. The mere mention of it draws a wince out of me, and unfortunately for me he notices. Frowning, he turns to face me fully.

"D, I'm not mad at you for what you said yesterday, man. It was a poorly timed joke on my part, you were clearly hella mad."

I shake my head.

"I still shouldn't'a done it. But if you ain't mad, I'm not gonna sweat it."

I hold my fist out, smirking.

"Gimme knucks, big man. You did alright."

He grins widely, completing the bump. We turn and watch the rest of the class, and I note that Mia has already beaten her poor partner, who looks absolutely devastated on the ground. Poor gal... wait, is that red c*nt staring at me? She is. She must have watched Damien and I's bout. I lock eyes with her, and where I expect to see a smug grin I only see a contemplative scowl. What, didn't think the skinnie could back up his sh*t-talking from yesterday? I shake my head at her and turn to watch the others. Ain't worth my time.

...

Art... art, art, art. Never really used to think about it that much, but even I couldn't help but get a little excited after Iadakan started talking about our first project. Especially since Olivia seemed to be a beaming beacon of joy as she tried to flag him down before he could even finish his first sentence. It was strange to see her so animated, like she was a completely different girl. Iadakan and her had a sort of... staring contest? It was hard to describe, like they were speaking without words. I guess Iadakan won the battle, because he just flicks the lights off and turns on the projector on the ceiling, playing the class a decidedly morbid video about the production of specific kinds of paint. What the f*ck? That sh*t happens? Why's paint gotta be so metal like that? Olivia pouts in her seat as the video plays, clearly not taking her nonverbal loss well. At the video's mid-point, Iadakan flicks the lights on and pauses it.

"And that, Ms. Halford, is why we won't be using any of the more... 'exotic' materials for any projects."

I can see why. Christ. Olivia glowers at him.

"I still don't see the problem."

Iadakan tuts, wagging his finger.

"You know the drill, Olivia. Proper safety handling course first, and then we can use oil-based paints. But you know it's not until the second semester, so the normal supplies will do. Patience is a virtue, young lady! Anywho, since we've started the video we may as well finish it."

With another click, the lights go back off and the video continues to play. Olivia sags in her seat, letting out a silent groan. She massages her throat gently, whipping a metal canteen out and drinking from it. Is she?... nah, it's just gotta be water. Iadakan's chill, but he ain't that chill. I can't get a read on this girl. Did I even want to? I mean... sh*t, I've never known anyone like her. Wheelchair aside, not that it even mattered. You'd never think a girl like her could have such passion in those eyes... which are looking at me, ready to rip my throat out. Oh. sh*t. I was staring, wasn't I? I go to grunt out an apology, but it catches in my throat as she promptly spins around and rolls her way over to Iadakan's desk. Fuuuuck. Didn't take her for a narc... Iadakan listens to her intently, and judging from the glares she shoots back at me it ain't a polite conversation. f*ck, all I did was look at her. What, she's allowed to gawk at me while I'm getting soda, but I can't sneak a peek at her? Iadakan locks eyes with me and motions for me to come up to his desk with a single finger. Maaan... I roll my eyes and stand up, shoving my hands into my pockets as I walk up to the incoming sh*t-storm. Iadakan's eyes flick between us both, and he speaks in a low mutter just barely audible over the video.

"Okay, what's the issue? Olivia's telling me you're making goofy faces at her."

Olivia grunts.

"No! I said he's been staring at me all through class!"

Yeah, I was. Hard to deny.

"It's weird! Like he's never seen someone like me! Can't you move him to a different seat?"

Oh. She really did think it was about the wheelchair? sh*t, don't I look like an asshole.

Iadakan shakes his head.

"Now hold on a sec there, Olivia, let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding."

She rolls her head back, groaning out Iadakan's name in annoyance. Wow. She sure acts different around him. She fishes her canteen out again and drinks deeply from it as Iadakan continues.

"You're given a lot of leeway when it comes to seat assignment, but asking for something like this?"

She gasps quietly as she finishes drinking, capping the canteen and holding it in her lap. She scowls, hunching over slightly.

"Mmmm... I just want him to leave me alone."

Another swig. Damn, she's thirsty. Iadakan looks at me with an upturned brow.

"Well, D, please enlighten us. What's on your mind? Doesn't look good to have disagreements between classmates this early in the year."

I can only shrug.

"I dunno, teach. I didn't realize there was a disagreement."

He nods gently.

"Sure, but sometimes it's the little things that you don't realize you do that have the biggest effect on people around you. Anything like that come to mind?"

I chew the inside of my mouth, but come up blank, shrugging again. Olivia still looks pissed. I grunt, grasping at anything I can come up with in my mind.

"I sit next to her in here, I'm friends with some of her friends, who also happened to invite me to sit at the same lunch table she sits at. I'm not allowed to be a little curious?"

Iadakan absorbs this information with a quiet hum, turning back to Olivia.

"Sounds like he just wants to know more about you, Olivia."

She shoots me the side-eye, her face crinkling ever so slightly.

"I'm... not really interested. He's distracting me from class, and I just want to watch the video without being gawked at."

I lean back, my mouth twisting into a frown.

"I didn't mean to gawk, Olivia. I'm sorry."

Iadakan tilts his head.

"Does that resolve the issue, Olivia?"

She crosses her arms and tilts away from me, pouting.

"No. I don't want some buddy in this class."

She uncaps her canteen again and upturns it, but finds nothing. It's empty. She hunches over with a quiet growl. Iadakan jabs his thumb at the door.

"Olivia, you can go fill that up if you want."

She hesitates, but he does a little sweeping motion towards her with his fingers.

"You won't be missing anything. I'm sure you have this entire video memorized."

Olivia glares back at me as she wheels her way out to the nearest water fountain. Once she's out of earshot, Iadakan sighs and leans back in his chair, hands behind his head.

"Alright. D, I told you yesterday about the whole 'clearing the air' thing. Now she's in a mood because you were ogling her like a weirdo. Here I thought you two would get along after she gave you that sketch of you she made. Truthfully, I'm impressed, but here we are. What's going on, big guy?"

I throw my hands up in exasperation.

"I said sorry. Look, boss, I'm gonna keep it real with you, my mind ain't been so hot these past couple of days."

He co*cks an eyebrow, urging me to continue.

"Look, you've probably seen my file, yeah?"

He nods slowly.

"You can tell, I ain't good at all this social crap. Suddenly, I got people like Damien fuc-freakin' Payne gangpressing me into his friend group, which Olivia happens to be in. I'm trying to be cool. I don't-"

I stop and grunt, frustrated, but manage to continue.

"I'm trying, okay? I don't know how the hell to do this friend crap."

He hums.

"It's nothing personal, D."

I look at him in confusion.

"Olivia's reticent, especially when it comes to change. If you sit with her at lunch, I can see why she'd be wary of you, and it's not because of... you."

I grunt, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Sure. She seems to love you, though."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"What's that mean?"

I gesticulate at him broadly.

"I've seen her speak more to you than I have any other time I've seen her, just in this class. Does it have to do with her canteen? She got throat problems?"

He hums.

"It's mostly because she just never really talks at all, unfortunately. Stop using a muscle, it gets strained when you do use it. She just... trusts me. I've known her since she was a freshman. She gravitated towards art, especially my particular teaching style, and I just... took her under my wing, I suppose."

I grunt.

"She's friends with Damien, right? It seems like she doesn't even say anything to him, and she lives with the fuc-freakin' guy."

Iadakan shakes his head gently.

"Poor kid. Hope he's doing alright."

I snort.

"He's peachy keen, boss. She's just... so distant. Makes the weird rumors I keep hearin' about her more interesting, even when I know I really shouldn't care."

At that, Iadakan leans forward.

"I heard you gossiping with Ben yesterday. Is this about that?"

I nod.

"I guess, yeah. I haven't spoken to him again but he sure seemed to have some kind of beef with her. To be frank, I really don't care."

He nods back, moving to speak, but I continue.

"And then there's what Liz told me, too."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"I know of her. Something the matter?"

I shake my head.

"No. Maybe? I don't know. She just... said somethin' weird about how I shouldn't get invested into becoming Olivia's friend. It's frustrating me, you know? I guess that's why I was looking at her weird. Like I said, my bad."

Iadakan rubs his temples.

"Hoo boy. It's worse than I thought."

I co*ck an eyebrow at him, prompting him to continue.

"So. You've met three people that know Olivia, other than me. Of the three, only one thinks highly of her, and the other two start trying to rope you into drama the minute she comes up in conversation. No wonder you're confused."

I hum in contemplation.

"Yeah. That's... what's happenin', basically. Hadn't thought of it like that."

He shakes his head.

"I don't blame you, you shouldn't be involved in anything this stupid. Highschoolers..."

I snort.

"I guess it's better than gettin' into a brawl over it."

Iadakan snorts himself, leaning back and collecting his thoughts.

"Okay. I have an important question for you, then. Do you really want to be Olivia's friend?"

I almost say no, but I stop myself. I look awkwardly around for a brief moment, before shrugging in exasperation.

"I guess?"

He co*cks a judging eyebrow.

"Are you sure? Or is this just 'curiosity' about her?"

He seems dead serious. I stare back at him intently.

"Then yes, I'm sure. I want to be friends. Like I said, I really am trying not to screw up. This is my last chanc-"

I cut myself off as Olivia wheels back in, right up to the desk, staring at Iadakan with a deadpan expression.

"Back. Have you changed his desk yet?"

Iadakan glances at me expectantly. I turn to Olivia, hands back in my pockets.

"Hey. Sorry I'm wigging you out during class, okay? I'll try not to do it anymore."

She narrows her eyes in suspicion.

"...Uh..."

Her eyes flit to Iadakan, who gives her that same expectant glance. She looks back at me, relaxing slightly.

"...Sure? I mean you're welcome. I mean thanks. sh*t."

I snort, causing her to glare at me for a brief moment. She quickly calms down and continues.

"But, uh... no really, I don't want to be distracted."

Iadakan drums his fingers along his desk.

"Come on now Olivia, the least you could do is give him another shot. You never know."

She hums.

"I don't really want to know... I get he's, like, friends with Damien, but I don't really... you know... not in this class."

I lean to the side.

"Come on. We both hate Mia, so we got that going for us, right? I just wanna try the friend thing out."

She stops and raises an eyebrow at me curiously, but she promptly looks back to Iadakan pleadingly and he just smiles gently in return.

"Olivia, I do think he would make a good friend for you."

She stiffens, shocked.

"What?"

There go the walls, starting to crumble down. He continues, gesturing at me.

"I'm simply saying I think you should just give D a chance."

The gaps in the defenses are huge, now.

"You both are quite similar at heart, even though your methods are very different. Perhaps you'll find some compromise behind cynicism and naivety if you work together."

And, finally, the walls are gone. She just looks like a timid, confused girl now.

"Uh, well... I, I don't... are you for real, Mr. Iadakan?"

He nods.

"I am. He's actually in another class of mine."

He eyes me candidly.

"I can tell he's got passion in him, somewhere, just like you with a brush. Might not be with said brush, or even a camera, but there's something burning up in him that just needs to be harnessed. I expect great things from him."

A strange feeling tugs in my heart as he says that, and I side-eye him with a mildly shocked expression. Does he... really think that? Olivia sinks back into her chair gently.

"Uhm... o-okay. Sorry, I really thought, uh-!"

She buttons up with a shocked expression. Oop. Think she just bit her tongue. Iadakan shrugs.

"It's just my opinion. You can make your own choices, Olivia."

She nods in rapid succession. Iadakan glances up.

"Oh! Movie's about to end. Back to your seats, you two!"

He glances at us both.

"We good here?"

Olivia side-eyes me again, but nods. I elect to speak.

"Yup."

He nods.

"Alright."

He waves us off, and Olivia returns to her spot. I hang back for a brief moment.

"Uh... thanks, Mr. Iadakan."

He smirks.

"For what? I just gave an opinion. I'm serious, it's up to the two of you now if you want to be friends. Don't screw it up."

He waves me off and stands up to get the lights, and I hustle back to my desk and sit. I stare absentmindedly at the screen. Only an opinion, huh? Sure seemed like a lot more than an opinion. And... sh*t. 'I can tell he's got passion in him.' Nobody's ever said that to me before. Ever. And she's got that same passion for art? Now I'm only more curious about her... speaking of which. Now she's the one ogling me in class, thinking I can't see her. How the tables have turned. She's trying to get a read on me from my face alone. Too bad I got a good poker face, because she just seems confused and shaken up. I watch her jaw waver a few times, almost like she's about to say something but stops at the last second. She's thinking about what Iadakan said too. Suddenly, the lights flick back on and I reel back, groaning. God damn it. Iadakan's voice cuts through the brightness.

"Alright, normally in your first week we'd be doing something simple like a color swatch wheel, but I think you all can handle something a little more advanced."

Olivia perks up at the word 'advanced.' There I go, completely forgotten about in her mind. Iadakan holds up a fat stack of papers for us to gander at, gesticulating to them theatrically with his other hand.

"First things first, I'd like for you all to fill out these topic sheets, so that I know you understand how tosafely handle oil-based paints. The last thing we need is another burnt down classroom!"

The f*ck? No wonder Mr. Ferris is auditing this place. Iadakan continues.

"Once you're done with them, bring it up to my desk so I can review them. I'll hand the permission slips over after I'm confident none of you will burn or poison yourselves to death."

The papers get passed back, and I scan the sheet. f*cking sh*t, I don't know any of these questions. I was up there yapping the whole time while the video was on. Great. I've become my own worst nightmare, and I can't even guess at any of this because it's all dino related sh*t. I don't have a f*cking three inch snout, who cares about what grade mask I need?! I catch Iadakan peering at me, and when he sees me seeing him see me, he glances to my side. I follow his gaze, and... Olivia. She's blazing through that sheet like nobody's business. Damn, Iadakan wasn't kidding, she did know the video by heart. f*ck it, cheating time!

"Hey, Oliv-"

She jerks her head to me, sneering.

"What! What now? What? What is it? I'm not gonna let you draw me."

I stare at her with narrowed eyes, and just lift my page up, gesturing to all the unanswered questions. She groans, looking at Iadakan pleadingly, which he counters by giving her a winning grin and two thumbs up. Heh. She leans forward, gripping her head in both hands.

"Fffffffff-"

She sits back, glaring at me.

"Fine. Fine, fine, fine. Here!"

She holds her sheet out, and I gingerly take it, giving Iadakan the side-eye. Is he really gonna let me cheat- he's got a sleeping mask on and he's lounging at his desk. This f*cking guy. I shrug, scribing the words from Olivia's sheet and at least trying to make it look obvious that I didn't copy her words verbatim. Some people are already bringing their sheets up to Iadakan's desk, but he is CHECKED THE f*ck OUT. I feel you, brother. I finish my ill deed and pass gator girl her paper back.

"Appreciate it, Olivia."

She takes it back with a grunt.

"Whatever."

She finishes off the last few questions she had to do and wheels her page up to the desk. The last answer is thankfully easy. I know what a flashpoint is, I've burned a couple of things down. I get up and deliver my sheet to the desk. Iadakan tilts his mask up with one finger, and upon seeing it's me, gestures to a stack of slips.

"Excellent. There's your permission slip."

I snort.

"What, ain't even gonna look at it?"

He looks amused.

"D, you know that most of that doesn't even apply to you. What, you plan on drinking some of the paint?"

I chuckle, putting my paper down and swapping it with one of the slips.

"After that video? f*ck no."

I stiffen. Oops, I let one slip. I give him a tentative side-eye, and he just chuckles back and waves me off back to my desk.

"Get back to your chair and wait for class to end, D. Tomorrow I'll be starting you all on something simple. Like painting a cube. Or a ball."

His eye twinkles at me.

"Yeah, model dodgeball painting."

Groaning, I roll my eyes and walk away as he lowers his eyemask back down. I can't help but smirk. Man. Coach Solly is cool, but Iadakan might be my new favorite teacher. Sorry, monkey man. I flop back into my seat, and it's business as usual as Olivia goes back to leering at me with five minutes on the clock left. I look back at her and co*ck an eyebrow. She co*cks hers. What, are we having a staring contest now? A few minutes pass, and I snort. She narrows her eyes at me and I lean my head against my fist and grin.

"Paint a picture, it'll last longer."

She recoils slightly, her face going ever-so-crimson as the bell rings. She quickly spins and wheels herself out to spare herself the embarrassment. Damn, she's deft with that thing. I get up and go on my own merry way.

...

f*cking lunchroom. I wade through the chaos, throwing an elbow into someone's gut and stomping on at least three people's feet as I cut a swathe through the crowd to Damien and company's table. What the f*ck is that long ass thing? Oh. That's Liz, I think. Both Damien and Olivia are already present as well, the former chowing down on a grody looking sandwich with like eight different meats on it. With one final grunt, I slam an elbow across some dude's crest and exit the crowd, nearly jumping into my seat at the table.

"f*cking Raptor Christ on his cross of rock, I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

Damien chortles.

"I dunno bro, you look like you got a grip on it pretty good. Hey, you met Liz yet?"

He gestures to Liz, who is currently 95% neck, chewing on the vines growing from the ceiling. I nod.

"Yeah, we've met. Yo, Liz!"

She lifts a hand and waves at me, which is an intensely strange sight. I hear her voice bright as day though, even with her head being all the way up there.

"Hey, D! Didn't know you were there until I heard you."

I peer at the lunch line. Jesus... did I just watch someone get brained with a steel chair? Nuh-uh, f*ck that.

"I ain't doing that f*cking lunch line rigamarole. You got any vending machine orders you better put 'em in now because I ain't going back out."

Damien pogs and requests a Dr. Ptero, and Liz asks for a can of Snootkist. I peer at Olivia, and she peers back silently. I shrug.

"Ooookay, I guess Olivia doesn't want anything!"

She grunts angrily.

"Okay, fine! Pachy-eetos and a Dr. Ptero too!"

I click my tongue at her.

"Attagirl."

She grumbles quietly as I head outside and get everyone's garbage together. Not like I really care, it's my dad's f*cking money. I return to the table and toss everyone their filthy lucre, slumping back down and opening my own bag of POTATO GARBAGE. Liz' voice echoes from up top as she hears the cans rattle against the table.

"Thanks, D! Damien, if you don't mind?"

"Already on it!"

He snatches up the Snootkist, cracking it open as Liz lowers her head. She's... wearing one of those stupid f*cking soda hats. You know what, I can't even laugh. Fair game, brachiogirl, fair game. Damien swaps it out like his life depends on it and Liz smiles at him.

"Thank you."

He bashfully rubs the back of his head.

"No problemo!"

I co*ck an eyebrow as Liz' head makes its way back up to the vines. Hmmm. Damien turns to me.

"So, Deester, how's your day been so far?"

I shrug.

"Acceptable, I guess."

I peer at Damien, slowly grinning.

"How's the arm, big guy?"

He laughs, rotating it around.

"Still sore, man! You really did a number on me!"

Liz' head pokes down curiously, mouth full of leaves. Olivia cuts her eyes at me suspiciously. Liz speaks, somehow perfectly clearly, despite the leaves in her gob.

"What happened?"

I look up at her.

"Coach Solly had us wrestle in P.E today. Gave Damien a little... demonstration."

She looks shocked, swallowing her leaves.

"You actually beat Damien? Wow."

She glances down at him.

"Did you go easy on him or something?"

He shakes his head.

"Nuh-uh, Deester's just a badass!"

I wave him off.

"It was nothin', big guy. Say, Liz, thanks again for helpin' me put my submission in."

She nods.

"Sure thing!"

Damien looks at me.

"Ah, yeah! You can always count on Liz to help you out."

She giggles.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Damien."

He looks up at her, smiling, and then turns back to me.

"Just sayin' the honest truth. Liz entered the contest too, right? Everyone must be trying to win the cash prize."

Liz hums.

"The money's... okay."

She comes back down with another mouthful of leaves, dipping them into a tray full of sauces as she continues speaking perfectly clearly despite having a mouthful. How the f*ck is she doing that?

"The real prize is having your submission featured on the sponsors' magazine cover, and in a featured article. Do you have any idea how great that looks on a resume? Heck, I can probably get a scholarship with that alone."

I lean back, trying to picture one of my tags displayed in a magazine. Damn... I look up at Liz.

"You really do got it all planned out. What'd you submit?"

She gulps down her salad and grins.

"My best digital art piece!"

Damien turns.

"Oooooh! What is it?!"

She brings out her phone, swiping around and then flipping it around.

"Here!"

It's some kind of... fancy house. Looks good, though. Classy and old-timey, and sh*t. Damien pogs yet again, pointing at the screen.

"YOOOOOO! That's so cool! It looks so realistic!"

Liz bobs her head up and down gently.

"Thanks. Took me about a week to really blend some of the more fanciful elements into each other. I based it off my grandfather's home from the old country."

Damien nods like he pretends he understands.

"This is amazing! You can't even tell that this whole thing's digital art at all!"

He grabs her phone and turns it towards Olivia.

"Hey, Olivia!"

She jumps at her name, scowling just a little. Damn, she was hella zonked.

"What? I'm not giving these chips back, they're mine!"

Everyone's faces drop a little, Damien's especially.

"Uh... I was just going to show you Liz's entry..."

She narrows her eyes and peers over at it. She looks up and only offers a nod, and then returns to her chips. Damien looks a little more crestfallen for a moment, but then bounces back to his usual goofy grin as he hands Liz' phone back. I decide it's a good time to jump in.

"I didn't realize you were so into makin' art yourself after the whole art dealer spiel you gave me yesterday. It looks good though, don't get me wrong. You just doin' it as a little side hobby or something?"

She nods.

"Something like that, yeah? Thank you either way! The whole 'art dealer' thing is why I decided to come to this school, actually. There are a whole bunch of 'elite' graduates, and even just becoming an alumni here is a fantastic way to make connections!"

I nod slowly. I sorta get it, especially after what she told me yesterday.

"And you're the treasurer too, yeah? Really preppin' for the whole business thing."

She nods again.

"Mhm! I'm doing everything I can to prepare myself for the real deal! I do love painting though, it's just not a means to an end for me. Maybe that's why I want to get into trading, so I can get the right people what they need!"

I lean forward, nodding contemplatively.

"Sure... man, I guess I should start thinkin' about what I want to do. Ain't easy."

For some reason, my mind drifts to Olivia, and what she's thinking right now. Is she even checked in to the current conversation? Damien is just bouncing his head up and down like a f*cking goofball, and I can't tell if he's just listening to a song in his head or agreeing with Liz. A soft sigh besides me catches my attention. Glancing over, Olivia is staring down at her chips in rumination. Guess I ain't the only one worrying about where I'm gonna end up. I shouldn't sweat it though, we still got the whole year. I glance at Damien.

"What about you, big man?"

He shrugs, grinning.

"Eh. I don't really have a big goal set. Only reason I'm here is because it's the school closest to our home."

Liz looks at him, unimpressed.

"Damien, you know I keep telling you about planning ahead."

He stares up at her, his grin not faltering.

"I know, I know. I just like keeping my options open!"

I lean forward, resting my chin on my fist.

"What're you even doin' here then? Just coasting?"

He gives a half-nod.

"Sure, I guess? I just picked out any classes that seemed interesting to me. Home Ec is pretty fun, though! I get to make food in class and eat it too!"

Liz peers down at him.

"You'd make the perfect husband with skills like that!"

Damien nods.

"Yeah!"

He then whips around, looking at her stupidly.

"Wait, what?"

Liz realizes what the f*ck she just said and co*cks her head back, blushing crimson as she slowly raises her head back up to the rafters. I can't help the snort that escapes me, which promptly turns into an actual laugh.

"Burgeoning love, ain't that f*ckin' precious!"

Liz's exasperated voice cuts through the air while I continue laughing, Damien looking like he has no idea what the hell is going on.

"D! Come on!"

I wipe an errant tear away, my laughs settling down into chuckles.

"Alright, alright. I'm done."

Liz huffs.

"To get back to my point, the art contest. If I win and get that interview, it's a humongous advantage!"

I grunt.

"I bet. Hey, Olivia, you put anything in for the contest?"

She glances at me, eyes widening just a bit.

"Oh."

She then glances away, deflating slightly.

"...No."

Liz jolts back down, her soda hat flying off into who knows where.

"Really?! Oh crap, I might have a chance, then!"

Damien side-eyes her, furrowing his brow.

"Liz, that sounds a certain way."

If Damien has to point that out to you, that's when you know you f*cked up. A guilty look crosses her face.

"Sorry... I didn't mean it like that, I swear."

She tries to assuage Olivia with a smile, but the green menace just rolls her eyes and continues yummying down on her chips. I lean back, my eyes still focused on Olivia.

"When we had our... chat in his class, Mr. Iadakan mentioned your painting skills, and the little portrait sketch you made of me was kickass, so-"

She freezes as Damien shoots forward.

"Woah, she what?!"

She turns to me, glaring daggers. Wow! How many times am I gonna f*ck up with this chick?! I haven't even seen her real work, only a f*cking sketch, can you blame me for being curious? She closes her eyes, breathing deeply as she takes a neutral expression once again.

"I just..."

She glances me up and down awkwardly.

"Can't."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"What's that even mean?"

She shrugs.

"Besides, even if I could, they're gonna be looking for the best artists here, so you gotta show that to them with how good your art is. I just don't want them to look at me and feel they have to give me a reward out of pity."

Damien was mid-bite of his nasty ass looking sandwich when she said this, and he freezes, his gaze flickering between the two of us. Jesus, Damien. Don't tire the hamster in your head out too much, pal. Olivia continues speaking.

"I want to be judged for my art and not..."

She looks at the table, seemingly taking in all it's details as she tries to think of words. She sighs wearily.

"It would just feel undeserved."

I grunt.

"How?"

Damien jolts forward, nearly getting in her face.

"YEAH, HOW?"

Liz pushes him back gently with her neck.

"Damien, shh."

I lean forward, furrowing my brow.

"Has that happened? People actually do that sh*t?"

She looks at me plainly for a brief moment, and then glances off into space.

"You weren't there for it. Some losers tried to tell me to take advantage of it."

What the f*ck? I can't help the sneer that crosses my face as I lean back.

"Well... f*ck 'em."

She looks up at me, seemingly genuinely shocked I would say something like that. I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"What? I know what it feels like to get thrown the f*ckin' pity party, and I hate every god-damn second of it. You don't gotta explain yourself to me."

She leans back, brushing her hair aside. There's a new look on her face, one that I can't quite place. She twiddles her thumbs, glancing everywhere except towards me.

"Y-yeah... I just, don't want to get awards and praises I haven't earned. I'm seriously not that good. I really wouldn't even win."

She sighs, picking her drink up and taking a hearty sip. I prose a question.

"Can I see some of your work?"

She doesn't even bother to look at me, setting the can back down.

"No."

I furrow my brow.

"Why not? I get that a lot of people here are like, super talented or some sh*t. Way better than I'll ever be at it, and they're still just in school. f*cked up to think about. Like that landscape of the city near the principal's office."

Damien co*cks an eyebrow.

"Landscape?"

I nod.

"Yeah. The one of the city? A freshman made that sh*t, and it was gorgeous. And that's me sayin' that."

Olivia looks at me contemplatively, before glancing away shyly.

"I made that."

I widen my eyes at her.

"Seriously?"

Damien smirks.

"Her name is on it, isn't it?"

I rack my brain back to the placard under it. O. Halford. I slap my hand against my face.

"f*ck, I'm such an idiot."

Olivia snorts.

"Is it really that much of a shocker to you?"

I turn towards her, gesticulating.

"f*ck yeah it is! That sh*t was the best painting I've ever seen in my life! f*ck all those old ass renaissance painters or whatever the f*ck!"

She shrugs.

"I mean, it's whatever. I painted it with the help of a guide, so it isn't like I'm the one that did it all."

I wave her off.

"Whatever, and f*ck's His Name couldn't have painted the Mona Lisa without that bitch sitting in front of him. So what, you can't enter because you already won once?"

She taps her claws along the table, humming.

"Yeah... basically."

She looks away from us, returning to her chips. Damn, and I thought I was harsh on myself. This chick's her own worst enemy. Liz' head telescopes back down into my peripheral vision and she's sporting quite the shocked look. What, she bite her tongue or something? The others notice too. Damien co*cks an eyebrow at her.

"Liz?"

Olivia likewise does the same.

"What's with the look, longneck?"

Liz smiles warmly.

"Just surprised to see you in... better spirits, is all."

Olivia grunts.

"You're making it weird. Don't make it weird."

Damien, apparently taking it as an invitation to make it weird, spins around and leans a little too closely towards Olivia.

"Yeah, it's been ages, Olivia! To think a randy like Deester here got you to open up like this in just two days!"

He gestures to me, grinning dumbly.

"What'd you do man?"

Olivia freezes, looking like a deer in headlights as Damien's mindless ass babble puts her in the spotlight. Without a word, she furrows her brow angrily and spins, wheeling away. Damien, only just now realizing his f*ck up, attempts to call out to her.

"Olivia, wait!"

Too late. She's gone. Liz and I peer at Damien as we appropriately should. She smacks her lips.

"Well, she did give a warning."

I shake my head.

"Good going, you big f*ckin' goofball."

Damien sighs, running a hand through his hair sadly.

"...Yeahhhh... Crap. I was just excited she was making good progress..."

We spent the rest of lunch attempting to talk about Liz' art process, but Damien looked mega-bummed out. He kept looking around the cafeteria idly, thinking Olivia might still be hanging around somewhere so he could try and coax her back in. Nah, pal, that ship has sailed. Still... she definitely seemed more open. Like she wants to talk. But... why ain't she?... The bell rips me out of my thoughts before I can contemplate it further. A question for another time. Liz and Damien wave goodbye... and leave me to clean up the f*cking mess. Gee wizz, thanks guys.

...

Photography class isn't interesting. Since Ben is my partner, Iadakan gives him the go ahead to show me around the campus. Aside from showing me prime photo spots, I get to see a lot of the school I haven't been to. The music hall and the pool stand out in my mind. Wouldn't mind going swimming once or twice. We end up in the courtyard, Ben pointing out some of the outermost views around the school. No wonder, they're pretty good looking. He starts yapping on about 'the perfect frame' or some sh*t, and my mind ends up wandering to Olivia. Again. Damien's words echo in my mind. 'What'd you do man?' I don't f*cking know, speak to her like a normal god-damn person?

"D?"

Like, you f*cking heard her, Damien. She doesn't want to be treated any differently, and yet here you are trying to force everyone to be chummy with her. I guess it worked out this time. I guess. I'm still not sure mysel-

"D!"

Ben's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"What?! What?"

He shakes his head, slight frustration marring his features.

"I was asking if you were free on the weekend, so we could take pictures."

I grunt.

"Yeah, I can swing by on Saturday."

He relaxes, nodding.

"Excellent! We can meet up back here."

I grunt an affirmative absentmindedly as we start heading back to class. Wonder if I can do somethin' in history class...

...

I'm going to die. For some unknown reason, I start getting the nic cravings in history, so it just amplifies the monotony by a thousand-fold. Prockling is rattling on about some f*cking Hegemony and crimes against human and dino kind or something. I don't care. This sucks. A yawn forces it's way out of me as I start bouncing my leg up and down. Olivia seems to have returned to her default state, which is one of gloom and doom. Whether she's not still mad about what happened at lunch or she still doesn't know I'm in this class, I dunno. If it's the latter, it'll be hilarious as f*ck when she does realize... assuming she doesn't bite my throat out, that is. Everyone else in the class looks about as catatonic as me, so I at least know I'm not alone. I've been writing notes on auto-pilot, just picking out key buzzwords from Prockling's lecture. I gotta keep my grades up. It's one thing to f*ck my last shot up if I snap and beat the sh*t out of someone, I think I might just actually kill myself if I f*ck up by letting my grades slack. Nobody feels like risking the note game today, apparently. I don't blame them, knowing Prockling can radio in a f*cking Monkey Man Airstrike. God. This is just gonna be one of those periods for the rest of the year, I guess. That's high school history class for you. Prockling isn't even stalking the class anymore looking for f*ck ups. She's just standing at the board and lecturing us, because she knows she's got us by the balls... how miserable. A flicker of movement in my peripheral catches my attention. It's Olivia. What's she doing?

She folds a piece of notebook paper up, licking her finger and wetting the crease so she can cleanly and quietly tear it apart. Oh sh*t. She going for it? Note game? Please god. I need to distract myself or I may die. Wonder why she's going for it. Maybe she feels guilty about getting caught yesterday. She passes it to her left, and the guy next to her seems hesitant but takes it anyway. He doesn't write anything though and just passes it on. This continues on for a good long while, and not a single person has the nuts to open it and draw something. f*cking cowards, the lot of you. I track it as it makes it's way towards me, and soon enough I feel a tap on my shoulder. Prockling's distracted, so I just reach back and casually palm it as it's handed to me. I set it down in front of me and unfold it. There's only one thing on it; a rat with a really realistic ass looking hand giving a thumbs up. Plenty of space on this board, and Prockling is still squawking about ancient tribes or some sh*t. I got the perfect idea. I set the paper on top of my notebook and try to blend it in with my notes page as best as possible, and get to work. I draw Olivia dressed as a stereotypical graffiti artist, bandana and puffy jacket included, and make it so that she's spray painting a big stylized rat thugged the f*ck up. As stylized as I can make it with pencil, anyway. I check my magnum opus over. I'm not a super amazing traditional artist, so Olivia doesn't look quite accurate, but the wheelchair should at least make it obvious that it's her. The rat on the other hand? Immaculate. I pass the note to Olivia as Prockling gestures to something on the board, and she takes it.

Her tail wags again a little, but only for a brief moment. All that blank space must be hard to look at. I figure she's at least happy with what I did and- she just passed it again. It makes it's round trip through the students again, with a heady undertone of irritation. Yeah, that ain't gonna fly again. Why would she do that? Nobody else is gonna man the f*ck up and draw something now, the cowards. She must really be bored. The note finds it's way back to me regardless. Upon checking it, I find that she's drawn a gaggle of little rats around her, similarly thugged the f*ck out. The rat mafia. God damn. f*ck it, I gotta add myself to this. I put myself on the opposite side of the tag, squatting like a real OG and throwing gang signs up. I put extra detail into the scar. It's my defining feature, after all. I double triple quadruple check that Prockling isn't paying attention, aaaannnd we're good. Olivia pinches the note out of my grasp, and brings it forward. She scans it briefly, and her gaze turns to our rat-mafia masterpiece-

whCRACK

What the f*ck? Was that a gun shot? The silence hangs in the room before Prockling turns, eyeballing Olivia.

"Ms. Halford?"

She shrinks into her chair like she wants to melt away.

"S-sorry, Ms. Prockling. I uh... saw a spider."

To her credit, Prockling just shakes her head and sighs, turning back to the board and continuing her onslaught against fun and joy. Olivia's head slowly turns, and she makes eye contact with me, equal parts contempt and curiosity aflame in her eyes. I guess that loud ass f*cking noise was her tail, judging by the way she's massaging it and the goddamn chip in the linoleum floor. She waits for a prime 'Prockling Isn't Looking' moment and scribbles something down. She glances back, hesitating, and then flicks the note at me. It goes careening off under my desk, threatening to slide away. My only course of action is to slam my foot down on it, and thanks to my big ass clod hopping boots, it makes a really loud racket. Prockling whips her head around, staring at me.

"Mr. Fault, what was that noise?"

I give her the pokerface.

"Spider. Stomped it's lights out."

She grimaces at me.

"Please clean that up before class is over, Mr. Fault."

"Sure thing, teach."

She stares at me briefly and then turns to her desk, turning a few pages and instructing everyone else to do the same. She then goes off looking for something in a drawer. Time to see the goods. I casually slip my hand under the desk and grab the note. She's drawn yet more thug-rats around, except they all have little glocks pulled on me. Damn. Looks I stepped into the wrong hood. This is hilarious though, I really can't be mad. In response, I draw a nasty looking cat dressed in a suit, aiming a tommy gun at the little hood rats. I look back over at Olivia, pondering how to return it to her when I see her hood hanging open behind her back. Oh, we hoopin'? I'm hoopin'. With a practiced wrist flick, it goes sailing in like butter. The paper scratches at the back of her neck, and she picks at it, glancing back at me suspiciously. She tries to mouth something to me, but I can't even read normal lips let alone a dino's. She unfolds it, doodles another thing in it, and passes it back. More rats. She really likes rats, huh? We pass it back and forth for the rest of class, slowly creating a little animal ghetto until Prockling gives Olivia the go ahead to leave at the five minute mark.

She starts packing her things, shooting glances my way. She's not wigging out anymore, it's just been replaced with confusion, like I wouldn't spare myself the f*cking nightmare of this class and ignore the doodle game. She starts wheeling her way out of the room, giving me one final glance at the threshold of the door. I shoot her a smirk and a two finger salute, and she recoils slightly, finally turning around and passing through the door. Right. Homework. I stare down at the sheet dully. f*ck. I have no idea what any of this means. Serves me right for slacking off, I guess. I contemplate trying to speed read the chapter, but now that Olivia is gone to distract me, the nic cravings are creeping up my spine like a f*cking ghoul. f*ck it, I'll just Gruugle the answers later when I get home. The bell finally rings, and I realize I've still got the rat hood masterpiece on my desk. Not a f*cking chance I'm throwing this out, rat hood is coming with me. I slip it into my satchel and get the f*ck outta dodge.

...

God, school gets f*cking rowdy when the day is over. It was already bad enough trying to get around in between classes, but at the end everyone is trying to murder each other to get out the front door. Patience is the smart man's virtue, so I just elect to hang around on the side while I wait for some of the congestion to die down. Soon enough, I'm headed to the stairwell to get downstairs and make my way home so I can finally get a damn smoke in. There's more art displays up here, too, despite this not being the art wing. Guess space is at a premium. Something stiff arms me, and I jerk back. Oh. It's Olivia. She's staring up at me without any of the usual suspicion. She opens her jaw to speak, but nothing comes out. I co*ck an eyebrow at her, looking down at her arm still extended in front of my chest. She lowers it awkwardly, and apparently can't decide whether it's going to go in her hoodie pocket or on her armrest. What, does she want the drawing? I go to start digging around in my satchel.

"Yo, I still got that-"

She cuts me off, looking up at me again.

"You could've told me."

I look back at her.

"What?"

She continues.

"That you were in Ms. Prockling's class too. You could've mentioned that."

I smirk.

"Sure, I could have, but don't you think it was all theatrical and sh*t when you realized it was me drawin' all that?"

She hums, brushing her hair aside.

"Well, whatever. Later I guess."

She turns to leave, but a question slips out of my throat, stopping her.

"Why'd you stop me?"

Her gaze turns to the floor.

"I... don't really get you..."

Her gaze turns back up to me. She's nervous.

"Why do you care?"

f*cking sh*t lady, not even I know the answer to that. Or do I? f*ck it, I guess it's because...

"I wanna be friends, obviously."

She doesn't look convinced.

"With me though?"

I shrug.

"Why not?"

Her eyes widen briefly, reminiscent of the times in Iadakan's class where she looks so much more alive. A smirk tugs at the edge of my mouth as Mr. Iadakan's words ring in my head. 'Sometimes it's the little things' indeed. I continue speaking.

"I think Iadakan was right, y'know."

She hums in disagreement, turning away. What, too bold? Whatever. I move back down to my satchel.

"I still got the note."

She looks back quizzically.

"Note? What, with the doodles? From history? Why?"

I look back up at her as I pull it out.

"It's good sh*t, that's why. Had fun filling it out. You want it?"

She shakes her head, turning to face me fully.

"It's just doodles, you can throw it ou-"

Her words catch in her throat, and she glances to the side.

"Keep it, if it's so important."

Did... she just smile? It was tiny, but... now she's just staring at... oh. An elevator?

"I didn't realize this joint had elevators. Never seen anyone using 'em."

She wheels over to it, pulling out a key and flashing it at me. Ah. Accommodations. The hallway's cleared up a good bit now. The elevator arrives, and she rolls in. She jams the key in and pushes the button to go down. She rolls back, and I turn to leave, but she stops me.

"Uh..."

I turn back around. She's looking at me expectantly.

"You coming?"

Oh, sh*t. Really? I slide in right as the doors close. God damn this thing is old. That inspection sticker looks older than my dad. I glance down at her.

"This is some health hazard ass bullsh*t."

She shrugs, smiling.

"What's the worst that'd happen, our legs break?"

I snort.

"Wouldn't be the first time."

Her smirk fades into surprise, and now I'm the one smirking.

ka-chunk

You know that feeling when you go down a steep hill in a car and it feels like your nuts fly up into your stomach? Yeah. That just happened to me. Jesus, this thing sounds like it's going to fall any minute. How f*cking long does it go for?! God damn, I'm starting to get the nic shakes. I glance at Olivia, hoping she just thinks I'm being a puss* about the elevator. People always get testy when they find out I smoke. Thankfully, that seems to be the case, given her amused grin.

"Relax, dude. This is normal."

Yeah. Normal. I snort.

"Yeah, just like I'm normal?"

She snickers as the elevator finally reaches the bottom, and I stagger out. Olivia casually rolls out from behind, looking at me smugly. You win this time, gator girl. We step out into the hallway, and she looks up at me with a smile that slowly fades back into neutrality.

"Anyway, uh... See 'ya later."

I give her a two-fingered salute.

"Later on."

She rounds a corner, and I'm by myself. f*ck. I gotta smoke now otherwise I'm gonna freak out. I speed walk out of the school and start taking my route back to the metro, waiting until I'm far away enough to pull out my pack. One light later, and I'm freshly cooled down. I make sure to finish it before I get onto the metro proper, and as I slip into my usual seating I fold a leg over my knee and look out the window, thinking. I'm getting somewhere with Olivia. It ain't there yet, but it's on it's way. I guess we're both having to figure sh*t out. It's pretty funny though, watching her get flustered by me just acting friendly. I... think I feel good about this. I dunno what Liz and Ben were tweaking about. I got some sh*t to brag about, I guess. Iadakan's voice slips into my thoughts as I start absentmindedly watching the vistas go by.

'-there's something burning up in him that just needs to be harnessed. I expect great things from him.'

...god. At least someone does.

...

Chapter 5: Bloody Knuckled Interlude: II

Chapter Text

About half a week has gone by, and things are going... slowly. Olivia's opening up bit by bit, but between her inherent shyness and my... moods, it's a little rough. I've had a few off days. Thankfully, I've been able to keep it under grips well enough to not completely blow up at anyone, but today I had to get up and walk away from the lunch table to avoid snapping at Damien again. Took a walk around the campus for the rest of the period. Olivia seems to get it, at least. I really do like the guy, he just... sometimes he just doesn't know how to stop. Drives me up the wall. He did give me his and Liz' number at one point, at least. Why Liz? I dunno. She didn't seem that bothered by it so it's whatever. It's after school, now. And I'm taking another... walk.There's some lingering regret in my gut at just ditching them at lunch. I should apologize. I'm still in the nice part of town so I may as well do that. Out comes the phone, up comes Damien's messages...

[You: Hey. Wanted to apologize for lunch today.]

[Damien: dude absolutely no problem i know i can be a lot sometimes lol]

[You: No sweat, then. I'll see you tomorrow, big man.]

[Damien: hey, wyd right now? you wanna come over and meet the fam? we can play a game or smth]

[You: Thanks, but I'm taking a walk around the city. Still not in a good headspace right now. I'll definitely take you up on that offer later, though.]

[Damien: oh hey, could you come over on friday for summer's end? we're having a big cookout at my place]

[You: Summer's End, huh? I didn't even realize that was coming up. You invite anyone else?]

[Damien: yea, liz and her uncle are coming too, but besides that youre the only other guest i think]

[You: Sounds good. Shoot me your address and I'll be there.]

I slip my phone back into my pocket. Summer's End... sh*t, that means it's gonna start getting cold. Guess I should buy a jacket. A cookout at a carnivore household? Sign me the f*ck up. I had completely forgotten about it's existence until just then, to be honest. My hometown was like, 98% human, so it wasn't even recognized as a holiday there. I did know a few dino kids who's families celebrated it anyway, but I know in saurian heavy regions it's a reason to shut down schools and businesses. Glad I texted Damien then I guess, otherwise I would have shown up to an empty school like a f*cking jackass.

...

Mostly because I don't feel like getting jumped by the friends of the two guys who I beat the sh*t out of, I pick a different slummy looking block to skirt around this time. I keep hearing about this 'Skin Row' place, but I haven't gone there yet. Not sure I want to, actually. If it's as hardcore as people say it is, I might be biting off more I can chew. For now, let's keep it cool. My eyes flick around to the people I see as I pass by. More of the same scum. Only important thing is picking the right target. I spend a while walking around, but I guess luck isn't with me today. Everyone here is hopeless looking. Even the thugs look depressed. I'm about to give up for the day when I hear a grimy voice pull me out of my reverie.

"Hey. Skinnie. C'mere a sec."

I glance over, expecting to see some kind of asshole swinging at me, but instead it's just... a compy? A f*cked up looking compy, but a compy nonetheless. Short little wiry freak with an eye patch. He gestures, waving a gnarled claw.

"C'mon. I don't bite."

f*ck it. Let's see what this is about. I turn on my heel and walk over to him. He's standing in front of some kind of... warehouse? Staring down at him, I cut my eyes.

"What's this about? You tryna' lure me in here so you can jump me?"

A wretched little cackle escapes the little freak, but he shakes his head.

"Naaah kid. You got the kind of eyes I been needin'. Come on. Get on in here."

He turns towards the door to the building, taking one look back at me before he opens it and steps inside. Man, this is a f*cking awful idea, but... whatever. I follow him inside, and for the most part it just looks like the office portion of a run down warehouse. The lights are on at least, so it's not condemned. The compy leads me through the office space, and my ears slowly start picking up the sound of noise. A... crowd? I attempt to grunt out a question, but my erstwhile guide silences me with naught but a raised claw. For some odd reason, I oblige him. The sound gets closer and closer as he leads us to our destination, and one of my other senses picks up something familiar... that telltale copper sting. Blood. We end up in front of two double doors, and from here the roar of a cheering crowd is ringing through my head. The compy looks back at me with a wide grin, and then pushes forward. The doors swing open, and the noise explodes outwards, filling my ears with the sounds of manic screaming, and the unmistakable sounds of impact and pain.

We step in, and I can only take in the sight with awe. This entire space has been turned into one massive arena. Bleachers line the walls, filled with humans and dinos of all kinds, all looking down into a caged arena where a mean looking stego is duking it out with an equally gnarly looking spino. I can't take my eyes off of it.

"Is this?..."

The compy cuts me off with a cackle.

"T'aint gotta ask that, do ya'? Watch, boy. I'll tell ya' what'cha wanna know after the bout's over."

I silently obey. It looks like they've been going at it for a little bit now. Both of them are bleeding heavily, covered in all kinds of wounds from fist, claw, and even teeth alike, and they're completely gassed. The spino scrapes a weak claw across the stego's blocking arm, and he counters with a haymaker across the top of the spino's head, sending him staggering back against the cage. Seemingly eager to finish this, I can only stare in shock as the stego spins his tail around, sinking two of the spines on the tip of his tail right into the carnivore's side. Almost exactly as they land, a bell rings out and the stego backs off immediately, his spines sliding out of the now shrieking spino, who crumples to the mat clutching at his new leaking holes. The crowd goes ballistic, jumping out of their seats and cheering out what I assume is the name of the stego, who walks away with a fist in the air as a couple of humans carrying medical bags rush into the ring to tend to his opponent.

"STEPHAN! STEPHAN! STEPHAN! STEPHAN!"

I watch him leave into a back room, and then my gaze travels back down to the compy, who's looking up at me gleefully.

"So, kid... you interested?"

I shake my head, exiting my stupor.

"In... what? Fighting? You want me to fight?"

He cackles again.

"Don't play dumb, sonny! I've been watchin' you for a while. You want a fight. Nah... you need one. You can get what'cha want here without riskin' yer life... well, comparatively anyway. Come on, boy. Step into my office."

He leads me across the room right into the back room where 'Stephan' went. A hallway lined with rows of doors greets me, and the compy leads me to the far end where a door labeled 'manager' sits. He cracks the door open and enters, waiting for me to follow him inside and then shutting the door behind me. Inside is a... wow, this isn't a bad office. It's not the fanciest out there, but compared to how the building looks like on the exterior, this is a lot nicer. The compy steps over to a chair that is much too comically large for him, jumping into it and leaning forward onto his desk. He gestures me to a seat across from him, and I sit. He cradles his fingers together, peering at me with his singular eye.

"What's yer name, kid?"

I hesitate... but it's not like I'm saying my real name.

"D. Just D."

He nods.

"Why're you lookin' for a fight so bad?"

I sneer.

"Do I need a reason?"

He cuts his eyes at me.

"Don't get smart with me, boy. Everyone fights for a reason."

I lean back in the chair, grunting.

"It... makes me feel normal."

He cackles, leaning forward.

"Ah, one of those, eh? Good. You'll fit right in. Listen here, boy. This little blood pit don't have no name, but it's been around for years, and currently I run the show. While you're here, you call me Pops. There's only two rules in this joint, and it's simple. No kill shots, and no outside weapons. Mangle and maim to your heart's content, but if I see you goin' for a kill shot, you ain't gonna be walkin' outta here yourself. Accidents are one thing, but intent? Intent is what matters. As for outside weapons, that means anything you bring in. Sometimes we throw a couple of things into the ring to spice it up. Nothin' outwardly lethal though. No knives or guns or any bullsh*t like that. You still interested, knowin' you might get f*cked up? We got medical staff on stand-by for every fight, and we treat your wounds the best we can after every bout. Free. All you gotta do is fight, and if you impress the crowd enough, you might get a little cash too."

I hesitate. Do I want to do this? I mean, he's right. I'm probably not going to die. I couldn't give less of a sh*t about the money. f*ck. There's going to be some good fighters here too, not a chance I'll walk away without a scrape. My stipulations say it's okay to miss some school as long as my grades stay stable, but the school itself probably won't be thrilled regardless... f*ck it. f*ck it! I lean forward.

"I'm interested, Pops. But I got some conditions."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"This ough'ta be good. I'll hear you out, but no guarantees, wise guy."

I nod.

"First. I'm tryin' to keep sh*t stable on the outside. I ain't in Volcaldera because I want to be. I'm a... 'troubled youth', as some would so f*ckin' eloquently put it. This is my last shot. I f*ck up, I'm gone. Only reason I'm doin' this sh*t is to cool off so I can make it through senior year of high school without hurtin' anyone. I can't get f*cked up too badly, otherwise people start askin' questions. Second. I ain't gonna fight whoever the f*ck you want me to. Keep me in my weight class. No big ass f*ckin' armored jackasses. I can deal with claws, teeth, and any other bullsh*t dino handicap just fine, but I ain't just gonna let myself get thrown around by a ten ton motherf*cker. Third. I don't give a f*ck about the money. Any money I would earn off of my fights, keep it, donate it, whatever the f*ck, I don't care. I don't need money. That's it."

I lean back, peering at him as he absorbs my words. He taps his claws together, and hums.

"Lot more reasonable than I thought you'd be. Usually some dumb motherf*ckers try to haggle for a money earnin' contract or some bullsh*t like that. But you don't want any money at all? f*ck it, kid. I'm game. I know plenty of fighters who'd tick all those boxes. All kind'sa people come here, wantin' to see different kind'sa fights. I got plenty who just come here for the skill of the bout and not for the bloodshed, and that goes for fighters too. How about a test match, kid? You look rearin' to go. I got another guy hangin' out right now who'd be just fine for ya. 'Nother skinnie, just like you. Similar build, but he's older. Been here a couple months already. You game?"

A grin creeps across my face.

"Oh yeah, Pops. I'm game."

...

Soon enough, I'm standing in the cage. The crowd's a lot sparser than it was when Stephan was in it. He must be a local champ or something. Still though, there's plenty of people. They were serious about the 'no weapons' thing. Even made me take my boots off. Don't blame 'em. Got nothing but my pants on, but I rolled them up to my knees and wrapped my fists and feet up, like kick-boxers do. Across from the cage is my opponent, and like Pops said, he's a human. Pretty average looking guy with short brown hair. He doesn't seem to be particularly as dressed as I am for the occasion. Matter of fact, kind of seems like he's just dressed to go the gym. Sleeveless hoodie and some basketball shorts. No shoes either, though. Judging from his stance, he's a pretty orthodox boxer. Pops stands in the middle of the cage, and he belts out a loud yell for the audience, carrying his voice across the entire room without the need for a microphone. He's got some pipes on him.

"ESTEEMED GUESTS, TODAY I BRING YA'S ALL A BOUT BETWEEN SOME NEW MEAT, AND A PROMISING UP AND COMER! ON THIS SIDE OF THE CAGE, THE BRUISER FROM OUTTA' TOWN, D!"

I get some light cheering and clapping. Hey, I'll take it. Pops gestures over to the other guy.

"AND ON THIS SIDE OF THE CAGE, THE BARE KNUCKLE SPECIALIST, JOSIAH!"

The crowd gives him just about the same result as me, but someone actually does yell out 'kick his ass, Josiah'. Got a friend in there, I guess. Pops continues.

"YOU BOTH KNOW THE RULES OF THE PIT! WHEN THE BELL RINGS, BRING THE HEAT!"

With that, Pops scampers out of the cage and Josiah and I are left staring at each other. I bounce up and down on my feet a few times to loosen up, while he throws a couple of tentative jabs at the air. The air seems to heat up around us as we wait for the sound...

DING DING DING

We both jolt forward, and almost immediately Josiah flicks out his left hand, testing the waters with a couple of light jabs. I weave around them both and throw a 'hello' of my own in the form of a front kick, which he casually batters aside with an arm. He attempts to take advantage of my unsteady positioning as I recover from the kick by lurching forward and throwing a right straight, but a swift response from my elbow sends him reeling back with a hiss as I spike his knuckles with it and step forward, lobbing a hook at him which he rolls with his shoulder. Yeah, this guy knows what he's doing. I take two quick steps back, making some distance between us as he shakes his fist, grunting. Guess that elbow got to him a little. If he really is a pure boxer, well... I got some bad news for him. I bounce forward, weaving back and forth as he throws a quick jab-and-hook two piece to try and catch me out. I slip between them both and immediately close the distance, slamming into his midsection and wrapping my arms around his waist. He slams a fist into my shoulder-blade, stinging me as I wrench him to the side, hooking my foot under his and sending him sprawling down onto the mat. I follow him and slam down onto his chest, taking a high mount position. He looks shocked, clearly not expecting the grappling. Maybe he thought I was a pure kick-boxer. Jokes on him.

He can only raise his arms to protect his face as I begin battering him with a vicious flurry of haymakers and hammer fists. I must have gotten a little too zealous though, because at one point he finds an opportunity and bats my fist aside, countering with a jab that pops me right on the nose. f*cking sh*t, it's always the nose. Blood spatters out of my face and with a snarl I redouble my efforts on beating him into the dirt, but now that I'm clumsy with rage he twists himself to the side and wrenches his way out from under me, throwing a desperate kick into my stomach that manages to shove me off of him. We both stagger to our feet and he immediately takes the initiative, zipping forward and driving a hook into my liver. f*ck me, that's going to smart tomorrow. Eager to pay him back I jolt forward and slam my shoulder into his chest, catching him off guard and sending him bouncing against the cage wall. Not skipping a beat, I rear back and time his bounce with another front kick which digs into his stomach, causing him to hack up in pain and slide further down the cage until he's sitting. He tries to stagger back to his feet, but using the cage as leverage I loop my fingers through the wire and swing my knee directly into his face. Something gives and his nose twists at an improper angle, blood immediately spurting out with a wretched sounding crack as he goes down clutching at it with a howl of pain. I'm about to lob a soccer kick into his sternum when the bell sounds out. I stagger back, staring at his crumpled form as the medics rush in and lower themselves over him. The crowd cheers and whoops, and I casually step out of the cage and head to the makeshift locker-rooms.

While I'm there, a secondary medic makes sure my nose isn't broken and otherwise cleans my face up for me and plugs my nose. As they're leaving, Pops steps in clapping.

"That was a good show, kid. Nice, short, and neat. Not too flashy, but it was skillful. Come back whenever ya' want and I'll set somethin' up for ya'. Ya' know the address now."

I only respond to him with a grunt and a nod as I fish my pack of smokes out and light one up. He cackles, walking out again and leaving me on my lonesome. Not soon after, a voice rips me out of my contemplative smoke.

"Not bad for a human, kid."

I turn to face the voice, and it's Stephan, leaning in the frame of the door. Now that I see him up close, he's absolutely f*cking riddled with scars. I co*ck an eyebrow at him.

"Thanks. You're Stephan, right? You some kinda champ?"

He chuckles, but waves me off.

"Nah, we don't do 'champs' here. I've just been tussling in this pit for a long time. Seen owners come and go, but it always stays the same. Seen a lot of fighters come and go too, but I ain't ever seen anyone as young as you step inside. You got heart. I like you."

I snort.

"Good, cuz I doubt I'm ever gonna fight you. I don't need new breathin' holes, thanks. This is a casual thing for me. Side hobby."

That one gets a full laugh out of him.

"I wouldn't fight you even if you asked, kid! I don't do bouts with humans. Last time I did, put the guy in the hospital for a month and a half. No offense, but you guys are just too damn fragile."

I shrug.

"Can't say you're wrong. We invented tool usage for a reason. Gotta have an edge over the competition, right?"

I shoot him a crooked smirk, which invites another laugh out of him.

"HA! Now I really like you, kid. Swing back around sometime, yeah? I wanna watch you kick some more ass."

I nod as I take a draw, and he leaves with a smile on his face. Good to see this place isn't full of freaks. What a productive little sojourn this was...

...

Chapter 6: Figuring it Out

Chapter Text

The rest of the week goes by a lot smoother, especially after I worked my brain funk out at the Pit. That guy, Josiah, he really f*cking slugged me good when he got my liver, because that sh*t was, and still sort of is, bruised as hell. I had to take it easy in gym, and thank god Solly just had us do more track. I'm getting used to having friends again, I think. I'm learning more and more about their little quirks, and Olivia must really be coming around to me, considering she's taken to whipping the sh*t out of me with her tail when I do something that annoys her. The first time she did it, she hit me right on my bruise and I swear to god it nearly knocked me out the pain was so bad. I should have been pissed, but honestly it was funny and I deserved it, and to her credit, she did apologize after she realized how badly she actually hurt me. She's definitely got a fire in her, that gal. She's still a little quiet and withdrawn, but honestly, she's probably just as nervous as I am about all this sh*t. I think we've sort of formed a quiet camaraderie through that, enough that I'm pretty sure we're definitely on friendly terms. Ben gave me his number too, considering our 'partnership' in photography. It's Friday now, which means it's time for me to head over to Damien's house for Summer's End. I almost contemplated giving some last second excuse and not going, but what the f*ck else was I going to do? Sit in my apartment all day doing f*ck all?

I pull up Damien's chat and re-read his address. 61193 Chriton Road. He wasn't kidding, it really is close to the school. Mostly because it's a habit for me now, I just take the metro to my usual drop off and walk the short distance to his house. Apparently his neighbor has a loose dog, but I'm not really worried about it. On the way there, a thought pops into my head. I slip my phone out and dial Damien's number. It gets about halfway through the second ring before he picks up.

"Yo, Deester! You still coming today?"

"Yeah, big guy. I'm actually on my way right now, but I was just wonderin' if I should stop and grab somethin'. You know, be a courteous guest?"

A hum of contemplation escapes him.

"Hmm... I guess you could bring a pack of soda or something if you really wanted, but otherwise not really. We're pretty decked out! But, uh... you're already coming? You're gonna be real early, man."

"Hey, I ain't got anything better to do. It gonna be an issue?"

He laughs.

"Not at all, bro! Just means we get to hang out longer I guess. I'll let the fam know you're almost here."

"Sure, big guy. See you in a bit."

He gives his goodbyes as well and I hang up the call, continuing my walk. I stop at a little convenience store along the way and grab a twelve pack of pop. He said it wasn't necessary, but it's whatever. As I near his house, I have my fated encounter with the neighbor's dog, which happens to just be a moderately sized all-bark-no-bite yapper. Only thing he's attacking is my ear drums, sheesh. I shoo it away and take in the Payne residence as I walk up the stone path. Pretty standard looking house. Picturesque, even. It's a spacious one story joint with a nice garage. sh*t, they even got a hoop? Damn... gonna have to do some hoopin'. I ring the doorbell, adjusting my grip on the twelve pack. Cardboard's starting to dig into my fingers... hey, didn't Damien mention a pool at one point? sh*t, I didn't bring any trunks. f*ck it, whatever. Soon enough, the door opens and there's the big man himself. He beams at the sight of the soda.

"Hey Deester, you made it! Grabbed that soda after all, huh? Heck yeah! Here, I'll chuck it in the fridge. You can go ahead and go out back, it's where everyone is right now."

He takes the pack from me and gestures to a sliding door on the other side of the house, which I start heading my way towards. I glance around the house as I walk through it. Huh. This is... nice. Definitely lived in. Foam dart guns and other toys litter the floor, and in their decently sized living room, there's a nice flat-screen TV that has a few consoles hooked up to it. I open the glass door right as Damien follows behind me, lightly nudging me out onto a wooden deck. Hey, this ain't a bad backyard. Spacious enough for a family, that's for certain. There's that pool, too. Damien calls out.

"Hey everyone, we've got a guest already!"

I glance to my left as a soft southern drawl draws my attention towards what I can only describe as older and slightly fatter Damien, minus the top frill, manning the grill like a real champ.

"Well, howdy there!"

I step down the deck and into his grill space, nodding as I offer my hand.

"How's it goin', boss? Name's D."

He shifts his grilling tongs over into his off hand as he takes my hand and shakes it... leaving what I can only imagine is the sticky residue of marinade on my hand. Shiiit, he manhandles the meat, that's how you know he's doing it right.

"Randy Payne, you can just call me Randy though. Didn't think someone would come this early. Just finished getting the good stuff all sauced up."

As our hands peel apart, I look at the slick, sticky sheen on my hand with only a mild amount of disgust as he returns to tending his MEATS.

"Yeah... I can see that."

Randy chuckles, and after a couple of napkins my hand is clean once again. I lean over his shoulder, peering onto the grill.

"What's cookin'?"

He glances at me slyly, and starts gesturing his tongs at the veritable smorgasbord of meats he's got laid out on several platters, naming out just about every god damn piece of the cow you could find in the butcher's shop. Fuuuck. That sh*t looks good. Randy chortles as he spies my hungry gaze.

"It's all marinated in my special mix of wet and dry rub. Careful, your eyes might fall out if they get any wider!"

I lean back, smirking.

"I'm tryin' to be respectful about it, but you can't just show a guy somethin' like this and expect him not to ogle."

Randy leans back and belts out a hearty laugh at that.

"Woo! You're a riot, son. Say, we're taking shifts grilling all this up, you interested in lending a hand? Assuming my missus doesn't rope you into hauling a bunch of stuff around, anyway."

I nod, grinning.

"Count on it, boss."

He returns my expression.

"Good man!"

I step away towards Damien who was watching that whole exchange, extremely entertained.

"Your pops is quite the guy, huh?"

Damien co*cks his jaw open to respond, but a motherly voice cuts him off.

"Damien sweetie, you shouldn't keep your baby brother waiting any longer!"

At said mention of baby brother, a mini-Damien leaps over the deck railing and comes sprinting at me with a wide grin on his face, fist co*cked back.

"ACID PUNCH!"

He swings his fist clumsily at my knee and I jerk back out of reaction, but adopt a little fighting pose and grin at the kid, playing along with whatever game he's doing.

"Gotta be quicker than that, kiddo!"

He laughs playfully, and then I realize that there is in fact some kind of wet substance dripping off of his fist. Huh. Before I can contemplate it further, a blue spinosaurus woman dressed in a sweater featuring a real old timey cartoon character steps forward, hands on her hips as she admonishes her younger son.

"Vinny!"

The kid, who is apparently named Vinny, bounces up and down joyfully as he looks at me.

"Wow, you're fast! You dodged my Power Raptor acid punch!"

I grin down at him as his mother steps forward, shaking her head in exasperation.

"I am so sorry, D."

She leers back at the kid, trying to scold him further as he darts off, distracted by something else entirely.

"Vincent! This is why I don't want you watching those violent shows!"

...man, if only she knew. She looks back at me, brow upturned.

"You alright?"

I straighten back up into a normal standing position, nodding.

"Sure, he didn't actually get me... was that actually acid?"

She tilts her head smiling and laughing a little awkwardly.

"Ha, ha... no. Well, not yet anyway. Dilophosaurus spit only gets more acidic after they reach puberty, but it'll still bleach your clothes regardless. You must be Damien's new friend from school, right?"

I nod.

"Yeah. Thanks for havin' me over, Mrs?..."

She places a hand on my shoulder, shaking her head.

"You can just call me Sophia, dear."

I nod at her as she withdraws.

"Sure. So, Summer's end, huh? I didn't even realize it was here until Damien mentioned it."

Randy pipes up from the grill.

"Well, sure! It's really only us dinos that celebrate it."

I shift my footing, nodding.

"Sure. I get it. I ain't a huge fan of the cold myself. Then again, I don't like it when it's too hot, either. Guess that's the tragedy of humanity, eh?"

I grin as that sets Randy laughing again, and he wipes a tear away as he returns to the grill. Man, he's a good crowd.

"You oughta be a comedian, D! Anywho, we're gonna start cookin' up the food, so make yourself comfortable."

I shoot him a two-finger salute.

"You got it, boss man."

I step away, turning my gaze towards Damien, who had chased after his brother and, true to his word in PE, was now wrestling with him. Snorting, I shift my attention to the pool and study its gentle waves as light bounces off of them. Wonder if I should just jump in? ...nah, too much of a pain in the ass to get dry afterwards. I lean back and set my elbows against the rim of the pool, taking in the outdoors sight and listening to the birdsong in the dis-

FWOOSH

The heavy sound of something bursting from the water's surface causes me to jump forward, spinning around to face the source of the noise. I'm met with Olivia, now resting her arms on the rim of the pool and looking just as shocked as me, wearing a purple- god damn. She fills that bathing suit out nice- f*cking sh*t D, stop being a weirdo. Thankfully, I manage to keep my eyes locked onto hers, only having gauged that information with my peripheral vision. I say nothing, but Olivia manages to get out a question.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

I clear my throat, standing straight up and shoving my hands into my pockets.

"I got an invite?"

She cuts her eyes at me, but then returns to her default state of apathy.

"No, really, why are you here?"

I stare back at her like she's stupid, a look that has earned me more than a couple of tail whips already.

"No, really, I was invited."

She gets that glare in her eye, before she sinks back into the water a bit, saying nothing. I take that as my cue to return to my leaning position.

"Shame too, forgot to bring my trunks."

Olivia gives me a nasty side-eye.

"Ew. No. I'm not sharing my pool with you."

I co*ck an eyebrow, smirking.

"What? Why? Afraid you'll catch cooties or somethin'?"

She responds by slapping water into my face with her tail, sending me staggering back and sputtering. A slew of curses that would almost certainly get me in trouble nearly rip their way out of me before Damien's voice interrupts me.

"Yo, Deester! Come check this out!"

Water drips off of my face as Olivia takes the moment to slink back into the water completely, floating in the water like an actual god-damned alligator. I turn to Damien, grunting as I try to wipe my face off as best as I can.

"What?!"

He ushers Vinny forward, who has a slightly hesitant look on his face.

"Well, first, l'il Vinny has something to say to you."

The little squirt looks up at me with puppy dog eyes. His hands have receded into his sleeves, which hang limply at his sides.

"Sorry for trying to acid punch you, Deester."

...great, I guess that nickname really is going to stick. I co*ck a smirk at him.

"All good, little man. Just means you gotta try harder next time."

Any regret on his face instantly washes away as he bounces up and down on his feet, running in a circle around me. Energetic kid. Damien continues speaking.

"Secondly, we need a few chairs out here. We got some folding ones but those aren't gonna be enough for everyone so we gotta get some from the kitchen."

I nod along as he continues his spiel.

"They're cheap wood, not heavy at all. After those're out here, we gotta do the table together. Mom'd be pissed if that got dropped."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Why?"

He shrugs.

"It's the only one we got."

He glances down at Vinny, smiling.

"After everything's set up, we can play something fun, 'kay l'il man?"

Vincent just about whips his own head off nodding as he sprints back towards the house, grinning the whole way. Damien and I both chuckle as we follow him in.

...

Oh my f*cking Raptor Christ, this table is heavy. Damien and I both grunt and wheeze as we try to carry this unsuspecting titan of eatery outside while Vinny gives us moral support, and at a certain point we gas out, the table hitting the floor with a heavy thud. I lean on it, panting heavily.

"Haaah... Damien, what the f- heck is this table made out of, dude?!"

While we both try to catch our breaths, Vinny pipes up.

"Why can't 'Livia help us? She's super strong!"

Damien looks down at him as sweat beads down his snout.

"Olivia's enjoying herself in the pool, bro. We don't wanna ruin her time."

The squirt co*cks his head to the side in confusion.

"But her chair thingy has wheels! Can't we use that?"

Damien crosses his arms, looking like he's seriously contemplating it before I reach over and bap him on the shoulder with the back of my hand.

"We can't use Olivia's wheelchair as a dolly, ya' goofball!"

He grunts.

"Yeah. I think it's too small anyway."

Vinny groans.

"Awh, no fair! She's gonna go to her room soon, so why can't she help?"

What? I knew she was an introvert, but... hm. Damien rubs the back of his head awkwardly.

"Hey, c'mon, not in front of the guests, yeah?"

Vinny furrows his brow.

"It's true, though!"

Damien looks down at him a little sternly.

"You don't know that, come on."

Vincent crosses his arms, turning away and pouting. Damien turns back to me.

"Alright, I think a got a better grip on it now. Let's go for it again."

sh*t, this is really making my bruise flare up. I squat down and plant my hands on the underside.

"Alright, hit it."

I start an internal countdown and go to start lifting, but my expected support never comes and I jolt back in pain from trying to lift this thing by myself. I go to ask Damien what the hell he's doing, but he's standing there idly in contemplation.

"Wait..."

Vinny looks curious.

"What's up?"

Damien leans back, crossing his arms as he goes deep into thought. I swear to god I see smoke coming out of his earholes. Suddenly, like the grand secrets of the universe have been revealed to him, he throws his hands up.

"Oooooooh! Mom must have been talking about the plastic table in the garage, not the dining room table."

Vinny bounces up and down.

"Ooh, ooh, you're right!"

I can't stop the death glare I give Damien, who shrinks back sheepishly.

"Guess we gotta haul this thing back into the dining room, fellas."

I jab a finger at him, cutting my eyes and hissing my sentence out at him.

"I'm gonna haul you outside and lob you into Olivia's pool, you big f*ckin' goofball!"

I glance at Vinny as Damien guffaws.

"Don't tell anyone I said that. And don't say it, either."

His lips purse and he nods about five times, eyes wide.

...

I'm pretty sure I feel a blood vessel burst in my forehead lugging that monstrous ass table back, but thankfully the plastic one is like carrying a feather compared to that f*cking thing. We get it out there and then head back inside to take advantage of the A/C and cool off a bit after lugging tables back and forth. I notice Vinny has scarpered off to somewhere else, so I take the opportunity to ask a question, grabbing Damien's attention with his name. Once I have it, I co*ck an eyebrow and ask my question.

"So, what, Olivia's just gonna slink back into her room, skip out on the fun?"

Damien flinches, crossing his arms and looking down sadly.

"Uh... yeah. Sorry."

There's an awkward silence for a few beats before he continues.

"It's just... she doesn't really stick around for family events like this, is all. Regular introvert stuff, y'know? No big deal."

I lean against the wall.

"And Randy and Sophia are cool with that?"

He shrugs.

"Why wouldn't they be? She's her own person."

I nod.

"Sure."

Damien straightens up, looking decidedly more chipper.

"She does show up for food, though! Hey, speaking of which, wanna go check the grill?"

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Not a chance any of it is done."

He nods.

"Uh-huh. I just like the smell."

I snort.

"Lead the way, big man."

We both return outside and casually walk up to the Grillmaster's Domain, where the heady aroma of well seasoned meat fills the air. Randy and Sophia are working together right now, co-grilling. Damien and I leer over them both, ogling the meat. He speaks up first.

"How's it coming along, pops? You making any how I like 'em?"

Randy gestures to the grill with a wide grin.

"You know it, son. Have a look for yourselves."

He steps aside, allowing us to observe the full breadth. Oh my god. Oh my god. It's protein nirvana. I haven't seen a feast like this in quite some time. Randy nods in approval at our hungry gazes.

"Good, right?"

Damien flashes a thumbs up with his response as I solemnly nod.

"I'll say!"

Randy idly picks up a piece of meat with his tongs, turning back to us.

"The secret is that you gotta let these babies have some time getting seared on each side, that way it really hones in the fla-"

It feels like my heart shatters in two as I can only watch the steak slip out of the tongs and splat against the concrete. Randy goes 'whoops' and stares down at it for a brief moment and shrugs, picking it back up with a bare hand.

"Eh, it's not too ruined."

He peers over at the pool.

"Hey, Olivia! You want it?"

I watch her silver eyes float above the edge of the pool. She sits in silence for a moment, and then...

"...Sure, toss it in."

The f*ck? Randy co*cks his hand back and lobs it towards her like a frisbee. Before it can even make contact with the water she suddenly leaps out and snatches it in her maw, landing back into the water and disappearing completely. I can only blink in shock. ...f*cking dinos. Randy's voice snaps me out of my stupor.

"Anywho, D, since you're the first guest, you get the honor of getting choice picks. Which one you want?"

I turn towards him, eyes wide. Theatrically, I place my hand over my heart.

"Well, aren't I flattered? You shouldn't have, Randy."

All three of the currently present Paynes laugh as I lean forward, scanning the vast array of carnivorous delight.

"You're killin' me here. I guess I'll go for the flat iron."

I give him a side glance. An unspoken tension hangs in the air.

"Rare."

Suddenly, I feel a distinct warmth settle over me as all three of them nod approvingly. Randy claps a hand against my back.

"Attaboy. Man after my own heart."

I lean back, chuckling.

"You kiddin' me? It's the best way. Humans might be omnivores, but we can chew up a steak with the best of 'em."

All three of them nod sagely, but then Randy actually looks up at me.

"You sure? I know humans can eat just about anything, but isn't rare a little too raw for you?"

I co*ck an eyebrow shaking my head.

"No way. Humans eat raw meat all the time too. Ever heard of steak tartare? We invented that, y'know."

His eyes widen a little like I've just given him an ancient secret.

"I wasn't aware of that, actually. Hah!"

He claps me on the shoulder again, grinning.

"That aside, must be pretty nice to be able to buy whatever's on sale at the supermarket. Meat prices these days are getting out of hand."

I nod in solidarity, pretending like I'm not part of an absurdly wealthy family. They must never know. I glance around at all the food, and realize something, turning to Damien.

"Hey, uh... isn't Liz coming over? She's an herbie, ain't she?"

I swear a hear a mirror shatter somewhere as Damien's eyes shoot open and his jaw hangs open.

"Uhh.... crap! Crap! Crap in a basket! I totally forgot! Dang, what am I gonna do?!"

I shake my head, chuckling as I pull out my phone.

"Don't sweat it, big man. I'll just order a nice salad from some restaurant around here and get it express delivered. You owe me one, though."

Damien seems to visibly deflate in relief as Sophia co*cks an eyebrow.

"Won't that be a little expensive for just one salad?"

I shrug at her.

"I'm cool with it. Spending for a friend ain't an issue."

She hums quietly as I tap away on my phone, ordering a nice looking salad from some local joint and tacking on a really nice tip to encourage speedier delivery. Once it's done, I slip my phone away.

"Should be here in like... ten minutes. That gonna be enough time?"

Randy checks his watch.

"I reckon so. Think we got about fifteen before they should be showing up. Thanks, D. Mighty kind of you."

Vinny comes speeding by, apparently busying himself by sprinting in circles around the yard. Sophia glances towards the pool, and then shouts.

"Oh, Olivia!"

The gator girl seems to shift in the water for a moment, and suddenly swims her way to the raised deck portion of the pool towards her chair. Sophia continues speaking.

"Are you going in so soon?"

Olivia glances back as she rests on the edge for a moment.

"...Yeeeah?"

A small frown flickers across Sophia's face for a brief moment.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until the others get here?"

Damien nods excitedly.

"Yeah! Wait 'til the food's ready and we can all eat together."

Olivia idly brushes a strand of wet hair out of her face, glancing to the side.

"...I'd rather not. I just have a lot of art... stuff, I have to do. Sorry."

Vinny steps over, a glum look etched across his features.

"But you said we'd play some time today."

Olivia dons a shaky smile as she tries to assuage the kid.

"M-maybe later, Vinny."

She glances back up at the rest of us, still wearing that smile.

"Uh... have fun?"

I watch as she deftly lifts herself up out of the water and into her chair. Damn, Vinny wasn't kidding, she is strong. Hm. Guess her legs still work above her knee? She carefully twists herself around and gently lowers her feet into the footrests of the chair with her hands one at a time. Once she's all settled in, she wheels herself through the back door and disappears into the house. Looking back, everyone seems to be pretending nothing is wrong as Sophia sets dinnerware out across the table.

"Okay, table's almost done being set. At this point we're just waiting on the others. Has your friend texted you, Damien?"

He's about to answer her when we hear the doorbell sound off from inside the house. I glance at my phone.

"It's the delivery."

Damien jogs inside with an 'I'll get it' and the rest of us wait out here in silence. Perhaps surprisingly, he exits the door and gesticulates towards us theatrically, holding the food delivery in one hand as he does so. Liz' long ass neck is the first thing to come through the door, followed by her body.

"Hi everyone!"

She then spots me.

"Oh! D, you're here."

I nod, smirking.

"Yup. Couldn't fathom missin' out on the fun, y'know?"

She smiles, and then turns her head towards the back door.

"Neat. C'mon Uncle Mike, through here."

A familiar bassy voice rings out.

"Hey now, I'm not that old."

An even more familiar giant figure stoops through the doorway. Holy sh*t, it's Mr. Ferris! Randy walks over with a familial 'heeeeey' as they both pat eachother's backs and give the 'ole handshakes. Mr. Ferris leans back, grinning.

"What's crackin', Randy?"

My eyes widen. Holy sh*t. Randy looks a little confused in the amused way.

"What's with the lingo there, eh?"

Mr. Ferris nods.

"I've been trying to relate to the youth more. They have such a unique way of speaking. It's quite captivating, my dawg!"

I have to spin around and bite my lip, trying my absolute f*cking hardest not to break right then and there. I... didn't think I'd be doing this by lecturing the big guy on slang. Randy shakes his head with a chuckle.

"C'mon, leave that stuff to the kids."

Mr. Ferris shrugs, and then his gaze turns to me. He smiles widely.

"Aah, speaking of which, there's my OG!"

Oh my god. Oh. My god. The shock of being addressed as 'OG' by Mr. Ferris is enough to get me to clam up. I gotta play it cool. I gotta play this up.

"H-hey, Mr. Ferris."

Randy glances between me and the giant.

"You know him?"

Mr. Ferris nods.

"Fo' sure, playa."

A minuscule 'snrk' escapes me as I nod.

"Y-yeah. He takes the same train as me on the way to... school."

Oh my god. I'm so close to breaking it's unreal. Mr. Ferris steps over to me, placing a meaty palm on my shoulder.

"D's my dawg. He's been teaching me the vernacular!"

Liz stares at me with a decidedly unimpressed expression as Mr. Ferris extends his other hand towards me.

"Dap me up, OG!"

I can only stare at Liz as I'm forced to dap Mr. Ferris up, with an expression that in no uncertain terms says 'I want to be sorry, but honestly I'm not'. She purses her lips at me as the dap finishes. Oh, I am so f*cking dead, but it will all be worth it. All three of them aside from Randy head towards the table to get seated. Said patriarch turns to me with a smile.

"Food'll be ready soon. You up for your turn on the grill?"

Once the lingering shock of being confronted with Gangster Ferris subsides, I nod.

"Yeah, for sure. Go hang out, pops. I got it."

He claps a hand on my shoulder and does so, taking a seat with everyone else as I turn to the grill and pick the tongs up. Man, been a while since I've grilled. I focus on the meat, getting lost in my own sauce when a cheery voice snaps me out of my reverie and nearly causes me to fling the tongs away.

"Heya!"

I turn around, brandishing them like a weapon- oh it's just Liz' head hanging next to me.

"Damn, woman! Don't sneak up on me like that! What're you doin'?!"

Liz co*cks her head back theatrically, her voice oozing out sardonically.

"Oh, everyone else is talking about Randy's cooking and I figured I'd see what's on the menu-"

She suddenly jolts her head forward, furrowing her brow and frowning quite heavily.

"What do you think I'm doing?! Why on Earth would you teach my uncle to talk like that?"

At that, all the fleeting feelings come back and I finally break, doubling over and howling with laughter. Liz does not look impressed, and I eventually manage to get my sh*t under control, wiping errant tears away as I stammer out an explanation.

"I- hahaohf*ckhaha- didn't mean to. He just asked me what certain things meant, I didn't expect him to start usin' them! Oh my god, that's the hardest I've ever laughed in a while."

Liz rolls her eyes.

"At least someone is enjoying it."

I shake my head, blowing out a steady breath.

"He'll get over it eventually. Probably."

She huffs, but then smiles.

"I hope so! Whatever, whatever. What's actually cooking?"

I motion to the fine spread of delectable meats.

"Meat, meat, and more meat. Don't worry though, uh..."

I peer at Damien from across the yard. Don't worry big man, I got you.

"Damien remembered to get you somethin' you could eat."

She nods.

"I noticed! I knew he wouldn't forget about me like that."

I nod sagely. Now you really owe me, Damien. Liz' eyes search the yard.

"Is Olivia out here?"

I grunt, glancing at the pool.

"She was in the pool, but went in a few minutes before you got here."

She hums quietly, not looking shocked at all. I continue.

"It's a thing she does, apparently?"

She rolls her eyes.

"Yeeaaah... I was hoping she'd have stuck around for once."

Hm.

"And she does this every time?"

She looks at me, frowning.

"Every time Damien's folks do something like this, yeah, she just slips away to her room. Sometimes I see her at her window."

She motions with her head at a particular one, but from this angle I don't really have a good sight line. I glance back at Liz.

"What would make now any different?"

Liz co*cks an eyebrow, looking at me but saying nothing. I stare back at her.

"What?"

She huffs.

"Well, I figured she was opening up a little to you."

This time, I'm the one to roll my eyes.

"Sure, if you count whipping me across the back with her tail openin' up. At best, we can talk sometim-"

An acrid smell cuts me off, and I wheel around. Oh f*ck. I completely forgot about the grill. Oh sh*t, a patty's on fire! I quickly take it off the heat, setting it onto a tray and beating at it with a nearby rag. It works, but this one ain't gonna get salvaged, chief. Burnt to a crisp. Liz giggles.

"Well, that one's a lost cause."

I grunt.

"Gone too soon."

I set it off to the side and after making sure nothing else is in imminent danger of igniting, turn back to Liz again.

"Anyway, yeah, she's gettin' there but... I ain't trying to rush her, y'know?"

Liz looks off in contemplation.

"Yeah, but, even then, it's... strange, but also good. Certainly a bit surreal, after all this time."

She shrugs and sighs, but then brightens up.

"It's a shame, but it is what it is. Anyway, I wanna go catch up with the others. See you around, D!"

I wave her off and return my attention to the grill. Gotta get back in the zone. That burnt piece of meat is sadly just an unfortunate reality. Sometimes even the best soldiers go down. To be frank, I'm not even sure cooking this sh*t matters to a carno. I guess it's like buying fancy ass bottled water or something. Doesn't matter to me though. Grilling is life. The rest of my 'shift' is spent smoothly as I set the choice done pieces aside. Only a few left now, easy wrap up for Damien. Without taking my eyes off the grill I lean back and shout into the wind.

"YO! Big man! Your turn on the grill, bro!"

I hear him bounding up behind me.

"A'ight! You got it, hombre!"

I step back and hand the tongs off as he motions for Liz to come over, but he stops, spotting the charred piece of meat, God rest its soul. He stares at it for a little bit and then suddenly plucks it up, chomping down on the whole thing. I can't help but crinkle my nose. That was just charcoal, dawg... He glances back to me, smiling.

"Alright, I'll wrap up here, bud. You mind serving out the stuff that's ready to chow on back at the table?"

I hit him with the 'yup' and start picking the trays up, bringing them over to the table. Everyone immediately stops what they're doing and gathers around. It's a little uneasy feeling being surrounded by a bunch of hungry carnivores. Mr. Ferris finishes telling Randy some joke, Vinny is about to atomize his chair from shaking so hard with excitement while Sophia tries to remind him what manners are, and Liz ogles her salad hungrily, and soon enough everyone is eating and having a good time. I get a look of approval from Randy as he tries one of the pieces I grilled up, which fills me with a sense of pride I wasn't aware I could have. sh*t, maybe grilling is my real calling... I sit next to Damien and Liz and heft my selected piece of steak over. I really, really... just want to f*cking like, rip into this thing. But I think the caveman stereotype is a little overplayed, so I just settle down and go for the fork and knife route. This sh*t needs NO extra sauce. Gat... dayum... Randy knows what the f*ck is up. This is some DAMN GOOD steak. He peers at me as I'm lost in my protein filled bliss.

"So, what do you think, D?"

I only respond with a feral sounding grunt, hacking another piece off and chomping down on it as fast as I can without it being obnoxious. He belts out another laugh, slapping the table jovially. I settle into the vibes, getting those warm and fuzzy feelings I haven't felt in a very, very long time as the Payne family and their friends converse happily around me. Memories of gentler times that I had long since forgotten about start boiling to the surface, and I can't help but look around me wistfully, taking in the full breadth of this family home. All the memories that must have been made here. All the memories that will be made here... I wonder... I wonder if I'll be a part of those memories? Do I even want to be? I'm supposed to be in this city as a punishment. Do I... even deserve this? My mind starts roiling, bringing back horrid memories of my past transgressions, some of which I regret deeply, and I quickly shake them away. No. Not now. I won't let it play out like that. I refuse. Movement catches the corner of my vision and I glance over. Well, well, look who it is. Olivia peers out into the yard from her window, staring in the party's direction. But more particularly, at... my steak? Bitch, get your own. I slide it away from her view greedily and I swear to god I hear her snarl all the way from out here as she slinks away from her window. Hm. She clearly wants some, but damn, she doesn't want to come out that bad?... eh, f*ck it. I don't mind playing waiter. I glance at Sophia, who happens to be looking at me currently.

"Sophia, I'm gonna go take some food inside for Olivia, so she can get some while it's hot, y'know?"

She looks a little shocked, but nods.

"Of course, D. That's very kind of you."

I grab a second plate and start piling it with another steak and more than a few ribs, heading back inside. A stinging pain shoots along my side, and I hiss, setting the plate down on the coffee table. f*cking sh*t, god-damn bruise. I stand in front of a full body mirror and turn around, lifting my tank top up and staring at the disturbingly purple welt. God, all that table lifting made it worse. I'm going to have to take it easy this weekend. And- sh*t, I'm f*cking sunburned as f*ck. God damn my pasty white ass, forgetting to bring sunscreen. How the f*ck did I do that? I hear the distinct sounds of a child launching himself into the pool, and look out the window. Yep. Vinny just lobbed himself into the pool, clothes and all. Ugh. f*ck. I look back in the mirror, staring at the combination of my seared red skin and ugly bruise. Wonder if the Paynes have sunscreen. Probably not, they have scales, not skin, f*cking moron. I'm about to pull my tank top back down when I hear a soft gasp behind me. I look, and it's Olivia. She was on her way to get the food I brought in, but... f*ck. She saw my bruise. She actually looks a little worried.

"I... didn't hit you that hard, did I?"

I quickly shove the clothing back down to hide it and spin around, shaking my head.

"No, no. It was already there, don't worry about it, a'ight? When you hit me, the reason I spazzed out so hard about it is because you, well... hit the bruise."

She wrings her hands guiltily, seemingly still blaming herself for it.

"I- well-"

I raise a hand.

"It's okay, I'm serious. You didn't do it."

I gesture to the food.

"I brought you some grub in, a'ight? You want a drink with it or somethin'?"

Her worried expression finally flattens out into a neutral one, and she sighs.

"... Yeah, okay. I'll get it, don't worry."

She rolls herself over to the fridge and opens it, digging around for a soda. She glances at me a few times, and I can tell she's still thinking about the bruise. In order to break the tension, I decide talking is the best opportunity.

"So... what's up?"

She pulls a soda out, waggling the can slightly.

"Getting a soda?"

I snort.

"Yeah, no sh*t, I mean besides that. Vinny just leapt in your pool, y'know?"

She shrugs.

"That's fine. I'm just gonna go crash in my room."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"What, you don't wanna hang out?"

She glances away awkwardly.

"I'm busy with art... stuff."

She stuffs her soda can into her hoodie pocket and flicks the fridge door shut with her tail.

"Hey, c'mon. There's a party outside, y'know?"

She looks unimpressed.

"What about it?"

I shrug.

"It's... fun?"

She hums.

"...And? Look, I've got stuff to work on."

I place a hand on my hip, leaning to the side.

"C'mon. It's a holiday, the sh*t where you get together with family and-"

She cuts me off brusquely.

"I'm not their family, if you haven't noticed."

She seemingly flinches back at her own words, looking down at the floor sadly.

"And I'm not going to be here for much longer."

The f*ck does that mean? I... haven't seen her look like that before. Did I do that? I can't stop myself from speaking.

"Olivia."

She immediately snaps out of her stupor and looks up at me.

"What?"

A million words dance on my tongue, any of them could take me where I want to go or just stick my foot in my mouth. I finally manage to pluck the words I want out.

"I'll hang out with ya'."

She stiffens, shocked.

"What?"

I shrug.

"I dunno. Look, I get the introvert thing, I'm pretty solidly in that sphere myself, but, uh, I just feel like it's a bummer to be by yourself, y'know? You can show me some more of your art, yeah?"

She makes this goofy little noise, apparently trying to formulate words and failing in her confusion. I lean forward slightly.

"Is... that a yes?"

She snaps out of her stupor, furrowing her brows slightly.

"No!"

She looks to the side awkwardly.

"It's just... I don't want anyone else in my room."

I gesture to the living room.

"I don't see anyone in here, y'know. Perfectly good couch right there."

She scans the room as I gesture around it, humming thoughtfully. She leans forward slightly, co*cking an eyebrow.

"Are you really that interested?"

I spread my arms out wide in minor exasperation.

"Yeah, duh! I wouldn't be askin' if I weren't! I've been wantin' to see more of it ever since I found out that city piece in the gala was yours!"

She leans back, glancing around timidly as she clutches her hands together. Finally, she blinks a few times and then furrows her brow again, staring up at me indignantly.

"Okay. Fine. Fine! If you're so interested, you can watch."

She wheels her way past me as I walk over to the couch.

"I need to get my stuff set up first though, okay?"

I flop down onto the couch, nodding.

"Yeah. I'll be in here."

She goes back into her room and I stare idly out the window. Feel kinda sh*tty for missing the party, but... damn, this is like the perfect moment. Olivia returns with little easel, which has a half-finished painting on it already. To my surprise, she hefts herself out of her wheelchair and ends up on the end of the couch right next to me. Damn, girl. Little close, ain'tcha? I mean... if you don't care, I don't, I guess. The painting is of some generic looking dino dude. Kind of looks like a guy I've beaten the sh*t out of before. Olivia stops, staring at it and humming disappointedly. She glances at me.

"This... kind of sucks."

She tears the page off and crumples it up, setting it aside. I go to speak but she shushes me.

"Don't interrupt."

She breathes deeply, and slowly lowers towards the canvas.

"Okayy... wait."

She glances down, and then jerks her head back up, a flush of crimson dotting her features ever so slightly. She turns to me indignantly, the reddish hue not fading any.

"D-dude, why'd you sit so close to me?!"

I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"Olivia, I was sittin' down here when you came back in."

Her eyes widen.

"...oh."

She looks away shyly, but then the crimson suddenly fades as she double takes, glaring at me.

"What's wrong with your skin?"

My eyebrows shoot up.

"Wh- huh? What? What do you mean by that?"

She rolls her eyes.

"Oh my god, that's not what I mean-... you know what, yes it is. But seriously, why is it red like that?"

I stare down at my lobster ass looking skin, and hiss quietly.

"Ooh. f*ck. Forgot about that. Yeah, my pasty white ass don't like the sun so much and being the dipsh*t I am, I forgot to bring sunscreen."

She peers over it, and suddenly taps at it. I wrench my arm back with a quiet yelp.

"Ow, god damn! Don't f*ckin' do that!"

She looks up at me, eyes wide.

"Geez, it hurts that bad?"

I scowl.

"No sh*t! It's called a sunburn! Ugh. Do the Paynes have any sunscreen in this jawn?"

She co*cks an eyebrow and stares at me as if I already knew the answer to that. To be fair, I did. I shake my head silently, but she speaks up.

"Buuuut- there's some of those spiky plants out front. Aloe-something."

I raise my eyebrows.

"Aloe Vera? sh*t, okay. Sophia won't care if I break a leaf off?"

She shakes her head.

"Probably not."

"Hella. I'll be right back."

I jump up and head out the front door and sure enough, my sweet vegetal savior is there. Aw, yeah... I snap a leaf off and head back inside, noting that Olivia has already begun painting again. She's hyperfocused on that sh*t, and... what the f*ck. That entire plate of food is gone. She's chewing idly on one last rib bone, and when she notices I've come back in she casually snaps it in her jaw and swallows it whole. f*ckin'... dinos... I sit back down next to her and go to bring out my pocket knife to cut it open, but she waves the hand off and gingerly takes the leaf from me, extending a claw and peeling it rapidly. I can't help but be impressed.

"Damn, okay. That a favorite party trick of yours?"

She snorts, handing me the opened husk back.

"No, not me. Sophia uses it for family smoothies and healing salves for Vinny. They're really pretty, too..."

She seemingly didn't mean to vocalize the last part of that sentence, as she quickly pretends it never happened by blinking, coughing, and grimacing.

"Pretty to, uh... paint, I mean."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh..."

Husk in hand, I begin gingerly spooning out the contents with my fingers and rubbing it along my burning arms, sighing in relief as the cool sensation immediately soothes me. As I apply it along my shoulders, head, and neck, I catch a glance at Olivia, who's face was now very noticeably flushed crimson as she tries to sneakily watch me rub the salve across myself and paint at the same time. I swipe the last of it across my nose and then slowly peer at her from the side. A small little grin creeps it's way across my face.

"The dinner might have been free, but the show costs extra."

She recoils with a quiet 'eep' and faces her easel fully, immediately focusing her full attention back to painting. Damn, even after that she's able to return to her task with precision. Her brush glides across the canvas, swiping colors into place with a gentleness and finesse that belies her supposed strength. I take a moment to stand up and toss the husks into the kitchen trash, and in doing so I glance out at the party. Looks like it's still going strong. I return to the couch and peer at the canvas, trying to see if I can make sense of what she's doing. This definitely isn't anywhere the same kind of painting as the cityscape, it's almost... organic? I sit in silence, watching her. She occasionally sneaks a glance at me for whatever reason. I glance back outside for a brief moment, catching a glimpse of Randy. Hm. I don't wanna aggravate her, but... I gotta ask. I turn back to her.

"Yo, Olivia."

"Mhm?"

"Your folks. The Paynes. Real energetic, yeah?"

She halts her motions, looking at me quizzically.

"What's that supposed to mean...?"

I hum, trying to figure out how to extrapolate it.

"Like... I knew Damien was a goofball, right? But, it kinda seems like they all got it in 'em, y'know?"

She gives out a 'hmph' and returns to painting.

"First of all, the Paynes are my godparents. Secondly, yeah... they're all goofballs."

I co*ck my head.

"So you've known 'em a while, huh?"

She pauses again for a brief moment, but continues shortly.

"My whole life, basically. Damien and I have known each other since we were carpet crocs, and his parents have known my dad since, well... forever. Since before we were even neighbors."

"Ahh, I get'cha. Old family friend type stuff."

She hums.

"Pretty much. Whole reason why I'm living with them-"

She hesitates, her muzzle hanging open for a brief moment before shutting.

"Forget what I said."

...I get it.

"Hey, no worries."

She starts painting again, the air silent save for the sound of her brushstrokes against the canvas. I look back at the painting, which is slowly forming into a patch of blotchy red and pale white- wait a f*cking second. She keeps glancing back at me and I furrow my brows as I carefully watch her form the paint into something slowly becoming more and more recognizable. Is she?... I can't help the scowl that crosses my face, and she looks back at me. Something glints through her eyes as she studies my new expression.

"Hold that face, please."

Oh, you bitch.

"Olivia, are you f*cking serious?"

She tries, and fails, to cover up a snort that escapes her nose, which quickly devolves into a quiet little cackle.

"Hehehehe... consider it the price to see my process, D."

I grunt.

"I figured you owed me for the bruise slapping."

She cackles again.

"Nope!"

Oh my god. She totally is drawing me. The oil paints slowly form together, becoming a bust of my angry ass burnt face. She peers back at me, a playful glint in her eyes.

"Spooky, isn't it? Your inner reflection..."

"God, inner reflection? I stare at this freak every day in the mirror when I wake up."

That gets another laugh out of her, and I can't help but grin. She glances back, tutting.

"Hey, I said hold that face!"

It isn't hard for me to return to it.

"Ugh, seriously? Hey, I ain't that red either, lady."

Yet again, she laughs, and I have to force myself not to smile.

"It's called artistic license!"

I grunt.

"Where'd you get it from, a cereal box?"

My face hurts from trying not to smile. I've never seen her this happy. Sure, she would get excited in Iadakan's class, but... this is new. And that laugh is... something else. The silence returns, but it feels much more companionable now. God, my face is starting to hurt from scowling. I sure hope the myth about being stuck like this isn't true. Slowly but surely, my angry ass painting clone was almost done, and Olivia was wrapping up the final detail... my scar.

"Hey-"

"Hush!"

Jesus. Yes ma'am. She turns and peers at my scar intently, studying every last jagged edge. Her pupils flick up and down it with precision, but I find them glancing into my eyes every so often, and in those brief moments, we stare at each other. Her hand begins to shake gently, and that subtle crimson tinge washes across her face again. Each time we lock eyes, the more she shakes and the redder she gets. Finally, with one last fanciful brush stroke, she spreads her arms out and smiles.

"Ooookaaaaay!"

Almost immediately, I begin working my facial muscles, getting the stiffness out as she inspects the portrait, the red hue of her face fading slowly. God damn, that's the meanest mug I've ever seen on my... mug. Do I usually look that angry?

"I'll come back to this later!"

Oh, really? Neat. She turns and leers at me.

"I didn't say you could drop the face yet, though."

I merely respond with a middle finger as I work my jaw up and down. She snorts, moving to pack her canvas up, glancing at me.

"Welp. That's it. You can go back outside and join the others or whatever."

She starts dragging her equipment back towards her room. Damn, if I let her go now she ain't ever coming back out of that hole. Has anyone noticed I've been gone? Nobody seemed that beat up about her coming in here, but...

"Wait."

She stops, glancing back at me, a little shocked.

"Hm?"

I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. sh*t, why did I say that?

"I, just... wanted to say, thanks, I guess."

She looks confused.

"...Sure?"

I sigh.

"I mean... look. I'm not gonna lie to you. This is probably the best time I've had in a good, good long while. And you, Damien, Liz? You guys're... the first friends I've had in a while. Like, genuinely."

She scans me suspiciously, but doesn't move to leave. I continue.

"Damien, especially. I dunno where I'd be right now without that guy. His parents? sh*t, don't even get me started. I actually felt like I was part of a family here, for once in my f*cking life."

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"That's... great, D. I'm glad. But I really should-"

I interrupt her, looking at her intently.

"I want you to come back outside with me."

Her breath hitches, those silver eyes widening into dinner plates as she blanches a bit.

"What? No... I can't."

I lean forward, furrowing my brow.

"Why?"

Her expression becomes downcast. Gloomy.

"Mr. and Mrs. Payne... they have Damien, and Vincent to worry about, and right now they're hosting all the other guests too. They've got too much to deal with already, I'm just... not worth it. I just want to let them be norma-"

"Hey!"

She flinches back, shocked. My expression is twisted into one of annoyance.

"Don't... say sh*t like that. I'm serious. Back at lunch the other day, you said it yourself. You don't want to get thrown the pity party, so why the f*ck are you throwing one for yourself? Do you genuinely think they see you like that?"

She looks down into her lap, furrowing her brow.

"That's...-"

I continue.

"When you first went inside after you got out of the pool, when Sophia tried to get you to stay, for just a split second, she looked f*cking heartbroken when you left. Those people love you, Olivia."

She grits her teeth, staring up at me.

"Please, go on, tell me more about my own family."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"So they are your family, now?"

She flinches away, breaking eye contact. I shake my head.

"Look. I get it, I do. I'm serious. Olivia, this year is my last chance. My last chance before my life comes crumbling down onto me."

She looks at me from the corner of her eye. I chew the inside of my cheek, attempting to figure out what the f*ck I'm trying to spit out here.

"I... got a feeling it might be your last chance, too. I think we're both trying to figure sh*t out, yeah?"

I gesture both of my hands to the sliding door outside.

"Let's figure it out together, okay? Nobody said you gotta do it alone."

She turns to face me, but doesn't quite look at me. She wrenches her hands together, staring at her lap, fighting a battle within her own mind. Eventually, she heaves out a rattling sigh and looks up to me with a nervous smile.

"Okay... alright. Let's... figure it out."

...

I slowly pull the back door open, listening to the squeaking. My eyes tighten up from the transition to outdoors lighting as I take a step out, stretching back and forth to work the stiffness of sitting down for a while out of me. Olivia hangs back nervously. I glance back at her, and then wave my hands forward.

"C'mon, what're you waitin' for?"

She wheels forward slightly and I shove the door all the way open, stepping aside with a theatrical flourish. She wheels past me, trying to hold back a smirk as she chastises me.

"Cut that out, don't make it weird!"

Despite her words, her tone clearly reads humored over annoyed. I snort.

"Relax, nobody was lookin'. But, uh..."

I peer at the table. Woefully bereft of food.

"Damn."

She tuts.

"That's about right."

Olivia turns and wheels down a small wooden ramp as I descend the stairs, and realize that Damien is standing at the bottom, staring with wide eyes at the both of us.

"...Olivia?"

At the sound of his voice, all heads turn to us, surprise evident on most of their faces. Olivia can only muster a nervous wave. The party seems to go back to it's usual conversation but it sounds... brighter. Damien tries to keep it cool, scratching at the back of his head. I can tell the goofball is excited as f*ck, though.

"Hey... it's good to see you back out!"

I bap him on the shoulder.

"What're you doin' all the way over here, big man?"

He glances back at Mr. Ferris, and grimaces.

"I can't stand watching Liz' uncle eat, bro. He's got those... fibrous teeth."

He shudders. My eyes widen.

"sh*t, like a whale's?"

He nods, frowning.

"Yeah. Freaks me out."

Olivia hums.

"His dentist must make a fortune."

Damien chuckles.

"Ha, yeah! So... Olivia, like... what're you doing back out here? You forget something?"

She looks away awkwardly.

"...No, I just... thought it'd be good to enjoy the weather while it lasts."

Damien pogs, except this time his frills fan out and begin undulating wildly. I recoil.

"Ugh, what the f- what are you doing?!"

Olivia smiles.

"Damien, no. Stop it."

She shudders and my nose scrunches up as they only get wider and start moving faster. Olivia snorts out another plea.

"Ew, stop it!"

I playfully co*ck a fist back, grinning.

"Damien, I'm gonna slug you one if you don't cut it out!"

He clamps them down with his hands, laughing. They try to break free of his grasp but eventually they settle down.

"Sorry hombre, these things got a mind of their own."

I grunt.

"Ugh... and you were complaining about Mr. Ferris?"

Olivia grins widely.

"At least he can keep his mouth shut."

Damien shrugs.

"Hey, hey, I could always wear a beanie!"

Olivia snorts.

"Nuh-uh. Remember the last time you tried?"

They both laugh, leaving me absolutely clueless to the event they're talking about. I could try and figure out what, but... I'll let them have this. When they're done, Damien peers down at her nervously.

"So... are you gonna join the table, or?..."

She glances at me, and I nod subtly, smirking. She looks back to him and nods.

"Yeah."

Damien grins widely, leading us back towards the table. Everyone says their greetings, but Vinny stands up and just about shrieks as he runs over to us.

"'LIVY!"

Olivia flinches at the sudden auditory assault, trying to hold up a defensive hand to calm the energetic kiddo down.

"Hey hey hey-"

Vinny cuts her off, bouncing up and down joyfully.

"You finally came to play again!"

He starts running circles around her chair, cheering the whole time. Olivia looks nervously at me again, huddling into herself. I stare intently into her eyes and gently nod again. You can do it. Here's your moment. Her gaze falls into her lap, and she ekes out a quiet sigh.

"Uh, I'm a little tired, Vinny-"

He skids to a halt in front of her, face falling slightly.

"What? No! C'mon, 'Livy! You promised we'd play today! Like old times!"

She looks back up at him, unsure.

"I..."

He leans forward, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

"Pleeeeaaase?"

A gentle smirk cracks her sullen face, and she rolls her eyes.

"Ohh, fine. Alright, you win. I did promise..."

The boy's face lights back up as she leans towards him, co*cking an eyebrow.

"You wanna play cannon?"

He starts bouncing up and down again, throwing his arms into the air.

"Yeah yeah yeah! Cannon!"

Olivia scoops him up into her arms, balancing his feet in her palms as she turns towards the pool.

"Alright, then. Ready?"

Vinny shoots one fist into the air.

"Round loaded! FIRE!"

Olivia f*cking SENDS it, lobbing Vinny through the air like a shot put ball as he goes sailing directly into the pool. Holy f*ck. I gotta start lifting with this chick. I gotta see how much she can bench. Vinny bursts back out of the water, raising his arms into the air with a gleeful shout. Everyone except Liz and Sophia claps, and Randy even brings his fingers to his mouth and rips out a whistle. Sophia bats him gently on the shoulder.

"Randy!"

Mr. Ferris chuckles.

"Ah, relax, Soph. Vinny's still young."

She then turns to him, gasping, before staring back at her son.

"Michael! Vinny, be careful!"

Said son continues to wave his arms in the air joyfully.

"I'm okay, mom!"

Damien grins as Vinny clambers out of the pool and marches towards us.

"Wew, have you gotten stronger, Olivia?"

She glances back at us, stammering.

"N-no, shut up. Anyway-"

Vinny skids to a halt in front of her.

"Can we do it again, 'Livy?"

She grins, patting his head and hoisting him back up for another round. That smile on her face, right now. That's what I wanted to see. She lobs him towards the pool again, and he goes twirling through the air this time. Liz glances at Randy as Vinny shrieks wildly, having the time of his life.

"Uh, Mr. Payne..."

He chuckles, rising to his feet.

"Alright, I get it."

He calls out happily to his son.

"VINCENT!"

The boy tumbles out of the pool again and runs up to his father, sopping wet.

"Yeah, dad?"

"No more cannon today."

Olivia and Vinny stare at each other sourly, but Randy is unphased.

"There's plenty of other stuff y'all can do, y'know."

The kid jumps in place briefly.

"Oh, I know!"

He runs off somewhere as Olivia turns back to the rest of the group with an uneasy smile. Sophia walks up carefully, hands held up and wavering, like if she tried to go too fast Olivia would shrink back and disappear.

"Olivia?"

She twiddles her thumbs, glancing nervously at anyone but Sophia.

"H-hi, Auntie."

Both Sophia and Randy approach Olivia with trepidation now, smiling nervously. Olivia looks at both of them worriedly.

"I... didn't miss much, right?"

Sophia kneels in front of Olivia, and wraps her arms around her.

"I'm so glad you came out, dear."

Randy steps behind her chair, ruffling her hair gently with one hand as he wraps both his wife and Olivia into a hug with his other.

"It's been too long, Lil' Ace."

Olivia does her best to avoid Randy's hand mussing up her hair, but... I can see the tiny smile on her face. And before I can even realize it, there's one on mine, too.

...

As they say, time flies when you're having fun. Damien and Randy returned to the grill, fishing out the rest of the meats and whipping up an early dinner for us. After all the rigamarole of today, I certainly was hungry, and picked out bits and pieces. I'm mid bite of a rib when a hearty slap on my back from behind jostles me, and I glance back. It's Randy, looking down at me thankfully. Conversations fly around the yard, and at one point Vinny comes busting back out of the house armed with a veritable armory of foam dart guns. While he uses Liz as target practice, Damien and I elect to put on an impromptu wrestling match. He's eager to show me that he's been practicing, but, uh... yeah. I kinda whip his ass again in front of everyone. Even Vinny stops his assault and gawks at me as I manhandle his brother. Sophia looks the most worried, but, hey, it's fine, I'm a professional. Soon enough, things are winding down. Somehow, all of this has exhausted me more than any fight ever could... but... I feel better than any fight has ever made me, too. I'm leaning against the pool again, as Olivia had gotten back into it at some point and we had been idly chatting. She drifts next to me, propping herself up onto the ledge and peering at me quizzically. I glance at her for a brief moment as a devious idea crosses my mind. I push myself forward and grunt, stretching back and forth.

"I gotta use the can."

Olivia scrunches her nose up.

"TMI, much?"

I walk away, chuckling. I step through the threshold of the back door and hide away around the corner. I take all my important belongings out of my pockets and set them on the kitchen counter. Except my cigarettes, can't risk anyone seeing those. They'll just have to take the hit on this one. I slide out of my boots and socks, and lift my tank top off of myself, leaving it with the rest of my clothes. I roll my pants up to my knees, and hop up and down on my feet, psyching myself up for what I'm about to do. When I'm ready, I step back into the threshold and gear myself up, suddenly shooting into a sprint out of the house and down the deck. Everyone's head whips towards me as I beeline right for Olivia's pool. Her eyes widen as she sees what I'm doing and she shrieks as I leap into her pool with a wild yell.

"CANNONBALL!"

I hit the water explosively, sending a tidal wave of water at Olivia. I surface, and she is absolutely glowering at me. I immediately dart my way to the side of the pool and clamber out of it as she shoots towards me in the water with predatory speed, snapping at me as I stagger out of the pool and hit the grass sprinting, cackling like a fool. Olivia nearly falls out of it screaming angrily at me, and the rest of the family laughs uproariously as I keel over on the farthest side of the yard from her, panting and laughing. I... this is... this is good. I don't think I'll ever forget this for the rest of my life. I'm...

I'm happy.

...

Chapter 7: (Not So) Bloody Knuckled Interlude: III

Chapter Text

The day after the party is my little shindig with Ben. We agreed to get it done early in the day, so despite it being the weekend I still get to wake up early as f*ck, hooray. It's not so bad, I still feel fantastic after the party so it's not like I'm short on energy. All I need to do is help him set equipment up and he'll take the pictures for us. Works for me. Gotta know exactly where I'm meeting him though, so... I'll just text him.

[You: Hey. Good morning. Where are we meeting up at?]

[Ben: Good morning, D! We can just meet up at the front of the school. Do you need a ride?]

[You: Thanks, but I'm just going to take the metro. I'll see you there, buddy.]

[Ben: You got it! See you there 😀]

As I'm sitting on the train heading to my destination, I ponder whether or not I should confront Ben about whatever his deal with Olivia is. He's almost certainly hoping I forgot about it. Whatever. I tap across my phone and find myself going to the school's page. Huh... you know, I guess I'll check on my submission while I'm here. See if it's gotten any votes. My eyes widen as I look at the rankings and spot my name. What the f*ck? I'm first place?! No way. There has to be a mistake. I tap on my entry to view my submission and-... that's... that's not what I put in. My blood runs a little cold as I lean forward in my seat, peering not at my graffiti photograph, but a striking painting of a hillside meadow. I can't draw out the finer details on my phone screen but this is absolutely not what I put in. sh*t. f*cking sh*t. It must be a glitch, right? I gotta bring this up to someone. Ben's the student council president, right? He can help. Now I'm suddenly feeling a lot better about this whole damn deal. Jesus, if I hadn't caught this... with a cash prize and all that magazine sh*t on the line, there's not a chance in hell I could prove that I did this. I would get f*cked for sure. I just gotta... relax. Ben can help. Regardless of my attempts to calm down, I'm an anxious mess for the rest of the train ride, and after what feels like an eternity I finally arrive at the stop and start making my way to my destination.

Ben has yet to arrive when I make it to the front of the school, so I plop my ass down in a bench and light up a cigarette while I wait. I gotta cool my nerves. I dunno how I figured Ben would show up, but a red muscle car comes swinging down the street. I can't see who's inside thanks to its tinted windows, but as it pulls up to the front curb I don't have to wait long as the driver's side window starts rolling down and I'm confronted by none other than the red wonder-c*nt, Mia. She hangs an arm outside the window and waves at me, grinning smugly.

"Heeeey, if it isn't Scarface! I brought 'ole Benny boy over for you. Take good care of him for me, okay?"

I have zero desire to deal with this right now so I only wordlessly stare at her and nod as I take one final draw from my smoke, then stubbing it out on the arm of the bench and flicking it into a nearby trashcan. She looks a little surprised to see me smoking, but the look fades as Ben steps out of the passenger's side with his equipment, shutting the door and moving to the other side to do some gross lovey-dovey sh*t with his bitch of a girlfriend before she leaves. They say their goodbyes and she cuts a peace sign at us both and rolls her window back up, speeding off as Ben approaches me with an upturned brow.

"You smoke, D?"

I nod as I stand up.

"Yeah. Bad habit, I know. Keeps me going when it gets, uh... rough."

I tap the side of my skull as I say it, and his eyes seem to widen ever so imperceptibly before he just smiles and nods.

"That's okay, D. I won't chastise you or anything like that. We all have our vices."

Huh. I expected a dork like him to take it seriously but... I guess he really is cooler than I thought. I pull my phone out of my pocket.

"So, uh, Ben... 'fore we start, I really need your help with somethin'."

He looks at me curiously.

"Oh?"

I nod, flipping the phone around and showing him the submissions page.

"Yeah. I dunno what happened but the submissions page glitched out or somethin' and put someone else's submission under my name."

He leans over, scanning the page and going a little wide-eyed as he looks up at me.

"Oh, dear. You didn't submit that?"

I shake my head.

"No, mine was a photograph. I got it on my phone, here."

I open my gallery and pull up myrealsubmission, tilting the screen back to him. He actually looks moderately impressed by it, but then glances up at me... suspiciously? His voice comes out steady.

"And you're sure it was a mistake? You didn't have someone fraudulently submit something under your name?"

I furrow my brow at him.

"Why the f*ck would I tell you about it if I did?"

He recoils a bit, and then looks a little guilty for a moment.

"Ah... yeah, I guess that makes sense. Good thing you caught it so early! We can get it swapped out for you. I'll talk to Ms. Scaler about it first thing on Monday, okay? She'll probably want to talk to you about it too, but considering that this is a mistake..."

He shrugs.

"It'll be fine, I'm sure."

I shrug too.

"I only entered just because, honestly. Didn't think my submission was good enough to even get anywhere close to winning."

He waves me off, smiling.

"Nonsense! That's a dang fine photo if I say myself. You took that with your phone?"

I nod.

"Yeah."

He hums at me, raising an eyebrow.

"Impressive. You really do have a good eye. Well, let's put it to use! Come on, let's take a picture of the courtyard. Help me find a good angle."

We set his equipment up and I study our chosen area intently.

"Hm... damn. We should have come at night time. I could have sit on that bench under the light there and smoked while you snapped it, done some kind of contemplative jawn like that."

He chuckles, adjusting something on his camera.

"As fanciful as that sounds, I don't think the faculty would appreciate it if they found out someone was smoking on school grounds."

I hum.

"Guess not. What if we angle it this way and wait for a train to come through the metro line in the distance over there and snap it as it goes by? That might look good."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"Hmm! That's not a bad idea, actually! Let's try that."

He sets the shot up and we wait patiently. Soon enough, a train comes trundling into view in the far distance and Ben lines it up, waiting for the perfect moment. Several clicks ring out and he steps back, studying the pictures. He looks pleased, pointing at the screen.

"This is excellent, D! Look, we even got some birds mid flight. The way the sun comes through the trees there is quite nice, as well! Look at how the light warps around the skyscrapers in the distance, too..."

I huddle next to him and appraise them. Damn, yeah. These are cinematic, almost like the opening shot to some high budget movie. I glance over to him, smirking.

"I was figurin' we'd be here all day, but I think we got it in one, buddy."

Ben nods, grinning.

"I agree, actually! But, hmm..."

He rubs his chin, staring off.

"I didn't expect us to get done so early, either. Mia might be mad if I make her come back so soon. Maybe we should walk around and try some other spots. It won't hurt, I don't think."

I grunt.

"...nah. We can just go hang out or somethin', man. I'm still a little wigged out about the submission thing, if I'm honest. I've been taking walks around the city after school here and there, found this nice little joint not too far from school. Wanna get breakfast? My treat."

Ben might be dating that c*nt Mia, but he's an alright guy. Tolerated my sh*ttiness when I first got here. I don't mind being friends with him, but... I'm still going to ask him about the Olivia thing. He hums at my question.

"Well, I did eat already but... it was a light breakfast, so..."

He looks at me, and nods, smiling.

"Sure! I could use some leisure time."

I pat him on the shoulder and start leading us down the street after he gets all his equipment back together. Ben broaches the silence first.

"So, D. How have things been going?"

"Pretty good, actually. Spent Summer's End yesterday at Damien's house with his folks. They're great people."

Ben looks genuinely pleased at that, nodding with a wide smile.

"That's fantastic to hear, D. I'll be honest with you, I do know a... little, about your background, why you're here. Benefits of being the council president, you know?"

I give him a side glance, but he waves it off.

"It's fine! I don't know the whole story, but I know you haven't had an easy time. I'm just glad you're adjusting into St. Hammond as well as you are, save a few speed bumps here and there."

He holds up a finger, his smile not dropping.

"I want to see all of my cohorts succeed! It's my duty as the student council president to help where I can with that, and that includes you, D."

I snort, shaking my head with a smirk.

"You're somethin' else, man."

We continue idly chatting until we finally arrive at the place I mentioned. It's some little hole in the wall that only opens for breakfast and lunch. The hostess seats us and we order our drinks and food. I'm still reeling from yesterday's protein overdose so I think I'm going to avoid meat on this one. Hm... f*ck it, waffles and hash browns it is, with a black coffee. Ben orders a vegetarian omelet with some tea and I co*ck an eyebrow at him.

"Aren't you an herbie? Can you even eat eggs?"

He nods, closing his menu.

"Sure, in moderation! If I make it a habit, it gives me terrible stomach aches and, er... bathroom issues, but beyond that, it won't kill me. Eggs are tasty, so why deprive myself?"

I shrug.

"That's fair. Same reason why some lactose intolerant people still eat cheese and ice-cream I guess."

Our drinks come out and I pick my coffee up, savoring the smell before taking a sip and letting the warm bitterness wash across me. Emboldened by caffeine, it's time to bring Olivia up. I set my mug down gently and lean forward, clasping my fingers together. I wait for Ben to finish taking a sip of his tea before he drinks. Don't want him to choke on it or anything.

"So... Ben. About Olivia."

He flinches a bit as he sets his own cup down.

"Oh, boy. I was secretly hoping you had forgotten about that."

I shake my head, Iadakan's words about clearing the air ringing throughout my mind.

"Not quite. I'm not gonna interrogate you, man, I just wanna know what's goin' on with her. You're both my friends, if there's somethin' I need to know, I think I should know it. Especially if it's gonna put a strain on my relationship with you both."

Ben takes a deep breath and sighs deeply. He stares into his tea, seemingly figuring out what he wants to say, before glancing up at me.

"Is it okay if I don't get... too deep into it?"

I nod slowly.

"Sure, just gimme the gist."

He takes a moment to compose himself, eyes wandering the table, before he looks up at me, frowning slightly.

"Olivia and I, we... well... we used to be friends. Knew each other before high school, even. I tried to help her, once. And I... did too much, because I thought, I really thought I was helping. She got very mad at me and I didn't understand why, and, well... that was that. Quite frankly, I still don't understand why, but..."

He shrugs, ending his sentence there. I hum.

"Interestin'. Alright, I'm good with that."

I resolve myself to ask Olivia more about it if I can find the chance as I pick my coffee back up and take a deeper sip. Our conversation returns to lighter topics like hobbies and other boring sh*t until our food comes out, at which point we busy ourselves by eating. Damn, this is kinda bomb. I make a mental note to swing by here more often in the future. Eventually we're done, and Ben offers to pay for his half of the meal before I wave him off and remind him I said it was my treat. I pay, and we leave. We say our goodbyes, Ben phones Mia to come pick him up, and I set off back towards the metro to take a train home. Soon enough, I'm back in my apartment. God... I really should get some decorations for this place, it's barren as f*ck. All I got is a desk, the chair that goes with it, my bed, and some basic ass kitchen utensils. Ain't even got a f*cking TV or anything. I should probably get a laptop too. I grumble quietly as I pull up my banking app and check my account. Ugh.

Just once I want to look in here and have a normal amount of money. I know I really shouldn't be complaining about it but man.What kind of juvenile delinquent rolls around with a five figure bank balance? I guess the ones who have a father that thinks he can fix all of his son's problems with money and not do sh*t else. I'm shocked he didn't put me in a f*cking mansion with maids and butlers or some sh*t. I guess he's trying, in his own sh*tty little way. We both took it rough after mom died. Guess she was the glue that held us together. A sigh works it's way out of me as I sit on my bed, staring at the floor. I let my mind wander, tracing it's way back through my memories. Some good. Many, many bad. I try to snap myself out of the spiral I'm in, but I only have my own thoughts to distract me, and eventually it becomes a ceaseless whirlwind that sucks me deeper and deeper. The roof... f*ck. Not the roof. I finally manage to batter the intrusive thoughts away, shaking my head with a sigh. No. I'm not ready to confront it yet. I can't. I won't. I can't, I won't, I can't. f*ck it. I pull my phone out and start browsing an online retailer. I'm ordering some furniture for this f*cking place.

All this emptiness is depressing the sh*t out of me.

...

Chapter 8: Muddled Thoughts

Chapter Text

September 25th. Nearly a full month since my arrival in Volcaldera. I almost feel like a normal person again. Almost. I want to say I've gotten better at controlling my moods, especially after the party I had with the Paynes, but... they seem to be getting worse when they do happen. Almost like I'm relapsing. I've gone to the pit a couple of times to fight now, and it's been helping me from being at my worst. I've been getting some scrapes and more bruises here and there, but thankfully they've been easy to hide. I think this has to do with the art contest. I don't know why, but I'm paranoid about it. Like it wasn't actually a glitch at all. Like someone had somehow swapped my submission, like they were trying to sabotage me. I got to look at the full thing, and... it looked familiar. Too familiar. True to Ben's word, the very next Monday we both went to Scaler, and apparently once a submission has been entered the only thing they could do was just remove it. So there goes that. At the bare minimum I was offered reimbursem*nt in the form of coupons for a pizza joint. Heard it's a pretty good one. I guess they'll come in useful at some point. I hope what I'm thinking isn't true. If I hadn't caught it... it'd be over. I'd be done. Gone. I haven't mentioned it to any of the others yet. Didn't feel like it was prudent. Then, there's what Ben told me about Olivia. I haven't found a good time yet. I don't want to push her into something she doesn't feel like talking about.

Today we did rock climbing in gym, so that was fun. Nearly fell and took myself out, though. Soon enough I'm in my art class with Olivia. I slump into my seat next to her with a quiet huff, trying my hardest to ease up. God. I hate this. I feel like a mess. My gaze focuses onto Olivia's doodling. More rats. I only noticed recently, but it's actually a specific rat she's been drawing every time. It's got black fur around it's head, save for the eye which has a white patch. Hm. There's one wearing a cape, swinging a big ass sewing needle around like a sword. Cool.

"Been wonderin', that your pet rat or somethin' you've been drawing?"

She glances at me, and smiles gently, nodding.

"Yeah. His name is Guts. He reminds me of you, actually."

She sticks her tongue out at me playfully as I snort. Guts? Weird name for a rat.

"I suppose I'm honored. Rats are tenacious little sh*ts, real strugglers."

Her eyes widen briefly, before suddenly suspiciously scanning me for ill intent. I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"What'd I say?"

Her expression returns to normal as she hums.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Hey, check this out."

She flips over to a new page and holds it up for me, smiling. Aaah, the red thunder-c*nt herself. God damn, she looks f*cked up. Tattered clothes, jacket filled with all kinds of nasty looking patches, a sh*tty mohawk, and... good f*ck, that's a lot of piercings. I grin, which Olivia returns.

"You like?"

"I knew a couple of chicks like this back in my home town. And you know what? They acted like Mia too. Poster child for anti-Carfe usage, that chick."

Olivia quietly cackles as I turn my gaze towards a fat lot of nothing, staring into space... f*ck it. As good as any moment to bring this up. I speak without looking at her.

"Hey, Olivia."

"Mhm?"

"You remember how I put something in for the art contest?"

She doesn't immediately answer, causing me to look over at her. For a split second, she looks nervous, but now she's back to her usual poker face.

"Yeah?..."

I don't look away from her this time.

"Well, a few weeks ago on Saturday when I was doin' my photography project with Ben, I checked the submissions page out of boredom while I was on the metro. My submission glitched. Put someone else's under my name. Real shame too, because that sh*t was in first place... but, yeah, it freaked me out regardless. Talked with Ben, we got it squared away with Scaler on the Monday after. Had to pull it. Couldn't swap it due to how the site was laid out, so... I'm outta that, I guess. Not like I expected to win, but it's still a bummer."

I watch her face intently as I talk. No real changes, but... that nervous look she had earlier. Was it just worry for me? She speaks up, frowning.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Good thing you caught it so early, though."

I nod, about to speak again when I am distracted by the sudden and violent abuse of school property as Iadakan essentially kicks the f*cking door open, bursting in bombastically.

"Good morning, good morning! Settle down, everyone, I've got some announcements to go over."

I lean back and half-listen to his words, my thoughts muddled. Things are finally getting somewhat normal for me, at least as far as school life goes. But... did Olivia?... would she? Why?

...

Later on at lunch, the vibes are... quiet. It's not something particularly new, this usually happens when I'm having one of my moods. Damien is off getting more food, and Liz is up in the rafters. For all intents and purposes, it's just Olivia and I. I went and got them their usual garbage, but I didn't get myself anything this time. I feel sick to my stomach. Olivia's voice snaps me out of my funk.

"You're not going to eat, D?"

I shake my head.

"Nah. Not hungry."

She hums quietly, looking back down at her tray. We sit in further silence until my ears pick out the sound of someone walking closer. I look over. It's Ben. Olivia looks up as well, tensing up as she sees him approaching. He gives me a nod in greeting, but focuses his attention on Olivia.

"Olivia. Principal Scaler wanted me to remind you that you need to clean up after yourself. Again. Leaving your messes in class is disruptive to other students, you know?"

I co*ck an eyebrow as Olivia remains silent, glancing away awkwardly.

"Why's Scaler need to send you to tell her that?"

He slips a hand into his pocket and leans on one foot, frowning gently.

"She's a busy woman, and this is not the first time this has happened."

Olivia scoffs, but otherwise says nothing. I grunt.

"What's the big deal then?"

Ben's lips purse as he looks at me disapprovingly.

"D, I just spent my entire second period cleaning up her mess because she's not taking anything seriously. I'm not supposed to be Scaler's errand boy, and I'm certainly not supposed to be a personal janitor."

I glance at Olivia. He's got a point. She co*cks her eyebrow at him with a distinct expression that says 'and? I don't care'. I can't help but frown. I guess not everyone is benefiting from my burgeoning friendship with her. Ben doesn't seem to be taking her lackadaisical expression well as he leans forward, planting his palms flat onto the table and staring at her with a small amount of disdain.

"Do you know how hard it is to scrub baking soda out from the carpet once it's dried?"

Olivia keeps staring at him with that look, unflinching. Ben grits his teeth and jabs a finger at her.

"Can you just try to not make other people's lives harder?"

Olivia's brow furrows and she's finally about to snap something out when I suddenly lean forward and slam my palm into the table, sneering. Olivia leans back with a shocked expression as I admonish the blue boy wonder.

"Hey! There's no f*ckin' need for that, McKnight!"

He recoils, looking guilty.

"I... you're right, D. Sorry. I should have worded it better."

Olivia looks at me, indifferent. I lean back and look at her somewhat apologetically. She didn't need me to defend her, she's a grown ass woman. Spur of the moment feelings, I guess. I mouth 'sorry' at her silently. She shrugs as Ben blows out a soft little sigh and readjusts his footing, returning his attention to her.

"Okay. Olivia, my point is, I'm just trying to say I expect better from you, alright?"

She just looks at him again, flattening her expression back to neutrality as she nods.

"Sure, Ben. Sorry. You can go now."

He seems very slightly surprised at this turnout, but returns her nod and turns on his heel, heading back into the crowd. We're both alone again, now. Should I?... no. Not now. Damien eventually returns with a tray stacked high full of more gross ass meat, and the conversation at the table picks back up to a normal level. The rest of lunch passes by without issue. Olivia's next class is on the way to photography, so she invites me to ride her deathtrap elevator once again, and I accept. Sure, feeling dare-devilish today. On our way there though, one particular obstacle stops us... Mia, flanked by two other dinosaurs... That hot raptor chick in the blue dress and the bimbo bitch from the first day of school. I'd seen them around, but never talked again. Go figure they're friends with this c*nt. Mia looks particularly annoyed to see me, but it doesn't stop her from engaging us.

"Hold it, 'Livia. Gotta chat with you a second."

Olivia looks more annoyed than anything else, leaning back in her chair and co*cking an eyebrow. Mia takes this as an invitation to continue.

"My boyfriend ain't a personal maid for you. He was supposed to have lunch with me and he spent half of it cleanin' up after your garbage and playing messenger-boy for Scaler. Learn some f*ckin' adult etiquette and stop making problems for other people."

Her gaze whips up to mine as she sneers. I don't return the expression, but I do stare into her eyes, apathy plain across my face. That seems to piss her off more, and her tail whips to the side in annoyance.

"I'm tired of that look, you f*cking cue-ball skinnie. Every time I see you, it's that look. Are you retarded or something? That scar from a brain injury?"

I snort, smirking at her, but say nothing. Her pupils contract as she starts to grow lowly, continuing her spiel.

"You think you're hot sh*t, huh? Scary skinnie from out of town? f*cking freak. No wonder you hang around this bitch. A freak for a freak."

I roll my eyes and look down at Olivia, who looks just as unimpressed as me. I jerk my head towards the elevator, and she nods. We both start making our way past Mia, and perhaps surprisingly she lets us go by, glaring at us the entire time.

"You... I... grrr... f*cking... freaks. Never thought I'd see the day some f*cking punk skinnie would be trying to get into the school cripple's pants, but here we are!"

Wow, went there, huh? I snort again, raising my hand and waving her off without looking at her as I finally speak.

"Real classy, Mia. Ain't it time to go peg your boyfriend or somethin'?"

I hear her start sputtering and stammering, which gradually turns into a growl that increases in pitch. We're just about at the elevator when I hear Lunara say 'Mia wait' and hear the telltale sounds of boots on tile as she starts making her way at us. I whip around and stare at her dead in the eye, causing her to stop in her tracks. She's pissed, but I shoot her a look that in no uncertain terms says that I will do this if she wants, and it won't end well for either of us. Her tail whips back and forth angrily, and I swear she's about to take a swipe at me with it before she steps back, snarling.

"You... you're f*cking lucky today, you spear-chucking motherf*cker. Lucky. f*cking... Scarface and Hotwheels, match made in heaven."

Olivia freezes at that name, spinning around and glaring at Mia.

"How did you?..."

At that, Mia manages a sardonic grin.

"Your retarded fin-head friend told me during PE. I think it suits 'ya."

Olivia looks pissed for a microsecond before she just grunts, shaking her head as she turns back towards the elevator. I follow her, sneering back at Mia, who now has that f*cking stupid smug look plastered across her face, as if that one little quip just 'won' her the confrontation. What a c*nt. We both slip into the elevator and once the doors are closed, we both breathe out heavy sighs as it clunks and begins ascending. I speak first.

"f*ckin' sh*t. One of these days I'm going to rip that bitch apart."

Olivia chuckles.

"I thought she was going to murder you when you said that about Ben to her. Horrible visual by the way, f*ck you for that."

A little rip of laughter peels it's way out of me, which causes her to laugh harder as well. She looks up at me, smiling.

"I think you should probably roll with me in the elevator from now on. The more you can avoid Mia, the better."

I nod down at at her.

"Probably. Thanks. So... uh... Hotwheels?"

She grimaces.

"I am so going to kill Damien, and his loud stupid mouth. Ancient nickname from when we were kids. It's a... long story."

I shrug.

"I ain't gonna pry."

"Thanks."

The rest of the ride is spent in companionable silence, and soon enough we're going on our separate ways to class.

...

Photography passes by uneventfully, but I do contemplate telling Ben about what happened with his girlfriend. ...Nah. History class slaughters me like it usually does. Maybe I should start bringing nicotine gum to school. Prockling yammers and yammers about ancient sh*t like anyone actually cares, but as usual I'm on autopilot mode and thinking about other sh*t. Namely Olivia. She's got her hood up, deep in contemplation. I can't imagine that was nice for her, even if we did handle it pretty well. I'm perfectly fine. I used to deal with f*ckers like Mia on a daily basis in my home town. Part of me wants to ask if she's fine, but... no. I don't want to stress her out, especially if I'm going to... well, confront her, I guess. I have to know. I have to. It's the only way I can stop myself from going insane over this. I just... what if she did do it? What then? God. Just thinking about it makes me queasy. I don't want it all to be ruined. f*ck. f*ck. f*ck. Why is this happening? Why the f*ck do I care so much? God...

I'm such a f*cking mess.

...

School finally ends for the day, and like usual I'm hustling my ass out the front door so I can find a spot to smoke in peace, but I'm snapped out of it as I spot all my friends huddled together by the gate. The f*ck? They're all usually hella gone by now. The smoke can wait. I hustle over, and before I can even ask what the hell is going on Damien whips around to me, worry plastered across his face.

"D!! D, you believe me, right?!"

I recoil slightly, shaking my head.

"Uh?..."

Olivia huffs in exasperation, crossing her arms and sinking into her chair. Damien looks back at her, furrowing his brow.

"I didn't mean for any of that to happen!"

I bap him on the shoulder, grunting.

"For what to happen, goofball?!"

He turns back around and crosses his arms, staring at the floor angrily.

"Mia, bro. When she asked about the nickname my big mouth just blurted it out. I didn't expect her to use it for something so... unscrupulous!"

I hum in contemplation as Liz lowers her head next to Damien, staring at him unamusedly.

"You don't know what that word means."

Damien looks at her for a brief moment, only mildly annoyed. He then returns his attention to me.

"Who cares?! D, really, I didn't mean for any of that to happen!"

I shake my head.

"Big man, all you did was blurt out something you shouldn't have. It was Mia's choice to act like a bitch about it."

Liz rolls her eyes, looking to me in disapproval.

"Olivia told us about what happened with Mia. Did you really say that to her, D?"

I shrug.

"Uh, yeah? f*ck her."

Damien still seems focused on the nickname bit though as he turns back to Olivia, who is currently pouting.

"Olivia, you loved that nickname way back when we were kids."

She rolls her eyes, sitting up in her chair. Liz doesn't give her a moment to speak, furrowing her brow.

"He really didn't mean it, Olivia."

At that, she bears her scary ass rows of teeth for a split second, snarling.

"I know already!"

She hunches over, crossing her arms and huffing.

"You were just being 'you' again, Damien. Sometimes I wish you weren't, but whatever."

Her telltale hoarseness starts to creep over her and she attempts to alleviate it with her canteen, but alas, it is empty. She gives out a rattling sigh and continues anyway, her expression returning to one of neutrality.

"The nickname is just that, a nickname... one I don't want to hear anymore. Especially from Mia, and especially if it's just to get under my skin."

Olivia stares at Damien for a little while longer before snapping her gaze between Liz and I. I hum quietly. f*ck it, I gotta know the backstory.

"Where'd it even come from, anyway?"

Damien looks at me dumbly, working his hamster overtime. Liz watches him do this, and when he doesn't immediately answer, she sighs and starts speaking.

"Okay, I wasn't around for this, but... when they were freshmen in middle school, they'd take the bus every weekend to an arcade in the city. I'm pretty sure Damien started using it then, and it just stuck."

At that, Damien seems to snap himself out of his stupor, crossing his arms and leaning back contemplatively as he just starts gushing.

"Err... sorta? But I didn't come up with it. I'd brought a chunk of change for us to play stuff with each other. A match on just about anything there was a quarter, probably still is. But I don't think I won even once. Once she stood to win something, it's like a switch went off in her head. I'd never seen Olivia get like that. Some of the teenagers were watching, too. They saw everything. A couple challenged her once I ran out of cash, and sure enough, she ended up cleaning house all afternoon. It was all she'd talk about at school, all week, until we could go back for more. Only took like a month for her to be recognized as some local champion. Sometime along the way people started calling her Hotwheels, don't really remember who or when. But... I do know it's proof that she's got that fire in her."

We all stand there, looking at him in shock. Jesus... what is he feeding that thing?

"That's... somethin', alright."

He nods.

"I had fun back then. Guess I forgot I wasn't supposed to bring it up."

He looks at the floor sadly.

"Have things really changed that much?"

I feel that. Deeply. Olivia narrows her eyes at him.

"You still brought it up regardless though, didn't you?"

He steps back and hisses to himself quietly.

"Sorry."

Olivia snorts, shaking her head.

"You just can't help yourself... but you're right. That was the best time of my life."

She looks up at him, smiling sadly.

"The name 'Hotwheels' belongs to ten-year-old me. Not current me."

I hum.

"Still a great story, though. Why're you so beat up about it now? Everyone likes bein' a winner like that, y'know."

She looks at me plainly.

"I'm not."

I co*ck an eyebrow, inviting her to continue.

"I'm not a winner anymore."

I furrow my brow at her and go to chastise her for this sh*t again, but she holds up a palm to silence me. I grunt, and speak anyway.

"You know how I feel about that sh*t, Olivia. I think I speak for all of us when I say I want to see you be a winner again."

Her breath hitches ever so briefly.

"Damien's been tryin' his hardest to keep that part of you intact, and to be honest? Now I want to as well."

I look up at Liz expectantly, and she nods, smiling.

"I think I'd like to see why you and Damien are really close friends, yeah!"

I nod sagely, and look back to Olivia with an upturned brow. I'm putting her on the spot here, but I think that's what she needs, honestly. Olivia rests her head into her hands, deliberating with herself as her tail rolls around the floor. Finally, she leans back with a soft grunt.

"If you guys really care about it that much... I wouldn't mind it from you."

Damien's mouth stretches into a pog as his entire face lights up. He jumps in place not unlike Vinny, thrusting his arms into the air.

"Y-yes! Alright! Hotwheels is back!"

She cuts her eyes at him.

"You guys now refers to Liz and D."

Damien shrinks back with a grin, rubbing the back of his neck. He then leans forward excitedly, beaming.

"Hey, if we're getting the name back out, we should hit up the arcade again!"

Olivia looks at him plainly.

"I'd rather not."

He looks away in contemplation.

"Uh... okay, what about a better name then? Like..."

He gestures theatrically.

"Deathroll..."

Olivia sneers at him and swings her tail at his feet, but he jumps over it and starts going on a tangent about nicknames, coming up with all kinds of goofy ass sh*t that Olivia is forced to shoot down. Liz and I glance at each other and we can't help but start laughing. Soon enough it calms down and we just end up chatting about the day in general. Or they do, anyway. I start getting a little jittery as I remember how badly I needed to smoke. I'm about to say my goodbyes when Damien and Liz finally head off, going their separate ways and leaving Olivia and I alone. Most of the school is gone too, leaving us well and truly by ourselves. I'm about to tell her goodbye when she looks up at me.

"Hey. I'll roll with you."

I stiffen a little. f*ck. God, I'll just have to tell her, I guess. I gotta smoke in the next five minutes or else I'm going to die.

"...Sure. I gotta smoke, though."

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"You... smoke?"

I roll my eyes, nodding.

"Yes, Olivia, I smoke. Come on, let's get goin'."

She only responds with a hum and wheels next to me as I turn on my heel and start walking. We take it slow as I pull out my pack and slip a ciggie between my lips. She looks at me intently as I light it up, watching as I take my first draw and sigh happily. I look down at her, scanning her face for any judgement.

"So, what? Gonna get onto me?"

She shakes her head, smirking.

"No. I'm just shocked you've been able to hide it from us as long as you have been. I feel like I should have expected it, though."

I snort, taking another draw and blowing the smoke out of my nose.

"Wow. Expectin' the troubled youth to smoke, huh? Profiling, much?"

She lets out a little 'snrk' and yanks her wheels forward roughly, giving herself an extra hard push as she stretches out her arms and basks in the out-of-season warmth. I peer up at the sun with disdain.

"Summer's End my ass. It's still hot as f*ck."

She looks back at me, smiling.

"I don't mind. I'll take it for as long as I can get."

I co*ck an eyebrow at her, smirking.

"'Course you don't mind, you're a dino."

She hums in mock disapproval at me.

"Now who's profiling?"

We share a laugh as we finally arrive at my train platform, the train conveniently arriving at the same time as us. I take one last draw and drop it, snubbing it with my boot. I walk up next to her, leaning down at her side to get face to face with her. She looks a little shocked to see me this close, tinges of crimson rising across her face.

"Whatever you say, Hotwheels."

The shock quickly morphs into indignation as her tail goes whipping out at me, her face only growing more red. I deftly sidestep her attack into the train right as the doors close. I hear Olivia's uproarious shouting as I settle into my seat, propping my leg up on my knee and staring out the window at her with a cheeky grin. She points an angry finger at me, leaning veryforward in her chair.

"D, YOU SON OF A BITCH! GET BACK HERE!"

My grin doesn't fade, and I shoot her a two fingered salute as the train begins rolling away. She's gonna get me for that later, for sure. But man, that was worth it. The feelings slowly fade as my mind starts thinking about the contest again. f*ck... I could have asked her then, but I got caught up in the moment. A rattling sigh works it's way out of me. f*cking sh*t. This is going to get difficult, isn't it?

I can't keep this up for much longer. Suddenly, I hear a familiar voice snap me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, kid. Fancy seeing you here."

I glance over. It's... Stephan? Holy sh*t. He sits down next to me, nodding.

"How's it going, D?"

I shrug, looking away

"Uh... not great, If I'm honest. But it's just... school sh*t. I don't want to bother you with it."

I feel his hand clap down on my shoulder, squeezing it gently for a moment. I look at him, and he's smiling down at me as he takes his hand away.

"Hey. I can't have my favorite slugger feeling down. I'll listen, kid. I got a daughter your age, I'm used to hearing it."

My eyes widen a little at him, and I look away, feeling vulnerable. f*ck... I- do I?... The words just start coming out of my mouth, seemingly whether or not I want them to.

"I go to St. Hammond's, right? They have this art contest they do. Real prestigious sh*t. You can submit whatever, as long as it's considered art. Photographs, paintings, digital art, all that sh*t. So on a whim I just kinda... put somethin' in. Winning it is a big f*cking deal. Your submission gets featured in all kinds of high profile magazines and sh*t. It was a pipe dream for me, but imagine if I did win? I'd finally have something f*cking worth doing. I like to graffiti. Sure, some guys make careers out of it. But me? God, imagine... I check my phone one day, and there my name is in first f*cking place. First f*cking place, Stephan. I couldn't believe it. I check it, and... it's not my submission. A glitch in the system, I thought. I meet with a buddy of mine who happens to be the student council president, he helps me get it squared away with the principal, it's all f*cking hunky dory, except they can't fix my submission, only take it out of the running. So now I'm just f*cked. Cool, whatever. But... then I started thinkin'. What if it wasn't a glitch? What if someone did it on purpose? I got to look at the thing, you know. I swear to god I recognized the art style. One of my friends. This girl... she's... uh... firey. She's in a wheelchair, y'know? Not that it matters, but she likes to beat herself up about it. Hate it when she does that sh*t. I just want to see her thrive, y'know? But... I got to thinkin'. What if she's the one that did it?"

I look up at Stephan, unable to help the terrified expression that falls across my face.

"What if she did it, Stephan? Why would she? If I hadn't caught it and they found out, which they almost certainly would, I can't paint for sh*t, I'd be f*cking done. With my record? It'd look like I forced her to do it or something. I... I'd lose it all."

I look down at my palms and realize I'm shaking.

"I... can't. I can't lose it all again, Stephan. I'm finally getting better. I don't- I don't want..."

Wet spots start to appear in my hands. I'm... crying? I don't... cry. I feel Stephan's hand on my shoulder again, and I look up at him, now keenly aware of the tears tracking their way down my face. Any other words I have get caught in my throat as I take in the expression on his face. Fatherly affection. His voice slips out, softer than I'd ever expect to hear from this scarred titan.

"It's okay, kid."

I break. I break in the middle of this train, thankfully mostly devoid of people, burying myself into Stephan's chest and sobbing quietly as he wraps his arms around me. I barely know this f*cking guy, and here I am, crying like a bitch in his arms. He doesn't say anything, do anything. He just holds me until I finally manage to turn the waterworks off, leaning back into my seat and rubbing my eyes as I grit my teeth angrily.

"f*ck. f*cking sh*t. God, what the f*ck is going on with me?"

Stephan gives out a rumbling sigh.

"You really are just a kid. This certainly is complicated, D. You're... friends with this girl, right?"

There's a hint of something else behind his tone, but I can't place it. I look up at him and nod. He continues.

"Well, this is going to hurt, but... you're just going to have to ask her. It might get nasty, but you got to. I think you might have already known that, though. If she did do it, what are you going to do?"

I shrug, sniffling quietly as I mutter to him.

"I don't know, genuinely. Probably nothin'. At this point, I just want to know if she actually did it, and why. She's... a good friend. I don't want to lose her over somethin' this f*ckin' stupid."

He nods, patting me on the shoulder again.

"Good attitude to have. For what it's worth, I think it'll turn out fine. Despite it all D, you're a good kid. You're just a little... lost, right now. But you're on the right path, I think. Just keep steady. Keep coming to the pit, kid. I'll be right behind you to give you a smack back in the right direction if you ever need it, alright?"

I manage to smile weakly at him.

"Yeah... uh-... thanks, Stephan."

He smiles back.

"Any time, kid."

...

I think it'll be okay.

...

Chapter 9: Rainfall Confessional

Chapter Text

Catharsis. I had always thought that word was bullsh*t. But... after my little breakdown in front of Stephan, I've been feeling... I dunno. Free? Where it was a dreadful, muddled fog before, the month has suddenly swung by in the blink of an eye. It's getting colder. Rainy. sh*tty. But, hey! My apartment is furnished now, and I have a good laptop and TV that I can watch sh*t on. It's still very clearly an apartment that an eighteen year old guy lives alone by himself in, but it's... y'know. It's mine. I still feel lingering anxiousness about the conversation I've yet to have with Olivia. The pit has been like my second home, and it's become a real routine for me. Every couple of days I'll go and even if I don't fight, I'll hang out with the crew there. They have a little gym, which I've been using to work out in. Stephan is... he's a good guy. A really good guy. We've been talking more and more. He tells me about his daughter. Apparently she's like, the top athlete in her school. Pretty cool.

Olivia... She's been getting... withdrawn, again. I don't know what's going on. Maybe she's sensing my anxiousness and it's leeching into her. Maybe it's the seasonal change, I have no damn clue. I've been doing my best to be supportive, but honestly I'm still clueless as f*ck when it comes to this sh*t. I... think she really did do it, and she suspects that I'm aware of it. She's worried that I'm going to snap at her. I... I have to speak to her soon. Otherwise it's going to f*ck sh*t up. I won't let that happen. Scaler has been going around inquiring about the as of yet 'anonymous' artist, but obviously nobody has come forth to accept it. Even a glory hog at this school would never dare to claim something fraudulently as theirs. Artists take that sh*t serious.I'm not the only one that's noticed Olivia's testy mood, either. Even Damien is being cautious, mostly because unlike before he genuinely has no idea what the f*ck is wrong with her.

In preparation for the cold season, I bought a badass brown leather bomber jacket with a fur collar. I've never been a fashion guy, really, but even I can admit, this jacket is dope as f*ck. On my way to the metro this morning, I sneer up at the sky in annoyance. This sh*t is going to be PISSING, and my dumb ass doesn't have an umbrella. I could probably make a detour into some store and grab one, but that'd make me late and I can't deal with that garbage today. I'll just have to get wet.Because of how sh*t the weather is, Solly has us play dodgeball again. It ends up devolving into a war between Mia and I. I finally managed to clock that bitch in the nose with a ball today. Sweet revenge.

Art, is, thankfully, one of the periods in which Olivia seems to be a little more normal. Iadakan's presence does wonders to lift us both out of our funks. Today is the day they're announcing the semi-finalists for the contest, which is such a big deal they apparently cut the school day in half. It's right after art, so Iadakan seems content to give us the period to do whatever while he takes a little nap. Sleepy guy. A lump sits in my throat as Olivia and I idly chat. I have to ask. I have to ask. I have to ask. I wait for a pause in our conversation, an opening. And I find it. My voice is a low mutter. I don't want anyone else to hear us.

"Hey... Olivia."

She glances over, brow upturned. I must have said it weird. I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it doesn't go anywhere.

"We, uh... can we talk? At lunch, I mean, after the assembly? I-In private?"

She seems confused by the question until I stutter out the last part of it, at which point she stiffens, her eyes widening ever so slightly. Her gaze snaps down to her desk, and she begins gently wringing her hands. There's no hint of red on her face. This is just pure anxiousness. She nods, but doesn't say anything. I hesitate for a brief moment, but reach out and place a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at me in shock, and I nod at her. I don't smile. But I nod. It'll be okay. I promise. Her eyes scan mine, nervously, looking for any hint of... something. I take my hand off of her and we sit in silence for the rest of class. Soon enough the bell rings and our class is ushered by Iadakan into the auditorium. We both end up in the front row, as it's where a designated handicapped spot happens to be for Olivia's chair. She's fretful the entire time, and to be frank, so am I. Scaler yammers on about unimportant school bullsh*t for what seems like a dog's age until it's time to announce the semifinalists. Of course, she makes one last plea for the mystery artist to come forward. As the question rings out, I look at Olivia. She's staring straight back at me. She's caught like a deer in headlights as we lock eyes. At that moment, I know.

She did it. And I need to know why. The assembly promptly comes to a close and Scaler dismisses us to our early lunch. We sit there for a good long while as we wait for the rush to die down. Olivia looks up at me in desperation. She doesn't want to do this. She knows what's coming, now. I look back down at her. I don't frown. I don't smile. As we walk through the halls, I glance out a window. It's raining. I had planned to take her to one of the tables outside, but... not in that weather. So instead, I usher us towards the library. As I expect, not a soul is in here right now. Not even the librarian. Olivia seems to have drawn in completely on herself, quivering. Shaking. We sit at the farthest table in the corner, completely isolated from everything else. It's quiet. Olivia refuses to look anywhere near me. I can only stare at her for what seems like an eternity before I heave out a rattling sigh, which finally draws her attention to me.

"...Why'd you do it, Olivia?"

The words hit her like a gunshot, and she looks back down at the table. Her bottom lip quivers for a moment, and, then... she just starts crying. She completely sinks in on herself, resting her arms on the table and burying her face in them as she heaves out shuddering sobs that wrack her entire body. It hurts. It hurts to see this so f*cking much. I don't ask the question again. Eventually, she manages to calm down enough to look back up at me. Her gentle silver eyes are marred by red lines and mascara track marks. She hiccups as she tries to speak.

"I- I didn't have a-a choice."

My expression of neutrality doesn't change as I study her face, and she wipes at her eyes with her sleeves, continuing.

"I f-f*cked up. I know I shouldn't h-have done it."

This doesn't answer my question. My voice comes out again, laced with the tiniest hint of stern frustration.

"But why?"

She digs her claws into the table, another sob slipping it's way out of her as she stares at me.

"I d-didn't... I didn't expect you."

At that, my eyes widen slightly.

"Me?"

She shakily nods.

"W-when I f-first talked to you, I thought you were j-just some... asshole. Some out of state punk who didn't care about anything but himself."

I feel my heart tug inside my chest painfully. She wasn't wrong. She continues.

"Sure, you didn't care about my wheelchair. B-but I thought that was because you didn't care about anything. And then Iadakan's class, he... after that, you started... supporting me. Making me feel better about myself. Making me feel like I wasn't just 'little miss cripple'. And then I went and did this... I just..."

She looks away, planting a hand over her muzzle and wrenching her eyes closed. Another stifled sob. She takes her hand off and continues speaking, but keeps her eyes shut.

"Some... stupid, selfish, idiotic part of me w-wanted to push you away. And that was the part of me t-that did it. I was h-hoping you'd figure it out, and when you did, you would h-hate me, and then everything w-would go back to normal. And then the party h-happened. And then I r-realized how f-f*cking stupid I was. I d-don't w-want that anymore, but i-it's too late. It's too f*cking l-la-"

"I don't hate you."

My voice whips her eyes open towards me, and she takes in my expression. Pain.

"I hate that you did this."

That sets her off again, and she buries her face back into her arms and unleashes a mournful wail that threatens me with tears of my own. I...

"Olivia... you... you're right. Or you were right, anyway."

She peeks up at me from her arms, rivulets of tears still running down her face.

"I was an asshole. I still am an asshole. The things I've done- I... I didn't come to Volcaldera Bluffs because I wanted to, Olivia. I was sent here. I'm... you've seen bits and pieces. How angry I can get. That's... one of many causes. But I'm trying to be better. I want to be better. And... it hurt me, when I thought that it was you who'd done it. Because it would have taken everything from me. I would have been f*cked. Done for. Gone."

Her breath hitches. I continue.

"But... remember what I said at the party?"

She leans up, eyes widening as she breathlessly mouths the words out.

'Let's figure it out together, okay?'

I nod, doing my best to give her a gentle smile, which fades as soon as I speak again.

"You... f*cked up. There's no way to say that gently. Really bad. If I hadn't caught it..."

I glance away.

"I don't even want to think about it. The accusations that would be levied against me. 'This violent freak forced the girl in the wheelchair to make art for him'!"

I hear another hiccup from Olivia, and I look up at her. Now she looks... angry. Not at me. Herself. It's something I'm keenly familiar with. She hisses her sentence out.

"f*ck. I would have g-gotten away with it just like that, too. I'm just like f*cking Ben."

I lean forward, clasping my hands together.

"I asked him about that, you know. He didn't go into detail. You tell me. What happened with Ben?"

She digs her claws into the table again, scratching shavings out angrily as she nearly spits his name out.

"Ben. He's the one who did this to me. Turned me into the... sad little f*cking monster that I am."

"He said you were friends a long time ago?"

She nods bitterly.

"I don't even remember how we became friends, though. But we were around each other a lot in my last year of middle school. He... didn't care that I was in the chair. Didn't treat me any different. He was cool. Was."

I gently lower my chin onto my fist, listening to her.

"In freshman year, he... changed. He was only in the student council as a secretary, and it was back during that year's art show. I worked all f*cking summer on it. That landscape you went so crazy for. 'Dreamscape.' "

She almost gags the name out.

"Ben started... advertising himself as my friend, like he was such a big man for being friends with the girl in the wheelchair. f*ck... even his friends started doing it. To his credit, he admitted he was doing it, too. Spouted some bullsh*t about being down on his luck... f*ck him. Not even a week later, suddenly everyone was kissing my ass, and I was eating it up because I was starved for attention. I was thrilled, I was going to win!... And then Damien showed me an article in the school newsletter, written by... f*cking Ben. Half of it was just bullsh*t about the other submissions, and the entire other half was about nothing but the 'talented poor girl in the wheelchair' and praise about how 'determined' I was. Surprise sur-f*cking-prise, my piece wins. And it felt so f*cking hollow. All my effort over the summer, sh*t on by... this f*cking thing!"

She slams a fist into her wheelchair's armrest, and looks up at me. She furrows her brow, lips curling up angrily.

"And the worst f*cking part? He thought I was going to thank him. After he used me like a f*cking step ladder. I told him to f*ck off, and he just... looked at me like I was from another planet. And then what he said? Oooh... I'll f*cking never forgive him, I swear. 'This is your only chance of succeeding out there.' I wanted to just..."

A tear rolls it's way down her face as she stares up at the ceiling.

"Give up. I took it all. The money, the exposure, his f*cking 'safety net.' I just... took it. Because he was right, and I hate it. I really, really, really f*cking hate it."

She brings her sleeves up to her eyes and wipes them again.

"After that, I just shut everything out. Everything and everyone. Even my own family. And it's all his f*cking fault."

She looks up at me, silent now. Studying my face. She furrows her brow at my natural poker face.

"Well?"

I blink.

"Well what?"

She looks back down, frustrated.

"That's it. That's the truth. I just want to graduate and get away from here, from him. He ruined my life. Because of him, I'm not Olivia. I'm Olivia, the poor sad cripple. Forever and forever."

I sigh.

"That's bullsh*t, Olivia."

Her gaze snaps back up to me, baffled. I can see the fringes of anger forming on her face.

"What he did was f*cking stupid, hateful, and gross. But he didn't make you do what you did to me."

She sneers.

"So what, I'm the reason my life is so f*cking sh*tty?! What are you playing at, D?"

I stare at her plainly.

"You can't use Ben's f*cked up little plans as an excuse for the sh*t you pulled."

She recoils, shocked. I continue.

"You claim to want to be this independent girl that wants to be more than just a girl in a wheelchair, but you're sitting here wallowing in your own despair. You heard yourself. Calling yourself 'the poor sad cripple'. Drowning yourself in that miserable reality while you paint f*cking gorgeous reflections of the world around us. And you said it yourself, you swapped the submission, even if it was some sh*tty part of you that you don't feel anymore. It was still you.You need to take responsibility for your actions, Olivia. That's a lesson I had to learn the hard way. It's hard. But you gotta."

God. That was rough. Olivia's shock turns into a glower, and she hisses at me quietly.

"f*ck you."

I scan her eyes. She's mad, heartbroken... but... there's something else behind it. Trust.

"f*ck you, because you're right. I know all of that already. You're not the first person to tell me this."

"Iadakan?"

She nods, gritting her teeth.

"How? How the f*ck am I supposed to do this, D?"

I hum, and smirk at her.

"I guess we'll have to figure it out together."

She looks up at me and rolls her eyes, sighing.

"I guess so. Any ideas?"

I scoot my chair around the table until I'm sitting next to her, and then lean forward.

"I dunno. I guess we could start with you telling Iadakan how you feel. Then we can move on to the others, if you're up for it. To be honest... I..."

I look at her, and she looks at me.

"I kinda just wanna forget this ever happened. I caught it early, they have no idea who's it is. But... even still, I want you to keep trying, okay?"

She turns towards me, staring at me for a brief moment before she suddenly leans forward, wrapping her arms around me and drawing me into a tight hug. I'm a little shocked, but my body moves on autopilot and reciprocates, squeezing her tight. It's a short hug, one that quite frankly, I don't want to be so short. But we pull away regardless as she smiles at me.

"I'll keep trying, D."

I return her smile and lean back, resting in my chair. Her eyes suddenly go wide.

"Oh! Hey, I brought someone for you to meet."

I co*ck an eyebrow at her as she reaches into her hoodie pocket and pulls out... a rat, which peers up at me from her hand after it belts out a little yawn. My eyes go wide.

"Well! That'd be Guts then, huh? You... brought him to school?"

She lifts him to her shoulder, nodding.

"Yeah. I knew today was going to be rough and he just... helps me, you know? It's not the first time I've brought him, even when you've been here."

She scratches him under the chin as I co*ck my head to the side.

"Huh. Can't believe I never noticed."

She giggles.

"Iadakan did, once. Just warned me not to let him run around the school, otherwise it'd be a 'health hazard'."

Suddenly, the 'end of lunch' bell rings out, shocking us out of our little stupor. sh*t. I look back down at her.

"Well, uh... I guess... good talk?"

She smiles, and nods.

"Yeah. Good talk. We'd better get out of here before the librarian comes back."

I stand up, bringing the chair back to it's appropriate location. Olivia is looking at me with trepidation as she speaks again.

"I... don't think I can go to my next class. I still... don't feel great."

I peer down at her, humming. I guess we could play hooky, but... oh, you know what?

"My next class is with Iadakan again. Photography. I'll take you there, a'ight? He'll get it."

She smiles, nodding. She moves to wheel herself but I step behind her and grab the handles of her chair, stopping her. She cranes her neck straight up and looks at me with confusion. That's... cute. I smile down at her.

"Lemme do it. All that cryin' must have tuckered you out, right?"

She huffs, looking away and blushing.

"...Fine, but just for today."

I pat her on the shoulder as I start wheeling her out of the library.

"Attagirl."

People shoot us looks as we pass by. I can't blame them. A guy like me, pushing a girl in a wheelchair around? I'd stare too. Olivia keeps craning her neck back and looking at me, like she was afraid I'd disappear forever. I think I might have been the one to go a little red, that time. Iadakan only looks at us in minor confusion as I wheel Olivia in, but I give him the look and I... think he gets it? He doesn't stop her as I let go of her handles and she wheels herself into the back room, anyway. Thankfully not everyone in the class had filtered in yet, but... Ben was there. Neither of us pay him any mind, though. Class starts like usual and I do my best to pay attention to his lessons but, man... I'm kinda in a funk after that, too. A good funk, but a funk nonetheless. Just before the bell rings though, Iadakan returns the look at me and I know damn good and well what it means.

...

Sure enough, when everyone else is gone, he closes his door and locks it, leaving us alone. He turns to me with a co*cked eyebrow.

"Well?"

I shove my hands in my pockets.

"Uh..."

He hums, looking at the door to the back room.

"You can come out now, Olivia."

She does so, opening the door and wheeling out. He looks back at me.

"I would like to know why you used my classroom as a sanctuary."

I shoot a side-eye at Olivia, who shoots one back at me. She stares back up at Iadakan glumly.

"I was having a bad day."

Guts looks up at Iadakan from her lap, and he reaches down and gives him a little chin scratch.

"If he's here, I assume as much."

He withdraws, sitting on a desk and gesturing for her to continue. She doesn't say anything, and he shifts his hand to me. I chew the inside of my cheek as I look between Iadakan's expectant leer and Olivia's pleading eyes.

"I was... clearin' the air?"

He snorts, slouching further onto the desk.

"Of course."

Olivia sighs.

"Can I tell you some other time?"

He nods.

"Absolutely. Whatever was going on, it looks like you did just fine at bouncing back either way."

She looks up at him and nods, smiling. He hums.

"Was it about your work again?"

She looks back down and fiddles with Guts, reticent.

"...yeah."

He rolls his eyes with a smile, standing up and focusing his gaze on me as he jabs his thumb at her.

"Oh, this girl. You know, the work she's so concerned about is the reason my grading curve has an upper limit."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"For real?"

He nods.

"For real! Who would think, 'ah, this student is working too hard! Phooey on them'! I sure didn't, until four years ago when this little green devil came rolling into my class. Half a semester and more than a few angry calls from parents, I had no choice."

He clacks his feet apart and theatrically gestures at Olivia, his voice taking on a tone akin to an old-timey radio host's.

"Young lady simply does too dang much!"

That gets her to smile, but she doesn't look away from Guts. I grunt.

"That much better, huh?"

He leans his weight onto one foot, planting his hands on his hips.

"Well, not entirely. I don't grade by technique. She was very, very good, even then, but the main thing I admire is her motivation. I haven't seen someone so enthused to paint in years, and certainly not someone so enthused I had to change the rules so suddenly like that!"

Olivia speaks.

"You were worried it'd stop me."

He spins around, cupping his chin in his fingers.

"Was I? Certainly sounds like me. Didn't, though, did it? No, not at all. Heck, that year you even got me to see some things differently."

She looks up at him curiously.

"I don't think I ever did anything like that..."

He smiles at her, pointing a telling finger as he spins around towards me again.

"You did when you came into class the Friday before Mothers' day. D, take a look at this."

He produces his special quill pen, handing it to me. I take it gingerly, running a finger along the feather. Damn... this thing is soft. I look up at him.

"Your special pen?"

He nods, his smile growing wider.

"It's actually from my wife."

My eyes widen, and I bring it closer to my face, inspecting the finer details. Faded engravings here, the point, worn but lovingly maintained... yeah, this is a damn good pen. Old but gold. Er, brass, I guess. I look back up at Iadakan as he continues talking.

"She came in that afternoon with a big 'ole stack of crumpled painting drafts, completely beside herself that she couldn't get it perfect. She certainly was determined to, though! I said to her, 'any of these would be great, your aunt would love any of these', and you know what she said? 'If it's not good enough for me, why would it be good enough for someone I love?!' I did not have an answer."

I peer around him at Olivia, who looks embarrassed. I peer back up at Iadakan.

"Damn... that's deep."

He nods, pointing a finger into the air.

"So, I tell her to take a step back, we work on fundamentals for a few hours, and then I send her home to try getting it right over the weekend. Come Monday? She comes barreling in here and hugs me first thing. That Friday night though, I couldn't get what she said out of my mind. I talked about it all night with my wife, then that morning, I decided to make a change for myself. My wife was molting at the time, so there was always a new feather or three in our blankets each morning. I took the biggest one, preserved it right, and got a bit of help to turn it into a real pen. And... I've used it ever since!"

He takes it back from me carefully, holding it up like King Arthur's sword.

"It helps me to remember to do my job right, for the people I care about, and for the people my students care about."

He turns to Olivia, a twinkle in his eye.

"It's that 'childlike reasoning' that comes so naturally for the youth. That reasoning, it makes a type of innocent, earnest dedication, something I'd think I'd lost for a good long while."

Olivia twiddles her thumbs, muttering.

"Don't give me so much credit..."

He leans forward, co*cking his eyebrow up as he puts his fists on his hips.

"You haven't lost it, have you?"

She glances up at him, smiling but otherwise saying nothing. He smiles back at her, leaning back with a nod.

"Good. Don't lose it for me, okay?"

She nods.

"Okay."

He looks back over at me and then yawns, stretching every limb from his legs to his wings out. He scratches his chin as he glances between us.

"You feeling alright to go to your next class now?"

We both nod, and Olivia speaks.

"Yes. I'm ready."

Iadakan turns to me and claps a hand on my back, jolting me out of the chair.

"We should do this again sometime."

He ushers us out of his class right as the late bell rings out, handing us a note he'd rapidly scrawled on. Prockling was looking a little prickly as we walked in late, but was quickly defused with the note. I slump into my seat, ready to face the tribulations of history, but... Olivia and I's eyes meet, and she smiles that smile. One that spoke so many words to me, and yet, words I couldn't comprehend. All I could do was try to match it, and then return to the nightmarish lecture we were facing.

I didn't get nic cravings that class.

...

Chapter 10: Jurasskick Jabroni

Chapter Text

Finally. Everything is normal. Well, relatively anyway. As normal as it can be with my crazy ass in the picture. At this point, the contest and all the f*cksh*t that came with it is well in the rearview mirror. Olivia has been painting a lot for me recently, just showing me how it works, her methods, sh*t like that. It's fascinating. I'd never get into it myself, I don't got the patience for that sh*t, but... watching someone else with her skill do it? Better than anything I'll watch on TV... aside from IFC bouts, anyway. I've started coaxing her into watching some with me on my phone during class downtime, and she's... not a huge fan. I get it. Not everyone is into violent sh*t like that.

She seemed to understand it a little better when I gave her the 'skill of it' angle rather than playing up the violence. In a way, fighting really is art. The movements, the techniques. There's just a lot of blood involved, instead of paint. She wasn't impressed with the analogy, but she at least understood it well enough to get it. So... I thought back to the Summer's End party, her just f*cking tossing Vinny around. And, well, around the beginning of the month, I got her to start coming to the gym with me. Not the pit, no way in hell I'm letting anyone ever find out about the pit. I just found some nice little gym near the school and signed up. I still remember the look on her face when I asked about it, like I was a f*cking idiot for suggesting it... heh. It was during art. Slow day, we had already finished all our work and Iadakan was having one of his siestas. There she was, just doodling away...

"Hey, Olivia."

She only barely glanced up from her sketching, answering with a questioning hum.

"You wanna come to the gym with me?"

That gets her attention. She looked up, surprised, which then settled into a co*cked eyebrow.

"D... what kind of question is that?"

I gave her the 'dumb f*ck' look which was punished with a swift tail slap across the small of my back and wild gesturing at her wheelchair. After promptly massaging the stinging pain out of myself, I cut my eyes at her and hissed out my words.

"Olivia, there are f*ckin', like... billions of athletes in wheelchairs. Are you not aware of this?"

She looked suspicious, which prompted me to bring out my phone and start Gruugling some of them I knew. She was shocked, apparently had no idea about this side of the disabled community. She was still hesitant about it, but after telling her I would only ever ask her once a week and wouldn't force her to do it if she didn't want to, she agreed. It had occurred to me that we hadn't swapped numbers yet, and she was a little perturbed when I told her how long Damien and I had been texting. She put her name in my phone as 'Liv-Long.' Weird... but it's whatever.

With that resolved, I texted her the address of the place, and... god, she was so clueless about it at first, it was hilarious. And the look on her face, when she rolled into the gym for the first and saw me in my compression shorts hauling myself up and down the pull-up bar... that alone was worth it. I think she might have keeled over and died if I were shirtless, but nah, I had a compression shirt on too. She wasn't dressed right, either. Just came in her full school getup, hoodie and all. She was embarrassed as hell, but I picked a gym that was dead as f*ck even when it was busy on purpose, and the people that were there didn't give a sh*t.

Nice little place, only reason it wasn't more populated was because it was... eugh... a rich person gym. It wasn't all bad. Meant all the equipment was f*cking top of the line. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do so and she wasn't really dressed for anything else, so I just started her with lat pulldowns after having her take her hoodie off, and Raptor Christ that girl is strong. Her form was all kinds of whacked the f*ck out, of course, but 'ole Personal Trainer D hopped right in there and corrected the issues. Soon enough, she was sweating with the best of them. After that session was over, I told her about a couple of exercise blogs she should look into and gave her some tips about clothing.

She was rightfully nervous about the clothing selection. She, uh... has a full figure, let's say, and I really, really didn't want to come off as a creep by trying to get her into tights or anything. I eventually just suggested some good length shorts and some kind of baggy shirt to her, and the next time she showed up it was a lot less obvious that she had no idea what the f*ck she was doing. She seems to have taken a shine to the resistance bands, so I started coaching her on the different areas of her upper body she could focus on. God. The look on Damien's face when he found out, it was so f*cking priceless. It was like he was having a nuclear meltdown.

Olivia seems to have found her groove regardless though, even if she still only ever works out once a week. I'm fine with keeping it that way, I don't want to take any more time away from her other hobbies. A handful of weeks have passed since we started, and to my surprise Olivia hasn't denied any of my offers once. It's our workout day of the week, and I'm in the zone right now, going ape sh*t on the chest press when I hear my phone go off in my gym bag. I contemplate ignoring it but think better and take a break from my set to answer it. I raise the phone to my ear and barely manage to get out 'hello' before my eardrum is just about ruptured by Damien's loud ass voice exploding through the speaker.

"DEESTER!"

I have to hiss out my curse quietly so I don't disturb the other gym-goers. Olivia has her headphones on and she's just absolutely piledriving away at some reverse butterflies right now, so she's none the wiser to my conversation.

"Fffff*cking sh*t, Damien! Inside voice, motherf*cker! What?!"

"I need to ask you something, bro!"

He sounds... desperate. Urgent. The f*ck?

"Is everything okay?!"

There's a tense pause, and he speaks again, back to his usual lackadaisical ass tone.

"Me 'n Liz are going to the arcade. You wanna get Olivia and come?"

I'm silent for a brief moment, before I grunt in irritation at him.

"Is that it?! What the f*ck, Damien? Why'd you call me like someone was dyin'? You had me worried, jackass!"

He laughs.

"Nah, bro! Just asking! Where you guys at? I'm with Liz right now, we can swing around and get you."

"It's our gym day, dawg."

A disappointed groan creaks out of him.

"Awwww, crap. I forgot. Well, shoot, I guess we'll-"

I cut him off.

"I didn't say no yet, you goofball. Olivia's in the zone right now, I'll talk to her and text you, a'ight? Just hang tight."

He gives me an affirmative and I hang up. I step over to Olivia's workspace and wave my hand into her peripheral vision. She cranks out one last rep and then sits back with a huff, slipping her headphones down to her neck, sweat peeling down her face in rivulets. She puts her hair up when she works out, and I gotta say, it's a good look. She reaches down and pulls up her canteen, taking a heavy draw from it as she co*cks her eyebrow at me, silently telling me to say what I want to say.

"Damien and Liz are goin' to the arcade, wanna know if we can go. I'm game if you are."

Her eyebrow lowers and she finishes her drink, pulling the canteen away with a quiet gasp.

"Ehh... I don't know. Kind of sudden."

I shrug.

"That's fine. We can end it early today. Been a while since we actually, like... hung out, y'know?"

She co*cks an eyebrow again.

"What, this doesn't count?"

"Sorta, but not really. Are we really hangin' out if we're just off in our own little worlds?"

She hums.

"I guess not, but I still don't know if I want to go..."

"Come on, I've been bombardin' you with my hobbies, only fair you get to do the same. You can show me your favorite games 'n sh*t, and make fun of me for bein' bad at 'em."

At that, she looks tempted. She rolls it around in her head for a little bit and then sighs, glancing up at me.

"Okay. But you owe me."

I shrug, smirking.

"Sure. A'ight, hit the showers and get changed. I'll text Damien what's up and then do the same."

She nods, deftly placing herself into her wheelchair and rolling off into the locker rooms after getting her stuff. I raise my phone back up and shoot off a text to Damien.

[You: She said yes. Take your time though. We gotta get changed and sh*t.]

[Damien: yesssss, okay bro, we're on our way. you at the same gym you told me about?]

[You: Yup.]

I slip my phone away and likewise go get changed back into my normal clothes after a quick little shower. We still got more than halfway through our session today, so I don't feel that bad about stopping. Olivia and I meet out front with our bags at the ready. I sit at the little bench right out front of the gym and she wheels her chair over to the end of it, stopping next to me. She pulls out her phone to browse whatever idly. We still have some time, so... small talk.

"So... you feelin' good about the gym so far?"

She glances up at me, smiling.

"Yeah, actually. I am. It's... I dunno. Hard to explain. I don't think I'm going to become an athlete or anything, but it makes me feel better about myself."

I nod.

"Good. I knew you'd take to it."

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"That right, huh?"

"Sure. The way you move yourself around, in and out of your chair, it's... hm."

I have to pause, really thinking about it. She looks up from her phone completely, giving me her full attention. I finally grasp what I want to say, as stupid as it is.

"You're strong, y'know?"

She furrows her brow and goes to say something, but I interrupt her.

"And I don't mean just physically."

I tap the side of my head.

"You're strong up here, too."

She leans back in her chair, giving an unconvinced hum. I continue.

"I'm serious! Most 'abled' people don't even bother getting off their asses to do basic bitch chores, and here you are busting your ass in the gym. Sure, it's only once a week, but you're puttin' in the f*ckin' effort, which is more than a lot of people can say. Hey."

I reach out and tap her shoulder with my fist, smiling at her.

"I'm proud of you, y'know?"

Her face turns crimson as her eyes widen, and she jerks her gaze away, mumbling. I chuckle as an older model sedan pulls up to the curb next to us. Liz' head comes raising up and out of the sun roof, beaming at us.

"Hi, guys! Ready to go?"

I stand up from the bench with a nod, stretching.

"Absolutely. Ready to see 'ole Hotwheels here in her element, too."

I chuckle again as she leers at me with narrowed eyes, rolling up to the passenger door on Liz' side and wrenching it open. She casually lifts herself up onto her armrests and lobs herself into the car, saddling me with wheelchair collapsing duty. I hear Damien's bombastic ass voice greet Olivia from the inside as I stare dumbly down at the chair, and thankfully I manage to figure it out in a time that's only slightly embarrassing. Liz pops the trunk and there's more than enough space to fit both her chair and our gym bags, so I just go ahead and leave them in there. Soon enough the trunk is shut and I open the other passenger side door, and...

CLACKCLACKCLACKCLACK

I stare dumbly as a waterfall of empty soda cans come spilling out onto the pavement. I look up at Liz, who at least has the good grace to look embarrassed.

"Come on, Liz... I expect this from Damien, but you?..."

Said goofball's voice emanates from inside the car.

"Hey, those are mine! Sorry about that, bro. They're from this morning, I kinda just toss 'em back there when I'm done."

I grunt.

"I should tell Sophia about this. Haven't you ever heard of a garbage bag?"

Liz sighs as Damien lifts a stuffed to the brim bag out of the sun roof to show me. I look back up at her.

"Are you a hoarder?"

She cuts her eyes at me, pursing her lips.

"No, D. I'm saving them for a project about recycling, and I'm going to use a couple of the cans for a sculpture. Saves me the trouble of finding aluminum myself."

Damien pipes up.

"And I get to drink as much soda as I want!"

The front passenger door opens as the trunk pops again, and Damien comes out with a new empty bag, filling it up with all the cans and putting both of them into the trunk. I shake my head and slide into the car as the last can is removed, and soon enough Damien is back in the front seat. He spins around and beams at us.

"Alright, dudes! Good to go!"

Liz lowers her head back into the car, coiling her big ass neck around it's base like a scarf. So that's how she drives... neat. I absentmindedly watch her as I pat at my side looking for the seat belt buckle. I grab onto something that is decidedly much warmer and softer than plastic, and whatever it may be is wrenched out of my hand, accompanied by a quiet gasp. I glance over and Olivia is holding her hand to her chest, face red and eyes glaring. I snort, smirking at her. What, I can put my hands on her to adjust her form, but an accidental hand holding sets her off? I suppose she can tell what I'm thinking, because she wrenches her maw away from me to stare out the window in a huff. Liz glances back at us once she's settled.

"Ready to go?"

I buckle up with a nod for punctuation.

"Eeyup."

Liz gets the car going as Damien starts fiddling with the radio.

"Anybody want a station?"

I have no f*cking clue what any of the radio stations in Volcaldera Bluffs are, and Olivia and Liz don't seem to give a sh*t. Damien grins.

"Suit yourselves!"

With one press of a button, the road ambience is cut off by the sound of MUCH TOO LOUD classic rock, causing me to stiffen in my seat and groan as I'm sonically assaulted. Thankfully, Liz immediately yanks the volume knob down to a tolerable level. Damien sinks in his seat a bit but thank Raptor Christ doesn't try to turn it back up. My phone buzzes with a text message. I take it out to check and- what the f*ck Damien.

[Damien: any song requests bro?]

I stare up at the back of his stupid ass head.

"Damien... I don't care, dawg. I'll listen to anything as long as it's not sh*t."

Damien chuckles as Olivia glances over at me curiously, and I show her the text with my 'dumb f*ck' expression on display. She snorts, and takes her own phone out. Soon enough, it buzzes with a text from her. She's doodled a rat braining Damien with a bat. A snort rips it's way out of me and I look at her, grinning.

"Brutal."

The corners of her mouth turn up in a smile as she gazes back out of the window. The main meat of the city starts coming into view, the forests of the outskirts becoming more and more barren, being replaced with decorative palm trees. We wind across the networks of hellish overpasses and negligent infrastructure decision making. I'm staring idly into space when I hear a chuckle from Olivia. Desperate for reprieve from this urbanist hell I look over. She's browsing some kind of forum.

"What'cha lookin' at?"

She gives me a side eye.

"Oh. Uh... nothing."

I lean over before she can react, staring at the URL of the website. She jerks it away with a 'hey' but the damage is done. I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"Lizard Lounge?"

Liz snorts from the front seat.

"Oh, boy... you still browse that site, Olivia?"

A wry smile creeps across her face.

"...Yeaaaaaaah?"

I narrow my eyes at her.

"I can already tell this sounds f*cky. Liz, explain."

Olivia gives out a little 'snrk' and pats the back of Liz' seat.

"No, no! Don't tell him!"

Liz peers at her in the rear view mirror before humming.

"It's... this weird, exclusionary chatroom. They only allow dinosaur women. Men and... rather specifically, human men are banned."

Damien gives out a loud melodramatic gasp, spinning around in his seat and goggling at us.

"RACIAL SEGREGATION?!"

I can't help the laugh that peels it's way out of me as Liz continues.

"Olivia showed me once, the people on it are... really weird."

I turn to Olivia, co*cking an eyebrow.

"Alright. Lemme see."

Her eyes widen, and she guards her phone from me like a dragon.

"N-no! You wouldn't want to, it's, uh... got a lot of gross pictures on it!"

I lean in.

"And?"

She continues stammering out an excuse.

"A-and you wouldn't get any of the humor! It would just look weird!"

I lean closer.

"You're just makin' me more curious. Hand it over or I'll look it up myself."

I hold my hand out and wave my fingers back and forth. Her face flies through several emotions before she eventually relents, handing me her phone and sinking into herself with a groan as she covers her eyes up. I peer at the website, scrolling through the posts. Raptor Jeeeeeesus. She was not kidding. Post upon post of unhinged and debased humor that I can only barely comprehend greets me, usually accompanied with some kind of disgusting fetishistic artwork that draws a cringe out of me. Jesus. This is the same kind of sh*t that one senior got exposed for at my old school when I was a freshman. Motherf*cker had to move away it got so bad. I think I kicked his ass once. Just one of the many things I regret nowadays. Poor guy. Hope he's doing alright. I hand Olivia her phone back with a neutral expression.

"It's, uh... unique. Can't say it's really my thing, though."

She seems surprised by my nonchalant reaction, and I shrug.

"Everyone's got their weird sh*t they like. Who am I to judge?"

She seems very much eased by that, leaning back into her seat.

"Uh... thanks, I guess? Ugh... was the ride to the arcade always this long?"

Damien looks at his phone.

"We're like fifteen minutes away at this point. Don't worry, D. The water fountains are integrated."

I grin, reaching forward and lightly slapping Damien across the side of his head. He jerks forward and cackles, then settles down and glances back at us.

"Man... I hope the place still sells those hotdogs for just a dollar."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Brother, if they're still selling hotdogs for a dollar in this economy, I ain't going any-f*ckin'-where near 'em."

He sighs wistfully.

"Yeaaah... they used to be so good, though. Olivia and I would save our lunch money just to get some 'dogs after school."

She hums.

"D's right. If they were still that cheap, not even I would trust it."

Damien peers at her, smirking.

"You ate one off the floor that one time, though."

I whip around and stare at her, scrunching my nose up. She jabs a finger at him, scowling.

"That's different!"

Damien continues yammering on about their old adventures, with Olivia chiming in every so often to correct him whenever he gets a little too bombastic. Soon enough, suburbia is completely gone, replaced with concrete and steel as we arrive into the big city proper. I can't help the odd little feeling that rises across the back of my neck. I only ever come here to go to the pit. But here I am, hanging out with my friends. This place isn't anywhere near that slum, but I can't help but feel nervous anyway.

"Here we are!"

I'm pulled out of my thoughts as Liz pulls into the arcade parking lot. Jesus, this place is f*cking old. Large glass windows covered in sunbleached promotional leaflets adorn the front of the arcade. A lot of them are leftovers from what I assume was this place's 'ye olde glory days'. I bet this joint kicked ass back in the day. sh*t, I bet it still does. Liz pops the trunk as I get out and I swiftly retrieve Olivia's wheelchair. Lessee here... release button here-

KHCHUNK

It flips up, and to my absolute horror and intense pain, one of the handles brains me right in the bits. I hit the ground groaning, clutching one hand to my precious family jewels.

"Ffffffuuuuuuck..."

I hear Damien hiss in solidarity, Liz question if I'm alright, and Olivia cackle like it's the funniest f*cking thing she's ever seen in her entire life. I roll onto my back, staring up at the cloudy sky and wishing the Lord would take me right now. Damien steps into view, staring down at me sadly.

"Damn, bro. That's rough."

He helps me up, patting me on the shoulder gently. Olivia had jumped into her chair in the meantime, and was still grinning like a f*cking fool at me. I sneer at her, stepping between my feet to help work the pain out.

"f*ckin'... wheelchair. Jokes on you, my dick touched it."

At that, she scrunches her nose up and rolls by me with a scowl.

"Ew."

Liz looks equally grossed out, but Damien cackles again as he leads us inside. As soon as we step inside, I'm bombarded by flashing lights and loud digital sounds that never seem to cease. I'd never been in an arcade before. This was... a lot. Sweaty gamers of all shapes and sizes meander around, conversing about whatever nerd sh*t they like to talk about. I glance down at Olivia.

"Yo. You gonna be okay to talk louder?"

Still reeling from my earlier comment, she sneers up at me.

"I'm not five, D."

I raise my hands defensively, and she rolls her eyes with a smile, relaxing.

"I appreciate the concern either way."

Liz and I both scowl in unison as we peel our boots off of the floor with a noticeable and quite frankly f*cking disgusting sound. She goes to chastise Damien for not warning her about the sticky sensation, but his ADHD ass is already sprinting towards a change machine with a wad of bills at the ready. Olivia glances back at both of us, sensing our discomfort with the nasty ass floor.

"Yeaaah... sorry about that. I probably could have said something. Been here before, y'know?"

I peel my other foot off the floor, scowling.

"So why didn't you, exactly?"

She shrugs, smirking. Liz and I look at each other in non-gamer solidarity. Also known as 'f*ck this is gross.' Olivia continues.

"You guys did kind of drop this on me at the last minute. But... I still remember this place pretty well."

Liz seems to perk up at that.

"Great! You can show D around, and I'll go with Damien."

She taps her index fingers together, staring bashfully at the frilled fool as he shovels his money into the machine.

"Those two player gun thingies look fun to try out."

A questioning 'hmmmm' rips it's way out of me as I peer at her with an upturned brow. Olivia asks a question.

"You mean the light gun games?"

Liz looks back, noting my expression and turning very slightly crimson. She nods regardless.

"Y-yeah, those ones..."

So that's your plan, huh long-neck? Alright. I'll play wingman.

"Good idea. Olivia wanted to show me some specific sh*t anyway, right?"

I peer down at her curiously, and she looks back up at me, surprised.

"I did?"

I gesticulate towards the rows and rows of machines.

"Suuuuure!"

A loud banging sound draws our attention, and Damien looks back at us dully. Nice.

"LIIIIIIZ! I think I broke this one's joystick!"

I look up at her.

"You'd probably better go deal with that."

She blows a huff out through her nose, nodding. I can't help but note the happy smile that arises across her face as she goes over to him though. I look back down at Olivia and gesture forward.

"Onwards, mighty 'gamer', show me your treasures."

She cuts her eyes at me and then turns, wheeling away.

"Oh, I got a game for you to play, alright."

She leads me through rows and rows of machines, making a pit stop at a change machine to get what we need, until eventually she stops in front of a rather big game, blaring high paced techno music. There's some kind of platform connected to it with four arrow buttons arranged in a D-Pad pattern. I peer up at the name. 'Dance Dance Evolution'? The logo is of an ape doing some kind of f*cked up dance, halfway through evolving into a human man. I can't help but feel a little slighted as I stare down at Olivia.

"You... want me to play this?"

She peers up at me, crossing her arms and grinning smugly.

"I said you owe me. Now it's time to dance, monkey boy."

I roll my eyes and groan in exasperation.

"I didn't think you'd cash it in so soon. Fuuuuuck it. You're pickin' the songs, I don't know anything about this sh*t."

She cackles as I step onto the platform uncomfortably. I expect her to at least go easy on me, but nope. She immediately cycles the difficulty to the f*cking hardest setting in the game, and picks some insane song that sounds like a seizure made into audio. I can only watch in muted horror and bounce on my feet like I'm prepping for the brawl of my life as the intro to the song kicks on. Arrows start flooding the screen, and I- holy sh*t. This is actually really good footwork training. God damn. I'm feeling it. I'm FEELING it. I'm not doing perfect. Some of the arrows I gotta hold, which f*cks with me, but I'm clearly doing way better than she anticipated. I catch a few sideways glances at her and she looks f*cking stupefied. Hell, even some of the nerds passing by stop to gawk at my performance. I settle into a groove, losing myself in the music as I start shadowboxing without the boxing. Holy f*ck, this is a work out. I suddenly feel nowhere near as bad for skipping half of it today. By the time the song ends, I get a passable grade of A, and I lean back onto the handlebars, panting heavily, COMPLETELY gassed. I stare at Olivia as I do so, managing to return her smug grin from earlier.

"Haah... hoo, hoo... boy... h-heh... how's that, eh?"

Her jaw is hanging open in shock at me. It clicks shut, and she just shrugs, looking at me simply.

"I can't even be mad."

I laugh, breathing out one last time as I straighten up.

"Hey, f*ck it. That was fun. I'll go again if you want, just, uh... maybe not so fast this time, yeah?"

She nods eagerly, rolling towards the controls again.

"Sure, sure. I wanna see you perfect this one song, hold on..."

She has me play through about four or five more songs, these ones thankfully far less intense. And, yeah, after that f*cking trial by fire, these baby songs are a cake walk. Apparently the highest the ranks go is triple A, which I get on all but one song. After wrapping up the last song, Olivia is just leaning back in her chair looking impressed.

"God damn, D. I didn't know you had it in you."

I shrug, steadying my breathing.

"Hidden talent, I guess. That enough for you? Have I proved my skill, your majesty?"

She snorts, staring at me with a smirk.

"Yes, peon, I am amused. That's enough, though. Don't want to have you dancing here all day. There are plenty of better games around that I can actually play too."

She turns to wheel away but I find myself catching her by one of her handles. She looks back at me, surprised.

"Say... why don't you show me the game that christened you 'Hotwheels', eh?"

She's about to say something, but shuts her mouth and gazes towards a specific part of the arcade. I focus my senses on it, and sure enough, I hear the loud hoots and hollers of competition. She wrings her hands gently, hesitating. I give her chair a gentle shake, hissing out my words quietly, but determined.

"C'mon, Hotwheels. Show me that fire."

She continues to gaze off into the distance, but a quite frankly perturbing grin stretches across her face. Her tongue sweeps across an incisor and her pupils contract, focusing onto a singular cabinet. Without further needling, she jerks out of my grasp and goes wheeling off towards it, and I follow behind eagerly. Now that's a f*cking look I recognize. She glances behind her at me every so often, making sure she hasn't lost me in the crowd as she barrels through them to get to her destination. As we get closer to her destination, the air grows heavy, dank, and quite frankly, f*cking disgusting. My god, I can barely breathe. I had heard tales of the fabled gamer stink, but reality outweighs the legends in this case. Damien's voice pulls me out of my internal horror.

"Yo, you found us!"

Soon enough, both he and Liz (or her head, anyway) come into view. Olivia only glances back once more to make sure I was still there before she rolls right up to the particular cabinet she's been spying, nearly slamming into it as she brakes. Jurasskick, huh? Stupid ass name. Someone else is there. Some squat fat*ss greasy looking ankylosaur with blonde hair, dressed in a yellow shirt and a goofy ass black vest that barely fits him. I step closer as she takes a coin out and places it on his controls. Without even bothering to look at her, he apparently takes this as an invitation to start yapping about his historic career as the biggest f*cking nerd on the planet, talking about how many tournaments he's won or whatever until Olivia cuts him off.

"Shut up and nut up, already."

Attagirl. This seems to get his attention as he turns around, sneering.

"You really want to try me? Look Tiny Tim, you gotta know that I'm-"

He cuts himself off, looking just about everywhere for Olivia except down, until he finally does, squinting heavily until his eyes are almost shut. f*cking idiot, staring at a screen all day. That's what you get. His lips curl up into a smug smirk that makes me want to slap it off of his face.

"Bro, you know you can't be bringing chairs over here, not after last summer."

Olivia snarls, raising a fist. I genuinely think she's about to f*cking deck this guy in the dick when he finally realizes that she is in fact in a WHEELCHAIR, and he grimaces, raising a hand.

"Uh- nevermind, my bad, sorry."

She glowers at him, lowering her fist and tapping a finger on the coin.

"Rules say you can't refuse, right?"

He co*cks his head at her in confusion. She continues.

"Y'know? You're the new champ here, right?"

He nods slowly.

"Yyyyeah, I am how'd you kn-"

"This is the champ's cabinet, right?"

Damien, Liz's head, and I have all huddle together at this point, and I shoot Damien a questioning glance. He returns it, and thankfully seems to get what I'm asking.

"It's the oldest one here, since like... the dawn of time, or whatever. Sacred artifact, bro."

I turn and look over this thing, and yeah. It's old as f*ck. There's barely any paint left on it, and what isn't chipped away has been marred by marker. I glance back at him, brow co*cked.

"Seriously? This piece of sh*t?"

He nods, grinning.

"Yeah, bro. Only the big wigs get to use it. If you're spotted trying without 'credentials' you get headbutted."

I sneer.

"I wish a motherf*cker would."

I look back at Olivia, who is currently boring a whole through fatso's head with her eyes. That smug looking smirk returns to his face, and he leans back, jabbing a thumb into his chest.

"Look, uh, lady. I'm a big deal here. Buster'o'nutz, crown champ in all of Volcaldera. This particular Jurasskick machine's got a history. It happens to be the same machine that Daino 'The Rex' Go managed to parry-"

"Quit stalling and fight me already!"

Buster jerks back, grimacing.

"I'm not stalling! I'm just setting the stage, is all! You think you're the only challenger I've got?"

I glance around. Sure enough, more sweaty losers have come crawling out of the woodwork. Buster gestures around theatrically.

"On my title, I'll take all comers now!"

Whispers start bouncing around the crowd, and OIivia grunts.

"Finally, I-"

Buster cuts her off with a wave of his hand.

"Form a line."

Olivia co*cks an eyebrow at him.

"O...kay?"

He smirks, continuing.

"Tallest to smallest."

She recoils, scowling.

"What?!"

Buster waves her off.

"Go on. No cutting!"

Damien grins, cracking his knuckles.

"Oh, heck yeah. We're gonna wipe the floor with you, Buster."

I turn to stare at him and shut that the f*ck down, but Liz screeches before I can.

"WHAT?! I don't even play video games!"

I chip in.

"Uh, yeah, no f*ckin' way. Not a chance in hell I'm doing that."

Buster grins at us, or more specifically me.

"Too bad. Consider it the blood tax."

Liz continues protesting and I'm about to round on Buster and threaten him with a real f*cking 'Jurasskicking' but Olivia looks up at me, hitting me with a pleading look that knocks the wind out of my sails. Liz continues ranting.

"Besides, you think I want to put my hands on THAT thing? Who knows where-"

I cut her off, grunting.

"f*ck it. We're in."

Liz whips her head around at me, aghast.

"D!!"

Damien shoots his hands into the air, screaming to the heavens and then turning to Liz, jumping up and down excitedly.

"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Come on Liz, it won't be that bad! You're still by the Brachio booth, right? Hold tight, I'll come get you!"

He starts rushing off towards her, and she cranes her head after him, protesting the whole way. I can't help but co*ck an eyebrow, looking to Buster of all people.

"...Brachio booth?"

He shrugs.

"It's tight in here, y'know? Brachiosaurs used to bump into literally everything in here, including each other. There was some lawsuit, so now there's a few raised platforms where all the longnecks can sit and 'reach' everything. Got some water fountains, too. Doesn't stop things from getting tangled when there's more than a few at the same time, but it's... something."

I digest this information with a nod. Soon enough, Damien comes back with Liz Prime in tow, who looks extremely unamused. Seemingly keen on getting this over with ASAP, she just strolls right up to the cabinet and barely even tries, picking some random character and essentially just letting Buster whoop the sh*t out of her. A digitized voice calls 'Perfect' out into the crowd after about a minute of this slaughter, and she just steps away with a pout, crossing her arms and heading back to her spot in the booth. Buster leans his head back against clasped hands, seemingly intent to gloat about beating an absolute f*cking beginner. He tilts his head back, calling into the wind.

"Next victim!"

Damien is only slightly taller than me thanks to his f*cking head frill, but I'm not complaining. He struts up with that goofy grin on his face, digging around in his f*cking jangly ass pocket for change. Buster strikes up a conversation with him.

"Haven't seen your group around before. Tourists?"

Damien fishes the quarters out, looking at him with a smile.

"Huh? Oh, nah... 'Liv and I used to come here all the time. Life's been tough lately so we got some friends to come along this little sojourn down memory lane. Lighten the mood a bit, y'know?"

Buster seems to nod in understanding, humming. Damien continues, juggling the quarters in between his knuckles.

"This place hasn't changed much in the years, either. Enough chit-chat though, bro!"

He jams them into the slot and the screen flashes, the character select screen music busting it down. Gotta admit, it's kinda groovy. Buster considers his selection, or at least pretends to anyway, because he just picks the same exact character as he did last time. Damien doesn't hesitate for a minute, picking his own character. Buster shoots a mean glare at him, and I must have a look on my face because Olivia glances up at me and answers the unspoken question.

"Damien just picked a counter to his character. Probably expected all of us to be beginners."

Buster's tense now, so yeah, that checks out. Olivia continues.

"Been a while since then, though-hkk"

Her vocal fry completely cuts her sentence short, and I look down at her.

"You good?"

She looks back up at me, clearing her throat and nodding.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Still scratchy as f*ck. I tap her old ass reliable-but-dented canteen, which hangs off her wheelchair by a hook.

"Need some agua?"

She looks down at it in contemplation before looking up at me with a smile.

"Sure, thanks."

I unhook it and shoot her a two fingered salute, peering down at this busted ass old thing as I walk away. It's got a few stickers plastered onto it, none of which I recognize in the slightest. Maybe I should get her a new canteen for her birthday or something- what the f*ck? Birthday? Why am I thinking about that? Just looking for water, Fault, come on dawg. If I were a water fountain, where would I be... I head deeper inside the arcade away from the Huge f*cking Nerd Zone, thankfully able to catch a breath of mostly not-sh*t air. I finally find a fountain to fill it up at, but Liz' voice chirps through the air, and I look up at her head hanging above me.

"You guys are done already?"

I shake my head.

"Nope. Just getting Olivia some water."

I peer back down at the canteen, ogling the biggest sticker on it. Some kind of weird trident symbol. Eh... I don't really care all that much about watching that stupid ass game, to be honest. I hold it up towards Liz.

"Yo. You know what this sticker is?"

Her head bobs closer, peering at it intently.

"Um... it's from some really old show. Like, 90s old. Why?"

I shrug.

"I dunno. Caught my eye, I guess."

She hums.

"I've never really asked her about it, either."

"Fair enough."

Something to ask her myself. I fill up the canteen and recap it. I jog back to the action with Liz in tow, and to my shock, Damien and Buster are still butting heads. Damien is smashing his fist against the buttons like they owe him money, and Buster is sweating bullets trying to keep up with him. The crowd has gathered closer to ogle the screen, and Olivia is right there at the front, completely transfixed by the action. I stride up next to her and nudge her shoulder, but she doesn't even respond. Damn, really? Okay. I uncap her canteen just enough to let a drip of water leak out onto my fingers when I tilt it, which I then flick across her snout. The cold moisture dots across her face and she jerks back with a tiny little grunt, glaring up at me.

"What the f- D?!"

I hold her canteen out for her, grinning.

"Here. Took me a while to make enough spit to fill it up for you."

She scrunches her nose up, but takes it anyway.

"Ew."

She uncaps it completely and slugs pretty much the entire thing, clearing her throat once she's done. She looks up at me with a smile, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.

"...Thanks."

I nod at her and return my vision to the game.

"How's he doing?"

Olivia hums, peering back at the screen herself.

"Well... he's getting too aggressive."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"That's a bad thing?"

She immediately launches into a detailed explanation of the game's mechanics. Wow. I haven't checked out in a while. Something about rushing down, zones, footsies... f*ck is a mix-up? Hurtbox? My brain is a hurtbox right now. My mind goes numb for a brief moment as she batters it with fighting game terminology, her voice becoming a faded mutter on the fringes of my thoughts. You'd think I'd be into this sh*t, but I like to fight for real, not with some pixels and sh*t. I slowly snap back to reality, Olivia's voice coming into focus again.

"... ...so Damien has to keep his distance. It's not looking good for him, he's probably about to-"

Damien's frustrated voice cuts her short.

"Oh, crap!"

Buster proceeds to unleash a diabolical series of inputs that batter Damien's virtual little fighter into paste. I have a distinct feeling he was waiting for Liz and I to get back to do it. Damien groans, stepping back from the machine with his arms crossed, looking defeated, which quickly fades as Buster, to his credit, at least nods at him with respect.

"Wow, you actually knew how to play."

Damien steps back with a thumbs up as fatso points a meaty finger at me.

"You're next."

I narrow my eyes at him and slowly stride forward, leering over him as he takes in my face and probably realizes that my f*ckhuge scar is in fact not a tattoo or something, and is in fact a real mortal injury that I survived. I glower at him for long enough to cause another bead of sweat to drip down his face, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Olivia's voice cuts through the hushed whispers of the crowd.

"D, stop scaring him and play the game!"

I glance back at her for a brief moment before returning my gaze to him, cutting my eyes like daggers at him and then taking my spot next to the controls. The screen flashes and an array of characters that I don't give a single f*ck about show up on screen. Buster, as I suspected, picks the exact same character again. Some little gremlin in my brain directs my joystick towards that very same character, and I select them myself. A fresh batch of hushed whispers fly around the crowd as Buster gives me a nasty looking side-eye. I return it with five times the intensity and his gaze snaps back to the screen, eyes wide. I listen to the words being tossed around.

"Mirror match?"

"What's this noob doing? Nobody is better with that character than Buster..."

"Bruh..."

f*cking losers. The match starts and Buster immediately starts pulling out some wack ass sh*t, flying across the screen and knocking my character around. I glance down at his hand movements intently, studying the motions. I may not know how to play this stupid ass sh*t, but I know how to read my opponent, motherf*cker. I start copying his moves, flicking the joystick and tapping the buttons with the same precision I would use in the cage. More shocked whispers fly around, and I feel like I'm holding my own for a little while until this turbo-nerd proves that just being able to copy him isn't enough, and he eventually gets the better of me. To my credit, I at least don't get perfected. I step away from the cabinet with an annoyed grunt, but Buster looks at me and nods in approval.

"Not bad, actually, not bad at all! That was your first time playing?"

I leer at him and say nothing, but nod.

"Very cool. You should practice, I bet you'd be pretty good."

Huh. Maybe this fat weirdo isn't as much of a dickhe*d as I thought he was. I stare at him for a brief moment, and then step back into the crowd with a grunt.

"Thanks."

He nods as Olivia wheels forward, mean mugging the sh*t out of Buster. Her tail lashes back and forth against the ground as she glowers up at him, seeing if he has anything to say before they start. Naturally, of course he does. He starts yapping again about e-tournaments and other turbo-nerds he's beaten in this year and that year, which 'guilds' he leads. To Olivia's credit, she never interrupts him. He finally finishes his tirade with crossed arms and that stupid smug smirk again.

"You won't look bad for ducking out... or are you ready to get Busted?"

"...You're fat."

I can't stop the surprised laugh that peels it's way out of me, which happens to be joined by a few other members of the audience, who Buster quickly shuts down with a glare. Guess fatso does have some clout here, after all. He redirects his incensed gaze back down to her, sneering.

"You can still back out of this."

Olivia's pupils contract as she inserts her coins without breaking eye contact, a soft little snarl gracing her lips. As the coins go in, she slams her fist down on the start button. Buster whips into action immediately, this time picking an entirely different character. Damien's eyes widen, and he lets out a soft gasp. I co*ck an eyebrow at him.

"What?"

He points his finger at the screen.

"Buster's character is, like, three kinds of bullsh*t is what's wrong."

Woah. Damien, cursing? This must be serious. I lean closer, intent on hearing the deets, and he continues.

"For one thing, he's usually gentlemen's banned in tourneys and-"

Wait. I don't give a sh*t. I lean back, tuning Damien out completely as Buster chuckles and grins at Olivia from the side. She doesn't seem to care in the slightest, casually clicking her joystick over to a baryonyx chick dressed in a karate gi. The announcer blares the name out, and I co*ck an eyebrow as I hear it.

"Wani-Long!"

I recall the name she put her contact in my phone under. 'Liv-Long', huh? Damien's hands shoot up in excitement, and he turns to me.

"Alright! She's bringing her main out! She's taking this serious, bro!"

I nod dumbly at him, pretending to understand what the f*ck any of that means. I don't even bother asking for an explanation... but... I can't help but focus back to Olivia intently. The intensity rippling through her and Buster right now is infectious. God, it's... it's almost like I'm back at the pit, watching a fight. I can't take my eyes off the screen as the match begins with a bitcrushed 'fight'! I expect to see a flurry of movement, but... no. I know what's happening. They're sizing each other up. Damien starts yammering again, apparently trying to explain to me what's going on, but I already know now. I thought this was just kiddie sh*t. Maybe it is. But the lightning in the air right now? That's real as f*ck. It almost gives me goose bumps. I feel the blood rushing to my head as the crowd's intensity starts picking up. Olivia and Buster's tails are going ape sh*t as they try to get a read on the other, and the fatso's tail even cracks the concrete under him.

sh*t. He might be a fat loser but he's still an anky. Those tails are mean. Finally, a loud smash rips out as their characters make contact, and they both go flying across the screen. The crowd whips out a cheer, and even Damien gets involved. The action is short lived though, and they return to their little back and forth. My eyes whip between them, studying their movements. Olivia's completely lost in it, her eyes wide and filled with... literal killing intent. It's almost scary. It's a look I recognize, and one that sends a shiver down my back. Buster is pissed, but his is more focused, contained. A dangerous state. With ten seconds on the clock, Buster finally makes an error and Olivia immediately capitalizes on it, punishing him brutally. He only barely survives the assault with a tiny sliver of health left as the clock runs out, but the game calls it Olivia's win anyway.

"WINNER: WANI-LONG!!"

At that point, the crowd goes apesh*t again... and I do too. I can't help it. I'm lost in the moment. Round 2 begins, and it becomes only quiet muttering again as we all watch intently. But... a tingle crosses the back of my neck. Something is wrong with Buster. Or... is he?... he wouldn't... a f*cking self proclaimed big shot like him? He's f*cking holding back on her. Damien shouts again besides me, but I barely even register it as I glare a hole into the back of Busters' head as rage boils up the back of my neck. Are you f*cking serious? Talking all that sh*t, and you're holding back on her? Why? Because she's in a f*cking wheelchair? Regardless of my feelings, he at least beats her enough to claim a time-out victory. I can't f*cking believe this. I almost want to walk up there and smash his f*cking head into the cabinet, but I don't want to cause a scene, and more importantly, it would embarrass the f*ck out of Olivia. Damien belts out another sentence, which I'm actually lucid enough to comprehend this time.

"You got this Olivia! Just one more win and you're champ again!"

Olivia tenses up as a bunch of eyes swing to face her, and she growls his name out without looking back. Damien doesn't seem perturbed as he continues.

"C'mon, Hotwheels! Show 'em why you're the best!"

She groans quietly, refocusing on the screen. For some reason, it becomes silent. No mutters, no whispering. It allows my annoyance to creep back up into my mind. We'll see if he keeps doing it. Maybe I was wrong. Over-reacting. Round 3 starts, and the crowd picks back up, and my eyes rip into Buster, studying every f*cking minute movement he makes. He is. This fat piece of f*cking... I must be making a mean ass face, because Damien actually taps me on the shoulder, looking at me with no small amount of concern.

"D... you okay, bro? You look like you're about to blow a gasket."

I hiss out my words through clenched teeth.

"He's f*cking throwing."

His eyes widen in shock and he looks back at Buster. Sure enough, Olivia makes a move and Buster allows himself to hesitate for one brief moment, getting hit by the vicious combo.

"Dude... you're right."

His brow furrows, and I can tell he's thinking the same exact sh*t I am.

"Even here?... ugh... everyone else is having fun, though. If we interrupt the match or something it'll kill the buzz."

He looks at me timidly.

"If she can't tell, what's the harm?"

I turn my hateful glare to him, and he shrinks back with a wince. Despite it, I know he's f*cking right. I shouldn't. But... I can't. Not in good f*cking conscience. Wait, I could... hm. Maybe I'd hesitate if I barely knew her, but now? A growl slowly rises in my throat before it rises to a roar as I bellow out a roar above the crowd.

"RIP HIM APART, OLIVIA!"

Damien jerks back, actually glaring at me. Yeah, not so nice to get your eardrums burst, is it pal? He quickly recovers though and raises two fingers to his mouth, whistling loudly.

"HECK YEA! YOU GOT THIS!"

Even Liz gives it a shot, using her height advantage to shout down from the rafters. Another roar rips it's way out of me.

"STEAMROLL HIM! RUN HIM OVER! BURN. HIM. UP, HOTWHEELS!"

Damien seems to get swept up in my intensity, his frills flaring out.

"YEAH!! GO, HOTWHEELS, GO!!"

Olivia flinches, looking back at us. Her eyes widen at my incensed state, and I'm about to yell at her to pay attention when Buster peers back at us too. f*ck it, if he's going to himself be distracted...

"WHAT ARE YOU GAWKING AT US FOR, HUH?! KILL HIS ASS, HOTWHEELS! EYES ON THE PRIZE!"

Damien jumps up and down, pumping his fists into the air with each leap.

"BEAT HIM WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING!"

Her gaze cuts right through the crowd, directly at me. She scowls for all but the briefest of moments before it gives way to a confident smirk. She turns back to the screen, and Buster rapidly snaps himself out of his own stupor. Looks like he got the f*cking hint. Too little too late though.

"TIME!!"

Buster leans back, grunting angrily and looking at Olivia.

"Bahh! Want to go another round? People need a winner."

She wheels backwards a little bit, smirking.

"Sure, but I need to run to the restroom real quick."

He nods, pointing.

"Yeah, sure. It's down that way."

Olivia turns and begins wheeling that way, smiling at me warmly as she goes by. It manages to knock most of the rage out of me, and I start simmering down. Buster waits for her to be out of earshot, and scrambles over to Damien and I. He looks between us, eyes wide.

"Were... you guys serious?"

I glare down at him.

"About?"

He gesticulates wildly.

"Hotwheels! You were saying Hotwheels! That's not really her, right?!"

I step forward and jab a finger into his tubby chest angrily, snarling.

"You're damn f*cking right it is, you fat puss*. I saw you throwing the f*cking match."

A wave of 'oooooo's go around the crowd and Buster slumps over guiltily.

"Yeah, I... well, finhead here gave me a sobstory about her during our match and I felt bad, okay? Who wants to be known as the asshole that picks on girls in wheelchairs?!"

You know what, fair, but also, still, f*ck you. Some rando in the crowd pipes up.

"Ooooooh, Buster was being hospitable to the young lady!"

He wheels around, scanning the crowd angrily.

"WHO the f*ck, shut the-"

Someone else interrupts him, cackling.

"Yo, Buster, you simpin'?"

He jabs a finger at the guy angrily and then turns back to us.

"Piss off! But... look. I really didn't mean any disrespect or anything, alright? If I had known she was Hotwheels from the beginning I would have taken it dead serious."

He looks me dead in the eye, seemingly unphased by my threatening glare now.

"I'll play for real now. It's what she deserves, okay?"

The sneer on my face rises to a grin, which causes him to recoil. I slap a hand onto his shoulder and grip tightly, leaning down and getting into his face. Beads of sweat start dripping down his forehead.

"Good. You better, buddy. Otherwise I'm gonna take you out to the parking lot, and your new name is gonna be BUSTED Nutz, got it?"

Damien shoots me a sly side glance as a peal of laughter rips around the crowd at my threat, and I know exactly what the f*ck he's thinking about. I glare at him from the side. You bring that up, and you're going out into the parking lot too, motherf*cker. He gets the hint, shrinking back with a meek grin. Buster nods twice in rapid succession and I let him go, gently shoving him back towards the arcade machine. He cracks his knuckles and neck, breathing out the fear of God I just put into him. The guy from earlier pipes back up.

"You're still kinda simpin', though."

Buster casually co*cks his head back.

"Shut the hell up, Dave."

Olivia returns not soon after, sliding back up to the machine.

"Thanks for waiting."

He nods at her.

"No problem. Ready?"

She smirks.

"You know it."

He smirks back.

"Good, cause you're goin' down this time."

Their smirks become a competitive scowl, and they return their focus to the screen. They both pick the same characters as last time, and as soon as the game announcer shouts out 'FIGHT' I feel a whip crack of static in the air as Buster immediately starts brutalizing Olivia, completely catching her off guard. Good. He was being serious. Olivia doesn't stay reeling for long, and even though Buster is throwing himself into it like an absolute beast, she still manages to land a few blows here and there while dodging a few decisive attacks. The crowd seems to catch the same intensity I do, and Damien and I find ourselves falling back into it, roaring out encouragements for her. Unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it, Buster was apparently not just hot air about his skills, and... it's over. She lost.

I can't help but slump over sadly. f*ck. Buster crosses his arms and straightens out proudly, basking in the glory of defeating the Hotwheels. Olivia wheels back from the machine and looks up at him, impressed.

"Damn... you really did hand my ass to me."

To my surprise, he actually gives her a warm smile.

"Didn't I say I was kind of a big deal around here?"

She waves him off.

"Yeah, yeah..."

He chuckles.

"I gotta admit though, you really did give me a challenge. I can see why you were the champ, back then."

At that, she smirks up at him again.

"Thanks."

He nods, leaning gently against the machine.

"If you're ever up for a rematch, you know where to find me."

Olivia nods one final time and then makes her way over to us, beaming happily. She seems invigorated, despite losing. We all turn and walk away to a more spacious area of the arcade as Buster belts out a challenge to the rest of the gathered geeks, and Damien pumps his fist as we go, peering down at Olivia.

"That was awesome, 'Liv!"

I can't help but grin, nodding.

"Yeah... that sh*t was... electric."

She looks up at both of us happily, nodding.

"Gosh, wasn't it? I thought I would be rusty, but the moment he started going all out? I was... so close to beating him!"

She holds her hands up, and they're shaking. Ah... I know that.

"Look, I'm all jittery!"

I nod, grinning.

"That's the post-fight dopamine rush. Feels great, doesn't it?"

Olivia beams up at me happily, about to respond in the positive before she suddenly stops, her happy face screwing up into one of confusion. In fact, all three of them look at me weird. Uh... sh*t. I stare at each of them nervously, and then just shrug, grinning.

"I... watch a lot of IFC?"

She snorts, and Damien snaps out of his stupor.

"Hey, you know they sell food, right? We should get some snacks to celebrate!"

Before anyone can either confirm or deny that they would in fact want some food, he turns and marches off towards the snack bar. Liz hurries off after him, encouraging him to wait, leaving Olivia and I alone for a brief moment. Her suspicion has faded, and she peers up at me with a small smile.

"Food, huh? You know what, I could go for a lil' somethin'."

I pull out my phone, grunting.

"Yeah, it's about that time, I guess."

"Come on, they went this way!"

She starts barreling her way through the crowd, and I take advantage of the swathe she cuts to jog after her.

...

The snack bar's a grimy little place. Tile instead of carpet, gross looking cheap little tables and seats, and bright eye-straining fluorescent lights. I scan the menu with trepidation. Man... I am not eating any of this sh*t. I already feel lousy enough eating nothing but chips and soda during school lunch every day, this f*cking garbage might actually just kill me. Damien orders two slices of gnarly ass pizza all for himself, the glutton, but he does pay for Liz's sad little arcade salad. He offered to pay for Olivia's and mine too, but after I told him I didn't plan on eating any of this garbage, he shrugged. I just go ahead and pay for Olivia's, and she orders a basket of hot wings. When we all get our food, Damien doesn't even f*cking bother to sit down, sprinting off back into the arcade with pizza in both of his hands like a 4 year old. Liz plants the mothership in a seat next to us but cranes her head off after him, effectively leaving Olivia and I alone. I slump into a seat and Olivia barely sets her tray down before-

CRNCHCRNCHCRNCH

holy f*cking christ. I can only watch on in shocked awe as she absolutely eviscerates these f*cking wings, bones and all. It's like watching a nature documentary up in this bitch. She crunches down on a bone particularly hard, sending a squirt of marrow onto the table. I can't help but scrunch my nose, nor can I help the mutter that escapes me.

"f*ckin'.... dinos..."

She stops her voracious carnage for a brief moment to peer at me, but then continues unabated. f*cking... sheesh. I wait until she slows down a bit, and then I proffer a question to her.

"So. Anything else you got in mind?"

She chews idly on a bone, co*cking her head back and forth as she ponders my question. Jesus. That looks a lot like a finger bone. She shrugs.

"I dunno. Watching you dance yourself to death was pretty fun, and after fighting Buster I'm pretty wiped. Damien's probably got like 20 minutes left in him, so... I'm- I'm cool to hang out if you are. Unless you want to play something?"

I shake my head.

"Nah. Never really got into the uh... video games, thing. I'm also kinda... hittin' my limit, er..."

I wave my hands around at the building in general.

"Socially?"

She looks away idly, nodding. I continue, though.

"I wouldn't mind doin' it again, though."

"Yeah?"

"f*ck yeah, absolutely. I haven't done anything this, uh... normal in a long time. It was fun."

She co*cks an eyebrow at me, wiping her mouth free of sauce with a napkin.

"You said something weird about fighting earlier, D. And... back at the party, that bruise I saw... and the random little nicks you come to school sometimes with, are you?..."

Oof. What's with the sudden interrogation? I slink back in my seat, wincing.

"Do... I have to tell you?"

She looks at me sternly.

"I was honest with you, D..."

Fuuuuck. She's right. I lean forward, resting my forehead in the palm of my hand and sighing, checking to make sure neither Liv or Damien were in ear shot. Or anyone, for that matter. Nope, we're good.

"Alright... f*ck. Yeah... you know those... 'walks' I've been taking around the city?"

She nods slowly, concern creeping across her face.

"I've... been... goin' out into random slums and gettin' into street brawls, a'ight?"

She gasps softly, her brows shooting up.

"D, what the hell? That's f*cking dangerous! Y-you could get hurt or wor -"

I cut her off, not raising my voice but taking a stern tone.

"I know.That just was at the beginning though. I... found a place, where I can go, where I can do it relatively safely."

She leans back, unconvinced.

"I'm not gonna tell you where it is. It doesn't have a name. But it's got rules to keep me from dyin' and I made a deal with the owner of the joint that'll keep me from getting too f*cked up. It's... somethin' I gotta do, okay? You've seen me, when I get into those nasty f*ckin' moods. It helps me feel better, keeps my mind clear. Please, please do not tell the others, I'm beggin' you. You worryin' about me is bad enough, I don't need the whole crew doing it too, okay?"

She hesitates, wringing her hands in her lap before she looks back up at me nervously, gently nodding.

"Okay, D..."

I stare at her intently.

"Promise me, okay?"

She looks away again.

"Olivia. Promise me."

"I... promise. I promise I won't say anything."

I lean back in my chair, smiling at her. She returns it nervously. Man, she's gonna be thinking about that sh*t constantly now.

"Thank you. So, uh..."

I jab my thumb at Liz.

"Her and him, huh?"

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"What?"

I return the look.

"Oh, come on. She's geeking on him hard. You haven't noticed?"

She hums.

"I guess you're right. Didn't really think of it that way."

I snort, and then smirk at her.

"sh*t, the way she was trying to split us up? It was like she was settin' it up to be a double date."

Her eyes widen, crimson immediately flooding across her face as she stares at me. Instead of recoiling away in embarrassment like I expect, she leans forward slightly, her tail wagging back and forth gently.

"Y-You think so?"

That's... not what I was expecting. I feel a subtle heat drift up my own face before I lean back, chuckling awkwardly. Raptor f*cking Jesus f*cking Christ. I haven't felt this stuttery and dumb in a long while.

"Uh, eh-heh, yeah. Kinda funny, ain't it? Y'know, w-we're uh- goin' to the gym every week and sh*t together y'know, so I guess it k-kinda does look like we're uh d-dati-"

Something whips around and clobbers me across the back, causing me to jolt forward with a grunt. Thankfully, it also knocks the stupid out of me and I look at Olivia with a scowl as she grabs her tail and clutches it against her tightly, blushing like a fool.

"Crap, crap, sorry!"

She lets it fall back to the floor and sweeps her hands over her face, rubbing the red away as she gives out her own awkward chuckle. She looks back up at me, face now returned to a normal smile.

"Uh... yeah. I had fun today. It's been a long time since I've done something.... normal like this too. Seeing this place again? It's nice."

I nod solemnly.

"f*cknuts or whatever his name was said they renovated it. That true?"

She hums quietly, turning her attention to the wider arcade, scanning it intently.

"I... think they changed the wallpaper. But other than that?"

She looks back at me, a grin awash with nostalgia adorning her face.

"Nah... still the same. You know what has changed?"

I co*ck an eyebrow, silently asking her to continue.

"The people here."

Huh...

"Yeah, I think I get that. I bet this place used to be f*cking crazy."

She nods wistfully, looking back at the arcade machines.

"Back then, every machine was crowded, it was a lot louder, and there was this..."

She stops, searching for the right word. I finish it for her.

"Electricity?"

She snaps her gaze to me, pointing with an excited nod.

"Yeah! Electricity!"

I nod.

"Like when you and f*cknuts were playing that game."

She grins, nodding again.

"Yeah! It was like that, but... more. Way more. Imagine that, but across the entire building."

I don't really have to think hard. The pit is exactly like that. She suddenly deflates with a heavy sigh, turning completely back around.

"Now it's just... empty. Like everything else."

I glance around.

"I dunno about empty. This place is almost too f*ckin' loud and noisy for me even now."

She hums quietly, pulling her canteen up and staring at the sticker that drew my attention earlier today. Oh, hey, here's my chance. I gesture to it with a casual finger.

"What's that sticker from? Noticed it when I was gettin' you water."

She looks up at me, wearing a poker face.

"It's just from some old anime that I remember watching growing up. It's no big deal."

Anime? Visions of that senior and his stupid ass leaked photos start bubbling around in my head again. sh*t... well, you know what they say, atonement has to begin somewhere.

"Some old anime, eh? Go on, tell me about it."

Almost immediately, she leans forward, a sparkling look gracing her rapidly dilating eyes that I have never seen before. Her jaw hangs open slightly as she scans my face intently, whispering softly.

"You really want to know?"

Oh. sh*t. What did I just unleash?

"Uh... ye-"

Before I even finish the sentence, she wheels closer to me and starts assailing me with a literal-from-memory-synopsis about this show, which is apparently called 'Gundam.' It's about people in big ass robot suits blowing each other up and sh*t? That sounds kinda f*ckin' rad actually. Normally, I would almost immediately check out, but... I dunno. The passion in her voice as she goes on this long winded diatribe keeps me interested. I have zero clue what the f*ck any of it means, but at this point I'm just listening to her because I like the sound of her voice. She tells me what the sticker means, apparently it belongs to a faction of guys fighting for their independence or some sh*t. Hell yeah. Fight the power. I assume she's going to stop at several points when she suddenly picks it back up into an entirely different offshoot. Apparently this show has like f*cking eight hundred different versions of it or something, and she seems intent on explaining in great detail every single one to me. Any irritation that arises that I would usually feel when being yapped at is quickly beaten and battered aside by my growing fondness for Olivia. I'm completely lost in it. A feeling creeps up my neck, one that I'm only somewhat familiar with. I think back to my earlier reaction to the double date thing. Do I... am... I? I don't have time to ponder it further as Olivia suddenly chokes out of a sentence with an 'irk' sound. I lean forward, a little alarmed.

"You okay?"

She smiles happily at me, her voice coming out scratchy and wretched again.

"Fine!"

I gesture to the canteen.

"Need more?"

She shakes her head, and lifts it to her mouth, drawing deeply from it's waters. Damn... she's chugging that sh*t down hardcore. Last time I saw her chug it like that was during the first time we really spoke in Iadakan's class. She finally lowers it, sighing out happily. I nod at her.

"All good?"

She returns it.

"Mhm. So, where'd I-"

She stops herself, looking away suddenly with a soft hum.

"Actually, I've probably been babbling on about it for too long."

"Hey, don't let me stop you. I was gettin' into it."

"Naaah, you're fine. You let me talk about my favorite show, so tell me about yours."

I grunt.

"I just watch IFC, you know that."

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"You don't have any old favorite shows from when you were a kid?"

I think about it and, uh... nah... not really. Wait. Oh sh*t, yeah there is.

"Uh, yeah, actually. It was this uh... I guess, anime?"

She looks interested now, co*cking an eyebrow.

"It was about boxing. I don't remember the name, though. Or how I saw it, for that matter. I think I just found a random DVD of it in a store one time and begged my mom to buy it for me because I thought it looked cool. It was uh... fighting... something?"

Olivia thinks for a moment, humming.

"Fighting Spirit?"

A memory jolts back into my brain and I snap my fingers and point at her, grinning.

"Yeah! Yeah, Fighting Spirit! Holy sh*t! You've seen my little tag signature right? I based its style off of that."

She smirks.

"I knew something was familiar about it when I first saw it. That's fun, D. Maybe we can watch it sometime, the next time you're over at my place."

I nod, the grin not fading.

"f*ck yeah."

She then co*cks an eyebrow, her own smirk rising to a grin.

"If it ever gets too serious though, you can always watch Power Raptors with Vinny."

I snort.

"I got enough of that from the kid by himself, I'm good."

She giggles.

"He does like it a lot. I remember my dad letting me watch it as a kid, and Vinny got into it because I showed him."

Her dad, huh?

"That's nice. Y'know, you said your dad was in and out of town a lot for work. What's his jawn?"

"He's on contract with the DoD."

Some part of me feels a lump drop in my stomach. Jesus, her dad's a government man? f*ck me, the delinquent inside of me is sh*tting himself. Play it cool, Fault.

"Damn, badass."

She nods.

"Yep! Been working with the Airforce since I was a baby."

Her face falls to a neutral expression as she glances away.

"Normally he isn't called that often, but when he does, it's for a long time. Weeks, even months."

Damn.

"That must be rough."

She shrugs, looking back at me.

"It's not that bad. We still call and text all the time. He's just busy."

I nod.

"Good. Keepin' in touch with family is important."

Ugh. Why'd I even say that? Much to my horror, Olivia follows up on it.

"What about your parents? What's their job?"

I must get a look on my face, because she suddenly looks a little worried.

"I, uh... live by myself."

The worry doesn't fade. She sounds sad.

"...you do?"

God, Olivia, please don't use that tone of voice. It hurts.

"I mean, yeah. My dad is... payin' for the apartment, and stuff. He's, uh..."

sh*t, do I really want to tell her? f*ck. Deflect and hope she doesn't press it.

"It's... y'know, I told you a while ago I was sent here. It was by myself."

"What about your mom?"

At that, I recoil quite heavily. She suddenly looks regretful.

"I... she... died, a while ago. It's just me and my old man."

Before she can apologize, Liz' mothership starts freaking the f*ck out about something, drawing us both out of the DREADFULLY f*ckING AWFUL conversation we were in, thank god. Damien comes bounding back over, Liz' head in tow, with an armful of tickets, sporting the most excited pog I've seen on him yet. Good lord, that's a lot of paper. The sight of it alone is enough to knock any lingering funk out of both Oliva and I. sh*t, he's got tickets trailing behind him. Liz giggles happily.

"Damien got the jackpot at Megala-Millionaire!"

He nods, holding his treasure up for the world to see.

"This is probably like a thousand tickets! I'm gonna go see what this gets at the prize corner, come on!"

He goes speeding off again, Liz getting up and following after him with the main body. I glance back down at Olivia.

"You done eatin'?"

She looks at the mostly finished pile of wings, and grunts quietly.

"Yeah."

Yikes. Yeah, my appetite would be spoiled after that too. We both follow behind Damien and arrive just as he slaps down his ticket pile on the desk, where the clerk sits there looking at him with an expression not unlike my 'dumb f*ck' face. Damien doesn't seem to acknowledge it.

"What can I get with these babies?!"

The clerk snorts.

"Nothin', you need to drop those in a ticket counter first."

He hisses.

"Crap! I forgot!"

He rushes off to get them counted, and I look over the prize options. Couple of old ass games for a rip-off number of several thousand, a f*cking sh*tload of candy and plastic trash in the glass case, a bunch of prank type sh*t, and the ever-so-present plush corner, where both licensed and knock-off live alike.

"What is he even going to get?..."

Liz hums thoughtfully, bringing her head down low enough for her to tap her finger against her chin as she scans the wall.

"Probably... the mini RC car? Or, no, maybe that plasma globe!"

Olivia chimes in dully.

"He's going to get a handful of candy and leave us the rest."

I snort.

"Sounds about right."

Soon enough, he's back, handing a much nicer single ticket with '1247' printed on it. Jesus, he won the 'megalo-millionaire' jackpot and only got that much? This place really is a f*cking rip off. Damien scans the wall, humming. He tries to go for a foosball table that is entirely out of his price range, which the clerk is quick to point out. He grunts out an 'augh, dammit', and then his gaze swivels right down to the candy. So, the prophecy comes true... sure enough, he gets a small little bag of chocolates, and turns to us with a big goofy grin.

"You guys can have the rest."

Olivia and I share a look as Liz speaks.

"Eh... I don't really need any of this."

I shake my head.

"I'm good."

Olivia pipes up.

"I might want something."

She wheels closer, scanning the wall and humming quietly. I'm wondering what tickles her fancy when her gaze slowly settles on the plushie corner, and she gets that same wide-eyed sparkly look as when she was explaining Gundam to me.

"Woah... look at that."

I follow her pointing finger, and immediately recoil. What the f*ck is that thing?! It's some kind of... sparkly... green... f*cking... blushing... long frog thing. It is seemingly the last of its species, and as I gaze at it, my hackles start to raise as some primordial need for genocide creeps it's way up the back of my neck. Damien looks equally perturbed.

"That one?"

He stares at it, and suddenly his brow furrows.

"I kinda wanna tie it to a firework and set it off into a deep fryer."

I snarl quietly.

"I want to f*ckin' twist it's little head off and cast it down a pit of fire."

Liz raises both of her hands and gently bats us both across the head.

"You guys are rude... you're not wrong, though. Still rude!"

Damien side-eyes her, grimacing.

"He looks like he's the reason we have taxes."

I snarl louder this time.

"I f*cking hate it's face. Smug lookin' piece of sh*t."

The clerk chimes in.

"I've gotten used to it. It's been around for years."

Damien looks up at it hatefully.

"Tell it I hate it."

I glance down at Olivia, who still looks just as enamored with it.

"Please tell me you actually aren't gettin' this thing."

She reaches out towards it with grabby hands, whispering quietly.

"Wow... it's just like me..."

The clerk pulls it off of it's hook and hands it to her, and she looks deeply into it's nasty, grimy, little sh*tty eyes. She sets it in her lap with a smile.

"Yep. Just like me."

Damien sneers down at it, vitriol pouring out of his mouth in a manner that almost shocks me.

"I'm going to set that on fire some time."

Olivia wheels around, glaring up at him.

"Not if you like having both arms."

He doesn't back down.

"We have two for a reason..."

They bicker back and forth for several minutes until Liz looks at her watch and glances back up at them.

"Guys, it's getting late. Think it's time we head out."

I look at my phone. sh*t, yeah, it is. I wanna head to the pit tonight before it gets too late...

"Mm. Yup."

Damien deflates.

"Aww... I guuesss you're riiight..."

We all start filing out towards the exit, and when we're getting close Damien stops, breathing in happily. He turns around to face us with a beaming smile.

"You know, this was a lot of fun, coming here all together for the first time in a while. Thanks for taking us, Liz."

She smiles, brushing a strand of hair away from her face shyly.

"Oh, it's n-no problem."

Damien turns towards Olivia and I, nodding.

"Thanks to you guys, too."

I clap him on the shoulder, grinning.

"Hell yeah, big man. I had a really good time. How about you?"

He shoots me a grin, pairing it with a thumbs up.

"Even better."

Olivia hums, drawing our attention.

"I know I was a bit 'meh' about the idea at first, but I'll admit..."

She looks up at us, smiling widely.

"It was worth it."

We all share a smile and head back out into the parking lot, where we file back into the car and I do the whole wheelchair rigamarole again, this time very carefully. Once we're all buckled in, Damien glances back and catches sight of the dreaded plushie again, and the argument begins anew.

"I'm just saying, you should try hiding pencils in its ears until they come out the other side of its 'head'."

Olivia is curled up completely into her corner of her car, snuggling up to it and resting her head on top of its, smiling, at least until she bites back at Damien.

"If anyone hurts him I'll kill ya."

I snort.

"Alright, cool it. Fratricide over a stuffed animal would make a sh*tty newspaper headline."

I wince anyway as Olivia hugs it tighter. Liz speaks up.

"So, D... want me to drop you off at your place?"

Hella.

"Yeah. Lemme text you my address real quick."

The deed is done, Liz pulls out of the parking lot and onto the main road. The orange glow of the sunset bathes everything from the city to the car's interior a light that sets gives the newfound little photographer in my brain pause. Thanks, Ben. A question rises in my mind for Olivia and I turn to ask her, but it catches in my throat as I turn to her. She's curled up so peacefully, gazing out of the window at the scenery going by. I feel myself going just a little red as I take in the sight. Only one word pops into my mind; 'adorable.' I'll... leave her alone. After gym today and all that activity, she must be exhausted. I look away with a soft smile, which slowly fades as I think about the night I'm about to have. Sure, it was exciting... very much, actually. This is another night I'll probably never forget. But... tonight is my real main event. I couldn't shake the lingering feeling of the lightning in the arcade.

I gotta fight. I have to. I need to.

...

Chapter 11: Bloody Knuckled Interlude: IV

Chapter Text

Liz drops me off at my place first, naturally. It was the closest to the arcade anyway. I stand at the curb and wave them all off, watching them drive away. I wait. And wait. Eventually, when I'm sure they're long gone, I immediately call up a cab and head to the pit. At this time of night, it's usually pretty active. Sure enough, I head inside, and there's a fight ripping and roaring away. I don't care to stay and watch it. I scan the room for Pops, but he's not in here right now. Must be in his office. I head to the back and rap on the door. Sure enough, his voice calls out for entry, and I open the door, stepping inside.

He peers up at me from his desk, smirking wryly.

"Ah... D. You look fired up, boy. In the mood for a fight tonight?"

Fired up is an understatement. I stroll up to his desk and lean onto it with both hands, staring down at him. My voice is oddly... calm. Free of it's usual cadence.

"Who's the craziest motherf*cker in here right now? I want to fight them. Forget my little rules for this bout."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"...What's got you keyed up like this?"

I shake my head, grinning.

"I just feel good. Invigorated. Come on, Pops..."

He seems hesitant for a brief moment, but then relents, shrugging.

"A'ight, kid. It's your choice. Most dangerous guy I got in here right now is Demetrius. Therizinosaur."

He peers up at me, narrowing his eyes.

"You know what that means, right, kid?"

Therizinosaurs... they're the only dino species banned wholesale from competing in the IFC. Their talons are f*cking wicked long, and even more sharp. It's actually a legal requirement that they file them blunt for 'public safety'. Even then, it's still f*cking dangerous. They can't just be trimmed all the way down because there are a lot of important blood vessels in them. I co*ck an eyebrow at Pops.

"Unfiled?"

He nods stoically. sh*t. That's actually bad. I trust the medical team, though. It's really up to Demetrius on how badly he wants to f*ck me up. Pops seems to know what I'm thinking.

"He knows th'rules and sticks to them, he won't try to kill 'ya. He's real good 'bout avoiding vital spots, but he'll still f*ck you up if you let him. I got other guys you can fight... you still wanna do this?"

I contemplate it for a good long while, before I eventually look back down at him.

"I'm in."

...

The crowd is apprehensive tonight. I've gotten a small little reputation over the course of my time here, nothing too wild like Stephan, but a lot of the regulars know who I am. A hush fell over the crowd when they saw me step into the ring with Demetrius. He's a cold, quiet guy. Ice cold, even. Makes me wonder if this guy's a hitman on the side or something. I don't ask questions. Good way to find out the hard way. He peers at me from across the cage, sizing me up. I do the same to him. Those f*cking claws... he hasn't just kept them unblunted, I swear to god he's sharpened them. That's actually a good thing, though. Cleaner cuts, easier to stitch up. His voice cuts across the silence at me. His accent is thick. Greek, I think?

"No hard feelings, eh?"

I shake my head, grinning.

"Do your worst, Wolverine."

He grins back. It's perturbing.

"Okey."

I take a deep breath, relaxing my body as the announcer steps in. Pops only does it sometimes, the usual guy is another human, like me. Suave looking dark skinned guy with dreadlocks. They don't bother using microphones here, so he takes a deep breath as he belts out our introductions.

"GOOD EVENING, FOLKS! I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO SEE SOME BLOODSHED TONIGHT!"

He sweeps a hand at me.

"ON THIS SIDE OF THE CAGE, THE BRUISER FROM OUT OF TOWN, D!"

A round of applause and cheers goes around. He sweeps his hand over to Demetrius.

"AND ON THIS SIDE OF THE CAGE, THE HERAKLION RIPPER, DEMETRIUS!"

Demetrius doesn't get any applause. Only quiet murmurs. What the f*ck did I just step into? The announcer steps back, raising his arms up to the heavens.

"YOU BOTH KNOW THE RULES OF THE PIT! WHEN THE BELL RINGS, BRING THE HEAT!"

DING DING DING

Neither of us jolt forward. Instead, we take slow, cautious steps. Demetrius isn't in any kind of combat stance I'm familiar with. It's more... feral. Bestial. He flexes his fingers back and forth, the dagger-like talons waving to and fro lackadaisically as they peel the air like a potato. This isn't the lightning I wanted. This is a sleet storm. We draw closer, closer, closer. A flash, and suddenly talons rake out at me. I veer to the side, avoiding the attack and battering a fist across the side of his snout, which does little to stop him as he jerks his other hand at me. I only barely manage to twitch out of reach, the very tips of his claws flicking at the surface of my skin. One of my avenues of attack is completely cut off. I can't f*cking grapple this guy, he'd eviscerate me. It becomes a game of counter-attacking. I wait, he attacks, I dodge and counter. Except... I'm not doing enough for it to count. All I can hit him with are light jabs. He's starting to nick me, too. Steadily wearing me down with micro-cuts that slowly leak my blood. The mat, already stained with years of old bouts, starts looking more and more like a child's splatter painting as the brief jolts of action fling the crimson ichor off of my body and across the floor. I finally manage to nail an opening after a particularly clumsy and excited strike of his, and I hammer a right straight firmly into the front of his snout. His own blood joins mine on the floor, intermingling in a demented dance as it starts freely flowing out of his nostrils. A wide grin stretches across his face, blood running down in between his teeth.

"Εξαιρετικό!"

Even if I knew what he said, I don't have the strength to snap back. I'm slowing down. Starting to gas out. I can't keep this up. But I'll be f*cking damned if I'm going to go down without giving him something to remember me by. Suddenly, I jolt forward. He staggers back, clearly not expecting such an aggressive play, but swings a claw down at me regardless. I reach out and catch his wrist, even as his long talons still find their way into my arm, leaving shallow cuts that bleed more profusely than the others. I wrench him to the side, interrupting his follow up strike as I throw an overhead and spike my knuckles right into the orbital bones of his left eye. I feel something crack, and he hisses out in delighted pain. I try to let go and dip back in preparation for his follow up, but the fatigue is too much. I'm too slow. A white flash of pain cuts across my chest and I stagger back, staring dumbly down at the three long gashes he's left down my torso. The flesh is sundered cleanly, neat gaps peering into the muscles of my chest which are shortly replaced by gouts of blood that spill out in a soft torrent, falling to the mat with audible drips. I stagger back further, the bell sounding out dully in my ears. The fringes of my vision start to go gray as I can only continue staring at the blood leaving my body.

The next few moments are blur. I get rushed back into the pit's makeshift clinic, as one of the medical teamsters goes and calls for them to get a car ready to take me to the hospital. I call out, even in my dazed state.

"NO! No hospital! Just fix me here!"

The man turns back around, puzzled and shocked.

"Wh- kid, we don't have any sedatives here and these are deep!"

A slurring snarl rises it's way out of my throat.

"I don't give a sh*t. Just give me something to bite down on and stitch them up here."

He looks like he's about to tell me to go f*ck myself, but I hear Stephan's voice ring out across the room.

"Do what he wants, Evan."

The man grunts, annoyed.

"f*ck. Alright. Here."

He produces a little strip of leather, holding it up to my teeth. I chomp down onto it and lean back, shutting my eyes. I don't remember much of anything the rest of my time at the pit. Most of it is just spent in white hot agony as they disinfect the wounds, clean them as best as they can, and start stitching them up. The needle bites into my flesh and rips a hiss of pain out each time it goes back and forth, and it seems like I grind my teeth into the leather deeper with each pull. What seems like a century of suffering passes by, until finally the last stitch is put in with a final tug that wrenches an actual yelp out of me. They clean it up one final time and then have me sit up, much to my pained consternation. Gauze is wound around my chest and wrenched tight. Stephan is the one to offer to take me home, and Evan hands him a small bag filled with more gauze rolls. He then turns to me.

"You're going to need to change your bandages every day for two weeks. Check it daily, and if it gets infected, for the love of Raptor Jesus, please go to the hospital. We can't deal with that here, and enough time will have passed that nobody will be suspicious about it. Assuming it all goes fine, come back to me in two weeks and I'll get your stitches removed. Now, here."

He takes out a tiny bag filled with two white pills.

"Take one tonight to help you sleep, and take one later on down the line if you need it to help with the pain. These are strong. Don't bother coming back and asking for more, because you aren't getting any. When it wears off and starts hurting like a motherf*cker, and it will, do not take any aspirin. I stitched this up as best as I could, but it's still going to leak a bit and aspirin will only thin your blood and keep it from clotting."

I nod at him dumbly, taking the bag and slipping it into a pocket. Stephan gives me his shoulder and leads me back outside. Each step I take sends a dull thump of pain reverberating through my body. He gently lowers me into the passenger seat of his car and buckles me in. He asks for my address and I can only mumble it out to him. He looks perturbed when I tell him I live on the third floor, but naturally my complex has an elevator, which soothes him. Even as late as it is, there are still some people milling about, so they get to see a big ass scary looking stego guy hauling a f*cked up looking skinnie to his room. Yippee. That won't start spreading rumors in the building. Soon enough we arrive at my door and I fumble my key out, opening it. Stephan lets me go inside and doesn't follow for a brief moment, but then peers his head inside and takes in my apartment. A brief look of confusion flashes across his face and he steps in, shutting the door behind him as I gently lower myself onto my bed, hissing in pain the entire way. Stephan sets the bag of gauze down on my bedside table and then gently sits on my nearby couch, staring at me.

"Kid... you live here by yourself?"

I nod silently, and he hums quietly.

"...Alright. I won't pry. You going to be good?"

I reach into my pocket and slip the pill bag out.

"I will be after I take one of these and conk the f*ck out. Thanks for bringing me home, Stephan."

He nods, but leans forward.

"Any time. That's not going to heal before you have to go back to school, though. You have the weekend, at least."

I wave him off, careful not to agitate my wounds.

"I'll just... call in sick for a few days, and then I should be okay enough to haul my ass over there. My PE teacher is cool, he won't ask questions about this sh*t, so I won't have to do anything physical."

Stephan seems to accept this answer, standing up and heading for the door.

"Alright. Sleep well, kid. Here, toss me your key. I'll lock the door and then slip it back under the frame."

I oblige him, and he does so, leaving me alone in my apartment. Almost immediately, I slip a pill out of the bag and pick up the cup of last night's stale, half drunk bedtime water, slugging it back with a grimace. I set the other pill and the cup onto the table and gently ease myself back into bed. Evan wasn't joking. This sh*t is strong. The pain slowly becomes errant whispers across my body, which itself seems to grow weightier and weightier with every passing moment. Soon enough, my eyes drift closed and sweet, sweet, medicated sleep settles over my mind.

...

Chapter 12: Heartfelt Truths

Chapter Text

I'm in agony. It hurts to breathe. I can barely think. At least when I got the wound that left me with this stupid f*cking face scar, I passed out from shock and woke up in the hospital, kept nice and sedated until it was fine for me to leave. I regret not letting them take me to the hospital so f*cking much. That second pill kept me from being completely immobile for most of Saturday, and I had the foresight to use what little remaining mobility I had to change out of my regular clothes into a pair of sweatpants andnothing else. When Sunday rolled around? I could still move around a little, hurt like a motherf*cker, but I could do it. Now? I could barely muster the strength to call the school and let them know I'd be out. I haven't been responding to texts from anyone, and someone has been blowing me up. I think it's Damien. Hell, they've even tried to call me a few times. I gotta change my bandages. Motherf*cker. I can't. I can't do it by myself. I stare down at them. My stitches have leaked through these entirely, and now they're crusty and brown with old dried blood. This sh*t is going to get infected if I don't clean it, and then I'll really be f*cked.

I weakly reach over to my bedside table and scoop up my phone, checking the time. School should be ending soon. I scroll through my messages. Yep. Damien. I've got like over a hundred messages from this f*cking guy in here, all about inane sh*t that's been happening through the day. Couple from Ben about f*cking homework, the nerd. Couple of get well wishes from Liz... Olivia. She's sent the most recent message, probably in between classes.

[Liv-Long: How ya doing champ :F]

God. I don't want her to see me like this, but I don't trust anyone else.

[You: Olivia. I need your help. Can you come to my apartment after school?]

She's probably in the middle of class right now, Prockling's. No way she'll be able to respond to that. I just have to wait. I lean my head back onto the pillow, breathing shallowly as I stare up at the ceiling and wait for time to pass by. Eventually, my phone buzzes again with a message.

[Liv-Long: Take me out to dinner first lol]

f*cking sh*t, lady.

[You: I'm being serious. It's about my walks.]

She almost immediately sends a response, one much more succinct.

[Liv-Long: Oh sh*t okay]

[You: Thank you. Floor 3, 305. The elevator is down the lobby and to the left. My door is unlocked, just come in.]

Not right now it wasn't. Okay, D, here we go. I slowly begin to peel myself up and out of bed, hissing, cursing, and even yelping in pain a few times as I try to lift myself up in a manner that doesn't aggravate my chest. As it turns out, sitting up from a prone position kind of forces you to do that. Eventually I manage to do so, staggering against the wall for support as I stumble over and flick the lock. Okay. Hard part done. I shuffle my ass over to the couch and gently lower myself down into it, groaning the entire way down. Alright. Sitting is better. I think an hour and a half goes by, and eventually I hear activity outside my door. Two soft knocks, a pause, and then the door slowly creaks open. Olivia's maw peaks in, her voice echoing through the room softly.

"D?"

"Come in."

f*cking sh*t. I sound like I've been buried in sand for three years. The door gently swings open and there she is, my green savior. She freezes on the spot when she sees the sorry state I'm in, a not quiet gasp ripping it's way out of her throat. I gesture weakly.

"Close the door and come in before anyone sees."

She manages to flick her tail up and shut the door with it and wheel her way over to me in one swift motion, her face a horrible mix of fear and worry.

"What the f*ck happened, D?!"

I weakly gesture to the bloodied, ruined bandages.

"Therizinosaur."

Her eyes scan them with slowly increasing panic as she fumbles her phone out of her pocket.

"I- you- you need to go to the hospital, D!"

A pained grunt rips it's way out of me as I force myself to lean forward, staring her dead in the eye.

"No."

She recoils, her phone hanging limply in her hand.

"B-but..."

I shake my head.

"No. Olivia, I just need you to help me change my bandages. I can't do it by myself."

She puts her phone away and wrings her hands anxiously, meeting my gaze with her own.

"I- but... I've never done anything like this, I... why me?"

I reach a shaky hand out and put it on her knee. Her breath catches in her throat.

"Because. I trust you. I know how to wrap them, okay? I'll guide you."

She glances down at my hand for a brief moment and then back up to my face. She chews on her lip for a moment, glancing away in contemplation for all but the briefest moments, before she looks back up to me and nods. She still looks worried, but the panic is gone. I lean back slowly and gesture to my pocket knife, resting on my bedside table.

"You're going to have to use that and cut these off of me. It'll be easier than unwrapping them, and these are ruined anyway."

She nods, retrieving the implement. She carefully grips the blade and snaps it into place, looking up at me for the next instruction.

"Alright. Press the flat of the blade on my skin and carefully shimmy it up under the bandage, then once you've got it, twist it until the blade is facing towards you and then gently pull down. I keep it sharp, so it should go through no problem."

She executes the instructions perfectly, repeating it for the rest of the bandages. Once that's done, I reach up and slowly peel them off, hissing quietly as the completely dried blood tugs against the wound as it's peeled off. Olivia gasps again as she takes in the full breadth of my sutured injuries, unimpeded by the bandages. Once they're off, I just unceremoniously drop them on the other side of the couch. I'll get rid of it later. I look back up at her.

"Okay. Next we need to clean them. I can handle that, just..."

I gesture towards my kitchen.

"There should be some clean rags in the second left drawer there. Get one and get it damp."

She does so, bringing it back to me and handing it over. God f*cking damn it, I'm shaking so bad. Olivia watches me fail to properly clean myself for about two minutes before she reaches out and gently takes the rag back from me, and I don't even offer any resistance. She hefts herself out of her chair and settles herself on the couch next to me, wordlessly taking over the cleaning duty with a soft, worried expression. I lean my head back and mutter out more instructions.

"D-don't get the stitches wet, just clean around them."

I see her gently nod in my peripheral as she continues wiping up the old blood, trying to be as gentle as she can. Even still, I twitch every so often as she skirts a little too close to the tender wounds, causing her to flinch back and wait a beat or two before continuing. Eventually, they're clean, and Olivia speaks.

"They're still oozing a little, D..."

I grunt softly.

"That's normal. It's blood, right?"

She hums in the positive.

"Yeah. Normal. Alright..."

I point at the bag of gauze, and instead of getting back into her chair she neatly slides off the couch onto her knees and shuffle-walks on them over to them. Huh. Never seen her do that. I smile weakly.

"...heh. That's cute."

Her face grows red as she digs one of the rolls out of the bag, giving me a slightly nasty side-eye.

"S-shut up..."

I chuckle quietly, which is then cut off with a soft groan of pain as the mere act causes a ripple of pain to jolt through me. With the bandages in hand, I gently instruct her on where to wrap them around my torso. Eventually, the deed is done. She leans back, staring down at the pile of old bloody bandages next to her, unsure of what to do with them. I wave her off.

"Leave them. I'll do something with them later. Can you?..."

I gesture back towards the table one last time, at my pack of cigarettes and lighter. She looks back at me, co*cking an unimpressed eyebrow. I stare back at her and then lean my head back, closing my eyes.

"...Please?"

She rolls her eyes with a smirk and retrieves them too, handing them to me.

"Sure, make the disabled girl get everything for you, huh?"

I grin weakly at her as I slip a deathstick out and ease it between my lips. My shaky ass hands take a few flicks to light it, but eventually the sweet relief of nicotine floods my body, helping to ease the pain ever so slightly. It's mostly the shakes I wanted gone. I savor the feeling for a few moments before gently leaning forward towards my coffee table, picking the ash tray up and setting it on the arm of my couch. I hang the cigarette away from Olivia to spare her as much of the smell as possible. We sit in silence for a few moments before she gently speaks.

"Have you eaten anything?"

I gently shake my head.

"No. Haven't had an appetite."

"...I'll make you something, okay?"

I look over at her in surprise, and realize just how close she's sitting to me. A gentle, warm glow creeps up my face as I look into her eyes. I've... never noticed how pretty they were until now. Soft. Silver.

"I... y-you don't have to."

She leans ever so closer, studying my face intently.

"I want to."

I don't have an answer for that. I can only nod, leaning back into the couch as I take another drag off my cigarette and flick the ashes into the tray. She pulls herself into her chair and wheels her way back into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge and freezer.

"At least you eat healthy..."

I snort, wincing as it drives a spike of pain across me.

"Olivia, I go to the gym nearly every day. Did you expect me not to?"

She hums, putting a pair of chicken thighs, an onion, and a carrot on the counter.

"No celery. A shame. I'd like to make homemade stock, but that would take too long. Good thing you have a carton of it, I suppose."

I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"What, making chicken soup?"

She peers over at me, nodding.

"Mhm. It'll be easy for you to eat."

I nod.

"Sounds good..."

I lean back and focus on my smoke, staring up at the ceiling as I listen to the clattering of pots as Olivia rummages through my cookware for the right one. I don't really have any fancy gadgets or anything, but I do at least have a good premium set of cookware. Being doted on like this is... nice. My house starts smelling pretty f*cking good within the next hour. I watch as Olivia pulls herself up and sits onto the counter deftly, reaching up into my cabinets and pulling two bowls out. She's really yanking herself around no problem. I smile as I watch her ladle her finished product into both of them.

"Looks like our gym time is paying off, huh?"

She looks over at me from the counter, crimson creeping across her face.

"W-were you watching the whole time?"

"Sure. Enjoying the fruits of my labor."

She huffs, pushing herself back into her chair. She carefully balances the bowls in her lap as she wheels over to the coffee table, setting them down and leering at me.

"Your labor, huh?"

I grin at her.

"Uh-huh. I'm the one that fixed your form up into something acceptable, right?"

She rolls her eyes.

"Whatever. Enjoy the fruits of my labor, dork."

The nicotine helps enough with the pain for me to not grunt and hiss like a moron as I lean forward towards my piping hot bowl of soup. Olivia watches me intently as I lift a nice spoonful of meat and vegetables to my mouth and take it in. Holy sh*t. This is good as f*ck. I look up at her, eyes wide. She co*cks an eyebrow as I gulp down the mouthful and grin.

"f*cking sh*t. This is good as f*ck, 'Liv."

She looks a little surprised, but smiles gently.

"It's just soup, D... you literally just throw it in a pot and let it boil."

I shake my head.

"Nah... this..."

A memory pops into my head as Olivia takes eats her own spoonful.

"This is... uh... it reminds me of my mom's cooking, actually."

She looks up at me, eyes wide.

"Wh... it... does?"

I nod, staring down at the bowl wistfully.

"Yeah. She was..."

More memories. f*ck. A soft lump in my throat begins to form.

"She... was a good woman. I..."

God. She would be so f*cking ashamed of me. Or would she? No. She'd just smile at me with that smile and tell me it was going to be okay. Listen to my worries. Tell me how to help myself get through it. She never fixed my problems for me, no. But she always had a way for me to help myself. God. What I wouldn't f*cking give for her guidance right now. Mom... I...

"I miss her."

drip... drip.

Tears. Of course. I feel a small pressure push into my side as Olivia wraps her arms around me and holds me gently, muttering quietly.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want to."

I find myself leaning into her slightly as gentle tracks of tears slide down my face.

"N-no. I want to tell you about her. You deserve to know."

Olivia rests her head against my shoulder, nodding gently.

"...I'll listen."

I go on to tell her about my mother. What a wonderful woman she was. Her name was Juno, but... obviously she was just mom to me. My dad brought in all the money, but she didn't want to just be the stay at home housewife, so she became a kindergarten teacher. She loved it. It was like her life's work. She had a presence that could calm down even the most belligerent fools. She radiated joy, lifted up every room she was in. She had this way about her, this warmth that just made you feel safe, like nothing bad could ever happen as long as she was around. My emotions wrench back and forth as I force myself to remember everything. All the good... and all the bad. She got sick. Cancer. Hit her like a freight train out of nowhere. I remember how she tried to hide it, not wanting to burden anyone. But I could see it in her eyes, the pain, the fear. And all I could do was watch, helpless, as it ate her alive. She was such a beautiful soul. And she was stolen from everyone.

The tears in my eyes only grow in intensity as I begin this part of the tale. Olivia only holds me tighter. I wish I could say I was there for her, that I held her hand through it all. But the truth is, I was angry. Angry at the world for taking her away from me. Angry at myself for not being able to do anything about it. And when she died? It was like a part of me died with her. I watched our family fall apart. My dad grew more distant from me. I knew he was grieving, but I didn't give a sh*t. I just lashed out at anything and everyone. Slowly degenerating into a violent f*cking monster. Then it happened. I choke back a sob. The pain of my wounds ebbs throughout me, but I'm too wrapped up in my mind to care.

The memories leading up to that f*cking dark day which kickstarted me getting punted across the continent away from everything I've ever known, I'll never f*cking forget them. One of my only friends that stuck by me through it all. My best friend. I hurt him. I hurt him bad. The roof. f*ck. The roof. It was during school, we were just f*cking around playing hooky. Laughing, joking, not a care in the world. And then, in an instant, it all changed. I don't even know what set me off, to be honest. He said something about my mom I think, it wasn't even bad. It just reminded me. I told him not to bring her up so many times. I didn't want to think about it. It's like something inside me snapped, and before I knew it, I was shoving him, hard. Too hard.

He went over the edge. I didn't realize how close we were. The way he fell, the sound of his body hitting the ground. Try as hard as I want to, I'll never forget. He survived, but... he...

The sobs come forth unbidden now. I bawl into Olivia's arms, wailing loudly. I'm broken. I can't hold it back anymore. All the regret, all the vitriol about myself I have stored in my mind comes flowing out in heavy torrents. I crippled him. Paralyzed him from the waist down. The worst f*cking part of it all? The day before I went into juvie, I got a text from him, while he was in the hospital. And all it said. Three words. Three words that haunt me, because I can't comprehend why the f*ck I'm worthy of them.

'I forgive you.'

One of Olivia's hands finds it's way to my head and she pulls me in tighter. I can feel it. She's crying too. She rocks me back and forth gently as I hold her tight. I'm not sure how long I cry for. But it's a while. My sobs slowly die down into hiccups. Olivia shushes me quietly as I start repeating 'I'm sorry' into her shoulder. She shouldn't have to see me like this. She's already done so much for me. I...

I like her. But I can't tell her now. Not while I'm like this. If she doesn't feel the same way... I'd just be baiting her into a relationship with my f*cking sob story. I won't do that to her. With one last shuddering breath, I pull away from her, leaning back into the couch. She leans back as well, studying my face sadly. Sure enough, she was crying too. I raise my hands and sweep them across my face, rubbing the track marks away. She follows suit, using the sleeve of her hoodie. We sit in silence for a few beats until I can muster words, my voice shaky.

"Thank you. You're... the first person I've ever told any of that, Olivia."

She smiles gently at me. My vision flickers, and for just the briefest moments, behind her I see my mother's face, smiling that same smile. I blink, and she's gone. Fresh tears gently drip out of my eyes. Olivia's hand finds it's way to mine, and she curls our fingers together gently. Her pupils shift to and fro as she takes my face in.

"D..."

"Yeah?"

She squeezes my hand gently.

"I'll be here for you."

My breath hitches as I take her face in. Even after I told her the truth. She has nothing to say? No judgement? No admonishments? I...

I can't stop my hand as it slowly reaches up and softly grasps the side of her face. She only looks slightly surprised as I lean in and press my lips gently against hers. I expect her to jerk back, chastise me, ask me what the f*ck I'm doing. But no. She just wraps her arms around my neck and leans into it. I pull away after a few moments, looking slightly ashamed of myself regardless. She keeps her arms wrapped around my neck.

"I... that was, I didn't-"

She shushes me quietly. A soft purring bellow rises out of her that I've never heard before.

"It's okay, D. I like you too."

My breath escapes me all at once. She continues speaking.

"I won't lie. What you did to your friend was... horrible. It made me upset at you. But you said it, it was an accident. And he forgave you, and you're still killing yourself over it. I don't need to shame you for it. You've done plenty of that yourself already."

I shut my eyes and turn my gaze downwards as more tears slip through the defenses. My sentence comes out a shaky whisper.

"Thank you."

...

We held each other in silence for a while after that, as she bellowed quietly. Her tail finds it's way around my waist, pulling us closer together. Eventually, she speaks again, amusem*nt laced through her words.

"Y'know, that was my first kiss."

I hum quietly, chuckling.

"Yeah? How'd you like it?"

We look at each other, a smirk on my face and an embarrassed smile on hers as she tries to stammer out a joke.

"B-best I've ever had."

I snort, shaking my head. Ow. Oh, hey, I'm suddenly becoming keenly aware of my injuries again. I lean back with a grimace.

"Okay. No more holding. Pain's starting to come back."

She seems slightly perturbed by that as her tail shifts away from me and she leans back into the couch with a huff.

"I like holding you though. You're warm."

I smirk.

"We got all the time in the world for it later, babe."

Her face rapidly turns crimson and she sinks into the couch, covering her face.

"Ohmygod."

I manage to get a 'snrk' out without causing a spike of pain, and I look back down at our bowls of soup, which have unfortunately gone room temperature. I sigh quietly.

"I wasn't gonna tell you that I liked you yet. Not tonight, anyway. The kiss was, uh... well, a spur of the moment thing, after you... said, what you said."

She co*cks an eyebrow, turning to face me again, face free of any flush.

"Why wouldn't you?"

I shrug.

"After telling you all that sad sh*t, if I had confessed to you then I would have felt like I was playing with your feelings or something."

She hums.

"I appreciate that, actually. But, no... I've... felt the same way, I think. I just... didn't want to rush it."

I nod.

"I get it. We've been going through some sh*t. What do they call it, suspension bridge effect or whatever?"

"Yeah. I don't think that's what this is, though. You've... made me feel special, D."

I smile.

"Good. I love your smile. Makes me happy."

She blushes again, but doesn't recoil or turn away. She just smiles back, and I nod.

"Yeah... just like that."

I idly check my phone as Olivia giggles quietly, and start a little.

"Jesus. Look at the time. You gotta get home, don't you?"

Olivia likewise pulls out her phone and hisses quietly.

"Oh... sh*t. Yeah. Crap, I've got a bunch of messages from Damien."

She starts rapidly tapping away a message to him as I open one of my taxi apps.

"I'll call you a cab. Get home safe, a'ight?"

She shoots off her message to him and looks back up at me, nodding thankfully.

"Okay. I'll... come back tomorrow?"

I nod, smirking.

"Sure. Gonna need help changing the bandages again... thank you, Dr. Halford..."

She hauls herself into her wheelchair, leering at me playfully.

"Oh, shut up. Try and get some sleep, okay? Heat that soup up and finish it. I made enough to last a couple days, at least."

She starts wheeling towards the door when I call out to her.

"Hey. Are we, uh... keeping this on the DL for right now, or?..."

She hums.

"Mmmmaybe for the best? Yeah, probably. For now."

She opens the door and waves to me one last time.

"Bye, D. See you tomorrow."

I wink at her, grinning.

"Later, gator."

Her eyes go wide and I catch a speck of crimson flash across her face as she nearly slams the door with another 'ohmygod'. I allow myself to laugh, as much as it hurts.

Well, hey. Thanks for f*cking me up, Demetrius...

...

Chapter 13: Wedding Bashers

Chapter Text

Olivia keeps her promise to come back to my place, and we repeat the bandage changing process all over again. Except this time, she brings more stuff for me. Extra strength acetaminophen, and some petroleum jelly to leave over the wounds themselves. What would I do without this girl? It's been a couple more days now with her coming over for all of them, and with her help the pain is much more manageable, enough that I feel strong enough to go back to school. While we did agree we should probably keep our new relationship secret for now, uh... when she's coming over to my apartment every day, it's kind of hard to read it any other way. Checking my texts as I go through my morning ritual, my suspicions are confirmed.

[Damien: so are you guys gonna start smooching at the lunch table or what man]

I snort, and am pleasantly surprised when it only hurts very slightly. I rattle off a reply to him.

[You: In front of your gross ass mystery meat sandwiches? f*ck no.]

[Damien: lmao 😂]

This guy. I pull up my messages with Olivia.

[You: Secret's out, dollface. Damien knows.]

[Liv-Long: Ugh greaaaat. Don't use that one either btw]

Hm. I've been trying to find a good pet name for her but none of them have been sticking so far.

[You: Damn. You sure I can't use babe? I like watching you fidget around when I say it. It's cute.]

She doesn't reply with words, merely a sketch of Guts pointing a pistol at the screen. I've gotten that one a couple of times.

[You: Alriiiight, fine. I'll find one you like eventually. I don't care that Damien knows, to be honest. Hiding it at school will get real old, real fast. You ready to start breaking the PDA rules?]

[Liv-Long: You better not, mister]

I grin.

[You: Come on... The elevator doesn't have a camera, does it?]

[Liv-Long: Omg stop]

[You: Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing you. See you at school, okay?]

[Liv-Long: Mhm]

Alright. Productive messaging. I finish getting dressed, and thanks to my current state of injury I think it's unwise to wear a tank top. Thankfully, it really is starting to get cooler, so I can get away with a regular black t-shirt and my new jacket. I give myself a once over in the mirror to make sure none of my bandages are showing, and once I'm satisfied with the results I head out of my apartment building and take the metro. Sitting in these seats again after a while feels good. No Mr. Ferris though. Bummer. I like talking with him. Alright, time to get the awkward Coach Solly encounter out of the way. Like usual, I'm very early into P.E. Coach Solly is in the locker room's office. I rap my knuckles on the frame of his door, drawing his attention.

"Private Fault, you're back? Good. How are you feeling, son?"

I shrug.

"As well as I could be, which brings me to my point, actually. I ain't gonna be able to participate in P.E for a week or two."

A subtle shifting of his hat tells me his eyebrow is co*cked.

"And why would that be, Private?"

His tone tells me it better be a damn good reason. In response, I shift my jacket aside slightly and lift my shirt up, revealing the mass of bandages wrapped around my torso, now only very slightly bloody, as the usual oozing has slowed down quite a lot. Solly's eyes open wide enough for me to catch a glimpse of them under his hat, and he shoots up out of his chair.

"Good gravy! What happened to you, son?! Last I was aware you called out because you were sick, not because you were injured in battle!"

I lower my shirt back down.

"It happened outside of school, and, uh... don't worry. I gave the one who did it somethin' to remember me by."

I waggle my fist with a grin. He doesn't look amused as he crosses his arms and stares down at me.

"I'm more concerned as to why it happened in the first place, Fault. You know you're not supposed to be going out and getting into brawls, outside of school or not."

I raise my hands defensively.

"It's alright, Coach Solly. It was self defense, alright? I like takin' walks after school and I wandered into an area I shouldn't have."

He leers at me silently for at least a solid minute before he just shakes his head with a sigh.

"Very well, Private. You're gonna sit your carcass in the bleachers until you're healed, but after you are, I'm going to whip you back into strength something fierce, son."

I grunt.

"Can't I just sit back here or somethin'? I don't wanna get ogled at by everyone in class."

A gritty hum issues from his throat.

"Perhaps. That might be for the best, actually. Alright. Permission granted."

He claps a hand on my shoulder not-too-roughly as he walks by to prep for the period and I slip past him into his office, taking one of the other seats and leaning back with a sigh. I don't feel super great about missing P.E, but the last thing I want to do is aggravate my wounds. I hear the sounds of activity in the locker room as students start arriving. I stand up and peer out the door, spotting Damien as he's changing his shirt. I wait for him to finish and then shoot a 'psst' his way. He glances over and spots me with an 'oh!' He jogs over, grinning.

"Heeeey, Deester. Slick jacket... why aren't you changing though?"

I shake my head.

"I ain't gonna be able to join the class for a week or two."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"Are you still sick or somethin', man?"

"Uh... sorta. I'll tell you later, a'ight?"

He accepts this answer with a grin, thumbs up, and a nod.

"Sure thing, buddy! Take it easy!"

He turns and heads his way into the gym, but stops right as he reaches the door and peers back at me.

"So, uh... the Olivia thing... were you being serious?"

I grin at him and say nothing, stepping backwards into the office and out of sight. I hear him laugh, and I settle back into a chair and pull my phone out. The period passes by, and I get to watch IFC on my phone the whole time. Badass. Later on, as I'm walking towards art class, I can't help but get that little tingly feeling in my gut, thinking about seeing Olivia again. It sure does put a pep in my step. It's almost good enough to ignore the hushed whispers I hear about me as I walk by other students. f*cking highschool rumor mills, man. The one skinnie in the school is absent for a few days, so he must have been off doing some secret espionage sh*t for the new world order. I step into Iadakan's class, looking right to Olivia and I's seats, and sure enough, there she is.

I slide into my chair as Olivia looks up at me with that smile, her silver eyes glinting at me. Hm... I return it, leaning forward onto my desk.

"Hey."

"Hey... you feel better?"

I nod, my smile rising into a soft grin.

"Thanks to you. I'd probably be in the hospital with an infection right now without you, y'know?"

She looks into my eyes playfully.

"I know. You're welcome, by the way."

I only barely resist the urge to kiss her on the tip of her snout in front of the whole class, so I instead scoot our desks closer together and curl our hands together under them, and we just lean against each other's shoulders. Iadakan, like he normally does, begins class with some bombastic display. In the midst of it, I watch his eyes dart over us and study us for a brief moment, and I can see a glimmer of contemplation in his eyes and a soft smirk grace his features before he continues on with the lesson. It goes by like any other lesson, and soon enough the bell rings. Olivia and I hesitate to let go of each other for a moment, but we eventually relent. Gotta get to lunch. Iadakan is giving everyone well-wishes as we head through the door, but I have to stop in my tracks as he calls out one last time.

"D, stay a minute for me, will you? Need to speak to you about something."

Olivia glances back at me from the doorway, and I meet her eyes.

"It's cool. I'll catch up."

She smiles and nods, going on her merry way. The rest of the class filters out, and eventually it's just Iadakan and I. His ruby eyes peer up at me curiously, and he gestures back towards the desks.

"Please, have a seat."

I lean back and sit on top of one of the desks casually as he stands up and does the same against his desk.

"I'll be quick about it. I need a favor from you, D."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"So... you've been out a while, you need some makeup work. I need some... help. This might sound a little strange coming from me, but... eh, I'll just lay it out straight."

He clears his throat.

"Some good friends of mine are getting married here in a few days, and the groom is, eh... worried about wedding security. He's already got enough on his plate, so I offered to take care of it for him. I got a group hired but they're going to be short one man and can't find another guy on such short notice. Could you... fill that spot?"

I can't stop the baffled chuckle that escapes me.

"You... want me... one of your high school students, to join the security detail for your friend's wedding? You realize how that sounds, right?"

He coughs awkwardly into his fist.

"Uh... yes, I do, but!"

He raises a finger as punctuation.

"I know you can handle it, D! Don't worry, you won't be doing anything too rough. Just checking names at the door. You'll have a little walkie to call for backup in case any ne'erdowells show up. I'm not expecting you to get into a brawl, and I would actually much prefer if you didn't. Ben's going to be there too, acting as a... sort of apprentice, for me. Wedding photos and what-not."

I narrow my eyes at him.

"A'ight. I'm in-"

"Fantastic!-"

"On one condition."

"Oh boy."

A small grin slowly creeps over my face.

"I get to bring my own tools."

Iadakan slowly raises an eyebrow, silently asking me to explain what the f*ck I mean.

"Hey, I'm fresh off of bein' sick, and I still feel under the weather. Even if you don't want me to get into a fight, it ain't ever that simple. Angry dinos are angry dinos, y'know what I mean? I ain't gonna bring a gun or nothin'. Just... y'know."

I mimic the motion of flicking out an extendable baton.

"Little beatin' rod. Encouragement stick. Caveman club."

Iadakan snorts, shaking his head.

"Alright... sure, sure."

"Oh, and no heavy liftin'."

At that, his brow furrows as he frowns.

"Well, damn. You've really got my wings twisted here, D. Any particular reason why?"

I glance out the door to make sure nobody is walking by and then lift my shirt to show him my slightly-bled-through bandages. His eyes damn near bug out of his head.

"What... the f*ck, D?"

I casually let the shirt drop back down, and shrug.

"Therizinosaur."

He sputters quietly, gesturing at me wildly.

"That's- what-"

His hand comes up and claps over the top of his snout as he peers at me in exasperation.

"Goodness gracious. You know what, I'm not even going to ask. Are you sure you'll be okay enough to actually do this?"

I nod.

"Sure. You said a few days from now, right? That's halfway through my recovery period. I can handle standin' around doing f*ckin' nothin' for 8 hours... or breakin' someone's kneecap with a baton if I need to."

He rolls his eyes and then starts sweeping me out of his classroom with his arms.

"Alright. Alright! Get to lunch, you!"

I exit his class with a quiet cackle and start hustling towards the lunch room. Olivia has surprisingly not gone to our table yet, and is in fact hunched over at the entrance to the cafeteria looking like someone just sh*t in her cornflakes. As soon as she sees me though, she jolts up with a joyful smile, tail wagging back and forth. I can't help the goofy grin that rises across my face as I walk up to meet her as she looks up at me.

"Finally! Took you long enough!"

I plant a hand in her hair and muss it up. She grunts playfully and bats it away.

"Quit it, dork!"

"Heh. Sorry about the wait. You didn't have to hang out here, y'know."

She fixes her hair as best as she can, peering up at me in between strands of hair.

"Oh, please. As if I would miss eating with you. Plus, I made us lunch."

My eyebrows raise.

"Really?"

She nods, grinning.

"Mhm."

I walk around to the back of her chair and grip the handles, and her tail comes sliding up around my wrist gently. I look down at her as she looks up at me.

"Ready?"

"Yep."

I hand Olivia my satchel and she holds it up like a shield as I barrel us forward, battering through the crowd. Olivia glances up at me as we go along.

"So what'd Iadakan want? You in trouble?"

I shake my head.

"Nah. Just some extra credit sh*t because I missed so many days."

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"Really? What is it?"

I grunt.

"Wedding security."

Olivia furrows her brow.

"What?"

I shake my head.

"I'll explain it better when we get to the table."

She huffs.

"You better. That sounds weird."

Eventually we make it to our usual table, and we're surprised to see that neither Damien nor Liz are there. I scan the rest of the lunchroom for the palm tree that is Liz' neck and eventually spot it at another table very far away from our usual location. It doesn't take me long to realize why. f*cking Mia, sitting there smugly. What the f*ck is she doing? A quiet growl rips it's way out of me, and Olivia looks back in surprise.

"D? What's wrong?"

"Mia. She's sitting with Damien and Liz at a different table right now."

She rolls her eyes and groans quietly, looking forward once again and following my gaze until she too sees the red thunder c*nt.

"Great. D, it's fine. She's probably waiting for me. I'll handle it, just stay calm, okay?"

I glance down at her, her words soothing the rising anger.

"...Alright."

Olivia gently pries my hands off of her handles and starts wheeling herself over, and I follow behind, trying the best I can to maintain my neutral expression even as we get close enough for Mia to spot us. The smug look on her face falls into one of disdain as she spots me, and then back to her stupid smug smirk when she realizes Olivia is with me as well.

"Took you two long 'nough."

Olivia only replies with a curt 'yeah, yeah' as she places herself at the head of the table. I take a seat next to her, but not as close as I'd like to. If there's anyone I really don't want to find out about our new relationship, it's this f*cking bitch. We glance at each other, and I give her the usual deadpan stare that I do when dealing with her. Her eye twitches as she takes in the expression, the corner of her mouth twitching into the ghost of a snarl before she refocuses her attention on Olivia.

"A'ight, I've been sitting here long enough-"

Damien interrupts her absentmindedly.

"Oh, right. Here, guys!"

Mia looks annoyed as Damien slapshots two cans of soda towards Olivia and I at speeds much too aggressive. I barely manage to catch both of them, setting one apiece next to us. I give Damien a questioning glare that asks in equal parts 'why did you get soda' and 'why the f*ck did you do that'. He apparently fails to key into the latter half of it.

"You guys were taking a while, so I figured I'd be the drink guy for today."

Liz peers down at him, unimpressed.

"Mia gave those to you."

He looks up at her, grinning awkwardly.

"She only did it because I was gonna do it anyway."

Liz somehow looks even more unimpressed, her brow furrowing.

"She's trying to bribe you for the math answers I helped you with earlier."

Mia leans back dramatically with a scoff, placing a dainty hand on her chest.

"Lizzie! I can't believe you would imply something like that about me!"

I grunt quietly, and finally speak up.

"Let's just cut the f*ckin' sh*t. What do you need with Olivia, Mia?"

Damien and Liz give me a side-eye, and Mia looks at me, smirking.

"Finally, you say somethin' I can get behind, Scarface."

She looks at Olivia plainly.

"You leave your phone at home or somethin'? People're trying to get ahold of you."

Olivia hums quietly, pulling out her phone. Huh... her wallpaper is of... me. Asleep on my couch. sh*t. That's cute. She stares at nothing on her phone and then glances up at Mia.

"Yeah, sorry. I ran out of service for the month."

Mia sneers angrily.

"You f*ckin' serious? You don't got a proper monthly plan? I got more important things to be doing than this, y'know?"

I roll my eyes, finally returning the sneer at Mia.

"You sure seem eager to come and f*ckin' bother us anyway. What's wonder-boy want this time, huh? Olivia exhale too much carbon dioxide around him?"

Mia's hackles raise ever so slightly as I backhandedly insult her boyfriend, and Olivia cuts me a very soft glare. I'm too tired of this bitch to care right now, sorry Olivia. Mia continues her spiel.

"What Ben wants with Olivia ain't any of your f*ckin' concern, skinnie. I ain't gonna play twenty questions with you."

She turns back to Olivia.

"You know what's goin' on. You gonna fix it, or not?"

Olivia takes a page out of my book and gives her that same deadpan expression.

"I'll think about it."

I expect Mia to flip her lid, but she just slowly deflates, putting a hand on her hip and grunting in exasperation as she peers off into the crowd.

"Ugh, whatever. I'm outta here. Smell you later, gator."

My eye twitches as Mia's snide little finishing remark leaves Olivia looking pissed off. Once I'm sure Mia is actually gone, I lift my chair up and scoot it over until I'm sitting right next to Olivia. I lean over and wrap my arms around her, pulling her against my chest gently as I mutter to her.

"I won't ask what it was about. You okay?"

She nods, wrapping her own arms around me. I glance up at Damien and Liz, who look very surprised by what's going on in front of them. Olivia pulls away after a few beats, smiling up at me. She turns and digs around in her bag, pulling out two lunch box looking things. She sets them down one a piece in front of us. She points it at, looking at me expectantly.

"Eat."

I nod.

"Mhm. Thanks, Silverlight."

I lean down and peck her on the cheek. She looks up at me, immediately turning red and blinking.

"S-Silverlight?"

I grin wryly.

"Yeah. 'Cuz your silver eyes are my light in the darkness."

A flustered smile creeps across her face as she glances at Liz and Damien, whonowlook absolutely flabbergasted by the events happening in front of them.

"U-uh, uhm... that's- you... dork..."

Ah, there's the one. I chuckle, turning and popping open my would-be lunch for today. Woah. Thinly sliced beef over rice with some greens, and... pickled radishes?

"Holy sh*t. This looks good."

A little flip out fork is slotted into the top of the box, which I remove and open. I peer over at hers, and am not at all shocked to see that it has none of the vegetables and about double the beef. Carnivores... Damien gazes disrespectfully as he looks at my food, and finally speaks up.

"Man, that's what you were cooking last night?! No wonder it smelled so good..."

I point my fork at him and cut my eyes.

"Boyfriends only."

Olivia giggles as he deflates in his chair and sighs sadly, and Liz finally says something as well, still sporting a shocked look.

"When did this happen?"

I scoop up a healthy bite of the food and jam it into my gob, savoring Olivia's wonderful cooking as I stare at Liz and reply to her with a half full mouth.

"Monday."

Liz' shocked look slowly fades, and she just shakes her head.

"Ooookay. That wasn't on my bingo card for this week."

I chuckle at her as Olivia pokes me gently in the ribs with a finger.

"You. Explain. Wedding security?"

I glance down at her, but return to my food as I speak.

"A'ight, apparently one of Iadakan's friends or whatever is havin' a wedding in a couple of days. For whatever reason they need security for it, but the crew they hired are short a guy."

I stop my sentence there to take another bite. Olivia co*cks an eyebrow.

"So Iadakan asked you?"

I shrug, continuing after I swallow.

"I was just as confused. Hesitated a bit given... uh... y'know. But he said I'd just be standing at the front checking names off the list, so it's whatever. I'll be a'ight, okay?"

I look down at her in assurance that I would be okay, sensing her worry. She leers at me with narrowed eyes.

"You better be. I put in a lot of work on you. Don't ruin it."

I chuckle.

"I won't, don't worry. I get to bring my whoopin' stick."

At that, her eyes widen slightly.

"Whooping stick?"

"Mhm. I have an extendable baton."

Damien leans forward.

"Woooah. Really? Does it hurt?"

I stare at him with a wry smirk.

"I can bring it tomorrow and show you, if y'want."

Damien starts nodding excitedly, and Liz gawks at him.

"Damien! Don't encourage D to bring weapons to school, please!"

I laugh, leaning forward.

"Aw, c'mon, Liz. I can just claim it's a cultural artifact. Cavemans and their clubs, eh?"

Olivia snorts as Liz looks at me with a very disappointed glare. I raise a hand defensively.

"Okay, okay! I get it."

Damien meanwhile pipes up again.

"So, why aren't you doing P.E for a couple of weeks, anyway?"

Olivia glances at me, and I return it before looking back at him.

"I'm not going to go into details right now but I wasn't actually sick over the weekend. I just got hurt pretty bad. I'll show you after school, a'ight?"

He gives me the triple-nod and then returns to whatever foul ass school meal he was eating. I, however, return to the meal cooked for me by my gorgeous girlfriend.

...

True to my word, after school I show Damien and Liz my bandaged up chest. Damien is more impressed than anything else, and Liz is just extremely perturbed and worried. I assure her that I'll be fine, it was taken care of by medical professionals, and that I actually am healed enough to be moving around. The couple of days left until it's time for the wedding roll by uneventfully, and even then on said day, school time passes by unceremoniously. I do bring my baton anyway, though, despite Liz' pleading not to. I end up meeting with Ben and Iadakan right as he was locking up for the day, and I was cajoled into doing liability paperwork by Iadakan because, in his words;

"If you keel over, I'm not going to take the fall for it!"

Yeah, fair enough. Ben got his own form to fill out too, and once it was all squared away Iadakan piled us into the back of his car, which was currently very cramped thanks to all the photography equipment being jammed into it. When we arrive at the venue, Ben nearly tumbles out of the car carrying a bunch telescoping stands. I do help a little, picking out some of the lighter equipment and hauling it out. Iadakan takes us both aside, looking over us.

"Alright, you two. Ben, you remember what you're doing?"

He nods.

"Yes sir. Setting up the photo station in the corner of the hall, and then walk the reception taking pictures of the guests."

Iadakan returns the nod, and then turns to me.

"Good. Okay, D. Help Ben unload some of this lighter stuff and I'll get you introduced to the security team, and they'll put your uniform together. It's just a jacket and a hat, so you won't have to go change or anything."

He turns to leave, but stops, glancing back at Ben.

"And, Ben... I know this is actual work, but you don't have to take it so seriously. Be polite, be efficient, but most importantly..."

The blue Parasaur snaps to attention, ready for an order, but Iadakan just smiles at him.

"Have fun."

Ben looks ready to protest before the Ptero pats him gently on the shoulder.

"Trust me, the clients will appreciate it more."

He then turns completely, heading inside the venue and leaving Ben and I alone. I finally peer out at our surroundings. It's an ocean-side hall, built on a high cliff overlooking the sea. Scenic as f*ck. Haven't really interacted with Ben all that much after Olivia told me what he really did. One part of me wants to dislike him for it, but on the other hand, he at the very least seemed to genuinely regret what he did, even if he didn't understand what entirely he had done wrong. There's no reason for me to be a dickhe*d to him. I take a deep breath, inhaling the heady concoction of salty ocean air and flowers.

"Damn. That's a good smell."

Ben huffs, scrunching his nose up.

"I have to disagree. I think I'll be the sick one next with this weather."

I laugh, patting his shoulder.

"You'll be a'ight, bud. View's killer though, ain't it?"

He looks out across the ocean, his gaze softening.

"It sure is."

I pat him one more time and then gently shove him towards the rest of the equipment we need to ferry out of the car.

"Let's get haulin'."

Jesus. Some of this stuff really is heavy. Ben won't be able to do this by himself... fuuuck. Whatever. We'll deal with it later. Once everything is out of the car, Iadakan comes back out and leads us inside to the reception hall, which happens to be a massive wedding tent. Flowers and fancy schmancy lights galore keeps it warm and bright. No guests have shown up yet. Iadakan brings us over to where I presume Ben's photo corner is going to be, and he turns to his erstwhile apprentice.

"Okay, Ben. You know the drill. Bring over all the light stuff first, I'll see if I can talk one of the security guys into helping you with the heavier stuff, since D is still a little under the weather."

Some part of me wonders why Iadakan can't do it. He's a gaunt looking guy, sure, but... I peer over him as he talks to Ben. I've never really paid much attention to his physique, actually. sh*t. He... really does look unhealthy. Is he okay? God, should I even ask? It's not any of my business, but... I don't know, I don't like it. It makes me uneasy. I shake the thoughts out of my head as Iadakan wraps his conversation up with Ben and starts leading me over to the other end of the tent, where a small group of men are standing around chatting. They're all dressed in dark jackets and hats with 'Vigilant Security Solutions' plastered across them. Looks to be five guys, four dinos and another human. They all glance over as they see Iadakan and I walking over, and one of the dinos steps towards us, a hardy looking Allosaurus man with deep umber scales. He and Iadakan shake hands, and the ptero gestures to me.

"Lars, this is D. D, this is Larson Newark, or Sergeant Newark to you for right now. Lars, he'll be filling in your missing man's spot for today."

I likewise reach out and shake his hand, and he nods at me, speaking with a gritty timbre that almost reminds me of Solly.

"Good to have you, D. I trust he's already informed you of your duties?"

I return the nod.

"Yeah. Takin' names at the front?"

He pats my shoulder.

"Good man."

Newark glances behind at one of his men, a Gallimimus.

"Frederick, go get his job equipment out of the van."

Frederick snaps a quick little salute out and heads out the back as Newark turns to me again.

"Alright. You're just getting the company jacket, hat, and a radio. We're only here as a precaution, we don't expect anything to happen, but if it does, it's pretuned to our frequency so just call out and we'll be there."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Alright. I brought my own... equipment, just in case."

He returns the co*cked eyebrow as I reach into my jacket and draw my baton, flicking it out with a practiced motion. His eyes widen and he looks back at his men, who wear similarly surprised expressions. Iadakan has a grimace on his face as they all suddenly start laughing heartily. Newark looks back to Iadakan, grinning happily.

"You picked good, Trent!"

Iadakan shakes his head, sighing. His first name is Trent? Neat. I put my baton away as Newark wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer into his group, introducing all of his men as Frederick comes back with my gear. I find a spot to hang my own jacket up and slide my loaner on. Hey, this thing is comfy. After clipping the radio to my shoulder, I slide the hat on my head as Iadakan chats with Newark about getting someone to help Ben with the lifting. One of Newark's boys, a heavyset Ankylosaur named Geoff who very much reminds me of Buster, steps forward.

"I got it, Sarge."

Iadakan leads him out to Ben, and Newark turns to me, grinning.

"Alright, kid. Still gonna be a while before the guests get here, so just relax a little and get a feel for the uniform, figure out how the radio works."

I shoot him a two-fingered salute and wander back outside, idly watching Ben and Geoff working. Wonder if I could get away with smoking. Eh, f*ck it. I'm not at school right now. My phone buzzes as I take my first draw, and I slip it out. There's my gal. I smile as I reply to her text.

[Liv-Long: Hey, scars]

[You: Hey. I figured you lied about the service thing.]

[Liv-Long: Yea, just wanted Mia to go away. Saw you leave with Iadakan after school]

[Liv-Long: Whats up with that]

[You: Wedding security gig, remember?]

[Liv-Long: Oh yeah]

I tilt my phone back and take a selfie of myself in uniform, cigarette hanging out of my mouth loosely as I grin into the camera.

[Liv-Long: Wow, you actually look professional]

[Liv-Long: Very good look, cute boy <:F]

Heh.

[You: I might ask if I can keep the jacket.]

[Liv-Long: You should. Where's this place anyway]

[You: Some joint called Clarkson Lookout.]

[Liv-Long: Wait really?]

[Liv-Long: That place has a bunch of scenic views]

[Liv-Long: If you love me you'll take a good landscape photo for me 🥺]

Well, how could I refuse that?

[You: Yeah. I ain't doing sh*t right now. One sec.]

[Liv-Long: 💚]

I turn towards the distant ocean views and tilt my phone to the side, focusing on the sunset. Sweet... sailboat. After snapping the picture, I send it.

[Liv-Long: Thank yooouuuu 💚💚]

[Me: No prob. I'm going to go wander around the venue for a bit.]

I head back inside the tent after I wrap my smoke up and end up hanging around Newark's crew, listening to them idly chatter. Soon enough though, one of the event organizers walks over carrying a clipboard filled with names right up to me.

"You're D, right?"

I nod.

"Here's the list of names. Guests should be arriving in 5, and we got the ropes all set out up front. Just take names and let them in. If they're not on the list, send them down the exit path. Once the last guest has arrived, you'll just be doing front duty. Sit out there and just pay attention."

Newark leans over.

"Remember, if anyone tries to get stupid with you, call us first, and then do what you need to do. Don't go swinging your baton around willy-nilly, got it? We're going to be patrolling the perimeter and making sure nobody tries to sneak in from the outside."

I nod at Newark as I take the list and head out to the front. A little podium has been set up for me to rest the clipboard on, and I lean on it idly. Soon enough, the first guests start arriving, and I begin the long and arduous process of checking names, moving the rope for them, and repeating the process. It's boring work, but at least it's going smooth. Around three hours in, the other human in Newark's squad makes his rounds towards me. Guy named Nate.

"Yo, D! Take your fifteen, I'll take over for a bit."

I nod at him and step away as he takes my place, rounding the side of the building. Smokey smoke time. After lighting up, I slip my phone out of my pocket and check it. Another message from Olivia, about eight minutes ago.

[Liv-Long: You have to kill anyone yet]

[You: Nah. On break right now. Going pretty smooth so far.]

[Liv-Long: Ben is there isn't he? Go hit him with your stick for me]

[You: As funny as that would be, I would probably get put in prison.]

[Liv-Long: Damn, you're right]

[Liv-Long: Actually do it anyway]

[Liv-Long: For me 🥺]

[You: Feeling violent tonight?]

[Liv-Long: Hehehe yessss]

This girl. We continue texting for a few minutes until I spot Newark coming up to me in the corner of my vision. He, likewise, has a cigarette prepared and ready to smoke.

"How's it been going, D? Everything smooth?"

I nod, lowering my phone and taking a draw of my own.

"Yessir. No issues so far."

He nods, lighting his cigarette and taking a draw.

"Good to hear. Hope you don't mind some small talk. You're one of Trent's students, right?"

I nod, glancing at him.

"Yessir. You old friends with Mr. Iadakan or somethin'?"

He nods.

"Yep. Me, him, and the groom, Malcolm, we all go way back. Trent's actually the one that got Malcolm and his girl together, y'know."

I raise my eyebrows.

"No sh*t?"

He shakes his head.

"None at all. It was during some school thing Trent had to do, roped Malcolm into giving him a ride, and then double-roped him into chaperoning, and he met her there. You might know her, actually. She's the nurse at St. Hammond."

My eyes widen.

"Oh. sh*t. Yeah, uh... we know each other. Pretty well."

He laughs jovially.

"Get hurt a lot at school, huh?"

I shrug, smirking awkwardly.

"Enough for her to know my name. Why's he need security at his wedding, anyway? He got enemies?"

Newark hums.

"Of a sort. His business is pretty cut-throat, and he's got some rivals that would love to get back at him any way they could."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"What the hell does he do?"

Newark peers down at me.

"He's a taxi driver."

I recoil in confusion.

"...And that's a 'cut-throat' business?"

He snorts.

"With how he operates? Yeah. You should watch him drive, he's a maniac."

I shake my head.

"Crazy."

We stand in silence for a few moments, before he speaks again.

"I know it really isn't my business, but I'm a nosy bastard. Who were you texting?"

I glance down at my phone and shrug.

"Girlfriend."

He gives out an 'ah' and nods.

"Fair enough..."

He waits a beat.

"Wanna tell me about her?"

I glance up at him quizzically, and he laughs.

"What? I said I was a nosy bastard, didn't I?"

I snort.

"I guess you did. It's fine. We haven't been datin' that long. Barely even a week at this point. But... I like her. A lot. She's... been here for me. Helped me through some sh*t. I helped her through some sh*t."

Newark stares at me intently as I start talking about Olivia. I finish my spiel and he pats me on the shoulder.

"Sounds like you reallydo like her a lot, D. You said she cooks for you, huh?"

I nod, taking the last draw of my cigarette. He whistles.

"That's a keeper right there, kid."

I chuckle.

"She sure is."

I drop my stub and stomp it out.

"Break's over. Thanks for the chat, Sarge."

He nods, waving me off.

"No problem, D."

I head back over and relieve Nate, taking my spot back. The rest of the guests filter in over the course of the next hour. The next guest in line is a Utahraptor, who has a confused and annoyed look on his face. I stare at him for a few beats before speaking.

"Name?"

He stares at me dumbly for a second.

"Why's a wedding need a front guy, huh? What's the point of this?"

Oh, boy. Did I get one?

"I'm not sure, sir, but it's here. Name."

He sneers.

"I don't gotta give you my name. Just move the rope, skinnie."

My eye twitches.

"I'm not goin' to do that. You can give me your name, and if you're on the list, I'll let you in. If you're just gonna hold the line up and be a f*ckin' moron about it, you can take your happy ass down the exit path there."

He cuts his eyes angrily.

"You think you can f*ckin' talk to me like that, bitch? Let me the f*ck in, or else it's gonna get nasty for you."

Oh, boy. I got one. I casually raise my hand up to the radio and press the 'talk' button.

"Front to patrol, we got a crasher."

I hear someone, not sure who, respond in the affirmative. The Utahraptor snarls, stepping forward towards me with ill intent. Almost immediately, my hand flies into my coat and the baton comes whipping out, snapping open with the momentum. I step around the podium and begin walking at him. The crasher flinches for a brief moment, but seems to find bravery somewhere in his heart.

"You think I'm f*ckin' scared of a caveman with a club? I'll claw your ass to shreds!"

He goes to leap at me but with a casual flick of my arm the tip of the baton thwaps into the side of his knee and he goes down gripping it, shrieking. Geoff and Frederick come around the side of the building, hauling ass. Watching a big motherf*cker like Geoff moving that fast is scary as f*ck, even to me. They both peer at me in amusem*nt as they see the guy on the ground cradling his knee, and I just casually point to the rest of the shocked guests in the line.

"He came at me, they saw it."

A few of the guests confirm my statement with hushed murmurs and nodding, and the two security guards look at each other and shrug. Geoff speaks up.

"No prob. We'll get this guy outta here. Good work, D."

I collapse the baton and step back behind the podium as they drag his sorry ass into the parking lot.

"Sorry about that, folks. Line's good to keep movin', now."

The last of the guests are checked in, and soon enough, my duty is done. I lean against the podium with a tired sigh. Man... who knew standing around could be so f*cking exhausting. I wince slightly as my wounds pulse with dull pain. I am so going the f*ck home and straight up zonking after this. I check the time. Shiiiiit. There's still like four hours left in this bitch. I gotta stand here for another four hours? f*ck my life. Whatever. At least I can go on my phone now. I rattle off a text to Olivia.

[You: Done with the guest check in. Now I get to stand here for four hours and do nothing. My cuts are starting to ache.]

[Liv-Long: Aw my poor sweet boy]

[Liv-Long: Did you kill anyone yet though]

[You: Yeah, one guy got rowdy. Busted his kneecap open with the stick.]

[Liv-Long: Really >:O]

[You: Yeah, seriously. I would have taken a picture for you but he got dragged away by the other guys pretty quick, plus I still had people in the line.]

[Liv-Long: Attaboy, you get em]

[Liv-Long: You deserve a reward for the slaying of this mighty beast]

I co*ck an eyebrow. A reward, huh? I watch my screen intently, and soon enough, the text comes through.

A snort rips it's way out of me, which then turns into a full on laugh. This girl.

[You: Thank you, O Gracious One. I shall treasure it until the end of my days.]

[Liv-Long: As you should]

I'm about to send her another text when a voice causes me to jump and nearly fling my phone away. I glance behind me, and it's Iadakan, looking shocked.

"Oops. Sorry, D. Probably should have been a bit louder."

I blow out a breath, turning to face him.

"No kiddin'! Sheeshus, don't sneak up on me like that!"

He chuckles, hands in his pockets.

"Sorry again! Anyway, now that you're done out here, I just wanted to chat a little. Give you some reprieve from the monotony."

I slip my phone into my pocket, nodding.

"Sure. What's on your mind, Trent?"

He co*cks an eyebrow. I grin back at him.

"What?"

He snorts, shaking his head.

"I'll let it slide because it's not school hours. So... you and Olivia, huh?"

I hum, smirking.

"Yeah. Heard you got a thing for playin' wingman. Didn't realize it extended to your students too."

He rolls his eyes.

"Oh, hush. Gossiping with Lars, were we? You know how I feel about gossip..."

I laugh.

"Hey, he brought it up first. Anyway, yeah. She's... helped me out, a lot. And, we just kinda... clicked."

He nods.

"I can tell. You've been a lot happier lately, D. I like to see it."

He smiles warmly, patting me on the shoulder.

"She looks happier too. Been a while since I've seen that kind of smile on her face. Keep at it."

He squeezes gently. and then lets go. Jeez... his grip. It's... weak. A lot weaker than it should be for a dino his age. I chew the inside of my mouth, looking away awkwardly.

"Uh... Mr. Iadakan. Can I... ask you a question you might not be comfortable answerin'?"

His brow raises.

"D, I'm not a health teacher. I can't help with that."

My gaze whips back to him, shocked.

"Wh- that's not- I didn't mean that!"

He leans back and laughs.

"I know. Just messing with you! Anyway, go ahead and ask and I'll see if I want to answer it or not."

I stare at him straight.

"Are... are you sick?"

He stiffens for a brief, shocked little moment, eyes going ever so slightly wider. His face returns to a neutral expression and he slumps over just a bit, sighing.

"Jeez. You're too perceptive for your own good, D."

A lump drops in my stomach. He is sick. He looks back up at me, scanning my eyes intently.

"I... won't answer that, not fully. All I'll say is that yes, I am not... healthy. But it's not any of your concern, D. I'm managing just fine, okay?"

I must have a worried look on my face, because he places his hand on my shoulder again, looking at me intently.

"I appreciate your concern. I really, really do. But I promise. I am doing as fine as I can be."

He leans forward, lowering his voice to a deathly serious timbre as he places his other hand on my other shoulder.

"Please. Do not tell any of your classmates about this. Especially Olivia. The last thing she needs is to worry about me. Do you understand, D?"

I glance away, grimacing. He shakes me a bit, drawing my attention back to him. His ruby eyes burn into mine like rays of fire.

"D. Promise me."

"I... promise."

He co*cks an eyebrow, silently asking me if I was really telling the truth. I harden my gaze.

"I promise I won't tell anyone, Mr. Iadakan."

He leans back, letting go of me and nodding with a satisfied smile.

"Good. It'll all be okay, D, I swear it. You don't need to worry about me either. I've been doing fine so far, right?"

Yeah. He has been. I shouldn't have pried. Ugh.

"Yeah. Sorry for prying."

He pats me on the shoulder.

"Don't sweat it, okay? I'm glad you care. Genuinely, I am. I'm going to head back inside and check up on Ben. Take it easy."

He turns and strides back inside, but turns around one last time and shoots me a two-fingered salute with a grin. I return them both. After another four hours of a whole lot of jack sh*t, I hear the party inside dying down. Guests start trickling out to go home, and eventually Sergeant Newark pops in over the radio, calling me back inside. I do so, finding him and the team lounging around at a group of tables, aside from Geoff, who volunteered again to help Ben carry the camera stuff back to Iadakan's car. Newark gestures for me to come and sit, so I do. He kicks his feet up onto the table.

"So, D. How'd you like the gig?"

I shrug.

"As pleasant as standing around with my thumb up my ass for eight hours could be, I guess."

The entire security team laughs, and Nate leans forward.

"Hey man, if you can still make jokes after it, you're doing alright. You did good, D."

Frederick nods.

"Yeah. Good work with the crasher, by the way. Nice and smooth."

Newark nods, grinning.

"I was filled in on that. Got to use the baton after all, eh?"

I chuckle.

"Sure did."

Newark hums, looking off into space for a brief moment.

"Say... you looking for a job, D? I'm impressed with you, and I'm always looking for more watchmen."

I actually contemplate that, very hard. Security isn't a bad career. It's steady work, you make good money after a while. sh*t... that's... not a bad idea, actually. But... not right now.

"I'm actually interested, but I wanna finish school first before I do anything."

He nods.

"Understandable. I'll tell you what..."

He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a business card, handing it to me.

"Once you're all graduated, you just ring me up. I'll have a place for you. Actually works out better for me anyways. I can get you started at a more important position. High school students can only do basic duties, but a diploma holder? Heck, I can put you through training and have you doing armed guarding in two months."

Me, an armed guard, huh? Scary visual. I slip the card into my pocket.

"Sounds good, Sarge. Say... can I keep the jacket and hat?"

He grins.

"Absolutely, champ. You've earned it. Looks good on you, anyways."

He reaches over and unclips the radio from my shoulder.

"This is comin' back with me, though."

I grin back.

"Nice."

I hear Iadakan call for me from across the tent.

"D! Everything's packed up! You ready to go?"

I wave at him in confirmation, and stand up. After some final handshakes around the table with Newark's crew, I go and get my other jacket and then head outside with Iadakan and Ben. We pile into his car, and soon enough, we're off. The ride back is comfortably silent... at least until Ben calls his f*ckING GIRLFRIEND and proceeds to spout the most heinous lovey dovey ass garbage I've ever heard from anyone in my life. Iadakan and I share a look in the rear view mirror, and we both have equally pained grimaces on our faces. Thankfully, the torment doesn't last long, and Iadakan rapidly changes the subject by telling me that he'll take me home, considering my 'condition.' I try to deny it and say he can just drop me off at school and I'll take the late metro home, but he insists upon it, so I relent. Ben, however, gets dumped at school, where Mia is waiting for him. On the way to my apartment, I take my phone back out and message Olivia.

[You: I'm exhausted. Iadakan's taking me home.]

[Liv-Long: I bet you are]

[Liv-Long: Sleep well, ok?]

[You: You too, Silverlight.]

[Liv-Long: Hehehehe that's such a dorky name]

[You: Maybe, but you haven't told me to stop using it yet.]

[Liv-Long: I like it because it's you who came up with it which is hilarious to me considering how dorky it is]

[You: You didn't find it so funny when I said it in front of Damien and Liz. Had you gobsmacked.]

[Liv-Long: SHUT]

Heh. Iadakan stops in front of my complex, turning around in his seat.

"Alright, D. Here you are. Thanks again for helping me out today."

I shake my head, smiling.

"No problem, teach. Thank you for the opportunity. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

He nods, smiling.

"That you will. Have a good night."

I step out of his car and wave him off as he drives away. The walk up to my apartment is a pleasant one, despite my exhaustion. But, as I change out of my clothes into something more comfortable to sleep in and hit my bed, I can't help but think of Iadakan. Will he really be okay, or was he just saying that to make me feel better?...

Try as I might, my sleep is restless that night.

...

Chapter 14: Wretched Red

Chapter Text

I hate the weather in this f*cking place. Fall, my ass. It's 70 degrees out. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a nice day out right now, but... Jesus, can't the weather in this city be predictable? It's whatever. I'll have lunch outside today. One last little hurrah before the cold settles in for good. Forecast said it was supposed to sh*t rain and then get even colder. But, hey, good news! Got my stitches out, and some badass new scars to boot. They're still a little tender, though. Anyway, Olivia didn't seem to think so highly of the temperature, but I pulled the 'you wouldn't leave your poor boyfriend alone' card, and soon enough I was wheeling her out into the side courtyard outside the lunch room. As soon as the door opens and the air hits us, she gives out a deep hiss that seems to come from within her diaphragm and yanks the drawstrings of her hoodie taut, shutting everything off from the world except her snout.

"Deeeee, it's too cooooold. You don't want your girlfriend to freeze to death, do you?"

I lean down right next to her head knowing she can't see me right now, forming my whisper into a breathy mutter.

"Don't worry, Silverlight. I'll keep you warm."

She completely tenses up, gasping softly. I can see the red on her face even from here. I lean back and bark out a laugh as I wheel her to a good table, and she loosens her hood, revealing an embarrassed crimson pout.

"No fair."

I slide into my seat right next to her, and wrap my arms around her gently.

"I wasn't jokin', y'know. I got plenty of body heat to share..."

She reluctantly leans into my grasp, cutting me a playfully hateful side eye.

"You're lucky that's true. You're on thin ice..."

I glance around the courtyard.

"Is it really that cold for you?"

She nods.

"Mhm..."

I set my chin on top of her head.

"We can go back inside if you want, then. I don't mind."

"No, it's okay. You wanted to, and I want to spend time with you..."

She starts bellowing softly, nuzzling into my shoulder as I reply.

"Alright... I'm just not used to this kind of weather."

She hums.

"Could you tell me about where you're from?"

Ah... f*ck. Well, whatever.

"Yeah. Some sh*thole called Rock Bottom. It wasn't anything special. Lived there pretty much the entire time I was growing up. Lot of... bad memories. Y'remember."

Olivia looks up at me, smiling gently.

"You're right. We don't have to talk about it."

I nod, returning the smile.

"Thank you."

I lean down and kiss the top of her head, causing her to grunt softly and lean back.

"Okay. Let's eat, before I freeze to death."

She produces our lunchboxes and sets them in front of us. Sandwiches today, eh? Nothing beats simple. We eat in silence for a few moments before a question of my own springs to mind.

"What was the school like before I got here?"

Olivia open mouth groans with a mouthful of sandwich, and I clamp her mouth shut with two fingers.

"Gross."

She makes a strangled squeaking sound and bats my hand away, gulping down her food and giving me a terse stare.

"Hey!"

I chuckle, leaning back.

"Sorry. Continue."

She cuts her eyes at me and then huffs.

"It was horrible. Everybody here sucked, and most of them still do. A lot of the faculty had a stick up their ass, and the student body may as well have been a student corpse."

She peers up into my eyes.

"I'd do anything to get out of this place, if I got to take you and Damien with me."

I chuckle.

"Aw, c'mon. Not Liz?"

She cuts a side-eye at nothing in particular, grumbling.

"Okay. I guess Liz, too."

I'm about to respond when a voice interrupts me.

"Colorful."

We both whip our heads around. Ooooh sh*t. It's Scaler. She looks pissed. And... oh, hey, it's Mr. Ferris. He peers down at Scaler, a stern expression marring his usually gentle features as he jots something down onto a clipboard.

"What were you saying just now about student morale, Principle Scaler?"

Olivia looks up at Scaler and tilts her head.

"I said had. Ever since Principle Scaler took over, things have definitely gotten better."

Scaler only looks marginally less pissed, and I figure I could probably throw in some words too.

"She's right. I know a bad school when I see it, and St. Hammond's is far from it."

Mr. Ferris' expression softens as he listens to my words, and he steps forwards.

"So, Mr. Fault, would you say that your time in St. Hammond since your transfer has been both fruitful and comfortable?"

I have to chew on my thoughts for a moment.

"Fruitful?"

I glance down at Olivia briefly, looking back up at Ferris with a smile.

"Almost definitely. Comfortable? ...eh. But that's not the school's issue. Kinda hard to be comfortable when you gotta toe the line like I have to, but,"

I puncture the but with a raised finger, a proper Iadakanism.

"I think I'm as comfortable as the school could be makin' me, given the circ*mstances. The teachers actually care about teaching, I've met good friends, and considerin' why I'm here, I've actually had a pretty good time."

Ferris gives me a pleased nod as he writes his thoughts down, and Scaler looks decidedly less annoyed. Ferris then turns to Olivia.

"What about you, Ms... Olivia Halford, was it? Got any more comments regarding St. Hammond? Do be honest, if you please."

Olivia peers at me with a cautious smile, and then takes a deep breath as she turns back to Ferris with a neutral expression. Oh sh*t. She's about to roast the f*ck out of something.

"Well... the school needs more handicap access ramps. Also, the elevator in the main building is busted. Sometimes I get stuck for a few minutes. Also, also, our P.E teacher steals hats from the students and hoards them in the equipment shed."

Oop. Scaler's pissed again. Damn, she really threw Solly under the bus like that. Ferris only gives Olivia a gentle nod and writes all that down, turning to face Scaler with that same stern expression while she does her best to get her sh*t together, twisting her grimace into a strained smile. Ferris hums as he looks her over, continuing his spiel.

"Seems like there are some issues leftover from the previous administration. Are you already taking care of correcting the issues Ms. Halford has pointed out?"

Scaler clears her throat, nodding nervously.

"I d-did send out a request to have a technician come out and look at the elevator, yes."

The great big lug of a geezer writes out one final thing on his clipboard, and then clicks his pen, neatly slipping it into his front suit pocket.

"I'll have to talk to the superintendent about that request next time I'm in the office. And... what about this P.E teacher Ms. Olivia mentions?"

At that, Scaler actually looks a little exasperated, looking off to the side and huffing quietly.

"Yes... Mr. Coach Solly."

What? Mr. Ferris is just as confused as I am evidently, according to his co*cked eyebrow. Scaler shakes her head.

"It's... his legal name, it... I know."

Mr. Ferris looks over his clipboard and then lets out a little sigh.

"...Right."

He lowers the clipboard to his side and turns to face me again.

"Well, I'd say that's enough about school politics for right now. Mr. Fault, how would you say things are going for you, not just as a student, but also as a growing adult?"

Damn. What a question, fella. I have to ponder it for a moment.

"...Jeez. Talk about a tough question to answer, Mr. Ferris. That's somethin' I don't really like thinkin' about. You 'n Principal Scaler both know me, why I'm even here in the first place. I won't lie and say I'm optimistic or anythin', but..."

I glance down at Olivia. She's looking up at me curiously. I search her beautiful eyes for the right words to say. She gives me a gentle smile, and I return it as I look back up at Ferris.

"Right now? I think I'll be okay. I've met people I really care about... and, who I know really care about me."

Even in front of faculty, I can't stop my hand as I reach over to Olivia and lace our fingers together. She goes just a little red, but looks up at Mr. Ferris with a smile on her face, adding on to my words.

"...I think that sums it up pretty well."

Even Scaler can't help the little smirk that crosses her weary face, and Mr. Ferris gives me the warmest smile I'd seen from him yet.

"I'm very glad to hear you two are doing so well."

He turns to Scaler, nodding.

"I think I have everything I need for the time being."

She returns the nod, smiling.

"Wonderful. Why don't we adjourn to the faculty lounge?"

Mr. Ferris returns the smile. I suppose our little heartfelt moment eased whatever political tension there was in the air.

"Of course. We can outline your future budgetary plans over a nice cup of coffee."

He glances back over at us as they both start heading inside.

"Have a pleasant day, you two..."

He stops in the open frame of the door.

"And mind the PDA rules, if you please."

We both freeze in place until we hear the door shut again. A 'snrk' creeps it's way out of me after a moment, and Olivia playfully bats me in the shoulder with an open palm.

"Gaaaah! That was so embarrassing, D!!"

A rip of laughter tears it's way out of me, and I grin at her after I settle down.

"Aw, it's fine. Mr. Ferris is cool."

She hums, looking back down at her sandwich.

"Yeah. I wish he'd done this freshman year."

She huffs, picking her sandwich up and taking a morose bite out of it. I lean back in my chair idly.

"Well, hey..."

She looks up at me, chewing quietly.

"It's senior year, and we're halfway through it. Only gotta put up with this sh*t for a couple more months, y'know?"

A hesitant look sweeps over her as she swallows.

"...And then what?"

A flat look falls across my face.

"I... uh... sh*t. I guess I'll just get a job or somethin'."

Olivia co*cks an eyebrow.

"What would you even do? Flip burgers?"

I leer down at her.

"Hey! I'll have you know, the security team I worked for at the wedding want to hire me after I graduate!"

Her eyebrows raise.

"Really? Wow. I've heard that's a good career."

I nod, looking idly off into space.

"Yeah... but... I dunno, aside from that... I think I wanna join the IFC."

It's her turn to leer at me.

"D..."

I shrug.

"What? I like fightin', if I can do it professionally, is that such a bad thing?"

She huffs.

"I guess not. I just don't like the idea of you getting hurt."

I grin down at her.

"Aw..."

Leaning down, I peck her on the cheek.

"That's my Silverlight."

She looks up at me playfully, snorting.

"Dork."

I chuckle, but then look curiously at her.

"What're you gonna do?"

The morose look returns, and she stares down at the table, speaking glumly.

"...Just gonna get an art degree online. Nothing special."

I peer down at her.

"Hey... why're you sayin' it like that?"

She snorts derisively.

"What other option do I have? Only time I'm worth anything is when there's a brush in my hand. It's the only class I'm passing, too."

I furrow my brow.

"Come on... don't resign yourself to that just yet. We still got time."

She gives a noncommittal hum, and I'm left at a loss for words. I wrap my arms around her and hold her tightly regardless, which she reciprocates, and we just sit there quietly until the bell rings. Even then, the silence is deafening as I take my position behind her chair and start the push to history. About halfway there, I look down at her. She's clearly deep in thought about something.

"Hey... what're you thinkin' about?"

She hums, tilting her head up to to meet my eyes with hers.

"Just thinking about what we were talking about earlier. You seem to have some kind of plan, but I really don't... it's just bugging me a little, I guess."

Hm. I guess that's fair.

"Hey. It'll be okay. You ain't gotta use Liz' grandoise ass plans as a benchmark for yourself. Not everyone's got it figured out, y'know?"

I pause briefly, and then smile down at her.

"But... I'll be there for 'ya. Whatever happens."

Her head swings back down towards her lap, but I can tell from here that she's flustered. Her tail creeps up and wraps around my wrist gently, squeezing out a quiet 'thank you.' We continue walking for a short while until I'm snapped out of my reverie by a familiar and sh*tty red sight. Mia. I come to a halt in front of her. She's standing in our path, one hand on her hip and that... f*cking stupid, smug smile on her face.

"Heyyyy... it's Olivia."

She glances up to me.

"And... 'friend'."

Olivia stiffens in her chair, scowling at the red c*nt as she hisses out a forced greeting.

"Oh... hey, Mia."

Mia cuts a glance at me.

"I gotta borrow 'Livia for a bit, skinnie. Hand the grips over."

Almost immediately, a flash of rage boils up.

"Who the f*ck do you th-"

Olivia's voice, terse, cuts me off.

"D. It's fine."

It knocks the wind out of me and I look down at her, flabbergasted. She's turned around in her chair, looking up at me with a stern expression.

"Just... go to Prockling's, okay? I'll be right behind you."

I try to spit out some kind of rebuttal, but Olivia shuts me down immediately.

"D. I will be fine."

I set my jaw and glare at Mia, stepping back from Olivia's chair. The Parasaur saunters into place and gently takes Olivia's handles, smirking at me.

"It'll be okay... we're just going for a 'lil girl talk. No boys allowed."

Mia starts wheeling Olivia away and I'm left standing there, confused and pissed off. f*ck that. I'm not going to class while f*cking Mia is off doing who the f*ck knows what with my girlfriend. I wait a few solid minutes, and then slowly creep after them. I have no f*cking clue where they went, but I'll find them. I stalk the halls quietly, even as the tardy bell rings above me. I cut down a hall, straining my ears. I hear something, something I keenly recognize. Even in my boots, my feet slowly rise and fall off and on the tile silently. I'm no stranger to playing hooky. I know how this sh*t works. I find myself standing by of the door to what I assume is the algebra classroom, judging by the stupid ass posters on it. I hear voices inside. Both of which I recognize. They're arguing. I crouch down low under the window of the door and gently pry the handle down, cracking the door open and pressing my ear to it. The voices ring out clearly, now.

"-looks like sh*t, how the hell am I supposed to turn this f*cking garbage in and expect a good grade, huh?!"

"You should be happy it's even done in the first place with how much you're making me work, Mia! Doing your extra work is enough, but having to do all of your friends' work too is killing me!"

"Aw, boo-f*ckin'-hoo. You'll do it anyway, unless you want your f*ckin' skinnie knight in shining armor to get exposed for the violent freak he is."

What the f*ck is she talking about? Olivia's voice rings out, desperate.

"Fine! Fine. Just leave him alone, okay?! I'll keep working."

I'm seeing red. Actually... no. I'm not. I feel cold. This is a new type of rage. It's almost like I'm so pissed off, I've flipped back around to being calm. I stand from my crouching position and push the door open, interrupting them as I step through the threshold of the door. Their heads whip around, Olivia's face plastered with horrified confusion and Mia's with indignant irritation. They both bark out 'what the f*ck are you doing here' in unison as I step into the classroom and shut the door behind me. My voice is even, cold, free of emotion and free of it's usual rough cadence.

"So that's what's going on."

Olivia's eyes widen at my tone. She looks scared. Some part of me hurts to see her like that, but how I'm feeling right now batters it back down. Mia, similarly, looks a little surprised by my attitude. She was on guard when I walked in, as if she expected me to charge her down. Instead, she crosses her arms and sneers at me.

"For f*ck's sake. You're a real nosy prick, aren't you?"

I step forward, closing the distance between Mia and I until we're just out of arm's length.

"I should be saying that to you. I heard what you said."

I hold my hand out, gesturing as if I were expecting her to give me something.

"Go on. Show me the dirt. Show me what you're going to 'expose' me for."

Mia recoils, sneering, but Olivia speaks first.

"D, why did you come here?! I said it was-"

"Olivia."

Her voice dies in her throat as I utter her name and she shrinks back in her chair, flinching. I address Mia again.

"Show me. Now."

She rolls her eyes, slipping her phone out. She casually scrolls through it before holding it up to my face. It's a video of... me at the pit?! What the f*ck?! I watch it in shock. It's one of my... more brutal fights. It was against this raptor guy. He wouldn't stay the f*ck down, so I ended up having to break his leg to stop the match. Whoever was recording it got a clear view of me stomping down on his leg. The crack is audible, as is the gut wrenching scream he gives out. I... look like that when I fight? God. I don't even look human anymore. Mia lowers her phone as the video ends, an eyebrow co*cked at me.

"And I thought I was violent. You're a real piece of work, y'know that, skinnie? I'm actually impressed. But that don't change the fact that I know I could get your ass shipped out of here with this."

She glances at Olivia.

"I've seen how close you two've been gettin', all lovey dovey and sh*t. Don't think I haven't. I showed Olivia this little movie, thinking she'd realize what a f*cking nasty little boy you are, but she didn't seem all that bothered! If I were in this damn video, she'd be throwing me under the bus in half a second and I'd be f*cked six ways from Sunday. So I thought, hey, f*ck it! I'll take advantage of this little relationship myself... and here we are. She helps me and some friends out with her pretty pictures, I get a good grade, you don't go to prison."

She grins at me smugly, and I return it as a withering glare.

"Blackmail. Just when I thought you couldn't be any more of a c*nt."

She snarls at me.

"Watch your f*ckin' mouth, spear chucking motherf*cker. Here's the deal. You say anything about 'Livia and I's little shindig, and you're f*cked. I'll send this f*cking video to everyone in the school."

f*ck. She will, too. God damn it. Just when I thought things were going smooth. I glance at Olivia, who almost looks nauseous with regret. I need to make a plan. I breathe out calmly, staring at Mia.

"...Let me talk with Olivia. In private."

She rolls her eyes, stepping back and crossing her arms with a grimace.

"Oh. My. God. Y'know what? Alright. f*ck it. Fine. I'll humor you. I'll step outside, and you can talk. Better make it a f*ckIN' good one."

Mia takes a few steps backwards, glaring at us both before she spins around and exits the room. Silence pervades the air as I turn and look at Olivia. She looks up into my eyes, and I can already tell she's on the verge of tears.

"Why? Why did you follow us?"

"You know goddamn good and well why I did."

Her nails dig into the cushions of her armrests as she furrows her brow, equal parts anger and sorrow etched on her face.

"I told you I had it handled! I was doing fi-"

I can't stop my voice from raising, my face wrenching up in anger.

"You could have told me!"

She flinches back, shocked. I take a step back and slump into a chair, resting my face in my hands.

"f*ck. We're a team, Olivia. A team. We're in it together."

I lower my hands and lean forward on my elbows, staring at her sorrowfully. That look is apparently enough to do it. The tears start spilling freely. She sinks in on herself, burying her face into her hands and sobbing quietly. Even through it, she hiccups out a sentence.

"Wh-what are we g-going to do? I d-don't want to lose y-you, D..."

I stand up, walking over to her and kneeling down in front of her. Wordlessly, I draw her into a tight hug. Her arms immediately throw themselves around me and she sobs into my shoulder. I can feel her heartbeat. It draws up some inner strength in me.

"You won't lose me. We'll figure it out. No matter what happens, we'll figure it out. First, we need to figure out what to do. For one, I'm not letting you slave yourself away to Mia. Not a f*cking chance in hell. I'll take the fall if I need to."

She wrenches away from me, looking at me with pure desperation.

"NO!"

I stare at her firmly.

"If it comes to that. Only if. My first inclination? Taking it to Iadakan."

She leans back in her chair, wringing her hands.

"B-but... I don't..."

Her voice lowers to a meek whisper.

"What if he gives up on me?"

"Olivia..."

My voice drips with admonishment, and she looks up at me.

"That man treats you like his own daughter. How could you think he would ever do something like that? I talked with him about us, you know."

Her eyebrows raise slightly.

"Y-you did?"

I nod.

"Yes. I did. And he was happy. He can help. How long do you think he would have let this go on, anyway?"

She wipes her eyes, hiccuping quietly.

"W-what do you mean?"

I shake my head.

"Olivia, he knows your work. He could spot it from a mile away, no matter how hard you tried to obfuscate it. How long do you think he would tolerate watching you kill yourself while Mia and her gaggle of c*nts turned in what was obviously your art?"

I gently reach out and touch her drawing wrist, and she twitches it away with a quiet gasp.

"Look at that. It's already happening. You think he wouldn't notice?"

She reaches down and grips the hem of her hoodie shamefully, more tears welling in her eyes. I continue.

"You trust me, right?"

She nods, but doesn't look up at me. I gently cup her chin in my hand and tilt her gaze up to meet mine. I look at her intently.

"Say it."

She looks at me, terrified, and she says it, even if it comes out as a whisper.

"I trust you."

I lean forward, kissing her on the forehead. She whimpers softly, wrapping her arms around me once again. I run a gentle hand through her hair.

"It'll be okay. Let's go. Sooner we get to Iadakan, the better."

She looks up at me.

"What if Mia's still out there?"

I sneer.

"I'll deal with her, don't you worry about that."

She looks nervous at the prospect. I stand up and firmly grab the handles of her chair, and hastily start making our way out of the classroom and towards the elevator. I glance all around us. No Mia in sight. But I know that bitch is around here somewhere. I slow our pace down, listening... bingo. The sound of a second pair of footsteps begins echoing through the hall. I slowly start to slow down until I come to a halt. The steps get closer. Olivia freezes in her seat. Soon enough, I feel a murderous presence behind me. Mia's tail comes wrapping around in my peripheral vision, the jagged spikes coming to rest gently on my shoulder. Her voice, dripping with venom, sounds out behind me.

"Sup? You two tryna run a-"

This is going to suck. I wrench my shoulder up roughly, hissing in pain as two of the spikes easily find their way through my clothing and into my flesh. They come out stained in my blood, and even already my clothing is darkening with the vital fluids. She steps back, shock plain across her face.

"What the f*ck are you doin-"

My elbow shoots out behind me, slamming directly into her snout. Nothing breaks, but she staggers back, gripping her maw and roaring in pain. Olivia looks back in equal parts awe and horror as Mia recoils from the blow, bending over and continuing to scream as blood flows out of her nostrils and drips to the floor in a steady stream. Her screams die down into rage filled snarls as she looks up at me, glaring bloody murder. Hey, that's what I must look like when I get pissed! I turn around and grab hold of Olivia's chair once again and shoot forward, sprinting down the halls like a f*cking maniac. One part of my caveman ass monkey brain is screeching in primordial horror as I hear her boots start hitting the tile, pursuing us. Olivia punches a fist into the elevator button as we near and, and thank the f*cking Lord in Heaven it was already on this floor. It opens up and we both fly inside. I hit the ground and kick the 'door close' button as Olivia jams her key into it's slot and slaps the down button. A metallic bang fills our ears as Mia catches up to us and slams into the door, and she is mad.

"I'LL f*ckING EVISCERATE BOTH OF YOU!! YOU WANNA BE TOGETHER SO BAD, I'LL BURY YOU BOTH IN THE SAME SHALLOW GRAVE!!"

Mia shrieks out an enraged 'f*ck!!' as the elevator cranks to life and begins descending. I press myself up against the wall, gripping my bleeding shoulder and grunting.

"That hurt."

Olivia gawks down at me in shock.

"Oh my god, D! Are you okay?!"

I grunt again, staring down. Yeah, nah, that's leaking like a motherf*cker.

"No. Not really."

I wrench my jacket halfway off to observe the wounds, and Olivia gasps. Not as bad as they could be. Still bleeding like a motherf*cker though... but I don't think they'll need stitches, thank Raptor Christ. I just got the other ones out. f*ck it. I peel the rest of my jacket off and rip my shirt off, tearing the fabric apart and tying it around my shoulder to staunch the bleeding. Jesus. It looks like a murder scene in here. Maaaan... this is gonna suck. I peer tiredly back up at Olivia, who seems to be taking this fairly well, all things considered. I proffer a question.

"What're we gonna do when we get to the bottom?"

Olivia looks down at her key and wrenches it out of the slot.

"Just stay quiet. It won't open without the key."

I try to ignore the fact that I might be slowly bleeding to death as the elevator finally reaches the bottom with a 'clunk' and powers down. A small gap in the door keeps it from being totally dark, and we sit in silence for what feels like minutes as I lean my head back against the cool wall of the elevator. Soon enough, I hear heavy bootstomps come charging up to the elevator, accompanied by the obvious sound of property destruction. Mia's angered voice cracks through the air.

"You f*ckers had better still be in there! If you cowards ran away, so help me Raptor Jesus..."

Her breathing is labored, audible even through the metal doors, probably from both exertion and the blood filling her nostrils. She puts her ear to them a few times to try and listen for us. I am peachy keen to stay quiet right now. Not able to get a read on us, Mia simply goes ballistic instead, and starts wreaking complete havoc on the area around her. She's beating lockers, punching holes in the wall, ripping posters off the wall, all kinds of sh*t. Something slams into the elevator doors again, and then I start hearing other voices. Ha, dumb bitch. Now you're drawing attention. She seemingly fails to give a sh*t, and now that people are presumably gawking at her, she starts screeching.

"WHO THE f*ck ARE YOU LOOKING AT?! DO YOU WANT ONE LESS HORN?! I f*ckING SWEAR, I'VE HAD IT WITH THAT RETARDED SKINNIE AND HIS CRIPPLED HAND-BAG slu*t! f*ck! f*ckf*ckf*ckFUUUUUUUUUUCK! I HATE THEM!"

The distinct crackle of electricity fills the air, causing both Olivia and I to look at each other in shock. Is that a f*cking taser? The crackles ring out again, and Mia's voice calls out, suddenly much more timid sounding.

"H-hey, woah, hey hey, it's all cool. It's- not what it looks like, it's, uh..."

I hear her boots clattering down the hall as she sprints away. It's silent for a few more moments before someone raps their knuckles against the door. Iadakan's tired, haggard voice rings out.

"Hey. Anyone in there?"

I heave out a sigh of relief, and Olivia relaxes in her chair ever so slightly. Neither of us say anything though, so Iadakan continues.

"It's safe to come out, it's all clear.... well, it looks like a stick of dynamite went off out here, but otherwise it's fine."

Olivia stares down at the key in her hand. She glances over at me, seemingly hesitating, but then remembers that I'm literally bleeding out and shakes her head, shoving it into the slot and twisting it. Attagirl. We're a team. The door creaks open, revealing an exhausted looking Iadakan wielding a f*cking cattle prod. His expression is one of curiosity for all but the briefest moments until he sees me lying in a small pool of my own blood and his mouth gapes open, eyes shooting wide.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!"

I push myself against the wall and use it as a brace to rise to my feet, giving him a shaky smirk.

"Hey, teach. Thanks for the save."

He shouts something down the hall and I hear footsteps as a couple of janitors run up. Their exasperated expressions turn into worry and shock as they see my state, and Iadakan gestures hastily at them.

"Get him to the nurse! I'll be right behind you!"

The janitors loop their arms under my shoulders and begin hauling me off, Iadakan and Olivia right behind us. I glance around. Jeeeesus. Mia really did a number on this place. She even burst a f*cking pipe on the ceiling. I glance back at Olivia, and our eyes lock. Despite it all, we share a smile. We did it. No matter what Mia does now, this is going to look f*cking horrible for her. Now we just need to explain ourselves to Iadakan.

...

The nurse was rightfully pissed off to see me given the school day was ending, but quickly simmered down when I gave her a shrug and a grin. Once she confirmed that my wounds did not in fact require a hospital visit for stitches, she just goes ahead and wraps them up. Once she's done, Iadakan lets her go home and sits in the nurse's office with us, listening to Olivia explain what the hell was going on, including the incriminating video of me, but thankfully she doesn't go into explicit detail about what it is. He looks perturbed regardless. Roughly an hour passes, and by the end of it she was well and truly worn out. She brings up her canteen and slugs back the entire thing in one go as Iadakan pondered her words to himself, muttering with a furrowed brow as he tapped the stick portion of his cattle prod against his leg. Eventually, he leans back in his seat and sighs, glancing at me before turning to Olivia.

"Well... D was right, you know. Those assignments go through dozens of eyes, and, well... I've known for a while. I was just waiting for you to talk to me."

Olivia looks befuddled.

"W-why didn't you say anything?"

He points a stern finger at her, but smiles regardless.

"I wanted to hear it from you! And I have."

He leans back.

"Don't worry. I won't lecture you. Raptor Jesus knows you've had enough of that."

He glances at both of us.

"You two did good... mostly, anyway. Even if D got a little mangled in the process, I'm proud of you both for finding strength in each other."

I shrug, grinning.

"I got to smack that bitch in the face, so I'd say today turned out pretty good regardless. Self defense, amIrightorwhat?"

Iadakan snorts as Olivia cackles tiredly, shaking his head.

"I suppose! You're certainly correct about one thing, with my account and the murder scene you left in the elevator, Mia's already thin ice is going to be even thinner. Anyone else she was harassing should be thankful."

I leer at him warily.

"And she's actually gonna get punished for this? And not me?"

He hums, glancing away in contemplation.

"I would think so. She's the one with lethal weapons on her tail, after all. You were just defending yourself."

Olivia sinks into her chair, smiling at me happily.

"That's a relief."

Iadakan stands up with a quiet, tired groan.

"Ooookay. I think you two can hunker in here until school's over."

I co*ck an eyebrow at him.

"Really?"

He shrugs.

"Sure, why not? She's not going to be back and nobody else has any reason to come in here unless someone gets hurt in the next..."

He checks his watch.

"25 minutes?"

His cattle prod suddenly bursts to life, causing me to jump in my seat and then hiss in pain as the motion jostles my injured shoulder around. Olivia glares at him.

"MR. IADAKAN!"

He looks down at it awkwardly.

"Whups."

I peer at it, realizing there's a piece of tape with writing stuck to it. I read it out loud.

"Estrus protocol?..."

I stare up at Iadakan, who's looking at me with a 'what?' expression. I narrow my eyes at him.

"...f*ckin' dinosaurs."

Olivia cuts me a side-eye as he co*cks his head back and laughs loudly, heading for the door and peering back at us with an amused glint in his eyes.

"I'm going to run and get some things done, alright? They're going to want my account on paper so I'm just going to go knock it out. I'll be back to check on you later. Don't go poking anymore holes in yourself, D."

We both nod at him and he ducks out and shuts the door behind him, leaving us alone. I sink into my seat and let out a long sigh.

"Holy f*ck. What a day."

Olivia rolls up to me, smiling. She takes my hand into hers.

"You were right, D. I could trust him."

I nod tiredly.

"Told y'so."

We sit in companionable silence for a while just holding hands, and eventually the bell rings. We hear the idle chatter of students in the hallway going by, and I glance over at one of the normally uncomfortable looking beds, deciding it looked perfectly serviceable in my exhausted state. I grunt, standing up.

"I'm takin' a f*ckin' nap."

Olivia follows me in her chair as I walk over to it and nearly throw myself into it, groaning out an 'ow' as it jostles my shoulder enough to hurt. I lean my head back on the stiff ass pillow and stare at the ceiling as Olivia rests her arms on the side of the bed. I glance down at her.

"Room for two, y'know..."

She looks tempted for a brief moment, but then hums.

"As much as I want to, I don't think it would be a good look if anyone walked in."

I grunt quietly.

"I guess not."

She leans back and scoots her chair over to the wall, leaning back and relaxing.

"A nap does sound good, though..."

...

Chapter 15: Monsoon Maledictions

Chapter Text

beep... beep... beep

The steady ping of a vitals monitor fills my ears. Blinding fluorescent lights shine off of the stark, sterile walls of a hospital's corridor. Each step I take echoes loudly, reverberating through the empty halls as I make my way to her room. My heart pounds in my chest like a drumbeat, the anxiety and fear building with every passing second. I reach her door, and it looms before me menacingly. My hand trembles as I push it open. And there she is, lying in the hospital bed, so frail and vulnerable. Tubes snake from her arms, her face gaunt and drawn. My mother, the woman who was once my pillar of strength. But she's not alone. No. Sitting by her bed, facing away from the door, is... me? The doppelgänger's head turns enough to stare at me with one eye. Disdain is plain across his features. He doesn't have a scar, but his face is marred by shadows that never seem to disappear, no matter where he stands in the light. His voice drips with contempt as he speaks.

"What are you doing here? You had your chance to grieve, and you threw it away."

My brow furrows, and I step into the room. I try to speak, but he stands up and turns to face me, clenching his fists and cutting me off.

"You think after everything you've done, you can just go back to being a normal person?"

He sneers, his words sliding out like venom.

"You're nothing but a thug, a stain on everything she ever stood for."

His words cut through me like a knife, each syllable a painful reminder of the person I've become. I try to find the words to defend myself, but anything I can muster dies in my throat. He continues, his voice laced with mockery.

"How long until Olivia realizes this is pointless?"

I stiffen. He grins at me maliciously.

"How long until you hurt her, too?"

I blink, and my mother's form in the bed is replaced by Olivia. She's pale, her breathing is shallow, only aided by the mask she wears. A wave of nausea passes over me as the doppelgänger steps up to her with a somber expression, running his hand gently through her hair.

"She won't deserve this. But you'll do it anyway."

His hands suddenly snap out like vipers, wrapping around her throat and squeezing. I try to run forward and stop him, but my legs feel like they're stuck in quicksand. I can only watch this twisted version of myself choke the life out of the girl I've come to care for.

beep... beep... beep... beep beep beep beepbeepbeep-

KR-ACKOOOOOOM!

I sit up in the nurse's office bed with a strangled gasp, covered in a cold sweat. My gaze turns to Olivia, who's starting to sit up in her chair groggily. 'How long until you hurt her, too'? Ahh... f*ck off, dreams. The nurse's office is a room within the building, so there are no windows, but even from in here I can tell it's storming like a son of a bitch right now. Olivia rubs at her eyes, stirring.

"Mm.. what?"

Suddenly, both of our phones blare out a droning alarm. I pull it out of my pocket and read it.

Emergency Alert: Severe

National Weather Service:

A MONSOON WARNING is in effect for this area. Heavy rainfall and strong winds pose life-threatening risks, including flash flooding and landslides. Take immediate precautions to protect yourself and your property. Please shelter in place until this warning clears.

I barely have time to register it before the door flies open and Iadakan steps in, hunched over, soaked to the bone, and completely exhausted looking. I slide myself into a sitting position on the bed, slightly alarmed.

"You alright, Iadakan?!"

He heaves out one final breath and then clears his throat, leaning up.

"Yes. Sorry about that. The faculty is doing a sweep of the campus right now. Apparently there's a monsoon scare right now."

I hold up my phone, the warning still plastered across it. He peers at it and nods.

"Yup. That's the one."

I stare at it myself again, asking a question.

"Never been in a monsoon. We gonna be alright?"

Iadakan takes a seat in one of the chairs, leaning back with a soft sigh.

"Oh, of course. Schools are designated shelters for the worst disasters. If anything, you're safer here than at home."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Aren't there open hallways here?"

He nods, but raises a finger.

"Yes, but we have covers we can raise with a winch, which is coincidentally what I was just doing."

I nod as Olivia rubs the rest of the grogginess out of her eyes.

"What do we do now?"

Iadakan shrugs.

"Shelter in place. We're all stuck here for a few hours. Come on, let's get to my classroom. This part of the school tends to flood a little bit during things like this."

He stands up and stretches, popping his back with a quiet grunt as he leads us out of the nurse's office and towards his room. I become keenly aware of the fact that I'm still not wearing a shirt. Little awkward walking around school like that.

"Say, Iadakan, what happened to my jacket?"

He hums.

"Janitors had to trash it. It was completely soaked in blood. Damn shame, it was snazzy, too."

I grumble angrily as we finish the trek to his classroom, heading inside.

"I regret ripping my shirt up."

Olivia ogles me intently.

"I don't mind."

Iadakan slumps behind his desk, leering at Olivia.

"Behave yourself, young lady."

She wheels herself to her usual desk, pouting.

"He's the one without a shirt on."

I sit down next to her.

"I'm also the one with two holes in my shoulder. Speakin' of which, you think the scars are cool?"

I gesture to my new scars,thank you Demetrius. Olivia smirks.

"Yeah. You look like another guy from Fighting Spirit... minus the hair."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Really? Damn. We gotta watch that soon."

Olivia's eyes light up.

"We could do it now, as long as you don't mind huddling around a phone..."

I grin.

"Huddling with you? That's an invite I'll accept any day."

Olivia giddily starts pulling out her phone, until Iadakan interrupts with a clearing of his throat.

"Actually, why don't you use this time to catch up on some schoolwork? I'm sure you have some work from other classes still pending, and I can't think of a better time to tackle that than now."

She immediately sours.

"But... today's been rough, can't we do this instead?... or at least finish our naps?"

Iadakan shrugs.

"That's fine too, but aren't you falling behind grade-wise in some of your other classes?"

I snort.

"I'm not."

Olivia peers up at me hatefully for a brief moment before refocusing her attention on Iadakan.

"Maybe?"

He crosses his arms and leans forward on his desk, peering at her with a raised eyebrow. They have another one of their stare offs, and Olivia apparently loses again as she swings her head back and groans in defeat.

"Augh... fine, fine... I'll catch up on some of that work."

I pat her shoulder, smirking.

"Don't worry. Your strong, intelligent, and wonderful boyfriend will help you."

Iadakan chuckles as he withdraws some papers to start grading, and Olivia leers at me as she puts her phone away and hefts out her gargantuan math book which hits the table with a loud CLONK, followed by her notebook. After a little cajoling, she starts working on it with my help. Even with me chipping in though, she really, really looks like she'd rather be doing literally anything else. Eventually she's had enough and slams the book shut with a huff, furrowing her brow.

"Nope. Can't do it. Can't, sorry! I need to do literally anything else."

Iadakan glances up with a hum.

"Well, I do have one particular thing I need help with, but..."

He looks at me.

"I need both of you to help with it, but D, you in particular would have to do something I'm not quite sure you could do, given how frequently you seem to get yourself injured."

I scoff, waving him off.

"I can do it. Compared to the chest cuts these little holes in my shoulder ain't nothing. What'cha got for us, teach?"

He gives me a dubious look, but stands up anyway and heads for the room in the back, gesturing for us to come along.

"Alright. It's back here."

We follow him, and as he opens the door we're greeted with the crimson glow of the dark room. I think I had heard him mention this at one point, but I'm gonna be real I don't pay a single f*cking lick of attention in photography class. Ben does his best to keep me engaged, bless his heart, but good lord. I'm only passing because of my auto-pilot note taking skills, and my ability to take acceptable photographs when I really need to. Still, looks neat in here. I don't get to ogle it for very long though, as Iadakan flicks a light switch and bathes the room in normal lighting. I suppose this place doubles as both a dark room and a storage room, given the heavy duty racks laden with boxes and equipment of all kinds. I peer around the room briefly and then turn to Iadakan.

"So what're we doin'?"

Iadakan gestures to a stack of boxes in the corner.

"In this case, you. See those over there? Time to put those fists of yours to use for something other than punching. They're much too heavy for me, you see, and I need one at each of the stations in here."

I groan quietly.

"I should have known. This is revenge for not being able to help with the stuff at the wedding isn't it?"

He smiles wryly at me, a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

"Why, I would never do such a thing!"

He then looks away, contemplating something as Olivia giggles quietly.

"Actually, I don't think I legally can make you do this, but..."

He looks at me expectantly, finishing his sentence there. I stare back. I find myself throwing my hands up in the air in defeat.

"Ffff- Alright! I'll haul your heavy ass boxes around!"

He claps his hands together, grinning widely.

"Nice! Come on, Olivia, let's get out of his way. You'll be able to help with what's in the box."

They both head back towards the entrance of the room, and I'm left glaring at the boxes with a hefty dose of resentment. My ass is not dead lifting that sh*t right now. I scan the room, and my eyes settle on a dolly, tucked very out of the way in a corner. Jesus. If I wasn't looking for it I wouldn't have seen it. Oh, well, whatever. I walk over and heft it out of the corner, setting it on the ground. I watch from the corner of my eye as Iadakan and Olivia share a look of disappointment, and I turn to leer at them in faux-anger as I push the dolly over to the boxes.

"What's with that look, huh?"

Olivia stares at me in amusem*nt.

"I was really hoping you wouldn't see it so I could watch you try to lift them and fail miserably."

I snort, grinning.

"Yeah, right. You just wanted to watch my no-shirt-having-ass get sweaty so you could get all hot and bothered."

She immediately recoils and turns beet red, and Iadakan barks out a laugh.

"He's got you there!"

She looks up at him in shock, jaw falling open as she somehow turns more red.

"MR. IADAKAN!"

Now it's my turn to laugh. Olivia spins her chair and faces the wall, crossing her arms and pouting. With the dolly, getting these boxes to where they need to go is easy enough. Iadakan steps out of the room for a moment and comes back in with a small little toolbox right as I'm wheeling the last box into place. I set it into position and step back, admiring my work.

"All done, chief."

He nods, smiling happily.

"I can see that! Good work. Time for the next step. You'll want to pay attention, D!"

He grabs a box cutter off of a shelf and neatly opens the box. Setting everything else aside, he pulls out a large overhead lamp. I co*ck an eyebrow.

"A big ass lamp?"

Iadakan gives me an exasperated side-eye as he begins taking pieces out of the box and sorting them onto the station's table.

"D... we learned about these in class. You have been paying attention, right? Not just absentmindedly taking notes?"

I glance away.

"...yes."

He narrows his eyes.

"To which question?"

I don't look at him.

"...I plead the fifth."

He shakes his head as he pulls the last piece out.

"It's an enlarger, D. Do I have you assign you extra homework so I can make sure you understand what these are when we use them?"

I huff, finally looking at him.

"No. I take good notes, I'll just study them when that part of the syllabus rolls around, a'ight?"

He gives an unconvinced hum as Olivia rolls over, now interested in the mass of parts on the table.

"If you say so... either way, here you two go. Instruction booklet's right there."

Olivia co*cks her brow.

"Two?"

He nods, smiling.

"Sure! I think you've ogled him long enough."

Olivia turns red again, but doesn't deny it. He laughs, heading for the entrance. I call after him.

"Where're you goin'?"

"I'll be right back, just need to go fetch some things. Get started without me."

Olivia and I look at each other and shrug as he leaves the room. She takes the toolbox into her lap and opens it as I spread the instructions out and boggle at this f*cking weird ass device. I continue staring when a loud thunk next to me snaps me out of my reverie as she roughly jams a piece into place. I wince, even if I don't know exactly what the f*ck this thing does, I still gotta use it.

"Hey, easy! I gotta use these things in class, y'know?"

She pats my arm gently.

"It'll be okay. It's just a big stinky lamp."

I hand her the next piece, furrowing my brow.

"I don't really think that's all it is."

She hums.

"What is it, then?"

Uh...

"f*ck if I know, all I know is that it's important."

She fits the next piece in much gentler this time, and then glances up at me.

"Why'd you even take photography if you're not interested in it?"

I huff.

"It was one of, like,two electives that had an open spot, and I sure as f*ck wasn't gonna do fashion design."

Olivia cackles quietly.

"Oh my god, you would be miserable in that class."

I grunt.

"Probably. Photography isn't bad. Iadakan is the best teacher I've ever had, and Ben has enough passion to make up for my lack of it, between us."

Her expression sours ever so gently at the mention of Ben, but she otherwise hums quietly as I hand her another part. We work in silence for a little while, and at a certain point I look up at her.

"Hey."

She glances at me as she wrenches the final part into place.

"Hm?"

"I'm proud of you."

She gives it one last wrench and then looks fully at me, eyebrow co*cked.

"For?"

I smile at her.

"Just... everything with Mia. All that sh*t. It was a little rough at first, but you got through it."

She sets the wrench down in the toolbox, face lowering into a neutral expression.

"Only with your help..."

I reach over and place my hand on her shoulder.

"I wasn't much help bleedin' out in the elevator. You did all that."

"All I did was put my key in and turn it, D."

I shake my head.

"No. You made a decision."

She looks confused, but doesn't say anything, so I continue.

"I could tell how nervous you were to talk to Iadakan, even in that moment. But you pulled it together and made the call."

I move over to her, leaning down.

"I didn't say a single thing. You just looked at me and did it. You trusted me."

She looks up at me with watery eyes, and returns my smile.

"...It's like you said. We're a team."

Something flutters in my heart as I look into her eyes. PDA rules be damned. I lean down and gently capture her lips into mine. I feel the telltale sensation of a tongue trying to invite it's way in. Oh-ho? Well, don't mind if I d-

ghlk

Oh my god. I can't stop myself from wrenching back and coughing as Olivia jerks back with a horrified expression, the full length of hertongue lolling out limply. I hold onto my throat, eyes wide in shock as I look at her.

"Holy f*ck, Olivia. That sh*t went like, all the way down my throat."

Her tongue quickly snaps back into her maw and she claps both hands over it, muttering through them.

"OhmygodI'msosorryI'veneverkissedlikethatbeforeIdidn'tknowwhatIwasdoing"

I lean back and peer at her in amusem*nt as she rapidly turns red.

"I... know you told me back in my apartment, but... like... I'm seriously the first person you've ever kissed?"

She jerks her gaze away, nodding rapidly in embarrassment.

"Human or dino?"

She nods even more rapidly. A bark of laughter slips out of me and she tears into me with an embarrassed glare/pout combo. I shake my head and smile at her a little mischievously.

"That's fine. We'll just have to prac-"

CHTHUNK hmmmmmm...

"tice..."

I can't see a f*cking thing. Even the HVAC has gone silent. I hold my hand up in front of my face. Yep. Nothing. I know Olivia is right next to me, I can hear her breathing. Her voice squeaks out, shaky.

"D?"

I fumble around in my pocket and draw my phone, using the screen as a rudimentary light and bathing us both in a very soft glow. Olivia looks f*cking terrified until she sees my face, and even then she's still shaking.

"I'm here. You okay?"

Her hand finds my empty one and immediately starts squeezing a little too hard. Only a little, though.

"Y-yes... I'm okay."

I hum gently to her. Aw... she's scared of the dark. Not something I expected, but it's endearing as f*ck. We sit in silence for a few moments, her shaking steadily slows as I gently run my thumb across her hand, and eventually she looks fine again, and speaks.

"We should go find-"

WHAM!

The door flies open as someone calls our names out, a flash of light blinding us both as Olivia shrieks in fear and the first neuron that fires off in my ape brain is 'protect' as I leap in front of her and post up to our would be assailant. The blinding light fades and I am instead met with the illuminated face of Iadakan, who wears a neutral expression as if he just didn't scare the absolute f*cking piss out of both of us.

"It took a bit to find a flashlight with the power out..."

He registers my stance and co*cks an eyebrow.

"Oh. Oops. Did I scare you both?"

We scream 'YES' at him in unison, and he grins.

"Just kidding. I know I did."

He lowers the flashlight away from his face and scans the room.

"Only got one done, hm? You guys weren't slacking off and smooching or anything, were you?"

I lean to the side, putting a hand on my hip and sneering at him.

"Oh yeah, we were doin' all kinds of snoggin' in your dark room. Gonna have to disinfect the sh*t out of it."

Olivia shouts my name in exasperation, and Iadakan looks unimpressed.

"Goody. Anyway, power's out for the whole block and 'apparently' our backup generator's decades old and only keeps the A/C on."

He looks around the room and sneers briefly, turning back around and heading into the classroom.

"Someone should get fired for that. C'mon, we can wait it out in the studio."

We follow him back out, and it is distinctly less dark in here thanks to what little light can make it through the heavy clouds of the monsoon, which has actually seemingly only gotten worse as time has gone on. Iadakan steps over to his desk and starts digging through it. Olivia gazes out the window at the rain, humming quietly.

"Think it'll flood?"

I follow her gaze out as I sit at my desk.

"I 'unno. With how it's coming down? Probably."

She nods.

"Yeah... you know, the ground floor classrooms used to have carpet."

Iadakan grunts as he starts setting small little things on his desk, but I can't quite make out what.

"Eugh, don't remind me. That junk just sucked away half a years' funding. I'll never quite get over the watercolor debacle, I think."

Olivia chuckles quietly.

"I remember that."

Iadakan whips out what I can now clearly make out is a barbecue lighter. He flicks it on and reveals what he had retrieved from his desk as he lights them; several tiny tea lights. They... really don't do jacksh*t to brighten it up in here, but, hey. Nice ambience. Olivia co*cks an eyebrow.

"Won't those trigger the fire alarms?"

Iadakan shakes his head.

"No, we'll be fine. They're too small for that."

I perk up, suddenly keenly aware of my nicotine cravings.

"Does that mean I can get a smoke in real quick?"

Iadakan and Olivia both peer at me, although his is amusem*nt and hers is disappointment. I stare back at both of them.

"What?! I haven't had my after-school cig yet!"

Olivia leers at me, but Iadakan waves his hand dismissively.

"Oh... who cares. We're the only ones here right now."

Olivia looks at him in shock as I quietly hiss out a pleased 'yessss' and dig my pack and lighter out of my pockets.

"Mr. Iadakan?!"

He leans back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head.

"We're going to be stuck here for a while, and I'd rather not have D getting antsy."

I nod solemnly as I light my cigarette and take a soft draw.

"Nic shakes are a bitch."

Iadakan returns the solemn nod with one of his own. Olivia looks between us like we just slapped her in the face.

"Oh... both of you are insufferable!"

I laugh, and then realize something.

"Uh... sh*t. I don't have an ashtray."

Iadakan reaches into his desk again and pulls... an ashtray out. God damn. He casually tosses it my way and I snatch it out of the air and set it on the desk. Olivia gawks at Iadakan, who shrugs.

"I like one every now and then too."

I point my cigarette at him, grinning.

"You're a real one for that, Trent."

He snorts.

"I let it go the first time, D..."

I shrug, taking a draw.

"C'mon... we're smoking buddies now, right? Gotta be on a first name basis..."

He shuts me down with his teacherly glare, but I laugh anyways.

"Alright, alright. Sorry, Mr. Iadakan."

He rolls his eyes, and then suddenly looks as if he's remembered something.

"Oh, right. I called a taxi for the both of you when the power went out. Considering the, eh... conditions, it definitely isn't going to be ready for a while."

We both nod, and I ask a question as I tap ashes off into the tray.

"Guess we're just hangin' out until then?"

Iadakan stares at us and grins.

"Well... you're not done with that homework, right?"

Olivia looks perturbed and I just look at him with a flat 'I ain't doing allat' face as I take another draw. He laughs, shaking his head.

"I'm just playing."

...

Even with the raging storm keeping us locked inside school, the vibes are pretty good. Despite Iadakan not actually forcing Olivia to do her homework, she at least attempts it again and I gladly hop in to help out, but it's pretty clear she still has no interest in it. At a certain point, Iadakan elects to fill the silence in the air with crazy ass stories of things that had happened in the semesters before I had arrived here.

"You know, a few years back, somebody tried to take his hat right off his head. Let me tell you, I've never seen a shovel fly that fast."

"Deadass? He threw a f*ckin' shovel at someone?"

"Oh, yes. He didn't hit them with it, mind you, but nobody ever tried it again."

After that little nugget, Olivia eventually just gives up on the schoolwork entirely and throws out her own little tidbit.

"You know, I still owe you for ruining your coat last year..."

"Oh, forget about it. I've got dozens of them in my closet, anyway."

"Don't remind me about my f*ckin' jacket, please. I'm still lamenting it."

Laughs are had at my poor expensive ass jacket's expense, and we continue idly chattering until there's no more chatter to be had, and we sit in silence with naught but the ambience of the storm to give us company. It's oddly soothing, honestly. Iadakan slumps downwards in his chair, huffing quietly. We had both moved our chairs up to his desk and were just hanging around it at this point.

"Hooh... long day today."

I give him a knowing glance, considering my knowledge of... well, whatever is ailing him. He just purses his lips and gives a small nod. 'I'll be okay, don't worry.' I return the nod and he continues talking.

"Normally I'm home by now, resting. You two mind if I relax a little here?"

Olivia and I glance at each other and shrug, and she answers him.

"Why wouldn't we?"

He shrugs, but takes the question as a 'yes' and stretches behind him, cracking his spine against the groove of the chair. Grunting in satisfaction quietly, he leans forward and rests his arms on his desk, peering at Olivia.

"Olivia, I've been meaning to say..."

She glances up at him with a 'hm?'.

"You used to be so quiet, reserved... isolated, even. I'm glad to see you're being more open."

She looks up, mildly confused.

"Huh? You think so?"

He smiles gently.

"You've been in my classes all four years, and between then and now there's been a distinct improvement. Maybe I'm a bit old fashioned, but it hurts me to see a student hurt themselves like that. When you're in the 'adult world', you see this all the time. Once someone's in a rut, they'll tend to just stay there until their days blend together instead of lifting themselves up... like they've got all the time in the world."

I wince, and hope neither of them notice. That hits way too f*cking close to home for me. Iadakan scratches his chin contemplatively as he continues speaking his thoughts.

"So, I'm proud of you for making an effort, Olivia."

She looks around awkwardly, her gaze happening to settle on me.

"Oh... Mr. Iadakan, I don't, uh... I mean... thanks, but..."

She finds something in my gaze, and turns back to him, smiling.

"I... don't think I could have done it by myself, though."

Iadakan glances at me, his smile growing a little wider.

"As it goes with most things. I never thought I'd be making the pair I did when I played referee between your little spat in art that day, but I'm glad I did."

I laugh, glancing over at Olivia.

"You remember that, don't'cha?"

I hunch over in my seat, putting on my best 'Olivia pout' and impersonating her voice as best as I could (which was f*cking terribly).

"I just want to watch the video without being gawked at!"

A stinging pain goes sailing up my spine as her tail whips across the skin of my bare back, leaving a red welt as I nearly hop out of my seat, yelping in pain and arching my back.

"GOD DAMN, WOMAN!"

Iadakan actually begins guffawing, doubling over in his chair as I glare at Olivia. She's looking at me with smug satisfaction, arms crossed as she leans back in her seat.

"Gawk at that."

I rub at the spot sorely, grimacing.

"Domestic abuse this early?! Got... dayum..."

Iadakan finishes his laughing fit, wiping tears from his eyes and he stares at us both proudly.

"Oh, you two certainly are something special, that's for sure."

He leans forward to pat both of us on the hand, but when his makes contact with Olivia she jerks it back with a quiet pained hiss.

"sh*t..."

Iadakan suddenly looks very worried, and so do I for that matter. He speaks first, though.

"Olivia?"

Like a switch in my brain, any lingering pain left by the smack she gave me fades away as I lean forward towards her.

"You okay?"

She flexes the fingers of her strained wrist gingerly, peering down at it.

"Ow... I'm fine, that just... hurt. I was fine before, though..."

I slap my palm into my forehead.

"f*cking sh*t, I'm stupid. I completely forgot how badly you f*cked your wrist up with that stupid Mia sh*t."

She looks up at me hesitantly.

"It was feeling better, though... I even helped build that doohickey..."

Iadakan's eyes widen, as if he just had a revelation.

"The print enlargers."

He deflates, covering his eyes with one hand and muttering angrily to himself.

"Of... course. Great move. Student's been overworking herself and I think to give extra physical work. What am I doing?"

Both Olivia and I turn to look at him, and she speaks.

"I-It wasn't your fault. I didn't want you to worry."

He shakes his head, leaning forward and gently holding Olivia's wrist, carefully inspecting it.

"I had no idea how bad it was. You need to take care of yourself, Olivia. If something were to happen, I know you'd be completely beside yourself."

She looks down meekly.

"I know..."

He gently lets go of her wrist, leaning back and looking between us with a furrowed brow.

"I know you were doing extra work, but... how did it even get this bad?"

She looks away, slightly ashamed.

"It was a lot of extra work. Doing a whole group's assignments, on top of my own. For the last three weeks... basically all of my free time. It's great practice, at least that's what I was telling myself."

Iadakan takes her arm and gently starts working it around, watching as Olivia does her best to try and hide any wincing. A hollow look settles over her face.

"...I never would have made it to graduation."

Iadakan's face becomes stony.

"All because of that painting you switched."

Wait, he knew about that? I mean, she must have told him at some point I guess. He lets go of Olivia, leaning back and shaking his head.

"...No. It goes further than that."

His expression slowly becomes a grimace.

"All the pain, everything these past years, it all winds back to that contest entry in the gala. Your very first foray into the art world, and it went like that."

Olivia looks down at her hand, stretching the fingers back and forth gently. My hands find hers and begin gently massaging it. Iadakan brings his palm into his face and groans angrily into it.

"You and that painting... It's a genuinely good piece, Olivia. I've told you that so many times."

I look at her and nod. She knows how much I like that thing. It was all I could talk about when we met. She looks between us carefully, managing a small nod in return. Iadakan suddenly rises from his seat, pacing front of the class.

"What a horrible chain of events. I've had to witness it, all these years. Watched as it's taken your friends, your self-worth."

His face slowly begins wrenching up in anger.

"That little smile you had, when you first came into my class."

His fists clench, and he speaks through grit teeth.

"And now it's ruining your health."

I'm uneasy. Iadakan has gotten exasperated in class with students or faux-irritated with my corny ass jokes sometimes, but I've never seen him get... angry, like this. Olivia is apparently sharing my feelings right now as we lock eyes nervously. He exhales deeply, covering his eyes again. Now he sounds defeated.

"And I really just sat here and watched it?... I was just talking about how people act like they have more time than they have."

What the f*ck does he mean by that? Something in my gut twists painfully, but I don't have time to ponder it further as Olivia speaks, concern laced through her tone.

"Iadakan?"

He looks up at the wall as she speaks, returning to a neutral expression. This is somehow even more eerie. I speak, this time.

"Iadakan... are you alright?"

He turns to look at me plainly.

"I'm super. I'm more than okay. In fact, I've made up my mind about something."

He points a finger at me.

"D. Take her to the gala, please. There's something I want you two to see."

I open my mouth to speak, but I can't even take a breath before he cuts me off.

"No words. Just do it, please."

I can only nod, standing up from my chair and stepping behind Olivia, grabbing hold of her chair's handles. She looks back at me in confusion as he steps towards the door and I start following him. She voices a question, and he stops, his hand on the door's handle.

"What are you going to show us?"

"...Something you should have seen a long time ago."

...

Thank god I wear boots, because Iadakan was not f*cking joking, this place is flooded as sh*t. We wind through the hallways back towards the main building of the school. Olivia had brought her legs up onto her seat, and was now curled into a little ball, her head resting on her knees. Iadakan didn't give a singular sh*t about the water, trudging through it and kicking water up as he soaked his slacks. The drains in the floor bubble and gurgle noisily as they try in vain to keep the water level low. I couldn't help the feeling of unease that was slowly creeping up my spine as we trudged away from windowed hallways, what little natural light we had fading away until it was nearly pitch black once again. This place is creepy as f*ck when it's dark. Remembering my move from the dark room, Olivia had taken her phone out and turned on it's flashlight app to light the way, but it did little to kill the feeling.

At a certain point, I realize something.

"Uh... sh*t. Where'd Iadakan go?"

Olivia calls out to him.

"Mr. Iadakan?"

Her voices echoes in the dark hallway. Nothing. I grunt.

"Where'd you see him last?"

She scans the dark hallway as best as she can and then points a direction.

"That way, I think..."

The administrative offices. I keep pushing Olivia, managing to keep a steady pace thanks to, yet again, my boots. I love these f*cking boots. Still, pushing a wheel chair through ankle deep water proves to be a bigger challenge than I thought, and it takes nearly two minutes for us to make it to the gala, which is thankfully at least not pitch black thanks to the glass ceiling. As stormy as it was, even being exposed to the outdoors was enough to paint the hallway in a deep hazy gray. Even still, no sign of Iadakan. I pull my own phone out and turn the flashlight on, and it's at that point I hear something else. Footsteps in the water. I whip us towards the noise. A gentle ember bounces to and fro in rhythm with the footsteps. Suddenly, a painting comes clattering against the floor towards us. That's... the art contest painting?... I don't have time to think about it further, as out of the shadows steps Iadakan, a cigarette hanging out of his beak and the school's emergency fire axe resting on his shoulder. He glares hatefully down at the painting, and despite him not looking at me I can't help but feel intimidated.

"Iadakan... wh-... what are you doin'?"

His foot whips around, kicking the painting into the display case. It clatters off of it loudly and slaps into the floor right below it. His gaze turns to us as he takes a draw of his smoke.

"These are the ones, yeah?"

No. He's not staring at us. He's staring at Olivia. I can't find any words anyway, and neither can she, as she can only muster a fearful nod. Iadakan exhales, smoke billowing out of his mouth as he faces the display and begins stepping towards it. He lowers the axe's haft into his other hand, gripping it in both. He's... going to destroy the paintings. This... this is my fight, too. Olivia looks in shock as I step around her wheelchair and stand next to Iadakan and face the case myself. He only glances at me. I glance back at him. His ruby eyes burn into mine, asking a silent question. Mine burn back into his, as my jaw sets. We're both doing this for her. A spark flies between us as I twist my hips and send a side kick spiraling into the display case.

My boot smashes through the glass with a resounding cacophony.

I twist backwards as Iadakan whips the axe's blade directly into the landscape, carving a jagged hole through it. He yanks it out of the display case, and swings again, striking wide and nearly bisecting it. He swings again, and again, carving up the painting until it's nothing but tatters. Olivia watches in silent awe the entire time, and after one final blow he steps back, taking a deep pull from his cigarette as he takes in Olivia's expression. He exhales, and with a grimace, turns his attention to the painting on the floor. Olivia watches with wide eyes as he hammers away at it, reducing it too into tatters. With one final shaky blow, his cigarette slips out of his lips and scatters away. He steps back, wobbly, sweat beading down his forehead as he struggles to breathe from the exertion. I jolt forward and capture his arm over my shoulder, lending my weight to him. He lets go of the axe and it goes clattering off to the side. God... he feels like nothing. He's so light. So frail. He leans into me, twisting his head towards Olivia as he wheezes out words.

"O-Olivia... it's done... both of them, gone. This s-should have been done, long ago."

She stares down at the paintings. Worry paints her face.

"...Yeah, but... Iadakan, this is... it's crazy..."

His breathing slowly steadies, but I'm not keen to let him go quite yet. He nods shakily.

"I know."

I glance back at the case.

"Shame about all the other stuff."

He hisses quietly, peering at me from the side.

"Who f*cking cares? Those students graduated ages ago. You know how many of them still do art? None. If they're collateral so someone else can, fine by me."

He slowly peels himself away from me, steady on his feet now.

"Olivia..."

She looks up at him.

"You don't have any other big paintings now, do you?"

She shakes her head, eyes wide. He gestures to the destroyed paintings, shrugging.

"What a shame... now you don't have any."

She stares back down at them, and her claws dig into her armrests slightly.

"...I can make another."

He smiles widely.

"Yes. That's what I need to hear. You make me so proud to hear that."

She smiles warmly, her gaze coming up to meet his.

"Do you remember... in sophom*ore year, when you'd challenged me to think of something I'd wanted to do, and set a goal to do it?"

He nods.

"Of course."

She looks back down at the paintings.

"I couldn't think of anything back then... but, there has been one thing I've been wanting to do for a while, now. And..."

She looks into my eyes. I gaze back happily. Warmly.

"I have someone I can trust to help."

Our hands find each other, fingers lacing. She turns to look back up at Iadakan.

"Promise not to laugh?"

"I would never."

"...would you mind asking me again, I-Iadakan?"

He smiles.

"Sure. I believe it was... 'If you could leave right now and go do anything you wanted, what would you want to do'?"

She looks at him intently.

"Anything at all?..."

He nods.

"Yep."

She looks into her lap.

"I want to... I want to go see a fountain... an- and, paint it for you."

He raises his hands...

"f*cking."

and jabs them towards the heavens.

"Brilliant."

I look down at her, co*cking an eyebrow.

"There's a fountain here?"

She looks up at me, shaking her head.

"Not at the school, no. But there's a park not far from here, and you can barely see a fountain in the center of it from the window. You can't see it right now in the storm, but that's where I want to go."

Iadakan nods.

"I think I know of it. The one in Stig Equestrian Park, yes? That's... wonderful, Olivia."

He staggers a bit again, and I jolt back out and get under his arm again to support him. He grunts quietly, but there's a hint of amusem*nt in his tone.

"Hah... good thing the power's out. No cameras up or anything."

I sigh.

"Good, otherwise I'd get f*cking keelhauled for this sh*t too."

He glances at me, a twinkle in his eye.

"That Mia chick can take the fall. To hell with her."

My eyes widen as he says that, and I lean back and laugh. Olivia smiles as he looks at her.

"I'm looking forward to that painting. You better get it to me."

She nods, determined.

"I will."

He then turns to me, and lightly bats a fist into my chest, a twinkle in his eye.

"And you better help."

I grin at him.

"Nothin' I'd rather do more, boss."

He motions towards the school's entrance. I help him for a good bit of the way there, but eventually he finds his footing and steps back, leaving me with a thankful hand on the shoulder. I peer off into the rain, grimacing. Great. My bandages are going to get wet.

"...Do you have one, Iadakan?"

He peers down at her quizzically. She quickly clarifies.

"Do you have something you want to do?"

He smiles warmly down at her.

"I'm already doing it."

She co*cks an eyebrow at him.

"No, really."

He leans forward and leers at her, hands on his hips.

"Really! Teaching high school is a great job that nobody ever regrets. You should pose that question to D, he's just been standing there sneering at the rain."

She looks over at me expectantly.

"Well... go on, D."

Oh for f*ck's sake.

"I swear to god we've talked about this exact thing before."

Iadakan smirks.

"Well, I haven't heard it, so tell me!"

I lean back, groaning, before staring him in the eye.

"I... f*ck it, I guess I want to be the featherweight champion of the IFC?"

Iadakan whistles.

"Lofty. You know they've never had a human champion in that division, right?"

I co*ck an eyebrow at him.

"Do you... watch IFC?"

He shrugs.

"On a very rare occasion."

Olivia looks flabbergasted by this, and Iadakan glances down at her.

"It's artful, sometimes."

I point a finger at him, turning to Olivia with wide eyes.

"See! I told you so! Now you have to watch it again with me!"

She rolls her eyes and stares at me.

"I'll tell you what, I'll start watching it when you're in the ring, D."

I lean back and plant my fists against my hips, co*cking an eyebrow.

"Fine! Then when I'm up in that cage wearin' the belt, you're going to be in the crowd at the stadium and I'm goin' to point at you and laugh my ass off."

Iadakan grins at the two of us.

"Quite a promise to uphold, D."

Grinning, I lift my arm up and slap my other hand down against my bicep, flexing.

"I got the will and the skill."

Laughs fly around our little circle, except... Olivia's felt more... light. Free. Airy. It made me feel good. We continue bantering for a while until it's cut all too short by the arrival of the taxi. The mirth of our conversation is replaced with quiet fondness. One that let my thoughts wander back to all the things we've said today, and even back to when I first came here. It's a strange circ*mstance. It wasn't even that long ago. I was still angry, lost, and then I found my quirky little group of friends. Damien, Liz, and... Olivia. I don't think I would be where I am right now without her. It only made me love her more... love? Do I love Olivia? I... think I do. I love her. Holy sh*t. I love Olivia. I'm ripped out of my thoughts by the taxi driver blasting his horn impatiently. Oh. Right. Taxi. Olivia draws her hood up as I take the grips on her chair. We both peer at Iadakan for the last time today, and thank him. He shakes his head, smiling.

"No need for thanks. Seeing my students grow and prosper into adulthood is all the reward this old fossil needs."

He turns on his heel and with a wave, sends us into the rain towards the taxi, the driver of which is bellowing about the gas burning in his car. Olivia gets herself situated in the car as I lean back and stare at Iadakan, worried. There's a feeling in my gut. I don't like it. It's one that I've felt before, and I can't put my finger on it. But I don't like it. At all.

"Oi, hurry up!"

Olivia's voice drags me back into the present, and I turn around, grunting.

"Sorry."

...

Chapter 16: Three's a Crowd

Chapter Text

About a week has passed since our little romp through the school during the typhoon. The bandages have long since come off, and the injuries I got from Mia's tail didn't even leave scars. Speaking of that bitch, I haven't seen hide nor hair of heror the video she threatened me with. At this point, if she releases it, I don't give a f*ck. They got no way to prove that's a recent video, it could be from Rock Bottom for all they f*cking know. I still miss my poor jacket, and I can't bring myself to just buy a replacement for it, so I've just taken to wearing my Vigilant Security Solutions jacket. It's no expensive bomber jacket, but it's soft shell with lots of little pockets everywhere, it looks badass, and I don't mind repping the crew. Gonna work for them anyway one day, after all. Right now, it's a mostly nice if not cloudy Saturday afternoon, and I've just arrived at the Payne household. The past few days I've been visiting pretty frequently after school to hang out with Olivia.

She's really needed the distraction, especially since Iadakan had hardliner-style forbade her from doing anything even remotely related to painting with her hurt wrist. It was a little tiresome, given I had to pick up the slack for her in class, but it's her. I'd probably kill someone for her if she asked. In the meantime she's just been doing really basic doodles of future ideas, using our direct messages as a little storage room for them. Today in particular though, it's a special occasion. At some point, Liz must have finally gotten it through Damien's thick ass skull that she liked him, so today we had a little double date planned at some fancy ass restaurant because Liz was going to be downtown doing something for Mr. Ferris. She tried to say it was on her dime, but I shot that the f*ck down and after much disagreement, finagled her to splitting the bill.

Olivia wasn't super thrilled about the idea, but after I reminded her that I would be paying for her food and that we hadn't actually gone on any real dates yet, she caved, but only after making me promise I would take her on an actual just-between-us date at some point. Naturally, I agreed with aplomb. So now here I am to pick her up. She and Damien would be riding the metro with me to save Liz some gas having to drive all the way through the city. I lift my knuckles and rap on the door, and after a few moments it opens to reveal Sophia. She looks happy to see me, but there's... an odd emotion intermingled with it.

"Hi, D. Come on in."

She steps back and gestures for me to come inside, and I do. I expect to see Olivia and Damien waiting for me in the living room, and I do see Damien, but much to my shock he is curled up on the couch, dressed in nothing but a tank top and sweat pants, absolutely shivering like he's naked in the middle of a blizzard. He's pale, sweaty, and looks, quite frankly, like complete DOG sh*t.

"Woah... you don't look so hot, big guy."

He seemingly only barely registers my words, merely acknowledging my presence with a shaky head turn. His voice comes out in a hoarse croak.

"Oh... h-hey, D-Deester."

I glance at Sophia as she shuts the door, shaking her head with a sigh.

"He gets like this about once a year. Such a shame it had to happen today. I know you all planned to go out and have some fun. I wouldn't get too close to him, dear."

Almost as if to punctuate her point, Damien suddenly leans forward and rips out quite possibly the loudest sneeze I've ever heard come from any living creature into a metal bucket in front of him. I hear it sizzling.

"Holy sh*t."

I give Sophia a hasty side-eye.

"Sorry."

She raises a hand to her mouth and chuckles into it as she walks over to the loveseat and sits into it, opening her laptop.

"It's okay. An appropriate reaction, I think."

I glance towards Olivia's room.

"She in her room?"

Sophia nods.

"Mhm. She's probably listening to music or something. She really doesn't like being around Damien when he's ill like this."

I grunt quietly, pulling my phone out.

"I'd better let Liz know. I bet Olivia hasn't said anything yet."

[You: Hey. Bad news. Damien is sick as f*ck.]

[Liz: Seriously? How bad?]

I raise my phone towards him and snap a quick picture sans-flash. God, he looks even worse in the photo. I send it off to Liz, who very quickly responds.

[Liz: Oh. Wow. One of those, huh? Great. Just had to be on this day out of the whole year. 😑]

[You: I'm still down for hanging out if you want, but I dunno if Olivia will be. Or you, for that matter. You okay third wheeling?]

[Liz: Oh, why not? We haven't hung out in a while anyway. Just don't get too kissy, okay?]

[You: Sure.]

I glance up at Sophia.

"Liz is still okay with hanging out. I'm gonna go check to see if 'Liv still wants to go or not."

She nods at me wordlessly, seemingly working or something on her laptop. I walk over and knock on her door. I actually haven't been in her room yet, only seen glimpses of it. Each time I've been over, she's come out of her room to hang out in the living room with me. I'm waiting for her to invite me. Don't wanna just barge in. I hear her voice call out.

"Yes?"

"It's D."

I hear shuffling on the other side of the door, and it cracks open. Olivia peers out at me from a low position, only wearing her t-shirt and jeans right now. Aw, she's doing the knee shuffle thing. Wait, don't let her distract you!

"You didn't think it pertinent to tell me about the acid sneezing state Damien was in 'fore I got here?"

The door opens wider, and she scrunches her nose up as she peers at Damien's trembling form on the couch.

"Sorry. I didn't think about it, I was too grossed out by it."

I shrug.

"It's okay. We're still goin', by the way."

She looks up at me, mildly shocked.

"Seriously?"

I nod, gesturing towards her room.

"Yeah. Liz doesn't mind. Come on, put your hoodie and slippers on."

She groans quietly.

"But..."

I raise an Iadakan-esque finger.

"No buts! Remember, I'm payin' for your food at a nice restaurant. Plus, I know it's rich comin' from my pasty ass, but I think you need a little sun. You've been comin' straight here every day after school and holin' up inside."

She groans a lot louder this time.

"Fffiiiiiine. But only because you asked."

She gently closes the door in my face. I step away a fair distance and browse my phone idly until Olivia finally exits her room, ready to go. She peers at Damien warily as he shivers on the couch, as if he's going to suddenly explode. I open the front door for Olivia as she wheels her way out, and turn to Sophia.

"We're headin' out, Sophia. See you later."

She glances up, an appreciative glimmer in her eyes.

"Alright. Have her back before midnight, please."

I shoot her a two fingered salute, and smirk.

"Aye aye, cap'n."

Sophia smiles back and with a final shared nod between us I shut the door and grab hold of Olivia's handles and set us off towards the metro. I can tell she's antsy. I know why, too. I gentle my tone, speaking softly.

"Hey..."

She leans back, tilting her head all the way up so she can look back at me.

"Hm?"

I stare into her eyes, smiling.

"I know you wanna start that paintin' really bad, and you've been doin' good at holdin' out on stressing your wrist out. It won't be that much longer, y'know?"

Her expression turns glum.

"Doesn't make it any less hard to wait, though."

"I know."

I lean down and give her a peck as we walk, straightening out and focusing on the sidewalk so I don't accidentally bash her into a mailbox or something. We've gotten the whole kissing thing down at this point... or she has, anyway. She's not my first... experience with kissing a dino. There certainly weren't nearly as many dinos in Rock Bottom as there are here, but there were enough. Had this... thing, with this velociraptor chick going on for a little while. Not even sure what it was, really. Friends with benefits type sh*t, I guess. It was fine. I was just a sh*thead back then looking for any excuse to blow off some steam. Olivia is however the first dino... and person in general, for that matter, to make me feel the way I have. Haven't popped the 'I love you' quite yet, though. Is it still too early for that? sh*t... I dunno. Never gone that far. Whatever. There's time to think about that later.

Soon enough, we're on the metro. I end up absentmindedly heading to my usual seat out of reflex, but apparently I had always sat next to the folding accessibility seat anyway. Olivia was amused.

"What, did you start accounting for me before we even met?"

I smirk down at her.

"I dunno. Maybe it was fate, eh?"

She snorts playfully, her silver eyes gleaming as they peer into mine.

"...dork."

I glance up at the other riders in the car. It's... the same damn people I see every day. Damn. Theyreally got a routine. Eh... f*ck it. I lean down and give her another kiss, this one a little more drawn out. When we separate, she looks at me in amusem*nt.

"What's got you so smoochy today, huh?"

I lean back in my seat, propping my leg up onto my knee.

"One, I like kissin' my girlfriend, and two, since Liz is third wheelin', I ain't gonna torture her by havin' us suck face the whole time at lunch, so I'm gettin' 'em in while I can."

Olivia leans back, twisting slightly and leaning her arm on the handle of her chair as she peers out the window at the passing buildings.

"Well... I guess that's fair."

We sit in silence for a few moments before my mind wanders back to poor 'ole Damien.

"Poor guy was sick as f*ck, huh?"

She looks back up at me, grimacing as she immediately understands who I'm referencing.

"It's one reason we don't share a room. One moment, he's fine, the next, he's inebriated."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Do he and Vinny share a room or somethin'?"

She nods gently.

"Yeah. Their scales have natural acid resistance given what kind of dino they are, so... it's a lot safer for them. Vinny's acid might not be as strong right now, but he gets nasty sick sometimes too."

I hum quietly, turning myself to look out the window. f*ckin' dinosaurs, man. Glad I've never had to fight a diloph. Acid burns don't make good scars. Olivia's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, lowered to a slight mutter.

"This is the car you ride every day?"

I look down at her, nodding.

"Sure."

I start gesturing subtly at the various occupants.

"That's business lady, that's folder guy, that's book guy, and that's skater gator. Say, how come she's got spikes on her tail and you don't?"

Olivia glances at said skater gator, and then turns back to me.

"It's genetic. Some do, some don't."

She wags her tail back and forth as demonstration. I smirk.

"...Well, I like your tail better."

Her eyes sparkle gently as she giggles quietly.

"I like yours too."

I snort.

"Y'know, humans actually have a residual tail bone."

She co*cks an eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

I nod sagely.

"Yup. It's called the Coccyx."

She narrows her eyes at me.

"Koksyks? This sounds like the lead up to a joke I'm going to have to hit you for."

I laugh quietly.

"It's true! Here, look..."

After a little adventure through human bone structure thanks to the wise Doctor Gruugle, the metro finally arrives at our stop. Much to my chagrin, Olivia shoos my hands away as I try to wheel her out myself. We head out into the chilled air of the city, and I look down at Olivia with slight concern. That cold front is smashing through like nobody's business, but she seems okay for now. I start scanning the area for Liz when I get a buzz on my phone.

[Liz: Heya! I dipped into this little cafe by your metro stop to get out of the cold, just let me know when you're here.]

[You: Don't get too comfy. We're here.]

She doesn't bother texting back, and I watch as her head threads it's way out of a nearby coffee shop, followed by the mother ship. She just about jogs to us, waving happily with a big 'ole grin on that face of hers.

"Hi, guys! Glad you could make it!"

Olivia can only muster a nod, but I give her a nod and a smirk as she stops in front of us.

"Hey, Liz. Sorry again about Damien."

She shakes her head, still smiling.

"It's okay! I was a little bummed out about it, but we can still have a good time! Lunch with friends is lunch with friends, right?"

I nod sagely, and Olivia does manage a small little smile at that. Liz' joy is infectious, that's for sure.

"That it is. A'ight, where's this place at? You seemed really excited about it."

Liz claps her hands together.

"Yeah! You guys are going to love it too!"

Liz starts leading us through the streets, and eventually it's pretty hard to miss our intended destination. Building is a polite way to put it, it's more like a big ass pole with a UFO at the top of it. Liz starts to explain how the thing at the top is where the restaurant is and how it spins, but I become keenly aware of Olivia starting to lag behind. Wrist. I stop in front of her with a stern expression, letting Liz know with a 'hold up.'

"Okay, you've had your exercise today. I'm takin' over chair duty."

She leers up at me and goes to rebuke my words but my expression gentles and I kneel down in front of her.

"Hey. I get it. But I ain't just gonna let you hurt yourself. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. What's our motto, Silverlight?"

She takes her wrist into her other hand and gently starts massaging it, looking towards her lap with a quiet sigh.

"We're a team."

I tilt her head up towards me, smiling widely and staring into her eyes.

"Damn right we are."

Bam. Another kiss. I'm killing it today. Best boyfriend in the world. Olivia smiles at me as I pull away and step behind her chair, resuming my escort duties. I figured Liz would be unimpressed by my act of smooching considering what she requested, but she looks like she's just seen a room full of puppies or something. She coos quietly as the whole scene finishes, clasping her hands together.

"That was really cute, you guys."

Aaaand now Olivia is red and embarrassed. I grin as I start pushing her onward, and Liz continues regaling me about this spinning disk eatery. We go up a f*cking ridiculously long elevator, like 30 floors or something. The restaurant itself doesn't look extraordinarily fancy, but the design is neat. It's basically a bunch of rings, with the outer ring taken up by the restaurant seating itself, many of which are tucked neatly against the windows. The inner ring is one giant bar, and I gaze hungrily at the liquors stored behind it. I wonder if I can get away with my trick here... eh, not in front of Olivia and Liz. I doubt they'd be impressed. The central ring is taken up by the kitchen, and judging from the glorious smells wafting from it, they know what the f*ck they're doing in there. Liz verifies her reservation at the front desk, and we get led to one of the tables by the window. One of the chairs at the window side of the table is set aside to make room for Olivia's, and as she wheels herself into it, she freezes, staring down and out of the window. Her eyes are as wide as saucers, and she gently tugs on my sleeve.

"...Can we switch seats?"

I can't help but chuckle quietly. Scared of the dark, scared of heights... my poor baby...

"'Course."

The exchange happens promptly, and I lean over and look down at the window towards the landscape below. I have no such feelings towards heights. Liz speaks up.

"Quite a view, huh? I can see why it'd make you squeamish, Olivia. Heights also scare the living daylights out of me."

Both of us peer at her silently, and she co*cks an eyebrow.

"What?"

I lean forward on the table towards her.

"You're scared of heights."

"Um... yes? Isn't everyone?"

I shake my head.

"No. I got no compunctions about heights."

Olivia snorts.

"That doesn't make any goddamn sense, Liz. Your head hangs three stories above your shoulders and heights scare you?"

Liz rolls her eyes.

"Phobias are irrational fears, Olivia. Of course it doesn't make sense."

Olivia shrugs.

"I guess so. Heights suck, at least we agree on that."

I give her a wry side glance.

"I'm gonna take you sky divin' one day."

She gawks at me incredulously.

"Um... no?"

I lean towards her, grinning.

"Um... yeah?"

She furrows her brow.

"How would that even work?"

"It'd be a tandem dive. You'd get strapped to a guy who knows what he's doing, and he'll do all the work. You're just along for the ride."

She looks at me dubiously as our menus are handed to us, but otherwise doesn't vocally deny it again. Haha, got you now. As we all scan the menu, Liz makes idle chatter.

"So, what do you guys think?"

I grunt.

"Neat place. I don't usually step inside of fancy places like this. Seems a little touristy to me, though."

Liz hums quietly, nodding.

"A little, yeah. But my family usually comes here once a year. Uncle Ferris has to remember to bring along a letter from the owner saying he's fine to let in, that he won't bring the whole tower down."

Olivia and I snort in unison, and I catch her looking very intently at something on the menu out of the corner of my eye. I very quickly find out what when she looks up at both of us, brow furrowed.

"What the hell is 'bisque'?"

I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"Seriously? You ain't ever heard of lobster bisque?"

She looks at me like I'm retarded. Fair enough.

"If I had, I wouldn't have asked, dork."

That draws another snort out of me.

"Fair enough. It's fancy soup."

She narrows her eyes at the menu as if it had just insulted her.

"That's stupid. Bisque is a stupid word. Just call it lobster soup."

My eyes pass over a few pasta dishes as I respond.

"It's French, Olivia."

She groans quietly.

"Of course it is."

I continue scanning the menu. Hm... there's a bunch of weird novelty sh*t, but I dunno if I really want any of that. Olivia seems very, very intent on the whole cow's leg. If I get any finger food I know for a fact she's going to steal sh*t off my plate. I'm hungry as f*ck, can't be having that. Then again, she does cook for me a sh*t load. Ah... f*ck it. Hold up, they got chicken fried steak in this bitch? Holy sh*t. f*ck yes. Gravy me the f*ck up.

"Chicken fried steak for me," I say simply.

Olivia peers at me strangely.

"You sure?"

I peer back at her.

"f*ck yeah I am. With fries... extra fries."

I smirk as I watch her eyes twinkle a little bit. She knows exactly who those extra fries are for. I'm taking preemptive measures. I glance up at Liz.

"What're you gonna get, Liz?"

She seems to have already made up her mind, judging from the fact that she's just idly sitting there staring out the window, at least until I talk to her anyway. She returns the glance.

"Oh, they serve all day breakfast here, so I'm getting the pancake platter."

I nod sagely. Not bad. Liz turns to face us fully.

"You all done deciding?"

I glance at Olivia, she glances at me, and we both nod. Liz signals a waitress, and soon enough our orders are sent out. Now we're all looking out the window, silent. Still silent. Oh. Right. Conversation. You have that at lunch. I glance up at Liz.

"So, Liz, how's your treasury stuff workin' out?"

She looks at me, a wide smile adorning her face.

"Great, actually! I actually got an acceptance letter to Marshland-U the other day!"

My brow goes up, and Olivia smiles. I smirk at her as I shoot a thumbs up her way.

"Hey, congratulations! All that work's payin' off, huh?"

She nods, grinning.

"Sure is! Everything couldn't be working out better. Once we graduate, smooth coasting for me!"

That actually makes me happy to hear. Liz is a great gal. Damien found a good one. My smile is genuine as I nod at her.

"Hell yeah. Go get 'em, tiger."

She co*cks her head at me.

"What about you, D? Figured something out yet?"

I lean back in my chair, shrugging.

"Yeah, I think so. You remember that wedding security gig I went to?"

She nods, eyebrow co*cked.

"The uh, manager or whatever of the security guys there was impressed with me. Offered me a spot as soon as I graduated. Gonna take that, I think."

She looks pleased at that.

"That's fantastic, D! I wondered where that jacket came from! Vigilant Security Solutions, huh?"

I nod, smirking. I shoot a glance at Olivia and realize she looks a little morose. f*ck, smooth going, Dorian. Talking about the future with a buddy while your girlfriend who hasn't figured it out yet is right next to you. I internally slap myself in the face. Right. Ah... I know. I reach over and wrap my arm around her shoulder, bringing her close. She looks at me curiously as I peer back up at Liz.

"Olivia here's got one hell of a painting lined up."

I glance at her, grinning.

"Right?"

She smiles, looking up at Liz.

"Yeah."

Liz looks curious.

"Oh, I bet. After the one in the gala got stolen, I'm sure you're going to make something even better."

Her brow suddenly furrows.

"The broken cabinet sure sucked, though. Who would even do that?"

Haha, no idea. She huffs, looking out the window.

"Whoever did it, I wish they could have dealt with Mrs. Scaler's neurotic tantrum the way I did. We're still finding glass shards all over the floor, and each time it happens, I'm the one she screams at like I'm the one who broke the case. I like her, but Scaler really needs to ease up on the coffee."

I snort.

"No sh*t."

Liz chuckles, turning back to us.

"It's not a problem anymore. We've already ordered a new display, it should be installed next month."

She glances off awkwardly.

"Oh... uh, I think I got off track. What were we talking about again?"

Olivia speaks up.

"The art dealing thing. I'm actually interested."

Liz lets out a little 'oh' and nods, smiling.

"Well, the plan is to be able to open my own business. I'll start online, and work my way up to having a physical location-"

Oh, god damn. I haven't checked out in a really long time. Olivia seems engaged, though. She gives me a glance and notices I'm COMPLETELY zoned out, and bats me in the leg under the table right as Liz asks me a question.

"-even gotten better at painting since the start of the year, have you noticed?"

sh*t. Play it cool.

"Sorry, art-wise I've been kinda engaged with helpin' Olivia out. Haven't really had time to look at other people's stuff. Hey, you can always text me your pieces, y'know."

She smiles, and nods, but then looks a little curiously at Olivia.

"Of course! What's D helping you with, Olivia?"

Olivia looks hesitant for a brief moment, but I give her an assuring look.

"Well... I hurt my painting wrist a while ago, haven't been able to do anything with it. D's been doing my part of the work in art class for me, helping me with design ideas, stuff like that."

Liz smiles, glancing at me.

"Aww, that's sweet."

She then looks back at Olivia, slight concern flashing in her eyes.

"Your wrist, though? Is that why you haven't started the new painting yet?"

Olivia nods sadly. Liz hums.

"I wondered what that was earlier, when D stopped to help you outside."

Liz bobs her head down towards Olivia, smiling.

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it! To me it sounds like you're almost done healing, and then you can knock it out of the park!"

Olivia seems assuaged by that, and nods, giving Liz a soft grin. The good vibes are only further intensified as our food is finally brought out. Olivia peers hungrily at her literal cow's leg, hoof included. My chicken fried perfection is sat in front of me, absolutely f*cking smothered in delectable white gravy as Raptor Jesus intended, and Liz's wholesome looking pancake platter is set in front of her. I watch in amusem*nt as my carnivore girlfriend nearly unhinges her jaw and snaps a chunk of meat right off the bone. Kinda hot, actually. Wonder if I could get her to bite me- what the f*ck kind of thought is that. I'm not into that sh*t, am I?... am I? f*ck it. Think about weird sh*t later, food now. I start digging in. Hm. This is pretty good, but... I think I like Olivia's cooking better, actually. We eat in silence for a little bit. Well, relative silence, anyway. Olivia is f*cking ripping that leg to shreds. Eventually, the silence is broken as Olivia takes a quick break to wipe the grease off of her mouth with a napkin.

"Say, Liz."

Said brachiosaurus is currently snout deep in her glass trying to get at some water, and failing quite horribly, muttering angrily about the lack of a straw. Eventually she gives up, and looks at Olivia with an awkward smile.

"Yeah?"

Olivia carries a neutral expression as she speaks.

"So... about your art dealer stuff, and getting connected with that whole system... do you think you could help me, once you get your feet off the ground?"

I study Liz' face carefully. There's a few emotions bouncing around it. Shock. Uncertainty. Maybe a little bit of happiness? She settles on a polite smile.

"I think that might be a way's out, but I don't think that's a bad idea at all!"

I lean idly to the side, nodding.

"Sure. It's like you said Liz, makin' connections is important, right?"

She pats at her own mouth with a napkin, nodding.

"Yup!"

Olivia co*cks her head to the side.

"What do you mean 'a way's out'?"

Liz hums quietly.

"Well, I just want to get it off the ground on my own, you know? Like how you feel about your own work."

Olivia glances off to the side.

"That's... different."

Liz drums her fingers along the table.

"Well... sure, but what I mean is that it's important to me that my start is as self-sustaining as possible."

I feel something strange in the air. Olivia looks up at Liz plainly.

"I mean, we just talked about the whole connections thing, and your uncle..."

Liz is the one to glance away this time.

"Well, that's family, Olivia... that's a little different than, well..."

Olivia frowns very slightly and co*cks her eyebrow up. Uh oh.

"Friends? Or just me?"

Liz whips her head around, eyes wide. Oh, god damn.

"Olivia! You know that's not what I meant!"

Nah, f*ck this. I lean forward and furrow my brow.

"Hey! What the hell is this?"

My voice either goes unheard or ignored as Olivia leers at Liz with a furrowed brow.

"What did you mean, then? I'm just curious about your life for once!"

Liz furrows her own brow, returning the co*cked eyebrow.

"Well not like this, then. I'd rather you go back to the silent treatment."

I swear to god. My voice raises enough to draw the attention of a couple of the nearby diners, but I don't give a sh*t.

"HEY! Both of you knock it the f*ck off, alright?"

Their gazes turn to me, and I look between them incredulously.

"What the hell, you two? How'd we go from havin' a nice lunch to this?"

Olivia sneers, jabbing a thumb at Liz.

"I don't know, ask her. I'm just trying to make friends."

I look over at Liz expectantly, and she admittedly looks a little ashamed.

"I... look, Olivia, I'm really sorry if this sounds bad, and it probably does, but I guess I just think it sounds like you only want to be friends now because you can get something out of it."

Olivia recoils a little, shocked.

"What?"

Liz rubs her arm, sinking into her chair a little.

"We've known each other for years now, Olivia. You've spent most of it locking yourself away from Damien and I, and I'm glad things are changing now, really. I want to be friends, I really do, it just... that's why I said it might take a little bit. There's a lot of... pent up envy I have to work through."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Envy? What do you mean?"

She looks even more ashamed. On the verge of tears, actually.

"Oh... this sounds so terrible, but... when she was getting all that attention, and help..."

Olivia stares at her intently.

"You know I hated it."

Liz manages a brief, sad smile as she looks into Olivia's eyes, but then looks back down at the floor.

"I know. That's why I hate finally having to say this. All those things that were available to you through the years... it just felt like you were taking them for granted. I just... think it's a wasteful way to live."

Olivia's expression becomes gloomy. She looks between Liz and I.

"I... I'm sorry."

Liz glances up, a little confused. Olivia continues.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to realize how much I actually appreciated you guys. For so long, I thought I was by myself. Thought that nobody cared. Then..."

She looks at me, smiling sadly.

"Damien brought this dork to our lunch table one day, and he started breaking me out of that shell, bit by bit. He taught me how to start trusting people again."

I grab her hand, lacing our fingers together. She looks back up at Liz, eyes watery.

"I know I haven't been a good friend to either you or Damien for a long time, and I'm sorry. I don't want to suddenly start taking advantage of you like that, accidental or otherwise. So... take as much time as you need, okay? I'll still be here when you're ready to team up."

At that, a few tears actually start making their way out of both Olivia and Liz' eyes as they smile at each other. Liz brings her head down low enough to wipe her own tears, and I gently pat Olivia's away myself. I glance between the two after a few moments and lean back.

"We good? That was a lot."

They both nod. Liz speaks.

"Yeah. I think that was a long time coming, actually. Just glad it went better than I thought it would."

Olivia hums in agreement as I casually pick up one of my fries and crunch down on it. As I'm chewing it, I glance between them.

"I'm takin' the credit for that."

They both leer at me, and I shrug.

"If I weren't here you two'd probably be clawin' each other's eyes out or some sh*t right now."

They both 'harumph' and return to their food. I do too, but I also become keenly aware of my prediction becoming true as a particular green hand creeps into my field of vision and starts thieving fries from me. It's why I got extra ones... what I didn't expect was for her to start stealing Liz' pancakes too. Unfortunately for Olivia, she noticed after the first one went missing. Olivia's plate was... unique, to say the least. A mishmash of all of our food. I try to be cheeky and steal some of my fries back, but she nips at me with an alligator snap. What she did not expect, however, was for me to not move at all. She only barely keeps herself from biting into my arm, and looks up at me in shock as I simply stare back down at her.

"Careful... you bite me, and I might end up likin' it."

She gawks at me, and I look at her carefully.

"I mean it."

She slowly starts becoming a red and embarrassed mess, Liz looks half-perturbed and half-amused, and I take advantage of it all to steal a few of my fries back. Eventually, the bill finally comes, and Liz leers at me again as I calmly pull my debit card out and provide it to the waitress. With that said and done, all there was left to do here was check out the observation deck, which Olivia decides to take the lead on. A throaty hiss rips it's way out of her as the door opens and we're all blasted with the air, which is decidedly chillier at this altitude. Yeesh. Even I shiver a little. But as we all fully walk into it... god, that view. Especially because Olivia is in it... yeah, alright. Liz' voice suddenly rips me out of my stupor as she very obviously pretends to be far colder than she actually is, rubbing her arms together like a sh*tty movie.

"Brrr... I don't get how you two can stand this temperature. I'm gonna be by the elevator guys, kay?"

Before I have time to comprehend what's even going on, her head shoots over next to Olivia's, and they start whispering quietly with each other. Soon enough, the mother ship turns and heads back inside, her head following behind with a trailing 'byeeeee' as she looks at me with a wry smirk. Oh. Okay. Paying me back for the arcade setup, huh? Cash money, girl. Cash money. I glance down at Olivia, who's looking up at me. I merely co*ck an eyebrow at her, and she spins her chair around to face the view.

"D-don't ask."

I merely put a hand on her shoulder as we both stare out into the horizon. I glance down at her. She looks contemplative.

"What's on your mind, Silverlight?"

She hums, bringing her wrists up.

"Well..."

She starts flexing and rotating them carefully, wincing here and there.

"It's... about the painting."

"Mhm?"

She knows how I feel about her waiting until she's better. She continues.

"When I'm finally better, I'm... going to be way out of practice."

I hum.

"So you're going to practice?"

She looks up at me warmly, nodding.

"Yes. I have the mental image for it in my mind and everything."

She glances away as her smile falters a little bit, her tone becoming slightly morose.

"I just... want to make it perfect. The mental image won't mean anything if I can't make it perfect."

I turn to her and kneel down, getting eye level with her and smiling widely.

"Then you take as much time as you need. That's what Iadakan would want. That's what I want. I'll be there to help you however I can. All you need to do is say my name."

Her eyes glow softly with adoration as she takes in my features. Her words come out a soft whisper.

"Thank you."

I stare at her for what feels like a year as my thoughts rattle in my head. ...f*ck it. I gently cup her face in my hand, not unlike I did when I kissed her for the first time in my apartment. She gasps quietly at my touch.

"Olivia Halford... I love you."

Her eyes widen gently, and a wide smile breaks out across her face as she quickly begins glowing red. Her hand gently comes up and reciprocates. Her scales are so soft.

"...I love you too."

We both lean forward, shutting our eyes as our lips meet and allowing the passion we have for each other to paint all the pictures it needs to in our minds. There was no lust, no need, no desire. Only love. We separate with a soft gasp, peering at each other. We continue looking at each other until a particularly cold gust of wind passes over us, causing Olivia to actually break out into a shiver. At that, I stand up.

"Nope. Too cold for you."

I push her back inside towards the elevator, where Liz was waiting for us. She shoots Olivia a sly look, but from where I'm standing I can't make out her expression. Hmmmm. Whatever.

"Yo, Liz. We got the rest of the day. When's 'ole Ferris gonna be done with his meetin'?"

She checks her phone.

"Not for a good long while. Hey, I'll show you around the block! There's lots of neat little things."

I gesture towards the elevator.

"Let's get to it, then."

Soon enough we're back on solid ground, and Liz starts showing us around. Yeah, I was right. This place is touristy as f*ck. Looks nice, though. We just sorta end up wandering around the city park enjoying each other's company. And the weather, I guess. But it's mostly just me enjoying the weather. Olivia and Liz complain about the cold very frequently. Soon enough, the sun begins dipping below the horizon and we meet up old gold Ferris near the parking lot where Liz' ride is sitting. I have a brief chat with the big lug about stuff that's been going on, and he unfortunately (for Liz, anyway) daps me up again before we depart. I'll never get tired of that. Olivia, by this point, was well and truly exhausted. Her tail comes up and she snuggles up to it, using it as a makeshift pillow. I think I might actually die. That's the cutest f*cking thing I've ever seen. I surreptitiously take a photo of her with my phone and immediately set it to my background photo. I love this girl. She opens her eyes tiredly and looks up at me, smiling. I casually slip my phone back into my pocket as I begin taking us back towards the metro.

"Hey, D..."

"Yeah, Silverlight?"

"You wanna see my room?"

Nice.

...

Chapter 17: Relapse

Chapter Text

Olivia's room is pretty much what I expected, honestly. For the most part, anyway. I thought there'd be more nerdy stuff. Either way, it was pleasant to finally be in there and absorb it all. The scents in her room were a heady mixture of fake floral candle smells and paint. Band posters and paintings of all shapes, colors, and sizes cover the walls. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were no chairs in the room, but there was a comfy as f*ck bean bag which turns out to be my favorite place to hang out. Seeing Guts was fun again, too. I've started sleeping over at the Payne house pretty frequently. And by frequently I mean every day. My apartment is... fine. But the Paynes basically treat me like another member of the family at this point. It makes me happy. Randy and Sophia were... perturbed, when they asked if they needed to call my parents to make sure it was okay if I could stay over. They gave each other a look that I can't quite describe when I told them I lived by myself.

Not wanting to draw suspicion from either of them, I gladly accepted sleeping on the couch, which actually turned out to be a folding bed anyway. Neat. Of course, Olivia would very frequently sneak out of her room and cuddle up with me at night. She's a damn good cuddler. Her bellowing is so relaxing it's insane. The vibes are immaculate, especially since it's started to snow here and there lately. As a bonus, Vinny makes a great alarm clock. Aside from that, Olivia has finally gotten around to showing me some of the shows that we've talked about. Fighting Spirit being one of them, which Olivia has now begun to exclusively call 'Hajime no Ippo'. Apparently that's it's 'real name' in Japanese. She also insists on watching them in Japanese, with subtitles on. It was a little hard to get used to, but she absolutely insists it's the best way to watch them, so who am I to argue? She knows more about this sh*t than me.

But, alas, school still exists, and right now, I'm waiting for art to end. Normally I'd be thrilled to be in here, but Iadakan has been out for a week and a half, and we've been stuck with some old fossil named Mr. Triggums. No talking, but we can do literally whatever the f*ck we want. So, Olivia and I have been texting instead, and she's been doodling little stories like a champion. Our current adventure is actually her just deciding to slip me into the Fighting Spirit universe. Olivia sends a doodle of me posting up against Takamura, and we're both mean mugging the sh*t out of each other. Jesus, Takamura would f*cking kill me.

[You: There's no f*cking way I would ever willingly fight Takamura. I'd die.]

[Liv-Long: Probably, but it would be a good fight anyway I think :p]

[You: You know they have weight classes for a reason, right?]

[Liv-Long: Yea yea, but it's fiction, we can have a little fun]

[Liv-Long: Ah crap, teacher]

[Liv-Long: dontwannalosemyphone]

Olivia is looking at me and I give her a solemn nod. Unfortunately, another tragic truth of Mr. Triggum's unlawful rule is that he won't let Olivia and I scoot our desks together. This is some dystopian ass sh*t. I distract myself by reading back through our conversations, looking at all the old doodles and some actually really good drawings. I've been saving pretty much all of them. I'm torn out of my thoughts by the school intercom clicking on, buzzing for a brief moment.

"Would Jerome Clarkson please come to the office. Would Jerome Clarkson please come to the office. Thank you."

It clacks quiet again. They'd been doing this all day too, just calling random students to the office. My phone buzzes quietly, and I realize it's from Olivia.

[Liv-Long: Nevermind.]

[Liv-Long: Teach is acting weird today]

Is he? I glance up at him. Sure enough, he's not paying attention to us in the slightest. He's just digging through Iadakan's desk, looking for something. I slowly become aware of a disquieting feeling in my gut. This... is weird. It's felt off all day. I respond to Olivia's text.

[You: I feel weird about this. Like something bad is going to happen.]

[Liv-Long: Wdym?]

[You: I don't know. But I feel like I've gone through something like this before. It's giving me Deja Vu. The bad kind.]

[Liv-Long: I hope that's just a feeling and it's only because of the short day :/]

[You: I do too.]

Right. The short day. Everyone is a little wigged out about it, honestly. There's no holiday or anything. They didn't announce this would be happening. The bell rings then, drawing me out of my sinking feelings. Olivia and I immediately dart out of the room, and she looks up at me as we go down the hallways. Early lunch, today.

"You okay?"

I stare down at her, uneasy.

"I think so. I dunno what the hell's goin' on, I just feel weird."

Her hand finds mine, and she smiles. I return it, but we otherwise walk to our table in silence. I'm not really hungry. In fact, quite the opposite. I'm a little sick to my stomach. The intercom clacks on one more time, calling yet another person. It only makes the roiling feeling in my gut worse. What the f*ck is going on? Thankfully, I am at least provided some distraction by my friends at the table. Liz' head is in the rafters, munching away on her usual assortment of leaves, so at least she's hungry. Olivia, however, has procured this strange grabby claw toy in the shape of a crimson Parasaur's head, which she uses to prod at Liz, who attempts to fruitlessly bat it away every time it happens. She never brings her head down, though. Damien is currently incessantly yapping as he usually does, giving us a play by play rundown of his day so far. Despite it, I'm lost in my own thoughts. I can't ignore the strange feelings. I must be bumming the vibes at the table out, because Damien finally looks over at me, an eyebrow co*cked in concern.

"You okay, D? You seem a little out of it."

sh*t. He used my actual name? That means he really is concerned. I glance at him.

"Yeah. I'm alright. Just thinkin' about sh*t. Today's weirdin' me out a lot."

At that, Liz' head actually lowers down, frowning.

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing, actually. I was talking to Principal Scaler this morning while running some errands for StuCo, and she was... really out of it."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Out of it?"

She nods.

"Yeah, like she didn't want to be here today. I tried to pry, but... she clammed up, really hard. I've never seen her like that before."

I feel the lump in my gut drop even further. I... can't be around them, right now. Olivia was mid quip about bad coffee as I scoot my chair back and stand up, causing everyone to look at me in confusion.

"I... gotta use the bathroom."

Liz and Damien buy it, but I can tell Olivia doesn't, not even for a second. She looks at me with no small amount of concern as I turn and walk off into the halls. I'm not going anywhere in particular. I just... need to think. I do pull out my phone and shoot a message to Olivia.

[You: I'll be in Prockling's, okay? I just need some alone time right now.]

[Liv-Long: Okay. I love you]

[You: I love you too.]

I shove my phone away and wander the halls aimlessly, trying to figure out what the f*ck these feelings mean, and where I've felt them before. I hate them. They're making me angry. The really bad kind of angry. I must look like it, too, because the few people I do pass in the hall seem to flinch and shrink away from me when they see my expression. Part of me wants to apologize, but I'm afraid if I open my mouth I'll spit something vitriolic and hateful out instead. So I just ignore them. The intercom clacks on again.

"Would Olivia Halford please come to the office. Would Olivia Halford please come to the office. Thank you."

My legs almost topple out from under me. Why would they call her? What the f*ck is going on? I lean against the wall of lockers and slide down until I'm in a sitting position. The anger is gone now. It's replaced with anxiety. Worry. I sit there until the lunch bell finally rings, and I rise to my feet to get to Prockling's class. My thoughts are swirling during the class, I can't focus on whatever it is she told us to do. But then again, it wasn't much. Even Prockling seems out of it. She just told us to open our books to a page and read. She never does that. She always lectures, always. But there she is, sitting at her desk zoning out. I'm drawn out of my inner turmoil once again by the intercom.

"Would D Fault please come to the office. Would D Fault please come to the office. Thank you."

My blood runs cold. I don't even wait for Prockling to give the go ahead, I just stagger out of my desk and start making my way towards the office. The only companion I have is the sound of my boots against the tile. I have to know what's going on. I need to. As I round the corner, I nearly smash into someone, but we both recoil away from each other before impact. It's Ben. He looks up at me, but he's not startled. In fact, his expression is one I can't place. It doesn't look good, though. He scans my eyes, and his expression seems to twist up even further. I can't stop myself from reaching out and grabbing his shoulders.

"Ben. What the f*ck is going on?"

He jerks his gaze away, opening his mouth as if he's going to answer, but nothing comes out. He closes his jaw and wrenches out of my grasp, hurriedly pacing down the hall. I don't even try to stop him. I can only watch him go. My gut feels like a lead weight now. Nothing to do but keep going. I arrive at the office, and find the door wide open. A familiar and deep voice beckons me in.

"Come in, Mr. Fault."

I step inside the office. It's a mess. Folders thrown across the desk haphazardly, filing cabinets left hanging open, dying plants. But I don't keep my focus on that for long. Sitting behind the desk is Mr. Ferris. Normally he's a positive sight for me, but right now he just looks like the Grim Reaper. He gestures to the empty chair across from him.

"Have a seat."

I lower myself into the cheap plastic chair, staring at him intently.

"How have you been, D?"

My voice comes out shaky. God damn.

"M-mostly well."

He peers at me. He knows that I know something is up. He lowers his head, closing his eyes and heaving out a gentle sigh. What? He opens his eyes, looking down at one of the documents spread out across the desk. His voice comes out clinical.

"I have news for you regarding your instructor for AP Art Design and Photography."

My breath is wrenched out of me. I swallow heavily, and manage to choke out words.

"M-Mr. Iadakan?"

He nods.

"Yes. Mr. Iadakan. A fine teacher, if student surveys were anything to go by. He spoke very, very highly of you. Did you have a strong relationship with him?"

Oh god. Oh god. 'Did'? 'Spoke'? f*ck. f*ck. f*ck. My hands start shaking in my lap, and I manage a equally quaking nod.

"V-very. Mr. F-Ferris. What h-happened?"

I lean forward, looking up at him in desperation. His jaw tightens and his brow furrows sadly as he watches me. No. No. No. Nonononono.

"Over the last two years, Mr. Iadakan has been suffering from a rare form of chondrosarcoma that originated in his vertebrae."

The world drops out from under me, and I fall limply into my seat. I don't know what the first half of that word means, but the second? The thought cracks across my mind like a gunshot, as Mr. Ferris takes my stunned look for confusion and clarifies.

"Bone cancer."

My entire body grows numb. The words echo to and fro in my skull, repeating ad nauseam until they become a dull buzzing sound that drowns out everything around me. My breaths are shallow, uneven. Mr. Ferris' words become mute mumbling at the fringes of my senses as I can only stare at the floor. And yet, a pair of sentences cut across the fog.

"On Sunday, Mr. Iadakan was hospitalized due to complications with his illness. He passed away the following morning."

It's happening again. I can't. I can't. I can't.Mr. Ferris cuts himself off as I stagger to my feet, bile rising in my throat.

"I-I need to go."

A look of alarm flashes across his face as I exit the room. My entire body feels like pins and needles are being jabbed into them. My lungs burn angrily as I struggle to breathe. I don't know where I'm going. I just need to get away. I slam into the lockers as I round a corner, nearly collapsing. Using them as support, I drag myself down the hallway. My legs are turning into jelly under me. A pair of voices I recognize manage to draw my addled attention to them as they shout my name in alarm. No. No no no. It's Ben and Olivia. I can't let them see me like this right now. My legs find strength as I flip around and break into a panicked sprint away from them. I hear them calling my name still, Olivia sounds heartbroken, desperate. It hurts. I keep running until I make it to one of the school's side entrances. I shoulder check the doors open and flee down the path. My lungs burn and ache as I suck in the freezing air. It's started snowing again.

When I finally stop, I collapse on my hands and knees in front of a staircase, panting and gasping quietly. The bile in my throat pushes it's way up, and soon becomes a torrent of fresh vomit which paints the thinly snow-carpeted ground in a sickly greenish-yellow. I push myself back and collapse onto my backside, trying my best to gather my roiling thoughts as I heave. I feel my phone in my pocket buzzing. I don't want to look at it. I stare up the staircase, and slowly, even with my addled mind, realize where I am. The fountain. Iadakan's words ring through my mind.

'And you better help.'

I didn't. I failed Olivia. I failed Iadakan. I failed my mother. My old familiar friend boils up along the back of my neck. Resentment. Rage. Fury. My hands come up and grip the sides of my head, nails digging into the skin. My labored breathing becomes interspersed with quiet snarling and muttered curses as I rock back and forth, before I suddenly wrench my head up to the sky and roar into the heavens. There are no words. Just anger. A long, drawn out scream that rings off of the trees and into the air. I try to stand, but collapse to the side and catch myself with my arm.

"f*ck."

I raise a fist up and punch it down, slamming it into the concrete below me. A dull pain rings throughout my hand, one that serves to quiet the buzzing thoughts in my head ever so slightly. I lift my fist up again, and back down it comes.

"f*ck!"

Blood drips from my knuckles as the skin is shorn off down to the muscle below. It's not enough.

"f*ck!"

With one final blow and a sickening crack, I feel the bones in my hand fracture. Rivulets of blood leak down my fingers, painting the snow a macabre crimson as I sit myself back up and stare dully down at it. The anger is gone, now. I just feel numb. Broken. The pain in my hand pulses across my entire body with my heartbeat. A sound I'm very familiar with enters the fringes of my hearing. A gentle metal creaking. Olivia's wheelchair. I can't look at her. I can't bring myself to do it. I just sit there as she slowly gets closer, until she finally sees me. Or at least I think she does, judging from the gasp that rips out of her as she takes in my crumpled form. Her voice is frantic, pleading.

"D?!"

She rapidly wheels her way next to me, and another gasp escapes her which raises into soft, alarmed cry as she sees what I've done to myself. I weakly turn my head to look at her. She's horrified. Worried. Sorrowful. Confused. She looks like she wants to jump out of her chair and squeeze me tight, but she's afraid that if she does, I'll break apart into a thousand pieces. My voice is hoarse, torn up from screaming.

"It happened again."

"W-what?"

"I failed, Olivia."

"W-who?"

"You. Iadakan. My mother. Everyone. Myself."

My head sinks, and I'm left staring at the floor again. I can't bear to look at her.

"This is who I really am. Not D, the punk from out of town. Just Dorian, the angry f*ck-up."

Olivia's reply comes in the form of a soft hiss, laced with admonishment.

"D... why?"

I look back up at her, repeating the question softly.

"Why?"

Her brow is furrowed, and her expression is twisted into a hurt grimace. She's been crying, but more tears threaten to spill from her eyes.

"Yes, why. I thought you trusted me."

My eyes widen and I recoil slightly as the wind gets knocked out of me.

"I..."

My eyes begin to well up as I look up at her. What am I even doing?

"Oh... g-god. I-I'm sorr-"

The words seize in my throat as a sob rips out of me. At that moment, Olivia slides out of her chair and falls next to me, carefully wrapping me in her arms as her own tears finally escape down her face. Despite it, her voice is firm.

"You... stupid... idiot. You've told me yourself so many times. We're a team. A team. I'm your Silverlight, remember?"

I shakily wrap the arm with my good hand around her as I bury my face into her shoulder, weeping quietly as I choke out strangled whispers to her.

"I-it hurts. All the m-memories. It's t-too much."

She squeezes tighter, muttering directly into my ear.

"But you remember what I said to you that day in your apartment, right?"

My breath hitches. I remember. 'I'll be here for you'. It draws forth new sobs, louder ones. She was here the entire time. And I was going to push her away. No, I did push her away. She needed me. She needed me and I ran. But she's here now. Even still. f*ck. What am I doing? This isn't Rock Bottom all over again. What if I just kept going again until it happened again? The roof? God, now I just feel so f*cking stupid. I try to formulate words, but all I can push out through the tears is 'I'm sorry'. She gently shushes me as she pulls away, looking me in the face. Even still, fresh tears make their way down her eyes.

"I'm hurting too, D. I know. But we don't need to hurt alone. You haven't failed anyone. Not yet. That will only happen if you give up. I know what that feels like, and I'm not letting you sink into that hole like I did too."

I slowly start calming myself down as she glances down at my ruined hand, and sighs shakily.

"Why did you do that?"

I follow her gaze, and a rattling sigh of my own makes it's way out of me.

"I wanted it to stop."

She shakes her head sadly.

"You know you're actually going to have to go to the hospital for that, right?"

I look down at it. Great. I f*cked my dominant hand up, too. This is going to be annoying.

"Yeah."

She huffs quietly, looking up at the stairs.

"Why'd you even come here?"

I shrug.

"I dunno. I had no clue where I was going when I was freaking out. Maybe it was subconscious or something."

I glance up at her.

"Why'd you come here?"

She continues looking up at the stairs.

"I was going to see the fountain."

I sit up slightly. Huh? There's no way to get up there with a wheelchair.

"What? Olivia... how?"

She stares down at me intently.

"I would have figured it out."

I shake my head, frowning.

"Or got yourself killed, more likely. Raptor Christ, now I'm actually kind of glad I had a panic attack and ran here."

She gently bats me in the shoulder that didn't also have my injured hand attached to it.

"Shut up, dork."

I swallow heavily, glancing up the stairs.

"What a f*cking day."

She hums quietly, looking at me. She's still sad, but... there are hints are other things there. Amusem*nt? I don't have more time to ponder it as she speaks.

"Dorian?"

I grimace just a little.

"That's my name."

I co*ck an eyebrow at her.

"You didn't think my first name was actually just D, did you?"

She shakes her head, a soft little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth

"No, but... Dorian?"

I shrug sadly.

"My mom's choice. I... stopped going by Dorian after she died. It just reminded me too much. It still does. Please, just... keep calling me D, okay?"

She nods, gently taking my uninjured hand into hers and glancing briefly at the other. The bleeding had slowed. I grunt quietly.

"How am I going to explain this?..."

She runs her thumb across my palm.

"I don't think you should lie about it. Mr. Ferris was talking about the district providing therapists, you know... they could help with this."

I snort.

"Yeah. Sure. A shrink. That's what I need."

Olivia furrows her brow.

"Hey. They help. I'm not saying you have to, but just think about it, okay?"

I sigh quietly.

"Okay. I will."

I shift, gently prying my good hand out of Olivia's and using it to push myself to my feet. She watches me rise, and then uses her tail as an anchor to deftly pivot herself around and push up into her chair. Suddenly, my phone rings, it's ringtone blaring out into the silence of the snow around us. I awkwardly pull it out of my right pocket with my left hand and look at the caller ID. Dad. Great. I bet the school called him after I ran out like that. Poor Mr. Ferris. Probably scared him to death. Welp, here we go. I answer the call and lift it up to my head. Almost immediately, I hear my father's panicked voice.

"Dorian?! Oh my god, are you okay?"

I grunt quietly.

"Yes. Well, no. But I'm not dying or anything."

"What happened, son?! Someone from your school called me out of the blue and asked if I could get into contact with you. I... they told me what happened, with your teacher, I-"

"Dad. It's... well, it's not fine, but... I don't want to talk it right now, okay? I'm okay. I'm- well..."

A pause. He speaks, nervous.

"Well, what, Dorian?"

I grimace, even if he can't see it.

"I had another one."

I can hear him hiss quietly, cursing to himself before he composes himself. He's worried.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

I swallow heavily.

"Yes."

A rattling sigh escapes him. Not a good sound, pops.

"How bad?"

I stare down at my bloody hand, the grimace not leaving my face.

"I... punched the concrete a few times. Broke my hand, pretty sure."

A sharp inhale. His voice is shaky.

"Oh, Dorian... I'm so sorry, son."

f*cking sh*t. Tears sting the edges of my eyes again.

"It's not your fault, dad. I... my girlfriend helped me out of it before I could something worse to myself."

He pauses.

"Girlfriend?"

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. Yeah. Distract him.

"Yes."

He sounds unsure.

"An actual girlfriend? Not the thing you had with whatwashername, Vikki?"

I glance down at Olivia, who is currently on her own phone, seemingly texting to someone. Jesus, Dad.

"No. Not like the thing I had with Vikki."

She briefly stops texting, glancing up at me from the corner of her eyes as a singular eyebrow raises very gently. Great. That'll be fun to explain.

"Okay, son. I'm... that's, good. Is she still with you?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, good. Where are you right now?"

"A park near my school. Stig Equestrian."

"Alright. I'll... call your school back and let them know I talked to you, okay? Please go to the hospital and get your hand looked at."

"I will."

"...I love you, son. You know that, right?"

"...I know, dad. I love you too."

"Alright. Call me after you're out of the hospital, okay?"

"I will."

"Good. Bye, kiddo."

Click.

I blow out a long, sustained breath. I wish I wasn't such a sh*t son to him. He doesn't deserve it. I slip my phone back into the pocket on my left side for easier access later. I glance down at Olivia, who looks back up at me as the conversation finishes.

"Your dad sounds nice."

I nod, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

"He is. I treat him like sh*t. Just another reason I don't like myself."

She huffs quietly, frowning at me.

"Stop that. It was bad enough when I did it to myself, but it hurts really bad when you do it."

I cringe a little.

"Sorry. Who were you texting?"

"Liz. She's coming to get us, and to take you to the hospital."

I frown.

"Great... I bet Damien is going to be with her too. Now everyone gets to see this."

She looks up at me, unamused.

"It was bound to happen sooner rather than later, Sir Punch A lot. By the way, Vikki?"

I groan, cupping my good hand to my face.

"Look, it's just an old thing I had with this raptor chick from my last school. That's all it was, a thing. It's years old at this point."

She hums quietly, leaning back in her chair.

"Okay. I won't ask."

I grunt quietly.

"Good. She was a bitch anyway."

That draws an amused snort out of her as she looks up at me, but says nothing. We look through each other's eyes for a little while, before I find my gaze wandering back up to the stairs.

"...We'll get you up there. I'll get you up there. I..."

I look back down at her, voice wobbling a bit.

"I'll try and get better. It's going to be hard for me, Olivia. I don't know if I'll ever be as good as I want to be."

She smiles sadly, reaching over and taking my good hand once again.

"You and me both. But even if we never 'get better', I'll still love you, just like you love me and all my flaws. That's what Iadakan would want for us."

I return the smile.

"...It's not just us anymore, y'know. We can add Damien and Liz to the team. I know how much Damien cares about you, and Liz is getting there too."

Some of the lingering sadness leaves her eyes.

"I know. Damien cares about you too, you know. I think ever since you took him down in wrestling that day, he's had a little man crush on you. I think all the Paynes care about you, actually. I've overheard Uncle Randy and Aunt Sophia talking about you a few times. They were saying good things."

A sting of regret flashes through me. Sure. But how will they feel when I see what I did to myself? I must be making a face, because Olivia's hand squeezes just a little.

"Hey... don't make that face. They'll understand."

Another shaky sigh escapes me. I need to work on hiding my facial emotions.

"I hope so."

Part of me wants to kiss her, but... I can't. Not right now. The pain pulsing through my hand right now is enough to keep the worst of the f*cked up thoughts in my head away, but I know this won't last forever, and then I'll be right back to sinking again. This is how it works with me. I've always hurt myself to make it stop, until at one point I realized I could hurt other people too. But with this broken fist, there's no chance I'm going to be able to go to the pit and fight. I'm just going to get worse again. f*ck. f*ck.I don't want her to see me do this to myself. There's a reason I never wear shorts shorter than knee height. My thighs are riddled in old scars. I used to cut. A lot. It was the one place I knew I could hide them, and it's worked so far. I don't want to go back to doing that. I... have to tell her. I have to make sure I don't start again. My hand suddenly grips hers tighter, and I look at her intently. My tone is almost... desperate.

"Olivia."

She looks up at me, worried.

"Is it happening again?"

I shake my head.

"No. Not yet. But it will. I need you... I need you to take this."

I gently pry my hand away from hers and slip my pocket knife out, holding it out to her. She looks shocked, staring at it for a few beats until she looks up to me. There's a pained expression, one laced with a wordless question. 'Why?'

I swallow heavily.

"Please just take it. Do something with it. Hide it. Throw it away. I don't care. Otherwise I'm afraid I'm goi-"

She gently reaches out and takes it from me, slipping it into her hoodie pocket. She wheels forward a bit, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her face into my stomach. I can tell she wants to cry again. I gently lift my good hand and place it on top of her head, staring up at the sky as tears threaten to spill out of my eyes again.

"When I get out of the hospital, I... can you ask the Paynes if I can stay with them? I can't be alone in my apartment, and I don't have anywhere else to go."

She nods, leaning back and looking up at me with watery eyes.

"I know they'll say yes. They're too nice not to. Especially if I ask. Randy will pick you up from the hospital too, okay?"

I shut my eyes, trying and failing to keep the tears from falling as I nod.

"When I get back from the hospital... I... need to show you something."

Olivia is about to respond when I hear Liz' voice call out to us. We both turn, and sure enough, there she is. And Damien, too. They're both worried as f*ck, which is replaced by panic as they see the blood trails I've left behind leading back up to my hand. Damien looks at me, and his face screws up sadly. He's heartbroken. Holy f*ck. That's not a look I ever, ever needed to see. I manage a strained smile as Olivia and I make our way towards them, and I pat his shoulder gently.

"That's not a good face, Damien. Doesn't suit you."

His bottom lip quivers for a moment before he suddenly lunges out and wraps me into a tight hug, knocking a grunt of surprise out of me. His voice is quiet, strained, but... glad.

"You had me so worried, dude. I was... I was fearing the worst, man."

sh*t. sh*t, sh*t, sh*t. Here come the tears again. I try to keep my voice steady.

"I-it's not that big of a deal, big guy."

He wrenches me back gently to look at me in the eyes. He's not crying, but he sure looks like he wants to.

"It is! It is a big deal! I feel like... a f*cking idiot, for not seeing this sooner! You're my best friend, D!"

Those two words knock the wind out of me. 'Best friend'. I am? I... I guess he is my best friend. Liz steps over, placing a hand on my shoulder and smiling sadly.

"I wish I had seen it too, D. I'm sorry. But... we can help you now, you know? Neither you or Olivia have to be alone with this."

Her gaze turns to Olivia, who's watching this display with a small smile on her face. Their eyes meet, and they both share a nod. Another sob rips it's way out of me as the dam bursts again. Damien pulls me back into his embrace, and both Liz and Olivia come forward and wrap their arms around me, forming a circular embrace around me. Liz actually curls her neck around the group several times, pulling us even tighter. It draws a shaky laugh out of me, even as I cry. Brachio hugs.

I... think I'll be okay. I hope.

God. I f*cking hope.

...

Chapter 18: Necessary Conversations

Chapter Text

Olivia wanted to wait with me at the hospital, but... she needed to rest, so with Damien's cajoling helping me, I made her go home. Besides, it would probably help my case more if she actually asked Randy and Sophia face to face instead of just over the phone. Thankfully, according to the x-rays, the injury isn't as bad as it looks. Just a few fractures in my hand. I'll have to keep it in a cast for a month or two. Unfortunately, as I feared, they questioned how it happened. Olivia didn't want me to lie, but... sorry, Silverlight. I can't deal with it that way right now. I hate doing it, but I lie to them, saying I just went too hard during boxing practice. The doctor buys it, chastises me for it, and leaves the room for a brief moment to grab the materials for the cast. My phone had buzzed a couple of times while I was here, but seeing as I was busy with the medical staff, I haven't had time to look. Now's as good as any time.

[Liv-Long: Hey]

[Liv-Long: They said yes]

[Liv-Long: Randy is on his way to get you, he said he'll just wait in the lobby]

[You: Alright. I'm almost done anyway. Doc just left the room to get the stuff for the cast. You okay?]

[Liv-Long: Still really sad. But I'll be better once you get here]

[You: I will be too. See you soon, Silverlight. Love you.]

[Liv-Long: Love you too]

sh*t, texting with one hand is hard. A rattling sigh escapes my lungs. Will she still love me after I show her the scars? Will she still love me after I inevitably freak out again in front of her? Will she still love me after-

'How long until you hurt her, too?'

The venom filled barb from that dream stings across my thoughts painfully. f*ck off. I'd sooner throw myself off a f*cking roof before I do that. Thankfully, I'm not forced to think about it for very long as the doctor comes back in. My hand is set, and I get an appointment to come back for follow up x-rays in about a week and a half. They send me on my way, and considering Randy probably only left his house a few minutes ago, I'm not surprised when I head out into the lobby and don't see him there yet. It's fine. There are benches out front.

Right. Dad wanted me to call him after I was done. I sit down and pull my phone out, hitting his contact number and raising it to my ear. It doesn't take long for him to pick up.

"Hey, kiddo. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Cast is on. Coming back for the follow up stuff in a week or so."

"How are you doing?"

He's not asking that in the physical sense.

"...not great. Really bad. It's... like back then, almost. Not as bad. But close."

He sighs.

"Do you want to come back home?"

I start a little, my voice raising slightly before I check myself.

"No! No. S-sorry, dad, but that's like the last place I want to be right now."

"Dorian, I don't feel good about you being alone right now."

"I won't be. My girlfriend's... folks, are letting me stay with them."

I hear him hum quietly. He sounds... pleased?

"Are they? That's good. I know it doesn't matter, but I'm just curious. Human or dino?"

"Dino."

He chuckles softly. The sound actually makes me feel a little better. I don't usually hear him happy like that.

"Seems like you have a type, son. No offense."

I groan quietly.

"Dad..."

He snorts quietly.

"I know, I know. I'm just messing around. You mind if I speak to her folks? Her dad, or mom, or whatever?"

"Sure, but they're her godparents. Not actual parents."

He pauses a little.

"Oh. Are her parents?..."

I can sense the unspoken question, laced with wariness.

"Her dad just works a lot. They're old family friends. Her mom, I... don't know. I haven't asked, she hasn't said anything. I don't want to pry."

"I get it, kiddo. You just want to give them my number?"

"Yeah. Her godfather is coming to pick me up from the hospital right now, actually. I'll give it to him."

I hear him clicking a pen idly.

"Sounds good, kiddo."

I hear the sound of a door clicking, and a woman's voice cutting through. He must be on speaker phone in his office.

"Mr. Fault, you have a client."

"Oop. I gotta go. Let your girl's folks know to call me, in... give it an hour and a half. Love you, kiddo."

"Love you too, dad."

click

I should call him more often. I really should. After around 15 minutes or so, I finally spot Randy's car twisting around the corner and winding itself down the hospital's drive-up, coming to a stop in front of me. I stand up and step towards the car, peering through the windows. It's just Randy. I crack open the door to the front passenger seat and slip in, minding my arm. The Payne patriarch gives me a somber smile as I buckle myself in.

"Hey there, son. Y'ready to go?"

I nod, staring absentmindedly out the window as he starts driving his way back out onto the street. It's silent for a few minutes before I break it, turning to look at him.

"My dad wants to talk to you."

Randy's brow raises ever so gently as he briefly glances on me, but keeps his focus on the road.

"You said you lived alone, didn't you?"

I nod.

"Yeah, but... he's the one paying for my apartment. And he's across the country. It'd be over the phone."

He gives a quiet 'ah'.

"Alright then."

I turn back towards the window.

"I'll give you his number when we get to the house. He just got a client when I stopped talking to him, though, so I'd wait an hour before you do."

He hums.

"Client, huh? If you don't mind me asking, what's he do for work?"

Welp. Had to let the cat out of the bag eventually, I guess. I chew the inside of my cheek for a moment before spilling the beans.

"He's the National Account Executive for Vertex Metals."

Randy doesn't immediately answer, so I sneak a glance at him. His eyes are wide, fixed on the road. It takes him a few seconds to speak.

"Vertex Metals? As in... the precious metals company? The bullion dealers?"

"...Yes."

He blows out a breath, chuckling quietly.

"Good gravy. I..."

"Never would have guessed? I keep it that way on purpose. It's not something I like to flaunt."

He nods.

"I understand that. I'll keep it to myself, D, don't worry."

I sigh quietly, turning to look back out of the window.

"I appreciate it, Randy."

The drive is silent the rest of the way, save for when he pulls into his driveway. I unbuckle and go to step out of the car, but he gently clasps his hand on my shoulder. I turn to stare at him, and he meets my eyes, smiling gently.

"My home is open to you as long as you need it, son."

I stare at him for a good long while, words flying through my mind. I can only grab two, saying them as I nod.

"...Thank you."

He returns the nod, and then unbuckles himself, and we both step out of the car. I look at him awkwardly, standing in the driveway as he goes up to the front door. I call out to him.

"Uh... Randy, I'll be a couple minutes."

He glances back, curious.

"What's up?"

I rub the back of my neck, grimacing.

"I... need to smoke real quick. Don't wanna do it in your house."

His eyebrows raise as he stops on the front step. He studies me for a few moments, and to accentuate the point I slowly remove the pack from my pocket, along with the lighter. He peers at me for a little while longer, and then nods slowly.

"Alright, son. I appreciate the courtesy. Don't be too long, it's cold out here. You want some hot cocoa?"

I shake my head, slipping a cigarette between my lips and lighting it.

"No thank you, Randy. I'm probably just going to go into Olivia's room and rest with her after I give you my dad's number."

He nods wordlessly, turning and heading inside the house. I wait for the door to close and then step over to the curb, lowering myself onto it and sitting down. I don't rush the smoke. I hear the door open and close behind me, and soft footsteps crunching through the snow.

"Hey, man. You doing okay?"

It's Damien. His usual bombastic tone is soft. I take a soft pull and exhale the smoke through my nose.

"...No."

He sits next to me, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"I figured."

We sit there in silence as I continue to smoke, at least until I finally proffer a question.

"How's she doing?"

He sighs quietly.

"Not as bad. But still not great. Iadakan was like a second dad to her, you know?"

I flinch at his name. Just his f*cking name. God damn it. I leave my cigarette in my lips as I lean forward and rest my forehead into the palm of my good hand.

"I... yeah, I know. He was getting there for me, too."

Damien reaches over and grips my shoulder.

"I'm sorry. You know we'll all be here for you, right?"

I nod, and then look at Damien intently, plucking the cigarette back out of my mouth.

"I know. Damien, I need to... ask you a favor."

"Anything, bro."

I look at him with all the intent I can muster as he withdraws his hand from my shoulder.

"Are you sure?"

He co*cks an eyebrow, frowning.

"I mean... yeah, within reason, I guess."

I take one final draw of my cigarette and then snuff it out on the sidewalk.

"I'm going to have another episode at some point. I know I will."

A questioning look passes over his face before he briefly glances at my injured hand, wrapped in its cast. I nod at him.

"When I do... I'm probably going to try and run off somewhere. I need you to stop me."

His eyes widen slightly.

"S-stop you? How?"

I shake my head.

"However you need to. You might... you might have to hurt me."

He flinches.

"Hurt you?! I-"

"I'm serious. You can't just get in my way and try to stop me from leaving. If you do, I'll... I'll probably hurt you. I won't be myself, Damien."

He runs a hand through his hair, slumping over and staring off down the street.

"T-that's a lot, man."

I reach over and tap his shoulder with my fist gently.

"I know it is. Like I said, though. You might have to hurt me. It isn't a guarantee."

He huffs, looking back up at me.

"Alright. Let's get back inside, I'm gonna freeze my frills off out here."

I nod, and we both rise to our feet. Halfway to the door, I stop, planting a hand on Damien's shoulder. He turns to me, mildly shocked, but before he can get any words out I pull him close and wrap him into a tight hug. He grunts in surprise but reciprocates, chuckling quietly.

"What's this about?"

"What you said in the park. About me being your best friend. I appreciate that more than you could ever f*cking know."

I pull away, gripping his shoulder tightly and staring into his eyes intently.

"You're my best friend, too. I love you, man."

I pull him back into the hug. After a few beats, I mutter into his ear.

"No hom*o."

That rips a laugh out of him, and I can't help but smile a little, too. All contact finally ends as we step apart, and he's grinning from frill to frill. I smirk.

"Now that look, that's the look that suits you the best."

I wave my hand towards the door.

"Get in there before you get frostbite, you big f*cking goofball."

He continues laughing, turning and heading for the door as I follow behind him.

"Man, now I know why Olivia likes to cuddle up with you so much. You're warm, dude."

"Don't make it gay."

...

I'm sitting in my recliner, idly watching the TV. I don't really register what's on it, my thoughts are on D and Olivia, right now. A sigh creeps it's way out of me just at the thought of it. Out of all of them, why'd it have to be Trent? World's just not fair like that, I guess. Poor kids. Especially L'il Ace... Olivia. She was just starting to come out of that little shell she had built up, thanks to... well, D. That poor, poor boy. All on his lonesome out here. I daresay, I might have some choice words for his father, but... I don't know that man. Or what his family is going through. I reckon I'll find out when I have my little chat with him soon. Damien had gone out to sit with D while he smoked. It hurts me to see him like that, even if he isn't my son. When I first met him, saw how lively he was, comparing him to now... it's like I'm staring at two different people. The fire in his voice, gone. The light in his eyes, blinked out. The rigid pride he carried himself with, crumbled away. It's harrowing. Someone his age shouldn't look like that.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by the front door opening. My son and D walk through the threshold, quickly shutting it behind them. Judging from the little grin on Damien's face, and the fact that D looks a little less despondent, I suppose they had a good talk. I smile at them warmly.

"Hey there, boys. Cold, ain't it?"

Damien sits on the couch, nodding, but D stands idly by, staring off into space.

"Sure is, pops."

D looks over at me, his normally intense expression instead flat and cold. He slides out his phone, tapping at it with his thumb.

"Let me give you my dad's number, Randy."

I rise out of my chair with a quiet grunt and a 'sure thing', walking into the kitchen to grab a pen and paper. He follows me in and rattles the number off to me as I jot it down. Once I've got it, he steps back and puts his phone away.

"Alright. I'm going to go see Olivia now. Remember, wait a little while longer before you call him. Should only be like 45 minutes at this point."

I nod.

"Alright, son. If either of you need anything, just let me know."

He merely nods and turns away, heading to her room. He knocks, seemingly gets a response as he says his name, and then ducks inside. Some nagging little part of my brain wants to pop in there and tell them to keep it on the level, but the thought is quickly battered aside. Those kids aren't going to do anything like that right now. Not while they're grieving like that. They need time. I pick the sheet of paper up and set it next to the landline as I make my way back to my chair, sinking into it with a soft sigh. Damien looks over at me.

"You okay, dad?"

I nod at him gently.

"Yep. Just... worried about those two. Same as you."

He nods, frowning just a bit as he idly watches the TV.

"I only had Mr. Iadakan for one period, but... man. He was so lively, all the time. So passionate. You'd never think he was sick. Bone cancer?..."

He heaves out a sigh, staring glumly at the floor. His brow furrows in confusion.

"When Mr. Ferris told me, I... I asked why he didn't get treatment for it. And he just... didn't want any. Why? Why would he refuse that?"

I hum quietly.

"He wanted to go out doing what he loved, son. Picture him wasting away in a hospital bed on chemotherapy that might not even work. Horrid image, isn't it? He thought so too, I'm sure. No other reason why he would deny it. A man like him, as passionate as he was, he didn't want his fire to just fizzle out like that. He kept it burning as bright as he could until he just couldn't anymore. And that's what he wanted."

Damien looks up at me, scratching the back of his head.

"...I guess so. Doesn't really bum me out any less."

I shake my head sadly.

"All we can do is cherish the memories he left behind, now."

Damien grunts a quiet confirmation out as he settles into the couch and starts watching the TV. Damien... my son has always been a rock for others to lean on. I'm so proud of my boy. Vincent is still young, but I reckon he'll grow up to be a fine young man just like his brother. Speaking of which, I casually check my watch. Few more hours 'til Vinny gets out of school. Hm. Gonna have to be careful with him. He's a good boy, but he tends to be a little... gung ho. I'll have to be a little stern with him about it, I think. Sophia's out running errands, she won't be back for an hour at the least. Around 30 minutes left until I should call D's father. I lean back, adjusting my glasses gently as I try to turn my focus to the TV. The clock ticks slowly, but sure enough, it's time. With one final cursory glance at my watch, I rise from the chair.

Damien looks at me curiously, so I answer his unspoken question.

"Calling D's pop. Gonna head to my bedroom. You can go ahead and put on a game or something if you'd like, son."

He nods as I walk over to the landline and pluck the cordless phone out of it's base, bringing the paper with me into my bedroom. I sit on the end of my bed and dial the number. The phone starts ringing. Here we go, Randy.

click

Showtime.

"Hello?"

"Hi there, Mr. Fault. My name is Randy Payne, I'm the fella that's having your son stay with us for a while. Please, call me Randy."

"Ah, Randy. Good to hear from you. Likewise, please call me Ignatius. Let me preface our conversation by saying I can't thank you enough for doing this."

Ignatius, huh? Fanciful name.

"It's not an issue at all, Ignatius. Your son is a fine young man... a little troubled, I reckon, but a fine young man."

He sighs quietly.

"More troubled than you know, I think. I hate to do this Randy, but how well do you know the reason I sent Dorian to Volcaldera in the first place?"

Dorian? That must be his full first name. Just as fanciful. Hm.

"Not too well. I figured it wasn't my place to pry."

"I appreciate that. I'll spare you the long and unpleasant story, but... it all started when-"

His voice wavers a little.

"When... my wife, Juno, his mother... passed, a few years back."

My heart skips a beat as my frills jitter gently.

"Good Lord. I'm so sorry. May I..."

He finishes the thought for me. He's trying to keep his voice steady, but I can tell he's having trouble. Hellfire, this poor man...

"Cancer."

I sigh sadly.

"Just like Trent..."

"I assume that was his teacher? The school called me earlier today, told me he suddenly ran out after the superintendent present at the school informed him."

"Yes, the very same. Your boy and my... goddaughter, they were very, very close with him."

Despite the news, he sounds a little hopeful.

"So... he was doing good at the school, prior?"

"I... reckon so. There was a period he was out sick for a couple of days, but other than that, perfect attendance, his grades are all passing as far as I'm aware, and he hasn't had any disciplinary actions taken against him."

"Thank God. Randy, after my wife passed, Dorian got... very, very bad. In the violent way."

That gives me pause. I figured he was a little rough and tumble, the scar and all, but...

"Violent?"

"Yes. But... he has episodes. I don't quite know what they are. I've tried to get him to see doctors, but he wants nothing to do with them. PTSD, panic attacks, whatever they are, they make him lose himself and run off, and if someone tries to stop him, he... gets violent. Very violent. If nobody stops him and he gets away, he..."

I can hear him swallow heavily.

"He hurts himself."

A lump drops in my stomach. I find myself voicing my thoughts out loud.

"So, his hand?..."

"Yes. I talked to him about that, too. He punched the concrete until his hand broke, Randy."

He sounds about ready to cry.

"I know how it must look as a father, sending my son across the country by himself, but I just didn't know what to do. I'm still grieving Juno, I..."

He pauses, composing himself.

"I can't grieve for Dorian too. He needs help that I can't give him by myself."

This poor, poor man. I feel guilty for assuming wretched things of him earlier.

"Well, Ignatius, me and my family will do our best to help him, I promise you that."

"Randy, that would mean the world to me. Give whoever you need to my number, and you tell them to call me, and I'll give you every right I can feasibly give you to act as his guardian in my absence. I'll write letters, I'll get lawyers involved, whatever I need to do, I'll do it. Does your family need money, Randy?"

"No, no. Not at all. I wouldn't ask that of you. We're doing just fine. We have plenty of space for him in our house."

"Alright. I won't press it. How's Dorian doing right now?"

"He's with Olivia right now in her room. Olivia being my goddaughter."

"Right. His girlfriend, correct? How's she doing?"

"Not well either, but... better than him, I reckon."

He sighs.

"Poor kids. Nobody should have to go through this, but... Dorian, twice?"

"He'll make it, Ignatius. Me and my wife, we'll do our hardest to make sure of it. My eldest son, too."

"Thank you, Randy. I owe you more than I could ever give you. Bless you. I should go, now. I have a meeting in 10 minutes I need to get ready for."

"Alright. Don't be a stranger, Ignatius."

He chuckles quietly, but there's a somber nature to it.

"I won't. Goodbye, Randy."

click

...

Damien opens the door and steps inside, and I follow right behind him, shutting it behind me. Randy's sitting in his recliner, and he looks over at us with that warm smile.

"Hey there, boys. Cold, ain't it?"

I want to smile back, but... I just can't. Damien plops himself onto the couch and leans back as he responds to his father, and I find my gaze wandering to Olivia's door absentmindedly.

"Sure is, pops."

I want to go be with her right now, but... business first. Get it out of the way. I look at Randy.

"Let me give you my dad's number, Randy."

He hefts himself out of his chair, wandering towards the kitchen.

"Sure thing."

I follow him and slip my phone out as he grabs a pen and some paper. I dictate the numbers to him, and after he's written them down I take a step back and slide my phone away.

"Alright. I'm going to go see Olivia now. Remember, wait a little while longer before you call him. Should only be like 45 minutes at this point."

He nods at me.

"Alright, son. If either of you need anything, just let me know."

I return the nod and spin on my heel, making my way over to Olivia's room. I knock gently against it. I hear her call out weakly, saying something, but I'm not sure what.

"It's D."

She calls out again, a little stronger this time.

"Come in."

I open the door and step inside, shutting it behind me. Her curtains are drawn, the lights are off, save for the screen of her laptop. She's taken her hoodie and slippers off, and she's laying stomach-side on her bed, chin resting on top of her arms, or she was anyway, before I walk in. When I do so, she sits up on her knees. She's been crying. I pull my jacket off and toss it onto the bean bag, sitting next to her on the bed. She immediately slides up to me and we embrace, holding each other gently. After a few minutes, I gently pry her off of me, staring at her intently. I have to do this. She needs to know. She has to know.

"Olivia... I..."

I hesitate, grimacing..

"I need to show you the ugliest part of me. Something I've been hiding from you ever since we met. Something I hide from everyone."

She gently holds my hand.

"You don't have to. Not if you aren't ready."

I grip her hand tightly.

"I have to, right now. Otherwise I'll never be ready. And you deserve to know."

She breathes in a shuddering breath, and nods. Her voice comes out in a whisper.

"Okay."

I unlace my boots and slide them off, followed by my socks. She looks at me a little strangely as I start undoing my belt, and I glance down at her, but say nothing. Soon enough, I'm left in nothing but my boxers and shirt. Even my boxers are knee length, though. The last layer I can hide behind. I sit back down on the bed, staring at her intently.

"I... I'm sorry."

She looks worried.

"Why are you apologizing?"

I shake my head, grimacing as I look back down at my legs. I start with my right, gripping the bottom hem of my boxers where they come to the knee. My hands start shaking as I pull them up, slowly revealing the latticework of scars that trail across every part of my thigh like a cartographer's grim map of my thoughts. The other leg, next. In the darkness of the room, the scars resemble shadowed canyons in my legs. I can only stare down at them in contempt. Just an example of how broken I am. Permanent reminders. I look back up into her eyes, bracing for shock or disgust, but there was none. Only a deep, unspoken sadness, a wish to have been there, to have somehow stopped it.

“These...”

My words die in my throat. I swallow, and try again.

“I did all of this to myself. To try and cope.”

The admission felt like breaking through a wall I’d held closed for far too long. Tears start welling in my eyes again, and my voice grows shaky.

“I couldn't hide it from you anymore. You need to see all of me, every broken piece. To see if I'm still worth it."

Her own eyes turned watery as she reached out, the tips of her fingers ever so gently tracing the jagged lines, unflinching at the texture of my broken skin.

“Why?”

It was a quiet mutter, a heartbroken plea. A question as to why I would do this to myself. What would bring me to this? The word was like a knife in my neck. I struggled for an answer that would make sense to her, when it barely made sense to me. I can't find the words, and I can only respond quietly, horrified.

"I don't know."

At that, she finally lunges forward with a quiet sob, wrapping her arms around me. She buries her head into my shoulder, quaking with every breath. I feel equal parts relief and sorrow wash over me as my arms tighten around her, my own dam breaking as I began to weep in her arms. Even through the sobbing, I continue speaking to her.

"I... I lied to the d-doctors, Olivia. E-even though you t-told me not to. I just... I c-can't. C-couldn't. I w-want to get better, but I d-don't want- not like that. Not r-right now, I-"

Words fail me, and I can only repeat 'I'm sorry' through the tears. Her tail gently wraps around my waist and pulls me closer, gently repeating 'it's okay' each time I mutter to her. Over the course of the next few minutes, we both slowly calm down. Eventually, she pulls away, raising her hand to my face and cupping it gently. She smiles, even through the tears.

"It's okay. We'll figure it out together."

The words wash over me with gentle warmth. For the first time in a while, I manage a genuine smile back at her as I reach up and press my hand against hers as it rests against my face. I lean forward, placing my forehead against hers and closing my eyes.

"I love you, Olivia."

"I love you too, D."

We sit in that position for a while, just holding hands, silent, eyes closed. I feel calm. Here. Present. The whirling thoughts in the back of my mind have receded... for now. I breathe out a deep sigh as I lean back, sliding the legs of my boxers back down so my scars are covered again.

"I should... probably put my pants back on."

Olivia giggles quietly.

"Probably. Randy would have a heart attack if he walked in right now."

I chuckle.

"I'm sure he would."

I reach down and scoop them off of the floor along with my belt, sliding them back on and cinching them. I roll the legs up to my knee, too. Just more comfortable that way. I sit back down and look at Olivia. She looks a little sleepy. Matter of fact, I kind of am too. Guess crying like that takes it out of you. I reach over and gently close her laptop shut, drowning the room in even deeper darkness. Only the fringes of sunlight creeping through her curtains give me anything to see by as I lift the laptop and place it gently on the ground next to the bed. Olivia looks curiously up at me, but gives out an 'eep' as I hook my arms under hers and drag us both further back onto the bed. We hit the mattress, and she huffs.

"D, what-"

I gently put a finger to her snoot.

"No words. Just sleep. I'm tired, and I know you are too."

She grumbles quietly, cutting her eyes at me before she wraps her arms around me and pulls me close, resting her head on my chest. I reciprocate, bringing my good hand to her head and gently running it through her hair. Sure enough, she starts bellowing. My favorite sound in the world. I lean back and shut my eyes, allowing her quiet rumbling to drown out the whirlwind of thoughts cascading in my mind as I slowly drift to sleep.

...

Chapter 19: Admissions and Sorrows

Chapter Text

I find myself standing in an open, snow-covered field, staring off into the distance as the sun sets. Orange, pink, and blue whirl together to create a beautiful slow dance that paints a glow of warmth across everything, even despite the paleness of the snow covering the ground. A voice yanks me out of my stupor.

"Olivia was right, you know."

I whip around at the sound of the voice andfind myself lookingat Iadakan. He's sitting on the edge of a quietly burbling fountain, leaning on one hand with a leg propped up onto a knee. I try to speak, but I find myself without a voice. He smiles at me gently.

"You haven't failed me. Not yet."

The smile fades, and he looks at me seriously.

"But... it's going to be hard for you."

The vibrant sky suddenly starts growing dark as roiling thunderclouds form overhead. There's something wrong. Red lightning cracks across the sky, the resulting boom almost sounding like a spiteful laugh. Iadakan glances back at thewaters of the fountainas they slowly turn fromclear,to muddied with blood. He frowns.

"So soon? ...I'm sorry. I wish we had more time to talk."

He stands up, hastily walking over to me. The earth around us begins quaking as the clouds split open, and it begins raining. Iadakan stops next to me, looking around grimly as hands burst out of the soil around us. Twisted, ghoulish versions of myself begin wrenching themselves through the dirt, expressions contorted into leering grimaces full of rage as curses and threats of death spill out of their mouths. They stagger to their feet and begin lumbering at us, and Iadakan turns back to me and clamps his hands onto my shoulders, staring into my eyes. His grip is... strong. A determined fierceness burns in his eyes.

"I'll hold them off for as long asI can, Dorian. But I can't do it all by myself. I meant what I said that day. Harness the fire in you. Don't let it burn out."

He steps back, hefting a fire axe into his hands as he shields me with his wings from the encroaching monsters.

"You'll beokay,for a little while. But I can't keep all of them away forever. Remember, you aren't aloneanymo-"

knock knock knock

I jolt awake, grunting. I'm not sure when my dreams started to get this vivid, but I'm not a fan. Olivia stirs, rubbing one eye and humming quietly. The door opens, and Sophia pokes her head in. She looks at us, and in turn, we both regard her groggily, arms still wrapped around one another. She absorbs the sight for a few seconds before smiling sweetly.

"Dinner's ready, you two. It's meatloaf night."

That seems to rouse Olivia faster, even if only slightly. She pulls herself out of my arms, much to my grumbled consternation, and sits up as she continues to rub her eyes.

"Mmmgive us a minute, Auntie."

Sophia nods, shutting the door slowly.

"Don't be too long."

With a quiet click, the door shuts, leaving us alone again. My voice comes out ragged, still wrapped in the throes of wake-up grogginess as I swing my feet over the edge of the bed and sit up and stare at my cast with a furrowed brow.

"Ugh. Eating with my left hand is going to be a pain in the f*cking ass."

Olivia's arms wrap up under my own from behind and cross against my chest, pulling me tightly against her. Her chin rests on my shoulder, and rather than saying anythingshejustbellows quietly.I lean back into her weight and shut my eyes for half a minute, nearly falling asleep again before my stomachdecides to remind me aboutdinner by growling angrily.Oh, yeah... I kinda skipped out on lunch today, didn't I? Olivia giggles, letting go of me and shuffling next to me. She grabshold ofher legs and gently shifts them over the edge of the bed, taking a sitting position. Our eyes meet.

"So... do I need to get your chair, or?..."

She shakes her head.

"No. Just give me your shoulder."

I stand up and sidestep, bringing my left shoulder down.Shewraps an arm around my back and gripson. I bring her up, and she uses her tail to prop herself up like a crutch. A grin rises across my face as I watch her do this.

"That's so badass, babe."

She huffs quietly, cutting her eyes at me, which isn't very convincingthanksto the little smile she's wearing with it.

"Shut up, you... I can't do this forever, so let's get to the dinner table."

With that, I start guiding her out of her room. Greetings from the family who are all already seated at the table head our way as we become visible. It'san only-very-slightlyslow and steady process, and even as we finally get her to an empty chair, she was already beginning to quake from the exertion. I slip into my own chair, which is in between Olivia and Damien.Steaming portions have already been servedout across the plates laid outat thetable,andyet still go untouched.I glance around at them and look up at Randy and Sophia.

"You guys didn't have to wait for us, y'know."

Sophia shakes her head.

"Nonsense, dear. But you're here now, so..."

She glances at Randy, who nods at us with a big grin.

"Dig in, everyone!"

Everyone picks up their forks and knives and begins mutilating their meat bricks with aplomb, and it's then that I notice the dinner is quite literally just comprised of meatloaf. No sides or anything. Just meat. Heh. Carnos. I might need to start making my own sides. As much as I would love to eat nothing but meat for the rest of my life, I'd rather not have a heart attack before 35. Regardless, this meatloaf f*cking kicks ass. It's then, as I'm eating, that I realize something. I feel... okay. Not quite normal. But my thoughts aren't being bombarded by a constant stream of f*cked up sh*t. More like a... slow drip. One that's thankfully easy to ignore. For now. It allows me to listen to the idle chatter at the dinnertable,and even pitch in a few times. I can laugh. I can smile. Everyone seeing me in better spirits seems to lift the overall mood of the table. And yet, despite it... there's an odd feeling tugging at me.

It's equal parts joy, equal parts sorrow. I find myself gently setting my fork down and just... absorbing the feeling. I'm not sure how long Ijustsit there, but I'm drawn back bythe sound ofVinny's voice.

"Why're you crying, Deester?"

My hand immediately shoots up to my face, and sure enough... tears. f*ck. I sure have been making a habit out of crying lately. Everyone's eyes turn to me, concerned. I sigh quietly, wiping the rest of the tears away. Randy voices his concern.

"You okay, son?"

I nod, looking back up at everyone.

"Yeah. It's... just. I..."

I take a rattling breath.

"I haven't... done something like this in... a long time. Been... part of a family. I've beenalone,for what seems like forever. I'm just... I... I'm so grateful."

I look at each of them with an earnest smile, lingering a little longer on Olivia than the rest.

"For each of you."

Vinny suddenly slides out of his chair and comes bounding around the table, wrapping his arms around me. He looks up at me sadly.

"You don't have to cry! You can be part of our family! You makea really goodbig bro, Deester."

His arms squeeze a little tighter, and I feel a fresh bout of tears slide down my face as I plant my hand ontop ofhis head, smiling down at him.

"...Thank you, little man."

My arms go downandI heft himupinto a proper hug, which he reciprocates with aplomb. I feel another pair of arms wrap around me. It's Olivia. Then another. Damien. I expect Randy and Sophia to join,but,theyjustremain in their seats, looking at the group hug with a profound sense of pride. Sophia looksjust aboutready to shed tears of joy, and Randy looks like he just watched his boys fight off an army by themselves. This... this is my family. And I'll do whatever I f*cking need to, to get better for them. But I won't just forget about my dad, either. I have a lot of work to do, Mr. Iadakan.

The rest of dinner passes by wonderfully. We all sit quietly and bask in the protein-induced itisfor a few momentsbefore Sophia looks at Damien.

"Damien, dear, could you handle the dishes?"

He nods, hopping right up.

"Sure thing!"

Vinny takes this as his chance to rush to the sofa, flying onto it and immediately turning it on to whatever horrid show for children he likes to watch. Damien starts gathering up all the empty plates, and Olivia and I look at each other, ready to retreat back into The Cave. I wanna continue Fighting Spiri- er... uh. Hajime no Ippo. Wego toperform the tail maneuver again, but Randy's voice stops me.

"Hold on just a minute, D. SophandI wanna talk to 'ya."

I look between them curiously as they stand up from theirchairs,andthen realize. Right. Randy must have spoken to my dad. I glance back down at Olivia, and she nods, smiling.

"I'll be waiting in my room."

I return the nod and give her a quick peck. I hear Vinny screech something about cooties, eliciting a chuckle from me as I turn back to Randy and Sophia. They begin walking towards what I presume is their bedroom, and I follow along. We enter, and it's... well, it's a master bedroom, I guess. There's nothing spectacular about it. A bed, a little makeup table with a mirror for Sophia, a dresser, and stuff like that. I shut the door behind me considering we're probably about to talk about some hellaciously private sh*t that's going to make me cry again or something. They both sit at the end of their bed, and Sophia gestures to a stool she has next to her makeup table, which I take a seat on. Some part of me is screaming to take a deep breath, and prepare for the worst, but... I think I can handle it. Randy peers at me intently, but with kindness.

"I spoke to your pops, son. He's a very gentle fellow, isn't he?"

I nod.

"Yeah... that's dad, alright. Gentle is a good word. He's..."

I stop, glancing away.He'swhat? A good dad? I'd be lying to myself if I said that. But...

"He's trying, I think."

I glance back, and Randy nods.

"He is. He cares a great deal about you, Dorian."

Iflinch, which doesn't go unnoticed by either of them.

"I understand you want to go by D,and,I'll respect that in front of the rest of the family. But... Ijustwant you to know we're serious about helping you, son."

I heave out a sigh.

"...Alright. You can call me Dorian. In private."

They both nod, and Sophia speaks.

"Randy filled me in on his conversation with your father, dear. I... can we talk about your mother?"

I feel the blood drain from my face. I was not ready for this. And yet, despite how I feel...

"I... yeah. Yeah, we can."

I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees, staring at them intently. The scratching at the back of my mind is back. But not in force. I can do this. Forthem. Just ignore it. Just f*cking ignore it.

"What about?"

They both glance at each other, and Sophia continues.

"Just... tell us about her."

I take a deep breath.

"...Okay."

I take a few moments to gather my thoughts. You don't need to think about the bad, Dorian. They already know the bad. Dad must have told Randy, and Randy told Sophia. Just tell them the good. I think about what I told Olivia the day we starteddating,and give them a revised version of that, without all the negative sh*t. Even then, it still hurts. I can feel my chest tightening, and partway through a sentenceIhave to cut myself off. I lean forward, covering my face with my hand and groaning quietly.

"I-I'm sorry. I can't."

It'sonlywhen I feel Sophia wrap her arms around me and hold me tightly that I realize I'm shaking like a leaf. She mutters gently into my ear.

"You don't have to, Dorian. That was enough."

The motherly tone in her voice immediately causes a choked sob to rip its way out of me. My hand finds itself latching onto the hem of her sweater, drawing her closer. I can barely think now. My thoughts are screaming. I can only stare down at the floor and weep, muttering through the tears as I hold her sweater like a child.

"M-mom... I'm s-so f*cking s-sorry. W-why? W-why?! Wasi-itmy fault?!"

A minuscule part of my brain is talking to me. 'This isn't your mom, you f*cking moron!' But the rest of my addled thoughts overpower it. Sophia freezes, looking back at Randy in a mixture of shock and grief, which he returns. Sophia turns back to me, placing a gentle hand on the back of my head. She guides me into a proper hug, which only causes my quiet weeping to burst out into a mournful wail as my arms wrap around her. If I was even a little more lucid, I might be embarrassed considering I'm pretty sure the whole house heard that one. I continue blubbering, constantly switching between asking for her forgiveness and exclamations of it being my fault. She just starts shushing me quietly, rocking me back and forth in her arms. This does enough to calm me down after a few minutes, and I finally realize what the f*ck I just did. I gently pull away from her, angrily wiping my eyes clean and grunting. There's the embarrassment.

"Ugh... I'm so sorry, Sophia."

She shakes her head, smiling sadly.

"It's okay, dear. We're the ones that should be apologizing. We shouldn't have pressed you like that."

I shake my head, looking up at her and cringing at the messy state I've left her sweater in.

"No. You deserved to know. Not your faultIcan't talk about it without..."

I huff, looking away.

"Without breaking down like that."

Randy finally pipes up.

"Never be ashamed of that, son. But, there's just one more thing I gotta ask you."

Sophia returns to her seat next to him as he looks at me intently. I peer back at him, mildly worried.

"Tell me about your... anger episodes."

My jaw tightens. Right. This I can do.

"Okay.Theydon't happen very often, but whentheydo,they're... bad. I don't knowexactlywhat they are. I... I've refused to see anykind ofdoctor about it."

They both frown gently, and Randy looks like he's about to speak when I continue.

"But... I'm... tomorrow when I go back to school,I'm going toask Mr. Ferris or Principal Scaler about the... therapist thing. Olivia told me they're offering that stuff on the district's dime, so..."

They look at each other, their frowns dissipating. A nod is shared, and they turn back to me.

"Good. You shouldn't be ashamed to seek that kind of help. It's not admitting weakness. None of us are going to judge you for it."

I shake my head.

"I know. I know that, but... some part of me still feels like I'm just giving up. But it's pretty clear that this isn't something I can figure out by myself."

I look between them intently.

"And I want to get better. For all of you. Especially for Olivia. I..."

I stare at Randy dead in the eyes.

"I love her, Randy."

Randy and Sophia share another look, this one I can't gauge the emotions of.A small streak of worry skips across my spinewhichis quicklyassuaged as they both smile at me.

"I know you do, Dorian. She loves you too, I can tell."

I nod.

"She does. We've... both helped each other. A lot. But, anyway, back to my... anger issues."

I take a deep breath.

"When theydohappen, the first thing Itend to try anddo is run away.I'm not sure why. I think whatever reasonable part of me that's left doesn't want to hurt anyone, so Ijusttry to isolate myself. If I can do that, then..."

I stare down at my cast wordlessly. Amongother things. Just thinking about them causes ajolt ofsensation to spark along my scars.

"Well, I hurt myself. Up until today, I'd been doing good. Haven't had one in months."

Sophia stares at the cast and then looks up at meseriously. There's a gentleness behind it, though.

"Dorian... this is the first time you've hurt yourself like that, right?"

I nod.Shecontinues.

"...How did you hurt yourself before that?"

I clench my eyes shut and look away, gritting my teeth. f*ck. Alright, Dorian.Just... tell them. You don't have to show them. Only she's allowed to see that part of you. I take another deep breath and return my focus to them.

"I... used to cut myself."

That causesboth ofthem to stiffen, and Sophia's hand goes up to her maw to smother a gasp.

"I used to cutmyself,a lot. Pretty badly, too. Had to go to the hospital for stitches a couple of times."

I gesture to my thighs.

"They're here. I hide them."

Randy looks at me intently but recoils a little when I give him the softest glare I can manage right now.

"No. You cannot see them. I... I'm sorry, but no. I've only ever shown them to one person, aside from doctors."

I hold up one finger to punctuate the point.

"One person... Olivia."

Randy speaks.

"Olivia?"

I nod.

"Today, actually. I talk withherabout everything, Randy. I'm sorry, but I trust her more than anyone else. I'm not... trying to say that I don't trust you. Far from the opposite, actually. But her?..."

He returns the nod, gently waving the thought aside.

"I understand. I'm sorry for trying to pry.Howdo you think we shouldstop you if you have another episode?"

I chew the inside of my cheek.

"Well, the best thing would be to stop me from having one in the first place. It gets pretty obvious when I'm about to have one.I getreallyquiet,andwithdrawn,andstart staringoffinto space.Sometimes I shake. If you see it happening,juststart talking to me. Distract me. Talk about whatever."

I look up at them.

"If it's too late?... It gets a lot harder. A lot. I actually already spoke to Damien about this."

Randy co*cks an eyebrow, and I extrapolate.

"He's the only one I think that can reliably stop me, aside from Olivia. 'Cuz, well... he might have to hurt me."

His eyes widen.

"Hurt you?!"

I nod grimly.

"Hurt me. Look, I'm going to be frank, Randy. If I start having an episode, if Damien or Olivia aren't around, just... let me go. If anyone tries to stop me, all that anger gets directed at them. If I..."

f*ckingsh*t,thinking about it even right now makes me mad.

"If I hurt any of you, I'd..."

A quiet snarl rips its way out of me as Isnap mygaze to the corner of the room. Calm down. You haven't done that yet. f*cking idiot.

"And you think Olivia can help you without it coming to that?"

The question yanks me out of it immediately, and I look up to the one who asked it, Sophia. My jaw sets firmly.

"Yes. I would never hurt her, even subconsciously. She's probably the only one that could reliably snap me out of an episode on her own without having to do anything drastic."

I rub my cheek, sighing.

"But, like I said. I'd rather it not get to that point at all. Tomorrow, I'll ask about the shrinks. Maybe I can... getmedicatedor something."

Randy hums quietly.

"And you're okay with that?"

I nod.

"If it helps."

They both share one final look and then nod.

"Alright, son. I think we're done. Thank you for pushing through for us."

He and Sophia stand up, so I take it as my cue to do so as well. He smiles at me gently as he opens the door to the bedroom and claps a hand on my shoulder as we exitback outinto the living room. Damien and Vinny are nowcompletelyoccupied with the TV, playing somekind ofshooter. I break off and begin making my way towards Olivia's room, giving small greetings to the brothers as I walk by. Sophia calls after me.

"Don't stay up too late, please."

I look back and nod as I place my hand on the handle of Olivia's door.

"Sure thing."

She returns the nod with a smile, and I open the door and slip into the room, shutting it behind me. The lamp in the corner is on, bathing the room in a soft orange light. Olivia is lounging on her side,idlylooking at something on her laptop. She looks up at me as I shut the door, and a mildlook ofconcern flashes across her face.

"You okay?"

I huff quietly, sitting down next to her. I'm sure my eyes are red or something.

"Yeah. Just talked about some heavy sh*t."

"D'you wanna talk about it?"

I glance at her, smiling.

"It wasn't anything you don't already know, Silverlight."

She slides her laptop to the side and murmursquietlyas she crawls into my lap, wrapping me into a soft embrace.

"I love you."

Any lingering negative thoughts left are melted away by the words. Rather than reciprocate with a reply of my own I gently cup her chin and bring her gaze up. A flush of crimson creeps across her cheeks as I bring us together, gently capturing her lips with mine. A soft sigh escapes her as she leans into it, and I allow myself to fall back onto the bed, bringing her down with me. I intended for it to be short, but... around her, nothing else matters. I love her. God damn it. I don't want to stop, but... it's not the right time. Not right now. We separate briefly to breathe, and I take the opportunity to gently nudge myself away, eliciting an indignant complaint from her, which is voiced in the form of a quiet keening whine as she peers ruefully into my eyes. Even despite my inner turmoil, I can't stop myself from chuckling as I return her gaze mirthfully.

"What a needy girl..."

I glance over at Guts' cage, grinning.

"I wonder what he thinks."

Olivia's eyes widenandthe crimson on her face turns about three shades more intense. Her cheeks puff outandshe rolls offofme, facing away and pouting.

"Y-you... jerk. "

I slide up behind her and take the big spoon position, cradling her against my chest and remaining mindful of my cast.

"It's okay. I love it, trust me, I don't want to stop either, but..."

I rest my head against hers, sighing gently.

"I just... I'm not in a good enough headspace right now. I'm sorry."

She relaxes in my arms, leaning back into me as her tail curls over my leg.

"...I know. You don't have to apologize either."

I hum quietly.

"Aside from that, I'm also still very, very sleepy. Especially after the protein bomb your aunt calls a meatloaf..."

She huffs in amusem*nt.

"We're a carnivore family, after all..."

"No kidding.I'm going tohave to start bringing my own salads at this rate..."

She snorts, turning her head just enough to peer back at me with a single sparkling eye.

"Omnivores. It's okay. I'll talk to Sophia about addinga couple ofthings to our meal plans for you. Honestly,I thinkwe couldstand todiversify our diet a little anyway..."

I co*ck an eyebrow, even if she can't see it.

"You sure?"

She hums, turning back.

"Yeah. We're not obligate carnivores. We can still eat some greens or whatever here and there. Just not too much. If you're going to be... well, living here, I guess... it's important that you eat right."

A yawn breaks it's way out of me, but I manage a tired reply afterwards.

"Vinny probably ain't gonna be happy."

I can tell by her voice that she's getting theretoo.

"P'rolly not. He's a big boy, though... he'll be okay."

A tired chuckle creeps out of me as I seem to sink deeper into the bed. Olivia flicks the lamp's switch, drowning the room in darkness. She then shortly starts quietly bellowing, and once that switch is flipped I'm well on my way to snooze-ville.

...

The sound of Olivia's shrill banshee-esque alarm blares through the room, which elicits a rumbling groan from me that rivals one of hers, even as she herself joins me in my misery. She fumbles for her phone, quickly silencing it as I sit up like a freshly risen zombie.

"f*ck. What was that noise?"

What I can only describe as a low growl creeps out of her as she also sits up, rubbing furiously at her eyes. Her morning voice is laden with her vocal fry, pitched ever so gently down. It's really f*cking hot.

"I don't wake up to normal alarms, so I have to use that."

I swing my legs off of the bed, grunting quietly.

"My condolences."

She snorts, blinking blearily at the sunlight creeping through the edges of her curtain.

"You have to listen to it too now."

I stand up, stretching my entire body.Just aboutevery joint I possess pops loudly, eliciting a satisfied 'oof' from me.

"Whatever. Price to pay, I guess. Your bellowing knocks me the f*ck out."

A throaty hum escapes her as she replicates the motions as best as she can.

"And you're my personal space heater, so quid-pro-quo."

I chuckle.

"Being a skinnie has its benefits."

That draws another snort out of her, and as I look around theroomI realize something.

"Ah, f*ck. I didn't bring any clothes over. I ain't wearing this shirt again today. I guess I'lljustborrow one of Damien's."

Olivia shrugs, looking groggily at me.

"He'll be fine with it, I'm sure. You're both built practically the sameanyway. Just be glad he didn't inherit Auntie's back frill like Vinny did..."

I huff quietly, staring off into space.

"Thankfully."

We sit there in idle silence for a few moments before Olivia speaks again, her vocal chords beginning to break through the morning crust.

"You going to be okay?"

I look down at her, and we lock eyes. Right. School. f*ck... I have to go. For one, I need to talk about the therapist sh*t with Scaler or Ferris. I glance away, sighing.

"...Yeah. I think so."

"Okay... c'mere."

I look back at her, and she has her arms extended for a hug. Don't mind if I do. I step around the bed and we embrace, holding each other for a few moments. We break apart and I exhale sharply, still trying to combat the leftover vestiges of grogginess assailing me.

"sh*t... I could use some coffee."

Olivia hums.

"Uncle Randy usually puts a pot on."

"Hella? Badass."

I lean down and pick my footwear and jacket back up, glancing down at Olivia.

"I'll let you get ready first. Love you."

She replies in kind as I exit her room and shut the door behind me. True to her word, the smell of brewing coffee hits my nose and I am drawn to it like a moth to flame. Damien and Randy are sitting at the table, seemingly fully dressed and ready face the day's tribulations. The latter idly sips on a cup of coffee while the former is annihilating a bowl of cereal like it owes him money, but they both briefly pause to look over at me and smile as I walk out, and I nod at them both before focusing on Damien.

"Hey big guy, can I borrow one of your shirts?"

He slams down another spoonful of his breakfast and nods twice in rapid succession.

"Sure, dude! Let me go get one."

He hops right up and jogs off to his room, and I glance at Randy.

"Mind if I snag a cup of joe?"

He gestures freely towards the cabinets.

"Help yourself, son. Usually only Soph and I are the ones drinking it and between us we never finish a whole pot. There's sugar, milk, n' creamer if you need it."

I shake my head, smirking.

"I drink mine black, but thanks."

Randy chuckles.

"You really are a man after my own heart."

I share his chuckle while I go get my coffee, and Damien comes back shortly with a few shirts for me to pick from as I sit down at the table. His selection is... eclectic, most of them a bunch of shirts with goofy logos on them that I don't recognize. I just end up picking a regular white t-shirt, which I set to the side. Damien returns the rest of them to his room and after he comes back the three of us chat idly. Soon enough, Olivia comes out with a stack of folded clothes on her lap as she wheels her way to the bathroom to shower. The others give her greetings, which she returns. Her gaze lingers on me briefly. I meet it and casually wink at her, smirking wryly. She winks back and sticks her tongue out at me playfully as she disappears past the threshold of the bathroom door. I hear a snort besides me and glance over as I take a sip. Damien had watched that whole exchange with that... goofy little grin on his face. He peers at me in amusem*nt. My smirk doesn't fade as I set my cup down.

"What's with that look, huh?"

He chuckles at me, his grin only growing wider.

"I dunno, man. You and Olivia... makes me happy, I guess."

I give a snort of my own, and then glance down at the table. f*ck... I feel it. That subtle scratching at the back of my mind. I was ignoring it pretty good so far, but... thinking about school, when I have to go to... his classroom. My jaw tightens. Scratching. Scratching. Scratching. I look up, peering out the kitchen window window idly as the thoughts begin to boil up, and up, and up. Randy's voice suddenly cuts across the table.

"So, D, you plan on going to talk to someone about the district provided therapy, right?"

I use the distraction to batter the feelings in my mind back, turning my attention to Randy. Even as I'm gathering myself, I can't stop the slight shake my voice has to it.

"Y-yeah. Going straight to Scaler's office first thing when I get to school."

Randy's face is neutral, but there's a cautious glimmer in his eyes. He saw me spiraling. I nod at him. I'm okay. He returns the nod.

"Okay. Just making sure. I'm about to leave for work, but let me make a call up there real quick. I'm gonna let 'em know you still aren't in top shape, okay?"

I nod, and Randy finishes his cup and stands up. He grabs the landline phone and heads back into his bedroom, leaving Damien and I alone. He was quiet during that exchange, but as I glance at him he has a mildly worried expression plastered across his face as he tries to pay more attention to his bowl of cereal than me.

"Hey, big guy. It's okay. Look at me."

He does so, his worried look intensifying slightly.

"I'll be okay. I told Randy and Sophia about how I look when I'm about to have an episode, I'll tell you too. If you see me start spacing out, just get my attention. Do your usual stuff. Talk about whatever the hell you want. That's all you gotta do. Alright?"

He manages a nod, the worry having slipped into pensiveness.

"Alright, man. I just... I'm still worried about you either way, y'know?"

I return the nod, planting a hand firmly on his shoulder.

"I know, and I appreciate it. It's gonna be rough, but... I'll make it."

He heaves out a sigh, and thankfully seems to push the feelings away and return to his usual chipper attitude.

"Alright, bro."

He messily finishes his cereal, and Olivia shortly comes back out of the bathroom, freshly bathed and in clean clothing... which is just her usual outfit. She's got like 5 pairs of the same hoodie and shirt. I'd say something about it, but honestly I really like the look, so it's whatever. Not like I have room to say anything, I wear the same sh*t every day too. Except today, I guess. I glug down the rest of my coffee and rise out of my chair with my own clothing draped over my shoulder. I hold my hand out to Olivia as we pass each other by and she slaps it playfully, grinning up at me, which I return as I dip into the bathroom.

Oh, neat. They actually have a roll in shower for Olivia in here, seat and all. That's f*cking cool. It's only that I'm standing inside the shower about to turn it on that I realize I probably shouldn't take a full shower with my cast on. Crap. Gonna have to get a cast cover or something. f*ck it. There's a seat in the shower, and the shower-head is detachable. I wrap my cast in a towel, and after a complicated one-hand dance of applying soap and then washing it off, I'm feeling fresh which actually serves to make me feel a little better. Hot showers, truly the cure all, even as janky as that was. Dressed in my ensemble for today, I step out of the bathroom and into the living room. Everyone is gathered by the front door, and as I walk up next to them, I grab Damien's attention.

"Hey, so, what're we doing?"

"Liz is picking us up, bro."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"Aren't we in walking distance of the school?"

He shrugs, smiling.

"Yeah, but she offered, so..."

I return the shrug.

"Whatever."

Randy opens the door and steps outside, and we all follow him out, shutting the door behind us. He waves at us all as he steps towards his car.

"Have a good day at school, y'all."

We all give our own waves back, and soon enough Randy is in his car and heading off. I take the moment we have waiting to pop a ciggie, stepping away from the other two to spare them the smoke. Olivia leers at me while like she usually does, and Damien ogles me, seemingly mildly interested. I stare at him disapprovingly.

"Don't start smoking, big guy. It's bad for you."

Olivia snorts.

"And it smells. You know we can tell you've been smoking afterwards, right? Dinosaurs have better sniffers than humans."

I cringe a little at that.

"Seriously?"

She co*cks an eyebrow, belting out a wry 'mmhmm' at me, leaning forward in her chair slightly. Damien laughs as I sigh, taking one final extended drag and letting it sit in my lungs briefly before peering at Olivia and blowing a couple of smoke rings. She looks unimpressed as I drop the stub and roll my eyes, grinding it into the concrete and kicking it into the street away from the Payne household. She then chooses that moment to chuckle, wheeling next to me and looking up at me playfully.

"It's okay. I'm just teasing you. I actually like how you smell when you smoke. I'm sure not everyone does, though."

I snort, smiling down at her. Whatever I was about to say is interrupted as Liz pulls up to the curb. I help Olivia with her chair (thankfully I've gotten a lot better at it) and we all pile in. Liz glances back at me in the rear view mirror with a warm smile.

"Morning, D. Feeling better?"

I have to think about it, finally settling on a shrug.

"Compared to yesterday, yeah."

"Glad to hear. So, you're really staying with the Paynes now?"

I nod.

"Yeah. Hey, if it's not too much trouble, could you swing me by my place after school today so I can grab some clothes 'n stuff? I'll pay you for the gas."

"Sure! No problem. I guess that's why you're wearing Damien's shirt and smell like his deodorant, huh?"

I chuckle.

"Guilty as charged."

A collective laugh goes around the car as we all buckle up and Liz sets off. Despite that, the mood in the car as we travel along the road is... somber. As well as Olivia has been doing, I feel like it's only for my sake. I'll have to talk to her about that at some point. She needs to grieve for Iadakan too. ...I'll talk to her about it after school today. The last thing she needs is to bottle this up, and while I might be dealing with my own sh*t right now, she doesn't need to have all that crammed up in her mind while thinking about me too. My hand finds hers, and we spend the car ride in silence otherwise. I'm not sure if it's just my mental state, or the snow, but... the school itself seems... muted. There's still the normal stuff going on, but it seems like it's less enthusiastic. Once we all get inside the school, we find ourselves going our separate ways. Olivia very much didn't want to leave me alone, but after I assured her I'd be okay, she relented. I hope Solly at least lets me do laps around the gym or something, even with my hand the way it is. I really gotta do something to distract myself.

First, though... Scaler. The walk to the administrative hallway is brisk, and with a quick rap of my knuckles on her door, half a second goes by before I hear her call out.

"Come in."

I step inside and shut the door behind me, and she looks up from her paperwork. A small expression of shock passes her face before she smiles at me.

"Mr. Fault. I was actually planning on speaking to you today at some point, so this is good."

I co*ck an eyebrow as I slip into a chair, leaning forward.

"You were?"

She nods.

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you were okay after yesterday, as well as discuss a more serious matter with you. As I understand it from Superintendent Ferris, you... did not handle the news very well."

I shake my head, grimacing.

"No. No, I did not."

I lift my cast up.

"I did this to myself because of it, Principal Scaler."

She frowns gently as she takes in the sight.

"I'm... sorry, Mr. Fault."

I shrug.

"It's part of the reason I came to talk to you. I... ended up running out of the meeting with Mr. Ferris before I could hear it myself, but I heard from someone else that the district is offering therapy?"

At that, she smiles warmly at me again and nods.

"Absolutely. Both standard counseling and clinical therapy are available to any student who needs it. You don't have to say another word, Mr. Fault. I'll fill out the relevant paperwork and have the information to your guardian by the end of the day."

That reminds me.

"Can you... send it to the Paynes? Uh, Randy Payne and Sophia Payne."

She co*cks an eyebrow, inviting me to continue.

"They're... acting as my guardians right now. My dad gave them permission, you can call and double check with him if you need to."

She hums quietly, glancing off into space for a brief moment.

"...All right. If I remember your paperwork correctly, you're living alone in the city anyhow, and Mr. Payne did call this morning to let us know you aren't feeling well still."

She looks back at me.

"I'm assuming the cause of your injury is related to that?"

Real polite way to put it, sure.

"Yes ma'am."

She nods, and then looks up briefly as the bell signalling everyone to get to first period rings out.

"Okay. Then I'll make sure the relevant information gets to the Paynes. Thank you for coming to me, Mr. Fault. Now that we have that squared away, may I talk to you about what I originally wanted? I'll provide you a tardy pass."

"Of course, ma'am."

She nods with a smile, and takes a sip of her coffee. Her expression suddenly turns serious, and she sets her cup down, leaning forward.

"This is about your... altercation with Ms. Moretti. I'm going to be frank with you, Mr. Fault. Ms. Moretti's disciplinary record is far cleaner than it should have ever been due to... certain circ*mstances, but what happened in that hallway was unacceptable at best and criminal at worst. I had half a mind to expel her completely for the incident, especially after I saw the state of the elevator, but I instead just had her carry out In-School Suspension at Reef City continuation. As for you... Ms. Moretti showed me that video, Mr. Fault."

I flinch, eyes going wide. I'm f*cked. I'm so f*cked. Am I shaking? I must be shaking. Scaler's authoritative voice cuts across the fog.

"BUT, given recent events, and especially due to the fact that I cannot readily prove that video was taken any time recently, you will not be punished for it. You have Ben to thank for convincing me of that."

I can't stop myself from sinking into the chair and heaving out a sigh. Ben? Holy sh*t, Ben did that for me? She doesn't relent in her tone, though.

"Consider this an official warning regardless. As well as you have been doing at this school up until now, you were still sent to this district as a disciplinary measure. I don't want to see anything else like this, Mr. Fault, or I will have to take action on it."

I straighten back up and nod.

"Of course. I understand."

Almost as if it were punctuation to my sentence, the tardy bell rings. Scaler goes to slip out a small sheet of paper, but another question dances across my tongue, one that even just thinking about causes a buzzing chill to creep along my spine.

"Principal Scaler, do you... would it be possible for a student t-to... attend Mr. Iadakan's funeral?"

She looks up at me in shock. She sits back up, and her brow furrows sadly.

"I... I don't think so, Mr. Fault. The school might be preparing for it, but ultimately we are just assisting his loved ones. It's not up to us."

I lean forward, my hand gripping her desk. There's a tinge of desperation in my voice.

"Please ask whoever you need to ask. We... need the closure. Olivia needs the closure."

Scaler closes her eyes and sighs quietly, then looking back up at me intently.

"Ms. Halford. Yes... I see. Right. I'll do my best, Mr. Fault. But, again, it's not up to me, or any other staff member in this school. I'll let you know as soon as I can."

I guess I'll have to take that. I lean back with a nod, and she smiles warmly at me as she takes that sheet of paper out.

"What's your first period?"

"P.E."

A grimace falls across her face, and she slowly puts the tardy slip away and replaces it with a walkie-talkie. Heh. Solly...

"Coach Solly, I'm sending... Private Fault to gym with an excuse for being tardy. Refrain from the punitive measure, please... over?"

A short moment passes before it crackles to life and Solly's voice rips out of it in response.

"AFFIRMATIVE, Principal Scaler! Over and out!"

She grimaces, and then gently lowers it, nodding to me.

"You may go now, Mr. Fault. Have a good day."

I stand up, returning the nod and thanking her as I exit and head to gym. Perhaps shockingly, Solly is waiting for me at the doors. Man, I'm sure every f*cking teacher in the school has heard about my incident at this point. He peers down at my cast, and then grunts, gesturing for me to follow him inside.

"You're back on the bleachers, Private Fault. Don't try and beg me to let you do something, when a student is injured it's school policy they have to sit out until they're healed. Nothing I can do about it. You can sit in my office if you'd like."

I peer idly into space, huffing quietly.

"I'll sit in the bleachers. I shouldn't be alone right now."

He nods, and we both enter the gym together. Thanks to the f*ck-cold weather, pretty much everything has been indoors activities. Today looks to be dodgeball, given the chaos happening right now. I skirt along the edge and find my way to the top of the bleachers. Watching Damien brutalize the other students is a damn good show, and soon enough the period is over. Time for the first challenge of today... art. I make a quick pit stop into a bathroom to splash water on my face. Keep it together, Fault. Olivia will be there. It's just a classroom. Olivia and I meet up and start making our way there silently. I feel hazy. Can I do this? God. f*ck. It's just a classroom, Dorian. It's just a classroom. Soon enough, we're in front of the threshold to the room. I feel my skull pounding as I stare at it. They didn't replace the name plate. It's still there. He's still there. No, no, no, no-

A gentle hand wraps around mine, and I look down. It's Olivia. She's not smiling at me, or even looking at me. She's staring at his name too. My jaw sets, and I use the burning fierceness buried in my mind to slam the malaise away. I have her. I'll be okay. She needs me. I squeeze her hand a little to draw her attention, and she looks up at me, eyes misty. I nod at her. It'll be okay. I'm okay. She manages a shaky smile and we both enter the classroom with trepidation. Other students have arrived as well, and many of them don't look so hot either. Okay. Solidarity. That helps. We're not alone. In fact, I happen to meet eyes with some of them. They give me sad nods, which I return. We're in it together, pals. Olivia and I find our usual seats. Whoever is subbing hasn't arrived yet, but when they do, there's no fanfare. It's just some dino chick in a suit, who starts class by reading sh*t off of a clipboard.

It's... hollow. There's no passion. Olivia and I just distract ourselves with the note taking we can muster ourselves to do. The period passes by in a dull haze. It's unpleasant, but at least I'm not being dragged into an episode. It's all a haze, really. Lunch is better. I regale them with the fact that Mia got sent off to some place called Reef City. Everyone's eyes damn near bug out of their head. I guess Reef City must be f*cked up. Olivia didn't get to cook anything for us, so it's back to the vending machine garbage for today. Unfortunately, after lunch, comes another sojourn into that classroom. This time without Olivia. Ben'll be there though, so that's good, right? I feel like I should check on him anyway. I might hate Mia, but I'm sure he's not taking what happened well.

The trip back into the room is easier, I take my seat next to Ben, and... oh. sh*t. He looks really bad. His usually neat hair is mussed up, and heavy bags sit under his eyes. It's concerning. He seems out of it. I nudge him gently, muttering quietly.

"Hey... Ben, you okay, man?"

He sluggishly turns to regard me, and gives me an almost... intoxicated smile. His voice is strange, lilting.

"Oh... hi, D. I'm just fine. Are you excited for Iadakan's lessons today?"

The name makes me recoil, but... not because he just said it. What the hell is going on with him? I glance at the sub, that same suited lady. The bell rings overhead, and she just casually glances up.

"Consider this a free period to sit and study for other classes. You may use your phones or talk quietly amongst yourselves."

With that, she goes back to whatever she was doing beforehand. I look back to Ben, who barely seemed to register the sub's words. I...

"Ben... you... remember that Iadakan passed away, right?"

His eyes widen ever so slightly as he gently wobbles to and fro, regarding me with surprise, which then turns to sorrow.

"I... oh... you're right."

He leans forward onto his desk, staring down. Almost immediately tears begin welling in his eyes. Oh, f*ck... I gotta do something. I gently rise out of my seat, walking up to the desk. The sub looks up at me as I do so.

"Yes?"

I lean down, lowering my voice.

"I need to take my friend to the nurse. He's not... doing good."

I gesture to Ben, her eyes follow the direction, and her expression gentles. She knows why she's here, after all. She looks back up at me with a small smile and a nod.

"Okay."

I thank her and return to Ben, crouching next to him.

"Hey, buddy. C'mon. I'm taking you to the nurse."

He looks up at me. The tears are flowing freely, now. He hiccups quietly, rising out of his chair.

"O-okay..."

I gently lay my hand on his shoulder and lead him out of the classroom. As soon as we round the corner, his quiet tears turn into choked sobs, and he stops in the middle of the hallway, bringing his hands under his glasses to bawl into them. I'm a little taken aback by it. I've never seen Ben like this. Was he hit as hard by Iadakan's passing as me? It can't be just Mia, it's not like she was sent to prison or anything. I gently lead him over to the wall, which he leans against, taking rattling breaths as he seemingly tries to get a hold of himself.

"Ben, what's going on buddy?"

He looks up at me, grimacing.

"E-everything is falling apart, D. I'm losing it- I've l-lost it! I tried to juggle s-so many things at once, and I f-finally dropped it a-all! M-mia, s-she... a-after I defended y-you, she broke up with m-me. S-she's going to tell them all, D!"

Oh. f*ck.

"...Tell them what, Ben?"

His breath hitches, and a horrified look crosses his face.

"I- I can't... I d-don't think I c-c-"

My hand finds his shoulder again, and I lock eyes with him. I speak firmly.

"Ben... it's okay to tell me. I'm your friend. I won't judge you."

He stares back into my eyes, his pupils wide, shaking, searching for a lie. His arms come up and he digs his hands into his sides, gritting his teeth. Another quiet sob escapes him, and he wrenches his eyes shut as she starts speaking.

"I... I have t-to take medicine... a-anti-psychotics."

His gaze whips up to me, frantic.

"T-that's it, D! Anti-psychotics! I-I'm just a psycho!"

I look at him, no small amount of confusion on my face.

"...I don't understand. Why are you so scared of people finding out about that?""

His brow furrows, and a small little sneer cuts across his face.

"Of c-course you don't understand! H-how could y-you?! I j-just w-want to livenormally! I need my medicine to function! Without it, I-I'm just a-a f*cking mess! And Mia, s-she... she's keeping it from me!"

He grips the sides of his head in both hands, slowly beginning to hyperventilate. A flash of anger boils across the back of my neck before I stamp it down. She what? Ben continues on.

"You'd never u-understand, D. All these thoughts buzzing a-around in my head, s-shouting a m-million different things... the-"

"Scratching?"

He whips back up to look at me, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. I look back down at him intently. The scratching. The thoughts. He's like me. He's been like me this whole time. I continue.

"The scratching that gets worse, and worse, and worse, the thoughts that boil up, and up, and up until they explode out of your mind?"

Even just talking about it, I feel my own mind tilting on an axis. He exhales a deep breath, shaking.

"Y-you...?"

I nod.

"I do understand. I..."

I step back unsteadily, looking away. f*ck. Two schizos having a heart to heart about their issues? This won't go well. It'll have to wait for later.

"I've been dealing with it a long time, Ben. I get it. I... can't talk about it right now, otherwise I'm gonna start freaking out too. Look, you need to go home. You're not doing great, and if Mia has your medicine, you need to get more. I'm taking you to the nurse, alright? Go home, tell your parents you lost your bottle or whatever, go get more."

I turn back to him, and before he can react I gently pull him onto a one-armed bro hug.

"You're not alone, man. You've got me, sh*t, you've got the whole school. If Mia spills the beans, f*ck anyone that goes two-faced on you. I'll beat the f*cking sh*t out of them for you."

I don't expect him to return the hug, but to my shock, he does, both arms and all. He buries his head into my shoulder and weeps quietly. Okay, this is a little gay, but it's not like I can judge. I did the same sh*t to Damien. I pat him on the back until he pulls away from me, taking his glasses off and wiping his eyes.

"T-thank you, D. Y-you have no idea how much this means t-to me."

I snort.

"Sure I do. You saw me yesterday, right? I was having an episode then. You've seen me at my worst, man."

He looks up at me, a little shocked.

"I w-wondered what that was a-about..."

He looks down at my cast, and then back up to me. I lift it up and waggle it.

"Yup. Hurt myself and everything."

He huffs, gently wiping his classes clean on his sweater and lifting them back up to his face.

"I'm sorry."

I shrug.

"Not like it was your fault, buddy. Come on."

I pat him one final time on the shoulder and walk him the rest of the way to the nurse's office. She looks at me unamusedly as I walk in, but immediately softens when she sees the frazzled state Ben is in as he trails in behind me. Despite it all, I manage to give her a wry smirk.

"It ain't me today, Mrs. M. Shocker, I know."

She snorts, leading Ben over to a chair.

"Keep it that way, Mr. Fault."

I'll never get over how deep her voice is. Crazy sh*t. I gesture to Ben.

"Take care of him. I think he needs to go home. He's not handling... recent events well."

She looks up at me sadly. Right, he was her friend too.

"I don't think any of us are, hon. I heard about what happened yesterday, you okay yourself?"

I nod.

"I think so. Doing as well as I can. I don't want to keep you, and I should get back to class."

She nods at me, and I glance over to Ben. He looks up at me, and I manage to give him a small smile.

"Take it easy, alright buddy? If you need to talk, you've got my number."

He only manages to return the smile for a brief moment and even then it's shaky, but he nods. I step out of the room and return to class, slumping into my chair. f*cking sh*t, that was not good for me at all. Scratching. Uuuugh. I manage to keep myself from completely flipping my lid for the rest of the class. I trudge my ass to the elevator where Olivia waits for me, and we head to history together. As the elevator goes up, she looks at me in worry.

"Are you okay? You don't look like you are."

I huff quietly, looking back down at her.

"I'll be fine, I think. It's just... Ben."

She scowls a little.

"What'd he do?"

I shake my head.

"No, no... he didn't do anything, he's just... really not taking sh*t well. I had to take him to the nurse."

She co*cks an eyebrow, silently asking me to explain.

"I... don't want to talk about it too much. He had a little breakdown in front of me, and he told me some really personal sh*t, Olivia. Like, my scars level of personal."

The scowl fades and her eyes widen a little.

"...He did?"

She looks away, an odd look crossing her face.

"...Okay. I won't pry."

"Thanks."

We ride in silence, and history passes by in a blur. f*ck... thank god it's Friday.

I hope the weekend goes by smooth.

...

Chapter 20: Reality Check

Chapter Text

I hadn't planned on making it a big deal to get my sh*t from the apartment, but apparently we're making a f*cking field trip out of it now. I tried to voice my complaints, but I was shut down collectively. Apparently I'm not capable of carrying clothes back down by myself with one hand for some godforsaken reason, and I'd rather not risk the wrath of my girlfriend. Damien also INSISTED upon seeing my apartment for himself, and Liz was just along for the ride.

I mean, it's her car, so whatever. Now, here we are, rolling up to my apartment building like some mismatched caravan on a mission. The atmosphere is tense... or maybe that’s just me, feeling each bump in the road like a personal affront. Every time I glance Olivia's way, I can see she’s doing her best to look okay with all of this sh*t. It’s a fragile hold, hanging on by a thread because she knows I’m hanging by one too.

The elevator ride up to the third floor was cramped but quick. Damien was practically bouncing on his heels, eager to see how I lived alone. Liz was quieter, her eyes thoughtful as she probably planned the logistics of moving my stuff. Olivia looked... neutral. But there was an emotion I couldn't quite place floating around her eyes.

When the elevator dinged open, I led the way down the hall to my apartment. After fumbling with my keys, the door swings open to reveal the cave I called home. Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor that seemed deeper to me than they'd ever been. Damien wandered in with wide eyes, ogling the interior.

"Wow... this place is small, bro."

I grunt noncommittally, moving straight to my closet to start gathering clothes. Olivia rolls in after me, her gaze lingering on the knife block on the kitchen counter. sh*t. I forgot about that. Now I'm really glad I didn't come here by myself. Liz hums quietly as she steps into the kitchen. It was a little surreal seeing her long ass neck snaking along the ceiling as she had to work a little harder to maneuver in this tight space.

"Do you want us to clear out the fridge too?"

She peeks inside it, looking over the few simple ingredients I had to make my spartan meals with. I can only muster a mutter.

“Might as well.”

I start tossing clothes into a duffel bag. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, concern laden in their gazes. Olivia rolls up next to me, her voice cutting through the silence quietly.

"You sure you don't need help with that?"

My reply comes out sharp, far sharper than I intended it to.

"I got it."

I immediately flinch, shooting her an apologetic glance. She's already worrying enough. If you start being a snappy dickhe*d, it'll just make her feel worse. She didn't seem to take any offense to it, but I silently chastise myself anyway. f*cking idiot. She just cares about you. Olivia gives me a patient look, one that says she knows I’m just trying to keep it together, even if I’m not doing the greatest job of it. She murmurs gently and then reaches out, gently adjusting the fold of a shirt I had just tossed haphazardly into the bag.

"Okay."

Her eyes flick back to my cast, then up to meet mine. I nod to assure her, swallowing the lump that suddenly forms in my throat. I focus back on my task, trying to ignore the sting behind my eyes. Meanwhile, Damien’s voice echoes from the kitchen.

"Bro, you really eat this stuff? Where’s the flavor, D?"

He holds up a bag of quinoa like it’s an alien artifact. I manage a snort, and call back to him, more to distract myself than to really answer his question.

"It’s fuel, not fine dining."

Liz chuckles, shaking her head as she starts pulling items from the fridge.

"Got some greens, chicken breasts, couple of these... protein shake mixes?"

Liz’s voice trails off questioningly as she stacks my meager provisions into a couple of plastic bags she had handy in her car. I grunt out a confirmation, not really in the mood to discuss my diet. Olivia watches for a moment longer before she moves towards Damien and Liz. I hear her laugh softly at something Liz says, which eases a bit of the tension in my shoulders as Damien's voice rings out across the room again.

"Dang, D. These kitchen knives are some premium stuff! You're bringing them, right?"

All that tension comes flooding back, my gut tightening as I almost immediately snap my head to look at him, nearly shouting.

"No!"

What I did not expect, however, was Olivia's voice to join mine. Damien flinches slightly, looking between us in confusion. Liz glances at both of us from the side, and I see a glimmer of worried contemplation settle over her. God damn you, Lizbeth... too smart for your own good. My eyes meet Olivia's, slightly wide. She sinks in her chair, an apologetic grimace creeping across her face. I heave out a sigh and return my gaze to Damien, shaking my head. f*ck it, man. It's not like I can make the Paynes hide every knife in the house from me.

"You know what? Yeah, just... take the whole block. I'll give it to Sophia, I'm sure she'll put them to good use."

The confused look immediately fades, and he grins widely.

"Awesome! Mom'll dig these!"

I turn back to the closet, stuffing a few more articles of clothing into the bag and then finally my laptop, its charger, and my headphones on top of it all. Even if I haven't been living here that long, it feels strangely ceremonial. This... packing up of my life. I can’t help but feel like I’m standing at the edge of something new or maybe just something different. The solidarity of my friends and their willingness to just dive into the mess of my life anchors me more than I want to admit, as I take a final look around.

It’s more than just a physical space, and in the short time I've spent in this place, it’s gathered a significant collection of moments. Some bad, but... I glance at Olivia as she fusses over Damien rooting through the cabinets clumsily. A small little smile creeps onto my face. Something special happened here, too. I feel a strange twinge at leaving it behind, but as I look at all them bustling about, I realize maybe I’m not just moving all this crap out of here for right now... I’m moving forward, too. It might be slowly, but progress is progress.

We all move back a little, looking over the packed bags. Glances go around, nods are exchanged. I stretch back and forth slightly, glancing at everyone one final time.

"I think this is good enough. Not like I'm moving out permanently."

Damien claps his hands together at that, nodding.

"Alright! Leave it to me, bro! I'll get hauling!"

I at the very least shoulder the duffel bag I managed to pack myself while Damien starts stringing bags along his arms. We load up the car in short order thanks to Damien's goofy ass and after piling in, Liz starts the engine. I glance back at the apartment building, a silent promise forming in my mind. No matter what comes, I won’t face it alone. Not anymore. With a deep breath, I settle into the seat, ready for the drive to what I hope will be a new beginning, or at the very least, a chance to heal. But before the healing can start proper, something else needs to happen. I shoot a furtive glance at Olivia as she turns her head to look out the window. We need to talk about him. Iadakan. I need to wait for the right moment. We need to be alone.

The trip passes by in short order, and soon enough we pull into the driveway of the Payne household. The familiarity of the place brings a mixture of comfort and anxiety. The house, with its welcoming clutter of a family well-lived in, had quickly become a second home to me. but under these circ*mstances it felt... different. Almost like I was stepping into a brawl, except this time the opponent was my own mind. Sophia was waiting at the door as we arrived... Olivia or Damien must have texted her. As we step out and begin unloading the car, I go to carry my bag inside first. I step up to her, and before I can really even react she pulls me into a hug.

"D... it's good to have you here, you know that, right?"

I return the hug as best as I can, muttering quietly.

"Thank you..."

She steps back with a warm smile, leading me inside. As we cross the threshold of the door, though, she glances at me knowingly.

"Now, I know you've been sleeping in Olivia's bed, and you can still keep your clothes and things in her room, but..."

Oh. Yeah, I figured this would happen. I huff quietly.

"I know."

Olivia's exasperated voice rings out behind me, and I step aside, turning to look at her.

"Auntie! Do you really think we're doing anything like that in my room?!"

Sophia peers down at her, not able to stop the little twinkle of amusem*nt that glimmers in her eyes.

"Maybe not yet. But I was your age once too, dear."

Olivia turns a little red, glowering up at Sophia.

"I- if he's sleeping on the couch, so am I!"

Sophia smiles, and shrugs.

"That's fine, Olivia. You could also leave your door open at night if you really want him to sleep in your bed."

She eases up at that, but still has a small little scowl on her face.

"Fine. I'll do that. He's not sleeping on the couch."

She nods, and then turns back to me.

"Let's get your things unpacked, D."

I nod and step into Olivia's room, setting my duffel bag down next to her closet. Damien takes on the lion’s share of the baggage like he did before, but considering most of it was just food and whatnot, it's not like it was that big of a deal. When I present the fancy knife block to Sophia, she gratefully accepts it. Liz hovered in the background, helping where she could, but mostly she seemed to be observing, perhaps still piecing together the logistics of this new living arrangement. I dig my laptop and headphones out of the bag and set them down on Olivia's bed. Something occurs to me as I stare back out into the living room, watching Damien walk by with an armful of bags.

This... wasn’t just about moving my stuff. It was about relocating my life, at least temporarily, into this space that was so saturated with the essence of another family. And... even though I do consider them my family now, this place had a lot of history that I hadn't been part of. Some little nasty piece of me, even despite everything the Paynes are doing for me, felt like an unwelcome intruder. Sophia’s casual comments about the sleeping arrangements also underscored a return to a kind of adolescence I hadn’t expected to revisit, complete with all the awkwardness and tiptoeing around adult supervision.

I'd been left to my own devices for so long, so... this would take some getting used to. Once we were done, Sophia ushered us back to the kitchen, where she had prepared a light meal. It was nothing fancy, just some little sandwiches and iced tea, but it was her way of making me feel welcome. Making sure I knew I was... home. She extends the offer to Liz as well but the brachiogirl politely declines and after wishing the rest of us farewell (and giving Damien a little cheek smooch), goes on her way. Soon enough, Randy comes back home with Vinny in tow, seemingly the one to go pick him up from school today. Ah... this little guy. He's got a way about him. Even with my dour mood, he still manages to make me smile.

He regales us with his adventures at school today like a skald in a mead hall, everyone gathered around the table and giving him their full attention. After a fair amount of time passes, Sophia interjects and declares that it's time for her to start dinner. Olivia immediately volunteers to help cook, glancing at me with a glimmer in her eye. Guess she's going to put the ingredients we took from my apartment to use. Damien and Vinny both glance at Randy, who nods at them, and they immediately dash over to the couch and start getting ready to play one of their games while Randy himself stands up and heads into his bedroom.

I get invited along to join by Damien, but Vinny looks up at him and furrows his brow.

"He can't play with one hand, dummy!"

That actually elicits a quiet little laugh out of me as Damien shrinks back into the couch a little bit, grinning sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Deester."

I rise out of the chair, the little smirk I had on my face unfortunately falling away as my thoughts return to other, sh*ttier things.

"It's all good. I have homework I need to do anyway."

Randy walks back into the room right as I say that, having changed out of his work clothing. He belts out a wry 'hmmm', upturning a single eyebrow and staring at his two sons. They both look up at him with grimaces, and he steps over to his recliner and sinks into it with a quiet laugh.

"I'm just kidding."

He looks up at me as I start walking into Olivia's room.

"It's Friday y'know, D. You don't have to start it right now if you don't want."

I stop at the threshold of her door, glancing back at him with a shrug.

"Yeah, I know. Better to get it out of the way first though so I don't have to worry about it later, right?"

He returns the shrug, smiling.

"True enough. You mind leaving the door open, son?"

Gee whiz, can't have the schizo hurting himself! Ugh. What the f*ck was that? Don't start thinking sh*t like that. They're just trying to help you, dickhe*d.

"No prob. Planned on it, actually."

He shoots me a thumbs up and I complete my walk, flicking the lamp in the corner on and picking up my satchel, which had already been here anyway given how frequently I was here before my impromptu move-in. Olivia had procured a stool for her desk ever since I became a frequent guest, so after grabbing my laptop and headphones I plant my ass down at it and pull my schoolwork out. Music always helps, even if it's just a little bit. I settle into the rhythm of the soft beats pulsing through my headphones. Olivia, knowing my nasty ass 'generalized' taste in music, had started probing my brain, trying to figure out things I seemed to groove with. Eventually, after a lot of trial and error, she put together a playlist I really liked. A smooth mix of low-fi beats and alt-rock that helps calm my constantly buzzing mind. There's one specific track in this list that I really, really like. It reminds me of us.

I purposely keep the volume low, intent on listening to the faint sound of laughter and the clinking of cooking utensils. Damien, Vinny, and Randy in the living room. Olivia and Sophia, in the kitchen, All of their voices, mixed with the aromatic smells wafting through the house, create a cozy and almost serene atmosphere. It’s a welcome reprieve from the silence of my apartment, which was oppressive and heavy with my own thoughts. Here, the sounds fill the space with life. But... even with the distractions, my thoughts still jitter hither and yon. I find myself stopping mid sentence as I slowly write a left-handed essay for Prockling's class, and begin tapping my pen against the paper, staring off into space. It's not the bad kind of staring off into space, just... the normal kind.

I can't focus. I can't stop thinking about other things. Mr. Iadakan, my sudden move here, to how everyone’s adjusting around me. It’s like I’m a stone thrown into a still pond, and the ripples are still bouncing around all the edges. Olivia had been so strong through all this, pushing down her own grief to help shoulder mine. It’s something we need to talk about. And I'm doing it tonight. It's going to f*ck me up, I know it is. But it needs to happen. Sure enough, as I expected, Olivia returns from the kitchen after a while, her eyes scanning the room before landing on me, just sitting there limply. She wheels over, a slight frown passing over her as if she were reading my thoughts from across the room. As she speaks, her tone is laden with concern.

“How are you doing?”

I slide my headphones around my neck and set the pen down, staring at her. No more beating around the bush.

"We need to talk."

A thousand emotions dance across her face at once.

"A-about what?"

I stand up with a quiet sigh, stepping around her chair and leaning out of the threshold of the door. Randy immediately locks eyes with me, and the expression I give him is grim. And yet, he seems to understand my intent, nodding solemnly. Thanks, pops. I lean back into Olivia's room, gripping my hand on the doorknob and shutting the door as I go. Olivia looks up in confusion at me, and I peer down at her intently.

"Mr. Iadakan."

She pales immediately, gripped stiff by tension. Her mouth clicks open and shut a few times as she struggles to find words.

"I-... you... D, I’m n-not sure this is a good time. With e-everything going on with you, I don’t want to pile on more-"

An irritated huff escapes me, cutting her off. I step back over and sit on the stool, peering at her with no small amount of frustration.

"This is why. I know you're scared of my episodes, but you're letting your brain boil itself in your own thoughts. No more, Olivia. We're talking about this, now."

She flinches, taken aback by my intensity. Even as she hesitates, her brow furrows and she tries to counter me with a firm voice.

"I’m trying to be here for you."

My jaw tightens and I sit up straighter, gently cutting a hand through the air as my voice raises ever so gently, marred with exasperation.

"But who's here for you?!"

She recoils harder, as if I had just slapped her in the face. The expression causes me to deflate immediately, and I smack the palm of my hand onto my forehead, groaning quietly.

"I'm sorry. It's just... You’ve been so busy worrying about me, but, Olivia, I see you. I see how hard this sh*t has hit you too. You need to talk about it, otherwise it's going to drive you insane."

She looks away, her jaw clenched.

"I c-can't."

Simple words, and yet the quiver in her voice betrays her calm exterior. A small amount of that frustration creeps back into my voice as I press her.

"Why not?!"

Her gaze snaps back to me, eyes wide, frantic. Her claws dig into her armrests, and the words burst out of her mouth like a damaged dam as tears well in her eyes.

"Because if I start, I might not be able to stop! And what if you need me and I’m too broken to help?!"

This time, I'm the one left feeling slapped. The intensity of her words strike me like a sucker punch to the jaw, and I see the fear, raw and real, in her eyes. It breaks through the last of my frustration, washing it away and replacing it with a profound sense of understanding. All this f*cking pressure she's put herself under, trying to be a rock when inside she feels like crumbling sand. All for me. I soften my tone, staring deeply into her eyes.

"Olivia... I need you to be okay for you too, not just for me. I'm not going to forget the words I said to you ever again. We're a team. I don't give a sh*t if we both end up broken messes. As long as I have you, I'll make it through anything."

Her shoulders slump slightly, a silent surrender to the truth in my words. Slowly, she nods, the fight draining out of her as the tears start streaming down her cheeks. I reach out, taking both her hands into the only good one I have, feeling the tremble of her grip as she lets herself be vulnerable for the first time in a while. Quiet sobs creep out of her as she tilts her head down, staring into her lap. She whispers her words out in between them, taking shuddering breaths.

"I-I'm s-scared, D. I m-miss him s-so much, and e-everything's just been piling u-up, and I'm s-so, so s-scared."

My heart aches with a mixture of sadness and relief. Sadness because the person I love is hurting so deeply, and relief because she's finally sharing her burden with me. I pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her shoulders, muttering gently to her.

"I know, Olivia. I know. It's terrifying, losing someone like Mr. Iadakan. He meant a lot to both of us, but I know especially how much he meant to you. You don't have to protect me from your pain. It's not a burden on me, it's a promise that you trust me enough to help you with it. And I will. I always will, because I f*cking love you, Olivia. More than anything else in this world."

Her body shakes with the intensity of her sobs, each one a release of the pent-up grief and fear she's been holding back to keep me stable. I hold her, feeling her tears dampen my shirt, and something inside me shifts. A deepening of our connection, a cementing of my commitment to her. I whisper gently, pressing a kiss on the top of her head.

"It's okay to be scared. I'm scared too. I'm terrified every damn day that I'll lose control again, that I'll fall back into those dark places. But having you here, knowing you're with me, it makes all that sh*t feel less... overpowering."

Olivia pulls back slightly, her eyes red and swollen but glimmering with a raw honesty.

"I'm sorry I tried to hide it from you. I just... I wanted to be strong for you."

A short, humorless laugh escapes me.

"Look at us both trying to be the strong one. I think it's time to admit we're both a f*cking mess."

A small smile tugs at the corners of her lips, a glimpse of the girl I fell in love with.

"A mess sounds about right. But it's our mess."

I lean forward and hold my forehead against hers, peering into her eyes with all the tenderness I can muster.

"You're damn right about that."

We sit in silence for a few more moments just holding each other. Olivia finally breaks the silence, her voice stronger, but still laced with hints of shakiness.

"Do you think we can really do this? Get through it all, I mean?"

I look at her intently, even as a needle poke of pain jabs into my heart. I don't know. I really don't. But...

"I... I'm going to try my f*cking hardest, I promise you that. We've got each other, Silverlight. And that counts for a helluva lot. More than we probably realize."

We sit together for a good long while. When she finally pulls away, there's a new determination in her eyes, a readiness to face whatever comes next. She wipes away at any lingering tears with her sleeve and smiles at me.

"Thank you for pushing me to open up. I needed it."

I snort, smirking.

"I know you did, girl. That's why I did it. Thank you for putting up with my stubborn ass."

Her hand reaches up, cupping my cheek gently. She runs her thumb across it, her smile becoming just a little playful.

"It's a full time job... but I don't mind it one bit."

She blows out one last breath, exhaling any remaining shakiness as she leans back in her chair.

"Okay... how'd your talk with Scaler go today?"

I grunt quietly.

"Fine, mostly. Mia showed her the f*cking video, you know?"

She looks a little alarmed.

"Oh god, seriously?"

I nod, shrugging.

"She just warned me not to pull sh*t like that anymore. Ben backed me up apparently. He was with Mia when she showed her, if I had to guess. By the way, what the f*ck exactly is Reef City?"

She winces at the name, and I gesture at her.

"See, what's with it to get a reaction like that? Is it cursed, or something?!"

She grunts quietly, staring off into a corner of her room.

"It might be. I've literally never heard a single good thing about it. It's Volcaldera's 'last chance' school."

My blood runs cold. Oh, f*ck. It's one of those?

"Oh. Oh."

Raptor Jesus f*ck. I lean an elbow against the desk, contemplating my past. I got sent to the last chance school in Rock Bottom, once. Last Mercy, they called it. It was worse than juvie. It was bad enough with just humans there, I can't imagine what a place like that full of angry and mean dinos would be like. f*ck. Now I actually feel bad for Mia... sorta.

"Yikes."

Olivia hums quietly, peering at me.

"Yikes is right. Can't say I'm sorry for her, though. I'm gonna go check back in on Auntie."

She leans over and raps her knuckles on my unfinished essay, a playful gleam in her eyes.

"Get back to work, Mr. Fault."

I roll my eyes and she quietly cackles that beautiful cackle of hers in response, opening the door and wheeling back out into the living room. I shut my laptop and pull my headphones off of my neck, setting them on top of it as I pick my pen back up and listen to the sounds of conversation fully as I try to continue writing this boring ass essay. That lifted some weight on my heart, but...

Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

This isn't good. I knew the talk would f*ck me up. I knew it would. But it had to be done. Alright, Dorian. Just take it easy. They're all out there. Man... Randy was right, this sh*t can wait. I nearly throw the pen down onto the desk and stand up, striding back into the living room. Heads turn to regard me as I flop down onto the couch next to Vinny, who looks up at me with a big smile.

"Hi, Deester!"

I manage a shaky smile in return at him, which he thankfully doesn't notice the fragility of.

"Hey, little man. Having fun?"

He nods excitedly, returning his attention to the game. They're playing, uh... something. I haven't bothered to learn the names of any of their games. It's split screen stuff, looks like they're playing the story mode, or whatever. Whether or not it's the game or just being around people is taking my mind off of sh*t, I don't know, but either way I'm calming down for now. Soon enough, dinner is ready. Tonight it seems to be pork chops, and like Olivia said there would be, there are actually other things on the table besides meat. Naturally, I'm the only one that touches the greens, and as a matter of fact, there are only enough for me anyway. I snort quietly as they all seem to peer at the prepared leaves with a small amount of disdain for a brief moment before we get into the swing of eating.

The meal passes by pleasantly enough. Randy pulls me aside again after dinner to let me know that Scaler called him earlier today and sent the paperwork for my therapy off, and that'd it be a few days before we heard anything back. Alright... good. Progress. Olivia and I head into her room to take advantage of the hour or so after dinner that everyone is still awake to hang out with her door shut. Well. Hanging out is me trying to work on that essay again while she lounges on her bed and idly browses her phone. Uuugh. f*ck this. I set the pen down again and stretch heartily, savoring the popping of my joints. I am brought out of the sensation by the jarring combination of a shutter camera noise and its accompanying flash. I give Olivia a side glance and she's staring at me mischievously. I return the look, a wry grin creeping across my face.

"What, you wanna do a photo op? I'll take my shirt off for you, if y'want..."

That immediately disarms her, a fierce flush blasting across her cheeks.

"U-uh, n-no, that's... um... I was j-just- just come over here and look!"

I chuckle, standing up and sitting next to her on her bed. She shows me her phone. Oh. She's on another one of those forums... this one looks different, though.

"Alright, what's this one's deal?"

"It's like... the Lounge's rival. It's all human women. Check this out..."

She starts putting together a post with the image she took of me attached to it, and captions it 'another chad turned dino-lover, skinnie whor*s. your days are numbered'. I peer at her from the side, giving her another small grin.

"Okay, this is actually kind of funny."

She looks back up at me, her eyes sparkling.

"Isn't it?! Watch how fast they get mad when I post it."

She does so, waits a few minutes, and then refreshes the page. Almost immediately there are about five replies, each laden with dino-centric slurs. The one that catches my eye the most is 'f*ck you and your race-traitor man-whor*, meteor dodging slu*t'. I lean back and let out a genuine bark of laughter that I haven't gotten to have in a very long time. Olivia's cackles join my laughter in the air.

"They just IP-banned me! Pffhahahaha!"

I shake my head, smiling at her.

"What would I do without you, you beautiful girl?"

Her laughs choke in her throat, and she looks up at me with wide, glimmering eyes. This is the girl I love. This silly, silly girl. I lean down and give her a little peck on the tip of her snout.

"Love you."

She immediately rolls over and curls into my lap, humming quietly as she wraps her arms and tail around me, burying her face into my chest.

"Love you too."

...There's one more thing I need to tell her. I gently start running my hand through her hair.

"Hey... I have one more thing about Iadakan I need to say for tonight. Didn't want to bring it up earlier."

I feel her tense just a little bit in my grasp, but she nods regardless, so I continue.

"I asked Scaler if we could attend his funeral."

That causes her to freeze completely, a sharp breath escaping her as her fingers clutch at my shirt. Her voice escapes her meekly, quietly, on the verge of breaking again.

"I d-don't know if I c-can do that."

My hand slides down to the small of her back, and I begin circling it gently to comfort her.

"It's not even a guarantee if we can. Scaler needs to talk with his family first. There's a very real chance we can't, and if we can't, then... it's fine. But if we can go? We need the closure, Olivia. You need the closure."

She hiccups quietly into my chest, and I can already feel my shirt growing wet. After a moment, a quiet wail escapes her as she grips me even tighter and starts sobbing.

"I'm n-not ready t-to say g-goodbye."

I rock her gently back and forth in my arms, letting her grief pour into me as I start crying too.

"I-I'm not e-either. I-I'm not. I still haven't said goodbye to h-her. But w-we need it. H-healing has to start somewhere, Olivia. I pushed you t-to talk about Iadakan."

I take a sharp breath to steady my voice.

"Now I'm pushing us both. But I won't force you. I'll never force you, never. I love you too much to do that. If you really don't think you can, then tell me, please. But if you think you can try, then I'll be with you every step of the way."

Her sobs grow quieter as she listens, and I feel her nod slightly against my chest, her resolve building amidst the pain. This grief chewing into us is raw and palpable, but the more we accept it, the stronger the threads that bind us together grow.

"Before we do anything else... you need to start working on that painting."

Olivia lifts her head slightly, her eyes red and swollen as they meet mine.

"But... you said-"

"I know what I said, that I'd get you to that fountain. But we can't wait that long. I'll..."

I glance away, thinking.

"I'll ask Ben for help."

A frustrated grimace flashes across her face for a brief moment.

"Ben? Why?"

I look back down at her.

"He can take photographs for you. References. I'll be there to help him."

She shifts back, gently pulling out of my grasp. The grimace is back now, and she's not trying to hide it.

"I don't want his help."

I furrow my brow.

"Olivia..."

A spark of anger flares in her eyes.

"You know what he did to me, D. Why are you getting all buddy buddy with him lately?"

Are you f*cking kidding me? My jaw sets, and I can't help the glare that settles in my eyes as I bore it into Olivia. To her credit, she doesn't relent.

"Olivia, this is f*cking bullsh*t. I've said it to you before, what he did was stupid and hateful, but you can't hold a grudge against him forever."

She snarls quietly, her lips curling up into a sneer.

"And why the f*ck shouldn't I?"

You know what? f*ck it. Sorry, Ben, I wanted to let you tell her on your own. My finger jabs through the air at her, and I hiss quietly.

"He's just as disabled as you are, Olivia. The only f*cking difference is that he can hide his. He has to use a tool just like you are to help him live his f*cking life."

Each word causes her to recoil back more and more as confusion and anger fight for dominance across her face, before a look of recollection settles over her. She stares off, murmuring quietly.

"...Is this what he told you?..."

"Yes, it's what he f*cking told me. He takes anti-psychotics, Olivia. Crazy pills. He's just as f*cked as me, except he's been living with it his whole f*cking life. He's absolutely f*cking terrified of people finding out, and you of all people should know why."

The realization slams into her like a truck and she slumps over, deep in thought. She's probably replaying every moment she's ever had with him in her brain. Piecing it all together like a puzzle. I'm not quite done yet, though.

"I told you Ben backed me up when Mia showed Scaler that video, and Scaler said that if he hadn't, I'd be getting f*cked over too. Do you know what Mia did to him, Olivia?"

She looks up at me in shock.

"W-what?"

I sneer angrily, rage tickling the back of my neck even just thinking about it.

"She broke up with him, and then stole his f*cking medicine. She's keeping it from him, that f*cking c*nt! I had to take him to the nurse, Olivia. He was so f*cked up, he thought Iadakan was still alive while the f*cking substitute was sitting in front of us!"

The words leave my throat like cannon fire, and Olivia's eyes widen further as she absorbs them. That was loud. Someone'll probably come and check on that. I lean back with a quiet growl, staring off into the corner of the room and trying to compose myself.

"If I see Mia again, I'll f*cking... rrrgh."

Sure enough, a quick knock at the door, and Randy pops in, looking concerned. His eyes settle on both of us, but mostly me and my pissed off visage.

"Everything okay?"

I huff quietly, looking up at him and doing my best to twist my expression into a neutral one.

"Yeah. Sorry, Randy. I just got frustrated about something that happened at school, didn't mean to raise my voice. Sorry. I'm okay, I promise."

Olivia hums, looking up at him. It's still pretty obvious she's been crying.

"Yeah. He wasn't yelling at me. Don't worry."

The tension in his shoulders ekes away and he relaxes, nodding at both of us with a small smile.

"Alright. Don't stress too hard, kids. It's the weekend, after all. I'm gonna leave the door open, since everyone else is tucking into bed. 'Night, y'all."

We both nod at him and he steps away. The light pouring in from the living room is extinguished, and soon enough we're left alone again, even if the door to Olivia's room is open. With the last of my lingering anger under control, I peer down at the floor, sighing.

"I'm sorry for getting mad."

She rubs her forehead in frustration.

"It's fine. I feel like such a bitch. I've spent all these years staying pissed off at Ben, and somehow I've never even realized that I never bothered to just f*cking ask him why he did it. Never even considered it. How stupid is that?"

I rub the back of my neck, staring off into space.

"At the end of the day we're still just stupid teenagers, Olivia. We can act as grown as we want, but we did dumb sh*t and we're probably going to keep doing dumb sh*t for a while."

She sighs, nodding.

" I guess. ...Alright. You can ask Ben for help. I... don't think I'm ready to talk to him again yet, though."

"That's for the best actually, I think. He's doing as badly as us right now. Actually, let me just-"

I pull my phone out. It's late, but he might still be up.

[You: Hey. You still awake?]

It only takes a few minutes for him to respond.

[Ben: Yes. I haven't been able to sleep.]

[You: Did you talk to your parents, get your medicine back?]

[Ben: Yes, thankfully. The pharmacy provided an emergency refill for me. I feel better, mostly. Still not great, but at least I can think properly.]

[You: I'm glad to hear that, buddy. I'm going to need your help with something, but we can talk about it tomorrow.]

[Ben: Okay. Thank you for today, D. I don't remember much of what happened, but I remember enough. I appreciate it more than you could ever know.]

[You: Any time. Have a good night, Ben. Try to get a little sleep. Drink some warm tea or something, maybe do some sit ups or push ups. Exercising helps you fall asleep, you know?]

[Ben: I'll keep that in mind. Good night.]

I blow out a sigh of relief, lowering my phone as Olivia looks at me expectantly.

"He's okay. Got his meds back."

She hums quietly, and then looks up at me, her brow furrowed in regret.

"I hope that doesn't happen again... us arguing like that, I mean. It was scary."

I scoot myself back onto the bed and lay down, staring up at the ceiling.

"It's fine. sh*t's not perfect all the time. Everyone argues sometimes."

She slides her way next to me, nuzzling her head into the crook of my left shoulder as she wraps an arm over my chest.

"I just don't want it to become a regular thing."

I gently rest my hand in her hair.

"It won't."

She hums, and her eyes shut as we cuddle closer. I peer down at her briefly and then shut my own eyes, muttering quietly.

"Goodnight, Silverlight."

She says no words in response, and merely begins gently bellowing. I feel any lingering tension ebb it's way out of me as each vibration drags me closer and closer to sleep.

It dances on the red shadow's edge, a lone beacon in the bloody umbra, promising safety in its quiet gleam.

...

I'm woken up by the sound of my little brother's alarm. He's a hyperactive little dude, but if there is ONE thing he's meticulous about, it's Saturday morning hockey. I'm not even sure how he got into it, really, but I like watching those crazy guys slam into each other, 'cuz it's funny, and I may as well support our local team. Vinny nearly falls out of bed as he opens his drawer in our shared dresser, snatching up his usual assortment of clothing. Oh yeah, today's his karate lessons too, I think. I heave myself up and out of bed, scratching under my frills as I peer at him with a groggy grin.

"Easy there, 'lil man. Deester and 'Liv might still be asleep, so don't be too loud. Remember what pops told you?"

He slows his pace very briefly as he throws his shirt on, nodding.

"Uh-huh."

I return the nod.

"Alright, cool."

He scampers out of the room, and I take my time getting dressed. I pull on a pair of worn jeans and a T-shirt, yawning and stretching as I try to shake off the remnants of sleep. The morning light filters through the blinds, casting stripes across the room. I grab my phone from the nightstand and check the time. Waaaay earlier than I would ever like to wake up on a weekend, but on these kinds of Saturdays, there's no way around it. I figure since I'm up, I might as well catch the hockey game with him during breakfast. Sure enough, as I step into the living room, he's planted in his usual spot on the couch watching dudes crash and bash into other dudes. The volume is lower than he would usually set it, so he really is taking dad's words to heart.

Heck yeah, 'lil man. I step over to Olivia's door which was left cracked open last night, probably at the request of Mom or Dad. I peek in through the gap and see the outlines of D and Olivia cuddled together on her bed, both still sound asleep. D’s arm is draped protectively around her and in comparison to when they're awake, they look so much more at peace. It's a far better sight, and one I hope returns to them normally soon. Dad's definitely at work by now, and Mom is either getting ready for the day or still asleep. Hm. If she was gonna cook something for breakfast by now she'd have already done it, so I guess we're on our own this morning. Works for me, I'll always yummy down on some cereal! I glance at Vinny as I walk by.

"Gonna grab a bowl of cereal, 'lil man. You want one?"

He doesn't answer me, completely enraptured by the hockey game. I grin widely as I walk into the kitchen and grab myself one, carefully sitting next to him so I don't splash it everywhere. Haha. Look at these big dudes go. Slap that little puck around, bros. I munch on my cereal, watching the players skate across the ice, their movements swift and precise. It's cool as heck how they manage to keep their balance and fight for the puck with how fast they're going. Between the crunching sounds of my breakfast and the muffled commentary from the TV, the living room feels nice 'n cozy. Definitely different from the usual weekday hustle.

Eventually I'm finished with my bowl, and I lean back and glance over at Vinny. He’s still completely caught up in it. His entire body tenses as a guy gets slammed into the glass. Usually he'd be hooting and hollering when that happens, but... aw. He really is doing his best for D and Olivia. It’s rare to get quiet moments like this with him. Usually, he’s all over the place. Well, whatever. He could stand to sit still for a while. I consider checking in on D and Olivia again. Maybe they're waking up. Funnily enough, as I have that thought, almost as if it were on cue, I hear the sounds of stirring coming from her room. Curious, I tip-toe over and gently push the door a little wider open, peering inside.

D is rubbing at his eyes with his good hand, clearly awake now. I lower my voice to a whisper, peering in at him with a grin.

"Morning, Deester."

He moves his hand, blinking at me a few times. He grunts quietly, returning my whisper.

"Hey. What time is it?"

I check my phone briefly again.

"Just past eight."

He peers down at Olivia, who is currently gripping onto the front of his shirt tightly as she sleeps. He looks back up at me with a grimace.

"I should probably get up, but..."

A look of contemplation settles over him, before he looks back at me and grins wryly. Oh, hey! I haven't seen that in a while.

"Check this out."

He lifts his head up and gently removes his pillow out from under it. With careful precision he gently pries Olivia's fingers off of him one at a time as he slides the pillow underneath her hand, and by the time the last one is free she grumbles sleepily and clenches her fist back up, except this time she's grabbing the pillow instead of D. Now free, he neatly slides out of bed and I open the door wide enough for him to squeeze through as he tip toes out of the room. I shut the door behind him gently and we both step away, chuckling quietly.

"That was some real ninja stuff, dude."

He shrugs, his grin falling back to a smirk.

"She's grippy, man. Grumpy sleeper. Had to figure out how to get out of bed if I'm the first one up a while ago, otherwise I'd always be stuck until she woke up."

He glances at the TV.

"Oh, hockey? I didn't realize you guys liked hockey."

I shrug.

"Vinny does. I just like watching them push each other around."

He snorts, stepping over and flopping down onto the couch next to Vinny, who now manages to pull his gaze away and grin happily up at D, who returns it.

"Hey, little man."

"G'morning, Deester! I'm watching hockey!"

He nods.

"I see that. You a big fan of it?"

Vinny returns his nod rapid-fire.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I really like when they get into fights!"

Oh. That's why? Huh. That suddenly makes a lot of sense. D chuckles heartily, peering down at Vinny with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Yeah? You ever thought about watching IFC?"

Vinny grimaces a little sourly.

"I want to, but Mom won't let me. Says it's too violent."

D glances at me from the side, and then looks back over at the hallway containing my parents' bedroom briefly, before he leans closely and mutters conspiratorially to him.

"I'll let you watch it on my phone if we can get a chance."

I snort as Vinny nearly bursts off of the couch in excitement, and D whips his finger up at me sternly.

"Don't narc!"

Vinny follows suit, his hand actually popping free of his sleeve for once to join in the pointing.

"Yeah!"

I laugh quietly, shaking my head as I return my bowl to the sink and rinse any leftover milk out of it before it can get all crusty and nasty. I peer at D as I walk back over and sit down next to him.

"When do you think 'Liv's gonna get up?"

He shrugs, looking at me.

"Soon. Like, ten minutes at the least. She always notices I'm gone, on account of how warm I am. Apparently."

I nod wisely. Or at least what I think is wisely, anyway. D does it better than me.

"You are very, very warm."

He rolls his eyes, returning his gaze to the TV. Sure enough, right on the money, about ten or so minutes later Olivia's door cracks open. She peers out with a groggy leer which hyper-focuses right on D, who looks back at her sheepishly. She creeps out on her knees, shuffling towards us and punctuating the motions with her words, which she growls out quietly but with no malice.

"How. Do you. Do that."

He shrugs, smiling.

"Very carefully."

She snarls playfully at him, slumping onto the floor between his knees and resting her back against the couch. She peers up at Vinny and I with a smile.

"Good morning, guys."

I nod at her with my signature grin.

"Mornin'."

Vinny likewise says his good mornings, and after a short little while of us all paying attention to the TV again, Olivia's head co*cks back to look at D.

"...M' hungry."

He peers down at her with that look that he does when someone says something stupid, and Olivia cuts his eyes at him in response. He shrugs.

"What? I got a bum hand. You know I'd cook something for you if I could."

She grunts quietly, and then peers up at me, narrowing her eyes.

"You. Cereal. Get me."

I stand up with a 'yeees ma'am' and a chuckle, procuring her a bowl of her own. I ask D if he wants one too, but he declines. Right. He doesn't like all this stuff. She takes it from me greedily and I sit back down. Now that everyone is awake, Vinny deems it necessary to start rambling about his favorite teams. Man... I like hockey, but not that much. I put on my patented 'yeah I'm totally listening' smile and stare off into space, thinking about way more important things. Like... eggs. I like eggs. I'm pulled out of my reverie as our home team scores their final score, and out of reflex I cheer along with Vinny, who waves his arms around wildly in the air.

"What a slap-shot!"

Suddenly, all of our attentions are grabbed by the matriarch of our household, my mother, as she speaks up behind us.

"Good morning, everyone. Heard the excitement, you watching hockey again?"

Vinny and I nod at her with big grins on our faces as she sits down onto the recliner, popping open her laptop. She peers at the screen for a bit before giving a quiet 'oh' and looking up at us.

"The school's weekly newsletter just came in. Damien, turn down the volume, please."

"Sure thing!"

I shoot a thumbs up into the air along with my words as I grab up the remote, lowering the volume until it was basically mute. She nods.

"Oookay. First, there's a basketball game this Friday against the Tailspikes... and, in preparation for finals, they're going to start after-school tutoring for anyone that needs it..."

She pauses, and I glance over at her. She's giving me her mom leer.

"...Damien."

I co*ck an eyebrow.

"I got it covered, Mom. Liz's helping me out."

She cuts her eyes just a little bit, scrutinizing me, before her expression returns to normal.

"I hope so. Senioritis won't be tolerated here."

She glances back down at her screen, and then hums quietly.

"This is interesting. To all our students, you are invited to St. Hammond's High School's 201M2023 B.C Winter Formal."

Oh, yeah. That thing. Neat. I'll take Liz to it. D's voice catches my attention.

"What is that? Some kinda dance?"

I nod at him lazily.

"Eeeyeah, something like that. More fancy. It's only for seniors. It's like the biggest event of the year. Y'know, next to graduation or prom or whatever."

He goes 'huh' and glances down at Olivia, who's peering back up at him. Well, duh. That was a given. Taking advantage of the silence, mom continues reading.

"Immerse yourself in the serene beauty of the wintery night sky with music, food, entertainment, and much more."

She pauses, her face gently twisting up into a sad frown as she glances at D and Olivia. Uh...

"We will also be hosting a special memorial for one of St. Hammond's finest teachers who has recently passed, Mr. Trent Iadakan."

I expect both of them to tense up, to burst out into tears, or something, but... no. They look pretty sad about it still, but they just look into each other's eyes, wordlessly talking. Dang. I've only ever seen my parents do that. A look of determination flits across Olivia's face, and D nods at her, jaw firmly set. Mom, seeing them handle it well, continues talking.

"The event will take place at the Volcaldera Convention Center on Friday, December fifteenth, from seven PM to ten PM. Tickets for the Winter Formal are now on sale online or in Ms. Prockling's class in Room 211. Fifteen dollars for one and thirty for couples. Please read our dress code to know what will and will not be allowed for the formal. Have a great weekend. Go, feathertails!"

She glances back up at us, smiling.

"Seems like you three have something to look forward to next month."

She shuts her laptop and sets it aside, and I idly check my phone. Oh. I glance up at her.

"Mom, it's about that time."

Her eyes shoot wide and she gasps, looking up at the wall clock.

"I nearly forgot! Vinny, get your kimono on, I'll start the car."

That knocks a laugh out of D as Vinny groans and rolls his eyes, sliding off of the couch and heading for our room.

"It's called a 'gi' mom!"

Sophia starts stepping towards the door, keys in hand, but stops and turns to face us.

"I'll probably be running some errands while he's at karate practice, so I'll be out until dinner."

She turns to leave again but Olivia's voice causes her to stop.

"Actually, Auntie, could I come with you? I need to buy some more paint. Do you think we could make a quick stop for that?"

She looks a little shocked at that, but it's soon replaced by a warm smile.

"Absolutely. Damien, would you mind helping her with her chair when she's ready to hop in the car?"

I shoot her a thumbs up as she leaves to go start the car. Olivia glances up at D, silently asking him a question. He looks hesitant, and then shakes his head. She frowns a little.

"...It's okay."

She looks up at me, and then flicks her eyes at him. Ah. Yeah. I'm going to be alone with D. Gotta keep an eye on him. I nod at her and she quickly makes her way into her room to get dressed. Vinny comes sprinting by dressed in his gi, and D high fives him on his way by with a big grin on his face. Olivia rolls out of her room soon after, dressed and ready in her chair. She quickly wheels over to D and I manage to glance away before I'm forced to watch them kiss. They use so much tongue. It's crazy. When they finish, I follow Olivia out the door and open shotgun for her. She hops in, I fold her chair up and put it away, and with a final 'bye' to everyone in the car, they're on their way. I quickly hustle back inside, not keen on leaving D alone for any prolonged period of time. Also it's cold. So very, very, cold.

I flop back onto the couch next to D and peer at him with a big grin.

"Yooo! We got the house to ourselves, bro!"

He stands up, stretching.

"Yeah. I guess we do. I'm gonna go grab my phone. Why don't you put on one of your games and I'll just watch you or something, man. I'm taking it easy today."

"Heck yeah!"

He retrieves his phone as I boot up the console, and soon enough we're both BIG CHILLING. D plops down on the couch, phone in hand, his body language more relaxed than it's been for days. Yes, yes, yes. This is what's up. I start up the latest game I've been hooked on, an Action/RPG. The epic soundtrack of the main menu fills the room. I'm not normally into games like this. Olden Circuit, it's called. Came out last year, but I never picked it up because I'm more into shooters. I saw it used in a game store a couple months ago and thought why not. It's hard as HECK, but man when you finally beat the boss you've been struggling against, it's like nothing else. I peer at him from the side, grinning.

"You gotta see this boss fight coming up, man. It's insane. I've been stuck on him for like a MONTH, bro."

D nods, glancing up from his phone with a faint smirk.

"I'll take your word for it. You're the expert."

As I navigate through the digital landscapes, battling creatures and solving puzzles (looking them up on the internet), I can feel D's gaze occasionally shifting from his screen to the TV. It's chill, comfortable. Time passes without any issues. I end up losing myself in the game. And that? That was my mistake. I should have been paying attention. It's too little, too late, when I notice the subtle change in D's demeanor. His body stiffens, his focus no longer flitting between his phone and my game but fixed intensely on something completely invisible in the corner of the room. Crap. Crap, crap, crap.

I immediately set the controller down, uncaring as my virtual little character gets smushed by the big monster on the screen. I quickly snatch the remote up and mute the TV, throwing it aside as I stare at D.

"Everything cool, D?"

He doesn't respond immediately, his jaw clenched. Then, abruptly, he stands, shoving the phone into his pocket. His voice is wavering, shaky.

"I need to get out for a bit."

Alarm bells go off in my head as he starts striding unsteadily for the front door. No, no, no, not a chance. I'm up from the couch in a flash, intercepting him and gripping him by his good arm firmly.

"Whoa, dude, wait up. What’s going on?"

He tries to jerk his arm out of my grasp, but I ain't letting go that easily. His gaze snaps to me, desperate.

"I just need some air, Damien."

I grasp his shoulder with my other hand.

"Let's grab some air in the backyard, then. Together, okay?"

He tries to wrench away again, desperation thick in his voice as his voice cracks, on the verge of tears.

"Let go, Damien! PLEASE!"

I'm not sure what's set him off, but I know enough to get him out of the house until I can figure it out. D resists as I tug, his body coiled tight, and I'm forced to drag and yank him along, doing my best to talk soothingly despite it.

"Come on, man. Just a few deep breaths. We don't need to go beyond that."

As soon as we step outside, the cold air sweeps across us both, and it seems to disarm him momentarily. But only momentarily. Like a switch is flipped, he hunches over slightly, turning his head just enough to glare at me with one, unfocused eye. A shudder goes down my spine as I take in his expression. It looks like it belongs more on an enraged carnivore than a human being. There's something feral about it, and it chills me to the bone, more than the outside air ever could. I slowly raise both of my hands towards him, trying to calm him down.

"D, it's me, Damien. It's okay, you're okay. You're home."

I try my best to keep my voice steady, but my frills betray my true emotions as they flare out. A low snarl creeps out of him as he turns to face me completely. Oh, Raptor Jesus.

It's too late.

In the blink of an eye, he lunges at me. Even with his right hand in a cast, he's still dangerous. I've never seen him properly fight, but from everything he's told me and how badly he's kicked my ass in our wrestling matches, I never wanted to find out. Unfortunately, today, I do. But, thankfully, if there's one thing I am really good at, it's dodging. I dodge blow after blow, kick after kick, relying on my natural agility, heart pounding not just with the adrenaline of the moment but with fear for my best friend.

“D, stop!”

I continue shouting, ducking another swing.

“It’s me, Damien!”

He's beyond hearing me. Even during his episode, he's not using his right hand for anything. His fighting instincts are that honed, and his attacks are relentless, his left hand and feet swinging with precision I'm shocked to see he can summon even in the depths of his turmoil. It's terrifying to see him like this, to know he's not really the one behind these blows right now. Man, I am very, very glad he's not wearing his boots. Suddenly, a memory cracks across my mind.

'You might have to hurt me.'

sh*t. sh*t, sh*t, sh*t. I don't want to do that, but what if I don't have any other choice? Okay, maybe I can just try... restraining him. He won't be able to grapple good with one hand, right? I have the advantage. I'm stronger than him, even if he is more skilled. I have to find an opening. I duck and weave and slide away from him for what seems like forever, before he snarls loudly and throws a huge kick at me that I barely manage to avoid. Now! I slip behind him, throwing my arms under his armpits and locking my hands behind the back of his neck. I fall backwards onto the grass and grip him as tight as I can. He snarls, growls, and writhes, clawing at my scales with the nails of his good hand and throwing kicks into my legs with his heels. It hurts, but with him like this there's no real power behind them. I hold on firm, speaking his name, trying to reach whatever part of him was still aware.

“D, you’re here with me, in our backyard. You're safe, man. I got you.”

Slowly but surely, his resistance begins to weaken as he wears himself down struggling. After what seems like hours, his breaths, once ragged and harsh, begin to even out. The moment he starts to slump, I ease him down to the grass and stay close, my hand on his shoulder. We sit there in silence for several minutes as he catches his breath, staring up at the sky. When he finally speaks, his voice is hoarse, filled with confusion and shame as he sits up.

"It happened again, didn't it?"

I grip his shoulder a little tighter.

"Yeah, man. It did. But I got you, you're okay. You didn't do anything to anyone, or break anything, or anything like that. Just a little struggle."

Even as I reassure him, my own heart keeps thumping in my chest. It was one thing to know about his episodes, but it was an entirely different ball game to face them head-on like this. He looks around, as if he were seeing the backyard for the first time.

"I- f*ck... god, I'm sorry, Damien."

I lean forward and hug him tightly, and he manages to shakily reciprocate.

"No apologies needed, man. I've got your back."

We sit there for a while, the sun doing its best to warm us even through the cold winds. Man... knowing how bad he really was now, I figured I'd be more hesitant to do this again. Like it would scare me off, or something. But... no. This only made me want to help him more. I'm going to be here for him, as best as I can be. f*ck the best friend sh*t. He's...

He's my brother.

...

Chapter 21: Bloody Knuckled Interlude: V

Chapter Text

f*ck... I can't believe I did it again. Well, no, I can, but... sh*t. It just came out of f*cking nowhere. Usually I can kind of predict when it's going to happen, but that one? Man. I was fine one second, and then the next thing I knew Damien had me on the ground in the backyard. I don't even think he had enough time to snap me out of it if he did notice. He didn't end up having to hurt me, I think. At least, nothing hurts that I can feel. I think he just managed to grab me and hold me until I wore myself out. He says I didn't hurt him either, but... this scares me. If they're going to start being sudden like this, what the f*ck can I do? sh*t, man. Good thing I'm seeing a shrink soon. Should have been done years ago. f*cking thanks, past-Dorian. f*ckhead.

Damien had taken me back inside, and now we're just sitting in silence. I can tell how f*cking freaked out he is, how bad he feels for letting it happen. ...I gotta say something.

"Hey. It's not your fault, man."

He looks at me regretfully.

"Yeah, right. I should have been paying better attention."

I peer at him intently.

"I'm dead serious. That one was..."

I huff.

"That one was bad. Came out of f*cking nowhere. I think even if you were paying attention you couldn't have done anything better."

Damien blinks at me, but he only looks even more worried now.

"Seriously? ...sh*t, dude."

His brow furrows sadly as he looks me over, and I frown at him.

"I don't like when you make that face, man."

He leans back, running a hand through his hair.

"Sorry. I'm just worried about you."

Damien looks back towards me seriously, intently.

"You're like a brother to me, y'know? Just like Vinny. I know the other day I was talking about the 'best friend' stuff, but... no, dude. I think you mean more to me than that."

A sharp breath escapes me as I look at him.

"What? ...I mean- Damien... we've only known each other for, what, like... two and a half months-"

"That doesn't matter. You've only known Olivia for just as long, and I don't have to tell you how close you two have gotten."

He stands up and clasps his hands on my shoulders, pulling me up and off the couch. He shakes me gently as he looks into my eyes.

"You are my brother. You don't have to be flesh and blood, or heck, even the same species. I know Vinny feels the same exact way. He loves you, dude. Adores you. I think he looks up to you more than he does me, man."

He pulls me forward, wrapping me into a tight hug as he continues talking.

"And I love you too, dude. I got your back through anything, just say the word."

f*ck, I'd probably be crying right now if I wasn't so emotionally drained, but I do return the hug.

"...A'ight... bro."

He snorts as he takes a step back, peering at me with a smirk.

"Alright. Let's try and get back to chillaxing."

I hum quietly, staring at the TV, which had turned itself off due to inactivity.

"You think we can take a walk or something, man? I don't really want to be sitting around after that."

He co*cks an eyebrow.

"A walk? I mean... sure, but where?"

I shrug at him.

"Just around the city. It's fun, y'know? You find cool sh*t sometimes. We can take a cab to some random street in uptown or something and just start wandering around. ...Actually, there's this place called Little Troodon I keep hearing about, kinda wanna check it out."

He hums, grinning widely.

"You wanna see 'Lil Tru? Hah! Alright. It's a little grimy, but it's a cool place. Heck yeah man, I'm down. Just let someone know we're gonna be out of the house."

I nod.

"You got keys?"

He returns it with a 'yup' and then gestures to Olivia's room as he turns and walks towards his.

"Let's get dressed and head on out, bro!"

I do so and after I'm dressed in my usuals, I throw my jacket on over it all and slip my phone out to call Olivia. I'd text her, but honestly, with one hand? Fuuuck that right now. It rings twice before she picks up. Olivia's tone is immediately laced with the barest hints of wariness. I never call anyone, usually.

"Hey... you okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I really didn't feel like texting with one hand right now. Damien and I are going to Little Troodon to hang out."

She's quiet for a moment, and grunts in indignation quietly.

"You're leaving the house now? How come you didn't want to go with me, then?"

sh*t... I should just be honest with her. My mouth suddenly feels very, very dry.

"I... uh... f*ck. I had another episode, Olivia-"

A wretched sounding gasp escapes her, but before she can make a fool of herself in public I continue on hastily.

"But I'm okay, I promise! Damien kept me from doing any stupid sh*t. I'm okay, I swear."

A few more beats of silence pass by before she speaks. Her voice is just a little shaky. Only a little, though.

"Okay. So you just want to get some air?"

"Yeah. Damien will be with me. No funny business. Just... checking the city out."

"Alright. Okay. You're fine?"

I chuckle quietly, despite myself. Sometimes it's a little comical how much she worries about me. Endearing as f*ck, but just a little comical.

"Yes, Olivia. I'm fine."

The indignation is back.

"What's so funny, mister?"

"You, you silly girl. I know you have every right to be worried, but it's cute as f*ck too."

I hear nothing but the background sounds of the public space around her for a brief moment until she speaks again, her voice a low mutter laced with embarrassment.

"You... are a jerk. A jerk, that I love."

Even if she can't see it, I smile.

"I love you too, Silverlight. I'll see you when we both get back home."

She hums quietly.

"Stay safe. Little Troodon's got a lot of pickpockets and stuff."

"Noted. Bye, babe."

"You-... urgh."

She's trying her best to sound frustrated, but I can tell she's smiling.

"...Bye."

The call drops, and I slip my phone back into my pocket and walk back into the living room where Damien is waiting patiently.

"Alright. Called Olivia, let her know what was up. Let me order the cab."

We both step outside and Damien locks the door behind us as I pull up one of my ride-sharing apps and order one headed for a street near Little Troodon. I use the time we have waiting to smoke a cigarette, and soon enough we're on our way. During the ride, I remember I wanted to talk to Ben. Now's as good a time as any. Damien looks at me curiously as I take my phone out. Still don't feel like texting, and it takes about four rings before Ben picks up.

"...D?"

"Hey, buddy. You doing okay?"

"Better today, yes."

He sounds like it.

"Good. So, about the thing I needed your help with..."

I pause for a few beats, prompting Ben to speak.

"...Yes?"

"It, uh... it has to do with Iadakan, man."

"...Oh."

He sounds sad, now. I don't blame him. I'm sure he hasn't had time to properly process it.

"But... I should be honest with you. It's Olivia that needs your help, not me."