Other people's secrets

Who: Kavin and Nate
Where: Kavin's house
When: Early evening

Nate felt like he was dreamwalking and he'd felt like that pretty much the whole day. Everything was just so unreal and distant somehow at school and then he'd talked to Leija... Just when he thought his life couldn't get any weirder there was an angel in it. An actual angel. He'd slept a little after he got back from her place and when he woke up he called Kavin. He needed to talk to him about Gabe after all, or at least check out the lay of the land for a potential Gabe chat.

It was nearly seven when he got to Kavin's house, knocking before entering and kicking off his boots. "Kav?" He called, peeking into the livingroom. "You around?"

Kavin had been expecting him, which is why the door was unlocked. He walked out of the kitchen, sodas in both hands and offered one out to Nate then plopped himself down on the couch and put his bare feet up on the coffee table. "Hey." he smiled. "What's up?"

Nate grinned, peeling his coat off before sitting down and grabbing his can, popping it open. "Not much, just needed to get out of the house - visit my sofa." He pulled his feet up on said sofa and leaned his back against the arm comfortably as usual. "Go to any classes today? Think this was the weirdest day of school I've ever had."

"I went... wasn't like there was much work that got done. Everyone was crying and acting all freaked out." he sighed. "Went to the memorial for about five seconds and decided that I was so not going to sit there and stare at a picture of Chrissy. All I could think of was the way she looked when I found her..." he shook his head and tried to rid himself that mental image. "I just hope things get back to normal soon."

"Yeah," Nate muttered. "Doesn't seem like it though. Place is crawling with hunters and who knows how many people are still infected." He lit himself a cigarette and eyed Kavin curiously. "What would you do if I'd actually been bit? I came close, you know."

Kavin looked at the other boy a little confused. "Were you?" he questioned. "Why would you ask if you weren't? I wouldn't... I don't know. I wouldn't kill you if that's what you're asking, so fess up, Nate."

"I wasn't, but it makes you think," Nate muttered with a shrug. "I wouldn't really be this calm if I had been, you know. I'd probably be hiding in the attic, crying like a baby right now. And yeah, Frank would love it. A hunter with a wolf son? Fuck no, thank fuck I wasn't. I guess I'm just... That hospital thing, where everyone died? Do you know who did it?"

Kavin shook his head. "Probably a hunter. No one I know though." he said. "He or she probably didn't want to deal with any werewolves coming around. But that's not why you asked me is it?" he questioned. "There's more to it. I know there's more to it, so just spill."

"I just know someone who got bit," Nate said quietly. "So it's gotten me thinking, all the hunters around me, who's safe, who isn't. I'm trying to help but we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Who got bit?" he questioned. He wondered if he knew the person. "I wouldn't be telling the information to just anyone. Different hunters practice different things. You just... the person can't help it. So personally, I'm not going to go out and hunt them down because they got bit, but see, I'm not every hunter. And if they're out during the full moon... they can't control it, they'll change. They won't be themselves. They'll kill. That's all there is to it."

"I know," Nate said. "There's options though, there's cages and... if they know they can try to prevent damage to themselves and others." And no, he wasn't about to tell him who, not just yet. "I know you're not just every hunter but... this is big, Kav. This is someone's life."

"I'm aware of that, but you gotta understand, doesn't matter who it is. Say I got bit, and I got out during a full moon and like... killed your dad or your brother. It wouldn't matter that I didn't know better, that I couldn't help it. Fact would remain that I did it. Those people would matter too. Those people that got killed. No matter if it was an accident or something I couldn't help." he told him. "If the person locks themselves up or something, that's different. If they're smart enough to keep themselves from being able to do any damage, then it's... manageable."

"Yeah," Nate agreed. "It's different, with people who can look out for you too, friends who know and will make sure everything's in order. So yeah, He's.... he's gonna need your help too. To know if anyone's on his trail, if there's more hunters coming, where it's safe to go. We're going to buy stuff to build a cage or whatever."

"Well if he's going to need my help, shouldn't I at least get to know who exactly I'm helping?" he questioned. "And it's not... like a death sentence." he pointed out. "If I'm keeping an eye out for hunters, no one's going to come after him. And if he keeps his mouth shut. That's the biggest thing. He can't just tell anyone. He has to know who he can trust and who he can't before he spills the secret."

"I told him that," Nate said. "He already told one person that I know of but I don't know who, said he could trust her. I just hope he's right." He bit his lip, then took a deep drag of his cigarette, stalling a little. "If something happens to him, I'll be blaming myself, just so you know it. If I'd... I was with him, I drove him home but I didn't walk in with him. If I had, he'd be okay."

"Gabe?" he questioned, his voice taking on a bit of a higher pitch than his normal voice. Who else could it be. It couldn't have been Dylan because his home was Nate's too. Nate had been with Gabe. Kavin leaned back against the couch. "Fuck." he muttered. "I... fuck."

"Yeah," Nate mumbled, glad he hadn't had to say it. "I don't know how close you guys are but... Yeah."

"I've known him for a long time..." Kavin said, brushing a hand through his hair. "We're friends. Pretty close. At least I think so. I mean, not like you or whatever, but yeah. I don't know..." he sighed. "All that on top of Chrissy dying? I'm surprised the guy even showed up at school today."

"We haven't set anything in stone but we kind of talked about taking a trip out of town sometime with dad's van, buy things to secure a room. He said he could probably use the basement in the funeral home or something. I just know fuck all about building cages like that. Do you?"

Kavin nodded. "I do." He didn't want to go into how he knew. Not everyone wanted the creatures he hunted dead. One man in particular wanted the werewolf that had killed his wife and young child so he could kill it himself. A cage had been needed for that case in particular. "His mom know?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nate said. "She's supportive, they're calling it a car accident, covering up why he's hurt. I don't know how much she knows but she knows what bit him and what it means."

"Well maybe she won't mind a couple guys downstairs pounding away at a werewolf holding cage. This is gonna be a lot of her problem too. She has to make sure that he's locked in tight before the full moon and all the way after."

"Exactly," Nate replied and just knowing Kavin was cool with this and going to help made him feel worlds better. "She seems like the sort of woman who will want to be in on it," he added with a small smile.

Kavin nodded. "Well, we got a month to get the shit done, so we need to get started with this planning crap. Take a weekend, go out and buy the stuff. And we gotta be sneaky about it. We can't buy the materials here, not in town. Hunters here could see us, or know the people who own the stores and stuff. They'd know we were building something. So we need to go outta town and get the materials to build the cage. Something strong, not wood, wouldn't last. And we gotta be wary about bringing it into the house too. Can't just take it all in in broad daylight for everyone to see, anyone watching could be a danger. Gabe's going to be the most paranoid guy ever now. But he'll be safe."

"That was what I meant with the weekend trip, yeah," Nate said with another faint smile. "And if we make it in the funeral home, maybe his mom can have some changes made to the actual place to cover it up if anyone sees anything. Just a thought."

He nodded. "You're starting to think like a hunter." he smiled a little. "Been hanging with me and your dad too much. But yeah. Talk to Gabe, get him to talk to his mom about the whole thing. If I gotta do a little physical labor to the outside or whatever to help cover it up, I'm willing to."

"See? I can be useful," Nate chuckled. "Every now and then. You should talk to him too. You gonna tell him what you do? Or just leave the whole hunter thing at Nate knows a guy in Austin?"

Kavin frowned. "I think he's gonna need to know." he told him. "Otherwise there are gonna be all these questions and all that shit..." he sighed and brushed his hand through his hair. "I'm gonna get him some books too." he told the other boy. "Probably snag some off the net though. Don't need anyone to see me snagging fifty books on werewolves down at Nevermore."

"There'll probably be a lot of people reading up on them now," Nate said with a small shrug. "Not just infected, but everyone who's heard rumors about what they looked like and the damage they did."

He nodded. "I have some books on them already. There's lots of stuff he's going to need to know. He just needs to get the right information. Werewolves aren't the same in real life and in movies. He needs to know the truth and not the fake shit."

Nate studied his cigarette, frowning softly. "I'm trying to put him in contact with someone I used to know, someone who might help with that. But books are good too."

"Someone you used to know?" Kavin questioned with a raised brow as he reached over to snag Nate's cigarette. He took a slow drag and tapped the ashes into the ashtray before holding it out for him to take again.

"Yeah he knew a lot about them but I never really listened back then," Nate mumbled uncertainly since telling Kavin he'd used to know a werewolf went against everything he'd already told him about how he felt about them. He was condradicting himself he realized and frowned as he tapped off his cigarette. "It's a long story."

"I've got time." he told him, leaning back against the couch. "I'd really know how one who hates werewolves ends up surrounding himself with them. Maybe you're werewolf bait or something. I'm so going to get bit next time around because of you, god." he teased hoping to lighten the boys mood.

"Yeah, that's exactly it," Nate chuckled. "I'm a werewolf recruiting officer, you should have seen that one coming."

"I should have. Damn." Kavin said, a smile peeking at the corner of his lips. "I must figure out a way to foil your plans from this point forth."

"You are too late, the Upper Peninsula is under my spell by now," Nate said with a wry smile. "Soon I will take over the whole state."

Kavin rolled his eyes. "Psh. It's never too late for the Kavinator." he grinned. The grin soon spawned a laugh and he couldn't hold it back before it turned into a little case of the chuckled.

Nate laughed too, shaking his head. "The kavinator just sounds like a dildo," he said and at least they were off the topic of werewolves for now.

"Shut up." he managed to get out between laughs. "It does not. Okay... maybe it does but... whatever." he chuckled again, shaking his head and popping the top of his soda. Once he'd calmed the giggles, he took a sip.

"Man, you're out of shape," Nate said, feigning shock. "You want me to get you anything? No comeback, now that just scares me. You okay?"

"I'm in perfectly fine shape. You should know. You picture me all the time." he smirked, taking another drink from the can before setting it back down on the coffee table. "And what am I supposed to say to 'it sounds like a dildo'? How exactly would you know what a dildo name sounds like? You been purchasing the finest ones lately?" he teased.

"Ah there we go, there's the Kavin I know," Nate said with a grin. "You had me worried for a moment."

Kavin smiled and shook his head. "Yeah yeah. Forgive me for being off my game a little bit. I found some dead chick, got pounced on by a hairy beast with claws and teeth and then got forced to go get my cut checked out by a doctor. I'm allowed to be slow for a while."

And back to werewolves. Nate sighed softly and lit a new cigarette. At least he seemed to be in the clear with his supposed old contact. "Yeah, you're allowed to be slow," he agreed. "So how are you holding up? For real."

"Better." he told him, sliding his shirt up to the bandage covered gash. "Doc says it's not infected and is 'healing nicely' or something. It'll be a scar. I can tell, but at least my insides aren't going to like fall out or something." he shrugged, slowly letting the shirt fall down again. "What about you?" he asked. "I'm guessing you saw it happen to Gabe. Saw him get bit..."

"Yeah," Nate said quietly, wrinkling his nose at the memory. "Well, didn't see it in detail, it's all a blur of adrenaline and fur, you know? But yeah I saw... It was stupid, it looked clear and quiet 'round the house but I should've known better." At least he hadn't died, Nate would never have forgiven himself if Gabe had been killed that night.

Kavin nodded. "Well... I... It sucks that Gabe got bit, but it could have been worse. It could have been both of you... or... ya know what. Lets not even talk about that anymore because I really don't want to think about it." Nate or Gabe ending up like Chrissy had...? That just wasn't a picture that Kavin wanted to have in his head.

"It's manageable," Nate said with a nod, needing to remind himself that it wasn't a death sentence. "We would have both been toast if not for that charm I bought," he said quietly. "I just want to go back to that witch and buy one for every person in town or something." Except that'd complicate things a lot where other not dangerous werewolves were concerned.

"Yeah." Kavin said. "But then Gabe wouldn't be able to get anywhere near you either." he pointed out. "Could get awkward on the car ride when we go outta town. We're bringing Gabe along, right? Does he know you were going to tell me?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah, I told him I'd talk to you first, I just wanted to make sure things were smooth." He grinned cheekily. "We'll just have to have him sit in the back of the van. Or rent a cart to tie to the back of it."

Kavin chuckled at the mere thought of a cart tied to the back of the van with Gabe stuck in it. "Like a grocery cart or a golf cart?" he grinned. "Or maybe a little red wagon."

Nate laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, there's a reason I'm not wearing that thing outside anymore unless I need to walk alone in the middle of the night somewhere and that just... doesn't really happen much." He thought back to when he'd gone to the park to find Nic's tag and how damn lucky he had been to not get ripped apart by something back then. It had been dark by the time he made his way back after all. Suppressing a shudder he went back to the thought of Gabe on a cart, just to have something amusing to think about.

"Well, figure out when Gabe can go outta town with us or whatever and we'll get a weekend and head out to get the stuff we need. A Gabe-safe-cage or something." he shrugged. "We'll make sure he doesn't hurt anyone. Or himself for that matter."

"Just need to find an excuse for it and head on out," Nate said. "We'll need to do it soon, we need to give ourselves enough time for the building. Not like we can afford to run out of time. So I say we pay Gabe's mom a visit at work, check the lay of the land and see what we have to work with in that basement."

He nodded. "Next weekend or the one after at the very latest." he told him. "Gives us time to build, so we gotta see Gabe's mom soon. Maybe the day before we decide to leave. And we can always say we're going to a concert or something." he offered up. "Believable, right?"

"Hell yeah," Nate said with a grin. "Maybe if there is a good concert..." He trailed off, it had been too long since he let loose, that was for damn sure and he wouldn't say no to taking a break from material shopping to see a live show.

"Cool then. We'll figure out when we're going, find a decent band playing somewhere in the state and make a weekend of it. Get the stuff we need and go to a concert. Everybody wins."

"Sounds like a plan," Nate agreed and raised his can in a gesture of a toast. Just knowing it wasn't just him that was in on it now made him feel better.

Kavin did the same with his own can and tapped it against the other boys. "A plan." he agreed. "And tell Gabe I won't tell anyone, and be sure he knows that there's... people out there who'd just jump at the chance to off him for some shit like this. He has to be careful. Very... very careful."

"I pretty much told him that already," Nate replied. "A lot, even. I don't think it needs to be rubbed in, being hunted down isn't exactly something you just forget about ever so often."

He nodded. "I don't plan on rubbing it in." he told him. "But I do need to talk to him about it. He does need to know that not every hunter is going to be wearing a neon sign. I mean... people wouldn't ever think that I'd be one."

"Yeah, I told him town was crawling with hunters and he needed to be careful," Nate said and sighed quietly. "Can't be easy, being thrown into this part of the world head first like that." Which made him think of Dylan with a pang of pain.

Kavin nodded. "Yeah, can't be easy." he agreed. "Not knowing about any of that crap and then just getting... plunged into it face first." he sighed. "Everything all at once. Chrissy and the werewolf shit." He brushed his hand through his hair slowly, shaking his head a little.

Nate nodded and then abruptly changed the subject to something a little more upbeat. "So where is your girlfriend? I'm beginning to think she's just a front to hide how gay you are, shouldn't you guys be glued together by the lips twentyfour seven?"

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. She's at home. I dropped her off after I went to the doctor today. She made me go. Traded it off with her getting on birth control." He furrowed his brow a little bit and chuckled. "You just wish that she was my imagination because you want me so bad."

"You know it," Nate snorted, not in the mood for a big joking debate. "So doctor, huh? What did she make you do?"

"She wanted me to make sure that I wasn't going to get an infection or whatever. Something like that. The doctor pretty much just poked it a couple of times, rubbed some shit on it that made it burn and bandaged it up. At least she didn't ask too many questions."

"Ah, good thinking," Nate murmured. "We're all so wrapped up in worrying about the heavy duty infections that the normal mundane infection stuff kind of gets forgotten." He smiled wryly and took a deep drag from his cigarette.

Kavin chuckled and shrugged. "Well at least I'm not going to die from some fucked up infection from this scratch." Scratch was an understatement, but he moved past the topic of himself and his battle wounds. "So, I talked to Dylan at the party."

"Yeah? I was going to introduce you but I kind of got caught between two girls who barely talked," Nate replied. "So... yeah."

"Yeah. We talked for a little bit. About nothing in particular really. He called me your boyfriend. Well... almost called me your boyfriend. That was particularly interesting." Kavin had actually found it a bit funny when it happened. "I told him if I liked guys and wanted a boyfriend I'd totally pick someone better looking."

Nate arched a brow at that piece of information. "Boyfriend, huh?" He muttered, then shook his head, bemused. "And again you break my heart, asshole. I don't know I put up with you. So what, he's being a smartass to you too now? I swear, it's like he picked up some badly written guide to how to be someone's little brother."

"Well, no. He wasn't being a smart ass. He... corrected himself actually. Like... I said hey to him or whatever and he's like 'are you my brothers boyfr-' and then he changed it to friend or something like that. I don't think he even meant to say it or something. It was weird."

"That's..." Nate started, shaking his head and wondering just what was going on with Dylan. "Maybe he's all obsessed with gay right now, you do know who he's hanging out with, yeah?" Still. Weird.

"Isn't he hanging around with that one guy. What's his name?" Kavin tried to think. He could picture the guy in his head and the name was right there on the tip of his tongue. "Hangs out with Heather. Used to like trail Chrissy... A... A something."

"Aaron," Nate replied with a nod and a bit more somber expression. Gossip or not, that girl was dead and her friends were left to mourn her. "She was of the opinion that we were gay."

Kavin rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay. Well Aaron can think what he wants. Chrissy could think what she wanted and Dylan can buy into it if he wants to." he shrugged. "I don't even think he wants to believe it, he's just getting it in his head because of his new little crew."

"Yeah I obviously need to find a badly written guide to be a big brother and shake this shit out of him or something," Nate sighed. "I'm not really digging his present company but eh, guess at least he has friends. Could be worse."

"He's a smart kid. He's not going to do anything stupid. Aaron's not... that bad. He could be doing worse." he agreed.

"Him and his posse are going to turn my little brother into a jock or something," Nate said with a feigned shudder, then grinned. "But yeah, it could be worse, I guess."

"Yeah... well if he wants to be a jock, let him be a jock I guess." he shrugged. "I'm not good at the whole big brother, little brother advice. I am quite fond of being an only child."

"Yeah I thought I was one too, remember," Nate pointed out with a small grin. "Then suddenly this handful of a kid shows up asking weird questions and making weird statements. And hanging out with cheerleaders... Scary shit."

Kavin chuckled a little at that. "It's almost like he was just sprung on you or something. Like out of nowhere. Which.. he kinda was."

"He really was," Nate corrected him, "I had like six hours to get used to the idea before he arrived. I actually stumbled into a fucking nightmare of his before I even met him. That shit was just lame." He shrugged and soon added, "Don't get me wrong, I like the kid."

He nodded a little. "Can't be easy having him dropped into your lap. Kinda like having a baby dropped off on your doorstep or something like that. You should check and make sure your dad ain't got any other kids floating around."

"Shit, an army of Aldens?" Nate muttered. "Not sure I'm ready for that kind of revelations. And hey, it's not that bad, at least I don't have to change his diapers or anything." He chuckled, wrinkling his nose at the thought.

Kavin scrunched his own nose. "Oh god. That'd just suck." he said with a shake of his head. "And you know your dad would totally have you on diaper duty too."

Nate snorted at that and nodded, all too aware how true that was. "You know it," he muttered. "When he told me I freaked out because that's pretty much what I thought it'd be like. Maybe not that young but some kid I'd have to babysit all the damn time. More like a single dad than a brother, you know? Shit, not down for that."

"Yeah, like a five year old or something. Oh god, that's worse than a baby. Always getting into shit. Running around and destroying everything. I could see you chasin' after a little kid. That'd be fucking hilarious."

"Could you? Could you really?" Nate retorted dryly, cocking a brow. "I think I'd just lock the brat in a cage until it was old enough to obey orders. Give it some weed to chill it out... Man, I'd be the worst dad ever." He laughed, rolling his eyes at himself.

"Don't ever, ever have children." Kavin said with a shake of his head. "Remind me that you're never allowed to babysit my kids. And from this point on, I'm warning all your girlfriends that they better never plan on children with you." he teased.

"Eh, the brat would grow up fine, as long as I wasn't beating it senseless it still stands a chance of being perfectly okay. I'll make it a nice little cage," Nate replied. "But yeah, safe sex sounds pretty good, I don't want that responsibility."

"Safe sex." Kavin agreed. "Remember that when you're in the moment and there are no condoms around." he teased. "And saran wrap doesn't count." He couldn't hide the little smirk that moved across his face.

"Oh damn, wonder how many babies I have out there," Nate said, not even bothering to feign any emotion as he spoke those words dryly. "I should change my name and go into hiding so I don't end up with way too much child support on my back.

Kavin laughed and shook his head. "Dude... that's just... wow." Again he shook his head and then brushed his hair back away from his face. "I don't even wanna picture baby Nates running around."

"Yeah, let's not go there again," Nate laughed. "I should just become a hermit and break the family curse."

He looked a little confused at that. "Family curse?" he questioned.

"Eh," Nate murmured. "My dad thinks the family is cursed, Alden women die young and all. I don't know if he still thinks so but he used to bitch about it when I was younger."

Kavin's eyebrow quirked up a little at that. "Well, see I got the way to cure that. Just don't get married. Can't die off if she never becomes an Alden. Problem solved."

"Yeah, Dylan's mom kind of disproved the theory," Nate said. "I'm sure Frank has amended it to say women who give birth to Aldens or something."

He sighed and leaned back against the couch. "Well, just be gay then. Can't have babies with boys." he pointed out.

"Can we not make this about you, Kavin?" Nate teased him, smirking.

Kavin glanced over at the other boy and smirked right back. "See, you pretty much just admitted that were you to be gay, you'd totally be gay for me."

"No, you ass," Nate laughed. "Just because you want me to be gay doesn't mean... Well it's you making it about you."

"I don't want you to be gay." he told him. "See, that'd probably make things more complicated. Then I wouldn't be able to find some hot chick to occupy your time with. You'd be constantly fantasizing about me." he teased. "I'd be under all this pressure." he grinned.

"Because you're the only guy in Marquette," Nate said and rolled his eyes. "You're so full of yourself, it's almost endearing."

"What other guy in Marquette have you wanted to make out with?" Kavin posed. "Name someone else you might be interested in that's a guy. Aaron maybe? Awe, isn't that cute! That's why he bugs you so much. You're just annoyed because you have the hots for him. I'm so gonna call him up and tell him."

"You're such a girl," Nate told him as he lit up a new cigarette. "Fortunately I'm not gay so you don't have to worry about all the pressure."

"You didn't answer my question." Kavin told him. "Avoidance. Interesting."

"I don't want to make you jealous," Nate chuckled. "Wound your ego, break your little heart."

"You're so full of shit. Just tell me. But see, I know you can't come up with anyone. There isn't anyone is there?" he asked, his voice taking on a bit less teasing of a tone. Curiosity having got the best of him.

"Not guys," Nate admitted with a mild grumble. "Don't get too big headed though, you're just an anomaly."

Kavin blinked a little at that and shook his head, leaning forward on the couch again. "Oh. Uh... well..." he sighed and glanced over at Nate. "Well, if it makes you feel any better... no other guys for me either." It was the truth. He didn't know why, but it was. As far as boys went Nate was the only one that he'd ever wanted to kiss. Ever.

Nate grinned at him and ducked his head. They were not going down that road again, it didn't lead anywhere good. "Good thing, one temptation is easier to handle than two or three."

He let out a little snort of a laugh and nodded. "Yeah. Definitely. I'm just gonna pretend that you're something really bad for me. Like... I'm on a diet and you're chocolate or something. Yup. No Nate diet. Here on out." Or he'd try. Maybe.

"Yeah, except I doubt your girlfriend would dump you for eating chocolate," Nate pointed out. "I'll do my best to refrain from being my usual sexy self, I guess."

"Should I tell her?" he questioned, seriously. "About... the other day. I feel like... I don't know. I feel like I cheated on her and it's hanging there and I don't know..." he said softly. "I kinda feel like an ass for not coming clean but at the same time I don't want her to freak out or dump me or... fuck I don't know..."

"Nah, not like..." -It meant anything wasn't quite true so he hesitated before going on. "It won't happen again, not like we fucked or whatever."

"That's what we always say..." he said with a glance in his direction. "Not like it'll happen again and then... it does..."

Nate had nothing to say to that and he wondered idly if he should stay clear of Kavin when they were drunk or stoned. Which sounded like shit really. He bit his lip and shrugged helplessly, taking a sip of his coke.

"Maybe I'll tell her when she's sleeping. Then I'll feel better because I told her, but she won't ever remember." Kavin said, somewhat liking that idea. "Or get her really drunk. Or something. Or just be a smart guy and not fucking tell her at all and live with it. Not like we fucked..."

"Yeah, be a smart guy," Nate muttered. "Not in the mood to get beaten to death with a rolling pin." He could too easily picture the small and angry baker girl come after him, definitely not cool.

"If she's like any normal girl she'd cry or something and ask me what she did to make me want a boy. Fuck." He sighed and let his head loll back against the couch. "Though... it would be funny to watch her chase after you with a rolling pin."

"Let's not put that theory to the test, okay?" Nate sighed and he wanted to drop the subject now. "Think school will be a little more normal tomorrow?"

"Maybe. Hopefully. I'd rather fucking do fifty tests in a row on Chinese Algebra than watch people sit around and cry all fucking day." he sighed. He didn't want Chrissy to be dead or those other people either, but he didn't want to listen to bitches who hated the girl sob over missing her only for the attention.

"I think the sobbing would be easier to walk away from than actual tests," Nate chuckled. "But I feel you on that one."

"It's just all bullshit. I mean the three kids yeah... I get the crying. I get the tears and hushed whispers and 'I'll miss them'. But the Chrissy shit... maybe... two people in the whole damn school actually miss her."

"Hey," Nate drawled quietly. "You can't dictate how people should react to it. Maybe some of them feel guilty for the shit they said about her or just feel shell shocked that she died. She was still just a teenage girl."

Kavin shook his head. "I don't think so." he told him. "I can't read minds, but not all of those tears are believable." he pointed out. "I'm not saying that I'm happy that she's dead, I'm not... but I'm not... I don't know... Maybe I'm just an ass, but I'm not sobbing about it. Should I be shedding tears over a girl that spent her life making people miserable?"

"No, but maybe some of those people have their reasons," Nate said with a small shrug. Of course he had no idea just how bad Chrissy had been, he hadn't liked her but he'd only gotten a taste of how much of a bitch she really was.

"Nate... you saw one... fraction of what this girl was capable of. You're new. New and she still managed to torture you in the little bit of time she was around to do so. Imagine what people who've lived with her around their entire lives have been through. Kaysen... Isaac's little sister, she's been through so much shit with Chrissy it's not even funny."

"You're right, I don't know," Nate said and shrugged. "Just saying that... maybe some of those people didn't either?" He smiled wryly. "Or maybe they're mourning the fact they never got to get even?"

"Maybe. I just... I feel the worst for Gabe... everything with the wolf and then... Chrissy. They were fucked up and complicated but... she was still his girlfriend for a long time. He knew her. Better than I did. And I'm not happy she's gone, he's gotta be... dying inside..."

"Yeah, we gotta do something for him," Nate sighed. "Something, anything that might possibly make him feel a little better. Just wish I had any idea what that might be."

"Well... maybe he'll be in the mood for a concert by the time all that rolls around. We can make a weekend of it. Get a couple hotel rooms and shit and some beers. Just get away from everything. From Marquette for a while."

"Yeah, that still sounds like the best of plans," Nate said. "What sort of music is he into? I'll go look into if there are any good concerts, otherwise we can just get wasted in a hotel room or something, see if we can get in anywhere."

Kavin shrugged. "I'm not really sure. His music probably changes from time to time if he's anything like me. Ask him. Or I can. I need to talk to him anyway. I can write down his playlist or something. Give you something to work with. I can front the money for the tickets and stuff. Not gonna let him pay when we're trying to cheer him up."

"Yeah exactly," Nate said and smiled at that. "I figured we could pool our cash and just pay this for him. Think he's got enough to worry about without thinking about expenses too."

He nodded. "Sounds good to me." he agreed. "So... operation get Gabe happy underway?"

"Time to synchronize our watches," Nate chuckled. "I'll talk to Frank about borrowing the van, I think we should try to go next weekend - it'll give us more time to build."

Kavin agreed with that. "Yeah. Totally. I'm gonna see if I can talk to Gabe tomorrow. Maybe meet him after school or something and tell him the stuff he might need to know and all that." He scrunched his nose a bit at that but it had to be done. "Wish me luck. I think I'll need it."

"Good luck," Nate said with a quiet sigh. "And be careful, which goes without saying but I still gotta say it."

"I lived through this weekend, man. You ain't gettin' rid of me that easy."

"Yeah well, more worried about Gabe this time - if someone overhears," Nate replied. "So yeah, be careful."

"Well, I'm not saying anything about... anything when we're around people. Paranoid. Remember?" he smiled. "I think that 'we need to talk' should suffice til I get him alone either here or his place."

Nate nodded. "Yeah I'm not worried." He dug his phone out of his pocket and checked the time, grumbling quietly. "I need to get my ass home, cook something."

"Well Susie Homemaker, better let you get to that." he teased. "Get out." Kavin said with a light little wave of his hand. "I'll see ya at school." he assured him. "And I'll... probably give you a call after the Gabe intervention."

"Yeah do that," Nate said after scoffing at the Susie Homemaker comment. He got up and stubbed out his cigarette, stretching as he yawned. "Say hi to Jeri from me."