What's More Important?

Who: Chance and Thom
When: Before lunch
Where: Halls

It had been awhile since Chance had spoken to Thom. The two weren't friends and they shared only one thing in common - Kaysen. So he generally didn't make it a point to find the guy on a daily basis to say hello. But he also didn't blatantly ignore him when they were in the hallway at the same time, like they were now. He remembered what Kaysen had said about Thom at the bonfire and while he was secretly kind of happy that she was still so pissed off at him, he also felt bad, since he knew she was upset about it. He nodded to Thom as he approached, shifting his book bag from one shoulder to another. "Hey man, how's it going?"

Thom stopped as he was approached, cautiously shifting the weight of his guitar further onto his shoulder, until it knocked against the book bag he had hung over his other shoudler. He wondered what this was about, whether Kaysen was still pissy over... whatever she was pissy about this time. "Hey," he said, again, cautiously.

Chance wondered if Thom thought maybe he was going to bite or something. He stopped in front of Thom with enough distance not to get the guy's back up anymore than it already seemed to be. Chance was starting to think maybe it would have been smarter just to ignore the guy and keep on his way. "I haven't talked to you since you gave it to me, so I wanted to tell you the bracelet worked. Kaysen's still wearing it," he added with a small grin. "So... yeah, thanks again for that."

"Oh, right, yeah - not a problem," Thom said, thrown as he realised that he wasn't going to get it on behalf of the said girl. Which was good, a relief really. But then Kaysen had always been one to fight her own battles - which was quite ironic, all things considered.

Nodding, Chance shifted his bag again and made a move to walk past Thom before he paused. It wasn't really like him to get involved in shit that didn't directly affect him, but he kind of felt Kaysen's moods and feelings did affect him, probably more than she even thought. "You know, if you want her to stop being pissed at you, you could just break it off with Chrissy. Somehow I doubt you'd be overly heartbroken about it."

Thom raised an eyebrow and looked the guy up and down. "No?" he asked, unsurprised that yet another person didn't get why he was dating the girl. But then Chance probably knew enough about him and Em to know that Thom didn't go for the popular crowd. But, he was putting on the front, so he had to act as if he were at least a little offended by a suggestion that he just dump his girlfriend.

"It's Chrissy Chapman," Chance said, as if that explained everything. "If you're looking for an easy lay, yeah, I understand it then, but you don't seem like the type to do that shit. I would have said you were experiencing a complete lapse in judgment - and sanity - at first, but I think that lapse would have ended by now. And you're still with her. I also know," he added, "that you care about Kaysen, given you told me she was like the sister you never had... and that you worry about her. But you're dating the one person who you know continually makes her life a living hell. So... I guess I'm still trying to figure out your motivation for hurting someone you supposedly care about."

Thom set his jaw and looked at Chance. "Yeah, Kaysen's like a sister to me - but that doesn't mean to say she's going to dictate who I do and don't date," he told the other guy. "Anyway, it's not like I'm flaunting it in front of her - and neither's Chrissy. We're staying out of her way. You make it sound like I'm doing this specifically to hate Kaysen - which is bullshit. I happen to like Chrissy, okay? I realise that everyone around here seems to find that some kind of incomprehensible, but that's just fact."

Chance shrugged, not quite believing him. How could anyone like Chrissy beyond her looks? She was a hateful, spiteful bitch and of all the people to fall for her? Thom Harkin was probably the very last person on Chance's list. But it wasn't about that... it was about Kaysen, at least to Chance. "You don't have to flaunt it in front of her. She knows about it, she hears about it and she still has to deal with it. Maybe I don't get why you decided to date the one person that Kaysen would be the most hurt by. She puts off this image of just being extremely furious and pissed off at you, but she's more hurt than anything and she's trying to hide it underneath the anger." He shook his head, trying not to grow agitated in Kaysen's defense. He just hated seeing that look on her face when she talked about it. "If you care about her? Maybe you ought to care more about her feelings in this particular case than your dick."

Thom looked at him, levelly, knowing that the guy was right - and if Thom had truly only been thinking about his dick, then Chance would be spot on with everything he just said. Especially given their prior conversations. But there was more to it that that and he'd tried talking to Kaysen - no matter what she said about what she would and wouldn't prefer, Thom couldn't believe that she wasn't benefiting from this. That he actually had enough impact in her life to balance out against the harm that Chrissy would have been doing if he hadn't taken her out of the loop. "Chrissy's trying to change - she doesn't want to be that... bitch anymore," he said, quietly.

Staring at Thom incredulously, Chance wondered if maybe Thom's brain broke sometime in the recent weeks. "You really believe that? And even if she is? She can change on her own. It doesn't really take away the shit she's done to Kaysen over the years, does it? She could probably take a huge fucking step in the right direction and apologize to Kaysen for all the cruelty and insults and pranks... " Not that Kaysen would accept the apology. In fact, Chance was pretty sure Chrissy would walk away from the encounter with singed hair and feeling a little overcooked. "I think Kaysen's a bit more important than Chrissy's desire to become a 'better person'." Sighing impatiently, Chance shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, do what you want. But you probably should know that the longer this goes on? There's less and less chance she'll ever forgive you, even if things do end between you and Chrissy eventually. I'd think your relationship with Kaysen should be more important to you to keep intact than a high school 'relationship' that probably won't last until Christmas."

Too damn right Kaysen's more important, Thom thought to himself. Kaysen was more important than anything - which was why he was keeping Chrissy out of harm's way. "No, it doesn't take away all the shit she's done - but has it ever occurred to you that it could take away all the shit that she would be going to do in the future?" Thom said, biting back the rest of that. "Look, Kaysen's not had the time of day for me for years anyhow - we're hardly friends or anything. I'm just her big brother's best friend - why the hell should she care what I do?" Thom posed. He knew she did care, but what else could he do here. he just hoped Kaysen understood even a little why he was doing what he was doing.

"Right, yeah, date Chrissy, make her into Suzy Sunshine and then she'll leave Kaysen alone, right?" Wouldn't that be the ideal situation? Unfortunately Chance didn't think something like that was ever going to happen. Not with people like Chrissy. "I don't know why she cares what you do, or who you date. Honestly? I wish she didn't care, but she does. She obviously thinks of you as more than just Isaac's best friend, or she wouldn't give a shit. She would be taking all her anger out on Isaac for even being friends with you, I'd think. But she's hurt and angry with you." And Chance realized he wasn't even sure why he was trying to get Thom to understand that. He didn't approach the guy with that intention, and here he was hoping he'd get Thom to dump Chrissy just to make Kaysen happy - or happier - again. "Hey man, I know it's none of my business. Do what you want to do. I just figured you ought to know what you're losing because of it. Hopefully Chrissy's worth it."

For the first time, Thom looked a little doubtful, betrayed a flicker of uncertainty that showed through even the act he was putting on that he actually wanted to be dating Chrissy. Sure, he'd known all along that Kaysen didn't like this, but he had been certain that it was for the greater good. That he knew best, that he knew what he was doing. But the way Chance was talking, he was starting to worry if this didn't go deeper than he'd thought. He didn't know why Kaysen cared so much either. He hadn't realised that they had enough of a relationship to 'lose' anything in the first place. Not really.

Chance noted the look but didn't call him on it. Maybe at least it would get Thom to think about it. Kaysen had so few people in her life she trusted - and while Chance wished he would be the only one she'd want to turn to, he knew that would probably never be the case. And given how upset and angry she was over the whole thing, he knew she cared about Thom, despite what she said. It irked Chance, brought those jealous feelings to the surface all the time, but sometimes it wasn't always about him. "Just something to think about, I guess." Chance stepped back. "Thanks again for help with the bracelet."

Thom nodded. "Like I said - any time," he offered, quietly. It was strange - he'd been happy when communications with Kaysen had gotten easier, when they'd seemed to be getting along better and now? now he found himself wishing that she really didn't give a damn about him, or what happened to him. He didn't want to think that what he did had an impact on her - not him personally. It made everything so much harder than it would otherwise have been.

Chance gave a brisk nod of acknowledgment before walking by Thom on his way to class. And that was really all Chance could say without getting into things more deeply, which he didn't really want to do. He just felt like maybe he was looking out for Kaysen, in his own way. That was all he could really do at this point.