The Wrong Way to Out a Were

Who: Kyle and Gabe
When: Later afternoon
Where: Gabe's house

After leaving Nevermore, Kyle headed directly toward Gabe's house. He kept Dorian's advice in mind - not to provoke a werewolf. But... yeah, he was still pretty doubtful that werewolves existed. In fact, he was more worried about just hurting Gabe than anything else. But experiments were experiments, and hopefully his friend would understand that. He just had to think of a way to piss the guy off enough... and if that didn't work, then maybe he'd start a fight with him to see what happened. If Gabe turned into a crazy, hairy monster? Then holy shit, okay, he'd believe. And probably be dead too... but... chances were it wouldn't go down that way.

You're a crazy, stupid mother fucker, he thought before shaking his head and walking up Gabe's driveway to the front door. This could all easily backfire on him, which he was almost prepared for. But he felt he had to do it. Taking a deep breath, Kyle lifted his hand to knock.

After coming home from Charlotte's, Gabe had stolen a beer from the fridge and gone in his room to play video games. He wasn't in the best of moods and he didn't see that improving any time soon. Not only was he going to turn into a killing machine on the full moon, but he wasn't entirely sure he could play hockey and now he couldn't get laid without permanently bonding himself to the next girl he slept with. All in all, life pretty much sucked.

When he heard a knock on the door, he ignored it at first, thinking his mom would get it, then remembered she'd run out to the grocery store. Hitting pause, he jumped up and answered it, surprised to see Kyle again so soon after yesterday's conversation. "Hey, man," Gabe said. "What's up?"

"Lots of shit, apparently," Kyle said with a faint smile. He was pretty sure he was going to chicken out in doing what he'd come here to do, but maybe not... he was feeling too curious, too restless and too crazy to back off of it now. "Can I come in? You don't have company, do you?"

"No, just me," Gabe said, letting him in, then shutting the door behind him. "Mom's run to the grocery store, and I'm just chilling with the Xbox." He was curious now what was bothering Kyle, though he could take a couple of easy guesses. Ghosts and Werewolves would have been the top two. After that, maybe girls?

Kyle followed Gabe inside and didn't bother taking off his jacket or shoes. He scratched the nape of his neck, trying to think of a way to do this. Gabe knew him pretty well... and he might catch on to what Kyle was trying to do if he knew the werewolf stuff Dorian knew. If he lied about shit, would Gabe be able to tell? If his claims about hearing his heartbeat were true. Fuck. "I'm surprised you're not with Claire or something... everything okay?" Maybe Gabe would give him something to work with.

Gabe could hear Kyle's heartbeat. But he could also hear the wall clock, and the video game running in his room, and every other little tiny thing that was there to distract him. He was still learning to tune it out, not learn how to read a lie. "We're okay," Gabe said, frowning slightly. "Why? Did you hear something?" He was sure there was plenty of gossip going on about them, especially from anyone that had seen them on Halloween. Gabe still couldn't get his head around that night, how it'd felt to be with her. Until then, he'd really thought she wasn't interested in him, and now he had this weird feeling of hope. He couldn't understand it and he didn't like it, sure he'd just found a new way to lie to himself.

"Huh?" Kyle blinked at the question and realized that he might have an easy way to piss Gabe off. Maybe. "Not really... just some people talking about you two being at Charlotte's party together. I saw her with her boyfriend this morning," Kyle lied. He had a sinking sort of feeling in his stomach, but he pushed through it. "Sort of pissed me off for you, ya know? She was all over him, and in public too... which I would have thought a girl like that would have some modesty or something. I'm starting to think you'd be better off just ditching the bitch, you know? Since she's obviously leading you on for some reason."

The day that couldn't get worse? Just officially got worse. "She's not a bitch," Gabe scowled. "She's just not into me and-- and can do whatever the fuck she wants." Except that still stung and he couldn't help but feel hurt. Hadn't she gotten on to him for his public displays of affection? Or was that just in his head? He knew he'd cut them out, though that was harder to see when he wasn't dating anyone. The later phrase hit him then, a thought that he'd been ignoring for a while, but didn't even want to consider. "You think she's fucking with me?"

The scowl tipped Kyle off and forced him to continue. "It's fucked up man, and yeah, it means she's a bitch. And yeah," Kyle continued with a firm nod, "I think she's fucking with you. Why wouldn't she? I mean, she's a nobody at school... and now she's got you wrapped around her finger, more or less pussifying you... you don't think she's laughing about it? It doesn't strike you as odd that she spends all her free time with you, then runs off to fuck her boyfriend afterward? Come on, Gabe... she's using you. Either that, or she's just a whore or something."

"Dude, shut the fuck up!" Gabe snapped as he began to pace nervously. "I'm not pussy-whipped, and she's not a whore! Just because she doesn't run with our crowd doesn't mean she's using me or something. And who said she was fucking her boyfriend? You don't know shit." Gabe didn't want to believe it, couldn't let himself go there. The idea of Claire leaving him to go sleep with Joshua made him sick to his stomach. It made him want to tear the guy to pieces, just for laying a hand on her, and... and he couldn't imagine Claire laughing at him. Or maybe he just refused to. Hearing it from Kyle, though... "I don't wanna know," Gabe said, attempting to stay firmly in denial.

"I'm not stupid," Kyle countered. He knew Gabe's moods... and knew when things were starting to get to him. Kyle nearly stopped to apologize and explain why he was saying this stuff, but he couldn't. He just wanted Gabe to prove to him he was right. "When a chick's all over her guy the way she was today? Yeah, they're probably fucking. And maybe you don't wanna know, but it's probably best that you did. You know who her parents are right? That's a fucked up family and you're stupid if you think she came away from that mentally balanced or some shit. I mean, she's with a guy who's girlfriend just died not too long ago... what's she getting from that relationship if not a good lay? I think you're just blinded by the whole thing because she's got great tits... and you can find that anywhere."

He couldn't handle this. He couldn't let Kyle keep going on about Claire, didn't want to hear how she was messing with his head. Because part of him knew there was some truth to it. She was messing with his head, even if she wasn't doing it on purpose. But what if she was? "Why the fuck do her parents matter?" Gabe asked. "You think everyone has to end up like their parents? It's not about-- if you don't shut your mouth, I'll-- just stop!" Gabe shouted, running his fingers through his hair. He wanted to hit Kyle, but he didn't want to start a fight. But he deserved it!

"Because when you've got two fucked up people raising you, you're gonna probably be fucked up yourself... and she's fucking weird anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised. I'm looking at it clearly, where you're obviously not!" Kyle was watching Gabe closely, waiting for... whatever the fuck he was suppose to be waiting for. So far nothing was happening. Kyle clenched his teeth briefly and reached out to push at Gabe's shoulder. "You need to move on, Gabe... find a new chick, get over this... you've already dated Chrissy, I would have thought one whore would have been enough for you."

Too many things at once, coming from the wrong person on a bad day, and it was easy to make Gabe snap. "You fucking shut it!" he growled as he swung at Kyle without thinking, mind having decided that maybe that would shut him up. It was bad enough that he was going on about Claire, but bringing Chrissy into the mix? When the ground on her grave was still fresh? That was just too much. While he knew in the back of his mind that fighting was a bad idea, instinct had kicked in to defend the women he cared for. Mate or not, he didn't appreciate Kyle calling Claire a whore and was willing to do whatever it took to shut him up. "You don't know her! You don't know shit! Unless she was out blowing him in public, you--" The thought was enough to break his brain and Gabe tried to back off, visibly shaken as his hands clenched at his side.

Kyle let him swing at him, let him get pissed and violent, if that's what was needed. A part of him wanted to shout at Gabe to just fucking turn into a goddamn werewolf already! But that would have been crazy... even more so than this. Kyle sucked in a breath and the minute Gabe backed off, Kyle lunged at him, throwing him to the ground and taking a swing of his own. He didn't want to fight but fuck! If provoking him mentally wouldn't work, physical anger would have to do. If Gabe got hit a few times, he'd shift as a defense mechanism, right? And if he didn't shift... then the werewolf thing was total bunk.

Pain tore through Gabe as he hit the ground, his injured shoulder not up to actual fighting. He hadn't expected such a response from Kyle, but that was probably because he was too busy trying to control his own. "Stop it, you fucker!" Gabe shouted, trying to grab Kyle's hands or throw him off. Anything! "Fucking hell, just stop!" As pissed off as he was, he didn't know his limits and was terrified that any second he'd be tearing Kyle to pieces, blood all over the living room. He could feel it there, beneath his skin, the monster ready to take control. It was the weirdest sensation, and one he didn't enjoy in the least.

"Fight back!" Kyle shouted, hitting Gabe square in the jaw. Nothing was happening... nothing even looked like it might. And Kyle didn't know what else to do to push Gabe... other than to continue to hit him until Gabe either fought back, or changed. And the changing wasn't happening. "Just fucking hit me!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Gabe shouted, swinging at Kyle because that was better than getting hit again. His shoulder was throbbing, stinging as each hit pulled at the stitches, till there was a faint spatter of blood seeping through his white t-shirt. But that didn't matter. What did was making Kyle stop before Gabe ripped out his intestines and painted the living room with them.

Kyle felt Gabe's fist hit his mouth and the scent of blood filled his nostrils as his lip started to bleed. Adrenaline was pumping through him, and he was trying to catch his breath. The sight of blood at Gabe's shoulder caught his attention and stopped him dead. Was he shifting? Was that what that was? Or... no, they had to be his stitches. "You're not shifting," Kyle mumbled, lifting a hand to his bleeding mouth and back away from Gabe now. "You didn't fucking shift or anything..."

At first all that mattered was that Kyle had stopped. It allowed Gabe to curl up and count to ten, to steady his breathing, and try as hard as he fucking could to calm down. "What?" he asked. His head was pounding, his shoulder burning, and he was pretty sure his lip was split like Kyle's was. Gabe held up a finger as he moved into a crouch, still waiting till he felt somewhat human again before he tried to stand. Then he allowed himself to process what Kyle was saying. "Are you fucking crazy?" Gabe asked, a touch bewildered. "Is that was this was about? That you-- you don't believe me, so you came to pick a fight?"

"The guy said that if you got pissed off enough... you'd shift without being able to control it." Kyle swallowed the blood in his mouth rather than spit it out. "Defense mechanism... but you didn't... you're still you," he pointed out, motioning at Gabe as he slowly got to his feet. His jaw was throbbing like a mother fucker. "You didn't shift."

"Do you hear what you're saying?" Gabe snapped. "You'd rather be dead than be wrong. You'd rather let me tear you in half, than trust that I know what's going on with my own fucking body. Well, fuck you! If you wanted me to prove it, you could've just asked me to go pick up my mom's silverware, but no! You want the monster and can't fucking wait till full moon!" He stopped, trying to shake off is rising anger, not near as confident as Kyle was that he wouldn't shift. "Way to show you trust me, man. Now get the fuck out of my house."

"I'm sorry," Kyle said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Look, I... I'm sorry, okay? I needed to see it for myself... but it didn't happen, Gabe! Nothing happened like he said it would. You fucking swear to me that this is real? Then something's fucking wrong with me. All this shit is freaking me the fuck out!"

"I fucking swear!" Gabe shouted. "You wanna talk about how fucked up my life is? Fine. But don't ask me to prove it. If something's wrong with you, then I fucking believe you, and I'd be willing to help, but you don't want help-- you just want things to be normal, and they're not." This was so far from normal that Gabe didn't even know what normal was these days. Ghosts were now considered to be a normal every day sighting and he didn't even know what might be next. "Now, if you wanna fucking talk about it, we can, but if you start throwing punches again we are through, you got that?"

Kyle nodded and swallowed another bit of blood. "Yeah... I'm sorry. I just... didn't know what else to do." Exhausted, Kyle flopped onto the couch and scrubbed his hands over his face. "People expect me to just... believe this stuff because they say it's true. It just can't work that way for me." He lowered his hands to look at Gabe. "That shit I said about Claire... I didn't mean any of it." He felt like Gabe probably already knew that, but just in case... he didn't want the girl having to deal with the consequences of what he'd said.

"It never crossed your mind to trust me? As insane as it may seem, I don't think I've made a habit of lying to you," Gabe said, taking a seat beside Kyle before carefully pulling his shirt over his head. His shoulder was killing him and he really hoped he hadn't ripped any of his stitches out. "If you think I'm bat-shit insane, fine, we won't talk about it any more," he said, dabbing at his shoulder with his shirt. "Did you really see her with Joshua?" he asked. Now that it was in his head, he had to wonder how much of it Kyle meant and how much he didn't. Kyle might have said he didn't mean any of it, but if that wasn't the case, then Gabe doubted Kyle would have been able to come up with it.

"Dude, you were bitten," Kyle snapped. "You could have rabies or some shit, affecting your mental stability. You're asking me to trust that you're a werewolf... can't you see how that'd be hard for me? I'm not ready to assume you're batshit insane, but I also don't think I'm ready to believe it just yet..." Not when he hadn't shifted, like he should have. Kyle rubbed his forehead, willing the headache away. "No, I didn't see her with Joshua. I rarely see her out of school unless she's with you." Which seemed to be all the freaking time.

"Okay, so let's turn it around," Gabe all but growled back at Kyle. "What if I were to say you're in denial, that you don't wanna see the ghosts, and so you say you can't. Everyone else can, so maybe it's you who has issues with your 'mental stability'. Does that make you feel all warm and fuzzy, asshole? I don't know why I didn't shift, but thank God I didn't, otherwise you'd be in pieces by now." It bothered him enough that he didn't have control over when he could shift, but to have Kyle press for it and it not happen was even more confusing. If it took more than that to get him to shift, he should be able to play hockey, but... he just didn't know. It wasn't worth the risk. "You only see me with her when I take her to parties," Gabe pointed out. "It's not that often." And yet it didn't feel often enough.

Kyle didn't say anything for a minute, his eyes ticking away from Gabe to stare at the wall. Gabe was supposed to fucking understand this shit. Maybe Kyle's mental stability was fucked. Brain trauma did that to people, and Kyle had a hard enough time concentrating and speaking some days, or maybe Gabe just forgot that bit, that it wouldn't surprise Kyle if he was the crazy one. That's what he was afraid of. But he did know he wasn't in denial. If he had seen the ghosts, he would have admitted it. "I don't see you with her, but I know you spend time with her. And that's fine man... like I said, I didn't mean the shit I said." Kyle touched his split lip gingerly, wincing at the fresh pain that throbbing through his mouth. "Maybe I am crazy... maybe the ghosts are right in front of me and my brain just won't recognize them. I don't fucking know..."

"I don't think you're crazy," Gabe said, slowly rising from the couch. "Want some ice for that?" he asked, since he was on his way to the kitchen for it anyways. He returned with a bit for Kyle, though most of it was for him, wrapped up in a plastic bag, then his shirt. "I don't see ghosts when you're around," Gabe said as he rested the ice on his shoulder. "From what you've said, no one does. That doesn't mean you're blind. It means... something I don't fucking know. But you know what? If you came back and told me you were some kind of ghost repellent, I'd believe you, because at this point, I'd believe almost anything."

Taking the ice Gabe offered him, he brought it up to his lip before rolling his eyes. "That's fine man, you can believe me. It's easy for you... it's not that easy for me, and I just don't get why people can't understand that. I'm at least trying, man... I'm trying to..." Kyle closed his eyes, a pained look crossing his face before he spoke. "Understand it. Sorry I've been a jackass about it. I don't know what else to do."

"It's not easy for me," Gabe pointed out. "Do you know how bad this is fucking with my head? There's all this shit that I can't talk to you about 'cause you'd just think I'm even more crazy than before. If you really wanna see me in werewolf form, drop by on the full moon. I'm having a cage built in the basement just for that purpose. And if I don't shift, feel free to have me locked up." Gabe would be ready to lock himself up, that was certain. Maybe it would be a godsend, but he'd never feel completely sure or safe again.

"I'm starting to think you're not crazy," Kyle said after a moment's hesitation. "But it's just... again, I can't just accept shit because it's told to me, not when it's something of this magnitude." He nearly made a raunchy joke about Gabe's 'cage', but left it alone, since the guy was touchy about the whole thing. "And if you don't shift, yeah... I'll lock you up myself." He shot him a look before leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. "The guy at Nevermore... he took my name and number. Said there might be something to me not seeing the ghosts, but he was going to look into it or something... I just don't want to be the only insane person in this whole thing."

"Again, I don't think you're insane," Gabe sighed. "Damn stubborn, but not insane. I haven't seen any ghosts when I'm around you. And you said Kavin hadn't either. Just wait it out, see if that guy calls you back with any ideas. You never know." If Gabe had an explanation for Kyle, he'd have given it to him in a heartbeat. But he didn't, and Kyle would have to wait till someone came along who did. That might not ever happen, but Gabe figured that if there were people who could help him with being a cursed werewolf, then there had to be someone to help the guy that couldn't see ghosts when everyone else could.

Kyle cocked an eyebrow. "You're just as stubborn as I am." He shifted on the couch, settling now that the ice was on his lip. "I met some girl today in the cemetery... her name was Kitty. She didn't see them with me either. Though she thought she saw one, but all I saw was a shadow. So... yeah, I guess I'll just have to wait and see if that guy calls me back. If not? Well, I'll just... deal." He sighed and glanced at Gabe again. "Sorry. Is your shoulder okay?"

"Hey, we're not talking about my issues," Gabe said. "You're the one that came over with intent to start a fight." Kyle had known just the right buttons to push to send Gabe over the edge, which Gabe realized was going to be a problem. Sure, Kyle was his closest guy friend, but what if that was what held him back for so long? If he'd thrown a punch sooner, then things could have been worse. "Stings like a bitch, but I don't think it ripped," Gabe said, lifting the ice pack off to take a look. "I'm gonna hear hell from those who know I shouldn't be fighting. You might too, so don't be surprised."

"I can handle it," Kyle muttered. "My lip stings too, just so you know." He straightened a bit on the couch and pulled the ice pack away from his mouth. "Who else knows about this? Er, about you?" Since he said other people might give him hell about it.

"At least I got one good hit in," Gabe said with a little smirk. His jaw ached and he was pretty sure he'd have another black eye, but he'd had worse. It was his shoulder he'd been most worried about, but the damage didn't look too bad. "Nate, since he was there when I got bitten. But then he went and told Kavin, so he's not exactly my favorite person at the moment. Charlotte, since she knows a lot about these sorts of things and I wanted her help. And Claire, cause... I kind of tell her everything." He'd left off Drea because he couldn't find a reasonable explanation as to why he would tell her and didn't want Kyle asking questions about her as well. The rest he could mention without giving their secrets away, which was important.

"Huh." Kyle thought about that for several moments before speaking again. "So all those people know. And you told them because you knew they'd believe you? Other than Kavin, since you weren't the one who told him in the first place." He felt kind of slighted, that Gabe hadn't told Kyle before all those people, but he could understand why he might have been reluctant to. "They all just... accepted it? Didn't have any doubts or anything?"

"I knew they all believed in werewolves," Gabe said, since that was partially true. He knew they all believed in the supernatural and wouldn't give him hell about it. "And, since I couldn't really prevent Nate and Kavin from knowing, it's really just Charlotte and Claire. I knew Charlotte had books on this sort of thing. Claire was with me when I got attacked by the shadows." He hoped that made Kyle feel better, since the slightest bit of frustration that Gabe had told all those people before him. "I'd have told you sooner, but I knew you wouldn't believe me. I didn't want to make things difficult."

Apparently more people believed in crazy shit than Kyle thought. Alexis had all but admitted it to him before, and he'd blown it off. And he'd not believed her when she said she had been scared by that ghost. Which meant he probably ought to call her and apologize... or something. If she even wanted to talk to him. "This is all just... surreal." Kyle shook his head. "It's still hard for me to like... digest it all. But I'll try."

Gabe nodded, sure that it had to be especially hard when Kyle hadn't seen any of it himself. It was a hard enough pill to swallow even with the ghosts and shadow creatures and a dead Lullaby to talk to. "I don't expect you to accept at all at once," Gabe said. "I just need you to... support my insanity, I guess. Even if you don't believe me, it's real to me, and until I can be convinced otherwise... try not to hit me, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll do what I can," Kyle said dryly. "I guess I can support insanity, since it's yours." He sighed and glanced at the clock. Maybe he would have time to call Alexis when he got home. "I guess I have some apologizing to do... at least to Alexis. You sure you're going to be okay?" Kyle's eyes glanced at Gabe's shoulder. "You wanna hit me again? I'll give you permission."

"I'll be okay," Gabe said. "I'll have my mom take a look at it, make sure it's not too bad and won't get infected or anything. You know, with her being an ex-nurse and all." That might come in handy, it seemed. He definitely didn't want to have to go to the doctor again. Then he'd be lying about the stitches and why he got them in the first place. "I'm gonna take a rain check on that free hit," Gabe said with half a smile. "Wait till you earn it again. How's that?"

Yeah, he'd feel really shitty if Gabe's shoulder got somehow infected because of his own stupidity. Kyle managed a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, sounds good... I'm sure it'll come around eventually." He stood from the couch and stretched, wincing at the soreness on his muscles. "I really am sorry I didn't just... take you at your word." Hopefully Gabe would understand why he hadn't. "And for what I said about Claire and everything."

"It's okay. It's not the easiest thing to accept," Gabe said, understanding why it would be difficult for Kyle to just believe something as crazy as his best friend becoming a werewolf. There were days that Gabe had trouble with the concept himself. "Do you really hate her that much?" Gabe asked, as he stood, his body sore from the fight. Being thrown to the ground did that to a person.

"No," Kyle said truthfully. He didn't hate Claire. He didn't really hate anyone. Dislike? Yeah, probably, but that was more because of Gabe being miserable than anything. "I don't hate her, man... I just think you could do better is all. I don't hate her," he said again. "I swear on that much."

Gabe sighed, attempting to keep his frustration to himself. Kyle was the second person that day to say he could do better than Claire, but it was hard to believe with the way he felt about her. The only thing that would make it better would be for her to return the feelings; finding someone else just didn't... didn't feel right. He didn't know how to handle it, since she was closer to him than anyone else. "Maybe," Gabe said. "But I'm not ready to give her up yet. When I am, you'll be the first to know."

"Fair enough... you're not stupid... you know what you're doing," Kyle said. At least he hoped Gabe knew what he was doing. At this point, Kyle had to let him make his own decisions without trying to influence him. "I just don't want to see you get hurt, you know?" Despite the fact that he'd just tried to beat Gabe up to get him to change into a werewolf... but he still meant it.

"I know," Gabe said, a tiny voice in his head echoing that it was too late for that. It wouldn't be Kyle's fault, though, since he'd been against it from the start. If anyone was to blame, it was Gabe himself. "It's just not a perfect situation. I can't make things happen, but I can't let her go." They were best friends, something he couldn't explain to Kyle without him wondering how that had happened so fast, how Gabe had become so close to Claire in such a short amount of time. Gabe didn't have the answers, just as he didn't have a solution.

Kyle didn't really understand it, but then again, he'd never had a serious girlfriend before. Not that Claire was Gabe's girlfriend. Which was another reason he didn't really understand. "Well, you can't make things happen... no. But that doesn't mean they won't." Kyle sighed and brought the ice back to his lip. "Sometimes you just gotta go with whatever happens, whether it's good or bad, and deal with it then. If she's cool with the, er, werewolf thing, and she's been supportive and shit then... she must not be that bad."

"She's been really supportive," Gabe nodded. "She's pretty much everything I want, except that she doesn't want me. Which I guess is a pretty big chunk to be missing, but it's hard to just... I dunno. Sometimes I think I should just take a chance, but I don't wanna be the bastard that goes after a girl who's already dating someone else." That seemed so supremely not cool, but in the moment, he'd almost not cared. If he had another chance, just like the last, he wasn't sure he'd allow himself to miss it. Then again, he could have been reading her wrong. It was so hard to tell.

"I don't know what to tell you, man. My experience is limited when it comes to those kind of things. Girls confuse the hell out of me." Which was why he never stuck with the same one for long. "You gotta do what's best for you... ultimately... right? Besides, they're dating. Not like they're married and popping out a kid. And more so, you could have any chick you wanted in school. You're not hurting for attention." Which Kyle didn't understand either. Stuck on a girl who was into some other dude, when he could have anyone else. And there was some hot chicks in school.

Gabe could have gone on about how Claire made him feel, how he wanted to spend all his time with her, wanted to make her feel safe and loved, but he didn't think Kyle would understand. It wasn't about wanting attention for himself, but that wasn't something Kyle saw. Gabe had been there and done that and it wasn't what he wanted. Even if Claire didn't turn out to be the girl for him, he wasn't interested in going back to a sort of relationship that never moved below the surface. "I know, man. I know. I'm just not into that right now. I've got enough going on as it is. Maybe when things calm down, I'll give it a try." Maybe, but he doubted it.

"Like I said, do what's best for you." Kyle sighed. Everything was fucking changing. And not in a good way. He knew he could either change with it, or stand stubbornly still and be left behind. "I should go... we're okay, right?" It felt weird coming over to piss the guy off and fight, and then just up and leave like it was a routine Sunday for the both of them.

"Yeah, we're cool," Gabe said, following Kyle to the door. "As long as you don't try that again. That freaked me the fuck out." Even if Kyle didn't believe in what Gabe was, Gabe did, and he'd been terrified that one more second and he'd have shifted into an uncontrollable monster. He didn't know how close he'd been, but it couldn't have been far off. "I'll see you tomorrow, man. Try not to pick any more fights on the way home."

"Sorry." Kyle pulled open the front door and handed his bag of ice back to Gabe to get rid of for him. "No more fights, I promise. I'll catch you at school tomorrow... maybe I'll have some more information from that guy at the bookstore... I don't know." He was tired of thinking about it now. He saluted Gabe before heading out of the house toward his bike. This shit was weird... and it was only going to get weirder, he feared.