Aces Away

Edenridge

Present day... late Friday night... 13 Carlisle Avenue...

_{A @BrutalBx, @LovelyComplex, @Aces Away, & @metanoia Collaboration
Featuring: Antoine "Beau" Beauregard, ReyRey Gonzales, Mordechai Boaz,
Penelope James, Jade Taylor, Sonny Cernis, & Xavier "Prof." Booker}
________________________________________________________________________________

“Put the gun down, Reynaldo!” A soothing, booming voice called from behind the gang. Entering from the shadows, his own pistol raised, Beau moved towards the assorted group of his former students. “You know how much of a headache you’ll give your old man if you go down for these kids? Huh? What about your sister? Ain’t she got enough heartache right now?” The teacher slowly moved his way in front of his students, the two weapons in play now aimed between R2 and Beau respectively. “It's a tragedy what happened to Miss Davies and it’s a tragedy what happened to Decker, let’s avoid more bodies if we can. We’re gonna walk away now and this is night done, savvy?”

Goddamn Beau. Rey didn’t like him. He never liked him even when he was a teacher. So holier than thou. So damn hard. He hated him but he’d be damned if he didn’t respect the man. Beau’s word held a lot of weight with Big Papi Rey; R2 wasn’t sure why his father held the man with such esteem but ReyRey would never go against his old man, at least not in this particular way. Lowering his gun, the serpent ruler turned his back to the crowd, his eyes locking onto the shed where he had beaten Charlie all those years ago.

“Get these kids outta here, Beau before I change my fucking mind. All of them”

Beau kept his finger eased on the trigger as he turned his head ever so slightly to the group. “Kids, go home. You did what you set out to do. Go be there for each other, tonight. You’re gonna need it.”

Taking the man's dismissal to heart, Sonny and Prof quickly grabbed Decky by his jacket and dragged the shaking man back to their previous spot behind the group, and once they had got him there he shook their hands off with much less vigour than the last time.

"Get the fuck off'a me, you shady assholes," he growled half-heartedly, his eyes distant and still filled with tears. His whole body was shaking with fear rather than rage like ReyRey's had been, and he felt like shooting whatever it took into his veins to get this night out of his head. Even the arrival of Beau to save the day hadn't broken him out of the blank state he'd fallen into the second ReyRey had replied to him.

"We're sorry Mob," Sonny said, having more understanding of just how much ReyRey's words towards the former corner captain had affected him. "if ya'd said anything else I think he actually might'a shot ya. We were just lookin' out for ya." he then crouched down, continuing to meet Decky's height as the other roughly slid down to the ground with his back against the fence. Prof took up the spot next to him, and suddenly Decky was feeling suffocated. The world seemed to tilt on its axis and he was having a very hard time breathing all the sudden, the air tearing through his throat like he was trying to swallow sandpaper.

He had been so stupid.

"Come on, twerp," Prof spoke up after another silent exchange between him and Sonny. "let's getcha home and you can get your rest." he hadn't even gotten out half the sentence when Decky shook his head vehemently before letting his face fall into his arms, his whole upper body basically propped up by his knees. Sonny gave a nervous little hum before resting his hand on the back of Decky's head, wincing and giving him a forlorn look when the other simply flinched and shrunk away again. Sonny hadn't seen Decky like this since they were kids, before ReyRey had come into the picture and given the broken boys meaning and a chance at a future. Another look at Prof had the two exchanging grimaces.

"Mob, come on, the Edge is just a few hundred feet away, let's go-" he'd grabbed one of Decky's hands to try and pull him up, but the slightly larger man lashed out with his hard earned speed and shoved him away, causing Sonny to over balance and fall back on his ass.

"No!" he yelled, uncaring of his noise level as he glared at his friends through red, glassy eyes. "'M not goin' back there, I'll go back ta sleepin' on the fuckin' streets first!"

"Don't be stupid Boaz, y-"

"The fucking streets, Xavier." he hissed sharply, chest heaving and glare leveled on his two friends.

Silence fell between them as they sat at a stalemate, Sonny and Prof refusing to leave Decky to the streets, and Decky refusing to be under the roof of someone that just destroyed any confidence he had had left in himself. His parents had used him too. In different ways, for different people and reasons. But he had thought once he became a serpent he was done being a puppet to be passed around at someone else's whim. ReyRey had hugged the boy more than anyone else after Danny and Sonny, he had consoled him when he broke down and Decky had felt safe and loved.

And it was all a lie. He'd been locked in another room under someone else's roof, only ever let out when it pleased his owner. The room was just so much nicer he had never noticed.

you’re a tool just like the rest of them. you’re a tool you’re a tool you’re a tool.

"Just another fuckin' tool again, huh…"

No matter how much more Penelope could say to ReyRey, deep down she knew none of her words would reach him. As everything escalated around her, she could feel that fire dying out. The fire that gave her so much courage to break the silence felt non-existent at this point. She had her moment and even though her words didn’t come out as well as she wanted them to, she said enough for the night. When R2 chimed in, all she could feel was immense hatred for the man. The new revelations from Decky and Jade… well, that broke her heart.

Maybe she didn’t know Charlie as well as she thought she did. The spite turned into hurt and she realized something about herself. She saw R2 as the easiest person to blame for her guilt and lack of attentiveness to Charlie. ReyRey manipulated Decky and he pushed Jade between a rock and a hard place. He was not a good person and nothing would change her mind on that matter. Even so, as much as she wanted to tell herself he was the villain in this story, deep down she blamed herself wholeheartedly.

Saying he was more wrong than her was an easier pill to swallow than the truth. Really, did it matter who did what? People were dead and they couldn’t make that go away. Charlie, Allison, Maxine, Danny Boaz, and so many more. No one could turn back time. These unsolved mysteries… would the truth actually accomplish anything or would they just give this town its final blow?

With watery eyes, she wiped the tears trickling down her cheeks. When she saw Beau, her heart stopped. She couldn’t believe this man was risking his life for such broken people. He cared so much about them… and she didn’t understand why. They weren’t his children. They only gave him grief. He’d go miles for them, but who would do the same for him? She would never understand Beau… all she could say was she knew she loved him dearly, like family, and so did Charlie. In all honesty, Penelope believed that would be the death of him… he was too good for this town.

Good people don’t last long here.

Turning to look at Jade, Penelope reached and grabbed her hand, interlocking her fingers with her best friend, “If you’re to blame, so am I.” Blaming people was easy, finding where you went wrong took strength and Poppy knew she had a part to play in this, like everyone else. She saw Charlie fall apart behind closed doors, yet selfishly kept that to herself. There’s so many times where she should have handled herself better. There’s so much she knew, that she could’ve let someone else know but didn’t. She could never be mad at Jade. She could never be mad at Decky… they were all children.

They didn’t know better.

Gently, she started walking, hoping Jade would not pull away from her. Part of her expected it because of where Jade was emotionally. If it did happen, Poppy would let her go but she held her as tight as she could to show her she wasn’t alone and that she shouldn’t be alone. None of them should.

To think all this time… Penelope took Jade for granted and had no idea this was one of the things she was bottling up inside of her. Making a beeline through the small crowd, Penelope could see Decky on the ground, his back against the fence, with Sonny and Prof beside him. Prof was crouching and it seemed Sonny had tumbled back on his ass.

Choosing not to pop their bubble, staying a distance away, Penelope offered her free hand to her other best friend, ignoring his “protectors”, “Want to take a walk?” She softly spoke, hoping Decky felt like he had power over his own choices, not aiming to take that away from him. Weakly, she smiled at him, understanding if this is where he felt he needed to stay. If this is where he felt more safe and home at, beside his serpent friends, she would understand.

Decky's eyes landed on Poppy's outstretched hand and his heart clenched. He'd just admitted to being one of the people that had to beat Charlie, to being the core of his Serpent problems by following everything ReyRey said. Poppy loved Hard Times, she always had, so how could she be reaching out to one of his tormentors right now?

"We don't need your help Sweetheart, Mob's just fine with u-"

"Shut the fuck up, Sonny." Decky growled shakily, the lack of personal nickname making the other man rear his head back as if he'd been slapped. Prof, seeing this, put a steadying grip on Sonny's shoulder before whispering into his ear so low no one else could hear. The usually comedic man's face twisted up something awful as he switched his gaze between a shaky Decky and Prof at his ear. Lip wobbling for a second before getting caught between his teeth, Sonny took Prof's offered hand and let the older man get up, pulling him with.

"We'll be here, when you need us." the chemist offered soothingly before leading a lost looking Sonny out of the yard and towards Edge of Sin.

Decky, finally able to breathe, began to reach his hand out to Poppy's before pulling back with a whimper.

you’re a tool you’re a tool you’re a tool

"Do you really want me anywhere near you right now?" he asked in a tiny voice, barely louder than his heaving breaths.

“Yes,” Penelope said matter-of-factly. Watching her friend retract his hand back, all she could see was a scared child. It wasn’t an unusual sight for her. When you come from the southside, most battered, broken, and burdened individuals have this soft, vulnerable facet residing in their soul. Some chose to hide it better than others, some, like now, had no willpower to keep fighting the pain. “Believe it or not, I need you right now and I think you need me too. You’re my friend, actually no, you’re my family and…”

She thought back at all the unsaid words between her and Charlie. As she stepped forward, releasing Jade’s hand briefly, bringing herself down to his level, her eyes red from fighting back the tears, she spoke in a hushed, warm tone, “... I want you to be okay because I fucking love you.” There was a pause after that, because up until this point, she never said those words to Decky, ever. She never got the chance to say those words to Charlie either.

Penelope was someone that showed her affections through actions, rarely words, but in this moment she felt like he needed to hear it. He needed to hear that at least to someone he meant something more than just… something disposable, something to use, and something to abuse. “I don’t care if you’re fucked up. I’m fucked up too! But wouldn’t you say it’s better to be fucked up together?” She playfully stuck out her tongue, really trying to emphasize that she wasn’t mad at him.

She couldn’t be.

“Now come on, Decky, let’s get out of here. You, me, and...” Penelope glanced back over her shoulder and smiled at the blonde vixen who had been there for her through thick and thin, “... Jade.”

Decky let out a wet chuckle, shoulders relaxing from where they'd been hunched up to his ears. It was a line Poppy had used a few times when they were younger, and Decky would always reply that the fuck ups had to stick together. It was bittersweet to hear the lines again, especially without Hard Times' reaction thrown into the mix. They used to cheer and fist bump like the stupid children they were afterwards, and those lines usually precluded either a southie slumber party or them all getting into trouble as a group. Sometimes it was both in one night.

Well, this night was certainly trouble, and it looked like his Street Angel wasn't going to let him sleep in the streets any more than Sonny and Prof were, so there's probably a sleepover in his future as well. This time, his hand made the full path to fall into Poppy's, and he gripped it as tight as he felt he could without crushing her. She helped him to his feet, but he didn't let go of the small hand in his grasp.

I want you to be okay because I fucking love you.

God, was it really that easy to say? Or was it really that hard? She'd never said it before. Always showed it, of course, much like Decky himself she was one for action over words. But she also knew when words were necessary much better than Decky did. His attention turned to Jade, the girl having practically faded into the background with her silence.

He wasn't the only one that had been holding in a lot about Charlie Decker. He hadn't even been in Edenridge at the time, him and most of the Haze/Carlisle crew had been in Juvie or the Massachusetts Correctional Institution, but Jade had literally been right there and been unable to do anything to help Charlie from his fate.

Just like Decky had been powerless to help Danny in the end.

"Hey, Harley Head?" he paused, flexing his fingers around Poppy's hand while he waited for the blonde to look at him. "I... I'd really like ta have ya both with me...tonight...if, uh…" shame clogged his throat and he looked down at his feet. Just because Poppy had said she needed him, said she loved him, didn't mean Jade felt the same way. She might absolutely hate him even if she does claim blame as well. Blame's not evenly distributed, and Mordechai Boaz did a hell of a lot more than just stand by.

Looking at both Decky and Poppy, Jade felt conflicted. There was hesitation in both her gaze and how her arms clenched closely to her chest, her fingers bent and balled into weak fists. They were shaking and she only bit her lip to hide the fact she was on the edge of...something. ”I can’t..You shouldn’t..” She struggled to even get a solid thought out. Despite what they said about who was or wasn’t to blame, that didn’t change who Jade was blaming most. She looked away from them and down at the ground and said, “Why don’t you guys hate me? You should hate me. You shouldn’t want anything to do with me.”

"You? Fuck, J," Decky croaked out, running his free hand through his hair in nervous habit. "you didn't fuckin' do nothin' wrong. You tried ta protect," dammit, he still couldn't say his name out loud. The hesitance was obvious and he licked his bloody lip for another second of time. "him. All you did was try ta protect him. I beat him. I hurt him. Outta the three of us, I'm the one that shouldn't be here." he gave her a small, shaky smile, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

"You tried for him. It's more than I can say for what I did. Don't push that aside like it don't matter."

“And look what that got him? He was beaten and I didn’t do anything!” For a moment, Jade stunned herself at how loud she spoke, her voice cracking from the intense emotion she was feeling. And because she didn’t hold anything back, she felt her entire body start to break down, streams of tears flowing down her eyes. She tried to shake it off, but that didn’t help anything. Just like she didn’t help Charlie when he needed her most.

"I…" Decky didn't know what to say to help her. He never knew what to say to help someone, but it felt a lot worse when that someone was breaking down right in front of you and all you could do was lose your voice. With panicked eyes, Decky looked over to Poppy for help.

Well, no help coming from there, Poppy herself was silently crying from her spot next to Decky, and the man found himself gripping her hand tighter. When she noticed him looking at her, though, her face was almost immediately covered up again, so once more all he could see were her sunken and red rimmed eyes.

Jesus, he really needed to get blitzed.

"I...w-we...it's still- fuck, Harley Head, I don't know what the fuck ta say. I got no thoughts in my head but my failures and puppet strings but I know that I need y'all and I'd be terrified all fuckin' night not knowin' if you were safe. I just need a fuckin' Southie Sleepover an' sorry if it's selfish but I just can't keep functioning for more than maybe an' hour or so," he gave her a broken stare and reached his free hand to her. "can we figure out where we're goin', an' can we all do it together? please." the last word broke from his lips like he was calling for a lifeline, all croaky and shaken. He didn't know any other thing he could do to get through to her.

Fuck.

The way she felt like such a failure, she wanted them to say that to her. At least then it would make it easier for her to just...walk away and retreat into the hole that she was in before. That hole that had the scent of burnt wood from all the bridges that were set ablaze in the past two years -- hell, maybe it all started five years ago. But between her seeing Poppy cry and Decky practically begging for that sleepover, she didn’t know what to do. What was she supposed to do? Just forget the way she was feeling and go with them? She wanted them to stop feeling sad but she didn’t want to.

I want to..

She swallowed a breath in her dry mouth and sunk her head in defeat. Slow moments passed and her eyes rose up and she took Decky’s hand. Then her other hand took Poppy’s and she met both of their gazes. Though her hands were shaking, she squeezed both onto theirs almost for dear life. “I’ll go. Just no more crying. Please.”

^{“I’ll try…”} Poppy inaudibly whispered back. ^{“S-sorry… sorry… I can’t… I... I’m... sorry... c-can… can w-we go now?”}

"Yeah," Decky whispered, the void in his chest partially satiated. "Le-let's take a walk and then…I don't know Street Angel, your place or...maybe Beau's?"

^{“Beau’s.”} As much as she would love to keep Decky at her home, with it being next door to Charlie’s and her room being a disaster (filled with painful memories), she knew it would be best if they all stood somewhere they all would feel safe and away from it all. Away from their families and anything that could trigger them.

Beau’s was their safe haven. Now and even before. He understood them even more than their own parents did. Penelope loved Beau and knew he would be exactly what the doctor prescribed. She didn’t know what she would do without him.

And just like that the trio, forever missing a link, started walking.

Edenridge

December 11, 2016, South Boston Juvenile Detention Facility
_{A @LovelyComplex & @Aces Away Collaboration
Featuring: Penelope "Poppy" James & Mordechai "Decky" Boaz
Also featuring: Danny Boaz, Sonny, Prof, Creed, & Jokes}
________________________________________________________________________________

“ReyRey just gave me a call about Charlie boy,” Sonny says, nodding at Prof who had cut off his reading of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse upon the other's entrance into the cell. The third boy makes no move to respond, just grunts a bit and tries not to shift too much. They had let him out of the hospital wing too early- just a day and a half after being stabbed- and everyone knows it. There’s blood in the water and his crew taking shifts to watch him in his cell was the only thing saving him right now. Fuck Hatchet, his shiv, and his weird interest in Decky.

But Charlie hasn't been by since just before it happened, and thoughts of the usually communicative boy had kept him up last night. No one’s heard anything from outside for the past three days. With steady eyes, Sonny walked over and put his forearms across the top bunk, just close enough for Decky to grab if he wanted. "He fucked up, Mob, got some Northie cheerleader dead on a dirty cut."

Decky tensed, one arm still slung over his face to keep the harsh light from piercing his still sensitive eyes. "He what?” He whispered through clenched teeth. “Bullshit, he knew my rule; always confirm your stash. Bullshit!" The words were a sharp hiss of rage and denial, but before he could push himself up, both Prof and Sonny were there keeping him down.

"Relax, twerp, or you'll pull your stitches," the older boy warned, hand tightening on Decky's shoulder for just a second until the other's shoulders relaxed. He kept steady eyes on the injured boy as he ordered, "Sonny, give the man details."

"Right,” Sonny replied warily, intertwining his fingers with Decky’s free hand. “so…"

---

“It’s visitation day, asshole, let me the fuck up,” Decky growled at his other half, white knuckle grip practically creaking the metal of the top bunk. Sonny rolled his eyes and gently shoved Decky’s chest, grimacing at how harshly the usually strong boy fell back. “Bitch.”

“Ya have a fever, asshole, stay the fuck down,” He retorted in kind, stretching up on his tiptoes and giving the other a quick kiss to convey a guiltless apology. “Jesus, Mordechai,” Sonny whispered, knocking his forehead against Decky’s sweaty and feverish one. The use of his full name got the stubborn boy to rest his glazed eyes on his Sunshine. “you’re stab wound’s infected ‘n’ they didn’t give ya any treatment or meds. Fuckin’ rest and heal up the ol’ fashioned way. ‘M not ready ta lose ya.” The last part was said in a broken whisper, his hand gripping Decky’s tight so the other boy could feel his shaking.

Studying Sunshine’s worried but determined face, Decky felt his own tense features relaxing as he ceded to his other half. He was about to reply when a snort broke its way through the silence, causing both boys to crane their necks to get a look at Prof, once again sitting in the corner of their cell with a book in hand.

“You’re real name’s Mordechai?” He asked in a monotone, but the twitching smirk on his face gave him away. Decky’s already feverish face turned even redder as he glared at the older boy, any gratefulness for his constant guard forgotten.

“Shut the fuck up, Xavier!” He snapped. “The fuck’s wrong with my name? Don’t go fuckin’ usin’ it like ya got the right, no one fuckin’ calls me that you here me?” he ranted, getting more riled up as Prof continued to snicker as though he was a lion being yelled at by a mouse. He was going to continue, but suddenly he realized how out of breath he was, and that his vision was swimming. Did it get hotter in here?

“Relax you little punk, I’m just surprised I’ve never heard it in the past four years,” Prof spoke up, hands up in a placating gesture. “fuckin’ hell, are you trying to make yourself worse? Take a breath.” He walked over to the little sink on the cell wall opposite the bunks and grabbed the white t-shirt hanging over its side, turning on the faucet and dunking the cloth under before ringing it out and heading over to Decky and Sonny. He rolled up the shirt and laid it over Decky’s forehead, lifting his head gently to wrap it all the way around while the younger boy grumbled and flexed his hand in Sonny’s grip.

“Seriously, Mob, we all need ya ta relax and get better,” Sonny spoke up again, his voice low as he tried to soothe the raised hackles of the injured boy. “Creed’s gonna be here in a second ta watch ya, and Jokes, Prof an’ me are gonna field your visitors for today, yeah?”

“...Yeah,” He breathlessly replied after another moment of silence. “Just...if Danny’s there... tell ‘im I love ‘im, yeah?”

“Of course, dummy.” Sonny reassured, turning at a knock on the cell bars. Creed and Jokes stood in the open doorway, and after a few quick words Creed took up Prof’s recently vacated seat and the others filtered out towards the visitation area. Decky was asleep before they’d even left.

Danny Boaz was indeed there, alongside Penelope James, his token babysitter, who was dressed by her mother in something cutesy. With a loose braid to her side and her face void of any sadness she felt the week before, Poppy watched the guard check her backpack filled with the classics like Treasure Island, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice & Men. He glanced up at her, the bag, and back at her, as if he was debating his next move.

“Here, I’ll help you,” Penelope reached for her bag and took out one of the many books she stuffed in it. Opening The Outsiders in front of the guard, she flipped through the pages, “I’m not going to let my friend get bored in there and you should know, reading is fundamental.”

For a moment, her green eyes became sharp like daggers and the guard gulped, thinking of another James who had shown him that same kind of glare. Even if this girl didn’t get involved with those kinds of people, she certainly had it in her blood. She was the child of an infamous legend in the southside. Whether Sly was reformed or not, getting on his bad side was a recipe for disaster, or worse, death. The man in uniform was here trying to make a paycheck, not be a target to snakes.

Turning away from the guard to look at the young boy clinging to her, she grinned, “Isn’t that right, Danny? Wouldn’t you like your big brother to have all the cool books to read?”

Gripping her sleeve tighter and moving to hide half behind her from the large guard, a twelve year old Danny nodded meekly and spoke up in a small voice, eyes glued to the ground. "Decky can read a year above his grade. He reads stuff to me before bed. I don't always understand it though…"

“That’s okay, we’ll keep practicing so you can grow just as smart! You’re already so smart to even understand these books, Danny. Trust me. If it wasn’t for Charlie and Decky, I would’ve stood back a grade.” The guard was quick to zip the girl’s bag, giving her clearance to pass, not even patting her down. “Thanks so much. Come on, little rascal. Don’t want to lose any second of our thirty minutes.”

The younger boy blushed at her praise, fingers still twisting in her sleeve. The fabric was definitely stretched out at this point, and it's also not the first time one of her sleeves fell victim to the boy's nervous habit. Still avoiding looking at the guard, Danny lifted his head and directed a small grin her way. "He's gonna be sad Phil's still sick, but I'm making sure he gets soup." He stated proudly, following just behind Poppy as they passed through the double doors and into the visitation area.

When they entered the cafeteria, her green gaze searched the room for one face and one face only. When she didn’t see him, she made a subtle frown, making sure Danny didn’t notice her disappointment. With no Decky in sight, she surveyed the room for his friends. Sighing, she caught sight of Sonny, Prof, and Jokes. Masking the twisting gut feeling of worry behind a smile, she softly and warmly spoke, “Oh look over there, maybe Decky is using the bathroom or something? Let’s go say hi.” After a deep breath in and out, she led her ‘little brother’ to the junior serpents.

When they got close enough, Danny melted away from Poppy slowly before leaving her side all at once, running the last few feet to the three Serpents and slamming into Jokes' stomach, wrapping his arms around the older boy's waist as he returned the hug with a small smile. Prof pulled Danny into a quick hug before stepping back and ruffling the young child's hair with great affection. Had it been anyone else but the Serpents, he would have been flinching left and right; even with Poppy, Charlie, and Jade he sometimes forgot himself and flinched if he caught something coming at him in his peripherals, but not the Serpents.

"Where's Decky?" Danny asked as he moved in to hug Sonny, a little more life to voice after the positive physical contact. Sonny's arms around him tightened a bit possessively, and Danny leaned into it as he always did. Why was he angry?

The guard on the wall closest to them cleared his throat, glaring at Sonny and tapping his nightstick in warning. Sonny let go of Danny but kept his glare on the guard.

"Oh so now ya wanna do your fuckin' job?" He sneered. "Where the fuck were ya last week, huh?"

The guard scowled and took a step forward, but Jokes and Prof beat him to it and pulled Sonny down into his seat, whispering harsh words into his ear until he calmed down. When he regained his composure, and with another glare at the guard, Sonny answered Danny's question.

"Mob's back in his cell with a stab wound, infection, and fever because someone wasn't aware of their fuckin' job title." He explained, never one to sugar coat things. He was still glaring daggers at the guard as he raised his voice on the last part. Jokes winced at the harsh description, and Prof rolled his eyes while kicking Sonny's ankle. "What? He asked."

"Is he gonna be ok?" Danny asked back, not even seeming to flinch at the listed issues his brother apparently had. He'd had worse. Their whole lives were worse. Of course Danny hated hearing Decky was hurt, but he was realistic and experienced enough to know that right now the important thing is if he'll fully recover.

"It's touch an' go right now," Sonny admitted, nails scratching at the plastic tabletop. "They barely kept him in medical for a day before tossin' 'im out, but we got a sentry on him at all times an' we're keepin' him cool with a wet shirt on his forehead." Danny sat back, going silent as he absorbed the information. He'd be back in the conversation in a moment, but the boy always seemed to check out completely as he processed new things, coming back into chats like he hadn't gone unresponsive at all. "He said ta tell ya he loves ya, bud, he's sorry he couldn't make it but we enforced bed rest."

With the sudden news of Decky’s condition, Penelope’s heart sank. If she didn’t wait for Charlie all day Friday, she could’ve made time to visit her friend. The guilt of her carelessness and prioritizing her foolish, dumb crush over a forever friendship caused her to bite the bottom of her lip. Even the fact that Danny could take this information in, without batting his eyes, without losing his cool, deeply saddened her. All she could do was be a constant for the Boaz brothers, Charlie, and Jade. Their lives kept moving in ways she had no idea how to protect them.

Their lives kept moving…

In this moment, Poppy realized how fortunate she was. She didn’t need to work a corner to pay for her mother’s medical bills. She didn’t need to house hop to stay away from abusive parents. Her parents weren’t drunks or junkies or just pure evil. Her life never led her to the point that she needed to rely on a gang because she was constantly protected. Poppy was put in a position where she had no choice but to make everyone else proud for having parents that worked their asses off to give her and her older sister a better life.

And yet, she couldn’t help but find herself magnifying everyone’s issues and her own. She couldn’t help but carry all this weight on her shoulders and feel tongue tied. Trapped inside her mind and suffering from all the sins of her friends, all who needed saving, she wished she could say fuck it all. Fuck it all to hell. Why was she the one that everyone decided to break the southie curse? Why was she the one that everyone believed in? Why was she the one kept safe when everyone was hurting? Why?

Tightly, she clenched onto the straps of her backpack. Not only was Charlie getting blamed for the death of Allison Davies but Decky was bleeding in prison with little to no medical care. The last thing any of the serpents needed to hear was how Charlie was doing. She wasn’t dumb. They probably already made up their minds with one side of the story. Not even she was confident of the rumors and the words being twisted in the streets. She left the party early and she didn’t even know Charlie was there. Charlie wasn’t the type to explain himself when it came to things like this, so this would be one thing she would never have an answer for because that’s just the role everyone wanted her to play— the southsider left in the dark because they thought she deserved better.

Gritting her teeth, she took the backpack off and slid it on the table to Sonny, “Give this to Decky when he isn’t knocked out. You’re all free to read any book besides Hard Times by Charles Dickens. I want him to have that one first.”

All three Serpent's eyes lit up in vague understanding as they stared at the hardcover novel Sonny pulled halfway out the bag. The snakes had never had the best relationship with Penelope James, as Decky didn't bring her around like he did with Danny, or even Jade Taylor and Charlie before the boy had joined the Serpents himself. There had never been much conversation between them, just the jagged edges of two separate worlds catching and chipping at each other.

"We could probably read all these by the time we get out," Jokes said, a gleam in his eye that had the other two snakes wary and Danny hop a bit in his seat in anticipation. "You know, if we really book it."

Danny unleashed a torrent of giggles at the stupid pun while Sonny and Prof groaned in dismay, far more exposed to the wordplay than anyone ever deserved to be. The rest of the visit was spent talking about Danny's school, time with Phil and the others, and going over all the safety protocols and options for when Danny ends up anywhere near alone, be it walking from school or being tossed out by his parents.

"How'd you like that little science experiment I told you about?"

"It was so cool! The clean up was a little hard so it made sense ya told me to do it in an abandoned area!"

"your parents give you another back eye? I'll fuckin' kill 'em."

"Sonny there's a guard right there-"

"Do I look like I give a fuck? Look at 'is face, Prof, tell me you're not thinkin'a murder too."

"Hey let's change the conversation! Guard's lookin' twitchy."

"Ya still have your knife on ya right? Mace in your pocket?"

"Every time I go out, never leave without 'em just like you said."

"Have you been keeping up on your reading?"

"Mhmm! Poppy's letting me read ta her ta help! I just finished Outsiders, and we put it in the bookbag for Decky."

"Did you know that bees will even sting other bees?"

"Really?"

"Mhm, bee-lieve it."

"Jesus Christ Jokes shut the fuck up-"

And just like that, their thirty minutes were up, and the Serpents were each yanked up from their seats and shoved harshly towards the door, not even given a chance to say goodbye as the two free Southies were left at the table.

Watching Decky’s friends get pulled away, Penelope looked at their backs, dropping the strong mask for a moment. She yearned to be accepted by her neighborhood but knew they were light years away. With a weakened smile, she glanced back at Danny and asked, “Where do you want to go next?” Once she and the young boy left the building, she would bring up the discussion on what they should bring Decky next.

Maybe she could get Danny to practice his writing for the next week and together they can write letters. Maybe they can give Decky more toys to keep him entertained. Maybe they can make a practical joke pop out of the book. But one thing she knew for sure she was putting in the next book, it would be a switchblade. He had something now to get in contact with whoever if he needed anything specific but she’d be damned if she found out he was harmed or dead. Maybe she should tip her father… “Anywhere you want! We still have the whole afternoon ahead of us.”

"Can we go to Lyon park? Decky was showing me how ta do a flip off’a the swing before everything." Danny asked, his more timid side returning without his big brother snakes around. He hated watching them get manhandled by the guards, and he didn't even get to say goodbye! Why were they so mean?

---

"Delivery from two very small and pale children!" Sonny chirped cheerily as he traipsed through the cell door, dropping the books from his arms to the bed right next to Decky's hip. The copy of Hard Times stared up at him and Decky scowled at the reminder of Charlie Decker. He was still sore over the boy. "You've been ordered to read this first."

"Was he here?" Decky asked as he carefully propped himself up with help from Creed, the older boy stuffing both Decky and Prof's pillows behind his back for support. Sonny replied in the negative, explaining their visitation and that only Poppy and Danny had showed today. Decky grunted in acknowledgment and opened the only hardcover of the books.

As expected, the inside of the book had a hollowed out pocket with contraband inside. Slowly, he pulled out a small burner cell, a picture of him and Danny that Poppy had taken of them at Lyon park almost two whole years ago, a battered yo-yo they use to all share and try to learn tricks on, and a pair of beaten up and scuffed old dice that he had taught them how to gamble with. Beneath all these, each of which he carefully placed to his side on the small bed, was a layer of Mary Jane candies, making Decky's eyes light up.

"I know that look, there's something disgusting in there."

"They're delicious," he snapped back, picking one up and trying to unwrap it. His hands were still too shaky and just as his frustration was beginning to grow, Creed yanked the candy out of his hand and handed it back unwrapped within a second. Decky popped it in his mouth happily and practically melted back into the thin pillows. He began slowly toying with the Yo-yo, practically feeling the memories flood his mind.

"Just 'cause it was the first candy ya ever had doesn't mean it has to be your favorite. The only reason Mrs. Digari gave ‘em to us is because they had finally expired after years of ‘em sittin’ on the shelf. The crackheads won’t even try ta steal ‘em, dude.”

Jokes began laughing behind his hand and Creed walked over to stand at his side, smirk of his own on his face. They all laughed as Decky sputtered angrily for a second before going to cross his arms, catching himself from the painful move at the last second.

”None of y’all are gettin’ any, ya fuckin’ traitors!”

”In case you didn’t notice, ain’t nobody here that wants one, Boaz.”

Edenridge

Hatchet by@LovelyComplex

December 4, 2016, South Boston Juvenile Detention Facility
_____________________________________________________________________________

"This is bullshit," Decky grumbled into his folded arms, his upper body slumped onto the cafeteria table. His crew exchanged eye rolls around him, used to their boss and his pouting that he seemed to reserve for them. Decky and Sonny had been the youngest of the crew to get arrested that night almost a full year and a half ago, and most of the crew- while they still followed the two as Captain and Lieutenant- viewed the two as younger brothers, and dealt with their tantrums and such as only aggrieved older siblings could.

"C'mon Mob," Sonny put in from Decky's left once he was done shoveling the shit they pass for food around here down his throat. "You knew there was that stupid game tonight, and Decker's been runnin' 'round for you and ReyRey for a minute now-"

"So of course they couldn't make the drive out for visitation today." Prof cut in from Decky's right side, halting Sunshine before he could devolve into one of his well known rambles. Said rambler glared at his elder over the back of their Captain, sticking his tongue out at the young genius.

"Yeah, cheer up boss, ya got next week." Added Jonie from across the table, plate already cleared and pushed to the side. Next to him, Creed was holding back a smirk as he propped his cheek onto his hand.

"And the week after that…and that...and that-"

"This is why Jokes is my nickname," Jonie muttered before turning a grin back to an unresponsive Decky. "Point is, it's one day you didn't get to see them, how much could happen 'til next week?"

That got a response, though not the one the older boy had been expecting. Decky lifted his face from his arms to level an impressive glare at Jonie while the others grimaced and looked away, already aware of how that comment was gonna go down.

"Oh gee Jokes, I dunno," Decky started up with a sarcastic drawl. "S'not like we all got locked up in one night, or that it only takes one night for literally anything to fuckin' change. S'not like we all joined the Serpents in one night, or lost our fuckin' virginities in one day, or-"

"Okay Boss I got it!" Jokes protested quickly, hands up against his ears after the last example. "Fuckin' sorry, shit."

Seeing that Decky was taking a deep breath to keep going, Sunshine jumped in. "How bout you guys clear out, yeah? Mob's gotta finish his food and y'all gotta get ta the showers and clean 'em out." he pressed gently, tilting his head at Decky in warning.

"Yeah, I love how it ain't child labor if they lock us up first." Creed said as a parting shot, lightly shoving Jokes out of his seat and towards the showers, Ransom and Molotov trailing after silently. The other three that had been arrested that night- totalling ten of them all together- had come of age and been processed out to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Concord halfway through last year, leaving the Serpent crew on the inside a little lighter than most of them were comfortable with.

With all but Sunshine and Prof gone, Decky pushed at his slop a little bit with a sneer.

"Sure you'll even taste it with all that bitterness on your tongue?" Prof asked with an eyeroll. "You were a little harsh on Jokes, we've never exactly kept him around for his forethought."

"Shut up," the bitter boy responded before shoveling a spoonful into his mouth with a grimace. Instead of shutting up as ordered, Prof simply looked over to Sunshine and exchanged a look of exasperation.

"Nah, sorry bud, you ain't gettin' off that easy. This can't just be about Charlie and your girls outside the Serpents, they've missed visitation before." Another grumble met Prof's needling and he put a hand up to his ear. "Sorry, what was that? I don't speak mouth-full."

Decky glared again as he swallowed the food before responding. "Danny and Phil got sick with some bug, they couldn't come either," he admitted, going back to pushing his food around. "Phil called and the guards let me know when I got there, bastards were grinnin' like it was funny to make me walk there for nothin'," he lifted up his tray and swung his legs over the bench, standing up. "M'just pissed is all, why all on the same day?"

"Which explains the blow up at Jokes," Sunshine jumped in agreeingly, turning to Prof who rolled his eyes like he was getting paid to.

"Apologize later, you little asshole, I'm gonna go read." he berated, getting up himself and heading for the stairs on the other side of the cafeteria, none of the three Serpents noticing the eyes that counted them down as they left.

"Why does he always act like our father?" Sonny asked petulantly, getting a harsh scoff in return.

"Neither of our fathers act like that, Sunshine," he denied, heading to the trash as Sonny's annoyed protests bounced off his back.

Sonny going silent should have been his first clue.

No chatter from the guards should have been his second.

Unfortunately, he was too busy mentally bemoaning the loss of his time with those he called family, and he was unprepared when his arms were grabbed and twisted behind him by two pairs of hands. He began thrashing violently before his tray had even hit the floor, but the hands holding him in place were firm and large, definitely belonging to the older boys from another crew. They turned him around so he could see Sunshine being held down by another guy over at their table, a hand keeping his head to the table as the other one held his wrists behind his back.

The rest of the cafeteria had been cleared out, no other inmates or guards to witness what was happening. As he was taking in all the new information, someone stepped into his line of sight and landed a heavy right hook on his cheek. His head swung to the side before returning to its original position staring at the new person's chest. He raised his head to glare at the newcomer, only for a small blade to nestle itself under his now exposed jaw, making him freeze as Sunshine began to thrash against his own captor.

"Shift changes, y'know?" The one holding the shiv spoke up casually, his shrug pressing the blade more into the underside of his jaw. "It's amazin’ how easy it is to get the guards to fuck auff." Especially in this shithole. Now the guards on duty were in the breakroom having a circle jerk or something. Anything was better than watching these good for nothing kids.

Decky kept silent, unwilling to move the blade any closer than it already was. He knew this kid from his knowledge of the Fear Gorta well enough to know that you can't talk your way around crazy anyways. At least whatever the older boy does, it'll be over quick; this guy was known more for his play-with-your-food predator attitude than a villain-on-a-monologue one, so Decky was willing to just wait it out and hope the medical wing would at least keep him for a couple days.

"Yer ReyRey's lil' pet project, yeah?" He drew the knife out from under Decky's chin, his manic gaze tracing the red line it created. At the sight of his blood, Sunshine renewed his thrashing with vigor, and Decky took note that the asshole holding him down was actually struggling a bit now. Good. While not thrilled about being called either pet or project, let alone both, he took the shallow slice for the warning it was and left the question to remain rhetorical.

"Fuckin’ hell. Thought you'd be a bit more fun, but yer just a fuckin’ cunt.” Disappointment washed over the stranger’s face. He hated an anticlimactic meeting. Even with the increasing boredom, the mad man’s hungry eyes never faltered away from Decky’s. “This the same twat that beat the fuck auut auf Scissors his first day in?” That was rhetorical too. He knew who Mordecai was, he did his research, but man, meeting the kid in person was probably the biggest let down he’s ever experienced. “It was lookin' promisin'," his eyes seemed to lose all light as they stared into his captive's, and suddenly Decky realized that maybe the medical wing wasn't even going to be in his cards. "But looks don’t mean shit. Yer just a pup that likes tickling Reyrey’s balls for shits and giggles—"

Instinct took over at that point, and the punch to the face was about as expected as all the others he'd ever received in his life, so Decky let the momentum take his head and half his upper body to the side. "—Fuckin’ child’s play.” The guys holding him up slackened their grip enough for him to keep the momentum going and tear out of their grasp, backing up against one of the support pillars at the edge of the cafeteria area. His chest was heaving as he stared at the psycho and his goons closing back in on him, a line of sweat mixing with the blood at his throat and soaking his collar in the few precious seconds he had.

"Did you just corner yerself?" The older boy tsk'd with a miffed head shake, the edge of his blade glinting harshly as he toyed with it under the fluorescents. And yeah, it may have looked like that, but Decky already had a lifetime of experiences that told him the best thing when you have no one to watch your back is to face it to the wall. The pillar here would have to do for now though. Decky braced against it for a moment before coiling up and striking like the serpent he'd claimed for years, avoiding the leader with the knife and focusing on goons one and two instead. He used his size to his advantage and managed to take the smaller of the two to the floor and get in a few good punches before he was wrenched off of him by the other.

He was turned back towards the leader a second after he saw Sonny finally break out of his captors’ grip and immediately drag his tray off the table and swing it around into the final Fear Gorta's head, continuing even as he hit the ground. Alarms began blasting and Decky could have sighed in relief if he weren't still at the mercy of that blade. A disgusted look had crossed the leader's face as he watched Sunshine beat the daylights out of one of his goons with a lunch tray, and the alarms and lights twisted the look into something demonic before a grin took over like it had always been there.

"Looks like we outta time, babes," he spoke, just loud enough to be heard over the alarms and pounding boots of the guards down the hall. Between one flash of light and the next, the boy was in Decky's space and the blade was in his side. Cheek to cheek, his assailant whispered into his ear, "Tell ReyRey that Hatch sends his regards. Train the lil’ bitch bedda. If ya can’t..." He tore the blade out of him with a twist and chuckled, “...Oopsies. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronga. Ain’t that right, pups?” The one that had been holding him in place released his grip, and Decky's knees cracked against the floor as his hand flew to the wound. He glared one more time up into the older boy's eyes before a kick sent him careening to the side, a trail of blood smearing after him.

“...well fuck.” He finally coughed out.

"Mob!" Sonny screamed, vaulting over the table and running towards him with his tray still in his hand. He had almost made it when he was tackled to the side by the first guard on the scene. It was the last detail Decky remembered before things started to get fuzzy, the lights and alarms becoming bright blurs and ringing until everything faded to black.

Edenridge

_{An @Aces Away, @LovelyComplex, & @metanoia Collaboration || Featuring The Lost Trio}

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Mordechai had tensed when he registered the footsteps behind him, but he had already heard their voices echoing from the bleachers. He knew they were there from the moment Jade's panicked exclamation shot through the tense silence, and he also knew couldn't turn around yet. Not without breaking.

But then Poppy spoke up from just behind him, her voice muffled and quiet, but just as demanding of attention as ever. And as she started to tear into him all he could do was turn to stare at her, taking in her haggard state and mentally comparing it to his own. He could barely see any of her, but she was definitely even smaller than before and her eyes were sunken and a bit dull- though they gained a bit of fire as she ranted. Her clothes were swamping her and-

And that was Charlie's hoodie hiding her frame.

He tried to ignore the way his heart stuttered and stopped before kicking back into high gear, but at that point Poppy's breathing had picked up too, and Danny Belmonte was stepping in for some reason. Mordechai couldn't help but bear his teeth in a sneer at the other man despite him being completely civil, but he tucked the bat between his knees and dropped the broken liquor bottle to the floor in order to rip off his own oversized hoodie, exposing his scarred arms and fresh track marks, as well as the still vibrant Serpent's tattoo on his left shoulder. Left in a tank top, Mordechai put the bat casually back over his shoulder while tossing his hoodie lightly over Poppy's head so that even if she opened her eyes she would be fine. He turned her around, arm across her shoulders in order to lead her back to Jade and whoever else they'd shown up with.

"C'mon Pops, you fuckin' got me, told me off good. Let's both go sit an' calm down, yeah?"

Wrapped in a cocoon, known as Decky’s jacket, Poppy took in his scent. It was musky, a little sweaty, and naturally earthy. No distinct cologne. Then again, she wasn’t good with brands even if he was wearing Old Spice or Axe. If anything his scent reminded her of woodwork and camping. It also made her feel safe and warm. His scent, such a simple thing, brought in feelings of old and reminded her that she still had loved ones alive and well. He was alive and well.

Mordechai’s familiar and reassuring presence had given her the extra measure she needed to become focused and functional once more. Part of her was sad because instead of greeting her childhood friend with pleasantries, appreciating the sight of him, she scolded him, like she had done many times in the past. Well, unlike then, she wasn’t calm and composed. If only she could go back in time when interactions like this didn’t feel so daunting.

As she stood there, his arm across her shoulders, she wondered if he knew how she was feeling. How desperately she needed to isolate herself because of the all-consuming information that overloaded her mind. People. All the fucking people.

They weren’t her friends, they weren’t people that cared about her, and they didn’t know her. They didn’t care about her story. Or Decky’s. Or Charlie’s for that matter! All they cared about was forgetting and twisting the truth because no one wanted to hear that they could’ve been a villain in someone else’s story.

Did he understand that?

Poppy wasn’t blind. She saw the hurt and she knew everyone lost somebody. In the process, they also lost pieces of themselves. Pieces that needed to mend, but once the glass was shattered, nobody had it in them to put themselves back together. So... why not work together?

As simple as that notion sounds, it isn’t that easy. Some people wanted to act like their pain was worse than everyone else’s. Some people wanted to run away. And some people, like herself, liked to pretend it was only just a dream. When push came to shove and they could support one another, the first thing they wanted to do was play the blame game or attack, attack, attack.

People. Fucking people. They sucked.

Instead of being protected by Jade’s shadow, Poppy was now in Decky’s safe bubble, a dark, comforting blanket, and without saying any immediate words, her hand closest to her friend reached out of the jacket and grabbed the end of his tank. Clutching the cloth, she tugged at it and apologetically whispered, “Sorry.” Clear guilt in her tone.

What a sad state she was in, where her brain chose to be a coward, giving her little to no voice because she was nothing but an empty shell. An absolute nobody. Did he see how much of a mess she was? How much of a mess she was without… Charlie?

"Fuck, Pops," Mordechai replied, pulling her into his chest with the arm around her shoulders and dropping his cheek on her head. "Ain't got nothin' to apologize for, you were right. 'M just strung out and itchin' ta beat some fuckers into the ground. Had to be some Northie fuck that thinks they're bein' cute, I swear." He mumbled into her covered head.

His thoughts beat around in his head like a boxer, screaming at him for leaving Poppy to get this bad, whimpering that he had to take care of himself; what good would he have been if he'd just killed himself a week after the shooting? He had to get away!

He shouldn't have gone. He should have bucked the fuck up. He made the right choice, getting the toxicity that was him out of their lives. He was the root of all their problems. He had to be.

He betrayed his brother, their friend, and it lead to Charlie sweeping through Edenridge like the Angel of Death through Rameses' Egypt. His own time away was less of a 'let my people go' and more of a 'my people are better without me.' Coming back was more selfish of him than he let on, even if it did hurt him non-stop in the process.

He deserved everything coming at him.

Danny Boaz had deserved none of it.

He took a deep breath to fortify himself, to make sure the mask doesn't break despite all the cracks, and then pulled back only enough to get them to start shuffling back to Jade and who he now saw was Marco.

"'Sides," he finally added once he got back out of his head. "I prefer y'all's company anyway." he hoped that they ignored the strained tone he spoke in, given that the two Southie girls would be the only ones able to detect it. Shakily, Mordechai finally met Jade's eyes, letting nothing show but not being able to hold back the shudder that shook him, and by extension Poppy. "Hey, Harley Head, long time…"

”Hey..y-eha, it has…” In a very uncharacteristic way, Jade’s voice was shaky, almost as though the blonde had no idea how to respond to a simple greeting from her old ex-friend(?).

The pit in her stomach that made her feel like she was sinking had gotten worse. She literally felt like she was being swallowed up by the memories of that night, the friendships that tore themselves apart from a series of inactions on her part. The gnawing pain that left her heart in shambles, yet hearing Mordechai’s deep voice call her by that name.

Harley Head.

He still calls me it despite everything?

As she looked away from Decky and down into her lap, thumbs twiddling with each other, she heard the groans coming from her left and she saw Marco do as much as he could to silently self-excuse himself, but as he slid down the bleachers, the silent aspect was nearly impossible. She rolled her eyes and then found herself returning to Decky’s gaze. She couldn’t avoid this. It had been nearly two years since the shooting and a year since she set eyes on Decky. If nothing else, she needed to confront this particular obstacle.

Before she opened her mouth, she wanted to ask how he was. She wanted to ask if he was taking care of himself. Wherever he was, she wanted to know if he had good accommodations. But one look and the old Jade, no matter how rare of a sighting she was, came through and she said, ”You’re skinnier than I remember.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or hit herself for saying that, of all things. “Have you been eating?”

Mordechai let out a humorless chuckle before having the grace to look a little abashed. "I eat when I can afford to," he offered with an uncomfortable shrug, trying not to shift so his tank would hang differently, maybe make him look more filled out. He knew he was kidding himself anyways, he'd lost pounds in the double digits and he was never a bulky guy to begin with. After he had left New York, Allegra and the kids, he had struck out on his own again while keeping in contact as best as he could- and that had always been shitty at best- but he constantly found himself scraping by in a way he hadn't had to since before he joined the Serpents. He was hungry, broke, and nostalgic, as well as high enough when he had been asked that he agreed to return. Mordechai never makes promises, but he does his damndest not to back out on his word when he gives it. "Had a good corner run every now and then, or some of the truckers I was hitchin' with would stop at a fast food place."

He cleared his throat instead of letting the sentence fall into an awkward pause. It was weird, it was wrong, but it was right in a way that Mordechai hadn't known was wrong before. Having Jade and Poppy around him settled a buzzing in his chest he had gotten so used to he thought it was normal. They were standing in the gym where their classmates and loved ones lost their lives or sanity, drawn like moths to a flame by some jackass klepto with a photocopying fetish and surrounded by people that had different approaches to the same thing: stop this shit.

But for right now, he was secluded in the corner with his Harley Head and Street Angel, just like they would always be secluded at their lunch table before it all fell apart.

"Uh, Sunshine said you were workin' at the Edge, so you might be- I'll be around with Sunshine y'know?" he stumbled, wishing to swallow back his words. That was real great; Hey, I'm back, be seein' you with my gang boyfriend at the strip club

”Yeah. Been there for almost a year now, ever since Charlie--” Jade caught herself almost immediately, ”--My uncle, I mean, he got locked up. Bogus-ass gun charges.” She spat on the Gym floor as a bit of emphasis of the unfair circumstances of her uncle’s arrest. ”Anyway, yeah I had to think of a way to pay bills. And Rey Rey hooked me up with a job.” At some point, Jade realized she was getting way off-topic, so she’d draw it back and away from her personal problems. ”I’m sure R2 loves that. I mean, you being back. Have you gone to see him yet?”

Mordechai's grip on Poppy tightened for a brief moment as bats and blood flashed across his mind before they were roughly kicked back to the dark corner were they belonged. In return, Poppy leaned on him, using her warmth and touch as emotional support. He let his shoulders relax a bit at her casual tone and nodded. "Sorry to hear about your uncle, he's a good guy. I saw ReyRey this afternoon. Hence the busted lip," his laugh was still rough but this time it rang with sincerity. "It's been nice...seeing the old crew. Still got my stops to make though."

He glanced around the room, taking stock of everyone's whereabouts before finally bringing himself and Poppy down to sit on the bleachers. He'd spent a few nights sleeping in them back when everything was still shit with his parents, but now they were cold and dirty, with blood that's been washed away but never removed. Never one to be good with it in the first place, Mordechai dropped the small talk.

"What do you guys want me to do about whoever is behind this-" he waved his hand vaguely. "With, of course,planning and an alibi." he threw in the last part quickly, Poppy's rant still in the forefront of his mind.

“We wait,” Penelope chimed in, poking her head out finally to the brightness of the gym. Eek. She hated seeing the light, but she knew she had to stop hiding and being a weirdo. Resting Decky’s jacket on her shoulders, she shook her head, “We don’t have enough information and I really don’t want you two getting hurt for something stupid.”

Pops’ last comment made Jade chuckle. She couldn’t place it, but as she looked between Poppy and Decky, she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. It would be between the two of them to do something so idiotic as to react without all the facts. “When you’re right sis, you’re absolutely right.” Another laugh came as Jade leaned back as much as she could without completely falling back into the row behind her. She lazily drew her gaze to Decks, who held it. “And if we are going to do something stupid, wouldn’t you prefer to know who the person responsible is and not deciding so blindly?”

Poppy shook her head, surveying her classmates, even glancing at the door where Roddy and Lanie were, "Unless it’s more than one person.” while she agreed with both Decky and Jade that there was someone guilty and that they needed to do something about it, she was and always will be the inquisitive type. She felt like there were more questions that needed to be asked and that they shouldn’t assume only one person was behind this. Everyone was guilty until proven innocent. They just needed to find people with strong enough motives and push them to talk.

Following Poppy's gaze, Mordechai's breath caught in his throat and refused to leave, his whole body tensing like he'd stepped on a live wire. Lanie was still beautiful, still straight-backed and determined, and still everything that Moredchai had to leave behind before he ruined.

He had to have known, deep down, that he was never good enough for her. There were always small sabotages he created before even realizing it, and he loved her unlike anyone else- because she was unlike anyone else in his life. Her and Danny's well being demanded he do better, so he did. But Mordechai had lost not just a brother, but someone he raised since birth, and that's not something you get to just live with. If he had stayed he would have dragged down Lanie and everyone close to him in the inevitable spiral of despair and grief. He knew he left selfishly, but he also knew that even back then he was aware it was for Lanie's own good.

Because he was no good. It's why Allegra was raising Chaim alone and they were only ever just friends. It's why Charlie got lost and Danny was killed and his world imploded; when you build a whole world out of duct tape and glass shards it's bound to fall apart or cut you up at some point.

If possible, he hugged Poppy tighter like he would shatter if he moved, and harshly tore his gaze from the blonde and back to his girls before Lanie caught him staring. This was becoming a lot and he definitely didn't get high enough before coming here, considering this was only the beginning. He couldn't even register Roddy Callahan's presence attached to Lanie's right now. Nope.

"Well, it's not like there's no experience hidin' bodies in our little trio, and I got a friend in New York who knows a few tricks too." he offered, voice suddenly scratchy. "But we have to beat them into the ground on principle first, for twisting Ch- for twisting him like this," his tone was a boiling pit of lava and acid. "More conspirators just means more curb stomps."

Taking in Decky’s facial expressions as he one, held her tight, and two, used his words to hide his inner turmoil, Penelope sighed. This was a face she hadn’t seen in a couple of years and he felt like yesterday. If yesterday was a feeling, that would be what Decky felt like to her. As if nothing had changed.

If anything, he had more baggage, she didn’t doubt it, but as expected, he dealt with it all the same. Continuing to use his chest as support, she turned away from him to intensely look at their class. How much has really changed? Were they truly cursed? Was this town so fucked that there was no way out? No light at the end of this dark tunnel?

Frowning behind her face mask, Poppy started to impatiently tap her right foot on the bleacher in front of her and fidget with her hands. The questions started flooding her mind as the clock continued to move forward. Was it eight o’clock yet? Who were they waiting for? What were they waiting for? How long would they wait here, expecting a sign? Was this really going to help? Or was this supposed to cause more disruption in their little town? As if they didn’t have enough bullshit going on. Why would someone use a dead boy’s journal? What was there to gain? And why…why did Charlie know so much? Why didn’t he tell her?

And then, instinctively, Jade force-grabbed Poppy’s hand. The blonde looked at her, then to Decky. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t offer some final words to ease their anxious spirits, because Jade was just as anxious as they were. But in the short time she and Decky talked, before Poppy came in and did what she always did best and guided them both into a safe middle, Jade realized something. You hype something painful and that’s uncomfortable to face, thinking it’ll be the end of the world, but talking with Decky and trying to face the awkwardness head-on, Jade realized that he was in as much pain as she was.

And maybe it was her own insecurities hindering what was right in front of her, but now she could honestly say that, when it really mattered, the Southies had each other’s back. And that gave Jade’s anxiety a fifteen-minute break and it allowed her to actually smile for the first time. A genuine, authentic smile.

Edenridge

Mordechai pulled his boot back on slowly, as if the single task weighed on him a great deal. Once he'd tied the laces and pulled down his pant legs, he just rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his face into his open palms. Sonny watched him from his side of the bed, sheets pulled up over his stomach but no trace of tiredness in the sharp eyes that assessed his other half.

"You gonna beat the shit outta them, or go for the kill?" He finally asked, reading the tense lines in Mordechai's shoulders. The other man let out a muffled laugh from behind his hands before dragging them down his face in a slow, measured gesture. His shoulders relaxed and straightened out as he sat up, turning to look into Sonny's eyes with his own measured stare.

"'M not stupid, Sunshine, there's gonna be others there so I can't just go in and kill someone," the regardless of how much I want to went unsaid, as much did when the two were alone. They didn't need to speak to understand each other. "I'm also not stupid enough to go in there unarmed, but I'll need to borrow some'a your shit."

Sonny raised an eyebrow but began to get dressed anyway, throwing the next question over his shoulder as he looked for his pants. "What happened to your switchblade?"

Mordechai smirked and walked towards Sonny, stretching over him to reach into his jacket pocket. "C'mon Sunshine," he teased, sliding out his Two Sun pocket knife, a gift from Sonny both for the gag of the brand name and a genuine attempt to keep Mordechai safer. He flicked the blade open in front of Sonny and grinned at the smaller man from his spot by his shoulder. "You know I don't go anywhere without my switchblade." He gripped the back of Sonny's neck and the grin became a smirk when he felt the skin beneath his hand heat up. With an amused laugh, Mordechai gave Sonny a quick kiss on the cheek before heading to the small closet on the other side of the room, throwing it open to see Sonny's weapons stash. "But I'm not goin' in there with just a fuckin' switchblade."

...

The school loomed above him in a much different way than it had on his first day Northside. What was once an overly-peppy and bright building now looked as though it had been infected by the Southside, even from all the way out here. The overgrowth and debris, the signs of teenagers partying and graffiti littering the area almost made him feel like he'd walked full circle and ended up home.

If not for how different the air was.

Mordechai looked at the broken chain on the door and the signs of recent entry and did another mental inventory of his weapons. Switchblade, brass knuckles, a smaller blade tucked into each boot, and a metal bat slung over his shoulder, already dented and riddled with old stains. No guns, not here. For Danny's sake. As an afterthought, he broke the bottle of vodka he'd been drinking on the way over against the door, the sound of shattering glass echoing down the darkened corridors. Not even glancing the direction that led to the cafeteria, Mordechai allowed himself to focus solely on reaching the gym, his body working on autopilot despite the time spent away.

The gym had more lighting than the rest of the building, the skylights and high windows letting the evening light in to wash the area in sharp contrasts. Tapping the back of his head lightly with the bat and shrugging his shoulders once more, Mordechai stalked through the doorway with the same menace as when he led his crew to battle, only to stop short at the three figures he saw standing on the basketball court, facing a guy who he never thought could have gotten paler, but fuck if he proved him wrong.

"Fuck is this?" He called out, his voice echoing like ghosts calling back. He either hated or was completely apathetic to all four people currently inhabiting the gymnasium. Kylee and Mei were gossipy, rumor filled bitches and while Jillian wasn't as bad, at least not that he remembered, pretty much the entire Cheer Squad hated his guts because of his relationships with Lanie and Charlie and the Serpents and anyone else they could pin on him. Aaron hated him and Mordechai never really gave a fuck, the guy was good for a fight and despite Decky's own feelings on the matter, ReyRey had marked him in highschool so his opinion didn't factor in anyway. All that being said..."Despite how nosy and/or petty most of you are I doubt you started this shit, so who the fuck am I s'posed to be beatin'?"

He tapped the dented bat against the gymnasium doorframe to emphasize.

Edenridge

Collab with @BrutalBx
Mentioned: @Prosaic

Mordechai came back to about ten minutes later, draped across Sonny and feeling...well, warm. the next hour or so was spent talking to the crew and telling them what he'd been up to the past 2 years. He wasn't surprised to hear that drug sales have been up, that tends to happen when towns suffer tragedies and the shooting wasn't even the first. Everyone here was so happy to see him, and he didn't even realize how much he missed the Family that came with the Serpents. Eventually, after several more shared blunts and a few shots of alcohol, Sonny got his attention by waving his phone around.

"Hey Mob, I told Rey Rey you were back! He wants ya ta come ta the Edge an' say hi." Sonny told him. That reminded Mordechai that he was waiting on a text from Nolan, and he quickly pulled out his phone for a glance. With a bit of regret, he realized he had let his phone die again and couldn't see if Nolan had replied. He slipped his phone back into his pocket and smiled at Sonny.

"Sure Sunshine, I'd love to see Rey Rey. I'll have to charge my phone when we get there, yeah?" He allowed Sonny to pull him up and out of the house. Before leaving, Sonny stopped at the door and kissed two fingers before touching them to a photo on the wall almost subconsciously, and Mordechai looked up in confusion before feeling his heart stutter. "What…what's this?" He asked while wincing at how strained his own voice sounded. Sonny looked at him and his eyes softened at whatever he must have seen on Mordechai's face.

"Sorry, I guess we didn't think about that. We put him up after the funeral, and we show him love every time we leave. It's sorta become a ritual for us." Because on that wall was a picture of Daniel Aaron Boaz, the frame well worn from touch but the glass still shining and well maintained. He took a moment to compose himself and let the fist sized lump in his throat calm down.

"It's awesome you guys," he said quietly in the heavy silence, raising his own two finger kiss to the frame."Thank you." Sonny gently tightened his grip and started pulling again, and they walked together down the street to the Edge of Sin, knocking against each other and laughing while the tears dried in the breeze.

Sonny pulled him through the doors that he once used to burst through with confidence, and his first breath was like breathing in a new life. Or rather, an old life that he'd missed like...like a brother. He'd brought Danny here to clean them up after another attack from their parents so many times he'd lost count. The girls that weren't working yet or were on break loved talking to him and coddling him, and every Serpent treated him like a little brother, getting Danny accustomed to affection and touch in a way Mordechai never would have been able to do alone. He tightened his grip on Sonny's hand as the other man pulled him to the back doors that led to Serpent Business, and he didn't even hesitate to pass the threshold.

And there, in all his scars and glory, was Rey Rey Gonzalez.

Circling a bloodied and beaten up gang member like a shark eyeing its victim, Rey Rey held a mask aloft with his hand “When I was kid, my Papi always used to take me back to Mexico. Normally he had some business with the cartels down there so he’d leave me with my Uncle Pedro…” As he spoke, the leader of the Southside Serpents caught sight of a figure in the doorway, one he had not seen in two years.

Licking his lips, he continued “He used to take me and my cousin Rico to the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and I was enamoured. The Luchadores were flying everywhere, their costumes were colourful, it was like real life superheroes, yet it wasn’t until I went home with my old man that he dropped some knowledge on me..” Throwing the mask onto the lap of his tied up compatriot, Rey Rey sucked the air through his teeth and threw off his leather jacket. ”He taught me about the history and the power of the mask. A Luchadores mask is his identity, his lifeblood, it’s what makes him, him. They wear them in public to hide their identity but that was their mistake. You see, that mask you have in your lap belongs to El Cuerno...the Hunter...my grandfather. You probably wonder why I’m telling you all this…”

Rey Rey took the Cuerno mask back into his hand and slipped something out of his back pocket. ”It's simple really…” Placing the object into a slip on the mask, Rey Rey donned the hood and his dark, remorseless eyes went feral “I wanted to give you some culture before I kill you.” Within seconds, Rey’s head came crashing into the defenceless face of the tied up man. Over and over again he smashed skull against skull, holding the poor saps head in place with his increasingly bloodied hands as he opened up all kinds of wounds upon his victims' visage.

Finally coming to a halt, he spat blood through a hole in the mask and darted his wild gaze over to Decky. “You still got it in you Boaz?” Reaching behind his desk he tossed Mordechai a baseball bat. “Or have you gone soft?”

"Fuck, have I missed watchin' you work." he replied breathlessly, pausing a moment to look at the bat before gripping it tight in his hands. He knew he didn't need to ask what this guy had done, Rey Rey always had his reasons behind things and it never was very smart to question it. Mordechai used to have a little give with his loyalty and status in the hierarchy, but he wasn't fool enough to think he could push at all after having just returned. He approached the bloodied man, who had amazingly retained consciousness throughout the beating. He looked the man dead in his swollen eyes and tilted his head, completely disconnecting from his emotions in the way that made him so valuable as a Corner Captain and sometimes Enforcer. It's not like he had Danny to worry about anymore, he could give into his baser instincts without risking losing his little brother now."Yeah Rey Rey, I think I got more'a it in me than before."

He lined the bat up and swung out, catching the man in the side so hard the chair scooted over an inch. Over and over, he made sure he targeted the spots that won't kill you but won't let you move too easy either, ensuring that this guy has a lasting reminder of whatever Rey Rey wanted on every part of him. When Mordechai finished, he turned back around to Rey Rey with a feral grin, some blood splattered across his face. "Thanks, I needed that." He said,licking his lips and smearing a bit of the blood.

"Fuck, that was hot," Sonny breathed from his place by the door, before wincing. "Sorry, Rey Rey."

”Sonny get the fuck outta here before I kill you my own damn self.”

As the door slammed shut behind a fleeing Sonny; Rey Rey with gazelle type speed darted over to Decky and punched him straight in his bloodied mouth, sending the smaller man reeling for a moment. He tore off the lucha mask to reveal his own blood soaked face and pulled Decky into a deep, firm hug. ”Welcome home, kid,” The leader of the Serpents pressed a kiss to the boys neck as he held him close. ”Don’t you fucking dare leave us again. We’re family”

He'd swear up and down to anyone else that he was tearing up from the punch, but as he licked his bloody lip Mordechai gripped Rey Rey tight as the older man held him in his embrace, and he began shaking.

"I- I couldn't. I couldn't be here and go to the funeral and see him gone like that. I couldn't look anyone in the face when I knew I'd failed him. I was right there and couldn't do anything." he unloaded from the safety of his face pressed against Rey Rey's chest. "I'm sorry Rey Rey," he choked out, trying to hold in the sobs. "I'm sorry! I'm home now…"

Rey Rey shushed the sobbing boy and held him in silence; the only sound around them coming from the club downstairs and the rabble of ruffians planning out their daily grind to earn the gang some money. ”I got you, no blame Deck.”

A sputtering cough from the man tied to the chair awoke Rey from his momentary distraction. ”Really? You’re really going to interrupt me when you can see I’m having a reunion with my brother here? Shame on you, don’t you have a heart?” He sighed before releasing Decky from his grasp and moving over to his victim. Calmly as he began to reach into a tool box, Rey Rey continued to speak ”Lots changed since you went away young blood, you know I can’t just give you your corner back. Rules is rules. Ain’t that right, Oscar?” With a swing of a hammer he had plucked from the box, the newly identified Oscar’s knee was shattered by Rey.

Reaching once again into the tool box, he pulled out a handful of nails and laid them on the side, save one which he lined up against Oscar’s shoulder. ”Take a day or two to yourself. Spend some time with the boys, I’ll hook up with you another time to sort out what’s next for you.” He drove the hammer down into the nail and dug the rusty iron into his shoulder.

"I understand Rey Rey," Decky replied, wiping his nose with his arm and heading for the door amidst Oscar's screaming. At the threshold, just before he opened the door, Mordechai looked back one more time at his big brother figure. "Thank you. For everything."

Sonny was on him the moment he closed the door, looking a little jittery. He took in Mordechai's new bruised and swollen lip, his bloodshot eyes and tear streaked face, and threw himself on the other. Decky caught him with ease.

"He seemed pissed today, are you ok?" he asked, cupping Decky's jaw softly. Decky leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before adopting a wide smile, splitting his lip a bit more.

"I'm great Sunshine, it was a welcome back punch." he replied, dipping in for a rough kiss with the other man. When he pulled away, his blood was smeared on Sonny's lips and Sonny's pupils were blown wide.

"Y'know," Sonny said weakly before cleaning his throat. "there's a room open down the hall."

Mordechai grinned. "Well, we do need to wait for my phone to charge," he said, gripping Sonny's collar tight and dragging him in the direction of the private rooms, the other man following willingly. "How's about you give me a proper homecoming?"

Later, after both of them have been satisfied and Decky has come down from his adrenaline buzz, he finally turns on his now charged phone and checks the texts with a small frown.

"What's wrong?" Sonny asked, sitting up behind him and molding against his back.

"Just some shit going down. Apparently I'm supposed to go to the old highschool in a couple hours after having just found out about these fuckin' letters-"

"Whaddya mean letters?" Sonny cut off, hooking his chin over Mordechai's shoulder.

"I fuckin' mean what I said, Sunshine, someone's sendin' out letters with shit people shouldn't know, from something no one should have, and now they want whoever gets the letters to go to the school at 8 tonight. I don't wanna fuckin' go there," he ground out. "It was the one rule I gave Santora before coming back."

Sonny blinked, adjusting to the vague information. "So go and make it stop." he said simply, causing Mordechai's head to whip around towards him. "No seriously, listen: someone is sending you shit you don't want? Thinkin' they're all sly or some shit? Go meet 'em tonight and put a knife in their chest. At least beat their ass or somethin', that's what the Mob I used to know would do."

Mordechai thought about that as he worked his phone around in his hands. He did want to know who was doing this, but it's hard thinking about seeing any of his old classmate's faces, what if Poppy, Bradley or Jade were getting the letters? Or Quinn? What if Lanie was there?

In the end, however, violence won the war in his mind and he set his shoulders with Sonny still hanging off of him.

Outgoing Messages
To: So You Need to Learn How to Punch...
3:00pm

I lost track of time and let my phone die
My bad
But listen…
I'm going to the school tonight
I'm gonna fuckin figure out who sent this shit
And I'm gonna hurt them like they seem to wanna hurt us
Either I'll see you there or I'll see you tomorrow. Hold tight man

"There, y'see? Now we have five hours to kill and a lot for me to catch you up on…" they went the next few hours rotating between giving each other information and making out, letting themselves get lost to the day in a way neither had been able to in a long time.

Edenridge

WARNING: DRUG USE AT END OF POST

---

"What're you doin'?" Phil asked, having come back out of the office to see Decky on the floor with his phone in hand. He snatched the device out of the other man's hand as he walked past. He took a moment to register the easy acquisition before reading the content of the message on screen while Decky glared at him with red shot eyes, knowing from experience he couldn't retrieve his phone from the older man's higher reach. When he saw the message on draft to be sent out, he scoffed and deleted every word before tossing the phone back to Decky, who fumbled with the catch. Phil frowned. "You were faster when you were sober, Mo-Bo."

It was Decky's turn to scoff. "Wasn' fast enough, Phil," he muttered, avoiding eye contact by checking to see what had been done to his phone. "Why'd you delete my fuckin' text?"

"Cause you ain't bein' fair to Nolan and you should already know that," Phil crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the man he considered a son, allowing his elation at first seeing him to fall to the side so he could properly assess the situation. "You've been usin' again, and you have shit judgment when you're usin'."

"It ain't the H 'n' pills that make my judgement shit, Phil, I was fuckin' born that way-"

"Bullshit," Phil cut off, pushing through Decky's responding glare. "That's fucking bullshit, Mordechai Boaz, and that's the drugs talkin'. Anyone can make bad choices, and you made plenty, but I haven't once seen you be a bad judge of character." He knelt down in front of Decky and stared the boy down until he returned eye contact. Phil then gripped his shoulder-scrawnier than it should have been, of course, he was already under developed before he fell back down the rabbit hole- and spoke in a low and steady tone, ensuring Decky would have to listen carefully. "Now you had good judgement when you started bringin' Nolan and miss Lanie around, and you know he's a good man that wasn't tryin' to drag you back into more bullshit, so before you go losin' your only current friend by nailin' him to a cross, how's about you take down that wood and use it to patch up your bridges instead."

Decky broke eye contact as he felt his face heat up. The floor was looking suspiciously blurry and when he blinked to clear it, a tear broke out and slid down his cheek.

"Neither of you told me shit about someone passin' out Decker's journal pages like a fuckin' paper boy," He ground out finally, scratching his arm. He glanced over the papers spread around him before picking up the one just in front of him. "And this new one? My one fuckin' condition on coming back was that I don't have to go near that fakakta place!" He exclaimed, shoving the letter a Phil, crossing his arms like a stubborn child as Phil read the letter in silence.

"...I...I didn't get this one," Phil finally admitted, putting down the letter with a disturbed look on his face. "Most of the letters I got were either directly or indirectly about you and the Serpents."

"Christ Phil, this is fucked," Decky hissed, mind racing through the things Decker had said about Decky and the rest of the corner crew from Southie. He couldn't think of a single thing they'd done that he would want Phil knowing about. He thrust a hand through his greasy hair. "Who does this kinda shit?"

"I don't know, Mo-Bo, but don't let it break you. Don't let anything happening here take you back down a path you ain't gonna come back from. Now message your friend and apologize, y'hear me?"

"Yeah Phil, I hear ya," Decky replied, swiping his nose with his arm and standing up, the latest letter once more clutched in his fist. "I'm gonna go walk around, I'll text him as I'm walkin'." Phil raised an eyebrow at the weak excuse but nodded, heading back into his office to get a start on the bills for the garage. Decky made his way out the bright open front of the building and made his way to the sidewalk. He pulled out his phone and sent out a text before taking a sharp right and speeding up his pace, throwing his hood over his head and shoving his fists into his pockets, right hand tight around the knife he had there.

Outgoing Messages
To: So You Need to Learn How to Punch...
9:05am

Sorry, Phil showed me the letters
I was pissed
But he set me straight
I'll come see you at the bakery later, when's you're break at?

The metal and wood train tracks that separate North and South Edenridge were old but well maintained, given that the tracks fell solely under North Eden's jurisdiction. Decky could feel nostalgia humming in his bones as his shoes made contact with the metal, and hunched his shoulders a bit more as if to protect himself from the feeling.

The first step into South Edenridge is like being caught in the path of a Dementor; the skies were clouded, the grass brown and dead, and the weather feeling bitter regardless of the actual temperature. Graffiti littered the weathered brick buildings, covered in everything from basic nicknames and doodles to gang logos marking territory. No one seemed to be walking the streets but there were people out loitering at every corner and building stoop. As he passed the gas station on the corner before his old neighborhood, he saw the same old man that always worked there was being held up. He shook his head and walked a little faster; the poor robber wouldn't know what hit him once Mr. Digari got ahold of his shotgun. As he came up to the corner he knew so well, he saw one of the jacket-clad figures perk up at the sight of him.

"MOB! Is that fuckin' you?" The person asked, jumping up from his crate and moving to meet Decky at the street sign. Sonny "Sunshine" Cernis clasped Decky's hand and pulled him in for a quick hug, thumping the other man on the back with his fist. "Holy shit man, how the fuck you been? I ain't seen you in years."

"It's been shit, Sunshine, but the thought'a your pretty face kept me goin'." Decky answered with a sarcastic wink. Sunshine laughed and pushed away at Decky's cheek.

"That hasn't worked since the seventh grade and we both know it," Sonny replied with a blinding grin, nodding at the crew that was watching their interaction with wary interest. "C'mon, everyone here is a newbie, s'about time they held their own without a supervisor anyway." And with that, Sonny gripped Decky's wrist and dragged him towards the house that's belonged to this corner crew for longer than any of the current members have been alive. All heads turned to them as Sonny burst through the door with him in tow, and then suddenly the music wasn't the loudest thing in the house anymore. More than half of his old crew was not only still alive, but still part of the Trip-S as well, and all of them were demanding at once to know where he'd been and what he'd been doin. He was jostled around for back pats and one armed side-hugs while everyone spoke over each other to make their questions heard. It all became one big buzz in his ears before he finally let loose an ear piercing whistle.

"Shut the fuck up! Christ, how am I s'pposed to answer you assholes if you don't calm to fuck down! Goddamn, I am too sober for you fuckers I swear to-" before he could finished, he was presented with several hands, each holding a different narcotic for him to grab. Decky paused before laughing, loud and true. "Fine, fuck, gimme a sec to get prepared." he said, snatching a familiar needle from one hand and a blunt for the other, dropping down onto the couch and lighting up. Sonny knelt down next to him with a rubber tube in his hand, staring at him intently as he took the first hit. Decky returned the look with one of confusion. "Sunshine, wha-" His words, along with the smoke that had been in his lungs and mouth, were swallowed as Sonny kissed him hard, distracting him as he tied the rubber tube around Decky's upper arm. It was a move they'd done so many times when they were teens, before Lanie. Before Decky left. When he pulled back, there was a large smile on Sonny's face as the stolen smoke curled out the side of his mouth.

"Welcome back, Mob." He whispered before moving over to sit down next to him, satisfaction lining every part of his posture. Decky shook his head and smirked at the other man, licking his lips as he turned his focus to inserting the needle into his arm. As euphoria flooded his system, Decky leaned back into the couch and against Sonny and let out a sigh.

"S'good ta be back, w'th you at least..." he mumbled, letting himself fade away.

Edenridge

Phil Bristol's door opened early in the morning to a face he never thought he'd see again outside a phone screen. Mordechai Boaz stood outside the apartment of his longest standing father-figure with a shamed face and a tight grip on a ratty duffle bag; the man's eyes were glued to Phil's work boots and they just stood in silence for a tense moment. When it settled in his mind that the other man was actually here, a wide grin split his face and he pulled Mordechai into a tight hug.

"It's good to have you back, son." He said, holding onto Mordechai as the man went from coiled tight to weak in the knees, gripping him back just as strongly.

"I missed you, Phil."

Once the two had their heads on straight, Phil locked up and they walked together to the shop, Decky telling Phil about where he'd been and Phil ignoring the gaps in the story that were most likely edited-out crimes. By the time they had gotten to the Garage, Phil was completely caught up on any need-to-know of Mordechai's life, not that there was much. Phil, on the other hand, was being less than forthcoming about current events in Edenridge, and while that wouldn't typically bother him if they were talking on the phone, Decky knew Phil was always telling him that he had great stories for when he returned. Granted, it was said more out of hope that Decky would ever return in the first place, but Phil wasn't one to lie, which Decky found led to him simply not talking about things so as to not have to lie about them.

He was doing a lot of Not Talking at the moment, and left Decky unsure of how to fill the silence.

"Seriously, Phil," Decky grumbled as they made their way into Phil's office, only hesitating for a moment at his old work station, which looked untouched since the day he left. "I'm not stupid, a'ight? I know Nolan has left things out during our phone calls and texts, and now you're avoiding talkin' 'bout the town despite conspirin' with Nolan to get me back here, it's starting to freak me out."

Phil seemed to deflate a bit, his sunny demeanor falling victim to shade. "Look, Mo-Bo-" Mordechai's lips twitched at the old nickname. "We didn't start receiving these until after we convinced you to come back." Ok, what? Mordechai watched as the older mechanic bent down by his desk and unlocked the top drawer, pulling out a stack of envelopes. "Some of them were addressed to me, but most of them...most of them showed up with your name on it," he handed over more than half the envelopes, left unopened. "The whole town's been gettin' them recently. Or, at least...those who were somehow involved."

Decky listened to Phil over the buzzing in his ears as the man explained the recent plague of letters upon Edenridge, letters that were photocopied straight from Charlie fuckin' Decker's journals. Eventually, as he opened and began reading the letters himself, Phil got lost in the now pounding of his ears. Decker talked about him; about Decky and Danny and Southside things that people north of the tracks should never know. When he finished reading them all, he took his phone out with shaky hands and texted Nolan, surrounded by crumpled papers laying out the sick mind of his brother's murderer.

Outgoing Messages
To: So You Need to Learn How to Punch...
8:54am

Why the fuck didn't you tell me?

Aces Managerie

Decky and Nolan First Meeting

Decky stared blankly after his new friend as she all but flew out of the cafeteria in a hectic flurry, desperate to make her forgotten Cheer Meeting. Did she just...leave him with some stranger? Ok, whatever, her friend, meaning he isn’t exactly a stranger aside from the fact that Decky himself had never met the guy; he knew a couple stories from the beginning of their year but he can’t honestly say he listened that hard to the details. Besides, he’d only met Lanie herself less than a month ago when she began tutoring him in the library, this is the first time she convinced him to venture away from his secluded lunch table and she just happened to have to leave with barely an introduction.

He scratched absentmindedly at the track marks on his inner arm. Some had faded a bit, what with more of his time being taken up by Lanie and schoolwork, but despite her looks that he’s sure she doesn’t realize he notices, she hasn’t much brought it up yet.

”...Hi?” he ventured, trying to put some emotion behind it other than irritation.

A part of him was nervous once Lanie fled the scene, so nervous in fact, that he considered leaving himself. He didn’t know Decky, not really. He knew him in rumors and murmurs but he did not know him. While a part of him wanted badly to play the role of the protective best friend and sniff out this new guy in Lanie’s life, another part of him really valued not getting on the bad side of some guy with a track record.

Nolan Santora was not a fighter, he was not someone to be feared or someone to be reckoned with. Nolan Santora was a coward and a part of him was feeling somewhat cowardly about… all of this.

Of course, Lanie seemed to enjoy Decky’s company which held… some value to him but it did not entirely squash the looming sense of discomfort he felt now. They were alone. The ice was unbroken and Lanie had evacuated. His fingers idly drummed the table for a short moment before--

”...Hi?”

His head snapped up and he knew he must have looked almost… comically startled. “Oh--” He stumbled for a moment, unsure of if he’d actually been addressed for a moment. Seeing as the table was isolated save for the two of them, he managed to respond without sounding like a bumbling idiot. “Hey, I’m uh- I didn’t mean to zone out there.” He was used to socializing, this shouldn’t be so hard. “I-- Guess neither of us expected her to fly out like that, huh?”

Decky nodded, still not really looking the blond in the eyes. ”Yeah… he replied, glancing back at the doorway. ”She ditch like that often?”

He couldn’t really help the short laugh that escaped him, although he tried to muffle it behind his palm. The other boy was not keen on eye contact although that did not bother him much, in fact it kind of eased his anxieties, at least to some degree. “No, no-” He responded, still fumbling over his words somewhat but he managed to sound friendly and that was really what mattered. “Lanie’s solid.”

He meant that and it was said with all the earnest intent of a best friend. “She’s just-- more responsible than I’ll ever hope to be. She’ll be back before we know it, hell, she probably feels bad she left us here to begin with. I uh- I’m not always the best at making new friends and I’m a bit of a motor-mouth when I get goin’. I’m worried I’ll scare you off without her to interject.”

Decky smirked at the other boy, both happy at his reassurance and amused at seeing that he had already gotten himself going. ”That’s good, I don’t handle flakes well.” he replied honestly, watching the kids around them laugh and toss pieces of food. ”Don’t worry ‘bout rambling or nothin’, I got someone at home like that,” his thoughts moved to his brother, who was currently in 6th grade at Edenridge Middle per Decky’s agreement with his PO. ”I’m Mordechai, by the way, you can call me that or Boaz. Nicknames come when I actually know I like you.”

“Then you’ll like Lanie, she’s about as good as they come.” And he meant that too. He’d never had much luck in friendships, he always gave too much and received very little but it had never been like that with Lanie. It was a healthy back and forth. She listened to him and he listened to her and he rarely felt that comfortable with anyone but her.

At his quick reassurance, Nolan found a genuine smile appearing on his face. He didn’t know that he believed him but it was nice, at least. The gesture. “That’s a floodgate you might not wanna open, my friend.” He joked, leaning on his elbows. “I can talk your ear off ‘bout nothin’ and that’s probably why Lanie hadn’t introduced us yet. She knows I won’t shut up.”

“Mordechai.” He tried the name on for size, testing the pronunciation. Nolan had a tendency to speak too fast at times and bulldoze through names like they were nothing. “Lanie” had been easy enough. He’d have to keep tabs on himself when addressing Mordechai, because while some found his rapid word-vomit charming, he was still somewhat worried it would rub him the wrong way.

Astonishingly though, that worry was lifting as they spoke more easily. “I’m Nolan. I’ve known Lanie since-- well-- forever. She’s my best friend. You can call me Nol, if it suits you or Santora if it don’t. Where are you from, Mordechai? I don’t know too much about you and it can’t hurt to ask, right?”

It was better than taking rumors at face value, at any rate.

The same feral grin that greeted Lanie upon their first meeting made it's way onto his face at Nolan's question. He gave the boy a lazy two fingered salute and straightened up a bit. The other boy probably didn't know it, but this was now a test. "I'm a born and raised Southie, both before and after the Juvie sentence. My PO thought Northie was a nice change a pace or some shit. I think the bitch just wanted to take me away from my crew and corner as much as possible."

And for the first time, Decky met Nolan's eyes and held contact, waiting for the other's response while cataloguing the reaction.

He watched the grin spread across Decky’s face. It was a wolfish thing, really, he wondered briefly if that made him a rabbit. He had heard the rumors, of course, so there was little surprise to be found in his face but he did follow the statement with an inquiry. “What were you in for?”

It wasn’t judgemental or even rude. Just curious. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

Decky’s eyebrows ticked up just a bit at the little reaction he received, and mentally he thought that maybe he could have a little fun with this guy. ”Some dickless baby bangers tried muscling into our territory and when they hit our corner I stabbed one-a them,” He shrugged, as though it was just another day to him instead of him recalling the night he was incarcerated. ”He survived, of course, or I wouldn’t be here. His crew did get me back on the inside though, stabbed me twice in the same spot ‘fore the guards got to us. Luckily he missed any important organs.”

“Oh.” The response was startled to a small degree but not appalled, or disgusted. His eyebrows may have been pushing his hairline but he mostly seemed alarmed at the idea that anyone his age could have been through something like that.

“I think-- I’m glad you’re alright though.” He tried, shaking off his alarm. “Ain’t ever been stabbed myself, been in a fist fight or two but I’m no fighter, really. I’m glad I asked you directly, ‘cause I’ve been kind of curious, admittedly. You’ve made a bit of an image for yourself.”

Decky blinked at the other boy, a bit startled himself at how much Nolan was just going with the flow. Seriously, what was in the water at Northie? Aren't rich kids supposed to run in fear at the mere mention of gang activity? Of violence and prison? Decky's shoulders finally relaxed from the harsh line they had been held in as he slumped forward and put an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand as he stared at the other boy with disguised wonder.

"...huh, I think I like you, Santora," he stated simply. "I can teach you how to fight, or I could just give you a knife for protection…" a grin split his face, then. "I got an image that quick? Shit, I ain't the only Southie here, must be the good looks and traumatic past."

“Well, good thing. I think I like you too, Mordechai.” He beamed at the boy across from him. He had the sort of smile that just seemed genuine and maybe that was why he and Lanie got along. They were both the unflinchingly genuine sort. “This place can be… judgy sometimes with the wrong people, but Lanie an’ I are pretty open-minded. You don’t seem bad to me and--”

He passed a conspiratorial glance over his shoulder and continued. “I might actually take you up on the fighting lessons. Can’t and won’t tell you how many of those fist fights I lost. I’m uh- not real equipped to that sort of thing, you know?”

Decky let out a surprised laugh, his grin following suit of Nolan's and become a bit more genuine. "Promise not to tell?" he leaned in conspiratorially as well. "Didn't learn to fight till I was jumped into my crew an' the boss decided I needed to bulk up if I was gonna be worth the corner space. Won my first fight three weeks later at the boxin' club."

Aces Managerie

EDITED JANUARY 8TH 2023 FOR TYPOS, DIALOGUE COLOR FIXES, AMD A BIT OF WORDING TO BETTER FIT SOLIDIFIED LORE/DYNAMICS

Decky and Lanie First Meeting

Decky ran a hand through his already thoroughly tousled hair, glaring down at the math problems as though it could force them to make sense. Language Arts was easy, but math? Hell no. ”Stupid fuckin’ PO,” He thought angrily. “‘You’ve done so well in Juvie classes, obviously you need to be thrown into the deep end of Northie to continue growing.’ What fuckin’ logic was that? They don’t even teach the same-” Someone bumped into the back of his chair, forcing it forward a couple inches as his sternum met the table.

“Oops!” Came the fake cry from the offender, and Decky turned around slowly to stare down the hulking figure in a letterman jacket, taking in the short brown hair and pale complexion, the starting scruff of a beard that doesn't quite cover up his acne. The boy was giving him a smarmy grin. “Sorry Southie! Guess you just blend in with the rest of the trash around here,” He laughed, his two buddies following suit. “You should get a job as a garbage man, since you already live like one anyway.”

One slow blink was the only reaction his taunting garnered as Decky didn’t even bother rising from his chair. He stared the idiots down until their laughter awkwardly dwindled, and then took his chance.

”Y’know,” he said, flipping out his butterfly knife and casually holding the tip against the now frozen boy’s thigh, just close enough to a certain part of the anatomy that it assured the others would make no move. They were staring at him with wide eyes as he let out the grin that had often been, quite literally, bloody. ”I ‘ppreciate the suggestion, given it’s one-a the few jobs that’ll hire someone with multiple incarcerations. And I mean,” He rolled his eyes, pushing the tip a little harder while the leader went white in the face. ”I might as well go big, what’s one more term on the inside if it keeps you’re fugly ass from ever reproducing, hm?”

As he continued his staredown with the others, he couldn’t believe the lack of security at this school, at least Southie had some rent-a-cops stationed around. ”Ignorance really is bliss, huh?” he thought, still stuck in the culture shock phase of his time here.

“Excuse me, um… What’s going on here?”

The willowy blonde in the white cashmere sweater, thick black leggings and knee-high black leather boots had no idea what she’d walked into. When she’d arrived at school that morning of the first day of freshman year’s second semester, the guidance counselor had wasted no time in procuring her assistance. There was a new student in her year: a young man from Southie under ‘delicate and special circumstances’ was in need of a ‘buddy’ to show him around the school and tutor him in Geometry. And, of course, who else could be more perfect for the job than Edenridge High’s resident ray of sunshine: Lanie Lancaster? As expected, the green-eyed cheerleader had been flattered, and had delightedly accepted this new task. She was to meet her new friend in the library during second period study hall.

In regular Lanie fashion, she had reached her destination with five minutes to spare. A wide, bright smile illuminated her femenine features, and her cheerful disposition was already in place to greet this new student. But when she arrived at the table Ms. Vaughn had said the new boy would be, she didn’t know what exactly she was staring at. All she knew was that Eden’s resident jock asshole Brian Saunders had a knife to the crotch, his two equally useless lackeys Kyle and Seth stood paralized and looking like their life was flashing before their eyes, and who she assumed was her protegé was the one holding said knife to the nether regions.

“Is everything okay?” Lanie said gently, looking back and forth from Brian and the dark-haired young man with the weapon. She realized this was a stupid question-- things were obviously far from okay. But she figured it was as good an attempt as any to defuse the situation without getting herself maimed, stabbed or killed in the process.

Initially, Decky only gave a quick glance to the new player on the board, making sure his attention stayed on his prey. Her voice demanded attention in an almost Aphrodite like way, soft and sweet, alluring in its energy. He gave the knife just a bit more pressure in warning before returning it to his pocket with quick, practiced ease. Then he finally got a good look at the girl, keeping his rough grin on the whole time.

She was pretty. Well, actually, she was downright gorgeous; long golden locks with a healthy athletic figure and eyes as green as his Trip-S tattoo. The predatory grin changed to something just a bit more inviting.

"S'all good, Sweetheart, just learnin' ta make friends in Wonderland."

Elaine raised a disbelieving eyebrow at the boy. Anyone with half a brain cell could see that the exchange currently happening was far from being friendly. “Friends… Right...” she muttered, nodding slowly before turning her attention back to Brian and his crew. “I don’t mean to be rude, Bri, but I think it would be a good idea if you guys found another place to study,” Lanie said politely, knowing fully well that the last thing those dudes did was study. “I was supposed to start his tutoring session five minutes ago, and I’d like to do so with no more distractions, if that’s okay.”

He kept his smirk in place as the jockstrap squad stumbled away with angry grunts and mumbles. Once they had disappeared, he turned fully to the girl by his table. "So, that was fun; kinda reminded me a the sixth grade lunch room.” he joked, looking unsubtly at the sharpie markings on his hand. "So, uh, you’re Elaine? I’mma have to be honest and say I don’t know how much attention I could pay to studying with you around. What are ya, a fuckin’ model?”

That wasn’t what Decky had meant to say, and only his amazing poker face kept him from turning red as a tomato. As it was, he simply looked her up and down and gave a leer in hope of scaring her off before she bothered to sit down. It was gonna happen eventually so why would he bother giving her any time?

Lanie had never been a stranger to her peers making comments about her appearance. Some were nice, some were not so nice, and others were just plain disgusting and rude. By this point, she had started to learn the importance of taking others’ opinions with a grain of salt. But the way this guy had just blatantly said to her face exactly what was in his mind, and the slight second of panic in his eyes after he’d said it, had her suddenly bursting out into a fit of genuine laughter. Her fit of emotion was loud enough to earn her disapproving glares from her fellow students, and even the librarian had to raise a finger up to her lips in her direction in an attempt to get Lanie to sober up. The blonde’s laughs eventually subsided into quiet little giggles, and she turned to the boy with tears of laughter still sitting in her green eyes.

“Oh my God, I could only wish I was a model,” Lanie playfully lamented, letting out a fake, exaggerated sigh. “I could be making so much money letting strange men take pictures of me right now.”

Decky was bewildered by her reaction. He’d never had someone straight out laugh at any of his bridge burning attempts, and he was unsure how to proceed from there. He did know one thing though, and that was that she even had a beautiful laugh.

”Fuck.”

Nervously, he began scratching at the inside of his elbow, exacerbating the already inflamed track marks that could be found there. ”Uh, right…well, you could always hang on a Southie corner, plenty of men lookin’ for pretty things to take pictures of.” It was a joke, that was all it was meant to be. Just a joke. Except, of course, for the fact that it was also completely true. He’d steered Danny away from enough of them. When his parents let the house go empty during their stints hiding out in drug dens, Decky...well, Decky had to feed his baby brother. Lanie, however, had none of this context to explain the dark look that crossed his face at the...Joke…

While her earlier comments were meant to be jokes, there was something about the way this young man had said that made her think that he was probably being serious. That and coupled with the amount of unsavory things she had read and heard about the south side of town, she didn’t doubt that his statements were anything but true… Which made her skin crawl under her sweater.

“As tempting as that offer sounds, I think I’ll pass…” she joked, trying hard to lighten up the dark atmosphere that had seemed to settle between the two. “I don’t think I got your name before. Ms. Vaughn didn’t tell me, and I was so excited to meet you that I rushed off before it dawned on me that I didn’t ask! You can call me Lanie, by the way. Everybody calls me Lanie.” She knew she was rambling, but that was just her natural reaction to anything that made her feel uncomfortable.

He arched an eyebrow at her. Excited to meet him? What the hell was wrong with Northie? ”Yeah, I was…super excited to meet someone in a library and cram useless information into my brain too,” He knew he was being kind of mean, and that the girl was probably very sweet. But to Decky, that was all the more reason to keep her at arms length at least, as it was clear she wouldn’t leave.

”It’s Boaz. You don’t get to shorten it, and last name only.”

Lanie found his sarcasm and lack of enthusiasm over having to sit through nearly an hour of some random girl trying to teach him Geometry amusing enough to let out a snicker. In his defense, she probably would’ve reacted in the same way if they had moved to Edenridge when the anger at knowing they were leaving her hometown was still fresh. She didn’t have much time to dwell on this, though, because he had already moved on to finally disclose his name.

“Boaz…” the young woman repeated slowly, feeling out how the name rolled out of her tongue so she could continue to use in the future. In typical Lanie fashion, her mind was already racing with ideas of many fun, cute and special ways she could shorten or use as a nickname for her new friend. But because he had specifically told her shortening it was not an option, the girl knew it would be rude and disrespectful to go against his wishes. “Boaz it is!” she declared, smiling brightly at Boaz and offering him her extended hand.

He gave a quick flinch at the sudden movement, whole body tensing before he recognized the gesture. He then slipped his calloused hand into hers and have a good shake before retreating again. He appreciated that she had so easily followed his boundaries, and he tilted his head as he stared at her for a moment longer. "Okay, Lanie," he gave her a small, barely there smile. "What the fuck is up with these formulas? My last course was remedial Algebra so I don't have a fuckin' clue what's goin' on." he turned his attention away from her and back to his book, running his hand through his hair again as he kicked out a seat for her to take next to him.

With a small chuckle at Boaz's exasperation about their subject of study, Elaine gracefully took the seat being offered to her and placed her belongings on top of the table. She went straight into tutor mode: pulling out her textbook, notebook and colored pens from her bag and neatly setting everything in front of her. Once finished, she turned to her classmate.

"You want to know a secret?" she suddenly asked him, lowering her voice and looking around as if worried about anyone listening in. "I don't have a clue of what's going on most of the time either," she confessed with a playful smile, leaning closer to him. "But I definitely know enough to get us on the right track! So, as long as you promise to pay attention and give your maximum effort, I'm confident I'll get you to pass Geometry with at least a-"

Decky pulled away from her harshly, whole body seizing as he sized her up. He wasn't a stranger to what those lean ins could lead to, whether he wanted them or not, and he'd done pretty well avoiding those chicks since he got out. At this point it would be illegal for them to do anything again anyways given the girls' now adult ages, but that didn't mean they didn't leave an impression. Immediately his eyes turned sharp and he sneered at her.

"You gotta get so close, they not teach you personal space in Northie? That's gonna be a fuckin' issue, sweetheart." he bit out, keeping his whole body facing her as though preparing for a fight.

Elaine pulled away from Boaz instantly, her flushed face now equal parts embarrassed, guilty and ashamed. "Oh God, I am so, so sorry!" she stammered in apology, pushing her belongings to the opposite side of the table to downplay how her green eyes filled up with tears. Never in her life had she experienced anyone having such an aggressive, revolting reaction when it came to her presence. It really made her wonder whether her being the one assigned to help Boaz would do him more harm than good. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable in any way! Would you rather I sit across from you instead, or find a space that's a little more open?"

He blinked hard at her response, his world momentarily tilted on its axis as he attempted to find the words that matched hers, and he couldn't. He didn't have any contingencies to that response. Probably because he'd never gotten that response.

"I...I...uh-fuck," he stammered, wind taken out of his sales as he hunched in on himself and began avoiding eye contact. That's fuckin' embarrassing. "I misread the fuck outta that. Don't start cryin' on me, they might think I hit ya and send me back to juvie!" was he panicking? Was that a bad joke for the timing? Did he wish to be high for this situation?

Yes.

"I'm not crying!" Elaine argued, looking away and repeatedly blinking hard until all tears had disappeared from her eyes. She wiped away the corners of her eyes to make sure none of them had escaped and there was no incriminating evidence of them before she turned towards Boaz again. "The misunderstanding was all my fault. I should've been more careful about the way I approached you. You just got out of juvie, after all, and I have no idea where you come from or what you've lived through before. I don't blame you for reacting like you did. I'm just… I'm really, really, really sorry…" she apologized again, anxiously biting her lower lip.

Decky had no idea what to do. This girl, this bright ball of energy and warmth was acting differently than he expected at every turn. Their knowledge of how the world works was so drastic that trying to interact in any casual way was quickly reaching Trainwreck territory. What did she want him to do? How was he meant to respond to her to smooth things out? If she hadn’t had such soft words during the apology, he would know to sneer and make a comment about how it must be nice in Northie to feel so safe. Must be nice that you can let someone that close without unwarranted hands or blades finding flesh.

But she spoke like cool water over a fresh burn, and she was softer than anything he’d ever seen, barring his newborn brother all those years ago.

”I...don’t know how ta react right now…” He answered stiltedly. ”Ain’t been in a situation like this, feel like Dorothy or Alice or some shit…”