< HSoS 87 | High School Of Scenes | HSoS 89 >
< HSoS 95 | H So S Timeline | HSoS 89 >
Antares went through most of Monday at school in a sort of distant haze. After the last bell rings she's at her locker, muttering halfhearted curses at a duffel bag that's sticking as she pulls it out.
Furud just happens to be walking down the hallway, head down and barely acknowledging the people he passes, in marked contrast to his usual banter. A few halfhearted smiles and words are exchanged with those he's closer to. His steps slow, then stop behind Antares, "Hey." He tugs a little at the sleeves of his shirt.
Antares jumps a little, then she turns to see Furud and her face lights up for half a second in a smile. "Hey, yourself." She looks him over quickly as she pulls harder on the bag, swearing again as it finally comes free with a lurch.
Antares "Want to grab some food or something? I sorta skipped the cafeteria scene today."
Furud smiles back, and then nods. "Yeah, maybe... somewhere else."
Antares Kicking her locker shut, Antares slings the bag over one shoulder and starts for the door. "They still got a cheap taco place down the road? My treat, I owe you."
Furud rubs the back of his neck akwardly and looks around, feeling as if everyone is staring at him, though this does not in actuality seem to be true. He does not seem to be carrying any books today, and simply follows her. "Taco Baron? Yeah. Good nachos. And I think I'm the one that owes you."
Antares "No idea how you figure that," Antares says, as they cross the parking lot. "Even without that whole bullet-stopping thing, I'm still wearing your jeans."
Antares She keeps her tone light, but shoots occasional glances sideways, noticing how muted he is.
Furud A smile flickers over his face as she mentions the jeans, "You came for me," he says, as if it needed no other explanation.
Antares "'Course I did," she says, sounding insulted, then she reaches over and squeezes his shoulder briefly.
Antares "Anyway. That was some serious shit you pulled in there."
Furud "I guess," he says, not sounding convinced. "I couldn't have done it without you though. I'd still be..." His expression shifts rapidly until it settles on anger. Anger is safe. "bunking with those assholes, in that goddamned box."
Antares "Bullshit, but sweet of you to say it," she grins over at him, then looks away again. "Did you know you could do all that stuff before you did it?"
Furud shrugs a little "Some of it. The lock stuff for sure. Breaking that glass shit... I sort of improvised off of moving things around." He shoves his hands into his pockets. "The gun... it just HAD to work. I've never stopped anything harder than a fist before. I'd rather not have to try it again."
Furud "Oh," he adds, "and uh, I've never tried to blow up a room before."
Antares broods at the sidewalk, kicking rocks as they walk and not answering for a minute.
Antares "You and Maia were amazing," she finally says, abruptly.
Furud "Maia," he echoes, and he pales for a second. An uncomfortable silence grows until he breaks it with, "She was uh, really, uh, something. I didn't realize she.."
Antares "I know."
Antares "I think we gotta talk to Johnstone soon, find out what he knows."
Antares "I'm sorry."
Furud "But she was saving us. Does that make it ok?"
Furud "What?
Antares Looking up at the afternoon sky ahead of them, Antares shrugs. "Okay? I'm not sure I even know what that looks like anymore." Glancing over at him, her shoulders shrug again, stay a little hunched. "Sorry, you know, kind of like an apology."
Furud "Yeah... I got that. But for what?"
Antares "What do you mean, for what? I gotta make a list now?"
Furud "No, it's fine."
Furud stares down at the road, kicking gravel as they walk
Antares looks up at the sky again, mouth counting to five, and lets out a breath. "Y'know, stuff. Bleeding on your shirt I borrowed. Jerking you around."
Furud "Bleeding?"
Antares makes a face. "Just a bit on the sleeve, I had to fix the bandage. Hope it wasn't your favorite or anything." She grins at him, a little awkwardly.
Antares She bellies up to the outside window at the Taco Baron. "Two orders of nachos, put all the stuff on them."
Furud laughs, "No. Just my second-favorite. The other one was in the wash. A little blood will just give it character, I'm sure. Just don't get it on the jeans."
Antares pays, drops her duffel next to a picnic table, and sits on top of it to laugh at Furud. "Just add it to whatever story you're telling people about your handcuff marks and not coming back to the party."
Furud sinks wearily onto the bench, and rolls back his sleeves a bit, showing the bruised scabs. "I took the bandages off cause too many people assumed the wounds were on the, uh other side." He smiles a little, then scoops up a nacho with extra cheese.
Antares reaches out to touch his forearm lightly, above one of the bruised wrists, then pulls back and concentrates on her nachos for a minute. "I hope you set 'em straight with something about kinky sex and cops and maybe a bar fight."
Antares "Mostly no one asked me," she adds, pointing to the now-ugly bruise on her temple. "Probably figured I had it coming, whatever it was."
Furud His old cocky grin is back for a minute, " 'course." he affirms, "and drugs." He brushes her hair away from the bruise and frowns then tilts his head to one side, "I think it's getting better. Nice and green now, very fetching."
Antares Antares, who's been trying to get that grin from him since she saw him in the hall, returns it in a flash. "Yeah, I'll look for a bow that matches."
Antares After another minute of concentrated munching, she says, "Hey. You're gonna be okay with all this stuff, right? I mean, you'd tell me if you weren't?"
Furud traces his finger down her cheek, the touch seeming almost accidental as he lets his hand drop. "There's not really any other option, is there?"
Antares coughs and seems even more interested in her food for a bit, cheeks red. After a minute she says, "Not really, but still."
Furud shrugs and picks out a jalapeno or two, piling them on a chip and eating it. "I'll be fine. What about you?"
Antares swallows a mouthful and gives a skeptical grunt. "Yeah, fine."
Furud sucks in a breath and digs around for some sour cream.
Antares Snickering, Antares scoops some of hers on a chip and offers it. "Dumbass."
Furud swipes the chip and eats it, sucking on the sour cream. "Thanks."
Antares finishes wolfing down her food, licking her fingers and looking a little sadly at the empty plate. "Didn't I say I got your back?"
Antares "'Cause I do, in case, y'know, I forgot to mention it." She looks away, trying on a 'no big deal, we're cool' shrug.
Furud smiles, and leans his chin on his fist. "What would I do without you?" After a moment, he realizes what he's said and his smile slips and he concentrates on the last few nachos, hoping maybe she won't notice.
Antares chews up several responses before saying, "Eat less nachos, I guess." She looks away, kicking her bag. "I should probably go do, uh, that stuff I have to do." She's not at her most convincing.
Furud "What all is in that bag anyway?" He gestures to it offhandedly, thinking a change of subject would help.
Antares "Huh? Oh, just clothes." She prods it with her boot. "Coupla books."
Furud "Oh." He looks up at her again, "For Gym class I guess?"
Antares "Uh, something like that, yeah." Antares stands up. "Look, I should go. You got stuff to do."
Furud "Yeah, I guess." He runs his hand back through his hair. "I think I'm gonna go out to the Hole later tonight. I guess I'll see you around."
Antares shoulders her bag and shifts her weight from foot to foot. "Yeah, I'd like that." Then she flushes a bit. "I mean, sure. I might swing by." Bracing up her shoulders and visibly sticking on her slipped 'cool' face again, she turns and limps away.
Furud watches her go, until she's out of sight. "I'd like that too," he murmurs.
< HSoS 87 | High School Of Scenes | HSoS 89 >
< HSoS 95 | H So S Timeline | HSoS 89 >
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