(no subject)

[sociopathchan]

“She’s been like that all week.” Percy said, brow furrowed over his calculator, papers spread across the small space that was Chris’s living room floor. Chris was practically hanging off the couch, tapping his controller rhythmically as the character on the screen systematically blew the heads off everything that moved.

“Who the fuck cares, Megan’s an annoying little shit.” Chris responded, punctuating the sentence with a headshot. Percy tapped his pen against his chin thoughtfully before filling in another number on his spreadsheet.

“I think she’s alright.” He wasn’t the slightest bit phased by Chris’s snort. “Hey, do you think that an overhaul of the distribution system could meet the new heightened demand for supplies?”

Chris didn’t bother answering that, just threw the controller at Percy, receiving a muffled ‘ow’ as he sat upright. “Firstly shut the fuck up and play some video games, you’re depressing me by being yourself again.” Percy looked like he wanted protest that point so Chris continued. “Secondly it’s obvious she has a lady boner for you.”

That successfully threw Percy off whatever rebuke he had been considering. He blinked and climbed onto the couch, a small frown on his lips. “… She does not.”

“Please Jackson, she’d be all over your dick like an elderly Japanese man drooling on a schoolgirl-“ “Ew Chris-“ “-besides, the dance is coming up. All those hormonal bitches talk about are dates.”

Percy considered this as he continued where Chris left off, only blowing the heads off things that actually attacked him. “I don’t think she’d be interested in me though-“

“You have a dick, Jackson, you’re fair game.” Chris waved a hand. “If you want I can start macking on you in the hallway. That’d make Alice happy and get the crazy skanks off your back.”

“Macking?” Alice’s voice called from the doorway excitedly. Percy groaned to the sound of Alice hurriedly pulling her shoes off, moving over so the girl could jump over the back of the couch and settle in between them. She already had her laptop at the ready.

“No Alice, Chris was just-“ Percy started as Chris leaned over to examine what Alice was furiously typing.

“I’d go for his lips tasting like crisp apples and autumn.” He said, to which Alice nodded excitedly.

“Yes! Percy, do you taste like autumn?”

Percy choked on a protest as the character on the tv screen was shot down.

--

And so it was that the dance steadily approached. To Chris and Alice’s endless amusement Megan was not the only girl eyeing Percy as the date grew closer. In fact there were three instances where Chris and Alice were called upon to do their duty as friends and cockblock the girls trying to get Percy alone. Chris’s favorite was when Alice pretended to have ebola, complete with fake blood and curdling screams. They had all been sent to the principal’s office but in his opinion it was more than worth it.

“So are you going with one of these bitches or what?” Chris asked as Percy shifted uncomfortably in his chair, glancing at the Principal’s door with a frown. “Hey, Earth to Jackson, I asked you a question asshole.”

“Yeah, asshole!” Alice chimed in, fake blood still splattered over her face and her clothing as she regarded Percy. “I liked that girl the most, she turned the best shade of green.”

“Um…” Percy started, looking a little distant. It was a strange mood that seemed to wash over him whenever they talked about the dance, like he was grappling to reach something that he could never quite grasp. “I don’t know-“

“What’s there to know? Do you want to go or not?” Chris pressed, eyebrow raised as Alice also looked on expectantly.

“Not with them.” Percy finally answered, sounding resolute even in his confusion. Alice and Chris shared a look, unsure of what to make of that. Before Alice could make a comment the secretary walked out.

“Mr. Clarke, please come in now.” Percy shrugged at them and stepped into the office, probably to be asked yet again about his choices in friends. Chris sat back, lacing his fingers over his stomach. There was something about Percy’s look that reminded him of something he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Are you going Chris?” Alice asked suddenly, staring over at him with yet another look he couldn’t quite place. Chris raised his eyebrow at her.

“Casper, you know they’d pat me down like I was a fucking inmate. If I couldn’t spike the punch what would be the fucking point?” He asked and Alice laughed, even if something in her tone rang hollow.

“Yeah, it’s a stupid baby dance for babies.” She said, bringing her knees up to her chest. It wasn’t the first time that day Chris felt like he missed something. It probably wouldn’t be the last.

--

“A dance!” Mary was excited of course, brushing out her long, blonde hair as she sashayed around the house. There was music pouring out of the speakers on the table, one of Mary’s new favorite songs from her new favorite band. It changed at least once a week.

“You know a dance is where I got my first kiss.” She said, singing along to the chorus of the song, only speaking through instrumentals. The music was loud enough that he didn’t need his headphones but soft enough that the tick tick tick underlined her every word. “I was about your age, Joe came completely out of the blue, brought me flowers and asked me to go with him. It was very romantic.”

“He just wanted your snatch.” Chris said, receiving a bop on the head with her hair brush. “It’s true.”

“You should go.” Mary said, unphased as she sat in front of him, handing him a ribbon. It was orange today. “Think of all the people you can mock and make that scary face at.”

“Oh gee fucking whiz, sounds like a party.” Chris said as her gathered up her hair, getting her to hold it in a high ponytail as he started tying the ribbon in place.

“Well you wouldn’t really be going for you.” Mary said thoughtfully, sensing Chris’s raised eyebrow rather than seeing it. When he finished tying the ribbon she shook her head experimentally before turning and patting him on the knee. “Sometimes people just like to feel wanted, Chris.”

She kissed his forehead, winked and left on that note. Chris simply frowned at the doorway until an alert from skype caught his attention and he settled in to mocking Percy for his latest misadventure.

--

Percy started acting less strange after he officially decided not to go to the dance, back to his old, business boner self. There were times Chris thought of bugging him about his weird behavior, of harassing him for information on why the decision had meant anything at all. For some reason he couldn’t bring himself to do it, it felt too much like staring down an abyss and when he stepped back he just forgot the abyss was there to begin with.

Of course when he started acting normally Alice started acting strangely, showing up less to hang out at the school and ultimately less in general. Percy was the first to say something but Chris was the first to notice, an agitation growing in him the longer she kept away.

“Do you think Alice is sick?” Percy asked during homeroom- his homeroom, Chris never went to his own and the teachers had long since given up trying to get him to follow his schedule. “She sounded alright on skype last night, but I haven’t really seen her around. Maybe we should check up on her.”

“Going to make her soup? Remind me to get you an apron for Christmas, you need to make sure your vag is covered when you do all that dangerous cooking.” Chris said almost automatically.

“I’m serious Chris! If she’s sick we should go see her.” He said, concern in his tone. They both knew by now how much Alice had to do on her own in her lonely house, if she was sick it was more than likely her deadbeat asshole father wasn’t helping a god damned bit.

Chris hated that guy.

“Untwist your panties Jackson.” He answered, getting up as the bell rang. “She’s supposed to come over today, if she doesn’t we’ll go hunt her down so you can calm your fucking tits.”

“I guess you’re right.” Percy answered as they walked down the hall. Near the water fountain a group of older boys were laughing, hushing somewhat as they went by. When Chris and Percy passed Chris could hear the smirk in one of the boy’s tone, asking his friend if he thought the retarded girl in the woods would be as easy as she looked.

Chris turned around and punched him in the jaw.

The kid was missing two teeth by the time they were pulled apart, Percy and a teacher trying valiantly to pull him back. Chris was pretty sure his lip was bleeding, maybe his nose, and the kid bleeding on the floor was shouting obscenities. He felt good, even with blood dripping down his chin, he felt angry, the tail end of an adrenaline rush that took much longer to ultimately feel hollow.

Mary picked him up and didn’t say anything, didn’t ask or look disappointed. She asked if he wanted Chinese for lunch and he made a racist joke and she laughed despite herself. They had sesame chicken and she teased him for being unable to use chopsticks after she got off the phone with their parents. He could hear his mother yelling from the phone.

Percy came over that evening and Alice did not, eyeing Chris like he was trying to figure out something that was on the tip of his tongue.

“Two weeks.” Chris answered when Percy asked how long he was suspended. He was surprised he hadn’t been expelled but a pale woman in the office claiming to be from the Board of Education had argued with the Principal for over an hour, fighting to keep him in the school. She made him nervous, her gaze was too warm and too full of sympathy, and when she patted his shoulder her fingers were far too cold.

“Alice didn’t come over.” Percy said after a pause, looking like he was torn on what to be worrying about. Chris flicked his forehead.

“I’ll take care of it.” He said, leaning back and closing his eyes. “I have two weeks of free time after all.” Percy still seemed unsure but after a long, searching look he nodded. After another pause he spoke.

“They never found that kid’s other tooth.” He said, and Chris smirked. They probably wouldn’t be looking in the gutter he threw it down.

--

The next morning he trekked through the woods, hands deep in his pockets as he trudged along. It was a familiar path, though hardly a safe one. His sister always frowned deeply when she heard where Alice played, always tried to find a way to drive Alice as far home as possible. The woods weren’t safe she’d say in the only serious tone he ever heard from her. If he agreed he said nothing. Some things you couldn’t change.

He was halfway there when he saw a familiar purple amongst the trees, the shape of a girl sitting on a large rock. She swung her feet in a steady rhythm, eye downcast in a way that didn’t feel right.

“Who the fuck is even up at this hour willingly?” Chris asked as he approached, watching Alice jump as if she saw the ghost for once.

“Chris!” She said, tone somewhere between delight and guilt. The expression fell after a moment. “What happened to your face, moron? Did you get shanked by a bitch?”

“You know how people hate the playa’s.” He answered. She looked tired, sad, a sort of heaviness on her shoulders. She was usually better at pushing that away before they saw her but she hadn’t been prepared for this. It just made her look a touch more guilty. “You missed all the excitement.”

“I- was busy.” She tried, and it fell flat. He walked closer, leaning against the rock and letting her poke at his swelled lip. “You look like a drunk pirate.”

“Does that mean I get to look for booty in your next work of fine literature?” He asked and she grinned. He felt something like relief and didn’t really know why. “Spill, Casper.”

She faltered, shuffling her feet at the vague question. He didn’t need to elaborate because Alice and Percy always understood to some extent. It was how they worked, just like how her silence was answer enough for him.

“Do you know how to dance?” He asked and she looked at him, surprised. She shook her head. “I’ve seen Mary do enough retarded moves to get it. Come on.” He held his hand out to her and she stared a moment before taking it, letting him pull her off the rock and to her feet. When he spun her around she laughed and his lips quirked slightly.

“Chris you suck at dancing. You have like, seven left feet.” She said, spinning him this time with much more grace than Chris had managed. Chris snorted.

“I’m not the one with the vagina in this group, if you want good dancing ask Percy.” He said, brow rising. “You do know how to dance, you little bitch.”

“Maaaaybe.” She answered, grasping his hands and spinning around with him until they both fell on their asses, Alice laughing and Chris with another snort.

“Classy shit, Casper. You’ll blow the other bitches away.” She gave him a questioning look and he held out a hand to help her up. “You’re coming to that gay fucking dance with me, right?”

She stared at him a moment, blinking rapidly before she grabbed his hand, a smile spreading over her face. “Only if you ask really nicely.” Chris rolled his eyes.

“Oh Casper, please come to this function to me so we may bringeth the beat down upon the heads of the fucking ignorant.” He said in his driest voice and she laughed and his lips almost quirked again.

“Hmmmmm-“ Alice paused. “Ok, if it’s for the fucking ignorant.” Chris’s eyebrow rose and she took his hand like she had done a million times before. He didn’t dwell on the fact it felt a little different this time.