Chapter One: The Meeting

[backinthsaddle]

Homework, the bane of nearly every student's existence.

Cole's sitting on the couch, surrounded by a modest stack of textbooks, a notebook balanced on his thigh as he takes notes. He's deeply involved in his studies, and has been ever since he got home from class an hour ago. It gives him something to do when he's not out running, or at track practice, although he's still not so sure about his major. But then, what guy his age is? It's not like he's had a long time to focus on what he wants to do as a career.

Comments

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"He's gonna," she says. "It's just a question of when."

"No. No, he's not. I'm going to have a little talk with him."

"I've been through this before. When you 'talk' to him, please don't kill him or otherwise maim him. I don't want that on my head."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

Cole's not sure how he feels about this. He doesn't really know her, but no one deserves whatever happened to her. So he says nothing, letting Liam handle it for the moment.

((ooc: sorry for the slow tagging, I am just wiped out today))

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"I just, I don't want anyone to die."

Liam makes a noncommital sound. "I'll just talk."

"A guy once killed him for me, even though I asked him not to. He survived in the body of a rat, 'til he could switch. And it just made him hate me more, and...."

Liam flops onto the couch next to her. "Kid. Kid, it's okay now. You're okay now."

((That's okay!))

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"No one's going to die."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She shakes her head sadly and curls into her cup of tea, taking one sip, another, another. She's going to die. Her number is so up.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"No one," Cole repeats, firmly. He means her, naturally.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

After a moment of silence, two, those big brown eyes shift over to Cole's face and slide away again. "How can you be sure?"

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Because we said so. Isn't that right, Liam?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"That's right," Liam confirms, placing a hand on Victor's back. Her fingers twitch hard, violently, and Liam pulls his hand back again slowly, the way he'd pull his hand away from a dog that snarled when he pet it.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"I know you don't know me, but trust me. You're safe."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She pushes her sleeve up to start scratching at the scars on her arm, maybe the first time she's ever done this. And what scars. They fill so much of her skin. "I'm... trying to believe you. People've told me that before."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Well, that took some of the wind out of his sails.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"No, oh gosh, no, don't fret. I'm sure I'll be okay, until I get killed," she says, putting on a big, forced, optimistic smile.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

Gee, that's totally comforting, Victor. Cole just kind of half-smiles uneasily, not sure if that was meant to be a joke.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

It's always hard to tell when Victor's joking, and in this case it's only partially a joke. Mostly she's serious. "I appreciate that you folks're letting me stay here."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"No problem." He's not thinking about the logistics of it yet. Just that she needs somewhere to stay, of course she can stay here because they totally have room.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Lucky this happened during the summer, at least on my world. I'd hate to miss any school. Isn't that stupid?"

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

Cole remembers about his homework now, and tries not to look too obviously at his books and papers. "You're going to school?" he says, feeling like it's a stupid thing to say.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She looks over at his books, too, skimming the titles. "Yeah. English major, going into my junior year next fall. So basically I'm never gonna be able to get a job and I'm destined to live in a soggy cardboard box."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He doesn't know her nearly well enough to reply with a zinger about flipping burgers, so he just frowns, a little awkward. "I'm sure it won't be that bad..."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Oh, no, no, I'll make it work, I was just kidding. I guess I have to work on making better jokes." She runs a trembling, weak-as-an-inchworm hand through her hair. There's something going on with her muscles.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He interprets that as exhaustion, not thinking of other causes. "Sorry, you probably want to rest."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"No, oh gosh, no. I got more lyin' down than I needed there. He kinda... tied me to a table and left me for days." Which explains what's going on with her arms. She tries to sound casual, but there's an edge of 'this is excruciating.'

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Why would-" He shuts up, aware that he'll just get more angry if he asks.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Huh?" A glance in his direction, she rubs at her elbow.