Dougie said nothing to Lily, opting instead to run the tips of his fingers along the fringe of his beanie, staring off into the distance where Vahka had left.
When a new boy arrived, he didn't turn to acknowledge him right away, still watching the orchard trees and running his fingers over his head.
Knight in shining armor wasn't the descriptor. Doing what was right didn't make him noble, or inherently good. He wasnt stepping in front of Lily because of some moral compass.
Was he even capable of operating with that mentality?
"No," he said in response to Brendan, "Vakha."
O Death
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The Honeless Beard
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Spindarene
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Lily had never hated silence more than in this moment, with tears streaming down her face and Dougie standing there running a hand over his head, not saying a word.
She knew that words were not one of Dougie's strengths. In some ways, that was a good thing. So many people she knew would blurt out the first thing that came to mind without thinking, and then later have to deal with the consequences. One of the things she liked about Dougie was that he thought before he spoke, even if that meant speaking less than most people.
His silence in that moment hurt her because she knew that if he was going to change what he was doing he would have said something. His silence meant that he wasn't giving up, that he was still going to protect her. What scared her the most was that she wanted him to.
As much as she hated herself for it, when Vahka had threatened her she'd been glad that he was standing between them, ready to defend her with that stupid pink bat. As selfish and cowardly as it was, she'd been relieved that someone else had been between her and Vahka, even though that someone was Dougie.
She tried to reason that since Dougie was bigger than her, stronger than her, he would have stood a better chance against Vahka, that because they were on the same team Vahka would have been more reluctant to hurt him than Lily.
The truth was that in that moment, when her life was actually threatened, she would have taken anything that kept her from dying, even Dougie's sacrifice.
She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the boy approach them until he spoke. Lily jumped and looked around, feeling a jolt of fear when she saw him. He was large, almost as big as Dougie and Vahka, and was holding a bizarre weapon that she'd never seen before. She had no idea what it did or if it worked at range, but he was definitely threatening them with it. She'd never felt so small. She had a sudden mental image of miniscule Alice swimming in her own tears, trying to reach the golden key. Lily hastily wiped her face.
She looked up at Dougie as he told the boy that Vahka was responsible for the body on the ground. She hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering between him and the new boy, before she shakily walked in front of him, staying so close that her fingers brushed his leg as she moved past.
“Stay—stay back,” she said, looking at the new boy. She meant it as a threat, but to her it sounded more like a plea.
She knew that words were not one of Dougie's strengths. In some ways, that was a good thing. So many people she knew would blurt out the first thing that came to mind without thinking, and then later have to deal with the consequences. One of the things she liked about Dougie was that he thought before he spoke, even if that meant speaking less than most people.
His silence in that moment hurt her because she knew that if he was going to change what he was doing he would have said something. His silence meant that he wasn't giving up, that he was still going to protect her. What scared her the most was that she wanted him to.
As much as she hated herself for it, when Vahka had threatened her she'd been glad that he was standing between them, ready to defend her with that stupid pink bat. As selfish and cowardly as it was, she'd been relieved that someone else had been between her and Vahka, even though that someone was Dougie.
She tried to reason that since Dougie was bigger than her, stronger than her, he would have stood a better chance against Vahka, that because they were on the same team Vahka would have been more reluctant to hurt him than Lily.
The truth was that in that moment, when her life was actually threatened, she would have taken anything that kept her from dying, even Dougie's sacrifice.
She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the boy approach them until he spoke. Lily jumped and looked around, feeling a jolt of fear when she saw him. He was large, almost as big as Dougie and Vahka, and was holding a bizarre weapon that she'd never seen before. She had no idea what it did or if it worked at range, but he was definitely threatening them with it. She'd never felt so small. She had a sudden mental image of miniscule Alice swimming in her own tears, trying to reach the golden key. Lily hastily wiped her face.
She looked up at Dougie as he told the boy that Vahka was responsible for the body on the ground. She hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering between him and the new boy, before she shakily walked in front of him, staying so close that her fingers brushed his leg as she moved past.
“Stay—stay back,” she said, looking at the new boy. She meant it as a threat, but to her it sounded more like a plea.
Tall Guy said that the Vahka guy from the announcements killed the kid. Brendan didn't have a single reason to trust him, did he? They could've just named a random kid from their school who was on the announcements. Although, they didn't have any blood on them or any bloody weapons, and the girl definitely wasn't acting like someone who took part in bashing a kid's head in. Brendan was suspicious of them, of course, but they really didn't look like killers.
"Yeah, okay, I believe you. I'm not gonna do anything."
Brendan's slowly lowered his arms, while keeping a tight grip on the cattle gun.
"I guess I'm just a bit jumpy, y'know?"
"Yeah, okay, I believe you. I'm not gonna do anything."
Brendan's slowly lowered his arms, while keeping a tight grip on the cattle gun.
"I guess I'm just a bit jumpy, y'know?"
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The Honeless Beard
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"Okay."
Dougie turned then, comparing the bootprint with his own in the pink-flecked snow, a chilly wind fluttering his green sweater, flaring it outwards like a cloak. He watched the still-fresh blood, coalescing on top of the frosty white. He lowered numb fingers, tugged at the sleeves of his sweater, felt the moisture collected there against his fingertips.
He glanced at Lily, and the expression he saw there ended any internal deliberation about going or staying before it began.
"We're going to go," he said, gesturing behind him - "and we'd better - take care of yourself, okay man?"
Dougie turned then, comparing the bootprint with his own in the pink-flecked snow, a chilly wind fluttering his green sweater, flaring it outwards like a cloak. He watched the still-fresh blood, coalescing on top of the frosty white. He lowered numb fingers, tugged at the sleeves of his sweater, felt the moisture collected there against his fingertips.
He glanced at Lily, and the expression he saw there ended any internal deliberation about going or staying before it began.
"We're going to go," he said, gesturing behind him - "and we'd better - take care of yourself, okay man?"
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Spindarene
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Lily continued to stare at the boy, heart pounding, trying to ignore her renewed nausea. Any second now he was going to charge them, or use his strange weapon, and then Dougie would run ahead of her like he always did and—
The boy spoke and Lily flinched back, barely noticing what he was saying. Dougie then told the boy that he and Lily were leaving and began walking away.
Lily hesitated, desperately wanting to leave but terrified that if she turned her back on him the boy would attack her. After a few seconds deliberation, she threw one last glance at the boy and followed Dougie.
((Lily Ashburg continued in Alone Together))
The boy spoke and Lily flinched back, barely noticing what he was saying. Dougie then told the boy that he and Lily were leaving and began walking away.
Lily hesitated, desperately wanting to leave but terrified that if she turned her back on him the boy would attack her. After a few seconds deliberation, she threw one last glance at the boy and followed Dougie.
((Lily Ashburg continued in Alone Together))
"Yeah. Um, stay safe."
So that was it, they were leaving. This was probably the best possible conclusion to this encounter. If Brendan had been only a little more nervous or impulsive, it could have ended badly. He couldn't help but think that it was just luck that he'd chosen the right response.
Brendan took one last look at the body before leaving. It really made him sick.
((Brendan O'Toole continued elsewhere))
So that was it, they were leaving. This was probably the best possible conclusion to this encounter. If Brendan had been only a little more nervous or impulsive, it could have ended badly. He couldn't help but think that it was just luck that he'd chosen the right response.
Brendan took one last look at the body before leaving. It really made him sick.
((Brendan O'Toole continued elsewhere))