In the Fishbowl - 17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks to Jim for editing!

Dennis may not have been a fan of the mall, but he couldn’t come up with many complaints about it after hours when the only places open happened to be the movie theater and the arcade. That didn’t mean he couldn’t find other things to complain about, though.

It had been Owen’s idea to take advantage of the long lines by splitting up; Owen was in line to get the tickets, so at the time, it had made sense when Travis insisted he accompany Dennis to get the drinks so he wasn’t left carrying all three. But now, it was a question of whether or not Dennis could make it all the way through the line without strangling Travis before they even had a chance to order.

“What were you doing with him?” Dennis finally demanded, obviously feeling safe enough to ask his question now.

“Apparently, stealing his car,” Travis said curtly.

“Travis.”

“I work for him, Dennis.”

“Lighting dogshit on fire is working?” Dennis remarked.

“It was horseshit. You saw that? Look, your dad is the only job I have left at the moment, and for the last few days he’s been reminding me of that. And you didn’t have a problem with me working for him before. What gives?”

Dennis regarded Travis with bewilderment. “I’ve always had a problem with you working for him--anyone working for him,” he added quickly.

“Well, this is the first time you’ve thrown a tantrum over it.”

“I’m not throwing--just, shut the fuck up. Don’t talk to me.”

Travis raised an eyebrow when Dennis faced forward, refusing to acknowledge him further. He wasn’t really sure how to react to it. Usually it was a no-brainer: walk away. At least until whoever was annoyed with him got over it. But Travis didn’t have it in him this time because Dennis’s attitude, as obnoxious as it was, interested him. So he waited, watching the way Dennis’s jaw twitched when the people in front of them were too busy talking to keep up with the line, and the way his nostrils flared each time Travis inched closer--something he did just to make Dennis’s nostrils flare once he figured out the cause and effect.

“Don’t look at me, either,” Dennis suddenly snapped, as if to put an end to Travis’s fun.

Travis smiled. “Is this because I haven’t called you? Because I wanted to,” he said seriously. “There just hasn’t been a good time.”

“I don’t care. Wasn’t expecting you to call, anyway,” Dennis replied, and then decided to add. “Even if you had, I wouldn’t care.”

Travis frowned. It wasn’t like him to make this much of an effort with anyone, and he figured that Dennis could at least have the decency to acknowledge that.

“So, all that shit about not being friends...”

“We’re not friends.”

Travis took a step forward as the line moved, but didn’t make an immediate response as he thought that over, and ultimately decided that he didn’t like it. Not one bit. “Then it must be because of the sex,” he finally said, knowing full well that even mentioning it would piss Dennis off, no matter how careful he was to keep his voice down. “You know, if that’s all you wanted, you could have just said so. I wouldn’t have wasted so much time thinking we actually liked each other. As friends, of course.”

Dennis’s eyes narrowed, but Travis had obviously given him something to think about, since he didn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry to respond. And, maybe he did have something to think about, like the fact that before the last four days, Travis, and all that Travis was, didn’t annoy him nearly as much. Dennis wasn’t entirely comfortable using the word friend; but he wasn’t with anyone, really. That was more his problem than Travis’s. But still, four days ago, Dennis didn’t dislike the guy. That was unfortunate, since really, the only thing since then that had changed between them was...

“It’s too bad,” Travis suddenly said. “I knew you’d be the worst kind of closet case, but I actually believed that fucking you wouldn’t complicate...”

“Say it again and I’ll drop you right here,” Dennis cut him off, suddenly a little too aware of his crowded surroundings. He dropped his voice, adding, “And you’re wrong. I’m not complicating anything.” He moved away from Travis then, as soon as the line opened up. He ordered three drinks, and wanted to, but didn’t object when Travis showed up just in time to pay for them, and then only lifted two of the beverages when he went to meet Owen, apparently trying not to notice the dark-haired young man two paces behind him, who seemed more amused with each passing moment.

***

A comedy. Genius. Travis needed a good laugh. True, he’d had a few of those during the last few days since becoming John Gordon’s new best friend, but he’d also become increasingly tired. So this break, a movie which he’d originally thought he’d never be capable of sitting through, was a great idea. The fact that it was keeping his attention was an added bonus, and he’d nearly forgotten about Dennis being mad at him. Of course, that could have been because Dennis had chosen to sit on the other side of Owen. Travis did glance over on occasion, however. Mostly during the funnier parts of the show, curious about what made Dennis laugh and wondering if he’d catch him in the act. It never happened, so for the first hour Travis had made most of his eye contact with Owen, who quite frankly, seemed appropriate to be around at the time; the guy was relaxed, willing to have a good time, and even laughed at Travis’s comments during some of the film’s scenes. When Owen made some of his own, Travis was convinced that he’d made a new friend in the youngest Dovan brother.

But, as much as he was having fun with Owen, Travis couldn’t help himself from imposing on Dennis’s world as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Owen had placed his phone on silent, not turning it off, and for thirty minutes he continuously looked at it, seeming more annoyed each time. Finally, he opted to get up and go answer it, mouthing to Travis that it was work. Travis had only shrugged and refocused his attention on the movie; something that lasted for only seconds after Owen was gone before he looked in Dennis’s direction and then claimed Owen’s seat for himself.

“Hi,” Travis whispered, when Dennis went out of his way to pretend he wasn’t there, and when Dennis still didn’t acknowledge him, he said, “Clear something up for me, alright? Explain how thisisn’t getting complicated. Why could we hang out half-naked in a hot tub last week, and now we can’t even sit through a movie together?”

“We’d be sitting through a movie right now if you weren’t talking,” Dennis responded, and then, “Shh.”

Travis frowned at being shushed, and then watched as Dennis lifted his drink, and over the course of a full minute, completely drained it. He thought of making a remark along the lines of how well Dennis was treating the straw, but quickly decided against it. The point was to get the guy tostop being mad at him. “Dennis.”

“I’m gonna refill my drink,” Dennis announced, an obvious attempt to escape, but Travis quickly foiled it, shoving his own beverage into Dennis’s hands before he could get up.

“Take mine.”

“I don’t want your drink,” Dennis stated, attempting and failing to give it back.

“Why not? You’ll only drink my spit if I give it to you directly?”

Dennis barely managed to get Travis’s half-full drink into the holder at the arm of his chair before he made a choking gesture with his hands. “Shut up!” he hissed, finally looking at Travis. Glaring. But looking. Travis returned that look with one of his own that warned he could do this all night, prompting Dennis to release the frustration he was feeling in a short breath. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You’re mad at me,” Travis replied, sitting back in his seat as if to relax again. “Actually, I’m sure you have a good reason for it. Most people usually do. Just tell me what reason it is--because I’ve been hanging around your dad? Or is it because of the other night?”

“What difference does it make?”

“Ahh, so it is one of those!” Travis said as victoriously as he could in a whisper. “It makes a huge difference. You can’t be mad at me for hanging out with your dad. He’s my boss. You might not need him, but I need that job. If it’s about the other night... well, I guess you’re a worse closet case than I thought. I mean, freaked out and shy I can deal with, but the angry-gay thing...”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Dennis retorted, turning in his seat to better face Travis. “There is no closet for me, and by the way, don’t act like you didn’t enjoy doing what you and my dad were up to today! It was probably your idea in the first...”

“Wait. Wait,” Travis cut him off. “Go back to that no-closet thing. Are you saying you’re out?” Travis paused, looking completely interested. “Like, Owen knows you’re gay? Have you two ever...”

“No!” Dennis hissed, looking as if he couldn’t imagine where Travis would have come up with that idea. “And if it’ll get you to shut up: I don’t have to worry about the closet because I’m not gay.”

Travis fell silent, looking Dennis over for a long moment before he suddenly threw his head back and laughed so hard that Dennis could only be grateful it happened at a moment appropriate to the movie playing. He still put an end to it, though, giving Travis’s arm a firm tap with his knuckles. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Travis replied, obviously being anything but. “That’s just... god, you know saying it over and over won’t make it true, right? There’s no place like home, there’s no place like... ouch! Did you just pinch me?”

“I really need you to stop talking right now,” Dennis informed him, much more seriously than Travis thought necessary. But he curiously obeyed as Dennis faced forward again, clearly uncomfortable as he contemplated something that had him twisting his right fingers with the ones on his left. Just when Travis was about to lose his battle to remain silent, Dennis looked at him again. “Whatever happened the other night...”

Travis rolled his eyes. “Let me guess: a one-time thing? You have no idea how it happened? Hmm... I’ll bet I took advantage of you, ‘cause god forbid you actually wanted it.”

Dennis nearly rose out of his seat to point a finger at Travis, obviously sick and tired of the interruptions. “First of all, you could never take advantage of me. Second, I’m great with puzzles because I have a semi-photographic memory--I knowexactly how it happened! As for it being a one-time thing, you’re doing a damn good job of making that decision for me--what?” Dennis demanded so loudly that a woman two rows up shushed him as he questioned the bewildered look on Travis’s face.

Travis merely shook his head. “You’ve got to be the most confusing...”

“It’s not about being gay, or anything else. It was sex, and if anyone’s making it out to be more than that, it’s you.”

Travis tried to read Dennis’s expression as the shadows of the theater passed over his face, looking for anything that could help him understand. But, Dennis was once again a source of surprise, and for once, Travis had absolutely nothing to say. It didn’t work as much in his favor as he might have expected.

Dennis Gordon didn’t make any sense as far as Travis was concerned. He wasn’t sure if he thought it, or said it aloud, but it hardly made a difference when it was his next actions that got him in trouble. Dark theater. Dennis Gordon looking surprisingly appealing when he was angry. Travis leaned forward; would have kissed the sandy-haired blond--he was sure of that--if Dennis’s pesky fist hadn’t gotten in the way.

The pain Travis felt in his nose was no more of a shock than the blood he felt on his hands when he covered it, ducking his head as if it would keep his eyes from watering. So, he didn’t understand why Dennis was the one cursing in a panicked whisper until he looked up and saw how sorry the guy looked. Travis might have laughed again if he wasn’t afraid it would hurt.

“You’re crazy!” Dennis whispered, frantically looking around, half expecting to find someone watching them. Travis didn’t know if Dennis was more concerned over a witness to the assault, or one to what had caused the assault. He didn’t ask, though, as he took the napkins Dennis was suddenly shoving into his hands. “Put your head back!” Dennis ordered.

Travis did exactly that, sitting back in his seat as he thought over the last few seconds. His mistake. But, he hardly cared to apologize for it. Besides, he could feel Dennis watching him, and concerned attention sure seemed a lot better than angry attention.

“You’re a jerk,” Dennis suddenly whispered. “But I’m sorry.”

It took a few moments, but when Travis was catching less blood on the napkins he lowered them, looked at Dennis, and breathed slowly through his nostrils before finally attempting a smile to let his assailant off the hook.

“You didn’t break it. Hurt, though. Don’t you think that means I should get one more question?” Travis asked. Dennis narrowed his eyes, giving a clear enough answer, but that didn’t stop Travis from asking, anyway, even if he leaned forward much more cautiously this time. “Did you hit me because I’m a jerk and you really didn’t want me to kiss you? Or was it because I’m a jerk and you just didn’t want anyone to see you kissing one?”

Dennis frowned, but instead of telling Travis to shut up again, suddenly faced forward. “Go back to your seat. Owen’s coming back.”

Travis considered the request. “Okay,” he finally said. “But first give me something.”

Dennis glanced at him, seeming unsure of what that was supposed to mean before he suddenly said, “That immature bullshit you pulled today... I thought it was funny. And then I saw my dad’s face. You made him happy, and that pissed me off.”

They both fell silent for a moment, despite the sudden laughter around them caused by a film they could no longer follow. Travis had hardly digested Dennis’s admission, but he knew he was bothered by the tone of it. Still, though, when Dennis met his eyes for a brief second, Travis smiled before he moved back to his own seat, watching Dennis Gordon until the third member of their party came between them.

***

“Okay, don’t get offended or anything, but did you have a good cry on the way over here or something? You look like you’ve been crying. I’m not judging, I’m just saying if there’s anything you wanna talk about...”

Travis laughed, interrupting Owen Dovan, who’d been looking at his face suspiciously as they passed beneath the tall lights lining the sidewalk leading around the park. “I don’t cry.”

But, Owen still looked curious. “Something in your eyes?”

“Oh, I think it’s probably my nose,” Travis remarked, glancing teasingly back at Dennis, who was straggling two paces behind them before he looked at Owen again. “Allergies.”

“Need a tissue?” Owen asked, providing one from his pocket, which had Travis pausing to raise an eyebrow at him. .

“Boy scout?”

Owen grinned. “Not a chance. I always start sneezing when the snow starts melting.”

Travis glanced at the tissue again and shook his head. “No thanks. I think I’m okay.”

Owen shrugged, shoved it back in his pocket, and looked over his shoulder in search of Dennis. “Are you still with us?” Owen asked when the two made eye contact.

Dennis didn’t have time to respond before Travis rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Owen’s shoulder to get him walking again. “He’s with us,” Travis teased. “He’s just pretending not to be.”

“Just where you’re concerned,” Dennis remarked as he finally picked up the pace, deciding the sidewalk was wide enough for three. He looked at Owen. “What are we doing out here, anyway? News said it might snow tonight.”

“Why would you watch the news?” Travis asked. “So depressing.”

Owen smiled at Travis’s dramatic display of confusion, but answered Dennis. “It doesn’t look like it’s gonna snow, but if you’re cold we can go back. I just thought it would be a good night for a walk, and there’s this trail up here,” he explained, suddenly leading them off the sidewalk to the trees that separated the open space of the park from the woods. “It’s really great first thing in the morning. Never been at night, so I figured...”

“Let’s go see it,” Dennis cut him off, knowing well enough by now that when Owen wanted to do something, he generally expressed it in the longest way possible.

“Do you run up here or something?” Travis asked.

“How did you know I run?” Owen replied.

Travis shrugged. “I live with Ryan, remember?”

“Oh. Right. Actually, I didn’t find this place,” Owen said. “Aiden did. He thought all the shadows made for good shots... I thought everything he photographed looked good.”

There was a few moments of uncomfortable silence that Travis would have broken in a heartbeat, but he found himself being hushed by a look from Dennis that warned against saying anything about Aiden. That’s why Travis was reasonably surprised when Dennis did that himself.

“I don’t think he was that great. Sucked, actually.”

Owen frowned. “The pile of awards he keeps in the back of his closet says otherwise.”

“I stand by my opinion,” Dennis stated, and then added, “Just look me up in every photo he got of me in our high-school yearbook and you’ll see my point.”

Owen’s face went blank for a second, and then suddenly burst out laughing. “Oh my god, I completely forgot about that.”

“What?” Travis asked, not liking to be left out. When Dennis suddenly seemed too annoyed to provide an explanation, Owen happily did it for him.

“In the pictures where Aiden didn’t cut off his head, he was...” Owen stopped, grinning goofily at Dennis, as if asking for a way to explain it.

“I was adjusting... my junk,” Dennis provided. “Every. Single. Picture. Looked like that was all I ever did.”

Travis smiled. “Did you at least deserve that?” he asked, and found it a little strange how Dennis glanced at Owen for that answer.

Owen sighed. “By the time we didn’t think so any more, it was already being printed.” He almost looked sorry, and that alone caused Dennis to shake his head.

“Nah,” Dennis said. “I deserved it.”

Travis smiled at him, and as they continued to walk conversation seemed to come a little easier, and even though Travis and Owen were doing most of the talking, Dennis didn’t make any further attempts to fall behind. It was probably a good thing, because if they had, there was a good chance they might have lost him.

Owen’s trail was definitely full of shadows. In fact, there were parts completely shrouded in darkness, and they quickly came to the conclusion that whatever appeal it had at sunrise was lost during the night. They’d veered off the path to walk near a drainage ditch when it appeared; the trees blocked less of the star-lit sky near it, and the moonlight prevented Owen from stubbing his toes anymore than the three times he already had.

There was a ten-minute break when Travis spotted a fox and decided to chase it just for fun, only to have to call out to his companions to find his way back. It was Dennis’s idea to torment him for a full minute before they let him know that they could still hear him. Travis was all smiles when he came back, however. No hard feelings and all that. Neither Owen or Dennis would ever know the panic Travis had temporarily slipped into before he remembered the small flashlight on John Gordon’s key chain, and when he’d suggested they head back after pretending to see a few nonexistent snowflakes, he was happy when they both agreed.

Owen was able to lead everyone back to the trail, or so they believed. It was even darker than when they’d first started out, and to keep everyone including himself distracted from the dropping temperature, Travis asked Owen to tell him more about what Dennis was like in high school. Dennis hadn’t seemed very happy about that to begin with, but lightened up when Owen managed the difficult task of putting a comical spin on most of their pre-friendship stories before he smoothly changed the subject by asking Dennis if he’d found any permanent employment solutions yet.

“Not really,” Dennis was saying as the trees began to thin, hinting that they were getting closer to the park. “But, I don’t think it’s a problem anymore. I’ve showed up to work at six places in the last two weeks.”

Owen laughed. “Six?”

Dennis shrugged. “They call when they need help. I kind of like the variety.”

“I hear music,” Travis interrupted. And, as everyone fell silent, there was indeed a radio playing somewhere ahead of them.

“Maybe we’re on the wrong side of the park,” Owen said. “There are other trails.”

Dennis was suddenly looking around, feeling a little skeptical. They’d been walking for a while now, and the fact that he’d completely lost track of where they were in an area he was familiar enough to be comfortable in suggested that they were nowhere near where they were meant to be. His suspicion was confirmed a moment later when they suddenly stepped onto what was clearly a dirt road at the bottom of a hill. Dennis sighed. At least it was a familiar hill.

“What the hell?” Owen remarked, clearly a bit more lost than he’d intended to be. “I thought... how the hell?”

Travis laughed, giving Owen’s back a light slap. “Wow. You have a terrible sense of direction.”

Owen smirked. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

“Too bad, since I’ll make sure to give you shit about it later,” Travis playfully remarked as he wrapped his arms around himself. “It’s freezing out here.”

Owen nodded, becoming more serious. “We should try to find our way back... or I could call my brother. I’ll never hear the end of it, but...”

“I know where we are,” Dennis cut him off, pointing up the hill. Chesleys live right up there.” He paused to point again, this time in the opposite direction. “The park’s that way. We’re going that way,” he finished by pointing down the narrow road. “We won’t get lost this time, but it’s a long walk.”

Owen made a face, seeming exhausted all of a sudden, but ultimately he shrugged and followed Dennis. Travis, however, looked at both of them like they’d gone crazy and did the exact opposite. “Fuck that.”

Dennis and Owen turned to look at him, Dennis frowning when Travis headed up the road in the opposite direction while Owen did the questioning when he called, “Where are you going?”

Someone’s up here,” Travis pointed out. “I’m getting us a ride back.”

Owen looked at Dennis, raising an eyebrow.

“If you wanna leave him here, I can live with that,” Dennis remarked.

Owen laughed, giving Dennis’s shoulder a shove forward and deciding for both of them that they were following Travis.

“This is stupid. We don’t even know who’s out here,” Dennis commented as Travis led the way back off the road, following the source of the radio which was getting louder, and becoming mixed with other sounds, like the engine of a car, maybe more than one. Through the trees he spotted the beam of headlights and moved faster when Dennis and Travis caught up to him; but as they reached the nearby vehicle, each one of them came to an abrupt halt as they took in their surroundings.

“Whudda ya know,” Travis remarked. “Everyone’s out here.” He laughed as he looked over not only the car they’d first spotted, but several others spread out in sporadic distances from each other, most with fogged windows and slow-moving shadows within, giving him a fairly good idea what the occupants were doing off the side of a secluded road. Owen pulled him back when he made an attempt to get a better look through one of those windows, and Travis laughed again.

“Knock it off,” Owen insisted, but clearly, he was amused.

“Let’s start walking,” Dennis stated. “No one here’s gonna give us a ride.”

“Sure they will,” Travis insisted. “I have people skills.”

“Then use them,” Owen stated, and then looked apologetically at Dennis. “Sorry. I’m with him. It’s freezing out here... And how come I didn’t know about this place?” he said, looking a little agitated. “Do you think it’s members only?”

Travis laughed. “Maybe Aiden liked keeping you all to himself,” he remarked. Owen looked a little unsure over the mention of Aiden, but his smile suggested that he was far from offended by Travis’s words.

“They moved it,” Dennis suddenly said. “Used to be behind the school.” That small piece of information earned some curious glances and raised eyebrows from both Travis and Owen, but rather than explaining himself, Dennis only shrugged and started walking through the parked, running vehicles. “So who’s giving us a ride?” he asked Travis, obviously becoming impatient. Owen was right; it was cold, and Dennis was convinced that they were wasting time there when they could have been walking.

Travis looked around briefly, and then pointed at a large truck with four doors. “That one looks warm.”

“You’re just gonna knock on the door and ask for a ride?” Owen asked, not at all doubtful, but suddenly a little nervous.

“Um, yeah,” Travis replied. “Why? Did you wanna do it?”

“Nope,” Owen said. “It’s all yours.”

Travis smiled, and if anyone had expected hesitation on his part it was quickly squashed when he turned and walked straight for the truck. He reached the driver’s window, and ignoring the way that the passengers seemed to be rushing to rearrange clothing through the tinted windows, he knocked loudly.

But, just as the hardly-passed-his-driver’s-test teen looked out his window with wide, nervous eyes, something else caught Travis’s attention, and he hardly gave the window a glance.

“Is there a problem?” the boy in the truck asked unsteadily.

“Uh, never mind,” Travis replied, waving his question away. “Thanks anyway.” He suddenly headed towards the what had stolen his attention, only to have Owen cut him off halfway.

“They said no?” Owen asked, sounding almost surprised.

“No, he totally would’ve done it,” Travis insisted. “I didn’t ask.”

“What?” Dennis demanded, falling in behind Owen. “Maybe you forgot we’re all cold.”

“Not really,” Travis replied. “And relax, we’ve got a ride.” He pointed, and they looked at Lacy Chapman’s little car with the same interest that he had.

Owen laughed. “Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me. She’s gonna kill us.”

“Let’s ask someone else,” Dennis stated, obviously more comfortable with the idea of riding with a perfect stranger. But, Owen and Travis either didn’t hear him or pretended not to as they headed towards the car.

“Who do you think she’s here with?” Travis asked. “Did she and Ryan make up? He hasn’t said anything to me.”

“Probably not Ryan,” Owen replied as they reached the car and Travis reached for the back door. “Hey! Hold it, don’t freak her out.”

Travis grinned. “You can blame me, but you’re not taking all the fun out of it.” He pulled the back door open, and slid right in before he got over being surprised that he hadn’t found anyone falling out of the back seat.

Lacy’s short scream pierced his ears before she turned in the front seat, baffled as her eyes fell over him. “Travis?” It didn’t sound much like a happy greeting, so he smiled.

“Hey. How’s it going?”

“What the hell do you think...” she started, but was interrupted when Owen moved into the back seat, joining Travis, and he was the one who seemed to be in for a surprise when he took a look at Lacy’s passenger.

“Chris?” Owen demanded, and then reached across Travis to punch his brother’s shoulder. “You told me you were at a party!”

“Hey!” Chris objected, shoving Owen’s fist away before his little brother could get in another strike. “I was! We left.”

“Owen,” Lacy said, obviously looking to speak with a reasonable person. “Get out of my car!”

“Can’t,” Travis answered for him as he leaned over the front seat to turn up the heat, causing more objections from Lacy. “We need you to drive us back to the park.”

“What? Why?” Lacy demanded.

“What are you doing up here with her?” Owen asked Chris.

“Talking,” Chris insisted.

“Only because I didn’t get you drunk enough,” Lacy remarked in a tone that suggested she’d been irritated way before they got there.

Owen’s eyes widened, but rather than scolding Lacy, he looked at his brother again. “She’s one of my best friends!”

“We left our cars at the park,” Travis told Lacy. “Owen got us lost. Drive us back?”

“I know that!” Chris told his brother. “But maybe she’s my friend, too, and whatever we’re doing is none of your business.”

“What are you doing?” Owen demanded.

“This is our first date,” Lacy informed him. “Which, you happen to be interrupting.”

“Hey,” Chris said, this time to Lacy. “I thought we agreed this wasn’t a date.”

“Then what would you call it?” Lacy wanted to know.

“Not a date,” Chris stated. “And if it was, I sure as hell wouldn’t have brought you here. And I’d be driving.”

Lacy raised a sharp, blonde eyebrow, looking more amused than angry now. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I would have been able to pass a sobriety test,” Chris informed her. “And there’d be plans. Lots of... good plans.”

“Really?” she remarked. “So when is there going to be aplan, Chris?”

“You’re making plans?” Owen blurted.

Travis rolled his eyes as the three of them attempted to outtalk each other again and looked at the opened door on Owen’s side. Realizing it was open for a reason, Travis suddenly opened his own door and stepped out of the car to look across the roof, where Dennis Gordon was still standing in the cold with his arms crossed. Travis whistled to get his attention, and waved him over twice before Dennis complied. But, once Dennis had reached the car, Travis still had to physically pull him inside the vehicle.

“Dennis?” Lacy said as soon as she saw him, and even Chris had to look at that.

“This wasn’t my idea,” Dennis said quickly.

“Then right now I like you best,” Lacy remarked.

Close your doors,” Travis insisted, looking to both sides at Owen and Dennis. “Freezing here.” They complied, and he sat back in his seat, determined to get comfortable without the cold breeze drifting through the car. Lacy didn’t seem pleased with it at all.

“You guys...”

“Just drive them back to the park,” Chris told her, and she did so, but not without making a point to look chagrined for half of the ride before she peered at Owen in the rearview mirror.

“You’re not allowed to be angry,” Lacy told him.

Owen cut his eyes at her but said nothing while Chris whispered, “Lacy, don’t.”

“If there was something to tell, I’d tell you,” Lacy continued, obviously sympathetic to Owen’s recent feelings of being left behind by all his friends. “But there’s nothing to tell. Yet.”

“Thanks,” Owen said sarcastically. “Nice to know.”

The drive from there seemed silent while Travis looked between Lacy, Owen, and Chris, just in case they decided to provide him with more of their soap opera, while Dennis shielded half his face and stared out his window, wishing that he could be anywhere else. Before Lacy had even come to a complete stop behind his own vehicle at the park, Dennis had opened the door and made his escape, mumbling something that may or may not have been a thank you for the ride.

Owen was a bit slower with his exit, looking troubled as he glanced between Chris and Lacy. But, in the end he shrugged and slid towards his door. “See you guys later.”

“Are you going home?” Chris asked quickly, before Owen made it out of the car.

“Maybe.”

Chris sighed. “Wait up for me, alright? I wanna talk to you.”

Owen shrugged. “Maybe I’ll be doing most of the talking.”

“Owen...” Lacy started, but Chris shook his head at her while Travis more or less pushed Owen from the car.

“Later,” Travis said, but stopped suddenly and slid back inside to lean over Lacy’s seat. “Hey,” he said to her. “I wanted to ask you something. Did you drop off my last paycheck from work? I found it, and something else that was...”

Lacy’s eyes widened, quickly alerting Travis to the fact that the post office might not have sent out his mail pre-opened. “I gave it to Kyle to give to you. Glad you got it. I know nothing.”

Travis’s brow arched, and while it was suddenly tempting to interrogate her further, he gave a short nod instead. “Alright... thanks.”

“Mm-hmm,” Lacy mumbled, suddenly facing forward.

Travis glanced at Chris, who only shrugged and gave Lacy the odd look she deserved. “Later, Travis.”

Travis left the car, watched Lacy drive away, and then turned to face Owen and Dennis, who were waiting for him near the vehicles. But, it was Owen he approached as he attempted to rid the youngest Dovan’s face of its current look of protest. “That just wrecked your whole night, huh?”

Owen frowned, looking to Dennis, as if he hoped he would change the subject for him. But, Dennis only looked back, and Owen replied, “It was just... weird. Never mind. They said they were just talking.”

Travis shrugged. “So what if they weren’t.”

Owen narrowed his eyes, suddenly interested in defending his feelings. “Chris is my brother, Lacy’s my friend.”

“Maybe you should be happy for them, then,” Dennis said, and Owen looked shocked.

“Only one of my brothers has ever been faithful to a woman,” Owen retorted, “and he turned out to be gay.”

Dennis shrugged, and removed himself from the conversation by moving closer to his car. He’d attempted to place himself in someone else’s business, and had obviously decided that it wasn’t for him. Travis, on the other hand, approached Owen, bringing them a few feet closer together. “You know how before I said I like you, and I’m trying to do you a favor?”

“Travis...” Owen started skeptically, only to be cut off.

“I’m doing you another one. Don’t take things so... personally. If people piss you off, let ‘em know it. Be as loud as you damn well please if it makes you feel better. But if you’re gonna get mad, don’t do it because you assume people do things you don’t like just to hurt you.”

Owen opened his mouth, but the lack of words coming out of it suggested that he didn’t know what to say. It didn’t matter, though, since Dennis cut in before he had the chance.

“Are we going? I’ll take you back to your truck, Owen.”

“Um... yeah,” Owen said slowly, but then suddenly cut his eyes to Travis. “Hey... if you guys wanna come over for a while...”

Travis smiled at him. “Actually, I’m gonna run,” he said, spinning Mr. Gordon’s key chain on his finger. “There’s a car wash down the street. I’m gonna run the boss’s car through there before I take it back in the morning... when is morning, anyway?”

Dennis glanced at his watch. “About four hours away.”

Owen’s eyes widened at that. “Shit. Okay... see you later, Travis.”

Travis shrugged. “Probably,” he replied, and then turned his head to meet Dennis’s eyes, choosing not to say anything to him a moment later before he turned, walked to Mr. Gordon’s vehicle, and drove away.

***

Travis never would have consented to washing a car in the middle of the night with a below-zero windchill drifting up his sweater and freezing water blowing back into his face if the automatic car wash hadn’t been out of order. But at least John Gordon’s car was vacuumed, washed and waxed. If he ever noticed it was missing, which Travis highly doubted, there was a chance he’d no longer mind as much when he got it back.

Travis was just about to get back inside, thinking of warming his hands in front of the heater in hopes of feeling returning to his frozen fingers when headlights hit his back and he instinctively turned to look. He shielded his eyes before the lights went out, and he watched a shadow emerge from the vehicle, shaking his head in amusement when he finally made out the familiar features.

“Miss me already?” Travis remarked.

There was silence for a moment before Dennis Gordon’s voice responded with, “Take the car back to my dad now.”

Travis lost his smile somewhere during that suggestion, and sighed. “I was totally hoping you were here because you missed me. I’m wounded.”

“Take it back now,” Dennis repeated. “I’ll give you a ride back.”

“And would that make you happy?”

“Take the car back now.”

Travis cocked his head as a slow smile curled his lips. “Okay. This time you follow me.”