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NMFTG ch 23
Operation Easthaven (it's not actually that complicated)
THe team scrambles to get Andrew out of easthaven under the cut: ao3
Coach took Neil at his word and ushered the Foxes down the hallway and out of the building. Neil ignored everyone’s continued questions in favor of continuing to bleed out of his face and freak the fuck out.
What the hell could he even do? What could Renee do? Burn the place down? A bomb threat maybe, something to get everyone evacuated, but it wasn’t like Neil knew which doctor Riko had paid off. And there was no telling what protocols the place had for that sort of situation. Or what would happen to Andrew if the law decided he was breaking the terms of his parole. Everything could just get worse if Neil ran off half-cocked.
Neil was in possession of a varied criminal career that covered a lot of areas, rehab centers and consequently breaking a guy out of a rehab center to protect him from evil rapist doctors were not covered in any of those aforementioned areas.
If only he could still ask Mary for advice. As if she’d say any anything other than Abram what the fuck do you think you’re doing, you’re name is now Mitch Blanc and you’re moving to Siberia. Forget about the goalie. You suicidal wretch.
Coach unlocked the bus and Neil pulled Renee away to the side to explain everything to just her. Except no one got on the bus and everyone just kept talking.
“Neil, please let me look at your nose.”
“What did Riko say about my brother?”
“Those fucking Ravens.”
“What did Kevin mean by if?”
“Jesus Christ Neil could you explain just one thing for once.”
“I swear to god Kevin I don’t care if Andrew stabs me.”
“Let’s just beat the shit out of Riko, who even cares why.”
“Nathaniel--” Kevin was so quiet, no one but Neil even heard him. But Neil heard it like a gunshot.
“DON’T CALL ME THAT,” Neil slapped a hand against the side of the bus. Everyone shut up. Neil wrestled with his lungs. “I’m Neil,” he managed to get out. Neil turned to Kevin. Kevin was pale and terrified and Neil could not find an ounce of care for his feelings. Not on this. “I’m Neil,” he repeated.
Kevin nodded. His right hand was wrapped around his left, both pulled close to his chest as if waiting for a rebreak. Already flinching from what he thought the son of the Butcher would do to him. And Neil found an ounce.
Neil dragged in a full breath. “Kevin, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“I know,” Kevin said, his voice still too quiet. “I’m sorry.”
“What the hell did he even call you?” Seth asked.
“Who cares about that,” Nicky yelled. “I couldn’t give less of a fuck whatever weird slur Kevin called Neil to make him snap! One of you two is telling me right now what Kevin meant by ‘if Andrew comes back,’ or I am hitting the both of you with Coach’s bus.”
“No, you will not be doing that,” Coach said. “All of you get on the bus right now and Neil will explain on the way back to Palmetto. And I swear to God if you all keep squawking at each other you will all be running back.”
Everyone got on the bus.
Abby made Neil sit next to her so she could look at his nose. Everyone else dead silent as she set it and tapped it and then offered Neil pain meds that he immediately refused. Once she was done Wymack started the bus and pulled onto the road.
“Okay, what happened?” Dan asked in her authoritative, do not disobey me captain’s voice.
Even if he had to say this in front of everyone, Neil still stood up and looked directly at Renee. “Riko bought one of the doctors at Easthaven, we need to get Andrew out before he ends up dead.”
Everyone lost their collective minds. A discordant chorus of “elaborate,” and “Coach turn this bus around right now.” And Neil struggled to ignore it. Especially as Aaron actively grabbed him by the suit collar, hissing and shaking like a feral cat.
“I’ll call Betsy,” Renee said, already pulling out her phone.
“Didn’t she sign over care or something,” Neil asked, leaning around Aaron to talk to her. Nicky had very loudly complained about that, that not even Dobson could get a message to Andrew.
“She’s still the best place to start,” Renee got up and went to the back of the bus.
“Aaron, you need to calm down,” Neil pulled Aaron’s hands off of him.
“Are you seriously telling me to calm down right now?”
“What part of shaking me do think will help Andrew?”
“Well, clearly Kevin thought hitting you would fix something,” Allison so very helpfully said.
“Riko said if Neil went to Evermore Andrew would be safe,” Kevin said, his voice flat with a bottle of vodka in his lap.
“That’s bullshit and we all fucking know it. All Riko wants is to fucking kill one of us, drugging Seth, sending that moron after Renee, Drake ending up across the country to surprise Andrew. This is just another goddamned hairbrained scheme to put one of us in the ground. If Andrew hadn’t gone to rehab he would have just tried to blackmail me into spending my break getting poorly tortured to death in his goth fucking torture room. If we leave Andrew in Easthaven he will die. If I go to Evermore I will die and Riko can still do whatever the fuck he wants to Andrew. And you know as jazzed as I am at the prospect of not having to deal with any of this shit anymore. I refuse to have Riko fucking Moriyama be the one to actually kill me. So no, I am not going to Evermore Kevin, Riko is a lying manipulative piece of shit and nothing short of actually getting Andrew out of that place is going to make him safe.”
“Neil, you need to breathe,” Abby said right behind him.
And yeah, actually the world was kinda fading out at the edges. Neil sat down. Katelyn was suddenly right next to him, knelt on the floor of the bus, asking him those inane questions about what he could see and hear. Inane because they worked and he hated that.
When Neil tuned back into the conversation Aaron was talking. “How the fuck do we get him out of there? You idiots barely got him in.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to figure out who Riko paid and report them,” Katelyn suggested, one hand still on Neil’s shoulder. “Or break their legs maybe? I don’t know, whatever it takes to stop them from hurting him. Getting the one without the court order out of the court ordered building sounds easier than getting Andrew out.”
“Holy shit,” Allison awed. “And I was confused about what you were doing with a Minyard. Break some doctor’s legs, what are you a fucking New York City gangster? You gonna tell Riko to sleep with the fishes?”
“Stop flirting,” Seth complained.
“How do we even figure that out? Poll the employees, hi have you ever taken money from famed exy star Riko Moriyama,” Matt asked.
“There has to be something about the doctor that made Riko offer, it’s not like he could have polled the employees to figure out which one would take the money.” Dan said.
“Easthaven’s supposed to be a good facility, Betsy said it was good. A good place wouldn’t just hire someone with that kind of history.” Nicky said. “Right? She wouldn’t, she wouldn’t have put. She wouldn’t put Andrew in a place--”
“Nicky, if I have to keep breathing so do you,” Neil said. He just wanted to hit something and have everything be fixed. He wanted a nap or to jump out of the moving bus. He wanted a gun. He was about to suggest the arson, evacuate, grab Andrew plan. Deal with the legal consequences whenever they happened. They didn’t have time to stalk all the employees, not thoroughly enough for whatever thread of depravity had managed to escape the center's background check but not Riko’s.
“I got an anonymous threat,” Wymack started, loud and final. “From some rival team while we were at the banquet that said a doctor was going to hurt Andrew. With everything that’s happened in the last two years it’s enough to at least get him on the phone. If not get Andrew moved someplace else. Walker,” he called out louder, “give me the phone when you’re done. Betsy and I will get Andrew out of Easthaven and you will all curb your violent criminal thoughts.”
“Can it be that simple?” Neil asked. “Will anyone take you seriously?”
“I’ll make them,” Wymack promised.
And that was good enough.
If nothing else, Neil was willing to let Coach try first. There was always arson if he failed.
Renee handed Wymack the phone and Wymack talked to Dobson. Dobson would drive out to Easthaven and Wymack would call ahead to whoever was in charge on his own phone.
No one pretended to not eavesdrop as Wymack called up the rehab center and started talking about dangerous fans. About how the team had gotten Swatted last year. All of the dead animals and vandalism that came along with the attention of “Raven’s fans,” he spun a good yarn. Wymack did. It helped that all of that was mostly true, with the exception of a lot of it being perpetrated by the Raven’s themselves.
The whole time he kept the bus at a steady calm pace. Ending with the explanation that Dr. Betsy Dobson needed to speak with the head of Easthaven and Andrew himself to ensure his safety in the face of these threats.
Quietly, while Coach was still talking, Kevin moved to sit near Neil. He still had that bottle of vodka, unopened, white knuckled in his grip.
“He wasn’t lying,” Kevin said in low French.
“No,” Neil admitted in the same language. “He wasn’t.”
“You’re gonna die,” Kevin said, knowing, solemn, without question.
“Yeah, I am.”
“You-- Fuck, Neil you’ve been saying that all year.” Kevin turned to Neil, “have you really been trying to get Andrew to kill you?” He asked.
“Eh, I could’ve been trying harder.”
“You’re gonna die,” he repeated, twisting his hands around the bottle.
“Kevin, enough. I know, there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Trust me, if I could…” Neil trailed off, would he? Really? If he could stop this, magically end everyone who wanted him dead. Erase Nathanial Wesninski from existence, make Neil Josten real and separate and alive. If Neil could do any of that, would he? Or would he just make the end not hurt. It was going to hurt. It was going to hurt so bad, he knew that, he had the proof of concept carved into his skin before he could properly remember it.
Neil looked at Kevin, “will you still teach me?” He asked.
“Every night.”
Neil debated the next question for half a moment before deciding maybe he needed an answer for this one thing. “What did he mean by owning me?”
“You don’t know?”
“Assume I’m an idiot.”
“Shit,” Kevin was wide-eyed. “Uh, when your mother took you, that was your audition. You were supposed to be a Raven. The money you took was the family's money. Your father sold you and then you ran.”
Well, all things considered his father literally selling him to a homicidal sports cult wasn’t exactly out of character for him. “I didn’t know, she never explained why we left. I never asked.”
“Why did you think you were there? Why did you think they made us watch your father kill someone?”
“Little league practice,” Neil shrugged. “He made me watch him kill people all the time, it was only strange that you and the other were there.” They were both avoiding names, speaking in French only disguised the conversation so much.
“If you failed the next day we would have watched him kill you.” Kevin said.
“He would have killed me for Exy?” Sure, Neil’s father would have stabbed him because it was a little too sunny outside. But disposing of his only son wholesale just for being bad at sports seemed wasteful even for him.
“You weren’t supposed to exist,” Kevin said. “None of the branches are supposed to have heirs, it would dilute the family’s power.”
No. No, absolutely not.
“He works for them?”
“How stupid are you?” Kevin asked.
“I was ten when I left, it’s not like anyone sat me down and explained the intricacies of it!” God fucking damn it, everything came back to the Moriyamas.
“What the hell are you two even arguing about?” Aaron asked. “Kevin, we’ve all wanted to hit Neil but this is just not his fault.”
Neil lost it. He laughed so hard his eyes teared up. Maybe Riko Moriyama would kill him, all he had to do was put in a phone call to his estranged family about where Neil was and that would do it. “C’mon Aaron, give it your best shot. I know you’re still miffed about Halloween.” He said in English, already anticipating the easy no Aaron would give but wanting someone to put him out of his misery nonetheless.
“You should run,” Kevin said in French.
“I’m sick of it, Kevin, I’m sick of all of it. I’m here, it’s fine.” Neil told him in French.
By the time they made it back to the dorms, the sun just peaking out over the skyline. Andrew had been moved to a new facility, strong armed by the combined powers of Wymack, Dobson, and a well documented history of Exy related harassment. The new place let Dobson see him and she reported that Andrew was tired, recovering from his meds, but otherwise unharmed.
Neil watched Nicky and Aaron be shocked at the degree of relief on the other Foxes. Andrew was safe, they’d gotten him out in time. He’d be back in the new year threatening to stab people and being dramatic.
But before then, the Monsters were going to New York and Neil needed to pack.
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Det är nu fem år sedan metoo-rörelsen startade och i lördags besökte jag Kvinnohistoriska museet i Umeå och utställningen #Metoo Utställningen handlar om rörelsen, vittnesmålen men även om framtiden. Jag tror och hoppas att #Metoo lett till en förändring av synen på sexuella övergrepp och trakasserier och en ökad medvetenhet om var gränserna går! . . . #metoo #metoosweden #metoorörelsen #kvinnohistoria #kvinnostrejk #kvinnorsrättigheter #kvinnor #tjejer #umeå #metoopuman #övergrepp #våldinärarelationer #hedersrelateratvåldochförtryck #sexuellaövergrepp #nmftg #advokat #målsägandebiträde #brottmålsadvokat #brottmål #sexualbrott @kvhistmuseum #advokatannbergstrom (på/i Kvinnohistoriskt museum) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck81pAcsgA3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
#metoo#metoosweden#metoorörelsen#kvinnohistoria#kvinnostrejk#kvinnorsrättigheter#kvinnor#tjejer#umeå#metoopuman#övergrepp#våldinärarelationer#hedersrelateratvåldochförtryck#sexuellaövergrepp#nmftg#advokat#målsägandebiträde#brottmålsadvokat#brottmål#sexualbrott#advokatannbergstrom
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RISE—a debatable "analysis"
so, league of legends and the word alive just recently released rise (redux) as a celebration of the original rise, and it made me realise just how many versions of rise have been released over the years. and then, i thought, well. why shouldn't i go over all of them? it's not like anyone's stopping me :]
so, enjoy my thoughts on every version of rise that i could find! supposedly there was a nightcore version at some point but i couldn't find anything official so it will have to stay off the list for now. also jackeylove has some opinions to share from when each of these came out.
his text looks like this
my actual thoughts look like this
don't blame me for tumblr formatting options they all suck ok
RISE (2018)
youtube spotify
next year it’s gonna be me in the music video just you wait we’re gonna destroy this thing
nostalgia-wise, this isn’t my favorite worlds song. definitely not my favourite mv, but production-wise, i can’t imagine any worlds song that could top this one. although mako has worked on every worlds song since at least 2017 (i think 2016 too, but i can’t easily verify that) except for 2̷̨̫̫͓͕̀̓0̷̡̠̹̭͉́2̶̳͕̟̜̄̓̀͗́2̶̠͉͆̍, he absolutely popped off with this one in particular. the gravelly effect added to his vocals helps demonstrate the weight of the lyrics, and then when it’s taken off for telle’s RISE, it feels even clearer, like they’re breaking through all the barriers to go higher, to literally rise above it all. the bpm (177!) can be felt right at the start, a frantic pace demonstrating just how quickly you could lose everything, how fast you need to move, and the bridge has some of my favourite lyrics in all of riot’s songs. i love nearly all of the worlds songs, but the storytelling in this one is wonderful even without the mv.
RISE - Remix (2018)
youtube spotify
better than the original version no competition
rookie looked over my shoulder while i was writing this and laughed at me because he says the rap sucks. well FUCK YOU i’m writing all this in voidtongue from now on how about YOU suck fucking music snob asshole why are you so good at singing
on a lyrical level yeah sure rookie’s right; half of it is product placement. however. sometimes noise is good. i usually don’t like remixes, but here it works, because more going on doesn’t take away from the song; just makes it more hype. i don’t follow bobby or ikon much but his flow here is really clean and it’s just a vibe. i think recently i’ve listened to this version much more than the original just because of how much more energy it has, and while it doesn’t have the same feel, i still really like it
RISE - Live (2018)
youtube
honestly don’t even care it was that bad. we got to laugh about it and then we won so if anything it was just a good luck charm
good thing we weren’t in view at the start of the performance though i think rookie was crying although from laughter or just how bad it was i’m not sure
okay yeah. mako completely threw this one i have no idea what he was on
HOWEVER. telle did great. and yk what once bobby came on mako sounded fine.
it’s still obviously. not good. but it could have been worse. my main problem with it isn’t even the performance it’s the fact that riot turned the mics way down for opening ceremonies after 2018 which is a CRIME LET THEM SING LIVE (it was a bit better for rise 2023 but the other songs were still very loud on the backtracks. i get that some singers aren’t great at the whole projecting thing but come on you can’t tell if you can’t even hear them over the backtrack.)
RISE - UNSECRET Cover (2021)
youtube spotify
yeah i can vibe to this right about now
i like this version a lot but out of all the official releases i think i have to put it fourth through no fault of its own but just because it feels like there’s something missing. it’s gritty and it’s definitely a vibe but there aren’t the layers of production that you don’t notice until they’re missing, especially with how flat the RISE feels. of course, this makes sense—it’s riot forge, and production is all attributed to UNSECRET, but it’s a shame that by any other standards it’d be an absolute banger but here it falls just short. fun fact though, this was the version i put on my playlist for when i was writing nmftg (and no i haven't forgotten about the behind the scenes stuff i promised. it's coming soon i swear)
RISE - Demo
twitter
hm. so maybe he can sing
there’s a reason i heap so much praise on mako. these are demo vocals and just the layers here give me chills, not to mention how much of a sucker i am for strings. i would pay so much for a full album of a full version of all of his silly little string arrangements for all the worlds (and other riot songs, let’s be real) songs he worked on. you have no idea. can’t judge it as a full song but if it were it would be very high on my list
RISE - Live (2023)
youtube
0/10 should have been ME at the top of the rift i would have kicked gumayusi’s ASS
look, i’m biased. but seeing mako’s redemption was everything (and if you haven’t seen the clip he posted, absolutely check it out) and the orchestral instrumental slowing it down instead of the more frantic opening and hard beat gave it a more serious weight that felt especially appropriate for the revival of the song and the ongoing themes of 2023 worlds, with the Glory and the previous winners looking for redemption (even though wbg were complete frauds). it’s a perfect rendition for that ceremony and honestly like. thanks for not doing a season start cinematic riot the rise redemption was a banger you can tell just how much being able to do that performance meant to them and the emotions brought me to tears watching it live
i am glad they brought back season start song for this year though :)
also mako’s jacket was really really cool look
Rise (Redux) (2024)
youtube spotify
this is my personal anthem no i will not elaborate
telle’s vocals on this track are just so full of emotion that i can’t not love it. add to that my soft spot for rock and you get just a beautiful song. i can’t say whether or not it’s my favourite, just due to how new it is, but it’s undoubtedly great, and you should listen to it :)
anyway, i hope at least someone enjoyed my somewhat random thoughts! i love talking about music, especially riot's, and ranting about worlds anthems is what got me writing ppau in the first place, so it holds a special place in my heart. if people are interested, maybe i'll do something else talking about the worlds anthems! or maybe no one cares and this is going into the void. oh well. it was fun to write, especially with jackeylove's little comments. love him.
if you saw a typo no you didn't this is a thousand words of pure brainrot and nothing else
#ppau jackeylove#ppau nmftg#not ppau#at least not really#rise#music analysis#long post#lots of rambling
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Internationella kvnnodagen och Cnema visade NMFTG med Mia Skäringer. Skratt som kom ut och nästa skratt satte sig i halsen. Vad gör oss män så rädda... hur bygger vi respekt för varann? Fantastisk föreställning som borde visas på alla skolor och alla män ska se. Jag blir så arg på att vi tillåtit många ”genier” till män, inom olika delar av samhället, fått begå övergrepp med vårt god minne, och tom försvaras av andra rädda män😤 #nufårdetvaranog @miaskaringerlazar #nmftg @cnema_norrkoping (på/i Cnema) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9gLwpmpxXJ/?igshid=1gna1zbp754w6
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The Final Fuck! #NMFTG (på/i Tele2 Arena) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5OBQhbJbz8cKr_BDTOwUy2IhyDM64RIC5cw1k0/?igshid=undkegx59s46
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Rob Kardashian und Blac Chyna sind verlobt #BlacChyna http://dlvr.it/NmFtgs
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NMFTG 19
Mr and Mrs Hemmick Cause a Scene
ao3: chapter below the cut
Neil was being subjected to some movie called “Austin Powers,” when Nicky flung open the door in theatrical despair. He immediately made for Neil with a wild look in his eyes.
“Help, please, help.” Nicky begged. “I’m gonna die.”
Neil was standing halfway across the room before he could think. “What happened?” he asked.
“Mom just called to wish Andrew and Aaron a happy birthday,” Nicky answered.
Neil tried to gauge how actually serious this was.
“And that’s a bad thing?” Matt asked.
“Oh, Boyd look at him, I’ve only ever seen Hemmick quake like this when his cousin’s got his knives out.” Seth said, lazily gesturing with the tv remote.
“They uh, well,” Nicky shifted around, looking down at the sleeves of his sweater. “Dad hasn’t said a word to me since Erik and my mom calls on Christmas to ask if I’ve returned to God and disconnects when I say no.” He never looks this shamed. Not even back when Seth and Aaron were constantly on him about being gay, Nicky never looked like this. “I don’t think Aaron’s spoken to them since Aunt Tilda’s funeral, and Andrew avoids them like they’re a contagious disease. He and dad didn’t hit it off too well when they met at juvie.”
“It couldn’t have gone that badly,” Matt said. “I mean, your dad supported his early release, right?”
“Yeah, but-” Nicky started.
“He ever hit you?” Seth asked, cutting him off, much to Neil and Matt’s surprise.
“What? No, he just thinks I’m an affront to God and his reputation.” Nicky answered.
“Hemmick,” Seth groaned. “Fuck your parents, my dad used to regularly beat the shit out of me and he still came to my games until I threatened to call the cops. I’ve never even heard you talk about yours before.”
“Why did she call, really?” Neil asked, not wanting to go near Seth’s issues with a ten foot exy stick.
“To invite us home for Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Absolutely not,” Seth pointed the remote at Nicky. “That reeks of bullshit.”
“What if she had a change of heart? C’mon Seth, it’s his mom.” Matt argued.
“What did you tell her?” Neil asked.
“Nothing! I hung up, she said it was contingent on Aaron and Andrew going too. Mom made that crystal clear and there’s no way Andrew will agree.”
“You never know until you try,” Matt said, still trying to be supportive.
“Don’t, dude, take it as a sign or some shit.” Seth said.
“Wait, why are you here telling us?” Neil asked. Nicky had come in asking for help, what exactly Neil, Matt, and Seth were supposed to do about this was beyond him.
“You and Seth got Andrew to do Halloween and night practices, just, help? Please?” Nicky begged.
Neil would like to go one day without getting roped into someone else’s shit. “This is not our business--” he starts to say.
“Tell them to come here,” is what Seth says over him. Okay, whatever, it can be Seth’s business then. They all look at him. Seth continues, “tell your parents if they want to see the twins they can come to a game. Andrew can duck out on them after but they’ll have come all the way here so you can at least talk to them.”
It wasn’t a bad plan, per say, although it did rely on the conceit of Andrew not killing Nicky’s parents for whatever it was they did that he hates them for. Arguably it was better for Nicky’s parents to come here where the whole team could keep an eye on them then just Nicky and the cousins going to Columbia, with likely only Kevin for back up.
If Nicky surprised Andrew with this, though, Andrew would kill his parents and then Neil. Was it time to die? To be done with the tedious march of dying and get it over with? “Don’t surprise Andrew with them. Warn him they're coming, if they say yes.” Neil said, deciding he didn’t want to just be another body in Andrew’s theoretical killing spree.
“What if they don’t come?” Nicky asked. His voice was still small and uncomfortable.
“Then they don’t come Hemmick, but you said it yourself Andrew’s never going to agree. Just take it as a dodged bullet, they need to make the effort.”
Apparently, they agreed to come, at least Nicky was expecting them. The day of the game Nicky didn’t say a word unless prompted to. When Neil was in Millport, Coach Hernadez and the team were constantly bugging Neil about his parents coming to a game. As if it were some big thing. And then Seth too had shared that opinion. Looking at Nicky--
Look Neil got it, there was some desperate thing he tried to smother everyday that was still mourning his Mother. Neil knew that if Mary walked in through the stadium doors she’d be doing it to beat Neil’s skull in. But if she were alive to do it--
Neil got it. He did. He understood that combination of fear and hope splintered across Nicky’s face. He kept an eye on Nicky the whole game, as every time there was a time out or a reset, Nicky searched the stands and became smaller and smaller. Nicky was a tall guy, he was lanky sure, but built enough to be a backliner on a collegiate exy team. Small was an absurd thing for Nicky to be. But that’s the only word to describe the way all personality just vanished how timid he became as more and more time went by and he didn’t see his parents in the seats he’d set aside for them.
Neil understood it a little too well, which is why the second the game ended he changed out and rushed for the doors. He wanted to get back to the dorms, he wanted to avoid the walking mirror of his own grief that was sulking in the locker room.
He’d avoid everyone, if he left right then. He knew that. The other Foxes were gonna take their sweet time and Andrew, who was still recovering from his withdrawals, wouldn’t bother to make them hurry up when his lot had already agreed to stay in Palmetto for the weekend.
Neil pushed open the door to the parking lot thinking of the field behind the dorms and his half-full pack of cigarettes. And then watched his night go up in flames as he looked at the three people waiting in the parking lot.
“Hello, young man, you’re with the Foxes right?” A dire looking older man asked.
Neil studied the trio. The older man and woman were standing close, the woman was a borderline clone of Nicky-- both dressed nice. Very preacher and his wife, Luther and Maria Hemmick were exactly how he pictured, if a bit taller.
It was the second man that Neil couldn’t place. He bore no resemblance to Nicky or the twins. Not to mention Neil had never heard of any other family member existing.
“Who’s asking?” Neil asked, shutting the door behind him and listening for the automatic lock.
“We’re Nichloas’s parents,” Maria said with a soft smile.
“I’m AJ’s old foster brother,” the second man said, stretching out a hand, “Drake.”
Neil only recognized one of those words and the last time it was said it had come out of a cop’s mouth, so he just glanced at the offered hand before ignoring it and looking directly into Luther Hemmick’s eyes.
“You’re too late, they all left for some bar downtown,” he lied.
Luther narrowed his eyes, “really? Because I can see the boy’s ridiculous car parked right over there and the game only just ended. So, why don’t you go and get Nicky and the boys before we have a problem.”
He was so authoritative, Luther had all the assurance of someone used to getting their way.
“I’m surprised you’re so confident about what time the game was, considering how late you got here. They left, maybe go try your luck down by the bars or actually show up on time for your son's game.”
“You sure can back talk, can’t you?” Drake whistled.
Neil wanted these people out of his parking lot. He wanted them out of his parking lot more then he wanted to keep out of prison.
“We know they haven’t left,” Luther said.
“You should leave.” Neil was done attempting to be slick about this. “Shoo,” he took a page from Andrew’s book and tried to usher them out of the parking lot without giving up his post at the door.
“We’re not leaving until we see them.” Luther said.
Neil just crossed his arms and stared at them. Short of beating the shit out of one of them, he didn’t know how to make them leave. He could definitely take Luther and Maria in a fight. But Drake had some muscles on him, was stood in a forced relaxed sort of way that suggested he was both here expecting conflict and knew how to handle it.
Engaging in a hand to hand with more than one person was always a no-no in Neil’s book. Both by order of his mom and common sense. He didn’t think it was likely that Luther would interfere if he went for Drake first, but Neil also didn’t think he’d win that fight. Which made the whole thing a non starter.
“So, how was the game?” Drake asked after a long minute of silence.
Neil did not answer. Another minute lapsed before Drake tried again.
“I’m the reason they were late,” he apologized. “I wanted to surprise AJ, so I called them up. They had to pick me up at the airport. They wanted to be on time but it’s cute that you’re so angry for Nicky.”
Neil continued to stare.
“Would it kill you to make conversation?” Luther asked.
Neil opened his mouth to answer but the door opening cut him off. Neil glanced over his shoulder to see the upperclassmen, Nicky and Aaron, all flood out of the doors around him. Andrew must still be washing down his pills with whiskey. Neil didn’t know if that were a good thing or not.
“Mom? Dad?” Nicky asked in that quiet way he’d said everything all day.
“AJ!” Drake cheered, moving forward with his hands outstretched as if to touch Aaron.
Neil side-stepped between them and pushed Aaron back with his shoulder. There were too many things about this that Neil didn’t know.
Nicky started to introduce the other’s to his parents, one flitting glance showed his mood hadn’t improved.
Aaron stepped out from behind Neil and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know you.” Aaron said to Drake.
“Ah, the twin, Aaron, right?” Drake asked, putting his hand out for a shake.
Neil shifted in front of Aaron again and took Drake’s hand, grasping as hard as he could. “Neil Josten,” Neil introduced himself.
“That’s one hell of a grip you got there.” Drake said.
“I’m sure it is,” here’s what Neil knew: Drake was the name Higgins had said when he came asking Andrew about a case. A case that had to do with children. Drake was the name that had Andrew storming out of the dorms. This case had Andrew pissed enough to break a phone and almost his own hand.
Neil didn’t know nearly enough, but he did know enough to not let Drake near Aaron. Nel didn’t look back at Aaron, he just let go of Drake’s hand and kept his eyes on him.
“You know,” Drake said after another too long moment of silence. “If you just open that door for me, I’ll go and get AJ myself so we can head to dinner.” He took another step to the side, already going for the door.
“No,” Neil got in his way again. “Aaron will go get everyone. Let’s chat, I’m curious, you know Andrew’s never mentioned you?”
Aaron left without another word and Neil let himself take a glance at the others-- all preoccupied with the Hemmicks still, although Neil caught Renee in a curious glance at Neil and Drake.
“Really? I’m surprised, we almost adopted him. Mom was even gonna give him part of my college fund.”
“Not a word,” Neil answered. “You must not have been that important.”
The door slammed open before Drake could answer. Everyone jumped at the noise as a grinning Andrew stepped out of the Foxhole Court. Andrew took one look at Drake and then started laughing. Neil grit his teeth at the noise, he had no idea what Andrew was going to do.
There were other people in the parking lot. A few too many stragglers were left still going to their cars for Andrew to commit murder. Neil didn’t know what Drake did, but he figured the Foxes would back Andrew if push came to shrug. Strangers couldn’t be trusted.
Andrew straightened up and strode forward.
“AJ,” Drake said, a tense smile on his face. Neil realized he’d probably never seen Andrew on his meds. “Long time no see,” Drake stuck out his hand again, once more trying to get past Neil.
It wasn’t happening. Neil stepped inbetween the two of them, grabbing Drake’s hand again to use it as a stress ball.
“Neil,” Andrew tried to warn before laughter overtook him again. Neil felt Andrew grab onto the back of his shirt.
“What’s so funny?” Drake asked.
Neil dug his nails into the back of his hand a little before he dropped it. Neil could tell Drake was unsettled, he’d been tense before standing beside Mr and Mrs Upright and Holy. Maria had told Nicky to bring the twins for Thanksgiving to their house in Columbia. A private residence an hour away from everyone. Now, they were in public with the entire team plus bystanders. Whatever the plan had been had gone to shit the second Nicky had listened to Seth.
Neil didn’t smile much, but this felt like a special occasion, besides the grin that creeped up onto Neil’s face wasn’t his own. “I think you getting all the way to South Carolina when you’re wanted by the police in California is a little funny. Don’t you?”
“Excuse me?” Drake floundered.
Andrew’s laughing got louder. The door opened again and out came Aaron, Kevin, Wymack and Abby. Everyone was finally in the parking lot, they were a full circus. Nicky drowning as his parents made small talk with the upperclassmen. Andrew in hysterics as Neil tried to figure out how to get Drake to leave before Andrew caught his breath and stabbed someone.
“Hey Coach,” Neil called, “you gotta come meet this clown.”
“Josten, what in the fuck is going on?” Coach asked as he made a beeline directly for them, Aaron and Kevin at either side.
“I don’t know what AJ told you, but it’s all a misunderstanding.” Drake tried.
Andrew’s laughter cut off and he tugged on the back of Neil’s shirt.
“Too many witnesses,” Neil murmured.
Andrew stepped around Neil without a word, Neil let him.
“What is this? Some ploy to get Higgins to drop the case? Did some little birdy make a call?” Andrew asked, he hadn’t drawn a knife yet but he might as well have. All conversation stopped the second Andrew started talking, all eyes on him.
“Now, Andrew--” Luther started.
“No, you don’t get to talk. Not after you brought him here. Around Nicky? Aaron? After all I did to make sure they never met.” Andrew didn’t look away from Drake. “You said you would talk to Cass, Luther, you said there would be no more kids in that house.” Andrew started laughing again.
Drake opened his mouth as if to speak and Andrew hit him before he could get a word out. Drake only barely managed to stay standing, but when Andrew hit him again he hit the floor.
Coach pulled Andrew back before he could in a third swing, But Neil figures the third probably would have knocked Drake out cold.
“What the hell is going on?!” Coach yelled.
“He’s wanted by the state of California for hurting children,” Neil pointed out. .
“Those charges--” Luther starts.
“I’ll hit you next,” Andrew promised and Luther shut his mouth.
Drake managed to pull himself up off the ground, a smart man would have left then, after getting knocked on his ass in a parking lot full of athletes and witnesses. But Drake lunged for Andrew, who was still being held back by Wymack, instead.
Neil shoved Drake back before he could reach Andrew. Drake cursed and swung at Neil, a little too fast for Neil to dodge. Neil took the hit, he could, Neil was built for taking hits. Neil drove his fist into Drake’s stomach and then made a tactical retreat.
“Back the fuck up,” Neil said, still smiling, tasting blood in his teeth.
Drake lurched but then visibly noticed how everyone had gotten closer. This wasn’t a one on one fight, it was ten on one, twelve if Wymack let go of that vice grip on Andrew’s arm.
“You--” Nicky was the first to speak. His eyes glassy and his breath quick. “This man hurt Andrew and you knew?” He asked Luther without looking at him.
“I’m going to have to ask the three of you to leave before I have to call security, I don’t appreciate you coming here and harassing my players.”
“We were invited?” Maria tried to argue.
“Aw, Drake,” Andrew giggled. “Was this worth breaking your bail? You know crossing state lines is a felony, not that that is anything new.”
“Dan has Higgin’s number,” Neil added, and then looking at Luther and Maria, “aiding and abetting? I wonder what your church will think?”
Dan pulled out her phone.
The three of them scrambled off to their car. Only after the Hemmick’s car had pulled out of the parking lot did Wymack let go of a laughing Andrew.
“Neil, your face,” Abby worried when Neil turned around.
“It’s just a split lip, I’m fine.”
“Who was that?” Aaron asked. “What the fuck just happened?”
Andrew was still laughing too hard to answer, he flapped a hand at Neil. As if Neil would be able to answer anything.
“Oh, I’ve got no fucking idea who that was,” Neil argued. “We should go back to the dorms.” It was less likely Drake or Luther knew where Abby lived, but there were more locks between the outside world and any of their dorms. Also it was closer.
“What did that guy even do?” Allison asked.
“Drake likes little kids,” Andrew answered between laughs. “He was my foster brother before I went to juvie.”
“You knew about this Josten?” Aaron asked.
“No,” Neil spit blood out of his mouth. “I made an educated guess. Dorms, let’s go, we need to hunker down and call Higgins.”
“Talk about a fucking guess!” Seth exclaimed.
“This whole thing was just--” Nicky’s voice hitched. “They knew?”
“Shhhh, of course they knew,” Andrew said, “let’s go before Nicky starts crying. Neil can drive.” Andrew pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and threw them at Neil.
“Dan give me the number,” Wymack said, holding out his hand. “Abby’ll grab the first aid kit and we’ll meet you all over there.”
“I’m fine,” Neil said again, spitting out more blood and unlocking the cousin’s car.
They all managed to get to the dorms without a major incident, although Nicky did in fact cry the entire five minute drive. Dan, Wymack, and Abby would get there soon enough, but everyone else pulled into the parking lot at the same time.
“You drive exactly the speed limit,” Andrew noted as they all got out of the car.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Neil asked.
“One.” Andrew said, heading inside.
“Andrew--” Aaron started as they went after him.
“I do not want to talk to any of you.”
“Andrew plea-” Neil started.
“I do not like that word.” Andrew jammed his thumb into the elevator call.
Neil blanched as it occurred to him why that might be.
Andrew seemed to think better of waiting for the elevator and went directly to the emergency staircase. “Don’t follow me,” he said.
“Just wait a second,” Neil tried again, coming to stand just in front of where Andrew already had the stairwell door open.
The elevator arrived and the upperclassmen got on, but Aaron, Nicky and Kevin didn’t.
“What Neil?” Andrew asked.
Neil lowered his voice. “Can I borrow a knife?” he asked.
“Can you?” Andrew mocked.
“May I borrow a knife?”
“I don’t want or need your protection.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Neil.”
“Andrew.”
Andrew stared at Neil, reached a hand up to where Neil’s lip was still bleeding and pressed into the broken skin. “You are a dumbass.” Andrew said.
“Okay,” Neil said. He could barely feel it, still running on adrenaline. Besides, a split lip might as well have been a paper cut compared to the rest of Neil.
Andrew pulled a knife out of his wrist band and handed it blade first to Neil. Neil took it without cutting himself and Andrew went up the stairs.
Neil took one look at the knife, four inch blade, decent balance, he slipped it into his hoodie pocket and went to rejoin the others. Kevin was quiet, Nicky was still sobbing, and Aaron was pissed.
“What the fuck was that?” Aaron asked.
“We don’t know where they went,” Neil told him. “Nicky, give me your phone.”
The second elevator opened and Neil shoved the three of them on and then just reached into Nicky’s pocket and pulled out his phone.
“You seem to know a lot of shit Josten,” Aaron said.
“Yes, despite my best efforts.” Neil agreed, because really. He’d been doing everything to avoid knowing. To avoid this. Neil slammed the button for their floor and then turned on Nicky’s phone.
By the time they reached their floor, Neil had found the contact on Nicky’s phone. ‘Baby’ with an absurd amount of hearts before and after. Neil hit dial and handed the phone to Nicky when the line connected. Renee was waiting in the hall in front of her dorm room.
“Aaron, if the upperclassmen say something stupid will you hit them?” Neil asked, as soon as he did he knew the answer. “Can you take Nicky and Kevin to your room?”
Aaron stopped Neil from continuing on down the hall. He just stared at Neil for a long moment and then shook his head and pulled Nicky and Kevin into their dorm. Neil went to Renee but listened for the door as it opened and shut behind him.
“Where’s Andrew?” Renee asked.
“He took the stairs,” Neil said.
“Ah, I'll go check on him then.” She made for the stairs.
Neil went directly into the girl’s dorm and took a second to observe.
“How the hell was he laughing?” Allison asked, not looking at the door.
Neil immediately understood what he had walked into. “Because he’s drugged out of his mind,” Neil answered. “Are you actually that dense or just willfully stupid when it comes to Andrew? He laughs at everything because he’s on court ordered medication and cannot help himself.”
“Where is everyone?” Matt asked when Allison just stood there blank.
“Nicky’s talking to Eric, Aaron’s watching him and Kevin. Renee went to check on Andrew,” Neil reported.
“Are you okay?” Matt asked.
“It’s gonna take a lot more than one punch to kill me,” Neil told him.
The door opened and Renee slipped inside, “Andrew’s taking some time,” she told them.
As long as someone knew where he was, Neil thought.
“It had to be the Ravens,” Seth said. “There was only one way for that guy to get to the otherside of the country when he wasn’t supposed to leave the state. It was Riko.”
“Is he gonna send everyone’s demons back at them?” Matt asked.
At the very least, Tilda was already dead, so Aaron would be fine.
“Riko only has so many moves he can make,” Renee said quietly. “Even with his amount of resources, he’s the second son and everything he’s done so far has made a lot of noise.”
Neil considered telling them that if anyone came looking for him they should throw Neil under the bus and run in the opposite direction. But Neil knew they wouldn’t give him the answer he wanted.
“I’m gonna--” Neil made a vague gesture and left the room. He went into his dorm and grabbed his desk chair and dragged it out into the hall. He positioned it so he could watch the elevators and the stairwell and still keep an eye on the hall itself.
He sat down and put his hand in his sweatshirt pocket. Held the knife.
Even for eating purposes Neil typically tried to not hold the knife too much. It instantly brought on a wave of things he did not want to think about. But Neil was still in that shifty space of adrenaline were bad ideas seemed good if they worked. They were in an emergency situation and the math turned out to be incredibly simple.
Neil could use a knife. It was unlikely that Drake or Luther would come to the dorms, but if Riko was really the puppet behind this he didn't want to take the risk. Not with his foxes, not with Andrew.
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NMFTG 21
End of Life Crisis
it's like a mid life crisis but not mid
ao3: chapter below cut
Two days after the parking lot fiasco Drake was found dead in his cell. Apparently, he hung himself. Neil had no desire to look into that and it seemed no one else did either. The guy was dead, who cared about the specifics. Although Seth was quick to point out it was likely the Moriyamas were involved. Neil figured they might as well be good for something, even if it was just taking out the trash.
One more day after that and Andrew was going to rehab. That morning Andrew ducked into Neil’s dorm and tossed a set of keys at him before turning and leaving without a word.
“Are those his car keys?” Seth asked.
Neil looked at the set of keys. “One of them probably is.”
Andrew came back into the room and pointed a finger at Seth, “Not allowed in my car.” And then turned and left again.
“Oh, come on!” Seth complained.
Neil looked at the keys. The car key. One that looked like a dorm key. The third key stumped him for a second and then he realized it must be for his house. Neil attached the keychain to his court keys and then stared for a bit longer. Allowed, invited. Responsibility was an odd thing for a dead man to have and as Neil looked over his keys it dawned on him he had a lot of it. Neil was already dead but he’d never had more to lose.
“You good man?” Seth asked.
“I’m fine,” Neil said.
“Now why don’t I believe that?” Seth asked.
Neil put the keys back into his pocket. “That is not my problem.”
“What is your problem?” Seth asked. “Because you go on and on about how much you don’t care but I think that’s bullshit.”
Well, who asked him? “No one’s asking you to think, Seth, it can’t be good for you.”
“You little shit,” Seth grabbed the closest pillow and flung it at Neil. “Stop trying to deflect by insulting me.”
“The only problem that matters right now is you deciding to psychoanalysis me.”
“Caring isn’t a bad thing, you know that right?” Seth asked. “Because you act like someone who doesn’t know that.”
Seth wasn’t wrong as outrageous as that was. Caring wasn’t bad, it was just hard.
“What will convince you that I’m fine?” Neil asked.
“You actually being fine. It’s not rocket science, Bud, you’re unwell.”
Neil reached over for the pillow that Seth had thrown and threw it back at him.
“Look, just, why were you looking at the keys like a kicked puppy?” Seth asked.
Why did Neil want to answer him? Why was he contemplating his answer and not just getting up to leave? “For a long time it was just me and my mom,” Neil admitted. “And we moved a lot, I’m not used to keys this important.”
Seth very obviously tried not to look shocked that Neil had answered. And then picked at the threads of the pillow for a long moment. “I’ve got parents and a trailer full of brothers back home,” Seth said. “But the first good thing I ever had was my jersey for this team and then the next good thing was Allison’s number. I’m gonna tell you something and then we’re gonna put on a movie with violence and cursing. It’s okay to be scared of good things, Neil, and it’s also okay to hold onto them anyway.”
True to his word Seth immediately put on a movie called “Fight Club,” having had enough emotion and genuine conversation for the day--Neil hoped the year-- at eleven AM. Which was great because Neil had no idea how to respond to that.
When people die all of their muscles relax, he couldn’t hang on to a damn thing.
Neil and Katelyn’s next study meeting happened at the dorms instead of the library. They both took opposite ends of the couch with their workbooks and notebooks spread between them. Aaron sat on one of the beanbag chairs and played some video game. Kevin was watching Exy games at the kitchen counter with his headphones in.
Katelyn had brought assorted fruits and a brief tap on the shoulder. That Neil, bizarrely, realized was her downsizing a hug into something that Neil would accept. He hadn’t seen her since the game, presumably Aaron had talked to her and seen her and all that.
When Nicky came in from class he did a double take. More than a double take, Nicky paused in the doorway looked at the three of them, backed out of the room, shut and locked the door and then unlocked it and came back in. Upon seeing that his eyes did not deceive him he then sputtered incoherently “Katelyn? Aaron? OUR DORM, but Andrew, oh Jesus Christ, Neil what did? But Andrew?”
“Andrew told me to protect you three idiots,” Neil answered, pondering if the twins had been dramatic before Nicky adopted them or if this whole time all the theatrics could be traced back to Nicky. “Katelyn, do you plan to kill the idiots?” He asked.
“Not today,” she shook her head.
“There you go, all safe.” Neil said.
“Andrew won’t be happy about this,” Nicky said apologetically.
“Then he can kill me about it, stop worrying.” Neil would take that death gladly, once Andrew got back from rehab. “It won’t fall on you.” It shouldn’t fall on Neil either, this whole thing was on Aaron and Andrew but Neil knew that this point that was probably not a realistic expectation.
Everyone separated for Thanksgiving, it gave Neil a twitch. Dan went off to her stage sisters, Matt went to New York to see his mom, Allison and Seth went with Renee to her mom. And Neil was in Palmetto watching over Andrew’s family and also Katelyn.
They all went to Abby’s the actual day. Abby and Wymack both adored Katelyn and used her presence to attempt to shame the rest of them into behaving. It really only worked on Aaron. And then only slightly, they were together for a reason. It’s not like Katelyn was necessarily well behaved. She just had better manners than Aaron.
Nicky had a conniption over the fact that Neil had never celebrated any holidays, not just Halloween. Neil didn’t know how to explain it to Nicky without making the man cry, that Neil’s family didn’t give a shit about traditions outside of the most shallow appearances. That all that time before he went on the run bled together in knives and viscera and all the time after bled together in countries and gunshots and that the majority of holidays had passed by unnoticed.
He didn’t try to explain. Everyone was having a nice time. He just took a smoke break and tossed his keys up and down idly while trying to place the odd feeling in his stomach.
After a bit Katelyn came outside. “Thank you, by the way,” she said.
“For what?”
“I know Andrew doesn’t want me around.”
“Yeah, well, he’s in rehab and you won’t kill Aaron,” Neil said.
“I wish Aaron would just talk to him,” she said. “I know it’s complicated, even if he won't give me all the details.”
“I’m sure it is, I think if either of them let anything be simple the world would explode.” It was probably more Andrew then Aaron. When they met Aaron was drugged and confused, if Neil was a betting man he’d put money on Andrew making things complicated and Aaron being too dazed to realize it until he was already in the middle.
“Those will kill you, you know,” Katelyn said, nodding at his cigarette.
“That would be funny, here’s to hoping,” Neil tapped off the ashes and Katelyn laughed.
It wasn’t until everyone was back that Neil connected his twitch and the low feeling in his stomach and realized he had missed everyone. That it wasn’t just idle worry about Riko getting to them while they were out of town, but that Neil wanted them around.
He was so dazed by the realization that he’d gone straight out to the grass behind the dorms immediately after saying hello to everyone. And then Neil’s own stupid pointless emotions had smacked him again after he’d looked over his shoulder for the eighth time and realized he'd been waiting for Andrew to wander out after him.
Just when he thought he was as dumb as it gets, somehow Neil gets dumber. Neil heard a voice in his head that sounded depressingly like Seth saying something about good things. And Neil just put out his cigarette and flopped over face first into the dirt.
On his way back to his dorm room Renee intercepted him.
“Would you mind sparring with me?” She asked.
And yes, actually, he would. He’d mind a lot and quite possibly hurtle into the wrong end of a breakdown. He knew Renee could fight which meant he’d likely forget it was sparring and not survival. But Neil looked at Renee for a moment before outright refusing her. One hand on her cross, the other in the hem of her shirt. Her eyes were foggy and her lips were shaking almost imperceptibly. She looked like she was about to crawl out of her skin, he hadn’t seen her like this since that guy had shown up with a gun.
Neil recalled that she’d had a hearing about that fuck over the weekend, back in North Dakota. He still wouldn’t spar with her, but maybe there was something else. Neil tried to think of things that calmed him down that weren’t his own impending demise or cigarette smoke.
“What if we dyed our hair?” Neil asked, he was out of dye anyways. “Would that help?” The process was borderline ritualistic for him and Renee’s hair was always done. It felt like a fair guess.
“Actually, yeah, that could work.” She said, her hands dropping to her sides. “Let’s be impulsive.” Her smile was closer to deranged than serene but Neil figured it was good enough.
And so they took Andrew’s car to a department store and stood in the neigh endless hair dye aisle. Neil reached for the brown hair dye and stared down at it.
“You dye your hair?” Renee asked as she picked out a new palette to dye her ends.
“Yeah,” Neil said. Be impulsive. Oh, fuck it. He put the brown dye back on the shelf. “I can do whatever I want,” he said in a quiet voice. Mary was buried on a beach in California. He’d be dead in a matter of months, nothing fucking mattered.
“Well, within reason,” Renee said, amused.
“Whatever I want.” He reached for the bright orange hair dye. And then he put it in Renee's basket. She giggled as she looked at it and then grabbed her own box.
Neil led her over to the electronics section and they both dug through the DVDs until they found a boxed set of Looney Tunes. Then they went to clothing and Neil found a bunch of horrendous looking button ups. They were all busy patterns and obnoxious colors.
Renee with a grin much closer to her own put a wide brimmed straw hat on his head and Neil decided he would wear it to class everyday.
He bought fresh strawberries and Renee got herself a pint of raspberry ice cream. And then they went home. Neil took a brief detour to pull out his contacts and throw away the whole stock of them. Then they put on cartoons and they dyed each other’s hair.
Neil discovered that Andrew’s impersonation of the Roadrunner was impeccable. Meep Meep, indeed. He immediately told Renee and she laughed before looking thoughtful.
“I had something else I was going to ask you,” she said.
Neil gestured for her to go ahead.
“Andrew was supposed to be my date to the banquet. Would you mind stepping in?” She asked.
Neil might be fully losing it but he still didn’t want to tell Renee no outright. “I am not attracted to you in anyway shape or form,” he said bluntly. It wasn’t a no.
Renee laughed. “For the record I’m also not attracted to you, or Andrew for that matter. Friends can go to these things together.”
Oh.
“I’ll probably be a poor date, I’ve never been on one before so I don’t know what you’re supposed to do.”
“Well, I’ve never really been on one either,” Renee admitted. “Andrew and I, it was mostly so neither of us had to bring anyone else and to mess with the others a little bit. So, I’m not sure either.”
Neil wanted to be a good friend date. And he was on a roll for decisions that would piss off his mom today so he just went with it. “We should ask Matt,” he said. Matt had been dating Dan long enough that clearly he had to be good at it. He was also the least like;ly to give them shit about it or tell the others immediately.
“Okay,” Renee agreed. “Tomorrow.”
Neil nodded and got up to wash out his hair.
By the time Allison and Dan came back into their dorm room Neil’s eyes were blue, his hair was fox orange, and he was wearing a shirt that made Allison immediately mime throwing up.
Renee had pink, green, and orange highlights all throughout her hair and looked like she was living in her body again. All in all, it felt like a successful day.
“Please,” Allison begged. “I bought you nice clothes, what is that?”
“My new shirt,” Neil said. This is exactly what he had wanted. Something loud and ridiculous. This one had a black background and then neon swirls and planets all over it.
“I think you both look great,” Dan said, grinning.
Neil went over to the shopping bags and pulled out his new hat. “I’ve decided to be a hat guy,” he informed them.
“Kill me,” Allison begged.
“Kill me first, coward.”
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NMFTG 20
I Am Become Andrew, Destroyer of Worlds
Ao3: Chapter under cut
Neil sat in the hallway swallowing his own blood in silence until the elevator doors opened and Wymack, Abby, and Dan walked out with bags of take-out in hand. Dan nodded at Neil as she went past, going directly into her dorm. Wymack slowed long enough to shake his head at the sight of Neil posted in the hallway before following Dan. Abby set down her bag, opened up a portable first aid kit she had brought with her.
Neil let Abby fix his face, mostly because the taste and smell of his own blood wasn’t exactly helping him maintain his grip on reality. It was leaving him splintered across the world, flinching at memories, his hand tensing and untensing in his sweatshirt pocket.
Neil doesn’t remember the first time he held the knife. He doesn’t remember how he got his first scar, or his second, or his third. The earliest thing he can remember is blood and a well-lit basement.
Neil had once sworn to never touch another knife and his mother had slapped him upside the head and told him, “people who are safe get the luxury of choice.” If a situation demanded it, if there was nothing else left, he was to take a knife.
He let go of it while Abby cleaned his face though, Neil sat on his hands and waited for her to finish putting ointment on his lip. He didn’t want to hurt her.
Abby sighed, stood up straight, and asked, “I don’t suppose I can get you to come in for food?”
“I’m not hungry,” Neil told her.
“Someone will bring you out a plate,” she told him. “I imagine you’ve been through some scary stuff Neil, but don’t think that you have to take on the world by yourself. You’ve got a whole team with you.”
And that was the truth of it, wasn’t it? Neil had a whole team to lose and nothing of himself that would survive. He nodded, so Abby would leave, but then he wrapped his fingers back around the knife in his pocket.
Renee brought him a plate of food, she leaned against the wall across from him and then slid down until she was seated.
“You can have the chair?” Neil offered.
She played with the cross hanging around her neck, shook her head. They sat in silence for a long while. Neil ate his food and put the empty plate under the desk chair. Betsy Dobson came up the emergency staircase, sticking her head out for a brief wave before continuing up.
Andrew must be somewhere upstairs and Betsy could only know from Andrew or Renee, so it was probably fine.
“Andrew told me he lent you one of our knives,” Renee broke the silence.
“Our?” Neil asked.
“They were mine first,” Renee said, each word was careful, as she explained the gang she had joined as a child. The man she had killed, the one that the dipshit with the gun had been trying to avenge. How she had carried the knives as a reminder until Andrew took them. “Andrew told me that you disarmed him once?” She phrased it like a question, Neil wasn’t sure what she wanted to know.
He tapped a finger against the flat of the blade and thought. “I did,” Neil answered. “I know how to use a knife, I just don’t particularly like it.” A war was waged in his mind of his damnable urge to be honest and the compulsion to lie or joke or shut up until she went away. “I know exactly what a knife can do and I don’t want to be that person.” He admitted. “I don’t want to be…” He stopped and looked at Renee as he realized he’d been avoiding her eyes. “I know real monsters, Renee, and I’ve done a lot to avoid becoming one.” Dying was a lot. It was as far from his father and his circle as Neil could get.
Funny, that was, that he’d finally escape them only once they already had him. It’d be worth it, to finally be free.
“You can give the knife back to me,” Renee offered.
“I’ll hang on to it for tonight,” Neil declined. He wanted to explain that it didn’t matter what he became now, because soon he’d be dead. That as scared of the knife as he was, he was more scared of watching the Foxes get hurt. But he didn’t want her to be worried. “This is a different situation.” Is what he said.
Renee looked at him as if she knew that he was full of shit, but she didn’t say it out loud. And Neil appreciated that.
Wymack left the girls' dorm on his phone. He paced a bit on the other end of the hallway, just out of earshot and then he hung up, shoved the phone in his pocket and came to where Neil and Renee were sat.
“The police have him in custody, it looks like he’s getting shipped back to Oakland, in a few days. Right now he’s not leaving the station, so you two can go sit inside and get some rest.”
“I’m good here, Coach.” Neil said.
“Josten--”
“No, I glued myself to this seat, I physically can’t get up.”
Wymack turned to Renee.
“I’m keeping him company while we wait for the glue to unstick,” Renee said.
Wymack gave up on them, “where’s the rest of the team?” he asked.
“Kevin, Aaron, and Nicky are in their dorm. Andrew’s with Dobson.” Neil reported.
Wymack went and knocked on the cousins door and went in to tell them.
Neil and Renee both sat up straight as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. It was just Dobson. She smiled at the both of them, “And how are you two holding up?” She asked.
“I am well, Betsy,” Renee answered.
Dobson hummed and then looked at Neil, waiting a beat before powering on when Neil didn’t answer. “Andrew asked me to tell you to go upstairs, all the way up. Last door.” She waited for Neil to nod and then made her way to the girl’s dorm.
Neil stood up and looked at Renee. And then he held the knife out, handle first. She took it from him with a nod. Neil went to the stairwell and started up the stairs.
All the way up. He came to a door with “No Access” written across it and a broken lock. Neil opened the door onto the roof, where Andrew was sat by the edge smoking.
Neil just stared for a second. How many nights had Neil spent out behind the dorms in the grass where Andrew had been up here, looking over the parking lot?
“I will only push you over if you say something stupid,” Andrew said, not turning to look at Neil.
“Well, that’s a guarantee,” Neil said. He shut the door behind him and crossed the roof, leaning over to look at the drop. “I’ll only die if I fall wrong, so we’ll both just get injured for nothing.”
“Both?” Andrew asked.
Neil sat down next to him. “I’d drag you down with me.”
“Just ask,” Andrew said after taking a drag of his cigarette.
“Yeah, sure,” Neil agreed. “Can I have a cigarette?” He asked.
Andrew looked like he was gonna shove Neil off the roof.
“If you tell me, I’ll listen. If you want it to be a part of our honesty game so I have to say something too, that’s fine. I’ll tell you whatever. But I’m not going to ask.”
“I want nothing,” Andrew said.
“I will jump off this roof,” Neil warned.
“Why?”
“Because of you and your dramatic ass semantics--”
“No, not that.” Andrew interrupted.
“Because some guy from your past showed up today and you’re probably going to have to stab one of the others to get them to stop asking. Also the team designated head-poker was just here so I’m sure you’ve been asked enough questions already.”
“Ask anyway,” Andrew said.
There were a lot of things Neil could have asked, enough specific questions to last hours. But Neil still thought that it was unfair to make Andrew explain his past, especially when Neil never fully explained his own. So, Neil went with one that he thought Andrew could deflect easily enough. “Why did you go to Juvie?” Neil asked.
It could be answered with just the crime, what he did to get thrown in. But if Andrew was serious about telling Neil, for whatever reason, Neil had a hunch that whatever went down in Andrew’s last foster home had a lot to do with Juvie.
And Neil was right.
“Cass Spear was going to adopt me,” was how Andrew started the story. “Drake was going to defer his enlistment,” was when Neil’s fingernails started to dig into his palms. “I broke into a candy shop and waited for the cops,” was the actual answer to Neil’s question. “Aaron was covered in bruises and high on something,” was around when Neil realized fully that Andrew never thought about himself. “Luther promised he’d talk to social services if I got early parole,” was where the story ended.
Juvie for Aaron, medication for Nicky, the Moryiama’s for Kevin. Neil couldn’t imagine risking that much for others, not back when he was still trying to live.
“No smart commentary?” Andrew asked, after Neil didn’t say anything.
“Wymack said he’s in police custody,” is all Neil could say.
“Why,” Andrew asked after a minute, “why did you interfere?”
“I’m already dead,” Neil shrugged. He took a second to decide how much to say. “Before I came here all I wanted was to live, desperately.” Neil shut his eyes. “Everything I did was to survive to the next day and I didn’t care about the consequences. Not really. Not unless they were going to blow my cover or get me injured. When I came here I gave up.” He looks at Andrew. “So it doesn’t matter if I interfere, if I get involved in things. The worst that can happen is I die sooner.”
Andrew blew smoke in his face. “Punching Drake is one thing, what did you say to the Foxes?” He asked.
“What?” Neil was thrown.
“The busy-bodies downstairs called Bee and told her they wanted to petition the court for my early sobriety.”
“Huh.”
“Don’t pretend to be surprised.”
“I am surprised, I never thought they’d be that self aware, I just pointed out the obvious.”
“The obvious?” Andrew asked and warned in the same breath.
“That you are drugged out of your mind.” Neil answered honestly.
“I hate you,” Andrew said.
“Okay. When would you go to rehab?” Neil asked.
“Bee said as soon as possible, which I will never agree to.”
“Andrew,” Neil could afford to be self-sacrificing, it didn't mean anything. Andrew needed to take care of himself for once. “Go to rehab, I will mind your family.”
“And why would you do that?’
“We both know I will anyway.”
“And I should just trust that, Mr I Will Cause No Problems.” Andrew gestured to Neil’s face.
“What problem--” Neil cut himself off, it was fair enough. “Fine, what can I give you to get you to believe me?”
“Who are you, really?”
“No one,” Neil sighed. “I’m not being cagey. I’ve had twenty-two different identities in the last eight years but there’s no one… There isn’t a real person underneath.”
“So, Neil Josten is just a cover?”
That was true once, but not anymore. “Neil Josten is what’s left.”
“There’s an awful lot of you to just be scraps.” Andrew observed. “Then give me the truest name.”
There was only one more honest than Neil. “Abram.” Neil said. “It was my middle name,” honesty, honesty. “You can leave middle names off of paperwork and no one blinks, so it’s the only name that's stayed. I didn’t like my original first name anyways and neither did my mother so that’s what she called me.”
Andrew looked at Neil as he came to a decision. Neil kept his gaze. Finally, Andrew started to speak, “if anything happens to them--”
“If anything happens to them,” Neil interrupted. “Then I’m dead anyway.”
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NMFTG ch 18
Spooky Scary Seth Schemes
ao3: post ravens game party and Halloween
Neil had nothing to do with it. He’d been minding his business on Abby’s couch, watching the others drink after the Raven’s game. He’d been quiet. Unobtrusive. And yet, he was still getting dragged into the middle of everyone’s shit.
It started with Seth doing three shots in a row and then staggering to his feet to go stand in front of Andrew. Each action more concerning than the last.
“Bitch-ass-” Seth cleared his throat, shook his head. “Andrew, Minyard, what would it take for you to let us come to your club on Halloween?”
Neil wondered if Seth had taken one too many exy balls to the head when no one was looking.
Everyone started talking at once.
“WHAT?!” Nicky yelled over everyone. “You know it’s a gay club right?”
“WHATEVER IT TAKES!” Seth yelled back. “We need to beat those bird fucks into the ground and that means being a team!”
“Exy,” Kevin said with a grand gesture of his hand. He turned to Andrew. “Exy?” He repeated.
“Your lack of concern for the sport was your only redeeming quality,” Andrew said, he looked at his glass for a moment, considering. Everyone was silent. “You can all come,” he decided, shocked glee took up half the room. “If Neil agrees- costumes are required.” Andrew added.
Everyone fell apart, Andrew drinking his whiskey without a care as the room devolved into complaints and frowns. Except for Aaron, who looked at Neil in fear.
“Neil, Neil-” He started to beg.
Neil wanted nothing to do with this. He wanted no part in halloween or in being an ultimatum. The cries and sad groans of the majority of the room knew that. Which was precisely why Andrew had pinned it all on him. He had bet on Neil loving nothing more than not doing things.
Only Aaron knew.
Only Aaron knew that there was one more thing Neil enjoyed far more than isolating himself and minding his own business.
Annoying Aaron Minyard.
“You know what?” Neil said, making direct eye contact with Aaron. “Just for you Aaron, I’ll agree to go.”
Aaron started swearing as everyone else cheered. Andrew’s face twitched.
Nicky and Matt both jumped and tackled Neil off the couch. “No, no, thank Aaron, this is on him.” Neil yelled from under his teammates.
“I HATE YOU.”
Neil already knew that both Minyards were going to take issue, but he would stand by his decision. Besides there was a solid chance someone would kill him before Halloween anyways. And agreeing had increased the likelihood of it being Andrew or even Aaron maybe.
Later, when the team stopped mauling Neil and went back to drinking and being obnoxious, Neil saw Andrew slip outside to smoke. Whatever Andrew’s response was, Neil wanted to get it out of the way, so he too slipped out of Abby’s house.
“Tell me, Neil, will you be dressing as one of your cartoon characters or another one of your identities?”
“I’ll be a ghost, I think I have an extra white sheet back at the dorms.”
“Torturing Aaron, cutting up bedsheets, I seem to recall you making promises to not cause problems?”
“I would never say that, my existence is a problem, can I have a cigarette?”
Andrew put his entire hand over Neil’s face to shove him away. “Go be a problem somewhere else, before I kill you.”
Neil momentarily debated the merits of dying right then and there, but went inside anyways.
The atmosphere was sky high considering they’d versed the Ravens and Neil didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol, because Kevin hadn’t been negative about anyone’s playing, or because Neil had agreed to go to Edens.
Neil figured that if at any moment on Halloween he decided he regrets agreeing it would be easy to get Andrew to put him out of his misery. Or maybe even Aaron, considering how much he hated everyone.
Neil decided to put it out of his mind and find a corner of Abby’s to pass out in until it was time to go back to the dorms. He sat himself down on a chair and shut his eyes.
Apparently everyone was staying the night. A fact Neil didn’t realize until he woke up the next morning still on Abby’s recliner. With a crick in his neck and the site of all the upperclassmen passed out around the room.
Neil picked his way across the room, avoiding stepping on Matt, Dan, and Seth- as they had taken the floor. Allison and Renee sharing the couch.
He found Abby in the kitchen drinking coffee and accepted a cup from her before heading out. She informed him that the cousins and Kevin were upstairs. The walk back was maybe half an hour, maybe an hour. Neil didn’t care, he was peopled out and fairly confident that a morning with all of the Foxes in one house would be one he’d regret.
He’d go back to the dorms and catch up on the schoolwork that the Ravens had made impossible to focus on.
And that’s what he did, powering through his various beloved math assignments before starting the trudge through an english assignment. Which proved less to be identifying metaphors in poetry and more a test of Neil’s patience.
The upperclassmen came back while he was still staring at the paper. Neil thinks someone might have asked him something, but he could not hear a word over his own grumbling as flipped back and forth between pages in the textbook.
A steady, hard knock- completely unfamiliar and unrecognizable as any of his teammates- startled Neil out of his focus.
His heart rate immediately jumped and Neil got up, opening the door, his entire body tense.
The man who had knocked was a cop. He wasn’t in uniform, just jeans and a button up, but he stood like a cop. He also had those shiny cop shoes. And Neil wasn’t a complete moron.
Neil immediately started the shut the door. The cop held up a hand and kept it from shutting.
“Hey now, I’m just looking for Andrew Minyard.”
“Don’t know him, have a nice day.” Neil tried to shut the door again.
“Kid, I know the Exy team is on this floor,” the officer struggled to keep the door open and his voice even. “Just tell me where to find Andrew, I just wanna talk to him.”
“Wow, that’s great, good luck, good bye.”
Dan opened the door across the hall, looking at the cop and Neil.
“Hey, is everything okay out here?” She asked, her voice shifting in Captain mode.
“Hi, good afternoon, I’m looking for Andrew Minyard?” Officer Fuckwad said.
“And you are?” Dan asked.
Officer Fuckface turned around and held out a hand. “Officer Higgins with Oakland PD, I just want to talk to him, if you could let me know where to find him that’d be great.”
Dan looked at Officer Higgins hand for a moment before shaking it, her smile strained. “Well, he’s out at the minute, but why don’t you give me your number and I’ll tell you when he’s back.”
Neil wasn’t sure what was worse, a cop in the dorms or out loose on campus without supervision. He also had the sneaking suspicion that Dan wasn’t going to call Andrew to let him know about the cop. And that Neil would get the blame for this surprise somehow.
Neil pulled out his phone with a scowl, it was on low battery but still operational. And jabbed at it until it was calling Andrew Minyard.
Dan looked at him in concern and Neil gave her back a dead look.
He picked up on the second ring, “meep, meep,” Andrew said. “You know, Casper, I didn’t think you knew how phones worked.”
“Casper?” Neil asked. “Wait, nevermind, there’s a cop at the dorms looking for you.”
“What?”
“His name’s Officer Higgins, don’t be surprised.” Neil hung up the phone.
“I thought you didn’t know Andrew?” Officer Higgins asked.
Neil debated whether or not the man would be willing to stand in the hall for however long it took Andrew to get back. But ultimately decided cops weren’t the patient type.
“Yeah, I just remembered,” Neil held open the door. “Oh, won’t you please come in Officer?”
Higgins went into the dorm and Neil gestured to the couch. Watching him until he sat down on it.
“Neil-” Dan started.
“Cop stays where I can see him,” Neil told her, grabbing a textbook from his desk to prop open the door.
“I guess, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Higgins said.
“Take it however you want,” Neil shrugged.
He leaned himself against his desk, not wanting to sit down or relax in the slightest while he waited for Andrew to come deal with his problem.
Dan sighed heavily and shut the door to her dorm, coming into Neil’s and leaning next to him.
“So, what are you doing out of California?” She asked in a light tone.
“I’m on unofficial business, just need to talk to Andrew where he can’t hang up on me.”
“Is he in some kind of trouble, Officer?” She asked.
“No, not at all. Like I said, I just want to talk.”
Neil thought South Carolina was an awfully long way to go from California for ‘just a talk,’ but he’d already involved himself enough. Especially considering the cop was from the state Neil had ‘unlawfully disposed of a body’ and all.
So, Neil kept his mouth shut and his eyes on Higgins while Dan made small talk about sports and planes and shit.
It only took Andrew fifteen minutes to come stomping down the hall.
“Oh, Pig Higgins,” Andrew had a manic grin as he appeared in the open doorway. “You are a long, long way from home.”
“Andrew,” Higgins said. “We need to talk.” Higgins stood up from the couch. Neil and Dan both stood up straight. Neil, ready to usher everyone out at the first opportunity. Dan, ready to interfere- probably- like the good team captain she is.
“We talked, remember?” Andrew said. “I told you not to bother me.”
“You said not to call you,” Higgins said. “Just give me a few minutes, won’t you, for old times’ sake? I came all the way out here to see you. Doesn’t that get me any sort of consideration?”
Andrew shook his head with a laugh. Neil wondered when all of these people would get the fuck out of his dorm. He’d thought, surely, Andrew wouldn’t want to talk to the cop in front of him and Dan. But Andrew stayed in the doorway.
“You didn’t come out here for me,” Andrew said. “You came on a witch hunt I already said I wouldn’t help you with. Give me one good reason to not cut your throat, would you?”
Dan hissed under her breath, but Higgins looked completely unfazed by the threat. “I was wrong. I know that now. The investigation on him turned up nothing.”
“I warned you,” Andrew said, unsympathetic.
“We were looking at the wrong person, weren’t we? I think I’ve got it right this time, but I can’t do anything without a complaining witness. The other kids won’t speak up. They don’t trust me that much. You’re all I’ve got.”
Regret, regret. Why did Neil bother? To get long conversations about things he didn’t understand and close proximity to cops. He should have shoved the cop into Dan’s dorm room and let the upperclassmen interrogate him.
“Kids? Kids, plural. You only mentioned one last time, Pig. How many are you talking about? How many has she had?” Andrew asked.
“You wouldn’t care about the number unless there really was something there for me to find,” Higgins detected, wow, what a cop. “Just yes or no, Andrew. That’s all I want. That’s all I need right now. I’ll give you a name, you give me an answer, and I promise I’ll go away.”
“You promise. You’ll break that promise inside a week, Pig. Don’t pretend otherwise. Do I have to walk you out to make sure you leave or will you-”
“Drake,” Higgins interrupted.
“How many kids, Pig?” Andrew asked after a long moment.
“Six, since you,” Higgins said.
Andrew turned and left, Higgins following after him. The stairwell door slamming behind them both. Neil looked out into the hallway and saw both Aaron and Nicky standing with baffled and worried expressions.
Neil decided it wasn’t his business if Andrew killed a cop and went to sit back down at his desk.
“You said this wasn’t going to be a problem,” Dan said to Nicky.
“I said if it was, Andrew would handle it,” Nicky argued.
“Out, out, do this away from me, it isn’t my problem.” Neil shooed Dan out of his dorm.
“You involved yourself, I was gonna make Higgins wait at the coffee shop!”
“Oh, great, a cop loose on campus looking for Andrew, that won’t cause problems.” Neil gently pushed Dan the rest of the way out the door.
“What do you know about this, Josten?” Aaron asked, in a tight voice.
“Nothing, and I’m keeping it that way.” Neil shut the door behind Dan, resolute in his mantra of minding his own terminal bullshit.
After Neil decided his English assignment was as done as it was gonna get, he went out back to smoke in the grass. Andrew was already there.
Neil sat down and lit his cigarette, taking one long inhale to get it going before just holding it in front of his face.
“It’s your turn,” Andrew said after a while.
Neil looked at him. Andrew was still on his pills, tapping his hands against his restless legs as he smoked. Andrew didn’t look at Neil, just kept looking out at the field.
“Okay,” Neil looked away from Andrew. “Who’s Casper?”
Andrew laughed. “A cartoon ghost.”
That tracked. Neil wondered if Andrew would run out of nicknames before Neil died.
“It's your turn.” Neil said.
“You called me.” Andrew didn’t ask.
But Neil decided to answer anyway. “If you kill me, I’d like to incite it on purpose. The cop knocked on my door first.”
“What is your issue with phones?’ Andrew finally asked.
Neil contemplated arguing about what constitutes a question. But decided to just let Andrew have an extra, considering earlier. “Phone calls have never been a good thing; I threw my last one into the ocean.”
“And you call me dramatic.”
“You are, you’re whole,” Neil gestured to the entirety of Andrew's person. “The all black clothes, the knives, that I’m sure you keep next to a thesaurus- considering how you talk. Dragging me out to your secret lair in Columbia-” Andrew shoved him. “Drama queen.” Neil told him.
“Ask your question and stop being a nuisance.”
“Why are you letting everyone come to Halloween?”
“It won’t make a difference,” Andrew shook his head. “If the idiots want to try and fail at being a team they can do it where I get discounts on alcohol.”
Neil figured that was fair enough.
There were a few differences to Neil’s second trip to Columbia. For one, he was in the back of Allison’s car- with Allison, Renee, and Seth. And not sat between the Minyards as they tried to ineffectually kill him via elbow. He had all the room in the backseat, with an entire empty seat between Neil and Seth.
The next difference was that apparently, someone had to call up Sweeties and reserve a table. Although with ten people that did make sense. They all squished thigh-to-thigh around the reserved table and made awkward conversation.
Anytime anyone tried speaking to Aaron, he’d kick Neil under the table. Some sort of ‘you did this’ tax, Neil supposed.
Andrew seemed to only be talking to his family and Renee. But he was still on his meds so he had the energy to spare answering direct questions from the others.
Neil had carefully, thoughtfully, considered taking advantage of the sheet over his head and going to sleep. But decided to pay attention, due mostly to boredom and a post game adrenaline buzz still working through his system.
Seth seemed fully set on making everyone talk to each other. He not only asked Andrew and Aaron direct questions, but also Nicky. Somehow listening attentively as Nicky talked about his major.
“Neil, did you ever do Halloween as a kid?” Seth asked, when he decided it was time to ask Neil a question.
Did watching actual real life murder and dismemberment count? “No,” Neil said.
“Were your parents Mormon or something?” Allison asked.
“No, they were not Mormon. I just wasn’t allowed outside- on my own.” He doesn’t know why he elaborates. He almost ends the sentence with allowed outside, some don’t alert a mandated reporter instinct kicking in to change the end at the last second like a good little mafia kid.
“Neil, sweetie, with everything I hear about your parents,” Allison said. “They sound like joyless dirtbags. Even my useless parents let me go trick or treating.”
“Allison,” Dan admonished.
“I’m not arguing,” Neil shrugged. He definitely never saw either of them happy. “Trick or treating seems frivolous, but dirtbag is probably too nice of a word.” If the Foxes called Andrew a monster, he can’t imagine what they’d call his parents.
“I- I can’t tell- Neil, please take off your costume. I can’t take the two eye holes seriously,” Nicky begged.
“No, if I have to wear a costume, you all need to deal with me wearing it.” Neil thought his was better than everyone else’s anyways. His ghost costume was just a sheet with holes, yes, but it offered full coverage. And Neil had been under the impression costumes were supposed to disguise you. Everyone else was very clearly themselves but in silly outfits.
Dan and Matt were dressed as greek gods. Allison and Seth as the couple from that musical Grease. Renee was a fairy. Nicky was a construction worker. Kevin was a roman warrior. Aaron a doctor- which really? He was basically just himself in a few years. And Andrew was a prison inmate, so- himself a few years ago. Neil had the only good costume.
Conversation somehow managed to flow. A stilted, meandering flow, as the Foxes dodged topics with all the grace of a car crash. But a flow nonetheless.
Around dessert, Andrew slowed down considerably. Beginning his withdrawals. The upperclassmen, who Neil guessed only saw this at games and interrogations, all gave curious looks. But no one explained anything, a move Neil could respect.
Kevin somewhat discreetly offered Andrew his pills, Andrew threatened to stab him. Andrew got a text, Nicky very undiscreetly asked who it was. It was “Bee,” the psychiatrist?
Everyone started talking about the three adults in charge of the team. Yes, the psychiatrist.
Neil wouldn’t expect Andrew to be so familiar with her. But that cop had known Andrew well enough to communicate with him semi-effectively. So clearly Andrew’s standards were different then Neil’s. A nickname alone meant nothing, Andrew was allergic to real names. But texts of halloween costumes, well that spoke to fondness. More than tolerating even.
Neil knew, quite unwillingly, that Andrew had to see Dobson once a week as part of his probation. But now, Neil entertained briefly, over his half-eaten ice cream, that Andrew did so somewhat willingly? It seemed absurd. But so did Neil wearing a sheet over his head in fucking Columbia. So maybe Neil should stop expecting logic when it comes to the Foxes.
They all got back into their respective cars to go to Eden’s Twilight. The bouncer raised an eyebrow at the number of people behind Andrew, but didn’t ask. The Foxes followed Andrew into the club and around as they searched for an empty table.
Andrew gestured to one with two empty seats and then moved to go to the bar. Neil had the misfortune of being in his path and got dragged along by the sheet to help with drinks.
Eden’s Twilight was still loud and obnoxious but the sheet that made up Neil’s shitty ghost costume acted as a decent barrier between him and the club.
That guy that drugged Neil was still behind the bar, greeting Andrew with a grin. “All grown up and making friends?” he asked. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
“I’ll tip you double if you never say such stupid things again.”
“Who’s in the sheet?” The bartender asked.
“A ghost,” Andrew answered.
The bartender started in on the drinks when Neil thought to ask.
“No one’s getting drugged right?”
“Not unwillingly,” Andrew answered.
The bartender finished placing too many drinks on the troy and Andrew picked it up, nodding his head for Neil to lead the way back.
They made it back to the table in one piece and Neil watched long enough to realize, unsurprisingly, that Andrew had told the truth and the drugs were in fact optional. Neil would have been more surprised back in September, but Andrew had kept his word on a lot since the last trip to Eden’s. Enough that Neil could admit that night was a poor example of him.
Neil sipped at a soda and watched the crowds for the most part, the Foxes weren’t even really talking just working through the pile of drinks like it was their job.
It was only after Andrew had taken off with Renee to get more drinks that Dan turned to Nicky to ask about Andrew being sober. At least that’s what Neil thought she asked, it was hard to hear anyone over the music.
“He’s not sober,” Nicky said. “Andrew hasn’t been sober in years.”
Well Nicky said a lot more than that, as Nicky liked to do. But that was all Neil could make out from the edge of the group.
Andrew and Renee came back with more drinks.
Everyone but Renee and Neil drank. And everyone but Renee, Neil, Matt, and Seth took cracker dust.
The table dispersed. Most of the Foxes going to dance, leaving behind Neil, Andrew, Renee, and Kevin.
“Why don’t you drink?” Kevin asked, leaning in to make himself heard.
“Alcohol has a time and a place,” is how Neil decided to answer.
“And that isn’t the place and time it’s sold?’ Kevin asked, both Renee and Andrew paying attention to the conversation.
“Not for me.”
And again Neil wasn’t sure why he was answering, why he was wearing this stupid costume.
But as Renee and Andrew started discussing some book they’ve both read, and Kevin sipped his drink. And Neil looked up at the crowd, picking out the other Foxes as they danced. Neil realized that he feels… content.
Neil tapped his thumb against his soda can and thinks maybe he dreamed this. Freezing in Arizona on some quiet night, while his back ached with the lack of his mother. Or maybe he never made it out of Baltimore. And instead of showing him ten sad bloody years as he died, his brain invented this awful, beautiful thing. Because Neil isn’t just content, he’s happy. Or as close to it as he’s ever been.
And that’s worse than loud music and too many people. It’s worse than dying. And Neil looked down at his glass but found his eyes searching out the Foxes again. And he doesn’t know what to do but he decides to blame Seth.
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NMFTG ch. 16
The Pizza Interlude
The Foxes eat Pizza and Neil is confused
Ao3 Chapter under cut
The first person to reach Abby’s wasn’t any of the cousins, or Stephanie Walker- who had gotten on a plane the second Renee called her. No- it was Katelyn, with three pizzas and a scolding expression on her face, who knocked at the door.
No one was expecting her. Everyone silent as they took in her appearance. She was in sweats, her hair haphazardly thrown up, thick framed glasses.
“I brought food,” she said as Abby let her in. She set it down on the table, grabbing a napkin from the center of the table. Katelyn turned and threw it at Neil as hard as she could. The napkin fluttered to the ground a good foot away from Neil. “Bastard, charge your phone.” She told him, not yelling.
“No,” Neil said on instinct.
Katelyn grabbed another napkin to throw at him, it joined the other on the floor. “Prick, inconsiderate, asshole.” She punctuated each word with another thrown napkin, each one getting closer to actually hitting Neil. Everyone else in the room struggled to keep down their laughter and then Katelyn seemed to realize what she was doing and she bent down to pick them all up. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” she said to Abby.
Abby had her hand over her mouth. “It’s fine sweetie, please call me Abby and thank you for bringing food.”
Katelyn gave her a smile and then looked around at everyone. “Are you all okay?” She asked. “A school wide announcement to stay away from the stadium went out and-” She stopped herself, pulling on her sleeves. “Are you all okay?”
“None of us were injured,” Renee answered.
“Renee and Neil kicked major ass,” Seth tacked on. He held up a hand and then after a moment awkwardly put it down.
“What happened?” She asked. The Foxes started to explain.
Neil was… confused. But that wasn’t exactly a novel feeling. He didn’t know why Katelyn was there, why she had tried to contact him after the incident earlier. Maybe she was just trying to garner more favor with the Foxes? Maybe this was just another excuse to be around Aaron?
But, Katelyn took her leave about five minutes before the cousins arrived. So that didn’t follow perfectly.
Nicky flung himself at Renee the second the door opened. The twins and Kevin following him in much more casually.
“So, who did shoot you?” Seth asked around a slice of pizza once everyone was sat down.
“What?” Neil asked.
“Seth!” Dan scolded. And then Neil remembered the question from earlier, when they were waiting for the cops to show up. If his mother had been the one to shoot him.
“You were shot?” Wymack asked. Huh, so Abby hadn’t been lying about her doctor-patient confidentiality.
“No, it was a bad game of ping pong.” Neil rolled his eyes. “I don’t know who shot me,” he admitted. “It was a hunting accident.” Neil didn’t elaborate that he was the one being hunted. Or that the accident was him living.
“On a scale of one to ten, how completely full of shit are you right now?” Aaron asked.
Neil gave an ambiguous wave of his hand. It was mostly true, just misleading. “It really doesn’t matter.”
Groans emanated from around the table.
“One day, I hope someone loves me as much as Neil loves never explaining anything,” Allison said. “What the fuck do you mean, you don’t know who shot you, 007?”
“I’m number ten?”
“You don’t know who James Bond is?” Nicky screeched. “We need a movie marathon and we need one right now!”
Part of Neil wanted to leave. Okay, most of Neil wanted to leave. But he knew if they weren’t talking about Neil and whoever the fuck James Bond was, that the Foxes would be bothering Renee. Renee who had something like a smile on her face at their antics. An argument could be made that Neil had done enough. Certainly more than he was prepared to do. But Renee was also Natalie, and- And.
“Who is James Bond?” Neil asked, engaging with the conversation.
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NMFTG Chapter 22
First Date Attempted Homicides
holy shit I finally finished this chapter: ao3
renee and neil being friend dates to the christmas banquet below the cut
In the midst of nine different long winded anecdotes, maybe just enough waxing poetic about Dan, and a very confusing explanation of something called “love languages,” Matt managed to deliver a list of requirements: buy flowers, wear semi-matching outfits, compliment each other, and sit together.
A mission statement: “dates are about learning and sharing.”
And a promise to “not gossip or interfere if Andrew tries to kill you, you strange, strange man.” As Matt was still somehow convinced Neil was living by a secret agenda that dictated he steal everyone’s girlfriends, despite Neil’s entire lack of interest in that or the blatant fact that Renee and Andrew weren’t together. And therefore Matt assumed Andrew would be killing Neil at his earliest convenience once he returned and learned of that.
If only Neil would be so lucky.
Neil was about ready to flip the picnic table they were sitting at and yell ‘scatter,’ when Matt slapped the table with an air of finality and asked, “Do you guys have any questions?”
“No, thank you Matt, this has been informative,” Renee answered.
“I’m happy to help and not gossip about this whatsoever. It’ll actually be pretty funny to be the only one in the know while you guys do this… experiment? What exactly is going on here? If not girlfriend-napping.” He asked.
“We’re going to the banquet together,” Neil hedged.
“Yeah, sure, no answers for Matt. Whatever. By the way, what are you guys doing for winter break?”
“North Dakota,” Renee answered. “I’m bringing Allison and Seth again.”
“I’ll be here, I guess, or in Columbia looking after Andrew’s little ducks.”
Matt half-heartedly tried to hide his smile. “Okay, well, if you and Andrew’s little ducks want to come to New York with me, my mom and I would be happy to host you all.”
Neil had never been to New York. “I’ll ask them,” he said. They’d probably say yes, if not Neil could just lower his voice and maybe they’d all think he was Andrew for a second and agree in a blind fear.
“Awesome.” Matt said, completely ignoring the fact that if Andrew was going to kill Neil for anything it would definitely be this.
They all agreed easy, way easier then Neil thought they would. But Katelyn was going to visit her parents for the holidays so Aaron didn’t care and once Kevin was told they’d have access to a court he agreed.
Allison had gotten Neil a second suit for the winter banquet back when she’d gotten the first one. Neil showed it to Renee for the purposes of matching and getting flowers. It was dark brown with gold buttons and another white button up underneath. Renee had nodded sagely and Neil figured she’d sort it out.
They went to the florist together the day before the banquet, paid what seemed like too much to a vaguely depressed looking florist and got yellow roses to pin to each other.
“I don’t know if I really understand this?” Neil admitted as they walked back to the dorms. It was cold out and the straw hat did nothing to keep heat in, but Neil was determined to stick to his hat resolution. He could steal one of Seth’s beanies but it just wouldn’t have the same flair.
“Well, flowers have a long history as tokens of affection. They’re pretty and most people like them. It’s probably more about the exchange of items and visual connection.”
“I have a yellow flower, you have a yellow flower.” Neil nodded to himself. “Hey, Renee?”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever wanted to actually do this with someone?”
Renee glanced at him, “I have. I had too much going on before I was Renee. And then I had my religion and admittedly it took a long time for me to get past my own fears about what I wanted.”
Neil raised an eyebrow.
Renee shrugged. “‘I’ve been considering telling everyone soon, but I know you wouldn’t say anything anyway, I’m a Lesbian, Neil. I like women and that has not historically been approved of in lots of circles. I was afraid Stephanie would tell me I was going to hell. I was afraid I was going to hell.”
“And then?”
“And then I talked to her about it and my fears were unfounded. And then I came here and while the team’s gotten better in recent times it was rough at first. So, I decided to keep quiet on the matter.” And then her and Andrew worked out their deal about banquets to keep the others off her back about it.
“I’ve never,” Neil fiddled with the plastic bag that had the roses in it. “The few times I kissed anyone it was mostly about curiosity and then disappointment. I don’t really get any of it, to be honest. And I was never allowed to date anyway so it never seemed that important. But um, I’m asexual.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, or you for that matter.” She gave him a wry grin. “Not about this. Everyone’s different. I know you’re not one for religion so I’ll save the whole God thing. But, there are other people who feel just the way you do. None of us are as alone as we feel.” Her hand went up to her cross and Neil would put money on it being a gift from her mother.
“Thanks for being my first date, Renee.”
“Thank you for being mine.”
Allison ‘got’ Neil to leave his hat at the dorms by promising to stop pretending to throw up everytime she saw him in one of his new outfits. She was a total sucker, Neil had already decided he didn’t want his hat to have to deal with the Ravens. They would sully its honor.
Everyone piled onto the bus and Neil snagged Kevin’s sleeve and tugged him off to the side. “Look at me.” Neil said.
Kevin was already in the beginnings of his pre-Raven panics but still had the leftover audacity to look irritated at Neil. Whatever, he could be as pissed as he wanted, it wasn't Neil’s job to keep him happy, it was Neil’s job to keep him alive and un-Ravened.
Neil had pinpointed right before the bus ride as the best time for this chat, it gave Kevin long enough to ruminate on Neil’s words that he’d believe him but not long enough that Kevin would start having extra questions.
“Do you remember what you asked me at Halloween?” Neil asked.
“What?” Kevin asked. Of course he didn’t remember. The guy had been eight different sorts of fucked up that night.
“You asked me why I don’t drink,” he informed Kevin. “The time and place for alcohol is when you’re in the process of bleeding out and need something to steady your hand while you’re stitching up your own wounds.”
Kevin's eyes went wide.
“You’ve seen me in the locker room, you can guess how many times I’ve had to do that. Drinking recreationally would just make it a less effective anesthetic in addition to making me vulnerable to an attack. You won’t be bleeding today. Stay sober, stay within reach of me or another Fox. Don’t leave with anyone who isn’t us. If anyone tries to corner you or get you alone you yell ‘I’m gonna throw up’ and run for the nearest Fox and then the nearest bathroom. Do you understand me?” Neil reached out and grabbed Kevin’s shoulder. “I will not let anything happen to you, but you need to listen to me.”
“Okay,” Kevin said with a jerking nod. “Okay.”
“Sober and in sight.” Neil said once more before marching Kevin up and onto the bus. Neil deposited Kevin next to Abby and then made for Renee’s bench, where she had saved him a seat.
“Neil?” Seth asked.
“What?”
“What do you mean what?” Seth gestured to Neil and Renee.
“You’re supposed to sit with your date.” Neil said.
Renee made an amused sound next to him.
“Date?!?” Allison yelled, with frankly too much disbelief and outrage.
Katelyn shot up from her seat next to Aaron. And practically sprinted down the aisle to look Neil in the eyes. “What happened to ‘I’m not catholic and I’m not taking anyone to the banquet?’” She asked with a shit eating grin on her face.
“Well, I’m still not catholic. And Renee asked nicely.”
“I also asked nicely.” Katelyn said with fake offense.
“No, you hunted me down while I was on a walk and tried to get me to be the scapegoat for your badly hidden secret relationship.”
“We’re not in a relationship,” Aaron corrected from where he was still seated.
“Aaron, I will beat the shit out of you and gleefully die at Andrew’s hands. Grow up.”
“Neil,” Matt said carefully. “Do you want Andrew to kill you?”
Neil leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling of the bus. “We all have to die someday, Matt, and there are worse ways to go. If I get him angry enough he’ll even be quick about it.”
“Well, that’s horrible.” Nicky said before apologizing to his date about everyone.
“Andrew’s not gonna kill you, you little shit, you’re like his deputy or whatever.” Seth said.
“Call him the sheriff to his face when he gets back and I’ll give you a hundred dollars,” Allison offered, already pulling out her purse.
“There is nothing lawful about either of them,” Aaron complained. “They’re like weird murder buddies.”
“Okay, if you say that to Andrew’s face I’ll give you two hundred dollars.” Allison said.
“No one is allowed to get murdered,” Dan said.
Dan would be very unhappy with Neil one of these days. Oh, well.
“Renee, if Andrew doesn’t murder me when he gets back will you put me out of my misery?” Neil asked, remembering Matt’s rule about talking.
“Sorry, Neil, the ten commandments forbid me.” She patted him on the shoulder consolingly.
“This is so unfair.”
The Winter Banquet was at Breckenridge that year. Kevin managed to somewhat listen to Neil and was close enough to sober for Neil to not bug him about it.
They got changed in the lockers and met back up in the hall. Neil handed Renee the rose. There was a pin in the stem so Renee could attach it to the strap of her dress.
“Your dress looks very soft.” He said, glancing over at Matt for support. And it did, it was velvet and just a shade darker then Neil’s suit.
Matt gave him a thumbs up.
“Thank you,” Renee said, handing him the other rose. “The orange hair goes well with the suit, you made an apt choice.”
“Thank you.” Neil said. Although he hadn't been thinking of the suit when he’d dyed his hair. He pulled the lapel of the suit out a bit so he could jam the pin through it without stabbing himself.
“This is adorable,” Dan said.
“So cute I could throw up,” Allison said. She checked over Neil’s suit but didn’t fix anything about his appearance. He was vaguely proud of himself.
The Ravens and the Foxes were both seated at opposite ends of the court. Evidently the last banquet being proof enough that the two teams should be kept far, far away from each other. Which was good as Neil had a few educated guesses about what Riko was planning and he didn’t like any of the possibilities.
They sat with the Hornets and Neil left interteam relations to the upperclassmen. Instead he split his time evenly between chatting with Renee, distracting Kevin, and keeping an eye out for stray birds.
Then Tetsuji got up to announce which teams would qualify for the spring games and Neil got so caught up in the euphoria of Palmetto just barely making it that he decided to ignore the strong possibility he wouldn’t make it to the end of the season.
He slipped a hand into his suit pocket and thumbed at the keys he’d transferred from his sweatshirt. He just needed the rest of the team to survive longer, if they made it far enough before he died the ERC might let the others finish without him. Technically they’d still have enough players.
Post dinner, the Foxes divided. Most of them headed off to the dance floor. Neil, Renee, and Kevin stayed at the edge of the dance floor watching the others.
“Do you want to dance?” Neil asked, hoping the answer was no.
“What would we do with Kevin?” Renee shook her head.
Kevin, still mostly sober, just sighed deeply, not at all entertaining either of them. They should have brought him to the first date lesson with Matt, Kevin sucked at this.
Neil said as much.
“I am not either of your dates,” Kevin complained. “We’re not dating, I have a girlfriend.”
“I totally believe you, Kevin.” Neil said. “Also, we don’t need to be dating to go as dates to the banquet.”
“I need a drink.”
“You don’t,” Neil disagreed.
Renee opened her mouth to say something good natured and amusing, Neil was sure, but then Seth came up to them out of the dance floor. With his hands in his pockets and a complicated look on his face he avoided eye contact and managed to speak in an even and genial tone.
“Renee, would you go dance with Allison? I need a break.”
Renee looked to Neil, who shrugged. And then she smiled and made off onto the dance floor.
Seth turned and watched as Renee went up to Allison and the two started to dance.
“Be an ally, Seth,” he mumbled under his breath. “Wingman me.” He straightened up and spoke at a regular volume. “Okay I need to go find Coach, some place that isn’t here, see you later fuckos.”
Neil let Seth go, in favor of not asking what any of that was about. But he couldn’t help himself completely and the second Seth was out of earshot Neil turned to Kevin. “Did him and Allison break up again?” He asked.
“Okay, I’m getting a drink.” Kevin said instead of answering.
Neil followed him over to the drink table, fully intending to spend the next ten minutes knocking cups out of Kevin’s hand. Which of course is when Riko and Jean appeared to make everything miserable.
“Oh, yay,” Neil decided he would start. “My two favorite has-beens, what’s up? Fuck anything up recently?”
Kevin poured himself a glass of punch and chugged it for half a second before putting it down with a look of disgust. That was the ‘this has no alcohol content,’ look of disgust, distinct and separate from all of Kevin’s other various disgust related faces.
“Nathaniel,” Riko said with a grin. Fuck. “You will learn how to treat your betters. I will not tolerate this disrespect any longer.”
“Come now, Riko, delusional isn’t a good look for anyone. You know my name is Neil.” Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“I’d love to know what it is you think you’re doing here? Acting as if I don’t own you, but as everything you say is incomprehensible gibberish I’ll save us both the time. You will come to Evermore for Christmas break or a doctor in Easthaven will turn therapy into reenactments of the Goalie’s scandalous past. Or maybe something worse. Do you understand me, Butcher’s boy?” Riko reached out and slipped a piece of folded paper into Neil’s suit pocket.
Neil grabbed his wrist and and hissed, “if you even think of touching him--”
“If you want him safe you will be on that plane tomorrow.” Riko hissed back, wrenching his wrist out of Neil’s grasp and storming off. Jean followed obediently behind him.
Fuck, FUCK. Neil couldn’t even begin to parse what the fuck Riko meant about owning him.
Andrew, locked in Easthaven where no one could talk to him until the new year. Shit. No knives, coming off his meds. Fuck.
Neil turned and saw Kevin, face pale as a sheet, not breathing at all.
Even Dobson couldn’t talk to Andrew.
“Is it true?” Kevin wheezed, eyes searching Neil’s face.
The team had petitioned the courts because of him. Because of Neil and his big fucking mouth.
Neil moved forward, Kevin flinched and Neil ignored it as he grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him out of the court, out of the party and into the hall. Kevin started babbling and Neil couldn’t make most of it out between his own panic and Kevin’s.
“You have to go,” is what finally caught up to Neil’s ears.
Neil pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket, the plane confirmation. “No, that’s stupid.” He said, ripping it in half.
Kevin decked him in the face.
Neil swore and stumbled back.
“You are not leaving Andrew to die,” Kevin ordered. Now, where the fuck had this been while Riko was running his mouth?
“I’m not. Fuckface.” Neil said. “I know you’re smart, rub two brain cells together and think for a minute. If I go we’ll both die.” Neil couldn’t protect anyone from the Nest.
“He’ll kill Andrew if you stay!”
Kevin wasn’t wrong.
“Just give me a minute.” Neil said. He reached up to staunch the blood coming from his nose. Goddammit, thinking with a broken nose wasn’t fun. But no one was gonna die to Riko fucking Moryiama.
The other Foxes came pouring out of the court and Neil suddenly saw his solution. A beacon of white haired salvation. His date. Renee Walker.
Renee who had sat on the other side of the hallway that whole night with him. Renee who had put one hand above his eyes to keep the soap away while washing his hair.
Renee who Andrew trusted.
Neil made for the group.
“What happened?” Dan asked the second she saw the blood on Neil’s face.
“Riko?” Seth asked, already building up a rage.
“No, it was Kevin,” Neil dismissed.
“Day, what the fuck?” Seth and Matt both made for Kevin.
Neil grabbed both of them. “If you hit Kevin, Andrew will hit you when he gets back.”
“If he gets back,” Kevin had stopped breathing again. He wouldn’t look at Neil.
“No one hit Kevin,” Neil said.
“Why wouldn’t Andrew come back?” Nicky asked.
“Renee,” Neil ignored him. “I need to talk to you.”
“No, you need to answer the fucking question Josten,” Aaron said with a pointed finger. Katelyn pulled a wad of napkins out of her purse and handed them to Neil.
Sure, yeah, Neil could answer the question and they could all storm back into the court to rip Riko limb from limb in front of all the southern division teams. That would be great. A real fun time until they went to prison or got executed by the mob.
Or Neil could run in now, swipe a stray knife off some table and jam it through Riko’s stupid neck. Then he’d be the only one in trouble. Maybe he’d end up in the same prison as his father.
Coach stormed out into the hall, “what the fuck are you all doing out here?” He barked.
That wouldn’t get Andrew out of Easthaven.
“Coach, we all gotta go,” Neil said. “Or else I’m going to very publicly make an attempt on Riko’s life.” He shoved the ripped pieces of paper into the nearest trash can and wiped some blood off his face with the napkins.
“Oh, god,” Kevin groaned. “He wasn’t lying, was he?”
“Later Kevin, one crisis at a time.”
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One Solitary Fuck Found, More At Eleven
A NMFTG one-shot Allison's POV, takes place between NMFTG chs 19 and 20?!?
This is the Foxes deciding to call BEtsy and get Andrew sober
AO3: chapter below cut
Allison Reynold’s could occasionally admit when she was wrong. However she made a point to only do so once a year. Yes, it kept her humble, but at what cost? And she’d already used this years up apologizing to Neil for hounding him about his sexuality. So, she wasn’t going to admit that there was a chance, however slim, that she was maybe, just a little, wrong about Andrew Minyard.
But that didn’t mean she was going to do nothing either.
It was the faces, the devastation and understanding that swept over Matt and Seth after Neil dropped his bomb, “Because he’s drugged out of his mind. Are you actually that dense or just willfully stupid when it comes to Andrew? He laughs at everything because he’s on court ordered medication and cannot help himself.”
Matt changed the subject, Renee came back in from checking on Andrew and Neil took his leave. Leaving behind dead silence. Renee made a curious noise and started up the inquisition.
“Do you?” Matt started and then stopped. “I mean Nicky said it at the Halloween party, didn’t he?” He said.
“Andrew hasn’t been sober in years.” Seth repeated.
That had been a real party. Free shots, a look at the Monster off his meds, Neil in a costume--as dreadful as the sheet had been. Nicky had said that and everyone had moved on, throwing back drinks and Dust and getting ready to dance.
“Ah,” Renee said. “He really hasn’t.”
And that’s when Allison fully grasped how bad it was. Sure, yes, the way Andrew acted was bad. Knowing that his general disposition had something to do with his medication was one thing. Seeing him laugh maniacally in the face of his abuser, that was another. Even hearing Nicky or Neil spell it out was almost ignorable. But Renee, Renee “Angel” Walker, grimacing and commenting on Andrew’s drug use. Instead of being graceful and
That was a cause for concern.
“I never even think about that,” Matt said. “I always figured it was antidepressants or something.”
Renee fiddled with her cross and Allison remembered that Renee was a fox. That Renee had been picked up for drug use before she’d found god and exy. “It’s an experimental mood stabilizer. If it wasn’t tied up in a court order and prison time, I think Betsy would have had him on something else the second she met him.”
“He gets off of it in the summer, right?” Matt asked.
“Fuck that,” Seth said. “He should just stop taking it now and we’ll cover for him.”
“It’s not that simple,” Renee sighed. “Legally they can drug test him at any time and he already pushes the rules of his probation quite regularly.”
“We have to do something,” Matt said. “I mean, the way he went about it sucked astronomically but he got me sober.” Matt slapped a hand against his mouth. “Oh my god, Andrew got me sober.”
The Monster did, didn't he? And Allison had heard all the shit he gave Seth about his addictions second hand.
“What would he even be like off his meds?” Seth asked.
“We’ll find out next year,” Renee said. But she said in a resigned sad way that made Allison want to sue or tackle someone. It was the last straw. Besides, she’d already made her decision the second the words had left Neil’s mouth.
"Fuck the court, fuck the law,” Allison tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Between me, Matt's mom, and Kevin, we have enough money to be god. Let's call Betsy and see what it will take to get Andrew sober as soon as possible.”
“Kevin thinks Andrew will suddenly give a shit if he gets sober, he’d probably do it,” Seth said immediately. “We might need to talk him down from an Exy panic and fist fight Riko but that’ll happen regardless.”
“Mom will help, she keeps trying to get me to bring the Monsters to New York so she can spoil them.” Matt said.
“I think getting Andrew to agree will be the toughest sell,” Renee said. It wasn’t an outright disagreement, which Allison was taking as a what a brilliant idea Allison you sexy beast.
“He likes Betsy,” Allison said, “if her word isn’t enough, then we can try Neil and Seth.” Allison had chalked Neil and Seth’s sway with the Monster up to him finding them both amusing. Amusing in the way that a child with a magnifying glass found ants amusing, but after today, she thought Andrew actually respected Neil’s opinions. Seth was probably still an ant to him, but as long as Minyard wasn’t stomping on Seth she didn’t care.
“What do you think I am?” Seth asked.
“Monster wrangler,” Allison booped him on the nose, mostly to irritate him.
“That isn’t even a little bit true.”
“At the end of the day it’ll be Andrew’s decision,” Renee said.
“Worst comes to worst at least we can say we tried,” Matt said.
Allison pulled out her phone, she had a nice nest egg tucked away from photoshoots and runways that she’d been planning to use for Spring Break. But there would always be more money. Affluence ran in her blood like being a dick ran in her team. This would be worth it. Andrew wouldn’t give a shit, he’d definitely never thank any of them. But it was necessary.
Allison was a plethora of things. Gorgeous, Bisexual, trendsetting, but the two most important things were always pragmatic and a defensive dealer for the Palmetto Foxes. To be happy she had to play exy, so she did. To survive on the team she had to make nice with Dan and Renee. And so they were her best friends. To keep that sad look off Renee’s face and that awful laugh out of Minyard’s mouth? Well, Allison would do whatever it took.
She looked up at Renee, Seth, and Matt, three of the most important people in her life. Three people who had drug problems in their pasts and steel in their eyes. They had all worked tooth and fucking nail for their sobriety and they deserved it. Andrew Minyard was one of the most difficult motherfuckers Allison had ever had to deal with. But he was a Fox.
Allison made the call.
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Jag tog med maken på den underhållande och träffsäkra föreställningen Ken Akter - Sån jävla otur. I mitt arbete som målsägandebiträde har jag träffat på ett stort antal män med ”otur”… Passade även på att köpa en t-shirt som måhända passar på nästa domstolsförhandling. - - - @kenakter @teatertropos @Norrlandsoperan #umeå #sånjävlaotur #teatertropos #starstrucked #mänsomhatarkvinnor #nmftg #mansbebis #patriarkatet #mansbebisar #feminism #feminist #feministhumor #svenskhumor #manlighet #kenlive #otursmän #allamän #patriarkatet #kvinmostrejk #mittlivärdittlexikon #norrlandsoperan #comedy #komedi #otursmän #kenlive#paoloroberto #torsk#oturspaolo (på/i Norrlandsoperan) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj3frHasBvk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
#umeå#sånjävlaotur#teatertropos#starstrucked#mänsomhatarkvinnor#nmftg#mansbebis#patriarkatet#mansbebisar#feminism#feminist#feministhumor#svenskhumor#manlighet#kenlive#otursmän#allamän#kvinmostrejk#mittlivärdittlexikon#norrlandsoperan#comedy#komedi#paoloroberto#torsk#oturspaolo
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