Main Campfire, Tuesday Evening

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex felt restless enough to emerge from his alcove and head out to the main campfire again. It was easier to both smoke and stay warm since it'd gotten weirdly cold over the last few days. Whatever. He was from Iowa. He was used to this type of weather.

Didn't mean he would pass up a fire.

So, he slouched down against a log, crossing his feet at the ankle and leaning back to blow smoke into the air. It was the second week of classes and, amazingly, they weren't going that badly. Of course, considering the classes, Alex didn't know how they could go badly.

He'd take the good news while he could. It didn't happen often.

[campfires are open things!]

Comments

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"You're a little over a week old now; it might give you a smidgen," she decided with a faint smirk.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I went from a place full of fucking farms to an island," he said, grimacing. "I get a little more than a smidgen."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

Yikes. She might know just what he was talking about.

"What place would that be?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"That place would be Iowa," he said, making a face. "Land of nothing the fuck happens."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"I suspected we might be neighbors." The sarcasm and language did it. "I'm from Minnesota, where the words 'fuck' and 'goddamn' were invented."

People had nothing better to do than to cuss at other people. That and blow shit up.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Minnesota, huh?" He'd never been there. His father wasn't big on family vacations. "How'd you get down here?"

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"Ma thought it'd be a safe enough place for me," she replied, nonchalantly. "Some crazy ass bitch is after my head so I've been here the last two years."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Like witness relocation?" he asked.

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"It could be called that, I guess," she said, shrugging. "With the exception of the name change and whatever... I'm headed back there the end of this semester and seriously hoping the fat cow's just dropped dead somewhere."

Which sounded terrible, she knew. But damn if she could find it in her to care.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"The hell she's after you for?" he asked.

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"She blames me for her daughters death. Stupid really. The girl was blown to pieces on a damn swan float that her own mother set on fire." She shook her head. "We all warned her we smelled gasoline."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"...wow," he said, blinking. Not what he'd expected. "Uh. That's pretty damn serious."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"Yah, I know it," she said, hating the feeling of fear that that woman caused.

"So... what classes are you taking?" Serious topic change.

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Oh, uh." It took him a minute to get focused after that. "Something about sex, something about slacking and something on television. Light load."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"Great summer classes," she agreed. "Then again, those are the kinds of courses offered pretty much all the time. I'm going to ask you a really strange question, but then it might've already been asked. How old are you, where you're from?"

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"What now?" Alex asked, not really keeping up with that. "How old am I? Old enough."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

She smirked. "I'm sure, but that's not what I meant. I have a friend who's young here, but from his universe he's forty something, so I was just curious."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"Seventeen as far as I know," he said slowly. "In...both places."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

She cackled. "Well, at least you know. But if you ever wonder, his name is Cal. I have this odd feeling you two might get along."

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

"I probably won't wonder," he said. "Or seek the guy out."

[minnesota-teen.livejournal.com]

"I should've counted on that reply before I said anything," she snorted. "You might be predictable, Alex."