let's draw straws!

"Do you need a few, or are you ready?" he asked, looking the other boy up and down as he kept him in his arms. Landon had been prepared to leave at a moment's notice, in his usual black from top to bottom. Besides a few pair of denim jeans, it was really the only color he owned, just in varying shades. "Not that you have anyone to impress but me, anyway, and I was just on my knees begging you to come out with me, so," he pointed out.

He’s ready to say he’s good to just go, having actually showered earlier that morning for the first time in days - but then he thinks it over just a moment and shakes his head. “Let me brush my teeth and do my hair, then I’m good to go.” Of course there wasn’t anyone he needed to impress, like the boy said, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t put in even a bit of effort. The bare minimum, at least. He figured brushing his teeth and throwing his hair up in a man-bun was better than doing nothing. “Yeah, well, I want to keep you on those knees and begging - and one whiff of my breath would be enough to have anyone, even you, running for the hills."

It hadn't been the happiest of times in the apartment shared between the three, but Landon was hoping that things were getting back on track, now that the small problem Barrel had presented him with had been taken care of by fate, nature, or both. It wasn't that he wanted to see his best friend so upset, or devastated that he wasn't going to become a parent, but, if anyone, Landon had always thought that they were going to have children with Sadie. It felt wrong to do it some other way. So, when the news had come that Annette had miscarried, of course he'd been sad for him, but, after the conversation with Brandon, Landon couldn't deny that he had gone and had his own singular celebration for the demise of the thing that was going to potentially break their apartment apart.

It was now that he was trying to bring the younger boy's spirits up, practically begging for Brandon to come out with him on their night off. "Come on, we'll have fun. You haven't been out in ages. It'll just be us, too--Sadie's working tonight." As his roommate sat in his bed, Landon knelt himself beside the edge, practically pleading with him to succumb to his plan. "We haven't been out in, how long? Just the two of us. It'll be fun, I promise. We can go wherever you want, and do whatever you want when we get back," he promised.

But that was a hard pill to swallow and had taken quite some time to come to terms with. Which meant Brandon was hardly being his usual self, only really going to work and doing the bare minimum expected of him around the apartment - sticking to his room and just thinking and thinking and thinking during all of his free time. So maybe Landon was right, as he sat at the edge of his bed and practically begged him to finally get out of the house and go do something other than just laying around. Head tilted to the side, he stared at the older boy for a moment before letting out a loud and dramatic sigh. As shitty as it felt, he really did need to start moving forward with his life. He couldn’t just wallow away forever and a night out with his roommate did actually sound like a good time. “Alright,” he agreed with a nod, holding out his arms and waiting for Landon to help pull him up despite the fact that he was perfectly capable of standing on his own. “But you’re paying. And I get to beg the DJ to play at least one Poppy song.” Not that it was usually necessary, but after a drink or two he always found it so funny to join the rest of the girlies in their recommendation for the silly bubblegum pop songs.

He said it and her stomach's knots doubled over onto themselves. A part of her was convinced if Brandon didn't bring it up then she wouldn't have to say it out loud. While it wasn't the first time the words left her lips, Annette hadn't wanted to taste their bitterness again. The tidal wave of emotions she'd been through over the last few months had all come back to this moment where none of it even mattered. All of the worrying, the planning, and in a second it was gone. "I'm fine, uh..." The girl bit her lip as she tried to keep the floodgates closed but forced herself to say what had happened. He deserved to know, Annette just struggled to find the right way to say it, knowing how delicate of a situation she was in. "The baby... After the attack I lost a lot of blood, I don't know... Um." She pulled her lips back into her mouth with her eyes shutting to hold herself back. "It didn't make it..." The girl finally said, the metallic taste of blood back in her mouth but she wasn't sure if it was from the words or biting too roughly on her cheek. "I am so sorry, Brandon. I didn't know how to tell you."

༝༝༝ ☾ ༝༝༝

Annette hadn't been able to look at him since the accident. In fact, the girl didn't even send a text message letting him know about the festival. It was better to deal with this without him or at least she'd thought so when she barricaded herself in her mother's home. She could only hide for so long, knowing that Brandon deserved to mourn the loss the way she did. He'd gotten enough information to keep him from coming around and asking questions but today she came at the situation head-on. Annette was anxiously picking at her nail polish on the couch when the doorbell rang and she knew it was time, she couldn't hide behind excuses anymore. "Hey, come in," the brunette waved him in, then leading down the hallway to her room that had been her sanctuary since the attack. "We can talk in here." She tugged at the sleeves of her cardigan as she sat on her bed, unable to find the right way to put the words together. "Thanks uh, you know, for coming. Sorry for going quiet on you. I... I just needed some time."

The knot in her stomach was growing, only adding to the nausea she already felt. No matter how many times she went over what she was going to say nothing could've prepared her for the moment of truth. There was no turning back now, the pregnancy test was an Etch a Sketch that Annette was unable to shake clear. While she wanted to pretend this never happened and take it all back, it was too late to decide to make better choices now. As they sat on the couch and she looked anywhere besides in his eyes the words were starting to bubble out reluctantly. "I mean, yeah, I guess... Okay-ish maybe." Normally it was difficult to keep Annette from saying exactly what was on her mind but this had been a special case. These were words she hadn't expected to say for a long time, if ever. After a deep inhale she ripped off the bandaid and waited for the pieces to fall where they may. "I'm uh, I'm pregnant."

"Please tell me you're kidding," he practically begged, though with the genuine panic he could see in Brandon's eyes, he had a feeling this was the unfortunate truth. Landon let out a sigh, his hands running through his hair as his mind raced in the direction of a solution. "How far along?" he asked, hoping it wasn't too late to take preemptive measures to avoid this ever coming to light. Maybe, if they could prevent Sadie from ever finding out, they could save their house from civil war.

“Three months, I think,” he answers, the words muffled from the pillow. Holding the fabric down into his face with a bit more pressure, he let out a short scream into the stuffed material before removing it and throwing it down next to him. “And… I’m pretty sure she wants to keep it.” Which was where the real trouble came in. There was going to be no hiding it from Sadie if, or more accurately when Annette actually had the kid. And Barrel couldn’t even begin to guess how bad that was going to be.

Confirming his suspicion, Brandon flopped back on the bed, and with his admission, Landon's mind could only begin to predict and prepare for whatever truth bomb he was about to drop. "What the hell did you do?" he asked before he could go any further, hoping that Barrel hadn't done anything that couldn't be undone. Permanence was where things got sticky.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Barrel’s eyes stayed glued onto Landon to take in every aspect of his reaction. “Annette’s pregnant,” he finally confesses, the words shooting out in a rush. There’s more he could say - tell him that he wasn’t entirely sure what they planned to do or explain how it had been a complete and utter accident, but instead he just simply stares at the other boy, waiting for whatever might be coming.

Everything was going to change. As much as she'd been silently praying that her hunch was only that, the reality sank in her chest like a capsized cruise ship. Her chest was heavy while scenarios flashed in her head. She'd handle it as best she could but this wasn't something she had done alone, a certain boy playing a part in this catastrophe. This was a conversation she didn't want to have now or really ever for that matter. That wouldn't change what had already been done and the two blue lines that stared her straight in the face. Maybe if she closed her eyes another time and reopened them they would disappear. Annette wasn't so lucky, forced to face the lump that had formed in her throat.

When Brandon arrived she quickly answered the door, having been waiting anxiously since sending the message. The girl thought that seeing him would provide some semblance of comfort but instead brought a whole new wave of reality. Annette put on her best face, finding a small smile and a nod to his initial concern. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," she confirmed verbally in the hopes he didn't see right through her. Even though it was only a matter of minutes before the truth came out she still wanted to live in the fleeting bliss for a moment more. "I - I have to talk to you about something..." Her voice trailed off while her brain fired on all cylinders trying to find the right words. Brandon didn't seem the type but she knew better: anyone could leave. "You might wanna sit down." Annette took her own advice and went to the spot she'd been keeping warm while waiting for him.

“Okay,” he agreed easily, already having put that together. Nodding his head as well, he followed to sit down on the couch as well, keeping a bit more distance between them than he would have on any other occasion. Not because he doesn’t want to be close to her, but just wanting to give her the space she may potentially need to get through whatever this conversation was going to be. There were plenty of scenarios running through his head at what she might want to say, most of them involving ending whatever it was they had between them. And while Barrel would be upset if that were the case, he knew in the long run he’d be okay. They’d both be okay. And it was with that thought that allowed him to remain as relaxed as he currently was, not letting himself stress or worry over whatever might happen. “So… everything okay?”

As the boy prattled on, Hopper remained standing, his demeanor akin to that of a judge awaiting the moment to deliver his verdict. He exuded an eerie aura, tinged with a palpable sense of boredom. "You're Brandon, right?" he repeated, his tone flat, showing no interest in the boy's ramblings. "Tell me, do you know what happens to someone who crosses the Locust?" Hopper's piercing blue eyes contrasted sharply with the darkness of his countenance. "I feed them to the dogs."

Slowly nodding his head, Brandon understood exactly what this was. A threat - one that he probably thought was going to scare him away from Annette. Or maybe it was more of a promise. Both were likely. And warranted, considering Barrel and his group had indeed crossed the Locust. In a very open and direct way, at that. “Yeah… I know that. You cut off fingers too,” he adds, again stupidly. “But I also know that you care for your daughter. And I do too. So I was kind of hoping, that maybe perhaps I could kind of get a chance at a do-over on all that? I know you don’t usually ever let anyone get second chances… But I figured it was worth a shot to ask?” Oh this was so dumb, and not at all what he had practiced with Landon earlier, but it was like the words just tumbled out of his mouth without his permission. “I’ve known Annette for a long time, and she’s always been really cool. But now I’ve been like actually hanging out with her and I want to keep doing that - for as long as she’ll let me stay around. I hope that’s okay.”

Landon hadn't meant to encourage him, but it seemed like his suggestion had done just that. At the very least, he could have an eye on Brandon when he approached him, to be sure he would make it out of the conversation alive. "I wouldn't put anything past that man," he disclaimed, "but you probably have a better chance of nothing happening to you in front of an entire crowd of people, yeah." Landon let out a sigh, knowing this was probably too far from saving at this point. "Alright, what are you even gonna say? We're rehearsing. I'm not letting you go in there cold."

Coming back home after a few hours with Annette, Brandon had never been happier to see the shared space of the apartment empty. And thankfully it seemed as if Sadie weren’t home, if the darkness of her room was any indicator, unless she was with Landon. But after a moment of standing outside of the older boy’s door, he decided that probably wasn’t the case - there wasn’t any talking or other types of noises coming from inside, which left him to believe and hope that he was alone. After a knock on the door and a come on in called from inside, Barrel thankfully confirmed that assumption when he made his way into the room. The news he had to break wasn’t going to be pretty for either roommate - but he knew Landon was going to be the far easier of the two.

Walking further into the room, Brandon heaved what might be the heaviest and loudest sigh he’s ever let out as he flopped backwards onto the other boy’s bed. “I think I did it,” he starts off, being purposefully vague as he works up the nerve to get around to dropping the bomb. “I think I might have finally found what’s gonna push Sadie over the edge to murdering me.” Or Annette. That was actually more likely, but Barrel didn’t want to think on that. It was easier to focus on his own part and blame for the situation.

Annette didn't know what brought about the confidence that night but she wore it proudly in the moment. Maybe tomorrow she'd regret the way she had acted, only if Brandon hadn't liked her boldness. It wasn't like her to care what a boy thought but to her, he wasn't just any other boy. The brunette didn't know why fate had put them in the same basement that night and what it had done to her brain that made her unable to stay away from him. Even when everything was against them, she couldn't help but find her way back. "Maybe you do and you could put in a good word for me." It was simple banter and she found sanctuary in that. Things didn't need to be so serious all the time, Barrel helping her realize that. He was her escape from her family, her work, and the reality of what they'd one day have to face. Annette thought she could be making headway with Sadie after their conversation on the dancefloor. That was the biggest hurdle she could see, knowing his roommates were the most important people to him, and without their approval, nothing would ever come to fruition.

She wanted to enjoy the time they had together without worrying about the future, only tonight having been so forward with her feelings. Right now she knew one thing for sure and it was that she didn't want to be anywhere else than with him. "And I trust you," her words were soft before his lips silenced her. It was a moment she'd been waiting for without even knowing. She got onto her toes, her arms draping over his shoulders as Annette gave into her desires. A girl usually so calculated had turned spontaneous when it came to the boy in front of her. "Do you wanna get out of here?" She pulled away enough to speak but not where she couldn't still feel their breaths mixing. Her words had come out almost without her realizing, something else taking over her. All she knew for certain was that she wanted to be with him.

Ever since the night of that fancy engagement party, Brandon had found himself spending even more time with a certain brunette girl. If he wasn’t at work chances were high he was likely with Annette rather than at his own apartment. Which he felt guilty about and had been trying to fix in some kind of way, but it was hard to want to be around there when Sadie was clearly still pissed at him. And he knew that his avoiding her was only adding fuel to that fire, but he’d yet to find the right thing to say or do to appease her, which just made hanging out with Annette instead seem like the far easier option. So when she texted him asking for him to stop by her place after his shift ended, it wasn’t anything new or surprising. No red flags or worry signs had flared off quite yet and it remained that way until he was at her place and he took one look at her face when she opened the door.

Instantly, he knew something was up. Her usual smile was there, but it wasn’t as big nor did it quite reach her eyes the way it normally would. There was a tension in her shoulders and something brewing under the surface in her expression that Barrel couldn’t quite decipher, but he knew was there. “You okay?” he asks before he can stop himself. He’d long since learned that typically asking that to someone who very clearly wasn’t okay was a surefire way to only make things worse - but in the moment he didn’t quite know what else to do. Not until he knew what was happening or why she was so off right now. His eyes searched hers as he tried to pinpoint exactly what she might be feeling other than just the general sense of stress he was getting from her.

"Is she really just a friend though and nothing else?" Sadie questioned his words, eyeballing him as she spoke. Even his tone had shifted into one that she never heard and the brunette was happy to return the favor. If he wanted to point fingers then hers was already outstretched. She'd had a bad taste in her mouth ever since he started hanging around Annette and that wasn't going to change just because he trusted her. Whether her boys wanted her to or not, she'd taken it upon herself to protect them at all costs, though it appeared that Barrel couldn't see the danger of his new friend. "It didn't seem complicated when we were kidnapping her," the brunette muttered, her eyes for a moment going back to the papers on the coffee table. Things made sense when they were working and doing what they did best but recently his chaos had come in a different package. This one was a short brunette who Sadie considered to be a threat to her family dynamic. "It's not just about that." The girl's gaze shot back to him, hoping he saw the worry beneath the jealousy. "You're going to have to pick a side sooner or later. She's a Hopper, whether you think it matters or not. And I don't expect him to take it well when he finds out it's one of Oogie's boys hanging around his little princess." Sadie understood doing things for the chaos but this was one that she couldn't comprehend, knowing what could could come when the inevitable happened. "What about me, and Landon? What are we going to do if something bad happens to you because of her?"

Annette had never been all too good at dancing, feeling like she had two left feet after almost taking out her dance partner at a middle school dance. Most of it was now saved for her shower concerts and bedroom breakdowns. Annette looked at him and then back to the people who moved to the music. "I don't know if I'd be any good..." The brunette bit her lip for a second before shrugging. "I do love this song though and fuck these people if they think we suck, right?" She reached for his hand, journeying to the dancefloor together to brave the waves of people. Whatever had gotten into her that night gave her an extra skip in her step as well as a wandering eye with only one destination. Even as she attempted to move to the beat, mostly just swaying with the occasional head bob, her eyes kept falling back onto Brandon.

"You think so?" Annette's eyes brightened and she looked down at her dress once more to hide her blush. Usually, she didn't get like this but tonight she couldn't help it. "There was this cute guy I wanted to impress actually," she confessed biting back her smile. It was almost like she couldn't help it from forming, pushing through her insecurity and into the open. "You make me feel pretty." There was a silence for a moment as she realized her own words. They'd come out without thinking, as if her subconscious took over. "I just guess I mean to say like I don't know... I feel safe with you or whatever." It was like her confidence had been upgraded and her heart laying bare unexpectantly. "Even if you have no idea when you make a move."

“Oh, yeah? Tell me about this guy. Maybe I know him,” he teased, looking down at her with a bright smile of his own - one he didn’t even try to hide. Brandon was never one to push aside his emotions, when he was happy everyone knew it. That’s partially why he was always walking around with the stupid grin on his face, content with all the small things in life that he strongly believed if you enjoyed long enough would add up to something far bigger. “You are pretty. And safe with me. I won’t let anything happen to you again,” he promises, a fact that it still amazes him that she believes. After everything that had happened, Annette had ever reason to hate him or even be terrified of what he and his partners were capable of - but somehow she still trusted him. And that meant far more to Barrel than anyone could realize. Her trust was something he never wanted to break again. Which was also part of why he hadn’t made a move on her yet, like she just called him out on - having wanted to keep the ball in her court, afraid of moving too fast or pushing her away. But now as they stood so close together, swaying on the dancefloor, she had all but given him the widest opening and invitation - and who was he to deny that? Removing one hand from her waist, he brought it up to lift her chin ever so slightly as he slowly leaned in, giving her time to pull back or change her mind. But when she didn’t falter in the slightest, he gently pressed his lips against hers, a grin still present on his own.

Of course, the easiest way to ensure his night went smoothly was to firmly discourage him talking to his date's father, but something told Landon that he wasn't going to get his way. "You want to go out of your way to speak to him?" he questioned, being sure that he understood his intentions correctly. "Like, you want to introduce yourself and hope that he doesn't just freak the fuck out?" Landon let out a sigh, taking another needed sip of the beer before returning it. "I don't know, dude. I mean, it's your call, obviously, but I don't know if I'd go up to him alone. Maybe have Annette introduce you, or something?"

Taking back the beer, Barrel simply nodded his head in affirmation of everything he’d just said. It made sense in his head - he was going to have to face the man eventually, wouldn’t it be best to do so in a public place like this? Where Hopper couldn’t really take the risk of just killing him on the spot? “I mean, best to rip the bandaid off, right?” he phrased again, taking a sip of the drink now that it was back in his own hand. At the mention of bringing Annette along though, he practically lit up. “That’s so smart! No way he’d do anything to me if she was right there in front of us. Right?”