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Jen knows about Sweetieâs reputation and has seen people sneak the little baggies from the salad bar, but theyâve kept their distance from the shady parts of the restaurant. They genuinely just go there for the ice cream and milkshakes. After the Foxes lost the last game, it feels like a good time to try and cheer up with something sweet, even if these games donât impact them like they used to. It doesnât feel that way when theyâre watching from the sidelines and seeing how crushed their old teammates are when they lose. For some reason, it makes them miss being part of the action, rather than grateful theyâre more distant from it now.
Itâs pretty quiet when they step through the doors, but they spot a familiar face and make a beeline for his table. When Caleb offers a napkin, they immediately reach to grab one before pausing suddenly, remembering how the waiters passed on the cracker dust. Faltering, they drop their hand before taking a seat on the other side of the both, not bothering to try and hide the concerned look they give Caleb.Â
âNo. I just want ice cream,â Their response makes them feel like a little kid, but they donât have time to dwell on it before a waitress comes over for their order. Jen glances at the menu before choosing brownie sundae. A napkin free brownie sundae.Â
Itâs not like Jen is a prude or anything. They definitely take advantage of the underage drinking in Edens or the free alcohol at house parties, and theyâve heard about the rumors about cracker dust, but they never wanted to try. The whole magic untraceable, nasty side effect free drug sounds fake. âAre you okay?â Jen asks Caleb quietly, knowing he must be down after the game. Itâs probably why heâs here in the first place.
Sweetieâs is busier than Caleb would like it to be, mildly frustrated by just the sheer noise of it all and unable to get a solid breath in. The ice cream in front of him helped mitigate the overwhelming feeling of his chest being crushed, not just by the game, but by the overload and the game combined. Too much stimulus, his brain running through everything that happened during the game while his ears tried to tune out the sound of the restaurant getting filled up with people eating their feelings.Â
Another person, one talking directly to him, wouldnât help the overload, it would actually make it worse, but Caleb enjoyed Jenâs company, more than most of the people currently on the team. Them not being a Fox anymore, but a Vixen, is probably what tipped the scales in their direction to begin with. He doesnât press their choice not to partake in cracker dust, noticing the packet of crackers from the salad bar missing.Â
âSuit yourself.â Itâs almost dismissive, but not quite. Jen had to have been feeling the loss but probably not anywhere near as hard as the Foxes themselves were. Wymack didnât care what his Foxes got up to so long as they didnât end up in jail or unable to play, he could afford to drown his sorrows in cracker dust instead of alcohol or one of his more unsavory vices. This, at the very least, wouldnât last long enough to do any real damage and heâd be good to be rise with the sun in the morning.Â
After a second, pondering the question, Caleb shrugs. âNot really.â Itâs the first time he admitted to anyone that he wasnât okay, including Dr. Dobson, and it was only because it was understandable. Theyâd lost, but the Foxes would come back from it. It was okay that he wasnât okay. âBut itâs whatever. Iâll get over it.âÂ









