* WOULDN'T IT BE NICE ?

“it   is   idiotic   to   care   about   people   because   people   fucking   SUCK,”   she   corrects,   a   frown   on   her   face.   a   million   familiar   lines,   a   petulant   persistent   dismay   at   everything   the   world   has   to   offer   her.   people   were   boring,   people   wasted   their   time   pretending   they   were   better   than   reality   and   in   the   end…   ash   knew   better   than   anyone   that   people   ALWAYS   let   you   down.   she   should   know,   she   was   able   to   let   down   literally   everyone   in   her   life.   everyone   except   for   isaac.   she   was   a   catalyst   and   whatever   she   did   she   seemed   to   trigger   a   set   of   reactions   that   went   like   dominoes   until   her   mother   was   crying   about   her   reputation   like   one   of   those   housewives   who   thought   sadness   was   an   illness   and   having   a   baby   as   a   teenager   was   enough   to   make   the   planet   combust.   “you’re   just   too   delusional   to   know   that   yet,   maybe   it’s   the   power   of   christ,”   she   dismisses   him   with   an   eye   roll.   

it’s   not   that   she   isn’t   listening   and   doesn’t   think   it’s   relevant   that   eddie   isn’t   the   arsonist,   she   may   be   a   bad   person,   a   selfish   person   and   someone   entirely   absorbed   by   her   own   narration   but   she   does   know   right   from   wrong.   maybe   reggie   thinks   that   she’s   so   horrible   that   she   doesn’t   understand   his   point   but   it’s   him   who   doesn’t   understand   hers.   what   was   the   point   of   him   going   around   telling   everyone   eddie   wasn’t   the   arsonist   when   he   didn’t   do   one   useful   thing   about   his   suspicions?

“yeah,   i   get   it,   i’m   a   TERRIBLE   person   and   you,   kind   little   reggie,   take   time   out   of   your   precious   day   saving   the   world   to   TOLERATE   me.   thanks   so   much,”   the   words   dripping   with   sarcasm,   her   eyes   narrowed.   she   had   always   known   that   was   how   he   truly   felt   about   her   and   now   all   the   things   she   had   been   thinking   earlier   were   diminished,   dismissed,   the   strange   unsettling   connection   she   thought   they   were   building   DESTROYED.   “all   i’m   trying   to   say   is   that   you   didn’t   actually   do   anything   useful.   you   just   ran   your   mouth.   you   didn’t   open   your   door,   you   didn’t   let   poor   little   foster   kid   eddie   crash   at   your   place   or   convince   the   parishioners   of   darkwood   to   give   him   a   second   chance.   if   you   thought   he   was   innocent   then   you   could   of   done   something   other   than   incite   some   psychotic   person   to   start   burning   down   the   rest   of   the   town,   reggie.”

defences   are   up,   walls   rebuilt   to   the   very   top.   irrationality,  “no.   she   doesn’t   know   anything   about   this   and   she   doesn’t   have   to.   not   her   and   not   chance.   okay?”

𝙷𝙴  𝙷𝙰𝙳  𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙻𝚃  𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙼𝙾𝚂𝚃  𝙼𝙴𝚁𝙲𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙰𝙻  ,  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙼𝙾𝚂𝚃  𝚂𝚃𝚄𝙱𝙱𝙾𝚁𝙽  ,  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙼𝙾𝚂𝚃  𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝙴𝙽𝚃  𝙾𝙵  𝙿𝙴𝙾𝙿𝙻𝙴  ,  but  she  had  always  been  another  on  another  playing  field   —  always  presenting  a  new  challenge  ,  always  pulling  him  back  down  to  the  ground  whenever  he  would  get  too  quixotic  for  anyone’s  good  .  his  patience  never  seemed  to  ran  thin  with  her  ,   their  lives  too  intertwined  and  reggie  knew  he  couldn’t  live  without  her  at  this  point  .  and  maybe ,  he  didn’t  know  whether  that  was  a  good  thing  .  maybe  ,  he  was  DELUSIONAL  in  thinking  that  he  could  soften  her  hardened  heart  ,  in  thinking  that  she  could  see  anything  other  than  how  she  wanted  to  see  them  .   they  were  both  stubborn  ,  PRIDEFUL  ,  but  maybe  ,  it  was  time  for  one  of  them  to  lose    —  and  he  would  rather  it  be  him  .  

he  was  also  EXHAUSTED  ,  FRIGHTENED  ,  CONFUSED ,  LOST   ,   the  mask  he  wore    —  that  everlasting  smile  ,   meant  to  provide  comfort  and  security   —    finally  WAVERING  at  every  word  that  spilled  from  her  lips  .   he  had  always  tried  his  best  to  care  for  people  ,  always  put  his  own  problems  on  the  back  burner  while  everyone  else’s  piled  up  on  him  because  he  couldn’t  stop  himself  from  getting  involved  .   and  maybe  ash  was  right  ,  that  he  didn’t  do  enough  to  help  eddie  and  that  he  only  made  things  worse  .  he  didn’t  speak  until  she  was  done  ,   only  recited  a  prayer  in  his  head  as  she  continued  to  spew  dismissals  and  blame   —   god  ,  grant  me  the  serenity  to  accept  the  things  i  cannot  change  ,   courage  to  change  the  things  i  can ,  and  wisdom  to  know  the  difference .  what  was  there  to  say  out  loud  ?   too  many  things  .  he  could  argue  ,  defend  himself  ,  list  all  the   good  he  had  done  but  none  of  it  would  make  a  difference   because  it  was  ash  . 

  ❛  YEAH  ,  OKAY  ,   ❜   he  spoke  timidly  ,  resigned  .   ❛   i  don’t  know  how  much  longer  i  can  do  this    —    you  only  hearing  what  you  want  to  hear  ,  only  seeing  what  you  want  to  see  ...   ❜   his  words  were  low  ,  LIFELESS  ,  uncertain  whether  they  would  matter  at  all  ,  and  maybe  he  was  only  rambling  at  this  point  because  it  was  easier  to  deal  with  than  silence  and  the  inevitability  of  one  of  them  walking  away  .     ❛  you  can  be  terrible  .  intolerable  .  SELFISH  ,  all  of  those  are  true  .  but  how  is  it  hard  to  understand  that  despite  all  of  that   ,   you  make  me  feel  ALIVE  ?  that  maybe  i  don’t  just  tolerate  you  ,  that  maybe  i  actually  LIKE  being  around  you  ?  ❜    his  expression  subtly  shifted  from   one  of  defeat  to  devastation  ,  as  if  hearing  his  own  words  out  loud  led  him  to  a  realization  .    ❛  and  i  don’t  think  it’s  right  because  all  you’ve  done  is  make  me  feel  TERRIBLE  .  you’re  right  that  i  should  have  done  more  about  eddie’s  situation  ,  but  i’m  not  going  to  take  BLAME  for  an  arsonist’s  action  .   that’s  on  them  .  and  i’m  not  going  to  take  some  masochistic  delight  in  you  telling  me  that  i’m  to  blame  for  something  i  did  NOT  know  would  happen  .  i’m   DONE  with  that  .  ❜  

never  had  he  felt  more  uncomfortable  in  his  life  ,  unfamiliar  with  how  to  navigate  his emotions  after  an  outburst  that  might  just  ruin  his  relationship  with  ash  ,  whatever  that  was  .    ❛  so  ,  what  now  ?   you  clearly  don’t  need  me  since  i  just  make  things  worse  and  you  don’t  want  pari’s  help  .  in  fact  ,  you  don’t  want  anyone’s  help  .  it’s  always  YOUR  WAY  OR  NO  WAY  ,  isn’t  it  ?     ❜

after being cooped up in his room for five straight days, dean had begun to feel an almost biological need for fresh air and sunlight. he’d woken up at 3pm, hungrily guzzled nearly three quarters of an entire container of orange juice, slipped on jeans and a tshirt (both dirty), and rode into town. parking near the square, dean began to walk without direction, just soaking up some dappled sunlight and breathing in some fresh spring air. fortunately he hadn’t drank much the night before, because a hangover would’ve totally marred the pleasantness of the experience.

he turned a corner and found himself just a few strides away from the church. normally he wouldn’t have thought much of this, but there was a smiling young man stationed out front who looked ready to proposition him to do something church-related. for a moment he considered just turning back the way he came, but it was too late; the holy roller was already extending a flier in his direction. as dean came to a stop in front of him, he realized that he knew this guy — well…knew of him. reggie jr, aka mr. perfect; dean had always considered himself lucky that their paths hadn’t crossed much, as he didn’t have a high tolerance for moralizing (something he kinda just assumed that all religious people did constantly). before even looking at what the flier said, dean held up a hand, “look…reggie, is it? i’m sure you’re doing the lord’s work and all, and that’s great. i’m happy for you, really i am. but the whole god thing? not for me. so, i think maybe you should save that for the next poor sap who walks this way.”

​

𝙸𝙵  𝚁𝙴𝙿𝚄𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  𝚆𝙴𝚁𝙴  𝙰𝙽𝚈  𝚃𝚁𝚄𝙴  𝙸𝙽𝙳𝙸𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  𝙾𝙵  𝚆𝙷𝙾  𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈  𝚆𝙴𝚁𝙴  ,  then  they  must  be  polar  opposites  .  light  and  dark  ,   peace  and  disorder  ,  right  and  wrong      —   the  same  old  ,  same  old  dichotomies  pressed  onto  the  likes  of  them  as  if  people  were  ever  that  simple  .  he  had  heard  what  people  said  about  dean   —    how  he  brought  trouble  wherever  he  went  ,  how  he  reeked  of  alcohol  and  drugs  ,  all  the  hearts  he  left  broken  in  his  path  of  destruction  (  or  was  it  self-destruction  ?  )  .   and  while  reggie  had  a  firm  idea  of  RIGHT  and  WRONG  ,  he  had  never  been  the  kind  of  person  to  simply  believe  what  people  say   (  naive  young  man  ,  always  trying  to  see  the  good  people  even  when  they  want  nothing  to  do  with  you  )  .   

so  ,  it  might  have  looked  like  a  lost  cause  to  approach  dean  .   and  maybe  ,   the  response  was  exactly  what  he  expected  .  but  reggie  jr  had  always  been  just  as  stubborn  when  it  came  to  stubborn  people   —  he  thought  he  could  change  people’s  hearts  with  a  little  tenderness  and  warmth  ,   he  thought  that  everyone  deserved  to  be  looked  after  especially  when  they  clearly  have  lost  their  way  .   he  needed  that  HUMANITY  to  thrive  in  darkwood  .   ❛   you  don’t  need  to  believe  in  god  to  help  and  care  about  people  ,    ❜   he  countered  ,   tone  free  of  animosity  and  only  trying  to  explain  as  dean  didn’t  even  seem  interested  in  giving  the  flier  a  quick  read  .     ❛   it’s  for  holy  cannoli  .  we’re  holding  a  little  bake  sale  to  raise  money  to  help  them  rebuild  ...  i  mean  ,  after  everything  they’ve  done  for  our  community  ,   don’t  you  think  we  owe  it  to  them  to  give  back  ?  we  need  volunteers   for  the  baking  part   —  might  not  be  how  you’d  typically  spend  your  day  but  i  don’t  know  ,  i  think  you’ll  find  it  fun  and  fulfilling   —  but  if  you  can’t ,  then  i  hope  you’d  at  least  buy  a  brownie  or  two  when  it’s  time  for  the  sale  .  every  little  thing  matters  .  ❜  

𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐚  𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝  𝐡𝐢𝐬  𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝  on  his  thigh  absently  to the  beat  of  the  music  that  was  playing through  his  headphones  as  he  waited  for  his  order  to  be  ready.  the  music  was  a  little  too  loud  for  him  to  hear  the  name  that  was  called  out  with  the  order,  which  was  why  he  didn’t  realize  that  the  drink  he  grabbed  wasn’t  his  until  he  felt  someone  tap  on  his  shoulder.  he  turned  around,  pulling  one  headphone  out  so  he  could  hear  the  other  person  better.  “oh …  sorry!”  luca  quickly  replied,  holding  the  drink  out  for  them  to  take.  “i  didn’t  drink  any  of  it  yet  so  you’re  all  good!” 

𝙰𝚂  𝙰𝙻𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂  ,  𝚁𝙴𝙶𝙶𝙸𝙴  𝚂𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙴𝙳  ,    warm  and  gentle  ,  a  wordless  way  of  saying  that  there  was  no  need  for  apologies  over  a  mistake  that  anyone  could  make  .  in  fact  ,  he  wouldn’t  have  minded  even  if  luca  had  taken  a  swig   —  always  happy  to  share  (  not  just  the  drink  ,  but  the  experience  of  INTIMACY  with  people  even  if  in  the  form  of   sharing  a  cup  of  coffee   )  .   he  took  the  drink  ,  but  still  held  it  close  to  the  other  ,      ❛   you  can  if  you  want  .  take  a  drink  ,  i  mean  .  it’s  a  cortado  ,  my  grandma’s  favourite  .  still  feels  like  she’s  with  me  whenever  i  drink  it  ,  like  a  warm  hug  ,   ❜  he  offered  ,   clearly  enthused  and  without  any  hesitation  .   though  ,  he  supposed  it  was  a  bit  unusual  so  he  quickly  decided  on  a  fallback  to  not  make  things  too  weird  .      ❛   by  the  way  ,  what  are  you  listening  to  ?  must  be  really  good  to  distract  you  that  bad  .  i  mean  ,  you  do  look  like  the  kind  of  person  to  have  great  taste  in  music  .     ❜

Brooklyn looked up from the sketchpad in her lap, another rough draft of David’s face staring up from charcoaled lines. He wasn’t exactly recognizable — she remembered everything about him just as well as she would looking at a picture, but she wasn’t much of an artist. Honestly, Brooklyn wasn’t much of anything. She’d never been able to find an activity she was talented at, mediocre at best. The one and only thing she felt she good at in life was being Mathis’ mother, and even that was a stretch some days. How could she be a good mother when there were days she didn’t get out of bed until seven pm?

Distracted now from her desperate attempt to get it right, as if seeing her dedication would bring the man to love her again, Brooklyn wondered if Reggie knew, and he was trying to find out who else knew, or if he was completely clueless. “Define weird.”

𝙷𝙴  𝙼𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃  𝙰𝚂  𝚆𝙴𝙻𝙻  𝙱𝙴  𝚆𝙴𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙰  𝚃𝙸𝙽  𝙵𝙾𝙸𝙻  𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝚁𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃  𝙽𝙾𝚆  ,  the  thoughts  embedded  on  his  mind  too  bizarre  and  maybe  even  leaning  towards  sacrilege  .   to  DEFINE  WEIRD  wasn’t  exactly  an  easy  feat  in  this  case  ,   with  too  many  things  going  on  ,  too  much  incomprehensible  to  him  that  he  didn’t  know  where  to  begin  .  or  maybe  there  was  an  easy  explanation   —  that  people  were  simply  changing  ,   even  if  it  was  too  fast  ,  too  sudden  .  and  they  didn’t  owe  him  to  be  part  of  that  at  all  no  matter  how  much  he  wanted  to  be  there  for  them  ,  to  care  for  them  every  step  of  the  way  . 

and  maybe  ,  now  more  than  ever  ,  he  wanted  to  be  there  for  them  because  he  wanted  someone  to  be  there  for  him  ,  too  .  to  ask  him  how  he  was  doing  ,  even  if  he’d  answer  with  the  same  old  smile  and  tell  them  EVERYTHING’S  FINE  (  even  if  he  was  scared  as  hell  ,  but  at  least  someone  cared  enough  to  ask  )  .   ❛   forget  it  ,  it’s  kind  of  stupid  ,    ❜   he  chuckled  ,  trying  to  laugh  and  shrug  the  more  peculiar  thoughts  away  .   ❛  i  think  i  was  just  blind  to  it  before  but  now  ,  i  see  that  people  are  finally   becoming  who  they’re  meant  to  be  .  a  lot  of  people  seem  more  mature  ,   enlightened  even  .  i  guess  it  just  makes  me  feel  unneeded  ,  not  that  they  needed  me  in  the  first  place  anyway  .    ❜   it  was  the  more  logical  thought  ,   unlike  ash’s  whole  body  snatchers  personality  transplant  theory  .     ❛   you  know  how  much  i  LOVE  this  town  ,   so  it’s  always  a  weird  feeling  to  see  someone  grow  into  someone  meant  for  bigger  things  than  this  town  because  of  course  ,   i  want  to  support  them  but  it  sucks  knowing  i’ll  lose  them  soon  .  ❜  he  took  a  moment  to  breathe  ,  an  apologetic  look  gracing  his  features  as  he  looked  at  brooklyn  after  making  her  an  impromptu  confessional  .  he  always  did  talk  too  much  .   ❛  you’re  not  leaving  us  too ,  right  ?  one  blink  and  next  thing  you  know  ,  georgie  is  gonna  find  out  who  he  wants  to  be  in  the  world  and  leave  us  ,  too  .  ❜ 

𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥  𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗘𝗦

you  wear  your  heart  on  your  sleeve  and  you’re  known  for  being  the  happy  person  in  your  friend  group  ,  which  can  put  a  burden  on  you  to  always  be  optimistic  .  you  like  to  create  things  that  have  a  physical  result  ,  like  baking  or  painting  .  you  have  a  lot  of  love  for  the  world  ,  and  want  to  always  be  there  for  your  friends .  remember  to  find  the  small  things  that  matter  and  latch  onto  them  in  what  can  sometimes  feel  like  an  overwhelming  and  scary  world .

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝙸𝚂  𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁  𝚄𝙽𝙾𝚁𝚃𝙷𝙾𝙳𝙾𝚇  𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴  𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴  ?

𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚  𝗙𝗢𝗢𝗗  𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛  𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗦

“   i   DON’T   think   of   you   at   all   ,   ”   it’s   an   instinctual   response,   the   words   violent   and   tasting   like   chaos   on   her   lips   as   soon   as   they   are   spoken.   an   angel   he   might   have   been   but   she   had   always   seen   him   as   something   quite   different   ;   his   very   existence   antagonistically   opposite   to   her   own.   more   than   that,   in   that   moment,   she   actively   knew   that   was   a   lie   because   she   had   been   thinking   of   reggie   more   often   than   not   since   their   last   conversation.   she   was   no   psychologist   but   she   was   pretty   sure   than   there   was   something   her   subconscious   was   sneaking   into   her   dreams,   a   completely   alternate   reality   that   she   refuted   completely.   a   lot   of   things   could   happen   in   reality   but   ash   knew   for   sure   that   their   rivalry   was   a   fibre   of   universal   harmony   that   must   never   end.   

“   what   the   fuck   are   you   talking   about   ?   ”   she   spits,   a   look   of   utter   disgust   on   her   face.   it’s   not   that   she   has   a   problem   with   eddie,   he   might   of   even   been   sexier   if   he   did   think   that   torching   darkwood   was   an   idea.   she   was   on   board   with   chaos   but   everything   was   pointing   in   another   direction…   another   person   that   had   hidden   in   plain   sight.   she   had   always   thought   darkwood   was   the   home   of   the   boring,   the   dull,   the   absolute   mind   numbing…   a   bunch   of   happy   shiny   people   like   reggie   and   his   father   that   made   her   clench   her   jaw.   she   had   never   fit   in   here.   she   had   never   really   wanted   to,   had   she?   “   stop   being   such   an   idiot.   not   that   i   should   expect   anything   more   from   someone   who   literally   gets   an   ominous   note   from   a   fucking   arsonist   and   decides   to   keep   running   their   mouth   all   around   town   ,   ”   now,   that’s   not   her   being   her   normal   self…   it’s   just   the   TRUTH.   

her   arms   are   crossed,   her   brows   furrowed   into   a   frown   as   she   shakes   her   head.   the   audacity.   she’s   looking   at   reggie   and   she’s   searching   for   something…   maybe   she’s   waiting   to   find   out   why   everyone   loves   him   so   much…   “   shit,   we   are   so   screwed.   eddie   was   on   the   other   side   of   town,   a   literal   arsonist   is   loose,   everyone’s   acting   out   of   their   fucking   mind   and   all   i   have   is   a   you.   a   man   who   ignored   semi-blackmail   to   be-a-good-person.   ”   

𝙰𝚃  𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴𝚂  𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴  𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂  𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝙳𝙰𝚁𝙺𝚆𝙾𝙾𝙳  𝚂𝙴𝙴𝙼𝙴𝙳  𝚃𝙾  𝙱𝙴  𝙸𝚃𝚂  𝙾𝚆𝙽  𝙻𝙸𝚅𝙸𝙽𝙶  ,  𝙱𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴    —  a  place  with  its  own  personality  ,  an  unremarkable  sleepy  little  town  on  the  surface  but  underneath  brewed  drama  ,  trouble  and  secrets  that  lingered  on  his  mind  .  and  now  ,  arson  had  been  added  to  the  mix  .  yet  ,  reggie  still  loved  darkwood  with  all  his  heart  .  he  was  tied  to  this  place  ,  forever  trying  to  make  it  better  than  how  he  found  it  ,  even  better  than  how  his  father  found  it  .   maybe  ash  was  too  stubborn  to  admit  it  ,  but  reggie  wanted  to  believe  that  she  loved  darkwood  all  the  same  ,  too  .  or  at  least  ,  she  knew  how  to  love  something  so  greatly  that  she  would  lose  sleep  over  it  .  that  was  why  she  was  obsessed  with  this  mystery  ,  right  ?  all  for  her  love  for  holy  cannoli  .  heaven  knew  he’d  be  same  if  it  was  the  diner  .  

while  the  whole  scorned  lover  might  have  been  a  reach  ,  it  wasn’t  completely  out  of  the  realm  of  possibilities  . ❛  don’t  make  that  face  .  eddie’s  COOL .  people  just  need  to  start  giving  him  a  chance  ,  ❜  he  quickly  responded  to  the  look  of  disgust  on  her  face  ,   always  quick  to  defend  darkwood’s  chosen  pariah  .  but  for  some  reason  ,  there  was  a  STRANGE  RELIEF  that  washed  over  him  once  ash  denied  it   —  relieved  that  ash  wasn’t  into  eddie  ?  relieved  that  eddie  wasn’t  in  a  relationship  with  her  ?  both  ?   relief  was  then  replaced  with  rising  panic  ,  but  reggie  quickly  shrugged  it  off  with  a  quick  touch  to  his  cross  pendant  and  a  deep  breath  .    ❛  it’s  NOT  idiotic  to  care  about  people ,  i  don’t  think  it  will  ever  be  ...  ❜   

and  of  course  ,  he  was  scared  .  of  course  ,  he  was  on  high  alert  .  hell  ,  he  had  thought  about  bringing  a  sleeping  bag  in  the  diner  to  make  sure  no  one  would  burn  it  down  overnight  .  but  he  couldn’t  show  weakness  and  he  couldn’t  let  some  note  break  his  will  .   ❛  i  don’t  want  eddie  to  feel  more  alone  in  this town  than  he  already  does  and  if  i  have  to  face  the  consequences  for that  ?  then  ,  so  be  it  .  and  i’m  the  same  for  you  ,  you  know  .  why  do  you  think  i’m  still  standing  here  ,  talking  to  you  no  matter  how  INTOLERABLE  you  can  be  ?   ❜  it  was  because  he  cared  about  her  .  but  that  didn’t  need  to  said  ,  he  knew  she  could  figure  it  out  and  saying it  out  loud  might  only  lead  to  her  fist  connecting  to  his  face  anyway  .    

 ❛  we’re  not  SCREWED  .  we’re  still  just  trying  to  figure  it  out  .  but  maybe  ,  we  don’t  have  to  do  this  just  by  ourselves  .  maybe  ,  we  can  ask  someone  like  pari  for  help  .  who  knows  ,  maybe  she  already  figured  it  all  out  .  ❜  

𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘  ╱  𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣  𝗔𝗥𝗖

you  started  this  story  a  little  hard ,  or  awkward ,  or  stubborn . that's  okay .  it's  harder than  it  should  be  to  admit ,  but  what  you  really want  is  love . 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃'𝚂  𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃  𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁  𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈  𝙸𝚂  𝙰𝙻𝙻  𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃  —  𝙽𝙾𝚃  𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙰𝙲𝚃  𝙾𝙵  𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙸𝙽𝙶  ,  𝙱𝚄𝚃  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙾𝚆𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴  𝙾𝙵  𝙸𝚃  .  the  confession  that  you  do  not  want  to  fight  or  bleed  or  save  the  world  ,  but  to  simply  feel  the  way  two  hands  fit  so  easily  together  .  you  will  have  two  chairs  and  a  table  and  you  will  shut  your  blinds  ,  and  you  will  say  the  word  love  without  faltering  .  this  is  a  happy  ending  , and  you  do  not  need  to  feel  guilty .  it hurts  our  hands  to  fight  —  never  to  hold .

𝙷𝙾𝚆  𝙳𝙾  𝚈𝙾𝚄  𝙽𝙴𝙴𝙳  𝚃𝙾  𝙱𝙴  𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙳  ?

𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬  ,  𝗧𝗛𝗘  𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘  𝗪𝗔𝗬  𝗬𝗢𝗨  𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘  𝗧𝗢  𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛  .

As tempting as it is to snort at Reggie’s question, especially considering the way her life’s been since the barn house dance, the redhead stifles it. “What do you mean? The town gossip is still in a huff at someone or other’s new tattoo and the restaurant appears to be doing well. Seems pretty typical to me.” Ignoring the fact that the only other contender for best restaurant in town was currently burned nearly beyond repair and the damage was being investigated as arson. Ignoring the fact that they’d apparently traveled back in time and a handful of them didn’t remember it, including those who had died.

Rachel closes the cover of her novel, reaching for a black coffee that’s going cold. “Maybe mercury’s in retrograde, or whatever that phrase is.” What exactly that meant and how it worked she hadn’t a clue, but it feels like a better thing to say than yeah, maybe that’s because we’re reliving this year and only half of us remember it.

𝙴𝚈𝙴𝙱𝚁𝙾𝚆𝚂  𝚀𝚄𝙸𝚁𝙺𝙴𝙳  𝙸𝙽𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙲𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙴𝙻𝚈 ,  𝚂𝚄𝚂𝙿𝙸𝙲𝙸𝙾𝙽  𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙸𝙽  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙿𝙸𝚃  𝙾𝙵  𝙷𝙸𝚂  𝚂𝚃𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙲𝙷  ,  it  didn’t  take  a  rocket  scientist  to  realize  that  rachel  was  being  tight-lipped  about  something  .  if  ash  and  him  could  grasp  that  there  was  something  weird  going  on  ,  then  the  likes  of  rachel  and  pari  surely  had  perceived  it  a  few  steps  ahead  of  them  .   ❛   come  on  ,   you’re  one  of  the  SMARTEST  people  in  this  town  ,  rach  .  if  i’ve  noticed  something  ,  i’m  sure  you  already  did  way  before  me  ...   ❜   and  while  the  sentiment  was  COMPLETELY  true  ,  maybe  he  also  wanted  to  butter  her  up  to  make  it  easier  for  her  to  spill  the  beans  about  whatever  was  going  on  .  

could  it  be  a  surprise  birthday  party  ?   or  the  more  farfetched  possibility  ,  was  there  a  cult  in  darkwood  slowly  indoctrinating  his  friends  into  their  ranks  ?  or  worse  ,  could  it  be  that  this  all  had  to  with  the  note  he  received  ?  though  ,  he  doubted  that  rachel  was  the  one  trying  to  threaten  him  to  keep  his  mouth  shut  about  eddie  for  some  reason  .   ❛  look  ,  i  don’t  mind  if  you  don’t  want  to  tell  me  but  if  there’s  ANYTHING  at  all  i  can  do  to  help  or  if  you  just  need  someone  to  talk  to ...  you  know  i’ll  always  make  myself  available  .  i  know  how  secrets  can  eat  someone  up  from  the  inside  ,  so  i  just  don’t  want  anyone  to  go  through  it  alone  .   ❜  

HISTORICALLY,   it   would   of   been   a   scowl   or   a   snort   of   utter   disgust   at   the   audacity   but   instead,   “cut   the   bullshit,   junior,”   her   tone   is   cold   and   blunt,   delivery   lacking   an   ounce   of   charm.   that   was   one   of   the   things   that   was   so   different   about   them,   a   reason   that   they   would   always   belong   on   opposite   sides   of   the   street   in   her   opinion.   her   self   constructed   IMAGE   less   of   a   reflection   of   a   truth   and   more   to   do   how   she   felt   about   herself.   and   why?   she   was   nothing   more   than   a   disaster,   naturally   occurring   but   able   to   destroy   anything   in   it’s   path…   what   happens   when   an   unstoppable   force   meets   an   immovable   object…   HERE   they   were.   

“things   around   here   have   been   ABNORMAL.   usually   you’re   the   weirdest   thing   about   this   town,”   insult?   no.   it’s   a   fact.   reggie   and   his   ever   sunny   disposition,   his   creepy   smiles   and   can-do   attitude…   his   idea   that   you   should   be   nice   to   everybody.   ash   had   always   thought   she   was   the   one   with   a   dustbin   as   a   mouth   but   apparently   it   was   reggie   who   had   been   going   around   town   flapping   his   lips   resulting   in   holy   cannoli   being   torched   to   the   ground.   a   set   of   happenings   that   were   no   accident.   ash   was   a   suspicious   person,   constantly   paranoid   about   what   others   were   up   to,   full   of   mistrust   like   a   stray   dog   who   had   never   had   a   home.   when   someone   called,   she   would   run   in   the   opposite   direction.   their   whole   lives   she   had   been   the   opposite   of   reggie,   watching   him   from   across   the   street   as   he   astounded   everyone   with   his   wonderful   personality.   ugh.   “fires,   someone   threatening   your   angelic   self,   new   people   in   town,   weird   phone-booths   and   people   having   abduction   style   personality   transplants,”   her   eyes   are   narrowed,   almost   a   wince.   the   pieces   of   a   puzzle   coming   together   to   look   like…   fucking   nothing   because   it   made   no   sense.   “you   must   have   noticed   something.”   there’s   something   threatening   about   her   tone,   her   eyes   hard   and   searching.

𝙰  𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙶𝙴  𝙰𝙻𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂  𝙷𝙰𝙳  𝚂𝚄𝙲𝙷  𝙰𝙽  𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙴𝙽𝚃  𝙴𝙵𝙵𝙴𝙲𝚃  𝙾𝙽  𝙷𝙸𝙼  ,  similar  to  how  people  could  not  help  but  sometimes  stare  at  the  HORRORS  right  in  front  of  their  eyes  .  maybe  ,  the  challenge  was  to  figure  out  how  every  odd  thing  that  happened  in  their  little  town  were  only  threads  in  a  tapestry  he  was  yet  to  fully  see  .  or  maybe  ,  the  challenge  had  always  been  ash  herself  and  trying  to figure  out  where  the  cogs  of  her  mind  would  take  them  .   but  whichever  it  was  ,   the  anger  (  or  was  it  desperation  for  answers  ?  )  he  recognized  in  her  voice  was  enough  to  push  him  to  COMMIT  to  whatever  it  was  they  were  bound  to  do  next  . 

he  had  always  believed  in  a  higher  power  —  a  GOD  with  a  plan  for  everyone  and  everything  ,  even  if  said  plans  sometimes  transpired  through  mysterious  ways  .  he  found  comfort  in  it  ,  knowing  that  everything  will  be  okay  in  the  end  .   but  he  knew  well  that  wasn’t  what  ash  needed  ,  after  all  ,  she  had  always  been  more  of  SEE  IT  TO  BELIEVE  IT  kind  of  person  .   and  if  anything  ,  he  wished  she  could  at  least  find  comfort  in  the  way  she  wouldn’t  have  to  go  through  this  alone  —  because  he’d  always  be  with  her  whenever  she  needed  him  come  hell  or  high  water  ,  even  if  she  wouldn’t  say  it  out  loud  .  so  the  next  question  was  ,  how  could  they  get  answers  to  their  questions  ?    ❛  so  ,   you   think  i’m  ANGELIC  ?   ❜  a  smug  smile  ,  a  final  hurrah  for  a  joke  before  they  could  venture  into  the  more  nitty-gritty  parts  of  whatever  they’d  cook  up  .  

❛  everything  i’ve  seen  ,  you  already  have  .  so  i  don’t  really  have  anything  to  report  ,  ❜   hands  momentarily  raised  in  feigned  surrender  ,  but  his  voice  was  free  of  defeat  .  on  the  contrary  ,   he  sounded  READY  .    ❛  look  ,  it’s  obvious  that  you  think  the  note  i  got  is  connected  to  the  holy  cannoli  fire  .  and  it’s  obvious  that  i  don’t  think  eddie  has  ANYTHING  to  do  with  that  ...   ❜   he  paused  for  a  moment  ,  thinking  and  thinking  of  how  to  connect  things  with  little  to  no  avail   .   ❛  so  ,  it’s  obvious  that  they  want  me  to  stop  talking  just  so  eddie  will  look  more  like  some  heretic  everyone  refuses  to  get  close  to  and  that’ll  make  it  easier  for  people  to  believe  he’s  capable  of  the  things  they  accuse  him  off  .  and  for  the  not  obvious  part  ,  why  holy  cannoli ?  you  and  eddie  are  not  in  a  love  triangle  that  left  someone  scorned  and  decided  that  arson  was  a  crime  of  passion  ...  RIGHT  ?   ❜   

❛ WHY  IS  EVERYONE  ACTING  SO  WEIRD  ?   ❜  so  much  for  being  a  secret  spy  .   he  was  too  tall  to  blend  in  anyway  .   

she  had  been  looking  for  him.  nothing  more  than  a  less  than  thoughtful  scowl  and  a  strange  look  in  her  eye.  she  has  not  seen  him  in  almost  a  week,  a  notable  absence  at  a  barn  dance  that  she  can’t  help  but  think  he  would  have  been  obsessed  with.  yes,  she  had  been  part  of  the  decorating  committee  and  quite  enjoyed  herself  but  it  was  never  quite  the  same  without  her  old  rival  to  roll  her  eyes  at.  ever  since  the  holy  cannoli  fire  and  the  strange  note  that  reggie  jr  had  showed  her,  something  was  seeming  to  change.  the  world  seemed  to  be  spinning  off  it’s  axis  –  god,  it  must  have  been  because  she  sure  as  fuck  would  not  have  let  up  any  other  time.  it  turned  out  that  reggie  was  above  arson,  although  maybe  she  had  known  that  all  along…  he  was  just  the  absolute  fool  that  would  not  heed  a  note  that  was  clearly  a  threat.  what  a  fucking  idiot.  at  least  she  had  been  right  about  that.    

“i’ve  been  looking  for  you,”  she  announces,  clearly  blocking  the  walkway  so  they  are  face  to  face.  something  other  than  the  normal  scowl  of  rage  on  her  face.  something  closer  to  indifference  (  almost  more  dangerous  ).  

𝙸𝚃  𝙼𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃  𝙱𝙴  𝙰  𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙲  𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  ,  𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙴  𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙰𝙻  𝚃𝙷𝙰𝙽  𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙸𝙱𝙻𝙴  ,  but  DARKWOOD  WAS  REGGIE’S  FIRST  LOVE  .  and  his  love  for  the  town  also  came  with  adoration  for  its  residents   —  so  ,  how  unsurprising  was  it  that  little  reggie  would  be  too  busy  trying  to  look  for  the  good  in  people’s  hearts  to  see  them  holding  a  knife  to  his  throat  ?  and  while  the  note  about  eddie  concerned  him  ,  it  was  not  in  his  blood  to  back  down  ,  to  show  any  hint  of  INTIMIDATION  against  petty  threats  when  his  solicitude  for  eddie  was  far  greater  .  if  his  word  carried  any  weight  at  all  in  their  little  town  ,   then  he  hoped  it  would  sway  others  to  see  eddie’s  innocence  rather  than  pinning  all  their  sins  on  him  because  he  was  an  easy  target  .   

❛  YOU’RE  SO  ANNOYING  ,  ❜   groaning  at  the  girl  suddenly  blocking  his  way  ,  but  he  didn’t  sound  annoyed  at  all     —   more  of  an  specific  fondness  that  only  came  out  whenever  he  knew  ash  was  about  to  rope  him  into  some  trouble  or  another  pissing  contest  .   but  the  closer  he  studied  that  look  on  her  face  ,   his  body  became  rigid  if  not  only  for  a  moment  ,  realizing  that  her  reasons  for  finding  him  must  be  serious  .   could  she  possibly  think  that  the  person  responsible  for  the  holy  cannoli  fire  was  the  same  person  that  sent  him  the  note  ?  or  worse  ,  could  she  think  that  eddie  was  the  arsonist  ?  still  ,  reggie  cleared  his  throat  and  forced  the  corners  of  his  mouth  to  curl  into  a  smile  as  he  tilted  his  head  back  for  a  moment  to  look  at  the  sky  .  it  was  a  beautiful  day   —  and  now  the  rest  was  up  to  her  .    ❛  if  you  missed  me  SO  MUCH  ,  then  you  could  have  just  gone  to  the  diner  .  but  ,  TO  WHAT  DO  I  OWE  THE  PLEASURE  ?   ❜