YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN, KID

                    eyebrows raise,      eyes widening slightly at the split of his bow.                              ❝        impressive.          guess you don’t need me to help you with aim.        ❞                              reaching out,      he returns the bow to his grip and finally tilts his chin down to look at them.          the sun reflects off their skin,      the brightness looking out of place on something so dark.          his lips curl in amusement,      a small laugh sounding in the form of a heavy exhale,                              ❝        do you always talk to the point of needing a thesaurus?        ❞

                    lowering his bow to the point that his arm is extended straight at his side,      xavier glances over at wednesday with a tentative gaze.          it’s a quickly fleeting moment,      his eyes hastily refocusing on the target in front of him and his arm raising once more.          even with the abrupt change in focus,      the bow constricting her view isn’t enough to conceal the abstruse smile that causes the corners of his lips to twitch.                              ❝        yeah,      you could say that.        ❞                              there’s no disagreement with the statement,      even without asking for further clarification.          positive or negative,      he’s well aware that despite his best attempts to be a recluse like he always has been,      it hasn’t worked out in his favor.          with a stretch of the string,      the arrow hits perfectly in the center with little concentration on his end,      xavier then taking a step back to hand the weapon to wednesday.                              ❝        i guess that’s what happens when you date the      ––––      what’d you call her?      ––––      the self - appointed queen bee.          people start talking,      then suddenly your life isn’t so private.        ❞

                    a laugh leaves his lips,      but it’s void of any humor and there’s no sign of life behind the typically joyous sound.                              ❝        wednesday      . . .      come on.        ❞                              his eyebrows raise in an expectant expression,      silently communicating the believed idiocy behind the comment as if she could read his mind.          maybe she could.                    (          is it meant to be a threat?          not even wednesday can threaten him now,      there’s no chill in his bones to accompany the attempt.          he stands tall with shoulders back and spine straight,        no longer the boy in the coffee shop.          )                    tyler shakes his head slowly,                              ❝        the police.          my dad,      you mean?          oh,      i’m so scared of him.          can you tell?          come on,      you’re smarter than that      ––––      that’s why i’ve always liked you.        ❞