𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐚'𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐲

— FOR A MOMENT , SHE resists , wriggling hopelessly in her captor's cage of steel limbs . one hand is around her wrist , heavy like an iron cuff , and another muzzling her venomous tongue . maybe if eliza was not struggling so fiercely , whining in muffled protest against their palm , she would have caught the familiar scent of cedar & mint lingering off hot , freckled skin . or the rumble of amusement in his chest as it came flush to her spine . though , it is not until thomas's lips part , bidding her to submit , does eliza settle in his arms ( finally recognizing who's they are ) . dragged down to the grassy floor and between bent knees , eliza tries to win back her voice , only to be silenced once more by leaves crunching in the distance . heavy footsteps ( two ? no , three pairs ) shake the earth . their opponents show no effort at caution or tactic ; luke must have thought the game was being played in his favor .

once the footfall was a trust worthy distance , he breathed a chuckle into the side of her head . " not a fan of man hunt ?? " he crooned , though she had just stated that , a taunting lilt to his words implying that he knew that much was obvious . at her question , thomas shrugs — he knows the answer , but he wishes to prolong their seclusion a bit longer . hidden amongst the brush , with nature as their only witness , nuzzling just behind her ear with the tip of his nose .

the heat by the fire was oppressive enough to remind her of home, sat so close to the bonfire that isla could feel the hurt of it through the cardigan hardly sat on her shoulders. she hadn't set the fire, but isla took the liberty of stoking it, leaning forward from the sagging recline of her borrowed camping chair to toss in another quarter log. isla spoke with soft malice, almost like she didn’t mean to, but she knew it was just the two of them at the fire, and that made things easier somehow. " you think all the ghosts know it's such a nice night out? " she's sat all placid, picking at a smore ( gone mostly cold ) with her fingers — utterly disregarding that she could have said something so conversationally grotesque. " it's a lil' cold but — anything is better than rain. "

so , sat beside her at the bonfire , thomas reclined further back in the chair he was sat in , the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up over his head as the metal tip of his hoodie string was being rolled between his teeth . a look over to her as she spoke , brows furrowing before he looked back at the fire she stoked . the hue of her skin seemed to glow in the warm orange and golds of the flickering flames , their colors complimentary in a way that would inspire the finest of painters . " maybe , " thomas replied around the aglet clamped between his teeth .

📌 : railroad tracks (:

⏰ : august 14th, 2023 (1 day before the disappearance of luke sinclair — luke sinclair's birthday)

" no , " he replies flatly . squashed . is that what had happened to his mother ?? no different than a bug on a windshield ?? not torn to ribbons , or bludgeoned , or struck — squashed . with a look back towards where they had come from ; " you should probably be more careful . " but the advice comes out cruel , sharp , as if he had taken milo's carelessness with their own like personal . " — that's just death waiting to happen . "

he finds a nearby tree and bares his weight against it , pulling his hands from his pockets to pick at his cuticles . he hears milo's question , but he has no interest in answering it . thomas can only think about the tracks , about the world and its cruelness ; " don't mention any of that dumb shit in front of camille . " a look to the other , though there isn't any animosity in his eyes . just a big brother concerned for his little sister . then , a sigh , looking back down at his fingers .

— FUCK REEVE AZIZ . she had zero foundation to assume so , and yet eliza was absolutely certain that he had a hand in riling luke up to play this god - awful game . as if sleeping in the woods was not already bad enough . . . now they were running wild , hunting each other like animals . no matter where she turned or how fast her feet carried her , it was impossible for the fawn to evade the thundering of footsteps , following her clumsy trail of crushed grass and lingering vanilla air .

breath coming in sharp , tired gasps , she dares pause for a moment . soft skin meets rough bark as eliza leans into one of the trillion identical trees lining monte cristo's mountain . sadly , though , her reprieve is a brief one . the haunting clatter of chase quickly grows near , and the woman answers with an exasperated whine . reluctantly , her back straightens and she braces for another half - hearted sprint , but something stops her first . or , someone . a hand closes around her delicate wrist and pulls , dragging eliza behind the large tree she'd been lounging against . " OWW , that hur -- !! " she cries out before a heavy hand can slap over her mouth , cutting the princess's whines off short .

— THE DIP IN HER waist notched comfortably against the island's granite rim , her head lazily tilting to the side , too , as she leaned away . there was a blankness cast over her face , like not a thought existed behind those glittering , drink-glazed eyes . she'd gotten so good at playing dumb , it was sometimes hard to forget she wasn't — not entirely . empty pupils , large splotches of spilled ink , gave the man a quick once - over , narrowing only when they dragged back up to meet his own pools of thick , malted chocolate . " what's that supposed to mean ? " an perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched upward , matching nicely with the hand placed atop her other hip . " i'm the same-old liza , aren't i ? "

his jaw tightens , his expression suddenly souring . an irritated look sent in her direction now . " if i keep self-sabotaging ?? " he repeats , not attempting to hide the annoyance that now wrapped around his words . a roll of his eyes , suddenly pushing himself off the counter so he was now a few steps closer to her . thomas levels the woman with a look , one that is veiled in impenetrable fog that makes it practically unreadable . he lowers his voice , causing it to sound like an agitated purr as he tightens his jaw . he speaks through grit teeth , but his words aren't angry . in fact , it almost sounds as if the man is , in some wicked way , amused ; " see , t h i s is just more proof you're the same ol' liza — always finding a way to get under my fuckin' skin . "

He was grinning as he stepped towards Thomas, a gentle arm tossed over the other's shoulder to steer him away from the small crowd on the ground, only releasing the poor man once they'd made it out of earshot and his own shoulders released some of their tension. ❝ Sorry for Tommy-ing you back there, man. I needed a get out card ; those kids were not letting me go. I owe you one. They're cool, but I can only talk about ducks and horses for so long before I start to lose my fucking mind. ❞

luke did not dive into the kiss . he did not inch forward , press harder , bite hungry fangs into the soft plush of the other's wet lips . he simply sat , expectantly , the kiss ending as unremarkably as it had begun . however , it was not the short embrace that sparked visible pleasure in luke . it was the rippling after effects . a palpable energy that pulsed beyond the confines of their game . a few pointing fingers , stray laughter , whispers , and a hundred leering eyes .

bottom lip rolling between his teeth , luke made little effort in biting back the smile writing itself into every inch of his face . " aw , you're gonna hurt my feelings , ortesky . am i that bad a kisser ? " still , humor permeated within the heightened pitch of his tone .

luke leaned back onto the balls of his hands , tilting his head onto his shoulder whilst the other unraveled . thomas went through the five stages of grief before he finally lifted the card between them , sat like a smoke within the slit of pointer and middle . its bent corner was tapped against the tip of thomas's cherry-red nose . then , luke carelessly flicked it away , grimacing at the tacky remnants that clung to the skin of his fingers .

thomas , realizing it would be more damaging to his ego ( one already well bruised for reasons outside of this little game ) to continue overreacting , tried to contain his embarrassment . harness it , reel it in , and shove it deep down into his booze filled gut to drown beneath waves of pale ale and accidentally inhaled glitter . the laughter didn't phase him — at least he tried to tell himself that — and he huffed like a scorned child as luke taunted him . a look to that barely contained grin on the man's face , its size restrained only by the will of glinting teeth . then , a roll of thomas's eyes as he heaved a defeated huff .

" yeah , sinclair . you get a gold fuckin' medal for bein' the worst kiss i've ever had . " thomas's words didn't carry that same lilt of humor that luke's voice had . instead , each syllable was tainted with a cruel , irritated bite . as if luke himself had willed the card itself to fall just to subject tom to torment . he really was no better than any of the pledges , just waiting any day now for luke to come to him demanding fraternity dues .

when the card was presented , thomas grit his teeth . the tapping of it to his nose felt like the equivalent of being shot - flaring his nostrils as if he were a bull about to charge .

then , with a scoff , thomas grants his friend a wide , almost shit-eating grin . though there is no sincerity in the expression , just irritancy . " note taken . " the man then throws his hands up in defeat , just nearly knocking the handsy girl beside him with his elbow . she leans in to whisper something in his ear , her breath warm against the back of his neck . giggles dance atop her words , making them even harder to hear over his thundering pulse , but he's already leaning his weight into one of his palms to push himself up and onto his feet - ignoring her completely .

— THE DRUNKEN BUZZ OF his voice was lost to her , blended within the untamed dissonance that encased them . blaring music , faintly muffled by thin walls . the sharp ring of laughter & screams slithering in through an open window . red solo cups snapping under careless feet while glass bottles jostled atop the counter's growing landfill . eliza purposefully distracted herself with the subtle , tinkling tune of the party's soft minutiae ; the small details she always seemed to miss , too busy spinning through the nights' in a daze .

it was not until he leaned in — the lip of an empty can tapping her knee and drawing dulled attention back — did eliza's neck loll , turning a sage gaze back on him . then , a manicured nail was dragging across the marble counter , sliding up the can's smooth metal side & tap-tap-tapping against . for a moment , the only answer she gave was that empty echo .

" say ' please ' . "

however , eliza's kittenish simper , practically sewn to doll-like features , slowly unstitched . despite the haze , the blurred vignette accenting her peripheral , painted by a mixed cocktail of substances , a hum of consciousness remained . she was reminded who exactly stood beside her . and with that slow recognition , his question ( coated with a cruelness he could never understand ) held a bite . the sharp pinch of a needle .

or , , , maybe that flag meant SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK .

the empty beer is polished off , the can being crushed beneath his furled fingers as the pad of his free thumb swipes along his lower lip to collect any stale , watery ale that remained . " you're somethin' else , liza , " he mused , adding the ravaged container to the graveyard that had been erected on the cracked , kitchen counter ; splintered laminate with bubbles building beneath its uncleaned , poorly kept surface .

a look to his sister's best friend , followed by the limp shrug of a shoulder . he looks down at his fingers , rubbing thumb across calloused pads . like they were covered in dirt instead of glitter . " i think ko deserves better than just playin' house with me . " thomas believed kody deserved more than him entirely , but that same sheer stubbornness was why he still held on so tight . because he knew she'd dismiss that thought if he were to voice it .

" — fuckin' hell , nevermind . "

dramatically , thomas's eyes rolled ( he really spent too much time with his sister and her ' bestie ' ) , a scoff sounding around his lime wedge as he pried it from his maw and threw it with far less care than milo into the nearby sink . " i don't wanna know . i don't wanna fuckin' know . really . please , for the love of GOD , keep that shit to yourself , okay ?? " standing up straight , thomas's eyes bleary eyes searched around for some unopened , unclaimed can to crack . " work shit , " he repeated beneath his breath , disbelief and something teeming on disgust filling his huffed response .

an eyebrow arched in response . luke snorted , cornflower eyes rolling . " what —— are you guys ' open ' or something ? by all means , if you're searching for a third in our little pool of players , call her up . " each word was drenched in a thick layer of sarcasm which drowned the gravel of his voice . but , before thomas could have a chance to respond , or defend the sanctity of his relationship ( which , honestly , luke could have cared less about ) , the game had begun .

some guy wearing a rancid hue of yellow started them off . from his puckered lips , the ace was passed to lauryn mercer ( wasn't she fucking banned from alpha delta events ? luke would need to speak with reeve later about the integrity of their blacklist ) . she carried it to another fleeting acquaintance . and to another and another . around the circle they went . until it reached the sloppy kiss of jacob jones . the card fluttered away and , in the same second , jacob's wet lips were mashing into his neighbor's . fuck , he needed to be cut off . they were not having a repeat of the renegades party from last year .

after the jeering and laughter died down , the ace of spades was picked up and — as the rules went — split in half . one side was discarded , while the other remained in the game . suddenly , the stakes were raised and difficulty doubled .

oh shit .

he notably stiffened , leaning back into one of his hands to play it off , though it was something his companion must have taken note of as luke leaned in to whisper , breath hot and stained with booze as it fanned over thomas's suddenly clammy throat . " fuck off , man . " thomas attempted to jest , hitting the back of his hand into the man's chest as if he were a pesky fly . his gaze , however , drifted to the woman beside him , who was now much closer than she had been when she first sat down and looking at him with a wildly feral gleam in her eyes .

the card eventually reached her , and she leaned with both palms on her neighbor's knee as she received the spit-slicked card from their puckered lips . thomas swallowed as he watched . anticipated . her head seemed to be on an effortless , eager swivel as she spun around towards him . leaning in , she sank acrylic talons into his upper thighs and surged her weight forward . the nameless girl had practically hurled herself into his lap , smacking the card against his mouth ( more so his bottom lip ) . thomas screwed his eyes shut and sucked in as hard as he could to pull its halved body from her lips . distracted by the force of her frame atop him , he had entirely failed to notice her efforts to try and purposefully get the card to drop between them .

desperately eager to turn away from her , to twist his body so his shoulder would knock her off of him ; thomas never realized the card had been lost by the time he had fully turned his head . it was too late by the time he had noticed , mouth stamping against luke's with a such a force it was a miracle their noses didn't crunch together . he tasted peppermint and remnants of liquor . felt lips and teeth . tom's eyes snapped open , the man tearing himself back , an expression that could only be labeled as humiliation painting his face as heat crawled up his neck . the laughter swelled instantaneously , thunderous in his ears where blood was rushing , one giggle to his left particularly shrill as the handsy girl cackled and clapped her hands .

she doesn’t know him well,   just that he’s kody’s boyfriend,   and maybe that’s enough.   it could be better that way,   knowing nothing more of each other than the red string joining them.   still,   he looks different out here,   away from the chaos.   like he’s just watching,   or trying to distract himself from his hand in it.   " thomas, hi. "   as if he too had become subject of false expectation.   what was thomas doing out here all on his lonesome,   and more importantly  ..  was he wearing kody's top? she watches him react,   but there’s a beat,   a gap,   and for a moment they're just watching eachother. he's surprised.   " seems like that's become a theme tonight. "   tone prods flat but with a glint in her eye that suggested she was enjoying his discomfort just a little.   something more amicable piques from his roundabout compliment.   " thanks! they're—rosettes,   actually. "   she’s smiling,   but it’s a joke she’s telling herself,   a tiny thing,   something only for her.   that is the art of being,   and more importantly,   of conversation: entertaining the many nothings wedged between salient information.   she rubbernecks back to the mess of a house as they brace against its side,   watching people spill from an opening they can in drunken masses before flitting back to thomas.   " some party,   huh? "

he didn't know how to be , , , friendly . was he being too friendly ?? this was kody's roommate , his girlfriend's , , , friend . he'd could compliment her without being weird ( if only thomas ortesky was capable of doing anything without ' making it weird ' ) . " i'm glad you came . sure kody's thrilled . " the cigarette was almost forgotten until he felt the flame crawling up its slender , round body beginning to nip at his fingers . thomas quickly brought the filter back to his lips , adjusting his grasp so he didn't get burnt , eyes weighted as he closed them around it and drew in a deep breath . he feels isla lingering , her presence a weighted shadow in his peripheral , and he resisted the urge to turn to look at her ; opting to either stare at the back of his own eyelids or let his fleeting mind ( faded , induced , warped ) find aimable replies amongst constellations . " yeah , some party is definitely a way to put it . you havin' a good time ?? " he asked in earnest as he rolled his shoulders , an ache having already settled within the muscles encompassing their blades . his vertebrate gave a few noisy pops , and he sank a bit heavier against the siding .

— IN PERFECT SYNC , SOFT hands flattened atop the counter & pushed her small frame up onto the smooth ( albeit , a tad sticky ) surface beside thomas's abandoned beer can . bare legs dangled over the side , manicured nails holding its dripping edges , while a crown of uncharacteristically wild curls tilted to the side . with it , the world began to spin on a topsy - turvy axis .

" kody has good taste , " she replied — spoken like a sure fact rather than soft assurance , quick to catch his subtle change in disposition . she had , after all , known him for nearly a decade . memorized the man's tick's , and learned to anticipate his tock's . swift as an arrow , her hand shot off its perch & swatted fiddling fingers away from the hem of his ( or , rather , kody's ? ) cropped tee . a chiding tongue clicked in warning . " stop stretching it m o o o r e ! don't want to ruin her ' vision ' , do you ? "

eliza's scolding touch retreated back to its place atop the counter , and , mindlessly , two fingers waltzed along ( what was once ) white marble , stepping out of beat with the music's muffled blare . when her gaze returned to his , two thin brows knit together , wrinkling at the center . thomas's stare bore a deep hole between her eyes , and eliza was almost certain he hadn't blinked in at least a full minute . w e i r d o . how high was he ?!

she scooped up the sheer fabric of the spindly pink scarf wrapped loosely around her neck , lifting the accessory over her head like a hood — & casting a shadow over the faint flush of roses budding atop her cheeks . all night she had been dancing , mingling , partying without worry . now , though , under the scrutinizing gaze of her best friend's big brother , she felt transparent . not like he hadn't seen her in worse before . between the pool parties at their childhood homes , and many oversized t-shirts she'd been forced to borrow in high school after an impromptu night out , this dress - up doll's bikini top & mini - skirt were nothin' . not like she c a r e d what HE thought about her fashion choices . prude .

he smiled limply at her , lazily , submitting to the floaty feeling as he hummed in reply to her chastising . eliza's voice was like spider silk ; clinging to his skin , slipping beneath it , creating webs between his bones . it felt like each vibration caused by her speech was tickling him . " i'm not an artist , " he retorted with a theatric scoff , shaking his head . " — i'm a man who studies artists . i have a sketchbook but i'd hardly classify anything in there as art . it's , , , entirely different . " he thought he was making a point , a solid one at that , but the minute each syllable curled his tongue and each consonant sounded against his teeth ; any word thomas spoke had lost all meaning to him . fluent in a language he didn't understand . swelled pupils ventured once more across the kitchen , overwhelmed by the way it warped beyond recognition , gaze seeking out eliza's to ground him again as he inched closer , knocking his beer can against the cap of her bent knee . " bottle feed me beer ?? i mean SHIT , i dunno , " he replied , a playful song to his coo as he raised his brows at her , his smile spreading across drunk-flushed features ;

There was a shift in his eyes, a familiar look she'd noticed over the past seven or so months that would come over him whenever he got self-conscious or anxious and she mirrored his move, hand resting against his cheek as her thumb brushed over his skin. "I'll tell you a million times how pretty you are; starting now. You're so pretty, you are the prettiest boy. You, Thomas, are so -" her words got cut off as he leaned in to press a kiss to her nose, smiled widening until he called her out. "Hey! I do...I just wasn't." She muttered, leaning in close to capture his lips with her own, arm tightening around him to hold her close.

he leaned , after a delayed moment , into kody's hand as it came to cradle an absentmindedly ticking jaw . if it was clicking from the coke or the unaddressed anticipation for the worst , he wasn't sure , but her pruned finger tips buzzed with warmth and soothed his clammy cheek . distracted him , the prettiest boy . something in him coiled tight , an amber heat surging through his veins , one that was amplified when her mouth came to seal against his . thomas pushed the palm resting atop her velvet soft skin through slicked back locks , splayed fingers entangling water-logged strands around them as he hummed into the expression of affection . his tongue laced with lingering hallucinogens and cheap alcohol - inebriated tenderness and unspoken confession - traced the pillow of her lower lip before rows of pearl came to nip at it instead .