fuck you.

“it’s not a-” amma was flustered, face red and hands clenched, it was a telltale sign of her anger that she had no doubt tabi was acquainted with. her voice went softer “just because you left doesn’t mean it’s stupid, please i’ve been looking for you for months tab.”

“i’ve been here the entire time, amma. with my trainer. it’s not like i dropped off the face of the earth.” she looked to the side. “you should leave, amma. go back to the sky daddy you love so much.”

“i’ll drink to that.” he flashed her a quick grin back. “if the amnesia doesn’t work, you could pretend you didn’t see her, turn tail and run, pretend to be your own long lost twin. shit, you could pretend you thought she died. these are all tried and true methods from wintergreen’s reigning avoidance champion, by the way.”

“god, where have you been all my life? my creativity is just not at your level. i mean, amma won’t believe any of them, but thank you.”

“Small potatoes?” He smirked a little at the words. “I’m well aware that it’s cold here. That’s what I’m saying. Cold doesn’t usually sit well with me.”

“oh, so you’re a wuss then? that doesn’t seem to befit a bodyguard. just buy a turtleneck, man.”

Nate would have quietly disagreed– after what he’d heard about the New Years party, the stuff he’d luckily missed out on, he was pretty sure that the word did need to be heard here, to some people in particular, though. He chuckled as she brought up Arizona though. “Oh, you saw that did you? We didn’t go home together, actually. Just kissed at midnight. Name’s Arizona.”

she wiggled her shoulders. “spicy, nathaniel. did you do anything else later? are you taking this state-fuunded girl out on a date?”

“Uhhhh –– I’m sorry, but no?” Peter looked over at the dark-haired female with raised eyebrows and a hint of a smile on his lips. Shaking his head, he moved his hand to the back of his neck. “I’m sure it’s not that bad, though. I mean, isn’t it nice to get to see your little sister? I’m assuming she doesn’t live here, since you said she’s in town, which also means that you don’t get to see her that often.” He shrugged his shoulders casually. Peter had always wanted a sister or a brother; but life wouldn’t have that.  

tabi paused and looked at peter with a bored expression. “my little sister is here to drag me back into the clutches of the mormon church, so it’s not exactly a happy reunion or one i wanted. she can get very far away from me, thank you.”

“gnarly ski accident could always do you a good one on the face, and maybe your memory if you’re lucky. new brain, who’s this?” logan raised his eyebrows. “otherwise, you could always play dumb. or drunk. drunk works wonders.”

“oh, amnesia! that’s a good one. i’ll try it out.” she grinned. “and i’m usually drunk, so i can’t pull that one too much. it gets old.”

“Well that’s a bit extreme,” Nellie looked at Tabi with much concern. She was grabbing coffee with her when she informed Nellie that she needed some help. “Is this for you or for your sister? Why are you trying to run away from her T?” 

“my sister is an insane mormon missionary who wouldn’t know a dick from a two by four. why wouldn’t i want to get as far away from her as possible?”

hannah had been forced out of the hospital, so she found herself really just doing anything to avoid anna yelling at her for coming back. plus she needed to walk around anyway. “i mean, i wouldn’t get plastic surgery in wintergreen.” she offered to the other with a bit of a laugh.

tabi looked at hannah with an appreciative glance. “that’s a fair statement. i appreciate your honesty.”

“I’m not sure you’d consider Manhattan to be some ungodly hot place that’s up satan’s asscrack, actually. But I mean, you can assume that all you want.”

“then this is small potatoes. chill out, it’s already cold here.”

“Three years– that’s a good long while,” he mused. “So, what you’re saying is that there aren’t a lot of door knocking Church of Latter Day Saint singers around Wintergreen, then?”

“god no. the word doesn’t need to be heard here.” she looked at nate. “new topic of conversation: who was that blonde you left the new years party with?”

“Forgive me. I’m not particularly well educated in the lives and practices of mormons,” he admitted. “Yeah, you definitely give off a bit of a vibe that you’re done with all of that for sure. How long ago did you… quit?”

“i was excommunicated three years ago.” tabi shrugged it off. “it’s whatever. there’s not really a lot of mormons around here. sorry--” she cleared her throat theatrically. “--the church of latter day saints.”

Nate raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I’m sure they loved it.” Honestly, that truly wasn’t what he was expecting to hear, but he was certainly amused by it. “Isn’t that what they teach in Sunday School?”

“mormons don’t call it that, but sure. that’s what they teach alright. but i’m done with that shit, only my sister is still in it.”

“I’m feeling adventurous,” she admitted. “You can pick my poison. And the rest of the night? I’m going with the flow. Seeing what happens and where that takes me.”

tabi grinned wickedly. “alright, it’s your funeral.” she ordered a round of shots and held one up to savannah. “down it, princess.”

“do i get some points for being creative?” scott chuckled. honestly, he was merely just trying to start conversation, better to say something a little unusual than mundane small talk. “oh …. did you just say sure?” scott pursed his lips, watching the woman curiously with a smirk. 

“you get zero points for anything you do forever,” tabi said. she shrugged. “sure. i have nothing to do and around fifteen minutes to kill. you won’t last more than five anyway.”

“Half of it on horseback? I suppose I’m lucky I took lessons as a kid, then. It’ll make the journey all the more enjoyable.”

“What, did you accidentally send the judges your nudes or something? Blackmail gone wrong?”

Grinning, Savannah nodded at her. She was enjoying the dance and the company. “I think you might be right, and I’m never going to turn down a drink from an open bar,” she hummed. “Let’s go.”