#thesquadstarter

“Yeah...” Kai surveyed the crowd, frowning. He felt unprepared, and a little like his face was going to melt off in the heat. “Nope-nope-nope. Think I’m gonna need a buddy-system-type-thing to survive here. Those seagulls look ready to fight and I am not facing them alone.”

“Hey, sweetie,” she greeted with a slight smile, going in for a hug. “Are you hungry? I’m sure I can whip up something really quick. Need water or anythin’?” She never thought she’d be back in her childhood home--it’s a lot emptier than it was ten years ago, but she always welcomed company. It was the type of home that was always unlocked to bring in anyone that needed a friend, family, or just a shoulder to cry on. “Sorry it’s a mess. I haven’t had the time to unpack yet.”

Breakfast, and a few more hours of sleep, had helped. A little. So god bless Kai. Salem still felt like he had one foot in the grave; but housekeeping had asked if they wanted the room cleaned, and though he’d dearly love to nurse his hangover in bed all day, the desire for fresh sheets and a bathroom that didn’t smell like last night won out. The sun was still violently hot, and he didn’t want to go far; once the room had been cleaned, he would be crawling back into bed. For now, he slid into the pool. An oversized pair of sunglasses protected his eyes from the worst of the glare, and the cool, clean water soothed his pounding head and nauseated stomach. He was content just floating on his back, enjoying the fact that most of the hotel’s residents seemed to have gone out for the day, when he heard footsteps. Squinting over his sunglasses just enough to ascertain that it was one of the squad, Salem shook his head.

it’s funny how things turn out to be so much more than what one expects out of something. leigh had intended on staying solely for the funeral, pay respects and go back to her life -- and yet, here she is, standing among the crowd at coney island, wondering just how she’d ended up getting convinced to come with the people she thought she didn’t want to be surrounded with again, lest they bring back old emotions she never wanted to feel again -- one of which is feeling youthful and free. she doesn’t need the pretense — the temporary freedom turned back to reality once more. sighing, she picks up a marble and tosses it towards the water, fully intending on making it skip over the water harmlessly, but then a random forehead emerges from underneath the water out of nowhere, the marble hitting it square in the center. 

“Was this your card?”

Indefinitely. They were all staying... indefinitely. On one hand, Kai had nowhere else to go anyway. On the other, it threw a wrench in his idea to only sustain the facade of his fake life until the others all left town. What would his fictional girlfriend Heather say about his absence? He was lost in thought when a moth landed on his face. Irritated, he twitched a hand at it. “Do I look like a lamp? Fuck off.” He pulled a lighter from his pocket and opened it, clicking the flame to life. “Here---” One tiny puff of incinerated wings later, he realized he’d just committed murder. He looked up guiltily hoping no one had witnessed the crime.

“it’s only been ten years,” leigh murmured whilst tracing the rim of her glass, lips pursing tightly before glancing over at the person sitting beside her. “i do not mean to bring up some ... undesirable feelings, but don’t you think it’s weird? that we’re now at the age where we can potentially start losing our parents?” she paused, tongue poking at her cheek. “or, you know, our elder relatives. those who cared for us as kids.”

Removing himself to the outskirts of the little gathering - he didn’t like funerals, he didn’t like big shows of emotion, and he was already beginning to think he might have made a mistake agreeing to stay in Manhasset - Salem cupped his hands around a cigarette and took a long, exhausted inhale. The smoke spiralled off quietly into the evening air, mingling with the smoke from the barbecue. He watched it quietly, not turning around at the sound of footsteps approaching. “I know, I know,” he said blithely, tapping ash onto the ground. “These things’ll kill me.”