Dead Girl Walking ― Aaron Minyard

04. sleepsong

oh, you go to sleep on your own
and wake each day with your thoughts
and it scares you being alone
it's a last resort
― bastille

[trigger warnings: vague mention of eating disorder/controlled diet]

♦

MARA WAS GOING TO KILL NICKY HEMMICK ONE DAY. Probably soon.

Nicky had decided to oh-so-graciously let Neil have the front seat, which meant Mara spent the car ride to Abby's squished between Aaron and Kevin in the backseat. Thankfully for everyone, Abby only lived five minutes from campus, but that was still five minutes too long with Kevin squirming.

"If you don't stop moving right now I'm throwing you out of this car," Mara seethed in French.

"You'd have to take Andrew out, too," Kevin pointed out, glaring at her.

"That's just a bonus," she said. "Stop fucking moving."

"You'll have to excuse their flirting, Neil," Nicky said from the driver's seat. "It's probably best none of us speak French."

Neil glanced at the backseat, but he was mostly looking at Kevin. He seemed to have trouble meeting Mara's eyes—she wasn't all that surprised, or even concerned. She'd been told she had a habit of looking like a murderous bitch when she didn't force a pleasant expression (which she only did when cameras were rolling). "You're dating?"

"No," Mara and Kevin said at the same time.

"So they say," Nicky said in a conspiratorial tone.

Mara surged forward but Kevin and Aaron both threw their arms over her to keep her in place.

"Nicky, shut up before she tries to kill you," Aaron muttered.

Wisely, Nicky did just that.

Coach Wymack and Abby were in the kitchen already when they walked in. Wymack was grumbling as he dug through the silverware drawer and Abby ignored him in favor of stirring something at the stove.

Coach spotted the Foxes first and stabbed a finger at Nicky. "Hemmick, get over here and be useful for once in your mangy life. Table needs setting."

"Aww, Coach," Nicky complained as Abby turned. "Why do you always have to pick on me? You already started it. Can't you finish?"

"Shut your face and get to work."

"Can't you two behave when we've got a guest?" Abby asked, setting aside her spoon and coming to greet them.

Wymack raked the group with a look. "I don't see any guests. Neil's a Fox. He's not going to get any special treatment just because it's his first day. Don't want him thinking this team is anything but dysfunctional or June will be a rude wake-up call."

"David? Shut up and make sure the vegetables aren't boiling. Kevin, check the bread. It's in the oven. Mara, get the sweet tea out of the fridge and put the lemon slices in."

Mara tuned out the rest of her instructions, going to the fridge and taking out the two pitchers of sweet tea Abby had made last night. She set them on the counter and grabbed the bowl of sliced lemons and dutifully put them in. It was one of the easier jobs in the kitchen, which was no doubt why Abby had given it to her—Evermore wasn't big on teaching culinary skills to its inhabitants.

Mara tuned back into the chatter as Abby officially introduced herself to Neil. "I'm Abby. I'm nurse for the team and temporary landlord to this lot. They're not harassing you too much, are they?"