PERVERSE - Apply Fic

07

Este peels off from the group immediately. Walking to the graveyard helped situate herself in town. Now, she knows the fastest route to the house that Jayce had forced her to live in. The scarf is wrapped tightly around her neck, but not because she is cold. Well, she is cold, but she keeps it wrapped tightly to remind herself that Jayce might have had his hand wrapped around her neck. She isn't sure how she died, but she bets Jayce strangled her. He was rough during sex.

Then again, he'd have to get close and personal to her, and Jayce was a coward.

"You're not coming?" Lydia blinks with her doe eyes at Este. She hasn't forgotten that Este took the better of the two scarves for no particular reason. If no one else is going to call out Este's suspicious behaviour then Lydia will. Especially since she does so sweetly.

Barry only pays attention because Lydia pays attention. He recognizes her subtle anger and smiles.

"What do they always say about ghosts?" Este asks. "Something about unfinished business?"

Lydia stares at Este, stopping walking for a second. Only Barry waits for her, with Eva, Fallon, and Kaia pushing on. Lydia pays them little mind since she is more focused on Este. Normally, it is Lydia who hides from others. It is her that is reserved and mysterious. Leaving people with something to guess keeps people talking, and when you are a star, you need people to talk about you. Maybe there is someone who can match her.

"Can I come?" Lydia asks.

Este forces themself to smirk because otherwise, their anger would consume them. They don't want anyone to know, for a plethora of reasons the least of which is that they don't want to go to jail if Lydia catches them throttling Jayce with their bare hands.

"Sure," Este says, knowing Lydia will say no. "Just as long as your creepy stalker doesn't come."

Then, Lydia does something which surprises Este. She turns to Barry and frowns softly, "I'll see you later?"

Playing it cool around Lydia is something Barry is growing accustomed to now. So, he nods curtly. She hurries after Este, who is trying to power walk away as quickly as she can. Now there are two of them to make the three-hour walk to Jayce's place. It'll be a six-hour round trip. Este takes a deep breath, which Lydia notices.

It's payback, Lydia thinks.

Barry considers turning back. Being stuck with Eva, Fallon, and Kaia is not his idea of fun. Really, being with most people from Chelster sounds miserable. Barry has already decided that they do not like Eva. Fallon seems miserable, even when compared to themselves. Perhaps they might enjoy talking to Kaia, who is not from Chelster and also finds Eva annoying, based on her snapping back in anger yesterday in the pews.

So, Barry hurries after the others. They suppose there might be some point in talking to people who aren't Lydia at some point. They don't want to seem too clingy, even if they know for certain that they are pretty attached.

~~~

Eva manages to bum a cigarette off of a guy at a bus stop after they've walked for an unknown, but certainly long, period of time. She didn't need to even offer him the toonie. With it, she takes the most relieving inhale of her life, and the best exhale as well. Fallon, Barry, and Kaia wait across the road.

Barry knows her breath is going to smell. He now has the right to complain, since he brushed his teeth after eating while the others were washing the dishes.

"How long has it been?" Kaia asks. She is used to backpacking. The others aren't as fast as she wants to be. "I want to be home before midnight?"

"Does it matter?" Fallon asks in earnest. "I mean, really, what is there to do tomorrow?"