CARNIVORE [MxM+]

Chapter 7 [REVISED]

Slight warning for a little gore. 

Tycho Black.

One month later.

It's four am. 

It's getting to the point where summer is turning into fall, which means colder nights and colder beer runs. I tighten my grip around the fake ID in my pocket-- not that I need it anymore. I've been here hundreds of times, and the clerk's under the impression I've been of age since I was sixteen. I think he chooses to turn a blind eye because he's on the younger side, too. That, and I'm pretty sure he's seen me play football. 

I step into the store. Its cold, white tiles and lack of heating do little to shake the frost from my limbs. It could be worse, but luckily for me, I'm nestled tightly in what little winter clothing I have: my favorite hoodie and jeans, like always. Fuck, I need more clothing.

I make my way to the liquor aisle as usual, ignoring the cashier who seems to like to stick to cliches because he's high out of his mind. My eyes and feet make their way to the fourth freezer of beer, and I stop when a case of Corona floods my vision. 

At least they have his favorite. 

"Tycho! Hey!"

The shuffle of footsteps sets my heart racing, and I quickly turn around, only to be met with Kacey and Max. 

Kacey greets me with a smile, while Max sits back, his eyes giving their signature glare. 

I smile back at Kacey.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here so late at night, dude? It's cold as shit, especially in those trashy ass jeans I literally told you to toss out years ago." She gives me a slight glare, and I'm quick to dismiss my nervousness with a chuckle. 

"Just on a beer run is all," I sniffle. "I mean, shit, look at Max. He looks like he could use one to warm himself up." I laugh at the look on Max's face because he knows I'm right, considering he was sporting two heavy jackets and his face was covered with a dense scarf. He's dramatic, and it's funny. 

Kacey doesn't laugh at my joke. I look down at her to catch her eyes, but her attention is directed to the case of beer in my hand. Confusion hits me, and I can't help but snap my fingers lightly to get her to look up. 

"You good, Kace? You look like you've seen a ghost." 

She looks up at me, and it's like it all clicked for her in that instant-- and for me, too.

"You don't drink Coronas, Tyke." Shit. I maneuver past the two and quickly make my way to the counter with Kacey nipping at my heels, throwing questions left and right.

"What the fuck, Tycho?"

"I know those aren't for you-"

"-You don't drink Coronas because they make you throw up-"

"-They're for Jason, aren't they?"

I stop moving to bite down my frustration. A sigh escapes my lips. I had forgotten I told her years ago that Jason stopped all his bullshit, because her being my girlfriend meant she got to see more of me than the average person, and she was too smart to lie to. 

After she threatened the idea of talking to the police, I managed to convince her that it had stopped: the drinking, the drugs, and everything else. Of course, back then, it was easy for her to believe, considering how much I had physically grown. I also thought that growing up would give me a chance at payback. I was wrong.