Close Behind || Aaron Minyard

38

Naomi is riffling through the fridge in the cousins dorm and pretending not to eavesdrop on the conversation Andrew is having very publicly. She hears the name "Drake" before the door slams shut.

He doesn't come into the dorm after and from the sounds outside, Naomi knows that Andrew has gone somewhere else. Maybe to smoke. Maybe to throw rocks at a window.

It isn't her business.

Instead of worrying herself over it, Naomi goes to where Kevin and Aaron were watching the door in mild concern and grabs the bag that holds her costume. She fishes around for the dress without saying a word to them and stalks away to their bathroom to try it on.

With the door locked behind her Naomi feels safe enough to try on the dress she'd gotten to wear. It fits her fine, a little tight at her chest but maybe it's meant to be.

Then Naomi looks in the mirror and realizes what she's wearing. She groans, extremely loudly, and starts yanking it off miserably. Someone knocks on the door as she's just getting the dress down her stupid thighs. "You alright, Naomi?"

"I can't believe you let me get this costume," Naomi whines.

She hears Aaron chuckle on the other side of the door and she tries to not feel more embarrassed by the sound of it. Naomi genuinely can not believe they let her pick this. Assholes.

When she eventually wanders back out Kevin is gone and Nicky is talking quietly, hurriedly to Aaron about something to do with Andrew. He doesn't stop when she walks by to put the costume in the bag, so Naomi guesses she has their trust or some crack.

As she's finished glowering at the both of them and only vaguely hearing the conversation of how Pig Higgins showed up at their door, Andrew comes back in with a slam.

His grin is nearly splitting his face like the literal joker and Naomi feels horrible for him. Whatever's happening with the Pig is hurtling so much at him while he's stuck on their awful meds.

"Andrew," Naomi forces her voice to have a million extra layers of a whine. The boys behind her freeze. "Did you see the costume they let me get? They're absolutely fucking horrible for it."

"Little Kitty," Andrew muses to her. He laughs for a few seconds before looking at the bag. "What is it then? Since it's got you so miserable."

"It's a nurse."

Andrew begins to cackle, a little hysterical but not really and it takes a few seconds before it dies back into his normal manic laughter. "Sexy little nurse, how interesting."

"I wouldn't say sexy," Naomi pouts at him, continuing to put on the show that's clearly helping to at least distract him. "Pretty sure sexy nurses haven't had their throats slit open before, maybe a mutilated nurse. Oh, Aaron, you got fake blood, right? I could just put it over my scars. What do you think, Andrew?"

"You could borrow a knife and really play into it."

"Great idea," Naomi says with a bright smile. "Do you name your knives? I know people who do, it's a little weird but sometimes it's funny."

Andrew hums for a few seconds before motioning her to follow him somewhere, he wanders into his room and Naomi follows without looking at the other boys. "I don't name them. They weren't mine to begin with."

"Who'd you get them from?" Naomi asks as he starts taking them out of his bands and starts putting them down on his bed. "Was it Renee?"

"Yes," Andrew huffs a laugh. "Did her holiness try to connect with your poor little abused soul?"