Dylan

Edge of Hysteria

So...

"Dy? What are you doing?" I ask curiously. I point at his usual table where everyone has Bugsy eyes and dropped jaws. "What about your clan?"

Ethan makes a small sound of amusement at my term. That's not a fixed term. I change it around to keep things interesting. 

Dylan shrugs. "I figured a change of scenery once in a while wouldn't harm anyone."

"Except your brethren, who look like they're about to die from lack of air." I point at his table again. Honestly, a few of them are blue in the face. It's worrisome. 

Ethan is shaking his head, grinning. "How do you come up with that?"

I shrug much like the way Dylan did. "Naturally. I'm a born entertainer."

Ethan's eyes darken a little as he gazes at me. "I wonder what else you'd entertain."

I'm pondering that when Dylan shoves to his feet and violently grabs the front of Ethan's shirt. "Shut your fucking mouth. You don't talk to her or about her."

I shovel meat into my mouth, watching the drama. If only I had popcorn to go with. 

Ethan is finally glaring, loosing the amusement thingy. "Get your hands off me," he says calmly, but his hazel eyes are flashing dangerously. "I'm not going to say it again."

"Are you guys gonna fight?" I pipe up. "If you are, can you go to the middle of the floor there, where everyone can see?" Hey, I'm being helpful. There are people at the other side craning their necks painfully to catch a glimpse of what's going on. 

Dylan lets go of Ethan and sighs at me in his usual exasperated way. "You're like my personal diffuser. Do what you want." He grabs his tray and buggers off to his usual table, and the world breathes a sigh of relief. 

Dylan looks back at me, giving me a calming look. I realize my hands are shaking. I'd panicked when Dylan grabbed Ethan, and only Dylan knows how affected I am. My hysteria goes down at Dylan's reassuring smile. My hands stop shaking. 

"He your boyfriend or something?" Ethan says, sitting back down. The amused look is back. 

"What are you always amused about?" I ask curiously. There should be something interesting there. 

Ethan's smile disappears into a surprised face. "What?"

I point at his face. "Like, you're always amused. At what? I want to know what's funny too."

He squints at me as if trying to figure out if I'm making fun of him or something. When he sees curiousity plain and simple, the interest in his eyes kicks up a notch. "It's nothing funny. It's just a better facial expression than glaring all the time," he says, and his expression tells me he's surprised to be telling me all this. Like he never told anyone before. Cool. "Plus," he adds, grinning sardonically. "It makes people go nuts."

I bob my head. "That's always a perk."

Jenny has been eating quietly until I say that, then she snorts and points her fork in my direction. "You don't have to do anything to make people go nuts." Then she glares at Ethan. "Don't put any ideas in her head. She's easily influenced. She's already hard enough to handle as is."

I raise both my hands in surrender. "Put your fork down first, ma'am. I'm sure we can talk this out."

Ethan laughs and Jenny joins in. The other girls are fighting smiles and losing, their eyes twinkling with humor. Suddenly I feel like there's something missing. I look around and tap my pocket, feeling my phone. I have everything. What's not here?