Ravens and Crows

Chapter 5 ~Adam~

When I pulled up to 300 Fox Way the Pig was already there. Ronan pulled his BMW up behind me. The occupants of the car looked silent and they probably had been for the whole ride. At least they weren't at each others throats.

I got out of the car and opened the door for Jesper and Wylan so they didn't have to figure it out for themselves.

Ronan did not.

He got out of the BMV and smirked as Inej, Nina, and Kaz etempted to open the door. He snickered as they pushed the door and pulled on handles but never fully did the right thing. Finally, the dark skinned girl slammed a dagger hilt through the window and broke it.

"Fuck!" Ronan cried.

"That is karma from the saints." Inej replied crawling out of the window.

"You just fucking broke my car!"

"You're supposed to open the door for ladies." Nina said as Inej helped her through the window.

"That's what straight people do! I hold the door open for Adam, sometimes. Adam is not a lady!"

"Is he always like that?" Wylan asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"What do you see in him?" Jesper asked. "No offense or anything."

"None taken, long story."

Nina and Ronan continued bickering about what and what not was common courtesy for gay people.

I'm gay, I thought, well, technincally I'm bi.

I looked at Jesper and Wylan. Also gay. Do they even use those terms where their from?

"Let's head inside," Kaz finally broke up the argument. He walked up the driveway and I sped up to reach the door first.

I knocked on the door. "Blue? Gansey?"

Ronan walked up beside me. I looked back. Even in modern clothes the group behind us looked like they were a gang- though I guess they were. The only one who didn't look like they might possibly rob you was Wylan. But when he thought about something, he looked like he was about to blow up a bridge.

Specking of which, his bag smelled like gun powder.

The door opened and Calla stood in the doorway staring amusingly at Ronan.

"Looks like you screwed up again, Snake, didn't you?"

Ronan squared his jaw. Calla hit him, and he was too afraid he would show weakness if he answered. He wouldn't let Calla win.

Calla noticed this and narrowed her eyes. "Is the snake shedding scales?"

Ronan glared at her. "Out of my way, witch."

And the staring contest began.

"That's enough of that," Blue said moving Calla away and letting us inside.

We walked into the living room and made a little half circle, crescent moon thing.

"Wow," Henry said walking in from the kitchen with Gansey. "I've been hanging with you guys for eight months now and I'm still processing most of this stuff." He looked at Ronan. "Let me process, please."

Ronan unconsciously traced the tattoo on his neck. "In this world, there is no processing it."

Gansey looked at him. I knew the look. It was Gansey trying to figure out Ronan. Trying to take the Ronan before Niall died and the the Ronan after Niall died and see this Ronan. Gansey still didn't get what I had recently gotten. This was Ronan. Everyone in out group had masks, Ronan had just always lived with them. This Ronan was slowly taking those masks off before, like everyone kept telling Ronan Lynch, he blew up.

"Okay, so-" Blue started but Gansey stopped her.

"Not so fast Jane, introductions."

Blue rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm Blue."

"Not Jane?" Nina asked.

"No,"

"I'm Gansey,"

"Henry,"

"And this is Calla," Blue pointed to the women.

"I'm Wylan,"

"Jesper,"

"Nina,"

"Inej,"

"The names Kaz, and this better be our last chum circle."

"Noted," Blue nodded her head. "Let's get this over with."

"What, exactly, is this?" Wylan asked.

"Calla's gonna touch you," Gansey explained.

Wylan stepped toward Jesper. "I'm sorry what?"

"Not like that," Ronan rolled his eyes.

Blue stepped in to clear the water. "Calla is a psychic. She can touch objects and know where they're from and people's feeling towards them."

Jesper looked at Blue carefully, their height difference almost comedic. "You sure you want to do that? We don't have the happiest back stories."

"Just pick the one with the least amount of trauma," Ronan suggested.

"Well then," Kaz thought for a second. "Merchling you're up."

Wylan's eyes magnified. "No."

"What did you say?" Kaz asked. He looked scary. I mean he always looked scary, but when he was mad he was terrifying.

"I said no," Wylan held his ground.

"Wylan Van Eck," The other members of their gang seemed to shrink back. "You do not say no to me."

"I am not a Dreg anymore," Wylan stepped forward. "Technically I never was. I don't have to follow you."

"Merchling, do you want this lady experiencing my memories?"

"Well, no, but-"

"So I think what we should do is-"

"Kaz, you know plenty well why he doesn't want someone to see his memories." Jesper stepped forward though he was more hesitant than Wylan.

Kaz turned to Jesper and Jesper nervously tapped the revolvers at his hips. "Then you do it."

"I will," Jesper walked up to Calla and stuck his hand out. A black tattoo was barely visible on his dark forearm. It looked like a bird in a cup with some saying wrapped underneath.

Calla grabbed Jesper's arm, closed her eyes, and inhaled.