A Broken Crew

Chapter 2

Kacey's eyes widen and he scrambles backwards, scared. A girl who looks like his twin rushes forward, growling lightly. "Hey leave my brother alone!" Jessamy snaps, ears and tail bristling. "He's 17, not a child."

Dakota stopped, his hand frozen in place. He doesn't look remotely upset or angry. He completely ignores Jessamy, his eyes still locked with Kacey's. "Why are you scared?" he asks, his hand still frozen where it was. "Has someone hurt you before?" His voice is serious, quiet, and he's still getting drenched. He continues his questions, still stepping closer. "Did you think you could trust them? Was it someone you know well?" He knew he was making Jessamy angry and probably scared, but he continues anyway. He put his hand back to his side, but didn't stop moving closer. "Did they pull your ears, is that what you're scared of?" He reaches his hand out a second time. He knew he was provoking them, but he pushed on anyway.

"P-please..." Kacey whispers, ears flat against his head, shaking but not moving away this time. He watches Dakota, never looking away. Jessamy is still on edge and so is Grey now. But Kacey simply stays there, letting Dakota reach for him- and the others know it is a matter of letting. "J-just... Just don't hurt me..." That last part is a mere whisper. This is an all-too-familiar scene for him: the taunting, the reaching, the people not helping, Jessamy angry.. The thing different so far is that Dakota has not yet touched him.

"Do I scare you?" Dakota's voice was flat. "Do you think I would hurt you?"

"I-I...." Kacey pauses and looks at Dakota, really looking at him. After a moment he calms down and relaxes, then shakes his head. "You're a bit scary at first. But I don't think you'll hurt me. You wouldn't hurt me, because you're like me." He says quietly.

Dakota finally reached out and patted his head. "Well, don't go around telling everybody else I'm not so scary. " He said. " Scary is how I protect myself." Dakota says the last part quietly enough so only Kacey can hear. He gestured to the house again. "You should meet November. He kinda reminds me of you." He headed towards the house.

Kacey smiles and follows Dakota in the house. Jessamy just stares. "Wow. Kacey... Has never responded to someone like that." Grey nods thoughtfully in agreement. He waits for the others to start following Dakota before he does.

August jumps up from the couch when Dakota comes back in! "Dakota!" he exclaims. "I was watching you? What are you doing? Don't scare the guests! And you're so wet!!" Dakota shrugged. Then he pointed a thumb behind him. "Your other friends are here." he said. He turned to Kacey and pointed at November and August. "That's November." he said. "And August. They're not scary like me so you can go talk to them while I steal more of August's clothes."

Kacey nods and smiles at Dakota. He waves kinda shyly at November and August. The others come in and Zion wastes no time asking, "Hey is there somewhere I can change really quick? I have extra clothes-""-But my brother is an idiot and was playing in puddles on the way here." Zara pipes in, finishing his sentence as the twins are prone to do.

August laughed and nodded. "Yeah, upstairs that's lot's of guest rooms, feel free to pick one and change." He waved at Kacey too. "Why don't you sit next to November and keep him company while I show our friends to the guest rooms?" he suggested. November held up his notebook. "Hi Kacey!" it said. "I promise I don't bite!" November waved at him, and attempted a tiny smile.

Kacey smiles back and comes over to sit with November, nestling into the soft couch. Zion happily follows August upstairs as the others find spots around the living room. Well all except Grey. He stays by the door, feeling uneasy.

November wrote on his paper. "Come sit down! Everyone will be back down to watch a movie in a second! You can sit with us if you want? Also what is your name?" He stood up and waved the paper in Grey's face.

Grey moves back instinctively, startled by the paper in his face. His feathers floof out, showing his surprise. "I... I'm Grey. I don't really like big gatherings... I'm only here for Kacey.." Grey says very quietly, for some reason trusting the other male.

November looked concerned. "Don't be scared." he wrote furiously, his handwriting growing messy with the speed. "Everybody here is super nice. Come sit with me and Kacey then!" He held out his hand, his ears, flopping to the side. His face was nearly expressionless, but his messages were warm and friendly and full of life.

Grey relaxes somewhat and nods, looking over to where Kacey was sitting on the couch, making puppy eyes at him. That makes him just melt. "Alright. I'll come sit."

November walks over to the couch again, nearly whacking Dakota in the face with his tail. "Good grief November, watch what you're doing with your tail! You nearly knocked me down while I was coming down the stairs!" November sheepishly turns back and writes. "Sorry Dakota I didn't see you." Dakota sighed loudly. "This is why felines are so much better." he said, waving his tail around. "My tail doesn't go around whacking people unless I want it to." November wrote a laughing face on his paper, then gestured to Grey again and wrote, "He might seem scary, but he's actually not. He's actually quite nice." Dakota read the beginning then said, "Hey, stop that, give me that!" November dodged him. It was a little strange to see, with the blank expression on November's face, but his eyes were full of laughter.

Cassidy laughs from her spot perched on the back of the couch, twitching her tail. Kacey giggles as he watches. Grey cracks a small smile as he settles on the couch and lets Kacey snuggle into him, putting a wing around the smaller boy.

November finally let Dakota have the paper, and he ripped it up. "No need to fill people's heads with nonsense." he said. August came back down. "I picked a movie since we're running a little late and a few of us have limits." He turned the movie on and plopped down next to Dakota. They had a good night watching the movie and eating lots of popcorn. After a couple hours, it was time to go. Alsephina said her goodbyes when her chaperone came to pick her up. Kaaria walked Jocelyn and November home, Stephen and Gideon went home together, and Nehemiah actually owned a car. "Dakota, are you staying the night?" August asked. Dakota nodded. He turned to his other friends. "Thanks for coming!" he said. "I hope you guys had a good time!"