"Well, if that's the case, you should've started flirting with me long ago, Stone," Evan pointed out, a huge, wry smirk on his face. Yet another moment that Evan was thankful that it was four in the morning. Anyone else heard that conversation, they'd probably think they were flirting, and that just wasn't the case. This was just how they interacted. For a moment, Evan thought of Eloise, and if he didn't know better he'd think he was reminding himself that she existed. Fortunately, he knew how ridiculous a notion that truly was.
Leah probably thought her accusations would get to Evan, as she often did, but Evan just laughed them off, shrugging a shoulder and making himself slightly more comfortable on his bed. "Bugs carry diseases," was his simple defense. "I suppose you could argue that water does, too, but for it to really count you need to be way out in it." He was fairly at peace with his bug phobia, so long as he wasn't forced to handle or deal with bugs too excessively. "You were whining, though. That much I know." He was just screwing with her now. There was an eighty percent chance it could backfire on him, and he'd deal with that if it happened. For now, he was just amused with himself.
"Aw, how sweet of you to say," he continued screwing with her, a wry smile curling his lips. "I wouldn't miss you either, Bitchy."
Evan could think of at least two more people involved with this rebellion who'd be into the idea of a Fight Club-esque battle-ring. He nodded and chuckled when Leah told him she liked it. "I bet there are a ton of good places for a thing like that in Sing Sing, too." His tone was hushed, just in case someone wandered by.
Admittedly, it was less for Brandon's benefit and more for Leah's that he wasn't publicizing the man's idiotic foray to an island filled with unbalanced, murderous psychopaths. People would not only go after Brandon, but the rest of their family too. And Evan liked Lilah, and tolerated, occasionally liked, Leah. He wouldn't bring than down on them. If it was just Brandon, he'd likely have fewer qualms about it.
West and O'Brien. That was both surprising and not. "Huh," he said softly, keeping his tone as non-judgmental as was possible. "How's it your fault?" he asked her seriously. "Seems to me that they'd probably have gone with or without your idea, if that post O'Brien made on the forum a month or so ago was any indication." Evan's elephantine memory had not faded with a few hits to the head. That was a comfort. "If it's anyone's fault, I'd say it's the Ellis crazies for being crazies."