Fox Wiley (todd_wiley) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2010-03-04 00:28:00 |
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Entry tags: | fox, kat, susa, thread |
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Who: Fox, and special cameo appearances by Kat and Susa!
When: Saturday, April 12, 2008, evening
Where: Farmville, VA, Macado's
What: Fox needs to unwind after the funeral
Fox still couldn't believe it. Joe Bronsky was dead and buried. The words just wouldn't sink in. Even hours after watching the casket being lowered into the ground. Not exactly feeling sociable, Fox had stood at the back of both the funeral and the memorial service, even though he was permitted to sit in the front row. He may not have been blood, but Bronsky had considered him as such.
Dr. Larissa Smith of Longwood University had said some very meaning words, but there was no way in heaven or hell he would have been able to tell someone a single thing spoken. She had come up to Fox after the memorial service hosted for the campus, telling him that Joe had done nothing but talk about him for the past two years. How proud he was of Fox, the boy he called his son. And how dreadfully sorry she was about Fox's loss. He'd managed a half smile and a nod of acknowledgment, but he couldn't force words past the knot in his throat.
Everything was wrong. People were milling around the college campus, still talking about the glorious aftermath of Spring Weekend the week before. While many of them had shown up for the service, some even weeping for the lost officer, there were still several walking around, enjoying their weekend. And here Fox was crushed that something, someone so stable in his life, had gone. "Why couldn't he have at least told me?" Walking along the streets of the small town, Fox talked to himself, still not able to understand why Joe had suffered in silence, hadn't told him.
With the excruciating pain in his chest that he didn't recognize as heartbreak, Fox knew he needed a distraction. He didn't want to think about this. Wouldn't think about it. A rumble from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since early that morning, so he crossed the intersection and headed the next block to Macado's. The tiki bar and gazebo would be open and heated. Perfect for filling his stomach and numbing his mind.
"I can't believe he's gone..." The voice could be heard even over the din of the gazebo from anyone who walked up the small steps to the main door of Macado's. Two students, seniors, were sitting on one of the few 4 person tables in the gazebo, the very edge nearest to the windows. The first of them was a brunette, her ponytail pulled back and sticking out from the back of her New York Yankees cap,a denim jacket still wrapped around her figure. She was nursing a glass of Dr. Pepper, stirring it over and over again with her straw. As she sighed and took another sip of her drink, she looked across to her best friend, Susan, not exactly thrilled that this was how they were spending their Saturday. "Makes me think of my grandpa. I mean, Joe was the only one who believed me after everything happened with Sue. He didn't deserve to go like that."
Susan nodded, her auburn curls bouncing in the ponytail. Dark brown eyes were red from where she had cried during the service. "You and me both. This," she broke off, sighing. "This after my grandpa last week, it's just too unreal." Reaching out a hand, she wiped condensation from her glass of Mountain Dew, her sandwich half eaten resting by her elbow. "He was such a good guy." Her breath hitched as she smiled. "He was a real hoot when he told us at training about how to detect pot." Susan looked up at Kat, her best friend since they'd both arrived at this campus. "I'm not sure how they're gonna find another officer as sweet as him."
Fox had dragged his feet all the way down the hill to the restaurant. Climbing the wooden steps, he told the server he'd be sitting in the gazebo and to bring menus to him. Walking across the planks, a couple soft, female voices made their way through the fuzziness of his mind. They were talking about someone; someone who had died. The ache in his chest tightened painfully as the connection was made. Joe. He really was gone.
Glancing up to find the owners of the voices, he noticed two women sitting towards the back. He couldn't see the face of the curly haired one, but the other one seemed familiar. Shaking his head, and deciding not to worry about it, he moved over to an open table. It happened to be just down from the two women, but who cared. A server came by with two menus, a drink and a food menu. Glancing through the choices, Fox picked the Big Daddy sandwich, a beer and a couple shots to get started. Maybe by the end of the night, he'd be drunk enough to pass out in the hotel. Staring at the wooden table, Fox picked up one of the drink napkins, slowly shredding it.
"They're not. There's no way. Maybe Aaron, y'know, that guy who was Katie Fraser's buddy," Kat sighed, grabbing a napkin to reach up and wipe her eyes clean. "Uuuugh, I have cried way too long already today. I'm so sick of this shit." She glanced down at her favorite choice off of the menu, the teriyaki shrimp quesadilla, which was the only thing of seafood that she could eat that didn't make Susa, who was allergic, feel sick. Clearing her throat, Kat leaned back in her chair and glanced around the gazebo. It was only kind of full. A lot of kids had gone back to their benders and frat parties again. It was normally time for the balls. In fact, the theatre fraternity Kat hadn't been rushed into was still having their ball even after everything. Hence why she was at Macado's.
Taking stock of the other patrons in the restaurant, Kat caught sight of a very familiar tuft of bright blonde hair and tan skin. Raising an eyebrow, she reached over and tapped Susan on the shoulder. "Oh my god, is that who I think it is? Did he actually come for Joe's funeral?"
Susan turned her head, scanning the tables for the person Kat pointed to. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she jerked back around in her seat to face her friend. Speaking in hushed tones she asked, "Fox Wiley? The kid that was flirting with you all freshman year? I thought he was across the country or something." She glanced back at the familiar face and back to her dinner. "I wonder how he heard about it."
Fox wasn't paying much attention to the two women anymore, so he didn't hear them discussing them. He was still far too caught up in the events of the day to really think about it. The waitress returned with his drink order and Fox quickly downed the two shots, right after the other. The burn was a nice distraction and the alcohol went almost immediately to his head. Hmm, maybe he should have eaten earlier, but he didn't want to think right now. He wanted to bury all these emotions someplace and not have to face them. Not have to deal with them. Deal with this. He felt abandoned, for the first time in his life. Chase Wiley was never his father. That title, that honor belonged to the man who had saved him, the man who was no longer here.
No, I'm not gonna think about it. Leaning back in his seat, he picked up the bottle of his beer and drank deeply. He didn't care if he went broke tonight, so long as he was numb.
"He did more than flirt, Susa..." Kat sighed, looking over at her and rolling her eyes. "C'mon, I really liked him, and believe me, he was a helluva lot nicer around me than he was around most of the other people in the cafe. Hell, no matter how many times he tried to get in my pants, I actually talked to him. Remember how I told you I found out he liked Keats?" She chuckled a little, the first smile on her face all day. "Fox was a sweetheart. And Joe really, really liked him. Of course he'd be here." She glanced over at his way again, then gnawed on her bottom lip. "God, he looks torn up... I don't even know where he's been all this time. He looks like he's taking this really hard." She looked over at Susa again, not ready to ask the question that was on her mind. Should she talk to him? It had been a few years since they'd talked. Would he even want to talk to someone?
Susan had definitely remembered the way Kat had kept coming into her room after her shifts, talking about the cute boy that had flirted with her. Smiling, she reached into her back pocket, pulling out her wallet and enough cash to cover her dinner and a tip. Dropping it on the table, she stood, grabbing her jacket which was beside her. "I've got duty tonight, so I'm gonna head out." Glancing meaningfully at Fox for a long moment, she winked at Kat. "And you know you wanna talk to him." She was so tempted to mention that Kat's roommates were also gone for the weekend, but didn't want to be too obvious. Kat was smart. She could figure it out. And if it didn't happen, then it didn't happen. "So, I'll be in my room all night, bored as hell. Just make sure you send me a message to let me know what's going on?" Smiling, she turned towards the door and headed out, leaving Kat to her own devices.
Fox heard one girl standing and watched her walk by and leave. He didn't care, but it was a nice distraction. And her walking away wasn't a bad view at all. Lifting his bottle in a silent toast to the retreating ass, he took another drink. His dinner still hadn't arrived, but it gave him more time to drink. That was nice. And the buzz was nice. The ache in his chest hadn't left. That needed to go and soon.
Kat probably would have snarked at Susa if she hadn't left her so quickly. It was a good thing the girls had both taken separate cars - yay for free parking on weekends - because otherwise, Kat would have been wondering how the hell she was supposed to get back to Longwood Village, the apartment complex all the way down the main strip. That being said, though, she was now left with a mostly-eaten quesadilla for a companion and wondering what had happened to the guy she used to call the "Taco Bar guy" for well over a year. Why was he back here? Last she'd heard, last anyone heard, he'd taken an indefinite road trip. No one had known where Fox Wiley had been all this time.
Sighing, though, and grabbing her Dr. Pepper, Kat dropped the cash for her food and drink, then walked over to Fox's table, putting her glass down across from him before pausing beside the chair. "Funny. You still strike me as a burrito guy, I don't care what you say."
Fox glanced up at the drink that had suddenly appeared across from him. He hadn't ordered a soda, especially not a half empty one. Following the hand that was still connected to it, his gaze traveled up to meet a pretty brunette with deep, dark eyes. Well, this was an interesting turn of events. "Burrito guy, hmm?" Gesturing to the seat, he motioned for her to join him. At that moment it clicked. "Yeah, and I still see you making drinks at the Java City."
"Ooooh, but I have since moved to the smoothie bar." Kat smiled a little, sliding into the seat across from him. "Peanut butter and chocolate smoothies are amazing. As are blizzards." She took a sip of her drink. "I'm gonna be honest, I'm surprised to see you here." And even more surprised if you remember my name.
Fox had been working through his mental database, trying to remember her name. It wasn't Sally, Monica, or anything like that. He remembered it was a nickname, something interesting from a common type name. Hmm. "Smoothies, huh? I always found it to be rather frustrating to hear the blender going off while trying to take orders." Feline. Kat! "So, how've you been otherwise, Kat?"
Score one for the Fox remembering her name. Kat certainly hadn't expected it. Everyone knew Fox as the grade-A flirt, the guy of one-night stands and flirtations. Not Kat's type. At all. But she'd always had a soft spot for him. He didn't act like every other townie in Farmville. "Eh, you get used to it. And I switched to working a few days instead of the night shift, since I'm only in class 4 days a week, and one of those days, I'm only in class after 4." Clearing her throat, she paused as the waitress brought Fox his food, and she quickly ordered a Shamrock blended drink. "I've been.. okay. Went through a bit of a rough patch in the last year or so." She glanced up at him. "I take it you're here because of Joe."
Fox had actually forgotten about the reason he was here. Talking with an old friend, a sexy one at that, was a great distraction. Food and booze were excellent as well, but the enjoyment fizzled a bit when she reminded him. "Yeah," he answered, his voice soft. He looked down at his sandwich for a second, feeling hopelessly lost. Clearing his throat, he mentally scolded himself. Now was not the time for a pity party. There was a lovely lady in front of him and she deserved his attention. His rumbling stomach came second place, but only because he was hungry. "So, Spring Weekend was last week, wasn't it? How'd that go?" He picked up the first half of his sandwich and bit into it, enjoying the thick meaty texture and the flavors melding with the wheaty beer.
Okay, so the guy didn't want to talk about how absolutely weird it was that he had just turned up in Farmville with no warning for the funeral. Fair enough, it was not her job to figure it all out. "Yeah, it was interesting. We had Head Automatica here for Bandfest and Story of the Year was the frontliner for the weekend itself." She shook her head a little in disbelief. "Still can't figure out how we got all this money for these bands. Especially since the SGA holds onto the budget with an iron fist of terror and destruction." Kat rested an elbow on the table and sighed. "What have you been up to, Fox?"
He munched on his sandwich and crunched a few chips while she talked. It was a pleasant distraction and reminded him of just how much fun a college could be, but how fucking boring a small town was. Really, the only things to do in this town aside from the little two-screen theater was to kill time at the WalMart and Huddle House or to see what the hell was going on at Longwood. It was ridiculously slow. Hell, at least Lynchburg and Richmond were only an hour away. There was shit to do there, rather than Longwood. He chuckled softly, still seeing the humor in that. A school that started out as all female was now named Longwood. Oh, the irony.
Fox shrugged as she asked about him. "I've just been driving around the country. Visiting bars, seeing places." He wasn't going to mention TJS. There was no way to know what Kat would think about him being half angel, and it certainly wasn't something he wanted spread around anyways. "I've found a spot just outside Boston I like for the time being, so I'm camping up there." He finished the first part of his sandwich and reached for the pickle, munching on that.
"Boston? Wow, yeah, that's pretty north for you." Kat smiled a little, taking another sip of her drink just as the waitress came by with her Shamrock. "I'm glad you found somewhere for a little while. Please tell me you're at least making pals, though. The idea of you being alone gives me bad images of you deciding to flirt with inanimate objects."
Fox smiled, setting his sandwich down for the time being and leaning back in his seat with his beer. "Eh, I've found a couple people worthy enough to spend some time with me." Of course, he thought of Astrid, Rae, Frankie, Jack. Hell, he'd made more friends in a month at TJS than he had in most of his life. Weird. Chuckling while drinking for his bottle, he added, "I don't have to resort to inanimate objects yet. The day I do is a sad day indeed."
Oh thank god, booze. Taking a long drink of her shamrock, Kat let a little smile flicker onto her features at the way that he was talking about having people to hang with. She'd always hoped that if he'd left Farmville, it was for better things. This little college town was suffocating. "I'm glad, though. It's good." Clearing her throat, she sat back in her seat a bit. "So... have you considered how long you're sticking around?"
Fox's hand dropped down to his jacket pocket, feeling the envelope there that was given to him that morning at the funeral. It was rather thin, and was handed to him by Joe's lawyer. Fox wasn't yet sure he wanted to open and read it; find out what it contained. Quirking his mouth into a strained half smile, he shrugged with one shoulder. "Joe's lawyer asked me to stick around long enough to have the will read. So after that's done tomorrow, I'll probably be gone." Not back to Boston. He wasn't ready to head back yet. He needed time, space. The only way he'd get that was to go back to driving on the road. He had no clue where he'd end up yet, but that was the thrill of it. And right now, he needed the thrills as a fierce distraction.
Speaking of distractions, "Enough about me though. You still a history ed major? Should be graduating soon, right?" Fox took a drink from his bottle, feeling it being close to empty and gesturing to the waitress nearby to bring another.
"History? Oh, no, dropped that to a minor and picked up theatre actually." Kat was glad to see Fox, but she was just as worried that he was going to run off and do something stupid. She couldn't blame him, though. If she'd ever lost her dad, she'd be inclined to some bad behavior as well. "And I've got a semester of student teaching coming up in the fall, then I'm done." She grinned and looked around. "Macado's will probably be the only thing I miss about college."
Fox arched a brow at her in question, finishing the rest of his beer and setting the bottle on the table. "The only thing you'll miss? No friends, late nights at Huddle House, performances, Spring Weekend?" It was interesting that she had decided to change her major. He remembered something about her wanting to be a theater major from the start, but couldn't for some reason or another. Family problems? Didn't make much difference either way. "And I'm happy to hear you're finally doing what you want to do."
"Yeah, well, get this, my dad still doesn't know. And he probably never will, because it's easier to pretend than to have him thinking I'm some dead end homewrecking whore." Kat sighed and shook her head. "Man, my dad needed to stop drinking the Kool-Aid, that's for sure. And y'know, I say I won't miss anything, but right now, I feel trapped and don't want to do anything but get the hell out of dodge."
Fox chuckled but there was no humor in it. "I know that feeling. Why the hell do you think I've spent the last couple years just roaming around? There's too many things to see and too much shit to do to just stay in one place your whole life." His second beer arrived and he popped the top off the bottle, grabbing a couple chips to munch on with it. "So what do you intend to do after you graduate?"
"Strangely enough," Kat took another long sip of her shamrock, feeling the booze hit her head pretty strongly now, giving her that happy warm feeling and a little looser tongue. "I have a friend in Boston. I'm thinking about moving up there and crashing with her and her roomie, thirding the rent and getting a start up there. So who knows? Maybe we'll wind up seeing each other again if you decide to go back up that way."
He nodded and Fox's phone decided to take that moment to ring. Tugging the device out of his pocket, he glanced at the screen. Astrid. Sighing softly, he hit the ignore button and tossed his phone onto the table. Astrid, Rae and a couple others had been texting and calling him incessantly since they realized he was gone. Couldn't they take the hint? He didn't want to talk to anyone. A scowl creased his forehead as he drank from his bottle, no longer in a completely cheerful mood considering he'd been abruptly reminded why he was here in the first place.
Kat noticed the way he'd reacted to the phone, and she figured, what the hell, take a chance and ask. "Who was that?"
Fox shrugged, obviously not wanting to talk about it, but he answered her question anyway. "Some girl I know. I don't feel like talking to her right now."
"Mmm, I'm guessing she's worried about you. I'll go out on a limb," Kat took another swig. "And say that you didn't tell anyone you were leaving. She your girlfriend?"
He shook his head and laughed softly. "Have you ever known me to have a girlfriend, Kitty Kat?"
"Hey, I can hope that one of these days you'll find someone who can tame your stupid ass, Burrito Boy." Kat winked and polished off the rest of her Shamrock, her cheeks pink and flushed. Wow, she was definitely buzzed. And not sure how she was gonna be able to drive back to her place.
Fox could see the flush in her cheeks, and had the idea that she was working on her way towards drunk. So, being the gentleman that he was, he thought he'd walk her back. "So which dorm are you living in this year? Fraser? Hams? Or did you get yourself stuck in Soro-whore Stubbs?" He hadn't minded Stubbs, since some of the notches in his bedpost had come from that very building. And boy did it live up to its reputation.
"OH, thank god, no. I got off campus." Kat chuckled some, reaching up to itch at an itch on her scalp with her hat. "I'm at Longwood Village. It's past Wal-Mart, where the Sheetz is. It's really nice. I have the whole apartment to myself this weekend, thankfully. Both my roomies left to go visit parents."
Now that was an interesting revelation. "The complex behind the Sheetz? Across from the hotel?" The same one where he was looking at renting another room later that night. "You taking the FART back to the apartment?" He used the acronym for the local bus system that he remembered. Who the hell was bright enough to name a bus something that could be shortened to an amusing body function? Farmville Resident Area Transport. FART. Even at twenty, it was still funny. Especially when added to Farmville, Longwood University and alcohol.
"Well... I brought my car, but I left mine on campus for the night, cause of free parking and shit. No one's gonna mess with it, it's parked right next to the library and I know the cops are extra-vigilant right now." Kat groaned a little. "The idea of taking the FAB sucks big monkey balls, though."
"FAB?" That was a new name for the buses. "Well, if you want a ride, my bike's on campus. I can't leave it there, so I may as well give you a ride before checking in at the hotel."
Kat smiled a little, softer, but certainly playful. "Y'know, that'd be nice. I would definitely appreciate it. And you still owed me a bike ride."
Fox rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I do." Smiling, he gestured to his dinner with his semi-full bottle. "Can I finish eating or should I get it to go?"
"Depends on how fast you can eat that." Kat chuckled, and she reached out to grab a chip off of his plate, popping it into her mouth. Call her crazy, but she had a feeling that his bike was gonna be parked right next to Scooby, Susa's car, in the spot where her car normally was every night.
He chuckled. "I can eat it pretty fast, especially if I'm given good incentive." Setting his beer on the table, he reached down for the rest of his sandwich, taking a big bite and chewing slowly. As far as been planned, Fox was only dropping her off at her apartment. Not much reason to hurry then, since he was enjoying her company. And she wasn't spending time alone in the apartment.
"Well, I'd rather not have you choke yourself trying to eat too fast." Kat smiled some, shaking her head a little and rolling her eyes. Man, she sucked at flirting, but she knew she needed to. It was a nice exercise in not being a total victim anymore. "Cause I would rather have you very alive and very well by the time we get back to the apartment."
Fox swallowed and smiled, washing down the sandwich with a sip of beer. "Oh? And what have you in mind? A rousing game of twister or something?"
"Weell, you could call it Twister if you want to." Kat laughed a little and took a sip of Dr. Pepper. "Whatever you have to tell yourself, Fox."
He chuckled, continuing with his sandwich, but having a much better idea of what she had in mind. Maybe that hotel room wouldn't be needed after all. "Twister is an interesting game, but I'm wondering if you have something special in mind?" He asked with a bright twinkle in his eyes, keeping up the flirtatious game.
"Oooh yeah." Kat grinned, winking at him and sipping more of her soda as she watched him eat. "The faster you eat, the better we can toss around some game ideas. At home."
Fox had finished most of his sandwich, before setting the rest aside. He had the feeling that whatever Kat was planning was much better than the sandwich he'd been enjoying. Picking up his bottle of beer, he quickly chugged it, swallowing the burp from carbonation. Fishing in his wallet, he pulled out a couple bills and tossed them on the table. "I'm ready to go when you are."
"Good." She grinned, then hopped up out of her seat and waited for him to follow. "Then let's go." And really, what more encouragement did he need?
He didn't need any more encouragement. Fox wasn't stupid and he knew exactly where this was going. More than happy with it too. Standing, he walked with Kat towards the door. "So my bike is parked on campus. Right next to a silver Subaru in front of the library." It wasn't a very long walk. Ten minutes if they were dragging their heels. Leaving the gazebo, he moved outside and was hit by an easy breeze. "So no roommates, huh?"
"Nope." Kat replied, and she reached over, looping her arm around his. What the hell. She was just gonna take advantage of the free night to hang out with Fox. "None. Which means you and I can finally make good on all those promises you used to have while we were at work."
Fox chuckled, knowing that he was going to have a better distraction than alcohol later in the evening. "Sounds good. And y'know, I've learned some things in the past couple years that I may just show you. It may just take awhile." Given his current line of thought, it was more likely to take all night, but he had the feeling Kat wouldn't mind. So he led her to his bike, and they drove back to her apartment for a night of distraction.