Detour On Way To Art & Adventure - Tag any, Patch?

[Evan Hughes]

It seemed odd, but the day before had been both the best and worst day of Evan’s life. It had been the worst up until after lunch. A school shooting can tend wreck a person’s day after all. As well as getting shot at, having to sprint through a cafeteria with people carrying guns nearby, and then running around the school corridors like a madman singing at the top of his lungs, hoping that’ll draw people away from the commotion in the cafeteria, and trying not to think about who it could draw closer to him.

But then, in the afternoon, he became a man. Sure, he’d done things with girls before, well, one girl really, more than Brittany had done with other boys, but he preferred not to think of that. But he had never gone all the way before. And yesterday, he had. He was glad his mum was a nurse, and had always bunged on about protection, if even when she did it, it had been embarrassing. And he got to see his cheerleader outfit clad girlfriend strip off those clothes first. He was quite proud of his behaviour, he was pretty sure he had managed not to drool. And he was so distracted with the sight, the pretty, pretty sight, that he didn’t even hesitate to strip off himself. He wasn’t sure what to do with the whole thing, it wasn’t like they taught the fine points in school, but he thought he did okay. And Brittany did great, he remembered, a smile on his face. And he would get to see her again that afternoon if not before then, for paper mache fun. He couldn’t wait.

Evan had the memorial to go to first, and his mum insisted on picking his clothes for him. He couldn’t blame her really, given his taste. In the end, he ended up wearing a dark pair of jeans with a grey, new looking shirt he couldn’t remember ever seen before, and black shoes he rarely wore, and only when his mum wanted him to make a good impression. She also insisted that he showered, shaved and combed his hair. He’d never felt so done up in his life.

After rushing down a pop tart, being careful not to make a mess on his shirt, he headed to school. He had sent Patch a message, hoping to see him there. But he was keen to see any friend, he counted heaps of people as friends after all, and he was curious as well as worried, to find out the casualties. He was also keen to find out how Aly and Zac were doing. Jumping out of his car, he hovered in front of the school, looking out for someone he knew.

[Patch Kimball (aka DJ Fluff)]

Patrick Kimball was a more fortunate man than he would ever realize. Quite aside from lack of police involvement in last month’s prank-gone-bad, he had unknowingly avoided death on two fronts simply by staying home sick on Monday. Had he attended school he would have first faced the wrath of his locker partner – Jessica Pruitte, the very same girl who wanted nothing less than his and Evan’s fiery demise. And of course, there was the massacre.

Had he been in any shape to pay attention he would have called all his friends as soon as Nick came home, distraught with the news, but Patch was curled up in a ball of misery, disconnected from the outside world, and he had allowed his phone to remain uncharged, beeping feebly at him from his bedside until it finally faded into sad oblivion.

By Tuesday he was not only feeling much better (better not quite equaling well), but he had recharged his phone to discover far too many missed calls and texts and voice mails than he could easily catch up on. He had never lacked friends, but he harbored a suspicion that his well-being couldn’t possibly have elicited that kind of concern, a suspicion that was soon proved entirely correct when he realized just what the messages relayed. He texted out terse replies to all his texts, hoping that the messages meant his friends, at least, were unharmed.

He filed past the football field, which was only beginning to be covered with letters and teddy bears and other signs of well-meaning but empty support, searching for a glimpse of his friends. After the memorial, of course, he would be sure to call JJ and Kian and Mal and Mike, if he didn’t see them there; as Evan was the one who had alerted him of the m memorial, he more than hoped he would see at least one person he knew…

“Evan!!” He croaked through his congestion, waving furiously at his friend. “What...I can’t believe...Everyone is okay?” If anyone knew the status of their circle, Evan would.

ooc: Inspiration from real life XD Well, I had to explain the fact that I forgot to have him check up on all his friends SOMEhow...

[Evan Hughes]

Evan had been hovering in front of the auditorium, wondering if he should make his way in. But he hesitated, he wasn’t normally so great with such sombre events like this, he tended to have the need to lighten things up after all and that didn’t always go down well. So he wanted to at least have a friend to sit with in there. And possible to sneak away with. Thank god he hadn’t been hurt, which seemed a small miracle in itself for what he had gotten up to yesterday, but if he had he wouldn’t have wanted all this. He would want people dressing up in stupid costumes, playing loud and cheesy music, and talking about the many fun (re: stupid) things he did. That was the only way, he figured.

And then a very familiar voice cut through his thoughts and he looked up to see Patch waving at him. Grinning wildly, he ran over to meet his friend halfway, wrapping his arms around him in a massive bear hug. He pulled away just as quick. “Eww, sick, stay away.” he teased.

“It’s good to see you mate, in one piece.” he admitted, the relief clear on his face. “Perfect time to call in sick, have to say. You did miss me going all Die Hard though, which is a shame for you. It was epic, really epic. Oh well, I’ll just do a re-enactment for you later.”

“Well, let’s see. Zac and Aly are both in the hospital. Aly was shot in the arm, so she should be alright, Zac was in critical condition so I don’t know, was thinking about dropping past the hospital at lunch to check. But, I think that’s it. Brittany is fine. No, she’s much, much better than fine.” he started to trail off, until he caught himself again. “Kian’s fine, saw him chatting up some boy a couple of minutes ago, figured not to interrupt. JJ is good, and so is Mal as far as I know.”

He started to bounce around lightly on his feet, excited that most of his friends had managed to get through yesterday unharmed. He would have to get something for Zac too. He didn’t think a paper mache statue would be good for him. But at least his best friend was alright. And Evan had a lot to tell him. He was good that way, he liked to share his happiness. “Brittany, she is really good.” he repeated with a goofy grin.

OOC: Yeah, Patch is such a slacker! lol

[Patch Kimball (aka DJ Fluff)]

Patch felt the tiniest flicker of envy at the thought of Evan being epically courageous during the shooting, but even as unaware as generally was reality at once filtered through: He was glad to have missed the danger, even if it retrospectively made for good story-telling.

He pressed his lips together in concern at the news that both Aly and Zac were in the hospital. He loved tormenting the girl simply because she was Brittany’s step-sister, and therefore outside of their own clique, but while he and Evan were often thoughtless in their behavior towards her he had never wished her bodily harm. The news about Zac was much worse, however: Although the Baxter brothers largely kept to a different social circle, it overlapped with his own through JJ and Brittany, and he knew both would be devastated by the whole affair.

He would have asked Evan how Brittany was holding up, considering that two people she was close to were in the hospital, but his best friend answered that for him. “I don’t think I’d be ‘better than fine’ if Nick and you were in the hospital.” He noted suspiciously. Maybe she was just hiding it well, but was really in shock.

At least Kian and JJ and Mal were all right. Now he had to find out about Mike, but he’d do that after the service.

He eyed Evan with wide-eyed alarm when Evan decided to reiterate that Brittany had not been traumatized by yesterday’s tragedy. He was sure he had seen an exact copy of that ecstatic grin, and scoured his mind…OH! Nick, on Valentine’s Day, when Holly had finally caved in to his advances, that was where he’d seen that grin before!

“Good…good for her…” He managed, uncomfortably hoping he was wrong and that Evan was not trying to share personal information right now.

Just then the principal mounted the podium, and slowly the chattering around them ceased. “Better find a place to sit…” He murmured, looking around for two empty seats, though it didn’t seem likely he would find them; the place was packed not only with students, but with their families as well.

[Evan Hughes]

“Suppose you’re right.” Evan agreed, nodding his head furiously. He supposed that Brittany was holding up well with Aly because as bad as a shot in the arm was, she wasn’t about to die on them now. As much as both girls denied it and preferred not to think about each other in those terms, they were sisters, and he wouldn’t be surprised if after this, they started to act a lot more like it. They already had the arguing bit down pat. He just hoped that it wouldn’t hurt his and Patch’s chances of future pranks on Aly, because that was just plain fun. And while Zac’s condition was bad, he hoped that his attempt to cheer up his girlfriend took her mind of what she couldn’t do anything about. He thought it did.

“So you do care. I knew it!” he teased his friend, nudging him in the side. “Well, you would be more worried about me than Nick, right? Cause, I mean, I know he’s your brother and all, but, it’s me we’re talking about here. I’m awesome!” Evan laughed. Of course Patch would be more worried about Nick, he was family after all, but he was enjoying pretending otherwise. “I am way more fun than Nick. Though in fairness, he did help us with that cool Valentine’s prank, even if he didn’t realise it. And, not that I’m interested like that, but he’s a good looking son of a bitch.” he smirked.

It was funny, watching his friend’s expression as he started to process what Evan had said. He would never pull a prank on Patch, he was one of three people that Evan wouldn’t do that to. (His mum and Brittany rounding out the top three). Partly because he was his best friend after all. But mainly because of the risk of having an even better prank pulled on him. Patch was the only equal to him in pulling off mad pranks, as he saw it. But while pranks where a no go, teasing was still a very much free for all.

And one of the best ways to get to his friend, was anything even remotely to do with relationships, dating or sex. It didn’t bother him that none of those things appealed to Patch, each to his own after all. In fact, it just made it more fun, gave Evan more ammo. He supposed it was low, but he couldn’t help himself.

He grinned a little too much, a sure sign that he was thinking, or planning something, that might not be all too beneficial to his friend. He was never really good at hiding such things after all. “Ah, don’t worry Patch. I know you better than that now.” he consoled seriously, moving an arm around his shoulder as if in comfort. He spoke softly now though, he was happy, more than happy to talk to Patch about it, but no one else needed to know. He was a gentleman after all. Well, he was a man after all. “I won’t tell you all the hot, steamy details about me and Brit sneaking off in the hospital yesterday and having sex. I’ll just leave that to your imagination.”

Then Patch pointed out about finding seats, and when a quick scan showed every seat nearby already had a butt perched on it, Evan tugged on his friend’s arm and pulled him down to sit on the stairs, a fair compromise. He then, given the nature of the occasion, attempted something that was both foreign and difficult to him. He tried to stay quiet.

Wrapped? Tag for wrap? Tag for Irish jig?

[Admin]

*Irish jig!! YES. wait, no, sounds like a perfect place to wrap ^_~ *