"What about that other kid? Baker? We could go pick him up, too," Parker said. Abraham sighed, tapping his fingers irritably on the steering wheel. "What? Thought you liked him."
"He's fine," Abraham said dismissively. "But if you're going to treat me like a taxi service, you better pay me."
"You have a job," Parker said, waving his hand dismissively. Abraham snorted.
"Yeah, at Polar King," he said. "Ooh, minimum wage, awesome. Bet you're just so fucking jealous."
Parker clapped him on the shoulder. "Baker," he said. Abraham sighed. "I know where he lives. Just follow my instructions."
"That's creepy," Abraham muttered, but he did as Parker said. Soon, they were going through a rather rundown neighborhood, little blond kids scampering around everywhere and the feeling of death hanging over everything like an ever-present cloud of darkness.
Yep, they were by Baker's house.
"That one!" Parker said, pointing. Abraham slammed on the brakes. "Wait… maybe not. Shit, all these kids look the same. He said he had like six little brothers and sisters, plus one older one, but these kids are goddam everywhere!"
"It's like his family just took over an entire neighborhood," Abraham mused. "Wait, that's him up there."
"I'll go get him," Parker announced, getting out of the car. Somehow, as soon as he stepped out of the car, the little kids attached themselves to him. "Every time."
Abraham grinned and honked the horn. "Hurry up or I'll leave you," he said. Parker made a face and waded through a sea of children until he came even with Baker, who was laughing. They talked briefly, and then Baker peeled the kids off of Parker and the two of them headed for the car.
"That's a lot of kids," Abraham said as Baker slid into the backseat. Baker sighed.
"I know," he said. "Siblings, cousins… it's basically just our family here. They're all homeschooled."
"Eesh," Abraham said, making a face. "Must suck. Were you, too?"
"Until high school," Baker said. "I'm the only high school age kid in my family at the moment, though, so all of them are stuck at home. I feel kind of bad, really, leaving…"
"Bullshit," Parker said. "Don't feel guilty for going to school. It's fucking stupid. You have to go to school. Anyway, ain't you gonna go to college? It'll be way better if you already know how to deal with people other than your family."
"I guess," Baker said, managing an awkward smile. "Thanks, Parker."
Parker just snorted and kept his eyes locked forward.
…
Stebbins was bored.
Of course, in this despondent, dull world, there was rarely a time when he wasn't bored. But having taken most of these classes earlier in his high school career, he spent his entire morning in the library.
Every. Single. Goddam. Day.
He was a senior. He would get out of this hellhole next year. He wouldn't have to deal with pricks like Collie Parker and Abraham. He would have better people to look to for entertainment, people better than Gary Barkovitch and Ray Garraty and Peter McVries.
But, for now, he was stuck in the library.
Shelving books only took so long. He could stretch it to twenty minutes, tops. It didn't help that he knew exactly where everything went, in a library, not being an idiot. On top of that, nobody in this school read anything, so there were barely any books to shelve.
The library door creaked open and Stebbins jumped up from the chair he'd been sitting at and hurried over. On the other side was an attractive, almost beautiful, blond boy with big blue eyes and freckles. "Hi," he said. He had a slight Southern accent. "Do you know where any good horror novels are?"
Stebbins fell in love instantly.
"Yes," he said, trying not to trip over his words. "What kind of books are you looking for?"
"Well," the boy said. "My favorite book is The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins, but I also really liked IT by Stephen King."
"Have you read anything else by him?" Stebbins asked. The boy shook his head. "I liked The Dark Tower series – wait here."
He left the boy at the entrance of the library and hurried through the shelves, pulling a new copy of The Gunslinger off of a shelf. When he got back, the boy smiled at him.
"Thank you," he said.
"I'll check that out for you," Stebbins said. "Name?"
"Arthur Baker," the boy said. In a few moments, the boy had the book and he was gone.
Stebbins sighed and sat back down.
This would not do at all.
…
Pearson was just working on some homework in study hall when the other boy with glasses sat down across from him.
"Hi," the boy said, grinning widely. Pearson held back from rolling his eyes.
"Hi," he said, turning back to his work. The other kid leaned forward, getting far too close. "What?"
"What school did you go to before this?" he asked. Pearson sighed.
"Some place in Kansas. You don't know it. I'm trying to work," he said.
"You don't look like you're working very hard," the kid said.
"That's right. I'm not doing anything at all. I'm just sitting here with my Geometry textbook out in front of me, drawing these stupid triangles, because it's great fun," Pearson said, and the kid grinned.
"I'm Harkness," the kid said.
"Pearson," Pearson said. "Now is it time to share our deepest secrets and become best friends forever?"
Harkness laughed. He was sort of large, to be honest – broad-shouldered and taller than Pearson with a crew cut and thick-rimmed glasses. It sort of freaked Pearson out, which was why he was being even more sarcastic than usual.
Pearson, who was not that tall and sort of scrawny, with thick dark hair and glasses with lenses thicker than the rims on Harkness's.
"Basically nobody has glasses here, did you notice that?" Harkness asked. Pearson rolled his eyes.
"What, are we going to start a glasses club?" he said. Harkness waved a hand dismissively.
"Of course not," he said. "I was just pointing it out. Hey, do you like to read?"
"Pushing stereotypes on me?" Pearson asked.
"No, it's just, I'm writing a novel, and I need beta readers," he said. "You seem smart, so I figured I'd ask to."
"Okay," Pearson said.
After all, he didn't have anything better to do.
hello random Stebbins/baker. Stebbaker? Alright. That ship name works.