Weird how people review an expo chapter but not one where shit actually takes place? Hmm, oh well here you go!

~ CHAPTER 10 ~

Shopping and Patience is for Wigglers

Dwayne walked through the rows of clothes wracks, picking up decent shirts his size while the Aboriginal man behind the counter watched them both suspiciously. It would definitely be a strange sight, two youths he wouldn't have seen before coming into his shop and grabbing multiple changes of clothes. Dwayne assumed they had some kind of washing machine in the hive, even if he might need to read a cryptic alien instruction guide to get it to work. Despite the fact he could have stayed here for half an hour picking out what looked best with his skin tone, eyes etc. he didn't want to keep Wesley waiting. Dwayne took four shirts, two shoes, some socks, a hoodie jumper, a pair of shorts, pair of trousers and then jeans. He'd snagged them relatively quickly but made sure they all matched somewhat and he was sure a few of the combinations would look very snazzy on him. So Dwayne was quite surprised when he found Wesley still deliberating by the shirts aisle.

"Oh" he blinked "you haven't chosen?"

"Ah... no." Wesley looked at the bleak band shirts he held up, they were all black and pretty plain.

"I didn't think you were that concerned with fashion..." Dwayne studied the clothes he was wearing, he'd assumed they were pretty mangy but now wondered if that was just a look he'd been going for? He tried re-evaluating them.

"I don't care about fashion!" Wesley grumbled. "I'm not used to being allowed to choose what I wear..."

"Oh..." Dwayne watched Wesley deliberate silently "Do you want me to pick out clothes for you?"

"I'm not a kid!"

"Fine, fine."

"Thanks but no thanks." he muttered turning back.

"I'll just go buy these and wait for you on the seat over there..."

Wesley grunted and Dwayne left him to it.

Once he approached with an obvious intent to pay the manager brightened.

"You fellas from out of town?" he asked while scanning the clothes.

"Just passing through," Dwayne said with a smile and then paid the man.

"Have a nice day," he handed Dwayne two full plastic bags.

"Thanks, you too."

Moving towards the wooden seat he sat down with a sigh. He could spot the top of Wesley's messy ash-brown hair as he slowly progressed through the aisles. Maybe he just wanted to give off the impression of someone who didn't care about his appearance? Or maybe he was legitimately excited by getting free choice of whatever he wanted to buy? Dwayne didn't know, that guy was so hard to read. He had thought a lot about what the mother grub had said however and the more he thought about it the more he would like to... try a... Moirail thing. At the very least he'd like to get to know Wesley more. Dwayne was pretty sure the guy's asshole front was just a way for him to keep people out... probably?

The mother grub said they could practice flying so she didn't expect them straight back. They could go grab food somewhere. Not in this town with that low blood running around though. Dwayne wondered why he couldn't sense her and if she was as bad at that as him. They really would have been screwed if Dwayne hadn't gone after Wesley first. And maybe... their Moirail thing could keep his temper in check before he clashed with another high blood. He was still fighting with his giddy sick feelings as the other boy walked over. He'd taken an extra fifteen minutes but Dwayne hadn't noticed because of his inner debacle. He really hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Okay, let's go." Wesley announced. Dwayne saw he was carrying four bags in his hands "Come on, shut up." he started walking.

"I didn't say anything." Dwayne responded, moving to catch up and walk beside him "...You know, we don't have to go straight back?" the other boy turned and raised an eyebrow "The food at the hive is pretty standard, I bet we could go somewhere nice for a while with all this money left over."

"Is that something we should be doing here?"

"I meant in another town. We could get Vietnamese or something?"

"I don't eat weird shit." Wesley answered "but yeah... we could. But we don't know where the next town is."

"We can ask for directions." Dwayne saw the taller boy scowl "Do you just want to go back and sleep? Is that what it is?" the bags under his eyes were starting to make Dwayne feel tired again, and he'd overslept.

"No..." Wesley stopped walking but continued frowning forward.

"Is it... her?" Dwayne waited for an answer but wasn't getting one, he tapped his foot angrily.

"They're chasing her" and just like that he dropped his bags and started jogging.

"Wesley! What the fuck are you doing? Shit!" Dwayne cursed to himself and looked around. He didn't want to run with his bags but he didn't want to just leave them in the middle of the pavement with Wesley's either. Whipping his head around he spotted a tree and ran over, hiding his things behind it. The other boy was jogging up the street, Dwayne was about to go after him but looked at Wesley's stuff just sitting there begging to be pinched. Swearing loudly again he snagged and threw them behind the tree with his other stuff before powering down the road after Wesley. Dwayne caught up to him, the other boy was running slowly as if distracted by what he was watching through the female troll's mind.

Reaching out Dwayne snagged his shoulder "Are you mental? Are you an idiot? Did you not hear what I clearly told you we were instructed to do! Under no circumstance were we to engage with her!" it only made Dwayne angrier when Wesley swatted his arm off still looking distracted, at least they weren't running anymore. His gaze swept the street dreamily.

"She's running from people that want to hurt her."

"In the middle of the day? She has psychic powers, Wesley! This is all just bullshit, you were planning on going after her since the very beginning when we got here! Don't try to deny it!"

"Shut up." he said, looking around.

"No I will not shut up! I can't believe I thought you could be reasonable! You're about to sabotage our mission for the second-!" then he watched in shock as Wesley's stare stopped on the alleyway across the street and he bolted. "Wesley!" Un-fucking-believable.

This guy was going to be a non-stop handful, he definitely needed a Moirail. Dwayne rushed across the dirt road after him and tried guessing just how much stronger than him Wesley probably was. They sprinted down the alley between two general stores and just when it opened up to a smaller road Dwayne lunged. He collided with the back of Wesley and the two boys went down with a grunt and a thud. Dwayne raised himself up from on top of Wesley with a quiet groan but looked up to see he'd been too late.

Excitement and daring! Are they going to help out their potentially new comrade from a spot of trouble? That Wesley is such a trouble-maker XD