Remy was over the moon. He just had to get through two days. Two days and he could get to get away from all of this bullshit. Not even two full days. Just today and half of tomorrow. Last night he stayed at his house for the last time. He packed his school bag with some clothes and essentials to stay over at Virgil's instead of any books or homework. There wasn't any point to any of that. He left in the morning when the bus should have come and went to stay at Virgil's instead. His dad probably won't check Virgil's place for one overnight. He hadn't the last 2 times Remy passed out here. He was never going to see that bastard again. He was going to get to see Virgil and Remus again. It was a win-win.
Remy wasn't so sure about the whole joining a cult thing. The only time Remy was religious was when he was begging god to let the puking stop over the toilet. Not that Virgil and Remus were religious either. Well, they weren't before. Remus's family used to take him to church, but they stopped forcing him to go a long time ago. Remus had a tendency to argue with the priest and sometimes he'd had some really terrible hallucinations during service. So it was even more surprising that Remus of all people liked it there. And he seemed to like it a lot.
Remy unlocked the door and went in, setting the deadbolt and using that bar-thing you put behind a knob so no one could kick down the door. Remus bought Virgil one. It was supposed to help Virgil sleep easier at night. But today it was for if his asshole dad made it to Virgil's house before he got a ride into town. That way Remy wouldn't have to deal with him. Virgil said his parents mostly used the door in the garage to enter the house, and they had a clicker and a key that Remy's dad wouldn't just be able to kick it in, so it wouldn't be a big deal to use the bar or lock the deadbolt.
This was probably the one morning he didn't feel like sleeping, but he happily went to Virgil's room and laid down in his bed. It wasn't a painful reminder anymore. It was Virgil's, it was soft, and It's where Remy was sleeping with no fear tonight after eating… just so much food. Everything in the house was his. His parents had one of those hundred dollar bottles of vodka shaped like a skull and there was no way he wasn't drinking that shit. What were they gonna do? Yell at Virgil? Remy laughed and nestled in Virgil's pillow. Virgil and Remus tomorrow. Who ran off like assholes. But Virgil cried for a solid 20 minutes, so Remy just didn't have the heart to yell at him anymore. He could still yell at Remus because wandering into the woods in the middle of the night was absolutely his idea, no questions asked. But Remy got the impression Virge was being hard enough on himself.
Virgil asked Remy to bring a few things from the house. Virgil's backpack would be a kind of heavy with all that shit they asked for in it. There weren't a lot of electronics there since there was some weird rule about only using them during certain times of the year so they wanted to donate theirs, along with wanting some sundries found there. Remy wasn't so sure about not being allowed to use electronics three-quarters of the year. Remus said he barely missed them and Virgil's only complaint was he wanted to listen to his music. They didn't seem to care about the rest.
Virgil started painting and Remus had been learning to whittle. Remy was kind of impressed they so readily gave him a knife. Remus happily whipped it off his belt to show it off with a wild grin. He was glad people there weren't judging them for their mental illnesses. Remus seemed to be in some kind of… well, he was able to order around those kids who were barely younger than him and dish out punishments. A position of responsibility? It had been two weeks. Remy couldn't claim he knew… well, anything about cults, really. That was more Virgil's domain. But that didn't seem right, just for… life in general.
It all seemed too good to be true. What kind of cult takes runaway teens and puts them in positions of authority? And Virgil and Remus being… happy there. Virgil is the most nervous person on the planet, and Remus was the most restless. Remy couldn't picture them being happy anywhere. But maybe that was because he'd never seen either of them completely unburdened. And Remy got to be, too. Virgil was really clear that if Remy hated it, it wasn't some trapped in thing. They could take him back into town, and he could return to society.
But society fucked Remy over, and he didn't care. He could join a hippie commune or whatever. He didn't have a plan for his life. He figured he'd just work in a coffee shop until he died young. There weren't a lot of opportunities for a guy like him in this economy. Colleges wouldn't exactly be jumping all over a kid with okay grades, no extracurriculars, no money, and a chip on his shoulder. And Remy didn't feel like going into debt for life over some shitty piece of paper, anyway. He didn't exactly want to farm potatoes or whatever, either, but there was probably other stuff he could do there. And he wouldn't have to go into debt or starve or risk being homeless to do it. He didn't exactly know what Virgil and Remus did, but they seemed happy. Those kids, well, at least that Thorn kid seemed pretty happy. That Felton one would probably be happy if he got some.
Virgil's house didn't feel so empty anymore, he noticed. It wasn't that Virgil and Remus were with him, though. It was still dead silent and cold. It felt like Remy was actually there in it. That must have been the difference. Remy wasn't… present for the last two weeks. And he wouldn't be present in tomorrow. The car was electric and had to charge, apparently. They really were hippies. Remy would get over it. He didn't have to get over it. He sure wanted to, though. He wanted more than anything to, now. Remy's phone rang. Ah, Patton.
"Remington, where are you? You didn't get off the bus!" Patton said, sounding panicked. Wow, how long had he been laying here?
"Self-care day, babe," Remy smirked.
"You didn't- you're not-" Patton tried to start.
"I so did. What, was I gonna stay at dad's and get my ass beat? Virgil's bed is much comfier than mine," Remy drawled.
"Remington, I don't think that's legal," Patton hissed quietly into the phone.
"Are you gonna call the cops on me? Virgil wants me here. Are you going to break both my and Virgil's little hearts?" Remy asked sarcastically.
"Of course not! I don't want you to get in trouble! But… will you promise me not to start drinking yet? At least until I can get there after school, so I can… keep an eye on you?" Patton whispered.
"Sure, babe, that's chill or whatever floats your boat. I don't want your boxers all up in a wad all day," Remy said, checking his nails. He never did paint his fingernails. "I'm gonna take a nap, sleeping at night is for losers,"
"That's not very healthy, Remy," Patton chided.
"Thanks, mom, but I need this, okay? Self-care," Remy reminded him.
"Alright. Fine. If you want, I can invite Roman and Logan and we could play a board game or something," Patton said timidly.
"Mm, no, I've gotta brush up on my Mario Kart. We can play that. It's Friday night. Y'all wanna party? I'm cracking out the stuff that doesn't taste like jet fuel," Remy said.
"I- I… um. I know Roman probably wants that. I don't know if Logan can get away with it," Patton said, sounding concerned.
"Break the little nerd out, then. He needs this. The kid's gonna snap, I swear to god he will. He needs a break! Self. Care. Day," Remy reminded him.
"Alright, I'll see. Logan will at least come for Mario Kart, he sounds excited about that," Patton said.
"Cool. G'night, babe," Remy smiled.
"Goodnight, Remy," Patton said, sounding very concerned. Ugh. All this concern was making him sick. Remy was good now. There wasn't anything to be concerned about. Well, maybe hating the cult, but, like, Remy put up with an abusive dad for 17 years so he could put up with trying a new hippie lifestyle. And he wasn't trapped there, unlike he was with his dad. Remy was happy for an out, damnit. Remy tucked himself into the blankets and buried himself into the well-worn sheets and mattress. He could feel the little ditch Virgil slept in, even. It was kind of nice. Remy let himself drift off to sleep to make up for all the sleep he missed last night when he was so incredibly excited to never stay there ever again.
Remy woke up later in the afternoon, feeling ravenous. Remy leaped out of bed and lazily went to the kitchen for some coffee and cereal. Remy pulled open the fridge to grab the milk, and it sloshed a little oddly. He popped it open and took a whiff. Ugh. Gross. Okay, maybe not cereal. He thought he saw some toaster strudels the other day, though. Remy successfully hunted them down in the freezer. Chocolate toaster strudels. Score. There were 4 left, so Remy decided to make them all. Waste not, want not. If he needed sugar later, there was still ice cream.
Oh. My god. Alcoholic milkshakes for tonight would be so great. Patton would actually like that. Remy dug around in the alcohol cabinet for some alcoholic Irish cream. There was a bottle in the very back behind the gin. Which, well, never again. That could rot. Not that Gin rots. He had told Patton that he wouldn't day drink, but it was just some Irish cream in his coffee. It's like 30 proof. It's barely alcohol. And the milk had gone bad. He needed creamer, he wasn't some caveman. He added a vague splash and left it on the counter next to the coffeemaker. Remy sat on the couch with his breakfast bounty and watched some show where hot doctors are also hot detectives and they also fuck all the time. Hollywood had a type, it seemed.
After school came faster than Remy had realized. He didn't get to skip… ever. Remy had no idea how easy it was to blow a whole day off. There was a knock at the door that distracted Remy from eating the marshmallows out of the cereal and gossipy detective-doctors. Remy paused the TV, got up and checked the peephole. The time was right, but he couldn't be too sure. He… the school probably didn't call his dad or anything, but the fear was there. There was the gaggle of boys waiting out the front door. Thank god. He took the bar off the door and unlocked it to let them in, installing everything back once he closed it. Roman and Logan deposited themselves quickly on the couch, and Patton waited in the small front hallway.
"How's you're self-care day going, Remy?" Patton asked hesitantly.
"Great. Come on, Logan doesn't have a lot of time, let's go play Mario Kart so he doesn't go feral," Remy said, pushing Patton towards the living room. He handed out controllers quickly and flopped back down on the couch, loading the game up. "So did you figure out a plan to break Logan out? Because I'm thinking alcoholic milkshakes," Remy said. Roman cheered excitedly at that.
"We are all too young to be consuming alcohol, Remington," Logan said firmly. Remy picked Daisy. Virgil and Remus were about to be very proud.
"Aren't you tired of being nice? Don't you just want to go apeshit?" Remy asked seriously, leaning in.
"I- uh…" Logan stammered. Remy laughed, and they picked the track.
"Seriously, call me Remy. Three syllables are too much for a name," Remy said, leaning back and shoving another handful of dry cereal in his mouth.
"Hey, don't bogard the 'mallows," Roman said, reaching for the box. Remy passed it over to Roman, who was lying on his side across two cushions just like Remus always did. Remy shook his head and chuckled.
"Being a couch hog must be genetic," He said, snagging the box back from Roman and taking another bite before the track loaded.
"I have long legs and want to be comfortable! Don't judge me," Roman shot, rolling his eyes.
"I didn't judge you, I just… made an observation. Right, Logan?" Remy drawled.
"Yes, that was an observation, Roman, though I don't believe that they have discovered couch tendencies in genetics yet," Logan said.
"Oh my god, seriously guys, we need a plan to liquor this kid up," Remy groaned.
"I dislike being referred to as a baby goat, Remin… Remy," Logan caught himself. Ah, good. He was about to be very hypocritical there for a second. Remy didn't like being named after his dad, either.
"Find, we need a plan to break him out and get this grown-ass man liquored up," Remy rolled his eyes.
"If he doesn't want to drink, then I don't think you should force him, Remy," Patton said.
"I said I'm sorry, alright? You didn't actually drink that night, so no harm, no foul, right?" Remy said.
"I didn't like the pressure," Patton insisted.
"It wasn't pressure, I told you that you could leave. I wasn't having it that night, okay?" Remy groaned. "I mean you were pressuring me to talk in a situation I wasn't comfortable talking in," Remy raised his eyebrow at Patton. Patton looked like he would object, but deflated.
"Okay, we'll call it even. No harm, no foul," Patton conceded a little awkwardly.
"Remy's right, I would… I am tired of being nice," Logan admitted quietly. Roman whooped.
"I knew it, you repressed nerd!" Roman cheered. "Alcoholic milkshakes!" Roman sang cheerily.
"Is… is the milkshake going to taste like rubbing alcohol?" Patton asked with concern.
"It's gonna be coffee chocolate chip, babe, you'll only taste a bit of alcohol at the end," Remy nodded sagely.
"Oh, that does sound tasty," Patton mumbled. "Okay. Well, Remy. You sneak around your dad all the time. How do you do it?"
"I just leave when my dad does and come back before he's sober. It's not rocket science," Remy said, passing the final lap marker in first place.
"God, you weren't kidding that he's unreasonably good at this game," Roman muttered.
"You've never played with Remus? You're brothers, for god's sake. I know you have all the systems Virgil has and more," Remy grumbled.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Roman asked, scandalized.
"Remus is cut-throat at this game. He plays to win. I'm just keeping up with him. You'd know that if you played with him," Remy said. Roman looked a little hurt, but that was his own bed to lie in. Remy didn't owe him an apology. "So can you just dodge your dad this evening? Maybe say you're staying over at Patton's?" Remy asked.
"I stayed with Patton recently and haven't done anything to earn another sleepover," Logan said.
"Ugh, you don't have to earn fun," Remy grumbled. "What if you're staying overnight to study late?"
"Logan's dad calls my mom to check in," Patton supplied.
"Jesus, dude. Okay, when does he go to bed and wake up?" Remy asked.
"10 PM and 7 AM," Logan responded quickly.
"Early bird, huh? Okay, so we break you out at 11 from your bedroom window and get you back before 6. Or, now stay with me here, he doesn't know where you are right now and he can't stop you from staying out. Ask forgiveness instead of permission," Remy suggested.
"That… I've never… I-" Logan looked like he short-circuited.
"Hey, they're options. And one of those options lets us start drinking as soon as Patton says it's okay," Remy shrugged, winning the race.