Ill-advised Wisdom

Smoke still lingered around them. From the trash can by the back exit of the lodge, the faintest hint of gray smog wafted up towards the rafters. The smoldering remains of Phoebe's drum sticks had been tossed away half an hour ago, the girl having stormed off to find their missing band member after sputtering out apology after apology for nearly setting Chops' hair on fire during her explosive fit.

"Hey, sorry again about the whole 'your hair almost burst into flames' thing,' my man," Quentin said, continuing to scratch away at his turntables. He rubbed his index finger against the disc, a wobbling beat filling the otherwise silent lodge.

Sitting in front of Quentin with his legs dangling off the stage, Chops tuned his guitar and plucked the strings. Part of his rhythm was still unrefined, the final note keening rather than soothing. Fiddling with the pegs, he said, "It's cool. No hard feelings." Leaning back, he ran his fingers along the neck of his guitar, flicking each string as he tuned. Chuckling, he glanced over his shoulder and added, "Not like you were the one who almost burned me, eh?"

Quentin snickered and played with a few knobs. Like Chops, he was still searching for a proper rhythm, but his scratches and mixes didn't sound right without Phoebe providing a beat. His tune sounded too experimental, and while he was perfectly delighted to try new styles, it still sounded off. Without any kind of backing beat to keep the music going at a steady pace, his rhythm repeatedly thrown off as Chops continued adjusting his guitar every few seconds.

Deciding to wait for Phoebe's return, Quentin stepped off his cardboard box and stretched his arms above his head. As his back popped, he sighed, and his gaze fell on Chops. Tilting his head, he asked, "Hey, any reason why JT didn't show up? He seemed pretty interested when we asked you two if you wanted to join the Levitators."

Chops' fingernails caught on the strings as he jerked them away, the sharp pull making him grimace. He quickly bit off a hangnail and spat it out on the floor, frowning when it started bubbling with a pinprick of blood. Shaking his head as Quentin sat next to him, he managed to force his mouth into a grin as he said, "No idea. He's probably making out with Elka again."

"Oh, killer," he said, offering a thumbs-up.

Rolling his eyes, Chops said, "It's not killer. That chick is monopolizing him, I just know it." He rubbed his hand against the loose curls of his afro, a few split ends slightly singed from Phoebe's wrath. "Not like I can prove it though. All she does is show up, demand his attention, and JT follows after her like some kind of lost dog." He scoffed and kicked his heel against the stage. "I can barely get a word in with him. As long as Elka keeps hanging on to him, I'm gonna be lucky if I see his shadow."

Quentin hummed, nodding along with Chops' words. They were laced with vindication. His brows were furrowed, and he refused to meet Quentin's gaze. His glare narrowed on an uprooted floorboard from when Bobby threw Clem down on it after the unfortunate boy bumped into him and made him spill his juice on Chloe.

"Well, have you tried talking to Elka about JT?" Quentin asked, his smile pressing into his cheeks.

"Have I tried-? Dude…" Chops leaned back, his eyes wide. "...it's Elka."

"I know she can be difficult, but maybe if you talk to her, then you guys can figure something out. Best to get her side of the story, yeah?" Nodding like a sage, he wrapped his arm around Chops' shoulders and pulled him closer. "Maybe Elka does like being his GF. You'll never know if you don't ask, my friend."

Shaking his head, Chops slid off the stage. He slipped his guitar under his arm and said, "Look, Quentin, she broke up with Nils when camp started and kept lamented about it 'til she got together with JT. I'm pretty sure she's just using my main man as a rebound." His nose wrinkled. "Hate to say it, but he's too chicken to say no to her. He'd let her walk all over me and him and keep his mouth shut the whole time."

Quentin raised his hands, blurting, "Whoa, whoa! Let's not have that bad mojo cloud your thoughts." Leaning forward, he gripped the edge of the stage. "You should talk to her. You'll get a better picture of things if you do, and who knows? Maybe JT and Elka are a match made in heaven, and she wants to spend as much time as she can with him."

"Talk to Elka, eh?" Chops appeared pensive, his lips pursed, and he tapped his foot to an irregular rhythm. "I mean, if JT does like her, then I'm gonna look like I have egg on my face with how I've been acting."

"And that's not a bad look, dude. Just gotta clean it off and start anew."

"Wow, it's uncanny how much you sound like Phoebe. You guys should open a camp therapy office," Chops said, chuckling along with Quentin. He shrugged his shoulders and tapped his guitar on to the floor. "Not like I got anything else to do for today. I might as well find Elka if she isn't too busy sucking JT's face."

"That's the spirit, bro!" Quentin gave him a double thumbs-up and the broadest smile he could muster on to his face.

He waved Chops off as he left through the front door. While he didn't really know what was happening in that strange little love triangle, he still felt that he steered Chops in the right direction. A little positive influence and communication always ended fights and never started them in his opinion, and he was happy that Phoebe agreed with him when she returned from her failed quest to drag JT to band practice.

When Quentin later asked about what happened with Elka after they were all re-brained, he ended up with several pillows thrown at him by both Chops and JT in the cabin area.

i had a dream that i was writing this fic last night, so i made that dream a reality. the next one is also gonna be just like that with phoebe and bobby, so that's why it's not a first line prompt.